No abstract

A new method is described and tested for background correction in atomic absorption spectrometry. Applicable to flame or furnace atomizers, the method is capable of correcting backgrounds caused by molecular absorption, particulate scattering, and atomic-line overlap, even up to an absorbance value of 3. Like the Zeeman approach, the new method applies its correction very near the atomic line of interest, can employ single-beam optics, and requires no auxiliary source. However, no ancillary magnet or other costly peripherals are required and working curves are single-valued. The new technique is based on the broadening which occurs in a hollow-cathode spectral line when the lamp is operated at high currents. Under such conditions, the absorbance measured for a narrow (atomic) line is low, whereas the apparent absorbance caused by a broad-band background contributor remains as high as when the lamp is operated at conventional current levels. Background correction can therefore be effected by taking the difference in absorbances measured with the lamp operated at high and low currents. The new technique is evaluated in its ability to correct several different kinds of background interference and is critically compared with competitive methods.

Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or above, has increased considerably in incidence and frequency within the United States and globally. Associated comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have led to a focus on the mechanisms promoting the prevention and treatment of obesity. Commonly utilized in vitro models employ human or mouse preadipocyte cell lines in a 2-dimensional (2D) format. Due to the structural, biochemical, and biological limitations of these models, increased attention has been placed on “organ on a chip” technologies for a 3-dimensional (3D) culture. Herein, we describe a method employing cryopreserved primary human stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells and a human blood product-derived biological scaffold to create a 3D adipose depot in vitro. The “fat-on-chip” 3D cultures have been validated relative to 2D cultures based on proliferation, flow cytometry, adipogenic differentiation, confocal microscopy/immunofluorescence, and functional assays (adipokine secretion, glucose uptake, and lipolysis). Thus, the in vitro culture system demonstrates the critical characteristics required for a humanized 3D white adipose tissue (WAT) model.

CTL are thought to play a role in the elimination of transformed cells in vivo. The effectiveness of such CTL is in part dependent on recognition of tumor specific antigens. Among the best characterized tumor-specific antigens are the unique or idiotypic determinants on the Ig of B cell lymphomas. Here we describe the generation and properties of human CTL specific for the idiotype on autologous B cell tumors. These cells are CD3+,CD4-,CD8- and express the delta chain of the TCR. Such cells may prove useful in tumor-specific adoptive therapy.