Publications by authors named "Yanji Cui"
Effective teacher discourse is critical in improving English as a foreign language (EFL) education, particularly in junior high schools in China, where students are at a crucial stage in their language development. As junior high school students are at a pivotal developmental stage, this research investigates the discourse patterns employed by novice and expert teachers to assess their impact on students' engagement and language acquisition. Despite the extensive research on teacher discourse in higher education, a significant gap remains regarding its application in compulsory primary education settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlutamate toxicity-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal cell death are involved in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases as well as acute brain ischemia/stroke. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective mechanism of dieckol (DEK), one of the phlorotannins isolated from the marine brown alga , against glutamate toxicity. Primary cortical neurons (100 µM, 24 h) and HT22 neurons (5 mM, 12 h) were stimulated with glutamate to induce glutamate toxic condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondrial calcium overload is a crucial event in determining the fate of neuronal cell survival and death, implicated in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. One of the driving forces of calcium influx into mitochondria is mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨ). Therefore, pharmacological manipulation of ΔΨ can be a promising strategy to prevent neuronal cell death against brain insults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Excessive activation of microglia, which leads to neuroinflammation, contributes to synaptic loss and neuron death, playing a role in neurodegenerative diseases, prompting the exploration of therapeutic strategies that target microglial activation.
- The study investigates dieckol (DEK), a compound from the brown alga Ecklonia cava, and its effects on microglial activation through specific molecular pathways, aiming to clarify its neuroprotective mechanisms.
- Results show that DEK effectively reduces the activation of signaling pathways (ERK, Akt, and NADPH oxidase) involved in microglial function, ultimately protecting neurons from cell death caused by neurotoxic substances released by activated microglia.
Article Synopsis
- Aromatherapy massage is used for stress management and therapeutic purposes in cancer patients, but its biological effects are not well understood.
- A study involved 13 females receiving aromatherapy massage and a control group, focusing on psychological assessments and neurobiological indicators.
- Results showed that aromatherapy massage improved psychological scores, increased plasma BDNF levels, changed brain wave patterns, and reduced salivary cortisol levels, indicating its significant impact on mental and biological health.
Neuroprotective effect of methyl lucidone against microglia-mediated neurotoxicity.
Eur J Pharmacol
September 2012
Excessive microglial activation-mediated neurotoxicity has been implicated in playing a crucial role in the pathogenesis of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, much attention has been paid to therapeutic strategies aimed at suppressing neurotoxic microglial activation. The microglial regulatory mechanism of methyl lucidone, a cyclopentenedione isolated from the stem bark of Lindera erythrocarpa Makino, was investigated in the present study.
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- Mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψm ) influences calcium entry into mitochondria, and even slight depolarization can prevent calcium overload and apoptosis, highlighting a protective mechanism.
- The study found that ethanolic peel extract from Citrus sunki (CPE) induces mild mitochondrial depolarization and enhances neuronal viability in H2 O2-treated cells, primarily due to active compounds like nobiletin and tangeretin.
- CPE treatment also inhibits H2 O2-induced apoptosis markers and blocks mitochondrial calcium overload, indicating its potential as a neuroprotective agent.
A growing body of evidence suggests that nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3',4'-hexamethoxy flavone) from the peel of citrus fruits, enhances the damaged cognitive function in disease animal models. However, the neuroprotective mechanism has not been clearly elucidated. Since nobiletin has shown anti-inflammatory effects in several tissues, we investigated whether nobiletin suppresses excessive microglial activation implicated in neurotoxicity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglia cell culture models.
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