(Press-News.org) Cranial radiotherapy is one of the most important therapeutic methods for the treatment of various types of primary and metastatic brain tumors. Although conventional photon irradiation has significantly improved the treatment of cancer, the central nervous system is prone to damage after high-dose irradiation, resulting in severe delayed or progressive nervous tissue injury. The issues regarding brain radiation injury have been widely discussed, and recent investigations have emphasized changes in pathomorphology. However, the underlying mechanism remains in debate. Researchers at the School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, China discovered that radiation-induced neuronal injury was more apparent after X-irradiation. Under atomic force microscopy, the neuronal membrane appeared rough and neuronal rigidity had increased. The depolymerization, misfolding or denaturation of microtubule associated proteins might contribute to the destruction of the nutrient transport channel within cells after radiation damage. Moreover, some hidden apoptosis-related genes are released through the regulation of several signals, thus triggering apoptosis and inducing acute radiation injury. Their experimental data also revealed that X-rays produced much severer radiation injury to cortical neurons than a heavy ion beam, suggesting that the heavy ion beam has a biological advantage over X-rays. This could provide a theoretical basis for effectively improving the protection of normal brain tissue in future cranial radiotherapy. This article is released in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 11, 2014).
INFORMATION:
Article: " Heavy ion and X-ray irradiation alter the cytoskeleton and cytomechanics of cortical neurons," by Yuting Du1, 2, Jie Zhang2, 1, Qian Zheng1, Mingxin Li1, Yang Liu3, Baoping Zhang4, Bin Liu2, 1, Hong Zhang3, Guoying Miao5 (1 School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China; 2 School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China; 3 Department of Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China; 4 School of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China; 5 Gansu Provinceal Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China)
Du YT, Zhang J, Zheng Q, Li MX, Liu Y, Zhang BP, Liu B, Zhang H, Miao GY. Heavy ion and X-ray irradiation alter the cytoskeleton and cytomechanics of cortical neurons Neural Regen Res. 2014;9(11):1129-1137.
Contact: Meng Zhao
eic@nrren.org
86-138-049-98773
Neural Regeneration Research
http://www.nrronline.org/
X-ray irradiation at a certain dose alters the neuronal cytoskeleton and cytomechanics
2014-07-22
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Self-cooling solar cells boost power, last longer
2014-07-22
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2014—Scientists may have overcome one of the major hurdles in developing high-efficiency, long-lasting solar cells—keeping them cool, even in the blistering heat of the noonday Sun.
By adding a specially patterned layer of silica glass to the surface of ordinary solar cells, a team of researchers led by Shanhui Fan, an electrical engineering professor at Stanford University in California has found a way to let solar cells cool themselves by shepherding away unwanted thermal radiation. The researchers describe their innovative design in the premiere ...
Major dopamine system helps restore consciousness after general anesthesia, study finds
2014-07-22
Chicago – July 22, 2014 – Researchers may be one step closer to better understanding how anesthesia works. A study in the August issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists® (ASA®), found stimulating a major dopamine-producing region in the brain, the ventral tegmental area (VTA), caused rats to wake from general anesthesia, suggesting that this region plays a key role in restoring consciousness after general anesthesia. Activating this region at the end of surgery could provide a novel approach to proactively induce ...
Creating optical cables out of thin air
2014-07-22
Imagine being able to instantaneously run an optical cable or fiber to any point on earth, or even into space. That's what Howard Milchberg, professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland, wants to do.
In a paper published today in the July 2014 issue of the journal Optica, Milchberg and his lab report using an "air waveguide" to enhance light signals collected from distant sources. These air waveguides could have many applications, including long-range laser communications, detecting pollution in the atmosphere, making high-resolution ...
Has Antarctic sea ice expansion been overestimated?
2014-07-22
New research suggests that Antarctic sea ice may not be expanding as fast as previously thought. A team of scientists say much of the increase measured for Southern Hemisphere sea ice could be due to a processing error in the satellite data. The findings are published today in The Cryosphere, a journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).
Arctic sea ice is retreating at a dramatic rate. In contrast, satellite observations suggest that sea ice cover in the Antarctic is expanding – albeit at a moderate rate – and that sea ice extent has reached record highs in recent ...
Mixed genes mix up the migrations of hybrid birds
2014-07-22
Mixed genes appear to drive hybrid birds to select more difficult routes than their parent species, according to new research from University of British Columbia zoologists.
"Instead of taking well-trodden paths through fertile areas, these birds choose to scale mountains and cross deserts," says UBC researcher Kira Delmore.
Delmore harnessed a flock of B.C. Swainson's thrushes with tiny geolocating backpacks to map their routes as they migrated south through the U.S. to Central and South America.
Many of the hybrid thrushes chose intermediary migration routes situated ...
New York squirrels are nuts about city life
2014-07-22
Curtin University-led research has shown squirrels have adapted to New York City's human behaviour, allowing them to thrive just as well, if not better, than their fellow squirrels in the woods.
Dr Bill Bateman, Senior Lecturer at Curtin's Department of Environment & Agriculture, led the study that proved eastern grey squirrels were able to modify their behaviour in urban environments and prevent unnecessary responses when humans acted in a predictable manner, such as staying on the footpath.
"As we rapidly increase the spread of urbanisation around the world, urban ...
LSUHSC contributes to work identifying new DNA regions associated with schizophrenia
2014-07-22
New Orleans, LA -- Nancy Buccola, MSN, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, CNE, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing, contributed samples used in a study reporting new locations of genetic material associated with schizophrenia and also suggesting a possible link between the immune system and schizophrenia. The study, “Biological insights from 108 schizophrenia-associated genetic loci,” was published online July 22, 2014 in Nature, available at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13595.html.
...
Natural-terrain schoolyards reduce children's stress, says Colorado University-Boulder study
2014-07-22
Playing in schoolyards that feature natural habitats and trees and not just asphalt and recreation equipment reduces children's stress and inattention, according to a University of Colorado Boulder study.
Working on class assignments or gardening in such settings also provide stress-reducing benefits for youth, according to a paper published in the journal Health & Place. The study is one of the first of its kind to focus on the relationship between student access to green settings and stress.
"Many schools already offer stress management programs, but they're about ...
African-American homeownership increasingly less stable and more risky
2014-07-22
While historical barriers that excluded Black America from the homeowner market for decades have crumbled, there are signs that emerging types of racial inequality are making homeownership an increasingly risky investment for African-American home seekers. A new study from sociologists at Rice University and Cornell University found that African-Americans are 45 percent more likely than whites to switch from owning their homes to renting them.
The study, "Emerging Forms of Racial Inequality in Homeownership Exit, 1968-2009," examines racial inequality in transitions out ...
Low strength brain stimulation may be effective for depression
2014-07-22
Philadelphia, PA -- Brain stimulation treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), are often effective for the treatment of depression. Like antidepressant medications, however, they typically have a delayed onset. For example, a patient may receive several weeks of regular ECT treatments before a full response is achieved.
Thus, there is an impetus to develop antidepressant treatments that act to rapidly improve mood.
Low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is one such potential new treatment with rapid mood-elevating ...