Dynamical coupling between gradients and transport in fusion plasmas

The dynamical coupling between density gradients and particle transport has been investigated using similar experimental tools in the plasma boundary of different tokamak (JET, ISTTOK) and stellarator (TJ-II) devices, showing that the size of turbulent events is minimum in the proximity of the most probable density gradient. Experimental results were found to be consistent with results from two very different models of plasma turbulence and transport. The present findings, common to several plasma devices, suggest the importance of self-regulation mechanisms between plasma transport and gradients in fusion devices.     

Physical methods for genetic plant transformation

Production of transgenic plants is a routine process for many crop species. Transgenes are introduced into plants to confer novel traits such as improved nutritional qualities, tolerance to pollutants, resistance to pathogens and for studies of plant metabolism. Nowadays, it is possible to insert genes from plants evolutionary distant from the host plant, as well as from fungi, viruses, bacteria and even animals. Genetic transformation requires penetration of the transgene through the plant cell wall, facilitated by biological or physical methods. The objective of this article is to review the state of the art of the physical methods used for genetic plant transformation and to describe the basic physics behind them.     

Intermolecular interactions in organofluorine aggregates probed by laser R2PI spectroscopy

Resonant Two Photon Ionization (R2PI) spectroscopy has been applied to the study of host–guest interactions in molecular clusters formed by supersonic exspansion. Here, the results of R2PI spectroscopy of the fluorinated organic molecules para and ortho-fluoro-sec-butylbenzene and their complexes with water and argon are reported and discussed. In particular, it is shown that the position of the fluorine atom on the aromatic ring influences the formation of different kind of complexes (σ versus π) with argon and water. Ab initio calculations were performed to get insight into the molecular shape and the structure of these clusters.     

Optimization of Verapamil Drug Analysis by Excitation-Emission Fluorescence in Combination with Second-order Multivariate Calibration

Excitation emission fluorescence matrices (EEMs) of Verapamil drug were obtained by direct and by derivatization fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths were displaced to longer wavelengths and the fluorescence intensity was enhanced upon derivation with respect to the native fluorescence of the drug. The complete EEM of the native fluorescence of the drug and of the derivatization product were rapidly acquired by using a charged-coupled device detector (CCD), which is advantageous in terms of speed in the analysis, with respect to the use of a conventional photomultiplier detector. The EEMs were analyzed by several second-order multivariate calibration methods exploiting the second order advantage. The three-dimensional decomposition methods used, based in different assumptions about the trilinearity of the three way data structure under analysis, were parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), bilinear least squares (BLLS), parallel factor analysis 2 (PARAFAC2) and multivariate curve resolution—alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). The determination was performed by using the standard addition approach. The figures of merit of the PARAFAC and BLLS methods were calculated, obtaining a lower limit of detection with the derivatization procedure, when compared with the direct measurement of the fluorescence of the drug. In Verapamil drug the best estimations were found with the BLLS and the MCR-ALS models. In the quantification of Verapamil in a pharmaceutical formulation the best estimation, when compared with the result obtained by the US Pharmacopeia high performance liquid chromatography approach, was obtained by direct fluorescence spectroscopy with MCR-ALS and by derivatization fluorescence spectroscopy with the PARAFAC2 model.     

A variant temporal-masking-curve method for inferring peripheral auditory compression

Recent studies have suggested that the degree of on-frequency peripheral auditory compression is similar for apical and basal cochlear sites and that compression extends to a wider range of frequencies in apical than in basal sites. These conclusions were drawn from the analysis of the slopes of temporal masking curves (TMCs) on the assumption that forward masking decays at the same rate for all probe and masker frequencies. The aim here was to verify this conclusion using a different assumption. TMCs for normal hearing listeners were measured for probe frequencies (f(P)) of 500 and 4000 Hz and for masker frequencies (f(M)) of 0.4, 0.55, and 1.0 times the probe frequency. TMCs were measured for probes of 9 and 15 dB sensation level. The assumption was that given a 6 dB increase in probe level, linear cochlear responses to the maskers should lead to a 6 dB vertical shift of the corresponding TMCs, while compressive responses should lead to bigger shifts. Results were consistent with the conclusions from earlier studies. It is argued that this supports the assumptions of the standard TMC method for inferring compression, at least in normal-hearing listeners.     

Universal additive effect of temperature on the rheology of amorphous solids

Extensive measurements of macroscopic stress in a 2D Lennard-Jones glass, over a broad range of temperatures (T) and strain rates (γ), demonstrate a very significant decrease of the flowing stress with T, even much below the glass transition. A detailed analysis of the interplay between loading, thermal activation, and mechanical noise leads us to propose that over a broad (γ, T) region, the effect of temperature amounts to a mere lowering of the strains at which plastic events occur, while the athermal avalanche dynamics remains essentially unperturbed. Up to the vicinity of the glass transition, temperature is then shown to correct the athermal stress by a (negative) additive contribution which presents a universal form, thus bringing support to and extending an expression proposed by Johnson and Samwer [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 195501 (2005)].     

Silicon nanowire and polyethylene superhydrophobic surfaces for discrete magnetic microfluidics

A microfluidic method to manipulate small drops of water is studied on two different superhydrophobic surfaces. Using this digital magnetofluidic method, water drops containing paramagnetic carbonyl-iron microparticles were displaced on silicon nanowire (Si NW) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) superhydrophobic surfaces using magnetic fields. Horizontal, vertical, or upside-down drop movement is made possible by the action of capillary forces induced by paramagnetic particles aligning and following a magnetic field, indicating that three-dimensional digital microfluidics is possible. Also, both Si NW and LDPE superhydrophobic surfaces combine surface chemistry with nano and microscale surface roughness to make drop movement possible. Si NW superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared using vapor-liquid-solid growth systems followed by coating with a perfluorinated hydrocarbon. LDPE superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared by growing polyethylene crystals on a polyethylene substrate through careful rate control.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arachidonoyl glycine,an abundant endogenous lipid,potently drives directed cellular migration through GPR18, the putative abnormal cannabidiol receptor

Background  

Microglia provide continuous immune surveillance of the CNS and upon activation rapidly change phenotype to express receptors that respond to chemoattractants during CNS damage or infection. These activated microglia undergo directed migration towards affected tissue. Importantly, the molecular species of chemoattractant encountered determines if microglia respond with pro- or anti-inflammatory behaviour, yet the signaling molecules that trigger migration remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system regulates microglial migration via CB₂ receptors and an as yet unidentified GPCR termed the 'abnormal cannabidiol' (Abn-CBD) receptor. Abn-CBD is a synthetic isomer of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) and is inactive at CB₁ or CB₂ receptors, but functions as a selective agonist at this G_i/o-coupled GPCR. N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is an endogenous metabolite of the endocannabinoid anandamide and acts as an efficacious agonist at GPR18. Here, we investigate the relationship between NAGly, Abn-CBD, the unidentified 'Abn-CBD' receptor, GPR18, and BV-2 microglial migration.     

Interaction of Candida parapsilosis isolates with human hair and nail surfaces revealed by scanning electron microscopy analysis

Candida parapsilosis is found frequently as commensal organism on epithelial tissues, and is also an increasing cause of nosocomial infection. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were used to analyse the capability of C. parapsilosis cells to adhere and grow as biofilm on human natural substrates and to compare the adherence pattern of isolates exhibiting distinct phenotypes. Cells from the crepe phenotype are predominantly elongated and form pseudohyphae whereas cells from the smooth phenotype are yeast-shaped, either in liquid cultures or on human nail and hair surfaces. The electron micrographs revealed that C. parapsilosis cells from the smooth phenotype adhered in higher number to both surfaces compared to the observed for the crepe phenotype. SEM analysis of human hair surface revealed that cells from the smooth phenotype appear as clumped blastoconidia of uniform morphology embedded in a flocculent extracellular material forming biofilm. The extracellular material and biofilm were seeing in a less extension in the crepe phenotype. A distinct adherence pattern was observed when human nail was used as substrate. Here C. parapsilosis cells seem to be linked to surface structures of human nail plate. Fibrillar extracellular material was observed connecting neighbouring cells as well as nail surface.