Characterization of a novel antibody immobilization combining protein G with parylene-H for surface plasmon resonance immunosensors

Here we present a method for selectively and efficiently immobilizing antibodies to enhance the detection performance of surface plasmon resonance immune-sensors (SPRIs) for diagnostic applications. To improve the performance of antibody arrays, protein G was used as antibody-selective linkage layer with aldehyde functionalized poly-(para-xylylene) film. To estimate the efficiency of antibody immobilization, immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured using the anti-IgG immobilized SPRIs. To demonstrate the proof-of-concept validation, the signal detected from the IgG using parylene-H film was compared with that of a combination of parylene-H and protein G in SPRIs. The results showed that the detection of IgG on the immobilized anti-IgG layer using the combination of parylene-H and protein G has a larger change of signal than that of using parylene-H layer. These results also imply that the anti-IgG was densely and efficiently immobilized on the modified surface with the linkage layer in a combination with parylene-H and protein G. Therefore, we believe that this combinatorial approach could selectively immobilize the antibodies, and also be applied for detection and diagnosis of immune diseases in the field of many SPRIs applications.     

Enhanced image similarity analysis system in digital pathology

Multimedia Tools and Applications - In digital pathology, image similarity algorithms are used to find cancer in tissue cells from medical images. However, it is very difficult to apply image...     

Studies on a LaF3‐coated MgO protecting layer in AC‐plasma‐display panels

A new protecting layer, a LaF₃‐coated MgO layer, in color AC‐plasma‐display panels (PDPs) was studied in order to overcome the weakness of the conventional single MgO protecting layer. The material characteristics of the new layer were examined by using variations in the deposition process. The display characteristics were also examined by implementing their processes to actual PDPs. It was demonstrated that this method is effective in lowering the firing and sustaining voltages of PDPs and enhancing the brightness of the panel as well.     

Characteristics of ACPDP test panels with aluminum fence electrode formed via anodic bonding with soda‐lime glass

Abstract— In an attempt to reduce materials and processing costs of ACPDPs, aluminum fence electrodes were prepared on soda‐lime glass substrates by chemically etching aluminum foil bonded directly onto the substrate via an anodic‐bonding process. Several different fence‐electrode patterns were designed and coated either with a glass dielectric layer or with an anodic aluminum oxide layer. Firing voltages, operation margin, luminance, and luminous efficiency of such test panels were evaluated. The results indicated that the performance of test panels with aluminum fence electrodes is comparable with conventional test panels with ITO/Ag electrodes, demonstrating the possibility of a dramatic reduction in the costs of ACPDPs.     

HERMES: embedded file system design for A/V application

Embedded systems such as PVR, set-top box, HDTV put unique demand on I/O subsystem design. Underlying software, particularly file system, needs to be elaborately designed so that it can meet tight constraints of consumer electronics platform: performance, price, reliability, and etc. In this work, we develop state-of-art file system elaborately tailored for A/V workload. There are two design objectives in our file system: performance and support for logical level abstraction. For performance, we develop a number of novel features: extent based allocation, single level file structure with block index augmentation scheme, aggressive free block allocation to minimize disk fragmentation, elaborate file system meta data layout, separation of name space data and file data and etc. HERMES enables the user to view file as a collection of semantic units (frame or audio samples). HERMES file system encompasses most of state-of-the-art file system technologies published in preceding works. Via extensive physical experiment, we verify that HERMES file system successfully addresses the original issues: good scalability, predictable I/O latency (minimizing variability in I/O latency), efficient disk head movement and etc. This is the result of harmonious effort of large I/O size, aggressive free block allocation algorithm, data block placement strategy, file organization, layout of HERMES file system and etc. The result of performance experiments indicate that HERMES file system prototype successfully meets the file system constraints for high volume and high bandwidth multimedia application. HERMES file system exhibits superior performance to EXT2 file system (Linux) and XFS file system (SGI).

Cholesterol is critical to the integrity of neuronal porosome/fusion pore

Secretion is one of the most fundamental cellular processes. Porosomes have been demonstrated as the universal secretory machinery in cells. Earlier studies determine the presence of a number of proteins in porosomes, among them the N- and P/Q-type calcium channels, actin, syntaxin-1, synaptotagmin-1, vimentin, the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), the chloride channel CLC-3, and the alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein G(o). Studies demonstrate that t-SNAREs localize at the base of porosomes, and directly interact with calcium channels. In the present study, we demonstrate that Syntaxin-1 co-localizes with cholesterol in solubilized synaptosomal membrane preparations. Depletion of cholesterol, results in the dissociation of both Syntaxin-1 and N-type calcium channel from neuronal porosomes. Thus, cholesterol participates as an integral component of the neuronal porosome complex, and is required for its stability.     

Preparation of bao-pbo-nd2o3-tio2 powders by hydrothermal synthesis

Homogeneous and nano-sized BPNT [(Ba_1-xPb_x)Nd₂Ti₅O₁₄] powders were prepared under various hydrothermal conditions. Crystallinity and homogeneity of the synthetic powders were investigated. The microwave dielectric properties of the filters prepared with hydrothermal powders were compared with those of the filters prepared with conventional powders. The microwave dielectric properties of the filter prepared with the hydrothermal powders were also better than those of the filter manufactured with the conventional powders. The dielectric constant, quality constant and temperature coefficient of resonance frequency of hydrothermally prepared filter under optimum condition and measured at 3.5 GHz around were about 93, 6067 and 0 ppm/°C, respectively.     

Removal efficiencies of endocrine disrupting chemicals by coagulation/flocculation, ozonation, powdered/granular activated carbon adsorption, and chlorination

Removal efficiencies of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A and nonylphenol, during various types of water treatment processes were evaluated extensively using laboratory- and pilot-scale experiments. The specific processes of interest were coagulation/flocculation sedimentation/filtration (conventional water treatment process), powdered activated carbon (PAC), granular activated carbon (GAC), ozonation and chlorination. Batch sorption tests, coagulation tests, and ozone oxidation tests were also performed at higher concentrations with 14 EDCs including bisphenol A. The conventional water treatment process had very low removal efficiencies (0 to 7%) for all the EDCs except DEHP, DBP and DEP that were removed by 53%, 49%, and 46%, respectively. Ozonation at 1 mgO₃/ L removed 60% of bisphenol A and 89% of nonylphenol, while chlorination at 1 mg/L removed 58% and 5%, respectively. When ozone and chlorine doses were 4 and 5 mg/L, respectively, both EDCs were not detected. PAC removal efficiencies ranged from 15% to 40% at 3 to 10 mg/L of PAC with a contact time of 15 minutes. In the high concentration batch sorption tests, EDC removal efficiencies by PAC were closely related to octanol-water partition coefficient (K_ow). GAC adsorption was very effective water treatment process. The type and service time of GAC did not affect EDC removal efficiencies. The combination of ozonation and GAC in series appears to remove EDCs effectively to safe levels while conventional water treatment could not.     

Temperature dependence of the dielectric dispersion and ferroelectric properties of neodymium doped bismuth titanate ceramics

Nd-doped bismuth titanate Bi_{4 − x} Nd _x Ti₃O₁₂ ceramics (x = 0–1.0) were prepared by the solid state reaction method. The temperature dependence of the dielectric dispersion and ferroelectric properties were investigated. With the increase of the Nd substitution for Bi ion, the Curie temperature decreased and the corresponding dielectric constant peak broadened. In addition, the strong low-frequency dielectric dispersions were exhibited. The Nd doping decreases the temperature dependence of the ac conductivity and increases the temperature dependence of the remanent polarization, which is caused by the induced polarization by defects, such as bismuth and oxygen vacancies.     

Pyroelectric properties and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of R.F. magnetron-sputtering-derived PZT thin films deposited on various interlayers

PZT thin films and interlayers were fabricated by the radio frequency (r.f.) Magnetron-sputtering from the Pb_1.1Zr_0.53Ti_0.47O₃, PbO and TiO₂ target. As a result of the XPS depth profile analysis, we can confirm that the substrate temperature affects the oxidation condition of each element of interlayers and the PZT film. Compared to the PZT/Pt structure, the dielectric and pyroelectric properties of PZT thin films inserted by interlayers were measured to a relatively high value. In particular, the PZT/PbO structure had the highest pyroelectric properties (P = 189.4 μC/cm²K; F _D = 12.7×10⁻⁶ Pa^−1/2; F _V = 0.018 m²/C).