Previous evidence suggested that lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) was a variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), thus the aim of the current study is to quantify structural changes in histological specimens taken from HT and LT patients. A total of 600 images containing a single lymphocyte nucleus (300 nuclei per group) were obtained from 20 patients with HT and LT. In order to quantify changes in the nuclear architecture of investigated lymphocytes, the fractal dimension (FD) and some gray-level co-occurrence matrix texture parameters (angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, entropy, and correlation) were calculated for each nucleus. A statistically significant difference in the FD of the “binary-outlined” nucleus and that of the corresponding “black-and-white” nucleus was detected between HT and LT lymphocyte nuclei. In addition, there was also a statistically significant difference in contrast and correlation between HT and LT lymphocyte nuclei. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that there was a difference in structural complexity between investigated lymphocyte nuclei; additionally, LT lymphocytes possessed probably more complex texture and larger variations as well as more asymmetrical nuclei compared with HT lymphocytes. Accordingly, these findings indicate that LT is probably not a variant of HT; however, more complex studies are necessary to estimate differences between these types of thyroiditis.

This study investigated the histomorphological features of developing rabbit respiratory acini during the postnatal period. On the 1st day of postnatal life, the epithelium of terminal bronchiole consisted of clear cells which intercalated between few ciliated and abundant non-ciliated (Clara) cells. At this age, the rabbit lung was in the alveolar stage. The terminal bronchioles branched into several alveolar ducts, which opened into atria that communicated to alveolar sacs. All primary and secondary inter-alveolar septa were thick and showed a double-capillary network (immature septa). The primitive alveoli were lined largely by type-I pneumocytes and mature type-II pneumocytes. The type-I pneumocytes displayed an intimate contact with the endothelial cells of the blood capillaries forming the blood–air barrier (0.90 ± 0.03 µm in thickness). On the 3rd day, we observed intense septation and massive formation of new secondary septa giving the alveolar sac a crenate appearance. The mean thickness of the air–blood barrier decreased to reach 0.78 ± 0.14 µm. On the 7th day, the terminal bronchiole epithelium consisted of ciliated and non-ciliated cells. The non-ciliated cells could be identified as Clara cells and serous cells. New secondary septa were formed, meanwhile the inter-alveolar septa become much thinner and the air–blood barrier thickness was 0.66 ± 0.03 µm. On the 14th day, the terminal bronchiole expanded markedly and the pulmonary alveoli were thin-walled. Inter-alveolar septa become much thinner and single capillary layers were observed. In the 1st month, the secondary septa increased in length forming mature cup-shaped alveoli. In the 2nd month, the lung tissue grew massively to involve the terminal respiratory unit. In the 3rd month, the pulmonary parenchyma appeared morphologically mature. All inter-alveolar septa showed a single-capillary layer, and primordia of new septa were also observed. The thickness of the air–blood barrier was much thinner; 0.56 ± 0.16 µm. TUNEL assay after birth revealed that the apoptotic cells were abundant and distributed in the epithelium lining of the pulmonary alveoli and the interstitium of the thick interalveolar septa. On the 7th day, and onward, the incidence of apoptotic cells decreased markedly. This study concluded that the lung development included two phases: the first phase (from birth to the 14th days) corresponds to the period of bulk alveolarization and microvascular maturation. The second phase (from the 14th days to the full maturity) corresponds to the lung growth and late alveolarization.

This work focuses on the application of nanoindentation measurements and the finite element method for analyzing the mechanical properties of the rostrum of the outstanding driller Cyrtotrachelus buqueti Guer. Nanoindentation tests were carried out to measure the Young's modulus and hardness of the rostrum, with the results for the “dry” samples being 13.886 ± 0.75 and 0.368 ± 0.0445 GPa, respectively. The values for the “fresh” samples showed no clear difference from those of the “dry” ones. Moreover, field observation was conducted to determine the motion behaviors of the rostrum on the weevil. Micro-computed tomography technology was employed to obtain structural information about the rostrum, using 9 µm slices. A real three-dimensional model of the rostrum was created using the MIMICS application. Finally, the mechanical properties of the rostrum were determined by finite element analysis. It was concluded that the rostrum provides an ideal biological template for the design of biocomposite materials and lightweight tube-shaped structures. The properties determined in this study can potentially be applied in different fields, such as in the design of automotive hybrid transmission shafts, helicopter tail drive shafts, robotic arms, and other sandwich structures in aerospace engineering.

The adsorption of intact liposomes on surfaces is of great importance for the development of sensors and drug delivery systems and, also, strongly dependent on the surface roughness where the liposomes are adsorbed. In this paper, we analyzed, by using atomic force microscopy in liquid, the evolution of the morphology of gold surfaces and of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) surfaces with different roughness during the adsorption of liposomes prepared with the synthetic phospholipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)]. Our results reveal the following. On smooth surfaces of Au only and Au with PAH, the liposomes open and deploy on the substrate, creating a supported-lipid bilayer, with the opening process being faster on the Au/PAH surface. On rough substrates of Au coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers, the liposomes were adsorbed intact on the surface. This was corroborated by power spectral density analysis that demonstrates the presence of superstructures with an average lateral size of 43 and 87 nm, in accordance with two and four times the mean liposome hydrodynamic diameter of about 21 nm. In addition, this work presents an adequate and effective methodology for analysis of adsorption phenomena of liposomes on rough surfaces.

A mineral, mimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl, is one of the most insoluble minerals and continues to be considered a viable remedial strategy for immobilization of Pb and As from contaminated soils. It has been recognized that many well-known, naturally-occurring, and synthetic chelators strongly influence dissolution processes in near-surface geological environments. In this study, crystals of mimetite were observed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) before and after dissolution in EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) solution. Direct in situ observations at room temperature made in an AFM fluid cell revealed that the grain surface roughness has increased due to development of etch pits. Both hexagonal and prismatic walls developed dissolution features between 0.6 and 1.2 µm, respectively, during duration of the experiment. AFM observations suggest surface-controlled dissolution dominated step retrieval on both prismatic and hexagonal surfaces. SEM observations showed the development of rounded edges on hexagonal walls and elongated, oval etch pits on the prismatic wall. These results, representing early dissolution patterns on mimetite surfaces, might suggest that low pH conditions in soils containing organic acids similar to EDTA might contribute to remobilization of Pb and As from mimetite when applied to stabilization of these toxic metals in contaminated soils.

The structural details of chromosomes have been of interest to researchers for many years, but how the metaphase chromosome is constructed remains unsolved. Divalent cations have been suggested to be required for the organization of chromosomes. However, detailed information about the role of these cations in chromosome organization is still limited. In the current study, we investigated the effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ depletion and the reversibility upon re-addition of one of the two ions. Human chromosomes were treated with different concentrations of Ca2+and Mg2+. Depletion of Ca2+ and both Ca2+ and Mg2+ were carried out using 1, 2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), respectively. Chromosome structure was examined by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that chromosome structures after treatment with a buffer without Mg2+, after Ca2+ depletion, as well as after depletion of both Mg2+, and Ca2+, yielded fewer compact structures with fibrous chromatin than those without cation depletion. Interestingly, the chromatin of EDTA-treated chromosomes reversed to their original granular diameters after re-addition of either Mg2+ or Ca2+ only. These findings signify the importance of divalent cations on the chromosome structure and suggest the interchangeable role of Ca2+ and Mg2+.

Tibetan mural samples from the Jiazhaer mountain cave were studied using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM). Samples containing protein binders were first identified using ELISA, and then IFM was used to determine the location of protein binders. Using these methods, we discovered gelatin and casein in samples from wall murals, distributed in both red and black pigments. We excluded the possibility of contamination by conducting further experiments where simulated samples were spiked with milk. We conclude that both gelatin and casein were used as binders in the pigments of the Tibetan Buddhist murals in the Jiazhaer (Transliteration from Tibetan) mountain cave. This is the first evidence of casein being used as a binder in Chinese mural pigments.