Antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing potential of 3β-hydroxy-△5-steroidal congeners purified from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri

The exploration and identification of antiproliferative phytochemicals have received increased attention in medicinal chemistry.In particular,research focused on the toxicology of marine natural products has increased in recent years.Terpenoids,among many secondary metabolites,have been demonstrated to act as effective anticancer agents.Soft corals,a group of marine invertebrates,produce a variety of terpenoids with biofunctional properties.The current study presents the extraction,purification,and identification of sterol congeners from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri.The method involves 50%chloro form-methanol extraction,polar column fractionation,and analy sis through GC-MS~n.Do se-dependent antiproliferative activity was observed within the sterol-rich fraction(DPCMH 2-4),which consisted of3β-hydroxy-A5-steroidal congeners.This fraction inhibited the growth of HL-60 and MCF-7 cells with IC_(50) values of 25.27±1.43 and 22.81±0.15 μg/mL,respectively.Apoptotic body formation,DNA damage,cell cycle arrest,and apoptotic cell signaling pathway activation were also observed,reinforcing the dosedependent antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of 3β-hydroxy-A5-steroidal congeners.To our knowledge,this is the first report of anticancer agent identification from the soft coral D.putteri.Based on the observations,these steroidal congeners are promising candidates for the development of anticancer drugs.     

Integration of the nuclease protection assay with sandwich hybridization (NPA-SH) for sensitive detection of Heterocapsa triquetra

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that function as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. Some species of microalgae undergo rapid growth and cause harmful blooms in marine ecosystems. Heterocapsa triquetra is one of the most common bloom-forming species in estuarine and coastal waters worldwide. Although this species does not produce toxins, unlike some other Heterocapsa species, the high density of its blooms can cause significant ecological damage. We developed a H. triquetra species-specific nuclease protection assay sandwich hybridization(NPA-SH) probe that targets the large subunit of ribosomal RNA(LSU r RNA). We tested probe specificity and sensitivity with five other dinoflagellates that also cause red tides. Our assay detected H.triquetra at a concentration of 1.5×104 cells/m L, more sensitive than required for a red-tide guidance warning by the Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2015(3.0×104 cells/m L). We also used the NPA-SH assay to monitor H. triquetra in the Tongyeong region of the southern sea area of Korea during 2014. This method could detect H.triquetra cells within 3 h. Our assay is useful for monitoring H. triquetra under field conditions.     

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

We evaluated sources and pathways of groundwater recharge for a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer beneath an agricultural field, based on multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of a riverside groundwater system at Buyeo, Korea. Two distinct groundwater zones were identified with depth: (1) a shallow oxic groundwater zone, characterized by elevated concentrations of NO₃^? and (2) a deeper (>10–14 m from the ground surface) sub‐oxic groundwater zone with high concentrations of dissolved Fe, silica, and HCO₃^?, but little nitrate. The change of redox zones occurred at a depth where the aquifer sediments change from an upper sandy stratum to a silty stratum with mud caps. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values of groundwater were also different between the two zones. Hydrochemical and δ¹⁸O? δ²H data of oxic groundwater are similar to those of soil water. This illustrates that recharge of oxic groundwater mainly occurs through direct infiltration of rain and irrigation water in the sandy soil area where vegetable cropping with abundant fertilizer use is predominant. Oxic groundwater is therefore severely contaminated by agrochemical pollutants such as nitrate. In contrast, deeper sub‐oxic groundwater contains only small amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO₃^?. The ³H contents and elevated silica concentrations in sub‐oxic groundwater indicate a somewhat longer mean residence time of groundwater within this part of the aquifer. Sub‐oxic groundwater was also characterized by higher δ¹⁸O and δ²H values and lower d‐excess values, indicating significant evaporation during recharge. We suggest that recharge of sub‐oxic groundwater occurs in the areas of paddy rice fields where standing irrigation and rain water are affected by strong evaporation, and that reducing conditions develop during subsequent sub‐surface infiltration. This study illustrates the existence of two groundwater bodies with different recharge processes within an alluvial aquifer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The solubility of copper in high-temperature magmatic vapors: A quest for the significance of various chloride and sulfide complexes

We conducted experiments to determine the effect of various chemical components (NaCl, KCl, HCl, FeCl₂, H₂S, SO₂) on the solubility of Cu in single phase aqueous vapors at 1000 °C and 150 MPa. The experiments were conducted in Au₉₇Cu₃ alloy capsules buffering Cu activities at 0.01. The volatile phase was sampled at run conditions by the entrapment of synthetic fluid inclusions in quartz. To test if the volatile phase had reached equilibrium before the isolation of the inclusions by fracture healing, we trapped two inclusion generations, one in an initially prefractured chip and another in a quartz chip that was fractured in situ during the experiments. The synthetic fluid inclusions were subsequently analyzed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In pure water, the apparent solubility of Cu is below the limits of detection of 6 μg/g, showing the low stability of hydroxy Cu complexes at our experimental conditions. The presence of alkali chlorides supports modest Cu solubility likely in the form of NaCuCl₂ and KCuCl₂ complexes. In the H₂O-H₂S (+SiO₂ and Au₉₇Cu₃) system at an fH₂S of 10.4 MPa the apparent solubility of Cu is lower by a factor of ∼5 than that in a S-free 0.5 m NaCl solution, showing that copper hydrosulfide complexes are only moderately stable at these conditions. Addition of 4.7 mol% of sulfur to the H₂O-NaCl system at an fO₂ of 0.4 log units below the Ni-NiO buffer, yielding dominantly H₂S species, results in only a moderate increase in apparent Cu solubility, which diminishes in the presence of HCl. The addition of KCl results in a strong increase of apparent Cu solubility in the presence of H₂S. The solubility of Cu increases with the fugacity of oxygen in both the H₂O-NaCl and the H₂O-S-NaCl system following an approximately fourth root relationship as expected based on the stoichiometry of the involved redox reactions. Replacement of NaCl by FeCl₂ exerted only a minor effect on the Cu solubility.Results of our experiments, combined with thermochemical data obtained by ab initio quantum chemical calculations, suggest dissolution of Cu dominantly as Na(/K)CuCl₂, Na(/K)Cu(HS)_2, H₂SCuHS, and Na(/K)ClCuHS, the relative abundance of which are dictated by the H₂S/total chloride and HCl/alkali chloride ratios.     

Methods for ultimate limit state assessment of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures: Part I—Unstiffened plates

The present paper is Part I of a series of three papers prepared by the authors on the methods useful for ultimate limit state assessment of marine structures, that have been developed in the literature during the last few decades. It is considered that such methods are now mature enough to enter day-by-day design and strength assessment practice. The aims of the three papers are to conduct some benchmark studies of such methods on ultimate limit state assessment of (unstiffened) plates, stiffened panels, and hull girders of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures, using some candidate methods such as ANSYS nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA), DNV PULS, ALPS/ULSAP, ALPS/HULL, and IACS common structural rules (CSR) methods. As an illustrative example, an AFRAMAX-class hypothetical double hull oil tanker structure designed by CSR method is studied. In the present paper (Part I), the ultimate limit state assessment of unstiffened plates under combined biaxial compression and lateral pressure loads is emphasized using ANSYS, DNV PULS, and ALPS/ULSAP methods, and their resulting computations are compared. Part II will deal with methods for the ultimate limit state assessment of stiffened panels under combined biaxial compression and lateral pressure using ANSYS, DNV PULS, and ALPS/ULSAP methods, and Part III will treat methods for the progressive collapse analysis of the hull structure using ANSYS, ALPS/HULL, and IACS CSR methods.     

Gold Deposition by Boiling or Cooling Without Boiling: Genesis ofthe Sangchon Gold Deposits,Hadong Area, South Korea

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Surface albedo from the geostationary Communication,Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS)/Meteorological Imager (MI) observation system

The surface albedo is an essential climate variable that is considered in many applications used for predicting climate and understanding the mechanisms of climate change. In this study, surface albedo was estimated using a bidirectional reflectance distribution function model based on Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite/Meteorological Imager data. Geostationary orbiting satellite data are suitable for a level 2 product like albedo, which requires a synthetic process to estimate. The authors modified established methods to consider the geometry of the solar-surface-sensor of COMS/MI. Of note, the viewing zenith angle term was removed from the kernel integration used for estimating spectral albedo. Finally, the spectral (narrow) albedo was converted into the broadband albedo with shortwave length (approximately 0.3–2.5 μm). This study determined conversion coefficients using only one spectral albedo of visible channel. The estimated albedo had a relatively high correlation with Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre/Vegetation and low unweighted error values specific for land types or times. The validation results show that estimated albedo has a root mean square error of 0.0134 at Jeju flux site that indicates accuracy similar to that of other satellite-based products.