BDNF is the best-characterized neurotrophin in terms of its gene structure and modulation, secretion processing, and signaling cascades following its release. In addition to diverse features at the genetic and molecular levels, the abundant expression in several regions of the central nervous system has implicated BDNF as a potent modulator in many aspects of neuronal development, as well as synaptic transmission and plasticity. Impairments in any of these critical functions likely contribute to a wide array of neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric diseases. In this review, we focus on a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, Rett syndrome (121T), which afflicts 1:15,000 women world-wide. We describe the consequences of loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in WIT, and then elaborate on the current understanding of how MeCP2 controls BDNF expression. Finally, we discuss the literature regarding alterations in BDNF levels in RU individuals and MeCP2-based mouse models, as well as recent progress in searching for rational therapeutic interventions. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'BDNF Regulation of Synaptic Structure, Function, and Plasticity'. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aims: We reported the attenuation of diabetes-induced renal dysfunction by exposure to multiple low-dose radiation (LDR) at 25 mGy every other day by suppressing renal oxidative damage. We here explored the optimal conditions of LDR to protect the kidney from diabetes. Main methods: Male C57BL/6J mice with type I diabetes were induced with multiple injections of low-dose streptozotocin. Diabetic mice received whole body X-irradiation at a dose of 12.5, 25 or 50 mGy every other day for either 4 or 8 weeks. Age-matched normal mice were similarly irradiated at the dose of 25 mGy for 4 or 8 weeks. The renal function and histopathological changes were examined at the 4th and 8th weeks of the study. Key findings: Diabetes induced renal dysfunction is shown by the decreased creatinine and increased microalbumin in the urine. Renal oxidative damage, detected by protein nitration and lipid oxidation, and remodeling, reflected by increased expression of connective tissue growth factor, collagen IV and fibronectin, were significantly increased in diabetic mice. All these renal pathological and function changes in diabetic mice were significantly attenuated by exposure to LDR at all regimens, among which, however, exposure to LDR at 12.5 mGy for 8 weeks provided the best protective effect on the kidney of diabetic mice. Significance: Our results suggest that whole-body LDR at 12.5 mGy every other day for 8 weeks is the optimal condition of LDR to protect the kidney from diabetes. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The complete convergence is obtained for the moving average processes associated to heavy-tailed distributions via integral test. As the applications, two versions of Chover's law of the iterated logarithm are deduced. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

We propose and demonstrate a reconfigurable microwave photonic filter (MPF) based on tunable dispersion-induced power fading (DIPF) in a dispersive element A multi-wavelength optical signal is used to generate the multi-taps of the MPF. A polarization modulator (PolM), a polarization controller (PC), and a polarizer are cascaded to build a new modulator which can be regarded as an intensity modulator, a phase modulator, or an intensity and phase hybrid modulator by adjusting the PC. A dispersive element is followed after the PC to generate the DIPF which is controllable by tuning the PC. In this way, the MPF is reconfigurable and tunable. The proposed method is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. The simulated results fit well with the experimental ones. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This paper considers optimal solutions of interval linear programming problems, in a unified framework. Necessary and sufficient conditions for checking (A, b)-strong optimality and (A, b, c)-strong optimality of interval linear programming with inequality constraints are developed. The features of the proposed methods are illustrated by some examples. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.