Aging of target lipid parameters in fingermark residue using GC/MS: effects of influence factors and perspectives for dating purposes

Despite the recurrence of fingermark dating issues and the research conducted on fingermark composition and aging, no dating methodology has yet been developed and validated. In order to further evaluate the possibility of developing dating methodologies based on the fingermark composition, this research proposed an in-depth study of the aging of target lipid parameters found in fingermark residue and exposed to different in fluence factors. The selected analytical technique was gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The effects of donor, substrate and enhancement techniques on the selected parameters were firstly evaluated. These factors were called known factors, as their value could be obtained in real caseworks. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and univariate exponential regression, this study highlighted the fact that the effects of these factors were larger than the aging effects, thus preventing the observation of relevant aging patterns. From a fingermark dating perspective, the specific value of these known factors should thus be included in aging models newly built for each case. Then, the effects of deposition moment, pressure, temperature and lighting were also evaluated. These factors were called unknown factors, as their specific value would never be precisely obtained in caseworks. Aging models should thus be particularly robust to their effects and for this reason, different chemometric tools were tested: PCA, univariate exponentialregression and partial least square regression(PLSR). While the first two models allowed observing interesting aging patterns regardless of the value of the applied influence factors, PLSR gave poorer results, as large deviations were obtained. Finally, in order to evaluate the potential of such modelling in realistic situations, blind analyses were carried out on eight test fingermarks. The age of five of them was correctly estimated using soft independent modelling of class analogy analysis (SIMCA) based on PCA classes, univariate exponential linear regression and PLSR. Furthermore, a probabilistic approach using the calculation of likelihood ratios (LR) through the construction of a Bayesian network was also tested. While the age of all test fingermarks were correctly evaluated when the storage conditions were known, the results were not significant when these conditions were unknown. Thus, this model clearly highlighted the impact of storage conditions on correct age evaluation. This research showed that reproducible aging modelling could be obtained based on fingermark residue exposed to influence factors, as well as promising age estimations. However, the proposed models are still not applicable in practice. Further studies should be conducted concerning the impact of influence factors (in particular, storage conditions) in order to precisely evaluate in which conditions significant evaluations could be obtained. Furthermore, these models should be properly validated before any application in real caseworks could be envisaged

Theoretical study of laser-based phototherapies' improvement via upconverting nanoparticles

The introduction of new upconverting nanoparticles (UPCNPs) in the tumor area is being investigated worldwide as a solution for deep tissue theranostics interventions. Moreover, as the development of biophotonics techniques permits bioimaging in nanoscale, both photodynamic and photothermal sensing should be achieved even at cellular level with minimum perturbation, i.e., in absence of any physical contact between cells and sensing units at a single-cell level via optical tweezers. In our work, we discuss the biophotonic upconversion mechanism of nanoparticles' excitation/emission at cellular level, under laser trapping conditions, via considering laser radiation of NIR (specifically at lambda = 808 nm) for optimal penetration in biological tissues. Moreover, a theoretical simulation model will be presented for evaluation of the electric field distribution in optically trapped particles. Water soluble UPCNPs with maximum absorbance wavelength at lambda = 808 nm and emission at 545 nm and 660 nm will be studied. The photoluminescence of biocompatible UPCNPs could provide a promising powerful tool for PDT single-cell analysis and/or for photothermal enhancement and sensing in an optical tweezers' platform

Characterization of new drug delivery nanosystems using atomic force microscopy

Liposomes are the most attractive lipid vesicles for targeted drug delivery in nanomedicine, behaving also as cell models in biophotonics research. The characterization of the micro-mechanical properties of drug carriers is an important issue and many analytical techniques are employed, as, for example, optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy. In this work, polyol hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) have been employed along with liposomes for the preparation of new chimeric advanced drug delivery nanosystems (Chi-aDDnSs). Aliphatic polyester HBPs with three different pseudogenerations G2, G3 and G4 with 16, 32, and 64 peripheral hydroxyl groups, respectively, have been incorporated in liposomal formulation. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique was used for the comparative study of the morphology and the mechanical properties of Chi-aDDnSs and conventional DDnS. The effects of both the HBPs architecture and the polyesters pseudogeneration number in the stability and the stiffness of chi-aDDnSs were examined. From the force-distance curves of AFM spectroscopy, the Young’s modulus was calculated

Line optical tweezers: A tool to induce transformations in stained liposomes and to estimate shear modulus

Liposomes have been actively studied as models of cell membranes and are currently used as drug delivery systems of bioactive molecules. Liposome transformations that mimic cellular processes and are associated with their physicochemical properties have become field of interest the last decade. However, there has been little experimental work on controlled vesicle transformations by non-contact, optical handling methods. In this paper we present the use of line optical tweezers to observe liposome state transitions and transformations. Dynamic shape deformations were induced by line optical tweezers in giant stained liposomes leading to budding transition, fission and pearling creation. Under the controlled effect of line optical tweezers reversible liposome deformations were observed. The shear modulus μ of the membrane was inferred by measuring deformation of stained liposomes induced by the applied optical force. Further laser radiation caused irreversible shape deformations of liposomes, which were transformed from spherical to tubular vesicles. The ability of the selective manipulation of liposomes brings us closer to study their physicochemical properties which play a key role in cellular-liposome interactions, drug encapsulation and delivery efficiency. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Development and characterization of oligonucleotide-tagged dye-encapsulating EPC/DPPG liposomes

Liposomes applications in health care include meanly their ability to carry drugs and genes inside the human body for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless their applicability can extend far beyond and could be used as analytical tools in order to perform rapid, low-cost, sensitive and specific analyses. Their physical characteristics, such as large internal volume and extended surface area, render them ideal for these applications and specifically for improving the specificity and sensitivity of the analytical assay. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple, stable and low-cost oligonucleotide-tagged liposomal formulation consisting of EggPC and DPPG with a simple to synthesize thiol-reactive conjugate (Mal-SA) incorporated into the lipid bilayer of liposomes. The prepared liposomes, having also the water soluble dye Sulforhodamine B encapsulated in their inner cavity, were characterized in terms of their physicochemical (size, size distribution, ^-potential, lipid content) and mechanical (morphology, rigidity) properties. The results showed that the final liposomal formulation could be used in the future as analytical tool for detecting pathogen strains of microorganism in biological milieu. © 2010 American Scientific Publishers

Australian cricketer Archie Jackson, New South Wales, ca. 1925 [picture].

Title devised from accompanying information where available.; Part of the: Fairfax archive of glass plate negatives.; Fairfax number: 2940.; Condition: chipped.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6217342; Acquired from Fairfax Media, 2012

Corneal morphology after ex vivo UV and mid-infrared laser ablation

In this work, ablation experiments of ex vivo porcine cornea tissue were conducted with two solid state lasers ( an Er:YAG laser and the 4(th) harmonic of an Nd:YAG laser, both in the ns pulse width range) emitting in mid infrared and ultraviolet part of the spectrum respectively, at moderate laser fluences. The cornea epithelium of each porcine eye was manually removed before the ablation. Histology analysis of the specimens was performed, in order to examine the microscopic appearance of the ablated craters and the existence of any thermal or mechanical damage caused by the mid-infrared and the UV laser irradiation. For a detailed and complete examination of the morphology of the laser ablated corneal tissue, the surface roughness was investigated by scanning electron microscopy