Jagiellonian University

About: Jagiellonian University is a education organization based out in Krakow, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 17438 authors who have published 44092 publications receiving 862633 citations. The organization is also known as: Academia Cracoviensis & Akademia Krakowska.

Geometry of entangled states

Abstract: Geometric properties of the set of quantum entangled states are investigated. We propose an explicit method to compute the dimension of local orbits for any mixed state of the general K x M problem and characterize the set of effectively different states (which cannot be related by local transformations). Thus we generalize earlier results obtained for the simplest 2 x 2 system, which lead to a stratification of the 6D set of N=4 pure states. We define the concept of absolutely separable states, for which all globally equivalent states are separable.

The HIrisPlex-S system for eye, hair and skin colour prediction from DNA: Introduction and forensic developmental validation.

Abstract: Forensic DNA Phenotyping (FDP), i.e. the prediction of human externally visible traits from DNA, has become a fast growing subfield within forensic genetics due to the intelligence information it can provide from DNA traces. FDP outcomes can help focus police investigations in search of unknown perpetrators, who are generally unidentifiable with standard DNA profiling. Therefore, we previously developed and forensically validated the IrisPlex DNA test system for eye colour prediction and the HIrisPlex system for combined eye and hair colour prediction from DNA traces. Here we introduce and forensically validate the HIrisPlex-S DNA test system (S for skin) for the simultaneous prediction of eye, hair, and skin colour from trace DNA. This FDP system consists of two SNaPshot-based multiplex assays targeting a total of 41 SNPs via a novel multiplex assay for 17 skin colour predictive SNPs and the previous HIrisPlex assay for 24 eye and hair colour predictive SNPs, 19 of which also contribute to skin colour prediction. The HIrisPlex-S system further comprises three statistical prediction models, the previously developed IrisPlex model for eye colour prediction based on 6 SNPs, the previous HIrisPlex model for hair colour prediction based on 22 SNPs, and the recently introduced HIrisPlex-S model for skin colour prediction based on 36 SNPs. In the forensic developmental validation testing, the novel 17-plex assay performed in full agreement with the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines, as previously shown for the 24-plex assay. Sensitivity testing of the 17-plex assay revealed complete SNP profiles from as little as 63 pg of input DNA, equalling the previously demonstrated sensitivity threshold of the 24-plex HIrisPlex assay. Testing of simulated forensic casework samples such as blood, semen, saliva stains, of inhibited DNA samples, of low quantity touch (trace) DNA samples, and of artificially degraded DNA samples as well as concordance testing, demonstrated the robustness, efficiency, and forensic suitability of the new 17-plex assay, as previously shown for the 24-plex assay. Finally, we provide an update to the publically available HIrisPlex website https://hirisplex.erasmusmc.nl/ , now allowing the estimation of individual probabilities for 3 eye, 4 hair, and 5 skin colour categories from HIrisPlex-S input genotypes. The HIrisPlex-S DNA test represents the first forensically validated tool for skin colour prediction, and reflects the first forensically validated tool for simultaneous eye, hair and skin colour prediction from DNA.

Morphology of reactive microglia in the injured cerebral cortex. Fractal analysis and complementary quantitative methods.

Abstract: The present study focuses on application of quantitative methods measuring differences between particular morphological types of microglial cells as well as between their proliferating and non-proliferating examples. On the basis of subjective classification, microglial cells of three morphological types (ramified, hypertrophied and bushy) were selected from the neocortex of injured rat brain. Thereafter, the morphological complexity of each cell was assessed by calculation its fractal dimension as well as its form factor, convexity, ramification factor and solidity. The fractal dimension seemed a good parameter for detecting small changes in the space-filing capacity of cells, for example, it shows differences between ramified cells from control and injured brains. This measure seemed insensitive to some aspects of cell morphology. To obtain precise quantification of observed changes other morphological parameters had to be applied. Proliferating and non-proliferating microglial cells displayed significant differences in their solidity and ramification factors, but not in fractal dimension and convexity. The results indicated that proliferating microglia were more massive and less-ramified but they did not reduce their spatial complexity.

Heme oxygenase activity modulates vascular endothelial growth factor synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Abstract: Hypoxia, cytokines, and nitric oxide (NO) stimulate the generation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in vascular tissue. HO-1 degrades heme to carbon monoxide (CO), iron, and biliverdin, the latter being reduced to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. In the present study, we investigated the role of HO-1 in the modulation of VEGF synthesis in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In VSMC stimulated with cytokines, inhibition of NO production significantly, but not completely, reduced VEGF release. In contrast, inhibition of HO activity by tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPPIX) totally prevented cytokine-induced increase in VEGF, despite an augmented synthesis of intracellular NO. Stimulation of HO-1 activity by hemin enhanced VEGF production; this effect was abrogated by blockade of the HO pathway. Similarly, VEGF synthesis induced by hypoxia was down-regulated by SnPPIX, but not by inhibitors of NO synthase. To elucidate further a direct involvement of HO-1 in the observed effects, we generated transfected cells that overexpressed the HO-1 gene. Notably, these cells synthesized significantly more VEGF protein than cells transfected with a control gene. Among the products of HO-1, biliverdin and bilirubin showed no effect, whereas iron ions inhibited VEGF synthesis. Exposure of cells to 1% CO resulted in a marked accumulation of VEGF (20-fold increase) over the basal level. Our data indicate that HO-1 activity influences the generation of VEGF in VSMC in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. As CO and iron, respectively the inducer and the inhibitor of VEGF synthesis, are concomitantly produced during the degradation of heme, these data indicate that HO by-products may differentially modulate VEGF production.