Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a tumor arising from epithelial cells that cover the surface and line the nasopharynx, is a rare malignancy worldwide but is prevalent in certain geographical areas, such as Southern Asia (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Southern China) and North Africa. Despite advances in diagnostic techniques and improvements in treatment modalities, the prognosis of NPC remains poor. Therefore, an effective chemotherapy regimen that enhances tumor sensitivity to chemotherapeutics is urgently required. Nimbolide, derived from Azadirachta indica, has a wide range of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The present study evaluated the antitumor activity of nimbolide in NPC cells and its underlying mechanisms. Our results revealed that the treatment of HONE-1 cells with nimbolide potently inhibited cell viability. Moreover, nimbolide led to cell cycle arrest, which subsequently activated caspase-3, -8, and -9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase to induce cell apoptosis. Moreover, nimbolide induced Bik, Bax, and t-Bid expression in HONE-1 cells. The results indicated that nimbolide induces apoptosis through the modulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathways. Nimbolide induces apoptosis in human NPC cells and is a potential chemopreventive agent against NPC proliferation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 2085-2092, 2017.

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In this study, AlOx passivation layers on the rear sides of silicon PERC solar cells are formed by thermally oxidizing 3 nm-thick aluminum films deposited in advance by an e-gun evaporator. The oxidation process is conducted in a furnace full of oxygen at 400°C for a duration of 10 minutes, followed by annealing for a duration of 3 minutes at 700°C, and then the stacking of SiNx films on the back surfaces. After that, a second annealing process is done at 400°C for a duration of 10 minutes to repair the defects resulting from the bombardment of ions on the passivation layer. With the thermal oxidation method applied, we confirmed the existence of an AlOx passivation layer with a negative charge density of − 3.21 × 10 12  cm-2 for an annealed sample, in contrast to − 6.17 × 10 11  cm-2 for an unannealed sample.