Recovery and Analysis of Bacterial Membrane Vesicle Nanoparticles from Human Plasma Using Dielectrophoresis.

Bacterial membrane vesicle (BMV) nanoparticles are secreted naturally by bacteria throughout their lifecycle and are a rich source of biomarkers from the parent bacteria, but they are currently underutilized for clinical diagnostic applications, such as pathogen identification, due to the time-consuming and low-yield nature of traditional recovery methods required for analysis. The recovery of BMVs is particularly difficult from complex biological fluids. Here, we demonstrate a recovery method that uses dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces generated on electrokinetic microfluidic chips to isolate and analyze BMVs from human plasma.

Increased modal damping of undamped single and multiscale acoustic black hole panels.

The acoustic black hole (ABH) effect has been shown to increase damping of structures by focusing energy into a tapered-thickness region with added damping material. This paper illustrates that enhanced damping can be achieved without the use of damping material. Three panels were designed with different ABH grid patterns and parameters and compared to a baseline panel.

Enhancement of dielectrophoresis-based particle collection from high conducting fluids due to partial electrode insulation.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a successful method to recover nanoparticles from different types of fluid. The DEP force acting on these particles is created by an electrode microarray that produces a nonuniform electric field. To apply DEP to a highly conducting biological fluid, a protective hydrogel coating over the metal electrodes is required to create a barrier between the electrode and the fluid.

The choking woman.

Background: There is a small, but significant cohort of patients that receives inappropriate care, in the wrong setting, and that utilises a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources. People with multiple co-morbidities and often-undetected mental illness fare better with integrated care and case management approaches.

Setting: In North West London, we have been working in the 'Integrated Care Programme' for four years to try to improve the care this cohort receives.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in the treatment of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Objective: To present results of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) use in medically nonresponsive pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO), treated by anterior/posterior debridement and instrumented fusion in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral spine.

Summary Of Background Data: Surgical options for PVO vary, as do their outcomes, and can be complicated by recurrence, pseudarthrosis, and death.