Mapping anomalous dispersion of air with ultrashort mid-infrared pulses.

We present experimental studies of long-distance transmission of ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulses through atmospheric air, probing air dispersion in the 3.6-4.2-μm wavelength range.

Multiscale Mathematical Modeling in Dental Tissue Engineering: Toward Computer-Aided Design of a Regenerative System Based on Hydroxyapatite Granules, Focussing on Early and Mid-Term Stiffness Recovery.

We here explore for the very first time how an advanced multiscale mathematical modeling approach may support the design of a provenly successful tissue engineering concept for mandibular bone. The latter employs double-porous, potentially cracked, single millimeter-sized granules packed into an overall conglomerate-type scaffold material, which is then gradually penetrated and partially replaced by newly grown bone tissue. During this process, the newly developing scaffold-bone compound needs to attain the stiffness of mandibular bone under normal physiological conditions.

Formation of Neural Networks in 3D Scaffolds Fabricated by Means of Laser Microstereolithography.

We developed and tested new 3D scaffolds for neurotransplantation. Scaffolds of predetermined architectonic were prepared using microstereolithography technique. Scaffolds were highly biocompatible with the nervous tissue cells.

Comparative Analysis of Proliferation and Viability of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in 3D Scaffolds with Different Architectonics.

3D biodegradable materials (scaffolds) containing bioactive hydroxyapatite molecules fabricated by foaming in supercritical carbon dioxide and by selective laser sintering were used for culturing of mesenchymal stromal cells from the human adipose tissue. Experiments showed that stromal cells from the human adipose tissue adhered and proliferated on all studied types of structures. Addition of hyproxyapatite to the scaffold stimulated proliferation of stromal adipose tissue cells.

In Vitro Effect of Laser-Induced Hydrodynamics on Cancer Cells.

We studied the effect of laser-induced hydrodynamic on viability of Colo-26 murine colon carcinoma cells in vitro. Laser-induced hydrodynamics was generated by a laser (λ=1.56 μ, power 3 W, 5 min exposure); to this end, the fiber end was submersed into a buffer above the cell monolayer.

Nonradiating anapole modes in dielectric nanoparticles.

Nonradiating current configurations attract attention of physicists for many years as possible models of stable atoms. One intriguing example of such a nonradiating source is known as 'anapole'. An anapole mode can be viewed as a composition of electric and toroidal dipole moments, resulting in destructive interference of the radiation fields due to similarity of their far-field scattering patterns.

3D Printing of Octacalcium Phosphate Bone Substitutes.

Biocompatible calcium phosphate ceramic grafts are able of supporting new bone formation in appropriate environment. The major limitation of these materials usage for medical implants is the absence of accessible methods for their patient-specific fabrication. 3D printing methodology is an excellent approach to overcome the limitation supporting effective and fast fabrication of individual complex bone substitutes.

Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in 3-D Zr-Si organic-inorganic scaffolds produced by two-photon polymerization technique.

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is applied for the fabrication of 3-D Zr-Si scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Zr-Si scaffolds with 150, 200, and 250 μm pore sizes are seeded with human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) and human adipose tissue derived stem cells (hASCs) and cultured in osteoinductive and control media for three weeks. Osteogenic differentiation of hASCs and hBMSCs and formation of bone matrix is comparatively analyzed via alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), calcium quantification, osteocalcin staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Mid-infrared laser filaments in the atmosphere.

Filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses in the atmosphere offers unique opportunities for long-range transmission of high-power laser radiation and standoff detection. With the critical power of self-focusing scaling as the laser wavelength squared, the quest for longer-wavelength drivers, which would radically increase the peak power and, hence, the laser energy in a single filament, has been ongoing over two decades, during which time the available laser sources limited filamentation experiments in the atmosphere to the near-infrared and visible ranges. Here, we demonstrate filamentation of ultrashort mid-infrared pulses in the atmosphere for the first time.

Specific visualization of tumor cells using upconversion nanophosphors.

The development of targeted constructs on the basis of photoluminescent nanoparticles with a high photo- and chemical stability and absorption/emission spectra in the "transparency window" of biological tissues is an important focus area of present-day medical diagnostics. In this work, a targeted two-component construct on the basis of upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) and anti-tumor 4D5 scFv was developed for selective labeling of tumor cells overexpressing the HER2 tumor marker characteristic of a number of human malignant tumors. A high affinity barnase : barstar (Bn : Bs) protein pair, which exhibits high stability in a wide range of pH and temperatures, was exploited as a molecular adapter providing self-assembly of the two-component construct.

Absorption of monochromatic and narrow band radiation in the visible and near IR by both mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial photoacceptors results in photobiomodulation.

In addition to the major functions performed by in the cell, mitochondria play a major role in cell-light interaction. Accordingly it is generally accepted that mitochondria are crucial in cell photobiomodulation; however a variety of biomolecules themselves proved to be targets of light irradiation. We describe whether and how mitochondria can interact with monochromatic and narrow band radiation in the red and near IR optical regions with dissection of both structural and functional effects likely leading to photobiostimulation.

Gene expression under laser and light-emitting diodes radiation for modulation of cell adhesion: Possible applications for biotechnology.

Experimental data about the modulation of adhesion and proliferation of anchorage-dependent HeLa cells with monochromatic or quasimonochromatic radiation in red to near-infrared region are presented. Cell adhesion and proliferation can be increased by irradiation with light of certain wavelengths (maxima in action spectrum are 619, 675, 740, 760, and 820 nm) or decreased when the activity of photoacceptor (cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondrial respiratory chain) is inhibited by chemicals before the irradiation. This modality allows controlling the number of attached and/or proliferating cells.

Multiple roles of cytochrome c oxidase in mammalian cells under action of red and IR-A radiation.

This article reviews the current knowledge in photobiology and photomedicine about the influence of monochromatic, quasimonochromatic, and bread-band radiation of red-to-near infrared (IR-A) part on solar spectrum upon mammalian cells and human skin. The role of cytochrome c oxidase as the photoacceptor and photosignal transducer is underlined and its photosensitivity at certain circumstances is discussed. The role of ATP as a critical signaling molecule is discussed.

Anomalous diffusion as a stochastic component in the dynamics of complex processes.

We propose an interpolation expression using the difference moment (Kolmogorov transient structural function) of the second order as the average characteristic of displacements for identifying the anomalous diffusion in complex processes when the stochastic (the term "stochastic" in this paper refers to random variability in the signals of complex systems characterized by nonlinear interactions, dissipation, and inertia) dynamics of the system under study reaches a steady state (large time intervals). Our procedure based on this expression for identifying anomalous diffusion and calculating its parameters in complex processes is applied to the analysis of the dynamics of blinking fluorescence of quantum dots, x-ray emission from accreting objects, fluid velocity in Rayleigh-Bénard convection, and geoelectrical signal for a seismic area. For all four examples, the proposed interpolation is able to adequately describe the stochastic part of the experimental difference moment, which implies that anomalous diffusion manifests itself in these complex processes.

Absorption measurements of cell monolayers relevant to mechanisms of laser phototherapy: reduction or oxidation of cytochrome c oxidase under laser radiation at 632.8 nm.

Objective: The objective of this work was a further investigation of redox mechanisms of laser phototherapy on the cellular level.

Background Data: Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, is believed to work as the photoacceptor to modulate cellular metabolism in laser phototherapy.

Materials And Methods: The changes in the absorption spectra of HeLa-cell monolayers before and after irradiation at 632.

Mitochondrial signaling in mammalian cells activated by red and near-IR radiation.

Mitochondrial signaling is an information channel between the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the nucleus for the transduction signals regarding the functional state of the mitochondria. The present review examines the question whether radiation of visible and near-IR (IR-A) radiation can activate this retrograde-type cellular signaling pathway. Experimental data about modulation of elements of mitochondrial retrograde signaling by the irradiation (mitochondrial membrane potential DeltaPsi(m), reactive oxygen species ROS, Ca(2+), NO, pH(i), fission-fusion homeostasis of mitochondria) are reviewed.

Elementary processes in cells after light absorption do not depend on the degree of polarization: implications for the mechanisms of laser phototherapy.

Objective: The objective of this work was to evaluate the importance of the degree of light polarization in stimulation of cellular metabolism.

Background Data: Although the possible role of polarization's effects on the mechanisms of laser phototherapy is sometimes discussed in the literature, there are still no clear answers.

Material And Methods: A model system (HeLa cell suspension) was used in which the lengths of light scattering (l sc) and absorption (l a) were much larger than the thickness of the irradiated layer (L = 3 mm).

Exact action spectra for cellular responses relevant to phototherapy.

Objective: The aim of the present work is to analyze available action spectra for various biological responses of HeLa cells irradiated with monochromatic light of 580-860 nm.

Background Data: Phototherapy (low-level laser therapy or photobiomodulation) is characterized by its ability to induce photobiological processes in cells. Exact action spectra are needed for determination of photoacceptors as well as for further investigations into cellular mechanisms of phototherapy.

Absorption measurements of a cell monolayer relevant to phototherapy: reduction of cytochrome c oxidase under near IR radiation.

Phototherapy uses monochromatic light in the optical region of 600-1000 nm to treat in a non-destructive and non-thermal fashion various soft-tissue and neurological conditions. This kind of treatment is based on the ability of light red-to-near IR to alter cellular metabolism as a result of its being absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase. To further investigate the involvement of cytochrome c oxidase as a photoacceptor in the alteration of the cellular metabolism, we have aimed our study at, first, recording the absorption spectra of HeLa-cell monolayers in various oxygenation conditions (using fast multichannel recording), secondly, investigating the changes caused in these absorption spectra by radiation at 830 nm (the radiation wavelength often used in phototherapy), and thirdly, comparing between the absorption and action spectra recorded.

Cellular effects of low power laser therapy can be mediated by nitric oxide.

Background And Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of involvement of nitric oxide (NO) into the irradiation-induced increase of cell attachment. These experiments were performed with a view to exploring the cellular mechanisms of low-power laser therapy.

Study Design/materials And Methods: A suspension of HeLa cells was irradiated with a monochromatic visible-to-near infrared radiation (600-860 nm, 52 J/m2) or with a diode laser (820 nm, 8-120 J/m2) and the number of cells attached to a glass matrix was counted after 30 minute incubation at 37 degrees C.

A novel mitochondrial signaling pathway activated by visible-to-near infrared radiation.

The number of cells attached to glass substratum increases if HeLa cell suspension is irradiated with monochromatic visible-to-near infrared radiation before plating (the action spectrum with maxima at 619, 657, 675, 700, 740, 760, 800, 820, 840 and 860 nm). Treating of cell suspension with sodium azide (2 x 10(-5) M), sodium nitroprusside (5 x 10(-5) M), ouabain (1 x 10(-6) M) or amiloride (1.7 x 10(-5) M) before irradiation significantly modifies the spectrum of cell attachment enhancement.

Properties of calcium phosphate coatings deposited and modified with lasers.

Physical, chemical and biological properties of calcium phosphate coatings fabricated by a pulse laser deposition method at room temperature (RT PLD) have been studied. In vitro evaluation of RT PLD coatings on bioresorbable polymers (Poly-epsilon-caprolactone and Poly-L-lactide) have been carried out. It was shown that both polymers support osteoblast growth, with increased cell activity, alkaline phosphatase activity and total protein content on those surfaces that have been coated.