Mechanical properties of mosquito nets in the context of hernia repair

The paper deals with issue of applying mosquito nets as implants in hernia repair, which have already been used in resource-poor developing countries. Uniaxial tensile tests have been conducted on polyester mosquito meshes in two orthogonal directions. Non-linear elastic constitutive laws parameters have been identified to be applied in dense net material models. Mechanical performance of tested mosquito nets has been compared with properties of commercial implants used in treatment of hernia and with properties of human tissue. This study contributes to mechanical knowledge of hernia repair issue by investigation of cheaper alternative to commercial implants.     

Simultaneous Regulation of Cytokinetic Furrow and Nucleus Positions by Cortical Tension Contributes to Proper DNA Segregation during Late Mitosis

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Influence of fire and mechanical sagebrush reduction treatments on restoration seedings in Utah,United States

Overabundance of woody plants in semiarid ecosystems can degrade understory herbaceous vegetation and often requires shrub reduction and seeding to recover ecosystem services. We used meta‐analysis techniques to assess the effects of fire and mechanical shrub reduction over two post‐treatment timeframes (1–4 and 5–10 years) on changes in cover and frequency of 15 seeded species at 63 restoration sites with high potential for recovery. Compared to mechanical treatments, fire resulted in greater increases in seeded species. Native shrubs did not increase, and forbs generally declined over time; however, large increases in perennial grasses were observed, suggesting that seeding efforts contributed to enhanced understory herbaceous conditions. We found greater increases in a few non‐native species than native species across all treatments, suggesting the possibility that interference among seeded species may have influenced results of this regional assessment. Differences among treatments and species were likely driven by seedbed conditions, which should be carefully considered in restoration planning. Site characteristics also dictated seeded species responses: while forbs showed greater increases in cover over the long term at higher elevation sites considered to be more resilient to disturbance, surprisingly, shrubs and grasses had greater increases in cover and frequency at lower elevation sites where resilience is typically much lower. Further research is needed to understand the causes of forb mortality over time, and to decipher how greater increases of non‐native relative to native seeded species will influence species diversity and successional trajectories of restoration sites.     

Biophysical factors in the regulation of asymmetric division of stem cells

Stem cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine due to their characteristics of self‐renewal and differentiation. The intricate balance between these two cell fates is maintained by precisely controlled symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions. Asymmetric division has a fundamental importance in maintaining tissue homeostasis and in the development of multi‐cellular organisms. For example, during development, asymmetric cell divisions are responsible for the formation of the body axis. Mechanistically, mitotic spindle dynamics determine the assembly and separation of chromosomes and regulate the orientation of cell division. Interestingly, symmetric and asymmetric cell division is not mutually exclusive and a range of factors are involved in such cell‐fate decisions, the measurement of which can provide efficient and reliable information on the regenerative potential of a cell. The balance between self‐renewal and differentiation in stem cells is controlled by various biophysical and biochemical cues. Although the role of biochemical factors in asymmetric stem cell division has been widely studied, the effect of biophysical cues in stem‐cell self‐renewal is not comprehensively understood. Herein, we review the biological relevance of stem‐cell asymmetric division to regenerative medicine and discuss the influences of various intrinsic and extrinsic biophysical cues in stem‐cell self‐renewal. This review particularly aims to inform the clinical translation of efforts to control the self‐renewal ability of stem cells through the tuning of various biophysical cues.     

Oxygen tension modulates extracellular vesicles and its miRNA contents in bovine embryo culture medium

The biotechnology for in vitro embryo production is becoming increasingly popular, being applied to humans and domestic animals. Embryo development can be achieved with either 20% or 5% oxygen tension. The extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by different cell types and carry bioactive materials. Our objective was to determine the secretion pattern and micro RNA (miRNA) contents of EVs released in the bovine embryo culture environment—embryo and cumulus cell monolayer—on Days 3 and 7 of in vitro culture under two different oxygen tensions: High (20%) and low (5%). The EVs were isolated from the medium and analyzed to determine size, concentration, and miRNA levels. EVs concentration in low oxygen tension increased on Day 3 and decreased on Day 7. Additionally, altered EV miRNAs derived from the embryo‐cumulus culture medium were predicted to regulate survival and proliferation‐related pathways on Days 3 and 7. Moreover, miR‐210 levels decreased in EVs isolated from the culture medium under high oxygen tension suggesting that this miRNA can be used as a marker for normoxia since it is associated with low oxygen tension. In summary, this study provides knowledge of the oxygen tension effects on EVs release and content, and potentially, on cell‐to‐cell communication during in vitro bovine embryo production.     

人参皂苷Rg2对慢性坐骨神经损伤大鼠痛觉敏化和抑郁状态的影响*

目的:观察人参皂苷Rg₂对慢性坐骨神经损伤大鼠痛觉敏化、抑郁状态的影响。方法: 将50只 SD 大鼠随机分为 5组(n=10): 空白对照组(Normal+生理盐水腹腔注射)、假手术组(手术但不结扎+生理盐水腹腔注射) 、坐骨神经慢性压迫损伤(CCI)组(CCI +生理盐水腹腔注射) 、人参皂苷Rg₂低剂量组(CCI+ Rg₂ 5 mg/kg腹腔注射)、人参皂苷Rg₂高剂量组(CCI+ Rg₂ 10 mg/kg 腹腔注射)。CCI模型建立后,药物通过注射器进行腹腔内注射 5 ml/kg,每天1次,连续14 d。分别在术前1 d和术后 1、3、5、7、10、14 d测定大鼠的机械性缩足反射阈值(MWT)和热缩足潜伏期(TWL);术前1 d和术后第14日时检测明暗箱实验和强迫游泳试验。 结果:与假手术组比较,CCI组术后14 d机械痛阈值和热痛潜伏期明显缩短(P＜0.01),明箱内停留时间明显缩短(P＜0.01),穿梭次数明显减少(P＜0.01),游泳潜伏期明显延长(P＜0.01)。与CCI组比较,人参皂苷Rg₂组术后14 d机械痛阈和热痛潜伏期明显增加(P＜0.01),大鼠在明箱内时间明显延长(P＜0.01),穿梭次数明显增多(P＜0.01),且游泳潜伏期明显缩短(P＜0.01)。结论:人参皂苷Rg₂能抑制 CCI 大鼠的机械痛敏和热痛敏,同时改善其抑郁状态。     

Oxygen‐dependent delayed fluorescence of protoporphyrin IX measured in the stomach and duodenum during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Protoporphyrin IX‐triplet state lifetime technique (PpIX‐TSLT) is a method used to measure oxygen (PO₂) in human cells. The aim of this study was to assess the technical feasibility and safety of measuring oxygen‐dependent delayed fluorescence of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA)‐induced PpIX during upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. Endoscopic delayed fluorescence measurements were performed 4 hours after oral administration of ALA in healthy volunteers. The ALA dose administered was 0, 1, 5 or 20 mg/kg. Measurements were performed at three mucosal spots in the gastric antrum, duodenal bulb and descending duodenum with the catheter above the mucosa and while applying pressure to induce local ischemia and monitor mitochondrial respiration. During two endoscopies, measurements were performed both before and after intravenous administration of butylscopolamine. Delayed fluorescence measurements were successfully performed during all 10 upper GI endoscopies. ALA dose of 5 mg/kg showed adequate signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) values >20 without side effects. All pressure measurements showed significant prolongation of delayed fluorescence lifetime compared to measurements performed without pressure (P < .001). Measurements before and after administration of butylscopolamine did not differ significantly in the duodenal bulb and descending duodenum. Measurements of oxygen‐dependent delayed fluorescence of ALA‐induced PpIX in the GI tract during upper GI endoscopy are technically feasible and safe.     

Decoupling the Roles of Cell Shape and Mechanical Stress in Orienting and Cueing Epithelial Mitosis

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