In vivo brain imaging using a portable 3.9 gram two-photon fluorescence microendoscope

We introduce a compact two-photon fluorescence microendoscope based on a compound gradient refractive index endoscope probe, a DC micromotor for remote adjustment of the image plane, and a flexible photonic bandgap fiber for near distortion-free delivery of ultrashort excitation pulses. The imaging head has a mass of only 3.9 g and provides micrometer-scale resolution. We used portable two-photon microendoscopy to visualize hippocampal blood vessels in the brains of live mice.     

Real-time increase in depth of field of an uncooled thermal camera using several phase-mask technologies

Imaging systems that combine a phase mask in the pupil and digital postprocessing may have better performance than conventional ones. We have built such a system to enhance the depth of field of an uncooled thermal camera. The phase masks are binary, their structures are optimized thanks to an image quality criterion, and they have been realized with three different technologies that give equivalent results. The deconvolution postprocessing is performed in real time with a graphics processing unit. A significant increase of the depth of field of a factor 3 has been obtained.     

MR detection of mechanical vibrations using a radiofrequency field gradient

A new method for NMR characterization of mechanical waves, based upon radiofrequency field gradient for motion encoding, is proposed. A binomial B1 gradient excitation scheme was used to visualize the mobile spins undergoing a periodic transverse mechanical excitation. A simple model was designed to simulate the NMR signal as a function of the wave frequency excitation and the periodicity of the NMR pulse sequence. The preliminary results were obtained on a gel phantom at low vibration frequencies (0-200 Hz) by using a ladder-shaped coil generating a nearly constant RF field gradient along a specific known direction. For very small displacements and/or B1 gradients, the NMR signal measured on a gel phantom was proportional to the vibration amplitude and the pulse sequence was shown to be selective with respect to the vibration frequency. A good estimation of the direction of vibrations was obtained by varying the angle between the motion direction and the B1 gradient. The method and its use in parallel to more conventional MR elastography techniques are discussed. The presented approach might be of interest for noninvasive investigation of elastic properties of soft tissues and other materials.     

Gasdynamische Untersuchung des Jouleschen Überströmversuches

Zusammenfassung Es wird die zeitabhängige Strömung beim Ausgleichsvorgang zwischen zwei endlichen Behältern untersucht. Den Überlegungen wird eine eindimensionale, reibungsfreie und quasistationäre Strömung zugrunde gelegt. Während bei überkritischer Strömung eine analytische Lösung möglich ist, wird das Problem bei unterkritischer Strömung numerisch gelöst.Dem Druckausgleich zwischen den beiden Behältern folgt ein isobarer Wärme- und Massenaustausch, bis sich das thermodynamische Gleichgewicht eingestellt hat.

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Gasdynamical investigation of Joule's overflow experiment

The time-dependent flow of an exchange process between two big insulated tanks is considered. The problem is treated on the basis of a one-dimensional, inviscid and quasi-steady flow. An analytical solution is obtained for supercritical flow, while for subcritical flow the problem is solved numerically.After the pressure-equilibrium between the two-tanks an isobar heat and mass exchange follows, until the thermodynamic equilibrium is reached.

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Formelzeichen a Schallgechwindigkeit - A engster Querschnitt - c Geschwindigkeit - c _p spezifische Wärme bei konstantem Druck - c _v spezifische Wärme bei konstantem Volumen - e innere Energie - i Enthalpie - m Masse - M Machzahl - p Druck - spezielle Gaskonstante - s Stromlinie, spezifische Entropie - t dimensionsbehaftete Zeit - T Temperatur - V Volumen - Konstante - Abkürzung - Volumenverhältnis - Verhältnis der spezifischen Wärmen - Dichte - dimensionslose Zeit Indizes 0 Zustand zur Zeitt=0 - 1 Zustand im Überdruckbehälter - 2 Zustand im Überströmbehälter - * Zustand im engsten Querschnitt - K kritisch - M Zustand bei Druckausgleich - E Endzustand bei Temperaturausgleich Herrn Prof. Dr. B. Schmidt in Dankbarkeit zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

An analysis on forced convection in a channel filled with a Brinkman-Darcy porous medium: Exact and approximate solutions

An analysis was made to investigate non-Darcian fully developed flow and heat transfer in a porous channel bounded by two parallel walls subjected to uniform heat flux. The Brinkmanextended Darcy model was employed to study the effect of the boundary viscous frictional drag on hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics. An exact expression has been derived for the Nusselt number under the uniform wall heat flux condition. Approximate results were also obtained by exploiting a momentum integral relation and an auxiliary relation implicit in the Brinkmanextended Darcy model. Excellent agreement was confirmed between the approximate and exact solutions even in details of velocity and temperature profiles.     

Grain Boundary Grooving as an Indicator of Grain Boundary Phase Transformations

The atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the grain boundary (GB) groove profiles far away from the melting temperature T _m. It is shown that AFM allows one to measure the temperature dependence of the GB energy in a rather broad temperature interval (from 0.85 T _m to T _m). The GB energy and GB segregation of Bi were measured at 1123 K in the interval of the Bi bulk concentration x ^v _Bi from 5 to 140 ppm Bi. The transition from monolayer to multilayer adsorption is observed for the 19a GB at 1123 K and x ^v _Bi = 60 at. ppm Bi. At the same point (1123 K and x ^v _Bi = 60 at. ppm Bi) a discontinuity of the first derivative of the GB energy is observed. These features were explained using the model of GB prewetting phase transformation developed previously.     

Sensitive and automated detection of iron-oxide-labeled cells using phase image cross-correlation analysis

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles are increasingly being used to noninvasively track cells, target specific molecules and monitor gene expression in vivo. Contrast changes that are subtle relative to intrinsic sources of contrast present a significant detection challenge. Here, we describe a postprocessing algorithm, called Phase map cross-correlation Detection and Quantification (PDQ), with the purpose of automating identification and quantification of localized accumulations of SPIO agents. The method is designed to sacrifice little flexibility - it works on previously acquired data and allows the use of conventional high-SNR pulse sequences with no extra scan time. We first investigated the theoretical detection limits of PDQ using a simulated dipole field. This method was then applied to three-dimensional (3D) MRI data sets of agarose gel containing isolated dipoles and ex vivo transplanted allogenic rat hearts infiltrated by numerous iron-oxide-labeled macrophages as a result of organ rejection. A simulated dipole field showed this method to be robust in very low signal-to-noise ratio images. Analysis of agarose gel and allogenic rat heart shows that this method can automatically identify and count dipoles while visualizing their biodistribution in 3D renderings. In the heart, this information was used to calculate a quantitative index that may indicate its degree of cellular infiltration.     

Dipolar cycloadditions in solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS)

Summary We present a concise review of polymer-supported 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Nitrile oxide and azomethine ylides constitute the two types of 1,3-dipoles which have been used in conjunction with solid-phase organic synthesis. These cycloaddition reactions on solid phase are generally of equal or greater efficiency than the analogous solution-phase reactions.     

Ein LIFO Branch and Bound Verfahren zur optimalen Altstoffbehälterallokation

Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel wird auf ein Problem eingegangen, das sich im Rahmen einer abfallwirtschaftlichen Studie ergab, in der die Durchführbarkeit von Altstoffsammlungen im dichtverbauten Siedlungsgebiet untersucht wurde. Als wichtige Teilaufgabe war dabei eine platzminimale Altstoffbehälterkombination für jede Altstoffart und für jedes Haus des untersuchten Sammelgebietes zu ermitteln, wobei unter anderem die Zugänglichkeit des Behälterraumes für die Sammelmannschaft und dessen topographische Gegebenheiten zu beachten waren. Zur Lösung dieser Aufgabe, deren Formalisierung auf ein ganzzahliges LP führte, wurde ein LIFO Branch and Bound Verfahren entwickelt. Dieses wird an Hand der wesentlichen Bestandteile eines jeden Algorithmus vom Branch and Bound Typ: der Branching Strategie, der Bounding Strategie und der Search Strategie dargestellt. Der Algorithmus wurde in PL/I programmiert und hat seine Leistungsfähigkeit in zahlreichen Programmläufen unter Beweis gestellt.

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Summary In this article a problem is treated which rose in the course of a research into the suitability for reconditioning used materials. This study analyzes the feasibility of scrap collection in densily populated, urban areas. One major aspect was to provide for a space saving combination of containers for every kind of scrap and for each house of the test area, bearing in mind the constraints given by the topographical conditions of the container room and its accessibility to the collection personnel. The formulation of this problem led to an all integer program. To solve this program a LIFO branch and bound algorithm was developed. The algorithm is presented by discussing its branching strategy, its bounding strategy and its search strategy, which constitute the essential parts of each procedure of the branch and bound type. The algorithm was programmed in PL/I and proved its efficiency in numerous runs.