Vortex formation in a viscoelastic entry flow of asymmetric planar contraction

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Dynamic-tracking desorption of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in Champagne wine using infrared thermography

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Auditory temporal processing in healthy aging: a magnetoencephalographic study

Background  

Impaired speech perception is one of the major sequelae of aging. In addition to peripheral hearing loss, central deficits of auditory processing are supposed to contribute to the deterioration of speech perception in older individuals. To test the hypothesis that auditory temporal processing is compromised in aging, auditory evoked magnetic fields were recorded during stimulation with sequences of 4 rapidly recurring speech sounds in 28 healthy individuals aged 20 – 78 years.     

Persistent changes in spinal cord gene expression after recovery from inflammatory hyperalgesia: A preliminary study on pain memory

Background  

Previous studies found that rats subjected to carrageenan injection develop hyperalgesia, and despite complete recovery in several days, they continue to have an enhanced hyperalgesic response to a new noxious challenge for more than 28d. The study's aim was to identify candidate genes that have a role in the formation of the long-term hyperalgesia-related imprint in the spinal cord. This objective was undertaken with the understanding that the long-lasting imprint of acute pain in the central nervous system may contribute to the transition of acute pain to chronicity.     

Contribution of constitutively proliferating precursor cell subtypes to dentate neurogenesis after cortical infarcts

Background  

It is well known that focal ischemia increases neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation but the cellular mechanisms underlying this proliferative response are only poorly understood. We here investigated whether precursor cells which constitutively proliferate before the ischemic infarct contribute to post-ischemic neurogenesis. To this purpose, transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the nestin promoter received repetitive injections of the proliferation marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) prior to induction of cortical infarcts. We then immunocytochemically analyzed the fate of these BrdU-positive precursor cell subtypes from day 4 to day 28 after the lesion.     

Mouse brain expression patterns of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spg7</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Afg3l1</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Afg3l2</Emphasis> transcripts,encoding for the mitochondrial <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-AAA protease

Background  

The m-AAA (ATPases Associated with a variety of cellular Activities) is an evolutionary conserved metalloprotease complex located in the internal mitochondrial membrane. In the mouse, it is a hetero-oligomer variably formed by the Spg7, Afg3l1, and Afg3l2 encoded proteins, or a homo-oligomer formed by either Afg3l1 or Afg3l2. In humans, AFG3L2 and SPG7 genes are conserved, whereas AFG3L1 became a pseudogene. Both AFG3L2 and SPG7 are involved in a neurodegenerative disease, namely the autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia SCA28 and a recessive form of spastic paraplegia, respectively.     

Growth Cone Pathfinding: a competition between deterministic and stochastic events

Background  

Growth cone migratory patterns show evidence of both deterministic and stochastic search modes.     

Levamizole enhances immune responsiveness to intra-dermal and intra-muscular hepatitis B vaccination in chronic hemodialysis patients

Background  

Hemodialysis patient are at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.     

A novel and facile synthesis of N-cyclohexyl-benzofurans by one-pot three-component reaction

Abstract  

A simple and efficient synthesis of N-cyclohexyl-benzofuran derivatives was achieved via a one-pot three-component reaction of cyclohexylisocyanide, an aromatic aldehydes, and phenols in DMF for 10 h with good yields.     

PA28αβ overexpression enhances learning and memory of female mice without inducing 20S proteasome activity

Background

The proteasome system plays an important role in synaptic plasticity. Induction and maintenance of long term potentiation is directly dependent on selective targeting of proteins for proteasomal degradation. The 20S proteasome activator PA28αβ activates hydrolysis of small nonubiquitinated peptides and possesses protective functions upon oxidative stress and proteinopathy. The effect of PA28αβ activity on behavior and memory function is, however, not known. We generated a mouse model that overexpresses PA28α (PA28αOE) to understand PA28αβ function during healthy adult homeostasis via assessment of physiological and behavioral profiles, focusing on female mice.

Results

PA28α and PA28β protein levels were markedly increased in all PA28αOE tissues analyzed. PA28αOE displayed reduced depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test and improved memory/learning function assessed by intersession habituation in activity box and shuttle box passive avoidance test, with no significant differences in anxiety or general locomotor activity. Nor were there any differences found when compared to WT for body composition or immuno-profile. The cognitive effects of PA28αOE were female specific, but could not be explained by alterations in estrogen serum levels or hippocampal regulation of estrogen receptor β. Further, there were no differences in hippocampal protein expression of neuronal or synaptic markers between PA28αOE and WT. Biochemical analysis of hippocampal extracts demonstrated that PA28α overexpression did not increase PA28–20S peptidase activity or decrease K48-polyubiquitin levels. Instead, PA28αOE exhibited elevated efficiency in preventing aggregation in the hippocampus.

Conclusions

This study reveals, for the first time, a connection between PA28αβ and neuronal function. We found that PA28α overexpressing female mice displayed reduced depressive-like behavior and enhanced learning and memory. Since the positive effects of PA28α overexpression arose without an activation of 20S proteasome capacity, they are likely independent of PA28αβ’s role as a 20S proteasome activator and instead depend on a recognized chaperone-like function. These findings suggest that proteostasis in synaptic plasticity is more diverse than previously reported, and demonstrates a novel function of PA28αβ in the brain.

     

Breakup modes of a laminar hollow water jet

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Flow visualization of supersonic transverse jet over Mach 2 freestream of a sharp cone

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Probing local innate immune responses after mucosal immunisation

Background  

Intranasal immunisation is potentially a very effective route for inducing both mucosal and systemic immunity to an infectious agent.     

Visualizations of the flow around a swimmer in turbulent regime

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Long noncoding RNAs in neuronal-glial fate specification and oligodendrocyte lineage maturation

Background  

Long non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cellular differentiation and are widely expressed in the brain.     

A Canadian national survey of attitudes and knowledge regarding preventive vaccines

Background  

Vaccines have virtually eliminated many diseases, but public concerns about their safety could undermine future public health initiatives.     

Coherent structures of the turbulent round jet in different focal lengths

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Effects of monoclonal anti-PcrV antibody on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis>-induced acute lung injury in a rat model

Background  

The effects of the murine monoclonal anti-PcrV antibody Mab166 on acute lung injury induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were analyzed in a rat model.     

Two-layer exchange flows over a dune: effect of large-scale bottom roughness

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Entry of inclined hydrophobic and hydrophilic circular cylinders into water

Graphical Abstract