Influence of lipopolysaccharide on proinflammatory gene expression in human corneal, conjunctival and meibomian gland epithelial cells

PURPOSE: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, is known to stimulate leuokotriene B4 (LTB4) secretion by human corneal (HCECs), conjunctival (HConjECs) and meibomian gland (HMGECs) epithelial cells. We hypothesize that this LTB4 effect represents an overall induction of proinflammatory gene expression in these cells. Our objective was to test this hypothesis. METHODS: Immortalized HCECs, HConjECs and HMGECs were cultured in the presence or absence of LPS (15 μg/ml) and ligand binding protein (LBP; 150 ng/ml). Cells were then processed for RNA isolation and the analysis of gene expression by using Illumina BeadChips, background subtraction, cubic spline normalization and GeneSifter software. RESULTS: Our findings show that LPS induces a striking increase in proinflammatory gene expression in HCECs and HConjECs. These cellular reactions are associated with a significant up-regulation of genes associated with inflammatory and immune responses (e.g. IL-1β, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor), including those related to chemokine and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, and chemotaxis. In contrast, with the exception of Toll-like signaling and associated innate immunity pathways, almost no proinflammatory ontologies were upregulated by LPS in HMGECs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support our hypothesis that LPS stimulates proinflammatory gene expression in HCECs and HConjECs. However, our findings also show that LPS does not elicit such proinflammatory responses in HMGECs

Spatial Variation of Surface Residual Stress in Metallic Materials

Shot peening is commonly used to reduce fatigue failures in industrial parts by introducing compressive residual stress into the surface of a material. However, it is challenging to assess the performance of the parts without destroying them. Solving this problem requires a combined model that predicts both recrystallization and residual stress using experimental measurements and predictive computational modelling. Experiments were performed to prove that the surface properties of materials after thermal treatments can be accessed, and the spatial variation of residual stress in metallic materials, including the relationship between surface and subsurface behavior can be evaluated. This process involves investigating the surface residual stress profile using a spatially sensitive X-ray diffraction technique, followed by other procedures such as cutting and investigation of microstructure and subsurface residual stress. With a model like this, the performance of industrial parts can be assessed in a non-destructive way. It is crucial that the parts can still serve the original purpose after being tested

Composite metallic nanofoam structures

Metallic nanofoams made of metals such as nickel (Ni) or gold (Au) with ligament sizes on the order of 10’s to 100’s of nm’s exhibit several remarkable properties as a consequence of their low relative density and high specific surface area, such as outstanding strength to weight ratios, enhanced plasmonic behavior and size-effect-enhanced catalytic behavior. However, these metallic nanofoams suffer from macroscopically brittle behavior due to plastic deformation in individual ligaments. With little or no barriers for slip, work-hardening is not possible within ligaments and extremely localized plasticity, once initiated, leads to a few ligaments necking and what appears to be macroscopically brittle failure of the structure under load. Many of the nanofoams produced from metals were originally formed via dealloying. Recently both simulations and experiments have identified that layered ligaments of metallic foams can exhibit significantly improved strength and hardening in Ni-Au core-shell foams[1]. Simulations of Cu-Ni predict that this material combination will exhibit pseudo-elastic behavior and eliminate the macroscopic brittle failure [2]. However, using a metallic foam as a substrate for subsequent layered metallic films limits the amount of metallic layers that can be deposited because the initial foam must have a minimum amount of material (often a solid fraction of approximately 25%). Using a significantly less dense foam as a template should allow for subsequent multilayer growth that would enable larger numbers of layers, and therefore a possible increase in overall strength to total ligament diameter. Single layers have been demonstrated in a prior study [3]. Pulse electroplating from a nickel sulfamate electrolyte bath was used to deposit alternating layers of Ni and Cu. The bath consisted of 90 g l-1 Ni, 0.9 g l-1 Cu and 30 g l-1 boric acid (pH 3-3.5). This solution allows for alternating Ni and Cu layers to be alternately plated by varying the applied voltage, the end layer is actually an alloy of mostly Cu with Ni, and then mostly Ni. Low density foams were selected as a template for subsequent deposition. These included 2% volume carbon nanotubes as well as electrospun carbon fibers. Typical structures are shown in Figure 1. The resulting foams were then indented using flat punch nanoindentation and the effective modulus increased by a factor of three and the elastic recovery after indentation increased substantially (to about one half the original impression depth). The presentation will describe the processing method, the structural changes that occur when the films transition from layer by layer to island growth, and the resulting properties of the foam

How big should your nanoindentation be? The implications of indentation size in assessing the properties of complex structure

Drivers for testing small volumes of materials for assessing the mechanical properties are either (1) the sample you want to test is very small in the first place, such as measuring the hardness of a wear resistant coating which is in thin film form or (2) you can well-characterize a small volume or the small volume has some spatially distinct feature, such as probing properties near a grain boundary, or in two phase systems. Small scale mechanical testing using instrumented indentation generally requires minimal sample preparation and has high spatial fidelity, but creates complex loading states as opposed to uniaxial or biaxial applied stress methods. However, the ease of use and wide range of samples which are amenable for indentation testing has made this a common tool both for experimental assessment studies and for experimental validation of providing comparisons to simulations and predictions of mechanical properties. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

An Analysis of the Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Creative Thinking among Students

Background & Objective: All humans have various kinds of intelligences, only the amount and method of their combination differs. Thus, educational systems should provide the foundation for the development of these intelligences. The main purpose of this research was the analysis of the relationship between multiple intelligences and creative thinking among students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: The present research was a descriptive correlative study. The statistical population of the research included all students of the 2012-2013 academic years, from among which 129 were selected by random stratified sampling method. The data collection tools consisted of the Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire with 70 questions and the Creative Thinking Questionnaire with 20 questions based on a 5-point Likert scale. Content validities of the questionnaires were confirmed by experts. The reliability coefficients of the Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire and the Creative Thinking Questionnaire were obtained through Cronbach's alpha as 0.84 and 0.87, respectively. Collected data was analyzed through inferential statistics (correlation coefficient, Student's t-test, variance analysis, and regression analysis) using SPSS software. Results: Research findings revealed that mean of multiple intelligences and creative thinking components of the students were higher than average. The highest mean was related to the rational and mathematical intelligence. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between the components of multiple intelligences and creative thinking. Conclusion: Through the growth of multiple intelligences components, the grounds can be set for the growth of creative thinking in students, and thus, students can play their role as creative and innovative students in the development and growth of society. Keywords Multiple intelligences Creative thinking Student

Testosterone Influence on Gene Expression in Lacrimal Glands of Mouse Models of Sjögren Syndrome

Purpose: Sjögren syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that occurs almost exclusively in women and is associated with extensive inflammation in lacrimal tissue, an immune-mediated destruction and/or dysfunction of glandular epithelial cells, and a significant decrease in aqueous tear secretion. We discovered that androgens suppress the inflammation in, and enhance the function of, lacrimal glands in female mouse models (e.g., MRL/MpJ-Tnfrsf6lpr [MRL/lpr]) of Sjögren syndrome. In contrast, others have reported that androgens induce an anomalous immunopathology in lacrimal glands of nonobese diabetic/LtJ (NOD) mice. We tested our hypothesis that these hormone actions reflect unique, strain- and tissue-specific effects, which involve significant changes in the expression of immune-related glandular genes. Methods: Lacrimal glands were obtained from age-matched, adult, female MRL/lpr and NOD mice after treatment with vehicle or testosterone for up to 3 weeks. Tissues were processed for analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs using CodeLink Bioarrays and Affymetrix GeneChips. Data were analyzed with bioinformatics and statistical software. Results: Testosterone significantly influenced the expression of numerous immune-related genes, ontologies, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in lacrimal glands of MRL/lpr and NOD mice. The nature of this hormone-induced immune response was dependent upon the autoimmune strain, and was not duplicated within lacrimal tissues of nonautoimmune BALB/c mice. The majority of immune-response genes regulated by testosterone were of the inflammatory type. Conclusions: Our findings support our hypothesis and indicate a major role for the lacrimal gland microenvironment in mediating androgen effects on immune gene expression

Case Series: Cancer-Related Facial Pain Treated with Stellate Ganglion Block

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is believed to modify the pathologic sympathetic pain response and has been commonly used to treat complex regional pain syndrome. We report successful treatment of cancer-related facial pain with SGB in three patients, suggesting a possible sympathetic pain-related mechanism. All patients exhibited clinically significant improvement of pain 12 weeks following the procedure. SGB should be considered a palliative pain treatment option in cancer-related facial pain

Effects of monosodium glutamate on apoptosis of germ cells in testicular tissue of adult rat: An experimental study

Background: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavoring and food seasoning. Some studies have reported the oxidative effects of using this substance on various tissues. Objective: This study has investigated the effects of MSG and the protective effect of vitamin C (vit C) on apoptosis of testicular germ cells and biochemical factors. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 24 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (received distilled water), vit C group (150 mg/kg), experimental group 1 (MSG 3 gr/kg), experimental group 2 (MSG 3 gr/kg + vit C 150 mg/kg). The rats were gavaged for 30 days, and then were sacrificed, the right testis was isolated for biochemical examinations for the glutathione, malondialdehyde, and left testis used in histological experiments. Tunnel staining was used to determine the number of apoptotic cells. Results: The results showed that apoptotic cells in the MSG group had a significant increase compared to the control group (P = 0.001), but the number of these cells in the MSG co-administered with vit C and vit C groups were significantly lower than the MSG group. Germinal epithelial thickness also decreased in MSG group compared to the control group. Conclusion: MSG can lead to increase apoptotic changes in the germinal epithelial of the testicle, and vit C as an antioxidant can modify the pathological and biochemical changes induced by MSG

Dihydrotestosterone suppression of proinflammatory gene expression in human meibomian gland epithelial cells

Purpose: We discovered that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) decreases the ability of lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial toxin, to stimulate the secretion of leukotriene B4, a potent proinflammatory mediator, by immortalized human meibomian gland epithelial cells (IHMGECs). We hypothesize that this hormone action reflects an androgen suppression of proinflammatory gene activity in these cells. Our goal was to test this hypothesis. For comparison, we also examined whether DHT treatment elicits the same effect in immortalized human corneal (IHC) and conjunctival (IHConj) ECs. Methods: Differentiated cells were cultured in media containing vehicle or 10 nM DHT. Cells (n = 3 wells/treatment group) were then processed for RNA isolation and the analysis of gene expression by using Illumina BeadChips, background subtraction, cubic spline normalization and Geospiza software. Results: Our results demonstrate that DHT significantly suppressed the expression of numerous immune-related genes in HMGECs, such as those associated with antigen processing and presentation, innate and adaptive immune responses, chemotaxis, and cytokine production. DHT also enhanced the expression of genes for defensin β1, IL-1 receptor antagonist, and the anti-inflammatory serine peptidase inhibitor, Kazal type 5. In contrast, DHT had no effect on proinflammatory gene expression in HCECs, and significantly increased 33 gene ontologies linked to the immune system in HConjECs. Conclusions: Our findings support our hypothesis that androgens suppress proinflammatory gene expression in IHMGECs. This hormone effect may contribute to the typical absence of inflammation within the human meibomian gland

Corneal Epithelial Immune Dendritic Cell Alterations in Subtypes of Dry Eye Disease: A Pilot In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Study

Citation: Kheirkhah A, Rahimi Darabad R, Cruzat A, et al. Corneal epithelial immune dendritic cell alterations in subtypes of dry eye disease: a pilot in vivo confocal microscopic study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56:7179-7185. DOI:10.1167/ iovs.15-17433 PURPOSE. To evaluate density and morphology of corneal epithelial immune dendritic cells (DCs) in different subtypes of dry eye disease (DED) using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS. This retrospective study included 59 eyes of 37 patients with DED and 40 eyes of 20 age-matched healthy controls. Based on clinical tests, eyes with DED were categorized into two subtypes: aqueous-deficient (n ¼ 35) and evaporative (n ¼ 24). For all subjects, images of laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) of the central cornea were analyzed for DC density and DC morphology (DC size, number of dendrites, and DC field). These DC parameters were compared among all dry eye and control groups. RESULTS. Compared with the controls, patients with DED had significantly higher DC density, larger DC size, higher number of dendrites, and larger DC field (all P < 0.001). Comparison between aqueous-deficient and evaporative subtypes demonstrated that DC density was significantly higher in aqueous-deficient subtype (189.8 6 36.9 vs. 58.9 6 9.4 cells/mm 2 , P ¼ 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in morphologic parameters between DED subtypes. When aqueous-deficient DED with underlying systemic immune disease (Sjögren's syndrome and graft versus host disease) were compared with nonimmune conditions, the immunologic subgroup showed significantly higher DC density, DC size, and number of dendrites (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. Corneal IVCM demonstrated differential changes in DC density and morphologic DC parameters between subtypes of DED. These changes, which reflect the degree of immune activation and inflammation in DED, can be used for clinical practice and endpoints in clinical trials. Keywords: dry eye disease, in vivo confocal microscopy, inflammation, dendritic cells D ry eye disease (DED) is one of the most commonly encountered ophthalmic disorders. It is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and tear film, characterized by symptoms of eye irritation, tear instability, and vision impairment. 1 In addition to evaluating symptoms, a variety of clinical tests are currently being used to diagnose DED, including the Schirmer's wetting test, tear break-up time (TBUT), tear osmolarity, and vital dye staining of the ocular surface by fluorescein, Rose Bengal and Lissamine Green. However, complex clinical features of the disease make the diagnosis a challenge in many cases. 2,3 Therefore, there remains a significant need for objective tests, which can be used to accurately diagnose DED and/or monitor therapeutic response in DED and its underlying changes. Recent studies have shown that the immune changes play an important role in the pathogenesis of DED. To evaluate changes in DCs in patients with DED, corneal in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) has lately been used. In vivo confocal microscopy is a noninvasive imaging modality that enables studying the cornea at a cellular level