Search results for " OPT"

Dual-mode holographic microscopy imaging platform

2018

We report on a novel layout capable of dual-mode imaging in real time with different magnifications and resolution capabilities in lensless microscopy. The concept is based on wavelength multiplexing for providing two illuminations with different wavefront curvatures: one is collimated, allowing a large field of view (FOV) with a poor resolution limit, and the other is divergent, to achieve a better resolution limit (micron range) over a small FOV. Moreover, our recently reported concept of MISHELF microscopy [M. Sanz, J. Á. Picazo-Bueno, L. Granero, J. García and V. Micó, Sci. Rep., 2017, 7, 43291] is applied to the divergent illumination case, improving the image quality by noise averagin…

A study on time discretization and adaptive mesh refinement methods for the simulation of cancer invasion: The urokinase model

2016

In the present work we investigate a model that describes the chemotactically and proteolytically driven tissue invasion by cancer cells. The model is a system of advection-reaction-diffusion equations that takes into account the role of the serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator. The analytical and numerical study of such a system constitutes a challenge due to the merging, emerging, and traveling concentrations that the solutions exhibit. Classical numerical methods applied to this system necessitate very fine discretization grids to resolve these dynamics in an accurate way. To reduce the computational cost without sacrificing the accuracy of the solution, we apply adaptive…

Observation of elastic anisotropy in strained optical nanofibers using Brillouin spectroscopy

2019

Optical nanofibers (ONFs) are excellent nanophotonic platforms for many applications such as optical sensing, quantum photonics, and nonlinear optics, due to both tight optical confinement and their evanescent field. From an acoustic viewpoint, it has recently been reported the observation of a new class of Brillouin acoustic resonances in optical nanofibers, including hybrid shear/longitudinal acoustic waves (HAWs) and surface acoustic waves (SAWs) [1–2]. It has been later shown that, under axial tensile strain, the Brillouin frequency shifts (BFS) of these elastic resonances are fundamentally different from that of standard optical fibers [3]. This is principally due to the hybrid nature …

A systems-wide understanding of photosynthetic acclimation in algae and higher plants

2017

The ability of phototrophs to colonise different environments relies on robust protection against oxidative stress, a critical requirement for the successful evolutionary transition from water to land. Photosynthetic organisms have developed numerous strategies to adapt their photosynthetic apparatus to changing light conditions in order to optimise their photosynthetic yield, which is crucial for life on Earth to exist. Photosynthetic acclimation is an excellent example of the complexity of biological systems, where highly diverse processes, ranging from electron excitation over protein protonation to enzymatic processes coupling ion gradients with biosynthetic activity, interact on drasti…

Targeting of the Leishmania Mexicana cysteine protease CPB2.8 ΔCTE by decorated fused benzo[b] thiophene scaffold.

2016

A potent and highly selective anhydride-based inhibitor of Leishmania mexicana cysteine protease CPB2.8ΔCTE (IC50 = 3.7 μM) was identified. The details of the interaction of the ligand with the enzyme active site were investigated by NMR biomimetic experiments and docking studies. Results of inhibition assays, NMR and theoretical studies indicate that the ligand acts initially as a non-covalent inhibitor and later as an irreversible covalent inhibitor by chemoselective attack of CYS 25 thiolate to an anhydride carbonyl.

Do Brincar do Bebê ao Brincar da Criança: Um Estudo sobre o Processo de Subjetivação da Criança Autista

2018

RESUMO O brincar primitivo do bebê poderia nos revelar traços precoces de uma provável organização autística em curso na criança pequena? Em que medida o investimento do bebê face aos objetos do mundo externo e do ambiente poderia ser associado a suas primeiras experiências com o objeto materno? Tais questões são levantadas neste artigo, cujo principal objetivo é abordar o processo de subjetivação da criança autista a partir da correlação entre o brincar primitivo do bebê e o brincar simbólico da criança. Por meio de um estudo longitudinal de bebês com risco de autismo, constatou-se que, desde uma idade precoce, é possível detectar particularidades na maneira como eles investem e interagem …

2018

Purpose To establish a simplified three-dimensional (3D) meibomian gland culture model using a meibomian gland epithelial cell (HMGEC) line that might be a useful tool to gain deeper insights into meibomian gland dysfunction. For this purpose, 3D differentiation patterns and growth characteristics of HMGECs were studied on various membranes/scaffolds as well as in hanging drops. Methods Several types of inserts consisting of different materials (Millicell-HA, Millicell-PCF, ThinCert, and Alvetex) as well as hanging drop culture were analyzed. Culture conditions were optimized employing exposure to air (air-lift) and different cell culture media for a maximum of 28 days. To characterize cell…

Ophthalmological Findings in Mucopolysaccharidoses

2019

The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a heterogenous group of lysosomal storage disorders caused by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The accrual of these compounds results in phenotypically varied syndromes that produce multi-organ impairment with widespread systemic effects. The low incidence of MPS (approximately 1/25,000 live births) in conjunction with the high childhood mortality rate had limited the availability of research into certain clinical features, especially ocular manifestations. As the recent successes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) have greatly increased life expectancy in these patients, they have served a…

Photocatalytic Activity of Polymer Nanoparticles Modulates Intracellular Calcium Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species in HEK-293 Cells

2018

Optical modulation of living cells activity by light-absorbing exogenous materials is gaining increasing interest, due to the possibility both to achieve high spatial and temporal resolution with a minimally invasive and reversible technique and to avoid the need of viral transfection with light-sensitive proteins. In this context, conjugated polymers represent ideal candidates for photo-transduction, due to their excellent optoelectronic and biocompatibility properties. In this work, we demonstrate that organic polymer nanoparticles, based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) conjugated polymer, establish a functional interaction with an in vitro cell model (Human Embryonic Kidney cells, HEK-293). Th…

2020

Purpose To investigate the retinal nerve fiber layer profile measured by optical coherence tomography and its relation to refractive error and axial length. Methods The Gutenberg Health Study is a population-based study in Mainz, Germany. At the five-year follow-up examination, participants underwent optical coherence tomography, objective refraction and biometry. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) was segmented using proprietary software. The pRNFL profiles were compared between different refraction groups and the angle between the maxima, i.e., the peaks of pRNFL thickness in the upper and lower hemisphere (angle between the maxima of pRNFL thickness [AMR]) was computed. Mult…