Optical Coherence Tomography for Examination of Parchment Degradation

A novel application of Optical Coherence Tomography utilizing infrared light of 830 nm central wavelength for non invasive examination of the structure of parchment, some covered with iron gall ink, is presented. It is shown that both the parchment and the ink applied are sufficiently transparent to light of this wavelength. In the study, Spectral OCT (SOCT) as well as Polarisation Sensitive OCT (PS-OCT) techniques were used to obtain cross-sectional images of samples of parchment based on scattering properties. The second technique was additionally employed to recover the birefringence properties and the optical axis orientations of the sample. It was shown that freshly produced parchment exhibits a degree of birefringence. However, this property declines with ageing, and samples of old parchment completely depolarise the incident light

Wirkung und Wirkungsweise von Insulin-like Growth-factor-I auf das proliferative Wachstum neuroendokriner Tumorzellen am Beispiel der humanen Karzinoidzelllinie BON

Karzinoide sind neuroendokrine Tumoren des gastroenteropankreatischen Systems. Bis heute gibt es mit Ausnahme eines chirurgischen Eingriffes keine adäquate kurativeTherapiemöglichkeit. Die Expression des IGF-I-Rezeptors und von IGF-I konnte bei dieser Tumorart bereits nachgewiesen werden. Diese beiden Teile des IGF-Systems sind von besonderer Bedeutung für das Entstehen und das Erhalten verschiedener Tumorarten und gelten heute als sehr interessanter Ansatzpunkt für die Erforschung neuer Therapiestrategien. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, am Beispiel der humanen Karzinoid-Zellinie BON, das proliferative Wachstum dieser Tumorart unter dem Einfluß von IGF-I zu untersuchen und mögliche, für die Signalvermittlung verantwortliche Transduktionswege zu entschlüsseln. In einem ersten Schritt konnte durch Rezeptor-Bindungsstudien gezeigt werden, dass BON-Zellen einen funktionstüchtigen IGF-I-Rezeptor tragen. Im Radioimmunoassay wurde zudem die IGF-I-Synthese quantitativ nachgewiesen. Die Stimulation der Zellen mit IGF-I bewirkt eine deutliche und signifikante Steigerung des proliferativen Zellwachstums. In Versuchen mit den Hemmstoffen PD 98059 als spezifischer Inhibitor der MAP-Kinasen ERK1 und 2 sowie mit LY 294002 als selektiven PI-3Kinase-Inhibitor konnte darüber hinaus gezeigt werden, dass die Signalkaskaden dieser beiden Kinasefamilien für die Signaltransduktion nach Bindung von IGF-I an seinen Rezeptor von wesentlicher Bedeutung sind. Aus diesen Hemmungsversuchen ergeben sich zudem Hinweise für eine mögliche Verknüpfung beider Transduktionswege. Im MAP-Kinase-Assay wurden die Einflüsse auf die MAP-Kinase visualisiert. Abschließend wurde durch Transfektionsstudien mit einem IGF-I-Promotor die Bedeutungen beider Signaltransduktionswege auch auf die IGF-I-Produktion der BON-Zellen nachgewiesen. Zusammen mit dem beschriebenen quantitativen Nachweis von IGF-I ergeben sich damit deutliche Hinweise für einen auto- beziehungsweise parakrinen Wirkungsmechanismus dieses Peptides bei BON-Zellen. Das IGF-I-System stellt damit einen interessanten Ansatz für die Entwicklung neuer therapeutischer Strategien zur Behandlung neuroendokriner Tumoren des gastroenteropankreatischen Systems dar. Um das IGF-I-vermittelte Wachstum also zu unterbinden erscheinen mehrere Ansatzpunkte möglich: (1.) Auf der Ebene des Rezeptors durch Antagonisierung des IGF-I-Rezeptors, (2.) auf Cytoplasmaebene durch Unterbrechung der Signaltransduktionswege beziehungsweise Antagonisierung des autokrin sezernierten IGF-I oder (3.) auf Genebene durch Störung der IGF-I-Expression selbst

Vibration measurements on small to medium single-span railway bridges

Due to the need for increasing train speeds several existing small to medium span bridges in the track Linz-Wels (Austria) were re-evaluated. In a preliminary numerical calculation, considering conservative values for the dynamic parameters, very high vertical accelerations were computed for some of those structures. An experimental program was thus carried out in order to get a better estimation for the dynamic behaviour of the bridges, concerning mainly the first vertical eigenfrequency and the corresponding viscous damping. The paper reports on the results of this experimental investigation and identifies some areas where further research is necessary

Single platelet and megakaryocyte morpho-dynamics uncovered by multicolor reporter mouse strains in vitro and in vivo

Visualizing cell behavior and effector function on a single cell level has been crucial for understanding key aspects of mammalian biology. Due to their small size, large number and rapid recruitment into thrombi, there is a lack of data on fate and behavior of individual platelets in thrombosis and hemostasis. Here we report the use of platelet lineage restricted multi-color reporter mouse strains to delineate platelet function on a single cell level. We show that genetic labeling allows for single platelet and megakaryocyte tracking and morphological analysis in vivo and in vitro, while not affecting lineage functions. Using Credriven Confetti expression, we provide insights into temporal gene expression patterns as well as spatial clustering of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. In the vasculature, shape analysis of activated platelets recruited to thrombi identifies ubiquitous filopodia formation with no evidence of lamellipodia formation. Single cell tracking in complex thrombi reveals prominent myosin-dependent motility of platelets and highlights thrombus formation as a highly dynamic process amenable to modification and intervention of the acto-myosin cytoskeleton. Platelet function assays combining flow cytrometry, as well as in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro imaging show unaltered platelet functions of multicolor reporter mice compared to WT controls. In conclusion, platelet lineage multicolor reporter mice prove useful in furthering our understanding of platelet and megakaryocyte biology on a single cell level

Purification and characterization of native human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-6

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are key regulators of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) mediated signal transduction and thereby can profoundly influence cellular phenotypes and cell fate. Whereas IGFBPs are extracellular proteins, intracellular activities were described for several IGFBP family members, such as IGFBP-3, which can be reinternalized by endocytosis and reaches the nucleus through routes that remain to be fully established. Within the family of IGFBPs, IGFBP-6 is unique for its specific binding to IGF-II. IGFBP-6 was described to possess additional IGF-independent activities, which have in part been attributed to its translocation to the nucleus; however, cellular uptake of IGFBP-6 was not described. To further explore IGFBP-6 functions, we developed a new method for the purification of native human IGFBP-6 from cell culture supernatants, involving a four-step affinity purification procedure, which yields highly enriched IGFBP-6. Whereas protein purified in this way retained the capacity to interact with IGF-II and modulate IGF-dependent signal transduction, our data suggest that, unlike IGFBP-3, human IGFBP-6 is not readily internalized by human tumor cells. To summarize, this work describes a novel and efficient method for the purification of native human insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP-6) from human cell culture supernatants, applying a four-step chromatography procedure. Intactness of purified IGFBP-6 was confirmed by IGF ligand Western blot and ability to modulate IGF-dependent signal transduction. Cellular uptake studies were performed to further characterize the purified protein, showing no short-term uptake of IGFBP-6, in contrast to IGFBP-3

A monoclonal antibody raised against bacterially expressed MPV17 sequences shows peroxisomal, endosomal and lysosomal localisation in U2OS cells

Recessive mutations in the MPV17 gene cause mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, a fatal infantile genetic liver disease in humans. Loss of function in mice leads to glomerulosclerosis and sensineural deafness accompanied with mitochondrial DNA depletion. Mutations in the yeast homolog Sym1, and in the zebra fish homolog tra cause interesting, but not obviously related phenotypes, although the human gene can complement the yeast Sym1 mutation. The MPV17 protein is a hydrophobic membrane protein of 176 amino acids and unknown function. Initially localised in murine peroxisomes, it was later reported to be a mitochondrial inner membrane protein in humans and in yeast. To resolve this contradiction we tested two new mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against the human MPV17 protein in Western blots and immunohistochemistry on human U2OS cells. One of these monoclonal antibodies showed specific reactivity to a protein of 20 kD absent in MPV17 negative mouse cells. Immunofluorescence studies revealed colocalisation with peroxisomal, endosomal and lysosomal markers, but not with mitochondria. This data reveal a novel connection between a possible peroxisomal/endosomal/lysosomal function and mitochondrial DNA depletion