Thyroid Carcinoma Detection on Whole Histologic Slides Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Deep Learning.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI), a non-invasive imaging modality, has been successfully used in many different biological and medical applications. One such application is in the field of oncology, where hyperspectral imaging is being used on histologic samples. This study compares the performances of different image classifiers using different imaging modalities as training data.

Hemoglobin quantification in red blood cells via dry mass mapping based on UV absorption.

Significance: The morphological properties and hemoglobin (Hb) content of red blood cells (RBCs) are essential biomarkers to diagnose or monitor various types of hematological disorders. Label-free mass mapping approaches enable accurate Hb quantification from individual cells, serving as promising alternatives to conventional hematology analyzers. Deep ultraviolet (UV) microscopy is one such technique that allows high-resolution, molecular imaging, and absorption-based mass mapping.

Label-free detection of brain tumors in a 9L gliosarcoma rat model using stimulated Raman scattering-spectroscopic optical coherence tomography.

Significance: In neurosurgery, it is essential to differentiate between tumor and healthy brain regions to maximize tumor resection while minimizing damage to vital healthy brain tissue. However, conventional intraoperative imaging tools used to guide neurosurgery are often unable to distinguish tumor margins, particularly in infiltrative tumor regions and low-grade gliomas.

Aim: The aim of this work is to assess the feasibility of a label-free molecular imaging tool called stimulated Raman scattering-spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SRS-SOCT) to differentiate between healthy brain tissue and tumor based on (1) structural biomarkers derived from the decay rate of signals as a function of depth and (2) molecular biomarkers based on relative differences in lipid and protein composition extracted from the SRS signals.

Using a 22-Layer U-Net to Perform Segmentation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma on Digitized Head and Neck Histological Images.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) comprises over 90 percent of tumors in the head and neck. The diagnosis process involves performing surgical resection of tissue and creating histological slides from the removed tissue. Pathologists detect SCC in histology slides, and may fail to correctly identify tumor regions within the slides.

Investigation of light delivery geometries for photoacoustic applications using Monte Carlo simulations with multiple wavelengths, tissue types, and species characteristics.

Combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging systems are being developed for biomedical and clinical applications. One common probe configuration is to use a linear transducer array with external light delivery to produce coregistered ultrasound and photoacoustic images. The diagnostic capability of these systems is dependent on the effectiveness of light delivery to the imaging target.

Photoacoustic imaging of cancer cells with glycol-chitosan-coated gold nanoparticles as contrast agents.

Utility of glycol-chitosan-coated gold nanoparticles (GC-AuNPs) as a photoacoustic contrast agent for cancer cell imaging was demonstrated. Through the synergistic effect of glycol chitosan and gold nanoparticles, GC-AuNPs showed cellular uptake in breast cancer cells and resulted in strong photoacoustic signals in tissue-mimicking cell phantoms. The performance of GC-AuNPs as contrast agents was established with photoacoustic imaging and confirmed with dark-field microscopy.

Cancer Detection Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Evaluation of the Superficial Tumor Margin Variance with Depth.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) is primarily managed by surgical resection. Recurrence rates after surgery can be as high as 55% if residual cancer is present. In this study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is evaluated for detection of SCCa in surgical specimens.

Detection of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Digitized Histological Images from the Head and Neck Using Convolutional Neural Networks.

Primary management for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) involves surgical resection with negative cancer margins. Pathologists guide surgeons during these operations by detecting SCC in histology slides made from the excised tissue. In this study, 192 digitized histological images from 84 head and neck SCC patients were used to train, validate, and test an inception-v4 convolutional neural network.

Human papillomavirus awareness among HIV-infected drug users in two urban areas.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical and anal cancer. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and cocaine use are associated with increased risk for HPV infection and associated diseases, but little is known about HIV-infected drug users' awareness of HPV. We investigate HPV awareness among HIV-infected, sexually-active crack cocaine users from two inner-city hospitals in Florida and Georgia during their inpatient stays.

ENaC activity is increased in isolated, split-open cortical collecting ducts from protein kinase Cα knockout mice.

The epithelial Na channel (ENaC) is negatively regulated by protein kinase C (PKC) as shown using PKC activators in a cell culture model. To determine whether PKCα influences ENaC activity in vivo, we examined the regulation of ENaC in renal tubules from PKCα⁻/⁻ mice. Cortical collecting ducts were dissected and split open, and the exposed principal cells were subjected to cell-attached patch clamp.

Activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway induces UT-A1 urea transporter monoubiquitination and targets it for lysosomal degradation.

Regulation of urea transporter UT-A1 in the kidney is important for the urinary concentrating mechanism. We previously reported that activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway by forskolin (FSK) leads to UT-A1 ubiquitination, endocytosis, and degradation. In this study, we discovered that FSK-induced UT-A1 ubiquitination is monoubiquitination as judged by immunoblotting with specific ubiquitin antibodies to the different linkages of the ubiquitin chain.

Estradiol activates epithelial sodium channels in rat alveolar cells through the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor.

Female sex predisposes individuals to poorer outcomes during respiratory disorders like cystic fibrosis and influenza-associated pneumonia. A common link between these disorders is dysregulation of alveolar fluid clearance via disruption of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity. Recent evidence suggests that female sex hormones directly regulate expression and activity of alveolar ENaC.

Effects of treadmill training on functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury in rats.

Exercise, in the form of moderate daily treadmill training following nerve transection and repair leads to enhanced axon regeneration, but its effect on functional recovery is less well known. Female rats were exercised by walking continuously, at a slow speed (10 m/min), for 1 h/day on a level treadmill, beginning 3 days after unilateral transection and surgical repair of the sciatic nerve, and conducted 5 days/wk for 2 wk. In Trained rats, both direct muscle responses to tibial nerve stimulation and H reflexes in soleus reappeared earlier and increased in amplitude more rapidly over time than in Untrained rats.

Role of protein kinase C-α in hypertonicity-stimulated urea permeability in mouse inner medullary collecting ducts.

The kidney's ability to concentrate urine is vitally important to our quality of life. In the hypertonic environment of the kidney, urea transporters must be regulated to optimize function. We previously showed that hypertonicity increases urea permeability and that the protein kinase C (PKC) blockers chelerythrine and rottlerin decreased hypertonicity-stimulated urea permeability in rat inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCDs).

WNK4 inhibits NCC protein expression through MAPK ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

WNK [with no lysine (K)] kinase is a subfamily of serine/threonine kinases. Mutations in two members of this family (WNK1 and WNK4) cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type II featuring hypertension, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis. WNK1 and WNK4 were shown to regulate sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) activity through phosphorylating SPAK and OSR1.

Protein kinase C regulates urea permeability in the rat inner medullary collecting duct.

Hypertonicity increases urea transport independently of, as well as synergistically with, vasopressin in the inner medullary collect duct (IMCD). We previously showed that hypertonicity does not increase the level of cAMP in the IMCD, but it does increase the level of intracellular calcium. Since we also showed that hypertonicity increases both the phosphorylation and biotinylation of the urea transporters UT-A1 and UT-A3, this would suggest involvement of a calcium-dependent protein kinase in the regulation of urea transport in the inner medulla.

Caveolin-1 directly interacts with UT-A1 urea transporter: the role of caveolae/lipid rafts in UT-A1 regulation at the cell membrane.

The cell plasma membrane contains specialized microdomains called lipid rafts which contain high amounts of sphingolipids and cholesterol. Lipid rafts are involved in a number of membrane protein functions. The urea transporter UT-A1, located in the kidney inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), is important for urine concentrating ability.

Biphasic regulation of ENaC by TGF-{alpha} and EGF in renal epithelial cells.

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). We investigate whether ENaC is regulated by another EGF receptor (EGFR) ligand, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha). We show that chronic (24 h) treatment with TGF-alpha inhibits ENaC in Xenopus laevis kidney cells 20 times more strongly than EGF.

Molecular beacons can assess changes in expression and 3'-polyadenylation of human eNOS mRNA.

The endothelium plays an essential role in maintaining vascular homeostasis, and it fulfills this role by modulating intracellular signaling and gene expression in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli. Assessing changes in endothelial gene expression is essential to understanding how physiological and pathophysiological processes modulate vascular homeostasis. Here we describe the use of molecular beacons to rapidly and quantitatively assess expression and 3'-polyadenylation of a gene that is important for vascular homeostasis, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).

A synthetic prostone activates apical chloride channels in A6 epithelial cells.

The bicyclic fatty acid lubiprostone (formerly known as SPI-0211) activates two types of anion channels in A6 cells. Both channel types are rarely, if ever, observed in untreated cells. The first channel type was activated at low concentrations of lubiprostone (<100 nM) in >80% of cell-attached patches and had a unit conductance of approximately 3-4 pS.

Candesartan augments compensatory changes in medullary transport proteins in the diabetic rat kidney.

Volume depletion due to persistent glucosuria-induced osmotic diuresis is a significant problem in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM). Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), such as candesartan, slow the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with DM. However, mice with genetic knockout of components of the renin-angiotensin system have urine concentrating defects, suggesting that ARBs may exacerbate the volume depletion.

Association of PepT1 with lipid rafts differently modulates its transport activity in polarized and nonpolarized cells.

The transporter PepT1, apically expressed in intestinal epithelial cells, is responsible for the uptake of di/tripeptides. PepT1 is also expressed in nonpolarized immune cells. Here we investigated the localization of PepT1 in lipid rafts in small intestinal brush border membranes (BBMs) and polarized and nonpolarized cells, as well as functional consequences of the association of PepT1 with lipid rafts.

Nicotine alters lung branching morphogenesis through the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

There is abundant epidemiological data linking prenatal environmental tobacco smoke with childhood asthma and wheezing, but the underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms that occur in utero to explain this link remain unelucidated. Several studies suggest that nicotine, which traverses the placenta, is a causative agent. Therefore, we studied the effects of nicotine on lung branching morphogenesis using embryonic murine lung explants.

Transactivation of the IGF-1R by aldosterone.

Activation of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) by aldosterone, insulin, or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in renal epithelial cells (including the Xenopus laevis renal cell line A6) appears to share some common signaling elements subsequent to the initial insulin or IGF-1 receptor activation. Previously, the convergence point for insulin or IGF-1 and aldosterone signaling was assumed to be downstream of the receptor at the level of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K); however, this study shows aldosterone directly transactivates the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R). In A6 cells, 10-min exposure to aldosterone increased the phosphorylation of the IGF-1 receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and Akt (PKB).

TLRS in the gut. II. Flagellin-induced inflammation and antiapoptosis.

Flagellin is bacterial protein that serves as a danger signal across a wide variety of eukaryotes and is a potent inducer of inflammatory effector responses in the mammalian gut. Recent findings utilizing purified flagellin and flagellate/aflagellate bacteria in in vitro and in vivo systems have revealed the important roles played by flagellin in the initial encounter between mucosa and flagellate bacteria, specifically in the modulation of apoptotic responses.