Effects of Cornus mas L. and Morus rubra L. extracts on penicillin‑induced epileptiform activity: an electrophysiological and biochemical study

Traditionally, Morus rubra L. (Moraceae) (red mulberry) and Cornus mas L. (Cornacea) (cornelian cherry) fruits are eaten fresh and are also used in marmalades, juices, jam, natural dyes in Turkey and are believed to have beneficial effects in case of multiple health issues such as antipyretic, diarrhea and intestinal parasites. However, the effects of M. rubra and C. mas on epilepsy has not been known. This study evaluates the effects of M. rubra and C. mas extracts on penicillin‑induced epileptiform activity. Sixty Wistar rats randomly divided into ten groups (n=6): control, sham, penicillin, penicillin+M. rubra extract (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) and penicillin+C. mas extract (2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg). Epileptiform activity was induced by using penicillin (500 IU, i.c.) and electrocorticogram records (150 min) were obtained. Also, biochemical analysis in blood samples were evaluated. According to the electrocorticogram analysis, the effective dose was detected as 10 mg/kg for both C. mas and M. rubra. This dose decreased the spike frequencies of convulsions while amplitude wasn't changed by both substances. In erythrocyte studies, there were significant differences regarding nitric oxide in the control, sham and penicillin groups. There were significant differences regarding malondialdehyde in all groups. In the plasma, there were significant differences among groups regarding xanthine oxidase in the penicillin‑C. mas and penicillin‑M. rubra groups. There were differences regarding malondialdehyde in the penicillin‑C. mas and M. rubra‑C. mas groups. Both extracts reduced the frequency of epileptiform activity. After administration of the extracts malondialdehyde levels decreased also in both erythrocytes and plasma

Effects of Cornus mas L. and Morus rubra L. extracts on penicillin‑induced epileptiform activity: an electrophysiological and biochemical study

Traditionally, Morus rubra L. (Moraceae) (red mulberry) and Cornus mas L. (Cornacea) (cornelian cherry) fruits are eaten fresh and are also used in marmalades, juices, jam, natural dyes in Turkey and are believed to have beneficial effects in case of multiple health issues such as antipyretic, diarrhea and intestinal parasites. However, the effects of M. rubra and C. mas on epilepsy has not been known. This study evaluates the effects of M. rubra and C. mas extracts on penicillin‑induced epileptiform activity. Sixty Wistar rats randomly divided into ten groups (n=6): control, sham, penicillin, penicillin+M. rubra extract (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) and penicillin+C. mas extract (2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg). Epileptiform activity was induced by using penicillin (500 IU, i.c.) and electrocorticogram records (150 min) were obtained. Also, biochemical analysis in blood samples were evaluated. According to the electrocorticogram analysis, the effective dose was detected as 10 mg/kg for both C. mas and M. rubra. This dose decreased the spike frequencies of convulsions while amplitude wasn't changed by both substances. In erythrocyte studies, there were significant differences regarding nitric oxide in the control, sham and penicillin groups. There were significant differences regarding malondialdehyde in all groups. In the plasma, there were significant differences among groups regarding xanthine oxidase in the penicillin‑C. mas and penicillin‑M. rubra groups. There were differences regarding malondialdehyde in the penicillin‑C. mas and M. rubra‑C. mas groups. Both extracts reduced the frequency of epileptiform activity. After administration of the extracts malondialdehyde levels decreased also in both erythrocytes and plasma

Measurement of quarkonium production at forward rapidity in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

The inclusive production cross sections at forward rapidity of J/ψ , ψ(2S) , Υ (1S) and Υ (2S) are measured in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.35 pb‾¹ . Quarkonia are reconstructed in the dimuon-decay channel and the signal yields are evaluated by fitting the μ+μ− invariant mass distributions. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum pT and rapidity y , over the ranges 0<pT<20 GeV/c for J/ψ , 0<pT<12 GeV/c for all other resonances and for \(2.5 . The measured cross sections integrated over pT and y , and assuming unpolarized quarkonia, are: σJ/ψ=6.69±0.04±0.63 μ b, σψ(2S)=1.13±0.07±0.19 μ b, σΥ(1S)=54.2±5.0±6.7 nb and σΥ(2S)=18.4±3.7±2.9 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second one is systematic. The results are compared to measurements performed by other LHC experiments and to theoretical models

Event-by-event mean pT fluctuations in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC

Event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles produced in pp collisions at TeX TeX 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV, and Pb–Pb collisions at TeX TeX 2.76 TeV are studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity using the ALICE detector at the LHC. Dynamical fluctuations indicative of correlated particle emission are observed in all systems. The results in pp collisions show little dependence on collision energy. The Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA and PHOJET are in qualitative agreement with the data. Peripheral Pb–Pb data exhibit a similar multiplicity dependence as that observed in pp. In central Pb–Pb, the results deviate from this trend, featuring a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results in Pb–Pb are in qualitative agreement with previous measurements in Au–Au at lower collision energies and with expectations from models that incorporate collective phenomena

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate mediates activation of transcription factors CREB and ATF-1 via a Gα11-coupled receptor in the spermatogenic cell line GC-2

AbstractDehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a circulating steroid produced in the adrenal cortex, brain, and gonads. Whereas a series of investigations attest to neuroprotective effects of the steroid in the brain, surprisingly little is known about the physiological effects of DHEAS on cells of the reproductive system. Here we demonstrate that DHEAS acting on the spermatogenic cell line GC-2 induces a time- and concentration-dependent phosphorylation of c-Src and Erk1/2 and activates the transcription factors activating transforming factor-1 (ATF-1) and cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB). These actions are consistent with the non-classical signaling pathway of testosterone and suggest that DHEAS is a pro-androgen that is converted into testosterone in order to exert its biological activity. The fact, however, that steroid sulfatase mRNA was not detected in the GC-2 cells and the clear demonstration of DHEAS-induced activation of Erk1/2, ATF-1 and CREB after silencing the androgen receptor by small interfering RNA (siRNA) clearly contradict this assumption and make it appear unlikely that DHEAS has to be converted in the cytosol into a different steroid in order to activate the kinases and transcription factors mentioned. Instead, it is likely that the DHEAS-induced signaling is mediated through the interaction of the steroid with a membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptor, since silencing of Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha-11 (Gnα11) leads to the abolition of the DHEAS-induced stimulation of Erk1/2, ATF-1, and CREB. The investigation presented here shows a hormone-like activity of DHEAS on a spermatogenic cell line. Since DHEAS is produced in male and female reproductive organs, these findings could help to define new roles for DHEAS in the physiology of reproduction

Suppression of ψ(2S) production in p-Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV .

The ALICE Collaboration has studied the inclusive production of the charmonium state ψ(2S) in proton-lead (p-Pb) collisions at the nucleon-nucleon centre of mass energy √sNN = 5.02TeV at the CERN LHC. The measurement was performed at forward (2.03 < ycms < 3.53) and backward (−4.46 < ycms < −2.96) centre of mass rapidities, studying the decays into muon pairs. In this paper, we present the inclusive production cross sections σ (2S), both integrated and as a function of the transverse momentum pT, for the two ycms domains. The results are compared to those obtained for the 1S vector state (J/ψ), by showing the ratios between the production cross sections, as well as the double ratios [σ (2S)/σJ/ ]pPb/[σ (2S)/σJ/ ]pp between p-Pb and proton-proton collisions. Finally, the nuclear modification factor for inclusive ψ(2S) is evaluated and compared to the measurement of the same quantity for J/ψ and to theoretical models including parton shadowing and coherent energy loss mechanisms. The results show a significantly larger suppression of the ψ(2S) compared to that measured for J/ψ and to models. These observations represent a clear indication for sizeable final state effects on ψ(2S) production

Production of charged pions, kaons and protons at large transverse momenta in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.76 TeV

Transverse momentum spectra of $\pi^{\pm}, K^{\pm}$ and $p(\bar{p})$ up to $p_T$ = 20 GeV/c at mid-rapidity, |y| $\le$ 0.8, in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV have been measured using the ALICE detector at the LHC. At intermediate $p_T$ (2-8 GeV/c) an enhancement of the proton-to-proton ratio, (p + \bar{p})/(\pi^+ + \pi^-\(), with respect to pp collisions is observed and the ratio reaches 0.80 in central Pb-Pb collisions. The measurement of the nuclear modification factors for \(\pi^{\pm}, K^{\pm} and $p(\bar{p})$ indicates that within the systematic and statistical uncertainties they are the same at high $p_T$ (> 10 GeV/c), suggesting that the chemical composition of leading particles from jets in the medium is similar to that of vacuum jets.publishedVersio

The Behavior, onḂ0,11, of an Oscillatory Integral with Polynomial Phase Function

AbstractWe study the convolution oscillatory singular integral operatorTf=p.v.Ω∗f, with Ω(x)=eiq(x)K(x), whereqis a real-valued polynomial of a real variable, of degreed≥2, andKis a Calderón–Zygmund-type kernel. We prove that this operator extends to an operator that maps the Besov spaceḂ0,11into the Hardy-type spaceH10

Transverse momentum dependence of inclusive primary charged-particle production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum ( pT ) distribution of primary charged particles is measured at midrapidity in minimum-bias p–Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC in the range \(0.15 GeV/ c . The spectra are compared to the expectation based on binary collision scaling of particle production in pp collisions, leading to a nuclear modification factor consistent with unity for pT larger than 2 GeV/ c , with a weak indication of a Cronin-like enhancement for pT around 4 GeV/c . The measurement is compared to theoretical calculations and to data in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=2.76 TeV

Multiplicity dependence of the average transverse momentum in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

The average transverse momentum versus the charged-particle multiplicity $N_{ch}$ was measured in p-Pb collisions at a collision energy per nucleon-nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV and in pp collisions at collision energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9, 2.76, and 7 Tev in the kinematic range 0.15 with $N_{ch}$ is observed, which is much stronger than that measured in Pb-Pb collisions. For pp collisions, this could be attributed, within a model of hadronizing strings, to multiple-parton interactions and to a final-state color reconnection mechanism. The data in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions cannot be described by an incoherent superposition of nucleon-nucleon collisions and pose a challenge to most of the event generators.publishedVersio