Simple circuit to improve electric field homogeneity in contour-clamped homogeneous electric field chambers.

We redesigned contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) circuitry to eliminate crossover distortion, to set identical potentials at electrodes of each equipotential pair and to drive pairs with transistors in emitter follower stages. An equipotential pair comprised the two electrodes set at the same potential to provide electric field homogeneity inside of the hexagonal array. The new circuitry consisted of two identical circuits, each having a resistor ladder, diodes and transistors. Both circuits were interconnected by diodes that controlled the current flow to electrodes when the array was energized in the 'A' or 'B' direction of the electric field. The total number of transistors was two-thirds of the total number of electrodes. Average voltage deviation from potentials expected at electrodes to achieve a homogeneous electric field was 0.06 V, whereas 0.44 V was obtained with another circuit that used transistors in push-pull stages. The new voltage clamp unit is cheap, generated homogeneous electric field, and gave reproducible and undistorted DNA band patterns.     

High magnetic shear gain in a liquid sodium stable Couette flow experiment: a prelude to an α-Ω dynamo

The Ω phase of the liquid sodium α-Ω dynamo experiment at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in cooperation with Los Alamos National Laboratory has demonstrated a high toroidal field B(?) that is ?8×B(r), where B(r) is the radial component of an applied poloidal magnetic field. This enhanced toroidal field is produced by the rotational shear in stable Couette flow within liquid sodium at a magnetic Reynolds number Rm?120. Small turbulence in stable Taylor-Couette flow is caused by Ekman flow at the end walls, which causes an estimated turbulence energy fraction of (δv/v)(2)～10(-3).     

A kit of human polyclonal IgG for the diagnosis of infectious processes

The aim of this work was to obtain a freeze-dried kit for direct^99mTc-labeling of human polyclonal IgG. The labeling procedure was carried out by Schwarz's method. The best yields of^99mTc-IgG were obtained by using sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate as a weak chelating agent. Performed tests showed the stability of the radiopharmaceutical up to 24 hours. Plasma clearance in rats was fitted to a biexponential curve withT _1/2α=(0.1 ±0.9) h andT _1/2β=(10±3) h. The organs with higher uptake of radiopharmaceutical were lung, kidneys and blood. In a rabbit model the abscess target/background ratio was 3–6 according to time of the scintigraphic images. Thirty patients with musculoskeletal infection were studied. Twenty-one lesions were detected and confirmed by culture/biopsy.