Uncertainty in cell confluency measurements

Pharmaceutical industries have declared their need of metrology in the cellular field, to improve new drugs developing time and costs by high-content screening technologies. Cell viability and proliferation tests largely use confluency of cells on a bi-dimensional (2D) surface as a biological measurand. The confluency is measured from images of 2D surface acquired via microscopy techniques. The plethora of algorithms already in use aims at recognizing objects from images and identifies a threshold to distinguish objects from the background. The reference method is the visual assessment from an operator and any objective uncertainty estimation is not yet available. A method to estimate the image analysis contribution to confluency uncertainty is here proposed. A maximum and a minimum threshold are identified from a visual assessment of the free edge of the cells. An application to a fluorescence microscopy image of 2D of PT-45 cell cultures is reported. Results shows that the method can be a promising solution to associate an uncertainty to cell confluency measurements to enhance reliability and efficiency of high-content screening technologies

Optical emission of strained direct-band-gap Ge quantum well embedded inside InGaAs alloy layers

We studied the optical properties of a strain-induced direct-band-gap Ge quantum well embedded in InGaAs. We showed that the band offsets depend on the electronegativity of the layer in contact with Ge, leading to different types of optical transitions in the heterostructure. When group-V atoms compose the interfaces, only electrons are confined in Ge, whereas both carriers are confined when the interface consists of group-III atoms. The different carrier confinement results in different emission dynamics behavior. This study provides a solution to obtain efficient light emission from Ge

study on the afm force spectroscopy method for elastic modulus measurement of living cells

The cell elasticity gives information about its pathological state and metastatic potential. The aim of this paper is to study the AFM Force Spectroscopy technique with the future goal of realizing a reference method for accurate elastic modulus measurement in the elasticity range of living cells. This biological range has not been yet explored with a metrological approach. Practical hints are given for the realization of a Sylgard elasticity scale. Systematic effects given by the sample curing thickness and nanoindenter geometry have been found with regards of the measured elastic modulus. AFM measurement reproducibility better than 20% is obtained in the entire investigated elastic modulus scale of 101 – 104 kPa

Near-infrared photoluminescence enhancement in Ge/CdS and Ge/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals: Utilizing IV/II-VI semiconductor epitaxy

Ge nanocrystals have a large Bohr radius and a small, size-tunable band gap that may engender direct character via strain or doping. Colloidal Ge nanocrystals are particularly interesting in the development of near-infrared materials for applications in bioimaging, telecommunications and energy conversion. Epitaxial growth of a passivating shell is a common strategy employed in the synthesis of highly luminescent II-VI, III-V and IV-VI semiconductor quantum dots. Here, we use relatively unexplored IV/II-VI epitaxy as a way to enhance the photoluminescence and improve the optical stability of colloidal Ge nanocrystals. Selected on the basis of their relatively small lattice mismatch compared with crystalline Ge, we explore the growth of epitaxial CdS and ZnS shells using the successive ion layer adsorption and reaction method. Powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques, including energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction, clearly show the controllable growth of as many as 20 epitaxial monolayers of CdS atop Ge cores. In contrast, Ge etching and/or replacement by ZnS result in relatively small Ge/ZnS nanocrystals. The presence of an epitaxial II-VI shell greatly enhances the near-infrared photoluminescence and improves the photoluminescence stability of Ge. Ge/II-VI nanocrystals are reproducibly 1-3 orders of magnitude brighter than the brightest Ge cores. Ge/4.9CdS core/shells show the highest photoluminescence quantum yield and longest radiative recombination lifetime. Thiol ligand exchange easily results in near-infrared active, water-soluble Ge/II-VI nanocrystals. We expect this synthetic IV/II-VI epitaxial approach will lead to further studies into the optoelectronic behavior and practical applications of Si and Ge-based nanomaterials

Improved performance of Nb-doped Vanadyl Pyrophosphate, catalyst for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride

We report here about an investigation on the role of Nb5+ when used as a promoter for vanadyl pyrophosphate, catalyst for the oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride. The effect of Nb was very complex, a function of both its amount and the reaction temperature used. The optimal catalytic behavior was shown for very low Nb contents, i.e., for a V/Nb atomic ratio as low as 150. The main role of Nb was that of accelerating the formation of a limited amount of \uf064-VOPO4 on the surface of vanadyl pyrophosphate, by accelerating the oxidation of V4+ into V5+ under reaction conditions

Comparison of gravimetry and dynamic dilution for the generation of reference gas mixtures with known composition of CO2 at atmospheric amount fraction

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas from human activities. Its concentration has been growing continuously in the atmosphere reaching a current annual average of 410 micromol·mol-1. Reliable determinations of the atmospheric CO2 concentration are of great importance for both environmental protection and development of models used in climate change predictions. The production of reference mixtures of known concentration and the establishment of sound analytical methods are key activities for the achievement of reliable information on the pollution level and the improvement and maintenance of a worldwide coherent measurement system for the determination of greenhouse gases. The present work deals with the advantages and drawbacks of two methods that assure metrological traceability to SI to measurement results. The first method, more accurate, is based on the gravimetric preparation of gas mixtures in high pressure cylinders, but it requires long preparation procedures. The second one, based on dynamic dilution, represents a more flexible alternative for gas mixture generation. The method requires diluting devices such as mass flow controllers which canalize and portion the gas flows in a mixing chamber. This method enables to generate gas mixtures at the desired amount fraction and can be applied also for the production of mixtures with unstable or reactive components. However, it might lead to larger uncertainties. At INRiM, these methods are used to prepare gas mixtures with specific CO2 amount fractions, which are periodically verified by a Non-Dispersive Infrared analyser to check the stability of the mixture composition over time