Ni‐Catalyzed Polymerization of Poly(3‐alkoxythiophene)s

The Ni‐catalyzed polymerization of P3AOTs was studied and compared with the controlled chain‐growth polymerization of P3ATs. By varying the ratio of the initial monomer concentration to the initiator concentration, no linear dependence of the molar mass was observed, revealing that the polymerization does not proceed via a controlled mechanism. This was also confirmed by analyzing the end‐groups of the polymer with MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. To acquire more information on the polymerization mechanism, the formation of the actual monomer and the polymerization reaction were studied into more detail. These experiments proved that the polymerization proceeds via a chain‐growth mechanism, although not in a controlled way.

     

A case of epithelioid hemangioma of the spine

Epithelioid hemangioma is a rare and benign vascular tumor, most often occurring in the skin. Numerous other localizations, including bones, have been reported. The overall favorable clinical outcome of cutaneous epithelioid hemangioma is now well documented, but it still remains debated in osseous localization, as local recurrences and metastases have been described. We report a case of epithelioid hemangioma of the spine occurring in a 25-year-old male, and discuss main differential diagnoses. Recent studies tend to demonstrate that osseous epithelioid hemangioma, as cutaneous epithelioid hemangioma, should be considered as a benign tumor. Histologically, epithelioid hemangioma consists of a vascular proliferation with diffuse or lobular pattern and features vascular spaces lined by epitheliod endothelial cells with numerous lymphocytes and eosinophils. The main differential diagnosis is represented by epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, the surgical treatment of which must be more aggressive. Precise histological diagnosis is essential for accurate clinical management and to avoid overtreatment.     

Egg and sperm quality in fish

Fish egg quality can be defined as the ability of the egg to be fertilized and subsequently develop into a normal embryo. Similarly, sperm quality can be defined as its ability to successfully fertilize an egg and subsequently allow the development of a normal embryo. In the wild or under aquaculture conditions, the quality of fish gametes can be highly variable and is under the influence of a significant number of external factors or broodstock management practices. For these reasons, the topic of gamete quality has received increasing attention. Despite the significant efforts made towards a better understanding of the factors involved in the control of gamete quality, the picture is far from being complete and the control of gamete quality remains an issue in the aquaculture industry. Some of the factors responsible for the observed variability of gamete quality remain largely unknown or poorly understood. In addition very little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the control of egg and sperm quality. In the present review, the molecular and cellular characteristics of fish gametes are presented with a special interest for the mechanisms that could participate in the regulation of gamete quality. Then, after defining egg and sperm quality, and how can it can be accurately estimated or predicted, we provide an overview of the main factors that can impact gamete quality in teleosts.     

Thoracic causes of acute abdominal pain

The origin of abdominal pain may be extra-abdominal, caused by a thoracic illness. This article illustrates the various thoracic disorders that may present with acute abdominal pain. An erroneous focus on the abdomen alone can easily lead to misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment. In cases of unexplained acute abdominal pain, radiologists should be aware of also viewing beyond the borders of the abdomen. The key to most of these thoracic diagnoses is detection of pulmonary consolidation, pleural fluid or pericardial fluid.     

Contribution of night and day sleep vs. simple passage of time to the consolidation of motor sequence and visuomotor adaptation learning

There is increasing evidence supporting the notion that the contribution of sleep to consolidation of motor skills depends on the nature of the task used in practice. We compared the role of three post-training conditions in the expression of delayed gains on two different motor skill learning tasks: finger tapping sequence learning (FTSL) and visuomotor adaptation (VMA). Subjects in the DaySleep and ImmDaySleep conditions were trained in the morning and at noon, respectively, afforded a 90-min nap early in the afternoon and were re-tested 12 h post-training. In the NightSleep condition, subjects were trained in the evening on either of the two learning paradigms and re-tested 12 h later following sleep, while subjects in the NoSleep condition underwent their training session in the morning and were re-tested 12 h later without any intervening sleep. The results of the FTSL task revealed that post-training sleep (day-time nap or night-time sleep) significantly promoted the expression of delayed gains at 12 h post-training, especially if sleep was afforded immediately after training. In the VMA task, however, there were no significant differences in the gains expressed at 12 h post-training in the three conditions. These findings suggest that “off-line” performance gains reflecting consolidation processes in the FTSL task benefit from sleep, even a short nap, while the simple passage of time is as effective as time in sleep for consolidation of VMA to occur. They also imply that procedural memory consolidation processes differ depending on the nature of task demands. J. Doyon and M. Korman contributed equally.     

Human lung myofibroblasts as effectors of the inflammatory process: the common receptor gamma chain is induced by Th2 cytokines,and CD40 ligand is induced by lipopolysaccharide,thrombin and TNF-alpha

The common gamma (gamma c) chain, shared by Th1 and Th2 cytokines, is fundamental for the activation of hematopoietic cells, but its role in non-hematopoietic tissues has not been explored. Here we show that in normal lung fibroblasts IL-4 and IL-13 induce the expression of the gamma c chain and its association with Janus kinase (JAK) 3, while lung myofibroblasts constitutively express a gamma c chain displaying a limited association with JAK3. In the latter cells, without exogenous cytokines, gamma c/JAK3 controls, through autocrine loops, tyrosine kinase (TYK) 2 phosphorylation and the balance between functional (IL-4Ralpha, IL-13Ralpha 1) and decoy (IL-13Ralpha 2) high-affinity receptors. Moreover, JAK3 is also associated with a pre-phosphorylated IL-4Ralpha and CD40. This novel "heterotrimer" (p-IL-4Ralpha, CD40/JAK3) is functional and controls STAT3 phosphorylation and CD40 expression, as shown by use of the specific JAK3 inhibitor WHI-P31. In basal culture conditions, CD40 signaling could be induced by the transient establishment of inter-fibroblastic CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) functional bridges. Indeed, powerful pro-inflammatory stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide and thrombin can rapidly mobilize CD40L at the surface of lung myofibroblasts. These interactions are modified by IL-13, which triggers the formation of a new type of functional receptor (p-IL-4Ralpha /IL-13Ralpha 1/gamma c) and also the recruitment and the phosphorylation of JAK3. Treatment with JAK3 inhibitors blocks IL-13-induced phosphorylation of JAK2, TYK2 and STAT3, but not of JAK1 and STAT6. These data underline (1) the pivotal role of the gamma c chain, CD40/CD40L, JAK3 and IL-13 in the inflammatory-like activation of lung myofibroblasts, (2) the cell-type restraint effects of IL-13 on these cells, and (3) the potential usefulness of JAK3 inhibitors in the treatment of asthma.     

Application of inter-simple sequence repeat PCR to mouse models: assessment of genetic alterations in carcinogenesis

Genomic instability is believed to play a significant role in cancer development by facilitating tumor progression and tumor heterogeneity. Inter-simple sequence repeat (inter-SSR) PCR has been proved to be a fast and reproducible technique for quantitation of genomic instability (amplifications, deletions, translocations, and insertions) in human sporadic tumors. However, the use of inter-SSR PCR in animal models of cancer has never been described. This new technique has been adapted in our laboratory for the analysis of spontaneous and induced mouse tumors. We established the best PCR conditions for each microsatellite-anchored primer and critically evaluated the reproducibility of the band patterns. We also studied the variation of the fingerprints between and within various inbred mouse strains, including wild-derived lines. Tumor-specific alterations were detected as gains, losses, or intensity changes in bands when compared with matched normal DNA. We quantitated the extent of alterations by dividing the number of altered bands in the tumor by the total number of bands in normal DNA (instability index). By means of inter-SSR PCR, we successfully analyzed genomic alterations in various mouse tumors, including spontaneous thymic lymphomas developed in Msh2 knockout mice as well as chemically induced squamous cell carcinomas and thymic lymphomas. Instability index values ranged between 0 and 9%, the highest levels observed in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced thymic lymphomas generated in Trp53 (p53) nullizygote (-/-) mice. We report here, for the first time, the use of inter-SSR PCR to detect somatic mutations in mouse tumoral DNA, including laser-capture microdissected, methanol-fixed tissues. These PCR-based fingerprints provide a novel approach to assessing the number and onset of mutational events in mouse tumors and will help to understand better the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in mouse models.     

Structure, diversity and expression of the TCRdelta chains in the Mexican axolotl

Mammals and birds have two major populations of T cells, based on the molecular composition and biological properties of their antigen receptors (TCR). alpha beta T cells recognize antigenic peptides linked to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, and gamma delta T cells recognize native peptide or non-peptide antigens independently of MHC. Very little is known about gamma delta T cells in ectothermic vertebrates. We have cloned and characterized the TCRdelta chains of an urodele amphibian, the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). The Cdelta domain is structurally similar to its mammalian homologues and the transmembrane domain is very well conserved. Four of the six Valpha regions that can associate with Calpha (Valpha2, Valpha3, Valpha5 and Valpha6) can also associate with Cdelta, but no specific Vdelta regions were found. This suggests that the axolotl TRD locus is nested within the TRA locus, as in mammals, and that this organization has been present in all tetrapod vertebrates and in the common ancestor of Lissamphibians and mammals, for over 400 million years. Two Jdelta regions were identified, but no Ddelta segments were clearly recognized at the Vdelta-Jdelta junctions. This results in shorter and less variable CDR3 loops than in other vertebrates and the size range of the Vdelta-Jdelta junctions is similar to that of mammalian immunoglobulin light chains. Equivalent quantities of TRD mRNA were found in the lymphoid organs, and in the skin and the intestines of normal and thymectomized axolotls. The analysis of several Valpha/delta6-Cdelta and Vbeta7-Cbeta junctions showed that both the TCRdelta and the TCRbeta chains were limited in diversity in thymectomized axolotls.