High‐resolution pluronic‐filled microchip CE‐SSCP analysis system via channel width control

Although the resolution of CE‐SSCP has been significantly improved by using a poly(ethyleneoxide)‐poly(propyleneoxide)‐poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO‐PPO‐PEO; Pluronic^®) triblock copolymer as a separation medium, CE‐SSCP on a microchip format is not widely applicable because their resolution is limited by short channel length. Therefore, a strategy to improve the resolution in channels of limited lengths is highly required for enabling microchip‐based CE‐SSCP. In this study, we developed a high‐resolution CE‐SSCP microchip system by controlling the width of the pluronic‐filled channel. We tested four different channel widths of 180, 240, 300, and 400 μm, and found that 300 μm showed the highest resolution in the separation of two pathogen specific markers. Potential applications of our method in various genetic analyses were also shown by using SNP markers for spinal muscular atrophy.     

Syntheses,structures and properties of isonicotinamidium,thionicotinamidium, 2- and 3-(hydroxymethyl)pyridinium nitrates

New salts containing cations of selected pyridine derivatives of the composition [pyH]NO₃, where py is 2-pyridylmethanol (2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine, 2pm), 3-pyridylmethanol (3-(hydroxymethyl) pyridine, 3pm), isonicotinamide (4-(aminocarbonyl)-pyridine, inia) and thionicotinamide (4-(aminothiocarbonyl)pyridine, tnia) were synthesised using two methods. By the first method, the above salts were obtained from reaction mixtures prepared from Fe(NO₃)₃ · 9H₂O and the appropriate pyridine derivative py in ethanol without the addition of acids. The protons required for protonation of the given pyridine derivatives are formed by the protolytic reaction of [Fe(H₂O)₆]³⁺, which acts as a cationic Brønstedt acid. These cations are present in the solid state of Fe(NO₃)₃ · 9H₂O as well as in its solutions. Under the second procedure, the salts were prepared by a direct reaction of the selected pyridine derivative py with a diluted solution of HNO₃. The first method affords crystals with lower yields but the second method produces microcrystals with higher yields. All the compounds were characterised by elemental analysis, infrared and NMR spectroscopic analyses and [3pmH]NO₃ and [2pmH]NO₃ by X-ray structure analysis also. [3pmH]NO₃ crystallises in the monoclinic and [2pmH]NO₃ in the triclinic system.     

A particle trapping chip using the wide and uniform slit formed by a deformable membrane with air bubble plugs

We present a high-efficient particle trapping chip, where a wide and uniform slit is formed by a deformable membrane barrier with air bubble plugs. The previous particle trapping methods based on membrane barriers resulted in low trapping efficiency due to the non-uniform slit gap between the membrane and the substrate, especially at the side walls of rectangular channel. In the present method, the air bubble plugs remained in the extended microchannel during sample filling process, block the particle passage at the both side ends of the membrane, thus all particles flow through the uniform slit gap. Therefore, high-efficient particle trapping without particle loss can be achieved. The present particle trapping chip was composed of three layers: pneumatic (top), membrane and channel (bottom) layers. The membrane was deformed by the pneumatic pressure applied from the top layer. In the experimental study using 10.3 μm-diameter polystyrene beads, the membrane barrier with the air bubble plugs successfully trapped the injected beads with the trapping efficiency of 100% at the flow rate of 10 μl/min, while the barrier without the air bubble plugs showed low efficiency of 20%. At the increased flow rate of 20 μl/min, beads were still trapped with trapping efficiency over 98% in the present device. By using a mixture of 5.7 and 10.3 μm-diameter beads, we also verified the present method was capable to trap and release the beads selectively according to their size with the release efficiency of 95.1%. The present simple and effective particle trapping device is applicable for the high-efficient bioparticle isolation and recovery in the micro total analysis system.     

Preclinical studies for pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of Ad-stTRAIL, an adenovirus delivering secretable trimeric TRAIL for gene therapy

Malignant glioma is the most frequent type in brain tumors. The prognosis of this tumor has not been significantly improved for the past decades and the average survival of patients is less than one year. Thus, an effective novel therapy is urgently needed. TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), known to have tumor cell-specific killing activity, has been investigated as a novel therapeutic for cancers. We have developed Ad-stTRAIL, an adenovirus delivering secretable trimeric TRAIL for gene therapy and demonstrated the potential to treat malignant gliomas. Currently, this Ad-stTRAIL gene therapy is under phase I clinical trial for malignant gliomas. Here, we report preclinical studies for Ad-stTRAIL carried out using rats. We delivered Ad-stTRAIL intracranially and determined its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Most Ad-stTRAIL remained in the delivered site and the relatively low number of viral genomes was detected in the opposite site of brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Similarly, only small portion of the viral particles injected was found in the blood plasma and major organs and tissues, probably due to the brain-blood barrier. Multiple administrations did not lead to accumulation of Ad-stTRAIL at the injection site and organs. Repeated delivery of Ad-stTRAIL did not show any serious side effects. Our data indicate that intracranially delivered Ad-stTRAIL is a safe approach, demonstrating the potential as a novel therapy for treating gliomas.     

Photocatalytic degradation of metoprolol in water suspension of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanopowders prepared using sol–gel route

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) powders have been synthesized by sol–gel method using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) or tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄ as precursors, different alcohols and calcination temperatures in the range from 400 to 650 °C. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared powders has been tested for the degradation of metoprolol tartrate salt, a selective β-blocker used to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases, and compared to photocatalytic activity obtained from Degussa P25. Nanosized TiO₂ powders prepared from TiCl₄ and amyl-alcohol, calcined at 550 °C, displayed an activity comparable to Degussa P25, whereas the sample from the same series, calcined at 650 °C, showed higher photocatalytic activity in the whole range of the catalyst loading. Structural, morphological and surface properties of synthesized TiO₂ nanopowders have been investigated by XRD, SEM, EDS and BET measurements, as well as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, in order to find out the material properties which enable rapid an efficient decomposition of metoprolol under UV radiation.     

Cost-effective fabrication of memristive devices with ZnO thin film using printed electronics technologies

A prototype memristive device has been presented in this paper, for which the top and bottom electrodes have been fabricated through a simple and cost-effective technique, i.e. electrohydrodynamic printing. For deposition of the bottom electrode pattern, a silver ink containing 60 wt% silver by content was subjected to controlled flow through a metal capillary exposed to an electric field at the ambient temperature to generate an electrohydrodynamic jet, thereby depositing uniform patterns of silver on glass substrate at a constant substrate speed. The top electrode has been deposited in a similar fashion. In between the top and bottom electrodes, a uniform layer of ZnO is fabricated using spin-coating technique. The nanoscale ZnO memristor stack has a channel length of 370 μm and channel width of 82 μm. A memristor thus fabricated was characterized and its current voltage curves were analyzed. The device showed a typical nonvolatile resistive switching behavior present in memristor devices thus highlighting the EHD printed patterning as a reliable method for the fabrication of memory devices.     

Effect of heat generation on transient flow of micropolar fluid in a porous vertical channel

The present work is performed to study the effect of heat generation on fully developed flow and heat transfer of micropolar fluid between two parallel vertical plates. The rigid plates are assumed to exchange heat with an external fluid by convection. The governing equations are solved by using Crank–Nicolson implicit finite difference method. The effects of governing parameters such as transient, heat generation, micropolar parameter, Prandtl number, Biot number, and Reynolds number on the velocity and temperature profiles are discussed. It is found that the presence of heat generation enhances the velocity and temperature of the micropolar fluid at the middle of the channel.     

Infrared reflectivity spectra of <Emphasis Type="Italic">η</Emphasis>-Na<Subscript>1.3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> in the charge disordered and ordered phase

We have measured the far-infrared reflectivity spectra of the sodium vanadium oxide η-Na_1.3V₂O₅ polycrystals in the wide temperature (80–300 K) and frequency (150–1500 cm⁻¹) range. Appearance of new phonon oscillators, phonon oscillator mode splitting and step-like shift of TO and LO frequencies at low temperatures are correlated with the charge-ordering phase transition, which takes place at about 120 K in this vanadium oxide.     

Low-frequency Raman scattering from CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles

Raman scattering measurements were performed on CeO₂ nanoparticles at room temperature. Low-frequency modes are assigned to confined acoustic vibrations of spherical CeO₂ nanoparticles. Frequencies of these vibrational modes have been calculated in the elastic continuum approximation, which considers a nanoparticle as a homogeneous elastic sphere. We assumed stress-free boundary conditions. The specific dependence of the vibrational frequency on the particle diameter enables the determination of the particle size from the experimental Raman frequency. The particle size value calculated in this way agrees well with the value acquired from the phonon confinement model. PACS 61.46.Df; 73.63.Bd; 63.22.+m     

Holographic Three-Dimensional Display Using an Electron-Beam-Addressed Spatial Light Modulator

Three-dimensional (3-D) or holographic information extracted by two-dimensional active optical heterodyne scanning has been demonstrated recently. The technique is called optical scanning holography. To reconstruct the obtainable 3-D holographic information, digital techniques have been used and demonstrated. For real-time applications, we need to investigate spatial-light-modulator-based systems. In this paper, we first briefly review optical scanning holography, and then present experimental results of 3-D image reconstruction using an electron-beam-addressed spatial light modulator.