Multiple Anticancer Effects of Damsin and Coronopilin Isolated from Ambrosia arborescens on Cell Cultures

Terpenoids in plants are important sources for drug discovery. In this study, we extracted damsin and coronopilin, two sesquiterpene lactones, from Ambrosia arborescens and examined their anticancer effects on cell cultures. Damsin and coronopilin inhibited cell proliferation, DNA biosynthesis and formation of cytoplasmic DNA histone complexes in Caco-2 cells, with damsin being more potent than coronopilin. Further studies using the luciferase reporter system showed that damsin and coronopilin also inhibited expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), indicating that these sesquiterpenes can interfere with NF- κB and STAT3 pathways. Finally, we examined the effects of two synthetic dibrominated derivatives of damsin, 11α,13- dibromodamsin and 11β,13-dibromodamsin. While bromination appeared to weaken the antiproliferative effects of damsin, the β epimer had strong inhibitory effects on STAT3 activation. In conclusion, the sesquiterpene lactones damsin and coronopilin have inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, DNA biosynthesis and NF-κB and STAT3 pathways, thus being potentially important for discovery of drugs against cancer

Chromosome-level genome assemblies for two quinoa inbred lines from northern and southern highlands of Altiplano where quinoa originated

Quinoa is emerging as a key seed crop for global food security due to its ability to grow in marginal environments and its excellent nutritional properties. Because quinoa is partially allogamous, we have developed quinoa inbred lines necessary for molecular genetic analysis. Our comprehensive genomic analysis showed that the quinoa inbred lines fall into three genetic subpopulations: northern highland, southern highland, and lowland. Lowland and highland quinoa are the same species, but have very different genotypes and phenotypes. Lowland quinoa has relatively small grains and a darker grain color, and is widely tested and grown around the world. In contrast, the white, large-grained highland quinoa is grown in the Andean highlands, including the region where quinoa originated, and is exported worldwide as high-quality quinoa. Recently, we have shown that viral vectors can be used to regulate endogenous genes in quinoa, paving the way for functional genomics to reveal the diversity of quinoa. However, although a high-quality assembly has recently been reported for a lowland quinoa line, genomic resources of the quality required for functional genomics are not available for highland quinoa lines. Here we present high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies for two highland inbred quinoa lines, J075 representing the northern highland line and J100 representing the southern highland line, using PacBio HiFi sequencing and dpMIG-seq. In addition, we demonstrate the importance of verifying and correcting reference-based scaffold assembly with other approaches such as linkage maps. The assembled genome sizes of J075 and J100 are 1.29 and 1.32 Gb, with contigs N50 of 66.3 and 12.6 Mb, and scaffold N50 of 71.2 and 70.6 Mb, respectively, comprising 18 pseudochromosomes. The repetitive sequences of J075 and J100 represent 72.6% and 71.5% of the genome, the majority of which are long terminal repeats, representing 44.0% and 42.7% of the genome, respectively. The de novo assembled genomes of J075 and J100 were predicted to contain 65,303 and 64,945 protein-coding genes, respectively. The high quality genomes of these highland quinoa lines will facilitate quinoa functional genomics research on quinoa and contribute to the identification of key genes involved in environmental adaptation and quinoa domestication

Development and validation of HERWIG 7 tunes from CMS underlying-event measurements

This paper presents new sets of parameters (“tunes”) for the underlying-event model of the HERWIG7 event generator. These parameters control the description of multiple-parton interactions (MPI) and colour reconnection in HERWIG7, and are obtained from a fit to minimum-bias data collected by the CMS experiment at s=0.9, 7, and 13Te. The tunes are based on the NNPDF 3.1 next-to-next-to-leading-order parton distribution function (PDF) set for the parton shower, and either a leading-order or next-to-next-to-leading-order PDF set for the simulation of MPI and the beam remnants. Predictions utilizing the tunes are produced for event shape observables in electron-positron collisions, and for minimum-bias, inclusive jet, top quark pair, and Z and W boson events in proton-proton collisions, and are compared with data. Each of the new tunes describes the data at a reasonable level, and the tunes using a leading-order PDF for the simulation of MPI provide the best description of the dat

MUSiC : a model-unspecific search for new physics in proton-proton collisions at root s=13TeV

Results of the Model Unspecific Search in CMS (MUSiC), using proton-proton collision data recorded at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1), are presented. The MUSiC analysis searches for anomalies that could be signatures of physics beyond the standard model. The analysis is based on the comparison of observed data with the standard model prediction, as determined from simulation, in several hundred final states and multiple kinematic distributions. Events containing at least one electron or muon are classified based on their final state topology, and an automated search algorithm surveys the observed data for deviations from the prediction. The sensitivity of the search is validated using multiple methods. No significant deviations from the predictions have been observed. For a wide range of final state topologies, agreement is found between the data and the standard model simulation. This analysis complements dedicated search analyses by significantly expanding the range of final states covered using a model independent approach with the largest data set to date to probe phase space regions beyond the reach of previous general searches.Peer reviewe

Measurement of prompt open-charm production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

The production cross sections for prompt open-charm mesons in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV are reported. The measurement is performed using a data sample collected by the CMS experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 29 nb(-1). The differential production cross sections of the D*(+/-), D-+/-, and D-0 ((D) over bar (0)) mesons are presented in ranges of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity 4 < p(T) < 100 GeV and vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.1, respectively. The results are compared to several theoretical calculations and to previous measurements.Peer reviewe

Measurement of t(t)over-bar normalised multi-differential cross sections in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions

Peer reviewe

Measurement of the top quark forward-backward production asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric and chromomagnetic moments in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Abstract The parton-level top quark (t) forward-backward asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric (d̂ t) and chromomagnetic (μ̂ t) moments have been measured using LHC pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected in the CMS detector in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1. The linearized variable AFB(1) is used to approximate the asymmetry. Candidate t t ¯ events decaying to a muon or electron and jets in final states with low and high Lorentz boosts are selected and reconstructed using a fit of the kinematic distributions of the decay products to those expected for t t ¯ final states. The values found for the parameters are AFB(1)=0.048−0.087+0.095(stat)−0.029+0.020(syst),μ̂t=−0.024−0.009+0.013(stat)−0.011+0.016(syst), and a limit is placed on the magnitude of | d̂ t| &lt; 0.03 at 95% confidence level. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe

An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe

Measurement of the Splitting Function in &ITpp &ITand Pb-Pb Collisions at root&ITsNN&IT=5.02 TeV

Data from heavy ion collisions suggest that the evolution of a parton shower is modified by interactions with the color charges in the dense partonic medium created in these collisions, but it is not known where in the shower evolution the modifications occur. The momentum ratio of the two leading partons, resolved as subjets, provides information about the parton shower evolution. This substructure observable, known as the splitting function, reflects the process of a parton splitting into two other partons and has been measured for jets with transverse momentum between 140 and 500 GeV, in pp and PbPb collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair. In central PbPb collisions, the splitting function indicates a more unbalanced momentum ratio, compared to peripheral PbPb and pp collisions.. The measurements are compared to various predictions from event generators and analytical calculations.Peer reviewe