Improved continuous magnetic separation assisted with advection flows in microfluidic channels

Department of Biomedical EngineeringMagnetophoretic separation efficiency is determined by a ratio of magnetic particles isolated by magnetic flux density gradients. Because the magnetic flux density gradients rapidly decrease as the distance from the magnetic source increases, the magetic particles which are placed far from the magnetic source are not separated. This is one of the key challenges to achieve high throughput magnetic separation device. Here, we report a magnetic separation device inducing specific fluid flow by patterning the obstacle arrays on the channel. We achieve highly augmented magnetic separation efficiency using chaotic convection flows induced by the slanted ridges in the channels. The asymmetric pressure gradients across the cross-section of the channel are induced by the slanted ridge arrays pattern in the channel, and then it occurs the spiral flows inside the microchannel. The spiral flows transfer the magnetic particles or biological cells integrated with magnetic particles toward the area with high magnetic flux density gradient where is close to the ferromagnetic nickel structure with magnet. With this suggested approach, over 91.68% of E. coli bound with magnetic nanoparticles (200 nm) in whole blood are successfully isolated at a flow rate up to 1.6 mL/h, in a single microfluidic channel, whereas conventional devices without advective rotational flows only isolated under 27.72%.ope

Development of Indexes for the Performance Evaluation of e-SCM

Web-based sharing of information across the supply chain can bring a host of advantages to the trading partners. lower cost, leaner inventories, and more efficient shipping are just the beginning. eSCM is technology-enabled ability to concurrently manage high levels of complexity and multiple external relationships. This study presents that the development of indexes for the performance evaluation of e-SCM should be given more priority by companies giving weights to each index. Deductive research is used for the development of evaluation items and AHP method for the development of weights of the items. According to priority of each category - relationship between supplier and company, relationship between partner and company and relationship between customer and company- is as follows; Company driven type: relationship between customer and company, relationship between supplier and company, relationship between partner and company. Market portal type: relationship between supplier and company, relationship between customer and company, relationship between partner and company

Chronic Treatment with Squid Phosphatidylserine Activates Glucose Uptake and Ameliorates TMT-Induced Cognitive Deficit in Rats via Activation of Cholinergic Systems

The present study examined the effects of squid phosphatidylserine (Squid-PS) on the learning and memory function and the neural activity in rats with TMT-induced memory deficits. The rats were administered saline or squid derived Squid-PS (Squid-PS 50 mg kg−1, p.o.) daily for 21 days. The cognitive improving efficacy of Squid-PS on the amnesic rats, which was induced by TMT, was investigated by assessing the passive avoidance task and by performing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) immunohistochemistry. 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose and performed a positron emission tomography (PET) scan was also performed. In the passive avoidance test, the control group which were injected with TMT showed a markedly lower latency time than the non-treated normal group (P < 0.05). However, treatment of Squid-PS significantly recovered the impairment of memory compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Consistent with the behavioral data, Squid-PS significantly alleviated the loss of ChAT immunoreactive neurons in the hippocampal CA3 compared to that of the control group (P < 0.01). Also, Squid-PS significantly increased the AchE positive neurons in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3. In the PET analysis, Squid-PS treatment increased the glucose uptake more than twofold in the frontal lobe and the hippocampus (P < 0.05, resp.). These results suggest that Squid-PS may be useful for improving the cognitive function via regulation of cholinergic enzyme activity and neural activity