Strong Elastic Protein Nanosheets Enable the Culture and Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on Microdroplets.

Advances in stem cell technologies, revolutionizing regenerative therapies and advanced in vitro testing, require novel cell manufacturing pipelines able to cope with scale up and parallelization. Microdroplet technologies, which have transformed single cell sequencing and other cell-based assays, are attractive in this context, but the inherent soft mechanics of liquid-liquid interfaces is typically thought to be incompatible with the expansion of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and their differentiation. In this work, the design of protein nanosheets stabilizing liquid-liquid interfaces and enabling the adhesion, expansion and retention of stemness by iPSCs is reported. Microdroplet microfluidic chips are used to control the formulation of droplets with defined dimensions and size distributions. The resulting emulsions sustain high expansion rates, with excellent retention of stem cell marker expression. iPSCs cultured in such conditions retain the capacity to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. This work provides clear evidence that local nanoscale mechanics, associated with interfacial viscoelasticity, provides strong cues able to regulate and maintain pluripotency, as well as to support commitment in defined differentiation conditions. Microdroplet technologies appear as attractive candidates to transform cell manufacturing pipelines, bypassing significant hurdles paused by solid substrates and microcarriers.

Echocardiogram-Guided Diagnosis of Anomalous Coronary Arteries: A Rare Presentation.

Incidentaloma, a term that embodies the detection of certain problems during the performance of unreasonable investigations, resonates in the medical field. Retroaortic coronary sign is a recently recognized echocardiographic feature of the anomalous coronary artery. It is typically associated with anomalies of the left coronary artery, especially the left circumflex artery. As far as has been monitored, few echocardiographic signs that correlate with this feature have been identified. This feature often remains underdiagnosed on transthoracic echocardiograms due to confusion with artifacts, calcifications, and other cardiac structures. A 45-year-old male patient underwent regular cardiac routine assessment. Retroaortic anomalous coronary (RAC) sign was incidentally detected by transthoracic thoracic echocardiogram; consequently, the retroaortic route of the coronary artery was suspected. Coronary computed tomography angiography was requested to confirm the seen echocardiographic signs. After a 3D reconstruction imaging, the left circumflex retroaortic course was identified with right coronary sinus origin. This case ensures the importance of transthoracic echocardiography as a noninvasive tool in diagnosing anomalous coronary arteries. These anomalies are usually diagnosed by coronary computed tomography angiography and coronary angiography, mainly in the presence of retroaortic coronary sign or "crossed aorta sign."

Supercharged Protein Nanosheets for Cell Expansion on Bioemulsions.

Cell culture at liquid-liquid interfaces, for example, at the surface of oil microdroplets, is an attractive strategy to scale up adherent cell manufacturing while replacing the use of microplastics. Such a process requires the adhesion of cells at interfaces stabilized and reinforced by protein nanosheets displaying not only high elasticity but also presenting cell adhesive ligands able to bind integrin receptors. In this report, supercharged albumins are found to form strong elastic protein nanosheets when co-assembling with the co-surfactant pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBC) and mediate extracellular matrix (ECM) protein adsorption and cell adhesion. The interfacial mechanical properties and elasticity of supercharged nanosheets are characterized by interfacial rheology, and behaviors are compared to those of native bovine serum albumin, human serum albumin, and α-lactalbumin. The impact of PFBC on such assembly is investigated. ECM protein adsorption to resulting supercharged nanosheets is then quantified via surface plasmon resonance and fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating that the dual role supercharged albumins are proposed to play as scaffold protein structuring liquid-liquid interfaces and substrates for the capture of ECM molecules. Finally, the adhesion and proliferation of primary human epidermal stem cells are investigated, at pinned droplets, as well as on bioemulsions stabilized by corresponding supercharged nanosheets. This study demonstrates the potential of supercharged proteins for the engineering of biointerfaces for stem cell manufacturing and draws structure-property relationships that will guide further engineering of associated systems.

BI-RADS: what do we need to know? Advantages and limitations.

BI-RADS (Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System) is meant to transform breast imaging language to a universal one by defining the related descriptive terms, the statistical definitions, and providing recommendations for radiological reports and data archiving system. The latest version covers three imaging modalities, i.e., mammography, ultrasound and MRI. It cannot replace personal experience, good knowledge of the literature and continuous medical education. Despite its limits, it has proven to be a useful tool for communication between physicians of different specialties and researchers. The knowledge of its basic elements is necessary for all physicians who deal with breast diseases and breast cancer screening.

Variable MR findings in ovarian functional hemorrhagic cysts.

PURPOSE: To describe the magnetic resonance (MR) findings in ovarian functional hemorrhagic cysts (FHC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients with 22 FHC, proven by follow-up ultrasound (US) in 11 women and surgery in 10 women, had US and MR examinations within 24 hours. The study was limited to cysts with obvious an echogenic pattern. All patients had T2-weighted fast spin echo (FSE), T1-weighted spin echo (SE), and T1-weighted SE fat-suppressed sequences. RESULTS: Four cysts (18%) were hypointense on T1-weighted-images without and with fat suppression, and hyperintense on T2-weighted-images. Five cysts (23%) were hypointense on T1-weighted images without and with fat suppression but heterogenous on T2-weighted images. Five cysts (23%) were hypointense on T1-weighted images but showed intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted fat suppression images and heterogenous signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Two cysts (9%) were entirely intermediate on T1-weighted images. Five cysts (23%) displayed high signal intensity occupying less than 30% of the cystic content on T1-weighted images and one cyst (5%) displayed high signal intensity occupying more than 30% of the cystic content. CONCLUSION: Despite an obvious echogenic pattern on US, 64% of FHC were hypointense on T1-weighted images and 18% were also hyperintense on T2-weighted images. Only 36% demonstrated intermediate or high signal intensity on T1-weighted images.

Multilocular adenomatoid tumor of the ovary: ultrasonographic findings.

We report the sonographic findings of a rare benign ovarian tumor in a 69-year-old woman. Transvaginal ultrasonography showed a cystic multilocular lesion with a vascularized central solid portion of the left ovary. Surgery revealed an adenomatoid tumor. Adenomatoid tumors are benign lesions of mesothelial origin, usually solid in nature and rarely located in the ovaries. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 33:233-236, 2005.

Extraovarian cystadenomas: ultrasound and MR findings in 7 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the ultrasound and MR appearance of paraovarian cystadenomas. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the radiologic findings in 7 patients with surgically proven paraovarian cystic neoplasms, including 6 serous cystadenomas and 1 borderline seromucinous cystadenoma. All had ultrasound and 4 had MR preoperatively. RESULTS: On ultrasound, the ipsilateral ovary was visualized in six cases, in contact with the cyst in five and separate from it in one. On MR, the ovary and the cyst were visible in four cases, in contact in three and separate in one. Internal papillary excrescences, present at pathology in all cysts, were seen in five on ultrasound and in four on MR. CONCLUSION: Although the extraovarian location of these neoplasms is difficult to determine preoperatively by ultrasound and MR, these imaging modalities are more reliable in predicting the histology of these rare lesions and differentiating them from simple paraovarian cysts.