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BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are thought to play key roles in coordinating cell movement at single-cell and tissue scales. The recent development of optogenetic...
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are thought to play key roles in coordinating cell movement at single-cell and tissue scales. The recent development of optogenetic tools for controlling RTKs and their downstream signaling pathways suggested these responses may be amenable to engineering-based control for sculpting tissue shape and function. Here, we report that a light-controlled EGF receptor (OptoEGFR) can be deployed in epithelial cell lines for precise, programmable control of long-range tissue movements. We show that in OptoEGFR-expressing tissues, light can drive millimeter-scale cell rearrangements to densify interior regions or produce rapid outgrowth at tissue edges. Light-controlled tissue movements are driven primarily by PI 3-kinase signaling, rather than diffusible signals, tissue contractility, or ERK kinase signaling as seen in other RTK-driven migration contexts. Our study suggests that synthetic, light-controlled RTKs could serve as a powerful platform for controlling cell positions and densities for diverse applications including wound healing and tissue morphogenesis.
PubMed: 38853934
DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.30.596676 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024Interacting with the environment to process sensory information, generate perceptions, and shape behavior engages neural networks in brain areas with highly varied...
Interacting with the environment to process sensory information, generate perceptions, and shape behavior engages neural networks in brain areas with highly varied representations, ranging from unimodal sensory cortices to higher-order association areas. Recent work suggests a much greater degree of commonality across areas, with distributed and modular networks present in both sensory and non-sensory areas during early development. However, it is currently unknown whether this initially common modular structure undergoes an equally common developmental trajectory, or whether such a modular functional organization persists in some areas-such as primary visual cortex-but not others. Here we examine the development of network organization across diverse cortical regions in ferrets of both sexes using widefield calcium imaging of spontaneous activity. We find that all regions examined, including both primary sensory cortices (visual, auditory, and somatosensory-V1, A1, and S1, respectively) and higher order association areas (prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices) exhibit a largely similar pattern of changes over an approximately 3 week developmental period spanning eye opening and the transition to predominantly externally-driven sensory activity. We find that both a modular functional organization and millimeter-scale correlated networks remain present across all cortical areas examined. These networks weakened over development in most cortical areas, but strengthened in V1. Overall, the conserved maintenance of modular organization across different cortical areas suggests a common pathway of network refinement, and suggests that a modular organization-known to encode functional representations in visual areas-may be similarly engaged in highly diverse brain areas.
PubMed: 38853883
DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.28.595371 -
Forensic Science International. Genetics May 2024We report on testing 100 individuals for their shedder status with the aim of demonstrating whether the process of cell staining is reproducible when testing a large...
We report on testing 100 individuals for their shedder status with the aim of demonstrating whether the process of cell staining is reproducible when testing a large number of people. A previous report using the same method was based on 11 donors and indicated that there may be a continuum of shedder types within this small sample set. In this report we also expand the time points post-handwashing to 0, 15, 30, 60, and 180 min. Triplicate samples were collected from both the right and left thumbs. Samples were collected by donors placing a thumb on a clean glass slide and then adding a DNA binding dye. The number of cells were recorded within three separate square millimetre areas (cells/mm) at 220x magnification. The experiments were conducted in triplicate on three different days, giving a total of 72 thumbprints per individual. Finally, there were 3438 observed frames in the entire dataset. Of the 100 donors, 98 gave consistent and reproducible cell number deposition. There was no difference between the cells deposited by the left and right thumbs in 13 of 15 tested. Males tended to deposit more cells than females. If applying arbitrary boundary to a cell count to definitively determine shedder status, then many of the donors fell within two categories. This study based on 100 individuals strongly suggests that shedder status is a continuum phenomenon.
PubMed: 38851033
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103065 -
Communications Physics 2024Optical resonators are indispensable tools in optical metrology that usually benefit from an evacuated and highly-isolated environment to achieve peak performance. Even...
Optical resonators are indispensable tools in optical metrology that usually benefit from an evacuated and highly-isolated environment to achieve peak performance. Even in the more sophisticated design of Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities, the material choice limits the achievable quality factors. For this reason, monolithic resonators are emerging as promising alternative to traditional designs, but their design is still at preliminary stage and far from being optimized. Here, we demonstrate a monolithic FP resonator with 4.5 cm volume and 2 × 10 finesse. In the ambient environment, we achieve 18 Hz integrated laser linewidth and 7 × 10 frequency stability measured from 0.08 s to 0.3 s averaging time, the highest spectral purity and stability demonstrated to date in the context of monolithic reference resonators. By locking two separate lasers to distinct modes of the same resonator, a 96 GHz microwave signals is generated with phase noise -100 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz frequency offset, achieving orders of magnitude improvement in the approach of photonic heterodyne synthesis. The compact monolithic FP resonator is promising for applications in spectrally-pure, high-frequency microwave photonic references as well as optical clocks and other metrological devices. ©2024. All rights reserved.
PubMed: 38845615
DOI: 10.1038/s42005-024-01660-3 -
Radiology. Cardiothoracic Imaging Jun 2024Purpose To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of enzyme replacement therapy on cardiac MRI parameters in patients with Fabry disease.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Purpose To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of enzyme replacement therapy on cardiac MRI parameters in patients with Fabry disease. Materials and Methods A systematic literature search was conducted from January 1, 2000, through January 1, 2024, in PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Study outcomes were changes in the following parameters: left ventricular wall mass (LVM), measured in grams; LVM indexed to body mass index, measured in grams per meters squared; maximum left ventricular wall thickness (MLVWT), measured in millimeters; late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) extent, measured in percentage of LVM; and native T1 mapping, measured in milliseconds. A random-effects meta-analysis of the pooled mean differences between baseline and follow-up parameters was conducted. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022336223). Results The final analysis included 11 studies of a total of 445 patients with Fabry disease (mean age ± SD, 41 years ± 11; 277 male, 168 female). Between baseline and follow-up cardiac MRI, the following did not change: T1 mapping (mean difference, 6 msec [95% CI: -2, 15]; two studies, 70 patients, = 88%) and LVM indexed (mean difference, -1 g/m [95% CI: -6, 3]; four studies, 290 patients, = 81%). The following measures minimally decreased: LVM (mean difference, -18 g [95% CI: -33, -3]; seven studies, 107 patients, = 96%) and MLVWT (mean difference, -1 mm [95% CI: -2, -0.02]; six studies, 151 patients, = 90%). LGE extent increased (mean difference, 1% [95% CI: 1, 1]; three studies, 114 patients, = 85%). Conclusion In patients with Fabry disease, enzyme replacement therapy was associated with stabilization of LVM, MLVWT, and T1 mapping values, whereas LGE extent mildly increased. Fabry Disease, Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), Cardiac MRI, Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) © RSNA, 2024.
Topics: Fabry Disease; Humans; Enzyme Replacement Therapy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Heart Ventricles
PubMed: 38842453
DOI: 10.1148/ryct.230154 -
Light, Science & Applications Jun 2024Imagine if it were possible to create 3D objects in the palm of your hand within seconds using only a single photonic chip. Although 3D printing has revolutionized the...
Imagine if it were possible to create 3D objects in the palm of your hand within seconds using only a single photonic chip. Although 3D printing has revolutionized the way we create in nearly every aspect of modern society, current 3D printers rely on large and complex mechanical systems to enable layer-by-layer addition of material. This limits print speed, resolution, portability, form factor, and material complexity. Although there have been recent efforts in developing novel photocuring-based 3D printers that utilize light to transform matter from liquid resins to solid objects using advanced methods, they remain reliant on bulky and complex mechanical systems. To address these limitations, we combine the fields of silicon photonics and photochemistry to propose the first chip-based 3D printer. The proposed system consists of only a single millimeter-scale photonic chip without any moving parts that emits reconfigurable visible-light holograms up into a simple stationary resin well to enable non-mechanical 3D printing. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate a stereolithography-inspired proof-of-concept version of the chip-based 3D printer using a visible-light beam-steering integrated optical phased array and visible-light-curable resin, showing 3D printing using a chip-based system for the first time. This work demonstrates the first steps towards a highly-compact, portable, and low-cost solution for the next generation of 3D printers.
PubMed: 38839804
DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01478-2 -
Heliyon May 2024The intercornual distance in the sacral hiatus has yet to be studied precisely in children. This age-stratified, observational study aimed to clarify the changes in...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The intercornual distance in the sacral hiatus has yet to be studied precisely in children. This age-stratified, observational study aimed to clarify the changes in sacral hiatus dimensions and to quantify the correlations between the intercornual distance of the sacral hiatus and age, height, weight, and head circumference by using real-time ultrasonography.
METHODS
The patients were stratified into three groups: neonates and infants, toddlers, and schoolchildren. In the operating room, the ultrasonic probe was placed at the sacral cornua to obtain a transverse view of the sacral hiatus, and the intercornual distance was measured three times in millimetres.
RESULTS
The study included a total of 156 patients. The mean ± SD (95%CI) of intercornual distance in neonates and infants (<12 months) was 11.58 ± 1.79 (11.11-12.04) mm, 13.29 ± 1.97 (12.71-13.86) mm in toddlers (13-36 months), and 13.36 ± 2.49 (12.64-14.08) mm in schoolchildren (>36 months).The mean values of neonates and infants were different from those of toddlers and schoolchildren (p < 0.001), but it was similar between toddlers and schoolchildren (p > 0.05, 95 % CI mean difference -1.10 to 0.95).Intercornual distance was correlated with age, height, weight, and head circumference before one year of age (Spearman's R values > 0.7), but there was no correlation thereafter (Spearman's p value > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
In the first year after birth, the intercornual distance increases rapidly with body growth; after one year of age, the sacral hiatus dimension changes significantly. Ultrasound is superior for assessing the gradually ossified cartilage components in older children.
PubMed: 38831844
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31526 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024Label-free multimodal imaging methods that can provide complementary structural and chemical information from the same sample are critical for comprehensive tissue...
SIGNIFICANCE
Label-free multimodal imaging methods that can provide complementary structural and chemical information from the same sample are critical for comprehensive tissue analyses. These methods are specifically needed to study the complex tumor-microenvironment where fibrillar collagen's architectural changes are associated with cancer progression. To address this need, we present a multimodal computational imaging method where mid-infrared spectral imaging (MIRSI) is employed with second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to identify fibrillar collagen in biological tissues.
AIM
To demonstrate a multimodal approach where a morphology-specific contrast mechanism guides a mid-infrared spectral imaging method to detect fibrillar collagen based on its chemical signatures.
APPROACH
We trained a supervised machine learning (ML) model using SHG images as ground truth collagen labels to classify fibrillar collagen in biological tissues based on their mid-infrared hyperspectral images. Five human pancreatic tissue samples (sizes are in the order of millimeters) were imaged by both MIRSI and SHG microscopes. In total, 2.8 million MIRSI spectra were used to train a random forest (RF) model. The remaining 68 million spectra were used to validate the collagen images generated by the RF-MIRSI model in terms of collagen segmentation, orientation, and alignment.
RESULTS
Compared to the SHG ground truth, the generated MIRSI collagen images achieved a high average boundary F-score (0.8 at 4 pixels threshold) in the collagen distribution, high correlation (Pearson's R 0.82) in the collagen orientation, and similarly high correlation (Pearson's R 0.66) in the collagen alignment.
CONCLUSIONS
We showed the potential of ML-aided label-free mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging for collagen fiber and tumor microenvironment analysis in tumor pathology samples.
PubMed: 38826188
DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595393 -
Light, Science & Applications Jun 2024Photonic lantern (PL) spatial multiplexers show great promise for a range of applications, such as future high-capacity mode division multiplexing (MDM) optical...
Photonic lantern (PL) spatial multiplexers show great promise for a range of applications, such as future high-capacity mode division multiplexing (MDM) optical communication networks and free-space optical communication. They enable efficient conversion between multiple single-mode (SM) sources and a multimode (MM) waveguide of the same dimension. PL multiplexers operate by facilitating adiabatic transitions between the SM arrayed space and the single MM space. However, current fabrication methods are forcing the size of these devices to multi-millimeters, making integration with micro-scale photonic systems quite challenging. The advent of 3D micro and nano printing techniques enables the fabrication of freestanding photonic structures with a high refractive index contrast (photopolymer-air). In this work we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of a 6-mode mixing, 375 µm long PL that enables the conversion between six single-mode inputs and a single six-mode waveguide. The PL was designed using a genetic algorithm based inverse design approach and fabricated directly on a 7-core fiber using a commercial two-photon polymerization-based 3D printer and a photopolymer. Although the waveguides exhibit high index contrast, low insertion loss (-2.6 dB), polarization dependent (-0.2 dB) and mode dependent loss (-4.4 dB) were measured.
PubMed: 38825604
DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01466-6 -
Carbohydrate Polymers Sep 2024Interactions between human gut microbiota and dietary fibres (DF) are influenced by the complexity and diversity of both individual microbiota and sources of DF. Based...
Interactions between human gut microbiota and dietary fibres (DF) are influenced by the complexity and diversity of both individual microbiota and sources of DF. Based on 480 in vitro fermentations, a full factorial experiment was performed with six faecal inocula representing two enterotypes and three DF sources with nanometer, micrometer, and millimeter length-scales (apple pectin, apple cell walls and apple particles) at two concentrations. Increasing DF size reduced substrate disappearance and fermentation rates but not biomass growth. Concentrated DF enhanced butyrate production and lactate cross-feeding. Enterotype differentiated final microbial compositions but not biomass or fermentation metabolite profiles. Individual donor microbiota differences did not influence DF type or concentration effects but were manifested in the promotion of different functional microbes within each population with the capacity to degrade the DF substrates. Overall, consistent effects (independent of donor microbiota variation) of DF type and concentration on kinetics of substrate degradation, microbial biomass production, gas kinetics and metabolite profiles were found, which can form the basis for informed design of DF for desired rates/sites and consequences of gut fermentation. These results add further evidence to the concept that, despite variations between individuals, the human gut microbiota represents a community with conserved emergent properties.
Topics: Pectins; Dietary Fiber; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Fermentation; Humans; Feces; Malus; Adult; Male; Female; Bacteria; Biomass
PubMed: 38823935
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122284