Optical and magneto-optical anisotropies in large-area two-dimensional Co antidots film

In this work, we investigate the plasmon-induced optical and magneto-optical anisotropies in the large-area square-ordered Co antidots film. It shows that both the outline of reflectivity spectrum and Kerr spectrum are significantly modified by surface plasmon polarition (SPP) resonances. Moreover, the magnitude of Kerr angle reaches to about 10 minutes at the azimuthal angle 45°, which is over 3 times of that of pure Co film. These phenomena are attributed to the SPP resonances with different diffraction orders of reciprocal lattice vectors.

Development of frequency modulated continuous wave reflectometer for electron density profile measurement on the HL-2A tokamak

The frequency modulated continuous wave reflectometer was developed for the first time on the HL-2A tokamak. The system utilizes a voltage controlled oscillator and an active multiplier for broadband coverage and detects as heterodyne mode. Three reflectometers have been installed and operated in extraordinary mode polarization on HL-2A to measure density profiles at low field side, covering the Q-band (33-50 GHz), V-band (50-75 GHz), and W-band (75-110 GHz). For density profile reconstruction from the phase shift of the probing wave, a corrected phase unwrapping method is introduced in this article. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated. The density profile behavior of a fast plasma event is presented and it demonstrates the capability of the reflectometer. These diagnostics will be contributed to the routine density profile measurements and the plasma physics study on HL-2A.

Effects of strontium impurity on the structure and dynamics of Al88Si12 liquid

The effects of strontium modification on the structure and dynamics of Al88Si12 liquid are studied by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. By replacing 0.5% and 4.0% of Al with Sr, we show that the addition of Sr lowers the self-diffusion of Al and Si of the liquid and reduces the nearest-neighbor correlation between Si atoms. The simulation provides an explanation for the change in morphology of the eutectic phases observed in rapidly solidified Al-Si alloys modified with Sr.

Common genetic variation near the connexin-43 gene is associated with resting heart rate in African Americans: a genome-wide association study of 13,372 participants

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies have identified several genetic loci associated with variation in resting heart rate in European and Asian populations. No study has evaluated genetic variants associated with heart rate in African Americans.

OBJECTIVE

To identify novel genetic variants associated with resting heart rate in African Americans.

METHODS

Ten cohort studies participating in the Candidate-gene Association Resource and Continental Origins and Genetic Epidemiology Network consortia performed genome-wide genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imputed 2,954,965 SNPs using HapMap YRI and CEU panels in 13,372 participants of African ancestry. Each study measured the RR interval (ms) from 10-second resting 12-lead electrocardiograms and estimated RR-SNP associations using covariate-adjusted linear regression. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to combine cohort-specific measures of association and identify genome-wide significant loci (P≤2.5×10(-8)).

RESULTS

Fourteen SNPs on chromosome 6q22 exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold. The most significant association was for rs9320841 (+13 ms per minor allele; P = 4.98×10(-15)). This SNP was approximately 350 kb downstream of GJA1, a locus previously identified as harboring SNPs associated with heart rate in Europeans. Adjustment for rs9320841 also attenuated the association between the remaining 13 SNPs in this region and heart rate. In addition, SNPs in MYH6, which have been identified in European genome-wide association study, were associated with similar changes in the resting heart rate as this population of African Americans.

CONCLUSIONS

An intergenic region downstream of GJA1 (the gene encoding connexin 43, the major protein of the human myocardial gap junction) and an intragenic region within MYH6 are associated with variation in resting heart rate in African Americans as well as in populations of European and Asian origin.

In silico study of Aquaporin V: Effects and affinity of the central pore-occluding lipid

Because of its roles in human physiology, Aquaporin V (AQP5), a major intrinsic protein, has been a subject of many in vitro studies. In particular, a 2008 experiment produced its crystal structure at 2.0Å resolution, which is in a tetrameric conformation consisting of four protomers. Each protomer forms an amphipathic pore that is fit for water permeation. The tetramer has a pore along its quasi-symmetry axis formed by quadruplets of hydrophobic residues (every protomer contributes equally to the quadruplets). A lipid, phosphatidylserine (PS6), is bound to AQP5 in the central pore, totally occluding it. A 2009 experiment showed that AQP5 facilitates not only permeation of water but also permeation of hydrophobic gas molecules across the cell membrane. In this article, we present an in silico study of AQP5 to elucidate the effects of PS6's binding to and dissociating from AQP5's central pore. Computing the lipid's chemical-potential along its dissociation path, we find that PS6 inhibits the function of the central pore with an IC(50) in the micromolar range. Examining the central pore and the interstices between two adjacent protomers, we propose that nonpolar gas molecules (O(2)) permeate through AQP5's hydrophobic central pore when un-occluded.

Atomic-scale mechanisms of the glass-forming ability in metallic glasses

The issue, composition dependence of glass-forming ability (GFA) in metallic glasses (MG), has been investigated by systematic experimental measurements coupled with theoretical calculations in Cu-Zr and Ni-Nb alloy systems. It is found that the atomic-level packing efficiency strongly relates to their GFA. The best GFA is located at the largest difference in the packing efficiency of the solute-centered clusters between the glassy and crystal alloys in both MG systems. This work provides an understanding of GFA from atomic level and will shed light on the development of new MGs with larger critical sizes.

Newly evolved introns in human retrogenes provide novel insights into their evolutionary roles

BACKGROUND

Retrogenes generally do not contain introns. However, in some instances, retrogenes may recruit internal exonic sequences as introns, which is known as intronization. A retrogene that undergoes intronization is a good model with which to investigate the origin of introns. Nevertheless, previously, only two cases in vertebrates have been reported.

RESULTS

In this study, we systematically screened the human (Homo sapiens) genome for retrogenes that evolved introns and analyzed their patterns in structure, expression and origin. In total, we identified nine intron-containing retrogenes. Alignment of pairs of retrogenes and their parents indicated that, in addition to intronization (five cases), retrogenes also may have gained introns by insertion of external sequences into the genes (one case) or reversal of the orientation of transcription (three cases). Interestingly, many intronizations were promoted not by base substitutions but by cryptic splice sites, which were silent in the parental genes but active in the retrogenes. We also observed that the majority of introns generated by intronization did not involve frameshifts.

CONCLUSIONS

Intron gains in retrogenes are not as rare as previously thought. Furthermore, diverse mechanisms may lead to intron creation in retrogenes. The activation of cryptic splice sites in the intronization of retrogenes may be triggered by the change of gene structure after retroposition. A high percentage of non-frameshift introns in retrogenes may be because non-frameshift introns do not dramatically affect host proteins. Introns generated by intronization in human retrogenes are generally young, which is consistent with previous findings for Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results provide novel insights into the evolutionary role of introns.

Theoretical study and pathways for nanoparticle capture during solidification of metal melt

Nanocomposites can provide exciting physical, chemical, and mechanical properties for numerous applications. The solidification processing method has great potential for economical fabrication of bulk nanocomposites, especially for those with crystalline materials as the matrix, such as metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs). However, it is extremely difficult to effectively capture nanoparticles (less than 100 nm) into the solidification fronts during solidification. It is thus very important to initiate a theoretical study to examine the physics that governs the interactions between nanoparticles and the solidification front, and to provide enabling pathways for effective nanoparticle capture during solidification. The aim of this paper is to establish a theoretical framework for the fundamental understanding of nanoparticle capture during solidification of metal melt in order to obtain bulk MMNCs. A thermodynamically favorable condition is set as the starting point for further theoretical analysis of the three-party model system, namely a nanoparticle-metal-melt-solidification front. Three key interaction potentials, the interfacial energy at short range (0.2-0.4 nm), the van der Waals potential (especially at a longer range beyond 0.4 nm and up to ∼10 nm) and the Brownian potential, were studied. Three possible pathways for nanoparticle capture were thus devised: viscous capture, Brownian capture and spontaneous capture. Spontaneous capture is proposed as the most favorable for nanoparticle capture during solidification of metal melt. The theoretical model of nanoparticle capture from this study will serve as a powerful tool for future experimental studies to realize exciting functionalities offered by bulk MMNCs.

Novel brain targeting prodrugs of naproxen based on dimethylamino group with various linkages

As a preventive and treatment drug for Alzheimer's disease (AD), naproxen's clinical application is hampered by its limited distribution in the brain. To increase the delivery of naproxen across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), 3 prodrugs (P1, P2 and P3) of naproxen were synthesized through either ester bond or amido bond using the dimethylamino moiety as a brain-targeting ligand. The in vitro release of naproxen from the 3 prodrugs was studied in PBS, rat plasma and brain homogenate. P3 with an amido bond appeared to be highly stable in all incubation media, whereas P1 and P2 with ester bonds were partially hydrolyzed in alkaline environment and brain homogenate to yield the parent drug. After i. v. administration to rats, the brain concentration of total naproxen (summation of released and bound naproxen, TN) of P1, P2 and P3 groups were 28.81, 24.51 and 15.54 times greater than that of the control naproxen group at 5 min, respectively, and the brain AUC0-t were 6.94, 10.06 and 6.70 times greater than that of the control naproxen group. In addition, the Cmax of TN in the brain after the administration of prodrugs with ester bonds (P1 and P2) was higher than that of the amide prodrug (P3). The results highlighted the possibility of brain delivery of naproxen using prodrug strategies based on the brain-targeting ligand with dimethylamino moiety, in which the linkage between drug and targeting group might play an important role in modulating the in vivo behaviors of these prodrugs.

Cooperative and redundant signaling of leukotriene B4 and leukotriene D4 in human monocytes

BACKGROUND

Leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) and cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) are important immune mediators, often found concomitantly at sites of inflammation. Although some of the leukotriene-mediated actions are distinctive (e.g., bronchial constriction for cysLTs), many activities such as leukocyte recruitment to tissues and amplification of inflammatory responses are shared by both classes of leukotrienes.

OBJECTIVE

We used human monocytes to characterize leukotriene-specific signaling, gene expression signatures, and functions and to identify interactions between LTB(4)- and cysLTs-induced pathways.

METHODS

Responsiveness to leukotrienes was assessed using oligonucleotide microarrays, real-time PCR, calcium mobilization, kinase activation, and chemotaxis assays.

RESULTS

Human monocytes were found to express mRNA for high- and low-affinity LTB(4) receptors, BLT(1) and BLT(2), but signal predominantly through BLT(1) in response to LTB(4) stimulation as shown using selective agonists, inhibitors, and gene knock down experiments. LTB(4) acting through BLT(1) coupled to G-protein α inhibitory subunit activated calcium signaling, p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase, gene expression, and chemotaxis. Twenty-seven genes, including immediate early genes (IEG), transcription factors, cytokines, and membrane receptors were significantly up-regulated by LTB(4). LTB(4) and LTD(4) had similar effects on signaling, gene expression, and chemotaxis indicating redundant cell activation pathways but costimulation with both lipid mediators was additive for many monocyte functions.

CONCLUSION

Leukotriene B(4) and LTD(4) display both redundant and cooperative effects on intracellular signaling, gene expression, and chemotaxis in human monocytes. These findings suggest that therapies targeting either leukotriene alone may be less effective than approaches directed at both.

Insights into scFv:drug binding using the molecular dynamics simulation and free energy calculation

Molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculation have been performed to study how the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) binds methamphetamine (METH) and amphetamine (AMP). The structures of the scFv:METH and the scFv:AMP complexes are analyzed by examining the time-dependence of their RMSDs, by analyzing the distance between some key atoms of the selected residues, and by comparing the averaged structures with their corresponding crystallographic structures. It is observed that binding an AMP to the scFv does not cause significant changes to the binding pocket of the scFv:ligand complex. The binding free energy of scFv:AMP without introducing an extra water into the binding pocket is much stronger than scFv:METH. This is against the first of the two scenarios postulated in the experimental work of Celikel et al. (Protein Science 18, 2336 (2009)). However, adding a water to the AMP (at the position of the methyl group of METH), the binding free energy of the scFv:AMP-H2O complex, is found to be significantly weaker than scFv:METH. This is consistent with the second of the two scenarios given by Celikel et al. Decomposition of the binding energy into ligand-residue pair interactions shows that two residues (Tyr175 and Tyr177) have nearly-zero interactions with AMP in the scFv:AMP-H2O complex, whereas their interactions with METH in the scFv:METH complex are as large as -0.8 and -0.74 kcal mol(-1). The insights gained from this study may be helpful in designing more potent antibodies in treating METH abuse.

Diffusion in periodic potentials with path integral hyperdynamics

We consider the diffusion of brownian particles in one-dimensional periodic potentials as a test bench for the recently proposed stochastic path integral hyperdynamics (PIHD) scheme [Chen and Horing, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 224103 (2007)]. First, we consider the case where PIHD is used to enhance the transition rate of activated rare events. To this end, we study the diffusion of a single brownian particle moving in a spatially periodic potential in the high-friction limit at low temperature. We demonstrate that the boost factor as compared to straight molecular dynamics (MD) has nontrivial behavior as a function of the bias force. Instead of growing monotonically with the bias, the boost attains an optimal maximum value due to increased error in the finite path sampling induced by the bias. We also observe that the PIHD method can be sensitive to the choice of numerical integration algorithm. As the second case, we consider parallel resampling of multiple bias force values in the case of a brownian particle in a periodic potential subject to an external ac driving force. We confirm that there is no stochastic resonance in this system. However, while the PIHD method allows one to obtain data for multiple values of the ac bias, the boost with respect to MD remains modest due to the simplicity of the equation of motion in this case.

Exploring the free-energy landscapes of biological systems with steered molecular dynamics

We perform steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations and use the Brownian dynamics fluctuation-dissipation-theorem (BD-FDT) to accurately compute the free-energy profiles for several biophysical processes of fundamental importance: hydration of methane and cations, binding of benzene to T4-lysozyme L99A mutant, and permeation of water through aquaglyceroporin. For each system, the center-of-mass of the small molecule (methane, ion, benzene, and water, respectively) is steered (pulled) at a given speed over a period of time, during which the system transitions from one macroscopic state/conformation (State A) to another one (State B). The mechanical work of pulling the system is measured during the process, sampling a forward pulling path. Then the reverse pulling is conducted to sample a reverse path from B back to A. Sampling a small number of forward and reverse paths, we are able to accurately compute the free-energy profiles for all the afore-listed systems that represent various important aspects of biological physics. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data and/or other computational studies available in the literature.

Major stress hormones suppress the response of macrophages through down-regulation of TLR2 and TLR4

BACKGROUND

Severe trauma often leads to diminished cytokines especially from macrophages to Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. However, the molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. As surgical trauma could also induce neuroendocrine hormones to modulate the immune system, we investigated the effects of major hormones, including endogenous glucocorticoid (corticosterone (CORT)), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) on the expression and response of TLR2 and TLR4 in macrophages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rat macrophages were pretreated by each hormone (1000 ng/mL of CORT, E, and NE) for 24 h, then restimulated with Pam3CSK4 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for further 24 h, and supernatant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was measured. Additionally, macrophages were incubated with different concentrations of hormones (0-10,000 ng/mL) for 48 h or with 1000 ng/mL of hormones for 0-48 h, the expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 and intracellular molecules (MyD88, IRAK1, and TRAF6) in macrophages were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULTS

Pam3CSK4-stimulated TNF-α production was significantly reduced from macrophages pretreated with CORT, and both Pam3CSK4- and LPS-stimulated TNF-α were suppressed with E. Moreover, CORT down-regulated only TLR2 expression in both time- and dose-dependent manner, but both TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA expressions were down-regulated in time- and dose-dependent manner after exposure to E. However, the transcript expression of MyD88, IRAK1, and TRAF6 remained unchanged after exposure to each hormone.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that the down-regulation of TLR2 and TLR4 expressions by CORT and E is involved in the hyporesponsiveness of macrophages.

In silico experiments of single-chain antibody fragment against drugs of abuse

Three sets of in silico experiments have been conducted to elucidate the binding mechanics of two drugs, (+)-methamphetamine (METH) and amphetamine (AMP) to the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) recently engineered from anti-METH monoclonal antibody mAb6H4 (IgG, κlight chain, K(d)=11nM). The first set of in silico experiments are long time equilibration runs of scFv:drug complexes and of drug-free scFv both in the solution. They demonstrate how the solution structures of scFv deviate from its crystallographic form with or without drug molecules bound to it. They lead to the prediction that the Arrhenius activation barrier is nearly zero for transitions from the dissociated state to the bound state. The second set of in silico experiments are nonequilibrium dynamics of pulling the drug molecules out of the binding pocket of scFv and the equilibration runs for drugs to fall back into the binding pocket. They demonstrate that extra water molecules (in addition to the two crystallographic waters) exist inside the binding pocket, underneath the drug molecules. These extra waters must have been evaporated from the binding pockets during the crystallization process of the in vitro experiments of structural determination. The third set of in silico experiments are nonequilibrium steered molecular dynamics simulations to determine the absolute binding free energies of METH and AMP to scFv. The center of mass of a drug molecule (METH or AMP) is steered (pulled) towards (forward) and away from (reverse) the binding site, sampling forward and reverse pulling paths. Mechanic work is measured along the pulling paths. The work measurements are averaged through the Brownian dynamics fluctuation dissipation theorem to produce the free-energy profiles of the scFv:drug complexes as a function of the drug-scFv separation. These experiments lead to the theoretical prediction of absolute binding energies of METH and AMP that are in agreement with the in vitro experimental results.

Burst expansion, distribution and diversification of MITEs in the silkworm genome

Background

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are widespread in plants and animals. Although silkworm (Bombyx mori) has a large amount of and a variety of transposable elements, the genome-wide information of the silkworm MITEs is unknown.

Results

We used structure-based and homology approaches to search for MITEs in the silkworm genome. We identified 17 MITE families with a total of 5785 members, accounting for ~0.4% of the genome. 7 of 17 MITE families are completely novel based on the nucleotide composition of target site duplication (TSD) and/or terminal inverted repeats (TIR). Silkworm MITEs were widely and nonrandom distributed in the genome. One family named BmMITE-2 might experience a recent burst expansion. Network and diversity analyses for each family revealed different diversification patterns of the silkworm MITEs, reflecting the signatures of genome-shocks that silkworm experienced. Most silkworm MITEs preferentially inserted into or near genes and BmMITE-11 that encodes a germline-restricted small RNA might silence its the closest genes in silkworm ovary through a small RNA pathway.

Conclusions

Silkworm harbors 17 MITE families. The silkworm MITEs preferred to reside in or near genes and one MITE might be involved in gene silence. Our results emphasize the exceptional role of MITEs in transcriptional regulation of genes and have general implications to understand interaction between MITEs and their host genome.

Chronic ethanol feeding impairs AMPK and MEF2 expression and is associated with GLUT4 decrease in rat myocardium

Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is one of the causes of heart diseases. However, the effects of ethanol on insulin sensitivity in myocardium has been unclear. To investigate the effects of ethanol on the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), all of which are involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity, in the myocardium, we performed three parts of experiments in vivo and in vitro. I: Rats were injected with 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR, 0.8 mg.kg(-l)) for 2 h. II: Rats received different dose (0.5, 2.5 or 5 g.kg(-l).d(-l)) of ethanol for 22-week. III: Primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were isolated and treated with or without 100 mM ethanol or 1 mM AICAR for 4 h. The cardiac protein and mRNA expression of AMPKalpha subunits, MEF2 and GLUT4 were observed by western-blotting and RT-PCR, respectively. Serum TNFalpha levels were assessed by ELISA. The results showed chronic ethanol exposure induced insulin resistance. Ethanol decreased the mRNA levels of AMPKalpha1 and alpha2, the protein levels of total- and phospho-AMPKalpha in cardiomyocytes. Similarly, ethanol showed inhibitory effects on both the mRNA and protein levels of MEF2A and 2D, and GLUT4 in a dose-response-like fashion. Correlation analysis implied an association between phospho-AMPKalpha and MEF2A or MEF2D, and between the levels of MEF2 protein and GLUT4 transcription. In addition, ethanol elevated serum TNFalpha level. Taken together, chronic ethanol exposure decreases the expression of AMPKalpha and MEF2, and is associated with GLUT4 decline in rat myocardium.

Determination of equilibrium free energy from nonequilibrium work measurements

The fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) of Brownian dynamics (BD) is applied to extract the equilibrium free-energy profile from the nonequilibrium, irreversible work measured in single-molecule pulling experiments. Two sets of in silico experiments are performed to explore the free-energy landscape of deca-alanine peptide as a function of its end-to-end distance and to determine the free-energy profile of water permeation through the channels of aquaglyceroporin GlpF. With a small number of pulling paths sampled, the BD-FDT is shown to produce accurate estimates of the free-energy profiles for both systems.

Differential alteration of heat shock protein 90 in mice modifies glucocorticoid receptor function and susceptibility to trauma

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), encoded by the murine hsp84 and hsp86 genes in mice, is a pivotal regulator of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and affords stress protection. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of strain susceptibility to traumatic stress, we investigated the alteration by Hsp90 of the function of the glucocorticoid-glucocorticoid receptor (GC-GR) pathway in attenuating stress responses in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice using the whole-body blast injury (WBBI) model. We found that C57BL/6 mice had a lower WBBI-induced mortality, higher nuclear GR level, and higher glucocorticoid-response element (GRE) binding activity than BALB/c mice. This study is the first report identifying four genetic variations of the murine hsp84 gene: 226A>C, 996G>C, 1483G>C, and 2000G>T. These nucleotide changes occur in the functional domains associated with the nuclear/cytosolic translocation of GR, GR-Hsp90 interaction, ATP binding, and self-dimerization of Hsp90, respectively. Further, we used a specific Hsp90 inhibitor, geldanamycin (GA), to assess the role of Hsp90 in the discriminative traumatic response in C57BL/6 mice. Pretreatment with GA reduced nuclear GR levels and GRE binding activity, and enhanced WBBI-induced mortality. These findings suggest that Hsp90 may underlie the strain-selective (C57BL/6 versus BALB/c) susceptibility to WBBI by mediating the nuclear translocation of GRs and GRE binding. Thus, pharmacological manipulation of Hsp90 may represent a therapeutic strategy to modify the function of the GC-GR pathway and traumatic stress response.

On the Crooks fluctuation theorem and the Jarzynski equality

The Jarzynski equality (JE) and the undergirding Crooks fluctuation theorem (CFT) have generated intense interest recently among researchers in physical and biological sciences. It has been held that the CFT has wider applicability than the JE. This note shows that the two are equally applicable and that their applicability is possibly limited to near-equilibrium processes, where the linear fluctuation-dissipation theorem holds.

Ampakines cause sustained increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling at excitatory synapses without changes in AMPA receptor subunit expression

Recent demonstrations that positive modulators of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (ampakines) increase neuronal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression have suggested a novel strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, reports that AMPA and BDNF receptors are down-regulated by prolonged activation raise concerns about the extent to which activity-induced increases in BDNF levels can be sustained without compromising glutamate receptor function. The present study constitutes an initial test of whether ampakines can cause enduring increases in BDNF content and signaling without affecting AMPA receptor (AMPAR) expression. Prolonged (12-24 h) treatment with the ampakine CX614 reduced AMPAR subunit (glutamate receptor subunit (GluR) 1-3) mRNA and protein levels in cultured rat hippocampal slices whereas treatment with AMPAR antagonists had the opposite effects. The cholinergic agonist carbachol also depressed GluR1-3 mRNA levels, suggesting that AMPAR down-regulation is a global response to extended periods of elevated neuronal activity. Analyses of time courses and thresholds indicated that BDNF expression is influenced by lower doses of, and shorter treatments with, the ampakine than is AMPAR expression. Accordingly, daily 3 h infusions of CX614 chronically elevated BDNF content with no effect on GluR1-3 concentrations. Restorative deconvolution microscopy provided the first evidence that chronic up-regulation of BDNF is accompanied by increased activation of the neurotrophin's TrkB-Fc receptor at spine synapses. These results show that changes in BDNF and AMPAR expression are dissociable and that up-regulation of the former leads to enhanced trophic signaling at excitatory synapses. These findings are encouraging with regard to the feasibility of using ampakines to tonically enhance BDNF-dependent functions in adult brain.

Nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem of Brownian dynamics

Studying the Brownian motion of a system driven by an external control from one macroscopic state to another macroscopic state, this paper presents the derivation of a nonlinear fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT). The new FDT relates the nonequilibrium work to the equilibrium free-energy difference in a very simple manner. It is valid wherever the Brownian dynamics is applicable. It recovers the well-known Crooks fluctuation theorem (CFT) within the quasiequilibrium regime where the dissipative work is nearly zero. It will also be shown that the CFT's fundamental assumption of microscopic reversibility is not obeyed in experiments such as mechanically unfolding biological molecules, in which the external driving forces depend on the system's coordinates.