1,546 research outputs found
The alternatively spliced fibronectin CS1 isoform regulates IL-17A levels and mechanical allodynia after peripheral nerve injury.
BackgroundMechanical pain hypersensitivity associated with physical trauma to peripheral nerve depends on T-helper (Th) cells expressing the algesic cytokine, interleukin (IL)-17A. Fibronectin (FN) isoform alternatively spliced within the IIICS region encoding the 25-residue-long connecting segment 1 (CS1) regulates T cell recruitment to the sites of inflammation. Herein, we analyzed the role of CS1-containing FN (FN-CS1) in IL-17A expression and pain after peripheral nerve damage.MethodsMass spectrometry, immunoblotting, and FN-CS1-specific immunofluorescence analyses were employed to examine FN expression after chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rat sciatic nerves. The acute intra-sciatic nerve injection of the synthetic CS1 peptide (a competitive inhibitor of the FN-CS1/α4 integrin binding) was used to elucidate the functional significance of FN-CS1 in mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivity and IL-17A expression (by quantitative Taqman RT-PCR) after CCI. The CS1 peptide effects were analyzed in cultured primary Schwann cells, the major source of FN-CS1 in CCI nerves.ResultsFollowing CCI, FN expression in sciatic nerve increased with the dominant FN-CS1 deposition in endothelial cells, Schwann cells, and macrophages. Acute CS1 therapy attenuated mechanical allodynia (pain from innocuous stimulation) but not thermal hyperalgesia and reduced the levels of IL-17A expression in the injured nerve. CS1 peptide inhibited the LPS- or starvation-stimulated activation of the stress ERK/MAPK pathway in cultured Schwann cells.ConclusionsAfter physical trauma to the peripheral nerve, FN-CS1 contributes to mechanical pain hypersensitivity by increasing the number of IL-17A-expressing (presumably, Th17) cells. CS1 peptide therapy can be developed for pharmacological control of neuropathic pain
Hidden Cues in Random Line Stereograms
Successful fusion of random-line stereograms with breaks in the vernier acuity range has been interpreted to suggest that the interpolation process underlying hyperacuity is parallel and preliminary to stereomatching. In this paper (a) we demonstrate with computer experiments that vernier cues are not needed to solve the stereomatching problem posed by these stereograms and (b) we provide psychophysical evidence that human stereopsis probably does not use vernier cues alone to achieve fusion of these random-line stereograms.MIT Artificial Intelligence Laborator
Global well-posedness of the Kirchhoff equation and Kirchhoff systems
This article is devoted to review the known results on global well-posedness
for the Cauchy problem to the Kirchhoff equation and Kirchhoff systems with
small data. Similar results will be obtained for the initial-boundary value
problems in exterior domains with compact boundary. Also, the known results on
large data problems will be reviewed together with open problems.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1211.300
A system of relational syllogistic incorporating full Boolean reasoning
We present a system of relational syllogistic, based on classical
propositional logic, having primitives of the following form:
Some A are R-related to some B;
Some A are R-related to all B;
All A are R-related to some B;
All A are R-related to all B.
Such primitives formalize sentences from natural language like `All students
read some textbooks'. Here A and B denote arbitrary sets (of objects), and R
denotes an arbitrary binary relation between objects. The language of the logic
contains only variables denoting sets, determining the class of set terms, and
variables denoting binary relations between objects, determining the class of
relational terms. Both classes of terms are closed under the standard Boolean
operations. The set of relational terms is also closed under taking the
converse of a relation. The results of the paper are the completeness theorem
with respect to the intended semantics and the computational complexity of the
satisfiability problem.Comment: Available at
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10849-012-9165-
Orbitally Driven Spin Pairing in the 3D Non-Magnetic Mott Insulator BaVS3: Evidence from Single Crystal Studies
Static electrical and magnetic properties of single crystal BaVS_3 were
measured over the structural (T_S=240K), metal-insulator (T_MI=69K), and
suspected orbital ordering (T_X=30K) transitions. The resistivity is almost
isotropic both in the metallic and insulating states. An anomaly in the
magnetic anisotropy at T_X signals a phase transition to an ordered low-T
state. The results are interpreted in terms of orbital ordering and spin
pairing within the lowest crystal field quasi-doublet. The disordered insulator
at T_X<T<T_MI is described as a classical liquid of non-magnetic pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, revtex, epsf, and multicol style. Problem with
figures fixed. To appear in Phys. Rev. B Rap. Com
Splitting of the Dipole and Spin-Dipole Resonances
Cross sections for the 90,92,94Zr(p,n) reactions were measured at energies of
79.2 and 119.4 MeV. A phenomenological model was developed to describe the
variation with bombarding energy of the position of the L=1 peak observed in
these and other (p,n) reactions. The model yields the splitting between the
giant dipole and giant spin dipole resonances. Values of these splittings are
obtained for isotopes of Zr and Sn and for 208Pb.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
A Nacre-Like Carbon Nanotube Sheet for High Performance Li-Polysulfide Batteries with High Sulfur Loading
© 2018 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the most promising energy storage systems for next-generation electric vehicles because of their high-energy density. However, the poor cyclic stability, especially at a high sulfur loading, is the major obstacles retarding their practical use. Inspired by the nacre structure of an abalone, a similar configuration consisting of layered carbon nanotube (CNT) matrix and compactly embedded sulfur is designed as the cathode for Li-S batteries, which are realized by a well-designed unidirectional freeze-drying approach. The compact and lamellar configuration with closely contacted neighboring CNT layers and the strong interaction between the highly conductive network and polysulfides have realized a high sulfur loading with significantly restrained polysulfide shuttling, resulting in a superior cyclic stability and an excellent rate performance for the produced Li-S batteries. Typically, with a sulfur loading of 5 mg cm−2, the assembled batteries demonstrate discharge capacities of 1236 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, 498 mAh g−1 at 2 C and moreover, when the sulfur loading is further increased to 10 mg cm−2 coupling with a carbon-coated separator, a superhigh areal capacity of 11.0 mAh cm−2 is achieved
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