41 research outputs found
IL-33 ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology and cognitive decline
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating condition with no known effective treatment. AD is characterized by memory loss as well as impaired locomotor ability, reasoning, and judgment. Emerging evidence suggests that the innate immune response plays a major role in the pathogenesis of AD. In AD, the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain perturbs physiological functions of the brain, including synaptic and neuronal dysfunction, microglial activation, and neuronal loss. Serum levels of soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor for interleukin (IL)-33, increase in patients with mild cognitive impairment, suggesting that impaired IL-33/ST2 signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, we investigated the potential therapeutic role of IL-33 in AD, using transgenic mouse models. Here we report that IL-33 administration reverses synaptic plasticity impairment and memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice. IL-33 administration reduces soluble Aβ levels and amyloid plaque deposition by promoting the recruitment and Aβ phagocytic activity of microglia; this is mediated by ST2/p38 signaling activation. Furthermore, IL-33 injection modulates the innate immune response by polarizing microglia/macrophages toward an antiinflammatory phenotype and reducing the expression of proinflammatory genes, including IL-1β, IL-6, and NLRP3, in the cortices of APP/PS1 mice. Collectively, our results demonstrate a potential therapeutic role for IL-33 in AD
Solutions to CDM Universe Derived from Global Brane Model
An exact solution of brane universe is studied and the result indicates that
Friedmann equations on the brane are modified with an extra term. This term can
play the role of dark energy and make the universe accelerate. In order to
derive the CDM Universe from this global brane model, the new
solutions are obtained to describe the manifold.Comment: 7 pages, no figure, accepted by MPL
Statefinder Parameters for Five-Dimensional Cosmology
We study the statefinder parameter in the five-dimensional big bounce model,
and apply it to differentiate the attractor solutions of quintessence and
phantom field. It is found that the evolving trajectories of these two
attractor solutions in the statefinder parameters plane are quite different,
and that are different from the statefinder trajectories of other dark energy
models.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figures. accepted by MPL
Statefinder Parameters for Interacting Phantom Energy with Dark Matter
We apply in this paper the statefinder parameters to the interacting phantom
energy with dark matter. There are two kinds of scaling solutions in this
model. It is found that the evolving trajectories of these two scaling
solutions in the statefinder parameter plane are quite different, and that are
also different from the statefinder diagnostic of other dark energy models.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, some references are added, some words are
modifie
Correlations between the peak flux density and the position angle of inner-jet in three blazars
We aim to investigate the relation between the long-term flux density and the
position angle (PA) evolution of inner-jet in blazars. We have carried out the
elliptic Gaussian model-fit to the `core' of 50 blazars from 15 GHz VLBA data,
and analyzed the variability properties of three blazars from the model-fit
results. Diverse correlations between the long-term peak flux density and the
PA evolution of the major axis of the `core' have been found in 20% of
the 50 sources. Of them, three typical blazars have been analyzed, which also
show quasi-periodic flux variations of a few years (T). The correlation between
the peak flux density and the PA of inner-jet is positive for S5~0716+714, and
negative for S4~1807+698. The two sources cannot be explained with the
ballistic jet models, the non-ballistic models have been analyzed to explain
the two sub-luminal blazars. A correlation between the peak flux density and
the PA (with a T/4 time lag) of inner-jet is found in [HB89]~1823+568, this
correlation can be explained with a ballistic precession jet model. All the
explanations are based mainly on the geometric beaming effect; physical flux
density variations from the jet base would be considered for more complicated
situations in future, which could account for the no or less significance of
the correlation between the peak flux density and the PA of inner-jet in the
majority blazars of our sample.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and
Space Scienc
Pollen Competition as a Reproductive Isolation Barrier Represses Transgene Flow between Compatible and Co-Flowering Citrus Genotypes
Background/Objective: Despite potential benefits granted by genetically modified (GM) fruit trees, their release and commercialization raises concerns about their potential environmental impact, and the transfer via pollen of transgenes to cross-compatible cultivars is deemed to be the greatest source for environmental exposure. Information compiled from field trials on GM trees is essential to propose measures to minimize the transgene dispersal. We have conducted a field trial of seven consecutive years to investigate the maximum frequency of pollen-mediated crop-to-crop transgene flow in a citrus orchard, and its relation to the genetic, phenological and environmental factors involved. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three different citrus genotypes carrying the uidA (GUS) tracer marker gene (pollen donors) and a non-GM self-incompatible contiguous citrus genotype (recipient) were used in conditions allowing natural entomophilous pollination to occur. The examination of 603 to 2990 seeds per year showed unexpectedly low frequencies (0.17-2.86%) of transgene flow. Paternity analyses of the progeny of subsets of recipient plants using 10 microsatellite (SSR) loci demonstrated a higher mating competence of trees from another non-GM pollen source population that greatly limited the mating chance of the contiguous cross-compatible and flowering-synchronized transgenic pollen source. This mating superiority could be explained by a much higher pollen competition capacity of the non-GM genotypes, as was confirmed through mixed-hand pollinations. Conclusions/Significance: Pollen competition strongly contributed to transgene confinement. Based on this finding, suitable isolation measures are proposed for the first time to prevent transgene outflow between contiguous plantings of citrus types that may be extendible to other entomophilous transgenic fruit tree species. (Résumé d'auteur