Domain size engineering of CVD graphene and its influence on physical properties

Mas’ud, Felisita Annisanti,Cho, Hyunjin,Lee, Taegeon,Rho, Heesuk,Seo, Tae Hoon,Kim, Myung Jong IOP 2016 Journal of Physics. D, Applied Physics Vol.49 No.20

<P>An electrochemical polishing pre-treatment and atmospheric pressure annealing were performed on copper foils in order to obtain large graphene domain sizes by the chemical vapor deposition method. The sizes were confirmed through scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, among other additional characterizations. The larger domain size was expected to improve the quality of the graphene but, on the contrary, the sheet resistance of the samples was found to increase for the larger domain size. We conclude that although the domain size is larger, the sheet resistance of graphene is more affected by the quality of the graphene interdomain itself.</P>

Phenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Kitaibelia vitifolia

Pavle Masˇkovic,Slavica Solujic,Vladimir Mihailovic,Milan Mladenovic,Milica Cvijovic,Jelena Mladenovic,Gordana Ac´amovic´-Ðokovic,V´ ladimir Kurc´ubic 한국식품영양과학회 2011 Journal of medicinal food Vol.14 No.12

This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity and efficacy of the ethanolic extract of the endemic plant species Kitaibelia vitifolia in inhibiting the growth of selected fungi and bacteria. Antimicrobial activity was tested using the broth dilution procedure for determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). MICs were determined for eight selected indicator strains. The highest susceptibility to K. vitifolia ethanolic extract among the bacteria tested was exhibited by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 (MIC =15.62 ㎛/mL), followed by Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Proteus mirabilis ATCC 14153 (MIC = 31.25 ㎍/mL), and Proteus vulgaris ATCC 13315 (MIC = 62.50 ㎍/mL). Of the fungi, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 (MIC = 15.62 ㎍/mL)showed the highest susceptibility, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 (MIC = 31.25 ㎍/mL) had the lowest. Results showed that K. vitifolia extract possesses antioxidant activity, with total antioxidant capacity of 75.45±0.68 ㎍ of ascorbic acid/g and 50% inhibition concentration values of 47.45±0.55 ㎍/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity,35.35±0.68 ㎍/mL for inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation, 95.25± 0.52 ㎍/mL for hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and 31.50 – 0.35 lg/mL for metal chelating activity. Total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins, and gallotannins were 85.25±0.69 mg of gallic acid (GA)/g, 45.32±0.55 mg of rutin/g, 54.25±0.75 mg of GA/g, and 41.74±0.55 mg of GA/g,respectively. The phenolic composition of K. vitifolia extract was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Rosmarinic acid was found to be the dominant phenolic compound of the extract.

Is artification perceived by consumers of luxury products? The research relevance of a customer-based brand equity model

Stefania Masè,Elena Cedrola,Genevieve Cohen-Cheminet 한국마케팅과학회 2018 Journal of Global Fashion Marketing Vol.9 No.3

This article presents an experiment that tests the capacity of consumers to recognize an artification effect on luxury brands. From a managerial viewpoint, artification is an umbrella term that covers extensive art-based strategies. Luxury brands have been especially prone to using art strategies to address the issue of commodification resulting from high production volumes and so restore perceptions of rarity and exclusiveness. The main hypothesis of this research is that artification favorably alters perceptions of rarity in luxury products and also leads to a series of positive associations at the level of the brand. Through the customer-based brand equity (CBBE) scale, the four main dimensions of brand equity from a consumer perspective (Awareness, Image, Quality, Loyalty) have been analyzed. We randomly show consumers standard Louis Vuitton (LV) luxury items, and items resulting from the collaboration between LV and artist Yayoi Kusama. Frequency of distribution, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) confirmed our hypothesis concerning both the Awareness and Image dimensions. No changes were observed at the Quality and Loyalty levels. This result opens up to further analysis on artification’s impact on brand equity, giving special attention to Brand Image, such an important and complex dimension of CBBE.

ARTIFICATION PROCESSES FOR MAJOR LUXURY BRANDS: ART-BASED MANAGEMENT FOR BRANDING PURPOSES

Stefania Masè,Elena Cedrola,Geneviève Cohen Cheminet 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2019 Global Fashion Management Conference Vol.2019 No.07

Self-assembly study of type I collagen extracted from male Wistar Hannover rat tail tendons

Jeimmy González-Masís,Jorge M. Cubero-Sesin,Simón Guerrero,Sara González-Camacho,Yendry Regina Corrales-Ureña,Carlos Redondo-Gómez,José Roberto Vega-Baudrit,Rodolfo J. Gonzalez-Paz 한국생체재료학회 2020 생체재료학회지 Vol.24 No.4

Background: Collagen, the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom, represents a promising biomaterial for regenerative medicine applications due to its structural diversity and self-assembling complexity. Despite collagen’s widely known structural and functional features, the thermodynamics behind its fibrillogenic self-assembling process is still to be fully understood. In this work we report on a series of spectroscopic, mechanical, morphological and thermodynamic characterizations of high purity type I collagen (with a D-pattern of 65 nm) extracted from Wistar Hannover rat tail. Our herein reported results can be of help to elucidate differences in selfassembly states of proteins using ITC to improve the design of energy responsive and dynamic materials for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Methods: Herein we report the systematic study on the self-assembling fibrillogenesis mechanism of type I collagen, we provide morphological and thermodynamic evidence associated to different self-assembly events using ITC titrations. We provide thorough characterization of the effect of pH, effect of salts and protein conformation on self-assembled collagen samples via several complementary biophysical techniques, including circular dichroism (CD), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Results: Emphasis was made on the use of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for the thermodynamic monitoring of fibrillogenesis stages of the protein. An overall self-assembly enthalpy value of 3.27 ± 0.85 J/mol was found. Different stages of the self-assembly mechanism were identified, initial stages take place at pH values lower than the protein isoelectric point (pI), however, higher energy release events were recorded at collagen’s pI. Denatured collagen employed as a control exhibited higher energy absorption at its pI, suggesting different energy exchange mechanisms as a consequence of different aggregation routes.

IS THE ARTIFICATION PROCESS PERCEIVED BY FINAL CONSUMERS OF LUXURY PRODUCTS? RESULTS FROM AN EXPERIMENT BASED ON THE APPLICATION OF THE CUSTOMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY MODEL

Elena Cedrola,Genevi?ve Cohen-Cheminet,Stefania Mas? 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2017 Global Fashion Management Conference Vol.2017 No.07

Recent research has shown that many companies in the fashion industry are increasingly weaving close relationships with the art world, to appropriate art values and meanings to be associated with their own products and brands (Hagdtvedt & Patrick, 2008a; 2008b). Businesses related to the fashion luxury sector have been especially prone to using such strategies to transform their products into true artworks to address the issue of commodification resulting from high production volumes (Dion and Arnoult, 2011; Riot, Chameret & Rigaud, 2013). Over the past two decades, the luxury market has undergone huge structural changes through mergers and acquisitions that have transformed an industry made up of small, family businesses into major financial conglomerates and brand owners (Roux & Floch, 1996; Crane 2012). Secondly, globalization and openness to new fast-growing markets such as Asia, have led these luxury conglomerates to increase sales volumes, failing in one of the basic characteristics of such goods: rarity. But if the real rarity of luxury products is a promise that companies can no longer guarantee their own consumers, the elitism of these products can be ensured through an artificial rarity. Jean-No?l Kapferer used the neologism artification recently introduced by French sociologists Nathalie Heinich and Roberta Shapiro and applied it to the analysis of luxury goods (Kapferer, 2012; 2014; Heinich and Shapiro, 2012; Shapiro and Heinich, 2012). He stressed that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is useful mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Artification is based on the notion that art –related objects or persons are associated with positive values. Enhancing a corporate image in the consumer’s mind means building positive ties to the brand that will initiate a form of benevolence towards the brand, providing the legitimization of corporate actions and, in some cases, resulting in the purchase of goods and services produced and distributed by the company (Keller, 1993; Aaker, 1996; Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000; Keller, 2003). We decided to analyse the effect of Artification on brand value by focusing on the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty by using the same CbBE ( Customer-based Brand Equity) structure previous authors tested on country of origin effect on consumers, based on the main hypotheses further explained (Pappu, Quester & Cooksey, 2006). The first hypothesis relates to the dimension of Awareness and aims to test the level of brand recognition in final consumers when the logo is modified by an artist. • H1 – Consumers’ awareness remains strong when the brand is ‘artified’. We analyze then the Image, as the second dimension of CbBE. Due to the complexity of this dimension, we posited two hypotheses connected to it: • H2a – Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the artworld when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. consumers indicate words as art, contemporary art or the name of the artist). • H2b – Consumers’ evaluation of the brand image points to stronger positive associations when the brand is ‘artified’ The last two hypotheses we mention are connected to the dimensions of Quality and Loyalty: • H3 – Consumers’ evaluation of Quality increases when the brand is ‘artified’. ? H4 – Consumers’ Loyalty to the brand increases when the brand is ‘artified’. • The analysis was conducted through a between-subjects randomized experiment and manipulated art presence (with art versus without art). Starting from the same panel, two groups were created: one including the treatment (visual arts) and one including no treatment at all. Furthermore, we limited ourselves in this experiment to images of products and pattern created by Louis Vuitton that are actually on the market, associating them randomly to the research units in order to obtain two statistically consistent groups subjected to the different treatment (with art or without art)4. The two groups were labelled ‘artified’ group and control group, the first grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product modified by art collaboration with Yayoi Kusama; and the second grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product in its standard design. The questionnaire was distributed between the months of May and June 2015 via Qualtrics survey software. It was divided into four distinct blocks: the first concerned the presentation of the survey, the declaration of authorization signed by the participants and the demographic information; the second and the third blocks of questions were identical, with the same series of questions but based on different images used. There were 880 respondents, 825 of whom correctly filled the questionnaire we submitted to them. The control group was made of 413 respondents, 73.13 % of whom were female and 26.87 % male. The ‘artified’ group was made of 71.60 % female and 28.40 % male. We analyzed the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty individually and in a comparative manner between the control and ‘artified’ groups. In the CbBE model, dimensions are analyzed individually since Awareness and brand Image measures are not comparable because they are collected through different measure methods, respectively through multiple choice and open-ended questions. Such dimensions as Image, Quality and Loyalty which were raised through Likert scales were then subjected to mono multivariate statistical analysis. The main results are shown in table 1. By reading the results for CbBE, Hypothesis H1 [Consumers’ awareness remain strong when the brand is ‘artified’] has been confirmed. The aided brand awareness shows no important differences between the two groups, so visual artists may modify logos or the appearance of luxury products without the fear of compromising brand awareness in the final consumers. Hypothesis H2a [Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the arts when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. the word art, contemporary art or the name of the artist)] was not confirmed. Hypothesis H2b was partially confirmed as Generic Associations and Brand Personality were impacted by the use of the visual arts, while Organizational Associations were not. Brand loyalty and Perceived Quality were not impacted by the Visual Arts either, so Hypothesis H3 and H4 were not confirmed. As a main result for CbBE analysis, the Visual Arts have an impact on Customer-based Brand Equity, limited to Brand Image dimensions. The fact that Brand Image is one of the most complex dimensions of brand value opens the way to the development of future analysis and research in the visual arts as external source for brand equity, especially for Brand Personality. The main results of our research show that an artification effect is visible especially at the level of brand image and brand personality, two complex and valuable components of Brand Value from a consumer perspective. This opens to further in-depth analysis of these two components for future research. Large luxury groups (such as Cartier and Prada) have long used an art-based strategy to increase the value of their products, avoiding the risk of a loss of prestige perceived by the final consumer who would no longer recognize the exclusivity of a product that seems to be increasingly more industrial than handmade. Art can therefore contribute to alter and rework the image and market position of a specific brand or an entire product line, ensuring the transition from an ordinary image to a prestigious one, or strengthening the existing prestigious perception (Hetsroni & Tukachinsky, 2005; Lee et Al., 2015). We believe that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is beneficial mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Luxury goods would have to be unique or at least not produced in too high volumes precisely because of their craftsmanship and the care with which they are made. Rarity is not compatible with the increase in sales volumes required by the financial holdings that own the same luxury brands (Roux and Lipovetsky, 2003; Kapferer, 2012; 2014; 2015). The artification process we researched would have exactly the dual purpose of improving the brand image of companies that apply it, while increasing the perception of luxury in end consumers. What is more, we believe that the luxury brands from the industry sector that belong to large financial conglomerates now have the strength to simultaneously apply all the components in the artification process, by sustaining activities of sponsorship, philanthropy or generic collaboration with artists. The fact that luxury products are an integral part of the world of visual arts combined with the fact luxury brands have now the strong support base of large financial conglomerates can ensure the right economic and cultural support needed for the application of such a strategy. In the case of fashion companies, we believe artification is a process in itinere. In our experiment free associations to the brand show that only 2 consumers out of 880 remembered or knew the name of the artist (Yayoi Kusama) and 10 people indicated the substantive ‘art’ or ‘contemporary arts’ as free associations in the ‘artified group’ (only 2 in the control group). This shows that luxury brands ‘art-based strategy cannot only concentrate on temporary collaborations with artists. Luxury brands as Louis Vuitton must act as art institutions able to display arts collections to the widest public and bestow art status and global recognition to collaborating artists (Mas? and Cedrola, 2017). This strategy relies on LV ability to raise consumers’ awareness of the arts. While the art-oriented public recognizes artistic collaborations, the larger public does not yet is still very much aware of new designs. Novelty is equally perceived by both, but is partially decoded by one category of consumers.

Characteristics of microdischarge plasma jet in water and its application to water purification by bacterial inactivation

Ma, S.,Kim, K.,Huh, J.,Hong, Y. Elsevier Science B.V 2017 Separation and purification technology Vol.188 No.-

A microdischarge jet with a simple structure and low power consumption was developed, and we investigated its characteristics in a stable plasma jet in water, as well as the effect of the generated active radicals on bacterial disinfection. Sterilization experiments were performed using air and nitrogen plasma jets, and the sterilization rates of Escherichia coli were 99.99% and 66.7%, respectively. Active radicals such as H<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB>, OH, NO, and NO<SUB>2</SUB>, which could contribute to sterilization, were produced when the plasma jet was generated in water. In particular, a comparison of the results obtained with the air- and nitrogen-plasma jets showed that the radical concentration was highly influenced by sterilization.

Organization of the Mammalian Metabolome according to Organ Function, Lineage Specialization, and Longevity

Ma, S.,Yim, S.,Lee, S.G.,Kim, E.,Lee, S.R.,Chang, K.T.,Buffenstein, R.,Lewis, Kaitlyn N.,Park, Thomas J.,Miller, Richard A.,Clish, Clary B.,Gladyshev, Vadim N. Cell Press 2015 Cell metabolism Vol.22 No.2

Biological diversity among mammals is remarkable. Mammalian body weights range seven orders of magnitude and lifespans differ more than 100-fold among species. While genetic, dietary, and pharmacological interventions can be used to modulate these traits in model organisms, it is unknown how they are determined by natural selection. By profiling metabolites in brain, heart, kidney, and liver tissues of 26 mammalian species representing ten taxonomical orders, we report metabolite patterns characteristic of organs, lineages, and species longevity. Our data suggest different rates of metabolite divergence across organs and reveal patterns representing organ-specific functions and lineage-specific physiologies. We identified metabolites that correlated with species lifespan, some of which were previously implicated in longevity control. We also compared the results with metabolite changes in five long-lived mouse models and observed some similar patterns. Overall, this study describes adjustments of the mammalian metabolome according to lifespan, phylogeny, and organ and lineage specialization.

Effects of Policosanol on Patients with Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Open Study

R. Mas,L.L.Ortega,J. Schez,L. Ferndez,S. Mendoza,R. Gamez,J.C. Fernadez,J. Illnait,E. Alvarez 한국식품영양과학회 2006 Journal of medicinal food Vol.9 No.3

Stroke is a major health problem worldwide. Its pharmacological management includes thrombolytic therapyfor the acute phase and antiplatelet drugs for stroke recovery and prevention. Statins can help in the acute phase and in pre-venting stroke in secondary prevention patients. Policosanol is a cholesterol-lowering drug with concomitant antiplatelet ef-fects, with protective effects in stroke models. This observational study investigated the effects of policosanol (20 mg/day)with antiplatelets and vitamins. After hospital discharge, patients were followed up every 3 (first year) and 6 (thereafter)months. Neurological improvement was assessed with the modified Canadian Neurological Scale. Adverse events wererecorded. Fifty patients were included; all completed the study. Neurological score improved throughout the study. No pa-tient died, and most [40 (80.0%)] did not experience new vascular events; only one (2.0%) suffered a new stroke, and two(4.0%) suffered more than one transient ischemic attack. The time to the first recurrent event was 46.2 months. Policosanolpersistently lowered serum total cholesterol, with such reduction correlating with the neurological improvement (R.chemic stroke treated with aspirin and vitamins showed good results on neurological outcomes and recurrent events. Thisstudy, however, has limitations, since it was open and uncontrolled, and patients also consumed aspirin and vitamins. Newrandomized, controlled studies are needed to assess the usefulness of policosanol in stroke management.

NUMERICAL STUDY OF A SOLAR DISTRICT HEATING SYSTEM WITH SEASONAL THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE

Raden Mas Chemilo,Hyun-Jin Lee,Kyoung-Ho Lee,Jae-Hyeok Heo,Dong-Won Lee 한국신재생에너지학회 2017 AFORE Vol.2017 No.11