Optical Image Analysis Research Articles

A Zn(II) coordination polymer as a dual sensor for ppb level detection of antibiotics and organo-toxins in a green solvent

Herein, we describe the synthesis of a new fluorescent d10 coordination polymer, [Zn2(CFDA)2(BPEP)]n·nDMF (CP-1) under solvothermal reaction condition using zinc metal ion. In CP-1, Zn(II) ion along with CFDA and BPED ligand forms a 2-fold self-interpenetrated 3D coordination polymers. This CP-1 is characterized by the single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectra, optical microscope image and thermogravimetric analysis and the framework is found to maintain its structural stability in different solvents. The framework (CP-1) detected antibiotics (NFT (nitrofurantoin) and NZF (nitrofurazone)) and organo-toxin trinitrophenol in aqueous dispersed medium. Apart from the fast responsive (10 s), the detection limit for them was found at ppb level. The detection of these organo-aromatics were also comprehended by the colorimetric response through solid, solution and low cost paper strip technique i.e., triple mode recognition capability. The probe is re-usable without changing in its sensing efficiency and in addition, it has been applied for the detection of these analytes in the real field specimens (soil, river water, human urine and commercial tablet). The sensing ability is established by in-depth experimental analysis and the life time measurement where mechanism such as photo induced electron transfer (PET), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), inner filter effect (IFE) was recognized. The presence of guest interaction sites on the linker backbone in CP-1 induces diverse supramolecular interaction with the targeted analytes results to bring them in proximity for the occurrence of these sensing mechanism. The Stern-Volmer quenching constant values of CP-1 for the targeted analytes are admirable and the low detection limit (LOD) values for NFT, NZF and TNP are found to be 34.54, 67.79 and 43.93 ppb respectively. Further, the DFT theory is carried out in details to justify the sensing mechanism.

Determination Image Quality on Thorax COVID-19 and Tuberculosis Using Optical Density Image Analysis

Covid-19 is a type of pneumonia disease currently affecting people around the world. Covid-19 and tuberculosis are lung diseases that are dangerous and spread quickly to other humans. Chest radiography is one of the main modalities in the management of suspected COVID-19 and tuberculosis patients as it provides radiological information on lung infections that can be used as diagnostic guidelines and patient care. This study aims to determine the differences in optical density and contrast in Covid-19 and pneumonia tuberculosis cases in order to find the specific characteristics of Covid-19 and tuberculosis. This research processed secondary data from Covid-19 and tuberculosis positive patients using image-J software that can be easily obtained and operated by anyone. After processing, the density and contrast were analyzed, particularly for the lungs. Based on image processing results, the average density for Cnovid-19 radiographs is 1,066, while for Tuberculosis radiograph is 1,519. The average contrast values for Covid-19 and tuberculosis radiographs are 0.37 and 1.03. Thus, it can be concluded that the contrast of the Covid-19 radiograph is lower than the tuberculosis radiograph. The difference in optical density on the tuberculosis and Covid-19 cases is 0.5 as the opacity on the chest radiographs of Covid-19 patients is evenly distributed over the entire lung surface.

Comparison of Automated Thresholding Algorithms in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Image Analysis.

(1) Background: Calculation of vessel density in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images with thresholding algorithms varies in clinical routine. The ability to discriminate healthy from diseased eyes based on perfusion of the posterior pole is critical and may depend on the algorithm applied. This study assessed comparability, reliability, and ability in the discrimination of commonly used automated thresholding algorithms. (2) Methods: Vessel density in full retina and choriocapillaris slabs were calculated with five previously published automated thresholding algorithms (Default, Huang, ISODATA, Mean, and Otsu) for healthy and diseased eyes. The algorithms were investigated with LD-F2-analysis for intra-algorithm reliability, agreement, and the ability to discriminate between physiological and pathological conditions. (3) Results: LD-F2-analyses revealed significant differences in estimated vessel densities for the algorithms (p < 0.001). For full retina and choriocapillaris slabs, intra-algorithm values range from excellent to poor, depending on the applied algorithm; the inter-algorithm agreement was low. Discrimination was good for the full retina slabs, but poor when applied to the choriocapillaris slabs. The Mean algorithm demonstrated an overall good performance. (4) Conclusions: Automated threshold algorithms are not interchangeable. The ability for discrimination depends on the analyzed layer. Concerning the full retina slab, all of the five evaluated automated algorithms had an overall good ability for discrimination. When analyzing the choriocapillaris, it might be useful to consider another algorithm.

Utilisation of Enhanced Thresholding for Non-Opaque Mineral Segmentation in Optical Image Analysis

To understand and optimise downstream processing of ores, reliable information about mineral abundance, association, liberation and textural characteristics is needed. Such information can be obtained by using Optical Image Analysis (OIA) in reflected light, which can achieve good discrimination for the majority of minerals. However, reliable automated segmentation of non-opaque minerals, such as quartz, which have reflectivity close to that of the epoxy they are embedded in, has always been problematic. Application of standard thresholding techniques for that purpose typically results in significant misidentifications. This paper presents a sophisticated segmentation mechanism, based on enhanced thresholding of non-opaque minerals developed for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) Mineral5/Recognition5 OIA software, which significantly improves segmentation in many applications. The method utilises an enhanced image view using an adjusted reflectivity scale for more precise initial thresholding, and comprehensive clean-up procedures for further segmentation improvement. For more complex cases, the method also employs specific particle border thresholding with subsequent selective erosion-based “reduction to borders”, while “particle restoration” prevents the detachment of non-opaque grains from larger particles. This method can be combined with “relief-based discrimination of non-opaque minerals” to achieve improved overall segmentation of non-opaque minerals.

Исследование распределения капель водной фазы до и после ультразвуковой обработки устойчивых водонефтяных эмульсий

Interest in application of physical processing methods, in particular, ultrasound technologies, has grown significantly in recent years. Ultrasonic technologies minimize the percentage of water in the extracted oil. The main advantages of the ultrasonic treatment over numerous methods of improving the structural and mechanical properties of heavy metals are its low energy consumption, high efficiency, technical and environmental safety. There have been carried out microscopic studies of the influence of ultrasonic treatment on the disperse phase structure and on the stability of emulsions based on light oil from the Yu. Korchagin field with a mass oil content of 40, 60, 80%. The emulsion stability is shown to become less at the increasing water content in the emulsion. Ultrasonic treatment of stable oil emulsions with 60% of oil content from the Yu. Korchagin field had a significant effect on the emulsion. Both positive (acceleration of stratification) and negative effects (strong heating and evaporation of light oil fractions) were observed. The effectiveness of using ultrasound to intensify the separation of emulsions of the specified composition is confirmed by microscopic analysis of optical images of the emulsion structure, because a significant decrease in the size of water droplets in the layer of the dispersion medium is observed in the course of wave processing.

Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane as a Patient-Derived Xenograft Model for Uveal Melanoma: Imaging Modalities for Growth and Vascular Evaluation

Patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) have emerged as valuable preclinical in vivo models in oncology as they largely retain the polygenomic architecture of the human tumors from which they originate. Although animal models are accompanied by cost and time constraints and a low engraftment rate, PDXs have primarily been established in immunodeficient rodent models for the in vivo assessment of tumor characteristics and of novel therapeutic cancer targets. The chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay represents an attractive alternative in vivo model that has long been used in the research of tumor biology and angiogenesis, and can overcome some of these limitations. In this study, we reviewed different technical approaches for the establishment and monitoring of a CAM-based uveal melanoma PDX model. Forty-six fresh tumor grafts were acquired after enucleation from six uveal melanoma patients and were implanted onto the CAM on ED7 with Matrigel and a ring (group 1), with Matrigel (group 2), or natively without Matrigel or a ring (group 3). Real-time imaging techniques, such as various ultrasound modalities, optical coherence tomography, infrared imaging, and imaging analyses with Image J for tumor growth and extension, as well as color doppler, optical coherence angiography, and fluorescein angiography for angiogenesis, were performed on ED18 as alternative monitoring instruments. The tumor samples were excised on ED18 for histological assessment. There were no significant differences between the three tested experimental groups regarding the length and width of the grafts during the development period. A statistically significant increase in volume (p = 0.0007) and weight (p = 0.0216) between ED7 and ED18 was only documented for tumor specimens of group 2. A significant correlation of the results for the cross-sectional area, largest basal diameter, and volume was documented between the different imaging and measurement techniques and the excised grafts. The formation of a vascular star around the tumor and of a vascular ring on the base of the tumor was observed for the majority of the viable developing grafts as a sign of successful engraftment. The establishment of a CAM-PDX uveal melanoma model could elucidate the biological growth patterns and the efficacy of new therapeutic options in vivo. The methodological novelty of this study, investigating different implanting techniques and exploiting advances in real-time imaging with multiple modalities, allows precise, quantitative assessment in the field of tumor experimentation, underlying the feasibility of CAM as an in vivo PDX model.

Nanoscale Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis from AFM Image Processing of Histological Sections

Early ascertainment of metastatic tumour phases is crucial to improve cancer survival, formulate an accurate prognostic report of disease advancement, and, most importantly, quantify the metastatic progression and malignancy state of primary cancer cells with a universal numerical indexing system. This work proposes an early improvement to metastatic cancer detection with 97.7 nm spatial resolution by indexing the metastatic cancer phases from the analysis of atomic force microscopy images of human colorectal cancer histological sections. The procedure applies variograms of residuals of Gaussian filtering and theta statistics of colorectal cancer tissue image settings. This methodology elucidates the early metastatic progression at the nanoscale level by setting metastatic indexes and critical thresholds based on relatively large histological sections and categorising the malignancy state of a few suspicious cells not identified with optical image analysis. In addition, we sought to detect early tiny morphological differentiations indicating potential cell transition from epithelial cell phenotypes of low metastatic potential to those of high metastatic potential. This metastatic differentiation, which is also identified in higher moments of variograms, sets different hierarchical levels for metastatic progression dynamics.

Visual Analysis of Agricultural Workers using Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) on Class Activation Map (CAM) with Characteristic Point Data Output from OpenCV-based Analysis

In this study, we use explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) based on class activation map (CAM) techniques. Specifically, we use Grad-CAM, Grad-CAM++, and ScoreCAM to analyze outdoor physical agricultural (agri-) worker image datasets. In previous studies, we developed body-sensing systems to analyze human dynamics with the aim of enhancing agri-techniques, training methodologies, and worker development. These include distant, visual data-based sensing systems that capture image and movie datasets related to agri-worker motion and posture. For this study, we first obtained the aforementioned image datasets for researcher review. Then, we developed and executed Python programs with Open-Source Computer Vision (OpenCV) libraries and PyTorch to run XAI-oriented systems based on CAM techniques and obtained heat map-pictures of the visual explanations. Besides, we implement optical flow-based image analyses using our Visual C++ programs with OpenCV libraries, automatically set and chase the characteristic points related to the video datasets. Next, we analyze the dataset features and compare experienced and inexperienced subject groups. We investigate the output’s features, accuracies, and robustness to be able to make recommendations for real agri-workers, managers, product-developers, and researchers. Our findings indicate that the visualized output datasets are especially useful and may support further development of applied methods for these groups.

High-speed optical imaging and spatio-temporal analysis of sound sources of edge tone phenomena

Aerodynamic sounds are one of the noises of high-speed trains, automobiles, and wind turbines. To understand the characteristics of those noises, measuring sound sources is important. In general, microphones are used for measuring aerodynamic sounds. However, measuring the sound fields inside flow fields is difficult for microphones because they disturb flows. Thus, optical measurement methods have been applied to visualize aerodynamic sounds. The optical method can measure the sound fields without installing devices inside measurement fields. Therefore, it can capture the sound around sources. In this paper, we performed visualization and spatio-temporal analysis of sound sources of edge tones using parallel phase-shifting interferometry (PPSI). We experimentally confirmed the difference in pressure fluctuations near the sound source depending on the frequency of the edge tones.

Microindentation testing as a means of predicting lump iron ore physical properties

ABSTRACT This study utilised Vickers and Knoop microindentation testing to characterise the physical and chemical properties of a range of iron ore material types and lump ore samples. Lump ore composite microhardness (CH) and fracture toughness (CFT) correlated best with Tumble and Abrasion Indices and with Fe-total, Al2O3 and LOI contents. General trends were evident between CH/CFT and other common metallurgical indices, e.g. higher Reduction Degradation Index with lower CH. Correlations between ore group CH/CFT and the metallurgical data were generally similar, but relatively stronger, than those for the lump ores. The chemistry of mineralogical-textural sub-sets of ore groups correlated with lump ore CH/CFT. Calculating ore group CH/CFT using a textural method is therefore capable of capturing differences in ore group chemistry that relate in part to texture. A textural database of microhardness and fracture toughness can be utilised with automated optical image analysis to provide geometallurgical characterisation of iron ores.

Hyperspectral Three-Dimensional Refractive-Index Imaging Using Snapshot Optical Tomography

A material's refractive index is a major input for the light-scattering analysis of microscopic particles and label-free optical imaging of biological tissues. Existing techniques for measuring the refractive index of a nonspherical specimen over a wide wavelength range are typically slow, because they require recording so many orientations and wavelengths of the laser illuminating the specimen. Here researchers demonstrate hyperspectral three-dimensional (3D) refractive-index imaging at high throughput using snapshot optical tomography, which can record a 3D map of the refractive index in a single snapshot, in combination with a wavelength-scanning laser.

Preclinical Identification Of Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Using a Multimodal Non-invasive In vivo Imaging Approach

PurposeResection of the tumor-draining lymph -node (TDLN) represents a standard method to identify metastasis for several malignancies. Interestingly, recent preclinical studies indicate that TDLN resection diminishes the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based cancer immunotherapies. Thus, accurate preclinical identification of TDLNs is pivotal to uncovering the underlying immunological mechanisms. Therefore, we validated preclinically, and clinically available non-invasive in vivo imaging approaches for precise TDLN identification.ProceduresFor visualization of the lymphatic drainage into the TDLNs by non-invasive in vivo optical imaging, we injected the optical imaging contrast agents Patent Blue V (582.7 g mol−1) and IRDye® 800CW polyethylene glycol (PEG; 25,000–60,000 g mol−1), subcutaneously (s.c.) in close proximity to MC38 adenocarcinomas at the right flank of experimental mice. For determination of the lymphatic drainage and the glucose metabolism in TDLNs by non-invasive in vivo PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), we injected the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer (2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) [181.1 g mol−1]) in a similar manner. For ex vivo cross-correlation, we isolated TDLNs and contralateral nontumor-draining lymph nodes (NTDLNs) and performed optical imaging, biodistribution, and autoradiography analysis.ResultsThe clinically well-established Patent Blue V was superior for intraoperative macroscopic identification of the TDLNs compared with IRDye® 800CW PEG but was not sensitive enough for non-invasive in vivo detection by optical imaging. Ex vivo Patent Blue V biodistribution analysis clearly identified the right accessory axillary and the proper axillary lymph node (LN) as TDLNs, whereas ex vivo IRDye® 800CW PEG completely failed. In contrast, functional non-invasive in vivo18F-FDG PET/MRI identified a significantly elevated uptake exclusively within the ipsilateral accessory axillary TDLN of experimental mice and was able to differentiate between the accessory axillary and the proper LN. Ex vivo biodistribution and autoradiography confirmed our in vivo18F-FDG PET/MRI results.ConclusionsWhen taken together, our results demonstrate the feasibility of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI as a valid method for non-invasive in vivo, intraoperative, and ex vivo identification of the lymphatic drainage and glucose metabolism within the TDLNs. In addition, using Patent Blue V provides additive value for the macroscopic localization of the lymphatic drainage both visually and by ex vivo optical imaging analysis. Thus, both methods are valuable, easy to implement, and cost-effective for preclinical identification of the TDLN.

GENERATION OF INTERNAL WAVES BY A SUB-MESOSCALE EDDY AT CAPE SVYATOY NOS IN THE BARENTS SEA

Data on generation of soliton-like internal waves by a mesoscale eddy in the region of the Barents Sea near Cape Svyatoy Nos, widely known for its dynamic activity, are presented here. The results are based on the analysis of satellite optical (Sentinel-2 MSI) and radar (Sentinel-1 SAR) images obtained sequentially on August 8 and 9, 2021. A detailed analysis of the dynamics of the eddy and internal waves was made possible due, among other things, to the phytoplankton bloom, which created the necessary optical contrasts that make it possible to monitor the dynamics of currents in the near-surface layer of the sea. Significant parameters of recorded internal waves were measured using satellite methods and analyzed using the TPXO9.0 model and numerical solution of the internal wave equation. It has been shown, that internal waves were caused by a submesoscale eddy formed near the cape. Waves had quite low velocity (0.10–0.16 m/s) what was due to weak stratification of the water environment.

Sequential analysis of erythrocyte aggregation in P. falciparum malaria with and without ASAQ therapy by optical signal and image analysis

The aggregation of erythrocytes is an important mechanism for blood flow through the cardiovascular system. In malaria, this is complicated by infection caused by P. falciparum and is further complicated by the severity of parasitemia. Hence analysis of this micro-mechanism is essential to know the changes in blood not only in diseased conditions but also after artemisinin combination therapy (ASAQ) to alleviate suffering. For analysis purposes, aggregation of erythrocytes was determined by LED laser aggregometer, represented in terms of various parameters related to the changes in laser transmitted intensity. Formed aggregates are further analyzed by imaging and image-processing methods. For this study blood samples from young adults (18 – 40 years old) infected with P. falciparum (n= 80), without any other serious illness, were performed. These samples were selected based on the severity of parasitemia, and were divided into low (LP), medium1 (MP1), medium 2 (MP2), and high (HP) parasitemia. For three days, the selected individuals were treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy ASAQ (Artesunate 4 mg/kg and amodiaquine 10 mg base/ kg once a day). Healthy subjects (n=20) without any history of the disease were selected as a control group. The results, as obtained by various parameters, show a significant elevation of aggregation of erythrocytes (P< 0.05) in P. falciparum malaria with the increase of parasitemia level. There was a decrease in the aggregation after treatment on day four tending towards normal. Thus the current study shows the potential beneficial role of ASAQ on erythrocytes aggregation, which may contribute to reducing the harmful effects on various organs in P. falciparum-infected blood.

Fighting Pandemics With Augmented Reality and Smart Sensing-Based Social Distancing.

In a postpandemic world, remaining vigilant and maintaining social distancing are still crucial so societies can contain the virus and the public can avoid disproportionate health impacts. Augmented reality (AR) can visually assist users in understanding the distances in social distancing. However, integrating external sensing and analysis is required for social distancing beyond the users' local environment. We present DistAR, an android-based application for social distancing leveraging AR and smart sensing using on-device analysis of optical images and environment crowdedness from smart campus data. Our prototype is one of the first efforts to combine AR and smart sensing technologies to create a real-time social distancing application.

MORPHOLOGICAL DETAILS OF STRAIN-INDUCED MARTENSITE IN COLD-ROLLED Cr – Ni STEEL

"The investigation presents the evolution of strain-induced martensite during cold rolling of AISI 304 stainless steel at 10% and 50% degree of deformation. The morphologies and characteristics of ’ martensite have been studied using optical-image analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscope. The influence of strain-induced martensite on mechanical properties and hardness of AISI 304 steel have been reported. Plastic deformation during the cold rolling of AISI 304 steel induces a martensitic transformation (γ→α’) in the whole range of applied deformation degree. The equiaxial grains of austenite containing annealing twins were observed within the microstructure of steel at delivery state. During the deformation process the shape of austenite grains was changed into long slim bands parallel to the rolling direction. Many shear bands and micro-twins were observed in the microstructure at large deformations degrees. The martensite, which was formed as a result of the transformation (γ→α’) induced by deformation, has a distinct influence on properties of the investigated steel grade. It was found that the effect of steel hardening is a result of a significant increase of the volume fraction of the ’-martensite in the structure. "

Extraction and Characterization of Bismarck Palm Fibres

Objectives: A novel natural cellulose bismarck palm fibre (BPF) has been discovered and extracted from the leaf stalk of its tree. Physical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal characterizations have been conducted in this current study. Methods: A water retting method was employed for the extraction of BPFs. The diameter of BPF was assessed using an optical microscope image analyzer. A single fibre tensile test method was employed to calculate the tensile strength of BPF. The thermal behaviour of BPF was evaluated using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). A scanning electron microscope was utilized to evaluate the surface morphological structure of the BPF. Findings: The BPF has a fibre fineness of 819 denier, a mean diameter of 0.3636 mm, a density of 0.98 g/cc, cellulose content of 70.71%, hemi cellulose of 34.89%, lignin of 12.88%, wax of 0.30%, ash of 2.13 %, moisture of 10.80 %, pectin of 3.08 %, a mean breaking tensile strength of 904 MPa, mean breaking elongation of 6.4 %, and Young’s modulus of 28.6 GPa, respectively. It is evident that the thermal analysis of BPF was thermally sustainable up to 268 ◦C. The results ensure that the BPF is the anticipated reinforcement of fibre-reinforced composite materials. SEM images revealed that cross section of BPF sample and rugged surface along the length of the fibre. Novelty: The higher cellulose percentage content of BPF samples has significantly shown better mechanical behaviour and thermal stability. This characterization evidenced that it is an outstanding alternative natural cellulose fibre for Eleusine indica grass fibres, Saccharum Bengalense fibres, Leucas Aspera fibres, Catharanthus roseus fibres, and Tridax procumbens fibres and also for synthetic fibres. Keywords: Bismarck palm fibre; Natural cellulose fibre; Extraction; Characterization; Tensile strength

Microencapsulation of Lipases Produced by Dripping and Jet Break-Up for Biodiesel Production

A high-performance and scalable lipase immobilization method using a dipping and jet break-up technique was reported for the production of microcapsule biocatalysts with an entrapped cascade of lipase enzyme. The lipase from Candida antarctica (CALb) recombinant Aspergillus oryzae and from the vegetal of Jatropha curcas L. (var. Sevangel) in Morelos State of Mexico were entrapped by mixing with a sodium alginate biopolymer at different concentrations. The obtained microcapsules were hardened in a CaCl2 solution, aiming at developing Ca2+ alginate microbeads with sizes mostly from 220 to 300 μm. The relationship between the process variables with the shape and size of the alginate drops before and after the gelation was established with aid of optical image analysis. The results showed that a critical Ohnesorge number (Oh) &gt; 0.24 was required to form spherical microencapsulated beads. The biodiesel production via esterification/transesterification reaction was performed using the crude Jatropha curcas L. oil as feedstock in a batch reactor using lipase microcapsules as biocatalysts. Under the optimal reaction condition (ethanol-to-oil mass ratio: 10; water content 9.1 wt%, microencapsulated biocatalyst mass: 5.25 g, reaction temperature: 35 °C, pH of reaction mixture 7.5, stirring force 6 g), an approximately 95% fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) yield could be obtained. The biodiesel obtained from this work completely satisfied with the related ASTM D6751 and EN14214 standards. The microencapsulation technique reported herein allows the production of lipase microcapsules on a continuous large scale with the characteristics required for sustainable biofuel production and it can be also applied in other fields such as food processing and the pharmaceutical industry.

Interventional Oncolytic Immunotherapy with LTX-315 for Residual Tumor after Incomplete Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Cancer.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of interventional oncolytic immunotherapy with LTX-315 for residual tumors after incomplete radiofrequency ablation (iRFA) of VX2 liver tumors in a rabbit model. Methods: For in vitro experiments, VX2 tumor cells were treated with: (1) phosphate buffered saline, (2) radiofrequency hyperthermia (RFH), (3) LTX-315, and (4) RFH plus LTX-315. The residual tumors after iRFA of VX2 liver tumors were treated with: (1) phosphate buffered saline served as control, (2) 2 mg LTX-315, and (3) 4 mg LTX-315. MTS assay, fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry were used to compare cell viabilities and apoptosis among different groups. Ultrasound imaging was used to follow up the tumor growth, which were correlated with the optical imaging and subsequent histology. Results: For in vitro experiments, compared with the other three groups, MTS assay demonstrated the lowest cell viability, fluorescence microscopy showed the least survival cells, and apoptosis analysis revealed the highest percentage of apoptosis cells in the combination treatment groups (p < 0.001). For in vivo experiments, ultrasound imaging showed the smallest tumor volume in the group with 4 mg LTX-315 therapy compared with the other two groups (p < 0.001). The optical imaging and histopathological analysis showed complete necrosis of the tumors in the group with 4 mg LTX-315 therapy. A significant increase of CD8+ T cells and HSP70 and a significant decrease of Tregs were observed in residual tumors in the group with 2 mg LTX-315 therapy compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Interventional oncolytic immunotherapy with LTX-315 for residual tumors after iRFA of liver cancer is feasible, which may open up new avenues to prevent residual tumors after RFA of intermediate-to-large liver cancers.

Deep learning-based optical coherence tomography image analysis of human brain cancer.

Real-time intraoperative delineation of cancer and non-cancer brain tissues, especially in the eloquent cortex, is critical for thorough cancer resection, lengthening survival, and improving quality of life. Prior studies have established that thresholding optical attenuation values reveals cancer regions with high sensitivity and specificity. However, threshold of a single value disregards local information important to making more robust predictions. Hence, we propose deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained on labeled OCT images and co-occurrence matrix features extracted from these images to synergize attenuation characteristics and texture features. Specifically, we adapt a deep ensemble model trained on 5,831 examples in a training dataset of 7 patients. We obtain 93.31% sensitivity and 97.04% specificity on a holdout set of 4 patients without the need for beam profile normalization using a reference phantom. The segmentation maps produced by parsing the OCT volume and tiling the outputs of our model are in excellent agreement with attenuation mapping-based methods. Our new approach for this important application has considerable implications for clinical translation.