Study of the Anti-Proliferative Activity of 5-Substituted 4,7-Dimethoxy-1,3-Benzodioxole Derivatives of SY-1 from Antrodia camphorata on Human COLO 205 Colon Cancer Cells

A set of 10 4,7-dimethoxy-1,3-benzodioxole derivatives based on a lead compound previously discovered by our group, SY-1, which was isolated from Antrodia camphorata, were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity on human colorectal carcinoma cells (COLO 205). Structure-activity relationship studies of the 10 compounds indicated the importance of the chain length of the alkyl group at the 5-position, and the 2-propenyl substituent named “apiole” exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity. In the present study, we demonstrate that the SY-1 analogue “apiole” decreased the proliferation of COLO 205 cells, but not that of normal human colonic epithelial cells (FHC). The G0/G1 cell cycle arrest induced by apiole (75–225 μM) was associated with significantly increased levels of p53, p21 and p27 and decreased levels of cyclin D1. Concerning COLO 205 cell apoptosis, apiole (>150 μM) treatment significantly increased the levels of cleaved caspases 3, 8, 9 and bax/bcl-2 ratio and induced ladder formation in DNA fragmentation assay and sub-G1 peak in flow cytometry analysis. These findings suggest that apiole can suppress COLO 205 cell growth; however, the detailed mechanisms of these processes require further investigation

Theoretical analysis of the focusing of acoustic waves by two-dimensional sonic crystals

Motivated by a recent experiment on acoustic lenses, we perform numerical calculations based on a multiple scattering technique to investigate the focusing of acoustic waves with sonic crystals formed by rigid cylinders in air. The focusing effects for crystals of various shapes are examined. The dependance of the focusing length on the filling factor is also studied. It is observed that both the shape and filling factor play a crucial role in controlling the focusing. Furthermore, the robustness of the focusing against disorders is studied. The results show that the sensitivity of the focusing behavior depends on the strength of positional disorders. The theoretical results compare favorably with the experimental observations, reported by Cervera, et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 023902 (2002)).Comment: 8 figure

Representative diatom and coccolithophore species exhibit divergent responses throughout simulated upwelling cycles

Wind-driven upwelling followed by relaxation results in cycles of cold nutrient- rich water fueling intense phytoplankton blooms followed by nutrient depletion, bloom decline, and sinking of cells. Surviving cells at depth can then be vertically transported back to the surface with upwelled waters to seed another bloom. As a result of these cycles, phytoplankton communities in upwelling regions are transported through a wide range of light and nutrient conditions. Diatoms appear to be well suited for these cycles, but their responses to them remain understudied. To investigate the bases for diatoms' ecological success in upwelling environments, we employed laboratory simulations of a complete upwelling cycle with a common diatom, Chaetoceros decipiens, and coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. We show that while both organisms exhibited physiological and transcriptomic plasticity, the diatom displayed a distinct response enabling it to rapidly shift-up growth rates and nitrate assimilation when returned to light and available nutrients following dark nutrient-deplete conditions. As observed in natural diatom communities, C. decipiens highly expresses before upwelling, or frontloads, key transcriptional and nitrate assimilation genes, coordinating its rapid response to upwelling conditions. Low-iron simulations showed that C. decipiens is capable of maintaining this response when iron is limiting to growth, whereas E. huxleyi is not. Differential expression between iron treatments further revealed specific genes used by each organism under low iron availability. Overall, these results highlight the responses of two dominant phytoplankton groups to upwelling cycles, providing insight into the mechanisms fueling diatom blooms during upwelling events

Classification and nondegeneracy of SU(n+1)SU(n+1) Toda system with singular sources

We consider the following Toda system \Delta u_i + \D \sum_{j = 1}^n a_{ij}e^{u_j} = 4\pi\gamma_{i}\delta_{0} \text{in}\mathbb R^2, \int_{\mathbb R^2}e^{u_i} dx -1$,$\delta_0$is Dirac measure at 0, and the coefficients$a_{ij}$form the standard tri-diagonal Cartan matrix. In this paper, (i) we completely classify the solutions and obtain the quantization result:$$\sum_{j=1}^n a_{ij}\int_{\R^2}e^{u_j} dx = 4\pi (2+\gamma_i+\gamma_{n+1-i}), \;\;\forall\; 1\leq i \leq n.$$This generalizes the classification result by Jost and Wang for$\gamma_i=0$,$\forall \;1\leq i\leq n$. (ii) We prove that if$\gamma_i+\gamma_{i+1}+...+\gamma_j \notin \mathbb Z$for all$1\leq i\leq j\leq n$, then any solution$u_i$ is \textit{radially symmetric} w.r.t. 0. (iii) We prove that the linearized equation at any solution is \textit{non-degenerate}. These are fundamental results in order to understand the bubbling behavior of the Toda system.Comment: 28 page

NMR Time Reversal Experiments in Highly Polarised Liquid 3He-4He Mixtures

Long-range magnetic interactions in highly magnetised liquids (laser-polarised 3He-4He dilute mixtures at 1 K in our experiment) introduce a significant non-linear and non-local contribution to the evolution of nuclear magnetisation that leads to instabilities during free precession. We recently demonstrated that a multi-echo NMR sequence, based on the magic sandwich pulse scheme developed for solid-state NMR, can be used to stabilise the magnetisation against the effect of distant dipolar fields. Here, we report investigations of echo attenuation in an applied field gradient that show the potential of this NMR sequence for spin diffusion measurements at high magnetisation densities.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Low Temperature Physic

New improved Moser-Trudinger inequalities and singular Liouville equations on compact surfaces

We consider a singular Liouville equation on a compact surface, arising from the study of Chern-Simons vortices in a self dual regime. Using new improved versions of the Moser-Trudinger inequalities (whose main feature is to be scaling invariant) and a variational scheme, we prove new existence results.Comment: to appear in GAF

Adipose proinflammatory cytokine expression through sympathetic system is associated with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in a rat ischemic stroke model

Wang YY, Lin SY, Chuang YH, Chen CJ, Tung KC, Sheu WH. Adipose proinflammatory cytokine expression through sympathetic system is associated with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in a rat ischemic stroke model. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 300: E155-E163, 2011. First published October 26, 2010; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00301.2010.Patients who experience acute ischemic stroke may develop hyperglycemia, even in the absence of diabetes, but the exact mechanisms are still unclear. Adipose tissue secretes numerous proinflammatory cytokines and is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism. This study aimed to determine the effects of acute stroke on adipose inflammatory cytokine expression. In addition, because sympathetic activity is activated after acute stroke and catecholamines can regulate the expression of several adipocytokines, this study also evaluated whether alterations in adipose proinflammatory cytokines following acute stroke, if any, were medicated by sympathetic system. Acute ischemic brain injury was induced by ligating the right middle cerebral artery and bilateral common carotid arteries in male adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Adipose tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA and protein levels were determined by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunoassay, respectively. The stroke rats developed glucose intolerance on days 1 and 2 after cerebral ischemic injury. The fasting blood insulin levels and insulin resistance index measured by homeostasis model assessment were higher in the stroke rats compared with the sham group. Epididymal adipose TNF-alpha and MCP-1 mRNA and protein levels were elevated one-to twofold, in association with increased macrophage infiltration into the adipose tissue. When the rats were treated with a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor blocker, propranolol, before induction of cerebral ischemic injury, the acute stroke-induced increase in TNF-alpha and MCP-1 was blocked, and fasting blood insulin concentration and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance were decreased. These results suggest a potential role of adipose proinflammatory cytokines induced by the sympathetic nervous system in the pathogenesis of glucose metabolic disorder in rats with acute ischemic stroke

Fatigue Strength and Life Prediction of a MAR-M247 Nickel-Base Superalloy Gas Turbine Blade with Multiple Carbide Inclusions

Casting of a gas turbine blade from MAR-M247 nickel-base superalloy is followed by multiple carbide precipitates as a result of solidification. The microstructure of carbide was established with scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum analysis. A finite element model simulating the blade with a random carbide precipitate is constructed using ANSYS software, and stress-strain evaluation is performed. The blade operation conditions are realized in a vibratory-tensile combined test setup with stress measurements using strain gauges arranged on different parts of the blade. The respective von Mises equivalent stresses obtained in simulation and test measurements are found to be comparable and can be used to assess the blade fatigue life based on the available fatigue curves and Palmgren–Miner rule of damage accumulation. Simulation and experimental results are the basis for plotting the relationship between the volumetric ratio of precipitates in the blade and its fatigue life. The results obtained at room temperature can; be extrapolated to the elevated ones to provide more reliable prediction of the superalloy blade fatigue and creep-fatigue life values.Литье лопатки газовой турбины из суперсплава на никелевой основе MAR-M247 сопровождается образованием множественных карбидных выделений в результате затвердевания. Микроструктуру карбида изучали с помощью сканирующей электронной микроскопии и энергетического спектрального анализа. Построена конечноэлементная модель лопатки со случайным карбидным выделением на основе программного обеспечения ANSYS, выполнена оценка напряженно-деформированного состояния. Условия эксплуатации лопатки реализовали на экспериментальной установке для комплексного испытания на вибрацию и растяжение, напряжения измеряли с помощью тензодатчиков, размещаемых на различных участках лопатки. Проведено сравнение эквивалентных напряжений по Мизесу, полученных при моделировании и экспериментально. Установлено, что их можно использовать для оценки усталостной долговечности лопатки на основании полученных кривых усталости и закона накопления повреждений Палмгрена Майлера. Они служат также основой построения зависимости между объемным соотношением включений в лопатке и ее усталостной долговечностью. Данные, полученные при комнатной температуре, могут быть экстраполированы на повышенные, что обеспечивает более достоверный прогноз усталости и усталостной долговечности лопатки из суперсплава при ползучести.Лиття лопатки газової турбіни з суперсплавів на нікелевої основі MAR-M247 супроводжується утворенням множинних карбідних виділень в результаті затвердіння. Мікроструктуру карбіду вивчали за допомогою скануючої електронної мікроскопії та енергетичного спектрального аналізу. Побудована скінченноелементна модель лопатки з випадковим карбідним виділенням на основі програмного забезпечення ANSYS, виконана оцінка напружено-деформованого стану. Умови експлуатації лопатки реалізували на експериментальній установці для комплексного випробування на вібрацію і розтягнення, напруги вимірювали за допомогою тензодатчиків, що розміщуються на різних ділянках лопатки. Проведено порівняння еквівалентних напружень по Мізесу, отриманих при моделюванні і експериментально. Встановлено, що їх можна використовувати для оцінки втомної довговічності лопатки на підставі отриманих кривих втоми і закону накопичення ушкоджень Палмгрена-Майлера. Вони служать також основою побудови залежності між об'ємним співвідношенням включень в лопатці і її втомної довговічністю. Дані, отримані при кімнатній температурі, можуть бути екстрапольовані на підвищені, що забезпечує більш достовірний прогноз втоми і втомної довговічності лопатки з суперсплавів при повзучості

An improved geometric inequality via vanishing moments, with applications to singular Liouville equations

We consider a class of singular Liouville equations on compact surfaces motivated by the study of Electroweak and Self-Dual Chern-Simons theories, the Gaussian curvature prescription with conical singularities and Onsager's description of turbulence. We analyse the problem of existence variationally, and show how the angular distribution of the conformal volume near the singularities may lead to improvements in the Moser-Trudinger inequality, and in turn to lower bounds on the Euler-Lagrange functional. We then discuss existence and non-existence results.Comment: some references adde

Electronic polarization in pentacene crystals and thin films

Electronic polarization is evaluated in pentacene crystals and in thin films on a metallic substrate using a self-consistent method for computing charge redistribution in non-overlapping molecules. The optical dielectric constant and its principal axes are reported for a neutral crystal. The polarization energies P+ and P- of a cation and anion at infinite separation are found for both molecules in the crystal's unit cell in the bulk, at the surface, and at the organic-metal interface of a film of N molecular layers. We find that a single pentacene layer with herring-bone packing provides a screening environment approaching the bulk. The polarization contribution to the transport gap P=(P+)+(P-), which is 2.01 eV in the bulk, decreases and increases by only ~ 10% at surfaces and interfaces, respectively. We also compute the polarization energy of charge-transfer (CT) states with fixed separation between anion and cation, and compare to electroabsorption data and to submolecular calculations. Electronic polarization of ~ 1 eV per charge has a major role for transport in organic molecular systems with limited overlap.Comment: 10 revtex pages, 6 PS figures embedde