2,882 research outputs found
Regulation of Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and Its Association with Cell Proliferation in Human Lens Epithelial Cells
PURPOSE. To investigate the molecular mechanism for cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) regulation and its association to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced cell proliferation.
METHODS. cPLA2 was examined using human lens epithelial (HLE) B3 cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by PDGF was analyzed by luminescence assay. Cell proliferation was measured by cell counting and by BrdU assay. Human cPLA2 gene was cloned via RT-PCR followed by sitedirected mutagenesis to construct HLE B3 cells expressing either inactive cPLA2 enzyme with S228A mutation (S228A), or cPLA2 truncated at the calcium-binding C2 domain (C2D). Activity of cPLA2 was measured by arachidonic acid (AA) release from cell membranes using [3H]-arachidonic acid prelabeled cells. The effect of intracellular calcium level on cPLA2 function was examined by treating cells with ionomycin (calcium influx), thapsgargin (endoplasmic reticulum [ER] calcium store release) or 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid tetrakis (BAPTA; calcium chelator). Activation of extracellular signal–regulated kinases (ERK), JNK, p38, or Akt was detected by Western blot analysis using specific antibodies.
RESULTS. S228A mutant showed suppressed PDGF-induced reactive oxygen species generation, ERK and JNK activation (no effect on p38 or Akt), and cell proliferation in comparison with the vector alone (Vec) control. Calcium-binding C2 domain cells lost the ability of membrane translocation and activation of cPLA2. PDGF cell signaling was calcium-dependent, and the calcium was supplied either from the external flux or endoplasmic reticulum store. However, enrichment of cellular calcium not only augmented PDGF function, but also demonstrated a cPLA2-dependent calcium-signaling cascade that led to cell proliferation.
CONCLUSIONS. cPLA2 is regulated by calcium mobilization and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) activation. Both PDGF mitogenic action and calcium signaling are cPLA2-dependent
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy and Vortex Imaging in the Iron-Pnictide Superconductor BaFeCoAs
We present an atomic resolution scanning tunneling spectroscopy study of
superconducting BaFeCoAs single crystals in magnetic fields
up to . At zero field, a single gap with coherence peaks at
is observed in the density of states. At and , we image a disordered vortex lattice, consistent
with isotropic, single flux quantum vortices. Vortex locations are uncorrelated
with strong scattering surface impurities, demonstrating bulk pinning. The
vortex-induced sub-gap density of states fits an exponential decay from the
vortex center, from which we extract a coherence length , corresponding to an upper critical field .Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Kinetic frustration and the nature of the magnetic and paramagnetic states in iron pnictides and iron chalcogenides
The iron pnictide and chalcogenide compounds are a subject of intensive
investigations due to their high temperature superconductivity.\cite{a-LaFeAsO}
They all share the same structure, but there is significant variation in their
physical properties, such as magnetic ordered moments, effective masses,
superconducting gaps and T. Many theoretical techniques have been applied
to individual compounds but no consistent description of the trends is
available \cite{np-review}. We carry out a comparative theoretical study of a
large number of iron-based compounds in both their magnetic and paramagnetic
states. We show that the nature of both states is well described by our method
and the trends in all the calculated physical properties such as the ordered
moments, effective masses and Fermi surfaces are in good agreement with
experiments across the compounds. The variation of these properties can be
traced to variations in the key structural parameters, rather than changes in
the screening of the Coulomb interactions. Our results provide a natural
explanation of the strongly Fermi surface dependent superconducting gaps
observed in experiments\cite{Ding}. We propose a specific optimization of the
crystal structure to look for higher T superconductors.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures with a 5-page supplementary materia
Giant magnetocaloric effect in magnets down to the monolayer limit
Two-dimensional magnets could potentially revolutionize information
technology, but their potential application to cooling technology and
magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in a material down to the monolayer limit remain
unexplored. Herein, we reveal through multiscale calculations the existence of
giant MCE and its strain tunability in monolayer magnets such as CrX (X=F,
Cl, Br, I), CrAX (A=O, S, Se; X=F, Cl, Br, I), and FeGeTe. The maximum
adiabatic temperature change (), maximum
isothermal magnetic entropy change, and specific cooling power in monolayer
CrF are found as high as 11 K, 35 JmK, and 3.5
nWcm under a magnetic field of 5 T, respectively. A 2% biaxial and 5%
-axis uniaxial compressive strain can remarkably increase of CrCl and CrOF by 230% and 37% (up to 15.3 and
6.0 K), respectively. It is found that large net magnetic moment per unit area
favors improved MCE. These findings advocate the giant-MCE monolayer magnets,
opening new opportunities for magnetic cooling at nanoscale
Neurobiological Changes of Schizotypy: Evidence From Both Volume-Based Morphometric Analysis and Resting-State Functional Connectivity
The current study sought to examine the underlying brain changes in individuals with high schizotypy by integrating networks derived from brain structural and functional imaging. Individuals with high schizotypy (n = 35) and low schizotypy (n = 34) controls were screened using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and underwent brain structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging on a 3T scanner. Voxel-based morphometric analysis and graph theory-based functional network analysis were conducted. Individuals with high schizotypy showed reduced gray matter (GM) density in the insula and the dorsolateral prefrontal gyrus. The graph theoretical analysis showed that individuals with high schizotypy showed similar global properties in their functional networks as low schizotypy individuals. Several hubs of the functional network were identified in both groups, including the insula, the lingual gyrus, the postcentral gyrus, and the rolandic operculum. More hubs in the frontal lobe and fewer hubs in the occipital lobe were identified in individuals with high schizotypy. By comparing the functional connectivity between clusters with abnormal GM density and the whole brain, individuals with high schizotypy showed weaker functional connectivity between the left insula and the putamen, but stronger connectivity between the cerebellum and the medial frontal gyrus. Taken together, our findings suggest that individuals with high schizotypy present changes in terms of GM and resting-state functional connectivity, especially in the frontal lobe
Deep ocean mineral supplementation enhances the cerebral hemodynamic response during exercise and decreases inflammation postexercise in men at two age levels.
Background: Previous studies have consistently shown that oral supplementation of deep ocean minerals (DOM) improves vascular function in animals and enhances muscle power output in exercising humans. Purpose: To examine the effects of DOM supplementation on the cerebral hemodynamic response during physical exertion in young and middle-aged men. Design: Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover studies were conducted in young (N = 12, aged 21.2 ± 0.4 years) and middle-aged men (N = 9, aged 46.8 ± 1.4 years). The counter-balanced trials of DOM and Placebo were separated by a 2-week washout period. DOM and Placebo were orally supplemented in drinks before, during, and after cycling exercise. DOM comprises desalinated minerals and trace elements from seawater collected ~618 m below the earth's surface. Methods: Cerebral hemodynamic response (tissue hemoglobin) was measured during cycling at 75% VO2max using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Results: Cycling time to exhaustion at 75% VO2max and the associated plasma lactate response were similar between the Placebo and DOM trials for both age groups. In contrast, DOM significantly elevated cerebral hemoglobin levels in young men and, to a greater extent, in middle-aged men compared with Placebo. An increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was observed in middle-aged men, 2 h after exhaustive cycling, but was attenuated by DOM. Conclusion: Our data suggest that minerals and trace elements from deep oceans possess great promise in developing supplements to increase the cerebral hemodynamic response against a physical challenge and during post-exercise recovery for middle-aged men.This work was supported by Pacific Deep Ocean Biotech (Taipei,Taiwan) and University of Taipei (Taipei, Taiwan). The funding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results. We declare that the results of the study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation
Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Coordinated Single-Site Platinum Catalyst Exhibits High Activity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
The essence of developing a Pt‐based single‐atom catalyst (SAC) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the preparation of well‐defined and stable single Pt sites with desired electrocatalytic efficacy. Herein, we report a facile approach to generate uniformly dispersed Pt sites with outstanding HER performance via a photochemical reduction method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) molecules as the key additive to significantly simplify the synthesis and enhance the catalytic performance. The as‐prepared catalyst displays remarkable kinetic activities (20 times higher current density than the commercially available Pt/C) with excellent stability (76.3 % of its initial activity after 5000 cycles) for HER. EXAFS measurements and DFT calculations demonstrate a synergetic effect, where the PVP ligands and the support together modulate the electronic structure of the Pt atoms, which optimize the hydrogen adsorption energy, resulting in a considerably improved HER activity
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