Subdental synchondrosis and anatomy of the axis in aging: a histomorphometric study on 30 autopsy cases

During skeletal development the two ossification centers of the odontoid process are separated from the corpus of the axis by a subdental synchondrosis. This synchondrosis is thought to close and disappear spontaneously in adolescence although this has never been studied in detail. The basis of the dens is of clinical relevance as type II dens fractures are located here. To characterize the morphological architecture of the axis with particular attention to the subdental synchondrosis, the complete axis was harvested from thirty age-matched and gender-matched patients of the three different age groups at autopsy. The subdental synchondrosis and the bone structure of the dens, the basis of the dens and the body of C2 were analyzed by radiography, histology and quantitative histomorphometry. At the macroscopic level the persistency of the subdental synchondrosis in the adult cervical spine was detected in 87% (26 of 30) of the specimens. Histomorphometry revealed a residual disc blastema with an average size of 25.8% of the sagittal depth of the basis of the dens at this level. Bony integration of the synchondrosis was poor throughout all ages. Histologically a cartilaginous matrix composition of the subdental synchondrosis persisted throughout all groups. The trabecular microarchitecture demonstrated a significant reduction of bone volume and trabecular number as well as an increased trabecular separation within the basis of the dens as compared to the corpus or the dens of C2. This histomorphometric data regarding a poor integration of the synchondrosis into the trabecular network and the reduced bone mass within the basis of the dens might offer a previously underestimated explanation for the occurrence of type II dens fractures and their association with pseudoarthrosis, respectively.Matthias Gebauer and Christian Lohse contributed equally to this study and therefore share first authorship.     

骨细胞的功能：生物学研究和机理探讨

骨细胞（osteocyte）是在矿化骨基质内名副其实的骨的细胞（bonecell）。通过细胞突触，骨细胞彼此相连，很可能也与骨髓中某些细胞相接，从而形成三维细胞网络。从骨的超微结构看，骨细胞处于很理想的位置，可以担当骨生理的重要调节因子。然而，由于骨细胞处于矿化骨基质深层，对其功能了解甚少。但随着新技术方法的应用，就有可能对这种成骨细胞系中的终末分化细胞进行深入研究，人们也由此对骨细胞的兴趣大增。骨细胞被认为是骨的机械应力感受器，它有可能参与骨重建。骨细胞能分泌具有调节成骨细胞功能的硬骨素（sclerostin）。一种能降低肾脏磷回吸收的激素——调磷因子FGF23也主要源白骨细胞。随着我们对骨细胞了解的深入，清楚显示，骨细胞不仅能影响局部骨转换活性，而且对全身矿物质的体内平衡也有多种功能。因此，对骨细胞的研究，可以为代谢性骨病的治疗探索新的途径。     

The inheritance of microstructure variation in the song of four generations of Roller canaries

The microstructure of the calls and songs of four generations of Roller canaries was analyzed and compared. Many of the characteristics of the internal structure of the syllable show distributions in the progeny that suggest quantitative inheritance. The presence or absence of an underharmonic and the presence of a block underharmonic show a qualitative type of inheritance.     

Ethylene–Propylene Copolymerisations: Effect of Metallocene Structure on Termination Reactions and Polymer Microstructure

Summary: Ethylene–propylene (EP) copolymerisations were performed with two sterically different metallocenes activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO) in an attempt to better understand the effect of catalyst structure on termination reactions and polymer microstructure. The metallocene precursors under investigation were rac‐dimethylsilylbis(2‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1‐indenyl)zirconium dichloride ( 1 ) and a more sterically hindered counterpart rac‐dimethylsilylbis(2‐isopropyl‐4‐[3,5‐dimethylphenyl]indenyl) zirconium dichloride ( 2 ). For both catalyst systems, the most common termination mechanism was chain transfer to aluminium. In addition, for polymer samples polymerised with 1 /MAO, chain growth was terminated by chain transfer to Zr metal in propylene‐rich polymerisations and by chain transfer to ethylene monomer in ethylene‐rich polymerisations. The steric hindrance of 2 was able to suppress the chain transfer to the ethylene monomer, and chain transfer to Zr metal was also found in the ethylene‐rich polymerisations. The greater steric hindrance of 2 also affected the EP copolymer microstructure: regioregularity in the propylene‐rich copolymers was greater and isotacticity less with 2 /MAO than with 1 /MAO.

The catalyst precursors used: rac‐dimethylsilylbis(2‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1‐indenyl)zirconium dichloride ( 1 ) and rac‐dimethylsilylbis(2‐isopropyl‐4‐[3,5‐dimethylphenyl]indenyl) zirconium dichloride ( 2 ).     

Drinking spout orifice size affects licking behavior in inbred mice

Using a lickometer, we assessed the effect of drinking spout orifice size on the licking behavior of inbred mice [C57BL/6J, SWR/J, 129P3/J and DBA/2J]. Animals licked from drinking spout sipper tubes that had what were defined as either a large (2.7 mm) or a small (1.5 mm) orifice. Mice took approximately twice as many licks from a stationary single small orifice drinking spout than when licking from a spout with a large orifice during separate 30-min sessions. However, their total intake volume was approximately the same. We calculated that mice received a mean of 0.55 muL per lick from the drinking tubes with a small orifice and a mean of 1.15 muL per lick from the drinking tubes with a large orifice. Thus, the animals appear to have regulated their fluid intake by proportionally adjusting their licking as a function of the lick volume. On average, this regulation occurred through modulation of the size of licking bursts and not their frequency. However, strain differences in compensation strategy were observed. When licking was restricted to a series of 5-s trials in a 30-min brief access test session, the smaller orifice size increased the range of responsiveness that was expressed. Mice increased their average licks per trial by 20% and took 60% more trials when licking from a spout with a small orifice. Interestingly, when the orifice size was quasi-randomly varied within a brief access session, licking was greater from large orifice drinking spouts, suggesting that water delivered from the two orifice sizes differs in its reinforcement efficacy. These findings demonstrate that drinking spout orifice size can significantly influence experimental outcomes in licking tests involving mice and care should be taken in controlling this variable in testing the effects of taste or other factors on ingestive behavior.     

Multidimensional Chromatographic and Hyphenated Techniques for Hydrophilic Copolymers, 1

Summary: The chromatographic analysis of hydrophilic copolymers is complicated due to the fact that in most cases aqueous eluents must be used. In aqueous eluents different polar and ionic effects may disturb the selective interactions between the macromolecules and the stationary phase making it impossible to separate such copolymers with regard to chemical composition. Therefore, 2D chromatography combining a separation according to composition with a separation according to molar mass has been applied mostly to polymers that are soluble in organic solvents. The present contribution describes experimental approaches to analyze such hydrophilic copolymers by 2D‐chromatography. For a model polymer system resulting from the copolymerization of methacrylic acid and a poly(ethylene glycol) macromonomer, it is shown that different analytical techniques including SEC, LC‐CC, MALDI‐TOF MS and 2D chromatography can be used to analyze the different parameters of molecular heterogeneity of such copolymers.

2D separation of poly(MPEG‐MM 2), 1^st dimension: LC‐CC, 2^nd dimension: SEC.     

The Development of Stereoerrors During the Homo‐ and Copolymerization of Propylene Using C2‐Symmetric Metallocene Catalysts – A Cautionary Note

Summary: A recent paper described the development of atactic sequences during the copolymerization of propylene and 1‐pentene using the C₂‐symmetric metallocene catalyst rac‐dimethylsilyl‐bis(2‐methylbenz(e)indenyl) zirconium dichloride. We have found similar stereoerrors, and showed that atactic material could in fact be extracted from the material, indicating that the catalyst in question had probably isomerized in solution, leading to a mixture of isotactic and atactic polymers.

     

山药配方颗粒溶化性差的原因分析与解决策略

山药配方颗粒由山药饮片经水煎煮提取、分离、浓缩、干燥、制粒而成,具有调剂简单、使用方便、免煎易服等优势。然而,因山药富含淀粉与黏液质类成分,其提取物粉末与配方颗粒溶化性差,在5 min内难以完全溶化或分散,不溶物即使在水中静置24 h也难以完全溶散,影响了配方颗粒的质量评价与患者的服药心理。因此,通过研究山药提取物及其配方颗粒的溶化过程与机制,发现山药特殊的化学组成、高温提取过程中淀粉的变性及其与蛋白质等物质的复合、喷雾干燥过程中“衣膜”的收缩形成等因素综合叠加,最终形成“衣膜”包覆淀粉粒的特殊微观结构,是山药配方颗粒溶化性差的根本原因。基于课题组前期对粉体结构-性质-功能的研究,笔者提出采用粉体改性工艺改善山药配方颗粒溶化性的技术策略,并通过实验证明改性处理后的山药配方颗粒能在2 min内实现全部溶散,解决了该技术难题,可为其他类似品种的溶化性改善提供借鉴,推动中药配方颗粒产业的高质量发展。     

ACEI对去卵巢骨质疏松大鼠激肽释放酶-激肽系统及骨丢失的影响

目的探究血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂(angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor,ACEI)卡托普利对去卵巢(OVX)骨质疏松大鼠骨丢失及激肽释放酶-激肽(kallikrein-kinin system,KKS)系统的影响。方法去卵巢法制备绝经骨质疏松大鼠模型,分为OVX组、ACEI组[6 mg/(kg·d)卡托普利]、阳性对照雌激素组[0.05 mg/(kg·d)己烯雌酚],另不去卵巢为Sham组。给药8周后,全自动生化分析仪检测血清钙(Ca)、Ⅰ型前胶原N-端肽(PINP)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、骨钙素(OCN)、抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶(TRAP)及Ⅰ型胶原交联C端肽β序列(β-CTX)水平,微型计算机断层摄影术(micro CT)法检测骨密度及微结构,TRAP法观察骨组织破骨细胞数量,Western blot法检测骨组织中骨形态发生蛋白2(BMP2)、Runt相关转录因子2(Runx2)、组织激肽释放酶(KLK)、缓激肽受体1(B1R)及缓激肽(BK)蛋白表达。结果相较于Sham组,OVX组大鼠骨密度、骨小梁数量及厚度、骨体积分数、SMI、PINP、ALP、OCN水平、BMP2、Runx2蛋白表达均降低(P均0.05),骨小梁分离度、TRAP、β-CTX水平、破骨细胞数量、KLK、B1R及BK蛋白水平均增加(P均0.05)。相较于OVX组,ACEI组、阳性组大鼠骨密度、骨小梁数量及厚度、骨体积分数、SMI、PINP、ALP、OCN水平、BMP2、Runx2蛋白表达均增加,骨小梁分离度、TRAP、β-CTX水平、破骨细胞数量、KLK、B1R及BK蛋白水平降低(P0.05)。结论 ACEI可抑制KKS系统,降低破骨细胞活性减少骨吸收,增强成骨细胞活性增加骨形成,提高骨密度,改善骨微结构,进而改善OVX大鼠骨质疏松症状。