Ankyrin repeat and SOCS box containing protein 4 (Asb-4) colocalizes with insulin receptor substrate 4 (IRS4) in the hypothalamic neurons and mediates IRS4 degradation

Background

Cigarette smoking enhances the risk of stroke. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The present study established an in vivo rat secondhand cigarette smoking (SHS) model and examined the hypothesis that SHS upregulates endothelin receptors with increased cerebrovascular contraction via the Raf/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway.

Results

Rats were exposed to SHS for up to 8 weeks. The cerebral artery vasoconstriction was recorded by a sensitive myograph. The mRNA and protein expressions for endothelin receptors in cerebral arteries were studied by real-time PCR and Western blot. Compared to fresh air exposed rats, cerebral arteries from SHS rats exhibited stronger contractile responses (P < 0.05) mediated by endothelin type A (ET_A) receptors. The expressions of mRNA and protein for ET_A receptors in the cerebral arteries from SHS rats were higher (P < 0.05) than that in control. SHS did not affect endothelin type B (ET_B) receptor-mediated contractions, mRNA or protein levels. The results suggest that SHS upregulates ET_A, but not ET_B receptors in vivo. After SHS exposure, the mRNA levels of Raf-1 and ERK1/2, the protein expression of phosphorylated (p)-Raf-1 and p-ERK1/2 were increased (P < 0.05). Raf-1 inhibitor, GW5074 suppressed the enhanced ET_A receptor-mediated contraction, mRNA and protein levels induced by SHS. In addition, GW5074 inhibited the SHS-caused increased mRNA and phosphorylated protein levels of Raf-1 and ERK1/2, suggesting that SHS induces activation of the Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway.

Conclusions

SHS upregulates cerebrovascular ET_A receptors via the Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway, which provides novel understanding of mechanisms involved in SHS-associated stroke.     

Radially polarized and passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with composite structure of gain medium

We report on a radially polarized and passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser.The bulk Nd:YAG crystal is bonded with two undoped YAG crystal end caps to weaken the thermal lens e?ect and thus,enhance the extraction of stored energy in the bulk gain material.In the absence of active water cooling,the average laser power reaches 383 mW with 33% slope efficiency,and the laser pulse achieves 1.457-W peak power,18.9-ns duration,and 13.9-kHz repetition rate with 97.6% polarization purity.     

Laser-induced quadrupoleben quadrupole collisional energy transfer in Xe-Kr

By considering the relative velocity distribution function and multipole expansion interaction Hamiltonian, a three-state model for calculating the cross section of laser-induced quadrupole-quadrupole collisional energy transfer is presented. Calculated results in Xe-Kr system show that in the present system, the laser-induced collision process occurs for ~4 ps, which is much shorter than the dipole-dipole laser-induced collisional energy transfer (LICET) process. The spectrum of laser-induced quadrupole-quadrupole collisional energy transfer in Xe-Kr system has wider tunable range in an order of magnitude than the dipole-dipole LICET spectra. The peak cross section decreases and moves to the quasi-static wing with increasing temperature and the full width at half peak of the profile becomes larger as the system temperature increases.     

Molecular dynamics simulations on local structure and diffusion in liquid TixAl1−x alloys

The microscopic structure and dynamics of liquid Ti_xAl_1-x alloys together with pure liquid Ti and Al metals were investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. This work gives the structural properties, including pair-correlation function, bond-angle distribution function, HA and Voronoi indices, and their composition dependence. The dynamical properties have also been studied. The calculated pair-correlation function, bond-angle distribution function, and HA and Voronoi indices suggest that the stoichiometric composition Ti_0.75Al_0.25 exhibits a different local structure order compared with other concentrations, which help us understand the appearance of the minimum diffusion coefficient at this composition. These results indicate that the mobility of atoms strongly depends on their atomic local structure.     

A possible origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in Indium-Tin oxide thin film: Surface spin polarization and ferromagnetism

Room temperature ferromagnetism in both transition-metals doped and undoped semiconductor thin films and nanostructures challenges our understanding of the magnetism in solids. In this report, we performed the magnetic measurement and Andreev reflection spectroscopy study on undoped Indium-Tin oxide (ITO) thin films and bulk samples. The magnetic measurement results of thin films show that the total magnetization/cm² is thickness independent. Prominent ferromagnetism signal was also discovered in bulk samples. Spin polarized electron transports were probed on ITO thin film/superconductor interface and bulk samples surface/superconductor interface. Based on the magnetic measurement results and spin polarization measurement data, we propose that the ferromagnetism in this material originates from the surface spin polarization and this surface polarization may also explain the room temperature ferromagnetism discovered in other undoped oxide semiconductor thin films and nanostructures.     

Donor impurity states in zinc-blende GaN/AlGaN quantum well: Quantum confinement and laser-dressed effects

Within the framework of effective-mass approximation, the effects of a laser field on the ground-state donor binding energy in zinc-blende (ZB) GaN/AlGaN quantum well (QW) have been investigated variationally. Numerical results show that the donor binding energy is highly dependent on QW structure parameters and Al composition in ZB GaN/AlGaN QW. The laser field effects are more noticeable on the donor binding energy of an impurity localized inside the QW with small well width and low Al composition. However, for the impurity located in the vicinity of the well edge of the QW, the donor binding energy is insensible to the variation of Al composition, well width and laser field intensity in ZB GaN/AlGaN QW. In particular, the competition effects between laser field and quantum confinement on impurity states have also been investigated in this paper.     

Self-consistent charging in dielectric films under defocused electron beam irradiation

We clarify the transient and equilibrium charging characteristics of grounded dielectrics due to low-energy defocused electron beam irradiation by a three-dimensional self-consistent simulation model. The model incorporates the electron scattering, transport and trapping. Results show that some electrons can arrive at the grounded substrate due to the internal field and density gradient, forming the leakage current. The transient charging process tends to equilibrium as the surface potential decreases and the leakage electron current increases. The positive and negative space charges are distributed alternately along the beam incident direction. In the equilibrium state, the surface potential and leakage electron current decrease to stable values with increasing film thickness and the trap density, but with decreasing electron mobility. Moreover, the surface potential of the dielectric thin film exhibits a maximum negative value with variation of the beam energy; for example, under the condition of the film thicknesses 0.5 μm and 2 μm, the maximum negative values of surface potentials are -13 V and -98 V in beam energies 2 keV and 3.5 keV, respectively. However, for the thick film, the surface potential decreases with the increase in beam energy.     

基于.NET和SuperMap的干旱区Web典型地物光谱信息系统的设计与实现

地物波谱特性是遥感定量分析的基础,也是遥感基础研究的重要内容.干旱区绿洲典型地物光谱数据库对于遥感技术在土壤盐渍化方面的应用研究具有重要的意义.该文以渭干河-库车河三角洲绿洲为例,将.NET和SuperMap平台相结合,用SQL Server数据库存储数据,采用B/S模式,使用C#语言设计并开发了地物光谱信息系统,并针...     

卟啉铜接枝SiO2有机-无机复合材料及强的非线性折射率

通过卟啉配合物Meso-四(4-羧基苯基)卟啉铜(简称Cu(Ⅱ)-TCPP)中的羧基与γ-氨基丙基三乙氧基硅烷(NH₂(CH₂)₃Si(OC₂H₅)₃,KH550)中的氨基的相互化学作用,成功地把卟啉配合物接枝到KH550中,随着KH550中乙氧基的水解与聚合反应的进行,卟啉铜连接到固体介质中,从而大幅度提高了卟啉在无机固体介质中的掺杂浓度. 将反应产物与γ-(2,3-环氧丙氧基)丙基三甲氧基硅烷(CH₂CHCH₂O(CH₂)₃Si(OCH₃)₃,KH560) 相杂化,形成物化性能良好、连接卟啉的有机-无机复合材料. 用红外光谱表征了Cu(Ⅱ)-TCPP与KH550的化学反应产物,用紫外—可见吸收光谱研究Cu(Ⅱ)-TCPP的分子状态. 应用Z扫描技术研究不同Cu(Ⅱ)-TCPP掺杂浓度的复合材料的非线性光学性质,其三介非线性折射率n₂达-1.1161×10^-16 m²/W. 关键词： 非线性折射率 有机-无机复合材料 接枝 Meso-四(4-羧基苯基)卟啉铜     

基于高介电常数基板和金属结构负折射材料的设计,仿真与验证

通过将单回路镜像对称开口金属环结构印制在高介电常数基板上,实现了一种金属含量比传统负折射材料更少,"双负"通带比全介质负折射材料更宽的负折射材料.分析了高介电常数基板产生负介电常数以及"双负"通带形成的机理,通过仿真实验分析了影响"双负"通带的因素.通过制作样品验证了这一机理实现"双负"的可行性,理论分析与实验结果都表明这种方法可实现较宽频段内的"双负"通带. 关键词： 负折射材料 负介电常数 负磁导率 介质谐振器原理