Smartphone application-based rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases: a randomised controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Rehabilitation is well known to improve clinical symptoms and decrease the risk of mortality in patients with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. We will evaluate the efficacy of smartphone application-based rehabilitation programmes in patients with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This single-centre single-blind randomised controlled trial will recruit a total of 162 participants from Asan Medical Center (81 patients each for pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, respectively). Participants will be assigned to the pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation groups based on their underlying disease. Participants will be allocated randomly into the intervention or control groups at the ratio of 2:1 (54 and 27 patients). The intervention group will be provided with a smartphone application and undergo smartphone application-based rehabilitation for 12 weeks. The control group will receive the usual outpatient medical treatment without rehabilitation. Participants will be evaluated at baseline and at the end of the rehabilitation. The primary outcomes will be exercise capacity, such as maximal oxygen consumption on cardiopulmonary exercise test for both groups, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test for the pulmonary rehabilitation group, and Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items questionnaires for the cardiac rehabilitation group. The secondary outcomes will include quality of life questionnaires, symptom scores, pulmonary function test and limb muscle test. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Asan Medical Center. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to inclusion. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific journals and conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05610358.

Decode-MOT: How Can We Hurdle Frames to Go Beyond Tracking-by-Detection?

The speed of tracking-by-detection (TBD) greatly depends on the number of running a detector because the detection is the most expensive operation in TBD. In many practical cases, multi-object tracking (MOT) can be, however, achieved based tracking-by-motion (TBM) only. This is a possible solution without much loss of MOT accuracy when the variations of object cardinality and motions are not much within consecutive frames. Therefore, the MOT problem can be transformed to find the best TBD and TBM mechanism. To achieve it, we propose a novel decision coordinator for MOT (Decode-MOT) which can determine the best TBD/TBM mechanism according to scene and tracking contexts. In specific, our Decode-MOT learns tracking and scene contextual similarities between frames. Because the contextual similarities can vary significantly according to the used trackers and tracking scenes, we learn the Decode-MOT via self-supervision. The evaluation results on MOT challenge datasets prove that our method can boost the tracking speed greatly while keeping the state-of-the-art MOT accuracy. Our code will be available at https://github.com/reussite-cv/Decode-MOT.

Preventive Activity of Patchouli Alcohol Against Colorectal Cancer and Diabetes.

Patchouli alcohol (PA) is a tricyclic sesquiterpene and the dominant bioactive component in oil extracted from the aerial parts of Pogostemon cablin (patchouli). It has been reported to possess diverse health-beneficial activities, including anti-inflammatory, antiobese, and anticancer activities. However, preclinical studies are required to explore the possibility of developing PA as a promising functional and promising drug for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. In this study, we used animal models to examine whether PA shows benefits in inflammation-induced colorectal cancer and obesity-induced diabetes. ApcMin/+ mice for colorectal cancer model were treated PA 0, 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight three times a week for 6 weeks along with 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 1 week. High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice were treated with PA 0, 25, and 50 mg/kg bodyweight three times a week for 8 weeks. Oral administration of PA to ApcMin/+ mice treated with DSS significantly suppressed formation and development of tumors in both small and large intestines. In cell culture using Caco-2 human colorectal cancer cells, treatment of culture media with PA suppressed proliferation and induced G1-phase growth arrest. In a mouse model of HFD-induced obesity, glucose tolerance tests indicated the same orally administered dose of PA to significantly reduce blood glucose. In vitro assays in differentiated C2C12 myocytes further demonstrated PA to significantly enhance glucose uptake and increase phosphorylation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and protein kinase B. This study demonstrates that PA might possess health beneficial effects on colorectal cancer and obesity-induced diabetes.

Indole-3-Carbinol: Occurrence, Health-Beneficial Properties, and Cellular/Molecular Mechanisms.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a bioactive phytochemical abundant in cruciferous vegetables. One of its main in vivo metabolites is 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), formed by the condensation of two molecules of I3C. Both I3C and DIM alter multiple signaling pathways and related molecules controlling diverse cellular events, including oxidation, inflammation, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and immunity. There is a growing body of evidence from both in vitro and in vivo models that these compounds possess strong potential to prevent several forms of chronic disease such as inflammation, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, neurodegenerative diseases, and osteoporosis. This article reviews current knowledge of the occurrence of I3C in nature and foods, along with the beneficial effects of I3C and DIM concerning prevention and treatment of human chronic diseases, focusing on preclinical studies and their mechanisms of action at cellular and molecular levels.

Improvement of Robusta coffee aroma with l-leucine powder.

BACKGROUND: l-Leucine powder (LP) was added to green Robusta coffee beans in order to reduce the difference in flavour between Robusta and Arabica coffee. l-Leucine was selected as an additive based on the Maillard reaction. The pre-treatment method conducted in this study was a short soaking (M1) or spraying procedure (M2), then LP was added at varying levels up to 3% (w/w, 30 g kg-1 ). All samples were roasted (240 °C for 15 min) and extracted using an espresso machine. Volatile compounds were analysed by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass selective detection. RESULTS: Thirty volatile compounds (six pyrroles, eight pyrazines, three phenols, nine furans, two ketones, two aldehydes) were analysed. In 15 coffee samples, the levels of total volatile compounds (based on peak area ratios) ranged from 8.9 (M1-1) to 15. Non-treated Robusta had higher levels of bitter aroma compounds than Arabica coffee, and Robusta coffee had lower levels of bitter aroma compounds when pre-treated with LP. The sum of bitter volatiles (phenols, pyrroles, pyrazines) was lowest in M1-5 (3% LP), M2-1 (1% LP; both dried at 50 °C for 15 min) and M2-7 (3% LP, dried at 70 °C for 15 min) compared with non-treated Robusta (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: From the results of this study it can be shown that pre-treatment with LP can improve the flavour of Robusta. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthetic colourants in capsule dietary supplements on the Korean market.

This study developed a rapid and easy analytical method for the simultaneous determination of nine synthetic colourants (SCs) in capsule dietary supplements. Sample pretreatment involved thermal treatment to dissolve gelatin, using the enzymes protease and amylase to prevent the gelation of gelatin and fat-soluble substances removal using petroleum ether. The method was linear (r2 ≥0.999), with LOD of 0.009-0.029 µg/mL and LOQ of 0.42-1.40 µg/g. Recovery ranged from 90.9 to 108.9%. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty ranged from 4.1 to 6.3%. Allura Red AC (R40) and Brilliant Blue FCF (B1) were commonly detected in 20 of the 28 samples. Up to six SCs such as Tartrazine (Y4), Sunset yellow (Y5), Amaranth (R2), Erythrosine B (R3), R40 and B1 were detected in a single sample, ranging from 30.5 to 40.2 µg/g. Total content of SCs in various capsule supplements ranged from 0.3 to 73.7 µg/g.

Dynamic Shear Texture Evolution during the Symmetric and Differential Speed Rolling of Al-Si-Mg Alloys Fabricated by Twin Roll Casting.

The effects of a reduction in area (RA) and the speed ratio between the top and bottom rolls on a shear strain and the crystallographic texture evolution of Al-Si-Mg (1.0%Si-0.6%Mg) aluminum alloys fabricated by twin roll casting (TRC) were comprehensively examined experimentally and through numerical predictions. Initial twin-roll casted strips had a texture gradient from the surface to the center. ⟨111⟩//ND textures were found in the surface layer, and weak rolling textures existed in the center of the strip. The distributions of shear and plane strain compression (PSC) textures varied with the RA and differential speed ratio. Strong shear textures including a rotated cube, {100}⟨011⟩, were obtained from both the symmetric and differential speed rolling processes. Symmetric rolling with a different reduction in area (SRDRA) produced shear textures mainly in the surface layer. Differential speed rolling (DSR) caused dynamic shear textures along the thickness direction, not limited to the surface. Based on the finite element method and crystal plasticity, the effects of different RA values, differential speed ratios, and friction coefficients on shear strain and texture evolution are discussed in detail. Loads measured from work rolls during DSR decreased with an increase in the speed ratio.

Effective Multi-Object Tracking via Global Object Models and Object Constraint Learning.

Effective multi-object tracking is still challenging due to the trade-off between tracking accuracy and speed. Because the recent multi-object tracking (MOT) methods leverage object appearance and motion models so as to associate detections between consecutive frames, the key for effective multi-object tracking is to reduce the computational complexity of learning both models. To this end, this work proposes global appearance and motion models to discriminate multiple objects instead of learning local object-specific models. In concrete detail, it learns a global appearance model using contrastive learning between object appearances. In addition, we learn a global relation motion model using relative motion learning between objects. Moreover, this paper proposes object constraint learning for improving tracking efficiency. This study considers the discriminability of the models as a constraint, and learns both models when inconsistency with the constraint occurs. Therefore, object constraint learning differs from the conventional online learning for multi-object tracking which updates learnable parameters per frame. This work incorporates global models and object constraint learning into the confidence-based association method, and compare our tracker with the state-of-the-art methods on public available MOT Challenge datasets. As a result, we achieve 64.5% MOTA (multi-object tracking accuracy) and 6.54 Hz tracking speed on the MOT16 test dataset. The comparison results show that our methods can contribute to improve tracking accuracy and tracking speed together.

Pendimethalin induces apoptotic cell death through activating ER stress-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Pendimethalin is globally registered for control of a wide range of weeds in agriculture and home landscaping. Human exposure to pendimethalin can occur by the oral route through food and other sources. Endothelial function is vital to numerous biological processes, and endothelial dysfunction and poor vascular health is associated with increased atherosclerotic events; however, no study has yet investigated the potential effect of pendimethalin on endothelial function and vasculature formation. The objective of the current study is to investigate if pendimethalin may affect the viability and function of vascular endothelial cells. We observed that pendimethalin significantly repressed viability of human endothelial cells, inducing G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptotic/necrotic cell death. Pendimethalin treatment also activated ER stress and autophagy, leading to loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, pendimethalin impaired the tube forming and migratory abilities of endothelial cells. This study provides previously unrecognized adverse effects of pendimethalin in vascular endothelial cells, mediated by ER stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

Soluble Free, Soluble Conjugated, and Insoluble Bound Phenolics in Tomato Seeds and Their Radical Scavenging and Antiproliferative Activities.

The soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic compounds in tomato seeds were extracted and analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activities along with the antiproliferative effects against the human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT-116) were also examined for the soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic fractions. 13, 7, and 10 compounds were tentatively identified in the soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic fractions, respectively, including indole-3-acetic acid derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acid, and tyramine-derived hydroxycinnamic acid amines. The insoluble bound phenolic fraction was observed to have a greater TPC value and stronger free radical scavenging activities against ABTS•+, DPPH•, and peroxyl radicals and a stronger inhibitory effect against HCT-116 cells compared with the soluble free and the soluble conjugated fractions. Soluble free and insoluble bound fractions significantly inhibited the proliferation of the HCT-116 cell line, and no antiproliferative effects were observed with the soluble conjugated fraction under the experimental conditions. The results may provide a foundation for future application of tomato seeds as nutraceuticals in dietary supplements and functional foods.

Cannabidiol exerts anti-proliferative activity via a cannabinoid receptor 2-dependent mechanism in human colorectal cancer cells.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality in the United States. Cannabidiol (CBD), the second most abundant phytocannabinoid in Cannabis sativa, has potential use in cancer treatment on the basis of many studies showing its anti-cancer activity in diverse types of cancer, including colon cancer. However, its mechanism of action is not yet fully understood. In the current study, we observed CBD to repress viability of different human colorectal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. CBD treatment led to G1-phase cell cycle arrest and an increased sub-G1 population (apoptotic cells); it also downregulated protein expression of cyclin D1, cyclin D3, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4, and CDK6. CBD further increased caspase 3/7 activity and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and elevated expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins including binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and ATF4. We found that CBD repressed cell viability and induced apoptotic cell death through a mechanism dependent on cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), but not on CB1, transient receptor potential vanilloid, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. Anti-proliferative activity was also observed for other non-psychoactive cannabinoid derivatives including cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabigerovarin (CBGV). Our data indicate that CBD and its derivatives could be promising agents for the prevention of human colorectal cancer.

Anti-Adipogenic Activity of High-Phenolic Sorghum Brans in Pre-Adipocytes.

Obesity is one of the leading public health problems that can result in life-threatening metabolic and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and certain genotypes of sorghum have high polyphenol content. PI570481, SC84, and commercially available sumac sorghum are high-polyphenol genotypes that have demonstrated strong anti-cancer activities in previous studies. The objective of this study was to explore a potential anti-obesity use of extracts from sorghum bran in the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and to investigate cellular and molecular responses in differentiated adipocytes to elucidate related mechanisms. None of the four different sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, Sumac, and white sorghum as a low-polyphenol control) caused cytotoxicity in undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells at doses used in this study. Sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, and Sumac) reduced intracellular lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic and lipogenic proteins in a dose-dependent manner in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The same polyphenol containing sorghum bran extracts also repressed production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MAPK signaling pathways and repressed insulin signaling and glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. These data propose a potential use of high-phenolic sorghum bran for the prevention of obesity.

Protocatechuic acid protects hepatocytes against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a main cause of tissue damage and highly associated with incidence of human chronic diseases. Among the major target organs attacked by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the liver. Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a phenolic compound found in green tea, acai oil and some mushroom species that possesses strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity and may have benefits as a natural phytochemical for prevention of human diseases. However, the protective effect of PCA on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress specifically in the liver has not yet been investigated. The current study aims to observe if PCA possesses protective activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 human liver cancer cells. Relative to untreated control cells, treatment of HepG2 cells with PCA reduced H2O2-induced cell death and mitigated H2O2-induced production of ROS; furthermore, it mitigated the H2O2-induced increase of caspase-3/7 enzyme activity, expression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress genes including activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), serine/threonine-protein kinase/endoribonuclease inositol-requiring enzyme 1 α (IRE1α) and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). These findings indicate that PCA effectively protects hepatic cells from H2O2-induced oxidative stress and cell death.

Permethrin inhibits tube formation and viability of endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental chemicals has been linked with endothelial dysfunction, which is a leading cause of human diseases, including atherosclerosis. Permethrin is a frequently used synthetic pyrethroid insecticide for which longer exposure may cause toxicity in several types of tissues and the development of metabolic diseases, including atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential adverse effect of permethrin on the function and activity of human endothelial cells. RESULTS: Permethrin was found to repress migration and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner, as well as to significantly repress their viability after 24 and 48 h of treatment. Furthermore, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was observed in cells treated with permethrin, and the permethrin-induced repression of cell viability was ROS-dependent. Permethrin did not influence apoptosis, necrosis or mitochondrial membrane potential in HUVECs. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that permethrin represses angiogenesis and viability through ROS-dependent and cell growth-, apoptosis- and necrosis-independent means. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Freezing Tolerance Enhancement and Thermographic Observation of Whole Peach Trees Applied with Cellulose Nanocrystals under Realistic Spring Frost Conditions Using a Soil-Fruit-Daylit-System.

Due to recent abnormal weather caused by global warming, peach flowering has gradually accelerated, and spring frost damage caused by premature de-acclimation has increased. In this study, under a simulated spring frost environment using a Soil-Fruit-Daylit-System (SFDS) chamber, we investigated whether treatment with 2% cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) could enhance the freezing tolerance of the flower buds from 2-year-old whole peach trees. Visual changes in the ice propagation were observed using an infrared camera at the same time. After the peach flower buds in the calyx red stage were placed in the SFDS chamber with a minimum temperature of -4 °C for ~20 h, the percentage of browning in the pistils and stamens was 57.0% in the control group and 14.1% in the group treated with 2% CNCs. During the first pink stage, the percentages of browning in the pistils and stamens in the control group and the group treated with 2% CNCs were 98.2% and 70.3%, respectively. However, when peach flower buds in the group treated with 2% CNCs were exposed to a -6 °C-targeted chamber, they could not mitigate frost injury. Almost all flower buds were damaged. Infrared thermal images showed that the first exotherm in the control group began at 2:33:03 am, whereas that of the group treated with 2% CNCs began at 3:01:33 am. The control started to express exothermic behavior at -4.2 °C, while the group treated with 2% CNCs started expressing exothermic behavior at -5.1 °C. Thus, treatment with 2% CNCs enhanced the freezing tolerance by -0.9 °C and delayed the first instance of exothermic behavior by ~28 min. These results indicate that treatment with 2% CNCs could mitigate the frost damage of peach flower buds in a frost environment of -5 °C.

RNA-Seq Reveals Different Gene Expression in Liver-Specific Prohibitin 1 Knock-Out Mice.

Prohibitin 1 (PHB1) is an evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed protein that stabilizes mitochondrial chaperone. Our previous studies showed that liver-specific Phb1 deficiency induced liver injuries and aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced innate immune responses. In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis with liver tissues to investigate global gene expression among liver-specific Phb1-/-, Phb1+/-, and WT mice, focusing on the differentially expressed (DE) genes between Phb1+/- and WT. When 78 DE genes were analyzed for biological functions, using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) tool, lipid metabolism-related genes, including insulin receptor (Insr), sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1), Srebf2, and SREBP cleavage-activating protein (Scap) appeared to be downregulated in liver-specific Phb1+/- compared with WT. Diseases and biofunctions analyses conducted by IPA verified that hepatic system diseases, including liver fibrosis, liver hyperplasia/hyperproliferation, and liver necrosis/cell death, which may be caused by hepatotoxicity, were highly associated with liver-specific Phb1 deficiency in mice. Interestingly, of liver disease-related 5 DE genes between Phb1+/- and WT, the mRNA expressions of forkhead box M1 (Foxm1) and TIMP inhibitor of metalloproteinase (Timp1) were matched with validation for RNA-seq in liver tissues and AML12 cells transfected with Phb1 siRNA. The results in this study provide additional insights into molecular mechanisms responsible for increasing susceptibility of liver injuries associated with hepatic Phb1.

Polyphenol Containing Sorghum Brans Exhibit an Anti-Cancer Effect in Apc Min/+ Mice Treated with Dextran Sodium Sulfate.

Colon cancer (CC) is considered a high-risk cancer in developed countries. Its etiology is correlated with a high consumption of red meat and low consumption of plant-based foods, including whole grains. Sorghum bran is rich in polyphenols. This study aimed to determine whether different high-phenolic sorghum brans suppress tumor formation in a genetic CC rodent model and elucidate mechanisms. Tissue culture experiments used colorectal cancer cell lines SW480, HCT-116 and Caco-2 and measured protein expression, and protein activity. The animal model used in this study was APC Min+/mouse model combined with dextram sodium sulfate. High phenolic sorghum bran extract treatment resulted in the inhibition of proliferation and induced apoptosis in CC cell lines. Treatment with high phenolic sorghum bran extracts repressed TNF-α-stimulated NF-κB transactivation and IGF-1-stimulated PI3K/AKT pathway via the downregulation of ß-catenin transactivation. Furthermore, high-phenolic sorghum bran extracts activated AMPK and autophagy. Feeding with high-phenolic sorghum bran for 6 weeks significantly suppressed tumor formation in an APC Min/+ dextran sodium sulfate promoted CC mouse model. Our data demonstrates the potential application of high-phenolic sorghum bran as a functional food for the prevention of CC.

Adverse effect of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on tube formation and viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Environmental contamination by microplastics (MPs) is an emerging concern in recent years due to associated adverse impacts of MPs on potential human health problems. Endothelial dysfunction is a condition in which the endothelial layer fails to form normally, and is associated with impaired vascular function. Despite the fact that MPs are known to enter the circulation system through intestinal epithelium, little has been known whether MPs impact the normal function of endothelial cells and the formation of vasculature. In the current study, we investigated the effect of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on tube formation and cytotoxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Our study showed that the treatment of HUVECs with PS-MPs significantly decreased cell viability, with intracellular accumulation occurring in a dose- and size-dependent manner. Moreover, significant dose-dependent inhibition of angiogenic tube formation was observed in HUVECs treated with 0.5 µm PS-MPs; this effect was accompanied by suppression of angiogenic signaling pathways and inhibitory activity against wound healing and cell migration. Regarding the mechanism of decreased viability, we observed increased autophagic and necrotic cell death. These results indicate that 6-h exposure of endothelial cells to PS-MPs represses tube-forming capacity, while 48-h exposure leads to autophagy and necrosis-mediated cytotoxicity.

DIM-C-pPhtBu induces lysosomal dysfunction and unfolded protein response - mediated cell death via excessive mitophagy.

Despite technological advances in cancer treatment, the survival rate of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) has not improved significantly. Many studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related signals are associated with mitochondrial damage and that these signals determine whether cells maintain homeostasis or activate cell death programs. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is regulated by ER membrane proteins such as double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase R(PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK), which directly activate transcription of chaperones or genes that function in redox homeostasis, protein secretion, or cell death programs. In this study, we focused on the role of mitophagy and ER stress-mediated cell death induced by DIM-C-pPhtBu in HNC cancer. We found that DIM-C-pPhtBu, a compound that activates ER stress in many cancers, induced lysosomal dysfunction, excessive mitophagy, and cell death in HNC cells. Moreover, DIM-C-pPhtBu strongly inhibited HNC progression in a xenograft model by altering mitophagy related protein expression. Taken together, the results demonstrate that DIM-C-pPhtBu induces excessive mitophagy and eventually UPR-mediated cell death in HNC cells, suggesting that new anti-cancer drugs could be developed based on the connection between mitophagy and cancer cell death.

Microstructure, Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of the As-Extruded Al-xMM (Mischmetal) Based Alloys.

The effect of addition of Mischmetal (MM) on the microstructure, electrical and thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties of the as-extruded Al-MM based alloys were investigated. The studied AlxMM alloys (where x = 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 5.0 wt.%) were cast and homogenized at 550 °C for 4 h. The cast billets were extruded into 12 mm bars with an extrusion ratio of 39 at 550 °C. The addition of MM resulted in the formation of Al11(Ce, La)3 intermetallic compounds and the area fraction of these intermetallic compounds increased with an increase in the MM content. The Al11(Ce, La)3 phase, which was distributed in the as-cast alloys, was crushed into fine particles and arrayed along the extruded direction during the extrusion process. In particular, these intermetallic compounds in the extruded Al-5.0MM alloy were distributed with a wide-band structure due to the fragmentation of the eutectic phase with a lamellar structure. As the MM content increased from 1.0 wt.% to 5.0 wt.%, the average grain size decreased remarkably from 740 to 73 µm. This was due to formation of Al11(Ce, La)3 particles during the hot extrusion process, which promoted dynamic recrystallization and suppression of grain growth. The electrical and thermal conductivity of the extruded alloys containing up to 2.0 wt.% MM were around 60.5% IACS and 230 W/m · K, respectively. However, the electrical and thermal conductivity of the extruded alloy with 5.0 wt.% MM decreased to 55.4% IACS and 206 W/m · K, respectively. As the MM content increased from 1.0 wt.% to 5.0 wt.%, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was improved remarkably from 74 to 119 MPa which was attributed to the grain refinement and formation of Al11(Ce, La)3 intermetallic compounds by the addition of MM.