Muscle sensory innervation patterns in embryonic chick hindlimbs following dorsal root ganglion reversal

Previous studies suggest that sensory innervation of muscles is patterned by motor innervation. Muscle afferent projections mirror motor projections after various experimental manipulations and muscle afferents fail to project to muscle in the absence of motoneurons. It is not known, however, whether muscle afferents are specified with respect to the corresponding motoneurons or target muscles. To test this possibility we rotated three to four segments of neural crest in St. 15–17 chick embryos, leaving motoneurons intact, to reverse the rostrocaudal order of dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) T7/LS1–LS3. This caused sensory neurons derived from one segmental level to grow into the limb with motor axons from a different level. The resulting innervation patterns were assessed at St. 28–37 by injecting DiI and DiA into the sartorius and femorotibialis muscles or into the spinal cord and DRG. DiI labeling of crest prior to rotation showed that DRGs in the operated region were derived primarily from rotated cells. Muscle afferents from rotated DRGs grew to muscles in accord with their new rostrocaudal position, together with “inappropriate” motor axons from the same segmental level. The segmental distribution of sensory neurons innervating each muscle was more widespread in embryos operated at older than at younger stages. In contrast, sensory axons projected to the appropriate muscles in accord with their embryonic origin when segments of the whole neural tube, including motoneurons, were rotated, as reported previously. Thus, sensory neurons do not appear to be selectively matched with motoneurons or target muscles at stages when the corresponding motoneurons have clear identities

Early selection of \u3cem\u3ebZIP73\u3c/em\u3e facilitated adaptation of \u3cem\u3ejaponica\u3c/em\u3e rice to cold climates

Cold stress is a major factor limiting production and geographic distribution of rice (Oryza sativa). Although the growth range of japonica subspecies has expanded northward compared to modern wild rice (O. rufipogon), the molecular basis of the adaptation remains unclear. Here we report bZIP73, a bZIP transcription factor-coding gene with only one functional polymorphism (+511 G\u3eA) between the two subspecies japonica and indica, may have facilitated japonica adaptation to cold climates. We show the japonica version of bZIP73 (bZIP73Jap) interacts with bZIP71 and modulates ABA levels and ROS homeostasis. Evolutionary and population genetic analyses suggest bZIP73 has undergone balancing selection; the bZIP73Jap allele has firstly selected from standing variations in wild rice and likely facilitated cold climate adaptation during initial japonica domestication, while the indica allele bZIP73Ind was subsequently selected for reasons that remain unclear. Our findings reveal early selection of bZIP73Jap may have facilitated climate adaptation of primitive rice germplasms

A randomized trial of selenium supplementation and risk of type-2 diabetes, as assessed by plasma adiponectin

Background: Evidence that selenium affects the risk of type-2 diabetes is conflicting, with observational studies and a few randomized trials showing both lower and higher risk linked to the level of selenium intake and status. We investigated the effect of selenium supplementation on the risk of type-2 diabetes in a population of relatively low selenium status as part of the UK PRECISE (PREvention of Cancer by Intervention with SElenium) pilot study. Plasma adiponectin concentration, a recognised independent predictor of type-2 diabetes risk and known to be correlated with circulating selenoprotein P, was the biomarker chosen. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, five hundred and one elderly volunteers were randomly assigned to a six-month intervention with 100, 200 or 300 μg selenium/d as high-selenium or placebo yeast. Adiponectin concentration was measured by ELISA at baseline and after six months of treatment in 473 participants with one or both plasma samples available. Results: Mean (SD) plasma selenium concentration was 88.5 ng/g (19.1) at baseline and increased significantly in the selenium-treatment groups. In baseline cross-sectional analyses, the fully adjusted geometric mean of plasma adiponectin was 14% lower (95% CI, 0-27%) in the highest than in the lowest quartile of plasma selenium (P for linear trend = 0.04). In analyses across randomized groups, however, selenium supplementation had no effect on adiponectin levels after six months of treatment (P = 0.96). Conclusions: These findings are reassuring as they did not show a diabetogenic effect of a six-month supplementation with selenium in this sample of elderly individuals of relatively low selenium status

Multi-level decision framework collision avoidance algorithm in emergency scenarios

With the rapid development of autonomous driving, the attention of academia has increasingly focused on the development of anti-collision systems in emergency scenarios, which have a crucial impact on driving safety. While numerous anti-collision strategies have emerged in recent years, most of them only consider steering or braking. The dynamic and complex nature of the driving environment presents a challenge to developing robust collision avoidance algorithms in emergency scenarios. To address the complex, dynamic obstacle scene and improve lateral maneuverability, this paper establishes a multi-level decision-making obstacle avoidance framework that employs the safe distance model and integrates emergency steering and emergency braking to complete the obstacle avoidance process. This approach helps avoid the high-risk situation of vehicle instability that can result from the separation of steering and braking actions. In the emergency steering algorithm, we define the collision hazard moment and propose a multi-constraint dynamic collision avoidance planning method that considers the driving area. Simulation results demonstrate that the decision-making collision avoidance logic can be applied to dynamic collision avoidance scenarios in complex traffic situations, effectively completing the obstacle avoidance task in emergency scenarios and improving the safety of autonomous driving

Disruption of Persistent Nociceptive Behavior in Rats with Learning Impairment

Despite the subjective nature of pain experience with cognitive and affective dimensions, preclinical pain research has largely focused on its sensory dimension. Here, we examined the relationship between learning/memory and nociceptive behavior in rats with combined learning impairment and persistent nociception. Learning impairment was induced by bilateral hippocampal injection of a mixed Aβ solution, whereas persistent nociception produced in these rats by complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced ankle inflammation. Those rats with learning impairment showed a diminished development of thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia and a shorter time course of nociceptive behavior without alteration of their baseline nociceptive threshold. In rats with pre-established hyperalgesia and allodynia due to ankle inflammation, bilateral intra-hippocampal injection of cycloheximide (a protein synthesis inhibitor) promoted the earlier recovery of nociceptive behavior. Moreover, expression of Aβ, NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, and protein kinase Cγ was upregulated, whereas the choline acetyl transferase expression was downregulated, in the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and/or spinal cord of rats with combined learning impairment and persistent nociception. The data indicate that learning impairment could disrupt the response to a state of persistent nociception, suggesting an important role for cognitive maladaptation in the mechanisms of chronic pain. These results also suggest that a preclinical model of combined learning impairment and persistent nociception may be useful to explore the brain mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain

Stretchable elastic synaptic transistors for neurologically integrated soft engineering systems

Artificial synaptic devices that can be stretched similar to those appearing in soft-bodied animals, such as earthworms, could be seamlessly integrated onto soft machines toward enabled neurological functions. Here, we report a stretchable synaptic transistor fully based on elastomeric electronic materials, which exhibits a full set of synaptic characteristics. These characteristics retained even the rubbery synapse that is stretched by 50%. By implementing stretchable synaptic transistor with mechanoreceptor in an array format, we developed a deformable sensory skin, where the mechanoreceptors interface the external stimulations and generate presynaptic pulses and then the synaptic transistors render postsynaptic potentials. Furthermore, we demonstrated a soft adaptive neurorobot that is able to perform adaptive locomotion based on robotic memory in a programmable manner upon physically tapping the skin. Our rubbery synaptic transistor and neurologically integrated devices pave the way toward enabled neurological functions in soft machines and other applications

Analysis of corrections to the eikonal approximation

Various corrections to the eikonal approximations are studied for two- and three-body nuclear collisions with the goal to extend the range of validity of this approximation to beam energies of 10 MeV/nucleon. Wallace's correction does not improve much the elastic-scattering cross sections obtained at the usual eikonal approximation. On the contrary, a semiclassical approximation that substitutes the impact parameter by a complex distance of closest approach computed with the projectile-target optical potential efficiently corrects the eikonal approximation. This opens the possibility to analyze data measured down to 10 MeV/nucleon within eikonal-like reaction models.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Magnetic Borophenes from an Evolutionary Search

A computational methodology based on ab initio evolutionary algorithms and spin-polarized density functional theory was developed to predict two-dimensional magnetic materials. Its application to a model system borophene reveals an unexpected rich magnetism and polymorphism. A metastable borophene with nonzero thickness is an antiferromagnetic semiconductor from first-principles calculations, and can be further tuned into a half-metal by finite electron doping. In this borophene, the buckling and coupling among three atomic layers are not only responsible for magnetism, but also result in an out-of-plane negative Poisson\u27s ratio under uniaxial tension, making it the first elemental material possessing auxetic and magnetic properties simultaneously

Effects of Xinwei granule on expression levels of cyclin D1 and its upstream genes in gastric intraepithelial neoplasia tissues

Purpose: To explore the effects of Xinwei granule (XWG) on low-grade gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: To establish LGIN model, Wistar rats were treated with N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine for 3 months. LGIN model rats were randomly grouped into five groups (n = 15), viz, negative control (NC), normal saline (NS) group, Xinwei granule (XWG) group, Weifuchun tablet (WFCT) group, and vatacoenayme tablet (VT) group. Normal rats (n = 17) served as negative control. Histological evaluation of gastric mucosa was undertaken using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and immunohistochemical assays were performed to determine mRNA expressions, protein expression, and the distribution of cyclin D1, kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and p21-WAF1-CIP1, respectively. Results: Compared with LGIN group, the body weight of the rats increased in XWG, WFCT, and VT groups. The pathological characteristics of LGIN group were alleviated by XWG, WFCT and VT treatments. The positive expression of cyclin D1 was enhanced in LGIN group, but reduced in XWG, WFCT and VT groups. The expression levels of KLF4 and p21-WAF1-CIP1, upstream regulators of cyclin D1 reduced in LGIN groups. However, administration of XWG, WFCT and VT strengthened the expressions of KLF4 and p21-WAF1-CIP1. More importantly, the protective effects of XWG against LGIN were superior to those of WFCT and VT. Conclusion: Xinwei granules alleviate LGIN in vivo by inhibiting cyclin D1 expression and enhancing KLF4 and p21-WAF1-CIP1 expression