The lineage and developmental trajectory of a cell are key determinants of cellular identity. Yet, the functional relevance of deriving a specific cell type from ontologically distinct progenitors, remains an open question. In the case of the vascular system, blood and lymphatic vessels are composed of endothelial cells (ECs) that differentiate and diversify to cater the different physiological demands of each organ. While lymphatic vessels have been shown to originate from multiple cell sources, lymphatic ECs (LECs) themselves seem to have a unipotent cell fate. In this work we uncover a novel mechanism of blood vessel formation through transdifferentiation of LECs. Using advanced long-term reiterative imaging and lineage-tracing of ECs in zebrafish, from embryonic development through adulthood, we reveal a hitherto unknown process of LEC-to-BEC transdifferentiation, underlying vascularization of the anal fin (AF). Moreover, we demonstrate distinct functional implications for deriving AF vessels from either LECs or BECs, uncovering for the first time a clear link between cell ontogeny and functionality. Molecularly, we identify Sox17 as a negative regulator of lymphatic fate specification, whose specific expression in AF LECs suppresses its lymphatic cell fate. Finally, we show that akin to the developmental process, during adult AF regeneration the vasculature is re-derived from lymphatics, demonstrating that LECs in the mature fish retain both potency and plasticity for generating specialized blood vessels. Overall, our work highlights a novel mechanism of blood vessel formation through LEC trans-differentiation, and provides the first in vivo evidence for a link between cell ontogeny and functionality in ECs.

Nanocrystalline alpha-Al2O3 ceramic powders have been prepared from aqueous poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)-aluminum nitrate solution and jute (plant fiber). Soluble Al-ion-PVA solution formed a uniform coating on the surface of jute once it dried completely. Slow hydrolysis of aluminum ion with ammonium hydroxide deposited aluminum hydroxide on the jute surface. Decomposition of the dried aluminum hydroxide-coated jute at high temperature (1150 degrees C/2 hrs) resulted in the formation of single-phase, nanocrystalline alpha-Al2O3 with the corresponding average X-ray and TEM particle size approximately 50 nm. Precursor and heat-treated powders have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. This method can be used to produce high-temperature as well as low-temperature nanocrystalline oxides.

This article focuses the hypertension risk factors of shock patients, based on the data set in Shock Research Unit at the