Diffraction Loss Prediction of Multiple Edges Using Bullington Method with Neural Network in Mountainous Areas

This paper proposes a neural network approach to improve the Bullington method by using parameters obtained from ignored obstacles in mountainous areas. Measurements were performed in mountainous areas to compare the prediction accuracy of propagation loss. And the measured data were used for neural network training. A detailed description of the input parameters of the proposed neural network is presented. The prediction performances were improved by up to 3.20 dB in the average error and 2.11 dB in the standard deviation of errors by the proposed method when compared to traditional diffraction methods

Nitric oxide directly activates calcium-activated potassium channels from rat brain reconstituted into planar lipid bilayer

AbstractUsing the planar lipid bilayer technique, we tested whether NO directly activates calcium-activated potassium (Maxi-K) channels isolated from rat brain. We used streptozotocin (STZ) as NO donor, and the NO release was controlled with light. In the presence of 100–800 μM STZ, the Maxi-K channel activity increased up to 3-fold within several tens of seconds after the light was on, and reversed to the control level several minutes after shutting off the light. Similar activation was observed with other NO donors such as S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine and sodium nitroprusside. The degree of activity increase was dependent upon the initial open probability (Pinit). When the Pinit was lower, the activity increase was greater. These results demonstrate that NO can directly affect the Maxi-K channel activity, and suggest that the Maxi-K channel might be one of the physiological targets of NO in brain

Elevated cellular cholesterol in Familial Alzheimer’s presenilin 1 mutation is associated with lipid raft localization of β-amyloid precursor protein

Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD)-associated presenilin 1 (PS1) serves as a catalytic subunit of γ-secretase complex, which mediates the proteolytic liberation of β-amyloid (Aβ) from β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). In addition to its proteolytic role, PS1 is involved in non-proteolytic functions such as protein trafficking and ion channel regulation. Furthermore, postmortem AD brains as well as AD patients showed dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism. Since cholesterol has been implicated in regulating Aβ production, we investigated whether the FAD PS1-associated cholesterol elevation could influence APP processing. We found that in CHO cells stably expressing FAD-associated PS1 ΔE9, total cholesterol levels are elevated compared to cells expressing wild-type PS1. We also found that localization of APP in cholesterol-enriched lipid rafts is substantially increased in the mutant cells. Reducing the cholesterol levels by either methyl-β-cyclodextrin or an inhibitor of CYP51, an enzyme mediating the elevated cholesterol in PS1 ΔE9-expressing cells, significantly reduced lipid raft-associated APP. In contrast, exogenous cholesterol increased lipid raft-associated APP. These data suggest that in the FAD PS1 ΔE9 cells, the elevated cellular cholesterol level contributes to the altered APP processing by increasing APP localized in lipid rafts

biological mediated ag nanoparticles from barleria longiflora for antimicrobial activity and photocatalytic degradation using methylene blue

AbstractThe present study focuses on extraction of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) from Barleria longiflora L. leaves for antibacterial and photocatalytic activities. The extracted Ag-NPs have been characterized by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM with EDX, HR-TEM accompanied SAED pattern and UV-Visible absorption spectroscopic techniques. Spectral studies confirmed the UV-Visible absorption spectrum of the Ag-NPs at a wavelength of 443 nm and a good crystalline nature with a face-centered cubic crystal structure using XRD spectrum. Surface topography and the presence of Ag in the prepared sample have been confirmed from SEM and EDX measurements. Various functional groups present in the sample have been examined using FT-IR spectroscopic analysis. A homogeneous dispersion of spherical form nanoparticles with a usual size of 2.4 nm was confirmed by visualization using FE-SEM and HR-TEM. Moreover, Ag-NPs stimulate a strong inhibition of Enterococcus sp., Streptococcus sp, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas p..

Non-Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls Inhibit G-Protein Coupled Receptor-Mediated Ca2+ Signaling by Blocking Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous pollutants which accumulate in the food chain. Recently, several molecular mechanisms by which non-dioxin-like (NDL) PCBs mediate neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral toxicity have been elucidated. However, although the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) is a significant target for neurobehavioral disturbance, our understanding of the effects of PCBs on GPCR signaling remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of NDL-PCBs on GPCR-mediated Ca2+ signaling in PC12 cells. We found that ortho-substituted 2,2', 6-trichlorinated biphenyl (PCB19) caused a rapid decline in the Ca2+ signaling of bradykinin, a typical Gq-and phospholipase C beta-coupled GPCR, without any effect on its inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate production. PCB19 reduced thapsigargin-induced sustained cytosolic Ca2+ levels, suggesting that PCB19 inhibits SOCE. The abilities of other NDL-PCBs to inhibit store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) were also examined and found to be of similar potencies to that of PCB19. PCB19 also showed a manner equivalent to that of known SOCE inhibitors. PCB19-mediated SOCE inhibition was confirmed by demonstrating the ability of PCB19 to inhibit the SOCE current and thapsigargin-induced Mn2+ influx. These results imply that one of the molecular mechanism by which NDL-PCBs cause neurobehavioral disturbances involves NDL-PCB-mediated inhibition of SOCE, thereby interfering with GPCR-mediated Ca2+ signaling.1142Ysciescopu

Effects of Capsaicin on Adipogenic Differentiation in Bovine Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell

Capsaicin is a major constituent of hot chili peppers that influences lipid metabolism in animals. In this study, we explored the effects of capsaicin on adipogenic differentiation of bovine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The BMSCs were treated with various concentrations of capsaicin (0, 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 μM) for 2, 4, and 6 days. Capsaicin suppressed fat deposition significantly during adipogenic differentiation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, cytosine-cytosine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine/enhancer binding protein alpha, fatty acid binding protein 4, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase expression decreased after capsaicin treatment. We showed that the number of apoptotic cells increased in dose- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, we found that capsaicin increased the expression levels of apoptotic genes, such as B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein and caspase 3. Overall, capsaicin inhibits fat deposition by triggering apoptosis

Comprehensive identification of sexually dimorphic genes in diverse cattle tissues using RNA-seq

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract Background Molecular mechanisms associated with sexual dimorphism in cattle have not been well elucidated. Furthermore, as recent studies have implied that gene expression patterns are highly tissue specific, it is essential to investigate gene expression in a variety of tissues using RNA-seq. Here, we employed and compared two statistical methods, a simple two group test and Analysis of deviance (ANODEV), in order to investigate bovine sexually dimorphic genes in 40 RNA-seq samples distributed across two factors: sex and tissue. Results As a result, we detected 752 sexually dimorphic genes across tissues from two statistical approaches and identified strong tissue-specific patterns of gene expression. Additionally, significantly detected sex-related genes shared between two mammal species (cattle and rat) were identified using qRT-PCR. Conclusions Results of our analyses reveal that sexual dimorphism of metabolic tissues and pituitary gland in cattle involves various biological processes. Several differentially expressed genes between sexes in cattle and rat species are shared, but show tissue-specific patterns. Finally, we concluded that two distinct statistical approaches have their advantages and disadvantages in RNA-seq studies investigating multiple tissues

Skeletal muscle adaptation: The roles of AMP-activated protein kinase and calcium signals

The purpose of this research was to determine the roles of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Ca2+ signals in skeletal muscle adaptations, including energy metabolism and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) profiles. The effect of muscle contraction on adaptation has been studied extensively, yet the specific mechanisms by which AMPK and Ca2+ signals modulate energy metabolism and MyHC isoform expression have not been elucidated. The first study determined the long-term effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), a known activator of AMPK, on MyHC isoform composition and energy metabolism in growing pigs. Administration of AICAR for 10 d increased phosphorylation of AMPK and was followed by an increase in muscle specific glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). AMPK activation was confirmed by measuring the phosphorylation level of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), a known target of AMPK. AICAR treatment induced a shift to faster phenotype as evidenced by MyHC transition from IIx to IIb, and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, which is a glycolytic enzyme that is greater in fast twitching fibers than in slow twitching fibers. To study the effects of both AMPK and Ca2+ signals on muscle adaptation, we utilized pigs including Rendement Napole (RN) bearing a point mutation in AMPK γ3 subunit, Halothane (Hal) bearing a leaky Ca2+ channel due to the mutation in ryanodine receptor, and double mutant (Hal-RN). Combined use of real-time PCR, gel electrophoresis, and western blot analysis, indicated that myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform shifted from IIb to IIx/a in RN bearing mutant pigs. In addition, protein level of MyHC assessed by Western blot correlated with mRNA level by real-time PCR, supporting the hypothesis that MyHC genes are transcriptionally controlled. However, transcript abundance of genes involved in energy metabolism including LDH, citrate synthase, glycogen synthase, and PPARα, was not different between genotypes, suggesting that regulation of metabolism and structural phenotype are not coordinately regulated. Muscles from RN pigs showed higher AMPK phosphorylation and GLUT4 expression compared to normal. High cytosolic [Ca2+] in Hal pigs did not affect AMPK or GLUT4 expression. Interestingly, RN-induced AMPK phosphorylation and GLUT4 expression were blunted by Hal gene in Hal-RN double mutant pigs. These data suggested calcium has an inhibitory effect on AMPK-induced GLUT4 expression. To further evaluate this phenomenon, we utilized AICAR and caffeine to enhance AMPK activity and Ca2+ level in cultured C2C12 myotubes. Increase in GLUT4 expression induced by AICAR was positively regulated by short term (\u3c 4h) caffeine (3 mM) treatment, but this increase in GLUT4 was blocked by long term (8 to 72 h) exposure to 3 mM caffeine. This result confirmed our hypothesis that chronic high Ca2+ level blocks AMPK-induced GLUT4 expression. To further specify the mechanisms by which Ca2+ signals modulate AMPK activity, we utilized various inhibitors and siRNA technique to knock-down Ca2+-induced signals. Also, because activities of Ca2+/calmodulin dependent kinases (CaMKs) are affected by the pattern of Ca2+ oscillation, we compared AMPK activities from C2C12 myotubes exposed to different Ca2+ frequencies. This was accomplished by switching cells between caffeine-containing and dantrolene-containing media. Inhibitory effect of long-term caffeine exposure was diminished by treatment with CaMKII inhibitors. Continuous incubation of C2C12 myotubes with caffeine had a negative effect on AICAR-induced AMPK activity. Ca 2+ oscillation produced by switching caffeine- and dantrolene-containing media reduced the inhibitory effect of long term Ca2+ treatment on AICAR-induced AMPK activity. Taken together, Ca2+ and AMPK signals modulate skeletal muscle adaptation, including MyHC expression and activities of enzymes involved in energy metabolism. In addition, Ca2+ appears to regulate AMPK activity in a frequency dependent manner through the CaMKK-CaMKII signaling cascade

Performance Evaluation of Zone-Based In-Vehicle Network Architecture for Autonomous Vehicles

In recent years, various functions such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems are being mounted in vehicles for safety and convenience to drivers. Among the various functions, autonomous driving-related technologies are being added to all vehicles, from low options to high options. For autonomous driving, hundreds of new electronic control units (ECUs) including various advanced sensors would be needed. Adding more ECUs would enhance safety and convenience for the driver. On the other hand, wiring between these ECUs would be more complex and heavier. The wiring harness is essential for communication and power supply. Currently, the in-vehicle network (IVN) uses the domain-based IVN architecture (DIA) that separates ECUs into domains based on their functions. Recently, in order to minimize the complexity of wiring harness and IVN, zone-based IVN architecture (ZIA) that groups ECUs according to their physical locations is attracting attention. In this paper, we propose a new DIA and ZIA for autonomous driving in the context of time-sensitive networking (TSN). These two new IVN architectures are simulated using the OMNeT++ network simulator. In the simulation process, a mid-size vehicle is assumed. It is shown in this paper that ZIA not only reduces wiring harnesses in both lengths and weights by approximately 24.6% compared to the DIAs, but also reduces data transmission delay

Time-Sensitive Network (TSN) Experiment in Sensor-Based Integrated Environment for Autonomous Driving

Recently, large amounts of data traffic from various sensors and image and navigation systems within vehicles are generated for autonomous driving. Broadband communication networks within vehicles have become necessary. New autonomous Ethernet networks are being considered as alternatives. The Ethernet-based in-vehicle network has been standardized in the IEEE 802.1 time-sensitive network (TSN) group since 2006. The Ethernet TSN will be revised and integrated into a subsequent version of IEEE 802.1Q-2018 published in 2018 when various new TSN-related standards are being newly revised and published. A TSN integrated environment simulator is developed in this paper to implement the main functions of the TSN standards that are being developed. This effort would minimize the performance gaps that can occur when the functions of these standards operate in an integrated environment. As part of this purpose, we analyzed the simulator to verify that the traffic for autonomous driving satisfies the TSN transmission requirements in the in-vehicle network (IVN) and the preemption (which is one of the main TSN functions) and reduces the overall End-to-End delay. An optimal guard band size for the preemption was also found for autonomous vehicles in our work. Finally, an IVN model for autonomous vehicles was designed and the performance test was conducted by configuring the traffic to be used for various sensors and electronic control units (ECUs)