Tissue Absorption Research Articles

Feasibility analysis of the treatment of rhinitis diseases by subcutaneous injection of phenol in nasal cavity

Rhinitis is a very common disease that can be roughly divided into allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. Treatments for rhinitis include medication, nasal irrigation, and immunotherapy, all of which have been tested by doctors at various times, but none of which reach the target or work quickly enough. After in-depth analysis of the specific advantages and disadvantages of rhinitis and current rhinitis treatment methods, the use of subcutaneous injection of phenol in the treatment of rhinitis is proposed, and its process is preliminarily determined and its feasibility is verified. Subcutaneous injection has the advantages of rapid efficacy, proximity to the lesion, high bioavailability of the drug and stable rate of subcutaneous tissue absorption of the drug. Phenol is a strong-smelling compound that is highly soluble and volatile and is commonly used to relieve inflammation and reduce secretions. The subcutaneous injection of phenol proposed in this research is a combination of subcutaneous injection therapy and the theory of human acupoints of Chinese medicine, and subcutaneous injection of phenol at six points in the nose for a period of time to achieve the effect of treating rhinitis with half the effort and twice the result.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of anti-tumorigenesis potential of nano silver for gastric cancer cells.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) exhibit significant cytotoxicity against MKN45 cells (IC50: 105.5µg/mL). In vivo, AgNP at 150mg/kg induces necrosis, reduces proliferation, and alters gene expression, presenting a promising gastric cancer treatment strategy. Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. In this study, the anticancer effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) was evaluated in both In vitro and In vivo. First, an MTT assay was employed to estimate the cytotoxicity of AgNP. Next, the obtained IC50s were used as the main doses that were administrated. Regarding In Vitro, MKN45 cells were applied to induce tumor, and AgNP was administrated to mice at doses of 75 and 150mg/kg for 28 days twice a week in treatment groups post-induction of cancer. After 28 days, the expressions of the BAX, BCL2, and CXCR1 genes were evaluated. An immunohistochemical examination of CD34 and Ki67 markers and tissue absorption of silver nanoparticles were also performed. Our MTT assay results showed that AgNP's IC50 after 8, 24, and 48h were 105.5, 70.8, and 22.4µg/mL, respectively. In addition, the mean survival probability in the treatment groups was more than 25 days. It seemed that the effectiveness of the concentration of 150mg/kg of silver nanoparticles had caused a significant amount of necrosis in the tumor cells. In addition, the proliferation rate was decreased significantly in the 150mg/kg group, and the expression of CD34 and Ki67 markers was reduced significantly. However, the expression of BAX and BCL2 genes was increased in the treatment groups. So, as it was shown in this research in both In vitro and In vivo aspects, it seems that the administration of silver nanoparticles can represent a promising strategy in the treatment of gastric cancer.

OsAMT1.1 knockout-induced decrease in cadmium absorption and accumulation by rice related to cadmium absorption-related gene downregulation

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal that poses a serious risk to human health through the food chain, with rice being a significant vector because of its tendency to accumulate Cd. Nitrogen (N), an essential element for plant growth, also affects the Cd absorption and accumulation in crops. This study investigated the effects of N application on Cd absorption and accumulation in Cd-contaminated soils. Potting experiment showed that increasing N concentrations significantly increased the plant biomass and Cd contents in rice tissues. Ammonium (NH4+) transporter gene OsAMT1.1 knockout led to a substantial reduction in Cd absorption and accumulation in all rice tissues compared to that in the wild-type plants. Specifically, osamt1.1 mutants increased the Cd content in culm tissues, whereas it was reduced in brown rice. In addition, OsAMT1.1 knockout reduced Cd2+ influx in roots under NH4+-N addition, although OsAMT1.1 lacked Cd transport ability when expressed in yeast. Gene expression analysis revealed that OsAMT1.1 knockout reduced Cd absorption-related genes (OsIRT1, OsNRAMP1, and OsNRAMP5) expression levels. These finding highlight the critical role of N supply and OsAMT1.1 in regulating the Cd content in rice, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms of Cd transportation in plants.

Fully Wireless, In Vivo Assessment of Superimposed Physiological Vital Signs Using a Biodegradable Passive Tag Interrogated with a Wearable Reader Patch

AbstractState‐of‐the‐art biosignal monitoring systems strive to achieve a balance between biocompatibility, biodegradability, and miniaturized, unobtrusive signal acquisition, thus requiring further research for improved user safety, mobility, and comfort. Here, a fully wireless sensing system is presented for real‐time in vivo assessment of physiological vital signs, addressing these challenges to enhance performance and user experience. The system features a biodegradable passive tag with a nanoscale crack‐based strain gauge sensor connected to a coil antenna on a gelatin‐ionic liquid substrate (GIS). The thermal crosslinking in the GIS promotes adhesion, while the presence of ionic liquid decreases the self‐resonance frequency of the BCA to below 100 MHz, enabling the device to operate in detuned mode. A lightweight (1.547 g) wearable reader patch interrogates an implanted passive tag via near‐field inductive coupling and transmits sensory data to peripheral devices via Bluetooth. Thus, the system ensures minimal tissue absorption and extended transmission range while consuming ≈80 mW of power during operation. In vitro and in vivo studies, culminating in successful implementation within a rat model, validated the implanted tag's biocompatibility and the system's capability to wirelessly acquire and process superimposed physiological vital signs, highlighting its potential to enhance patient outcomes through improved diagnostic and monitoring practices.

Ocular and Systemic Pharmacokinetics of Lotilaner Ophthalmic Solution, 0.25%, Following a Single Dose or Repeated Doses in Dutch-Belted Rabbits.

Purpose: To evaluate the ocular and systemic pharmacokinetics of lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%, following bilateral topical ocular administration of single and repeated doses in rabbits. Methods: Dutch-belted rabbits (n = 34) were administered lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%, eye drops, either in a single bilateral dose (Group 1) or twice a day bilaterally for 7 days and once on Day 8 (Group 2). The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution levels of lotilaner were assessed following the single dose in Group 1 and the last dose in Group 2. The drug levels were examined in various ocular tissues and whole blood. The maximal concentration of the drug (Cmax), time to maximal concentration, the terminal phase elimination half-life, the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), and total clearance of the drug were determined. Results: In the eyelid margins, lotilaner exhibited the highest observed concentrations at 0.25 hour (h), presenting a mean Cmax of 14,600 ng/mL in Group 1 and 20,100 ng/mL in Group 2. The highest AUC was in the eyelid margin at 242,000 h×ng/mL in Group 1 and 535,000 h×ng/mL in Group 2. In the eyelid margin, the observed clearance rate (0.634 mL/h in single dose, 0.288 mL/h in repeat dose) was the slowest among all ocular tissues in both groups, with the longest half-life of 152 h (∼6.3 days) observed in the repeat dose group. Conclusions: Lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%, demonstrated rapid ocular tissue absorption into the eyelid margin tissue with a long half-life of almost a week. No adverse effects were observed following topical ocular administration in Dutch-belted rabbits.

Supramolecular Self-Assembled Hydrogel for Antiviral Therapy through Glycyrrhizic Acid-Enhanced Zinc Absorption and Intracellular Accumulation.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common pathogen that causes respiratory infections in infants and children worldwide, significantly impacting hospitalization rates in this age group. Zinc ions are considered to have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against RNA viruses, including RSV. However, poor organism absorption and low intracellular accumulation of zinc require repeated high-dose supplementation, which may lead to unnecessary toxic side effects. In this research, a Zn2+-mediated glycyrrhizinic acid (GA)-based hydrogel (ZnGA Gel) was introduced and potentially developed to be a clinically available drug candidate for RSV therapy. ZnGA Gel was fabricated based on the cooperation of two potential RSV inhibiting molecules (Zn2+ and GA), where Zn2+ promoted self-assembly of GA and reduced its gel concentration and GA promoted zinc absorption and distribution in lung tissue in vivo. The facile construction of supramolecular hydrogel by the self-assembled coordination complex made it an injectable, temperature-sensitive, and pH-responsive controlled-release drug delivery for Zn2+. Most importantly, GA was observed to enhance organism absorption and intracellular accumulation of Zn2+ and was identified as a zinc ionophore for the first time. GA can colonize on the cell membrane and disturb cell membrane potential, resulting in an enhanced cell membrane permeability. In the presence of GA, more than 4.7-fold increasing Zn2+ concentrations materialized in the intracellular cytoplasm, compared to Zn2+ alone administration. This intracellular Zn2+ accumulation directly boosted the antiviral activities through improved inhibition of RSV replication-associated proteins and significantly inhibited RSV replication. Oral administration of ZnGA Gel on the RSV-infected mice model achieved an ideal therapeutic effect by effectively lowering viral load in the lungs, alleviating lung injury symptoms, and reducing inflammatory cell infiltration at pathological sites. The mechanism involved the inhibition of RSV replication-related proteins, aligning with our in vitro results. Additionally, ZnGA Gel had demonstrated biocompatibility, and reasonable supplementation of zinc was acceptable and effective for infants and children in clinical practice. Hence, the ZnGA Gel developed by us holds promise as an effective anti-RSV medicine in the future.

Dual-ratio approach to pulse oximetry and the effect of skin tone.

Pulsatile blood oxygen saturation ( ) via pulse oximetry is a valuable clinical metric for assessing oxygen delivery. Individual anatomical features, including skin tone, may affect current optical pulse oximetry methods. We developed an optical pulse oximetry method based on dual-ratio (DR) measurements to suppress individual anatomical confounds on . We designed a DR-based finger pulse oximeter, hypothesizing that DR would suppress confounds from optical coupling and superficial tissue absorption. This method is tested using Monte Carlo simulations and in vivo experiments. Different melanosome volume fractions in the epidermis, a surrogate for skin tone, cause changes in the recovered on the order of 1% in simulation and in vivo. Different heterogeneous pulsatile hemodynamics cause greater changes on the order of 10% in simulations. recovered with DR measurements showed less variability than the traditional single-distance (SD) transmission method. For the models and methods considered here, measurements are strongly impacted by heterogeneous pulsatile hemodynamics. This variability may be larger than the skin tone bias, which is a known confound in measurements. The partial suppression of variability in the recovered by DR suggests the promise of DR for pulse oximetry.

Experimental study on radiational characteristics and nursing care of a novel radioisotope 188Re memory alloy esophageal stent.

Radioactive esophageal stent, known for inhibiting tumor growth and delaying restenosis in malignant esophageal tumors, presents challenges due to potent radiation, leading to side effects. This study aims to support the clinical use of 188Re radioactive esophageal stent. The 188Re stent with 128MBq initial activity was placed in a biomimetic esophageal membrane. Radiation absorption doses were measured by thermoluminescence and calculated using mathematical software. Under simulated positioning, the stent was implanted in the esophagus of an experimental pig, followed by the feeding of Kangfuxin solution and nursing care (KFX-RT). Non-implanted and implanted-only pigs served as normal (CR) and experimental (RT) controls. Blood samples collected on days 7 and 21 were analyzed for inflammatory factors (TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Esophageal tissue cells were assessed for deoxyribonucleic acid index (DI) and subdiploid content through flow cytometry. Absorbed doses at 0.5mm and 5mm reference points were 223.91cGy and 20.55cGy, respectively, with 92.64% absorbed within a 1mm thickness. Radiation dose significantly decreased at 6.5mm, with only 4.72% absorbed at depths ≥6.5mm. On days 7 and 21, levels of inflammatory factors, DI and subdiploid content were significantly increased in the KFX-RT and RT groups compared to the CR group, while all levels in the KFX-RT group were significantly lower than in the RT group. The 188Re esophageal stent exhibits high radiation absorption in superficial tissues and low absorption in deeper tissues. Kangfuxin solution combined with nursing care alleviates radiation-induced inflammatory damage.

Dictionary Learning Method Based on K-Sparse Approximation and Orthogonal Procrustes Analysis for Reconstruction in Bioluminescence Tomography.

Bioluminescence tomography (BLT) is one kind of noninvasive optical molecular imaging technology, widely used to study molecular activities and disease progression inside live animals. By combining the optical propagation model and inversion algorithm, BLT enables three-dimensional imaging and quantitative analysis of light sources within organisms. However, challenges like light scattering and absorption in tissues, and the complexity of biological structures, significantly impact the accuracy of BLT reconstructions. Here, we propose a dictionary learning method based on K-sparse approximation and Orthogonal Procrustes analysis (KSAOPA). KSAOPA uses an iterative alternating optimization strategy, enhancing solution sparsity with k-coefficients Lipschitzian mappings for sparsity(K-LIMAPS) in the sparse coding stage, and reducing errors with Orthogonal Procrustes analysis in the dictionary update stage, leading to stable and precise reconstructions. We assessed the method performance through simulations and in vivo experiments, which showed that KSAOPA excels in localization accuracy, morphological recovery, and in vivo applicability compared to other methods.

BrightMice: a low-cost do-it-yourself instrument, designed for in vivo fluorescence mouse imaging.

In vivo fluorescent imaging represents a potent means for real-time probe quantification, facilitating insights into disease pathophysiology and therapeutic responses. Nonetheless, accurate signal quantification remains challenging due to inherent factors like light scattering and tissue absorption. Existing imaging systems, though sophisticated, often entail high costs and are typically restricted to well-funded laboratory settings. This study introduces BrightMice, an innovative in vivo fluorescent imaging system that harnesses 3D printing and consumer-grade digital cameras. Tailored for various fluorophores such as EYFP and E2-crimson, the system showcases both adaptability and effectiveness in detecting in vivo fluorescent signals in several reporter mouse strains. Comparative analyses against commercial instruments confirm BrightMice's sensitivity and underscore its potential to democratize in vivo fluorescence imaging. By providing a cost-effective and accessible solution, BrightMice stands to benefit diverse research environments.

Design and Implementation of an Ultra-Wideband Water Immersion Antenna for Underwater Ultrasonic Sensing in Microwave-Induced Thermoacoustic Tomography

Microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography (MITAT) holds significant promise in biomedical applications. It creates images using ultrasonic sensors to detect thermoacoustic signals induced by microwaves. The key to generating thermoacoustic signals that accurately reflect the fact is to achieve sufficient and uniform microwave power absorption of the testing target, which is closely tied to the microwave illumination provided by the antenna. In this article, we introduce a novel design and implementation of an ultra-wideband water immersion antenna for an MITAT system. We analyze and compare the advantages of selecting water as the background medium. Simulations are conducted to analyze the ultra-wideband characteristics in impedance matching, axial ratio, and radiation pattern of the proposed antenna. The measured |S11| shows good agreement with the simulated results. We also simulate the microwave power absorption of tumor and brain tissue, and the uniform microwave power absorption and high contrast between the tumor and brain indicate the excellent performance of the proposed antenna in the MITAT system.

In Vivo Lifetime Imaging of the Internal O2 Dynamics in Corals with near-Infrared-Emitting Sensor Nanoparticles.

Mapping of O2 with luminescent sensors within intact animals is challenging due to attenuation of excitation and emission light caused by tissue absorption and scattering as well as interfering background fluorescence. Here we show the application of luminescent O2 sensor nanoparticles (∼50-70 nm) composed of the O2 indicator platinum(II) tetra(4-fluoro)phenyltetrabenzoporphyrin (PtTPTBPF) immobilized in poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PMMA-MA). We injected the sensor nanoparticles into the gastrovascular system of intact colony fractions of reef-building tropical corals that harbor photosynthetic microalgae in their tissues. The sensor nanoparticles are excited by red LED light (617 nm) and emit in the near-infrared (780 nm), which enhances the transmission of excitation and emission light through biological materials. This enabled us to map the internal O2 concentration via time-domain luminescence lifetime imaging through the outer tissue layers across several coral polyps in flowing seawater. After injection, nanoparticles dispersed within the coral tissue for several hours. While luminescence intensity imaging showed some local aggregation of sensor particles, lifetime imaging showed a more homogeneous O2 distribution across a larger area of the coral colony. Local stimulation of symbiont photosynthesis in corals induced oxygenation of illuminated tissue areas and formation of lateral O2 gradients toward surrounding respiring tissues, which were dissipated rapidly after the onset of darkness. Such measurements are key to improving our understanding of how corals regulate their internal chemical microenvironment and metabolic activity, and how they are affected by environmental stress such as ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation. Our experimental approach can also be adapted for in vivo O2 imaging in other natural systems such as biofilms, plant and animal tissues, as well as in organoids and other cell constructs, where imaging internal O2 conditions are relevant and challenging due to high optical density and background fluorescence.

Antenna for automated classification of mouth/neck activities using convolutional neural networks and smoothed time–frequency representations

Recognizing complicated motions of the mouth and neck, including eating, coughing, breathing, etc, is vital for health monitoring and disease diagnosis. This study provides two wearable antenna sensors developed from Rogers-substrate, designed to identify five subtle activities related to the mouth/neck, with minimal electromagnetic absorption in human tissues. Segmentation of reflection and transmission coefficients is performed using sliding windows with varying overlaps and sizes, followed by Gabor wavelet transform (GWT), short-time Fourier transform (STFT), and smoothed pseudo-Wigner Ville distribution (SPWVD) to produce 2D time–frequency (TF) spectral images. These images are further smoothed with 2D Savitzky–Golay filtering (SGF). Various filtering orders are explored to optimize outcomes. The smoothed TF images are fed into benchmark deep learning (DL) models, including Res-Net50, Alex-Net, and a developed DCN-Net. The DCN-Net for smoothed GWT, STFT, and SPVWD achieves accuracy rates of 98.34%, 96.25%, and 95.42%, respectively, outperforming unsmoothed TF images and other DL models.

Enhancing Drug Delivery of Glatiramer Acetate Through In Vitro Development of Controlled-Release Nanoliposomes: Investigating Drug Release Kinetics and Cytotoxic Effects

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the myelin sheath covering nerve fibers. This condition affects 400,000 individuals in the United States and 2.5 million people globally, with a higher rate of diagnosis in women aged 20 - 40, with a ratio of 2:1. Liposomes facilitate drug dispersion, making them valuable in biomedicine. They enhance the stability of therapeutic medications, improve cellular and tissue absorption, and increase chemical bioactivity at specific locations. This technique delivers encapsulated compounds with high precision while minimizing negative consequences observed in laboratory settings. Objectives: This study aims to develop an optimal nanoliposome formulation using glatiramer acetate (GA) as the active pharmaceutical ingredient by examining drug release and associated adverse effects to achieve the most effective nanoliposomal system. Methods: The thin layer hydration method was used to prepare nanoliposomes. A comprehensive array of analytical techniques, including FE-SEM, FTIR, XRD, HPLC, and DLS, were employed to examine the physicochemical characteristics of the product. Additionally, the biosafety of the nanoliposomes was assessed using the MTT assay on the 1321N1 human astrocytoma cell line. The release profile of GA from the carrier was studied using the dialysis diffusion method, and the stability of the nanoliposomes was also inspected. Results: The size, Polydispersity Index (PDI), and zeta potential of the nanoliposomes were 91.2 ± 1.3 nm, 0.34 ± 0.03, and -27.3 ± 1.2 mV, respectively. The drug entrapment efficiency (DEE%) in nanoliposomes was approximately 70.2 ± 1.7%. The results from XRD and FTIR revealed no chemical interaction between the drug and carrier, and the nanoliposomes were safe for the cultured cell line. The nanoliposomes were stable under storage conditions and exhibited a sustained release profile. Conclusions: Nanoliposomes, as drug carriers, are known to be a potent drug delivery system due to their numerous advantages. Based on the results, GA-nanoliposomes show promise as a strategy for treating MS patients, pending further in vivo experiments and clinical trials.

Revolutionizing cancer treatment: The role of radiopharmaceuticals in modern cancer therapy

AbstractRadiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is a precision medicine approach that involves the targeted delivery of radioactive atoms to tumor cells, representing a breakthrough strategy for cancer treatment. Radiopharmaceuticals typically consist of a small amount of radioactive material, a radionuclide, paired with a chemical that specifically targets the cell. Some radionuclides naturally target specific cells or biological processes without the need for modification. RPT is a novel cancer treatment method that offers various advantages over current traditional treatment approaches. One of the primary advantages of RPT is its ability to target cancer cells, including those in metastatic areas. Another key advantage of RPT is that radiation can be delivered systemically, locally, or physiologically to specific cells internally rather than being applied externally. Moreover, radiotracer imaging can be utilized to determine radiopharmaceutical absorption in target tissues before providing a therapeutic dose. Compared to all other cancer treatment approaches, RPT has demonstrated high efficacy with minimal toxicity. The recent approval of multiple RPT medicines by the US Food and Drug Administration highlights the tremendous potential of this treatment. This article provides a detailed review of RPT, including insights into manufacturing procedures, safety measures, and its applications in cancer therapy.

Photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-modality imaging of Sentinel lymph node with carbon nanoparticles

Abstract Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a widely used method for identifying axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients, offering an avoidance of unnecessary axillarydissections and a lower incidence of lymphedema and other complications. However, the nuclide localization has added complexity to the procedure due to its accessibility. Methylene blue and other small molecule dyes have been widely used due to their convenience, but they have been found to have lower specificity and sensitivity. Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), as a new type of tracer, are safe and show improved specificity. However, the significant optical absorption in human tissues still renders the detection of deep lymph nodes challenging. To overcome these challenges, we developed a high-sensitivity ultrasound probe optimized for photoacoustic imaging. Based on the new probe, we constructed a high-sensitivity photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-modality imaging system. A pilot clinical study has been conducted on two patients, preliminarily verifying the system’s ability to locate SLN when combined with the CNPs.

Terraced compression method with automated threshold selection using GMM algorithm for heterogeneous bodies detection

Breast tumors threaten women’s health. Multispectral transmission imaging shows potential in early breast cancer screening, but images have a low signal-to-noise ratio due to tissue absorption and scattering. Frame accumulation improves quality but leads to data redundancy. Existing terraced compression methods (TCM) address this but rely on subjective, inefficient threshold selection. This paper presents an improved TCM that requires only the input of the desired heterogeneity size, with optimal thresholds adaptively determined by analyzing grayscale values and their distribution. By applying compression to each wavelength image and using the GMM algorithm for multidimensional image clustering, results show the Dice coefficient improved by 12.49 %, and the recognition rate of deeper heterogeneity increased by 29.09 % compared to the existing TCM. This validates the TCM’s effectiveness and threshold selection accuracy. Additionally, the method distinguishes heterogeneous bodies of different depths and effectively recognizes various kinds, providing a reliable reference for early breast cancer screening.

Water-soluble near-infrared AgInS2 quantum dots for Ca2+ detection and bioimaging

Calcium ions (Ca2+) are key players in intracellular signaling as second messengers and play a pivotal role in various physiological processes. In this study, near-infrared water-soluble AgInS2 quantum dots (AIS QDs) for Ca2+ detection were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The fluorescence quantum yield (PL QY) of the quantum dots was as high as 23.99 %. With low cytotoxicity and good fluorescence properties, as well as short reaction time, the ternary AIS QDs have excellent synthesis efficiency and quantum yield, which are advantageous for Ca2+ detection and bioimaging applications. The fluorescence quenching of the quantum dots showed a clear linear relationship with calcium ion concentration in the range of 0–250 μM (detection limit: 0.65 μM). Confocal imaging experiments demonstrate the excellent biofluorescence imaging capability of AIS QDs. By tuning the Ag/In molar ratio, AIS QDs can achieve fluorescence emission in the near-infrared wavelength band (620–700 nm), and the near-infrared fluorescence imaging has deeper tissue penetration, less tissue absorption and photodamage, and lower interference of spontaneous fluorescence, which further expands the potential of QDs for bioimaging applications.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for optical characterizations of orthotopic head and neck cancer models in vivo.

We demonstrated an easy-to-build, portable diffuse reflectance spectroscopy device along with a Monte Carlo inverse model to quantify tissue absorption and scattering-based parameters of orthotopic head and neck cancer models in vivo. Both tissue-mimicking phantom studies and animal studies were conducted to verify the optical spectroscopy system and Monte Carlo inverse model for the accurate extraction of tissue optical properties. For the first time, we reported the tissue absorption and scattering coefficients of mouse normal tongue tissues and tongue tumor tissues. Our in vivo animal studies showed reduced total hemoglobin concentration, lower tissue vascular oxygen saturation, and increased tissue scattering in the orthotopic tongue tumors compared to the normal tongue tissues. Our data also showed that mice tongue tumors with different sizes may have significantly different tissue absorption and scattering-based parameters. Small tongue tumors (volume was ∼60 mm3) had increased absorption coefficients, decreased reduced-scattering coefficients, and increased total hemoglobin concentrations compared to tiny tongue tumors (volume was ∼18 mm3). These results demonstrated the potential of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to noninvasively evaluate tumor biology using orthotopic tongue cancer models for future head and neck cancer research.

Ecological impact of heavy metal pollution on Limnodrilus cervix -abundance, bioaccumulation, and environmental dynamics in a perennial pond of Jammu, India

This study examines the ecological ramifications of heavy metal contamination on benthic invertebrate communities, with a focus on Limnodrilus cervix, in a perennial pond situated in the Raipur region of Jammu, India. The study identified 11,587 individuals of Limnodrilus cervix, showing seasonal variations in abundance. Through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing taxonomic analysis, heavy metal quantification, acute toxicity testing, and bioaccumulation assessments, the research explores the intricate dynamics between pollution and aquatic ecosystems. Findings reveal pronounced seasonal fluctuations in L. cervix populations, with copper emerging as the predominant metal. Acute toxicity tests underscore dose-dependent lead (Pb) toxicity with an LC50 value of 0.03 mg/L, while bioaccumulation experiments elucidate Pb absorption in worm tissue with a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 0.4 at 0.005 mg/L and 0.7 at 0.01 mg/L. The study underscores the urgent need for informed management strategies to mitigate the ecological risks posed by heavy metal pollution and safeguard freshwater habitats and their inhabitants.