An Experimental Derivation of Partial Structure Functions of Amorphous Pd_<80>Si_<20> Alloy Using Combination of X-ray, Electron and Neutron Diffraction Experiments

Three partial interference functions corresponding to Pd-Pd, Pd-Si and Si-Si correlations have been separated using the combination of three total interference functions observed by neutron, X-ray and electron diffraction experiments respectively. The number-concentration correlation functions were calculated from the partial Pd-Pd, Pd-Si and Si-Si correlation functions

A Geometrical Relaxation Model on Structure Change and Kinetics during Low-Temperature Annealing of Amorphous Metals

The atomic scale structure relaxation in melt-quenched amorphous metals has been simulated in a computer using a geometrical relaxation model of the dense random packing of hard spheres. The atomic arrangement and kinetics during the geometrical relaxation has been compared with the experimental behaviors on the low-temperature annealing of amorphous alloys

A Study of Fermi Surfaces of the α-Phase Cu-Ge and Cu-Si Alloys by Positron Annihilation(Physics)

Angular correlation measurements on the fcc solid solutions of Cu-Ge and Cu-Si alloys have been carried out on single crystals with four crystallographic orientations by a crossed-slit geometry. The results on both the alloys are nearly the same. The -neck radius and the -radius of the Fermi surfaces increase almost linearly with increasing electron concentration in accord with previous results on Cu-Al and Cu-Zn alloys. The Fermi surface does not touch the square faces of the Brillouin zone at the solubility limit. The results agree fairly well with a calculation based on the sinking-conduction band model

RUNNING ECONOMY AND GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE LENGTH DURING RUNNING FOR KENYAN AND JAPANESE ELITE DISTANCE RUNNERS

The purpose of this study was to compare running economy and gastrocnemius muscle length during running for Kenyan and Japanese elite distance runners. Running economy was measured on the treadmill at 340 m/min while running motion was captured on the inside straight track at their racing speed. Gastrocnemius muscle length was estimated by the equation of Grieve et al. (1978) during the support phase at race speed running on the track. Kenyan runners showed higher running economy and smaller shortening length change of gastrocnemius during support phase than Japanese. These results suggest that shortening gastrocnemius during support phase of the running relates to running economy

Effects of Heparin and Enoxaparin on APP Processing and Aβ Production in Primary Cortical Neurons from Tg2576 Mice

BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by accumulation of Aβ, which is produced through sequential cleavage of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the β-site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) and γ-secretase. Enoxaparin, a low molecular weight form of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) heparin, has been reported to lower Aβ plaque deposition and improve cognitive function in AD transgenic mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We examined whether heparin and enoxaparin influence APP processing and inhibit Aβ production in primary cortical cell cultures. Heparin and enoxaparin were incubated with primary cortical cells derived from Tg2576 mice, and the level of APP and proteolytic products of APP (sAPPα, C99, C83 and Aβ) was measured by western blotting. Treatment of the cells with heparin or enoxaparin had no significant effect on the level of total APP. However, both GAGs decreased the level of C99 and C83, and inhibited sAPPα and Aβ secretion. Heparin also decreased the level of β-secretase (BACE1) and α-secretase (ADAM10). In contrast, heparin had no effect on the level of ADAM17. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The data indicate that heparin and enoxaparin decrease APP processing via both α- and β-secretase pathways. The possibility that GAGs may be beneficial for the treatment of AD needs further study.This work was funded by a project grant (490031) from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (http://www.nhmrc.gov.au). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Brain-specific gene expression by immortalized microglial cell-mediated gene transfer in the mammalian brain

AbstractThe intra-arterial injection of immortalized microglia transfected with the lacZ gene, resulted in the expression of β-galactosidase in the rat brain at 48 h and the activity of β-galactosidase was detected for up to 3 weeks post-injection. More than 30-fold higher activity of β-galactosidase was detected in the brain than in the liver, lung or spleen at 48 h post-injection. This method allows us to easily deliver the gene of interest to the brain without influencing other organs. Our brain-targeting gene delivery system can facilitate gene therapy of several brain disorders, including brain tumor, metabolic disorders, and degenerative disorders, as well as investigation into the roles of particular genes in brain function and development