Transient Silencing of a Type IV P-Type ATPase, Atp10c, Results in Decreased Glucose Uptake in C2C12 Myotubes

Atp10c is a strong candidate gene for diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes. To identify molecular and cellular targets of ATP10C, Atp10c expression was altered in vitro in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes by transient transfection with an Atp10c-specific siRNA. Glucose uptake assays revealed that insulin stimulation caused a significant 2.54-fold decrease in 2-deoxyglucose uptake in transfected cells coupled with a significant upregulation of native mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38, and p44/42. Additionally, glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1) was significantly upregulated; no changes in glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) expression were observed. The involvement of MAPKs was confirmed using the specific inhibitor SB203580, which downregulated the expression of native and phosphorylated MAPK proteins in transfected cells without any changes in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Results indicate that Atp10c regulates glucose metabolism, at least in part via the MAPK pathway, and, thus, plays a significant role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Shape of a magnetic resonance line in a thin film on the surface of anisotropic superconductor with irregularly distributed Abrikosov's vortices

The form of an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in a thin paramagnetic film (λ/10, λ-London's depth of magnetic field penetration into superconductor) overlying the surface of an anisotropic superconductor is calculated taking into account the local magnetic field non-uniformity of an irregular Abrikosov's vortex lattice. It is shown that the form of EPR is noticeably varied with the degree of irregularity of the superconductor vortex lattice. It is suggested that an inclusion of this circumstance into consideration may essentially change the conclusions made on the lattice type and parameters of this superconductor, which are typically derived from the analysis of the EPR form. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007

Bostonia: v. 63, no. 3

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Distribution of a Local Magnetic Field in Superconductors with an Uncorrelated Random Lattice of Abrikosov Vortices

The distribution of a local magnetic field near the surface of a uniaxial anisotropic type-II superconductor is determined in the framework of the London model in the case when the Abrikosov vortices are randomly distributed in the superconductor. The distribution of a local magnetic field is obtained as a function of the distance from the surface of the superconductor. It is demonstrated that the shape of the distribution of the local magnetic field near the surface differs substantially from that in the bulk of the superconductor. This difference should be taken into account in interpreting experimental data on the local magnetic field in the surface region of the superconductor and in thin superconducting films (with a thickness of less than or equal to λ, where λ is the depth of penetration of the magnetic field into the superconductor). It is shown that, as in the case of a regular lattice of vortices, the value of λ, can be determined from observations of the distribution of the local magnetic field in type-II superconductors with an uncorrelated random lattice of vortices. © 2004 MAIK "Nauka/ Interperiodica"

Shape of the nuclear magnetic resonance line in anisotropic superconductors with an irregular vortex lattice

The NMR line shape in type-II superconductors has been constructed with allowance for a change in the nonuniform magnetic field of an irregular vortex lattice near the surface of a superconductor. The NMR line shape is shown to change as a function of the irregularity of the vortex lattice rather that being simply broadened. This change is related to a lowering of the local symmetry of the irregular vortex lattice in the superconductor. This circumstance can substantially change the conclusions regarding the vortex-lattice type and the superconductor parameters that are usually drawn from the NMR line shape. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2006

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus as an Unusual Presentation of Supratentorial Extraventricular Space-Occupying Processes: Report on Two Cases

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a clinical and radiographic syndrome characterized by ventriculomegaly, abnormal gait, urinary incontinence, and dementia. The condition may occur due to a variety of secondary causes but may be idiopathic in approximately 50% of patients. Secondary causes may include head injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningitis, and central nervous system tumor. Here, we describe two extremely rare cases of supratentorial extraventricular space-occupying processes: meningioma and glioblastoma multiforme, which initially presented with NPH

The Specifics of the City Chronotope in L. Andreev’s Story “The Curse of the Beast”

Благодарности: выражаю благодарность своему научному руководителю, заведующей кафедрой русской, зарубежной литературы и массовых коммуникаций БГУ Никитиной Ирине Николаевне за помощь в проделанной работе, мудрые наставления и профессионализм.Acknowledgments: I express my gratitude to my scientific supervisor, Head of the Department of Russian, Foreign Literature and Mass Communications of Bryansk State University Irina N. Nikitina for her help in the work done, wise instructions and professionalism.В статье рассматривается образ города, его роль и функции в сюжете произведения, анализируется рассказ «Проклятие зверя» как художественная система с позиции мотивной структуры, концепции личности, хронотопа города, поэтики и психологизма. Выявляются закономерности воздействия образа города на идейно-тематический комплекс рассказа.The article examines the image of the city, its role and functions in the plot of the work. The stories “The Curse of the Beast” is analyzed as an artistic system from the perspective of the motive structure, the concept of personality, the chronotope of the city, poetics, and psychologism. On the basis of thematic and aesthetic criteria, the regularities of the impact of the city image on the ideological and thematic complex of the story are revealed

Bostonia: v. 64, no. 1

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Interlayer interaction, shear vibrational mode, and tribological properties of two-dimensional bilayers with a commensurate moir\'e pattern

The potential energy surface (PES) of interlayer interaction of infinite twisted bilayer graphene is calculated for a set of commensurate moir\'e patterns using the registry-dependent Kolmogorov-Crespi empirical potential. The calculated PESs have the same shape for all considered moir\'e patterns with the unit cell size of the PES which is inversely related to the unit cell size of the moir\'e pattern. The amplitude of PES corrugations is found to decrease exponentially upon increasing the size of the moir\'e pattern unit cell. An analytical expression for such a PES including the first Fourier harmonics compatible with the symmetries of both layers is derived. It is shown that the calculated PESs can be approximated by the derived expression with the accuracy within 1%. This means that different physical properties associated with relative in-plane motion of graphene layers are interrelated and can be expressed analytically as functions of the amplitude of PES corrugations. In this way, we obtain the shear mode frequency, shear modulus, shear strength and barrier for relative rotation of the commensurate twisted layers to a fully incommensurate state for the considered moir\'e patterns. This barrier may possibly lead to the macroscopic robust superlubricity for twisted graphene bilayer with a commensurate moir\'e pattern. The conclusions made should be valid for diverse 2D systems of twisted commensurate layers.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures; Supplemental Material: 2 pages, 1 figur