Sox1 acts through multiple independent pathways to promote neurogenesis

AbstractAlthough Sox1, Sox2, and Sox3 are all part of the Sox-B1 group of transcriptional regulators, only Sox1 appears to play a direct role in neural cell fate determination and differentiation. We find that overexpression of Sox1 but not Sox2 or Sox3 in cultured neural progenitor cells is sufficient to induce neuronal lineage commitment. Sox1 binds directly to the Hes1 promoter and suppresses Hes1 transcription, thus attenuating Notch signaling. Sox1 also binds to β-catenin and suppresses β-catenin-mediated TCF/LEF signaling, thus potentially attenuating the wnt signaling pathway. The C-terminus of Sox1 is required for both of these interactions. Sox1 also promotes exit of cells from cell cycle and up-regulates transcription of the proneural bHLH transcription factor neurogenin1 (ngn1). These observations suggest that Sox1 works through multiple independent pathways to promote neuronal cell fate determination and differentiation

Microcrystalline Dolomite in a Middle Permian Volcanic Lake: Insights on Primary Dolomite Formation in a Non-Evaporitic Environment

Lacustrine dolomite nucleation commonly occurs in modern and Neogene evaporitic alkaline lakes. As a result, ancient lacustrine microcrystalline dolomite has been conventionally interpreted to be formed in evaporitic environments. This study, however, suggests a non-evaporitic origin of dolomite precipitated in a volcanic–hydrothermal lake, where hydrothermal and volcanic processes interacted. The dolomite occurs in lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the middle Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Santanghu intracontinental rift basin, north-west China. Dolostones are composed mainly of nano-sized to micron-sized dolomite with a euhedral to subhedral shape and a low degree of cation ordering, and are interlaminated and intercalated with tuffaceous shale. Non-dolomite minerals, including quartz, alkaline feldspars, smectite and magnesite mix with the dolomite in various proportions. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.704528 to 0.705372, average = 0.705004) and δ26Mg values (−0.89 to −0.24‰, average = −0.55‰) of dolostones are similar to those of mantle rocks, indicating that the precipitates mainly originated from fluids that migrated upward from the mantle and were subject to water–rock reactions at a great depth. The δ18O values (−3.1 to −22.7‰, average = −14.0‰) of the dolostones indicate hydrothermal influence. The trace and rare earth element concentrations suggest a saline, anoxic and volcanic–hydrothermally-influenced subaqueous environment. In this subaqueous environment of Lucaogou lake, locally high temperatures and a supply of abundant Mg2+ from a deep source induced by volcanic–hydrothermal activity formed favourable chemical conditions for direct precipitation of primary dolomite. This study\u27s findings deepen the understanding of the origin and processes of lacustrine primary dolomite formation and provide an alternative possibility for environmental interpretations of ancient dolostones

STUDY ON THE ANTI-CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA EFFECT OF BORNEOL AND ITS MECHANISM

Background: Borneol is the processed item from resin of Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn. f. It can enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes in brain tissue and reduce inflammatory response by improving the energy metabolism of ischemic brain regions, and thereby reduces brain tissue damage. The objective of this paper was to study the anti-cerebral ischemia effect of borneol and its mechanism. Materials and Methods: The anti-cerebral ischemia effect of borneol was studied by ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries (CCA), and vagus nerves in mice and the acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion experiment in rats. Results: Compared with the blank and solvent control groups, the borneol low-; medium-; and high-dose groups can significantly prolong the gasping time of mice after decapitation, and extend the survival time of mice after ligation of bilateral CCA, and vagus nerves. Conclusion: Compared with the Xueshuantong injection group, the prolongation of survival time of mice after ligation of bilateral CCA, and vagus nerves was more apparent in the high-dose borneol experimental group; each experimental group can significantly reduce the number of leukocyte infiltration, the number of ICAM-1-positive vessels, as well as the number of TNF-α-positive cells. Conclusion: Borneol has an anti-cerebral ischemia effect

TMRT observations of 26 pulsars at 8.6 GHz

Integrated pulse profiles at 8.6~GHz obtained with the Shanghai Tian Ma Radio Telescope (TMRT) are presented for a sample of 26 pulsars. Mean flux densities and pulse width parameters of these pulsars are estimated. For eleven pulsars these are the first high-frequency observations and for a further four, our observations have a better signal-to-noise ratio than previous observations. For one (PSR J0742-2822) the 8.6~GHz profiles differs from previously observed profiles. A comparison of 19 profiles with those at other frequencies shows that in nine cases the separation between the outmost leading and trailing components decreases with frequency, roughly in agreement with radius-to-frequency mapping, whereas in the other ten the separation is nearly constant. Different spectral indices of profile components lead to the variation of integrated pulse profile shapes with frequency. In seven pulsars with multi-component profiles, the spectral indices of the central components are steeper than those of the outer components. For the 12 pulsars with multi-component profiles in the high-frequency sample, we estimate the core width using gaussian fitting and discuss the width-period relationship.Comment: 33 pages, 49 figures, 5 Tables; accepted by Ap

Application of Graphene in Coatings: A Survey

Graphene has been applied and demonstrates its excellent functions in various functional coatings by virtue of its excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. This paper mainly introduces the application status and effect of graphene in conductive coating, anticorrosive coating, flame retardant coating, thermal conductive coating and high-strength coating. Finally, the application prospect of graphene in the field of coating is prospected

Modeling Hidden Nodes Collisions in Wireless Sensor Networks: Analysis Approach

This paper studied both types of collisions. In this paper, we show that advocated solutions for coping with hidden node collisions are unsuitable for sensor networks. We model both types of collisions and derive closed-form formula giving the probability of hidden and visible node collisions. To reduce these collisions, we propose two solutions. The first one based on tuning the carrier sense threshold saves a substantial amount of collisions by reducing the number of hidden nodes. The second one based on adjusting the contention window size is complementary to the first one. It reduces the probability of overlapping transmissions, which reduces both collisions due to hidden and visible nodes. We validate and evaluate the performance of these solutions through simulations

Protective Effects of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid on Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a destructive and rare disorder characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary artery pressure and vasoconstriction, ultimately leading to right ventricular failure and death. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA) is an active ingredient in the commonly used Chinese herbal medicine radix glycyrrhizae, and it possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and other pharmacological properties. This study aimed to determine whether 18β-GA has protective effects against monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH and whether it is associated with oxidative stress. The PAH of rats was induced by MCT (60 mg/kg) and oral administration of 18β-GA (100, 50, or 25 mg/kg/day), sildenafil (30 mg/kg), or saline for 21 consecutive days. The development of PAH was evaluated by hemodynamic parameters and right ventricular hypertrophy index. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson trichrome staining, and electron microscopy were used to determine the degree of vascular remodeling and proliferation in lung tissue. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde levels in the lungs were measured according to the instructions provided by the test kits, and the expression levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-2 (Nox2) and Nox4 were detected through Western blot analysis. Results of our study indicated that 18β-GA treatment significantly improved the hemodynamic and pathomorphological data of the rats, reduced the changes in oxidative stress biomarkers, and inhibited Nox2 and Nox4 expression. Our research indicated that 18β-GA has a protective effect against MCT-induced PAH by inhibiting oxidative stress in rats

Autophagy in glaucoma pathogenesis: Therapeutic potential and future perspectives

Glaucoma is a common blinding eye disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, progressive loss of visual field, and optic nerve atrophy. Autophagy plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of glaucoma and is closely related to its pathogenesis. Targeting autophagy and blocking the apoptosis of RGCs provides emerging guidance for the treatment of glaucoma. Here, we provide a systematic review of the mechanisms and targets of interventions related to autophagy in glaucoma and discuss the outlook of emerging ideas, techniques, and multidisciplinary combinations to provide a new basis for further research and the prevention of glaucomatous visual impairment