Light sheet fluorescence microscopy optimized for long-term imaging of arabidopsis root development.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) allows sustained and repeated optical sectioning of living specimens at high spatial and temporal resolution, with minimal photodamage. Here, we describe in detail both the hardware and the software elements of a live imaging method based on LSFM and optimized for tracking and 3D scanning of Arabidopsis root tips grown vertically in physiological conditions. The system is relatively inexpensive and with minimal footprint; hence it is well suited for laboratories of any size

Design of a nanostructured mucoadhesive system containing curcumin for buccal application : from physicochemical to biological aspects

Mucoadhesive nanostructured systems comprising poloxamer 407 and Carbopol 974P® have already demonstrated good mucoadhesion, as well as improved mechanical and rheological properties. Curcumin displays excellent biological activity, mainly in oral squamous cancer; however, its physicochemical characteristics hinder its application. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop nanostructured formulations containing curcumin for oral cancer therapy. The photophysical interactions between curcumin and the formulations were elucidated by incorporation kinetics and location studies. They revealed that the drug was quickly incorporated and located in the hydrophobic portion of nanometer-sized polymeric micelles. Moreover, the systems displayed plastic behavior with rheopexy characteristics at 37 °C, viscoelastic properties and a gelation temperature of 36 °C, which ensures increased retention after application in the oral cavity. The mucoadhesion results confirmed the previous findings with the nanostructured systems showing a residence time of 20 min in porcine oral mucosa under flow system conditions. Curcumin was released after 8 h and could permeate through the porcine oral mucosa. Cytotoxicity testing revealed that the formulations were selective to cancer cells over healthy cells. Therefore, these systems could improve the physicochemical characteristics of curcumin by providing improved release and permeation, while selectivity targeting cancer cells

Influence of Edge Effects on Laser-Induced Surface Displacement of Opaque Materials by Photothermal Interferometry

We demonstrate the influence of edge effects on the photothermal-induced phase shift measured by a homodyne quadrature laser interferometer and compare the experiments with rigorous theoretical descriptions of thermoelastic surface displacement of metals. The finite geometry of the samples is crucial in determining how the temperature is distributed across the material and how this affects the interferometer phase shift measurements. The optical path change due to the surface thermoelastic deformation and thermal lens in the surrounding air is decoded from the interferometric signal using analytical and numerical tools. The boundary/edge effects are found to be relevant to properly describe the interferometric signals. The tools developed in this study provide a framework for the study of finite size effects in heat transport in opaque materials and are applicable to describe not only the phase shift sensed by the interferometer but also to contribute to the photothermal-based technologies employing similar detection mechanisms

The CMS RPC gas gain monitoring system: an overview and preliminary results

The status of the CMS RPC Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system developed at the Frascati Laboratory of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) is reported on. The GGM system is a cosmic ray telescope based on small RPC detectors operated with the same gas mixture used by the CMS RPC system. The GGM gain and efficiency are continuously monitored on-line, thus providing a fast and accurate determination of any shift in working point conditions. The construction details and the first result of GGM commissioning are described.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, uses lnfprepCMS.sty, presented by L. Benussi at RPC07, Mumbai, INDIA 200