The contribution from the creative industry to the regional economic growth has made the creative industry a new driver in economic development. But as a relatively young economic sector, the ...creative industry has its unique way of profiting through generating intellectual property with human creativity, talents, and skills. This profiting mechanism draws attention from both academia and industry to explore the factors that influence the performance of creative industry. This study explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance of the creative industry. Using the dynamic DEA approach, we evaluated the longitudinal efficiency performance of 53 creative firms during the period of 2010–2013. Regression analysis was employed to determine if corporate social responsibility influences financial performance. The empirical results indicated that content media related businesses, which include motion pictures, publishing, and broadcasting, are the performance growth leaders, and the regression result showed that corporate social responsibility has a significant positive influence on the financial performance of the creative industry. In addition, the results also revealed that risk taking and capital oriented characteristics exist within the creative industry.
Textile‐based electronic techniques that can in real‐time and noncontact detect the respiration rate and respiratory arrest are highly desired for human health monitoring. Yarn‐shaped humidity sensor ...is fabricated based on a sensitive fiber with relatively high specific surface area and abnormal cross‐section. The response and recovery time of the yarn‐shaped humidity sensor is only 3.5 and 4 s, respectively, with little hysteresis, because of the hydrophobic property of these functional fibers and the grooves on the surface of the fibers, which is much faster than those of the commercial polyimide materials. Moreover, a battery‐free LC wireless testing system combined with the yarn‐shaped sensor is fabricated, which is further successfully imbedded into the intelligent mask to detect human breath. Based on the detection of LC wireless testing system, the frequency of 50.25 MHz under the exhaled condition shifts to 50.86 MHz under the inhaled situation of humidity sensor. In essence, the functional yarns with proper structure, would be an excellent candidature to the yarn‐shaped humidity sensor, in which there are good performance and wide application possibilities, eventually offering a facile method for the wireless detection of human physiological signals in the field of electronic fabrics.
A yarn‐shaped humidity sensor is fabricated using sensitive fibers with a relatively high surface area and specific cross‐section. It exhibits an extraordinary humidity sensitivity performance with little hysteresis. A full‐textile wireless and battery‐free humidity sensitive system is then successfully developed for the detection of human physiological signals, i.e., the respiration rate and respiratory arrest.
Mitochondria are heterogeneous and essentially contribute to cellular functions and tissue homeostasis. Mitochondrial dysfunction compromises overall cell functioning, tissue damage, and diseases. ...The advances in mitochondrion biology increase our understanding of mitochondrial dynamics, bioenergetics, and redox homeostasis, and subsequently, their functions in tissue homeostasis and diseases, including cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). The functions of mitochondria mainly rely on the enzymes in their matrix. Sirtuins are a family of NAD
-dependent deacylases and ADP-ribosyltransferases. Three members of the Sirtuin family (SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5) are located in the mitochondrion. These mitochondrial Sirtuins regulate energy and redox metabolism as well as mitochondrial dynamics in the mitochondrial matrix and are involved in cardiovascular homeostasis and CMDs. In this review, we discuss the advances in our understanding of mitochondrial Sirtuins in mitochondrion biology and CMDs, including cardiac remodeling, pulmonary artery hypertension, and vascular dysfunction. The potential therapeutic strategies by targetting mitochondrial Sirtuins to improve mitochondrial function in CMDs are also addressed.
Uncontrolled growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is a life-threatening vascular disease without an effective pharmaceutical treatment. AAA incidence dramatically increases with advancing age ...in men. However, the molecular mechanisms by which aging predisposes individuals to AAAs remain unknown.
In this study, we investigated the role of SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1), a class III histone deacetylase, in AAA formation and the underlying mechanisms linking vascular senescence and inflammation.
The expression and activity of SIRT1 were significantly decreased in human AAA samples. SIRT1 in vascular smooth muscle cells was remarkably downregulated in the suprarenal aortas of aged mice, in which AAAs induced by angiotensin II infusion were significantly elevated. Moreover, vascular smooth muscle cell-specific knockout of SIRT1 accelerated angiotensin II-induced formation and rupture of AAAs and AAA-related pathological changes, whereas vascular smooth muscle cell-specific overexpression of SIRT1 suppressed angiotensin II-induced AAA formation and progression in Apoe
mice. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of SIRT1 on AAA formation was also proved in a calcium chloride (CaCl
)-induced AAA model. Mechanistically, the reduction of SIRT1 was shown to increase vascular cell senescence and upregulate p21 expression, as well as enhance vascular inflammation. Notably, inhibition of p21-dependent vascular cell senescence by SIRT1 blocked angiotensin II-induced nuclear factor-κB binding on the promoter of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and inhibited its expression.
These findings provide evidence that SIRT1 reduction links vascular senescence and inflammation to AAAs and that SIRT1 in vascular smooth muscle cells provides a therapeutic target for the prevention of AAA formation.
The adsorption properties of silica-gel supported sulfur-containing PAMAM dendrimers (SiO2-G0-MITC∼SiO2-G2.0-MITC) for Hg(II) and Ag(I) from fuel ethanol were investigated. The effect of contact ...time, temperature, and initial concentration of metal ions on the adsorption was investigated by batch method. Kinetic adsorption can be well depicted by pseudo-second-order model and was controlled by film diffusion process. Isotherm adsorption indicated that the adsorption capacities were promoted by high temperature and initial concentration of metal ion. The adsorption process was appropriate to described by Langmuir model, and carried out by monolayer behavior. The mean free energy calculated from D-R isotherm model implied that the adsorption process was preceded by chemical adsorption mechanism. Thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the adsorption process was exothermic, spontaneous, and random increasing process.
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), located in the media of artery, play key roles in maintaining the normal vascular physiological functions. Abnormality in VSMCs is implicated in vascular ...diseases (VDs), including atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), aortic dissection, and hypertension by regulating the process of inflammation, phenotypic switching, and extracellular matrix degradation. Sirtuins (SIRTs), a family of proteins containing seven members (from SIRT1 to SIRT7) in mammals, function as NAD
+
-dependent histone deacetylases and ADP-ribosyltransferases. In recent decades, great attention has been paid to the cardiovascular protective effects of SIRTs, especially SIRT1, suggesting a new therapeutic target for the treatment of VDs. In this review, we introduce the basic functions of SIRT1 against VSMC senescence, and summarize the contribution of SIRT1 derived from VSMCs in VDs. Finally, the potential new strategies based on SIRT1 activation have also been discussed with an emphasis on SIRT1 activators and calorie restriction to improve the prognosis of VDs.
We present a novel approach of antireflection coating using metamaterials. It dramatically reduces the reflection and greatly enhances the transmission near a specifically designed frequency over a ...wide range of incidence angles for both transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations. A classical interference mechanism is identified through analytical derivations and numerical simulations. It elucidates that the tailored magnitude and phase of waves reflected and transmitted at boundaries of metamaterial coating are responsible for the antireflection.
Spinal cord-associated disorders are common in the elderly population; however, the mechanisms underlying spinal aging remain elusive. In a recent Nature paper, Sun et al. systemically analyzed aged ...spines in nonhuman primates and identified a new cluster of CHIT1-positive microglia that drives motor neuron senescence and subsequent spine aging.
Spinal cord-associated disorders are common in the elderly population; however, the mechanisms underlying spinal aging remain elusive. In a recent Nature paper, Sun et al. systemically analyzed aged spines in nonhuman primates and identified a new cluster of CHIT1-positive microglia that drives motor neuron senescence and subsequent spine aging.
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