Optical mapping relies on the preparation of fluorescent DNA. DNA must be imaged with good signal to noise and therefore the background of unwanted DNA fragments, fluorescent dyes and other reagents need to be removed. We use deterministic lateral displacement to separate 48.5 kbp DNA from < 10 kbp DNA. We also show the removal of 48.5 kbp DNA fragments from a background of fluorescent ATTO647N mo

Many microfluidic devices have been developed to separate rare cells, e.g. circulating tumor cells. The collection and analysis of the separated rare cells pose a challenge as it may lead to loss of target cells since extremely small number of cells are usually suspended in a large volume after separation. Here, we present an integrated device that allows acoustophoretic target cell separation and

Objective: Previous research has indicated that components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), such as hyperglycemia and hypertension, are negatively associated with cognition. However, evidence that MetS itself is related to cognitive performance has been inconsistent. This longitudinal study investigates whether MetS or its components affect cognitive decline in aging men and whether any interacti

We have fabricated a silicon-glass two-phase droplet-based microfluidic system and implemented two-dimensional acoustic focusing prior to droplet generation as well as continuously throughout the whole system to increase particle detectability. Using acoustic focusing we have effectively minimized sedimentation of the encapsulated particles and thereby increased particle detectability by as much a

Direct and precise manipulation of sub-micron particles such as bacteria, platelets, organelles, microvesicles, exosomes or virus particles is challenging. We describe for the first time how acoustic streaming in the bulk can be efficiently reduced by introducing a density or compressibility gradient and that this enables focusing of 500-nm-diameter particles in a standard acoustophoresis channel.

This abstract reports a novel acoustofluidic method to measure the hematocrit level of a whole blood sample within 20 seconds. The method is substantially faster than conventional centrifugation methods, has no moving parts and can be fully automated and integrated with further unit operations for analysis of blood samples at the point of care [1].

Microfluidic techniques were applied to the separation of parasite and parasite-infected cells from blood to facilitate the detection of leishmaniasis, a disease representing a high burden in the developing world and for which new diagnostic tools are urgently needed. Leishmania mexicana promastigotes were successfully separated from red blood cells in a deterministic lateral displacement device.

We present an assay, based on optical DNA mapping in nanochannels that is capable of characterizing the plasmid content of bacterial isolates resistant to antibiotics in a fast an detailed way. In a single experiment we determine the number of different plasmids in each sample, their size, as well as a barcode that can be used for plasmid identification and tracing. In addition we demonstrate that

We study the importance of teacher subject knowledge for student performance in Sub-Saharan Africa using unique international assessment data for sixth-grade students and their teachers. To circumvent bias due to unobserved student heterogeneity, we exploit variation within students across math and reading. Teacher subject knowledge has a modest impact on student performance. Exploiting vast cross

Background/Objective To demonstrate therapeutic equivalence of terbutaline via two different Turbuhaler® devices by evaluating its protective effect against methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction in stable asthma. Methods In this double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre, single-dose, 4-way crossover study, patients with stable mild-to-moderate asthma (FEV1 ≥80% predicted) were randomised to 0.5 o

Does working time causally affect workers' health? We study this question in the context of a French reform which reduced the standard workweek from 39 to 35 hours, at constant earnings. Our empirical analysis exploits variation in the adoption of this shorter workweek across employers, which is mainly driven by institutional features of the reform and thus exogenous to workers' health. Difference

The tensile response under displacement controlled loading of nano-sized single crystal Cu beams, solid or holding square shaped through-the thickness voids, have been investigated through 3D molecular dynamics simulations using free-ware LAMMPS [1]. For the same beam size and void height, the void width along the beam length axis was varied. Two different crystallographic orientations were consid

Here we report on an entirely new kind of bioelectronic device – a solar biosupercapacitor, which is built from a dual-feature photobioanode combined with a double-function enzymatic cathode. The self-charging biodevice, based on transparent nanostructured indium tin oxide electrodes modified with biological catalysts, i.e. thylakoid membranes and bilirubin oxidase, is able to capacitively store e

There is a need for efficient techniques to assess abnormalities in the peripheral regions of the lungs, for example, for diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema. Considerable scientific efforts have been directed toward measuring lung morphology by studying recovery of inhaled micron-sized aerosol particles (0.4-1.5 μm). In contrast, it is suggested that the recovery of inhaled airborne nanoparticles ma

Introduction. Elder abuse is often a hidden phenomenon and, in many cases, screening practices are difficult to implement among older people with dementia. The Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE) is a useful tool which is administered to family caregivers for detecting their potential abusive behavior. Objectives. To validate the Italian version of the CASE tool in the context of family caregiving of ol

Background: The availability of family caregivers of older people is decreasing in Italy as the number of migrant care workers (MCWs) hired by families increases. There is little evidence on the influence of socioeconomic factors in the employment of MCWs. Method: We analyzed baseline data from 438 older people with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), and their family caregivers enrolled in the Up-

Dynamic nuclear polarization of (13)C-labeled cell substrates has been shown to massively increase their sensitivity to detection in NMR experiments. The sensitivity gain is sufficiently large that if these polarized molecules are injected intravenously, their spatial distribution and subsequent conversion into other cell metabolites can be imaged. We have used this method to image the conversion