Nanopore Fabrication by Controlled Dielectric Breakdown

Nanofabrication techniques for achieving dimensional control at the nanometer scale are generally equipment-intensive and time-consuming. The use of energetic beams of electrons or ions has placed the fabrication of nanopores in thin solid-state membranes within reach of some academic laboratories, yet these tools are not accessible to many researchers and are poorly suited for mass-production. Here we describe a fast and simple approach for fabricating a single nanopore down to 2-nm in size with sub-nm precision, directly in solution, by controlling dielectric breakdown at the nanoscale. The method relies on applying a voltage across an insulating membrane to generate a high electric field, while monitoring the induced leakage current. We show that nanopores fabricated by this method produce clear electrical signals from translocating DNA molecules. Considering the tremendous reduction in complexity and cost, we envision this fabrication strategy would not only benefit researchers from the physical and life sciences interested in gaining reliable access to solid-state nanopores, but may provide a path towards manufacturing of nanopore-based biotechnologies.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary information contains 22 pages, 11 figures and 2 tables - A version of this manuscript was first submitted for publication on April 23rd, 2013. It is currently under review at another journa

Even flowers can grow out of a mound of shit

2018 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.In this paper, I attempt to explore the importance of flaws, trauma, and repression within the artistic process. I assert the need for self-scrutiny and cathartic expression of my inner struggles. Using surrealist methodologies, I flip the interior and exterior evoking concepts of the unconscious, abjection, and the Lacanian "real." By asserting the need for positive coping mechanisms, I employ chance operations, bricolage, and an obsessive vocabulary of line work to sublimate these flaws. I am in the midst of cultivating a poetic openness within my work divorced from an ultimate definition. Confronting my desire for absolution, I contest that art becomes the only answer to make the world bearable. I encourage the pursuit of a personal becoming no matter how vulnerable and unfamiliar that outcome may prove

Authorial and institutional stratification in open access publishing : the case of global health research

Using a database of recent articles published in the field of Global Health research, we examine institutional sources of stratification in publishing access outcomes. Traditionally, the focus on inequality in scientific publishing has focused on prestige hierarchies in established print journals. This project examines stratification in contemporary publishing with a particular focus on subscription vs. various Open Access (OA) publishing options. Findings show that authors working at lower-ranked universities are more likely to publish in closed/paywalled outlets, and less likely to choose outlets that involve some sort of Article Processing Charge (APCs; gold or hybrid OA). We also analyze institutional differences and stratification in the APC costs paid in various journals. Authors affiliated with higher-ranked institutions, as well as hospitals and non-profit organizations pay relatively higher APCs for gold and hybrid OA publications. Results suggest that authors affiliated with high-ranked universities and well-funded institutions tend to have more resources to choose pay options with publishing. Our research suggests new professional hierarchies developing in contemporary publishing, where various OA publishing options are becoming increasingly prominent. Just as there is stratification in institutional representation between different types of publishing access, there is also inequality within access types