Traveling-wave Phenomena in a Model of Autocrine Signaling Coupled with Dynamics of the MAPK Cascade

Recently we have revealed a minimal reaction subnetwork in the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cascade that is responsible for the emergence of bistable and oscillatory behavior. Here we examine a possible mechanism that provides for the propagation of increased MAPK activity in cell populations by interconnecting the intracellular MAPK subnetwork with the ligand-receptor signaling machinery. Such approach allows for significant reduction of the dimensionality of the parameter space on one hand and the conservation of dynamical complexity of the system on the other hand. The coupled model predicts coexistence of one, two or three different stable steady states, or the coexistence of a stable steady state and periodic solution. We found two robust and physiologically relevant characteristics of the proposed model: (i) There is a very large region of coexistence of at least one stable steady state with non-zero MAPK activity and one steady state with zero MAPK activity in the parameter space. (ii) Spontaneous traveling front waves always switching originally inactive cells into ligand releasing cells emerge in adjacent cell populations, e. g. in healthy and injured tissues. Moreover, the formation of composite traveling front waves and spatial oscillatory patterns of MAPK activity are predicted and discussed.     

论游戏的核心艺术评价标准

数字游戏常被认为是继文学、绘画、音乐等传统艺术之后的“第九艺术”。然而,长期以来,由于游戏的评价标准被商业体系左右,造成了游戏创作在思想层面的偏颇,所以设计师有必要建立一套针对数字游戏的艺术评价标准,以促进游戏的艺术创作和理论研究。从艺术思潮、艺术哲学和设计创新的角度出发,通过美学历史文献查阅、游戏艺术作品案例分析、艺术理论辨析等方法,就游戏的核心艺术因素展开论述。游戏的艺术标准应包括情感表现、艺术反思和创新性三个主要方面。其中,艺术情感是所有艺术的共性和核心;艺术反思是艺术理念的升华和艺术创作的动机;创新性则是艺术更替发展的内在动力。该标准独立于商业体系,将有助于促进和引导数字游戏在艺术层面的发展。     

The role of Persian-language word exercise games in improving spelling of students with dyslexia: Word exercise games in improving spelling

Children with dyslexia have reduced sensitivity to phonological sounds and words, and this deficiency in lexical processing causes many problems for them. Word exercise games based on phonological awareness have emphasized the mistakes of students with dyslexia, attempting to help children avoid these mistakes. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Persian-language word exercise games on the spelling of students with dyslexia. The design of the present study was quasi-experimental, with a pretest and posttest of an experimental group and a control group. Participants were 30 students with dyslexia from second grade to fifth grade in elementary schools in Bojnord, who completed the spelling test as a pretest and posttest. The experimental group played eleven 40-min sessions of word exercise games. The results showed that the word exercise programme improved the spelling of the children with dyslexia. This suggests that basing training on the phonological mistakes of students with dyslexia and using the word exercise games can improve their spelling.     

Spillover effects of distribution grid tariffs in the internal electricity market: An argument for harmonization?

In many countries, distribution grid tariffs are being reformed to adapt to the new realities of an electricity system with distributed energy resources. In Europe, legislative proposals have been made to harmonize these reforms across country borders. Many stakeholders have argued that distribution tariffs are a local affair, while the European institutions argued that there can be spillovers to other countries, which could justify a more harmonized approach. In this paper, we quantify these spillovers in a simplified numerical example to give insight and an order of magnitude. We look at different scenarios, and find that the spillovers can be both negative and positive. To be able to quantify these effects, we developed a long-run market equilibrium model that captures the wholesale market effects of distribution grid tariffs. The problem is formulated as a non-cooperative game involving consumers, generating companies and distribution system operators in a stylized electricity market.     

Mechanosensation and Mechanotransduction by Lymphatic Endothelial Cells Act as Important Regulators of Lymphatic Development and Function

Our understanding of the function and development of the lymphatic system is expanding rapidly due to the identification of specific molecular markers and the availability of novel genetic approaches. In connection, it has been demonstrated that mechanical forces contribute to the endothelial cell fate commitment and play a critical role in influencing lymphatic endothelial cell shape and alignment by promoting sprouting, development, maturation of the lymphatic network, and coordinating lymphatic valve morphogenesis and the stabilization of lymphatic valves. However, the mechanosignaling and mechanotransduction pathways involved in these processes are poorly understood. Here, we provide an overview of the impact of mechanical forces on lymphatics and summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the mechanosensation and mechanotransduction by lymphatic endothelial cells. We also discuss how these mechanosensitive pathways affect endothelial cell fate and regulate lymphatic development and function. A better understanding of these mechanisms may provide a deeper insight into the pathophysiology of various diseases associated with impaired lymphatic function, such as lymphedema and may eventually lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for these conditions.     

Interaction of IL-22/IL-22R1 promotes cell proliferation and suppresses apoptosis of colorectal cancer via phosphorylation of STAT3

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a member of IL-10 cytokine family which is expressed in activated T cells predominantly and in activated natural killer cells at lower levels. Previous studies have demonstrated the link between elevated levels of IL-22 and disease severity of psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung diseases. However, the function of IL-22 in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains elusive. In this study, we first evaluated the IL-22/IL-22R1 level in CRC patients, and found that tumor tissues have more active expression of IL-22 and IL-22R1 than normal tissues, presenting correlation with the degree of differentiation of tumor tissues. Subsequently, Caspase and cell viability assays were performed on SW-480 cell line which expresses high level of IL-22R1 to examine if the supplementation of IL-22 has an impact on apoptosis and proliferation. In comparison with treatment of 5-FU, supplementation of IL-22 promoted cell proliferation and ameliorated apoptosis. To unveil signal transduction upon activation of IL-22R, we examined the phosphorylation of STAT3 in SW-480 cell line following supplementation of IL-22. The treatment of IL-22 also increased the level of p-Akt, an essential component in PI3K/Akt pathway. Although the link between STAT3 phosphorylation and PI3K/ Akt activation remains to be explored, our study revealed the mechanism underlying the effects of IL-22R activation on apoptosis as well as tumor differentiation, indicating the prognostic value of IL-22/IL-22R.     

Coverage control algorithm for wireless sensor networks based on non-cooperative game

For the redundancy coverage of nodes leads to the phenomenon of low energy efficiency,Non-cooperative game theory was used to solve it.A revenue function was proposed,which considering the coverage of nodes and the residual energy.The lifetime of the node and network path gain were applied to revenue function.The network topology was built by nodes with the appropriate work strategy.Control algorithm coverage in wireless sensor network was proposed based on Non-cooperative game theory.A Nash equilibrium between the coverage rate and the residual energy was proved,and the return function converged to the Pareto optimal.Experiments show that the algorithm can provide reasonable coverage of network nodes and ensure energy efficiency.