Rapid isolation and detection of erythropoietin in blood plasma by magnetic core gold nanoparticles and portable Raman spectroscopy

Isolating, purifying, and identifying proteins in complex biological matrices is often difficult, time consuming, and unreliable. Herein we describe a rapid screening technique for proteins in biological matrices that combines selective protein isolation with direct surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection. Magnetic core gold nanoparticles were synthesised, characterised, and subsequently functionalized with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO)-specific antibody. The functionalized nanoparticles were used to capture rHuEPO from horse blood plasma within 15 minutes. The selective binding between the protein and the functionalized nanoparticles was monitored by SERS. The purified protein was then released from the nanoparticles’ surface and directly spectroscopically identified on a commercial nanopillar SERS substrate. ELISA independently confirmed the SERS identification and quantified the released rHuEPO. Finally, the direct SERS detection of the extracted protein was successfully demonstrated for in-field screening by a handheld Raman spectrometer within 1 minute sample measurement time.

Magnetic resonance microimaging of cancer cell spheroid constructs

BACKGROUND Hydrogel-based cell cultures are excellent tools for studying physiological events occurring in the growth and proliferation of cells, including cancer cells. Diffusion magnetic resonance is a physical technique that has been widely used for the characterisation of biological systems as well as hydrogels. In this work, we applied diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to hydrogel-based cultures of human ovarian cancer cells. METHODS Diffusion-weighted spin-echo MRI measurements were used to obtain spatially-resolved maps of apparent diffusivities for hydrogel samples with different compositions, cell loads and drug (Taxol) treatment regimes. The samples were then characterised using their diffusivity histograms, mean diffusivities and the respective standard deviations, and pairwise Mann-Whitney tests. The elastic moduli of the samples were determined using mechanical compression testing. RESULTS The mean apparent diffusivity of the hydrogels was sensitive to the polymer content, cell load and Taxol treatment. For a given sample composition, the mean apparent diffusivity and the elastic modulus of the hydrogels exhibited a negative correlation. CONCLUSIONS Diffusivity of hydrogel-based cancer cell culture constructs is sensitive to both cell proliferation and Taxol treatment. This suggests that diffusion-weighted imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive monitoring of cancer cell proliferation in hydrogel-based, cellularly-sparse 3D cell cultures. The negative correlation between mean apparent diffusivity and elastic modulus suggests that the diffusion coefficient is indicative of the average density of the physical microenvironment within the hydrogel construct.

Analyzing hysteresis behavior of capacitance-voltage characteristics of IZO/C₆₀/pentacene/Au diodes with a hole-transport electron-blocking polyterpenol layer by electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation measurement

By using electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation (EFISHG) measurement, we analyzed hysteresis behavior of capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of IZO/polyterpenol (PT)/C₆₀/pentacene/Au diodes, where PT layer is actively working as a hole-transport electron-blocking layer. The EFISHG measurement verified the presence of interface accumulated charges in the diodes, and showed that a space charge electric field from accumulated excess electrons (holes) that remain at the PT/C₆₀ (C₆₀/pentacene) interface is responsible for the hysteresis loop observed in the C-V characteristics.

Investigation of interfacial charging and discharging in double-layer pentacene-based metal-insulator-metal device with polyterpenol blocking layer using electric field induced second harmonic generation

Time-resolved electric field induced second harmonic generation technique was used to probe the carrier transients within double-layer pentacene-based MIM devices. Polyterpenol thin films fabricated from non-synthetic environmentally sustainable source were used as a blocking layer to assist in visualisation of single-species carrier transportation during charging and discharging under different bias conditions. Results demonstrated that carrier transients were comprised of charging on electrodes, followed by carrier injection and charging of the interface. Polyterpenol was demonstrated to be a sound blocking material and can therefore be effectively used for probing of double-layer devices using EFISHG.

Enrichment and identification of glycoproteins in human saliva using lectin magnetic bead arrays

Aberrant glycosylation of proteins is a hallmark of tumorigenesis, and could provide diagnostic value in cancer detection. Human saliva is an ideal source of glycoproteins due to the relatively high proportion of glycosylated proteins in the salivary proteome. Moreover, saliva collection is non-invasive, technically straightforward and the sample collection and storage is relatively easy. Although, differential glycosylation of proteins can be indicative of disease states, identification of differential glycosylation from clinical samples is not trivial. To facilitate salivary glycoprotein biomarker discovery, we optimised a method for differential glycoprotein enrichment from human saliva based on lectin magnetic bead arrays (saLeMBA). Selected lectins from distinct reactivity groups were used in the saLeMBA platform to enrich salivary glycoproteins from healthy volunteer saliva. The technical reproducibility of saLeMBA was analysed with LC-MS/MS to identify the glycosylated proteins enriched by each lectin. Our saLeMBA platform enabled robust glycoprotein enrichment in a glycoprotein- and lectin-specific manner consistent with known protein-specific glycan profiles. We demonstrated that saLeMBA is a reliable method to enrich and detect glycoproteins present in human saliva.

Platinum dendritic nanoparticles with magnetic behavior

Magnetic nanoparticles have attracted increasing attention for biomedical applications in magnetic resonance imaging, high frequency magnetic field hyperthermia therapies, and magnetic-field-gradient-targeted drug delivery. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) platinum nanostructures with large surface area that features magnetic behavior have been demonstrated. The well-developed 3D nanodendrites consist of plentiful interconnected nano-arms ∼4 nm in size. The magnetic behavior of the 3D dendritic Pt nanoparticles is contributed by the localization of surface electrons due to strongly bonded oxygen/Pluronic F127 and the local magnetic moment induced by oxygen vacancies on the neighboring Pt and O atoms. The magnetization of the nanoparticles exhibits a mixed paramagnetic and ferromagnetic state, originating from the core and surface, respectively. The 3D nanodendrite structure is suitable for surface modification and high amounts of drug loading if the transition temperature was enhanced to room temperature properly.

Tailoring texture of γ-Y2Si2O7 by strong magnetic field alignment and two-step sintering

In this study, a well-dispersed γ-Y2Si2O 7 ethanol-based suspension with 30 vol% solid loading was prepared by adding 1 dwb% polyethylene imine dispersant, which allows feeble magnetic γ-Y2Si2O7 particles with anisotropic magnetic susceptibility to rotate in a 12 T strong magnetic field during slip casting, resulting in the development of a strong texture in green bodies. Pressureless sintering gives rise to more pronounced grain growth in the textured sample than in the untextured sample prepared without the magnetic field due to the rapid migration of the grain boundaries of the well-oriented grains, which was revealed by constant-heating-rate sintering kinetics. It was found that the use of two-step sintering is very efficient not only for inhibiting the grain growth but also for enhancing the texture. This implies that controlled grain growth is crucial for enhancing texture development in γ-Y2Si2O7.

Characterization of anomalous relaxation using the time-fractional Bloch equation and multiple echo T2 *-weighted magnetic resonance imaging at 7T

PURPOSE To study the utility of fractional calculus in modeling gradient-recalled echo MRI signal decay in the normal human brain. METHODS We solved analytically the extended time-fractional Bloch equations resulting in five model parameters, namely, the amplitude, relaxation rate, order of the time-fractional derivative, frequency shift, and constant offset. Voxel-level temporal fitting of the MRI signal was performed using the classical monoexponential model, a previously developed anomalous relaxation model, and using our extended time-fractional relaxation model. Nine brain regions segmented from multiple echo gradient-recalled echo 7 Tesla MRI data acquired from five participants were then used to investigate the characteristics of the extended time-fractional model parameters. RESULTS We found that the extended time-fractional model is able to fit the experimental data with smaller mean squared error than the classical monoexponential relaxation model and the anomalous relaxation model, which do not account for frequency shift. CONCLUSIONS We were able to fit multiple echo time MRI data with high accuracy using the developed model. Parameters of the model likely capture information on microstructural and susceptibility-induced changes in the human brain.

Significance of a short-term test drive for prospective plug-in electric vehicle consumers: An exploratory study

The test drive is a well-known step in car buying. In the emerging plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market, however, the influence of a pre-purchase test drive on a consumer's inclination to purchase is unknown. Policy makers and industry participants both are eager to understand what factors motivate vehicle consumers at the point-of-sale. A number of researchers have used choice models to shed light on consumer perceptions of PEVs, and others have investigated consumer change in disposition toward a PEV over the course of a trial, wherein test driving a PEV may take place over a number of consecutive days, weeks or months. However, there is little written on the impact of a short-term test drive - a typical experience at dealerships or public "ride-and-drive" events. The impact of a typical test drive, often measured in minutes of driving, is not well understood. This paper first presents a synthesis of the literature on the effect of PEV test drives as they relate to consumer disposition toward PEVs. An analysis of data obtained from an Australian case study whereby attitudinal and stated preference data were collected pre- and post- test drive at public "ride-and-drive" event held Brisbane, Queensland in March 2014 using a custom-designed iPad application. Motorists' perceptions and choice preferences around PEVs were captured, revealing the relative importance of their experience behind the wheel. Using the Australian context as a case-study, this paper presents an exploratory study of consumers' stated preferences toward PEVs both before and after a short test drive.

Scopophobia/Scopophilia: electric light and the anxiety of the gaze in postwar American architecture

In the years of reconstruction and economic boom that followed the Second World War, the domestic sphere encountered new expectations regarding social behaviour, modes of living, and forms of dwelling. This book brings together an international group of scholars from architecture, design, urban planning, and interior design to reappraise mid-twentieth century modern life, offering a timely reassessment of culture and the economic and political effects on civilian life. This collection contains essays that examine the material of art, objects, and spaces in the context of practices of dwelling over the long span of the postwar period. It asks what role material objects, interior spaces, and architecture played in quelling or fanning the anxieties of modernism’s ordinary denizens, and how this role informs their legacy today. Table of Contents [Book] Introduction Robin Schuldenfrei Part 1: Psychological Constructions: Anxiety of Isolation and Exposure 1. Taking Comfort in the Age of Anxiety: Eero Saarinen’s Womb Chair Cammie McAtee 2. The Future is Possibly Past: The Anxious Spaces of Gaetano Pesce Jane Pavitt 3. Scopophobia/Scopophilia: Electric Light and the Anxiety of the Gaze in American Postwar Domestic Architecture Margaret Petty Part 2: Ideological Objects: Design and Representation 4. The Allegory of the Socialist Lifestyle: The Czechoslovak Pavilion at the Brussels Expo, its Gold Medal and the Politburo Ana Miljacki 5. Assimilating Unease: Moholy-Nagy and the Wartime-Postwar Bauhaus in Chicago Robin Schuldenfrei 6. The Anxieties of Autonomy: Peter Eisenman from Cambridge to House VI Sean Keller Part 3: Societies of Consumers: Materialist Ideologies and Postwar Goods 7. "But a home is not a laboratory": The Anxieties of Designing for the Socialist Home in the German Democratic Republic 1950—1965 Katharina Pfützner 8. Architect-designed Interiors for a Culturally Progressive Upper-Middle Class: The Implicit Political Presence of Knoll International in Belgium Fredie Floré 9. Domestic Environment: Italian Neo-Avant-Garde Design and the Politics of Post-Materialism Mary Louise Lobsinger Part 4: Class Concerns and Conflict: Dwelling and Politics 10. Dirt and Disorder: Taste and Anxiety in the Working Class Home Christine Atha 11. Upper West Side Stories: Race, Liberalism, and Narratives of Urban Renewal in Postwar New York Jennifer Hock 12. Pawns or Prophets? Postwar Architects and Utopian Designs for Southern Italy Anne Parmly Toxey. Coda: From Homelessness to Homelessness David Crowley

Edge of Danger: electric light and the negotiation of public and private domestic space in Philip Johnson's Glass and Guest House

In the first half of the twentieth century the dematerializing of boundaries between enclosure and exposure problematized traditional expectations of the domestic environment. At the same time, as a space of escalating technological control, the modern domestic interior also offered new potential to redefine the meaning and means of habitation. The inherent tension between these opposing forces is particularly evident in the introduction of new electric lighting technology and applications into the modern domestic interior in the mid-twentieth century. Addressing this nexus of technology and domestic psychology, this article examines the critical role of electric lighting in regulating and framing both the public and private occupation of Philip Johnson's New Canaan estate. Exploring the dialectically paired transparent Glass House and opaque Guest House, this study illustrates how Johnson employed electric light to negotiate the visual environment of the estate as well as to help sustain a highly aestheticized domestic lifestyle. Contextualized within the existing literature, this analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of the New Canaan estate as an expression of Johnson's interests as a designer as well as a subversion of traditional suburban conventions.

Fluorescent Fields: electric lighting and the rationalization of the modern corporate workplace

This study investigates the implications of the introduction of electric lighting systems, building technologies, and theories of worker efficiency on the deep spatial and environmental transformations that occurred within the corporate workplace during the twentieth century. Examining the shift from daylighting strategies to largely artificially lit workplace environments, this paper argues that electric lighting significantly contributed to the architectural rationalization of both office work and the modern office environment. Contesting the historical and critical marginalization of lighting within the discourse of the modern built environment, this study calls for a reassessment of the role of artificial lighting in the development of the modern corporate workplace. Keywords: daylighting, fluorescent lighting, rationalization, workplace design