51 research outputs found
Priority diffusion model in lattices and complex networks
We introduce a model for diffusion of two classes of particles ( and )
with priority: where both species are present in the same site the motion of
's takes precedence over that of 's. This describes realistic situations
in wireless and communication networks. In regular lattices the diffusion of
the two species is normal but the particles are significantly slower, due
to the presence of the particles. From the fraction of sites where the
particles can move freely, which we compute analytically, we derive the
diffusion coefficients of the two species. In heterogeneous networks the
fraction of sites where is free decreases exponentially with the degree of
the sites. This, coupled with accumulation of particles in high-degree nodes
leads to trapping of the low priority particles in scale-free networks.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
On distributions of functionals of anomalous diffusion paths
Functionals of Brownian motion have diverse applications in physics,
mathematics, and other fields. The probability density function (PDF) of
Brownian functionals satisfies the Feynman-Kac formula, which is a Schrodinger
equation in imaginary time. In recent years there is a growing interest in
particular functionals of non-Brownian motion, or anomalous diffusion, but no
equation existed for their PDF. Here, we derive a fractional generalization of
the Feynman-Kac equation for functionals of anomalous paths based on
sub-diffusive continuous-time random walk. We also derive a backward equation
and a generalization to Levy flights. Solutions are presented for a wide number
of applications including the occupation time in half space and in an interval,
the first passage time, the maximal displacement, and the hitting probability.
We briefly discuss other fractional Schrodinger equations that recently
appeared in the literature.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure
T Cells Enhance Stem-Like Properties and Conditional Malignancy in Gliomas
Small populations of highly tumorigenic stem-like cells (cancer stem cells; CSCs) can exist within, and uniquely regenerate cancers including malignant brain tumors (gliomas). Many aspects of glioma CSCs (GSCs), however, have been characterized in non-physiological settings.We found gene expression similarity superiorly defined glioma "stemness", and revealed that GSC similarity increased with lower tumor grade. Using this method, we examined stemness in human grade IV gliomas (GBM) before and after dendritic cell (DC) vaccine therapy. This was followed by gene expression, phenotypic and functional analysis of murine GL26 tumors recovered from nude, wild-type, or DC-vaccinated host brains.GSC similarity was specifically increased in post-vaccine GBMs, and correlated best to vaccine-altered gene expression and endogenous anti-tumor T cell activity. GL26 analysis confirmed immune alterations, specific acquisition of stem cell markers, specifically enhanced sensitivity to anti-stem drug (cyclopamine), and enhanced tumorigenicity in wild-type hosts, in tumors in proportion to anti-tumor T cell activity. Nevertheless, vaccine-exposed GL26 cells were no more tumorigenic than parental GL26 in T cell-deficient hosts, though they otherwise appeared similar to GSCs enriched by chemotherapy. Finally, vaccine-exposed GBM and GL26 exhibited relatively homogeneous expression of genes expressed in progenitor cells and/or differentiation.T cell activity represents an inducible physiological process capable of proportionally enriching GSCs in human and mouse gliomas. Stem-like gliomas enriched by strong T cell activity, however, may differ from other GSCs in that their stem-like properties may be disassociated from increased tumor malignancy and heterogeneity under specific host immune conditions
Metabolic and morphological alterations induced by proteolysis-inducing factor from Walker tumour-bearing rats in C2C12 myotubes
BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced cancer suffer from cachexia, which is characterised by a marked weight loss, and is invariably associated with the presence of tumoral and humoral factors which are mainly responsible for the depletion of fat stores and muscular tissue. METHODS: In this work, we used cytotoxicity and enzymatic assays and morphological analysis to examine the effects of a proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF)-like molecule purified from ascitic fluid of Walker tumour-bearing rats (WF), which has been suggested to be responsible for muscle atrophy, on cultured C2C12 muscle cells. RESULTS: WF decreased the viability of C2C12 myotubes, especially at concentrations of 20-25 mug.mL-1. There was an increase in the content of the pro-oxidant malondialdehyde, and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity. Myotubes protein synthesis decreased and protein degradation increased together with an enhanced in the chymotrypsin-like enzyme activity, a measure of functional proteasome activity, after treatment with WF. Morphological alterations such as cell retraction and the presence of numerous cells in suspension were observed, particularly at high WF concentrations. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that WF has similar effects to those of proteolysis-inducing factor, but is less potent than the latter. Further studies are required to determine the precise role of WF in this experimental model. © 2008 Yano et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd
Fine mapping of the 9q31 Hirschsprung’s disease locus
Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR) is a congenital disorder characterised by the absence of ganglia along variable lengths of the intestine. The RET gene is the major HSCR gene. Reduced penetrance of RET mutations and phenotypic variability suggest the involvement of additional modifying genes in the disease. A RET-dependent modifier locus was mapped to 9q31 in families bearing no coding sequence (CDS) RET mutations. Yet, the 9q31 causative locus is to be identified. To fine-map the 9q31 region, we genotyped 301 tag-SNPs spanning 7 Mb on 137 HSCR Dutch trios. This revealed two HSCR-associated regions that were further investigated in 173 Chinese HSCR patients and 436 controls using the genotype data obtained from a genome-wide association study recently conducted. Within one of the two identified regions SVEP1 SNPs were found associated with Dutch HSCR patients in the absence of RET mutations. This ratifies the reported linkage to the 9q31 region in HSCR families with no RET CDS mutations. However, this finding could not be replicated. In Chinese, HSCR was found associated with IKBKAP. In contrast, this association was stronger in patients carrying RET CDS mutations with p = 5.10 × 10−6 [OR = 3.32 (1.99, 5.59)] after replication. The HSCR-association found for IKBKAP in Chinese suggests population specificity and implies that RET mutation carriers may have an additional risk. Our finding is supported by the role of IKBKAP in the development of the nervous system
Mood disorder with mixed, psychotic features due to vitamin b12 deficiency in an adolescent: case report
The role of oxidative stress in skeletal muscle injury and regeneration: focus on antioxidant enzymes
Potential cellular and biochemical mechanisms of exercise and physical activity on the ageing process
Exercise in young adults has been consistently shown to improve various aspects of physiological and psychological health but we are now realising the potential benefits of exercise with advancing age. Specifically, exercise improves cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and metabolic health through reductions in oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation and modulating cellular processes within a variety of tissues. In this this chapter we will discuss the effects of acute and chronic exercise on these processes and conditions in an ageing population, and how physical activity affects our vasculature, skeletal muscle function, our immune system, and cardiometabolic risk in older adults
Dendrimer-Modified Silicon Oxide Surfaces as Platforms for the Deposition of Gold and Silver Colloid Monolayers: Preparation Method, Characterization, and Correlation between Microstructure and Optical Properties
Atomic-Scale Evolution of a Growing Core–Shell Nanoparticle
Understanding
the atomic-scale growth at solid/solution interfaces
is an emerging frontier in molecular and materials chemistry. This
is particularly challenging when studying chemistry occurring on the
surfaces of nanoparticles in solution. Here, we provide atomic-scale
resolution of growth, in a statistical approach, at the surfaces of
inorganic nanoparticles by state-of-the-art aberration-corrected transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) and focal series reconstruction. Using well-known
CdSe nanoparticles, we unfold new information that, for the first
time, allows following growth directly, and the subsequent formation
of CdS shells. We correlate synthetic procedures with resulting atomic
structure by revealing the distribution of lattice disorder (such
as stacking faults) within the CdSe core particles. With additional
sequential synthetic steps, an ongoing transformation of the entire
structure occurs, such that annealing takes place and stacking faults
are eliminated from the core. The general strategy introduced here
can now be used to provide equally revealing atomic-scale information
concerning the structural evolution of inorganic nanostructures
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