Aligned silk-based 3-D architectures for contact guidance in tissue engineering

An important challenge in the biomaterials field is to mimic the structure of functional tissues via cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) alignment and anisotropy. Toward this goal, silk-based scaffolds resembling bone lamellar structure were developed using a freeze-drying technique. The structure could be controlled directly by solute concentration and freezing parameters, resulting in lamellar scaffolds with regular morphology. Different post-treatments, such as methanol, water annealing and steam sterilization, were investigated to induce water stability. The resulting structures exhibited significant differences in terms of morphological integrity, structure and mechanical properties. The lamellar thicknesses were ∼2.6 μm for the methanol-treated scaffolds and ∼5.8 μm for water-annealed. These values are in the range of those reported for human lamellar bone. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) were seeded on these silk fibroin lamellar scaffolds and grown under osteogenic conditions to assess the effect of the microstructure on cell behavior. Collagen in the newly deposited ECM was found aligned along the lamellar architectures. In the case of methanol-treated lamellar structures, the hMSC were able to migrate into the interior of the scaffolds, producing a multilamellar hybrid construct. The present morphology constitutes a useful pattern onto which hMSC cells attach and proliferate for guided formation of a highly oriented extracellular matrix.

Hyaluronan tetrasaccharide in the cerebrospinal fluid is associated with self-repair of rats after chronic spinal cord compression

The objective of this study was to explore changes in hyaluronan levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a spinal cord compression model, to investigate whether hyaluronan tetrasaccharide was involved in this process, and to test the effects of hyaluronan tetrasaccharide on neuron and oligodendrocyte repair. We developed a chronic spinal cord compression model with various sizes of polymer sheets (1.5×0.7×0.3 mm(3); 5×1.5×0.7 mm(3)) that were implanted microsurgically underneath the C(5-6) laminae. The rats were divided into three groups: a sham group, a mildly compressed (MC) group, and a widely compressed (WC) group. Locomotor functional evaluations revealed that the behavioral function of the MC and WC groups dropped to their lowest level from the fourth to fifth week and gradually recovered thereafter. The hyaluronan levels in the CSF gradually increased after spinal cord compression. Furthermore, hyaluronan tetrasaccharide was involved in the hyaluronan change. In addition, we found that nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and cellular inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein 2 (c-IAP(2)) were co-expressed in neurons and oligodendrocytes, and caspase-3 expression gradually decreased in the compression model. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was upregulated in astrocytes at the fourth week post-compression. Hyaluronan tetrasaccharide (HA(4)) induced NF-κB and c-IAP(2) to suppress the H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in primary neuronal cultures and increased BDNF and VEGF expression in astrocytic cultures in vitro. These findings suggest that HA(4) in the CSF may associate with behavioral recovery by increasing the levels of NF-κB, c-IAP(2), and neurotrophic factors after chronic spinal cord compression.

Randomized phase II non-inferiority study (NO16853) of two different doses of capecitabine in combination with docetaxel for locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND

This phase II study investigated whether a lower-than-approved dose of capecitabine, plus docetaxel (XT), would improve tolerability versus standard-dose XT without compromising efficacy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Women aged ≥18 years with locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer resistant to anthracycline-based chemotherapy in the (neo)adjuvant, first- or second-line metastatic setting were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard-dose XT (capecitabine 1250 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14; docetaxel 75 mg/m(2), day 1 every 3 weeks) or low-dose XT (capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14; docetaxel as above). The primary objective was to demonstrate non-inferiority of low-dose to standard-dose XT in terms of progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

470 patients were randomly allocated in a 1 : 1 ratio to standard-dose or low-dose XT. Median PFS was 7.9 versus 5.8 months [hazard ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-1.43] in the standard-dose and low-dose arms, respectively. The upper limit of the 95% CI was above the predefined non-inferiority margin (1.35, P = 0.078). Secondary efficacy end points were consistent with PFS. The frequency and severity of adverse events was similar in both treatment arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-inferiority of low-dose to standard-dose XT in terms of PFS was not demonstrated; this may be due to regional subgroup effects.

Noggin is required for early development of murine upper incisors

BMP signaling plays crucial roles in the development of many organs, including the tooth. Equally important is BMP signaling homeostasis, as demonstrated by multiple organ defects in mice lacking the extracellular BMP antagonist Noggin. Here, we show that Noggin is initially expressed in the maxillary mesenchyme adjunct to the upper incisor at the initiation stage, and then in the developing teeth, including incisors and molars, from the bud stage. Noggin mutants develop normal molars and mandibular incisors, but form a single, medially located upper incisor that is arrested at the late bud stage. Histological and molecular marker analyses demonstrated that two distinct upper incisor placodes initiate independently at E11.5, but begin to fuse at E12.5, coupling with elevated cell proliferation rates in the developing tooth germs. We further found that Chordin and Gremlin, two other BMP antagonists, are co-expressed with Noggin in the developing lower incisor and molar teeth. These observations indicate the importance of BMP signaling homeostasis, and suggest a functional redundancy between BMP antagonists during tooth development.

Half-metallic antiferromagnet as a prospective material for spintronics

Spintronics is expected as the next-generation technology based on the novel notch of spin degree of freedom of electrons. Half-metals, a class of materials which behave as a metal in one spin direction and an insulator in the opposite spin direction, are ideal for spintronic applications. Half-metallic antiferromagnets as a subclass of half-metals are characterized further by totally compensated spin moments in a unit cell, and have the advantage of being able to generate fully spin-polarized current while exhibiting zero macroscopic magnetization. Considerable efforts have been devoted to the search for this novel material, from which we may get useful insights for prospective material exploration.

A genome-wide survey of copy number variation regions in various chicken breeds by array comparative genomic hybridization method

The discovery of copy number variation (CNV) in the genome has provided new insight into genomic polymorphism. Studies with chickens have identified a number of large CNV segments using a 385k comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) chip (mean length >140 kb). We present a detailed CNV map for local Chinese chicken breeds and commercial chicken lines using an Agilent 400k array CGH platform with custom-designed probes. We identified a total of 130 copy number variation regions (CNVRs; mean length = 25.70 kb). Of these, 104 (80.0%) were novel segments reported for the first time in chickens. Among the 104 novel CNVRs, 56 (53.8%) of the segments were non-coding sequences, 65 (62.5%) showed the gain of DNA and 40 (38.5%) showed the loss of DNA (one locus showed both loss and gain). Overlapping with the formal selective sweep data and the quantitative trait loci data, we identified four loci that might be considered to be high-confidence selective segments that arose during the domestication of chickens. Compared with the CNVRs reported previously, genes for the positive regulation of phospholipase A2 activity were discovered to be significantly over-represented in the novel CNVRs reported here by gene ontology analysis. Availability of our results should facilitate further research in the study of the genetic variability in chicken breeds.

Family quality of life of Chinese families of children with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

The concepts of quality of life and family quality of life (FQOL) are increasingly being studied in the field of intellectual disabilities (ID) in China as important frameworks for: (1) assessing families' need for supports and services; (2) guiding organisational and service delivery system changes; and (3) evaluating quality family outcomes. The present study focused on exploring the perceptions of Chinese families who have a child with an ID regarding FQOL as well as examining the factor structure of FQOL concept from Chinese families.

METHODS

The Chinese version of the Family Quality of Life Scale was used to survey Chinese families living in the urban and suburban areas of Beijing who have a child with ID. A total of 442 families participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factor structure of FQOL. Multivariate analysis was also used to examine group differences among families in terms of family demographic variables.

RESULTS

A five-factor structure of the FQOL construct was found in the Chinese sample, suggesting a similar factor structure found from US families in the literature. Different living conditions (e.g. housing and transportation) tended to affect significantly families' satisfaction ratings of their FQOL. It is also found that family income and severity of disability of the child are predictors of families' satisfaction ratings of FQOL.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary findings of this study suggest a cross-cultural factor structure comparability of FQOL between samples in the USA and China. Results call for further examination of the family-centred service and support as a mediator on the interactive relationship between family characteristics, family needs and FQOL outcomes.

Genetic variants in IFIH1 play opposite roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and chronic periodontitis

The IFIH1 gene is a key factor connecting environmental and genetic factors in the pathogenesis of immune-related diseases. We aimed to investigate whether it has effects on psoriasis, chronic periodontitis and skin test-positive penicillin allergy and to confirm whether these diseases have shared molecular mechanisms originating from shared genetics. Two common variants in IFIH1 were genotyped in 561 patients with psoriasis, 421 patients with chronic periodontitis, 175 patients with skin test-positive penicillin allergy and 1100 shared controls. Then, case-control study was used to analyse the association between IFIH1 and the three diseases. The allele distributions of rs1990760 and rs3747517 in the Chinese population are much different from the European population. The A allele of rs1990760 (OR = 1.30, P = 5.4 × 10(-3)) and A-G (rs1990760/rs3747517) haplotype (OR = 1.31, P = 3.8 × 10(-3)) were highly associated with the risk of psoriasis. However, the A allele of rs1990760 (OR = 0.73, P = 7.8 × 10(-3)) and A-G haplotype (OR = 0.71, P = 4.5 × 10(-3)) were identified as protective factors for chronic periodontitis. IFIH1 affects several immune-related diseases, including psoriasis and chronic periodontitis, and provides a molecular link between genetic susceptibility, viral infections and immune-related diseases. Moreover, we also confirm the hypothesis that shared molecular mechanisms from common genetic variants contribute to a spectrum of immune-related diseases.

The quantitative measurement of family quality of life: a review of available instruments

BACKGROUND

Family quality of life (FQOL) has emerged as an important outcome of service delivery for individuals with disabilities and their families. The purpose of this review was to explore the disparity of scale development approaches between families with children with disabilities and families from other populations and identify strengths to serve as a source of recommendations to improve the measurements of FQOL in the disability field.

METHOD

We conducted a keyword search of 25 databases. Sixteen measurement tools on FQOL, family well-being and family satisfaction currently used in the disability field, healthcare field and general family studies published in journals from 1980 to 2009 were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged from the detailed analysis and comparisons of the instruments: (1) description of the primary purpose and theoretical basis; (2) identification of the tool's respondents, domains, response formats and scoring strategies to assess family systems; and (3) summarisation of available psychometric information.

CONCLUSIONS

As family researchers continue their mission to conceptualise and theorise about FQOL, they should also promote the refinement of FQOL measurements and consider the implications from family instruments used in the healthcare and general family fields from the following aspects: (1) domains of FQOL; (2) units of analysis; (3) response format; (4) scoring choice; and (5) psychometric evaluation.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Soluble Amyloid Precursor Protein and β-Amyloid 42 in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica and Clinically Isolated Syndrome

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) accumulation in axonal ovoids is a sensitive marker for acute axonal injury in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. This study measured levels of α-cleaved soluble APP (αsAPP) and β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 42 MS, 10 neuromyelitis optica and 25 clinically isolated syndrome patients and 21 healthy controls, and analysed the correlation between αsAPP and Aβ42 levels and relevant clinical parameters. The CSF concentrations of αsAPP and Aβ42 in patients and controls were not significantly different. There was a significant inverse correlation in patients between CSF asAPP concentration and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), but no significant correlation between CSF Aβ42 concentration and EDSS. The concentration of αsAPP in the CSF of statin-treated patients was significantly higher than in those not treated with statins, suggesting that statins may have a neuroprotective effect. In conclusion, αsAPP was present at similar levels in the CSF of patients with neuromyelitis optica, MS and clinically isolated syndrome and healthy controls, and an inverse correlation existed between CSF αsAPP concentration and neurological disability.

Antibody Immobilization on Solid Surfaces: Methods and Applications

The correct immobilization of the antibody component is one of the most critical steps in the development of immunoassays, immunosensors and immunochromatography matrices. Advances in hybridoma technology and protein engineering have allowed traditional limitations of polyreactivity of antibody preparations, poor device stability and random orientation of binding pockets to be largely overcome, resulting in stable, sensitive, highly specific and enormously diverse immunoplatforms with applications in diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food and public safety. In this Chapter we introduce antibody structure and antibody-derived fragments, describe the most common methods of their immobilization and discuss ‘traditional’ applications of immobilized antibodies such as enzyme immunoassays and immunoaffinity chromatography, as well as exciting emerging uses in immunosensors, microarrays and nanomedicine.

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple novel loci associated with disease progression in subjects with mild cognitive impairment

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly population; however, knowledge about genetic risk factors involved in disease progression is limited. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using clinical decline as measured by changes in the Clinical Dementia Rating-sum of boxes as a quantitative trait to test for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were associated with the rate of progression in 822 Caucasian subjects of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). There was no significant association with disease progress for any of the recently identified disease susceptibility variants in CLU, CR1, PICALM, BIN1, EPHA1, MS4A6A, MS4A4E or CD33 following multiple testing correction. We did, however, identify multiple novel loci that reached genome-wide significance at the 0.01 level. These top variants (rs7840202 at chr8 in UBR5: P=4.27 × 10(-14); rs11637611 with a cluster of SNPs at chr15q23 close to the Tay-Sachs disease locus: P=1.07 × 10(-15); and rs12752888 at chr1: P=3.08 × 10(-11)) were also associated with a significant decline in cognition as well as the conversion of subjects with MCI to a diagnosis of AD. Taken together, these variants define approximately 16.6% of the MCI sub-population with a faster rate of decline independent of the other known disease risk factors. In addition to providing new insights into protein pathways that may be involved with the progress to AD in MCI subjects, these variants if further validated may enable the identification of a more homogeneous population of subjects at an earlier stage of disease for testing novel hypotheses and/or therapies in the clinical setting.

Presymptomatic spinal cord neurometabolic findings in SOD1-positive people at risk for familial ALS

OBJECTIVE

It has been speculated that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by a premanifest period during which neurodegeneration precedes the appearance of clinical manifestations. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to measure ratios of neurometabolites in the cervical spine of asymptomatic individuals with a mutation in the SOD1 gene (SOD1+) and compare their neurometabolic ratios to patients with ALS and healthy controls.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of (1)H-MRS of the cervical spine was performed on 24 presymptomatic SOD1+ volunteers, 29 healthy controls, and 23 patients with ALS. All presymptomatic subjects had no symptoms of disease, normal forced vital capacity, and normal electromyographic examination. Relative concentrations of choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), myo-inositol (Myo), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) were determined.

RESULTS

NAA/Cr and NAA/Myo ratios are reduced in both SOD1+ subjects (39.7%, p = 0.001 and 18.0%, p = 0.02) and patients with ALS (41.2%, p < 0.001 and 24.0%, p = 0.01) compared to controls. Myo/Cr is reduced (10.3%, p = 0.02) in SOD1+ subjects compared to controls, but no difference was found between patients with ALS and controls. By contrast, NAA/Cho is reduced in patients with ALS (24.0%, p = 0.002), but not in presymptomatic SOD1+ subjects compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in neurometabolite ratios in the cervical spinal cord are evident in presymptomatic SOD1+ individuals in advance of symptoms and clinical or electromyographic signs of disease. These changes reflect a reduction in NAA/Cr and NAA/Myo. Neurometabolic changes in this population resemble changes observed in patients with clinically apparent ALS. This suggests that neurometabolic changes occur early in the course of the disease process.

A review of SA aneurysms with a small subsection on aneurysms arising from a splenomesenteric trunk

SA aneurysm (SAA) accounts for up to 50% to 75% of all visceral artery aneurysms associated with a high mortality rate of 25% in case of aneurysm rupture. It is the third most common intra-abdominal aneurysm following those of the aorta and the iliac arteries. The incidence of SAA varies from 0.1 to 10.4% in the general population. It has anatomic variations in about 10% of the population, 1% of which emerging from the superior mesenteric artery. Accordingly, SAA arising from a spleno-mesenteric trunk is very rare. To our best knowledge, there are only a few cases reported in the literature up to date. This is a review of literature and reported cases with anomalous SAAs arising from a spleno-mesenteric trunk, which had been diagnosed by ultrasound (US), computed tomography angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and managed by open surgery.

Omental milky spots in screening gastric cancer stem cells

The existence of cancer stem and progenitor cells in solid tumors has been widely postulated. However, neither the cancer stem cells nor the cancer progenitor cells have been definitively identified and functionally characterized. Here we propose a new strategy to identify and isolate gastric cancer stem cells -using omental milky spots to screen gastric cancer stem cells in peritoneal metastasis mouse models of gastric cancer. In this study, we used the property that the macrophages in omental milky spots are cytotoxic against tumor cells and so able to screen and collect cancer stem cells. Our findings suggest that macrophages in omental milky spots have not only cytotoxic properties against tumor cells but also provide a microenvironment within milky spots in which cancer stem cells are capable to survive and grow into micrometastasis. Omental milky spot become a cancer stem cell niche in this situation. Further we studied the omental milky spots for screening gastric cancer cells (OMSS-GCCs) and found that omental milky spot enriched the volume of gastric cancer stem cells. Tumors were consistently generated after an injection of 1×103 OMSS-GCCs. OMSS-GCCs high express CD133 and low express CD324. Omental milky spots are a highly efficient "natural filter" for screening gastric cancer stem cells.