The Small Molecule PPARγ Agonist GL516 Induces Feeding-Stimulatory Effects in Hypothalamus Cells Hypo-E22 and Isolated Hypothalami

PPARγ agonists are implicated in the regulation of diabetes and metabolic syndrome and have therapeutic potential in brain disorders. PPARγ modulates appetite through its central effects, especially on the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). Previous studies demonstrated that the small molecule GL516 is a PPARγ agonist able to reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis with a potential neuroprotective role. Herein, we investigated the effects of GL516, in vitro and ex vivo, on the levels of hypothalamic dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT). The gene expressions of neuropeptide Y, CART, AgRP, and POMC, which play master roles in the neuroendocrine regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance, were also evaluated. HypoE22 cells were treated with H₂O₂ (300 μM) for 2 h e 30’ and with different concentrations of GL516 (1 nM-100 µM). The cell viability was evaluated after 24 and 48 h of culturing using the MTT test. DA and 5-HT levels in the HypoE22 cell supernatants were analyzed through HPLC; an ex vivo study on isolated hypothalamic specimens challenged with scalar concentrations of GL516 (1–100 µM) and with pioglitazone (10 µM) was carried out. The gene expressions of CART, NPY, AgRP, and POMC were also determined by a quantitative real-time PCR. The results obtained showed that GL516 was able to reduce DA and 5-HT turnover; moreover, it was effective in stimulating NPY and AgRP gene expressions with a concomitant reduction in CART and POMC gene expressions. These results highlight the capability of GL516 to modulate neuropeptide pathways deeply involved in appetite control suggesting an orexigenic effect. These findings emphasize the potential use of GL516 as a promising candidate for therapeutical applications in neurodegenerative diseases associated with the reduction in food intake and stimulation of catabolic pathways.     

Metabolic Profile of Agropyron repens (L.) P. Beauv. Rhizome Herbal Tea by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS Analysis

Agropyron repens (L.) P. Beauv. (couch grass) is a world-wide infesting rhizomatous plant with pharmacological applications. Chemical research is focused on its allelopathic and anti-inflammatory components, which are mainly present in the essential oil. Conversely, the aqueous extracts have been sparingly investigated, although the herbal tea is by far the most used formulation. To fill the gap, the metabolic profile of Agropyron repens rhizome herbal tea was investigated by electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem–mass spectrometry (MS/MS); the phenolic profile was investigated by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS. ESI-MS fingerprinting was provided, evidencing diagnostic ions for saccharides, organic acids and amino acids. The HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS analysis evidenced at least 20 characteristic phenolic compounds, the most representative being caffeoyl and feruloyl quinic esters, followed by coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids, and hesperidin among flavonoids. In addition, the essential amino acid tryptophan was identified for the first time. The results suggest new perspectives of applications for Agropyron repens rhizome.     

Multiple Jacobi Elliptic Function Solutions to Integrable Higher Order Broer-Kaup Equation in (2+1)-Dimensional Spaces

In this paper, we improve the method for deriving Jacobi elliptic function solutions of nonlinear evolution equations given in Ref. [12] and apply it to the integrable higher-order Broer-Kaup system in (2 1)-dimensional spaces.Some new elliptic function solutions are obtained.     

Secure Direct Communication Using Ensembles with the Same Compressed Density Matrix

In this paper, a quantum secure direct communication protocol using ensembles with the same density matrix is proposed. The two communication parties can realize the message transmission using this method through a quantum channel, each bit of information can be transmitted using an ensemble and read out through global measurement.The eavesdropping behavior can be detected through the channel diagnoses.     

On Physically Unacceptable Numerical Solutions Yielding Strong Chaotic Signals

Physically unacceptable chaotic numerical solutions of nonlinear circuits and systems are discussed in this paper. First, as an introduction, a simple example of a wrong choice of a numerical solver to deal with a second-order linear ordinary differential equation is presented. Then, the main result follows with the analysis of an ill-designed numerical approach to solve and analyze a particular nonlinear memristive circuit. The obtained trajectory of the numerical solution is unphysical (not acceptable), as it violates the presence of an invariant plane in the continuous systems. Such a poor outcome is then turned around, as we look at the unphysical numerical solution as a source of strong chaotic sequences. The 0–1 test for chaos and bifurcation diagrams are applied to prove that the unacceptable (from the continuous system point of view) numerical solutions are, in fact, useful chaotic sequences with possible applications in cryptography and the secure transmission of data.     

Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy of Methylfuran Isomers: Local vs. Global Treatments of the Internal Rotation

Methylfurans are methylated aromatic heterocyclic volatile organic compounds and primary or secondary pollutants in the atmosphere due to their capability to form secondary organic aerosols in presence of atmospheric oxidants. There is therefore a significant interest to monitor these molecules in the gas phase. High resolution spectroscopic studies of methylated furan compounds are generally limited to pure rotational spectroscopy in the vibrational ground state. This lack of results might be explained by the difficulties arisen from the internal rotation of the methyl group inducing non-trivial patterns in the rotational spectra. In this study, we discuss the benefits to assign the mm-wave rotational-torsional spectra of methylfuran with the global approach of the BELGI-Cs code compared to local approaches such as XIAM and ERHAM. The global approach reproduces the observed rotational lines of 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran in the mm-wave region at the experimental accuracy for the ground vt=0 and the first torsional vt=1 states with a unique set of molecular parameters. In addition, the V3 and V6 parameters describing the internal rotation potential barrier may be determined with a high degree of accuracy with the global approach. Finally, a discussion with other heterocyclic compounds enables the study of the influence of the electronic environment on the hindered rotation of the methyl group.     

疫情影响下的全球治理：碎片化与中等强国的角色

世界正面临着第二次世界大战以来最严重的全球危机。不仅各国政府正在尽其所能改善国内公共卫生管理,而且国际社会也迫切需要改善全球治理。然而,面对这场全球性危机,世界没有应有的团结。相反,美国推进对抗性竞争战略以维护世界霸权,其政客试图将预防和控制政治化,破坏全球协调机制。这使得全球治理的缺陷进一步暴露,碎片化趋势进一步呈现,大国竞争及权势转移的趋势更为明显。可预见的未来,全球治理进程更有可能采用区域形式。适应全球治理的迫切需求,中等强国在全球治理中的多重作用空间显著扩大,多数选择平衡外交政策,力主践行多边主义,扮演“催化剂”“搭桥者”角色,赢得全球影响力;不过“追随者”角色也让部分中等强国暴露出能力上的弱点与外交独立性的不足。     

全球治理困境与国家“再现”的最终逻辑

在全球治理危机频现和大国战略竞争加剧的背景下,“国家中心主义”回归引发了人们对经济全球化走势的担忧。本轮国家中心主义回归的逻辑是：此前自由主义全球化的过度发展导致国家功能隐退;而当全球治理状况恶化时,国家的重要性再度凸现,成为各国社会谋求自我体系安全的唯一“阀门”,民族主义、保护主义思潮亦大行其道。从中期看,未来的全球体系重建过程将充满国家中心主义与自由主义两种理性的持续角力,国家与市场的作用都将在“拉锯战”相互影响与重塑。从远期看,新型全球化将是国家与市场关系再平衡的产物,国家仍是兼具服务本民族发展及其外部性的主要工具。国家处理内外发展与治理多重挑战的“灵活度”即为评判其核心竞争力的最终标准。     

一类非线性边值问题正解的存在性

本文运用锥上的不动点理论,讨论了一类与一阶导函数有关的二阶奇性混合边值问题的正解存在性．