PT-symmetric Solutions of Schrodinger Equation with position-dependent mass via Point Canonical Transformation

PT-symmetric solutions of Schrodinger equation are obtained for the Scarf and generalized harmonic oscillator potentials with the position-dependent mass. A general point canonical transformation is applied by using a free parameter. Three different forms of mass distributions are used. A set of the energy eigenvalues of the bound states and corresponding wave functions for target potentials are obtained as a function of the free parameter.Comment: 13 page

Superhydrophobic paper in the development of disposable labware and lab-on-paper devices

Traditionally in superhydrophobic surfaces history, the focus has frequently settled on the use of complex processing methodologies using nonbiodegradable and costly materials. In light of recent events on lab-on-paper emergence, there are now some efforts for the production of superhydrophobic paper but still with little development and confined to the fabrication of flat devices. This work gives a new look at the range of possible applications of bioinspired superhydrophobic paper-based substrates, obtained using a straightforward surface modification with poly(hydroxybutyrate). As an end-of-proof of the possibility to create lab-on-chip portable devices, the patterning of superhydrophobic paper with different wettable shapes is shown with low-cost approaches. Furthermore, we suggest the use of superhydrophobic paper as an extremely low-cost material to design essential nonplanar lab apparatus, including reservoirs for liquid storage and manipulation, funnels, tips for pipettes, or accordion-shaped substrates for liquid transport or mixing. Such devices take the advantage of the self-cleaning and extremely water resistance properties of the surfaces as well as the actions that may be done with paper such as cut, glue, write, fold, warp, or burn. The obtained substrates showed lower propensity to adsorb proteins than the original paper, kept superhydrophobic character upon ethylene oxide sterilization and are disposable, suggesting that the developing devices could be especially adequate for use in contact with biological and hazardous materials

Dietary Restriction Depends on Nutrient Composition to Extend Chronological Lifespan in Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

10.1371/journal.pone.0064448PLoS ONE85

Results of endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery in 40 patients with a growth hormone-secreting macroadenoma

Contains fulltext : 96290.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)OBJECTIVE: Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TS) is the primary treatment of choice for patients with acromegaly. Macroadenomas (>1 cm) are more difficult to resect than microadenomas (remission rate +/- 50% compared to +/- 90%). Besides the conventional microscopic TS, the more recently introduced endoscopic technique is nowadays frequently used. However, no large series reporting on its results have yet been published. We evaluated the outcome of endoscopic TS in 40 patients with a growth hormone (GH)-secreting macroadenoma treated in our hospital between 1998 and 2007. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Remission was defined as disappearance of clinical symptoms of acromegaly, normal serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels (</=2 SD) and serum GH levels suppressed to <2 mU/l after an oral glucose tolerance test within the first 4 months after TS. RESULTS: In four patients TS aimed at debulking of the tumour. In the remaining 36 patients, remission was achieved in 20 patients. In the first 5 years remission was achieved in 6 out of 18 patients (33%) compared to 14 out of 22 patients (63%) in the following 5 years (p = 0.06). Thirteen patients had a mild perioperative complication. Before TS 15 patients received hormonal substitution therapy compared to 12 patients (33%) after TS. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic TS is a good primary therapeutic option for patients with a GH-secreting macroadenoma, resulting in a remission rate of up to 63% in experienced hands. This technique can potentially improve the outcome of TS in these patients

The Antidiabetic Effect of MSCs Is Not Impaired by Insulin Prophylaxis and Is Not Improved by a Second Dose of Cells

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is due to autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells. Previously, we have shown that intravenously administered bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) allows pancreatic islet recovery, improves insulin secretion and reverts hyperglycemia in low doses streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Here we evaluate whether insulin prophylaxis and the administration of a second dose of cells affect the antidiabetic therapeutic effect of MSC transplantation. Insulitis and subsequent elimination of pancreatic beta-cells was promoted in C57BL/6 mice by the injection of 40 mg/kg/day STZ for five days. Twenty-four days later, diabetic mice were distributed into experimental groups according to if they received or not insulin and/or one or two doses of healthy donor-derived MSCs. Three and half months later: glycemia, pancreatic islets number, insulinemia, glycated hemoglobin level and glucose tolerance were determined in animals that did not received exogenous insulin for the last 1.5 months. Also, we characterized MSCs isolated from mice healthy or diabetic. The therapeutic effect of MSC transplantation was observed in diabetic mice that received or not insulin prophylaxis. Improvements were similar irrespective if they received one or two doses of cells. Compared to MSCs from healthy mice, MSCs from diabetic mice had the same proliferation and adipogenic potentials, but were less abundant, with altered immunophenotype and no osteogenic potential

TSP-1 Secreted by Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Contributes to Retinal Ganglion Cell Neurite Outgrowth and Survival

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are pluripotent and thereby a potential candidate for cell replacement therapy for central nervous system degenerative disorders and traumatic injury. However, the mechanism of their differentiation and effect on neural tissues has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluates the effect of BMSCs on neural cell growth and survival in a retinal ganglion cell (RGCs) model by assessing the effect of changes in the expression of a BMSC-secreted protein, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), as a putative mechanistic agent acting on RGCs. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The effect of co-culturing BMSCs and RGCs in vitro was evaluated by measuring the following parameters: neurite outgrowth, RGC survival, BMSC neural-like differentiation, and the effect of TSP-1 on both cell lines under basal secretion conditions and when TSP-1 expression was inhibited. Our data show that BMSCs improved RGC survival and neurite outgrowth. Synaptophysin, MAP-2, and TGF-beta expression are up-regulated in RGCs co-cultured with BMSCs. Interestingly, the BMSCs progressively displayed neural-like morphology over the seven-day study period. Restriction display polymerase chain reaction (RD-PCR) was performed to screen for differentially expressed genes in BMSCs cultured alone or co-cultured with RGCs. TSP-1, a multifactorial extracellular matrix protein, is critically important in the formation of neural connections during development, so its function in our co-culture model was investigated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection. When TSP-1 expression was decreased with siRNA silencing, BMSCs had no impact on RGC survival, but reduced neurite outgrowth and decreased expression of synaptophysin, MAP-2 and TGF-beta in RGCs. Furthermore, the number of BMSCs with neural-like characteristics was significantly decreased by more than two-fold using siRNA silencing. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the TSP-1 signaling pathway might have an important role in neural-like differentiation in BMSCs and neurite outgrowth in RGCs. This study provides new insights into the potential reparative mechanisms of neural cell repair

Self-similarity of contact line depinning from textured surfaces

The mobility of drops on surfaces is important in many biological and industrial processes, but the phenomena governing their adhesion, which is dictated by the morphology of the three-phase contact line, remain unclear. Here we describe a technique for measuring the dynamic behaviour of the three-phase contact line at micron length scales using environmental scanning electron microscopy. We examine a superhydrophobic surface on which a drop’s adhesion is governed by capillary bridges at the receding contact line. We measure the microscale receding contact angle of each bridge and show that the Gibbs criterion is satisfied at the microscale. We reveal a hitherto unknown self-similar depinning mechanism that shows how some hierarchical textures such as lotus leaves lead to reduced pinning, and counter-intuitively, how some lead to increased pinning. We develop a model to predict adhesion force and experimentally verify the model’s broad applicability on both synthetic and natural textured surfaces.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CAREER Award 0952564)DuPont MIT AllianceNational Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship ProgramNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award ECS-0335765