Cell surface fluctuations regulate early embryonic lineage sorting.

In development, lineage segregation is coordinated in time and space. An important example is the mammalian inner cell mass, in which the primitive endoderm (PrE, founder of the yolk sac) physically segregates from the epiblast (EPI, founder of the fetus). While the molecular requirements have been well studied, the physical mechanisms determining spatial segregation between EPI and PrE remain elusive.

Extent of myosin penetration within the actin cortex regulates cell surface mechanics.

In animal cells, shape is mostly determined by the actomyosin cortex, a thin cytoskeletal network underlying the plasma membrane. Myosin motors generate tension in the cortex, and tension gradients result in cellular deformations. As such, many cell morphogenesis studies have focused on the mechanisms controlling myosin activity and recruitment to the cortex.

Left ventricular mechanics and cardiovascular outcomes in non-compaction phenotype.

Aims: This study aims at understanding left ventricular (LV) mechanics of non-compaction (LVNC) phenotype using echocardiographic strain analysis and at assessing the association of functional parameters with cardiovascular (CV) outcomes.

Methods And Results: Longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strain (GCS) as well as rotation of the LV were analyzed in 55 LVNC patients and 55 matched controls. Cardiovascular outcomes were documented for a median follow-up duration of 6 years.

Overview of mitral regurgitation in Europe: results from the European Registry of mitral regurgitation (EuMiClip).

Aims: To determine the prevalence of mitral regurgitation (MR) in a large cohort of consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated echocardiography and to examine the distribution of primary and secondary MR.

Methods And Results: All patients undergoing an echocardiographic study in 19 European centres within a 3-month period were prospectively included. MR assessment was performed as recommended by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).

Actin cortex architecture regulates cell surface tension.

Animal cell shape is largely determined by the cortex, a thin actin network underlying the plasma membrane in which myosin-driven stresses generate contractile tension. Tension gradients result in local contractions and drive cell deformations. Previous cortical tension regulation studies have focused on myosin motors.

Physicochemical and nanomechanical investigation of electrodeposited chitosan:PEO blends.

Cathodic electrodeposition is a bottom up process that is emerging as a simple yet efficient strategy to engineer thin polymeric films with well-defined physicochemical properties. In particular, this technique offers the distinctive advantage of an easy control over composition, thickness, and morphology of the films by simply adjusting treatment parameters. In this work, cathodic electrodeposition was exploited to engender blends composed by chitosan (CH) and poly-ethylene-oxide (PEO) with different weight ratios.

Nanoporous titanium surfaces for sustained elution of proteins and antibiotics.

Current medically relevant metals for prosthetic reconstructions enjoy a relatively good success rate, but their performance drops significantly in patients with compromised health status, and post-surgical infections still remain an important challenge. To address these problems, different nanotechnology-based strategies have been exploited to create implantable metals with an enhanced bioactivity and antibacterial capacities. Among these, oxidative nanopatterning has emerged as a very effective approach to engender nanoporous surfaces that stimulate and guide the activity of adhering cells.

Spiral patterns in the packing of flexible structures.

Spiral patterns are found to be a generic feature in close-packed elastic structures. We describe model experiments of compaction of quasi-1D sheets into quasi-2D containers that allow simultaneous quantitative measurements of mechanical forces and observation of folded configurations. Our theoretical approach shows how the interplay between elasticity and geometry leads to a succession of bifurcations responsible for the emergence of such patterns.

Immune function and renal transplantation in Fabry's disease.

A deficient leucocyte immunological function could cause the reported high rate of lethal infections following renal transplantation in patients affected by Fabry's disease. We have studied humoral immunity, peripheral lymphocyte subsets, mitogenic lymphocyte response in vitro and granulocyte function in three patients with Fabry's disease. The immunological state appears to be quite similar to that of the uraemic population in general, not showing any specific impairment.