Multi-UAV Path Planning in GPS and Communication Denial Environment.

This paper proposes a feature fusion algorithm for solving the path planning problem of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using GPS and communication denial conditions. Due to the blockage of GPS and communication, UAVs cannot obtain the precise position of a target, which leads to the failure of path planning algorithms. This paper proposes a feature fusion proximal policy optimization (FF-PPO) algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL); the algorithm can fuse image recognition information with the original image, realizing the multi-UAV path planning algorithm without an accurate target location. In addition, the FF-PPO algorithm adopts an independent policy for multi-UAV communication denial environments, which enables the distributed control of UAVs such that multi-UAVs can realize the cooperative path planning task without communication. The success rate of our proposed algorithm can reach more than 90% in the multi-UAV cooperative path planning task. Finally, the feasibility of the algorithm is verified by simulations and hardware.

Two-photon excited fluorescence imaging of the pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumor without hematoxylin and eosin stains.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is an epithelial tumor with low-grade malignant potential and present more common in females. At present, the gold standard for accurate diagnosis of pancreatic tumor was mostly depending on the pathological and/or cytological evaluation. In this work, TPEF microscopy was applied to obtain the images of human normal pancreas and SPT of the pancreas without hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, for the purpose of identifying the organization structural, cell morphological, and cytoplasm changing, which were then compared to their corresponding H&E stained histopathological results. Our results showed that high-resolution TPEF imaging of the pancreatic SPT can clearly distinguish the pathological features from normal pancreas in unstained histological sections, and the results are consistent with the histological results. Moreover, we measured the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios of the pancreatic SPT and normal pancreas to characterize their difference in the cytomorphological feature. It indicated that this technique can achieve the consistent information of pathological diagnosis, and has the potential to substantially improve the optical diagnosis and treatment of the pancreatic SPT without H&E staining in the future. SCANNING 38:245-250, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical diagnosis of gallbladder cancers via two-photon excited fluorescence imaging of unstained histological sections.

Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy, based on signal from cells, can provide detailed information on tissue architecture and cellular morphology in unstained histological sections to generate subcellular-resolution images from tissue directly. In this paper, we used TPEF microscopy to image microstructure of human normal gallbladder and three types of differentiated carcinomas in order to investigate the morphological changes of tissue structure, cell, cytoplasm, and nucleus without hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. It displayed that TPEF microscopy can well image the stratified normal gallbladder tissue, including the mucosa, the muscularis, and the serosa. The typical cancer cell, characterized by cellular and nuclear pleomorphism, enlarged nuclei, and augmented nucleolus, can be identified in histological sections without H-E staining as well. The quantitative results showed that the areas of the nucleus and the nucleolus in three types of cancerous cells were all significantly greater than those in normal gallbladder columnar epithelial cells derived from TPEF microscopic images. The studies demonstrated that TPEF microscopy has the ability to characterize tissue structures and cell morphology of gallbladder cancers differentiated from a normal gallbladder in a manner similar to traditional histological analysis. As a novel tool, it has the potential for future retrospective studies of tumor staging and migration by utilizing histological section specimens without H-E staining.

Multiphoton microscopic imaging of rabbit dorsal skin.

Rabbits are often preferred to be experimental animals during the skin research. The visualizing and understanding the full-thickness structure of rabbit skin has significance in biology, medicine, and animal husbandry. In this study, multiphoton microscopy (MPM) was employed to examine the rabbit skin on the back, which was based on second harmonic generation and two-photon excited fluorescence. High-resolution images were achieved from the fresh, unfixed, and unstained tissues, showing detailed microstructure of the skin without the administration of exogenous contrast agents. The morphology and distribution of the main components of epidermis and dermis, such as keratin, collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and hair follicles, can be distinctly identified in MPM images. Since the changes in these components are tightly related to skin diseases and wound healing, the noninvasive nature of MPM enables it become a valuable tool in skin research for detecting and monitoring.

Stereoscopic visualization and quantification of auricular cartilage regeneration in rabbits using multiphoton microscopy.

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) was applied for imaging and quantifying the elastic cartilage regeneration tissue in a rabbit ear model without using labeling agents. Morphology of cells and collagen matrix were analysis, showing significant difference between regenerated and intact cartilage in cellular size and collagen distribution. The results demonstrate that high resolution images provide by MPM are consistent with the histological results, and show additional biological behavior which is not visible in standard histology. Advantages in instrumentation may lead to the application of MPM for intravital detection and treatment.