Early Visual Saliency Based on Isolated Optimal Features

International audienc

Assessment of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle remodeling in severe equine asthma

Severe equine asthma (SEA) is characterized by reversible airway obstruction and hypoxemia. Pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction occurs during SEA exacerbation, inducing pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, PH is only partially reversed by oxygen administration, and other etiological factors are uninvestigated (Dixon 1978). In rodent asthma models, airway inflammation is associated with pulmonary artery (PA) remodeling (Rydell-Tormanen, Uller et al. 2009), that could contribute to PH, as known in human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Barbera, Peinado et al. 2003). We investigated the presence of PA remodeling in SEA, the involvement of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) alterations and their reversibility following long-term antigen avoidance or inhaled corticosteroids. Using histomorphometry, the PA wall was measured on sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin saffron, collected post-mortem from different lung regions of 12 asthmatic horses and 6 controls. Pulmonary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) mass was measured on sections stained for α-smooth muscle actin collected with in vivo thoracoscopy or post-mortem peripheral lung biopsy from 5 controls, 6 asthmatic horses in remission, and 11 asthmatic horses while exacerbation and after 1 year of antigen avoidance alone (5 horses) or treatment with fluticasone (6 horses). Data were compared using unpaired t test with Welch correction or paired t test (p<0.05). PA wall surface percentage was increased in apical (p=0.003) and caudo-dorsal (p=0.03) lung regions (respectively 50,66±13,16% and 50,56±15,02) of asthmatic horses, when compared to controls (respectively 35,38±7,06% and 38,13±10,18). Similarly, VSM mass percentage was increased (p=0.03) in asthmatic horses (47,77±3,17%), compared to controls (41,07±6,22%). A tendency for normalization of the VSM mass was observed after treatment with antigen avoidance (p=0.05; 39,64±4,02%), but not with fluticasone (p=0.27; 45,35±14,98%). Remodeling of the PA occurs in SEA and the increase in VSM could lead to lumen narrowing and enhance hypoxic vasoconstriction, contributing to PH during exacerbation. VSM mass normalization is more effectively obtained by antigen avoidance than by corticosteroids

CRISPR/Cas system: an emerging technology in stem cell research

The identification of new and even more precise technologies for modifying and manipulating the genome has been a challenge since the discovery of the DNA double helix. The ability to modify selectively specific genes provides a powerful tool for characterizing gene functions, performing gene therapy, correcting specific genetic mutations, eradicating diseases, engineering cells and organisms to achieve new and different functions and obtaining transgenic animals as models for studying specific diseases. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology has recently revolutionized genome engineering. The application of this new technology to stem cell research allows disease models to be developed to explore new therapeutic tools. The possibility of translating new systems of molecular knowledge to clinical research is particularly appealing for addressing degenerative diseases. In this review, we describe several applications of CRISPR/Cas9 to stem cells related to degenerative diseases. In addition, we address the challenges and future perspectives regarding the use of CRISPR/Cas9 as an important technology in the medical sciences

The co-chaperone p23 controls root development through the modulation of auxin distribution in the Arabidopsis root meristem

p23 co-chaperones play a key role in the root meristem maintenance via regulation of auxin signalling and the consequent balance between cell differentiation and division rate at the transition zon

The pricing of green bonds: are financial institutions special?

The financial system plays a major role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We investigate this issue analyzing the recent developments and challenges in the bond and debt markets. First, we study the pricing of green bonds at issuance. We find a premium when green bonds are issued by supranational institutions and corporates while there is no effect for financial institutions. We also document an effect for external review and repeated access to this market. Second, we investigate lending decisions by banks issuing green bonds. Our results show that these lenders reduce their funding towards more polluting segments of the economy but limited to the amount of loans they granted as lead bank in the deal. This evidence may explain why we do not find a green premium for financial issuers. Yet it also suggests that the banking system may play a much larger role in channeling funds towards low-carbon activities, and thus reducing the environmental risks also for the financial system.JRC.B.1-Finance and Econom

New Insights into the Runt Domain of RUNX2 in Melanoma Cell Proliferation and Migration

The mortality rate for malignant melanoma (MM) is very high, since it is highly invasive and resistant to chemotherapeutic treatments. The modulation of some transcription factors affects cellular processes in MM. In particular, a higher expression of the osteogenic master gene RUNX2 has been reported in melanoma cells, compared to normal melanocytes. By analyzing public databases for recurrent RUNX2 genetic and epigenetic modifications in melanoma, we found that the most common RUNX2 genetic alteration that exists in transcription upregulation is, followed by genomic amplification, nucleotide substitution and multiple changes. Additionally, altered RUNX2 is involved in unchecked pathways promoting tumor progression, Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), and metastasis. In order to investigate further the role of RUNX2 in melanoma development and to identify a therapeutic target, we applied the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to explore the role of the RUNT domain of RUNX2 in a melanoma cell line. RUNT-deleted cells showed reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, and reduced EMT features, suggesting the involvement of the RUNT domain in different pathways. In addition, del-RUNT cells showed a downregulation of genes involved in migration ability. In an in vivo zebrafish model, we observed that wild-type melanoma cells migrated in 81% of transplanted fishes, while del-RUNT cells migrated in 58%. All these findings strongly suggest the involvement of the RUNT domain in melanoma metastasis and cell migration and indicate RUNX2 as a prospective target in MM therapy