CuSCN/Si heterojunction near-infrared photodetector based on micro/nano light-trapping structure.

In this paper, high-performance CuSCN/Si heterojunction near-infrared photodetectors were successfully prepared using nanoscale light-trapping optical structures. Various light-trapping structures of ortho-pyramids, inverted pyramids and silicon nanowires were prepared on silicon substrates. Then, CuSCN films were spin-coated on silicon substrates with high crystalline properties for the assembly of CuSCN/Si photodetectors. Their reflectance spectra and interfacial passivation properties were characterized, demonstrating their superiority of light-trapping structures in high light response. Under the irradiation of 980 nm near-infrared light, a maximum responsivity of 2.88 A W-1at -4 V bias and a specific detectivity of 5.427 × 1010Jones were obtained in the CuSCN/Si heterojunction photodetectors prepared on planner silicon due to 3.6 eV band gap of CuSCN. The substrates of the light-trapping structure were then applied to the CuSCN/Si heterojunction photodetectors. A maximum responsivity of 10.16 A W-1and a maximum specific detectivity of 1.001 × 1011Jones were achieved under the 980 nm near-infrared light irradiation and -4 V bias, demonstrating the advanced performance of CuSCN/Si heterojunction photodetectors with micro-nano light-trapping substrates in the field of near-infrared photodetection compared to other silicon-based photodetectors.

A Simple Schiff Base Probe for Quintuplicate-Metal Analytes with Four Emission-Wavelength Responses.

A versatile mono-Schiff compound consisting of o-aminobenzene-hydroxyjulolidine (ABJ-MS) has been easily synthesized using a one-step reaction. ABJ-MS displays four diverse fluorescence responses to the addition of Zn2+/Al3+/Fe3+/Ag+, with the maximum fluorescence emission at 530 nm undergoing a hypsochromic shift to 502/490/440/430 nm, synchronously with the discriminating fluorescence enhancement being 10.6/22.8/2.6/7.1-fold, respectively. However, the addition of Cu2+ into ABJ-MS leads to an opposite behavior, namely, fluorescence quenching. Meanwhile, ABJ-MS also displays distinct absorption changes after adding these five metal ions due to different binding affinities between them and ABJ-MS, which gives ABJ-MS quite a versatile detecting nature for Cu2+/Zn2+/Al3+/Fe3+/Ag+. Moreover, ABJ-MS can mimic a series of versatile AND/OR/INH-consisting logic circuits on the basis of the Cu2+/Zn2+/Al3+/Fe3+/Ag+-mediated diverse optical responses. These will endow the smart ABJ-MS molecule and potential applications in the multi-analysis chemosensory and molecular logic material fields.

Functional characterization of a diuretic hormone receptor associated with desiccation, starvation and temperature tolerance in gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar.

Variety of diuretic hormone neuropeptides is known to regulate water and ion balance in invertebrates. By activating their specific neuropeptide, diuretic hormone receptor (DHR) transmits extracellular signals into the cell, and then produces functional cell activity, which plays an important role in regulating physiology and behavior. However, little is known about the function of DHR gene in Lymantria dispar. DHR gene was firstly identified in L. dispar and its physiological functions were investigated using RNA interference (RNAi) technology. The results showed that except for the 6th instar larvae, the expression levels of DHR gene in the larval stages are higher than that in the egg, pupal and adult stages. The DHR gene is highly expressed in hindgut and midgut tissues. The L. dispar larvae significantly increased their water content and high temperature tolerance after the DHR was silenced, while decreasing excretion and feeding behavior. The physiological function of DHR is associated with desiccation, high temperature and starvation resistance. DHR could contribute to future development of novel insecticide to manage this global forest pest population.

High-performance MoOx/n-Si heterojunction NIR photodetector with aluminum oxide as a tunneling passivation interlayer.

The most effective and potential approach to improve the performance of heterojunction photodetectors is to obtain favorable interfacial passivation by adding an insertion layer. In this paper, MoOx/Al2O3/n-Si heterojunction photodetectors with excellent photocurrents, responsivity and detectivity were fabricated, in which alumina acts as a tunneling passivation layer. By optimizing the post-annealing treatment temperature of the MoOxand the thickness of the ultra-thin Al2O3, the photodetector achieved a ratio of photocurrent to dark current of 3.1 × 105, a photoresponsivity of 7.11 A W-1(@980 nm) and a detective of 9.85 × 1012Jones at -5 V bias. Besides, a self-driven response of 0.17 A W-1and a high photocurrent/dark current ratio of 2.07 × 104were obtained. The result demonstrated that optimizing the interface of heterojunctions is a promising way to obtain a heterojunction photodetector with high-performance.

Oral and intestinal microbial features in pregnant women with hypothyroidism and their correlations with pregnancy outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of oral and intestinal microbiota of pregnant women with hypothyroidism during pregnancy, and to find the correlations between the changes of flora and pregnancy outcome of pregnant women with hypothyroidism during pregnancy. In this study, oral and intestinal microbial composition was surveyed by using the 16S rRNA sequencing approach in 61 pregnant women (30 with hypothyroidism and 31 normal controls). Sequentially, we validated the differential microbial features by using the quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) approach in 10 randomly selected pregnant women (5 with hypothyroidism and 5 normal controls). Furthermore, general clinical data and serological indices were added to the analysis to examine the links between oral and intestinal microbiota and pregnancy outcomes. The 16S rRNA results showed that the relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria were higher in pregnant women in the hypothyroidism group than in those in the control group, whereas the levels of Firmicutes were higher in the control group than in the hypothyroidism group. The serum C-reactive protein level, the weight gain during pregnancy, and the incidence of fetal distress were higher in the hypothyroidism group than in the control group. The QPCR results also showed the same changes of the intestinal microbiota in the two groups. There were significant differences in the oral and intestinal microbiota between pregnant women with hypothyroidism and normal pregnant women. The changes of microbiota is one of the factors influencing the occurrence and development of hypothyroidism during pregnancy.

Differential intestinal and oral microbiota features associated with gestational diabetes and maternal inflammation.

Maternal microbiota is involved in many metabolic diseases. However, its role in the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. In this case-control study, we performed a 16S rRNA sequencing-based microbial survey to compare the intestinal and oral microflora at third trimester during pregnancy between 30 GDM and 31 normal controls. Sequentially, a correlation-based network analysis was further performed to explore the interactions among microbiota, maternal and infant blood sugar, and inflammatory markers. Our results show that, compared with controls, the GDM cases showed significant differences in ß-diversity and increased Gammaproteobacteria and Hemophilus in intestinal microbiota. Furthermore, the GDM cases showed lower α-diversity, increased Selenomonas and Bifidobacterium, and decreased Fusobacteria and Leptotrichia in oral microbiota. The ROC curve showed the area under the curve to be equal to 0.70 and 0.66 when using oral Leptotrichia or gut Hemophilus, respectively, to predict GDM status. In addition, the components and topography of microbial cooccurrence and coexclusion network were quite distinct by GDM status. In summary, intestinal and oral microorganisms in pregnant women are closely related to the status of GDM in the third trimester of pregnancy. The changes of intestinal and oral microbial features may be noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring the health management of GDM pregnancy.

Diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy using convolutional neural network.

BACKGROUND: Clinically, doctors obtain the left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) mainly by observing ultrasonic echocardiographic video stream to capture a single frame of images with diagnostic significance, and then mark two key points on both sides of the posterior wall of the left ventricle with their own experience for computer measurement. In the actual measurement, the doctor's selection point is subjective, and difficult to accurately locate the edge, which will bring errors to the measurement results. METHODS: In this paper, a convolutional neural network model of left ventricular posterior wall positioning was built under the TensorFlow framework, and the target region images were obtained after the positioning results were processed by non-local mean filtering and opening operation. Then the edge detection algorithm based on threshold segmentation is used. After the contour was extracted by adjusting the segmentation threshold through prior analysis and the OTSU algorithm, the design algorithm completed the computer selection point measurement of the thickness of the posterior wall of the left ventricle. RESULTS: The proposed method can effectively extract the left ventricular posterior wall contour and measure its thickness. The experimental results show that the relative error between the measurement result and the hospital measurement value is less than 15%, which is less than 20% of the acceptable repeatability error in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the measurement method proposed in this paper has the advantages of less manual intervention, and the processing method is reasonable and has practical value.

Curcumin inhibits cell viability, migration, and invasion of thymic carcinoma cells via downregulation of microRNA-27a.

Curcumin (CUR) is a kind of polyphenolic compound and widely used in the treatment of diseases. However, the involvement of CUR in thymic carcinoma remains unknown. The object of our research is to clarify the role of CUR and related regulatory mechanism in thymic carcinoma cells. After treatment with CUR for 24 hr, cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of TC1889 cells were measured. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was executed to examine the expression of microRNA-27a (miR-27a) in thymic carcinoma tissues and TC1889 cells. After miR-27a mimic transfection, whether miR-27a is involved in CUR-modulated cell behaviors was measured. Finally, western blot was utilized to detect mTOR and Notch 1 pathways-linked proteins. CUR restrained cell viability and increased cell apoptosis of TC1889 cells. In addition, cell migration and invasion were restrained by CUR. Meanwhile, miR-27a expression was positively regulated in thymic carcinoma tissues and downregulated by CUR in TC1889 cells. Overexpressed miR-27a reversed the CUR-induced reduction of growth, migration, and invasion in TC1889 cells. Furthermore, CUR blocked mTOR and Notch 1 pathways via downregulating miR-27a. We demonstrated that CUR blocked mTOR and Notch 1 pathways via downregulating miR-27a, thereby suppressing cell growth, migration, and invasion of thymic carcinoma cells.

Nimotuzuma restrains proliferation and induces apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells by regulation of EGFR/PI3K/AKT signal pathway.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a conversant malignant bone tumor, commonly occurs in children and adolescents. Nimotuzuma is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGRF) monoclonal antibody agent, which has been exploited in varied solid tumors. Nevertheless, the functions of Nimotuzuma in OS remain blurry. We attempted to disclose the impacts of Nimotuzuma on OS cells proliferation and apoptosis. OS MG-63 and U2OS cells were stimulated with the disparate doses of Nimotuzuma. Then, cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were appraised through executing CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays. Moreover, the change of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was estimated via JC-1 fluorescent probe to further probe the impacts of Nimotuzuma on cell apoptosis. The proteins of cell apoptosis, cell cycle, and EGFR/PI3K/AKT were appraised via western blot. Eventually, Nimotuzuma together EGRF or PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) were utilized to dispose MG-63 to further uncover the latent mechanism. We found that Nimotuzuma remarkably repressed cell viability at a time- and dose-dependent manners in MG-63 and U2OS cells. The percentage of the S phase cells was evidently reduced by Nimotuzuma through regulating P21, Cyclin E1, and Cyclin D1. In addition, Nimotuzuma obviously evoked cell apoptosis, meanwhile elevated Bid, Bax, and cleaved-caspase-3. Further exploration showed that Nimotuzuma decreased ΔΨm in a dose-dependent manner in MG-63 and U2OS cells. Besides, we discovered the repressive functions of Nimotuzuma in OS cells proliferation and apoptosis via hindering the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway. These investigations testified that Nimotuzuma repressed cell growth by restraining the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway in OS cells, hinting the antitumor activity of Nimotuzuma in OS.

Significance of Serological Gastric Biopsy in Different Gastric Mucosal Lesions: an Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Screening and timely treatment of precancerous gastric cancer diseases or of gastric cancer in the early stages has important significance in reducing the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer. Gastroscopy and histopathological biopsy are still the gold standards for the diagnosis of gastric diseases. But the application of astroscopy for the screening and diagnosis of gastric diseases is limited. In recent years, serum pepsinogen (PG), gastrin, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) IgG antibodies have become indicators for "serological biopsy" of the gastric mucosa. METHODS: From January 2016 to January 2018, a total of 2,394 patients with digestive tract symptoms underwent gastroscopy. According to the endoscopic examination and pathological diagnosis, there were four case groups: 1,376 cases of chronic non-atrophic gastritis, 708 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis, 265 cases of gastric ulcer, and 45 cases of gastric cancer. Serological gastric biopsies were performed and analyzed. RESULTS: The serum levels of PGI in the chronic atrophic gastritis group was significantly lower than that in the chronic non-atrophic gastritis group, gastric ulcer group, and gastric cancer group (p < 0.05). The serum levels of PGII and G-17 in the gastric cancer group were significantly higher than those in the chronic non-atrophic Gastritis group, chronic atrophic gastritis group, and gastric ulcer group (p < 0.05). The PGR in the gastric cancer group was significantly lower than that in the chronic non-atrophic gastritis group, chronic atrophic Gastritis group, and gastric ulcer group (p < 0.05). The H. pylori positive rates in the chronic atrophic gastritis group and gastric cancer group were higher than those in the chronic non-atrophic gastritis group and gastric ulcer Group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serological gastric biopsy is closely correlated to gastric mucosal disease and can be used as a Screening tool in gastric disease.

The alteration in the architecture of a T-DNA insertion rice mutant osmtd1 is caused by up-regulation of MicroRNA156f.

Plant architecture is an important factor for crop production. Some members of microRNA156 (miR156) and their target genes SQUAMOSA Promoter-Binding Protein-Like (SPL) were identified to play essential roles in the establishment of plant architecture. However, the roles and regulation of miR156 is not well understood yet. Here, we identified a T-DNA insertion mutant Osmtd1 (Oryza sativa multi-tillering and dwarf mutant). Osmtd1 produced more tillers and displayed short stature phenotype. We determined that the dramatic morphological changes were caused by a single T-DNA insertion in Osmtd1. Further analysis revealed that the T-DNA insertion was located in the gene Os08g34258 encoding a putative inhibitor I family protein. Os08g34258 was knocked out and OsmiR156f was significantly upregulated in Osmtd1. Overexpression of Os08g34258 in Osmtd1 complemented the defects of the mutant architecture, while overexpression of OsmiR156f in wild-type rice phenocopied Osmtd1. We showed that the expression of OsSPL3, OsSPL12, and OsSPL14 were significantly downregulated in Osmtd1 or OsmiR156f overexpressed lines, indicating that OsSPL3, OsSPL12, and OsSPL14 were possibly direct target genes of OsmiR156f. Our results suggested that OsmiR156f controlled plant architecture by mediating plant stature and tiller outgrowth and may be regulated by an unknown protease inhibitor I family protein.

Correlations of ezrin expression with pathological characteristics and prognosis of osteosarcoma: a meta-analysis.

We conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the correlations of ezrin expression with pathological characteristics and the prognosis of osteosarcoma. The MEDLINE (1966-2013), the Cochrane Library Database, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science (1945-2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database were searched without language restrictions. Meta-analyses conducted using STATA software were calculated. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, including 459 patients with osteosarcoma. Meta-analysis results illustrated that ezrin expression may be closely associated with the recurrence of osteosarcoma or metastasis in osteosarcoma. Our findings also demonstrated that patients with grade III-IV osteosarcoma showed a higher frequency of ezrin expression than those with histological grade I-II osteosarcoma. Furthermore, we found that patients with positive expression of ezrin exhibited a shorter overall survival than those with negative ezrin expression. The results also indicated that positive ezrin expression was strongly correlated with poorer metastasis-free survival. Nevertheless, no significant relationships were observed between ezrin expression and clinical variables (age and gender). In the current meta-analysis, our results illustrated significant relationships of ezrin expression with pathological characteristics and prognosis of osteosarcoma. Thus, ezrin expression could be a promising marker in predicting the clinical outcome of patients with osteosarcoma.

Role of solvent in plasma-assisted peroxymonosulfate-hydrothermal process for plastic conversion.

Hydrothermal processes are considered a promising strategy for the conversion of ever-growing plastic wastes. Plasma-assisted peroxymonosulfate-hydrothermal process has attracted increasing attention in enhancing the efficiency of hydrothermal conversion. However, the role of solvent in this process is unclear and rarely researched. Herein, the conversion process with different water-based solvents was investigated based on a plasma-assisted peroxymonosulfate-hydrothermal reaction. As the ratio of the solvent effective volume in the reactor increased from 20% to 53.3%, the conversion efficiency displayed an obvious decrease from 7.1% to 4.2%. The results indicated that the increased pressure caused by the solvent greatly reduced the surface reaction and forced the hydrophilic groups to shift back to the carbon chain, thereby reducing the reaction kinetics. A further increase in the solvent effective volume ratio could promote the conversion in the inner layer of the plastics to achieve an increase of the conversion efficiency. These findings can provide valuable guidance for the design of hydrothermal conversion for plastic wastes.

High-Grade Ferronickel Concentrates Prepared from Laterite Nickel Ore by a Carbothermal Reduction and Magnetic Separation Method.

Nickel is widely used in industrial processes and plays a crucial role in many applications. However, most of the nickel resource mainly exists as nickel oxide in laterite nickel ore with complex composition, resulting in difficulty in upgrading the nickel content using physical separation methods. In this study, high-grade ferronickel concentrates were obtained through a carbothermal reduction and magnetic separation using laterite nickel ore and anthracite as raw materials. The effects of different types of additives (CaF2, Na2SO4, and H3BO3), carbon ratio (the molar ratio of oxygen atoms in the laterite nickel ore to carbon atoms in anthracite), and grinding time on the recoveries and grades of ferronickel concentrates were experimentally investigated, along with the microstructure and chemical composition of the products. CaF2 was proved to be the primary active additive in the aggregation and growth of the ferronickel particles and the improvement of the grade of the product. Under the optimal conditions of CaF2 addition of 9.85 wt%, carbon ratio of 1.4, and grinding time of 240 s, high-grade magnetically separable ferronickel concentrate with nickel grade 8.93 wt% and iron grade 63.96 wt% was successfully prepared. This work presents a practical method for the highly efficient recovery and utilization of iron and nickel from low-grade laterite nickel ore, contributing to the development of strategies for the sustainable extraction and utilization of nickel resources.

A novel insight into the microwave induced catalytic reduction mechanism in aqueous Cr(VI) removal over ZnFe2O4 catalyst.

Aqueous Cr(VI) pollution is an emerging environmental issue. Herein, a sphere-like ZnFe2O4 catalyst with a size of ∼430 nm was prepared by a solvothermal method, by which the aqueous Cr(VI) in a 50 mL solution with concentration of 50 mg/L was completely removed after 10 min-microwave (MW) irradiation. "Surface temperature visualization" tests and COMSOL simulations showed that the surface temperature of the as-prepared ZnFe2O4 catalysts could be as high as > 1000 °C only after 300 s MW irradiation, and the work function calculations and scavenging experiments demonstrated that the excited electrons derived by the "hot spots" effect of the ZnFe2O4 catalysts reduced the Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Kinetic reaction process of the reduction of *Cr2O72- to *CrO3H3 over the ZnFe2O4 catalysts was clarified by using DFT calculation, and the results indicated that *Cr2O72- adsorbed on the Fe atoms was more easily to be reduced, and that Fe atoms played more significant roles than the Zn and O atoms in ZnFe2O4 catalysts. The present study not only proves that the MW induced ZnFe2O4 catalytic reduction was promising for ultrafast remediation of toxic Cr(VI), but also provides a new insight into the corresponding mechanism.

An ultrafast and self-powered MoSxSe2-x/Si photodetector with high light-trapping structures and a SiOx interface layer.

MoSxSe2-x nanofilms, as a typical metal dichalcogenide, have attracted great interest, due to their adjustable bandgap and distinctive electronic and optical properties. However, the inherent bandgap of MoSxSe2-x and the strong interface recombination impede the actualization of a high-sensitivity photodetector (PD). Few-layer MoSxSe2-x nanofilms were prepared with vertically orientation at 450 °C, which would be a less restrictive choice of substrates. Herein, a self-powered MoSxSe2-x/SiOx/Si photodetector was fabricated which exhibits unprecedented performance with excellent reproducibility and stability from 405 nm to 980 nm, a high responsivity (0.450 A W-1), normalized detectivity (4.968 × 1012 Jones) and ultrafast photoresponse (τr = 1.20 µs, τf = 4.92 µs) at zero bias under 980 nm incident laser illumination with a density of 200 µW cm-2. Significantly, the self-powered PD is capable of detecting ultraweak IR signals below 200 µW cm-2 with high on-off ratios. More importantly, an oxidized atomic layer is generated through the wet oxidation in the Piranha solution. The PD can work well at high frequencies even at 100 kHz, which shows its potential application in high-frequency photoelectric devices and health monitors. Summing up, this work not only suggests that an ultrathin SiOx interface layer can reduce carrier recombination via simple interface engineering, but also proposes a novel strategy for the preparation of high-performance and low-cost optoelectronic devices.

Siliceous Origin of the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation Shale in the Middle Part of the Upper Yangtze Platform: Significance of Organic Matter Enrichment.

The early Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation shale is rich in organic matter and is a high-quality marine Source rock. However, the origin of Qiongzhusi Formation siliceous rocks is unknown, and the role of siliceous rocks in the process of organic matter enrichment or preservation is also lacking. This study combines thin section, scanning electron microscopy, SEM/EDS, major and trace element analysis, and N2 adsorption experiments to analyze and evaluate the shale of the Qiongzhusi Formation in the central region of the Sichuan Basin. The quartz types in the shale of the Qiongzhusi Formation are divided into four types, namely, bioclastic siliceous rocks, terrestrial detrital quartz, siliceous microcrystalline quartz particles, and microcrystalline quartz aggregates; at the same time, according to petrographic and geochemical parameters, the content of authigenic quartz in Qiongzhusi Formation shale decreases from top to bottom, and terrigenous detrital quartz tends to increase, and biogenic silicon accounts for the majority of authigenic quartz components; autogenous quartz has a positive impact on the pore structure of shale, providing sufficient pore space for the development of organic pores and protecting the internal pore network by forming intergranular pores as rigid frameworks. At the same time, it plays a crucial role in the enrichment and preservation of organic matter.

Syphilis mimetic nanoparticles for cuproptosis-based synergistic cancer therapy via reprogramming copper metabolism.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most devastating type of human lung cancer and has a high propensity to metastasize into the brain. Cuproptosis recently has been defined as a copper dependent cell death, offers a new lens to develop the novel copper-based nanostructure inducing cuproptosis for suppressing tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we report a syphilis mimetic TP0751-peptide decorated stem cell membrane-coated copper-based metal organic framework (Cu-MOF) nanodelivery system for SCLC brain metastasis. The Cu-MOF is employed as nanocarrier to support siRNA with high loading efficiency, and its pH sensitivity facilitates endosomal disruption upon cellular uptake. Furthermore, the cell membrane coating Cu-MOF presents a good biocompatibility, high BBB transcytosis, and specific uptake by tumor cells within the brain. In vitro and in vivo trials have shown that TP-M-Cu-MOF/siATP7a exhibited high silencing efficiency against target gene, specifically blocked copper trafficking, increased copper intake, triggered cuproptosis, and improved therapeutic efficacy in SCLC brain metastasis tumor-bearing mice. Overall, the biomimetic nanodelivery platform presented here further offers a promising way of orchestrating gene therapy to target copper-dependent signalling for reprogramming copper metabolism and cuproptosis-based synergistic therapy in mice bearing brain metastases.

Frankincense essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins induces human pancreatic cancer cell death in cultures and in a xenograft murine model.

BACKGROUND: Regardless of the availability of therapeutic options, the overall 5-year survival for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer remains less than 5%. Gum resins from Boswellia species, also known as frankincense, have been used as a major ingredient in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat a variety of health-related conditions. Both frankincense chemical extracts and essential oil prepared from Boswellia species gum resins exhibit anti-neoplastic activity, and have been investigated as potential anti-cancer agents. The goals of this study are to identify optimal condition for preparing frankincense essential oil that possesses potent anti-tumor activity, and to evaluate the activity in both cultured human pancreatic cancer cells and a xenograft mouse cancer model. METHODS: Boswellia sacra gum resins were hydrodistilled at 78°C; and essential oil distillate fractions were collected at different durations (Fraction I at 0-2 h, Fraction II at 8-10 h, and Fraction III at 11-12 h). Hydrodistillation of the second half of gum resins was performed at 100°C; and distillate was collected at 11-12 h (Fraction IV). Chemical compositions were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS); and total boswellic acids contents were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Frankincense essential oil-modulated pancreatic tumor cell viability and cytotoxicity were determined by colorimetric assays. Levels of apoptotic markers, signaling molecules, and cell cycle regulators expression were characterized by Western blot analysis. A heterotopic (subcutaneous) human pancreatic cancer xenograft nude mouse model was used to evaluate anti-tumor capability of Fraction IV frankincense essential oil in vivo. Frankincense essential oil-induced tumor cytostatic and cytotoxic activities in animals were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Longer duration and higher temperature hydrodistillation produced more abundant high molecular weight compounds, including boswellic acids, in frankincense essential oil fraactions. Human pancreatic cancer cells were sensitive to Fractions III and IV (containing higher molecular weight compounds) treatment with suppressed cell viability and increased cell death. Essential oil activated the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway, induced a rapid and transient activation of Akt and Erk1/2, and suppressed levels of cyclin D1 cdk4 expression in cultured pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, Boswellia sacra essential oil Fraction IV exhibited anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities against pancreatic tumors in the heterotopic xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSION: All fractions of frankincense essential oil from Boswellia sacra are capable of suppressing viability and inducing apoptosis of a panel of human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Potency of essential oil-suppressed tumor cell viability may be associated with the greater abundance of high molecular weight compounds in Fractions III and IV. Although chemical component(s) responsible for tumor cell cytotoxicity remains undefined, crude essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins might be a useful alternative therapeutic agent for treating patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis.

An investigation of the influence of skin colour on the perception of femininity, masculinity and likeable.

Facial skin colour, a key factor related to impressions, is widely used by CG character designers to build characters with different storylines. The previous research provided essential suggestions for creating an attractive facial image. However, the suggestions of the prior research are insufficient for building the characters to resonate with the current public, especially young people. The present study investigates the influence of skin colour (whiteness and hue angle) on the femininity, masculinity and likableness perception of Chinese female and male images. A psychophysical experiment was carried out to investigate these relationships. The categorical judgement results reveal that whiteness significantly impacted the feminine-masculine perception of the Chinese male image and the likableness perception of the Chinese female and male image. This connection between the whiteness and likability of the male facial image could be related to the beauty trends in the last decade. The hue angle only significantly influenced the likability perception of the Chinese female image. This result is agreed with past research in the same area.