A device for evaluating the neurovirulence of a mumps virus, comprising: (I) a virus inoculation module, which is used for performing virus inoculation of a mumps virus to be evaluated on the lateral ventricle of a rat; (II) a processing module, which is used for performing vibration slicing on the fixed rat brain; (III) an imaging module, which is used for scanning and imaging the obtained rat brain slices; and (IV) an analysis module, which is used in the obtained imaging for calculating a neurovirulence index by using a formula I: the neurovirulence index=S1/S0×100 (formula I) according to the cross-sectional area S1 of a cavity formed by hydrocephalus in the longitudinal section of the rat brain and the total cross-sectional area S0 of the rat brain. Multiple results show that the results are stable, repeatability is high, and a wild strain may be distinguished from a vaccine strain. In addition, relative to a current monkey body neurovirulence model, animal cost and difficulty of operation are greatly reduced.

A method (400) for microscopic examination of a sample (1) includes applying (410) the sample (1) to a sample holder (10) having a transparent carrier material, capturing (420) a first image (210, 220) of the sample (1) applied to the sample holder (10) using a first light-microscopy method, cryofixing, freeze-substituting, and subsequently infiltrating and embedding (430) the sample (1) together with the sample holder (10) with an embedding medium (20) in an embedding mold (90, 100), curing (440) the embedding medium (20), removing the sample (1) from the embedding mold (90, 100) together with the embedding medium (20) and the sample holder (10), capturing (450) a second image (230) of the sample (1) embedded in the cured embedding medium (20) using a second light-microscopy method, wherein at least partially identical regions of the sample (1) are captured in the first and second images, and identifying (460) at least one portion of the first image (210, 220) and one portion of the second image (230) which show identical regions of the sample (1).

An integrated pathology system includes a tissue embedding module configured to embed a tissue sample into an embedding material to prepare a tissue block, a sectioning and slide creating module configured to remove one or more tissue sections from the tissue block and place the one or more tissue sections onto one or more slides, a staining module configured to stain the one or more tissue sections on the slides, and a cover-slipper module configured to place a cover onto the one or more stained tissue sections. The system further includes one or more transfer devices configured to integrate the modules and a processor in communication with the modules for controlling one or more processes performed by the modules and the one or more transfer devices for controlling the integration of the modules.

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.

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 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 system and method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the plant material incorporated into the bale. A baler receives, compresses, shapes, and secures material into the bale. A cutter mechanism cuts a portion of the material in the bale into similarly-sized particles. A mixer mechanism mixes the particles into a homogenous aggregate. A compression mechanism compresses the homogenous aggregate into the bale. An NIR testing system receives and analyzes near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate, and generates evaluation data reflecting properties of the material. The cutter may include knives mounted in a compression chamber of the baler. The mixer may be a relief feature on a center rail, the compressor may be a projecting feature on the center rail, and an NIR sensor may be mounted to the center rail so as to press against the surface of the bale.

A semiconductor analysis system includes a machining device that machines a semiconductor wafer to prepare a thin film sample for observation, a transmission electron microscope device that acquires a transmission electron microscope image of the thin film sample, and a host control device that controls the machining device and the transmission electron microscope device. The host control device evaluates the thin film sample based on the transmission electron microscope image, updates acquisition conditions of the transmission electron microscope image based on an evaluation result of the thin film sample, and outputs the updated acquisition conditions to the transmission electron microscope device

Devices, systems, and methods for trapping and manipulating portions of tissue are described. In an embodiment, the devices include an array of traps, wherein traps of the array of traps are shaped to trap a tissue sample; and a well is in registry and fluidic communication with a trap of the array of traps.

A lamella 10 including an analysis portion 11 and a cutout portion 12 separated from the analysis portion 11 is produced. When a plurality of the lamellae 10 are transported to a lamella grid 20, the plurality of lamellae 10 are supported by a support portion 22 protruding from a surface of a substrate 21, and are mounted adjacent to each other in a Z direction. At this time, the cutout portion 12 prevents the analysis portion 11 from damage.