Icy: an open bioimage informatics platform for extended reproducible research

International audienceCurrent research in biology uses evermore complex computational and imaging tools. Here we describe Icy, a collaborative bioimage informatics platform that combines a community website for contributing and sharing tools and material, and software with a high-end visual programming framework for seamless development of sophisticated imaging workflows. Icy extends the reproducible research principles, by encouraging and facilitating the reusability, modularity, standardization and management of algorithms and protocols. Icy is free, open-source and available at http://icy.bioimageanalysis.org/

Osteoblasts secrete miRNA-containing extracellular vesicles that enhance expansion of human umbilical cord blood cells

Osteolineage cells represent one of the critical bone marrow niche components that support maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Recent studies demonstrate that extracellular vesicles (EVs) regulate stem cell development via horizontal transfer of bioactive cargo, including microRNAs (miRNAs). Using next-generation sequencing we show that human osteoblast-derived EVs contain highly abundant miRNAs specifically enriched in EVs, including critical regulators of hematopoietic proliferation (e.g., miR-29a). EV treatment of human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34(+) HSPCs alters the expression of candidate miRNA targets, such as HBP1, BCL2 and PTEN. Furthermore, EVs enhance proliferation of CD34(+) cells and their immature subsets in growth factor-driven ex vivo expansion cultures. Importantly, EV-expanded cells retain their differentiation capacity in vitro and successfully engraft in vivo. These discoveries reveal a novel osteoblast-derived EV-mediated mechanism for regulation of HSPC proliferation and warrant consideration of EV-miRNAs for the development of expansion strategies to treat hematological disorders

Heat-flow anomaly and residual topography in the Mascarene hotspot swell (Indian Ocean)

We review the sea-bottom heat-flow determinations and present a new heat-flow observation on the Mauritius island, which is part of the long-lived Reunion hotspot track. The marine heat flow is on average 66 \ub1 11 mW m 122 and is consistent with the on-land value of 61 \ub1 18 mW m 122 found in Mauritius. Since these values do not significantly deviate from the reference cooling-plate model, lithosphere erosion does not seem a likely mechanism for the swell formation. The lack of significant reheating due to a mantle plume impacting the lithosphere base is confirmed by thermal modelling. Moreover, the coherency between on-land and marine data is argument against advective redistribution of heat near the axis of the swell. We also analyse the large-scale features of the ocean lithosphere, which are not simply a function of the plate cooling and can reflect variations in mantle dynamic topography. The predicted topography variation along the swell shows amplitude and wavelength comparable to other hotspots. Both the topographic swell magnitude and the wavelength increase northwards with the increase of the age of volcanism. The estimated flux of material from the mantle follows the same trend, being larger in the northern part of the swell. The result that residual topography and the buoyancy flux are smaller at the active volcano of Reunion could be evidence that the activity of the plume has decreased with time