403 research outputs found
Wnt/β-catenin signaling stimulates the expression and synaptic clustering of the autism-associated Neuroligin 3 gene
Indexación: Scopus.Synaptic abnormalities have been described in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The cell-adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3) has an essential role in the function and maturation of synapses and NLGN3 ASD-associated mutations disrupt hippocampal and cortical function. Here we show that Wnt/β-catenin signaling increases Nlgn3 mRNA and protein levels in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells and primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons. We characterized the activity of mouse and rat Nlgn3 promoter constructs containing conserved putative T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancing factor (TCF/LEF)-binding elements (TBE) and found that their activity is significantly augmented in Wnt/β-catenin cell reporter assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed that endogenous β-catenin binds to novel TBE consensus sequences in the Nlgn3 promoter. Moreover, activation of the signaling cascade increased Nlgn3 clustering and co-localization with the scaffold PSD-95 protein in dendritic processes of primary neurons. Our results directly link Wnt/β-catenin signaling to the transcription of the Nlgn3 gene and support a functional role for the signaling pathway in the dysregulation of excitatory/inhibitory neuronal activity, as is observed in animal models of ASD.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-018-0093-y.pd
Evaluating the capacity of human gut microorganisms to colonize the zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio)
Indexación: Scopus.In this study we evaluated if zebrafish larvae can be colonized by human gut microorganisms. We tested two strategies: (1) through transplantation of a human fecal microbiota and (2) by successively transplanting aerotolerant anaerobic microorganisms, similar to the colonization in the human intestine during early life. We used conventionally raised zebrafish larvae harboring their own aerobic microbiota to improve the colonization of anaerobic microorganisms. The results showed with the fecal transplant, that some members of the human gut microbiota were transferred to larvae. Bacillus, Roseburia, Prevotella, Oscillospira, one unclassified genus of the family Ruminococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 3 days post fertilization (dpf) larvae; however only Bacillus persisted to 7 dpf. Successive inoculation of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Clostridioides did not improve their colonization, compared to individual inoculation of each bacterial species. Interestingly, the sporulating bacteria Bacillus clausii and Clostridioides difficile were the most persistent microorganisms. Their endospores persisted at least 5 days after inoculating 3 dpf larvae. However, when 5 dpf larvae were inoculated, the proportion of vegetative cells in larvae increased, revealing proliferation of the inoculated bacteria and better colonization of the host. In conclusion, these results suggest that it is feasible to colonize zebrafish larvae with some human bacteria, such as C. difficile and Bacillus and open an interesting area to study interactions between these microorganisms and the host. © 2018 Valenzuela, Caruffo, Herrera, Medina, Coronado, Feijóo, Muñoz, Garrido, Troncoso, Figueroa, Toro, Reyes-Jara, Magne and Navarrete.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01032/ful
Aspects of the Noisy Burgers Equation
The noisy Burgers equation describing for example the growth of an interface
subject to noise is one of the simplest model governing an intrinsically
nonequilibrium problem. In one dimension this equation is analyzed by means of
the Martin-Siggia-Rose technique. In a canonical formulation the morphology and
scaling behavior are accessed by a principle of least action in the weak noise
limit. The growth morphology is characterized by a dilute gas of nonlinear
soliton modes with gapless dispersion law with exponent z=3/2 and a superposed
gas of diffusive modes with a gap. The scaling exponents and a heuristic
expression for the scaling function follow from a spectral representation.Comment: 23 pages,LAMUPHYS LaTeX-file (Springer), 13 figures, and 1 table, to
appear in the Proceedings of the XI Max Born Symposium on "Anomalous
Diffusion: From Basics to Applications", May 20-24, 1998, Ladek Zdroj, Polan
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Comparison of Microstructures and Mechanical Properties for Solid Cobalt-Base Alloy Components and Biomedical Implant Prototypes Fabricated by Electron Beam Melting
The microstructures and mechanical behavior of simple, as-fabricated, solid
geometries (with a density of 8.4 g/cm3), as-fabricated and fabricated and annealed
femoral (knee) prototypes all produced by additive manufacturing (AM) using electron
beam melting (EBM) of Co-26Cr-6Mo-0.2C powder are examined and compared in this
study. Microstructures and microstructural issues are examined by optical metallography,
SEM, TEM, EDS, and XRD while mechanical properties included selective specimen
tensile testing and Vickers microindentation (HV) and Rockwell C-scale (HRC) hardness
measurements. Orthogonal (X-Y) melt scanning of the electron beam during AM
produced unique, orthogonal and related Cr23C6 carbide (precipitate) cellular arrays with
dimensions of ~2μm in the build plane perpendicular to the build direction, while
connected carbide columns were formed in the vertical plane, parallel to the build
direction.Mechanical Engineerin
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Microstructure Architecture Development in Metals and Alloys By Additive Manufacturing Using Electron Beam Melting
The concept of materials with controlled microstructural architecture (MCMA) to
develop and fabricate structural materials with novel and possibly superior properties and
performance characteristics is a new paradigm or paradigm extension for materials science and
engineering. In the conventional materials science and engineering paradigm, structure
(microstructure), properties, processing, and performance features are linked in the development
of desirable materials properties and performance through processing methodologies which
manipulate microstructures. For many metal or alloy systems, thermomechanical treatment
combining controlled amounts of plastic deformation with heat treatment or aging cycles can
achieve improved mechanical properties beyond those attainable by conventional processing
alone (such as rolling or forging for example) through controlled microstructure development. In
this paper we illustrate a new concept involving the fabrication of microstructural architectures
by the process development and selective manipulation of these microstructures ideally defining
material design space. This allows for the additional or independent manipulation of material
properties by additive manufacturing (AM) using electron beam melting (EBM). Specifically we
demonstrate the novel development of a carbide (M23C6) architecture in the AM of a Co-base
alloy and an oxide (Cu2O) precipitate-dislocation architecture in the AM of an oxygen-containing Cu. While more conventional processing can produce various precipitate
microstructures in these materials, EBM produces spatial arrays of precipitate columns or
columnar-like features often oriented in the build direction. These microstructural architectures
are observed by optical microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
Prospects for EBM architecture development in precipitation-hardenable Al alloys is also
discussed. In the EBM build process using precursor powders, the electron beam parameters
(including beam focus, scan speed and sequencing) produce localized, requisite thermodynamic
regimes which create or organize the precipitate-related spatial arrays. This feature demonstrates
the utility of AM not only in the fabrication of complex components, but also prospects for
selective property design using CAD for MCMA development: a new or extended processing-microstructure-property-performance paradigm for materials science and engineering in
advanced manufacturing involving solid free-form fabrication (SFF).Mechanical Engineerin
Probing the fuzzy sphere regularisation in simulations of the 3d \lambda \phi^4 model
We regularise the 3d \lambda \phi^4 model by discretising the Euclidean time
and representing the spatial part on a fuzzy sphere. The latter involves a
truncated expansion of the field in spherical harmonics. This yields a
numerically tractable formulation, which constitutes an unconventional
alternative to the lattice. In contrast to the 2d version, the radius R plays
an independent r\^{o}le. We explore the phase diagram in terms of R and the
cutoff, as well as the parameters m^2 and \lambda. Thus we identify the phases
of disorder, uniform order and non-uniform order. We compare the result to the
phase diagrams of the 3d model on a non-commutative torus, and of the 2d model
on a fuzzy sphere. Our data at strong coupling reproduce accurately the
behaviour of a matrix chain, which corresponds to the c=1-model in string
theory. This observation enables a conjecture about the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 31 pages, 15 figure
Quantum effective potential for U(1) fields on S^2_L X S^2_L
We compute the one-loop effective potential for noncommutative U(1) gauge
fields on S^2_L X S^2_L. We show the existence of a novel phase transition in
the model from the 4-dimensional space S^2_L X S^2_L to a matrix phase where
the spheres collapse under the effect of quantum fluctuations. It is also shown
that the transition to the matrix phase occurs at infinite value of the gauge
coupling constant when the mass of the two normal components of the gauge field
on S^2_L X S^2_L is sent to infinity.Comment: 13 pages. one figur
The beat of a fuzzy drum: fuzzy Bessel functions for the disc
The fuzzy disc is a matrix approximation of the functions on a disc which
preserves rotational symmetry. In this paper we introduce a basis for the
algebra of functions on the fuzzy disc in terms of the eigenfunctions of a
properly defined fuzzy Laplacian. In the commutative limit they tend to the
eigenfunctions of the ordinary Laplacian on the disc, i.e. Bessel functions of
the first kind, thus deserving the name of fuzzy Bessel functions.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figure
Solitons in the noisy Burgers equation
We investigate numerically the coupled diffusion-advective type field
equations originating from the canonical phase space approach to the noisy
Burgers equation or the equivalent Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation in one spatial
dimension. The equations support stable right hand and left hand solitons and
in the low viscosity limit a long-lived soliton pair excitation. We find that
two identical pair excitations scatter transparently subject to a size
dependent phase shift and that identical solitons scatter on a static soliton
transparently without a phase shift. The soliton pair excitation and the
scattering configurations are interpreted in terms of growing step and
nucleation events in the interface growth profile. In the asymmetrical case the
soliton scattering modes are unstable presumably toward multi soliton
production and extended diffusive modes, signalling the general
non-integrability of the coupled field equations. Finally, we have shown that
growing steps perform anomalous random walk with dynamic exponent z=3/2 and
that the nucleation of a tip is stochastically suppressed with respect to
plateau formation.Comment: 11 pages Revtex file, including 15 postscript-figure
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