844 research outputs found
Wave-Breaking Phenomena and Existence of Peakons for a Generalized Compressible Elastic-Rod Equation
Consideration in this paper is the Cauchy problem of a generalized hyperelastic-rod wave equation. We first derive a wave-breaking mechanism for strong solutions, which occurs in finite time for certain initial profiles. In addition, we determine the existence of some new peaked solitary wave solutions
A Uniformly Selected Sample of Low-mass Black Holes in Seyfert 1 Galaxies
We have conducted a systematic search of low-mass black holes (BHs) in active
galactic nuclei (AGNs) with broad Halpha emission lines, aiming at building a
homogeneous sample that is more complete than previous ones for fainter, less
highly accreting sources. For this purpose, we developed a set of elaborate,
automated selection procedures and applied it uniformly to the Fourth Data
Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Special attention is given to
AGN--galaxy spectral decomposition and emission-line deblending. We define a
sample of 309 type 1 AGNs with BH masses in the range -- \msun (with a median of solar mass), using the
virial mass estimator based on the broad Halpha line. About half of our sample
of low-mass BHs differs from that of Greene & Ho, with 61 of them discovered
here for the first time. Our new sample picks up more AGNs with low accretion
rates: the Eddington ratios of the present sample range from to ~1,
with 30% below 0.1. This suggests that a significant fraction of low-mass BHs
in the local Universe are accreting at low rates. The host galaxies of the
low-mass BHs have luminosities similar to those of field galaxies,
optical colors of Sbc spirals, and stellar spectral features consistent with a
continuous star formation history with a mean stellar age of less than 1 Gyr.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Comparison of Chemical Compositions of the Pepper EOs From Different Cultivars and Their AChE Inhibitory Activity
© The Author(s) 2020. Pepper is one of the most popular spices over the world and is called the King of Spices. Its essential oils (EOs) could alleviate neuronal ailments due to the inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this study, the chemical compositions of 26 EOs prepared from white and black pepper collecting from 6 different cultivars were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 133 compounds were identified in the white and black pepper EOs. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were found to be riched in these EOs, of which α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, 3-carene, limonene, and (E)-β-caryophyllene were the major constituents. Most of pepper EOs showed potential AChE inhibitory activity with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the range of 0.5-182.5 µg/mL. Comparison of chemical constitutes of pepper EOs from different cultivars suggested that α-pinene, β-pinene, and 3-carene with an IC50 value of 3.2, 53.3, and 2.9 µg/mL, respectively, might be used as Quality-marker (Q-marker) of pepper oil in inhibiting AChE
Vulto-van Silfhout-de Vries syndrome caused by de novo variants of DEAF1 gene: a case report and literature review
Vulto-van Silfhout-de Vries syndrome (VSVS; MIM 615828) is an extremely rare autosomal dominant disorder with unknown incidence. It is always caused by de novo heterozygous pathogenic variants in the DEAF1 gene, which encodes deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 homology. VSVS is characterized by mild to severe intellectual disability (ID) and/or global developmental delay (GDD), seriously limited language expression, behavioral abnormalities, somnipathy, and reduced pain sensitivity. In this study, we present a Chinese boy with moderate GDD and ID, severe expressive language impairment, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sleeping dysfunction, high pain threshold, generalized seizures, imbalanced gait, and recurrent respiratory infections as clinical features. A de novo heterozygous pathogenic missense variant was found in the 5th exon of DEAF1 gene, NM_021008.4 c.782G>C (p. Arg261Pro) variant by whole exome sequencing (WES). c.782G>C had not been previously reported in genomic databases and literature. According to the ACMG criteria, this missense variant was considered to be “Likely Pathogenic”. We diagnosed the boy with VSVS both genetically and clinically. At a follow-up of 2.1 years, his seizures were well controlled after valproic acid therapy. In addition, the child’s recurrent respiratory infections improved at 3.5 years of age, which has not been reported in previous individuals. Maybe the recurrent respiratory infections like sleep problems reported in the literature are not permanent but may improve naturally over time. The literature review showed that there were 35 individuals with 28 different de novo pathogenic variants of DEAF1-related VSVS. These variants were mostly missense and the clinical manifestations were similar to our patient. Our study expands the genotypic and phenotypic profiles of de novo DEAF1
Gut-joint axis in knee synovitis: gut fungal dysbiosis and altered fungi–bacteria correlation network identified in a community-based study
Objectives: Knee synovitis is a highly prevalent and potentially curable condition for knee pain; however, its pathogenesis remains unclear. We sought to assess the associations of the gut fungal microbiota and the fungi–bacteria correlation network with knee synovitis. Methods: Participants were derived from a community-based cross-sectional study. We performed an ultrasound examination of both knees. A knee was defined as having synovitis if its synovium was ≥4 mm and/or Power Doppler (PD) signal was within the knee synovium area (PD synovitis). We collected faecal specimens from each participant and assessed gut fungal and bacterial microbiota using internal transcribed spacer 2 and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We examined the relation of α-diversity, β-diversity, the relative abundance of taxa and the interkingdom correlations to knee synovitis. Results: Among 977 participants (mean age: 63.2 years; women: 58.8%), 191 (19.5%) had knee synovitis. β-diversity of the gut fungal microbiota, but not α-diversity, was significantly associated with prevalent knee synovitis. The fungal genus Schizophyllum was inversely correlated with the prevalence and activity (ie, control, synovitis without PD signal and PD synovitis) of knee synovitis. Compared with those without synovitis, the fungi–bacteria correlation network in patients with knee synovitis was smaller (nodes: 93 vs 153; edges: 107 vs 244), and the average number of neighbours was fewer (2.3 vs 3.2). Conclusion: Alterations of gut fungal microbiota and the fungi–bacteria correlation network are associated with knee synovitis. These novel findings may help understand the mechanisms of the gut-joint axis in knee synovitis and suggest potential targets for future treatment
Elevation in Body Temperature to Fever Range Enhances and Prolongs Subsequent Responsiveness of Macrophages to Endotoxin Challenge
Macrophages are often considered the sentries in innate immunity, sounding early immunological alarms, a function which speeds the response to infection. Compared to the large volume of studies on regulation of macrophage function by pathogens or cytokines, relatively little attention has been devoted to the role of physical parameters such as temperature. Given that temperature is elevated during fever, a long-recognized cardinal feature of inflammation, it is possible that macrophage function is responsive to thermal signals. To explore this idea, we used LPS to model an aseptic endotoxin-induced inflammatory response in BALB/c mice and found that raising mouse body temperature by mild external heat treatment significantly enhances subsequent LPS-induced release of TNF-α into the peritoneal fluid. It also reprograms macrophages, resulting in sustained subsequent responsiveness to LPS, i.e., this treatment reduces “endotoxin tolerance” in vitro and in vivo. At the molecular level, elevating body temperature of mice results in a increase in LPS-induced downstream signaling including enhanced phosphorylation of IKK and IκB, NF-κB nuclear translocation and binding to the TNF-α promoter in macrophages upon secondary stimulation. Mild heat treatment also induces expression of HSP70 and use of HSP70 inhibitors (KNK437 or Pifithrin-µ) largely abrogates the ability of the thermal treatment to enhance TNF-α, suggesting that the induction of HSP70 is important for mediation of thermal effects on macrophage function. Collectively, these results support the idea that there has been integration between the evolution of body temperature regulation and macrophage function that could help to explain the known survival benefits of fever in organisms following infection
The Cymbidium genome reveals the evolution of unique morphological traits
The marvelously diverse Orchidaceae constitutes the largest family of angiosperms. The genus Cymbidium in
Orchidaceae is well known for its unique vegetation, floral morphology, and flower scent traits. Here, a chromosomescale
assembly of the genome of Cymbidium ensifolium (Jianlan) is presented. Comparative genomic analysis showed
that C. ensifolium has experienced two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events, the most recent of which was shared
by all orchids, while the older event was the τ event shared by most monocots. The results of MADS-box genes
analysis provided support for establishing a unique gene model of orchid flower development regulation, and flower
shape mutations in C. ensifolium were shown to be associated with the abnormal expression of MADS-box genes. The
most abundant floral scent components identified included methyl jasmonate, acacia alcohol and linalool, and the
genes involved in the floral scent component network of C. ensifolium were determined. Furthermore, the decreased
expression of photosynthesis-antennae and photosynthesis metabolic pathway genes in leaves was shown to result in
colorful striped leaves, while the increased expression of MADS-box genes in leaves led to perianth-like leaves. Our
results provide fundamental insights into orchid evolution and diversification.The National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Outstanding Young Scientific Research Talent Project of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, the Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization Construction Funds, and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.https://www.nature.com/hortresam2022BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog
The disruption of proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases
Cells count on surveillance systems to monitor and protect the cellular proteome which, besides being highly heterogeneous, is constantly being challenged by intrinsic and environmental factors. In this context, the proteostasis network (PN) is essential to achieve a stable and functional proteome. Disruption of the PN is associated with aging and can lead to and/or potentiate the occurrence of many neurodegenerative diseases (ND). This not only emphasizes the importance of the PN in health span and aging but also how its modulation can be a potential target for intervention and treatment of human diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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