Spectroscopic Imaging Techniques Research Articles

Abstract 6054: Weight specific effects of hyaluronic acid on glioblastoma's energy metabolism and bio-molecular content

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer with inter and intra tumor heterogeneity and altered cell metabolism pathways. Developing multi-dimensional in vitro platforms can help explore different tumor micro-environments and can thus offer therapeutic opportunities. For a molecular-level understanding, non-destructive and label-free imaging techniques combined with in vitro tumor models offer discovery and automation potential for targeted studies. Here, we use the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging technique to profile biomolecular behavior of U87-MG GBM cell lines in a 2D culture in varied metabolic and tumor micro-environment conditions. As a micro-environmental cue, we chose to vary different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid (HA), a key component of brain’s extra-cellular matrix (ECM) and known to significantly influence cell-behavior. U87-MG cell lines were cultured for 72 hours in a DMEM supplemented with combinations of (i) glucose concentration: absent (0 mM), normal (5.5 mM) and elevated (25 mM) and (ii) molecular weights of 2 μg/ml HA: low (10 kDa)-LMW, medium (60 kDa)-MMW and high (500 kDa)-HMW. Fixed cells at different timepoints were imaged with FTIR and stained for HA-specific CD44 and RHAMM markers. Supernatant media was analyzed for metabolite expressions with LC/MS. FTIR study revealed that the Phosphate I/Amide II and Amide I/Amide II IR absorbance ratios were significantly influenced in the presence of 500 kDa HA. Visible differences in the phosphate (~1080 cm−1) and lipid (~2936 cm−1) intensities indicated signs of DNA breakages and changes in oxidative stress levels. Areas under the peaks representing α-helix (decrease) and β-sheet (increase) proteins revealed signs of protein denaturation in HMW HA cultures. These cultures also revealed elevated RHAMM expressions while the CD44 expression remained relatively unchanged. Metabolic profiling with LC/MS revealed an increase in metabolites like choline, histidine, and creatine, for cells cultured in the 0 mM glucose and HMW HA. Ornithine and Methionine remained relatively unaffected by the HA weight but showed some dependence on changing glucose levels. Proline and Tyrosine majorly showed HA weight-specific variations. Overall, this preliminary study has shown the impact of glucose and HA weight-specific effects on the biomolecular content and metabolic profiles of cancer cells. Most of the altered metabolite expressions seen are known to be involved in the Arginine-biosynthesis pathway which suggests a possible alteration in the same in response to environmental glucose and weight-specific HA levels. Further studies would involve the use of multi-dimensional hydrogel-cell models to assess variations in a more bio-mimetic surrounding. Highlighting altered metabolic pathways could help present novel therapeutic targets for future. Citation Format: Ashwin A. Bale, Brendan Harley, Rohit Bhargava. Weight specific effects of hyaluronic acid on glioblastoma's energy metabolism and bio-molecular content [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6054.

Studying Oral Tissue via Real-Time High-Resolution Terahertz Spectroscopic Imaging

Terahertz (THz) waves are extremely sensitive to water content and biological composition (proteins, genes, and metabolites), which are the key regulator of cancer development. Hence, the application of THz spectroscopy and imaging is promising in the field of biomedicine, especially in cancer diagnosis. Currently, the diagnosis of cancer patients (including tumor borders, tumor stage, etc.) mainly rely on optical microscope observation of pathological slices. The preparation of the slices is complicated and time consuming, and the microscopic field of view is small, which cannot effectively guide the precise removal of the tumor during the operation in time. To solve this problem, a label-free real-time high-resolution near-field THz spectroscopy imaging technique was developed. In this study, we successfully apply this technique to the oral tissue. Compared with conventional point-by-point scanning terahertz time-domain spectroscopy imaging, this technique can exhibit a real-time imaging rate (as high as 20 frames/s at 512 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 1024 pixels) and a field of view approximately 5 mm in diameter with a spatial resolution up to \ensuremath{\lambda}/10 at 1 THz in near-field condition. The experimental results show that the terahertz spectroscopic imaging in this paper can clearly detect and identify not only biological tissues with different components, but also normal and cancerous tissues, as well as tissues with the same composition but different slice directions. This work lays an experimental foundation for the application of THz spectroscopy imaging to rapid label-free intraoperative diagnosis, and it provides a basis for promoting the wide application of THz technology in the biomedical field.

Soil Salinity Assessing and Mapping Using Several Statistical and Distribution Techniques in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecosystems, Egypt

Oasis lands in Egypt are commonly described as salty soils; therefore, waterlogging and higher soil salinity are major obstacles to sustainable agricultural development. This study aims to map and assess soil salinization at El-Farafra Oasis in the Egypt Western Desert based on salinity indices, Imaging Spectroscopy (IS), and statistical techniques. The regression model was developed to test the relationship between the electrical conductivity (ECe) of 70 surface soil samples and seven salinity indices (SI 1, SI 2, SI 5, SI 6, SI 7, SI 8, and SI 9) to produce soil salinity maps depending on Landsat-8 (OLI) images. The investigations of soil salinization and salinity indices were validated in a studied area based on 30 soil samples; the obtained results represented that all salinity indices have shown satisfactory correlations between ECe values for each soil sample site and salinity indices, except for the SI 5 index that present non-significant correlations with R2 value of 0.2688. The SI 8 index shows a higher negative significant correlation with ECe and an R2 value of 0.6356. There is a significant positive correlation at the (p < 0.01) level between SI 9 and ECe (r = 0.514), a non-significant correlation at the (p < 0.05) level between soil ECe and SI 1 index (r = 0.495), and the best-verified salinity index was for SI 7 that has a low estimated RMSE error of 8.58. Finally, the highest standard error (R2) was represented as ECe (dS m−1) with an R2 of 0.881, and the lowest one was SI 9 with an R2 of 0.428, according to Tukey’s test analysis. Therefore, observing and investigating soil salinity are essential requirements for appropriate natural resource management plans in the future.

The performance difference of interdisciplinary teams in the field specific and general innovation tasks

Collaborative innovation in interdisciplinary teams is a collaborative approach to accomplish cooperative tasks and achieve innovative goals through a multidisciplinary intersection in the form of member combinations. The purpose of this study was to reveal the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on groups and individuals. Each group of subjects consisted of two people with and without a design background, who were asked to solve two realistic presented problems (RPP), and two design innovation tasks based on RPP adaptations. The study used hyperscanning of functional near-infrared spectroscopic (fNIRS) brain functional imaging techniques to simultaneously record the neural responses of interacting participants in each group. The study compared the innovation performance of interdisciplinary teams with design backgrounds in domain-specific versus domain-general innovation tasks, and the results showed differences in individual and group performance in different types of innovation tasks, with individual fluency being the most significant. The study may provide empirical evidence for the performance benefits of interdisciplinary teams in real-world collaborative co-innovation.

Ultrafast intermode parametric scattering dynamics in room-temperature polariton condensates

Parametric scattering dynamics are general and of crucial importance for cavity exciton polaritons. Here, parametric scattering process driven by exciton polariton condensates has been revealed in a 1D ZnO microcavity between the whispering-gallery mode and quasiwhispering-gallery mode. When the occupation of the produced polariton condensate is dense enough, polariton condensates formed on quasiwhispering-gallery mode can be scattered towards the ground state of the adjacent whispering-gallery modes at higher and lower energies. By using the femtosecond angle-resolved spectroscopic imaging technique, the ultrafast dynamics of this intermode polariton parametric scattering have been explicitly observed. The scattering towards a higher mode occurs faster than that to a lower-energy mode by less than a picosecond. The revealed dynamics can not only expand the present investigations on polariton parametric scattering, but also promote the potential applications in, e.g., quantum information processing.

Performance of micro-beam X-ray absorption spectroscopy at beamline 7.2W of Synchrotron Light Research Institute

The existing BL7.2W beamline at SLRI, initially developed for Macromolecular Crystallography, was upgraded with a Si-drift X-ray detector, sample micro-stage, and polycapillary X-ray lens to provide possibilities for experiments using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging and micro-beam X-ray absorption spectroscopy (μXAS) techniques. The micro X-ray beam was characterized. The beam diameter of approximately 25 μm was determined from the knife-edge scan method. The measured photon flux was 3.8 × 109, 1.8 × 109, and 6.4 × 108 photons/s for 8.0, 10.0, and 12.0 keV X-rays, respectively. Imaging XRF and μXAS measurements were successfully performed on a welding joint of oxygen-free high thermal conductivity copper and AISI304 stainless steel. This opens opportunities for SLRI users to utilize this new measurement setup for elemental and chemical characterizations of small areas on various samples.

Exploration of utility of combined optical photothermal infrared and Raman imaging for investigating the chemical composition of microcalcifications in breast cancer.

Microcalcifications play an important role in cancer detection. They are evaluated by their radiological and histological characteristics but it is challenging to find a link between their morphology, their composition and the nature of a specific type of breast lesion. Whilst there are some mammographic features that are either typically benign or typically malignant often the appearances are indeterminate. Here, we explore a large range of vibrational spectroscopic and multiphoton imaging techniques in order to gain more information about the composition of the microcalcifications. For the first time, we validated the presence of carbonate ions in the microcalcifications by O-PTIR and Raman spectroscopy at the same time, the same location and the same high resolution (0.5 μm). Furthermore, the use of multiphoton imaging allowed us to create stimulated Raman histology (SRH) images which mimic histological images with all chemical information. In conclusion, we established a protocol for efficiently analysing the microcalcifications by iteratively refining the area of interest.

Nanoscale heterogeneity of arsenic and selenium species in coal fly ash particles: analysis using enhanced spectroscopic imaging and speciation techniques.

Coal combustion byproducts are known to be enriched in arsenic (As) and selenium (Se). This enrichment is a concern during the handling, disposal, and reuse of the ash as both elements can be harmful to wildlife and humans if mobilized into water and soils. The leaching potential and bioaccessibility of As and Se in coal fly ash depends on the chemical forms of these elements and their association with the large variety of particles that comprise coal fly ash. The overall goal of this research was to determine nanoscale and microscale solid phase mineral associations and oxidation states of As and Se in fly ash. We utilized nanoscale 2D imaging (30-50 nm spot size) with the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) in combination with microprobe X-ray capabilities (∼5 μm resolution) to determine the As and Se elemental associations. Speciation of As and Se was also measured at the nano- to microscale with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The enhanced resolution of HXN showed As and Se as either diffusely located around or comingled with Ca- and Fe-rich particles. The results also showed nanoparticles of Se attached to the surface of fly ash grains. Overall, a comparison of As and Se species across scales highlights the heterogeneity and complexity of chemical associations for these trace elements of concern in coal fly ash.

Accurate prediction of isocitrate dehydrogenase -mutation status of gliomas using SLOW-editing magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 7 T MR.

2-hydroxy-glutarate (2HG) is a metabolite that accumulates in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated gliomas and can be detected noninvasively using MR spectroscopy. However, due to the low concentration of 2HG, established magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) techniques at the low field have limitations with respect to signal-to-noise and to the spatial resolution that can be obtained within clinically acceptable measurement times. Recently a tailored editing method for 2HG detection at 7 Tesla (7 T) named SLOW-EPSI was developed. The underlying prospective study aimed to compare SLOW-EPSI to established techniques at 7 T and 3 T for IDH-mutation status determination. The applied sequences were MEGA-SVS and MEGA-CSI at both field strengths and SLOW-EPSI at 7 T only. Measurements were performed on a MAGNETOM-Terra 7 T MR-scanner in clinical mode using a Nova 1Tx32Rx head coil and on a 3 T MAGNETOM-Prisma scanner with a standard 32-channel head coil. Fourteen patients with suspected glioma were enrolled. Histopathological confirmation was available in 12 patients. IDH mutation was confirmed in 9 out of 12 cases and 3 cases were characterized as IDH wildtype. SLOW-EPSI at 7 T showed the highest accuracy for IDH-status prediction (91.7% accuracy, 11 of the 12 predictions correct with 1 false negative case). At 7 T, MEGA-CSI had an accuracy of 58.3% and MEGA-SVS had an accuracy of 75%. At 3 T, MEGA-CSI showed an accuracy of 63.6% and MEGA-SVS of 33.3%. The co-edited cystathionine was detected in 2 out of 3 oligodendroglioma cases with 1p/19q codeletion. Depending on the pulse sequence, spectral editing can be a powerful tool for the noninvasive determination of the IDH status. SLOW-editing EPSI sequence is the preferable pulse sequence when used at 7 T for IDH-status characterization.

Local phonon imaging of AlN nanostructures with nanoscale spatial resolution.

We demonstrate local phonon analysis of single AlN nanocrystals by two complementary imaging spectroscopic techniques: tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) and nano-Fourier transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy. Strong surface optical (SO) phonon modes appear in the TERS spectra with their intensities revealing a weak polarization dependence. The local electric field enhancement stemming from the plasmon mode of the TERS tip modifies the phonon response of the sample, making the SO mode dominate over other phonon modes. The TERS imaging allows the spatial localization of the SO mode to be visualized. We were able to probe the angle anisotropy on the SO phonon modes in AlN nanocrystals with nanoscale spatial resolution. The excitation geometry and the local nanostructure surface profile determine the frequency position of SO modes in nano-FTIR spectra. An analytical calculation explains the behaviour of SO mode frequencies vs. tip position with respect to the sample.

Differences of the Polysaccharides in Kefir Grains from Different Origins Subcultured in Goat Milk

Polysaccharides are one of the major building blocks of traditional kefir grains, and their properties are often affected by the geographical origin and substrates used. After subculturing in goat milk for 4 months, spectroscopic, chromatographic, and microscopic imaging techniques were employed for the analysis of the structure of polysaccharides in kefir grains originated from different countries. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that all polysaccharides were classified into β-d-glucopyranose, and the sugar configuration was β-type. The particle size, molecular weight distributions, and thermal stability of the polysaccharides from kefir grains of CN and DE were apparently higher than those from the USA. The surface structure of polysaccharides in kefir grains of CN and DE was smoother than that of the one from the USA. The results of this study indicated that the molecular and conformational characteristics of polysaccharides were different for kefir grains originated from the three countries when subcultured in goat milk.

Evolution of paddy soil fertility in a millennium chronosequence based on imaging spectroscopy

It is essential for future security and soil sustainability to understand how soil fertility evolves under long-term anthropogenic influences. This study investigated the feasibility of laboratory-based imaging spectroscopy (IS) techniques to predict fertility properties (soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), pH) of soil profiles at different ages of rice planting. Three methods, support vector machine (SVM), partial least square regression (PLSR) and back propagation neural network (BPNN), were used to calibrate the models. The prediction performances of full-spectrum multivariate models and variable-selected (i.e., the bootstrapping soft shrinkage (BOSS) algorithm) optimization models were compared. The best models were used to map the fertility properties for every profile and the synthetic index for soil fertility of profiles were computed and used to quantify the soil fertility. And then the evolution of soil fertility was analyzed on a millennium scale. The results showed that the five fertility properties could be predicted and mapped for all profiles, and the BOSS-SVMR models performed better than other models. According to the independent validation results, SOM, TN, and pH were predicted well (R2≥ 0.82, RPIQ ≥ 3.37), and the prediction performance for TP and TK was acceptable (0.50 ≤ R2< 0.66, 2.02 ≤ RPIQ < 2.70). The vertical distribution of soil fertility at different rice-planting ages showed that the soil fertility in the surface layer (0–30 cm) was high and decreased gradually with depth, tending to be stable in the deeper layer (30–100 cm). Rice planting significantly improved surface soil fertility. The linear function fit the changes in soil fertility with planting age better than the power function, indicating that the soil fertility in this area may have a high capacity for improvement. It was concluded that IS technology could be applied to high-resolution mapping of fertility properties in the intact paddy soil profiles. These results can offer new insights on soil fertility evolution and future soil sustainability under long-term anthropogenic influences.

Non-Destructive Techniques for the Analysis and Evaluation of Meat Quality and Safety: A Review.

With the continuous development of economy and the change in consumption concept, the demand for meat, a nutritious food, has been dramatically increasing. Meat quality is tightly related to human life and health, and it is commonly measured by sensory attribute, chemical composition, physical and chemical property, nutritional value, and safety quality. This paper surveys four types of emerging non-destructive detection techniques for meat quality estimation, including spectroscopic technique, imaging technique, machine vision, and electronic nose. The theoretical basis and applications of each technique are summarized, and their characteristics and specific application scope are compared horizontally, and the possible development direction is discussed. This review clearly shows that non-destructive detection has the advantages of fast, accurate, and non-invasive, and it is the current research hotspot on meat quality evaluation. In the future, how to integrate a variety of non-destructive detection techniques to achieve comprehensive analysis and assessment of meat quality and safety will be a mainstream trend.

Chemical imaging of cellular ultrastructure by null-deflection infrared spectroscopic measurements

Nearfield spectroscopic imaging techniques can be a powerful tool to map both cellular ultrastructure and molecular composition simultaneously but are currently limited in measurement capability. Resonance enhanced (RE) atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopic imaging offers high-sensitivity measurements, for example, but probe-sample mechanical coupling, nonmolecular optical gradient forces, and noise overwhelm recorded chemical signals. Here, we analyze the key factors limiting AFM-IR measurements and propose an instrument design that enables high-sensitivity nanoscale IR imaging by combining null-deflection measurements with RE sensitivity. Our developed null-deflection scanning probe IR (NDIR) spectroscopic imaging provides ∼24× improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared with the state of the art, enables optimal signal recording by combining cantilever resonance with maximum laser power, and reduces background nonmolecular signals for improved analytical accuracy. We demonstrate the use of these properties for high-sensitivity, hyperspectral imaging of chemical domains in 100-nm-thick sections of cellular acini of a prototypical cancer model cell line, MCF-10A. NDIR chemical imaging enables facile recording of label-free, chemically accurate, high-SNR vibrational spectroscopic data from nanoscale domains, paving the path for routine studies of biomedical, forensic, and materials samples.

NIMG-105. DEUTERIUM METABOLIC IMAGING (DMI) DETECTS A LARGER WARBURG EFFECT IN HIGH-GRADE BRAIN TUMORS AND IN IDH WILD TYPE GLIOMAS

Abstract BACKGROUND The Warburg Effect (WE) is a metabolic change in which tumors favor glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation and has been linked to cancer aggressiveness. Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes in gliomas are associated with improved outcomes. We deployed a magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging technique coined Deuterium Metabolic Imaging (DMI) to measure the WE in multiple brain tumor types. METHODS Twenty-one patients underwent DMI, acquired on a Bruker 4T MR scanner after oral administration of 0.75g/kg of deuterated glucose. The WE was defined as the ratio of deuterated lactate, representing glycolysis, over deuterated glutamate and glutamine, representing oxidative phosphorylation. We devised an interval scale from 0 to 2 for the WE results. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed to detect differences between groups. RESULTS The WE measurements for the largest groups, by diagnosis, showed: glioblastoma (n= 9, mean= 1.67); astrocytoma, IDH-mutant, WHO grade 3 (n= 2, mean= 0.25); oligodendroglioma, WHO grade 3 (n= 3, mean= 0.5); low grade glioma, IDH-mutant (n= 2, mean= 0); and meningioma, WHO grade 2 (n= 2, mean= 0). The WE for high-grade tumors (n= 15, mean= 1.27) was significantly different from the WE for low-grade tumors (n= 5, mean= 0), with p= 0.010. The WE for IDH wild type gliomas (n= 9, mean= 1.67) was significantly different from the WE for IDH-mutant gliomas (n= 9, mean= 0.44), with p= 0.007. Analysis is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS DMI successfully and non-invasively detects the WE in many types of brain tumors. The WE was larger in high-grade tumors as compared to low-grade tumors, and the WE was larger in IDH wild type gliomas as compared to IDH-mutant gliomas. If validated with future studies, our results suggest that DMI is a useful tool to measure differences in the metabolism of brain tumors with different clinical behaviors.

Rare earth effect on laser produced plasma dynamics during pulsed laser deposition of doped cobalt ferrite

The addition of rare earth elements the ferrites can lead to significant changes in structural, magnetic and electric properties of bulk materials and also of thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition. The present study relies on the analysis of the laser induced plasma of three sets of cobalt ferrite targets doped with various concentrations of RE elements (Dy, Gd, Yb) and proposes a correlation of the derived results with structural investigations of the films obtained during the same experiment. ICCD imaging and space-and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy techniques were used to obtain information on the dynamics and excitation temperatures of various species found in the laser produced plasmas (LPP). Initial investigations on the global behavior of the LPP revealed that the addition of RE reduced the drift velocities of the formed plasma structures, the lowest ones being observed for the targets doped with the heaviest RE (Yb). Space-and time-resolved spectroscopy measurements applied for all main elements (Fe, Co and RE - both neutral and ionic species) showed a complex dynamic system, with decreased/increased kinetic energies for neutrals/ions at high dopant concentrations, suggesting a possible re-sputtering effect at the films surface. The individual excitation temperatures of the main elements derived from Boltzmann plots increased as the RE content was augmented via radiative collision events due to their larger diameters compared with Co, Fe or O. The spatial distribution of electron temperature can be explained by the charge separation occurring with the addition of RE in the investigated systems.

Optical imaging spectroscopy coupled with machine learning for detecting heavy metal of plants: A review.

Heavy metal elements, which inhibit plant development by destroying cell structure and wilting leaves, are easily absorbed by plants and eventually threaten human health via the food chain. Recently, with the increasing precision and refinement of optical instruments, optical imaging spectroscopy has gradually been applied to the detection and reaction of heavy metals in plants due to its in-situ, real-time, and simple operation compared with traditional chemical analysis methods. Moreover, the emergence of machine learning helps improve detection accuracy, making optical imaging spectroscopy comparable to conventional chemical analysis methods in some situations. This review (a): summarizes the progress of advanced optical imaging spectroscopy techniques coupled with artificial neural network algorithms for plant heavy metal detection over ten years from 2012-2022; (b) briefly describes and compares the principles and characteristics of spectroscopy and traditional chemical techniques applied to plants heavy metal detection, and the advantages of artificial neural network techniques including machine learning and deep learning techniques in combination with spectroscopy; (c) proposes the solutions such as coupling with other analytical and detection methods, portability, to address the challenges of unsatisfactory sensitivity of optical imaging spectroscopy and expensive instruments.

Sub-pixel energy-weighting techniques for metallic contaminant highlighting in a pharmaceutical hard capsule using a Timepix3 CdZnTe hybrid pixel detector

The presented work describes the capabilities of a state-of-the-art spectroscopic photon-counting hybrid pixel detector for use in non-destructive testing, as a contaminant detector with potential uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries. A pharmaceutical hard capsule containing vitamin powder, contaminated with Steel (ST) and Tungsten (W) was prepared under controlled conditions. Both contaminants are distinguished from the powder by combining sub-pixel imaging with spectroscopic imaging analysis, made possible by the use of a 2 mm CdZnTe sensor coupled to a Timepix3 ASIC, operated in Time-over-Threshold and Time-of-Arrival mode. The sub-pixelization technique achieves a spatial resolution of 18.3 μm, with a maximum photon flux of 2.5× 106 photons/s· cm2. For the spectral analysis technique implemented, each energy bin image is energy-weighted, with weights optimally defined by considering the bin contrast and noise behavior, and combined to form an integrated-spectrum enhanced image with increased contaminant visibility. Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) for each contaminant type was used for performance assessment of the approach. A CNR increase of 106% above the reference unweighted-spectrum image was achieved for the ST contaminant, while the denser W contaminant showed a CNR increase of 80%. This means that the presented spectroscopic imaging technique is feasible for implementation in material visibility enhancement.

Cerebellar GABA Change during Visuomotor Adaptation Relates to Adaptation Performance and Cerebellar Network Connectivity: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Study.

Motor adaptation is crucial for performing accurate movements in a changing environment and relies on the cerebellum. Although cerebellar involvement has been well characterized, the neurochemical changes in the cerebellum underpinning human motor adaptation remain unknown. We used a novel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) technique to measure changes in the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the human cerebellum during visuomotor adaptation. Participants (n = 17, six female) used their right hand to adapt to a rotated cursor in the scanner, compared with a control task requiring no adaptation. We spatially resolved adaptation-driven GABA changes at the cerebellar nuclei and cerebellar cortex in the left and the right cerebellar hemisphere independently and found that simple right-hand movements increase GABA in the right cerebellar nuclei and decreases GABA in the left. When isolating adaptation-driven GABA changes, we found that GABA in the left cerebellar nuclei and the right cerebellar nuclei diverged, although GABA change from baseline at the right cerebellar nuclei was not different from zero at the group level. Early adaptation-driven GABA fluctuations in the right cerebellar nuclei correlated with adaptation performance. Participants showing greater GABA decrease adapted better, suggesting early GABA change is behaviorally relevant. Early GABA change also correlated with functional connectivity change in a cerebellar network. Participants showing greater decreases in GABA showed greater strength increases in cerebellar network connectivity. Results were specific to GABA, to adaptation, and to the cerebellar network. This study provides first evidence for plastic changes in cerebellar neurochemistry during motor adaptation. Characterizing these naturally occurring neurochemical changes may provide a basis for developing therapeutic interventions to facilitate human motor adaptation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite motor adaptation being fundamental to maintaining accurate movements, its neurochemical basis remains poorly understood, perhaps because measuring neurochemicals in the human cerebellum is technically challenging. Using a novel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging method, this study provides evidence for GABA changes in the left compared with the right cerebellar nuclei driven by both simple movement and motor adaptation. Although right cerebellar GABA changes were not significantly different from zero at the group level, the adaptation-driven GABA fluctuations in the right cerebellar nuclei correlated with adaptation performance and with functional connectivity change in a cerebellar network. These results show the first evidence for plastic changes in cerebellar neurochemistry during a cerebellar learning task. This provides the basis for developing therapeutic interventions that facilitate these naturally occurring changes to amplify cerebellar-dependent learning.

In Situ FTIR Spectroscopic Imaging of Asphaltene Deposition from Crude Oil under n-Heptane and Acetone Flows

Asphaltene deposition from crude oil, induced by n-heptane and acetone flows in a microfluidic device, was studied by optical and FTIR spectroscopic imaging techniques in situ. It was found that n-heptane and acetone penetrate crude oil in completely different ways, which is responsible for the formation of deposits with different structures and chemical compositions. The contact of the n-heptane flow with crude oil leads to fast aggregation of asphaltenes at the interface, resulting in the formation of a compact deposit fixed to the surface. Subsequent slow diffusion of n-heptane into crude oil causes asphaltene aggregation and precipitation of loose deposits. In the case of acetone, the flocculant diffuses (faster than n-heptane) into crude oil, which results in removal of its soluble components and in the formation of deposits appearing as strips as well. The distribution of the functional groups (–OH(NH), CH2–CH3, C=O, C–O, S=O) in the deposits is spatially heterogeneous. The asphaltenes deposits formed at the flocculant-crude oil interface are richer in the functional groups than those formed during diffusion. No carbonyl groups were revealed in the deposits formed in the acetone flow, while oxygen-containing groups such as –OH(NH) and S=O were present, which was an unusual result.