Ice imaging in aircraft anti-icing fluid films using polarized light

Article presents how to enhance ice contrast in the visible spectrum by using ice birefringence and polarized light reflection. The method can be used for both visual inspection and automatic ice detection systems

Portable automatic bioaerosol sampling system for rapid on-site detection of targeted airborne microorganisms

Bioaerosols could cause various severe human and animal diseases and their opportune and qualitative precise detection and control is becoming a significant scientific and technological topic for consideration. Over the last few decades bioaerosol detection has become an important bio-defense related issue. Many types of portable and stationary bioaerosol samplers have been developed and, in some cases, integrated into automated detection systems utilizing various microbiological techniques for analysis of collected microbes. This paper describes a personal sampler used in conjunction with a portable real-time PCR technique. It was found that a single fluorescent dye could be successfully used in multiplex format for qualitative detection of numerous targeted bioaerosols in one PCR tube making the suggested technology a reliable "first alert" device. This approach has been specifically developed and successfully verified for rapid detection of targeted microorganisms by portable PCR devices, which is especially important under field conditions, where the number of microorganisms of interest usually exceeds the number of available PCR reaction tubes. The approach allows detecting targeted microorganisms and triggering some corresponding sanitary and quarantine procedures to localize possible spread of dangerous infections. Following detailed analysis of the sample under controlled laboratory conditions could be used to exactly identify which particular microorganism out of a targeted group has been rapidly detected in the field. It was also found that the personal sampler has a collection efficiency higher than 90% even for small-sized viruses (>20 nm) and stable performance over extended operating periods. In addition, it was found that for microorganisms used in this project (bacteriophages MS2 and T4) elimination of nucleic acids isolation and purification steps during sample preparation does not lead to the system sensitivity reduction, which is extremely important for development of miniature bioaerosol monitoring instrumentation in the future

Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion in Determining the IDH1 Status and Ki-67 Index in Brain Gliomas

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between tumor blood flow (TBF) measured by the pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL) method and IDH1 mutation status of gliomas as well as Ki-67 proliferative index. Methods. The study included 116 patients with newly diagnosed gliomas of various grades. They received no chemotherapy or radiotherapy before MRI. IDH1 status assessment was performed after tumor removal in 106 cases—48 patients were diagnosed with wildtype gliomas (Grade 1–2—6 patients, Grade 3–4—42 patients) and 58 patients were diagnosed with mutant forms of gliomas (Grade 1–2—28 patients, Grade 3–4—30 patients). In 64 cases out of 116 Ki-67 index was measured. Absolute and normalized tumor blood flow values were measured on 3D PCASL maps. Results. TBF and normalized TBF (nTBF) in wildtype gliomas were significantly higher than in IDH1-mutant gliomas (p < 0.001). ASL perfusion showed high values of sensitivity and specificity in the differential diagnosis of gliomas with distinct IDH1 status (for TBF: specificity 75%, sensitivity 77.6%, AUC 0.783, cutoff 80.57 mL/100 g/min, for nTBF: specificity 77.1%, sensitivity 79.3%, AUC 0.791, cutoff 4.7). TBF and nTBF in wildtype high-grade gliomas (HGG) were significantly higher than in mutant forms (p < 0.001). ASL perfusion showed the following values of sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of mutant HGG and wildtype HGG (for TBF: specificity 83.3%, sensitivity 60%, AUC 0.719, cutoff 84.18 mL/100 g/min, for nTBF: specificity 88.1%, sensitivity 60%, AUC 0.729, cutoff 4.7). There was a significant positive correlation between tumor blood flow and Ki-67 (for TBF Rs = 0.63, for nTBF Rs = 0.61). Conclusion. ASL perfusion may be an informative factor in determining the IDH1 status in brain gliomas preoperative and tumor proliferative activity

Cell-Population Dynamics in Diffuse Gliomas during Gliomagenesis and Its Impact on Patient Survival

Diffuse gliomas continue to be an important problem in neuro-oncology. To solve it, studies have considered the issues of molecular pathogenesis from the intratumoral heterogeneity point. Here, we carried out a comparative dynamic analysis of the different cell populations’ content in diffuse gliomas of different molecular profiles and grades, considering the cell populations’ functional properties and the relationship with patient survival, using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, multiparametric fluorescent in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and cultural methods. It was shown that an increase in the IDH-mutant astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas malignancy is accompanied by an increase in stem cells’ proportion and mesenchymal cell populations’ appearance arising from oligodendrocyte-progenitor-like cells with cell plasticity and cells’ hypoxia response programs’ activation. In glioblastomas, malignancy increase is accompanied by an increase in both stem and definitive cells with mesenchymal differentiation, while proneuronal glioma stem cells are the most likely the source of mesenchymal glioma stem cells, which, in hypoxic conditions, further give rise to mesenchymal-like cells. Clinical confirmation was a mesenchymal-like cell and mesenchymal glioma stem cell number, and the hypoxic and plastic molecular programs’ activation degree had a significant effect on relapse-free and overall survival. In general, we built a multi-vector model of diffuse gliomas’ pathogenetic tracing up to the practical plane

Cell-Population Dynamics in Diffuse Gliomas during Gliomagenesis and Its Impact on Patient Survival

Diffuse gliomas continue to be an important problem in neuro-oncology. To solve it, studies have considered the issues of molecular pathogenesis from the intratumoral heterogeneity point. Here, we carried out a comparative dynamic analysis of the different cell populations’ content in diffuse gliomas of different molecular profiles and grades, considering the cell populations’ functional properties and the relationship with patient survival, using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, multiparametric fluorescent in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and cultural methods. It was shown that an increase in the IDH-mutant astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas malignancy is accompanied by an increase in stem cells’ proportion and mesenchymal cell populations’ appearance arising from oligodendrocyte-progenitor-like cells with cell plasticity and cells’ hypoxia response programs’ activation. In glioblastomas, malignancy increase is accompanied by an increase in both stem and definitive cells with mesenchymal differentiation, while proneuronal glioma stem cells are the most likely the source of mesenchymal glioma stem cells, which, in hypoxic conditions, further give rise to mesenchymal-like cells. Clinical confirmation was a mesenchymal-like cell and mesenchymal glioma stem cell number, and the hypoxic and plastic molecular programs’ activation degree had a significant effect on relapse-free and overall survival. In general, we built a multi-vector model of diffuse gliomas’ pathogenetic tracing up to the practical plane

Micro-Raman Characterization of Structural Features of High-k Stack Layer of SOI Nanowire Chip, Designed to Detect Circular RNA Associated with the Development of Glioma

The application of micro-Raman spectroscopy was used for characterization of structural features of the high-k stack (h-k) layer of “silicon-on-insulator” (SOI) nanowire (NW) chip (h-k-SOI-NW chip), including Al2O3 and HfO2 in various combinations after heat treatment from 425 to 1000 °C. After that, the NW structures h-k-SOI-NW chip was created using gas plasma etching optical lithography. The stability of the signals from the monocrine phase of HfO2 was shown. Significant differences were found in the elastic stresses of the silicon layers for very thick (>200 nm) Al2O3 layers. In the UV spectra of SOI layers of a silicon substrate with HfO2, shoulders in the Raman spectrum were observed at 480–490 cm−1 of single-phonon scattering. The h-k-SOI-NW chip created in this way has been used for the detection of DNA-oligonucleotide sequences (oDNA), that became a synthetic analog of circular RNA–circ-SHKBP1 associated with the development of glioma at a concentration of 1.1 × 10−16 M. The possibility of using such h-k-SOI NW chips for the detection of circ-SHKBP1 in blood plasma of patients diagnosed with neoplasm of uncertain nature of the brain and central nervous system was shown