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Abstract: Circulating hemocytes from larval stages of the paper wasp Polistes dominulus were characterized by light and transmission electron microscopy. Three types were identified: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes and granulocytes. The first two are agranular cells while the latter present typical cytoplasmic inclusions called granules. Plasmatocytes differ from prohemocytes being larger, showing lower nucleus/cytoplasm ratio and they possess many phagolysosomes. The substantial uniformity of most subcellular features and the presence of “intermediate forms” support the “single-cell theory” i.e., there is only one cell line that originates from the prohemocyte and leads to the granular cell passing through the plasmatocyte. This hypothesis seems to be confirmed by functional tests. Indeed, most part of cells adheres to the glass and is able to phagocytize fluorescent microspheres. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During past decades, the considerable efforts have been made to utilize lignocellulose as biomass feedstock for the optimal production of bio-ethanol as an alternative source of fuel. In this work, the effective bioconversion of paper sludge to ethanol was investigated by using Zymomonas mobilis NBRC 13756. Major components of the raw paper sludge were carbohydrates and ash. Fermentation utilizing strains of Z. mobilis instead of traditional yeasts and the use of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process have been proposed due to their high ethanol yields with cost-effectiveness. Free cells of Z. mobilis resulted in no ethanol production even after 24h of incubation because cells’ growth was inhibited by metal ions contained in the paper sludge. The application of SSF with Ca-alginate-immobilized cells of Z. mobilis was performed and 18g/L of ethanol was obtained after 48h of incubation at an initial paper sludge concentration of 200g/L. In addition, the repeated batch fermentation of Ca-alginate-immobilized Z. mobilis cells was attempted for producing ethanol up to run 4. Our work suggests that Ca-alginate-immobilized cells of Z. mobilis could effectively produce ethanol from paper sludge not only under the batch fermentation but also under the repeated batch fermentation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Different histochemical techniques were applied to examine the morphological features of the secretory cells of hypopharyngeal glands in the wasp Polistes versicolor. The results showed that most analyzed individuals present active glands with secretion stored in the cytoplasm. In some glands, morphological analyses revealed the presence of degenerative characteristics. Analyses of cellular integrity, however, did not detect dead cells. The results showed that, in P. versicolor, the development and regression of the hypopharyngeal glands were not age related, unlike glands of social bees. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the numerical treatment for two nonlinear advance delay differential system is discussed. This system arises during the study of conduction of impulses down myelinated axons, incorporating electrical properties of the myelin. This system consists of two coupled first-order equations, one having a delay term and the other having an advance one. The modified difference scheme is used and then applied to some test problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can be used as a marker for the occurrence of oxidative stress in the organism. Lysosomes serve as intracellular digestive sites, and when the concentration of H 2 O 2 in them is abnormal, lysosomal function is often impaired, leading to the development of diseases. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) acts as a gaseous signaling molecule that scavenges H 2 O 2 from cells and tissues, thereby maintaining the redox environment of the body. However, most of the reported hydrogen peroxide fluorescent probes so far can only detect H 2 O 2 , but cannot maintain the intracellular redox environment. In this paper, an H 2 O 2 fluorescent probe LN-HOD with lysosomal targeting properties was designed and synthesized by combining the H 2 O 2 recognition site with a naphthylamine fluorophore via a thiocarbamate moiety. The probe has the advantages of large Stokes shift (110 nm), high sensitivity and good H 2 S release capability. The probe LN-HOD can be used to detect H 2 O 2 in cells, zebrafish and plant roots. In addition, LN-HOD detects changes in the concentration of H 2 O 2 in plant roots when Arabidopsis is stressed by cadmium ion (Cd2+). And through its ability to release H 2 S, it can help to remove excess H 2 O 2 and maintain the redox environment in cells, zebrafish and plant roots. The present work provides new ideas for the detection and assisted removal of H 2 O 2 , which contributes to the in-depth study of the cellular microenvironment in organisms. In this paper, we designed and synthesized LN-HOD , a fluorescent probe targeting the detection of H 2 O 2 in lysosomes, by combining the H 2 O 2 recognition site with a naphthalimide fluorophore via a thiocarbamate moiety. The probe has the advantages of large Stokes displacement, high sensitivity and good H 2 S release capability. The probe LN-HOD can be used to detect H 2 O 2 in cells, zebrafish and plant roots. In addition, LN-HOD detects changes in the concentration of H 2 O 2 in plant roots when Arabidopsis is stressed by cadmium ion (Cd2+). And through its ability to release H 2 S, it can help to remove excess H 2 O 2 and maintain the redox environment in cells, zebrafish and plant roots. The present work provides new ideas for the detection and assisted removal of H 2 O 2 , which contributes to the in-depth study of the cellular microenvironment in organisms. [Display omitted] • The probe LN-HOD not only detects H 2 O 2 but also releases H 2 S. • LN-HOD has the ability to release H 2 S in cells, zebrafish and Arabidopsis. • LN-HOD has a good ability to maintain the redox environment in cells. • LN-HOD can detect changes in H 2 O 2 concentration in plants induced by Cd2+ ion stress effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrazine (N 2 H 4) plays an important role in industrial production, but it is highly toxic, leaking or exposing it will pollute the environment and cause serious harm to human beings. Therefore, it is necessary to use a simple and effective method to detect N 2 H 4 in environmental systems and organisms. Herein, a novel water-soluble fluorescent probe based on coumarin fluorophore, 2-(7-(diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (C-Z1), is reported. The fluorescence intensity of the probe at 530 nm was enhanced gradually with the addition of N 2 H 4 , and the maximum enhancement was about 28 times. The probe has good selectivity and sensitivity, the detection limit of hydrazine hydrate is 1.48 × 10−7 M, and the response mechanism of the probe is proved by theoretical calculation and experiment. C-Z1 has been shown to detect N 2 H 4 in a variety of environmental samples, including water, soil, air, cells, zebrafish and plants. In addition, C-Z1 can be made into test strips for easy portability and used for rapid quantitative detection of N 2 H 4 in the field by its distinct change in fluorescence color. Thus, C-Z1 has great potential for the analysis and detection of environmental contaminants. In this paper, the deprotection of phthalimide is used as a strategy for the detection of hydrazine. We designed and synthesized a water-soluble probe C-Z1 for the detection of N 2 H 4. its absorption and emission spectra vary regularly with the concentration of the N 2 H 4 solution. C-Z1 can detect N 2 H 4 in environmental water samples, soil, and air. Portable paper test strips based on C-Z1 can be easily prepared and are well used for in situ detection of N 2 H 4. Most importantly, the successful application of the probe in cell imaging, zebrafish imaging, and Arabidopsis imaging demonstrates the potential application of the probe in biological and environmental aspects. [Display omitted] • C-Z1 is a novel probe for the detection of N 2 H 4 , which has not been reported in other literature. • The probe is a water-soluble fluorescent probe and has a maximum fluorescence intensity of 28-fold. • The probe possesses low toxicity and can be used for fluorescence imaging of cells, zebrafish and arabidopsis. • Accurate determination of hydrazine is realized in real environmental samples. • The probes are simple to prepare and can be made into test strips for physical environmental testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stack sequence of a functional 2-terminal CIGS-perovskite tandem cell. • We demonstrate a functional 2-terminal CIGS-perovskite tandem cell. • The 2-terminal CIGS-perovskite tandem cell is more efficient than the individual sub-cells. • An account of insights, pitfalls, and suggestions gained for every layer in the stack is provided. • The device data for every cell made in the project is disclosed. This paper focuses on the development of 2-terminal CIGS-perovskite tandem solar cells by exploring a range of stack sequences and synthetic procedures for depositing the associated layers. In the end, we converged at a stack sequence composed of SLG/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al/NiO/PTAA/Perovskite/LiF/PCBM/SnO 2 /ITO. With this architecture, we reached performances only about 1% lower than the corresponding 4-terminal tandem cells, thus demonstrating functional interconnects between the two sub-cells while grown monolithically on top of each other. We go through the stack, layer-by-layer, discussing their deposition and the results, from which we can conclude what works, what does not work, and what potentially could work after additional modifications. The challenges for a successful 2-terminal tandem device include: how to deal with, or decrease, the surface roughness of the CIGS-stack, how to obtain uniform coverage of the layers between the CIGS and the perovskite while also obtaining a benign interface chemistry, and how to tune the band gaps of both the CIGS and the perovskite to obtain good optical matching. The investigation was based on CIGS with a power conversion efficiency around 14%, and perovskites with an efficiency around 12%, resulting in 2-terminal tandem cells with efficiencies of 15–16%. The results indicate that by using higher performing CIGS and perovskite sub-cells, it should be possible to manufacture highly efficient 2-terminal CIGS-perovskite tandem devices by using the protocols, principles, and procedures developed and discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) nanotechnology is one of the proposed technologies for replacing CMOS technology. Shift registers are one of the important areas in the design of digital circuits and memory structures. Given the importance of shift registers, in this paper, new structures have been proposed for shift registers in QCA nanotechnology. At first, proposed D-latch is presented to be used in the main block of shift registers, which has only 18 cells, a delay of 0.5 cycles and less area than previous designs. Subsequently, a 4-bit series register will be presented using the proposed D-latch, which is at least 30% lower than the previous ones in terms of cell numbers and area. In addition, a reset pin is needed in shift registers which are used in microprocessors. Most of the previous designs did not have the reset pins and therefore a new version of 4-bit shift register which has the reset pin will be presented in this paper. New and former designs have been expanded from 2 bits to 8 bits, and parameters variations are presented in the table and diagrams. The proposed new designs have interesting features in terms of stability, number of cells and occupied area, compared to previous designs that do not have the reset capability. In addition, the proposed shift register is used to design an optimized LFSR circuit in QCA nanotechnology with only 157 cells and 0.2 µm2 area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absorption line of the alkali metal is unstable in the atomic vapor cell, which is usually affected by the temperature and vapor pressure of the cell. However, the line shifting and broadening of the alkali metal in the atomic vapor cell could severely essential effect to the atomic sensors. This paper has systematically measured the broadening and shifting effect of Rubidium D 1 and D 2 line when the pressure of buffer gas N 2 is lower than 1 atm. The broadening coefficient of Rb D1 line on the N 2 pressure is 35.4MHz/torr, while the D2 line on the N 2 pressure is 21.2MHz/torr. When the N 2 pressure is near 1 atm, the shifting coefficients are 30.4MHz/K and -45.4MHz/K for D1 and D2 line through linear fit, respectively. The method in this paper, measuring the width shifting and broadening of the alkali metal absorb line, provides a way to verify the actual inner pressure of the vapor cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In our previous paper we introduced morphogenesis and post-embryonic life as arising from cells interacting via coupled chemical, electrical and mechanical processes occurring across multiple organization levels. We reviewed these processes from the perspectives of developmental biology and how they relate to physics-based constitutive equations that are well suited to model intercellular interactions' fields. In this paper we will describe a knowledge representation and architectural design strategy that can organize and encode the biochemical, biological and biophysical data necessary to represent and model the highly specialized and diversified cells that constitute living tissues. Since there are about 200 different types of cells in mammalian tissues, a huge amount of molecular, cellular and tissue data must be accounted for. This data cannot be incorporated in an ad hoc manner but, on the contrary, must be organized according to some sound principles. We give an overview of these principles and describe how they can be incorporated as proper features of a Knowledge Base System (KBS) dedicated to computational morphogenesis (CM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of fluorescence method with paper-based diagnostic device is quite suitable in point-of-care testing (POCT). Herein, we designed a novel hybrid fluorescein-based probe ZN-2 and investigated its fluorescent properties thoroughly in the detection of Zn2+. In comparison with the fluorescein-based probe ZN-1 , ZN-2 displayed better sensitivity, long-wavelength and faster response to Zn2+ within 20 min. Interestingly, we could achieve ultrasensitive, high-throughput and visual detection in the POCT analysis of Zn2+ by anchoring this probe ZN-2 on the paper-based device. This device with satisfied performance for Zn2+ detection was achieved in real samples including cytochylema, serum and lake water. Finally, the probe ZN-2 was further applied to visualize and monitor the level changes of Zn2+ in the living cells and zebrafishes. Unlabelled Image • A novel naphthofluorescein-based probe ZN-2 with ultrasensitive, high-throughput and visual detection is developed. • This paper-based platform shows the great potential of POCT system for detecting analytes in real samples. • The probe ZN-2 is successfully applied to visualize and monitor the changes of Zn2+ in living cells and zebrafishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When yeast cells enter into quiescence in response to nutrient limitation, the adenine deaminase Aah1p is specifically degraded via a process requiring the F-box protein Saf1p and components of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box complex. In this paper, we show that Saf1p interacts with both Aah1p and Skp1p. Interaction with Skp1p, but not with Aah1p, requires the F-box domain of Saf1p. Based on deletion and point mutations, we further demonstrate that the F-box domain of Saf1p is critical for degradation of Aah1p. We also establish that overexpression of Saf1p in proliferating cells is sufficient to trigger the degradation of Aah1p. Using this property and a two-dimensional protein gel approach, we found that Saf1p has a small number of direct targets. Finally, we isolated and characterized several point mutations in Aah1p, which increase its stability during quiescence. The majority of the mutated residues are located in two distinct exposed regions in the Aah1p three-dimensional model structure. Two hybrid experiments strongly suggest that these domains are directly involved in interaction with Saf1p. Importantly, we obtained a mutation in Aah1p that does not affect the protein interaction with Saf1p but abolishes Aah1p degradation. Because this mutated residue is an exposed lysine in the Aah1p three-dimensional model, we propose that it is likely to be a major ubiquitylation site. All together, our data strongly argue for Saf1p being a bona fide Skp1-Cullin-F-box subunit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020 the Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division (CELL) of the American Chemical (ACS) society celebrates its 100th anniversary. The following paper is based on a chapter from the book commissioned by the Division (Patterson, 2021). CELL is one of the most successful and dynamic Divisions in the ACS. It has evolved throughout its history to remain relevant and productive. One of its strengths is its diversity, while staying true to its founding vision. This perspective was present at its founding, and the following paper surveys the world of cellulose and renewable materials from the dawn of history to 1920. CELL has both industrial and scientific roots and has always welcomed the full range of participants from these communities. Rather than operating as separate tribes, the two groups have fostered innovations in each other. Many aspects of cellulose science and technology are discussed from antiquity to the early 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were found more than 30 years ago, but have been treated as molecular flukes in a long time. Combining deep sequencing studies with bioinformatics technique, thousands of endogenous circRNAs have been found in mammalian cells, and some researchers have proved that several circRNAs act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to regulate gene expression. However, the mechanism by which the precursor mRNA to be transformed into a circular RNA or a linear mRNA is largely unknown. In this paper, we attempted to bioinformatically identify shared genomic features that might further elucidate the mechanism of formation and proposed a SVM-based model to distinguish circRNAs from non-circularized, expressed exons. Firstly, conformational and thermodynamic dinucleotide properties in the flanking introns were extracted as potential features. Secondly, two feature selection methods were applied to gain the optimal feature subset. Our 10-fold cross-validation results showed that the model can be used to distinguish circRNAs from non-circularized, expressed exons with an Sn of 0.884, Sp of 0.900, ACC of 0.892, MCC of 0.784, respectively. The identification results suggest that conformational and thermodynamic properties in the flanking introns are closely related to the formation of circRNAs. Datasets and the tool involved in this paper are all available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/predicircrnatool/files/ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has been a recognized clinical entity for 31 years, since its first description in 1990. TTS is now routinely diagnosed in patients who present with acute chest pain, electrocardiographic changes, troponin elevation, unobstructed coronary arteries, and a typical pattern of circumferential left ventricular wall motion abnormalities that usually involve the apical and midventricular myocardium. Increasing understanding of this intriguing syndrome stems from wider recognition, possible increasing frequency, and a rising number of publications focused on the pathophysiology in clinical and laboratory studies. A comprehensive understanding of TTS pathophysiology and evidence-based treatments are lacking, and specific and effective treatments are urgently required. This paper reviews the pathophysiology of this fascinating syndrome; what is known from both clinical and preclinical studies, including review of the evidence for microvascular dysfunction, myocardial beta-adrenergic signaling, inflammation, and electrophysiology; and where focused research needs to fill gaps in understanding TTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This edition of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is dedicated to the wonderful career of Per Artursson from the Uppsala University. My Commentary focusses on Per's major contributions to the Caco-2 cell literature over the past 30 years. Two especially influential papers have been cited more than 1000 times out of a total citation count of almost 30,000 and a h -index of 93 (Google Scholar), making Per one of the most cited and influential Pharmaceutical scientists of his generation. The Caco-2 field to which Per contributed so many advances has informed the community on key areas including predictive drug fluxes across the intestine, metabolism by intestinal epithelia, the role of transporters during flux, enantiomer-selective flux, excipient interaction with tight junctions, and nanoparticle uptake by enterocytes. In this pioneering work, Per has been careful to emphasise that Caco-2 monolayers have limitations and are a model of the human small intestine where observations must be backed up with in vitro tissue and in vivo work. Throughout, he has paid great attention to detail in methodology, as reflected by co-authorship of two Nature Protocols on Caco-2 assays. The article briefly assesses some of the most important milestones in Per's published Caco-2 research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target cells contagion has sparked the necessity of a multiple target cell model with chronic infection and intracellular delay (MTC-CI-ID). This paper seeks to advance a viral dynamical model with multiple target cells and corroborate the global stability of their steady states. Hence, the affiliation of the virus with two classes of target cells, CD4 + Tcells and macrophage. The time delay amidst viral entry and the output of virions were intimated and the basic reproductive number was procured, as the long term behavior of the model and less than unity. The contagious free equilibrium E 0 was unveiled as locally and globally asymptotically stable. The conditions of an infected CD4 + Tcell and macrophage on viral production were engaged. It was ascertained that CD4 + Tcell accounts for larger amounts of virions in the blood as per macrophage cells. Hence, varying time delay has no impact on peak viral levels, but only shelves the viral peaking time. The adopted model has unrestrained bearing on HIV-1 therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Automated method is proposed for detection and classification of tumors using MRI at the image and lesion levels. • Different techniques have been applied for the segmentation of candidate lesion. • A hybrid features set is selected for grade identification. • Three variants of SVM are tested with different cross validations on the features set to compare precision. • The proposed method is validated on two publicly available datasets such as Harvard, RIDER and one local dataset. A very exigent task for radiologists is early brain tumor detection. Brain tumor raises very fast, its average size doubles in just twenty-five days. If not treated properly, the survival rate of the patient is normally not more than half a year. It can rapidly lead to death. For this reason, an automatic system is required for brain tumor detection at an early stage. In this paper, an automated method is proposed to easily differentiate between cancerous and non-cancerous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain. Different techniques have been applied for the segmentation of candidate lesion. Then a features set is chosen for every applicant lesion using shape, texture, and intensity. At that point, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier is applied with different cross validations on the features set to compare the precision of proposed framework. The proposed method is validated on three benchmark datasets such as Harvard, RIDER and Local. The method achieved average 97.1% accuracy, 0.98 area under curve, 91.9% sensitivity and 98.0% specificity. It can be used to identify the tumor more accurately in less processing time as compared to existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper green synthesis of an important commodity chemical lactamide has been undertaken using chitosan immobilized Rhodococcus pyridinivorans NIT-36 harbouring nitrile hydratase (NHase) enzyme. The cells immobilization (300 mg/g) is based on the partial entrapment of cells by suspension cross-linking technique facilitated by N, N′-Methylene bis-acrylamide. In the repeated-use experiments, the immobilized cells retained 80% of its initial activity when stored at 4 °C for 30 days. NHase activity of free and immobilized cells was studied over temperature ranging from 25 °C to 60 °C. The activity for free cells showed a sharp decline of 70% when the reaction temperature was elevated from 45 °C to 50 °C whereas chitosan immobilized cells retained their activity in the same temperature range. A fed-batch reaction was designed and the immobilized cells showed 100% similar enzymatic pattern for five consecutive rounds which gradually decreased in following cycles. A volumetric productivity of 20 g/L and catalytic productivity of 8.33 g/g dcw/h for lactamide were achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new oligothiophene derivative (3TY) was synthesized, and used as a highly selective hydrazine (N 2 H 4) chemosensor in ∼100% aqueous solution with "naked-eye" colorimetric and "turn-on" fluorimetric response. This chemosensor 3TY enabled ultrafast and ultrasensitive detection of hydrazine with ultralow detection limit of 1.45 nM (0.04 ppb) in a wide sensing pH range from 6 to 10. The sensing mechanism of 3TY toward hydrazine was strongly and fully confirmed. More importantly, colorimetric paper test strip and solid support silica are easily prepared by 3TY for on-site and real-time detection of hydrazine. Furthermore, 3TY displays many potential applications for detecting N 2 H 4 in environmental water and human urine along with bio-imaging in living HeLa cells. Image 1 • A new hydrazine-selective sensor 3TY based on oligothiophene derivative is developed. • 3TY displays distinct spectral and color change to N 2 H 4 in 100% aqueous solution. • The N 2 H 4 detection shows ultrafast response, ultraselectivity and ultrasensitivity. • 3TY -based test strips can colorimetrically and portably detect hydrazine in water. • Sensor 3TY provides an effective tool for imaging hydrazine in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an efficient parameters extraction method for the two-diode model of photovoltaic cell and cells. Based on the data at standard test conditions provided by the photovoltaic datasheets, the parameters are all extracted by using derivative method at maximum power point and mountain-climbing algorithm, then the proposed two-diode model of the current voltage characteristic I–V of photovoltaic cell and cells are obtained. Compared with the popular R p model and Ishaque's two-diode model, The proposed two-diode model show that the accuracy is significantly higher than R p model all the time, especially at the maximum power point. In addition, the parameters at different irradiance level and temperature are extracted, which also can simulate the current voltage characteristic I–V successfully at any condition, compared with experimental data. • Derivative method and mountain-climbing algorithm are used to extract R s and R p simultaneously. • Seven parameters I p h , I o 1 , I o 2 , n 1 , n 2 , R s and R p of two-diode model can be solved only using reference data. • A new method to calculate I o at different irradiance level and temperature. • The proposed model can simulate PV cell and cells at different irradiance level and temperature with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Following radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), intravesical recurrence (IVR) is found in 22% to 47% of patients. Patients with a primary urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) have an increased risk of a future UTUC (1%-5%). Paired UTUC and UCB might represent clonally related tumors due to intraluminal seeding of tumor cells or might be separate entities of urothelial carcinoma caused by field cancerization. We systematically reviewed all the relevant literature to address the possible clonal relation of UTUC and paired UCB.Materials and Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE databases were systematically searched for relevant citations published between January 2000 and July 2019. This study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Of 5038 citations identified, 86 full papers were screened, and 9 studies met the inclusion criteria.Results: The populations studied and the molecular techniques used to assess clonality of UTUC and paired UCB differed largely over time. Eight studies reported on primary UTUC and meta- or synchronous IVR without a history of UCB. A total of 118 tumors (55 UTUC and 63 IVR) from 49 patients were included, of which 94% seemed to be clonally related. Five studies reported on primary UCB and subsequent UTUC with a total of 61 tumors (30 UCB and 31 UTUC) from 14 patients; a possible clonal origin was identified for 85% of the tumors.Conclusion: Taking into account the limitations of microsatellite technology in comparison to Next Generation Sequencing and currently accepted concepts of tumor heterogeneity and evolution, this systematic review shows that most, if not all, UTUC and paired UCB likely are clonally related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the reversible operation of a highly efficient microtubular solid oxide cell (SOC) with a nickelate-based oxygen electrode. The fuel cell was composed of a microtubular support of nickel and yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ), an YSZ dense electrolyte, and a double oxygen electrode formed by a first composite layer of praseodymium nickelate (PNO) and gadolinium-doped ceria (CGO) and a second one of PNO. A good performance of the cell was obtained at temperatures up to 800 °C for both fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolysis (SOEC) operation modes, specially promising in electrolysis mode. The current density in SOEC mode at 800 °C is about −980 mA cm−2 at 1.2V with 50% steam. Current density versus voltage curves (j-V) present a linear behavior in the electrolysis mode, with a specific cell area resistance (ASR) of 0.32 Ω cm−2. Durability experiments were carried out switching the voltage from 0.7V to 1.2V. No apparent degradation was observed in fuel cell mode and SOEC mode up to a period of about 100 h. However, after this period especially in electrolysis mode there is an accumulated degradation associated to nickel coarsening, as confirmed by SEM and EIS experiments. Those results confirm that nickelate based oxygen electrodes are excellent candidates for reversible SOCs. • PNO-CGO composite electrode enhances the stability of SOC cells. • Highest electrolysis performance for a microtubular cell was achieved. • Switching to fuel cell mode partially recovers the degradation in electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Knockout PEG10 promotes H 2 O 2 -induced damage. • PEG10 inversely regulates miR-34a-5p, and miR-34a-5p is a target of PEG10. • Knockout PEG10 decreases H 2 O 2 -induced damage by down-regulating miR-34a-5p. • miR-34a-5p inversely regulates TLX, and TLX is a target of miR-34a-5p. • TLX alleviates H 2 O 2 -induced PC-12 cell damage. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurological disease with high incidence and disability. In this paper, we made a foundational study in long non-coding RNA paternally expressed gene 10 (lncRNA PEG10) at PC-12 cells. We used CCK8, flow cytometry, migration and invasion assay to detect changes at the cellular level. PEG10, microRNA-34a-5p (miR-34a-5p) and TLX transfected by transfection assay and amplified by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). TLX expression and proteins about apoptosis and pathways were investigated by Western blot. Additionally, the relationship between PEG10 and miR-34a-5p, miR-34a-5p and TLX were examined through luciferase assay. H 2 O 2 -injury model was established. Knockdown PEG10 deteriorated H 2 O 2 -injury. miR-34a-5p was confirmed as a target of PEG10 and miR-34a-5p inhibitor remitted PEG10-induced H 2 O 2 -injury. Moreover, TLX was confirmed as a target miR-34a-5p and TLX remitted H 2 O 2 -injury. At last, TLX worked in H 2 O 2 -injury via Smad and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Knockdown PEG10 remitted H 2 O 2 -injury of PC-12 cells by targeting miR-34a-5p/TLX, and the behavior may be involved in Smad and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LSFM is studied as symmetrical electrode of SOEC for direct pure CO 2 electrolysis. • The cell with LSFM shows high current density of 1.107 A/cm2 at 800 °C @2.0 V. • The cell shows CO production rate at 800 °C@2.0 V of 6.438 mL/(min cm2). In this paper, we study the perovskite La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Fe 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 3- δ (LSFM) as both the cathode and anode in a symmetrical solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) for direct high-temperature electrolysis of pure CO 2. The cell with a configuration of LSFM-GDC|GDC||YSZ||GDC|LSFM-GDC performs with perfect electrochemical properties with a polarization resistance of 0.068 Ω·cm2 and a current density of 1.107 A/cm2 at 800 °C and 1.744 A/cm2 at 850 °C under an operating voltage of 2.0 V. The corresponding CO production rate at 800 °C and 2.0 V is 6.438 mL/(min·cm2). These results confirm that La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Fe 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 3-δ can act as an excellent electrode material in a symmetrical SOEC for electrolysis of pure CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given an arbitrary set T in the Euclidean space R n , whose elements are called sites, and a particular site s , the farthest Voronoi cell of s , denoted by F T (s) , consists of all points which are farther from s than from any other site. In this paper we study farthest Voronoi cells and diagrams corresponding to arbitrary (possibly infinite) sets. More in particular, we characterize, for a given arbitrary set T , those s ∈ T such that F T (s) is nonempty and study the geometrical properties of F T (s) in that case. We also characterize those sets T whose farthest Voronoi diagrams are tesselations of the Euclidean space, and those sets that can be written as F T (s) for some T ⊂ R n and some s ∈ T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell theory, as formulated by Theodor Schwann in 1839, introduced the idea that the cell is the main structural unit of living nature. Later, in solving the problem of cell multiplication, Rudolf Virchow expanded the cell theory with a postulate: all cells only arise from pre-existing cells. But what did the very first cell arise from? This paper proposes extending the Virchow's law by the assumption that between the nonliving protocell and the first living cell the continuity of fundamental physical properties (the principle of invariance of physical properties) is preserved. The protocell is understood here as a cell-shaped physical system on the basis of the self-organized biologically significant prebiotic macromolecules, primarily peptides, having a potential to transform into the living cell. Biophase is considered as the physical basis of the membraneless protocell, the internal environment of which is separated from the external environment due to the phase of adsorbed water. The evidence is given that the first protocells may have been formed on the basis of intrinsically disordered peptides. Data on the similarity of the physical properties of living cells and the following model systems are given: protein and artificial polymer solutions, coacervate droplets, and ion-exchange resin granules. Available data on the similarity of the physical properties of cell models and living cells allow us to rephrase the Virchow's postulate as follows: the physical properties of a living cell could only arise from pre-existing physical properties of the protocell. Image 105 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A complete theoretical analysis of a modified version of the Scalar Reference Gorvernor subjected to OR constraints. • An additional case study has been described to show the effectiveness of the proposed method in a variety of situations. • Experimental validation on a Li-ion graphite/LCO battery. In this paper, we propose a solution for the control of the state-of-charge of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell. The aim is to design a control scheme able to charge the battery in a fast way while ensuring that the safety constraints of the electrochemical model (ECheM) of the battery are not violated. The proposed solution is based on a novel computationally efficient formulation of the Reference Governor (RG) able to deal with the union of linear constraints and which has been designed on the basis of a reduced ECheM, namely the equivalent-hydraulic model (EHM). Using suitable safety margins, the satisfaction of the constraints on the EHM ensures the satisfaction of the constraints on the full-order ECheM. Simulation results obtained on an accurate simulator show that the proposed method, if compared with classical charge strategies, is able to considerably improve the charge performance while ensuring the satisfaction of the constraints. These findings are validated experimentally on a Li-ion graphite/LCO battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric radars make it possible to retrieve information on hydrometeors types, sizes and concentrations. Additional information on cloud electrification can be obtained from Lightning Mapping Arrays (LMAs). To study the development time and height of the hydrometeors and electrification require tracking their evolution within the lifecycle of convective cells. A new methodology for multi-cell identification and tracking (MCIT) is presented in this study. The algorithm in this study is different from traditional tracking methods; this new algorithm is applied to time series of radar volume scans. It tracks local maxima of vertically integrated liquid (VIL) water by identifying the two cells in consecutive radar scans that have maximum common VIL. The vertical profile of the polarimetric variables is used for constructing the time-height cross section of the cells' microphysical properties around the peak reflectivity as a function of height. The LMA sources that occur within the cell area are integrated as a function of height as well for each time step, as determined by the radar volume scans. The result of the tracking can provide insights on the evolution of storms, hydrometer types, precipitation initiation and cloud electrification under different thermodynamic and aerosol conditions. The details of the MCIT algorithm, its products and their performance for different type of storms are described in this paper. • Development of a novel cloud cell tracking algorithm. • Tracking cloud types include: convective and stratiform, isolated and clustered. • Tracking cloud cells through maturation into stratiform storm elements. • Use a synergy of polarimetric radar, satellite, lightning detection and model data. • Algorithm has flexible output options and possibilities for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate power prediction for a battery pack is of great importance for efficient and safe operation of electric vehicles. However, a battery pack typically consists of dozens of cells connected in series, and how to accurately predict its peak power in practical applications has always been a challenging issue. This paper proposes a low-complexity peak power prediction method for a series-connected battery pack, where the peak power of battery pack is predicted depending only on representative cells. Firstly, considering state of charge and voltage limits for power prediction, the representative cells are selected by using two easily available variables, namely characteristic voltage and ohmic resistance. Secondly, the state of charge and voltage of the representative cell are estimated accurately by the dual adaptive extended Kalman filter algorithm. Finally, the multi-parameter limited method for battery pack is developed to predict the peak power under Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule test at different temperatures. The experimental results verify the feasibility and robustness of the proposed selection method, and the peak power of battery pack is predicted with low complexity and high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents Large Eddy simulations of flow and acoustic computations around 2D and 3D airfoils using a novel type of mesh called voxel mesh. Voxel mesh refers to the mesh that has different number of nodes in the neighbouring cell layers. Voxel mesh has many advantages such as creating cells with minimum skewness, automatic mesh generation and uniformity in cell shapes and sizes. The voxel meshes aren’t yet validated in boundary layer computations. In this paper we validate the use of voxel meshes in boundary layer computations in 2D and 3D airfoils. Six cases were tried out in the research three 2D meshes and three 3D cases were tried out. Each case was simulated at Reynolds number 2.83×105 and attack angle of 90. Flow field computation was done by FrontFlowBlue-7.2 software the acoustic computation was done by using FrontFlowBlue-Acoustic2.2 software. The results obtained from the simulations were compared with the experimental values. The use of voxel meshes to resolve the boundary layer in turbulent fluid flows could be validated using 2D airfoils. Therefore voxel meshes were used in 3D airfoil flow computations. After successful flow computations the source fluctuations in the flow was used for the acoustic computations. The sound pressure levels computed from the acoustic computations were compared with the experimental values. Some oscillation in the pressure could be observed due to the step like structure at the surface of voxel mesh but these variations were less apparent in meshes that had smaller cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A droplet-based technique to handle liquids called digital microfluidics (DMF) has attracted attention for cell manipulation (e.g., cell culture, cell sorting and single-cell analysis). With DMF, one manipulates droplets, of size ranging from picolitre to microlitre, on a planar surface by means of an electric field. DMF hence becomes an appealing platform to use for eventual integration into standard biological workflows. In this paper our aim is to provide a synopsis of cutting-edge developments in DMF-based cell manipulation, and to focus particularly on cell culture, cell sorting and single-cell applications. • Digital microfluidics (DMF) operating discrete droplets for cell culture, cell sorting and single-cell analysis. • Suspension cell, microorganism, two-dimensional (2D) adherent cell and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture on DMF devices. • Cell sorting and concentrating within DMF droplets with integrated electrical, optical and magnetic forces. • Single cell culture, stimulation, immunocytochemistry, DNA analysis, mRNA extraction and transcriptome analysis with DMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Extension and modifications to cell transmission model addressing the arterial complexities. • Accurate consideration of short turning lanes in CTM. • Accurate consideration of unbalanced lane utilisation in CTM. • Appropriate modelling of queue discharge process in CTM. • Proposed arterial CTM (ACTM) enhances CTM's back of the queue estimation accuracy by 20%−80%. This paper extends the capability of the cell transmission model (CTM) to capture the complexities of the arterial network. This includes short turning lane blockages and spillbacks, shared lanes, and unbalanced lane utilisation. Moreover, queue estimation accuracy is improved through appropriate consideration of the queue discharge process. The proposed Arterial Cell Transmission Model (ACTM) has been thoroughly tested with synthetic data and further validated using real data. Compared with the CTM, the proposed ACTM improves the back of the queue estimation accuracy by 20%−80%. The ACTM offers a more realistic simulation of densities on each lane in case of blockages or spillbacks from short turning lanes and models the interaction among movements in shared lanes including gap acceptance behaviour of permitted turns from shared lanes that are opposed by through traffic. The extension also enables the balancing of unequal lane utilisation whenever required. The ACTM is expected to improve the performance of traffic management tools by providing a more realistic simulation of arterial traffic with better queue estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial representation is a crucial function of animal's brain. However, there is still no uniform explanation of how the spatial code is formed in different dimensional spaces to date. The main reason why place cell exhibits unique activity pattern is that the animal needs to retrieve and process spatial information. In this paper, we constructed a constrained optimization model based on information theory to explain the place field formation across species in different dimensional spaces. We proposed the following question that, using only limited amount of neural energy, how to organize the spiking locations (place field) in the available environment to obtain the most efficient spatial information representation? We solved this conditional functional extremum problem by variational techniques. The results showed that on the condition of limited neural energy, the place field will comply with a Gaussian-form distribution automatically to convey the largest amount information per spike. We also found that the animal's natural habitat property and locomotion experience statistics affected the symmetry of spatial representation in different dimensions. These findings not only reconcile the argument of whether the spatial codes of place cell are isotropic, but also provide an explanation of place field formation by an information-theoretic approach. Furtherly, this research revealed the energy economical and information efficient properties underlie the spatial representation system of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture-based wellbore strengthening is a widely used preventive technique for lost circulation control. However, there were limited experimental studies on wellbore strengthening with an anisotropic stress state. In this paper, we describe an experimental investigation of fracture-based wellbore strengthening on cubic Berea sandstone samples (size of 12 in 3) using a large-scale true triaxial cell. The true triaxial cell allows fracture containment to simulate wellbore strengthening, which was not available using a traditional small-scale traixial cell. We used drill cuttings and Chevron loss prevention material (LPM) as wellbore strengthening materials (WSM). Three independent stresses were applied on the rock samples and bi-wing fractures were generated. The final fracture reopening pressure (FROP) exceeded the formation breakdown pressure (FBP) after plugging the WSM. Further comparison between the experimental results and modeling results from a numerical model shows a good match for the injection pressure profile. • Experimental investigation of fracture-based wellbore strengthening was conducted on a large-scale true triaxial cell. • Fracture reopening pressures were higher than formation breakdown pressures. • Results of induced and plugged fractures were shown. • Stress redistribution was observed with plugging of wellbore strengthening materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The model could segment neural cell instances accurately. • The model is computationally efficient. • The model could be applied to other biomedical instance segmentation tasks. Neural cell instance segmentation, which aims at joint detection and segmentation of every neural cell in a microscopic image, is essential to many neuroscience applications. The challenge of this task involves cell adhesion, cell distortion, unclear cell contours, low-contrast cell protrusion structures, and background impurities. Consequently, current instance segmentation methods generally fall short of precision. In this paper, we propose an attentive instance segmentation method that accurately predicts the bounding box of each cell as well as its segmentation mask simultaneously. In particular, our method builds on a joint network that combines a single shot multi-box detector (SSD) and a U-net. Furthermore, we employ the attention mechanism in both detection and segmentation modules to focus the model on the useful features. The proposed method is validated on a dataset of neural cell microscopic images. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach can accurately detect and segment neural cell instances at a fast speed, comparing favorably with the state-of-the-art methods. Our code is released on GitHub. The link is https://github.com/yijingru/ANCIS-Pytorch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-lapse microscopy has thoroughly transformed our understanding of biological motion and developmental dynamics from single cells to entire organisms. The increasing amount of cell tracking data demands the creation of tools to make extracted data searchable and interoperable between experiment and data types. In order to address that problem, the current paper reports on the progress in building the Cell Tracking Ontology (CTO): An ontology framework for describing, querying and integrating data from complementary experimental techniques in the domain of cell tracking experiments. CTO is based on a basic knowledge structure: the cellular genealogy serving as a backbone model to integrate specific biological ontologies into tracking data. As a first step we integrate the Phenotype and Trait Ontology (PATO) as one of the most relevant ontologies to annotate cell tracking experiments. The CTO requires both the integration of data on various levels of generality as well as the proper structuring of collected information. Therefore, in order to provide a sound foundation of the ontology, we have built on the rich body of work on top-level ontologies and established three generic ontology design patterns addressing three modeling challenges for properly representing cellular genealogies, i.e. representing entities existing in time, undergoing changes over time and their organization into more complex structures such as situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we will outline the efforts we have made recently to establish the profiling platform known as cell painting in our laboratory. This platform, which is based on fluorescence microscopy, allows rapid and cheap access to bioactivity fingerprints for small molecules and thereby can contribute with important information in many experimental situations that is faced in laboratories involved in molecular probe design, mode-of-action studies or that perform focused phenotypic screens. We have tried to achieve the following two objectives: (1) provide a detailed description of the hurdles that we had to overcome during establishment and describe our final protocol; (2) provide a more pedagogical description of the different methods used to analyse and represent data from this experiment. Finally, we provide an example of how the method can be used to clarify mechanistic dichotomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Drones(UAVs) can provide wireless coverage when infrastructure is down (disaster-hit areas). • Delaunay Triangulation based initial deployment offers maximum continuous coverage area. • Mobility of users causes some hotspot cells overloaded (Hot Zones). • Load sharing among UAVs dynamically can help mitigate overload at a hotspot cell. • Later, judicious selection of UAVs to move them closer to overloaded UAVs helps serving users better. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networks can provide wireless coverage to users when cellular infrastructure is unavailable. Each UAV covers a circular area, called a hotspot cell , and serves the users in it. Natural disasters can cause unpredictable mobility of users, randomly overloading some cells, called hot zones , for different time intervals. Along with an efficient initial deployment, this paper presents a two-fold approach to handle hot zones. First, the loads in overlapped sections are redistributed to neighbors. Second, a distributed algorithm is run that dynamically repositions the least number of UAVs to serve the maximum possible users. Additionally, to balance the user demand and supply of wireless coverage, adjacent UAVs are allowed to swap their positions. Simulation results show improvement in the network performance using the parameters: packet delivery ratio, data served per unit of depleted energy, service discontinuity time, and the total amount of data served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a Power– and Variability–Aware Nonvolatile RRAM Cell (4CNFET2M) is presented. Memristor is used as a nonvolatile memory element. We have compared our proposed cell with standard 6T SRAM (S6T) cell and 2T2M RRAM cell (state of the art design based on memristor). The proposed cell shows 1.26 × /3.61 × shorter read delay/write delay variability compared to 2T2M. 4CNFET2M also shows 1.39 × narrower read delay variability compared to S6T. Furthermore, the proposed cell shows 6.4 × shorter write delay in comparison to 2T2M RRAM cell. 4CNFET2M consumes 106 × /2.02 × lower power during hold mode compared to conventional S6T SRAM/2T2M RRAM cell. Furthermore, the proposed cell also shows improvement in hold power variability compared to both the cells. All the simulated data, presented here, are for 1 V supply voltage. These improvements are achieved because of using the memristor and CNFET technology. These benefits are obtained at a cost of slightly longer read delay compared to 2T2M/S6T and 33.6 × longer write delay compared to S6T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose two independent gate (IG) FinFET SRAM cells that use PMOS access transistors and back-gate (BG) biasing to achieve a high-stability performance. In the first cell, the back-gate of the access transistors is connected to the adjacent storage nodes, and the back-gate of the pull-down transistors is dynamically biased. Simulations indicate that the first proposed cell offers higher read static noise-margin (SNM), higher write-ability, least static/dynamic power, and a comparable read current compared to the previous IG-6TSRAMs. The second cell is a novel independently-controlled-gate FinFET SRAM cell, which provides a high read stability, the highest write-ability, low static power dissipation and high read current compared to the previously reported independently-controlled-gate FinFET SchmitTrigger based SRAM cells. This cell supportsbit-interleaving property at V DD = 0.4 V with high read/write yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Collective cell migration is an essential process in embryo development, wound healing, inflammatory response, and cancer invasion. Although cell motions in two-dimensional (2D) monolayers have been studied previously, three-dimensional (3D) collective cell migration, which constantly occurs during embryogenesis such as the establishment of ducts and acini in vivo , remains elusive. In this paper, we develop a cell-based model incorporating cell mechanics and cell motility to address coherent cell motions in a spherical acinus-like lumen with different cell populations. It is found that the interplays between cell persistence, random fluctuation, and geometrical confinement may engender rich and novel migratory modes. In a 3D spherical lumen, two cells may undergo stripe-like or cross-circular coherent rotations, whereas multiple cells can form dynamic twisting or circulating bands, leaving sparse cells at the center or even a hollow cavity in the cell aggregate. The cell density is found to profoundly influence the collective cell migration modes. Our model can reproduce the fundamental features observed in experiments and highlight the role of mechanics in steering 3D collective cell dynamics during mammary acinar morphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Processes occurring in the cellular and extracellular environment with the participation of elements both essential due to their vital functions and harmful to organism are complex and depend on many factors. The type of element and its chemical form as well as chemical composition of environment in which they occur play the significant role in the processes. But quantitative relationships between elements are also important, since both the excess and deficiency perturb their homeostasis in the organism. They can interact with each other at the absorption stage, transport in the blood, distribution in tissues and excretion. Quantitative correlations between Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Al in some body fluids (serum, urine), cells (red blood cells) and tissues (human and animal hair, muscle and bone tissue, liver, kidney, stomach) are presented in the paper. It was stated that the following pairs of elements correlate most often: Ca-Mg, Mg-Zn, Cu-Zn, Fe-Cd, and Pb-Cd. It seems that the crucial role in the correlations between elements play their similarity in chemical and physical properties (first of all the size of ions radius and electric charge), the life processes in which the elements participate and the common environmental origin). Highlights • Interactions between elements in biological material have been studied. • Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Al, Cr, and Ni relationships were analyzed. • Correlations were described in body fluids, cells, human and animal tissues. • Pairs of elements: Ca-Mg, Mg-Zn, Cu-Zn, Fe-Cd, and Pb-Cd correlate most often. • Similar physicochemical properties are mainly responsible for elements interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrosis in heart muscles can permanently hinder the natural healthy rhythm of heart pumping mechanism. The damaged muscular tissues are replaced by scar tissues and burdens the healthy muscles resulting in further attenuated functioning of heart. Since, human heart muscles cannot regenerate naturally or it has been thought so, pharmacological procedures such as using a heart assist device are followed to restore the lost function of heart. Stem cell engineering and cardiac patches offers promising prospects with their cutting edge research reports. Cardiac patches offers a viable solution as they can also function as an implant to assist in offering the mechanical support the damaged muscles were capable of. Designing cardiac patches to suit multiple functions is not only challenging but also perilous due to the target organ with which it will be interfaced. Sensor based, electrically active, miniaturized circuitry etc., poses a huge threat to the individual in whom the device/patch is implanted. In this paper, we propose a hypothesis on choosing β-PVDF based nanocomposites as the inimitable material for designing implantable cardiac patches. β-PVDF based nanocomposite materials is expected to exhibit piezoelectric effect and contribute to the adherence, proliferation and maturation of stem cells. Physico-chemical characterizations followed by in vitro cell line studies were performed in ought to confirm the same. The results revealed that the β-PVDF based nanocomposite material was mechanically stable and supportive in cardiomyocyte adherence and differentiation when compared to standard non piezoelectric scaffolds (control). Hence, an implantable β-PVDF based novel electrospun nanocomposite scaffold is hypothesized to be the hour of need in conjugation with stem cell engineering for repairing damaged heart muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the creation of a pneumatically driven single-cell trap and its ability to trap a live single cell. The cell-trap device consists of a pneumatic vibrator array and a trap chamber used to trap single cells. The entire structure was manufactured with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). External compressed air was used to actuate the pneumatic vibrators. The magnitude and frequency of the pneumatic force were controlled by programmable electromagnetic valves. The live cell in the trap chamber was manipulated using the velocity field of the cell media induced by deformation of the vibrator diaphragm. The cell was successfully trapped in the central equilibrium region of the device, at which point the axial velocity fields generated by the vibrators were minimized. The intracellular calcium response of a single cell induced by mechanical stimuli during cell trapping was measured to verify the effectiveness of the pneumatic cell trap as a stress-free trapping method. The results showed that the internal signaling in the cell was sensitive to the extracellular physical environment. Since the measured intensity of the intracellular calcium of the single cell was very minor, the pneumatic cell trap described in this paper was categorized as a harmless trapping method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • A method for topology identification and form finding of planar tensegrity systems is proposed. • Tensegrity systems are composed of elementary units (cells) through a bio-inspired process. • Unit interaction is explained through the identification of stable sub-systems (virtual cells). • The method allows to control the final shape of the structure and its self-stress states. Abstract Tensegrity structures are frameworks in a stable self-equilibrated prestress state that have been applied in various fields in science and engineering. Research into tensegrity structures has resulted in reliable techniques for their form finding and analysis. However, most techniques address topology and form separately. This paper presents a bio-inspired approach for the combined topology identification and form finding of planar tensegrity structures. Tensegrity structures are generated using tensegrity cells (elementary stable self-stressed units that have been proven to compose any tensegrity structure) according to two multiplication mechanisms: cellular adhesion and fusion. Changes in the dimension of the self-stress space of the structure are found to depend on the number of adhesion and fusion steps conducted as well as on the interaction among the cells composing the system. A methodology for defining a basis of the self-stress space is also provided. Through the definition of the equilibrium shape, the number of nodes and members as well as the number of self-stress states, the cellular multiplication method can integrate design considerations, providing great flexibility and control over the tensegrity structure designed and opening the door to the development of a whole new realm of planar tensegrity systems with controllable characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chaetoceros is a dominant genus of marine planktonic diatoms with worldwide distribution. Due to the difficulty of extracting setae from Chaetoceros images, automatic segmentation of Chaetoceros is still a challenging task. In this paper, we address this difficult task by regarding the whole segmentation process as unsupervised pixel-wise classification without human participation. First, we automatically produce positive (object) and negative (background) samples for follow-up training, by combining the advantages of two image processing algorithms: Grayscale Surface Direction Angle Model (GSDAM) for extracting setae information and Canny for detecting cell edges from low-contrast and strong-noisy microscopic images. Second, we develop pixel-wise training by using the produced samples in the training process of Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN). At last, the trained DCNN is used to label other pixels into object and background for final segmentation. We compare our method with eight mainstream segmentation approaches: Otsu's thresholding, Canny, Watershed, Mean Shift, gPb-owt-ucm, Normalized Cut, Efficient Graph-based method and GSDAM. To objectively evaluate segmentation results, we apply six well-known evaluation indexes. Experimental results on a new Chaetoceros image dataset with human labelled ground truth show that our method outperforms the eight mainstream segmentation methods in terms of both quantitative and qualitative evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]