Pokročilé instrumentace a metody pro charakterizace materiálů
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- ItemThe level of protein in the maternal murine diet modulates the facial appearance of the offspring via mTORC1 signaling(NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2024-03-26) Xie, Meng; Kaiser, Markéta; Gershtein, Yaakov; Schnyder, Daniela; Deviatiiarov, Ruslan; Gazizova, Guzel; Shagimardanova, Elena; Zikmund, Tomáš; Kerckhofs, Greet; Ivashkin, Evgeny; Batkovskyte, Dominyka; Newton, Phillip T.; Andersson, Olov; Fried, Kaj; Gusev, Oleg; Zeberg, Hugo; Kaiser, Jozef; Adameyko, Igor; Chagin, Andrei S.The development of craniofacial skeletal structures is fascinatingly complex and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms will not only provide novel scientific insights, but also help develop more effective clinical approaches to the treatment and/or prevention of the numerous congenital craniofacial malformations. To this end, we performed a genome-wide analysis of RNA transcription from non-coding regulatory elements by CAGE-sequencing of the facial mesenchyme of human embryos and cross-checked the active enhancers thus identified against genes, identified by GWAS for the normal range human facial appearance. Among the identified active cis-enhancers, several belonged to the components of the PI3/AKT/mTORC1/autophagy pathway. To assess the functional role of this pathway, we manipulated it both genetically and pharmacologically in mice and zebrafish. These experiments revealed that mTORC1 signaling modulates craniofacial shaping at the stage of skeletal mesenchymal condensations, with subsequent fine-tuning during clonal intercalation. This ability of mTORC1 pathway to modulate facial shaping, along with its evolutionary conservation and ability to sense external stimuli, in particular dietary amino acids, indicate that the mTORC1 pathway may play a role in facial phenotypic plasticity. Indeed, the level of protein in the diet of pregnant female mice influenced the activity of mTORC1 in fetal craniofacial structures and altered the size of skeletogenic clones, thus exerting an impact on the local geometry and craniofacial shaping. Overall, our findings indicate that the mTORC1 signaling pathway is involved in the effect of environmental conditions on the shaping of craniofacial structures. Children's faces resemble their parents to various degrees. Here they show that the maternal diet affects the facial appearances of newborns and that inherited and adaptive mechanisms sculpturing facial bones are linked via dietary protein levels and the mTOR signaling pathway.
- ItemLate Ordovician scolecodonts and chitinozoans from the Pin Valley in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, northern India(Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, 2024-05-08) Tonarová, Petra; Suttner, Thomas J.; Hints, Olle; Liang, Yan; Zemek, Marek; Kubajko, Michal; Zikmund, Tomáš; Kaiser, Jozef; Kido, ErikaThe end of the Ordovician witnessed major perturbations in the ecosystem, seriously affecting global marine biodiversity. Nevertheless, some marine organism groups and their crisis-bound palaeogeographic distribution are still understudied. Among the outliers are eunicid polychaetes, even though they flourished and diversified extensively during the Ordovician. A collection of seven genera of jaw-bearing polychaetes, including the new ramphoprionid genus Spitiprion Tonarová, Suttner, & Hints, with type new species of Spitiprion khannai Tonarová, Suttner, & Hints, is described here from Katian (Upper Ordovician) deposits of Spiti, northern India. The new species is preserved as isolated maxillae and a jaw cluster, and 3D models of the maxillary apparatus are reconstructed based on submicron-CT. Along with the scolecodonts, a low-diversity assemblage of chitinozoans was recovered, comprising five genera. The most common chitinozoan species are Acanthochitina cf. cancellata and Spinachitina suecica.
- ItemStudy of plasma activated water effect on heavy metal bioaccumulation by Cannabis sativa Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy(Elsevier, 2024-09-15) Čechová, Ludmila; Holub, Daniel; Šimoníková, Lucie; Modlitbová, Pavlína; Novotný, Karel; Pořízka, Pavel; Kozáková, Zdenka; Krčma, František; Kaiser, JozefContamination of the environment with toxic metals such as cadmium or lead is a worldwide issue. The accumulator of metals Cannabis sativa L. has potential to be utilized in phytoremediation, which is an environmentally friendly way of soil decontamination. Novel non-thermal plasma-based technologies may be a helpful tool in this process. Plasma activated water (PAW), prepared by contact of gaseous plasma with water, contains reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which enhance the growth of plants. In this study, C. sativa was grown in a short-term toxicity test in a medium which consisted of plasma activated water prepared by dielectric barrier discharge with liquid electrode and different concentrations of cadmium or lead. Application of PAW on heavy metal contaminated C. sativa resulted in increased growth under Pb contamination as was determined by ecotoxicology tests. Furthermore, the PAW influence on the bioaccumulation of these metals as well as the influence on the nutrient composition of plants was studied primarily by applying Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The LIBS elemental maps show that C. sativa accumulates heavy metals mainly in the roots. The results present a new proof-of-concept in which PAW could be used to improve the growth of plants in heavy metal contaminated environment, while LIBS can be implemented to study the phytoremediation efficiency.
- ItemImaging the elemental distribution within human malignant melanomas using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy(Elsevier, 2024-06-29) Kopřivová, Hana; Kiss, Kateřina; Krbal, Lukáš; Stejskal, Václav; Buday, Jakub; Pořízka, Pavel; Kaška, Milan; Ryška, Aleš; Kaiser, JozefThe diagnosis of malignant melanoma, often an inconspicuous but highly aggressive tumor, is most commonly done by histological examination, while additional diagnostic methods on the level of elements and molecules are constantly being developed. Several studies confirmed differences in the chemical composition of healthy and tumor tissue. Our study presents the potential of the LIBS (Laser -Induced -Breakdown Spectroscopy) technique as a diagnostic tool in malignant melanoma (MM) based on the quantitative changes in elemental composition in cancerous tissue. Our patient group included 17 samples of various types of malignant melanoma and one sample of healthy skin tissue as a control. To achieve a clear perception of results, we have selected two biogenic elements (calcium and magnesium), which showed a dissimilar distribution in cancerous tissue from its healthy surroundings. Moreover, we observed indications of different concentrations of these elements in different subtypes of malignant melanoma, a hypothesis that requires confirmation in a more extensive sample set. The information provided by the LIBS Imaging method could potentially be helpful not only in the diagnostics of tumor tissue but also be beneficial in broadening the knowledge about the tumor itself.
- ItemApplication of Dual-target Computed Tomography for Material Decomposition of Low-Z Materials(SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS, 2024-06-01) Mikuláček, Pavel; Zemek, Marek; Štarha, Pavel; Zikmund, Tomáš; Kaiser, JozefThe extension of conventional computed tomography known as spectral computed tomography involves utilizing the variations in X-ray attenuation, driven by spectral and material dependencies. This technique enables the virtual decomposition of scanned objects, revealing their elemental constituents. The resultant images provide quantitative information, such as material concentration within the scanned volume. Enhancements in results are achievable through methods that capitalize on the strong correlation among decomposed images, effectively minimizing noise and artifacts. The Rigaku nano3DX submicron tomograph uses a dual-target source, which allows the generation of two distinct X-ray spectra through different target materials. This configuration holds promise for high-resolution applications in spectral tomography, particularly for low-Z materials, where it offers high contrast in the acquired images. The potential of this setup in the context of spectral computed tomography is explored in this contribution, delving into its applications for materials characterized by low atomic numbers.