14 research outputs found

    Effects of NK-4 in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

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    Beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides are considered to play a major role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and molecules that can prevent pathways of Aβ toxicity may be potential therapeutic agents for treatment of AD. We have previously reported that NK-4, a cyanine photosensitizing dye, displays neurotrophic and antioxidant activities. In this study, we report the effects of NK-4 on the toxicity of Aβ and on cognitive function and Aβ concentration in a transgenic mouse model of AD (Tg2576). In vitro, NK-4 effectively protected neuronal cells from toxicity induced by Aβ. In addition, it displayed profound inhibitory activities on Aβ fibril formation. In vivo, Tg2576 mice received an intraperitoneal injection at 100 or 500 µg/kg of NK-4 once a day, five times a week for 9 months. Administration of NK-4 to the mice attenuated impairment of recognition memory, associative memory, and learning ability, as assessed by a novel object recognition test, a passive avoidance test, and a water maze test, respectively. NK-4 decreased the brain Aβ concentration while increasing the plasma amyloid level in a dose-dependent manner. NK-4 also improved memory impairments of ICR mice induced by direct intracerebroventricular administration of Aβ. These lines of evidence suggest that NK-4 may affect multiple pathways of amyloid pathogenesis and could be useful for treatment of AD

    Physics-Based Modeling for Hybrid Data-Driven Models to Estimate SNR in WDM Systems

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    Recently several machine learning methods have been proposed to estimate the SNR, based on launch data and other system factors. These data-driven methods typically require a large number of datasets for training and generally are not interpretable. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach that requires less data and is interpretable, specifically a hybrid algorithm combining a physical model with Gaussian process regression. We develop a measurement-informed physical model, systematically reducing the number of independent parameters based on the underpinning physics and improve the overall performance of the physical model marginally. The model is validated using measurements performed on a 15-channel wavelength-division multiplexed system propagating over 1,000 km of standard single-mode fiber. The proposed hybrid model is not only interpretable but also obtains better agreement with measurements than a Gaussian process regression model and a simple neural network model for a given number of training datapoints

    “Come Then Ye Classic Thieves of Each Degree”: The Social Context of the Persepolis Diaspora in the Early Nineteenth Century

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    The diaspora of fragments from the stone structures on the Persepolis terrace in Iran began in earnest in the early nineteenth century. Members of the embassy of Sir Gore Ouseley made the best-known collections in 1811. This paper sets these removals in the context of a broader series of British physical interventions and transactions between 1800 and 1828. Fragments moved within a gift economy operating between detachments of East India Company officers who were deployed in Qajar-ruled Persia in order to control the Persian Gulf and the overland route to Europe. Archival research has enabled the reconstruction of object biographies for three fragments in London and Edinburgh, and for several other fragments whose present location is not known to me. The case study contributes to our knowledge of the overall rate of the dispersal of carved relief from the site. Acquisitions of architectural fragments from the site accelerated significantly in the twentieth century; the patterns of removal in the nineteenth century reflect the difficult and variable prevailing conditions.</p
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