In search of time to bring the message on social media: Effects of temporal targeting and weather on digital consumers

Marketers always incline to deliver advertising messages to the right consumer at the right time. Yet, the question of when exactly should such a persuasive message be sent to a consumer remains elusive in the existing literature. The current study aims to address this research question within the theoretical framework of contextual marketing. The authors argue that contextual information such as time and weather can be used to design more effective mobile advertising campaigns on social media. The results of a field experiment in cooperation with a local restaurant suggest that ads delivered at consumers’ pre-decision stage (i.e., non-meal time) are more effective than those delivered at the decision stage (i.e., meal time) to increase consumer spending on the dining-in service. Furthermore, unpleasant weather conditions (i.e., less sunlight) are found to improve the effectiveness of advertising on consumer spending on mobile app food delivery orders. Overall, the authors open future research avenues by demonstrating how and why the two contextual factors, time and weather, influence digital consumer behavior

Phase Changes of Monosulfoaluminate in NaCl Aqueous Solution

Monosulfoaluminate (Ca4Al2(SO4)(OH)(12)center dot 6H(2)O) plays an important role in anion binding in Portland cement by exchanging its original interlayer ions (SO42- and OH-) with chloride ions. In this study, scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the phase change of monosulfoaluminate due to its interaction with chloride ions. Pure monosulfoaluminate was synthesized and its powder samples were suspended in 0, 0.1, 1, 3, and 5 M NaCl solutions for seven days. At low chloride concentrations, a partial dissolution of monosulfoaluminate formed ettringite, while, with increasing chloride content, the dissolution process was suppressed. As the NaCl concentration increased, the dominant mechanism of the phase change became ion exchange, resulting in direct phase transformation from monosulfoaluminate to Kuzel's salt or Friedel's salt. The phase assemblages of the NaCl-reacted samples were explored using thermodynamic calculations and least-square linear combination (LC) fitting of measured XANES spectra. A comprehensive description of the phase change and its dominant mechanism are discussed.ope

Long-wavelength TCF-based fluorescence probes for the detection and intracellular imaging of biological thiols

Two ‘turn on’ TCF-based fluorescence probes were developed for the detection of biological thiols (TCF-GSH and TCFCl-GSH). TCF-GSH was shown to have a high sensitivity towards glutathione (GSH) with a 0.28 μM limit of detection. Unfortunately, at higher GSH concentrations the fluorescence intensity of TCF-GSH decreased and toxicity was observed for TCF-GSH in live cells. However, TCFCl-GSH was shown to be able to detect GSH at biologically relevant concentrations with a 0.45 μM limit of detection. No toxicity was found for TCFCl-GSH and a clear ‘turn on’ with good photostability was observed for the exogenous addition of GSH, Cys and HCys. Furthermore, TCFCl-GSH was used to evaluate the effects of drug treatment on the levels of GSH in live cells

Fluorescent probes for the detection of disease-associated biomarkers

Fluorescent probes have emerged as indispensable chemical tools to the field of chemical biology and medicine. The ability to detect intracellular species and monitor physiological processes has not only advanced our knowledge in biology but has provided new approaches towards disease diagnosis. In this review, we detail the design criteria and strategies for some recently reported fluorescent probes that can detect a wide range of biologically important species in cells and in vivo. In doing so, we highlight the importance of each biological species and their role in biological systems and for disease progression. We then discuss the current problems and challenges of existing technologies and provide our perspective on the future directions of the research area. Overall, we hope this review will provide inspiration for researchers and prove as useful guide for the development of the next generation of fluorescent probes.</p

Generation of Functional Insulin-Producing Cells from Neonatal Porcine Liver-Derived Cells by PDX1/VP16, BETA2/NeuroD and MafA

Abstract Surrogate b-cells derived from stem cells are needed to cure type 1 diabetes, and neonatal liver cells may be an attractive alternative to stem cells for the generation of b-cells. In this study, we attempted to generate insulin-producing cells from neonatal porcine liver-derived cells using adenoviruses carrying three genes: pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor1 (PDX1)/VP16, BETA2/NeuroD and v-maf musculo aponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A (MafA), which are all known to play critical roles in pancreatic development. Isolated neonatal porcine liver-derived cells were sequentially transduced with triple adenoviruses and grown in induction medium containing a high concentration of glucose, epidermal growth factors, nicotinamide and a low concentration of serum following the induction of aggregation for further maturation. We noted that the cells displayed a number of molecular characteristics of pancreatic b-cells, including expressing several transcription factors necessary for b-cell development and function. In addition, these cells synthesized and physiologically secreted insulin. Transplanting these differentiated cells into streptozotocin-induced immunodeficient diabetic mice led to the reversal of hyperglycemia, and more than 18% of the cells in the grafts expressed insulin at 6 weeks after transplantation. These data suggested that neonatal porcine liver-derived cells can be differentiated into functional insulin-producing cells under the culture conditions presented in this report and indicated that neonatal porcine liverderived cells (NPLCs) might be useful as a potential source of cells for b-cell replacement therapy in efforts to cure type I diabetes

Azulene-Derived Fluorescent Probe for Bioimaging:Detection of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species by Two-Photon Microscopy

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy has become an indispensable technique for cellular imaging. Whereas most two-photon fluorescent probes rely on well-known fluorophores, here we report a new fluorophore for bioimaging, namely azulene. A chemodosimeter, comprising a boronate ester receptor motif conjugated to an appropriately substituted azulene, is shown to be an effective two-photon fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen species, showing good cell penetration, high selectivity for peroxynitrite, no cytotoxicity, and excellent photostability.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 665992 </p

Azulene-Derived Fluorescent Probe for Bioimaging:Detection of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species by Two-Photon Microscopy

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy has become an indispensable technique for cellular imaging. Whereas most two-photon fluorescent probes rely on well-known fluorophores, here we report a new fluorophore for bioimaging, namely azulene. A chemodosimeter, comprising a boronate ester receptor motif conjugated to an appropriately substituted azulene, is shown to be an effective two-photon fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen species, showing good cell penetration, high selectivity for peroxynitrite, no cytotoxicity, and excellent photostability.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 665992 </p