A study of the total chromatic number of equibipartite graphs

AbstractThe total chromatic number χt(G) of a graph G is the least number of colors needed to color the vertices and edges of G so that no adjacent vertices or edges receive the same color, no incident edges receive the same color as either of the vertices it is incident with. In this paper, we obtain some results of the total chromatic number of the equibipartite graphs of order 2n with maximum degree n − 1. As a part of our results, we disprove the biconformability conjecture

Xist recruits the X chromosome to the nuclear lamina to enable chromosome-wide silencing

The Xist long noncoding RNA orchestrates X chromosome inactivation, a process that entails chromosome-wide silencing and remodeling of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the X chromosome. Yet, it remains unclear whether these changes in nuclear structure are mediated by Xist and whether they are required for silencing. Here, we show that Xist directly interacts with the Lamin B receptor, an integral component of the nuclear lamina, and that this interaction is required for Xist-mediated silencing by recruiting the inactive X to the nuclear lamina and by doing so enables Xist to spread to actively transcribed genes across the X. Our results demonstrate that lamina recruitment changes the 3D structure of DNA, enabling Xist and its silencing proteins to spread across the X to silence transcription

Revealing the Mechanism of Xist-mediated Silencing

Xist initiates XCI by spreading across the future inactive X-chromosome, excluding RNA polymerase II, recruiting the polycomb repressive complex and its associated repressive chromatin modifications, and repositioning active genes into a transcriptionally silenced nuclear compartment. While much is known about the events that occur during XCI, the mechanism by which Xist carries out these various roles remains unclear. Here we identify ten proteins that directly associate with Xist, and we further show that three of these proteins are required for Xist-mediated transcriptional silencing. One of these proteins, SHARP, which is known to interact with the SMRT co-repressor that activates HDAC3, is not only essential for silencing, but is also required for the exclusion of PolII from the inactive X. We show that both SMRT and HDAC3 are required for Xist-mediated silencing and RNA polymerase II exclusion. Another of these proteins, LBR, is required for repositioning actively transcribed genes into the Xist-silenced compartment. We further show that Xist, through its interaction with LBR, a protein that is anchored in the inner nuclear membrane, would effectively reposition Xist-coated DNA to the nuclear lamina, thereby changing the accessibility of other genes on the X-chromosome to enable Xist to spread to active genes across the entire chromosome to silence chromosome-wide transcription. Together, these results present an integrative picture of how Xist can scaffold multiple proteins to orchestrate the complex functions required for the establishment of the inactive X-chromosome.</p

Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus markedly attenuates infarct size and preserves heart function in porcine myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: We test the hypothesis that intra-coronary tacrolimus administration can limit infarct size and preserve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through ligating left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in mini-pigs. METHODS: Twelve male mini-pigs were randomized into AMI-saline (MI-only) group and AMI-tacrolimus (MI-Tac) group that received intra-coronary saline (3.0 mL) and tacrolimus (0.5 mg in 2.5 mL saline) injection, respectively, beyond site of ligation 30 minutes after LAD occlusion. RESULTS: Larger infarct area was noted in MI-only group (p < 0.001). Inflammatory biomarkers at protein [oxidative stress, tumor necrotic factor-α, nuclear factor-κB], gene (matrix metalloproteinase-9, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), and cellular (CD40+, CD68+ inflammatory cells) levels were remarkably higher in MI-only animals (p < 0.01). Conversely, anti-inflammatory biomarkers at gene level (Interleukin-10), gene and protein level (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), and anti-oxidant biomarkers at both gene and protein levels [heme oxygenase 1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase] were lower in MI-only group (p < 0.01). Number of apoptotic nuclei and apoptotic biomarkers expressions at gene and protein levels (Bax, caspase 3) were notably higher, whereas anti-apoptotic biomarkers at gene and protein levels (Bcl-2), LVEF, and fractional shortening were markedly lower in MI-only group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus significantly attenuated infarct size and preserved LV function

High-Reliability Trigate Poly-Si Channel Flash Memory Cell With Si-Nanocrystal Embedded Charge-Trapping Layer

Abstract-This letter introduces a polycrystalline-silicon nanowire (NW) thin-film nonvolatile memory (NVM) with a self-assembled silicon-nanocrystal (Si-NC) embedded chargetrapping (CT) layer. This process is simple and compatible with conventional CMOS processes. Experimental results indicate that this NW NVM exhibits high reliability due to a deep-quantum-well structure and immunity of enhanced electric field underneath a disk-shaped Si-NC. After 10 000 P/E cycles, the memory window loss of the NVM with a Si-NC embedded CT layer is less than 12% until 10 4 s at 150 • C. Accordingly, a poly-Si thin-film transistor with a Si-NC embedded CT layer is highly promising for NVM applications. Index Terms-Nanocrystal (NC), nonvolatile memory (NVM), thin-film transistor (TFT)

بررسی حیطه‌های موجود در فرم‌های ارزشیابی از دیدگاه دانشجویان در دانشگاه علوم پزشکی زنجان در سال تحصیلی 86- 87

زمینه و هدف: ارزشیابی استادان متداول‌ترین روش جهت سنجش کیفیت آموزش می‌باشد. دانشجویان بیش از دست‌اندرکاران در جریان روند آموزش قرار‌دارند بنابراین با نظرخواهی از آنان دیدگاه کاملی برای مسئولین در مورد نقاط قوت و ضعف استادان به‌دست می‌آید. هدف از این پژوهش بررسی حیطه‌های موجود در فرم‌های ارزشیابی از دیدگاه دانشجویان در دانشکده‌های پزشکی، پیراپزشکی و پرستاری و مامایی می‌باشد. روش بررسی: این تحقیق به صورت توصیفی انجام گرفت. 1683 برگ ارزشیابی دانشجویان از استادان هیأت علمی (73 نفر) مربوط به دانشکده‌های پزشکی، پیراپزشکی و پرستاری- مامایی بررسی شد. پرسش‌نامه‌ی دانشجویان پزشکی حاوی 15 سؤوال و دانشجویان پیراپزشکی و پرستاری مامایی 21 سؤوال بود که بر اساس مقیاس لیکرات از حیطه‌های مختلف مقرراتی، علمی و آموزشی، نظارتی و نگرشی تشکیل شده بود. نمرات سؤوالات از نمره‌ی 100 محاسبه شد، نمرات بالاتر بیانگر عملکرد مطلوب‌تراستادان می‌باشد. تجزیه و تحلیل داده‌ها به‌صورت آمار توصیفی با نرم‌افزار SPSS انجام شد. یافته‌ها: نتایج نشان داد مقایسه در سطوح کلی بین دانشکده‌ها، دانشکده‌ی پیراپزشکی با میانگین کل و انحراف معیار 61/3 ±50/85 نسبت به سایر دانشکده‌ها برتری دارد. دانشکده‌ی پیراپزشکی در حیطه‌ی مقرراتی با میانگین و انحراف معیار 89/3±01/91، دانشکده‌ی پزشکی در حیطه‌ی نگرشی با میانگین و انحراف معیار 45/5±48/90 و دانشکده‌ی پرستاری مامایی در حیطه‌ی مقرراتی با میانگین و انحراف معیار 25/4±34/88 بیشترین امتیاز را داشتند. نتیجه‌نهایی نشان می‌دهد، حیطه‌ی علمی و آموزشی نسبت به سایر حیطه‌ها در سطح پایین‌تر می‌باشد. نتایج حیطه‌ها (علمی و آموزشی، نظارتی و نگرشی) بین دانشکده‌ها معنی‌دار می‌باشد (0001/0=P). نتیجه‌گیری: به نظر می‌رسد با برنامه‌ریزی جهت برگزاری کارگاه‌های آموزشی، روش تدریس و تحقیق جهت ارتقای آموزش استادان، اعطا‌ی فرصت مطالعاتی و تشویق انجام کارهای تحقیقاتی و پژوهشی گام مؤثری جهت ارتقای سطح علمی و بالاخره عملکرد بالای استادان خواهد بود

Safety and efficacy of intracoronary artery administration of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in STEMI of Lee-Sung pigs—A preclinical study for supporting the feasibility of the OmniMSC-AMI phase I clinical trial

BackgroundThis study tested whether early left intracoronary arterial (LAD) administration of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs, called OmniMSCs) in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of Lee-Sung pigs induced by 90 min balloon-occluded LAD was safe and effective.Methods and resultsYoung male Lee-Sung pigs were categorized into SC (sham-operated control, n = 3), AMI-B (STEMI + buffer/21 cc/administered at 90 min after STEMI, n = 6), and AMI-M [acute myocardial infarction (AMI) + hBMMSCs/1.5 × 107/administered at 90 min after STEMI, n = 6] groups. By 2 and 5 months after STEMI, the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the muscle scar score (MSS) and abnormal cardiac muscle exercise score in the infarct region were significantly increased in the AMI-B than in the SC group that were significantly reversed in the AMI-M group, whereas the left ventricular ejection function by each month (from 1 to 5) displayed an opposite pattern of MSS among the groups (all p &lt; 0.001). By 5 months, histopathological findings of infarct and fibrosis areas and isolectin-B4 exhibited an identical pattern, whereas the cellular expressions of troponin-I/troponin-T/von Willebrand factor exhibited an opposite pattern of MSS among the groups (all p &lt; 0.001). The ST-segment resolution (&gt;80%) was significantly earlier (estimated after 6-h AMI) in the AMI-M group than in the AMI-B group (p &lt; 0.001). The protein expressions of inflammation (IL-1β/TNF-α/NF-κB)/oxidative stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/oxidized protein)/apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3/cleaved PARP)/DNA damage (γ-H2AX) displayed an identical pattern to MSS among the groups, whereas the protein expressions of angiogenesis factors (SDF-1α/VEGF) were significantly and progressively increased from SC, AMI-B, to AMI-M groups (all p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionEarly intra-LAD transfusion of OmniMSC treatment effectively reduced the infarct size and preserved LV function in porcine STEMI

Phosphorylation of Synaptojanin Differentially Regulates Endocytosis of Functionally Distinct Synaptic Vesicle Pools

The rapid replenishment of synaptic vesicles through endocytosis is crucial for sustaining synaptic transmission during intense neuronal activity. Synaptojanin (Synj), a phosphoinositide phosphatase, is known to play an important role in vesicle recycling by promoting the uncoating of clathrin following synaptic vesicle uptake. Synj has been shown to be a substrate of the minibrain (Mnb) kinase, a fly homolog of the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A); however, the functional impacts of Synj phosphorylation by Mnb are not well understood. Here we identify that Mnb phosphorylates Synj at S1029 in Drosophila. We find that phosphorylation of Synj at S1029 enhances Synj phosphatase activity, alters interaction between Synj and endophilin, and promotes efficient endocytosis of the active cycling vesicle pool (also referred to as exo-endo cycling pool) at the expense of reserve pool vesicle endocytosis. Dephosphorylated Synj, on the other hand, is deficient in the endocytosis of the active recycling pool vesicles but maintains reserve pool vesicle endocytosis to restore total vesicle pool size and sustain synaptic transmission. Together, our findings reveal a novel role for Synj in modulating reserve pool vesicle endocytosis and further indicate that dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Synj differentially maintain endocytosis of distinct functional synaptic vesicle pools. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Synaptic vesicle endocytosis sustains communication between neurons during a wide range of neuronal activities by recycling used vesicle membrane and protein components. Here we identify that Synaptojanin, a protein with a known role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis, is phosphorylated at S1029 in vivo by the Minibrain kinase. We further demonstrate that the phosphorylation status of Synaptojanin at S1029 differentially regulates its participation in the recycling of distinct synaptic vesicle pools. Our results reveal a new role for Synaptojanin in maintaining synaptic vesicle pool size and in reserve vesicle endocytosis. As Synaptojanin and Minibrain perturbations are associated with various neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's, autism, and Down syndrome, understanding mechanisms modulating Synaptojanin function provides valuable insights into processes affecting neuronal communication