α-Synuclein interacts with lipoproteins in plasma

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neural cell death in the substantia nigra of the brain and α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation in Lewy bodies. α-Syn can be detected in blood and is a potential biomarker for PD. It has been shown recently that α-syn can pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but the mechanism is not yet understood. We hypothesized that α-syn could interact with lipoproteins, and in association with these particles, could pass through the BBB. Here, we show that apoE, apoJ, and apoA1, but not apoB, were co-immunocaptured along with α-syn from human blood plasma, suggesting that α-syn is associated with high density lipoproteins (HDL). This association was also supported by experiments involving western blotting of plasma fractions separated by gel filtration,which revealed that α-syn was found in fractions identified as HDL. Interestingly, we could also detect α-syn and ApoJ in the intermediate fraction between HDL and LDL, referred to as lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), which has an important role in cholesterol metabolism. Overall, the results provide best support for the hypothesis that α-syn interacts with HDL, and this has potential implications for transport of α-syn from the brain to peripheral blood, across the BBB

PEMBELAJARAN LUKIS TOTEBAG PADA MATA PELAJARAN SENI BUDAYA DI KELAS X MIA 3 SMA NEGERI 3 BOYOLALI TAHUN AJARAN 2017/2018

ABSTRAK Muhammad Fahmi Al Amiq. PEMBELAJARAN LUKIS PADA TOTEBAG DALAM MATA PELAJARAN SENI BUDAYA DI KELAS X MIA 3 SMA NEGERI 3 BOYOLALI TAHUN AJARAN 2017/2018. Skripsi, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Januari 2018. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui: (1) Proses pelaksanaan pembelajaran Lukis Totebag di kelas X MIA 3 SMA Negeri 3 Boyolali tahun ajaran 2017/2018. Dan (2) Bagaimana bentuk hasil karya Lukis Totebag yang dihasilkan siswa di kelas X MIA 3 SMA Negeri 3 Boyolali tahun ajaran 2017/2018. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Sumber data yang digunakan adalah informan yang dipilih yaitu Bapak Subandiyo S.Pd selaku guru mata pelajaran seni budaya di kelas X MIA 3 SMA Negeri 3 Boyolali, serta foto proses pembelajaran, hasil karya siswa dan dokumen arsip. Teknik yang digunakan dalam pengumpulan data adalah observasi langsung, wawancara terstruktur dan mendalam, serta dokumentasi. Uji validitas data dilakukan dengan membandingkan sumber data yang di peroleh berupa daftar hasil wawancara dengan Bapak Subandiyo S.Pd selaku guru mata pelajaran Seni Budaya dengan siswa di kelas X MIA 3 SMA Negeri 3 Boyolali, serta review informant. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah model analisis mengalir, yaitu: reduksi data, sajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Pembelajaran Lukis Totebag diawali dengan pembuatan RPP, selanjutnya pembelajaran dilaksanakan selama tiga kali pertemuan. Strategi yang digunakan guru dalam pembelajaran ini adalah pendekatan scientific. Metode pembelajaran yang digunakan meliputi metode ceramah, tanya jawab, diskusi, dan pemberian tugas. Media pembelajaran yang digunakan berupa slide power point dan media visual berupa sampel karya dari guru. Evaluasi pembelajaran dilakukan dengan menilai aspek kognitif, afektif, dan psikomotorik. Proses pembuatan karya dilakukan dengan beberapa langkah, yaitu membuat sketsa, proses pewarnaan, dan finishing. (2) Secara umum pembuatan karya lukis totebag siswa sudah baik, teknik lukis pada pewarnaan dan finishing dalam membuat karya lukis totebag sudah baik. Karya lukis totebag yang dihasilkan oleh siswa sudah mengandung unsur-unsur seni rupa, yaitu: garis, bentuk, bidang, gelap terang, dan warna. Selain itu, karya lukis totebag yang dihasilkan oleh siswa juga sudah mengandung prinsip-prinsip seni rupa, yaitu: irama (rhytm), dominasi (dominance), keseimbangan (balance), kesatuan (unity), keserasian (harmony), dan kesebandingan (proportion). Kata Kunci: Seni Budaya, Pembelajaran Seni Rupa, Lukis Toteba

Highly Ordered Phenanthroline-Fused Azaacene

A new synthetic route to prepare a centrosymmetric phenanthroline-fused azaacene derivative, <b>TIPS-BisPhNPQ</b>, is described. Another axialsymmetric analogue, <b>TIPS-PhNTQ</b>, is also synthesized for comparison. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate high electron affinity values of −4.03 and −4.01 eV for <b>TIPS-PhNTQ</b> and <b>TIPS-BisPhNPQ</b>, respectively. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that <b>TIPS-PhNTQ</b> forms dimers by intermolecular S–N and N–N interaction, while <b>TIPS-BisPhNPQ</b> shows a highly ordered arrangement via two-dimensional brickwork packing and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The synthetic protocol established in this paper should be highly applicable to the preparation of more azaacene derivatives with extended π-conjugations

Se···N Chalcogen Bond and Se···X Halogen Bond Involving F₂CSe: Influence of Hybridization, Substitution, and Cooperativity

Quantum-chemical calculations have been performed for the chalcogen- and halogen-bonded complexes of F₂CSe with a series of nitrogen bases (N₂, NCH, NH₃, NHCH₂, NCLi, and NMe₃) and dihalogen molecules (BrCl, ClF, and BrF), respectively. Both types of interactions are mainly driven by the electrostatic and orbital interactions. The chalcogen bond becomes stronger in the order of NCH (sp) < NH₃ (sp³) < NHCH₂ (sp²), showing some inconsistence with the electronegativity of the hybridized N atom. The Li and methyl groups have an enhancing effect on the strength of chalcogen bond; however, the former is jointly achieved through the electrostatic and orbital interactions, whereas the orbital interaction has dominant contribution to the latter enhancement. The halogen bond with F₂CX (X = O, S, Se) as the electron donor is stronger for the heavier chalcogen atom, exhibiting a reverse dependence on the chalcogen atom with that in hydrogen bonds. The halogen bond is further strengthened by the presence of chalcogen bond in the ternary complexes. In addition, CSD research confirms the abundance of Se···N interaction in crystal materials

Computer-Based First-Principles Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulation of Polyethylene Glycol Degradation in Aqueous Phase UV/H₂O₂ Advanced Oxidation Process

We have developed a computer-based first-principles kinetic Monte Carlo (CF-KMC) model to predict degradation mechanisms and fates of intermediates and byproducts produced from the degradation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (UV/H₂O₂). The CF-KMC model is composed of a reaction pathway generator, a reaction rate constant estimator, and a KMC solver. The KMC solver is able to solve the predicted pathways successfully without solving ordinary differential equations. The predicted time-dependent profiles of averaged molecular weight, and polydispersitivity index (i.e., the ratio of the weight-averaged molecular weight to the number-averaged molecular weight) for the PEG degradation were validated with experimental observations. These predictions are consistent with the experimental data. The model provided detailed and quantitative insights into the time evolutions of molecular weight distribution and concentration profiles of low molecular weight products and functional groups. Our approach may be useful to predict the fates of degradation products for a wide range of complicated organic contaminants

Computer-Based First-Principles Kinetic Modeling of Degradation Pathways and Byproduct Fates in Aqueous-Phase Advanced Oxidation Processes

In this study, a computer-based first-principles kinetic model is developed to predict the degradation mechanisms and fates of intermediates and byproducts produced during aqueous-phase advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for various organic compounds. The model contains a rule-based pathway generator to generate the reaction pathways, a reaction rate constant estimator to estimate the reaction rate constant for each reaction generated, a mechanistic reduction module to reduce the generated mechanisms, an ordinary differential equations generator and solver to solve the generated mechanisms and calculate the concentration profiles for all species, and a toxicity estimator to estimate the toxicity of major species and calculate time-dependent profiles of relative toxicity (i.e., concentration of species divided by toxicity value). We predict concentration profiles of acetone and trichloroethylene and their intermediates and byproducts in photolysis with hydrogen peroxide (i.e., UV/H₂O₂) and validate with experimental observations. The predicted concentration profiles for both parent compounds are consistent with experimental data. The calculated profiles of 96-h green algae chronic toxicity show that the overall toxicity decreases during the degradation process. These generated mechanisms also provide detailed and quantitative insights into the pathways for the formation and consumption of important intermediates and byproducts produced during AOPs. Our approach is sufficiently general to be applied to a wide range of contaminants

Table_2_Accelerated evolution of dim-light vision-related arrestin in deep-diving amniotes.PDF

Arrestins are key molecules involved in the signaling of light-sensation initiated by visual pigments in retinal photoreceptor cells. Vertebrate photoreceptor cells have two types of arrestins, rod arrestin, which is encoded by SAG and is expressed in both rods and cones, and cone arrestin, encoded by ARR3 in cones. The arrestins can bind to visual pigments, and thus regulate either dim-light vision via interactions with rhodopsin or bright-light vision together with cone visual pigments. After adapting to terrestrial life, several amniote lineages independently went back to the sea and evolved deep-diving habits. Interestingly, the rhodopsins in these species exhibit specialized phenotypes responding to rapidly changing dim-light environments. However, little is known about whether their rod arrestin also experienced adaptive evolution associated with rhodopsin. Here, we collected SAG coding sequences from >250 amniote species, and examined changes in selective pressure experienced by the sequences from deep-diving taxa. Divergent patterns of evolution of SAG were observed in the penguin, pinniped and cetacean clades, suggesting possible co-adaptation with rhodopsin. After verifying pseudogenes, the same analyses were performed for cone arrestin (ARR3) in deep-diving species and only sequences from cetacean species, and not pinnipeds or penguins, have experienced changed selection pressure compared to other species. Taken together, this evidence for changes in selective pressures acting upon arrestin genes strengthens the suggestion that rapid dim-light adaptation for deep-diving amniotes require SAG, but not ARR3.</p

Table_5_Accelerated evolution of dim-light vision-related arrestin in deep-diving amniotes.PDF

Arrestins are key molecules involved in the signaling of light-sensation initiated by visual pigments in retinal photoreceptor cells. Vertebrate photoreceptor cells have two types of arrestins, rod arrestin, which is encoded by SAG and is expressed in both rods and cones, and cone arrestin, encoded by ARR3 in cones. The arrestins can bind to visual pigments, and thus regulate either dim-light vision via interactions with rhodopsin or bright-light vision together with cone visual pigments. After adapting to terrestrial life, several amniote lineages independently went back to the sea and evolved deep-diving habits. Interestingly, the rhodopsins in these species exhibit specialized phenotypes responding to rapidly changing dim-light environments. However, little is known about whether their rod arrestin also experienced adaptive evolution associated with rhodopsin. Here, we collected SAG coding sequences from >250 amniote species, and examined changes in selective pressure experienced by the sequences from deep-diving taxa. Divergent patterns of evolution of SAG were observed in the penguin, pinniped and cetacean clades, suggesting possible co-adaptation with rhodopsin. After verifying pseudogenes, the same analyses were performed for cone arrestin (ARR3) in deep-diving species and only sequences from cetacean species, and not pinnipeds or penguins, have experienced changed selection pressure compared to other species. Taken together, this evidence for changes in selective pressures acting upon arrestin genes strengthens the suggestion that rapid dim-light adaptation for deep-diving amniotes require SAG, but not ARR3.</p

Image_1_Accelerated evolution of dim-light vision-related arrestin in deep-diving amniotes.pdf

Arrestins are key molecules involved in the signaling of light-sensation initiated by visual pigments in retinal photoreceptor cells. Vertebrate photoreceptor cells have two types of arrestins, rod arrestin, which is encoded by SAG and is expressed in both rods and cones, and cone arrestin, encoded by ARR3 in cones. The arrestins can bind to visual pigments, and thus regulate either dim-light vision via interactions with rhodopsin or bright-light vision together with cone visual pigments. After adapting to terrestrial life, several amniote lineages independently went back to the sea and evolved deep-diving habits. Interestingly, the rhodopsins in these species exhibit specialized phenotypes responding to rapidly changing dim-light environments. However, little is known about whether their rod arrestin also experienced adaptive evolution associated with rhodopsin. Here, we collected SAG coding sequences from >250 amniote species, and examined changes in selective pressure experienced by the sequences from deep-diving taxa. Divergent patterns of evolution of SAG were observed in the penguin, pinniped and cetacean clades, suggesting possible co-adaptation with rhodopsin. After verifying pseudogenes, the same analyses were performed for cone arrestin (ARR3) in deep-diving species and only sequences from cetacean species, and not pinnipeds or penguins, have experienced changed selection pressure compared to other species. Taken together, this evidence for changes in selective pressures acting upon arrestin genes strengthens the suggestion that rapid dim-light adaptation for deep-diving amniotes require SAG, but not ARR3.</p