High-resolution Microscopy (high-resolution + microscopy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Nanocrystallized Al92Sm8 Amorphous Alloy Investigated by High-Resolution Microscopy and 3D Atom-Probe Analysis

ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2007
T. Gloriant
A partially nanocrystallized amorphous Al92Sm8 (at.%) alloy was obtained directly by rapid solidification (one-step method). Because of the significant retained plasticity of the as-quenched alloy, the nanostructure and the atomic species distribution within the nanocomposite material could be characterized by field-ion microscopy (FIM) and by three-dimensional atom-probe analysis (3DAP). [source]


Probing events with single molecule sensitivity in zebrafish and Drosophila embryos by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 12 2009
Xianke Shi
Abstract Zebrafish and Drosophila are animal models widely used in developmental biology. High-resolution microscopy and live imaging techniques have allowed the investigation of biological processes down to the cellular level in these models. Here, using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), we show that even processes on a molecular level can be studied in these embryos. The two animal models provide different advantages and challenges. We first characterize their autofluorescence pattern and determine usable penetration depth for FCS especially in the case of zebrafish, where tissue thickness is an issue. Next, the applicability of FCS to study molecular processes is shown by the determination of blood flow velocities with high spatial resolution and the determination of diffusion coefficients of cytosolic and membrane-bound enhanced green fluorescent protein,labeled proteins in different cell types. This work provides an approach to study molecular processes in vivo and opens up the possibility to relate these molecular processes to developmental biology questions. Developmental Dynamics 238:3156,3167, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


CRB1 mutation spectrum in inherited retinal dystrophies,

HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 5 2004
Anneke I. den Hollander
Abstract Mutations in the Crumbs homologue 1 (CRB1) gene have been reported in patients with a variety of autosomal recessive retinal dystrophies, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) with preserved paraarteriolar retinal pigment epithelium (PPRPE), RP with Coats-like exudative vasculopathy, early onset RP without PPRPE, and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). We extended our investigations of CRB1 in these retinal dystrophies, and identified nine novel CRB1 sequence variants. In addition, we screened patients with "classic" RP and classic Coats disease (without RP), but no pathologic sequence variants were found in the CRB1 gene. In total, 71 different sequence variants have been identified on 184 CRB1 alleles of patients with retinal dystrophies, including amino acid substitutions, frameshift, nonsense, and splice site mutations, in-frame deletions, and large insertions. Recent studies in two animal models, mouse and Drosophila, and in vivo high-resolution microscopy in patients with LCA, have shed light on the role of CRB1 in the pathogenesis of retinal dystrophies and its function in the photoreceptors. In this article, we provide an overview of the currently known CRB1 sequence variants, predict their effect, and propose a genotype,phenotype correlation model for CRB1 mutations. Hum Mutat 24:355,369, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Structure of the quaternary alloy Zn0.6Mn0.4In2S4 from synchrotron powder diffraction and electron transmission microscopy

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2006
Asiloé J. Mora
The aim of the present work was to determine the structure of the quaternary alloy Zn0.6Mn0.4In2S4 and to locate the Mn2+. This was accomplished by means of powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction, high-resolution microscopy and convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED). The powder X-ray diffraction pattern was indexed in a rhombohedral cell, with cell constants a = 3.875,(2), c = 37.208,(4),Å, and possible space groups Rm or R3m. Rietveld refinements using different cationic arrangements in these space groups were performed. A model in space group R3m, in which the tetrahedral and octahedral sites were occupied by different proportions of Zn, Mn and In atoms, gave the best result. The Rietveld refinement of this model led to figures of merit Rwp = 9.8%, Rp = 9.1% and ,2 = 11.1. Selected-area electron diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron micrographs along [001] reveal the rhombohedral configuration. CBED patterns perpendicular to [001], showing the distinctive 3m symmetry, confirmed space group R3m and the breaking of the centrosymmetry of the parent compound, ZnIn2S4. [source]


Population estimation of human embryonic stem cell cultures

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2010
Thomas Thurnherr
Abstract Traditionally, the population of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) culture is estimated through haemacytometer counts, which include harvesting the cells and manually analyzing a fraction of an entire population. Obviously, through this highly invasive method, it is not possible to preserve any spatial information on the cell population. The goal of this study is to identify a fast and consistent method for in situ automated hESC population estimation to quantitatively estimate the cell growth. Therefore, cell cultures were fixed, stained, and their nuclei imaged through high-resolution microscopy, and the images were processed with different image analysis techniques. The proposed method first identifies signal and background by computing an image specific threshold for image segmentation. By applying a morphological operator (watershed), we split most physically overlapping nuclei, leading to a pixel area distribution of isolated signal areas on the image. On the basis of this distribution, we derive a nucleus area model, describing the distribution of the area of cell debris, single nuclei, and small groups of connected nuclei. Through the model, we can give a quantitative estimation of the population. The focus of this study is on low-density human embryonic stem cell populations; hence cultures were measured at days 2,3 after seeding. Compared with manual cell counts, the automatic method achieved higher accuracy with <6% error. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source]