Dataset of diatom abundances and diatom-inferred total phosphorus and electrical conductivity for Lake Tavatui (Middle Urals, Russi) over the last 11.7 cal ka BP.

This paper presents the diatom data on Holocene sediments of Lake Tavatui (Middle Urals, Russia). The dataset includes abundances of 160 diatom taxa and quantitative reconstructions of total phosphorus and electrical conductivity of lake water through more than 11.7 cal ka BP. Diatom identification was performed using a Mikmed 6 var. 7 microscope, bright-field oil immersion optics at 1000 × magnification. At least 500 valves were counted to determine the relative abundances in the assemblages (diatom total, percentage). Quantitative reconstructions of lake water parameters were obtained based on the diatom inference models developed by simple weighted averaging and weighted averaging partial least squares methods. The data make it possible to refine the Middle Urals palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and to determine the main natural and human drivers on the Lake Tavatui ecosystem development during the Holocene. These data are an integral part of the original research paper (Maslennikova, 2022). Lake Tavatui sediment samples and diatom slide collections presented in this paper are kept in the South Urals Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology, Urals Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia). This dataset can be used in the regional comparison over the Holocene, in the research focused on human and natural impact on lake ecosystems, and in the investigation of diatom species distribution.

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Based on the Data of Various Modalities: Biomarkers and Machine Learning Techniques (Review).

Schizophrenia is a socially significant mental disorder resulting frequently in severe forms of disability. Diagnosis, choice of treatment tactics, and rehabilitation in clinical psychiatry are mainly based on the assessment of behavioral patterns, socio-demographic data, and other investigations such as clinical observations and neuropsychological testing including examination of patients by the psychiatrist, self-reports, and questionnaires. In many respects, these data are subjective and therefore a large number of works have appeared in recent years devoted to the search for objective characteristics (indices, biomarkers) of the processes going on in the human body and reflected in the behavioral and psychoneurological patterns of patients. Such biomarkers are based on the results of instrumental and laboratory studies (neuroimaging, electro-physiological, biochemical, immunological, genetic, and others) and are successfully being used in neurosciences for understanding the mechanisms of the emergence and development of nervous system pathologies. Presently, with the advent of new effective neuroimaging, laboratory, and other methods of investigation and also with the development of modern methods of data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, a great number of scientific and clinical studies is being conducted devoted to the search for the markers which have diagnostic and prognostic value and may be used in clinical practice to objectivize the processes of establishing and clarifying the diagnosis, choosing and optimizing treatment and rehabilitation tactics, predicting the course and outcome of the disease. This review presents the analysis of the works which describe the correlates between the diagnosis of schizophrenia, established by health professionals, various manifestations of the psychiatric disorder (its subtype, variant of the course, severity degree, observed symptoms, etc.), and objectively measured characteristics/quantitative indicators (anatomical, functional, immunological, genetic, and others) obtained during instrumental and laboratory examinations of patients. A considerable part of these works has been devoted to correlates/biomarkers of schizophrenia based on the data of structural and functional (at rest and under cognitive load) MRI, EEG, tractography, and immunological data. The found correlates/biomarkers reflect anatomic disorders in the specific brain regions, impairment of functional activity of brain regions and their interconnections, specific microstructure of the brain white matter and the levels of connectivity between the tracts of various structures, alterations of electrical activity in various parts of the brain in different EEG spectral ranges, as well as changes in the innate and adaptive links of immunity. Current methods of data analysis and machine learning to search for schizophrenia biomarkers using the data of diverse modalities and their application during building and interpretation of predictive diagnostic models of schizophrenia have been considered in the present review.

In vivo monitoring of vascularization and oxygenation of tumor xenografts using optoacoustic microscopy and diffuse optical spectroscopy.

The research is devoted to comparison of the blood vessel structure and the oxygen state of three xenografts: SN-12C, HCT-116 and Colo320. Differences in the vessel formation and the level of oxygenation are revealed by optoacoustic (OA) microscopy and diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) respectively. The Colo320 tumor is characterized by the highest values of vessel size and fraction. DOS showed increased content of deoxyhemoglobin that led to reduction of saturation level for Colo320 as compared to other tumors. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis for CD31 demonstrates the higher number of vessels in Colo320. The IHC for hypoxia was consistent with DOS results and revealed higher values of the relative hypoxic fraction in Colo320.

Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells from Peripheral Blood Samples of Cancer Patients Using Microfluidic Technology.

The aim of the investigation was to study the potential of an innovative microfluidic technology for the isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the peripheral blood samples of cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 5 patients with disseminated malignant tumors of epithelial origin were processed with the use of the microfluidic technology (based on a specifically designed silicone chip). The cells were separated according to their density criterion based on the lateral migration of solid particles in a liquid due to inertial forces. With the help of the designed chip configuration, the cells over 13 µm in size which is larger than the standard size of blood cells were isolated. The resulting target cell fraction was stained by the Romanowsky-Giemsa method. Staining with the fluorescent Anti-Cytokeratin (CK3-6H5)-FITC antibody was carried out to confirm the epithelial nature of the cells, and the DAPI dye was used to contrast the nucleus. The blood of a healthy volunteer and tumor cells of the A549 line were used for the immunocytochemical studies. RESULTS: The tumor cells in peripheral blood (in the number of 1 to 9) were detected in all 5 patients. CTC clusters of 2-5 cells were identified in blood samples from the patients with laryngeal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and floor of the mouth cancer. A bright saturated staining of the A549 tumor cells was obtained using the Anti-Cytokeratin (CK3-6H5)-FITC antibody, corresponding to the staining of the cytoskeleton of epithelial cells. Successful nuclear staining with DAPI confirmed that the isolated target cells are not damaged during microfluidic separation. CONCLUSION: The microfluidic technology that has been used enables effective intact CTCs isolating from the peripheral blood of cancer patients. The epithelial nature of the isolated cells can be confirmed by immunocytochemical studies.

Diffuse optical spectroscopy assessment of rodent tumor model oxygen state after single-dose irradiation.

Modern radiation therapy of malignant tumors requires careful selection of conditions that can improve the effectiveness of the treatment. The study of the dynamics and mechanisms of tumor reoxygenation after radiation therapy makes it possible to select the regimens for optimizing the ongoing treatment. Diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) is among the methods used for non-invasive assessment of tissue oxygenation. In this work DOS was used forin vivoregistration of changes in oxygenation level of an experimental rat tumor after single-dose irradiation at a dose of 10 Gy and investigation of their possible mechanisms. It was demonstrated that in 24 h after treatment, tumor oxygenation increases, which is mainly due to an increase in the oxygen supply to the tissues. DOS is demonstrated to be efficient for study of changes in blood flow parameters when monitoring tumor response to therapy.

[The role of structural changes of the urinary bladder extracellular matrix in the occurrence of different grades of adverse events after radiation therapy].

AIM: To investigate the role of structural changes of the urinary bladder extracellular matrix in the occurrence of different grades of adverse events after radiation therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The connective tissue matrix was studied using 126 images obtained from the histological sections of the bladder biopsy specimens of 12 patients classified according to the clinical presentation and the grades of late bladder toxicity according to RTOG/EORTC Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Scheme. Control images of the normal bladder (n=23) were collected from the autopsy samples. We used nonlinear microscopy imaging method capturing the second harmonic generation (SHG) signal and two-photon excitation auto-fluorescence (TPEA). RESULTS: The findings of nonlinear microscopy of urinary bladder histological sections showed that the structural changes in the connective tissue differed depending on the grade of adverse events: grade II adverse events were associated with the preservation of the structure of collagen fibers and their compression, grade III adverse events caused pronounced disorganization of collagen fibers, blurring without a definite fiber direction. At the same time, in a normal bladder, the structure of collagen fibers was visualized; they had a spiral shape and in some areas were collected in bundles. Collagen fibers and bundles were loosely arranged and accompanied by elastic fibers. The findings suggest that the grade of urinary bladder radiation injury correlates with the data detected by nonlinear microscopy. DISCUSSION: The mosaic structure of radiation-induced alterations of the bladder tissue, even in the areas most affected by radiation (posterior bladder wall, bladder trigone, and bladder neck) indicates that patients with radiation-induced high-grade toxicity need comprehensive care designed to preserve the bladder functional reserves and capacity. The prevention of radiation-related adverse events before radiation therapy should be based on urologic care aimed to detect and treat chronic inflammatory diseases of the bladder and preserve its functional reserves. Another way to improve outcomes is to optimize the management of adverse events. CONCLUSION: The examination of bladder tissue specimens taken from different parts of the bladder carried out using nonlinear microscopy in the SHG and TPEA modes revealed that the degree of structural changes in the connective tissue matrix in the post-radiation period varies and correlates with the grades of the radiation bladder toxicity. The results of this study can be used to substantiate measures to prevent the onset of high-grade toxicity after radiation therapy of pelvic malignancies.

In-vivo longitudinal imaging of microvascular changes in irradiated oral mucosa of radiotherapy cancer patients using optical coherence tomography.

Mucositis is the limiting toxicity of radio(chemo)therapy of head and neck cancer. Diagnostics, prophylaxis and correction of this condition demand new accurate and objective approaches. Here we report on an in vivo longitudinal monitoring of the oral mucosa dynamics in 25 patients during the course of radiotherapy of oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancer using multifunctional optical coherence tomography (OCT). A spectral domain OCT system with a specially-designed oral imaging probe was used. Microvasculature visualization was based on temporal speckle variations of the full complex signal evaluated by high-pass filtering of 3D data along the slow scan axis. Angiographic image quantification demonstrated an increase of the vascular density and total length of capillary-like-vessels before visual signs or clinical symptoms of mucositis occur. Especially significant microvascular changes compared to their initial levels occurred when grade two and three mucositis developed. Further, microvascular reaction was seen to be dose-level dependent. OCT monitoring in radiotherapy offers a non-invasive, convenient, label-free quantifiable structural and functional volumetric imaging method suitable for longitudinal human patient studies, furnishing fundamental radiobiological insights and potentially providing useful feedback data to enable adaptive radiotherapy (ART).

[Perception of consonant and dissonant chords: changes in the power of the EEG evoked activity].

Human perception of dissonant and consonant chords was studied by analyzing brain evoked activity. It was found that the perception of dissonant chords was accompanied by activation of the right frontal lobe, which controls negative emotions. Consonant chords activated the left frontal region, which controls positive emotions.

[Noninvasive estimation of the oxygen state of experimental tumor by diffuse optical spectroscopy].

The potentialities of diffuse optical spectroscopy for the noninvasive estimation of the oxygen state of experimental tumors have been demonstrated. The distribution of total, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, as well as the level oxygen saturation of blood have been shown using two tumor models differing in the histological structure and functional characteristics. The results obtained by the optical method have been verified by immunohistochemical examination of tissue specimens with the exogenous hypoxia marker pimonidazole.

[Use of optical coherence tomography for prognosis of the severity of oral mucositis].

The results of oral mucosa monitoring by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the course of radiochemotherapy of 18 cases of oropharyngeal cancer are discussed. Damage to the mucosa was mainly assessed using contrast characteristics deterioration and reduction of epithelial layer thickness. Significant variation in OCT image characteristics was identified vs. mucositis grade and prognostic criteria for individual mucosal radiosensitivity worked out intact contrast on day 1 of mucositis should be interpreted as a sign of relatively mild complication. Blurred contrast would indicate mucositis stage III-IV development. Numerical analysis of OCT image patterns confirmed the contribution of the endothelial blood vessels and connecting tissue to radiation-induced damage to the mucosa.

[Potential of optical coherence tomography for diagnosing mucositis in cancer of the nasal cavity and throat in the course of radio- and chemoradiotherapy].

The monitoring data on mucosa of the nasal cavity and throat using optical coherence tomography imaging in 14 cases during radiochemotherapy are presented. Typical alterations such as reduction in contrast distinctions between tissue layers to an extent that it blurs down completely at the peak of radiation-related response are discussed. Due to use of the technique valuable information on individual response was obtained.