Latest Milestone Research Articles

ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign "out of the shadows": global and regional developments.

ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign "out of the shadows": global and regional developments.

Functional synapses are formed between human NTera2 (NT2N, hNT) neurons grown on astrocytes.

The formation of functional synapses is a late milestone of neuronal differentiation. The establishment of functional synapses can be used to assess neuronal characteristics of different cell lines. In the present study, we examined the in vitro conditions that influence the ability of human neurons derived from the NT2 cell line (NT2N neurons) to establish synapses. The morphologic, immunologic, and electrophysiologic characteristics of these synapses was examined. In the absence of astrocytes, NT2N neurons rarely formed synapses and their action potentials were weak and uncommon. In contrast, when plated on primary astrocytes, NT2N neurons were able to form both glutamatergic excitatory (71%) and GABAergic inhibitory (29%) functional synapses whose properties (kinetics, ion selectivity, pharmacology, and ultrastructure) were similar to those of synapses of neurons in primary cultures. In addition, coculture of NT2N neurons with astrocytes modified the morphology of the neurons and extended their in vitro viability to more than 1 year. Because astrocyte-conditioned medium did not produce these effects, we infer that direct contact between NT2N neurons and astrocytes is required. These results suggest that NT2N neurons are similar to primary neurons in their synaptogenesis and their requirement for glial support for optimal survival and maturation. This system provides a model for further investigations into the neurobiology of synapses formed by human neurons.

Building Public/Private Collaboration In China

From The Publisher Health AffairsVol. 17, No. 6 Building Public/Private Collaboration In ChinaWilliam B. Walsh AffiliationsPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Project HOPEPUBLISHED:November/December 1998Free Accesshttps://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.17.6.6AboutSectionsView PDFPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsDownload Exhibits TOPICS Project HOPE's bimonthly policy journal Health Affairs has devoted most of its attention to domestic issues since its launch seventeen years ago. But at its core Project HOPE is an international organization. Thus, with great enthusiasm, this past month Health Affairs convened its first symposium on international health system reforms in collaboration with the Commonwealth Fund. Papers presented at the meeting will be reviewed for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal. Project HOPE's overriding purpose in its forty years of operation has been to build international understanding through health education projects led by some of America's leading physicians and nurses. We are proud of the work HOPE's staff and volunteers have done in forty nations and would like to share with the readers of Health Affairs one of our latest milestones. On 30 June 1998 First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice-Mayor Zuo Huan Chen of Shanghai officially dedicated the Shanghai Children's Medical Center as part of President Bill Clinton's historic visit to China. The center is China's first state-of-the-art hospital and will serve 250,000 children a year with its patient care programs. Many more children will benefit through training programs that the center will offer to health professionals throughout China. Project HOPE was honored to lead the private efforts to develop this center, which cost more than $90 million.In her speech Mrs. Clinton remarked: “This medical center is the result of an extraordinary public/private collaboration between our two countries, the City of Shanghai, Project HOPE, the Shanghai Second Medical University, and USAID's American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program, as well as the generous contribution of many Chinese, American, and other international businesses, foundations, and individuals.” We believe that every child treated at this center and their families are testimony to the importance of building international understanding and encouraging the voluntary spirit in seeking solutions to world problems. Loading Comments... Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. DetailsExhibitsReferencesRelated Article Metrics History Published online 1 November 1998 InformationCopyright © by Project HOPE: The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.PDF download

Electric lamps, past and present

The article traces the story of the electric lamp, which began when, in 1810, Davy demonstrated the now legendary ‘bright carbon arc’ that led, in 1850, to the production of practical arc lamps. Because of the ‘powerful’ intensity of the arc lamp, there was a demand for ‘the subdivision of light’ and this culminated, in 1879, in the invention of the incandescent filament lamp. Gaseous and vapour discharge lamp research began around 1850 and practical lamps were available in the early 1900s. There were carbon dioxide, nitrogen and neon filled tubes giving ‘daylight’, ‘sunlight’ and red light emissions, respectively. Also, and still available, there were high-voltage, mercury vapour, cold-cathode fluorescent tubes. Following research in the early 1930s mains voltage, high- and low-pressure mercury and sodium vapour lamps have been under constant development and they are widely used today. Fluorescent lamps, introduced in 1938, are regularly being improved in design and among the latest are compact energy saving types that are ideally suited, as direct replacements, for GLS lamps. The recent announcement of the QL induction lighting system is the latest milestone in ‘electric light’ invention.