eNOS transfection of adipose-derived stem cells yields bioactive nitric oxide production and improved results in vascular tissue engineering.

This study evaluates the durability of a novel tissue engineered blood vessel (TEBV) created by seeding a natural vascular tissue scaffold (decellularized human saphenous vein allograft) with autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) differentiated into endothelial-like cells. Previous work with this model revealed the graft to be thrombogenic, likely due to inadequate endothelial differentiation as evidenced by minimal production of nitric oxide (NO). To evaluate the importance of NO expression by the seeded cells, we created TEBV using autologous ASC transfected with the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene to produce NO. We found that transfected ASC produced NO at levels similar to endothelial cell (EC) controls in vitro which was capable of causing vasorelaxation of aortic specimens ex vivo. TEBV (n = 5) created with NO-producing ASC and implanted as interposition grafts within the aorta of rabbits remained patent for two months and demonstrated a non-thrombogenic surface compared to unseeded controls (n = 5). Despite the xenograft nature of the scaffold, the TEBV structure remained well preserved in seeded grafts. In sum, this study demonstrates that upregulation of NO expression within adult stem cells differentiated towards an endothelial-like lineage imparts a non-thrombogenic phenotype and highlights the importance of NO production by cells to be used as endothelial cell substitutes in vascular tissue engineering applications

A comparison of injuries, crashes, and outcomes for pediatric rear occupants in traffic motor vehicle collisions

BACKGROUND This study was initiated was initiated to describe pediatric rear-occupant motor vehicle collision (MVC) injuries, including injury patterns and outcomes as well as characteristics associated with severe injury to the head and abdomen. METHODS A retrospective cohort of severely injured (Injury Severity Score [ISS] \u3e 12) pediatric (age \u3c18 years) patients involved in a traffic MVC as a rear occupant and treated at one of two Ontario trauma centers (2001–2010) was studied was studied. Demographic, injury, crash and outcome data were obtained from the trauma registries. Data were statistically compared by two pediatric age groups: children (0–8 years; requiring a child or booster seat) versus adolescents (9–17 years; requiring a lap-shoulder belt). RESULTS There were 36 children (34%) and 70 adolescents (66%) severely injured as rear occupants in MVCs. Despite similar ISS (p = 0.716) and mortality rates (p = 0.680) between age groups, there were significant differences in injury patterns and risk factors. Children were more likely to have severe head injuries (78% vs. 39%, p \u3c 0.001) associated with a lack of an age-appropriate child restraints (odds ratio [OR], 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–10.8; p = 0.029), middle seating (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.5–26.1; p = 0.013), and side-impact crashes (p = 0.007). Adolescents were more likely to have severe abdominal injuries (23% vs. 6%, p \u3c 0.001) associated with the use of lap-shoulder belts (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.1–13.3; p = 0.034), single-vehicle MVCs (p = 0.007), and vehicle extrications (p = 0.035). CONCLUSION While safer than the front seat for children, additional study is needed on the restraint systems and the potential for injury to pediatric rear occupants in an MVC. Our data suggest that pediatric age groups differ in injuries, risk factors, and MVC impacts. Recommendations for improved protection of child occupants and preferred seating positions are required

Type 2 Diabetes Variants Disrupt Function of SLC16A11 through Two Distinct Mechanisms

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects Latinos at twice the rate seen in populations of European descent. We recently identified a risk haplotype spanning SLC16A11 that explains ∼20% of the increased T2D prevalence in Mexico. Here, through genetic fine-mapping, we define a set of tightly linked variants likely to contain the causal allele(s). We show that variants on the T2D-associated haplotype have two distinct effects: (1) decreasing SLC16A11 expression in liver and (2) disrupting a key interaction with basigin, thereby reducing cell-surface localization. Both independent mechanisms reduce SLC16A11 function and suggest SLC16A11 is the causal gene at this locus. To gain insight into how SLC16A11 disruption impacts T2D risk, we demonstrate that SLC16A11 is a proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporter and that genetic perturbation of SLC16A11 induces changes in fatty acid and lipid metabolism that are associated with increased T2D risk. Our findings suggest that increasing SLC16A11 function could be therapeutically beneficial for T2D. Video Abstract [Figure presented] Keywords: type 2 diabetes (T2D); genetics; disease mechanism; SLC16A11; MCT11; solute carrier (SLC); monocarboxylates; fatty acid metabolism; lipid metabolism; precision medicin

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Assessing the Current State of Food Insecurity in New Zealand

Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to an adequate quality and quantity of nutritious food. Food insecurity is a “nested issue” under the umbrella of poverty, and stems from inadequate incomes and high living costs. Approximately 14.0% of the New Zealand population is food insecure and needs assistance. In this project, we found a lack of coordinated government policies and discovered a network of non-governmental organizations committed to responding to the growing issue of food insecurity

Soil-less Agriculture at the Wat Pathumwanaram School: Expansion through an Aeroponic Garden and Educational Material

Working in a multinational team with students from a Thai university, we created an aeroponic garden for the Wat Pathumwanaram School's soil-less agriculture program. Further, we created educational material to teach the practices of soil-less agriculture. These two objectives help the school demonstrate the role of soil-less agriculture as a sustainable technology. To develop the aeroponic garden we used engineering design, guiding us to a feasible solution to meet the needs of the school. In developing the curricular materials, we defined goals and outcomes that were matched to practices already used. This ensured that the changes could be seamlessly integrated into daily practice. Overall, we were able to help demonstrate the potential that technology has to meet the needs of a society

Les comptes rendus de la XVII e Conférence canadienne multidisciplinaire sur la sécurité routière; 3 au 6 juin 2007; Montréal, Québec Proceedings of the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference XVII; A COMPARISON OF REAL WORLD FRONTAL IMPACTS AND

Abstract Real world evaluations of motor vehicle crash protection safety features require measures for quantifying impact severity. Velocity change (delta-V) is the primary descriptor of collision severity used in most databases Résumé Des évaluations concrètes des dispositifs de protection des véhicules automobiles contre les impacts exigent des mesures afin de quantifier la sévérité des impacts. La variation de vitesse (delta V) constitue la description principale de la sévérité des collisions utilisée dans la plupart des bases de données sur les collisions réelles. De par le passé, le facteur delta V a été calculé à l'aide de techniques classiques de reconstitution d'accidents, comme par exemple l'analyse des dégâts ou du momentum. Une lacune importante de l'utilisation du seul facteur delta V comme mesure de sévérité de collision est l'absence d'information sur la durée de variation de vitesse, le facteur delta t de la collision. Les modèles récents de véhicules munis d'enregistreurs de données d