Subjects: Biology >> Biophysics submitted time 2016-05-12
Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) changes in nonhuman primate after spinal cord injury (SCI) by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Three adult female rhesus monkeys underwent unilateral thoracic cord injury. A resting-state fMRI examination was performed in the healthy stage and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the injury. The ReHo value of each voxel in the monkey brain was calculated and compared between pre- and post-SCI monkeys with paired t test. The regions of interest (ROIs) in the significantly changed ReHo regions were set. The correlations between the ReHo change and the time after injury were also determined. Results: Compared with those in healthy period, the ReHo values of the left premotor cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in post-SCI rhesus monkeys significantly increased in 4-week follow-up examinations. The ReHo values of posterior cingulate cortex, left precuneus, left temporal parietooccipital area, and bilateral superior parietal lobules decreased at 8-week follow-up examinations. In 12-week follow-up examinations, the ReHo values of the left postcentral gyrus, right caudate nucleus, and superior temporal gyrus increased. Correlation analysis showed positive correlations between left ACC and the postoperative time. Conclusion: SCI can change the regional synchronism of brain activity in sensorimotor system and the default mode network. These findings may help us to understand the potential pathophysiological changes in the central nervous system after SCI. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2024-03-29 Cooperative journals: 《Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics》
Abstract: In gamma-ray burst prompt emission, there is still no consistent conclusion if the precursor and main burst share the same origin. In this paper, we try to study this issue based on the relationship between pulse width and energy of the precursor and main burst. We systematically search the light curve data observed by Swift/BAT and Fermi/GBM, and find 13 long bursts with well-structured precursors and main bursts. After fitting the precursor light curve of each different energy channel with the Norris function, we find that there is not only a power-law relationship between precursor width and energy, but also a power-law relationship between the ratio of the rising width to the decaying width and energy. By comparing the relationship between the precursors and the main burst pulses, we find that the distribution of the precursors and the relationship between the power-law indices are roughly the same as those of the main burst. In addition, it is found that the precursor width distribution as well as the upper limit of the pulse width ratio does not exceed 1 and both are asymmetric, which are also consistent with the main burst. These indicate that the precursor and the main burst are indistinguishable, and the precursor and the main burst may have the same physical origin.
Subjects: Nuclear Science and Technology >> Radiation Physics and Technology submitted time 2024-05-30
Abstract: DD4hep serves as a generic detector de Conversely, Filmbox~(FBX) stands out as a widely used 3D modeling file format within the 3D software industry. In this paper, we introduce a novel method that can automatically convert complex HEP detector geometries from DD4hep de The feasibility of this method was demonstrated by its application to the DD4hep de The automatic DD4hep--FBX detector conversion interface provides convenience for further development of applications, such as detector design, simulation, visualization, data monitoring, and outreach, in HEP experiments.
Subjects: Biology >> Biophysics submitted time 2016-05-11
Abstract: Class Ila histone deacetylases (HDACs), such as HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC7, provide critical mechanisms for regulating glucose homeostasis. Here we report that HDAC9, another class Ila HDAC, regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis via deacetylation of a Forkhead box 0 (FoxO) family transcription factor, FoxO1, together with HDAC3. Specifically, HDAC9 expression can be strongly induced upon hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCV-induced HDAC9 upregulation enhances gluconeogenesis by promoting the expression of gluconeogenic genes, including phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase, indicating a major role for HDAC9 in the development of HCV-associated exaggerated gluconeogenic responses. Moreover, HDAC9 expression levels and gluconeogenic activities were elevated in livers from HCV-infected patients and persistent HCV-infected mice, emphasizing the clinical relevance of these results. Our results suggest HDAC9 is involved in glucose metabolism, HCV-induced abnormal glucose homeostasis, and type 2 diabetes.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Biology >> Biophysics >> Cell Biology submitted time 2016-05-05
Abstract: Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a group of genetic disorders caused by mutations of XP-associated genes, resulting in impairment of DNA repair. XP patients frequently exhibit neurological degeneration, but the underlying mechanism is unknown, in part due to lack of proper disease models. Here, we generated patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) harboring mutations in five different XP genes including XPA, XPB, XPC, XPG, and XPV. These iPSCs were further differentiated to neural cells, and their susceptibility to DNA damage stress was investigated. Mutation of XPA in either neural stem cells (NSCs) or neurons resulted in severe DNA damage repair defects, and these neural cells with mutant XPA were hyper-sensitive to DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Thus, XP-mutant neural cells represent valuable tools to clarify the molecular mechanisms of neurological abnormalities in the XP patients.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review