Self-assembling peptide-enriched electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds promote the h-osteoblast adhesion and modulate differentiation-associated gene expression

Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) is able to support the adhesion and growth of h-osteoblasts and to delay their degradation rate to a greater extent with respect to other polyesters. The drawbacks linked to its employment in regenerative medicine arise fromits hydrophobic nature and the lack of biochemical signals linked to it. This work reports on the attempt to add five different self-assembling (SA) peptides to PCL solutions before electrospinning. The hybrid scaffolds obtained had regular fibers (SEM analysis) whose diameters were similar to those of the extracellularmatrix, more stable hydrophilic (contact angle measurement) surfaces, and anamorphous phase constrained by peptides (DSC analysis). They appeared to have a notable capacity to promote the h-osteoblast adhesion and differentiation process by increasing the gene expression of alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, and osteopontin. Adding an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif to a self-assembling sequence was found to enhance cell adhesion, while the same motif condensed with a scrambled sequence did not, indicating that there is a cooperative effect between RGD and 3D architecture created by the self-assembling peptides. The study demonstrates that self-assembling peptide scaffolds are still able to promote beneficial effects on h-osteoblasts even after they have been included in electrospun polycaprolactone. The possibility of linking biochemical messages to self-assembling peptides could lead the way to a 3D decoration of fibrous scaffolds

FWM-based wavelength conversion of 40 Gbaud PSK signals in a silicon germanium waveguide

We demonstrate four wave mixing (FWM) based wavelength conversion of 40 Gbaud differential phase shift keyed (DPSK) and quadrature phase shift keyed (QPSK) signals in a 2.5 cm long silicon germanium waveguide. For a 290 mW pump power, bit error ratio (BER) measurements show approximately a 2-dB power penalty in both cases of DPSK (measured at a BER of 10-9) and QPSK (at a BER of 10-3) signals that we examined

Les friches urbaines : vers une reconnaissance de la nature spontanée dans les politiques locales ? Etude de cas dans deux agglomérations ligériennes

Les friches urbaines, espaces transitoires colonisés par une végétation spontanée, peuvent être supports de biodiversité et d'usages informels parfois intenses et diversifiés. L’objectif de notre étude est de comprendre si la valeur écologique des friches est reconnue, à travers l’analyse de différents documents cadrant les politiques d’aménagement du territoire et de conservation de la nature (documents juridiques, cadres et de planification stratégique). Les résultats de notre étude, réalisée dans les agglomérations de Tours et de Blois (région Centre Val-de-Loire), montrent que, dans ces documents, les friches sont présentées comme des opportunités pour densifier les villes, mais rarement pour favoriser la biodiversité ou pour le rapprochement des habitants à la nature. Cette étude ouvre des perspectives sur la place et la temporalité des espaces informels et éphémères comme les friches dans l’aménagement durable des territoires.Urban wastelands, transient spaces colonized by spontaneous vegetation, can host biodiversity in urban areas and informal uses that can be intense and diversified. Our study aims to understand if urban wastelands’ ecological value is recognized through the study of different documents framing urban planning and environmental policies (legal, framing and strategic planning documents). The results of our study, carried out in the cities of Tours and Blois (Centre Val-de-Loire region), show that in public policies documents, wastelands represent opportunities to densify the cities, but rarely to promote biodiversity or to enhance citizens’ contact with nature. This study opens perspectives on the place and the temporality of informal and ephemeral spaces like wastelands in cities’ sustainable development

Les services de support de diversité floristique rendus par les délaissés urbains

Afin de préciser l’ambivalence, par rapport aux services écosystémiques, des délaissés urbains, réservoirs d’espèces indigènes mais aussi exotiques et envahissantes, nous avons étudié la flore des délaissés urbains de deux agglomérations de taille moyenne. Nos résultats montrent que ces espaces accueillent une grande diversité végétale, ordinaire et patrimoniale. La fréquence globale des espèces envahissantes est comparable à celle rapportée par des études effectuées sur les délaissés de métropoles, alors que leur fréquence locale, au sein des délaissés, est beaucoup plus faible. Nous discutons de ces résultats en relation avec les différences de taille d’agglomération et d’origine des délaissés.In order to clarify the ambivalence, with regard to ecosystem’ services, of urban wastelands, reservoirs of both native biodiversity and alien and invasive species, we studied plant diversity of urban wastelands in two medium-sized cities in France. Our results show that urban wastelands host a great species’ diversity, both common and rare or patrimonial. The overall rate of invasive species is similar to the one observed in large cities’ wastelands, while their local rate, within wastelands, is much lower. We discuss of these results with regard to differences in cities’ size and wastelands’ starting point

Usages et représentations des délaissés urbains, supports de services écosystémiques culturels en ville

Offrant des espaces de nature de proximité et de végétation spontanée en ville, les délaissés urbains peuvent assurer des services culturels. Notre étude des usages informels et des représentations des délaissés par les habitants résidant à proximité montre que les représentations des habitants sont complexes et fortement liées aux usages effectués dans ces espaces et aux stades de succession de la végétation. Ceci démontre le besoin de trouver un équilibre entre nature sauvage et nature maitrisée dans ces espaces urbains temporaires. Des actions de valorisation écologique permettraient de reconnaître le rôle des délaissés urbains comme supports de services écosystémiques culturels.Providing areas for nearby nature and spontaneous vegetation, urban wastelands can offer cultural ecosystem services in cities. Our study of wastelands’ perceptions and informal uses by residents shows that such temporary urban ecosystems can be perceived as abandoned land, recreative or free green spaces: these perceptions are strongly related to wastelands’ uses and to the successive stages of vegetation. This demonstrates the necessity to find a balance between wild and managed nature in cities. Local measures could allow recognizing the role of wastelands as support of cultural ecosystem services in order to promote citizens’ contact with nature

The usual Interstitial pneumonia pattern in autoimmune rheumatic diseases

: Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) is characterized by progression of lung parenchyma that may be observed in various autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), including rheumatoid arthritis and connective tissue diseases. From a diagnostic point of view, a UIP pattern related to ARDs may display imaging and pathological features able to distinguish it from that related to IPF, such as the "straight-edge" sign at HRCT and lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates at histologic specimens. Multidisciplinary approach (MDD), involving at least pulmonologist, rheumatologist and radiologist, is fundamental in the differential diagnosis process, but MDD is also required in the evaluation of severity, progression and response to treatment, that is based on the combination of changes in symptoms, pulmonary function trends, and, in selected patients, serial CT evaluation. Differently from IPF, in patients with ARDs both functional evaluation and patient-reported outcomes may be affected by systemic involvement and comorbidities, including musculoskeletal manifestations of disease. Finally, in regards to pharmacological treatment, immunosuppressants have been considered the cornerstone of therapy, despite the lack of solid evidence in most cases; recently, antifibrotic drugs were also proposed for the treatment of progressive fibrosing ILDs other than IPF. In ARD-ILD, the therapeutic choice should balance the need for the control of systemic and lung involvements with the risk of adverse events from multi-morbidities and -therapies. Purpose of this review is to summarize the definition, the radiological and morphological features of the UIP pattern in ARDs, together with risk factors, diagnostic criteria, prognostic evaluation, monitoring and management approaches of the UIP-ARDs

Human basigin (CD147) does not directly interact with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

Basigin, or CD147, has been reported as a co-receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to invade host cells. Basigin also has a well-established role in Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection of human erythrocytes where it is bound by one of the parasite’s invasion ligands, reticulocyte binding protein homolog 5 (RH5). Here, we sought to validate the claim that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein can form a complex with basigin, using RH5-basigin as a positive control. Using recombinantly expressed proteins, size exclusion chromatography and surface plasmon resonance, we show that neither RBD nor full-length spike glycoprotein bind to recombinant human basigin (either expressed in E. coli or mammalian cells). Given the immense interest in SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic targets, we would caution the inclusion of basigin in this list on the basis of its reported direct interaction with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Importance Reducing the mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19 remains a global health priority. Critical to these efforts is the identification of host factors that are essential to viral entry and replication. Basigin, or CD147, was previously identified as a possible therapeutic target based on the observation that it may act as a co-receptor for SARS-COV-2, binding to the receptor binding domain of the spike protein. Here, we show that there is no direct interaction between the RBD and basigin, casting doubt on its role as a co-receptor and plausibility as a therapeutic target

All-optical phase regeneration with record PSA extinction ratio in a low-birefringence silicon germanium waveguide

We report a low-power continuous wave-pumped phase sensitive amplifier (PSA)-based phase regenerator implemented in a passive silicon-based waveguide. A polarization assisted-PSA, consisting of two orthogonally-polarized pumps and a phase-locked signal copolarized to one of them, was implemented in a low-birefringence silicon germanium (SiGe) waveguide. The strong TE/TM modal symmetry of the waveguide and its large nonlinear coefficient enabled the achievement of an extremely large phase sensitive extinction ratio of approximately 29 dB for a total input power of only 21.3 dBm. This SiGe-based PSA was used to demonstrate phase regeneration on a 20 Gb/s differential phase-shift keying signal, thereby reducing its error vector magnitude and phase error by three and six times respectively and enabling a bit-error ratio improvement of up to 2 dB

Cardiac Hypertrophy, Accessory Pathway, and Conduction System Disease in an Adolescent

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