Morphological changes in plasma-exposed poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) using high-resolution video camera and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Dermanyssus gallinae, the poultry red mite (PRM), is a hematophagous temporary ectoparasite that causes serious economic losses and animal health impairment on laying hen farms worldwide. Control is limited by the parasite's hidden lifestyle, restrictions on the use of chemical acaricides and the development of resistance against certain drug classes. As a result, research was conducted to explore alternative control methods.

Modulation of the hippo-YAP pathway by cyclic stretch in rat type 2 alveolar epithelial cells-a proof-of-concept study.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life supporting therapy but may also cause lung damage. This phenomenon is known as ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). A potential pathomechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury may be the stretch-induced production and release of cytokines and pro-inflammatory molecules from the alveolar epithelium.

Characteristics of Clinically Classified Oral Lichen Planus in Optical Coherence Tomography: A Descriptive Case-Series Study.

Malignant transformation of oral lichen planus (OLP) into oral squamous cell carcinoma is considered as one of the most serious complications of OLP. For the early detection of oral cancer in OLP follow-up, accurate localization of the OLP center is still difficult but often required for confirmatory biopsy with histopathological examination. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers the potential for more reliable biopsy sampling in the oral cavity as it is capable of non-invasively imaging the degenerated oral layer structure.

Highly sensitive and quick in ovo sexing of domestic chicken eggs by two-wavelength fluorescence spectroscopy.

The in ovo sexing of chicken eggs is a current task and a prerequisite to overcome the mass killing of male day-old chicks from laying lines. Although various methods have been developed and tested in recent years, practicable methods for sex determination are still missing which can be applicated in poultry hatcheries before the chicken embryo is capable of nociception and pain sensation. Optical spectroscopic methods enable an early determination of the sex.

Static Stretch Increases the Pro-Inflammatory Response of Rat Type 2 Alveolar Epithelial Cells to Dynamic Stretch.

: Mechanical ventilation (MV) inflicts stress on the lungs, initiating or increasing lung inflammation, so-called ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Besides overdistention, cyclic opening-and-closing of alveoli (atelectrauma) is recognized as a potential mechanism of VILI. The dynamic stretch may be reduced by positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), which in turn increases the static stretch.

Visual Function is Gradually Restored During Retina Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish.

In comparison to mammals, zebrafish are able to regenerate many organs and tissues, including the central nervous system (CNS). Within the CNS-derived neural retina, light lesions result in a loss of photoreceptors and the subsequent activation of Müller glia, the retinal stem cells. Müller glia-derived progenitors differentiate and eventually restore the anatomical tissue architecture within 4 weeks.

A Handheld Fiber-Optic Probe to Enable Optical Coherence Tomography of Oral Soft Tissue.

This study presents a highly miniaturized, handheld probe developed for rapid assessment of soft tissue using optical coherencetomography (OCT). OCT is a non-invasive optical technology capable of visualizing the sub-surface structural changes that occur in soft tissue disease such as oral lichen planus. However, usage of OCT in the oral cavity has been limited, as the requirements for high-quality optical scanning have often resulted in probes that are heavy, unwieldy and clinically impractical.

Optical coherence tomography and multiphoton microscopy offer new options for the quantification of fibrotic aortic valve disease in ApoE mice.

Aortic valve sclerosis is characterized as the thickening of the aortic valve without obstruction of the left ventricular outflow. It has a prevalence of 30% in people over 65 years old. Aortic valve sclerosis represents a cardiovascular risk marker because it may progress to moderate or severe aortic valve stenosis.

In Vivo Endoscopic Optical Coherence Tomography of the Healthy Human Oral Mucosa: Qualitative and Quantitative Image Analysis.

To date, there is still a lack of reliable imaging modalities to improve the quality of consultation, diagnostic and medical examinations of the oral mucosa in dentistry. Even though, optical technologies have become an important element for the detection and treatment of different diseases of soft tissue, for the case of oral screenings the evidence of the benefit in comparison to conventional histopathology is mostly still pending. One promising optical technology for oral diagnostics is optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Registration and Fusion of Thermographic and Visual-Light Images in Neurosurgery.

An intraoperative imaging system facilitating the localisation and characterisation of functional areas, pathological tissue, or perfusion disorders, could enormously support medical decisions during neurosurgical interventions and, thus, reduce the risk for the patients. To provide both structural and functional information of the brain tissue to the surgeon, a novel multimodal approach based on the measurement of long-wave infrared radiation and visual-light imaging is very promising. In this contribution, we discuss various methods for the registration and fusion of thermographic and visual-light images.

In vivo imaging in the oral cavity by endoscopic optical coherence tomography.

The common way to diagnose hard and soft tissue irregularities in the oral cavity is initially the visual inspection by an experienced dentist followed by further medical examinations, such as radiological imaging and/or histopathological investigation. For the diagnosis of oral hard and soft tissues, the detection of early transformations is mostly hampered by poor visual access, low specificity of the diagnosis techniques, and/or limited feasibility of frequent screenings. Therefore, optical noninvasive diagnosis of oral tissue is promising to improve the accuracy of oral screening.

Sexing of chicken eggs by fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy through the shell membrane.

In order to provide an alternative to day-old chick culling in the layer hatcheries, a noninvasive method for egg sexing is required at an early stage of incubation before onset of embryo sensitivity. Fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy of blood offers the potential for precise and contactless in ovo sex determination of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus f. dom.

Experimental methods for flow and aerosol measurements in human airways and their replicas.

Recent developments in the prediction of local aerosol deposition in human lungs are driven by the fast development of computational simulations. Although such simulations provide results in unbeatable resolution, significant differences among distinct methods of calculation emphasize the need for highly precise experimental data in order to specify boundary conditions and for validation purposes. This paper reviews and critically evaluates available methods for the measurement of single and disperse two-phase flows for the study of respiratory airflow and deposition of inhaled particles, performed both in vivo and in replicas of airways.

Variable stretch reduces the pro-inflammatory response of alveolar epithelial cells.

Mechanical ventilation has the potential to increase inflammation in both healthy and injured lungs. Several animal studies have shown that variable ventilation recruits the lungs and reduces inflammation. However, it is unclear which cellular mechanisms are involved in those findings.

Advanced analysis of domain walls in Mg doped LiNbO crystals with high resolution OCT.

The structure of domain walls (DW) in ferroelectric media is of great interest as this material is used for frequency doublers and other applications. We show that the structure of the DWs can nicely be visualized by high resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT). While the high group refractive index of lithium niobate allows a resolution much better than 1 µm, the large dispersion can blur the image and has to be compensated.

Framework for 2D-3D image fusion of infrared thermography with preoperative MRI.

Multimodal medical image fusion combines information of one or more images in order to improve the diagnostic value. While previous applications mainly focus on merging images from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonic and single-photon emission computed tomography, we propose a novel approach for the registration and fusion of preoperative 3D MRI with intraoperative 2D infrared thermography. Image-guided neurosurgeries are based on neuronavigation systems, which further allow us track the position and orientation of arbitrary cameras.

Toward a comprehensive interpretation of intravital microscopy images in studies of lung tissue dynamics.

Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a well-established imaging technique for real-time monitoring of microscale lung tissue dynamics. Although accepted as a gold standard in respiratory research, its characteristic image features are scarcely understood, especially when trying to determine the actual position of alveolar walls. To allow correct interpretation of these images with respect to the true geometry of the lung parenchyma, we analyzed IVM data of alveoli in a mouse model in comparison with simultaneously acquired optical coherence tomography images.

Ex vivo 4D visualization of aortic valve dynamics in a murine model with optical coherence tomography.

The heart and its mechanical components, especially the heart valves and leaflets, are under enormous strain and undergo fatigue, which impinge upon cardiac output. The knowledge about changes of the dynamic behavior and the possibility of early stage diagnosis could lead to the development of new treatment strategies. Animal models are suited for the development and evaluation of new experimental approaches and therefor innovative imaging techniques are necessary.

Heart valve stenosis in laser spotlights: insights into a complex disease.

Degenerative heart valve disease is a life-threatening disease affecting about 3% of the population over 65 years. Up to date, cardiac surgery with heart valve replacement is the only available therapy. The disease is characterized by degenerative disorganization of the heart valve structure and alterations in the residing cell populations.

Total liquid ventilation: a new approach to improve 3D OCT image quality of alveolar structures in lung tissue.

Little is known about mechanical processes of alveolar tissue during mechanical ventilation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a three-dimensional and high-resolution imaging modality can be used to visualize subpleural alveoli during artificial ventilation. The quality of OCT images can be increased by matching the refractive index inside the alveoli to the one of tissue via liquid-filling.

Four-dimensional imaging of murine subpleural alveoli using high-speed optical coherence tomography.

The investigation of lung dynamics on alveolar scale is crucial for the understanding and treatment of lung diseases, such as acute lung injury and ventilator induced lung injury, and to promote the development of protective ventilation strategies. One approach to this is the establishment of numerical simulations of lung tissue mechanics where detailed knowledge about three-dimensional alveolar structure changes during the ventilation cycle is required. We suggest four-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging as a promising modality for visualizing the structural dynamics of single alveoli in subpleural lung tissue with high temporal resolution using a mouse model.

Three-dimensional Fourier domain optical coherence tomography in vivo imaging of alveolar tissue in the intact thorax using the parietal pleura as a window.

In vivo determination of 3-D and dynamic geometries of alveolar structures with adequate resolution is essential for developing numerical models of the lung. A thorax window is prepared in anesthetized rabbits by removal of muscle tissue between the third and fourth rib without harming the parietal pleura. The transparent parietal pleura allows contact-free imaging by intravital microscopy (IVM) and 3-D optical coherence tomography (3-D OCT).