Differentiation-on-a-chip: a microfluidic platform for long-term cell culture studies

Here we demonstrate a microfluidic perfusion system suitable for a long-term (>2 week) culture of muscle cells spanning the whole process of differentiation from myoblasts to myotubes. Cell-adhesive surface microdomains alternating with a robust cell-repellent coating mimic in vivo spatial cues for muscle cell assembly and allow for confining the fusion of myoblasts into aligned, isolated multinucleated myotubes. The microfluidic system provides accurate control of the perfusion rates and biochemical composition of the environment surrounding the cells. Comparing muscle cell-specific differentiation markers and the timing of fusion, we observed no differences in differentiation between microfluidic and traditional cultures. All differentiation assays were fully microfluidic, i.e. they were performed by sequentially changing the fluids in the micro-channels. By delivering fluorescent markers using heterogeneous laminar flows, it was possible to confine a membrane receptor labeling assay to a region smaller than a myotube. Our method can serve as an improved in vitro model for studying muscle cell differentiation and for characterizing extracellular molecules and mechanisms involved in neuromuscular differentiation.     

Microscopic dielectric response functions in semiconductor quantum dots

We calculate and model the microscopic dielectric response function for quantum dots using first principle methods. We find that the response is bulklike inside the quantum dots, and the reduction of the macroscopic dielectric constants is a surface effect. We present a model for the microscopic dielectric function which reproduces well the directly calculated results and can be used to solve the Poisson equation in a nanosystem.     

Nonlinear evolution of q=1 triple tearing modes in a tokamak plasma

In magnetic configurations with two or three q=1 (with q being the safety factor) resonant surfaces in a tokamak plasma, resistive magnetohydrodynamic modes with poloidal mode numbers m much larger than 1 are found to be linearly unstable. It is found that these high-m double or triple tearing modes significantly enhance through nonlinear interactions the growth of the m=1 mode. This may account for the sudden onset of the internal resistive kink, i.e., the fast sawtooth trigger. Based on the subsequent reconnection dynamics that can proceed without formation of the m=1 islands, it is proposed that high-m triple tearing modes are a possible mechanism for precursor-free partial collapses during sawtooth oscillations.     

Continuous-wave laser operation of Yb:LuVO4

We report on the room-temperature spectroscopic properties and continuous-wave laser operation of a new Yb:LuVO4 crystal. The peak absorption cross section for the pi-polarization is 8.42 x 10(-20) cm2 at 985 nm, and the stimulated emission cross section at 1020 nm is 1.03 x 10(-20) cm2. An output power of 0.36 W at 1041 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 47% by use of Ti:sapphire laser pumping. With diode pumping the output power reached 1.05 W at the highest available incident pump power of 6.8 W.     

A von Mises–Fisher mixture model for clustering numerical and categorical variables

Advances in Data Analysis and Classification - This work presents a mixture model allowing to cluster variables of different types. All variables being measured on the same n statistical units, we...     

Synthesis,crystal and molecular structure and spectroscopic studies (i.r., electronic,13C-n.m.r. and Mössbauer) of the perchlorate of nitrosyltetracyanoiron(II)-μ-cyano-pentaamminecobalt(III)trihydrate and its chromium(III) analogue

Summary The two new title compounds have been synthesized and characterized by x-ray crystal structure and spectroscopic measurements. Both compounds are air-stable and isomorphous. The crystal system, space group and Z for both compounds are: hexagonal, p6₁ and 6. Lattice constants for the Co^III and Cr^III complexes are as follows:a = 9.674(3) Å,c = 37.196(6) Å anda = 9.786(3) Å,c = 37.852(6) A, respectively. The molecular structure shows a great distortion in the Fe-C-N-M torsion angle [–46.8(7)° and –51.3(7)°, respectively] which has been interpreted as due to the presence of the NO ligand. The spectral studies confirm the presence of the -cyano ligand by the clear splitting of the (CN) stretching vibration atca. 2200 cm^–1 and the shift of 15–20 nm towards higher frequencies in the first d-d transition of M^III. The¹³C-n.m.r. spectrum of the diamagnetic Co^III complex confirms the presence of the -cyano ligand in solution and, as in the solid phase, the bridging group iscis to the NO of the nitroprusside. The Mössbauer spectra show that the principal axis component of electric field gradient tensor will most likely be directed in the Fe-NO direction (as in the nitroprusside ion) and not towards the CN bridge.     

Density functional theory calculations and vibrational spectra of 3,5-dibromopyridine and 3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-trifluoropyridine

The solid phase mid FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of 3,5-dibromopyridine (3,5-DBP) and 3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-trifluoropyridine (3,5-DCTFP) have been recorded in the regions 4000-400 cm(-1) and 3500-100 cm(-1), respectively. The spectra were interpreted with the help of normal coordinate analysis (NCA) following full structure optimisation and force field calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) using the standard B3LYP/6-31G( *) method and basis set combination. The results of the calculations are applied to stimulate infrared and Raman spectra of the title compounds which showed excellent agreement with the observed spectra.     

Dehydrogenation with phenylseleninic anhydride in the total synthesis of ergot alkaloids

The standardised procedure for dehydrogenation of indolines into indoles with phenylseleninic anhydride $\text{1}$ was successfully applied to the final steps in the total synthesis of ergot alkaloids.