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ABSTRACT: Oxytocin (OT), a neurohypophyseal neuropeptide, affects adaptive processes of the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the effects of OT on extracellular levels of glutamate (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) induced by methamphetamine (MAP) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsal hippocampus (DHC) of freely moving mice, using in vivo microdialysis coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. The results showed that OT had no effect on basal Glu levels, but attenuated MAP-induced Glu increase in the mPFC and decrease in the DHC. OT increased the basal levels of extracellular GABA in mPFC and DHC of mice, and inhibited the MAP-induced GABA decrease in DHC. Western blot results indicated that OT significantly inhibited the increased glutamatergic receptor (NR1 subunit) levels in the PFC after acute MAP administration, whereas OT further enhanced the elevated levels of glutamatergic transporter (GLT1) induced by MAP in the hippocampus of mice. Atosiban, a selective inhibitor of OT receptor, antagonized the effects of OT. The results provided the first neurochemical evidence that OT, which exerted its action via its receptor, decreased Glu release induced by MAP, and attenuated the changes in glutamatergic neurotransmission partially via regulation of NR1 and GLT1 expression. OT-induced extracellular GABA increase also suggests that OT acts potentially as an inhibitory neuromodulator in mPFC and DHC of mice.
Addiction Biology 04/2012; 17(4):758-69. · 4.83 Impact Factor
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Yu Chen,
Jun Zhou,
Na Xie,
Chao Huang,
Jun-qi Zhang,
Zhuang-li Hu,
Lan Ni,
You Jin, Fang Wang,
Jian-guo Chen,
Li-hong Long
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ABSTRACT: To identify the mechanisms underlying the elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) level ([Ca(2+)](i)) induced by lowering extracellular glucose in rat hypothalamic arcuate nucleus NPY neurons.
Primary cultures of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats. NPY neurons were identified with immunocytochemical method. [Ca(2+)](i) was measured using fura-2 AM. Ca(2+) current was recorded using whole-cell patch clamp recording. AMPK and GSK3β levels were measured using Western blot assay.
Lowering glucose level in the medium (from 10 to 1 mmol/L) induced a transient elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons, but not in hippocampal and cortical neurons. The low-glucose induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons depended on extracellular Ca(2+), and was blocked by P/Q-type Ca(2+)channel blocker ω-agatoxin TK (100 nmol/L), but not by L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker nifedipine (10 μmol/L) or N-type Ca(2+)channel blocker ω-conotoxin GVIA (300 nmol/L). Lowering glucose level increased the peak amplitude of high voltage-activated Ca(2+) current in ARC neurons. The low-glucose induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons was blocked by the AMPK inhibitor compound C (20 μmol/L), and enhanced by the GSK3β inhibitor LiCl (10 mmol/L). Moreover, lowering glucose level induced the phosphorylation of AMPK and GSK3β, which was inhibited by compound C (20 μmol/L).
Lowering glucose level enhances the activity of P/Q type Ca(2+)channels and elevates [Ca(2+)](i) level in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons via inhibition of GSK3β.
Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 04/2012; 33(5):594-605. · 1.95 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Density functional calculations have been performed to explore the interactions of thiophene and two ionic liquids of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM]⁺[PF₆]⁻) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM]⁺[BF₄]⁻). The electronic properties and topological properties of [BMIM]⁺[PF₆]⁻-thiophene and [BMIM]⁺[BF₄]⁻-thiophene were analyzed. The calculated results reveal that the dominant interactions of C2--H2⋯F hydrogen bonds in [BMIM]⁺[PF₆]⁻ or [BMIM]⁺[BF₄]⁻ were not destroyed by the thiophene interactions with [BMIM]⁺[PF₆]⁻ and [BMIM]⁺[BF₄]⁻. The C--H ([BMIM]⁺⋯π (thiophene) hydrogen bonds and H(thiophene)⋯F([PF₆]⁻ or [BF₄]⁻ hydrogen bonds play crucial roles in the adsorption of thiophene on [BMIM]⁺[PF₆]⁻ and [BMIM]⁺[BF₄]⁻.
Journal of molecular graphics & modelling 03/2012; 36:36-41. · 2.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study was conducted with different additional carbon sources (such as: glucose, DL-malic acid, citrate, urea and ammonium acetate) to elucidate the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aged contaminated soil under an indoor simulation experiment. The results showed that the quantity of CO2 emission in different additional carbon sources treatments was obviously much more than that of check treatment in the first week, and the quantity of CO2 emission in DL-malic acid treatment was the largest. The average CO2 production decreased in an order urea > glucose approximately citrate approximately DL-malic acid approximately ammonium acetate > check. Meanwhile, the amount of volatized PAHs in applied carbon sources treatments was significantly less than that in check treatment. The amount of three volatized PAHs decreased in an order phenanthrene > fluoranthene > benzo(b)fluoranthene. Compared with the check treatment, the average degradation rates of the three PAHs were significantly augmented in the supplied carbon sources treatments, in which rates of the three PAHs were much higher in DL-malic acid and urea treatments than those in other treatments. The largest proportion of residual was benzo(b)fluoranthene (from 72% to 81%) among three PAHs compounds, followed by fluoranthene (from 53% to 70% ) and phenanthrene (from 27% to 44%).
Huan jing ke xue= Huanjing kexue / [bian ji, Zhongguo ke xue yuan huan jing ke xue wei yuan hui "Huan jing ke xue" bian ji wei yuan hui.] 02/2012; 33(2):633-9.
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ABSTRACT: Based on reviewing the extensive research on the task-technology fit (TTF) theory, we suggest a more natural perspective which focuses on the relations between task attributes and technology characteristics, instead of human perception about the abstract concept of "fit". Our study is then aimed at identifying the characteristics of emerging mobile technologies and applications as well as the typical attributes of tasks in modern mobile business environments, and further exploring the corresponding fit between task attributes and technology characteristics. An initial framework for linking task attributes with technology characteristics is proposed based on existing literature, and a field case study with regard to mobile applications in municipal administration in Beijing, China, is presented to tentatively validate and improve the framework. This exploratory study postulates a conceptual model which reflects the pair-wise links between five types of task attributes and five dimensions of mobile technology characteristics. Drawing upon the findings, we also present our further research plan for empirically testing the task-technology fit model for mobile applications that we have formulated, using more quantitative methods.
Mobile Business (ICMB), 2011 Tenth International Conference on; 07/2011
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ABSTRACT: The microwave-assisted extraction of total Flavonoids from Solid wastes (Hawthorn seed) was optimized by response surface methodology. Important factors and their ranges were investigated using Plackett-Burman. Steepest ascent path was adopted to approach the optimal region, and then the Box-Behnken design and response surface analysis were used to determine the optimal levels of the main factors. The optimal conditions for extraction was microwave intensity 1886.5MHz, radiation time 10 min, extraction temperature 93.5°C, extraction time 5.7h, solid-liquid ratio of 1:24, 54% ethanol solution. Under this condition, the extraction yield of flavonoids from Hawthorn seed reached 17.57±0.011mg/g. Compared with conventional reflux extraction, the extraction rate increased by 29%.
Computer Distributed Control and Intelligent Environmental Monitoring (CDCIEM), 2011 International Conference on; 03/2011
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ABSTRACT: In order to realize the parallel numerical simulation of three-dimensional complex flow field by overlapping clouds of points method, a parallel algorithm of overlapping clouds of points method is studied in this paper. Two different parallel divisional methods are designed according to the characteristics of overlapping clouds of point method. A simple case is given to validate the two methods. The speedup ratio and parallel efficiency are investigated. The simulation results show that the parallel algorithm can be applied to the calculation of three-dimensional flow field.
Computational Intelligence and Software Engineering (CiSE), 2010 International Conference on; 01/2011
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ABSTRACT: The increased deployment of real-time video applications, including IPTV in home networks and remote monitoring in Internet of Things, requires new routing mechanism to support rapid and reliable real-time traffic transmission, especially in the bandwidth-limited and high link loss rate networks. In this paper, we study the problem of reliable multi-path routing with bandwidth and delay constraints. Considering the link loss rate, which affects the actual bandwidth, we seek a set of source-destination paths such that the valid aggregated bandwidth satisfies the constraint and meanwhile the delay of the longest path is minimized. The problem is NP-hard. We first propose a heuristic algorithm as the benchmark, and then present a polynomial time approximation algorithm to obtain a (1 + ε)-approximation solution. Simulation on well-known Internet topologies and random networks verifies the performance of our algorithms. The numerical results demonstrate the advantage of polynomial time approximation algorithm on the aspect of minimizing the delay of the selected reliable multi-paths.
Multimedia Technology (ICMT), 2010 International Conference on; 12/2010
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ABSTRACT: In this paper, we present a method for extracting body sway parameters from a three-dimensional voxel reconstruction, which is built using silhouettes captured from two calibrated web camera views. The results were validated with a Vicon motion capture system. Experiments were conducted in which subjects stand and sway in the anterior-posterior direction and then in the lateral directions with two different frequencies. In addition, experiments were also conducted where subjects walked in a straight path at different speeds. Through the experiment, the Vicon cameras recorded the motion of reflective markers attached to subjects, and our two calibrated cameras captured the images. Good agreement was found with our system compared to the Vicon results, given the limitation of voxel space resolution and frame rate. The development of this technology provides potential capability of measuring body sway in daily living environment for elderly people, and can be used as part of a balance, stability and fall risk assessment tool.
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE; 10/2010
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ABSTRACT: The formulation of a point target spectrum is a key step in deriving synthetic aperture radar focusing algorithms, which exploits the processing efficiency of the frequency domain. However, the existence of a double-square root in the bistatic range equation makes it difficult to find an exact analytical solution for the 2-D spectrum. In this letter, according to the idea of function optimal approach, we derive a new 2-D point target spectrum on the basis of Legendre polynomial expansion, which is more exact than the existing spectra during the synthetic aperture time.
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 08/2010; · 1.56 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Accumulated chromate from the medium was responsible for the inhibition of the photosystem II. In this study, we focused on the alteration of the photosynthetic apparatus through analysis of the Chlorophyll a fluorescence of duckweed half-fronds. Chromate induced the K step on the fluorescence transient in 6-BA treated half-fronds. Chromate affected several targets of photosynthetic II apparatus. The oxygen evolving complex (OEC) was the more highly sensitive to chromate than the reaction center (RC) in 6-BA treated half-fronds. We showed that 6-BA treated half-fronds would be taken as a potential useful system to estimate the effect of water pollution.
Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering (iCBBE), 2010 4th International Conference on; 07/2010
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ABSTRACT: This paper presents and empirically validates a model of student satisfaction with mobile learning. The proposed model draws on Optimal Stimulation Theory and Learning Approach Theory from the psychology and education literature, respectively, and integrates them with prior findings from the Information Systems user satisfaction domain. The proposed model is empirically validated using a field survey of MBA students participating in a Blackberry mobile learning pilot project at a major Canadian university. The results confirm the theoretical analysis, suggesting that external facilitating factors within a mobile learner`s environment and internal facilitating factors associated with the mobile learner him/herself influence utilitarian and hedonic antecedents to student satisfaction with mobile learning.
Mobile Business and 2010 Ninth Global Mobility Roundtable (ICMB-GMR), 2010 Ninth International Conference on; 07/2010
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ABSTRACT: The effect of the B-addition on magnetic entropy change ΔS<sub>M</sub> and hysteresis loss in La ( Fe , Si )<sub>13</sub> is studied. The maximal values of ΔS<sub>M</sub> for LaFe <sub>11.9</sub> Si <sub>1.1</sub> , LaFe <sub>11.5</sub> B <sub>0.4</sub> Si <sub>1.1</sub> , LaFe <sub>11.5</sub> Si <sub>1.5</sub> , and LaFe <sub>11.0</sub> B <sub>0.5</sub> Si <sub>1.5</sub> are found to be 27.0, 26.1, 23.7, and 21.2 J/kg K at Curie temperature T<sub> C </sub> for a field change in 0–5 T, respectively. The maximal hysteresis losses around T<sub> C </sub> are 43 and 21 J/kg for LaFe <sub>11.9</sub> Si <sub>1.1</sub> and LaFe <sub>11.5</sub> Si <sub>1.5</sub> , respectively, while almost no magnetic hysteresis is observed for the B-doped compounds. Our result reveals that a large ΔS<sub>M</sub> and a small hysteresis loss can be simultaneously achieved in NaZn <sub>13</sub> -type La ( Fe , Si )<sub>13</sub> compounds by the addition of B.
Journal of Applied Physics 06/2010; · 2.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Conventional models based on crisp regions can not deal with the Direction Relations between Uncertain Regions (DRUR). Using broad boundary to represent the uncertain boundary, a novel approach is proposed based on model SK for modeling DRUR in this paper. DRUR are described as the combinations of basic cardinal direction relations, then we study the composition of DRUR, and a method is put forward for calculating this composition.
Machine Vision and Human-Machine Interface (MVHI), 2010 International Conference on; 05/2010
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ABSTRACT: The design of SoC system, random test is becoming an application for IP cores verification gradually. In order to test the integrated EMIF IP core, the restricted random verification method is used with added flexible generation of parameterized script files and adaptable random test points. Based on the verification environment built, some tasks were created and passed as transactions according to the analysis of simulation interface and output results. Standard memory modules were integrated with timing factors to support verification. Comparing with the direct verification, the method present in this paper is much more flexible and practicable, and can improve the whole efficiency of verification.
Computer Engineering and Technology (ICCET), 2010 2nd International Conference on; 05/2010
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ABSTRACT: According to the features of Message Passing Interface (MPI) and OpenMP, the cloud computing application methods based on MPI and OpenMP, including the MPI and OpenMP cloud computing algorithm design model, cloud computing principles, the core model, and the process are proposed. The distributed characteristic and parallel characteristic are introduced. Theoretical analysis results show this algorithm is feasible, effective and superior to the traditional parallel technology, and it can provide the new method to distribute and parallelize the ordinary algorithms.
Computer Engineering and Technology (ICCET), 2010 2nd International Conference on; 05/2010
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ABSTRACT: The coercivity mechanism of nanocomposite Sm-Co/Fe multilayer films was investigated. It was concluded that the magnetization reversal mechanism of Sm-Co/Fe multilayer films is dominated mainly by domain wall pinning instead of nucleation. The addition of Cu layer between the hard and soft layers causes the change in grain boundary as well as the large variation in anisotropy in the hard layer after annealing, which leads to a strong increase in domain wall pinning, and therefore a significant improvement of the coercivity. This study indicates the potentials of this method to control and improve the magnetic property of nanocomposite multilayer films.
Journal of Applied Physics 03/2010; · 2.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In recent years, the static shortest path (SP) problem has been well addressed using intelligent optimization techniques, e.g., artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms (GAs), particle swarm optimization, etc. However, with the advancement in wireless communications, more and more mobile wireless networks appear, e.g., mobile networks [mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs)], wireless sensor networks, etc. One of the most important characteristics in mobile wireless networks is the topology dynamics, i.e., the network topology changes over time due to energy conservation or node mobility. Therefore, the SP routing problem in MANETs turns out to be a dynamic optimization problem. In this paper, we propose to use GAs with immigrants and memory schemes to solve the dynamic SP routing problem in MANETs. We consider MANETs as target systems because they represent new-generation wireless networks. The experimental results show that these immigrants and memory-based GAs can quickly adapt to environmental changes (i.e., the network topology changes) and produce high-quality solutions after each change.
IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics Part C (Applications and Reviews) 02/2010; · 2.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Cardiac physical phase (CPP) is another method for phase partition of cardiac motion besides the conventional cardiac time phase (CTP). The partition basis of CPP is not time but the deform information of left ventricle (LV) in different stages. The length of each CPP can reflect the function of LV, and CPP is also the calculation base of many other function parameters. So far the partition of CPP is all by empirical estimation or indirect method. This paper proposes a direct method for CPP accurate partition according to LV shape factor including LV volume (LVV) and length of LV long-axis (LVLL). Further more a new parameter named LV wall motion amplitude (LVMA) is defined to analyze the LV wall movement in different CPPs. Two LV function indexes Tei and LVMA are calculated with the result of CPP division. The validity of this method is demonstrated by an experiment with real human LV data.
Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), 2009 IEEE International Conference on; 01/2010
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the soleus (SOL) H-reflex during rest and isometric contractions at 10%, 30%, and 50% of the maximal voluntary force (MVC) at the ankle joint angles of neutral (0 degrees), plantarflexion (20 degrees), and dorsiflexion (-20 degrees) respectively, in a sitting position. Ten healthy participants, with mean age of 24.9+/-5.0 (SD) years, height 168.3+/-8.8 cm, weight 62.7+/-12.3 kg, were tested for the SOL H-reflex (H(max)) on two separate occasions within 7 days. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the test-retest of the SOL H-reflex during rest was found to be high at ankle joint angle of neutral (ICC=0.92) and plantarflexion (0.96), and moderate at dorsiflexion (0.75). Inconsistent ICC values (range from 0.62 to 0.97) were found during the submaximal voluntary contractions at the three ankle joint positions. High ICCs were also found in H(max)/M(max) ratio at neutral (0.86), plantarflexion (0.96), and dorsiflexion (0.84) positions. It was concluded that the test-retest reliability of the SOL H-reflex was affected by the intensity of voluntary contraction and ankle joint position. The H-reflex demonstrated a higher reliability at the neutral and plantarflexion positions than that at the dorsiflexion position during rest, and a higher reliability at 10% MVC than that at 30% and 50% MVC.
Journal of electromyography and kinesiology: official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology 12/2009; 20(5):980-7. · 2.00 Impact Factor
