Separation of parasites from human blood using deterministic lateral displacement

We present the use of a simple microfluidic technique to separate living parasites from human blood. Parasitic trypanosomatids cause a range of human and animal diseases. African trypanosomes, responsible for human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), live free in the blood and other tissue fluids. Diagnosis relies on detection and due to their often low numbers against an overwhelming background of predominantly red blood cells it is crucial to separate the parasites from the blood. By modifying the method of deterministic lateral displacement, confining parasites and red blood cells in channels of optimized depth which accentuates morphological differences, we were able to achieve separation thus offering a potential route to diagnostics.     

An experimental and statistical study of the behavior of the vibration field in two coupled lightweight wooden joist floors

The aim of this study was to evaluate the vibration level attenuation of a common wooden floor structure and to present the results together with the statistical precision of the evaluation. Linear regression was used to determine the attenuation rate in the two main directions of the floor structure. The probability for the attenuation rate to be zero was calculated. The attenuation rate was found to be high in the direction perpendicular to the beams with a probability to be zero lower than 0.001. In the direction parallel to the beams the attenuation rate was found to be close to zero.     

Artinian level modules of embedding dimension two

We prove that a sequence of positive integers (h₀,h₁,…,h_c) is the Hilbert function of an artinian level module of embedding dimension two if and only if h_i−1−2h_i+h_i+1≤0 for all 0≤i≤c, where we assume that h₋₁=h_c+1=0. This generalizes a result already known for artinian level algebras. We provide two proofs, one using a deformation argument, the other a construction with monomial ideals. We also discuss liftings of artinian modules to modules of dimension one.     

Microchip electrophoresis for specific gene detection of the pathogenic bacteria V. cholerae by circle-to-circle amplification.

We have developed a new method for a fast and precise analysis of circle-to-circle amplification (C2CA) product for specific gene detection by microchip electrophoresis. In this method, we have added a new enzymatic step to the C2CA reaction, which could be carried out isothermally at 37 degrees C. Compared to the original single-stranded DNA, the double-stranded DNA that is produced by this enzymatic reaction is more reliable for analysis by microchip electrophoresis. C2CA product was detected within 55 s with high reproducibility by this method which was successfully applied to the detection of 10-ng genomic DNA of the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio. cholerae within 110 s. Purification was found to be an indispensable step for the analysis of the C2CA product of genomic DNA samples.     

The effect of pressure and temperature of self-diffusion coefficients in several concentrated deuterium oxide diamagnetic electrolyte solutions

The pressure dependences of the self-diffusion coefficients of deuterium oxide in 4.5m solutions of LiCl–D₂O and CsCl–D₂O (also 7m) and 3.06m CaCl₂–D₂O have been measured by the NMR spin-echo method at 30°C, 60°C, and 90°C. Shear viscosities and densities of these solutions have also been determined over the same range of experimental conditions. The experimental data show that the diffusion constantD decreases with the increasing structure-making ability of the electrolyte cation Ca⁺²>Li⁺. In contrast, the diffusion coefficient for D₂O in the 4.5 and 7m CsCl solutions is equal to that for pure D₂O at 30°C but lower at 60°C and 90°C. It has been found that the Stokes-Einstein equation relates well the diffusion coefficients to shear viscosity in these concentrated electrolyte solutions.