Discovery of New Eunicellins from an Indonesian Octocoral Cladiella sp.

Two new 11-hydroxyeunicellin diterpenoids, cladieunicellin F (1) and (–)-solenopodin C (2), were isolated from an Indonesian octocoral Cladiella sp. The structures of eunicellins 1 and 2 were established by spectroscopic methods, and eunicellin 2 was found to be an enantiomer of the known eunicellin solenopodin C (3). Eunicellin 2 displayed inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anion and the release of elastase by human neutrophils. The previously reported structures of two eunicellin-based compounds, cladielloides A and B, are corrected in this study

Cladielloides A and B: New Eunicellin-Type Diterpenoids from an Indonesian Octocoral Cladiella sp

Two new eunicellin-type diterpenoids, cladielloides A (1) and B (2), which were found to possess a 2-hydroxybutyroxy group in their structures, were isolated from an Indonesian octocoral identified as Cladiella sp. The structures of eunicellins 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Cladielloide B (2) exhibited moderate cytotoxicity toward CCRF-CEM tumor cells and this compound displayed significant inhibitory effects on superoxide anion generation and elastase release by human neutrophils

Excavatoids O and P, New 12-Hydroxybriaranes from the Octocoral Briareum excavatum

Two new 12-hydroxybriarane diterpenoids, designated as excavatoids O (1) and P (2), were isolated from the octocoral Briareum excavatum. The structures of briaranes 1 and 2 were established on the basis of extensive spectral data analysis. Excavatoid P (2) is the first metabolite which possesses a 6β -chlorine atom in briarane analogues

Effect of carotid artery aberrancy on the distance between the vessel and nasopharyngeal subsites

Background: Life-threatening hemorrhaging due to nasopharyngeal internal carotid artery (ICA) aberrancy may occur during routine nasopharyngeal surgery. To understand better the potential adverse effect of nasopharyngeal ICA aberrancy on routine nasopharyngeal surgery, we classified aberrant nasopharyngeal ICAs and analyzed the differences in mean distances from the ICA to nasopharyngeal subsites between aberrant and nonaberrant vessels. Methods: The courses of nasopharyngeal ICAs were examined and classified for an aberrant pathway. Various distances were measured on magnetic resonance brain scans. The mean values of the measured variables were compared using an unpaired two-sample t test. Results: The mean distances to the torus tubarius, the opening of Rosenmuller's fossa, and the posterior nasopharyngeal wall were 19.6 mm, 15.8 mm, and 16.7 mm, respectively, in the aberrant case group, and 23.1 mm (p < 0.001), 19.8 mm (p < 0.001), and 20.7 mm (p < 0.001) in the nonaberrant control group. Conclusion: The mean distances between the ICA and nasopharyngeal subsites were significantly shortened (by 15–21%) in the presence of aberrant nasopharyngeal segments, which may increase the risk of severe complications in common and uncomplicated nasopharyngeal surgery, such as adenoidectomy, eustachian tuboplasty, and nasopharyngeal biopsies. However, the mean distances were not shortened by the severity (kinking and coiling) of the aberrant nasopharyngeal carotid arteries

A Study on the Dynamic Forming Mechanism Development of the Negative Poisson’s Ratio Elastomer Molds—Plate to Plate (P2P) Forming Process

This study proposed a dynamic forming mechanism development of the negative Poisson’s ratio elastomer molds—plate to plate (P2P) forming process. To dynamically stretch molds and control the microstructural shape, the proposal is committed to using the NPR structure as a regulatory mechanism. The NPR structural and dynamic parallel NPR-molds to control microstructure mold-cores were simulated and analyzed. ANSYS and MATLAB were used to simulate and predict dynamic NPR embossing replication. The hot-embossing and UV-curing dynamic NPR P2P-forming systems are designed and developed for verification. The results illustrated that the dynamic forming mechanism of the negative Poisson’s ratio elastomer molds proposed by this study can effectively control microstructure molds. This can effectively predict and calculate the geometrical characteristics of the microstructures after embossing. The multi-directional dynamic NPR microstructural replication process can accurately transfer microstructures and provide high transfer rate-replication characteristics

An Economy-wide Analysis of Impacts on Taiwan of Reducing Tariff Escalation on Agriculture-Related Products in WTO Doha Round Negotiations

Tariff escalation becomes one of the major issues in the new Doha Round negotiation because it is viewed as a stumbling block to the industrialization development for the developing countries. When tariffs on products escalate with the stage of processing, the effective rate of protection, or the tariff expressed as fractions of value-added after deducting intermediate inputs from product value, also increases. Thus, tariff escalation potentially signals high rates of protection for value-added or processed products, and can inhibit international trade in these goods. The major purpose of this study is to examine the degrees of tariff escalations in Taiwan's agriculture -related commodities and the economic consequences to reduce them. A simplified theoretical model is first established to illustrate the structural impacts and welfare implications of reducing tariff escalation. Then a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of Taiwan is applied to simulate the economy-wide impacts of three alternative reduction proposals. The model distinguishes 160 sectors, 6 types of labor, 8 types of margins and 160 commodities compiled from the Input-Output tables of 2004. Simulation results indicate that if welfare improvement is the major policy concern, then Taiwan should favor the reduction because it improves the overall welfare of Taiwan. However, if farmers' welfare is the major policy concern, then Taiwan should act against the reduction. In case the consensus to reduce tariff escalations has been determined, then the second-best choice would be to offer upstream industries relatively smaller tariff reduction rates than the downstream industries

An Economy-wide Analysis of Impacts on Taiwan of Reducing Tariff Escalation on Agriculture-related Products in WTO Doha Round Negotiations

Tariff escalation becomes one of the major issues in the new Doha Round negotiation because it is viewed as a stumbling block to the industrialization development for the developing countries. When tariffs on products escalate with the stage of processing, the effective rate of protection, or the tariff expressed as fractions of value-added after deducting intermediate inputs from product value, also increases. Thus, tariff escalation potentially signals high rates of protection for value-added or processed products, and can inhibit international trade in these goods. The major purpose of this study is to examine the degrees of tariff escalations in Taiwan¡¦s agriculture-related commodities and the economic consequences to reduce them. A simplified theoretical model is first established to illustrate the structural impacts and welfare implications of reducing tariff escalation. Then a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of Taiwan is applied to simulate the economy-wide impacts of three alternative reduction proposals.. The model distinguishes 160 sectors, 6 types of labor, 8 types of margins and 160 commodities compiled from the Input-Output tables of 2004. Simulation results indicate that if welfare improvement is the major policy concern, then Taiwan should favor the reduction because it improves the overall welfare of Taiwan. However, if farmers¡¦ welfare is the major policy concern, then Taiwan should act against the reduction. In case the consensus to reduce tariff escalations has been determined, then the second-best choice would be to offer upstream industries relatively smaller tariff reduction rates than the downstream industries