Search unemployment and new economic geography

This paper develops a general equilibrium geographical economics model, which uses matching frictions on the labor market to generate regional unemployment disparities alongside the usual core-periphery pattern of industrial agglomeration. In the model, regional wage differentials do not only influence migration decisions of mobile workers, but also affect the bargaining process on local labor markets, leading to differences in vacancies and unemployment as well. In a setting with two regions, both higher or lower unemployment rates in the core region are possible equilibrium outcomes, depending on transport costs and the elasticity of substitution. Stylized facts suggest that both patterns are of empirical relevance.     

Patterns of phenol oxidation process with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide

This paper presents experimental data on the study of catalytic systems based on titanium silicalite (TS-1) for liquid-phase oxidation of phenol. The influence of the main parameters of the process of liquid phase oxidation of phenol with aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide on the catalyst; the formed titanium silicalite (initial molar ratio of phenol/hydrogen peroxide, temperature) has been studied based on the basic parameters of the process, including the degree of conversion of hydrogen peroxide, the degree of conversion of phenol, the selectivity of the formation of catechol, hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone, and the ratio of products in the reaction mass.     

Investigation of the Antiproliferative Properties of Natural Sesquiterpenes from Artemisia asiatica and Onopordum acanthium on HL-60 Cells in Vitro

Plants and plant extracts play a crucial role in the research into novel antineoplastic agents. Four sesquiterpene lactones, artecanin (1), 3β-chloro-4α,10α-dihydroxy-1α,2α-epoxy-5α,7αH-guaia-11(13)-en-12,6α-olide (2), iso-seco-tanapartholide 3-O-methyl ether (3) and 4β,15-dihydro-3-dehydrozaluzanin C (4), were isolated from two traditionally used Asteraceae species (Onopordum acanthium and Artemisia asiatica). When tested for antiproliferative action on HL-60 leukemia cells, these compounds exhibited reasonable IC₅₀ values in the range 3.6–13.5 μM. Treatment with the tested compounds resulted in a cell cycle disturbance characterized by increases in the G1 and G2/M populations, while there was a decrease in the S phase. Additionally, 1–3 elicited increases in the hypodiploid (subG1) population. The compounds elicited concentration-dependent chromatin condensation and disruption of the membrane integrity, as revealed by Hoechst 33258–propidium staining. Treatment for 24 h resulted in significant increases in activity of caspases-3 and -9, indicating that the tested sesquiterpenes induced the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. The proapoptotic properties of the sesquiterpene lactones were additionally demonstrated withannexin V staining. Compounds 1 and 2 increased the Bax/Bcl-2 expression and decreased the expressions of CDK1 and cyclin B2, as determined at the mRNA level by means of RT-PCR. These experimental results indicate that sesquiterpene lactones may be regarded as potential starting structures for the development of novel anticancer agents.     

Fully-coupled simulations of thermally-induced cracking in pegmatite due to microwave irradiation

Fully-coupled thermo-mechanical simulations are implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate micro-scale stress-strain variability in pegmatite specimens subjected to thermal loading using microwaves. Thermally-induced compressive and tensile stresses increase as the microwave irradiation duration increases. The dielectric constant, coefficient of expansion, and type and size of mineralogical boundary have significant impacts on the responses of the rock to microwave irradiation. The maximum principal stress of the chlorite is the smallest, indicating that the chlorite experiences the most damage under microwave irradiation, followed by the quartz. The maximum principal stress values of plagioclase and orthoclase are larger, indicating that they are likely to incur the least damage. Where quartz or chlorite is dominant, the resulting von Mises stresses are consistently higher after 120 s of microwave irradiation. The rate of generation of von Mises stresses increases most rapidly along the interface between quartz and plagioclase, and the interface between quartz and orthoclase, followed by the interface between quartz and chlorite, and finally the interface between plagioclase and orthoclase. The presented modeling approach provides a practical method to investigate stress-strain relationships within mineralogical boundaries inside a rock thin section.     

Orthogonal Peptide-Templated Labeling Elucidates Lateral ETAR/ETBR Proximity and Reveals Altered Downstream Signaling

Fine-tuning of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is important to maintain cellular homeostasis. Recent studies demonstrated that lateral GPCR interactions in the cell membrane can impact signaling profiles. Here, we report on a one-step labeling method of multiple membrane-embedded GPCRs. Based on short peptide tags, complementary probes transfer the cargo (e. g. a fluorescent dye) by an acyl transfer reaction with high spatial and temporal resolution within 5 min. We applied this approach to four receptors of the cardiovascular system: the endothelin receptor A and B (ET_AR and ET_BR), angiotensin II receptor type 1, and apelin. Wild type-like G protein activation after N-terminal modification was demonstrated for all receptor species. Using FRET-competent dyes, a constitutive proximity between hetero-receptors was limited to ET_AR/ET_BR. Further, we demonstrate, that ET_AR expression regulates the signaling of co-expressed ET_BR. Our orthogonal peptide-templated labeling of different GPCRs provides novel insight into the regulation of GPCR signaling.     

The Role of Altered Mitochondrial Metabolism in Thyroid Cancer Development and Mitochondria-Targeted Thyroid Cancer Treatment

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common type of endocrine malignancy. Tumour formation, progression, and metastasis greatly depend on the efficacy of mitochondria—primarily, the regulation of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, Ca²⁺ homeostasis, dynamics, energy production, and associated reactive oxygen species generation. Recent studies have successfully confirmed the mitochondrial aetiology of thyroid carcinogenesis. In this review, we focus on the recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of thyroid cancer relating to altered mitochondrial metabolism. We also discuss the repurposing of known drugs and the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis as a new trend in the development of anti-TC therapy.