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Patulin toxicity is related to gut barrier disruption and can be prevented by docosahexaenoic acid and probiotic supplementation.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical compounds of garlic essential oil (EO), and determine the antifungal efficacy of garlic EO and its major components, diallyl trisulfide and its nanoemulsions against wood-rotting fungi, Trametes hirsuta and Laetiporus sulphureus. GC-MS analysis revealed that the major constituents of garlic EO were diallyl trisulfide (39.79%), diallyl disulfide (32.91%), and diallyl sulfide (7.02%). In antifungal activity, the IC50 value of garlic EO against T. hirsuta and L. sulphureus were 137.3 and 44.6 μg/mL, respectively. Results from the antifungal tests demonstrated that the three major constituents were shown to have good antifungal activity, in which, diallyl trisulfide was the most effective against T. hirsuta and L. sulphureus, with the IC50 values of 56.1 and 31.6 μg/mL, respectively. The diallyl trisulfide nanoemulsions showed high antifungal efficacy against the examined wood-rotting fungi, and as the amount of diallyl trisulfide in the lipid phase increases, the antifungal efficacy of the nanoemulsions increases. These results showed that the nanoemulsions and normal emulsion of diallyl trisulfide have potential to develop into a natural wood preservative.

Recently, as a potential source of stationery products, bamboo has been continuously excavated for its commercial value in sustainable development. The research on the design of the bamboo pen holder, based on the concept of sustainable design, is not only a symbol of Chinese culture but also a reflection of perceptual factors underlying college students’ preferences. This study aims at user-centered product design by integrating Design Thinking (DT) and Kansei Engineering (KE). We proposed the KE–DT framework which allows designers to coordinate the user’s feelings as design elements. With various college student questionnaires, expert interviews, and cluster analysis, 7 Kansei words were selected to describe the sentimental value first. Using statistical analysis, the users’ emotional preference for each Kansei word was determined. Finally, the best shape of the pen holder was obtained by Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP), and the stereoscopic product was displayed. A new round of questionnaire surveys was conducted with the optimized pen container and the previous group. The results indicated that curvature had a significant effect on the preference for bamboo stationery in terms of user and designer cognitive differences. Furthermore, the bamboo pen holder designed by the KE–DT framework proved widely popular.

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This paper examines the correlation between the form and surface visual narrative of Han bamboo-carved stationery and painting, with the purpose of comprehending how bamboo carving articulates the material and cultural universe of the Han people. During the mid-Ming and Qing dynasties, the Han literati possessed a large number of exquisite bamboo-carved stationeries with landscape motifs. The relationship between bamboo carving landscape motifs and landscape painting is a manifestation of the fusion of Confucian religions in the Han literati culture. We combine a discussion of the decorative motifs in bamboo carving work together with the brushstrokes, techniques and composition of landscape painting in order to explore the expression of culture in bamboo carving. Although bamboo carving art mainly represents the interaction between bamboo carving artists and the material pursuit of literati, it also exhibits the development relationship between painting and craftsmanship. The landscape motif theme of bamboo carving is the representative of craftsmanship and innovation across materials. This is also a valid reason for investigating how Han craftsmanship gradually became professionalized and artistic. The paper argues that bamboo carvings as utensils created a new stage for Han literati culture and facilitated contact with the private market.