A forward reconstruction, holographic method to overcome the lens effect during 3D detection of semi-transparent, non-spherical particles.

Suspensions of semi-transparent particles such as polystyrene microparticles are commonly used as model systems in the study of micro-rheology, biology, and microfluidics. Holography is a valuable tool that allows one to obtain 3-D information for particle position and orientation, but forward reconstruction techniques often struggle to infer this information accurately for semi-transparent spheroids with an (1) aspect ratio, since the lens effect from the particle introduces complex patterns. We propose a reconstruction method that uses image moment information to generate a mask over the sharp patterns from the lens effect and gives reasonable estimation of the 3-D position and orientation of the particle.

Experimental and theoretical studies of cross-stream migration of non-spherical particles in a quadratic flow of a viscoelastic fluid.

We experimentally investigate the cross-stream migration of spherical, prolate, and oblate particles in a circular tube flow of a weakly viscoelastic fluid (De = (10)) with negligible inertia (Re ≈ 0). From our previous theoretical studies, we developed mathematical models based on a second order fluid (, retarded expansion for De ≪ 1) to characterize the migration trajectory of the particles in the absence of wall effects. The theory shows that the particle migration speed is proportional to the length the particle spans in the shear gradient direction (), and furthermore quantifies how particle shape alters the migration timescale.

Micronutrients and lifestyles in Taiwanese patients with stage 3 to 5 chronic kidney disease.

Objective: Lycopene is an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress. Analgesics are commonly used and may impair kidney function. However, the associations among plasma lycopene, analgesic use, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unknown.

Urinary arsenic species and CKD in a Taiwanese population: a case-control study.

Background: Inorganic arsenic has been linked to decreased kidney function through oxidative damage. Arsenic methylation is believed to be a pathway for arsenic metabolism. Lycopene is an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress; however, the association between urinary arsenic species, plasma lycopene level, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has seldom been evaluated.