Hippocampal Expression of Cytochrome P450 1B1 in Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury

Hippocampal dysfunction contributes to multiple traumatic brain injury sequala. Female rodents’ outcome is superior to male which has been ascribed the neuroprotective sex hormones 17β-estradiol and progesterone. Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is an oxidative enzyme influencing the neuroinflammatory response by creating inflammatory mediators and metabolizing neuroprotective 17β-estradiol and progesterone. In this study, we aimed to describe hippocampal CYP1B1 mRNA expression, protein presence of CYP1B1 and its key redox partner Cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) in both sexes, as well as the effect of penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI). A total 64 adult Sprague Dawley rats divided by sex received pTBI or sham-surgery and were assigned survival times of 1-, 3-, 5- or 7 days. CYP1B1 mRNA was quantified using in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry performed to verify protein colocalization. CYP1B1 mRNA expression was present in all subregions but greatest in CA2 irrespective of sex, survival time or intervention. At 3-, 5- and 7 days post-injury, expression in CA2 was reduced in male rats subjected to pTBI compared to sham-surgery. Females subjected to pTBI instead exhibited increased expression in all CA subregions 3 days post-injury, the only time point expression in CA2 was greater in females than in males. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed neuronal CYP1B1 protein in all hippocampal subregions, while CPR was limited to CA1 and CA2. CYP1B1 mRNA is constitutively expressed in both sexes. In response to pTBI, females displayed a more urgent but brief regulatory response than males. This indicates there may be sex-dependent differences in CYP1B1 activity, possibly influencing inflammation and neuroprotection in pTBI.     

Hierarchically Structured Surfaces Prepared by Phase Separation: Tissue Mimicking Culture Substrate

The pseudo 3D hierarchical structure mimicking in vivo microenvironment was prepared by phase separation on tissue culture plastic. For surface treatment, time-sequenced dosing of the solvent mixture with various concentrations of polymer component was used. The experiments showed that hierarchically structured surfaces with macro, meso and micro pores can be prepared with multi-step phase separation processes. Changes in polystyrene surface topography were characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and contact profilometry. The cell proliferation and changes in cell morphology were tested on the prepared structured surfaces. Four types of cell lines were used for the determination of impact of the 3D architecture on the cell behavior, namely the mouse embryonic fibroblast, human lung carcinoma, primary human keratinocyte and mouse embryonic stem cells. The increase of proliferation of embryonic stem cells and mouse fibroblasts was the most remarkable. Moreover, the embryonic stem cells express different morphology when cultured on the structured surface. The acquired findings expand the current state of knowledge in the field of cell behavior on structured surfaces and bring new technological procedures leading to their preparation without the use of problematic temporary templates or additives.     

The Role of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles in Remote Ischemic Conditioning and Exercise-Induced Ischemic Tolerance

Ischemic conditioning and exercise have been suggested for protecting against brain ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the endogenous protective mechanisms stimulated by these interventions remain unclear. Here, in a comprehensive translational study, we investigated the protective role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released after remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), blood flow restricted resistance exercise (BFRRE), or high-load resistance exercise (HLRE). Blood samples were collected from human participants before and at serial time points after intervention. RIC and BFRRE plasma EVs released early after stimulation improved viability of endothelial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation. Furthermore, post-RIC EVs accumulated in the ischemic area of a stroke mouse model, and a mean decrease in infarct volume was observed for post-RIC EVs, although not reaching statistical significance. Thus, circulating EVs induced by RIC and BFRRE can mediate protection, but the in vivo and translational effects of conditioned EVs require further experimental verification.     

Use of Eddy Current Conductivity and Hardness Testing to Evaluate Heat Damage in Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum alloys are heat treated to provide optimal material properties for use in a variety of applications. However, when exposed to abnormally high temperatures, an evaluation must be performed to determine if the aluminum component has been compromised. Nondestructive evaluation of aluminum alloys, by means of electrical conductivity and hardness tests, can assist in determining the condition of the part. These techniques require experience and engineering judgment to properly interpret the data produced in order to determine whether a part needs to be replaced. This article will elaborate on issues with these nondestructive techniques to help diagnose the condition of aluminum alloys exposed to high temperatures.     

Change propagation and bidirectionality in internal transformation DSLs

Software and Systems Modeling - Despite good results in several industrial projects, model-driven engineering (MDE) has not been widely adopted in industry. Although MDE has existed for more than a...     

Landsat approaches to map agro-pastoral farming in the wetlands of southern Sudan

Machine-learning algorithms (MLA) are coming of age within satellite remote sensing (SRS). This study compares the performance of a number of MLAs with more traditional indices and algorithms to map annual agro-pastoralist farming activity in southern Sudan. Two Landsat images from the early dry season 2014 and 2015 were analysed thoroughly and evaluated by interpretation of farming cover from very high resolution (VHR) images on Google Earth (GE). Traditional SRS indices based upon red and near infrared (NIR) bands used for monitoring rangelands did not perform well for the wet rangeland conditions compared to the use of blue and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands. The species distribution model programme, MaxEnt, was used to produce a continuous farming activity indices using only Landsat-derived variables. Compared to other SRS classification approaches, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) showed the best overall performance to map farming activity followed by classification tree analysis (CTA). Overall mapping agreement >95.0% was reached for most methodologies, with MaxEnt showing very high mapping agreement (≥98.5%) for both years. When the result of MaxEnt’s good performance is put together in a 2014–15 or a 1999–2002 change detection scenario, it corroborates ground reports on massive human abuses that have taken place in Unity state of southern Sudan.     

How to prepare polished cement product surfaces for optical microscopy without introducing visible cracks

It is shown that preparation procedures may introduce cracks in epoxy impregnated hardened cement paste specimens. This is of vital importance for optical microscopic examination. A method which gives no visible cracks due to preparation is described.     

Note on flash and distillation systems

Flash and distillation systems evolving on the equilibrium manifold possess stable steady states when the molar flows and the boundary conditions are fixed and a vapor and liquid phase is present at all times. The results extend the range of validity of a local stability theorem for linear, constant molar overflow systems due to Acrivos and Amundson. The approach to stability analysis is motivated by the tangent plane method developed by Gibbs to open systems as it takes advantage of the negative curvature of the entropy surface to construct a Lyapunov function. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3322–3332, 2013