290 research outputs found
Microelectrode arrays of diamond-insulated graphitic channels for real time detection of exocytotic events from cultured chromaffin cells and slices of adrenal glands
A microstructured graphitic 4x4 multielectrode array was embedded in a single
crystal diamond substrate (4x4 {uG-SCD MEA) for real-time monitoring of
exocytotic events from cultured chromaffin cells and adrenal slices. The
current approach relies on the development of a parallel ion beam lithographic
technique, which assures the time effective fabrication of extended arrays with
reproducible electrode dimensions. The reported device is suitable for
performing amperometric and voltammetric recordings with high sensitivity and
temporal resolution, by simultaneously acquiring data from 16 rectangularly
shaped microelectrodes (20x3.5 um^2) separated by 200 um gaps. Taking advantage
of the array geometry we addressed the following specific issues: i) detect
both the spontaneous and KCl-evoked secretion simultaneously from several
chromaffin cells directly cultured on the device surface, ii) resolve the
waveform of different subsets of exocytotic events, iii) monitoring quantal
secretory events from thin slices of the adrenal gland. The frequency of
spontaneous release was low (0.12 Hz and 0.3 Hz respectively for adrenal slices
and cultured cells) and increased up to 0.9 Hz after stimulation with 30 mM KCl
in cultured cells. The spike amplitude as well as rise and decay time were
comparable with those measured by carbon fiber microelectrodes and allowed to
identify three different subsets of secretory events associated to "full
fusion" events, "kiss and-run" and "kiss-and-stay" exocytosis, confirming that
the device has adequate sensitivity and time resolution for real-time
recordings. The device offers the significant advantage of shortening the time
to collect data by allowing simultaneous recordings from cell populations
either in primary cell cultures or in intact tissues
Kelvin probe characterization of buried graphitic microchannels in single-crystal diamond
In this work, we present an investigation by Kelvin Probe Microscopy (KPM) of
buried graphitic microchannels fabricated in single-crystal diamond by direct
MeV ion microbeam writing. Metal deposition of variable-thickness masks was
adopted to implant channels with emerging endpoints and high temperature
annealing was performed in order to induce the graphitization of the
highly-damaged buried region. When an electrical current was flowing through
the biased buried channel, the structure was clearly evidenced by KPM maps of
the electrical potential of the surface region overlying the channel at
increasing distances from the grounded electrode. The KPM profiling shows
regions of opposite contrast located at different distances from the endpoints
of the channel. This effect is attributed to the different electrical
conduction properties of the surface and of the buried graphitic layer. The
model adopted to interpret these KPM maps and profiles proved to be suitable
for the electronic characterization of buried conductive channels, providing a
non-invasive method to measure the local resistivity with a micrometer
resolution. The results demonstrate the potential of the technique as a
powerful diagnostic tool to monitor the functionality of all-carbon
graphite/diamond devices to be fabricated by MeV ion beam lithography.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figure
IMAGE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT BY ADAPTIVE EXPOSURE CORRECTION TECHNIQUES
The proposed paper concerns the processing of images in digital format and, more specifically, particular techniques that can be advantageously used in digital still cameras for improving the quality of images acquired with a non-optimal exposure. The proposed approach analyses the CCD/CMOS sensor Bayer data or the corresponding color generated image and, after identifying specific features, it adjusts the exposure level according to a ‘camera response ’ like function. 1
Laser-induced persistent photovoltage on the surface of a ternary topological insulator at room temperature
Using time- and angle-resolved photoemission, we investigate the ultrafast
response of excited electrons in the ternary topological insulator (BiSb)Te to fs-infrared pulses. We demonstrate that at the
critical concentration =0.55, where the system becomes bulk insulating, a
surface voltage can be driven at room temperature through the topological
surface state solely by optical means. We further show that such a photovoltage
persists over a time scale that exceeds 6 s, i.e, much longer than
the characteristic relaxation times of bulk states. We attribute the origin of
the photovoltage to a laser-induced band-bending effect which emerges near the
surface region on ultrafast time scales. The photovoltage is also accompanied
by a remarkable increase in the relaxation times of excited states as compared
to undoped topological insulators. Our findings are relevant in the context of
applications of topological surface states in future optical devices.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
All-carbon multi-electrode array for real-time in vitro measurements of oxidizable neurotransmitters
We report on the ion beam fabrication of all-carbon multi electrode arrays
(MEAs) based on 16 graphitic micro-channels embedded in single-crystal diamond
(SCD) substrates. The fabricated SCD-MEAs are systematically employed for the
in vitro simultaneous amperometric detection of the secretory activity from
populations of chromaffin cells, demonstrating a new sensing approach with
respect to standard techniques. The biochemical stability and biocompatibility
of the SCD-based device combined with the parallel recording of
multi-electrodes array allow: i) a significant time saving in data collection
during drug screening and/or pharmacological tests over a large number of
cells, ii) the possibility of comparing altered cell functionality among cell
populations, and iii) the repeatition of acquisition runs over many cycles with
a fully non-toxic and chemically robust bio-sensitive substrate.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Nanodiamonds-induced effects on neuronal firing of mouse hippocampal microcircuits
Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FND) are carbon-based nanomaterials that can
efficiently incorporate optically active photoluminescent centers such as the
nitrogen-vacancy complex, thus making them promising candidates as optical
biolabels and drug-delivery agents. FNDs exhibit bright fluorescence without
photobleaching combined with high uptake rate and low cytotoxicity. Focusing on
FNDs interference with neuronal function, here we examined their effect on
cultured hippocampal neurons, monitoring the whole network development as well
as the electrophysiological properties of single neurons. We observed that FNDs
drastically decreased the frequency of inhibitory (from 1.81 Hz to 0.86 Hz) and
excitatory (from 1.61 Hz to 0.68 Hz) miniature postsynaptic currents, and
consistently reduced action potential (AP) firing frequency (by 36%), as
measured by microelectrode arrays. On the contrary, bursts synchronization was
preserved, as well as the amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory and excitatory
events. Current-clamp recordings revealed that the ratio of neurons responding
with AP trains of high-frequency (fast-spiking) versus neurons responding with
trains of low-frequency (slow-spiking) was unaltered, suggesting that FNDs
exerted a comparable action on neuronal subpopulations. At the single cell
level, rapid onset of the somatic AP ("kink") was drastically reduced in
FND-treated neurons, suggesting a reduced contribution of axonal and dendritic
components while preserving neuronal excitability.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figure
Creation of pure non-crystalline diamond nanostructures via room-temperature ion irradiation and subsequent thermal annealing
Carbon exhibits a remarkable range of structural forms, due to the availability of sp3, sp2 and
sp1 chemical bonds. Contrarily to other group IV elements such as silicon and germanium,
the formation of an amorphous phase based exclusively on sp3 bonds is extremely
challenging due to the strongly favored formation of graphitic-like structures at room
19 temperature and pressure. As such, the formation of a fully sp3-bonded carbon phase requires
20 an extremely careful (and largely unexplored) definition of the pressure and temperature
across the phase diagram. Here, we report on the possibility of creating full-sp3 amorphous
nanostructures within the bulk crystal of diamond with room-temperature ion-beam
irradiation, followed by an annealing process that does not involve the application of any
external mechanical pressure. As confirmed by numerical simulations, the (previously
unreported) radiation-damage-induced formation of an amorphous sp2-free phase in diamond
is determined by the buildup of extremely high internal stresses from the surrounding lattice,
which (in the case of nanometer-scale regions) fully prevent the graphitization process.
Besides the relevance of understanding the formation of exotic carbon phases, the use of
focused/collimated ion beams discloses appealing perspectives for the direct fabrication of
such nanostructures in complex three-dimensional geometries
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