Photoacoustic Signal Enhancement by Localized Surface Plasmon of Gold Nanoparticles

Photoacoustic imaging has been widely studied as a deep biological tissue imaging modality combining optical absorption and ultrasonic detection. It enables multi-scale high resolution imaging of optical absorbing intrinsic molecules as well as exogenous molecules. Gold nanoparticles have the primary advantages of large absorption cross section and bioconjugation capability for the imaging contrast agents. In order to design the photoacoustic imaging agents for enhancing the contrast with high specificity to targeted molecules and / or cell, we measured and analyzed time-of-flight photoacoustic signals of aqueous solutions of various shapes and sizes of gold nanoparticles. The signal intensities were sensitive to the shapes and sizes of the gold nanoparticles. We found a strong photoacoustic signal of the polyhedral gold nanoparticle due to the localized surface plasmon resonance. The experimental results derive the strategy of designing the optimum photoacoustic contrast agents. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3543

Genetic analysis of Myanmar Vigna species in responses to salt stress at the seedling stage

Twelve (12) Vigna genotypes were investigated for the evaluation of their tolerance levels in responses to four concentrations of NaCl (0, 75, 150 and 225 mM) at seedling stage. In the investigation, salt stress inhibited almost all the growth parameters as well as relative water content;  however, the degree of reduction was highly dependent on different genotypes and salinity levels. Generally, the control plants showed higher degree of all measured parameters than those of salt stress plants. Analysis of the heredity parameters based on the 12 investigated genotypes showed different genotypic variance of the salt tolerance index (STI) values. Salinity stress induced two new bands between 45 and 22 kDa, respectively, in salt tolerant genotypes. Furthermore, band intensity of the salt treated genotypes was higher than the control plants. Ward’s clustering technique was clearly divided into two clusters, A and B, according to their levels of salt tolerance. Considering their STI values of growth parameters, two genotypes V7 and V4 were identified as salt tolerant, whereas, V2, V6, V9, V8, V11 and V1 were recognized as salinity susceptible genotypes. These results suggest that, the genetically diverseaccessions resistant to salt stresses within the Vigna genotypes can be of considerable practical value for studying the mechanism of salt tolerance and for the provision of genetic resources for salinity breeding program.Key words: Cluster analysis, heritability, salt tolerance, SDS-PAGE, Vigna

Lidar observation of the mesospheric sodium layer in Antarctica

The mesospheric sodium layer has been observed at Syowa Station in Antarctica during the wintering period of the 26th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. A lidar observation of the polar middle atmosphere at the station has been performed as a part of the Middle Atmosphere Program since 1983. At first stratospheric aerosols have been observed by the system based on a ruby laser. In 1985 a new transmitting system consisting of a tunable dye laser was added to that system to observe the sodium layer, too. The characteristics of the lidar system are given. The results of the mesospheric sodium layer observed on 42 nights during the period from March to October, 1985 are also given

Development and validation of a HPLC method for the determination of aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone in liquid samples from anaerobic reactors

This study describes the development and validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for detecting aldicarb and its residues in liquid samples without pretreatment. The HPLC system was equipped with a C-18 column and the mobile phase was composed of a mixture of water and acetonitrile using a linear gradient elution. The UV detector was utilized at 210 nm. Methomyl was used as an internal standard. Water and synthetic medium were used as solvents. The method was linear from 0.49-15.0 mg L-1 (r² > 0.9985), 0.1-5.0 mg L-1 (r² > 0.9974) and 0.1-5.0 mg L-1 (r² > 0.9987) for aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone, respectively. The linearity of the method was confirmed by the ANOVA F-test through adjustment of the linear model, validity of the regression and efficiency of the regression tests. The limit of detection in water and synthetic medium were of 0.391/0.440 mg L-1, 0.069/0.192 mg L-1 and 0.033/0.068 mg L-1 for aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone, respectively. Total time of analysis was of 22 min. In the application of the method, the aldicarb degradation in horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor was evaluated under different conditions (methanogenic, sulfidogenic and denitrifying).Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento e validação de um método de detecção de aldicarbe e seus metabólitos por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC) em amostras líquidas sem pré-tratamento. O sistema HPLC foi equipado com coluna C-18 e fase móvel composta de água e acetonitrila empregando gradiente de eluição linear. O detector UV foi operado em 210 nm. Metomil foi utilizado como padrão interno. Água e meio sintético foram utilizados como solventes. O método foi linear de 0,49-15,0 mg L-1 (r² > 0,9985), 0,1-5,0 mg L-1 (r² > 0,9974) e 0,1-5,0 mg L-1 (r² > 0,9987) para o aldicarbe, sulfóxido de aldicarbe e sulfona de aldicarbe, respectivamente. A linearidade do método foi confirmada pelo teste F (ANOVA) através dos testes de ajuste do modelo linear, validade da regressão e eficiência da regressão. Os limites de detecção na água e em meio sintético foram de 0,391/0,440 mg L-1, 0,069/0,192 mg L-1 e 0,033/0,068 mg L-1 para o aldicarbe, sulfóxido de aldicarbe e sulfona de aldicarbe, respectivamente. O tempo total de análise foi de 22 minutos. Na aplicação do método, avaliou-se a degradação do aldicarbe no reator anaeróbio horizontal de leito fixo (RAHLF) em diferentes condições operacionais (metanogênese, sulfetogênese e desnitrificação).Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Simulations of Pregalactic Structure Formation with Radiative Feedback

We present results from three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the high redshift collapse of pregalactic clouds including feedback effects from a soft H2 photodissociating UV radiation field. The simulations use an Eulerian adaptive mesh refinement technique to follow the nonequilibrium chemistry of nine chemical species with cosmological initial conditions drawn from a popular Lambda-dominated cold dark matter model. The results confirm that the soft UV background can delay the cooling and collapse of small halos (~10^6 Msun). For reasonable values of the photo-dissociating flux, the H2 fraction is in equilibrium throughout most of the objects we simulate. We determine the mass threshold for collapse for a range of soft-UV fluxes and also derive a simple analytic expression. Continuing the simulations beyond the point of initial collapse demonstrates that the fraction of gas which can cool depends mostly on the virial mass of the halo and the amount of soft-UV flux, with remarkably little scatter. We parameterize this relation, for use in semi-analytic models.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Ap

Vasorelaxant activity of indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana dichotoma.

The aim of this study was to search for bioactive natural products from medicinal plants targeting vasorelaxant activity and we found the methanol extract from bark of Tabernaemontana dichotoma showed vasorelaxant activity on rat aorta. We isolated eight indole alkaloids including 10-methoxyalstonerine (1), a new macroline type indole alkaloid, from bark of T. dichotoma. These were respectively identified as 10-methoxyaffinisine (2), lochnerine (3), cathafoline (4), (−)-alstonerine (5), 19,20-dehydro-10-methoxytalcarpine (6), alstonisine (7), and alstonal (8) based on spectroscopic analysis. Among them, sarpagine type (2 and 3), akuammiline type (4), and macroline oxindole type (7 and 8) showed potent vasorelaxant activity. Mechanism of action on vasorelaxant activity of 10-methoxyaffinisine (2), cathafoline (4), and alstonisine (7) was clarified. Effects of 10-methoxyaffinisine (2), cathafoline (4), and alstonisine (7) were partially mediated the NO release from endothelial cells. Furthermore, 10-methoxyaffinisine (2) and alstonisine (7) attribute to the inhibitory effect of VDC and ROC, and cathafoline (4) have inhibitory effect on Ca2+ influx via ROC. In addition, 10-methoxyaffinisine (2) as a major compound from bark of T. dichotoma showed hypotensive effect on normotensive rats in vivo