Reclaiming Resilience Through Granular Arbitrage: Anticipating Sea Level Rise in Singapore.

Over the last sixty ears, Singapore has expanded its land footprint over twenty-five percent by reclaiming land from the sea. Its outsized demand for sand to resource these projects has rendered regional sand markets precarious, and successive countries have banned sand exports to Singapore. Nevertheless, the Singapore government has committed to spending $SG one billion (US$ 767 million) a year until 2100 to mitigate sea level rise.

Manipulation of encapsulated artificial phospholipid membranes using sub-micellar lysolipid concentrations.

Droplet Interface Bilayers (DIBs) constitute a commonly used model of artificial membranes for synthetic biology research applications. However, their practical use is often limited by their requirement to be surrounded by oil. Here we demonstrate in-situ bilayer manipulation of submillimeter, hydrogel-encapsulated droplet interface bilayers (eDIBs).

Building programmable multicompartment artificial cells incorporating remotely activated protein channels using microfluidics and acoustic levitation.

Intracellular compartments are functional units that support the metabolism within living cells, through spatiotemporal regulation of chemical reactions and biological processes. Consequently, as a step forward in the bottom-up creation of artificial cells, building analogous intracellular architectures is essential for the expansion of cell-mimicking functionality. Herein, we report the development of a droplet laboratory platform to engineer complex emulsion-based, multicompartment artificial cells, using microfluidics and acoustic levitation.

Encapsulated droplet interface bilayers as a platform for high-throughput membrane studies.

Whilst it is highly desirable to produce artificial lipid bilayer arrays allowing for systematic high-content screening of membrane conditions, it remains a challenge due to the combined requirements of scaled membrane production, simple measurement access, and independent control over individual bilayer experimental conditions. Here, droplet bilayers encapsulated within a hydrogel shell are output individually into multi-well plates for simple, arrayed quantitative measurements. The afforded experimental throughput is used to conduct a 2D concentration screen characterising the synergistic pore-forming peptides Magainin2 and PGLa.

PROSE: Prospective Randomized Trial of the On-X Mechanical Prosthesis and the St Jude Medical Mechanical Prosthesis Evaluation : Part 1(Patient Dynamics): Preoperative demographics and preoperative and operative risk factors.

Objectives: The PROSE trial purpose is to investigate whether the incidence of thromboembolic-related complications is reduced with a current generation mechanical prosthesis (On-X Life Technologies/CryoLife Inc.-On-X) compared with a previous generation mechanical prosthesis (St Jude Medical-SJM). The primary purpose of the initial report is to document the preoperative demographics, and the preoperative and operative risk factors by individual prosthesis and by Western and Developing populations.

Considerations for prostheses choice in multiple valve surgery.

Objectives: The prosthesis type for multiple valve surgery (replacement of two or more diseased native or prosthetic valves, replacement of two diseased valves with repair/reconstruction of a third, or replacement of a single diseased valve with repair/reconstruction of a second valve) remains inadequately evaluated. The clinical performance of multiple valve surgery with bioprostheses (BP) and mechanical prostheses (MP) was assessed to compare patient survival and composites of valve-related complications.

Methods: Between 1975 and 2000, 1245 patients had multiple valve surgery (BP 785, mean age 62.

Association of Fluorescent Protein Pairs and Its Significant Impact on Fluorescence and Energy Transfer.

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are commonly used in pairs to monitor dynamic biomolecular events through changes in proximity via distance dependent processes such as Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The impact of FP association is assessed by predicting dimerization sites in silico and stabilizing the dimers by bio-orthogonal covalent linkages. In each tested case dimerization changes inherent fluorescence, including FRET.

Formation of Polarized, Functional Artificial Cells from Compartmentalized Droplet Networks and Nanomaterials, Using One-Step, Dual-Material 3D-Printed Microfluidics.

The bottom-up construction of synthetic cells with user-defined chemical organization holds considerable promise in the creation of bioinspired materials. Complex emulsions, droplet networks, and nested vesicles all represent platforms for the engineering of segregated chemistries with controlled communication, analogous to biological cells. Microfluidic manufacture of such droplet-based materials typically results in radial or axisymmetric structures.

Site-Specific Protein Photochemical Covalent Attachment to Carbon Nanotube Side Walls and Its Electronic Impact on Single Molecule Function.

Functional integration of proteins with carbon-based nanomaterials such as nanotubes holds great promise in emerging electronic and optoelectronic applications. Control over protein attachment poses a major challenge for consistent and useful device fabrication, especially when utilizing single/few molecule properties. Here, we exploit genetically encoded phenyl azide photochemistry to define the direct covalent attachment of four different proteins, including the fluorescent protein GFP and a β-lactamase binding protein (BBP), to carbon nanotube side walls.

Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Strategies After On-X Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: The burden oral anticoagulation is a limitation of mechanical valve prostheses.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test whether patients could be safely managed with dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (aspirin 325 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg) or lower warfarin after On-X mechanical aortic valve replacement (mAVR).

Methods: PROACT (Prospective Randomized On-X Anticoagulation Trial) (n = 576) is a multicenter (41 sites) noninferiority trial.

WITHDRAWN: After a motor vehicle accident is it neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome or ulnar entrapment syndrome? How to make the correct diagnosis.

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.

Simple and Versatile 3D Printed Microfluidics Using Fused Filament Fabrication.

The uptake of microfluidics by the wider scientific community has been limited by the fabrication barrier created by the skills and equipment required for the production of traditional microfluidic devices. Here we present simple 3D printed microfluidic devices using an inexpensive and readily accessible printer with commercially available printer materials. We demonstrate that previously reported limitations of transparency and fidelity have been overcome, whilst devices capable of operating at pressures in excess of 2000 kPa illustrate that leakage issues have also been resolved.

Laser-induced nucleation of carbon dioxide bubbles.

A detailed experimental study of laser-induced nucleation (LIN) of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas bubbles is presented. Water and aqueous sucrose solutions supersaturated with CO2 were exposed to single nanosecond pulses (5 ns, 532 nm, 2.4-14.

Investigating the lytic activity and structural properties of Staphylococcus aureus phenol soluble modulin (PSM) peptide toxins.

The ubiquitous bacterial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, expresses a large arsenal of virulence factors essential for pathogenesis. The phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are a family of cytolytic peptide toxins which have multiple roles in staphylococcal virulence. To gain an insight into which specific factors are important in PSM-mediated cell membrane disruption, the lytic activity of individual PSM peptides against phospholipid vesicles and T cells was investigated.

A new assay for rhamnolipid detection-important virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Rhamnolipids (RLs) are heterogeneous glycolipid molecules that are composed of one or two L-rhamnose sugars and one or two β-hydroxy fatty acids, which can vary in their length and branch size. They are biosurfactants, predominantly produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and are important virulence factors, playing a major role in P. aeruginosa pathogenesis.

Photopolymerization of polydiacetylene in hybrid liposomes: effect of polymerization on stability and response to pathogenic bacterial toxins.

Liposomes containing lipids and polydiacetylene (PDA) are hybrid systems encompassing both a fluid phospholipid membrane and a polymer scaffold (PDA). However, the biophysical role of PDA in such liposomes is not well understood. In this report, we studied the effects of photopolymerization of PDA on the stability of lipid-PDA liposomes, and their sensitivity to selected purified toxins and bacterial supernatants, using a fluorescence assay.

Advanced dextran based nanogels for fighting Staphylococcus aureus infections by sustained zinc release.

The growth in numbers and severity of hospital acquired infections has increased the need to target bacteria locally and specifically. Consequently, smart drug-delivery systems are being developed for local bactericidal action. The approach takes the concept of nanogels in drug delivery of small molecules to the next level by enclosing them in a shell.

Staphylococcus aureus interaction with phospholipid vesicles--a new method to accurately determine accessory gene regulator (agr) activity.

The staphylococcal accessory gene regulatory (agr) operon is a well-characterised global regulatory element that is important in the control of virulence gene expression for Staphylococcus aureus, a major human pathogen. Hence, accurate and sensitive measurement of Agr activity is central in understanding the virulence potential of Staphylococcus aureus, especially in the context of Agr dysfunction, which has been linked with persistent bacteraemia and reduced susceptibility to glycopeptide antibiotics. Agr function is typically measured using a synergistic haemolysis CAMP assay, which is believe to report on the level of expression of one of the translated products of the agr locus, delta toxin.