405 research outputs found
Use of tunable nanopore blockade rates to investigate colloidal dispersions
Tunable nanopores in elastomeric membranes have been used to study the
dependence of ionic current blockade rate on the concentration and
electrophoretic mobility of particles in aqueous suspensions. A range of
nanoparticle sizes, materials and surface functionalities has been tested.
Using pressure-driven flow through a pore, the blockade rate for 100 nm
carboxylated polystyrene particles was found to be linearly proportional to
both transmembrane pressure (controlled between 0 and 1.8 kPa) and particle
concentration (between 7 x 10^8 and 4.5 x 10^10 mL^-1). This result can be
accurately modelled using Nernst-Planck transport theory. Using only an applied
potential across a pore, the blockade rates for carboxylic acid and amine
coated 500 nm and 200 nm silica particles were found to correspond to changes
in their mobility as a function of the solution pH. Scanning electron
microscopy and confocal microscopy have been used to visualise changes in the
tunable nanopore geometry in three dimensions as a function of applied
mechanical strain. The pores observed were conical in shape, and changes in
pore size were consistent with ionic current measurements. A zone of inelastic
deformation adjacent to the pore has been identified as critical in the tuning
process
Granulosa Cell Proliferation is Inhibited by PGE2 in the Primate Ovulatory Follicle
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a key paracrine mediator of ovulation. Few specific PGE2-regulated gene products have been identified, so we hypothesized that PGE2 may regulate the expression and/or activity of a network of proteins to promote ovulation. To test this concept, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to predict PGE2-regulated functionalities in the primate ovulatory follicle. Cynomolgus macaques underwent ovarian stimulation. Follicular granulosa cells were obtained before (0 h) or 36 h after an ovulatory dose of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), with ovulation anticipated 37-40 h after hCG. Granulosa cells were obtained from additional monkeys 36 h after treatment with hCG and the PTGS2 inhibitor celecoxib, which significantly reduced hCG-stimulated follicular prostaglandin synthesis. Granulosa cell RNA expression was determined by microarray and analyzed using IPA. No granulosa cell mRNAs were identified as being significantly up-regulated or down-regulated by hCG + celecoxib compared with hCG only. However, IPA predicted that prostaglandin depletion significantly regulated several functional pathways. Cell cycle/cell proliferation was selected for further study because decreased granulosa cell proliferation is known to be necessary for ovulation and formation of a fully-functional corpus luteum. Prospective in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed the prediction that hCG-stimulated cessation of granulosa cell proliferation is mediated via PGE2. Our studies indicate that PGE2 provides critical regulation of granulosa cell proliferation through mechanisms that do not involve significant regulation of mRNA levels of key cell cycle regulators. Pathway analysis correctly predicted that PGE2 serves as a paracrine mediator of this important transition in ovarian structure and function
Geometry dominated fluid adsorption on sculptured substrates
Experimental methods allow the shape and chemical composition of solid
surfaces to be controlled at a mesoscopic level. Exposing such structured
substrates to a gas close to coexistence with its liquid can produce quite
distinct adsorption characteristics compared to that occuring for planar
systems, which may well play an important role in developing technologies such
as super-repellent surfaces or micro-fluidics. Recent studies have concentrated
on adsorption of liquids at rough and heterogeneous substrates and the
characterisation of nanoscopic liquid films. However, the fundamental effect of
geometry has hardly been addressed. Here we show that varying the shape of the
substrate can exert a profound influence on the adsorption isotherms allowing
us to smoothly connect wetting and capillary condensation through a number of
novel and distinct examples of fluid interfacial phenomena. This opens the
possibility of tailoring the adsorption properties of solid substrates by
sculpturing their surface shape.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Universality for 2D Wedge Wetting
We study 2D wedge wetting using a continuum interfacial Hamiltonian model
which is solved by transfer-matrix methods. For arbitrary binding potentials,
we are able to exactly calculate the wedge free-energy and interface height
distribution function and, thus, can completely classify all types of critical
behaviour. We show that critical filling is characterized by strongly universal
fluctuation dominated critical exponents, whilst complete filling is determined
by the geometry rather than fluctuation effects. Related phenomena for
interface depinning from defect lines in the bulk are also considered.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Modified critical correlations close to modulated and rough surfaces
Correlation functions are sensitive to the presence of a boundary. Surface
modulations give rise to modified near surface correlations, which can be
measured by scattering probes. To determine these correlations, we develop a
perturbative calculation in deformations in height from a flat surface. The
results, combined with a renormalization group around four dimensions, are also
used to predict critical behavior near a self-affinely rough surface. We find
that a large enough roughness exponent can modify surface critical behavior.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Revised version as published in Phys. Rev. Lett.
86, 4596 (2001
Label-free detection of exosomes using surface plasmon resonance biosensor
The development of a sensitive and specific detection platform for exosomes is highly desirable as they are believed to transmit vital tumour-specific information (mRNAs, microRNAs, and proteins) to remote cells for secondary metastasis. Herein, we report a simple method for the real-time and label-free detection of clinically relevant exosomes using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. Our method shows high specificity in detecting BT474 breast cancer cell-derived exosomes particularly from complex biological samples (e.g. exosome spiked in serum). This approach exhibits high sensitivity by detecting as low as 8280 exosomes/μL which may potentially be suitable for clinical analysis. We believe that this label-free and real-time method along with the high specificity and sensitivity may potentially be useful for clinical settings
Gold colloidal nanoparticle electrodeposition on a silicon surface in a uniform electric field
The electrodeposition of gold colloidal nanoparticles on a silicon wafer in a uniform electric field is investigated using scanning electron microscopy and homemade electrochemical cells. Dense and uniform distributions of particles are obtained with no aggregation. The evolution of surface particle density is analyzed in relation to several parameters: applied voltage, electric field, exchanged charge. Electrical, chemical, and electrohydrodynamical parameters are taken into account in describing the electromigration process
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