Skin aging appears to be principally related to a decrease in the levels of type I collagen, the primary component of the skin dermis. Asiaticoside, a saponin component isolated from Centella asiatica, has been shown to induce type I collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblast cells. However, the mechanism underlying asiaticoside-induced type I collagen synthesis, especially at a molecular level, remains only partially understood. In this study, we have attempted to characterize the action mechanism of asiaticoside in type I collagen synthesis. Asiaticoside was determined to induce the phosphorylation of both Smad 2 and Smad 3. In addition, we detected the asiaticoside-induced binding of Smad 3 and Smad 4. In a consistent result, the nuclear translocation of the Smad 3 and Smad 4 complex was induced via treatment with asiaticoside, pointing to the involvement of asiaticoside in Smad signaling. In addition, SB431542, an inhibitor of the TGFbeta receptor I (TbetaRI) kinase, which is known to be an activator of the Smad pathway, was not found to inhibit both Smad 2 phosphorylation and Type 1 collagen synthesis induced by asiaticoside. Therefore, our results show that asiaticoside can induce type I collagen synthesis via the activation of the TbetaRI kinase-independent Smad pathway.

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protocols that tailor the absorption spectrum of the active material. [1][2][3][4][5][6] While such efforts have resulted in a library of active materials, they have also presented challenges for commercial viability due to the different processes and costs associated with employing distinct active materials to display different colors. Their use has also resulted in varied performances among devices of different colors, adding to the difficulty for practical implementation. Furthermore, challenges in organic synthesis have limited the achievable types of color and their spectral purity. In this work, we introduce a strategy that enables a single active material that absorbs uniformly across the visible range to display different colors with high spectral purity and consistent device performances through the implementation of a color filtering (CF) electrode. The electrode consists of a Ag-TiO x -Ag Fabry-Perot (FP) resonant cavity, where the thickness of the TiO x layer determines the spectral position of the transmission peak and the inner Ag layer functions as an electrical contact. The electrode also functions as a mirror for all wavelengths of light except that within the resonant band (i.e., the spectral transparency window) of the CF. Therefore, light that has not been selectively transmitted may reflect back into the active material, contributing to additional charge generation. This implies that the short-circuit current density, which is largely a function of the optical absorption, must be higher for a CF-integrated OPV compared to a transparent OPV, under the condition that the two devices show similar peak transmission efficiencies.The use of photonic structures as optical filters in OPVs or inorganic solar cells has been previously reported in the form of distributed Bragg reflectors, [7][8][9] photonic arrays, [10][11][12] and plasmonic resonators. [13][14][15] While such filters enable various colors to be transmitted or reflected through tuning of the characteristic dimension of the filter components, in many cases they suffer from increased fabrication costs and duration because of the structural complexity. Moreover, photonic structures employing low-loss dielectrics exhibit poor electrical conductivity, precluding their use as an electrode. Finally, the structural anisotropy intrinsic to 1D or 3D photonic structures can result in asymmetric responses for light incident from above and below the device. Such behavior can complicate design schemes for creating bidirectional colored windows.Colorful, semitransparent organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) are increasing in demand due to their applicability in aesthetically fashioned powergenerating windows. The traditional method of generating different colors in OPVs has been through employing different active materials exhibiting distinct absorption spectra. This can complicate fabrication processes for production and cause deviations in device performance among differently colored OPVs. Herein, semitransparent and colorful OPVs with a single broadban...

Semitransparent colorful organic solar cells (OSC) provide exciting opportunities for harnessing sunlight as colored windows. Previously, color filter (CF) electrodes on (OSC) were demonstrated via vacuum-deposition techniques, resulting in deposition-induced damage. Thus, we present CF integrated organic photovoltaics (CF-OPVs) using solution-processed TiO2–AcAc as the dielectric component. The noninvasive processing substantially expands the range of usable active materials, allowing the device to display pure and vibrant colors that are independent of the inherent color of the active material and show superior optical and photovoltaic characteristics. These results provide practical pathways to realizing colored semitransparent solar cells.

1 Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a is known to induce the expression of CCL11 and CCR3 via the activation of NF-kB. CCL11 (eotaxin), the C-C chemokine, is a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils and Th2 lymphocytes, and CCR3 is the receptor for CCL11. 2 In order to determine the effects of rosmarinic acid on the TNF-a-induced upregulation of CCL11 and CCR3 in human dermal fibroblasts, we performed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for CCL11 and a Western blot assay for CCR3. The TNF-a-induced expression of CCL11 and CCR3 genes was attenuated by rosmarinic acid. 3 In our NF-kB luciferase reporter system, TNF-a-induced NF-kB activation was observed to be reduced by rosmarinic acid. In accordance with this result, rosmarinic acid also inhibited TNF-ainduced phosphorylation and degradation of IkB-a, as well as nuclear translocation of NF-kB heterodimer induced by TNF-a. This suggests that rosmarinic acid downregulates the expression of CCL11 and CCR3 via the inhibition of NF-kB activation signaling. 4 Using the NF-kB luciferase reporter system, Western blot analysis, and IKK-b activity assay, we determined that rosmarinic acid inhibits IKK-b activity in NF-kB signaling, which upregulates the expression of CCL11 and CCR3. Additionally, TNF-a-induced secretion of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 molecules was found to be attenuated by rosmarinic acid. 5 Our results show that rosmarinic acid inhibits the expression of CCL11 and CCR3 by suppressing the IKK-b activity in NF-kB activation signaling. Further, these results suggest that rosmarinic acid might inhibit the expression of NF-kB promoter-related genes.

Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is the second-most frequent pediatric bone tumor. Chromosomal translocation t(11;22)(q24:q12) results in the formation of EWS/FLI1 gene fusion, which is detected in approximately 90% of tumors of the Ewing family. Several transcriptome studies have provided lists of genes associated with EWS/FLI1 expression. However, the protein expression profiles associated with EWS/FLI1 have yet to be elucidated. In this study, to identify the regulated proteins associated with EWS/FLI1 and therapeutic targets in ES, we conducted proteomic studies using EWS/FLI1 knockdown in four Ewing's sarcoma cell lines and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) expressing EWS/FLI1. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (i-TRAQ) analyses identified more than 2,000 proteins regulated by the EWS/FLI1 fusion. In addition, the network analyses identified several critical pathways, including XBP1, which was ranked the highest. XBP1 is a protein well known to play an important role in the unfolded protein response (UPR) to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway. We confirmed the high mRNA expression of XBP1 (spliced XBP1 and unspliced XBPl) in surgical samples and cell lines in ES. The silencing of XBP1 significantly suppressed the cell viabilities in ES cell lines. In the inhibitor assays using IRE1α-XBP1 inhibitors, including toyocamycin, we confirmed that these agents significantly suppressed the cell viabilities, leading to apoptosis in ES cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggested that IRE1α-XBP1 inhibitors might be useful for developing novel therapeutic strategies in ES.

In this work, the surface potential (VS) of exfoliated MoS2 monolayers on Au nanostripe arrays with period of 500 nm was investigated using Kelvin probe force microscopy. The surface morphology showed that the suspended MoS2 region between neighboring Au stripes underwent tensile-strain. In the dark, the VS of the MoS2 region on the Au stripe (VS-Au) was larger than that of the suspended MoS2 region (VS-S). However, under green light illumination, VS-Au became smaller than VS-S. To explain the VS modification, band diagrams have been constructed taking into consideration not only the local strain but also the electronic interaction at the MoS2/Au interface. The results of this work provide a basis for understanding the electrical properties of MoS2-metal contacts and improving the performance of MoS2-based optoelectronic devices.

These results demonstrate that inhibition of CD40-CD40L interaction or treatment with rapamycin could be successfully combined with in vitro-expanded Treg cell therapy, but the concomitant use of mycophenolate mofetil or cyclosporine A in this type of Treg cell therapy should be carefully considered.