Disrupted hippocampal performance underlies psychiatric comorbidities and cognitive impairments in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. To understand the contribution of adult hippocampal ...neurogenesis (AHN) to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia, we studied postmortem human samples. We found that adult-born dentate granule cells showed abnormal morphological development and changes in the expression of differentiation markers. The ratio of quiescent to proliferating hippocampal neural stem cells shifted, and the homeostasis of the neurogenic niche was altered. Aging and neurodegenerative diseases reduced the phagocytic capacity of microglia, triggered astrogliosis, and altered the microvasculature of the dentate gyrus. Thus, enhanced vulnerability of AHN to neurodegeneration might underlie hippocampal dysfunction during physiological and pathological aging in humans.
Background
The novel concept of guided endodontics has been reported as an effective method to obtain safe and reliable results in root canal treatment.
Aim
To evaluate by means of a systematic ...review the clinical applications, accuracy and limitations of guided endodontic treatment.
Data sources
A search of the literature was performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases, until 25 April 2019. No language or year restrictions were applied.
Study eligibility criteria
Articles that answered the research question, including case reports, in vitro and ex vivo studies were included. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers.
Study appraisal
Quality assessment was done using STROBE, CARE and Modified CONSORT guidelines for observational, case reports and pre‐clinical studies, respectively.
Results
A total of 22 articles, including fifteen case reports, six pre‐clinical studies (in vitro and ex vivo studies) and one observational study, were included.
Limitations and Conclusions
Even though the level of evidence is low, and the methodology described among studies heterogeneous, all articles describe guided access cavity preparation and guided surgery as being highly accurate and successful techniques when comparing the drilled path to the planned treatment. More studies with a larger number of patients are necessary to obtain significant conclusions.
Violence against women is a phenomenon that persists in all countries (1). Since the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the ...international community has acknowledged that violence against women is an important public health, social policy, and human rights concern. However, documenting the magnitude of violence against women and producing reliable comparative data to guide policy and monitor progress has been difficult.
Summary
Carotenoids are isoprenoid compounds synthesized by all photosynthetic and some non‐photosynthetic organisms. They are essential for photosynthesis and contribute to many other aspects of a ...plant's life. The oxidative breakdown of carotenoids gives rise to the formation of a diverse family of essential metabolites called apocarotenoids. This metabolic process either takes place spontaneously through reactive oxygen species or is catalyzed by enzymes generally belonging to the CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE family. Apocarotenoids include the phytohormones abscisic acid and strigolactones (SLs), signaling molecules and growth regulators. Abscisic acid and SLs are vital in regulating plant growth, development and stress response. SLs are also an essential component in plants’ rhizospheric communication with symbionts and parasites. Other apocarotenoid small molecules, such as blumenols, mycorradicins, zaxinone, anchorene, β‐cyclocitral, β‐cyclogeranic acid, β‐ionone and loliolide, are involved in plant growth and development, and/or contribute to different processes, including arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis, abiotic stress response, plant–plant and plant–herbivore interactions and plastid retrograde signaling. There are also indications for the presence of structurally unidentified linear cis‐carotene‐derived apocarotenoids, which are presumed to modulate plastid biogenesis and leaf morphology, among other developmental processes. Here, we provide an overview on the biology of old, recently discovered and supposed plant apocarotenoid signaling molecules, describing their biosynthesis, developmental and physiological functions, and role as a messenger in plant communication.
Significance Statement
Apocarotenoids are carotenoid‐derived small molecules with regulatory functions, including cellular signaling, growth regulation and communication with surrounding organisms. Owing to these functions, apocarotenoids can influence plant physiology, development and plant–plant/plant–microorganisms interactions, making them a major focus of study in agriculture and fundamental research.
Epitope tagging is widely used to fuse a known epitope to proteins for which no affinity receptor is available by using recombinant DNA technology. One example is FLAG epitope (DYKDDDDK), which ...provides better purity and recoveries than the favorite poly histidine tag. However, purification requires using anti-FLAG antibody resins, the high cost and nonreusability of which restrict widespread use. One cost-effective solution is provided by the use of bioinspired anti-FLAG molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). This work describes the development of MIPs, based on the epitope approach, synthesized from the tetrapeptide DYKD as template that affords purification of FLAG-derived recombinant proteins. Polymer was optimized by using a combinatorial approach to select the functional monomer(s) and cross-linker(s), resulting in the best specific affinity toward FLAG and the peptide DYKD. The imprinted resin obtained was used to purify mCherry proteins tagged with either FLAG or DYKD epitopes from crude cell lysates. Both mCherry variants were highly efficiently purified (R ≥ 95%, RSD ≤ 15%, n = 3) and impurities were removed. Unlike existing antibody-based resins, the proposed tag-imprinting strategy provides a general method for meeting the growing demand for efficient, inexpensive, and versatile materials for tagged proteins purification.
Neurologic injuries, such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, and weaknesses of skeletal muscles with elderly people, may considerably limit the ability of this population to achieve the main daily ...living activities. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the development of wearable devices, the so-called exoskeletons, to assist elderly as well as patients with limb pathologies, for movement assistance and rehabilitation. In this paper, we review and discuss the state of the art of the lower limb exoskeletons that are mainly used for physical movement assistance and rehabilitation. An overview of the commonly used actuation systems is presented. According to different case studies, a classification and comparison between different types of actuators is conducted, such as hydraulic actuators, electrical motors, series elastic actuators, and artificial pneumatic muscles. Additionally, the mainly used control strategies in lower limb exoskeletons are classified and reviewed, based on three types of human-robot interfaces: the signals collected from the human body, the interaction forces between the exoskeleton and the wearer, and the signals collected from exoskeletons. Furthermore, the performances of several typical lower limb exoskeletons are discussed, and some assessment methods and performance criteria are reviewed. Finally, a discussion of the major advances that have been made, some research directions, and future challenges are presented.
Label-free optical biosensors are an intriguing option for the analyses of many analytes, as they offer several advantages such as high sensitivity, direct and real-time measurement in addition to ...multiplexing capabilities. However, development of label-free optical biosensors for small molecules can be challenging as most of them are not naturally chromogenic or fluorescent, and in some cases, the sensor response is related to the size of the analyte. To overcome some of the limitations associated with the analysis of biologically, pharmacologically, or environmentally relevant compounds of low molecular weight, recent advances in the field have improved the detection of these analytes using outstanding methodology, instrumentation, recognition elements, or immobilization strategies. In this review, we aim to introduce some of the latest developments in the field of label-free optical biosensors with the focus on applications with novel innovations to overcome the challenges related to small molecule detection. Optical label-free methods with different transduction schemes, including evanescent wave and optical fiber sensors, surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and interferometry, using various biorecognition elements, such as antibodies, aptamers, enzymes, and bioinspired molecularly imprinted polymers, are reviewed.
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis enhances brain plasticity and contributes to the cognitive reserve during aging. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in neurological disorders, yet the molecular ...mechanisms regulating the maturation and synaptic integration of new neurons have not been fully elucidated. GABA is a master regulator of adult and developmental neurogenesis. Here we engineered a novel retrovirus encoding the fusion protein Gephyrin:GFP to longitudinally study the formation and maturation of inhibitory synapses during adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo. Our data reveal the early assembly of inhibitory postsynaptic densities at 1 week of cell age. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 Beta (GSK-3β) emerges as a key regulator of inhibitory synapse formation and maturation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. GSK-3β-overexpressing newborn neurons show an increased number and altered size of Gephyrin
+
postsynaptic clusters, enhanced miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents, shorter and distanced axon initial segments, reduced synaptic output at the CA3 and CA2 hippocampal regions, and impaired pattern separation. Moreover, GSK-3β overexpression triggers a depletion of Parvalbumin
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interneuron perineuronal nets. These alterations might be relevant in the context of neurological diseases in which the activity of GSK-3β is dysregulated.
U.S. teacher education has largely overlooked a sociopolitical-historical context that affects both immigrants and nonimmigrants: American empire. To address the pressing need for teacher education ...to acknowledge U.S. imperialism, the author stages an argument in three parts. First, she argues that the field should account for empire and its impact on immigrants, and suggests conceptualizing immigrants within a nuanced framework of white supremacy. Next, she relates her own immigrant counternarrative to expose masternarratives that operate against immigrants. By sharing her journey toward understanding imperialism and her own positionality, she also contributes an immigrant perspective to the field. Third, the author introduces the concept of imperial privilege, inviting the field to recognize and challenge masternarratives. The author concludes by inviting readers to historicize U.S. imperialism in their research and practice, and thus embrace more humanizing narratives. While the argument focuses on the United States, it also applies broadly to other high-income imperialist countries.
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