Single-Cell Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Signals to Activate Dormant Neural Stem Cells

SummaryThe scarcity of tissue-specific stem cells and the complexity of their surrounding environment have made molecular characterization of these cells particularly challenging. Through single-cell transcriptome and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we uncovered molecular properties of CD133+/GFAP− ependymal (E) cells in the adult mouse forebrain neurogenic zone. Surprisingly, prominent hub genes of the gene network unique to ependymal CD133+/GFAP− quiescent cells were enriched for immune-responsive genes, as well as genes encoding receptors for angiogenic factors. Administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activated CD133+ ependymal neural stem cells (NSCs), lining not only the lateral but also the fourth ventricles and, together with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), elicited subsequent neural lineage differentiation and migration. This study revealed the existence of dormant ependymal NSCs throughout the ventricular surface of the CNS, as well as signals abundant after injury for their activation

How Do Employees Perceive Corporate Responsibility? Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Corporate Stakeholder Responsibility Scale

Recent research on the microfoundations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has highlighted the need for improved measures to evaluate how stakeholders perceive and subsequently react to CSR initiatives. Drawing on stakeholder theory and data from five samples of employees (N = 3,772), the authors develop and validate a new measure of corporate stakeholder responsibility (CStR), which refers to an organization’s context-specific actions and policies designed to enhance the welfare of various stakeholder groups by accounting for the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental performance; it is conceptualized as a superordinate, multidimensional construct. Results from exploratory factor analyses, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modeling provide strong evidence of the convergent, discriminant, incremental, and criterion-related validities of the proposed CStR scale. Two-wave longitudinal studies further extend prior theory by demonstrating that the higher-order CStR construct relates positively and directly to organizational pride and perceived organizational support, as well as positively and indirectly to organizational identification, job satisfaction, and affective commitment, beyond the contribution of overall organizational justice, ethical climate, and prior measures of perceived CSR

Hamartin Expression and Interaction with Tuberin in Tumor Cell Lines and Primary Cultures.

Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is a neurocutaneous disorder characterized by multi-system hamartomatous lesions, and results from a mutation in TSC1, that encodes hamartin, or TSC2, that encodes tuberin. We have examined hamartin expression in a diverse range of human and rat cell lines and primary cultured cells derived from tissues that express hamartin in vivo. Strong hamartin signal was detected in every cell line of human origin examined, representing neuronal, epithelial, lymphoid, renal, vascular smooth muscle, liver, and prostatic cells. Primary cell cultures of oligodendroglioma, meningioma, and glioblastoma multiforme origin were also found to express hamartin. Hamartin was also detected in the rat PC12 cell line, as well as purified primary cultures of rat cortical neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendroglia, with a stronger signal found in astrocytes. Using co-immunoprecipitation, we have also confirmed the physical interaction of tuberin and hamartin in a diverse range of human and rat cell types. These findings demonstrate that hamartin is widely expressed in human and rat cell lines and cultures, and demonstrate that hamartin expression is not lost during the establishment of tumor cell lines or primary cultures. This suggests that the cell lines and cultures studied may serve as useful in vitro models for biochemical investigations involving hamartin and tuberin both individually and as a complex, as well as studies to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the organ-specific pathology of TSC

Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Family Management Measure

Objective This paper reports development of the Family Management Measure (FaMM) of parental perceptions of family management of chronic conditions. Method By telephone interview, 579 parents of children age 3 to 19 with a chronic condition (349 partnered mothers, 165 partners, 65 single mothers) completed the FaMM and measures of child functional status and behavioral problems and family functioning. Analyses addressed reliability, factor structure, and construct validity. Results Exploratory factor analysis yielded six scales: Child's Daily Life, Condition Management Ability, Condition Management Effort, Family Life Difficulty, Parental Mutuality, and View of Condition Impact. Internal consistency reliability ranged from .72 to .91, and test-retest reliability from .71 to .94. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations in hypothesized directions between FaMM scales and established measures. Conclusion Results support FaMM's; reliability and validity, indicating it performs in a theoretically meaningful way and taps distinct aspects of family response to childhood chronic conditions