Experimental method and statistical analysis to fit tumor growth model using SPECT/CT imaging: a preclinical study.

Background: Over the last decade, several theoretical tumor-models have been developed to describe tumor growth. Oncology imaging is performed using various modalities including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Our goal is to extract useful, otherwise hidden, quantitative biophysical parameters (such as growth-rate, tumor-necrotic-factor, etc.

New compartment model analysis of lean-mass and fat-mass growth with overfeeding.

Objectives: Mathematical models of lean- and fat-mass growth with diet are useful to help describe and potentially predict the fat- and lean-mass change with different diets as a function of consumed protein and fat calories. Most of the existing models do not explicitly account for interdependence of fat-mass on the lean-mass and vice versa. The aim of this study was to develop a new compartmental model to describe the growth of lean and fat mass depending on the input of dietary protein and fat, and accounting for the interdependence of adipose tissue and muscle growth.

Generating multiple-pulse bursts for enhanced fluorescence detection.

The signal-to-background ratio is the limiting factor for fluorescence based detection, sensing, and imaging. A typical background signal will include direct scattering of excitation and Raman scattering of the sample as well as autofluorescence from the sample and additives. To improve the signal-to-background ratio, fluorophores of high brightness and/or high concentration of the fluorophores need to be used.

Real-time imaging of exocytotic mucin release and swelling in Calu-3 cells using acridine orange.

Mucus secretion is the first-line of defence against the barrage of irritants inhaled into human lungs, but abnormally thick and viscous mucus results in many respiratory diseases. Understanding the processes underlying mucus pathology is hampered, in part, by lack of appropriate experimental tools for labeling and studying mucin granule secretion from live cells with high sensitivity and temporal resolution. In this report we present original spectroscopic properties of acridine orange (AO) which could be utilized to study granule release and mucin swelling with various advanced fluorescence imaging approaches.

Multiple-pulse pumping for enhanced fluorescence detection and molecular imaging in tissue.

Applications of fluorescence based imaging techniques for detection in cellular and tissue environments are severely limited by autofluorescence of endogenous components of cells, tissue, and the fixatives used in sample processing. To achieve sufficient signal-to-background ratio, a high concentration of the probe needs to be used which is not always feasible. Since typically autofluorescence is in the nanosecond range, long-lived fluorescence probes in combination with time-gated detection can be used for suppression of unwanted autofluorescence.

Two Photon Induced Luminescence of BSA Protected Gold Clusters.

In this short letter, we have synthesized the BSA protected Au nanoclusters and studied their two photon luminescence behavior. We demonstrate that BSA Au nanoclusters can be used as a probe with two photon excitation capability. Our results show a quadratic relation between excitation power and emission intensity whereas with one photon excitation shows a linear dependence.

Polarization properties of fluorescent BSA protected Au25 nanoclusters.

BSA protected gold nanoclusters (Au25) are attracting a great deal of attention due to their unique spectroscopic properties and possible use in biophysical applications. Although there are reports on synthetic strategies, spectroscopy and applications, little is known about their polarization behavior. In this study, we synthesized the BSA protected Au25 nanoclusters and studied their steady state and time resolved fluorescence properties including polarization behavior in different solvents: glycerol, propylene glycol and water.