Dendritic cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and stimulated by antigens of hepatitis C virus efficiently activate T-lymphocytes.

During infection, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can evade immune response and cause chronic disease. Formation of effective T-cell response is important for the control of HCV infection. Dendritic cells derived from peripheral blood monocytes activated by immunodominant epitopes of the pathogen can effectively stimulate T-lymphocytes.

Comparative analysis of optional hunting behavior in Cricetinae hamsters using the data compression approach.

Research into the hunting behavior in members of the Cricetidae family offers an opportunity to reveal what changes in the predatory behavioral sequences occur when a rodent species shifts from an omnivorous to a predatory lifestyle. The study tests the following hypotheses: are there phylogenetic differences in the divergence of species' predatory lifestyles in hamsters or do ecological factors lead to shaping their hunting behavior? We applied the data compression approach for performing comparative analysis of hunting patterns as biological "texts." The study presents a comparative analysis of hunting behaviors in five Cricetinae species, focusing on the new data obtained for the desert hamster Phodopus roborovskii whose behavior has never been studied before.

A dataset of optical spectra and clinical features acquired on human healthy skin and on skin carcinomas.

Optical spectroscopy is studied to contribute to skin cancer diagnosis. Indeed, optical spectra are modified along cancer progression and provide complementary information (e.g.

Implementation of data fusion to increase the efficiency of classification of precancerous skin states using in vivo bimodal spectroscopic technique.

This study presents the results of the classification of diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra and multiexcitation autofluorescence (AF) spectra that were collected in vivo from precancerous and benign skin lesions at three different source detector separation (SDS) values. Spectra processing pipeline consisted of dimensionality reduction, which was performed using principal component analysis (PCA), followed by classification step using such methods as support vector machine (SVM), multilayered perceptron (MLP), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and random forest (RF). In order to increase the efficiency of lesion classification, several data fusion methods were applied to the classification results: majority voting, stacking, and manual optimization of weights.

Palaeoplex gen. nov. and Lufubuchromis gen. non, two new monotypic cichlid genera (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from northern Zambia.

Two monotypic haplochromine cichlid genera (Teleostei: Cichlidae) of the Pseudocrenilabrus group are described from northern Zambia. One new genus is Palaeoplex gen. nov.

Production of No-Carrier Added Lutetium-177 by Irradiation of Enriched Ytterbium-176.

Two methods of Lu-177 production are reviewed: irradiation of isotopically enriched Lu- 176 (direct way) and irradiation of ytterbium enriched with Yb-176 (indirect way). Based on neutronphysical calculations Lu-177 yield and specific activity were estimated for both methods. Lu-177 specific activity strongly depends on neutron flux density in the direct way, that is 75,000 Ci/g for 10- days irradiation in a neutron flux of 2.

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of mouse myocardial microvascular endothelium using Cy5.5-lectin conjugate.

Cy5.5-lectin, a non-toxic conjugate, combines the benefits of near-infrared (NIR) imaging, such as significant reduction of background fluorescence and increased tissue depth penetration, with its affinity for vascular endothelial cells. When compared to endothelial staining methods using FITC-lectin and ICAM2 antibodies, Cy5.

Dynamic manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can detect chronic cryoinjury-induced infarction in pig hearts in vivo.

The purpose was to investigate whether MnCl(2) can serve as an MRI contrast agent to detect chronic cryoinjury infarction in pigs in vivo and whether MnCl(2) causes significant hemodynamic disturbances. Hearts were subjected to a topical 2 min cryothermia to establish myocardial infarction (MI). Thereafter GdDTPA-enhanced MRI was performed at 0, 1, 2 and 3 weeks using a 3 T scanner.

MRI study of cryoinjury infarction in pig hearts: i. Effects of intrapericardial delivery of bFGF/VEGF embedded in alginate beads.

The aim of the study was the testing of sustained intrapericardial delivery of vascular growth factors (GFs) from alginate beads on cryoinjury size and perfusion. In domestic pigs (15-20 kg, n = 21), the left ventricular (LV) anterolateral wall of exposed hearts was cryoinjured using an aluminum rod (25 mm o.d.

MRI studies of cryoinjury infarction in pig hearts: ii. Effects of intrapericardial delivery of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) embedded in agarose gel.

The purpose was to assess effects of intrapericardially deposited adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) as a source of angiogenic factors on cryoinjury infarction. To enhance this effect and reduce incorporation of ADSC into tissue, the cells were immobilized in agarose gel patches transplanted onto cryoinjured epicardium. In domestic pigs (15-20 kg) the left ventricular (LV) anterior wall of exposed hearts was cryoinjured using aluminum rod (Φ=25 mm) cooled in liquid nitrogen.

Rhodamine 800 as a near-infrared fluorescent deposition flow tracer in rodent hearts.

We investigated the use of a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, Rhodamine 800 (Rhod800, λ(exc) = 693 nm, λ(em) > 720 nm) as a flow-dependent molecular tracer for NIR spectroscopy and high-resolution cardiac imaging. Rhod800 accumulates in isolated mitochondria in proportion to the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ). However, in the intact myocardium, Rhod800 binding is ΔΨ-independent.

NIR spectroscopic imaging to map hemoglobin + myoglobin oxygenation, their concentration and optical pathlength across a beating pig heart during surgery.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic imaging can provide spatial distribution (maps) of the absolute concentration of hemoglobin + myoglobin, oxygen saturation parameter and optical pathlength, reporting on the biochemico-physiological status of a beating heart in vivo. The method is based on processing the NIR spectroscopic images employing a first-derivative approach. Blood-pressure-controlled gating compensated the effect of heart motion on the imaging.

Fluorescence imaging to quantify the fluorescent microspheres in cardiac tissue.

To quantify the fluorescent microsphere (FM) content in cardiac tissue, which is an indicative of blood flow, fluorescence imaging of both sides of the pig heart slice was employed. Despite the light scattering inside the tissue and contributions from multiple tissue layers to the total emission, it is shown that the fluorescence intensity at any pixel is proportional to the FM content and the fluorescence image may be transformed to the image of the FM concentration. A convenient standard for the emission-FM concentration transformation is proposed.

Mapping the myoglobin concentration, oxygenation, and optical pathlength in heart ex vivo using near-infrared imaging.

A method that provides maps of absolute concentrations of oxygenated and deoxygenated myoglobin (Mb), its oxygenation, and its near-infrared (NIR) optical pathlength in cardiac tissue was developed. These parameters are available simultaneously. The method is based on NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopic imaging and specific processing of the NIR images, which included a first derivative of the diffuse reflectance spectrum.

Characterization of cryoinjury-induced infarction with manganese-and gadolinium-enhanced MRI and optical spectroscopy in pig hearts.

Purpose: To investigate progression of cryoinjury in pigs using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as optical spectroscopy and imaging.

Methods: Cryoinjury was produced in 16 pigs in vivo and investigated using Gd-and Mn-enhanced MRI, optical imaging/spectroscopy and histology in acute and chronic setting up to 4 weeks after the injury.

Results: (1) Acute cryoinjury resulted in formation of a lesion with a severely reduced rate of sub-epicardial indocyanine green (intravascular optical flow tracer) passage.

Defects in myoglobin oxygenation in K(ATP)-deficient mouse hearts under normal and stress conditions characterized by near infrared spectroscopy and imaging.

Background: Disruption of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel activity results in the development of dilated cardiomyopathy in response to different forms of stress, likely due to the underlying metabolic defects. To further understand the role of Kir6.2-containing channels in the development of cardiac disease, we analysed the left ventricular (LV) wall oxygenation and the physiologic responses induced by acute stress in non-dilated Kir6.

Magnetic resonance imaging tracking of alginate beads used for drug delivery of growth factors at sites of cardiac damage.

Alginate-based beads labeled with contrast agent and loaded with vascular growth hormones were used for site-specific chronic delivery of hormones at the site of myocardial damage in a porcine model. Position of the beads within the pericardium could be monitored by MRI for optimal hormone delivery due to the presence of contrast agent. The beads facilitate the slow release of cytochrome c, myoglobin and methemoglobin used as protein models of growth factors.

Potassium fluxes, energy metabolism, and oxygenation in intact diabetic rat hearts under normal and stress conditions.

We evaluated the function of Na(+)/K(+) ATPase and sarcolemmal K(ATP) channels in diabetic rat hearts. Six weeks after streptozotocin (STZ) injection, unidirectional K(+) fluxes were assayed by using (87)rubidium ((87)Rb(+)) MRS. The hearts were loaded with Rb(+) by perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit buffer, in which 50% of K(+) was substituted with Rb(+).

Manganese-enhanced MRI of acute cardiac ischemia and chronic infarction in pig hearts: kinetic analysis of enhancement development.

To assess infarction development in pig hearts, Mn-enhanced and Gd-enhanced MRI were used. In domestic pigs (25-35 kg, n = 37), the first and second diagonal branches of the left anterior descending coronary artery were ligated to induce acute ischemia and infarction (ischemia+reperfusion) or chronic infarction of increasing duration (3- 28 days). Ex vivo experiments were performed on hearts perfused in the Langendorff mode with a 50:50 mixture of blood and Krebs-Henseleit buffer using a spin-echo sequence on a 7 T Bruker imaging system.

Hemoglobin plus myoglobin concentrations and near infrared light pathlength in phantom and pig hearts determined by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

To noninvasively determine absolute concentrations of hemoglobin (Hb) plus myoglobin (Mb) in cardiac tissue by means of regular near infrared (NIR) light diffuse reflectance measurements, a first derivative approach was applied. The method was developed to separately calculate oxygenated and deoxygenated [Hb+Mb] as well as an effective pathlength, which NIR light passes through in the tissue between optodes. Applying a cotton wool-based phantom, which mimics muscle tissue, it was shown that the intensity of the pseudo-optical density first derivative depends linearly on both oxygenated and deoxygenated Hb concentration, thereby validating the Lambert-Beer law in the range of 0 to 0.

Assessment of near-infrared path length in fibrous phantom and muscle tissue.

The first derivative of the pseudo-absorption spectrum of a water-loaded cotton wool (water-CW) phantom, which mimics muscle tissues, was used to determine the light path length in the near-infrared (NIR) region. The light path length increased as the density of the turbid medium decreased. It is independent of both water content in the range of 75-85% (by weight) and the diffuse reflecting reference used to determine the pseudo-absorbance.

Visualization and grading of regional ischemia in pigs in vivo using near-infrared and thermal imaging.

Reductions in regional coronary flow result in tissue deoxygenation and decrease in surface temperature, changes detectable by near-infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) and thermal imaging, respectively. In anesthetized open-chest pigs, an inflatable occluder and flow probe were placed around the left anterior descending artery. Gated NIRS and nongated thermal images were acquired at baseline, partial (17% and 50%), and complete occlusion and reflow.

Detection of moderate regional ischemia in pig hearts in vivo by near-infrared and thermal imaging: effects of dipyridamole.

Effects of coronary vasodilator, dipyridamole, on epicardial oxygenation and flow were investigated under conditions of moderate coronary occlusion using near-infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) and thermal imaging. In anesthetized open chest pigs an inflatable occluder and flow probe were placed around the left anterior descending artery (LAD). In the ischemic group (n = 11) LAD occlusion (50% flow, 80 min) was followed by complete occlusion (10 min, n = 4), and reflow.

Regional cardiac tissue oxygenation as a function of blood flow and pO2: A near-infrared spectroscopic imaging study.

Near-infrared spectroscopic imaging (NIRSI) is useful to assess cardiac tissue oxygenation in arrested and beating hearts, and it shows potential as an intraoperative gauge of the effectiveness of bypass grafting. The purpose of this study was to determine whether NIRSI can reliably differentiate among a range of cardiac oxygenation states, using ischemia and hypoxia models independently. An ischemia-reperfusion model was applied to isolated, beating, blood-perfused porcine hearts, in which the left anterior descending (LAD) artery was cannulated.