Single-Step Fast Tissue Clearing of Thick Mouse Brain Tissue for Multi-Dimensional High-Resolution Imaging

Recent advances in optical clearing techniques have dramatically improved deep tissue imaging by reducing the obscuring effects of light scattering and absorption. However, these optical clearing methods require specialized equipment or a lengthy undertaking with complex protocols that can lead to sample volume changes and distortion. In addition, the imaging of cleared tissues has limitations, such as fluorescence bleaching, harmful and foul-smelling solutions, and the difficulty of handling samples in high-viscosity refractive index (RI) matching solutions. To address the various limitations of thick tissue imaging, we developed an Aqueous high refractive Index matching and tissue Clearing solution for Imaging (termed AICI) with a one-step tissue clearing protocol that was easily made at a reasonable price in our own laboratory without any equipment. AICI can rapidly clear a 1 mm thick brain slice within 90 min with simultaneous RI matching, low viscosity, and a high refractive index (RI = 1.466), allowing the imaging of the sample without additional processing. We compared AICI with commercially available RI matching solutions, including optical clear agents (OCAs), for tissue clearing. The viscosity of AICI is closer to that of water compared with other RI matching solutions, and there was a less than 2.3% expansion in the tissue linear morphology during 24 h exposure to AICI. Moreover, AICI remained fluid over 30 days of air exposure, and the EGFP fluorescence signal was only reduced to ~65% after 10 days. AICI showed a limited clearing of brain tissue >3 mm thick. However, fine neuronal structures, such as dendritic spines and axonal boutons, could still be imaged in thick brain slices treated with AICI. Therefore, AICI is useful not only for the three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution identification of neuronal structures, but also for the examination of multiple structural imaging by neuronal distribution, projection, and gene expression in deep brain tissue. AICI is applicable beyond the imaging of fluorescent antibodies and dyes, and can clear a variety of tissue types, making it broadly useful to researchers for optical imaging applications.     

Energy Deposition around Swift Carbon-Ion Tracks in Liquid Water

Energetic carbon ions are promising projectiles used for cancer radiotherapy. A thorough knowledge of how the energy of these ions is deposited in biological media (mainly composed of liquid water) is required. This can be attained by means of detailed computer simulations, both macroscopically (relevant for appropriately delivering the dose) and at the nanoscale (important for determining the inflicted radiobiological damage). The energy lost per unit path length (i.e., the so-called stopping power) of carbon ions is here theoretically calculated within the dielectric formalism from the excitation spectrum of liquid water obtained from two complementary approaches (one relying on an optical-data model and the other exclusively on ab initio calculations). In addition, the energy carried at the nanometre scale by the generated secondary electrons around the ion’s path is simulated by means of a detailed Monte Carlo code. For this purpose, we use the ion and electron cross sections calculated by means of state-of-the art approaches suited to take into account the condensed-phase nature of the liquid water target. As a result of these simulations, the radial dose around the ion’s path is obtained, as well as the distributions of clustered events in nanometric volumes similar to the dimensions of DNA convolutions, contributing to the biological damage for carbon ions in a wide energy range, covering from the plateau to the maximum of the Bragg peak.     

库车坳陷东部阳霞凹陷依南5井原油地球化学特征研究

依奇克里克油田位于库车坳陷东部阳霞凹陷的北部。通过对依南5井不同深度储层所产原油地球化学特征的系统分析发现,浅层原油的轻烃几乎不含苯系芳烃,其三环萜烷系列以C28为主峰,C24四环萜烷含量低,伽马蜡烷含量较高,甾炕系列中C27和C28甾烷含量高,重排甾烷含量较低,显示成水环境海相原油的特征。鉴于该原油中同时检测出了25-降藿烷系列,表明该原油是生物降解油与正常原油的混合油。而深部储层所产原油的轻烃中苯系芳烃丰富,三环萜烷以C19为主峰,C24四环萜烷含量极为丰富,伽马蜡烷含量极低,甾烷系列中C29甾烷占绝对优势,显示淡水湖沼相原油的特征。结合塔里木盆地不同成因类型原油的地球化学特征,推测依南5井不同深度所产原油存在这一差异的原因是浅层原油属于早期生物降解海相原油与晚期侏罗系湖沼相原油的混源油,而深部原油属于侏罗系烃源岩单一来源的原油。     

Mie散射理论测量粒子系复折射率的透射方法

粒子的光学常数并不等同于构成粒子材料的光学常数,而通过粒子光谱复折射率数据,研究粒子及聚集粒子系的辐射特性,不仅对辐射物性的研究具有较高的理论意义,而且具有广泛的实际应用价值。粒子的复折射率不能直接通过实验测量(没有直接测量的仪器),须由实验测定其他量,然后结合相应的理论模型反求,属反问题研究。用简化的Mie散射理论及Kramers-Kronig关系式,利用傅里叶红外光谱仪对Al2O3粒子及煤灰粒子进行透射率实验测量,结合相应的理论模型,反演Al2O3粒子及煤灰粒子的复折射率。并对透射率实验误差对反演结果的影响进行了分析。     

Albumin Binds Doxorubicin via Self–Assembling Dyes as Specific Polymolecular Ligands

Congo red (CR) type self–assembled ribbon–like structures (SRLS) were previously shown to interact with some proteins, including albumin. SRLS also complex with some drugs with a flat, ring–shaped structure with aromatic characteristics, intercalating them into their ribbon structure. The combination of interaction with proteins and drug binding by SRLS enables the use of such systems for immunotargeting. It is especially interesting in the case of chemotherapeutic agents. The present experiments aimed to show that the model carrier system composed of supramolecular albumin and Congo red efficiently binds doxorubicin (Dox) and that the drug can be released at reduced pH. The presented results come from the studies on such complexes differing in the molar ratio of CR to Dox. The following methods were used for the analysis: electrophoresis, dialysis, gel filtration, spectral analysis, and analysis of the size of the hydrodynamic radius using the dynamic light scattering method (DLS). The applied methods confirmed the formation of the CR–Dox complex, with large dimensions and changed properties compared with free CR. The presented results show that albumin binds both CR and its complex with Dox. Various CR–Dox molar ratios, 5:1, 2:1, and 1:1, were analyzed. The confirmation of the possibility of releasing the drug from the carriers thus formed was also obtained. The presented research is important due to the search for optimal solutions for the use of SRLS in drug immunotargeting, with particular emphasis on chemotherapeutic agents.     

Pure Chitosan Biomedical Textile Fibers from Mixtures of Low- and High-Molecular Weight Bidisperse Polymer Solutions: Processing and Understanding of Microstructure–Mechanical Properties’ Relationship

Natural polymers, as extracted from biomass, may exhibit large macromolecular polydispersity. We investigated the impact of low molar mass chitosan (LMW, DP_w~115) on the properties of chitosan fibers obtained by wet spinning of chitosan solutions with bimodal distributions of molar masses. The fiber crystallinity index (CrI) was assessed by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and the mechanical properties were obtained by uniaxial tensile tests. The LMW chitosan showed to slightly increase the crystallinity index in films which were initially processed from the bimodal molar mass chitosan solutions, as a result of increased molecular mobility and possible crystal nucleating effects. Nevertheless, the CrI remained almost constant or slightly decreased in stretched fibers at increasing content of LMW chitosan in the bidisperse chitosan collodion. The ultimate mechanical properties of fibers were altered by the addition of LMW chitosan as a result of a decrease of entanglement density and chain orientation in the solid state. An increase of crystallinity might not be expected from LMW chitosan with a still relatively high degree of polymerization (DPw ≥ 115). Instead, different nucleation agents—either smaller molecules or nanoparticles—should be used to improve the mechanical properties of chitosan fibers for textile applications.     

In Situ Fully Light‐Driven Switching of Superhydrophobic Adhesion

An in situ fully light‐driven switching of superhydrophobic adhesion is demonstrated based on simply spin‐coating a hydrophobic azo‐polymer on an optimized micro‐nanopost arrayed silicon substrate. Furthermore, the detailed designing principles are discussed, which might shed light on efficient exploitation of superhydrophobic liquid/solid interfaces for smart microfluidic control.     

光影诗篇——墨西哥建筑艺术中的地域智慧与启迪

强烈的光照作为墨西哥一个十分突出的地域特征,对墨西哥的气候、文化乃至民众的生活习惯都产生了巨大的影响。墨西哥建筑师敏锐地捕捉到这一特征,融入自己的理解和想象,在光影与空间的交织、变化中呈现出丰富的情感色彩,使得建筑与人之间建立起直触心灵的对话。随着时代的变迁和文化的发展,建筑所要实现的功能、表达的情感在不断改变,而建筑师们对于光影的处理手段也趋于多元化,从而产生了越来越多极具特色的建筑形式。通过对墨西哥不同历史时期建筑的分析,来研究墨西哥建筑师运用光影塑造不同情感空间的多种手法和传承关系。     

高Q腔中激发相干态的制备

提出了一种基于高Q光腔中的原子与一行波光场相互作用来制备光场激发相干态和二阶激发相干态的新方法。与已提出的方法比较,该方法具备一些优点：不应用微扰理论且除了最后测量外仅用一步就可完成制备,但该方法成功几率只有50%。     

Salt Concentration Effects in Planar Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells

Incorporation of ions in the active layer of organic semiconductor devices may lead to attractive device properties like enhanced injection and improved carrier transport. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the salt concentration on the operation of light‐emitting electrochemical cells, using experiments and numerical calculations. The current density and light emission are shown to increase linearly with increasing ion concentration over a wide range of concentrations. The increasing current is accompanied by an ion redistribution, leading to a narrowing of the recombination zone. Hence, in absence of detrimental side reactions and doping‐related luminescence quenching, the ion concentration should be as high as possible.