Explore the vast range of titles available.

RationaleThe volatile anesthetic isoflurane is suggested to produce a rapid and robust antidepressive effect in preliminary clinical trials. Recently, isoflurane was found to activate the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling which is the underlying mechanism of the rapid antidepressant ketamine.ObjectiveOur study investigated the effect of isoflurane anesthesia on chronic unpredictable mild stressed (CUMS) model in mice and verified the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB/ the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in the antidepressant effect of isoflurane.MethodsWe employed the CUMS model of depression to assess the rapid antidepressant effect of isoflurane by the forced swimming test (FST), the sucrose preference test (SPT), and the novelty suppressed feeding test (NSFT). The protein expression of BDNF and TrkB/protein kinase B (PKB or Akt)/mTOR was determined through Western blot. The dendritic spine density in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) was measured by the Golgi staining.ResultsA brief burst-suppressing isoflurane anesthesia rapidly reversed the behavioral deficits caused by CUMS procedure, normalized the expression of BDNF and further activated the TrkB signaling pathway in CUMS-induced stressed mice in both prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC). All of those behavioral and proteomic effects were blocked by K252a, a selective receptor inhibitor of TrkB. Isoflurane significantly promoted the formation of dendritic spines in both medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), CA1, CA3, and DG of the hippocampus.ConclusionOur study indicates that isoflurane exerts a rapid antidepressant-like effect in CUMS depression animal model, and the activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway plays an indispensable role in the biological and behavioral antidepressant effects of isoflurane. A single exposure to isoflurane could repair synaptic damage caused by chronic stimulation.

A two-step rotary rim-thickening process of disc-like blanks was investigated by FE simulation and spinning experiments. The preforming shape of cross section for first step was designed as trapezium before forming rectangular-shape rim in the second step. The main factors influencing the blank forming in the first step were groove bottom height h1 and the inclination angle α of the roller. With the increase of h1 and α of the roller in FE simulation, the workpiece will be more prone to lose stability and cause defects. The forming limit diagram was obtained in first step, including stable forming zone, unstable forming zone and failed forming zone. Considering the stability and efficiency of thickening, four groups of h1 and α were selected for the second step simulation. Maximum rim thickness (h2) after second-step forming was 9 mm, obtained by trial and error in FE simulations. The spinning experiments were carried out to verify the validity of numerical simulation.

This paper studies the process of a five-step spinning to thicken the edge of the disc-like part. By using finite element simulation and experiment, the sectional shape and flow-line distribution of the rim were studied. The results showed that the flow lines of the cross-section of the formed part are distributed along the shape of the part. The disc-like part with thickened rim can be well formed by a multi-step spinning process. A large bottom radian of roller groove can lead a folding in the first step and a reduced r can overcome the folding. An over-small angle αin step 2 will lead a pit defect, it can be solved by increasing the angle.

The high-temperature deformation behavior and processing map of 7050 aluminum alloy were investigated by tensile tests conducted at various temperatures (340, 380, 420, and 460 °C) with various strain rates of 10 −4 , 10 −3 , 10 −2 , and 0.1 s −1 . The results show that the instability region with a peak power dissipation efficiency of 100 % occurs at the low deformation temperature region of 340 °C to 380 °C and high strain rates (>10 −3 s −1 ). The 7050 aluminum alloy exhibited a continuous dynamic recrystallization domain with power dissipation efficiency of 35% to 60 % in the deformation temperature range of 410 °C to 460 °C and the strain rate range of 10 −4 –10 −3 s −1 . The domain with a power dissipation efficiency of 35 % to 50 % occurring at high deformation temperatures and strain rates was interpreted to represent dynamic recovery. Dynamic recovery and continuous dynamic recrystallization provide chosen domains for excellent hot workability.

Increased crop yields are required to support rapid population growth worldwide. Grain weight is a key compo- nent of rice yield, but the underlying molecular mechanisms that control it remain elusive. Here, we report the clon- ing and characterization of a new quantitative trait locus （QTL） for the control of rice grain length, weight and yield. This locus, GL3.1, encodes a protein phosphatase kelch （PPKL） family -- Ser/Thr phosphatase. GL3.1 is a member of the large grain WY3 variety, which is associated with weaker dephosphorylation activity than the small grain FAZ1 variety. GL3.I-WY3 influences protein phosphorylation in the spikelet to accelerate cell division, thereby re- suiting in longer grains and higher yields. Further studies have shown that GL3.1 directly dephosphorylates its sub- strate, Cyclin-TI;3, which has only been rarely studied in plants. The downregulation of Cyclin-T1;3 in rice resulted in a shorter grain, which indicates a novel function for Cyclin-T in cell cycle regulation. Our findings suggest a new mechanism for the regulation of grain size and yield that is driven through a novel phosphatase-mediated process that affects the phosphorylation of Cyclin-T1;3 during cell cycle progression, and thus provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying crop seed development. We bred a new variety containing the natural GL3.1 allele that demonstrated increased grain yield, which indicates that GL3.1 is a powerful tool for breeding high-yield crops.

The high-temperature deformation behavior and processing map of 7050 aluminum alloy were investigated by tensile tests conducted at various temperatures (340, 380, 420, and 460 °C) with various strain rates of 10−4, 10−3, 10−2, and 0.1 s −1. The results show that the instability region with a peak power dissipation efficiency of 100% occurs at the low deformation temperature region of 340 °C to 380 °C and high strain rates (>10−3s−1). The 7050 aluminum alloy exhibited a continuous dynamic recrystallization domain with power dissipation efficiency of 35% to 60 % in the deformation temperature range of 410 °C to 460 °C and the strain rate range of 10−4-10−3s−1. The domain with a power dissipation efficiency of 35 % to 50 % occurring at high deformation temperatures and strain rates was interpreted to represent dynamic recovery. Dynamic recovery and continuous dynamic recrystallization provide chosen domains for excellent hot workability. KCI Citation Count: 9

Disk-like parts with both thin web plates and thick rims are widely applied in automotive and aviation industries. These parts are usually made via welding and machining, which often lead to low material utilization, high energy consumption and low product performance. Therefore, a new sheet blank rotary forging process for thickening the rims of disc-like sheet blanks with uniform thicknesses was proposed in this paper. Based on FEA and experiments, both the effects of main defects and process parameters on forming were investigated. Besides, by considering the flow line distribution in formed parts, the material deformation feature in the forming process was analyzed. The results showed that the deformation process can be divided into four stages, and there are mainly four kinds of defects occurring during forming. Materials in the outer side of rim flows not only in the radial direction but also in the tangential direction.

Recent development on distributed systems has shown that a variety of fairness constraints (some of which are only recently defined) play vital roles in designing self-stabilizing population protocols. Existing model checkers are deficient in verifying the systems as only limited kinds of fairness are supported with limited verification efficiency. In this work, we support model checking of distributed systems in the toolkit PAT (process analysis toolkit), with a variety of fairness constraints (e.g., process-level weak/strong fairness, event-level weak/strong fairness, strong global fairness). It performs on-the-fly verification against linear temporal properties. We show through empirical evaluation (on recent population protocols as well as benchmark systems) that PAT has advantage in model checking with fairness. Previously unknown bugs have been revealed against systems which are designed to function only with strong global fairness.

Aim： To characterize and compare the different biological behaviors of 2 novel human osteosarcoma cell lines, Zos and Zos-M, established respectively from the primary tumor and the skip metastasis of an osteosarcoma patient. Methods： In vitro studies included morphological observations, karyotype analysis, 3-（4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay, and cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Subcutaneous and intravenous inoculations into nude mice were carried out to study the tumorigenicity and the metastatic potential. RT-PCR was performed to assess the expression of the osteoblastic markers and some metastasis-related genes. Results： Both cell lines remained stable for more than 100 passages in vitro without interruption. The RT- PCR examination indicated that they retained the molecular characteristics of an osteoblastic lineage. The karyotype analysis displayed aneuploidy and various structural abnormalities. Both cell lines are tumorigenic; Zos-M differs from Zos by the former＇s ability to develop lung metastasis after intravenous injection. The comparison of the expression patterns of some metastasis-related genes revealed that the decreased expression of cadherin-11 in Zos-M may correlate with a high potential of metastases. Moreover, both cell lines are less sensitive to the current chemotherapy protocols. Conclusion： The establishment of osteosarcoma cell lines, Zos and Zos-M, and related animal models provide a useful resource for studying the aggressive behavior of osteosarcoma and will be helpful for screening effective treatment strategies.

Mitocbondrial fusion is a highly coordinated process that mixes and unifies the mitochondrial compartment for normal mitochondrial functions and mitochondrial DNA inheritance. Dysregulated mitochondrial fusion causes mitochondrial fragmentation, abnormal mitochondrial physiology and inheritance, and has been causally linked with a number of neuronal diseases. Here, we identified a diterpenoid derivative 15-oxospiramilactone （$3） that potently induced mitochondrial fusion to restore the mitochondrial network and oxidative respiration in cells that are deficient in either Mfnl or Mfn2. A mitochondria-localized deubiquitinase USP30 is a target of $3. The inhibition of USP30 by $3 leads to an increase of non-degradative ubiquitination of Mfnl/2, which enhances Mfnl and Mfn2 activity and promotes mitochondrial fusion. Thus, through the use of an inhibitor of USP30, our study uncovers an unconventional function of non-degradative ubiquitination of Mfns in promoting mitochondrial fusion.