Glass Slides Research Articles

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence and associated risk factors for intestinal parasitic infections among under-five aged children in Dabat primary hospital, north Gondar, Ethiopia.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are the main public health problems in several developing countries, and under-five-aged children are the most vulnerable groups of the population. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of IPIs among under-five-aged children at Dabat primary hospital, northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional hospital-based study including 384 under-five-aged children was conducted from February to June 2022. A structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on risk factors, and stool samples were collected and examined using wet mount and sedimentation techniques to determine prevalence. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to evaluate the possible association and the strength of the association between dependent and independent variables. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 32.81%. Ten species of intestinal parasites were identified. Entamoeba histolytica / dispar was the predominant intestinal parasite species, with a prevalence of 7.55%. Giardia lamblia and hookworm had prevalence of 6.77% and 5.47% respectively. Those children whose Mother/guardian do not wash their hand before feeding their child are more than five time infected than those who do wash (AOR = 5.26, CI = 2.28-12.2, p < 0.001). Children who do not wear shoe are more infected than who did (AOR = 14.5, CI = 5.77-36.5, p < 0.001). Several risk factors were identified in this study among these washing hands after toilet before touching child, washing hands before feeding their child, Child meal and habit of shoes wearing were the main predictors of IPI. Since the prevalence of IPI observed in this study is that of under-five-aged children; raising awareness of mothers/guardians about how to keep hygiene; transmission ways and health impacts of IPIs; and proper way of feeding their children to avoid risk is crucial.

Teknik Pemeriksaan Parasit Myxobolus sp. pada Ikan Hias Air Tawar di Balai Karantina Ikan Pengendalian Mutu dan Keamanan Hasil Perikanan Surabaya I

The increase in ornamental fish farming in Indonesia has increased significantly during the 2017-2019 period. This improvement process is certainly faced with various challenges such as disease, which is caused by ectoparasites, one of which is Myxobolus sp. This parasite can infect the skin and gills of fish, causing significant financial losses. This study aims to determine the prevalence and intensity of Myxobolus sp parasites in freshwater ornamental fish at the Surabaya I Fish Quarantine Center for Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM), which was conducted on June 19 - August 18, 2023. The tools and materials used include fish samples, distilled water, 70% alcohol, giemsa dye, swallow and tissue, tray, binocular microscope, computer, dissecting set, object glass, cover glass, dropper pipette, ruler, gloves, beaker glass, workbook, method, and stationery. Native and staining methods were used to examine parasites, while prevalence and intensity were calculated using Kabata's (1985) formula. The results showed that comet fish and koi fish were infected with Myxobolus sp in their gills. The intensity of Myxobolus sp infection in koi fish was classified as severe, while in comet fish it was classified as very severe. The prevalence of Myxobolus sp parasites found in koi fish was 2.32% and in comet fish was 4.20%, both categorized as moderate infection.

Droplet–droplet vapor-mediated interactions in confined environments

The evaporation of multiple droplets ensues ubiquitously in nature and industry. Vapor mediation caused by evaporating neighboring droplets is a demonstrated phenomenon that shows that droplets can interact with each other via the vapor in both open and confined configurations, i.e., the “shielding effect.” However, interactions between paired droplets in confined environments, more common in industrial processes, remain unexplored. In this Letter, we experimentally investigate the evaporation of water based paired sessile droplets on hydrophilic glass slides at different spacings in the absence and presence of an enclosed chamber. The results demonstrate that a confined environment significantly attenuates droplet evaporation, which intensifies with decreasing spacing between droplets. A 30%–82% increase in the droplet lifetime is found for the shortest distance studied in a confined environment, while results in an open environment are provided as a control. Both the local shielding effect and the global vapor accumulation due to confinement collaboratively induce such strong evaporation suppression. In addition, two well differentiated evaporation regimes ensue in a confined environment where the shielding effect initially dominates the evaporation suppression, whereas confinement governs the later evaporation stage. The later stage accounts for over 60% of the droplet lifetime. Such transition and further evaporation suppression, when compared to the classical shielding effect, highlights the importance of a confined environment in multiple droplet evaporation.

Highly Efficient Laser Bidirectional Graphene Printing: Integration of Synthesis, Transfer and Patterning.

Graphene has tremendous potential in future electronics due to its superior force, electrical, and thermal properties. However, the development of graphene devices is limited by its complex, high-cost, and low-efficiency preparation process. This study proposes a novel laser bidirectional graphene printing (LBGP) process for the large-scale preparation of patterned graphene films. In LBGP, a sandwich sample composed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) substrate, carbon precursor powder, and a glass cover is irradiated by a nanosecond pulsed laser. The laser photothermal effect converts the carbon precursor into graphene, with partial graphene sheets deposited directly on the TPE substrate and the remaining transferred to the glass cover via a laser-induced plasma plume. This method simultaneously prepares two face-to-face graphene films in a single laser irradiation, integrating synthesis, transfer, and patterning. The resulting graphene patterns demonstrate good performance in flexible pressure sensing and Joule heating, showcasing high sensitivity (7.7kPa-1), fast response (37ms), and good cycling stability (2000 cycles) for sensors, and high heating rate (1°Cs-1) and long-term stability (3000s) for heaters. It is believed that the simple, low-cost, and efficient LBGP process can promote the development of graphene electronics and laser manufacturing processes.

Damage Characteristics Analysis of Laser Ablation Triple-Junction Solar Cells Based on Electroluminescence Characteristics.

To study the physical property effects of the laser on GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cells and their sub-cell layers, a pulsed laser with a wavelength of 532 nm was used to irradiate the solar cells under various energy conditions. The working performance of the cell was measured with a source meter. The electroluminescence (EL) characteristics were assessed using an ordinary and an infrared camera. Based on the detailed balance theory, in the voltage characteristics of an ideal pristine cell, the GaInP layer made the most significant voltage contribution, followed by the GaAs layer, with the Ge layer contributing the least. When a bias voltage was applied to the pristine cell, the top GaInP cell emitted red light at 670 nm, the middle GaAs cell emitted near-infrared light at 926 nm, and the bottom Ge cell emitted infrared light at 1852 nm. In the experiment, the 532 nm laser wavelength within the response spectrum bands of the GaInP layer and the laser passed through the glass cover slip and directly interacted with the GaInP layer. The experimental results indicated that the GaInP layer first exhibited different degrees of damage under laser irradiation, and the cell voltage was substantially attenuated. The GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cell showed a decrease in electrical and light emission characteristics. As the laser energy increased, the cell's damage intensified, gradually leading to a loss of photoelectric conversion capability, the near-complete disappearance of red light emission, and a gradual degradation of near-infrared emission properties. The EL imaging revealed varying damage states across the triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cell's sub-cells.

Amphiphilic ligand‐doped liquid crystal‐based detection of Hg2+ ions on polyimide surface with alkyl pendent groups

AbstractIn this study, amphiphilic thiosemicarbazone was used to align liquid crystal (4‐cyano‐4′‐pentylbiphenyl) in a homeotropic way on polyimide containing alkyl pendent groups (AHDPI), which was coated on a glass slide. The amphiphilic ligands 2‐(4‐(dodecyloxy)benzylid‐ene)hydrazine‐1‐carbothioamide (DT) and 2‐(1‐dodecyl‐2‐oxoindolin‐3‐ylidene)hydrazine‐1‐carbothioamide (IT) were doped with liquid crystal (LC) to develop LC‐based sensors to detect Hg2+ ions in water. The selective interaction of carbothioamide with Hg2+ ions triggered the orientation transition of LC from homeotropic to parallel alignment and gave dark to bright optical signal at the LC/aqueous interphase. Self‐immobilization of thiosemicarbazone‐based ligands on AHDPI‐coated glass slide can be used to detect Hg2+ ions with high sensitivity. The limit of detection with DT and IT was found to be 0.5 and 0.25 μmol L−1, respectively. Density functional studies were carried out to study the interaction of the thiosemicarbazone ligands with mercuric ions, resulting in highly negative binding energies of −1.55 and −2.06 eV for DT and IT with Hg2+ ions, respectively. The chemical and thermal stability (up to 268 °C) of the AHDPI coated on glass slide made it reusable at least twice for sensor fabrication. This provides a quicker and cheaper alternative to traditional methods of sensor fabrication. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Establishment of a rapid, cost-effective, and accurate method for assessing insect sperm viability

High-quality sperm cells are crucial to reproductive success for both males and post-mating females in animals. Sperm viability, defined as the proportion of viable sperm cells, is used as a sperm quality index and this method has provided new insights into research on reproductive strategies. Sperm viability has been assessed by fluorescent staining of sperm cells. However, current staining protocols could potentially underestimate viability due to cell damage caused by cell treatments such as high dye concentration and long time for post-mounting. In this study, we established a method that enables rapid sperm viability assessment, has low sperm cell toxicity, and provides precise results regardless of operator expertise, and cost-effective using sperm cells from an ant, Crematogaster osakensis (Hymenoptera). First, to shorten the time for observation of a sufficient number of sperm cells, the volume per field of view was increased by height elevation between the glass slide and the coverslip, thereby we increased the number of sperm cells in a field of view. Second, to reduce sperm cell toxicity, we optimized the minimum dye concentration and incubation time using acridine orange (AO) and Hoechst in addition to SYBR 14 and propidium iodide (PI), which has been used in most previous studies. We determined the optimal protocol to be 1 µg/mL AO and 150 µM PI without incubation. Besides, we automated counting sperm cells with ImageJ software and combined with manual correction for more accurate results. We employed the improved method for sperm samples from mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) and silkmoths (Bombyx mori). This method, established through our study, will advance research on reproductive strategies, including sperm competition and sperm quality maintenance in females.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in humans and domestic animals in Jirel community, Dolakha, Nepal.

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites are major health concerns in both humans and domestic animals. Livestock farming is one of the common livelihood practices in rural Nepal. The proximity at human and domestic animal interface increases the chances of dissemination of enteric parasites, especially those of zoonotic importance. This study was aimed at finding the parasite prevalence and risk factors in both humans and their domestic animals in Jirel community. A field survey was conducted on the Jirel ethnic people and their domestic animals in Dolakha district, where a total of 152 fresh fecal samples from humans and domestic animals (cow, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, and pigeons) were collected. The feces were examined by wet mounts and concentration techniques. A structured questionnaire survey was carried out among the local people and owners of the domestic animals to gather sociodemographic information, awareness, and hygienic practices in relation to parasite transmission. The enteric parasite prevalence was found to be highest in goats (80.0%;12/15), followed by pigs (55.55%;5/9), cows (45.45%;6/11), chickens (11.7%;4/34), and humans (1.41%;1/71), while the fecal samples of ducks and pigeons did not contain any parasites. The only parasite identified in humans was Ascaris lumbricoides. Similarly, three genera of GI parasites (Eimeria sp., Strongyloides sp, and Trichuris sp.) from goats, two genera each from cow (Eimeria sp. and Strongyloides sp.), pigs (Entamoeba sp. and A. suum), and chickens (Eimeria sp. and Ascaridia galli), were detected. Based on the direct field observation, questionnaire survey and laboratory analysis, it is concluded that the Jirel community people are aware of health and hygiene; however, intervention measures are necessary to prevent parasitic infection in their domestic animals.

Chiral nematic composite coatings as a visual detection platform for formic acid with anti-water interference

Formic acid is an important industrial chemical but is toxic and corrosive. To benefit its qualified use and to avoid corrosion or injury from touching, rapid, portable and sensitive on-site sensing of formic acid is thus of considerable importance. Here, a photonic crystal coating sensor for formic acid visual detection is fabricated through the mild co-assembly of both biomass-based cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) on a quartz glass slide. Further surface modification by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HTDMS) with low surface energy significantly overcomes the inherent water intolerance of the CNC-HPCD composite while maintaining its chiral nematic structure. The resulting hydrophobic CNC-HPCD (H-CNC) sensing slide shows a distinct and rapid structural color change after formic acid stimulation, realizing the formic acid detection by naked eye. By virtue of its stable and repeatable water resistance, the H-CNC sensing slide enables the specific colorimetric detection of formic acid in water-containing environments for qualitative and even quantitative purposes. This study suggests that H-CNC has the potential to act as a high-performance sensing platform that is useful for the colorimetric detection of formic acid in some industrial products.

Isolation and Diagnosis of Parasites from Domestic Cockroach Periplaneta americana in Mosul city, Iraq

Cockroaches are the greatest potential mechanical vector of various pathogenic microorganisms, some of which cause serious diseases in humans and domestic animals. The high prevalence of human pathogens carried by the cockroach has been reported in many countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of internal and external parasites parasitizing the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, the effect of the sex of the cockroach and the area of sample collection on The type, number and types of parasites isolated, The current study was conducted for the period from July 2023 until April 2024, A samples of 111 male Periplaneta americana cockroaches were collected from some homes and schools in the city of Mosul. After the samples arrived at the laboratory, by placing them in clean, sterilized tubes in a refrigerator set at -4°C for 10 minutes Subsequently, 10 ml of normal saline solution was added to each tube. The tubes were then vigorously shaken for 5 minutes to dislodge parasites a salt solution was added to centrifuge tubes, which were spun at 2000 rotations per minute for 5 minutes. This mixture was shaken for 5 minutes and then, Cockroaches were dissected to isolate internal parasites The contents of the digestive tract were taken, and the solution was filtered through a mesh. Each sample was prepared by placing a drop of sediment on a glass slide, adding Lugol's iodine dye, and examining it under a microscope. The majority of the samples were infected with one or more types of parasites on their body surfaces and within their digestive tracts, infection rate of 96.40 %. This study involved the isolation and diagnosis of 19 parasitic species, including five types of worms: Ancylostoma duodenale, Leidynema, Strongyloides stercoralis, Hammerschmidtiella male, and Thelastoma. and six types of protozoan parasites, including both active and Nyctotherus ovalis cyst, active and cyst stages of Lophmonas, cyst stage of Entamoeba coli, and Gregarine. and Seven types of eggs, comprising eggs of each of Ancylostoma duodenale, Thelastoma, Leidynema, Strongyloides stercoralis, Hammerschmidtiella , Gryllophila, and in addition to the external parasitic Mite, The highest infection rate was recorded in worms, with 91 out of 111 samples i.e. (81.98% ). This was followed by protozoa, with a rate of 72% out of 80 samples. Finally, external mites, 52 samples i.e. (46.84%). In this study, it was observed that the number of parasites harbored by cockroaches in their digestive tracts exceeds more than that found on their external surfaces. Cockroaches collected from households were found to harbor a greater number of parasites compared to those collected from schools, underscoring the necessity of raising awareness about the dangers of cockroach presence in homes and keeping them away from food sources due to the parasites they carry, which may cause various diseases.

Evaluating pathologist practices in peripheral blood smear review: A comprehensive practice survey.

Widely accepted standardized criteria for peripheral blood (PB) smear review do not exist. The aim of this study was to collect data regarding PB smear review practices across multiple institutions, with a focus on pathologist review. A 23-question survey was developed by members of the Society for Hematopathology (SH) Education Committee and distributed to SH members. The survey included questions on practice environment and PB smear review practices, including trainee involvement. Of 725 members contacted, 137 (19%) completed the entire survey. Over half of practices examined 5 to 20 smears a day. All respondents reported using complete blood count/differential leukocyte count data and clinical history as part of smear review. The reported proportion of laboratory-initiated vs clinician-requested reviews varied across respondents. Clinician-requested smear reviews were more likely to be billed and issued as a separate pathology report. Glass slide review (as opposed to digital microscopy) was used by most respondents. All respondents affirmed that PB smear review is an essential component of pathology training programs. Numerous free-text comments were submitted by respondents regarding their own experiences with PB smear review and suggested improvements. This survey elucidated the spectrum of practice patterns for pathologist review of blood smears and identified potential areas for process improvement.

Superhydrophilic antireflection films with excellent optical and mechanical performance for perovskite solar cells

SiO2-based antireflection (AR) films can obviously improve the transmittance of the glass cover on the solar cells. Nevertheless, it’s still challenging to fabricate SiO2 films in a facile way with great antireflective properties, high hardness and good weather resistance to ensure their long-term use in outdoor environments. To solve this problem, a double-layer broadband SiO2 antireflective film with high transmittance increase and excellent mechanical properties was successfully prepared via an acid-catalyzed sol–gel method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as pore-forming agent. The porous PEG2000-modified SiO2 films were selected as the outer layer for coating onto the pure SiO2 film to form double-layer SiO2 films with graded refractive index. When the mass ratio of PEG2000 to TEOS was 40 %, the obtained film showed the highest transmittance increase of 3.03 % in the wavelength range of 380–1100 nm and a high hardness of 3H. After applied to the perovskite solar cell, a significant enhancement of 1.19 % in photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved compared to the solar cell covered with bare substrate. Furthermore, the water contact angle (WCA) was also reduced to 6° while that of pure SiO2 film was 51.3°, endowing the double-layer SiO2 film superhydrophilic and anti-fogging performance. After the weather resistance test, the transmittance loss of the film was only 0.38 %. Therefore, this work demonstrated that the use of an appropriate amount of pore-forming agent PEG and the double-layer graded refractive index structure can enhance the transmittance of acid-catalyzed SiO₂ films, while maintaining high hardness and good weathering resistance for perovskite solar cells.

EVALUATION OF ENHANCED SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEM PROTOTYPE

Solar desalination technology has been one of the effective solutions to tackle the problem of water scarcity. A number of studies have been conducted at our water research group to determine which variable influences the quantity of distilled water produced by an independent solar desalination unit. Aims: This study was aimed to design and optimize a novel solar desalination unit and field-tested using the best variable from the previous studies. Methodology and results: Variables used from the previous studies were evaluated to obtain the best values for each parameter, those are: glass cover inclination, gap distance between water and glass cover, insulation thickness, water depth, and water mass flow rate. Those best values were then implemented in the optimized basin design, delivery mechanisms, evaporation techniques, and heat isolation methods. The optimized design can generate up to 2,778.2 mL/m2/8hrs of distilled water with an efficiency of 23.35% in preliminary test, and was field tested at Batukaras Beach, where it produced up to 902 mL/m2/8hrs with an efficiency of 13.56%. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Meteorological parameters and environmental conditions are important factors that greatly affect the performance and productivity of the desalination unit. The relative humidity is inversely proportional to the volume of distillate water, where the smaller the value, the greater the amount of distillate water that can be produced, and it has significant impact on the productivity of the prototype. The quality of the distillate water produced still needs improvement on the parameters of pH, turbidity, and total coliform.

Developmental stages and molecular phylogeny of Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi (Dias 1953) (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) in tortoises Stigmochelys pardalis (Cryptodira: Testudinidae) and ticks of the genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) from South Africa

BackgroundHepatozoon fitzsimonsi (Dias, 1953) is a frequently found haemogregarine of southern African tortoises. At the time of this species’ reassignment from the genus Haemogregarina to Hepatozoon, developmental stages such as sporocysts and sporozoites were observed in ticks associated with H. fitzsimonsi parasitised and non-parasitised tortoises. It was thus suggested that ticks may act as the potential vectors for this parasite. However, this earlier research was unable to confirm the identity of these sporogonic stages using molecular markers. In a separate study aimed at identifying tick species parasitising South African reptiles and molecularly screening these for the presence of Hepatozoon, that study identified H. fitzsimonsi in tortoise-associated ticks. Thus, the present study aimed to revisit the potential of ticks to act as vectors for H. fitzsimonsi in tortoises using a combined microscopy and molecular approach.MethodsSpecimens of Kinixys natalensis, Kinixys spekii, Kinixys zombensis and Stigmochelys pardalis were collected from Bonamanzi and Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa. Upon capture, animals were examined for ticks, and these were collected along with blood and other tissues. Adult ticks were dissected and visceral impression slides were prepared along with thin blood and tissue smears on clean microscope slides. Smears and impression slides were stained with Giemsa, screened and micrographs of parasites were captured. Two primer sets were employed to target fragments of the 18S rRNA gene of parasites found in both tortoises and ticks and the resulting sequences were then compared with other known H. fitzsimonsi and haemogregarine sequences from the GenBank database.ResultsPeripheral blood gamont and liver merogonic stages were observed in S. pardalis, while the sporogonic stages were observed in the haemocoel of Amblyomma ticks. Gamont and sporocyst stages compared morphologically with previous descriptions of H. fitzsimonsi, identifying them as this species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the blood and tick sequences obtained in this study clustered in a monophyletic clade comprising known H. fitzsimonsi.ConclusionsThe present study provides further support for ticks acting as the vectors of H. fitzsimonsi by molecularly identifying and linking observed developmental stages in tortoises (S. pardalis) with those in the invertebrate host (Amblyomma spp.).Graphical

Accuracy of ultrasound TIRADS classification for the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid lesions taking Bethesda classification as gold standard

AbstractBackgroundThe TIRADS classification system is commonly used in ultrasound imaging to evaluate the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules, but there is still debate about its accuracy. The BSRTC categorizes FNA biopsy results to determine the likelihood of malignancy in thyroid nodules, and this remains the gold standard for diagnosis.MethodologyThis is a cross-sectional study design conducted in the Radiology Department of Chughtai Lab Head Office in Lahore. This study assessed 154 patients with thyroid nodules. The ultrasound equipment used for the study is the Toshiba Applio 500 model, while the equipment for FNAC included topical anesthesia, 21-gauge 10 CC syringes, glass slides, cell block, and the Olympus CX23 microscope. The sampling technique employed is the consecutive sampling technique.ResultsOut of 154 patients, the mean age was 42.0 ± 13.6 years. Majority were female (89%) while 11% are male. The P-value of &lt;0.0001 suggests a statistically significant association between TIRADS and Bethesda categories. The findings suggested that ultrasonography is a highly reliable and effective method for diagnosis, with a superior degree of sensitivity and specificity in addition to invasive cytology tests. Results from the ROC curve analysis showed an impressive area under the curve of 0.972. The sonographic features show significant associations with TIRADS categories (P-value &lt;0.0001). The association between TIRADS suspiciousness and Bethesda diagnosis is statistically significant (P-value &lt;0.0001). Benign nodules were most commonly classified as not suspicious (56.5%), followed by mildly suspicious (9.7%), while malignant nodules were primarily classified as highly suspicious (11.0%). Notably, no malignant nodules were categorized as benign.ConclusionHealthcare professionals may consider utilizing TIRADS as a first-line imaging method and then BETHESDA if needed to provide patients with the most accurate results and minimize unwanted interventional exposure. Combining these two scoring methods appears to yield the most precise outcomes for identifying and distinguishing benign from malignant nodules, which is critical for arriving at a definitive diagnosis in individuals with thyroid malignancies.

Influence of a plasma focus device on the structural and optical properties of highly conductive AZO thin films

In the present work, we deposited Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films on microscope glass slides at different pressures (5, 10, 20, and 30 mTorr) using an EAEA-PFD (Plasma Focus Device of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority) without any extra heat treatment. Argon gas provided the radiant energy needed to form a crystalline AZO film. This study investigated the deposition and features of AZO thin films. The impact of changes in work pressure on the microstructure, morphology, and optical attributes of AZO films was reported. The results demonstrated that varying the work pressure significantly affects the microstructure, morphology, crystallinity, optical absorbance, and optical energy gap. The microstructure and morphology were evaluated through XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical properties were analyzed using a UVvis double-beam spectrophotometer within a wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm. XRD patterns indicating a zinc-blende structure and the Williamson–Hall approach were used to estimate the structural parameters. The estimated trend in the particle size of the AZO film demonstrates a decrease from 82 ± 5 nm to 48 ± 5 nm as the pressure increases. The calculated energy gap, Egopt, increases from 3.53 eV to 3.69 eV with increasing work pressure. The conductivities in terms of both optical and electrical decreased with increasing work pressure of the AZO films.

Smart and cheap assessment of microscope slide surface wettability by polysorbate 20–in aqueous buffered solutions and for increasing amounts

Smart and cheap assessment of microscope slide surface wettability by polysorbate 20–in aqueous buffered solutions and for increasing amounts

Prognostic significance of histologic phenotype in periampullary adenocarcinomas.

Periampullary adenocarcinomas typically exhibit either intestinal or pancreatobiliary (PB) differentiation, and the type of differentiation may be prognostically more important than the anatomic site of origin. This study aimed to evaluate prognostic significance of histological type of periampullary carcinomas. Microscopic slides from 110 consecutive pancreatoduodenectomies performed between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed and classified as intestinal or PB type. Clinicopathological factors were compared between PB-(n=93) and intestinal-type (n=17) differentiation. The intestinal type included significantly more patients with well-differentiated histology (35.3% vs. 11.8%, p=0.001) and fewer patients with perineural invasion (41.2% vs. 76.4%, p=0.029), advanced T stage (> T3; 41.2% vs.74.2%, p=0.007), and systemic recurrence (71.4% vs. 92.9%, p=0.005) than PB type. The 5-year-overall survival rate of intestinal-type was significantly higher than that of PB-type (58.8% vs. 20.4%, p=0.003). When pancreatic cancer was separately analyzed, the intestinal type showed the best 5-year-overall survival rate, with no significant difference between the PB types excluding PDAC and PDAC (39.4% vs. 19.2%, p=0.148). In multivariate analysis, curative resection (hazard ratio, 0.417; 95% CI, 0.219-0.792, p=0.008) was the only significant prognostic factor. Although intestinal histologic phenotype was not an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis, it showed pathologic features associated with better survival, while the PB type showed more aggressive tumor biology and consequently worse survival. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the prognostic significance of histologic phenotype.

Inactivation of Bacillus cereus Spores and Vegetative Cells in Inert Matrix and Rice Grains Using Low-Pressure Cold Plasma.

This study investigated the effects of low-pressure cold plasma on the inactivation of Bacillus cereus vegetative cells and spores in an inert matrix (borosilicate glass slide) and in rice grains, using oxygen as ionization gas. Greater reductions in B. cereus counts were observed in vegetative cells rather than spores. The experimental data obtained show that both the power of the plasma treatment and the matrix proved to be determining factors in the inactivation of both the spores and vegetative cells of B. cereus. To characterize the inactivation of B. cereus, experimental data were accurately fitted to the Weibull model. A significant decrease in parameter "a", representing resistance to treatment, was confirmed with treatment intensification. Furthermore, significant differences in the "a" value were observed between spores in inert and food matrices, suggesting the additional protective role of the food matrix for B. cereus spores. These results demonstrate the importance of considering matrix effects in plasma treatment to ensure the effective inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms, particularly in foods with low water activity, such as rice. This approach contributes to mitigating the impact of foodborne illnesses caused by pathogenic microorganisms.

Low-cost preparation of 3D-Au@SiO2 substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and finite difference time domain enhancement analysis

Thin films (thickness of ∼2 to 4 μm) comprised of SiO2 particles (300–400 nm) were deposited on glass slides using a screen-printing approach. After annealing, films were functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to facilitate the adsorption of 3 to 5 nm Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the SiO2 particle films, and the resulting Au@SiO2 substrates were used to evaluate their potential for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) applications. Two types of supported silica particles, monodisperse solid silica (s-SiO2) and textured silica (t-SiO2), were used to investigate the impact of the SiO2 surface properties on the formation of Au NPs hotspots. Monodisperse s-SiO2 particles were synthesized using the Stöber method, while textured surface materials were obtained by incorporating cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) into the solution at a concentration below the critical micelle concentration.SERS studies were conducted using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a target molecule. For Au@s-SiO2, the SERS signal results showed a reasonable spatial reproducibility with relative standard deviation values (RSD ∼5 to 16% for studies on six different samples), in agreement with literature values (RSD ∼10 %). In the case of t-SiO2, the spatial reproducibility was also good in some slides with low% RSD between 7 and 12 %, but in other substrates with values as high as 20 % to 50 % RSD. Also, a lower slide-to-slide %RSD value, 26 % vs. 34 %, was found for the s-SiO2 sample.For the Au@t-SiO2 substrates, the estimated calibration sensitivity and the calculated limit of quantification (LoQ) for R6G were 0.392 (log (peak area) vs. log ([R6G]) and 0.381 μM, respectively, close to the visual practical limit. For Au@s-SiO2, the sensitivity was lower, 0.305 vs 0.392, and the LoQ was 0.016 μM, which is lower than the visual practical limit 0.1 μM. To put these results in context, SiO2 and Au@SiO2 films were characterized using different methods, including profilometry, high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy (HR-SEM and TEM), UV–visible and Raman spectroscopy.In addition, finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations were performed to understand the relationship between substrate morphology and SERS enhancement. Image processing and 3D modelling software were used to convert the HR-SEM images of the SERS substrates into FDTD simulation-compatible models. The simulations showed that the Au@s-SiO2 substrate had a greater average plasmon resonance enhancement over the Au@t-SiO2 substrate, in good agreement with the LoQ differences between substrates, ∼0.02 μM for Au@ s-SiO2 vs. ∼0.4 μM for Au@t-SiO2.