Classification of malignant gliomas by infrared spectroscopic imaging and linear discriminant analysis

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy provides a sensitive molecular fingerprint for tissue without external markers. Supervised classification models can be trained to identify the tissue type based on the spectroscopic fingerprint. Infrared imaging spectrometers equipped with multi-channel detectors combine the spectral and spatial information. Tissue areas of 4 x 4 mm(2) can be analyzed within a few minutes in the macroscopic imaging mode. An approach is described to apply this methodology to human astrocytic gliomas, which are graded according to their malignancy from one to four. Multiple IR images of three tissue sections from one patient with a malignant glioma are acquired and assigned to the six classes normal brain tissue, astrocytoma grade II, astrocytoma grade III, glioblastoma multiforme grade IV, hemorrhage, and other tissue by a linear discriminant analysis model which was trained by data from a single-channel detector. Before the model is applied here, the spectra are shown to be virtually identical. The first specimen contained approximately 95% malignant glioma regions, that means astrocytoma grade III or glioblastoma. The smaller percentage of 12-34% malignant glioma in the second specimen is consistent with its location at the tumor periphery. The detection of less than 0.2% malignant glioma in the third specimen points to a location outside the tumor. The results were correlated with the cellularity of the tissue which was obtained from the histopathologic gold standard. Potential applications of IR spectroscopic imaging as a rapid tool to complement established diagnostic methods are discussed.     

Flavin- and Deazaflavin-Containing Model Compounds Mimic the Energy Transfer Step in Type-II DNA-Photolyases

A distinct energy transfer between the deazaflavin and the flavin is observed in compounds that mimic the DNA repair function of DNA-photolase enzymes (see sketch). Studies on these models prove that the deazaflavin acts solely as photoantenna and suggest that the two cofactors have to be separated within the enzyme to suppress a competitive intercofactor electron transfer reaction.     

“Base Flipping”: Photodamaged DNA–RNA Duplexes Are Poor Substrates for Photoreactivating DNA-Repair Enzymes

What is damaged cannot always be readily repaired. This is observed for particular areas in the genome (mutation hot spots), which are repaired with low efficiency. DNA–DNA duplexes that exist in the B-conformation are repaired relatively efficiently by photolyases. DNA–RNA duplexes, which prefer an A-type conformation are only moderately destabilized by DNA photolesions and are slowly repaired. This suggests that the DNA conformation modulates the necessary “flipping” process for the repair of DNA lesions.     

Self‐assembled Lipid Nanoparticles for Ratiometric Codelivery of Cisplatin and siRNA Targeting XPF to Combat Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer

DNA damage repair through the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway is one of the major reasons for the decreased antitumor efficacy of platinum‐based anticancer drugs that have been widely applied in the clinic. Inhibiting the intrinsic NER function may enhance the antitumor activity of cisplatin and conquer cisplatin resistance. Herein, we report the design, optimization, and application of a self‐assembled lipid nanoparticle (LNP) system to simultaneously deliver a cisplatin prodrug together with siRNA targeting endonuclease xeroderma pigmentosum group F (XPF), a crucial component in the NER pathway. The LNP is able to efficiently encapsulate both the platinum prodrug and siRNA molecules with a tuned ratio. Both platinum prodrug and XPF‐targeted siRNA are efficiently carried into cells and released; the former damages DNA and the latter specifically downregulates both mRNA and protein levels of XPF to potentiate the platinum drug, leading to enhanced expression levels of apoptosis markers and improved cytotoxicity in both cisplatin‐sensitive and ‐resistant human lung cancer cells. Our results demonstrate an effective approach to utilize a multi‐targeted nanoparticle system that can specifically silence an NER‐related gene to promote apoptosis induced by cisplatin, especially in cisplatin‐refractory tumors.     

结合组织芯片技术的人体胃管状腺癌组织太赫兹光谱检测

太赫兹波技术在生物医学领域具有广泛应用前景,结合人体胃管状腺癌组织检测,针对太赫兹时域光谱（THz-TDS）组织检测点位与实际病理难以配准的问题,在处理石蜡包埋的胃组织的过程中引入组织芯片技术,为实验样本的精准定位检测提供了可行方法。开展了人体胃正常组织和癌变组织太赫兹检测实验,结合主成分分析方法,对比分析了组织芯片技术配准的实验组与未配准的对照组的太赫兹吸收系数和折射率谱。此外对比研究了采用支持向量机和逻辑回归的太赫兹胃管状腺癌判别方法。研究结果表明,使用组织芯片方法有助于提升组织取材的精准性从而提高癌变样本和正常样本光谱数据的区分效果。     

原子光谱/元素质谱在生命分析中的应用进展

原子光谱/元素质谱是元素分析的强有力手段,其在生命分析领域的应用也越来越广泛。在单细胞元素分析方面,相关研究工作主要关注元素在单细胞中的分布和形态变化;在元素标记策略分析领域,利用原子光谱（atomic spectrometry, AS）和电感耦合等离子体质谱（inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS）实现对小分子、核酸、蛋白质等目标分析物的高灵敏检测是研究热点;在金属药物分析领域,ICP-MS为研究金属药物在生物体中的摄入、分布、代谢和排泄等过程提供了便利,也为进一步阐明药物作用机理以及金属药物的设计和改进提供了数据支持;在生物元素成像领域,ICP-MS与激光剥蚀技术（laser ablation, LA）联用,可以对生物样品进行原位分析和微区分析,结合有机质谱实现元素相关生物过程的分子机制研究;与相关分离方法联用,原子光谱和元素质谱还可以对生物组织中元素进行形态分析,研究其在相关过程中的生物转化过程。本文从单细胞元素分析、元素标签标记策略、金属药物转运与代谢以及生物组织中元素分布分析等方面,评述了原子光谱和ICP-MS在生命分析中的应用实例,并对该领域的发展前景进行了展望。     

Synthesis and Properties of PGS-Li Scaffold

Lithium ion-doped polyglycerol sebacate scaffold(PGS)-Li was synthesized by adding lithium ions to polyglycerol sebacate(PGS) during its crosslinking process due to the specific effects of lithium ions on periodontal ligament cells, cementoblasts and the eminent performance of PGS. The molecular mass, composition, structure, porosity, thermal properties, and hydrophilicity of the composite were characterized by gel permeation chromatography(GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer(ICP-OES), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA) and contact angle measurments, and the degradation of the material was evaluated by in vitro degradation experiments. The biological activity of PGS-Li scaffold was detected by calcein-AM staining and cytotoxicity test. The results indicate that PGS-Li scaffold has been successfully synthesized, which has similar composition and structure to PGS, but slightly larger molecular weight. In addition, the porosity and pore size of PGS-Li scaffold ba-sically meet the requirements of engineering scaffold materials and the seaffold shows better performance in terms of hydrophilicity and thermal stability than PGS. In vitro degradation experimental results show that the degradation rate of PGS-Li scaffold is higher than that of PGS. What's more, the results of cytotoxicity test and cell staining show that there is no significant difference in the proliferation and cell morphology of cementoblasts.     

自然灾害情境下的终端供电设施应急抢修决策规划

自然灾害情境造成部分决策信息模糊和应急决策者的消极情绪。考虑消极情绪在自然灾害应急决策的影响,构建了考虑情绪下的前景理论的价值函数。运用反函数原理,根据应急决策者对模糊信息的心理感知价值,构建了其实际值的估计函数,用于解决决策信息模糊下的终端供电设施应急抢修决策规划问题,提出了相应的决策模型和求解算法。采用自主开发的在线实验系统,完成了信息模糊下的电网应急抢修决策实验,验证了决策模型和消极情绪下基于决策者心理感知对模糊信息估值方法的有效性。     

Retrospective correction for T1-weighting bias in T2 values obtained with various spectroscopic spin-echo acquisition schemes

Localized tissue transverse relaxation time (T₂) is obtained by fitting a decaying exponential to the signals from several spin-echo experiments at different echo times (TE). Unfortunately, time constraints in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) often mandate in vivo acquisition schemes at short repetition times (TR), that is, comparable with the longitudinal relaxation constant (T₁). This leads to different T₁-weighting of the signals at each TE. Unaccounted for, this varying weighting causes systematic underestimation of the T₂'s, sometimes by as mush as 30%. In this article, we (i) analyze the phenomenon for common MRS spin-echo T₂ acquisition schemes; (ii) propose a general post hoc T₁-bias correction for any (TR, TE) combination; (iii) show that approximate knowledge of T₁ is sufficient, since a 20% uncertainty in T₁ leads to under 3% bias in T₂; and consequently, (iv) efficient, precision-optimized short TR spin-echo T₂ measurement protocols can be designed and used without risk of accuracy loss. Tables of correction for single-refocusing (conventional) spin-echo and double refocusing, such as, PRESS acquisitions, are provided.     

In vivo attenuation and equivalent scatterer size parameters for atherosclerotic carotid plaque: Preliminary results

We have previously reported on the equivalent scatterer size, attenuation coefficient, and axial strain properties of atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo. Since plaque structure and composition may be damaged during a carotid endarterectomy procedure, characterization of in vivo properties of atherosclerotic plaque is essential. The relatively shallow depth of the carotid artery and plaque enables non-invasive evaluation of carotid plaque utilizing high frequency linear-array transducers. We investigate the ability of the attenuation coefficient and equivalent scatterer size parameters to differentiate between calcified, and lipidic plaque tissue. Softer plaques especially lipid rich and those with a thin fibrous cap are more prone to rupture and can be classified as unstable or vulnerable plaque. Preliminary results were obtained from 10 human patients whose carotid artery was scanned in vivo to evaluate atherosclerotic plaque prior to a carotid endarterectomy procedure. Our results indicate that the equivalent scatterer size obtained using Faran’s scattering theory for calcified regions are in the 120–180 μm range while softer regions have larger equivalent scatterer size distribution in the 280–470 μm range. The attenuation coefficient for calcified regions as expected is significantly higher than that for softer regions. In the frequency bandwidth ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 MHz, the attenuation coefficient for calcified regions lies between 1.4 and 2.5 dB/cm/MHz, while that for softer regions lies between 0.3 and 1.3 dB/cm/MHz.