Direct measurement of bending stiffness and estimation of Young's modulus of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers

The bending stiffness of individual, as-grown, vertically aligned carbon nanofibers was measured using a custom-built atomic force microscope placed inside a scanning electron microscope. The internal structure of the nanofiber was best modeled as dual-phase, composed of an inner graphitic core covered with a tapered amorphous carbon shell. It was found that the fibers have a relatively low bending stiffness, with Young's modulus values of about 10 GPa for the inner core and 65 GPa for the outer shell. The low Young's modulus of the inner core is attributed to a non-zero angle between the graphitic sheets and the nanofiber axis. The weak shear modulus between graphitic sheets thereby dominates the mechanical behaviour of the fibers

Design, fabrication and measurements with a UV Linear-Variable Optical Filter microspectrometer

An IC-Compatible Linear-Variable Optical Filter (LVOF) for application in the UV spectral range between 310 nm and 400 nm has been fabricated using resist reflow and an optimized dry-etching. The LVOF is mounted on the top of a commercially available CMOS camera to result in a UV microspectrometer. A special calibration technique has been employed that is based on an initial spectral measurement on a Xenon lamp. The image recorded on the camera during calibration is used in a signal processing algorithm to reconstruct the spectrum of the Mercury lamp and the calibration data is subsequently used in UV spectral measurements. Experiments on fabricated LVOF-based microspectrometer with this calibration approach implemented reveal a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm

Self-Cleaning Micro-Windows for In-Tailpipe Optical Exhaust Gas Measurements

Exhaust gas measurement in the harsh environment of the tailpipe of a combustion engine by optical techniques is a highly robust technique, provided that optical access is maintained in the presence of particulate matter (PM). The considerations are presented for the systematic design of membranes with integrated heaters in SiC-on-Si technology for generating a well-defined lateral temperature profile with peak temperatures above 600 \ub0C. Periodically raising the temperature of the membranes to such a level is demonstrated to keep the surface transparent by oxidation of soot deposits. This paper is about continuous heating of the membrane to a temperature slightly higher than that of the exhaust gas. At such temperatures thermophoretic repulsion of PM allows allows long-term optical measurement in the exhaust without the thermo-mechanical loading by repetitive thermal cycling

Maintaining transparency of a heated MEMs membrane for enabling long-term optical measurements on soot-containing exhaust gas

Ensuring optical transparency over a wide spectral range of a window with a view into the tailpipe of the combustion engine, while it is exposed to the harsh environment of sootcontaining exhaust gas, is an essential pre-requisite for introducing optical techniques for long-term monitoring of automotive emissions. Therefore, a regenerable window composed of an optically transparent polysilicon-carbide membrane with a diameter ranging from 100 \ub5m up to 2000 \ub5m has been fabricated in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. In the first operating mode, window transparency is periodically restored by pulsed heating of the membrane using an integrated resistor for heating to temperatures that result in oxidation of deposited soot (600–700 \ub0C). In the second mode, the membrane is kept transparent by repelling soot particles using thermophoresis. The same integrated resistor is used to yield a temperature gradient by continuous moderate-temperature heating. Realized devices have been subjected to laboratory soot exposure experiments. Membrane temperatures exceeding 500 \ub0C have been achieved without damage to the membrane. Moreover, heating of membranes to ΔT = 40 \ub0C above gas temperature provides sufficient thermophoretic repulsion to prevent particle deposition and maintain transparency at high soot exposure, while non-heated identical membranes on the same die and at the same exposure are heavily contaminated

Local metabolic changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue during intravenous and epidural analgesia.

BACKGROUND: This clinical study aimed at investigating the impact of postoperative thoracic epidural analgesia on extracellular glycerol concentration and glucose metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue, using the microdialysis technique. The sympathetic nervous activity, which can be attenuated by epidural anesthesia, influences lipolysis and the release of glycerol. METHODS: Fourteen patients who underwent major abdominal or thoraco-abdominal surgery were studied postoperatively over 3 days. For postoperative analgesia the patients were prospectively randomized to receive either thoracic epidural analgesia with a bupivacaine/morphine infusion (EPI-group, n=6) or a continuous i.v. infusion of morphine (MO-group, n=8). The concentration of glycerol, glucose and lactate in the abdominal and deltoid subcutaneous adipose tissue were measured using a microdialysis technique. RESULTS: The abdominal glycerol levels were equal in both groups. In the deltoid region of the EPI-group, glycerol concentrations started to increase on Day 2, and reached significantly higher levels on Day 3 compared with the MO-group. The glucose and lactate levels showed no differences between groups in the two regions. CONCLUSION: The uniform glycerol levels in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue in conjunction with the difference in glycerol levels in the deltoid area indicate that the local lipolysis is different in the two study groups. This might be explained by a regional metabolic influence of thoracic epidural analgesia, possibly via the sympathetic nervous system

GM-CSF drives dysregulated hematopoietic stem cell activity and pathogenic extramedullary myelopoiesis in experimental spondyloarthritis

Dysregulated hematopoiesis occurs in several chronic inflammatory diseases, but it remains unclear how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow (BM) sense peripheral inflammation and contribute to tissue damage in arthritis. Here, we show the HSC gene expression program is biased toward myelopoiesis and differentiation skewed toward granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMP) during joint and intestinal inflammation in experimental spondyloarthritis (SpA). GM-CSF-receptor is increased on HSCs and multipotent progenitors, favoring a striking increase in myelopoiesis at the earliest hematopoietic stages. GMP accumulate in the BM in SpA and, unexpectedly, at extramedullary sites: in the inflamed joints and spleen. Furthermore, we show that GM-CSF promotes extramedullary myelopoiesis, tissue-toxic neutrophil accumulation in target organs, and GM-CSF prophylactic or therapeutic blockade substantially decreases SpA severity. Surprisingly, besides CD4+ T cells and innate lymphoid cells, mast cells are a source of GM-CSF in this model, and its pathogenic production is promoted by the alarmin IL-33

The Expression of BAFF, APRIL and TWEAK Is Altered in Eczema Skin but Not in the Circulation of Atopic and Seborrheic Eczema Patients

The TNF family cytokines BAFF (B-cell activating factor of the TNF family) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) are crucial survival factors for B-cell development and activation. B-cell directed treatments have been shown to improve atopic eczema (AE), suggesting the involvement of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of AE. We therefore analyzed the expression of these TNF cytokines in AE, seborrheic eczema (SE) and healthy controls (HC). The serum/plasma concentration of BAFF, APRIL and a close TNF member TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis) was measured by ELISA. The expression of these cytokines and their receptors in skin was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. Unlike other inflammatory diseases including autoimmune diseases and asthma, the circulating levels of BAFF, APRIL and TWEAK were not elevated in AE or SE patients compared with HCs and did not correlate with the disease severity or systemic IgE levels in AE patients. Interestingly, we found that the expression of these cytokines and their receptors was altered in positive atopy patch test reactions in AE patients (APT-AE) and in lesional skin of AE and SE patients. The expression of APRIL was decreased and the expression of BAFF was increased in eczema skin of AE and SE, which could contribute to a reduced negative regulatory input on B-cells. This was found to be more pronounced in APT-AE, the initiating acute stage of AE, which may result in dysregulation of over-activated B-cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of TWEAK and its receptor positively correlated to each other in SE lesions, but inversely correlated in AE lesions. These results shed light on potential pathogenic roles of these TNF factors in AE and SE, and pinpoint a potential of tailored treatments towards these factors in AE and SE

Caspase-2 Mediated Apoptotic and Necrotic Murine Macrophage Cell Death Induced by Rough Brucella abortus

Brucella species are Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacteria that cause zoonotic brucellosis. Survival and replication inside macrophages is critical for establishment of chronic Brucella infection. Virulent smooth B. abortus strain 2308 inhibits programmed macrophage cell death and replicates inside macrophages. Cattle B. abortus vaccine strain RB51 is an attenuated rough, lipopolysaccharide O antigen-deficient mutant derived from smooth strain 2308. B. abortus rough mutant RA1 contains a single wboA gene mutation in strain 2308. Our studies demonstrated that live RB51 and RA1, but not strain 2308 or heat-killed Brucella, induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in murine RAW264.7 macrophages and bone marrow derived macrophages. The same phenomenon was also observed in primary mouse peritoneal macrophages from mice immunized intraperitoneally with vaccine strain RB51 using the same dose as regularly performed in protection studies. Programmed macrophage cell death induced by RB51 and RA1 was inhibited by a caspase-2 inhibitor (Z-VDVAD-FMK). Caspase-2 enzyme activation and cleavage were observed at the early infection stage in macrophages infected with RB51 and RA1 but not strain 2308. The inhibition of macrophage cell death promoted the survival of rough Brucella cells inside macrophages. The critical role of caspase-2 in mediating rough B. abortus induced macrophage cell death was confirmed using caspase-2 specific shRNA. The mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was activated in macrophages infected with rough B. abortus as demonstrated by increase in mitochondrial membrane permeability and the release of cytochrome c to cytoplasm in macrophages infected with rough Brucella. These results demonstrate that rough B. abortus strains RB51 and RA1 induce apoptotic and necrotic murine macrophage cell death that is mediated by caspase-2. The biological relevance of Brucella O antigen and caspase-2-mediated macrophage cell death in Brucella pathogenesis and protective Brucella immunity is discussed

Perceptual Rivalry: Reflexes Reveal the Gradual Nature of Visual Awareness

Rivalry is a common tool to probe visual awareness: a constant physical stimulus evokes multiple, distinct perceptual interpretations (“percepts”) that alternate over time. Percepts are typically described as mutually exclusive, suggesting that a discrete (all-or-none) process underlies changes in visual awareness. Here we follow two strategies to address whether rivalry is an all-or-none process: first, we introduce two reflexes as objective measures of rivalry, pupil dilation and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN); second, we use a continuous input device (analog joystick) to allow observers a gradual subjective report. We find that the “reflexes” reflect the percept rather than the physical stimulus. Both reflexes show a gradual dependence on the time relative to perceptual transitions. Similarly, observers' joystick deflections, which are highly correlated with the reflex measures, indicate gradual transitions. Physically simulating wave-like transitions between percepts suggest piece-meal rivalry (i.e., different regions of space belonging to distinct percepts) as one possible explanation for the gradual transitions. Furthermore, the reflexes show that dominance durations depend on whether or not the percept is actively reported. In addition, reflexes respond to transitions with shorter latencies than the subjective report and show an abundance of short dominance durations. This failure to report fast changes in dominance may result from limited access of introspection to rivalry dynamics. In sum, reflexes reveal that rivalry is a gradual process, rivalry's dynamics is modulated by the required action (response mode), and that rapid transitions in perceptual dominance can slip away from awareness