Carbon Chain Length Modulates MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Killing Mechanisms by Mitochondrially Targeted Aryl−Urea Fatty Acids

Targeting the tumor cell mitochondrion could produce novel anticancer agents. We designed an aryl−urea fatty acid ( 1 g ; 16({[4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamoyl}amino)hexadecanoic acid) that disrupted the mitochondrion and decreased MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell viability. To optimize the aryl−ureas the present study evaluated mitochondrial targeting by 1 g analogues containing alkyl chains between 10–17 carbons. Using the dye JC-1, the C12−C17 analogues efficiently disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential (IC₅₀s 3.5±1.2 to 7.6±1.1 μM) and impaired ATP production; shorter analogues were less active. 7-Aminoactinomycin D/annexin V staining and flow cytometry showed that these agents activated the killing mechanisms of necrosis and apoptosis to varying extents (7-aminoactinomycin D/annexin V staining ratios 4.3–6.0). Indeed, 1 g and its C17 analogue preferentially activated necrosis and apoptosis, respectively (ratios 2.1 and 16). Taken together, alkyl chain length is a determinant of mitochondrial targeting by aryl−ureas and can be varied to develop analogues that activate apoptosis or necrosis in a regulated fashion.     

Computational Analysis of the Solid-State and Solvation Properties of Carbamazepine in Relation to its Polymorphism

The solvent-dependent polymorphism of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) carbamazepine is interpreted from calculations of the solid-state and API-solvent intermolecular interactions. These simulations suggested that apolar solute-solute interactions could be disrupted by apolar solvents. In contrast, the polar solute-solute interactions were found to be easily disrupted by polar and protic solvents. This is consistent with experimental observations that the crystallization of the metastable form II is more dominant in apolar solvents. The Mercury program remains the gold standard in terms of usability; however, further expansion into more complex simulation techniques could make this package of even greater use in pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.     

Advanced Surface of Fibrous Activated Carbon Immobilized with FeO/TiO2 for Photocatalytic Evolution of Hydrogen under Visible Light

FeO-doped TiO₂ nanoparticle photocatalysts were immobilized onto the surface of fibrous activated carbon (ACF) via a sol-gel process. As an adsorbent and photocatalyst, FeO-TiO₂ on immobilized ACFs (FeO-TiO₂/ACF) greatly improved the photocatalysis rate of hydrogen production as compared with pure TiO₂ and ACF-TiO₂ under UV irradiation and visible light. The addition of ACFs surface significantly reduced the photogenerated pairs of electrons-hole recombination, thereby promoting the photocatalysis action of doped photo-metal oxides of FeO-TiO₂. Co-doping of FeO onto the lattice of the TiO₂ approach can improve the absorption activity of visible light through photo-metal oxide of TiO₂ and further enhance hydrogen production under visible light. The photocatalytic fabrics (FeO-TiO₂/ACF) were effortlessly split out from the experimental solution for re-utilization and exhibited high stability even after five complete regeneration cycles.     

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies of Uranium and REEs Leaching by Oxalic Acid from Abu-Tartur Phosphate Rock,Western Desert,Egypt

Radiochemistry - Leaching of uranium and REEs with oxalic acid from the Egyptian Abu-Tartur phosphate rock (PR) was studied. The effect exerted on the leaching process by oxalic acid concentration,...     

Effective Excitation of Magnetoelectric Voltage Harmonics in a Ferromagnet–Piezoelectric Structure by Current Passing through the Magnetic Layer

Technical Physics Letters - The magnetoelectric (ME) effect in a planar amorphous ferromagnet–piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) composite structure can be effectively excited by...     

A Distribution‐freeCUSUMChart for Monitoring Variability of AutocorrelatedProcesses

We present a distribution‐free tabular cumulative sum chart for monitoring the variability of an autocorrelated process. A quantity known as the asymptotic variance parameter is employed as a measure of the variability, and a distribution‐free tabular cumulative sum chart is applied to variance estimates calculated from batches of nonoverlapping samples. The proposed chart is applicable to a stationary process with a general marginal distribution and a general autocorrelation structure. It also determines control limits analytically without trial‐and‐error simulations. The performance of the proposed chart is tested on stationary processes with both normal and nonnormal marginals with various autocorrelation structures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.