•Relationships of green leaf VNS-1/SWIR-2 spectra developed with reference databases.•Noisy SWIR-2 modeled using statistics/mathematics of VNS-1/SWIR-2 relationships.•Comprehensive green leaf ...spectral reference database improves SWIR-2 reconstruction.
Leaf spectra (reflectance and transmittance) are commonly measured using a portable spectroradiometer and an integrating sphere or contact probe with an artificial light source. However, spectral data may be obscured due to water vapor and low signal-to-noise ratios, especially in the shortwave infrared-2 region (SWIR-2, 2001–2500 nm). Therefore, we proposed a spectral reconstruction approach to retrieve noise-free SWIR-2 fresh green leaf spectra by referring to the previously published quality-controlled fresh green leaf spectral reference databases. We processed 896 pairs of fresh tea (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis) leaf reflectance/transmittance from Alishan in central Taiwan. We selected a subset (500–1900 nm) of the spectra in the visible, near-infrared, and SWIR-1 regions (VNS-1) that were relatively insensitive to atmospheric conditions. We matched those spectra with publicly available reference green leaf spectral databases, and selected the one that was most similar to each Alishan VNS-1 spectrum. We then used multivariable linear regression, linear parameter multiplication and spectral reversion to reconstruct SWIR-2 spectra. Finally, we used another set of green leaf spectral databases to assess the performance of the proposed method. The performance of the reconstruction approach was satisfactory, with mean (± standard deviation) root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of 0.0041 ± 0.0019 (reflectance) and 0.0054 ± 0.0027 (transmittance) for each spectrum and RMSEs of 0.0058 ± 0.0027 (reflectance) and 0.0055 ± 0.0043 (transmittance) for each SWIR-2 band. The proposed approach successfully modeled SWIR-2, which could be further improved with the availability of a more comprehensive set of green leaf reference spectral databases.
Kalantuboside B (KB), a natural bufadienolide derivative extracted from the succulent plant Kalanchoe tubiflora, is well-known for its cardiotonic, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties. ...In this study, we tested in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer efficacy with low concentrations of KB (5–30 ng/mL; 8.7–52.2 nM) on A2058 melanoma cells; and for the molecular mechanisms that underlie them. KB significantly inhibited the cell viability and colony formation via arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. There was an association with a decrease in Cyclin A/B1, Cdc25C, and Cdc2 expressions. Further, this treatment indicated the induction of apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3, -8, -9, and -12 activation, and PARP cleavage, which shows that mitochondrial, death-receptor, and ER-stress signaling pathways are involved. KB-induced autophagy was apparent from enhanced LC3-II accumulation, GFP-LC3 puncta, and AVO formation. Surprisingly, KB-mediated cell death was potentiated by 3-MA and CQ to suggest the role of autophagy as a cytoprotective mechanism. Moreover, KB-treated A2058 cells enhanced intracellular ROS generation and antioxidant NAC prevented apoptosis and reversed cytoprotective autophagy. Interestingly, KB-induced apoptosis (PARP cleavage) and cytoprotective autophagy (LC3-II accumulation) were mediated by the up-regulation of the ERK signaling pathway. It was also shown that KB promoted cytoprotective autophagy by a calcium dependent-p53 downregulation pathway. In vivo data showed that KB suppressed tumor growth significantly in A2058-xenografted nude mice. A Western blot indicated cell-cycle inhibition (cyclin A reduction), apoptosis induction (PARP cleavage and Bcl-2 inhibition), and cytoprotective autophagy (LC3-II upregulation and p53 downregulation) in KB-treated A2058-xenografted mice. Our findings suggested that KB-induced ROS pathway plays a role in mediating the apoptosis and cytoprotective autophagy in human melanoma cells. Thus, KB is considered to be a putative anti-tumor agent.
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•Kalantuboside B (KB, 8.7–52.2 nM) shows anti-tumor activity in human melanoma cells.•KB inhibited melanoma cell proliferation via G2/M cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis.•KB induced autophagy in A2058 cells as a cell-survival mechanism.•ROS pathway plays a role in KB-mediated apoptosis and cytoprotective autophagy.•KB mediated the suppression of A2058 xenograft tumor growth in athymic nude mice.
Tropical dry forests (TDFs) have experienced pronounced droughts and increased temperatures for the last century. To assess whether these climatic shifts have influenced dry forest vegetation and ...ecosystem functioning, we integrated ground observations from a Costa Rican long‐term forest dynamics monitoring plot with remotely sensed measures of forest productivity and canopy functioning from a diverse set of satellite data. Previously reported long‐term climate data (1921–1997) show a reduction in annual rainfall, but since 1980 there has been no directional change in mean annual precipitation. However, the 2015 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)‐induced drought was unprecedented. Temperatures have increased by 1.1°C since 1931. However, the Landsat wet season (1987–2017) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) (canopy greenness) and the dry season (1985–2017) fraction of non‐photosynthetic canopy cover all indicate that TDFs have become more deciduous but also more productive during the wet season. These changes are consistent with a shift in the functional composition observed in the long‐term plot as more drought‐deciduous tree species have increased in abundance. Nonetheless, more continuous 16‐d MODIS (the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) measures of the EVI over the past 17 yr (2001–2017) showed no change in the total annual forest productivity. Further, while the 2015 ENSO event temporarily reduced forest EVI, it did not cause a longer‐term impact on forest productivity. Instead, high spatial resolution Worldview‐2 satellite imagery showed that forest phenology shifted in the subsequent years even though the region returned to normal precipitation. Our results indicate that while the species composition of TDFs may be sensitive to the long‐term trend of gradually increasing temperatures and aridity, the annual forest functioning has so far been resilient to long‐term drying and a large episodic extreme drought event. This study demonstrates the feasibility of synthesizing satellite images of different characteristics to study the vegetation dynamics of a long‐term forest dynamics plot. Our synoptically sensed results show that the longer‐term changing climate has been and is currently shifting the ecological functioning, and also provide a baseline to assess the impacts of an extreme drought year on TDFs.
•Machine learning was useful to monitor diurnal fog occurrence in subtropical MCFs.•Performance of random forests was superior to other machine learning methods.•Fog occurrence variation was ...significant within the cloud band.•Fog probability, frequency and duration were higher in the middle of the cloud band.•Studied montane cloud forests were foggier in afternoons and colder months.
Montane cloud forests (MCFs) are frequently immersed in low-altitude clouds or fog. The diurnal (defined as 07:00–16:50 local time) cycle of fog is particularly important for regulating the carbon, water and energy cycles of these ecosystems. Elevated temperatures may alter the spatiotemporal dynamics of fog and have cascading impacts on MCFs. Therefore, systematic monitoring of fog occurrence is essential for understanding the ramifications of climate change on these unique forests. This study aims to quantify three years (2018–2020) of diurnal fog occurrence with high spatiotemporal (5 km, 10 minutes) resolutions in subtropical MCF in northeast Taiwan. Four open-sky observation stations were installed along an elevation gradient (1151, 1514, 1670 and 1811 m a.s.l.) within the cloud band to record meteorological data including rainfall, air temperature and relative humidity. We also acquired spatiotemporally-corresponding photosynthetic photon flux density from the geostationary Himawari-8 satellite and derived solar zenith angle for each station. We utilized these ground and satellite meteorological attributes to model fog occurrence using seven machine learning methods. By referring to time-lapse images, the performance of random forests was determined to be superior compared to other approaches and was therefore selected to quantify spatiotemporal dynamics of fog occurrence. Fog was determined to be more abundant in terms of probability, frequency and duration in mid-elevations when compared to the lower and higher ends. Temporal analysis demonstrated that overall seasonality was pronounced with higher fog abundance in the afternoons and cold months but varied from station to station. In addition, three-year fog duration and event variability for each month were notable for all stations; the foggiest station was at 1670 m a.s.l. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using machine learning to quantify spatiotemporal dynamics of fog using cross-scale meteorological attributes, which may facilitate monitoring the impact of climate change on MCFs.
The aqueous leaf extracts of Toona sinensis (TS extracts) or gallic acid (GA), a major component of TS extracts, have the potential for anti-angiogenic effects through the inhibition of ...neo-angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane in vivo.
Toona sinensis is well known as a traditional Chinese medicine; also, it has been shown to exhibit anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was aimed at evaluating the anti-angiogenesis effect of the aqueous extracts of Toona sinensis (TS extracts) or gallic acid, a major component of TS extracts, against both VEGF-induced EA.hy 926 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
Anti-proliferative activity of TS extracts or gallic acid, was determined against EA.hy 926 and HUVECs by trypan blue exclusion method. Invasion, tube formation and chick chorioallantoic membrane assay were carried out to determine the in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic effects.
Non-cytotoxic concentration of TS extracts (50–100μg/mL) and gallic acid (5μg/mL) inhibited the proliferation of VEGF-stimulated EA.hy 926 and HUVECs. Inhibitory effects of TS extracts and gallic acid on angiogenesis were assessed by VEGF-induced migration/invasion and capillary-like tube formation by EA.hy 926 and HUVECs. Additionally, gelatin zymography assays showed that TS extracts and gallic acid suppressed the activity of metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 activated by VEGF. In vivo, TS extracts and gallic acid strongly suppressed neovessel formation in the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos. Flow cytometry analyses and Western blot demonstrated that treatment with TS extracts and gallic acid induced G0/G1 arrest in VEGF-stimulated EA.hy 926 cells via a reduction in the amounts of cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK4, hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), VEGFR-2, and eNOS.
These results support an anti-angiogenic activity of Toona sinensis that may contribute critically to its cancer and inflammation chemopreventive potentials.
One of the key elements affecting the efficiency of maritime transport is the design of ports, including traditional facilities and smart port designs with automated machinery. Governments are ...committed to transforming their ports into smart ports because of the potential benefits, such as more efficient operation from information and communication technologies and the internet of things. A smart port can also save energy and manage environmental impacts to achieve sustainable development. This research investigates how smart port design can influence the efficiency of maritime transport with a three-step DEA-Tobit modeling procedure. First, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to evaluate port operating performance. Second, to investigate the influence of smart port design, three smart port aspects are identified: automation, environment and intelligence. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to determine the importance of each aspect. Finally, a Tobit regression modeling approach is constructed to evaluate how the weighted smart port aspects influence operating efficiency. This study uses the top 20 maritime ports based on their throughputs as the case study. Model results show the various influence of the three aspects. Pollution control from the environment aspect has the largest positive impact on port efficiency. On the contrary, information sharing from the intelligence aspect has a negative impact on efficiency which might be due to technology requirements, information overload and information process complexity. This study defines the smart port concepts that are integrated into port performance evaluation process. Model results confirm not all the design elements bring positive impacts. This is also the main contribution of this study that proposed an integrated measurement structure to investigate the influence and impact of the smart port concept. Finally, this study concludes with policy implications to prioritize smart aspects and indicators for policy makers and operators to help develop smart ports.
Several studies indicated that people who live in the Mediterranean region have very low rates of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is well known that Mediterranean-style ...diet is rich in vegetables, tomato, fruit, fish and olive oil. These important dietary components may contribute to lower risk of cancer. Lycopene, a major component in tomato, exhibited potential anticarcinogenic activity. Previous studies showed that consumption of fish containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) correlated with reduced risk of cancer. However, the combined effects of lycopene and EPA on the proliferation of human colon cancer have not been studied well yet. Thus, we investigated the anticancer properties and therapeutic potential of lycopene and EPA in human colon cancer HT-29 cells.
In this study, we determined the combined effects of lycopene and EPA on the proliferation of human colon cancer HT-29 cells. We demonstrated that low concentration of lycopene and EPA could synergistically inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells. The inhibitory mechanism was associated with suppression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, treatment of lycopene and EPA also synergistically blocked the activation of downstream mTOR molecule. Immunocytochemical staining results revealed that lycopene and EPA could also up-regulate the expression of apoptotic proteins such as Bax and Fas ligand to suppress cell survival.
In conclusion, our novel findings suggest that lycopene and EPA synergistically inhibited the growth of human colon cancer HT-29 cells even at low concentration. The inhibitory effects of lycopene and EPA on cell proliferation of human colon cancer HT-29 cells were, in part, associated with the down-regulation of the PI-3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Previously, we demonstrated that a submerged fermentation culture of Antrodia camphorata (AC) promotes cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in human estrogen receptor-positive/negative breast cancer ...cells. However, whether AC is effective against HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancers has not been thoroughly elucidated. In the present study, we showed that AC exhibited a significant cytotoxic effect against HER-2/neu-overexpressing MDA-MB-453 and BT-474 cells. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that HER-2/neu and their tyrosine phosphorylation were inhibited by AC in a dose-dependent manner. An increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed in AC-treated cells, whereas antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly prevented AC induced HER-2/neu depletion and cell death, which directly indicates that AC-induced HER-2/neu depletion and cell death was mediated by ROS generation. Also, AC significantly downregulated the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, and CDK4 followed by the suppression of PI3K/Akt, and their downstream effectors GSK-3β and β-catenin. Notably, AC-treatment induced apoptotic cell death, which was associated with sub-G1 accumulation, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, caspase-3/-9 activation, PARP degradation, and Bcl-2/Bax dysregulation. Assays for colony formation also confirmed the growth-inhibitory effects of AC. This is the first report confirming the anticancer activity of this potentially beneficial mushroom against human HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancers.
The methanolic extracts of
Physalis angulata (PA extracts) have the potential for anti-angiogenic effects through the inhibition of neo-angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane
in vivo.
...Physalis angulata is well-known in traditional Chinese medicine as a ingredient for various herbal formulation; also, it has been shown to exhibit anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the ability of
P. angulata to inhibit tumor metastasis and angiogenesis was investigated.
Anti-proliferative activity of ethyl acetate extracts of
P. angulata (PA extracts), was determined against human oral squamous carcinoma (HSC-3) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by trypan blue exclusion method. Wound-healing migration, trans-well invasion, Western blotting and chick chorioallantoic membrane assay were carried out to determine the anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic effects of PA extracts
in vitro and
in vivo.
We demonstrated that at sub-cytotoxic concentrations of PA extracts (5–15
μg/mL) markedly inhibited the migration and invasion of highly metastatic HSC-3 cells as shown by wound-healing repair assay and trans-well assay. Gelatin zymography assay showed that PA extracts suppressed the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and -2, and urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) in HSC-3 cells. In addition, Western blot analysis confirmed that PA extracts significantly decreased MMP-2 and u-PA protein expression in HSC-3 cells. Notably, PA extracts significantly augmented the expression of their endogenous inhibitors, including tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP-1 and -2), and plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1 and -2). Further investigations revealed that non-cytotoxic concentration of PA extracts (5–15
μg/mL) inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced proliferation, and migration/invasion of HUVECs
in vitro. PA extracts also suppressed the activity of MMP-9, but not MMP-2, in HUVECs. Further, we observed, PA extracts strongly suppressed neovessel formation in the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos
in vivo.
These results strongly support an anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic activity of
P. angulata that may contribute to the development of better chemopreventive agent for cancer and inflammation.
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