WorldWideScience

Sample records for spatially fractionated microscopic

  1. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microscopic imaging classification based on spatial-spectral features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lian; Yang, Xiukun; Zhong, Mingliang; Liu, Yao; Jing, Xiaojun; Yang, Qin

    2018-04-01

    The discrete fractional Brownian incremental random (DFBIR) field is used to describe the irregular, random, and highly complex shapes of natural objects such as coastlines and biological tissues, for which traditional Euclidean geometry cannot be used. In this paper, an anisotropic variable window (AVW) directional operator based on the DFBIR field model is proposed for extracting spatial characteristics of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) microscopic imaging. Probabilistic principal component analysis first extracts spectral features, and then the spatial features of the proposed AVW directional operator are combined with the former to construct a spatial-spectral structure, which increases feature-related information and helps a support vector machine classifier to obtain more efficient distribution-related information. Compared to Haralick’s grey-level co-occurrence matrix, Gabor filters, and local binary patterns (e.g. uniform LBPs, rotation-invariant LBPs, uniform rotation-invariant LBPs), experiments on three FTIR spectroscopy microscopic imaging datasets show that the proposed AVW directional operator is more advantageous in terms of classification accuracy, particularly for low-dimensional spaces of spatial characteristics.

  2. Fractional power-law spatial dispersion in electrodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, Vasily E.; Trujillo, Juan J.

    2013-01-01

    Electric fields in non-local media with power-law spatial dispersion are discussed. Equations involving a fractional Laplacian in the Riesz form that describe the electric fields in such non-local media are studied. The generalizations of Coulomb’s law and Debye’s screening for power-law non-local media are characterized. We consider simple models with anomalous behavior of plasma-like media with power-law spatial dispersions. The suggested fractional differential models for these plasma-like media are discussed to describe non-local properties of power-law type. -- Highlights: •Plasma-like non-local media with power-law spatial dispersion. •Fractional differential equations for electric fields in the media. •The generalizations of Coulomb’s law and Debye’s screening for the media

  3. A multi-modal stereo microscope based on a spatial light modulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M P; Gibson, G M; Bowman, R; Bernet, S; Ritsch-Marte, M; Phillips, D B; Padgett, M J

    2013-07-15

    Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) can emulate the classic microscopy techniques, including differential interference (DIC) contrast and (spiral) phase contrast. Their programmability entails the benefit of flexibility or the option to multiplex images, for single-shot quantitative imaging or for simultaneous multi-plane imaging (depth-of-field multiplexing). We report the development of a microscope sharing many of the previously demonstrated capabilities, within a holographic implementation of a stereo microscope. Furthermore, we use the SLM to combine stereo microscopy with a refocusing filter and with a darkfield filter. The instrument is built around a custom inverted microscope and equipped with an SLM which gives various imaging modes laterally displaced on the same camera chip. In addition, there is a wide angle camera for visualisation of a larger region of the sample.

  4. The measurement and calculation of the X-ray spatial resolution obtained in the analytical electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michael, J.R.; Williams, D.B.

    1990-01-01

    The X-ray microanalytical spatial resolution is determined experimentally in various analytical electron microscopes by measuring the degradation of an atomically discrete composition profile across an interphase interface in a thin-foil of Ni-Cr-Fe. The experimental spatial resolutions are then compared with calculated values. The calculated spatial resolutions are obtained by the mathematical convolution of the electron probe size with an assumed beam-broadening distribution and the single-scattering model of beam broadening. The probe size is measured directly from an image of the probe in a TEM/SETEM and indirectly from dark-field signal changes resulting from scanning the probe across the edge of an MgO crystal in a dedicated STEM. This study demonstrates the applicability of the convolution technique to the calculation of the microanalytical spatial resolution obtained in the analytical electron microscope. It is demonstrated that, contrary to popular opinion, the electron probe size has a major impact on the measured spatial resolution in foils < 150 nm thick. (author)

  5. Spatial Rotation of the Fractional Derivative in Two-Dimensional Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ehab Malkawi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The transformations of the partial fractional derivatives under spatial rotation in R2 are derived for the Riemann-Liouville and Caputo definitions. These transformation properties link the observation of physical quantities, expressed through fractional derivatives, with respect to different coordinate systems (observers. It is the hope that such understanding could shed light on the physical interpretation of fractional derivatives. Also it is necessary to be able to construct interaction terms that are invariant with respect to equivalent observers.

  6. A Compact "Water Window" Microscope with 60 nm Spatial Resolution for Applications in Biology and Nanotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Torrisi, Alfio; Nawaz, Muhammad F; Bartnik, Andrzej; Adjei, Daniel; Vondrová, Šárka; Turňová, Jana; Jančarek, Alexandr; Limpouch, Jiří; Vrbová, Miroslava; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

    2015-10-01

    Short illumination wavelength allows an extension of the diffraction limit toward nanometer scale; thus, improving spatial resolution in optical systems. Soft X-ray (SXR) radiation, from "water window" spectral range, λ=2.3-4.4 nm wavelength, which is particularly suitable for biological imaging due to natural optical contrast provides better spatial resolution than one obtained with visible light microscopes. The high contrast in the "water window" is obtained because of selective radiation absorption by carbon and water, which are constituents of the biological samples. The development of SXR microscopes permits the visualization of features on the nanometer scale, but often with a tradeoff, which can be seen between the exposure time and the size and complexity of the microscopes. Thus, herein, we present a desk-top system, which overcomes the already mentioned limitations and is capable of resolving 60 nm features with very short exposure time. Even though the system is in its initial stage of development, we present different applications of the system for biology and nanotechnology. Construction of the microscope with recently acquired images of various samples will be presented and discussed. Such a high resolution imaging system represents an interesting solution for biomedical, material science, and nanotechnology applications.

  7. Fractal diffusion equations: Microscopic models with anomalous diffusion and its generalizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arkhincheev, V.E.

    2001-04-01

    To describe the ''anomalous'' diffusion the generalized diffusion equations of fractal order are deduced from microscopic models with anomalous diffusion as Comb model and Levy flights. It is shown that two types of equations are possible: with fractional temporal and fractional spatial derivatives. The solutions of these equations are obtained and the physical sense of these fractional equations is discussed. The relation between diffusion and conductivity is studied and the well-known Einstein relation is generalized for the anomalous diffusion case. It is shown that for Levy flight diffusion the Ohm's law is not applied and the current depends on electric field in a nonlinear way due to the anomalous character of Levy flights. The results of numerical simulations, which confirmed this conclusion, are also presented. (author)

  8. STM-SQUID probe microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Tadayuki; Tachiki, Minoru; Itozaki, Hideo

    2007-01-01

    We have developed a STM-SQUID probe microscope. A high T C SQUID probe microscope was combined with a scanning tunneling microscope for investigation of samples at room temperature in air. A high permeability probe needle was used as a magnetic flux guide to improve the spatial resolution. The probe with tip radius of less than 100 nm was prepared by microelectropolishing. The probe was also used as a scanning tunneling microscope tip. Topography of the sample surface could be measured by the scanning tunneling microscope with high spatial resolution prior to observation by SQUID microscopy. The SQUID probe microscope image could be observed while keeping the distance from the sample surface to the probe tip constant. We observed a topographic image and a magnetic image of Ni fine pattern and also a magnetically recorded hard disk. Furthermore we have investigated a sample vibration method of the static magnetic field emanating from a sample with the aim of achieving a higher signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio

  9. Accelerator-based single-shot ultrafast transmission electron microscope with picosecond temporal resolution and nanometer spatial resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, D.; Fu, F.; Zhang, J.; Huang, X.; Wang, L.; Wang, X.; Wan, W.

    2014-09-01

    We present feasibility study of an accelerator-based ultrafast transmission electron microscope (u-TEM) capable of producing a full field image in a single-shot with simultaneous picosecond temporal resolution and nanometer spatial resolution. We study key physics related to performance of u-TEMs and discuss major challenges as well as possible solutions for practical realization of u-TEMs. The feasibility of u-TEMs is confirmed through simulations using realistic electron beam parameters. We anticipate that u-TEMs with a product of temporal and spatial resolution beyond 10-19 ms will open up new opportunities in probing matter at ultrafast temporal and ultrasmall spatial scales.

  10. Image transfer with spatial coherence for aberration corrected transmission electron microscopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosokawa, Fumio; Sawada, Hidetaka; Shinkawa, Takao; Sannomiya, Takumi

    2016-01-01

    The formula of spatial coherence involving an aberration up to six-fold astigmatism is derived for aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Transfer functions for linear imaging are calculated using the newly derived formula with several residual aberrations. Depending on the symmetry and origin of an aberration, the calculated transfer function shows characteristic symmetries. The aberrations that originate from the field’s components, having uniformity along the z direction, namely, the n-fold astigmatism, show rotational symmetric damping of the coherence. The aberrations that originate from the field’s derivatives with respect to z, such as coma, star, and three lobe, show non-rotational symmetric damping. It is confirmed that the odd-symmetric wave aberrations have influences on the attenuation of an image via spatial coherence. Examples of image simulations of haemoglobin and Si [211] are shown by using the spatial coherence for an aberration-corrected electron microscope. - Highlights: • The formula of partial coherence for aberration corrected TEM is derived. • Transfer functions are calculated with several residual aberrations. • The calculated transfer function shows the characteristic damping. • The odd-symmetric wave aberrations can cause the attenuation of image via coherence. • The examples of aberration corrected TEM image simulations are shown.

  11. Image transfer with spatial coherence for aberration corrected transmission electron microscopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hosokawa, Fumio, E-mail: hosokawa@bio-net.co.jp [BioNet Ltd., 2-3-28 Nishikityo, Tachikwa, Tokyo (Japan); Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Sawada, Hidetaka [JEOL (UK) Ltd., JEOL House, Silver Court, Watchmead, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 1LT (United Kingdom); Shinkawa, Takao [BioNet Ltd., 2-3-28 Nishikityo, Tachikwa, Tokyo (Japan); Sannomiya, Takumi [Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

    2016-08-15

    The formula of spatial coherence involving an aberration up to six-fold astigmatism is derived for aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Transfer functions for linear imaging are calculated using the newly derived formula with several residual aberrations. Depending on the symmetry and origin of an aberration, the calculated transfer function shows characteristic symmetries. The aberrations that originate from the field’s components, having uniformity along the z direction, namely, the n-fold astigmatism, show rotational symmetric damping of the coherence. The aberrations that originate from the field’s derivatives with respect to z, such as coma, star, and three lobe, show non-rotational symmetric damping. It is confirmed that the odd-symmetric wave aberrations have influences on the attenuation of an image via spatial coherence. Examples of image simulations of haemoglobin and Si [211] are shown by using the spatial coherence for an aberration-corrected electron microscope. - Highlights: • The formula of partial coherence for aberration corrected TEM is derived. • Transfer functions are calculated with several residual aberrations. • The calculated transfer function shows the characteristic damping. • The odd-symmetric wave aberrations can cause the attenuation of image via coherence. • The examples of aberration corrected TEM image simulations are shown.

  12. A Fractional Micro-Macro Model for Crowds of Pedestrians Based on Fractional Mean Field Games

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Kecai Cao; Yang Quan Chen; Daniel Stuart

    2016-01-01

    Modeling a crowd of pedestrians has been considered in this paper from different aspects. Based on fractional microscopic model that may be much more close to reality, a fractional macroscopic model has been proposed using conservation law of mass. Then in order to characterize the competitive and cooperative interactions among pedestrians, fractional mean field games are utilized in the modeling problem when the number of pedestrians goes to infinity and fractional dynamic model composed of fractional backward and fractional forward equations are constructed in macro scale. Fractional micromacro model for crowds of pedestrians are obtained in the end.Simulation results are also included to illustrate the proposed fractional microscopic model and fractional macroscopic model,respectively.

  13. Evidence of a fractional quantum Hall nematic phase in a microscopic model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regnault, N.; Maciejko, J.; Kivelson, S. A.; Sondhi, S. L.

    2017-07-01

    At small momenta, the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman (GMP) mode in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effect can be identified with gapped nematic fluctuations in the isotropic FQH liquid. This correspondence would be exact as the GMP mode softens upon approach to the putative point of a quantum phase transition to a FQH nematic. Motivated by these considerations as well as by suggestive evidence of an FQH nematic in tilted field experiments, we have sought evidence of such a nematic FQHE in a microscopic model of interacting electrons in the lowest Landau level at filling factor 1/3. Using a family of anisotropic Laughlin states as trial wave functions, we find a continuous quantum phase transition between the isotropic Laughlin liquid and the FQH nematic. Results of numerical exact diagonalization also suggest that rotational symmetry is spontaneously broken, and that the phase diagram of the model contains both a nematic and a stripe phase.

  14. Mineralogy of the clay fraction of Alfisols in two slope curvatures: III - spatial variability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Livia Arantes Camargo

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available A good knowledge of the spatial distribution of clay minerals in the landscape facilitates the understanding of the influence of relief on the content and crystallographic attributes of soil minerals such as goethite, hematite, kaolinite and gibbsite. This study aimed at describing the relationships between the mineral properties of the clay fraction and landscape shapes by determining the mineral properties of goethite, hematite, kaolinite and gibbsite, and assessing their dependence and spatial variability, in two slope curvatures. To this end, two 100 × 100 m grids were used to establish a total of 121 regularly spaced georeferenced sampling nodes 10 m apart. Samples were collected from the layer 0.0-0.2 m and analysed for iron oxides, and kaolinite and gibbsite in the clay fraction. Minerals in the clay fraction were characterized from their X-ray diffraction (XRD patterns, which were interpreted and used to calculate the width at half height (WHH and mean crystallite dimension (MCD of iron oxides, kaolinite, and gibbsite, as well as aluminium substitution and specific surface area (SSA in hematite and goethite. Additional calculations included the goethite and hematite contents, and the goethite/(goethite+hematite [Gt/(Gt+Hm] and kaolinite/(kaolinite+gibbsite [Kt/(Kt+Gb] ratios. Mineral properties were established by statistical analysis of the XRD data, and spatial dependence was assessed geostatistically. Mineralogical properties differed significantly between the convex area and concave area. The geostatistical analysis showed a greater number of mineralogical properties with spatial dependence and a higher range in the convex than in the concave area.

  15. Fractional Progress Toward Understanding the Fractional Diffusion Limit: The Electromagnetic Response of Spatially Correlated Geomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, C. J.; Beskardes, G. D.; Everett, M. E.

    2016-12-01

    In this presentation we review the observational evidence for anomalous electromagnetic diffusion in near-surface geophysical exploration and how such evidence is consistent with a detailed, spatially-correlated geologic medium. To date, the inference of multi-scale geologic correlation is drawn from two independent methods of data analysis. The first of which is analogous to seismic move-out, where the arrival time of an electromagnetic pulse is plotted as a function of transmitter/receiver separation. The "anomalous" diffusion is evident by the fractional-order power law behavior of these arrival times, with an exponent value between unity (pure diffusion) and 2 (lossless wave propagation). The second line of evidence comes from spectral analysis of small-scale fluctuations in electromagnetic profile data which cannot be explained in terms of instrument, user or random error. Rather, the power-law behavior of the spectral content of these signals (i.e., power versus wavenumber) and their increments reveals them to lie in a class of signals with correlations over multiple length scales, a class of signals known formally as fractional Brownian motion. Numerical results over simulated geology with correlated electrical texture - representative of, for example, fractures, sedimentary bedding or metamorphic lineation - are consistent with the (albeit limited, but growing) observational data, suggesting a possible mechanism and modeling approach for a more realistic geology. Furthermore, we show how similar simulated results can arise from a modeling approach where geologic texture is economically captured by a modified diffusion equation containing exotic, but manageable, fractional derivatives. These derivatives arise physically from the generalized convolutional form for the electromagnetic constitutive laws and thus have merit beyond mere mathematical convenience. In short, we are zeroing in on the anomalous, fractional diffusion limit from two converging

  16. Theory of a Quantum Scanning Microscope for Cold Atoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, D; Laflamme, C; Vasilyev, D V; Baranov, M A; Zoller, P

    2018-03-30

    We propose and analyze a scanning microscope to monitor "live" the quantum dynamics of cold atoms in a cavity QED setup. The microscope measures the atomic density with subwavelength resolution via dispersive couplings to a cavity and homodyne detection within the framework of continuous measurement theory. We analyze two modes of operation. First, for a fixed focal point the microscope records the wave packet dynamics of atoms with time resolution set by the cavity lifetime. Second, a spatial scan of the microscope acts to map out the spatial density of stationary quantum states. Remarkably, in the latter case, for a good cavity limit, the microscope becomes an effective quantum nondemolition device, such that the spatial distribution of motional eigenstates can be measured backaction free in single scans, as an emergent quantum nondemolition measurement.

  17. Determination of the spatial resolution of an aperture-type near-field scanning optical microscope using a standard sample of a quantum-dot-embedded polymer film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J. Y.; Kim, D. C.; Nakajima, K.; Mitsui, T.; Aoki, H.

    2010-01-01

    The near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is a form of scanning probe microscope that achieves, through the use of the near-field, a spatial resolution significantly superior to that defined by the Abbe diffraction limit. Although the term spatial resolution has a clear meaning, it is often used in different ways in characterizing the NSOM instrument. In this paper, we describe the concept, the cautions, and the general guidelines of a method to measure the spatial resolution of an aperture-type NSOM instrument. As an example, a quantum dot embedded polymer film was prepared and imaged as a test sample, and the determination of the lateral resolution was demonstrated using the described method.

  18. Accelerator-based Single-shot Ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscope with Picosecond Temporal Resolution and Nanometer Spatial Resolution

    OpenAIRE

    Xiang, D.; Fu, F.; Zhang, J.; Huang, X.; Wang, L.; Wang, X.; Wan, W.

    2014-01-01

    We present feasibility study of an accelerator-based ultrafast transmission electron microscope (u-TEM) capable of producing a full field image in a single-shot with simultaneous picosecond temporal resolution and nanometer spatial resolution. We study key physics related to performance of u-TEMs, and discuss major challenges as well as possible solutions for practical realization of u-TEMs. The feasibility of u-TEMs is confirmed through simulations using realistic electron beam parameters. W...

  19. Imaging nanoscale spatial modulation of a relativistic electron beam with a MeV ultrafast electron microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chao; Jiang, Tao; Liu, Shengguang; Wang, Rui; Zhao, Lingrong; Zhu, Pengfei; Liu, Yaqi; Xu, Jun; Yu, Dapeng; Wan, Weishi; Zhu, Yimei; Xiang, Dao; Zhang, Jie

    2018-03-01

    An accelerator-based MeV ultrafast electron microscope (MUEM) has been proposed as a promising tool to the study structural dynamics at the nanometer spatial scale and the picosecond temporal scale. Here, we report experimental tests of a prototype MUEM where high quality images with nanoscale fine structures were recorded with a pulsed ˜3 MeV picosecond electron beam. The temporal and spatial resolutions of the MUEM operating in the single-shot mode are about 4 ps (FWHM) and 100 nm (FWHM), corresponding to a temporal-spatial resolution of 4 × 10-19 s m, about 2 orders of magnitude higher than that achieved with state-of-the-art single-shot keV UEM. Using this instrument, we offer the demonstration of visualizing the nanoscale periodic spatial modulation of an electron beam, which may be converted into longitudinal density modulation through emittance exchange to enable production of high-power coherent radiation at short wavelengths. Our results mark a great step towards single-shot nanometer-resolution MUEMs and compact intense x-ray sources that may have widespread applications in many areas of science.

  20. High-spatial resolution resistivity mapping of large-area YBCO films by a near-field millimeter-wave microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golosovsky, M.; Galkin, A.; Davidov, D.

    1996-01-01

    The authors demonstrate a new millimeter-wave technique for the resistivity mapping of large-area conducting films, namely, a near-field resistivity microscope. The microscope is based on the idea that electromagnetic waves are transmitted through a narrow resonant slit with high efficiency. By scanning this slit at fixed height above an inhomogeneous conducting surface and measuring the intensity and phase of the reflected wave, the resistivity of this surface may be determined with a 10--100 microm spatial resolution using 80-GHz radiation. Using this technique, they map normal-sate resistivity of 1 in x 1 in YBCO films at ambient temperature. In some films they find inhomogeneities of the normal-state sheet resistance of the order of 10%--20%

  1. Heat transfer at microscopic level in a MHD fractional inertial flow confined between non-isothermal boundaries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoaib Anwar, Muhammad; Rasheed, Amer

    2017-07-01

    Heat transfer through a Forchheimer medium in an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) developed differential-type fluid flow is analyzed numerically in this study. The boundary layer flow is modeled with the help of the fractional calculus approach. The fluid is confined between infinite parallel plates and flows by motion of the plates in their own plane. Both the plates have variable surface temperature. Governing partial differential equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions are solved by employing a finite-difference scheme to discretize the fractional time derivative and finite-element discretization for spatial variables. Coefficients of skin friction and local Nusselt numbers are computed for the fractional model. The flow behavior is presented for various values of the involved parameters. The influence of different dimensionless numbers on skin friction and Nusselt number is discussed by tabular results. Forchheimer medium flows that involve catalytic converters and gas turbines can be modeled in a similar manner.

  2. Sub-nanosecond time-resolved near-field scanning magneto-optical microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudge, J; Xu, H; Kolthammer, J; Hong, Y K; Choi, B C

    2015-02-01

    We report on the development of a new magnetic microscope, time-resolved near-field scanning magneto-optical microscope, which combines a near-field scanning optical microscope and magneto-optical contrast. By taking advantage of the high temporal resolution of time-resolved Kerr microscope and the sub-wavelength spatial resolution of a near-field microscope, we achieved a temporal resolution of ∼50 ps and a spatial resolution of microscope, the magnetic field pulse induced gyrotropic vortex dynamics occurring in 1 μm diameter, 20 nm thick CoFeB circular disks has been investigated. The microscope provides sub-wavelength resolution magnetic images of the gyrotropic motion of the vortex core at a resonance frequency of ∼240 MHz.

  3. Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiss, András; Smith, Donald F; Jungmann, Julia H; Heeren, Ron M A

    2013-12-30

    Microscope mode imaging for secondary ion mass spectrometry is a technique with the promise of simultaneous high spatial resolution and high-speed imaging of biomolecules from complex surfaces. Technological developments such as new position-sensitive detectors, in combination with polyatomic primary ion sources, are required to exploit the full potential of microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging, i.e. to efficiently push the limits of ultra-high spatial resolution, sample throughput and sensitivity. In this work, a C60 primary source was combined with a commercial mass microscope for microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The detector setup is a pixelated detector from the Medipix/Timepix family with high-voltage post-acceleration capabilities. The system's mass spectral and imaging performance is tested with various benchmark samples and thin tissue sections. The high secondary ion yield (with respect to 'traditional' monatomic primary ion sources) of the C60 primary ion source and the increased sensitivity of the high voltage detector setup improve microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The analysis time and the signal-to-noise ratio are improved compared with other microscope mode imaging systems, all at high spatial resolution. We have demonstrated the unique capabilities of a C60 ion microscope with a Timepix detector for high spatial resolution microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Spatial-temporal distribution and risk assessment of mercury in different fractions in surface sediments from the Yangtze River estuary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qingrui; Liu, Ruimin; Men, Cong; Xu, Fei; Guo, Lijia; Shen, Zhenyao

    2017-11-15

    The temporal and spatial distributions of mercury in different fractions and its potential ecological risk were investigated in sediments from the Yangtze River estuary (YRE) by analyzing data collected from the study area. The results showed that mercury in the organic and residual fractions had dominant proportions, from 15.2% to 48.52% and from 45.96% to 81.59%, respectively. The fractions were more susceptible to seasonal changes than other fractions. Higher proportions of mercury in organic fraction were found in wet seasons; the opposite was true for mercury in residual fraction. With respect to the spatial distribution, the concentration mercury in exchangeable, carbonate and Fe-Mn oxide fractions showed a decreasing trend from the inner estuary to the outer estuary, but no obvious trends were found in the distributions of mercury in the organic and residual fractions. The risk assessment code (RAC) was used to evaluate the potential ecological risk in the study area based on the proportions of exchangeable and carbonate fractions. The average RAC values during the four periods were 6.00%, 2.20%, 2.83%, and 0.61%. Although these values show that the risk in the study area is generally low, the distribution of RAC values indicates that the inner estuary has a medium risk, with a value up to 10%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Optical design of Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope for ICF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mu Baozhong; Yi Shengzhen; Huang Shengling; Wang Zhanshan

    2008-01-01

    A new flux-resolution optical design method of Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope (KB microscope) is proposed. In X-ray imaging diagnostics of inertial confinement fusion(ICF), spatial resolution and flux are always the key parameters. While the traditional optical design of KB microscope is to correct on-axis spherical aberration and astigmatic aberration, flux-resolution method is based on lateral aberration of full field and astigmatic aberration. Thus the spatial resolution related to field dimension and light flux can be estimated. By the expressions of spatial resolution and actual limits in ICF, rules of how to set original structure and optical design flow are summarized. An instance is presented and it shows that the design has met the original targets and overcome the shortcomings of image characterization in compressed core by traditional spherical aberration correction. (authors)

  6. The Fractions SNARC Revisited: Processing Fractions on a Consistent Mental Number Line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toomarian, Elizabeth Y; Hubbard, Edward M

    2017-07-12

    The ability to understand fractions is key to establishing a solid foundation in mathematics, yet children and adults struggle to comprehend them. Previous studies have suggested that these struggles emerge because people fail to process fraction magnitude holistically on the mental number line (MNL), focusing instead on fraction components (Bonato et al. 2007). Subsequent studies have produced evidence for default holistic processing (Meert et al., 2009; 2010), but examined only magnitude processing, not spatial representations. We explored the spatial representations of fractions on the MNL in a series of three experiments: Experiment 1 replicated Bonato et al. (2007); 30 naïve undergraduates compared unit fractions (1/1-1/9) to 1/5, resulting in a reverse SNARC effect. Experiment 2 countered potential strategic biases induced by the limited set of fractions used by Bonato et al. by expanding the stimulus set to include all irreducible, single-digit proper fractions, and asked participants to compare them against 1/2. We observed a classic SNARC effect, completely reversing the pattern from Experiment 1. Together, Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that stimulus properties dramatically impact spatial representations of fractions. In Experiment 3, we demonstrated within-subjects reliability of the SNARC effect across both a fractions and whole number comparison task. Our results suggest that adults can indeed process fraction magnitudes holistically, and that their spatial representations occur on a consistent MNL for both whole numbers and fractions.

  7. Femtosecond photoelectron point projection microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quinonez, Erik; Handali, Jonathan; Barwick, Brett

    2013-01-01

    By utilizing a nanometer ultrafast electron source in a point projection microscope we demonstrate that images of nanoparticles with spatial resolutions of the order of 100 nanometers can be obtained. The duration of the emission process of the photoemitted electrons used to make images is shown to be of the order of 100 fs using an autocorrelation technique. The compact geometry of this photoelectron point projection microscope does not preclude its use as a simple ultrafast electron microscope, and we use simple analytic models to estimate temporal resolutions that can be expected when using it as a pump-probe ultrafast electron microscope. These models show a significant increase in temporal resolution when comparing to ultrafast electron microscopes based on conventional designs. We also model the microscopes spectroscopic abilities to capture ultrafast phenomena such as the photon induced near field effect

  8. Prevalence of pure versus mixed snow cover pixels across spatial resolutions in alpine environments: implications for binary and fractional remote sensing approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selkowitz, David J.; Forster, Richard; Caldwell, Megan K.

    2014-01-01

    Remote sensing of snow-covered area (SCA) can be binary (indicating the presence/absence of snow cover at each pixel) or fractional (indicating the fraction of each pixel covered by snow). Fractional SCA mapping provides more information than binary SCA, but is more difficult to implement and may not be feasible with all types of remote sensing data. The utility of fractional SCA mapping relative to binary SCA mapping varies with the intended application as well as by spatial resolution, temporal resolution and period of interest, and climate. We quantified the frequency of occurrence of partially snow-covered (mixed) pixels at spatial resolutions between 1 m and 500 m over five dates at two study areas in the western U.S., using 0.5 m binary SCA maps derived from high spatial resolution imagery aggregated to fractional SCA at coarser spatial resolutions. In addition, we used in situ monitoring to estimate the frequency of partially snow-covered conditions for the period September 2013–August 2014 at 10 60-m grid cell footprints at two study areas with continental snow climates. Results from the image analysis indicate that at 40 m, slightly above the nominal spatial resolution of Landsat, mixed pixels accounted for 25%–93% of total pixels, while at 500 m, the nominal spatial resolution of MODIS bands used for snow cover mapping, mixed pixels accounted for 67%–100% of total pixels. Mixed pixels occurred more commonly at the continental snow climate site than at the maritime snow climate site. The in situ data indicate that some snow cover was present between 186 and 303 days, and partial snow cover conditions occurred on 10%–98% of days with snow cover. Four sites remained partially snow-free throughout most of the winter and spring, while six sites were entirely snow covered throughout most or all of the winter and spring. Within 60 m grid cells, the late spring/summer transition from snow-covered to snow-free conditions lasted 17–56 days and averaged 37

  9. Gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazo, Matheus Jatkoske

    2011-01-01

    Fractional derivatives and integrations of non-integers orders was introduced more than three centuries ago but only recently gained more attention due to its application on nonlocal phenomenas. In this context, several formulations of fractional electromagnetic fields was proposed, but all these theories suffer from the absence of an effective fractional vector calculus, and in general are non-causal or spatially asymmetric. In order to deal with these difficulties, we propose a spatially symmetric and causal gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic field from a Lagrangian formulation. From our fractional Maxwell's fields arose a definition for the fractional gradient, divergent and curl operators. -- Highlights: → We propose a fractional Lagrangian formulation for fractional Maxwell's fields. → We obtain gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields. → Our generalized fractional Maxwell's field is spatially symmetrical. → We discuss the non-causality of the theory.

  10. Microscopic cross-section measurements by thermal neutron activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avila L, J.

    1987-08-01

    Microscopic cross sections measured by thermal neutron activation using RP-0 reactor at the Peruvian Nuclear Energy Institute. The method consists in measuring microscopic cross section ratios through activated samples, requiring being corrected in thermal and epithermal energetic range by Westcott formalism. Furthermore, the comptage ratios measured for each photopeak to its decay fraction should be normalized from interrelation between both processes above, activation microscopic cross sections are obtained

  11. First trial of spatial and temporal fractionations of the delivered dose using synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serduc, Raphael; Braeuer-Krisch, Elke; Bouchet, Audrey; Brochard, Thierry; Bravin, Alberto; Le Duc, Geraldine; Renaud, Luc; Laissue, Jean Albert

    2009-01-01

    The technical feasibility of temporal and spatial fractionations of the radiation dose has been evaluated using synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy for brain tumors in rats. A significant increase in lifespan (216%, p<0.0001) resulted when three fractions of microbeam irradiation were applied to the tumor through three different ports, orthogonal to each other, at 24 h intervals. However, there were no long-term survivors, and immunohistological studies revealed that 9 L tumors were not entirely ablated. (orig.)

  12. First trial of spatial and temporal fractionations of the delivered dose using synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serduc, Raphael [Toulouse Univ. (France). UPS Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition; CNRS, CerCo, Toulouse (France); European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38 - Grenoble (France); Braeuer-Krisch, Elke; Bouchet, Audrey; Brochard, Thierry; Bravin, Alberto; Le Duc, Geraldine [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38 - Grenoble (France); Renaud, Luc [Toulouse Univ. (France). UPS Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition; CNRS, CerCo, Toulouse (France); Laissue, Jean Albert [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. of Pathology

    2009-07-15

    The technical feasibility of temporal and spatial fractionations of the radiation dose has been evaluated using synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy for brain tumors in rats. A significant increase in lifespan (216%, p<0.0001) resulted when three fractions of microbeam irradiation were applied to the tumor through three different ports, orthogonal to each other, at 24 h intervals. However, there were no long-term survivors, and immunohistological studies revealed that 9 L tumors were not entirely ablated. (orig.)

  13. Gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lazo, Matheus Jatkoske, E-mail: matheuslazo@furg.br [Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Fisica - FURG, Rio Grande, RS (Brazil)

    2011-09-26

    Fractional derivatives and integrations of non-integers orders was introduced more than three centuries ago but only recently gained more attention due to its application on nonlocal phenomenas. In this context, several formulations of fractional electromagnetic fields was proposed, but all these theories suffer from the absence of an effective fractional vector calculus, and in general are non-causal or spatially asymmetric. In order to deal with these difficulties, we propose a spatially symmetric and causal gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic field from a Lagrangian formulation. From our fractional Maxwell's fields arose a definition for the fractional gradient, divergent and curl operators. -- Highlights: → We propose a fractional Lagrangian formulation for fractional Maxwell's fields. → We obtain gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields. → Our generalized fractional Maxwell's field is spatially symmetrical. → We discuss the non-causality of the theory.

  14. A high resolution ion microscope for cold atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stecker, Markus; Schefzyk, Hannah; Fortágh, József; Günther, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    We report on an ion-optical system that serves as a microscope for ultracold ground state and Rydberg atoms. The system is designed to achieve a magnification of up to 1000 and a spatial resolution in the 100 nm range, thereby surpassing many standard imaging techniques for cold atoms. The microscope consists of four electrostatic lenses and a microchannel plate in conjunction with a delay line detector in order to achieve single particle sensitivity with high temporal and spatial resolution. We describe the design process of the microscope including ion-optical simulations of the imaging system and characterize aberrations and the resolution limit. Furthermore, we present the experimental realization of the microscope in a cold atom setup and investigate its performance by patterned ionization with a structure size down to 2.7 μ m. The microscope meets the requirements for studying various many-body effects, ranging from correlations in cold quantum gases up to Rydberg molecule formation. (paper)

  15. Fractional laser skin resurfacing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexiades-Armenakas, Macrene R; Dover, Jeffrey S; Arndt, Kenneth A

    2012-11-01

    Laser skin resurfacing (LSR) has evolved over the past 2 decades from traditional ablative to fractional nonablative and fractional ablative resurfacing. Traditional ablative LSR was highly effective in reducing rhytides, photoaging, and acne scarring but was associated with significant side effects and complications. In contrast, nonablative LSR was very safe but failed to deliver consistent clinical improvement. Fractional LSR has achieved the middle ground; it combined the efficacy of traditional LSR with the safety of nonablative modalities. The first fractional laser was a nonablative erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser that produced microscopic columns of thermal injury in the epidermis and upper dermis. Heralding an entirely new concept of laser energy delivery, it delivered the laser beam in microarrays. It resulted in microscopic columns of treated tissue and intervening areas of untreated skin, which yielded rapid reepithelialization. Fractional delivery was quickly applied to ablative wavelengths such as carbon dioxide, Er:YAG, and yttrium scandium gallium garnet (2,790 nm), providing more significant clinical outcomes. Adjustable laser parameters, including power, pitch, dwell time, and spot density, allowed for precise determination of percent surface area, affected penetration depth, and clinical recovery time and efficacy. Fractional LSR has been a significant advance to the laser field, striking the balance between safety and efficacy.

  16. Non-exponential extinction of radiation by fractional calculus modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casasanta, G.; Ciani, D.; Garra, R.

    2012-01-01

    Possible deviations from exponential attenuation of radiation in a random medium have been recently studied in several works. These deviations from the classical Beer-Lambert law were justified from a stochastic point of view by Kostinski (2001) . In his model he introduced the spatial correlation among the random variables, i.e. a space memory. In this note we introduce a different approach, including a memory formalism in the classical Beer-Lambert law through fractional calculus modelling. We find a generalized Beer-Lambert law in which the exponential memoryless extinction is only a special case of non-exponential extinction solutions described by Mittag-Leffler functions. We also justify this result from a stochastic point of view, using the space fractional Poisson process. Moreover, we discuss some concrete advantages of this approach from an experimental point of view, giving an estimate of the deviation from exponential extinction law, varying the optical depth. This is also an interesting model to understand the meaning of fractional derivative as an instrument to transmit randomness of microscopic dynamics to the macroscopic scale.

  17. Attainment of 40.5 pm spatial resolution using 300 kV scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with fifth-order aberration corrector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morishita, Shigeyuki; Ishikawa, Ryo; Kohno, Yuji; Sawada, Hidetaka; Shibata, Naoya; Ikuhara, Yuichi

    2018-02-01

    The achievement of a fine electron probe for high-resolution imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy requires technological developments, especially in electron optics. For this purpose, we developed a microscope with a fifth-order aberration corrector that operates at 300 kV. The contrast flat region in an experimental Ronchigram, which indicates the aberration-free angle, was expanded to 70 mrad. By using a probe with convergence angle of 40 mrad in the scanning transmission electron microscope at 300 kV, we attained the spatial resolution of 40.5 pm, which is the projected interatomic distance between Ga-Ga atomic columns of GaN observed along [212] direction.

  18. Scanning photoelectron microscope for nanoscale three-dimensional spatial-resolved electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horiba, K; Nakamura, Y; Nagamura, N; Toyoda, S; Kumigashira, H; Oshima, M; Amemiya, K; Senba, Y; Ohashi, H

    2011-11-01

    In order to achieve nondestructive observation of the three-dimensional spatially resolved electronic structure of solids, we have developed a scanning photoelectron microscope system with the capability of depth profiling in electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). We call this system 3D nano-ESCA. For focusing the x-ray, a Fresnel zone plate with a diameter of 200 μm and an outermost zone width of 35 nm is used. In order to obtain the angular dependence of the photoelectron spectra for the depth-profile analysis without rotating the sample, we adopted a modified VG Scienta R3000 analyzer with an acceptance angle of 60° as a high-resolution angle-resolved electron spectrometer. The system has been installed at the University-of-Tokyo Materials Science Outstation beamline, BL07LSU, at SPring-8. From the results of the line-scan profiles of the poly-Si/high-k gate patterns, we achieved a total spatial resolution better than 70 nm. The capability of our system for pinpoint depth-profile analysis and high-resolution chemical state analysis is demonstrated. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  19. Gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazo, Matheus Jatkoske

    2011-09-01

    Fractional derivatives and integrations of non-integers orders was introduced more than three centuries ago but only recently gained more attention due to its application on nonlocal phenomenas. In this context, several formulations of fractional electromagnetic fields was proposed, but all these theories suffer from the absence of an effective fractional vector calculus, and in general are non-causal or spatially asymmetric. In order to deal with these difficulties, we propose a spatially symmetric and causal gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic field from a Lagrangian formulation. From our fractional Maxwell's fields arose a definition for the fractional gradient, divergent and curl operators.

  20. Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krivanek, Ondrej L; Lovejoy, Tracy C; Dellby, Niklas; Aoki, Toshihiro; Carpenter, R W; Rez, Peter; Soignard, Emmanuel; Zhu, Jiangtao; Batson, Philip E; Lagos, Maureen J; Egerton, Ray F; Crozier, Peter A

    2014-10-09

    Vibrational spectroscopies using infrared radiation, Raman scattering, neutrons, low-energy electrons and inelastic electron tunnelling are powerful techniques that can analyse bonding arrangements, identify chemical compounds and probe many other important properties of materials. The spatial resolution of these spectroscopies is typically one micrometre or more, although it can reach a few tens of nanometres or even a few ångströms when enhanced by the presence of a sharp metallic tip. If vibrational spectroscopy could be combined with the spatial resolution and flexibility of the transmission electron microscope, it would open up the study of vibrational modes in many different types of nanostructures. Unfortunately, the energy resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy performed in the electron microscope has until now been too poor to allow such a combination. Recent developments that have improved the attainable energy resolution of electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope to around ten millielectronvolts now allow vibrational spectroscopy to be carried out in the electron microscope. Here we describe the innovations responsible for the progress, and present examples of applications in inorganic and organic materials, including the detection of hydrogen. We also demonstrate that the vibrational signal has both high- and low-spatial-resolution components, that the first component can be used to map vibrational features at nanometre-level resolution, and that the second component can be used for analysis carried out with the beam positioned just outside the sample--that is, for 'aloof' spectroscopy that largely avoids radiation damage.

  1. Proton microscope design for 9 GeV pRad facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barminova, H.Y.; Turtikov, V.I.

    2016-01-01

    The proton microscope design for 9 GeV proton radiography facility is described. Basic principles of proton microscope development are discussed. Two variants of microscope optical scheme are proposed. Simulation of the proton beam dynamics is carried out, the results showing the possibility to obtain the microscope spatial resolution not worse than 10 μ m.

  2. All-optical microscope autofocus based on an electrically tunable lens and a totally internally reflected IR laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bathe-Peters, M; Annibale, P; Lohse, M J

    2018-02-05

    Microscopic imaging at high spatial-temporal resolution over long time scales (minutes to hours) requires rapid and precise stabilization of the microscope focus. Conventional and commercial autofocus systems are largely based on piezoelectric stages or mechanical objective actuators. Objective to sample distance is either measured by image analysis approaches or by hardware modules measuring the intensity of reflected infrared light. We propose here a truly all-optical microscope autofocus taking advantage of an electrically tunable lens and a totally internally reflected infrared probe beam. We implement a feedback-loop based on the lateral position of a totally internally reflected infrared laser on a quadrant photodetector, as an indicator of the relative defocus. We show here how to treat the combined contributions due to mechanical defocus and deformation of the tunable lens. As a result, the sample can be kept in focus without any mechanical movement, at rates up to hundreds of Hertz. The device requires only reflective optics and can be implemented at a fraction of the cost required for a comparable piezo-based actuator.

  3. Spatial evolution of phosphorus fractionation in the sediments of Rhumel River in the northeast Algeria

    OpenAIRE

    Azzouz , Sarah; Chellat , Smaine; Boukhalfa , Chahrazed; Amrane , Abdeltif

    2014-01-01

    International audience; The objective of the present study is the characterization of the spatial evolution of phosphorus forms in sediments of Rhumel River located in northeast Algeria during winter conditions. Sediments samples were collected along the river in Constantine city during the year 2012. The samples were subjected to physicochemical characterization and metals analysis. Phosphorus was fractionated by sequential extractions procedure in exchangeable, oxyhydroxides bound; calcium ...

  4. Microscopic and hydrodynamic theory of superfluidity in periodic solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saslow, W.M.

    1977-01-01

    The microscopic theory of fourth sound and of the superfluid fraction for perfect one-component periodic solids has been derived. It is applicable to finite temperatures and is restricted to the case of well-defined excitations. One finds that the superfluid fraction is a tensor rho/sub s//sub b//sub β//rho 0 and that the fourth-sound velocity C 4 is a tensor (C 2 4 )/sub b//sub β/ = (partialrho 0 /partialμ 0 ) -1 rho/sub s//sub b//sub β/, where μ 0 and rho 0 are the spatially averaged values of the chemical potential (per unit mass) and of the number density. In addition, the exact nonlinearized hydrodynamics is derived, and for fourth sound is found to give agreement with the microscopic theory. Because the superfluid velocity for a periodic solid cannot be generated by a Galilean transformation, it is found that elastic waves are loaded by the average mass density of the system. This is in contrast to the result of Andreev and Lifshitz, which involves only the superfluid fraction. Therefore one cannot look to (hydrodynamic) elastic waves for an obvious signature of superfluidity. A study of the effect of a transducer indicates that fourth sound will be generated to a non-negligible extent only when the crystal is imperfect (i.e., it has vacancies, interstitials, or impurities). On the other hand, a heater might be an effective generator of fourth sound, provided that the mean free path for umklapp processes is sufficiently small. In the limit of zero crystallinity the theory shows that second sound, rather than fourth sound, occurs. Detection of superflow by rotation experiments is also considered. It is pointed out that, because the superfluid velocity is not Galilean, two-fluid counterflow does not occur. Hence, it appears that rapid angular acceleration or deceleration would be the best technique for bringing the superfluid into rotation

  5. Development of Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscope Capability.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collins, Kimberlee Chiyoko [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Talin, Albert Alec [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Chandler, David W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Michael, Joseph R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Modern semiconductor devices rely on the transport of minority charge carriers. Direct examination of minority carrier lifetimes in real devices with nanometer-scale features requires a measurement method with simultaneously high spatial and temporal resolutions. Achieving nanometer spatial resolutions at sub-nanosecond temporal resolution is possible with pump-probe methods that utilize electrons as probes. Recently, a stroboscopic scanning electron microscope was developed at Caltech, and used to study carrier transport across a Si p-n junction [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] . In this report, we detail our development of a prototype scanning ultrafast electron microscope system at Sandia National Laboratories based on the original Caltech design. This effort represents Sandia's first exploration into ultrafast electron microscopy.

  6. Fractional Diffusion, Low Exponent Lévy Stable Laws, and 'Slow Motion' Denoising of Helium Ion Microscope Nanoscale Imagery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carasso, Alfred S; Vladár, András E

    2012-01-01

    Helium ion microscopes (HIM) are capable of acquiring images with better than 1 nm resolution, and HIM images are particularly rich in morphological surface details. However, such images are generally quite noisy. A major challenge is to denoise these images while preserving delicate surface information. This paper presents a powerful slow motion denoising technique, based on solving linear fractional diffusion equations forward in time. The method is easily implemented computationally, using fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms. When applied to actual HIM images, the method is found to reproduce the essential surface morphology of the sample with high fidelity. In contrast, such highly sophisticated methodologies as Curvelet Transform denoising, and Total Variation denoising using split Bregman iterations, are found to eliminate vital fine scale information, along with the noise. Image Lipschitz exponents are a useful image metrology tool for quantifying the fine structure content in an image. In this paper, this tool is applied to rank order the above three distinct denoising approaches, in terms of their texture preserving properties. In several denoising experiments on actual HIM images, it was found that fractional diffusion smoothing performed noticeably better than split Bregman TV, which in turn, performed slightly better than Curvelet denoising.

  7. Improved Scanners for Microscopic Hyperspectral Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Chengye

    2009-01-01

    Improved scanners to be incorporated into hyperspectral microscope-based imaging systems have been invented. Heretofore, in microscopic imaging, including spectral imaging, it has been customary to either move the specimen relative to the optical assembly that includes the microscope or else move the entire assembly relative to the specimen. It becomes extremely difficult to control such scanning when submicron translation increments are required, because the high magnification of the microscope enlarges all movements in the specimen image on the focal plane. To overcome this difficulty, in a system based on this invention, no attempt would be made to move either the specimen or the optical assembly. Instead, an objective lens would be moved within the assembly so as to cause translation of the image at the focal plane: the effect would be equivalent to scanning in the focal plane. The upper part of the figure depicts a generic proposed microscope-based hyperspectral imaging system incorporating the invention. The optical assembly of this system would include an objective lens (normally, a microscope objective lens) and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera. The objective lens would be mounted on a servomotor-driven translation stage, which would be capable of moving the lens in precisely controlled increments, relative to the camera, parallel to the focal-plane scan axis. The output of the CCD camera would be digitized and fed to a frame grabber in a computer. The computer would store the frame-grabber output for subsequent viewing and/or processing of images. The computer would contain a position-control interface board, through which it would control the servomotor. There are several versions of the invention. An essential feature common to all versions is that the stationary optical subassembly containing the camera would also contain a spatial window, at the focal plane of the objective lens, that would pass only a selected portion of the image. In one version

  8. Development of confocal laser microscope system for examination of microscopic characteristics of radiophotoluminescence glass dosemeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maki, D.; Ishii, T.; Sato, F.; Kato, Y.; Yamamoto, T.; Iida, T.

    2011-01-01

    A confocal laser microscope system was developed for the measurement of radiophotoluminescence (RPL) photons emitted from a minute alpha-ray-irradiated area in an RPL glass dosemeter. The system was composed mainly of an inverted-type microscope, an ultraviolet laser, an XY movable stage and photon-counting circuits. The photon-counting circuits were effective in the reduction of the background noise level in the measurement of RPL photons. The performance of this microscope system was examined by the observation of standard RPL glass samples irradiated using 241 Am alpha rays. The spatial resolution of this system was ∼3 μm, and with regard to the sensitivity of this system, a hit of more than four to five alpha rays in unit area produced enough amount of RPL photons to construct the image. (authors)

  9. Development of confocal laser microscope system for examination of microscopic characteristics of radiophotoluminescence glass dosemeters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maki, Daisuke; Ishii, Tetsuya; Sato, Fuminobu; Kato, Yushi; Yamamoto, Takayoshi; Iida, Toshiyuki

    2011-03-01

    A confocal laser microscope system was developed for the measurement of radiophotoluminescence (RPL) photons emitted from a minute alpha-ray-irradiated area in an RPL glass dosemeter. The system was composed mainly of an inverted-type microscope, an ultraviolet laser, an XY movable stage and photon-counting circuits. The photon-counting circuits were effective in the reduction of the background noise level in the measurement of RPL photons. The performance of this microscope system was examined by the observation of standard RPL glass samples irradiated using (241)Am alpha rays. The spatial resolution of this system was ∼ 3 μm, and with regard to the sensitivity of this system, a hit of more than four to five alpha rays in unit area produced enough amount of RPL photons to construct the image.

  10. Influence of microscopic inhomogeneity on macroscopic transport current of Ag/Bi2223 tapes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogawa, Kazuhiro; Osamura, Kozo

    2004-01-01

    In Ag/Bi2223 tapes, inhomogeneities such as spatially distributed weak links or non-superconducting oxides are inevitably introduced because of the complicated manufacturing process and thermodynamic instability. In order to clarify the effect of the difference in such microscopic inhomogeneites on the macroscopic current transport properties, we carried out a numerical analysis. By changing volume fraction (V f ) of the Bi2223 phase and the shape of local distribution of critical current at each weak link, it is revealed that I-V characteristics are largely affected by the breadth of local distributions with different dependence on V f of Bi2223 and calculated results can be analyzed by Weibull distribution function with some parameters including the information of two-dimensional distribution

  11. Linking microscopic spatial patterns of tissue destruction in emphysema to macroscopic decline in stiffness using a 3D computational model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harikrishnan Parameswaran

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Pulmonary emphysema is a connective tissue disease characterized by the progressive destruction of alveolar walls leading to airspace enlargement and decreased elastic recoil of the lung. However, the relationship between microscopic tissue structure and decline in stiffness of the lung is not well understood. In this study, we developed a 3D computational model of lung tissue in which a pre-strained cuboidal block of tissue was represented by a tessellation of space filling polyhedra, with each polyhedral unit-cell representing an alveolus. Destruction of alveolar walls was mimicked by eliminating faces that separate two polyhedral either randomly or in a spatially correlated manner, in which the highest force bearing walls were removed at each step. Simulations were carried out to establish a link between the geometries that emerged and the rate of decline in bulk modulus of the tissue block. The spatially correlated process set up by the force-based destruction lead to a significantly faster rate of decline in bulk modulus accompanied by highly heterogeneous structures than the random destruction pattern. Using the Karhunen-Loève transformation, an estimator of the change in bulk modulus from the first four moments of airspace cell volumes was setup. Simulations were then obtained for tissue destruction with different idealized alveolar geometry, levels of pre-strain, linear and nonlinear elasticity assumptions for alveolar walls and also mixed destruction patterns where both random and force-based destruction occurs simultaneously. In all these cases, the change in bulk modulus from cell volumes was accurately estimated. We conclude that microscopic structural changes in emphysema and the associated decline in tissue stiffness are linked by the spatial pattern of the destruction process.

  12. Dynamics of size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in a monsoonal estuary: Patterns and drivers for seasonal and spatial variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaneesh, K. M.; Mitbavkar, Smita; Anil, Arga Chandrashekar

    2018-07-01

    Phytoplankton size-fractionated biomass is an important determinant of the type of food web functioning in aquatic ecosystems. Knowledge about the effect of seasonal salinity gradient on the size-fractionated biomass dynamics is still lacking, especially in tropical estuaries experiencing monsoon. The phytoplankton size-fractionated chlorophyll a biomass (>3 μm and 3 μm size-fraction was the major contributor to the total phytoplankton chlorophyll a biomass with the ephemeral dominance of biomass concentration of both size-fractions showed signs of recovery with increasing salinity downstream towards the end of the monsoon season. In contrast, the chlorophyll a biomass response was size-dependent during the non-monsoon seasons with the sporadic dominance (>50%) of biomass during high water temperature episodes from downstream to middle estuary during pre-monsoon and at low salinity and high nutrient conditions upstream during post-monsoon. These conditions also influenced the picophytoplankton community structure with picoeukaryotes dominating during the pre-monsoon, phycoerythrin containing Synechococcus during the monsoon and phycocyanin containing Synechococcus during the post-monsoon. This study highlights switching over of dominance in size-fractionated phytoplankton chlorophyll a biomass at intra, inter-seasonal and spatial scales which will likely govern the estuarine trophodynamics.

  13. The optics of microscope image formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, David E

    2013-01-01

    Although geometric optics gives a good understanding of how the microscope works, it fails in one critical area, which is explaining the origin of microscope resolution. To accomplish this, one must consider the microscope from the viewpoint of physical optics. This chapter describes the theory of the microscope-relating resolution to the highest spatial frequency that a microscope can collect. The chapter illustrates how Huygens' principle or construction can be used to explain the propagation of a plane wave. It is shown that this limit increases with increasing numerical aperture (NA). As a corollary to this, resolution increases with decreasing wavelength because of how NA depends on wavelength. The resolution is higher for blue light than red light. Resolution is dependent on contrast, and the higher the contrast, the higher the resolution. This last point relates to issues of signal-to-noise and dynamic range. The use of video and new digital cameras has necessitated redefining classical limits such as those of Rayleigh's criterion. Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A data-driven alternative to the fractional Fokker–Planck equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pressé, Steve

    2015-01-01

    Anomalous diffusion processes are ubiquitous in biology and arise in the transport of proteins, vesicles and other particles. Such anomalously diffusive behavior is attributed to a number of factors within the cell including heterogeneous environments, active transport processes and local trapping/binding. There are a number of microscopic principles—such as power law jump size and/or waiting time distributions—from which the fractional Fokker–Planck equation (FFPE) can be derived and used to provide mechanistic insight into the origins of anomalous diffusion. On the other hand, it is fair to ask if other microscopic principles could also have given rise to the evolution of an observed density profile that appears to be well fit by an FFPE. Here we discuss another possible mechanistic alternative that can give rise to densities like those generated by FFPEs. Rather than to fit a density (or concentration profile) using a solution to the spatial FFPE, we reconstruct the profile generated by an FFPE using a regular FPE with a spatial and time-dependent force. We focus on the special case of the spatial FFPE for superdiffusive processes. This special case is relevant to, for example, active transport in a biological context. We devise a prescription for extracting such forces on synthetically generated data and provide an interpretation to the forces extracted. In particular, the time-dependence of forces could tell us about ATP depletion or changes in the cell's metabolic activity. Modeling anomalous behavior with normal diffusion driven by these effective forces yields an alternative mechanistic picture that, ultimately, could help motivate future experiments. (paper)

  15. Interferometric and optical tests of water window imaging x ray microscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, R. Barry

    1993-01-01

    Interferometric tests of Schwarzchild X-ray Microscope are performed to evaluate the optical properties and alignment of the components. Photographic measurements of the spatial resolution, focal properties, and vignetting characteristics of the prototype Water Window Imaging X-ray Microscope are made and analyzed.

  16. Estimating the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdinejadiani, Behrouz

    2017-08-01

    This study represents the first attempt to estimate the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm. The numerical studies as well as the experimental studies were performed to certify the integrity of Bees Algorithm. The experimental ones were conducted in a sandbox for homogeneous and heterogeneous soils. A detailed comparative study was carried out between the results obtained from Bees Algorithm and those from Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN routines in FracFit toolbox. The results indicated that, in general, the Bees Algorithm much more accurately appraised the sFADE parameters in comparison with Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN, especially in the heterogeneous soil and for α values near to 1 in the numerical study. Also, the results obtained from Bees Algorithm were more reliable than those from Genetic Algorithm. The Bees Algorithm showed the relative similar performances for all cases, while the Genetic Algorithm and the LSQNONLIN yielded different performances for various cases. The performance of LSQNONLIN strongly depends on the initial guess values so that, compared to the Genetic Algorithm, it can more accurately estimate the sFADE parameters by taking into consideration the suitable initial guess values. To sum up, the Bees Algorithm was found to be very simple, robust and accurate approach to estimate the transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Estimating the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdinejadiani, Behrouz

    2017-08-01

    This study represents the first attempt to estimate the solute transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation using Bees Algorithm. The numerical studies as well as the experimental studies were performed to certify the integrity of Bees Algorithm. The experimental ones were conducted in a sandbox for homogeneous and heterogeneous soils. A detailed comparative study was carried out between the results obtained from Bees Algorithm and those from Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN routines in FracFit toolbox. The results indicated that, in general, the Bees Algorithm much more accurately appraised the sFADE parameters in comparison with Genetic Algorithm and LSQNONLIN, especially in the heterogeneous soil and for α values near to 1 in the numerical study. Also, the results obtained from Bees Algorithm were more reliable than those from Genetic Algorithm. The Bees Algorithm showed the relative similar performances for all cases, while the Genetic Algorithm and the LSQNONLIN yielded different performances for various cases. The performance of LSQNONLIN strongly depends on the initial guess values so that, compared to the Genetic Algorithm, it can more accurately estimate the sFADE parameters by taking into consideration the suitable initial guess values. To sum up, the Bees Algorithm was found to be very simple, robust and accurate approach to estimate the transport parameters of the spatial fractional advection-dispersion equation.

  18. Dark-field scanning confocal microscope for vertical particle tracks in nuclear emulsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Astakhov, A.Ya.; Batusov, Yu.A.; Soroko, L.M.; Tereshchenko, S.V.; Tereshchenko, V.V.

    1999-01-01

    The principle of the DArk-FIeld Scanning CONfocal (DAFISCON) microscope for selective observation of the vertical particle tracks in nuclear emulsion is described. The construction of the DAFISCON microscope, built on the basis of the 2D measurement microscope, is described. The results of the experimental testing of the DAFISCON microscope, accomplished at high density of the vertical particle tracks, are presented. The 2D plot and the 1D plot of the CCD dark-field image are given. The spatial resolution of our microscope can be increased by using the objective with higher aperture

  19. Characterization of a synthetic single crystal diamond detector for dosimetry in spatially fractionated synchrotron x-ray fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Livingstone, Jayde, E-mail: Jayde.Livingstone@synchrotron.org.au; Häusermann, Daniel [Imaging and Medical Beamline, Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia); Stevenson, Andrew W. [Imaging and Medical Beamline, Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia and CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton South, Victoria 3169 (Australia); Butler, Duncan J. [Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Yallambie, Victoria 3085 (Australia); Adam, Jean-François [Equipe d’accueil Rayonnement Synchrotron et Recherche Médicale, Université Grenoble Alpes, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - ID17, Grenoble 38043, France and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, Grenoble 38043 (France)

    2016-07-15

    Purpose: Modern radiotherapy modalities often use small or nonstandard fields to ensure highly localized and precise dose delivery, challenging conventional clinical dosimetry protocols. The emergence of preclinical spatially fractionated synchrotron radiotherapies with high dose-rate, sub-millimetric parallel kilovoltage x-ray beams, has pushed clinical dosimetry to its limit. A commercially available synthetic single crystal diamond detector designed for small field dosimetry has been characterized to assess its potential as a dosimeter for synchrotron microbeam and minibeam radiotherapy. Methods: Experiments were carried out using a synthetic diamond detector on the imaging and medical beamline (IMBL) at the Australian Synchrotron. The energy dependence of the detector was characterized by cross-referencing with a calibrated ionization chamber in monoenergetic beams in the energy range 30–120 keV. The dose-rate dependence was measured in the range 1–700 Gy/s. Dosimetric quantities were measured in filtered white beams, with a weighted mean energy of 95 keV, in broadbeam and spatially fractionated geometries, and compared to reference dosimeters. Results: The detector exhibits an energy dependence; however, beam quality correction factors (k{sub Q}) have been measured for energies in the range 30–120 keV. The k{sub Q} factor for the weighted mean energy of the IMBL radiotherapy spectrum, 95 keV, is 1.05 ± 0.09. The detector response is independent of dose-rate in the range 1–700 Gy/s. The percentage depth dose curves measured by the diamond detector were compared to ionization chambers and agreed to within 2%. Profile measurements of microbeam and minibeam arrays were performed. The beams are well resolved and the full width at halfmaximum agrees with the nominal width of the beams. The peak to valley dose ratio (PVDR) calculated from the profiles at various depths in water agrees within experimental error with PVDR calculations from Gafchromic film data

  20. Development of a Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope with a large visual field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kodama, R.; Ikeda, N.; Kato, Y.

    1995-01-01

    The authors have developed an advanced Kirkpatrick-Baez (AKB) microscope to diagnose a laser-produced-plasma. The AKB microscope optics are two pairs of hyperbolical and elliptical cylindrical-mirrors to avoid a spherical aberration and field obliquity. Ray trace calculation was applied to optimize the characterization. The microscope has attained a spatial resolution of less than 3 mm at 2.5-keV x-ray in the field of 800 mm from experiments

  1. Micrometer-scale magnetic imaging of geological samples using a quantum diamond microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glenn, D. R.; Fu, R. R.; Kehayias, P.; Le Sage, D.; Lima, E. A.; Weiss, B. P.; Walsworth, R. L.

    2017-08-01

    Remanent magnetization in geological samples may record the past intensity and direction of planetary magnetic fields. Traditionally, this magnetization is analyzed through measurements of the net magnetic moment of bulk millimeter to centimeter sized samples. However, geological samples are often mineralogically and texturally heterogeneous at submillimeter scales, with only a fraction of the ferromagnetic grains carrying the remanent magnetization of interest. Therefore, characterizing this magnetization in such cases requires a technique capable of imaging magnetic fields at fine spatial scales and with high sensitivity. To address this challenge, we developed a new instrument, based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, which enables direct imaging of magnetic fields due to both remanent and induced magnetization, as well as optical imaging, of room-temperature geological samples with spatial resolution approaching the optical diffraction limit. We describe the operating principles of this device, which we call the quantum diamond microscope (QDM), and report its optimized image-area-normalized magnetic field sensitivity (20 µTṡµm/Hz1/2), spatial resolution (5 µm), and field of view (4 mm), as well as trade-offs between these parameters. We also perform an absolute magnetic field calibration for the device in different modes of operation, including three-axis (vector) and single-axis (projective) magnetic field imaging. Finally, we use the QDM to obtain magnetic images of several terrestrial and meteoritic rock samples, demonstrating its ability to resolve spatially distinct populations of ferromagnetic carriers.

  2. Optical microscope for three-dimensional surface displacement and shape measurements at the microscale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Shuman; Pan, Zhipeng; Zhang, Jingwen

    2014-07-15

    We report a novel optical microscope for full-field, noncontact measurements of three-dimensional (3D) surface deformation and topography at the microscale. The microscope system is based on a seamless integration of the diffraction-assisted image correlation (DAIC) method with fluorescent microscopy. We experimentally demonstrate the microscope's capability for 3D measurements with submicrometer spatial resolution and subpixel measurement accuracy.

  3. Design of an imaging microscope for soft X-ray applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoover, Richard B.; Shealy, David L.; Gabardi, David R.; Walker, Arthur B. C., Jr.; Lindblom, Joakim F.

    1988-01-01

    An imaging soft X-ray microscope with a spatial resolution of 0.1 micron and normal incidence multilayer optics is discussed. The microscope has a Schwarzschild configuration, which consists of two concentric spherical mirrors with radii of curvature which minimize third-order spherical aberration, coma, and astigmatism. The performance of the Stanford/MSFC Cassegrain X-ray telescope and its relevance to the present microscope are addressed. A ray tracing analysis of the optical system indicates that diffraction-limited performance can be expected for an object height of 0.2 mm.

  4. A compact scanning soft X-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trail, J.A.

    1989-01-01

    Soft x-ray microscopes operating at wavelengths between 2.3 nm and 4.4 nm are capable of imaging wet biological cells with a resolution many times that of a visible light microscope. Several such soft x-ray microscopes have been constructed. However, with the exception of contact microscopes, all use synchrotrons as the source of soft x-ray radiation and Fresnel zone plates as the focusing optics. These synchrotron based microscopes are very successful but have the disadvantage of limited access. This dissertation reviews the construction and performance of a compact scanning soft x-ray microscope whose size and accessibility is comparable to that of an electron microscope. The microscope uses a high-brightness laser-produced plasma as the soft x-ray source and normal incidence multilayer-coated mirrors in a Schwarzschild configuration as the focusing optics. The microscope operates at a wavelength of 14 nm, has a spatial resolution of 0.5 μm, and has a soft x-ray photon flux through the focus of 10 4 -10 5 s -1 when operated with only 170 mW of average laser power. The complete system, including the laser, fits on a single 4' x 8' optical table. The significant components of the compact microscope are the laser-produced plasma (LPP) source, the multilayer coatings, and the Schwarzschild objective. These components are reviewed, both with regard to their particular use in the current microscope and with regard to extending the microscope performance to higher resolution, higher speed, and operation at shorter wavelengths. Measurements of soft x-ray emission and debris emission from our present LPP source are presented and considerations given for an optimal LPP source. The LPP source was also used as a broadband soft x-ray source for measurement of normal incidence multilayer mirror reflectance in the 10-25 nm spectral region

  5. Vehicle type affects filling of fractional laser-ablated channels imaged by optical coherence tomography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Uffe Høgh; Mogensen, Mette; Haedersdal, Merete

    2017-01-01

    Ablative fractional laser (AFXL) is an emerging method that enhances topical drug delivery. Penetrating the skin in microscopic, vertical channels, termed microscopic treatment zones (MTZs), the fractional technique circumvents the skin barrier and allows increased uptake of topically applied dru...... was overall greater for more superficial MTZs. In conclusion, vehicle type affects filling of MTZs, which may be of importance for AFXL-assisted drug delivery....

  6. Evaluation of a completely robotized neurosurgical operating microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantelhardt, Sven R; Finke, Markus; Schweikard, Achim; Giese, Alf

    2013-01-01

    Operating microscopes are essential for most neurosurgical procedures. Modern robot-assisted controls offer new possibilities, combining the advantages of conventional and automated systems. We evaluated the prototype of a completely robotized operating microscope with an integrated optical coherence tomography module. A standard operating microscope was fitted with motors and control instruments, with the manual control mode and balance preserved. In the robot mode, the microscope was steered by a remote control that could be fixed to a surgical instrument. External encoders and accelerometers tracked microscope movements. The microscope was additionally fitted with an optical coherence tomography-scanning module. The robotized microscope was tested on model systems. It could be freely positioned, without forcing the surgeon to take the hands from the instruments or avert the eyes from the oculars. Positioning error was about 1 mm, and vibration faded in 1 second. Tracking of microscope movements, combined with an autofocus function, allowed determination of the focus position within the 3-dimensional space. This constituted a second loop of navigation independent from conventional infrared reflector-based techniques. In the robot mode, automated optical coherence tomography scanning of large surface areas was feasible. The prototype of a robotized optical coherence tomography-integrated operating microscope combines the advantages of a conventional manually controlled operating microscope with a remote-controlled positioning aid and a self-navigating microscope system that performs automated positioning tasks such as surface scans. This demonstrates that, in the future, operating microscopes may be used to acquire intraoperative spatial data, volume changes, and structural data of brain or brain tumor tissue.

  7. Real-space imaging of fractional quantum Hall liquids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayakawa, Junichiro; Muraki, Koji; Yusa, Go

    2013-01-01

    Electrons in semiconductors usually behave like a gas--as independent particles. However, when confined to two dimensions under a perpendicular magnetic field at low temperatures, they condense into an incompressible quantum liquid. This phenomenon, known as the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effect, is a quantum-mechanical manifestation of the macroscopic behaviour of correlated electrons that arises when the Landau-level filling factor is a rational fraction. However, the diverse microscopic interactions responsible for its emergence have been hidden by its universality and macroscopic nature. Here, we report real-space imaging of FQH liquids, achieved with polarization-sensitive scanning optical microscopy using trions (charged excitons) as a local probe for electron spin polarization. When the FQH ground state is spin-polarized, the triplet/singlet intensity map exhibits a spatial pattern that mirrors the intrinsic disorder potential, which is interpreted as a mapping of compressible and incompressible electron liquids. In contrast, when FQH ground states with different spin polarization coexist, domain structures with spontaneous quasi-long-range order emerge, which can be reproduced remarkably well from the disorder patterns using a two-dimensional random-field Ising model. Our results constitute the first reported real-space observation of quantum liquids in a class of broken symmetry state known as the quantum Hall ferromagnet.

  8. Progress in x-ray microanalysis in the analytical electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, D.B.

    1987-01-01

    Analytical electron microscopes (AEM) consisting of x-ray energy dispersive spectrometers (EDS) interfaced to scanning transmission electron microscopes have been available for more than a decade. During that time, progress towards reaching the fundamental limits of the technique has been slow. The progress of x-ray microanalysis in AEM is examined in terms of x-ray detector technology; the EDS/AEM interface; accuracy of microanalysis; and spatial resolution and detectability limits. X-ray microanalysis in the AEM has substantial room for improvement in terms of the interface between the detector and the microscope. Advances in microscope design and software should permit 10nm resolution with detectability limits approaching 0.01wt percent. 16 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  9. Scanning differential polarization microscope: Its use to image linear and circular differential scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mickols, W.; Maestre, M.F.

    1988-01-01

    A differential polarization microscope that couples the sensitivity of single-beam measurement of circular dichroism and circular differential scattering with the simultaneous measurement of linear dichroism and linear differential scattering has been developed. The microscope uses a scanning microscope stage and single-point illumination to give the very shallow depth of field found in confocal microscopy. This microscope can operate in the confocal mode as well as in the near confocal condition that can allow one to program the coherence and spatial resolution of the microscope. This microscope has been used to study the change in the structure of chromatin during the development of sperm in Drosophila

  10. Hartmann characterization of the PEEM-3 aberration-corrected X-ray photoemission electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholl, A; Marcus, M A; Doran, A; Nasiatka, J R; Young, A T; MacDowell, A A; Streubel, R; Kent, N; Feng, J; Wan, W; Padmore, H A

    2018-05-01

    Aberration correction by an electron mirror dramatically improves the spatial resolution and transmission of photoemission electron microscopes. We will review the performance of the recently installed aberration corrector of the X-ray Photoemission Electron Microscope PEEM-3 and show a large improvement in the efficiency of the electron optics. Hartmann testing is introduced as a quantitative method to measure the geometrical aberrations of a cathode lens electron microscope. We find that aberration correction leads to an order of magnitude reduction of the spherical aberrations, suggesting that a spatial resolution of below 100 nm is possible at 100% transmission of the optics when using x-rays. We demonstrate this improved performance by imaging test patterns employing element and magnetic contrast. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. First images from the Stanford tabletop scanning soft x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trail, J.A.; Byer, R.L.

    1988-01-01

    The authors have constructed a scanning soft x-ray microscope which uses a laser-produced plasma as the soft x-ray source and normal incidence multilayer coated mirrors in a Schwarzschild configuration as the focusing optics. The microscope operates at a wavelength of 140 angstrom, has a spatial resolution of 0.5 μm, and has a soft x-ray photon flux through the focus of 10 4 s -1 when operated with only 170 mW of average laser power. The microscope is compact; the complete system, including the laser, fits on a single optical table. In this paper they describe the microscope and present images of metallic microstructures

  12. Enhancing the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Noy; Yang, Samuel; Andalman, Aaron; Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Deisseroth, Karl; Horowitz, Mark; Levoy, Marc

    2014-10-06

    Light field microscopy has been proposed as a new high-speed volumetric computational imaging method that enables reconstruction of 3-D volumes from captured projections of the 4-D light field. Recently, a detailed physical optics model of the light field microscope has been derived, which led to the development of a deconvolution algorithm that reconstructs 3-D volumes with high spatial resolution. However, the spatial resolution of the reconstructions has been shown to be non-uniform across depth, with some z planes showing high resolution and others, particularly at the center of the imaged volume, showing very low resolution. In this paper, we enhance the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding techniques. By including phase masks in the optical path of the microscope we are able to address this non-uniform resolution limitation. We have also found that superior control over the performance of the light field microscope can be achieved by using two phase masks rather than one, placed at the objective's back focal plane and at the microscope's native image plane. We present an extended optical model for our wavefront coded light field microscope and develop a performance metric based on Fisher information, which we use to choose adequate phase masks parameters. We validate our approach using both simulated data and experimental resolution measurements of a USAF 1951 resolution target; and demonstrate the utility for biological applications with in vivo volumetric calcium imaging of larval zebrafish brain.

  13. A comparison of macro- and microscopic measurements of plutonium in contaminated soil from the republic of the Marshall Islands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, S.L.; Graham, J.C.; Borchert, A.

    1995-01-01

    Plutonium contaminated soil from the Republic of the Marshall Islands has been studied to determine then spatial and volume characteristics of contamination on two scales: in macroscopic masses, i.e., gram sized samples, and in microscopic masses, i.e., 10's of μgrams to 1 mg. Three measures of volumetric homogeneity calculated from alpha track measurements on a plastic track detector (CR-39) are presented to quantitatively assess microspatial or micro volumetric variations. Data on the homogeneity of transuranic radioactivity is presented for four different particle size fractions of soil and in macro- and micro volumes. The nuclear track measurement technique is contrasted with radiochemistry/alpha spectrometry. (author). 11 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  14. Polynomial expansion methodology for microscopic cross sections to use in spatial burnup calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conti Filho, P.; Oliveira Barroso, A.C. de

    1985-01-01

    It was developed a computer code to generate polynomial coefficients which represent homogenized microscopic cross sections in function of the local accumulated burnup and concentration of soluble boron, presented in fuel element, for each step of burnup reactor. Afterward, it was developed a coupling between LEOPARD-GERADOR DE POLINOMIOS - CITATION computer codes to interpret and build homogenized microscopic cross sections according with local characteristics of each fuel element during the burnup calculation of reactor core. (M.C.K.) [pt

  15. Photon event distribution sampling: an image formation technique for scanning microscopes that permits tracking of sub-diffraction particles with high spatial and temporal resolutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larkin, J D; Publicover, N G; Sutko, J L

    2011-01-01

    In photon event distribution sampling, an image formation technique for scanning microscopes, the maximum likelihood position of origin of each detected photon is acquired as a data set rather than binning photons in pixels. Subsequently, an intensity-related probability density function describing the uncertainty associated with the photon position measurement is applied to each position and individual photon intensity distributions are summed to form an image. Compared to pixel-based images, photon event distribution sampling images exhibit increased signal-to-noise and comparable spatial resolution. Photon event distribution sampling is superior to pixel-based image formation in recognizing the presence of structured (non-random) photon distributions at low photon counts and permits use of non-raster scanning patterns. A photon event distribution sampling based method for localizing single particles derived from a multi-variate normal distribution is more precise than statistical (Gaussian) fitting to pixel-based images. Using the multi-variate normal distribution method, non-raster scanning and a typical confocal microscope, localizations with 8 nm precision were achieved at 10 ms sampling rates with acquisition of ~200 photons per frame. Single nanometre precision was obtained with a greater number of photons per frame. In summary, photon event distribution sampling provides an efficient way to form images when low numbers of photons are involved and permits particle tracking with confocal point-scanning microscopes with nanometre precision deep within specimens. © 2010 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2010 The Royal Microscopical Society.

  16. Fractional diffusion models of transport in magnetically confined plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castillo-Negrete, D. del; Carreras, B. A.; Lynch, V. E.

    2005-01-01

    Experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that transport in magnetically confined fusion plasmas deviates from the standard diffusion paradigm. Some examples include the confinement time scaling in L-mode plasmas, rapid pulse propagation phenomena, and inward transport in off-axis fueling experiments. The limitations of the diffusion paradigm can be traced back to the restrictive assumptions in which it is based. In particular, Fick's law, one of the cornerstones of diffusive transport, assumes that the fluxes only depend on local quantities, i. e. the spatial gradient of the field (s). another key issue is the Markovian assumption that neglects memory effects. Also, at a microscopic level, standard diffusion assumes and underlying Gaussian, uncorrelated stochastic process (i. e. a Brownian random walk) with well defined characteristic spatio-temporal scales. Motivated by the need to develop models of non-diffusive transport, we discuss here a class of transport models base on the use of fractional derivative operators. The models incorporates in a unified way non-Fickian transport, non-Markovian processes or memory effects, and non-diffusive scaling. At a microscopic level, the models describe an underlying stochastic process without characteristic spatio-temporal scales that generalizes the Brownian random walk. As a concrete case study to motivate and test the model, we consider transport of tracers in three-dimensional, pressure-gradient-driven turbulence. We show that in this system transport is non-diffusive and cannot be described in the context of the standard diffusion parading. In particular, the probability density function (pdf) of the radial displacements of tracers is strongly non-Gaussian with algebraic decaying tails, and the moments of the tracer displacements exhibit super-diffusive scaling. there is quantitative agreement between the turbulence transport calculations and the proposed fractional diffusion model. In particular, the model

  17. Field-portable pixel super-resolution colour microscope.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alon Greenbaum

    Full Text Available Based on partially-coherent digital in-line holography, we report a field-portable microscope that can render lensfree colour images over a wide field-of-view of e.g., >20 mm(2. This computational holographic microscope weighs less than 145 grams with dimensions smaller than 17×6×5 cm, making it especially suitable for field settings and point-of-care use. In this lensfree imaging design, we merged a colorization algorithm with a source shifting based multi-height pixel super-resolution technique to mitigate 'rainbow' like colour artefacts that are typical in holographic imaging. This image processing scheme is based on transforming the colour components of an RGB image into YUV colour space, which separates colour information from brightness component of an image. The resolution of our super-resolution colour microscope was characterized using a USAF test chart to confirm sub-micron spatial resolution, even for reconstructions that employ multi-height phase recovery to handle dense and connected objects. To further demonstrate the performance of this colour microscope Papanicolaou (Pap smears were also successfully imaged. This field-portable and wide-field computational colour microscope could be useful for tele-medicine applications in resource poor settings.

  18. Dosimetric characteristics with spatial fractionation using electron grid therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meigooni, A S; Parker, S A; Zheng, J; Kalbaugh, K J; Regine, W F; Mohiuddin, M

    2002-01-01

    Recently, promising clinical results have been shown in the delivery of palliative treatments using megavoltage photon grid therapy. However, the use of megavoltage photon grid therapy is limited in the treatment of bulky superficial lesions where critical radiosensitive anatomical structures are present beyond tumor volumes. As a result, spatially fractionated electron grid therapy was investigated in this project. Dose distributions of 1.4-cm-thick cerrobend grid blocks were experimentally determined for electron beams ranging from 6 to 20 MeV. These blocks were designed and fabricated at out institution to fit into a 20 x 20-cm(2) electron cone of a commercially available linear accelerator. Beam profiles and percentage depth dose (PDD) curves were measured in Solid Water phantom material using radiographic film, LiF TLD, and ionometric techniques. Open-field PDD curves were compared with those of single holes grid with diameters of 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 cm to find the optimum diameter. A 2.5-cm hole diameter was found to be the optimal size for all electron energies between 6 and 20 MeV. The results indicate peak-to-valley ratios decrease with depth and the largest ratio is found at Dmax. Also, the TLD measurements show that the dose under the blocked regions of the grid ranged from 9.7% to 39% of the dose beneath the grid holes, depending on the measurement location and beam energy.

  19. Design of a normal incidence multilayer imaging X-ray microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shealy, David L.; Gabardi, David R.; Hoover, Richard B.; Walker, Arthur B. C., Jr.; Lindblom, Joakim F.

    Normal incidence multilayer Cassegrain X-ray telescopes were flown on the Stanford/MSFC Rocket X-ray Spectroheliograph. These instruments produced high spatial resolution images of the sun and conclusively demonstrated that doubly reflecting multilayer X-ray optical systems are feasible. The images indicated that aplanatic imaging soft X-ray/EUV microscopes should be achievable using multilayer optics technology. A doubly reflecting normal incidence multilayer imaging X-ray microscope based on the Schwarzschild configuration has been designed. The design of the microscope and the results of the optical system ray trace analysis are discussed. High resolution aplanatic imaging X-ray microscopes using normal incidence multilayer X-ray mirrors should have many important applications in advanced X-ray astronomical instrumentation, X-ray lithography, biological, biomedical, metallurgical, and laser fusion research.

  20. Improvement in spatial frequency characteristics of magneto-optical Kerr microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogasawara, Takeshi

    2017-10-01

    The spatial resolution of a conventional magneto-optical Kerr microscope, compared with those of conventional optical microscopes, inevitably deteriorates owing to oblique illumination. An approach to obtaining the maximum spatial resolution using multiple images with different illumination directions is demonstrated here. The method was implemented by rotating the illumination path around the optical axis using a motorized stage. The Fourier transform image of the observed magnetic domain indicates that the spatial frequency component that is lost in the conventional method is restored.

  1. Performance assessment of the single photon emission microscope: high spatial resolution SPECT imaging of small animal organs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mejia, J.; Reis, M.A.; Miranda, A.C.C.; Batista, I.R.; Barboza, M.R.F.; Shih, M.C.; Fu, G.; Chen, C.T.; Meng, L.J.; Bressan, R.A.; Amaro, E. Jr

    2013-01-01

    The single photon emission microscope (SPEM) is an instrument developed to obtain high spatial resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images of small structures inside the mouse brain. SPEM consists of two independent imaging devices, which combine a multipinhole collimator, a high-resolution, thallium-doped cesium iodide [CsI(Tl)] columnar scintillator, a demagnifying/intensifier tube, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupling device (CCD). Collimators have 300- and 450-µm diameter pinholes on tungsten slabs, in hexagonal arrays of 19 and 7 holes. Projection data are acquired in a photon-counting strategy, where CCD frames are stored at 50 frames per second, with a radius of rotation of 35 mm and magnification factor of one. The image reconstruction software tool is based on the maximum likelihood algorithm. Our aim was to evaluate the spatial resolution and sensitivity attainable with the seven-pinhole imaging device, together with the linearity for quantification on the tomographic images, and to test the instrument in obtaining tomographic images of different mouse organs. A spatial resolution better than 500 µm and a sensitivity of 21.6 counts·s -1 ·MBq -1 were reached, as well as a correlation coefficient between activity and intensity better than 0.99, when imaging 99m Tc sources. Images of the thyroid, heart, lungs, and bones of mice were registered using 99m Tc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals in times appropriate for routine preclinical experimentation of <1 h per projection data set. Detailed experimental protocols and images of the aforementioned organs are shown. We plan to extend the instrument's field of view to fix larger animals and to combine data from both detectors to reduce the acquisition time or applied activity

  2. Performance assessment of the single photon emission microscope: high spatial resolution SPECT imaging of small animal organs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mejia, J. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Reis, M.A. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências Clínicas, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Miranda, A.C.C. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Batista, I.R. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências Clínicas, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Barboza, M.R.F.; Shih, M.C. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Fu, G. [GE Global Research, Schenectady, NY (United States); Chen, C.T. [Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States); Meng, L.J. [Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); Bressan, R.A. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências Clínicas, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Amaro, E. Jr [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Instituto do Cérebro, São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-11-06

    The single photon emission microscope (SPEM) is an instrument developed to obtain high spatial resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images of small structures inside the mouse brain. SPEM consists of two independent imaging devices, which combine a multipinhole collimator, a high-resolution, thallium-doped cesium iodide [CsI(Tl)] columnar scintillator, a demagnifying/intensifier tube, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupling device (CCD). Collimators have 300- and 450-µm diameter pinholes on tungsten slabs, in hexagonal arrays of 19 and 7 holes. Projection data are acquired in a photon-counting strategy, where CCD frames are stored at 50 frames per second, with a radius of rotation of 35 mm and magnification factor of one. The image reconstruction software tool is based on the maximum likelihood algorithm. Our aim was to evaluate the spatial resolution and sensitivity attainable with the seven-pinhole imaging device, together with the linearity for quantification on the tomographic images, and to test the instrument in obtaining tomographic images of different mouse organs. A spatial resolution better than 500 µm and a sensitivity of 21.6 counts·s{sup -1}·MBq{sup -1} were reached, as well as a correlation coefficient between activity and intensity better than 0.99, when imaging {sup 99m}Tc sources. Images of the thyroid, heart, lungs, and bones of mice were registered using {sup 99m}Tc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals in times appropriate for routine preclinical experimentation of <1 h per projection data set. Detailed experimental protocols and images of the aforementioned organs are shown. We plan to extend the instrument's field of view to fix larger animals and to combine data from both detectors to reduce the acquisition time or applied activity.

  3. Performance assessment of the single photon emission microscope: high spatial resolution SPECT imaging of small animal organs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mejia

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The single photon emission microscope (SPEM is an instrument developed to obtain high spatial resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT images of small structures inside the mouse brain. SPEM consists of two independent imaging devices, which combine a multipinhole collimator, a high-resolution, thallium-doped cesium iodide [CsI(Tl] columnar scintillator, a demagnifying/intensifier tube, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupling device (CCD. Collimators have 300- and 450-µm diameter pinholes on tungsten slabs, in hexagonal arrays of 19 and 7 holes. Projection data are acquired in a photon-counting strategy, where CCD frames are stored at 50 frames per second, with a radius of rotation of 35 mm and magnification factor of one. The image reconstruction software tool is based on the maximum likelihood algorithm. Our aim was to evaluate the spatial resolution and sensitivity attainable with the seven-pinhole imaging device, together with the linearity for quantification on the tomographic images, and to test the instrument in obtaining tomographic images of different mouse organs. A spatial resolution better than 500 µm and a sensitivity of 21.6 counts·s-1·MBq-1 were reached, as well as a correlation coefficient between activity and intensity better than 0.99, when imaging 99mTc sources. Images of the thyroid, heart, lungs, and bones of mice were registered using 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals in times appropriate for routine preclinical experimentation of <1 h per projection data set. Detailed experimental protocols and images of the aforementioned organs are shown. We plan to extend the instrument's field of view to fix larger animals and to combine data from both detectors to reduce the acquisition time or applied activity.

  4. Apertureless near-field/far-field CW two-photon microscope for biological and material imaging and spectroscopic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowak, Derek B; Lawrence, A J; Sánchez, Erik J

    2010-12-10

    We present the development of a versatile spectroscopic imaging tool to allow for imaging with single-molecule sensitivity and high spatial resolution. The microscope allows for near-field and subdiffraction-limited far-field imaging by integrating a shear-force microscope on top of a custom inverted microscope design. The instrument has the ability to image in ambient conditions with optical resolutions on the order of tens of nanometers in the near field. A single low-cost computer controls the microscope with a field programmable gate array data acquisition card. High spatial resolution imaging is achieved with an inexpensive CW multiphoton excitation source, using an apertureless probe and simplified optical pathways. The high-resolution, combined with high collection efficiency and single-molecule sensitive optical capabilities of the microscope, are demonstrated with a low-cost CW laser source as well as a mode-locked laser source.

  5. Three-Dimensional Orientation Mapping in the Transmission Electron Microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Haihua; Schmidt, Søren; Poulsen, Henning Friis

    2011-01-01

    resolution of 200 nanometers (nm). We describe here a nondestructive technique that enables 3D orientation mapping in the transmission electron microscope of mono- and multiphase nanocrystalline materials with a spatial resolution reaching 1 nm. We demonstrate the technique by an experimental study...

  6. Fermion fractionization and index theorem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirayama, Minoru; Torii, Tatsuo

    1982-01-01

    The relation between the fermion fractionization and the Callias-Bott-Seeley index theorem for the Dirac operator in the open space of odd dimension is clarified. Only the case of one spatial dimension is discussed in detail. Sum rules for the expectation values of various quantities in fermion-fractionized configurations are derived. (author)

  7. Image processing for HTS SQUID probe microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, T.; Koetitz, R.; Itozaki, H.; Ishikawa, T.; Kawabe, U.

    2005-01-01

    An HTS SQUID probe microscope has been developed using a high-permeability needle to enable high spatial resolution measurement of samples in air even at room temperature. Image processing techniques have also been developed to improve the magnetic field images obtained from the microscope. Artifacts in the data occur due to electromagnetic interference from electric power lines, line drift and flux trapping. The electromagnetic interference could successfully be removed by eliminating the noise peaks from the power spectrum of fast Fourier transforms of line scans of the image. The drift between lines was removed by interpolating the mean field value of each scan line. Artifacts in line scans occurring due to flux trapping or unexpected noise were removed by the detection of a sharp drift and interpolation using the line data of neighboring lines. Highly detailed magnetic field images were obtained from the HTS SQUID probe microscope by the application of these image processing techniques

  8. Virtual pinhole confocal microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George, J.S.; Rector, D.M.; Ranken, D.M. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Biophysics Group; Peterson, B. [SciLearn Inc. (United States); Kesteron, J. [VayTech Inc. (United States)

    1999-06-01

    Scanned confocal microscopes enhance imaging capabilities, providing improved contrast and image resolution in 3-D, but existing systems have significant technical shortcomings and are expensive. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a novel approach--virtual pinhole confocal microscopy--that uses state of the art illumination, detection, and data processing technologies to produce an imager with a number of advantages: reduced cost, faster imaging, improved efficiency and sensitivity, improved reliability and much greater flexibility. Work at Los Alamos demonstrated proof of principle; prototype hardware and software have been used to demonstrate technical feasibility of several implementation strategies. The system uses high performance illumination, patterned in time and space. The authors have built functional confocal imagers using video display technologies (LCD or DLP) and novel scanner based on a micro-lens array. They have developed a prototype system for high performance data acquisition and processing, designed to support realtime confocal imaging. They have developed algorithms to reconstruct confocal images from a time series of spatially sub-sampled images; software development remains an area of active development. These advances allow the collection of high quality confocal images (in fluorescence, reflectance and transmission modes) with equipment that can inexpensively retrofit to existing microscopes. Planned future extensions to these technologies will significantly enhance capabilities for microscopic imaging in a variety of applications, including confocal endoscopy, and confocal spectral imaging.

  9. An interchangeable scanning Hall probe/scanning SQUID microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Chiu-Chun; Lin, Hui-Ting; Wu, Sing-Lin; Chen, Tse-Jun; Wang, M. J.; Ling, D. C.; Chi, C. C.; Chen, Jeng-Chung

    2014-01-01

    We have constructed a scanning probe microscope for magnetic imaging, which can function as a scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) and as a scanning SQUID microscope (SSM). The scanning scheme, applicable to SHPM and SSM, consists of a mechanical positioning (sub) micron-XY stage and a flexible direct contact to the sample without a feedback control system for the Z-axis. With the interchangeable capability of operating two distinct scanning modes, our microscope can incorporate the advantageous functionalities of the SHPM and SSM with large scan range up to millimeter, high spatial resolution (⩽4 μm), and high field sensitivity in a wide range of temperature (4.2 K-300 K) and magnetic field (10 −7 T-1 T). To demonstrate the capabilities of the system, we present magnetic images scanned with SHPM and SSM, including a RbFeB magnet and a nickel grid pattern at room temperature, surface magnetic domain structures of a La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 thin film at 77 K, and superconducting vortices in a striped niobium film at 4.2 K

  10. TU-H-BRC-07: Therapeutic Benefit in Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy (GRID) Using Helical Tomotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narayanasamy, G; Zhang, X; Paudel, N; Morrill, S; Maraboyina, S; Peacock, L; Penagaricano, J; Meigooni, A; Liang, X

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this project is to study the therapeutic ratio (TR) for helical Tomotherapy (HT) based spatially fractionated radiotherapy (GRID). Estimation of TR was based on the linear-quadratic cell survival model by comparing the normal cell survival in a HT GRID to that of a uniform dose delivery in an open-field for the same tumor survival. Methods: HT GRID plan was generated using a patient specific virtual GRID block pattern of non-divergent, cylinder shaped holes using MLCs. TR was defined as the ratio of normal tissue surviving fraction (SF) under HT GRID irradiation to an open field irradiation with an equivalent dose that result in the same tumor cell SF. The ratio was estimated from DVH data on ten patient plans with deep seated, bulky tumor approved by the treating radiation oncologist. Dependence of the TR values on radio-sensitivity of the tumor cells and prescription dose were also analyzed. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of TR was 4.0±0.7 (range: 3.1 to 5.5) for the 10 patients with single fraction dose of 20 Gy and tumor cell SF of 0.5 at 2 Gy. In addition, mean±SD of TR = 1±0.1 and 18.0±5.1 were found for tumor with SF of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively. Reducing the prescription dose to 15 and 10 Gy lowered the TR to 2.0±0.2 and 1.2±0.04 for a tumor cell SF of 0.5 at 2 Gy. In this study, the SF of normal cells was assumed to be 0.5 at 2 Gy. Conclusion: HT GRID displayed a significant therapeutic advantage over uniform dose from an open field irradiation. TR increases with the radioresistance of the tumor cells and with prescription dose.

  11. Nonlinear Hybridization of the Fundamental Eigenmodes of Microscopic Ferromagnetic Ellipses

    OpenAIRE

    Demidov, V. E.; Buchmeier, M.; Rott, Karsten; Krzysteczko, Patryk; Münchenberger, Jana; Reiss, Günter; Demokritov, S. O.

    2010-01-01

    We have studied experimentally with high spatial resolution the nonlinear eigenmodes of microscopic Permalloy elliptical elements. We show that the nonlinearity affects the frequencies of the edge and the center modes in an essentially different way. This leads to repulsion of corresponding resonances and to nonlinear mode hybridization resulting in qualitative modifications of the spatial characteristics of the modes. We find that the nonlinear counterparts of the edge and the center modes s...

  12. Effective-field-theory model for the fractional quantum Hall effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, S.C.; Hansson, T.H.; Kivelson, S.

    1989-01-01

    Starting directly from the microscopic Hamiltonian, we derive a field-theory model for the fractional quantum hall effect. By considering an approximate coarse-grained version of the same model, we construct a Landau-Ginzburg theory similar to that of Girvin. The partition function of the model exhibits cusps as a function of density and the Hall conductance is quantized at filling factors ν = (2k-1)/sup -1/ with k an arbitrary integer. At these fractions the ground state is incompressible, and the quasiparticles and quasiholes have fractional charge and obey fractional statistics. Finally, we show that the collective density fluctuations are massive

  13. 21 CFR 884.6190 - Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope... Devices § 884.6190 Assisted reproductive microscopes and microscope accessories. (a) Identification. Assisted reproduction microscopes and microscope accessories (excluding microscope stage warmers, which are...

  14. Microscopic View of Defect Evolution in Thermal Treated AlGaInAs Quantum Well Revealed by Spatially Resolved Cathodoluminescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Song

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available An aluminum gallium indium arsenic (AlGaInAs material system is indispensable as the active layer of diode lasers emitting at 1310 or 1550 nm, which are used in optical fiber communications. However, the course of the high-temperature instability of a quantum well structure, which is closely related to the diffusion of indium atoms, is still not clear due to the system’s complexity. The diffusion process of indium atoms was simulated by thermal treatment, and the changes in the optical and structural properties of an AlGaInAs quantum well are investigated in this paper. Compressive strained Al0.07Ga0.22In0.71As quantum wells were treated at 170 °C with different heat durations. A significant decrement of photoluminescence decay time was observed on the quantum well of a sample that was annealed after 4 h. The microscopic cathodoluminescent (CL spectra of these quantum wells were measured by scanning electron microscope-cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL. The thermal treatment effect on quantum wells was characterized via CL emission peak wavelength and energy density distribution, which were obtained by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence. The defect area was clearly observed in the Al0.07Ga0.22In0.71As quantum wells layer after thermal treatment. CL emissions from the defect core have higher emission energy than those from the defect-free regions. The defect core distribution, which was associated with indium segregation gradient distribution, showed asymmetric character.

  15. Impact of Martensite Spatial Distribution on Quasi-Static and Dynamic Deformation Behavior of Dual-Phase Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Manpreet; Das, Anindya; Venugopalan, T.; Mukherjee, Krishnendu; Walunj, Mahesh; Nanda, Tarun; Kumar, B. Ravi

    2018-02-01

    The effects of microstructure parameters of dual-phase steels on tensile high strain dynamic deformation characteristic were examined in this study. Cold-rolled steel sheets were annealed using three different annealing process parameters to obtain three different dual-phase microstructures of varied ferrite and martensite phase fraction. The volume fraction of martensite obtained in two of the steels was near identical ( 19 pct) with a subtle difference in its spatial distribution. In the first microstructure variant, martensite was mostly found to be situated at ferrite grain boundaries and in the second variant, in addition to at grain boundaries, in-grain martensite was also observed. The third microstructure was very different from the above two with respect to martensite volume fraction ( 67 pct) and its morphology. In this case, martensite packets were surrounded by a three-dimensional ferrite network giving an appearance of core and shell type microstructure. All the three steels were tensile deformed at strain rates ranging from 2.7 × 10-4 (quasi-static) to 650 s-1 (dynamic range). Field-emission scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the starting as well as post-tensile deformed microstructures. Dual-phase steel consisting of small martensite volume fraction ( 19 pct), irrespective of its spatial distribution, demonstrated high strain rate sensitivity and on the other hand, steel with large martensite volume fraction ( 67 pct) displayed a very little strain rate sensitivity. Interestingly, total elongation was found to increase with increasing strain rate in the dynamic regime for steel with core-shell type of microstructure containing large martensite volume fraction. The observed enhancement in plasticity in dynamic regime was attributed to adiabatic heating of specimen. To understand the evolving damage mechanism, the fracture surface and the vicinity of fracture ends were studied in all the three dual-phase steels.

  16. Microscopic prediction of speech intelligibility in spatially distributed speech-shaped noise for normal-hearing listeners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geravanchizadeh, Masoud; Fallah, Ali

    2015-12-01

    A binaural and psychoacoustically motivated intelligibility model, based on a well-known monaural microscopic model is proposed. This model simulates a phoneme recognition task in the presence of spatially distributed speech-shaped noise in anechoic scenarios. In the proposed model, binaural advantage effects are considered by generating a feature vector for a dynamic-time-warping speech recognizer. This vector consists of three subvectors incorporating two monaural subvectors to model the better-ear hearing, and a binaural subvector to simulate the binaural unmasking effect. The binaural unit of the model is based on equalization-cancellation theory. This model operates blindly, which means separate recordings of speech and noise are not required for the predictions. Speech intelligibility tests were conducted with 12 normal hearing listeners by collecting speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in the presence of single and multiple sources of speech-shaped noise. The comparison of the model predictions with the measured binaural SRTs, and with the predictions of a macroscopic binaural model called extended equalization-cancellation, shows that this approach predicts the intelligibility in anechoic scenarios with good precision. The square of the correlation coefficient (r(2)) and the mean-absolute error between the model predictions and the measurements are 0.98 and 0.62 dB, respectively.

  17. Fractional Stochastic Field Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honkonen, Juha

    2018-02-01

    Models describing evolution of physical, chemical, biological, social and financial processes are often formulated as differential equations with the understanding that they are large-scale equations for averages of quantities describing intrinsically random processes. Explicit account of randomness may lead to significant changes in the asymptotic behaviour (anomalous scaling) in such models especially in low spatial dimensions, which in many cases may be captured with the use of the renormalization group. Anomalous scaling and memory effects may also be introduced with the use of fractional derivatives and fractional noise. Construction of renormalized stochastic field theory with fractional derivatives and fractional noise in the underlying stochastic differential equations and master equations and the interplay between fluctuation-induced and built-in anomalous scaling behaviour is reviewed and discussed.

  18. Designs for a quantum electron microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kruit, P., E-mail: p.kruit@tudelft.nl [Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628CJ Delft (Netherlands); Hobbs, R.G.; Kim, C-S.; Yang, Y.; Manfrinato, V.R. [Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Hammer, J.; Thomas, S.; Weber, P. [Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstrasse 1, d-91058 Erlangen (Germany); Klopfer, B.; Kohstall, C.; Juffmann, T.; Kasevich, M.A. [Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Hommelhoff, P. [Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstrasse 1, d-91058 Erlangen (Germany); Berggren, K.K. [Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    One of the astounding consequences of quantum mechanics is that it allows the detection of a target using an incident probe, with only a low probability of interaction of the probe and the target. This ‘quantum weirdness’ could be applied in the field of electron microscopy to generate images of beam-sensitive specimens with substantially reduced damage to the specimen. A reduction of beam-induced damage to specimens is especially of great importance if it can enable imaging of biological specimens with atomic resolution. Following a recent suggestion that interaction-free measurements are possible with electrons, we now analyze the difficulties of actually building an atomic resolution interaction-free electron microscope, or “quantum electron microscope”. A quantum electron microscope would require a number of unique components not found in conventional transmission electron microscopes. These components include a coherent electron beam-splitter or two-state-coupler, and a resonator structure to allow each electron to interrogate the specimen multiple times, thus supporting high success probabilities for interaction-free detection of the specimen. Different system designs are presented here, which are based on four different choices of two-state-couplers: a thin crystal, a grating mirror, a standing light wave and an electro-dynamical pseudopotential. Challenges for the detailed electron optical design are identified as future directions for development. While it is concluded that it should be possible to build an atomic resolution quantum electron microscope, we have also identified a number of hurdles to the development of such a microscope and further theoretical investigations that will be required to enable a complete interpretation of the images produced by such a microscope. - Highlights: • Quantum electron microscopy has the potential of reducing radiation damage. • QEM requires a fraction of the electron wave to pass through the sample

  19. Designs for a quantum electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruit, P.; Hobbs, R.G.; Kim, C-S.; Yang, Y.; Manfrinato, V.R.; Hammer, J.; Thomas, S.; Weber, P.; Klopfer, B.; Kohstall, C.; Juffmann, T.; Kasevich, M.A.; Hommelhoff, P.; Berggren, K.K.

    2016-01-01

    One of the astounding consequences of quantum mechanics is that it allows the detection of a target using an incident probe, with only a low probability of interaction of the probe and the target. This ‘quantum weirdness’ could be applied in the field of electron microscopy to generate images of beam-sensitive specimens with substantially reduced damage to the specimen. A reduction of beam-induced damage to specimens is especially of great importance if it can enable imaging of biological specimens with atomic resolution. Following a recent suggestion that interaction-free measurements are possible with electrons, we now analyze the difficulties of actually building an atomic resolution interaction-free electron microscope, or “quantum electron microscope”. A quantum electron microscope would require a number of unique components not found in conventional transmission electron microscopes. These components include a coherent electron beam-splitter or two-state-coupler, and a resonator structure to allow each electron to interrogate the specimen multiple times, thus supporting high success probabilities for interaction-free detection of the specimen. Different system designs are presented here, which are based on four different choices of two-state-couplers: a thin crystal, a grating mirror, a standing light wave and an electro-dynamical pseudopotential. Challenges for the detailed electron optical design are identified as future directions for development. While it is concluded that it should be possible to build an atomic resolution quantum electron microscope, we have also identified a number of hurdles to the development of such a microscope and further theoretical investigations that will be required to enable a complete interpretation of the images produced by such a microscope. - Highlights: • Quantum electron microscopy has the potential of reducing radiation damage. • QEM requires a fraction of the electron wave to pass through the sample

  20. Spatial Distribution, Chemical Fraction and Fuzzy Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from the Honghu Lake, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Minsi; Zhang, Jingdong; Liu, Chaoyang; Qiu, Zhenzhen; Cai, Ying

    2018-01-01

    Spatial concentrations and chemical fractions of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) in 16 sampling sites from the Honghu Lake were investigated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and optimized BCR (the European Community Bureau of Reference) three-stage extraction procedure. Compared with the corresponding probable effect levels (PELs), adverse biological effects of the studied five sediment metals decreased in the sequence of Cr > Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values for Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in each sampling site were at un-contamination level, while the values for Cd varied from un-contamination level to moderate contamination level. Spatially, the enrichment degree of Cd in lower part of the South Lake, the west part of the North Lake and the outlet were higher than the other parts of Honghu Lake. For metal chemical fractions, the proportions of the acid-extractable fraction of five metal contents were in the descending order: Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr. Cd had the highest bioaccessibility. Being the above indexes focused always on heavy metals’ total content or chemical fraction in deterministic assessment system, which may confuse decision makers, the fuzzy comprehensive risk assessment method was established based on PEI (Potential ecological risk index), RAC (Risk assessment code) and fuzzy theory. Average comprehensive risks of heavy metals in sediments revealed the following orders: Cd (considerable risk) > Cu (moderate risk) > Zn (low risk) > Pb > Cr. Thus, Cd and Cu were determined as the pollutants of most concern. The central part of South Honghu Lake (S4, S5, S6, S9, S12 and S14), east part of the North Honghu Lake (S1) and outlet of outlet of the Honghu Lake (S10) were recommended as the priority control areas. Specifically, it is necessary to pay more attention to S1, S4, S5, S6, S9 and S16 when decision making for their calculated membership values (probabilities) of adjacent risk levels quite close. PMID:29373483

  1. An interchangeable scanning Hall probe/scanning SQUID microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Chiu-Chun; Lin, Hui-Ting; Wu, Sing-Lin [Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Chen, Tse-Jun; Wang, M. J. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Ling, D. C. [Department of Physics, Tamkang University, Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan (China); Chi, C. C.; Chen, Jeng-Chung [Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)

    2014-08-15

    We have constructed a scanning probe microscope for magnetic imaging, which can function as a scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) and as a scanning SQUID microscope (SSM). The scanning scheme, applicable to SHPM and SSM, consists of a mechanical positioning (sub) micron-XY stage and a flexible direct contact to the sample without a feedback control system for the Z-axis. With the interchangeable capability of operating two distinct scanning modes, our microscope can incorporate the advantageous functionalities of the SHPM and SSM with large scan range up to millimeter, high spatial resolution (⩽4 μm), and high field sensitivity in a wide range of temperature (4.2 K-300 K) and magnetic field (10{sup −7} T-1 T). To demonstrate the capabilities of the system, we present magnetic images scanned with SHPM and SSM, including a RbFeB magnet and a nickel grid pattern at room temperature, surface magnetic domain structures of a La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} thin film at 77 K, and superconducting vortices in a striped niobium film at 4.2 K.

  2. Focal depth measurement of scanning helium ion microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Hongxuan; Itoh, Hiroshi; Wang, Chunmei; Zhang, Han; Fujita, Daisuke

    2014-01-01

    When facing the challenges of critical dimension measurement of complicated nanostructures, such as of the three dimension integrated circuit, characterization of the focal depth of microscopes is important. In this Letter, we developed a method for characterizing the focal depth of a scanning helium ion microscope (HIM) by using an atomic force microscope tip characterizer (ATC). The ATC was tilted in a sample chamber at an angle to the scanning plan. Secondary electron images (SEIs) were obtained at different positions of the ATC. The edge resolution of the SEIs shows the nominal diameters of the helium ion beam at different focal levels. With this method, the nominal shapes of the helium ion beams were obtained with different apertures. Our results show that a small aperture is necessary to get a high spatial resolution and high depth of field images with HIM. This work provides a method for characterizing and improving the performance of HIM.

  3. Psycho-Spatial Disidentification and Class Fractions in a Study of Social Class and Identity in an Urban Post-Primary School Community in Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cahill, Kevin

    2018-01-01

    This paper draws on a three-year critical ethnography which interrogated intersections of social class, school and identity in an urban Irish community. The focus here is on the psycho-spatial disidentifications, inscriptions and class fractioning enacted throughout the school and community of Portown by a cohort of succeeding students from this…

  4. Characterization of microscopic deformation through two-point spatial correlation functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Guan-Rong; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yangyang; Chen, Wei-Ren

    2018-01-01

    The molecular rearrangements of most fluids under flow and deformation do not directly follow the macroscopic strain field. In this work, we describe a phenomenological method for characterizing such nonaffine deformation via the anisotropic pair distribution function (PDF). We demonstrate how the microscopic strain can be calculated in both simple shear and uniaxial extension, by perturbation expansion of anisotropic PDF in terms of real spherical harmonics. Our results, given in the real as well as the reciprocal space, can be applied in spectrum analysis of small-angle scattering experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of soft matter under flow.

  5. Characterization of microscopic deformation through two-point spatial correlation functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Guan-Rong; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yangyang; Chen, Wei-Ren

    2018-01-01

    The molecular rearrangements of most fluids under flow and deformation do not directly follow the macroscopic strain field. In this work, we describe a phenomenological method for characterizing such nonaffine deformation via the anisotropic pair distribution function (PDF). We demonstrate how the microscopic strain can be calculated in both simple shear and uniaxial extension, by perturbation expansion of anisotropic PDF in terms of real spherical harmonics. Our results, given in the real as well as the reciprocal space, can be applied in spectrum analysis of small-angle scattering experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of soft matter under flow.

  6. Measuring condensate fraction in superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chakravarty, Sudip; Kee, Hae-Young

    2000-01-01

    An analysis of off-diagonal long-range order in superconductors shows that the spin-spin correlation function is significantly influenced by the order if the order parameter is anisotropic on a microscopic scale. Thus, magnetic neutron scattering can provide a direct measurement of the condensate fraction of a superconductor. It is also argued that recent measurements in high-temperature superconductors come very close to achieving this goal. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  7. Nonlinear hybridization of the fundamental eigenmodes of microscopic ferromagnetic ellipses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demidov, V E; Buchmeier, M; Rott, K; Krzysteczko, P; Münchenberger, J; Reiss, G; Demokritov, S O

    2010-05-28

    We have studied experimentally with high spatial resolution the nonlinear eigenmodes of microscopic Permalloy elliptical elements. We show that the nonlinearity affects the frequencies of the edge and the center modes in an essentially different way. This leads to repulsion of corresponding resonances and to nonlinear mode hybridization resulting in qualitative modifications of the spatial characteristics of the modes. We find that the nonlinear counterparts of the edge and the center modes simultaneously exhibit features specific for both their linear analogues.

  8. Snow fraction products evaluation with Landsat-8/OLI data and its spatial scale effects over the Tibetan Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, L.

    2016-12-01

    Snow cover is one of important elements in the water supply of large populations, especially in those downstream from mountainous watershed. The cryosphere process in the Tibetan Plateau is paid much attention due to rapid change of snow amount and cover extent. Snow mapping from MODIS has been increased attention in the study of climate change and hydrology. But the lack of intensive validation of different snow mapping methods especially at Tibetan Plateau hinders its application. In this work, we examined three MODIS snow products, including standard MODIS fractional snow product (MOD10A1) (Kaufman et al., 2002; Salomonson & Appel, 2004, 2006), two other fractional snow product, MODSCAG (Painter et al., 2009) and MOD_MESMA (Shi, 2012). Both these two methods are based on spectral mixture analysis. The difference between MODISCAG and MOD_MESMA was the endmember selection. For MODSCAG product, snow spectral endmembers of varying grain size was obtained both from a radiative transfer model and spectra of vegetation, rock and soil collected in the field and laboratory. MOD_MESMA was obtained from automated endmember extraction method using linear spectral mixture analysis. Its endmembers are selected in each image to enhance the computational efficiency of MESMA (Multiple Endmember Spectral Analysis). Landsat-8 Operatinal Land Imager (OLI) data from 2013-2015 was used to evaluate the performance of these three snow fraction products in Tibetan Plateau. The effect of land cover types including forest, grass and bare soil was analyzed to evaluate three products. In addition, the effects of relatively flat surface in internal plateau and high mountain areas of Himalaya were also evaluated on the impact of these snow fraction products. From our comparison, MODSCAG and MOD10A1 overestimated snow cover, while MOD_MESMA underestimated snow cover. And RMSE of MOD_MESMA at each land cover type including forest, grass and mountain area decreased with the spatial resolution

  9. Interaction between fractional Josephson vortices in multi-gap superconductor tunnel junctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ju H.

    In a long Josephson junction (LJJ) with two-band superconductors, fractionalization of Josephson vortices (fluxons) can occur in the broken time reversal symmetry state when spatial phase textures (i-solitons) are excited. Excitation of i-solitons in each superconductor layer of the junction, arising due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Josephson effect, leads to spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in fractional fluxons with large and small fraction of flux quantum. Similar to fluxons in one-band superconductor LJJ, these fractional fluxons are found to interact with each other. The interaction between large and small fractional fluxons determines the size of a fluxon which includes two (one large and one small) fractional fluxons. We discuss the nature of interaction between fractional fluxons and suggest that i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs may be probed by using magnetic flux measurements.

  10. A landmark-based method for the geometrical 3D calibration of scanning microscopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ritter, M.

    2007-04-27

    This thesis presents a new strategy and a spatial method for the geometric calibration of 3D measurement devices at the micro-range, based on spatial reference structures with nanometersized landmarks (nanomarkers). The new method was successfully applied for the 3D calibration of scanning probe microscopes (SPM) and confocal laser scanning microscopes (CLSM). Moreover, the spatial method was also used for the photogrammetric self-calibration of scanning electron microscopes (SEM). In order to implement the calibration strategy to all scanning microscopes used, the landmark-based principle of reference points often applied at land survey or at close-range applications has been transferred to the nano- and micro-range in the form of nanomarker. In order to function as a support to the nanomarkers, slope-shaped step pyramids have been developed and fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) induced metal deposition. These FIB produced 3D microstructures have been sized to embrace most of the measurement volume of the scanning microscopes. Additionally, their special design allows the homogenous distribution of the nanomarkers. The nanomarkers were applied onto the support and the plateaus of the slope-step pyramids by FIB etching (milling) as landmarks with as little as several hundreds of nanometers in diameter. The nanomarkers are either of point-, or ring-shaped design. They are optimized so that they can be spatially measured by SPM and CLSM, and, imaged and photogrammetrically analyzed on the basis of SEM data. The centre of the each nanomarker serves as reference point in the measurement data or images. By applying image processing routines, the image (2D) or object (3D) coordinates of each nanomarker has been determined with subpixel accuracy. The correlative analysis of the SPM, CLSM and photogrammetric SEM measurement data after 3D calibration resulted in mean residues in the measured coordinates of as little as 13 nm. Without the coupling factors the mean

  11. The XM-1 high resolution x-ray microscope at the ALS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer-Ilse, W.; Johnson, L.E.; Bates, W.; Lucero, A.; Anderson, E.H.; Denbeaux, G.

    2000-01-01

    The XM-1 x-ray microscope was built to obtain a high throughput of high-resolution transmission images with a wide variety of thick (< 10 micron) samples. Modeled after a 'conventional' full-field microscope, the XM-1 makes use of zone plates (ZP) for the condenser and objective elements. We present an overview of the recent activities at XM-1. Over the past year many enhancements have taken place such as the use of more efficient zone plates and the development of a cryogenic sample stage. Moreover, we have been developing the spectromicroscopy capabilities of the microscope to distinguish different element and chemical states within a sample while obtaining high spatial resolution images. We report on these and other advances. Additionally, the microscope has been actively used in many fields including biology, environmental and material science. Some of these recent achievements will be highlighted as well

  12. Red Blood Cell Count Automation Using Microscopic Hyperspectral Imaging Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qingli; Zhou, Mei; Liu, Hongying; Wang, Yiting; Guo, Fangmin

    2015-12-01

    Red blood cell counts have been proven to be one of the most frequently performed blood tests and are valuable for early diagnosis of some diseases. This paper describes an automated red blood cell counting method based on microscopic hyperspectral imaging technology. Unlike the light microscopy-based red blood count methods, a combined spatial and spectral algorithm is proposed to identify red blood cells by integrating active contour models and automated two-dimensional k-means with spectral angle mapper algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance than spatial based algorithm because the new algorithm can jointly use the spatial and spectral information of blood cells.

  13. Semianalytic Solution of Space-Time Fractional Diffusion Equation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Elsaid

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We study the space-time fractional diffusion equation with spatial Riesz-Feller fractional derivative and Caputo fractional time derivative. The continuation of the solution of this fractional equation to the solution of the corresponding integer order equation is proved. The series solution of this problem is obtained via the optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM. Numerical simulations are presented to validate the method and to show the effect of changing the fractional derivative parameters on the solution behavior.

  14. Development of full-field x-ray phase-tomographic microscope based on laboratory x-ray source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takano, H.; Wu, Y.; Momose, A.

    2017-09-01

    An X-ray phase tomographic microscope that can quantitatively measure the refractive index of a sample in three dimensions with a high spatial resolution was developed by installing a Lau interferometer consisting of an absorption grating and a π/2 phase grating into the optics of an X-ray microscope. The optics comprises a Cu rotating anode X-ray source, capillary condenser optics, and a Fresnel zone plate for the objective. The microscope has two optical modes: a large-field-of-view mode (field of view: 65 μm x 65 μm) and a high-resolution mode (spatial resolution: 50 nm). Optimizing the parameters of the interferometer yields a self-image of the phase grating with 60% visibility. Through the normal fringe-scanning measurement, a twin phase image, which has an overlap of two phase image of opposite contrast with a shear distance much larger than system resolution, is generated. Although artifacts remain to some extent currently when a phase image is calculated from the twin phase image, this system can obtain high-spatial-resolution images resolving 50-nm structures. Phase tomography with this system has also been demonstrated using a phase object.

  15. An Efficient Implicit FEM Scheme for Fractional-in-Space Reaction-Diffusion Equations

    KAUST Repository

    Burrage, Kevin

    2012-01-01

    Fractional differential equations are becoming increasingly used as a modelling tool for processes associated with anomalous diffusion or spatial heterogeneity. However, the presence of a fractional differential operator causes memory (time fractional) or nonlocality (space fractional) issues that impose a number of computational constraints. In this paper we develop efficient, scalable techniques for solving fractional-in-space reaction diffusion equations using the finite element method on both structured and unstructured grids via robust techniques for computing the fractional power of a matrix times a vector. Our approach is show-cased by solving the fractional Fisher and fractional Allen-Cahn reaction-diffusion equations in two and three spatial dimensions, and analyzing the speed of the traveling wave and size of the interface in terms of the fractional power of the underlying Laplacian operator. © 2012 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  16. Improvements in low-cost label-free QPI microscope for live cell imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seniya, C.; Towers, C. E.; Towers, D. P.

    2017-07-01

    This paper reports an improvement in the development of a low-cost QPI microscope offering new capabilities in term of phase measurement accuracy for label-free live samples in the longer term (i.e., hours to days). The spatially separated scattered and non-scattered image light fields are reshaped in the Fourier plane and modulated to form an interference image at a CCD camera. The apertures that enable these two beams to be generated have been optimised by means of laser-cut apertures placed on the mirrors of a Michelson interferometer and has improved the phase measuring and reconstruction capability of the QPI microscope. The microscope was tested with transparent onion cells as an object of interest.

  17. Plan for SQUID microscope at ASRC: Vision, purposes and the present status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadowaki, K.; Kakeya, I.; Suzuki, J.; Hata, Y.; Hojyo, K

    2001-01-01

    A new research plan to develop SQUID microscope and apply it to advanced science and technology research was started in the year of 2000 at the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) of JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute). This plan was made to develop 'research of ultrafine magnetic structures with magnetic microscope' and is scheduled to continue five years. Principle of SQUID magnetic microscope is to observe changes of magnetic field in microscopic space using SQUID element as the magnetic probe. At present this type of instrument is fabricated by Seiko Instruments Inc. in Japan and is commercially available. Therefore, this plan is being promoted in collaboration with Seiko Instruments Inc. One of the main issues of the present plan is to raise the spatial resolution to the extremity. As of magnetic microscopes, 'magnetic force microscope' and 'scanning Hall probe microscope' also exist. They have different characteristics of their own. The present plan needs challenging technical developments in various fields. Supposed the spatial resolution be made very high, for example, by making very fine SQUID loop with ultrafine processing, critical technologies like sensitivity, electronics, quantum size effect and so on are to be solved at the same time. Characteristics of the existing instrument are being examined from various aspects. At present, the following three issues are taken up and being studied. (1) High resolution and related technical developments. (2) High sensitivity. (3) High performance of cooling system. Among them, the high resolution is the most serious problem. Completely new design of the SQUID system may be needed. By using the existing instrument, magnetic fluxes trapped on YBCO films are observed and the image quality is being examined. Some of the issues which are considered to be taken up now are listed as follows. (1) Magnetic domain structures on thin film magnetic materials. (2) Observation of structures of Josephson magnetic

  18. Ultrafast supercontinuum fiber-laser based pump-probe scanning magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope for the investigation of electron spin dynamics in semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures with picosecond time and micrometer spatial resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henn, T; Kiessling, T; Ossau, W; Molenkamp, L W; Biermann, K; Santos, P V

    2013-12-01

    We describe a two-color pump-probe scanning magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope which we have developed to investigate electron spin phenomena in semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures with picosecond time and micrometer spatial resolution. The key innovation of our microscope is the usage of an ultrafast "white light" supercontinuum fiber-laser source which provides access to the whole visible and near-infrared spectral range. Our Kerr microscope allows for the independent selection of the excitation and detection energy while avoiding the necessity to synchronize the pulse trains of two separate picosecond laser systems. The ability to independently tune the pump and probe wavelength enables the investigation of the influence of excitation energy on the optically induced electron spin dynamics in semiconductors. We demonstrate picosecond real-space imaging of the diffusive expansion of optically excited electron spin packets in a (110) GaAs quantum well sample to illustrate the capabilities of the instrument.

  19. Ultrafast superresolution fluorescence imaging with spinning disk confocal microscope optics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Shinichi; Okada, Yasushi

    2015-05-01

    Most current superresolution (SR) microscope techniques surpass the diffraction limit at the expense of temporal resolution, compromising their applications to live-cell imaging. Here we describe a new SR fluorescence microscope based on confocal microscope optics, which we name the spinning disk superresolution microscope (SDSRM). Theoretically, the SDSRM is equivalent to a structured illumination microscope (SIM) and achieves a spatial resolution of 120 nm, double that of the diffraction limit of wide-field fluorescence microscopy. However, the SDSRM is 10 times faster than a conventional SIM because SR signals are recovered by optical demodulation through the stripe pattern of the disk. Therefore a single SR image requires only a single averaged image through the rotating disk. On the basis of this theory, we modified a commercial spinning disk confocal microscope. The improved resolution around 120 nm was confirmed with biological samples. The rapid dynamics of micro-tubules, mitochondria, lysosomes, and endosomes were observed with temporal resolutions of 30-100 frames/s. Because our method requires only small optical modifications, it will enable an easy upgrade from an existing spinning disk confocal to a SR microscope for live-cell imaging. © 2015 Hayashi and Okada. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  20. Line-scanning tomographic optical microscope with isotropic transfer function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gajdátsy, Gábor; Dudás, László; Erdélyi, Miklós; Szabó, Gábor

    2010-01-01

    An imaging method and optical system, referred to as a line-scanning tomographic optical microscope (LSTOM) using a combination of line-scanning technique and CT reconstruction principle, is proposed and studied theoretically and experimentally. In our implementation a narrow focus line is scanned over the sample and the reflected light is measured in a confocal arrangement. One such scan is equivalent to a transverse projection in tomography. Repeating the scanning procedure in several directions, a number of transverse projections are recorded from which the image can be obtained using conventional CT reconstruction algorithms. The resolution of the image is independent of the spatial dimensions and structure of the applied detector; furthermore, the transfer function of the system is isotropic. The imaging performance of the implemented confocal LSTOM was compared with a point-scanning confocal microscope, based on recorded images. These images demonstrate that the resolution of the confocal LSTOM exceeds (by 15%) the resolution limit of a point-scanning confocal microscope

  1. Determination of scattering structures from spatial coherence measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarubin, A M

    1996-03-01

    A new method of structure determination and microscopic imaging with short-wavelength radiations (charged particles, X-rays, neutrons), based on measurements of the modulus and the phase of the degree of spatial coherence of the scattered radiation, is developed. The underlying principle of the method--transfer of structural information about the scattering potential via spatial coherence of the secondary (scattering) source of radiation formed by this potential--is expressed by the generalization of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem to wave and particle scattering [A.M. Zarubin, Opt. Commun. 100 (1993) 491; Opt. Commun. 102 (1993) 543]. Shearing interferometric techniques are proposed for implementing the above measurements; the limits of spatial resolution attainable by reconstruction of the absolute square of a 3D scattering potential and its 2D projections from the measurements are analyzed. It is shown theoretically that 3D imaging with atomic resolution can be realized in a "synthetic aperture" electron or ion microscope and that a 3D resolution of about 6 nm can be obtained with a "synthetic aperture" X-ray microscope. A proof-of-principle optical experiment is presented.

  2. Soft x-ray spectro microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campuzano, J.C.; Jennings, G.; Beaulaigue, L.; Rodricks, B.G.; Brizard, C.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on the development of an x-ray photoelectron microscope that provides spatial as well as chemical information on the nature of the sample. Photons from the Aladdin Synchrotron at the Synchrotron Radiation Center in Stoughton, WI are monochromatized by an extended-range Grasshopper monochromator covering the range 40 to 1500 eV with energy resolution varying between 10 and 200 MeV. The monochromatized radiation generates photoelectrons in the sample, which are energy-analyzed with a resolving power E|ΔE > 5 x 10 4 and imaged by a multichannel plate array. The visible image is transferred to a computer by a virtual-phase charge-coupled device camera with a dynamic range of 4096:1. Preliminary coarse measurements indicate a spatial resolution of the instrument of better than 1μm, although a limit of 600 Angstrom is possible. The instrument provides chemical shift-resolved images of low-lying core levels in a variety of samples

  3. Spatio-temporal imaging of voltage pulses with an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jacob Riis; Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

    1997-01-01

    Measurements on an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope with simultaneous spatial and temporal resolution are presented. We show images of picosecond pulses propagating on a coplanar waveguide and resolve their mode structures. The influence of transmission line discontinuities on the mode...

  4. Under which conditions is quantum Brownian motion observable in a microscope?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helseth, L.E.

    2010-01-01

    We investigate under which conditions we can expect to observe quantum Brownian motion in a microscope. Using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we investigate quantum Brownian motion in an ohmic bath, and estimate temporal and spatial accuracy required to observe a crossover from classical to quantum behavior.

  5. A cryogenic scanning laser microscope for investigation of dynamical states in long Josephson junctions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Jesper; Mygind, Jesper

    1995-01-01

    on measurements on different oscillator samples, performed with a novel Cryogenic Scanning Laser Microscope (CSLM) having a spatial resolution of less than ±2.5 μm over a 500 μm×50 μm wide scanning area in the temperature range 2 K-300 K. Even though the dynamical states are extremely sensitive to external noise...... tunnel current is one of the most important internal junction parameters which together with the boundary conditions determine the dynamics, it is of vital importance to experimentally determine the current density throughout the entire junction with high spatial resolution. Here we report...... this microscope enables us to make stable in-situ measurements on operating Josephson junctions. Recent results are presented and discussed....

  6. Study of laser-imploded core plasmas with an advanced Kirkpatrick endash Baez x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kodama, R.; Shiraga, H.; Miyanaga, M.; Matsushita, T.; Nakai, M.; Azechi, H.; Mima, K.; Kato, Y.

    1997-01-01

    We developed an advanced Kirkpatrick endash Baez (AKB) x-ray microscope which consisted of two hyperbolic mirrors and two elliptic mirrors. The spatial resolution of approx-lt 3 μm was realized over ∼1 mm diam. This AKB microscope was used for x-ray imaging in laser fusion experiments. Laser absorption nonuniformity with a large wave number on a spherical solid target or a plane slab target was estimated by measurements of x-ray emission from the target surface with the microscope. The x-ray images of the imploded core plasmas were also obtained with the AKB microscope, changing the laser focus condition and the laser energy balance. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  7. Fourier spectral methods for fractional-in-space reaction-diffusion equations

    KAUST Repository

    Bueno-Orovio, Alfonso

    2014-04-01

    © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Fractional differential equations are becoming increasingly used as a powerful modelling approach for understanding the many aspects of nonlocality and spatial heterogeneity. However, the numerical approximation of these models is demanding and imposes a number of computational constraints. In this paper, we introduce Fourier spectral methods as an attractive and easy-to-code alternative for the integration of fractional-in-space reaction-diffusion equations described by the fractional Laplacian in bounded rectangular domains of ℝ. The main advantages of the proposed schemes is that they yield a fully diagonal representation of the fractional operator, with increased accuracy and efficiency when compared to low-order counterparts, and a completely straightforward extension to two and three spatial dimensions. Our approach is illustrated by solving several problems of practical interest, including the fractional Allen–Cahn, FitzHugh–Nagumo and Gray–Scott models, together with an analysis of the properties of these systems in terms of the fractional power of the underlying Laplacian operator.

  8. Bertrand's theorem and virial theorem in fractional classical mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Rui-Yan; Wang, Towe

    2017-09-01

    Fractional classical mechanics is the classical counterpart of fractional quantum mechanics. The central force problem in this theory is investigated. Bertrand's theorem is generalized, and virial theorem is revisited, both in three spatial dimensions. In order to produce stable, closed, non-circular orbits, the inverse-square law and the Hooke's law should be modified in fractional classical mechanics.

  9. Quantitative measurements with x-ray microscopes in laser-fusion experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshall, F.J.; Su, Q.

    1995-01-01

    X-ray imaging of laser-fusion target implosions has been performed on the University of Rochester's OMEGA laser system by means of grazing-incidence optical imaging with Kirkpatrick--Baez (KB) microscopes. High spatial resolution imaging (∼5 μm) of hard x-ray emission (up to ∼7 keV) has been achieved. New grazing-incidence optics are currently being fabricated for the OMEGA Upgrade experimental laser-fusion facility. Projected performance indicates that resolution may be increased to ∼2 μm at the center of the field of view and sensitivity extended to ∼8 keV. Uses of KB microscopes on the OMEGA Upgrade will include hard x-ray imaging, grating-dispersed imaged spectroscopy, and framed imaging. A novel technique for monochromatic imaging with KB microscopes has also been demonstrated enabling images of target emission in a narrow energy band (10 to 20 eV) to be obtained

  10. SU-F-T-513: Dosimetric Validation of Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy Using Gel Dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Papanikolaou, P; Watts, L; Kirby, N; Rasmussen, K; Gutierrez, A; Stathakis, S [University of Texas HSC SA, San Antonio, TX (United States); Pappas, E [National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Attiki (Greece); Kalaitzakis, G; Maris, T [University Of Crete, Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Pappas, E [Technological Educational Institute Of Athens, Athens, Attiki (Greece)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Spatially fractionated radiation therapy, also known as GRID therapy, is used to treat large solid tumors by irradiating the target to a single dose of 10–20Gy through spatially distributed beamlets. We have investigated the use of a 3D gel for dosimetric characterization of GRID therapy. Methods: GRID therapy is an external beam analog of volumetric brachytherapy, whereby we produce a distribution of hot and cold dose columns inside the tumor volume. Such distribution can be produced with a block or by using a checker-like pattern with MLC. We have studied both types of GRID delivery. A cube shaped acrylic phantom was filled with polymer gel and served as a 3D dosimeter. The phantom was scanned and the CT images were used to produce two plans in Pinnacle, one with the grid block and one with the MLC defined grid. A 6MV beam was used for the plan with a prescription of 1500cGy at dmax. The irradiated phantom was scanned in a 3T MRI scanner. Results: 3D dose maps were derived from the MR scans of the gel dosimeter and were found to be in good agreement with the predicted dose distribution from the RTP system. Gamma analysis showed a passing rate of 93% for 5% dose and 2mm DTA scoring criteria. Both relative and absolute dose profiles are in good agreement, except in the peripheral beamlets where the gel measured slightly higher dose, possibly because of the changing head scatter conditions that the RTP is not fully accounting for. Our results have also been benchmarked against ionization chamber measurements. Conclusion: We have investigated the use of a polymer gel for the 3D dosimetric characterization and evaluation of GRID therapy. Our results demonstrated that the planning system can predict fairly accurately the dose distribution for GRID type therapy.

  11. SU-F-T-513: Dosimetric Validation of Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy Using Gel Dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papanikolaou, P; Watts, L; Kirby, N; Rasmussen, K; Gutierrez, A; Stathakis, S; Pappas, E; Kalaitzakis, G; Maris, T; Pappas, E

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Spatially fractionated radiation therapy, also known as GRID therapy, is used to treat large solid tumors by irradiating the target to a single dose of 10–20Gy through spatially distributed beamlets. We have investigated the use of a 3D gel for dosimetric characterization of GRID therapy. Methods: GRID therapy is an external beam analog of volumetric brachytherapy, whereby we produce a distribution of hot and cold dose columns inside the tumor volume. Such distribution can be produced with a block or by using a checker-like pattern with MLC. We have studied both types of GRID delivery. A cube shaped acrylic phantom was filled with polymer gel and served as a 3D dosimeter. The phantom was scanned and the CT images were used to produce two plans in Pinnacle, one with the grid block and one with the MLC defined grid. A 6MV beam was used for the plan with a prescription of 1500cGy at dmax. The irradiated phantom was scanned in a 3T MRI scanner. Results: 3D dose maps were derived from the MR scans of the gel dosimeter and were found to be in good agreement with the predicted dose distribution from the RTP system. Gamma analysis showed a passing rate of 93% for 5% dose and 2mm DTA scoring criteria. Both relative and absolute dose profiles are in good agreement, except in the peripheral beamlets where the gel measured slightly higher dose, possibly because of the changing head scatter conditions that the RTP is not fully accounting for. Our results have also been benchmarked against ionization chamber measurements. Conclusion: We have investigated the use of a polymer gel for the 3D dosimetric characterization and evaluation of GRID therapy. Our results demonstrated that the planning system can predict fairly accurately the dose distribution for GRID type therapy.

  12. Fractional excitations in the square-lattice quantum antiferromagnet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Piazza, B. Dalla; Mourigal, M.; Christensen, Niels Bech

    2015-01-01

    -projected trial wavefunctions. The excitation continuum is accounted for by the existence of spatially extended pairs of fractional S=1/2 quasiparticles, 2D analogues of 1D spinons. Away from the anomalous wavevector, these fractional excitations are bound and form conventional magnons. Our results establish...... the existence of fractional quasiparticles in the high-energy spectrum of a quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet, even in the absence of frustration....

  13. Observations of a human hair shaft with an x-ray microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Youn, Hwa Shik [Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 31 San, Hyoja-dong, Pohang, KyungBuk, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Suk-Won [Nano Mechatronics Research Center, Korea Electronics Technology Institute, 455-6 Masan-ri, Jinwi-myon, Pyungtaek, Kyungki-do, 451-865 (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-11-21

    We observed the internal structures of a human hair shaft using x-ray microscopes with a spatial resolution in the range from a few microns to less than 100 nm. The energy of the x-ray used is 6.95 keV. The Zernike phase contrast together with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm enabled us to see the cuticles of scales, the cortex of macrofibrils and the medulla. All these internal features and more can easily be observed with no sample preparation including staining.

  14. Observations of a human hair shaft with an x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youn, Hwa Shik; Jung, Suk-Won

    2005-01-01

    We observed the internal structures of a human hair shaft using x-ray microscopes with a spatial resolution in the range from a few microns to less than 100 nm. The energy of the x-ray used is 6.95 keV. The Zernike phase contrast together with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm enabled us to see the cuticles of scales, the cortex of macrofibrils and the medulla. All these internal features and more can easily be observed with no sample preparation including staining

  15. Fractional nonablative laser resurfacing: is there a skin tightening effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kauvar, Arielle N B

    2014-12-01

    Fractional photothermolysis, an approach to laser skin resurfacing that creates microscopic thermal wounds in skin separated by islands of spared tissue, was developed to overcome the high incidence of adverse events and prolonged healing times associated with full coverage ablative laser procedures. To examine whether fractional nonablative laser resurfacing induces skin tightening. A literature review was performed to evaluate the clinical and histologic effects of fractional nonablative laser resurfacing and full coverage ablative resurfacing procedures. Fractional nonablative lasers produce excellent outcomes with minimal risk and morbidity for a variety of clinical conditions, including photodamaged skin, atrophic scars, surgical and burn scars. Efforts to induce robust fibroplasia in histologic specimens and skin tightening in the clinical setting have yielded inconsistent results. A better understanding of the histology of fractional laser resurfacing will help to optimize clinical outcomes.

  16. Transmission positron microscopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyama, Masao; Kogure, Yoshiaki; Inoue, Miyoshi; Kurihara, Toshikazu; Yoshiie, Toshimasa; Oshima, Ryuichiro; Matsuya, Miyuki

    2006-01-01

    Immediate and near-future plans for transmission positron microscopes being built at KEK, Tsukuba, Japan, are described. The characteristic feature of this project is remolding a commercial electron microscope to a positron microscope. A point source of electrons kept at a negative high voltage is changed to a point source of positrons kept at a high positive voltage. Positional resolution of transmission microscopes should be theoretically the same as electron microscopes. Positron microscopes utilizing trapping of positrons have always positional ambiguity due to the diffusion of positrons

  17. Culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction cells in different media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gesiane Ribeiro

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue - derived stromal vascular fraction cells in two different cell culture media. Five adult horses were submitted to bone marrow aspiration from the sternum, and then from the adipose tissue of the gluteal region near the base of the tail. Mononuclear fraction and stromal vascular fraction were isolated from the samples and cultivated in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum or in AIM-V medium. The cultures were observed once a week with an inverted microscope, to perform a qualitative analysis of the morphology of the cells as well as the general appearance of the cell culture. Colony-forming units (CFU were counted on days 5, 15 and 25 of cell culture. During the first week of culture, differences were observed between the samples from the same source maintained in different culture media. The number of colonies was significantly higher in samples of bone marrow in relation to samples of adipose tissue.

  18. Highly charged ion based time-of-flight emission microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamza, Alex V.; Barnes, Alan V.; Magee, Ed; Newman, Mike; Schenkel, Thomas; McDonald, Joseph W.; Schneider, Dieter H.

    2000-01-01

    An emission microscope using highly charged ions as the excitation source has been designed, constructed, and operated. A novel ''acorn'' objective lens has been used to simultaneously image electron and secondary ion emission. A resistive anode-position sensitive detector is used to determine the x-y position and time of arrival of the secondary events at the microscope image plane. Contrast in the image can be based on the intensity of the electron emission and/or the presence of particular secondary ions. Spatial resolution of better than 1 μm and mass resolution m/Δm of better than 400 were demonstrated. Background rejection from uncorrelated events of greater than an order of magnitude is also achieved. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

  19. Tissue imaging with a stigmatic mass microscope using laser desorption/ionization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awazu, Kunio; Hazama, Hisanao; Hamanaka, Tomonori; Aoki, Jun; Toyoda, Michisato; Naito, Yasuhide

    2012-03-01

    A novel stigmatic mass microscope using laser desorption/ionization and a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer, MULTUM-IMG, has been developed. Stigmatic ion images of crystal violet masked by a fine square mesh grid with a 12.7 μm pitch were clearly observed, and the estimated spatial resolution was about 3 μm in the linear mode with a 20-fold ion optical magnification. Tissue sections of a brain and eyes of a mouse stained with crystal violet and methylene blue were observed in the linear mode, and the stigmatic total ion images of crystal violet and methylene blue agreed well with the optical photomicrograph of the same sections. Especially, the fine structure in the cornea tissue was clearly observed with a spatial resolution in the range of micrometers. Although the total measurement time of the stigmatic ion image for the whole-eye section was about 59 minutes using a laser with a 10 Hz repetition rate, the measurement time could be reduced to about 35 s using a laser with a 1 kHz repetition rate and automation of measurements. The stigmatic mass microscope developed in this research should be suitable for high-spatial resolution and high-throughput imaging mass spectrometry for pathology, pharmacokinetics, and so on.

  20. Label-free cellular structure imaging with 82 nm lateral resolution using an electron-beam excitation-assisted optical microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuta, Masahiro; Masuda, Yuriko; Inami, Wataru; Kawata, Yoshimasa

    2016-07-25

    We present label-free and high spatial-resolution imaging for specific cellular structures using an electron-beam excitation-assisted optical microscope (EXA microscope). Images of the actin filament and mitochondria of stained HeLa cells, obtained by fluorescence and EXA microscopy, were compared to identify cellular structures. Based on these results, we demonstrated the feasibility of identifying label-free cellular structures at a spatial resolution of 82 nm. Using numerical analysis, we calculated the imaging depth region and determined the spot size of a cathodoluminescent (CL) light source to be 83 nm at the membrane surface.

  1. Midinfrared absorption measured at a lambda/400 resolution with an atomic force microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houel, Julien; Homeyer, Estelle; Sauvage, Sébastien; Boucaud, Philippe; Dazzi, Alexandre; Prazeres, Rui; Ortéga, Jean-Michel

    2009-06-22

    Midinfrared absorption can be locally measured using a detection combining an atomic force microscope and a pulsed excitation. This is illustrated for the midinfrared bulk GaAs phonon absorption and for the midinfrared absorption of thin SiO(2) microdisks. We show that the signal given by the cantilever oscillation amplitude of the atomic force microscope follows the spectral dependence of the bulk material absorption. The absorption spatial resolution achieved with microdisks is around 50 nanometer for an optical excitation around 22 micrometer wavelength.

  2. Ablative fractional laser alters biodistribution of ingenol mebutate in the skin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Erlendsson, A M; Taudorf, E H; Eriksson, A. H.

    2015-01-01

    Topically applied ingenol mebutate (IngMeb) is approved for field-treatment of actinic keratosis and is currently being investigated for treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Ablative fractional lasers (AFXLs) generate microscopic ablation zones (MAZs) in the skin, which may help induce...

  3. Ultrawidefield microscope for high-speed fluorescence imaging and targeted optogenetic stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werley, Christopher A; Chien, Miao-Ping; Cohen, Adam E

    2017-12-01

    The rapid increase in the number and quality of fluorescent reporters and optogenetic actuators has yielded a powerful set of tools for recording and controlling cellular state and function. To achieve the full benefit of these tools requires improved optical systems with high light collection efficiency, high spatial and temporal resolution, and patterned optical stimulation, in a wide field of view (FOV). Here we describe our 'Firefly' microscope, which achieves these goals in a Ø6 mm FOV. The Firefly optical system is optimized for simultaneous photostimulation and fluorescence imaging in cultured cells. All but one of the optical elements are commercially available, yet the microscope achieves 10-fold higher light collection efficiency at its design magnification than the comparable commercially available microscope using the same objective. The Firefly microscope enables all-optical electrophysiology ('Optopatch') in cultured neurons with a throughput and information content unmatched by other neuronal phenotyping systems. This capability opens possibilities in disease modeling and phenotypic drug screening. We also demonstrate applications of the system to voltage and calcium recordings in human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes.

  4. A Simple Metric for Determining Resolution in Optical, Ion, and Electron Microscope Images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtin, Alexandra E; Skinner, Ryan; Sanders, Aric W

    2015-06-01

    A resolution metric intended for resolution analysis of arbitrary spatially calibrated images is presented. By fitting a simple sigmoidal function to pixel intensities across slices of an image taken perpendicular to light-dark edges, the mean distance over which the light-dark transition occurs can be determined. A fixed multiple of this characteristic distance is then reported as the image resolution. The prefactor is determined by analysis of scanning transmission electron microscope high-angle annular dark field images of Si. This metric has been applied to optical, scanning electron microscope, and helium ion microscope images. This method provides quantitative feedback about image resolution, independent of the tool on which the data were collected. In addition, our analysis provides a nonarbitrary and self-consistent framework that any end user can utilize to evaluate the resolution of multiple microscopes from any vendor using the same metric.

  5. X-ray Fourier-transform holographic microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haddad, W.S.; Cullen, D.; Solem, J.C.; Boyer, K.; Rhodes, C.K.

    1988-01-01

    The properties of an x-ray Fourier-transform holographic instrument suitable for imaging hydrated biological samples are described. Recent advances in coherent x-ray source technology are making diffraction-limited holograms of microscopic structures, with corresponding high spatial resolution, a reality. A high priority application of snapshot x-ray holography is the study of microscopic biological structures in the hydrated living state. X-rays offer both high resolution and high contrast for important structures within living organisms, thereby rendering unnecessary the staining of specimens, essential for optical and electron microscopy. If the wavelength is properly chosen. Furthermore, the snapshot feature, arising from picosecond or subpicosecond exposure times, eliminates blurring occurring from either thermal heating or normal biological activity of the sample. Finally, with sufficiently high photon fluxes, such as those available from x-ray lasers, the x-ray snapshot can be accomplished with a single pulse, thereby yielding complete three-dimensional information on a sample having normal biological integrity at the moment of exposure. 10 refs., 6 figs

  6. Towards spatial assessment of carbon sequestration in peatlands: spectroscopy based estimation of fractional cover of three plant functional types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Schaepman-Strub

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Peatlands accumulated large carbon (C stocks as peat in historical times. Currently however, many peatlands are on the verge of becoming sources with their C sequestration function becoming sensitive to environmental changes such as increases in temperature, decreasing water table and enhanced nitrogen deposition. Long term changes in vegetation composition are both, a consequence and indicator of future changes in C sequestration. Spatial continuous accurate assessment of the vegetation composition is a current challenge in keeping a close watch on peatland vegetation changes. In this study we quantified the fractional cover of three major plant functional types (PFTs; Sphagnum mosses, graminoids, and ericoid shrubs in peatlands, using field spectroscopy reflectance measurements (400–2400 nm on 25 plots differing in PFT cover. The data was validated using point intercept methodology on the same plots. Our results showed that the detection of open Sphagnum versus Sphagnumcovered by vascular plants (shrubs and graminoids is feasible with an R2 of 0.81. On the other hand, the partitioning of the vascular plant fraction into shrubs and graminoids revealed lower correlations of R2 of 0.54 and 0.57, respectively. This study was based on a dataset where the reflectance of all main PFTs and their pure components within the peatland was measured at local spatial scales. Spectrally measured species or plant community abundances can further be used to bridge scaling gaps up to canopy scale, ultimately allowing upscaling of the C balance of peatlands to the ecosystem level.

  7. Isotope analysis in the transmission electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susi, Toma; Hofer, Christoph; Argentero, Giacomo; Leuthner, Gregor T; Pennycook, Timothy J; Mangler, Clemens; Meyer, Jannik C; Kotakoski, Jani

    2016-10-10

    The Ångström-sized probe of the scanning transmission electron microscope can visualize and collect spectra from single atoms. This can unambiguously resolve the chemical structure of materials, but not their isotopic composition. Here we differentiate between two isotopes of the same element by quantifying how likely the energetic imaging electrons are to eject atoms. First, we measure the displacement probability in graphene grown from either 12 C or 13 C and describe the process using a quantum mechanical model of lattice vibrations coupled with density functional theory simulations. We then test our spatial resolution in a mixed sample by ejecting individual atoms from nanoscale areas spanning an interface region that is far from atomically sharp, mapping the isotope concentration with a precision better than 20%. Although we use a scanning instrument, our method may be applicable to any atomic resolution transmission electron microscope and to other low-dimensional materials.

  8. Isotope Fractionation of Water During Evaporation Without Condensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cappa, Christopher D.; Drisdell, Walter S.; Smith, Jared D.; Saykally, Richard J.; Cohen, Ronald C.

    2005-01-01

    The microscopic events engendering liquid water evaporation have received much attention over the last century, but remain incompletely understood. We present measurements of isotope fractionation occurring during free molecular evaporation from liquid microjets and show that the isotope ratios of evaporating molecules exhibit dramatic differences from equilibrium vapor values, strong variations with the solution deuterium mole fraction, and a clear temperature dependence. These results indicate the existence of an energetic barrier to evaporation and that the evaporation coefficient of water is less than unity. These new insights into water evaporation promise to advance our understanding of the processes that control the formation and lifetime of clouds in the atmosphere.

  9. Visible Light Emission from Atomic Scale Patterns Fabricated by the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thirstrup, C.; Sakurai, M.; Stokbro, Kurt

    1999-01-01

    Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) induced light emission from artificial atomic scale structures comprising silicon dangling bonds on hydrogen-terminated Si(001) surfaces has been mapped spatially and analyzed spectroscopically in the visible spectral range. The light emission is based on a novel...

  10. Porcine pulmonary angiotensin I-converting enzyme--biochemical characterization and spatial arrangement of the N- and C-domains by three-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hui-Ling; Lünsdorf, Heinrich; Hecht, Hans-Jürgen; Tsai, Hsin

    2010-08-01

    The somatic angiotensin I-converting enzyme (sACE; peptidyl-dipeptidase A; EC 3.4.15.1) was isolated from pig lung and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of about 180 kDa. Upon proteolytic cleavage, two approximately 90 kDa fragments were obtained and identified by amino-terminal sequence analysis as the N- and C-domains of sACE. Both purified domains were shown to be catalytically active. A 2.3 nm resolution model of sACE was obtained by three-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction of negatively stained sACE particles, based on atomic X-ray data fitting. Our model shows for the first time the relative orientation of the sACE catalytically active domains and their spatial distance. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Binary pseudo-random patterned structures for modulation transfer function calibration and resolution characterization of a full-field transmission soft x-ray microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yashchuk, V. V., E-mail: VVYashchuk@lbl.gov; Chan, E. R.; Lacey, I. [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Fischer, P. J. [Center for X-Ray Optics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Physics Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 94056 (United States); Conley, R. [Advance Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); McKinney, W. R. [Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, California 94523 (United States); Artemiev, N. A. [KLA-Tencor Corp., 1 Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035 (United States); Bouet, N. [National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Cabrini, S. [Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Calafiore, G.; Peroz, C.; Babin, S. [aBeam Technologies, Inc., Hayward, California 94541 (United States)

    2015-12-15

    We present a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays as an effective method for spectral characterization in the spatial frequency domain of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation, including interferometric microscopes, scatterometers, phase shifting Fizeau interferometers, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and at this time, x-ray microscopes. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, which has a deterministic white-noise-like character, allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. We demonstrate the MTF calibration and resolution characterization over the full field of a transmission soft x-ray microscope using a BPR multilayer (ML) test sample with 2.8 nm fundamental layer thickness. We show that beyond providing a direct measurement of the microscope’s MTF, tests with the BPRML sample can be used to fine tune the instrument’s focal distance. Our results confirm the universality of the method that makes it applicable to a large variety of metrology instrumentation with spatial wavelength bandwidths from a few nanometers to hundreds of millimeters.

  12. Binary pseudo-random patterned structures for modulation transfer function calibration and resolution characterization of a full-field transmission soft x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yashchuk, V. V.; Chan, E. R.; Lacey, I.; Fischer, P. J.; Conley, R.; McKinney, W. R.; Artemiev, N. A.; Bouet, N.; Cabrini, S.; Calafiore, G.; Peroz, C.; Babin, S.

    2015-01-01

    We present a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays as an effective method for spectral characterization in the spatial frequency domain of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation, including interferometric microscopes, scatterometers, phase shifting Fizeau interferometers, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and at this time, x-ray microscopes. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, which has a deterministic white-noise-like character, allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. We demonstrate the MTF calibration and resolution characterization over the full field of a transmission soft x-ray microscope using a BPR multilayer (ML) test sample with 2.8 nm fundamental layer thickness. We show that beyond providing a direct measurement of the microscope’s MTF, tests with the BPRML sample can be used to fine tune the instrument’s focal distance. Our results confirm the universality of the method that makes it applicable to a large variety of metrology instrumentation with spatial wavelength bandwidths from a few nanometers to hundreds of millimeters

  13. Near-infrared microscopic methods for the detection and quantification of processed by-products of animal origin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, O.; Fernández Pierna, J. A.; Dardenne, P.; Baeten, V.

    2010-04-01

    Since the BSE crisis, researches concern mainly the detection, identification, and quantification of meat and bone meal with an important focus on the development of new analytical methods. Microscopic based spectroscopy methods (NIR microscopy - NIRM or/and NIR hyperspectral imaging) have been proposed as complementary methods to the official method; the optical microscopy. NIR spectroscopy offers the advantage of being rapid, accurate and independent of human analyst skills. The combination of an NIR detector and a microscope or a camera allows the collection of high quality spectra for small feed particles having a size larger than 50 μm. Several studies undertaken have demonstrated the clear potential of NIR microscopic methods for the detection of animal particles in both raw and sediment fractions. Samples are sieved and only the gross fraction (superior than 250 μm) is investigated. Proposed methodologies have been developed to assure, with an acceptable level of confidence (95%), the detection of at least one animal particle when a feed sample is adulterated at a level of 0.1%. NIRM and NIR hyperspectral imaging are running under accreditation ISO 17025 since 2005 at CRA-W. A quantitative NIRM approach has been developed in order to fulfill the new requirements of the European commission policies. The capacities of NIRM method have been improved; only the raw fraction is analyzed, both the gross and the fine fractions of the samples are considered, and the acquisition parameters are optimized (the aperture, the gap, and the composition of the animal feed). A mapping method for a faster collection of spectra is also developed. The aim of this work is to show the new advances in the analytical methods developed in the frame of the feed ban applied in Europe.

  14. Mapping microscopic order in plant and mammalian cells and tissues: novel differential polarization attachment for new generation confocal microscopes (DP-LSM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbach, G.; Pawlak, K.; Pomozi, I.; Tóth, E. A.; Molnár, A.; Matkó, J.; Garab, G.

    2014-03-01

    Elucidation of the molecular architecture of complex, highly organized molecular macro-assemblies is an important, basic task for biology. Differential polarization (DP) measurements, such as linear (LD) and circular dichroism (CD) or the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), which can be carried out in a dichrograph or spectrofluorimeter, respectively, carry unique, spatially averaged information about the molecular organization of the sample. For inhomogeneous samples—e.g. cells and tissues—measurements on macroscopic scale are not satisfactory, and in some cases not feasible, thus microscopic techniques must be applied. The microscopic DP-imaging technique, when based on confocal laser scanning microscope (LSM), allows the pixel by pixel mapping of anisotropy of a sample in 2D and 3D. The first DP-LSM configuration, which, in fluorescence mode, allowed confocal imaging of different DP quantities in real-time, without interfering with the ‘conventional’ imaging, was built on a Zeiss LSM410. It was demonstrated to be capable of determining non-confocally the linear birefringence (LB) or LD of a sample and, confocally, its FDLD (fluorescence detected LD), the degree of polarization (P) and the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), following polarized and non-polarized excitation, respectively (Steinbach et al 2009 Acta Histochem.111 316-25). This DP-LSM configuration, however, cannot simply be adopted to new generation microscopes with considerably more compact structures. As shown here, for an Olympus FV500, we designed an easy-to-install DP attachment to determine LB, LD, FDLD and r, in new-generation confocal microscopes, which, in principle, can be complemented with a P-imaging unit, but specifically to the brand and type of LSM.

  15. Mapping microscopic order in plant and mammalian cells and tissues: novel differential polarization attachment for new generation confocal microscopes (DP-LSM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbach, G; Pawlak, K; Garab, G; Pomozi, I; Tóth, E A; Molnár, A; Matkó, J

    2014-01-01

    Elucidation of the molecular architecture of complex, highly organized molecular macro-assemblies is an important, basic task for biology. Differential polarization (DP) measurements, such as linear (LD) and circular dichroism (CD) or the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), which can be carried out in a dichrograph or spectrofluorimeter, respectively, carry unique, spatially averaged information about the molecular organization of the sample. For inhomogeneous samples—e.g. cells and tissues—measurements on macroscopic scale are not satisfactory, and in some cases not feasible, thus microscopic techniques must be applied. The microscopic DP-imaging technique, when based on confocal laser scanning microscope (LSM), allows the pixel by pixel mapping of anisotropy of a sample in 2D and 3D. The first DP-LSM configuration, which, in fluorescence mode, allowed confocal imaging of different DP quantities in real-time, without interfering with the ‘conventional’ imaging, was built on a Zeiss LSM410. It was demonstrated to be capable of determining non-confocally the linear birefringence (LB) or LD of a sample and, confocally, its FDLD (fluorescence detected LD), the degree of polarization (P) and the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), following polarized and non-polarized excitation, respectively (Steinbach et al 2009 Acta Histochem.111 316–25). This DP-LSM configuration, however, cannot simply be adopted to new generation microscopes with considerably more compact structures. As shown here, for an Olympus FV500, we designed an easy-to-install DP attachment to determine LB, LD, FDLD and r, in new-generation confocal microscopes, which, in principle, can be complemented with a P-imaging unit, but specifically to the brand and type of LSM. (paper)

  16. Performance limitations of imaging microscopes for soft x-ray applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewotsky, K.L.; Kotha, A.; Harvey, J.E.

    1993-01-01

    Recent advances in the fabrication of nanometer-scale multilayer structures have yielded high-reflectance mirrors operating at near-normal incidence for soft X-ray wavelengths. These developments have stimulated renewed interest in high-resolution soft X-ray microscopy. The design of a Schwarzschild imaging microscope for soft X-ray applications has been reported by Hoover and Shealy. Based upon a geometrical ray-trace analysis of the residual design errors, diffraction-limited performance at a wavelength of 100 angstrom was predicted over an object size (diameter) of 0.4 mm. In this paper the authors expand upon the previous analysis of the Schwarzschild X-ray microscope design by determining the total image degradation due to diffraction, geometrical aberrations, alignment errors, and realistic assumptions concerning optical fabrication errors. NASA's Optical Surface Analysis Code (OSAC) is used to model the image degradation effects of residual surface irregularities over the entire range of relevant spatial frequencies. This includes small angle scattering effects due to mid spatial frequency surface errors falling between the traditional figure and finish specifications. Performance predictions are presented parametrically to provide some insight into the optical fabrication and alignment tolerances necessary to meet a particular image quality requirement

  17. A Variable Order Fractional Differential-Based Texture Enhancement Algorithm with Application in Medical Imaging.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Yu

    Full Text Available Texture enhancement is one of the most important techniques in digital image processing and plays an essential role in medical imaging since textures discriminate information. Most image texture enhancement techniques use classical integral order differential mask operators or fractional differential mask operators using fixed fractional order. These masks can produce excessive enhancement of low spatial frequency content, insufficient enhancement of large spatial frequency content, and retention of high spatial frequency noise. To improve upon existing approaches of texture enhancement, we derive an improved Variable Order Fractional Centered Difference (VOFCD scheme which dynamically adjusts the fractional differential order instead of fixing it. The new VOFCD technique is based on the second order Riesz fractional differential operator using a Lagrange 3-point interpolation formula, for both grey scale and colour image enhancement. We then use this method to enhance photographs and a set of medical images related to patients with stroke and Parkinson's disease. The experiments show that our improved fractional differential mask has a higher signal to noise ratio value than the other fractional differential mask operators. Based on the corresponding quantitative analysis we conclude that the new method offers a superior texture enhancement over existing methods.

  18. Fractional Dynamics Applications of Fractional Calculus to Dynamics of Particles, Fields and Media

    CERN Document Server

    Tarasov, Vasily E

    2010-01-01

    "Fractional Dynamics: Applications of Fractional Calculus to Dynamics of Particles, Fields and Media" presents applications of fractional calculus, integral and differential equations of non-integer orders in describing systems with long-time memory, non-local spatial and fractal properties. Mathematical models of fractal media and distributions, generalized dynamical systems and discrete maps, non-local statistical mechanics and kinetics, dynamics of open quantum systems, the hydrodynamics and electrodynamics of complex media with non-local properties and memory are considered. This book is intended to meet the needs of scientists and graduate students in physics, mechanics and applied mathematics who are interested in electrodynamics, statistical and condensed matter physics, quantum dynamics, complex media theories and kinetics, discrete maps and lattice models, and nonlinear dynamics and chaos. Dr. Vasily E. Tarasov is a Senior Research Associate at Nuclear Physics Institute of Moscow State University and...

  19. Dosimetric evaluation of multi-pattern spatially fractionated radiation therapy using a multi-leaf collimator and collapsed cone convolution superposition dose calculation algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stathakis, Sotirios [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7979 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78229 (United States)], E-mail: stathakis@uthscsa.edu; Esquivel, Carlos; Gutierrez, Alonso N.; Shi, ChengYu; Papanikolaou, Niko [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7979 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78229 (United States)

    2009-10-15

    Purpose: In this paper, we present an alternative to the originally proposed technique for the delivery of spatially fractionated radiation therapy (GRID) using multi-leaf collimator (MLC) shaped fields. We employ the MLC to deliver various pattern GRID treatments to large solid tumors and dosimetrically characterize the GRID fields. Methods and materials: The GRID fields were created with different open to blocked area ratios and with variable separation between the openings using a MLC. GRID designs were introduced into the Pinnacle{sup 3} treatment planning system, and the dose was calculated in a water phantom. Ionization chamber and film measurements using both Kodak EDR2 and Gafchromic EBT film were performed in a SolidWater phantom to determine the relative output of each GRID design as well as its spatial dosimetric characteristics. Results: Agreement within 5.0% was observed between the Pinnacle{sup 3} predicted dose distributions and the measurements for the majority of experiments performed. A higher magnitude of discrepancy (15%) was observed using a high photon beam energy (18 MV) and small GRID opening. Skin dose at the GRID openings was higher than the corresponding open field by a factor as high as three for both photon energies and was found to be independent of the open-to-blocked area ratio. Conclusion: In summary, we reaffirm that the MLC can be used to deliver spatially fractionated GRID therapy and show that various GRID patterns may be generated. The Pinnacle{sup 3} TPS can accurately calculate the dose of the different GRID patterns in our study to within 5% for the majority of the cases based on film and ion chamber measurements. Disadvantages of MLC-based GRID therapy are longer treatment times and higher surface doses.

  20. Fractional Brownian motion and motion governed by the fractional Langevin equation in confined geometries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Jae-Hyung; Metzler, Ralf

    2010-02-01

    Motivated by subdiffusive motion of biomolecules observed in living cells, we study the stochastic properties of a non-Brownian particle whose motion is governed by either fractional Brownian motion or the fractional Langevin equation and restricted to a finite domain. We investigate by analytic calculations and simulations how time-averaged observables (e.g., the time-averaged mean-squared displacement and displacement correlation) are affected by spatial confinement and dimensionality. In particular, we study the degree of weak ergodicity breaking and scatter between different single trajectories for this confined motion in the subdiffusive domain. The general trend is that deviations from ergodicity are decreased with decreasing size of the movement volume and with increasing dimensionality. We define the displacement correlation function and find that this quantity shows distinct features for fractional Brownian motion, fractional Langevin equation, and continuous time subdiffusion, such that it appears an efficient measure to distinguish these different processes based on single-particle trajectory data.

  1. Quantitative measurement of piezoelectric coefficient of thin film using a scanning evanescent microwave microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhenli; Luo, Zhenlin; Liu, Chihui; Wu, Wenbin; Gao, Chen; Lu, Yalin

    2008-06-01

    This article describes a new approach to quantitatively measure the piezoelectric coefficients of thin films at the microscopic level using a scanning evanescent microwave microscope. This technique can resolve 10 pm deformation caused by the piezoelectric effect and has the advantages of high scanning speed, large scanning area, submicron spatial resolution, and a simultaneous accessibility to many other related properties. Results from the test measurements on the longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient of PZT thin film agree well with those from other techniques listed in literatures.

  2. Study of the presence of fluorine in the recycled fractions during carbothermal treatment of EAF dust.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menad, N; Ayala, J N; Garcia-Carcedo, Fernando; Ruiz-Ayúcar, E; Hernández, A

    2003-01-01

    Carbothermal treatment tests of electric arc furnace dusts (EAFD) using the Waelz kiln process were carried out in pilot-scale for the production of zinc oxide. The association of halides in the EAFD, and the recycled products, such as zinc oxide fumes and high-grade iron contents fractions were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. XRD reveals the presence of chlorine and fluorine in the dusts in the form of KCl, NaCl and CaF2. An ultra-pure fraction of zinc was obtained after the Double Leaching Waelz Oxide (DLWO) process was performed on the zinc oxide fumes. The halide contents were reduced to approximately 100 ppm Cl and 700 ppm F. The rest of these elements are in the form of CaF2. About 65% F is volatilised as lead and zinc fluorides, 15% is expected in the magnetic fractions and 20% in non-magnetic fractions as CaF2 and MnF2, respectively.

  3. A Fully Discrete Galerkin Method for a Nonlinear Space-Fractional Diffusion Equation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunying Zheng

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The spatial transport process in fractal media is generally anomalous. The space-fractional advection-diffusion equation can be used to characterize such a process. In this paper, a fully discrete scheme is given for a type of nonlinear space-fractional anomalous advection-diffusion equation. In the spatial direction, we use the finite element method, and in the temporal direction, we use the modified Crank-Nicolson approximation. Here the fractional derivative indicates the Caputo derivative. The error estimate for the fully discrete scheme is derived. And the numerical examples are also included which are in line with the theoretical analysis.

  4. Classification of gram-positive and gram-negative foodborne pathogenic bacteria with hyperspectral microscope imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Optical method with hyperspectral microscope imaging (HMI) has potential for identification of foodborne pathogenic bacteria from microcolonies rapidly with a cell level. A HMI system that provides both spatial and spectral information could be an effective tool for analyzing spectral characteristic...

  5. Sensitivity of the amplitude of the single muscle fibre action potential to microscopic volume conduction parameters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alberts, B.A.; Rutten, Wim; Wallinga, W.; Boom, H.B.K.

    1988-01-01

    A microscopic model of volume conduction was applied to examine the sensitivity of the single muscle fibre action potential to variations in parameters of the source and of the volume conductor, such as conduction velocity, intracellular conductivity and intracellular volume fraction. The model

  6. Design of KB complex type microscope for ICF x-ray diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Qing; Mu, Baozhong; Li, Yaran; Huang, Qiushi; Wang, Zhanshan; Cao, Zhurong; Dong, Jianjun; Liu, Shenye; Ding, Yongkun

    2016-09-01

    In the field of target diagnostics for Initial Confinement Fusion experiment, high resolution X-ray imaging system is seriously necessary to record the evolution details of target ablation-front disturbance at different energy points of backlight conditions. Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror is a wide used imaging system to achieve a large efficient field of view with high spatial resolution and energy transmitting capability. In this paper, we designed a novel type of reflective microscope based on Kirkpatrick-Baez structure, and this system can achieve 5μm spatial resolution at 600μm field of view specific energy point in one dimension.

  7. Development of a super-resolution optical microscope for directional dark matter search experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexandrov, A.; Asada, T.; Consiglio, L.; D'Ambrosio, N.; De Lellis, G.; Di Crescenzo, A.; Di Marco, N.; Furuya, S.; Hakamata, K.; Ishikawa, M.; Katsuragawa, T.; Kuwabara, K.; Machii, S.; Naka, T.; Pupilli, F.; Sirignano, C.; Tawara, Y.; Tioukov, V.; Umemoto, A.; Yoshimoto, M.

    2016-01-01

    Nuclear emulsion is a perfect choice for a detector for directional DM search because of its high density and excellent position accuracy. The minimal detectable track length of a recoil nucleus in emulsion is required to be at least 100 nm, making the resolution of conventional optical microscopes insufficient to resolve them. Here we report about the R&D on a super-resolution optical microscope to be used in future directional DM search experiments with nuclear emulsion as a detector media. The microscope will be fully automatic, will use novel image acquisition and analysis techniques, will achieve the spatial resolution of the order of few tens of nm and will be capable of reconstructing recoil tracks with the length of at least 100 nm with high angular resolution.

  8. Discrete random walk models for space-time fractional diffusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorenflo, Rudolf; Mainardi, Francesco; Moretti, Daniele; Pagnini, Gianni; Paradisi, Paolo

    2002-01-01

    A physical-mathematical approach to anomalous diffusion may be based on generalized diffusion equations (containing derivatives of fractional order in space or/and time) and related random walk models. By space-time fractional diffusion equation we mean an evolution equation obtained from the standard linear diffusion equation by replacing the second-order space derivative with a Riesz-Feller derivative of order α is part of (0,2] and skewness θ (moduleθ≤{α,2-α}), and the first-order time derivative with a Caputo derivative of order β is part of (0,1]. Such evolution equation implies for the flux a fractional Fick's law which accounts for spatial and temporal non-locality. The fundamental solution (for the Cauchy problem) of the fractional diffusion equation can be interpreted as a probability density evolving in time of a peculiar self-similar stochastic process that we view as a generalized diffusion process. By adopting appropriate finite-difference schemes of solution, we generate models of random walk discrete in space and time suitable for simulating random variables whose spatial probability density evolves in time according to this fractional diffusion equation

  9. Can X-ray spectrum imaging replace backscattered electrons for compositional contrast in the scanning electron microscope?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newbury, Dale E; Ritchie, Nicholas W M

    2011-01-01

    The high throughput of the silicon drift detector energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SDD-EDS) enables X-ray spectrum imaging (XSI) in the scanning electron microscope to be performed in frame times of 10-100 s, the typical time needed to record a high-quality backscattered electron (BSE) image. These short-duration XSIs can reveal all elements, except H, He, and Li, present as major constituents, defined as 0.1 mass fraction (10 wt%) or higher, as well as minor constituents in the range 0.01-0.1 mass fraction, depending on the particular composition and possible interferences. Although BSEs have a greater abundance by a factor of 100 compared with characteristic X-rays, the strong compositional contrast in element-specific X-ray maps enables XSI mapping to compete with BSE imaging to reveal compositional features. Differences in the fraction of the interaction volume sampled by the BSE and X-ray signals lead to more delocalization of the X-ray signal at abrupt compositional boundaries, resulting in poorer spatial resolution. Improved resolution in X-ray elemental maps occurs for the case of a small feature composed of intermediate to high atomic number elements embedded in a matrix of lower atomic number elements. XSI imaging strongly complements BSE imaging, and the SDD-EDS technology enables an efficient combined BSE-XSI measurement strategy that maximizes the compositional information. If 10 s or more are available for the measurement of an area of interest, the analyst should always record the combined BSE-XSI information to gain the advantages of both measures of compositional contrast. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. An Efficient Implicit FEM Scheme for Fractional-in-Space Reaction-Diffusion Equations

    KAUST Repository

    Burrage, Kevin; Hale, Nicholas; Kay, David

    2012-01-01

    Fractional differential equations are becoming increasingly used as a modelling tool for processes associated with anomalous diffusion or spatial heterogeneity. However, the presence of a fractional differential operator causes memory (time

  11. Fractional calculus and morphogen gradient formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuste, Santos Bravo; Abad, Enrique; Lindenberg, Katja

    2012-12-01

    Some microscopic models for reactive systems where the reaction kinetics is limited by subdiffusion are described by means of reaction-subdiffusion equations where fractional derivatives play a key role. In particular, we consider subdiffusive particles described by means of a Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) model subject to a linear (first-order) death process. The resulting fractional equation is employed to study the developmental biology key problem of morphogen gradient formation for the case in which the morphogens are subdiffusive. If the morphogen degradation rate (reactivity) is constant, we find exponentially decreasing stationary concentration profiles, which are similar to the profiles found when the morphogens diffuse normally. However, for the case in which the degradation rate decays exponentially with the distance to the morphogen source, we find that the morphogen profiles are qualitatively different from the profiles obtained when the morphogens diffuse normally.

  12. Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter Hyperspectral Microscope Imaging Method for Characterizing Spectra from Foodborne Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyperspectral microscope imaging (HMI) method, which provides both spatial and spectral characteristics of samples, can be effective for foodborne pathogen detection. The acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF)-based HMI method can be used to characterize spectral properties of biofilms formed by Salmon...

  13. Projection-type X-ray microscope based on a spherical compound refractive X-ray lens

    OpenAIRE

    Dudchik, Yu. I.; Gary, C. K.; Park, H.; Pantell, R. H.; Piestrup, M. A.

    2007-01-01

    New projection- type X-ray microscope with a compound refractive lens as the optical element is presented. The microscope consists of an X-ray source that is 1-2 mm in diameter, compound X-ray lens and X-ray camera that are placed in-line to satisfy the lens formula. The lens forms an image of the X-ray source at camera sensitive plate. An object is placed between the X-ray source and the lens as close as possible to the source, and the camera shows a shadow image of the object. Spatial resol...

  14. Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Guttmann

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Today, in material science nanoscale structures are becoming more and more important. Not only for the further miniaturization of semiconductor devices like carbon nanotube based transistors, but also for newly developed efficient energy storage devices, gas sensors or catalytic systems nanoscale and functionalized materials have to be analysed. Therefore, analytical tools like near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS spectroscopy has to be applied on single nanostructures. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopes (STXM as well as full-field transmission X-ray microscopes (TXM allow the required spatial resolution to study individual nanostructures. In the soft X-ray energy range only STXM was used so far for NEXAFS studies. Due to its unique setup, the TXM operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB at the electron storage ring BESSY II is the first one in the soft X-ray range which can be used for NEXAFS spectroscopy studies which will be shown in this review. Here we will give an overview of the different microscopes used for NEXAFS studies and describe their advantages and disadvantages for different samples.

  15. Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guttmann, Peter; Bittencourt, Carla

    2015-01-01

    Today, in material science nanoscale structures are becoming more and more important. Not only for the further miniaturization of semiconductor devices like carbon nanotube based transistors, but also for newly developed efficient energy storage devices, gas sensors or catalytic systems nanoscale and functionalized materials have to be analysed. Therefore, analytical tools like near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy has to be applied on single nanostructures. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopes (STXM) as well as full-field transmission X-ray microscopes (TXM) allow the required spatial resolution to study individual nanostructures. In the soft X-ray energy range only STXM was used so far for NEXAFS studies. Due to its unique setup, the TXM operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) at the electron storage ring BESSY II is the first one in the soft X-ray range which can be used for NEXAFS spectroscopy studies which will be shown in this review. Here we will give an overview of the different microscopes used for NEXAFS studies and describe their advantages and disadvantages for different samples.

  16. Optical Computed-Tomographic Microscope for Three-Dimensional Quantitative Histology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravil Chamgoulov

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel optical computed‐tomographic microscope has been developed allowing quantitative three‐dimensional (3D imaging and analysis of fixed pathological material. Rather than a conventional two‐dimensional (2D image, the instrument produces a 3D representation of fixed absorption‐stained material, from which quantitative histopathological features can be measured more accurately. The accurate quantification of these features is critically important in disease diagnosis and the clinical classification of cancer. The system consists of two high NA objective lenses, a light source, a digital spatial light modulator (DMD, by Texas Instrument, an x–y stage, and a CCD detector. The DMD, positioned at the back pupil‐plane of the illumination objective, is employed to illuminate the specimen with parallel rays at any desired angle. The system uses a modification of the convolution backprojection algorithm for reconstruction. In contrast to fluorescent images acquired by a confocal microscope, this instrument produces 3D images of absorption stained material. Microscopic 3D volume reconstructions of absorption‐stained cells have been demonstrated. Reconstructed 3D images of individual cells and tissue can be cut virtually with the distance between the axial slices less than 0.5 μm.

  17. Statistical mineralogy based on the heavy fraction of sand soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlsson, A.; Mansilla, L.; Ayala, R.

    1998-01-01

    The object of this work is to realize a detail mineral statistical method in a soil catena who is in Cordoba Province. Argentine. The heavy mineral fraction of the 100-50 micron rates was made up by petrographical microscope. The sedimentary discordances are discriminated by the mineral variation (VM) between the three parental materials in order to establishing sedimentary differences, determined by Karisson (1993). The heavy mineral fraction is shows constituted mainly by muscovite, biotite, hornibicude, opaque, hiperstene and plagioclase. That parental materials show sedimentary differences, even though all are corresponded to a loesic deposits.(author)

  18. Assessment of metal pollution in a former mining area in the NW Tunisia: spatial distribution and fraction of Cd, Pb and Zn in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othmani, Mohamed Ali; Souissi, Fouad; Durães, Nuno; Abdelkader, Moussi; da Silva, Eduardo Ferreira

    2015-08-01

    This study aims to evaluate the impact of the former mining Touiref district (NW Tunisia) on the spatial distribution of metal contamination. In order to characterize the metal content of the tailings and to assess how far the soils from the district could be impacted by metals, a sampling campaign was conducted. According to the spatial distribution concentration maps of potential toxic elements (PTE), the highest concentrations occur near the flotation tailings and in mining facilities and decrease abruptly with distance. These results confirm that wind is the main agent capable of dispersing metals in a W-E direction, with concentrations exceeding the standards of soil quality for Cd, Pb and Zn over several hundred metres away from the source, facilitated by the small-size fraction and low cohesion of tailings particles. Chemical fractionation showed that Pb and Cd were mainly associated with the acid-soluble fraction (carbonates) and Fe-(oxy) hydroxides, while Zn was mainly associated with Fe-(oxy) hydroxides but also with sulphides. Thus, the immobilization of metals in solution may be favoured by the alkaline conditions, promoted by carbonates dissolution. However, being carbonate important-bearing phases of Cd and Pb (but also for Zn), the dissolution facility of these minerals may enhance the release of metals, particularly far away from the mine where the physicochemical conditions can be different. Also, the metal uptake by plants in these alkaline conditions may be favoured, especially if secondary phases with high sorption ability are reduced at this site. A remediation plan to this area is needed, with particularly attention in the confinement of the tailings.

  19. Evidence of weak habitat specialisation in microscopic animals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Fontaneto

    Full Text Available Macroecology and biogeography of microscopic organisms (any living organism smaller than 2 mm are quickly developing into fruitful research areas. Microscopic organisms also offer the potential for testing predictions and models derived from observations on larger organisms due to the feasibility of performing lab and mesocosm experiments. However, more empirical knowledge on the similarities and differences between micro- and macro-organisms is needed to ascertain how much of the results obtained from the former can be generalised to the latter. One potential misconception, based mostly on anedoctal evidence rather than explicit tests, is that microscopic organisms may have wider ecological tolerance and a lower degree of habitat specialisation than large organisms. Here we explicitly test this hypothesis within the framework of metacommunity theory, by studying host specificify in the assemblages of bdelloid rotifers (animals about 350 µm in body length living in different species of lichens in Sweden. Using several regression-based and ANOVA analyses and controlling for both spatial structure and the kind of substrate the lichen grow over (bark vs rock, we found evidence of significant but weak species-specific associations between bdelloids and lichens, a wide overlap in species composition between lichens, and wide ecological tolerance for most bdelloid species. This confirms that microscopic organisms such as bdelloids have a lower degree of habitat specialisation than larger organisms, although this happens in a complex scenario of ecological processes, where source-sink dynamics and geographic distances seem to have no effect on species composition at the analysed scale.

  20. Spherical aberration correction in a scanning transmission electron microscope using a sculpted thin film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiloh, Roy; Remez, Roei; Lu, Peng-Han; Jin, Lei; Lereah, Yossi; Tavabi, Amir H; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E; Arie, Ady

    2018-06-01

    Nearly eighty years ago, Scherzer showed that rotationally symmetric, charge-free, static electron lenses are limited by an unavoidable, positive spherical aberration. Following a long struggle, a major breakthrough in the spatial resolution of electron microscopes was reached two decades ago by abandoning the first of these conditions, with the successful development of multipole aberration correctors. Here, we use a refractive silicon nitride thin film to tackle the second of Scherzer's constraints and demonstrate an alternative method for correcting spherical aberration in a scanning transmission electron microscope. We reveal features in Si and Cu samples that cannot be resolved in an uncorrected microscope. Our thin film corrector can be implemented as an immediate low cost upgrade to existing electron microscopes without re-engineering of the electron column or complicated operation protocols and can be extended to the correction of additional aberrations. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Efficacy of fractional lasers in treating alopecia: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perper, Marina; Aldahan, Adam S; Fayne, Rachel A; Emerson, Christopher P; Nouri, Keyvan

    2017-11-01

    Hair loss stemming from different types of alopecia, such as androgenic alopecia and alopecia areata, negatively affects over half the population and, in many circumstances, causes serious psychosocial distress. Current treatment options for alopecia, such as minoxidil, anthralin, and intralesional corticosteroids, vary efficacy and side effect profiles. It is known that low-level laser/light therapies (LLLT), or photobiomodulations, such as the US FDA-cleared HairMax Lasercomb®, He-Ne laser, and excimer laser, are relatively affordable, user-friendly, safe, and effective forms of treatment for hair loss. While less is known about the effectiveness of fractional lasers for combating hair loss, research suggests that by creating microscopic thermal injury zones, fractional lasers may cause an increase in hair growth from a wound healing process, making them potential therapeutic options for alopecia. A literature review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of fractional lasers on hair regrowth. The specific fractional laser therapies include the 1550-nm nonablative fractional erbium-glass laser, the ablative fractional 2940-nm erbium:YAG laser, and the ablative fractional CO 2 fractional laser. Additional randomized controlled trials are necessary to further evaluate the effectiveness of the lasers, as well as to establish appropriate parameters and treatment intervals.

  2. Fractional Josephson vortices in two-gap superconductor long Josephson junctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ju

    2014-03-01

    We investigated the phase dynamics of long Josephson junctions (LJJ) with two-gap superconductors in the broken time reversal symmetry state. In this LJJ, spatial phase textures (i-solitons) can be excited due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Joesphson effect between them. The presence of a spatial phase texture in each superconductor layer leads to a spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. We find that this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in Josephson vortices with fractional flux quanta. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, the fractionalization of a Josephson vortex arises as a response to either periodic or random excitation of i-solitions. This suggests that magnetic flux measurements may be used to probe i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs.

  3. Comparative study of image contrast in scanning electron microscope and helium ion microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, R; Chen, Y; Zhang, H; Zhou, Y; Fox, D; Maguire, P; Wang, J J; Rodenburg, C

    2017-12-01

    Images of Ga + -implanted amorphous silicon layers in a 110 n-type silicon substrate have been collected by a range of detectors in a scanning electron microscope and a helium ion microscope. The effects of the implantation dose and imaging parameters (beam energy, dwell time, etc.) on the image contrast were investigated. We demonstrate a similar relationship for both the helium ion microscope Everhart-Thornley and scanning electron microscope Inlens detectors between the contrast of the images and the Ga + density and imaging parameters. These results also show that dynamic charging effects have a significant impact on the quantification of the helium ion microscope and scanning electron microscope contrast. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

  4. Exact solutions of fractional Schroedinger-like equation with a nonlocal term

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Xiaoyun; Xu Mingyu; Qi Haitao

    2011-01-01

    We study the time-space fractional Schroedinger equation with a nonlocal potential. By the method of Fourier transform and Laplace transform, the Green function, and hence the wave function, is expressed in terms of H-functions. Graphical analysis demonstrates that the influence of both the space-fractal parameter α and the nonlocal parameter ν on the fractional quantum system is strong. Indeed, the nonlocal potential may act similar to a fractional spatial derivative as well as fractional time derivative.

  5. Spatial ecology across scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastings, Alan; Petrovskii, Sergei; Morozov, Andrew

    2011-04-23

    The international conference 'Models in population dynamics and ecology 2010: animal movement, dispersal and spatial ecology' took place at the University of Leicester, UK, on 1-3 September 2010, focusing on mathematical approaches to spatial population dynamics and emphasizing cross-scale issues. Exciting new developments in scaling up from individual level movement to descriptions of this movement at the macroscopic level highlighted the importance of mechanistic approaches, with different descriptions at the microscopic level leading to different ecological outcomes. At higher levels of organization, different macroscopic descriptions of movement also led to different properties at the ecosystem and larger scales. New developments from Levy flight descriptions to the incorporation of new methods from physics and elsewhere are revitalizing research in spatial ecology, which will both increase understanding of fundamental ecological processes and lead to tools for better management.

  6. Binary pseudorandom test standard to determine the modulation transfer function of optical microscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacey, Ian; Anderson, Erik H.; Artemiev, Nikolay A.; Babin, Sergey; Cabrini, Stefano; Calafiore, Guiseppe; Chan, Elaine R.; McKinney, Wayne R.; Peroz, Christophe; Takacs, Peter Z.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.

    2015-09-01

    This work reports on the development of a binary pseudo-random test sample optimized to calibrate the MTF of optical microscopes. The sample consists of a number of 1-D and 2-D patterns, with different minimum sizes of spatial artifacts from 300 nm to 2 microns. We describe the mathematical background, fabrication process, data acquisition and analysis procedure to return spatial frequency based instrument calibration. We show that the developed samples satisfy the characteristics of a test standard: functionality, ease of specification and fabrication, reproducibility, and low sensitivity to manufacturing error.

  7. Tensor Fields for Use in Fractional-Order Viscoelasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freed, Alan D.; Diethelm, Kai

    2003-01-01

    To be able to construct viscoelastic material models from fractional0order differentegral equations that are applicable for 3D finite-strain analysis requires definitions for fractional derivatives and integrals for symmetric tensor fields, like stress and strain. We define these fields in the body manifold. We then map them ito spatial fields expressed in terms of an Eulerian or Lagrangian reference frame where most analysts prefer to solve boundary problems.

  8. Design and performance of the 2-ID-B scanning x-ray microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNulty, I.

    1998-01-01

    We have constructed a high resolution scanning x-ray microscope at the 2-ID-B beamline at the Advanced Photon Source for 1-4 keV x-ray imaging and microspectroscopy experiments. The microscope uses a Fresnel zone plate to focus coherent x-ray undulator radiation to a 150 nm focal spot on a sample. The spectral flux in the focus is 10 8 ph/s/0.1% BW. X-ray photons transmitted by the sample are detected by an avalanche photodiode as the sample is scanned to form an absorption image. The sample stage has both coarse and fine translation axes for raster scanning and a rotation axis for microtomography experiments. The incident x-ray beam energy can also be scanned via the 2-ID-B monochromator while the sample is kept in focus to record spatially resolved absorption spectra. We have measured the performance of the instrument with various test objects. The microscope hardware, software, and performance are discussed in this paper

  9. Characterization of electron microscopes with binary pseudo-random multilayer test samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Conley, Raymond; Anderson, Erik H.; Barber, Samuel K.; Bouet, Nathalie; McKinney, Wayne R.; Takacs, Peter Z.; Voronov, Dmitriy L.

    2011-09-01

    Verification of the reliability of metrology data from high quality X-ray optics requires that adequate methods for test and calibration of the instruments be developed. For such verification for optical surface profilometers in the spatial frequency domain, a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) gratings and arrays has been suggested [1,2] and proven to be an effective calibration method for a number of interferometric microscopes, a phase shifting Fizeau interferometer, and a scatterometer [5]. Here we describe the details of development of binary pseudo-random multilayer (BPRML) test samples suitable for characterization of scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopes. We discuss the results of TEM measurements with the BPRML test samples fabricated from a WiSi 2/Si multilayer coating with pseudo-randomly distributed layers. In particular, we demonstrate that significant information about the metrological reliability of the TEM measurements can be extracted even when the fundamental frequency of the BPRML sample is smaller than the Nyquist frequency of the measurements. The measurements demonstrate a number of problems related to the interpretation of the SEM and TEM data. Note that similar BPRML test samples can be used to characterize X-ray microscopes. Corresponding work with X-ray microscopes is in progress.

  10. Characterization of electron microscopes with binary pseudo-random multilayer test samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Conley, Raymond; Anderson, Erik H.; Barber, Samuel K.; Bouet, Nathalie; McKinney, Wayne R.; Takacs, Peter Z.; Voronov, Dmitriy L.

    2011-01-01

    Verification of the reliability of metrology data from high quality X-ray optics requires that adequate methods for test and calibration of the instruments be developed. For such verification for optical surface profilometers in the spatial frequency domain, a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) gratings and arrays has been suggested and proven to be an effective calibration method for a number of interferometric microscopes, a phase shifting Fizeau interferometer, and a scatterometer [5]. Here we describe the details of development of binary pseudo-random multilayer (BPRML) test samples suitable for characterization of scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopes. We discuss the results of TEM measurements with the BPRML test samples fabricated from a WiSi 2 /Si multilayer coating with pseudo-randomly distributed layers. In particular, we demonstrate that significant information about the metrological reliability of the TEM measurements can be extracted even when the fundamental frequency of the BPRML sample is smaller than the Nyquist frequency of the measurements. The measurements demonstrate a number of problems related to the interpretation of the SEM and TEM data. Note that similar BPRML test samples can be used to characterize X-ray microscopes. Corresponding work with X-ray microscopes is in progress.

  11. Probing thermal evanescent waves with a scattering-type near-field microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajihara, Y; Kosaka, K; Komiyama, S

    2011-01-01

    Long wavelength infrared (LWIR) waves contain many important spectra of matters like molecular motions. Thus, probing spontaneous LWIR radiation without external illumination would reveal detailed mesoscopic phenomena that cannot be probed by any other measurement methods. Here we developed a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) and demonstrated passive near-field microscopy at 14.5 µm wavelength. Our s-SNOM consists of an atomic force microscope and a confocal microscope equipped with a highly sensitive LWIR detector, called a charge-sensitive infrared phototransistor (CSIP). In our s-SNOM, photons scattered by a tungsten probe are collected by an objective of the confocal LWIR microscope and are finally detected by the CSIP. To suppress the far-field background, we vertically modulated the probe and demodulated the signal with a lock-in amplifier. With the s-SNOM, a clear passive image of 3 µm pitch Au/SiC gratings was successfully obtained and the spatial resolution was estimated to be 60 nm (λ/240). The radiation from Au and GaAs was suggested to be due to thermally excited charge/current fluctuations and surface phonons, respectively. This s-SNOM has the potential to observe mesoscopic phenomena such as molecular motions, biomolecular protein interactions and semiconductor conditions in the future

  12. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with quantum gas microscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohrdt, A.; Greif, D.; Demler, E.; Knap, M.; Grusdt, F.

    2018-03-01

    Quantum gas microscopes are a promising tool to study interacting quantum many-body systems and bridge the gap between theoretical models and real materials. So far, they were limited to measurements of instantaneous correlation functions of the form 〈O ̂(t ) 〉 , even though extensions to frequency-resolved response functions 〈O ̂(t ) O ̂(0 ) 〉 would provide important information about the elementary excitations in a many-body system. For example, single-particle spectral functions, which are usually measured using photoemission experiments in electron systems, contain direct information about fractionalization and the quasiparticle excitation spectrum. Here, we propose a measurement scheme to experimentally access the momentum and energy-resolved spectral function in a quantum gas microscope with currently available techniques. As an example for possible applications, we numerically calculate the spectrum of a single hole excitation in one-dimensional t -J models with isotropic and anisotropic antiferromagnetic couplings. A sharp asymmetry in the distribution of spectral weight appears when a hole is created in an isotropic Heisenberg spin chain. This effect slowly vanishes for anisotropic spin interactions and disappears completely in the case of pure Ising interactions. The asymmetry strongly depends on the total magnetization of the spin chain, which can be tuned in experiments with quantum gas microscopes. An intuitive picture for the observed behavior is provided by a slave-fermion mean-field theory. The key properties of the spectra are visible at currently accessible temperatures.

  13. A transmission positron microscope and a scanning positron microscope being built at KEK, Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyama, M.; Inoue, M.; Kogure, Y.; Kurihara, T.; Yagishita, A.; Shidara, T.; Nakahara, K.; Hayashi, Y.; Yoshiie, T.

    2001-01-01

    This paper reports the plans of positron microscopes being built at KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization), Tsukuba, Japan improving used electron microscopes. The kinetic energies of positron produced by accelerators or by nuclear decays have not a unique value but show a spread over in a wide range. Positron beam will be guided near electron microscopes, a transmission electron microscope (JEM100S) and a scanning electron microscope (JSM25S). Positrons are slowed down by a tungsten foil, accelerated and focused on a nickel sheet. The monochromatic focused beam will be injected into an electron microscope. The focusing of positrons and electrons is achieved by magnetic system of the electron microscopes. Imaging plates are used to record positron images for the transmission electron microscope. (orig.)

  14. In Situ Characterization of Inconel 718 Post-Dynamic Recrystallization within a Scanning Electron Microscope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meriem Zouari

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Microstructure evolution within the post-dynamic regime following hot deformation was investigated in Inconel 718 samples with different dynamically recrystallized volume fractions and under conditions such that no δ-phase particles were present. In situ annealing treatments carried out to mimic post-dynamic conditions inside the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM chamber suggest the occurrence of both metadynamic and static recrystallization mechanisms. Static recrystallization was observed in addition to metadynamic recrystallization, only when the initial dynamically recrystallized volume fraction was very small. The initial volume fraction of dynamically recrystallized grains appears to be decisive for subsequent microstructural evolution mechanisms and kinetics. In addition, the formation of annealing twins is observed along with the growth of recrystallized grains, but then the twin density decreases as the material enters the capillarity-driven grain growth regime.

  15. Clinicopathologic Analysis of Microscopic Extension in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Defining Clinical Target Volume for Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grills, Inga S.; Fitch, Dwight L.; Goldstein, Neal S.; Yan Di; Chmielewski, Gary W.; Welsh, Robert J.; Kestin, Larry L.

    2007-01-01

    . Fractionation significantly affects the dosimetric coverage of microscopic extension

  16. Coarse-grained forms for equations describing the microscopic motion of particles in a fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Shankar P; Yoshimori, Akira

    2013-10-01

    Exact equations of motion for the microscopically defined collective density ρ(x,t) and the momentum density ĝ(x,t) of a fluid have been obtained in the past starting from the corresponding Langevin equations representing the dynamics of the fluid particles. In the present work we average these exact equations of microscopic dynamics over the local equilibrium distribution to obtain stochastic partial differential equations for the coarse-grained densities with smooth spatial and temporal dependence. In particular, we consider Dean's exact balance equation for the microscopic density of a system of interacting Brownian particles to obtain the basic equation of the dynamic density functional theory with noise. Our analysis demonstrates that on thermal averaging the dependence of the exact equations on the bare interaction potential is converted to dependence on the corresponding thermodynamic direct correlation functions in the coarse-grained equations.

  17. Note: Tandem Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope with sixteen channels for high-resolution laser-plasma diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Shengzhen; Zhang, Zhe; Huang, Qiushi; Zhang, Zhong; Wang, Zhanshan; Wei, Lai; Liu, Dongxiao; Cao, Leifeng; Gu, Yuqiu

    2018-03-01

    Multi-channel Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscopes, which have better resolution and collection efficiency than pinhole cameras, have been widely used in laser inertial confinement fusion to diagnose time evolution of the target implosion. In this study, a tandem multi-channel KB microscope was developed to have sixteen imaging channels with the precise control of spatial resolution and image intervals. This precise control was created using a coarse assembly of mirror pairs with high-accuracy optical prisms, followed by precise adjustment in real-time x-ray imaging experiments. The multilayers coated on the KB mirrors were designed to have substantially the same reflectivity to obtain a uniform brightness of different images for laser-plasma temperature analysis. The study provides a practicable method to achieve the optimum performance of the microscope for future high-resolution applications in inertial confinement fusion experiments.

  18. Trends in environmental science using microscopic X-ray fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fittschen, Ursula Elisabeth Adriane; Falkenberg, Gerald

    2011-01-01

    Microscopic X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) is a versatile tool in environmental analysis. We review work done in this field from 2008 to 2010 and highlight new aspects. Overall, there is a strong trend to combine fluorescence data with other data like diffraction or absorption spectroscopy. Also, the use of laboratory based instrumentation has become wide spread as more commercial instruments are available. At laboratories and synchrotron sites the trend towards higher spatial resolution is still persistent hitting sub micrometer values in case of synchrotron set ups.

  19. Trends in environmental science using microscopic X-ray fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fittschen, Ursula Elisabeth Adriane, E-mail: ursula.fittschen@chemie.uni-hamburg.de [Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Falkenberg, Gerald [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany)

    2011-08-15

    Microscopic X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) is a versatile tool in environmental analysis. We review work done in this field from 2008 to 2010 and highlight new aspects. Overall, there is a strong trend to combine fluorescence data with other data like diffraction or absorption spectroscopy. Also, the use of laboratory based instrumentation has become wide spread as more commercial instruments are available. At laboratories and synchrotron sites the trend towards higher spatial resolution is still persistent hitting sub micrometer values in case of synchrotron set ups.

  20. Distinction of nuclear spin states with the scanning tunneling microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natterer, Fabian Donat; Patthey, François; Brune, Harald

    2013-10-25

    We demonstrate rotational excitation spectroscopy with the scanning tunneling microscope for physisorbed H(2) and its isotopes HD and D(2). The observed excitation energies are very close to the gas phase values and show the expected scaling with the moment of inertia. Since these energies are characteristic for the molecular nuclear spin states we are able to identify the para and ortho species of hydrogen and deuterium, respectively. We thereby demonstrate nuclear spin sensitivity with unprecedented spatial resolution.

  1. Development of x-ray laminography under an x-ray microscopic condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoshino, Masato; Uesugi, Kentaro; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Suzuki, Yoshio; Yagi, Naoto

    2011-01-01

    An x-ray laminography system under an x-ray microscopic condition was developed to obtain a three-dimensional structure of laterally-extended planar objects which were difficult to observe by x-ray tomography. An x-ray laminography technique was introduced to an x-ray transmission microscope with zone plate optics. Three prototype sample holders were evaluated for x-ray imaging laminography. Layered copper grid sheets were imaged as a laminated sample. Diatomite powder on a silicon nitride membrane was measured to confirm the applicability of this method to non-planar micro-specimens placed on the membrane. The three-dimensional information of diatom shells on the membrane was obtained at a spatial resolution of sub-micron. Images of biological cells on the membrane were also obtained by using a Zernike phase contrast technique.

  2. Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia; Gur, Dvir; Krivanek, Ondrej L; Dellby, Niklas; Lovejoy, Tracy C; Wolf, Sharon G; Cohen, Hagai

    2016-03-10

    Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an 'aloof' electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C-H, N-H and C=O vibrational signatures with no observable radiation damage. The technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ∼10 nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope.

  3. Note: Electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface with scanning tunneling microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Meng; Xu, Chunkai; Zhang, Panke; Li, Zhean; Chen, Xiangjun

    2016-08-01

    We report a novel scanning probe electron energy spectrometer (SPEES) which combines a double toroidal analyzer with a scanning tunneling microscope to achieve both topography imaging and electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface in situ. The spatial resolution of spectroscopy mapping is determined to be better than 0.7 ± 0.2 μm at a tip sample distance of 7 μm. Meanwhile, the size of the field emission electron beam spot on the surface is also measured, and is about 3.6 ± 0.8 μm in diameter. This unambiguously demonstrates that the spatial resolution of SPEES technique can be much better than the size of the incident electron beam.

  4. Note: Electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface with scanning tunneling microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Meng; Xu, Chunkai, E-mail: xuck@ustc.edu.cn, E-mail: xjun@ustc.edu.cn; Zhang, Panke; Li, Zhean; Chen, Xiangjun, E-mail: xuck@ustc.edu.cn, E-mail: xjun@ustc.edu.cn [Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

    2016-08-15

    We report a novel scanning probe electron energy spectrometer (SPEES) which combines a double toroidal analyzer with a scanning tunneling microscope to achieve both topography imaging and electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface in situ. The spatial resolution of spectroscopy mapping is determined to be better than 0.7 ± 0.2 μm at a tip sample distance of 7 μm. Meanwhile, the size of the field emission electron beam spot on the surface is also measured, and is about 3.6 ± 0.8 μm in diameter. This unambiguously demonstrates that the spatial resolution of SPEES technique can be much better than the size of the incident electron beam.

  5. Note: Electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface with scanning tunneling microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Meng; Xu, Chunkai; Zhang, Panke; Li, Zhean; Chen, Xiangjun

    2016-01-01

    We report a novel scanning probe electron energy spectrometer (SPEES) which combines a double toroidal analyzer with a scanning tunneling microscope to achieve both topography imaging and electron energy spectroscopy mapping of surface in situ. The spatial resolution of spectroscopy mapping is determined to be better than 0.7 ± 0.2 μm at a tip sample distance of 7 μm. Meanwhile, the size of the field emission electron beam spot on the surface is also measured, and is about 3.6 ± 0.8 μm in diameter. This unambiguously demonstrates that the spatial resolution of SPEES technique can be much better than the size of the incident electron beam.

  6. Dynamic nano-imaging of label-free living cells using electron beam excitation-assisted optical microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuta, Masahiro; Kanamori, Satoshi; Furukawa, Taichi; Nawa, Yasunori; Inami, Wataru; Lin, Sheng; Kawata, Yoshimasa; Terakawa, Susumu

    2015-01-01

    Optical microscopes are effective tools for cellular function analysis because biological cells can be observed non-destructively and non-invasively in the living state in either water or atmosphere condition. Label-free optical imaging technique such as phase-contrast microscopy has been analysed many cellular functions, and it is essential technology for bioscience field. However, the diffraction limit of light makes it is difficult to image nano-structures in a label-free living cell, for example the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi body and the localization of proteins. Here we demonstrate the dynamic imaging of a label-free cell with high spatial resolution by using an electron beam excitation-assisted optical (EXA) microscope. We observed the dynamic movement of the nucleus and nano-scale granules in living cells with better than 100 nm spatial resolution and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) around 10. Our results contribute to the development of cellular function analysis and open up new bioscience applications. PMID:26525841

  7. Dynamic nano-imaging of label-free living cells using electron beam excitation-assisted optical microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuta, Masahiro; Kanamori, Satoshi; Furukawa, Taichi; Nawa, Yasunori; Inami, Wataru; Lin, Sheng; Kawata, Yoshimasa; Terakawa, Susumu

    2015-11-03

    Optical microscopes are effective tools for cellular function analysis because biological cells can be observed non-destructively and non-invasively in the living state in either water or atmosphere condition. Label-free optical imaging technique such as phase-contrast microscopy has been analysed many cellular functions, and it is essential technology for bioscience field. However, the diffraction limit of light makes it is difficult to image nano-structures in a label-free living cell, for example the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi body and the localization of proteins. Here we demonstrate the dynamic imaging of a label-free cell with high spatial resolution by using an electron beam excitation-assisted optical (EXA) microscope. We observed the dynamic movement of the nucleus and nano-scale granules in living cells with better than 100 nm spatial resolution and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) around 10. Our results contribute to the development of cellular function analysis and open up new bioscience applications.

  8. The long road to the use of microscope in clinical medicine in vivo: from early pioneering proposals to the modern perspectives of optical biopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponti, Giovanni; Muscatello, Umberto; Sgantzos, Markos

    2015-01-01

    For a long period the scientists did not recognized the potentialities of the compound microscope in medicine. Only few scientists recognized the potentialities of the microscope for the medicine; among them G. Campani who proposed the utilization of his microscope to investigate the skin lesions directly on the patient. The proposal was illustrated in a letter Acta Eruditorum of 1686. The recent development of optical techniques, capable of providing in-focus images of an object from different planes with high spatial resolution, significantly increased the diagnostic potential of the microscope directly on the patient.

  9. Fractional calculus ties the microscopic and macroscopic scales of complex network dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    West, B J; Turalska, M; Grigolini, Paolo

    2015-01-01

    A two-state, master equation-based decision-making model has been shown to generate phase transitions, to be topologically complex, and to manifest temporal complexity through an inverse power-law probability distribution function in the switching times between the two critical states of consensus. These properties are entailed by the fundamental assumption that the network elements in the decision-making model imperfectly imitate one another. The process of subordination establishes that a single network element can be described by a fractional master equation whose analytic solution yields the observed inverse power-law probability distribution obtained by numerical integration of the two-state master equation to a high degree of accuracy. (paper)

  10. Time-resolved ultraviolet near-field scanning optical microscope for characterizing photoluminescence lifetime of light-emitting devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kyoung-Duck; Jeong, Hyun; Kim, Yong Hwan; Yim, Sang-Youp; Lee, Hong Seok; Suh, Eun-Kyung; Jeong, Mun Seok

    2013-03-01

    We developed a instrument consisting of an ultraviolet (UV) near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) combined with time-correlated single photon counting, which allows efficient observation of temporal dynamics of near-field photoluminescence (PL) down to the sub-wavelength scale. The developed time-resolved UV NSOM system showed a spatial resolution of 110 nm and a temporal resolution of 130 ps in the optical signal. The proposed microscope system was successfully demonstrated by characterizing the near-field PL lifetime of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells.

  11. Scanning capacitance microscope as a tool for the characterization of integrated circuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Born, A.; Wiesendanger, R.

    With the decreasing size of integrated circuits (ICs), there is an increasing demand for the measurement of doping profiles with high spatial resolution. The scanning capacitance microscope (SCM) offers the possibility of measuring 2D dopant profiles with spatial resolution of less than 20 nm. A great problem of the SCM technique is the influence of previous measurements on subsequent ones. We have observed hysteresis in the SCM images and measured low-frequency C-V curves with high-frequency equipment. A theoretical model was developed to understand this phenomenon. We are now undertaking the first steps using the SCM as a standard device for the characterization of ICs.

  12. Spectral Interferometry with Electron Microscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talebi, Nahid

    2016-01-01

    Interference patterns are not only a defining characteristic of waves, but also have several applications; characterization of coherent processes and holography. Spatial holography with electron waves, has paved the way towards space-resolved characterization of magnetic domains and electrostatic potentials with angstrom spatial resolution. Another impetus in electron microscopy has been introduced by ultrafast electron microscopy which uses pulses of sub-picosecond durations for probing a laser induced excitation of the sample. However, attosecond temporal resolution has not yet been reported, merely due to the statistical distribution of arrival times of electrons at the sample, with respect to the laser time reference. This is however, the very time resolution which will be needed for performing time-frequency analysis. These difficulties are addressed here by proposing a new methodology to improve the synchronization between electron and optical excitations through introducing an efficient electron-driven photon source. We use focused transition radiation of the electron as a pump for the sample. Due to the nature of transition radiation, the process is coherent. This technique allows us to perform spectral interferometry with electron microscopes, with applications in retrieving the phase of electron-induced polarizations and reconstructing dynamics of the induced vector potential. PMID:27649932

  13. Interior tomography in microscopic CT with image reconstruction constrained by full field of view scan at low spatial resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Shouhua; Shen, Tao; Sun, Yi; Li, Jing; Li, Guang; Tang, Xiangyang

    2018-04-01

    In high resolution (microscopic) CT applications, the scan field of view should cover the entire specimen or sample to allow complete data acquisition and image reconstruction. However, truncation may occur in projection data and results in artifacts in reconstructed images. In this study, we propose a low resolution image constrained reconstruction algorithm (LRICR) for interior tomography in microscopic CT at high resolution. In general, the multi-resolution acquisition based methods can be employed to solve the data truncation problem if the project data acquired at low resolution are utilized to fill up the truncated projection data acquired at high resolution. However, most existing methods place quite strict restrictions on the data acquisition geometry, which greatly limits their utility in practice. In the proposed LRICR algorithm, full and partial data acquisition (scan) at low and high resolutions, respectively, are carried out. Using the image reconstructed from sparse projection data acquired at low resolution as the prior, a microscopic image at high resolution is reconstructed from the truncated projection data acquired at high resolution. Two synthesized digital phantoms, a raw bamboo culm and a specimen of mouse femur, were utilized to evaluate and verify performance of the proposed LRICR algorithm. Compared with the conventional TV minimization based algorithm and the multi-resolution scout-reconstruction algorithm, the proposed LRICR algorithm shows significant improvement in reduction of the artifacts caused by data truncation, providing a practical solution for high quality and reliable interior tomography in microscopic CT applications. The proposed LRICR algorithm outperforms the multi-resolution scout-reconstruction method and the TV minimization based reconstruction for interior tomography in microscopic CT.

  14. Conductivity anisotropy helps to reveal the microscopic structure of a density wave at imperfect nesting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigoriev, P.D.; Kostenko, S.S.

    2015-01-01

    Superconductivity or metallic state may coexist with density wave ordering at imperfect nesting of the Fermi surface. In addition to the macroscopic spatial phase separation, there are, at least, two possible microscopic structures of such coexistence: (i) the soliton-wall phase and (ii) the ungapped Fermi-surface pockets. We show that the conductivity anisotropy allows us to distinguish these two microscopic density-wave structures. The results obtained may help to analyze the experimental observations in layered organic metals (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 , (TMTSF) 2 ClO 4 , α-(BEDT-TTF) 2 KHg(SCN) 4 and in other compounds

  15. Sources of Individual Differences in Children’s Understanding of Fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukovic, Rose K.; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Geary, David C.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Gersten, Russell; Siegler, Robert S.

    2014-01-01

    Longitudinal associations of domain-general and numerical competencies with individual differences in children’s understanding of fractions were investigated. Children (n = 163) were assessed at 6 years of age on domain-general (nonverbal reasoning, language, attentive behavior, executive control, visual-spatial memory) and numerical (number knowledge) competencies; at 7 years on whole-number arithmetic computations and number line estimation; and at 10 years on fraction concepts. Mediation analyses controlling for general mathematics ability and general academic ability revealed that numerical and mathematical competencies were direct predictors of fraction concepts whereas domain-general competencies supported the acquisition of fraction concepts via whole-number arithmetic computations or number line estimation. Results indicate multiple pathways to fraction competence. PMID:24433246

  16. Microscopic theory of one-body dissipation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koonin, S.E.; Randrup, J.; Hatch, R.; Kolomietz, V.

    1977-01-01

    A microscopic theory is developed for nuclear collective motion in the limit of a long nuclear mean-free path. Linear response techniques are applied to an independent particle model and expressions for the collective kinetic energy and rate of energy dissipation are obtained. For leptodermous systems, these quantities are characterized by mass and dissipation kernels coupling the velocities at different points on the nuclear surface. In a classical treatment, the kernels are given in terms of nucleon trajectories within the nuclear shape. In a quantal treatment, the dissipation kernel is related to the nuclear Green function. The spatial and thermal properties of the kernels are investigated. Corrections for the diffuseness of the potential and shell effects are also discussed. (Auth.)

  17. Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope with spherical multilayer mirrors around 2.5keV photon energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Ning; Du, Xuewei; Wang, Qiuping; Cao, Zhurong; Jiang, Shaoen; Ding, Yongkun

    2014-09-01

    A Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) x-ray microscope has been developed for the diagnostics of inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The KB microscope system works around 2.5keV with the magnification of 20. It consists of two spherical multilayer mirrors. The grazing angle is 3.575° at 2.5keV. The influence of the slope error of optical components and the alignment errors is simulated by SHADOW software. The mechanical structure which can perform fine tuning is designed. Experiment result with Manson x-ray source shows that the spatial resolution of the system is about 3-4μm over a field of view of 200μm.

  18. Anomalous convection diffusion and wave coupling transport of cells on comb frame with fractional Cattaneo-Christov flux

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lin; Zheng, Liancun; Liu, Fawang; Zhang, Xinxin

    2016-09-01

    An improved Cattaneo-Christov flux model is proposed which can be used to capture the effects of the time and spatial relaxations, the time and spatial inhomogeneous diffusion and the spatial transition probability of cell transport in a highly non-homogeneous medium. Solutions are obtained by numerical discretization method where the time and spatial fractional derivative are discretized by the L1-approximation and shifted Grünwald definition, respectively. The solvability, stability and convergence of the numerical method for the special case of the Cattaneo-Christov equation are proved. Results indicate that the fractional convection diffusion-wave equation is an evolution equation which displays the coexisting characteristics of parabolicity and hyperbolicity. In other words, for α in (0, 1), the cells transport occupies the characteristics of coupling convection diffusion and wave spreading. Moreover, the effects of pertinent time parameter, time and spatial fractional derivative parameters, relaxation parameter, weight coefficient and the convection velocity on the anomalous transport of cells are shown graphically and analyzed in detail.

  19. Cryogenic immersion microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Gros, Mark; Larabell, Carolyn A.

    2010-12-14

    A cryogenic immersion microscope whose objective lens is at least partially in contact with a liquid reservoir of a cryogenic liquid, in which reservoir a sample of interest is immersed is disclosed. When the cryogenic liquid has an index of refraction that reduces refraction at interfaces between the lens and the sample, overall resolution and image quality are improved. A combination of an immersion microscope and x-ray microscope, suitable for imaging at cryogenic temperatures is also disclosed.

  20. Aggregation effects on tritium-based mean transit times and young water fractions in spatially heterogeneous catchments and groundwater systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Michael K.; Morgenstern, Uwe; Gusyev, Maksym A.; Małoszewski, Piotr

    2017-09-01

    Kirchner (2016a) demonstrated that aggregation errors due to spatial heterogeneity, represented by two homogeneous subcatchments, could cause severe underestimation of the mean transit times (MTTs) of water travelling through catchments when simple lumped parameter models were applied to interpret seasonal tracer cycle data. Here we examine the effects of such errors on the MTTs and young water fractions estimated using tritium concentrations in two-part hydrological systems. We find that MTTs derived from tritium concentrations in streamflow are just as susceptible to aggregation bias as those from seasonal tracer cycles. Likewise, groundwater wells or springs fed by two or more water sources with different MTTs will also have aggregation bias. However, the transit times over which the biases are manifested are different because the two methods are applicable over different time ranges, up to 5 years for seasonal tracer cycles and up to 200 years for tritium concentrations. Our virtual experiments with two water components show that the aggregation errors are larger when the MTT differences between the components are larger and the amounts of the components are each close to 50 % of the mixture. We also find that young water fractions derived from tritium (based on a young water threshold of 18 years) are almost immune to aggregation errors as were those derived from seasonal tracer cycles with a threshold of about 2 months.

  1. Novel microscope-integrated stereoscopic heads-up display for intrasurgical optical coherence tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Liangbo; Carrasco-Zevallos, Oscar; Keller, Brenton; Viehland, Christian; Waterman, Gar; Hahn, Paul S.; Kuo, Anthony N.; Toth, Cynthia A.; Izatt, Joseph A.

    2016-01-01

    Intra-operative optical coherence tomography (OCT) requires a display technology which allows surgeons to visualize OCT data without disrupting surgery. Previous research and commercial intrasurgical OCT systems have integrated heads-up display (HUD) systems into surgical microscopes to provide monoscopic viewing of OCT data through one microscope ocular. To take full advantage of our previously reported real-time volumetric microscope-integrated OCT (4D MIOCT) system, we describe a stereoscopic HUD which projects a stereo pair of OCT volume renderings into both oculars simultaneously. The stereoscopic HUD uses a novel optical design employing spatial multiplexing to project dual OCT volume renderings utilizing a single micro-display. The optical performance of the surgical microscope with the HUD was quantitatively characterized and the addition of the HUD was found not to substantially effect the resolution, field of view, or pincushion distortion of the operating microscope. In a pilot depth perception subject study, five ophthalmic surgeons completed a pre-set dexterity task with 50.0% (SD = 37.3%) higher success rate and in 35.0% (SD = 24.8%) less time on average with stereoscopic OCT vision compared to monoscopic OCT vision. Preliminary experience using the HUD in 40 vitreo-retinal human surgeries by five ophthalmic surgeons is reported, in which all surgeons reported that the HUD did not alter their normal view of surgery and that live surgical maneuvers were readily visible in displayed stereoscopic OCT volumes. PMID:27231616

  2. Novel microscope-integrated stereoscopic heads-up display for intrasurgical optical coherence tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Liangbo; Carrasco-Zevallos, Oscar; Keller, Brenton; Viehland, Christian; Waterman, Gar; Hahn, Paul S; Kuo, Anthony N; Toth, Cynthia A; Izatt, Joseph A

    2016-05-01

    Intra-operative optical coherence tomography (OCT) requires a display technology which allows surgeons to visualize OCT data without disrupting surgery. Previous research and commercial intrasurgical OCT systems have integrated heads-up display (HUD) systems into surgical microscopes to provide monoscopic viewing of OCT data through one microscope ocular. To take full advantage of our previously reported real-time volumetric microscope-integrated OCT (4D MIOCT) system, we describe a stereoscopic HUD which projects a stereo pair of OCT volume renderings into both oculars simultaneously. The stereoscopic HUD uses a novel optical design employing spatial multiplexing to project dual OCT volume renderings utilizing a single micro-display. The optical performance of the surgical microscope with the HUD was quantitatively characterized and the addition of the HUD was found not to substantially effect the resolution, field of view, or pincushion distortion of the operating microscope. In a pilot depth perception subject study, five ophthalmic surgeons completed a pre-set dexterity task with 50.0% (SD = 37.3%) higher success rate and in 35.0% (SD = 24.8%) less time on average with stereoscopic OCT vision compared to monoscopic OCT vision. Preliminary experience using the HUD in 40 vitreo-retinal human surgeries by five ophthalmic surgeons is reported, in which all surgeons reported that the HUD did not alter their normal view of surgery and that live surgical maneuvers were readily visible in displayed stereoscopic OCT volumes.

  3. Quantitative detection of microscopic lithium distributions with neutrons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neri, Giulia; Gernhaeuser, Roman; Lichtinger, Josef; Winkler, Sonja; Seiler, Dominik; Bendel, Michael [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Physik-Department (Germany); Kunze-Liebhaeuser, Julia; Brumbarov, Jassen; Portenkirchner, Engelbert [Institut fuer Physikalische Chemie, Leopold-Franzens-Universitaet Innsbruck (Austria); Renno, Axel; Rugel, Georg [Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Helmholtz-Institut Freiberg fuer Ressourcentechnologie (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    The importance of lithium in the modern industrial society is continuously increasing. Spatially resolved detection of tritium particles from {sup 6}Li(n,α){sup 3}H nuclear reactions is used to reconstruct microscopic lithium distributions. Samples are exposed to a flux of cold neutrons. Emitted charged particles are detected with a PSD. Introducing a pinhole aperture between target and detector, the experimental setup works like a ''camera obscura'', allowing to perform spatially resolved measurements. Tritium detection analysis was successfully used to reconstruct the lithium content in self-organized TiO{sub 2-x}-C and Si/TiO{sub 2-x}-C nanotubes electrochemically lithiated, for the first time. Titanium dioxide nanotubes are a candidate for a safe anode material in lithium-ion batteries. Also lithium distributions in geological samples, so called ''pathfinder-minerals'' containing lithium, like lepidolite from a pegmatite, were analyzed. With this development we present a new precision method using nuclear physics for material science.

  4. A study of microscopic dose rate distribution of 99Tcm-MIBI in the liver of mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Mingxi; Zhang Liang'an; Wang Yong; Dai Guangfu

    2002-01-01

    Objective: A microdosimetry model was tried to develop an accurate way to evaluate absorbed dose rates in target cell nuclei from radiopharmaceuticals. Methods: Microscopic frozen section autoradiography was used to determine the subcellular locations of 99 Tc m -MIBI relative to the tissue histology in the liver of mice after injection of 99 Tc m -MIBI via tail for two hours, and a mathematical model was developed to evaluate the microscopic dose rates in cell nuclei. The Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) schema was also used to evaluate the dose rates at the same time, and a comparison of the results of the two methods was conducted to determine which method is better to accurately estimate microscopic dose rates. Results: The spatial distribution of 99 Tc m -MIBI in the liver of mice at subcellular level was not uniform, and the differences between the microdosimetry model and MIRD schema were significant (P 99 Tc m -labeled pharmaceuticals at the microscopic level

  5. Microscopic measurement of penetration depth in YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films by scanning Hall probe microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oral, A.; Bending, S.J.; Humphreys, R.G.; Henini, M.

    1997-01-01

    We have used a low noise scanning Hall probe microscope to measure the penetration depth microscopically in a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin film as a function of temperature. The instrument has high magnetic field (approx. 2.9x10 -8 T Hz -1/2 at 77 K) and spatial resolution (approx. 0.85 μm). Magnetic field profiles of single vortices in the superconducting film have been successfully measured and the microscopic penetration depth of the superconductor has been extracted. We find surprisingly large variations in values of λ for different vortices within the scanning field. (author)

  6. Nanosecond time-resolved investigations using the in situ of dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LaGrange, Thomas; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Reed, B.W.; Taheri, Mitra; Pesavento, J. Bradley; Kim, Judy S.; Browning, Nigel D.

    2008-01-01

    Most biological processes, chemical reactions and materials dynamics occur at rates much faster than can be captured with standard video rate acquisition methods in transmission electron microscopes (TEM). Thus, there is a need to increase the temporal resolution in order to capture and understand salient features of these rapid materials processes. This paper details the development of a high-time resolution dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) that captures dynamics in materials with nanosecond time resolution. The current DTEM performance, having a spatial resolution <10 nm for single-shot imaging using 15 ns electron pulses, will be discussed in the context of experimental investigations in solid state reactions of NiAl reactive multilayer films, the study of martensitic transformations in nanocrystalline Ti and the catalytic growth of Si nanowires. In addition, this paper will address the technical issues involved with high current, electron pulse operation and the near-term improvements to the electron optics, which will greatly improve the signal and spatial resolutions, and to the laser system, which will allow tailored specimen and photocathode drive conditions

  7. Nanosecond time-resolved investigations using the in situ of dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    LaGrange, Thomas [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)], E-mail: lagrange@llnl.gov; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Reed, B.W.; Taheri, Mitra; Pesavento, J. Bradley [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Kim, Judy S.; Browning, Nigel D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

    2008-10-15

    Most biological processes, chemical reactions and materials dynamics occur at rates much faster than can be captured with standard video rate acquisition methods in transmission electron microscopes (TEM). Thus, there is a need to increase the temporal resolution in order to capture and understand salient features of these rapid materials processes. This paper details the development of a high-time resolution dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) that captures dynamics in materials with nanosecond time resolution. The current DTEM performance, having a spatial resolution <10 nm for single-shot imaging using 15 ns electron pulses, will be discussed in the context of experimental investigations in solid state reactions of NiAl reactive multilayer films, the study of martensitic transformations in nanocrystalline Ti and the catalytic growth of Si nanowires. In addition, this paper will address the technical issues involved with high current, electron pulse operation and the near-term improvements to the electron optics, which will greatly improve the signal and spatial resolutions, and to the laser system, which will allow tailored specimen and photocathode drive conditions.

  8. Photon scanning tunneling microscope in combination with a force microscope

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moers, M.H.P.; Moers, M.H.P.; Tack, R.G.; van Hulst, N.F.; Bölger, B.; Bölger, B.

    1994-01-01

    The simultaneous operation of a photon scanning tunneling microscope with an atomic force microscope is presented. The use of standard atomic force silicon nitride cantilevers as near-field optical probes offers the possibility to combine the two methods. Vertical forces and torsion are detected

  9. A portable fluorescence microscopic imaging system for cholecystectomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Jian; Yang, Chaoyu; Gan, Qi; Ma, Rong; Zhang, Zeshu; Chang, Shufang; Shao, Pengfei; Zhang, Shiwu; Liu, Chenhai; Xu, Ronald

    2016-03-01

    In this paper we proposed a portable fluorescence microscopic imaging system to prevent iatrogenic biliary injuries from occurring during cholecystectomy due to misidentification of the cystic structures. The system consisted of a light source module, a CMOS camera, a Raspberry Pi computer and a 5 inch HDMI LCD. Specifically, the light source module was composed of 690 nm and 850 nm LEDs, allowing the CMOS camera to simultaneously acquire both fluorescence and background images. The system was controlled by Raspberry Pi using Python programming with the OpenCV library under Linux. We chose Indocyanine green(ICG) as a fluorescent contrast agent and then tested fluorescence intensities of the ICG aqueous solution at different concentration levels by our fluorescence microscopic system compared with the commercial Xenogen IVIS system. The spatial resolution of the proposed fluorescence microscopic imaging system was measured by a 1951 USAF resolution target and the dynamic response was evaluated quantitatively with an automatic displacement platform. Finally, we verified the technical feasibility of the proposed system in mouse models of bile duct, performing both correct and incorrect gallbladder resection. Our experiments showed that the proposed system can provide clear visualization of the confluence between the cystic duct and common bile duct or common hepatic duct, suggesting that this is a potential method for guiding cholecystectomy. The proposed portable system only cost a total of $300, potentially promoting its use in resource-limited settings.

  10. The National Ignition Facility modular Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pickworth, L. A., E-mail: pickworth1@llnl.gov; Ayers, J.; Bell, P.; Brejnholt, N. F.; Buscho, J. G.; Bradley, D.; Decker, T.; Hau-Riege, S.; McCarville, T.; Pardini, T.; Vogel, J.; Walton, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Kilkenny, J. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121 (United States)

    2016-11-15

    Current two-dimensional X-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) uses time resolved pinhole cameras with ∼10-25 μm pinholes. This method has limitations in the smallest resolvable features that can be imaged with reasonable photon statistics for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) applications. ICF sources have a broadband self-emission spectrum that causes the pinhole images obtained, through thin foil filters, to contain a similarly broadband spectrum complicating the interpretation of structure in the source. In order to study phenomena on the scale of ∼5 μm, such as dopant mix in the ICF capsule, a narrow energy band, higher spatial resolution microscope system with improved signal/noise has been developed using X-ray optics. Utilizing grazing incidence mirrors in a Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope (KBM) configuration [P. Kirkpatrick and A. V. Baez, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38, 766–774 (1948)], an X-ray microscope has been designed and fielded on NIF with four imaging channels. The KBM has ∼12 × magnification, <8 μm resolution, and higher throughput in comparison to similar pinhole systems. The first KBM mirrors are coated with a multilayer mirror to allow a “narrow band” energy response at 10.2 keV with ΔE ∼ 3 keV. By adjusting the mirror coating only, the energy response can be matched to the future experimental requirements. Several mirror packs have been commissioned and are interchangeable in the diagnostic snout.

  11. Ionic channels in Langmuir-Blodgett films imaged by a scanning tunneling microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolomytkin, O V; Golubok, A O; Davydov, D N; Timofeev, V A; Vinogradova, S A; Tipisev SYa

    1991-01-01

    The molecular structure of channels formed by gramicidin A in a lipid membrane was imaged by a scanning tunneling microscope operating in air. The mono- and bimolecular films of lipid with gramicidin A were deposited onto a highly oriented pyrolitic graphite substrate by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. It has been shown that under high concentration gramicidin A molecules can form in lipid films a quasi-regular, densely packed structure. Single gramicidin A molecules were imaged for the first time as well. The cavity of 0.4 +/- 0.05 nm in halfwidth was found on the scanning tunneling microscopy image of the gramicidin A molecule. The results of direct observation obtained by means of scanning tunneling microscope are in good agreement with the known molecular model of gramicidin A. It was shown that gramicidin A molecules can exist in a lipid monolayer as individual molecules or combined into clusters. The results demonstrate that scanning tunneling microscope can be used for high spatial resolution study of ionic channel structure. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 PMID:1712239

  12. Extending the D’alembert solution to space–time Modified Riemann–Liouville fractional wave equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godinho, Cresus F.L.; Weberszpil, J.; Helayël-Neto, J.A.

    2012-01-01

    In the realm of complexity, it is argued that adequate modeling of TeV-physics demands an approach based on fractal operators and fractional calculus (FC). Non-local theories and memory effects are connected to complexity and the FC. The non-differentiable nature of the microscopic dynamics may be connected with time scales. Based on the Modified Riemann–Liouville definition of fractional derivatives, we have worked out explicit solutions to a fractional wave equation with suitable initial conditions to carefully understand the time evolution of classical fields with a fractional dynamics. First, by considering space–time partial fractional derivatives of the same order in time and space, a generalized fractional D’alembertian is introduced and by means of a transformation of variables to light-cone coordinates, an explicit analytical solution is obtained. To address the situation of different orders in the time and space derivatives, we adopt different approaches, as it will become clear throughout this paper. Aspects connected to Lorentz symmetry are analyzed in both approaches.

  13. Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies of Microwave Sintered Al-SiC Nanocomposites and Their Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Himyan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Al-metal matrix composites (AMMCs reinforced with diverse volume fraction of SiC nanoparticles were synthesized using microwave sintering process. The effects of the reinforcing SiC particles on physical, microstructure, mechanical, and electrical properties were studied. The phase, microstructural, and surface analyses of the composites were systematically conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscope (SEM, and surface profilometer techniques, respectively. The microstructural examination revealed the homogeneous distribution of SiC particles in the Al matrix. Microhardness and compressive strength of nanocomposites were found to be increasing with the increasing volume fraction of SiC particles. Electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites decreases with increasing the SiC content.

  14. Criterion for traffic phases in single vehicle data and empirical test of a microscopic three-phase traffic theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerner, Boris S; Klenov, Sergey L; Hiller, Andreas

    2006-01-01

    Based on empirical and numerical microscopic analyses, the physical nature of a qualitatively different behaviour of the wide moving jam phase in comparison with the synchronized flow phase-microscopic traffic flow interruption within the wide moving jam phase-is found. A microscopic criterion for distinguishing the synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in single vehicle data measured at a single freeway location is presented. Based on this criterion, empirical microscopic classification of different local congested traffic states is performed. Simulations made show that the microscopic criterion and macroscopic spatiotemporal objective criteria lead to the same identification of the synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in congested traffic. Microscopic models in the context of three-phase traffic theory have been tested based on the microscopic criterion for the phases in congested traffic. It is found that microscopic three-phase traffic models can explain both microscopic and macroscopic empirical congested pattern features. It is obtained that microscopic frequency distributions for vehicle speed difference as well as fundamental diagrams and speed correlation functions can depend on the spatial co-ordinate considerably. It turns out that microscopic optimal velocity (OV) functions and time headway distributions are not necessarily qualitatively different, even if local congested traffic states are qualitatively different. The reason for this is that important spatiotemporal features of congested traffic patterns are lost in these as well as in many other macroscopic and microscopic traffic characteristics, which are widely used as the empirical basis for a test of traffic flow models, specifically, cellular automata traffic flow models

  15. Scanning Color Laser Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awamura, D.; Ode, T.; Yonezawa, M.

    1988-01-01

    A confocal color laser microscope which utilizes a three color laser light source (Red: He-Ne, Green: Ar, Blue: Ar) has been developed and is finding useful applications in the semiconductor field. The color laser microscope, when compared to a conventional microscope, offers superior color separation, higher resolution, and sharper contrast. Recently some new functions including a Focus Scan Memory, a Surface Profile Measurement System, a Critical Dimension Measurement system (CD) and an Optical Beam Induced Current Function (OBIC) have been developed for the color laser microscope. This paper will discuss these new features.

  16. Aggregation in environmental systems - Part 1: Seasonal tracer cycles quantify young water fractions, but not mean transit times, in spatially heterogeneous catchments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirchner, J. W.

    2016-01-01

    Environmental heterogeneity is ubiquitous, but environmental systems are often analyzed as if they were homogeneous instead, resulting in aggregation errors that are rarely explored and almost never quantified. Here I use simple benchmark tests to explore this general problem in one specific context: the use of seasonal cycles in chemical or isotopic tracers (such as Cl-, δ18O, or δ2H) to estimate timescales of storage in catchments. Timescales of catchment storage are typically quantified by the mean transit time, meaning the average time that elapses between parcels of water entering as precipitation and leaving again as streamflow. Longer mean transit times imply greater damping of seasonal tracer cycles. Thus, the amplitudes of tracer cycles in precipitation and streamflow are commonly used to calculate catchment mean transit times. Here I show that these calculations will typically be wrong by several hundred percent, when applied to catchments with realistic degrees of spatial heterogeneity. This aggregation bias arises from the strong nonlinearity in the relationship between tracer cycle amplitude and mean travel time. I propose an alternative storage metric, the young water fraction in streamflow, defined as the fraction of runoff with transit times of less than roughly 0.2 years. I show that this young water fraction (not to be confused with event-based "new water" in hydrograph separations) is accurately predicted by seasonal tracer cycles within a precision of a few percent, across the entire range of mean transit times from almost zero to almost infinity. Importantly, this relationship is also virtually free from aggregation error. That is, seasonal tracer cycles also accurately predict the young water fraction in runoff from highly heterogeneous mixtures of subcatchments with strongly contrasting transit-time distributions. Thus, although tracer cycle amplitudes yield biased and unreliable estimates of catchment mean travel times in heterogeneous

  17. Synergetic cloud fraction determination for SCIAMACHY using MERIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Schlundt

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Since clouds play an essential role in the Earth's climate system, it is important to understand the cloud characteristics as well as their distribution on a global scale using satellite observations. The main scientific objective of SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY onboard the ENVISAT satellite is the retrieval of vertical columns of trace gases.

    On the one hand, SCIAMACHY has to be sensitive to low variations in trace gas concentrations which means the ground pixel size has to be large enough. On the other hand, such a large pixel size leads to the problem that SCIAMACHY spectra are often contaminated by clouds. SCIAMACHY spectral measurements are not well suitable to derive a reliable sub-pixel cloud fraction that can be used as input parameter for subsequent retrievals of cloud properties or vertical trace gas columns. Therefore, we use MERIS/ENVISAT spectral measurements with its high spatial resolution as sub-pixel information for the determination of MerIs Cloud fRation fOr Sciamachy (MICROS. Since MERIS covers an even broader swath width than SCIAMACHY, no problems in spatial and temporal collocation of measurements occur. This enables the derivation of a SCIAMACHY cloud fraction with an accuracy much higher as compared with other current cloud fractions that are based on SCIAMACHY's PMD (Polarization Measurement Device data.

    We present our new developed MICROS algorithm, based on the threshold approach, as well as a qualitative validation of our results with MERIS satellite images for different locations, especially with respect to bright surfaces such as snow/ice and sands. In addition, the SCIAMACHY cloud fractions derived from MICROS are intercompared with other current SCIAMACHY cloud fractions based on different approaches demonstrating a considerable improvement regarding geometric cloud fraction determination using the MICROS algorithm.

  18. Development of laser plasma x-ray microscope for living hydrated biological specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kado, Masataka; Daido, Hiroyuki

    2005-01-01

    Investigating the structure and the function of life object performing advanced life activity becomes important. In order to investigate the life object, it is necessary to observe living specimens with high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. Since laser plasma x-ray source has high brightness and short pulse duration, x-ray microscope with the laser plasma x-ray source makes possible to observe living specimens. Such as chromosomes, macrophages, bacterium, and so on have been observed by contact x-ray microscopy. The x-ray images obtained by indirect measurements such as the contact x-ray microscopy have difficulty to avoid artificial effect such as irregular due to developing process. Development of an x-ray microscope with laser plasma x-ray source is necessary to avoid such defects. (author)

  19. Biological applications of an LCoS-based programmable array microscope (PAM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, Guy M.; Caarls, Wouter; Thomas, Martin; Hill, Andrew; Lidke, Keith A.; Rieger, Bernd; Fritsch, Cornelia; van Geest, Bert; Jovin, Thomas M.; Arndt-Jovin, Donna J.

    2007-02-01

    We report on a new generation, commercial prototype of a programmable array optical sectioning fluorescence microscope (PAM) for rapid, light efficient 3D imaging of living specimens. The stand-alone module, including light source(s) and detector(s), features an innovative optical design and a ferroelectric liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM) instead of the DMD used in the original PAM design. The LCoS PAM (developed in collaboration with Cairn Research, Ltd.) can be attached to a port of a(ny) unmodified fluorescence microscope. The prototype system currently operated at the Max Planck Institute incorporates a 6-position high-intensity LED illuminator, modulated laser and lamp light sources, and an Andor iXon emCCD camera. The module is mounted on an Olympus IX71 inverted microscope with 60-150X objectives with a Prior Scientific x,y, and z high resolution scanning stages. Further enhancements recently include: (i) point- and line-wise spectral resolution and (ii) lifetime imaging (FLIM) in the frequency domain. Multiphoton operation and other nonlinear techniques should be feasible. The capabilities of the PAM are illustrated by several examples demonstrating single molecule as well as lifetime imaging in live cells, and the unique capability to perform photoconversion with arbitrary patterns and high spatial resolution. Using quantum dot coupled ligands we show real-time binding and subsequent trafficking of individual ligand-growth factor receptor complexes on and in live cells with a temporal resolution and sensitivity exceeding those of conventional CLSM systems. The combined use of a blue laser and parallel LED or visible laser sources permits photoactivation and rapid kinetic analysis of cellular processes probed by photoswitchable visible fluorescent proteins such as DRONPA.

  20. SU-D-BRB-06: Treating Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) as a Chronic Disease: Implication of Temporal-Spatial Dose Fractionation Optimization Including Cancer Stem Cell Dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, V; Nguyen, D; Pajonk, F; Kaprealian, T; Kupelian, P; Steinberg, M; Low, D; Sheng, K [Department of Radiation Oncology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To explore the feasibility of improving GBM treatment outcome with temporal-spatial dose optimization of an ordinary differential equation (ODE) that models the differentiation and distinct radiosensitivity between cancer stem cells (CSC) and differentiated cancer cells (DCC). Methods: The ODE was formulated into a non-convex optimization problem with the objective to minimize remaining total cancer cells 500 days from the onset of radiotherapy when the total cancer cell number was 3.5×10{sup 7}, while maintaining normal tissue biological effective dose (BED) of 100Gy resulted from standard prescription of 2Gyx30. Assuming spatially separated CSC and DCC, optimization was also performed to explore the potential benefit from dose-painting the two compartments. Dose escalation to a sub-cell-population in the GTV was also examined assuming that a 2 cm margin around the GTV allows sufficient dose drop-off to 100Gy BED. The recurrence time was determined as the time at which the total cancer cell number regrows to 10{sup 9} cells. Results: The recurrence time with variable fractional doses administered once per week, bi-week and month for one year were found to be 615, 593 and 570 days, superior to the standard-prescription recurrence time of 418 days. The optimal dose-fraction size progression for both uniform and dose-painting to the tumor is low and relatively constant in the beginning and gradually increases to more aggressive fractions at end of the treatment course. Dose escalation to BED of 200Gy to the whole tumor alongside with protracted weekly treatment was found to further delay recurrence to 733 days. Dose-painting of 200 and 500Gy BED to CSC on a year-long weekly schedule further extended recurrence to 736 and 1076 days, respectively. Conclusion: GBM treatment outcome can possibly be improved with a chronic treatment approach. Further dose escalation to the entire tumor or CSC targeted killing is needed to achieve total tumor control. This work

  1. Conductivity anisotropy helps to reveal the microscopic structure of a density wave at imperfect nesting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, P.D., E-mail: grigorev@itp.ac.ru [L.D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Chernogolovka 142432 (Russian Federation); Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble (France); Kostenko, S.S. [Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, 142432 Chernogolovka (Russian Federation)

    2015-03-01

    Superconductivity or metallic state may coexist with density wave ordering at imperfect nesting of the Fermi surface. In addition to the macroscopic spatial phase separation, there are, at least, two possible microscopic structures of such coexistence: (i) the soliton-wall phase and (ii) the ungapped Fermi-surface pockets. We show that the conductivity anisotropy allows us to distinguish these two microscopic density-wave structures. The results obtained may help to analyze the experimental observations in layered organic metals (TMTSF){sub 2}PF{sub 6}, (TMTSF){sub 2}ClO{sub 4}, α-(BEDT-TTF){sub 2}KHg(SCN){sub 4} and in other compounds.

  2. Laser scanning confocal microscope with programmable amplitude, phase, and polarization of the illumination beam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boruah, B R; Neil, M A A

    2009-01-01

    We describe the design and construction of a laser scanning confocal microscope with programmable beam forming optics. The amplitude, phase, and polarization of the laser beam used in the microscope can be controlled in real time with the help of a liquid crystal spatial light modulator, acting as a computer generated hologram, in conjunction with a polarizing beam splitter and two right angled prisms assembly. Two scan mirrors, comprising an on-axis fast moving scan mirror for line scanning and an off-axis slow moving scan mirror for frame scanning, configured in a way to minimize the movement of the scanned beam over the pupil plane of the microscope objective, form the XY scan unit. The confocal system, that incorporates the programmable beam forming unit and the scan unit, has been implemented to image in both reflected and fluorescence light from the specimen. Efficiency of the system to programmably generate custom defined vector beams has been demonstrated by generating a bottle structured focal volume, which in fact is the overlap of two cross polarized beams, that can simultaneously improve both the lateral and axial resolutions if used as the de-excitation beam in a stimulated emission depletion confocal microscope.

  3. Local tunneling spectroscopy of a Nb/InAs/Nb superconducting proximity system with a scanning tunneling microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, K.; Takayanagi, H.

    1991-01-01

    Local tunneling spectroscopy for a Nb/In/As/Nb superconducting proximity system was demonstrated with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. It is found that the local electron density of states in the InAs region is spatially modulated by the neighboring superconductor Nb

  4. Spatial and temporal variation of light inside peach trees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genard, M.; Baret, F.

    1994-01-01

    Gap fractions measured with hemispherical photographs were used to describe spatial and temporal variations of diffuse and direct light fractions transmitted to shoots within peach trees. For both cultivars studied, spatial variability of daily diffuse and direct light transmitted to shoots was very high within the tree. Diffuse and daily direct light fractions transmitted to shoots increased with shoot height within the tree and for more erect shoots. Temporal variations of hourly direct light were also large among shoots. Hourly direct light fractions transmitted to shoots were analyzed using recent developments in multivariate exploratory analysis. A gradient was observed between shoots sunlit almost all day and other shoots almost never sunlit. Well sunlit shoots were mostly located at the top of the tree and were more erect. Shoots located in the outer parts of the tree crown were slightly but significantly more sunlit than others for one cultivar. Principal component analysis additionally discriminated shoots according to the time of the day they were sunlit. This classification was related to shoot compass position for one cultivar. Spatial location of the shoot in the tree explained only a small part of light climate variability. Consequences of modeling light climate within the tree are discussed

  5. Virtual reality microscope versus conventional microscope regarding time to diagnosis: an experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randell, Rebecca; Ruddle, Roy A; Mello-Thoms, Claudia; Thomas, Rhys G; Quirke, Phil; Treanor, Darren

    2013-01-01

      To create and evaluate a virtual reality (VR) microscope that is as efficient as the conventional microscope, seeking to support the introduction of digital slides into routine practice.   A VR microscope was designed and implemented by combining ultra-high-resolution displays with VR technology, techniques for fast interaction, and high usability. It was evaluated using a mixed factorial experimental design with technology and task as within-participant variables and grade of histopathologist as a between-participant variable. Time to diagnosis was similar for the conventional and VR microscopes. However, there was a significant difference in the mean magnification used between the two technologies, with participants working at a higher level of magnification on the VR microscope.   The results suggest that, with the right technology, efficient use of digital pathology for routine practice is a realistic possibility. Further work is required to explore what magnification is required on the VR microscope for histopathologists to identify diagnostic features, and the effect on this of the digital slide production process. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Limited.

  6. The head-mounted microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ting; Dailey, Seth H; Naze, Sawyer A; Jiang, Jack J

    2012-04-01

    Microsurgical equipment has greatly advanced since the inception of the microscope into the operating room. These advancements have allowed for superior surgical precision and better post-operative results. This study focuses on the use of the Leica HM500 head-mounted microscope for the operating phonosurgeon. The head-mounted microscope has an optical zoom from 2× to 9× and provides a working distance from 300 mm to 700 mm. The headpiece, with its articulated eyepieces, adjusts easily to head shape and circumference, and offers a focus function, which is either automatic or manually controlled. We performed five microlaryngoscopic operations utilizing the head-mounted microscope with successful results. By creating a more ergonomically favorable operating posture, a surgeon may be able to obtain greater precision and success in phonomicrosurgery. Phonomicrosurgery requires the precise manipulation of long-handled cantilevered instruments through the narrow bore of a laryngoscope. The head-mounted microscope shortens the working distance compared with a stand microscope, thereby increasing arm stability, which may improve surgical precision. Also, the head-mounted design permits flexibility in head position, enabling operator comfort, and delaying musculoskeletal fatigue. A head-mounted microscope decreases the working distance and provides better ergonomics in laryngoscopic microsurgery. These advances provide the potential to promote precision in phonomicrosurgery. Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  7. The Homemade Microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Roger C., Jr.

    1991-01-01

    Directions for the building of a pocket microscope that will make visible the details of insect structure and living bacteria are described. Background information on the history of microscopes and lenses is provided. The procedures for producing various types of lenses are included. (KR)

  8. Magnetoacoustic microscopic imaging of conductive objects and nanoparticles distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Siyu; Zhang, Ruochong; Luo, Yunqi; Zheng, Yuanjin

    2017-09-01

    Magnetoacoustic tomography has been demonstrated as a powerful and low-cost multi-wave imaging modality. However, due to limited spatial resolution and detection efficiency of magnetoacoustic signal, full potential of the magnetoacoustic imaging remains to be tapped. Here we report a high-resolution magnetoacoustic microscopy method, where magnetic stimulation is provided by a compact solenoid resonance coil connected with a matching network, and acoustic reception is realized by using a high-frequency focused ultrasound transducer. Scanning the magnetoacoustic microscopy system perpendicularly to the acoustic axis of the focused transducer would generate a two-dimensional microscopic image with acoustically determined lateral resolution. It is analyzed theoretically and demonstrated experimentally that magnetoacoustic generation in this microscopic system depends on the conductivity profile of conductive objects and localized distribution of superparamagnetic iron magnetic nanoparticles, based on two different but related implementations. The lateral resolution is characterized. Directional nature of magnetoacoustic vibration and imaging sensitivity for mapping magnetic nanoparticles are also discussed. The proposed microscopy system offers a high-resolution method that could potentially map intrinsic conductivity distribution in biological tissue and extraneous magnetic nanoparticles.

  9. Sources of Individual Differences in Children’s Understanding of Fractions

    OpenAIRE

    Vukovic, Rose K.; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Geary, David C.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Gersten, Russell; Siegler, Robert S.

    2014-01-01

    Longitudinal associations of domain-general and numerical competencies with individual differences in children’s understanding of fractions were investigated. Children (n = 163) were assessed at 6 years of age on domain-general (nonverbal reasoning, language, attentive behavior, executive control, visual-spatial memory) and numerical (number knowledge) competencies; at 7 years on whole-number arithmetic computations and number line estimation; and at 10 years on fraction concepts. Mediation a...

  10. Aggregation effects on tritium-based mean transit times and young water fractions in spatially heterogeneous catchments and groundwater systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. K. Stewart

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Kirchner (2016a demonstrated that aggregation errors due to spatial heterogeneity, represented by two homogeneous subcatchments, could cause severe underestimation of the mean transit times (MTTs of water travelling through catchments when simple lumped parameter models were applied to interpret seasonal tracer cycle data. Here we examine the effects of such errors on the MTTs and young water fractions estimated using tritium concentrations in two-part hydrological systems. We find that MTTs derived from tritium concentrations in streamflow are just as susceptible to aggregation bias as those from seasonal tracer cycles. Likewise, groundwater wells or springs fed by two or more water sources with different MTTs will also have aggregation bias. However, the transit times over which the biases are manifested are different because the two methods are applicable over different time ranges, up to 5 years for seasonal tracer cycles and up to 200 years for tritium concentrations. Our virtual experiments with two water components show that the aggregation errors are larger when the MTT differences between the components are larger and the amounts of the components are each close to 50 % of the mixture. We also find that young water fractions derived from tritium (based on a young water threshold of 18 years are almost immune to aggregation errors as were those derived from seasonal tracer cycles with a threshold of about 2 months.

  11. The fractional finite Hankel transform and its applications in fractal space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Xiaoyun; Xu Mingyu

    2009-01-01

    In the present work, a generalized finite Hankel transform is derived which is useful in solving equations in fractal dimension d f and involving a fractal diffusion coefficient D 0 r -θ . The corresponding inversion formula is established and some properties are given. Then, the transform is successfully used to solve a class of time-fractional diffusion equations in fractional spatial dimension with an absorbent term and Schroedinger equation in fractional-dimensional space. Green's functions and exact wave function of the above problems are found.

  12. Proper alignment of the microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rottenfusser, Rudi

    2013-01-01

    The light microscope is merely the first element of an imaging system in a research facility. Such a system may include high-speed and/or high-resolution image acquisition capabilities, confocal technologies, and super-resolution methods of various types. Yet more than ever, the proverb "garbage in-garbage out" remains a fact. Image manipulations may be used to conceal a suboptimal microscope setup, but an artifact-free image can only be obtained when the microscope is optimally aligned, both mechanically and optically. Something else is often overlooked in the quest to get the best image out of the microscope: Proper sample preparation! The microscope optics can only do its job when its design criteria are matched to the specimen or vice versa. The specimen itself, the mounting medium, the cover slip, and the type of immersion medium (if applicable) are all part of the total optical makeup. To get the best results out of a microscope, understanding the functions of all of its variable components is important. Only then one knows how to optimize these components for the intended application. Different approaches might be chosen to discuss all of the microscope's components. We decided to follow the light path which starts with the light source and ends at the camera or the eyepieces. To add more transparency to this sequence, the section up to the microscope stage was called the "Illuminating Section", to be followed by the "Imaging Section" which starts with the microscope objective. After understanding the various components, we can start "working with the microscope." To get the best resolution and contrast from the microscope, the practice of "Koehler Illumination" should be understood and followed by every serious microscopist. Step-by-step instructions as well as illustrations of the beam path in an upright and inverted microscope are included in this chapter. A few practical considerations are listed in Section 3. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  13. Wolter x-ray microscope calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerassimenko, M.

    1986-06-01

    A 22 x Wolter microscope was calibrated after several months of operation in the Lawrence Livermore National laboratory (LLNL) Inertial Confinement Fusion program. Placing a point x-ray source at the microscope focus, I recorded the image plane spectrum, as well as the direct spectrum, and from the ratio of these two spectra derived an accurate estimate of the microscope solid angle in the 1 to 4 keV range. The solid angle was also calculated using the microscope geometry and composition. Comparison of this calculated value with the solid angle that was actually measured suggests contamination of the microscope surface

  14. Wolter x-ray microscope calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerassimenko, M.

    1986-01-01

    A 22 x Wolter microscope was calibrated after several months of operation in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Inertial Confinement Fusion program. Placing a point x-ray source at the microscope focus, I recorded the image plane spectrum, as well as the direct spectrum, and from the ratio of these two spectra derived an accurate estimate of the microscope solid angle in the 1-4 keV range. The solid angle was also calculated using the microscope geometry and composition. Comparison of this calculated value with the solid angle that was actually measured suggests contamination of the microscope surface

  15. Distortion Correction for a Brewster Angle Microscope Using an Optical Grating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhe; Zheng, Desheng; Baldelli, Steven

    2017-02-21

    A distortion-corrected Brewster angle microscope (DC-BAM) is designed, constructed, and tested based on the combination of an optical grating and a relay lens. Avoiding the drawbacks of most conventional BAM instruments, this configuration corrects the image propagation direction and consequently provides an image in focus over the entire field of view without any beam scanning or imaging reconstruction. This new BAM can be applied to both liquid and solid subphases with good spatial resolution in static and dynamic studies.

  16. Mailing microscope slides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Many insects feed agriculturally important crops, trees, and ornamental plants and cause millions of dollars of damage annually. Identification for some of these require the preparation of a microscope slide for examination. There are times when a microscope slide may need to be sent away to a speci...

  17. Fractionation of visuo-spatial memory processes in bipolar depression: a cognitive scaffolding account

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallagher, P.; Gray, J.M.; Kessels, R.P.C.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Previous studies of neurocognitive performance in bipolar disorder (BD) have demonstrated impairments in visuo-spatial memory. The aim of the present study was to use an object-location memory (OLM) paradigm to assess specific, dissociable processes in visuo-spatial memory and examine

  18. Fractionation of visuo-spatial memory processes in bipolar depression: a cognitive scaffolding account

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallagher, P.; Gray, J.M.; Kessels, R.P.C.

    2015-01-01

    Background Previous studies of neurocognitive performance in bipolar disorder (BD) have demonstrated impairments in visuo-spatial memory. The aim of the present study was to use an object-location memory (OLM) paradigm to assess specific, dissociable processes in visuo-spatial memory and examine

  19. Visible-to-visible four-photon ultrahigh resolution microscopic imaging with 730-nm diode laser excited nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Baoju; Zhan, Qiuqiang; Zhao, Yuxiang; Wu, Ruitao; Liu, Jing; He, Sailing

    2016-01-25

    Further development of multiphoton microscopic imaging is confronted with a number of limitations, including high-cost, high complexity and relatively low spatial resolution due to the long excitation wavelength. To overcome these problems, for the first time, we propose visible-to-visible four-photon ultrahigh resolution microscopic imaging by using a common cost-effective 730-nm laser diode to excite the prepared Nd(3+)-sensitized upconversion nanoparticles (Nd(3+)-UCNPs). An ordinary multiphoton scanning microscope system was built using a visible CW diode laser and the lateral imaging resolution as high as 161-nm was achieved via the four-photon upconversion process. The demonstrated large saturation excitation power for Nd(3+)-UCNPs would be more practical and facilitate the four-photon imaging in the application. A sample with fine structure was imaged to demonstrate the advantages of visible-to-visible four-photon ultrahigh resolution microscopic imaging with 730-nm diode laser excited nanocrystals. Combining the uniqueness of UCNPs, the proposed visible-to-visible four-photon imaging would be highly promising and attractive in the field of multiphoton imaging.

  20. Practical considerations for high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic transmission electron microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Armstrong, Michael R. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)], E-mail: armstrong30@llnl.gov; Boyden, Ken [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Browning, Nigel D. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Colvin, Jeffrey D.; De Hope, William J.; Frank, Alan M. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Gibson, David J.; Hartemann, Fred [N Division, Physics and Advanced Technologies Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-280, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Kim, Judy S. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); King, Wayne E.; La Grange, Thomas B.; Pyke, Ben J.; Reed, Bryan W.; Shuttlesworth, Richard M.; Stuart, Brent C.; Torralva, Ben R. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-356, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)

    2007-04-15

    Although recent years have seen significant advances in the spatial resolution possible in the transmission electron microscope (TEM), the temporal resolution of most microscopes is limited to video rate at best. This lack of temporal resolution means that our understanding of dynamic processes in materials is extremely limited. High temporal resolution in the TEM can be achieved, however, by replacing the normal thermionic or field emission source with a photoemission source. In this case the temporal resolution is limited only by the ability to create a short pulse of photoexcited electrons in the source, and this can be as short as a few femtoseconds. The operation of the photo-emission source and the control of the subsequent pulse of electrons (containing as many as 5x10{sup 7} electrons) create significant challenges for a standard microscope column that is designed to operate with a single electron in the column at any one time. In this paper, the generation and control of electron pulses in the TEM to obtain a temporal resolution <10{sup -6} s will be described and the effect of the pulse duration and current density on the spatial resolution of the instrument will be examined. The potential of these levels of temporal and spatial resolution for the study of dynamic materials processes will also be discussed.

  1. Practical considerations for high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic transmission electron microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, Michael R.; Boyden, Ken; Browning, Nigel D.; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Colvin, Jeffrey D.; De Hope, William J.; Frank, Alan M.; Gibson, David J.; Hartemann, Fred; Kim, Judy S.; King, Wayne E.; La Grange, Thomas B.; Pyke, Ben J.; Reed, Bryan W.; Shuttlesworth, Richard M.; Stuart, Brent C.; Torralva, Ben R.

    2007-01-01

    Although recent years have seen significant advances in the spatial resolution possible in the transmission electron microscope (TEM), the temporal resolution of most microscopes is limited to video rate at best. This lack of temporal resolution means that our understanding of dynamic processes in materials is extremely limited. High temporal resolution in the TEM can be achieved, however, by replacing the normal thermionic or field emission source with a photoemission source. In this case the temporal resolution is limited only by the ability to create a short pulse of photoexcited electrons in the source, and this can be as short as a few femtoseconds. The operation of the photo-emission source and the control of the subsequent pulse of electrons (containing as many as 5x10 7 electrons) create significant challenges for a standard microscope column that is designed to operate with a single electron in the column at any one time. In this paper, the generation and control of electron pulses in the TEM to obtain a temporal resolution -6 s will be described and the effect of the pulse duration and current density on the spatial resolution of the instrument will be examined. The potential of these levels of temporal and spatial resolution for the study of dynamic materials processes will also be discussed

  2. Study and design of a very high spatial resolution beta imaging system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donnard, J.

    2008-01-01

    The b autoradiography is a widely used technique in pharmacology or biological fields. It is able to locate in two dimensions molecules labeled with beta emitters. The development of a gaseous detector incorporating micro-mesh called PIM in the Subatech laboratory leads to the construction of a very high spatial resolution apparatus dedicated to b imaging. This device is devoted to small analysis surface of a half microscope slide in particular of 3 H or 14 C and the measured spatial resolution is 20 μm FWHM. The recent development of a new reconstruction method allows enlarging the field of investigation to high energy beta emitters such as 131 I, 18 F or 46 Sc. A new device with a large active area of 18*18 cm 2 has been built with a user friendly design. This allows to image simultaneously 10 microscope slides. Thanks to a multi-modality solution, it retains the good characteristics of spatial resolution obtained previously on a small surface. Moreover, different kinds of samples, like microscope slides or scotches can be analysed. The simulation and experimentation work achieved during this thesis led to an optimal disposition of the inner structure of the detector. These results and characterization show that the PIM structure has to be considered for a next generation of b-Imager. (author)

  3. Propagation of optical vortices with fractional topological charge in free space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Tamelia; Kreminska, Liubov; Golovin, Andrii B.; Crouse, David T.

    2014-10-01

    The behavior of the optical vortices with fractional topological charges in the far-field is assessed through numerical modeling and confirmed by experimental results. The generation of fractional topological charge variations of the phase within a Gaussian beam was achieved by using a liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LCoS SLM). It is shown that a laser beam carrying an optical vortex with a fractional topological charge evolves into a beam with a topological charge of integer value, specifically an integer value closer to the fractional number in the far field. A potential application of this work is for data transmission within optical telecommunication systems.

  4. Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscope for Microgravity Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, David G.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.; Asipauskas, Marius

    2005-01-01

    A two-photon fluorescence microscope has been developed for the study of biophysical phenomena. Two-photon microscopy is a novel form of laser-based scanning microscopy that enables three-dimensional imaging without many of the problems inherent in confocal microscopy. Unlike one-photon optical microscopy, two-photon microscopy utilizes the simultaneous nonlinear absorption of two near-infrared photons. However, the efficiency of two-photon absorption is much lower than that of one-photon absorption, so an ultra-fast pulsed laser source is typically employed. On the other hand, the critical energy threshold for two-photon absorption leads to fluorophore excitation that is intrinsically localized to the focal volume. Consequently, two-photon microscopy enables optical sectioning and confocal performance without the need for a signal-limiting pinhole. In addition, there is a reduction (relative to one-photon optical microscopy) in photon-induced damage because of the longer excitation wavelength. This reduction is especially advantageous for in vivo studies. Relative to confocal microscopy, there is also a reduction in background fluorescence, and, because of a reduction in Rayleigh scattering, there is a 4 increase of penetration depth. The prohibitive cost of a commercial two-photon fluorescence-microscope system, as well as a need for modularity, has led to the construction of a custom-built system (see Figure 1). This system includes a coherent mode-locked titanium: sapphire laser emitting 120-fs-duration pulses at a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The pulsed laser has an average output power of 800 mW and a wavelength tuning range of 700 to 980 nm, enabling the excitation of a variety of targeted fluorophores. The output from the laser is attenuated, spatially filtered, and then directed into a confocal scanning head that has been modified to provide for side entry of the laser beam. The laser output coupler has been replaced with a dichroic filter that reflects the

  5. Mechanical vibration compensation method for 3D+t multi-particle tracking in microscopic volumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimentel, A; Corkidi, G

    2009-01-01

    The acquisition and analysis of data in microscopic systems with spatiotemporal evolution is a very relevant topic. In this work, we describe a method to optimize an experimental setup for acquiring and processing spatiotemporal (3D+t) data in microscopic systems. The method is applied to a three-dimensional multi-tracking and analysis system of free-swimming sperm trajectories previously developed. The experimental set uses a piezoelectric device making oscillate a large focal-distance objective mounted on an inverted microscope (over its optical axis) to acquire stacks of images at a high frame rate over a depth on the order of 250 microns. A problem arise when the piezoelectric device oscillates, in such a way that a vibration is transmitted to the whole microscope, inducing undesirable 3D vibrations to the whole set. For this reason, as a first step, the biological preparation was isolated from the body of the microscope to avoid modifying the free swimming pattern of the microorganism due to the transmission of these vibrations. Nevertheless, as the image capturing device is mechanically attached to the "vibrating" microscope, the resulting acquired data are contaminated with an undesirable 3D movement that biases the original trajectory of these high speed moving cells. The proposed optimization method determines the functional form of these 3D oscillations to neutralize them from the original acquired data set. Given the spatial scale of the system, the added correction increases significantly the data accuracy. The optimized system may be very useful in a wide variety of 3D+t applications using moving optical devices.

  6. Prevalence of Pure Versus Mixed Snow Cover Pixels across Spatial Resolutions in Alpine Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David J. Selkowitz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Remote sensing of snow-covered area (SCA can be binary (indicating the presence/absence of snow cover at each pixel or fractional (indicating the fraction of each pixel covered by snow. Fractional SCA mapping provides more information than binary SCA, but is more difficult to implement and may not be feasible with all types of remote sensing data. The utility of fractional SCA mapping relative to binary SCA mapping varies with the intended application as well as by spatial resolution, temporal resolution and period of interest, and climate. We quantified the frequency of occurrence of partially snow-covered (mixed pixels at spatial resolutions between 1 m and 500 m over five dates at two study areas in the western U.S., using 0.5 m binary SCA maps derived from high spatial resolution imagery aggregated to fractional SCA at coarser spatial resolutions. In addition, we used in situ monitoring to estimate the frequency of partially snow-covered conditions for the period September 2013–August 2014 at 10 60-m grid cell footprints at two study areas with continental snow climates. Results from the image analysis indicate that at 40 m, slightly above the nominal spatial resolution of Landsat, mixed pixels accounted for 25%–93% of total pixels, while at 500 m, the nominal spatial resolution of MODIS bands used for snow cover mapping, mixed pixels accounted for 67%–100% of total pixels. Mixed pixels occurred more commonly at the continental snow climate site than at the maritime snow climate site. The in situ data indicate that some snow cover was present between 186 and 303 days, and partial snow cover conditions occurred on 10%–98% of days with snow cover. Four sites remained partially snow-free throughout most of the winter and spring, while six sites were entirely snow covered throughout most or all of the winter and spring. Within 60 m grid cells, the late spring/summer transition from snow-covered to snow-free conditions lasted 17–56 days

  7. Construction of a high resolution microscope with conventional and holographic optical trapping capabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butterfield, Jacqualine; Hong, Weili; Mershon, Leslie; Vershinin, Michael

    2013-04-22

    High resolution microscope systems with optical traps allow for precise manipulation of various refractive objects, such as dielectric beads (1) or cellular organelles (2,3), as well as for high spatial and temporal resolution readout of their position relative to the center of the trap. The system described herein has one such "traditional" trap operating at 980 nm. It additionally provides a second optical trapping system that uses a commercially available holographic package to simultaneously create and manipulate complex trapping patterns in the field of view of the microscope (4,5) at a wavelength of 1,064 nm. The combination of the two systems allows for the manipulation of multiple refractive objects at the same time while simultaneously conducting high speed and high resolution measurements of motion and force production at nanometer and piconewton scale.

  8. Spatial distributions, fractionation characteristics, and ecological risk assessment of trace elements in sediments of Chaohu Lake, a large eutrophic freshwater lake in eastern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lei; Liu, Guijian; Zhou, Chuncai; Liu, Rongqiong; Xi, Shanshan; Da, Chunnian; Liu, Fei

    2018-01-01

    The concentrations, spatial distribution, fractionation characteristics, and potential ecological risks of trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Co) in the surface sediment samples collected from 32 sites in Chaohu Lake were investigated. The improved BCR sequential extraction procedure was applied to analyze the chemical forms of trace elements in sediments. The enrichment factor (EF), sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and risk assessment code (RAC) were employed to evaluate the pollution levels and the potential ecological risks. The results found that the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Co in the surface sediments were 78.59, 36.91, 161.84, 98.87, 38.92, and 10.09 mg kg -1 , respectively. The lower concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni were almost found in the middle part of the lake, while Co increased from the western toward the eastern parts of the lake. Cr, Ni, Co, and Zn predominantly existed in the residual fractions, with the average values of 76.35, 59.22, 45.60, and 44.30%, respectively. Cu and Pb were mainly combined with Fe/Mn oxides in reducible fraction, with the average values of 66.4 and 69.1%, respectively. The pollution levels were different among the selected elements. Cu had the highest potential ecological risk, while Cr had the lowest potential ecological risk.

  9. Robust and adaptive techniques for numerical simulation of nonlinear partial differential equations of fractional order

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owolabi, Kolade M.

    2017-03-01

    In this paper, some nonlinear space-fractional order reaction-diffusion equations (SFORDE) on a finite but large spatial domain x ∈ [0, L], x = x(x , y , z) and t ∈ [0, T] are considered. Also in this work, the standard reaction-diffusion system with boundary conditions is generalized by replacing the second-order spatial derivatives with Riemann-Liouville space-fractional derivatives of order α, for 0 Fourier spectral method is introduced as a better alternative to existing low order schemes for the integration of fractional in space reaction-diffusion problems in conjunction with an adaptive exponential time differencing method, and solve a range of one-, two- and three-components SFORDE numerically to obtain patterns in one- and two-dimensions with a straight forward extension to three spatial dimensions in a sub-diffusive (0 reaction-diffusion case. With application to models in biology and physics, different spatiotemporal dynamics are observed and displayed.

  10. Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedle treatment in acne scars and large facial pores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Soo Ick; Chung, Bo Young; Choi, Min Gyu; Baek, Ji Hwoon; Cho, Hee Jin; Park, Chun Wook; Lee, Cheol Heon; Kim, Hye One

    2012-07-01

    Fractional technology overcomes the problems of ablative lasers, such as inaccurate depth control and damage to the epidermis. Minimally invasive fractional radiofrequency microneedle devices allow for more-selective heating of the dermis. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedle (ERM) treatment in acne scars and large facial pores. Thirty patients with acne scars and large facial pores were enrolled. Bipolar radiofrequency energy was delivered to the skin through the electrodes of the FRM device. Skin lesions were evaluated according to grade of acne scars, Investigator Global Assessment of large pores, skin surface roughness, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dermal density, microscopic and composite image, sebum measurement, and questionnaires regarding patient satisfaction. The grade of acne scars and Investigator Global Assessment of large pores improved in more than 70% of all patients. Skin surface roughness, dermal density, and microscopic and composite images also improved, whereas TEWL and sebum measurement did not change. Clinical improvement from FRM treatment appeared to be related to dermal matrix regeneration. FRM treatment may be effective in improving acne scars and facial pores. © 2012 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Binary pseudorandom test standard to determine the modulation transfer function of optical microscopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Novak, Erik; Trolinger, James D.; Lacey, Ian; Anderson, Erik H.; Artemiev, Nikolay A.; Babin, Sergey; Cabrini, Stefano; Calafiore, Guiseppe; Chan, Elaine R.; McKinney, Wayne R.; Peroz, Christophe; Takacs, Peter Z.; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.

    2015-09-01

    This work reports on the development of a binary pseudo-random test sample optimized to calibrate the MTF of optical microscopes. The sample consists of a number of 1-D and 2-D patterns, with different minimum sizes of spatial artifacts from 300 nm to 2 microns. We describe the mathematical background, fabrication process, data acquisition and analysis procedure to return spatial frequency based instrument calibration. We show that the developed samples satisfy the characteristics of a test standard: functionality, ease of specification and fabrication, reproducibility, and low sensitivity to manufacturing error. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

  12. Fiber coupled ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Jensen, Jacob Riis; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

    1997-01-01

    We report on a scanning tunneling microscope with a photoconductive gate in the tunneling current circuit. The tunneling tip is attached to a coplanar transmission line with an integrated photoconductive switch. The switch is illuminated through a fiber which is rigidly attached to the switch...... waveguide. The measurements show that the probe works as a transient voltage detector in contact and a capacitively coupled transient field detector in tunneling mode. We do not measure the transient voltage change in the ohmic tunneling current. In this sense, the spatial resolution for propagating...... substrate. By using a firmly attached fiber we achieve an excellent reproducibility and unconstrained positioning of the tip. We observe a transient signal with 2.9 ps pulse width in tunneling mode and 5 ps in contact mode. The instrument is applied to investigating the mode structure on a coplanar...

  13. Integration of a high-NA light microscope in a scanning electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zonnevylle, A C; Van Tol, R F C; Liv, N; Narvaez, A C; Effting, A P J; Kruit, P; Hoogenboom, J P

    2013-10-01

    We present an integrated light-electron microscope in which an inverted high-NA objective lens is positioned inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM objective lens and the light objective lens have a common axis and focal plane, allowing high-resolution optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy on the same area of a sample simultaneously. Components for light illumination and detection can be mounted outside the vacuum, enabling flexibility in the construction of the light microscope. The light objective lens can be positioned underneath the SEM objective lens during operation for sub-10 μm alignment of the fields of view of the light and electron microscopes. We demonstrate in situ epifluorescence microscopy in the SEM with a numerical aperture of 1.4 using vacuum-compatible immersion oil. For a 40-nm-diameter fluorescent polymer nanoparticle, an intensity profile with a FWHM of 380 nm is measured whereas the SEM performance is uncompromised. The integrated instrument may offer new possibilities for correlative light and electron microscopy in the life sciences as well as in physics and chemistry. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

  14. Modulation of the pupil function of microscope objective lens for multifocal multi-photon microscopy using a spatial light modulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Naoya; Okazaki, Shigetoshi; Takamoto, Hisayoshi; Inoue, Takashi; Terakawa, Susumu

    2014-02-01

    We propose a method for high precision modulation of the pupil function of a microscope objective lens to improve the performance of multifocal multi-photon microscopy (MMM). To modulate the pupil function, we adopt a spatial light modulator (SLM) and place it at the conjugate position of the objective lens. The SLM can generate an arbitrary number of spots to excite the multiple fluorescence spots (MFS) at the desired positions and intensities by applying an appropriate computer-generated hologram (CGH). This flexibility allows us to control the MFS according to the photobleaching level of a fluorescent protein and phototoxicity of a specimen. However, when a large number of excitation spots are generated, the intensity distribution of the MFS is significantly different from the one originally designed due to misalignment of the optical setup and characteristics of the SLM. As a result, the image of a specimen obtained using laser scanning for the MFS has block noise segments because the SLM could not generate a uniform MFS. To improve the intensity distribution of the MFS, we adaptively redesigned the CGH based on the observed MFS. We experimentally demonstrate an improvement in the uniformity of a 10 × 10 MFS grid using a dye solution. The simplicity of the proposed method will allow it to be applied for calibration of MMM before observing living tissue. After the MMM calibration, we performed laser scanning with two-photon excitation to observe a real specimen without detecting block noise segments.

  15. Nanofabrication of magnetic scanned-probe microscope sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chong, B.K.

    2001-10-01

    This thesis presents the development of novel magnetic sensor combined with Atomic Force Microscope probe (AFM) using conventional semiconductor processing techniques and Electron Beam Lithography (EBL). The fabrication of these magnetic sensors was performed on a common micromachined silicon substrate using a generic batch fabrication technique. Sub-micron Hall bar for Scanning Hall probe Microscopy (SHPM) and electromagnetic force coil magnet for Scanning Electromagnetic Force Microscopy (eMFM) were designed and constructed at the apex of Silicon attractive mode cantilever probes. The process demonstrates good control over sensor parameters. Results indicated controllability of Hall bar junction sizes (spatial resolution) to below 100nm and Coil diameter sizes to below 500nm with minimum sizes down to 50nm and 270nm respectively. The process has shown its flexibility to accommodate different material systems. The same technology was used to fabricate multiple devices such as double Hall bars on a tip as well as a small electro-magnet coil probe co-defined with the Hall probe to form a magnetic imaging / modification probe. A conventional Non-Contact mode AFM employing heterodyne interferometry and in-house built electronics was modified for SHPM and eMFM. These probes had been scanned over a commercial computer hard disk. These microscopes showed the capability of resolving magnetic bits and topographic information independently and simultaneously. All scanning experiments were carried out under ambient conditions. The experiments required no extra preparation to be done to the specimen before imaging and measurements were carried out under ambient conditions. These probes offer the prospect of direct magnetic field measurement, non- invasiveness, very close proximity, possible local manipulation, better control over the tip- specimen interaction distance and topographic imaging. It is hoped that these magnetic microscope probes will be of great interest and

  16. Quantitative imaging with a mobile phone microscope.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arunan Skandarajah

    Full Text Available Use of optical imaging for medical and scientific applications requires accurate quantification of features such as object size, color, and brightness. High pixel density cameras available on modern mobile phones have made photography simple and convenient for consumer applications; however, the camera hardware and software that enables this simplicity can present a barrier to accurate quantification of image data. This issue is exacerbated by automated settings, proprietary image processing algorithms, rapid phone evolution, and the diversity of manufacturers. If mobile phone cameras are to live up to their potential to increase access to healthcare in low-resource settings, limitations of mobile phone-based imaging must be fully understood and addressed with procedures that minimize their effects on image quantification. Here we focus on microscopic optical imaging using a custom mobile phone microscope that is compatible with phones from multiple manufacturers. We demonstrate that quantitative microscopy with micron-scale spatial resolution can be carried out with multiple phones and that image linearity, distortion, and color can be corrected as needed. Using all versions of the iPhone and a selection of Android phones released between 2007 and 2012, we show that phones with greater than 5 MP are capable of nearly diffraction-limited resolution over a broad range of magnifications, including those relevant for single cell imaging. We find that automatic focus, exposure, and color gain standard on mobile phones can degrade image resolution and reduce accuracy of color capture if uncorrected, and we devise procedures to avoid these barriers to quantitative imaging. By accommodating the differences between mobile phone cameras and the scientific cameras, mobile phone microscopes can be reliably used to increase access to quantitative imaging for a variety of medical and scientific applications.

  17. Quantitative Imaging with a Mobile Phone Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skandarajah, Arunan; Reber, Clay D.; Switz, Neil A.; Fletcher, Daniel A.

    2014-01-01

    Use of optical imaging for medical and scientific applications requires accurate quantification of features such as object size, color, and brightness. High pixel density cameras available on modern mobile phones have made photography simple and convenient for consumer applications; however, the camera hardware and software that enables this simplicity can present a barrier to accurate quantification of image data. This issue is exacerbated by automated settings, proprietary image processing algorithms, rapid phone evolution, and the diversity of manufacturers. If mobile phone cameras are to live up to their potential to increase access to healthcare in low-resource settings, limitations of mobile phone–based imaging must be fully understood and addressed with procedures that minimize their effects on image quantification. Here we focus on microscopic optical imaging using a custom mobile phone microscope that is compatible with phones from multiple manufacturers. We demonstrate that quantitative microscopy with micron-scale spatial resolution can be carried out with multiple phones and that image linearity, distortion, and color can be corrected as needed. Using all versions of the iPhone and a selection of Android phones released between 2007 and 2012, we show that phones with greater than 5 MP are capable of nearly diffraction-limited resolution over a broad range of magnifications, including those relevant for single cell imaging. We find that automatic focus, exposure, and color gain standard on mobile phones can degrade image resolution and reduce accuracy of color capture if uncorrected, and we devise procedures to avoid these barriers to quantitative imaging. By accommodating the differences between mobile phone cameras and the scientific cameras, mobile phone microscopes can be reliably used to increase access to quantitative imaging for a variety of medical and scientific applications. PMID:24824072

  18. Exploring the relation between spatial configuration of buildings and remotely sensed temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myint, S. W.; Zheng, B.; Kaplan, S.; Huang, H.

    2013-12-01

    While the relationship between fractional cover of buildings and the UHI has been well studied, relationships of how spatial arrangements (e.g., clustered, dispersed) of buildings influence urban warming are not well understood. Since a diversity of spatial patterns can be observed under the same percentage of buildings cover, it is of great interest and importance to investigate the amount of variation in certain urban thermal feature such as surface temperature that is accounted for by the inclusion of spatial arrangement component. The various spatial arrangements of buildings cover can give rise to different urban thermal behaviors that may not be uncovered with the information of buildings fraction only, but can be captured to some extent using spatial analysis. The goal of this study is to examine how spatial arrangements of buildings influence and shape surface temperature in different urban settings. The study area selected is the Las-Vegas metropolitan area in Nevada, located in the Mojave Desert. An object-oriented approach was used to identify buildings using a Geoeye-1 image acquired on October 12, 2011. A spatial autocorrelation technique (i.e., Moran's I) that can measure spatial pattern (clustered, dispersed) was used to determine spatial configuration of buildings. A daytime temperature layer in degree Celsius, generated from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image, was integrated with Moran's I values of building cover and building fractions to achieve the goals set in the study. To avoid uncertainty and properly evaluate if spatial pattern of buildings has an impact on urban warming, the relation between Moran's I values and surface temperatures was observed at different levels according to their fractions (e.g., 0-0.1, 0.5-0.6, 0.9-1). There is a negative correlation exists between spatial pattern of buildings and surface temperatures implying that dispersed building arrangements elevate surface temperatures

  19. Fractionation study: survival of mouse intestinal crypts to exposure of 60Co and 11 MeV electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coffey, C.W.

    1975-01-01

    The study was conducted to determine a statistical procedure for the quantification of time, dose, fraction relations for mouse intestinal crypt survival after fractionated Co-60 and 11-MeV electron irradiation. In the initial phase of the investigation CDF/1 male mice were exposed to fractionated Co-60 irradiation. A completely randomized experimental design with three factors, total time from initiation to completion of fractionation schedule, number of fractions, and total dose was utilized. The experimental animals were irradiated with a Co-60 panoramic irradiator unit at an absorbed dose rate of approximately 51 rads per minute. Two days after completion of the fractionation schedule, the experimental animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Sections of intestinal jejunum were resected and routine histological preparations performed. The surviving crypts were scored with a compound microscope using a quantitative counting technique. The resulting crypt survival was observed to increase for increasing total times and fraction numbers

  20. Robotic autopositioning of the operating microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oppenlander, Mark E; Chowdhry, Shakeel A; Merkl, Brandon; Hattendorf, Guido M; Nakaji, Peter; Spetzler, Robert F

    2014-06-01

    Use of the operating microscope has become pervasive since its introduction to the neurosurgical world. Neuronavigation fused with the operating microscope has allowed accurate correlation of the focal point of the microscope and its location on the downloaded imaging study. However, the robotic ability of the Pentero microscope has not been utilized to orient the angle of the microscope or to change its focal length to hone in on a predefined target. To report a novel technology that allows automatic positioning of the operating microscope onto a set target and utilization of a planned trajectory, either determined with the StealthStation S7 by using preoperative imaging or intraoperatively with the microscope. By utilizing the current motorized capabilities of the Zeiss OPMI Pentero microscope, a robotic autopositioning feature was developed in collaboration with Surgical Technologies, Medtronic, Inc. (StealthStation S7). The system is currently being tested at the Barrow Neurological Institute. Three options were developed for automatically positioning the microscope: AutoLock Current Point, Align Parallel to Plan, and Point to Plan Target. These options allow the microscope to pivot around the lesion, hover in a set plane parallel to the determined trajectory, or rotate and point to a set target point, respectively. Integration of automatic microscope positioning into the operative workflow has potential to increase operative efficacy and safety. This technology is best suited for precise trajectories and entry points into deep-seated lesions.

  1. Optical spatial differentiator based on subwavelength high-contrast gratings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Zhewei; Si, Jiangnan; Yu, Xuanyi; Deng, Xiaoxu

    2018-04-01

    An optical spatial differentiator based on subwavelength high-contrast gratings (HCGs) is proposed experimentally. The spatial differentiation property of the subwavelength HCG is analyzed by calculating its spatial spectral transfer function based on the periodic waveguide theory. By employing the FDTD solutions, the performance of the subwavelength HCG spatial differentiator was investigated numerically. The subwavelength HCG differentiator with the thickness at the nanoscale was fabricated on the quartz substrate by electron beam lithography and Bosch deep silicon etching. Observed under an optical microscope with a CCD camera, the spatial differentiation of the incident field profile was obtained by the subwavelength HCG differentiator in transmission without Fourier lens. By projecting the images of slits, letter "X," and a cross on the subwavelength HCG differentiator, edge detections of images were obtained in transmission. With the nanoscale HCG structure and simple optical implementation, the proposed optical spatial differentiator provides the prospects for applications in optical computing systems and parallel data processing.

  2. Multifocal fluorescence microscope for fast optical recordings of neuronal action potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shtrahman, Matthew; Aharoni, Daniel B; Hardy, Nicholas F; Buonomano, Dean V; Arisaka, Katsushi; Otis, Thomas S

    2015-02-03

    In recent years, optical sensors for tracking neural activity have been developed and offer great utility. However, developing microscopy techniques that have several kHz bandwidth necessary to reliably capture optically reported action potentials (APs) at multiple locations in parallel remains a significant challenge. To our knowledge, we describe a novel microscope optimized to measure spatially distributed optical signals with submillisecond and near diffraction-limit resolution. Our design uses a spatial light modulator to generate patterned illumination to simultaneously excite multiple user-defined targets. A galvanometer driven mirror in the emission path streaks the fluorescence emanating from each excitation point during the camera exposure, using unused camera pixels to capture time varying fluorescence at rates that are ∼1000 times faster than the camera's native frame rate. We demonstrate that this approach is capable of recording Ca(2+) transients resulting from APs in neurons labeled with the Ca(2+) sensor Oregon Green Bapta-1 (OGB-1), and can localize the timing of these events with millisecond resolution. Furthermore, optically reported APs can be detected with the voltage sensitive dye DiO-DPA in multiple locations within a neuron with a signal/noise ratio up to ∼40, resolving delays in arrival time along dendrites. Thus, the microscope provides a powerful tool for photometric measurements of dynamics requiring submillisecond sampling at multiple locations. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Prostate IMRT fractionation strategies. Two-phase treatment versus simultaneous integrated boost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stavrev, P.; Hristov, D.

    2003-01-01

    Background. The purpose of the study was to investigate the radiobiological effect of the number of fractions, position uncertainties and clonogen spread (microscopic disease) on two different inverse treatment planning alternatives: (a) 2-phase strategy; (b) simultaneous integrated boost (SIB). Material and methods. The tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) were calculated for the 2-phase strategy, which has well defined fractionation scheme and compared to the TCP and NTCP for the SIB strategy calculated as a function of the number of fractions. For a 7-beam IMRT prostate treatment, we have performed inverse treatment planning for the two different strategies following the above method. Results. When the position uncertainties and clonogen spread were accounted for in the TCP calculation a drop as large as 10% was found. A drop of 5-7% in the TCP was obtained for the SIB strategy, if delivered in the same number of fractions as the 2-phased one. Conclusions. The potential of inverse planning to design tight conformal dose distributions is fully revealed in the SIB optimization process. The optimized SIB superior dose distributions require modification of the delivered dose per fraction and therefore careful selection of the fractionation regime. Hence physically optimized SIB treatments may not always lead to better tumour control and tissue sparing. (author)

  4. Microscopic Analysis of Bacterial Motility at High Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishiyama, Masayoshi; Sowa, Yoshiyuki

    2012-01-01

    The bacterial flagellar motor is a molecular machine that converts an ion flux to the rotation of a helical flagellar filament. Counterclockwise rotation of the filaments allows them to join in a bundle and propel the cell forward. Loss of motility can be caused by environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and solvation. Hydrostatic pressure is also a physical inhibitor of bacterial motility, but the detailed mechanism of this inhibition is still unknown. Here, we developed a high-pressure microscope that enables us to acquire high-resolution microscopic images, regardless of applied pressures. We also characterized the pressure dependence of the motility of swimming Escherichia coli cells and the rotation of single flagellar motors. The fraction and speed of swimming cells decreased with increased pressure. At 80 MPa, all cells stopped swimming and simply diffused in solution. After the release of pressure, most cells immediately recovered their initial motility. Direct observation of the motility of single flagellar motors revealed that at 80 MPa, the motors generate torque that should be sufficient to join rotating filaments in a bundle. The discrepancy in the behavior of free swimming cells and individual motors could be due to the applied pressure inhibiting the formation of rotating filament bundles that can propel the cell body in an aqueous environment. PMID:22768943

  5. Thermal diffusivity imaging with the thermal lens microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dada, Oluwatosin O; Feist, Peter E; Dovichi, Norman J

    2011-12-01

    A coaxial thermal lens microscope was used to generate images based on both the absorbance and thermal diffusivity of histological samples. A pump beam was modulated at frequencies ranging from 50 kHz to 5 MHz using an acousto-optic modulator. The pump and a CW probe beam were combined with a dichroic mirror, directed into an inverted microscope, and focused onto the specimen. The change in the transmitted probe beam's center intensity was detected with a photodiode. The photodiode's signal and a reference signal from the modulator were sent to a high-speed lock-in amplifier. The in-phase and quadrature signals were recorded as a sample was translated through the focused beams and used to generate images based on the amplitude and phase of the lock-in amplifier's signal. The amplitude is related to the absorbance and the phase is related to the thermal diffusivity of the sample. Thin sections of stained liver and bone tissues were imaged; the contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of the phase image was highest at frequencies from 0.1-1 MHz and dropped at higher frequencies. The spatial resolution was 2.5 μm for both amplitude and phase images, limited by the pump beam spot size. © 2011 Optical Society of America

  6. Monitoring the dynamics of surface water fraction from MODIS time series in a Mediterranean environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Linlin; Vrieling, Anton; Skidmore, Andrew; Wang, Tiejun; Turak, Eren

    2018-04-01

    Detailed spatial information of changes in surface water extent is needed for water management and biodiversity conservation, particularly in drier parts of the globe where small, temporally-variant wetlands prevail. Although global surface water histories are now generated from 30 m Landsat data, for many locations they contain large temporal gaps particularly for longer periods (>10 years) due to revisit intervals and cloud cover. Daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) imagery has potential to fill such gaps, but its relatively coarse spatial resolution may not detect small water bodies, which can be of great ecological importance. To address this problem, this study proposes and tests options for estimating the surface water fraction from MODIS 16-day 500 m Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) corrected surface reflectance image composites. The spatial extent of two Landsat tiles over Spain were selected as test areas. We obtained a 500 m reference dataset on surface water fraction by spatially aggregating 30 m binary water masks obtained from the Landsat-derived C-version of Function of Mask (CFmask), which themselves were evaluated against high-resolution Google Earth imagery. Twelve regression tree models were developed with two approaches, Random Forest and Cubist, using spectral metrics derived from MODIS data and topographic parameters generated from a 30 m spatial resolution digital elevation model. Results showed that accuracies were higher when we included annual summary statistics of the spectral metrics as predictor variables. Models trained on a single Landsat tile were ineffective in mapping surface water in the other tile, but global models trained with environmental conditions from both tiles can provide accurate results for both study areas. We achieved the highest accuracy with Cubist global model (R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 11.05%, MAE = 7.67%). Our method was not only effective for mapping permanent water fraction, but

  7. Microscopic approach to polaritons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skettrup, Torben

    1981-01-01

    contrary to experimental experience. In order to remove this absurdity the semiclassical approach must be abandoned and the electromagnetic field quantized. A simple microscopic polariton model is then derived. From this the wave function for the interacting exciton-photon complex is obtained...... of light of the crystal. The introduction of damping smears out the excitonic spectra. The wave function of the polariton, however, turns out to be very independent of damping up to large damping values. Finally, this simplified microscopic polariton model is compared with the exact solutions obtained...... for the macroscopic polariton model by Hopfield. It is seen that standing photon and exciton waves must be included in an exact microscopic polariton model. However, it is concluded that for practical purposes, only the propagating waves are of importance and the simple microscopic polariton wave function derived...

  8. Calibrated atomic force microscope measurements of vickers hardness indentations and tip production and characterisation for scanning tunelling microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Carsten P.

    Calibrated atomic force microscope measurements of vickers hardness indentations and tip production and characterisation for scanning tunelling microscope......Calibrated atomic force microscope measurements of vickers hardness indentations and tip production and characterisation for scanning tunelling microscope...

  9. Martian Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The microscopic imager (circular device in center) is in clear view above the surface at Meridiani Planum, Mars, in this approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The image was taken on the 9th sol of the rover's journey. The microscopic imager is located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or arm. The arrow is pointing to the lens of the instrument. Note the dust cover, which flips out to the left of the lens, is open. This approximated color image was created using the camera's violet and infrared filters as blue and red.

  10. Sources of Individual Differences in Children's Understanding of Fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukovic, Rose K.; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Geary, David C.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Gersten, Russell; Siegler, Robert S.

    2014-01-01

    Longitudinal associations of domain-general and numerical competencies with individual differences in children's understanding of fractions were investigated. Children (n = 163) were assessed at 6 years of age on domain-general (nonverbal reasoning, language, attentive behavior, executive control, visual-spatial memory) and numerical (number…

  11. The Scanning Optical Microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheppard, C. J. R.

    1978-01-01

    Describes the principle of the scanning optical microscope and explains its advantages over the conventional microscope in the improvement of resolution and contrast, as well as the possibility of producing a picture from optical harmonies generated within the specimen.

  12. Atomic force microscope with integrated optical microscope for biological applications

    OpenAIRE

    Putman, Constant A.J.; Putman, C.A.J.; van der Werf, Kees; de Grooth, B.G.; van Hulst, N.F.; Segerink, Franciscus B.; Greve, Jan

    1992-01-01

    Since atomic force microscopy (AFM) is capable of imaging nonconducting surfaces, the technique holds great promises for high‐resolution imaging of biological specimens. A disadvantage of most AFMs is the fact that the relatively large sample surface has to be scanned multiple times to pinpoint a specific biological object of interest. Here an AFM is presented which has an incorporated inverted optical microscope. The optical image from the optical microscope is not obscured by the cantilever...

  13. Imaging of current density distributions with a Nb weak-link scanning nano-SQUID microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Yusuke; Nomura, Shintaro; Kashiwaya, Hiromi; Kashiwaya, Satoshi; Ishiguro, Ryosuke; Takayanagi, Hideaki

    2015-10-01

    Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are accepted as one of the highest magnetic field sensitive probes. There are increasing demands to image local magnetic fields to explore spin properties and current density distributions in a two-dimensional layer of semiconductors or superconductors. Nano-SQUIDs have recently attracting much interest for high spatial resolution measurements in nanometer-scale samples. Whereas weak-link Dayem Josephson junction nano-SQUIDs are suitable to miniaturization, hysteresis in current-voltage (I-V) characteristics that is often observed in Dayem Josephson junction is not desirable for a scanning microscope. Here we report on our development of a weak-link nano-SQUIDs scanning microscope with small hysteresis in I-V curve and on reconstructions of two-dimensional current density vector in two-dimensional electron gas from measured magnetic field.

  14. A framed, 16-image Kirkpatrick-Baez x-ray microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, F. J.; Bahr, R. E.; Goncharov, V. N.; Glebov, V. Yu.; Peng, B.; Regan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C.; Stoeckl, C.

    2017-09-01

    A 16-image Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB)-type x-ray microscope consisting of compact KB mirrors [F. J. Marshall, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10E518 (2012)] has been assembled for the first time with mirrors aligned to allow it to be coupled to a high-speed framing camera. The high-speed framing camera has four independently gated strips whose emission sampling interval is ˜30 ps. Images are arranged four to a strip with ˜60-ps temporal spacing between frames on a strip. By spacing the timing of the strips, a frame spacing of ˜15 ps is achieved. A framed resolution of ˜6-μm is achieved with this combination in a 400-μm region of laser-plasma x-ray emission in the 2- to 8-keV energy range. A principal use of the microscope is to measure the evolution of the implosion stagnation region of cryogenic DT target implosions on the University of Rochester's OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. The unprecedented time and spatial resolutions achieved with this framed, multi-image KB microscope have made it possible to accurately determine the cryogenic implosion core emission size and shape at the peak of stagnation. These core size measurements, taken in combination with those of ion temperature, neutron-production temporal width, and neutron yield allow for inference of core pressures, currently exceeding 50 Gbar in OMEGA cryogenic target implosions [Regan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 025001 (2016)].

  15. Foldscope: origami-based paper microscope.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James S Cybulski

    Full Text Available Here we describe an ultra-low-cost origami-based approach for large-scale manufacturing of microscopes, specifically demonstrating brightfield, darkfield, and fluorescence microscopes. Merging principles of optical design with origami enables high-volume fabrication of microscopes from 2D media. Flexure mechanisms created via folding enable a flat compact design. Structural loops in folded paper provide kinematic constraints as a means for passive self-alignment. This light, rugged instrument can survive harsh field conditions while providing a diversity of imaging capabilities, thus serving wide-ranging applications for cost-effective, portable microscopes in science and education.

  16. Orientation and phase mapping in the transmission electron microscope using precession-assisted diffraction spot recognition: state-of-the-art results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viladot, D; Véron, M; Gemmi, M; Peiró, F; Portillo, J; Estradé, S; Mendoza, J; Llorca-Isern, N; Nicolopoulos, S

    2013-10-01

    A recently developed technique based on the transmission electron microscope, which makes use of electron beam precession together with spot diffraction pattern recognition now offers the possibility to acquire reliable orientation/phase maps with a spatial resolution down to 2 nm on a field emission gun transmission electron microscope. The technique may be described as precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping in the transmission electron microscope, precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping technique-transmission electron microscope, also known by its product name, ASTAR, and consists in scanning the precessed electron beam in nanoprobe mode over the specimen area, thus producing a collection of precession electron diffraction spot patterns, to be thereafter indexed automatically through template matching. We present a review on several application examples relative to the characterization of microstructure/microtexture of nanocrystalline metals, ceramics, nanoparticles, minerals and organics. The strengths and limitations of the technique are also discussed using several application examples. ©2013 The Authors. Journal of Microscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Microscopical Society.

  17. A space-fractional Monodomain model for cardiac electrophysiology combining anisotropy and heterogeneity on realistic geometries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusimano, N.; Gerardo-Giorda, L.

    2018-06-01

    Classical models of electrophysiology do not typically account for the effects of high structural heterogeneity in the spatio-temporal description of excitation waves propagation. We consider a modification of the Monodomain model obtained by replacing the diffusive term of the classical formulation with a fractional power of the operator, defined in the spectral sense. The resulting nonlocal model describes different levels of tissue heterogeneity as the fractional exponent is varied. The numerical method for the solution of the fractional Monodomain relies on an integral representation of the nonlocal operator combined with a finite element discretisation in space, allowing to handle in a natural way bounded domains in more than one spatial dimension. Numerical tests in two spatial dimensions illustrate the features of the model. Activation times, action potential duration and its dispersion throughout the domain are studied as a function of the fractional parameter: the expected peculiar behaviour driven by tissue heterogeneities is recovered.

  18. Infrared up-conversion microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2014-01-01

    There is presented an up-conversion infrared microscope (110) arranged for imaging an associated object (130), wherein the up-conversion infrared microscope (110) comprises a non-linear crystal (120) arranged for up-conversion of infrared electromagnetic radiation, and wherein an objective optical...

  19. Development of HiLo Microscope and its use in In-Vivo Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Shreyas J.

    The functionality of achieving optical sectioning in biomedical research is invaluable as it allows for visualization of a biological sample at different depths while being free of background scattering. Most current microscopy techniques that offer optical sectioning, unfortunately, require complex instrumentation and thus are generally costly. HiLo microscopy, on the other hand, offers the same functionality and advantage at a relatively low cost. Hence, the work described in this thesis involves the design, build, and application of a HiLo microscope. More specifically, a standalone HiLo microscope was built in addition to implementing HiLo microscopy on a standard fluorescence microscope. In HiLo microscopy, optical sectioning is achieved by acquiring two different types of images per focal plane. One image is acquired under uniform illumination and the other is acquired under speckle illumination. These images are processed using an algorithm that extracts in-focus information and removes features and glare that occur as a result of background fluorescence. To show the benefits of the HiLo microscopy, several imaging experiments on various samples were performed under a HiLo microscope and compared against a traditional fluorescence microscope and a confocal microscope, which is considered the gold standard in optical imaging. In-vitro and ex-vivo imaging was performed on a set of pollen grains, and optically cleared mouse brain and heart slices. Each of these experiments showed great reduction in background scattering at different depths under HiLo microscopy. More importantly, HiLo imaging of optically cleared heart slice demonstrated emergence of different vasculature at different depths. Reduction of out-of-focus light increased the spatial resolution and allowed better visualization of capillary vessels. Furthermore, HiLo imaging was tested in an in-vivo model of a rodent dorsal window chamber model. When imaging the same sample under confocal microscope

  20. Electric field stimulation setup for photoemission electron microscopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzzi, M; Vaz, C A F; Raabe, J; Nolting, F

    2015-08-01

    Manipulating magnetisation by the application of an electric field in magnetoelectric multiferroics represents a timely issue due to the potential applications in low power electronics and the novel physics involved. Thanks to its element sensitivity and high spatial resolution, X-ray photoemission electron microscopy is a uniquely suited technique for the investigation of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic materials. In this work, we present a setup that allows for the application of in situ electric and magnetic fields while the sample is analysed in the microscope. As an example of the performances of the setup, we present measurements on Ni/Pb(Mg(0.66)Nb(0.33))O3-PbTiO3 and La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3/PMN-PT artificial multiferroic nanostructures.

  1. Imaging the Conductance of Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall Edge States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikola Pascher

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We measure the conductance of a quantum point contact while the biased tip of a scanning probe microscope induces a depleted region in the electron gas underneath. At a finite magnetic field, we find plateaus in the real-space maps of the conductance as a function of tip position at integer (ν=1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and fractional (ν=1/3, 2/3, 5/3, 4/5 values of transmission. They resemble theoretically predicted compressible and incompressible stripes of quantum Hall edge states. The scanning tip allows us to shift the constriction limiting the conductance in real space over distances of many microns. The resulting stripes of integer and fractional filling factors are rugged on scales of a few hundred nanometers, i.e., on a scale much smaller than the zero-field elastic mean free path of the electrons. Our experiments demonstrate that microscopic inhomogeneities are relevant even in high-quality samples and lead to locally strongly fluctuating widths of incompressible regions even down to their complete suppression for certain tip positions. The macroscopic quantization of the Hall resistance measured experimentally in a nonlocal contact configuration survives in the presence of these inhomogeneities, and the relevant local energy scale for the ν=2 state turns out to be independent of tip position.

  2. Nonlocal Free Energy of a Spatially Inhomogeneous Superconductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigorishin, K.V.; Lev, B.I.

    2012-01-01

    The microscopic approach is developed for obtaining of the free energy of a superconductor based on direct calculation of the vacuum amplitude. The free energy functional of the spatially inhomogeneous superconductor in a magnetic field is obtained with help of the developed approach. The obtained functional is generalization of Ginzburg-Landau functionals for any temperature, for arbitrary spatial variations of the order parameter and for the nonlocality of a magnetic response and the order parameter. Moreover, the nonlocality of the magnetic response is the consequence of order parameter's nonlocality. The extremals of this functional are considered in the explicit form in the low- and high-temperature limit at the condition of slowness of spatial variations of the order parameter. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  3. The plant virus microscope image registration method based on mismatches removing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Lifang; Zhou, Shucheng; Dong, Heng; Mao, Qianzhuo; Lin, Jiaxiang; Chen, Riqing

    2016-01-01

    The electron microscopy is one of the major means to observe the virus. The view of virus microscope images is limited by making specimen and the size of the camera's view field. To solve this problem, the virus sample is produced into multi-slice for information fusion and image registration techniques are applied to obtain large field and whole sections. Image registration techniques have been developed in the past decades for increasing the camera's field of view. Nevertheless, these approaches typically work in batch mode and rely on motorized microscopes. Alternatively, the methods are conceived just to provide visually pleasant registration for high overlap ratio image sequence. This work presents a method for virus microscope image registration acquired with detailed visual information and subpixel accuracy, even when overlap ratio of image sequence is 10% or less. The method proposed focus on the correspondence set and interimage transformation. A mismatch removal strategy is proposed by the spatial consistency and the components of keypoint to enrich the correspondence set. And the translation model parameter as well as tonal inhomogeneities is corrected by the hierarchical estimation and model select. In the experiments performed, we tested different registration approaches and virus images, confirming that the translation model is not always stationary, despite the fact that the images of the sample come from the same sequence. The mismatch removal strategy makes building registration of virus microscope images at subpixel accuracy easier and optional parameters for building registration according to the hierarchical estimation and model select strategies make the proposed method high precision and reliable for low overlap ratio image sequence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Space-Time Fractional Diffusion-Advection Equation with Caputo Derivative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Francisco Gómez Aguilar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available An alternative construction for the space-time fractional diffusion-advection equation for the sedimentation phenomena is presented. The order of the derivative is considered as 0<β, γ≤1 for the space and time domain, respectively. The fractional derivative of Caputo type is considered. In the spatial case we obtain the fractional solution for the underdamped, undamped, and overdamped case. In the temporal case we show that the concentration has amplitude which exhibits an algebraic decay at asymptotically large times and also shows numerical simulations where both derivatives are taken in simultaneous form. In order that the equation preserves the physical units of the system two auxiliary parameters σx and σt are introduced characterizing the existence of fractional space and time components, respectively. A physical relation between these parameters is reported and the solutions in space-time are given in terms of the Mittag-Leffler function depending on the parameters β and γ. The generalization of the fractional diffusion-advection equation in space-time exhibits anomalous behavior.

  5. Field-ion microscope studies of the defect structure of the primary state of damage of irradiated metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidman, D.N.

    1975-01-01

    A review is presented of field ion microscope applications in studies of point defect distribution in irradiated metals. FIM results on the primary state of radiation damage in neutron and ion-irradiated iridium and tungsten, at both room-temperature and 78 0 K, showed that it consists of: (1) isolated vacancies; (2) depleted zones; (3) compact vacancy clusters of voids; and (4) dislocation loops. The fraction of vacancies stored in the dislocation loops represented a small fraction of the total vacancy concentration; in the case of tungsten it was approximately 10 percent. These FIM observations provide a simple explanation of the low yield-factor, determined by transmission electron microscopy, for a number of ion-irradiated metals

  6. FEM for time-fractional diffusion equations, novel optimal error analyses

    OpenAIRE

    Mustapha, Kassem

    2016-01-01

    A semidiscrete Galerkin finite element method applied to time-fractional diffusion equations with time-space dependent diffusivity on bounded convex spatial domains will be studied. The main focus is on achieving optimal error results with respect to both the convergence order of the approximate solution and the regularity of the initial data. By using novel energy arguments, for each fixed time $t$, optimal error bounds in the spatial $L^2$- and $H^1$-norms are derived for both cases: smooth...

  7. Low temperature scanning electron microscopic studies on the interaction of globodera rostochiensis woll. and trichoderma harzianum rifai

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saifullah, A.; Khan, N.U.

    2014-01-01

    Low temperature scanning electron microscopic (LTSEM) studies revealed that Trichoderma harzianum infected mature potato cysts nematode eggs by penetrating directly the cyst wall or via natural opening of mouth. Mycelial penetration on cyst wall or egg surface has been seen. The penetration of cyst wall or egg surface was either chemical or mechanical (directly or with appresorium) or both. Freeze fractionation showed the presence of mycelia inside the eggs. (author)

  8. Inter-fraction variations in respiratory motion models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McClelland, J R; Modat, M; Ourselin, S; Hawkes, D J [Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London (United Kingdom); Hughes, S; Qureshi, A; Ahmad, S; Landau, D B, E-mail: j.mcclelland@cs.ucl.ac.uk [Department of Oncology, Guy' s and St Thomas' s Hospitals NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom)

    2011-01-07

    Respiratory motion can vary dramatically between the planning stage and the different fractions of radiotherapy treatment. Motion predictions used when constructing the radiotherapy plan may be unsuitable for later fractions of treatment. This paper presents a methodology for constructing patient-specific respiratory motion models and uses these models to evaluate and analyse the inter-fraction variations in the respiratory motion. The internal respiratory motion is determined from the deformable registration of Cine CT data and related to a respiratory surrogate signal derived from 3D skin surface data. Three different models for relating the internal motion to the surrogate signal have been investigated in this work. Data were acquired from six lung cancer patients. Two full datasets were acquired for each patient, one before the course of radiotherapy treatment and one at the end (approximately 6 weeks later). Separate models were built for each dataset. All models could accurately predict the respiratory motion in the same dataset, but had large errors when predicting the motion in the other dataset. Analysis of the inter-fraction variations revealed that most variations were spatially varying base-line shifts, but changes to the anatomy and the motion trajectories were also observed.

  9. A comparison of multi-spectral, multi-angular, and multi-temporal remote sensing datasets for fractional shrub canopy mapping in Arctic Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selkowitz, D.J.

    2010-01-01

    Shrub cover appears to be increasing across many areas of the Arctic tundra biome, and increasing shrub cover in the Arctic has the potential to significantly impact global carbon budgets and the global climate system. For most of the Arctic, however, there is no existing baseline inventory of shrub canopy cover, as existing maps of Arctic vegetation provide little information about the density of shrub cover at a moderate spatial resolution across the region. Remotely-sensed fractional shrub canopy maps can provide this necessary baseline inventory of shrub cover. In this study, we compare the accuracy of fractional shrub canopy (> 0.5 m tall) maps derived from multi-spectral, multi-angular, and multi-temporal datasets from Landsat imagery at 30 m spatial resolution, Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) imagery at 250 m and 500 m spatial resolution, and MultiAngle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) imagery at 275 m spatial resolution for a 1067 km2 study area in Arctic Alaska. The study area is centered at 69 ??N, ranges in elevation from 130 to 770 m, is composed primarily of rolling topography with gentle slopes less than 10??, and is free of glaciers and perennial snow cover. Shrubs > 0.5 m in height cover 2.9% of the study area and are primarily confined to patches associated with specific landscape features. Reference fractional shrub canopy is determined from in situ shrub canopy measurements and a high spatial resolution IKONOS image swath. Regression tree models are constructed to estimate fractional canopy cover at 250 m using different combinations of input data from Landsat, MODIS, and MISR. Results indicate that multi-spectral data provide substantially more accurate estimates of fractional shrub canopy cover than multi-angular or multi-temporal data. Higher spatial resolution datasets also provide more accurate estimates of fractional shrub canopy cover (aggregated to moderate spatial resolutions) than lower spatial resolution datasets

  10. An image of an event in which a microscopic-black-hole was produced in the collision of two protons in a computer generated image of the ATLAS detector.

    CERN Multimedia

    Joao Pequenao

    2008-01-01

    In some theories, microscopic black holes may be produced in particle collisions that occur when very-high-energy cosmic rays hit particles in our atmosphere. These microscopic-black-holes would decay into ordinary particles in a tiny fraction of a second and would be very difficult to observe in our atmosphere. The ATLAS Experiment offers the exciting possibility to study them in the lab (if they exist). The simulated collision event shown is viewed along the beampipe. The event is one in which a microscopic-black-hole was produced in the collision of two protons (not shown). The microscopic-black-hole decayed immediately into many particles. The colors of the tracks show different types of particles emerging from the collision (at the center).

  11. Construction and test of the PRIOR proton microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, Philipp-Michael

    2015-01-01

    The study of High Energy Density Matter (HEDM) in the laboratory makes great demands on the diagnostics because these states can usually only be created for a short time and usual diagnostic techniques with visible light or X-rays come to their limit because of the high density. The high energy proton radiography technique that was developed in the 1990s at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is a very promising possibility to overcome those limits so that one can measure the density of HEDM with high spatial and time resolution. For this purpose the proton microscope PRIOR (Proton Radiography for FAIR) was set up at GSI, which not only reproduces the image, but also magnifies it by a factor of 4.2 and thereby penetrates matter with a density up to 20 g/cm 2 . Straightaway a spatial resolution of less than 30 μm and a time resolution on the nanosecond scale was achieved. This work describes details to the principle, design and construction of the proton microscope as well as first measurements and simulations of essential components like magnetic lenses, a collimator and a scintillator screen. For the latter one it was possible to show that plastic scintillators can be used as converter as an alternative to the slower but more radiation resistant crystals, so that it is possible to reach a time resolution of 10 ns. Moreover the characteristics were investigated for the system at the commissioning in April 2014. Also the changes in the magnetic field due to radiation damage were studied. Besides that an overview about future applications is given. First experiments with Warm Dense Matter created by using a Pulsed Power Setup have already been performed. Furthermore the promising concept of combining proton radiography with particle therapy has been investigated in context of the PaNTERA project. An outlook on the possibilities with future experiments at the FAIR accelerator facility is given as well. Because of higher beam intensity an energy one can expect even

  12. Relation between psi-splitting and microscopic residual shear stresses in x-ray stress measurement on uni-directionally deformed layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanabusa, Takao; Fujiwara, Haruo

    1982-01-01

    The psi-splitting behaviors were investigated for the ground and the milled surface layers of both iron and high speed steel in order to find out the relation among microscopic residual shear stresses. For the high speed steel, the X-ray elastic constants and the residual strains were measured on the carbide phase as well as on the matrix phase. It was clarified that the psi-splitting was caused by a combination of the selective nature of X-ray diffractions and the microscopic residual shear stresses within the interior of cells and the carbide particles. The volume fraction occupied by the cell walls and the residual shear stresses sustained by them were estimated from the equilibrium condition of the microscopic residual shear stresses. The distributions of residual stresses over the deformed layers indicate that the thermal effect is dominant in grinding and the mechanical effect is dominant in milling for forming residual stresses. (author)

  13. Digital differential confocal microscopy based on spatial shift transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, J; Wang, Y; Liu, C; Wilson, T; Wang, H; Tan, J

    2014-11-01

    Differential confocal microscopy is a particularly powerful surface profilometry technique in industrial metrology due to its high axial sensitivity and insensitivity to noise. However, the practical implementation of the technique requires the accurate positioning of point detectors in three-dimensions. We describe a simple alternative based on spatial transformation of a through-focus series of images obtained from a homemade beam scanning confocal microscope. This digital differential confocal microscopy approach is described and compared with the traditional Differential confocal microscopy approach. The ease of use of the digital differential confocal microscopy system is illustrated by performing measurements on a 3D standard specimen. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

  14. Concentration of 17 Elements in Subcellular Fractions of Beef Heart Tissue Determined by Neutron Activation Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wester, P O

    1964-12-15

    Subcellular fractions of beef heart tissue are investigated, by means of neutron activation analysis, with respect to their concentration of 17 different elements. A recently developed ion-exchange technique combined with gamma spectrometry is used. The homogeneity of the subcellular fractions is examined electron microscopically. The following elements are determined: As, Ba, Br, Cas Co, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, La, Mo, P, Rb, Se, Sm, W and Zn. The determination of Ag, Au, Cd, Ce, Cr, Sb and Sc is omitted, in view of contamination. Reproducible and characteristic patterns of distribution are obtained for all elements studied.

  15. Concentration of 17 Elements in Subcellular Fractions of Beef Heart Tissue Determined by Neutron Activation Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wester, P.O.

    1964-12-01

    Subcellular fractions of beef heart tissue are investigated, by means of neutron activation analysis, with respect to their concentration of 17 different elements. A recently developed ion-exchange technique combined with gamma spectrometry is used. The homogeneity of the subcellular fractions is examined electron microscopically. The following elements are determined: As, Ba, Br, Cas Co, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, La, Mo, P, Rb, Se, Sm, W and Zn. The determination of Ag, Au, Cd, Ce, Cr, Sb and Sc is omitted, in view of contamination. Reproducible and characteristic patterns of distribution are obtained for all elements studied

  16. ABSORPTION-LINE SPECTROSCOPY OF GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED GALAXIES: FURTHER CONSTRAINTS ON THE ESCAPE FRACTION OF IONIZING PHOTONS AT HIGH REDSHIFT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leethochawalit, Nicha; Ellis, Richard S.; Zitrin, Adi [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, MS 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Jones, Tucker A. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Stark, Daniel P. [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

    2016-11-10

    The fraction of ionizing photons escaping from high-redshift star-forming galaxies is a key obstacle in evaluating whether galaxies were the primary agents of cosmic reionization. We previously proposed using the covering fraction of low-ionization gas, measured via deep absorption-line spectroscopy, as a proxy. We now present a significant update, sampling seven gravitationally lensed sources at 4 < z < 5. We show that the absorbing gas in our sources is spatially inhomogeneous, with a median covering fraction of 66%. Correcting for reddening according to a dust-in-cloud model, this implies an estimated absolute escape fraction of ≃19% ± 6%. With possible biases and uncertainties, collectively we find that the average escape fraction could be reduced to no less than 11%, excluding the effect of spatial variations. For one of our lensed sources, we have sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to demonstrate the presence of such spatial variations and scatter in its dependence on the Ly α equivalent width, consistent with recent simulations. If this source is typical, our lower limit to the escape fraction could be reduced by a further factor ≃2. Across our sample, we find a modest anticorrelation between the inferred escape fraction and the local star formation rate, consistent with a time delay between a burst and leaking Lyman continuum photons. Our analysis demonstrates considerable variations in the escape fraction, consistent with being governed by the small-scale behavior of star-forming regions, whose activities fluctuate over short timescales. This supports the suggestion that the escape fraction may increase toward the reionization era when star formation becomes more energetic and burst-like.

  17. Linear mixing model applied to coarse spatial resolution data from multispectral satellite sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holben, Brent N.; Shimabukuro, Yosio E.

    1993-01-01

    A linear mixing model was applied to coarse spatial resolution data from the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer. The reflective component of the 3.55-3.95 micron channel was used with the two reflective channels 0.58-0.68 micron and 0.725-1.1 micron to run a constrained least squares model to generate fraction images for an area in the west central region of Brazil. The fraction images were compared with an unsupervised classification derived from Landsat TM data acquired on the same day. The relationship between the fraction images and normalized difference vegetation index images show the potential of the unmixing techniques when using coarse spatial resolution data for global studies.

  18. The Mental Representation of Numerical Fractions: Real or Integer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonato, Mario; Fabbri, Sara; Umilta, Carlo; Zorzi, Marco

    2007-01-01

    Numerical fractions are commonly used to express ratios and proportions (i.e., real numbers), but little is known about how they are mentally represented and processed by skilled adults. Four experiments employed comparison tasks to investigate the distance effect and the effect of the spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC) for…

  19. Synthesis of spatially variant lattices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rumpf, Raymond C; Pazos, Javier

    2012-07-02

    It is often desired to functionally grade and/or spatially vary a periodic structure like a photonic crystal or metamaterial, yet no general method for doing this has been offered in the literature. A straightforward procedure is described here that allows many properties of the lattice to be spatially varied at the same time while producing a final lattice that is still smooth and continuous. Properties include unit cell orientation, lattice spacing, fill fraction, and more. This adds many degrees of freedom to a design such as spatially varying the orientation to exploit directional phenomena. The method is not a coordinate transformation technique so it can more easily produce complicated and arbitrary spatial variance. To demonstrate, the algorithm is used to synthesize a spatially variant self-collimating photonic crystal to flow a Gaussian beam around a 90° bend. The performance of the structure was confirmed through simulation and it showed virtually no scattering around the bend that would have arisen if the lattice had defects or discontinuities.

  20. Annular dark field electron microscope images with better than 2 A resolution at 100 kV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, D.H.; Kirkland, E.J.; Silcox, J.

    1989-01-01

    High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) images in the annular dark field (ADF) imaging mode approaching the theoretical point-to-point resolution limit are presented. The ADF images were obtained from a high T c superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x thin-film specimen at 100 kV. The 1.9 A resolution lattice image, which is the smallest lattice spacing in the specimen, corresponds to the minimum resolvable spatial frequency with 5% contrast in the contrast transfer function for annular dark field, and is smaller than the resolution limit given by the Rayleigh criterion. This demonstrates that STEM ADF imaging can have a resolution approximately 40% better than that of the bright field conventional transmission electron microscope (CTEM) imaging at Scherzer condition

  1. A new method to detect geometrical information by the tunneling microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tasaki, S.; Levitan, J.; Mygind, Jesper

    1997-01-01

    A new method for the detection of the geometrical information by the scanning tunneling microscope is proposed. In addition to the bias voltage, a small ac modulation is applied. The nonlinear dependence of the transmission coefficient on the applied voltage is used to generate harmonics. The ratio...... of the harmonics to the dc current is found to give the width between the sample and the probe, i.e., the geometrical information. This method may be useful to measure materials, where the local-spatial-density of states may change notably from place to place. ©1997 American Institute of Physics....

  2. SPATIAL REPARTITION OF CURRENT FLUCTUATIONS IN A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerome Lagoute

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM is a technique where the surface topography of a conducting sample is probed by a scanning metallic tip. The tip-to-surface distance is controlled by monitoring the electronic tunneling current between the two metals. The aim of this work is to extend the temporal range of this instrument by characterising the time fluctuations of this current on different surfaces. The current noise power spectral density is dominated by a characteristic 1/f component, the physical origin of which is not yet clearly identified, despite a number of investigations. A new I-V preamplifier was developed in order to characterise these fluctuations of the tunnelling current and to obtain images of their spatial repartition. It is observed that their intensity is correlated with some topographical features. This information can be used to get insights on the physical phenomena involved that are not accessible by the usual STM set-up, which is limited to low frequencies.

  3. Microwave Microscope

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Makes ultra-high-resolution field measurements. The Microwave Microscope (MWM) has been used in support of several NRL experimental programs involving sea...

  4. Brain-wide mapping of axonal connections: workflow for automated detection and spatial analysis of labeling in microscopic sections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eszter Agnes ePapp

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Axonal tracing techniques are powerful tools for exploring the structural organization of neuronal connections. Tracers such as biotinylated dextran amine (BDA and Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (Pha-L allow brain-wide mapping of connections through analysis of large series of histological section images. We present a workflow for efficient collection and analysis of tract-tracing datasets with a focus on newly developed modules for image processing and assignment of anatomical location to tracing data. New functionality includes automatic detection of neuronal labeling in large image series, alignment of images to a volumetric brain atlas, and analytical tools for measuring the position and extent of labeling. To evaluate the workflow, we used high-resolution microscopic images from axonal tracing experiments in which different parts of the rat primary somatosensory cortex had been injected with BDA or Pha-L. Parameters from a set of representative images were used to automate detection of labeling in image series covering the entire brain, resulting in binary maps of the distribution of labeling. For high to medium labeling densities, automatic detection was found to provide reliable results when compared to manual analysis, whereas weak labeling required manual curation for optimal detection. To identify brain regions corresponding to labeled areas, section images were aligned to the Waxholm Space (WHS atlas of the Sprague Dawley rat brain (v2 by custom-angle slicing of the MRI template to match individual sections. Based on the alignment, WHS coordinates were obtained for labeled elements and transformed to stereotaxic coordinates. The new workflow modules increase the efficiency and reliability of labeling detection in large series of images from histological sections, and enable anchoring to anatomical atlases for further spatial analysis and comparison with other data.

  5. A Student-Built Scanning Tunneling Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekkens, Tom

    2015-01-01

    Many introductory and nanotechnology textbooks discuss the operation of various microscopes including atomic force (AFM), scanning tunneling (STM), and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). In a nanotechnology laboratory class, students frequently utilize microscopes to obtain data without a thought about the detailed operation of the tool itself.…

  6. A fluorescence scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanemaru, Takaaki; Hirata, Kazuho; Takasu, Shin-ichi; Isobe, Shin-ichiro; Mizuki, Keiji; Mataka, Shuntaro; Nakamura, Kei-ichiro

    2009-01-01

    Fluorescence techniques are widely used in biological research to examine molecular localization, while electron microscopy can provide unique ultrastructural information. To date, correlative images from both fluorescence and electron microscopy have been obtained separately using two different instruments, i.e. a fluorescence microscope (FM) and an electron microscope (EM). In the current study, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) (JEOL JXA8600 M) was combined with a fluorescence digital camera microscope unit and this hybrid instrument was named a fluorescence SEM (FL-SEM). In the labeling of FL-SEM samples, both Fluolid, which is an organic EL dye, and Alexa Fluor, were employed. We successfully demonstrated that the FL-SEM is a simple and practical tool for correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy.

  7. An inverse problem for a one-dimensional time-fractional diffusion problem

    KAUST Repository

    Jin, Bangti; Rundell, William

    2012-01-01

    We study an inverse problem of recovering a spatially varying potential term in a one-dimensional time-fractional diffusion equation from the flux measurements taken at a single fixed time corresponding to a given set of input sources. The unique

  8. Transmission electron microscope CCD camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downing, Kenneth H.

    1999-01-01

    In order to improve the performance of a CCD camera on a high voltage electron microscope, an electron decelerator is inserted between the microscope column and the CCD. This arrangement optimizes the interaction of the electron beam with the scintillator of the CCD camera while retaining optimization of the microscope optics and of the interaction of the beam with the specimen. Changing the electron beam energy between the specimen and camera allows both to be optimized.

  9. Experimental formation of a fractional vortex in a superconducting bi-layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Y.; Yamamori, H.; Yanagisawa, T.; Nishio, T.; Arisawa, S.

    2018-05-01

    We report the experimental formation of a fractional vortex generated by using a thin superconducting bi-layer in the form of a niobium bi-layer, observed as a magnetic flux distribution image taken by a scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope. Thus, we demonstrated that multi-component superconductivity can be realized by an s-wave conventional superconductor, because, in these superconductors, the magnetic flux is no longer quantized as it is destroyed by the existence of an inter-component phase soliton (i-soliton).

  10. Unsupervised Data Mining in nanoscale X-ray Spectro-Microscopic Study of NdFeB Magnet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Xiaoyue; Yang, Feifei; Antono, Erin; Yang, Wenge; Pianetta, Piero; Ermon, Stefano; Mehta, Apurva; Liu, Yijin

    2016-09-29

    Novel developments in X-ray based spectro-microscopic characterization techniques have increased the rate of acquisition of spatially resolved spectroscopic data by several orders of magnitude over what was possible a few years ago. This accelerated data acquisition, with high spatial resolution at nanoscale and sensitivity to subtle differences in chemistry and atomic structure, provides a unique opportunity to investigate hierarchically complex and structurally heterogeneous systems found in functional devices and materials systems. However, handling and analyzing the large volume data generated poses significant challenges. Here we apply an unsupervised data-mining algorithm known as DBSCAN to study a rare-earth element based permanent magnet material, Nd 2 Fe 14 B. We are able to reduce a large spectro-microscopic dataset of over 300,000 spectra to 3, preserving much of the underlying information. Scientists can easily and quickly analyze in detail three characteristic spectra. Our approach can rapidly provide a concise representation of a large and complex dataset to materials scientists and chemists. For example, it shows that the surface of common Nd 2 Fe 14 B magnet is chemically and structurally very different from the bulk, suggesting a possible surface alteration effect possibly due to the corrosion, which could affect the material's overall properties.

  11. Unsupervised Data Mining in nanoscale X-ray Spectro-Microscopic Study of NdFeB Magnet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Xiaoyue; Yang, Feifei; Antono, Erin; Yang, Wenge; Pianetta, Piero; Ermon, Stefano; Mehta, Apurva; Liu, Yijin

    2016-09-01

    Novel developments in X-ray based spectro-microscopic characterization techniques have increased the rate of acquisition of spatially resolved spectroscopic data by several orders of magnitude over what was possible a few years ago. This accelerated data acquisition, with high spatial resolution at nanoscale and sensitivity to subtle differences in chemistry and atomic structure, provides a unique opportunity to investigate hierarchically complex and structurally heterogeneous systems found in functional devices and materials systems. However, handling and analyzing the large volume data generated poses significant challenges. Here we apply an unsupervised data-mining algorithm known as DBSCAN to study a rare-earth element based permanent magnet material, Nd2Fe14B. We are able to reduce a large spectro-microscopic dataset of over 300,000 spectra to 3, preserving much of the underlying information. Scientists can easily and quickly analyze in detail three characteristic spectra. Our approach can rapidly provide a concise representation of a large and complex dataset to materials scientists and chemists. For example, it shows that the surface of common Nd2Fe14B magnet is chemically and structurally very different from the bulk, suggesting a possible surface alteration effect possibly due to the corrosion, which could affect the material’s overall properties.

  12. Large-scale high-resolution scanning Hall probe microscope used for MgB2 filament characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cambel, V; Fedor, J; Gregusova, D; Kovac, P; Husek, I

    2005-01-01

    The scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) is an important imaging tool used for detailed studies of superconductors in basic science as well as in the industrial sector. It can be used for the studies of losses, current distribution, and effects at grain boundaries. However, only a few SHPMs for magnetic field imaging at temperatures below 77 K have been proposed up to now, most of them designed for small-area (∼10x10 μm 2 ) scanning. We present a large-scale low-temperature SHPM developed for imaging the entire magnetic field in close proximity to magnetic and superconducting samples at 4.2-300 K. The microscope combines a large scanned area and high spatial and magnetic field resolution. The instrument is designed as an insert of standard helium flowing cryostats. The Hall sensor scans an area up to 7 x 25 mm 2 in the whole temperature interval with a spatial resolution better than 5 μm. The presented system is used for the study of ex situ prepared MgB 2 filament. We show that external magnetic field induces local supercurrents in the MgB 2 , from which the critical current can be estimated. Moreover, it indicates the microstructure and space homogeneity of the superconductor

  13. Hypoxic fraction and binding of misonidazole in EMT6/Ed multicellular tumor spheroids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franko, A.J.

    1985-01-01

    Misonidazole has been shown to bind selectively to hypoxic cells in tissue culture and to cells which are presumed to be chronically hypoxic in EMT6 spheroids and tumors. Thus it has considerable potential as a marker of hypoxic cells in vivo. To further evaluate this potential EMT6/Ed spheroids were used to quantitate misonidazole binding under conditions which resulted in hypoxic fractions between 0 and 1. The patterns of binding of 14 C-labeled misonidazole determined by autoradiography were consistent with the regions of radiobiological hypoxia as predicted by oxygen diffusion theory. The overall uptake of 3 H-labeled misonidazole by spheroids correlated well with the hypoxic fraction, although binding to aerobic cells and necrotic tissue contributed appreciably to the total label in the spheroids. It is concluded that misonidazole is an excellent marker of hypoxia in EMT6/Ed spheroids at the microscopic level, and the total amount bound per spheroid provides a potentially useful measure of the hypoxic fraction

  14. A quadruple-scanning-probe force microscope for electrical property measurements of microscopic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higuchi, Seiji; Kubo, Osamu; Kuramochi, Hiromi; Aono, Masakazu; Nakayama, Tomonobu

    2011-01-01

    Four-terminal electrical measurement is realized on a microscopic structure in air, without a lithographic process, using a home-built quadruple-scanning-probe force microscope (QSPFM). The QSPFM has four probes whose positions are individually controlled by obtaining images of a sample in the manner of atomic force microscopy (AFM), and uses the probes as contacting electrodes for electrical measurements. A specially arranged tuning fork probe (TFP) is used as a self-detection force sensor to operate each probe in a frequency modulation AFM mode, resulting in simultaneous imaging of the same microscopic feature on an insulator using the four TFPs. Four-terminal electrical measurement is then demonstrated in air by placing each probe electrode in contact with a graphene flake exfoliated on a silicon dioxide film, and the sheet resistance of the flake is measured by the van der Pauw method. The present work shows that the QSPFM has the potential to measure the intrinsic electrical properties of a wide range of microscopic materials in situ without electrode fabrication.

  15. Chromatic-free spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy diagnostics for microplasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Liguo; Chen Wencong; Zhu Ximing; Pu Yikang; Li Zeren

    2009-01-01

    A chromatic-free spatially resolved diagnostic system for microplasma measurement is proposed and demonstrated, which consists of an optical chromatic-free microscope mirror system, an electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD), and bandpass filters. The diagnostic system free of chromatic aberrations with a spatial resolution of about 6 μm is achieved. The factors that limit the resolution of this diagnostic system have been analyzed, which are optical diffraction, the pixel size of the EMCCD, and the thickness of the microplasma. In this paper, the optimal condition for achieving a maximum resolution power has been analyzed. With this diagnostic system, we revealed the spatial nonuniformity of a microwave atmospheric-pressure argon microplasma. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the time-averaged effective electron temperature has been estimated from the intensity distributions of 750.4 and 415.8 nm emissions.

  16. Microbial Enzyme Activity and Carbon Cycling in Grassland Soil Fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allison, S. D.; Jastrow, J. D.

    2004-12-01

    Extracellular enzymes are necessary to degrade complex organic compounds present in soils. Using physical fractionation procedures, we tested whether old soil carbon is spatially isolated from degradative enzymes across a prairie restoration chronosequence in Illinois, USA. We found that carbon-degrading enzymes were abundant in all soil fractions, including macroaggregates, microaggregates, and the clay fraction, which contains carbon with a mean residence time of ~200 years. The activities of two cellulose-degrading enzymes and a chitin-degrading enzyme were 2-10 times greater in organic matter fractions than in bulk soil, consistent with the rapid turnover of these fractions. Polyphenol oxidase activity was 3 times greater in the clay fraction than in the bulk soil, despite very slow carbon turnover in this fraction. Changes in enzyme activity across the restoration chronosequence were small once adjusted for increases in soil carbon concentration, although polyphenol oxidase activity per unit carbon declined by 50% in native prairie versus cultivated soil. These results are consistent with a `two-pool' model of enzyme and carbon turnover in grassland soils. In light organic matter fractions, enzyme production and carbon turnover both occur rapidly. However, in mineral-dominated fractions, both enzymes and their carbon substrates are immobilized on mineral surfaces, leading to slow turnover. Soil carbon accumulation in the clay fraction and across the prairie restoration chronosequence probably reflects increasing physical isolation of enzymes and substrates on the molecular scale, rather than the micron to millimeter scale.

  17. Kinetics and tissue repair process following fractional bipolar radiofrequency treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokolakis, G; von Eichel, L; Ulrich, M; Lademann, J; Zuberbier, T; Hofmann, M A

    2018-05-15

    Fractionated radiofrequency (RF) tissue tightening is an alternative method to fractionated laser treatment of skin wrinkling, laxity and acne scars, with reduced risk of scarring or persistent pigmentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the wound healing process after RF treatment. 12 patients were treated with a 64-pin fractional bipolar RF device with 60 mJ/pin applied energy. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) examination was performed on day 1, day 2, day 7 and day 14 after treatment. Clinical wound healing process was measured and expressed as a percentage. All patients developed erythema, mild edema and crusts at the treated areas. Two weeks after treatment clinical symptoms resolved. During ablation patients reported moderate pain. Directly after ablation microscopic ablation zones could be detected in CLSM. Measurement of MAZ at epidermis, dermo-epidermal junction and papilary dermis showed a constant diameter until two weeks after treatment. Re-epithelization of the MAZ could be detected already 1 week after treatment. However, 2 weeks after ablation the honeycomb pattern of the epidermis was not yet completely restored. Bipolar fractionated RF treatment demonstrates clinically a rapid wound healing response. The subepidermal remodelling process still ongoing after 14 days, showing new granulation tissue. Therefore, treatment intervals of at least 14 days should be recommended to allow completion of the remodelling process.

  18. The Digital Microscope and Its Image Processing Utility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tri Wahyu Supardi

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Many institutions, including high schools, own a large number of analog or ordinary microscopes. These microscopes are used to observe small objects. Unfortunately, object observations on the ordinary microscope require precision and visual acuity of the user. This paper discusses the development of a high-resolution digital microscope from an analog microscope, including the image processing utility, which allows the digital microscope users to capture, store and process the digital images of the object being observed. The proposed microscope is constructed from hardware components that can be easily found in Indonesia. The image processing software is capable of performing brightness adjustment, contrast enhancement, histogram equalization, scaling and cropping. The proposed digital microscope has a maximum magnification of 1600x, and image resolution can be varied from 320x240 pixels up to 2592x1944 pixels. The microscope was tested with various objects with a variety of magnification, and image processing was carried out on the image of the object. The results showed that the digital microscope and its image processing system were capable of enhancing the observed object and other operations in accordance with the user need. The digital microscope has eliminated the need for direct observation by human eye as with the traditional microscope.

  19. Scanning Microscopes Using X Rays and Microchannels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu

    2003-01-01

    Scanning microscopes that would be based on microchannel filters and advanced electronic image sensors and that utilize x-ray illumination have been proposed. Because the finest resolution attainable in a microscope is determined by the wavelength of the illumination, the xray illumination in the proposed microscopes would make it possible, in principle, to achieve resolutions of the order of nanometers about a thousand times as fine as the resolution of a visible-light microscope. Heretofore, it has been necessary to use scanning electron microscopes to obtain such fine resolution. In comparison with scanning electron microscopes, the proposed microscopes would likely be smaller, less massive, and less expensive. Moreover, unlike in scanning electron microscopes, it would not be necessary to place specimens under vacuum. The proposed microscopes are closely related to the ones described in several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles; namely, Miniature Microscope Without Lenses (NPO-20218), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 8 (August 1998), page 43; and Reflective Variants of Miniature Microscope Without Lenses (NPO-20610), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 9 (September 2002) page 6a. In all of these microscopes, the basic principle of design and operation is the same: The focusing optics of a conventional visible-light microscope are replaced by a combination of a microchannel filter and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) image detector. A microchannel plate containing parallel, microscopic-cross-section holes much longer than they are wide is placed between a specimen and an image sensor, which is typically the CCD. The microchannel plate must be made of a material that absorbs the illuminating radiation reflected or scattered from the specimen. The microchannels must be positioned and dimensioned so that each one is registered with a pixel on the image sensor. Because most of the radiation incident on the microchannel walls becomes absorbed, the radiation that reaches the

  20. OPTiM: Optical projection tomography integrated microscope using open-source hardware and software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Thomas; Andrews, Natalie; Davis, Samuel; Bugeon, Laurence; Dallman, Margaret D; McGinty, James

    2017-01-01

    We describe the implementation of an OPT plate to perform optical projection tomography (OPT) on a commercial wide-field inverted microscope, using our open-source hardware and software. The OPT plate includes a tilt adjustment for alignment and a stepper motor for sample rotation as required by standard projection tomography. Depending on magnification requirements, three methods of performing OPT are detailed using this adaptor plate: a conventional direct OPT method requiring only the addition of a limiting aperture behind the objective lens; an external optical-relay method allowing conventional OPT to be performed at magnifications >4x; a remote focal scanning and region-of-interest method for improved spatial resolution OPT (up to ~1.6 μm). All three methods use the microscope's existing incoherent light source (i.e. arc-lamp) and all of its inherent functionality is maintained for day-to-day use. OPT acquisitions are performed on in vivo zebrafish embryos to demonstrate the implementations' viability.

  1. Localization of ras antigenicity in rat hepatocyte plasma membrane and rough endoplasmic reticulum fractions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dominguez, J.M.; Lanoix, J.; Paiement, J.

    1991-01-01

    We have examined the antigenicity of plasma membrane (PM) and rough microsomal (RM) fractions from rat liver using anti-ras monoclonal antibodies 142-24EO5 and Y13-259 and immunochemistry as well as electron microscope immunocytochemistry. Proteins immunoprecipitated with monoclonal antibody 142-24E05 were separated using single-dimensional gradient-gel electrophoresis. The separated proteins were then blotted onto nitrocellulose sheets and incubated with [alpha-32P]GTP. Radioautograms of blots indicated the presence of specific 21.5- and 22-kDa labeled proteins in the PM fraction. A 23.5-kDa [alpha- 32 P] GTP-binding protein was detected in immunoprecipitates of both PM and RM fractions. Monoclonal antibody Y13-259 reacted only with the 21.5-kDa [alpha- 32 P] GTP-binding protein in the plasma membrane fraction. When anti-ras monoclonal antibody 142-24E05 and the immunogold technique were applied to membrane fractions using a preembedding immunocytochemical method, specific labeling was observed in association with both vesicular structures and membrane sheets in the PM fraction but only with electron-dense vesicular structures in the RM fraction. Thus ras antigenicity is associated with hepatocyte plasma membranes and ras-like antigenicity is probably associated with vesicular (secretory/endocytic) elements in both plasma membrane and rough microsomal preparations

  2. Mobile microscope complex GIB-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belyakov, A.V.; Gorbachev, A.N.

    2002-01-01

    To study microstructure in operating pipelines of power units a mobile microscope system is developed and successfully used. The system includes a portable microscope, a monitor, power supply and a portable computer. The monitor is used for surveying images from a video camera mounted on the microscope. The magnification on visual examination constitutes x 100 and x 500. Diameters of pipelines examined should not be less than 130 mm. Surface preparation for microstructural studies includes routine mechanical rough grinding and polishing with subsequent etching [ru

  3. The deuteron microscopic optical potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Congshan; Zhang Jingshang; Shen Qingbiao

    1991-01-01

    The two particle Green's function is introduced. When the direct interaction between two nucleons is neglected, the first and second order mass operators of two particles are the sum of those for each particle. The nucleon microscopic optical potential is calculated by applying nuclear matter approximation and effective Skyrme interaction. Then the deuteron microscopic optical potential (DMOP) is calculated by using fold formula. For improvement of the theory, the two particle polarization diagram contribution to the imaginary part of the deuteron microscopic optical potential is studied

  4. Resolution enhancement of pump-probe microscope with an inverse-annular filter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Takayoshi; Kawasumi, Koshi; Miyazaki, Jun; Nakata, Kazuaki

    2018-04-01

    Optical pump-probe microscopy can provide images by detecting changes in probe light intensity induced by stimulated emission, photoinduced absorbance change, or photothermal-induced refractive index change in either transmission or reflection mode. Photothermal microscopy, which is one type of optical pump-probe microscopy, has intrinsically super resolution capability due to the bilinear dependence of signal intensity of pump and probe. We introduce new techniques for further resolution enhancement and fast imaging in photothermal microscope. First, we introduce a new pupil filter, an inverse-annular pupil filter in a pump-probe photothermal microscope, which provides resolution enhancement in three dimensions. The resolutions are proved to be improved in lateral and axial directions by imaging experiment using 20-nm gold nanoparticles. The improvement in X (perpendicular to the common pump and probe polarization direction), Y (parallel to the polarization direction), and Z (axial direction) are by 15 ± 6, 8 ± 8, and 21 ± 2% from the resolution without a pupil filter. The resolution enhancement is even better than the calculation using vector field, which predicts the corresponding enhancement of 11, 8, and 6%. The discussion is made to explain the unexpected results. We also demonstrate the photothermal imaging of thick biological samples (cells from rabbit intestine and kidney) stained with hematoxylin and eosin dye with the inverse-annular filter. Second, a fast, high-sensitivity photothermal microscope is developed by implementing a spatially segmented balanced detection scheme into a laser scanning microscope using a Galvano mirror. We confirm a 4.9 times improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in the spatially segmented balanced detection compared with that of conventional detection. The system demonstrates simultaneous bi-modal photothermal and confocal fluorescence imaging of transgenic mouse brain tissue with a pixel dwell time of 20 µs. The

  5. Instrument-induced spatial crosstalk deconvolution algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Valerie G.; Evans, Nathan L., Jr.

    1986-01-01

    An algorithm has been developed which reduces the effects of (deconvolves) instrument-induced spatial crosstalk in satellite image data by several orders of magnitude where highly precise radiometry is required. The algorithm is based upon radiance transfer ratios which are defined as the fractional bilateral exchange of energy betwen pixels A and B.

  6. Small-size low-temperature scanning tunnel microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al'tfeder, I.B.; Khajkin, M.S.

    1989-01-01

    A small-size scanning tunnel microscope, designed for operation in transport helium-filled Dewar flasks is described. The microscope design contains a device moving the pin to the tested sample surface and a piezoelectric fine positioning device. High vibration protection of the microscope is provided by its suspension using silk threads. The small-size scanning tunnel microscope provides for atomic resolution

  7. Assessing Hourly Precipitation Forecast Skill with the Fractions Skill Score

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Bin; Zhang, Bo

    2018-02-01

    Statistical methods for category (yes/no) forecasts, such as the Threat Score, are typically used in the verification of precipitation forecasts. However, these standard methods are affected by the so-called "double-penalty" problem caused by slight displacements in either space or time with respect to the observations. Spatial techniques have recently been developed to help solve this problem. The fractions skill score (FSS), a neighborhood spatial verification method, directly compares the fractional coverage of events in windows surrounding the observations and forecasts. We applied the FSS to hourly precipitation verification by taking hourly forecast products from the GRAPES (Global/Regional Assimilation Prediction System) regional model and quantitative precipitation estimation products from the National Meteorological Information Center of China during July and August 2016, and investigated the difference between these results and those obtained with the traditional category score. We found that the model spin-up period affected the assessment of stability. Systematic errors had an insignificant role in the fraction Brier score and could be ignored. The dispersion of observations followed a diurnal cycle and the standard deviation of the forecast had a similar pattern to the reference maximum of the fraction Brier score. The coefficient of the forecasts and the observations is similar to the FSS; that is, the FSS may be a useful index that can be used to indicate correlation. Compared with the traditional skill score, the FSS has obvious advantages in distinguishing differences in precipitation time series, especially in the assessment of heavy rainfall.

  8. Development of an ultrasound microscope combined with optical microscope for multiparametric characterization of a single cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arakawa, Mototaka; Shikama, Joe; Yoshida, Koki; Nagaoka, Ryo; Kobayashi, Kazuto; Saijo, Yoshifumi

    2015-09-01

    Biomechanics of the cell has been gathering much attention because it affects the pathological status in atherosclerosis and cancer. In the present study, an ultrasound microscope system combined with optical microscope for characterization of a single cell with multiple ultrasound parameters was developed. The central frequency of the transducer was 375 MHz and the scan area was 80 × 80 μm with up to 200 × 200 sampling points. An inverted optical microscope was incorporated in the design of the system, allowing for simultaneous optical observations of cultured cells. Two-dimensional mapping of multiple ultrasound parameters, such as sound speed, attenuation, and acoustic impedance, as well as the thickness, density, and bulk modulus of specimen/cell under investigation, etc., was realized by the system. Sound speed and thickness of a 3T3-L1 fibroblast cell were successfully obtained by the system. The ultrasound microscope system combined with optical microscope further enhances our understanding of cellular biomechanics.

  9. Drift-insensitive distributed calibration of probe microscope scanner in nanometer range: Virtual mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapshin, Rostislav V.

    2016-08-01

    A method of distributed calibration of a probe microscope scanner is suggested. The main idea consists in a search for a net of local calibration coefficients (LCCs) in the process of automatic measurement of a standard surface, whereby each point of the movement space of the scanner can be characterized by a unique set of scale factors. Feature-oriented scanning (FOS) methodology is used as a basis for implementation of the distributed calibration permitting to exclude in situ the negative influence of thermal drift, creep and hysteresis on the obtained results. Possessing the calibration database enables correcting in one procedure all the spatial systematic distortions caused by nonlinearity, nonorthogonality and spurious crosstalk couplings of the microscope scanner piezomanipulators. To provide high precision of spatial measurements in nanometer range, the calibration is carried out using natural standards - constants of crystal lattice. One of the useful modes of the developed calibration method is a virtual mode. In the virtual mode, instead of measurement of a real surface of the standard, the calibration program makes a surface image ;measurement; of the standard, which was obtained earlier using conventional raster scanning. The application of the virtual mode permits simulation of the calibration process and detail analysis of raster distortions occurring in both conventional and counter surface scanning. Moreover, the mode allows to estimate the thermal drift and the creep velocities acting while surface scanning. Virtual calibration makes possible automatic characterization of a surface by the method of scanning probe microscopy (SPM).

  10. Improved social force model based on exit selection for microscopic pedestrian simulation in subway station

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    郑勋; 李海鹰; 孟令云; 许心越; 陈旭

    2015-01-01

    An improved social force model based on exit selection is proposed to simulate pedestrians’ microscopic behaviors in subway station. The modification lies in considering three factors of spatial distance, occupant density and exit width. In addition, the problem of pedestrians selecting exit frequently is solved as follows: not changing to other exits in the affected area of one exit, using the probability of remaining preceding exit and invoking function of exit selection after several simulation steps. Pedestrians in subway station have some special characteristics, such as explicit destinations, different familiarities with subway station. Finally, Beijing Zoo Subway Station is taken as an example and the feasibility of the model results is verified through the comparison of the actual data and simulation data. The simulation results show that the improved model can depict the microscopic behaviors of pedestrians in subway station.

  11. Demonstrating the utility of boron based precursor molecules for selective area deposition in a scanning tunneling microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perkins, F.K.; Onellion, M.; Lee, S.; Bowben, T.A.

    1992-01-01

    The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) can be used to selectively deposit material from a gaseous precursor compound. Ultrasmall (less than a 100 nm across) spatial dimensions for selective area deposition may be achieved by this means. In this paper the authors outline a scheme foreselecting and designing main group cluster compounds and organometallics for this type of selective area deposition using nido-decaborane(14) as an example

  12. Design and performance of an ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope operating at dilution refrigerator temperatures and high magnetic fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, S; Zhou, B B; Drozdov, I K; Seo, J; Urban, L; Gyenis, A; Kingsley, S C J; Jones, H; Yazdani, A

    2013-10-01

    We describe the construction and performance of a scanning tunneling microscope capable of taking maps of the tunneling density of states with sub-atomic spatial resolution at dilution refrigerator temperatures and high (14 T) magnetic fields. The fully ultra-high vacuum system features visual access to a two-sample microscope stage at the end of a bottom-loading dilution refrigerator, which facilitates the transfer of in situ prepared tips and samples. The two-sample stage enables location of the best area of the sample under study and extends the experiment lifetime. The successful thermal anchoring of the microscope, described in detail, is confirmed through a base temperature reading of 20 mK, along with a measured electron temperature of 250 mK. Atomically resolved images, along with complementary vibration measurements, are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the vibration isolation scheme in this instrument. Finally, we demonstrate that the microscope is capable of the same level of performance as typical machines with more modest refrigeration by measuring spectroscopic maps at base temperature both at zero field and in an applied magnetic field.

  13. Resolvent estimates in homogenisation of periodic problems of fractional elasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherednichenko, Kirill; Waurick, Marcus

    2018-03-01

    We provide operator-norm convergence estimates for solutions to a time-dependent equation of fractional elasticity in one spatial dimension, with rapidly oscillating coefficients that represent the material properties of a viscoelastic composite medium. Assuming periodicity in the coefficients, we prove operator-norm convergence estimates for an operator fibre decomposition obtained by applying to the original fractional elasticity problem the Fourier-Laplace transform in time and Gelfand transform in space. We obtain estimates on each fibre that are uniform in the quasimomentum of the decomposition and in the period of oscillations of the coefficients as well as quadratic with respect to the spectral variable. On the basis of these uniform estimates we derive operator-norm-type convergence estimates for the original fractional elasticity problem, for a class of sufficiently smooth densities of applied forces.

  14. Design of a transmission electron positron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyama, Masao; Inoue, M.; Kogure, Y.; Hayashi, Y.; Yoshii, T.; Kurihara, T.; Tsuno, K.

    2003-01-01

    This paper reports the plans and design of positron-electron microscopes being built at KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization), Tsukuba, Japan. A used electron microscope is altered. The kinetic energies of positrons produced by accelerators or by nuclear decays are not a unique value but show a spread over in a wide range. Positron beam is guided to a transmission electron microscope (JEM100SX). Positrons are moderated by a tungsten foil, are accelerated and are focused on a nickel sheet. The monochromatic focused beam is injected into an electron microscope. The focusing and aberration of positrons are the same as electrons in a magnetic system which are used in commercial electron microscopes. Imaging plates are used to record positron images for the transmission electron microscope. (author)

  15. Low-temperature-compatible tunneling-current-assisted scanning microwave microscope utilizing a rigid coaxial resonator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Hideyuki; Imai, Yoshinori; Maeda, Atsutaka

    2016-06-01

    We present a design for a tunneling-current-assisted scanning near-field microwave microscope. For stable operation at cryogenic temperatures, making a small and rigid microwave probe is important. Our coaxial resonator probe has a length of approximately 30 mm and can fit inside the 2-in. bore of a superconducting magnet. The probe design includes an insulating joint, which separates DC and microwave signals without degrading the quality factor. By applying the SMM to the imaging of an electrically inhomogeneous superconductor, we obtain the spatial distribution of the microwave response with a spatial resolution of approximately 200 nm. Furthermore, we present an analysis of our SMM probe based on a simple lumped-element circuit model along with the near-field microwave measurements of silicon wafers having different conductivities.

  16. Microscopic investigations of the backward angle anomaly in elastic α-40Ca scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langanke, K.; Frekers, D.

    1978-01-01

    Elastic α-scattering on 40 Ca is studied microscopically by the resonating group method (RGM). Absorption effects are simulated by an imaginary potential whose spatial structure is taken to be proportional to the RGM overlap exchange kernel. The experimentally well-known backward anomaly is reproduced by the calculated angular distributions, and a clear connection between the Psub(l) 2 structures at backward angles and l-phase-shift resonances is shown. In this context the consistency of various methods of defining resonances in the presence of absorption is investigated. (Auth.)

  17. Occupational concerns associated with regular use of microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Garima; Shetty, Pushparaja

    2014-08-01

    Microscope work can be strenuous both to the visual system and the musculoskeletal system. Lack of awareness or indifference towards health issues may result in microscope users becoming victim to many occupational hazards. Our objective was to understand the occupational problems associated with regular use of microscope, awareness regarding the hazards, attitude and practice of microscope users towards the problems and preventive strategies. a questionnaire based survey done on 50 professionals and technicians who used microscope regularly in pathology, microbiology, hematology and cytology laboratories. Sixty two percent of subjects declared that they were suffering from musculoskeletal problems, most common locations being neck and back. Maximum prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was noted in those using microscope for 11-15 years and for more than 30 h/week. Sixty two percent of subjects were aware of workplace ergonomics. Fifty six percent of microscope users took regular short breaks for stretching exercises and 58% took visual breaks every 15-30 min in between microscope use sessions. As many as 94% subjects reported some form of visual problem. Fourty four percent of microscope users felt stressed with long working hours on microscope. The most common occupational concerns of microscope users were musculoskeletal problems of neck and back regions, eye fatigue, aggravation of ametropia, headache, stress due to long working hours and anxiety during or after microscope use. There is an immediate need for increasing awareness about the various occupational hazards and their irreversible effects to prevent them.

  18. Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spatial-temporal training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graziano, A B; Peterson, M; Shaw, G L

    1999-03-01

    It was predicted, based on a mathematical model of the cortex, that early music training would enhance spatial-temporal reasoning. We have demonstrated that preschool children given six months of piano keyboard lessons improved dramatically on spatial-temporal reasoning while children in appropriate control groups did not improve. It was then predicted that the enhanced spatial-temporal reasoning from piano keyboard training could lead to enhanced learning of specific math concepts, in particular proportional math, which is notoriously difficult to teach using the usual language-analytic methods. We report here the development of Spatial-Temporal Math Video Game software designed to teach fractions and proportional math, and its strikingly successful use in a study involving 237 second-grade children (age range six years eight months-eight years five months). Furthermore, as predicted, children given piano keyboard training along with the Math Video Game training scored significantly higher on proportional math and fractions than children given a control training along with the Math Video Game. These results were readily measured using the companion Math Video Game Evaluation Program. The training time necessary for children on the Math Video Game is very short, and they rapidly reach a high level of performance. This suggests that, as predicted, we are tapping into fundamental cortical processes of spatial-temporal reasoning. This spatial-temporal approach is easily generalized to teach other math and science concepts in a complementary manner to traditional language-analytic methods, and at a younger age. The neural mechanisms involved in thinking through fractions and proportional math during training with the Math Video Game might be investigated in EEG coherence studies along with priming by specific music.

  19. Microscopic Polyangiitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... body, specifically the feet, lower legs and, in bed-ridden patients, the buttocks. The skin findings of cutaneous ... that are in contact with the lungs’ microscopic air sacs – the condition may quickly pose a threat ...

  20. Electron microscope studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crewe, A.V.; Kapp, O.H.

    1992-01-01

    This is a report covering the research performed in the Crewe laboratory between 1964 and 1992. Because of limitations of space we have provided relatively brief summaries of the major research directions of the facility during these years. A complete bibliography has been included and we have referenced groups of pertinent publications at the beginning of each section. This report summarizes our efforts to develop better electron microscopes and chronicles many of the experimental programs, in materials science and biology, that acted both as a stimulus to better microscope design and also as a testing ground for many instrumental innovations

  1. Electron microscope studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crewe, A.V.; Kapp, O.H.

    1992-07-01

    This is a report covering the research performed in the Crewe laboratory between 1964 and 1992. Because of limitations of space we have provided relatively brief summaries of the major research directions of the facility during these years. A complete bibliography has been included and we have referenced groups of pertinent publications at the beginning of each section. This report summarizes our efforts to develop better electron microscopes and chronicles many of the experimental programs, in materials science and biology, that acted both as a stimulus to better microscope design and also as a testing ground for many instrumental innovations.

  2. Hard x-ray contact microscopy with 250 nm spatial resolution using a LiF film detector and a tabletop microsource

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almaviva, S.; Bonfigli, F.; Franzini, I.; Lai, A.; Montereali, R. M.; Pelliccia, D.; Cedola, A.; Lagomarsino, S.

    2006-01-01

    An innovative route for deep-submicrometer spatial resolution hard x-ray microscopy with tabletop x-ray source is proposed. A film of lithium fluoride (LiF) was used as imaging detector in contact mode. We present here the x-ray images recorded on LiF films of a Fresnel zone plate with submicrometer gold structures and of an onion cataphyll. The images were read with an optical confocal microscope in fluorescence mode. The measured spatial resolution was about 250 nm, i.e., close to the resolution limit of the confocal microscope. The advantages and drawbacks, and the possible improvements, of this route are discussed

  3. Neurite density imaging versus imaging of microscopic anisotropy in diffusion MRI: A model comparison using spherical tensor encoding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lampinen, Björn; Szczepankiewicz, Filip; Mårtensson, Johan; van Westen, Danielle; Sundgren, Pia C; Nilsson, Markus

    2017-02-15

    In diffusion MRI (dMRI), microscopic diffusion anisotropy can be obscured by orientation dispersion. Separation of these properties is of high importance, since it could allow dMRI to non-invasively probe elongated structures such as neurites (axons and dendrites). However, conventional dMRI, based on single diffusion encoding (SDE), entangles microscopic anisotropy and orientation dispersion with intra-voxel variance in isotropic diffusivity. SDE-based methods for estimating microscopic anisotropy, such as the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) method, must thus rely on model assumptions to disentangle these features. An alternative approach is to directly quantify microscopic anisotropy by the use of variable shape of the b-tensor. Along those lines, we here present the 'constrained diffusional variance decomposition' (CODIVIDE) method, which jointly analyzes data acquired with diffusion encoding applied in a single direction at a time (linear tensor encoding, LTE) and in all directions (spherical tensor encoding, STE). We then contrast the two approaches by comparing neurite density estimated using NODDI with microscopic anisotropy estimated using CODIVIDE. Data were acquired in healthy volunteers and in glioma patients. NODDI and CODIVIDE differed the most in gray matter and in gliomas, where NODDI detected a neurite fraction higher than expected from the level of microscopic diffusion anisotropy found with CODIVIDE. The discrepancies could be explained by the NODDI tortuosity assumption, which enforces a connection between the neurite density and the mean diffusivity of tissue. Our results suggest that this assumption is invalid, which leads to a NODDI neurite density that is inconsistent between LTE and STE data. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the NODDI assumptions result in parameter bias that precludes the use of NODDI to map neurite density. With CODIVIDE, we found high levels of microscopic anisotropy in white matter

  4. Infrared microscope inspection apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forman, Steven E.; Caunt, James W.

    1985-02-26

    Apparatus and system for inspecting infrared transparents, such as an array of photovoltaic modules containing silicon solar cells, includes an infrared microscope, at least three sources of infrared light placed around and having their axes intersect the center of the object field and means for sending the reflected light through the microscope. The apparatus is adapted to be mounted on an X-Y translator positioned adjacent the object surface.

  5. High-order fractional partial differential equation transform for molecular surface construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Langhua; Chen, Duan; Wei, Guo-Wei

    2013-01-01

    Fractional derivative or fractional calculus plays a significant role in theoretical modeling of scientific and engineering problems. However, only relatively low order fractional derivatives are used at present. In general, it is not obvious what role a high fractional derivative can play and how to make use of arbitrarily high-order fractional derivatives. This work introduces arbitrarily high-order fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe fractional hyperdiffusions. The fractional PDEs are constructed via fractional variational principle. A fast fractional Fourier transform (FFFT) is proposed to numerically integrate the high-order fractional PDEs so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order evolution PDEs. The proposed high-order fractional PDEs are applied to the surface generation of proteins. We first validate the proposed method with a variety of test examples in two and three-dimensional settings. The impact of high-order fractional derivatives to surface analysis is examined. We also construct fractional PDE transform based on arbitrarily high-order fractional PDEs. We demonstrate that the use of arbitrarily high-order derivatives gives rise to time-frequency localization, the control of the spectral distribution, and the regulation of the spatial resolution in the fractional PDE transform. Consequently, the fractional PDE transform enables the mode decomposition of images, signals, and surfaces. The effect of the propagation time on the quality of resulting molecular surfaces is also studied. Computational efficiency of the present surface generation method is compared with the MSMS approach in Cartesian representation. We further validate the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of macromolecular surfaces, i.e., surface area, surface enclosed volume, surface electrostatic potential and solvation free energy. Extensive numerical experiments and comparison with an established surface model

  6. Differences in the surface texture of aggregate particles determined by 3D model derived from optic microscope measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jozef Komačka

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The surface texture of aggregate particles was investigated based on the 3D model of surface generated from the measurements by optic microscope. New software MicroSYS was developed to determine the wrapping plane of 3D model of aggregate using the function called “Thin plate spline“. New parameter for evaluation of surface texture of aggregate particle was proposed as the volumetric difference between two planes (wrapping plane and aggregate surface. Applicability of this parameters was tested on two aggregate fractions (4/8 and 8/11 coming form 11 quarries in Slovakia. The tested aggregates differed from petrography point of view and ranged from soft to hard. The difference among the quarries and also between fractions of aggregate was found out. The better surface texture was observed for the finner fraction of aggregate. Simultaneously, the better results were determined in the case of aggregate produced from the ingeous intrusive or extrusive rocks comparing to the sedimentary carbonate rocks aggregate.

  7. Effects of small-world connectivity on noise-induced temporal and spatial order in neural media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perc, Matjaz

    2007-01-01

    We present an overview of possible effects of small-world connectivity on noise-induced temporal and spatial order in a two-dimensional network of excitable neural media with FitzHugh-Nagumo local dynamics. Small-world networks are characterized by a given fraction of so-called long-range couplings or shortcut links that connect distant units of the system, while all other units are coupled in a diffusive-like manner. Interestingly, already a small fraction of these long-range couplings can have wide-ranging effects on the temporal as well as spatial noise-induced dynamics of the system. Here we present two main effects. First, we show that the temporal order, characterized by the autocorrelation of a firing-rate function, can be greatly enhanced by the introduction of small-world connectivity, whereby the effect increases with the increasing fraction of introduced shortcut links. Second, we show that the introduction of long-range couplings induces disorder of otherwise ordered, spiral-wave-like, noise-induced patterns that can be observed by exclusive diffusive connectivity of spatial units. Thereby, already a small fraction of shortcut links is sufficient to destroy coherent pattern formation in the media. Although the two results seem contradictive, we provide an explanation considering the inherent scale-free nature of small-world networks, which on one hand, facilitates signal transduction and thus temporal order in the system, whilst on the other hand, disrupts the internal spatial scale of the media thereby hindering the existence of coherent wave-like patterns. Additionally, the importance of spatially versus temporally ordered neural network functioning is discussed

  8. Spatial analysis of toxic emissions in LCA: a sub-continental nested USEtox model with freshwater archetypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kounina, Anna; Margni, Manuele; Shaked, Shanna; Bulle, Cécile; Jolliet, Olivier

    2014-08-01

    This paper develops continent-specific factors for the USEtox model and analyses the accuracy of different model architectures, spatial scales and archetypes in evaluating toxic impacts, with a focus on freshwater pathways. Inter-continental variation is analysed by comparing chemical fate and intake fractions between sub-continental zones of two life cycle impact assessment models: (1) the nested USEtox model parameterized with sub-continental zones and (2) the spatially differentiated IMPACTWorld model with 17 interconnected sub-continental regions. Substance residence time in water varies by up to two orders of magnitude among the 17 zones assessed with IMPACTWorld and USEtox, and intake fraction varies by up to three orders of magnitude. Despite this variation, the nested USEtox model succeeds in mimicking the results of the spatially differentiated model, with the exception of very persistent volatile pollutants that can be transported to polar regions. Intra-continental variation is analysed by comparing fate and intake fractions modelled with the a-spatial (one box) IMPACT Europe continental model vs. the spatially differentiated version of the same model. Results show that the one box model might overestimate chemical fate and characterisation factors for freshwater eco-toxicity of persistent pollutants by up to three orders of magnitude for point source emissions. Subdividing Europe into three archetypes, based on freshwater residence time (how long it takes water to reach the sea), improves the prediction of fate and intake fractions for point source emissions, bringing them within a factor five compared to the spatial model. We demonstrated that a sub-continental nested model such as USEtox, with continent-specific parameterization complemented with freshwater archetypes, can thus represent inter- and intra-continental spatial variations, whilst minimizing model complexity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Occupational concerns associated with regular use of microscope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garima Jain

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Microscope work can be strenuous both to the visual system and the musculoskeletal system. Lack of awareness or indifference towards health issues may result in microscope users becoming victim to many occupational hazards. Our objective was to understand the occupational problems associated with regular use of microscope, awareness regarding the hazards, attitude and practice of microscope users towards the problems and preventive strategies. Material and Methods: A questionnaire based survey done on 50 professionals and technicians who used microscope regularly in pathology, microbiology, hematology and cytology laboratories. Results: Sixty two percent of subjects declared that they were suffering from musculoskeletal problems, most common locations being neck and back. Maximum prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was noted in those using microscope for 11–15 years and for more than 30 h/week. Sixty two percent of subjects were aware of workplace ergonomics. Fifty six percent of microscope users took regular short breaks for stretching exercises and 58% took visual breaks every 15–30 min in between microscope use sessions. As many as 94% subjects reported some form of visual problem. Fourty four percent of microscope users felt stressed with long working hours on microscope. Conclusions: The most common occupational concerns of microscope users were musculoskeletal problems of neck and back regions, eye fatigue, aggravation of ametropia, headache, stress due to long working hours and anxiety during or after microscope use. There is an immediate need for increasing awareness about the various occupational hazards and their irreversible effects to prevent them.

  10. Pulsed Power for a Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    dehope, w j; browning, n; campbell, g; cook, e; king, w; lagrange, t; reed, b; stuart, b; Shuttlesworth, R; Pyke, B

    2009-06-25

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has converted a commercial 200kV transmission electron microscope (TEM) into an ultrafast, nanoscale diagnostic tool for material science studies. The resulting Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) has provided a unique tool for the study of material phase transitions, reaction front analyses, and other studies in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and biology. The TEM's thermionic electron emission source was replaced with a fast photocathode and a laser beam path was provided for ultraviolet surface illumination. The resulting photoelectron beam gives downstream images of 2 and 20 ns exposure times at 100 and 10 nm spatial resolution. A separate laser, used as a pump pulse, is used to heat, ignite, or shock samples while the photocathode electron pulses, carefully time-synchronized with the pump, function as probe in fast transient studies. The device functions in both imaging and diffraction modes. A laser upgrade is underway to make arbitrary cathode pulse trains of variable pulse width of 10-1000 ns. Along with a fast e-beam deflection scheme, a 'movie mode' capability will be added to this unique diagnostic tool. This talk will review conventional electron microscopy and its limitations, discuss the development and capabilities of DTEM, in particularly addressing the prime and pulsed power considerations in the design and fabrication of the DTEM, and conclude with the presentation of a deflector and solid-state pulser design for Movie-Mode DTEM.

  11. Pulsed Power for a Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeHope, W.J.; Browning, N.; Campbell, G.; Cook, E.; King, W.; Lagrange, T.; Reed, B.; Stuart, B.; Shuttlesworth, R.; Pyke, B.

    2009-01-01

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has converted a commercial 200kV transmission electron microscope (TEM) into an ultrafast, nanoscale diagnostic tool for material science studies. The resulting Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) has provided a unique tool for the study of material phase transitions, reaction front analyses, and other studies in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and biology. The TEM's thermionic electron emission source was replaced with a fast photocathode and a laser beam path was provided for ultraviolet surface illumination. The resulting photoelectron beam gives downstream images of 2 and 20 ns exposure times at 100 and 10 nm spatial resolution. A separate laser, used as a pump pulse, is used to heat, ignite, or shock samples while the photocathode electron pulses, carefully time-synchronized with the pump, function as probe in fast transient studies. The device functions in both imaging and diffraction modes. A laser upgrade is underway to make arbitrary cathode pulse trains of variable pulse width of 10-1000 ns. Along with a fast e-beam deflection scheme, a 'movie mode' capability will be added to this unique diagnostic tool. This talk will review conventional electron microscopy and its limitations, discuss the development and capabilities of DTEM, in particularly addressing the prime and pulsed power considerations in the design and fabrication of the DTEM, and conclude with the presentation of a deflector and solid-state pulser design for Movie-Mode DTEM

  12. Miniaturized integration of a fluorescence microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Kunal K.; Burns, Laurie D.; Cocker, Eric D.; Nimmerjahn, Axel; Ziv, Yaniv; Gamal, Abbas El; Schnitzer, Mark J.

    2013-01-01

    The light microscope is traditionally an instrument of substantial size and expense. Its miniaturized integration would enable many new applications based on mass-producible, tiny microscopes. Key prospective usages include brain imaging in behaving animals towards relating cellular dynamics to animal behavior. Here we introduce a miniature (1.9 g) integrated fluorescence microscope made from mass-producible parts, including semiconductor light source and sensor. This device enables high-speed cellular-level imaging across ∼0.5 mm2 areas in active mice. This capability allowed concurrent tracking of Ca2+ spiking in >200 Purkinje neurons across nine cerebellar microzones. During mouse locomotion, individual microzones exhibited large-scale, synchronized Ca2+ spiking. This is a mesoscopic neural dynamic missed by prior techniques for studying the brain at other length scales. Overall, the integrated microscope is a potentially transformative technology that permits distribution to many animals and enables diverse usages, such as portable diagnostics or microscope arrays for large-scale screens. PMID:21909102

  13. Spatial dependencies between large-scale brain networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Leech

    Full Text Available Functional neuroimaging reveals both increases (task-positive and decreases (task-negative in neural activation with many tasks. Many studies show a temporal relationship between task positive and task negative networks that is important for efficient cognitive functioning. Here we provide evidence for a spatial relationship between task positive and negative networks. There are strong spatial similarities between many reported task negative brain networks, termed the default mode network, which is typically assumed to be a spatially fixed network. However, this is not the case. The spatial structure of the DMN varies depending on what specific task is being performed. We test whether there is a fundamental spatial relationship between task positive and negative networks. Specifically, we hypothesize that the distance between task positive and negative voxels is consistent despite different spatial patterns of activation and deactivation evoked by different cognitive tasks. We show significantly reduced variability in the distance between within-condition task positive and task negative voxels than across-condition distances for four different sensory, motor and cognitive tasks--implying that deactivation patterns are spatially dependent on activation patterns (and vice versa, and that both are modulated by specific task demands. We also show a similar relationship between positively and negatively correlated networks from a third 'rest' dataset, in the absence of a specific task. We propose that this spatial relationship may be the macroscopic analogue of microscopic neuronal organization reported in sensory cortical systems, and that this organization may reflect homeostatic plasticity necessary for efficient brain function.

  14. Modeling the isotopic evolution of snowpack and snowmelt: Testing a spatially distributed parsimonious approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ala-Aho, Pertti; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; McNamara, James P; Laudon, Hjalmar; Kormos, Patrick; Soulsby, Chris

    2017-07-01

    Use of stable water isotopes has become increasingly popular in quantifying water flow paths and travel times in hydrological systems using tracer-aided modeling. In snow-influenced catchments, snowmelt produces a traceable isotopic signal, which differs from original snowfall isotopic composition because of isotopic fractionation in the snowpack. These fractionation processes in snow are relatively well understood, but representing their spatiotemporal variability in tracer-aided studies remains a challenge. We present a novel, parsimonious modeling method to account for the snowpack isotope fractionation and estimate isotope ratios in snowmelt water in a fully spatially distributed manner. Our model introduces two calibration parameters that alone account for the isotopic fractionation caused by sublimation from interception and ground snow storage, and snowmelt fractionation progressively enriching the snowmelt runoff. The isotope routines are linked to a generic process-based snow interception-accumulation-melt model facilitating simulation of spatially distributed snowmelt runoff. We use a synthetic modeling experiment to demonstrate the functionality of the model algorithms in different landscape locations and under different canopy characteristics. We also provide a proof-of-concept model test and successfully reproduce isotopic ratios in snowmelt runoff sampled with snowmelt lysimeters in two long-term experimental catchment with contrasting winter conditions. To our knowledge, the method is the first such tool to allow estimation of the spatially distributed nature of isotopic fractionation in snowpacks and the resulting isotope ratios in snowmelt runoff. The method can thus provide a useful tool for tracer-aided modeling to better understand the integrated nature of flow, mixing, and transport processes in snow-influenced catchments.

  15. The Current Status of Microscopical Hair Comparisons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter F. Rowe

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Although the microscopical comparison of human hairs has been accepted in courts of law for over a century, recent advances in DNA technology have called this type of forensic examination into question. In a number of cases, post-conviction DNA testing has exonerated defendants who were convicted in part on the results of microscopical hair comparisons. A federal judge has held a Daubert hearing on the microscopical comparison of human hairs and has concluded that this type of examination does not meet the criteria for admission of scientific evidence in federal courts. A review of the available scientific literature on microscopical hair comparisons (including studies conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation leads to three conclusions: (1 microscopical comparisons of human hairs can yield scientifically defensible conclusions that can contribute to criminal investigations and criminal prosecutions, (2 the reliability of microscopical hair comparisons is strongly affected by the training of the forensic hair examiner, (3 forensic hair examiners cannot offer estimates of the probability of a match of a questioned hair with a hair from a randomly selected person. In order for microscopical hair examinations to survive challenges under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Daubert decision, hair microscopists must be better trained and undergo frequent proficiency testing. More research on the error rates of microscopical hair comparisons should be undertaken, and guidelines for the permissible interpretations of such comparisons should be established. Until these issues have been addressed and satisfactorily resolved, microscopical hair comparisons should be regarded by law enforcement agencies and courts of law as merely presumptive in nature, and all microscopical hair comparisons should be confirmed by nuclear DNA profiling or mitochondrial DNA sequencing.

  16. Analysis of Zebrafish Kidney Development with Time-lapse Imaging Using a Dissecting Microscope Equipped for Optical Sectioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perner, Birgit; Schnerwitzki, Danny; Graf, Michael; Englert, Christoph

    2016-04-07

    In order to understand organogenesis, the spatial and temporal alterations that occur during development of tissues need to be recorded. The method described here allows time-lapse analysis of normal and impaired kidney development in zebrafish embryos by using a fluorescence dissecting microscope equipped for structured illumination and z-stack acquisition. To visualize nephrogenesis, transgenic zebrafish (Tg(wt1b:GFP)) with fluorescently labeled kidney structures were used. Renal defects were triggered by injection of an antisense morpholino oligonucleotide against the Wilms tumor gene wt1a, a factor known to be crucial for kidney development. The advantage of the experimental setup is the combination of a zoom microscope with simple strategies for re-adjusting movements in x, y or z direction without additional equipment. To circumvent focal drift that is induced by temperature variations and mechanical vibrations, an autofocus strategy was applied instead of utilizing a usually required environmental chamber. In order to re-adjust the positional changes due to a xy-drift, imaging chambers with imprinted relocation grids were employed. In comparison to more complex setups for time-lapse recording with optical sectioning such as confocal laser scanning or light sheet microscopes, a zoom microscope is easy to handle. Besides, it offers dissecting microscope-specific benefits such as high depth of field and an extended working distance. The method to study organogenesis presented here can also be used with fluorescence stereo microscopes not capable of optical sectioning. Although limited for high-throughput, this technique offers an alternative to more complex equipment that is normally used for time-lapse recording of developing tissues and organ dynamics.

  17. Hard X-ray Microscopic Imaging Of Human Breast Tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sung H.; Kim, Hong T.; Kim, Jong K.; Jheon, Sang H.; Youn, Hwa S.

    2007-01-01

    X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation will be a useful tool for innovation of x-ray imaging in clinical and laboratory settings. It helps us observe detailed internal structure of material samples non-invasively in air. And, it also has the potential to solve some tough problems of conventional breast imaging if it could evaluate various conditions of breast tissue effectively. A new hard x-ray microscope with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm was installed at Pohang Light Source, a third generation synchrotron radiation facility in Pohang, Korea. The x-ray energy was set at 6.95 keV, and the x-ray beam was monochromatized by W/B4C monochromator. Condenser and objective zone plates were used as x-ray lenses. Zernike phase plate next to condenser zone plate was introduced for improved contrast imaging. The image of a sample was magnified 30 times by objective zone plate and 20 times by microscope objective, respectively. After additional 10 times digital magnification, the total magnifying power was up to 6000 times in the end. Phase contrast synchrotron images of 10-μm-thick female breast tissue of the normal, fibroadenoma, fibrocystic change and carcinoma cases were obtained. By phase contrast imaging, hard x-rays enable us to observe many structures of breast tissue without sample preparations such as staining or fixation.

  18. Hard X-ray Microscopic Imaging Of Human Breast Tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sung H.; Kim, Hong T.; Kim, Jong K.; Jheon, Sang H.; Youn, Hwa S.

    2007-01-01

    X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation will be a useful tool for innovation of x-ray imaging in clinical and laboratory settings. It helps us observe detailed internal structure of material samples non-invasively in air. And, it also has the potential to solve some tough problems of conventional breast imaging if it could evaluate various conditions of breast tissue effectively. A new hard x-ray microscope with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm was installed at Pohang Light Source, a third generation synchrotron radiation facility in Pohang, Korea. The x-ray energy was set at 6.95 keV, and the x-ray beam was monochromatized by W/B4C monochromator. Condenser and objective zone plates were used as x-ray lenses. Zernike phase plate next to condenser zone plate was introduced for improved contrast imaging. The image of a sample was magnified 30 times by objective zone plate and 20 times by microscope objective, respectively. After additional 10 times digital magnification, the total magnifying power was up to 6000 times in the end. Phase contrast synchrotron images of 10-μm-thick female breast tissue of the normal, fibroadenoma, fibrocystic change and carcinoma cases were obtained. By phase contrast imaging, hard x-rays enable us to observe many structures of breast tissue without sample preparations such as staining or fixation

  19. A new clustering algorithm for scanning electron microscope images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousef, Amr; Duraisamy, Prakash; Karim, Mohammad

    2016-04-01

    A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons. The electrons interact with the sample atoms, producing various signals that are collected by detectors. The gathered signals contain information about the sample's surface topography and composition. The electron beam is generally scanned in a raster scan pattern, and the beam's position is combined with the detected signal to produce an image. The most common configuration for an SEM produces a single value per pixel, with the results usually rendered as grayscale images. The captured images may be produced with insufficient brightness, anomalous contrast, jagged edges, and poor quality due to low signal-to-noise ratio, grained topography and poor surface details. The segmentation of the SEM images is a tackling problems in the presence of the previously mentioned distortions. In this paper, we are stressing on the clustering of these type of images. In that sense, we evaluate the performance of the well-known unsupervised clustering and classification techniques such as connectivity based clustering (hierarchical clustering), centroid-based clustering, distribution-based clustering and density-based clustering. Furthermore, we propose a new spatial fuzzy clustering technique that works efficiently on this type of images and compare its results against these regular techniques in terms of clustering validation metrics.

  20. IMIS: An intelligence microscope imaging system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caputo, Michael; Hunter, Norwood; Taylor, Gerald

    1994-01-01

    Until recently microscope users in space relied on traditional microscopy techniques that required manual operation of the microscope and recording of observations in the form of written notes, drawings, or photographs. This method was time consuming and required the return of film and drawings from space for analysis. No real-time data analysis was possible. Advances in digital and video technologies along with recent developments in article intelligence will allow future space microscopists to have a choice of three additional modes of microscopy: remote coaching, remote control, and automation. Remote coaching requires manual operations of the microscope with instructions given by two-way audio/video transmission during critical phases of the experiment. When using the remote mode of microscopy, the Principal Investigator controls the microscope from the ground. The automated mode employs artificial intelligence to control microscope functions and is the only mode that can be operated in the other three modes as well. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the four modes of of microscopy and how the IMIS, a proposed intelligent microscope imaging system, can be used as a model for developing and testing concepts, operating procedures, and equipment design of specifications required to provide a comprehensive microscopy/imaging capability onboard Space Station Freedom.

  1. Adaptive and automatic red blood cell counting method based on microscopic hyperspectral imaging technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xi; Zhou, Mei; Qiu, Song; Sun, Li; Liu, Hongying; Li, Qingli; Wang, Yiting

    2017-12-01

    Red blood cell counting, as a routine examination, plays an important role in medical diagnoses. Although automated hematology analyzers are widely used, manual microscopic examination by a hematologist or pathologist is still unavoidable, which is time-consuming and error-prone. This paper proposes a full-automatic red blood cell counting method which is based on microscopic hyperspectral imaging of blood smears and combines spatial and spectral information to achieve high precision. The acquired hyperspectral image data of the blood smear in the visible and near-infrared spectral range are firstly preprocessed, and then a quadratic blind linear unmixing algorithm is used to get endmember abundance images. Based on mathematical morphological operation and an adaptive Otsu’s method, a binaryzation process is performed on the abundance images. Finally, the connected component labeling algorithm with magnification-based parameter setting is applied to automatically select the binary images of red blood cell cytoplasm. Experimental results show that the proposed method can perform well and has potential for clinical applications.

  2. Microscopic Analysis of Activated Sludge. Training Manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

    This training manual presents material on the use of a compound microscope to analyze microscope communities, present in wastewater treatment processes, for operational control. Course topics include: sampling techniques, sample handling, laboratory analysis, identification of organisms, data interpretation, and use of the compound microscope.…

  3. Thimble microscope system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamal, Tahseen; Rubinstein, Jaden; Watkins, Rachel; Cen, Zijian; Kong, Gary; Lee, W. M.

    2016-12-01

    Wearable computing devices, e.g. Google Glass, Smart watch, embodies the new human design frontier, where technology interfaces seamlessly with human gestures. During examination of any subject in the field (clinic, surgery, agriculture, field survey, water collection), our sensory peripherals (touch and vision) often go hand-in-hand. The sensitivity and maneuverability of the human fingers are guided with tight distribution of biological nerve cells, which perform fine motor manipulation over a range of complex surfaces that is often out of sight. Our sight (or naked vision), on the other hand, is generally restricted to line of sight that is ill-suited to view around corner. Hence, conventional imaging methods are often resort to complex light guide designs (periscope, endoscopes etc) to navigate over obstructed surfaces. Using modular design strategies, we constructed a prototype miniature microscope system that is incorporated onto a wearable fixture (thimble). This unique platform allows users to maneuver around a sample and take high resolution microscopic images. In this paper, we provide an exposition of methods to achieve a thimble microscopy; microscope lens fabrication, thimble design, integration of miniature camera and liquid crystal display.

  4. Atomic force microscope featuring an integrated optical microscope

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Putman, C.A.J.; Putman, Constant A.J.; de Grooth, B.G.; van Hulst, N.F.; Greve, Jan

    1992-01-01

    The atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to image the surface of both conductors and nonconductors. Biological specimens constitute a large group of nonconductors. A disadvantage of most AFM's is the fact that relatively large areas of the sample surface have to be scanned to pinpoint a biological

  5. Spin microscope based on optically detected magnetic resonance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, Gennady P.; Chernobrod, Boris M.

    2007-12-11

    The invention relates to scanning magnetic microscope which has a photoluminescent nanoprobe implanted in the tip apex of an atomic force microscope (AFM), a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) and exhibits optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) in the vicinity of unpaired electron spins or nuclear magnetic moments in the sample material. The described spin microscope has demonstrated nanoscale lateral resolution and single spin sensitivity for the AFM and STM embodiments.

  6. eSIP: A Novel Solution-Based Sectioned Image Property Approach for Microscope Calibration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malte Butzlaff

    Full Text Available Fluorescence confocal microscopy represents one of the central tools in modern sciences. Correspondingly, a growing amount of research relies on the development of novel microscopic methods. During the last decade numerous microscopic approaches were developed for the investigation of various scientific questions. Thereby, the former qualitative imaging methods became replaced by advanced quantitative methods to gain more and more information from a given sample. However, modern microscope systems being as complex as they are, require very precise and appropriate calibration routines, in particular when quantitative measurements should be compared over longer time scales or between different setups. Multispectral beads with sub-resolution size are often used to describe the point spread function and thus the optical properties of the microscope. More recently, a fluorescent layer was utilized to describe the axial profile for each pixel, which allows a spatially resolved characterization. However, fabrication of a thin fluorescent layer with matching refractive index is technically not solved yet. Therefore, we propose a novel type of calibration concept for sectioned image property (SIP measurements which is based on fluorescent solution and makes the calibration concept available for a broader number of users. Compared to the previous approach, additional information can be obtained by application of this extended SIP chart approach, including penetration depth, detected number of photons, and illumination profile shape. Furthermore, due to the fit of the complete profile, our method is less susceptible to noise. Generally, the extended SIP approach represents a simple and highly reproducible method, allowing setup independent calibration and alignment procedures, which is mandatory for advanced quantitative microscopy.

  7. 21 CFR 864.3600 - Microscopes and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... enlarge images of specimens, preparations, and cultures for medical purposes. Variations of microscopes... light. (3) Inverted stage microscopes, which permit examination of tissue cultures or other biological... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Microscopes and accessories. 864.3600 Section 864...

  8. Imaging the p-n junction in a gallium nitride nanowire with a scanning microwave microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Imtiaz, Atif [Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States); Wallis, Thomas M.; Brubaker, Matt D.; Blanchard, Paul T.; Bertness, Kris A.; Sanford, Norman A.; Kabos, Pavel, E-mail: kabos@boulder.nist.gov [Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); Weber, Joel C. [Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States); Coakley, Kevin J. [Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)

    2014-06-30

    We used a broadband, atomic-force-microscope-based, scanning microwave microscope (SMM) to probe the axial dependence of the charge depletion in a p-n junction within a gallium nitride nanowire (NW). SMM enables the visualization of the p-n junction location without the need to make patterned electrical contacts to the NW. Spatially resolved measurements of S{sub 11}{sup ′}, which is the derivative of the RF reflection coefficient S{sub 11} with respect to voltage, varied strongly when probing axially along the NW and across the p-n junction. The axial variation in S{sub 11}{sup ′}  effectively mapped the asymmetric depletion arising from the doping concentrations on either side of the junction. Furthermore, variation of the probe tip voltage altered the apparent extent of features associated with the p-n junction in S{sub 11}{sup ′} images.

  9. Spatial and seasonal variability of fractionated phytoplankton biomass and primary production in the frontal region of the Northern Adriatic Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.R. VADRUCCI

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Spatial and seasonal patterns of variation of fractionated phytoplankton biomass and primary production and their relationships with nutrient concentrations were analyzed along an inshore - offshore gradient and in relation to the presence of a frontal system in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Sampling was carried out in winter and summer during four oceanographic cruises (June 1996 and 1997, February 1997 and 1998 as part of the PRISMA II project. Water samples for determining nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass (as Chla and primary production (as 14 C assimilation were collected at five optical depths. Sampling stations were located along 2 or 4 parallel transects arranged perpendicularly to the shoreline and the frontal system. The transects were located at such a distance from the coast that the frontal system crossed them at their halfway point. Total dissolved nitrogen (TDN and total dissolved phosphorus concentrations (TDP were 12.41 ± 3 .95 mM and 0.146 ± 0 .070 mM, respectively. The values in the two seasonal periods were similar, decreasing along the inshore-offshore gradient. Values for phytoplankton biomass and primary productionwere higher in the winter than the summer cruises, and decreased, in both seasonal periods, along the inshore / offshore gradient. Moreover, in both seasonal periods, picophytoplankton dominated both biomass and productivity, (56% and 44%, respectively at stations beyond the frontal system, while microphytoplankton was more important at stations inside it (44% and 44%, respectively. Total phytoplankton biomass and primary production were directly related to nutrient concentrations. Regarding size classes, significant patterns of variation with nutrients were observed particularly for biomass. The results indicate that the size structure and function of phytoplankton guilds seem to be mediated by nutrient inflow, as well as by competitive interaction among size fractions.

  10. Axiomatic electrodynamics and microscopic mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yussouff, M.

    1981-04-01

    A new approach to theoretical physics, along with the basic formulation of a new MICROSCOPIC MECHANICS for the motion of small charged particles is described in this set of lecture notes. Starting with the classical (Newtonian) mechanics and classical fields, the important but well known properties of Classical Electromagnetic field are discussed up to section 4. The next nection describes the usual radiation damping theory and its difficulties. It is argued that the usual treatment of radiation damping is not valid for small space and time intervals and the true description of motion requires a new type of mechanics - the MICROSCOPIC MECHANICS: Section 6 and 7 are devoted to showing that not only the new microscopic mechanics goes over to Newtonian mechanics in the proper limit, but also it is closely connected with Quantum Mechanics. All the known results of the Schroedinger theory can be reproduced by microscopic mechanics which also gives a clear physical picture. It removes Einstein's famous objections against Quantum Theory and provides a clear distinction between classical and Quantum behavior. Seven Axioms (three on Classical Mechanics, two for Maxwell's theory, one for Relativity and a new Axiom on Radiation damping) are shown to combine Classical Mechanics, Maxwellian Electrodynamics, Relativity and Schroedinger's Quantum Theory within a single theoretical framework under Microscopic Mechanics which awaits further development at the present time. (orig.)

  11. Microscopic Theory of Fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Younes, W; Gogny, D

    2008-01-01

    In recent years, the microscopic method has been applied to the notoriously difficult problem of nuclear fission with unprecedented success. In this paper, we discuss some of the achievements and promise of the microscopic method, as embodied in the Hartree-Fock method using the Gogny finite-range effective interaction, and beyond-mean-field extensions to the theory. The nascent program to describe induced fission observables using this approach at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is presented

  12. Microscopic description of magnetized plasma: quasiparticle concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sosenko, P.P.; Decyk, V.K.

    1993-01-01

    A quasiparticle concept is developed systematically, from first principles, within the context of microscopic description of magnetized plasma. It is argued that the zeroth velocity-gyroangle harmonic of the microscopic particle distribution function under the gyrokinetic change of variables can be taken as a microscopic quasi-particle density in a reduced phase space. The nature of quasiparticles is discussed and equations of their motion are derived within both exact and reduced microscopic descriptions. The reduced one employs explicitly the separation of interesting time scales. (orig.)

  13. Fractional vector calculus for fractional advection dispersion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meerschaert, Mark M.; Mortensen, Jeff; Wheatcraft, Stephen W.

    2006-07-01

    We develop the basic tools of fractional vector calculus including a fractional derivative version of the gradient, divergence, and curl, and a fractional divergence theorem and Stokes theorem. These basic tools are then applied to provide a physical explanation for the fractional advection-dispersion equation for flow in heterogeneous porous media.

  14. Leaky-box approximation to the fractional diffusion model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchaikin, V V; Sibatov, R T; Saenko, V V

    2013-01-01

    Two models based on fractional differential equations for galactic cosmic ray diffusion are applied to the leaky-box approximation. One of them (Lagutin-Uchaikin, 2000) assumes a finite mean free path of cosmic ray particles, another one (Lagutin-Tyumentsev, 2004) uses distribution with infinite mean distance between collision with magnetic clouds, when the trajectories have form close to ballistic. Calculations demonstrate that involving boundary conditions is incompatible with spatial distributions given by the second model.

  15. Automated high resolution full-field spatial coherence tomography for quantitative phase imaging of human red blood cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singla, Neeru; Dubey, Kavita; Srivastava, Vishal; Ahmad, Azeem; Mehta, D. S.

    2018-02-01

    We developed an automated high-resolution full-field spatial coherence tomography (FF-SCT) microscope for quantitative phase imaging that is based on the spatial, rather than the temporal, coherence gating. The Red and Green color laser light was used for finding the quantitative phase images of unstained human red blood cells (RBCs). This study uses morphological parameters of unstained RBCs phase images to distinguish between normal and infected cells. We recorded the single interferogram by a FF-SCT microscope for red and green color wavelength and average the two phase images to further reduced the noise artifacts. In order to characterize anemia infected from normal cells different morphological features were extracted and these features were used to train machine learning ensemble model to classify RBCs with high accuracy.

  16. A magneto-optical microscope for quantitative measurement of magnetic microstructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, W C; Garraud, N; Shorman, E E; Arnold, D P

    2015-09-01

    An optical system is presented to quantitatively map the stray magnetic fields of microscale magnetic structures, with field resolution down to 50 μT and spatial resolution down to 4 μm. The system uses a magneto-optical indicator film (MOIF) in conjunction with an upright reflective polarizing light microscope to generate optical images of the magnetic field perpendicular to the image plane. A novel single light path construction and discrete multi-image polarimetry processing method are used to extract quantitative areal field measurements from the optical images. The integrated system including the equipment, image analysis software, and experimental methods are described. MOIFs with three different magnetic field ranges are calibrated, and the entire system is validated by measurement of the field patterns from two calibration samples.

  17. Science 101: How Does an Electron Microscope Work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Bill

    2013-01-01

    Contrary to popular opinion, electron microscopes are not used to look at electrons. They are used to look for structure in things that are too small to observe with an optical microscope, or to obtain images that are magnified much more than is obtainable with an optical microscope. To understand how electron microscopes work, it will help to go…

  18. Speckle-free and halo-free low coherent Mach-Zehnder quantitative-phase-imaging module as a replacement of objective lens in conventional inverted microscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamauchi, Toyohiko; Yamada, Hidenao; Matsui, Hisayuki; Yasuhiko, Osamu; Ueda, Yukio

    2018-02-01

    We developed a compact Mach-Zehnder interferometer module to be used as a replacement of the objective lens in a conventional inverted microscope (Nikon, TS100-F) in order to make them quantitative phase microscopes. The module has a 90-degree-flipped U-shape; the dimensions of the module are 160 mm by 120 mm by 40 mm and the weight is 380 grams. The Mach-Zehnder interferometer equipped with the separate reference and sample arms was implemented in this U-shaped housing and the path-length difference between the two arms was manually adjustable. The sample under test was put on the stage of the microscope and a sample light went through it. Both arms had identical achromatic lenses for image formation and the lateral positions of them were also manually adjustable. Therefore, temporally and spatially low coherent illumination was applicable because the users were able to balance precisely the path length of the two arms and to overlap the two wavefronts. In the experiment, spectrally filtered LED light for illumination (wavelength = 633 nm and bandwidth = 3 nm) was input to the interferometer module via a 50 micrometer core optical fiber. We have successfully captured full-field interference images by a camera put on the trinocular tube of the microscope and constructed quantitative phase images of the cultured cells by means of the quarter-wavelength phase shifting algorithm. The resultant quantitative phase images were speckle-free and halo-free due to spectrally and spatially low coherent illumination.

  19. Automated detection of analyzable metaphase chromosome cells depicted on scanned digital microscopic images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Yuchen; Wang, Xingwei; Chen, Xiaodong; Li, Yuhua; Liu, Hong; Li, Shibo; Zheng, Bin

    2010-02-01

    Visually searching for analyzable metaphase chromosome cells under microscopes is quite time-consuming and difficult. To improve detection efficiency, consistency, and diagnostic accuracy, an automated microscopic image scanning system was developed and tested to directly acquire digital images with sufficient spatial resolution for clinical diagnosis. A computer-aided detection (CAD) scheme was also developed and integrated into the image scanning system to search for and detect the regions of interest (ROI) that contain analyzable metaphase chromosome cells in the large volume of scanned images acquired from one specimen. Thus, the cytogeneticists only need to observe and interpret the limited number of ROIs. In this study, the high-resolution microscopic image scanning and CAD performance was investigated and evaluated using nine sets of images scanned from either bone marrow (three) or blood (six) specimens for diagnosis of leukemia. The automated CAD-selection results were compared with the visual selection. In the experiment, the cytogeneticists first visually searched for the analyzable metaphase chromosome cells from specimens under microscopes. The specimens were also automated scanned and followed by applying the CAD scheme to detect and save ROIs containing analyzable cells while deleting the others. The automated selected ROIs were then examined by a panel of three cytogeneticists. From the scanned images, CAD selected more analyzable cells than initially visual examinations of the cytogeneticists in both blood and bone marrow specimens. In general, CAD had higher performance in analyzing blood specimens. Even in three bone marrow specimens, CAD selected 50, 22, 9 ROIs, respectively. Except matching with the initially visual selection of 9, 7, and 5 analyzable cells in these three specimens, the cytogeneticists also selected 41, 15 and 4 new analyzable cells, which were missed in initially visual searching. This experiment showed the feasibility of

  20. Fractional Regularization Term for Variational Image Registration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Verdú-Monedero

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Image registration is a widely used task of image analysis with applications in many fields. Its classical formulation and current improvements are given in the spatial domain. In this paper a regularization term based on fractional order derivatives is formulated. This term is defined and implemented in the frequency domain by translating the energy functional into the frequency domain and obtaining the Euler-Lagrange equations which minimize it. The new regularization term leads to a simple formulation and design, being applicable to higher dimensions by using the corresponding multidimensional Fourier transform. The proposed regularization term allows for a real gradual transition from a diffusion registration to a curvature registration which is best suited to some applications and it is not possible in the spatial domain. Results with 3D actual images show the validity of this approach.

  1. Microscopic cross sections: An utopia?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hilaire, S. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, DIF 91 (France); Koning, A.J. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, PO Box 25, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Goriely, S. [Institut d' Astronomie et d' Astrophysique, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine, CP 226, 1050 Brussels (Belgium)

    2010-07-01

    The increasing need for cross sections far from the valley of stability poses a challenge for nuclear reaction models. So far, predictions of cross sections have relied on more or less phenomenological approaches, depending on parameters adjusted to available experimental data or deduced from systematical relations. While such predictions are expected to be reliable for nuclei not too far from the experimentally known regions, it is clearly preferable to use more fundamental approaches, based on sound physical bases, when dealing with very exotic nuclei. Thanks to the high computer power available today, all major ingredients required to model a nuclear reaction can now be (and have been) microscopically (or semi-microscopically) determined starting from the information provided by a nucleon-nucleon effective interaction. We have implemented all these microscopic ingredients in the TALYS nuclear reaction code, and we are now almost able to perform fully microscopic cross section calculations. The quality of these ingredients and the impact of using them instead of the usually adopted phenomenological parameters will be discussed. (authors)

  2. Microscopic cross sections: An utopia?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilaire, S.; Koning, A.J.; Goriely, S.

    2010-01-01

    The increasing need for cross sections far from the valley of stability poses a challenge for nuclear reaction models. So far, predictions of cross sections have relied on more or less phenomenological approaches, depending on parameters adjusted to available experimental data or deduced from systematical relations.While such predictions are expected to be reliable for nuclei not too far from the experimentally known regions, it is clearly preferable to use more fundamental approaches, based on sound physical bases, when dealing with very exotic nuclei. Thanks to the high computer power available today, all major ingredients required to model a nuclear reaction can now be (and have been) microscopically (or semi-microscopically) determined starting from the information provided by a nucleon-nucleon effective interaction. We have implemented all these microscopic ingredients in the TALYS nuclear reaction code, and we are now almost able to perform fully microscopic cross section calculations. The quality of these ingredients and the impact of using them instead of the usually adopted phenomenological parameters will be discussed. (authors)

  3. Numerical Solution of Time-Dependent Problems with a Fractional-Power Elliptic Operator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vabishchevich, P. N.

    2018-03-01

    A time-dependent problem in a bounded domain for a fractional diffusion equation is considered. The first-order evolution equation involves a fractional-power second-order elliptic operator with Robin boundary conditions. A finite-element spatial approximation with an additive approximation of the operator of the problem is used. The time approximation is based on a vector scheme. The transition to a new time level is ensured by solving a sequence of standard elliptic boundary value problems. Numerical results obtained for a two-dimensional model problem are presented.

  4. Handy Microscopic Close-Range Videogrammetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esmaeili, F.; Ebadi, H.

    2017-09-01

    The modeling of small-scale objects is used in different applications such as medicine, industry, and cultural heritage. The capability of modeling small-scale objects using imaging with the help of hand USB digital microscopes and use of videogrammetry techniques has been implemented and evaluated in this paper. Use of this equipment and convergent imaging of the environment for modeling, provides an appropriate set of images for generation of three-dimensional models. The results of the measurements made with the help of a microscope micrometer calibration ruler have demonstrated that self-calibration of a hand camera-microscope set can help obtain a three-dimensional detail extraction precision of about 0.1 millimeters on small-scale environments.

  5. Microscope and method of use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bongianni, Wayne L.

    1984-01-01

    A method and apparatus for electronically focusing and electronically scanning microscopic specimens are given. In the invention, visual images of even moving, living, opaque specimens can be acoustically obtained and viewed with virtually no time needed for processing (i.e., real time processing is used). And planar samples are not required. The specimens (if planar) need not be moved during scanning, although it will be desirable and possible to move or rotate nonplanar specimens (e.g., laser fusion targets) against the lens of the apparatus. No coupling fluid is needed, so specimens need not be wetted. A phase acoustic microscope is also made from the basic microscope components together with electronic mixers.

  6. Microscopic collective models of nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovas, Rezsoe

    1985-01-01

    Microscopic Rosensteel-Rowe theory of the nuclear collective motion is described. The theoretical insufficiency of the usual microscopic establishment of the collective model is pointed. The new model treating exactly the degrees of freedom separates the coordinates describing the collective motion and the internal coordinates by a consistent way. Group theoretical methods analyzing the symmetry properties of the total Hamiltonian are used defining the collective subspaces transforming as irreducible representations of the group formed by the collective operators. Recent calculations show that although the results of the usual collective model are approximately correct and similar to those of the new microscopic collective model, the underlying philosophy of the old model is essentially erroneous. (D.Gy.)

  7. Comparison of microscopic method and computational program for pesticide deposition evaluation of spraying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaim Aldemir

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this work was to compare two methods to estimate the deposition of pesticide applied by aerial spraying. Hundred and fifty pieces of water sensitive paper were distributed over an area of 50 m length by 75 m width for sampling droplets sprayed by an aircraft calibrated to apply a spray volume of 32 L/ha. The samples were analysed by visual microscopic method using NG 2 Porton graticule and by an image analyser computer program. The results reached by visual microscopic method were the following: volume median diameter, 398±62 mum; number median diameter, 159±22 mum; droplet density, 22.5±7.0 droplets/cm² and estimated deposited volume, 22.2±9.4 L/ha. The respective ones reached with the computer program were: 402±58 mum, 161±32 mum, 21.9±7.5 droplets/cm² and 21.9±9.2 L/ha. Graphs of the spatial distribution of droplet density and deposited spray volume on the area were produced by the computer program.

  8. Analytical scanning evanescent microwave microscope and control stage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Xiao-Dong; Gao, Chen; Duewer, Fred; Yang, Hai Tao; Lu, Yalin

    2009-06-23

    A scanning evanescent microwave microscope (SEMM) that uses near-field evanescent electromagnetic waves to probe sample properties is disclosed. The SEMM is capable of high resolution imaging and quantitative measurements of the electrical properties of the sample. The SEMM has the ability to map dielectric constant, loss tangent, conductivity, electrical impedance, and other electrical parameters of materials. Such properties are then used to provide distance control over a wide range, from to microns to nanometers, over dielectric and conductive samples for a scanned evanescent microwave probe, which enable quantitative non-contact and submicron spatial resolution topographic and electrical impedance profiling of dielectric, nonlinear dielectric and conductive materials. The invention also allows quantitative estimation of microwave impedance using signals obtained by the scanned evanescent microwave probe and quasistatic approximation modeling. The SEMM can be used to measure electrical properties of both dielectric and electrically conducting materials.

  9. Long-distance super-resolution imaging assisted by enhanced spatial Fourier transform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Heng-He; Liu, Pu-Kun

    2015-09-07

    A new gradient-index (GRIN) lens that can realize enhanced spatial Fourier transform (FT) over optically long distances is demonstrated. By using an anisotropic GRIN metamaterial with hyperbolic dispersion, evanescent wave in free space can be transformed into propagating wave in the metamaterial and then focused outside due to negative-refraction. Both the results based on the ray tracing and the finite element simulation show that the spatial frequency bandwidth of the spatial FT can be extended to 2.7k(0) (k(0) is the wave vector in free space). Furthermore, assisted by the enhanced spatial FT, a new long-distance (in the optical far-field region) super-resolution imaging scheme is also proposed and the super resolved capability of λ/5 (λ is the wavelength in free space) is verified. The work may provide technical support for designing new-type high-speed microscopes with long working distances.

  10. The extreme vulnerability of interdependent spatially embedded networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashan, Amir; Berezin, Yehiel; Buldyrev, Sergey V.; Havlin, Shlomo

    2013-10-01

    Recent studies show that in interdependent networks a very small failure in one network may lead to catastrophic consequences. Above a critical fraction of interdependent nodes, even a single node failure can invoke cascading failures that may abruptly fragment the system, whereas below this critical dependency a failure of a few nodes leads only to a small amount of damage to the system. So far, research has focused on interdependent random networks without space limitations. However, many real systems, such as power grids and the Internet, are not random but are spatially embedded. Here we analytically and numerically study the stability of interdependent spatially embedded networks modelled as lattice networks. Surprisingly, we find that in lattice systems, in contrast to non-embedded systems, there is no critical dependency and any small fraction of interdependent nodes leads to an abrupt collapse. We show that this extreme vulnerability of very weakly coupled lattices is a consequence of the critical exponent describing the percolation transition of a single lattice.

  11. Microscope sterility during spine surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bible, Jesse E; O'Neill, Kevin R; Crosby, Colin G; Schoenecker, Jonathan G; McGirt, Matthew J; Devin, Clinton J

    2012-04-01

    Prospective study. Assess the contamination rates of sterile microscope drapes after spine surgery. The use of the operating microscope has become more prevalent in certain spine procedures, providing superior magnification, visualization, and illumination of the operative field. However, it may represent an additional source of bacterial contamination and increase the risk of developing a postoperative infection. This study included 25 surgical spine cases performed by a single spine surgeon that required the use of the operative microscope. Sterile culture swabs were used to obtain samples from 7 defined locations on the microscope drape after its use during the operation. The undraped technician's console was sampled in each case as a positive control, and an additional 25 microscope drapes were swabbed immediately after they were applied to the microscope to obtain negative controls. Swab samples were assessed for bacterial growth on 5% sheep blood Columbia agar plates using a semiquantitative technique. No growth was observed on any of the 25 negative control drapes. In contrast, 100% of preoperative and 96% of postoperative positive controls demonstrated obvious contamination. In the postoperative group, all 7 sites of evaluation were found to be contaminated with rates of 12% to 44%. Four of the 7 evaluated locations were found to have significant contamination rates compared with negative controls, including the shafts of the optic eyepieces on the main surgeon side (24%, P = 0.022), "forehead" portion on both the main surgeon (24%, P = 0.022) and assistant sides (28%, P = 0.010), and "overhead" portion of the drape (44%, P = 0.0002). Bacterial contamination of the operative microscope was found to be significant after spine surgery. Contamination was more common around the optic eyepieces, likely due to inadvertent touching of unsterile portions. Similarly, all regions above the eyepieces also have a propensity for contamination because of unknown contact

  12. Self-Intersection Local Times of Generalized Mixed Fractional Brownian Motion as White Noise Distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suryawan, Herry P.; Gunarso, Boby

    2017-01-01

    The generalized mixed fractional Brownian motion is defined by taking linear combinations of a finite number of independent fractional Brownian motions with different Hurst parameters. It is a Gaussian process with stationary increments, posseses self-similarity property, and, in general, is neither a Markov process nor a martingale. In this paper we study the generalized mixed fractional Brownian motion within white noise analysis framework. As a main result, we prove that for any spatial dimension and for arbitrary Hurst parameter the self-intersection local times of the generalized mixed fractional Brownian motions, after a suitable renormalization, are well-defined as Hida white noise distributions. The chaos expansions of the self-intersection local times in the terms of Wick powers of white noises are also presented. (paper)

  13. Observation of quantized vortices by cryocooler-based scanning Hall probe microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tokunaga, Y.; Konishi, Y.; Tokunaga, M.; Tamegai, T

    2004-10-01

    We have developed a scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) system utilizing closed-cycle cryocooler. The Hall probe used in this system is fabricated from a GaAs/GaAlAs two-dimensional electron gas. A stepping-motor-driven XYZ translator is used with a resolution better than 0.1 {mu}m and maximum scan range of 20 x 20 mm{sup 2}. The spatial resolution of the system is about 5 {mu}m and magnetic resolution is about 100 mG. By using this system, we have successfully resolved the quantized vortices on the cleaved surface of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+y} single crystal.

  14. Constitutive modelling of an arterial wall supported by microscopic measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vychytil J.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available An idealized model of an arterial wall is proposed as a two-layer system. Distinct mechanical response of each layer is taken into account considering two types of strain energy functions in the hyperelasticity framework. The outer layer, considered as a fibre-reinforced composite, is modelled using the structural model of Holzapfel. The inner layer, on the other hand, is represented by a two-scale model mimicing smooth muscle tissue. For this model, material parameters such as shape, volume fraction and orientation of smooth muscle cells are determined using the microscopic measurements. The resulting model of an arterial ring is stretched axially and loaded with inner pressure to simulate the mechanical response of a porcine arterial segment during inflation and axial stretching. Good agreement of the model prediction with experimental data is promising for further progress.

  15. Large-grazing-angle, multi-image Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope as the front end to a high-resolution streak camera for OMEGA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gotchev, O.V.; Hayes, L.J.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Knauer, J.P.; Marshall, F.J.; Meyerhofer, D.D.

    2003-01-01

    A high-resolution x-ray microscope with a large grazing angle has been developed, characterized, and fielded at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. It increases the sensitivity and spatial resolution in planar direct-drive hydrodynamic stability experiments, relevant to inertial confinement fusion research. It has been designed to work as the optical front end of the PJX - a high-current, high-dynamic-range x-ray streak camera. Optical design optimization, results from numerical ray tracing, mirror-coating choice, and characterization have been described previously [O. V. Gotchev, et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 2178 (2003)]. This work highlights the optics' unique mechanical design and flexibility and considers certain applications that benefit from it. Characterization of the microscope's resolution in terms of its modulation transfer function over the field of view is shown. Recent results from hydrodynamic stability experiments, diagnosed with the optic and the PJX, are provided to confirm the microscope's advantages as a high-resolution, high-throughput x-ray optical front end for streaked imaging

  16. Analytical Electron Microscope

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Titan 80-300 is a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with spectroscopic detectors to allow chemical, elemental, and other analytical measurements to...

  17. A simplified spatial model for BWR stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berman, Y.; Lederer, Y.; Meron, E.

    2012-01-01

    A spatial reduced order model for the study of BWR stability, based on the phenomenological model of March-Leuba et al., is presented. As one dimensional spatial dependence of the neutron flux, fuel temperature and void fraction is introduced, it is possible to describe both global and regional oscillations of the reactor power. Both linear stability analysis and numerical analysis were applied in order to describe the parameters which govern the model stability. The results were found qualitatively similar to past results. Doppler reactivity feedback was found essential for the explanation of the different regions of the flow-power stability map. (authors)

  18. Fractional vector calculus and fractional Maxwell's equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, Vasily E.

    2008-01-01

    The theory of derivatives and integrals of non-integer order goes back to Leibniz, Liouville, Grunwald, Letnikov and Riemann. The history of fractional vector calculus (FVC) has only 10 years. The main approaches to formulate a FVC, which are used in the physics during the past few years, will be briefly described in this paper. We solve some problems of consistent formulations of FVC by using a fractional generalization of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. We define the differential and integral vector operations. The fractional Green's, Stokes' and Gauss's theorems are formulated. The proofs of these theorems are realized for simplest regions. A fractional generalization of exterior differential calculus of differential forms is discussed. Fractional nonlocal Maxwell's equations and the corresponding fractional wave equations are considered

  19. A feasibility study: Selection of a personalized radiotherapy fractionation schedule using spatiotemporal optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Minsun; Stewart, Robert D.; Phillips, Mark H.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the impact of using spatiotemporal optimization, i.e., intensity-modulated spatial optimization followed by fractionation schedule optimization, to select the patient-specific fractionation schedule that maximizes the tumor biologically equivalent dose (BED) under dose constraints for multiple organs-at-risk (OARs). Methods: Spatiotemporal optimization was applied to a variety of lung tumors in a phantom geometry using a range of tumor sizes and locations. The optimal fractionation schedule for a patient using the linear-quadratic cell survival model depends on the tumor and OAR sensitivity to fraction size (α/β), the effective tumor doubling time (T d ), and the size and location of tumor target relative to one or more OARs (dose distribution). The authors used a spatiotemporal optimization method to identify the optimal number of fractions N that maximizes the 3D tumor BED distribution for 16 lung phantom cases. The selection of the optimal fractionation schedule used equivalent (30-fraction) OAR constraints for the heart (D mean ≤ 45 Gy), lungs (D mean ≤ 20 Gy), cord (D max ≤ 45 Gy), esophagus (D max ≤ 63 Gy), and unspecified tissues (D 05 ≤ 60 Gy). To assess plan quality, the authors compared the minimum, mean, maximum, and D 95 of tumor BED, as well as the equivalent uniform dose (EUD) for optimized plans to conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans prescribing 60 Gy in 30 fractions. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effects of T d (3–100 days), tumor lag-time (T k = 0–10 days), and the size of tumors on optimal fractionation schedule. Results: Using an α/β ratio of 10 Gy, the average values of tumor max, min, mean BED, and D 95 were up to 19%, 21%, 20%, and 19% larger than those from conventional prescription, depending on T d and T k used. Tumor EUD was up to 17% larger than the conventional prescription. For fast proliferating tumors with T d less than 10 days, there was no

  20. Confocal scanning microscope for nuclear photoemulsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batusov, Yu.A.; Kovalev, Yu.S.; Soroko, L.M.

    2005-01-01

    The application of the confocal scanning microscope to the objects in the nuclear photoemulsion is described. An array of 27 microtomograms of single silver grain is shown. The cross sections of the same particle track of diameter 1 μm, detected by means of the confocal scanning microscope with open and annular apertures, are presented. It was shown that the confocal scanning microscope opens indeed new opportunities for the nuclear photoemulsion technique to get previously inaccessible information for physics of the short-living particles

  1. Imaging single atoms using secondary electrons with an aberration-corrected electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Y; Inada, H; Nakamura, K; Wall, J

    2009-10-01

    Aberration correction has embarked on a new frontier in electron microscopy by overcoming the limitations of conventional round lenses, providing sub-angstrom-sized probes. However, improvement of spatial resolution using aberration correction so far has been limited to the use of transmitted electrons both in scanning and stationary mode, with an improvement of 20-40% (refs 3-8). In contrast, advances in the spatial resolution of scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), which are by far the most widely used instrument for surface imaging at the micrometre-nanometre scale, have been stagnant, despite several recent efforts. Here, we report a new SEM, with aberration correction, able to image single atoms by detecting electrons emerging from its surface as a result of interaction with the small probe. The spatial resolution achieved represents a fourfold improvement over the best-reported resolution in any SEM (refs 10-12). Furthermore, we can simultaneously probe the sample through its entire thickness with transmitted electrons. This ability is significant because it permits the selective visualization of bulk atoms and surface ones, beyond a traditional two-dimensional projection in transmission electron microscopy. It has the potential to revolutionize the field of microscopy and imaging, thereby opening the door to a wide range of applications, especially when combined with simultaneous nanoprobe spectroscopy.

  2. A method based on the Jacobi tau approximation for solving multi-term time-space fractional partial differential equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhrawy, A. H.; Zaky, M. A.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we propose and analyze an efficient operational formulation of spectral tau method for multi-term time-space fractional differential equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The shifted Jacobi operational matrices of Riemann-Liouville fractional integral, left-sided and right-sided Caputo fractional derivatives are presented. By using these operational matrices, we propose a shifted Jacobi tau method for both temporal and spatial discretizations, which allows us to present an efficient spectral method for solving such problem. Furthermore, the error is estimated and the proposed method has reasonable convergence rates in spatial and temporal discretizations. In addition, some known spectral tau approximations can be derived as special cases from our algorithm if we suitably choose the corresponding special cases of Jacobi parameters θ and ϑ. Finally, in order to demonstrate its accuracy, we compare our method with those reported in the literature.

  3. Fractional Number Operator and Associated Fractional Diffusion Equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rguigui, Hafedh

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we study the fractional number operator as an analog of the finite-dimensional fractional Laplacian. An important relation with the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is given. Using a semigroup approach, the solution of the Cauchy problem associated to the fractional number operator is presented. By means of the Mittag-Leffler function and the Laplace transform, we give the solution of the Caputo time fractional diffusion equation and Riemann-Liouville time fractional diffusion equation in infinite dimensions associated to the fractional number operator.

  4. Designs for a quantum electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruit, P; Hobbs, R G; Kim, C-S; Yang, Y; Manfrinato, V R; Hammer, J; Thomas, S; Weber, P; Klopfer, B; Kohstall, C; Juffmann, T; Kasevich, M A; Hommelhoff, P; Berggren, K K

    2016-05-01

    One of the astounding consequences of quantum mechanics is that it allows the detection of a target using an incident probe, with only a low probability of interaction of the probe and the target. This 'quantum weirdness' could be applied in the field of electron microscopy to generate images of beam-sensitive specimens with substantially reduced damage to the specimen. A reduction of beam-induced damage to specimens is especially of great importance if it can enable imaging of biological specimens with atomic resolution. Following a recent suggestion that interaction-free measurements are possible with electrons, we now analyze the difficulties of actually building an atomic resolution interaction-free electron microscope, or "quantum electron microscope". A quantum electron microscope would require a number of unique components not found in conventional transmission electron microscopes. These components include a coherent electron beam-splitter or two-state-coupler, and a resonator structure to allow each electron to interrogate the specimen multiple times, thus supporting high success probabilities for interaction-free detection of the specimen. Different system designs are presented here, which are based on four different choices of two-state-couplers: a thin crystal, a grating mirror, a standing light wave and an electro-dynamical pseudopotential. Challenges for the detailed electron optical design are identified as future directions for development. While it is concluded that it should be possible to build an atomic resolution quantum electron microscope, we have also identified a number of hurdles to the development of such a microscope and further theoretical investigations that will be required to enable a complete interpretation of the images produced by such a microscope. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The beneficial effect of cynodon dactylon fractions on ethylene glycol-induced kidney calculi in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khajavi Rad, Abolfazl; Hadjzadeh, Mousa-Al-Reza; Rajaei, Ziba; Mohammadian, Nema; Valiollahi, Saleh; Sonei, Mehdi

    2011-01-01

    To assess the beneficial effect of different fractions of Cynodon dactylon (C. dactylon) on ethylene glycol-induced kidney calculi in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, ethylene glycol, curative, and preventive groups. The control group received tap drinking water for 35 days. Ethylene glycol, curative, and preventive groups received 1% ethylene glycol for induction of calcium oxalate (CaOx) calculus formation. Preventive and curative subjects also received different fractions of C. dactylon extract in drinking water at 12.8 mg/kg, since day 0 and day 14, respectively. After 35 days, the kidneys were removed and examined for histopathological findings and counting the CaOx deposits in 50 microscopic fields. In curative protocol, treatment of rats with C. dactylon N-butanol fraction and N-butanol phase remnant significantly reduced the number of the kidney CaOx deposits compared to ethylene glycol group. In preventive protocol, treatment of rats with C. dactylon ethyl acetate fraction significantly decreased the number of CaOx deposits compared to ethylene glycol group. Fractions of C. dactylon showed a beneficial effect on preventing and eliminating CaOx deposition in the rat kidney. These results provide a scientific rational for preventive and treatment roles of C. dactylon in human kidney stone disease.

  6. Upconversion in Nd3+-doped glasses: Microscopic theory and spectroscopic measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, S. L.; Sousa, D. F. de; Andrade, A. A.; Nunes, L. A. O.; Catunda, T.

    2008-01-01

    In this work, we report a systematic investigation of upconversion losses and their effects on fluorescence quantum efficiency and fractional thermal loading in Nd 3+ -doped fluoride glasses. The energy transfer upconversion (γ up ) parameter, which describes upconversion losses, was experimentally determined using different methods: thermal lens (TL) technique and steady state luminescence (SSL) measurements. Additionally, the upconversion parameter was also obtained from energy transfer models and excited state absorption measurements. The results reveal that the microscopic treatment provided by the energy transfer models is similar to the macroscopic ones achieved from the TL and SSL measurements because similar γ up parameters were obtained. Besides, the achieved results also point out the migration-assisted energy transfer according to diffusion-limited regime rather than hopping regime as responsible for the upconversion losses in Nd-doped glasses

  7. Fractional Processes and Fractional-Order Signal Processing Techniques and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Sheng, Hu; Qiu, TianShuang

    2012-01-01

    Fractional processes are widely found in science, technology and engineering systems. In Fractional Processes and Fractional-order Signal Processing, some complex random signals, characterized by the presence of a heavy-tailed distribution or non-negligible dependence between distant observations (local and long memory), are introduced and examined from the ‘fractional’ perspective using simulation, fractional-order modeling and filtering and realization of fractional-order systems. These fractional-order signal processing (FOSP) techniques are based on fractional calculus, the fractional Fourier transform and fractional lower-order moments. Fractional Processes and Fractional-order Signal Processing: • presents fractional processes of fixed, variable and distributed order studied as the output of fractional-order differential systems; • introduces FOSP techniques and the fractional signals and fractional systems point of view; • details real-world-application examples of FOSP techniques to demonstr...

  8. Occupational concerns associated with regular use of microscope

    OpenAIRE

    Garima Jain; Pushparaja Shetty

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: Microscope work can be strenuous both to the visual system and the musculoskeletal system. Lack of awareness or indifference towards health issues may result in microscope users becoming victim to many occupational hazards. Our objective was to understand the occupational problems associated with regular use of microscope, awareness regarding the hazards, attitude and practice of microscope users towards the problems and preventive strategies. Material and Methods: A questionnaire...

  9. Microscopic nuclear structure with sub-nucleonic degrees of freedom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sauer, P.U.

    1986-01-01

    The paper reviews microscopic theories of nuclear structure. The subject is discussed under the topic headings: microscopic nuclear structure with nucleons only; microscopic nuclear structure with nucleons, isobars and mesons; and microscopic nuclear structure with nucleons, mesons and dibaryons. (U.K.)

  10. Design and properties of a cryogenic dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope with capacitive coarse approach control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlegel, R; Hänke, T; Baumann, D; Kaiser, M; Nag, P K; Voigtländer, R; Lindackers, D; Büchner, B; Hess, C

    2014-01-01

    We present the design, setup, and operation of a new dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope. Its special design allows measurements in the temperature range from 4.7 K up to room temperature, where cryogenic vacuum conditions are maintained during the measurement. The system fits into every (4)He vessel with a bore of 50 mm, e.g., a transport dewar or a magnet bath cryostat. The microscope is equipped with a cleaving mechanism for cleaving single crystals in the whole temperature range and under cryogenic vacuum conditions. For the tip approach, a capacitive automated coarse approach is implemented. We present test measurements on the charge density wave system 2H-NbSe2 and the superconductor LiFeAs which demonstrate scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy data acquisition with high stability, high spatial resolution at variable temperatures and in high magnetic fields.

  11. Literature survey on microscopic friction modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hol, J.

    2010-01-01

    To better understand contact and friction conditions, experimental and theoretical studies have been performed in order to take microscopic dependencies into account. Friction is developed on microscopic level by adhesion between contacting asperities, the ploughing effect between asperities and the

  12. The SPAtial EFficiency metric (SPAEF): multiple-component evaluation of spatial patterns for optimization of hydrological models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Julian; Cüneyd Demirel, Mehmet; Stisen, Simon

    2018-05-01

    The process of model evaluation is not only an integral part of model development and calibration but also of paramount importance when communicating modelling results to the scientific community and stakeholders. The modelling community has a large and well-tested toolbox of metrics to evaluate temporal model performance. In contrast, spatial performance evaluation does not correspond to the grand availability of spatial observations readily available and to the sophisticate model codes simulating the spatial variability of complex hydrological processes. This study makes a contribution towards advancing spatial-pattern-oriented model calibration by rigorously testing a multiple-component performance metric. The promoted SPAtial EFficiency (SPAEF) metric reflects three equally weighted components: correlation, coefficient of variation and histogram overlap. This multiple-component approach is found to be advantageous in order to achieve the complex task of comparing spatial patterns. SPAEF, its three components individually and two alternative spatial performance metrics, i.e. connectivity analysis and fractions skill score, are applied in a spatial-pattern-oriented model calibration of a catchment model in Denmark. Results suggest the importance of multiple-component metrics because stand-alone metrics tend to fail to provide holistic pattern information. The three SPAEF components are found to be independent, which allows them to complement each other in a meaningful way. In order to optimally exploit spatial observations made available by remote sensing platforms, this study suggests applying bias insensitive metrics which further allow for a comparison of variables which are related but may differ in unit. This study applies SPAEF in the hydrological context using the mesoscale Hydrologic Model (mHM; version 5.8), but we see great potential across disciplines related to spatially distributed earth system modelling.

  13. New technology for recovering residual metals from nonmetallic fractions of waste printed circuit boards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guangwen; He, Yaqun; Wang, Haifeng; Zhang, Tao; Wang, Shuai; Yang, Xing; Xia, Wencheng

    2017-06-01

    Recycling of waste printed circuit boards is important for environmental protection and sustainable resource utilization. Corona electrostatic separation has been widely used to recycle metals from waste printed circuit boards, but it has poor separation efficiency for finer sized fractions. In this study, a new process of vibrated gas-solid fluidized bed was used to recycle residual metals from nonmetallic fractions, which were treated using the corona electrostatic separation technology. The effects of three main parameters, i.e., vibration frequency, superficial air flow velocity, and fluidizing time on gravity segregation, were investigated using a vibrating gas-solid fluidized bed. Each size fraction had its own optimum parameters. Corresponding to their optimal segregation performance, the products from each experiment were analyzed using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). From the results, it can be seen that the metal recoveries of -1+0.5mm, -0.5+0.25mm, and -0.25mm size fractions were 86.39%, 82.22% and 76.63%, respectively. After separation, each metal content in the -1+0.5 or -0.5+0.25mm size fraction reduced to 1% or less, while the Fe and Cu contents are up to 2.57% and 1.50%, respectively, in the -0.25mm size fraction. Images of the nonmetallic fractions with a size of -0.25mm indicated that a considerable amount of clavate glass fibers existed in these nonmetallic fractions, which may explain why fine particles had the poorest segregation performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A confocal optical microscope for detection of single impurities in a bulk crystal at cryogenic temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsson, Jenny; Rippe, Lars; Kröll, Stefan

    2016-03-01

    A compact sample-scanning confocal optical microscope for detection of single impurities below the surface of a bulk crystal at cryogenic temperatures is described. The sample, lens, and scanners are mounted inside a helium bath cryostat and have a footprint of only 19 × 19 mm. Wide field imaging and confocal imaging using a Blu-ray lens immersed in liquid helium are demonstrated with excitation at 370 nm. A spatial resolution of 300 nm and a detection efficiency of 1.6% were achieved.

  15. Scanning transmission x-ray microscope for materials science spectromicroscopy at the ALS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warwick, T.; Seal, S.; Shin, H. [Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

    1997-04-01

    The brightness of the Advanced Light Source will be exploited by several new instruments for materials science spectromicroscopy over the next year or so. The first of these to become operational is a scanning transmission x-ray microscope with which near edge x-ray absorption spectra (NEXAFS) can be measured on spatial features of sub-micron size. Here the authors describe the instrument as it is presently implemented, its capabilities, some studies made to date and the developments to come. The Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope makes use of a zone plate lens to produce a small x-ray spot with which to perform absorption spectroscopy through thin samples. The x-ray beam from ALS undulator beamline 7.0 emerges into the microscope vessel through a silicon nitride vacuum window 160nm thick and 300{mu}m square. The vessel is filled with helium at atmospheric pressure. The zone plate lens is illuminated 1mm downstream from the vacuum window and forms an image in first order of a pinhole which is 3m upstream in the beamline. An order sorting aperture passes the first order converging light and blocks the unfocused zero order. The sample is at the focus a few mm downstream of the zone plate and mounted from a scanning piezo stage which rasters in x and y so that an image is formed, pixel by pixel, by an intensity detector behind the sample. Absorption spectra are measured point-by-point as the photon energy is scanned by rotating the diffraction grating in the monochromator and changing the undulator gap.

  16. Soft X-ray spectromicroscopy study of mineral-organic matter associations in pasture soil clay fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chunmei; Dynes, James J; Wang, Jian; Karunakaran, Chithra; Sparks, Donald L

    2014-06-17

    There is a growing acceptance that associations with soil minerals may be the most important overarching stabilization mechanism for soil organic matter. However, direct investigation of organo-mineral associations has been hampered by a lack of methods that can simultaneously characterize organic matter (OM) and soil minerals. In this study, STXM-NEXAFS spectroscopy at the C 1s, Ca 2p, Fe 2p, Al 1s, and Si 1s edges was used to investigate C associations with Ca, Fe, Al, and Si species in soil clay fractions from an upland pasture hillslope. Bulk techniques including C and N NEXAFS, Fe K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy, and XRD were applied to provide additional information. Results demonstrated that C was associated with Ca, Fe, Al, and Si with no separate phase in soil clay particles. In soil clay particles, the pervasive C forms were aromatic C, carboxyl C, and polysaccharides with the relative abundance of carboxyl C and polysaccharides varying spatially at the submicrometer scale. Only limited regions in the soil clay particles had aliphatic C. Good C-Ca spatial correlations were found for soil clay particles with no CaCO3, suggesting a strong role of Ca in organo-mineral assemblage formation. Fe EXAFS showed that about 50% of the total Fe in soils was contained in Fe oxides, whereas Fe-bearing aluminosilicates (vermiculite and Illite) accounted for another 50%. Fe oxides in the soil were mainly crystalline goethite and hematite, with lesser amounts of poorly crystalline ferrihydrite. XRD revealed that soil clay aluminosilicates were hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite, Illite, and kaolinite. C showed similar correlation with Fe to Al and Si, implying a similar association of Fe oxides and aluminosilicates with organic matter in organo-mineral associations. These direct microscopic determinations can help improve understanding of organo-mineral interactions in soils.

  17. A microscopic evaluation of collagen-bilirubin interactions: in vitro surface phenomenon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usharani, N; Jayakumar, G C; Rao, J R; Chandrasekaran, B; Nair, B U

    2014-02-01

    This study is carried out to understand the morphology variations of collagen I matrices influenced by bilirubin. The characteristics of bilirubin interaction with collagen ascertained using various techniques like XRD, CLSM, fluorescence, SEM and AFM. These techniques are used to understand the distribution, expression and colocalization patterns of collagen-bilirubin complexes. The present investigation mimic the in vivo mechanisms created during the disorder condition like jaundice. Fluorescence technique elucidates the crucial role played by bilirubin deposition and interaction during collagen organization. Influence of bilirubin during collagen fibrillogenesis and banding patterns are clearly visualize using SEM. As a result, collagen-bilirubin complex provides different reconstructed patterns because of the influence of bilirubin concentration. Selectivity, specificity and spatial organization of collagen-bilirubin are determined through AFM imaging. Consequently, it is observed that the morphology and quantity of the bilirubin binding to collagen varied by the concentrations and the adsorption rate in protein solutions. Microscopic studies of collagen-bilirubin interaction confirms that bilirubin influence the fibrillogenesis and alter the rate of collagen organization depending on the bilirubin concentration. This knowledge helps to develop a novel drug to inhibit the interface point of interaction between collagen and bilirubin. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

  18. Three-dimensional fluorescence analysis of chernozem humic acids and their electrophoretic fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trubetskoi, O. A.; Trubetskaya, O. E.

    2017-09-01

    Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC-PAGE) has been used to obtain stable electrophoretic fractions of different molecular size (MS) from chernozem humic acids (HAs). Three-dimensional fluorescence charts of chernozem HAs and their fractions have been obtained for the first time, and all fluorescence excitation-emission maxima have been identified in the excitation wavelength range of 250-500 nm. It has been found that fractionation by the SEC-PAGE method results in a nonuniform distribution of protein- and humin-like fluorescence of the original HA preparation among the electrophoretic fractions. The electrophoretic fractions of the highest and medium MSs have only the main protein-like fluorescence maximum and traces of humin-like fluorescence. In the electrophoretic fraction of the lowest MS, the intensity of protein-like fluorescence is low, but the major part of humin-like fluorescence is localized there. Relationships between the intensity of protein-like fluorescence and the weight distribution of amino acids have been revealed, as well as between the degree of aromaticity and the intensity of humin-like fluorescence in electrophoretic fractions of different MSs. The obtained relationships can be useful in the interpretation of the spatial structural organization and ecological functions of soil HAs.

  19. Microscopic approach to nuclear anharmonicities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuo, Masayuki; Shimizu, Yoshifumi; Matsuyanagi, Kenichi

    1985-01-01

    Present status of microscopic study of nuclear anharmonicity phenomena is reviewed from the viewpoint of the time-dependent Hartree-Bogoliubov approach. Both classical- and quantum-mechanical aspects of this approach are discussed. The Bohr-Mottelson-type collective Hamiltonian for anharmonic gamma vibrations is microscopically derived by means of the self-consistent-collective-coordinate method, and applied to the problem of two-phonon states of 168 Er. (orig.)

  20. Determination of the parameters of a microscopic object from a complex response of a differential microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baranov, D V; Egorov, Alexander A; Zolotov, Evgenii M; Svidzinsky, K K

    1998-01-01

    An analysis of the amplitude and phase of a complex response of a heterodyne differential microscope was used to demonstrate experimentally the feasibility of determination of the parameters of a composite microscopic object representing a combination of a step with a groove. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

  1. Comparative studies on mitochondria isolated from neuron-enriched and glia-enriched fractions of rabbit and beef brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamberger, A; Blomstrand, C; Lehninger, A L

    1970-05-01

    Fractions enriched in neuronal and glial cells were obtained from dispersions of whole beef brain and rabbit cerebral cortex by large-scale density gradient centrifugation procedures. The fractions were characterized by appropriate microscopic observation. Mitochondria were then isolated from these fractions by differential centrifugation of their homogenates. The two different types of mitochondria were characterized with respect to certain enzyme activities, respiratory rate, rate of protein synthesis, and their buoyant density in sucrose gradients. The mitochondria from the neuron-enriched fraction were distinguished by a higher rate of incorporation of amino acids into protein, higher cytochrome oxidase activity, and a higher buoyant density in sucrose density gradients. Mitochondria from the glia-enriched fraction showed relatively high monoamine oxidase and Na(+)- and K(+)-stimulated ATPase activities. The rates of oxidation of various substrates and the acceptor control ratios did not differ appreciably between the two types of mitochondria. The difference in the buoyant density of mitochondria isolated from the neuron-enriched and glia-enriched cell fractions was utilized in attempts to separate neuronal and glial mitochondria from the mixed mitochondria obtained from whole brain homogenates in shallow sucrose gradients. The appearance of two peaks of cytochrome oxidase, monoamine oxidase, and protein concentration in such gradients shows the potential feasibility of such an approach.

  2. Probing plasmons in three dimensions by combining complementary spectroscopies in a scanning transmission electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hachtel, J A; Haglund, R F; Pantelides, S T; Marvinney, C; Mayo, D; Mouti, A; Lupini, A R; Chisholm, M F; Mu, R; Pennycook, S J

    2016-01-01

    The nanoscale optical response of surface plasmons in three-dimensional metallic nanostructures plays an important role in many nanotechnology applications, where precise spatial and spectral characteristics of plasmonic elements control device performance. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence (CL) within a scanning transmission electron microscope have proven to be valuable tools for studying plasmonics at the nanoscale. Each technique has been used separately, producing three-dimensional reconstructions through tomography, often aided by simulations for complete characterization. Here we demonstrate that the complementary nature of the two techniques, namely that EELS probes beam-induced electronic excitations while CL probes radiative decay, allows us to directly obtain a spatially- and spectrally-resolved picture of the plasmonic characteristics of nanostructures in three dimensions. The approach enables nanoparticle-by-nanoparticle plasmonic analysis in three dimensions to aid in the design of diverse nanoplasmonic applications. (paper)

  3. Microscopic appearance analysis of raw material used for the production of sintered UO2 by scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu feiming

    1992-01-01

    The paper describes the microscopic appearance of UO 2 , U 3 O 8 , ADU and AUC powders used for the production of sintered UO 2 slug of nuclear fuel component of PWR. The characteristic analysis of the microscopic appearance observed by scanning electron microscope shows that the quality and finished product rate of sintered UO 2 depend on the appearance characteristic of the active Uo 2 powder, such as grade size and its distribution, spherulitized extent, surface condition and heap model etc.. The addition of U 3 O 8 to the UO 2 powder improves significantly the quality and the finished product rate. The mechanism of this effect is discussed on the basis of the microscopic appearance characteristic for two kinds of powder

  4. Scanning tunnel microscope with large vision field compatible with a scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volodin, A.P.; Stepanyan, G.A.; Khajkin, M.S.; Ehdel'man, V.S.

    1989-01-01

    A scanning tunnel microscope (STM) with the 20μm vision field and 1nm resolution, designed to be compatible with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), is described. The sample scanning area is chosen within the 3x10mm limits with a 0.1-1μm step. The STM needle is moved automatically toward the sample surface from the maximum distance of 10mm until the tunneling current appears. Bimorphous elements of the KP-1 piezocorrector are used in the STM design. The device is installed on a table of SEM object holders

  5. Research on the spatial analysis method of seismic hazard for island

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Jing; Jiang, Jitong; Zheng, Qiuhong; Gao, Huiying

    2017-01-01

    Seismic hazard analysis(SHA) is a key component of earthquake disaster prevention field for island engineering, whose result could provide parameters for seismic design microscopically and also is the requisite work for the island conservation planning’s earthquake and comprehensive disaster prevention planning macroscopically, in the exploitation and construction process of both inhabited and uninhabited islands. The existing seismic hazard analysis methods are compared in their application, and their application and limitation for island is analysed. Then a specialized spatial analysis method of seismic hazard for island (SAMSHI) is given to support the further related work of earthquake disaster prevention planning, based on spatial analysis tools in GIS and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. The basic spatial database of SAMSHI includes faults data, historical earthquake record data, geological data and Bouguer gravity anomalies data, which are the data sources for the 11 indices of the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, and these indices are calculated by the spatial analysis model constructed in ArcGIS’s Model Builder platform. (paper)

  6. Research on the spatial analysis method of seismic hazard for island

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Jing; Jiang, Jitong; Zheng, Qiuhong; Gao, Huiying

    2017-05-01

    Seismic hazard analysis(SHA) is a key component of earthquake disaster prevention field for island engineering, whose result could provide parameters for seismic design microscopically and also is the requisite work for the island conservation planning’s earthquake and comprehensive disaster prevention planning macroscopically, in the exploitation and construction process of both inhabited and uninhabited islands. The existing seismic hazard analysis methods are compared in their application, and their application and limitation for island is analysed. Then a specialized spatial analysis method of seismic hazard for island (SAMSHI) is given to support the further related work of earthquake disaster prevention planning, based on spatial analysis tools in GIS and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. The basic spatial database of SAMSHI includes faults data, historical earthquake record data, geological data and Bouguer gravity anomalies data, which are the data sources for the 11 indices of the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, and these indices are calculated by the spatial analysis model constructed in ArcGIS’s Model Builder platform.

  7. Spatially resolved D-T(2) correlation NMR of porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yan; Blümich, Bernhard

    2014-05-01

    Within the past decade, 2D Laplace nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been developed to analyze pore geometry and diffusion of fluids in porous media on the micrometer scale. Many objects like rocks and concrete are heterogeneous on the macroscopic scale, and an integral analysis of microscopic properties provides volume-averaged information. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) resolves this spatial average on the contrast scale set by the particular MRI technique. Desirable contrast parameters for studies of fluid transport in porous media derive from the pore-size distribution and the pore connectivity. These microscopic parameters are accessed by 1D and 2D Laplace NMR techniques. It is therefore desirable to combine MRI and 2D Laplace NMR to image functional information on fluid transport in porous media. Because 2D Laplace resolved MRI demands excessive measuring time, this study investigates the possibility to restrict the 2D Laplace analysis to the sum signals from low-resolution pixels, which correspond to pixels of similar amplitude in high-resolution images. In this exploratory study spatially resolved D-T2 correlation maps from glass beads and mortar are analyzed. Regions of similar contrast are first identified in high-resolution images to locate corresponding pixels in low-resolution images generated with D-T2 resolved MRI for subsequent pixel summation to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of contrast-specific D-T2 maps. This method is expected to contribute valuable information on correlated sample heterogeneity from the macroscopic and the microscopic scales in various types of porous materials including building materials and rock. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. The trajectories of secondary electrons in the scanning electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konvalina, Ivo; Müllerová, Ilona

    2006-01-01

    Three-dimensional simulations of the trajectories of secondary electrons (SE) in the scanning electron microscope have been performed for plenty of real configurations of the specimen chamber, including all its basic components. The primary purpose was to evaluate the collection efficiency of the Everhart-Thornley detector of SE and to reveal fundamental rules for tailoring the set-ups in which efficient signal acquisition can be expected. Intuitive realizations about the easiness of attracting the SEs towards the biased front grid of the detector have shown themselves likely as false, and all grounded objects in the chamber have been proven to influence the spatial distribution of the signal-extracting field. The role of the magnetic field penetrating from inside the objective lens is shown to play an ambiguous role regarding possible support for the signal collection.

  9. Series expansion in fractional calculus and fractional differential equations

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Ming-Fan; Ren, Ji-Rong; Zhu, Tao

    2009-01-01

    Fractional calculus is the calculus of differentiation and integration of non-integer orders. In a recently paper (Annals of Physics 323 (2008) 2756-2778), the Fundamental Theorem of Fractional Calculus is highlighted. Based on this theorem, in this paper we introduce fractional series expansion method to fractional calculus. We define a kind of fractional Taylor series of an infinitely fractionally-differentiable function. Further, based on our definition we generalize hypergeometric functio...

  10. Optical modeling of Fresnel zoneplate microscopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naulleau, Patrick P.; Mochi, Iacopo; Goldberg, Kenneth A.

    2011-01-01

    Defect free masks remain one of the most significant challenges facing the commercialization of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Progress on this front requires high-performance wavelength-specific metrology of EUV masks, including high-resolution and aerial-image microscopy performed near the 13.5 nm wavelength. Arguably the most cost-effective and rapid path to proliferating this capability is through the development of Fresnel zoneplate-based microscopes. Given the relative obscurity of such systems, however, modeling tools are not necessarily optimized to deal with them and their imaging properties are poorly understood. Here we present a modeling methodology to analyze zoneplate microscopes based on commercially available optical modeling software and use the technique to investigate the imaging performance of an off-axis EUV microscope design. The modeling predicts that superior performance can be achieved by tilting the zoneplate, making it perpendicular to the chief ray at the center of the field, while designing the zoneplate to explicitly work in that tilted plane. Although the examples presented here are in the realm of EUV mask inspection, the methods described and analysis results are broadly applicable to zoneplate microscopes in general, including full-field soft-x-ray microscopes routinely used in the synchrotron community.

  11. Scanning tunnelling microscope imaging of nanoscale electron density gradients on the surface of GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, B; Jacobs, J; Missous, M

    2003-01-01

    This paper is concerned with the scanning tunnelling microscope tunnelling conditions needed to produce constant current images dominated either by surface topology or by electronic effects. A model experimental structure was produced by cleaving a GaAs multiδ-doped layer in UHV and so projecting a spatially varying electron gas density onto the (110) surface. This cross sectional electron density varies on a nanometre scale in the [100] growth direction. The electronic structure and tunnelling properties of this system were modelled, and the tunnelling conditions favouring sensitivity to the surface electron gas density determined

  12. Spatial distribution measured by the modulation transfer function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossi, P.; Brice, D.K.; Doyle, B.L.

    2003-01-01

    Spatial distributions in ion micro-beam and IBA experimental practice are regularly characterized through the parameters of FWHM and tail area percentage (TF, tail fraction). Linear and stationary transducer theory allows these distributions to be described in the Fourier-dual frequency space, and provides an indirect method to evaluate them through measurement of the modulation transfer function (MTF). We suggest direct measurement of MTF by employing bar pattern grids, similar to those used for calibration of radiological equipment. Assuming spatial distributions of the form exp(-(|αx|) η ), we are able to relate the MTF measurements to the more popular FWHM and TF. This new approach to determine spatial resolution can become a standard for use by the micro-beam community

  13. Paradox of enrichment: A fractional differential approach with memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rana, Sourav; Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi; Pal, Joydeep; N'Guérékata, Gaston M.; Chattopadhyay, Joydev

    2013-09-01

    The paradox of enrichment (PoE) proposed by Rosenzweig [M. Rosenzweig, The paradox of enrichment, Science 171 (1971) 385-387] is still a fundamental problem in ecology. Most of the solutions have been proposed at an individual species level of organization and solutions at community level are lacking. Knowledge of how learning and memory modify behavioral responses to species is a key factor in making a crucial link between species and community levels. PoE resolution via these two organizational levels can be interpreted as a microscopic- and macroscopic-level solution. Fractional derivatives provide an excellent tool for describing this memory and the hereditary properties of various materials and processes. The derivatives can be physically interpreted via two time scales that are considered simultaneously: the ideal, equably flowing homogeneous local time, and the cosmic (inhomogeneous) non-local time. Several mechanisms and theories have been proposed to resolve the PoE problem, but a universally accepted theory is still lacking because most studies have focused on local effects and ignored non-local effects, which capture memory. Here we formulate the fractional counterpart of the Rosenzweig model and analyze the stability behavior of a system. We conclude that there is a threshold for the memory effect parameter beyond which the Rosenzweig model is stable and may be used as a potential agent to resolve PoE from a new perspective via fractional differential equations.

  14. Color Laser Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awamura, D.; Ode, T.; Yonezawa, M.

    1987-04-01

    A color laser microscope utilizing a new color laser imaging system has been developed for the visual inspection of semiconductors. The light source, produced by three lasers (Red; He-Ne, Green; Ar, Blue; He-Cd), is deflected horizontally by an AOD (Acoustic Optical Deflector) and vertically by a vibration mirror. The laser beam is focused in a small spot which is scanned over the sample at high speed. The light reflected back from the sample is reformed to contain linear information by returning to the original vibration mirror. The linear light is guided to the CCD image sensor where it is converted into a video signal. Individual CCD image sensors are used for each of the three R, G, or B color image signals. The confocal optical system with its laser light source yields a color TV monitor image with no flaring and a much sharper resolution than that of the conventional optical microscope. The AOD makes possible a high speed laser scan and a NTSC or PAL TV video signal is produced in real time without any video memory. Since the light source is composed of R, G, and B laser beams, color separation superior to that of white light illumination is achieved. Because of the photometric linearity of the image detector, the R, G, and B outputs of the system are most suitably used for hue analysis. The CCD linear image sensors in the optical system produce no geometrical distortion, and good color registration is available principally. The output signal can be used for high accuracy line width measuring. The many features of the color laser microscope make it ideally suited for the visual inspection of semiconductor processing. A number of these systems have already been installed in such a capacity. The Color Laser Microscope can also be a very useful tool for the fields of material engineering and biotechnology.

  15. Moessbauer studies of microscopic disorder in solid electrolytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasternak, M.

    1987-01-01

    We implement for the first time Moessbauer spectroscopy (MS) to investigate short-range properties of disorder in solid electrolytes. MS in 129 I and 119 Sn was carried out in RbAg 4 I 5 and as impurity in Ag 2 Se, respectively. Measurements were performed both in the superionic and the normal phases. It is shown that localized cation hopping is an inherent feature of the α-AgI-type solid electrolytes. In RbAg 4 I 5 , at temperatures far below T c , a small fraction of Ag is still locally mobile and at T>T c , its concentration increases exponentially. A strong linear temperature dependence of the point-charge electric field gradient is observed and explained in terms of local hopping. With 119 Sn in Ag 2 Se we observe the onset of 'local melting' of the Ag surroundingt the SnSe 4 cluster at 50 K below the bulk superionic phase transition. The characteristic features of MS related to microscopic studies of solid electrolytes are fully described. (orig.)

  16. Free and open-source automated 3-D microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijnen, Bas; Petersen, Emily E; Hunt, Emily J; Pearce, Joshua M

    2016-11-01

    Open-source technology not only has facilitated the expansion of the greater research community, but by lowering costs it has encouraged innovation and customizable design. The field of automated microscopy has continued to be a challenge in accessibility due the expense and inflexible, noninterchangeable stages. This paper presents a low-cost, open-source microscope 3-D stage. A RepRap 3-D printer was converted to an optical microscope equipped with a customized, 3-D printed holder for a USB microscope. Precision measurements were determined to have an average error of 10 μm at the maximum speed and 27 μm at the minimum recorded speed. Accuracy tests yielded an error of 0.15%. The machine is a true 3-D stage and thus able to operate with USB microscopes or conventional desktop microscopes. It is larger than all commercial alternatives, and is thus capable of high-depth images over unprecedented areas and complex geometries. The repeatability is below 2-D microscope stages, but testing shows that it is adequate for the majority of scientific applications. The open-source microscope stage costs less than 3-9% of the closest proprietary commercial stages. This extreme affordability vastly improves accessibility for 3-D microscopy throughout the world. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.

  17. On thermodynamic and microscopic reversibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crooks, Gavin E

    2011-01-01

    The word 'reversible' has two (apparently) distinct applications in statistical thermodynamics. A thermodynamically reversible process indicates an experimental protocol for which the entropy change is zero, whereas the principle of microscopic reversibility asserts that the probability of any trajectory of a system through phase space equals that of the time reversed trajectory. However, these two terms are actually synonymous: a thermodynamically reversible process is microscopically reversible, and vice versa

  18. Microscopic to macroscopic depletion model development for FORMOSA-P

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noh, J.M.; Turinsky, P.J.; Sarsour, H.N.

    1996-01-01

    Microscopic depletion has been gaining popularity with regard to employment in reactor core nodal calculations, mainly attributed to the superiority of microscopic depletion in treating spectral history effects during depletion. Another trend is the employment of loading pattern optimization computer codes in support of reload core design. Use of such optimization codes has significantly reduced design efforts to optimize reload core loading patterns associated with increasingly complicated lattice designs. A microscopic depletion model has been developed for the FORMOSA-P pressurized water reactor (PWR) loading pattern optimization code. This was done for both fidelity improvements and to make FORMOSA-P compatible with microscopic-based nuclear design methods. Needless to say, microscopic depletion requires more computational effort compared with macroscopic depletion. This implies that microscopic depletion may be computationally restrictive if employed during the loading pattern optimization calculation because many loading patterns are examined during the course of an optimization search. Therefore, the microscopic depletion model developed here uses combined models of microscopic and macroscopic depletion. This is done by first performing microscopic depletions for a subset of possible loading patterns from which 'collapsed' macroscopic cross sections are obtained. The collapsed macroscopic cross sections inherently incorporate spectral history effects. Subsequently, the optimization calculations are done using the collapsed macroscopic cross sections. Using this approach allows maintenance of microscopic depletion level accuracy without substantial additional computing resources

  19. Neuromorphic Data Microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naegle, John H.; Suppona, Roger A.; Aimone, James Bradley; James, Conrad D.; Follett, David R.; Townsend, Duncan C.M.; Follett, Pamela L.; Karpman, Gabe D.

    2017-08-01

    In 2016, Lewis Rhodes Labs, (LRL), shipped the first commercially viable Neuromorphic Processing Unit, (NPU), branded as a Neuromorphic Data Microscope (NDM). This product leverages architectural mechanisms derived from the sensory cortex of the human brain to efficiently implement pattern matching. LRL and Sandia National Labs have optimized this product for streaming analytics, and demonstrated a 1,000x power per operation reduction in an FPGA format. When reduced to an ASIC, the efficiency will improve to 1,000,000x. Additionally, the neuromorphic nature of the device gives it powerful computational attributes that are counterintuitive to those schooled in traditional von Neumann architectures. The Neuromorphic Data Microscope is the first of a broad class of brain-inspired, time domain processors that will profoundly alter the functionality and economics of data processing.

  20. Mesooptical microscope as a tomographical device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soroko, L.M.

    1989-01-01

    It is shown that there are at least four regions which are common for the mesooptical microscopes, on the one hand, and for the reconstructed tomography, on the other hand. The following characteristics of the mesooptical microscope show the tomographical properties: the structure of the output data concerning the orientation and the position in space of the straight-line objects going at small angles with the perpendicular to the given tomographic plane, the behaviour of the two-dimensional fourier-transform of the straight-line object in the course of the rotation of this object with respect to the specified axis in space, the scanning algorithm of the nuclear emulsion volume by the fence-like illuminated region in the mesooptical microscope for searching for particle tracks going parallel to the optical axis of the microscope, and, finally, the fact that the mesooptical images of the straight-line particle tracks with a common vertex in the nuclear emulsion lie on the sinogram. 12 refs.; 16 figs

  1. Operation of a scanning near field optical microscope in reflection in combination with a scanning force microscope

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hulst, N.F.; Moers, M.H.P.; Moers, M.H.P.; Noordman, O.F.J.; Noordman, O.F.J.; Faulkner, T.; Segerink, Franciscus B.; van der Werf, Kees; de Grooth, B.G.; Bölger, B.; Bölger, B.

    1992-01-01

    Images obtained with a scanning near field optical microscope (SNOM) operating in reflection are presented. We have obtained the first results with a SiN tip as optical probe. The instrument is simultaneously operated as a scanning force microscope (SFM). Moreover, the instrument incorporates an

  2. Chromosome structure investigated with the atomic force microscope

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Grooth, B.G.; Putman, C.A.J.; Putman, Constant A.; van der Werf, Kees; van Hulst, N.F.; van Oort, G.; van Oort, Geeske; Greve, Jan; Manne, Srinivas

    1992-01-01

    We have developed an atomic force microscope (AFM) with an integrated optical microscope. The optical microscope consists of an inverted epi-illumination system that yields images in reflection or fluorescence of the sample. With this system it is possible to quickly locate an object of interest. A

  3. Imaging of a large collection of human embryo using a super-parallel MR microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuda, Yoshimasa; Ono, Shinya; Otake, Yosuke; Handa, Shinya; Kose, Katsumi; Haishi, Tomoyuki; Yamada, Shigeto; Uwabe, Chikako; Shiota, Kohei

    2007-01-01

    Using 4 and 8-channel super-parallel magnetic resonance (MR) microscopes with a horizontal bore 2.34T superconducting magnet developed for 3-dimensional MR microscopy of the large Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos, we acquired T 1 -weighted 3D images of 1204 embryos at a spatial resolution of (40 μm) 3 to (150 μm) 3 in about 2 years. Similarity of image contrast between the T 1 -weighted images and stained anatomical sections indicated that T 1 -weighted 3D images could be used for an anatomical 3D image database for human embryology. (author)

  4. X-ray microscope with a Wolter mirror

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Norio; Aoki, Sadao

    2003-01-01

    A Wolter mirror as an objective of an X-ray microscope is described. In comparison with other optical elements, a Wolter mirror has several advantages, such as a large numerical aperture and no chromatic aberration. Recent developments of fabrication process enabled us to make a Wolter mirror objective for X-rays. The fabrication process and the applications to a soft X-ray microscope and an X-ray fluorescence microscope are described. (author)

  5. [Soil organic carbon fractionation methods and their applications in farmland ecosystem research: a review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guo; Cao, Zhi-ping; Hu, Chan-juan

    2011-07-01

    Soil organic carbon is of heterogeneity in components. The active components are sensitive to agricultural management, while the inert components play an important role in carbon fixation. Soil organic carbon fractionation mainly includes physical, chemical, and biological fractionations. Physical fractionation is to separate the organic carbon into active and inert components based on the density, particle size, and its spatial distribution; chemical fractionation is to separate the organic carbon into various components based on the solubility, hydrolizability, and chemical reactivity of organic carbon in a variety of extracting agents. In chemical fractionation, the dissolved organic carbon is bio-available, including organic acids, phenols, and carbohydrates, and the acid-hydrolyzed organic carbon can be divided into active and inert organic carbons. Simulated enzymatic oxidation by using KMnO4 can separate organic carbon into active and non-active carbon. Biological fractionation can differentiate microbial biomass carbon and potential mineralizable carbon. Under different farmland management practices, the chemical composition and pool capacity of soil organic carbon fractions will have different variations, giving different effects on soil quality. To identify the qualitative or quantitative relationships between soil organic carbon components and carbon deposition, we should strengthen the standardization study of various fractionation methods, explore the integrated application of different fractionation methods, and sum up the most appropriate organic carbon fractionation method or the appropriate combined fractionation methods for different farmland management practices.

  6. Development and applications of the positron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Progress on the positron microscope during the past year has been steady, and we currently project that initial microscope images can be collected during mid to late summer of 1992. Work during the year has mainly been divided among four areas of effort: hardware construction; power supply and control system development; radioactive source fabrication; and planning of initial experimental projects. Details of progress in these areas will be given below. An initial optical design of the microscope was completed during 1990, but during the past year, significant improvements have been made to this design, and several limiting cases of microscope performance have been evaluated. The results of these evaluations have been extremely encouraging, giving us strong indications that the optical performance of the microscope will be better than originally anticipated. In particular, we should be able to explore ultimate performance capabilities of positron microscopy using our currently planned optical system, with improvements only in the image detector system, and the positron-source/moderator configuration. We should be able to study imaging reemission microscopy with resolutions approaching 10 Angstrom and be able to produce beam spots for rastered microscope work with diameters below the 1000 Angstrom diffusion limit. Because of these exciting new possibilities, we have decided to upgrade several microscope subsystems to levels consistent with ultimate performance earlier in our construction schedule than we had previously intended. In particular, alignment facilities in the optical system, vibration isolation, and power supply and control system flexibility have all been upgraded in their design over the past year

  7. Fractional governing equations of transient groundwater flow in confined aquifers with multi-fractional dimensions in fractional time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. L. Kavvas

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Using fractional calculus, a dimensionally consistent governing equation of transient, saturated groundwater flow in fractional time in a multi-fractional confined aquifer is developed. First, a dimensionally consistent continuity equation for transient saturated groundwater flow in fractional time and in a multi-fractional, multidimensional confined aquifer is developed. For the equation of water flux within a multi-fractional multidimensional confined aquifer, a dimensionally consistent equation is also developed. The governing equation of transient saturated groundwater flow in a multi-fractional, multidimensional confined aquifer in fractional time is then obtained by combining the fractional continuity and water flux equations. To illustrate the capability of the proposed governing equation of groundwater flow in a confined aquifer, a numerical application of the fractional governing equation to a confined aquifer groundwater flow problem was also performed.

  8. Study of spatial resolution of YAG:Ce cathodoluminescent imaging screens

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schauer, Petr; Bok, Jan

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 308, 1 August (2013), s. 68-73 ISSN 0168-583X R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TE01020118; GA ČR GAP102/10/1410; GA MŠk EE.2.3.20.0103 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : Spatial resolution * Imaging screen * Electron microscope * Cathodoluminescence * YAG:Ce single crystal * Line spread function * Modulation transfer function Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 1.186, year: 2013

  9. A feasibility study: Selection of a personalized radiotherapy fractionation schedule using spatiotemporal optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Minsun, E-mail: mk688@uw.edu; Stewart, Robert D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-6043 (United States); Phillips, Mark H. [Departments of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-6043 (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Purpose: To investigate the impact of using spatiotemporal optimization, i.e., intensity-modulated spatial optimization followed by fractionation schedule optimization, to select the patient-specific fractionation schedule that maximizes the tumor biologically equivalent dose (BED) under dose constraints for multiple organs-at-risk (OARs). Methods: Spatiotemporal optimization was applied to a variety of lung tumors in a phantom geometry using a range of tumor sizes and locations. The optimal fractionation schedule for a patient using the linear-quadratic cell survival model depends on the tumor and OAR sensitivity to fraction size (α/β), the effective tumor doubling time (T{sub d}), and the size and location of tumor target relative to one or more OARs (dose distribution). The authors used a spatiotemporal optimization method to identify the optimal number of fractions N that maximizes the 3D tumor BED distribution for 16 lung phantom cases. The selection of the optimal fractionation schedule used equivalent (30-fraction) OAR constraints for the heart (D{sub mean} ≤ 45 Gy), lungs (D{sub mean} ≤ 20 Gy), cord (D{sub max} ≤ 45 Gy), esophagus (D{sub max} ≤ 63 Gy), and unspecified tissues (D{sub 05} ≤ 60 Gy). To assess plan quality, the authors compared the minimum, mean, maximum, and D{sub 95} of tumor BED, as well as the equivalent uniform dose (EUD) for optimized plans to conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans prescribing 60 Gy in 30 fractions. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effects of T{sub d} (3–100 days), tumor lag-time (T{sub k} = 0–10 days), and the size of tumors on optimal fractionation schedule. Results: Using an α/β ratio of 10 Gy, the average values of tumor max, min, mean BED, and D{sub 95} were up to 19%, 21%, 20%, and 19% larger than those from conventional prescription, depending on T{sub d} and T{sub k} used. Tumor EUD was up to 17% larger than the conventional prescription. For fast proliferating

  10. 21 CFR 878.4700 - Surgical microscope and accessories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Surgical microscope and accessories. 878.4700 Section 878.4700 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... microscope and accessories. (a) Identification. A surgical microscope and accessories is an AC-powered device...

  11. High frequency write head measurement with the phase detection magnetic force microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, M.; Tanaka, Y.

    2001-01-01

    We demonstrated the measurement of the high frequency (HF) magnetic field of a write head with the phase detection magnetic force microscope. An amplitude-modulated current was applied to the head coil to detect the force gradient induced by the HF magnetic field. Spatial resolution of this method was higher than that of the deflection detection method previously proposed. By the phase detection method, dynamic HF magnetic fields at the poles of the write heads were clearly imaged. HF magnetic field leakage was observed along the P2 pole shape on the air-bearing surface. The frequency dependence of the write head dynamics up to 350 MHz was also investigated. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

  12. Fine Metal Mask 3-Dimensional Measurement by using Scanning Digital Holographic Microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Sanghoon; Yu, Younghun

    2018-04-01

    For three-dimensional microscopy, fast and high axial resolution are very important. Extending the depth of field for digital holographic is necessary for three-dimensional measurements of thick samples. We propose an optical sectioning method for optical scanning digital holography that is performed in the frequency domain by spatial filtering of a reconstructed amplitude image. We established a scanning dual-wavelength off-axis digital holographic microscope to measure samples that exhibit a large amount of coherent noise and a thickness larger than the depth of focus of the objective lens. As a demonstration, we performed a three-dimensional measurement of a fine metal mask with a reconstructed sectional phase image and filtering with a reconstructed amplitude image.

  13. Development of a scanning tunneling microscope combined with a synchrotron radiation light source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Yukio; Okuda, Taichi; Eguchi, Toyoaki; Matsushima, Takeshi; Harasawa, Ayumi; Akiyama, Kotone; Kinoshita, Toyohiko

    2005-01-01

    We have developed a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) combined with a synchrotron-radiation light source (SR-STM) aiming at elemental analysis in a spatial resolution of STM. Using SR-STM atomically resolved STM images under the irradiation and also X-ray adsorption spectra clearly showing an adsorption edge of a substrate were successfully obtained by detecting photo-emitted electrons with the STM tip. In order to focus the probing area of the photo-induced current, a glass-coated metal tip sharpened with focused ion beam was used as a probe. The present situation and prospects of the instrument are discussed in this review. (author)

  14. Multi-compartment microscopic diffusion imaging

    OpenAIRE

    Kaden, Enrico; Kelm, Nathaniel D.; Carson, Robert P.; Does, Mark D.; Alexander, Daniel C.

    2016-01-01

    This paper introduces a multi-compartment model for microscopic diffusion anisotropy imaging. The aim is to estimate microscopic features specific to the intra- and extra-neurite compartments in nervous tissue unconfounded by the effects of fibre crossings and orientation dispersion, which are ubiquitous in the brain. The proposed MRI method is based on the Spherical Mean Technique (SMT), which factors out the neurite orientation distribution and thus provides direct estimates of the microsco...

  15. Supersonic Localized Excitations Mediate Microscopic Dynamic Failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaffari, H. O.; Griffith, W. A.; Pec, M.

    2017-12-01

    A moving rupture front activates a fault patch by increasing stress above a threshold strength level. Subsequent failure yields fast slip which releases stored energy in the rock. A fraction of the released energy is radiated as seismic waves carrying information about the earthquake source. While this simplified model is widely accepted, the detailed evolution from the onset of dynamic failure to eventual re-equilibration is still poorly understood. To study dynamic failure of brittle solids we indented thin sheets of single mineral crystals and recorded the emitted ultrasound signals (high frequency analogues to seismic waves) using an array of 8 to 16 ultrasound probes. The simple geometry of the experiments allows us to unravel details of dynamic stress history of the laboratory earthquake sources. A universal pattern of failure is observed. First, stress increases over a short time period (1 - 2 µs), followed by rapid weakening (≈ 15 µs). Rapid weakening is followed by two distinct relaxation phases: a temporary quasi-steady state phase (10 µs) followed by a long-term relaxation phase (> 50 µs). We demonstrate that the dynamic stress history during failure is governed by formation and interaction of local non-dispersive excitations, or solitons. The formation and annihilation of solitons mediates the microscopic fast weakening phase, during which extreme acceleration and collision of solitons lead to non-Newtonian behavior and Lorentz contraction, i.e. shortening of solitons' characteristic length. Interestingly, a soliton can propagate as fast as 37 km/s, much faster than the p-wave velocity, implying that a fraction of the energy transmits through soliton excitations. The quasi-steady state phase delays the long-term ageing of the damaged crystal, implying a potentially weaker material. Our results open new horizons for understanding the complexity of earthquake sources, and, more generally, non-equilibrium relaxation of many body systems.

  16. A portable confocal hyperspectral microscope without any scan or tube lens and its application in fluorescence and Raman spectral imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jingwei; Cai, Fuhong; Dong, Yongjiang; Zhu, Zhenfeng; Sun, Xianhe; Zhang, Hequn; He, Sailing

    2017-06-01

    In this study, a portable confocal hyperspectral microscope is developed. In traditional confocal laser scanning microscopes, scan lens and tube lens are utilized to achieve a conjugate relationship between the galvanometer and the back focal plane of the objective, in order to achieve a better resolution. However, these lenses make it difficult to scale down the volume of the system. In our portable confocal hyperspectral microscope (PCHM), the objective is placed directly next to the galvomirror. Thus, scan lens and tube lens are not included in our system and the size of this system is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the resolution is also acceptable in many biomedical and food-safety applications. Through reducing the optical length of the system, the signal detection efficiency is enhanced. This is conducive to realizing both the fluorescence and Raman hyperspectral imaging. With a multimode fiber as a pinhole, an improved image contrast is also achieved. Fluorescent spectral images for HeLa cells/fingers and Raman spectral images of kumquat pericarp are present. The spectral resolution and spatial resolutions are about 0.4 nm and 2.19 μm, respectively. These results demonstrate that this portable hyperspectral microscope can be used in in-vivo fluorescence imaging and in situ Raman spectral imaging.

  17. Characterizing deformed ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials using transmission Kikuchi diffraction in a scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trimby, Patrick W.; Cao, Yang; Chen, Zibin; Han, Shuang; Hemker, Kevin J.; Lian, Jianshe; Liao, Xiaozhou; Rottmann, Paul; Samudrala, Saritha; Sun, Jingli; Wang, Jing Tao; Wheeler, John; Cairney, Julie M.

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Abstract: The recent development of transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in a scanning electron microscope enables fast, automated orientation mapping of electron transparent samples using standard electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) hardware. TKD in a scanning electron microscope has significantly better spatial resolution than conventional EBSD, enabling routine characterization of nanocrystalline materials and allowing effective measurement of samples that have undergone severe plastic deformation. Combining TKD with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) provides complementary chemical information, while a standard forescatter detector system below the EBSD detector can be used to generate dark field and oriented dark field images. Here we illustrate the application of this exciting new approach to a range of deformed, ultrafine grained and nanocrystalline samples, including duplex stainless steel, nanocrystalline copper and highly deformed titanium and nickel–cobalt. The results show that TKD combined with EDS is a highly effective and widely accessible tool for measuring key microstructural parameters at resolutions that are inaccessible using conventional EBSD

  18. A pragmatic guide to multiphoton microscope design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Michael D.; Field, Jeffrey J.; Sheetz, Kraig E.; Bartels, Randy A.; Squier, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    Multiphoton microscopy has emerged as a ubiquitous tool for studying microscopic structure and function across a broad range of disciplines. As such, the intent of this paper is to present a comprehensive resource for the construction and performance evaluation of a multiphoton microscope that will be understandable to the broad range of scientific fields that presently exploit, or wish to begin exploiting, this powerful technology. With this in mind, we have developed a guide to aid in the design of a multiphoton microscope. We discuss source selection, optical management of dispersion, image-relay systems with scan optics, objective-lens selection, single-element light-collection theory, photon-counting detection, image rendering, and finally, an illustrated guide for building an example microscope. PMID:27182429

  19. Fractional governing equations of transient groundwater flow in confined aquifers with multi-fractional dimensions in fractional time

    OpenAIRE

    M. L. Kavvas; T. Tu; A. Ercan; J. Polsinelli

    2017-01-01

    Using fractional calculus, a dimensionally consistent governing equation of transient, saturated groundwater flow in fractional time in a multi-fractional confined aquifer is developed. First, a dimensionally consistent continuity equation for transient saturated groundwater flow in fractional time and in a multi-fractional, multidimensional confined aquifer is developed. For the equation of water flux within a multi-fractional multidimensional confined aquifer, a dimensionally...

  20. Microscopic monitoring of extracellular pH in dental biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schlafer, Sebastian; Garcia, Javier; Greve, Matilde

    pH in dental biofilm is a key virulence factor for the development of caries lesions. The complex three-dimensional architecture of dental biofilms leads to steep gradients of nutrients and metabolites, including organic acids, across the biofilm. For decades, measuring pH in dental biofilm has...... been limited to monitoring bulk pH with electrodes. Although pH microelectrodes with a better spatial resolution have been developed, they do not permit to monitor horizontal pH gradients in real-time. Quantitative fluorescent microscopic techniques, such as fluorescence lifetime imaging or pH...... ratiometry, can be employed to map the pH landscape in dental biofilm with more detail. However, when pH sensitive fluorescent probes are used to visualize pH in biofilms, it is crucial to differentiate between extracellular and intracellular pH. Intracellular microbial pH and pH in the extracellular matrix...

  1. A frameless stereotaxic operating microscope for neurosurgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friets, E.M.; Strohbehn, J.W.; Hatch, J.F.; Roberts, D.W.

    1989-01-01

    A new system, which we call the frameless stereotaxic operating microscope, is discussed. Its purpose is to display CT or other image data in the operating microscope in the correct scale, orientation, and position without the use of a stereotaxic frame. A nonimaging ultrasonic rangefinder allows the position of the operating microscope and the position of the patient to be determined. Discrete fiducial points on the patient's external anatomy are located in both image space and operating room space, linking the image data and the operating room. Physician-selected image information, e.g., tumor contours or guidance to predetermined targets, is projected through the optics of the operating microscope using a miniature cathode ray tube and a beam splitter. Projected images superpose the surgical field, reconstructed from image data to match the focal plane of the operating microscope. The algorithms on which the system is based are described, and the sources and effects of errors are discussed. The system's performance is simulated, providing an estimate of accuracy. Two phantoms are used to measure accuracy experimentally. Clinical results and observations are given

  2. A frameless stereotaxic operating microscope for neurosurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friets, E M; Strohbehn, J W; Hatch, J F; Roberts, D W

    1989-06-01

    A new system, which we call the frameless stereotaxic operating microscope, is discussed. Its purpose is to display CT or other image data in the operating microscope in the correct scale, orientation, and position without the use of a stereotaxic frame. A nonimaging ultrasonic rangefinder allows the position of the operating microscope and the position of the patient to be determined. Discrete fiducial points on the patient's external anatomy are located in both image space and operating room space, linking the image data and the operating room. Physician-selected image information, e.g., tumor contours or guidance to predetermined targets, is projected through the optics of the operating microscope using a miniature cathode ray tube and a beam splitter. Projected images superpose the surgical field, reconstructed from image data to match the focal plane of the operating microscope. The algorithms on which the system is based are described, and the sources and effects of errors are discussed. The system's performance is simulated, providing an estimate of accuracy. Two phantoms are used to measure accuracy experimentally. Clinical results and observations are given.

  3. Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopic studies for bioeffects of nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ying; Cai, Xiaoqing; Li, Jiang; Zhong, Zengtao; Huang, Qing; Fan, Chunhai

    2014-04-01

    There have been increasing interests in studying biological effects of nanomaterials, which are nevertheless faced up with many challenges due to the nanoscale dimensions and unique chemical properties of nanomaterials. Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy, an advanced imaging technology with high spatial resolution and excellent elemental specificity, provides a new platform for studying interactions between nanomaterials and living systems. In this article, we review the recent progress of X-ray microscopic studies on bioeffects of nanomaterials in several living systems including cells, model organisms, animals and plants. We aim to provide an overview of the state of the art, and the advantages of using synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy for characterizing in vitro and in vivo behaviors and biodistribution of nanomaterials. We also expect that the use of a combination of new synchrotron techniques should offer unprecedented opportunities for better understanding complex interactions at the nano-biological interface and accounting for unique bioeffects of nanomaterials. Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy is a non-destructive imaging technique that enables high resolution spatial mapping of metals with elemental level detection methods. This review summarizes the current use and perspectives of this novel technique in studying the biology and tissue interactions of nanomaterials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Microscopic enteritis: Bucharest consensus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostami, Kamran; Aldulaimi, David; Holmes, Geoffrey; Johnson, Matt W; Robert, Marie; Srivastava, Amitabh; Fléjou, Jean-François; Sanders, David S; Volta, Umberto; Derakhshan, Mohammad H; Going, James J; Becheanu, Gabriel; Catassi, Carlo; Danciu, Mihai; Materacki, Luke; Ghafarzadegan, Kamran; Ishaq, Sauid; Rostami-Nejad, Mohammad; Peña, A Salvador; Bassotti, Gabrio; Marsh, Michael N; Villanacci, Vincenzo

    2015-03-07

    Microscopic enteritis (ME) is an inflammatory condition of the small bowel that leads to gastrointestinal symptoms, nutrient and micronutrient deficiency. It is characterised by microscopic or sub-microscopic abnormalities such as microvillus changes and enterocytic alterations in the absence of definite macroscopic changes using standard modern endoscopy. This work recognises a need to characterize disorders with microscopic and submicroscopic features, currently regarded as functional or non-specific entities, to obtain further understanding of their clinical relevance. The consensus working party reviewed statements about the aetiology, diagnosis and symptoms associated with ME and proposes an algorithm for its investigation and treatment. Following the 5(th) International Course in Digestive Pathology in Bucharest in November 2012, an international group of 21 interested pathologists and gastroenterologists formed a working party with a view to formulating a consensus statement on ME. A five-step agreement scale (from strong agreement to strong disagreement) was used to score 21 statements, independently. There was strong agreement on all statements about ME histology (95%-100%). Statements concerning diagnosis achieved 85% to 100% agreement. A statement on the management of ME elicited agreement from the lowest rate (60%) up to 100%. The remaining two categories showed general agreement between experts on clinical presentation (75%-95%) and pathogenesis (80%-90%) of ME. There was strong agreement on the histological definition of ME. Weaker agreement on management indicates a need for further investigations, better definitions and clinical trials to produce quality guidelines for management. This ME consensus is a step toward greater recognition of a significant entity affecting symptomatic patients previously labelled as non-specific or functional enteropathy.

  5. Subjective relevance of objective measures for spatial impression (A)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Lily M.; Gade, Anders Christian

    2000-01-01

    Several objective measures have been proposed to describe the feeling of spatial impression in concert halls, including Lateral Energy Fraction (LF) and Interaural Cross-Correlation Coefficient (IACC). However, previous studies have shown that LF and IACC values did not highly correlate with each...... other at individual seat positions in real halls [J. S. Bradley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 3525–3535 (1994)]. To investigate the listener envelopment aspect of spatial impression further, subjective paired-comparison tests have been run using signals which have various values for LF, early IACC (from 5...

  6. Spatial noise-aware temperature retrieval from infrared sounder data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malmgren-Hansen, David; Laparra, Valero; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

    2017-01-01

    Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) for dimensionality reduction, and study the compactness and information content of the extracted features. Assessment of the results is done on a big dataset covering many spatial and temporal situations. PCA is widely used...... for these purposes but our analysis shows that one can gain significant improvements of the error rates when using MNF instead. In our analysis we also investigate the relationship between error rate improvements when including more spectral and spatial components in the regression model, aiming to uncover the trade...

  7. Optical and mechanical design for 1 nm resolution Auger spectroscopy in an electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bleeker, A.J.

    1991-01-01

    Detailed information about the atomic structure of surfaces and interfaces is vital for the progress in materials science and physics. One widely used surface sensitive technique is Auger spectroscopy (AS). This technique, in which the electron energy spectrum emerging from the sample is evaluated, gives information about the average elemental composition of the surface over a relative large surface area (>30nm). Electron microscopy (EM), on the other hand, is capable of producing surface structural, but no elemental, information with almost atomic resolution. EM and AS techniques have not been combined so far because of the different nature of the instrumentation used in both techniques. In AS instruments the sample is placed in an Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) system with a relatively large open space around the sample. In EM the sample is situated in the tight volume between the magnetic polepieces of the probe forming objective lens. The space around the sample is therefore tight. Furthermore the vacuum in most electron microscopes is not in UHV range. Radical mechanical changes to improve the vacuum are necessary to do AS in an electron microscope. Since the sample is immersed in the strong magnetic field of the objective lens the Auger electrons can not be extracted with conventional electrostatical methods. The only possibility to extract the Auger electrons is through the upper bore of the objective lens. However, this has large implications on the optical system of the microscope and requires a thorough investigation of the extraction of the Auger electrons. In this work it will be discussed how the surface sensitive AS can be combined with the high spatial resolution of the electron microscope in a practical instrument. (author). 102 refs.; 81 figs.; 4 tabs

  8. Coupled storm-time magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere simulations including microscopic ionospheric turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merkin, V. G.; Wiltberger, M. J.; Zhang, B.; Liu, J.; Wang, W.; Dimant, Y. S.; Oppenheim, M. M.; Lyon, J.

    2017-12-01

    During geomagnetic storms the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system becomes activated in ways that are unique to disturbed conditions. This leads to emergence of physical feedback loops that provide tighter coupling between the system elements, often operating across disparate spatial and temporal scales. One such process that has recently received renewed interest is the generation of microscopic ionospheric turbulence in the electrojet regions (electrojet turbulence, ET) that results from strong convective electric fields imposed by the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. ET leads to anomalous electron heating and generation of non-linear Pedersen current - both of which result in significant increases in effective ionospheric conductances. This, in turn, provides strong non-linear feedback on the magnetosphere. Recently, our group has published two studies aiming at a comprehensive analysis of the global effects of this microscopic process on the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system. In one study, ET physics was incorporated in the TIEGCM model of the ionosphere-thermosphere. In the other study, ad hoc corrections to the ionospheric conductances based on ET theory were incorporated in the conductance module of the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) global magnetosphere model. In this presentation, we make the final step toward the full coupling of the microscopic ET physics within our global coupled model including LFM, the Rice Convection Model (RCM) and TIEGCM. To this end, ET effects are incorporated in the TIEGCM model and propagate throughout the system via thus modified TIEGCM conductances. The March 17, 2013 geomagnetic storm is used as a testbed for these fully coupled simulations, and the results of the model are compared with various ionospheric and magnetospheric observatories, including DMSP, AMPERE, and Van Allen Probes. Via these comparisons, we investigate, in particular, the ET effects on the global magnetosphere indicators such as the

  9. A treatment planning approach to spatially fractionated megavoltage grid therapy for bulky lung cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costlow, Heather N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Zhang, Hualin, E-mail: hzhang@nmh.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States); Das, Indra J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States)

    2014-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the treatment planning methods of spatially fractionated megavoltage grid therapy for treating bulky lung tumors using multileaf collimator (MLC). A total of 5 patients with lung cancer who had gross tumor volumes ranging from 277 to 635 cm{sup 3} were retrospectively chosen for this study. The tumors were from 6.5 to 9.6 cm at shortest dimension. Several techniques using either electronic compensation or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were used to create a variety of grid therapy plans on the Eclipse treatment planning system. The dose prescription point was calculated to the volume, and a dose of 20 Gy with 6-MV/15-MV beams was used in each plan. The dose-volume histogram (DVH) curves were obtained to evaluate dosimetric characteristics. In addition, DVH curves from a commercially available cerrobend grid collimator were also used for comparison. The linear-quadratic radiobiological response model was used to assess therapeutic ratios (TRs) and equivalent uniform doses (EUD) for all generated plans. A total of 6 different grid therapy plans were created for each patient. Overall, 4 plans had different electronic compensation techniques: Ecomps-Tubes, Ecomps-Circles, Ecomps-Squares, and Ecomps-Weave; the other 2 plans used IMRT and IMRT-Weave techniques. The DVH curves and TRs demonstrated that these MLC-based grid therapy plans can achieve dosimetric properties very similar to those of the cerrobend grid collimator. However, the MLC-based plans have larger EUDs than those with the cerrobend grid collimator. In addition, the field shaping can be performed for targets of any shape in MLC-based plans. Thus, they can deliver a more conformal dose to the targets and spare normal structures better than the cerrobend grid collimator can. The plans generated by the MLC technique demonstrated the advantage over the standard cerrobend grid collimator on accommodating targets and sparing normal structures. Overall, 6

  10. Microscopic modelling of doped manganites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weisse, Alexander; Fehske, Holger

    2004-01-01

    Colossal magneto-resistance manganites are characterized by a complex interplay of charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. Formulating microscopic models for these compounds aims at meeting two conflicting objectives: sufficient simplification without excessive restrictions on the phase space. We give a detailed introduction to the electronic structure of manganites and derive a microscopic model for their low-energy physics. Focusing on short-range electron-lattice and spin-orbital correlations we supplement the modelling with numerical simulations

  11. Deuteron microscopic optical model potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Hairui; Han Yinlu; Shen Qingbiao; Xu Yongli

    2010-01-01

    A deuteron microscopic optical model potential is obtained by the Green function method through nuclear-matter approximation and local-density approximation based on the effective Skyrme interaction. The microscopic optical model potential is used to calculate the deuteron reaction cross sections and the elastic scattering angular distributions for some target nuclei in the mass range 6≤A≤208 with incident deuteron energies up to 200 MeV. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data.

  12. Large-Grazing-Angle, Multi-Image Kirkpatrick-Baez Microscope as the Front End to a High-Resolution Streak Camera for OMEGA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gotchev, O.V.; Hayes, L.J.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Knauer, J.P.; Marshall, F.J.; Meyerhofer, D. D.

    2003-01-01

    (B204)A new, high-resolution x-ray microscope with a large grazing angle has been developed, characterized, and fielded at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. It increases the sensitivity and spatial resolution in planar direct-drive hydrodynamic stability experiments, relevant to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research. It has been designed to work as the optical front end of the PJX-a high-current, high-dynamic-range x-ray streak camera. Optical design optimization, results from numerical ray tracing, mirror-coating choice, and characterization have been described previously [O. V. Gotchev, et al./Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 2178 (2003)]. This work highlights the optics' unique mechanical design and flexibility and considers certain applications that benefit from it. Characterization of the microscope's resolution in terms of its modulation transfer function (MTF) over the field of view is shown. Recent results from hydrodynamic stability experiments, diagnosed with the optic and the PJX, are provided to confirm the microscope's advantages as a high-resolution, high-throughput x-ray optical front end for streaked imaging

  13. Solutions to Time-Fractional Diffusion-Wave Equation in Cylindrical Coordinates

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    Povstenko YZ

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Nonaxisymmetric solutions to time-fractional diffusion-wave equation with a source term in cylindrical coordinates are obtained for an infinite medium. The solutions are found using the Laplace transform with respect to time , the Hankel transform with respect to the radial coordinate , the finite Fourier transform with respect to the angular coordinate , and the exponential Fourier transform with respect to the spatial coordinate . Numerical results are illustrated graphically.

  14. Exotic Non-Abelian Topological Defects in Lattice Fractional Quantum Hall States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhao; Möller, Gunnar; Bergholtz, Emil J.

    2017-09-01

    We investigate extrinsic wormholelike twist defects that effectively increase the genus of space in lattice versions of multicomponent fractional quantum Hall systems. Although the original band structure is distorted by these defects, leading to localized midgap states, we find that a new lowest flat band representing a higher genus system can be engineered by tuning local single-particle potentials. Remarkably, once local many-body interactions in this new band are switched on, we identify various Abelian and non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states, whose ground-state degeneracy increases with the number of defects, i.e, with the genus of space. This sensitivity of topological degeneracy to defects provides a "proof of concept" demonstration that genons, predicted by topological field theory as exotic non-Abelian defects tied to a varying topology of space, do exist in realistic microscopic models. Specifically, our results indicate that genons could be created in the laboratory by combining the physics of artificial gauge fields in cold atom systems with already existing holographic beam shaping methods for creating twist defects.

  15. A method to measure the thermovoltage with a high spatial resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sotthewes, K.; Siekman, M. H.; Zandvliet, H. J. W. [Physics of Interfaces and Nanomaterials, MESA" + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500AE Enschede (Netherlands)

    2016-04-04

    We have recorded spatial maps of the thermovoltage of a Au(111) surface with a scanning tunneling microscope. The method relies on an approach where we record quasi-simultaneously the normal topography as well as the thermovoltage by switching the feedback and sample bias on and off. This setup can be combined with standard scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy techniques. The thermovoltage, which arises from a temperature difference between scanning tunneling microscope tip and sample, is very sensitive to small variations of the local electronic density of states in vicinity of the Fermi level. Near step edges we have observed well-defined Friedel oscillations, while for the herringbone reconstruction, small variations of the local work-function are measured. By altering the tip-sample distance, the thermovoltage contrast can be adjusted.

  16. A method to measure the thermovoltage with a high spatial resolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sotthewes, K.; Siekman, M. H.; Zandvliet, H. J. W.

    2016-01-01

    We have recorded spatial maps of the thermovoltage of a Au(111) surface with a scanning tunneling microscope. The method relies on an approach where we record quasi-simultaneously the normal topography as well as the thermovoltage by switching the feedback and sample bias on and off. This setup can be combined with standard scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy techniques. The thermovoltage, which arises from a temperature difference between scanning tunneling microscope tip and sample, is very sensitive to small variations of the local electronic density of states in vicinity of the Fermi level. Near step edges we have observed well-defined Friedel oscillations, while for the herringbone reconstruction, small variations of the local work-function are measured. By altering the tip-sample distance, the thermovoltage contrast can be adjusted.

  17. Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing as Monotherapy in the Treatment of Atrophic Facial Acne Scars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majid, Imran; Imran, Saher

    2014-04-01

    While laser resurfacing remains the most effective treatment option for atrophic acne scars, the high incidence of post-treatment adverse effects limits its use. Fractional laser photothermolysis attempts to overcome these limitations of laser resurfacing by creating microscopic zones of injury to the dermis with skip areas in between. The aim of the present study is to assess the efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser resurfacing in atrophic facial acne scars. Sixty patients with moderate to severe atrophic facial acne scars were treated with 3-4 sessions of fractional CO2 laser resurfacing at 6-week intervals. The therapeutic response to treatment was assessed at each follow up visit and then finally 6 months after the last laser session using a quartile grading scale. Response to treatment was labelled as 'excellent' if there was >50% improvement in scar appearance and texture of skin on the grading scale while 25-50% response and resurfacing as monotherapy is effective in treating acne scars especially rolling and superficial boxcar scars with minimal adverse effects.

  18. Design and commissioning of an aberration-corrected ultrafast spin-polarized low energy electron microscope with multiple electron sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Weishi; Yu, Lei; Zhu, Lin; Yang, Xiaodong; Wei, Zheng; Liu, Jefferson Zhe; Feng, Jun; Kunze, Kai; Schaff, Oliver; Tromp, Ruud; Tang, Wen-Xin

    2017-03-01

    We describe the design and commissioning of a novel aberration-corrected low energy electron microscope (AC-LEEM). A third magnetic prism array (MPA) is added to the standard AC-LEEM with two prism arrays, allowing the incorporation of an ultrafast spin-polarized electron source alongside the standard cold field emission electron source, without degrading spatial resolution. The high degree of symmetries of the AC-LEEM are utilized while we design the electron optics of the ultrafast spin-polarized electron source, so as to minimize the deleterious effect of time broadening, while maintaining full control of electron spin. A spatial resolution of 2nm and temporal resolution of 10ps (ps) are expected in the future time resolved aberration-corrected spin-polarized LEEM (TR-AC-SPLEEM). The commissioning of the three-prism AC-LEEM has been successfully finished with the cold field emission source, with a spatial resolution below 2nm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. The spectrum of laser skin resurfacing: nonablative, fractional, and ablative laser resurfacing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexiades-Armenakas, Macrene R; Dover, Jeffrey S; Arndt, Kenneth A

    2008-05-01

    The drive to attain cosmetic facial enhancement with minimal risk and rapid recovery has inspired the field of nonsurgical skin rejuvenation. Laser resurfacing was introduced in the 1980s with continuous wave carbon dioxide (CO(2)) lasers; however, because of a high rate of side effects, including scarring, short-pulse, high-peak power, and rapidly scanned, focused-beam CO(2) lasers and normal-mode erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet lasers were developed, which remove skin in a precisely controlled manner. The prolonged 2-week recovery time and small but significant complication risk prompted the development of non-ablative and, more recently, fractional resurfacing in order to minimize risk and shorten recovery times. Nonablative resurfacing produces dermal thermal injury to improve rhytides and photodamage while preserving the epidermis. Fractional resurfacing thermally ablates microscopic columns of epidermal and dermal tissue in regularly spaced arrays over a fraction of the skin surface. This intermediate approach increases efficacy as compared to nonablative resurfacing, but with faster recovery as compared to ablative resurfacing. Neither nonablative nor fractional resurfacing produces results comparable to ablative laser skin resurfacing, but both have become much more popular than the latter because the risks of treatment are limited in the face of acceptable improvement. At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be familiar with the spectrum of lasers and light technologies available for skin resurfacing, published studies of safety and efficacy, indications, methodologies, side effects, complications, and management.

  20. Postmortem diffusion MRI of the entire human spinal cord at microscopic resolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evan Calabrese

    Full Text Available The human spinal cord is a central nervous system structure that plays an important role in normal motor and sensory function, and can be affected by many debilitating neurologic diseases. Due to its clinical importance, the spinal cord is frequently the subject of imaging research. Common methods for visualizing spinal cord anatomy and pathology include histology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, both of which have unique benefits and drawbacks. Postmortem microscopic resolution MRI of fixed specimens, sometimes referred to as magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM, combines many of the benefits inherent to both techniques. However, the elongated shape of the human spinal cord, along with hardware and scan time limitations, have restricted previous microscopic resolution MRI studies (both in vivo and ex vivo to small sections of the cord. Here we present the first MRM dataset of the entire postmortem human spinal cord. These data include 50 μm isotropic resolution anatomic image data and 100 μm isotropic resolution diffusion data, made possible by a 280 h long multi-segment acquisition and automated image segment composition. We demonstrate the use of these data for spinal cord lesion detection, automated volumetric gray matter segmentation, and quantitative spinal cord morphometry including estimates of cross sectional dimensions and gray matter fraction throughout the length of the cord. Keywords: Spinal cord, Magnetic resonance microscopy, Tractography, Human, Gray matter