scholarly journals Biospeckle Optical Coherence Tomography (bOCT) in the Speedy Assessment of the Responses of the Seeds of Raphanus sativus L. (Kaiware Daikon) to Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Danyang Li ◽  
Uma Maheswari Rajagopalan ◽  
Y. Sanath K. De Silva ◽  
Fenwu Liu ◽  
Hirofumi Kadono
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Short Time

The extraction of mineral resources from mines plays a vital role in global socio-economic development. However, acid mine drainage (AMD) has been one of the major pollutants, and a vast area of the agricultural fields has been polluted. Therefore, techniques for monitoring the response of plants to AMD that arise during mineral extraction are necessary. In addition, such a technique becomes especially valuable to understand how the plants could play a role in the phytoremediation of AMD. We propose the use of biospeckle Optical Coherence Tomography (bOCT) to investigate the response of Kaiware daikon seeds under the exposure to simulated AMD at two different concentrations of 40 mL/L and 80 mL/L. OCT images of the Kaiware daikon seed were obtained at a speed of 10 frames per second (1 frame: 512 × 2048 pixels) for a few tens of seconds. For each pixel of the OCT structural images, the contrast across the temporal axis was calculated to give biospeckle contrast OCT images (bOCT images). It was found that bOCT images clearly distinguished the changes due to 40 mL/L and 80 mL/L of AMD treatments from the control within a short time of around an hour, compared to the conventional OCT images that failed to show any changes. This variation was found to be statistically significant and could reflect the internal activity of the seeds. The proposed bOCT method could be a rapid, non-invasive technique for screening suitable plants in AMD phytoremediation applications.

scholarly journals Governance and socio-political issues in management of acid mine drainage in South Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-89
Author(s):  
Charles Mpofu ◽  
Thabiso John Morodi ◽  
Johan Petrus Hattingh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Black Economic Empowerment ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Abstract The water resources in South Africa are threatened by current and past mining practices such as abandoned and closed mines. While mining is considered valuable for its contribution to this country's gross domestic product, its polluting effects on water and land resources have been criticised as unsustainable. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one specific public health and ecological issue that has stirred debates in political and social circles in this country. This paper examines the scalar politics and other related dimensions of water and AMD governance, thereby revealing evidence of deep-rooted challenges regarding the governance of water and mineral resources. The specific focus is on the socio-political context of labour laws and Black Economic Empowerment and the decision-making processes adopted by government. Thus, this paper has implications for the improvement of environmental governance and decision-making strategies and the adoption of a national strategy for adequately addressing AMD and related policy issues.

scholarly journals Optical coherence tomography imaging of oral mucosa bullous diseases: a preliminary study

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 20190071
Author(s):  
Dario Di Stasio ◽  
Dorina Lauritano ◽  
Francesca Loffredo ◽  
Enrica Gentile ◽  
Fedora Della Vella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Oral Mucosa ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Pemphigus Vulgaris ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Bullous Diseases ◽  
Subepithelial Layer

Objectives: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive technique based on optical imaging with a micrometre resolution. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential role of OCT in evaluating oral mucosa bullous diseases. Methods: two patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) and one patient with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) were examined and images of their oral lesions were performed using OCT. Results: In OCT images, the BP blister has a clearly different morphology from the PV one compared to the blistering level. Conclusion: This exploratory study suggests that the OCT is able to distinguish epithelial and subepithelial layer in vivo images of healthy oral mucosa from those with bullous diseases, assisting the clinicians in differential diagnosis.The presented data are in accordance with the scientific literature, although a wider pool of cases is needed to increase statistical power. Histological examination and immunofluorescence methods remain the gold standard for the diagnosis of oral bullous diseases. In this context, the OCT can provide the clinician with a valuable aid both as an additional diagnostic tool and in the follow up of the disease.

scholarly journals Mesoporous Poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) Particles for Efficient and Selective Phosphate and Sulfate Removal

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 6615
Author(s):  
Konstantin B. L. Borchert ◽  
Christine Steinbach ◽  
Berthold Reis ◽  
Niklas Gerlach ◽  
Philipp Zimmermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Selective Adsorption ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Hybrid Particles ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Sulfate Removal ◽  
Adsorption Capacities

Due to the existence-threatening risk to aquatic life and entire ecosystems, the removal of oxyanions such as sulfate and phosphate from anthropogenic wastewaters, such as municipal effluents and acid mine drainage, is inevitable. Furthermore, phosphorus is an indispensable resource for worldwide plant fertilization, which cannot be replaced by any other substance. This raises phosphate to one of the most important mineral resources worldwide. Thus, efficient recovery of phosphate is essential for ecosystems and the economy. To face the harsh acidic conditions, such as for acid mine drainage, an adsorber material with a high chemical resistivity is beneficial. Poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PMF) sustains these conditions whilst its very high amount of nitrogen functionalities (up to 53.7 wt.%) act as efficient adsorption sides. To increase adsorption capacities, PMF was synthesized in the form of mesoporous particles using a hard-templating approach yielding specific surface areas up to 409 m2/g. Different amounts of silica nanospheres were utilized as template and evaluated for the adsorption of sulfate and phosphate ions. The adsorption isotherms were validated by the Langmuir model. Due to their properties, the PMF particles possessed outperforming maximum adsorption capacities of 341 and 251 mg/g for phosphate and sulfate, respectively. Furthermore, selective adsorption of sulfate from mixed solutions of phosphate and sulfate was found for silica/PMF hybrid particles.

scholarly journals Optical coherence tomography: a non-invasive technique applied to conservation of paintings

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haida Liang ◽  
Marta Gomez Cid ◽  
Radu Cucu ◽  
George Dobre ◽  
Boris Kudimov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Non Invasive

scholarly journals Precipitation of heavy metals from acid mine drainage and their geochemical modeling

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneta Petrilakova ◽  
Magdalena Balintova ◽  
Marian Holub
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Geochemical Modeling ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Environmental Preservation ◽  
Surface Water Hydrology ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
High Concentrations

Abstract Geochemical modeling plays an increasingly vital role in a number of areas of geoscience, ranging from groundwater and surface water hydrology to environmental preservation and remediation. Geochemical modeling is also used to model the interaction processes at the water - sediment interface in acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD contains high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved metals and it is a serious environmental problem in eastern Slovakia. The paper is focused on comparing the results of laboratory precipitation of metal ions from AMD (the Smolnik creek, Slovakia) with the results obtained by geochemical modeling software Visual Minteq 3.0.

scholarly journals Pachychoroid as a biomarker using optical coherence tomography – swept-source in central serous choroidopathy

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
René Alfredo Cano-Hidalgo ◽  
Tatiana Urrea-Victoria
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Choroidal Thickness ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Horizontal Section ◽  
Swept Source ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Foveal Center ◽  
Fellow Eyes

Objective The objective of the study was to describe and evaluate the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in the fellow eyes of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods This was a transversal, retrospective, and observational study. The SFCT was measured in patients with unilateral CSC using SS-OCT. The choroidal thickness in symptomatic and fellow eyes was measured using the attached measuring software in SS-OCT. The SFCT dimension was obtained from the horizontal section under the foveal center from the OCT data and these data were analyzed. Results The mean age of subjects undergoing imaging SS-OCT was 44.23 years old (standard deviation, 11.57). 30 out of 60 patients (63.3%) were men, and 20 (33.3%) patients had acute clinical disease. The median choroidal thicknesses of the affected eyes were greater than those of the unaffected fellow eyes (P = 0.06). The choroidal thickness measured in 120 eyes of (60 patients) was 421 µm (interquartile range 352–490), which was greater than the choroidal thickness reported in normal eyes. Conclusions The measuring of the choroidal thickness using SS-OCT is useful as a non-invasive technique to evaluate the subclinical choroidal abnormalities in CSC.

scholarly journals Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Findings After Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Patients With Coats Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilda Cennamo ◽  
Daniela Montorio ◽  
Chiara Comune ◽  
Maria Paola Laezza ◽  
Matteo Fallico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography ◽  
Intravitreal Injections ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Intravitreal Ranibizumab ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Capillary Plexus ◽  
Coats Disease ◽  
Sd Oct

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the vascular features in eyes with Coats disease, using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), at baseline and after 3 monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. Fifteen eyes of 15 consecutive patients affected by Coats' disease were recruited in this study. All patients underwent the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) evaluation, fundus examination, fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), multicolor imaging, structural Spectral Domain (SD)-OCT and OCTA at baseline and 1 month after the third monthly ranibizumab injection (loading phase). Fifteen patients completed the study, of whom nine were males and six females. Mean age was 20.4 ± 2 years. BCVA was 0.46 ± 0.11 logMar and 0.47 ± 0.12 logMar at baseline and after treatment, respectively (p = 0.164). SD-OCT revealed no significant decrease in central macular thickness (486.33 μm ± 93.37 at baseline vs. 483.4 μm ± 80.97 after treatment; p = 0.915). The subretinal exudates persisted in macular region after intravitreal injections. OCTA showed a general vascular rarefaction in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillary (CC) that did not change after loading phase. This study showed no functional and vascular improvement following 3 monthly ranibizumab injections. OCTA, non-invasive technique, could be useful during follow up of these patients and provide a better understand of pathogenesis of this disorder.

scholarly journals Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography May Enhance Monitoring of Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Imiquimod 5% Cream: A Pilot Study

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4913
Author(s):  
Anna Elisa Verzì ◽  
Giuseppe Micali ◽  
Francesco Lacarrubba
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Basal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Basal Cell ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Line Field ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma

Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a novel, non-invasive technique for real-time skin imaging. Imiquimod (IQ) 5% cream is an immune response modifier currently approved for the treatment of small, superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The aim of this study was to investigate if LC-OCT may be useful to enhance the treatment monitoring of BCC. Twenty superficial BCCs from 12 patients were treated with IQ 5% cream once daily, five days a week, for six weeks. Clinical and LC-OCT evaluations were performed at baseline and 4 weeks after the end of treatment. At the end of the study, 13 lesions showed a complete clinical and LC-OCT response, 4 lesions a partial clinical and LC-OCT response, and 3 lesions a complete clinical response but residual tumoral signs at LC-OCT. Our pilot study suggests that LC-OCT may represent a promising tool able to enhance the evaluation of the treatment response of BCCs to non-invasive treatments. In our case series, its use highlighted, through a detailed, fast, and complete examination of the treated area, three cases of residual BCC that otherwise would have gone undetected at clinical examination. Future studies on larger series of patients treated with different modalities and with a longer follow-up are advisable.

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