Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have recently been shown to have cognitive-enhancing effects in animal models and in our previous pilot study. To investigate the efficacy of daily low-dose ...treatment with a PDE5 inhibitor on cognitive function, depression and somatization in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 60 male patients with ED for ≥ 3 months without cognitive impairment. Forty-nine patients completed the study. Patients were randomized to receive either daily low-dose udenafil 50 mg or placebo for 2 months. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) for general cognitive function and the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery for comprehensive neuropsychological examination, the Physical Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Physical Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) for somatization were administered at baseline and at 2 months. The change in the mean IIEF-5 was significantly higher in the udenafil group than the placebo group (6.08 ± 4.72 vs 2.20 ± 3.50, P=0.008). The changes in the PHQ-9 and PHQ-15 were -2.04 ± 3.14 and -2.17 ± 2.87 in the udenafil group, and 1.20 ± 1.63 and 0.56 ± 2.48 in the placebo group (both, P<0.001). The changes in the K-MMSE and Digit Span Forward were 1.25 ± 1.26 and 0.92 ± 1.02 in the udenafil group, and -0.52 ± 1.19 and -0.24 ± 1.13 in the placebo group (both, P<0.001). However, there were no differences in the other neuropsychological tests. Daily dosing with a PDE5 inhibitor seems to improve cognitive function, depression and somatization, as well as erectile function, in patients with ED.
The temperature (T) dependence of the optical conductivity spectra σ(ω) of a single crystal SrRuO(3) thin film is studied over a T range from 5 to 450 K. We observed significant T dependence of the ...spectral weights of the charge transfer and interband d-d transitions across the ferromagnetic Curie temperature (T(c) ∼ 150 K). Such T dependence was attributed to the increase in the Ru spin moment, which is consistent with the results of density functional theory calculations. T scans of σ(Ω,T) at fixed frequencies Ω reveal a clear T(2) dependence below T(c), demonstrating that the Stoner mechanism is involved in the evolution of the electronic structure. In addition, σ(Ω,T) continues to evolve at temperatures above T(c), indicating that the local spin moment persists in the paramagnetic state. This suggests that SrRuO(3) is an intriguing oxide system with itinerant ferromagnetism.
•Arc behavior in two wire tandem submerged arc welding process is investigated.•Physical and regression models to predict the arc interaction are developed.•Regression models to predict the leading ...and trailing arc root dimensions are developed.•The influence of arc interaction on the molten droplet transfer direction is investigated.
The behavior of leading and trailing arc root dimensions and arc interaction in the two-wire tandem submerged arc welding process was studied using real-time recorded current and voltage waveforms, and CCD arc images for a wide range of experimental conditions. Physical and regression equations were developed to predict the arc interaction and dimensions as a function of the welding condition. The influence of the arc interaction on the molten droplet transfer direction was studied. The arc center displacements (arc interaction) under different welding conditions were fairly well predicted by the corresponding physical models. The arc root dimensions were unsymmetrical and increased with an increase in the welding current and voltage while the same decreased with the increase in the arc center displacements. This variation was reasonably envisaged by the developed regression models. The detached molten electrode droplet followed the arc axis at the time of detachment and deposited into the weld pool.
Here, to finally resolve the controversial issue of whether or not the electronic structure of YbB6 is nontrivially topological, we have made a combined study using angle-resolved photoemission ...spectroscopy (ARPES) of the nonpolar (110) surface and density functional theory (DFT). The flat-band conditions of the (110) ARPES avoid the strong band bending effects of the polar (001) surface and definitively show that YbB6 has a topologically trivial B 2p–Yb 5d semiconductor band gap of ~0.3 eV. Accurate determination of the low energy band topology in DFT requires the use of a modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential incorporating spin-orbit coupling and an on-site Yb 4f Coulomb interaction U as large as 7 eV. The DFT result, confirmed by a more precise GW band calculation, is similar to that of a small gap non-Kondo nontopological semiconductor. Additionally, the pressure-dependent electronic structure of YbB6 is investigated theoretically and found to transform into a p–d overlap semimetal with small Yb mixed valency.
Summary
Two phylogenetically distinct marine strains producing transparent exopolymers (TEP), designated HTCC2155T and HTCC2160, were cultivated from Oregon coast seawater by dilution to extinction ...in a high throughput culturing format. When cultured in low‐nutrient seawater media, these strains copiously produced Alcian Blue‐stainable viscous TEP. Growing cells were attached to each other by the TEP in a three dimensional network. Polymerase chain reaction employing 16S rDNA primers specific for the novel isolates indicated that they are indigenous to the water column of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The abundance of the isolates as determined by 16S rRNA dot blots, however, indicated that they are less than 1% of the total bacterial community. In phylogenetic analyses, the strains consistently formed a new phylum‐level lineage within the domain Bacteria, together with members of the candidate phylum VadinBE97, which consists of Victivallis, the first cultured genus in the candidate phylum, and 16S rRNA gene clones from DNA extracted from marine or anaerobic terrestrial habitats. Five putative subgroups were delineated within this phylum‐level lineage, including a marine group and an anaerobic group. The isolates are Gram negative, strictly aerobic, chemoheterotrophic, and facultatively oligotrophic sphere‐shaped bacteria. The DNA G+C content of strain HTCC2155T was 48.3 mol% and the genome size was 2.9 mb. It is proposed from these observations that the strains be placed into a new genus and a new species named Lentisphaera araneosa (type strain HTCC2155T = ATCC BAA‐859T = KCTC 12141T) gen. nov., sp. nov., the cultured marine representative of the Lentisphaerae phyl. nov., and the phylum be divided into two novel orders named the Lentisphaerales ord. nov. and the Victivallales ord. nov.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is a major contributor to the elevation of spinal prostaglandin E2, which augments the processing of nociceptive stimuli following peripheral inflammation, and dynorphin has ...been shown to have an important role in acute and chronic pain states. Moreover, the transcription factor, nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐kB), regulates the expressions of both COX‐2 and dynorphin. To elucidate the role of spinal NF‐kB in the induction of inflammatory pain hypersensitivity, we examined whether activated NF‐kB affects pain behavior and the expressions of the mRNAs of COX‐2 and prodynorphin following peripheral inflammation. Intrathecal pretreatment with different NF‐kB inhibitors, namely, NF‐kB decoy or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, significantly reduced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following unilateral hindpaw inflammation evoked by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). These NF‐kB inhibitors also suppressed the activation of spinal NF‐kB and the subsequent remarkable elevation of spinal COX‐2 mRNA, but not that of prodynorphin mRNA. In addition, the activation of spinal NF‐kB following CFA injection was inhibited by intrathecal pretreatments with interleukin‐1β receptor antagonist or caspase‐1 inhibitor. In view of the fact that interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) is the major inducer of spinal COX‐2 upregulation following CFA injection, our results suggest that IL‐1β‐induced spinal COX‐2 upregulation and pain hypersensitivity following peripheral inflammation are mediated through the activation of the NF‐kB‐associated pathways.
Hyporesponsiveness to growth factors is one of the fundamental characteristics of senescent cells. We previously reported that the up-regulation of caveolin attenuates the growth factor response and ...the subsequent downstream signal cascades in senescent human diploid fibroblasts. Therefore, in the present experiment, we investigated the modulation of caveolin status in senescent cells to determine the effect of caveolin on mitogenic signaling efficiency and cell cycling. We reduced the level of caveolin-1 in senescent human diploid fibroblasts using its antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA, and this resulted in the restoration of normal growth factor responses such as the increased phosphorylation of Erk, the nuclear translocation of p-Erk, and the subsequent activation of p-Elk upon epidermal growth factor stimulation. Moreover, DNA synthesis and the re-entry of senescent cells into cell cycle were resumed upon epidermal growth factor stimulation concomitantly with decreases in p53 and p21. Taken together, we conclude that the loss of mitogenic signaling in senescent cells is strongly related to their elevated levels of caveolin-1 and that the functional recovery of senescent cells at least in the terms of growth factor responsiveness and cell cycle entry might be achieved simply by lowering the caveolin level.
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