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Clustering of magnetic nanoparticles can drastically change their collective magnetic properties, which in turn may influence their performance in technological or biomedical applications. Here, we investigate a commercial colloidal dispersion (FeraSpinTMR), which contains dense clusters of iron oxide cores (mean size around 9 nm according to neutron diffraction) with varying cluster size (about 18–56 nm according to small angle x-ray diffraction), and its individual size fractions (FeraSpinTMXS, S, M, L, XL, XXL). The magnetic properties of the colloids were characterized by isothermal magnetization, as well as frequency-dependent optomagnetic and AC susceptibility measurements. From these measurements we derive the underlying moment and Relaxation frequency distributions, respectively. Analysis of the distributions shows that the clustering of the initially superparamagnetic cores leads to remanent magnetic moments within the large clusters. At frequencies below 105 rad s−1, the relaxation of the clusters is dominated by Brownian (rotation) relaxation. At higher frequencies, where Brownian relaxation is inhibited due to viscous friction, the clusters still show an appreciable magnetic relaxation due to internal moment relaxation within the clusters. As a result of the internal moment relaxation, the colloids with the large clusters (FSL, XL, XXL) excel in magnetic hyperthermia experiments.
A modern day light microscope has evolved from a tool devoted to making primarily empirical observations to what is now a sophisticated, quantitative device that is an integral part of both physical and life science research. Nowadays, microscopes are found in nearly every experimental laboratory. However, despite their prevalent use in capturing and quantifying scientific phenomena, neither a thorough understanding of the principles underlying quantitative imaging techniques nor appropriate knowledge of how to calibrate, operate and maintain microscopes can be taken for granted. This is clearly demonstrated by the well-documented and widespread difficulties that are routinely encountered in evaluating acquired data and reproducing scientific experiments. Indeed, studies have shown that more than 70% of researchers have tried and failed to repeat another scientist’s experiments, while more than half have even failed to reproduce their own experiments1. One factor behind the reproducibility crisis of experiments published in scientific journals is the frequent underreporting of imaging methods caused by a lack of awareness and/or a lack of knowledge of the applied technique2,3. Whereas quality control procedures for some methods used in biomedical research, such as genomics (e.g., DNA sequencing, RNA-seq) or cytometry, have been introduced (e.g. ENCODE4), this issue has not been tackled for optical microscopy instrumentation and images. Although many calibration standards and protocols have been published, there is a lack of awareness and agreement on common Standards and guidelines for quality assessment and reproducibility5.
In April 2020, the QUality Assessment and REProducibility for instruments and images in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi) initiative6 was formed. This initiative comprises imaging scientists from academia and industry who share a common interest in achieving a better understanding of the performance and limitations of microscopes and improved quality control (QC) in light microscopy. The ultimate goal of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative is to establish a set of common QC standards, guidelines, metadata models7,8, and tools9,10, including detailed protocols, with the ultimate aim of improving reproducible advances in scientific research.
This White Paper 1) summarizes the major obstacles identified in the field that motivated the launch of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative; 2) identifies the urgent need to address these obstacles in a grassroots manner, through a community of Stakeholders including, researchers, imaging scientists11, bioimage analysts, bioimage informatics developers, corporate partners, Funding agencies, standards organizations, scientific publishers, and observers of such; 3) outlines the current actions of the QUAREPLiMi initiative, and 4) proposes future steps that can be taken to improve the dissemination and acceptance of the proposed guidelines to manage QC.
To summarize, the principal goal of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative is to improve the overall quality and reproducibility of light microscope image data by introducing broadly accepted standard practices and accurately captured image data metrics.
We report the results of a Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards interlaboratory study on the intensity scale calibration of x-ray photoelectron spectrometers using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as an alternative material to gold, silver, and copper. An improved set of LDPE reference spectra, corrected for different instrument geometries using a quartz-monochromated Al Kα x-ray source, was developed using data provided by participants in this study. Using
these new reference spectra, a transmission function was calculated for each dataset that participants provided. When compared to a similar calibration procedure using the NPL reference spectra for gold, the LDPE intensity calibration method achieves an absolute offset of ∼3.0% and a systematic deviation of ±6.5% on average across all participants. For spectra recorded at high pass energies (≥90 eV), values of absolute offset and systematic deviation are ∼5.8% and ±5.7%, respectively, whereas for spectra collected at lower pass energies (<90 eV), values of absolute offset and systematic deviation are ∼4.9% and ±8.8%, respectively; low pass energy spectra perform worse than the global average, in terms of systematic deviations, due to diminished count rates and signal-to-noise ratio. Differences in absolute offset are attributed to the surface roughness of the LDPE induced by sample preparation. We further assess the usability of LDPE as a secondary reference material and comment on its performance in the presence of issues such as variable dark noise, x-ray warm up times, inaccuracy at low count rates, and underlying spectrometer problems. In response to participant feedback and the results of the study, we provide an updated LDPE intensity calibration protocol to address the issues highlighted in the interlaboratory study. We also comment on the lack of implementation of a consistent and traceable intensity calibration method across the community of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) users and, therefore, propose a route to achieving this with the assistance of instrument manufacturers, metrology laboratories, and experts leading to an international standard for XPS intensity scale calibration.
The lead authors failed to name two collaborators as co-authors. The authors listed should include:
Miss Claudia L. Compean-Gonzalez (ORCID:
0000-0002-2367-8450) and Dr. Giacomo Ceccone (ORCID:
0000-0003-4637-0771).
These co-authors participated in VAMAS project A27, provided data that were analyzed and presented in this publication (and supporting information), and reviewed the manuscript before submission.
The structural and magnetic properties of magnetic multi-core particles were determined by numerical inversion of small angle scattering and isothermal magnetisation data. The investigated particles consist of iron oxide nanoparticle cores (9 nm) embedded in poly(styrene) spheres (160 nm). A thorough physical characterisation of the particles included transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation. Their structure was ultimately disclosed by an indirect Fourier transform of static light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering and small angle neutron scattering data of the colloidal dispersion. The extracted pair distance distribution functions clearly indicated that the cores were mostly accumulated in the outer surface layers of the poly(styrene) spheres. To investigate the magnetic properties, the isothermal magnetisation curves of the multi-core particles (immobilised and dispersed in water) were analysed. The study stands out by applying the same numerical approach to extract the apparent moment distributions of the particles as for the indirect Fourier transform. It could be shown that the main peak of the apparent moment distributions correlated to the expected intrinsic moment distribution of the cores. Additional peaks were observed which signaled deviations of the isothermal magnetisation behavior from the non-interacting case, indicating weak dipolar interactions.
This pilot study compares the performance of participants in analyzing gas mixtures of nitrogen dioxide in nitrogen by comparison with in-house gravimetric standards using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In this study the same gas mixtures were used as in the key comparison CCQM-K74, which was designed to evaluate the level of comparability of National Metrology Institutes' measurement capabilities for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at a nominal mole fraction of 10 µmol/mol. In the comparison CCQM-K74 most of the participants used chemiluminescence, with a small number using UV absorption or FT-IR spectroscopy, and thus it is of interest to improve understanding of the comparative performance of these techniques because they do not exhibit any cross-sensitivity to nitric acid (HNO3), which was known to be present in the mixtures used for the comparison.
The results of this pilot study indicate good consistency and a level of agreement similar to that reported in the comparison CCQM-K74, demonstrating that FT-IR can be operated as a comparison method when calibrated with appropriate gas standards and can achieve similar measurement uncertainties to chemiluminescence and UV absorption techniques.
An additional pilot study, CCQM-P110-B2, was conducted on the same gas mixtures in parallel with this pilot study. The second study addressed FT-IR spectroscopy when used to measure the gas mixtures with respect to reference spectra. The results of this second study will be reported elsewhere.
Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report.
The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM-GAWG.
DatesIssue 1A (Technical Supplement 2012)
The community-driven initiative Quality Assessment and Reproducibility for Instruments & Images in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi) wants to improve reproducibility for light microscopy image data through Quality control (QC) management of instruments and images. It aims for a common set of QC guidelines for Hardware calibration and image acquisition, management and analysis.
There is a high international priority attached to activities which reduce NOx in the atmosphere. The current level of permitted emissions is typically between 50 µmol/mol and 100 µmol/mol, but lower values are expected in the future. Currently, ambient air quality monitoring regulations also require the measurement of NOx mole fractions as low as 0.2 µmol/mol. The production of accurate standards at these levels of mole fractions requires either dilution of a stable higher concentration gas standard or production by a dynamic technique, for example one based on permeation tubes.
The CCQM-K74 key comparison was designed to evaluate the level of comparability of National Metrology Institutes' measurement capabilities and standards for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at a nominal mole fraction of 10 µmol/mol.
The measurements of this key comparison took place from June 2009 to May 2010.
Seventeen laboratories took part in this comparison coordinated by the BIPM and VSL. The key comparison reference value was based on BIPM measurement results, and the standard measurement uncertainty of the reference value was 0.042 µmol/mol.
This key comparison demonstrated that the results of the majority of the participants agreed within limits of ±3% relative to the reference value. The results of only one laboratory lay significantly outside these limits. Likewise this comparison made clear that a full interpretation of the results of the comparison needed to take into account the presence of nitric acid (in the range 100 nmol/mol to 350 nmol/mol) in the cylinders circulated as part of the comparison, as well as the possible presence of nitric acid in the primary standards used by participating laboratories.
Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.
The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).
DatesIssue 1A (Technical Supplement 2012)
In the framework of the SARNET-2 WP5.1 the QUENCH-DEBRIS test was conducted as the 17th severe accident test using the QUENCH facility at KIT to investigate the formation and coolability of a prototypic debris bed. The test scenario was defined by pre-test calculations using the MELCOR code. This code was used also for post-test analysis. The test bundle with length of about 2 m contains the hafnium shroud tube and 12 heated peripheral rods with claddings made of hafnium. Hafnium was chosen because of its much higher melting temperature and the about one order of magnitude lower oxidation rate compared to zirconium. The claddings of the inner nine rods were made from Zry-4. They were filled with pre-fragmented zirconia pellets. The test started with an oxidation phase of 20 h at peek cladding temperature about 1800 K to reach complete oxidation of the Zry-4 claddings over a height of 500 mm. The temperatures expected from the pre-test simulation fitted well the experimentally observed evolution of the bundle conditions.
The possibly surviving inner Zry-4 claddings were destroyed by the application of an axial mechanical force resulting in material relocation and formation of a heterogeneous debris bed consisting of segmented pellets and larger cladding tube fragments at the grid spacer 2 (350 mm elevation) and in a smaller amount at grid spacer 3 (1050 mm elevation). The so destroyed bundle was quenched with 10 g/s water. The evaporation rate generally showed an increasing trend during the reflood, except at the time of water penetration through the debris bed at spacer 2 when stagnation was observed. All peripheral hafnium claddings survived the whole test. During the oxidation phase about 100 g hydrogen was released. The time dependence of the hydrogen release predicted in the pre-test calculations fits well the measured one. The post-test examinations comprise videoscope inspections, high energy X-ray-tomography and metallographic investigations of the debris bed.