Search

The primo vascular system is composed of nodes and vessels. The bundle of sub-vessels of the promo vessel is laid into an external jacket composed of endothelial cells. The node is heterogeneous in nature, composed of twisted sub-vessel bundles that fill up nearly the entire node volume. The enlarged sub-vessel inside the node harbors microcells that express stem cells and stem cells niche markers. We conclude that these microcells are progenitors of multipotent stem cells and the nodes serve as the stem cell niches outside the bone marrow., 14 pages, 7 figures

From the days when superconductivity was discovered its science was entangled by the unresolved problem of the relationship between superconductive state, its crystal structure and its phase transitions. The problem was exacerbated by the adjacent scientific area - solid state phase transitions - that offered to divide phase transitions into first and second order. Adding to that the conclusion (turned out erroneous)on the structural identity of the superconductor and normal phases, the whole issue was uncertain and confusing. This article straights it out., Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures

This chapter is focused on the development and use of acoustic wave biosensor platforms for the detection of bacteria, specifically those based on the thickness shear mode (TSM) resonator. We demonstrated the mechanical and electrical implications of bacterial positioning at the solid-liquid interface of a TSM biosensor and presented a model of the TSM with bacteria attached operating as coupled oscillators. The experiments and model provide an understanding of the nature of the signals produced by acoustic wave devices when they are used for testing bacteria. The paradox of “negative mass” could be a real threat to the interpretation of experimental results related to the detection of bacteria. The knowledge of the true nature of “negative mass” linked to the strength of bacteria attachment will contribute significantly to our understanding of the results of “weighing bacteria.” The results of this work can be used for bacterial detection and control of processes of bacterial settlement, bacterial colonization, biofilm formation, and bacterial infection in which bacterial attachment plays a role.

Erythrocytes and vesicles shed by erythrocytes from human and rat blood were collected and analyzed after temperature was elevated by physical exercise or by exposure to external heat. The images of erythrocytes and vesicles were analyzed by the light microscopy system with spatial resolution of better than 90 nm. The samples were observed in an aqueous environment and required no freezing, dehydration, staining, shadowing, marking or any other manipulation. Temperature elevation, whether passive or through exercise, resulted in significant concentration increase of structurally transformed erythrocytes (echinocytes) and vesicles in blood. At temperature of 37 oC, mean vesicle concentrations and diameters in human and rat blood were (1.50+-0.35)x10^6 and (1.4+-0.2)x10^6 vesicles/{\mu}L, and 0.365+-0.065 and 0.436+-0.03 {\mu}m, respectively. It was estimated that 80% of all vesicles found in human blood are smaller than 0.4 {\mu}m. Thermodynamic analysis of experimental and literature data showed that erythrocyte transformation, vesicle release and other associated processes are driven by entropy with enthalpy-entropy compensation. It is suggested that physical state of hydrated cell membrane is responsible for the compensation. The increase of vesicle number related to elevated temperatures may be indicative of the heat stress level and serve as diagnostic of erythrocyte stability and human performance., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to the Journal of Thermal Biology on January 25, 2013

Physical nature of "giant" magnetocaloric and electrocaloric effects, MCE and ECE, is explained in terms of the new fundamentals of phase transitions, ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. It is the latent heat of structural (nucleation-and-growth) phase transitions from a normal crystal state to the orientation-disordered crystal (ODC) state where the constituent particles are engaged in thermal rotation. The ferromagnetism or ferroelectricity of the material provides the capability to trigger the structural phase transition by application, accordingly, of magnetic or electric field., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, new text formatting

The microstructure of novel Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer films prepared from lytic bacteriophage as a biorecognition coating for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial biosensors was characterized using scanning imaging ellipsometry (SIE) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). High lateral resolution SIE appeared to be ideal for the non-destructive analysis of ultra-thin organic LB films and complementary to SEM in comparison to other invasive techniques including atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Field emission SEM permitted visual examination of monolayer structure. SIE allowed film thickness analysis, 3D mapping and monolayer surface imaging, and charged-coupled device (CCD) biosensing of MRSA.