1,720,962 research outputs found
Direct molecular detection of SRY gene from unamplified genomic DNA by metal-enhanced fluorescence and FRET
Get PDFA biosensor based on a cationic polymer and metal@silica core–shell nanoparticles is demonstrated for the rapid identification of the SRY gene from unamplified human genomic DNA. By amplifying the fluorescence signal triggered by the capture of target molecules, this biosensor avoids the added complexity of enzyme-based chemical amplification, makes genotyping assays faster and less costly and could have important applications in various areas of health sciences.Fil: Brouard, Danny. Laval University; CanadáFil: Ratelle, Olivier. Laval University; CanadáFil: Bracamonte, Angel Guillermo. Laval University; Canadá. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: St-Louis, Maryse. Héma-Québec; CanadáFil: Boudreau, Denis. Laval University; Canad
Label-free biosensing based on multilayer fluorescent nanocomposites and a cationic polymeric transducer
No full textThis study describes the preparation and characterization of a DNA sensing architecture combining the molecular recognition capabilities of a cationic conjugated polymer transducer with highly fluorescent core-shell nanoparticles (NPs). The very structure of the probe-labeled NPs and the polymer-induced formation of NP aggregates maximize the proximity between the polymer donor and acceptor NPs that is required for optimal resonant energy transfer. Each hybridization event is signaled by a potentially large number of excited reporters following the efficient plasmon-enhanced energy transfer between target-activated polymer transducer and fluorophores located in the self-assembled core-shell aggregates, resulting in direct molecular detection of target nucleic acids at femtomolar concentrations. © 2011 American Chemical Society.Fil: Brouard, Danny. Laval University; CanadáFil: Viger, Mathieu L.. Laval University; CanadáFil: Bracamonte, Angel Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Laval University; CanadáFil: Boudreau, Denis. Laval University; Canad
Développement d'une méthode analytique pour l'évaluation des propriétés de déformabilité des globules rouges
No full textLa médecine transfusionnelle est un rouage important du système de santé canadien. Au Québec, la banque de sang Héma-Québec gère l’ensemble des étapes de la collecte de sang et la livraison des produits sanguins aux hôpitaux. Depuis quelques années, l’altération de la déformabilité des globules rouges observée durant leur entreposage dans les banques de sang est revenue à l’avant-plan des discussions en raison de l’accessibilité grandissante de nouvelles technologies permettant de mieux caractériser cette propriété. L’objectif de ce projet, réalisé au sein d’Héma-Québec, consistait à développer une approche microfluidique novatrice permettant la mesure de l’évolution de la déformabilité des globules rouges durant leur entreposage dans une banque de sang. Le suivi de la déformabilité de six concentrés de globules rouges entreposés à T = [2-8 °C] durant 42 jours a permis de déterminer que les performances de la méthode microfluidique surpassent celles d’une méthode comparative également développée dans le cadre de ce projet. Certaines inconsistances observées lors de l’application de la méthode microfluidique ont subséquemment mené à une phase d’optimisation. Bien que certains aspects de la méthode doivent encore être améliorés, les résultats de ce projet laissent présager que la déformabilité pourrait éventuellement servir de marqueur de qualité des globules rouges au même titre que les marqueurs les plus éloquents actuellement pris en compte à Héma-Québec.Transfusion medicine is an important part of the Canadian health care system. In Quebec, the Héma-Québec blood bank manages all stages from blood collection to delivery of blood products to hospitals. In recent years, the alteration of red blood cells deformability observed during storage in blood banks has returned to the forefront of discussions because of the increasing accessibility of new technologies to better characterize this property. This project objective was to develop, within Héma-Québec, a novel microfluidic approach to measure the evolution of red blood cells deformability during blood bank storage. Monitoring the deformability of six red blood cells concentrates stored at T = [2-8 °C] for 42 days determined that the performance of the microfluidic method surpassed that of a comparative method, which was also developed as part of this project. Some inconsistencies observed during the application of the microfluidic method have subsequently led to an optimization phase. Although some aspects of the method still need to be improved, the results of this project suggest that deformability could possibly serve as a quality marker of red blood cells in the same way as the most eloquent markers do
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Évaluation des propriétés antibactériennes et antiadhésives d’un revêtement nanoparticulaire pour des applications biomédicales
No full textLes biofilms sont responsables de plus de 75 % des infections microbiennes humaines entraînant un problème de santé publique important lorsqu’ils croissent sur des surfaces médicales synthétiques. Une stratégie novatrice pour lutter contre les infections est basée sur l’emploi de biomatériaux fonctionnels ou de revêtements polymériques aux propriétés antiadhésives présentant une activité antimicrobienne comme le "Medical Antibacterial Antiadhesive Coating" (MAAC) qui est composé en partie de nanoparticules de silice fonctionnalisées. Malgré les progrès récents dans le dépistage des agents infectieux et l’implémentation de mesures visant à améliorer la sécurité transfusionnelle dans les banques de sang, le risque de contamination des produits sanguins ne peut être réduit à zéro. L’objectif principal de ce projet de recherche visait à évaluer les performances antimicrobiennes et antiadhésives du revêtement MAAC appliqué à la surface de matériaux polymériques à usage médical Les objectifs secondaires touchaient la compréhension des mécanismes de fonctionnement, ainsi que l’évaluation de la cytotoxicité in vitro du revêtement MAAC. À la lumière des résultats obtenus, une adhérence bactérienne réduite a été observée pour des sections de PVC enduites de MAAC par rapport au contrôle. Le nombre de S. aureus adhéré au PVC-BTHC et PVC-DEHP a diminué d'environ 63 % et 99 % respectivement après 24 heures de contact en bouillon nutritif. Toujours en milieu nutritif, le MAAC appliqué en surface de matériaux polymériques a démontré une activité antibactérienne significative (≥ 1 log). Des performances plus modestes ont été observées en matrices complexes de culots globulaires ou de concentrés plaquettaires, qui semblent être associées principalement à la densité cellulaire et teneur élevée en protéines des matrices limitant les interactions entre le MAAC et les bactéries. La viabilité des cellules L929 en présence du MAAC a été supérieure à 90%. Le MAAC semble donc un bon candidat pour contribuer aux efforts de prévention des risques associés à la transfusion de produits contaminés..The biofilms are responsible for over 75% of human microbial infections causing a significant public health concern when grown on synthetic medical surfaces. An innovative strategy to fight against infections link to medical devices is based on the use of functional biomaterials or polymeric coatings with non-stick properties exhibiting antimicrobial activity such as “Medical Antibacterial Antiadhesive Coating” (MAAC) based on functionalized silica nanoparticles. Despite recent advances in the detection of infectious agents and the implementation of measures to improve transfusion safety in blood banks, the risk of contamination of blood products cannot be reduced to zero, which could fall below the detection limit currently in place. The main objective of this research project was to evaluate the antimicrobial and non-stick performance of the MAAC coating applied to the surface of polymeric materials for medical use. The secondary objectives concerned the understanding of the action mechanisms, as well as the evaluation of the in vitro cytotoxicity of the MAAC coating. In light of the results obtained, a reduced bacterial adhesion was observed for PVC sections coated with MAAC compared to the control. The number of S. aureus adhered to PVC-BTHC and PVC-DEHP decreased by approximately 63% and 99% respectively after 24 hours of contact in nutrient broth. Still in a nutrient medium, MAAC applied to polymeric materials demonstrated significant antibacterial activity (≥ 1 log). Reduce performances were observed in complex matrices of red blood cells or platelet concentrates, which seem to be associated mainly with cell density and high protein content of the matrices limiting the interactions between MAAC and bacteria. The viability of L929 cells in the presence of MAAC was greater than 90%. MAAC therefore appears to be a good candidate for contributing on efforts to prevent the risks associated with the transfusion of contaminated products
Développement de nanoparticules plasmoniques pour le marquage cellulaire et la détection de micro-ARNs
No full textLes nouvelles stratégies pour la conception de nanomatériaux ont créé de nouvelles opportunités pour la recherche biomédicale et les applications cliniques. En raison de leur taille, les nanoparticules présentent des propriétés physiques et chimiques distinctives comparativement aux matériaux macroscopiques. Ces propriétés intéressantes ont poussé l’utilisation des nanotechnologies dans plusieurs applications biomédicales telles que l’imagerie cellulaire et la détection de molécules biologiques d’intérêt. Le marquage multiplex d’échantillons biologiques pour des expériences d’imagerie et de décompte cellulaire représente un avantage substantiel pour le diagnostic de maladies et d’infections. Dans le premier volet de ce projet, l’identification de différentes cellules a été réalisée par imagerie optique grâce à l’utilisation de nanocapteurs ayant des signatures spectrales distinctives. Les nanoparticules hybrides constituées d'un noyau métallique (Ag, Au ou In) entouré d’une coquille de silice fluorescente permettent une détection bimodale en produisant simultanément une signature de diffusion et un effet de couplage appelé « fluorescence exaltée par un métal ». Grâce à cette architecture composite, l’absorptivité, la luminosité et la photostabilité des chromophores organiques sont grandement améliorées. Par la suite, des anticorps spécifiques à un récepteur cellulaire d’intérêt ont été greffés à la surface des nanoparticules et la discrimination de différents nanocapteurs dans le même échantillon biologique a été réalisée. Dans le deuxième volet du projet, des nanoparticules or-silice ont été utilisées comme outil de diagnostic afin d’évaluer la qualité des produits sanguins. Le métabolisme des globules rouges demeurant actif pendant l’entreposage, des lésions précoces peuvent survenir et la qualité des produits utilisés pour de fins de transfusion peut en être affectée. De récentes études suggèrent que la prévalence de certains micro-ARNs serait modulée par les conditions d’entreposage des produits sanguins. Ainsi, le développement de nanocapteurs exploitant les micro-ARNs en tant que biomarqueurs pourrait permettre le suivi de la qualité des produits sanguins pendant leur entreposage.Recent advances in the design of nanomaterials have created new opportunities in biomedical research and clinical applications. Due to their size, nanoparticles exhibit new physical and chemical properties compared to macroscopic materials. These remarkable properties have prompted the use of nanotechnologies in several biomedical applications such as cellular imaging and the detection of biological molecules. Multiplex cells labeling of biological media represents a substantial advantage for the diagnosis of diseases, infections, and cell abnormalities. In the first part of this project, the identification of different cells in biological products was achieved by optical imaging through the use of nanosensors having different spectral signatures. These hybrid nanoparticles composed of a metallic core (Ag, Au or In) surrounded by a fluorescent silica shell simultaneously provide a scattering signature and a coupling effect called “metal-enhanced fluorescence”. In this metallic architecture, the absorptivity, brightness and photostability of organic chromophores are greatly enhanced. Specific blood cells antibodies were conjugated onto the surface of the nanoparticles and different nanosensors were discriminated in the same biological sample by optical imaging. In the second part of this project, biocompatible gold-silica nanoparticles were used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the quality of blood products. Since the metabolism of labile blood products, such as globular pellets, platelet concentrate and plasma, remains active during storage, early lesions as well as changes in the structure and the function of the products are directly related to their quality. Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of some micro-RNAs is modulated by the storage conditions of blood products. The development of biocompatible nanosensors exploiting micro-RNAs as biomarkers would allow the facile monitoring of the quality of labile blood products
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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