Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 (BMP-7) Influences Tendon-Bone Integration In Vitro

IntroductionSuccessful graft ingrowth following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament is governed by complex biological processes at the tendon-bone interface. The aim of this study was to investigate in an in vitro study the effects of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) on tendon-bone integration.ResultsIn both models, positive effects of BMP-7 on ALP enzyme activity were observed (p<0.001). Additionally, similar results were noted for LDH activity and lactate concentration. BMP-7 stimulation led to a significant increase in OCN expression. Whereas the effects of BMP-7 on tendon monoculture peaked during an early phase of the experiment (p<0.001), the cocultures showed a maximal increase during the later stages (p<0.001). The histological analysis showed a stimulating effect of BMP-7 on extracellular matrix formation. Organized ossification zones and calcium carbonate-like structures were only observed in the BMP-stimulated cell cultures.DiscussionThis study showed the positive effects of BMP-7 on the biological process of tendon-bone integration in vitro. Histological signs of improved mineralization were paralleled by increased rates of osteoblast-specific protein levels in primary bovine osteoblasts and fibroblasts.ConclusionOur findings indicated a role for BMP-7 as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in the treatment of ligamentous injuries, and they emphasized the importance of the transdifferentiation process of tendinous fibroblasts at the tendon-bone interface.     

High-precision coding in visual cortex

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Comparing methods for measuring the rate of spread of invading populations

Measuring rates of spread during biological invasions is important for predicting where and when invading organisms will spread in the future as well as for quantifying the influence of environmental conditions on invasion speed. While several methods have been proposed in the literature to measure spread rates, a comprehensive comparison of their accuracy when applied to empirical data would be problematic because true rates of spread are never known. This study compares the performances of several spread rate measurement methods using a set of simulated invasions with known theoretical spread rates over a hypothetical region where a set of sampling points are distributed. We vary the density and distribution (aggregative, random, and regular) of the sampling points as well as the shape of the invaded area and then compare how different spread rate measurement methods accommodate these varying conditions. We find that the method of regressing distance to the point of origin of the invasion as a function of time of first detection provides the most reliable method over adverse conditions (low sampling density, aggregated distribution of sampling points, irregular invaded area). The boundary displacement method appears to be a useful complementary method when sampling density is sufficiently high, as it provides an instantaneous measure of spread rate, and does not require long time series of data.     

Multistep Photoluminescence Decay Reveals Dissociation of Geminate Charge Pairs in Organolead Trihalide Perovskites

Charge carrier dynamics in organolead iodide perovskites is analyzed by employing time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy with several ps time resolution. The measurements performed by varying photoexcitation intensity over five orders of magnitude enable separation of photoluminescence components related to geminate and nongeminate charge carrier recombination and to address the dynamics of an isolated geminate electron–hole pair. Geminate recombination dominates at low excitation fluence and determines the initial photoluminescence decay. This decay component is remarkably independent of the material structure and experimental conditions. It is demonstrated that dependences of the geminate and nongeminate radiative recombination components on excitation intensity, repetition rate, and temperature, are hardly compatible with carrier trapping and exciton dissociation models. On the basis of semiclassical and quantum mechanical numerical calculation results, it is argued that the fast photoluminescence decay originates from gradual spatial separation of photogenerated weakly bound geminate charge pairs.     

Les hyphes à anses latérales des Eumycètes et les affinités floridéennes de ces Champignons

Sans résumé     

Detection of a C-insertion polymorphism within the human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) gene

We have identified a C-insertion polymorphism in the 5'UTR of the first exon of the human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) gene. TNFA is a cytokine that plays an important role in the inflammatory response.     

Impact of Financial Liberalization on Banking Sectors Performance from Central and Eastern European Countries

In this paper we analyse the impact of financial liberalization and reforms on the banking performance in 17 countries from CEE for the period 2004–2008 using a two-stage empirical model that involves estimating bank performance in the first stage and assessing its determinants in the second one. From our analysis it results that banks from CEE countries with higher level of liberalization and openness are able to increase cost efficiency and eventually to offer cheaper services to clients. Banks from non-member EU countries are less cost efficient but experienced much higher total productivity growth level, and large sized banks are much more cost efficient than medium and small banks, while small sized banks show the highest growth in terms of productivity.     

High-resolution crystal structures of transient intermediates in the phytochrome photocycle

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Biological Instability in a Chlorinated Drinking Water Distribution Network

The purpose of a drinking water distribution system is to deliver drinking water to the consumer, preferably with the same quality as when it left the treatment plant. In this context, the maintenance of good microbiological quality is often referred to as biological stability, and the addition of sufficient chlorine residuals is regarded as one way to achieve this. The full-scale drinking water distribution system of Riga (Latvia) was investigated with respect to biological stability in chlorinated drinking water. Flow cytometric (FCM) intact cell concentrations, intracellular adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), heterotrophic plate counts and residual chlorine measurements were performed to evaluate the drinking water quality and stability at 49 sampling points throughout the distribution network. Cell viability methods were compared and the importance of extracellular ATP measurements was examined as well. FCM intact cell concentrations varied from 5×10³ cells mL⁻¹ to 4.66×10⁵ cells mL⁻¹ in the network. While this parameter did not exceed 2.1×10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ in the effluent from any water treatment plant, 50% of all the network samples contained more than 1.06×10⁵ cells mL⁻¹. This indisputably demonstrates biological instability in this particular drinking water distribution system, which was ascribed to a loss of disinfectant residuals and concomitant bacterial growth. The study highlights the potential of using cultivation-independent methods for the assessment of chlorinated water samples. In addition, it underlines the complexity of full-scale drinking water distribution systems, and the resulting challenges to establish the causes of biological instability.     

Human Anti-Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody Produced after Zostavax Immunization Recognizes the gH/gL Complex and Neutralizes VZV Infection

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a ubiquitous, highly cell-associated, and exclusively human neurotropic alphaherpesvirus. VZV infection is initiated by membrane fusion, an event dependent in part on VZV glycoproteins gH and gL. Consistent with its location on the virus envelope, the gH/gL complex is a target of neutralizing antibodies produced after virus infection. One week after immunizing a 59-year-old VZV-seropositive man with Zostavax, we sorted his circulating blood plasma blasts and amplified expressed immunoglobulin variable domain sequences by single-cell PCR. Sequence analysis identified two plasma blast clones, one of which was used to construct a recombinant monoclonal antibody (rec-RC IgG). The rec-RC IgG colocalized with VZV gE on the membranes of VZV-infected cells and neutralized VZV infection in tissue culture. Mass spectrometric analysis of proteins immunoprecipitated by rec-RC IgG identified both VZV gH and gL. Transfection experiments showed that rec-RC IgG recognized a VZV gH/gL protein complex but not individual gH or gL proteins. Overall, our recombinant monoclonal anti-VZV antibody effectively neutralizes VZV and recognizes a conformational epitope within the VZV gH/L protein complex. An unlimited supply of this antibody provides the opportunity to analyze membrane fusion events that follow virus attachment and to identify multiple epitopes on VZV-specific proteins.