CERTIFICATION REPORT: The certification of particle size distribution of corundum: ERM-FD066

This report describes the production of ERM-FD066FD066, which is a corundum material certified for the particle size distribution as determined by laser diffraction (ISO 13320) and scanning electron microscopy (ISO 13322). This material was produced following ISO Guide 34:2009 and is certified in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2006. Commercial corundum was ground mixed, riffled and packed into glass bottles. These bottles are equipped with glass slides to allow homogenisation of the individual sample. Between unit-homogeneity was quantified and stability during dispatch and storage were assessed in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2006.The minimum sample intake was determined as the lowest amount that gave repeatable results in the characterisation study. The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories that demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025. Technically invalid results were removed but no outlier was eliminated solely on statistical grounds. Uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation. The material is intended for the quality control and assessment of method performance. As with any reference material, it can be used for establishing control charts or validation studies. The CRMs is available in glass bottles containing at least 40 g of corundum powder. The minimum amount of sample to be used is 70 mg.JRC.F.6-Reference Material

CERTIFICATION REPORT: The certification of the absorbed energy (80 J nominal) of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces for tests at 20 °C: ERM ®-FA015z

This certification report describes the processing and characterisation of ERM®-FA015z, a batch of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces certified for the absorbed energy (KV). Sets of five of these test pieces are used for the verification of pendulum impact test machines according to ISO 148-2 (Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test – Part 2: Verification of testing machines. The absorbed energy (KV) is operationally defined and refers to the impact energy required to break a V-notched test piece of standardised dimensions, as defined in ISO 148-1 [2]. The certified value of ERM®-FA015z is made traceable to the SI, via the SI-traceable certified value of the master batch ERM®-FA015z, by testing samples of ERM®-FA015z under repeatability conditions on an impact pendulum verified and calibrated with SI-traceably calibrated tools. The certified value is valid only for strikers with a 2 mm tip radius and at (20 ± 2) °C.JRC.D.2-Standards for Innovation and sustainable Developmen

The certification of the absorbed energy (120 J nominal) of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces for tests at 20 °C: ERM®-FA016bj

This certification report describes the processing and characterisation of ERM®-FA016bj, a batch of Charpy V-notch certified reference test pieces certified for the absorbed energy KV (= energy required to break a V-notched test piece using a pendulum impact test machine). Sets of five of these test pieces are used for the verification of pendulum impact test machines according to ISO 148-2 (Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test – Part 2: Verification of testing machines). The absorbed energy (KV) is operationally defined and refers to the impact energy required to break a V-notched test piece of standardised dimensions, as defined in ISO 148-1. The certified value of ERM®- FA016bj is made traceable to the SI, via the SI-traceable certified value of the master batch ERM®-FA016ax, by testing samples of ERM®- FA016bj and ERM®-FA016ax under repeatability conditions on an impact pendulum verified and calibrated with SI-traceably calibrated tools. The certified value is valid only for strikers with a 2 mm tip radius. The certified value is valid at (20 ± 2) °C.JRC.D.2-Standards for Innovation and sustainable Developmen

CERTIFICATION REPORT: The certification of the absorbed energy (120 J nominal) of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces for tests at 20 °C: ERM®-FA016bh

This certification report describes the processing and characterisation of ERM®-FA016bh, a batch of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces certified for the absorbed energy (KV). Sets of five of these test pieces are used for the verification of pendulum impact test machines according to ISO 148-2 (Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test – Part 2: Verification of testing machines). The absorbed energy (KV) is operationally defined and refers to the impact energy required to break a V-notched test piece of standardised dimensions, as defined in ISO 148-1. The certified value of ERM®-FA016bh is made traceable to the SI, via the SI-traceable certified value of the master batch ERM®-FA016ax, by testing samples of ERM®-FA016bh and ERM®-FA016ax under repeatability conditions on an impact pendulum verified and calibrated with SI-traceable tools. The certified value is valid only for strikers with a 2 mm tip radius and at (20 ± 2) °C.JRC.F.6-Reference Material

CERTIFICATION REPORT: The certification of particle size distribution of corundum: ERM-FD069

This report describes the production of ERM-FD069, which is a corundum material certified for the particle size distribution as determined by laser diffraction (ISO 13320) and optical microscopy (ISO 13322). This material was produced following ISO Guide 34:2009 and is certified in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2006. Two grades of commercial corundum were mixed, repeatedly riffled and packed into glass bottles. These bottles are equipped with glass slides to allow thorough homogenisation of the material inside the bottle. Between unit-homogeneity was quantified and stability during dispatch and storage was assessed in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2006. The minimum sample intake was determined as the lowest amount that gave repeatable results in the characterisation study. The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025. Technically invalid results were removed but no outlier was eliminated on statistical grounds only. Uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation. The material is intended for the quality control and assessment of method performance. As with any reference material, it/they can be used for establishing control charts or be used in validation studies. The CRMs is available in glass bottles containing at least 40 g of corundum powder. The minimum amount of sample to be used is 100 mg.JRC.F.6-Reference Material

Biomimetic nanostructures for the silicone-biosystem interface: tuning oxygen-plasma treatments of polydimethylsiloxane

Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) have drawn attention because of their applicability in medical implants, soft robotics and microfluidic devices. This article examines the formation of dedicated nanostructures on liquid submicrometer PDMS films when exposed to oxygen-plasma treatment. We show that by using a vinyl-terminated PDMS prepolymer with a molecular weight of 800 g/mol, one can bypass the need of solvent, copolymer, or catalyst to fabricate wrinkled films. The amplitude and periodicity of the wrinkles is tuned varying the thickness of the PDMS film between 150 and 600 nm. The duration of the plasma treatment and the oxygen pressure determine the surface morphology. The amplitude was found between 30 and 300 nm with periodicities ranging from 500 to 2800 nm. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure film thickness, amplitude and wrinkle periodicity. The hydrophobic recovery of the nanostructured PDMS surface, as assessed by dynamic contact angle measurements, scales with nanostructure’s fineness, associated with an improved biocompatibility. The mechanical properties were extracted out of 10,000 nanoindentations on 50×50-μm2 spots. The mechanical mapping with sub-micrometer resolution reveals elastic properties according to the film morphology. Finally, we tailored the mechanical properties of a 590±120-nm-thin silicone film to the elastic modulus of several MPa, as required for dielectric elastomer actuators, to be used as artificial muscles for incontinence treatments

CERTIFICATION REPORT The certification of the absorbed energy (120 J nominal) of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces for tests at 20 °C: ERM®-FA016bi

This certification report describes the processing and characterisation of ERM®-FA016bi, a batch of Charpy V-notch reference test pieces certified for the absorbed energy (KV). Sets of five of these test pieces are used for the verification of pendulum impact test machines according to ISO 148-2 (Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test – Part 2: Verification of testing machines). The absorbed energy (KV) is operationally defined and refers to the impact energy required to break a V-notch test piece of standardised dimensions, as defined in ISO 148-1. The certified value of ERM®-FA016bi is made traceable to the SI, via the SI-traceable certified value of the master batch ERM®-FA016ax, by testing samples of ERM®-FA016bi and ERM®-FA016ax under repeatability conditions on an impact pendulum verified and calibrated with SI-traceably calibrated tools. The certified value is valid only for strikers with a 2 mm tip radius and at (20 ± 2) °C.JRC.F.6-Reference Material

Dynamic visits of cortical structures probe for cell size.

All cells show size homeostasis owing to coordination of division with growth. In this issue, Allard et al. (2018. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201709171) establish that transient inhibitory visits of a negative regulator of Cdk1 to cortical oligomeric platforms increase in number and duration with cell growth, suggesting how Cdk1 activation is coupled to cell size

Multi-phosphorylation reaction and clustering tune Pom1 gradient mid-cell levels according to cell size.

Protein concentration gradients pattern developing organisms and single cells. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe rod-shaped cells, Pom1 kinase forms gradients with maxima at cell poles. Pom1 controls the timing of mitotic entry by inhibiting Cdr2, which forms stable membrane-associated nodes at mid-cell. Pom1 gradients rely on membrane association regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle and lateral diffusion modulated by clustering. Using quantitative PALM imaging, we find individual Pom1 molecules bind the membrane too transiently to diffuse from pole to mid-cell. Instead, we propose they exchange within longer lived clusters forming the functional gradient unit. An allelic series blocking auto-phosphorylation shows that multi-phosphorylation shapes and buffers the gradient to control mid-cell levels, which represent the critical Cdr2-regulating pool. TIRF imaging of this cortical pool demonstrates more Pom1 overlaps with Cdr2 in short than long cells, consistent with Pom1 inhibition of Cdr2 decreasing with cell growth. Thus, the gradients modulate Pom1 mid-cell levels according to cell size

Immunocompatibility of Rad-PC-Rad liposomes in vitro, based on human complement activation and cytokine release

Liposomal drug delivery systems can protect pharmaceutical substances and control their release. Systemic administration of liposomes, however, often activate the innate immune system, resulting in hypersensitivity reactions. These pseudo-allergic reactions can be interpreted as activating the complement system. Complement activation destroys and eliminates foreign substances, either directly through opsonization and the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC), or by activating leukocytes and initiating inflammatory responses via mediators, such as cytokines. In this study, we investigated the in vitro immune toxicity of the recently synthesized Rad-PC- Rad liposomes, analyzing the liposome-induced complement activation. In five human sera, Rad-PC-Rad liposomes did not induce activation, but in one serum high sensitivity via alternative pathway was detected. Such a behavior in adverse phenomena is characteristic for patient-to-patient variation and, thus, the number of donors should be in the order of hundreds rather than tens – hence the present study based on six donors has preliminary character. In order to further prove the suitability of mechano-responsive Rad-PC-Rad liposomes for clinical trials, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was examined by human white blood cells. The concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-12p70, TNF-α, and IL-1β, induced by Rad-PC-Rad liposomal formulations, incubated with whole blood samples, were smaller or comparable to saline (negative control). Because of this favorable in vitro hemo- compatibility, in vivo investigations using these mechano-responsive liposomes should be designed