Cryogenic superresolution correlative light and electron microscopy of vitreous sections.

Fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy complement each other as the former provides labelling and localisation of specific molecules and target structures while the latter possesses excellent revolving power of fine structure in context. These two techniques can combine as correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) to reveal the organisation of materials within the cell. Frozen hydrated sections allow microscopic observations of cellular components in a near-native state and are compatible with superresolution fluorescence microscopy and electron tomography if sufficient hardware and software support is available and a well-designed protocol is followed.

Pharmacological Regulation of Primary Cilium Formation Affects the Mechanosensitivity of Osteocytes.

Primary cilia are responsible for sensing mechanical loading in osteocytes. However, the underlying working mechanism of cilia remains elusive. An osteocyte model is necessary to reveal the role of cilia.

The microgravity induces the ciliary shortening and an increased ratio of anterograde/retrograde intraflagellar transport of osteocytes.

It is hard to explain the decrease in mechanosensitivity of osteocytes under microgravity. Primary cilia are essential mechanosensor for osteocytes. The cilia become shorter under the simulated microgravity (SMG) environment.

Effects of Local Vibration With Different Intermittent Durations on Skin Blood Flow Responses in Diabetic People.

Poor blood flow supply is an important pathological factor that leads to the development and deterioration of diabetic foot ulcers. This study aims to investigate the acute effects of local vibration with varying intermittent durations on the plantar skin blood flow (SBF) response in diabetic and healthy subjects. Eleven diabetic patients (7 males, 4 females) and 15 healthy adults (6 males, 9 females) participated in this experiment and accepted three tests.

Osteogenesis-Related Behavior of MC3T3-E1 Cells on Substrates with Tunable Stiffness.

Osteogenic differentiation of cells has considerable clinical significance in bone defect treatment, and cell behavior is linked to extracellular matrix stiffness. This study aimed to determine how matrix stiffness affects cell morphology and subsequently regulates the osteogenic phenotype of osteogenesis precursor cells. Four PDMS substrates were prepared with stiffness corresponding to the elastic modulus ranging from 0.

Numerical Evaluation and Prediction of Porous Implant Design and Flow Performance.

Porous structure has been widely acknowledged as important factor for mass transfer and tissue regeneration. This study investigates effect of aimed-control design on mass transfer and tissue regeneration of porous implant with regular unit cell. Two shapes of unit cells (Octet truss, and Rhombic dodecahedron) were selected, which have similar symmetrical structure and are commonly used in practice.

Vascular Cell Glycocalyx-Mediated Vascular Remodeling Induced by Hemodynamic Environmental Alteration.

Vascular remodeling induced by hemodynamic stimuli contributes to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. The importance of vascular cells (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells) glycocalyx in the mechanotransduction of flow-induced shear stress at the cellular and molecular levels has been demonstrated over the past decade. However, its potential mechanotransduction role in vascular remodeling has triggered little attention.

Visualization of aging-associated chromatin alterations with an engineered TALE system.

Visualization of specific genomic loci in live cells is a prerequisite for the investigation of dynamic changes in chromatin architecture during diverse biological processes, such as cellular aging. However, current precision genomic imaging methods are hampered by the lack of fluorescent probes with high specificity and signal-to-noise contrast. We find that conventional transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) tend to form protein aggregates, thereby compromising their performance in imaging applications.

Use of micro-computed tomography to evaluate the effects of exercise on preventing the degeneration of articular cartilage in tail-suspended rats.

Space flight has been shown to induce bone loss and muscle atrophy, which could initiate the degeneration of articular cartilage. Countermeasures to prevent bone loss and muscle atrophy have been explored, but few spaceflight or ground-based studies have focused on the effects on cartilage degeneration. In this study, we investigated the effects of exercise on articular cartilage deterioration in tail-suspended rats.