Gamma-mangostin, a micronutrient of mangosteen fruit, induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells

Recently colorectal cancer rates have increased rapidly in Taiwan. The treatment of colorectal cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a famous Asian tropical fruit. γ-Mangostin is a xanthone derivative isolated from the fruit hull. In previous studies, we found evidence of anti-inflammatory and anti-brain tumor activities in γ-mangostin. In this study, we performed further studies to assess the apoptotic effects of γ-mangostin on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells HT29. γ-Mangostin showed concentration and time-dependent cytotoxic effects on HT29 cells. Microscopic observation under Giemsa staining showed that γ-mangostin induced cellular swelling and the appearance of apoptotic bodies, characteristic of apoptosis in HT29 cells. In addition, flow cytometry analysis showed an increase of hypodiploid cells in γ-mangostin-treated HT29 cells, while enhancement of intracellular peroxide production was detected in the same γ-mangostin-treated cells by DCHDA assay and DiOC6(3) staining. In view of the above results, γ-mangostin has demonstrated anticancer activity and induces apoptosis in HT29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. The evidence suggests that γ-mangostin could serve as a micronutrient for colon cancer prevention and is a potential lead compound for the development of anti-colon cancer agents.     

Cadmium(II) and copper(II) complexes with imidazole-containing tripodal polyamine ligands: pH and anion effects on carbon dioxide fixation and assembling

A new Cd(II) complex [Cd3(L)3(mu3-CO3)](ClO4)4.2CH3CN (1) with two-dimensional (2D) network structure was obtained by reaction of an imidazole-containing tripodal polyamine ligand N1-(2-aminoethyl)-N1-(2-imidazolethyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (L) with Cd(ClO4)2.6H2O at pH 9.0 in air. The carbonate anions (CO3(2-)) are from the hydration of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is the same as in the previously reported Cu(II) complex [Cu3(L)3(mu3-CO3)](ClO4)4.3CH3CN (2). However, the coordination mode of CO3(2-) in 1 is mu3-eta2:eta2:eta2 while the one in 2 is mu3-eta1:eta1:eta1. One-dimensional (1D) chain Cd(II) and Cu(II) complexes [Cd(L)Cl]ClO4.H2O (3) and [Cu(L)(H2O)](ClO4)2 (4) without CO3(2-) were prepared by a similar method as that for 1 and 2 except for the different reaction pH, namely, 3 and 4 were obtained at pH 7 while 1 and 2 were obtained at pH 9. In addition, when Cu(NO3)2 was used to react with L at pH 9, a unique 1D double-stranded helical chain complex [Cu(L)Cl]NO3.1.25H2O (5) was obtained. The results revealed that the reaction pH and the counteranion have great impact on the carbon dioxide absorption and hydration as well as on the assembling and structure of the complexes. The magnetic property of complex 2 was investigated in the temperature range of 1.8-300 K, and weak ferromagnetic coupling among the mu3-eta1:eta1:eta1-CO3(2-) bridged Cu(II) atoms was observed.     

Investigations on the Photoreactions of Phenothiazine and Phenoxazine in Presence of 9-cyanoanthracene by Using Steady State and Time Resolved Spectroscopic Techniques

By using electrochemical, steady state and time resolved (fluorescence lifetime and transient absorption) spectroscopic techniques, detailed investigations were made to reveal the mechanisms of charge separation or forward electron transfer reactions within the electron donor phenothiazine (PTZH) or phenoxazine (PXZH) and well known electron acceptor 9-cyanoanthracene (CNA). The transient absorption spectra suggest that the charge separated species formed in the excited singlet state resulted from intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions within the donor PTZH (or PXZH) and CNA acceptor relaxes to the corresponding triplet state. Though alternative mechanisms of via formations of contact neutral radical by H-transfer reaction have been proposed but the observed results obtained from the time resolved measurements indicate that the regeneration of ground state reactants is primarily responsible due to direct recombination of triplet contact ion-pair (CIP) or solvent-separated ion-pair (SSIP).     

HDTV/Gigabit Ethernet over bidirectional WDM-PON based on injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diodes

Bidirectional high definition television (HDTV)/Gigabit Ethernet over wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM)-passive optical network (PON) based on injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diodes (FP LDs) as transmitters were proposed and demonstrated. Injection-locked FP LDs, a particularly inexpensive option, are used to replace conventional distributed feedback (DFB) LDs. Services with 77 HDTV channels and 1 Gigabit Ethernet channel connection were successfully demonstrated over 40 km single-mode fiber (SMF) transport. Good performance of bit error rate (BER) and clear eye diagram were achieved in our proposed bidirectional WDM-PON.     

Extended VIKOR method in comparison with outranking methods

The VIKOR method was developed to solve MCDM problems with conflicting and noncommensurable (different units) criteria, assuming that compromising is acceptable for conflict resolution, the decision maker wants a solution that is the closest to the ideal, and the alternatives are evaluated according to all established criteria. This method focuses on ranking and selecting from a set of alternatives in the presence of conflicting criteria, and on proposing compromise solution (one or more). The VIKOR method is extended with a stability analysis determining the weight stability intervals and with trade-offs analysis. The extended VIKOR method is compared with three multicriteria decision making methods: TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, and ELECTRE. A numerical example illustrates an application of the VIKOR method, and the results by all four considered methods are compared.     

Dimers on a Simple-Quartic Net with a Vacancy

A seminal milestone in lattice statistics is the exact solution of the enumeration of dimers on a simple-quartic net obtained by Fisher, Kasteleyn, and Temperley (FKT) in 1961. An outstanding related and yet unsolved problem is the enumeration of dimers on a net with vacant sites. Here we consider this vacant-site problem with a single vacancy occurring at certain specific sites on the boundary of a simple-quartic net. First, using a bijection between dimer and spanning tree configurations due to Temperley, Kenyon, Propp, and Wilson, we establish that the dimer generating function is independent of the location of the vacancy, and deduce a closed-form expression for the generating function. We next carry out finite-size analyses of this solution as well as that of the FKT solution. Our analyses lead to a logarithmic correction term in the large-size expansion for the vacancy problem with free boundary conditions. A concrete example exhibiting this difference is given. We also find the central charge c=–2 in the language of conformal field theory for the vacancy problem, as versus the value c=1 when there is no vacancy.     

微波大气击穿阈值的理论研究

本文通过对使用有效场强(或均方根场强)得到的微波大气击穿阈值表达式进行讨论, 指出其推导中所做的假设及这些假设应用到微波大气击穿过程中存在的问题. 然后分别使用解析理论和数值模拟对微波大气击穿过程中的有效电子温度变化过程和击穿阈值进行研究, 并将其与直流电场进行比较. 分析发现在高气压下, 电子能量转移频率高, 有效电子温度随电场大幅振荡, 由于电离频率随有效电子温度的增长率大于电子能量损失随有效电子温度的增长率, 因此在高气压时, 微波大气击穿阈值低于使用有效场强的击穿阈值. 通过大量分析, 给出了理论推导和数值模拟得到的微波大气击穿阈值拟合表达式.     

High birefringence and high resistivity isothiocyanate-based nematic liquid crystal mixtures

The molecular structures and physical properties of several single- and double-fluorinated isothiocyanatotolane, isothiocyanatocyclohexyltolane, and isothiocyanatoterphenyl compounds are reported. Two eutectic mixtures comprising these compounds are formulated and their properties evaluated. These mixtures exhibit a high birefringence, relatively low viscosity, high resistivity, and good photo and thermal stabilities. Potential applications of these mixtures for spatial light modulators, optical phased arrays, and high speed photonics are discussed.     

Synthesis of 1-[(3-Halo-1-Hydroxy-2-Propoxy)methyl]uracil and Thymine as Potential Antiviral Agents

3′-Halogen acyclonucleoside analogs have been prepared. The starting material, benzyl glycidyl ether (5) , prepared from eplchlorohydrin and sodium benzyloxidc, underwent ring opening by soft halogen ions to give l-benzyloxy-3-fluoro-2-propanol (6) , l-bcnzyloxy-3-chloro-2-propanol (7) , and l-benzyloxy-3- bromo-2-propanol (8) respectively. The treatment of 5 with lithium iodide in the presence of acetic acid provided 1-benzyloxy-3-iodo-2-propanol (9) . The treatment of 8 with sodium iodide in anhydrous acetone also produced l-benzyloxy-3-iodo-2-propanol (9) . Chloromethylation of these halohydrins 6-9 using paraformaldehyde and hydrogen chloride gas produced the chloromcthyl ethers 10-13 . These chloromethyl ethers without further purification were allowed to react with the silylated bases 16-17 , previously prepared by silylating the bases 14-15 with HMDS in the presence of ammonium sulfate to give 1- [(l-benzyloxy-3-halogen-2-propoxy)methyl]uracils and thymines 19-25 . The target compounds 26-33 were obtained respectively after the debcnzylation of 18-25 . Compounds 26, 27, 30 and 31 had no significant cell toxicity in the range of concentrations 0.001-20 mM. Compounds 26, 27, 28 and 29 have no significant activity against HSV II (for less than 2 mM there is a cytopathic effect). Compounds 30, 31, 32 and 33 show no activity against HSV II virus even at the level 20 mM.     

N,N-Disubstituted-4-aminophenylazostyrylformate derivatives: their synthesis, mesogenic behaviour and photostability

A series of new azo dye liquid crystals was prepared by the reaction of the N,N-disubstituted-4-aminophenylazobenzaldehydes with butyl cyanoacetate in the presence of piperidine in refluxing ethanol. The new azo dye liquid crystals possess a SmA phase, and representative samples were found to be reasonably photostable.