Spinal Cord Injury Reveals Multilineage Differentiation of Ependymal Cells

Spinal cord injury often results in permanent functional impairment. Neural stem cells present in the adult spinal cord can be expanded in vitro and improve recovery when transplanted to the injured spinal cord, demonstrating the presence of cells that can promote regeneration but that normally fail to do so efficiently. Using genetic fate mapping, we show that close to all in vitro neural stem cell potential in the adult spinal cord resides within the population of ependymal cells lining the central canal. These cells are recruited by spinal cord injury and produce not only scar-forming glial cells, but also, to a lesser degree, oligodendrocytes. Modulating the fate of ependymal progeny after spinal cord injury may offer an alternative to cell transplantation for cell replacement therapies in spinal cord injury

Der letzte Wikinger? Ein Wrack aus dem 12. Jahrhundert bei Fahrdorf, Kr. Schleswig-Flensburg

This paper shows how Structure fromMotion, a technique for documentationand measuring three-dimensional structuresfrom two-dimensional images, canbe applied to archaeological investigationsin low visibility waters. The backgroundfor this study is provided by the archaeologicalsurveys of the Study Group forMaritime and Limnic Archaeology of theKiel University (AMLA) from the years2015 – 2017.Due to the low visibility in the water, itoften proves difficult to get a clear overviewof the investigated site. In these cases,the Structure from Motion technologypresents a simple technique for the archaeologistto get an entire overview of thesite. The paper describes the developmentand implementation of the method by theexample of the research done by AMLA atthe so-called Fahrdorf-Wreck. Due to thedata gathered so far, it is not only possibleto date the wreck, but also to make basicstatements about its construction andposition. A good state of research in theSchlei region (Schleswig-Holstein) givesthe opportunity to compare the wreckwith other contemporary wrecks found inthe region as well as to establish a generalhistorical background for the site

Evidence for close-range hunting by lastinterglacial Neanderthals

Animal resources have been part of hominin diets since around 2.5 million years ago, with sharp-edged stone tools facilitating access to carcasses. How exactly hominins acquired animal prey and how hunting strategies varied through time and space is far from clear. The oldest possible hunting weapons known from the archaeological record are 300,000 to 400,000-year-old sharpened wooden staves. These may have been used as throwing and/or close-range thrusting spears, but actual data on how such objects were used are lacking, as unambiguous lesions caused by such weapon-like objects are unknown for most of human prehistory. Here, we report perforations observed on two fallow deer skeletons from Neumark-Nord, Germany, retrieved during excavations of 120,000-year-old lake shore deposits with abundant traces of Neanderthal presence. Detailed studies of the perforations, including micro-computed tomography imaging and ballistic experiments, demonstrate that they resulted from the close-range use of thrusting spears. Such confrontational ways of hunting require close cooperation between participants, and over time may have shaped important aspects of hominin biology and behaviour.Human Origin

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells improve vascular regeneration and reduce leukocyte-endothelium activation in critical ischemic murine skin in a dose-dependent manner

BACKGROUND AIMS Stem cells participate in vascular regeneration following critical ischemia. However, their angiogenic and remodeling properties, as well as their role in ischemia-related endothelial leukocyte activation, need to be further elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) in a critically ischemic murine skin flap model. METHODS Groups received either 1 × 10(5), 5 × 10(5), or 1 × 10(6) BM-MSCs or cell-free conditioned medium (CM). Controls received sodium chloride. Intravital fluorescence microscopy was performed for morphological and quantitative assessment of micro-hemodynamic parameters over 12 days. RESULTS Tortuosity and diameter of conduit-arterioles were pronounced in the MSC groups (P < 0.01), whereas vasodilation was shifted to the end arteriolar level in the CM group (P < 0.01). These effects were accompanied by angiopoietin-2 expression. Functional capillary density and red blood cell velocity were enhanced in all treatment groups (P < 0.01). Although a significant reduction of rolling and sticking leukocytes was observed in the MSC groups with a reduction of diameter in postcapillary venules (P < 0.01), animals receiving CM exhibited a leukocyte-endothelium interaction similar to controls. This correlated with leukocyte common antigen expression in tissue sections (P < 0.01) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression from tissue samples. Cytokine analysis from BM-MSC culture medium revealed a 50% reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ) and chemokines (keratinocyte chemoattractant, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) under hypoxic conditions. DISCUSSION We demonstrated positive effects of BM-MSCs on vascular regeneration and modulation of endothelial leukocyte adhesion in critical ischemic skin. The improvements after MSC application were dose-dependent and superior to the use of CM alone