The Skin-Whitening and Antioxidant Effects of Protocatechuic Acid (PCA) Derivatives in Melanoma and Fibroblast Cell Lines.

The skin is the most voluminous organ of the human body and is exposed to the outer environment. Such exposed skin suffers from the effects of various intrinsic and extrinsic aging factors. Skin aging is characterized by features such as wrinkling, loss of elasticity, and skin pigmentation.

Factors Affecting the Practice of Corona Virus Disease-19 Prevention Activities in Patients With Heart Diseases in Korea.

This study was conducted in a cross-sectional correlation design to identify factors affecting the practice of COVID-19 prevention activities in patients with heart diseases. A convenience sample of 195 patients with heart diseases from one tertiary teaching hospital completed questionnaires with items from the characteristics of these participants, their knowledge, attitude, and practice related to COVID-19 prevention activities. Participants' knowledge, attitude, and practice for COVID-19 prevention were relatively high but there was a significant difference in the degree of practice of COVID-19 prevention activities according to the characteristics of the participants.

Geometric Effects of Colloidal Particles on Stochastic Interface Adsorption.

The stochastic interface adsorption behaviors of ellipsoid particles were investigated using optical laser tweezers. The particles were brought close to the oil-water interface, attempting to attach forcefully to the interface. Multiple attempts of the particle attachments statistically quantified the dependence of the adsorption probability on the particle aspect ratio.

BOIMPY: Fluorescent Boron Complexes with Tunable and Environment-Responsive Light-Emitting Properties.

A series of air-stable boron complexes 1-5 were prepared by using N-aryl iminopyrrolide ligands. Designed as minimalist structural mimics of the privileged BODIPY motif, these new BOIMPY (BOron complexes of IMinoPYrrolide ligands) fluorophores feature low molecular symmetry that promotes emission from CT-type excited states with large Stokes shifts and little self-quenching. Through comparative studies on the homologous set of compounds 1-4, we have confirmed that a delicate interplay between conformational twisting and donor-acceptor interaction dictates the mechanism of de-excitation, which responds sensitively to solvent polarity as well as protonation states.

Multichromophoric π-Conjugation: Modular Design for Gated and Cascade Energy Transfer.

Multichromophore arrays allow for cascade energy transfer. As an isoelectronic analogue of indacenyl, bis(triazolo)benzene features a fused tricyclic skeleton that rigidly places two π-extended triazoles in close proximity. Such triazole-based fluorophores behave as electronically independent modules in the ground states, but become tightly coupled upon photoexcitation for highly efficient excitation energy transfer (EET) that can be gated by external stimuli.

Real-Time Characterization of the Nanostructure of a Metal Electrode on an Organic Thin Film: An In Situ X-Ray Scattering Study.

We measured the real-time variations in the nanostructure of organic (P3HT:PCBM) films and the interfacial structure between the electrode and an organic layer during thermal annealing using in-situ X-ray scattering measurements. An in-situ annealing system is valuable for investigating the nanostructures of organic thin films by simultaneously measuring the X-ray reflectivity and the grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering profile. The interface between a Ca electrode and a P3HT:PCBM film began to degrade at 90 degrees C; however, thermal degradation could be prevented by a pre-annealing process prior to the metal deposition step.

Protective effect of extracts of Perilla frutescens treated with sucrose on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity in vitro and in vivo.

Perilla frutescens leaves are often used in East Asian gourmet food. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of P. frutescens leaves grown in different concentrations of sucrose (0, 115, 175 and 235 mM sucrose) leading to four samples of perilla leaf extracts (PLEs).

Torsionally restricted tetradentate fluorophore: a swivelling ligand platform for ratiometric sensing of metal ions.

A conformationally pre-organized ligand platform allows for restricted swivelling motions of two aryleneethynylene-appended 2,2'-bipyridyl units that function as a tight bischelator as well as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for selected metal ions.

A 90 day repeated oral toxicity study on plantamajoside concentrate from Plantago asiatica.

Plantago asiatica is distributed widely in East Asia. Since ancient times it has been used as a diuretic to treat acute urinary infections, and as an antiinflammatory, antiasthmatic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic and antihepatitis drug. The major compound, plantamajoside from P.