The Role Of Adult Stem Cells And Tumor Necrosis Factor In Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathies are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, with a population prevalence of 2,400 per 100,000 (2.4%) that increases in the elderly to 8,000 per 100,000 (8%)(C. N. Martyn and R. A. Hughes, 1997). The variations in symptom distribution and etiologic attribution have resulted in the classification of over 100 types of peripheral neuropathy with specific patterns of development and prognoses. In the first study, we use a mouse model of hereditary peripheral neuropathy that results in hind-limb paralysis to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of adult, adipose derived stem cells (ADSC). The paralyzed mice that received ADSC transplantation demonstrated significantly improved motor function, likely due to stromal support provided by ADSCs. The ultrastructure of the nerve was not significantly improved, indicating that the threshold of functional motor improvement can be met through alternative means. In the second study, we developed a process to identify highly-connected genes in a model of peripheral nerve development using entropy maximized network analysis of gene microarrays. We found that Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) mediates axonal-Schwann cell communication, and that disruption of TNF signaling results in sensory and tissue dysfunction. These findings indicate that the threshold of wild-type physiological function in peripheral nerve development can be addressed by disrupting or strengthening specific signaling processes without significant changes to tissue structure

A Student-Led Campaign to Help Tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases

The authors propose that innovative student-led campaigns to address neglected diseases can and do make a practical difference

N,N′-Diacetyl-N′-[(4-nitro­phen­oxy)acetyl]acetohydrazide

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C14H15N3O7, contains two independent mol­ecules which are linked into a pseudocentrosymmetric dimer by a π–π inter­action, as shown by the short distance of 3.722 (5) Å between the centroids of the benzene rings. An extensive network of weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds helps to stabilize the crystal packing

N′-tert-Butyl-5-(4-chloro­phen­yl)furan-2-carbohydrazide

In the title mol­ecule, C15H17ClN2O2, the furan and benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 15.35 (8)°. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into chains extended in the [010] direction

Ecdysteroid 7,9(11)-dien-6-ones as potential photoaffinity labels for ecdysteroid binding proteins

Three ecdysteroid 7,9(11)-dien-7-ones (dacryhainansterone, 25-hydroxydacryhainansterone and kaladasterone) were prepared by dehydration of the corresponding 11a-hydroxy ecdysteroids (ajugasterone C, turkesterone and muristerone A, respectively). The biological activities of the dienones in the Drosophila melanogaster B(II) cell bioassay, which reflect the affinity for the ecdysteroid receptor complex, showed that the dienones retain high biological activity. Irradiation at 350 nm of the ecdysteroid dienones (100 nM) with bacterially-expressed dipteran and lepidopteran ecdysteroid receptor proteins (DmEcR/DmUSP or CfEcR/CfUSP), followed by loading with [(3)H]ponasterone A revealed that irradiation of dacryhainansterone or kaladasterone resulted in blocking of >70% of the specific binding sites. Thus, ecdysteroid dienones show considerable potential as photoaffinity analogues for ecdysteroid binding proteins

Maximum entropy model for business cycle synchronization

The global economy is a complex dynamical system, whose cyclical fluctuations can mainly be characterized by simultaneous recessions or expansions of major economies. Thus, the researches on the synchronization phenomenon are key to understanding and controlling the dynamics of the global economy. Based on a pairwise maximum entropy model, we analyze the business cycle synchronization of the G7 economic system. We obtain a pairwise-interaction network, which exhibits certain clustering structure and accounts for 45% of the entire structure of the interactions within the G7 system. We also find that the pairwise interactions become increasingly inadequate in capturing the synchronization as the size of economic system grows. Thus, higher-order interactions must be taken into account when investigating behaviors of large economic systems

The interaction between a sexually transferred steroid hormone and a female protein regulates oogenesis in the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae

Molecular interactions between male and female factors during mating profoundly affect the reproductive behavior and physiology of female insects. In natural populations of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, blood-fed females direct nutritional resources towards oogenesis only when inseminated. Here we show that the mating-dependent pathway of egg development in these mosquitoes is regulated by the interaction between the steroid hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20E) transferred by males during copulation and a female Mating-Induced Stimulator of Oogenesis (MISO) protein. RNAi silencing of MISO abolishes the increase in oogenesis caused by mating in blood-fed females, causes a delay in oocyte development, and impairs the function of male-transferred 20E. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments show that MISO and 20E interact in the female reproductive tract. Moreover MISO expression after mating is induced by 20E via the Ecdysone Receptor, demonstrating a close cooperation between the two factors. Male-transferred 20E therefore acts as a mating signal that females translate into an increased investment in egg development via a MISO-dependent pathway. The identification of this male–female reproductive interaction offers novel opportunities for the control of mosquito populations that transmit malaria