The effect of hypergravity, hyperbaric pressure, and hypoxia on osteogenic differentiation of adipose stem cells.

Human adipose stem cells (ASCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine approaches, including osteogenic regeneration of bone defects, that fail to heal autonomously. Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells is dependent on the stimulation of biophysical factors. In the present study, the effects of hypergravity, hypoxia, and hyperbaric treatment were investigated on adipose stem cell (ASC) metabolic activity, quantified by PrestoBlue conversion, and cell numbers, evaluated by crystal violet staining. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cresolphthalein staining of calcium deposition. Differentiation was performed for 12 days, which was accompanied by periodical stimulation. Increasing gravity forces up to 50x g did not affect ASC viability, but it enhanced osteogenic markers with a strongest effect between 20 and 30x g. Hyperbaric stimulation at 3 bar decreased ASC cell numbers but increased ALP activity and calcium deposition. Hypoxia at 8 % atmospheric oxygen did not affect ASC proliferation, while cell numbers were reduced at 3 % oxygen. Furthermore, hypoxic conditions produced opposing results on osteogenic markers, as ALP activity increased whereas cresolphthalein staining decreased upon stimulation. These data demonstrated that intermittent short duration of basal physical or chemical impulses interfere with the osteogenic differentiation of ASCs. Our findings could be of specific relevance in ASC based therapies for regenerative medicine and bone tissue engineering approaches.

Developmental aspects of infant's cry melody and formants.

This paper deals with the analysis of cry melodies (time variations of the fundamental frequency) as well as vocal tract resonance frequencies (formants) from infant cry signals. The increase of complexity of cry melodies is a good indicator for neuro-muscular maturation as well as for the evaluation of pre-speech development. The variation of formant frequencies allows an estimation of articulatory activity during pre-speech vocalization. Subjects are three pairs of healthy identical twins (monocygozity determined by DNA-fingerprint). Spontaneous cries of these six children were recorded at different ages: 8th-9th week, 15th-17th week and 23rd-24th week. Analysis of 136 cry melodies and intensity contours was made using KAY-CSL 4300/MDVP. For formant estimation a spectral parametric technique was applied, which was based on autoregressive models (Digital spectral analysis with applications, 1987) whose order is adaptively estimated on subsequent signal frames by means of a new method (Med. Eng. Phys. 20 (1998) 432; Utras. Med. Biol. 21 (1995) 793). Cry melodies exhibited an increasing complexity during the observation period. Beginning with the second observation period (15th-17th week) an increasing coupling and tuning between melody and resonance frequencies was observed, which was interpreted as "intentional" articulatory activity. Possible applications are in cry diagnosis as well as in the evaluation of pre-speech development.

[Evaluating work capacity after myocardial infarct]. / Beurteilung beruflicher Tätigkeit nach Herzinfarkt.

Work resumption of patients after myocardial infarction is primarily dependent on left-ventricular function, stress-related ischemia and rhythm-disturbances, additionally the general physical and psychological state play an important role. -The basic examination includes not only the history and physical examination, but also resting ECG, ECG exercise testing, 2-dimensional echocardiogramm and Holter-ECG. Additionally, stress-echocardiogramm, nuclear exercise testing and invasive procedures can be necessary. It is possible to estimate the work-capacity of the patient by classifying the ECG testing and by regarding further details of the disease. The return-to-work-rate does not only depend on the severity of a CHD, but also on the age, education, social class, high physical activity during work, job related satisfaction, family situation and available suitable jobs on the labor market.

[The Forensic Psychiatric Documentation System (FPDS). Development and initial application in penal expertise]. / Le "Forensic Psychiatric Documentation System" (FPDS). Développement et première application en expertise pénale.

The FPDS is an extension of the AMDP-System to forensic psychiatry which comprises four sections (The files--The AMDP System--Complementary anamnestic and clinical data--Medicolegal data). Its completion takes 40 to 60 min. Its first application to medicolegal reports is described and its perspectives outlined.

[Examples of the coincidence of fluoride osteosclerosis and prostatic neoplasm]. / Beispiele des Zusammentreffens von Fluorosteosklerose und Prostataneoplasma.

Report on two patients with coincidence of osteosclerosis caused by fluorides and prostatic cancer. The necessity of co-operation between several fields of medicine in the differential diagnosis of the symptom osteosclerosis is accentuated.

[Development of dendrite structures on CA 1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons of rat dependent on their stratification with and without non-specific experimental influence]. / Zur Entwicklung von Dendritenstrukturen an CA 1-Pyramidenneuronen des Hippocampus der Ratte in Abhängigkeit iher Schichtenzugehörikeit mit und ohne unspezifischer experimenteller Beeinflussung.

In this paper pyramidal neurons of the CA 1-region of the hippocampus of the rat were investigated by means of GOLGI-methods. Animals were used in the stages of age E 20, P 5, P 10, P 15, P 20 added by 15 days old rats reared in darkness or under the influence of constant noise of 80 dB. In these cells the dendritic structure and the amount of visible spines were morphometrically estimated and evaluated by statistical procedures. The neurons of the normal ontogenetic range increase in dendritic length already from P 5 under particular emphasis on Stratum oriens and Stratum radiatum. The spines express a rapid development in the Strata oriens, radiatum, lacunosum beginning in Str. lacunosum at P 5 and in the others at P 10. This fact indicates certain systems of afferents to arrive at several times or to posess different importance to the layors. Because of the fact, that the Str. moleculare, which receives only extrahippocampal afferents, remains significantly behind the other layers regarding the development of spines, it is to be assumed, that the intrahippocampal afferents exhibit a higher importance to the development of CA 1-pyramids. The rearing in darkness causes a significantly decreased development of spines within all the layers, so that the amount of visible spines nearly remains at the values of P 10. Constant noise however causes only a significantly enforced development of spines in the Strata oriens, radiatum, molecular e.g. in layers receiving extrahippocampal afferents. An approach to stage P 20 takes place only at Str. moleculare possibly depending on its large extrahippocampal input. As an expression of specificity a pericaryon-dendrite-factor can be assumed responsible for the election of afferent fibres and the development of spines especially at the animals reared in darkness. The reactivity of the neurons is exhibited by the relative independence of the Strata lacunosum and oriens during the ontogenetic development and of the Stratum moleculare at rats reared under the influence of constant noise.

[Forensic psychiatric aspects of sterilization]. / Forensisch- psychiatrische Aspekte der Sterilisation

How great the risk is that important and long-lasting psychic disturbances persist after sterilization cannot be forecast with certainty, even today. Increased susceptibility to abnormal psychic reactions and developments after sterilization is to be contemplated with certain personalities with overconscientious, asthenic or depressive traits. It is usually a matter of internal conflict situations at the level of self-esteem which, however, depend not only on the initial personality, but to a large extent are repeatedly reactualized through the behavior and reaction of the persons in the environment, so that finally mental developments arise which reach into the abnormal. This risk must be included in the calculation when making the indication and requires particular attention, because the legal effectiveness of the consent to sterilization is also dependent on the completeness of the advice on the consequences of this surgical operation.