MODULATORY EFFECT OF PERIOSTRACUM CICADAE AND BETULAE CORTEX EXTRACTS ON THE ACTIVATION OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS-RELATED ION CHANNELS ORAI1 AND TRPV3

Background: The cast-off shells of Cryptotympana pustulata (Periostracum Cicadae, PC) and the bark of Betula platyphylla (Betulae Cortex, BC) are used as traditional medicines for the treatment of skin diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the regulatory effects of PC and BC extracts on the activation of the ion channels, calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 (ORAI1) and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 3 (TRPV3). Materials and Methods: Human HEK293T cells, co-overexpressing ORAI1/stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) or overexpressing TRPV3, were treated with PC or BC extracts at 0.1 mg/mL. The changes in ORAI1 and TRPV3 activities were measured using a conventional whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Results: PC and BC extracts significantly decreased ORAI1 activation in ORAI1-STIM1 co-overexpressing HEK293T cells and significantly increased TRPV3 activation in TRPV3 overexpressing cells, compared to that of 2- aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB, 100 μM), a known agonist of TRPV3. Conclusion: Our results suggest that PC and BC extracts have therapeutic potential to improve skin barrier abnormalities in atopic dermatitis via modulation of ORAI1 and TRPV3 activation

Experimental study on pressure distribution and flow coefficient of globe valve

In this study, the pressure distribution and flow coefficient of a globe valve are investigated with a series of experiments conducted in a flow test loop. The experiments are performed on a three-inch model test valve from an eight-inch ANSI (American National Standards Institute) B16.11-Class 2500# prototype globe valve with various pump speeds and full range of valve openings. Both inherent and installed flow characteristics are measured, and the results show that the flow coefficient depends not only on the valve geometry and valve opening but also on the Reynolds number. When the Reynolds number exceeds a certain value, the flow coefficients are stable. In addition, the pressures at different positions in the upstream and the downstream of the valve are measured and compared with recommendation per ANSI/ISA-75.01 standard. The results show that, in single-phase flow, the discrepancies in pressure between different measurement locations within close range of 10 nominal diameter from the valve are inconsiderable

Bubble formation in globe valve and flow characteristics of partially filled pipe water flow

Air bubble entrainment is a phenomenon that can significantly reduce the efficiency of liquid motion in piping systems. In the present study, the bubble formation mechanism in a globe valve with 90% water fraction flow is explained by visualization study and pressure oscillation analysis. The shadowgraph imaging technique is applied to illustrate the unsteady flow inside the transparent valve. This helps to study the effect of bubbles induced by the globe valve on pressure distribution and valve flow coefficient. International Society of Automation (ISA) recommends locations for measuring pressure drop of the valve to determine its flow coefficient. This paper presents the comparison of the pressures at different locations along with the upstream and the downstream of the valve with the values at recommended positions by the ISA standard. The results show that in partially filled pipe flow, the discrepancies in pressure between different measurement locations in the valve downstream are significant at valve openings less than 30%. The aerated flow induces the oscillation in pressure and flow rate, which leads to the fluctuation in the flow coefficient of the valve. The flow coefficients have a linear relationship with the Reynolds number. For the same increase of Reynolds number, the flow coefficients grow faster with larger valve openings and level off at the opening of 50%

COMPARISON STUDY OF EXPERIMENTS AND PREDICTIONS OF WAVE KINEMATICS FOR ROGUE WAVE

To investigate the wave kinematics under the rogue wave crest, a series of experiments were performed in 2-D wave tank with the application of PIV technique to measure the velocities under the free surface. Three different prediction methods of linear extrapolation, Wheeler stretching, and modified stretching were applied to estimate water wave kinematics and compared with PIV experimental results under the highest wave crest of irregular wave trains satisfying with rogue wave criteria. Also, the cut-off frequency dependence for three prediction methods was investigated with varying spectral peak frequencies to estimate wave kinematics including velocities and accelerations in horizontal and vertical directions. It was suggested that the cut-off frequency for the reasonable prediction of the wave kinematics under the rogue wave crest could be chosen three times of spectral peak wave frequency for the linear extrapolation and higher frequency than four times of spectral peak wave frequency for Wheeler stretching and modified stretching method

Antiproliferative effect of gold(I) compound auranofin through inhibition of STAT3 and telomerase activity in MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer cells

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) andtelomerase are considered attractive targets for anticancertherapy. The in vitro anticancer activity of the gold(I) compoundauranofin was investigated using MDA-MB 231 human breastcancer cells, in which STAT3 is constitutively active. In cellculture, auranofin inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner,and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygenspecies (ROS), markedly blocked the effect of auranofin.Incorporation of 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine into DNA andanchorage-independent cell growth on soft agar were decreasedby auranofin treatment. STAT3 phosphorylation and telomeraseactivity were also attenuated in cells exposed to auranofin, butNAC pretreatment restored STAT3 phosphorylation andtelomerase activity in these cells. These findings indicate thatauranofin exerts in vitro antitumor effects in MDA-MB 231 cellsand its activity involves inhibition of STAT3 and telomerase.Thus, auranofin shows potential as a novel anticancer drug thattargets STAT3 and telomerase. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(1): 59-64

Auxin response factor 2 (ARF2) plays a major role in regulating auxin-mediated leaf longevity

Auxin regulates a variety of physiological and developmental processes in plants. Although auxin acts as a suppressor of leaf senescence, its exact role in this respect has not been clearly defined, aside from circumstantial evidence. It was found here that ARF2 functions in the auxin-mediated control of Arabidopsis leaf longevity, as discovered by screening EMS mutant pools for a delayed leaf senescence phenotype. Two allelic mutations, ore14-1 and 14-2, caused a highly significant delay in all senescence parameters examined, including chlorophyll content, the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, membrane ion leakage, and the expression of senescence-associated genes. A delay of senescence symptoms was also observed under various senescence-accelerating conditions, where detached leaves were treated with darkness, phytohormones, or oxidative stress. These results indicate that the gene defined by these mutations might be a key regulatory genetic component controlling functional leaf senescence. Map-based cloning of ORE14 revealed that it encodes ARF2, a member of the auxin response factor (ARF) protein family, which modulates early auxin-induced gene expression in plants. The ore14/arf2 mutation also conferred an increased sensitivity to exogenous auxin in hypocotyl growth inhibition, thereby demonstrating that ARF2 is a repressor of auxin signalling. Therefore, the ore14/arf2 lesion appears to cause reduced repression of auxin signalling with increased auxin sensitivity, leading to delayed senescence. Altogether, our data suggest that ARF2 positively regulates leaf senescence in Arabidopsis

Photocatalytic Properties of Nanotubular-Shaped TiO

Photocatalytic properties of nanotubular-shaped titanate powders, synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of TiO2, were studied after calcinations at various temperatures and times under O2, air, and H2 atmospheres. Their photocatalytic properties were measured with checking decomposition of 4-chlorophenol under UV-A irradiation, together with physical characterizations using SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and Raman spectroscopy. With increasing calcination temperature and time, nanotubular-shaped titanate particles became short, rod-like, or irregular by oversintering, and their crystalline structure was changed into anatase phase. The photocatalytic ability in decomposition of 4-chlorophenol using the calcined powders showed the highest value due to obtainment of high specific area by maintaining nanotubular shape, together with transformation from titanate to anatase phase having perfect crystallinity in O2 or air atmosphere