Multimodal Temperature Readout Boosts the Performance of CuInS/ZnS Quantum Dot Nanothermometers.

Fluorescent nanothermometers are positioned to revolutionize research into cell functions and provide strategies for early diagnostics. Fluorescent nanostructures hold particular promise to fulfill this potential if nontoxic, stable varieties allowing for precise temperature measurement with high thermal sensitivities can be fabricated. In this work, we investigate the performance of micelle-encapsulated CuInS/ZnS core/shell colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescent nanothermometers.

Carrier Dynamics and Recombination Pathways in Ag-In-Zn-S Quantum Dots.

Strong tolerance to off-stoichiometry of group I-III-VI semiconductors in their nanocrystal form allows fabrication of multinary, alloyed structures of desired properties. In particular, alloyed Cu-In-Zn-S and Ag-In-Zn-S quantum dots (QDs) have recently emerged as efficient fluorophors, in which tailoring the composition allows tuning the optical properties, and achieving photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields approaching unity. However, poor understanding of the carrier recombination mechanism in these materials limits their further development.

A New N-Substituted 1-Isoindole-1,3(2)-Dione Derivative-Synthesis, Structure and Affinity for Cyclooxygenase Based on In Vitro Studies and Molecular Docking.

Isoindoline-1,3-dione derivatives constitute an important group of medicinal substances. In this study, nine new 1-isoindole-1,3(2)-dione derivatives and five potential pharmacophores were obtained in good yield (47.24-92.

Application of Green Algal Biomasses to Modulate Growth of Selected Microbial Species.

As microalgae are producers of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, pigments, vitamins and unique secondary metabolites, microalgal biotechnology has gained attention in recent decades. Microalgae can be used for biomass production and to obtain biotechnologically important products. Here, we present the application of a method of producing a natural, biologically active composite obtained from unicellular microalgae of the genus sp.

Yttrium-Doped Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications.

Magnetic nanoparticles of FeO doped by different amounts of Y (0, 0.1, 1, and 10%) ions were designed to obtain maximum heating efficiency in magnetic hyperthermia for cancer treatment. Single-phase formation was evident by X-ray diffraction measurements.

Unmodified Rose Bengal photosensitizer conjugated with NaYF:Yb,Er upconverting nanoparticles for efficient photodynamic therapy.

In photodynamic therapy (PDT), photosensitizer (PS) molecules are irradiated by light to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), the presence of which subsequently leads to cell death. At present, the modality is limited to the treatment of skin diseases because of the low tissue penetration of visible or ultraviolet light required for producing ROS. To increase tissue penetration and extend the therapeutic possibilities of PDT to the treatment of deep-seated cancer, rare-earth doped nanoparticles capable of up-converting infrared to visible light are investigated.

Treatment with Modified Extracts of the Microalga Attenuates the Development of Stress-Induced Senescence in Human Skin Cells.

More recently, we have proposed a safe non-vector approach to modifying the biochemical profiles of the microalga and obtained twelve clones with improved content of lipids and selected pigments and B vitamins and antioxidant activity compared to unaffected cells. In the present study, the biological activity of water and ethanolic extracts of modified clones is investigated in the context of their applications in the cosmetic industry and regenerative medicine. Extract-mediated effects on cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration, mitogenic response, apoptosis induction, and oxidative and nitrosative stress promotion were analyzed in normal human fibroblasts and keratinocytes in vitro.

Iridophoroma associated with the Lemon Frost colour morph of the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius).

The Lemon Frost is a new colour morph of the leopard gecko, which emerged in ca. 2015 as a result of selective breeding and spontaneous mutation. According to multiple breeders observation of Lemon Frost inbreeding with wild-type leopard geckos, Lemon Frost seems to be a codominant trait.

A Non-Vector Approach to Increase Lipid Levels in the Microalga .

Microalgae are freshwater and marine unicellular photosynthetic organisms that utilize sunlight to produce biomass. Due to fast microalgal growth rate and their unique biochemical profiles and potential applications in food and renewable energy industries, the interest in microalgal research is rapidly increasing. Biochemical and genetic engineering have been considered to improve microalgal biomass production but these manipulations also limited microalgal growth.

Retinal venous blood carbon monoxide response to bright light in male pigs: A preliminary study.

The physical mechanism by which light is absorbed in the eye and has antidepressant and energizing effects in Seasonal Affective Disorder and other forms of psychiatric major depression is of scientific interest. This study was designed to explore one specific aspect of a proposed humoral phototransduction mechanism, namely that carbon monoxide (CO) levels increase in retinal venous blood in response to bright light. Eleven mature male pigs approximately six months of age were kept for 7days in darkness and fasted for 12h prior to surgery.

Fatty Acid Profile and Biological Activities of Linseed and Rapeseed Oils.

It has been postulated that fatty acids found in edible oils may exert beneficial health effects by the modulation of signaling pathways regulating cell differentiation and proliferation, especially in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the biological effects of selected edible oils--linseed (LO) and rapeseed (RO) oils--were tested in vitro on fibroblast cells. The fatty acid profile of the oils was determined using gas chromatography and FTIR spectroscopy.

Signatures of miR-181a on the Renal Transcriptome and Blood Pressure.

MicroRNA-181a binds to the 3' untranslated region of messenger RNA (mRNA) for renin, a rate-limiting enzyme of the renin-angiotensin system. Our objective was to determine whether this molecular interaction translates into a clinically meaningful effect on blood pressure and whether circulating miR-181a is a measurable proxy of blood pressure. In 200 human kidneys from the TRANScriptome of renaL humAn TissuE (TRANSLATE) study, renal miR-181a was the sole negative predictor of renin mRNA and a strong correlate of circulating miR-181a.

Comparative study on disappearance trends of captan and trifloxystrobin residues on fruit and apple tree leaves using internal normalisation method.

Supervised field trials were carried out in a commercial orchard in 2011. The purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of the comparative method to examine the mechanism of disappearance of pesticide residues. Captan and trifloxystrobin residues were determined with the use of gas chromatograph equipped with a micro-electron capture detector.

Assessing the Influence of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) on Erectile Dysfunction (ED) among patients in Poland.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and the lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) are highly prevalent among aging men. More data are needed from studies evaluating the impact of LUTS/BPH on ED. This study aimed to assess ED in patients with LUTS/BPH independent of comorbidities.

[Blunt kidney injury--the use of AAST score (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma)--own observations].

Thirty six patients with blunt kidney injury were qualified for the treatment based on the results of present diagnostic methods and AAST (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) scale. In all of them ultrasonographic exam was performed. It was abnormal in 38.

[Retrocaval ureter].

The ureter which runs behind the main lower vein is the evolutionary fault of the vascular system. It is the result of the disorder of the foetal vein canals developments. The clinical symptoms resulting from this fault are: the pains in the lumbar region, hematuria, the recurrent pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis and the arterial hypertension.

[Multiple primary malignancies of the genitourinary tract--renal cell carcinoma and seminoma testis].

Multiple primary malignancies are tumors which present a definite picture of malignancy, each must be distinct and the possibility that one is a metastasis of another must be excluded. Authors present rare case of renal cancer associated with testicular cancer.