Aluminum-based amorphous metals are interesting lightweight alloys with superior mechanical and corrosion properties, but have never been achieved in bulk form. Here we report the first success of ...obtaining Al-rich (86 at.% Al) bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), based on an alloy composition designed from the preferable internal glass structure. The Al BMGs discovered exhibit ultrahigh specific strength, as well as obvious plasticity.
We have developed a novel electro-osmotic microfluidic system to apply precisely controlled osmolarity gradients to cancer cells in micro-channels. We observed that albeit adhesion is not required ...for cells to migrate in such a confined microenvironment, the migrating velocity of cells is strongly influenced by the interactions between the cells and the channel wall, with a stronger adhesion leading to diminished cell motility. Furthermore, through examining more than 20 different types of cancer cells, we found a linear positive correlation between the protein concentration of the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and the cell migrating speed. Knockdown of AQP4 in invasive re-populated cancer stem cells reduced their migration capability down to the level that is comparable to their parental cancer cells. Interestingly, these observations can all be quantitatively explained by the osmotic engine model where the cell movement is assumed to be driven by cross-membrane ion/water transport, while adhesion acts as a frictional resistance against the cell motility. By providing versatile and controllable features in regulating and characterizing the migration capability of cells, our system may serve as a useful tool in quantifying how cell motility is influenced by different physical and biochemical factors, as well as elucidating the mechanisms behind, in the future.
Airborne particulate matter (PM) now exceeds sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to become principal urban pollutant in most major cities of China. This paper gives an overview of fundamental studies ...on the formation and control of combustion PM from many research groups in China. About 62.8% major cities in China have lowered their annual mean PM
10 concentrations to less than 100
μg/m
3 as of year 2006. The coal combustion source contributes 15–20% to fine particulates in Beijing because of the coal-dominant energy consumption structure. Overall, in mainland China the PM emission from coal-fired power plants totals 3.81 million tonnes per year, accounting for 44.6% of the total PM. Then, the characteristics of PM
10 from both pulverized coal plants and circulated-fluidized bed coal plants are discussed. Finally, the R&D of emission control technologies of PM
10 including combustion modification, electrically enhanced fabric filtration and novel agglomeration approaches are reviewed in detail.
We introduce BPG, a framework for generating publication-quality, highly-customizable plots in the R statistical environment.
This open-source package includes multiple methods of displaying ...high-dimensional datasets and facilitates generation of complex multi-panel figures, making it suitable for complex datasets. A web-based interactive tool allows online figure customization, from which R code can be downloaded for integration with computational pipelines.
BPG provides a new approach for linking interactive and scripted data visualization and is available at http://labs.oicr.on.ca/boutros-lab/software/bpg or via CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/BoutrosLab.plotting.general.
The study aimed to determine the long-term Staphylococcus aureus colonization patterns and strain relatedness, and the association between maternal and infant colonization in infancy.
A birth cohort ...study was conducted from January 2012 to November 2014. Nasopharyngeal swabs for S. aureus detection were collected from infants at the age of 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months and from mothers when their children were 1-month-old.
In total, 254 samples were collected at each planned visit during the first 12-month study. The prevalence of S. aureus colonization decreased in the first year of life, ranging from 61.0% (155/254) at the age of 1 month to 12.2% (31/254) at 12 months. Persistent colonization, defined as a positive culture on four or five occasions, was detected in only 13.8% (35/254) of carriers. Most of the persistent carriers were colonized with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) only, and among persistent MRSA carriers, 61.1% (11/18) had indistinguishable genotypes. Of the mothers with MRSA colonization, 77.1% (27/35) had infants who were concomitantly colonized at the age of 1 month; 70.4% (19/27) of the infant–mother paired isolates belonged to indistinguishable or related subtypes, which suggests that surrounding carriers, probably their mothers, may be the possible source for MRSA acquisition in early infancy.
Staphylococcus aureus colonization including MRSA was commonly observed in our cohort. Strains of persistent MRSA among infant–mother pairs were usually of indistinguishable genotypes. Therefore, horizontal spread within households is possibly an important factor related to infant MRSA colonization.
Atmospheric deposition can provide nutrients and potential toxicants to marine ecosystem, hence affecting ocean net primary productivity (NPP). Nonetheless, the interactive effects of mixed aerosol ...components on phytoplankton have rarely been reported. Here we explored the combined effects of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) on NPP over the East China Sea. In aerosol addition mesocosm experiments, phytoplankton growth was suppressed under high aerosol Cu but was increased when high Cu was accompanied by high Fe in aerosols. A time series of soluble aerosol Fe and Cu deposition was obtained and compared to regional chlorophyll a (Chl a) abundances from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer/Aqua. Strong positive correlations were observed between the dry flux ratios of soluble Fe/Cu and Chl a abundances in the large offshore area, whereas these variables were uncoupled in coastal regions where riverine input and upwelling dominated the biogeochemistry. Current work provides insight into the complex linkage between atmospheric deposition and marine productivity.
Key Points
Chlorophyll a concentrations are highly correlated with dry deposition flux ratios of soluble Fe/Cu
The toxicity of aerosol Cu to phytoplankton could be alleviated by high Fe in the aerosol
More frequent dust events may increase Fe/Cu flux ratio and contribute to the higher primary productivity in spring
Denosumab treatment for fibrous dysplasia Boyce, Alison M; Chong, William H; Yao, Jack ...
Journal of bone and mineral research,
July 2012, Letnik:
27, Številka:
7
Journal Article
Abstract
Human host-associated microbial communities in body sites can reflect health status based on the population distribution and specific microbial properties in the heterogeneous community. ...Bacteria identification at the single-cell level provides a reliable biomarker and pathological information for clinical diagnosis. Nevertheless, biosamples obtained from some body sites cannot offer sufficient sample volume and number of target cells as required by most of the existing single-cell isolation methods such as flow cytometry. Herein we report a novel integrated microfluidic system, which consists of a microemulsion module for single-bacteria encapsulation and a sequential microdroplet capture and release module for selectively extracting only the single-bacteria encapsulated in microdroplets. We optimize the system for a success rate of the single-cell extraction to be > 38%. We further verify applicability of the system with prepared cell mixtures (
Methylorubrum extorquens
AM1 and
Methylomicrobium album
BG8) and biosamples collected from human skin, to quantify the population distribution of multiple key species in a heterogeneous microbial community. Results indicate perfect viability of the single-cell extracts and compatibility with downstream analyses such as PCR. Together, this research demonstrates that the reported single-bacteria extraction system can be applied in microbiome and pathology research and clinical diagnosis as a clinical or point-of-care device.
Airborne particulate matter (PM) now exceeds sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to become principal urban pollutant in most major cities of China. This paper gives an overview of fundamental studies ...on the formation and control of combustion PM from many research groups in China. About 62.8% major cities in China have lowered their annual mean PM
10 concentrations to less than 100
μg/m
3 as of year 2006. The coal combustion source contributes 15–20% to fine particulates in Beijing because of the coal-dominant energy consumption structure. Overall, in mainland China the PM emission from coal-fired power plants totals 3.81 million tonnes per year, accounting for 44.6% of the total PM. Then, the characteristics of PM
10 from both pulverized coal plants and circulated-fluidized bed coal plants are discussed. Finally, the R&D of emission control technologies of PM
10 including combustion modification, electrically enhanced fabric filtration and novel agglomeration approaches are reviewed in detail.
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