Technical and Methodological Aspects of Cell-Free Nucleic Acids Analyzes

Cell-free Nucleic Acids in Maternal Plasma

The invasive procedures amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are routinely applied in pregnancies at risk for fetal genetic disorders and the results obtained are the gold standard for prenatal diagnosis. These procedures have an approximately 0.5-1% risk for fetal loss and are mainly used in cases at risk for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and single-gene disorders. Identification of c...

Physicochemical and Structural Aspects of Nucleic Acids

Diagnostic developments involving cell-free (circulating) nucleic acids.

BACKGROUND The detection of circulating nucleic acids has long been explored for the non-invasive diagnosis of a variety of clinical conditions. In earlier studies, detection of circulating DNA has been investigated for the detection of various forms of cancer. Metastasis and recurrence in certain cancer types have been associated with the presence of high levels of tumor-derived DNA in the cir...

Cell-free fetal nucleic acids in amniotic fluid.

BACKGROUND Research into cell-free fetal (cff) nucleic acids has primarily focused on maternal plasma; however, cff DNA and RNA are also detectable in other body fluids such as amniotic fluid (AF). In AF, cff DNA is present in much greater concentrations than in maternal plasma and represents a pure fetal sample uncontaminated by maternal- and trophoblast-derived nucleic acids. The aim of this ...

Brain-Mind Operational Architectonics Imaging: Technical and Methodological Aspects

This review paper deals with methodological and technical foundations of the Operational Architectonics framework of brain and mind functioning. This theory provides a framework for mapping and understanding important aspects of the brain mechanisms that constitute perception, cognition, and eventually consciousness. The methods utilized within Operational Architectonics framework allow analyzi...