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Abstract Cytopathology, crucial in disease diagnosis, commonly uses microscopic slides to scrutinize cellular abnormalities. However, processing high volumes of samples often results in numerous negative diagnoses, consuming significant time and resources in healthcare. To address this challenge, a surface acoustic wave‐enhanced multi‐view acoustofluidic rotation cytometry (MARC) technique is developed for pre‐cytopathological screening. MARC enhances cellular morphology analysis through comprehensive and multi‐angle observations and amplifies subtle cell differences, particularly in the nuclear‐to‐cytoplasmic ratio, across various cell types and between cancerous and normal tissue cells. By prioritizing MARC‐screened positive cases, this approach can potentially streamline traditional cytopathology, reducing the workload and resources spent on negative diagnoses. This significant advancement enhances overall diagnostic efficiency, offering a transformative vision for cytopathological screening.

Abstract Background Blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a crucial but dynamic structure that functions as a gatekeeper for the central nervous system (CNS). Managing sufficient substances across the BBB is a major challenge, especially in the development of therapeutics for CNS disorders. Methods To achieve an efficient, fast and safe strategy for BBB opening, an acoustofluidic transwell (AFT) was developed for reversible disruption of the BBB. The proposed AFT was consisted of a transwell insert where the BBB model was established, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer realized using open-source electronics based on printed circuit board techniques. Results In the AFT device, the SAW produced acousto-mechanical stimulations to the BBB model resulting in decreased transendothelial electrical resistance in a dose dependent manner, indicating the disruption of the BBB. Moreover, SAW stimulation enhanced transendothelial permeability to sodium fluorescein and FITC-dextran with various molecular weight in the AFT device. Further study indicated BBB opening was mainly attributed to the apparent stretching of intercellular spaces. An in vivo study using a zebrafish model demonstrated SAW exposure promoted penetration of sodium fluorescein to the CNS. Conclusions In summary, AFT effectively disrupts the BBB under the SAW stimulation, which is promising as a new drug delivery methodology for neurodegenerative diseases. Graphical Abstract

This article analyzes the material assistance that Lithuanian Catholic organizations in the diaspora and persons closely associated with them rendered to Lithuania in its breakthrough period from 1990 to 1993. We describe the extent, directions, motives, and goals of this assistance together with the way changes in Lithuania's political circumstances affected the development of Catholic aid. Our emphasis is on the persons who organized this aid; their methods of fund-raising and of administering that assistance; the quantities of aid involved; the cooperation between organizations and people in the diaspora and aid recipients, distributors, and organizers in Lithuania itself; and the aid-related activities of the Ateitininkai organization, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid, and assorted individual benefactors. Our research conclusions are based on unstructured interviews with Gintė Damušis, Salvijus Kungys, Rimantas Gudelis, Vidas Abraitis, Liutauras Serapinas, Vytautas Steponas Vaičiūnas, Antanas Saulaitis, Robertas Grigas, and Sister Barbara Valuckas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of investigations addressing the accumulation of heavy metals in different layers of the Lake Talkša, Lithuania. For the sampling from the ice of intact structure of the sediment the turf borer was used. Concentrations of these heavy metals in sapropel layers were determined in the extracts of sapropel. After the preparation of samples, the concentration of Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn and Cu were measured in the laboratory by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed that sapropel taken from the northern shores of Talkša Lake is stratified according to LAND 20-2005 and should be classified as sludge of I and II category. Based on the concentration of Pb, Ni, Zn, Cu, sapropel should be classified as I category. However, according to the maximum concentrations of Cr (257.5 mg/kg) detected in the upper horizon of the sludge, sapropel should be considered as of IInd category. Within other horizons, sapropel is not contaminated with heavy metals, while metal concentrations could be treated as trace elements. Sapropel recovered from this part of the lake could be exploited by excavation and widely used for various economic needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronics & Electrical Engineering is the property of Electronics & Electrical Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Electronics & Electrical Engineering is the property of Electronics & Electrical Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Measurements is the property of Metrology Institute of Kaunas University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the minimization of power loss in the horizontal deflection output stage transistor. The high-voltage bipolar transistors of large power are used in the monitors and receivers, with the kinescopes of colored image in the final stage of horizontal deflection. Since they have a small factor of amplification, base current must be comparatively large and they will change according to the complex law.

The article focuses on the peculiarities of sound field in a classroom simulation. As claimed, the noise level and classroom characteristics should be in such a way that speech produced by lecturers and students would intelligible and comprehensible. And to determine whether there is intelligibility in every speech made by students, three speech intelligibility measurement are suggested; methods that use the acoustical energy ratio concept, the available acoustical energy and a detrimental part.

Cytopathology, crucial in disease diagnosis, commonly uses microscopic slides to scrutinize cellular abnormalities. However, processing high volumes of samples often results in numerous negative diagnoses, consuming significant time and resources in healthcare. To address this challenge, a surface acoustic wave-enhanced multi-view acoustofluidic rotation cytometry (MARC) technique is developed for pre-cytopathological screening. MARC enhances cellular morphology analysis through comprehensive and multi-angle observations and amplifies subtle cell differences, particularly in the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, across various cell types and between cancerous and normal tissue cells. By prioritizing MARC-screened positive cases, this approach can potentially streamline traditional cytopathology, reducing the workload and resources spent on negative diagnoses. This significant advancement enhances overall diagnostic efficiency, offering a transformative vision for cytopathological screening., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted nanostructures that play various roles in critical cancer processes. They operate as an intercellular communication system, transferring complex sets of biomolecules from cell to cell. The concentration of EVs is difficult to decipher, and there is an unmet technological need for improved (faster, simpler, and gentler) approaches to isolate EVs from complex matrices. Herein, an acoustofluidic concentration of extracellular vesicles (ACEV) is presented, based on a thin-film printed circuit board with interdigital electrodes mounted on a piezoelectric substrate. An angle of 120° is identified between the electrodes and the reference flat of the piezoelectric substrate for simultaneous generation of Rayleigh and shear horizontal waves. The dual waves create a complex acoustic field in a droplet, resulting in effective concentration of nanoparticles and EVs. The ACEV is able to concentrate 20 nm nanospheres within 105 s and four EV dilutions derived from the human prostate cancer (Du145) cell line in approximately 30 s. Cryo-electron microscopy confirmed the preservation of EV integrity. The ACEV device holds great potential to revolutionize investigations of EVs. Its faster, simpler, and gentler approach to EV isolation and concentration can save time and effort in phenotypic and functional studies of EVs., (© 2023 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)