Ex vivo development, expansion and in vivo analysis of a novel lineage of dendritic cells from hematopoietic stem cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in innate and adaptive immunity but the access to sufficient amount of DCs for basic and translational research has been limited

Dual-single photon emission computed tomography and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate dissimilar features of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an uncommon variant of HCM characterized by hypertrophy located in the left ventricular apex that occurs at a rate of about 30% in the Japanese population. Although the prognosis of most patients with apical HCM is relatively benign, it can be poor if apical left ventricular aneurysms develop. However, the mechanism of aneurysmal formation is unclear. We describe two patients with apical HCM and dissimilar findings in 201Thallous chloride (201TlCl) and 123I-betamethyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) dual single-photon emission computed tomography (dual-SPECT), but no myocardial fibrosis on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI). One had apparently normal myocardial perfusion and metabolism, whereas the other had exercise-induced myocardial ischemia and impaired myocardial metabolism. These findings indicated that even apical HCM without myocardial fibrosis is pathophysiologically heterogeneous. Apical HCM has been evaluated by either dual-SPECT or cardiac MRI, but not by both. Thus, a combination of imaging modalities is apparently essential for elucidating the pathophysiology of apical HCM. These dissimilar findings in dual-SPECT might be important in identifying patients with apical HCM who are at high risk of forming aneurysms. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 306-311

Scanned Probe Oxidation onp-GaAs(100) Surface with an Atomic Force Microscopy

Locally anodic oxidation has been performed to fabricate the nanoscale oxide structures onp-GaAs(100) surface, by using an atomic force microscopy (AFM) with the conventional and carbon nanotube (CNT)-attached probes. The results can be utilized to fabricate the oxide nanodots under ambient conditions in noncontact mode. To investigate the conversion of GaAs to oxides, micro-Auger analysis was employed to analyze the chemical compositions. The growth kinetics and the associated mechanism of the oxide nanodots were studied under DC voltages. With the CNT-attached probe the initial growth rate of oxide nanodots is in the order of ~300 nm/s, which is ~15 times larger than that obtained by using the conventional one. The oxide nanodots cease to grow practically as the electric field strength is reduced to the threshold value of ~2 × 107 V cm−1. In addition, results indicate that the height of oxide nanodots is significantly enhanced with an AC voltage for both types of probes. The influence of the AC voltages on controlling the dynamics of the AFM-induced nanooxidation is discussed

On the contribution of the horizontal sea-bed displacements into the tsunami generation process

The main reason for the generation of tsunamis is the deformation of the bottom of the ocean caused by an underwater earthquake. Usually, only the vertical bottom motion is taken into account while the horizontal co-seismic displacements are neglected in the absence of landslides. In the present study we propose a methodology based on the well-known Okada solution to reconstruct in more details all components of the bottom coseismic displacements. Then, the sea-bed motion is coupled with a three-dimensional weakly nonlinear water wave solver which allows us to simulate a tsunami wave generation. We pay special attention to the evolution of kinetic and potential energies of the resulting wave while the contribution of the horizontal displacements into wave energy balance is also quantified. Such contribution of horizontal displacements to the tsunami generation has not been discussed before, and it is different from the existing approaches. The methods proposed in this study are illustrated on the July 17, 2006 Java tsunami and some more recent events.Comment: 30 pages; 14 figures. Accepted to Ocean Modelling. Other authors papers can be downloaded at http://www.lama.univ-savoie.fr/~dutykh

Chronic tooth pulp inflammation induces persistent expression of phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and phosphorylated p38 (pp38) in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis

Background: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase are transiently phosphorylated (activated) in the spinal cord and trigeminal nucleus by acute noxious stimuli. Acute stimulation of dental pulp induces short-lived ERK activation in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc), and p38 inhibition attenuates short-term sensitization in Vc induced by acute pulpal stimulation. We have developed a model to study central changes following chronic inflammation of dental pulp that induces long-term sensitization. Here, we examine the effects of chronic inflammation and acute stimulation on the expression of phosphorylated ERK (pERK), phosphorylated p38 (pp38) and Fos in Vc. Results: Chronic inflammation alone induced bilateral expression of pERK and pp38 in Vc, but did not induce Fos expression. Stimulation of both non-inflamed and inflamed pulps significantly increased pERK and pp38 bilaterally; expression was greatest in inflamed, stimulated animals, and was similar following 10-min and 60-min stimulation. Stimulation for 60 min, but not 10 min, induced Fos in ipsilateral Vc; Fos expression was significantly greater in inflamed, stimulated animals. pERK was present in both neurons and astrocytes; pp38 was present in neurons and other non-neuronal, non-astrocytic cell types. Conclusions: This study provides the first demonstration that chronic inflammation of tooth pulp induces persistent bilateral activation of ERK and p38 within Vc, and that this activation is further increased by acute stimulation. This altered activity in intracellular signaling is likely to be linked to the sensitization that is seen in our animal model and in patients with pulpitis. Our data indicate that pERK and pp38 are more accurate markers of central change than Fos expression. In our model, localization of pERK and pp38 within specific cell types differs from that seen following acute stimulation. This may indicate specific roles for different cell types in the induction and maintenance of pulpitic and other types of pain