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Background Two opposite views of cardiac growth are currently held: one views the heart as a static organ, characterized by a large number of cardiomyocytes, which are present at birth and live as long as the organism; and the other views the heart a highly plastic organ in which the myocyte compartment is restored several times during the course of life. Methods and Results The average age of cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelial cells (ECs), and fibroblasts and their turnover rates were measured by retrospective 14C birth dating of cells in 19 normal hearts, 2 to 78 years of age, and in 17 explanted failing hearts, 22 to 70 years of age. We report that the human heart is characterized by a significant turnover of ventricular myocytes, ECs, and fibroblasts, physiologically and pathologically. Myocyte, EC, and fibroblast renewal is very high shortly after birth, decreases during postnatal maturation, remains relatively constant in the adult organ, and increases dramatically with age. From 20 to 78 years of age, the adult human heart replaces entirely its myocyte, EC, and fibroblast compartment ~8, ~6, and ~8 times, respectively. Myocyte, EC, and fibroblast regeneration is further enhanced with chronic heart failure (CHF). Conclusions The human heart is a highly dynamic organ that retains a remarkable degree of plasticity throughout life and in the presence of CHF. However, the ability to regenerate cardiomyocytes, vascular ECs, and fibroblasts cannot prevent the manifestations of myocardial aging or oppose the negative effects of ischemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Rationale Understanding the mechanisms that regulate trafficking of human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs) may lead to development of new therapeutic approaches for the failing heart. Objectives We tested whether the motility of hCSCs in immunosuppressed infarcted animals is controlled by the guidance system that involves the interaction of Eph receptors with ephrin ligands. Methods and Results Within the cardiac niches, cardiomyocytes expressed preferentially the ephrin A1 ligand, while hCSCs possessed the EphA2 receptor. Treatment of hCSCs with ephrin A1 resulted in the rapid internalization of the ephrin A1-EphA2 complex, post-translational modifications of Src kinases, and morphological changes consistent with the acquisition of a motile cell phenotype. Ephrin A1 enhanced the motility of hCSCs in vitro, and their migration in vivo following acute myocardial infarction. At two weeks after infarction, the volume of the regenerated myocardium was two-fold larger in animals injected with ephrin A1-activated hCSCs than in animals receiving control hCSCs; this difference was dictated by a greater number of newly formed cardiomyocytes and coronary vessels. The increased recovery in myocardial mass with ephrin A1-treated hCSCs was characterized by further restoration of cardiac function and by a reduction in arrhythmic events. Conclusions Ephrin A1 promotes the motility of EphA2-positive hCSCs, facilitates their migration to the area of damage, and enhances cardiac repair. Thus, in situ stimulation of resident hCSCs with ephrin A1 or their ex vivo activation prior to myocardial delivery improves cell targeting to sites of injury, possibly providing a novel strategy for the management of the diseased heart.

Three-dimensional (3D) integration and multi-level cell (MLC) are two attractive technologies to achieve ultra-high density for mass storage applications. In this work, a three-layer 3D vertical AlOδ/Ta2O5-x/TaOy resistive random access memories were fabricated and characterized. The vertical cells in three layers show good uniformity and high performance (e.g. >1000X HRS/LRS windows, >1010 endurance cycles, >104 s retention times at 125°C). Meanwhile, four level MLC is demonstrated with two operation strategies, current controlled scheme (CCS) and voltage controlled scheme (VCS). The switching mechanism of 3D vertical RRAM cells is studied based on temperature-dependent transport characteristics. Furthermore, the applicability of CCS and VCS in 3D vertical RRAM array is compared using resistor network circuit simulation.

In this letter, the conduction and switching mechanisms of Al/AlOx/WOx/W bilayer resistive random access memory devices are investigated. Five stable resistance states were achieved through current compliance control. For each resistance state, I-V characteristics at different temperatures were measured. Conduction mechanisms are found to vary with resistance states. At low resistance levels, devices show ohmic conduction with metallic behavior. Conduction at medium resistance levels is due to electron hopping. The carrier transport at high resistance levels is governed by Schottky emission. Based on the resistance-dependent transport characteristics, an oxygen migration model is proposed to explain the switching mechanism between different resistance states.

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Background Aging negatively impacts on the function of resident human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs). Effective regeneration of the injured heart requires mobilization of hCPCs to the sites of damage. In the young heart, signaling by the guidance receptor EphA2 in response to the ephrin A1 ligand promotes hCPC motility and improves cardiac recovery after infarction. Methods and Results We report that old hCPCs are characterized by cell-autonomous inhibition of their migratory ability ex vivo and impaired translocation in vivo in the damaged heart. EphA2 expression was not decreased in old hCPCs; however, the elevated level of reactive oxygen species in aged cells induced post-translational modifications of the EphA2 protein. EphA2 oxidation interfered with ephrin A1-stimulated receptor auto-phosphorylation, activation of Src family kinases, and caveolin-1-mediated internalization of the receptor. Cellular aging altered the EphA2 endocytic route, affecting the maturation of EphA2-containing endosomes and causing premature signal termination. Over-expression of functionally intact EphA2 in old hCPCs corrected the defects in endocytosis and downstream signaling, enhancing cell motility. Based on the ability of phenotypically young hCPCs to respond efficiently to ephrin A1, we developed a novel methodology for the prospective isolation of live hCPCs with preserved migratory capacity and growth reserve. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that the ephrin A1/EphA2 pathway may serve as a target to facilitate trafficking of hCPCs in the senescent myocardium. Importantly, EphA2 receptor function can be implemented for the selection of hCPCs with high therapeutic potential, a clinically relevant strategy that does not require genetic manipulation of stem cells.