Non-destructive Analytical Method Research Articles

Optimal scheme for stimulating photofission of shielded nuclear materials on the Microtron M-30: a combination of theoretical and experimental studies

Relevance. The photofission of shielded nuclear materials is widely used to develop methods for non-destructive analysis of their isotopic composition. To stimulate the photofission reaction, bremsstrahlung beams obtained on electronic accelerators are used. Their parameters significantly depend on the design features of accelerators and sample activation schemes. Purpose. Theoretical modelling of parameters of an optimal scheme for stimulating the photofission of shielded nuclear materials on an electronic accelerator – Microtron M-30 for the analysis of their isotopic composition, considering its technical characteristics, and experimental verification of its parameters. Methodology. Theoretical calculations of the parameters of bremsstrahlung beams for the Microtron M-30 were carried out using the GEANT4 toolkit. For experimental studies of the influence of structural elements of the optimal stimulation scheme on the integral characteristics of inhibitory photons, secondary photoneutrons, the method of activation of detectors made of gold was used; for residual electrons – the transmission method based on a passage chamber and a Faraday cylinder. Results. As a result of the combination of theoretical and experimental studies, optimal parameters of the activation scheme of nuclear materials on the Microtron M-30 have been established. The scheme provides experimental conditions under which the losses of bremsstrahlung photon beams interacting with the test samples (with energies ≥6 MeV) do not exceed 35% of their initial values, with the practical absence of residual electrons (98% of electrons are absorbed) and secondary photoneutrons (no more than 1E-9 n/e). Conclusions. The parameters of the developed stimulation scheme for the Microtron M-30 can be applied to various types of accelerators, considering their design features, characteristics of the samples, and implemented activation schemes

Evaluation of the efficacy of modal analysis in predicting the pullout strength of fixation bone screws.

Pilot hole preparation has been shown to have an impact on the short and long-term stability of the screw fixation constructs. Investigation and comparison of two nondestructive modal analysis methods with conventional insertion torque (IT) and pullout tests in optimum pilot hole diameter detection. Twenty conical core titanium screws were embedded in high-density polyethylene blocks with different pilot hole diameters. The maximum IT was recorded for each screw during implantation. Then, two modal analysis methods including accelerometer (classical modal analysis [CMA]) and acoustic modal analysis (AMA) were carried out to measure the natural frequency (NF) of the bone-screw structure. Finally, stiffness (S), pullout force (Fult), displacement at Fult (dult) and energy dissipation (ED) were obtained from the destructive pullout test. The IT increased, as the pilot hole diameter decreased. The maximum value of IT was observed in the smallest pilot hole diameter. The same trend was found for the Fult and the first NF derived from both modal methods except for 5.5 mm pilot hole diameter. The natural NFs derived from CMA and AMA showed high correlations in different groups (R2=0.94) and did not deviate from y=x hypothesis in linear regression analysis. The Fult, dult, and ED were measured 4800 ± 172 N, 3.10 ± 0.08 mm and 14.23 ± 1.10N.mm, respectively. No significant change was observed in "S" between the groups. The highest Fult and first NF were obtained for the 5.5 mm pilot hole diameter. Both CMA and AMA were found to be reliable methods and can promote the undesirable contradiction between Fult and IT.

Prompt gamma activation analysis as a means for quantitative, non-destructive, non-invasive measurement of mercury in steel from oil and gas operations

Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGAA or PGNAA) is a non-destructive elemental analysis method potentially applicable for the non-invasive measurement of wall-bound mercury (Hg) deposited at trace levels on the process wetted surface of steel pipe and vessels in oil and gas production and processing. Total wall-bound mercury, on 17 mercury-impacted steel coupon samples was measured by two non-destructive methods: PGAA and XRF (X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy). Following the non-destructive measurement methods, the samples were digested and analyzed by an Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy method based on the principles of EPA 1631 method (Acid Digest-AFS), generally considered state of the art for accurate mercury in steel measurements. PGAA and XRF results were compared to those from the modified EPA 1631 method. Comparative analysis of the results indicated that the PGAA measurements exhibited a trend relatively like that of the acid digest-AFS method measurements. Measurement accuracy, as determined by comparison to a “standard method” (Modified EPA 1631) was not yet adequate for quantitative measurement. However, the consistency in the tracking of the PGAA results with results from the “standard method” along with derivation of a self-attenuation correction factor suggests the potential for improved accuracy and correlation. Details of the intercomparison are provided herein.

Electrochemiluminescence: Digging into the Past and Illuminating the Future

Despite its discovery in the 1960’s electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has only in recent years seen an increased popularity within the wider analytical community. This can be largely correlated to the improvements in technology within the last decade which have facilitated the reduction in instrument size and complexity, so much so that today the technique can be performed through modification of a smartphone device. As such, ECL can now be considered a powerful addition to the analytical toolbox, with ever expanding reach of the technique into new areas of analytical science.This research aims to further expand the understanding of potential utilisation of the technique by displaying its fundamental success for applications into previously underrepresented or unique fields. Through the combination of screen printed electrodes with different metal luminophores and modification strategies a number of sensing systems, building upon the traditional ruthenium based devices, has been achieved. Preliminary research has displayed, through the unique characteristics offered by ECL, successful application to the archeological, horticultural, and veterinary fields. Each sample type offered unique challenges, with the final outcome offering an in-field compatible and potentially non-destructive analysis method. Further attributes include minimal sample preparation procedures and volumes alongside simplistic operation and interpretation further enhancing its usability making it an ideal candidate for non-experts or indeed electrochemists.Here we display exciting opportunities for the expansion of not only of ECL but electro-analytical devices toward a range of unusual and unique environments. Such areas have either minimal or no past experience in the utilisation of ECL for direct target analysis, and as such we hope to successfully demonstrate its capabilities. Through promotion of the versatility of the technique into new arenas we hope to drive forward the expansion of ECL both within the analytical community but also beyond, by sparking interesting in this fundamentally promising technique from outwith the electrochemical and ECL communities.

One-Drop Serum Screening Test for Anal Cancer in Men via Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy.

Rare cancers are a challenge for clinical practice, the treatment experience at major centers to which rare cancers are referred is limited and are the most difficult to diagnose. Research to identify causes or develop prevention and early detection strategies is extremely challenging. Anal cancer is an example of a rare cancer, with the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection being the most important risk factor associated. In the early stages, anal cancer does not exhibit evident symptoms. This disease is diagnosed by means of anoscopy, which diagnoses some cases of early cancer; nevertheless, sensitivity of this test ranges between 47 and 89%. Therefore, the development of new, effective, and evidence-based screening methodologies for the early detection of rare cancers is of great relevance. In this study, the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has been explored as a sensitive, nondestructive, and inexpensive analytical method for developing disease screening platforms in serum. Spectral differences were found in the regions of 1700-1100 and 1700-1400 cm-1 between the control group and the anal cancer group related to the presence of proteins and nucleic acids. The chemometric analysis presented differences in the spectral fingerprints for both spectral regions with a high sensitivity ranging from 95.2 to 99.9% and a specificity ranging from 99.2 to 100%. This is the first step that we report for a methodology that is fast, nondestructive, and easy to perform, and the high sensitivity and specificity of the method are the basis for extensive research studies to implement these technologies in the clinical field.

A discrimination model for dead cocoons using near-infrared transmission spectra analyses

Silk from cocoons is widely used as a functional raw material for alleviating skin diseases, improving memory, preventing diabetes, and as antioxidants. Dead cocoons are screened to utilize silk, resulting in poor marketability and cross-contamination of other cocoons. Considering that the screening of cocoons is performed manually to date, there is a high demand for automating this process. Spectroscopic analyses are actively used for non-destructive analysis methods. In this study, a discrimination model was developed to determine whether a cocoon is dead or alive using the near-infrared transmission spectra. A total of 367 normal cocoons and 152 dead cocoons were used in our experiment, and the cocoons were cut to determine whether they were dead or alive. The near-infrared transmission spectra were obtained for each cocoon for the wavelength band 900–1700 nm. Nine pre-processing methods were applied to eliminate spectral noise; pre-processing related to normalization demonstrated significant difference compared to other pre-processing methods. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to visualize the distribution of spectra, and discrimination models were developed using the wavelength range of the highest transmittance intensity and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). PCA successfully discriminated between normal and dead cocoons. The discrimination model according to the wavelength range of the highest transmittance intensity demonstrated a discriminant accuracy of 94.80 %. Using PLS-DA with range normalization pre-processing spectra, the discriminant accuracies were 94.56 % and 94.64 % for calibration and validation, respectively. Thus, the proposed method can help discriminate between normal and dead cocoons non-destructively using the near infrared transmission spectra. • A discrimination model is developed to discriminate live and dead cocoons. • The model is based on near-infrared transmission spectra. • Transmission spectra at 904–1707 nm were acquired and analyzed. • A discriminant accuracy of 94.80 % was demonstrated by the model. • This method can help discriminate between dead and live cocoons non-destructively.

Botanical origin identification and adulteration quantification of honey based on Raman spectroscopy combined with convolutional neural network

A non-destructive and reliable spectroscopic analysis method was proposed for detecting honey fraud based on Raman spectroscopy and convolutional neural network (CNN). Acacia, litchi and linden honey were adulterated with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), rice syrup (RS), maltose syrup (MS) and commercial blended syrup (BS) at different concentrations, respectively. Spectra were collected from 60 authentic honeys and 360 adulterated honeys. Dimensionality reduction algorithms provided an overview and visualization of the spectral dataset. The strategy of this study was that the botanical origins and adulteration concentrations of unknown samples were obtained through a combination of qualitative and quantitative models, regardless of the types of honey and contaminant. The CNN classification model and chemometric algorithms achieved more than 99.76% accuracy for honey matrix identification, while the CNN quantitative models kept the coefficients of determination (R2p) and root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) above 0.95 and below 4.25, respectively. CNN achieved significantly better performance than chemometric algorithms and met the routine detection requirements of honey. The proposed method provides a promising alternative to combat honey fraud.

RESULTS of MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS of ANIMAL HARD TISSUES IN NORMAL AND SIMULATED OSTEOPOROSIS USING A NON-INVASIVE COMPUTED MICROTOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE

Introduction. X-ray microtomography is a non-destructive method of microstructural analysis, which has a high level of detail and allows the possibility of assessing the internal architecture of organs and tissues using 3D-analysis[1]. The specifics of working with such equipment can be divided into in vivo and in vitro, i.e. working with live laboratory animals (mice, rats, rabbits) under anesthesia or studying organs and tissues separated from the animal [2].The aim of the work was to study the microstructure of sheep bone tissues in normal and simulated osteoporosis using computed microtomography.Materials and methods. We performed microCT analysis of different sheep bones in normal and experimental osteoporosis. Bone tissue of the jaw, iliac and femur, and teeth were collected from control and experimental animals. Bone tissue samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin. X-ray microCT scanner Skyscan 1176 (BrukermicroCT, Belgium) and software Skyscan 1176 control program (10.0.0.0), Nrecon (1.7.4.2), DataViewer (1.5.6.2), CT-analyser (1.18.4.0), CTvox (3.3.0r1403) were used to scan and process materials.Results. MicroCT examination and 3D-imaging confirmed the elimination of trabeculae in the metaphyseal region of the femur in sheep with experimental osteoporosis from the centre to the periphery; in addition, 3D-analysis showed a 15.1% decrease in bone percentage, a 7.8% decrease in bone mineral density, and an increase in Tb. Sp. (trabecular separation), Tb. Pf. (trabecular pattern factor) and SMI (structure model index) by 30.2%, 20.8% and 23.6%, respectively, and a decrease in Tb.N. (trabecular number) index by 18.6%, indicating calcium washout, decreased trabecular connectivity and a transition from a lamellar to a rod-like architecture. Similar changes were found in the 3D-analysis of the jaw bone tissue. Thus, a decrease of 18.9% in mineral density was found, as well as a significant increase of 11.58 and 2.21 in the indices, particularly Tb. Pf. and SMI. 3D-analysis of iliac microtomography also indicates a simulation of osteoporosis, as evidenced by a significant increase in the main indices characterising the development of this pathology.Conclusions. The obtained results not only objectively testify to the development of osteoporosis in the experimental animals, but also indicate signs of the adaptation-compensatory reactions of the body, characterized by appearance of large single trabeculae in the metaphysis of the femur as well as by not expressed reduction of bone mineral density and bone tissue area.

Non-destructive methods of analysis to characterize an easel painting by Victor Meirelles

The use of analytical, non-destructive, non-invasive, and portable techniques applied to the Cultural Heritage research represents a great collaboration between different sciences. With these methods, artwork can have its original pigments identified, as well as be checked for other pigments used in interventions. These techniques allow to identify the artist’s creative process without having to move the artwork to the laboratory. This study’s main advantage is assisting art historians, restorers and conservators, and correlating time-period artworks. The painting “Dr José Maria Chaves” (1873) by Victor Meirelles, from MASP’s collection, was the subject of this study by using imaging (VIS, RAK, UVL, and IRR) and spectroscopies (ED-XRF and Raman) methods. Through these it was possible to identify a few “pentiments” performed by the artist, many interventions, and different layers of varnish. Besides that, it was suggested the pigments used by the artist, highlighting the base preparation with Lead White and the uncommon use of Naples Yellow. This results help to increment the database about the Brazilian artist and his historical period, providing a better understanding of creative techniques, palletes, interventions, and strengthing the database for future works.

Method for non-invasive assessment of the structure of a heart valve bioprosthesis

Background. The study of explanted heart valve bioprostheses is a valuable source of information about the destructive processes in their components that develop as a result of prolonged contact with the recipient’s body. An analysis of the morphology, staging and degree of involvement of various valve prosthesis materials in the prevalence of pathological processes – calcification, mechanical damage, growth of the connective tissue capsule, is the basis for developing potential methods for increasing the service life of these products and reducing the risk of re-interventions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of computed microtomography to analyze the internal structure of a biological prosthetic heart valve explanted due to dysfunction. Material and methods. In this work, we investigated the prevalence of pathological mineralization of the PeriCor bioprosthesis, explanted as a result of the developed dysfunction of the leaflet apparatus with a clinical picture of grade 2B prosthetic insufficiency. The material was described macroscopically, after which it was subjected to high-resolution computed microtomography. In the structure of the sample, X-ray dense areas of pathological mineralization were identified and described, and the volume of the material involved in calcification was assessed. Results. It was shown that the main pathological changes that led to prosthetic dysfunction were degenerative changes in the biomaterial with signs of calcification, thickening and rupture of the leaflets. It was quantitatively determined that the areas of radiologically dense inclusions (calcifications) occupy 11.1 % of the volume of the material. It has been established that the described areas are associated with the sheathing of the frame and with the elements of the suture material used in the production of this bioprosthesis. Conclusion. The method of non-destructive analysis of the internal structure of altered materials of a biological prosthesis studied in this work has demonstrated the possibility of а qualitative and quantitative assessment of areas of pathological mineralization, their distribution and connection with other processes leading to the development of prosthetic dysfunction. The method makes it possible to visualize macro- and microsites of calcification and can become a valuable tool to complement existing approaches to the study of explanted bioprostheses.

An Insight into the Feeding Ecology of Serranus scriba, a Shallow Water Mesopredator in the Northern Adriatic Sea, with a Non-Destructive Method

Serranus scriba is a common member of the coastal fish community in the Adriatic Sea, but knowledge about its feeding ecology is scarce. The aim of this paper is to present new evidence about its food preferences and feeding habits. An innovative non-destructive method of fecal pellet analysis was used for this study. This method does not require sacrificing specimens and the fish can be released back into the sea alive after the laboratory work. The results demonstrated that S. scriba mainly preys on decapods, followed by polychaetes, isopods, fish, mollusks and swarming shrimps. The calculated index of trophic diversity (ITD) value of 0.89 indicates that it is an opportunistic feeder that feeds on a wide range of different prey. According to the calculated trophic level of 3.43, which is higher than that of other members of the community, S. scriba is also an important piscivorous predator. With age, S. scriba undergoes an ontogenetic shift. The proportion of crustaceans, gastropods and polychaetes decreases with age and body size, while the proportion of fish increases.

Rapid Detection of Aspergillus flavus and Quantitative Determination of Aflatoxin B1 in Grain Crops Using a Portable Raman Spectrometer Combined with Colloidal Au Nanoparticles.

Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins in grain crops give rise to a serious threat to food security and cause huge economic losses. In particular, aflatoxin B1 has been identified as a Class I carcinogen to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Compared with conventional methods, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has paved the way for the detection of Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins in grain crops as it is a rapid, nondestructive, and sensitive analytical method. In this work, the rapid detection of Aspergillus flavus and quantification of Aflatoxin B1 in grain crops were performed by using a portable Raman spectrometer combined with colloidal Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). With the increase of the concentration of Aspergillus flavus spore suspension in the range of 102–108 CFU/mL, the better the combination of Aspergillus flavus spores and AuNPs, the better the enhancement effect of AuNPs solution on the Aspergillus flavus. A series of different concentrations of aflatoxin B1 methanol solution combined with AuNPs were determined based on SERS and their spectra were similar to that of solid powder. Moreover, the characteristic peak increased gradually with the increase of concentration in the range of 0.0005–0.01 mg/L and the determination limit was 0.0005 mg/L, which was verified by HPLC in ppM concentration. This rapid detection method can greatly shorten the detection time from several hours or even tens of hours to a few minutes, which can help to take effective measures to avoid causing large economic losses.

Transmission and innovation on gold granulation: the application of tin for soldering techniques in ancient China

Granulation, an ancient metal processing technique mainly applied to gold, has originated from West Asia, and later appeared at many different archaeological sites across the Eurasia. The distribution of granulated gold ornaments bearing diverse soldering techniques reveal the long-distance human interaction across the Eurasia. This paper presents the scientific analysis of the surface morphology and elemental composition of two granulated gold ornaments from Tushan Tomb No.2 pit in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, which approximately dated to the first century CE of Han Dynasty. Multiple non-destructive analytical methods including Ultra-Depth Three-Dimensional Microscope, Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and Scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were conducted to obtain analytical data. The result indicates that tin-participated soldering technique has been adopted to accomplish the granulation. Although the usage of tin has been mentioned in a former study as “a secret of Etruscan granulation”, the lack of quantitative analyses leaves this assumption unconvinced. Our findings on Tushan ornaments throw light on this issue by illustrating the regular distribution pattern of the tin content at the joints, which appears to be intentionally added for certain amount. Although tiny in size, the gold granules record the secret of soldering techniques used in China and many other regions across the Eurasia during the ancient time, complementing the study of granulation techniques and reflecting the transmission and innovation along with the technological and cultural contacts.

Estimation of amino acid contents in maize leaves based on hyperspectral imaging.

Estimation of the amino acid content in maize leaves is helpful for improving maize yield estimation and nitrogen use efficiency. Hyperspectral imaging can be used to obtain the physiological and biochemical parameters of maize leaves with the advantages of being rapid, non-destructive, and high throughput. This study aims to estimate the multiple amino acid contents in maize leaves using hyperspectral imaging data. Two nitrogen (N) fertilizer experiments were carried out to obtain the hyperspectral images of fresh maize leaves. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) method was used to build the estimation models of various amino acid contents by using the reflectance of all bands, sensitive band range, and sensitive bands. The models were then validated with the independent dataset. The results showed that (1) the spectral reflectance of most amino acids was more sensitive in the range of 400–717.08 nm than other bands. The estimation accuracy was better by using the reflectance of the sensitive band range than that of all bands; (2) the sensitive bands of most amino acids were in the ranges of 505.39–605 nm and 651–714 nm; and (3) among the 24 amino acids, the estimation models of the β-aminobutyric acid, ornithine, citrulline, methionine, and histidine achieved higher accuracy than those of other amino acids, with the R2, relative root mean square error (RE), and relative percent deviation (RPD) of the measured and estimated value of testing samples in the range of 0.84–0.96, 8.79%–19.77%, and 2.58–5.18, respectively. This study can provide a non-destructive and rapid diagnostic method for genetic sensitive analysis and variety improvement of maize.

Lock-in Raman difference spectroscopy.

Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy (SERDS) is a non-destructive chemical analysis method capable of removing the fluorescence background and other disturbances from the Raman spectrum, thanks to the independence of the fluorescence with respect to the small difference in excitation wavelength. The spectrum difference is computed in a post-processing step. Here, we demonstrate the use of a lock-in camera to obtain an on-line analog SERDS spectra allowing longer exposure times and no saturation, leading to an improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and reduced data storage. Two configurations are presented: the first one uses a single laser and can remove excitation-independent disturbances, such as ambient light; the second employs two-wavelength shifted sources and removes fluorescence background similarly to SERDS. In both cases, we experimentally extrapolate the expected SNR improvement.

The application of statistical preprocessing on spectral data does not always guarantee the improvement of the predictive quality of multivariate models: Case of soil spectroscopy applied to Moroccan soils

Statistical preprocessing methods are widely used to improve the predictive performance of chemometric models especially on MIR and NIR spectral database. The main role of pretreatments in the case of soil spectroscopy is to remove/reduce the scattering impact, thus, highlight the part of the signal related to the chemical, physical or biological properties of interest. Nevertheless, given the complexity of the soil as a matrix, together the pure absorption data and the information hidden in the scattering are of key interest as they cooperatively describe the physicochemical state of the soil samples. Consequently, pretreatment methods that removes/ reduces the scattering material in the spectroscopic data may lower the predictive quality of the multivariate models. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of preprocessing methods on FTIR spectra of soil samples and test the hypothesis that the use of scatter correction techniques as pretreatment (Viz. standard normal variate, Savitzky-Golay 1st and 2nd derivatives, and the multiplicative scatter correction) does not guarantee the improvement of the predictive performance of partial least squares regression models for the prediction of total carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen in soil samples. The obtained results showed that among all the multivariate calibrations, the PLS models set-up on the unprocessed spectral data led to similar/better predictive qualities for the estimation of selected soil properties especially for total carbon with an R2 of 0.92 and RMSECV of 0.129, either because the information contained in the scattering background is important for the predictions or there is no scatter in the spectral data. Hence, FTIR spectroscopy as a simple, fast and nondestructive analytical method that in many cases will not require a supplementary effort when performing chemometric modeling by avoiding the preprocessing step could be highly recommended for soil health indicators prediction.

Biophysical evaluation of treating adipose tissue-derived stem cells using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP) is a partially ionized gas containing fast electrons and relatively slow ions. This study aims to investigate the influences of NTAPP on human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and examine the feasibility of using optical spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for cell analysis. A plasma jet is used as the source of low-temperature plasma in which pure helium gas is ionized by a high voltage (8 kV) and frequency (6 kHz). ADSCs were exposed to the NTAPP for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, and 120 s. The efficiency of the plasma treatment was investigated using flow cytometry and optical spectroscopy methods. This study compared surface markers of NTAPP treated and untreated ADSCs using CD90 and CD105 as positive markers. The result proved that NTAPP-exposed ADSCs maintain their stemming. Measuring ADSCS apoptosis by labeling Annexin V-Propidium Iodide showed that the plasma at short exposure time is relatively non-toxic. However, a longer exposure time can lead to apoptosis and necrosis. Moreover, Cell cycle analysis revealed that NTAPP accelerates the cell cycle in very low doses and can cause proliferation. In this experiment, flow cytometry measurements have been used to determine oxidative stress. The results showed that with increasing plasma dose, intracellular ROS levels reduced. This data also suggests that intracellular ROS are not responsible for the cells' viability. Furthermore, we used reflectance spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for evaluating treatment response and comparing this method with cell analysis techniques. The results indicate spectroscopy's efficiency as a method of cell analysis. This study suggests that NTAPP would be an efficient tool to improve ADSCs culture's efficiency in vitro; thus, we support the potential applications of NTAPP in the field of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine.

Non-Destructive Scientific Analysis of the Gold Fabric Excavated of Cheongsong Shim’s Grave

Using non-destructive analytical methods, we identified the material characteristics of two gold fabric artifacts excavated from the Cheongsong Sim clan (Bugeum Wonsam, Jikgeum Chima), including the artifact condition, fiber type, surface contamination, and metallic threads. We found that the artifacts were buried and had turned brown; thus, we were unable to determine their original color. The fiber type was determined to be silk from cocoons, based on scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses of Amide I, II, III, and IV peaks, and color reactions Further, the FT-IR and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses identified the white and black stains as natural resin hydrolyzed substances, such as lipids and proteins, that occurred as microbial decomposition due to body decay. Finally, the XRF analyses identified the thin gold layer of the metallic yarn as gold (Au). According to the FT-IR data and the color reaction to the metallic yarn medium, the adhesive component of the medium was a product of-Amides I, II, III, and 3000 cm-1 within Amides A and B (an animal type), respectively. Thus, the medium was identified as Hanji (Korean paper), which is made from domestically produced Broussonetia kazinoki fibers.

Recent Advances in Inflammatory Diagnosis with Graphene Quantum Dots Enhanced SERS Detection.

Inflammatory diseases are some of the most common diseases in different parts of the world. So far, most attention has been paid to the role of environmental factors in the inflammatory process. The diagnosis of inflammatory changes is an important goal for the timely diagnosis and treatment of various metastatic, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) can be used for the diagnosis of inflammation due to their excellent properties, such as high biocompatibility, low toxicity, high stability, and specific surface area. Additionally, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) allows the very sensitive structural detection of analytes at low concentrations by amplifying electromagnetic fields generated by the excitation of localized surface plasmons. In recent years, the use of graphene quantum dots amplified by SERS has increased for the diagnosis of inflammation. The known advantages of graphene quantum dots SERS include non-destructive analysis methods, sensitivity and specificity, and the generation of narrow spectral bands characteristic of the molecular components present, which have led to their increased application. In this article, we review recent advances in the diagnosis of inflammation using graphene quantum dots and their improved detection of SERS. In this review study, the graphene quantum dots synthesis method, bioactivation method, inflammatory biomarkers, plasma synthesis of GQDs and SERS GQD are investigated. Finally, the detection mechanisms of SERS and the detection of inflammation are presented.

Investigation of lithiation/delithiation processes in ceramic solid electrolyte by means of Neutron Depth Profiling

Rechargeable all-solid-state Li batteries with solid electrolytes (SE) are a prospective solution for safe and high-capacity energy storage systems. In recent decades, several types of SE with high ionic conductivity have been developed and tested with different techniques. In this study, we employed a non-destructive nuclear analytical method, Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP), to investigate the response of one of the promising electrolytes, Lithium Conductive Glass Ceramic (LICGC), to the applied voltage +2.8 V. The in-situ NDP measurements made it possible to directly monitor the migration of lithium ions in the electrolyte and to observe and quantify the formation of a space charge layer with depleted Li atoms, which depends on the biasing time.