Application of Mini-LEDs with Microlens Arrays and Quantum Dot Film as Extra-Thin, Large-Area, and High-Luminance Backlight.

The demand for extra-thin, large-area, and high-luminance flat-panel displays continues to grow, especially for portable displays such as gaming laptops and automotive displays. In this paper, we propose a design that includes a light guide layer with a microstructure above the mini-light-emitting diode light board. The light control microstructure of concave parabel-surface microlens arrays on a light-emitting surface increases the likelihood of total internal reflection occurring and improved the uniformity merit function.

Exceedingly Concise and Elegant Synthesis of (+)-Paniculatine, (-)-Magellanine, and (+)-Magellaninone.

Starting from inexpensive (+)-pulegone as the chiral building block, a highly convergent synthesis of the unusual diquinane-based structures of (+)-paniculatine (1), (-)-magellanine (2), and (+)-magellaninone (3), has been achieved. This approach is based upon a tandem acylation-alkylation of ketoester 8 and palladium-catalyzed olefin insertion, oxidation, and hydrogenation for construction of the tetracyclic framework. This exceedingly concise strategy, requiring only 12-14 steps, is the shortest to date.

Influence of bacterial cellulose (nata) on the physicochemical and sensory properties of frankfurter.

Unlabelled: The physicochemical and sensory characteristics of pork frankfurters containing different levels (10% to 30%) of bacterial cellulose (nata) were evaluated. Emulsion stability of the raw meat batter decreased with the addition of nata. For nata-added treatments, increasing levels of nata in frankfurters resulted in decreased textural hardness and shear values.

Suppression of allergic reactions in ovalbumin-sensitized mice by yam storage proteins dioscorins.

To study the biomedical functions of dioscorins isolated from various species of Dioscorea , we investigated their antiallergic potential using an OVA-induced allergy mouse model. All the dioscorins suppressed allergic reactions by decreasing the serum IgE and histamine levels. The serum IFN-γ and IgG2a levels increased in all the dioscorin-treated mice.

Molecular cloning, structural analysis and mass spectrometric identification of native dioscorins of various yam species.

Background: Dioscorins are the major storage proteins of yam tubers. However, the molecular nature of their heterogeneity in tubers has not been fully elucidated. In this study the authors isolated the dioscorin gene families of Dioscorea japonica and Dioscorea pseudojaponica, performed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and elucidated which dioscorin isoforms are the major constituents in tubers.

Recombinant dioscorins of the yam storage protein expressed in Escherichia coli exhibit antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities.

Dioscorins, the major storage proteins in yam tubers, exhibit biochemical and immunomodulatroy activities. To investigate the potential application of dioscorins in biomedical research, we expressed the dioscorin genes Dj-dioA3 and Dp-dioA2 from Dioscorea japonica and Dioscorea pseudojaponica, respectively, in E. coli and routinely obtained approximately 15 mg proteins per liter Escherichia coli culture (mg/L) to 30 mg/L of rDj-dioscorinA3 and 4 to 8 mg/L of rDp-dioscorinA2.

Influences of xylooligosaccharides on the quality of Chinese-style meatball (kung-wan).

Physicochemical properties, sensory traits, and protein surface hydrophobicity of Chinese-style meatball (20% fat) processed from various combinations of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) and sucrose were investigated. No significant differences in pH and water-holding capacity were noted for treatments following cooking and frozen storage. Sensory springiness, hardness, chewiness, and overall acceptability of all treatments were found not significantly different.

Dioscorin protects tight junction protein expression in A549 human airway epithelium cells from dust mite damage.

Background And Purpose: In addition to being an allergen, the trypsin activity of dust mite extract also destroys the tight junctions of bronchial epithelium. Such damage can lead to airway leakage, which increases airway exposure to allergens, irritants, and other pathogens. Dioscorin, the storage protein of yam, demonstrates anti-trypsin activity, as well as other potential anti-inflammatory effects.

Wheelchair detection using cascaded decision tree.

One of the major goals of healthcare systems is to automatically monitor patients of special needs and alarm the caregivers for providing assistant. In this paper, an efficient single-camera multidirectional wheelchair detector based on a cascaded decision tree (CDT) is proposed to detect a wheelchair and its moving direction simultaneously from video frames for a healthcare system. Our approach combines a decision tree structure and boosted-cascade classifiers to construct a new CDT that can perform early confidence decisions in a hierarchical manner to rapidly reject nonwheelchairs and decide the moving directions.

Yam storage protein dioscorins from Dioscorea alata and Dioscorea japonica exhibit distinct immunomodulatory activities in mice.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of the major storage protein dioscorin isolated from two different yam species, Tainong No. 1 (TN1-dioscorins) and Japanese yam (Dj-dioscorins), on the immune activities of mice. Dj-dioscorins, like TN1-dioscorins, could induce expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulate phagocytosis of RAW 264.

Physicochemical and textural properties of ultrasound-degraded konjac flour and their influences on the quality of low-fat Chinese-style sausage.

Physical and textural properties of varying molecular-weight konjac gels made by ultrasonic degradation were compared and gels were processed into low-fat Chinese-style sausages for the evaluation of textural and sensory characteristics. Results showed that as molecular weights decreased, storage modulus and loss modulus of konjac gels of varying molecular weights declined, indicating more elastic and viscous konjac gels. Shear values and textural springiness and cohesiveness of Chinese sausage were similar among all treatments.

A new entry to 1,5-keto esters and their 4,4-dideuterio derivatives via methylene chloride as "methylene dianion" equivalents.

This TiCl 4-Mg promoted multicomponent coupling of various amides with CH(2)Cl(2) and methyl acrylate represents an extremely simple and practical synthesis of 1,5-keto esters. The efficiency of this chemistry is illustrated by the very simple preparation of unusual 4,4-dideuterio-1,5-keto esters.

New, general, and practical preparation of methyl ketones via the direct coupling of amides with CH2Cl2 promoted by TiCl4/Mg.

The direct coupling of a variety of amides with CH2 Cl2 or CD2 Cl2 promoted by TiCl 4/Mg/THF provides an extremely simple, practical, selective, and efficient approach for the construction of methyl ketones. The efficiency and practicability of this chemistry is illustrated by the very simple synthesis of deuterated methyl ketones.

Unusual ambiphilic carbenoid equivalent in amide cyclopropanation.

[reaction: see text] The titanium-methylene complexes derived from the TiCl(4)-Mg-CH(2)Cl(2) system serve as a novel class of ambiphilic carbenoid equivalents, which not only efficiently effect cyclopropanations of a variety amides but also exhibit high chemoselectivity.

New, general, and practical enamine cyclopropanation using dichloromethane.

[reaction: see text] Dichloromethane serves as a novel electrophilic carbene equivalent which adds to an enamine double bond. The presence of other alkene moieties in the enamine partner is well tolerated. Even enamines derived from sterically hindered ketones react readily with dichloromethane promoted by TiCl(4)-Mg.

Dichloromethane as an unusual methylene equivalent. A new entry of highly nucleophilic and selective titanium-methylene complexes for ester methylenation.

[reaction: see text] The successful application of CH2Cl2-Mg-TiCl4-system mediated methylenation of various esters such as tert-butyl ester and 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate highlights the extraordinary reactivity, selectivity, and the nonbasic nature of this new methylene-carbenoid, which serves as a practical reagent applicable to large-scale synthesis.

Konjac/gellan gum mixed gels improve the quality of reduced-fat frankfurters.

Mixed gels of konjac (1%, 2%) and gellan gum (0.25%, 0.5%) were incorporated into reduced-fat (18%) frankfurters and compared with reduced-fat and high-fat (28%) controls for physicochemical, textural, sensory properties and storage stability.

Effects of sodium lactate and trisodium phosphate on the physicochemical properties and shelf life of low-fat Chinese-style sausage.

The efficacy of using additives to improve the shelf life of low-fat (approximately 18%) Chinese-style sausages was demonstrated. Sausages containing 3% sodium lactate (SL), 0.2% trisodium phosphate (TSP) or 0.