3D correlative single-cell imaging utilizing fluorescence and refractive index tomography

Cells alter the path of light, a fact that leads to well-known aberrations in single cell or tissue imaging. Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) measures the biophysical property that causes these aberrations, the refractive index (RI). ODT is complementary to fluorescence imaging and does not require any markers. The present study introduces RI and fluorescence tomography with optofluidic rotation (RAFTOR) of suspended cells, quantifying the intracellular RI distribution and colocalizing it with fluorescence in 3D. The technique is validated with cell phantoms and used to confirm a lower nuclear RI for HL60 cells. Furthermore, the nuclear inversion of adult mouse photoreceptor cells is observed in the RI distribution. The applications shown confirm predictions of previous studies and illustrate the potential of RAFTOR to improve our understanding of cells and tissues.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Microfluidic rheology of non-Newtonian liquids.

We investigate the rheological properties of a non-Newtonian glass-former liquid within lithographically defined microchannels in the range of temperatures above the vitrification region. The non-Newtonian behavior of the fluid, as evidenced by rotational rheology, is well described by a power law dependence of the viscosity on the shear rate. Taking into account such non-Newtonian character in the equations for the microfluidic motion, we relate the penetration dynamics into capillaries with the liquid rheological properties. The temperature dependence of the viscosity, determined over 1 order of magnitude in the temperature range 286−333 K and for shear rates between 0.07 and 1 s-1, can be described by a Vogel−Fulcher−Tamman law, consistent with the fragile nature of the investigated compound. Microfluidics is a promising analytical approach for the investigation of the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids within confined microenvironments

Investigating the temperature dependence of the viscosity of a non-Newtonian fluid within lithographically defined microchannels.

We present a study of the rheological phenomenology of a non-Newtonian glass former within hybrid microchannels above the vitrification region. We determined the temperature behavior of the viscosity, which is well fitted by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman law for shear rates between 4×10−2 and 9×10−1s−1. The microflow viscosity was compared with previously reported conductivity data of the investigated molecular system. Our findings provide an insight into the coupling between the structural dynamics in the bulk and that within the microchannels, suggesting lithographically defined microfluidic systems as promising tools for the investigation of the rheological properties of complex liquids

Outpatient Primary Care Practitioner Access: Sex-Based Preferences

Background: In some innovative outpatient practice models, patients are faced with trade-offs, such as choosing between continuity of care vs quick access to a healthcare practitioner (HCP). Our objective was to assess sex-based differences in visit access preferences at an academic outpatient internal medicine clinic. Methods: A 13-question survey with four discrete choice experiments proposing hypothetical care scenarios was offered to patients over a 6-week period in 2018. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests evaluated results by sex for categorical variables, Mann-Whitney rank-sum test for continuous variables, and multivariable models adjusted for age, marital status, education, and income. P-values \u3c 0.05 were statistically significant. Results: A majority of 796 of 1731 (46%) respondents were female (56%) and over age 65 (58.5%). Females were more likely than males to prefer communicating with the same allied health staff (AHS) over receiving a quick response (female 36.3% vs male 28.0%, p=0.0031) Females prioritized seeing their own provider as opposed to scheduling a convenient appointment for routine care (female 90.2% vs male 85.0%, p =0.028). Multivariable analysis found that females were 6% less likely than males to request the same AHS for communication (95% CI 0.62-1.44), 29% less likely to request the same HCP for yearly physicals (95% CI 0.34 – 1.44), but 3% more likely than men to request an acute visit with the same HCP (95% CI 0.68-1.56) and 13% more likely to request the same HCP for virtual visits (95% CI 0.70-1.81). Conclusion: Sex-based differences in access preferences were identified. Women preferred continuity of care with the same HCP and AHS over ease of scheduling or a quick response, though these preferences appear to be moderated by other factors including age and marital status. Further identification of longitudinal and socioeconomic factors influencing preferences is needed in this era of evolving practice models.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/sexandgenderhealth/1029/thumbnail.jp

Progettare l’incompiutezza. Le aree dismesse come risorsa per la città

The landscape of Bagnoli is the product of almost a century of industrial activities, which once ceased, have left evident traces: not only the industrial archaeologies, but especially the vast open spaces, the soils, which today assume the status of disused areas, or brownfields. Accepting incompleteness can be a design attitude, aimed at framing post-industrial landscapes as areas that have undergone changes over time, changing their nature, and that they can continue to undergo this continuous process of modification in the future, avoiding the imposition of definitive uses. This approach may not only concern brownfields themselves, but the whole urban system of which they make, in many cases, part: the abandoned areas can be seen as open spaces for different uses over time, which can guarantee a resource for the existing city. The paper aims to deepen in the form of discussion the design experimentation on the themes and the case study of Bagnoli