Quantitative biology of single neurons

The building blocks of complex biological systems are single cells. Fundamental insights gained from single-cell analysis promise to provide the framework for understanding normal biological systems development as well as the limits on systems/cellular ability to respond to disease. The interplay of cells to create functional systems is not well understood. Until recently, the study of single cells has concentrated primarily on morphological and physiological characterization. With the application of new highly sensitive molecular and genomic technologies, the quantitative biochemistry of single cells is now accessible.     

Curcumin-Induced Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression Prevents H2O2-Induced Cell Death in Wild Type and Heme Oxygenase-2 Knockout Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration is a promising adjuvant therapy to treat tissue injury. However, MSC survival after administration is often hampered by oxidative stress at the site of injury. Heme oxygenase (HO) generates the cytoprotective effector molecules biliverdin/bilirubin, carbon monoxide (CO) and iron/ferritin by breaking down heme. Since HO-activity mediates anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects, we hypothesized that modulation of the HO-system affects MSC survival. Adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs) from wild type (WT) and HO-2 knockout (KO) mice were isolated and characterized with respect to ASC marker expression. In order to analyze potential modulatory effects of the HO-system on ASC survival, WT and HO-2 KO ASCs were pre-treated with HO-activity modulators, or downstream effector molecules biliverdin, bilirubin, and CO before co-exposure of ASCs to a toxic dose of H₂O₂. Surprisingly, sensitivity to H₂O₂-mediated cell death was similar in WT and HO-2 KO ASCs. However, pre-induction of HO-1 expression using curcumin increased ASC survival after H₂O₂ exposure in both WT and HO-2 KO ASCs. Simultaneous inhibition of HO-activity resulted in loss of curcumin-mediated protection. Co-treatment with glutathione precursor N-Acetylcysteine promoted ASC survival. However, co-incubation with HO-effector molecules bilirubin and biliverdin did not rescue from H₂O₂-mediated cell death, whereas co-exposure to CO-releasing molecules-2 (CORM-2) significantly increased cell survival, independently from HO-2 expression. Summarizing, our results show that curcumin protects via an HO-1 dependent mechanism against H₂O₂-mediated apoptosis, and likely through the generation of CO. HO-1 pre-induction or administration of CORMs may thus form an attractive strategy to improve MSC therapy.     

Advanced components and sub-system solutions for 40 Gb/s transmission

With the commissioning of the latest 10-Gb/s systems, vendors are now in the process of developing architectures for their next-generation products. 40-Gb/s components and subsystems are currently in development to address the necessities of these next-generation systems. The top three challenges associated with 40-Gb/s transmission are optical signal-to-noise ratio, dispersion, and high-speed components. In order to realize 40-Gb/s transmission, new component and subsystem developments are crucial. This paper reviews the latest transmission technologies and dispersion compensation techniques developed to fulfill 40-Gb/s transmission system requirements.     

The Effect of Etching on Ti6A 14V Interfacial Chemistry and Adhesion to Evaporated Gold and a Commercial Adhesive

Titanium 6-aluminum 4-vandium alloys were etched for varying periods of time in aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. Following etching, one-half of the specimens were covered with vacuum evaporated gold while the other half were bonded with a commercial adhesive. Gold adhesion to the alloys was evaluated by pressure sensitive tape peel tests and lap shear tests using a commercial adhesive. The uncoated specimens were evaluated by lap shear tests. Adhesion of Ti6A14V to gold and to the commercial adhesive was directly proportional to the length of time the specimen was etched. Although etching in HF/NH₄H₂PO₄ resulted in a rather rough surface, there were only subtle differences with increasing time. Surface chemistry changes suggest selective etching of the alpha phase and increasing exposure of the beta phase. Heating of the gold on Ti6A14V resulted in improved adhesion, probably by diffusion mechanisms. Exposure to steam resulted in bond degradation in both gold/Ti6A14V and in adhesive/Ti6A14V systems. The adhesive bonding results for the etched specimens were compared to performance based on “attachment site” theory. Excellent agreement for both gold on Ti6A14V and commercial adhesive on Ti6A14V was observed. Degradation of the bond due to steam followed the same form in both systems, suggesting H₂O transport along the interphase.     

Anodization of evaporated aluminium on Ti-6 wt% Al-4 wt% V

Evaporated aluminium on Ti-6 wt% Al-4 wt% V alloy was anodized in phosphoric acid and other electrolytes. The anodic oxide formed was characterized by various techniques and it was found that a duplex oxide forms in which titanium has diffused through the aluminium oxide film and appears at the surface and throughout the film.     

Decellularised Human Umbilical Artery as a Vascular Graft Elicits Minimal Pro-Inflammatory Host Response Ex Vivo and In Vivo

Small diameter (<6 mm) vessel grafts still pose a challenge for scientists worldwide. Decellularised umbilical artery (dUA) remains promising as small diameter tissue engineered vascular graft (TEVG), yet their immunogenicity remains unknown. Herein, we evaluated the host immune responses, with a focus on the innate part, towards human dUA implantation in mice, and confirmed our findings in an ex vivo allogeneic human setup. Overall, we did not observe any differences in the number of circulating white blood cells nor the number of monocytes among three groups of mice (1) dUA patch; (2) Sham; and (3) Mock throughout the study (day −7 to 28). Likewise, we found no difference in systemic inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels between groups. However, a massive local remodelling response with M2 macrophages were observed in the dUA at day 28, whereas M1 macrophages were less frequent. Moreover, human monocytes from allogeneic individuals were differentiated into macrophages and exposed to lyophilised dUA to maximize an eventual M1 response. Yet, dUA did not elicit any immediate M1 response as determined by the absence of CCR7 and CXCL10. Together this suggests that human dUA elicits a minimal pro-inflammatory response further supporting its use as a TEVG in an allogeneic setup.     

Influence of wastewater characteristics on methane potential in food-processing industry wastewaters

In this study, we identified the influence of wastewater characteristics on the theoretical and practical methane potential using different food industrial wastewaters as substrates. Ten composite wastewater samples from five industries were investigated. The ultimate practical methane yields (B(o)) were compared to the theoretical methane yields (B(o,th)) in order to evaluate the biodegradability of the tested wastewaters and the influence of their physico-chemical characteristics. The analytical method applied to quantify the wastewaters' organic content proved to influence the estimation of their theoretical yields. The substrate:inoculum ratio as well as the dilution factor of the wastewaters influenced the ultimate practical methane yields differently in each of the wastewaters assessed. Substrate chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations did not present any influence on ultimate practical methane yields; on the other hand, it was found that they were affected positively by concentrations of total inorganic carbon when wastewaters were 25% and 50% diluted and affected negatively by concentrations of total acetate when wastewaters were undiluted. Carbohydrate and protein concentrations affected negatively the maximum achieved practical methane yields.