Intense isolectin-B4 binding in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons distinguishes c-fiber nociceptors with broad action potentials and high nav1.9 expression

Binding to isolectin-B4 (IB4) and expression of tyrosine kinase A (trkA) (the high-affinity NGF receptor) have been used to define two different subgroups of nociceptive small dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. We previously showed that only nociceptors have high trkA levels. However, information about sensory and electrophysiological properties in vivo of single identified IB4-binding neurons, and about their trkA expression levels, is lacking. IB4-positive (IB4+) and small dark neurons had similar size distributions. We examined IB4-binding levels in >120 dye-injected DRG neurons with sensory and electrophysiological properties recorded in vivo. Relative immunointensities for trkA and two TTX-resistant sodium channels (Nav1.8 and Nav1.9) were also measured in these neurons. IB4+ neurons were classified as strongly or weakly IB4+. All strongly IB4+ neurons were C-nociceptor type (C-fiber nociceptive or unresponsive). Of 32 C-nociceptor-type neurons examined, ~50% were strongly IB4+, ~20% were weakly IB4+ and ~30% were IB4–. A{delta} low-threshold mechanoreceptive (LTM) neurons were weakly IB4+ or IB4–. All 33 A-fiber nociceptors and all 44 A{alpha}/beta-LTM neurons examined were IB4–. IB4+ compared with IB4– C-nociceptor-type neurons had longer somatic action potential durations and rise times, slower conduction velocities, more negative membrane potentials, and greater immunointensities for Nav1.9 but not Nav1.8. Immunointensities of IB4 binding in C-neurons were positively correlated with those of Nav1.9 but not Nav1.8. Of 23 C-neurons tested for both trkA and IB4, ~35% were trkA+/IB4+ but with negatively correlated immunointensities; 26% were IB4+/trkA–, and 35% were IB4–/trkA+. We conclude that strongly IB4+ DRG neurons are exclusively C-nociceptor type and that high Nav1.9 expression may contribute to their distinct membrane properties

Investigating the Influence of Product Reviews on Perceived Uncertainty in Online Transactions

Customers’ concerns about the potential risks in online transactions hinder the development of e-commerce. Researchershave devoted a lot of effort to looking for a way to alleviate the uncertainty pertaining to these risks. Online customer reviewsdesigned to deliver information in addition to a manufacturer’s product description, have attracted researchers’ attention. Inthis study, we assume that the risks in an online transaction originate specifically from sellers’ hidden information and hiddenactions. With the aid of customer reviews of products, we want to measure how this uncertainty and these risks can bealleviated. In addition, we measure the effects of customer reviews with different argument qualities and different starratings

CORRELATIONS OF POSTURAL CONTROL TO PROPRIOCEPTION, TACTILE SENSATION AND MUSCLE STRENGTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Background: Falls are one of the most important causes of physical injury and death in older adults. Postural control is associated with an elevated risk of falls in older adults. the purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between static/dynamic postural control ability and proprioception, plantar skin touch, and muscle strength in older adults. Method: Partial correlation analysis was used to quantitatively analyze the correlation between plantar tactile sensitivity, proprioception, lower limb muscle strength and postural control, and regression analysis was used to build an effective model of human postural control. Result: The postural control of the older adults is related to the plantar tactile sensitivity, proprioception, and lower limb muscle strength. Conclusion: dynamic postural control mainly affected by lower limb muscle strength and proprioception, suggesting that trainings to improve the ankle plantarflexion, hip abduction muscle strength and knee and ankle proprioception should be recommended to older adults to improve dynamic postural control. Static postural control mainly affected by planter tactile sensitivity and proprioception suggesting that trainings to improve the proprioception and planter tactile sensitivity should be recommended to older adults to improve static postural control

What can the structure of the palmprint tell us?

Since the olden days, palmistry has been used to foretell a person?s character traits and fate. The study of various lines and mounts of the palm helps the reader predict the person?s future. As research on palmprints progresses, there had been more uses of it being discovered, such as health prediction. These researches surface the need to further identify and make use of the mysteries of the palm. This paper aims to understand the different researches and its methods in disseminating the information for fortune telling and health prediction palmistry. With these understandings, the possibility of creating a database and query system for fortune telling and health prediction information is explored

Understanding Conformational Regulation of the Integrin I-domain for Design of Chimeric Protein Switches

Within all complex biological processes intricate proteins are expressed to complete every niche and necessary task. Many express multiple allosterically regulated conformational states, with protein function regulated by effector molecules and other ligands. One such protein is the LFA-1 surface integrin protein and its inserted domain, the I-domain. We Isolated the I-domain for investigation of determining binding properties and understanding conformational regulations of affinity changes to its target ligand ICAM-1, for further use in chimeric protein switch design. A large change in binding affinity was found through the deletion of a sub-sequence of amino acids in I-domain known as the α7 helix. Our investigation shows that, when the α7 helix is deleted, I-domain converts into a permanent high affinity state in which binding affinity to ICAM-1 was increased, and this state can be reversed by co-expression with soluble α7 helix peptide. These results conclude that the α7 helix stabilizes the I domain in its low affinity conformation in a ligand-like manner, allowing relaxation to the high affinity conformation upon disruption of α7 helix interaction. While deletion of the α7 helix yields higher binding affinity in I-domain it cannot be applied in design of chimeric protein switches due to its permanent conformational state. Because of this, our switch design has a focus of allosterically regulating the I-domain and α7 helix through utilizing on/off switching of conformational states. I-domain is fused with EF3 and EF4 hands of calmodulin, which then regulates binding affinity to ICAM-1 through interaction with α7 helix, when the EF hands’ natural ligand peptides are present. Currently, mutant switches are being developed to alter EF hand binding specificity which, when bound to new target ligands, will cause an increase in I-domain-ICAM-1 binding affinity in switch molecules. The results of these allosteric regulations highlight the potential of chimeric protein switches for design of environmentally responsive targeting agents and suggest that, through directed evolution, regulated binding to a range of novel targets could be achieved for therapeutic intervention

The optical microscopy with virtual image breaks a record: 50-nm resolution imaging is demonstrated

We demonstrate a new 'microsphere nanoscope' that uses ordinary SiO2 microspheres as superlenses to create a virtual image of the object in near field. The magnified virtual image greatly overcomes the diffraction limit. We are able to resolve clearly 50-nm objects under a standard white light source in both transmission and reflection modes. The resolution achieved for white light opens a new opportunity to image viruses, DNA and molecules in real time

Climatology of mesopause region nocturnal temperature, zonal wind, and sodium density observed by sodium lidar over Hefei, China (32°N, 117°E)

The University of Science and Technology of China narrowband sodium temperature/wind 16 lidar, located in Hefei, China (32°N, 117°E), has made routine nighttime measurements since 17 January 2012. 154 nights (~1400 hours) of vertical profiles of temperature, sodium density, 18 and zonal wind, and 83 nights (~800 hours) of vertical flux of gravity wave (GW) zonal 19 momentum in the mesopause region (80-105 km) have been obtained during the period from 20 2012 to 2016. In temperature, it is most likely that the diurnal tide dominates below 100 km in 21 spring, while the semidiurnal tide dominates above 100 km throughout the year. A clear 22 semiannual variation in temperature is revealed near 90 km, in phase with the tropical 23 mesospheric semiannual oscillation (MSAO). The variability of sodium density is positively 24 correlated with temperature below 95 km, suggesting that in addition to dynamics, the 25 chemistry also plays an important role in the formation of sodium atoms. The seasonal 26 variability of sodium density observed by both lidar and satellite generally agrees well with a 27 whole atmosphere model simulation using an updated meteoric input function which includes 28 different cosmic dust sources. In zonal wind, the diurnal tide dominates in both spring and fall, 29 while semidiurnal tide dominates in winter. The observed semiannual variation in zonal wind 30 near 90 km is out-of-phase with that in temperature, consistent with the tropical MSAO. The 31 GW zonal momentum flux is mostly westward in fall and winter, anti-correlated with eastward zonal wind. The annual mean flux averaged over 87-97 km is ~-0.3 m 2 /s2 32 33 (westward), anti-correlated with eastward zonal wind of ~10 m/s. The lidar observations 34 generally agree with satellite and meteor radar observations as well as model simulations at 35 similar latitudes

Time separation as a hidden variable to the Copenhagen school of quantum mechanics

The Bohr radius is a space-like separation between the proton and electron in the hydrogen atom. According to the Copenhagen school of quantum mechanics, the proton is sitting in the absolute Lorentz frame. If this hydrogen atom is observed from a different Lorentz frame, there is a time-like separation linearly mixed with the Bohr radius. Indeed, the time-separation is one of the essential variables in high-energy hadronic physics where the hadron is a bound state of the quarks, while thoroughly hidden in the present form of quantum mechanics. It will be concluded that this variable is hidden in Feynman's rest of the universe. It is noted first that Feynman's Lorentz-invariant differential equation for the bound-state quarks has a set of solutions which describe all essential features of hadronic physics. These solutions explicitly depend on the time separation between the quarks. This set also forms the mathematical basis for two-mode squeezed states in quantum optics, where both photons are observable, but one of them can be treated a variable hidden in the rest of the universe. The physics of this two-mode state can then be translated into the time-separation variable in the quark model. As in the case of the un-observed photon, the hidden time-separation variable manifests itself as an increase in entropy and uncertainty.Comment: LaTex 10 pages with 5 figure. Invited paper presented at the Conference on Advances in Quantum Theory (Vaxjo, Sweden, June 2010), to be published in one of the AIP Conference Proceedings serie