The combined effects of diabetes and ionising radiation on the rat retina: an ultrastructural study

The combined effect of STZ-diabetes and ionising radiation on the rat retina was investigated. Wistar rats, which had been diabetic for 6 months, were irradiated with a single dose of x-rays (1500 cGy) and the ultrastructural effects evaluated at 4-10 mths post-irradiation. At 4 months post-irradiation, the outer nuclear layer of the retina was greatly reduced in thickness and the photoreceptor outer segments were disorganised and reduced in length. In addition, the nerve fibre layer contained many cytoid bodies and there were many redundant basement membrane tubes throughout the inner retina. By 6 months post-irradiation, the photoreceptor cells were virtually absent, bringing the external limiting membrane into close apposition to the RPE. Throughout large areas of the outer retina, RPE cells were hypertrophic and some had proliferated into the inner retina. In many regions, proliferating retinal capillaries were observed within the RPE layer, and at 8 months post-irradiation, some vessels extended into the inner retina accompanied by RPE cells. At 10 months post-irradiation, the RPE was atrophic and degenerative with retinal glial cells coming into contact with Bruch's membrane. In some areas, the glia which had breached Bruch's membrane had invaded the underlying choroid. Where glial cells contacted the choriocapillaries, the vessels assumed the appearance of retinal vessels with plump endothelia and no fenestrations. This study has described a progressive inner retinal ischemia, with cytoid bodies, capillary non-perfusion and general atrophy of the inner retina intensifying markedly with increasing post-irradiation time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Electron microscopic features of experimental choroidal neovascularization

We produced choroidal neovascularization in the rhesus monkey by diminishing the blood supply to the inner retina and producing defects in Bruch's membrane by photocoagulation. The neovascular fronds which developed either infiltrated the subretinal space or proliferated through necrotic and gliotic retina into the vitreous cavity. Sequential electron microscopic sections of neovascular fronds in the subretinal space demonstrated that the advancing capillary sprouts were composed of primitive endothelial tubes surrounded by pericytes and enmeshed in a loose basement-membrane-like substance. More mature capillaris and displayed endothelial fenestrations and endothelial-pericyte membranous contacts. Large neovascular fronds developed major feeding vessels that closely resembled normal small choroidal arteries and veins. Retinal pigment epithelial cells in various guises were in constant association with proliferating neovascular networks.

Validation study to compare effects of processing protocols on measured Nε_(carboxymethyl)lysine and Nε_(carboxyethyl)lysine in blood.

Epidemiological studies show that elevated plasma levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are associated with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. Thus AGEs have been used as disease progression markers. However, the effects of variations in biological sample processing procedures on the level of AGEs in plasma/serum samples have not been investigated. The objective of this investigation was to assess the effect of variations in blood sample collection on measured Ne_(carboxy-methyl)lysine (CML), the best characterised AGE, and its homolog, Ne_(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL). The investigation examined the effect on CML and CEL of different blood collection tubes, inclusion of a stabilising cocktail, effect of freeze thaw cycles, different storage times and temperatures, and effects of delaying centrifugation on a pooled sample from healthy volunteers. CML and CEL were measured in extracted samples by ultra_performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Median CML and CEL ranged from 0.132 to 0.140 mM/M lys and from 0.053 to 0.060 mM/M lys, respectively. No significant difference was shown CML or CEL in plasma/serum samples. Therefore samples collected as part of epidemiological studies that do not undergo specific sample treatment at collection are suitable for measuring CML and CEL.

Influence of test methodology and probe geometry on nanoscale fatigue mechanisms of diamond-like carbon thin film

The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of nanoscale fatigue using nano-impact and multiple-loading cycle nanoindentation tests, and compare it to previously reported findings of nanoscale fatigue using integrated stiffness and depth sensing approach. Two different film loading mechanism, loading history and indenter shapes are compared to comprehend the influence of test methodology on the nanoscale fatigue failure mechanisms of DLC film. An amorphous 100 nm thick DLC film was deposited on a 500 μm silicon substrate using sputtering of graphite target in pure argon atmosphere. Nano-impact and multiple-load cycle indentations were performed in the load range of 100 μN to 1000 μN and 0.1 mN to 100 mN, respectively. Both test types were conducted using conical and Berkovich indenters. Results indicate that for the case of conical indenter, the combination of nano-impact and multiple-loading cycle nanoindentation tests provide information on the life and failure mechanism of DLC film, which is comparable to the previously reported findings using the integrated stiffness and depth sensing approach. However, the comparison of results is sensitive to the applied load, loading mechanism, test-type and probe geometry. The loading mechanism and load history is therefore critical which also leads to two different definitions of film failure. The choice of exact test methodology, load and probe geometry should therefore be dictated by the in-service tribological conditions, and where necessary both test methodologies can be used to provide better insights of failure mechanism. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the elastic response of nanoindentation is reported, which indicates that the elastic modulus of the film measured using MD simulation was higher than that experimentally measured. This difference is attributed to the factors related to the presence of material defects, crystal structure, residual stress, indenter geometry and loading/unloading rate differences between the MD and experimental results.

Flow due to multiple jets downstream of a barrage: Experiments, 3-D CFD and depth-averaged modelling

The flow through and downstream of a row of seven open draft tubes in a barrage has been investigated through laboratory experiments in a wide flume, a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics simulation, and a two-dimensional depth-averaged computation. Agreement between the experiments and the 3D modeling is shown to be good, including the prediction of an asymmetric Coandă effect. One aim is to determine the distance downstream at which depth-averaged modeling provides a reasonable prediction; this is shown to be approximately 20 tube diameters downstream of the barrage. Upstream of this, the depth-averaged modeling inaccurately predicts water level, bed shear, and the 3D flow field. The 3D model shows that bed shear stress can be markedly magnified near the barrage, particularly where the jets become attached.

Can a carbon nano-coating resist metallic phase transformation in silicon substrate during nanoimpact?

Nanomechanical response of a silicon specimen coated with a sp3 crystalline carbon coating (1.8 nm thickness) was investigated using MD simulation. A sharp conical rigid tip was impacted at the speed of 50 m/sec up to a depth of ~80% of the coating thickness. Unlike pure silicon specimen, no metallic phase transformation was observed i.e. a thin coating was able to resist Si-I to Si-II metallic phase transformation signifying that the coating could alter the stress distribution and thereby the contact tribology of the substrate. The stress state of the system, radial distribution function and the load-displacement curve were all aligned with above observations

The effect of nozzle geometry on the flow characteristics of small water jets

A wide variety of processes make use of plain orifice nozzles. Fuel injectors for internal combustion engines incorporate these nozzles to generate finely atomized sprays. Processes such as jet cutting, jet cleaning, and hydroentanglement, on the other hand, use similar nozzles, but require coherent jets. The spray or jet characteristics depend on the stability of the flow emerging from the orifice. This problem has been extensively researched for nozzles with diameters above 300 μm. Much less is known about the characteristics of jets produced by nozzles with smaller diameters, where viscous effects and small geometric variations due to manufacturing tolerances are likely to play an increasing role. Results are presented of a wide-ranging investigation of geometry effects on the flow parameters and jet characteristics of nozzles with diameters between 120 and 170 μm. Nozzles with circular cross-section and conical, cone-capillary and capillary axial designs were investigated. For conical and cone-capillary nozzles, the effect of cone angle and effects due to interactions between adjacent nozzles in the multi-hole cone-capillary nozzles were studied. For capillary nozzles, the effects of diameter variations and inlet edge roundness for capillary nozzles were considered. Furthermore, the effect of varying the aspect ratio (ratio of major and minor axes) of elliptical nozzles was studied. Flowrate and jet impact force measurements were carried out to determine the discharge coefficient C, velocity coefficient C, and contraction coefficient C of the nozzles for supply pressures between 3 and 12 MPa. Visualizations of the jet flow were carried out in the vicinity of the nozzle exit in order to identify near-nozzle flow regimes and to study jet coherence. The relationship between nozzle geometry, discharge characteristics, and jet coherence is examined. © IMechE 2006.

Frequency Filtering of Torsional Alfvén Waves by Chromospheric Magnetic Field

In this Letter, we demonstrate how the observation of broadband frequency propagating torsional Alfvén waves in chromospheric magnetic flux tubes can provide valuable insight into their magnetic field structure. By implementing a full nonlinear three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulation with a realistic vortex driver, we demonstrate how the plasma structure of chromospheric magnetic flux tubes can act as a spatially dependent frequency filter for torsional Alfvén waves. Importantly, for solar magnetoseismology applications, this frequency filtering is found to be strongly dependent on magnetic field structure. With reference to an observational case study of propagating torsional Alfvén waves using spectroscopic data from the Swedish Solar Telescope, we demonstrate how the observed two-dimensional spatial distribution of maximum power Fourier frequency shows a strong correlation with our forward model. This opens the possibility of beginning an era of chromospheric magnetoseismology, to complement the more traditional methods of mapping the magnetic field structure of the solar chromosphere.

Predicting the predatory impacts of the “demon shrimp” Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, on native and previously introduced species

Biological invasions continue to exert pressure on ecosystems worldwide and we thus require methods that can help understand and predict the impacts of invasive species, on both native species and previously established invaders. Comparing laboratory derived functional responses among invasive and native predators has emerged as one such method, providing a robust proxy for field impacts. We used this method to examine the likely impacts of the Ponto–Caspian amphipod Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, known as the “demon shrimp”, a little investigated invader in European freshwaters that has recently established in the British Isles. We compared the functional responses on two prey species of D. haemobaphes with two other amphipod species: Dikerogammarus villosus, a congeneric invasive with well-documented impacts on macro-invertebrate communities and a native amphipod, Gammarus pulex. Prey species were native Chironomus sp. and the invasive Chelicorophium curvispinum, a tube-building amphipod also originating from the Ponto–Caspian region. D. villosus showed higher Type II functional responses towards both prey species than did D. haemobaphes and G. pulex, with the latter two predators exhibiting similar impacts on the native prey. However, D. haemobaphes had higher functional responses towards the invasive C. curvispinum than did G. pulex, both when prey individuals were tubeless and resident in their protective mud tubes. Thus, we demonstrate that functionally equivalent invasive congeners can show significantly different impacts on prey, regardless of shared evolutionary history. We also show that some predatory invaders can have impacts on native prey equivalent to native predator impacts, but that they can also exert significant impacts on previously introduced prey. We discuss the importance of invasion history and prey identity when attempting to understand and predict the impacts of new invaders.

Photocatalytic organic synthesis in an NMR tube:CC coupling of phenoxyacetic acid and acrylamide

NMR was used to study the semiconductor photocatalytic (SPC) CC coupling of phenoxyacetic acid (PAA) with acrylamide (ACM) in an NMR tube photoreactor. Using an NMR tube with a sol-gel titania inner coating as a photoreactor, this reaction is relatively clean, forming only 1 product, 4-phenoxybutanamide (4-PB), in yields up to 78%. This SPC reaction is used to assess the activity of the sol-gel titania coating as a function of their annealing temperature, which alters the surface area and phase of the titania, and the general reusability of the TiO coated NMR tubes. The optimum temperature range for annealing the sol-gel titania films is between 450 °C and 800 °C, with the maximum yield and rate attained at 450 °C. Despite a decrease in the initial rates of formation of 4-PB above an annealing temperature of 450 °C, the final product yields remained similar, giving maximum yields within 60 min of irradiation. The reusability study reveals that the activity of the sol-gel titania can quickly deteriorate with repeated use due to the adsorption of yellow/brown coloured, insoluble, most likely organic polymeric, material and its screening effect on the underlying photocatalyst. The titania can, however, be restored to its original activity by a simple heat treatment at 450 °C for 30 min.

The role of deposition process on pressure dip formation underneath a granular pile

This paper describes an experimental investigation on the pressure dip phenomenon in a conical pile of granular solids. The roles of different deposition processes such as the pouring rate, pouring height and deposition jet size on the pressure dip formation were studied. Test results confirmed that the pressure dip is a robust phenomenon in a pile formed by top deposition. When the deposition jet radius is significantly smaller than the final pile radius (i.e. concentrated deposition), a dip developed in the centre as shown in previous studies. However, when the deposition jet radius is comparable to the final pile radius (i.e. diffuse deposition), the location of the dip moves towards the edge of deposition jet, with a local maximum pressure developed in the centre. For concentrated deposition, an increase in the pouring rate may enhance the depth of the dip and reduce its width, while an increase in the pouring height has only a negligible effect in the studied range. The results suggest the pressure dip is closely related to the initial location, intensity and form of downslope flows. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical and magneto-optical properties of gold core cobalt shell magnetoplasmonic nanowire arrays

In this work we present core–shell nanowire arrays of gold coated with a nanometric layer of cobalt. Despite the extremely small Co volume, these core–shell nanowires display large magneto-optical activity and plasmonic resonance determined by the geometry of the structure. Therefore, we are able to tune both the plasmonic and magneto-optical response in the visible range. Through optical and ellipsometric measurements in transmission, and applying a magnetic field to the sample, it is possible to modulate the value of the phase angle (Del {Δ}) between the S and P polarised components. It was found that the core–shell sample produced an order of magnitude larger variation in Del with changing magnetic field direction, compared with hollow cobalt tubes. The enhancement of magneto optical properties through the plasmonic nature of the gold core is complemented with the ability to induce magnetic influence over optical properties via an externally applied field. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time the ability to use the remanent magnetisation of the Co, in conjunction with the optical properties defined by the Au, to observe remanent optical states in this uniquely designed structure. This new class of magnetoplasmonic metamaterial has great potential in a wide range of applications, from bio-sensing to data storage due to the tuneable nature of multiple resonance modes and dual functionality.

Validation study to compare effects of processing protocols on measured N (ε)-(carboxymethyl)lysine and N (ε)-(carboxyethyl)lysine in blood

Epidemiological studies show that elevated plasma levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are associated with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. Thus AGEs have been used as disease progression markers. However, the effects of variations in biological sample processing procedures on the level of AGEs in plasma/serum samples have not been investigated. The objective of this investigation was to assess the effect of variations in blood sample collection on measured N (ε)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), the best characterised AGE, and its homolog, N (ε)-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL). The investigation examined the effect on CML and CEL of different blood collection tubes, inclusion of a stabilising cocktail, effect of freeze thaw cycles, different storage times and temperatures, and effects of delaying centrifugation on a pooled sample from healthy volunteers. CML and CEL were measured in extracted samples by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Median CML and CEL ranged from 0.132 to 0.140 mM/M lys and from 0.053 to 0.060 mM/M lys, respectively. No significant difference was shown CML or CEL in plasma/serum samples. Therefore samples collected as part of epidemiological studies that do not undergo specific sample treatment at collection are suitable for measuring CML and CEL.

Laboratory formation of a scaled protostellar jet by coaligned poloidal magnetic field

Although bipolar jets are seen emerging from a wide variety of astrophysical systems, the issue of their formation and morphology beyond their launching is still under study. Our scaled laboratory experiments, representative of young stellar object outflows, reveal that stable and narrow collimation of the entire flow can result from the presence of a poloidal magnetic field whose strength is consistent with observations. The laboratory plasma becomes focused with an interior cavity. This gives rise to a standing conical shock from which the jet emerges. Following simulations of the process at the full astrophysical scale, we conclude that it can also explain recently discovered x-ray emission features observed in low-density regions at the base of protostellar jets, such as the well-studied jet HH 154.