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In this Letter, we present a trimodality imaging system and an intravascular endoscopic probe for the detection of early-stage atherosclerotic plaques. The integrated system is able to acquire optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence, and ultrasound images and simultaneously display them in real time. A trimodality intravascular endoscopic probe of 1.2 mm in diameter and 7 mm in length was fabricated based on a dual-modality optical probe that integrates OCT and fluorescence imaging functions and a miniature ultrasound transducer. The probe is capable of rotating at up to 600 rpm. Ex vivo images from rabbit aorta and human coronary arteries showed that this combined system is capable of providing high resolution, deep penetration depth and specific molecular fluorescence contrast simultaneously.

Lipid deposition inside the arterial wall is a key indicator of plaque vulnerability. An intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) catheter is considered a promising device for quantifying the amount of lipid inside the arterial wall. Thus far, IVPA systems suffered from slow imaging speed (~50 s per frame) due to the lack of a suitable laser source for high-speed excitation of molecular overtone vibrations. Here, we report an improvement in IVPA imaging speed by two orders of magnitude, to 1.0 s per frame, enabled by a custom-built, 2-kHz master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA)-pumped, barium nitrite [Ba(NO3)2] Raman laser. This advancement narrows the gap in translating the IVPA technology to the clinical setting.

For the diagnosis of atherosclerosis, biomedical imaging techniques such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been developed. The combined use of IVUS and OCT is hypothesized to remarkably increase diagnostic accuracy of vulnerable plaques. We have developed an integrated IVUS-OCT imaging apparatus, which includes the integrated catheter, motor drive unit, and imaging system. The dual-function imaging catheter has the same diameter of current clinical standard. The imaging system is capable for simultaneous IVUS and OCT imaging in real time. Ex vivo and in vivo experiments on rabbits with atherosclerosis were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the integrated intravascular imaging modality.

OBJECTIVE: Combined use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a potential method for accurate assessment of plaques characteristics and vulnerability. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a fully integrated intracoronary OCT-IVUS imaging technique to visualize plaques in living animals. BACKGROUND: In vivo imaging of plaques by an integrated OCT-IVUS system has not been reported. METHODS: Simultaneous real-time OCT-IVUS imaging is performed using an integrated OCT-IVUS system and a single fully-integrated catheter with a 3.6F outer-diameter same as a commercial IVUS catheter. RESULTS: To verify in vivo imaging capability of this technique, five atherosclerotic-model rabbits and a swine were imaged. Images were obtained in these animals without complications. Linear regression shows a high correlation between rabbit plaque sizes determined from histology and OCT/IVUS estimated plaque sizes (R2=0.955, P

Armillaria sp. are traditional edible medicinal mushrooms with various health functions; however, the relationship between their composition and efficacy has not yet been determined. Here, the ethanol extract of liquid-cultured Armillaria ostoyae mycelia (AOME), a pure wild Armillaria sp. strain, was analyzed using UHPLC-QTOF/MS, network pharmacology, and molecular docking techniques. The obtained extract affects various metabolic pathways, such as JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT. The extract also contains important compounds such as 4-(dimethylamino)-N-[7-(hydroxyamino)-7-oxoheptyl] benzamide, isoliquiritigenin, and 7-hydroxycoumarin. Moreover, the extract targets key proteins, including EGFR, SCR, and IL6, to suppress the progression of gastric cancer, thereby synergistically inhibiting cancer development. The molecular docking analyses indicated that the main compounds stably bind to the target proteins. The final cell culture experimental data showed that the ethanol extract inhibited MGC-803 gastric cancer cells. In summary, our research revealed the beneficial components of AOME for treating gastric cancer and its associated molecular pathways. However, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety in gastric cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract.We developed a multimodality fluorescence and optical coherence tomography probe based on a double-clad fiber (DCF) combiner. The probe is composed of a DCF combiner, grin lens, and micromotor in the distal end. An integrated swept-source optical coherence tomography and fluorescence intensity imaging system was developed based on the combined probe for the early diagnoses of atherosclerosis. This system is capable of real-time data acquisition and processing as well as image display. For fluorescence imaging, the inflammation of atherosclerosis and necrotic core formed with the annexin V–conjugated Cy5.5 were imaged. Ex vivo imaging of New Zealand white rabbit arteries demonstrated the capability of the combined system.

The low hole injection efficiency severely constrains the operational capability of blue quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs). Constructing the structure of stepped energy levels is an effective approach to enhance the hole injection efficiency. Here, the dual hole injection structure is fabricated through the introduction of Ti3C2Tx film, in which its function is modulated by controlling the size of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. Benefitting from a matched Fermi energy of Ti3C2Tx film, the Ti3C2Tx‐modified devices achieve a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 15.89%, exhibiting a 67% increase compared to the reference devices with an EQE of 9.72%. The enhanced EQE can be attributed to the reduced energy barrier between indium tin oxide (ITO) and PEDOT:PSS, resulting from the incorporation of a Ti3C2Tx hole injection layer. In addition, the Ti3C2Tx layer effectively avoids the corrosion of the ITO electrode by acidic PEDOT:PSS, thereby enhancing the electrical stability of the ITO/PEDOT:PSS interface. The results provide a new approach to realize the high‐performance blue QLEDs devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low hole injection efficiency severely constrains the operational capability of blue quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs). Constructing the structure of stepped energy levels is an effective approach to enhance the hole injection efficiency. Here, the dual hole injection structure is fabricated through the introduction of Ti3C2Tx film, in which its function is modulated by controlling the size of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. Benefitting from a matched Fermi energy of Ti3C2Tx film, the Ti3C2Tx‐modified devices achieve a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 15.89%, exhibiting a 67% increase compared to the reference devices with an EQE of 9.72%. The enhanced EQE can be attributed to the reduced energy barrier between indium tin oxide (ITO) and PEDOT:PSS, resulting from the incorporation of a Ti3C2Tx hole injection layer. In addition, the Ti3C2Tx layer effectively avoids the corrosion of the ITO electrode by acidic PEDOT:PSS, thereby enhancing the electrical stability of the ITO/PEDOT:PSS interface. The results provide a new approach to realize the high‐performance blue QLEDs devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]