Biocompatible antibiotic-coupled nickel-titanium nanoparticles as a potential coating material for biomedical devices.

The challenges facing metallic implants for reconstructive surgery include the leaching of toxic metal ions, a mismatch in elastic modulus between the implant and the treated tissue, and the risk of infection. These problems can be addressed by passivating the metal surface with an organic substrate and incorporating antibiotic molecules. Nitinol (NiTi), a nickel-titanium alloy, is used in devices for biomedical applications due to its shape memory and superelasticity.

Hybrid pixel direct detector for electron energy loss spectroscopy.

We characterize a hybrid pixel direct detector and demonstrate its suitability for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The detector has a large dynamic range, narrow point spread function, detective quantum efficiency ≥ 0.8 even without single electron arrival discrimination, and it is resilient to radiation damage.

Electrically induced cycling and nutritional counseling for counteracting obesity after spinal cord injury: A pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the preliminary efficacy of interval functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling combined with nutritional counseling in obese adults with SCI. Community-based individuals with chronic SCI. Ten participants with chronic SCI.

Safety and preliminary efficacy of functional electrical stimulation cycling in an individual with cervical cord injury, autonomic dysreflexia, and a pacemaker: Case report.

Functional electric stimulation (FES) cycling is a commonly used therapeutic exercise modality after spinal cord injury (SCI); however, additional precautions must be taken in certain situations. The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a safety monitoring protocol for autonomic dysreflexia (AD) during FES cycling and to determine if an interval-FES cycling program can be safe and beneficial to an individual with cervical SCI, a history of AD, and a non-dependent cardiac pacemaker.The participant was a 36-year-old male with C6 AIS-C SCI sustained 9 years earlier, intermittent AD, and implanted cardiac pacemaker.

Progress in ultrahigh energy resolution EELS.

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the electron microscope has progressed remarkably in the last five years. Advances in monochromator and spectrometer design have improved the energy resolution attainable in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to 4.2 meV, and new applications of ultrahigh energy resolution EELS have not lagged behind.

Atom-by-atom structural and chemical analysis by annular dark-field electron microscopy.

Direct imaging and chemical identification of all the atoms in a material with unknown three-dimensional structure would constitute a very powerful general analysis tool. Transmission electron microscopy should in principle be able to fulfil this role, as many scientists including Feynman realized early on. It images matter with electrons that scatter strongly from individual atoms and whose wavelengths are about 50 times smaller than an atom.

A multicenter investigation of OPTI-FREE RepleniSH multi-purpose disinfecting solution impact on soft contact lens patient comfort.

Objective: Demonstrate that successful soft contact lens wearers using competitive multipurpose solutions report improvement in comfort with OPTI-FREE((R)) RepleniSH((R)) Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Solution (MPDS).

Methods: This 30-day, multicentered, open-label study enrolled 109 eligible soft contact lens wearers using COMPLETE((R)) Multi-Purpose Solution (MPS) Easy Rub((R)) or ReNu MultiPlus((R)) MPS. The test solution (OPTI-FREE((R)) RepleniSH((R)) MPDS) was dispensed for use in place of habitual care solutions.

High-energy-resolution monochromator for aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy/electron energy-loss spectroscopy.

An all-magnetic monochromator/spectrometer system for sub-30 meV energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope is described. It will link the energy being selected by the monochromator to the energy being analysed by the spectrometer, without resorting to decelerating the electron beam. This will allow it to attain spectral energy stability comparable to systems using monochromators and spectrometers that are raised to near the high voltage of the instrument.

Bacterial community succession during in situ uranium bioremediation: spatial similarities along controlled flow paths.

Bacterial community succession was investigated in a field-scale subsurface reactor formed by a series of wells that received weekly ethanol additions to re-circulating groundwater. Ethanol additions stimulated denitrification, metal reduction, sulfate reduction and U(VI) reduction to sparingly soluble U(IV). Clone libraries of SSU rRNA gene sequences from groundwater samples enabled tracking of spatial and temporal changes over a 1.

An electron microscope for the aberration-corrected era.

Improved resolution made possible by aberration correction has greatly increased the demands on the performance of all parts of high-end electron microscopes. In order to meet these demands, we have designed and built an entirely new scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The microscope includes a flexible illumination system that allows the properties of its probe to be changed on-the-fly, a third-generation aberration corrector which corrects all geometric aberrations up to fifth order, an ultra-responsive yet stable five-axis sample stage, and a flexible configuration of optimized detectors.

A highly stereocontrolled total synthesis of (-)-neodysiherbaine A.

Neodysiherbaine A, a neuroexitotoxin occurring in a Micronesian marine sponge Dysidea herbacea, was synthesized from tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal with excellent stereocontrol. The method established enables us to obtain gram quantities of neodysiherbaine A and its related compounds.

Dynamic regulation of IFN-gamma signaling in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells responding to infection.

IFN-gamma plays a critical role in the CD8(+) T cell response to infection, but when and if this cytokine directly signals CD8(+) T cells during an immune response is unknown. We show that naive Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells receive IFN-gamma signals within 12 h after in vivo infection with Listeria monocytogenes and then become unresponsive to IFN-gamma throughout the ensuing Ag-driven expansion phase. Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells regain partial IFN-gamma responsiveness throughout the contraction phase, whereas the memory pool exhibits uniform, but reduced, responsiveness that is also modulated during the secondary response.

T cells undergo rapid ON/OFF but not ON/OFF/ON cycling of cytokine production in response to antigen.

Inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma and TNF produced by Ag-stimulated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells are important in defense against microbial infection. However, production of these cytokines must be tightly regulated to prevent immunopathology. Previous studies, conducted with BALB/c mice, have suggested that 1) CD8(+) T cells maintain IFN-gamma production but transiently produce TNF in the continued presence of Ag and 2) lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific and in vitro-propagated effector CD8(+) T cells could rapidly cycle IFN-gamma production ON/OFF/ON in response to Ag exposure, removal, and re-exposure.

Duration of infection and antigen display have minimal influence on the kinetics of the CD4+ T cell response to Listeria monocytogenes infection.

The T cell response to infection consists of clonal expansion of effector cells, followed by contraction to memory levels. It was previously thought that the duration of infection determines the magnitude and kinetics of the T cell response. However, recent analysis revealed that transition between the expansion and contraction phases of the Ag-specific CD8+ T cell response is not affected by experimental manipulation in the duration of infection or Ag display.

Self-regulation, engagement, motivation, and performance in a simulated quality control task.

This study examined how self-regulation and task-related motivation were related to the accuracy of error detection and task engagement in a simulated quality control task that mimicked prescription-checking behavior in a pharmacy. Ninety-one participants completed measures of self-regulation, task engagement, and task-related motivation and then checked 80 simulated scripts with inserted error ratios ranging from 26% to 38%. Motivation and task engagement were assessed at the beginning of the task, the midpoint of the task, and after the task was over.

Cutting edge: OFF cycling of TNF production by antigen-specific CD8+ T cells is antigen independent.

Although they are known for their capacity to kill infected cells, Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells elaborate other effector mechanisms, including TNF and IFN-gamma, that contribute to defense against infection. Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells rapidly turn ON and turn OFF IFN-gamma production in direct response to Ag contact, presumably to minimize the potential immunopathology that could result from inappropriate secretion of this inflammatory mediator. In this study, we show, using in vitro propagated and directly ex vivo-analyzed Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells, that in contrast to Ag-dependent ON/OFF cycling of IFN-gamma production, the cessation of TNF production by the same IFN-gamma producing cells is rapid and Ag independent.

Insect secretions determine habitat use patterns by a female lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus).

The lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) is one of six sympatric nocturnal primates found in the Kirindy forest, west-Madagascar. Each of these species is reported to consume a secretion produced during the austral winter by the Homopteran insect Flatidia coccinea. In July and August 1993 a study was conducted to determine the importance of this food resource in the ecology of female M.