Red pigment from Saw Palmetto: a natural product for potential alternative cancer treatment

Conference Theme: Anticancer Drug Action and Drug Resistance: from Cancer Biology to the ClinicINTRODUCTION: Saw palmetto is extract of the fruit of Serenoa repens (Bartram) J.K.Small, an edible plant originated from the Southeastern United States. It has been used in traditional, complementary and alternative medicine as a tonic, expectorant and antiseptic for treatment of various illnesses, especially urinary and reproductive system problems. Approximately 90% of Saw palmetto containing fatty acids and has been claimed for its therapeutic effect on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Previous studies also suggested the in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effect of lipidosterolic extract of Saw Palmetto. However, recent epidemiology and randomized trials ...published_or_final_versio

Berberine induces autophagic cell death and mitochondrial apoptosis in liver cancer cells: The cellular mechanism

Extensive studies have revealed that berberine, a small molecule derived from Coptidis rhizoma (Huanglian in Chinese) and many other plants, has strong anti-tumor properties. To better understand berberine-induced cell death and its underlying mechanisms in cancer, we examined autophagy and apoptosis in the human hepatic carcinoma cell lines HepG2 and MHCC97-L. The results of this study indicate that berberine can induce both autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Berberine-induced cell death in human hepatic carcinoma cells was diminished in the presence of the cell death inhibitor 3-methyladenine, or following interference with the essential autophagy gene Atg5. Mechanistic studies showed that berberine may activate mitochondrial apoptosis in HepG2 and MHCC97-L cells by increasing Bax expression, the formation of permeable transition pores, cytochrome C release to cytosol, and subsequent activation of the caspases 3 and 9 execution pathway. Berberine may also induce autophagic cell death in HepG2 and MHCC97-L cells through activation of Beclin-1 and inhibition of the mTOR-signaling pathway by suppressing the activity of Akt and up-regulating P38 MAPK signaling. This is the first study to describe the role of Beclin-1 activation and mTOR inhibition in berberine-induced autophagic cell death. These results further demonstrate the potential of berberine as a therapeutic agent in the emerging list of cancer therapies with novel mechanisms. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.postprin

Momentum-resolved resonant inelastic soft X-ray scattering (qRIXS) endstation at the ALS

A momentum resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (qRIXS) experimental station with continuously rotatable spectrometers and parallel detection is designed to operate at different beamlines at synchrotron and free electron laser (FEL) facilities. This endstation, currently located at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), has five emission ports on the experimental chamber for mounting the high-throughput modular soft X-ray spectrometers (MXS) [24]. Coupled to the rotation from the supporting hexapod, the scattered X-rays from 27.5° (forward scattering) to 152.5° (backward scattering) relative to the incident photon beam can be recorded, enabling the momentum-resolved RIXS spectroscopy. The components of this endstation are described in details, and the preliminary RIXS measurements on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) reveal the low energy vibronic excitations from the strong electron-phonon coupling at C K edge around σ* band. The grating upgrade option to enhance the performance at low photon energies is presented and the potential of this spectroscopy is discussed in summary

The Hydrogen–Deuterium Exchange at α-Carbon Atom in N,N,N-Trialkylglycine Residue: ESI-MS Studies

Derivatization of peptides as quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) is a known method for sensitive detection by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Hydrogens at α-carbon atom in N,N,N-trialkylglycine residue can be easily exchanged by deuterons. The exchange reaction is base-catalyzed and is dramatically slow at lower pH. Introduced deuterons are stable in acidic aqueous solution and are not back-exchanged during LC-MS analysis. Increased ionization efficiency, provided by the fixed positive charge on QAS group, as well as the deuterium labeling, enables the analysis of trace amounts of peptides

Pay-it-forward dual gonorrhea/chlamydia test uptake among men who have sex with men in China: a pragmatic, quasi-experimental study

Background: Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) rarely receive gonorrhea/chlamydia testing. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate a pay-it-forward strategy to increase gonorrhea/chlamydia testing among MSM. Pay-it-forward has one person receive a gift, then asks the same person if they would like to give a gift to another person. Methods: We used a quasi-experimental pragmatic study to compare a pay-it-forward model to standard of care at two HIV testing sites for MSM. A pay-it-forward program was implemented for three months, during which men were offered free gonorrhea/chlamydia testing and given the option of donating money toward testing for future participants. Both sites then switched to standard of care for three months, offering dual testing at the standard price. We compared test uptake and financial costs in the two groups. Findings: 408 men were included in this study. 203 men were offered pay-it-forward, and 205 were offered standard of care. Overall, 109 (109/203, 53·7%) men received gonorrhea/chlamydia testing in the pay-it-forward group and 12 (12/205, 5·9%) men received gonorrhea/chlamydia testing in the standard of care group (adjusted odds ratio 19·73, 95%CI 10·02-38·85). This was a first gonorrhea or chlamydia test for 86% (104/121) of men. 89% (97/109) of men in the pay-it-forward group donated some amount. The incremental unit cost per test in the pay-it-forward group was 67 USD, compared to 503 USD in the standard of care group. Interpretation: Pay-it-forward may be a sustainable model for expanding integrated HIV testing services among MSM in China

Non-Parametric Approximations for Anisotropy Estimation in Two-dimensional Differentiable Gaussian Random Fields

Spatially referenced data often have autocovariance functions with elliptical isolevel contours, a property known as geometric anisotropy. The anisotropy parameters include the tilt of the ellipse (orientation angle) with respect to a reference axis and the aspect ratio of the principal correlation lengths. Since these parameters are unknown a priori, sample estimates are needed to define suitable spatial models for the interpolation of incomplete data. The distribution of the anisotropy statistics is determined by a non-Gaussian sampling joint probability density. By means of analytical calculations, we derive an explicit expression for the joint probability density function of the anisotropy statistics for Gaussian, stationary and differentiable random fields. Based on this expression, we obtain an approximate joint density which we use to formulate a statistical test for isotropy. The approximate joint density is independent of the autocovariance function and provides conservative probability and confidence regions for the anisotropy parameters. We validate the theoretical analysis by means of simulations using synthetic data, and we illustrate the detection of anisotropy changes with a case study involving background radiation exposure data. The approximate joint density provides (i) a stand-alone approximate estimate of the anisotropy statistics distribution (ii) informed initial values for maximum likelihood estimation, and (iii) a useful prior for Bayesian anisotropy inference.Comment: 39 pages; 8 figure

Restrictions and extensions of semibounded operators

We study restriction and extension theory for semibounded Hermitian operators in the Hardy space of analytic functions on the disk D. Starting with the operator zd/dz, we show that, for every choice of a closed subset F in T=bd(D) of measure zero, there is a densely defined Hermitian restriction of zd/dz corresponding to boundary functions vanishing on F. For every such restriction operator, we classify all its selfadjoint extension, and for each we present a complete spectral picture. We prove that different sets F with the same cardinality can lead to quite different boundary-value problems, inequivalent selfadjoint extension operators, and quite different spectral configurations. As a tool in our analysis, we prove that the von Neumann deficiency spaces, for a fixed set F, have a natural presentation as reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces, with a Hurwitz zeta-function, restricted to FxF, as reproducing kernel.Comment: 63 pages, 11 figure

Fabrication of one-dimensional Ag/multiwalled carbon nanotube nano-composite

Composite made of multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with silver was fabricated by an electroless deposition process. The thickness of silver layer is about 40 to 60 nm, characterized as nano-crystalline with (111) crystal orientation along the nanotube's axial direction. The characterization of silver/carbon nanotube [Ag/CNT] nanowire has shown the large current carrying capability, and the electric conductivity is similar to the pure silver nanowires that Ag/CNT would be promising as building blocks for integrated circuits

Is Our Universe Natural?

It goes without saying that we are stuck with the universe we have. Nevertheless, we would like to go beyond simply describing our observed universe, and try to understand why it is that way rather than some other way. Physicists and cosmologists have been exploring increasingly ambitious ideas that attempt to explain why certain features of our universe aren't as surprising as they might first appear.Comment: Invited review for Nature, 11 page

Dynamic anoxic ferruginous conditions during the end-Permian mass extinction and recovery

The end-Permian mass extinction, ~252 million years ago, is notable for a complex recovery period of ~5 Myr. Widespread euxinic (anoxic and sulfidic) oceanic conditions have been proposed as both extinction mechanism and explanation for the protracted recovery period, yet the vertical distribution of anoxia in the water column and its temporal dynamics through this time period are poorly constrained. Here we utilize Fe–S–C systematics integrated with palaeontological observations to reconstruct a complete ocean redox history for the Late Permian to Early Triassic, using multiple sections across a shelf-to-basin transect on the Arabian Margin (Neo-Tethyan Ocean). In contrast to elsewhere, we show that anoxic non-sulfidic (ferruginous), rather than euxinic, conditions were prevalent in the Neo-Tethys. The Arabian Margin record demonstrates the repeated expansion of ferruginous conditions with the distal slope being the focus of anoxia at these times, as well as short-lived episodes of oxia that supported diverse biota