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This paper considers the problem of reliable determination of the volume of cellulose fiber and its active surface to estimate or predict the properties of the paper or cardboard manufactured on its basis. To that end, we construct a 3D model of paper or cardboard fiber using contemporary methods of sample preparation for electron microscopy along with a professional powerful graphical editor. The 3D modeling included preparation of a series of microstructure paper slices with a step of at least 10 μm followed by their transformation into a 3D body. In the Object Properties section, the vector format graphic software sets the volume of fiber material, its surface and weight. Provided that the 3D body is correctly scaled, i.e., in accordance with the dimensions specified in microscopic images, the Object Properties section generates the required parameters. The obtained 3D fiber model also enables the force direction of interfiber interaction to be determined in the 3D coordinate system. Until now, the absence of a 3D fiber model in real dimensions has impeded evaluation of the actual value of interfiber bonding forces. These forces, as vector quantities, are characterized by not only numerical values, but also directionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The cost of specialized scientific equipment can be high and with limited funding resources, researchers and students are often unable to access or purchase the ideal equipment for their projects. In the fields of materials science and mechanical engineering, fundamental equipment such as tensile testing devices can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. While a research lab often has access to a large-scale testing machine suitable for conventional samples, loading devices for meso- and micro-scale samples for in-situ testing with the myriad of microscopy tools are often hard to source and cost prohibitive. Open-source software has allowed for great strides in the reduction of costs associated with software development and open-source hardware and additive manufacturing have the potential to similarly reduce the costs of scientific equipment and increase the accessibility of scientific research. To investigate the feasibility of open-source hardware, a micro-tensile tester was designed with a freely accessible computer-aided design package and manufactured with a desktop 3D-printer and off-the-shelf components. To our knowledge this is one of the first demonstrations of a tensile tester with additively manufactured components for scientific research. The capabilities of the tensile tester were demonstrated by investigating the mechanical properties of Graphene Oxide (GO) paper and thin films. A 3D printed tensile tester was successfully used in conjunction with an atomic force microscope to provide one of the first quantitative measurements of GO thin film buckling under compression. The tensile tester was also used in conjunction with an atomic force microscope to observe the change in surface topology of a GO paper in response to increasing tensile strain. No significant change in surface topology was observed in contrast to prior hypotheses from the literature. Based on this result obtained with the new open source tensile stage we propose an alternative hypothesis we term ‘superlamellae consolidation’ to explain the initial deformation of GO paper. The additively manufactured tensile tester tested represents cost savings of >99% compared to commercial solutions in its class and offers simple customization. However, continued development is needed for the tensile tester presented here to approach the technical specifications achievable with commercial solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Seminal papers in Toxoplasma research are revisited. • We focus on a paper that contributed to uncovering the complete life-cycle of Toxoplasma. • A paper that revealed some of the unique cellular biology of the parasite is examined. • A study that elucidated the nature of the compartment in which Toxoplasma resides is described. • We revisit a seminal paper in understanding the immune responses to Toxoplasma infection. Since Nicolle, Manceaux and Splendore first described Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite of rodents and rabbits in the early 20th century, a diverse and vigorous research community has been built around studying this fascinating intracellular parasite. In addition to its importance as a pathogen of humans, livestock and wildlife, modern researchers are attracted to T. gondii as a facile experimental system to study many aspects of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, host-microbe interactions, and host immunity. For new researchers entering the field, the extensive literature describing the biology of the parasite, and the interactions with its host, can be daunting. In this review, we examine four foundational studies that describe various aspects of T. gondii biology, presenting a 'journal club'-style analysis of each. We have chosen a paper that established the beguiling life cycle of the parasite (Hutchison et al., 1971), a paper that described key features of its cellular biology that the parasite shares with related organisms (Gustafson et al., 1954), a paper that characterised the origin of the unique compartment in which the parasite resides within host cells (Jones and Hirsch, 1972), and a paper that established a key mechanism in the host immune response to parasite infection (Pfefferkorn, 1984). These interesting and far-reaching studies set the stage for subsequent research into numerous facets of parasite biology. As well as providing new researchers with an entry point into the literature surrounding the parasite, revisiting these studies can remind us of the roots of our discipline, how far we have come, and the new directions in which we might head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the morphological analysis of paper images through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The materials are segmented into individual fibers to determine their digital measurements using secondary electron detector. Calcium carbonate particles resulted to the formation of fillers characterized by large amounts of coarse edge fibers and irregular granules. Furthermore, fiber borders with small size width are accidentally identified, however, they represent flat and peak directions.

Although good field emission from graphene has been demonstrated from a wide variety of different microfabricated structures, very few of them can be used to improve the design of cold field emitters for electron microscopy applications. Most of them consist of densely packed nano-emitters, which produce a large array of defocused overlapping electron beams, and therefore cannot be subsequently focused down to a single nanometer electron probe. This paper reviews the kind of single-tip cathode structures suitable in cold field emission guns for instruments such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope or scanning transmission electron microscopy, and reviews progress in fabricating them from graphene-based materials.

The article discusses the use of chatbot technology in the field of microscopy. The authors, Filip Braet and David Poger, highlight the potential benefits of chatbots in providing access to academic information and datasets. However, they also acknowledge the challenges and ethical considerations associated with using this technology in research. The authors share their experiences working with chatbots and express curiosity about the future role of AI in microscopy. They emphasize the importance of responsible and ethical use of AI in research and education. [Extracted from the article]

The abdominal wagging behavior of Polistes dominulus foundresses is highly conspicuous and frequently performed, but comprehensive descriptions are lacking. It has been suggested that abdominal wagging is involved in vibratory signaling, but the wagging behavior has not been distinguished from the substrate-borne signal, and nest vibrations have never been described. Here I provide a detailed description of the behavior and the first video-linked accelerometer recordings of nest vibrations. These recordings indicate that an impulsive vibration is produced when the adult female repeatedly strikes its abdomen against cell rims as it swings it across the nest surface. These strong vibrations propagate throughout the nest. Scanning electron microscopy reveals no specialized structures for vibration production on the abdomen or nest. These results provide a foundation for the mechanical playback studies required to experimentally determine the function of abdominal wagging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The biopsy report for nonneoplastic kidney diseases represents a complex integration of clinical data with light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic findings. Practice guidelines for the handling and processing of the renal biopsy have previously been created. However, specific guidelines for essential pathologic parameters that should be included in these pathology reports do not exist. The Renal Pathology Society has coordinated an effort through the formation of an ad hoc committee to enumerate the essential elements and pathologic parameters that should be reported for every biopsy specimen. This endeavor aims to establish a minimum reporting standard and to improve communication between pathologists and other physicians. This document represents the collective effort and consensus opinions of this ad hoc committee of the Renal Pathology Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have investigated the potential toxicity of the analgesic agent diclofenac (DCF) in various fish species under a diverse array of experimental conditions. Reported evidence of toxicity in these investigations is often strongly reliant on morphologic end points such as histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. However, it may be challenging for scientists who perform environmental hazard or risk determination to fully appreciate the intricacies of these specialized endpoints. Therefore, the purpose of the current review was to critically assess the quality of morphologic data in 14 papers that described the experimental exposure of fish to DCF. Areas of focus during this review included study design, diagnostic accuracy, magnitude of reported changes, data interpretation and presentation, and the credibility of individual reported findings. Positive attributes of some studies included robust experimental designs, accurate diagnoses, and straightforward and transparent data reporting. Issues identified in certain articles included diagnostic errors, failure to account for sampling and/or observer bias, failure to evaluate findings according to sex, exaggeration of lesion severity, interstudy inconsistencies, unexplained phenomena, and incomplete or ambiguous data presentation. It is hoped that the outcome of this review will be of value for personnel involved in regulatory decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A porcelain body traditionally used to produce ceramic art and design objects was re-formulated using additional waste paper. The aim of this study was to develop knowledge into the technological properties of paper-composite porcelain in its green state, for use within the traditional practices of ceramic art and design production. Characterisation was made by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two different production methods used by potters, slip casting and free-hand pressing, were used. The presence of the paper fibre, the paper type and the content amount are the important factors in strengthening development. Significant differences were found in relation to the content amount of paper fibre, between the mother porcelain body and the different content amount of paper fibre in the paper-composite porcelain body. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The plate-like graphene shells (GS) produced by an original methane pyrolysis method and their derivatives graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide paper (GO-P) were evaluated with luminescent Escherichia coli biotests and additional bacterial-based assays which together revealed the graphene-family nanomaterials’ toxicity and bioactivity mechanisms. Bioluminescence inhibition assay, fluorescent two-component staining to evaluate cell membrane permeability, and atomic force microscopy data showed GO expressed bioactivity in aqueous suspension, whereas GS suspensions and the GO-P surface were assessed as nontoxic materials. The mechanism of toxicity of GO was shown not to be associated with oxidative stress in the targeted soxS::lux and katG::lux reporter cells; also, GO did not lead to significant mechanical disruption of treated bacteria with the release of intracellular DNA contents into the environment. The well-coordinated time- and dose-dependent surface charge neutralization and transport and energetic disorders in the Escherichia coli cells suggest direct membrane interaction, internalization, and perturbation (i.e., “membrane stress”) as a clue to graphene oxide’s mechanism of toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The addition of a large amount of conductive filler to paper in order to increase electrical conductivity adversely affects some physical properties of the paper. Hence, it is desirable that conductive paper can be manufactured by adding only a small amount of conductive filler. Reinforced paper was manufactured by adding (1) electroless Ag-plated carbon fiber or (2) activated carbon fiber to the pulp. We investigated the effects of adding Ag-plated carbon fiber on the microstructure, physical properties, electrical conductivity, etc., of the paper. We found that the addition of a small amount of Ag-plated carbon fiber to the pulp made it possible to manufacture conductive paper with a high level of electrical conductivity and great physical strength. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The electrospinning process has been used successfully to fabricate the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-embedded polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber paper. The diameters of nanofibers decreased with increasing CNT concentration. We found large anisotropic electrical conductivity, i.e., the electrical conductivity of the carbonized nanofiber paper along the spinning direction was about three times larger than that normal to the spinning direction, in good contrast with observations that the carbonized PAN nanofiber paper without CNTs did not reveal anisotropy in electrical conductivity. This proves that CNTs in PAN nanofiber were preferentially aligned along the nanofiber axis, in excellent agreements with transmission electron microscopy observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nano‐crystalline, flake‐like Mn oxide was electrodeposited onto carbon paper (CP) using a pulsed electrodeposition technique. The electrodeposited Mn oxide was identified as Mn3O4 through a combination of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The Mn3O4 on CP was used as a cathode for Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) and showed excellent cyclability at a current density of 1 A g−1 with a capacity retention of 139 % after 200 cycles. Electron microscopy was used to characterize the microstructural changes of the cathode at various stages during discharge/charge cycling. This work in combination with the electrochemical results suggests a two‐step reaction mechanism involving both intercalation and conversion reactions. The results demonstrate that electrodeposition of the cathode material is a simple, quick, and potentially scalable electrode synthesis method for producing high performing Zn‐ion electrodes without the use of binders or other additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]