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Environmental Research Aug 2023Rock particles from drilling and blasting during tunnel construction (DB particles) are released to the aquatic environment where they may cause negative toxicological...
Rock particles from drilling and blasting during tunnel construction (DB particles) are released to the aquatic environment where they may cause negative toxicological and ecological effects. However, there exists little research on the difference in morphology and structure of these particles. Despite this DB particles are assumed to be sharper and more angular than naturally eroded particles (NE particles), and in consequence cause greater mechanical abrasion to biota. Moreover, morphology of DB particles is assumed to depend on geology, thus depending on where construction takes place different morphologies may be emitted. The objectives in the current study were to investigate the morphological differences between DB and NE particles, and the influence of mineral and elemental content on DB particles. Particle geochemistry and morphology were characterized by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, micro-X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, environmental scanning electron microscope interfaced with energy dispersive X-ray, stereo microscope, dynamic image analysis and coulter counter. DB particles (61-91% < 63 μm) collected from five different tunnel construction locations in Norway were 8-15% more elongated (lower aspect ratio) than NE particles from river water and sediments, although their angularity was similar (solidity; diff 0.3-0.8%). Despite distinct mineral and elemental characteristics between tunnel construction locations, DB morphology was not explained by geochemical content since only 2-2.1% of the variance was explained. This suggests that particle formation mechanisms during drilling and blasting are more influential of morphology than mineralogy, when working in granite-gneiss terrain. When tunnelling in granite-gneiss terrain, particles with greater elongation than natural particles may enter aquatic systems.
Topics: Particle Size; Silicon Dioxide; Spectrum Analysis; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 37268214
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116250 -
Poultry Science Oct 2023The culling of day-old male chicks has caused ethical and economic concerns. Traditional approaches for detecting the in ovo sex of chicken embryos involve opening the... (Review)
Review
The culling of day-old male chicks has caused ethical and economic concerns. Traditional approaches for detecting the in ovo sex of chicken embryos involve opening the eggshell and inner membrane, which are destructive, time-consuming, and inefficient. Therefore, noncontact optical sensing techniques have been examined for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos. Compared with traditional methods, optical sensing can increase determination throughput and frequency for the rapid sexing of chicken embryos. This paper presented a comprehensive review of the different optical sensing techniques used for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos, including visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and machine vision, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the latest research regarding different detection algorithms and models for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos was summarized. Therefore, this paper provides updated information regarding the optical sensing techniques that can be used in the poultry industry and related research.
Topics: Chick Embryo; Animals; Male; Chickens; Sex Determination Analysis; Ovum; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
PubMed: 37480656
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102906 -
Journal of Biomedical Optics Dec 2023Measuring hemodynamic function is crucial for health assessment. Optical signals provide relative hemoglobin concentration changes, but absolute measurements require...
SIGNIFICANCE
Measuring hemodynamic function is crucial for health assessment. Optical signals provide relative hemoglobin concentration changes, but absolute measurements require costly, bulky technology. Speckleplethysmography (SPG) uses coherent light to detect speckle fluctuations. Combining SPG with multispectral measurements may provide important physiological information on blood flow and absolute hemoglobin concentration.
AIM
To develop an affordable optical technology to measure tissue absorption, scattering, hemoglobin concentrations, tissue oxygen saturation (), and blood flow.
APPROACH
We integrated reflectance spectroscopy and laser speckle imaging to create coherent spatial imaging (CSI). CSI was validated against spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) using phantom-based measurements. arterial and venous occlusion experiments compared CSI with diffuse optical spectroscopy/diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DOS/DCS) measurements.
RESULTS
CSI and SFDI agreed on tissue absorption and scattering in phantom tests. CSI and DOS/DCS showed similar trends and agreement in arterial occlusion results. During venous occlusion, both uncorrected and corrected blood flow decreased with increasing pressure, with an difference in overall blood flow decrease between the methods. CSI and DOS/DCS data showed expected hemoglobin concentrations, , and blood flow trends.
CONCLUSIONS
CSI provides affordable and comprehensive hemodynamic information. It can potentially detect dysfunction and improve measurements, such as blood pressure, , and metabolism.
Topics: Humans; Diagnostic Imaging; Spectrum Analysis; Hemodynamics; Vascular Diseases; Hemoglobins
PubMed: 38116026
DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.28.12.127001 -
Mikrochimica Acta May 2024The COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for effective strategies for controlling virus spread and ensuring sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review presents the... (Review)
Review
The COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for effective strategies for controlling virus spread and ensuring sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review presents the potential of nanomaterial-enabled optical biosensors for rapid and low-cost detection of SARS-CoV-2 biomarkers, demonstrating a comprehensive analysis including colorimetric, fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and surface plasmon resonance detection methods. Nanomaterials including metal-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frame-based nanoparticles, nanorods, nanoporous materials, nanoshell materials, and magnetic nanoparticles employed in the production of optical biosensors are presented in detail. This review also discusses the detection principles, fabrication methods, nanomaterial synthesis, and their applications for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in four categories: antibody-based, antigen-based, nucleic acid-based, and aptamer-based biosensors. This critical review includes reports published in the literature between the years 2021 and 2024. In addition, the review offers critical insights into optical nanobiosensors for the diagnosis of COVID-19. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies with optical nanomaterial-enabled biosensors is proposed to improve the efficiency of optical diagnostic systems for future pandemic scenarios.
Topics: COVID-19; Biosensing Techniques; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Nanostructures; Colorimetry; Spectrum Analysis, Raman
PubMed: 38727849
DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06373-6 -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry May 2024The extensive application of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in several fields has significantly impacted our daily lives. Nonetheless, uncertainties persist regarding the... (Review)
Review
The extensive application of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in several fields has significantly impacted our daily lives. Nonetheless, uncertainties persist regarding the toxicity and potential risks associated with the vast number of NPs entering the environment and human bodies, so the performance of toxicological studies are highly demanded. While traditional assays focus primarily on the effects, the comprehension of the underlying processes requires innovative analytical approaches that can detect, characterize, and quantify NPs in complex biological matrices. Among the available alternatives to achieve this information, mass spectrometry, and more concretely, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), has emerged as an appealing option. This work critically reviews the valuable contribution of ICP-MS-based techniques to investigate NP toxicity and their transformations during in vitro and in vivo toxicological assays. Various ICP-MS modalities, such as total elemental analysis, single particle or single-cell modes, and coupling with separation techniques, as well as the potential of laser ablation as a spatially resolved sample introduction approach, are explored and discussed. Moreover, this review addresses limitations, novel trends, and perspectives in the field of nanotoxicology, particularly concerning NP internalization and pathways. These processes encompass cellular uptake and quantification, localization, translocation to other cell compartments, and biological transformations. By leveraging the capabilities of ICP-MS, researchers can gain deeper insights into the behaviour and effects of NPs, which can pave the way for safer and more responsible use of these materials.
Topics: Humans; Spectrum Analysis; Metal Nanoparticles; Mass Spectrometry; Laser Therapy; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 38329514
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05181-4 -
Biosensors & Bioelectronics Oct 2023Sensitive and anti-interference detection of targeted signal(s) in body fluids is one of the paramount tasks in biosensing. Overcoming the complication and high cost of...
Sensitive and anti-interference detection of targeted signal(s) in body fluids is one of the paramount tasks in biosensing. Overcoming the complication and high cost of antibody/aptamer-modification, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on antibody/aptamer-free (AAF) substrates has shown great promise, yet with rather limited detection sensitivity. Herein, we report ultrasensitive and anti-interference detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in untreated saliva by an AAF SERS substrate, applying the evanescent field induced by the high-order waveguide modes of well-defined nanorods for SERS for the first time. A detection limit of 3.6 × 10 M and 1.6 × 10 M are obtained in phosphate buffered saline and untreated saliva, respectively; the detection limits are three orders of magnitude improved than the best records from AAF substrates. This work unlocks an exciting path to design AAF SERS substrates for ultrasensitive biosensing, not limited to detection of viral antigens.
Topics: Humans; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Saliva; Biosensing Techniques; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Antibodies; Aptamers, Nucleotide; Metal Nanoparticles
PubMed: 37321043
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115457 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023MDM2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase which is crucial for the degradation and inhibition of the key tumor-suppressor protein p53. In this work, we explored the stability and...
MDM2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase which is crucial for the degradation and inhibition of the key tumor-suppressor protein p53. In this work, we explored the stability and the conformational features of the N-terminal region of MDM2 (N-MDM2), through which it binds to the p53 protein as well as other protein partners. The isolated domain possessed a native-like conformational stability in a narrow pH range (7.0 to 10.0), as shown by intrinsic and 8-anilinonapthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) fluorescence, far-UV circular dichroism (CD), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) denaturation followed by intrinsic and ANS fluorescence, far-UV CD and SEC at physiological pH, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-fluorescence experiments showed that (i) the conformational stability of isolated N-MDM2 was very low; and (ii) unfolding occurred through the presence of several intermediates. The presence of a hierarchy in the unfolding intermediates was also evidenced through DSC and by simulating the unfolding process with the help of computational techniques based on constraint network analysis (CNA). We propose that the low stability of this protein is related to its inherent flexibility and its ability to interact with several molecular partners through different routes.
Topics: Protein Folding; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Protein Denaturation; Protein Conformation; Circular Dichroism; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning
PubMed: 38005300
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227578 -
Journal of Biomedical Optics Jan 2024Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging biomedical imaging modality that can map optical absorption contrast in biological tissues by detecting ultrasound signal.... (Review)
Review
SIGNIFICANCE
Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging biomedical imaging modality that can map optical absorption contrast in biological tissues by detecting ultrasound signal. Piezoelectric transducers are commonly used in PA imaging to detect the ultrasound signals. However, piezoelectric transducers suffer from low sensitivity when the dimensions are reduced and are easily influenced by electromagnetic interference. To avoid these limitations, various optical ultrasound sensors have been developed and shown their great potential in PA imaging.
AIM
Our study aims to summarize recent progress in optical ultrasound sensor technologies and their applications in PA imaging.
APPROACH
The commonly used optical ultrasound sensing techniques and their applications in PA systems are reviewed. The technical advances of different optical ultrasound sensors are summarized.
RESULTS
Optical ultrasound sensors can provide wide bandwidth and improved sensitivity with miniatured size, which enables their applications in PA imaging.
CONCLUSIONS
The optical ultrasound sensors are promising transducers in PA imaging to provide higher-resolution images and can be used in new applications with their unique advantages.
Topics: Photoacoustic Techniques; Ultrasonography; Diagnostic Imaging; Spectrum Analysis; Transducers
PubMed: 38303991
DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.S1.S11523 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2023Acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (AR-PAM) enables visualization of biological tissues at depths of several millimeters with superior optical absorption...
Acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (AR-PAM) enables visualization of biological tissues at depths of several millimeters with superior optical absorption contrast. However, the lateral resolution and sensitivity of AR-PAM are generally lower than those of optical-resolution PAM (OR-PAM) owing to the intrinsic physical acoustic focusing mechanism. Here, we demonstrate a computational strategy with two generative adversarial networks (GANs) to perform semi/unsupervised reconstruction with high resolution and sensitivity in AR-PAM by maintaining its imaging capability at enhanced depths. The b-scan PAM images were prepared as paired (for semi-supervised conditional GAN) and unpaired (for unsupervised CycleGAN) groups for label-free reconstructed AR-PAM b-scan image generation and training. The semi/unsupervised GANs successfully improved resolution and sensitivity in a phantom and in vivo mouse ear test with ground truth. We also confirmed that GANs could enhance resolution and sensitivity of deep tissues without the ground truth.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Spectrum Analysis; Acoustics; Biological Assay; Microscopy, Acoustic; Phantoms, Imaging
PubMed: 37591911
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40583-x -
PeerJ 2023The aim of this article was to review and collectively assess the published studies of fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy (RS) of the detection and diagnosis of head and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The aim of this article was to review and collectively assess the published studies of fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy (RS) of the detection and diagnosis of head and neck carcinomas, and to derive a consensus average of the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.
METHODS
The authors searched four databases, including Ovid-Medline, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane Library, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), up to February 2023 for all published studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of fiber-optic RS in the detection of head and neck carcinomas. Nonqualifying studies were screened out in accordance with the specified exclusion criteria, and relevant information about the diagnostic performance of fiber-optic RS was excluded. Publication bias was estimated by Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. A random effects model was adopted to calculate the pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Additionally, the authors conducted a summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve analysis and threshold analysis, reporting the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the overall performance of fiber-optic RS .
RESULTS
Ten studies (including 16 groups of data) were included in this article, and a total of 5365 Raman spectra (cancer = 1,746; normal = 3,619) were acquired from 877 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of fiber-optic RS of head and neck carcinomas were 0.88 and 0.94, respectively. SROC curves were generated to estimate the overall diagnostic accuracy, and the AUC was 0.96 (95% CI [0.94-0.97]). No significant publication bias was found in this meta-analysis by Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. The heterogeneity of these studies was significant; the test values of the sensitivity and specificity were 106.23 ( = 0.00) and 64.21 ( = 0.00), respectively, and the I2 index of the sensitivity and specificity were 85.88 (95% CI [79.99-91.77]) and 76.64 (95% CI [65.45-87.83]), respectively.
CONCLUSION
Fiber-optic RS was demonstrated to be a reliable technique for the detection of head and neck carcinoma with high accuracy. However, considering the high heterogeneity of these studies, more clinical studies are needed to reduce the heterogeneity, and further confirm the utility of fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy .
Topics: Humans; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Sensitivity and Specificity; ROC Curve; Carcinoma
PubMed: 38099303
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16536