On the Decelerating Shock Instability of Plane-Parallel Slab with Finite Thickness

Dynamical stability of the shock compressed layer with finite thickness is investigated. It is characterized by self-gravity, structure, and shock condition at the surfaces of the compressed layer. At one side of the shocked layer, its surface condition is determined via the ram pressure, while at the other side the thermal pressure supports its structure. When the ram pressure dominates the thermal pressure, we expect deceleration of the shocked layer. Especially, in this paper, we examine how the stratification of the decelerating layer has an effect on its dynamical stability. Performing the linear perturbation analysis, a {\it more general} dispersion relation than the previous one obtained by one of the authors is derived. It gives us an interesting information about the stability of the decelerating layer. Importantly, the DSI (Decelerating Shock Instability) and the gravitational instability are always incompatible. We also consider the evolution effect of the shocked layer. In the early stages of its evolution, only DSI occurs. On the contrary, in the late stages, it is possible for the shocked layer to be unstable for the DSI (in smaller scale) and the gravitational instability (in larger scale). Furthermore, we find there is a stable range of wavenumbers against both the DSI and the gravitational instability between respective unstable wavenumber ranges. These stable modes suggest the ineffectiveness of DSI for the fragmentation of the decelerating slab.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures. The Astrophysical Journal Vol.532 in pres

Author Correction: Short Amylin Receptor Antagonist Peptides Improve Memory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model

Correction to: Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47255-9, published online 29 July 2019 The original Article contained an error in Figure 1A where the control trace for both the HEK-AMY3 and HEKWT cells was duplicated... The original Article has been corrected

Acute Exposure To The Mitochondrial Complex I Toxin Rotenone Impairs Synaptic Long-Term Potentiation In Rat Hippocampal Slices

Aims: To evaluate the acute effects of the mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone on rat hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Methods: Electrophysiological field potential recordings were used to measure basal synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in rat coronal hippocampal slices. Synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced by high-frequency stimulation (100 Hz, 1 second × 3 at an interval of 20 seconds). In addition, mitochondrial complex I function was measured using MitoSOX imaging in mitochondrial preparations. Results: Acute exposure of hippocampal slices to 50 nM rotenone for 1 h did not alter basal CA3-CA1 synaptic transmission though 500 nM rotenone significantly reduced basal synaptic transmission. However, 50 nM rotenone significantly impaired LTP and this rotenone\u27s effect was prevented by co-application of rotenone plus the ketones acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate (1 mM each). Finally, we measured mitochondrial function using MitoSOX imaging in mitochondrial preparations and found that 50 nM rotenone partially reduced mitochondrial function whereas 500 nM rotenone completely eliminated mitochondrial function. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that mitochondrial activity driven by complex I is a sensitive modulator of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Acute exposure of the hippocampus to rotenone eliminates complex I function and in turn impairs LTP. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

99mTc/Re complexes based on flavone and aurone as SPECT probes for imaging cerebral β-amyloid plaques.

Two (99m)Tc/Re complexes based on flavone and aurone were tested as potential probes for imaging β-amyloid plaques using single photon emission computed tomography. Both (99m)Tc-labeled derivatives showed higher affinity for Aβ(1-42) aggregates than did (99m)Tc-BAT. In sections of brain tissue from an animal model of AD, the Re-flavone derivative 9 and Re-aurone derivative 19 intensely stained β-amyloid plaques. In biodistribution experiments using normal mice, (99m)Tc-labeled flavone and aurone displayed similar radioactivity pharmacokinetics. With additional modifications to improve their brain uptake, (99m)Tc complexes based on the flavone or aurone scaffold may serve as probes for imaging cerebral β-amyloid plaques

タイモウ カラ チュウシュツ シタ DNA ヲ モチイタ オオアシトガリネズミ Sorex unguiculatus ノ セイ ハンベツ

オオアシトガリネズミは外見による性判別が難しい上に,保定による外部生殖器の観察が野生由来の飼育個体に多大なストレスを与える可能性もある。そこで本研究では,同種の体毛を材料としたPCRによる性判別法について検討した。毛による性判別に先立ち,解剖して生殖腺で性別を確認した個体から肝臓を採取し,肝臓由来のゲノムDNAで性判別を行った。雄特異的プライマーはヨーロッパトガリネズミで雄特異的産物の検出が報告されているDBY8,雌雄共通プライマーはスンクス(ジャコウネズミ)におけるAqp3の相補的DNA配列からデザインしたAQP3を用いた。その結果,DBY8では雄,AQP3では雌雄の両者において明瞭な1本バンドのPCR産物が検出され,それらによる性判別の結果は,解剖で確認した性別と一致した。次いで体毛に由来するゲノムDNAで性判別を行ったところ,解剖で確認した性別と完全に一致した。以上より,生体から反復して簡便に採取できる体毛を材料として,PCRによるオオアシトガリネズミの性判別法を確立した。Sexing of the long-clawed shrew based on its external features is relatively difficult. And physical restraint to observe their external genitalia often causes extreme levels of stress, because the wild shrews are unaccustomed to handling. In this study, we employed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of genomic DNA (gDNA) from the hair of the shrews as an alternative method for sexing. In the preliminary experiment, the sexes of the shrews were confirmed by observing their gonads after dissection, prior to PCR analysis using gDNA extracted from the livers. DBY8, a male-specific primer set for the European shrew, was utilized as the male-specific primer set. AQP3, designed from the complementary DNA sequence of Aqp3 from musk shrew, was utilized as the gender-neutral primer set. A single, clear PCR product was detected in the gDNA from males by using DBY8 and from both sexes by using AQP3 after electrophoresis. The results of sexing by PCR analysis of the hair gDNA were completely consistent with the sexing as confirmed by observing the dissected gonads. In conclusion, we developed a reliable method of sexing by using PCR analysis of gDNA extracted from the hair of the long-clawed shrew, which is a specimen that can be collected non-invasively and repeatedly

Intravenous micafungin versus voriconazole for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: A multicenter trial in Japan.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is slowly progressive inflammatory pulmonary syndrome due to Aspergillus spp. The evidence regarding CPA treatment is limited. We conducted a randomized, multicenter, open-label trial comparing intravenous micafungin (MCFG) of 150-300 mg once daily with intravenous voriconazole (VRCZ) of 6 mg/kg twice on Day 1 followed by 4 mg/kg twice daily for the treatment of 107 in patients with CPA to compare the efficacy and safety of both drugs as initial treatment in Japan. Treatment effectiveness was defined by clinical, mycological, radiological and serological responses 2 weeks after the initial administration and at the end of therapy. The total of 50 and 47 patients were assigned to the MCFG and VRCZ groups, respectively. The difference in efficacy rates between MCFG and VRCZ was not significant, either after 2 weeks [68.0% vs. 58.7%; the absolute difference, 9.3% with a 95% confidence interval (CI), -9.97 to 28.58, P = 0.344] or at the end of therapy (60.0% vs. 53.2%; the absolute difference, 6.8% with a 95% CI, -12.92 to 26.54, P = 0.499). In the safety evaluation, fewer adverse events occurred in the MCFG than VRCZ group (26.4% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.0004). MCFG was as effective as VRCZ and significantly safer than as an initial treatment of CPA. (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry number, UMIN000001786.)

Amyloid Oligomer Conformation in a Group of Natively Folded Proteins

Recent in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that destabilized proteins with defective folding induce aggregation and toxicity in protein-misfolding diseases. One such unstable protein state is called amyloid oligomer, a precursor of fully aggregated forms of amyloid. Detection of various amyloid oligomers with A11, an anti-amyloid oligomer conformation-specific antibody, revealed that the amyloid oligomer represents a generic conformation and suggested that toxic β-aggregation processes possess a common mechanism. By using A11 antibody as a probe in combination with mass spectrometric analysis, we identified GroEL in bacterial lysates as a protein that may potentially have an amyloid oligomer conformation. Surprisingly, A11 reacted not only with purified GroEL but also with several purified heat shock proteins, including human Hsp27, 40, 70, 90; yeast Hsp104; and bovine Hsc70. The native folds of A11-reactive proteins in purified samples were characterized by their anti-β-aggregation activity in terms of both functionality and in contrast to the β-aggregation promoting activity of misfolded pathogenic amyloid oligomers. The conformation-dependent binding of A11 with natively folded Hsp27 was supported by the concurrent loss of A11 reactivity and anti-β-aggregation activity of heat-treated Hsp27 samples. Moreover, we observed consistent anti-β-aggregation activity not only by chaperones containing an amyloid oligomer conformation but also by several A11-immunoreactive non-chaperone proteins. From these results, we suggest that the amyloid oligomer conformation is present in a group of natively folded proteins. The inhibitory effects of A11 antibody on both GroEL/ES-assisted luciferase refolding and Hsp70-mediated decelerated nucleation of Aβ aggregation suggested that the A11-binding sites on these chaperones might be functionally important. Finally, we employed a computational approach to uncover possible A11-binding sites on these targets. Since the β-sheet edge was a common structural motif having the most similar physicochemical properties in the A11-reactive proteins we analyzed, we propose that the β-sheet edge in some natively folded amyloid oligomers is designed positively to prevent β aggregation

Complications Associated With Spine Surgery in Patients Aged 80 Years or Older: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (JASA) Multicenter Study

Study Design:Retrospective study of registry data.Objectives:Aging of society and recent advances in surgical techniques and general anesthesia have increased the demand for spinal surgery in elderly patients. Many complications have been described in elderly patients, but a multicenter study of perioperative complications in spinal surgery in patients aged 80 years or older has not been reported. Therefore, the goal of the study was to analyze complications associated with spine surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with cervical, thoracic, or lumbar lesions.Methods:A multicenter study was performed in patients aged 80 years or older who underwent 262 spinal surgeries at 35 facilities. The frequency and severity of complications were examined for perioperative complications, including intraoperative and postoperative complications, and for major postoperative complications that were potentially life threatening, required reoperation in the perioperative period, or left a permanent injury.Results:Perioperative complications occurred in 75 of the 262 surgeries (29%) and 33 were major complications (13%). In multivariate logistic regression, age over 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.007, P = 0.025) and estimated blood loss ≥500 g (HR = 3.076, P = .004) were significantly associated with perioperative complications, and an operative time ≥180 min (HR = 2.78, P = .007) was significantly associated with major complications.Conclusions:Elderly patients aged 80 years or older with comorbidities are at higher risk for complications. Increased surgical invasion, and particularly a long operative time, can cause serious complications that may be life threatening. Therefore, careful decisions are required with regard to the surgical indication and procedure in elderly patients