Administration of amyloid-β42 oligomer-specific monoclonal antibody improved memory performance in SAMP8 mice.

Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is recognized by many as the leading cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Aβ oligomers play a major role in the early-onset form of AD. Recently, the application of passive immunization targeting Aβ has been investigated as a potential method of AD immunotherapy. We used a strain of monoclonal antibody against Aβ42 oligomers, designated A8, as an Aβ inhibitor to suppress Aβ aggregation and Aβ-derived cell toxicity in vitro, and as a passive immunotherapy approach to treat SAMP8 (senescence accelerated mouse sub-line P8) mice, an animal model of AD, in vivo.

Comparative proteome analysis of silkworm in its susceptibility and resistance responses to Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus.

Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus (BmDNV) is one of the most disastrous viruses in cocoon production. Silkworm resistance to BmDNV has been examined previously using a number of traditional biochemical and molecular techniques. In this study, a near isogenic line, BC(6), was constructed to eliminate the difference in inherited background, which has 99.

Geometry synthesis on surfaces using field-guided shape grammars.

We show how to model geometric patterns on surfaces. We build on the concept of shape grammars to allow the grammars to be guided by a vector or tensor field. Our approach affords greater artistic freedom in design and enables the use of grammars to create patterns on manifold surfaces.

Human spinal cord injury causes specific increases in surface expression of β integrins on leukocytes.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) activates circulating leukocytes that migrate into the injured cord and bystander organs using adhesion molecule-mediated mechanisms. These cells cause oxidative damage, resulting in secondary injury to the spinal cord, as well as injury to bystander organs. This study was designed to examine, over a 6-h to 2-week period, changes in adhesion molecule surface expression on human peripheral leukocytes after SCI (9 subjects), using as controls 10 uninjured subjects and 6 general trauma patients (trauma controls, TC).

Biometry of the cornea in myopic chinese patients.

Purpose: To develop a close-fit mathematical model of corneal anterior and posterior topography and investigate the variation of corneal topography with biometric parameters in a group of young adult myopic Chinese patients.

Methods: Corneal topography data were acquired from 112 eyes of 61 myopic patients (mean age: 24.10±3.

Neoadjuvant therapy induces loss of MSH6 expression in colorectal carcinoma.

Immunohistochemical stains are routinely used to detect abnormal DNA mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression in colorectal carcinomas, particularly when Lynch syndrome is suspected. Complete loss of MMR protein expression is often associated with underlying microsatellite instability (MSI), and the combined results of mutL homolog 1 (MLH1), postmeiotic segregation increased 2 (PMS2), mutS homolog 2 (MSH2), or mutS homolog 6 (MSH6) immunostains may point to the defective MMR protein in tumors with MSI. We have noted that some neoadjuvantly treated colorectal carcinomas display loss of MMR protein immunoexpression, despite a lack of underlying MSI and preserved staining in pretreatment tumor samples.

Performance of dynamic features in classifying scalp epileptic interictal and normal EEG.

Over 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy. Recently, researchers have proposed computer-aided epilepsy diagnostic systems based on classifying scalp epileptic interictal and normal EEG. Features used in the classification can be divided into two groups: classical spectral features and dynamic features.

Schwann cell coculture improves the therapeutic effect of bone marrow stromal cells on recovery in spinal cord-injured mice.

Studies of bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) transplanted into the spinal cord-injured rat give mixed results: some groups report improved locomotor recovery while others only demonstrate improved histological appearance of the lesion. These studies show no clear correlation between neurological improvements and MSC survival. We examined whether MSC survival in the injured spinal cord could be enhanced by closely matching donor and recipient mice for genetic background and marker gene expression and whether exposure of MSCs to a neural environment (Schwann cells) prior to transplantation would improve their survival or therapeutic effects.

New cobalt-mediated radical polymerization (CMRP) of methyl methacrylate initiated by two single-component dinuclear β-diketone cobalt (II) catalysts.

Two dinuclear cobalt complexes based on bis-diketonate ligands (ligand 1: 3,3'-(1,3-phenylene)bis(1-phenylpropane-1,3-dione); ligand 2: 3,3'-(1,4-phenylene)bis(1-phenylpropane-1,3-dione)) were successfully synthesized. The two neutral catalysts all showed satisfactory activities in the cobalt-mediated radical polymerization (CMRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with the common initiator of azodiisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The resulting polymerizations have all of the characteristics of a living polymerization and displayed linear semilogarithmic kinetic plots, a linear correlation between the number-average molecular weight and the monomer conversion, and low polydispersities.

[Treatment of ulnar coronoid process fracture with mini-plate].

Objective: To investigate the treatment of ulnar coronoid process fracture with mini-plate and to evaluate the clinical results.

Methods: Between September 2006 and March 2009, 14 patients with ulnar coronoid process fracture were treated with open reduction and internal fixation of mini-plate. There were 10 males and 4 females with an average age of 29 years (range, 14-51 years).

Hypoalgesia in mice lacking aquaporin-4 water channels.

Previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of astrocytes in the modulation of pain. The water channel aquaporin-4, which is expressed in astrocytes but not neurons, has also been demonstrated to function in sensory processing, including hearing, vision, and olfaction. In the present study, we investigated a possible role of aquaporin-4 in the processing of nociception by measuring behavioral responses to noxious stimulation in aquaporin-4 knockout mice.

RAGE signaling significantly impacts tumorigenesis and hepatic tumor growth in murine models of colorectal carcinoma.

Background: The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is a cell surface receptor implicated in tumor cell proliferation and migration. We hypothesized that RAGE signaling impacts tumorigenesis and metastatic tumor growth in murine models of colorectal carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Tumorigenesis: Apc (1638N/+) mice were crossed with Rage (-/-) mice in the C57BL/6 background to generate Apc (1638N/+)/Rage (-/-) mice.

Self-induced growth of vertical free-standing InAs nanowires on Si(111) by molecular beam epitaxy.

We report self-induced growth of vertically aligned (i.e. along the [111] direction), free-standing InAs nanowires on Si(111) substrates by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy.

A gain-of-function mutation in the Arabidopsis disease resistance gene RPP4 confers sensitivity to low temperature.

How plants adapt to low temperature is not well understood. To identify components involved in low-temperature signaling, we characterized the previously isolated chilling-sensitive2 mutant (chs2) of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This mutant grew normally at 22°C but showed phenotypes similar to activation of defense responses when shifted to temperatures below 16°C.

Ship classification using nonlinear features of radiated sound: an approach based on empirical mode decomposition.

Classification for ship-radiated underwater sound is one of the most important and challenging subjects in underwater acoustical signal processing. An approach to ship classification is proposed in this work based on analysis of ship-radiated acoustical noise in subspaces of intrinsic mode functions attained via the ensemble empirical mode decomposition. It is shown that detection and acquisition of stable and reliable nonlinear features become practically feasible by nonlinear analysis of the time series of individual decomposed components, each of which is simple enough and well represents an oscillatory mode of ship dynamics.

[Surveillance of 494 viral encephalitis cases in Baoji Municipal during 2005-2007].

Objective: To understand the impact of surveillance system of viral encephalitis during 2005-2007 in Baoji city of Shaanxi province, to find epidemiological characteristic, control strategies and measurement to Japanese Encephalitis (JE).

Methods: Establishing the monitoring system of viral encephalitis, special monitoring of viral encephalitis cases was analyzed statistically by Epi data and Excel software.

Results: The seasonal trend of viral encephalitis was identical with that of JE, but the age of the incidence was different.

[Effect of acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) on the level of serum inflammatory cytokines in patients with depression].

Objective: To investigate the immunologic mechanism of acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) for treatment of depression.

Methods: Eighty-four cases of depression patients were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture observation group (group A), an electroacupuncture control group (group B) and a medication control group (group C), 28 cases in each group. Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) were used in the group A; Taichong (LR 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Neiguan (PC 6) and Shenmen (HT 7) were used in the group B; and the group C was treated with oral administration of Fluoxetine.

Effects of aquaporin 4 deficiency on morphine analgesia and chronic tolerance: a study at spinal level.

Recent reports showed that aquaporin 4 (AQP4) deficiency potentiated morphine analgesia but attenuated chronic morphine-induced tolerance in hot-plate test, predominantly reflecting supraspinal pain response. The present study investigated the effects of AQP4 deficiency on morphine analgesia and tolerance using tail flick test, primarily reflecting spinal response. It was found that (1) chronic morphine treatment resulted in decreased expression of spinal AQP4 in mice detected by Western blotting analysis; (2) in tail flick test, AQP4 knockout mice displayed significant impaired morphine analgesia without influencing the progress of chronic tolerance; and (3) the expressions of mu-opioid receptor (MuOR) and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) in AQP4 knockout mice spinal cord were lower than those in wild-type mice, whereas chronic morphine-induced alteration characteristics of spinal MuOR or GLT-1 expression were not affected by AQP4 deficiency.

[Thinking on teaching experiences of acupuncture manipulation and moxibustion method in western medicine college].

For the problems existed in the teaching of acupuncture manipulation and moxibustion method in western medicine college, for instance, the lack of credit hours and divorce from theory and practice, in addition to visualization teaching, this paper introduced case study and problem-centered teaching approaches. Besides clinical teaching, this paper emphasized anatomical knowledge which strengthen memory. In this way, the quality of teaching and teaching effects will be improved in the education of acupuncture manipulation and moxibustion method in western medicine college.

[Characteristics and numerical simulation of surface albedo in temperate desert steppe in Inner Mongolia].

Based on the meteorological and biological observation data from the temperate desert steppe ecosystem research station in Sunitezuoqi of Inner Mongolia during growth season (from May 1st to October 15th, 2008), the diurnal and seasonal characteristics of surface albedo in the steppe were analyzed, with related model constructed. In the steppe, the diurnal variation of surface albedo was mainly affected by solar altitude, being higher just after sunrise and before sunset and lower in midday. During growth season, the surface albedo was from 0.

Anti-alpha4beta1 integrin antibody induces receptor internalization and does not impair the function of circulating neutrophilic leukocytes.

Objective: A compelling strategy for treatment of spinal cord injury is the blockade of integrin-mediated leukocyte extravasation using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the alpha4 subunit of the alpha4beta1-integrin. However, little is known with respect to neutrophil function following anti-alpha4 mAb treatment. This study assessed the effects of anti-alpha4 mAb binding on neutrophil activation [reactive oxygen species (ROS) production], function (phagocytic activity) and anti-alpha4-mAb/alpha4beta1-integrin-complex internalization.

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas with prominent ductal differentiation: Mixed acinar ductal carcinoma and mixed acinar endocrine ductal carcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas (ACCs) are clinically and pathologically distinct from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAs). Whereas endocrine differentiation has been well shown in ACCs, significant ductal components are rare. This paper reviews the clinicopathologic features of a series of ACCs with prominent ductal differentiation.

[Vertical distribution and community diversity of butterflies in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve, Anhui, China].

By the methods of fixed point, line intercept, and random investigation, the vertical distribution and community diversity of butterflies in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve were investigated from 2005 to 2008. A total of 3681 specimen were collected, belonging to 111 species, 69 genera, and 10 families, among which, Nymphalidae had the higher species number, individual's number, and diversity index than the other families. The butterflies in the study area were a mixture of Oriental and Palaearetic species, with the Oriental species diminished gradually and the Palaearetic components increased gradually with increasing altitude.

SEUSS and SEUSS-LIKE transcriptional adaptors regulate floral and embryonic development in Arabidopsis.

Multimeric protein complexes are required during development to regulate transcription and orchestrate cellular proliferation and differentiation. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SEUSS (SEU) gene encodes a transcriptional adaptor that shares sequence similarity with metazoan Lim domain-binding transcriptional adaptors. In Arabidopsis, SEU forms a physical complex with the LEUNIG transcriptional coregulator.

Adaptive extraction of modulation for cavitation noise.

Modulation analysis is an important issue in target classification and identification for ship-radiated noise. However, the modulated cavitation noise sought for analyzing is always submerged under strong ambient noise and difficult to be separated out. In this paper, an approach is proposed to extract the modulated cavitation noise adaptively by combining empirical mode decomposition and singular value decomposition.