Paeoniflorin Ameliorates Chronic Stress-Induced Depression-Like Behaviors and Neuronal Damages in Rats via Activation of the ERK-CREB Pathway

Neuronal damage is related to the onset and treatment of depressive disorders. Antidepressant-like effects have been elicited by paeoniflorin on animal models. The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether the neuroprotective effect of paeoniflorin on rats suffered from chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was regulated by the ERK-CREB signaling pathway. Results showed that paeoniflorin not only ameliorated depressive-like behavior with low locomotor activity and prolonged immobility duration in our forced swimming test but also reduced sucrose consumption. Paeoniflorin treatment decreased the degree of neuronal damage in the hippocampus of the model rats. Conversely, it markedly increased the mRNA levels of ERK1, ERK2, and CREB and the levels of ERK, p-ERK, CREB, and p-CREB protein expression in the hippocampus. Blockade of the ERK-CREB axis with the ERK-specific inhibitor U0126 repressed the neuroprotective and antidepressant-like effects of paeoniflorin on rats in the setting of chronic-mild-stress and abolished the recoveries of p-ERK mediated by paeoniflorin treatment. Thus, paeoniflorin possibly exerted a neuroprotective effect modulated by the ERK-CREB signaling pathway on CUMS-induced hippocampal damage in rats

Magnetar as the Central Engine of AT2018cow: Optical, Soft X-Ray, and Hard X-Ray Emission

AT2018cow is the most extensively observed and widely studied fast blue optical transient to date; its unique observational properties challenge all existing standard models. In this paper, we model the luminosity evolution of the optical, soft X-ray, and hard X-ray emission, as well as the X-ray spectrum of AT2018cow with a magnetar-centered engine model. We consider a two-zone model with a striped magnetar wind in the interior and an expanding ejecta outside. The soft and hard X-ray emission of AT2018cow can be explained by the leakage of high-energy photons produced by internal gradual magnetic dissipation in the striped magnetar wind, while the luminous thermal UV/optical emission results from the thermalization of the ejecta by the captured photons. The two-component energy spectrum yielded by our model with a quasi-thermal component from the optically thick region of the wind superimposed on an optically thin synchrotron component well reproduces the X-ray spectral shape of AT2018cow. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting results suggest that in order to explain the very short rise time to peak of the thermal optical emission, a low ejecta mass $M_{\rm ej}\approx0.1~M_\odot$ and high ejecta velocity $v_{\rm SN}\approx0.17c$ are required. A millisecond magnetar with $P_0\approx3.7~\rm ms$ and $B_p\approx2.4\times10^{14}~\rm G$ is needed to serve as the central engine of AT2018cow.Comment: 9 Pages, 5 Figures, 1 Tables, Accepted by ApJL; https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad261

Atypical Adams-Oliver syndrome with typical ocular signs of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy

AIM: To report an atypical Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS) family with typical ocular signs of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR). METHODS: A patient with visible avascular area and obvious non-perfusion zone in the peripheral retina with systemic signs of AOS was reported. Familial and personal characteristics were collected for the patient and his sister. Gene sequencing and ophthalmic examinations including fluorescein angiography were all performed for the whole family. RESULTS: Two novel mutations of DOCK6 (c.1396C>T and c.4796G>A) were identified in the proband and his family, and two compound heterozygous mutations were revealed in the proband and his sister. The patient and his sister showed physical deformities and mental abnormalities while FEVR mimicking retinal disorder can also be defined. No remarkable ocular or systemic abnormality can be observed for their parents. Peripheral retinal non-perfusion area, obvious abnormal vascularization or even retinal fold were observed in the proband and his sister, while only small avascular zone was identified for their parents. CONCLUSION: This is the first genetic authenticated AOS case mimicked as FEVR with genetic sequencing of a family. For the patients with ocular phenotype of FEVR, further examination should be performed if the systemic or mental abnormalities exist

Construction of efficient blue AIE emitters with triphenylamine and TPE moieties for non-doped OLEDs

In this paper, by merging the hole-dominated triphenylamine (TPA) and tetraphenylethene (TPE) moieties together with different linkage positions, four derivatives of 1,2-bis[4'-(diphenylamino)biphenyl-4-yl]-1,2-diphenylethene (2TPATPE) were successfully synthesized with confirmed structures, and their thermal, optical and electronic properties were fully investigated. Thanks to the introduction of the meta-linkage mode on the TPE core, their p-conjugation length could be effectively restricted to ensure blue emission. The non-doped OLEDs based on these four emitters exhibit blue emissions from 443–466 nm, largely blue-shifted with respect to the green emission of 2TPATPE (514 nm). Meanwhile, good electroluminescence efficiencies with Lmax, C,max, and P,max of up to 8160 cd m-2 , 3.79 cd A-1, and 2.94 Im W-1 respectively, have also been obtained, further validating our rational design of blue AIE fluorophores