Microscopy characterization of doped fibers

The use of the Soft X-ray Contact Microscopy technique is discussed as a possible new tool to get information on dopant distribution in the core of single-mode optical fibers with 50 nm spatial resolution

CT imaging of primary pancreatic lymphoma: experience from three referral centres for pancreatic diseases

To describe CT characteristics of primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL), a rare disease with features in common with adenocarcinoma

Formation of the X-ray line emission spectrum of excimer laser-produced plasmas

Time- and space-integrated emission spectra measurements have been performed in plasma produced by 308 nm wavelength XeCl laser radiation (IL = (4–10)·1012 W/cm2, τ = 10 ns) and by 248 nm wavelength KrF laser pulse train radiation (IL = 5·1015 W/cm2, τ = 7 ps, 16 pulses in train) on CF2 plane target. Theoretical modelling of Lyman series and He-like ion resonance series of fluorine and its fit of experimental data show considerable differences in the absorption of laser radiation in the two plasmas

In situ analytical investigation of redox behavior of Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts

The utilization of in situ DRIFT spectroscopy combined with advanced thermoanalytical techniques (temperature programmed decomposition, TPDE; temperature programmed oxidative decomposition, TPOD) allows the characterization of redox behavior of copper ions inside ZSM-5 zeolites. The oxidation of carbonaceous impurities inside the solid matrix to CO and CO2 is demonstrated to be responsible for Cu(ii)--> Cu(i) reduction, since the formation of other oxidation products, namely O-2, H2O2 or O-2(-) ions, was not detected by mass spectrometry and DRIFT. The unusual kinetics of CO evolution in thermoanalytical experiments was attributed to the formation of a relatively stable Cu+... CO adduct characterized by a typical IR band at 2157 cm(-1), which acts as a specific active site of a chromatographic adsorbent material

Selective soft-X-rays interaction on the metabolism of eukaryotic cells

Novel techniques on yeast cells (laser-plasma generation of monochromatic soft-X-rays and computerized follow up by pressure transducers) give information on the effects of different doses, doses-rate, exposure times and X-ray wavelength on the metabolic activity of the cells, where a non-monotonic response and enzyme-driven oscillations are observed

An ensemble of new techniques to study soft-X-ray-induced variations in cellular metabolism

An ensemble of new techniques has been developed to study cell metabolism. These include: CO2 production monitoring, cell irradiation with soft X rays produced with a laser-plasma source, and study of oscillations in cell metabolic activity via spectral analysis of experimental records. Soft X-rays at about 0.9 keV, with a very low penetration in biological material, were chosen to produce damages at the metabolic level, without great interference with DNA activity. The use of a laser-plasma source allowed a fast deposition of high doses. Monitoring of CO2 production allowed us to measure cell metabolic response immediately after irradiation in a continuous and non invasive way. Also a simple model was developed to calculate X-ray doses delivered to the different cell compartments following a Lambert-Bouguet–Beer law. Results obtained on Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells in experiments performed at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are presented

Characterisation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells

Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells had been characterised in order to study the entity of cell damage following an exposure to soft X-rays and to develop an analytical spherical model of cells to have an estimation of dose and energy deposition inside different cell compartments. In this paper we present the measurement of average cell radius, nucleus radius, wall thickness and cell shape and concentration obtained with Soft X-ray Contact Microscopy (SXCM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Optical Microscopy, Coulter Counter and FIB