Development of Micromachined Probes for Bio-Nano Applications

The most commonly known macro scale probing devices are simply comprised of metallic leads used for measuring electrical signals. On the other hand, micromachined probing devices are realized using microfabrication techniques and are capable of providing very fine, micro/nano scale interaction with matter; along with a broad range of applications made possible by incorporating MEMS sensing and actuation techniques. Micromachined probes consist of a well-defined tip structure that determines the interaction space, and a transduction mechanism that could be used for sensing a change, imparting external stimuli or manipulating matter. Several micromachined probes intended for biological and nanotechnology applications were fabricated, characterized and tested. Probes were developed under two major categories. The first category consists of Micro Electromagnetic Probes for biological applications such as single cell, particle, droplet manipulation and neuron stimulation applications; whereas the second category targets novel Scanning Probe topologies suitable for direct nanopatterning, variable resolution scanning probe/dip-pen nanolithography, and biomechanics applications. The functionality and versatility of micromachined probes for a broad range of micro and nanotechnology applications is successfully demonstrated throughout the five different probes/applications that were studied. It is believed that, the unique advantages of precise positioning capability, confinement of interaction as determined by the probe tip geometry, and special sensor/actuator mechanisms incorporated through MEMS technologies will render micromachined probes as indispensable tools for microsystems and nanotechnology studies

C-Reactive Protein Causes Blood Pressure Drop in Rabbits and Induces Intracellular Calcium Signaling

Systemic diseases characterized by elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), such as sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome, are usually associated with hardly controllable haemodynamic instability. We therefore investigated whether CRP itself influences blood pressure and heart rate. Immediately after intravenous injection of purified human CRP (3.5 mg CRP/kg body weight) into anesthetized rabbits, blood pressure dropped critically in all animals, while control animals injected with bovine serum albumin showed no response. Heart rate did not change in either group. Approaching this impact on a cellular level, we investigated the effect of CRP in cell lines expressing adrenoceptors (CHO-α1A and DU-145). CRP caused a Ca(2+)signaling being dependent on the CRP dose. After complete activation of the adrenoceptors by agonists, CRP caused additional intracellular Ca(2+)mobilization. We assume that CRP interacts with hitherto unknown structures on the surface of vital cells and thus interferes with the desensitization of adrenoceptors

Protocol study: Sexual and reproductive health knowledge, information-seeking behaviour and attitudes among Saudi women: A questionnaire survey of university students

Copyright © 2014 Farih et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background - Sexual and reproductive health (SRH), a basic right for women worldwide, is infrequently researched in countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). No empirical studies of SRH among Saudi women exist. This protocol describes a study to explore the SRH knowledge, information-seeking behaviour and attitudes of Saudi female university students. Methods/Design - This study will administer a questionnaire survey to female students at 13 universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed following a literature search to identify relevant content, with psychometrically tested tools used when available. The content layout and the wording and order of the questions were designed to minimize the risk of bias. The questionnaire has been translated into Arabic and piloted in preparation for administration to the study sample. Ethical approval for the study has been granted (reference no. QMREC2012/54). After questionnaire administration, the data will be collated, analysed and reported anonymously. The findings will be published in compliance with reporting guidelines for survey research. Discussion - This study will be the first to provide fundamental information concerning Saudi females university students SRH knowledge and information needs.King Abdullah Scholarship Program, Saudi Arabi

Primordial Black Holes: Observational Characteristics of The Final Evaporation

Many early universe theories predict the creation of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs). PBHs could have masses ranging from the Planck mass to 10^5 solar masses or higher depending on the size of the universe at formation. A Black Hole (BH) has a Hawking temperature which is inversely proportional to its mass. Hence a sufficiently small BH will quasi-thermally radiate particles at an ever-increasing rate as emission lowers its mass and raises its temperature. The final moments of this evaporation phase should be explosive and its description is dependent on the particle physics model. In this work we investigate the final few seconds of BH evaporation, using the Standard Model and incorporating the most recent Large Hadron Collider (LHC) results, and provide a new parameterization for the instantaneous emission spectrum. We calculate for the first time energy-dependent PBH burst light curves in the GeV/TeV energy range. Moreover, we explore PBH burst search methods and potential observational PBH burst signatures. We have found a unique signature in the PBH burst light curves that may be detectable by GeV/TeV gamma-ray observatories such as the High Altitude Water Cerenkov (HAWC) observatory. The implications of beyond the Standard Model theories on the PBH burst observational characteristics are also discussed, including potential sensitivity of the instantaneous photon detection rate to a squark threshold in the 5 -10 TeV range.Comment: Accepted to Astroparticle Physics Journal (71 Pages, 22 Figures

Economics handbook

1995 handbook for the faculty of Economic