Acceleration of pro-caspase-3 maturation and cell migration inhibition in human breast cancer cells by phytoconstituents of Rheum emodi rhizome extracts

The aggressive nature of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer subtype obligates for innovative targeted therapies. The present study aimed to investigate the phytoconstituents and specific anticancer activities of Rheum emodi rhizome, a known food source used locally to treat various ailments. Petroleum ether extracts (hot [PHR] and cold [PCR]) of R. emodi, exhibited significant free radical scavenging potentials through DPPH and reducing power assays, rendering them as good sources of antioxidants. The extracts, PHR and PCR had shown significant (P < 0.05) cancer-cell-specific cytotoxicity in the assayed cells (MDA-MB-231 [breast carcinoma] and WRL-68 [non-tumoral]) at 100 μg/ml, and 50 and 100 μg/ml concentrations respectively. Extracts also induced fervent apoptosis in ER-negative cells (MDA-MB-231) compared to ER-positive subtype (MCF-7), and found to involve CPP32/caspase-3 in its apoptosis induction mechanism. Moreover, extracts had an inevitable potential to inhibit the migration of metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231)in vitro. Further, the active principles of extracts were identified through HPLC and GC-MS analysis to reveal major polyphenolics, 4,7-Dimethyl-(octahydro)indolo[4,3-fg]quinolin-10-one, 5-Oxo-isolongifolene, Valencene-2, and other quinone, quinoline and anthraquinone derivatives. The extracts are thus good candidates to target malignant ER-negative breast cancer, and the identified phytoconstituents could be eluted in further exploratory studies for use in dietary-based anti-breast cancer therapies

Reinforcement Learning Considered Harmful

IPv4 [1] must work. After years of extensive re- search into thin clients, we disconfirm the investigation of object-oriented languages, demonstrates the significant importance of software engineering. Quar, our new heuristic for the de- ployment of RAID, is the solution to all of these issues

Electron-Beam Driven Relaxation Oscillations in Ferroelectric Nanodisks

Using a combination of computational simulations, atomic-scale resolution imaging and phenomenological modelling, we examine the underlying mechanism for nanodomain restructuring in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanodisks driven by electron beams. The observed subhertz nanodomain dynamics are identified with relaxation oscillations where the charging/discharging cycle time is determined by saturation of charge traps and nanodomain wall creep. These results are unusual in that they indicate very slow athermal dynamics in nanoscale systems.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Effect of biovita granules and liquid on growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

A study was conducted on effect of biovita granules and liquid on growth and yield of cotton during Kharif 2014 and 2015 in deep black soil at ARS, Dhadesugr, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka. Pooled data revealed that, cotton yield and green biomass yield were significantly (p=0.05) higher in the treatment with the application of biovita granule at 12.5 kg per hectare at one month after sowing followed by first spray of biovita liquid at 500 ml per hectare at square formation followed by second spray of biovita liquid at 750 ml per hectare at flowering and followed by third spray of biovita liquid at 750 ml per hectare at boll formation (1450 kg/ha and 1463 g/plant, respectively) and which was on par with the application of biovita granule at 10.0 kg per hectare at one month after sowing followed by first spray of biovita liquid at 500 ml per hectare at square formation followed by second spray of biovita liquid at 750 ml per hectare at flowering and followed by third spray of biovita liquid at 750 ml per hectare at boll formation (1377 kg/ha and 1439 g/plant, respectively). Whereas, application of only recommend-ed dose of fertilizer recorded significantly less cotton and green biomass yield compared to other treatments. The average per cent of increase in yield in biovita applied treatments (T1 to T8) over the no application of biovita treat-ment (T9) was 7.13 %

Diversity in the Tail of the Intersecting Brane Landscape

Techniques are developed for exploring the complete space of intersecting brane models on an orientifold. The classification of all solutions for the widely-studied T^6/Z_2 x Z_2 orientifold is made possible by computing all combinations of branes with negative tadpole contributions. This provides the necessary information to systematically and efficiently identify all models in this class with specific characteristics. In particular, all ways in which a desired group G can be realized by a system of intersecting branes can be enumerated in polynomial time. We identify all distinct brane realizations of the gauge groups SU(3) x SU(2) and SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1) which can be embedded in any model which is compatible with the tadpole and SUSY constraints. We compute the distribution of the number of generations of "quarks" and find that 3 is neither suppressed nor particularly enhanced compared to other odd generation numbers. The overall distribution of models is found to have a long tail. Despite disproportionate suppression of models in the tail by K-theory constraints, the tail in the distribution contains much of the diversity of low-energy physics structure.Comment: 48 pages, 8 figure

Aqueous Multiphase Systems of Polymers and Surfactants Provide Self-Assembling Step-Gradients in Density

This Communication demonstrates the generation of over 300 phase-separated systems—ranging from two to six phases—from mixtures of aqueous solutions of polymers and surfactants. These aqueous multiphase systems (MuPSs) form self-assembling, thermodynamically stable step-gradients in density using a common solvent, water. The steps in density between phases of a MuPS can be very small (Δρ ≈ 0.001 g/cm3), do not change over time, and can be tuned by the addition of co-solutes. We use two sets of similar objects, glass beads and pellets of different formulations of Nylon, to demonstrate the ability of MuPSs to separate mixtures of objects by differences in density. The stable interfaces between phases facilitate the convenient collection of species after separation. These results suggest that the stable, sharp step-gradients in density provided by MuPSs can enable new classes of fractionations and separations based on density.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyEngineering and Applied Science

Switching ferroelectric domain configurations using both electric and magnetic fields in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3–Pb(Fe,Ta)O3 single-crystal lamellae

Thin single-crystal lamellae cut from Pb(Zr,Ti)O(3)–Pb(Fe,Ta)O(3) ceramic samples have been integrated into simple coplanar capacitor devices. The influence of applied electric and magnetic fields on ferroelectric domain configurations has been mapped, using piezoresponse force microscopy. The extent to which magnetic fields alter the ferroelectric domains was found to be strongly history dependent: after switching had been induced by applying electric fields, the susceptibility of the domains to change under a magnetic field (the effective magnetoelectric coupling parameter) was large. Such large, magnetic field-induced changes resulted in a remanent domain state very similar to the remanent state induced by an electric field. Subsequent magnetic field reversal induced more modest ferroelectric switching

Traits for Screening and Selection of Cowpea Genotypes for Drought Tolerance at Early Stages of Breeding

The association of leaf water content with yield-attributes such as pod setting and number of pods/plant and seed yield in cowpea was examined using midday drop of leaf relative water content (RWC) determined from morning (800 h) and midday (1330 h) measurements of RWC. Midday drop of RWC was significantly correlated to pod setting ratio (R2 = 0.80, P 0.01), number of pods/plant (R2 = 0.87, P 0.01) and seed yield (R2 = 0.37, P 0.05). There was a significant genotypic variation for leaf water potential (LWP) at 800 and 1330 h and for RWC at 1330 h. Significant genotypic differences were also observed in pod setting ratio, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, 1000-seed weight, biomass and seed yield. Pod setting ratio was significantly and positively correlated with number of pods/plant (R2 = 0.80, P 0.01) and seed yield (R2 = 0.38, P 0.05). These results showed that the genotypes with a smaller reduction in midday drop of RWC produced a larger number of pods/plant and consequently had higher seed yield as compared with a larger midday drop of RWC. The results also showed that there was a large genotypic variation in the midday drop of RWC, which was correlated with yield-attributes and seed yield. It may therefore be possible to use midday drop of RWC as a screening and selection trait for drought tolerance of cowpea genotypes

Magnetic control of large room-temperature polarization

Numerous authors have referred to room-temperature magnetic switching of large electric polarizations as The Holy Grail of magnetoelectricity.We report this long-sought effect using a new physical process of coupling between magnetic and ferroelectric relaxor nano-regions. Here we report magnetic switching between the normal ferroelectric state and the ferroelectric relaxor state. This gives both a new room-temperature, single-phase, multiferroic magnetoelectric, PbZr0.46Ti0.34Fe0.13W0.07O3, with polarization, loss (<4%), and resistivity (typically 108 -109 ohm.cm) equal to or superior to BiFeO3, and also a new and very large magnetoelectric effect: switching not from +Pr to negative Pr with applied H, but from Pr to zero with applied H of less than a Tesla. This switching of the polarization occurs not because of a conventional magnetically induced phase transition, but because of dynamic effects: Increasing H lengthens the relaxation time by x500 from 100 ?s, and it couples strongly the polarization relaxation and spin relaxations. The diverging polarization relaxation time accurately fits a modified Vogel-Fulcher Equation in which the freezing temperature Tf is replaced by a critical freezing field Hf that is 0.92 positive/negative 0.07 Tesla. This field dependence and the critical field Hc are derived analytically from the spherical random bond random field (SRBRF) model with no adjustable parameters and an E2H2 coupling. This device permits 3-state logic (+Pr,0,negative Pr) and a condenser with >5000% magnetic field change in its capacitance.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure