Assessment of Cucurbita spp. Peel Extracts as Potential Sources of Active Substances for Skin Care and Dermatology

By-products of cultivated plants are one of the major environmental concerns worldwide. Due to the high concentration of bioactive chemicals, such waste may be considered hazardous due to the interference with the plant growth, deterioration of the drinking water quality or toxic effects on sensitive marine organisms. Moreover, plant-derived by-products, with proper handling, may represent a low-cost source of bioactive compounds potentially important for pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, the influence of tyrosinase activity, in vitro sun protecting factor and cytotoxicity of 15 extracts from peels of five cultivars of Cucurbita maxima and C. moschata. The extracts were prepared using “green solvents” (water, 50% propylene glycol, and 20% ethanol) and ultrasound-assisted extraction. The performed analysis showed that the peel extracts from various cultivars differ significantly in respect to the phytochemical content and activity. The type of solvent also had a significant impact on the extract’s composition and bioactivity. Aqueous peel extracts contained the highest amounts of flavonoids, showed the greatest antioxidant potential and the most significant in vitro SPF values. In vitro studies showed that the analyzed peel extracts are not cytotoxic for human keratinocytes up to the concentration of 1000 µg/mL and thus might be considered as non-irritant for the skin. The study confirms the potential application of peel extracts from Cucurbita spp. cultivars in cosmetic products.     

Yamogenin-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest,Oxidative Stress,and Apoptosis in Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line

Steroidal saponins are a group of compounds with complex structures and biological activities. They have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, fungicidal, and antitumor properties. Yamogenin is one of the spirostane saponins and occurs in Trigonella foenum-graecum, Asparagus officinalis, and Dioscorea collettii. It is a stereoisomer of diosgenin—a well-known compound whose activity and mechanisms of action in cancer cells are determined. However, the antitumor effect of yamogenin is still little known, and the mechanism of action has not been determined. In this study, we evaluated the effect of yamogenin on human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in vitro by determining the cellular factors that trigger cell death. The viability of the cells was assessed with a Real-Time xCELLigence system and the cell cycle arrest with flow cytometry. The activity of initiator and executioner caspases (-8, -9, and -3/7) was estimated with luminometry and flow cytometry, respectively. The mitochondrial membrane depolarization, the level of oxidative stress, and DNA damage in the yamogenin-treated cells were also evaluated by flow cytometry. Genes expression analysis at the mRNA level was conducted with Real-Time PCR. Bid activation and chromatin condensation were estimated with fluorescent microscopy. The obtained results indicate that yamogenin has cytotoxic activity in SKOV-3 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 23.90 ± 1.48 µg/mL and strongly inhibits the cell cycle in the sub-G1 phase. The compound also triggers cell death with a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, an increase in the level of oxidative stress (over two times higher in comparison to the control), and activation of caspase-8, -9, -3/7, as well as Bid. The results of genes expression indicate that the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor Superfamily Members (TNF, TNFRSF10, TNFRSF10B, TNFRSF1B, and TNFRSF25), Fas Associated via Death Domain (FADD), and Death Effector Domain Containing 2 (DEDD2) were significantly upregulated and their relative expression was at least two times higher than in the control. Our work shows that yamogenin induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, and both the extrinsic and mitochondrial—intrinsic pathways are involved in this process.     

监管技术巨头：技术力量作为市场支配地位认定因素之再审视

如何有效规制技术巨头已然成为当前《反垄断法》修订的重要任务。技术力量虽然作为传统的市场支配地位认定要素,但长期以来呈现被虚置化的客观状态,致使技术巨头市场支配地位的认定难度增大,技术力量自身的传导效应被显著低估。数字技术对市场竞争的影响异于以往,其通过平台、数据、算法的数字市场三维结构框架影响生产与交易的全过程。技术与三维结构结合所形成的技术力量极为强大,超越了以控制价格为主的传统市场力量,结合社会与资本力量形成了更牢固的市场固化结构。在判断技术巨头的市场支配地位时,亟需发挥技术力量作为非价格型认定要素的重要作用。应当摒弃虚置技术力量作为市场支配地位认定要素的固有症结,提高技术力量在认定市场支配地位时所占权重,回归结构性视角,妥善防范技术巨头无序扩张。     

用多群蒙特卡罗方法计算快中子核临界keff和通量密度

用多群蒙特卡罗方法对快中子核裂变系统进行了临界计算。有效增殖因子keff的计算值与实验结果符合。计算所得中子通量密度的空间分布在球形裂变系统中随半径增大单调下降。中子通量密度的能量分布在由高浓缩铀组成的活性区内呈单一能量极大值,其对应能量对于裸球核裂变系统和具有反射层裂变系统分别为0.35MeV和0.25MeV,而在由天然铀组成的反射层中在0.1MeV附近出现能量双峰。由通量密度所得中子能谱在无反射层球形裂变系统中随半径增加变硬,在有反射层球形裂变系统中随半径增加变软。     

激光直接驱动聚变中光束排布的优化

为提高激光直接驱动聚变中球靶的辐照均匀性, 必须对光束的排布进行优化。 本文通过分析球谐模的几何因子, 提出了光束排布的优化规则。按照这个规则排布光束, 可在光束数有限的情况下获得较高的辐照均匀性。给出了满足此规则的一些典型光束排布实例。     

会聚球面波圆孔衍射的一般积分式

分别从菲涅尔-基尔霍夫和瑞利-索莫非衍射积分公式出发,导出了考虑倾斜因子后会聚球面波经圆孔衍射的一般衍射积分表达式。所得公式不仅可计算衍射场的焦移,而且对弱聚焦和强聚焦情况均适用。并与Li和Wolf公式的结果进行了比较,结果证实所得公式适用广泛。     

介质的增益与损耗对高功率激光小尺度自聚焦的影响

由光束在非线性介质中传输所满足的近轴波方程,应用Bespalov Talanov（BT）理论,导出了光束在两种介质中传输时,小尺度不稳定增长所遵循的微分方程。通过对比分析介质的增益和损耗对高功率激光的小尺度自聚焦行为的不同影响,得出了截止频率、最快增长频率、纹波的积分指数增益等特性随各参量的变化,求得了最大和最小的纹波增长的距离,以及介质的增益和损耗特性对成丝距离的影响。     

高斯分布及截断和抽样

详细推论了高斯分布的轴对称电子束的截断方法和确定截断因子的表达式。结果表明在截断因子为0.9时,电子束发射度等于均方根发射度的二倍, 而当电子束发射度等于均方根发射度时, 截断因子仅为0.59。给出了四维坐标变量的几率密度函数公式, 并简述了相应的抽样方法。     

要素流动下世界经济的机制变化与结构转型

国际直接投资的本质是生产要素的国际流动,其广泛发展使世界经济成为全球化经济。要素流动的规律决定了全球化经济的微观机制与宏观表现。本文研究表明：（1）价值链分工是各国优势要素的国际合作;（2）跨国公司组合全球要素决定了全球生产布局;（3）政策干预下要素流动是一个扭曲的市场;（4）要素收益原理决定了各国经贸关系中的收益分配;（5）世界经济增长因要素流动形成新机制、新结构;（6）要素流动改变世界产业布局,导致贸易不平衡;（7）发展道路在要素流动下出现新模式。要素流动理论是解析当代世界经济的基础理论。