Facile Separation of Acetic Acid from 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate Ionic Liquid with the Aid of a Protic Solvent.

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc), an excellent solvent for cellulosic biomass, is expected to be utilized in chemical conversion, such as in biomass acetylation with acetic anhydride. The corresponding carboxylic acid, acetic acid (AcH), is quantitatively generated as a byproduct and should be separated from EmimAc for recycling. However, the strong interaction between EmimAc and AcH makes their separation difficult under moderate conditions. This study examined the efficacy of protic solvents in distillation and extraction to weaken this interaction through solvation or hydrogen-bonding interactions. The separation efficiency of AcH from EmimAc via distillation increased as the boiling point of the protic solvent increased. Water addition was more effective than the addition of alcohols with boiling points similar to those of water such as 1-propanol and 2-butanol. Furthermore, the favorable effect of water addition on the extraction of AcH was confirmed using common organic solvents, such as diisopropyl ether, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The partition coefficient (α) of AcH between the aqueous and organic phases increased with an increasing dielectric constant of the organic solvent, whereas the α value of EmimAc decreased. Repeated treatments in both distillation and extraction facilitated the complete separation of AcH from EmimAc.

Hematopoietic cell-derived IL-15 supports NK cell development in scattered and clustered localization within the bone marrow.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells critical for protective immune responses against infection and cancer. Although NK cells differentiate in the bone marrow (BM) in an interleukin-15 (IL-15)-dependent manner, the cellular source of IL-15 remains elusive. Using NK cell reporter mice, we show that NK cells are localized in the BM in scattered and clustered manners. NK cell clusters overlap with monocyte and dendritic cell accumulations, whereas scattered NK cells require CXCR4 signaling. Using cell-specific IL-15-deficient mice, we show that hematopoietic cells, but not stromal cells, support NK cell development in the BM through IL-15. In particular, IL-15 produced by monocytes and dendritic cells appears to contribute to NK cell development. These results demonstrate that hematopoietic cells are the IL-15 niche for NK cell development in the BM and that BM NK cells are present in scattered and clustered compartments by different mechanisms, suggesting their distinct functions in the immune response.

Lung group 2 innate lymphoid cells differentially depend on local IL-7 for their distribution, activation, and maintenance in innate and adaptive immunity-mediated airway inflammation.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a cytokine critical for the development and maintenance of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). ILC2s are resident in peripheral tissues such as the intestine and lung. However, whether IL-7 produced in the lung plays a role in the maintenance and function of lung ILC2s during airway inflammation remains unknown. IL-7 was expressed in bronchoalveolar epithelial cells and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). To investigate the role of local IL-7 in lung ILC2s, we generated two types of IL-7 conditional knockout (IL-7cKO) mice: Sftpc-Cre (SPC-Cre) IL-7cKO mice specific for bronchial epithelial cells and type 2 alveolar epithelial cells and Lyve1-Cre IL-7cKO mice specific for LECs. In steady state, ILC2s were located near airway epithelia, although lung ILC2s were unchanged in the two lines of IL-7cKO mice. In papain-induced airway inflammation dependent on innate immunity, lung ILC2s localized near bronchia via CCR4 expression, and eosinophil infiltration and type 2 cytokine production were reduced in SPC-Cre IL-7cKO mice. In contrast, in house dust mite (HDM)-induced airway inflammation dependent on adaptive immunity, lung ILC2s localized near lymphatic vessels via their CCR2 expression 2 weeks after the last challenge. Furthermore, lung ILC2s were decreased in Lyve1-Cre IL-7cKO mice in the HDM-induced inflammation because of decreased cell survival and proliferation. Finally, administration of anti-IL-7 antibody attenuated papain-induced inflammation by suppressing the activation of ILC2s. Thus, this study demonstrates that IL-7 produced by bronchoalveolar epithelial cells and LECs differentially controls the activation and maintenance of lung ILC2s, where they are localized in airway inflammation.

Generalized durative event detection on social media.

Given the recent availability of large volumes of social media discussions, finding temporal unusual phenomena, which can be called events, from such data is of great interest. Previous works on social media event detection either assume a specific type of event, or assume certain behavior of observed variables. In this paper, we propose a general method for event detection on social media that makes few assumptions. The main assumption we make is that when an event occurs, affected semantic aspects will behave differently from their usual behavior, for a sustained period. We generalize the representation of time units based on word embeddings of social media text, and propose an algorithm to detect durative events in time series in a general sense. In addition, we also provide an incremental version of the algorithm for the purpose of real-time detection. We test our approaches on synthetic data and two real-world tasks. With the synthetic dataset, we compare the performance of retrospective and incremental versions of the algorithm. In the first real-world task, we use a novel setting to test if our method and baseline methods can exhaustively catch all real-world news in the test period. The evaluation results show that when the event is quite unusual with regard to the base social media discussion, it can be captured more effectively with our method. In the second real-world task, we use the event captured to help improve the accuracy of stock market movement prediction. We show that our event-based approach has a clear advantage compared to other ways of adding social media information.

A circulating subset of iNKT cells mediates antitumor and antiviral immunity.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a group of innate-like T lymphocytes that recognize lipid antigens. They are supposed to be tissue resident and important for systemic and local immune regulation. To investigate the heterogeneity of iNKT cells, we recharacterized iNKT cells in the thymus and peripheral tissues. iNKT cells in the thymus were divided into three subpopulations by the expression of the natural killer cell receptor CD244 and the chemokine receptor CXCR6 and designated as C0 (CD244-CXCR6-), C1 (CD244-CXCR6+), or C2 (CD244+CXCR6+) iNKT cells. The development and maturation of C2 iNKT cells from C0 iNKT cells strictly depended on IL-15 produced by thymic epithelial cells. C2 iNKT cells expressed high levels of IFN-γ and granzymes and exhibited more NK cell-like features, whereas C1 iNKT cells showed more T cell-like characteristics. C2 iNKT cells were influenced by the microbiome and aging and suppressed the expression of the autoimmune regulator AIRE in the thymus. In peripheral tissues, C2 iNKT cells were circulating that were distinct from conventional tissue-resident C1 iNKT cells. Functionally, C2 iNKT cells protected mice from the tumor metastasis of melanoma cells by enhancing antitumor immunity and promoted antiviral immune responses against influenza virus infection. Furthermore, we identified human CD244+CXCR6+ iNKT cells with high cytotoxic properties as a counterpart of mouse C2 iNKT cells. Thus, this study reveals a circulating subset of iNKT cells with NK cell-like properties distinct from conventional tissue-resident iNKT cells.

Prehospital interventions and neurological outcomes in marathon-related sudden cardiac arrest using a rapid mobile automated external defibrillator system in Japan: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe neurological outcomes after sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) in road and long-distance races using a rapid mobile automated external defibrillator system (RMAEDS) intervention. METHODS: A total of 42 SCAs from 3 214 701 runners in 334 road and long-distance races from 1 February 2007 to 29 February 2020 were examined. Demographics, SCA interventions, EMS-related data and SCA-related outcomes were measured. Primary endpoints were favourable neurological outcomes (Cerebral Performance Categories 1-2) at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA. Secondary endpoints were factors related to the field return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and resuscitation characteristics, including the initial ECG waveform classification and resuscitation sequence times according to the initial ECG rhythm. RESULTS: The SCA incidence rate was 1.31 per 100 000 runners (age: median (IQR), 51 (36.5, 58.3) years). Field ROSC and full neurological recovery at 1-month post-SCA was achieved 90.4% and 92.9% of cases, respectively. In 22 cases in which bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated within 1 min and defibrillation performed within 3 min, full neurological recovery was achieved at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA in 95.5.% and 95.5% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The RMAEDS successfully treated patients with SCA during road and long-distance races yielding a high survival rate and favourable neurological outcomes. These findings support rapid intervention and the proper placement of healthcare teams along the race course to initiate chest compressions within 1 min and perform defibrillation within 3 min.

Twitter-aided decision making: a review of recent developments.

Twitter is one of the largest online platforms where people exchange information. In the first few years since its emergence, researchers have been exploring ways to use Twitter data in various decision making scenarios, and have shown promising results. In this review, we examine 28 newer papers published in last five years (since 2016) that continued to advance Twitter-aided decision making. The application scenarios we cover include product sales prediction, stock selection, crime prevention, epidemic tracking, and traffic monitoring. We first discuss the findings presented in these papers, that is how much decision making performance has been improved with the help of Twitter data. Then we offer a methodological analysis that considers four aspects of methods used in these papers, including problem formulation, solution, Twitter feature, and information transformation. This methodological analysis aims to enable researchers and decision makers to see the applicability of Twitter-aided methods in different application domains or platforms.

The Roles of IL-7 and IL-15 in Niches for Lymphocyte Progenitors and Immune Cells in Lymphoid Organs.

Lymphoid organs consist of immune cells and stromal cells. The stromal cells produce various cytokines that support the development, maintenance, and response of the immune cells. IL-7 and IL-15 are the major cytokines produced by stromal cells and are essential for the development and maintenance of lymphocytes and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). In addition, IL-7 is indispensable for the organogenesis of lymphoid organs. However, because the amount of these two cytokines is relatively low, it has been difficult to directly detect their expression. Recently, several groups succeeded in establishing IL-7 and IL-15 reporter mouse lines. As expected, IL-7 and IL-15 were detected in mesenchymal stromal cells in the bone marrow and lymph nodes and in epithelial cells in the thymus. Furthermore, IL-7 and IL-15 were differentially expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells and blood endothelial cells, respectively. In addition to their expression, many groups have analyzed the local functions of IL-7 and IL-15 by using cell-type-specific knockout mice. From these experiments, CXCL12-expressing mesenchymal stromal cells were identified as the major niche for early B cell precursors. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis has revealed different subpopulations of stromal cells in the lymphoid organs, including those that express both IL-7 and IL-15. Future research is still needed to elucidate which stromal cells serve as the niche for the early precursors of ILCs and NK cells in the bone marrow.

Cross-species behavior analysis with attention-based domain-adversarial deep neural networks.

Since the variables inherent to various diseases cannot be controlled directly in humans, behavioral dysfunctions have been examined in model organisms, leading to better understanding their underlying mechanisms. However, because the spatial and temporal scales of animal locomotion vary widely among species, conventional statistical analyses cannot be used to discover knowledge from the locomotion data. We propose a procedure to automatically discover locomotion features shared among animal species by means of domain-adversarial deep neural networks. Our neural network is equipped with a function which explains the meaning of segments of locomotion where the cross-species features are hidden by incorporating an attention mechanism into the neural network, regarded as a black box. It enables us to formulate a human-interpretable rule about the cross-species locomotion feature and validate it using statistical tests. We demonstrate the versatility of this procedure by identifying locomotion features shared across different species with dopamine deficiency, namely humans, mice, and worms, despite their evolutionary differences.

Breeding of Buckwheat for Usage of Sprout and Pre-Harvest Sprouting Resistance.

Buckwheat is recognized as an important traditional crop and supports local economies in several regions around the world. Buckwheat is used, for example, as a cereal grain, noodle and bread. In addition, buckwheat is also used as a sprout or a young seedling. For these foods, sprouting is an important characteristic that affects food quality. For foods made from buckwheat flour, pre-harvest sprouting may decrease yield, which also leads to the deterioration of noodle quality. Breeding buckwheat that is resistant to pre-harvest sprouting is therefore required. Germination and subsequent growth are also important characteristics of the quality of sprouts. Although buckwheat sprouts are the focus because they contain many functional compounds, such as rutin, several problems have been noted, such as thin hypocotyls and husks remaining on sprouts. To date, several new varieties have been developed to resolve these quality issues. In this review, we summarize and introduce research on the breeding of buckwheat related to quality, sprouting and subsequent sprout growth.

Algorithm and Distributed Computing for the Internet of Things.

The ongoing generalization of Internet of Things and its presence and application in multiple fields is generating a large amount of data that can be used to extract knowledge, among other purposes. In this context, algorithmic techniques and efficient computer systems provide an opportunity to successfully address efficient data processing and intelligent data analysis. As a result, multiple services can be improved, resources can be optimized and real-world problems of interest can be solved. This Special Issue on Algorithm and Distributed Computing for the Internet of Things gives the opportunity to know recent advances in the application of modern technologies hardware and software to the Internet of Things.

Important agronomic characteristics of yielding ability in common buckwheat; ecotype and ecological differentiation, preharvest sprouting resistance, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance.

Common buckwheat is recognized as a healthy food because its seed contains large amounts of protein, minerals, and rutin. However, the yielding ability of common buckwheat is lower than that of other major crops. The short growing period, moisture injury, occurrence of sterile seeds due to lack of flower-visiting insects, and yield loss due to lodging and shattering cause low and unstable grain yield. Therefore, many common buckwheat breeders have tried to increase yielding ability by improving various characteristics. Recently, new breeding objectives for improving yielding ability by increasing preharvest sprouting resistance; reducing shattering loss; introducing self-compatibility; the ecotype, and semidwarf have been reported. In this review, we introduce the research on the important agronomic characteristics, preharvest sprouting resistance, ecotype and ecological differentiation, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance in common buckwheat.

Innate-like CD27+CD45RBhigh γδ T Cells Require TCR Signaling for Homeostasis in Peripheral Lymphoid Organs.

TCR signaling is required for homeostasis of naive αß T cells. However, whether such a signal is necessary for γδ T cell homeostasis in the periphery remains unknown. In this study, we present evidence that a portion of Vγ2+ γδ T cells, one of the major γδ T cell subsets in the secondary lymphoid organs, requires TCR signaling for homeostasis. To attenuate γδTCR signals, we generated mice lacking Eγ4 (Eγ4-/-), an enhancer located at the 3'-most end of the TCRγ locus. Overall, we found that in thymus, Eγ4 loss altered V-J rearrangement, chromatin accessibility, and transcription of the TCRγ locus in a distance-dependent manner. Vγ2+ γδ T cells in Eγ4-/- mice developed normally both fetal and adult mouse thymi but were relatively reduced in number in spleen and lymph nodes. Although Vγ2 TCR transcription decreased in all subpopulations of Eγ4-/- mice, the number of Vγ2+ γδ T cells decreased and TCR signaling was attenuated only in the innate-like CD27+CD45RBhigh subpopulation in peripheral lymphoid organs. Consistently, CD27+CD45RBhigh Vγ2+ γδ T cells from Eγ4-/- mice transferred into Rag2-deficient mice were not efficiently recovered, suggesting that continuous TCR signaling is required for their homeostasis. Finally, CD27+CD45RBhigh Vγ2+ γδ T cells from Eγ4-/- mice showed impaired TCR-induced activation and antitumor responses. These results suggest that normal homeostasis of innate-like CD27+CD45RBhigh Vγ2+ γδ T cells in peripheral lymphoid organs requires TCR signaling.

A pilot study of Practice While Watch based 50 min school quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation classroom training: a cluster randomized control trial.

AIM: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in schools can increase the rate of bystander CPR. We assessed whether a "Quality CPR (QCPR) Classroom" can support CPR performance by students trained by a teacher who is not a CPR instructor. METHODS: A cluster randomized trial was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of a 50-min Practice While Watch CPR training program enhanced by QCPR Classroom, which used 42 manikins connected by Bluetooth to real-time feedback monitoring. Fifty-seven students were divided into Group 1, taught by a non-CPR-instructor, and Group 2, taught by a CPR instructor. Psychomotor and cognitive tests were administered before and after training. Primary outcomes were post-training compression depth and rate and percent of improvement in adequate depth, recoil, and overall score. The secondary outcome was risk improvement. RESULTS: Post-training, Group 1 achieved 62.1 ± 7.7 mm and 118.0 ± 3.6 compressions/min whereas Group 2 achieved 57.4 ± 9.8 mm and 119.8 ± 5.4 compressions/min. The overall score improvement in percentage points was 36.4 ± 25.9% and 27.0 ± 27.7%, respectively (P ≤ 0.001 for both). The adequate depth improvement in percentage points was 22.4 ± 35.4% and 32.5 ± 40.0%, respectively (P = 0.33). Teaching by a non-CPR instructor improved student cognitive knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Using a QCPR Classroom to enhance CPR teaching by a non-CPR-instructor results in similar or better outcomes compared to using a CPR instructor. Use of a Practice While Watch QCPR Classroom will provide adequate quality in preparing students for CPR.

IL-7R-Dependent Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Competes with the STAT5 Signal to Modulate T Cell Development and Homeostasis.

T cell development and homeostasis requires IL-7R α-chain (IL-7Rα) signaling. Tyrosine Y449 of the IL-7Rα is essential to activate STAT5 and PI3K, whereas PI3K recruitment requires IL-7Rα methionine M452. How IL-7Rα activates and regulates both signaling pathways differentially remains unclear. To characterize differential signaling, we established two lines of IL-7Rα mutant mice: IL-7R-Y449F mice and IL-7R-M452L mice. IL-7R-Y449F mice showed decreased PI3K and STAT5 signals, whereas IL-7R-M452L mice showed decreased PI3K but significantly increased STAT5 signaling, owing to a competition between PI3K and STAT5 signaling through Y449 of IL-7Rα. The number of T, B, and mature innate lymphoid cells were markedly reduced in IL-7R-Y449F mice, whereas IL-7R-M452L mice showed impaired early T cell development and memory precursor effector T cell maintenance with the downregulation of transcription factor T cell factor-1. Peripheral T cell numbers increased in IL-7R-M452L mice with enhanced survival and homeostatic proliferation. Furthermore, although wild type and IL-7R-Y449F mice showed comparable Th1/Th2 differentiation, IL-7R-M452L mice exhibited impaired Th17 differentiation. We conclude that PI3K competes with STAT5 under IL-7Rα and maintains an appropriate signal balance for modulating T cell development and homeostasis. To our knowledge, this study provides a new insight into complex regulation of IL-7Rα signaling, which supports immune development and responses.

Emergency medical dispatch services across Pan-Asian countries: a web-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Dispatch services (DS's) form an integral part of emergency medical service (EMS) systems. The role of a dispatcher has also evolved into a crucial link in patient care delivery, particularly in dispatcher assisted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Yet, there has been a paucity of research into the emerging area of dispatch science in Asia. This paper compares the characteristics of DS's, and state of implementation of DACPR within the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes (PAROS) network. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey addressing population characteristics, DS structures and levels of service, state of DACPR implementation (including protocols and quality improvement programs) among PAROS DS's. RESULTS: 9 DS's responded, representing a total of 23 dispatch centres from 9 countries that serve over 80 million people. Most PAROS DS's operate a tiered dispatch response, have implemented medical oversight, and tend to be staffed by dispatchers with a predominantly medical background. Almost all PAROS DS's have begun tracking key EMS indicators. 77.8% (n = 7) of PAROS DS's have introduced DACPR. Of the DS's that have rolled out DACPR, 71.4% (n = 5) provided instructions in over one language. All DS's that implemented DACPR and provided feedback to dispatchers offered feedback on missed OHCA recognition. The majority of DS's (83.3%; n = 5) that offered DACPR and provided feedback to dispatchers also implemented corrective feedback, while 66.7% (n = 4) offered positive feedback. Compression-only CPR was the standard instruction for PAROS DS's. OHCA recognition sensitivity varied widely in PAROS DS's, ranging from 32.6% (95% CI: 29.9-35.5%) to 79.2% (95% CI: 72.9-84.4%). Median time to first compression ranged from 120 s to 220 s. CONCLUSIONS: We found notable variations in characteristics and state of DACPR implementation between PAROS DS's. These findings will lay the groundwork for future DS and DACPR studies in the PAROS network.

Intestinal epithelial cell-derived IL-15 determines local maintenance and maturation of intra-epithelial lymphocytes in the intestine.

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a cytokine critical for maintenance of intestinal intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs), especially CD8αα + IELs (CD8αα IELs). In the intestine, IL-15 is produced by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) and hematopoietic cells. However, the precise role of intestinal IL-15 on IELs is still unknown. To address the question, we generated two kinds of IL-15 conditional knockout (IL-15cKO) mice: villin-Cre (Vil-Cre) and Tie2-Cre IL-15cKO mice. IEC-derived IL-15 was specifically deleted in Vil-Cre IL-15cKO mice, whereas IL-15 produced by BECs and hematopoietic cells was deleted in Tie2-Cre IL-15cKO mice. The cell number and frequency of CD8αα IELs and NK IELs were significantly reduced in Vil-Cre IL-15cKO mice. By contrast, CD8αα IELs were unchanged in Tie2-Cre IL-15cKO mice, indicating that IL-15 produced by BECs and hematopoietic cells is dispensable for CD8αα IELs. Expression of an anti-apoptotic factor, Bcl-2, was decreased, whereas Fas expression was increased in CD8αα IELs of Vil-Cre IL-15cKO mice. Forced expression of Bcl-2 by a Bcl-2 transgene partially restored CD8αα IELs in Vil-Cre IL-15cKO mice, suggesting that some IL-15 signal other than Bcl-2 is required for maintenance of CD8αα IELs. Furthermore, granzyme B production was reduced, whereas PD-1 expression was increased in CD8αα IELs of Vil-Cre IL-15cKO mice. These results collectively suggested that IEC-derived IL-15 is essential for homeostasis of IELs by promoting their survival and functional maturation.

Effect of real-time visual feedback device 'Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (QCPR) Classroom' with a metronome sound on layperson CPR training in Japan: a cluster randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVES: 'Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (QCPR) Classroom' was recently introduced to provide higher-quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training. This study aimed to examine whether novel QCPR Classroom training can lead to higher chest-compression quality than standard CPR training. DESIGN: A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted to compare standard CPR training (control) and QCPR Classroom (intervention). SETTING: Layperson CPR training in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred forty-two people aged over 15 years were recruited from among CPR trainees. INTERVENTIONS: CPR performance data were registered without feedback on instrumented Little Anne prototypes for 1 min pretraining and post-training. A large classroom was used in which QCPR Classroom participants could see their CPR performance on a big screen at the front; the control group only received instructor's subjective feedback. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were compression depth (mm), rate (compressions per minute (cpm)), percentage of adequate depth (%) and recoil (%). Survey scores were a secondary outcome. The survey included participants' confidence regarding CPR parameters and ease of understanding instructor feedback. RESULTS: In total, 259 and 238 people in the control and QCPR Classroom groups, respectively, were eligible for analysis. After training, the mean compression depth and rate were 56.1±9.8 mm and 119.2±7.3 cpm in the control group and 59.5±7.9 mm and 116.8±5.5 cpm in the QCPR Classroom group. The QCPR Classroom group showed significantly more adequate depth than the control group (p=0.001). There were 39.0% (95% CI 33.8 to 44.2; p<0.0001) and 20.0% improvements (95% CI 15.4 to 24.7; P<0.0001) in the QCPR Classroom and control groups, respectively. The difference in adequate recoil between pretraining and post-training was 2.7% (95% CI -1.7 to 7.1; pre 64.2±36.5% vs post 66.9%±34.6%; p=0.23) and 22.6% in the control and QCPR Classroom groups (95% CI 17.8 to 27.3; pre 64.8±37.5% vs post 87.4%±22.9%; p<0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: QCPR Classroom helped students achieve high-quality CPR training, especially for proper compression depth and full recoil. For good educational achievement, a novel QCPR Classroom with a metronome sound is recommended.

Mesenchymal stromal cells in bone marrow express adiponectin and are efficiently targeted by an adiponectin promoter-driven Cre transgene.

Stromal cells in bone marrow (BM) constitute a specific microenvironment supporting the development and maintenance of hematopoietic cells. Adiponectin is a cytokine secreted by adipocytes. Besides its anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic roles, adiponectin reportedly regulates the development and function of hematopoietic cells in BM. However, it remains unclear whether mesenchymal stromal cells in BM express adiponectin. Here, we show that PDGFRß+VCAM-1+ stromal cells express adiponectin. Lineage tracing revealed that a majority of PDGFRß+VCAM-1+ cells were targeted by an adiponectin promoter-driven Cre (Adipoq-Cre) transgene. Additionally, the Adipoq-Cre transgene targets a minority of osteoblasts at a younger age but larger populations are targeted at an older age. Furthermore, the Adipoq-Cre transgene targets almost all CXCL12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells and most of the stromal cells targeted by the Adipoq-Cre transgene are CAR cells. Finally, deletion of interleukin-7 (IL-7) by the Adipoq-Cre transgene resulted in severe impairment of B lymphopoiesis in BM. These results demonstrate that PDGFRß+VCAM-1+ stromal cells in BM express adiponectin and are targeted by the Adipoq-Cre transgene, suggesting a broader specificity of the Adipoq-Cre transgene.