Measuring number‐concentrations of nanoparticles and viruses in liquids on‐line

BACKGROUND: The surge of studies on artificial and natural nanoparticles has revealed a new world for engineering and life sciences, but in most instances, the small scale has made their number‐concentration determination in liquids a challenging problem. Former success has mostly been limited to special particles measured by indirect techniques. A new approach is required for this determination to facilitate the production and application of nanoparticles in different systems. RESULT: Here, an approach is described using a nanoparticle tracking system based on Brownian motion, which can be used to determine the number‐concentration of nanoparticles, including viruses, in liquids on‐line. Extensive analysis showed the influence of suspension concentration and particle size on the accuracy of measurements. Natural nanoparticles of Adenovirus and several types of artificial nanoparticles, including precision nanobeads, uniform inorganic silica microspheres, monodisperse gold metal colloids and aggregated Aerosil nanoparticles, were measured and compared by counting the monitored particle number obtained using light scattered from individual particles, from which the particle number‐concentration, the product yield and the aggregation could be evaluated. CONCLUSION: This approach was compared with the mathematical calculation method and the emission spectrophotometry technique used for practical applications. The results showed this new approach had improved accuracy for determination of the particle number‐concentration. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Structural stability of silver under single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell conditions

In the present study, structural stability of silver under single-chamber conditions has been examined. Micro-tubular cells made of conventional solid oxide fuel cell materials (Ni-YSZ/YSZ/LSM) with silver paste and silver current-collecting wires (for both electrodes) were prepared. The cells were operated with methane/air mixture of 25/60 mL min⁻¹, furnace temperature of 750 °C, and at an operating voltage of 0.5 V. The results showed increasing porosity in the current-collecting silver wire with time, leading to rupture, finally. It is postulated that the porosity formation could be due to the formation of silver oxide which is highly unstable (volatile) at operating temperature considered in this study. Furthermore, vaporization and melting of silver due to cell overheating under mixed-reactant conditions is expected. Based on experimental evidences, it is concluded that silver may not be a good choice to be employed under the above specified operating conditions, as it lacks long-term structural stability.     

Immunoreactivity of neural crest-derived cells in thymic tissue developing under the rat kidney capsule

In order to study the functional development of a thymus in an experimental model, small pieces of adult rat thymic tissue were cultured for 9 days and implanted under the kidney capsule of littermates. The tissues were examined with a panel of antibodies raised against thymic and neural factors and neural crest cells at intervals from 5 to 13 days. At 5 days post-implantation, there were groups of L1+ cells within the implants that reacted with antibodies raised against neural and neural crest cell markers. L1+ cells were highly mitotic, rounded cells measuring 8.7 +/- 0.6 micrometer in diameter. Double immunostaining with different combinations of antibodies showed that 94% of the L1+ cells were also TH+, and many were HNK-1/NCAM+, PGP 9.5+, NGF+, chromogranin A+, VIP+, S100+, CGRP+, GAD+, and A2B5+. A few were also pan-cytokeratin+. These results indicate that these cells are derived from neural crest derived cells and belong to the neuroepithelial line of development. The L1+ cells were most numerous before nerves appeared (about Day 9) and reduced in number and extent as the thymus differentiated. The neural crest cells occasionally had long cytoplasmic extensions, but it was not possible to decide if they formed the nerves that appeared in the implants. Adult thymuses also contained a population of L1+ and HNK-1/NCAM+ cells, mainly in the subcapsular cortex, the septa, and the medulla. These cells could be a source of neural crest cells able to repopulate the implant. The adult thymus may always contain a reservoir of cells potentially capable of producing neuropeptides and transmitter factors required for thymic growth and regeneration.     

Tissue section analysis: Feature selection and image processing

Three examples are given of the state-of-the-art of pattern recognition as regards the analysis of images of human and animal tissue: (1) the counting of cell nuclei of normal and abnormal rabbit kidney; (2) the detection of boundaries of endothelial cells of the living human cornea; and (3) the differentiation of normal and abnormal cells in the human liver. The methodology employed is that of cellular logic matched filtering using the Carnegie-Mellon SUPRPIC image processing system.     

An Adhesion Paradox

In the study of the adhesion of solids, a curious paradox has arisen. The paradox concerns the strength of adhesive bonds in two test geometries, the pull-off and the peel test, illustrated in Figure 1.     

Magnetic resonance diffusion imaging of ovarian masses: a first experience with 12 cases

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement for the differential diagnosis of malignancy in ovarian masses. Materials and methods: Twelve cases involving ovarian masses were imaged using spin echo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Five cases involved malignant ovarian masses, on the basis of postoperative histologic examination, and the rest involved benign masses. The ovarian masses were imaged in vivo (10 cases) before surgery and ex vivo (8 cases) after surgical resection. Diffusion-weighted data were corrected for motion using the phase data from unweighted data in nine cases. Multifactorial analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effects of malignancy, location (in vivo versus ex vivo), and motion correction on the measurement of ADC intensity and texture. Results: Motion correction caused an undesirable spatial smoothing of the ADC maps and a significant interaction ( ) was found between location and motion correction. ADC value ( ) and texture ( ) differences were found between malignant and nonmalignant ovarian masses. Conclusion: Measurement of ADC intensity and texture has the potential to differentially diagnose malignancy in individual ovarian masses if the problem of image motion artifact can be eliminated through the use of faster imaging sequences.Acknowledgements. The cooperation of Dr. Vance Chow in the acquisition of the in vivo diffusion MRI data is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks to Ron Borowsky for discussions on the statistical data analysis. Data management, final data analysis, and figure preparation was completed by Jennifer Hadley. This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Saskatchewan Health Services Utilization and Research Commission (HSURC).     

Effects of molecular and particle scatterings on the model parameter for remote-sensing reflectance

For optically deep waters, remote-sensing reflectance (r(rs)) is traditionally expressed as the ratio of the backscattering coefficient (b(b)) to the sum of absorption and backscattering coefficients (a + b(b)) that multiples a model parameter (g, or the so-called f'/Q). Parameter g is further expressed as a function of b(b)/(a + b(b)) (or b(b)/a) to account for its variation that is due to multiple scattering. With such an approach, the same g value will be derived for different a and b(b) values that provide the same ratio. Because g is partially a measure of the angular distribution of upwelling light, and the angular distribution from molecular scattering is quite different from that of particle scattering; g values are expected to vary with different scattering distributions even if the b(b)/a ratios are the same. In this study, after numerically demonstrating the effects of molecular and particle scatterings on the values of g, an innovative r(rs) model is developed. This new model expresses r(rs) in two separate terms: one governed by the phase function of molecular scattering and one governed by the phase function of particle scattering, with a model parameter introduced for each term. In this way the phase function effects from molecular and particle scatterings are explicitly separated and accounted for. This new model provides an analytical tool to understand and quantify the phase-function effects on r(rs), and a platform to calculate r(rs) spectrum quickly and accurately that is required for remote-sensing applications.     

Smoothing the trail for dissemination of evidence-based practices for youth: Flexibility within fidelity.

The role and implementation of evidence-based practice and empirically supported treatments has been hotly contested among researchers and practitioners. Using examples of and from various empirically supported treatments the authors offer suggestions for smoothing the pathway for dissemination of evidence-based practice with children and adolescents. The authors underscore that mediational analyses, treatment process studies, and the continued creation of flexible treatment manuals are important components of successful dissemination. Flexibility within fidelity is proposed as the preferred perspective that eases the transition and dissemination of empirically supported treatments from research clinics to service clinics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)