Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technology, a relatively novel technique mainly investigated as a stand-alone cancer treatment method in vivo and in vitro, is being proposed for application in conjunction with chemotherapy. In this study, we explore whether CAP, an ionized gas produced in laboratory settings and that operates at near room temperature, can enhance Temozolomide (TMZ) cytotoxicity on a glioblastoma cell line (U87MG). Temozolomide is the first line of treatment for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain tumors that remains incurable despite advancements with treatment modalities. The cellular response to a single CAP treatment followed by three treatments with TMZ was monitored with a cell viability assay. According to the cell viability results, CAP treatment successfully augmented the effect of a cytotoxic TMZ dose (50 μM) and further restored the effect of a non-cytotoxic TMZ dose (10 μM). Application of CAP in conjunction TMZ increased DNA damage measured by the phosphorylation of H2AX and induced G2/M cell cycle arrest. These findings were supported by additional data indicating reduced cell migration and increased αvβ3 and αvβ5 cell surface integrin expression as a result of combined CAP-TMZ treatment. The data presented in this study serve as evidence that CAP technology can be a suitable candidate for combination therapy with existing chemotherapeutic drugs. CAP can also be investigated in future studies for sensitizing glioblastoma cells to TMZ and other drugs available in the market.Panoramic radiography is the most commonly used equipment in the dental field, but there is no comprehensive standard about how to evaluate the spatial resolution of panoramic radiography. In this study, panorama resolution phantoms were developed for evaluation of horizontal and vertical resolution reflecting unique characteristics of panoramic radiography. Four horizontal resolution phantoms of staircase shape were designed to obtain images of horizontal lead line pairs in a 52 mm width. Four vertical resolution phantoms with vertical lead line pairs placed at an oblique angle were also designed. A phantom stand was made. Three machines were evaluated twice by two oromaxillofacial radiologists. The horizontal lead line pairs were readable over the entire measured area at the values of 1.88, 2.32, and 2.58 lp/mm for all machines. A readable area of horizontal 3.19 lp/mm was observed in the lingual side. In the vertical resolution phantoms, it was possible to read a narrower range. By using the panorama resolution phantoms and phantom stand, it was possible to evaluate the resolution of a wide buccolingual width in four significant areas. By evaluating the resolution of the vertical and horizontal compartments separately, it was possible to gain a better understanding of the obtained images.Compact, high power lasers with narrow linewidth are important tools for the manipulation of quantum systems. We demonstrate a compact, self-injection locked, Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser diode with high output power at 493 nm. A high quality factor magnesium fluoride whispering gallery mode resonator enables both high passive stability and 1 kHz instantaneous linewidth. We use this laser for laser-cooling, in-situ isotope purifcation, and probing barium atomic ions confined in a radio-frequency ion trap. read more The results here demonstrate the suitability of these lasers in trapped ion quantum information processing and for probing weak coherent optical transitions.The genus Pseudogymnoascus encompasses soil psychrophilic fungi living also in caves. Some are opportunistic pathogens; nevertheless, they do not cause outbreaks. Pseudogymnoascus destructans is the causative agent of the white-nose syndrome, which is decimating cave-hibernating bats. We used comparative eco-physiology to contrast the enzymatic potential and conidial resilience of P. destructans with that of phylogenetically diverse cave fungi, including Pseudogymnoascus spp., dermatophytes and outdoor saprotrophs. Enzymatic potential was assessed by Biolog MicroArray and by growth on labelled substrates and conidial viability was detected by flow cytometry. Pseudogymnoascus destructans was specific by extensive losses of metabolic variability and by ability of lipid degradation. We suppose that lipases are important enzymes allowing fungal hyphae to digest and invade the skin. Pseudogymnoascus destructans prefers nitrogenous substrates occurring in bat skin and lipids. Additionally, P. destructans alkalizes growth medium, which points to another possible virulence mechanism. Temperature above 30 °C substantially decreases conidial viability of cave fungi including P. destructans. Nevertheless, survival of P. destructans conidia prolongs by the temperature regime simulating beginning of the flight season, what suggests that conidia could persist on the body surface of bats and contribute to disease spreading during bats active season.Most microinsects have feather-like bristled wings, a state known as ptiloptery, but featherwing beetles (family Ptiliidae) are unique among winged microinsects in their ability to fold such wings. An asymmetrical wing folding pattern, found also in the phylogenetically related rove beetles (Staphylinidae), was ancestral for Ptiliidae. Using scanning electron, confocal laser scanning, and optical microscopy, high-speed video recording, and 3D reconstruction, we analyze in detail the symmetrical wing folding pattern and the mechanism of the folding and unfolding of the wings in Acrotrichis sericans (Coleoptera Ptiliidae) and show how some of the smaller featherwing beetles have reverted to strict symmetry in their wing folding. The wings are folded in three phases by bending along four lines (with the help of wing folding patches on the abdominal tergites) and locked under the closed elytra; they unfold passively in two phases, apparently with the help of the elasticity provided by resilin unevenly distributedlenge to engineers who currently work at designing ever smaller flying robots and may eventually produce miniature robots with foldable wings.