Microsecond pulsed glow discharge as an analytical spectroscopic source

A pulsed glow discharge, operating in the microsecond regime, has been found to be advantageous for the examination of solid samples. We have studied the spectroscopic response by atomic emission, absorption, fluorescence, and mass spectrometries. Results to date show enhanced efficiency for analytical response of the sputtered sample atoms. This type of discharge also permits acquisition of useful diagnostic information concerning glow discharge processes.     

Antireflection coatings for UV radiation obtained by molecular-beam deposition

We have developed fluoride antireflection (AR) coatings on MgF(2) substrates for a wavelength of 248 nm by molecular-beam deposition. Transmission and laser-induced damage threshold of the samples were measured and atomic force microscope (AFM) investigations were carried out. We compare a 14-layer design for AR coatings with sublayer thicknesses of 12 nm with a conventional two-layer design with quarter-wavelength thicknesses. The laser-induced damage threshold of the 14-layer coating is slightly higher than that of the two-layer coating. The AFM surface images show that the 14-layer coating has a smoother surface than the two-layer coating.     

Influence of the internal photoinduced electric field on the formation of self-pumped phase conjugation in doped (K(0.5)Na(0.5))(0.2)(Sr(0.75)Ba(0.25))(0.9)Nb(2)O(6) crystals

The obvious influence of the internal photoinduced electric field on the formation of self-pumped phase conjugation in doped (K(0.5) Na(0.5))(0.2) (Sr(0.75) Ba(0.25))(0.9) Nb(2)O(6) crystals has been investigated with intermittent and continuous laser beams. An analysis is given that involves the migration of charge carriers driven by the photovoltaic (PV) and the pyroelectric (PY) electric field. Deviation from the optimal state of energy transfer owing to the PV effect and the self-adjusting of holograms owing to the PY field are the two important dominant processes in the self-pumped phase conjugator. The influence of the photoinduced electric field on the conjugation fidelity and the stability of the phase-conjugate output is also observed and analyzed. The bump feature of the two-wave mixing and the oscillating situation of the self-pumped phase conjugator are observed and are explained in view of the photoinduced internal field.     

Computational investigation of interactions between human H2 receptor and its agonists

Type 2 histamine receptor (H(2)R) is widely distributed in the body. Its main function is modulating the secretion of gastric acid. Most gastric acid-related diseases are closely associated with it. In this study, a combination of pharmacophore modeling, homology modeling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics methods were performed on human H(2)R and its agonists to investigate interaction details between them. At first, a pharmacophore model of H(2)R agonists was developed, which was then validated by QSAR and database searching. Afterwards, a model of the H(2)R was built utilizing homology modeling method. Then, a reference agonist was docked into the receptor model by induced fit docking. The 'induced' model can dramatically improve the recovery ratio from 46.8% to 69.5% among top 10% of the ranked database in the simulated virtual screening. The pharmocophore model and the receptor model matched very well each other, which provided valuable information for future studies. Asp98, Asp186 and Tyr190 played key roles in the binding of H(2)R agonists, and direct interactions were observed between the three residues and agonists. Residue Tyr250 could also form a hydrogen bond with H(2)R agonists. These findings would be very useful for the discovery of novel and potent H(2)R agonists.     

Influence of Matrices on Oxygen Sensing of Three Sensing Films with Chemically Conjugated Platinum Porphyrin Probes and Preliminary Application for Monitoring of Oxygen Consumption of Escherichia coli (E. coli)

Oxygen sensing films were synthesized by a chemical conjugation of functional platinum porphyrin probes in silica gel, polystyrene (PS), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) matrices. Responses of the sensing films to gaseous oxygen and dissolved oxygen were studied and the influence of the matrices on the sensing behaviors was investigated. Silica gel films had the highest fluorescence intensity ratio from deoxygenated to oxygenated environments and the fastest response time to oxygen. PHEMA films had no response to gaseous oxygen, but had greater sensitivity and a faster response time for dissolved oxygen than those of PS films. The influence of matrices on oxygen response, sensitivity and response time was discussed. The influence is most likely attributed to the oxygen diffusion abilities of the matrices. Since the probes were chemically immobilized in the matrices, no leaching of the probes was observed from the sensing films when applied in aqueous environment. One sensing film made from the PHEMA matrix was used to preliminarily monitor the oxygen consumption of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. E. coli cell density and antibiotics ampicillin concentration dependent oxygen consumption was observed, indicating the potential application of the oxygen sensing film for biological application.     

Scalable multi-variate analytics of seismic and satellite-based observational data

Over the past few years, large human populations around the world have been affected by an increase in significant seismic activities. For both conducting basic scientific research and for setting critical government policies, it is crucial to be able to explore and understand seismic and geographical information obtained through all scientific instruments. In this work, we present a visual analytics system that enables explorative visualization of seismic data together with satellite-based observational data, and introduce a suite of visual analytical tools. Seismic and satellite data are integrated temporally and spatially. Users can select temporal ;and spatial ranges to zoom in on specific seismic events, as well as to inspect changes both during and after the events. Tools for designing high dimensional transfer functions have been developed to enable efficient and intuitive comprehension of the multi-modal data. Spread-sheet style comparisons are used for data drill-down as well as presentation. Comparisons between distinct seismic events are also provided for characterizing event-wise differences. Our system has been designed for scalability in terms of data size, complexity (i.e. number of modalities), and varying form factors of display environments.     

BlobFinder, a tool for fluorescence microscopy image cytometry

Images can be acquired at high rates with modern fluorescence microscopy hardware, giving rise to a demand for high-speed analysis of image data. Digital image cytometry, i.e., automated measurements and extraction of quantitative data from images of cells, provides valuable information for many types of biomedical analysis. There exists a number of different image analysis software packages that can be programmed to perform a wide array of useful measurements. However, the multi-application capability often compromises the simplicity of the tool. Also, the gain in speed of analysis is often compromised by time spent learning complicated software. We provide a free software called BlobFinder that is intended for a limited type of application, making it easy to use, easy to learn and optimized for its particular task. BlobFinder can perform batch processing of image data and quantify as well as localize cells and point like source signals in fluorescence microscopy images, e.g., from FISH, in situ PLA and padlock probing, in a fast and easy way.     

Obesity does not reduce maximum acceptable weights of lift

The maximum acceptable weights of lift (MAWL) of obese and non-obese participants were empirically investigated. Three obesity levels were considered: non-obese (18.5 kg/m(2)< or= body mass index (BMI)or= 40 kg/m(2)). Ten male and 10 female participants were recruited for each obesity level. The participants determined their MAWL for 18 different lifting task conditions (six lifting frequencies x three lifting heights). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the effects of obesity level, gender, lifting height, lifting frequency and their interactions on MAWL. Overall, the ANOVA results indicated that obesity does not reduce MAWL, and thus, suggested that the existing MAWL data can be used to accommodate both general and obese workers. However, further studies based on the biomechanical and physiological approaches are required to provide more complete understanding of obesity effects on lifting tolerance limits.