ADAM15 modulates outside-in signalling in chondrocyte–matrix interactions

ADAM15 belongs to a family of transmembrane multi-domain proteins implicated in proteolysis, cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions in various disease conditions. In osteoarthritis (OA), ADAM15 is up-regulated in the chondrocytes already at early stages of cartilage degeneration where it seems to exert homeostatic effects likely associated with its ability to enhance integrin-mediated chondrocyte adhesion to the surrounding collagen matrix. The aim of our present study was, therefore, to characterize functional domains of ADAM15 involved in collagen II (CII) interaction and to analyse associated outside-in signalling events. Accordingly, ADAM15 and respective deletion mutants were stably transfected into the chondrocyte cell line T/C28a4. Transfected cells were adhered to CII and phosphoproteins analysed by Western blotting. Co-immunoprecipitation served to identify protein binding to ADAM15. Our results elucidate the prodomain as critical for the capacity of ADAM15 to enhance CII adhesion, thereby identifying for the first time a cell-adhesive role of a metalloproteinase prodomain. Moreover, the cytoplasmic tail of ADAM15 confers a modulatory effect on the autophosphorylation site Y397 of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) during chondrocyte–collagen interaction. In conclusion, the newly uncovered impact of ADAM15 on signalling events that arise from chondrocyte interactions with its collagen matrix might contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism underlying its proposed chondroprotective role in degenerative cartilage disease

Continued Study of the Growth of Earth Science Offerings in Iowa Secondary Schools

Earth science has had a phenomenal growth or rebirth in the public schools of Iowa. There were 7 districts teaching earth science in 1960. Five years later there were 53 districts in which earth science was being taught. This is an increase in five years of 657.l %. In September of 1965 there were 82 districts offering the course. This was a 54.7% increase in one year. Included tables about earth science classes and teachers in Iowa public schools for the two years of 1964-1965 and 1965-1966 makes a comparison of the following: (1) undergraduate majors of teachers, (2) graduate majors of teachers, (3) grade level at which the course is taught, (4) size of classes, (5) total semester hours of teacher\u27s college credit, (6) highest degree held by teacher, (7) tenure of teacher in present position, (8) total years experience of teachers, (9) salaries of teachers, (10) age of teachers, and (11) sex and marital status of teachers

Modeling brain dynamics in brain tumor patients using the virtual brain

Presurgical planning for brain tumor resection aims at delineating eloquent tissue in the vicinity of the lesion to spare during surgery. To this end, noninvasive neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging fiber tracking are currently employed. However, taking into account this information is often still insufficient, as the complex nonlinear dynamics of the brain impede straightforward prediction of functional outcome after surgical intervention. Large-scale brain network modeling carries the potential to bridge this gap by integrating neuroimaging data with biophysically based models to predict collective brain dynamics. As a first step in this direction, an appropriate computational model has to be selected, after which suitable model parameter values have to be determined. To this end, we simulated large-scale brain dynamics in 25 human brain tumor patients and 11 human control participants using The Virtual Brain, an open-source neuroinformatics platform. Local and global model parameters of the Reduced Wong-Wang model were individually optimized and compared between brain tumor patients and control subjects. In addition, the relationship between model parameters and structural network topology and cognitive performance was assessed. Results showed (1) significantly improved prediction accuracy of individual functional connectivity when using individually optimized model parameters; (2) local model parameters that can differentiate between regions directly affected by a tumor, regions distant from a tumor, and regions in a healthy brain; and (3) interesting associations between individually optimized model parameters and structural network topology and cognitive performance

Bridging structure and function with brain network modeling

High-throughput neuroimaging technology enables rapid acquisition of vast amounts of structural and functional data on multiple spatial and temporal scales. While novel methods to extract information from these data are continuously developed, there is no principled approach for the systematic integration of distinct experimental results into a common theoretical framework, yet. The central result of this dissertation is a biophysically-based framework for brain network modeling that links structural and functional data across scales and modalities and integrates them with dynamical systems theory. Specifically, the publications in this thesis i. introduce an automated pipeline that extracts structural and functional information from multimodal imaging data to construct and constrain brain models, ii. link whole-brain models with empirical EEG-fMRI (simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging) data to integrate neural signals with simulated activity, iii. propose a framework for reverse-engineering neurophysiological dynamics and mechanisms underlying commonly observed features of neural activity, iv. document a software module that makes users acquainted with theory and practice of brain modeling, v. associate aging with structural and functional connectivity and vi. examine how parcellation size and short-range connectivity affect model dynamics. Taken together, these results form a novel approach that enables reverse-engineering of neurophysiological processes and mechanisms on the basis of biophysically-based brain models.Zusammenfassung Hochdurchsatzverfahren zur neuronalen Bildgebung ermöglichen die schnelle Erfassung großer Mengen an strukturellen und funktionellen Daten über verschiedenen räumlichen und zeitlichen Skalen. Obwohl ständig neue Methoden zur Verarbeitung der in diesen Daten enthaltenen Informationen entwickelt werden gibt es bisher kein systematisches Verfahren um experimentelle Ergebnisse in einem gemeinsamen theoretischen Rahmenwerk zu integrieren und zu verknüpfen. Das Hauptergebnis dieser Dissertation ist ein biophysikalisch basiertes Gehirn- Netzwerkmodell das strukturelle und funktionelle Daten über verschiedene Skalen und Modalitäten hinweg verknüpft und mit dynamischer Systemtheorie vereint. Die hier zusammengefassten Publikationen i. stellen eine automatische Software-Pipeline vor die strukturelle und funktionelle Informationen aus multimodalen Bilddaten extrahiert um Gehirnmodelle zu konstruieren und zu parametrisieren, ii. verknüpfen Ganzhi rnmodel le mi t empi r i schen EEG- fMRT ( s imul tane Elektroenzephalographie und funktionelle Magnetresonanztomographie) Daten um neuronale Signale mit simulierter Aktivität zu integrieren, iii. schlagen ein Rahmenwerk vor um neurophysiologische Dynamiken und Mechanismen die häufig beobachteten Eigenschaften neuronaler Aktivität zu Grunde liegen zu rekonstruieren, iv. dokumentieren ein Software-Modul das Benutzer mit Theorie und Praxis der Gehirnmodellierung vertraut macht, v. assoziieren Alterungsprozesse mit struktureller und funktioneller Konnektivität und vi. untersuchen wie Gehirn-Parzellierung und lokale Konnektivität die Modelldynamik beeinflussen. Zusammengenommen ergibt sich ein neuartiges Verfahren das die Rekonstruktion neurophysiologischer Prozesse und Mechanismen ermöglicht und mit dessen Hilfe neuronale Aktivität auf verschiedenen räumlichen und zeitlichen Skalen anhand biophysikalisch basierter Modelle vorhersagt werden kann

Fracture analysis on asteroid Ryugu

Fractures in boulders on the Near-Earth-Asteroid Ryugu were mapped and analysed in this work, using image data from the Japanese Hayabusa-2 mission. This resulted in orientation distributions and length distribution of the fractures. The preferred orientation of the fractures is North-South, relative to Ryugu’s equator. The likely explanation for this distribution is the thermal influence under which these fractures formed: The sun illuminates the east side of the boulders in the morning and the west side in the evening, resulting in a thermal gradient in the east-west direction, the thermal gradient in a stress distribution that promotes crackgrowth in the north-south direction. The distribution of fracture lengths determined for Ryugu is similar to the fractures on another asteroid, Bennu, which also orbits in a near-Earth orbit. The length distribution can be explained by describing the thermal influence with an exponential law and the size of the boulders (and thus also the fractures) with a power law. The length distribution was also used to model the temporal sequence of fracture growth to obtain time scales when fracture growth occurred and the observed length distributions could have formed

Modeling, Synthesis, and Validation of Heterogeneous Biomedical Embedded Systems

Abstract-The increasing performance and availability of embedded systems increases their attractiveness for biomedical applications. With advances in sensor processing and classification algorithms, real-time decision support in patient monitoring becomes feasible. However, the gap between algorithm design and their embedded realization is growing. This paper overviews an approach for development of biomedical devices at an abstract algorithm level with automatic generation of an embedded implementation. Based on a case study of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), this paper demonstrates capturing, modeling and synthesis of such applications

New Directions in Earth Science in Iowa Schools

Earth science was a common part of the high school curricula fifty years ago. It dropped from about 30% to.4% of the total school enrollment from 1900 to 1949. The decline of earth science was paralleled by an increased offering of biology. In the modern high school curricula it is replacing general science, mostly at the ninth grade level. Earth science offerings are on the increase in Iowa from 7 districts in 1960 to 53 in 1965, an increase of 757%, which is roughly 10% of the schools. Other schools have plans for the adoption of an earth science course in the near future. It is taught 75% of the time at the junior high school level (grades 7, 8, 9). The size of the class is about 26-30 students taught by a married male with a BA degree and 4-7 years’ experience. Most states have no certification requirements specifically for earth science teachers. They are certified under general science or science in general. There are not enough qualified earth science teachers at present and as the growth continues the problem will become more critical

Inspice diligenter codices

During the first centuries of the Christian era, a large number of discrepant Latin translations of the Old and the New Testaments were in circulation. Rebekka S. Schirmer examines St. Augustine`s comments about the problems raised by these texts, both descriptive and normative, and the extent to which Augustine`s engagement with different versions of the Bible employed philological methods of biblical exegesis

Review - \u3ci\u3eThe World of Geology\u3c/i\u3e

A series of nineteen articles written by twenty-four authors is edited and introduced by L. Don and Florence Leet as an integrated overview of geology leading from basic understandings and currently accepted theory to the limits of man\u27s knowledge and conjecture