264 research outputs found
Design strategies for optimizing holographic optical tweezers setups
We provide a detailed account of the construction of a system of holographic
optical tweezers. While much information is available on the design, alignment
and calibration of other optical trapping configurations, those based on
holography are relatively poorly described. Inclusion of a spatial light
modulator in the setup gives rise to particular design trade-offs and
constraints, and the system benefits from specific optimization strategies,
which we discuss.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure
The Emerging Chondrocyte Channelome
Chondrocytes are the resident cells of articular cartilage and are responsible for synthesizing a range of collagenous and non-collagenous extracellular matrix macromolecules. Whilst chondrocytes exist at low densities in the tissue (1â10% of the total tissue volume in mature cartilage) they are extremely active cells and are capable of responding to a range of mechanical and biochemical stimuli. These responses are necessary for the maintenance of viable cartilage and may be compromised in inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Although chondrocytes are non-excitable cells their plasma membrane contains a rich complement of ion channels. This diverse channelome appears to be as complex as one might expect to find in excitable cells although, in the case of chondrocytes, their functions are far less well understood. The ion channels so far identified in chondrocytes include potassium channels (KATP, BK, Kv, and SK), sodium channels (epithelial sodium channels, voltage activated sodium channels), transient receptor potential calcium or non-selective cation channels and chloride channels. In this review we describe this emerging channelome and discuss the possible functions of a range of chondrocyte ion channels
ProkSeq for complete analysis of RNA-Seq data from prokaryotes
Since its introduction, RNA-Seq technology has been used extensively in studies of pathogenic bacteria to identify and quantify differences in gene expression across multiple samples from bacteria exposed to different conditions. With some exceptions, tools for studying gene expression, determination of differential gene expression, downstream pathway analysis and normalization of data collected in extreme biological conditions is still lacking. Here, we describe ProkSeq, a user-friendly, fully automated RNA-Seq data analysis pipeline designed for prokaryotes. ProkSeq provides a wide variety of options for analysing differential expression, normalizing expression data and visualizing data and results
Using Stop Motion Animation to Sketch in Architecture: A practical approach
Widely acknowledged as an archetypal design activity,
sketching is typically carried out using little more than pen
and paper. Todayâs designed artifacts however, are often
given qualities that are hard to capture with traditional
means of sketching. While pen and paper sketching
catches the character of a building, it may not equally well
capture how that building changes with the seasons, how
people pass through it, how the light moves in between
its rooms from sunrise to dawn, and how its façade subtly
decays over centuries. Yet, it is often exactly these dynamic
and interactive aspects that are emphasised in
contemporary design work. So is there a way for designers
to be able to sketch also these dynamic processes?
Over several years and in different design disciplines, we
have been exploring the potential of stop motion
animation (SMA) to serve this purpose. SMA is a basic
form of animation typically applied to make physical
objects appear to be alive. The animator moves objects in
small increments between individually photographed
frames. When the photographs are combined and played
back in continuous sequence, the illusion of movement is
created. Although SMA has a long history in filmmaking,
the animation technique has received scarce attention in
most design fields including product design, architecture,
and interaction design. This paper brings SMA into the
area of sketching in architecture by reporting on the
planning, conduct, result, and evaluation of a workshop
course carried out with a group of 50 students at UmeÄ
School of Architecture, UmeÄ University, Sweden
In pursuit of rigour and accountability in participatory design
The field of Participatory Design (PD) has greatly diversified and we see a broad spectrum of approaches and methodologies emerging. However, to foster its role in designing future interactive technologies, a discussion about accountability and rigour across this spectrum is needed. Rejecting the traditional, positivistic framework, we take inspiration from related fields such as Design Research and Action Research to develop interpretations of these concepts that are rooted in PDŚłs own belief system. We argue that unlike in other fields, accountability and rigour are nuanced concepts that are delivered through debate, critique and reflection. A key prerequisite for having such debates is the availability of a language that allows designers, researchers and practitioners to construct solid arguments about the appropriateness of their stances, choices and judgements.
To this end, we propose a âtool-to-think-withâ that provides such a language by guiding designers, researchers and practitioners through a process of systematic reflection and critical analysis. The tool proposes four lenses to critically reflect on the nature of a PD effort: epistemology, values, stakeholders and outcomes. In a subsequent step, the coherence between the revealed features is analysed and shows whether they pull the project in the same direction or work against each other. Regardless of the flavour of PD, we argue that this coherence of features indicates the level of internal rigour of PD work and that the process of reflection and analysis provides the language to argue for it. We envision our tool to be useful at all stages of PD work: in the planning phase, as part of a reflective practice during the work, and as a means to construct knowledge and advance the field after the fact. We ground our theoretical discussions in a specific PD experience, the ECHOES project, to motivate the tool and to illustrate its workings
Remote effects of acute kidney injury in a porcine model
Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common and serious disease with no specific treatment. An episode of AKI may affect organs distant to the kidney, further increasing the morbidity associated with AKI. The mechanism of organ cross-talk after AKI is unclear. The renal and immune systems of pigs and humans are alike. Using a preclinical animal (porcine) model, we test the hypothesis that early effects of AKI on distant organs is by immune cell infiltration leading to inflammatory cytokine production, extravasation and edema.
Study Design: In 29 pigs exposed to either sham-surgery or renal ischemia-reperfusion (control, n=12; AKI, n=17) we assessed remote organ (liver, lung, brain) effects in the short-(from 2 to 48h reperfusion) and longer-term (5 weeks later) using immunofluorescence (for leucocyte infiltration, apoptosis), a cytokine array, tissue elemental analysis (electrolytes), blood hematology and chemistry (e.g. liver enzymes) and PCR (for inflammatory markers).
Results: AKI elicited significant, short-term (~24h) increments in enzymes indicative of acute liver damage (e.g. AST:ALT ratio; P=0.02) and influenced tissue biochemistry in some remote organs (e.g. lung tissue [Ca++] increased; P=0.04). These effects largely resolved after 48h and no further histopathology, edema, apoptosis or immune cell infiltration was noted in liver, lung or hippocampus in the short- and longer-term.
Conclusions: AKI has subtle biochemical effects on remote organs in the short-term including a transient increment in markers of acute liver damage. These effects resolved by 48h and no further remote organ histopathology, apoptosis, edema or immune cell infiltration was noted
Understanding Engagement with the Privacy Domain Through Design Research.
This paper reports findings from participatory design research aimed at uncovering how technological interventions can engage users in the domain of privacy. Our work was undertaken in the context of a new design concept âPrivacy Trendsâ whose aspiration is to foster technology usersâ digital literacy regarding ongoing privacy risks and elucidate how such risks fit within existing social, organizational and political systems, leading to a longer term privacy concern. Our study reveals two challenges for privacy intervention design: the need to develop technology usersâ intrinsic motivations with the privacy domain and the importance of framing the concept of privacy within usersâ interests. Setting our study within a design context enables us to identify four design opportunities for fostering engagement with the privacy domain through technology design
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