Genetic Evidence that Dorsal Spinal Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells are Capable of Myelinating Ventral Axons Effectively in Mice

In the developing spinal cord, the majority of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are induced in the ventral neuroepithelium under the control of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, whereas a small subset of OPCs are generated from the dorsal neuroepithelial cells independent of the Shh pathway. Although dorsally-derived OPCs (dOPCs) have been shown to participate in local axonal myelination in the dorsolateral regions during development, it is not known whether they are capable of migrating into the ventral region and myelinating ventral axons. In this study, we confirmed and extended the previous study on the developmental potential of dOPCs in the absence of ventrally-derived OPCs (vOPCs). In Nestin-Smo conditional knockout (cKO) mice, when ventral oligodendrogenesis was blocked, dOPCs were found to undergo rapid amplification, spread to ventral spinal tissue, and eventually differentiated into myelinating OLs in the ventral white matter with a temporal delay, providing genetic evidence that dOPCs are capable of myelinating ventral axons in the mouse spinal cord.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s12264-020-00593-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A2B5-positive oligodendrocyte precursor cell transplantation improves neurological deficits in rats following spinal cord contusion associated with changes in expression of factors involved in the Notch signaling pathway

BackgroundOligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are myelinated glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS), able to regenerate oligodendrocytes and myelin. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of A2B5-positive (A2B5+) OPC transplantation in rats with spinal cord contusion (SCC) and to investigate changes in expression of various factors involved in the Notch signaling pathway after OPC transplantation.MethodsOPCs were obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) originating from mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). After identification of iPSCs and iPSC-derived OPCs, A2B5+ OPCs were transplanted into the injured site of rats with SCC one week after SCC insult. Behavioral tests evaluated motor and sensory function 7 days after OPC transplantation. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) determined the expression of various cytokines related to the Notch signaling pathway after OPC transplantation.ResultsIPSC-derived OPCs were successfully generated from MEFs, as indicated by positive immunostaining of A2B5, PDGFα and NG2. Further differentiation of OPCs was identified by immunostaining of Olig2, Sox10, Nkx2.2, O4, MBP and GFAP. Importantly, myelin formation was significantly enhanced in the SCC+ OPC group and SCI-induced motor and sensory dysfunction was largely alleviated by A2B5+ OPC transplantation. Expression of factors involved in the Notch signaling pathway (Notch-1, Numb, SHARP1 and NEDD4) was significantly increased after OPC transplantation.ConclusionsA2B5+ OPC transplantation attenuates motor and sensory dysfunction in SCC rats by promoting myelin formation, which may be associated with change in expression of factors involved in the Notch signaling pathway.     

H3.3-K27M drives neural stem cell-specific gliomagenesis in a human iPSC-derived model

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Adult myelination： wrapping up neuronal plasticity

In this review, we outline the major neural plasticity mechanisms that have been identified in the adult central nervous system （CNS）, and offer a perspective on how they regulate CNS function. In particular we examine how myelin plasticity can operate alongside neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity to influence information processing and transfer in the mature CNS.     

热休克蛋白60在激活的少突胶质前体细胞的表达

目的研究热休克蛋白60(HSP60)在重组人干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)和重组人热休克蛋白60(rhHSP60)激活的少突胶质前体细胞中的表达情况。方法分离SD大鼠的少突胶质细胞前体细胞(OPC),经IFN-γ和rhHSP60激活后,应用western blot方法检测细胞中的HSP60蛋白的表达;采用ELISA方法检测细胞培养液中炎症因子TNF-α及IL-6的释放量。结果经IFN-γ和rhHSP60分别激活后,OPC胞体内的HSP60蛋白表达均显著升高,胞外TNF-α及IL-6的释放量也明显增加。结论在激活状态下,OPC中的HSP60蛋白表达显著增高,刺激细胞产生大量炎症因子,从而参与细胞的应激反应。     

Teat Morphology Characterization With 3D Imaging

The objective of this study was to visualize, in a novel way, the morphological characteristics of bovine teats to gain a better understanding of the detailed teat morphology. We applied silicone casting and 3D digital imaging in order to obtain a more detailed image of the teat structures than that seen in previous studies. Teat samples from 65 dairy cows over 12 months of age were obtained from cows slaughtered at an abattoir. The teats were classified according to the teat condition scoring used in Finland and the lengths of the teat canals were measured. Silicone molds were made from the external teat surface surrounding the teat orifice and from the internal surface of the teat consisting of the papillary duct, Fürstenberg's rosette, and distal part of the teat cistern. The external and internal surface molds of 35 cows were scanned with a 3D laser scanner. The molds and the digital 3D models were used to evaluate internal and external teat surface morphology. A number of measurements were taken from the silicone molds. The 3D models reproduced the morphology of the teats accurately with high repeatability. Breed didn't correlate with the teat classification score. The rosette was found to have significant variation in its size and number of mucosal folds. The internal surface morphology of the rosette did not correlate with the external surface morphology of the teat implying that it is relatively independent of milking parameters that may impact the teat canal and the external surface of the teat. Anat Rec, 298:1359–1366, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Mechanical Properties and Eco-Efficiency of Steel Fiber Reinforced Alkali-Activated Slag Concrete

Conventional concrete production that uses ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a binder seems unsustainable due to its high energy consumption, natural resource exhaustion and huge carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. To transform the conventional process of concrete production to a more sustainable process, the replacement of high energy-consumptive PC with new binders such as fly ash and alkali-activated slag (AAS) from available industrial by-products has been recognized as an alternative. This paper investigates the effect of curing conditions and steel fiber inclusion on the compressive and flexural performance of AAS concrete with a specified compressive strength of 40 MPa to evaluate the feasibility of AAS concrete as an alternative to normal concrete for CO₂ emission reduction in the concrete industry. Their performances are compared with reference concrete produced using OPC. The eco-efficiency of AAS use for concrete production was also evaluated by binder intensity and CO₂ intensity based on the test results and literature data. Test results show that it is possible to produce AAS concrete with compressive and flexural performances comparable to conventional concrete. Wet-curing and steel fiber inclusion improve the mechanical performance of AAS concrete. Also, the utilization of AAS as a sustainable binder can lead to significant CO₂ emissions reduction and resources and energy conservation in the concrete industry.     

单组目标值试验样本量计算方法的比较研究

目的探讨设计以率作为终点评价指标的单组目标值试验时,不同样本量计算方法间的区别。方法通过样本量计算原理与计算结果的比较,分析不同样本量计算方法间的差异,进一步通过MonteCarlo随机模拟方法,探讨使用不同方法所得样本量估计实际的检验把握度,验证所得结果的正确性。结果当预计事件发生率P和目标值P。相差10％时,近似正态法和一般精确概率法所得样本量和把握度较相近,但是当P接近1．0时（P〉0．85）,精确概率法所得样本量略低于近似正态法,且把握度明显低于近似正态法。小概率事件的精确概率法所需样本量始终低于近似正态法和一般精确概率法。随机模拟显示,在相同的参数设置下,近似正态法给出的样本量能够提供足够的研究把握度,而小概率事件的精确概率法所得样本量能提供的把握度过低。结论如果要检验某医疗器械的使用成功率是否不低于某个临床认可的标准,按照近似正态法计算的样本量,更能提供足够的检验把握度,尤其对于小规模的临床试验。     

TRANSFORM (Multicenter Experience With Rapid Deployment Edwards INTUITY Valve System for Aortic Valve Replacement) US clinical trial: Performance of a rapid deployment aortic valve

Background

The TRANSFORM (Multicenter Experience With Rapid Deployment Edwards INTUITY Valve System for Aortic Valve Replacement) trial (NCT01700439) evaluated the performance of the INTUITY rapid deployment aortic valve replacement (RDAVR) system in patients with severe aortic stenosis.