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Solasodine, a steroidal alkaloid isolated from solanaceous species, exhibits anticancer activities on several cell lines. This study aimed to explore the antitumor potential of solasodine on ovarian cancer cells. The MTT assay, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1 ',3,3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine staining assay, and Annexin V/PI assay were conducted to investigate the antiproliferation and apoptosis-inducing effects of solasodine. Monodansylcadaverine staining was performed to label the acidic puncta on ovarian cancer HEY cells. A wound healing assay and Trans-well assay were carried out to determine whether solasodine elicits an antimetastatic effect on HEY cells. A gelatin zymography assay was applied to detect the enzymatic activities of matrix metalloproteinases. Western blot was employed to examine relevant protein expression. Results revealed that solasodine inhibited cell viabilities in a time- and dose-dependent manner, triggered apoptotic body formation, reduced cell mitochondrial membrane potential, and interfered with autolysosome degradation in ovarian cancer cells. Solasodine also suppressed the migration and invasion of HEY cells by downregulating matrix metalloproteinase expression and activities. This study could be used as a basis for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of the antiproliferation, apoptosis-inducing, autophagy-modifying, and antimetastatic activities of solasodine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct an equation of state of strange quark matter in a strong magnetic field within a confining model. The confinement is modeled by means of the Richardson potential for quark-quark interaction modified suitably to account for a strong magnetic field. We compare our results for the equation of state and magnetization of matter to those derived within the MIT bag model. The differences between these models arise mainly due to the momentum dependence of the strong interaction between quarks in the Richardson model. Specifically, we find that the magnetization of strange quark matter in this model has much more pronounced de Haas-van Alfvén oscillations than in the MIT bag model, which is the consequence of the (static) gluon-exchange structure of the confining potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adopting a T-matrix-based method within the G0G approximation for the pair susceptibility, we study the effects of the pairing fluctuation on the three-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases at finite temperature. The critical temperatures of the superfluid to normal phase transition are determined for three different types of spin-orbit coupling (SOC): (1) the extreme oblate (EO) or Rashba SOC, (2) the extreme prolate or equal Rashba-Dresselhaus SOC, and (3) the spherical (S) SOC. For EO- and S-type SOC, the SOC dependence of the critical temperature signals a crossover from BCS to BEC state; at strong SOC limit, the critical temperature recovers those of ideal BEC of rashbons. The pairing fluctuation induces a pseudogap in the fermionic excitation spectrum in both superfluid and normal phases. We find that, for EO- and S-type SOC, even at weak coupling, sufficiently strong SOC can induce sizable pseudogap. Our research suggests that the spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases may open new means to the study of the pseudogap formation in fermionic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We formulate a multiscale modeling framework to investigate the deformation morphologies and energetics of covalently bridged multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The formulation involves extending a previously established quasi-continuum model by incorporating the inter-wall bridging energy density function into the constitutive relations via message passing from fully atomistic simulations. Using the extended numerical model, we studied the mechanical responses of the 10-walled MWCNT with varying inter-wall bridge densities under torsion, bending, and uniaxial compression. Our simulation results show that the presence of inter-wall covalent bridges not only enhances the post-buckling rigidities of the MWCNTs, but also modifies the deformation morphologies and morphology pathways. For bending and uniaxial compression, we constructed in the space of bridge density and applied strain the deformation morphology phase diagram, where three phases, uniformly deformed phase, rippling pattern, and diamond-shaped pattern, are identified and separated by linear phase boundaries. We attribute the deformation phase transitions to the interplay of inter-wall and intra-wall interaction energies. The multiple shape transitions of MWCNTs and the elastic nature of the deformation suggest that MWCNTs can be designed as shape-memory nanodevices with tunable stabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital maneuver accuracy analysis problem is studied by using linear covariance analysis techniques in this paper. Firstly, the main existing errors are analyzed and a closed-loop control system for orbit maneuver is established. Then, the models and equations for linear covariance orbit maneuver problem under both open-loop and closed-loop controls are developed respectively. And correction algorithm is presented based on orbit motion equation linearization. At last, the terminal state accuracies of high eccentric orbit maneuver under both open-loop and closed-loop controls is analyzed. And the validity of the results derived from linear covariance techniques is proved by using Monte Carlo simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]