Prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with hip implants-presetting a protocol using a phantom.

Background: Metal structures are a source of artifacts that significantly complicate the interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The use of prostate MRI as a preliminary test in men with a suspicion on prostate cancer leads to an increased use of the test. The aim of this study was to solve a clinically significant problem: to ensure the reduction of artifacts from metal hip implants during prostate MRI.

Development of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantom.

Background: Anthropomorphic phantoms play an important role in routine clinical practice. They can be used to calibrate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, control the diagnostic equipment quality, and reduce the acquisition time. The latter is especially critical for diagnosing fetal anomalies, which requires optimal image quality within the shortest possible time.

Prebiotic Vitamin B Synthesis in Carbonaceous Planetesimals.

Aqueous chemistry within carbonaceous planetesimals is promising for synthesizing prebiotic organic matter essential to all life. Meteorites derived from these planetesimals delivered these life building blocks to the early Earth, potentially facilitating the origins of life. Here, we studied the formation of vitamin B as it is an important precursor of the coenzyme NAD(P)(H), which is essential for the metabolism of all life as we know it.

Synthesis of prebiotic organics from CO by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles.

The emergence of prebiotic organics was a mandatory step toward the origin of life. The significance of the exogenous delivery versus the in-situ synthesis from atmospheric gases is still under debate. We experimentally demonstrate that iron-rich meteoritic and volcanic particles activate and catalyse the fixation of CO, yielding the key precursors of life-building blocks.

Nanodiamond surface as a photoluminescent pH sensor.

A systematic spectroscopic characterization of highly homogeneous water suspensions of 'buckydiamonds' comprising spcubic nanodiamond (ND) core covered with disordered spshell densely decorated with oxygen-containing groups demonstrates the excitation-wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (PL) given by at least four types of specific structures on the ND surface (hydroxyl, C=O containing ketones, carboxylic anhydrides, and carboxyl groups). PL properties of NDs suspensions possess concentration-dependent behavior revealing tendency of NDs to agglomerate. PL of NDs has been found to be strongly sensitive to pH of the environment in wide range of pH values, i.

MicroRNA and mRNA Expression Changes in Glioblastoma Cells Cultivated under Conditions of Neurosphere Formation.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most highly metastatic cancers. The study of the pathogenesis of GBM, as well as the development of targeted oncolytic drugs, require the use of actual cell models, in particular, the use of 3D cultures or neurospheres (NS). During the formation of NS, the adaptive molecular landscape of the transcriptome, which includes various regulatory RNAs, changes.

Transcriptome Changes in Glioma Cells Cultivated under Conditions of Neurosphere Formation.

Glioma is the most common and heterogeneous primary brain tumor. The development of a new relevant preclinical models is necessary. As research moves from cultures of adherent gliomas to a more relevant model, neurospheres, it is necessary to understand the changes that cells undergo at the transcriptome level.

Molecular Allergen-Specific IgE Recognition Profiles and Cumulative Specific IgE Levels Associated with Phenotypes of Cat Allergy.

Cat allergy is a major trigger factor for respiratory reactions (asthma and rhinitis) in patients with immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization. In this study, we used a comprehensive panel of purified cat allergen molecules (rFel d 1, nFel d 2, rFel d 3, rFel d 4, rFel d 7, and rFel d 8) that were obtained by recombinant expression in or by purification as natural proteins to study possible associations with different phenotypes of cat allergy (i.e.

Possible Ribose Synthesis in Carbonaceous Planetesimals.

The origin of life might be sparked by the polymerization of the first RNA molecules in Darwinian ponds during wet-dry cycles. The key life-building block ribose was found in carbonaceous chondrites. Its exogenous delivery onto the Hadean Earth could be a crucial step toward the emergence of the RNA world.

Bright and Dark Exciton Coherent Coupling and Hybridization Enabled by External Magnetic Fields.

Magnetic field- and polarization-dependent measurements on bright and dark excitons in monolayer WSe combined with time-dependent density functional theory calculations reveal intriguing phenomena. Magnetic fields up to 25 T parallel to the WSe plane lead to a partial brightening of the energetically lower lying exciton, leading to an increase of the dephasing time. Using a broadband femtosecond pulse excitation, the bright and partially allowed excitonic state can be excited simultaneously, resulting in coherent quantum beating between these states.

Articular cartilage optical properties in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range vary with depth and tissue integrity.

Optical properties of biological tissues in the NIR spectral range have demonstrated significant potential for in vivo diagnostic applications and are critical parameters for modelling light interaction in biological tissues. This study aims to investigate the optical properties of articular cartilage as a function of tissue depth and integrity. The results suggest consistent wavelength-dependent variation in optical properties between cartilage depth-wise zones, as well as between healthy and degenerated tissue.

Tissue optical properties combined with machine learning enables estimation of articular cartilage composition and functional integrity.

Absorption and reduced scattering coefficients ( ) of biological tissues have shown significant potential in biomedical applications. Thus, they are effective parameters for the characterization of tissue integrity and provide vital information on the health of biological tissues. This study investigates the potential of optical properties ( ) for estimating articular cartilage composition and biomechanical properties using multivariate and machine learning techniques.

Diffusion processes modeling in magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The paper covers modern approaches to the evaluation of neoplastic processes with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and proposes a physical model for monitoring the primary quantitative parameters of DWI and quality assurance. Models of hindered and restricted diffusion are studied.

Material And Method: To simulate hindered diffusion, we used aqueous solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone with concentrations of 0 to 70%.

Are Small Nucleolar RNAs "CRISPRable"? A Report on Box C/D Small Nucleolar RNA Editing in Human Cells.

CRISPR technologies are nowadays widely used for targeted knockout of numerous protein-coding genes and for the study of various processes and metabolic pathways in human cells. Most attention in the genome editing field is now focused on the cleavage of protein-coding genes or genes encoding long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), while the studies on targeted knockout of intron-encoded regulatory RNAs are sparse. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) present a class of non-coding RNAs encoded within the introns of various host genes and involved in post-transcriptional maturation of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) in eukaryotic cells.

Spin-optoelectronic devices based on hybrid organic-inorganic trihalide perovskites.

Recently the hybrid organic-inorganic trihalide perovskites have shown remarkable performance as active layers in photovoltaic and other optoelectronic devices. However, their spin characteristic properties have not been fully studied, although due to the relatively large spin-orbit coupling these materials may show great promise for spintronic applications. Here we demonstrate spin-polarized carrier injection into methylammonium lead bromide films from metallic ferromagnetic electrodes in two spintronic-based devices: a 'spin light emitting diode' that results in circularly polarized electroluminescence emission; and a 'vertical spin valve' that shows giant magnetoresistance.

Nucleotide Modifications Decrease Innate Immune Response Induced by Synthetic Analogs of snRNAs and snoRNAs.

Short nuclear regulatory RNAs play a key role in the main stages of maturation of the precursors of the major RNA species. Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) form the core of the spliceosome and are responsible for the splicing of pre-mRNA molecules. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) direct post-transcriptional modification of pre-rRNAs.

Characterization of primary normal and malignant breast cancer cell and their response to chemotherapy and immunostimulatory agents.

Background: The phenomenon of chemotherapy-resistant cancers has necessitated the development of new therapeutics as well as the identification of specific prognostic markers to predict the response to novel drugs. Primary cancer cells provide a model to study the multiplicity of tumourigenic transformation, to investigate alterations of the cellular response to various molecular stimuli, and to test therapeutics for cancer treatment.

Methods: Here, we developed primary cultures of human breast tissue - normal cells (BN1), cancer cells (BC5), and cells from a chemotherapy-treated tumour (BrCCh1) to compare their response to conventional chemotherapeutics and to innate immunity stimulators with that of the immortalized breast cells MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and MCF10A.

Origin of the RNA world: The fate of nucleobases in warm little ponds.

Before the origin of simple cellular life, the building blocks of RNA (nucleotides) had to form and polymerize in favorable environments on early Earth. At this time, meteorites and interplanetary dust particles delivered organics such as nucleobases (the characteristic molecules of nucleotides) to warm little ponds whose wet-dry cycles promoted rapid polymerization. We build a comprehensive numerical model for the evolution of nucleobases in warm little ponds leading to the emergence of the first nucleotides and RNA.

Variety of RNAs in Peripheral Blood Cells, Plasma, and Plasma Fractions.

Human peripheral blood contains RNA in cells and in extracellular membrane vesicles, microvesicles and exosomes, as well as in cell-free ribonucleoproteins. Circulating mRNAs and noncoding RNAs, being internalized, possess the ability to modulate vital processes in recipient cells. In this study, with SOLiD sequencing technology, we performed identification, classification, and quantification of RNAs from blood fractions: cells, plasma, plasma vesicles pelleted at 16,000 and 160,000, and vesicle-depleted plasma supernatant of healthy donors and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Surface modification of SOI-FET sensors for label-free and specific detection of short RNA analyte.

Aim: A new type of surface modification of SOI-FET sensors with ultrathin sensor-probe transition layer and uncharged probes for highly specific detection of short RNA (saRNA) was suggested.

Materials & Methods: Carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) or glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane were used as precursors of sensor-probe interface layers, together with peptide nucleic acids and new NA analogues - phosphoryl guanidine oligo(2'-OMe)ribonucleotides (PGO) as probes for RNA hybridization. RNA sequences corresponding to mRNA NELFA (NM_005663) and microRNA-29a (cancer markers) were used as saRNA targets.

Optical identification based on time domain optical coherence tomography.

We present a novel method for optical identification, i.e., authenticating valuable documents such as a passport, credit cards, and bank notes, using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Hypobaric Preconditioning Modifies Group I mGluRs Signaling in Brain Cortex.

The study assessed involvement of Ca(2+) signaling mediated by the metabotropic glutamate receptors mGluR1/5 in brain tolerance induced by hypoxic preconditioning. Acute slices of rat piriform cortex were tested 1 day after exposure of adult rats to mild hypobaric hypoxia for 2 h at a pressure of 480 hPa once a day for three consecutive days. We detected 44.

Sensitivity of endometrial cancer cells from primary human tumor samples to new potential anticancer peptide lactaptin.

Purpose: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecologic malignancy which is associated with a poor prognosis when diagnosed at an advanced stage; therefore, the discovery of efficacious new drugs is required to reinforce conventional chemotherapy. Short-term cultures of primary cells from endometrial tumors could be used for testing new anticancer therapeutics as well as for the development of personalized cancer therapy strategy. Here, the antitumor effect of a recombinant analogue of lactaptin (RL2), a new potential anticancer molecule, was examined against primary human endometrial cancer cells.