Tendon proper- and peritenon-derived progenitor cells have unique tenogenic properties.

IntroductionMultipotent progenitor populations exist within the tendon proper and peritenon of the Achilles tendon. Progenitor populations derived from the tendon proper and peritenon are enriched with distinct cell types that are distinguished by expression of markers of tendon and vascular or pericyte origins, respectively. The objective of this study was to discern the unique tenogenic properties of tendon proper- and peritenon-derived progenitors within an in vitro model. We hypothesized that progenitors from each region contribute differently to tendon formation; thus, when incorporated into a regenerative model, progenitors from each region will respond uniquely. Moreover, we hypothesized that cell populations like progenitors were capable of stimulating tenogenic differentiation, so we generated conditioned media from these cell types to analyze their stimulatory potentials.MethodsIsolated progenitors were seeded within fibrinogen/thrombin gel-based constructs with or without supplementation with recombinant growth/differentiation factor-5 (GDF5). Early and late in culture, gene expression of differentiation markers and matrix assembly genes was analyzed. Tendon construct ultrastructure was also compared after 45 days. Moreover, conditioned media from tendon proper-derived progenitors, peritenon-derived progenitors, or tenocytes was applied to each of the three cell types to determine paracrine stimulatory effects of the factors secreted from each of the respective cell types.ResultsThe cell orientation, extracellular domain and fibril organization of constructs were comparable to embryonic tendon. The tendon proper-derived progenitors produced a more tendon-like construct than the peritenon-derived progenitors. Seeded tendon proper-derived progenitors expressed greater levels of tenogenic markers and matrix assembly genes, relative to peritenon-derived progenitors. However, GDF5 supplementation improved expression of matrix assembly genes in peritenon progenitors and structurally led to increased mean fibril diameters. It also was found that peritenon-derived progenitors secrete factor(s) stimulatory to tenocytes and tendon proper progenitors.ConclusionsData demonstrate that, relative to peritenon-derived progenitors, tendon proper progenitors have greater potential for forming functional tendon-like tissue. Furthermore, factors secreted by peritenon-derived progenitors suggest a trophic role for this cell type as well. Thus, these findings highlight the synergistic potential of including these progenitor populations in restorative tendon engineering strategies

PANIC: A Near-infrared Camera for the Magellan Telescopes

PANIC (Persson's Auxiliary Nasmyth Infrared Camera) is a near-infrared camera designed to operate at any one of the f/11 folded ports of the 6.5m Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. The instrument is built around a simple, all-refractive design that reimages the Magellan focal plane to a plate scale of 0.125'' pixel^{-1} onto a Rockwell 1024x1024 HgCdTe detector. The design goals for PANIC included excellent image quality to sample the superb seeing measured with the Magellan telescopes, high throughput, a relatively short construction time, and low cost. PANIC has now been in regular operation for over one year and has proved to be highly reliable and produce excellent images. The best recorded image quality has been ~0.2'' FWHM.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. To appear in "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation," Proc SPIE (Glasgow), June 2004. Version with higher resolution figures is available at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~pmartini/professional/publications/panic.pd

Cornea organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

The cornea is the transparent outermost surface of the eye, consisting of a stratified epithelium, a collagenous stroma and an innermost single-cell layered endothelium and providing 2/3 of the refractive power of the eye. Multiple diseases of the cornea arise from genetic defects where the ultimate phenotype can be influenced by cross talk between the cell types and the extracellular matrix. Cell culture modeling of diseases can benefit from cornea organoids that include multiple corneal cell types and extracellular matrices. Here we present human iPS cell-derived organoids through sequential rounds of differentiation programs. These organoids share features of the developing cornea, harboring three distinct cell types with expression of key epithelial, stromal and endothelial cell markers. Cornea organoid cultures provide a powerful 3D model system for investigating corneal developmental processes and their disruptions in diseased conditions

Shot Noise Enhancement in Resonant Tunneling Structures in a Magnetic Field

We have observed that the shot noise of tunnel current, I, in GaSb-AlSb-InAs-AlSb-GaSb double-barrier structure under a magnetic field can exceed 2qI. The measurements were done at T=4K in fields up to 5T parallel to the current. The noise enhancement occurred at each of the several negative-differential conductance regions induced by the tunneling of holes through Landau levels in the InAs quantum well. The amount of the enhancement increased with the strength of the negative conductance and reached values up to 8qI. These results are explained qualitatively by fluctuations of the density of states in the well, but point out the need for a detailed theory of shot noise enhancement in resonant tunneling devices.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 3 figure

Shear-Flow Driven Current Filamentation: Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations

The process of current filamentation in permanently externally driven, initially globally ideal plasmas is investigated by means of two-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-simulations. This situation is typical for astrophysical systems like jets, the interstellar and intergalactic medium where the dynamics is dominated by external forces. Two different cases are studied. In one case, the system is ideal permanently and dissipative processes are excluded. In the second case, a system with a current density dependent resistivity is considered. This resistivity is switched on self-consistently in current filaments and allows for local dissipation due to magnetic reconnection. Thus one finds tearing of current filaments and, besides, merging of filaments due to coalescence instabilities. Energy input and dissipation finally balance each other and the system reaches a state of constant magnetic energy in time.Comment: 32 Pages, 13 Figures. accepted, to appear in Physics of Plasmas (049012

Quantum shot-noise at local tunneling contacts on mesoscopic multiprobe conductors

New experiments that measure the low-frequency shot-noise spectrum at local tunneling contacts on mesoscopic structures are proposed. The current fluctuation spectrum at a single tunneling tip is determined by local partial densities of states. The current-correlation spectrum between two tunneling tips is sensitive to non-diagonal density of states elements which are expressed in terms of products of scattering states of the conductor. Thus such an experiment permits to investigate correlations of electronic wave functions. We present specific results for a clean wire with a single barrier and for metallic diffusive conductors.Comment: 4 pages REVTeX, 2 figure

The optical depth of the Universe to ultrahigh energy cosmic ray scattering in the magnetized large scale structure

This paper provides an analytical description of the transport of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays in an inhomogeneously magnetized intergalactic medium. This latter is modeled as a collection of magnetized scattering centers such as radio cocoons, magnetized galactic winds, clusters or magnetized filaments of large scale structure, with negligible magnetic fields in between. Magnetic deflection is no longer a continuous process, it is rather dominated by scattering events. We study the interaction between high energy cosmic rays and the scattering agents. We then compute the optical depth of the Universe to cosmic ray scattering and discuss the phenomological consequences for various source scenarios. For typical parameters of the scattering centers, the optical depth is greater than unity at 5x10^{19}eV, but the total angular deflection is smaller than unity. One important consequence of this scenario is the possibility that the last scattering center encountered by a cosmic ray be mistaken with the source of this cosmic ray. In particular, we suggest that part of the correlation recently reported by the Pierre Auger Observatory may be affected by such delusion: this experiment may be observing in part the last scattering surface of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays rather than their source population. Since the optical depth falls rapidly with increasing energy, one should probe the arrival directions of the highest energy events beyond 10^{20}eV on an event by event basis to circumvent this effect.Comment: version to appear in PRD; substantial improvements: extended introduction, sections added on angular images and on direction dependent effects with sky maps of optical depth, enlarged discussion of Auger results (conclusions unchanged); 27 pages, 9 figure