Can radiomics improve the prediction of metastatic relapse of myxoid/round cell liposarcomas?

European Radiology - The strongest adverse prognostic factor in myxoid/round cell liposarcomas (MRC-LPS) is the presence of a round cell component above 5% within the tumor bulk. Its identification...     

Comparative analysis of biological activities of Der p I-derived peptides on Fc epsilon receptor-bearing cells from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-sensitive patients.

The ability of four uncoupled synthetic peptides (p52-71, p117-133, p176-187, p188-199) derived from Der p I, a major allergen from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) to stimulate Fc epsilon R+ cells from Dpt-sensitive patients was comparatively analysed. Each free peptide may specifically stimulate basophils (Fc epsilon RI+ cells) and platelets (Fc epsilon RII+ cells) from patients with significant levels of anti-Der p I IgE antibodies; p52-71 and p117-133 appear the best cell stimulation inducers. Both concentration-dependent biological activities of Der p I-peptide on Fc epsilon R+ cells are enhanced by coupling peptide to a carrier (as human serum albumin). Interestingly each Der p I-sensitive patient tested presents an individual pattern of response to peptide. Thus, from our results it appears that different Der p I sequences could be involved in the immune response to Der p I.     

Analysis of behavioral and hippocampal variation in congenic albino and pigmented BALB mice

Mice of the BALB/c strain are widely used in behavioral research in spite of the albino condition, which can obscure brain-behavior relationships. We have developed a pigmented BALB strain, congenic to BALB/c, which could be more appropriate for neurogenetic studies that aim at identifying the effects of neurological mutations on behavior. Comparison of inbred albino and pigmented congenic BALB arising from the same litters provides a valuable tool for detecting the consequences of the albino mutation on behavioral performances. Preliminary results presented here show that the albino condition does not interfere with the development and patterns of connectivity of mossy fibers in the hippocampus. On the other hand, obvious coat color-linked differences appear for locomotor activity and defecation scores in the open field, pigmented mice being unexpectedlyl less active and more reactive than albino, as if better vision increased their reactions to a novel, anxiogenic environment. Finally, pigmented mice do not show better performances in the radial maze, which confirms that the inability of BALB mice for spatial learning in a highly demanding version of this task cannot be attributed to their inability to process visual information.     

Behavioral development in mice: Effects of maternal environment and the albino locus

We examined the interaction of the albino locus with the maternal environment on the behavioral development of two coisogenic strains of mice. Subjects of the pigmented C57BL/6 strain (=B6^+/+) and of the albino C57BL/6^c2J strain (=B6^c/c) were either fostered by a mother of their own strain or cross-fostered at birth to an F₁ hybrid dam. They were compared for the amount and daily distribution of activity displayed during 48 h in a seminatural device at weaning and when 75 days old. Food hoarding in the nest and food consumption at the food-search place were also recorded in adult subjects. When animals were fostered by a mother of their own strain, albino mice were more active and less nocturnal than pigmented mice at both ages. They hoarded less food in the nest and ate more at the food-search place. Most of these differences disappeared when both strains were fostered by an F₁ dam. The amount of activity displayed during 48 h increased between 21 and 75 days of age. This increase was affected by cross-fostering to an F₁ dam in B6^c/c mice only. The developmental pattern of daily distribution of activity was changed by F₁ dams in B6^+/+ mice only. Whereas these influences of F₁ dams produced subjects resembling the mother's phenotypic score, maternal effects on hoarding behavior in B6^c/c mice produced subjects which did not resemble their foster mother. The results are discussed in terms of different possible ways of hereditary transmission of behavior and some methodological consequences are emphasized.     

Two QTLs Located on Chromosomes 1 and 5 Modulate Different Aspects of the Performance of Mice of the B × D Ty RI Strain Series in the Morris Navigation Task

The Morris navigation task is widely used to study spatial abilities in rodents; namely, to analyze the effects of mutations in genetically engineered mice. Although quantitative and Mendelian genetic studies have shown that the variation of these abilities is partly under genetic control, little is known about these genetic factors. In order to analyze the genetic architecture of spatial navigation in mice, a wide genome scan was performed to map the QTLs that control various aspects of the performance, using the RI strain methodology. Latencies to locate the submerged platform across learning sessions and performance to the spatial probe test were analyzed in the 26 strains of the B × D RI series. Both cluster analysis of behavioral measurements and QTL mapping confirmed previous data showing that the escape latencies and the spatial bias rely on two distinct components of the task, controlled by different loci. A QTL on chromosome 1 influenced escape latencies during the four training sessions, whereas another QTL, located on chromosome 5, was shown to control spatial performance at the probe trial and also exhibited epistatic interactions with two other QTLs on chromosomes 2 and 13. The function of these QTLs is examined in the broader context of hippocampal-dependent learning processes and in relation to QTLs already found in similar positions in other behavioral traits.     

Barriers and Facilitators to Participation in Health Screening: an Umbrella Review Across Conditions

Prevention Science - Screening is an essential prevention practice for a number of health conditions. However, screening coverage remains generally low. Studies that investigate determinants of...     

Stimulation of axon growth from the spinal cord by a regenerating limb blastema in newts

The effects of limb blastemas of Pleurodeles waltl on axon growth from fragments of spinal cord were studied in vitro. Cultured in a defined medium, spinal cord fragments regenerated sparse, short axons. The culture of spinal fragments in the presence of blastemas greatly enhanced the length, number and survival of axons. Testing separately each of the two components of the blastema showed that only the mesenchyme exerts a neurotropic effect on the spinal fragments. Other tissues such as muscle or skin had a limited neurotrophic effect. Additionally, the neurotrophic activity of blastemas seems to be dependent of its proliferation status. Compared with blastemas of regenerating limbs from young animals, irradiated blastemas (devoid of mitotic activity) and blastemas of regenerating limbs from old animals or differentiated blastemas (both characterized by a low mitotic activity), exhibited a weaker neurotrophic influence. The blastema neurotrophic factor is not an attachment molecule but a soluble one and cannot be nerve growth factor (NGF) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF). It has a relatively low molecular weight (less than 15 kDa) and its protein nature was ascertained by its sensitivity to heating and proteases. As the production of this mesenchyme-derived neurotrophic factor depends upon mesenchymal cell proliferation of the blastema, we suggest that there is loop of positive regulation between spinal nerves and blastema. Blastema tissues may stimulate nerve regeneration allowing the stimulation of proliferation of blastema cells by regenerating nerve fibers. Alternatively, blastema cells may produce a neurotrophic factor whose secretion might be dependent on cell proliferation.