Constructing software for analysis of neuron, glial and endothelial cell numbers and density in histological Nissl-stained rodent brain tissue

Cell number, density and volume of white and gray matter in brain structures are not constant values. Cellular alterations in brain areas might coincide with neurological and psychiatric pathologies as well as with changes in brain functionality during selection experiments, pharmacological treatment or aging. Several softwares were created to facilitate quantitative analysis of brain tissues, however results obtained from these softwares require multiple manual settings making the computing process complex and time-consuming. This study attempts to establish half automated software for fast, ergonomic and an accurate analysis of cellular density, cell number and cellular surface in morphologically different brain areas: cerebral cortex, pond and cerebellum. Images of brain sections of bank voles stained with standard cresyl-violet technique (Nissl staining), were analyzed in designed software. Results were compared with other commercially available tools regarding number of steps to be done by user and number of parameters possible to measure

A Machine-Learning-Based Approach to Prediction of Biogeographic Ancestry within Europe

Data obtained with the use of massive parallel sequencing (MPS) can be valuable in population genetics studies. In particular, such data harbor the potential for distinguishing samples from different populations, especially from those coming from adjacent populations of common origin. Machine learning (ML) techniques seem to be especially well suited for analyzing large datasets obtained using MPS. The Slavic populations constitute about a third of the population of Europe and inhabit a large area of the continent, while being relatively closely related in population genetics terms. In this proof-of-concept study, various ML techniques were used to classify DNA samples from Slavic and non-Slavic individuals. The primary objective of this study was to empirically evaluate the feasibility of discerning the genetic provenance of individuals of Slavic descent who exhibit genetic similarity, with the overarching goal of categorizing DNA specimens derived from diverse Slavic population representatives. Raw sequencing data were pre-processed, to obtain a 1200 character-long binary vector. A total of three classifiers were used—Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and XGBoost. The most-promising results were obtained using SVM with a linear kernel, with 99.9% accuracy and F1-scores of 0.9846–1.000 for all classes

Artificial skin composites

Skin injuries are a health problem and can lead to serious, significant deterioration in the quality of life and, consequently, even illness and disability. Therefore, after wounding, immediate regeneration of the tissue is necessary to avoid further complications and pathogenesis. Consequently, many wound healing strategies have been developed, leading to the progress in constructing of multifunctional tissue substitutes for the skin, biomembranes, scaffolds and intelligent dressings. The field of science focusing on the creation of the above-mentioned products is tissue engineering (TE). Its main goal is to find a system that is able to replace or be a model that perfectly mimics the form and function of the skin. Research carried out on such constructs is mainly based on the analysis of mechanical properties (porosity, elasticity), as well as the assessment of the impact of individual components on processes related to the formation of new tissue as cell proliferation and differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis - through in vivo studies (using animal models: mice, New Zealand rabbits) and in vitro (most often using mouse fibroblasts - L929). Skin constructions may have potential applications as wound dressings or skin substitutes in cases of severe skin damage

The Influence of Polysaccharides/TiO2 on the Model Membranes of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol and Bacterial Lipids

The aim of the study was to determine the bactericidal properties of popular medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic ingredients, namely chitosan (Ch), hyaluronic acid (HA), and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The characteristics presented in this paper are based on the Langmuir monolayer studies of the model biological membranes formed on subphases with these compounds or their mixtures. To prepare the Langmuir film, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) (DPPG) phospholipid, which is the component of most bacterial membranes, as well as biological material-lipids isolated from bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used. The analysis of the surface pressure-mean molecular area (π-A) isotherms, compression modulus as a function of surface pressure, CS−1 = f(π), relative surface pressure as a function of time, π/π0 = f(t), hysteresis loops, as well as structure visualized using a Brewster angle microscope (BAM) shows clearly that Ch, HA, and TiO2 have antibacterial properties. Ch and TiO2 mostly affect S. aureus monolayer structure during compression. They can enhance the permeability of biological membranes leading to the bacteria cell death. In turn, HA has a greater impact on the thickness of E. coli film

Studies of Bis-(Sodium-Sulfopropyl)-Disulfide and 3-Mercapto-1-Propanesulfonate on/into the Copper Electrodeposited Layer by Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry

Interactions of functional additives SPS (bis-(sodium-sulfopropyl)-disulfide), MPS (3-Mercapto-1-Propanesulfonate), and Cl accumulated and incorporated on/into a copper electrodeposited layer were studied using time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) in combination with cyclic voltammetry measurements (CV). It was shown that the Cl and MPS surface coverage is dependent on the applied overpotential and concentration of Cl, SPS, or MPS in the solution. Detailed discussion on the mechanism of yielding CH2SO3−, C3H5SO3−, CuSC3H6SO3−, and CuS− fragments and their assignment to the gauche or trans conformation was proposed. The mechanism of the process of incorporation and re-adsorption of MPS on/into a copper surface under electrochemical conditions without and with chloride ions and its impact on electrochemical properties was proposed. Moreover, it was shown that the presence of chloride ions, the ratio gauche/trans of MPS molecules, as well as the ratio chloride/thiols demonstrate a high impact on the accelerating abilities. Comparative studies conducted under open circuit potential conditions on the nitinol and copper substrate allowed for the identification of specific reactions/interactions of MPS, or SPS and Cl ions on the nitinol and copper surface

Effect of chitosan, hyaluronic acid and/or titanium dioxide on the physicochemical characteristic of phospholipid film/glass surface

The production of preparations, whose destination action takes place in close proximity to living cells, increases the necessity to carry out studies concerning the determination of the biomaterial surface effect on the cellular response. In achieving this goal, physicochemical characteristic of the surface can be helpful. This can be established based on topography, chemical composition, wettability, and surface energy analysis. In addition, determining the changes of these properties which can occur as a result of surface modification will allow prediction of cell behaviour when contacting with biomaterial. In the study, the Langmuir-Blodgett technique was used. It enabled the transfer of the Langmuir monolayer formed from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) to a solid support. The DPPC film imitated a natural biological membrane capable of interacting with the components of the liquid subphase: chitosan (Ch), hyaluronic acid (HA) and/or titanium dioxide (TiO2). Depending on the type and strength of interactions of phospholipid molecules with the components of the subphase, the films obtained on the solid support were characterized by specific surface properties. Their characteristics based mainly on values of the work of adhesion in connection with films topography, allowed for statement that it is possible to form semi-interpenetrating Ch network in which HA is entrapped, contributing to the enhanced adhesion of the DPPC film, additionally intensified by TiO2 inclusion. This type of research permit for better understanding of the interactions at the interface, cell membrane-Ch/HA/TiO2 and can be important in the creation of a new generation of skin or tissue substitutes

Wettability of DPPC Monolayers Deposited from the Titanium Dioxide–Chitosan–Hyaluronic Acid Subphases on Glass

The investigations were carried out to determine wettability of the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) monolayers transferred from the liquid subphases containing chitosan (Ch), hyaluronic acid (HA), and/or titanium dioxide (TiO2) to a glass support by means of the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. For comparative purposes, the analysis of the plates surfaces emerged from the analogous subphases without the phospholipid film was also made. Characterization of the DPPC monolayers was based on the contact angle measurements using three test liquids (water, formamide, diiodomethane) and a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution in which the concentration of ions was close to that of human plasma. After deposition of the DPPC monolayers on the glass plates, a significant increase in the contact angles of all the probe liquids was observed compared to the plates pulled out from the given subphase without floating DPPC. The presence of phospholipid monolayer increased the hydrophobic character of the surface due to orientation of its molecules with hydrocarbon chains towards the air. In addition, the components of the subphase attached along with DPPC to the glass support modify the surface polarity. The largest changes were observed in the presence of TiO2

Surface characteristics of dppc monolayers deposited from titanium dioxide–chitosan–hyaluronic acid subphases on a glass support

The Langmuir-Blodgett technique was used to transfer the monolayers of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) from the subphase containing chitosan (Ch) and/or titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) and/or hyaluronic acid (HA) on glass plates after a low-temperature air plasma treatment. The surface free energy and its components were determined on the basis of advancing and receding contact angle measurements of water (W), formamide (F), and diiodomethane (DM). To estimate the total surface free energy (), the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) model was used, and the obtained data were compared with the results calculated from the Lifshitz-van der Waals/acid–base (LWAB) approach. It was found that the subphase components modify the surface of the phospholipid monolayer by changing the type and magnitude of interactions. They were reflected as significant differences in the obtained values of total surface free energy and its components. These findings can help in the development of composite materials, thereby expanding the spectrum of applications for chitosan, TiO2, and HA, as well as understanding the interactions between biomaterial and cell

The Influence of Polysaccharides/TiO₂ on the Model Membranes of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol and Bacterial Lipids

The aim of the study was to determine the bactericidal properties of popular medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic ingredients, namely chitosan (Ch), hyaluronic acid (HA), and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The characteristics presented in this paper are based on the Langmuir monolayer studies of the model biological membranes formed on subphases with these compounds or their mixtures. To prepare the Langmuir film, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) (DPPG) phospholipid, which is the component of most bacterial membranes, as well as biological material-lipids isolated from bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used. The analysis of the surface pressure-mean molecular area (π-A) isotherms, compression modulus as a function of surface pressure, CS−1 = f(π), relative surface pressure as a function of time, π/π0 = f(t), hysteresis loops, as well as structure visualized using a Brewster angle microscope (BAM) shows clearly that Ch, HA, and TiO2 have antibacterial properties. Ch and TiO2 mostly affect S. aureus monolayer structure during compression. They can enhance the permeability of biological membranes leading to the bacteria cell death. In turn, HA has a greater impact on the thickness of E. coli film

Interaction of Bis-(sodium-sulfopropyl)-Disulfide and Polyethylene Glycol on the Copper Electrodeposited Layer by Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry

The interactions of the functional additives SPS (bis-(sodium-sulfopropyl)-disulfide) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of chloride ions were studied by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) in combination with cyclic voltammetry measurements (CV). The PEG, thiolate, and chloride surface coverages were estimated and discussed in terms of their electrochemical suppressing/accelerating abilities. The conformational influence of both the gauche/trans thiolate molecules, as well as around C-C and C-O of PEG, on the electrochemical properties were discussed. The contribution of the hydrophobic interaction of -CH2-CH2- of PEG with chloride ions was only slightly reduced after the addition of SPS, while the contribution of Cu-PEG adducts diminished strongly. SPS and PEG demonstrated significant synergy by significant co-adsorption. It was shown that the suppressing abilities of PEG that rely on forming stable Cu-PEG adducts, identified in the form C2H4O2Cu+ and C3H6OCu+, were significantly reduced after the addition of SPS. The major role of thiolate molecules adsorbed on a copper surface in reducing the suppressing abilities of PEG rely on the efficient capture of Cu2+ ions, diminishing the available copper ions for the ethereal oxygen of PEG