Improving the polishing accuracy by determining the variance of the friction coefficient

The variation of the friction coefficient in the polishing process is investigated comparing the results of a numerical simulation with polishing experiments. To improve the accuracy of the predicted wear in the simulation a method is presented to measure the friction coefficient in relation to the relative velocity using an offset tool

Thin-sheet laser imaging microscopy

We present a general summary of light sheet based microscopy for non-destructive optical sectioning of organisms and thick tissues. Optical sections are recorded using a thin sheet of light to induce a plane of fluorescence in transparent or fixed and cleared tissues. We explain the basic building units and compare our thin sheet laser imaging microscope (TSLIM) to similar microscope systems. High resolution across the full width of a large specimen is achieved by moving the specimen through the thinnest region of the hyperbolically shaped light sheet, stitching together pixel columns with optimal resolution. We also show how to reduce absorption and scattering artefacts and explain optimizations to the optical system which help to produce thinner light sheets than achieved with cylindrical lenses alone

Entwicklung eines integrierten multifunktionalen Fluoreszenzdetektors

Fluoreszenzdetektion hat eine große Bedeutung in biologischen und medizinischen Anwendungen für die Analyse verschiedener Farbstoffe und Zellkulturen. Durch Kombination von Fluidik, Optik und Elektronik ist die Realisierung eines kompakten und hochempfindlichen Messsystems möglich, welches vorteilhaft bei der Messung von Proben mit kleinen Volumina ist

Continuously variable diffraction gratings using electroconvection in liquid crystals for beam steering applications

There is a great technological need for the development of devices capable of producing wide-angle and efficient, transmissive optical beam steering. In this article, variable pitch phase diffraction gratings using electroconvection in liquid crystals are considered for applications in electrically controllable beam-steerers. The devices contain thin layers of nematic liquid crystal mixtures of negative dielectric anisotropy, which are doped with different concentrations of an ionic species to determine the effect of conductivity on the beam-steering characteristics. The devices are seen to act as continuously variable diffraction gratings, where the pitch increases with the frequency of the applied electric field. The second order diffraction peak is found to be the most efficient, with absolute efficiency ranging from 5% to 15%, and continuous steering from 4° to 8° within 20 μm spaced devices. Devices with thinner layers of liquid crystal were also examined; these demonstrated wider angle steering but had substantial losses of efficiency due to lowering of optical contrast. Suggestions for possible methodologies for optimizing such devices are discussed

The enigma of in vivo oxidative stress assessment: isoprostanes as an emerging target

Oxidative stress is believed to be one of the major factors behind several acute and chronic diseases, and may also be associated with ageing. Excess formation of free radicals in miscellaneous body environment may originate from endogenous response to cell injury, but also from exposure to a number of exogenous toxins. When the antioxidant defence system is overwhelmed, this leads to cell damage. However, the measurement of free radicals or their endproducts is tricky, since these compounds are reactive and short lived, and have diverse characteristics. Specific evidence for the involvement of free radicals in pathological situations has been difficult to obtain, partly owing to shortcomings in earlier described methods for the measurement of oxidative stress. Isoprostanes, which are prostaglandin-like bioactive compounds synthesized in vivo from oxidation of arachidonic acid, independently of cyclooxygenases, are involved in many human diseases, and their measurement therefore offers a way to assess oxidative stress. Elevated levels of F2-isoprostanes have also been seen in the normal human pregnancy, but their physiological role has not yet been defined. Large amounts of bioactive F2-isoprostanes are excreted in the urine in normal basal situations, with a wide interindividual variation. Their exact role in the regulation of normal physiological functions, however, needs to be explored further. Current understanding suggests that measurement of F2-isoprostanes in body fluids provides a reliable analytical tool to study oxidative stress-related diseases and experimental inflammatory conditions, and also in the evaluation of various dietary antioxidants, as well as drugs with radical-scavenging properties. However, assessment of isoprostanes in plasma or urine does not necessarily reflect any specific tissue damage, nor does it provide information on the oxidation of lipids other than arachidonic acid