Au-and Ag-ZnO composite nanocrystals having a dumbbell-like structure were successfully synthesized through the nucleation and decomposition of zinc hydroxide at the surface of pre-existing Au and Ag nanoparticles, respectively. The average size of the Au and Ag nanoparticles used was ∼4 nm and that of the ZnO nanocrystals was ∼10 nm. The composite nanocrystals show strong crystallinity of face-centered cubic and wurztite structures from Au or Ag and ZnO, respectively. The composite nanocrystals show enhanced UV light emission due not only to the surface electron transfer from the Au or Ag to the ZnO by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) but also to the extension of the Fermi energy level to the ZnO. The Au-ZnO composite nanocrystals showed significantly suppressed visible light luminescence, while the Ag-ZnO did not show any apparent difference compared to the ZnO nanocrystals.

GeTe (GT) nanowires (NWs) were successfully synthesized using Bi seeds by a low-temperature solution-based process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show formation of straight and cylindrical shaped GT NWs together with spherical shaped Te particles. GT NWs were ∼50-100 nm in diameter and ∼2 µm in length. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of as-prepared samples show formation of hexagonal Te, orthorhombic GeTe, and amorphous phase in the samples. The [008] growth of orthorhombic GeTe NWs was identified using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Ostwald ripening was proposed as a growth mechanism of GT NWs. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results on the samples reveal an apparently decreased melting point of GT.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum FH185 on the reduction of adipocyte size and gut microbial changes in mice with diet-induced obesity. The strain was found to have a lipase inhibitory activity of 70.09±2.04% and inhibited adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells (18.63±0.98%) at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. To examine the effect of the strain supplementation on gut microbial changes in mice with diet-induced obesity, male C57BL/6J mice were fed on four different diets (i.e., A, normal diet (ND); B, high-fat diet (HFD); C, HFD with ABT-3 (109 CFU/day); and D, HFD with L. plantarum FH185 (109 CFU/day)) for 6 wk. According to the results of fecal pyrosequencing, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in groups C and D was lower than in the control groups at the phylum level. At the family level, Lactobacillaceae in groups C and D was observed to dominate, while Lachnospiraceae in groups A and B was observed to dominate. At the genus level, Lactobacillus in groups C and D was comparatively higher than in groups A and B. To examine the effects of strain supplementation on the reduction of adipocyte size, the left and right epididymal fat pads were quickly isolated after the animals were sacrificed, and the adipocyte sizes were measured. In groups A, C and D, the percentage of 2,000 m2 of adipocyte was higher than in the other size of adipocyte, while the percentage of over 5,000 m2 of adipocyte was highest in group B. The mean adipocyte size of group D was significantly larger than that of group A, but smaller than that of group B.

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