High speed classification of individual bacterial cells using a model-based light scatter system and multivariate statistics

We describe a model-based instrument design combined with a statistical classification approach for the development and realization of high speed cell classification systems based on light scatter. In our work, angular light scatter from cells of four bacterial species of interest, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Enterococcus faecalis, was modeled using the discrete dipole approximation. We then optimized a scattering detector array design subject to some hardware constraints, configured the instrument, and gathered experimental data from the relevant bacterial cells. Using these models and experiments, it is shown that optimization using a nominal bacteria model (i.e., using a representative size and refractive index) is insufficient for classification of most bacteria in realistic applications. Hence the computational predictions were constituted in the form of scattering-data-vector distributions that accounted for expected variability in the physical properties between individual bacteria within the four species. After the detectors were optimized using the numerical results, they were used to measure scatter from both the known control samples and unknown bacterial cells. A multivariate statistical method based on a support vector machine (SVM) was used to classify the bacteria species based on light scatter signatures. In our final instrument, we realized correct classification of B. subtilis in the presence of E. coli,L. innocua, and E. faecalis using SVM at 99.1%, 99.6%, and 98.5%, respectively, in the optimal detector array configuration. For comparison, the corresponding values for another set of angles were only 69.9%, 71.7%, and 70.2% using SVM, and more importantly, this improved performance is consistent with classification predictions.     

Bacteria-mediated delivery of nanoparticles and cargo into cells

Nanoparticles and bacteria can be used, independently, to deliver genes and proteins into mammalian cells for monitoring or altering gene expression and protein production. Here, we show the simultaneous use of nanoparticles and bacteria to deliver DNA-based model drug molecules in vivo and in vitro. In our approach, cargo (in this case, a fluorescent or a bioluminescent gene) is loaded onto the nanoparticles, which are carried on the bacteria surface. When incubated with cells, the cargo-carrying bacteria ('microbots') were internalized by the cells, and the genes released from the nanoparticles were expressed in the cells. Mice injected with microbots also successfully expressed the genes as seen by the luminescence in different organs. This new approach may be used to deliver different types of cargo into live animals and a variety of cells in culture without the need for complicated genetic manipulations.     

Investigation of the physico‐mechanical properties of electrospun PVDF/cellulose (nano)fibers

The electro‐activity and mechanical properties of PVDF depends mainly on the β‐phase content and degree of crystallinity. In this study, cellulose fibers were used to improve these characteristics. This could be achieved because the hydroxyl groups on cellulose would force the fluorine atoms in PVDF to be in the trans‐conformation, and the cellulose particles could act as nucleation centers. Electrospinning was used to prepare the PVDF/cellulose (nano)fibrous films, and this improved the total crystallinity and the formation of β‐crystals. However, the presence and amount of cellulose in PVDF were found to have little influence on the β‐phase content and on the total crystallinity of PVDF. Improvements in the extent of crystallinity and the β‐phase content were primarily brought about by the chain‐ and crystal orientation as a result of electrospinning. The thermal stability of PVDF in the composites slightly increased with increasing cellulose content in the composites up to 1.0 wt %, while the modulus and tensile strength significantly increased up to the same filler level. The dielectric storage permittivity also increased with increasing cellulose content, but the presence of cellulose had no influence on the dynamics of the γ‐ and β‐relaxations of the PVDF. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43594.     

Simultaneous Fusion and Denoising of Panchromatic and Multispectral Satellite Images

To identify objects in satellite images, multispectral (MS) images with high spectral resolution and low spatial resolution, and panchromatic (Pan) images with high spatial resolution and low spectral resolution need to be fused. Several fusion methods such as the intensity–hue–saturation (IHS), the discrete wavelet transform, the discrete wavelet frame transform (DWFT), and the principal component analysis have been proposed in recent years to obtain images with both high spectral and spatial resolutions. In this paper, a hybrid fusion method for satellite images comprising both the IHS transform and the DWFT is proposed. This method tries to achieve the highest possible spectral and spatial resolutions with as small distortion in the fused image as possible. A comparison study between the proposed hybrid method and the traditional methods is presented in this paper. Different MS and Pan images from Landsat-5, Spot, Landsat-7, and IKONOS satellites are used in this comparison. The effect of noise on the proposed hybrid fusion method as well as the traditional fusion methods is studied. Experimental results show the superiority of the proposed hybrid method to the traditional methods. The results show also that a wavelet denoising step is required when fusion is performed at low signal-to-noise ratios.     

Effect of Impact Milling and Ball Milling on Microstructure of Lead Titanate Powders Synthesized by Solid-State Reaction

Single phase lead titanate （PbTiO3） was prepared by solid-state route using lead （1I） oxide （PbO） and titanium dioxide （TiO2） as precursors. The effects of using impact mill （IM） and ball mill （BM） in solid state reaction have been observed. X-ray diffraction （XRD） pattern was recorded at room temperature and analyzed by employing Rietveld method. X-ray diffraction （XRD） pattern shows that the PbTiO3 particles are tetragonal with tetragonality （c/a） ratio ranging from 1.058 to 1.063 and average crystallite size from 40.8 to 64.2 nm. It is found that the impact mill （IM） can be used to produce pure tetragonal perovskite with a lower tetragonality and average crystallite size.     

HTLV-1 Infection and Pathogenesis: New Insights from Cellular and Animal Models

Since the discovery of the human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1), cellular and animal models have provided invaluable contributions in the knowledge of viral infection, transmission and progression of HTLV-associated diseases. HTLV-1 is the causative agent of the aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and inflammatory diseases such as the HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Cell models contribute to defining the role of HTLV proteins, as well as the mechanisms of cell-to-cell transmission of the virus. Otherwise, selected and engineered animal models are currently applied to recapitulate in vivo the HTLV-1 associated pathogenesis and to verify the effectiveness of viral therapy and host immune response. Here we review the current cell models for studying virus–host interaction, cellular restriction factors and cell pathway deregulation mediated by HTLV products. We recapitulate the most effective animal models applied to investigate the pathogenesis of HTLV-1-associated diseases such as transgenic and humanized mice, rabbit and monkey models. Finally, we summarize the studies on STLV and BLV, two closely related HTLV-1 viruses in animals. The most recent anticancer and HAM/TSP therapies are also discussed in view of the most reliable experimental models that may accelerate the translation from the experimental findings to effective therapies in infected patients.     

Comparison of the effect of carbon,halloysite and titania nanotubes on the mechanical and thermal properties of LDPE based nanocomposite films

In this study, titania nanotubes(TNTs) were prepared by hydrothermal method with the aim to compare the properties of these one-dimensional tubular nanostructures' reinforced nanocomposites with the carbon and halloysite nanotubes'(CNTs and HNTs, respectively) reinforced nanocomposites. Low density polyethylene(LDPE) was used as the matrix material. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized and compared by means of their morphological, mechanical and thermal properties. SEM results showed enhanced interfacial interaction and better dispersion of TNTs and HNTs into LDPE with the incorporation of a MAPE compatibilizer,however, these interactions seem to be absent between CNTs and LDPE, and the CNTs remained agglomerated.Contact angle measurements revealed that CNT filled nanocomposites are more hydrophilic than HNT composites, and less than TNT composites. CNTs provided better tensile strength and Young's modulus than HNT and TNT nanocomposites, a 42% increase in tensile strength and Young's modulus is achieved compared to LDPE.Tear strength improvement was noticed in the TNT composites with a value of 35.4 N·mm~(-1), compared to CNT composites with a value of 25.5 N·mm~(-1)·s~(-1). All the prepared nanocomposites are more thermally stable than neat LDPE and the best improvement in thermal stability was observed for CNT reinforced nanocomposites.CNTs depicted the best improvement in tensile and thermal properties and the MAPE compatibilizer effectiveness regarding morphological. mechanical and thermal properties was only observed for TNT and HNT systems.     

Proton bremsstrahlung and its radiation effects in fusion reactors

Protons and neutrons are emitted in many fusion processes of light nuclei. In a fusion reactor, a proton and a neutron thus generated may again fuse with each other. Or they can in turn fuse with or be captured by an un-reacted nuclear fuel, for example deuterium. The average center-of-mass energy for such reaction is around 10 keV in a typical fusion reactor. At this low energy, the reacting nucleons are in an s-wave state in terms of their relative angular momentum. The single-gamma radiation process is thus strongly suppressed due to conservation laws. Instead the gamma ray released is likely to be accompanied by soft X-ray photons from a nuclear bremsstrahlung process. The generated soft X-ray has a continuous spectrum and peaks around a few hundred eV to a few keV. The average photon energy and spectrum properties of such a process are calculated with a semi-classical approach, with the explicit example of proton-neutron capture. This phenomenon may have been observed in some prior tokamak discharge experiments, and its interpretation is complicated by the presence of electron bremsstrahlung. However, it also opens up the possibility of new plasma diagnostics which are more sensitive to the ionic or nuclear degree of freedom.