2,306 research outputs found
Development of Neural Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease
Neural stem cell (NSC)-based therapies, such as cell transplantation, are an emerging strategy for restoring neuronal function in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is characterized by a profound and selective loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Advanced researches on the microenvironment of grafted cells will promote clinical applications of NSCs for neurological disorders. A novel cell culture model of the neurovascular network was therefore devised to investigate autocrine, paracrine, and juxtacrine signaling in the neurovascular unit generated by NSCs and vascular endothelial cells. Preclinical studies using cutting-edge technologies, including cellular reprogramming, advancement in scaffolds for brain tissue engineering, image-guided injection, and noninvasive monitoring of tissue regeneration will pave the way for successful clinical trials of NSC-based therapies for PD. Once the implanted or regenerated DA neurons are integrated into the existing nigrostriatal DA pathway, the symptoms of PD can potentially be alleviated by reversing characteristic neurodegeneration
A Simple Model for Cavity Enhanced Slow Lights in Vertical Cavity Surface Emission Lasers
We develop a simple model for the slow lights in Vertical Cavity Surface
Emission Lasers (VCSELs), with the combination of cavity and population
pulsation effects. The dependences of probe signal power, injection bias
current and wavelength detuning for the group delays are demonstrated
numerically and experimentally. Up to 65 ps group delays and up to 10 GHz
modulation frequency can be achieved in the room temperature at the wavelength
of 1.3 m. The most significant feature of our VCSEL device is that the
length of active region is only several m long. Based on the experimental
parameters of quantum dot VCSEL structures, we show that the resonance effect
of laser cavity plays a significant role to enhance the group delays
Anti-Hyperglycemic Properties of Crude Extract and Triterpenes from Poria cocos
Poria cocos, Bai Fu Ling in Chinese, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. However, its claimed benefits and mechanism are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect and action of P. cocos on type 2 diabetes. We first performed phytochemical analysis on the crude extract and factions of P. cocos. P. cocos crude extract at 50 mg/kg body weight or more significantly decreased blood glucose levels in db/db mice. Based on a bioactivity-directed fractionation and isolation (BDFI) strategy, chloroform fraction and subfractions 4 and 6 of the P. cocos crude extract possessed a blood glucose-lowering effect. Dehydrotumulosic acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid, and pachymic acid were identified from the chloroform sub-fractions 4, 3, and 2, respectively. Dehydrotumulosic acid had anti-hyperglycemic effect to a greater extent than dehydrotrametenolic acid and pachymic acid. Mechanistic study on streptozocin- (STZ-) treated mice showed that the crude extract, dehydrotumulosic acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid, and pachymic acid of P. cocos exhibited different levels of insulin sensitizer activity. However, the P. cocos crude extract and triterpenes appeared not to activate PPAR-γ pathway. Overall, the data suggest that the P. cocos extract and its triterpenes reduce postprandial blood glucose levels in db/db mice via enhanced insulin sensitivity irrespective of PPAR-γ
Disordered Fe vacancies and superconductivity in potassium-intercalated iron selenide (K2-xFe4+ySe5)
The parent compound of an unconventional superconductor must contain unusual
correlated electronic and magnetic properties of its own. In the high-Tc
potassium intercalated FeSe, there has been significant debate regarding what
the exact parent compound is. Our studies unambiguously show that the
Fe-vacancy ordered K2Fe4Se5 is the magnetic, Mott insulating parent compound of
the superconducting state. Non-superconducting K2Fe4Se5 becomes a
superconductor after high temperature annealing, and the overall picture
indicates that superconductivity in K2-xFe4+ySe5 originates from the Fe-vacancy
order to disorder transition. Thus, the long pending question whether magnetic
and superconducting state are competing or cooperating for cuprate
superconductors may also apply to the Fe-chalcogenide superconductors. It is
believed that the iron selenides and related compounds will provide essential
information to understand the origin of superconductivity in the iron-based
superconductors, and possibly to the superconducting cuprates
RANKL Deletion in Periodontal Ligament and Bone Lining Cells Blocks Orthodontic Tooth Movement
The bone remodeling process in response to orthodontic forces requires the activity of osteoclasts to allow teeth to move in the direction of the force applied. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) is essential for this process although its cellular source in response to orthodontic forces has not been determined. Orthodontic tooth movement is considered to be an aseptic inflammatory process that is stimulated by leukocytes inclduing T and B lymphocytes which are presumed to stimulate bone resorption. We determined whether periodontal ligament and bone lining cells were an essential source of RANKL by tamoxifen induced deletion of RANKL in which Cre recombinase was driven by a 3.2 kb reporter element of the Col1α1 gene in experimental mice (Col1α1.CreERTM+.RANKLf/f) and compared results with littermate controls (Col1α1.CreERTM-.RANKLf/f). By examination of Col1α1.CreERTM+.ROSA26 reporter mice we showed tissue specificity of tamoxifen induced Cre recombinase predominantly in the periodontal ligament and bone lining cells. Surprisingly we found that most of the orthodontic tooth movement and formation of osteoclasts was blocked in the experimental mice, which also had a reduced periodontal ligament space. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that RANKL produced by periodontal ligament and bone lining cells provide the major driving force for tooth movement and osteoclastogenesis in response to orthodontic forces
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