Alternative Patterning Process for Realization of Large-Area, Full-Color, Active Quantum Dot Display.

Although various colloidal quantum dot (QD) coating and patterning techniques have been developed to meet the demands in optoelectronic applications over the past years, each of the previously demonstrated methods has one or more limitations and trade-offs in forming multicolor, high-resolution, or large-area patterns of QDs. In this study, we present an alternative QD patterning technique using conventional photolithography combined with charge-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to solve the trade-offs of the traditional patterning processes. From our demonstrations, we show repeatable QD patterning process that allows multicolor QD patterns in both large-area and microscale. Also, we show that the QD patterns are robust against additional photolithography processes and that the thickness of the QD patterns can be controlled at each position. To validate that this process can be applied to actual device applications as an active material, we have fabricated inverted, differently colored, active QD light-emitting device (QD-LED) on a pixelated substrate, which achieved maximum electroluminescence intensity of 23 770 cd/m2, and discussed the results. From our findings, we believe that our process provides a solution to achieving both high-resolution and large-scale QD pattern applicable to not only display, but also to practical photonic device research and development.

Effect of the traditional Korean immunomodulating formulation, Gamguntang (GGT), on experimental thyroiditis model.

The crude herbal formulation, Gamgungtang (GGT), is an immunomodulator showing marked down-regulation of several experimental autoimmune diseases. In this study, its effect on different experimental models of thyroid disease was investigated. Although very effective at preventing thyroid infiltrates in mice immunized with mouse deglycosylated thyroglobulin and complete Freund's adjuvant and in spontaneous models of thyroiditis, it completely failed to modify experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) induced in mice immunized with mouse thyroglobulin and lipopolysaccharide. There was no significant shift in the observed isotypes of anti-mouse thyroglobulin antibodies and only anti-mouse thyroglobulin antibodies in the spontaneous model were completely down-modulated by the GGT. One surprising fact to emerge was that GGT-treated donor mice, although protected from thyroid lesions themselves, were still able to transfer EAT showing that they must have been effectively primed while being treated with GGT. It is possible that the drug down modulated EAT by interfering with the trafficking of primed effector cells.

Inhibitory effects of Scutellaria barbata D. Don. and Euonymus alatus Sieb. on aromatase activity of human leiomyomal cells.

It is now well documented that a large proportion of breast tumors express their own aromatase. This intratumoral aromatase produces estrogen in situ and therefore may contribute significantly to the amount of estrogen to which the cell is exposed. Thus it is not only important that aromatase inhibitors potently inhibit the peripheral production of estrogen and eliminate the external supply of estrogen to the tumor cell, but that they in addition potently inhibit intratumoral aromatase and prevent the tumor cell from making its own estrogen within the cell. To study the inhibition of intracellular aromatase, we have examined the aromatase-inhibiting potency of the Scutellaria barbata D. Don. (SB) and Euonymus alatus Sieb. (EA) in myometrial and leiomyomal cells which contain aromatase. We have also used human placental tissues. Although SB and EA are approximately equipotent in a cell-free aromatase system (human placental microsomes), EA is consistently 10-30 times more potent than SB in inhibiting intracellular aromatase in myometrial and leiomyomal cells. To provide insights into the effect of SB and EA on aromatase activity in leiomyomal cells, we examined the cell lines, which is induced to differentiate toward the more transformed cell phenotype by 12-tetradecanoylphorbal-13-acetate (TPA) as a protein kinase C activator and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). Enzyme activity was inhibited in a time-and dose-dependent fashion by SB and EA and by either 1-50 nM TPA or 0.01-0.5 ng/ml TGF-beta1, with maximal responses after 2-3 h exposure.