A practical review on the measurement tools for cellular adhesion force

Cell cell and cell matrix adhesions are fundamental in all multicellular organisms. They play a key role in cellular growth, differentiation, pattern formation and migration. Cell-cell adhesion is substantial in the immune response, pathogen host interactions, and tumor development. The success of tissue engineering and stem cell implantations strongly depends on the fine control of live cell adhesion on the surface of natural or biomimetic scaffolds. Therefore, the quantitative and precise measurement of the adhesion strength of living cells is critical, not only in basic research but in modern technologies, too. Several techniques have been developed or are under development to quantify cell adhesion. All of them have their pros and cons, which has to be carefully considered before the experiments and interpretation of the recorded data. Current review provides a guide to choose the appropriate technique to answer a specific biological question or to complete a biomedical test by measuring cell adhesion

Event-shape-dependent analysis of charm-anticharm azimuthal correlations in simulations

In high-energy collisions of small systems, by high-enough final-state multiplicities, a collective behaviour is present that is similar to the flow patterns observed in heavy-ion collisions. Recent studies connect this collectivity to semi-soft vacuum-QCD processes. Here we explore QCD production mechanisms using angular correlations of heavy flavour using simulated proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$~TeV with the PYTHIA8 Monte Carlo event generator. We demonstrate that the event shape is strongly connected to the production mechanisms. Flattenicity, a novel event descriptor, can be used to separate events containing the final-state radiation from the rest of the events.Comment: Submitted to Universe Zimanyi School Special Issu

Final compaction report -- Haiku Park Subdivision Unit 1, Kaneohe, Hawaii

Reference: Preliminary soils investigation, Haiku Park Subdivision Units 1 & 2 (Unit 1A), tax map keys 4-6-16 por. 1 and 4-6-16-28, Kaneohe, HawaiiW.O. 303-10Includes compaction report of fill placed onto the property.Gentry Hawaii, Ltd

Microarray Analysis of Late-season Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) Effect on Corn

Microarray analysis was used to identify changes in gene expression in corn leaves collected from plants at the V11–14 growth stage that resulted from competition with velvetleaf. The plants were grown in field plots under adequate N (addition of 220 kg N ha1) and irrigation to minimize N and water stress. Consequently, only differences resulting from competition for micronutrients, light, and perhaps allelopathic stress were anticipated. Genes involved in carbon and nitrogen utilization, photosynthesis, growth and development, oxidative stress, signal transduction, responses to auxin and ethylene, and zinc transport were repressed in corn growing in competition with velvetleaf. Very few genes were induced because of competition with velvetleaf, and those that were provided little indication of the physiological response of corn. No differences were observed in genes responsive to water stress or sequestering/transporting micronutrients other than zinc, indicating that these stresses were not a major component of velvetleaf competition with corn at the developmental stage tested

A case of cephalothin-associated urolithiasis

We present a case of osteomyelitis requiring prolonged intravenous cephalothin complicated by symptomatic calcium oxalate urocalculi formation. Patients on long-term β-lactam antibiotics with lower urinary tract symptoms may have urolithiasis rather than a urinary tract infection

In-situ and label-free optical monitoring of the adhesion and spreading of primary monocytes isolated from human blood: dependence on serum concentration levels

Adhesion and spreading of primary monocytes isolated from human blood were monitored utilizing optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS); a highly sensitive label-free biosensor technique using evanescent optical waves generated at a biocompatible surface. Appropriate development on a custom built setup enabled the OWLS cuvette to be operated as a 1.5 ml mini-incubator, controlling both temperature and CO2 levels. The incubator-equipped OWLS is readily applicable for delicate and long-term studies on sensitive primary cells, demonstrated here through monitoring the serum dependence of the adhesion and spreading of human monocytes. Moreover, the custom-built setup enables the simultaneous monitoring of the position and overall width of the OWLS resonant peaks. This unique feature makes it possible to distinguish the refractive index variations induced by the adsorption of secreted material from refractive index changes provoked by cellular spreading. A definite attachment and spreading activity was observed on the substratum (glassy silica-titania), when the serum level of the culturing medium was 0.0-0.01%. Increasing serum concentration resulted in a steep fall in monocyte surface adhesion and spreading. 1.0% serum level practically abolished all spreading activity measured by OWLS, and the number of attached cells was significantly decreased, too. Serum addition to fully spread cells provoked a reduction in the cell-substratum contact area, clearly detectable by the biosensor. Cell spreading was inhibited by pre-coating the sensor surface with considerable amounts of serum proteins. These findings suggest that monocyte spreading is inhibited by the adsorption of serum biomolecules to the substratum, rather than by soluble factors present in the serum. All of these results were obtained completely non-invasively with real time monitoring; demonstrating the capabilities of OWLS to sensitively monitor the adhesion properties of immune cells isolated from human blood. The current study is, therefore, a significant step towards the application of label-free optical biosensors in medical diagnostics

DNA methylation age is accelerated in alcohol dependence.

Alcohol dependence (ALC) is a chronic, relapsing disorder that increases the burden of chronic disease and significantly contributes to numerous premature deaths each year. Previous research suggests that chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is associated with differential DNA methylation patterns. In addition, DNA methylation levels at certain CpG sites have been correlated with age. We used an epigenetic clock to investigate the potential role of excessive alcohol consumption in epigenetic aging. We explored this question in five independent cohorts, including DNA methylation data derived from datasets from blood (n = 129, n = 329), liver (n = 92, n = 49), and postmortem prefrontal cortex (n = 46). One blood dataset and one liver tissue dataset of individuals with ALC exhibited positive age acceleration (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0069, respectively), whereas the other blood and liver tissue datasets both exhibited trends of positive age acceleration that were not significant (p = 0.83 and p = 0.57, respectively). Prefrontal cortex tissue exhibited a trend of negative age acceleration (p = 0.19). These results suggest that excessive alcohol consumption may be associated with epigenetic aging in a tissue-specific manner and warrants further investigation using multiple tissue samples from the same individuals