Miniature transparent UWB antenna with tunable notch for green wireless applications

Copyright @ 2011 IEEEA miniature transparent UWB antenna with tunable notch that can be incorporated with a solar panel for harnessing solar energy has been proposed and presented. The antenna demonstrates a good omni-directional radiation pattern throughout the FCC bandwidth of 3.1 – 10.6 GHz and a comparable gain making it a good candidate for future green wireless applications

Identification of transient receptor potential channels in human atrial myocytes

In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17, suppl. 1, p. 68, abstract no. 115published_or_final_versionThe 16th Medical Resarch Conference (MRC), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, 22 January 2011. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17, suppl. 1, p. 68, abstract no. 11

The technology of large-scale pharmaceutical plasmid purification by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and Tritonx-114

Many methods for plasmid purification have been developed, and the whole process must be designed to remove the host RNA, protein, genomic DNA and endotoxin. Currently, plasmid is mostly purified by time-consuming chromatographies. As an alternative, a new plasmid purification technology with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is described. After lysis with alkali, the CTAB was directly titrated into the supernatant for plasmid precipitation, then the coprecipitated pellets were dealt with 3 M KAc and TritonX-114. Quality detection showed that the purified plasmids were free from the contamination of host RNA. In 1 mg purified plasmid, the bacterial genomic DNA, host endotoxin and protein were less than 10 g/ mg, 50 EU/ mg and 10 g/mg, respectively. The ratio of OD260/OD280 was between 1.75 - 1.85, more than 90% of the prepared plasmid presented in the supercoiled form. Further test demonstrated that the pcDNAlacZ purified with CTAB and authoritative endotoxin-free plasmid Kit had the similar transfection efficiency in vivo and in vitro. CTAB can be used for plasmid purification; the main advantages of the DNAs purified with CTAB include the avoidance of animal-derived enzymes, toxic substance like chloroform and phenol. More attractive is that the whole process has the predominance of low cost

Look but don't touch: Visual cues to surface structure drive somatosensory cortex.

When planning interactions with nearby objects, our brain uses visual information to estimate shape, material composition, and surface structure before we come into contact with them. Here we analyse brain activations elicited by different types of visual appearance, measuring fMRI responses to objects that are glossy, matte, rough, or textured. In addition to activation in visual areas, we found that fMRI responses are evoked in the secondary somatosensory area (S2) when looking at glossy and rough surfaces. This activity could be reliably discriminated on the basis of tactile-related visual properties (gloss, rough, and matte), but importantly, other visual properties (i.e., coloured texture) did not substantially change fMRI activity. The activity could not be solely due to tactile imagination, as asking explicitly to imagine such surface properties did not lead to the same results. These findings suggest that visual cues to an object's surface properties evoke activity in neural circuits associated with tactile stimulation. This activation may reflect the a-priori probability of the physics of the interaction (i.e., the expectation of upcoming friction) that can be used to plan finger placement and grasp force.This project was supported by the Wellcome Trust (095183/Z/10/Z).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.05

Highly heterogeneous Late Mesozoic lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton: evidence from Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic systematics of mafic igneous rocks

The lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton changed dramatically in its geophysical and geochemical characteristics from Palaeozoic to Cenozoic times. This study uses samples of Mesozoic basalts and mafic intrusions from the North China Craton to investigate the nature of this mantle in Mesozoic times. Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data demonstrate that the Late Mesozoic lithospheric mantle was extremely heterogeneous. In the central craton or the Luzhong region, it is slightly Sr-Nd isotopically enriched, beneath the Taihangshan region it has an EMI character (87Sr/86Sri = 0.7050-0.7066; εNd = -17--10), and beneath the Luxi-Jiaodong region, it possesses EM2-like characteristics (87Sr/86Sri up to 0.7114). Compositional variation with time is also apparent in the Mesozoic lithospheric mantle. Our data suggest that the old lithospheric mantle was modified during Mesozoic times by a silicic melt, where beneath the Luxi-Jiaodong region it was severely modified, but in the Luzhong and Taihangshan regions the effects were much less marked. The silicic melt may have been the product of partial melting of crustal materials brought into the mantle by the subducted slab during the formation of circum-cratonic orogenic belts. This Mesozoic mantle did not survive for a long time, and was replaced by a Cenozoic mantle with depleted geochemical characteristics. © 2004 Cambridge University Press.published_or_final_versio

Multiple Ca2+ signaling pathways regulate intracellular Ca 2+ activity in human cardiac fibroblasts

Ca2+ signaling pathways are well studied in cardiac myocytes, but not in cardiac fibroblasts. The aim of the present study is to characterize Ca2+ signaling pathways in cultured human cardiac fibroblasts using confocal scanning microscope and RT-PCR techniques. It was found that spontaneous intracellular Ca2+ (Cai 2+) oscillations were present in about 29% of human cardiac fibroblasts, and the number of cells with Cai 2+ oscillations was increased to 57.3% by application of 3% fetal bovine serum. Cai 2+ oscillations were dependent on Ca2+ entry. Cai2+ oscillations were abolished by the store-operated Ca2+ (SOC) entry channel blocker La3+, the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122, and the inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) inhibitor 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, but not by ryanodine. The IP3R agonist thimerosal enhanced Ca2+ i oscillations. Inhibition of plasma membrane Ca2+ pump (PMCA) and Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) also suppressed Ca i 2+ oscillations. In addition, the frequency of Ca i 2+ oscillations was reduced by nifedipine, and increased by Bay K8644 in cells with spontaneous Cai 2+ oscillations. RT-PCR revealed that mRNAs for IP3R1-3, SERCA1-3, CaV1.2, NCX3, PMCA1,3,4, TRPC1,3,4,6, STIM1, and Orai1-3, were readily detectable, but not RyRs. Our results demonstrate for the first time that spontaneous Cai 2+ oscillations are present in cultured human cardiac fibroblasts and are regulated by multiple Ca2+ pathways, which are not identical to those of the well-studied contractile cardiomyocytes. This study provides a base for future investigations into how Ca2+ signals regulate biological activity in human cardiac fibroblasts and cardiac remodeling under pathological conditions. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.postprin

Cyclic ADP ribose is a novel regulator of intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine. However, the cellular biology of these cells is not fully understood. The present study characterizes the cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR)-mediated Ca 2+ signals in human MSCs and finds that externally applied cADPR can increase the frequency of spontaneous intracellular Ca 2+ (Ca 2+ i) oscillations. The increase was abrogated by a specific cADPR antagonist or an inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) inhibitor, but not by ryanodine. In addition, the cADPR-induced increase of Ca 2+ i oscillation frequency was prevented by inhibitors of nucleoside transporter or by inhibitors of the transient receptor potential cation melastatin-2 (TRPM2) channel. RT-PCR revealed mRNAs for the nucleoside transporters, concentrative nucleoside transporters 1/2 and equilibrative nucleoside transporters 1/3, IP3R1/2/3 and the TRPM2 channel, but not those for ryanodine receptors and CD38 in human MSCs. Knockdown of the TRPM2 channel by specific short interference RNA abolished the effect of cADPR on the Ca 2+ i oscillation frequency, and prevented the stimulation of proliferation by cADPR. Moreover, cADPR remarkably increased phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), but not Akt or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, cADPR had no effect on adipogenesis or osteogenesis in human MSCs. Our results indicate that cADPR is a novel regulator of Ca 2+ i oscillations in human MSCs. It permeates the cell membrane through the nucleoside transporters and increases Ca 2+ oscillationviaactivation of the TRPM2 channel, resulting in enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and, thereby, stimulation of human MSC proliferation. This study delineates an alternate signalling pathway of cADPR that is distinct from its well-established role of serving as a Ca 2+ messenger for mobilizing the internal Ca 2+ stores. Whether cADPR can be used clinically for stimulating marrow function in patients with marrow disorders remains to be further studied. © 2011 The Authors © 2011 Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.postprin

Magnetic resonance peak and nonmagnetic impurities

Nonmagnetic Zn impurities are known to strongly suppress superconductivity. We review their effects on the spin excitation spectrum in $\rm YBa_2Cu_3O_{7}$, as investigated by inelastic neutron scattering measurements.Comment: Proceedings of Mato Advanced Research Workshop BLED 2000. To appear in Nato Science Series: B Physic

Regulation of human cardiac KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel by epidermal growth factor receptor kinase

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether/how the recombinant human cardiac I Ks could be regulated by epidermal growth factor receptor kinase in HEK 293 cells stably expressing hKCNQ1/hKCNE1 genes using the approaches of perforated patch clamp technique, immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. It was found that the broad spectrum isoflavone tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein and the selective epidermal growth factor receptor kinase inhibitor tyrphostin AG556 suppressed the recombinant I Ks, and their inhibition was countered by the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor orthovanadate. The Src-family kinase inhibitor PP2 reduced the current, but the effect was not antagonized by orthovanadate. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis revealed that tyrosine phosphorylation level of hKCNQ1 protein was decreased by genistein or AG556, but not by PP2. These results provide the novel information that epidermal growth factor receptor kinase, but not Src-family kinases, regulates the recombinant cardiac I Ks stably expressed in HEK 293 cells via phosphorylating KCNQ1 protein of the channel. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.postprin

Human ether-à-go-go gene potassium channels are regulated by EGFR tyrosine kinase

Human ether á-go-go gene potassium channels (hEAG1 or Kv10.1) are expressed in brain and various human cancers and play a role in neuronal excitement and tumor progression. However, the functional regulation of hEAG channels by signal transduction is not fully understood. The present study was therefore designed to investigate whether hEAG1 channels are regulated by protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in HEK 293 cells stably expressing hEAG1 gene using whole-cell patch voltage-clamp, immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and mutagenesis approaches. We found that the selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibitor AG556 (10μM), but not the platelet growth factor receptor (PDGFR) kinase inhibitor AG1295 (10μM) or the Src-family inhibitor PP2 (10μM), can inhibit hEAG1 current, and the inhibitory effect can be reversed by the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor orthovanadate. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis revealed that tyrosine phosphorylation level of hEAG1 channels was reduced by AG556, and the reduction was significantly countered by orthovanadate. The hEAG1 mutants Y90A, Y344A and Y485A, but not Y376A and Y479A, exhibited reduced response to AG556. Interestingly, the inhibition effect of AG556 was lost in triple mutant hEAG1 channels at Y90, Y344, and Y485 with alanine. These results demonstrate for the first time that hEAG1 channel activity is regulated by EGFR kinase at the tyrosine residues Tyr 90, Try 344, and Try 485. This effect is likely involved in regulating neuronal activity and/or tumor growth. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.postprin