A membrane-based microfluidic device for controlling the flux of platelet agonists into flowing blood

The flux of platelet agonists into flowing blood is a critical event in thrombosis and hemostasis. However, few in vitro methods exist for examining and controlling the role of platelet agonists on clot formation and stability under hemodynamic conditions. In this paper, we describe a membrane-based method for introducing a solute into flowing blood at a defined flux. The device consisted of a track-etched polycarbonate membrane reversibly sealed between two microfluidic channels; one channel contained blood flowing at a physiologically relevant shear rate, and the other channel contained the agonist(s). An analytical model described the solute flux as a function of the membrane permeability and transmembrane pressure. The model was validated using luciferase as a model solute for transmembrane pressures of 50-400 Pa. As a proof-of-concept, the weak platelet agonist ADP was introduced into whole blood flowing at 250 s(-1) at three fluxes (1.5, 2.4, and 4.4 x 10(-18) mol microm(-2) s(-1)). Platelet aggregation was monitored by fluorescence microscopy during the experiment and the morphology of aggregates was determined by post hoc confocal and electron microscopy. At the lowest flux (1.5 x 10(-18) mol microm(-2) s(-1)), we observed little to no aggregation. At the higher fluxes, we observed monolayer (2.4 x 10(-18) mol microm(-2) s(-1)) and multilayer (4.4 x 10(-18) mol microm(-2) s(-1)) aggregates of platelets and found that the platelet density within an aggregate increased with increasing ADP flux. We expect this device to be a useful tool in unraveling the role of platelet agonists on clot formation and stability.     

Determination of phosphate using a highly sensitive paired emitter-detector diode photometric flow detector

The use of a novel inexpensive photometric device, a paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD) has been applied to the colorimetric determination of phosphate using the malachite green spectrophotometric method. The novel miniaturized flow detector applied within this manifold is a highly sensitive, low cost, miniaturized light emitting diode (LED) based detector. The optical flow cell was constructed from two LEDs, whereby one is the light source and the second is the light detector, with the LED light source forward biased and the LED detector reversed biased. The photocurrent generated by the LED light source discharges the junction capacitance of the detector diode from 5 V (logic 1) to 1.7 V (logic 0) and the time taken for this process to occur is measured using a simple timer circuit.The malachite green (MG) method employed for phosphate determination is based on the formation of a green molybdophosphoric acid complex, the intensity of which is directly related to phosphate concentration. Optimum analytical parameters such as reaction kinetics, reagent to sample concentration ratio and emitter wavelength intensity were investigated for the spectrophotometric method. Linear calibration plots that obeyed the Beer-Lambert law were obtained for phosphate in the range of 0.02-2 μM. The dynamic range, sensitivity and limits of detection are reported.     

LED–LED portable oxygen gas sensor

A portable instrument for oxygen determination, based on the quenching of phosphorescent octaethylporphyrin by gaseous O₂, has been developed using the fluorimetric paired emitter–detector diode technique (FPEDD). The instrument configuration consists of two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) facing each other, with an interchangeable support containing a phosphorescent membrane in between, in which one of the LEDs is used as the light source (emitter LED) and the other, working in reverse bias mode, as the light detector. The feasibility of using a LED as a luminescence detector is studied. Its small size enables integration of the instrument into a portable measurement system. A systematic study of the system capabilities as a portable instrument was performed to optimize range, sensitivity, short term and long term stability, dynamic behaviour, effect of temperature and humidity, and temporal drift.     

场反向箍缩位形的电阻性互换不稳定性及其对能量约束性能的影响

本文解析研究了电阻性互换不稳定性的湍性行为和它所引起的电子热传导及其所带来的场反向箍缩能量约束性能下降的情形。对于两种不同的模宇称计算了磁场饱和涨落水平,并由此求得了磁颤动扩散系数及碰撞区、非碰撞区的热传导系数。得到了能量约束时间的定标律。 关键词：     

K1±(892) Production in π−N interactions at 200 GeV/c

K^1±(892) production is studied in the reaction π^?N → K_S⁰K_S⁰ + X where X includes up to five observed charged particles. An excess of K^1? over K¹⁺ is observed for Feynman-x > 0.1. The ratio of K¹⁺ to K^1? decreases with x as predicted by QCD counting rules. K_S⁰ and K¹ production are compared to recent D and D¹ data from other experiments.     

Neutron transfer reactions with very heavy ions

We have studied neutron transfer reactions induced by ¹³²Xe on three rare-earth targets at $\text{E}\text{V}{}_{\mathrm{C}}\text{～ 1.1}$. By using particle-particle-γ coincidence techniques we were able to identify final products and states populated in the one- and two-neutron reactions.The dependence of the transfer probabilities on the distance of closest approach is discussed in terms of effective penetration factors. The results seem to indicate the importance in two-neutron transfer of intermediate states with ? 6 MeV of excitation energy. The effect of excitation energy on the enhancement of the two-neutron transfer is discussed. A qualitative interpretation of the spin dependence of the one-neutron γ-ray yields in terms of the spatial localization of the wave functions involved is given.     

Transitive Limit Closures of Convex Dynamical Systems

Convex dynamical systems are iterated set-valued maps with convex graphs. The closed union of all finite powers of a given convex relation will be called its limit closure. We address the question of transitivity of limit closures and establish a sufficient condition for such transitivity (limit transitivity). We also present examples showing that the limit closure of a general compact convex system is not necessarily transitive. limit closure can be intransitive as well. It is also shown that the restriction of a linear single-valued map to a convex set containing an open neighborhood of the origin is always limit transitive.     

Lifetime measurements and decay of superdeformed bands in Hg isotopes

The lifetimes of states in Superdeformed (SD) bands in ^192,194Hg have been measured using the Doppler shift attenuation method. Intrinsic quadrupole moments have been extracted for band 1 of ¹⁹²Hg and for bands 1, 2, and 3 of ¹⁹⁴Hg. It was found that the quadrupole moments for the “identical” SD bands in these nuclei are the same. In the same experiment, one-step transitions linking SD states to yrast and near yrast states for bands 1 and 3 of ¹⁹⁴Hg have been identified. From this observation, excitation energies, spins and probable parities have been assigned to SD states in these bands.     

Electrical measurements of the electron irradiation induced E- and H-traps in GaAs under hydrostatic pressure

The change of resistivity of the 2.3 MeV-electron-irradiated bulk n- and p-GaAs have been measured at hydrostatic pressure up to 5 kbar at RT. Corrections for the changes in free electron and hole mobilities with pressure have been neglected. The resistivity changes are explained by a dependence on pressure of the ionisation energy of the radiation-induced E- and H-traps. The results indicate that most from these radiation- induced levels moves away from the conduction-band edge (γ_c-point) at a rate approximately (0.8?1.0)γ_G, here γ_G=11.6×10^?6 eV bar^?1 is the energy gap pressure coefficient for GaAs at RT. The high changes in ionization energies of E2 to E5-traps upon pressure are to be compared with the lower changes in ionization energies found for the deep-lying impurity levels. In accordance with the theoretical investigation it was suggested that most of the investigated radiation-induced levels in GaAs are t₂-states of Ga- and As-vacancies.