Manganese-Disrupted Interaction of Dopamine D1 and NMDAR in the Striatum to Injury Learning and Memory Ability of Mice.

Manganese (Mn) is widely regarded as a neurotoxic heavy metal that causes learning and memory deficits. Recently, it has been proved that the striatum is related to memory and learning ability. However, no previous study focused on the effect of Mn-induced learning and memory deficits on the striatum.

Microglia-Mediated Inflammation and Neurodegenerative Disease.

Microglia are the main effectors in the inflammatory process of the central nervous system. As the first line of defense, microglia play an important role in the inflammatory reaction. When there is pathogen invasion or cell debris, microglia will be activated rapidly and remove it, while releasing the inflammatory cytokines to mediate inflammatory reaction.

Coexistence of Bartonella henselae and B. clarridgeiae in populations of cats and their fleas in Guatemala.

Cats and their fleas collected in Guatemala were investigated for the presence of Bartonella infections. Bartonella bacteria were cultured from 8.2% (13/159) of cats, and all cultures were identified as B.

Safety of antithrombotic drugs in patients with atrial fibrillation and non-end-stage chronic kidney disease: Meta-analysis and systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate the safety of antithrombotic drugs used in patients with both atrial fibrillation (AF) and non-end-stage chronic kidney disease (NECKD).

Methods: A search was performed for studies on major bleeding outcomes in patients with concurrent AF and NECKD using Medline and Cochrane databases on 19th February, 2015. Fixed- or random-effects meta-analysis was adopted for evaluating pooled effect sizes according to whether heterogeneity existed.

Conductive Polymer Binder for High-Tap-Density Nanosilicon Material for Lithium-Ion Battery Negative Electrode Application.

High-tap-density silicon nanomaterials are highly desirable as anodes for lithium ion batteries, due to their small surface area and minimum first-cycle loss. However, this material poses formidable challenges to polymeric binder design. Binders adhere on to the small surface area to sustain the drastic volume changes during cycling; also the low porosities and small pore size resulting from this material are detrimental to lithium ion transport.

Molecular Survey of Bartonella Species and Yersinia pestis in Rodent Fleas (Siphonaptera) From Chihuahua, Mexico.

Rodent fleas from northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, were analyzed for the presence of Bartonella and Yersinia pestis. In total, 760 fleas belonging to 10 species were tested with multiplex polymerase chain reaction analysis targeting the gltA (338-bp) and pla genes (478-bp) of Bartonella and Y. pestis, respectively.

In Situ Analysis of Gas Generation in Lithium-Ion Batteries with Different Carbonate-Based Electrolytes.

Gas generation in lithium-ion batteries is one of the critical issues limiting their safety performance and lifetime. In this work, a set of 900 mAh pouch cells were applied to systematically compare the composition of gases generated from a serial of carbonate-based composite electrolytes, using a self-designed gas analyzing system. Among electrolytes used in this work, the composite γ-butyrolactone/ethyl methyl carbonate (GBL/EMC) exhibited remarkably less gassing because of the electrochemical stability of the GBL, which makes it a promising electrolyte for battery with advanced safety and lifetime.

Differences in Quality of Life Between Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Low Stroke Risk Treated With and Without Catheter Ablation.

Background: Impacts of a single radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on quality of life (QoL) were not well investigated in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with low stroke risk.

Methods And Results: Nine hundred AF patients with low CHADS2 score (ie, CHADS2 ≤1) who completed both a baseline and 6-month Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-life (AFEQT) questionnaire were selected from The Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry between 2011 and 2013. A final cohort of 222 patients was constructed after a propensity score matching with 74 in the RFA group and 148 in the non-RFA group.

The assessment of the spatial and seasonal variability of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

Samples of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and the East China Sea (ECS) were evaluated by fluorescent Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) combined with Parallel Factorial Analysis (PARAFAC). Three terrestrial humic-like components (C1, C2 and C3) and one autochthonous protein-like component (C4) were identified. As for seasonal variations, CDOM displayed the following order on the whole: summer>spring>autumn.

Plasticized Polymer Composite Single-Ion Conductors for Lithium Batteries.

Lithium bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonamide (TFSI) is a promising electrolyte salt in lithium batteries, due to its good conductivity and high dissociation between the lithium cation and its anion. By tethering N-pentane trifluoromethane sulfonamide (C5NHTf), a TFSI analogue molecule, onto the surface of silica nanoparticle as a monolayer coverage should increase the Li(+) transference number to unity since anions bound to particles have reduced mobilities. Silica polymer composite has better mechanical property than that of the pure PEO.

Improved electrochemical performance of spinel LiMn(1.5)Ni(0.5)O4 through MgF2 nano-coating.

A spinel LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 (LMNO) cathode material synthesized by a sol-gel method is modified by MgF2 nano-coating via a wet coating strategy.

Response surface methodology (RSM) in evaluation of the vitamin C concentrations in microwave treated milk.

During the microwave treatment process of the milk, response surface methodology (RSM) based on three-level three-factorial Box-Behnken design was used. The response vitamin C concentration was studied. The predicted value of model (11.

[α-GalCer reduces Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease by Altering Donor T Cells Migration].

Objective: This study was aimed to explore the new mechanism of α-Galactosyleramide (α-GalCer), a synthetic glycolipid, and a well-known activator of natural killer T cells (NKT) for improving acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD).

Methods: Murine allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) model was established. Recipient mice were injected intraperitoneally with α-GalCer immediately after allo-BMT, whereas mice from the vehicle groups received the diluent (DMSO) only.

AlF3 surface-coated Li[Li0.2 Ni0.17 Co0.07 Mn0.56 ]O2 nanoparticles with superior electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries.

Li-rich layered cathode materials have already drawn considerable attention owing to their high capacity performance for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, layered Li-rich Li[Li0.2 Ni0.

Toward 5 V Li-Ion Batteries: Quantum Chemical Calculation and Electrochemical Characterization of Sulfone-Based High-Voltage Electrolytes.

In seeking new sulfone-based electrolytes to meet the demand of 5 V lithium-ion batteries, we have combined the theoretical quantum chemistry calculation and electrochemical characterization to explore several sulfone/cosolvent systems. Tetramethylene sulfone (TMS), dimethyl sulfite (DMS), and diethyl sulfite (DES) were used as solvents, and three kinds of lithium salts including LiBOB, LiTFSI, and LiPF6 were added into TMS/DMS [1:1, (v)] and TMS/DES [1:1, (v)] to form high-voltage electrolyte composites, respectively. All of these electrolytes display wide electrochemical windows of more than 5.

Prevalence of picky eating behaviour in Chinese school-age children and associations with anthropometric parameters and intelligence quotient. A cross-sectional study.

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of eating behaviour regarding dietary variety and nutrient intake of children. However, the association between picky eating and growth of children is still a topic of debate. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of picky eating and to identify possible associations with the growth of school-age children in China.

NMDA receptor NR2B subunits contribute to PTZ-kindling-induced hippocampal astrocytosis and oxidative stress.

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor plays an important role in the pathophysiology of several neurological diseases, including epilepsy. The present study investigated the effect of NMDA receptor NR2B subunits on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindling-induced pathological and biochemical events in mice. Our results showed that PTZ-kindling up-regulates the expression of NMDA receptor NR2B subunits in the hippocampus and that kindled mice were characterized by significant astrocytosis and neuron loss in the hippocampus.

Involvement of sigma-1 receptor in astrocyte activation induced by methamphetamine via up-regulation of its own expression.

Background: Although it has been documented that methamphetamine induces astrocyte activation, the mechanism(s) underlying this effect remain poorly understood. We thus sought to examine the molecular mechanisms involved in methamphetamine-mediated activation of astrocytes with a focus on the role of sigma-1 receptor (σ-1R) in this process.

Methods: The expression of σ-1R and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was examined by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescent staining; phosphorylation of cell signaling pathways was detected by Western blot analysis.

Pericytes contribute to the disruption of the cerebral endothelial barrier via increasing VEGF expression: implications for stroke.

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity occurring during the early onset of stroke is not only a consequence of, but also contributes to the further progression of stroke. Although it has been well documented that brain microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes play a critical role in the maintenance of BBB integrity, pericytes, sandwiched between endothelial cells and astrocytes, remain poorly studied in the pathogenesis of stroke. Our findings demonstrated that treatment of human brain microvascular pericytes with sodium cyanide (NaCN) and glucose deprivation resulted in increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via the activation of tyrosine kinase Src, with downstream activation of mitogen activated protein kinase and PI3K/Akt pathways and subsequent translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus.

Sn-doped TiO2 nanotubes as superior anode materials for sodium ion batteries.

Sn-doped TiO2 nanotubes were employed as anodes for sodium ion batteries. The electrodes exhibit a high maximum charge capacity of 257 mA h g(-1) after 50 cycles at a current density of 50 mA g(-1) with good rate capability and especially excellent cycling stability, mainly due to the increase of electrical conductivity by Sn doping.

Superior Conductive Solid-like Electrolytes: Nanoconfining Liquids within the Hollow Structures.

The growth and proliferation of lithium (Li) dendrites during cell recharge are currently unavoidable, which seriously hinders the development and application of rechargeable Li metal batteries. Solid electrolytes with robust mechanical modulus are regarded as a promising approach to overcome the dendrite problems. However, their room-temperature ionic conductivities are usually too low to reach the level required for normal battery operation.

Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Promotes Enhanced Viral Egress by Preventing Ebola VP40 From Associating With the Host Restriction Factor BST2/Tetherin.

Background: BST2/tetherin is an innate immune molecule with the unique ability to restrict the egress of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other enveloped viruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV). Coincident with this discovery was the finding that the HIV Vpu protein down-regulates BST2 from the cell surface, thereby promoting viral release. Evidence suggests that the EBOV envelope glycoprotein (GP) also counteracts BST2, although the mechanism is unclear.

Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.

Several rodent-associated Bartonella species are human pathogens but little is known about their epidemiology. We trapped rodents and shrews around human habitations at two sites in Kenya (rural Asembo and urban Kibera) to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infection. Bartonella were detected by culture in five of seven host species.