Quantitative profiling of hydroxy lipid metabolites in mouse organs reveals distinct lipidomic profiles and modifications due to elevated n-3 fatty acid levels

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are precursors of bioactive metabolites and mediators. In this study, the profile of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic (HETE), hydroxyeicosapentaenoic (HEPE) and hydroxydocosahexaenoic (HDHA) acids derived from arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in colon, liver, lung, spleen, muscle, heart and kidney tissue of healthy wildtype mice were characterized, and compared to profiles in organs from transgenic fat-1 mice engineered to express the Caenorhabditis elegans fat-1 gene encoding an n-3 desaturase and thereby with endogenously elevated n-3 PUFA levels. PUFAs were measured using gas chromatography. The lipid metabolites were assayed using LC-MS/MS. AA and DHA were the prominent PUFAs in wildtype and fat-1 mice. EPA levels were low in both groups even though there was a significant increase in fat-1 organs with an up to 12-fold increase in fat-1 spleen and kidney. DHA levels increased by approximately 1.5-fold in fat-1 as compared to wildtype mice. While HETEs remained the same or decreased moderately and HDHAs increased 1- to 3-fold, HEPE formation in fat-1 tissues increased from 8- (muscle) to 44-fold (spleen). These findings indicate distinct profiles of monohydroxy lipid metabolites in different organs and strong utilization of EPA for HEPE formation, by which moderate EPA supplementation might trigger formation of biologically active EPA-derived resolvins

Grooming of Dynamic Traffic in WDM Star and Tree Networks Using Genetic Algorithm

The advances in WDM technology lead to the great interest in traffic grooming problems. As traffic often changes from time to time, the problem of grooming dynamic traffic is of great practical value. In this paper, we discuss dynamic grooming of traffic in star and tree networks. A genetic algorithm (GA) based approach is proposed to support arbitrary dynamic traffic patterns, which minimizes the number of ADM's and wavelengths. To evaluate the algorithm, tighter bounds are derived. Computer simulation results show that our algorithm is efficient in reducing both the numbers of ADM's and wavelengths in tree and star networks.Comment: 15 page

The signals of FGFs on the neurogenesis of embryonic stem cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neural induction is a complex process and the detailed mechanism of FGF-induced neurogenesis remains unclear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>By using a serum-free neural induction method, we showed that FGF1 dose-dependently promoted the induction of Sox1/N-cadherin/nestin triple positive cells, which represent primitive neuroblasts, from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We demonstrated that FGF1, FGF2, and FGF4, but not FGF8b, enhanced this neurogenesis. Especially, FGF-enhanced neurogenesis is not mediated through the rescue of the apoptosis or the enhancement of the proliferation of Sox1⁺cells. We further indicated that the inactivation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK-1) and extracellular signal-related kinase-2 (ERK-2), but not p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), inhibited the neural formation through the inhibition of ES differentiation, but not through the formation of endomesodermal cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These lines of evidence delineated the roles of FGF downstream signals in the early neural differentiation of ES cells.</p

The significance of sample mass in the analysis of steroid estrogens in sewage sludges and the derivation of partition coefficients in wastewaters

Optimization of an analytical method for determination of steroid estrogens, through minimizing sample size, resulted in recoveries >84%, with relative standard deviations <3% and demonstrated the significance of sample size on method performance. Limits of detection were 2.1–5.3 ng/g. Primary sludges had estrogen concentrations of up to one order of magnitude less than those found in biological sludges (up to 994 ng/g). However, partition coefficients were higher in primary sludges (except estriol), with the most hydrophobic compound (ethinylestradiol) exhibiting the highest Kp value, information which may be of value to those involved in modeling removal during wastewater treatment

VOC amounts in ambient areas of a high-technology science park in Taiwan: their reciprocal correlations and impact on inhabitants

This study presents bihourly, seasonal, and yearly concentration changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the inlet and effluent water of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of a high-technology science park (HTIP) in Taiwan, with the VOC amounts at different sites correlated geologically. This research adopted a combination of two systems, solid-phase microextraction with a gas chromatography/flame ionization detector and an assembly of purge and trap coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, to monitor polar and nonpolar VOCs in wastewater. This paper investigated the total VOCs, acetone, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations in real water samples collected in the ambient area of the HTIP. The major contents of VOCs measured in the effluent of the WWTP in the HTIP and the surrounding river region were DMS (14-176 ppb), acetone (5-95 ppb), and IPA (15-316 ppb). In comparison with the total VOCs in the inlet wastewater of the WWTP, no corresponding relationship for total VOC concentration in the wastewater was observed between the inlet water and effluent water of the WWTP. The peak VOC concentrations appeared in the third season, and the correlation of different VOC amounts reflects the production situation of the factories. In addition, VOC concentrations at different sites indicate that the Ke-Ya River is seemingly an effective channel for transporting wastewater to its final destination. The data are good indications for the management of environmental pollution near the HTIP

A reduction of unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis by a therapy combining valsartan with aliskiren

Wu WP, Chang CH, Chiu YT, Ku CL, Wen MC, Shu KH, Wu MJ. A reduction of unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis by a therapy combining valsartan with aliskiren. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 299: F929-F941, 2010. First published August 4, 2010; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00192.2010.-The protective effect of combination therapy with valsartan and aliskiren against renal fibrosis remains to be defined. This study was undertaken to examine the protective effects of the combination of valsartan and aliskiren against renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Combination therapy with valsartan (15 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1)) and aliskiren (10 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1)), valsartan monotherapy (30 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1)), and aliskiren monotherapy (20 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1)) all significantly ameliorated the increase in blood urea nitrogen and the degree of hydronephrosis determined by the increase in weight and length of the obstructed kidney. The dose titration study and blood pressure measurement confirmed that the combination therapy provided a greater benefit independent of the vasodilatory effect. There were no significant changes in serum levels of creatinine, sodium, and potassium in UUO rats and any treatment groups. Combination therapy also attenuated UUO-related increases in the scores of tubular dilatation, interstitial volume, interstitial collagen deposition, alpha-smooth muscle actin, the activation of ERK 1/2, the infiltration of monocytes/macrophages, the mRNA expression of snail-1, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 to a greater extent compared with aliskiren or valsartan used alone. The mRNA expression of renin and the (pro) renin receptor significantly increased after UUO. Combination therapy and monotherapy of valsartan and aliskiren had a comparable enhancing effect on the mRNA expression of renin, whereas all these treatments did not affect the expression of the (pro) renin receptor. In conclusion, a direct renin inhibitor in conjunction with an angiotensin II receptor blocker exerts increased renal protection against renal fibrosis and inflammation during obstruction over either agent alone

Knowledge-based energy functions for computational studies of proteins

This chapter discusses theoretical framework and methods for developing knowledge-based potential functions essential for protein structure prediction, protein-protein interaction, and protein sequence design. We discuss in some details about the Miyazawa-Jernigan contact statistical potential, distance-dependent statistical potentials, as well as geometric statistical potentials. We also describe a geometric model for developing both linear and non-linear potential functions by optimization. Applications of knowledge-based potential functions in protein-decoy discrimination, in protein-protein interactions, and in protein design are then described. Several issues of knowledge-based potential functions are finally discussed.Comment: 57 pages, 6 figures. To be published in a book by Springe

Proximity effect at superconducting Sn-Bi2Se3 interface

We have investigated the conductance spectra of Sn-Bi2Se3 interface junctions down to 250 mK and in different magnetic fields. A number of conductance anomalies were observed below the superconducting transition temperature of Sn, including a small gap different from that of Sn, and a zero-bias conductance peak growing up at lower temperatures. We discussed the possible origins of the smaller gap and the zero-bias conductance peak. These phenomena support that a proximity-effect-induced chiral superconducting phase is formed at the interface between the superconducting Sn and the strong spin-orbit coupling material Bi2Se3.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Heavy Quarks and Heavy Quarkonia as Tests of Thermalization

We present here a brief summary of new results on heavy quarks and heavy quarkonia from the PHENIX experiment as presented at the "Quark Gluon Plasma Thermalization" Workshop in Vienna, Austria in August 2005, directly following the International Quark Matter Conference in Hungary.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Quark Gluon Plasma Thermalization Workshop (Vienna August 2005) Proceeding

Centrality Dependence of the High p_T Charged Hadron Suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV

PHENIX has measured the centrality dependence of charged hadron p_T spectra from central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV. The truncated mean p_T decreases with centrality for p_T > 2 GeV/c, indicating an apparent reduction of the contribution from hard scattering to high p_T hadron production. For central collisions the yield at high p_T is shown to be suppressed compared to binary nucleon-nucleon collision scaling of p+p data. This suppression is monotonically increasing with centrality, but most of the change occurs below 30% centrality, i.e. for collisions with less than about 140 participating nucleons. The observed p_T and centrality dependence is consistent with the particle production predicted by models including hard scattering and subsequent energy loss of the scattered partons in the dense matter created in the collisions.Comment: 7 pages text, LaTeX, 6 figures, 2 tables, 307 authors, resubmitted to Phys. Lett. B. Revised to address referee concerns. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/phenix/WWW/run/phenix/papers.htm