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Background: Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is widely used as a general anaesthetic. However, the mechanisms of analgesic/anaesthetic effects induced by ketamine are only partially understood. Previously, studies have demonstrated that various general anaesthetics affect the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), a potential target of general anaesthetics in the central nervous system. However, it is unknown if astrocyte activities affect ketamine's effects on information transmission in S1 pyramidal neurons. Methods: The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was employed to study the role of astrocytes in ketamine-induced anaesthetic actions. The whole-cell patch-clamp method was used to record the spontaneous postsynaptic currents (SPSCs) of rat S1 pyramidal neurons. We used the glia-selective inhibitor of the aconitase enzyme fluorocitrate (FC), to test if astrocyte activities alter the effects of ketamine on S1 pyramidal neurons. Results: Ketamine lowered the SPSCs of rat S1 pyramidal neurons in a concentration-dependent manner at clinically relevant doses. The concentration-effect curve revealed that ketamine had an EC50 value of 462.1 M for suppressing SPSCs. In rat S1 pyramidal neurons, the glia-selective metabolic inhibitor fluorocitrate (FC), which inhibits the aconitase enzyme, lowered the amplitude and frequency of SPSCs. The inhibitory impact of ketamine on the amplitude and frequency of SPSCs was significantly amplified in the presence of FC. Conclusions: Astrocytes impact the effects of ketamine on pre- and postsynaptic components and play a role in synaptic transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization has a serious influence on rice yield and quality. How to enhance salt tolerance in rice is a topical issue. In this study, 120 recombinant inbred line populations were generated through nonstop multi-generation selfing using a male indica rice variety Huazhan (Oryza sativa L. subsp. indica cv. 'HZ') and a female variety of Nekken2 (Oryza sativa L. subsp. japonica cv. 'Nekken2') as the parents. Germination under 80 mM NaCl conditions was measured and analyzed, and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was completed using a genetic map. A total of 16 salt-tolerance QTL ranges were detected at bud stage in rice, which were situated on chromosomes 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The maximum limit of detection was 4.69. Moreover, the qST12.3 was narrowed to a 192 kb region on chromosome 12 using map-based cloning strategy. Statistical analysis of the expression levels of these candidate genes under different NaCl concentrations by qRT-PCR revealed that qST12.3 (LOC_Os12g25200) was significantly downregulated with increasing NaCl concentration, and the expression level of the chlorine-transporter-encoding gene LOC_Os12g25200 in HZ was significantly higher than that of Nekken2 under 0 mM NaCl. Sequencing analysis of LOC_Os12g25200 promoter region indicated that the gene expression difference between parents may be due to eight base differences in the promoter region. Through QTL mining and analysis, a plurality of candidate genes related to salt tolerance in rice was obtained, and the results showed that LOC_Os12g25200 might negatively regulate salt tolerance in rice. The results provide the basis for further screening and cultivation of salt-tolerant rice varieties and have laid the foundation for elucidating further molecular regulation mechanisms of salt tolerance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchically porous reduced graphene oxide/SnIn4S8 (RGO/SnIn4S8) composites with visible-light response and strong mineralization ability were first successfully prepared by a facile low-temperature co-precipitation method, and were characterized by X ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), UV-Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), Raman spectra and Photoluminescence (PL) techniques. RGO/SnIn4S8 composite exhibits strong absorption in UV and visible-light range. The optimized 5% RGO/SnIn4S8 possesses the optimal photocatalytic degradation efficiency and the best mineralization performance with complete degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) within 70 min and 73.17% mineralization yield within 160 min under visible-light irradiation, which is much higher than that of pure SnIn4S8. The main reactive species, which play crucial roles in the degradation and mineralization of RhB, follow the order of h+ > xO2- > xOH. The intermediate products of RhB degradation were analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), and the possible degradation pathways and mechanism were proposed. Moreover, 5% RGO/SnIn4S8 exhibits excellent reusability and stability without an obvious decrease in photocatalytic activity after four consecutive photocatalytic degradation-regeneration experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile synthesis of potential acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, the tacrine analogues 3a-p, has been accomplished by direct cyclocondensation of 1-aryl-4-cyano-5-aminopyrazole with β-ketoesters using tin(IV) chloride as catalyst. The structures of all the compounds have been confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]