MicroRNA machinery responds to peripheral nerve lesion in an injury-regulated pattern

Recently, functional and potent RNA interference (RNAi) has been reported in peripheral nerve axons transfected with short-interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, components of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) have been identified in axotomized sciatic nerve fibers as well as in regenerating dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in vitro. Based on these observations, and on the fact that siRNA and microRNAs (miRNA) share the same effector enzymes, we hypothesized that the endogenous miRNA biosynthetic pathway would respond to peripheral nerve injury. To answer this question, we investigated changes in the expression of miRNA biosynthetic enzymes following peripheral nerve crush injury in mice. Here we show that several pivotal miRNA biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in an injury-regulated pattern in sciatic nerve in vivo, and in DRG axons in vitro. Moreover, the sciatic nerve lesion induced expression of mRNA-processing bodies (P-bodies), which are the local foci of mRNA degradation in DRG axons. In addition, a group of injury-regulated miRNAs was identified by miRNA microarray and validated by qPCR and in situ hybridization analyses. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that the peripheral nerve regeneration processes may be regulated by miRNA pathway

The Sb–As Lojane Deposit (Republic of North Macedonia): Types of Ores and Conditions of Their Occurrence and Geochemical Features

This article presents the results of comprehensive studies of Sb–As ores from the Lojane deposit, located in the northeastern part of the Republic of North Macedonia, near the border with Serbia. Five types of Sb–As ores are distinguished in the deposit: brecciated realgar orpiment ores; realgar breccias; brecciated antimonite ores; massive, almost monomineral realgar ores; and realgar–antimonite nested ores. The ores are characterized not only by the unusual paragenesis of minerals of nickel, arsenic, and antimony, but also by a very close fusion of antimonite, realgar, and collomorphic quartz. A wide range of elements in ores (As, Sb, Cr, Ti, Mn, Ni, Mo, Co, Ag, Tl, U, etc.) is likely due to the combination of mineralization from multiple distinct parageneses that occurred at different times. Thermometric studies of fluid inclusions in quartz indicate a temperature range of Thom varying from 180 to 220°C, with an average value of 201°C. Studies of the isotopic composition of sulfur in antimonite and realgar showed fairly narrow intervals of δ34S values from – 5.19 to –0.26‰ and from –4.80 to 1.92, respectively, indicating an endogenous sulfur source. Based on these findings, the Lojane deposit can be attributed to the epithermal class

Effect of annealing on the corrosion-fatigue strength and hot salt corrosion resistance of fine-grained titanium near-{\alpha} alloy Ti-5Al-2V obtained by Rotary Swaging

The corrosion-fatigue strength in 3% aqueous NaCl solution and the resistance against hot salt corrosion (HSC) of the fine-grained near-a alloy Ti-5Al-2V (Russian analog of Grade 9 titanium alloy with increased aluminum content) has been studied. The properties of the Ti-5Al-2V alloy in the coarse-grained state, in the fine-grained after cold Rotary Swaging (RS), in partly recrystallized state, and in fully recrystallized one have been investigated. The mechanical properties of the alloy were characterized using compression tests and microhardness measurements. The effects of RS and of the annealing temperature and time on the character of corrosion destruction of the surface and on the composition of the products of the HSC were studied. RS was shown to result in an increase in the depth of the intergranular corrosion defects while the recrystallization annealing promotes the increasing of the corrosion resistance of the Ti-5Al-2V titanium alloy. The parameters of the Basquin equation for the corrosion-fatigue curves for the near-a Ti-5Al-2V alloy in the coarse-grained state, in the severely strained one, and after recrystallization annealing were determined for the first time. An effect of nonmonotonous dependencies of the slopes of the corrosion-fatigue curves for the strained near-a Ti-5Al-2V alloy on the recrystallization annealing temperature has been observed.Comment: 46 pages, 1 table, 19 figures, 64 reference

Hydrodynamic interactions in colloidal ferrofluids: A lattice Boltzmann study

We use lattice Boltzmann simulations, in conjunction with Ewald summation methods, to investigate the role of hydrodynamic interactions in colloidal suspensions of dipolar particles, such as ferrofluids. Our work addresses volume fractions $\phi$ of up to 0.20 and dimensionless dipolar interaction parameters $\lambda$ of up to 8. We compare quantitatively with Brownian dynamics simulations, in which many-body hydrodynamic interactions are absent. Monte Carlo data are also used to check the accuracy of static properties measured with the lattice Boltzmann technique. At equilibrium, hydrodynamic interactions slow down both the long-time and the short-time decays of the intermediate scattering function $S(q,t)$, for wavevectors close to the peak of the static structure factor $S(q)$, by a factor of roughly two. The long-time slowing is diminished at high interaction strengths whereas the short-time slowing (quantified via the hydrodynamic factor $H(q)$) is less affected by the dipolar interactions, despite their strong effect on the pair distribution function arising from cluster formation. Cluster formation is also studied in transient data following a quench from $\lambda = 0$; hydrodynamic interactions slow the formation rate, again by a factor of roughly two

Activation of MAPK ERK in peripheral nerve after injury

BACKGROUND: Activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), a member of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, has been proposed to mediate neurite outgrowth-promoting effects of several neurotrophic factors in vitro. However, the precise activity of ERK during axonal regeneration in vivo remains unclear. Peripheral axotomy has been shown to activate ERK in the cell bodies of primary afferent neurons and associated satellite cells. Nevertheless, whether ERK is also activated in the axons and surrounded Schwann cells which also play a key role in the regeneration process has not been clarified. RESULTS: Phosphorylation of ERK in the sciatic nerve in several time-points after crush injury has been examined. Higher phosphorylation of ERK was observed in the proximal and distal nerve stumps compared to the contralateral intact nerve from one day to one month after crush. The activation of ERK was mainly localized in the axons of the proximal segments. In the distal segments, however, active ERK was predominantly found in Schwann cells forming Bungner's bands. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that ERK is activated in both the proximal and distal nerve stumps following nerve injury. The role of activated ERK in Wallerian degeneration and subsequent regeneration in vivo remains to be elucidated

High-Temperature Deformation of Ceramics Based on Tungsten Carbide with Different Grain Sizes

The aim of this work is to study the high-temperature deformation behavior of sintered tungsten carbide ceramics with different grain sizes. It is shown that the creep activation energy in UFG tungsten carbide with a grain size of ~0.15 μm, sintered from plasma-chemical nanopowder, is ~31 kTm.Работа выполнена при поддержке гранта РФФИ №20-33-90214

Argonaute2 Suppresses Drosophila Fragile X Expression Preventing Neurogenesis and Oogenesis Defects

Fragile X Syndrome is caused by the silencing of the Fragile X Mental Retardation gene (FMR1). Regulating dosage of FMR1 levels is critical for proper development and function of the nervous system and germ line, but the pathways responsible for maintaining normal expression levels are less clearly defined. Loss of Drosophila Fragile X protein (dFMR1) causes several behavioral and developmental defects in the fly, many of which are analogous to those seen in Fragile X patients. Over-expression of dFMR1 also causes specific neuronal and behavioral abnormalities. We have found that Argonaute2 (Ago2), the core component of the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway, regulates dfmr1 expression. Previously, the relationship between dFMR1 and Ago2 was defined by their physical interaction and co-regulation of downstream targets. We have found that Ago2 and dFMR1 are also connected through a regulatory relationship. Ago2 mediated repression of dFMR1 prevents axon growth and branching defects of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Consequently, the neurogenesis defects in larvae mutant for both dfmr1 and Ago2 mirror those in dfmr1 null mutants. The Ago2 null phenotype at the NMJ is rescued in animals carrying an Ago2 genomic rescue construct. However, animals carrying a mutant Ago2 allele that produces Ago2 with significantly reduced endoribonuclease catalytic activity are normal with respect to the NMJ phenotypes examined. dFMR1 regulation by Ago2 is also observed in the germ line causing a multiple oocyte in a single egg chamber mutant phenotype. We have identified Ago2 as a regulator of dfmr1 expression and have clarified an important developmental role for Ago2 in the nervous system and germ line that requires dfmr1 function

Mini-EUSO experiment to study UV emission of terrestrial and astrophysical origin onboard of the International Space Station

International audienceMini-EUSO will observe the Earth in the UV range (300 - 400 nm) offering the opportunity to study a variety of atmospheric events such as Transient LuminousEvents (TLEs), meteors and marine bioluminescence. Furthermore it aims to search for Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) above $10^{21}$ eV and Strange Quark Matter (SQM).The detector is expected to be launched to the International Space Station in August 2019 and look at the Earth in nadir mode from the UV-transparent window of the Zvezda module of the International Space Station. The instrument comprises a compact telescope with a large field of view ($44^{\circ}$), based on an optical system employing two Fresnel lenses for lightcollection. The light is focused onto an array of 36 multi-anode photomultiplier tubes (MAPMT), for a total of 2304 pixels and the resulting signal is converted into digital, processed and stored viathe electronics subsystems on-board. In addition to the main detector, Mini-EUSO contains two ancillary cameras for complementary measurements in the near infrared (1500 - 1600 nm) and visible (400 - 780 nm) range and also a $8 \times 8$ SiPM imaging array

Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals (EPFRs). 3. Free versus Bound Hydroxyl Radicals in EPFR Aqueous Solutions

Additional experimental evidence is presented for in vitro generation of hydroxyl radicals because of redox cycling of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) produced after adsorption of 2-monochlorophenol at 230 °C (2-MCP-230) on copper oxide supported by silica, 5% Cu(II)O/silica (3.9% Cu). A chemical spin trapping agent, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was employed. Experiments in spiked O17 water have shown that ∼15% of hydroxyl radicals formed as a result of redox cycling. This amount of hydroxyl radicals arises from an exogenous Fenton reaction and may stay either partially trapped on the surface of particulate matter (physisorbed or chemisorbed) or transferred into solution as free OH. Computational work confirms the highly stable nature of the DMPO–OH adduct, as an intermediate produced by interaction of DMPO with physisorbed/chemisorbed OH (at the interface of solid catalyst/solution). All reaction pathways have been supported by ab initio calculations