Wild pink bayberry free phenolic extract induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through p38/MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathway in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells

Polyphenol-rich foods have been shown to be good for cancer prevention as powerful antioxidants. In this study, the mechanisms of wild pink bayberry free phenolic extract(WPBFE)inhibiting the proliferation and inducing apoptotic of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was examined. The main phenolic acids and flavonols in WPBFE were gallic acid((18.83 ± 0.44)μg/g FW)and myricetin((1.52 ± 0.05)μg/g FW), respectively. The maximum inhibition rate of WPBFE at non-cytotoxicity dose(below 80 mg/mL)was 81%. Western blotting analysis showed that WPBFE could cause the arrest of cell cycle in G0/G1 phase by down-regulating expression levels of PCNA, CDK4, cyclin D1 and up-regulating the expression level of p21. Meanwhile, WPBFE induced apoptosis through initiating the mitochondrial death pathway by up-regulating cleaved caspase-3 and enhancing the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, with the maximum expression levels of 1.29 and 2.03 folds that of control group, respectively. Further study of the upstream protein, we found that WPBFE down-regulated TRAF2, while upregulated p-ASK1, p-p38 and p-p53. Furthermore, WPBFE could down-regulate the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt. These observations indicated that WPBFE might play an anticancer role through regulating the p38 MAPK together with PI3K/Akt pathway.

Design of a Novel Semi-Automatic Coconut Tree Climbing Device

The aim of this study is to present a novel semi-automatic coconut tree climbing device and validate its strength based on actual working conditions. Firstly, the structural composition and operational principal of this device is introduced. After that, the finite element model of this device is established with CATIA. Finally, the strength analysis is executed by means of CATIA. In this study, the equivalent stress, principal stress, and displacement contours are obtained. The simulation results show that the maximum stress of this device is below 355 MPa, which is the value of the yield strength. Therefore, this device is capable of satisfying practical application requirements.

Fluid Dynamics Simulation of High Speed Jet under Distinct Initial Input Velocities

The aim of this study is to execute the fluid dynamics simulation of high speed jet under distinct input velocities (i.e., 114.1, 142.4, 165.6, 186.2 and 286.9 m/s). In particular, this study focuses on the impact velocity and velocity of two-phase flow (gas-liquid). Firstly, the three-dimensional geometric model of high speed jet is established on the basis of the actual operational conditions. Next, the unstructured grids of high speed jet are generated by means of ANSYS Fluent. Finally, the fluid dynamics simulation of high speed jet is implemented by using Fluent. The simulation results show that when the input velocity of the liquid increases, the impact velocity declines sharply, while according to the Bonuli law of conservation of energy, the impact effect on the device shows exponential growth with increasing input velocity. In addition, the relationship between the impact velocity and the input velocity and the relationship between the impact effect on the device and the input velocity are achieved, which could provide certain theoretical guidance for predicting the working pressure and velocity of high speed jet based on real input velocity.

Risk factors for recurrence of colorectal conventional adenoma and serrated polyp

Background Removal of colorectal polyps during screening could reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer(CRC).However,there is a lack of data on risk factors associated with recurrence of polyps,including conventional adenomas and serrated polyps(SPs).This study aimed to determine risk factors for recurrence of colorectal polyps and their subtypes based on the characteristics of the patients and polyps.Methods A total of 1,165 patients diagnosed with conventional adenoma or SP in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2013 and December 2019 were enrolled in this study,including 668 cases with conventional adenomas,385 with SPs,and 112 with coexistence of adenomas and SPs.Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify potential risk factors for polyp recurrence.A nomogram was established according to risk factors and the performance was evaluated using calibration plots.Results During a median follow-up of 24 months,recurrent polyps were observed in 531(45.6%)cases.Male,age≥50 years,body mass index(BMI)≥24 kg/m^(2),at least three polyps,smoking,alcohol consumption,family history of polyps,and family history of CRC were independent risk factors for polyp recurrence.The Harrell’s C-index of the nomogram developed with these parameters was 0.69 and the calibration plots showed good agreement between actual polyp recurrence and nomogram-predicted recurrence probability.In the subtype analyses,conventional adenomas had the same risk factors for recurrence as all polyps,while smoking,alcohol consumption,family history of polyps,and family history of CRC were not risk factors for SP recurrence.Conclusions We identified several risk factors for recurrence of colorectal polyps and found that some of them could increase the risk of adenoma recurrence but not SP recurrence,including smoking,alcohol consumption,and family history of polyps/CRC,which might help us to understand different etiology and biology between conventional adenomas and SPs.