The invasive potential of malignant tumor cells is critical for their metastasis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-invasive activity of b-myrcene, a natural compound found in the essential oil from Pinus koraiensis cones (EOPC), in metastatic MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Among four major constituents that included a-pinene, b-myrcene, 3-carene, and d-limonene, b-myrcene showed the most potent inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa)-induced nuclear factor jB (NF-jB) activity. Pretreatment with b-myrcene suppressed TNFa-induced phosphorylation of inhibitor of jB kinase and NFjB as well as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gene expression in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, bmyrcene inhibited TNFa-induced invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells as determined by three-dimensional spheroid invasion assays. These findings suggest that EOPC may promote anti-metastatic activity in breast cancer cells through its downregulation of NF-jB-mediated MMP-9 expression.
Due to the lack of surface space, most structures are heading underground. The box culvert is underground infrastructure and serves to protect the buried structure from the underground environments, but it has a different characteristic from other structures in that the inner space is empty. Therefore, in this study, the vertical earth pressure which is the most significant effective stress acting on a box culvert was measured by conducting a geotechnical centrifuge model test. A box culvert was installed following the embankment installation method, and the vertical earth pressure acting on it was measured considering the cover depth, gravitational acceleration, and loading and unloading conditions. The soil pressure measured was greater than the existing theoretical value under high cover depth and the unloading condition, which is considered as the variability of many soils or the residual stress acting under the loading condition. Finally, a goodness-of-fit test was conducted as a part of variability analysis. The measured earth pressure was found to be considerably larger than the existing theoretical value, and the variability was large as well. This means the existing theoretical equation is under-designed, which should be reflected in future designs.
Waterproof membranes have higher initial strength, faster construction, and better waterproofing than conventional sheet membranes. In addition, their polymer constituents have much higher interfacial adhesion and tensile strength than those of conventional materials. However, despite their advantages, waterproof membranes are not widely used in civil construction. This study evaluates the material properties and interface parameters of a waterproof membrane by considering the results of laboratory experiments and numerical analysis. Since the contact behavior of a membrane at its interface with shotcrete is important for understanding the mechanism of the support it offers known as a shotcrete tunnel lining, modeling should adopt appropriate contact conditions. The numerical analysis identifies the suitability and contact conditions of the waterproof membrane in various conditions.
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