Accuracy Tests and Precision Assessment of Localizing Underground Utilities Using GPR Detection.

Applying georadar (GPR) technology for detecting underground utilities is an important element of the comprehensive assessment of the location and ground infrastructure status. These works are usually connected with the conducted investment processes or serialised inventory of underground fittings. The detection of infrastructure is also crucial in implementing the BIM technology, 3D cadastre, and planned network modernization works.

Novel evidence that pituitary gonadotropins directly stimulate human leukemic cells-studies of myeloid cell lines and primary patient AML and CML cells.

We recently reported that normal hematopoietic stem cells express functional pituitary sex hormone (SexH) receptors. Here we report for the first time that pituitary-secreted gonadotrophins stimulate migration, adhesion, and proliferation of several human myeloid and lymphoid leukemia cell lines. Similar effects were observed after stimulation of human leukemic cell lines by gonadal SexHs.

Human haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells express several functional sex hormone receptors.

Evidence has accumulated that murine haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) share several markers with the germline, a connection supported by recent reports that pituitary and gonadal sex hormones (SexHs) regulate development of murine HSPCs. It has also been reported that human HSPCs, like their murine counterparts, respond to certain SexHs (e.g.

Evidence for the involvement of sphingosine-1-phosphate in the homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells to bone marrow.

The α-chemokine stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), which binds to the CXCR4 receptor, directs migration and homing of CXCR4+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to bone marrow (BM) stem cell niches. Nevertheless, it is also known that CXCR4-/- fetal liver-derived hematopoietic stem cells engraft into BM and that blockade of CXCR4 by its antagonist AMD3100 does not prevent engraftment of HSPCs. Because of this finding of SDF-1-CXCR4-independent BM homing, the unique role of SDF-1 in HSPC homing has recently been challenged.

Evidence of a Pivotal Role for the Distal Part of the Complement Cascade in the Diurnal Release of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Into Peripheral Blood.

We found that diurnal activation of the three evolutionarily ancient proteolytic cascades in peripheral blood (PB), namely, the complement, coagulation, and fibrinolytic cascades, late at night or in the early morning hours, precedes the diurnal release of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) from bone marrow (BM) into PB in wild-type mice. Moreover, activation of the distal part of the complement cascade (ComC), involving cleavage of the fifth component (C5), seems to play a crucial role in pharmacological mobilization of HSPCs. In order to shed more light on the role of diurnal rhythms in the egress of HSPCs, we studied diurnal changes in the number of circulating HSPCs in C5-deficient mice and did not observe diurnal changes in the number of these cells circulating in PB in C5(-/-) animals.

Further evidence that paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria is a disorder of defective cell membrane lipid rafts.

The glycolipid glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor (GPI-A) plays an important role in lipid raft formation, which is required for proper expression on the cell surface of two inhibitors of the complement cascade, CD55 and CD59. The absence of these markers from the surface of blood cells, including erythrocytes, makes the cells susceptible to complement lysis, as seen in patients suffering from paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH). However, the explanation for why PNH-affected hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) expand over time in BM is still unclear.

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells express several functional sex hormone receptors-novel evidence for a potential developmental link between hematopoiesis and primordial germ cells.

Evidence has accumulated that hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) share several markers with the germline, a connection supported by reports that prolactin, androgens, and estrogens stimulate hematopoiesis. To address this issue more directly, we tested the expression of receptors for pituitary-derived hormones, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), on purified murine bone marrow (BM) cells enriched for HSPCs and tested the functionality of these receptors in ex vivo signal transduction studies and in vitro clonogenic assays. We also tested whether administration of pituitary- and gonad-derived sex hormones (SexHs) increases incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into HSPCs and expansion of hematopoietic clonogenic progenitors in mice and promotes recovery of blood counts in sublethally irradiated animals.

Evidence that the population of quiescent bone marrow-residing very small embryonic/epiblast-like stem cells (VSELs) expands in response to neurotoxic treatment.

The concept that bone marrow (BM)-derived cells may participate in neural regeneration remains controversial, and the identity of the specific cell type(s) involved remains unknown. We recently reported that the adult murine BM contains a highly mobile population of Sca-1(+) Lin(-) CD45(-) cells known as very small embryonic/epiblast-like stem cells (VSELs) that express several markers of pluripotency such as Oct-4. In the BM microenvironment, these cells are kept quiescent because of epigenetic modification of certain paternally imprinted genes.

Complement component 3 is necessary to preserve myocardium and myocardial function in chronic myocardial infarction.

Activation of the complement cascade (CC) with myocardial infarction (MI) acutely initiates immune cell infiltration, membrane attack complex formation on injured myocytes, and exacerbates myocardial injury. Recent studies implicate the CC in mobilization of stem/progenitor cells and tissue regeneration. Its role in chronic MI is unknown.

The role of sphingosine-1 phosphate and ceramide-1 phosphate in trafficking of normal stem cells and cancer cells.

Introduction: A common feature of many types of cells is their responsiveness to chemotactic gradients of factors for which they express the corresponding receptors. The most studied chemoattractants so far are peptide-based growth factors and a family of cytokines endowed with strong chemotactic properties, called chemokines. However, additional evidence has accumulated that, in addition to these peptide-based chemoattractants, an important role in cell migration is played by bioactive lipids.

The effect of low and high plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the morphology of major organs: studies of Laron dwarf and bovine growth hormone transgenic (bGHTg) mice.

It is well known that somatotrophic/insulin signaling affects lifespan in experimental animals. To study the effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plasma level on the morphology of major organs, we analyzed lung, heart, liver, kidney, bone marrow, and spleen isolated from 2-year-old growth hormone receptor knockout (GHR-KO) Laron dwarf mice (with low circulating plasma levels of IGF-1) and 6-month-old bovine growth hormone transgenic (bGHTg) mice (with high circulating plasma levels of IGF-1). The ages of the two mutant strains employed in our studies were selected based on their overall ~50% survival (Laron dwarf mice live up to ~4 years and bGHTg mice up to ~1 year).

Ceramide-1-phosphate regulates migration of multipotent stromal cells and endothelial progenitor cells--implications for tissue regeneration.

Ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) is a bioactive lipid that, in contrast to ceramide, is an antiapoptotic molecule released from cells that are damaged and "leaky." As reported recently, C1P promotes migration of hematopoietic cells. In this article, we tested the hypothesis that C1P released upon tissue damage may play an underappreciated role in chemoattraction of various types of stem cells and endothelial cells involved in tissue/organ regeneration.

An emerging link in stem cell mobilization between activation of the complement cascade and the chemotactic gradient of sphingosine-1-phosphate.

Under steady-state conditions, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) egress from bone marrow (BM) and enter peripheral blood (PB) where they circulate at low levels. Their number in PB, however, increases significantly in several stress situations related to infection, organ/tissue damage, or strenuous exercise. Pharmacologically mediated enforced egress of HSPCs from the BM microenvironment into PB is called "mobilization", and this phenomenon has been exploited in hematological transplantology as a means to obtain HSPCs for hematopoietic reconstitution.