The Rarita-Schwinger spin-3/2 equation in a nonuniform, central potential

The equations of motion for a massive spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger field in a finite-range, central, Lorentz scalar potential are developed. It is shown that the resulting density may not be everywhere positive definite.Comment: 9 pages, RevTe

Comparison of the Effects of Two Types of Stretching Warm Ups for Rehabilitation

This pilot study compares the effects of static therapeutic trunk stretching using an unstable flex chair, a stretching bench and a stretching stick on physical fitness with those of a general Japanese style of static stretching. The participants underwent physical fitness tests. Before and after warming up using a general Japanese style of stretching and trunk treatment stretching. Twenty-three healthy college students (age, 20.7 ± 1.2 years; height, 165.3 ± 7.6 cm; weight, 59.0 ± 9.7 kg; BMI 21.4 ± 2.3) were enrolled in this study. The physical fitness test assesses grip strength, sit-ups, eyes-closed single-leg stance, sit-and-reach flexibility, six-minute walk, and ten-meter obstacle course. The participants performed vertical jump, forward standing flexion measured using the analog flexion meter, thoracolumbar extension, horizontal flexure, deep forward bow. These results suggest that trunk stretching improves flexibility, walking ability, endurance and explosive power more effectively than the general Japanese style of stretching. Three static trunk stretches can improve flexibility, walking ability, endurance and explosive power. Trunk treatment stretching before physical activity might reduce the incidence of injury and improve the physical performance of individuals who participate in exercise, athletes and injured persons undergoing rehabilitation.ArticleBAOJ Medical and nursing.1(1):003(2015)journal articl

Moderate exercise improves cognitive performance and decreases cortical activation in the go/no-go task

Background: A lot of studies have reported that physical activity has a beneficial influence not only on physical and mental disorders but also on cognitive and brain function. Performance of a go/no-go task improves after exercise. However, few studies have compared neural activity in a go/no-go task performed before and after exercise to identify brain regions that may respond to exercise and underlie this result. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the brain blood flow and compare the cortical activation pattern during a go/no-go task performed before and after exercise.Method: Fifteen healthy subjects performed a go/no-go task before and after exercise. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure oxygenated hemoglobin concentration at 44 locations over both hemispheres. The exercise was of moderate intensity, defined as 50% of peak oxygen uptake.Result: The reaction time on the go/no-go task was significantly faster after exercise than before. The oxygenated hemoglobin concentration quantified across the whole brain was lower after exercise, and this was the case for go trials and no-go trials. In go trials, the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area were significantly lower after exercise.Conclusion: These results suggest that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area had lower activity in go trials in the go/no-go task performed after exercise than in go trials in the go/no-go task performed before exercise.ArticleBAOJ Medical and nursing.1(1):002(2015)journal articl

An L319F mutation in transmembrane region 3 (TM3) selectively reduces sensitivity to okaramine B of the Bombyx mori L-glutamate-gated chloride channel

Okaramines produced by Penicillium simplicissimum AK-40 activate l-glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls) and thus paralyze insects. However, the okaramine binding site on insect GluCls is poorly understood. Sequence alignment shows that the equivalent of residue Leucine319 of the okaramine B sensitive Bombyx mori (B. mori) GluCl is a phenylalanine in the okaramine B insensitive B. mori γ-aminobutyric acid-gated chloride channel of the same species. This residue is located in the third transmembrane (TM3) region, a location which in a nematode GluCl is close to the ivermectin binding site. The B. mori GluCl containing the L319F mutation retained its sensitivity to l-glutamate, but responses to ivermectin were reduced and those to okaramine B were completely blocked

Preparation and optimization of macroalgae-derived solid acid catalysts

Solid acid catalysts were synthesized from macroalgae Sargassum horneri via hydrothermal carbonization followed by sulfuric acid sulfonation. A three-variable Box-Behnken design and optimization was used to maximize surface acidity. The optimal preparation conditions were found to be at the carbonization temperature of 217 °C, the carbonization time of 4.6 h and the sulfonation temperature of 108.5 °C. Under these conditions, the highest surface acidity achieved was 1.62 mmol g−1. Physical and chemical properties of prepared solid acid catalyst were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The results proved the grafting of –SO3H groups on an amorphous carbon structure. The catalyst activity was evaluated by the esterification of oleic acid with methanol. The sample prepared achieved 96.6% esterification yield, which was higher than the 86.7% yield achieved by commercial Ambersyst-15 under the same reaction conditions

IGF-1 Induction by Acylated Steryl β-Glucosides Found in a Pre-Germinated Brown Rice Diet Reduces Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes

BACKGROUND: The pathology of diabetic neuropathy involves oxidative stress on pancreatic β-cells, and is related to decreased levels of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Acylated steryl β-glucoside (PR-ASG) found in pre-germiated brown rice is a bioactive substance exhibiting properties that enhance activity of homocysteine-thiolactonase (HTase), reducing oxidative stress in diabetic neuropathy. The biological importance of PR-ASG in pancreatic β-cells remains unknown. Here we examined the effects of PR-ASG on IGF-1 and glucose metabolism in β-cells exposed to oxidative stress. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, a pre-germinated brown rice (PR)-diet was tested in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Compared with diabetic rats fed control diets, the PR-diet fed rats showed an improvement of serum metabolic and neurophysiological parameters. In addition, IGF-1 levels were found to be increased in the serum, liver, and pancreas of diabetic rats fed the PR-diet. The increased IGF-1 level in the pancreas led us to hypothesize that PR-ASG is protective for islet β-cells against the extensive injury of advanced or severe diabetes. Thus we examined PR-ASG to determine whether it showed anti-apoptotic, pro-proliferative effects on the insulin-secreting β-cells line, INS-1; and additionally, whether PR-ASG stimulated IGF-1 autocrine secretion/IGF-1-dependent glucose metabolism. We have demonstrated for the first time that PR-ASG increases IGF-1 production and secretion from pancreatic β-cells. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that PR-ASG may affect pancreatic β-cells through the activation of an IGF-1-dependent mechanism in the diabetic condition. Thus, intake of pre-germinated brown rice may have a beneficial effect in the treatment of diabetes, in particular diabetic neuropathy

Plasma Heme Oxygenase-1 Concentration in Relation to Impaired Glucose Regulation in a Non-Diabetic Chinese Population

Background: Our previous study has recently shown that plasma heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-responsive protein, is elevated in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The current study aimed to examine the association between plasma HO-1 concentration and impaired glucose regulation (IGR) in non-diabetic individuals. Methods: We conducted a case-control study including a total of 865 subjects (262 IGR individuals and 603 healthy controls) in a Chinese population. Basic characteristics were collected by questionnaire and standardized anthropometric measurements. Plasma HO-1 concentration was determined by ELISA. Results: Plasma HO-1 concentration was significantly increased in IGR individuals compared with healthy controls (1.34 (0.81–2.29) ng/ml vs 0.98 (0.56–1.55) ng/ml, P,0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, the ORs for IGR in the highest quartile of plasma HO-1 concentrations, compared with the lowest, was 3.42 (95 % CI 2.11–5.54; P for trend,0.001). The trend remained significant even after additional adjustment for smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, family history of diabetes, lipid profiles and C-reactive protein. In the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, addition of plasma HO-1 concentration to a model with known risk factors yielded significantly improved discriminative value for IGR (area under the curves 0.75 (95 % CI 0.71–0.78) vs. 0.72 (95 % CI 0.69–0.76); P for difference = 0.026)

Differentially expressed microRNAs in experimental cerebral malaria and their involvement in endocytosis, adherens junctions, FoxO and TGF-β signalling pathways

Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe manifestation of infection with Plasmodium, however its pathogenesis is still not completely understood. microRNA (miRNA) have been an area of focus in infectious disease research, due to their ability to affect normal biological processes, and have been shown to play roles in various viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, including malaria. The expression of miRNA was studied following infection of CBA mice with either Plasmodium berghei ANKA (causing CM), or Plasmodium yoelii (causing severe but non-cerebral malaria (NCM)). Using microarray analysis, miRNA expression was compared in the brains of non-infected (NI), NCM and CM mice. Six miRNA were significantly dysregulated between NCM and CM mice, and four of these, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-142-3p and miR-223-3p, were further validated by qPCR assays. These miRNA are significantly involved in several pathways relevant to CM, including the TGF-β and endocytosis pathways. Dysregulation of these miRNA during CM specifically compared with NCM suggests that these miRNA, through their regulation of downstream targets, may be vitally involved in the neurological syndrome. Our data implies that, at least in the mouse model, miRNA may play a regulatory role in CM pathogenesis.This work was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (#1099920 for GEG). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S