To investigate the changes as well as the related mechanism in cognitive function and levels of serum β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in stroke patients.
A total ...of 30 patients with acute stroke treated in our hospital from June 2015 to September 2016 were selected as stroke group, while 30 volunteers during the same period were enrolled as control group. Changes in cognitive function of patients were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) before and after the treatment. At the same time, the concentrations of serum Aβ1-40 and BDNF were detected, and their correlations with the MMSE score were analyzed. Finally, levels of serum cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and phosphorylated-cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB), and the phosphorylation level of Tau protein were detected by Western blotting.
MoCA and MMSE scores of patients in stroke group were significantly lower than those in control group (p < 0.01), and the scores were significantly higher in stroke patients after treatment than those before treatment (p < 0.01). Compared with those in control group, the serum Aβ1-40 concentration in patients in stroke group was significantly increased (p < 0.01), but the BDNF level was significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Compared with those before treatment, the serum Aβ1-40 concentration in patients was significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.01), but the BDNF concentration was significantly increased (p < 0.01). Correlation analysis showed that the MMSE score was negatively correlated with the concentration of Aβ1-40 (r2 = 0.764, p < 0.01), but positively related to the level of BDNF (r2 = 0.827, p < 0.01). Compared with those in control group, the content of serum cAMP and p-CREB in stroke patients was significantly decreased (p < 0.01), but the expression of p-Tau was statistically increased (p < 0.01).
The cognitive function in stroke patients is impaired, with the rising content of serum Aβ1-40 and reduction of BDNF, the mechanism of which is related to the decrease of cAMP and p-CREB and the increase of p-Tau. This provides a theoretical basis for searching the new therapeutic targets and new drugs for stroke.
Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are structural components of wool and hair fibres, and are believed to play a role in defining the physico-mechanical properties of the wool fibre. In this study, ...the putative ovine homologue of the human KAP26-1 gene (
) was sequenced and four variants (named
) were identified. The sequences shared some identity with each other and with other
, but they had the greatest similarity with the human
sequence. This suggests they represent different variants of ovine
. The association of these
variants with wool traits was investigated in the 383 Merino-Southdown cross sheep. The presence of
was associated (
< 0.05) with an increase in mean fibre diameter (MFD), mean fibre curvature, and prickle factor (PF). The presence of
was found to be associated (
< 0.05) with an increase in wool yield (Yield) and mean staple length (MSL), and a decrease in MFD, fibre diameter standard deviation (FDSD), and PF. The results suggest that sheep with
have, on average, higher wool quality. These results may be useful in the future development of breeding programs based on decreasing wool MFD and FDSD, or on increasing wool MSL.
A novel 2-positional linked carbazole based
β
-diketone with methoxyl in the 7-position (EMOCTFBD), and its europium(
iii
) ternary complex Eu(EMOCTFBD)
3
phen were synthesized
via
a dexterously ...designed indirect routine, where EMOCTFBD was 1-(9-ethyl-7-methoxyl-9
H
-carbazol-2-yl)-4,4,4-trifluorobutane-1,3-dione and phen was 1,10-phenanthroline. Eu(EMOCTFBD)
3
phen shows high thermal stability. The introduction of a methoxyl in the 7-position of the carbazole ring remarkably enhanced the excitation band intensity in the blue region, and the complex exhibited intense red emission under blue-light excitation. The lowest triplet state energy was measured and suggests the photoluminescence process as a ligand-sensitized luminescence process (antenna effect). A bright red-emitting diode was fabricated by coating the complex phosphor onto a ∼460 nm-emitting InGaN chip. All the results indicate that Eu(EMOCTFBD)
3
phen is an interesting red-emitting material excited by blue light, and therefore may be applied in many fields without UV radiation.
A novel 2-positional linked carbazole based
β
-diketone with methoxyl in the 7-position and its europium(
iii
) ternary complex were synthesized, enhancing the excitation intensity in the blue region.
To evaluate the exported risk of COVID-19 from Hubei Province and the imported risk in various provinces across China.
Data of reported COVID-19 cases and Baidu Migration Indexin all provinces of the ...country as of February 14, 2020 were collected. The correlation analysis between cumulative number of reported cases and the migration index from Hubei was performed, and the imported risks from Hubei to different provinces across China were further evaluated.
A total of 49 970 confirmed cases were reported nationwide, of which 37 884 were in Hubei Province. The average daily migration index from Hubei to other provinces was 312.09, Wuhan and other cities in Hubei were 117.95 and 194.16, respectively. The cumulative COVID-19 cases of provinces was positively correlated with the migration index derived from Hubei Province, also in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei, with correlation coefficients of 0.84, 0.84, and 0.81. In linear model, population migration from Hubei Province, Wuhan and other cities in Hubei account
The cell line described here was established for a 50-year-old male patient with rapidly progressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma whose marrow was diffusely infiltrated with large granular lymphocytes ...(LGL). Immunophenotyping of marrow blasts and peripheral lymphocytes was positive for CD56, CD2 and CD7, and negative for CD3. Cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells at an effector: target (E:T) cell ratio of 50:1 was 79% against K562 cells and 48% against Daudi cells. To establish the line, cells from the peripheral blood were placed into enriched alpha medium containing 12.5% fetal calf serum, 12.5% horse serum, 10(-4) M beta-mercaptoethanol and 10(-6) M hydrocortisone. Growth of the line (termed NK-92) is dependent on the presence of recombinant IL-2 and a dose as low as 10 U/ml is sufficient to maintain proliferation. Conversely, cells die within 72 h when deprived of IL-2; IL-7 and IL-12 do not maintain long-term growth, although IL-7 induces short-term proliferation measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation. None of the other cytokines tested (IL-1 alpha, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma) supported growth of NK-92 cells which have the following characteristics: surface marker positive for CD2, CD7, CD11a, CD28, CD45, CD54, CD56bright; surface marker negative for CD1, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD10, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD20, CD23, CD34, HLA-DR. DNA analysis showed germline configuration for T-cell receptor beta and gamma genes. CD25 (p55 IL-2 receptor) is expressed on about 50% of all cells when tested at 100 U/ml of IL-2 and its expression correlates inversely with the IL-2 concentration. The p75 IL-2 receptor is expressed on about half of the cells at low density irrespective of the IL-2 concentration. NK-92 cells kill both K562 and Daudi cells very effectively in a 4 h51-chromium release assay (84 and 86% respectively, at an E:T cell ratio of 5:1). The cell line described here thus displays characteristics of activated NK-cells and could be a valuable tool to study their biology.
•A newly limiter langmuir probe (LLP) array has been developed in EAST.•The LLP array has been operated in EAST since 2021.•The commissioning of EAST LLP was successful in the spring experimental ...campaign in 2021.•The SOL three-dimensional plasma structure and plasma parameters (ne and Te) are measured by the LLP array in EAST.
A newly developed limiter Langmuir probe (LLP) array has been applied to the scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma measurement in EAST tokamak. The LLP system consists of two poloidal arrays located at opposite sides of the low field side guard limiter, and each poloidal array has 26 Langmuir probe channels with a spatial resolution of 35 mm in the vertical direction. The probe tip is polished to match the local graphite tile plane and avoid the leading edge and the corresponding high heat load. The probe can be assembled easily and has an excellent electric insulating property. Langmuir probes have three operation modes, i.e., floating potential mode, ion saturation current mode, and swept Langmuir probe mode. The LLP array could be operated in different modes according to the experimental purpose. The LLP array has been successfully applied to the EAST experiment in 2021, and the three-dimensional plasma structure and the plasma parameters (electron density and temperature) in the SOL have been measured.
Abstract
KRTAP8-1
was the initial high-glycine-tyrosine keratin-associated protein gene recognized in sheep, but little is known about the functional influence of this gene. The current study used ...polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism analysis to genotype
KRTAP8-1
in 391 Southdown × Merino-cross sheep from six sire-lines. Five previously described variants (named
A
to
E
) of
KRTAP8-1
were identified with frequencies of 67.0, 14.2, 7.0, 10.7 and 1.0%, respectively. Of the four variants (
A
,
B
,
C
and
D
) that occurred at a frequency greater than 5%, the presence of
C
was found to be associated with a reduction in mean fibre curvature (MFC) and the presence of
D
was associated with an increase in mean staple strength (MSS), whereas the presence of
A
had a trend of association with reduced MSS. Associations were not identified with other wool traits. These results suggest that variation in
KRTAP8-1
affects MSS and MFC, and that
KRTAP8-1
has the potential to be used as a genetic marker for improving these traits.
Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are structural components of wool and variation in them may affect wool characteristics. In this study, we used PCR-SSCP to analyse the ovine
KAP6
family which ...encodes glycine and tyrosine-rich KAPs. Five unique PCR-SSCP patterns were detected in the 250 sheep investigated. Between two and five patterns were observed in individual sheep and none with only one pattern was detected. This suggests the amplicons were heterogeneous and derived from more than one locus. To analyse these heterogeneous PCR amplicons, a sequencing approach using SSCP to separate individual amplified sequences, was developed. Using this approach, five DNA sequences (A–E) representing five unique PCR-SSCP patterns were obtained. D was identical to a published ovine
KAP6
-
1
sequence (GenBank accession no. M95719), whereas the others were novel, but the closest homology was with
KAP6
sequences from human, sheep, goats and cattle. The five ovine
KAP6
sequences could be assigned into three distinct groups. B and D were identical to each other, with the exception of a 57-bp deletion/insertion and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3′-UTR region. These appear to be allelic variants of ovine
KAP6
-
1
. A and C could form another group, as they were similar to each other (with only one synonymous SNP), but different to the other sequences. This group appears to be related to a sheep KAP6 amino acid sequence, and represent allelic variation at another
KAP6
locus (designated
KAP6
-
2
). The remaining sequence E did not show high sequence homology with either the
KAP6
-
1
or
KAP6
-
2
sequences, but exhibited homology with a bovine
KAP6
-
3
sequence, with the exception of a deletion/insertion of 30 nucleotides. This suggests that E represents ovine
KAP6
-
3
. This sequence was detected in only 11% of the sheep investigated, suggesting either a
KAP6
-
3
null allele, or failure to amplify allleles. These results suggest that ovine
KAP6
is a complex gene family, that is not only comprised multiple loci, but that is also polymorphic.
Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are a structural component of cashmere fibre, and variation in some KAP genes (
s) has been associated with a number of caprine fibre traits. In this study, we ...report the identification of
in goats. Sequence variation in the gene was detected using the polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique in 250 Longdong goats, and six variants (named A to F) containing eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Five of the SNPs were non-synonymous and would lead to putative amino acid changes. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that
was expressed in secondary hair follicles but not in heart tissue, liver tissue, lung tissue, kidney tissue or the longissimus dorsi muscle. Despite being rich in cysteine, the caprine KAP15-1 protein possesses a high content of serine and moderate content of glycine and phenylalanine. Association analyses revealed that
variant A was associated with decreased mean fibre diameter (MFD), and this effect appeared to be dominant; while variant C was found to be associated with increased MFD, the effect being recessive. The findings suggest that caprine
is highly polymorphic and that variation in this gene affects cashmere MFD.
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