Characteristics of indirect laser-induced plasma from a thin film of oil on a metallic substrate

Optical emissions from the major and trace elements embodied in a transparent gel prepared from cooking oil were detected after the gel was spread in a thin film on a metallic substrate. Such emissions are due to the indirect breakdown of the coating layer. The generated plasma, a mixture of substances from the substrate, the layer, and the ambient gas, was characterized using emission spectroscopy. The characteristics of the plasma formed on the metal with and without the coating layer were investigated. The results showed that A1 emission induced from the aluminum substrates coated with oil films extends away from the target surface to ablate the oil film. This finally formed a bifurcating circulation of aluminum vapor against a spherical confinement wall in the front of the plume, which differed from the evolution of the plasma induced from the uncoated aluminum target. The strongest emissions of elements from the oil films can be observed at 2 mm above the target after a detection delay of 1.0μs. A high temperature zone has been observed in the plasma after the delay of 1.0 μs for the plasma induced from the coated metal. This higher temperature determined in the plasma allows the consideration of the sensitive detection of trace elements in liquids, gels, biological samples, or thin films.

Nano-confinement of biomolecules： Hydrophilic confinement promotes structural order and enhances mobility of water molecules

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the confinement packing characteristics of small hydrophilic （N-acetyl-glycine-methylamide, Nagma） and hydrophobic （N-acetyl-leucine-methylamide, Nalma） biomolecules in large diameter single-wall carbon nanotubes （SWCNTs）. We find that hydrophilic biomolecules easily fill the nanotube and self organize into a geometrical configuration which reminds the water structural organization under SWCNT confinement. The packing of hydrophilic biomolecules inside the cylinder confines all water molecules in its core, which enhances their mobility. Conversely, hydrophobic biomolecules accommodate into the nanotubes with a trend for homogeneous filling, which generate unstable small pockets of water and drive toward a state of dehydration. These results shed light on key parameters important for the encapsulation of biomolecules with direct relevance for long-term storage and prevention of degradation.

Ferritin surplus in mouse spleen 14 months after intravenous injection of iron oxide nanoparticles at clinical dose

In this study, we followed the biodegradation of ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles injected intravenously at clinical doses in mice. An advanced fitting procedure for magnetic susceptibility curves and low- temperature hysteresis loops was used to fully characterize the magnetic size distribution as well as the magnetic anisotropy energy of the injected P904 nano- particles （Guerbet Laboratory）. Additional magnetometry measurements and transmission electronic microscopy observations were systematically performed to examine dehydrated samples from the spleen and liver of healthy C57B16 mice after nanoparticle injection, with sacrifice of the mice for up to 14 months. At 3 months after injection, the magnetic properties of the spleen and liver were dramatically different. While the liver showed no magnetic signals other than those also present in the reference species, the spleen showed an increased magnetic signal attributed to ferritin. This surplus of ferritin remained constant up to 14 months after injection.