Dictyostelium cells bind a secreted autocrine factor that represses cell proliferation

Background  

Dictyostelium cells secrete the proteins AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking either AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild type, while AprA or CfaD overexpressor cells proliferate slowly, indicating that AprA and CfaD are autocrine factors that repress proliferation. CfaD interacts with AprA and requires the presence of AprA to slow proliferation. To determine if CfaD is necessary for the ability of AprA to slow proliferation, whether AprA binds to cells, and if so whether the binding requires the presence of CfaD, we examined the binding and effect on proliferation of recombinant AprA.     

Domain reversal behavior in perpendicular magnetic nanothin films

We report domain reversal behavior in perpendicular ferromagnetic nanothin films investigated by means of a novel magneto-optical microscope magnetometer, capable of grabbing domain reversal patterns in real time under an applied field as well as simultaneous measurements of 8000 local hysteresis loops with 400-nm special resolution. Three contrasting domain reversal behaviors are found to exist: wall-motion dominant, dendritic-growth dominant, and nucleation dominant reversal. Quantitative analysis reveals that the contrasting reversal behavior is mainly caused by a sensitive change in wall-motion speed and that the reversal ratio of wall-motion speed over nucleation rate is a governing parameter for the contrasting domain reversal dynamics. The activation volumes of the wall-motion and nucleation processes are found generally unequal, and the inequality is closely related with the domain dynamics. The domain reversal pattern is truly coincident with submicron-scale local coercivity variation and local switching time of domain evolution is exponentially dependent on local coercivity governed by a thermal activation relaxation process. The observed domain reversal behavior could be well predicted by a Monte Carlo simulation of a micromagnetic model based on the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of nanothin films.     

Comparison of noise power spectrum methodologies in measurements by using megavoltage X-ray energies

The noise power spectrum (NPS) is one of the most general methods for measuring the noise amplitude and the quality of an image acquired from a uniform radiation field. The purpose of this study was to compare different NPS methodologies by using megavoltage X-ray energies. The NPS evaluation methods in diagnostic radiation were applied to therapy using the International Electrotechnical Commission standard (IEC 62220-1). In order to measure the region of interest (ROI) of the NPS, we used the following five factors: the overlapping impact, the non-overlapping impact, the penumbra, the flatness and different ROI sizes. We used NPS from four different types of detectors, the CR-IP (computed radiography image plate: photo-stimulable phosphor screen), the CR-IP-lead (hexalon lead screen), the CR-IP-back [lanex TM fast back screen: {terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide granular phosphor screen (Gd₂O₂S:Tb,133 mg/cm²)} + 1-mm-thick copper plate and the CR-IP-front (lanex TM fast front screen). A Kodak 2000 RT photo-stimulable phosphor-based computed radiographic (CR) system showed that the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) curve gradually decreased, in compliance with increasing spatial resolution. In addition, each detector showed a different reactivity of the NPS to megavoltage. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test (methods × detectors) revealed significant main effects of the methods [F(1, 4) = 53.543, P = 0.001 and of the detectors [F(1, 4) = 17.556, P = 0.001]. The present study revealed that various factors could be employed to produce megavoltage imaging (MVI) of the NPS and as a baseline standard for NPS control in MVI.

     

Electrochemical and surface behavior of hydyroxyapatite/Ti film on nanotubular Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys

In this paper, we investigated the electrochemical and surface behavior of hydroxyapatite (HA)/Ti films on the nanotubular Ti-35Nb-xZr alloy. The Ti-35Nb-xZr ternary alloys with 3-10 wt.% Zr content were made by an arc melting method. The nanotubular oxide layers were developed on the Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys by an anodic oxidation method in 1 M H₃PO₄ electrolyte containing 0.8 wt% NaF at room temperature. The HA/Ti composite films on the nanotubular oxide surfaces were deposited by a magnetron sputtering method. Their surface characteristics were analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The corrosion behavior of the specimens was examined through potentiodynamic and AC impedance tests in 0.9% NaCl solution. From the results, the Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys showed a solely β phase microstructure that resulted from the addition of Zr. The nanotubular structure formed with a diameter of about 200 nm, and the HA/Ti thin film was deposited on the nanotubular structure. The HA/Ti thin film-coated nanotubular Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys showed good corrosion resistance in 0.9% NaCl solution.     

C0-semigroups on a locally convex space

A necessary and sufficient condition that a densely defined linear operator A in a sequentially complete locally convex space X be the infinitesimal generator of a quasi-equicontinuous C₀-semigroup on X is that there exist a real number β ? 0 such that, for each λ > β, the resolvent (λI ? A)^?1 exists and the family {(λ ? β)^k(λI ? A)^?k; λ > β, k = 0, 1, 2,…} is equicontinuous. In this case all resolvents (λI ? A)^?1, λ > β, of the given operator A and all exponentials exp(tA), t ? 0, of the operator A belong to a Banach algebra $\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{г}}\text{(X)}$ which is a subspace of the space L(X) of all continuous linear operators on X, and, for each t ? 0 and for each x?X, one has lim_{k → z} (I ? k^?1tA)^?kx = exp(tA) x. A perturbation theorem for the infinitesimal generator of a quasi-equicontinuous C₀-semigroup by an operator which is an element of $\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{г}}\text{(X)}$ is obtained.     

Composition operators acting on holomorphic Sobolev spaces

We study the action of composition operators on Sobolev spaces of analytic functions having fractional derivatives in some weighted Bergman space or Hardy space on the unit disk. Criteria for when such operators are bounded or compact are given. In particular, we find the precise range of orders of fractional derivatives for which all composition operators are bounded on such spaces. Sharp results about boundedness and compactness of a composition operator are also given when the inducing map is polygonal.

     

Convergence in L space for the homogenization problems of elliptic and parabolic equations in the plane

We study the convergence rate of an asymptotic expansion for the elliptic and parabolic operators with rapidly oscillating coefficients. First we propose homogenized expansions which are convolution forms of Green function and given force term of elliptic equation. Then, using local L^p-theory, the growth rate of the perturbation of Green function is found. From the representation of elliptic solution by Green function, we estimate the convergence rate in L^p space of the homogenized expansions to the exact solution. Finally, we consider L2(0,T:H1(Ω)) or L∞(Ω×(0,T)) convergence rate of the first order approximation for parabolic homogenization problems.     

Isoperimetric inequalities on minimal submanifolds of space forms

For a domainU on a certaink-dimensional minimal submanifold ofS ⁿ orH ⁿ, we introduce a “modified volume”M(U) ofU and obtain an optimal isoperimetric inequality forU k ^k ω _k M (D) ^k-1 ≤Vol(∂D) ^k , where ω _k is the volume of the unit ball ofR ^k . Also, we prove that ifD is any domain on a minimal surface inS ₊ ⁿ (orH ⁿ, respectively), thenD satisfies an isoperimetric inequality2π A≤L ²+A² (2π A≤L²−A² respectively). Moreover, we show that ifU is ak-dimensional minimal submanifold ofH ⁿ, then(k−1) Vol(U)≤Vol(∂U). Supported in part by KME and GARC     

A Comparative Study of Biologically and Chemically Fabricated Synthesized AgNPs’ Supplementation with Respect to Heat-Shock Proteins,Survival, and Hatching Rates of Chicken Embryos: An In Ovo Study

The present study examined the characterization and concentration of Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra (BOL, commonly known as red cabbage) extracted AgNPs (BOL-AgNPs) and chemically (CHE) synthesized AgNPs (CHE-AgNPs) in chicken embryos through in ovo injections. We investigated the effects of both AgNPs on the survival, hatchability, body weight, and expressions of heat-shock proteins (HSPs). The BOL-AgNPs and CHE-AgNPs at (T1) amounted 100, at (T2) 1000, at (T3) 2500, and at (T4) 5000 µg/100 µl/egg, respectively through in ovo injections. At the end of the experimental period, the body and liver weights of the chicks were altered between the groups and among the concentrations. The serum levels of SGOT and SGPT were significantly increased at BOL-T3 and -T4. Survival and hatching rates were more reduced in the BOL-T3- and -T4-treated groups than at BOL-T1 and -T2. Nevertheless, they were more diminished in the CHE-AgNPs than in the BOL-AgNPs. The CHE-AgNPs revealed the presence of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities, in contrast to BOL-T4. The mRNA and protein expressions of HSP-60 and 70 in the liver were higher in CHE-AgNPs than in BOL-AgNPs. Hence, plant-synthesized AgNPs are superior in ovo nano-nutrition carriers of nutrients without toxicity than CHE-AgNPs.