Dynamics of microRNA-mediated motifs

In the past, most research on gene regulation has focused on transcriptional regulation and post-translational regulation. Recently, the post-transcriptional regulation by small non-coding RNAs has drawn much attention. This mode of regulation was found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, the authors integrate transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation into four different kinds of microRNA-mediated motifs and investigate the mechanism of microRNAs regulation from the viewpoints of dynamics. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that all the four motifs exhibit strong robustness to external and stochastic perturbations.

Transplantation of embryonic small hepatocytes induces regeneration of injured liver in adult rat

Small hepatocytes as hepatic stem cells or progenitors may be transplanted to treat several end-stage liver diseases. To identify the characteristics of epithelial cells enriched from fetal liver, we used immunocytochemistry and electron micrography. All cells in the colonies were immunocytochemically positive for alpha fetoprotein and cytokeratins (CK) 7, CK8, and CK18, which are markers of hepatic progenitor. Under transmission electron microscopy, we observed the cultured cells to show naive characteristics of stem cells and to be significantly distinct from mature hepatocytes. To identity whether these small hepatocytes were able to proliferate and differentiate into mature hepatocytes, we cultured them in vitro, and, through the portal vein, and transplanted elements whose membrane were stained with red fluorescence using PKH26 linker dye, into the livers of CCl(4)-treated rats that had been subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy. Significant liver regeneration was observed 30 days later in rats that did or did not receive the cells. The livers of hepatocytes recipients showed sharper edges and smoother surfaces than the control group. Diffused cells labeled with red fluorescence were observed in the portal area, with branch-like red fluorescence in regions near portal areas of some lobules, suggesting that these elements were involved in the repair of liver lobules and differentiation into mature hepatocytes. Our results revealed that small hepatocytes not only have characteristics of hepatic stem cells, but also may be a source of cellular transplantation to treat liver diseases.

Synphilin-1 exhibits trophic and protective effects against Rotenone toxicity

Synphilin-1 is a cytoplasmic protein with unclear function. Synphilin-1 has been identified as an interaction partner of alpha-synuclein. The interaction between synphilin-1 and alpha-synuclein has implications in Parkinson's disease. In this study, we stably overexpressed human synphilin-1 in mouse N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. We found that overexpression of synphilin-1 shortened cell growth doubling time and increased neurite outgrowth. Knockdown of endogenous synphilin-1 caused neuronal toxicity and shortened neurite outgrowth. We further found that synphilin-1 increased activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and mediated neurite outgrowth. Rotenone, mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, has been shown previously to induce dopaminergic neurodegeneration and Parkinsonism in rats and Drosophila. We found that Rotenone induced apoptotic cell death in N1E-115 cells via caspase-3 activation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Overexpression of synphilin-1 significantly reduced Rotenone-induced cell death, caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. The results indicate that synphilin-1 displays trophic and protective effects in vitro, suggesting that synphilin-1 may play a protective role in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis and may lead to a potential therapeutic target for PD intervention.

Search for the standard model higgs Boson in the ZH-->nunubb channel in 5.2 fb{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV

A search is performed for the standard model Higgs boson in 5.2 fb{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV, collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The final state considered is a pair of b jets and large missing transverse energy, as expected from pp-->ZH-->nunubb production. The search is also sensitive to the WH-->lnubb channel when the charged lepton is not identified. For a Higgs boson mass of 115 GeV, a limit is set at the 95% C.L. on the cross section multiplied by branching fraction for [pp-->(Z/W)H](H-->bb) that is a factor of 3.7 larger than the standard model value, consistent with the factor of 4.6 expected.

Search for a resonance decaying into WZ boson pairs in pp collisions

We present the first search for an electrically charged resonance W' decaying to a WZ boson pair using 4.1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp collider. The WZ pairs are reconstructed through their decays into three charged leptons (l=e, mu). A total of 9 data events is observed in good agreement with the background prediction. We set 95% C.L. limits on the W'WZ coupling and on the W' production cross section multiplied by the branching fractions. We also exclude W' masses between 188 and 520 GeV within a simple extension of the standard model and set the most restrictive limits to date on low-scale technicolor models.

Search for Higgs boson production in dilepton and missing energy final states with 5.4 fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is presented using events with two charged leptons and large missing transverse energy selected from 5.4 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity in pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. No significant excess of events above background predictions is found, and observed (expected) upper limits at 95% confidence level on the rate of Higgs boson production are derived that are a factor of 1.55 (1.36) above the predicted standard model cross section at m(H) = 165 GeV.

Combination of Tevatron searches for the standard model Higgs boson in the W+W- decay mode

We combine searches by the CDF and D0 Collaborations for a Higgs boson decaying to W+W-. The data correspond to an integrated total luminosity of 4.8 (CDF) and 5.4 (D0) fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. No excess is observed above background expectation, and resulting limits on Higgs boson production exclude a standard model Higgs boson in the mass range 162-166 GeV at the 95% C.L.

The clinical study of repairing cauda equina fibres with fibrin glue after lumbar fracture and dislocation

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES

To study the outcome of repair of cauda equina fibres with fibrin glue after lumbar fracture and/or dislocation.

METHODS

Seven acute cases and one chronic case of L2 or L3 fracture and/or dislocation complicated with complete cauda equina injury were selected. Sural nerve or ventral roots of injured cauda equina were chosen to repair the motor cauda equina fibres with fibrin glue after open reduction and internal fixation of the unstable vertebrae. The functional recovery after surgery was observed.

RESULTS

Recovery of the strength of thigh muscles (iliopsoas, quadriceps femoris, gluteus maximus, adductors) was observed in all seven acutely injured patients (t=3.74, P<0.05), but not in the chronic one. Neither recovery of leg muscles nor sensation of the lower extremities was observed in any case.

CONCLUSIONS

The cauda equina ventral roots injured after lumbar fracture and/or dislocation can be repaired with fibrin glue and motor recovery is expected.

Radiation dose to the lens using different temporal bone CT scanning protocols

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Temporal bone CT is performed frequently in clinical practice. At the same time, the eye lens are exposed to ionizing radiation without any useful diagnostic information delivered. Our aim was to investigate the radiation dose to the lens of the eye by using temporal bone CT scanning with different protocols.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Direct axial and coronal CT by using a conventional sequential scanning mode (140 kV, 220 mAs/section, 1.25-mm thickness, 1.25-mm increment, 16 x 0.625 mm collimation, the glabellomeatal line as a scanning baseline), a routine helical scanning mode (140 kV, 220 mAs/section, 0.315 pitch, 0.67-mm thickness, 0.33-mm increment, 16 x 0.625 collimation, the orbitomeatal line as a scanning baseline), and a modified helical scanning mode (acanthiomeatal line as a scanning baseline; other parameters, same as above) was performed on an exsomatized cadaveric head. CTDI(vol) and DLP were recorded for each scanning mode, and effective doses were calculated. Organ doses for the lens were measured with TLDs.

RESULTS

When the sequential scanning mode was used, the gross effective dose was 1.21 mSv and the organ dose to the lens was 50.96 and 1.73 mGy, respectively, for direct axial and coronal imaging. The effective dose was 0.803 mSv in routine helical scanning, while the lens dose was 40.17 mGy. With the modified helical scanning mode, the effective dose was as same as that for the routine helical scanning, but the lens dose was reduced significantly to 10.33 mGy.

CONCLUSIONS

The effective doses resulting from sequential axial and coronal scanning were 1.51 times higher than the dose from helical scanning, and the lens dose was 1.31 times higher. With the modified helical scanning mode, thinner section images could be used to reformat axial, coronal, and sagittal images with a further 74.3% reduction in lens dose beyond that achieved with the conventional helical protocol.

Pharmacological characterization of cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids in relation to imidacloprid binding sites in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

Neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid, are selective agonists of the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and extensively used in areas of crop protection and animal health to control a variety of insect pest species. Here we describe that two cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids (IPPA152002 and IPPA152004), recently synthesized in our laboratory, discriminated between the high and low affinity imidacloprid binding sites in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, a major insect pest of rice crops in many parts of Asia. [(3)H]imidacloprid has two binding sites with different affinities (Kd value of 0.0035 +/- 0.0006 nM for the high-affinity site and 1.47 +/- 0.22 nM for the low-affinity site). Although the cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids showed low displacement ability (Ki values of 0.15 +/- 0.03 microM and 0.42 +/- 0.07 microM for IPPA152002 and IPPA152004, respectively) against [(3)H]imidacloprid binding, low concentrations (0.01 microM) of IPPA152002 completely inhibited [(3)H]imidacloprid binding at its high-affinity site. In Xenopus oocytes co-injected with cRNA encoding Nlalpha1 and rat beta2 subunits, obvious inward currents were detected in response to applications of IPPA152002 and IPPA152004, although the agonist potency is reduced to that of imidacloprid. The previously identified Y151S mutation in Nlalpha1 showed significant effects on the agonist potency of IPPA152002 and IPPA152004, such as a 75.8% and 70.6% reduction in Imax, and a 2.4- and 2.1-fold increase in EC(50). This data clearly shows that the two newly described cis-nitromethylene neonicotinoids act on insect nAChRs and like imidacloprid, discriminated between high and low affinity binding sites in N. lugens native nAChRs. These compounds may be useful tools to further elucidate the pharmacology and nature of neonicotinoid binding sites.