q-Analogue of Shock Soliton Solution

By using Jackson's q-exponential function we introduce the generating function, the recursive formulas and the second order q-differential equation for the q-Hermite polynomials. This allows us to solve the q-heat equation in terms of q-Kampe de Feriet polynomials with arbitrary N moving zeroes, and to find operator solution for the Initial Value Problem for the q-heat equation. By the q-analog of the Cole-Hopf transformation we construct the q-Burgers type nonlinear heat equation with quadratic dispersion and the cubic nonlinearity. In q -> 1 limit it reduces to the standard Burgers equation. Exact solutions for the q-Burgers equation in the form of moving poles, singular and regular q-shock soliton solutions are found.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure

The role of Chinese investments in the bilateral exports of new E.U. member states and Western Balkan countries

This paper explores the economic relations between China and new E.U. member states and Western Balkan countries. China is an important trade partner for these countries, but in recent years the cooperation has been extended to include Chinese foreign direct investments (F.D.I.) inward investment. Using the Poisson pseudomaximum likelihood (P.P.M.L.) method to estimate a gravity model of bilateral trade, this study analysed the export flows of these countries as a function of total inward F.D.I. and Chinese F.D.I. as well. The results imply that F.D.I. inflows from China significantly increase the bilateral exports of the investigated countries, where F.D.I. has a greater impact on the exports of new E.U. member states than on Western Balkan countries

Lhx8 regulates primordial follicle activation and postnatal folliculogenesis

Background: The early stages of ovarian follicle formation-beginning with the breakdown of germ cell cysts and continuing with the formation of primordial follicles and transition to primary and secondary follicles-are critical in determining reproductive life span and fertility. Previously, we discovered that global knockouts of germ cell-specific transcriptional co-regulators Sohlh1, Sohlh2, Lhx8, and Nobox, cause rapid oocyte loss and ovarian failure. Also factors such as Nobox and Sohlh1 are associated with human premature ovarian failure. In this study, we developed a conditional knockout of Lhx8 to study oocyte-specific pathways in postnatal folliculogenesis. Results: The conditional deficiency of Lhx8 in the oocytes of primordial follicles leads to massive primordial oocyte activation, in part, by indirectly interacting with the PI3K-AKT pathway, as shown by synergistic effects on FOXO3 nucleocytoplasmic translocation and rpS6 activation. However, LHX8 does not directly regulate members of the PI3K-AKT pathway; instead, we show that LHX8 represses Lin28a expression, a known regulator of mammalian metabolism and of the AKT/mTOR pathway. LHX8 can bind to the Lin28a promoter, and the depletion of Lin28a in Lhx8-deficient oocytes partially suppresses primordial oocyte activation. Moreover, unlike the PI3K-AKT pathway, LHX8 is critical beyond primordial follicle activation, and blocks the primary to secondary follicle transition. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the LHX8-LIN28A pathway is essential in the earliest stages of primordial follicle activation, and LHX8 is an important oocyte-specific transcription factor in the ovary for regulating postnatal folliculogenesis

Biochemical and structural characterization of a novel thermophilic esterase EstD11 provide catalytic insights for the HSL family

19 pags., 12 figs., 2 tabs.A novel esterase, EstD11, has been discovered in a hot spring metagenomic library. It is a thermophilic and thermostable esterase with an optimum temperature of 60°C. A detailed substrate preference analysis of EstD11 was done using a library of chromogenic ester substrate that revealed the broad substrate specificity of EstD11 with significant measurable activity against 16 substrates with varied chain length, steric hindrance, aromaticity and flexibility of the linker between the carboxyl and the alcohol moiety of the ester. The tridimensional structures of EstD11 and the inactive mutant have been determined at atomic resolutions. Structural and bioinformatic analysis, confirm that EstD11 belongs to the family IV, the hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) family, from the α/β-hydrolase superfamily. The canonical α/β-hydrolase domain is completed by a cap domain, composed by two subdomains that can unmask of the active site to allow the substrate to enter. Eight crystallographic complexes were solved with different substrates and reaction products that allowed identification of the hot-spots in the active site underlying the specificity of the protein. Crystallization and/or incubation of EstD11 at high temperature provided unique information on cap dynamics and a first glimpse of enzymatic activity in vivo. Very interestingly, we have discovered a unique Met zipper lining the active site and the cap domains that could be essential in pivotal aspects as thermo-stability and substrate promiscuity in EstD11.We thank the staff from ALBA synchrotron facility (Barcelona, Spain) for support during crystallographic data collection. This work was funded by the UE through the HotDrops Project (FP7- PEOPLE-2012-IAPP, project number 324439). Additionally, this work was supported by the BFU2017-90030-P grant to J.A.H. from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovatio

Serum amyloid A primes microglia for ATP-dependent interleukin-1\u3b2 release

Acute-phase response is a systemic reaction to environmental/inflammatory insults and involves production of acute-phase proteins, including serum amyloid A (SAA). Interleukin-1\u3b2 (IL-1\u3b2), a master regulator of neuroinflammation produced by activated inflammatory cells of the myeloid lineage, in particular microglia, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases of the peripheral nervous system and CNS. IL-1\u3b2 release is promoted by ATP acting at the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) in cells primed with toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands

Expression and Differential Responsiveness of Central Nervous System Glial Cell Populations to the Acute Phase Protein Serum Amyloid A

Acute-phase response is a systemic reaction to environmental/inflammatory insults and involves hepatic production of acute-phase proteins, including serum amyloid A (SAA). Extrahepatically, SAA immunoreactivity is found in axonal myelin sheaths of cortex in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), although its cellular origin is unclear. We examined the responses of cultured rat cortical astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) to master pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-\u3b1 and lipopolysaccaride (LPS). TNF-\u3b1 time-dependently increased Saa1 (but not Saa3) mRNA expression in purified microglia, enriched astrocytes, and OPCs (as did LPS for microglia and astrocytes). Astrocytes depleted of microglia were markedly less responsive to TNF-\u3b1 and LPS, even after re-addition of microglia. Microglia and enriched astrocytes showed complementary Saa1 expression profiles following TNF-\u3b1 or LPS challenge, being higher in microglia with TNF-\u3b1 and higher in astrocytes with LPS. Recombinant human apo-SAA stimulated production of both inflammatory mediators and its own mRNA in microglia and enriched, but not microglia-depleted astrocytes. Co-ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide/luteolin, an established anti-inflammatory/neuroprotective agent, reduced Saa1 expression in OPCs subjected to TNF-\u3b1 treatment. These last data, together with past findings suggest that co-ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide/luteolin may be a novel approach in the treatment of inflammatory demyelinating disorders like MS

Probing the Hofmeister Effect with Ultrafast Core Hole Spectroscopy

In the current work, X-ray emission spectra of aqueous solutions of different inorganic salts within the Hofmeister series are presented. The results reflect the direct interaction of the ions with the water molecules and therefore, reveal general properties of the salt-water interactions. Within the experimental precision a significant effect of the ions on the water structure has been observed but no ordering according to the structure maker/structure breaker concept could be mirrored in the results indicating that the Hofmeister effect-if existent-may be caused by more complex interactions

Mutations involving the SRY-related gene SOX8 are associated with a spectrum of human reproductive anomalies

SOX8 is an HMG-box transcription factor closely related to SRY and SOX9. Deletion of the gene encoding Sox8 in mice causes reproductive dysfunction but the role of SOX8 in humans is unknown. Here, we show that SOX8 is expressed in the somatic cells of the early developing gonad in the human and influences human sex-determination. We identified two individuals with 46,XY disorders/differences in sex development (DSD) and chromosomal rearrangements encompassing the SOX8 locus and a third individual with 46,XY DSD and a missense mutation in the HMG-box of SOX8. In-vitro functional assays indicate that this mutation alters the biological activity of the protein. As an emerging body of evidence suggests that DSDs and infertility can have common etiologies, we also analyzed SOX8 in a cohort of infertile men (n = 274) and two independent cohorts of women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI; n = 153 and n = 104). SOX8 mutations were found at increased frequency in oligozoospermic men (3.5%; p<0.05) and POI (5.06%; p=4.5x10-5) as compared to fertile/normospermic control populations (0.74%). The mutant proteins identified altered SOX8 biological activity as compared to the wild-type protein. These data demonstrate that SOX8 plays an important role in human reproduction and SOX8 mutations contribute to a spectrum of phenotypes including 46,XY DSD, male infertility and 46,XX POI

Spliced Leader Trapping Reveals Widespread Alternative Splicing Patterns in the Highly Dynamic Transcriptome of Trypanosoma brucei

Trans-splicing of leader sequences onto the 5′ends of mRNAs is a widespread phenomenon in protozoa, nematodes and some chordates. Using parallel sequencing we have developed a method to simultaneously map 5′splice sites and analyze the corresponding gene expression profile, that we term spliced leader trapping (SLT). The method can be applied to any organism with a sequenced genome and trans-splicing of a conserved leader sequence. We analyzed the expression profiles and splicing patterns of bloodstream and insect forms of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. We detected the 5′ splice sites of 85% of the annotated protein-coding genes and, contrary to previous reports, found up to 40% of transcripts to be differentially expressed. Furthermore, we discovered more than 2500 alternative splicing events, many of which appear to be stage-regulated. Based on our findings we hypothesize that alternatively spliced transcripts present a new means of regulating gene expression and could potentially contribute to protein diversity in the parasite. The entire dataset can be accessed online at TriTrypDB or through: http://splicer.unibe.ch/