Human induced pluripotent stem cell based in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier： the future standard？

There is an urgent and tremendous need for human dis- ease models in drug development in order to improve pre- clinical predictability. In the case of brain disorders drugs have to cross the blood-brain barrier （BBB） to enter the central nervous system （CNS）. It was estimated that more than 95% of the drugs cannot cross the BBB.

Parameters Identification of Stochastic Nonstationary Process Used in Earthquake Modelling

This paper proposes a new deterministic envelope function to define non-stationary stochastic processes modeling seismic ground motion accelerations. The proposed envelope function modulates the amplitude of the time history of a stationary filtered white noise to properly represent the amplitude variations in the time histories of the ground motion accelerations. This function depends on two basic seismological indices: the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and the kind of soil. These indices are widely used in earthquake engineering. Firstly, the envelope function is defined analytically from the Saragoni Hart’s function. Then its parameters are identified for a set of selected real records of earthquake collected in PEER Next Generation Attenuation database. Finally, functions of the parameters depending on the Peak Ground Acceleration and the kind of soil are defined from these identified values of the parameters of the envelope function through a regression analysis.

Influence of Gravitational Waves on Circular Moving Particles

We investigate the influence of a gravitational wave background on particles in circular motion. We are especially interested in waves leading to stationary orbits. This consideration is limited to circular orbits perpendicular to the incidence direction. As a main result of our calculation, we obtain in addition to the well-known alteration of the radial distance a time dependent correction term for the phase modifying the circular motion of the particle. A background of gravitational waves creates some kind of uncertainty.

Extension of the Code COCOSYS to a Dispersion Code for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide

The code COCOSYS （Containment Code System） was developed by GRS （Gesellschaft fur Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit） in Germany to simulate processes and nuclear plant states during severe accidents in the containments of light water reactors. It contains several physical models, especially a module for aerosol behaviour. The goal of this work was to extend COCOSYS for applications in more general geometries mainly for complex public buildings. For the application in public buildings, models for air condition systems and different boundary conditions according to different environments were developed. The principal application of the extended code COCOSYS is in the area of emergency situations especially in the simulation for carbon monoxide and smoke dispersion. As first achievement realistic fire emergency scenarios in the Vienna General Hospital （AKH） could be simulated. The results of the simulation can be used for the development of fire emergency training.

How Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity Can Be Brought Together

This paper describes an easy and teaching way how quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) can be brought together. The method consists of formulating Schrödinger’s equation of a free quantum wave of a massive particle in curved space-time of GR using the Schwarzschild metric. The result is a Schrödinger equation of the particle which is automatically subjected to Newtons’s gravitational potential.

Pulsed laser reshaping and fragmentation of upconversion nanoparticles-from hexagonal prisms to ID nanorods through“Medusa”-like structures

One dimensional(1D)nanostructures attract considerable attention,enabling a broad application owing to their unique properties.However,the precise mechanism of 1D morphology attainment remains a matter of debate.In this study,ultrafast picosecond(ps)laser-induced treatment on upconversion nanoparticles(UCNPs)is offered as a tool for 1 D-nanostructures formation.Fragmentation,reshaping through recrystallization process and bioadaptation of initially hydrophobic(β-Na_(1.5)Y_(1.5_)F_(6):Yb^(3+),Tm^(3+)/β-Na_(1.5)Y_(1.5_)F_(6))core/shell nanoparticles by means of one-step laser treatment in water are demonstrated.“True”1D nanostructures through"Medusa^-like structures can be obtained,maintaining anti-Stokes luminescence functionalities.A matter of the one-dimensional UCNPs based on direction of energy migration processes is debated.The proposed laser treatment approach is suitable for fast UCNP surface modification and nano-to-nano transformation,that open unique opportunities to expand UCNP applications in industry and biomedicine.

Toward optical coherence tomography on a chip: in vivo three-dimensional human retinal imaging using photonic integrated circuit-based arrayed waveguide gratings

In this work,we present a significant step toward in vivo ophthalmic optical coherence tomography and angiography on a photonic integrated chip.The diffraction gratings used in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography can be replaced by photonic integrated circuits comprising an arrayed waveguide grating.Two arrayed waveguide grating designs with 256 channels were tested,which enabled the first chip-based optical coherence tomography and angiography in vivo three-dimensional human retinal measurements.Design 1 supports a bandwidth of 22nm,with which a sensitivity of up to 91 dB(830μW) and an axial resolution of 10.7 pm was measured.Design 2 supports a bandwidth of 48 nm,with which a sensitivity of 90 dB(480μW) and an axial resolution of 6.5μm was measured.The silicon nitride-based integrated optical waveguides were fabricated with a fully CMOS-compatible process,which allows their monolithic co-integration on top of an optoelectronic silicon chip.As a benchmark for chip-based optical coherence tomography,tomograms generated by a commercially available clinical spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system were compared to those acquired with on-chip gratings.The similarities in the tomograms demonstrate the significant clinical potential for further integration of optical coherence tomography on a chip system.

Biochar surface functional groups as affected by biomass feedstock, biochar composition and pyrolysis temperature

By testing 92 different biochars,this study had the objective to determine the relations between simple physico-chemical characteristics of biochar(elemental composition,ash fraction,specific surface area,process parameters)and infrared sorption characteristics revealing the presence of specific functional groups.The results of Diffusive Reflection Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy were statistically analyzed with multiple linear regression techniques and Principal Component Analysis(PCA)with the biochar characterization parameters as model inputs.The dominant parameters affecting the functional group signals were the pyrolysis temperature,the H/C-ratio and specific surface area of the biochar and the ash fraction.Regression models were able to explain 60-90%of data variance for specific peaks in the DRIFTS-spectra.The application of PCA could further reduce the input parameters to three main factors explaining 70.8%of total data variance.Biplots of the first two main factors showed the similarity of infrared spectra of biochars produced at 300 and 450℃,whereas a pyrolysis temperature of 600℃ lead to a partial and a 750℃ to a nearly complete loss of biochar surface functional groups.