Multi-response gelation based on the molecular assembly of Sudan I dye derivatives for phase selective gelators and chemosensors.

Sudan I dye-based smart low molecular weight gelators with/without a perfluoroalkyl group have been successfully synthesized and characterized by rheological measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR, and NMR spectroscopies. The gelation behaviors in response to temperature, pH changes, metal cations, and UV-vis light irradiation are investigated. Compounds 1 and 2 could selectively sense the Cu cation in the presence of other metal cations.

Neuronal Activity in the Cerebellum During the Sleep-Wakefulness Transition in Mice.

Cerebellar malfunction can lead to sleep disturbance such as excessive daytime sleepiness, suggesting that the cerebellum may be involved in regulating sleep and/or wakefulness. However, understanding the features of cerebellar regulation in sleep and wakefulness states requires a detailed characterization of neuronal activity within this area. By performing multiple-unit recordings in mice, we showed that Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellar cortex exhibited increased firing activity prior to the transition from sleep to wakefulness.

Motor neuron degeneration following glycine-mediated excitotoxicity induces spastic paralysis after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbit.

Spinal cord ischemia and reperfusion (SCIR) injury is the major cause of a wide range of complications, including neural degeneration and devastating paraplegia. Decrease of inhibitory neurotransmitters and increase of excitory neurotransmitters are the major cause for the excitotoxicity of neurons. However, no study has reported the temporal loss of motor neuron in the ventral horn of spinal cord area following SCIR-induced spastic paralysis, not even the mechanism under it.

Local injection of Lenti-Olig2 at lesion site promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury in rats.

Aims: Olig2 is one of the most critical factors during CNS development, which belongs to b-HLH transcription factor family. Previous reports have shown that Olig2 regulates the remyelination processes in CNS demyelination diseases models. However, the role of Olig2 in contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) and the possible therapeutic effects remain obscure.

Elimination of methane in exhaust gas from biogas upgrading process by immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria.

Biogas upgrading is essential for the comprehensive utilization of biogas as substitute of natural gas. However, the methane in the biogas can be fully recovered during the upgrading process of biogas, and the exhaust gas produced during biogas upgrading may contain a very low concentration of methane. If the exhaust gas with low concentration methane releases to atmosphere, it will be harmful to environment.

Bistable near field and bistable transmittance in 2D composite slab consisting of nonlocal core-Kerr shell inclusions.

We carry out a theoretical study on optical bistability of near field intensity and transmittance in two-dimensional nonlinear composite slab. This kind of 2D composite is composed of nonlocal metal/Kerr-type dielectric core-shell inclusions randomly embedded in the host medium, and we derivate the nonlinear relation between the field intensity in the shell of inclusions and the incident field intensity with self-consistent mean field approximation. Numerical demonstration has been performed to show the viable parameter space for the bistable near field.

Retinoic acid induced the differentiation of neural stem cells from embryonic spinal cord into functional neurons in vitro.

Retinoic acid is an important molecular taking part in the development and homeostasis of nervous system. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are pluripotent cells that can differentiate into three main neural cells including neuron, astrocyte and oligodendrocyte. However, whether retinoic acid can induce NSCs derived from embryonic spinal cord differentiating into functional neurons and its efficiency are not clear.

Wnt signaling pathway participates in valproic acid-induced neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent cells that have the capacity for differentiation into the major cell types of the nervous system, i.e. neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Ameliorative Effects of p75NTR-ED-Fc on Axonal Regeneration and Functional Recovery in Spinal Cord-Injured Rats.

As a co-receptor of Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) and a critical receptor for paired immunoglobulin-like receptor (PirB), p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) mediates the inhibitory effects of myelin-associated inhibitors on axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury. Therefore, the p75NTR antagonist, such as recombinant p75NTR protein or its homogenates may block the inhibitory effects of myelin and promote the axonal regeneration and functional recovery. The purposes of this study are to subclone and express the extracellular domain gene of human p75NTR with IgG-Fc (hp75NTR-ED-Fc) in prokaryotic expression system and investigate the effects of the recombinant protein on axonal regeneration and functional recovery in spinal cord-injured rats.

Glutamate and GABA imbalance promotes neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus after stress.

Background: People who experience traumatic events have an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, PTSD-related pathological changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex remain poorly understood.

Material And Methods: We investigated the effect of a PTSD-like animal model induced by severe stress.

Inhibiting PTEN protects hippocampal neurons against stretch injury by decreasing membrane translocation of AMPA receptor GluR2 subunit.

The AMPA type of glutamate receptors (AMPARs)-mediated excitotoxicity is involved in the secondary neuronal death following traumatic brain injury (TBI). But the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the role of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) in GluR2-lacking AMPARs mediated neuronal death was investigated through an in vitro stretch injury model of neurons.

A novel COL7A1 gene mutation causing pretibial epidermolysis bullosa: report of a Chinese family with intra-familial phenotypical diversity.

Pretibial epidermolysis bullosa (PEB) is an extremely rare subtype of dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB) caused by mutation of the COL7A1 gene. More than 730 mutations have been identified in patients with DDEB, but only five mutations have been found to be related to PEB. In this study, a novel heterozygous nucleotide G>T transition at position 6101 in exon 73 of COL7A1 was detected, which resulted in a glycine to valine substitution (G2034V) in the triple-helical domain of type-VII collagen.

The effects of different phenotype astrocytes on neural stem cells differentiation in co-culture.

Astrocytes were reported to show neuroprotective effects on neurons, but there was no direct evidence for a functional relationship between astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSCs). In this experiments, we examined neuronal differentiation of NSCs induced by protoplasmic and fibrous astrocytes in a co-culture model respectively. Two types of astrocytes and NSCs were isolated from E13 to 15 cortex of rats.

The use of a gold nanoparticle-based adjuvant to improve the therapeutic efficacy of hNgR-Fc protein immunization in spinal cord-injured rats.

As a common receptor for three myelin associated inhibitors, Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) mediates their inhibitory activities on neurite outgrowth in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Therapeutic vaccination protocol targeting NgR emulsified with Freund's adjuvant (FA) has been used in spinal cord injury (SCI) models. However, the vaccine emulsified with FA may induce some side effects, which are not suitable for further clinical application.

[Experimental study of electrophysiologic effects of regenerative nerve fibres affected by control releasing FK506].

Objective: To discuss the electrophysiologic effects of regenerative nerve fibres affected by control releasing of FK506.

Methods: From Mar. to Sep.

[A clinical analysis of fetal chromosomal aberration induced by paint and hair dye].

Objective: To analyze the effect of long-term exposure to paint or hair dye on chromosomal aberration of early embryos.

Methods: We analyzed 2 cases of fetal or infantile chromosome aberration in which the parents experienced long-term exposure to paint and hair dye.

Result: The chromosomal mutations were detected in one 3-month-old infant and one 21-week-old fetus, and the karyotypes were 46,XX,del(2)(pter'q31) and 46,XX, t(4;12;15), respectively.

[Determination and identification of synthetic food colors based on fluorescence spectroscopy and radial basis function neural networks].

Taking ponceau 4R and amaranth as an example, concentration prediction and kind identification of synthetic food colors by fluorescence spectroscopy and radial basis function neural networks are introduced. By using SP-2558 multifunctional spectral measuring system, the fluorescence spectra were measured for solution of ponceau 4R and amaranth excited respectively by the light with the wavelength of 300 and 400 nm. For each sample solution of ponceau 4R, 15 emission wavelength values were selected.

Disrupted topography of the acquired trace-conditioned eyeblink responses in guinea pigs after suppression of cerebellar cortical inhibition to the interpositus nucleus.

Trace conditioning of the eyeblink reflex, a form of associative motor learning in which presentations of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US) are separated in time by a silent trace interval, requires intact forebrain structures such as the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Recently, increased learning-related activities have also been observed in specific cerebellar cortical area such as the lobule of HVI during this conditioning task. To date, however, it remains controversial how the cerebellar cortex contributes to trace eyeblink conditioning.

[Analysis of Down syndrome screening by maternal serum detection in mid-pregnancy].

Objective: To study the clinical value of screening chromosomal diseases and abnormal pregnancy by maternal serum examination in mid-pregnancy.

Methods: Maternal serum AFP and F-beta hCG were detected in the mid-pregnancy (16-20 weeks) using commercially available detection kits, and the risk of Down syndrome was calculated taking into account of such factors as the maternal age, gestational age, and body weight. Those at high risk underwent amino fluid or cordocentesis for fetal karyotpying.

[Quantitative determination of melamine by fluorescence spectroscopy and radial basis function neural networks].

Based on the experimental study, it was found that melamine solution excited by UV light can generate a strong fluorescence. The fluorescence spectrum is within a range from 310 to 600 nm, the peak wavelength of the fluorescence is about 420 nm, and the relationship between fluorescence intensity and melamine solution concentration is nonlinear. A method for the determination of melamine solution concentration was presented, which was based on fluorescence spectroscopy and radial basis function neural networks.

[Fluorescence spectroscopy study of synthetic food colors].

According to the characteristic of synthetic food colors molecule and the relationship between fluorescence and molecular structure, and through analyzing, it has been concluded that synthetic food colors is fluorescent material. By using SP-2558 multifunctional spectral measuring system, the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra of ponceau 4R, amaranth, tartrazine, sunset yellow and brilliant blue were measured. The results show that ponceau 4R excited by light at the wavelength of 330-430 nm can generate a strong fluorescence at the 621 nm peak wavelength with its best excitation wavelength being 376 nm, amaranth excited by light at the wavelength of 300-440 nm can generate a strong fluorescence at the 643 nm peak wavelength with its best excitation wavelength being 370 nm, tartrazine excited by light at the wavelength of 280-380 nm can generate a strong fluorescence at the 565 nm peak wavelength with its best excitation wavelength being 315 nm, sunset yellow excited by light with wavelength of 310-410 nm can generate a strong fluorescence at the 592 nm peak wavelength with its best excitation wavelength being 348 nm, and brilliant blue excited by light at the wavelength of 320-390 nm can generate a strong fluorescence at the 456 nm peak wavelength with its best excitation wavelength being 350 nm.

[Changes of peripheral blood chromosomal centromere aberration in patients with cytomegalovirus infection after anti-viral treatment].

Objective: To study the changes of peripheral blood chromosomal centromere aberration in patents with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after anti-viral treatment.

Methods: Sixty-two patients with early spontaneous abortion and CMV infection analyzed for their peripheral blood chromosomal centromere using simultaneous silver staining before and after anti-viral treatment.

Results: The patients with CMV infection had high rate of centromere aberration, which was decreased significantly after anti-viral treatment (P<0.