The present invention relates to a clearing technique which uses a solution containing at least one of a compound having a delipidation ability, a compound having a biochrome decoloring ability, a compound having a decalcification ability, a compound having a refractive index adjusting ability, and a compound having a tissue swelling ability. The clearing technique is suitable for use in high-throughput and low-magnification imaging which involves a simple process.

An experimentation method for a type I stress intensity factor test considering frost heaving force periodic changes, steps being 1: preparing a specimen, waterjet cutting on the specimen to simulate a non-penetrating rock mass fracture; step 2: vacuum saturating the specimen; step 3: affixing a strain gauge in a non-elastic area at a tip of the specimen; step 4: placing the specimen into a rock mass (1) fracture frost heaving experiment box (5), pressurizing by a pressurizing apparatus (4) balloons on either side of the frost heaving experiment box (5), shutting a valve and removing a pipe, placing the frost heaving experiment box (5) holding the specimen into a water tank, allowing water to immerse the specimen; and step 5: placing the water tank and the frost heaving experiment box (5) holding the specimen together into a high-low temperature alternating experiment box (7) to start a freeze-thaw cycle experiment.

A sample container for use in imaging includes a bottom portion and a wall portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion. The lid overlies the cavity when in the closed position, and a plurality of latches are coupled to the lid and extend substantially orthogonally from the lid. A plurality of recesses are coupled to the wall portion, each recess of the plurality of recesses being adapted and configured to receive one of the plurality of latches. A first alignment structure is within the cavity and is adapted and configured to align a sample lengthwise and widthwise within the cavity such that the sample is aligned relative to an imaging system when the sample container is engaged with the imaging system. A second alignment structure is at least partially within the cavity, and is adapted and configured to align the sample height wise within the cavity.

A sample container for use in imaging includes a bottom portion and a wall portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion. The lid overlies the cavity when in the closed position, and a plurality of latches are coupled to the lid and extend substantially orthogonally from the lid. A plurality of recesses are coupled to the wall portion, each recess of the plurality of recesses being adapted and configured to receive one of the plurality of latches. A first alignment structure is within the cavity and is adapted and configured to align a sample lengthwise and widthwise within the cavity such that the sample is aligned relative to an imaging system when the sample container is engaged with the imaging system. A second alignment structure is at least partially within the cavity, and is adapted and configured to align the sample height wise within the cavity.

A system for treating cancer and evaluating chemo-preventive potential of PHC and its prepared chitosan nanoparticles is described. The rats are divided into eight groups, from which group 1 is served as normal control, and group 2-8 are given single dose of DEN and repeated dose of CCl.sub.4, wherein freshly prepared solution of DEN in normal saline is used for the induction of HCC in rats by administering 200 mg/kg, i.p., PHC (2:1:1) in normal saline suspension to administer at doses of 900 mg/kg, wherein serum and tissue samples are collected after anesthetizing overnight fasted rats using intraperitoneal administration of thiopentone sodium at a dose of 40 mg/kg, wherein the collected serum and tissue samples is treated and thereby the chemo-preventive potential of PHC (2:1:1) and its prepared chitosan nanoparticles is evaluated upon determining liver markers, antioxidant parameters, total bilirubin, protein, lipid peroxidation, and liver cancer biomarkers.

A trace analyte collection swab having a collection surface at least partially coated with a microscopically tacky substance to enhance pick-up efficiency is described. In embodiments, the truce analyte collection swab comprises a substrate including a surface having a trace analyte collection area and a coating disposed on the surface of the substrate in the trace analyte collection area. The coating is configured to be microscopically adhesive to collect particles of the trace analyte from a surface when the trace analyte collection area is placed against the surface. In one embodiment, the coating comprises Polyisobutylene.

Disclosed embodiments include illustrative piezoelectric element array assemblies, methods of fabricating a piezoelectric element array assembly, and systems and methods for shearing cellular material. Given by way of non-limiting example, an illustrative piezoelectric element array assembly includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to produce ultrasound energy responsive to amplified driving pulses. A lens layer is bonded to the at least one piezoelectric element. The lens layer has a plurality of lenses formed therein that are configured to focus ultrasound energy created by single ones of the at least one piezoelectric element into a plurality of wells of a microplate disposable in ultrasonic communication with the lens layer, wherein more than one of the plurality of lenses overlie single ones of the at least one piezoelectric element.

A smear system includes smear preparing apparatus that prepares a smear slide and a smear transporting apparatus that transports the smear slide to a smear-image capture apparatus. The smear preparing apparatus includes: a smear preparation part that smeares a sample on a slide; and a smear arrangement part that places smear slides in a smear container. The smear transporting apparatus includes: a smear-container transport part that transports the smear container with the smear slides; an identification-information acquisition part that acquires identification information on whether image capturing by the smear-image capture apparatus is necessary, from each of the smear slides accommodated in the smear container positioned on a transport path of the smear-container transport part; and a smear transfer part that transfers the smear slide whose image is to be captured to the smear-image capture apparatus on the basis of the identification information acquired by the identification-information acquisition part.

A cryostat chuck is disclosed. The disclosed chuck may be configured for use in a frozen-sectioning device, such as a cryostat, or other suitable host equipment. The disclosed chuck may include a tab portion configured, in accordance with some embodiments, to provide a means for gripping the chuck by hand (e.g., human or robotic) or by a tool or other desired interfacing element. The tab portion may serve to distance a user's hand or piece of gripping equipment from the sharp microtome of the host cryostat, reducing the opportunity of sustaining bodily injury or equipment damage. Moreover, the tab portion may provide a means by which the cryostat chuck may be manipulated when inserting, adjusting, or removing the chuck prior to, during, or after engagement by the cryostat (or other suitable host equipment).

A smear preparing apparatus that operates under selectable operation modes, may include: a smearing unit that prepares smeared slides by smearing samples onto slides; a staining unit that is capable of housing the smeared slides and that performs staining processing by accommodating a staining solution used to stain the samples on the housed smeared slides; a fluid circuit that supplies the staining solution to the staining unit; and a controller that controls the supplying of the staining solution to the staining unit depending on a selected one of the operation modes.