In Vivo Fate Analysis Reveals the Multipotent and Self-Renewal Features of Embryonic AspM Expressing Cells

Radial Glia (RG) cells constitute the major population of neural progenitors of the mouse developing brain. These cells are located in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the cerebral cortex and during neurogenesis they support the generation of cortical neurons. Later on, during brain maturation, RG cells give raise to glial cells and supply the adult mouse brain of Neural Stem Cells (NSC). Here we used a novel transgenic mouse line expressing the CreERT2 under the control of AspM promoter to monitor the progeny of an early cohort of RG cells during neurogenesis and in the post natal brain. Long term fate mapping experiments demonstrated that AspM-expressing RG cells are multi-potent, as they can generate neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes of the adult mouse brain. Furthermore, AspM descendants give also rise to proliferating progenitors in germinal niches of both developing and post natal brains. In the latter –i.e. the Sub Ventricular Zone- AspM descendants acquired several feature of neural stem cells, including the capability to generate neurospheres in vitro. We also performed the selective killing of these early progenitors by using a Nestin-GFPflox-TK allele. The forebrain specific loss of early AspM expressing cells caused the elimination of most of the proliferating cells of brain, a severe derangement of the ventricular zone architecture, and the impairment of the cortical lamination. We further demonstrated that AspM is expressed by proliferating cells of the adult mouse SVZ that can generate neuroblasts fated to become olfactory bulb neurons

ICAR: endoscopic skull‐base surgery

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Characterization of neurological recovery following traumatic sensorimotor complete thoracic spinal cord injury

Study design:Retrospective, longitudinal analysis of sensory, motor and functional outcomes from individuals with thoracic (T2-T12) sensorimotor complete spinal cord injury (SCI).Objectives:To characterize neurological changes over the first year after traumatic thoracic sensorimotor complete SCI.Methods:A dataset of 399 thoracic complete SCI subjects from the European Multi-center study about SCI (EMSCI) was examined for neurological level, sensory levels and sensory scores (pin-prick and light touch), lower extremity motor score (LEMS), ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) over the first year after SCI.Results:AIS grade conversions were limited. Sensory scores exhibited minimal mean change, but high variability in both rostral and caudal directions. Pin-prick and light touch sensory levels, as well as neurological level, exhibited minor changes (improvement or deterioration), but most subjects remained within one segment of their initial injury level after 1 year. Recovery of LEMS occurred predominantly in subjects with low thoracic SCI. The sensory zone of partial preservation (ZPP) had no prognostic value for subsequent recovery of sensory levels or LEMS. However, after mid or low thoracic SCI, 3 segments of sensory ZPP correlated with an increased likelihood for AIS grade conversion.Conclusion:The data suggest that a sustained deterioration of three or more thoracic sensory levels or loss of upper extremity motor function are rare events and may be useful for tracking the safety of a therapeutic intervention in early phase acute SCI clinical trials, if a significant proportion of study subjects exhibit such an ascent.Spinal Cord advance online publication, 12 October 201

Extent of spontaneous motor recovery after traumatic cervical sensorimotor complete spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, longitudinal analysis of motor recovery data from individuals with cervical (C4-C7) sensorimotor complete spinal cord injury (SCI) according to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). OBJECTIVES: To analyze the extent and patterns of spontaneous motor recovery over the first year after traumatic cervical sensorimotor complete SCI. METHODS: Datasets from the European multicenter study about SCI (EMSCI) and the Sygen randomized clinical trial were examined for conversion of American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, change in upper extremity motor score (UEMS) or motor level, as well as relationships between these measures. RESULTS: There were no overall differences between the EMSCI and Sygen datasets in motor recovery patterns. After 1 year, up to 70% of subjects spontaneously recovered at least one motor level, but only 30% recovered two or more motor levels, with lesser values at intermediate time points. AIS grade conversion did not significantly influence motor level changes. At 1 year, the average spontaneous improvement in bilateral UEMS was 10-11 motor points. There was only moderate relationship between a change in UEMS and a change in cervical motor level (r(2)=0.30, P<0.05). Regardless of initial cervical motor level, most individuals recover a similar number of motor points or motor levels. CONCLUSION: Careful tracking of cervical motor recovery outcomes may provide the necessary sensitivity and accuracy to reliably detect a subtle, but meaningful treatment effect after sensorimotor complete cervical SCI. The distribution of the UEMS change may be more important functionally than the total UEMS recovered

Sunflower meal in commercial layer diets formulated on total and digestible amino acids basis

An experiment was conduced to evaluate the inclusion of sunflower meal (SBM) in commercial layer diets formulated on total or digestible amino acids basis. One hundred forty-four 41-week-old Lohmann LSL layers were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement with three replications of six birds each. Treatments consisted of a combination of four SBM inclusion levels SBM(0%, 4%, 8%, and 12%) and feed formulation according two amino acid recommendations (total or digestible). The experimental period was divided into five periods of fourteen days. Performance parameters (egg production, feed intake, feed conversion, egg mass) were evaluated for each period. In the last two days of each period, three eggs per replication were collected to evaluate egg quality (Haugh units, specific gravity, egg weight, eggshell thickness, and eggshell percentage). Hens fed on total amino acid recommendation presented the highest values for egg weight. Diets formulated on digestible amino acids basis showed an improvement in eggshell percentage and egg specific gravity. SBM addition in commercial layer diets did not influence performance; however, increasing SBM dietary levels SBM improved eggshell quality

Replication and novel analysis of age and sex effects on the neurologic and functional value of each spinal segment in the US healthcare setting

Replication of previously developed prognostic model. In motor complete injuries at admission to rehabilitation, perform; (1) replication analyses of the relationships between ISNCSCI motor level and motor scores and SCIM and (2) novel analyses to determine if age and/or sex moderate relationship between neurological impairment and function. Admission to initial inpatient rehabilitation in the United States. Post-Hoc analyses of data collected as part of a separate study. Replication analyses: (1) Pearson's correlation assessed relationship strength between neurologic impairment and function. (2) Multiple linear regression assessed if center or age influenced functional outcome. Novel analyses: (1) Moderated multiple regression assessed if age and/or sex moderated the lesion level-function relationship. Of the 406 datasets, 161 were motor complete injuries, and included in the analyses. Median time post injury at admission to rehabilitation was 19 days. Our replication analyses confirmed the neurologic and functional value of each spinal segment reported by the EM-SCI group (all p ≤ 0.018). We failed to confirm their reported age effect (p = 0.05) and non-effect of center (p = 0.037). Our novel analyses indicated that age coded as above/below 50 moderated the relationship between neurologic impairment and function (p = 0.038) in cervical injuries only, but that age coded as above/below 35 (all p ≥ 0.510) and sex (all p ≥ 0.465) did not. The neurological and functional value of each segment is consistent across very different healthcare settings in early and late sub-acute stages and minimally impacted by age and sex. Differences related to centers and age may confound efficacy trials. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis; The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation (83492)