1,721,096 research outputs found
Water-Responsive Polymer Composites on the Move
No full textFilms swollen by wet surfaces curl up and store mechanical energy that can be converted into electricity for powering small devices.101211sciescopu
A high-throughput optomechanical retrieval method for sequence-verified clonal DNA from the NGS platform
Full text linkWriting DNA plays a significant role in the fields of synthetic biology, functional genomics,
and bioengineering. DNA clones on next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms have the
potential to be a rich and cost-effective source of sequence-verified DNAs as a precursor for
DNA writing. However, it is still very challenging to retrieve target clonal DNA from highdensity
NGS platforms. Here, we propose an enabling technology called ‘Sniper Cloning’
that enables the precise mapping of target clone features on NGS platforms and non-contact
rapid retrieval of targets for full utilization of DNA clones. By merging the three cutting-edge
technologies of NGS, DNA microarray, and our pulse laser retrieval system, ‘Sniper Cloning’
is a week-long process by which 5,188 error-free synthetic DNAs can be produced in a single
run of NGS with a single microarray DNA pool. We believe that this technology has potential
as a universal tool for DNA writing in biological sciences.1981sciescopu
Embedded biofilm, a new biofilm model based on the embedded growth of bacteria
Full text linkA variety of systems have been developed to study biofilm formation. However, most systems are based on the surface-attached
growth of microbes under shear stress. In this study, we designed a microfluidic channel device, called a microfluidic
agarose channel (MAC), and found that microbial cells in the MAC system formed an embedded cell aggregative structure
(ECAS). ECASs were generated from the embedded growth of bacterial cells in an agarose matrix and better mimicked
the clinical environment of biofilms formed within mucus or host tissue under shear-free conditions. ECASs were developed
with the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the most important feature of biofilms, and eventually
burst to release planktonic cells, which resembles the full developmental cycle of biofilms. Chemical and genetic effects
have also confirmed that ECASs are a type of biofilm. Unlike the conventional biofilms formed in the flow cell model system,
this embedded-type biofilm completes the developmental cycle in only 9 to 12 h and can easily be observed with ordinary
microscopes. We suggest that ECASs are a type of biofilm and that the MAC is a system for observing biofilm
formation. © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.1341sciescopu
Magnetochromatic Microactuators for a Micropixellated Color-Changing Surface
No full textA magnetically tunable chromatic nanocomposite microactuator is proposed, which utilizes the optical and magnetic behaviors of self-assembled super-paramagnetic nanoparticles fixed in a polymeric microstructure. The original color can be programmed during a simple photolithography process, and the color can be changed just by applying and changing an external magnetic field. These microactuators are capable of acting as pixels in a color-changing pattern. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.101211sciescopu
Asymmetric Aneuploidy in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Detected by In Situ Karyotyping and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization: Suggestions for Reference Values for Stem CellsReference Values for Stem Cells
No full textCytogenetic testing is important to ensure patient safety before therapeutic application of mesenchymal stromal cells
(MSCs). However, the standardized methods and criteria for the screening of chromosomal abnormalities of MSCs
have not yet been determined. We investigated the frequency of cytogenetic aberrations in MSCs using G-banding
and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and suggest reference values for aneuploidy in MSCs. Cytogenetic
analysis was performed on 103 consecutive cultures from 68 MSCs (25 adipose-origin, 20 bone marrow-origin, 18
cord blood-origin, and 5 neural stem cells; 8 from adipose tissue of patients with breast cancer and 60 from healthy
donors). We compared the MSC aneuploidy patterns with those of hematological malignancies and benign hematological
diseases. Interphase FISH showed variable aneuploid clone proportions (1%–20%) in 68 MSCs. The
aneuploidy patterns were asymmetric, and aneuploidy of chromosomes 16, 17, 18, and X occurred most frequently.
Clones with polysomy were significantly more abundant than those with monosomy. The cutoff value of maximum
polysomy rates (upper 95th percentile value) was 13.0%. By G-banding, 5 of the 61 MSCs presented clonal
chromosomal aberrations. Aneuploidy was asymmetric in the malignant hematological diseases, while it was symmetric
in the benign hematological diseases.We suggest an aneuploidy cutoff value of 13%, and FISH for aneuploidy
of chromosomes 16, 17, 18, and X would be informative to evaluate the genetic stability of MSCs. Although it is
unclear whether the aneuploid clones might represent the senescent cell population or transformed cells, more
attention should be focused on the safety of MSCs, and G-banding combined with FISH should be performed. (c) Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.3511sciescopu
A Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Based on Single-Cell Morphological Analysis
No full textA rapid antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) is desperately needed in clinical settings for fast and appropriate antibiotic
administration. Traditional ASTs, which rely on cell culture, are not suitable for urgent cases of bacterial infection and
antibiotic resistance owing to their relatively long test times. We describe a novel AST called single-cell morphological
analysis (SCMA) that can determine antimicrobial susceptibility by automatically analyzing and categorizing morphological
changes in single bacterial cells under various antimicrobial conditions. The SCMAwas tested with four Clinical
and Laboratory Standards Institute standard bacterial strains and 189 clinical samples, including extended-spectrum
b-lactamase–positive Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci from hospitals. The results
were compared with the gold standard broth microdilution test. The SCMA results were obtained in less than
4 hours, with 91.5% categorical agreement and 6.51% minor, 2.56% major, and 1.49% very major discrepancies.
Thus, SCMA provides rapid and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility data that satisfy the recommended
performance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.169681sciescopu
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe 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
Variations on the Author
Full text link“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
Biomimetic microfingerprints for anti-counterfeiting strategies
No full textAn unclonable, fingerprint-mimicking anti-counterfeiting strategy is presented that encrypts polymeric particles with randomly generated silica film wrinkles. The generated wrinkle codes are as highly unique as human fingerprints and are technically irreproducible. Superior to previous physical unclonable functions, codes are tunable on demand and generable on various geometries. Reliable authentication of real-world products that have these microfingerprints is demonstrated using optical decoding methods. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim159621sciescopu
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