Low-cost heat assisted ambient ionization source for mass spectrometry in food and pharmaceutical screening.

Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry (AI-MS) techniques have revolutionized analytical chemistry by enabling rapid analysis of samples under atmospheric conditions with minimal to no preparation. In this study, the optimization of a cold atmospheric plasma for the analysis of food and pharmaceutical samples, liquid and solid, using a Heat-Assisted Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization (HA-DBDI) source is described. A significant enhancement in analyte signals was observed when a heating element was introduced into the design, potentially allowing for greater sensitivity. Furthermore, the synergy between the inlet temperature of the mass spectrometer and the heating element allows for precise control over the analytical process, leading to improved detection sensitivity and selectivity. Incorporating computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations into the study elucidated how heating modifications can influence gas transport properties, thereby facilitating enhanced analyte detection and increased signal intensity. These findings advance the understanding of HA-DBDI technology and provide valuable insights for optimizing AI-MS methodologies for a wide range of applications in food and pharmaceutical analysis.

Combined anti-angiogenic and cytotoxic treatment of a solid tumour: in silico investigation of a xenograft animal model's digital twin.

Anti-angiogenic (AA) treatments have received significant research interest due to the key role of angiogenesis in cancer progression. AA agents can have a strong effect on cancer regression, by blocking new vessels and reducing the density of the existing vasculature. Moreover, in a process termed vascular normalisation, AA drugs can improve the abnormal structure and function of the tumour vasculature, enhancing the delivery of chemotherapeutics to the tumour site. Despite their promising potential, an improved understanding of AA treatments is necessary to optimise their administration as a monotherapy or in combination with other cancer treatments. In this work we present an in silico multiscale cancer model which is used to systematically interrogate the role of individual mechanisms of action of AA drugs in tumour regression. Focus is placed on the reduction of vascular density and on vascular normalisation through a parametric study, which are considered either as monotherapies or in combination with conventional/ metronomic chemotherapy. The model is specified to data from a mammary carcinoma xenograft in immunodeficient mice, to enhance the physiological relevance of model predictions. Our results suggest that conventional chemotherapy might be more beneficial when combined with AA treatments, hindering tumour growth without causing excessive damage on healthy tissue. Notably, metronomic chemotherapy has shown significant potential in stopping tumour growth with minimal toxicity, even as a monotherapy. Our findings underpin the potential of our in silico framework for non-invasive and cost-effective evaluation of treatment strategies, which can enhance our understanding of combined therapeutic strategies and contribute towards improving cancer treatment management.

A new modality for minimally invasive CO2 laser surgery: flexible hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers have become one of the most common surgical lasers due to excellent tissue interaction properties that offer precise control of cutting and ablation depth, minimal thermal damage to surrounding tissue, and good hemostasis. However, realization of the benefits offered by using surgical CO2 lasers in many endoscopic, minimally invasive surgical procedures has been inhibited by the absence of reliable, flexible fiber laser beam delivery systems. Recently, novel hollow-core photonic bandgap optical fibers for CO2 lasers were developed that offer high flexibility and mechanical robustness with good optical performance under tight bends. These fibers can be used through rigid and flexible endoscopes and various handpieces and will allow surgeons to perform delicate and precise laser surgery procedures in a minimally invasive manner. This paper describes the basic design of laser beam delivery system, different surgical fiber designs and their characteristics, and usage with existing surgical CO2 laser models. A few examples of successful CO2 laser surgeries performed with these fibers are presented.

Transverse instability of incoherent solitons in Kerr media.

We calculate the growth rate of the small-amplitude perturbations superimposed on a one-dimensional soliton that is fully coherent in the self-trapping dimension, yet uniform and partially incoherent in the other transverse dimension. Such solitons become transversely stable only if the correlation distance is below a specific threshold value. We show that this threshold for transverse instability fully coincides with the threshold value for modulational instability.