Endothelial cells stimulate self-renewal and expand neurogenesis of neural stem cells

Neural stem cells are reported to lie in a vascular niche, but there is no direct evidence for a functional relationship between the stem cells and blood vessel component cells. We show that endothelial cells but not vascular smooth muscle cells release soluble factors that stimulate the self-renewal of neural stem cells, inhibit their differentiation, and enhance their neuron production. Both embryonic and adult neural stem cells respond, allowing extensive production of both projection neuron and interneuron types in vitro. Endothelial coculture stimulates neuroepithelial cell contact, activating Notch and Hes 1 to promote self-renewal. These findings identify endothelial cells as a critical component of the neural stem cell niche.     

基于低频滤波法的T-TDR含水率测量方法研究

为了解决T-TDR(Thermo-time domain reflectometry)探针短,土壤含水率测量效果差等技术问题,提出了一种低频滤波法LFF(Low frequency filter)进行TDR波形分析的计算模型。通过对TDR波形快速傅里叶变换,得到组成TDR波形的频谱,对其低频滤波后重新快速傅里叶反变换,可实现LFF变换。试验通过4种土壤,每种5个含水率的20个土样进行测试,通过LFF法和传统WINTDR法对比,结果表明LFF法具有较好的计算结果,其与干燥法的决定系数R2达0.983 5。LFF法不仅有效提高了T-TDR短针土壤含水率的测试精度,还简化了土壤含水率测试校验程序,提高了测试效率。     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CISTERNA CHYLI IN DOGS

Previous lymphangiographic studies have investigated the use of computed tomography (CT) for characterizing the thoracic duct and its tributaries in dogs. However, there is limited published information on the appearance of the canine cisterna chyli using CT. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe the features of the canine cisterna chyli in pre‐ and post‐contrast abdominal CT studies. The presence, location, shape, maximum width, size compared with the aortic diameter (Ao:cisterna chyli ratio) and mean attenuation of the cisterna chyli were recorded from archived abdominal CT scans of 30 dogs. Breed, age, sex and neutering status were also noted. A cisterna chyli was identified in 26 of the dogs (87%). In 22 cases a cisterna chyli could be reliably identified prior to intravenous contrast administration and in all 26 cases in postcontrast images. The cisterna chyli was most commonly located right dorsolateral to the abdominal aorta between L1 and L4. Shape varied on transverse images from crescent‐like to globular and maximum diameters ranged from 5 to 9 mm. The Ao:cisterna chyli ratio varied between 0.29 and 0.71 (mean value—males: 0.32; females: 0.38). On pre‐contrast images the mean Hounsfield units were 21.3HU (range: –3.8 to 64.25). Mild enhancement of the cisterna chyli post‐contrast was observed in 24 dogs (80%). Findings supported the use of pre‐ and post‐contrast abdominal CT as a non‐invasive method for assessing qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the canine cisterna chyli.     

Impact of fresh root material and mature crop residues of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) on microbial communities associated with subsequent oilseed rape

Glasshouse bioassays were conducted to assess the impact of different inputs of oilseed rape plant material on soil and rhizosphere microbial diversity associated with subsequently grown oilseed rape (Brassica napus) plants. The first bioassay focussed on the effect of oilseed rape rhizodeposits and fresh detached root material on microbial communities, in a rapid-cycling experiment in which oilseed rape plants were grown successively in pots of field soil for 4 weeks at a time, with six cycles of repeated vegetative planting in the same pot. Molecular analyses of the microbial communities after each cycle showed that the obligate parasite Olpidium brassicae infected the roots of oilseed rape within 4 weeks after the first planting (irrespective of the influence of rhizodeposits alone or in the presence of fresh detached root material), and consistently dominated the rhizosphere fungal community, ranging in relative abundance from 43 to 88 % when oilseed rape was grown more than once in the same soil. Fresh detached root material also led to a reduction in diversity within the soil fungal community, due to the increased relative abundance of O. brassicae. In addition, rhizosphere bacterial communities were found to have a reduced diversity over time when fresh root material was retained in the soil. In the second glasshouse experiment, the effect of incorporating mature, field-derived oilseed rape crop residues (shoots and root material) on microbial communities associated with subsequently grown oilseed rape was investigated. As before, molecular analyses revealed that O. brassicae dominated the rhizosphere fungal community, despite not being prevalent in either the residue material or soil fungal communities.     

Temporal and spatial monitoring of soil selenium at Kesterson Reservoir,California

The selenium and salt content of the top 15 cm of the soil profile at Kesterson Reservoir (Merced County, California) have been monitored annually to develop a data set that provides a foundation for: (1) evaluating the status of the selenium inventory and biological hazards at Kesterson Reservoir; (2) understanding selenium fluxes near the soil surface; and (3) making long-term predictions of the selenium concentrations available for plant uptake and dissolution into rainwater ephemeral pools. Results of this monitoring program indicate that the soil selenium inventory at Kesterson may be categorized in terms of three main patterns: (1) spatial trends associated with historic Reservoir operations; (2) temporal trends due to the oxidation and remobilization of the selenium inventory and; (3) temporal trends due to seasonal cycles. It is evident that the selenium inventory and distribution within the soil profile will evolve slowly whereby the fraction of the total inventory that is now immobile (est. at 93%) will oxidize to more mobile and bioavailable forms. Two major issues with broad importance were raised concerning sampling the surface soil selenium environment at Kesterson which may be helpful to others conducting investigations of similar nature. These issues include: (1) the recognition that variations in surface soil contaminant concentrations due to seasonal redistribution may obscure long term trends and; (2) large spatial variability in soil contaminant concentrations make it difficult to obtain large enough data sets to detect statistically significant changes in the contaminant inventory until large changes have already taken place. A combination of both process-oriented and synoptic type sampling are recommended to better define time trends.     

Determination of the bioavailable fraction of triclosan in biosolid-treated soils using a predictive method and wheat plant bioassays

Purpose

Triclosan (TCS, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol) an antimicrobial compound used in a range of household products, is an emerging hydrophobic organic contaminant, that may be incorporated into soil through the application of biosolids. The present study assessed the bioavailable fraction of TCS in a soil-biosolid system using wheat (Triticum aestivum) plant assays and a predictive extraction method using a solution of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) to determine if it was a reliable surrogate for this bioassay.

Materials and methods

Three soils were obtained from the central region of Chile (Cuesta Vieja, Polpaico, and Taqueral). Biosolid was obtained from a regional wastewater treatment plant. The soils were amended with biosolids at different rates (30, 60, 90, and 200 Mg ha^-1). The TCS concentration was determined in biosolids, soil, and plant samples via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Results and discussion

The total TCS concentration in the biosolids was 5.45 mg kg^-1. The results of the TCS extraction from the wheat plants (roots and shoots) indicated that TCS was primarily found in the roots. TCS uptake by the plant varied based on soil properties. The predictive capability of the HPCD extraction was assessed using a simple linear correlation test for TCS concentration in wheat plants.

Conclusions

The study yielded a linear relationship, which demonstrated the validity of the chemical method as a biosimulation technique.