“Standoff Biofinder” for Fast, Noncontact, Nondestructive, Large-Area Detection of Biological Materials for Planetary Exploration

DOE PAGES

Misra, Anupam K.; Acosta-Maeda, Tayro E.; Sharma, Shiv K.; ...

2016-09-01

In this paper, we developed a prototype instrument called the Standoff Biofinder, which can quickly locate biological material in a 500 cm 2 area from a 2 m standoff distance with a detection time of 0.1 s. All biogenic materials give strong fluorescence signals when excited with UV and visible lasers. In addition, the luminescence decay time of biogenic compounds is much shorter (<100 ns) than the micro- to millisecond decay time of transition metal ions and rare-earth ions in minerals and rocks. The Standoff Biofinder takes advantage of the short lifetime of biofluorescent materials to obtain real-time fluorescence imagesmore » that show the locations of biological materials among luminescent minerals in a geological context. The Standoff Biofinder instrument will be useful for locating biological material during future NASA rover, lander, and crewed missions. Additionally, the instrument can be used for nondestructive detection of biological materials in unique samples, such as those obtained by sample return missions from the outer planets and asteroids. Finally, the Standoff Biofinder also has the capacity to detect microbes and bacteria on space instruments for planetary protection purposes.« less

Mathematical and numerical challenges in living biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forest, M. Gregory; Vasquez, Paula A.

2013-10-01

The proclaimed Century of Biology is rapidly leading to the realization of how starkly different and more complex biological materials are than the materials that underpinned the industrial and technological revolution. These differences arise, in part, because biological matter exhibits both viscous and elastic behavior. Moreover, this behavior varies across the frequency, wavelength and amplitude spectrum of forcing. This broadclass of responsesin biological matter requires multiple frequency-dependent functions to specify material behavior, instead of a discrete set of parameters that relate to either viscosity or elasticity. This complexity prevails even if the biological matter is assumed to be spatially homogeneous, which is rarely true. However, very little progress has been made on the characterization of heterogeneity and how to build that information into constitutive laws and predictive models. In addition, most biological matter is non-stationary, which motivates the term "living". Biomaterials typically are in an active state in order to perform certain functions, and they often are modified or replenished on the basis of external stimuli. It has become popular in materials engineering to try to duplicate some of the functionality of biomaterials, e.g., a lot of effort has gone into the design of self-assembling, self-healing and shape shifting materials. These distinguishing features of biomaterials require significantly more degrees of freedom than traditional composites and many of the molecular species and their roles in functionality have yet to be determined. A typical biological material includes small molecule biochemical species that react and diffuse within larger species. These large molecular weightspecies provide the primary structural and biophysical properties of the material. The small molecule binding and unbinding kinetics serves to modulate material properties, and typical small molecule production and release are governed by

Biological materials: a materials science approach.

PubMed

Meyers, Marc A; Chen, Po-Yu; Lopez, Maria I; Seki, Yasuaki; Lin, Albert Y M

2011-07-01

The approach used by Materials Science and Engineering is revealing new aspects in the structure and properties of biological materials. The integration of advanced characterization, mechanical testing, and modeling methods can rationalize heretofore unexplained aspects of these structures. As an illustration of the power of this methodology, we apply it to biomineralized shells, avian beaks and feathers, and fish scales. We also present a few selected bioinspired applications: Velcro, an Al2O3-PMMA composite inspired by the abalone shell, and synthetic attachment devices inspired by gecko. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Synthetic biology and rearrangements of microbial genetic material].

PubMed

Liang, Quan-Feng; Wang, Qian; Qi, Qing-Sheng

2011-10-01

As an emerging discipline, synthetic biology has shown great scientific values and application prospects. Although there have been many reviews of various aspects on synthetic biology over the last years, this article, for the first time, attempted to discuss the relationship and difference between microbial genetics and synthetic biology. We summarized the recent development of synthetic biology in rearranging microbial genetic materials, including synthesis, design and reduction of genetic materials, standardization of genetic parts and modularization of genetic circuits. The relationship between synthetic biology and microbial genetic engineering was also discussed in the paper.

Antimicrobial and biological activity of leachate from light curable pulp capping materials.

PubMed

Arias-Moliz, Maria Teresa; Farrugia, Cher; Lung, Christie Y K; Wismayer, Pierre Schembri; Camilleri, Josette

2017-09-01

Characterization of a number of pulp capping materials and assessment of the leachate for elemental composition, antimicrobial activity and cell proliferation and expression. Three experimental light curable pulp-capping materials, Theracal and Biodentine were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The elemental composition of the leachate formed after 24h was assessed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The antimicrobial activity of the leachate was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against multispecies suspensions of Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 33478 and Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 33399. Cell proliferation and cell metabolic function over the material leachate was assessed by an indirect contact test using 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazolyl-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The hydration behavior of the test materials varied with Biodentine being the most reactive and releasing the highest amount of calcium ions in solution. All materials tested except the unfilled resin exhibited depletion of phosphate ions from the solution indicating interaction of the materials with the media. Regardless the different material characteristics, there was a similar antimicrobial activity and cellular activity. All the materials exhibited no antimicrobial activity and were initially cytotoxic with cell metabolic function improving after 3days. The development of light curable tricalcium silicate-based pulp capping materials is important to improve the bonding to the final resin restoration. Testing of both antimicrobial activity and biological behavior is critical for material development. The experimental light curable materials exhibited promising biological properties but require further development to enhance the antimicrobial characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Near-Infrared Fluorescent Materials for Sensing of Biological Targets

PubMed Central

Amiot, Carrie L.; Xu, Shuping; Liang, Song; Pan, Lingyun; Zhao, Julia Xiaojun

2008-01-01

Near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) materials are promising labeling reagents for sensitive determination and imaging of biological targets. In the near-infrared region biological samples have low background fluorescence signals, providing high signal to noise ratio. Meanwhile, near-infrared radiation can penetrate into sample matrices deeply due to low light scattering. Thus, in vivo and in vitro imaging of biological samples can be achieved by employing the NIRF probes. To take full advantage of NIRF materials in the biological and biomedical field, one of the key issues is to develop intense and biocompatible NIRF probes. In this review, a number of NIRF materials are discussed including traditional NIRF dye molecules, newly developed NIRF quantum dots and single-walled carbon nanotubes, as well as rare earth metal compounds. The use of some NIRF materials in various nanostructures is illustrated. The enhancement of NIRF using metal nanostructures is covered as well. The fluorescence mechanism and bioapplications of each type of the NIRF materials are discussed in details. PMID:27879867

Viscoelastic characterization of soft biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayar, Vinod Timothy

Progressive and irreversible retinal diseases are among the primary causes of blindness in the United States, attacking the cells in the eye that transform environmental light into neural signals for the optic pathway. Medical implants designed to restore visual function to afflicted patients can cause mechanical stress and ultimately damage to the host tissues. Research shows that an accurate understanding of the mechanical properties of the biological tissues can reduce damage and lead to designs with improved safety and efficacy. Prior studies on the mechanical properties of biological tissues show characterization of these materials can be affected by environmental, length-scale, time, mounting, stiffness, size, viscoelastic, and methodological conditions. Using porcine sclera tissue, the effects of environmental, time, and mounting conditions are evaluated when using nanoindentation. Quasi-static tests are used to measure reduced modulus during extended exposure to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), as well as the chemical and mechanical analysis of mounting the sample to a solid substrate using cyanoacrylate. The less destructive nature of nanoindentation tests allows for variance of tests within a single sample to be compared to the variance between samples. The results indicate that the environmental, time, and mounting conditions can be controlled for using modified nanoindentation procedures for biological samples and are in line with averages modulus values from previous studies but with increased precision. By using the quasi-static and dynamic characterization capabilities of the nanoindentation setup, the additional stiffness and viscoelastic variables are measured. Different quasi-static control methods were evaluated along with maximum load parameters and produced no significant difference in reported reduced modulus values. Dynamic characterization tests varied frequency and quasi-static load, showing that the agar could be modeled as a linearly

Combustion method for assay of biological materials labeled with carbon-14 or tritium, or double-labeled

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huebner, L. G.; Kisieleski, W. E.

1969-01-01

Dry catalytic combustion at high temperatures is used for assaying biological materials labeled carbon-14 and tritium, or double-labeled. A modified oxygen-flask technique is combined with standard vacuum-line techniques and includes convenience of direct in-vial collection of final combustion products, giving quantitative recovery of tritium and carbon-14.

Benefit evaluation of space processing of biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A rational analytical basis for the evaluation of potential benefits of space processing of biological materials is described. A preliminary evaluation of three candidate space processed biological materials was accomplished. Materials investigated were human lymphocytes, urokinase, and Beta cells. Separation of lymphocyte groups was considered in order to improve the matching of donors and recipients for kidney transplantation, while urokinase was examined in regard to treatment of thromboembolic diseases. Separation of Beta cells was studied since it could provide a highly effective means for the treatment of juvenile-onset diabetes.

Development and Applications Of Photosensitive Device Systems To Studies Of Biological And Organic Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gruner, Sol

2012-01-20

The primary focus of the grant is the development of new x-ray detectors for biological and materials work at synchrotron sources, especially Pixel Array Detectors (PADs), and the training of students via research applications to problems in biophysics and materials science using novel x-ray methods. This Final Progress Report provides a high-level overview of the most important accomplishments. These major areas of accomplishment include: (1) Development and application of x-ray Pixel Array Detectors; (2) Development and application of methods of high pressure x-ray crystallography as applied to proteins; (3) Studies on the synthesis and structure of novel mesophase materials derivedmore » from block co-polymers.« less

Survey of techniques used to preserve biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinler, E. J.; Hubbard, R. W.

1972-01-01

The techniques used to preserve biological materials are documented and summarized. The report is presented in a handbook format that categorizes the most important preservation techniques available, and includes a representative sampling of the thousands of applications of these techniques to biological materials and organisms. Details of the information coverage and method of approach are outlined. Data are given in tabular form, and an index and extensive bibliography are included.

Reversibly immobilized biological materials in monolayer films on electrodes

DOEpatents

Weaver, P.F.; Frank, A.J.

1993-05-04

Methods and techniques are described for reversibly binding charged biological particles in a fluid medium to an electrode surface. The methods are useful in a variety of applications. The biological materials may include microbes, proteins, and viruses. The electrode surface may consist of reversibly electroactive materials such as polyvinylferrocene, silicon-linked ferrocene or quinone.

Reversibly immobilized biological materials in monolayer films on electrodes

DOEpatents

Weaver, Paul F.; Frank, Arthur J.

1993-01-01

Methods and techniques are described for reversibly binding charged biological particles in a fluid medium to an electrode surface. The methods are useful in a variety of applications. The biological materials may include microbes, proteins, and viruses. The electrode surface may consist of reversibly electroactive materials such as polyvinylferrocene, silicon-linked ferrocene or quinone.

Link between the dielectric properties of mesomorphic and biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szwajczak, Elzbieta; Szymanski, Aleksander B.

2002-06-01

An application of liquid crystalline materials as a model materials for the use in dielectric spectroscopy of the artificial biological materials and the tissues is discussed. It is shown that an application of the standard electrochemical concepts may break in the case of liquid crystalline materials as well as biological materials. The presence of space charge regions as well as electrical non- linearities of the sample may suggest some special possibility of the time domain technique application.

Analytical Chemistry at the Interface Between Materials Science and Biology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Brien, Janese C.

2000-09-21

Likedlessentid sciences, anal~cd chetis~continues toreinvent itself. Moving beyond its traditional roles of identification and quantification, analytical chemistry is now expanding its frontiers into areas previously reserved to other disciplines. This work describes several research efforts that lie at the new interfaces between analytical chemistry and two of these disciplines, namely materials science and biology. In the materials science realm, the search for new materials that may have useful or unique chromatographic properties motivated the synthesis and characterization of electrically conductive sol-gels. In the biology realm, the search for new surface fabrication schemes that would permit or even improve the detectionmore » of specific biological reactions motivated the design of miniaturized biological arrays. Collectively, this work represents some of analytical chemistry’s newest forays into these disciplines. The introduction section to this dissertation provides a literature review on several of the key aspects of this work. In advance of the materials science discussion, a brief introduction into electrochemically-modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC) and sol-gel chemistry is provided. In advance of the biological discussions, brief overviews of scanning force microscopy (SFM) and the oxidative chemistry used to construct our biological arrays are provided. This section is followed by four chapters, each of which is presented as a separate manuscript, and focuses on work that describes some of our cross-disciplinary efforts within materials science and biology. This dissertation concludes with a general summary and future prospectus.« less

Source Identification of Human Biological Materials and Its Prospect in Forensic Science.

PubMed

Zou, K N; Gui, C; Gao, Y; Yang, F; Zhou, H G

2016-06-01

Source identification of human biological materials in crime scene plays an important role in reconstructing the crime process. Searching specific genetic markers to identify the source of different human biological materials is the emphasis and difficulty of the research work of legal medical experts in recent years. This paper reviews the genetic markers which are used for identifying the source of human biological materials and studied widely, such as DNA methylation, mRNA, microRNA, microflora and protein, etc. By comparing the principles and methods of source identification of human biological materials using different kinds of genetic markers, different source of human biological material owns suitable marker types and can be identified by detecting single genetic marker or combined multiple genetic markers. Though there is no uniform standard and method for identifying the source of human biological materials in forensic laboratories at present, the research and development of a series of mature and reliable methods for distinguishing different human biological materials play the role as forensic evidence which will be the future development direction. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

Functionalized apertures for the detection of chemical and biological materials

DOEpatents

Letant, Sonia E.; van Buuren, Anthony W.; Terminello, Louis J.; Thelen, Michael P.; Hope-Weeks, Louisa J.; Hart, Bradley R.

2010-12-14

Disclosed are nanometer to micron scale functionalized apertures constructed on a substrate made of glass, carbon, semiconductors or polymeric materials that allow for the real time detection of biological materials or chemical moieties. Many apertures can exist on one substrate allowing for the simultaneous detection of numerous chemical and biological molecules. One embodiment features a macrocyclic ring attached to cross-linkers, wherein the macrocyclic ring has a biological or chemical probe extending through the aperture. Another embodiment achieves functionalization by attaching chemical or biological anchors directly to the walls of the apertures via cross-linkers.

Factors associated with occupational exposure to biological material among nursing professionals.

PubMed

Negrinho, Nádia Bruna da Silva; Malaguti-Toffano, Silmara Elaine; Reis, Renata Karina; Pereira, Fernanda Maria Vieira; Gir, Elucir

2017-01-01

to identify factors associated with occupational exposure to biological material among nursing professionals. a cross-sectional study was conducted in a high complexity hospital of a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Nursing professionals were interviewed from March to November 2015. All ethical aspects were observed. among the 226 professionals interviewed, 17.3% suffered occupational exposure to potentially contaminated biological material, with 61.5% being percutaneous. Factors such as age (p=0.003), professional experience in nursing (p=0.015), and experience at the institution (p=0.032) were associated with the accidents with biological material. most accidents with biological material among nursing professionals were percutaneous. Age, professional experience, and experience at the institution were considered factors associated with occupational exposure.

Occupational accidents involving biological material among public health workers.

PubMed

Chiodi, Mônica Bonagamba; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Robazzi, Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz

2007-01-01

This descriptive research aimed to recognize the occurrence of work accidents (WA) involving exposure to biological material among health workers at Public Health Units in Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil. A quantitative approach was adopted. In 2004, 155 accidents were notified by means of the Work Accident Communication (WAC). Sixty-two accidents (40%) involved exposure to biological material that could cause infections like Hepatitis and Aids. The highest number of victims (42 accidents) came from the category of nursing aids and technicians. Needles were responsible for 80.6% of accidents and blood was the biological material involved in a majority of occupational exposure cases. This subject needs greater attention, so that prevention measures can be implemented, which consider the peculiarities of the activities carried out by the different professional categories.

Materials Manufactured from 3D Printed Synthetic Biology Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentry, Diana; Micks, Ashley

2013-01-01

Many complex, biologically-derived materials have extremely useful properties (think wood or silk), but are unsuitable for space-related applications due to production, manufacturing, or processing limitations. Large-scale ecosystem-based production, such as raising and harvesting trees for wood, is impractical in a self-contained habitat such as a space station or potential Mars colony. Manufacturing requirements, such as the specialized equipment needed to harvest and process cotton, add too much upmass for current launch technology. Cells in nature are already highly specialized for making complex biological materials on a micro scale. We envision combining these strengths with the recently emergent technologies of synthetic biology and 3D printing to create 3D-structured arrays of cells that are bioengineered to secrete different materials in a specified three-dimensional pattern.

Packaging biological cargoes in mesoporous materials: opportunities for drug delivery.

PubMed

Siefker, Justin; Karande, Pankaj; Coppens, Marc-Olivier

2014-11-01

Confinement of biomolecules in structured nanoporous materials offers several desirable features ranging from chemical and thermal stability, to resistance to degradation from the external environment. A new generation of mesoporous materials presents exciting new possibilities for the formulation and controlled release of biological agents. Such materials address niche applications in enteral and parenteral delivery of biologics, such as peptides, polypeptides, enzymes and proteins for use as therapeutics, imaging agents, biosensors, and adjuvants. Mesoporous silica Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15), with its unique, tunable pore diameter, and easily functionalized surface, provides a representative example of this new generation of materials. Here, we review recent advances in the design and synthesis of nanostructured mesoporous materials, focusing on SBA-15, and highlight opportunities for the delivery of biological agents to various organ and tissue compartments. The SBA-15 platform provides a delivery carrier that is inherently separated from the active biologic due to distinct intra and extra-particle environments. This permits the SBA-15 platform to not require direct modification of the active biological therapeutic. Additionally, this makes the platform universal and allows for its application independent of the desired methods of discovery and development. The SBA-15 platform also directly addresses issues of targeted delivery and controlled release, although future challenges in the implementation of this platform reside in particle design, biocompatibility, and the tunability of the internal and external material properties. Examples illustrating the flexibility in the application of the SBA-15 platform are also discussed.

37 CFR 1.801 - Biological material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Biological material. 1.801 Section 1.801 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Deposit of...

37 CFR 1.801 - Biological material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Biological material. 1.801 Section 1.801 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES Biotechnology Invention Disclosures Deposit of...

The Review of Nuclear Microscopy Techniques: An Approach for Nondestructive Trace Elemental Analysis and Mapping of Biological Materials.

PubMed

Mulware, Stephen Juma

2015-01-01

The properties of many biological materials often depend on the spatial distribution and concentration of the trace elements present in a matrix. Scientists have over the years tried various techniques including classical physical and chemical analyzing techniques each with relative level of accuracy. However, with the development of spatially sensitive submicron beams, the nuclear microprobe techniques using focused proton beams for the elemental analysis of biological materials have yielded significant success. In this paper, the basic principles of the commonly used microprobe techniques of STIM, RBS, and PIXE for trace elemental analysis are discussed. The details for sample preparation, the detection, and data collection and analysis are discussed. Finally, an application of the techniques to analysis of corn roots for elemental distribution and concentration is presented.

Final report for Assembling Microorganisms into Energy Converting Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sahin, Ozgur

The goal of this project was to integrate microorganisms capable of reversible energy transduction in response to changing relative humidity with non-biological materials to create hybrid energy conversion systems. While plants and many other biological organisms have developed structures that are extraordinarily effective in converting changes in relative humidity into mechanical energy, engineered energy transduction systems rarely take advantage of this powerful phenomenon. Rather than developing synthetic materials that can convert changes in relative humidity in to mechanical energy, we developed approaches to assemble bacterial spores into larger materials. These materials can convert energy from evaporation of water in drymore » atmospheric conditions, which we demonstrated by building energy harvesters from these materials. We have also developed experiments to investigate the interaction of water with the spore material, and to determine how this interaction imposes limits on energy conversion. In addition, we carried out theoretical calculations to investigate the limits imposed by the environmental conditions to the power available in the energy harvesting process. These calculations took into account heat and water vapor transfer in the atmosphere surrounding the spore based materials. Overall, our results suggest that biomolecular materials are promising candidates to convert energy from evaporation.« less

Redox Biology Final Examination 2016 | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Numerous registrants have requested a certificate upon completion of the Redox Biology (RB) course. In order to obtain a certificate, you must answer 8 of the 12 questions below correctly. In the final examination, 1 question is derived from each of the 1-hour lectures. It is highly recommended that you have a copy of each PowerPoint presentation prior to taking the

Redox Biology Final Examination 2016 | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Numerous registrants have requested a certificate upon completion of the Redox Biology (RB) course. In order to obtain a certificate, you must answer 8 of the 12 questions below correctly. In the final examination, 1 question is derived from each of the 1-hour lectures. It is highly recommended that you have a copy of each PowerPoint presentation prior to taking the examination.

Nanomechanical strength mechanisms of hierarchical biological materials and tissues.

PubMed

Buehler, Markus J; Ackbarow, Theodor

2008-12-01

Biological protein materials (BPMs), intriguing hierarchical structures formed by assembly of chemical building blocks, are crucial for critical functions of life. The structural details of BPMs are fascinating: They represent a combination of universally found motifs such as alpha-helices or beta-sheets with highly adapted protein structures such as cytoskeletal networks or spider silk nanocomposites. BPMs combine properties like strength and robustness, self-healing ability, adaptability, changeability, evolvability and others into multi-functional materials at a level unmatched in synthetic materials. The ability to achieve these properties depends critically on the particular traits of these materials, first and foremost their hierarchical architecture and seamless integration of material and structure, from nano to macro. Here, we provide a brief review of this field and outline new research directions, along with a review of recent research results in the development of structure-property relationships of biological protein materials exemplified in a study of vimentin intermediate filaments.

DNASU plasmid and PSI:Biology-Materials repositories: resources to accelerate biological research

PubMed Central

Seiler, Catherine Y.; Park, Jin G.; Sharma, Amit; Hunter, Preston; Surapaneni, Padmini; Sedillo, Casey; Field, James; Algar, Rhys; Price, Andrea; Steel, Jason; Throop, Andrea; Fiacco, Michael; LaBaer, Joshua

2014-01-01

The mission of the DNASU Plasmid Repository is to accelerate research by providing high-quality, annotated plasmid samples and online plasmid resources to the research community through the curated DNASU database, website and repository (http://dnasu.asu.edu or http://dnasu.org). The collection includes plasmids from grant-funded, high-throughput cloning projects performed in our laboratory, plasmids from external researchers, and large collections from consortia such as the ORFeome Collaboration and the NIGMS-funded Protein Structure Initiative: Biology (PSI:Biology). Through DNASU, researchers can search for and access detailed information about each plasmid such as the full length gene insert sequence, vector information, associated publications, and links to external resources that provide additional protein annotations and experimental protocols. Plasmids can be requested directly through the DNASU website. DNASU and the PSI:Biology-Materials Repositories were previously described in the 2010 NAR Database Issue (Cormier, C.Y., Mohr, S.E., Zuo, D., Hu, Y., Rolfs, A., Kramer, J., Taycher, E., Kelley, F., Fiacco, M., Turnbull, G. et al. (2010) Protein Structure Initiative Material Repository: an open shared public resource of structural genomics plasmids for the biological community. Nucleic Acids Res., 38, D743–D749.). In this update we will describe the plasmid collection and highlight the new features in the website redesign, including new browse/search options, plasmid annotations and a dynamic vector mapping feature that was developed in collaboration with LabGenius. Overall, these plasmid resources continue to enable research with the goal of elucidating the role of proteins in both normal biological processes and disease. PMID:24225319

Trends in United States Biological Materials Oversight and Institutional Biosafety Committees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Chris

2014-01-01

Biological materials oversight in life sciences research in the United States is a challenging endeavor for institutions and the scientific, regulatory compliance, and federal communities. In order to assess biological materials oversight at Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) registered with the United States National Institutes of Health,…

Climate Change Effects on Stream and River Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the availability of the final report,Climate Change Effects on Stream and River Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis. This report is a preliminary assessment that describes how biological indicators are likely to respond to climate change, how wel...

Membrane materials for storing biological samples intended for comparative nanotoxicological testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metelkin, A.; Kuznetsov, D.; Kolesnikov, E.; Chuprunov, K.; Kondakov, S.; Osipov, A.; Samsonova, J.

2015-11-01

The study is aimed at identifying the samples of most promising membrane materials for storing dry specimens of biological fluids (Dried Blood Spots, DBS technology). Existing sampling systems using cellulose fiber filter paper have a number of drawbacks such as uneven distribution of the sample spot, dependence of the spot spreading area on the individual biosample properties, incomplete washing-off of the sample due to partially inconvertible sorption of blood components on cellulose fibers, etc. Samples of membrane materials based on cellulose, polymers and glass fiber with applied biosamples were studied using methods of scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and surface-wetting measurement. It was discovered that cellulose-based membrane materials sorb components of biological fluids inside their structure, while membranes based on glass fiber display almost no interaction with the samples and biological fluid components dry to films in the membrane pores between the structural fibers. This characteristic, together with the fact that membrane materials based on glass fiber possess sufficient strength, high wetting properties and good storage capacity, attests them as promising material for dry samples of biological fluids storage systems.

Method And System For Examining Biological Materials Using Low Power Cw Excitation Raman Spectroscopy.

DOEpatents

Alfano, Robert R.; Wang, Wubao

2003-05-06

A method and system for examining biological materials using low-power cw excitation Raman spectroscopy. A low-power continuous wave (cw) pump laser beam and a low-power cw Stokes (or anti-Stokes) probe laser beam simultaneously illuminate a biological material and traverse the biological material in collinearity. The pump beam, whose frequency is varied, is used to induce Raman emission from the biological material. The intensity of the probe beam, whose frequency is kept constant, is monitored as it leaves the biological material. When the difference between the pump and probe excitation frequencies is equal to a Raman vibrational mode frequency of the biological material, the weak probe signal becomes amplified by one or more orders of magnitude (typically up to about 10.sup.4 -10.sup.6) due to the Raman emission from the pump beam. In this manner, by monitoring the intensity of the probe beam emitted from the biological material as the pump beam is varied in frequency, one can obtain an excitation Raman spectrum for the biological material tested. The present invention may be applied to in the in vivo and/or in vitro diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, cancers and other diseases by measuring the characteristic excitation Raman lines of blood glucose, cholesterol, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT)/serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), tissues and other corresponding Raman-active body constituents, respectively.

Materials and methods for delivery of biological drugs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelikin, Alexander N.; Ehrhardt, Carsten; Healy, Anne Marie

2016-11-01

Biological drugs generated via recombinant techniques are uniquely positioned due to their high potency and high selectivity of action. The major drawback of this class of therapeutics, however, is their poor stability upon oral administration and during subsequent circulation. As a result, biological drugs have very low bioavailability and short therapeutic half-lives. Fortunately, tools of chemistry and biotechnology have been developed into an elaborate arsenal, which can be applied to improve the pharmacokinetics of biological drugs. Depot-type release systems are available to achieve sustained release of drugs over time. Conjugation to synthetic or biological polymers affords long circulating formulations. Administration of biological drugs through non-parenteral routes shows excellent performance and the first products have reached the market. This Review presents the main accomplishments in this field and illustrates the materials and methods behind existing and upcoming successful formulations and delivery strategies for biological drugs.

Nanobiotechnology: synthetic biology meets materials science.

PubMed

Jewett, Michael C; Patolsky, Fernando

2013-08-01

Nanotechnology, the area of science focused on the control of matter in the nanometer scale, allows ground-breaking changes of the fundamental properties of matter that are often radically different compared to those exhibited by the bulk counterparts. In view of the fact that dimensionality plays a key role in determining the qualities of matter, the realization of the great potential of nanotechnology has opened the door to other disciplines such as life sciences and medicine, where the merging between them offers exciting new applications, along with basic science research. The application of nanotechnology in life sciences, nanobiotechnology, is now having a profound impact on biological circuit design, bioproduction systems, synthetic biology, medical diagnostics, disease therapy and drug delivery. This special issue is dedicated to the overview of how we are learning to control biopolymers and biological machines at the molecular- and nanoscale. In addition, it covers far-reaching progress in the design and synthesis of nanoscale materials, thus enabling the construction of integrated systems in which the component blocks are comparable in size to the chemical and biological entities under investigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineered Living Materials: Prospects and Challenges for Using Biological Systems to Direct the Assembly of Smart Materials.

PubMed

Nguyen, Peter Q; Courchesne, Noémie-Manuelle Dorval; Duraj-Thatte, Anna; Praveschotinunt, Pichet; Joshi, Neel S

2018-05-01

Vast potential exists for the development of novel, engineered platforms that manipulate biology for the production of programmed advanced materials. Such systems would possess the autonomous, adaptive, and self-healing characteristics of living organisms, but would be engineered with the goal of assembling bulk materials with designer physicochemical or mechanical properties, across multiple length scales. Early efforts toward such engineered living materials (ELMs) are reviewed here, with an emphasis on engineered bacterial systems, living composite materials which integrate inorganic components, successful examples of large-scale implementation, and production methods. In addition, a conceptual exploration of the fundamental criteria of ELM technology and its future challenges is presented. Cradled within the rich intersection of synthetic biology and self-assembling materials, the development of ELM technologies allows the power of biology to be leveraged to grow complex structures and objects using a palette of bio-nanomaterials. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Invited review liquid crystal models of biological materials and silk spinning.

PubMed

Rey, Alejandro D; Herrera-Valencia, Edtson E

2012-06-01

A review of thermodynamic, materials science, and rheological liquid crystal models is presented and applied to a wide range of biological liquid crystals, including helicoidal plywoods, biopolymer solutions, and in vivo liquid crystals. The distinguishing characteristics of liquid crystals (self-assembly, packing, defects, functionalities, processability) are discussed in relation to biological materials and the strong correspondence between different synthetic and biological materials is established. Biological polymer processing based on liquid crystalline precursors includes viscoelastic flow to form and shape fibers. Viscoelastic models for nematic and chiral nematics are reviewed and discussed in terms of key parameters that facilitate understanding and quantitative information from optical textures and rheometers. It is shown that viscoelastic modeling the silk spinning process using liquid crystal theories sheds light on textural transitions in the duct of spiders and silk worms as well as on tactoidal drops and interfacial structures. The range and consistency of the predictions demonstrates that the use of mesoscopic liquid crystal models is another tool to develop the science and biomimetic applications of mesogenic biological soft matter. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biology Teacher and Expert Opinions about Computer Assisted Biology Instruction Materials: A Software Entitled Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasenekoglu, Ismet; Timucin, Melih

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is to collect and evaluate opinions of CAI experts and biology teachers about a high school level Computer Assisted Biology Instruction Material presenting computer-made modelling and simulations. It is a case study. A material covering "Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis" topic was developed as the…

Biological and environmental reference materials in CENAM.

PubMed

Arvizu-Torres, R; Perez-Castorena, A; Salas-Tellez, J A; Mitani-Nakanishi, Y

2001-06-01

Since 1994, when the NIST/NOAA Quality Assurance Program in Chemical Measurements was discussed in Queretaro, CENAM, the National Measurement Institute (NMI) of Mexico, has become involved in the development of reference materials. In the field of biological and environmental reference materials, in particular, the NORAMET collaboration program with NIST and NRC, and the North-American Environmental Cooperation signed among three free-trade treaty organizations, have greatly helped the development of the materials metrology program in the newly established CENAM. This paper describes some particularly significant efforts of CENAM in the development of biological and environmental reference materials, on the basis of inter-comparison studies organized with local and governmental environmental agencies of Mexico. In the field of water pollution CENAM has developed a practical proficiency testing (PT) scheme for field laboratories, as a part of registration by local government in the metropolitan area, according to the Mexican Ecological Regulation. The results from these eight PTs in the last 5 years have demonstrated that this scheme has helped ensure the reliability of analytical capability of more than 50 field laboratories in three states, Mexico, D.F., and the States of Mexico and Queretaro. Similar experience has been obtained for more than 70 service units of stack emission measurements in the three states in 1998 and 1999, as a result of the design of a PT scheme for reference gas mixtures. This PT scheme has been accomplished successfully by 30 analytical laboratories who provide monitoring services and perform research on toxic substances (Hg, methylmercury, PCB, etc.) in Mexico. To support these activities, reference samples have been produced through the NIST SRMs, and efforts have been made to increase CENAM's capability in the preparation of primary reference materials in spectrometric solutions and gas mixtures. Collaboration among NMIs has also

Mechanical properties of nanostructure of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Baohua; Gao, Huajian

2004-09-01

Natural biological materials such as bone, teeth and nacre are nanocomposites of protein and mineral with superior strength. It is quite a marvel that nature produces hard and tough materials out of protein as soft as human skin and mineral as brittle as classroom chalk. What are the secrets of nature? Can we learn from this to produce bio-inspired materials in the laboratory? These questions have motivated us to investigate the mechanics of protein-mineral nanocomposite structure. Large aspect ratios and a staggered alignment of mineral platelets are found to be the key factors contributing to the large stiffness of biomaterials. A tension-shear chain (TSC) model of biological nanostructure reveals that the strength of biomaterials hinges upon optimizing the tensile strength of the mineral crystals. As the size of the mineral crystals is reduced to nanoscale, they become insensitive to flaws with strength approaching the theoretical strength of atomic bonds. The optimized tensile strength of mineral crystals thus allows a large amount of fracture energy to be dissipated in protein via shear deformation and consequently enhances the fracture toughness of biocomposites. We derive viscoelastic properties of the protein-mineral nanostructure and show that the toughness of biocomposite can be further enhanced by the viscoelastic properties of protein.

75 FR 6348 - Deposit of Biological Materials

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

... of the following methods: E-mail: Susan[email protected] . Include ``0651-0022 Deposit of Biological Materials comment'' in the subject line of the message. Fax: 571-273-0112, marked to the attention of Susan K. Fawcett. Mail: Susan K. Fawcett, Records Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United...

Occupational exposure to potentially infectious biological material in a dental teaching environment.

PubMed

Machado-Carvalhais, Helenaura P; Ramos-Jorge, Maria L; Auad, Sheyla M; Martins, Laura H P M; Paiva, Saul M; Pordeus, Isabela A

2008-10-01

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of occupational accidents with exposure to biological material among undergraduate students of dentistry and to estimate potential risk factors associated with exposure to blood. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire (86.4 percent return rate), which was completed by a sample of 286 undergraduate dental students (mean age 22.4 +/-2.4 years). The students were enrolled in the clinical component of the curriculum, which corresponds to the final six semesters of study. Descriptive, bivariate, simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression (Forward Stepwise Procedure) analyses were performed. The level of statistical significance was set at 5 percent. Percutaneous and mucous exposures to potentially infectious biological material were reported by 102 individuals (35.6 percent); 26.8 percent reported the occurrence of multiple episodes of exposure. The logistic regression analyses revealed that the incomplete use of individual protection equipment (OR=3.7; 95 percent CI 1.5-9.3), disciplines where surgical procedures are carried out (OR=16.3; 95 percent CI 7.1-37.2), and handling sharp instruments (OR=4.4; 95 percent CI 2.1-9.1), more specifically, hollow-bore needles (OR=6.8; 95 percent CI 2.1-19.0), were independently associated with exposure to blood. Policies of reviewing the procedures during clinical practice are recommended in order to reduce occupational exposure.

An outlook review: mechanochromic materials and their potential for biological and healthcare applications.

PubMed

Jiang, Ying

2014-12-01

Macroscopic mechanical perturbations have been observed to result in optical changes for certain compounds and composite materials. This phenomenon could originate from chemical and physical changes across various length scales, from the rearrangement of chemical bonds to alteration of molecular domains on the order of several hundred nanometers. This review classifies the mechanisms and surveys of how each class of mechanochromic materials has been, and can potentially be applied in biological and healthcare innovations. The study of cellular and molecular responses to mechanical forces in biological systems is an emerging field; there is potential in applying mechanochromic principles and material systems for probing biological systems. On the other hand, application of mechanochromic materials for medical and healthcare consumer products has been described in a wide variety of concepts and inventions. It is hopeful that further understanding of mechanochromism and material innovations would initiate concrete, impactful studies in biological systems soon. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method And System For Examining Biological Materials Using Low Power Cw Excitation Raman Spectroscopy.

DOEpatents

Alfano, Robert R.; Wang, Wubao

2000-11-21

A method and system for examining biological materials using low-power cw excitation Raman spectroscopy. In accordance with the teachings of the invention, a low-power continuous wave (cw) pump laser beam and a low-power cw Stokes (or anti-Stokes) probe laser beam simultaneously illuminate a biological material and traverse the biological material in collinearity. The pump beam, whose frequency is varied, is used to induce Raman emission from the biological material. The intensity of the probe beam, whose frequency is kept constant, is monitored as it leaves the biological material. When the difference between the pump and probe excitation frequencies is equal to a Raman vibrational mode frequency of the biological material, the weak probe signal becomes amplified by one or more orders of magnitude (typically up to about 10.sup.4 -10.sup.6) due to the Raman emission from the pump beam. In this manner, by monitoring the intensity of the probe beam emitted from the biological material as the pump beam is varied in frequency, one can obtain an excitation Raman spectrum for the biological material tested. The present invention may be applied to in the in vivo and/or in vitro diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, cancers and other diseases by measuring the characteristic excitation Raman lines of blood glucose, cholesterol, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT)/serum glutamic pyruvic tansaminase (SGPT), tissues and other corresponding Raman-active body constituents, respectively. For example, it may also be used to diagnose diseases associated with the concentration of Raman-active constituents in urine, lymph and saliva It may be used to identify cancer in the breast, cervix, uterus, ovaries and the like by measuring the fingerprint excitation Raman spectra of these tissues. It may also be used to reveal the growing of tumors or cancers by measuring the levels of nitric oxide in tissue.

Biologically-Derived Photonic Materials for Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Sylvia M.; Squire, Thomas H.; Lawson, John W.; Gusman, Michael; Lau, K.-H.; Sanjurjo, Angel

2014-01-01

Space vehicles entering a planetary atmosphere at high velocity can be subject to substantial radiative heating from the shock layer in addition to the convective heating caused by the flow of hot gas past the vehicle surface. The radiative component can be very high but of a short duration. Approaches to combat this effect include investigation of various materials to reflect the radiation. Photonic materials can be used to reflect radiation. The wavelengths reflected depend on the length scale of the ordered microstructure. Fabricating photonic structures, such as layers, can be time consuming and expensive. We have used a biologically-derived material as the template for forming a high temperature photonic material that could be incorporated into a heatshield thermal protection material.

Physical Biology of the Materials-Microorganism Interface.

PubMed

Sakimoto, Kelsey K; Kornienko, Nikolay; Cestellos-Blanco, Stefano; Lim, Jongwoo; Liu, Chong; Yang, Peidong

2018-02-14

Future solar-to-chemical production will rely upon a deep understanding of the material-microorganism interface. Hybrid technologies, which combine inorganic semiconductor light harvesters with biological catalysis to transform light, air, and water into chemicals, already demonstrate a wide product scope and energy efficiencies surpassing that of natural photosynthesis. But optimization to economic competitiveness and fundamental curiosity beg for answers to two basic questions: (1) how do materials transfer energy and charge to microorganisms, and (2) how do we design for bio- and chemocompatibility between these seemingly unnatural partners? This Perspective highlights the state-of-the-art and outlines future research paths to inform the cadre of spectroscopists, electrochemists, bioinorganic chemists, material scientists, and biologists who will ultimately solve these mysteries.

The Effects of Linear and Modified Linear Programed Materials on the Achievement of Slow Learners in Tenth Grade BSCS Special Materials Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody, John Charles

Assessed were the effects of linear and modified linear programed materials on the achievement of slow learners in tenth grade Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Special Materials biology. Two hundred and six students were randomly placed into four programed materials formats: linear programed materials, modified linear program with…

28 CFR 22.25 - Final disposition of identifiable materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION § 22.25 Final disposition of identifiable materials. Upon completion of a research or statistical project the security of identifiable research or statistical information...

28 CFR 22.25 - Final disposition of identifiable materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION § 22.25 Final disposition of identifiable materials. Upon completion of a research or statistical project the security of identifiable research or statistical information...

Flexible Organic Electronics in Biology: Materials and Devices.

PubMed

Liao, Caizhi; Zhang, Meng; Yao, Mei Yu; Hua, Tao; Li, Li; Yan, Feng

2015-12-09

At the convergence of organic electronics and biology, organic bioelectronics attracts great scientific interest. The potential applications of organic semiconductors to reversibly transmit biological signals or stimulate biological tissues inspires many research groups to explore the use of organic electronics in biological systems. Considering the surfaces of movable living tissues being arbitrarily curved at physiological environments, the flexibility of organic bioelectronic devices is of paramount importance in enabling stable and reliable performances by improving the contact and interaction of the devices with biological systems. Significant advances in flexible organic bio-electronics have been achieved in the areas of flexible organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), polymer electrodes, smart textiles, organic electrochemical ion pumps (OEIPs), ion bipolar junction transistors (IBJTs) and chemiresistors. This review will firstly discuss the materials used in flexible organic bioelectronics, which is followed by an overview on various types of flexible organic bioelectronic devices. The versatility of flexible organic bioelectronics promises a bright future for this emerging area. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

How accelerated biological aging can affect solar reflective polymeric based building materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, C.; Santunione, G.; Libbra, A.; Muscio, A.; Sgarbi, E.

2017-11-01

Among the main issues concerning building materials, in particular outdoor ones, one can identify the colonization by microorganisms referred to as biological aggression. This can affect not only the aesthetical aspect but also the thermal performance of solar reflective materials. In order to improve the reliability of tests aimed to assess the resistance to biological aggression and contextually reduce the test duration, an accelerated test method has been developed. It is based on a lab reproducible setup where specific and controlled environmental and boundary conditions are imposed to accelerate as much as possible biological growth on building materials. Due to their widespread use, polymeric materials have been selected for the present analysis, in the aim of reaching an advanced bio-aged level in a relatively short time (8 weeks or less) and at the same time comparatively evaluate different materials under a given set of ageing conditions. Surface properties before, during and after ageing have been investigated by surface, microstructural and chemical analyses, as well as by examination of time progressive images to assess bacterial and algal growth rate.

On the relationship between indentation hardness and modulus, and the damage resistance of biological materials.

PubMed

Labonte, David; Lenz, Anne-Kristin; Oyen, Michelle L

2017-07-15

The remarkable mechanical performance of biological materials is based on intricate structure-function relationships. Nanoindentation has become the primary tool for characterising biological materials, as it allows to relate structural changes to variations in mechanical properties on small scales. However, the respective theoretical background and associated interpretation of the parameters measured via indentation derives largely from research on 'traditional' engineering materials such as metals or ceramics. Here, we discuss the functional relevance of indentation hardness in biological materials by presenting a meta-analysis of its relationship with indentation modulus. Across seven orders of magnitude, indentation hardness was directly proportional to indentation modulus. Using a lumped parameter model to deconvolute indentation hardness into components arising from reversible and irreversible deformation, we establish criteria which allow to interpret differences in indentation hardness across or within biological materials. The ratio between hardness and modulus arises as a key parameter, which is related to the ratio between irreversible and reversible deformation during indentation, the material's yield strength, and the resistance to irreversible deformation, a material property which represents the energy required to create a unit volume of purely irreversible deformation. Indentation hardness generally increases upon material dehydration, however to a larger extent than expected from accompanying changes in indentation modulus, indicating that water acts as a 'plasticiser'. A detailed discussion of the role of indentation hardness, modulus and toughness in damage control during sharp or blunt indentation yields comprehensive guidelines for a performance-based ranking of biological materials, and suggests that quasi-plastic deformation is a frequent yet poorly understood damage mode, highlighting an important area of future research. Instrumented

Transport of biologically active material in laser cutting.

PubMed

Frenz, M; Mathezloic, F; Stoffel, M H; Zweig, A D; Romano, V; Weber, H P

1988-01-01

The transport of biologically active material during laser cutting with CO2 and Er lasers is demonstrated. This transport mechanism removes particles from the surface of gelatin, agar, and liver samples into the depth of the laser-formed craters. The transport phenomenon is explained by a contraction and condensation of enclosed hot water vapor. We show by cultivating transported bacteria in agar that biological particles can survive the shock of the transport. Determination of the numbers of active cells evidences a more pronounced activity of the cultivated bacteria after impact with an Er laser than with a CO2 laser.

Material science lesson from the biological photosystem.

PubMed

Kim, Younghye; Lee, Jun Ho; Ha, Heonjin; Im, Sang Won; Nam, Ki Tae

2016-01-01

Inspired by photosynthesis, artificial systems for a sustainable energy supply are being designed. Each sequential energy conversion process from light to biomass in natural photosynthesis is a valuable model for an energy collection, transport and conversion system. Notwithstanding the numerous lessons of nature that provide inspiration for new developments, the features of natural photosynthesis need to be reengineered to meet man's demands. This review describes recent strategies toward adapting key lessons from natural photosynthesis to artificial systems. We focus on the underlying material science in photosynthesis that combines photosystems as pivotal functional materials and a range of materials into an integrated system. Finally, a perspective on the future development of photosynthesis mimetic energy systems is proposed.

Inferring Causes of Biological Impairment in the Clear Fork Watershed, West Virginia (Final)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Inferring Causes of Biological Impairment in the Clear Fork Watershed, West Virginia. This study illustrates a causal assessment in a watershed using the US EPA stressor identification process described on the www.epa....

Curriculum and course materials for a forensic DNA biology course.

PubMed

Elkins, Kelly M

2014-01-01

The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) requires accredited programs offer a "coherent curriculum" to ensure each student gains a "thorough grounding of the natural…sciences." Part of this curriculum includes completion of a minimum of 15 semester-hours forensic science coursework, nine of which can involve a class in forensic DNA biology. Departments that have obtained or are pursuing FEPAC accreditation can meet this requirement by offering a stand-alone forensic DNA biology course; however, materials necessary to instruct students are often homegrown and not standardized; in addition, until recently, the community lacked commercially available books, lab manuals, and teaching materials, and many of the best pedagogical resources were scattered across various peer-reviewed journals. The curriculum discussed below is an attempt to synthesize this disparate information, and although certainly not the only acceptable methodology, the below discussion represents "a way" for synthesizing and aggregating this information into a cohesive, comprehensive whole. Copyright © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Verbal Final Exam in Introductory Biology Yields Gains in Student Content Knowledge and Longitudinal Performance

PubMed Central

Luckie, Douglas B.; Rivkin, Aaron M.; Aubry, Jacob R.; Marengo, Benjamin J.; Creech, Leah R.; Sweeder, Ryan D.

2013-01-01

We studied gains in student learning over eight semesters in which an introductory biology course curriculum was changed to include optional verbal final exams (VFs). Students could opt to demonstrate their mastery of course material via structured oral exams with the professor. In a quantitative assessment of cell biology content knowledge, students who passed the VF outscored their peers on the medical assessment test (MAT), an exam built with 40 Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) questions (66.4% [n = 160] and 62% [n = 285], respectively; p < 0.001);. The higher-achieving students performed better on MCAT questions in all topic categories tested; the greatest gain occurred on the topic of cellular respiration. Because the VF focused on a conceptually parallel topic, photosynthesis, there may have been authentic knowledge transfer. In longitudinal tracking studies, passing the VF also correlated with higher performance in a range of upper-level science courses, with greatest significance in physiology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Participation had a wide range but not equal representation in academic standing, gender, and ethnicity. Yet students nearly unanimously (92%) valued the option. Our findings suggest oral exams at the introductory level may allow instructors to assess and aid students striving to achieve higher-level learning. PMID:24006399

Verbal final exam in introductory biology yields gains in student content knowledge and longitudinal performance.

PubMed

Luckie, Douglas B; Rivkin, Aaron M; Aubry, Jacob R; Marengo, Benjamin J; Creech, Leah R; Sweeder, Ryan D

2013-01-01

We studied gains in student learning over eight semesters in which an introductory biology course curriculum was changed to include optional verbal final exams (VFs). Students could opt to demonstrate their mastery of course material via structured oral exams with the professor. In a quantitative assessment of cell biology content knowledge, students who passed the VF outscored their peers on the medical assessment test (MAT), an exam built with 40 Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) questions (66.4% [n = 160] and 62% [n = 285], respectively; p < 0.001);. The higher-achieving students performed better on MCAT questions in all topic categories tested; the greatest gain occurred on the topic of cellular respiration. Because the VF focused on a conceptually parallel topic, photosynthesis, there may have been authentic knowledge transfer. In longitudinal tracking studies, passing the VF also correlated with higher performance in a range of upper-level science courses, with greatest significance in physiology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Participation had a wide range but not equal representation in academic standing, gender, and ethnicity. Yet students nearly unanimously (92%) valued the option. Our findings suggest oral exams at the introductory level may allow instructors to assess and aid students striving to achieve higher-level learning.

Improving materials and methods for installing inductive loop detectors : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-06-01

This report is the final report of this research project. It describes a compiling of materials utilized by various agencies for use in formation of inductive loop detectors. It further lists methods by which different agencies install materials in o...

Combination Antimicrobial Nanocomposite Materials for Neutralization of Biological Threat Agents (PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

AFRL-RX-TY-TP-2008-4601 PREPRINT COMBINATION ANTIMICROBIAL NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR NEUTRALIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL THREAT AGENTS...AIRBASE TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING DIRECTORATE AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND 139 BARNES DRIVE, SUITE 2...a composite material that combines the protein and inorganic components. The process can be mimicked in vitro to some degree, providing methods for

Biological reference materials for extracellular vesicle studies.

PubMed

Valkonen, S; van der Pol, E; Böing, A; Yuana, Y; Yliperttula, M; Nieuwland, R; Laitinen, S; Siljander, P R M

2017-02-15

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate normal physiological homeostasis and pathological processes by facilitating intercellular communication. Research of EVs in basic science and clinical settings requires both methodological standardization and development of reference materials (RM). Here, we show insights and results of biological RM development for EV studies. We used a three-step approach to find and develop a biological RM. First, a literature search was done to find candidates for biological RMs. Second, a questionnaire was sent to EV researchers querying the preferences for RM and their use. Third, a biological RM was selected, developed, characterized, and evaluated. The responses to the survey demonstrated a clear and recognized need for RM optimized for the calibration of EV measurements. Based on the literature, naturally occurring and produced biological RM, such as virus particles and liposomes, were proposed as RM. However, none of these candidate RMs have properties completely matching those of EVs, such as size and refractive index distribution. Therefore, we evaluated the use of nanoerythrosomes (NanoE), vesicles produced from erythrocytes, as a potential biological RM. The strength of NanoE is their resemblance to EVs. Compared to the erythrocyte-derived EVs (eryEVs), NanoE have similar morphology, a similar refractive index (1.37), larger diameter (70% of the NanoE are over 200nm), and increased positive staining for CD235a and lipids (Di-8-ANEPPS) (58% and 67% in NanoE vs. 21% and 45% in eryEVs, respectively). Altogether, our results highlight the general need to develop and validate new RM with similar physical and biochemical properties as EVs to standardize EV measurements between instruments and laboratories. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Virus-based surface patterning of biological molecules, probes, and inorganic materials.

PubMed

Ahn, Suji; Jeon, Seongho; Kwak, Eun-A; Kim, Jong-Man; Jaworski, Justyn

2014-10-01

An essential requirement for continued technological advancement in many areas of biology, physics, chemistry, and materials science is the growing need to generate custom patterned materials. Building from recent achievements in the site-specific modification of virus for covalent surface tethering, we show in this work that stable 2D virus patterns can be generated in custom geometries over large area glass surfaces to yield templates of biological, biochemical, and inorganic materials in high density. As a nanomaterial building block, filamentous viruses have been extensively used in recent years to produce materials with interesting properties, owing to their ease of genetic and chemical modification. By utilizing un-natural amino acids generated at specific locations on the filamentous fd bacteriophage protein coat, surface immobilization is carried out on APTES patterned glass resulting in precise geometries of covalently linked virus material. This technique facilitated the surface display of a high density of virus that were labeled with biomolecules, fluorescent probes, and gold nanoparticles, thereby opening the possibility of integrating virus as functional components for surface engineering. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Active matter at the interface between materials science and cell biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Needleman, Daniel; Dogic, Zvonimir

2017-09-01

The remarkable processes that characterize living organisms, such as motility, self-healing and reproduction, are fuelled by a continuous injection of energy at the microscale. The field of active matter focuses on understanding how the collective behaviours of internally driven components can give rise to these biological phenomena, while also striving to produce synthetic materials composed of active energy-consuming components. The synergistic approach of studying active matter in both living cells and reconstituted systems assembled from biochemical building blocks has the potential to transform our understanding of both cell biology and materials science. This methodology can provide insight into the fundamental principles that govern the dynamical behaviours of self-organizing subcellular structures, and can lead to the design of artificial materials and machines that operate away from equilibrium and can thus attain life-like properties. In this Review, we focus on active materials made of cytoskeletal components, highlighting the role of active stresses and how they drive self-organization of both cellular structures and macroscale materials, which are machines powered by nanomachines.

Femtosecond laser patterning of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoropoulos, Costas P.; Jeon, Hojeong; Hidai, Hirofumi; Hwang, David J.

2011-03-01

This paper aims at presenting a review of work at the Laser Thermal Laboratory on the microscopic laser modification of biological materials using ultrafast laser pulses. We have devised a new method for fabricating high aspect ratio patterns of varying height by using two-photon polymerization process in order to study contact guidance and directed growth of biological cells. Studies using NIH-3T3 and MDCK cells indicate that cell morphology on fiber scaffolds is influenced by the pattern of actin microfilament bundles. Cells experienced different strength of contact guidance depending on the ridge height. Cell morphology and motility was investigated on micronscale anisotropic cross patterns and parallel line patterns having different aspect ratios. A significant effect on cell alignment and directionality of migration was observed. Cell morphology and motility were influenced by the aspect ratio of the cross pattern, the grid size, and the ridge height. Cell contractility was examined microscopically in order to measure contractile forces generated by individual cells on self-standing fiber scaffolds.

Inverse Algorithm Optimization for Determining Optical Properties of Biological Materials from Spatially-Resolved Diffuse Reflectance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optical characterization of biological materials is useful in many scientific and industrial applications like biomedical diagnosis and nondestructive quality evaluation of food and agricultural products. However, accurate determination of the optical properties from intact biological materials base...

Comparison of the biological NH3 removal characteristics among four inorganic packing materials.

PubMed

Hirai, M; Kamamoto, M; Yani, M; Shoda, M

2001-01-01

Four inorganic packing materials were evaluated in terms of their availability as a packing material of a packed tower deodorization apparatus (biofilter) from the viewpoints of biological NH3 removal characteristics and some physical properties. Porous ceramics (A), calcinated cristobalite (B), calcinated and formed obsidian (C), granulated and calculated soil (D) were used. The superiority of these packing materials determined based on the values of non-biological removal per unit weight or unit volume of packing material, complete removal capacity of NH3 per unit weight of packing material per day or unit volume of packing material per day and pressure drop of the packed bed was in the order of A approximately = C > B > or = D. Packing materials A and C with high porosity, maximum water content, and suitable mean pore diameter showed excellent removal capacity.

Theory of light transfer in food and biological materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this chapter, we first define the basic radiometric quantities that are needed for describing light propagation in food and biological materials. Radiative transfer theory is then derived, according to the principle of the conservation of energy. Because the radiative transfer theory equation is ...

Biologically inspired autonomous structural materials with controlled toughening and healing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Michael E.; Sodano, Henry A.

2010-04-01

The field of structural health monitoring (SHM) has made significant contributions in the field of prognosis and damage detection in the past decade. The advantageous use of this technology has not been integrated into operational structures to prevent damage from propagating or to heal injured regions under real time loading conditions. Rather, current systems relay this information to a central processor or human operator, who then determines a course of action such as altering the mission or scheduling repair maintenance. Biological systems exhibit advanced sensory and healing traits that can be applied to the design of material systems. For instance, bone is the major structural component in vertebrates; however, unlike modern structural materials, bone has many properties that make it effective for arresting the propagation of cracks and subsequent healing of the fractured area. The foremost goal for the development of future adaptive structures is to mimic biological systems, similar to bone, such that the material system can detect damage and deploy defensive traits to impede damage from propagating, thus preventing catastrophic failure while in operation. After sensing and stalling the propagation of damage, the structure must then be repaired autonomously using self healing mechanisms motivated by biological systems. Here a novel autonomous system is developed using shape memory polymers (SMPs), that employs an optical fiber network as both a damage detection sensor and a network to deliver stimulus to the damage site initiating adaptation and healing. In the presence of damage the fiber optic fractures allowing a high power laser diode to deposit a controlled level of thermal energy at the fractured sight locally reducing the modulus and blunting the crack tip, which significantly slows the crack growth rate. By applying a pre-induced strain field and utilizing the shape memory recovery effect, thermal energy can be deployed to close the crack and return

Specimen preparation for NanoSIMS analysis of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grovenor, C. R. M.; Smart, K. E.; Kilburn, M. R.; Shore, B.; Dilworth, J. R.; Martin, B.; Hawes, C.; Rickaby, R. E. M.

2006-07-01

In order to achieve reliable and reproducible analysis of biological materials by SIMS, it is critical both that the chosen specimen preparation method does not modify substantially the in vivo chemistry that is the focus of the study and that any chemical information obtained can be calibrated accurately by selection of appropriate standards. In Oxford, we have been working with our new Cameca NanoSIMS50 on two very distinct classes of biological materials; the first where the sample preparation problems are relatively undemanding - human hair - but calibration for trace metal analysis is a critical issue and, the second, marine coccoliths and hyperaccumulator plants where reliable specimen preparation by rapid freezing and controlled drying to preserve the distribution of diffusible species is the first and most demanding requirement, but worthwhile experiments on tracking key elements can still be undertaken even when it is clear that some redistribution of the most diffusible ions has occurred.

[The meaning of accidents with biological material to nursing professionals].

PubMed

Magagnini, Maristela Aparecida Magri; Rocha, Suelen Alves; Ayres, Jairo Aparecido

2011-06-01

The aim of this study is to understand what meaning work accidents with exposure to biological material has to nurses. This is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach, and it used Bardin's content analysis. 87 accidents with biological material occurred in the period between 2001 and 2006; among them, eight were seropositive for Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS. An interview with guiding questions was used to collect data. When inquiring these professionals about the meaning of these accidents, four categories emerged: risk situation, danger perception, fatality, and feelings. Although it is not a strategy of clarification, it is a fact that work organization and educative actions have considerable impact in reducing this type of accident, also reducing damage to the life of nurses involved in these accidents.

Water regime of mechanical-biological pretreated waste materials under fast-growing trees.

PubMed

Rüth, Björn; Lennartz, Bernd; Kahle, Petra

2007-10-01

In this study mechanical-biological pre-treated waste material (MBP) was tested for suitability to serve as an alternative surface layer in combination with fast-growing and water-consumptive trees for final covers at landfill sites. The aim was to quantify evapotranspiration and seepage losses by numerical model simulations for two sites in Germany. In addition, the leaf area index (LAI) of six tree species over the growing season as the driving parameter for transpiration calculations was determined experimentally. The maximum LAI varied between 3.8 and 6.1 m2 m(-2) for poplar and willow clones, respectively. The evapotranspiration calculations revealed that the use of MBP waste material for re-cultivation enhanced evapotranspiration by 40 mm year(-1) (10%) over an 11 year calculation period compared to a standard mineral soil. Between 82% (for LAI(max) = 3.8) and 87% (for LAI(max) = 6.1) of the average annual precipitation (506 mm) could be retained from the surface layer assuming eastern German climate conditions, compared with a retention efficiency between 79 and 82% for a mineral soil. Although a MBP layer in conjunction with water-consumptive trees can reduce vertical water losses as compared to mineral substrates, the effect is not sufficient to meet legal regulations.

Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology.

PubMed

Rice, MaryJoe K; Ruder, Warren C

2014-02-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems.

Bio-Inspired Materials and Devices for Chemical and Biological Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Assembled Soft Matter for in vivo Optical Imaging. PNAS 2005, 102(8), pp 2922-2927. 37 Reiner, J.E.; Wells, J.M.; Kishore, R.B.; Pfefferkorn, C...materials ex- vivo as well as the more common standpoint of using nonbiological materials in biological environments, i.e., biocompatibility. Many...tube constitute a MWCNT . In comparison with SWCNTs, multiwalled tubes sacrifice electrical properties in favor of stability and ease of manufacture

Content and format of labeling for human prescription drug and biological products; requirements for pregnancy and lactation labeling. Final rule.

PubMed

2014-12-04

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its regulations governing the content and format of the "Pregnancy," "Labor and delivery," and "Nursing mothers" subsections of the "Use in Specific Populations" section of the labeling for human prescription drug and biological products. The final rule requires the removal of the pregnancy categories A, B, C, D, and X from all human prescription drug and biological product labeling. For human prescription drug and biological products subject to the Agency's 2006 Physician Labeling Rule, the final rule requires that the labeling include a summary of the risks of using a drug during pregnancy and lactation, a discussion of the data supporting that summary, and relevant information to help health care providers make prescribing decisions and counsel women about the use of drugs during pregnancy and lactation. The final rule eliminates the "Labor and delivery" subsection because information about labor and delivery is included in the "Pregnancy" subsection. The final rule requires that the labeling include relevant information about pregnancy testing, contraception, and infertility for health care providers prescribing for females and males of reproductive potential. The final rule creates a consistent format for providing information about the risks and benefits of prescription drug and/or biological product use during pregnancy and lactation and by females and males of reproductive potential. These revisions will facilitate prescriber counseling for these populations.

Structural and functional biological materials: Abalone nacre, sharp materials, and abalone foot adhesion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Albert Yu-Min

A three-part study of lessons from nature is presented through the examination of various biological materials, with an emphasis on materials from the mollusk Haliotis rufescens, commonly referred to as the red abalone. The three categories presented are: structural hierarchy, self-assembly, and functionality. Ocean mollusk shells are composed of aragonite/calcite crystals interleaved with layers of a visco-elastic protein, having dense, tailored structures with excellent mechanical properties. The complex nano-laminate structure of this bio-composite material is characterized and related to its mechanical properties. Three levels of structural hierarchy are identified: macroscale mesolayers separating larger regions of tiled aragonite, microscale organization of 0.5 mum by 10 mum aragonite bricks; nanoscale mineral bridges passing through 30 nm layers of organic matrix separating individual aragonite tiles. Composition and growth mechanisms of this nanostructure were observed through close examination of laboratory-grown samples using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Glass slides and nacre pucks were implanted onto the growth surface of living abalone and removed periodically to observe trends in nacre deposition. Various deproteinization and demineralization experiments are used to explore the inorganic and organic components of the nacre's structure. The organic component of the shell is characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The functionality of various biological materials is described and investigated. Two specific types of functionality are characterized, the ability of some materials to cut and puncture through sharp designs, and the ability for some materials to be used as attachment devices. Aspects of cutting materials employed by a broad range of animals were characterized and compared. In respect to the attachment mechanisms the foot of the abalone and the tree frog were

Ultrafast electron microscopy in materials science, biology, and chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Wayne E.; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Frank, Alan; Reed, Bryan; Schmerge, John F.; Siwick, Bradley J.; Stuart, Brent C.; Weber, Peter M.

2005-06-01

The use of pump-probe experiments to study complex transient events has been an area of significant interest in materials science, biology, and chemistry. While the emphasis has been on laser pump with laser probe and laser pump with x-ray probe experiments, there is a significant and growing interest in using electrons as probes. Early experiments used electrons for gas-phase diffraction of photostimulated chemical reactions. More recently, scientists are beginning to explore phenomena in the solid state such as phase transformations, twinning, solid-state chemical reactions, radiation damage, and shock propagation. This review focuses on the emerging area of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), which comprises ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) and dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM). The topics that are treated include the following: (1) The physics of electrons as an ultrafast probe. This encompasses the propagation dynamics of the electrons (space-charge effect, Child's law, Boersch effect) and extends to relativistic effects. (2) The anatomy of UED and DTEM instruments. This includes discussions of the photoactivated electron gun (also known as photogun or photoelectron gun) at conventional energies (60-200 keV) and extends to MeV beams generated by rf guns. Another critical aspect of the systems is the electron detector. Charge-coupled device cameras and microchannel-plate-based cameras are compared and contrasted. The effect of various physical phenomena on detective quantum efficiency is discussed. (3) Practical aspects of operation. This includes determination of time zero, measurement of pulse-length, and strategies for pulse compression. (4) Current and potential applications in materials science, biology, and chemistry. UEM has the potential to make a significant impact in future science and technology. Understanding of reaction pathways of complex transient phenomena in materials science, biology, and chemistry will provide fundamental

Comparison of the biological H2S removal characteristics among four inorganic packing materials.

PubMed

Hirai, M; Kamamoto, M; Yani, M; Shoda, M

2001-01-01

Four inorganic packing materials were evaluated in terms of their availability as packing materials of a packed tower deodorization apparatus (biofilter) from the viewpoints of biological H2S removal characteristics and some physical properties. Among porous ceramics (A), calcinated cristobalite (B), calcinated and formed obsidian (C), granulated and calcinated soil (D), the superiority of these packing materials determined based on the values of non-biological removal per unit weight or unit volume of packing material, complete removal capacity of H2S per unit weight of packing material per day or unit volume of packing material per day and pressure drop of the packed bed was in the order of A approximately equal to C > D approximately equal to B, which is correlated with the maximum water content, porosity, and mean pore diameter.

Analysis of occupational accidents with biological material among professionals in pre-hospital services.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Adriana Cristina; Paiva, Maria Henriqueta Rocha Siqueira

2013-02-01

To estimate the prevalence of accidents due to biological material exposure, the characteristics and post-accident conduct among professionals of pre-hospital services of the four municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A cross-sectional study, using a structured questionnaire that was developed to enable the calculation of prevalence, descriptive analysis and analytical analysis using logistic regression. The study included 228 professionals; the prevalence of accidents due to biological material exposure was 29.4%, with 49.2% percutaneous, 10.4% mucousal, 6.0% non-intact skin, and 34.4% intact skin. Among the professionals injured, those that stood out were nursing technicians (41.9%) and drivers (28.3%). Notification of the occurrence of the accident occurred in 29.8% of the cases. Percutaneous exposure was associated with time of work in the organization (OR=2.51, 95% CI: 1.18 to 5.35, p<0.017). Notification about accidents with biological material should be encouraged, along with professional evaluation/monitoring.

The Widespread Prevalence and Functional Significance of Silk-Like Structural Proteins in Metazoan Biological Materials

PubMed Central

McDougall, Carmel; Woodcroft, Ben J.

2016-01-01

In nature, numerous mechanisms have evolved by which organisms fabricate biological structures with an impressive array of physical characteristics. Some examples of metazoan biological materials include the highly elastic byssal threads by which bivalves attach themselves to rocks, biomineralized structures that form the skeletons of various animals, and spider silks that are renowned for their exceptional strength and elasticity. The remarkable properties of silks, which are perhaps the best studied biological materials, are the result of the highly repetitive, modular, and biased amino acid composition of the proteins that compose them. Interestingly, similar levels of modularity/repetitiveness and similar bias in amino acid compositions have been reported in proteins that are components of structural materials in other organisms, however the exact nature and extent of this similarity, and its functional and evolutionary relevance, is unknown. Here, we investigate this similarity and use sequence features common to silks and other known structural proteins to develop a bioinformatics-based method to identify similar proteins from large-scale transcriptome and whole-genome datasets. We show that a large number of proteins identified using this method have roles in biological material formation throughout the animal kingdom. Despite the similarity in sequence characteristics, most of the silk-like structural proteins (SLSPs) identified in this study appear to have evolved independently and are restricted to a particular animal lineage. Although the exact function of many of these SLSPs is unknown, the apparent independent evolution of proteins with similar sequence characteristics in divergent lineages suggests that these features are important for the assembly of biological materials. The identification of these characteristics enable the generation of testable hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which these proteins assemble and direct the construction of

The material and biological characteristics of osteoinductive calcium phosphate ceramics

PubMed Central

Tang, Zhurong; Li, Xiangfeng; Tan, Yanfei

2018-01-01

Abstract The discovery of osteoinductivity of calcium phosphate (Ca-P) ceramics has set an enduring paradigm of conferring biological regenerative activity to materials with carefully designed structural characteristics. The unique phase composition and porous structural features of osteoinductive Ca-P ceramics allow it to interact with signaling molecules and extracellular matrices in the host system, creating a local environment conducive to new bone formation. Mounting evidence now indicate that the osteoinductive activity of Ca-P ceramics is linked to their physicochemical and three-dimensional structural properties. Inspired by this conceptual breakthrough, many laboratories have shown that other materials can be also enticed to join the rank of tissue-inducing biomaterials, and besides the bones, other tissues such as cartilage, nerves and blood vessels were also regenerated with the assistance of biomaterials. Here, we give a brief historical recount about the discovery of the osteoinductivity of Ca-P ceramics, summarize the underlying material factors and biological characteristics, and discuss the mechanism of osteoinduction concerning protein adsorption, and the interaction with different types of cells, and the involvement of the vascular and immune systems. PMID:29423267

10 CFR 51.97 - Final environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-materials license. 51.97 Section 51.97 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... enrichment facility. As provided in section 5(e) of the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production...

10 CFR 51.97 - Final environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-materials license. 51.97 Section 51.97 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... enrichment facility. As provided in section 5(e) of the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production...

10 CFR 51.97 - Final environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-materials license. 51.97 Section 51.97 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... enrichment facility. As provided in section 5(e) of the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production...

10 CFR 51.97 - Final environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-materials license. 51.97 Section 51.97 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... enrichment facility. As provided in section 5(e) of the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production...

10 CFR 51.97 - Final environmental impact statement-materials license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Final environmental impact statement-materials license. 51.97 Section 51.97 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... enrichment facility. As provided in section 5(e) of the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production...

[The identification investigation of the material evidence of biological origin after multifactorial exposure].

PubMed

Iakovlev, D Iu; Solodun, Iu V; Proskurin, V N

1999-01-01

The possibility of investigating pieces of material evidence of biological origin after exposure to various factors is evaluated. The possibility of detecting proteins of liquid media of human organism by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide denatured gel is investigated. The method is intended for identification of biological material in a state of grave destruction. Methodology of such studies is proposed. The data indicate that the structural integrity and qualitative composition of the spectrum of main serum proteins are retained after combined exposure to damaging factors and complete destruction of blood cells.

Analytical chemistry at the interface between materials science and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Janese Christine

This work describes several research efforts that lie at the new interfaces between analytical chemistry and other disciplines, namely materials science and biology. In the materials science realm, the search for new materials that may have useful or unique chromatographic properties motivated the synthesis and characterization of electrically conductive sol-gels. In the biology realm, the search for new surface fabrication schemes that would permit or even improve the detection of specific biological reactions motivated the design of miniaturized biological arrays. Collectively, this work represents some of analytical chemistry's newest forays into these disciplines. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter that provides background information pertinent to several key aspects of the work contained in this dissertation. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis and characterization of electrically conductive sol-gels derived from the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of a vanadium alkoxide. Specifically, this chapter describes our attempts to increase the conductivity of vanadium sol-gels by optimizing the acidic and drying conditions used during synthesis. Chapter 3 reports the construction of novel antigenic immunosensing platforms of increased epitope density using Fab'-SH antibody fragments on gold. Here, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thin-layer cell (TLC) and confocal fluorescence spectroscopies, and scanning force microscopy (SFM) are employed to characterize the fragment-substrate interaction, to quantify epitope density, and to demonstrate fragment viability and specificity. Chapter 4 presents a novel method for creating and interrogating double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) microarrays suitable for screening protein:dsDNA interactions. Using the restriction enzyme ECoR1, we demonstrate the ability of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to detect changes in topography that result from the enzymatic cleavage of dsDNA microarrays

Occupational Orientation: Applied Biological and Agricultural Occupations. Experimental Curriculum Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Office of Education, Springfield.

These experimental curriculum materials, from one of five clusters developed for the occupational orientation program in Illinois, include a series of learning activity packages (LAPs) designed to acquaint the student with the wide range of occupational choices available in the applied biological and agricultural occupations. The 30 LAPs, each…

Determination of the Biologically Relevant Sampling Depth for Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessments (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

The Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) announced the release of the final report, Determination of the Biologically Relevant Sampling Depth for Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessments. This technical paper provides defensible approximations fo...

Quantitative Cryo-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy of Biological Materials.

PubMed

Elbaum, Michael

2018-05-11

Electron tomography provides a detailed view into the 3D structure of biological cells and tissues. Physical fixation by vitrification of the aqueous medium provides the most faithful preservation of biological specimens in the native, fully hydrated state. Cryo-microscopy is challenging, however, because of the sensitivity to electron irradiation and due to the weak electron scattering of organic material. Tomography is even more challenging because of the dependence on multiple exposures of the same area. Tomographic imaging is typically performed in wide-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) mode with phase contrast generated by defocus. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is an alternative mode based on detection of scattering from a focused probe beam, without imaging optics following the specimen. While careful configuration of the illumination and detectors is required to generate useful contrast, STEM circumvents the major restrictions of phase contrast TEM to very thin specimens and provides a signal that is more simply interpreted in terms of local composition and density. STEM has gained popularity in recent years for materials science. The extension of STEM to cryomicroscopy and tomography of cells and macromolecules is summarized herein. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impacts of Insufficient Instructional Materials on Teaching Biology: Higher Education Systems in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edessa, Sutuma

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess and determine impacts of insufficient instructional materials and ineffective lesson delivery methods on teaching in biology higher education. The participants of this study were 60 trainees who graduated in Bachelor of Sciences from eight public universities in majoring biology. Data for the study was…

Determination of perfluorinated alkyl acid concentrations in biological standard reference materials.

PubMed

Reiner, Jessica L; O'Connell, Steven G; Butt, Craig M; Mabury, Scott A; Small, Jeff M; De Silva, Amila O; Muir, Derek C G; Delinsky, Amy D; Strynar, Mark J; Lindstrom, Andrew B; Reagen, William K; Malinsky, Michelle; Schäfer, Sandra; Kwadijk, Christiaan J A F; Schantz, Michele M; Keller, Jennifer M

2012-11-01

Standard reference materials (SRMs) are homogeneous, well-characterized materials used to validate measurements and improve the quality of analytical data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a wide range of SRMs that have mass fraction values assigned for legacy pollutants. These SRMs can also serve as test materials for method development, method validation, and measurement for contaminants of emerging concern. Because inter-laboratory comparison studies have revealed substantial variability of measurements of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), future analytical measurements will benefit from determination of consensus values for PFAAs in SRMs to provide a means to demonstrate method-specific performance. To that end, NIST, in collaboration with other groups, has been measuring concentrations of PFAAs in a variety of SRMs. Here we report levels of PFAAs and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) determined in four biological SRMs: fish tissue (SRM 1946 Lake Superior Fish Tissue, SRM 1947 Lake Michigan Fish Tissue), bovine liver (SRM 1577c), and mussel tissue (SRM 2974a). We also report concentrations for three in-house quality-control materials: beluga whale liver, pygmy sperm whale liver, and white-sided dolphin liver. Measurements in SRMs show an array of PFAAs, with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) being the most frequently detected. Reference and information values are reported for PFAAs measured in these biological SRMs.

Enhancing Reuse of Data and Biological Material in Medical Research: From FAIR to FAIR-Health

PubMed Central

Kohlmayer, Florian; Prasser, Fabian; Mayrhofer, Michaela Th.; Schlünder, Irene; Martin, Gillian M.; Casati, Sara; Koumakis, Lefteris; Wutte, Andrea; Kozera, Łukasz; Strapagiel, Dominik; Anton, Gabriele; Zanetti, Gianluigi; Sezerman, Osman Ugur; Mendy, Maimuna; Valík, Dalibor; Lavitrano, Marialuisa; Dagher, Georges; Zatloukal, Kurt; van Ommen, GertJan B.; Litton, Jan-Eric

2018-01-01

The known challenge of underutilization of data and biological material from biorepositories as potential resources for medical research has been the focus of discussion for over a decade. Recently developed guidelines for improved data availability and reusability—entitled FAIR Principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability)—are likely to address only parts of the problem. In this article, we argue that biological material and data should be viewed as a unified resource. This approach would facilitate access to complete provenance information, which is a prerequisite for reproducibility and meaningful integration of the data. A unified view also allows for optimization of long-term storage strategies, as demonstrated in the case of biobanks. We propose an extension of the FAIR Principles to include the following additional components: (1) quality aspects related to research reproducibility and meaningful reuse of the data, (2) incentives to stimulate effective enrichment of data sets and biological material collections and its reuse on all levels, and (3) privacy-respecting approaches for working with the human material and data. These FAIR-Health principles should then be applied to both the biological material and data. We also propose the development of common guidelines for cloud architectures, due to the unprecedented growth of volume and breadth of medical data generation, as well as the associated need to process the data efficiently. PMID:29359962

Enhancing Reuse of Data and Biological Material in Medical Research: From FAIR to FAIR-Health.

PubMed

Holub, Petr; Kohlmayer, Florian; Prasser, Fabian; Mayrhofer, Michaela Th; Schlünder, Irene; Martin, Gillian M; Casati, Sara; Koumakis, Lefteris; Wutte, Andrea; Kozera, Łukasz; Strapagiel, Dominik; Anton, Gabriele; Zanetti, Gianluigi; Sezerman, Osman Ugur; Mendy, Maimuna; Valík, Dalibor; Lavitrano, Marialuisa; Dagher, Georges; Zatloukal, Kurt; van Ommen, GertJan B; Litton, Jan-Eric

2018-04-01

The known challenge of underutilization of data and biological material from biorepositories as potential resources for medical research has been the focus of discussion for over a decade. Recently developed guidelines for improved data availability and reusability-entitled FAIR Principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability)-are likely to address only parts of the problem. In this article, we argue that biological material and data should be viewed as a unified resource. This approach would facilitate access to complete provenance information, which is a prerequisite for reproducibility and meaningful integration of the data. A unified view also allows for optimization of long-term storage strategies, as demonstrated in the case of biobanks. We propose an extension of the FAIR Principles to include the following additional components: (1) quality aspects related to research reproducibility and meaningful reuse of the data, (2) incentives to stimulate effective enrichment of data sets and biological material collections and its reuse on all levels, and (3) privacy-respecting approaches for working with the human material and data. These FAIR-Health principles should then be applied to both the biological material and data. We also propose the development of common guidelines for cloud architectures, due to the unprecedented growth of volume and breadth of medical data generation, as well as the associated need to process the data efficiently.

Next Generation Risk Assessment: Incorporation of Recent Advances in Molecular, Computational, and Systems Biology (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the release of the final report, Next Generation Risk Assessment: Incorporation of Recent Advances in Molecular, Computational, and Systems Biology. This report describes new approaches that are faster, less resource intensive, and more robust that can help ...

The BIOSCI electronic newsgroup network for the biological sciences. Final report, October 1, 1992--June 30, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kristofferson, D.; Mack, D.

1996-10-01

This is the final report for a DOE funded project on BIOSCI Electronic Newsgroup Network for the biological sciences. A usable network for scientific discussion, major announcements, problem solving, etc. has been created.

Final Report of “Collaborative research: Fundamental science of low temperature plasma-biological material interactions” (Award# DE-SC0005105)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oehrlein, Gottlieb S.; Seog, Joonil; Graves, David

2014-09-24

low temperature plasma sources with modified geometry where radical induced interactions generally dominate due to short mean free paths of ions and VUV photons. In these conditions we demonstrated the importance of environmental interactions of plasma species when APP sources are used to modify biomolecules. This is evident from both gas phase characterization data and in-situ surface characterization of treated biomolecules. Environmental interactions can produce unexpected outcomes due to the complex reactions of reactive species with the atmosphere which determine the composition of reactive fluxes and atomistic changes in biomolecules. Overall, this work elucidated a richer spectrum of scientific opportunities and challenges for the field of low temperature plasma-biomolecule surface interactions than initially anticipated, in particular, for plasma sources operating at atmospheric pressure. The insights produced in this work, e.g. demonstration of the importance of environmental interactions, are generally important for applications of APP to materials modifications. Thus one major contributions of this research has been the establishment of methodologies to study the interaction of plasma with bio-molecules in a systemic and rigorous manner. In particular, our studies of atmospheric pressure plasma sources using very well-defined experimental conditions enabled us to correlate atomistic surface modifications of biomolecules with changes in their biological function. The clarification of the role of ions, VUV photons and radicals in deactivation of biomolecules during low pressure and atmospheric pressure plasma-biomolecule interaction has broad implications, e.g. for the emerging field of plasma medicine. The development of methods to detect the effects of plasma treatment on immune-active biomolecules will lay a fundamental foundation to enhance our understanding of the effect of plasma on biological systems. be helpful in many future studies.« less

Enhanced Removal of Lead by Chemically and Biologically Treated Carbonaceous Materials

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, Mohamed E.; Osman, Maher M.; Ahmed, Somia B.; Abdel-Fattah, Tarek M.

2012-01-01

Hybrid sorbents and biosorbents were synthesized via chemical and biological treatment of active carbon by simple and direct redox reaction followed by surface loading of baker's yeast. Surface functionality and morphology of chemically and biologically modified sorbents and biosorbents were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared analysis and scanning electron microscope imaging. Hybrid carbonaceous sorbents and biosorbents were characterized by excellent efficiency and superiority toward lead(II) sorption compared to blank active carbon providing a maximum sorption capacity of lead(II) ion as 500 μmol g−1. Sorption processes of lead(II) by these hybrid materials were investigated under the influence of several controlling parameters such as pH, contact time, mass of sorbent and biosorbent, lead(II) concentration, and foreign ions. Lead(II) sorption mechanisms were found to obey the Langmuir and BET isotherm models. The potential applications of chemically and biologically modified-active carbonaceous materials for removal and extraction of lead from real water matrices were also studied via a double-stage microcolumn technique. The results of this study were found to denote to superior recovery values of lead (95.0–99.0 ± 3.0–5.0%) by various carbonaceous-modified-bakers yeast biosorbents. PMID:22629157

[Clinical treatment adherence of health care workers and students exposed to potentially infectious biological material].

PubMed

Almeida, Maria Cristina Mendes de; Canini, Silvia Rita Marin da Silva; Reis, Renata Karina; Toffano, Silmara Elaine Malaguti; Pereira, Fernanda Maria Vieira; Gir, Elucir

2015-04-01

To assess adherence to clinical appointments by health care workers (HCW) and students who suffered accidents with potentially infectious biological material. A retrospective cross-sectional study that assessed clinical records of accidents involving biological material between 2005 and 2010 in a specialized unit. A total of 461 individuals exposed to biological material were treated, of which 389 (84.4%) were HCWs and 72 (15.6%) students. Of the 461 exposed individuals, 307 (66.6%) attended a follow-up appointment. Individuals who had suffered an accident with a known source patient were 29 times more likely to show up to their scheduled follow-up appointments (OR: 29.98; CI95%: 16.09-55.83). The predictor in both univariate and multivariate analyses for adherence to clinical follow-up appointment was having a known source patient with nonreactive serology for the human immunodeficiency virus and/or hepatitis B and C.

INAA Application for Trace Element Determination in Biological Reference Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atmodjo, D. P. D.; Kurniawati, S.; Lestiani, D. D.; Adventini, N.

2017-06-01

Trace element determination in biological samples is often used in the study of health and toxicology. Determination change to its essentiality and toxicity of trace element require an accurate determination method, which implies that a good Quality Control (QC) procedure should be performed. In this study, QC for trace element determination in biological samples was applied by analyzing the Standard Reference Material (SRM) Bovine muscle 8414 NIST using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Three selected trace element such as Fe, Zn, and Se were determined. Accuracy of the elements showed as %recovery and precision as %coefficient of variance (%CV). The result showed that %recovery of Fe, Zn, and Se were in the range between 99.4-107%, 92.7-103%, and 91.9-112%, respectively, whereas %CV were 2.92, 3.70, and 5.37%, respectively. These results showed that INAA method is precise and accurate for trace element determination in biological matrices.

Friction properties of biological functional materials: PVDF membranes.

PubMed

Chen, Long; Di, Changan; Chen, Xuguang; Li, Zhengzhi; Luo, Jia

2017-01-02

Touch is produced by sensations that include approaching, sliding, pressing, and temperature. This concept has become a target of research in biotechnology, especially in the field of bionic biology. This study measured sliding and pressing with traditional tactile sensors in order to improve a machine operator's judgment of surface roughness. Based on the theory of acoustic emission, this study combined polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with a sonic transducer to produce tactile sensors that can detect surface roughness. Friction between PVDF films and experimental materials generated tiny acoustic signals that were transferred into electrical signals through a sonic transducer. The characteristics of the acoustic signals for the various materials were then analyzed. The results suggest that this device can effectively distinguish among different objects based on roughness. Tactile sensors designed using this principle and structure function very similarly to the human body in recognizing the surface of an object.

[Peculiarities of detection of 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-aniline in the biological material].

PubMed

Shormanov, V K; Andreeva, Yu V; Omel'chenko, V A

2016-01-01

The objective of the present work was to study peculiarities of detection of 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-aniline in the biological material with the use of TLC, GC-MS, and electron spectrophotometry. We have proposed the rationale for the application of acetone as an insulating agent for the extraction of 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-aniline from the cadaveric hepatic tissue and biological fluids. It was shown that this compound is possible to separate from endogenous biomaterials on the silicagel L column (40/100 mcm). The results of the quantitative evaluation of different amounts of 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-aniline in the cadaveric hepatic tissue, blood, plasma, and urine are presented. The proposed method makes it possible to determine a minimum of 0.12 mg of 4-nitro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-aniline in 100 g of the biological material (cadaveric hepatic tissue), 0.09 mg in 100 g of blood, 0.06 mg and 0.05 mg in 100 u of plasma and urine respectively.

A discrete spectral analysis for determining quasi-linear viscoelastic properties of biological materials

PubMed Central

Babaei, Behzad; Abramowitch, Steven D.; Elson, Elliot L.; Thomopoulos, Stavros; Genin, Guy M.

2015-01-01

The viscoelastic behaviour of a biological material is central to its functioning and is an indicator of its health. The Fung quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) model, a standard tool for characterizing biological materials, provides excellent fits to most stress–relaxation data by imposing a simple form upon a material's temporal relaxation spectrum. However, model identification is challenging because the Fung QLV model's ‘box’-shaped relaxation spectrum, predominant in biomechanics applications, can provide an excellent fit even when it is not a reasonable representation of a material's relaxation spectrum. Here, we present a robust and simple discrete approach for identifying a material's temporal relaxation spectrum from stress–relaxation data in an unbiased way. Our ‘discrete QLV’ (DQLV) approach identifies ranges of time constants over which the Fung QLV model's typical box spectrum provides an accurate representation of a particular material's temporal relaxation spectrum, and is effective at providing a fit to this model. The DQLV spectrum also reveals when other forms or discrete time constants are more suitable than a box spectrum. After validating the approach against idealized and noisy data, we applied the methods to analyse medial collateral ligament stress–relaxation data and identify the strengths and weaknesses of an optimal Fung QLV fit. PMID:26609064

Quantitation and detection of vanadium in biologic and pollution materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, W. A.

1974-01-01

A review is presented of special considerations and methodology for determining vanadium in biological and air pollution materials. In addition to descriptions of specific analysis procedures, general sections are included on quantitation of analysis procedures, sample preparation, blanks, and methods of detection of vanadium. Most of the information presented is applicable to the determination of other trace elements in addition to vanadium.

The determination of copper in biological materials by flame spectrophotometry

PubMed Central

Newman, G. E.; Ryan, M.

1962-01-01

A method for the determination of the copper content of biological materials by flame spectrophotometry is described. The effects of interference by ions such as sodium and phosphate were eliminated by isolating copper as the dithizonate in CCl4. Results obtained for the urinary excretion of copper by a patient with Wilson's disease before and after treatment with penicillamine are reported. PMID:14479334

Biological Soft Robotics.

PubMed

Feinberg, Adam W

2015-01-01

In nature, nanometer-scale molecular motors are used to generate force within cells for diverse processes from transcription and transport to muscle contraction. This adaptability and scalability across wide temporal, spatial, and force regimes have spurred the development of biological soft robotic systems that seek to mimic and extend these capabilities. This review describes how molecular motors are hierarchically organized into larger-scale structures in order to provide a basic understanding of how these systems work in nature and the complexity and functionality we hope to replicate in biological soft robotics. These span the subcellular scale to macroscale, and this article focuses on the integration of biological components with synthetic materials, coupled with bioinspired robotic design. Key examples include nanoscale molecular motor-powered actuators, microscale bacteria-controlled devices, and macroscale muscle-powered robots that grasp, walk, and swim. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in the field are addressed.

Microdetermination of calcium and magnesium in biological materials

PubMed Central

Bowden, C. H.; Patston, Valerie J.

1963-01-01

The use of the dye calcon (1-(2 hydroxy-1-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-4 sulphonic acid) for the estimation of calcium using E.D.T.A. and a commercial photoelectric titrimeter is described. The interfering effects of magnesium and phosphate have been overcome. The method has been extended to estimations on biological materials. Results on 55 sera show that the E.D.T.A./calcon method gave slightly lower results (—0·15 mg./100 ml. ± 0·029) than the oxalate precipitation method. Magnesium may also be estimated by incorporating the use of Eriochrome black T. PMID:14014590

Determination of the dynamical behaviour of biological materials during impact using a pendulum device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Zeebroeck, M.; Tijskens, E.; Van Liedekerke, P.; Deli, V.; De Baerdemaeker, J.; Ramon, H.

2003-09-01

A pendulum device has been developed to measure contact force, displacement and displacement rate of an impactor during its impact on the sample. Displacement, classically measured by double integration of an accelerometer, was determined in an alternative way using a more accurate incremental optical encoder. The parameters of the Kuwabara-Kono contact force model for impact of spheres have been estimated using an optimization method, taking the experimentally measured displacement, displacement rate and contact force into account. The accuracy of the method was verified using a rubber ball. Contact force parameters for the Kuwabara-Kono model have been estimated with success for three biological materials, i.e., apples, tomatoes and potatoes. The variability in the parameter estimations for the biological materials was quite high and can be explained by geometric differences (radius of curvature) and by biological variation of mechanical tissue properties.

Developmental biology meets materials science: Morphogenesis of biomineralized structures.

PubMed

Wilt, Fred H

2005-04-01

Biomineralization is the process by which metazoa form hard minerals for support, defense, and feeding. The minerals so formed, e.g., teeth, bones, shells, carapaces, and spicules, are of considerable interest to chemists and materials scientists. The cell biology underlying biomineralization is not well understood. The study of the formation of mineralized structures in developing organisms offers opportunities for understanding some intriguing aspects of cell and developmental biology. Five examples of biomineralization are presented: (1) the formation of siliceous spicules and frustules in sponges and diatoms, respectively; (2) the structure of skeletal spicules composed of amorphous calcium carbonate in some tunicates; (3) the secretion of the prism and nacre of some molluscan shells; (4) the development of skeletal spicules of sea urchin embryos; and (5) the formation of enamel of vertebrate teeth. Some speculations on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that support biomineralization, and their evolutionary origins, are discussed.

[Experimental study on vagina reconstruction with tissue-engineering biological material.].

PubMed

Zhou, Hui-Mei; Lang, Jing-He; Zhu, Lan

2009-11-01

To investigate the effect of vagina reconstruction using tissue-engineering biological material (acellular dermal matrix) in an animal model. Vagina excision and vagina reconstruction with tissue-engineering biological material were performed in 12 Chinese experimental miniature pigs. The control group was matched with two of normal vagina specimens resected. At week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 after surgery, the animals were sacrificed, respectively, and the neovaginas were prepared for immunohistochemical and Van Gieson (VG) staining to evaluate the status of various layer growth of vagina. Epithelial broad spectrum of monoclonal antibodies of AE1/AE3 and alpha-actin were used to test the existence of epithelial and smooth muscle tissue by immunohistochemical staining. The ultrastructure of neovagina was studied by transmission electron microscope at week 1 and 12 after surgery. Contractile function of isolated smooth muscle of neovagina was evaluated by chemical and electronic stimulation after 12 weeks' reconstruction. (1) Epithelization of 2/3 neovaginal mucosa was observed within 1 week. Only 1 - 2 layer epitheliums were observed under the light microscopy and epithelial cells with characteristics of loose and disarrangement were shown with the electron microscopy. Within 4 - 6 weeks, epithelization in mucosa of neovaginal canal was intensified to 4 - 5 layers. After 12 weeks, the differences between the neovagina and the native vagina were harldy noted either in the gross or microscopically. (2) After 4 weeks, a few smooth muscle cells were observed with VG and immunohistochemical staining, and homogeneous muscle bundle was formed. (3) After 12 weeks, similar contractile responses between neovagina and native vagina were observed when KCl and electrical stimulation with different frequency and voltage were given [(2.96 +/- 0.29) g vs. (3.14 +/- 0.30) g, (3.43 +/- 0.34) g vs. (4.65 +/- 0.73) g, (4.92 +/- 0.38) g vs. (4.89 +/- 0.44) g]. The tissue-engineering biological

Certification of biological candidates reference materials by neutron activation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabanov, Denis V.; Nesterova, Yulia V.; Merkulov, Viktor G.

2018-03-01

The paper gives the results of interlaboratory certification of new biological candidate reference materials by neutron activation analysis recommended by the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (Warsaw, Poland). The correctness and accuracy of the applied method was statistically estimated for the determination of trace elements in candidate reference materials. The procedure of irradiation in the reactor thermal fuel assembly without formation of fast neutrons was carried out. It excluded formation of interfering isotopes leading to false results. The concentration of more than 20 elements (e.g., Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Ce, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Ta, Th, Tb, Yb, U, Zn) in candidate references of tobacco leaves and bottom sediment compared to certified reference materials were determined. It was shown that the average error of the applied method did not exceed 10%.

Quantitative proteomics in biological research.

PubMed

Wilm, Matthias

2009-10-01

Proteomics has enabled the direct investigation of biological material, at first through the analysis of individual proteins, then of lysates from cell cultures, and finally of extracts from tissues and biopsies from entire organisms. Its latest manifestation - quantitative proteomics - allows deeper insight into biological systems. This article reviews the different methods used to extract quantitative information from mass spectra. It follows the technical developments aimed toward global proteomics, the attempt to characterize every expressed protein in a cell by at least one peptide. When applications of the technology are discussed, the focus is placed on yeast biology. In particular, differential quantitative proteomics, the comparison between an experiment and its control, is very discriminating for proteins involved in the process being studied. When trying to understand biological processes on a molecular level, differential quantitative proteomics tends to give a clearer picture than global transcription analyses. As a result, MS has become an even more indispensable tool for biochemically motivated biological research.

PSI:Biology-Materials Repository: A Biologist’s Resource for Protein Expression Plasmids

PubMed Central

Cormier, Catherine Y.; Park, Jin G.; Fiacco, Michael; Steel, Jason; Hunter, Preston; Kramer, Jason; Singla, Rajeev; LaBaer, Joshua

2011-01-01

The Protein Structure Initiative:Biology-Materials Repository (PSI:Biology-MR; MR; http://psimr.asu.edu) sequence-verifies, annotates, stores, and distributes the protein expression plasmids and vectors created by the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). The MR has developed an informatics and sample processing pipeline that manages this process for thousands of samples per month from nearly a dozen PSI centers. DNASU (http://dnasu.asu.edu), a freely searchable database, stores the plasmid annotations, which include the full-length sequence, vector information, and associated publications for over 130,000 plasmids created by our laboratory, by the PSI and other consortia, and by individual laboratories for distribution to researchers worldwide. Each plasmid links to external resources, including the PSI Structural Biology Knowledgebase (http://sbkb.org), which facilitates cross-referencing of a particular plasmid to additional protein annotations and experimental data. To expedite and simplify plasmid requests, the MR uses an expedited material transfer agreement (EP-MTA) network, where researchers from network institutions can order and receive PSI plasmids without institutional delays. Currently over 39,000 protein expression plasmids and 78 empty vectors from the PSI are available upon request from DNASU. Overall, the MR’s repository of expression-ready plasmids, its automated pipeline, and the rapid process for receiving and distributing these plasmids more effectively allows the research community to dissect the biological function of proteins whose structures have been studied by the PSI. PMID:21360289

Organizational influence on the occurrence of work accidents involving exposure to biological material.

PubMed

Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Rocha, Fernanda Ludmilla Rossi; Robazzi, Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz; Cenzi, Camila Maria; dos Santos, Heloisa Ehmke Cardoso; Trovó, Marli Elisa Mendes

2013-01-01

to analyze work accidents involving exposure to biological materials which took place among personnel working in nursing and to evaluate the influence of the organizational culture on the occurrence of these accidents. a retrospective, analytical study, carried out in two stages in a hospital that was part of the Network for the Prevention of Work Accidents. The first stage involved the analysis of the characteristics of the work accidents involving exposure to biological materials as recorded over a seven-year period by the nursing staff in the hospital studied, and registered in the Network databank. The second stage involved the analysis of 122 nursing staff members' perception of the institutional culture, who were allocated to the control group (workers who had not had an accident) and the case group (workers who had had an accident). 386 accidents had been recorded: percutaneous lesions occurred in 79% of the cases, needles were the materials involved in 69.7% of the accidents, and in 81.9% of the accident there was contact with blood. Regarding the influence of the organizational culture on the occurrence of accidents, the results obtained through the analysis of the two groups did not demonstrate significant differences between the average scores attributed by the workers in each organizational value or practice category. It is concluded that accidents involving exposure to biological material need to be avoided, however, it was not possible to confirm the influence of organizational values or practices on workers' behavior concerning the occurrence of these accidents.

New Platforms for Characterization of Biological Material Failure and Resilience Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Katherine; Butler, Benjamin J.; Nguyen, Thuy-Tien N.; Sorry, David; Williams, Alun; Proud, William G.

2017-06-01

Obtaining information about the material responses of viscoelastic soft matter, such as polymers and foams has, required adaptation of techniques traditionally used with hard condensed matter. More recently it has been recognized that understanding the strain-rate behavior of natural and synthetic soft biological materials poses even greater challenges for materials research due their heterogeneous composition and structural complexity. Expanding fundamental knowledge about how these classes of biomaterials function under different loading regimes is of considerable interest in both fundamental and applied research. A comparative overview of methods, developed in our laboratory or elsewhere, for determining material responses of cells and soft tissues over a wide range of strain rates (quasi-static to blast loading) will be presented. Examples will illustrate how data are obtained for studying material responses of cells and tissues. Strengths and weaknesses of current approaches will be discussed, with particular emphasis on challenges associated with the development of realistic experimental and computational models for trauma and other disease indications.

Biological production of ethanol from coal. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Due to the abundant supply of coal in the United States, significant research efforts have occurred over the past 15 years concerning the conversion of coal to liquid fuels. Researchers at the University of Arkansas have concentrated on a biological approach to coal liquefaction, starting with coal-derived synthesis gas as the raw material. Synthesis gas, a mixture of CO, H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and sulfur gases, is first produced using traditional gasification techniques. The CO, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} are then converted to ethanol using a bacterial culture of Clostridium 1jungdahlii. Ethanol is the desired product ifmore » the resultant product stream is to be used as a liquid fuel. However, under normal operating conditions, the ``wild strain`` produces acetate in favor of ethanol in conjunction with growth in a 20:1 molar ratio. Research was performed to determine the conditions necessary to maximize not only the ratio of ethanol to acetate, but also to maximize the concentration of ethanol resulting in the product stream.« less

Chemical analysis and biological testing of materials from the EDS coal liquefaction process: a status report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Later, D.W.; Pelroy, R.A.; Wilson, B.W.

1984-05-01

Representative process materials were obtained from the EDS pilot plant for chemical and biological analyses. These materials were characterized for biological activity and chemical composition using a microbial mutagenicity assay and chromatographic and mass spectrometric analytical techniques. The two highest boiling distillation cuts, as well as process solvent (PS) obtained from the bottoms recycle mode operation, were tested for initiation of mouse skin tumorigenicity. All three materials were active; the crude 800/sup 0 +/F cut was substantially more potent than the crude bottoms recycle PS or 750 to 800/sup 0/F distillate cut. Results from chemical analyses showed the EDS materials,more » in general, to be more highly alkylated and have higher hydroaromatic content than analogous SRC II process materials (no in-line process hydrogenation) used for comparison. In the microbial mutagenicity assays the N-PAC fractions showed greater activity than did the aliphatic hydrocarbon, hydroxy-PAH, or PAH fractions, although mutagenicity was detected in certain PAH fractions by a modified version of the standard microbial mutagenicity assay. Mutagenic activities for the EDS materials were lower, overall, than those for the corresponding materials from the SRC II process. The EDS materials produced under different operational modes had distinguishable differences in both their chemical constituency and biological activity. The primary differences between the EDS materials studied here and their SRC II counterparts used for comparison are most likely attributable to the incorporation of catalytic hydrogenation in the EDS process. 27 references, 28 figures, 27 tables.« less

The High-Strain Rate Loading of Structural Biological Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proud, W. G.; Nguyen, T.-T. N.; Bo, C.; Butler, B. J.; Boddy, R. L.; Williams, A.; Masouros, S.; Brown, K. A.

2015-10-01

The human body can be subjected to violent acceleration as a result of explosion caused by military ordinance or accident. Blast waves cause injury and blunt trauma can be produced by violent impact of objects against the human body. The long-term clinical manifestations of blast injury can be significantly different in nature and extent to those suffering less aggressive insult. Similarly, the damage seen in lower limbs from those injured in explosion incidents is in general more severe than those falling from height. These phenomena increase the need for knowledge of the short- and long-term effect of transient mechanical loading to the biological structures of the human body. This paper gives an overview of some of the results of collaborative investigation into blast injury. The requirement for time-resolved data, appropriate mechanical modeling, materials characterization and biological effects is presented. The use of a range of loading platforms, universal testing machines, drop weights, Hopkinson bars, and bespoke traumatic injury simulators are given.

Under-reporting of accidents involving biological material by nursing professionals at a Brazilian emergency hospital.

PubMed

Facchin, Luiza Tayar; Gir, Elucir; Pazin-Filho, Antonio; Hayashida, Miyeko; da Silva Canini, Silvia Rita Marin

2013-01-01

Pathogens can be transmitted to health professionals after contact with biological material. The exact number of infections deriving from these events is still unknown, due to the lack of systematic surveillance data and under-reporting. A cross-sectional study was carried out, involving 451 nursing professionals from a Brazilian tertiary emergency hospital between April and July 2009. Through an active search, cases of under-reporting of occupational accidents with biological material by the nursing team were identified by means of individual interviews. The Institutional Review Board approved the research project. Over half of the professionals (237) had been victims of one or more accidents (425 in total) involving biological material, and 23.76% of the accidents had not been officially reported using an occupational accident report. Among the underreported accidents, 53.47% were percutaneous and 67.33% were bloodborne. The main reason for nonreporting was that the accident had been considered low risk. The under-reporting rate (23.76%) was low in comparison with other studies, but most cases of exposure were high risk.

Cueing Metacognition to Improve Researching and Essay Writing in a Final Year High School Biology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conner, L. N.

2007-01-01

This paper reports on degrees of awareness and use of specific metacognitive strategies by 16 students in a final-year high school biology class in New Zealand. The aims of the intervention were to broaden students' thinking about bioethical issues associated with cancer and to enhance students' use of metacognition. Cues and prompts were used in…

Magnetic separation techniques in sample preparation for biological analysis: a review.

PubMed

He, Jincan; Huang, Meiying; Wang, Dongmei; Zhang, Zhuomin; Li, Gongke

2014-12-01

Sample preparation is a fundamental and essential step in almost all the analytical procedures, especially for the analysis of complex samples like biological and environmental samples. In past decades, with advantages of superparamagnetic property, good biocompatibility and high binding capacity, functionalized magnetic materials have been widely applied in various processes of sample preparation for biological analysis. In this paper, the recent advancements of magnetic separation techniques based on magnetic materials in the field of sample preparation for biological analysis were reviewed. The strategy of magnetic separation techniques was summarized. The synthesis, stabilization and bio-functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles were reviewed in detail. Characterization of magnetic materials was also summarized. Moreover, the applications of magnetic separation techniques for the enrichment of protein, nucleic acid, cell, bioactive compound and immobilization of enzyme were described. Finally, the existed problems and possible trends of magnetic separation techniques for biological analysis in the future were proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion beam modification of biological materials in nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, L. D.; Anuntalabhochai, S.

2012-07-01

Ion interaction with biological objects in nanoscale is a novel research area stemming from applications of low-energy ion beams in biotechnology and biomedicine. Although the ion beam applications in biotechnology and biomedicine have achieved great successes, many mechanisms remain unclear and many new applications are to be explored. We have carried out some research on exploring the mechanisms and new applications besides attaining ion beam induction of mutation breeding and gene transformation. In the studies on the mechanisms, we focused our investigations on the direct interaction in nanoscale between ions and biological living materials. Our research topics have included the low-energy ion range in DNA, low-energy ion or neutral beam bombardment effect on DNA topological form change and mutation, low-energy ion or neutral beam bombardment effect on the cell envelope and gene transformation, and molecular dynamics simulation of ultra-low-energy ion irradiation of DNA. In the exploration of new applications, we have started experiments on ion irradiation or bombardment, in the nanoscaled depth or area, of human cells for biomedical research. This paper introduces our experiments and reports interesting results.

Final-impression techniques and materials for making complete and removable partial dentures.

PubMed

Jayaraman, Srinivasan; Singh, Balendra P; Ramanathan, Balasubramanian; Pazhaniappan Pillai, Murukan; MacDonald, Laura; Kirubakaran, Richard

2018-04-04

Edentulism is relatively common and is often treated with the provision of complete or partial removable dentures. Clinicians make final impressions of complete dentures (CD) and removable partial dentures (RPD) using different techniques and materials. Applying the correct impression technique and material, based on an individual's oral condition, improves the quality of the prosthesis, which may improve quality of life. To assess the effects of different final-impression techniques and materials used to make complete dentures, for retention, stability, comfort, and quality of life in completely edentulous people.To assess the effects of different final-impression techniques and materials used to make removable partial dentures, for stability, comfort, overextension, and quality of life in partially edentulous people. Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (to 22 November 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Cochrane Register of Studies, to 22 November 2017), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 22 November 2017), and Embase Ovid (21 December 2015 to 22 November 2017). The US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on language or publication status when searching the electronic databases, however the search of Embase was restricted by date due to the Cochrane Centralised Search Project to identify all clinical trials and add them to CENTRAL. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different final-impression techniques and materials for treating people with complete dentures (CD) and removable partial dentures (RPD). For CD, we included trials that compared different materials or different techniques or both. In RPD for tooth-supported conditions, we included trials comparing the same

Niobium pentoxide as radiopacifying agent of calcium silicate-based material: evaluation of physicochemical and biological properties.

PubMed

Silva, Guilherme F; Tanomaru-Filho, Mário; Bernardi, Maria I B; Guerreiro-Tanomaru, Juliane M; Cerri, Paulo S

2015-11-01

The physicochemical properties and the tissue reaction promoted by microparticulated or nanoparticulated niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) added to calcium silicate-based cement (CS), compared to MTA-Angelus™, were evaluated. Materials were submitted to the tests of radiopacity, setting time, pH, and calcium ion release. Polyethylene tubes filled with the materials were implanted into rats subcutaneously. After 7, 15, 30, and 60 days, the specimens were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E)-stained sections were used to compute the number of inflammatory cells (IC). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) detection was performed, and the number of immunolabeled cells was obtained; von Kossa method was also carried out. Data were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). Nb2O5micro and Nb2O5nano provided to the CS radiopacity values (3.52 and 3.75 mm Al, respectively) superior to the minimum recommended. Groups containing Nb2O5 presented initial setting time significantly superior than mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). All materials presented an alkaline pH and released calcium ions. The number of IC and IL-6 immunolabeled cells in the CS + Nb2O5 groups was significantly reduced in comparison to MTA in all periods. von Kossa-positive structures were observed adjacent to implanted materials in all periods. The addition of Nb2O5 to the CS resulted in a material biocompatible and with adequate characteristics regarding radiopacity and final setting time and provides an alkaline pH to the environment. Furthermore, the particle size did not significantly affect the physicochemical and biological properties of the calcium silicate-based cement. Niobium pentoxide can be used as radiopacifier for the development of calcium silicate-based materials.

Deterministic Integration of Biological and Soft Materials onto 3D Microscale Cellular Frameworks

PubMed Central

McCracken, Joselle M.; Xu, Sheng; Badea, Adina; Jang, Kyung-In; Yan, Zheng; Wetzel, David J.; Nan, Kewang; Lin, Qing; Han, Mengdi; Anderson, Mikayla A.; Lee, Jung Woo; Wei, Zijun; Pharr, Matt; Wang, Renhan; Su, Jessica; Rubakhin, Stanislav S.; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2018-01-01

Complex 3D organizations of materials represent ubiquitous structural motifs found in the most sophisticated forms of matter, the most notable of which are in life-sustaining hierarchical structures found in biology, but where simpler examples also exist as dense multilayered constructs in high-performance electronics. Each class of system evinces specific enabling forms of assembly to establish their functional organization at length scales not dissimilar to tissue-level constructs. This study describes materials and means of assembly that extend and join these disparate systems—schemes for the functional integration of soft and biological materials with synthetic 3D microscale, open frameworks that can leverage the most advanced forms of multilayer electronic technologies, including device-grade semiconductors such as monocrystalline silicon. Cellular migration behaviors, temporal dependencies of their growth, and contact guidance cues provided by the nonplanarity of these frameworks illustrate design criteria useful for their functional integration with living matter (e.g., NIH 3T3 fibroblast and primary rat dorsal root ganglion cell cultures). PMID:29552634

Giant and universal magnetoelectric coupling in soft materials and concomitant ramifications for materials science and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Liping; Sharma, Pradeep

2013-10-01

Magnetoelectric coupling—the ability of a material to magnetize upon application of an electric field and, conversely, to polarize under the action of a magnetic field—is rare and restricted to a rather small set of exotic hard crystalline materials. Intense research activity has recently ensued on materials development, fundamental scientific issues, and applications related to this phenomenon. This tantalizing property, if present in adequate strength at room temperature, can be used to pave the way for next-generation memory devices such as miniature magnetic random access memories and multiple state memory bits, sensors, energy harvesting, spintronics, among others. In this Rapid Communication, we prove the existence of an overlooked strain mediated nonlinear mechanism that can be used to universally induce the giant magnetoelectric effect in all (sufficiently) soft dielectric materials. For soft polymer foams—which, for instance, may be used in stretchable electronics—we predict room-temperature magnetoelectric coefficients that are comparable to the best known (hard) composite materials created. We also argue, based on a simple quantitative model, that magnetoreception in some biological contexts (e.g., birds) most likely utilizes this very mechanism.

Detection of buphedrone in biological and non-biological material--two case reports.

PubMed

Zuba, Dariusz; Adamowicz, Piotr; Byrska, Bogumiła

2013-04-10

Buphedrone (2-(methylamino)-1-phenylbutan-1-one, α-methylamino-butyrophenone, MABP) is a positional isomer of mephedrone. In Poland, it was marketed in the second half of 2010 after the banning of mephedrone. Buphedrone is a stimulant that is snorted, smoked or taken orally. This substance was identified in 15 products seized by law enforcement after August 2010 and analysed in the Institute of Forensic Research (IFR). Buphedrone was the sole psychoactive substance in only 5 products. It was mixed mainly with 4-MEC and MDPV. This paper presents two cases in which both biological and non-biological materials were delivered to the IFR for toxicological analysis. In the first case, a passenger car crashed into a truck. The car driver suffered severe injuries resulting in his death. During external inspection of the deceased the police discovered several packages containing a white powder. In the second case, a man was arrested for possession of illicit drugs. Analysis of powders was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-pressure liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The purity of buphedrone found in powder samples was in the range of 58-68%. Analyses of blood were carried out using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Buphedrone was found in the blood of the deceased at a concentration of 127 ng/mL and of the drug user/seller at 3 ng/mL. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Holographic femtosecond laser processing and its application to biological materials (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayasaki, Yoshio

2017-02-01

Femtosecond laser processing is a promising tool for fabricating novel and useful structures on the surfaces of and inside materials. An enormous number of pulse irradiation points will be required for fabricating actual structures with millimeter scale, and therefore, the throughput of femtosecond laser processing must be improved for practical adoption of this technique. One promising method to improve throughput is parallel pulse generation based on a computer-generated hologram (CGH) displayed on a spatial light modulator (SLM), a technique called holographic femtosecond laser processing. The holographic method has the advantages such as high throughput, high light use efficiency, and variable, instantaneous, and 3D patterning. Furthermore, the use of an SLM gives an ability to correct unknown imperfections of the optical system and inhomogeneity in a sample using in-system optimization of the CGH. Furthermore, the CGH can adaptively compensate in response to dynamic unpredictable mechanical movements, air and liquid disturbances, a shape variation and deformation of the target sample, as well as adaptive wavefront control for environmental changes. Therefore, it is a powerful tool for the fabrication of biological cells and tissues, because they have free form, variable, and deformable structures. In this paper, we present the principle and the experimental setup of holographic femtosecond laser processing, and the effective way for processing the biological sample. We demonstrate the femtosecond laser processing of biological materials and the processing properties.

Raman imaging from microscopy to macroscopy: Quality and safety control of biological materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Raman imaging can analyze biological materials by generating detailed chemical images. Over the last decade, tremendous advancements in Raman imaging and data analysis techniques have overcome problems such as long data acquisition and analysis times and poor sensitivity. This review article introdu...

Biological tracer method

DOEpatents

Strong-Gunderson, Janet M.; Palumbo, Anthony V.

1998-01-01

The present invention is a biological tracer method for characterizing the movement of a material through a medium, comprising the steps of: introducing a biological tracer comprising a microorganism having ice nucleating activity into a medium; collecting at least one sample of the medium from a point removed from the introduction point; and analyzing the sample for the presence of the biological tracer. The present invention is also a method for using a biological tracer as a label for material identification by introducing a biological tracer having ice nucleating activity into a material, collecting a sample of a portion of the labelled material and analyzing the sample for the presence of the biological tracer.

Biological tracer method

DOEpatents

Strong-Gunderson, J.M.; Palumbo, A.V.

1998-09-15

The present invention is a biological tracer method for characterizing the movement of a material through a medium, comprising the steps of: introducing a biological tracer comprising a microorganism having ice nucleating activity into a medium; collecting at least one sample of the medium from a point removed from the introduction point; and analyzing the sample for the presence of the biological tracer. The present invention is also a method for using a biological tracer as a label for material identification by introducing a biological tracer having ice nucleating activity into a material, collecting a sample of a portion of the labelled material and analyzing the sample for the presence of the biological tracer. 2 figs.

Measurement of complex permittivities of biological materials and human skin in vivo in the frequency band

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghodgaonkar, D.K.

1987-01-01

A new method, namely, modified infinite sample method, has been developed which is particularly suitable for millimeter-wave dielectric measurements of biological materials. In this method, an impedance transformer is used which reduces the reflectivity of the biological sample. Because of the effect of introducing impendance transformer, the measured reflection coefficients are more sensitive to the complex permittivities of biological samples. For accurate measurement of reflection coefficients, two automated measurment systems were developed which cover the frequencies range of 26.5-60 GHz. An uncertainty analysis was performed to get an estimate of the errors in the measured complex permittivities. The dielectric propertiesmore » were measured for 10% saline solution, whole human blood, 200 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution and suspension of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The Maxwell-Fricke equation, which is derived from dielectric mixture theory, was used for determination bound water in BSA solution. The results of all biological samples were interpreted by fitting Debye relaxation and Cole-Cole model. It is observed that the dielectric data for the biological materials can be explained on the basis of Debye relaxation of water molecule.« less

Advanced 3D Characterization and Reconstruction of Reactor Materials FY16 Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fromm, Bradley; Hauch, Benjamin; Sridharan, Kumar

2016-12-01

A coordinated effort to link advanced materials characterization methods and computational modeling approaches is critical to future success for understanding and predicting the behavior of reactor materials that operate at extreme conditions. The difficulty and expense of working with nuclear materials have inhibited the use of modern characterization techniques on this class of materials. Likewise, mesoscale simulation efforts have been impeded due to insufficient experimental data necessary for initialization and validation of the computer models. The objective of this research is to develop methods to integrate advanced materials characterization techniques developed for reactor materials with state-of-the-art mesoscale modeling and simulationmore » tools. Research to develop broad-ion beam sample preparation, high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction, and digital microstructure reconstruction techniques; and methods for integration of these techniques into mesoscale modeling tools are detailed. Results for both irradiated and un-irradiated reactor materials are presented for FY14 - FY16 and final remarks are provided.« less

From gene to protein: A 3-week intensive course in molecular biology for physical scientists.

PubMed

Nadeau, Jay L

2009-07-01

This article describes a 3-week intensive molecular biology methods course based upon fluorescent proteins, which is successfully taught at the McGill University to advanced undergraduates and graduates in physics, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and medicine. No previous knowledge of biological terminology or methods is expected, so the material could readily be adapted to earlier undergraduates or students in other fields. The course emphasizes hands-on experience with one half-hour of lecture and 3 and a half hours of laboratory 4 days per week, for a total of 39 hours. The materials are simple and low in cost and all software used is free, making the budget accessible to small universities and community colleges that possess basic teaching wet labs. Conceptual understanding is reinforced with lab reports and an independent final paper on a subject of the student's choice. The final paper describes a possible thesis project, not necessarily the student's own, with assessment based upon grasping of key concepts and methods of molecular biology. Copyright © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

[Accidents with biological material at West Paraná University Hospital].

PubMed

Murofuse, Neide Tiemi; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Gemelli, Lorena Moraes Goetem

2005-08-01

It is a descriptive and retrospective study with the purpose of investigating labor accidents with biological material involving workers and trainees occurred in 2003 and 2004 in a University Hospital of Parana. For data collection, the electronic form of the Net of Occupational Accidents Prevention - REPAT has been utilized. Out of the 586 hospital workers, there was a register of 20 (3,4%) injured workers in 2003 and 23 (3,8%) in 2004, representing an increase of 15% in the notifications from one year to the other.

Assembling new technologies at the interface of materials science and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stendahl, John C.

Molecular self-assembly can be used to construct advanced materials by taking cues from nature and harnessing noncovalent interactions. This bottom-up approach affords molecular level precision that can cultivate pathways to improved materials function. The graduate research presented in this thesis integrates molecular self-assembly with traditional concepts in chemistry and materials science, with the ultimate goal of developing innovative solutions in technology and medicine. In the field of polymer engineering, self-assembly was used to create supramolecular nanoribbons that, when incorporated into polystyrene, modify its microstructure and significantly enhance its toughness and ductility. In medicine, self-assembly was used to create ordered, chemically functional materials to improve interactions with cells and other constituents of the biological environment. One system that was investigated is based on a triblock molecule in which cholesterol is connected to a lysine dendron by a flexible oligo-(L-lactic acid) spacer. These molecules self-assemble into polar surface coatings on fibrous poly(L-lactic acid) scaffolds that improve the scaffold's wettability and increase its retention of cells during seeding. Another self-assembling system that was investigated for biomedical applications is a family of molecules referred to as peptide amphiphiles (PA's). PA's consist of hydrophobic alkyl tails connected to short, hydrophilic peptides that incorporate biological signaling epitopes. These molecules spontaneously assemble into networks of well-defined nanofibers in aqueous environments, with the signaling epitopes presented in high density on the nanofiber exteriors. Nanofiber assembly is triggered by charge screening on the peptides and is able to produce self-supporting gels in concentrations of less than 1.0 wt.-%. The assembly process and mechanical properties of PA gels was investigated in detail with vibrational spectroscopy and oscillatory rheology. PA

The spectral applications of Beer-Lambert law for some biological and dosimetric materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Içelli, Orhan; Yalçin, Zeynel; Karakaya, Vatan; Ilgaz, Işıl P.

2014-08-01

The aim of this study is to conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of biological and dosimetric materials which contain organic and inorganic materials and to make the determination by using the spectral theorem Beer-Lambert law. Beer-Lambert law is a system of linear equations for the spectral theory. It is possible to solve linear equations with a non-zero coefficient matrix determinant forming linear equations. Characteristic matrix of the linear equation with zero determinant is called point spectrum at the spectral theory.

[Care and specialized clinical follow-up of nursing professionals who have been victims of accidents with biological material].

PubMed

Pimenta, Flaviana Regina; Ferreira, Milene Dias; Gir, Elucir; Hayashida, Miyeko; Canini, Silvia Rita Marin da Silva

2013-02-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the conduct of nursing professionals who had been victims of accidents with biological material in a teaching hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, regarding their care and specialized clinical follow-up. The study population consisted of 1,215 nursing professionals, who were interviewed individually between 2010 and 2011. Of the 1,215 nursing professionals interviewed, 636 (52.3%) reported having experienced accidents with biological material; of this population, 182 (28.6%) didn't sought specialized care. The most frequent reason reported for not seeking care was believing that it was a low-risk accident. The reasons professionals do not seek care and do not complete treatment and the clinical follow-up can contribute to strategies to increase professionals' adherence to prophylaxis measures after occupational exposure to biological material.

Evaluation of a fungal collection as certified reference material producer and as a biological resource center.

PubMed

Forti, Tatiana; Souto, Aline da S S; do Nascimento, Carlos Roberto S; Nishikawa, Marilia M; Hubner, Marise T W; Sabagh, Fernanda P; Temporal, Rosane Maria; Rodrigues, Janaína M; da Silva, Manuela

2016-01-01

Considering the absence of standards for culture collections and more specifically for biological resource centers in the world, in addition to the absence of certified biological material in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate a Fungal Collection from Fiocruz, as a producer of certified reference material and as Biological Resource Center (BRC). For this evaluation, a checklist based on the requirements of ABNT ISO GUIA34:2012 correlated with the ABNT NBR ISO/IEC17025:2005, was designed and applied. Complementing the implementation of the checklist, an internal audit was performed. An evaluation of this Collection as a BRC was also conducted following the requirements of the NIT-DICLA-061, the Brazilian internal standard from Inmetro, based on ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2005, ABNT ISO GUIA 34:2012 and OECD Best Practice Guidelines for BRCs. This was the first time that the NIT DICLA-061 was applied in a culture collection during an internal audit. The assessments enabled the proposal for the adequacy of this Collection to assure the implementation of the management system for their future accreditation by Inmetro as a certified reference material producer as well as its future accreditation as a Biological Resource Center according to the NIT-DICLA-061. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The use of a single multielement standard for trace analysis in biological materials by external beam PIXE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, S. K.; Khaliquzzaman, M.; Islam, M. M.; Khan, A. H.

1984-04-01

The validity of the use of a single multielement standard for mass calibration in thick-target external beam PIXE analysis of biological materials has been investigated. In this study, the NBS orchard leaf, SRM 1571, was used as the basic standard for trace element analysis in other biological materials. Using the present procedure, the concentrations of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb and Sr were determined in several NBS reference materials such as bovine liver, spinach, rice flour, etc., generally in 20 μC irradiations with 2.0 MeV protons. The analytical results are compared with certified values of the NBS as well as with other measurements and the sources of errors are discussed.

New Materials for Electric Drive Vehicles - Final CRADA Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carter, J. David

This project was sponsored by the US DOE Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention. The object was for Ukrainian and US partners, including Argonne, AETC, and Dontech to develop special carbon materials and factory production equipment with the goal of making better car batteries to achieve DOE's goals for all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Carbon materials are used in designs for lithium-ion batteries and metal-air batteries, both leading contenders for future electric cars. Specifically, the collaborators planned to use the equipment derived from this project to develop a rechargeable battery system that will use the carbon materials produced by themore » innovative factory process equipment. The final outcome of the project was that the Ukrainian participants consisting of the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT), the Institute of Gas of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Materials Research Center, Ltd. designed, built, tested and delivered 14 pieces of processing equipment for pilot scale carbon production lines at the AETC, Arlington Heights facilities. The pilot scale equipment will be used to process materials such as activated carbon, thermally expanded graphite and carbon coated nano-particles. The equipment was shipped from Ukraine to the United States and received by AETC on December 3, 2013. The equipment is on loan from Argonne, control # 6140. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and all-electric vehicles have already demostrated success in the U.S. as they begin to share the market with older hybrid electric designs. When the project was conceived, PHEV battery systems provided a ~40 mile driving range (2011 figures). DOE R&D targets increased this to >100 miles at reduced cost less than $250/kWh (2011 figures.) A 2016 Tesla model S has boasted 270 miles. The project object was to develop pilot-production line equipment for advanced hybrid battery system that achieves cycle life of 1000, an energy

Electrophoresis of biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The selection of biological products was studied for electrophoresis in space. Free flow electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, and isotachophoresis are described. The candidates discussed include: immunoglobulins and gamma globulins; isolated islet of langerhans from pancreas; bone marrow; tumor cells; kidney cells, cryoprecipitate; and column separated cultures.

Mitigating the risk of Zika virus contamination of raw materials and cell lines in the manufacture of biologicals.

PubMed

Zmurko, Joanna; Vasey, Douglas B; Donald, Claire L; Armstrong, Alison A; McKee, Marian L; Kohl, Alain; Clayton, Reginald F

2018-02-01

Ensuring the virological safety of biologicals is challenging due to the risk of viral contamination of raw materials and cell banks, and exposure during in-process handling to known and/or emerging viral pathogens. Viruses may contaminate raw materials and biologicals intended for human or veterinary use and remain undetected until appropriate testing measures are employed. The outbreak and expansive spread of the mosquito-borne flavivirus Zika virus (ZIKV) poses challenges to screening human- and animal -derived products used in the manufacture of biologicals. Here, we report the results of an in vitro study where detector cell lines were challenged with African and Asian lineages of ZIKV. We demonstrate that this pathogen is robustly detectable by in vitro assay, thereby providing assurance of detection of ZIKV, and in turn underpinning the robustness of in vitro virology assays in safety testing of biologicals.

An Experiment in the Use of Programmed Materials in Teaching High School Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Paul Alexander

Investigated were the feasibility and effectiveness of using programed materials with concomitant laboratory exercises in teaching genetics on the secondary level. Students from two white and two Negro high schools in the Atlantic Public School System participated, with one control and one experimental biology class in each school taught by the…

Thermotropic Liquid Crystal-Assisted Chemical and Biological Sensors

PubMed Central

Honaker, Lawrence W.; Usol’tseva, Nadezhda; Mann, Elizabeth K.

2017-01-01

In this review article, we analyze recent progress in the application of liquid crystal-assisted advanced functional materials for sensing biological and chemical analytes. Multiple research groups demonstrate substantial interest in liquid crystal (LC) sensing platforms, generating an increasing number of scientific articles. We review trends in implementing LC sensing techniques and identify common problems related to the stability and reliability of the sensing materials as well as to experimental set-ups. Finally, we suggest possible means of bridging scientific findings to viable and attractive LC sensor platforms. PMID:29295530

The development of peptide-based interfacial biomaterials for generating biological functionality on the surface of bioinert materials.

PubMed

Meyers, Steven R; Khoo, Xiaojuan; Huang, Xin; Walsh, Elisabeth B; Grinstaff, Mark W; Kenan, Daniel J

2009-01-01

Biomaterials used in implants have traditionally been selected based on their mechanical properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, the durability and clinical efficacy of implantable biomedical devices remain limited in part due to the absence of appropriate biological interactions at the implant interface and the lack of integration into adjacent tissues. Herein, we describe a robust peptide-based coating technology capable of modifying the surface of existing biomaterials and medical devices through the non-covalent binding of modular biofunctional peptides. These peptides contain at least one material binding sequence and at least one biologically active sequence and thus are termed, "Interfacial Biomaterials" (IFBMs). IFBMs can simultaneously bind the biomaterial surface while endowing it with desired biological functionalities at the interface between the material and biological realms. We demonstrate the capabilities of model IFBMs to convert native polystyrene, a bioinert surface, into a bioactive surface that can support a range of cell activities. We further distinguish between simple cell attachment with insufficient integrin interactions, which in some cases can adversely impact downstream biology, versus biologically appropriate adhesion, cell spreading, and cell survival mediated by IFBMs. Moreover, we show that we can use the coating technology to create spatially resolved patterns of fluorophores and cells on substrates and that these patterns retain their borders in culture.

Accommodating Ontologies to Biological Reality—Top-Level Categories of Cumulative-Constitutively Organized Material Entities

PubMed Central

Vogt, Lars; Grobe, Peter; Quast, Björn; Bartolomaeus, Thomas

2012-01-01

Background The Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is a top-level formal foundational ontology for the biomedical domain. It has been developed with the purpose to serve as an ontologically consistent template for top-level categories of application oriented and domain reference ontologies within the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies Foundry (OBO). BFO is important for enabling OBO ontologies to facilitate in reliably communicating and managing data and metadata within and across biomedical databases. Following its intended single inheritance policy, BFO's three top-level categories of material entity (i.e. ‘object’, ‘fiat object part’, ‘object aggregate’) must be exhaustive and mutually disjoint. We have shown elsewhere that for accommodating all types of constitutively organized material entities, BFO must be extended by additional categories of material entity. Methodology/Principal Findings Unfortunately, most biomedical material entities are cumulative-constitutively organized. We show that even the extended BFO does not exhaustively cover cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. We provide examples from biology and everyday life that demonstrate the necessity for ‘portion of matter’ as another material building block. This implies the necessity for further extending BFO by ‘portion of matter’ as well as three additional categories that possess portions of matter as aggregate components. These extensions are necessary if the basic assumption that all parts that share the same granularity level exhaustively sum to the whole should also apply to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. By suggesting a notion of granular representation we provide a way to maintain the single inheritance principle when dealing with cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. Conclusions/Significance We suggest to extend BFO to incorporate additional categories of material entity and to rearrange its top-level material

Cell attachment properties of Portland cement-based endodontic materials: biological and methodological considerations.

PubMed

Ahmed, Hany Mohamed Aly; Luddin, Norhayati; Kannan, Thirumulu Ponnuraj; Mokhtar, Khairani Idah; Ahmad, Azlina

2014-10-01

The attachment and spreading of mammalian cells on endodontic biomaterials are an area of active research. The purpose of this review is to discuss the cell attachment properties of Portland cement (PC)-based materials by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, methodological aspects and technical challenges are discussed. A PubMed electronic search was conducted by using appropriate key words to identify the available investigations on the cell attachment properties of PC-based endodontic materials. After retrieving the full text of related articles, the cross citations were also identified. A total of 23 articles published between January 1993 and October 2013 were identified. This review summarizes the cell attachment properties of commercial and experimental PC-based materials on different cell cultures by using SEM. Methodological procedures, technical challenges, and relevance of SEM in determining the biological profile of PC-based materials are discussed. SEM observations demonstrate that commercial MTA formulations show favorable cell attachment properties, which is consistent with their successful clinical outcomes. The favorable cell attachment properties of PC and its modified formulations support its potential use as a substitute for mineral trioxide aggregate. However, researchers should carefully select cell types for their SEM investigations that would be in contact with the proposed PC-based combinations in the clinical situation. Despite being a technical challenge, SEM provides useful information on the cell attachment properties of PC-based materials; however, other assays for cell proliferation and viability are essential to come up with an accurate in vitro biological profile of any given PC-based formulation. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biological conversion system

DOEpatents

Scott, C.D.

A system for bioconversion of organic material comprises a primary bioreactor column wherein a biological active agent (zymomonas mobilis) converts the organic material (sugar) to a product (alcohol), a rejuvenator column wherein the biological activity of said biological active agent is enhanced, and means for circulating said biological active agent between said primary bioreactor column and said rejuvenator column.

Synthetic biology, inspired by synthetic chemistry.

PubMed

Malinova, V; Nallani, M; Meier, W P; Sinner, E K

2012-07-16

The topic synthetic biology appears still as an 'empty basket to be filled'. However, there is already plenty of claims and visions, as well as convincing research strategies about the theme of synthetic biology. First of all, synthetic biology seems to be about the engineering of biology - about bottom-up and top-down approaches, compromising complexity versus stability of artificial architectures, relevant in biology. Synthetic biology accounts for heterogeneous approaches towards minimal and even artificial life, the engineering of biochemical pathways on the organismic level, the modelling of molecular processes and finally, the combination of synthetic with nature-derived materials and architectural concepts, such as a cellular membrane. Still, synthetic biology is a discipline, which embraces interdisciplinary attempts in order to have a profound, scientific base to enable the re-design of nature and to compose architectures and processes with man-made matter. We like to give an overview about the developments in the field of synthetic biology, regarding polymer-based analogs of cellular membranes and what questions can be answered by applying synthetic polymer science towards the smallest unit in life, namely a cell. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

For support of USAMRMC Biological Weapons Convention, treaty and statement implementation activities. Final report, 1 March 1996-28 February 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, J.

Program of work to provide support to the Biological Arms Control Treaty Office (BACTO) of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC), in the development of Army and U.S. Government negotiation, implementation and compliance policies and preparations regarding potential verification and confidence measures for the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and related biological weapons agreements. Support services provided included the preparation of Army installations and commands for implementation of visits pursuant to the U.S./UK/Russian Trilateral Statement on BW. Support included site assistance visit, development of required facility documentation and briefings, identification of additional facilities potentially subject to access,more » and support to DOD development of guidelines, procedures, documentation, and other materials for the conduct of visits. Specific tasks under this contract included: identification and delineation of `Military Biological Facilities` and related activities at Army installations; development of visit implementation documentation for the Army; assessment of potentially at-risk equities and sensitivities at relevant facilities; facility staff training and preparation; and review and modification of facility inputs to annual BWC Confidence Building Measure Declarations. Also supported the provision of timely and critical technical support to the Joint Staff and OSD in the development of DoD negotiation biological arms control positions.« less

Hypercrosslinked polymeric restricted access materials for analysis of biological fluids.

PubMed

Popov, Alekxander; Blinnikova, Zinaida K; Tsyurupa, Maria P; Davankov, Vadim A

2018-06-21

New restricted access materials based on microporous hypercrosslinked polystyrene have been developed. The materials are aimed at the use as packings for solid-phase extraction cartridges to isolate low-molecular-weight analytes from biological fluids (for instance, blood plasma or serum). Two features distinguish these polymers from all known restricted access materials. The first one consists in that the microporous hypercrosslinked polystyrene not only exclude proteins from the sorbent phase but also do not adsorb them on the bead outer surface and so they do not cause coagulation of blood protein components. Therefore, these materials do not require any chemical modification. The second distinguishing feature is the ability of hypercrosslinked sorbents to take up a wide variety of polar and non-polar organic compounds. The sorbents were obtained in the form of beads of 60-70 μm in diameter by crosslinking styrene copolymers with 1, 2 and 3% divinylbenzene with monochlorodimethyl ether to 100, 150 and 200%. The sorbents exhibit all typical properties of hypercrosslinked networks. They do not take up albumin, the major blood protein, and Cytochrome C, representative of smaller protein molecules, but are capable of adsorbing drugs, vitamins and phenyl carboxylic acids (markers of sepsis) from model aqueous solutions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope

PubMed Central

Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia; Gur, Dvir; Krivanek, Ondrej L.; Dellby, Niklas; Lovejoy, Tracy C.; Wolf, Sharon G.; Cohen, Hagai

2016-01-01

Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an ‘aloof' electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies <1 eV can be ‘safely' investigated. To demonstrate the potential of aloof spectroscopy, we record electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C–H, N–H and C=O vibrational signatures with no observable radiation damage. The technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ∼10 nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope. PMID:26961578

Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope.

PubMed

Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia; Gur, Dvir; Krivanek, Ondrej L; Dellby, Niklas; Lovejoy, Tracy C; Wolf, Sharon G; Cohen, Hagai

2016-03-10

Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an 'aloof' electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies <1 eV can be 'safely' investigated. To demonstrate the potential of aloof spectroscopy, we record electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C-H, N-H and C=O vibrational signatures with no observable radiation damage. The technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ∼10 nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope.

Accidents with biological material among undergraduate nursing students in a public Brazilian university.

PubMed

Reis, Renata Karina; Gir, Elucir; Canini, Silvia Rita M S

2004-02-01

During their academic activities, undergraduate nursing students are exposed to contamination by bloodborne pathogens, as well as by others found in body fluids, among which are the Human Immunodeficiency (HIV), Hepatitis B and C viruses. We developed a profile of victimized students, characterizing accidents with biological material occurring among undergraduate nursing students at a public university in São Paulo State, Brazil. We identified the main causes and evaluated the conduct adopted by students and their reactions and thoughts concerning the accidents. Seventy-two accidents were identified, of which 17% involved potentially contaminated biological material. Needles were the predominant cause of accidents. The most frequently involved topographic areas were the fingers. Only five students reported the accidents and sought medical care. Among these, two students were advised to begin prophylactic treatment against HIV infection by means of antiretroviral drugs. It was found that the risk of accidents is underestimated and that strategies such as formal teaching and continual training are necessary in order to make students aware of biosafety measures.

The development of peptide-based interfacial biomaterials for generating biological functionality on the surface of bioinert materials

PubMed Central

Meyers, Steven R.; Khoo, Xiaojuan; Huang, Xin; Walsh, Elisabeth B.; Grinstaff, Mark W.; Kenan, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Biomaterials used in implants have traditionally been selected based on their mechanical properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, the durability and clinical efficacy of implantable biomedical devices remains limited in part due to the absence of appropriate biological interactions at the implant interface and the lack of integration into adjacent tissues. Herein, we describe a robust peptide-based coating technology capable of modifying the surface of existing biomaterials and medical devices through the non-covalent binding of modular biofunctional peptides. These peptides contain at least one material binding sequence and at least one biologically active sequence and thus are termed, “Interfacial Biomaterials” (IFBMs). IFBMs can simultaneously bind the biomaterial surface while endowing it with desired biological functionalities at the interface between the material and biological realms. We demonstrate the capabilities of model IFBMs to convert native polystyrene, a bioinert surface, into a bioactive surface that can support a range of cell activities. We further distinguish between simple cell attachment with insufficient integrin interactions, which in some cases can adversely impact downstream biology, versus biologically appropriate adhesion, cell spreading, and cell survival mediated by IFBMs. Moreover, we show that we can use the coating technology to create spatially resolved patterns of fluorophores and cells on substrates and that these patterns retain their borders in culture. PMID:18929406

How to Choose between the Implant Materials Steel and Titanium in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery: Part 2 - Biological Aspects.

PubMed

Perren, S M; Regazzoni, P; Fernandez, A A

2017-01-01

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF STEEL AND TITANIUM AS IMPLANT MATERIAL IN ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMA SURGERY The following case from the ICUC database, where a titanium plate was implanted into a flourishing infection, represents the clinical experience leading to preferring titanium over steel. (Fig. 1) (6). Current opinions regarding biological aspects of implant function. The "street" opinions regarding the biological aspects of the use of steel versus titanium as a surgical trauma implant material differ widely. Statements of opinion leaders range from "I do not see any difference in the biological behavior between steel and titanium in clinical application" to "I successfully use titanium implants in infected areas in a situation where steel would act as foreign body "sustaining" infection." Furthermore, some comments imply that clinical proof for the superiority of titanium in human application is lacking. The following tries to clarify the issues addressing the different aspects more through a practical clinical approach than a purely scientific one, this includes simplifications. Today's overall biocompatibility of implant materials is acceptable but: As the vast majority of secondary surgeries are elective procedures this allows the selection of implant materials with optimal infection resistance. The different biological reactions of stainless steel and titanium are important for this segment of clinical pathologies. Biological tole - rance (18) depends on the toxicity and on the amount of soluble implant material released. Release, diffusion and washout through blood circulation determine the local concentration of the corrosion products. Alloying components of steel, especially nickel and chromium, are less than optimal in respect to tissue tolerance and allergenicity. Titanium as a pure metal provides excellent biological tolerance (3, 4, 16). Better strength was obtained by titanium alloys like TiAl6V4. The latter found limited application as surgical implants. It

Programmable temperature control system for biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anselmo, V. J.; Harrison, R. G.; Rinfret, A. P.

1982-01-01

A system was constructed which allows programmable temperature-time control for a 5 cu cm sample volume of arbitrary biological material. The system also measures the parameters necessary for the determination of the sample volume specific heat and thermal conductivity as a function of temperature, and provides a detailed measurement of the temperature during phase change and a means of calculating the heat of the phase change. Steady-state and dynamic temperature control is obtained by supplying heat to the sample volume through resistive elements constructed as an integral part of the sample container. For cooling purposes, this container is totally immersed into a cold heat sink. Using a mixture of dry ice and alcohol at 79 C, the sample volume can be controlled from +40 to -60 C at rates from steady state to + or - 65 C/min. Steady-state temperature precision is better than 0.2 C, while the dynamic capability depends on the temperature rate of change as well as the mass of both the sample and the container.

Biological properties

Treesearch

Rebecca E. Ibach

2005-01-01

There are numerous biological degradations that wood is exposed to in various environments. Biological damage occurs when a log, sawn product, or final product is not stored, handled, or designed properly. Biological organisms, such as bacteria, mold, stain, decay fungi, insects, and marine borers, depend heavily on temperature and moisture conditions to grow. A higher...

Revisions to the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of Discharge of Dredged Material; Final Rule

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated a final rule Amending a Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404 regulation that defines the term discharge of dredged material.

Molecular biomimetics: GEPI-based biological routes to technology.

PubMed

Tamerler, Candan; Khatayevich, Dmitriy; Gungormus, Mustafa; Kacar, Turgay; Oren, E Emre; Hnilova, Marketa; Sarikaya, Mehmet

2010-01-01

describe lessons from biology with examples of protein-mediated functional biological materials, explain how novel peptides can be designed with specific affinity to inorganic solids using evolutionary engineering approaches, give examples of their potential utilizations in technology and medicine, and, finally, provide a summary of challenges and future prospects. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Role of carbon nano-materials in the analysis of biological materials by laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Najam-ul-Haq, M; Rainer, M; Szabó, Z; Vallant, R; Huck, C W; Bonn, G K

2007-03-10

At present, carbon nano-materials are being utilized in various procedures, especially in laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) for analyzing a range of analytes, which include peptides, proteins, metabolites, and polymers. Matrix-oriented LDI-MS techniques are very well established, with weak organic acids as energy-absorbing substances. Carbon materials, such as nano-tubes and fullerenes are being successfully applied in the small-mass range, where routine matrices have strong background signals. In addition, the role of carbon nano-materials is very well established in the fractionation and purification fields. Modified diamond powder and surfaces are utilized in binding peptides and proteins from complex biological fluids and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Polylysine-coated diamond is used for solid-phase extraction to pre-concentrate DNA oligonucleotides. Graphite is useful for desalting, pre-concentration, and as energy-absorbing material (matrix) in desorption/ionization. Carbon nano-tubes in their different derivatized forms are used as matrix materials for the analysis of a range of analytes, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and some environmental samples by LDI-MS. Fullerenes are modified in different ways to bind serum entities analyzed through MALDI/TOF-MS and are subsequently utilized in their identifications. In addition, the fullerenes are a promising matrix in LDI-MS, but improvements are needed.

Hazardous material transportation safety and security field operational test final detailed test plans : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-09-16

The objective of this Hazardous Material (HazMat) Transportation Safety and Security Field Operational Test (FOT) Final Detailed Test Plans evaluation is to measure the impact of technology solutions on the safety, security, and operational efficienc...

Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope

DOE PAGES

Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia; ...

2016-03-10

Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an ‘aloof’ electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies o1 eV can be ‘safely’ investigated. To demonstrate the potential of aloof spectroscopy, we record electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C–H, N–H and C=O vibrational signatures with nomore » observable radiation damage. Furthermore, the technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ~10nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope.« less

Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia

Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an ‘aloof’ electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies o1 eV can be ‘safely’ investigated. To demonstrate the potential of aloof spectroscopy, we record electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C–H, N–H and C=O vibrational signatures with nomore » observable radiation damage. Furthermore, the technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ~10nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope.« less

State-of-the-art and outlook for biomimetic materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richman, R.H.; Bond, G.M.; McNaughton, W.P.

1994-11-01

A remarkable diversity of structures and molecular functions has evolved in plants and animals. Many of these natural substances have properties or capabilities that belie their origins in humble, everyday, starting materials. Consequently, there is a growing awareness among scientists and engineers that biological systems can be a valuable source of inspiration for man-made materials. Emphasis in this assessment is on biomimetics; that is, the achievement of unusual materials properties or processes by mimicking novel aspects of biological systems. Five broad areas are selected for detailed investigation: Mimicking of Natural Material Designs; Biomimetic Materials Processing; Artificial Photosynthesis; Biomimetic Molecular Electronics;more » and Biomimetic Catalysis. Each of these topics is examined in terms of current activities and approaches, key aspects, unresolved issues, and implications for the power industry. Finally, the researchers, their organizations, the main thrusts of investigation, achievements, and funding agencies are summarized in tabular form.« less

Metamaterials as a Platform for the Development of Novel Materials for Energy Applications. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Padilla, Willie

2016-02-11

Final report detailing the work performed on DESC0005240 at Boston College. Report details research into metamaterial absorber theory, thermophotovoltaics a dynamic 3 state material capable of switching between transmissive, reflective, and absorptive states. Also high temperature NIR metamaterials are explored.

Searching for biological traces on different materials using a forensic light source and infrared photography.

PubMed

Sterzik, V; Panzer, S; Apfelbacher, M; Bohnert, M

2016-05-01

Because biological traces often play an important role in the investigation process of criminal acts, their detection is essential. As they are not always visible to the human eye, tools like a forensic light source or infrared photography can be used. The intention of the study presented was to give advice how to visualize biological traces best. Which wavelengths and/or filters give the best results for different traces on different fabrics of different colors? Therefore, blood (undiluted and diluted), semen, urine, saliva, and perspiration have been examined on 29 different materials.

Updated Lagrangian finite element formulations of various biological soft tissue non-linear material models: a comprehensive procedure and review.

PubMed

Townsend, Molly T; Sarigul-Klijn, Nesrin

2016-01-01

Simplified material models are commonly used in computational simulation of biological soft tissue as an approximation of the complicated material response and to minimize computational resources. However, the simulation of complex loadings, such as long-duration tissue swelling, necessitates complex models that are not easy to formulate. This paper strives to offer the updated Lagrangian formulation comprehensive procedure of various non-linear material models for the application of finite element analysis of biological soft tissues including a definition of the Cauchy stress and the spatial tangential stiffness. The relationships between water content, osmotic pressure, ionic concentration and the pore pressure stress of the tissue are discussed with the merits of these models and their applications.

Integrated graphene/nanoparticle hybrids for biological and electronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Kim Truc; Zhao, Yanli

2014-05-01

The development of novel graphene/nanoparticle hybrid materials is currently the subject of tremendous research interest. The intrinsic exceptional assets of both graphene (including graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide) and nanoparticles render their hybrid materials synergic properties that can be useful in various applications. In this feature review, we highlight recent developments in graphene/nanoparticle hybrids and their promising potential in electronic and biological applications. First, the latest advances in synthetic methods for the preparation of the graphene/nanoparticle hybrids are introduced, with the emphasis on approaches to (1) decorate nanoparticles onto two-dimensional graphene and (2) wrap nanoparticles with graphene sheets. The pros and cons of large-scale synthesis are also discussed. Then, the state-of-the-art of graphene/nanoparticle hybrids in electronic and biological applications is reviewed. For electronic applications, we focus on the advantages of using these hybrids in transparent conducting films, as well as energy harvesting and storage. Biological applications, electrochemical biosensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery using the hybrids are showcased. Finally, the future research prospects and challenges in this rapidly developing area are discussed.

Causal Assessment of Biological Impairment in the Bogue Homo River, Mississippi Using the U.S. EPA’s Stressor Identification Methodology (Final)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Causal Assessment of Biological Impairment in the Bogue Homo River, Mississippi Using the U.S. EPA’s Stressor Identification Methodology. This assessment is taken from more than 700 court ordered assessments of the cau...

Cell and molecular mechanics of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, G.; Suresh, S.

2003-11-01

Living cells can sense mechanical forces and convert them into biological responses. Similarly, biological and biochemical signals are known to influence the abilities of cells to sense, generate and bear mechanical forces. Studies into the mechanics of single cells, subcellular components and biological molecules have rapidly evolved during the past decade with significant implications for biotechnology and human health. This progress has been facilitated by new capabilities for measuring forces and displacements with piconewton and nanometre resolutions, respectively, and by improvements in bio-imaging. Details of mechanical, chemical and biological interactions in cells remain elusive. However, the mechanical deformation of proteins and nucleic acids may provide key insights for understanding the changes in cellular structure, response and function under force, and offer new opportunities for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This review discusses some basic features of the deformation of single cells and biomolecules, and examines opportunities for further research.

Systematic toxicological analysis: computer-assisted identification of poisons in biological materials.

PubMed

Stimpfl, Th; Demuth, W; Varmuza, K; Vycudilik, W

2003-06-05

A new software was developed to improve the chances for identification of a "general unknown" in complex biological materials. To achieve this goal, the total ion current chromatogram was simplified by filtering the acquired mass spectra via an automated subtraction procedure, which removed mass spectra originating from the sample matrix, as well as interfering substances from the extraction procedure. It could be shown that this tool emphasizes mass spectra of exceptional compounds, and therefore provides the forensic toxicologist with further evidence-even in cases where mass spectral data of the unknown compound are not available in "standard" spectral libraries.

Evaluation of natural materials as exogenous carbon sources for biological treatment of low carbon-to-nitrogen wastewater.

PubMed

Ramírez-Godínez, Juan; Beltrán-Hernández, Icela; Álvarez-Hernández, Alejandro; Coronel-Olivares, Claudia; Contreras-López, Elizabeth; Quezada-Cruz, Maribel; Vázquez-Rodríguez, Gabriela

2015-01-01

In the bacterial processes involved in the mitigation of nitrogen pollution, an adequately high carbon-to-nitrogen (C : N) ratio is key to sustain denitrification. We evaluated three natural materials (woodchips, barley grains, and peanut shells) as carbon sources for low C : N wastewater. The amount of organic matter released from these materials to aqueous media was evaluated, as well as their pollution swapping potential by measuring the release of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, N-NH4 (+), NO2 (-), and NO3 (-), and total phosphorous. Barley grains yielded the highest amount of organic matter, which also showed to be the most easily biodegradable. Woodchips and peanut shells released carbon rather steadily and so they would not require frequent replenishment from biological reactors. These materials produced eluates with lower concentrations of nutrients than the leachates from barley grains. However, as woodchips yielded lower amounts of suspended solids, they constitute an adequate exogenous source for the biological treatment of carbon-deficient effluents.

Evaluation of Natural Materials as Exogenous Carbon Sources for Biological Treatment of Low Carbon-to-Nitrogen Wastewater

PubMed Central

Ramírez-Godínez, Juan; Beltrán-Hernández, Icela; Álvarez-Hernández, Alejandro; Coronel-Olivares, Claudia; Contreras-López, Elizabeth; Quezada-Cruz, Maribel

2015-01-01

In the bacterial processes involved in the mitigation of nitrogen pollution, an adequately high carbon-to-nitrogen (C : N) ratio is key to sustain denitrification. We evaluated three natural materials (woodchips, barley grains, and peanut shells) as carbon sources for low C : N wastewater. The amount of organic matter released from these materials to aqueous media was evaluated, as well as their pollution swapping potential by measuring the release of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, N-NH4 +, NO2 −, and NO3 −, and total phosphorous. Barley grains yielded the highest amount of organic matter, which also showed to be the most easily biodegradable. Woodchips and peanut shells released carbon rather steadily and so they would not require frequent replenishment from biological reactors. These materials produced eluates with lower concentrations of nutrients than the leachates from barley grains. However, as woodchips yielded lower amounts of suspended solids, they constitute an adequate exogenous source for the biological treatment of carbon-deficient effluents. PMID:26495313

Materials, Strands, and Cables for Superconducting Accelerator Magnets. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sumption, Mike D.; Collings, Edward W.

2014-09-19

This report focuses on Materials, Strands and Cables for High Energy Physics Particle accelerators. In the materials area, work has included studies of basic reactions, diffusion, transformations, and phase assemblage of Nb 3Sn. These materials science aspects have been married to results, in the form of flux pinning, B c2, B irr, and transport J c, with an emphasis on obtaining the needed J c for HEP needs. Attention has also been paid to the “intermediate-temperature superconductor”, magnesium diboride emphasis being placed on (i) irreversibility field enhancement, (ii) critical current density and flux pinning, and (iii) connectivity. We also reportmore » on studies of Bi-2212. The second area of the program has been in the area of “Strands” in which, aside from the materials aspect of the conductor, its physical properties and their influence on performance have been studied. Much of this work has been in the area of magnetization estimation and flux jump calculation and control. One of the areas of this work was strand instabilities in high-performance Nb 3Sn conductors due to combined fields and currents. Additionally, we investigated quench and thermal propagation in YBCO coated conductors at low temperatures and high fields. The last section, “Cables”, focussed on interstrand contact resistance, ICR, it origins, control, and implications. Following on from earlier work in NbTi, the present work in Nb 3Sn has aimed to make ICR intermediate between the two extremes of too little contact (no current sharing) and too much (large and unacceptable magnetization and associated beam de-focussing). Interstrand contact and current sharing measurements are being made on YBCO based Roebel cables using transport current methods. Finally, quench was investigated for YBCO cables and the magnets wound from them, presently with a focus on 50 T solenoids for muon collider applications.« less

Optimization of spatial frequency domain imaging technique for estimating optical properties of food and biological materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spatial frequency domain imaging technique has recently been developed for determination of the optical properties of food and biological materials. However, accurate estimation of the optical property parameters by the technique is challenging due to measurement errors associated with signal acquis...

Improved algorithm for estimating optical properties of food and biological materials using spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this research, the inverse algorithm for estimating optical properties of food and biological materials from spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance was optimized in terms of data smoothing, normalization and spatial region of reflectance profile for curve fitting. Monte Carlo simulation was used ...

Millimeter wave and terahertz dielectric properties of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Usman Ansar

Broadband dielectric properties of materials can be employed to identify, detect, and characterize materials through their unique spectral signatures. In this study, millimeter wave, submillimeter wave, and terahertz dielectric properties of biological substances inclusive of liquids, solids, and powders were obtained using Dispersive Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DFTS). Two broadband polarizing interferometers were constructed to test materials from 60 GHz to 1.2 THz. This is an extremely difficult portion of the frequency spectrum to obtain a material's dielectric properties since neither optical nor microwave-based techniques provide accurate data. The dielectric characteristics of liquids such as cyclohexane, chlorobenzene, benzene, ethanol, methanol, 1,4 dioxane, and 10% formalin were obtained using the liquid interferometer. Subsequently the solid interferometer was utilized to determine the dielectric properties of human breast tissues, which are fixed and preserved in 10% formalin. This joint collaboration with the Tufts New England Medical Center demonstrated a significant difference between the dielectric response of tumorous and non-tumorous breast tissues across the spectrum. Powders such as anthrax, flour, talc, corn starch, dry milk, and baking soda have been involved in a number of security threats and false alarms around the globe in the last decade. To be able to differentiate hoax attacks and serious security threats, the dielectric properties of common household powders were also examined using the solid interferometer to identify the powders' unique resonance peaks. A new sample preparation kit was designed to test the powder specimens. It was anticipated that millimeter wave and terahertz dielectric characterization will enable one to clearly distinguish one powder from the other; however most of the powders had relatively close dielectric responses and only Talc had a resonance signature recorded at 1.135 THz. Furthermore, due to

Material for Point Design (final summary of DIME material)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bradley, Paul A.

2014-02-25

These slides summarize the motivation of the Defect Induced Mix Experiment (DIME) project, the “point design” of the Polar Direct Drive (PDD) version of the NIF separated reactant capsule, the experimental requirements, technical achievements, and some useful backup material. These slides are intended to provide much basic material in one convenient location and will hopefully be of some use for subsequent experimental projects.

[Multi-causality in nursing work accidents with biological material].

PubMed

Soares, Leticia Gramazio; Sarquis, Leila Maria Mansano; Kirchhof, Ana Lúcia Cardoso; Felli, Vanda Elisa Andres

2013-12-01

In order to analyze the multiple causes of occupational accidents with biological exposure among nursing staff was carried out a descriptive and exploratory research in a medium-sized hospital in the State of Paraná, in the period between January 2008 and January 2009. The population was 26 nursing staff of the medical clinic. Data collection was performed by semi-structured interviews with five of the eight injured in the period and its contents were analyzed by Causes and Effects Diagram. The categories of causes material, organizational, institutional and worker's behavior, showed the inappropriate disposal of sharps, work overload, no use of bio-security standards and poor supervision and training of workers, as factors for the occurrence of these accidents. The adoption of the tool of Causes and Effects Diagram provided an analysis of accidents in its multiple causes, showing the interaction between them.

Biological Concepts. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnegie, John W.

This manual contains the textual material for a three-lesson unit which introduces students to the basic concepts applicable to all biological treatment systems. The general topic areas addressed in the lessons are: (1) the microorganisms found in biological systems; (2) the factors that affect the growth and health of biological systems; and (3)…

Determination of silicon in biological and botanical reference materials by epithermal INAA and Compton suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landsberger, S.; Peshev, S.; Becker, D. A.

1994-12-01

Silicon determination in sixteen botanical and biological standard reference materials is described using the 29Si(n, p) 29Al reaction through instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis and Compton suppression gamma-ray spectroscopy. By simultaneous utilization of both cadmium and boron epithermal filters along with anticoincidence gamma-counting, detection limits as low as 12 ppm were obtained for certain matrices, much lower than previously reported values for this type of analysis. The method is applicable to many botanical and biological matrices and is attractive with its interference free, purely instrumental nature, compared with methods using the 28Si(n, p) 28Al reaction or chemical separation techniques.

The biological safety of condom material can be determined using an in vitro cell culture system.

PubMed

Motsoane, N A; Pretorius, E; Bester, M J; Becker, P J

2001-01-01

Latex products have long been recognized as a cause of latex protein allergy. The increased usage of latex gloves, with the consequent increased occurrence of latex allergies appears to have escalated with increasing awareness of the transmission of HIV-AIDS and other infections. The use of condoms as a means to prevent the transmission of STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) and HIV-AIDS has been widely promoted. Although extensive testing is done to evaluate the physical quality of condoms, no information is available regarding the biological safety of condoms. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of short-term exposure to physiological levels of condom surface material on cell viability (MTT assay) and cell growth (crystal violet assay). A direct contact cell culture testing method (FDA test method F813-83 used to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of medical materials and devices) was used. The modified test method was found to be a sensitive test system for the evaluation of the biological safety of condoms. This study reveals the importance of evaluating the biological safety of all condoms that are commercially available, because of the potential health risk that may be associated with prolonged use of certain types of condoms.

Alkaline and ultrasonic dissolution of biological materials for trace silicon determination

PubMed Central

Viveros, Robert D.; Liberman, Alexander; Trogler, William C.; Kummel, Andrew C.

2015-01-01

A simple method for trace elemental determination in biological tissue has been developed. Novel nanomaterials with biomedical applications necessitate the determination of the in vivo fate of the materials to understand their toxicological profile. Hollow iron-doped calcined silica nanoshells have been used as a model to demonstrate that potassium hydroxide and bath sonication at 50 °C can extract elements from alkaline-soluble nanomaterials. After alkali digestion, nitric acid is used to adjust the pH into a suitable range for analysis using techniques such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry which require neutral or acidic analytes. In chicken liver phantoms injected with the nanoshells, 96% of the expected silicon concentration was detected. This value was in good agreement with the 94% detection efficiency of nanoshells dissolved in aqueous solution as a control for potential sample matrix interference. Nanoshell detection was further confirmed in a mouse 24 h after intravenous administration; the measured silica above baseline was 35 times greater or more than the standard deviations of the measurements. This method provides a simple and accurate means to quantify alkaline-soluble nanomaterials in biological tissue. PMID:25909037

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory; preparation procedure for aquatic biological material determined for trace metals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, Gerald L.

1996-01-01

A method for the chemical preparation of tissue samples that are subsequently analyzed for 22 trace metals is described. The tissue-preparation procedure was tested with three National Institute of Standards and Technology biological standard reference materials and two National Water Quality Laboratory homogenized biological materials. A low-temperature (85 degrees Celsius) nitric acid digestion followed by the careful addition of hydrogen peroxide (30-percent solution) is used to decompose the biological material. The solutions are evaporated to incipient dryness, reconstituted with 5 percent nitric acid, and filtered. After filtration the solutions were diluted to a known volume and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS). Many of the metals were determined by both ICP-MS and ICP-AES. This report does not provide a detailed description of the instrumental procedures and conditions used with the three types of instrumentation for the quantitation of trace metals determined in this study. Statistical data regarding recovery, accuracy, and precision for individual trace metals determined in the biological material tested are summarized.

Development and Effectiveness of an Educational Card Game as Supplementary Material in Understanding Selected Topics in Biology

PubMed Central

Gutierrez, Arnel F.

2014-01-01

The complex concepts and vocabulary of biology classes discourage many students. In this study, a pretest–posttest model was used to test the effectiveness of an educational card game in reinforcing biological concepts in comparison with traditional teaching methods. The subjects of this study were two biology classes at Bulacan State University–Sarmiento Campus. Both classes received conventional instruction; however, the experimental group's instruction was supplemented with the card game, while the control group's instruction was reinforced with traditional exercises and assignments. The score increases from pretest to posttest showed that both methods effectively reinforced biological concepts, but a t test showed that the card game is more effective than traditional teaching methods. Additionally, students from the experimental group evaluated the card game using five criteria: goals, design, organization, playability, and usefulness. The students rated the material very satisfactory. PMID:24591506

Development and effectiveness of an educational card game as supplementary material in understanding selected topics in biology.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Arnel F

2014-01-01

The complex concepts and vocabulary of biology classes discourage many students. In this study, a pretest-posttest model was used to test the effectiveness of an educational card game in reinforcing biological concepts in comparison with traditional teaching methods. The subjects of this study were two biology classes at Bulacan State University-Sarmiento Campus. Both classes received conventional instruction; however, the experimental group's instruction was supplemented with the card game, while the control group's instruction was reinforced with traditional exercises and assignments. The score increases from pretest to posttest showed that both methods effectively reinforced biological concepts, but a t test showed that the card game is more effective than traditional teaching methods. Additionally, students from the experimental group evaluated the card game using five criteria: goals, design, organization, playability, and usefulness. The students rated the material very satisfactory.

[Accident with biological material at the prehospital mobile care: reality for health and non-healthcare workers].

PubMed

Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga; Silva, Elisangelo Aparecido Costa; Teles, Sheila Araújo; Mendonça, Katiane Martins; Souza, Adenícia Custódia Silva E; Melo, Dulcelene Sousa

2013-01-01

Analytical transversal study that was conducted with the objectives of identifying the prevalence and characterizing the accidents with biological material among professionals in pre-hospital service (PHS) and comparing the risk behaviors adopted by healthcare and non-healthcare groups that can affect the occurrence and seriousness of such accidents. Data were obtained by questionnaire applied to all PHS workers in Goiânia-GO. The study revealed a high prevalence of accidents involving biological material which, although higher for the healthcare group, also affected the non-healthcare group. There were significant (p < 0.05) risk behaviors for these accidents in both groups: not using gloves, masks or eye protectors; inappropriate disposal of sharps; inadequate dress; re-capping of needles; and a lack of immunization against hepatitis B. The results underscore the importance of both groups in adhering to preventive measures, and further point to the need to structure and implement vigilance and control system for this type of accident.

Non-contact tensile viscoelastic characterization of microscale biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuhui; Hong, Yuan; Xu, Guang-Kui; Liu, Shaobao; Shi, Qiang; Tang, Deding; Yang, Hui; Genin, Guy M.; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng

2018-06-01

Many structures and materials in nature and physiology have important "meso-scale" structures at the micron length-scale whose tensile responses have proven difficult to characterize mechanically. Although techniques such as atomic force microscopy and micro- and nano-identation are mature for compression and indentation testing at the nano-scale, and standard uniaxial and shear rheometry techniques exist for the macroscale, few techniques are applicable for tensile-testing at the micrometre-scale, leaving a gap in our understanding of hierarchical biomaterials. Here, we present a novel magnetic mechanical testing (MMT) system that enables viscoelastic tensile testing at this critical length scale. The MMT system applies non-contact loading, avoiding gripping and surface interaction effects. We demonstrate application of the MMT system to the first analyses of the pure tensile responses of several native and engineered tissue systems at the mesoscale, showing the broad potential of the system for exploring micro- and meso-scale analysis of structured and hierarchical biological systems.

Non-contact tensile viscoelastic characterization of microscale biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuhui; Hong, Yuan; Xu, Guang-Kui; Liu, Shaobao; Shi, Qiang; Tang, Deding; Yang, Hui; Genin, Guy M.; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng

2018-01-01

Many structures and materials in nature and physiology have important "meso-scale" structures at the micron length-scale whose tensile responses have proven difficult to characterize mechanically. Although techniques such as atomic force microscopy and micro- and nano-identation are mature for compression and indentation testing at the nano-scale, and standard uniaxial and shear rheometry techniques exist for the macroscale, few techniques are applicable for tensile-testing at the micrometre-scale, leaving a gap in our understanding of hierarchical biomaterials. Here, we present a novel magnetic mechanical testing (MMT) system that enables viscoelastic tensile testing at this critical length scale. The MMT system applies non-contact loading, avoiding gripping and surface interaction effects. We demonstrate application of the MMT system to the first analyses of the pure tensile responses of several native and engineered tissue systems at the mesoscale, showing the broad potential of the system for exploring micro- and meso-scale analysis of structured and hierarchical biological systems.

QEEN Workshop: "Quantifying Exposure to Engineered Nano-materials from Manufactured Products": Write Up Biological Tissues and Media

EPA Science Inventory

The measurement and characterization of nanomaterials in biological tissues is complicated by a number of factors including: the sensitivity of the assay to small sized particles or low concentrations of materials; the ability to distinguish different forms and transformations of...

Detection and drug delivery from superhydrophobic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falde, Eric John

The wetting of a rough material is controlled by surface chemistry and morphology, the liquid phase, solutes, and surfactants that affect the surface tension with the gas phase, and environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure. Materials with high (>150°) apparent contact angles are known as superhydrophobic and are very resistant to wetting. However, in complex biological mixtures eventually protein adsorbs, fouling the surface and facilitating wetting on time scales from seconds to months. The work here uses the partially-wetted (Cassie-Baxter) to fully-wetted (Wenzel) state transition to control drug delivery and to perform surfactant detection via surface tension using hydrophobic and superhydrophobic materials. First there is an overview of the physics of the non-wetting state and the transition to wetting. Then there is a review of how wetting can be controlled by outside stimuli and applications of these materials. Next there is work presented on controlling drug release using superhydrophobic materials with controlled wetting rates, with both in vitro and in vivo results. Then there is work on developing a sensor based on this wetting state transition and its applications toward detecting solute levels in biological fluids for point-of-care diagnosis. Finally, there is work presented on using these sensors for detecting the alcohol content in wine and spirits.

[Intervening factors in attention flow of professionals injured by biological material].

PubMed

Ribeiro, Luana Cássia Miranda; Souza, Adenícia Custódia Silva E; Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga; Melo, Dulcelene Sousa; Peixoto, Myrian Karla Ayres Veronez; Munari, Denize Bouttelet

2014-06-01

To describe the barriers and facilitator factors to follow the attention flow of professionals injured by biological material in the worker perspective. Qualitative descriptive study with data collected through individual interviews with 18 injured workers, assisted in reference public units in the city of Goiânia. The content analysis was carried out with assistance of the ATLAS.ti 6.2 software, under the work organization and subjective perspectives. From the interviews regarding the barriers and facilitator factors emerged the categories: organizational structure, Support from close people, and Knowledge influence. The organized services have enabled more qualified consultations and the workers follow-up, which caused a satisfaction feeling in relation to the working environment.

Home Entrepreneurship: The Development of Instructional Materials in the Operation of a Small Business from the Home. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weis, Susan F.; O'Brien, Kay S.

The three chapters of this final report present material from a project to develop individualized instructional materials on operating a small business from the home for home economics related occupations. Chapter 1 includes a review of literature appropriate to the project and provides definitions from the literature (and from interviews) for…

Enhancement in biological response of Ag-nano composite polymer membranes using plasma treatment for fabrication of efficient bio materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Narendra Kumar; Sharma, Tamanna Kumari; Chauhan, Manish; Agarwal, Ravi; Vijay, Y. K.; Swami, K. C.

2016-05-01

Biomaterials are nonviable material used in medical devices, intended to interact with biological systems, which are becoming necessary for the development of artificial material for biological systems such as artificial skin diaphragm, valves for heart and kidney, lenses for eye etc. Polymers having novel properties like antibacterial, antimicrobial, high adhesion, blood compatibility and wettability are most suitable for synthesis of biomaterial, but all of these properties does not exist in any natural or artificial polymeric material. Nano particles and plasma treatment can offer these properties to the polymers. Hence a new nano-biomaterial has been developed by modifying the surface and chemical properties of Ag nanocomposite polymer membranes (NCPM) by Argon ion plasma treatment. These membranes were characterized using different techniques for surface and chemical modifications occurred. Bacterial adhesion and wettability were also tested for these membranes, to show direct use of this new class of nano-biomaterial for biomedical applications.

"Rinse and trickle": a protocol for TEM preparation and investigation of inorganic fibers from biological material.

PubMed

Vigliaturo, Ruggero; Capella, Silvana; Rinaudo, Caterina; Belluso, Elena

2016-07-01

The purpose of this work is to define a sample preparation protocol that allows inorganic fibers and particulate matter extracted from different biological samples to be characterized morphologically, crystallographically and chemically by transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (TEM-EDS). The method does not damage or create artifacts through chemical attacks of the target material. A fairly rapid specimen preparation is applied with the aim of performing as few steps as possible to transfer the withdrawn inorganic matter onto the TEM grid. The biological sample is previously digested chemically by NaClO. The salt is then removed through a series of centrifugation and rinse cycles in deionized water, thus drastically reducing the digestive power of the NaClO and concentrating the fibers for TEM analysis. The concept of equivalent hydrodynamic diameter is introduced to calculate the settling velocity during the centrifugation cycles. This technique is applicable to lung tissues and can be extended to a wide range of organic materials. The procedure does not appear to cause morphological damage to the fibers or modify their chemistry or degree of crystallinity. The extrapolated data can be used in interdisciplinary studies to understand the pathological effects caused by inorganic materials.

[Occupational accidents due to exposure to biological material in the multidisciplinary team of the emergency service].

PubMed

Oliveira, Adriana Cristina; Lopes, Aline Cristine Souza; Paiva, Maria Henriqueta Rocha Siqueira

2009-09-01

This transversal, survey-based research was carried out with a multiprofessional emergency care team in Belo Horizonte, between June and December 2006. The study aimed at estimating the incidence of occupational accidents by exposure to biological material, post-accidents conducts and demographic determinant factors. The study applied a structured questionnaire and descriptive analyses, as well as incidence calculations and logistic regression. The incidence of accidents with biological material reached 20.6%, being 40.8% by sharp materials and 49.0% by body fluids; 35.3% of the accidents took place among physicians and 24.0% among nurses. Post-accidents procedures: no medical assessment, 63.3%; under-notification, 81.6%; no conduct, 55.0%; and no serological follow-up, 61.2%. Factors associated with accidents: working time in the institution (Odds Ratio--OR, 2.84; Credible Interval--CI 95%-1.22-6.62); working in advanced support units (OR = 4.18; CI 95%--1.64-10.64); and interaction between working time in the institution and working in Basic Support Unit (OR 0.27; CI 95%--0.07-1.00). In order to reduce accidents, the implementation of post-accident protocols and follow-up, as well as under-notification norms, are suggested.

Determination of Trace Level Iodine in Biological and Botanical Reference Materials by Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Gramlich, John W.; Murphy, Thomas J.

1989-01-01

A method has been developed for the determination of trace level iodine in biological and botanical materials. The method consists of spiking a sample with 129I, equilibration of the spike with the natural iodine, wet ashing under carefully controlled conditions, and separation of the iodine by co-precipitation with silver chloride. Measurement of the 129I/127I ratio is accomplished by negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry using LaB6 for ionization enhancement. The application of the method to the certification of trace iodine in two Standard Reference Materials is described. PMID:28053411

Evolutionary Design in Biological Physics and Materials Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, M.; Park, J.-M.; Deem, M. W.

In this chapter we provide a thorough discussion of the theoretical description of the multi-site approach to cancer vaccination. The discussion is somewhat demanding from a biological point of view. References to primary biological publications are given. A general reference on immunology is [1].

Method and apparatus for biological material separation

DOEpatents

Robinson, Donna L.

2005-05-10

There has been invented an apparatus comprising a separation barrier for excluding denser cell materials from less dense cell materials after centrifuging of the cells so that selected materials can be withdrawn from the less dense cell materials without inclusion of the denser cell materials or clogging of sampling equipment with denser cell materials. Cells from which selected material is to be withdrawn are centrifuged, either as cells or cells in media. Once the denser cell materials are isolated in a layer by centrifugal force, an invention screen or seive is submerged in the less dense cell material to a level above the layer of denser cell materials to isolate the denser cell materials from the less dense cell materials, preventing mixing of the denser cell materials back into the less dense cell materials when the cells or the cells in media are no longer being centrifuged and to prevent clogging of sampling equipment with denser cell materials. In a particularly useful application of the invention method and apparatus, plasmid DNA can be withdrawn from less dense cell materials without contamination or interference with denser cell materials.

Bioresponsive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yue; Aimetti, Alex A.; Langer, Robert; Gu, Zhen

2017-01-01

'Smart' bioresponsive materials that are sensitive to biological signals or to pathological abnormalities, and interact with or are actuated by them, are appealing therapeutic platforms for the development of next-generation precision medications. Armed with a better understanding of various biologically responsive mechanisms, researchers have made innovations in the areas of materials chemistry, biomolecular engineering, pharmaceutical science, and micro- and nanofabrication to develop bioresponsive materials for a range of applications, including controlled drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering and biomedical devices. This Review highlights recent advances in the design of smart materials capable of responding to the physiological environment, to biomarkers and to biological particulates. Key design principles, challenges and future directions, including clinical translation, of bioresponsive materials are also discussed.

Biology Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1982

1982-01-01

Describes laboratory procedures, demonstrations, and classroom activities/materials, including use of dwarf cichlids (fishes) in secondary school biology, teaching edge effects on stomatal diffusion, computer program on effects of selection on gene frequencies, biological oxidation/reduction reactions, short cuts with Drosophila, computer program…

Applied Biology and Chemistry. Course Materials: Chemistry 111, 112, 113, 114. Seattle Tech Prep Applied Academics Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Seattle Community Coll., Washington.

This publication contains materials for four courses in Applied Biology/Chemistry in the Applied Academics program at South Seattle Community College. It begins with the article, "Community College Applied Academics: The State of the Art?" (George B. Neff), which describes the characteristics, model, courses, and coordination activity…

Nondestructive mechanical characterization of developing biological tissues using inflation testing.

PubMed

Oomen, P J A; van Kelle, M A J; Oomens, C W J; Bouten, C V C; Loerakker, S

2017-10-01

One of the hallmarks of biological soft tissues is their capacity to grow and remodel in response to changes in their environment. Although it is well-accepted that these processes occur at least partly to maintain a mechanical homeostasis, it remains unclear which mechanical constituent(s) determine(s) mechanical homeostasis. In the current study a nondestructive mechanical test and a two-step inverse analysis method were developed and validated to nondestructively estimate the mechanical properties of biological tissue during tissue culture. Nondestructive mechanical testing was achieved by performing an inflation test on tissues that were cultured inside a bioreactor, while the tissue displacement and thickness were nondestructively measured using ultrasound. The material parameters were estimated by an inverse finite element scheme, which was preceded by an analytical estimation step to rapidly obtain an initial estimate that already approximated the final solution. The efficiency and accuracy of the two-step inverse method was demonstrated on virtual experiments of several material types with known parameters. PDMS samples were used to demonstrate the method's feasibility, where it was shown that the proposed method yielded similar results to tensile testing. Finally, the method was applied to estimate the material properties of tissue-engineered constructs. Via this method, the evolution of mechanical properties during tissue growth and remodeling can now be monitored in a well-controlled system. The outcomes can be used to determine various mechanical constituents and to assess their contribution to mechanical homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wood-Derived Materials for Green Electronics, Biological Devices, and Energy Applications.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongli; Luo, Wei; Ciesielski, Peter N; Fang, Zhiqiang; Zhu, J Y; Henriksson, Gunnar; Himmel, Michael E; Hu, Liangbing

2016-08-24

goal of this study is to review the fundamental structures and chemistries of wood and wood-derived materials, which are essential for a wide range of existing and new enabling technologies. The scope of the review covers multiscale materials and assemblies of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin as well as other biomaterials derived from wood, in regard to their major emerging applications. Structure-properties-application relationships will be investigated in detail. Understanding the fundamental properties of these structures is crucial for designing and manufacturing products for emerging applications. Today, a more holistic understanding of the interplay between the structure, chemistry, and performance of wood and wood-derived materials is advancing historical applications of these materials. This new level of understanding also enables a myriad of new and exciting applications, which motivate this review. There are excellent reviews already on the classical topic of woody materials, and some recent reviews also cover new understanding of these materials as well as potential applications. This review will focus on the uniqueness of woody materials for three critical applications: green electronics, biological devices, and energy storage and bioenergy.

Wood-Derived Materials for Green Electronics, Biological Devices, and Energy Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Hongli; Luo, Wei; Ciesielski, Peter N.

energy. The goal of this study is to review the fundamental structures and chemistries of wood and wood-derived materials, which are essential for a wide range of existing and new enabling technologies. The scope of the review covers multiscale materials and assemblies of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin as well as other biomaterials derived from wood, in regard to their major emerging applications. Structure-properties-application relationships will be investigated in detail. Understanding the fundamental properties of these structures is crucial for designing and manufacturing products for emerging applications. Today, a more holistic understanding of the interplay between the structure, chemistry, and performance of wood and wood-derived materials is advancing historical applications of these materials. This new level of understanding also enables a myriad of new and exciting applications, which motivate this review. There are excellent reviews already on the classical topic of woody materials, and some recent reviews also cover new understanding of these materials as well as potential applications. This review will focus on the uniqueness of woody materials for three critical applications: green electronics, biological devices, and energy storage and bioenergy.« less

Freezing curve-based monitoring to quickly evaluate the viability of biological materials subject to freezing or thermal injury.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Zhou, Yi-Xin

2003-09-01

This paper is aimed at investigating the roles of freezing dynamics of a liquid droplet to characterize the properties of the material. In particular, freezing curve-based monitoring was proposed to quickly evaluate the viability of biological materials subject to freezing, re-warming, or other kinds of injury, which is an extremely important issue in practices such as cryobiology, hyperthermia, or freshness evaluation of bio-samples. An integrated micro analysis device was fabricated which is simple in structure and cheap to make. Preliminary freezing results demonstrated that minor changes in a biological material due to freezing or warming injury might result in a significant deviation of its freezing curve from that of the intact biomaterials. Several potential thermal indexes to quantify the material features were pointed out. Further, experiments were performed on some freezing and thawing processes of small amount of water on a cooling surface to test the effects of droplet sizes, measurement sites, cooling strength, and cooling geometry, etc., on the freezing responses of a water droplet. Their implementation in developing a new micro analysis system were suggested. This freezing curve-based monitoring method may open a new strategy for the evaluation of biomaterials subject to destruction in diverse fields.

Using clickers in nonmajors- and majors-level biology courses: student opinion, learning, and long-term retention of course material.

PubMed

Crossgrove, Kirsten; Curran, Kristen L

2008-01-01

Student response systems (clickers) are viewed positively by students and instructors in numerous studies. Evidence that clickers enhance student learning is more variable. After becoming comfortable with the technology during fall 2005-spring 2006, we compared student opinion and student achievement in two different courses taught with clickers in fall 2006. One course was an introductory biology class for nonmajors, and the other course was a 200 level genetics class for biology majors. Students in both courses had positive opinions of the clickers, although we observed some interesting differences between the two groups of students. Student performance was significantly higher on exam questions covering material taught with clickers, although the differences were more dramatic for the nonmajors biology course than the genetics course. We also compared retention of information 4 mo after the course ended, and we saw increased retention of material taught with clickers for the nonmajors course, but not for the genetics course. We discuss the implications of our results in light of differences in how the two courses were taught and differences between science majors and nonmajors.

Using Clickers in Nonmajors- and Majors-Level Biology Courses: Student Opinion, Learning, and Long-Term Retention of Course Material

PubMed Central

Crossgrove, Kirsten

2008-01-01

Student response systems (clickers) are viewed positively by students and instructors in numerous studies. Evidence that clickers enhance student learning is more variable. After becoming comfortable with the technology during fall 2005–spring 2006, we compared student opinion and student achievement in two different courses taught with clickers in fall 2006. One course was an introductory biology class for nonmajors, and the other course was a 200 level genetics class for biology majors. Students in both courses had positive opinions of the clickers, although we observed some interesting differences between the two groups of students. Student performance was significantly higher on exam questions covering material taught with clickers, although the differences were more dramatic for the nonmajors biology course than the genetics course. We also compared retention of information 4 mo after the course ended, and we saw increased retention of material taught with clickers for the nonmajors course, but not for the genetics course. We discuss the implications of our results in light of differences in how the two courses were taught and differences between science majors and nonmajors. PMID:18316817

Biology Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1983

1983-01-01

Describes laboratory procedures, demonstrations, and classroom activities/materials, including chi-square tests on a microcomputer, an integrated biology game, microscope slides of leaf stomata, culturing soil nematodes, technique for watering locust egg-laying tubes, hazards of biological chemicals (such as benzene, benzidene, calchicine,…

MATERIALS USED IN TEACHING AND EVALUATING THE CONCEPTS RELATED TO THE BIOLOGICAL CELL IN GRADES 2-6, PRACTICAL PAPER NO. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

STAUSS, NYLES G.

INCLUDED ARE MATERIALS FOR USE IN TEACHING AND EVALUATING 11 SELECTED CONCEPTS RELATED TO THE BIOLOGICAL CELL IN GRADES 2 TO 6. THE CONCEPTS WERE SELECTED AND THEIR ORDER DETERMINED THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK SERIES, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE BIOLOGY TEXTS, CYTOLOGY TEXTS, AND INFORMATION GATHERED THROUGH A PILOT STUDY. THE MATERIALS…

Synthetic Biology: Putting Synthesis into Biology

PubMed Central

Liang, Jing; Luo, Yunzi; Zhao, Huimin

2010-01-01

The ability to manipulate living organisms is at the heart of a range of emerging technologies that serve to address important and current problems in environment, energy, and health. However, with all its complexity and interconnectivity, biology has for many years been recalcitrant to engineering manipulations. The recent advances in synthesis, analysis, and modeling methods have finally provided the tools necessary to manipulate living systems in meaningful ways, and have led to the coining of a field named synthetic biology. The scope of synthetic biology is as complicated as life itself – encompassing many branches of science, and across many scales of application. New DNA synthesis and assembly techniques have made routine the customization of very large DNA molecules. This in turn has allowed the incorporation of multiple genes and pathways. By coupling these with techniques that allow for the modeling and design of protein functions, scientists have now gained the tools to create completely novel biological machineries. Even the ultimate biological machinery – a self-replicating organism – is being pursued at this moment. It is the purpose of this review to dissect and organize these various components of synthetic biology into a coherent picture. PMID:21064036

Linking Biological Responses of Terrestrial N Eutrophication to the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, M. D.; Clark, C.; Blett, T.

2015-12-01

The response of a biological indicator to N deposition can indicate that an ecosystem has surpassed a critical load and is at risk of significant change. The importance of this exceedance is often difficult to digest by policy makers and public audiences if the change is not linked to a familiar ecosystem endpoint. A workshop was held to bring together scientists, resource managers, and policy makers with expertise in ecosystem functioning, critical loads, and economics in an effort to identify the ecosystem services impacted by air pollution. This was completed within the framework of the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS) Classification System to produce a product that identified distinct interactions between society and the effects of nitrogen pollution. From each change in a biological indicator, we created multiple ecological production functions to identify the cascading effects of the change to a measureable ecosystem service that a user interacts with either by enjoying, consuming, or appreciating the good or service, or using it as an input in the human economy. This FEGS metric was then linked to a beneficiary group that interacts with the service. Chains detailing the links from the biological indicator to the beneficiary group were created for aquatic and terrestrial acidification and eutrophication at the workshop, and here we present a subset of the workshop results by highlighting for 9 different ecosystems affected by terrestrial eutrophication. A total of 213 chains that linked to 37 unique FEGS metrics and impacted 15 beneficiary groups were identified based on nitrogen deposition mediated changes to biological indicators. The chains within each ecosystem were combined in flow charts to show the complex, overlapping relationships among biological indicators, ecosystem services, and beneficiary groups. Strength of relationship values were calculated for each chain based on support for the link in the scientific literature. We produced the

Sourcebook for Biological Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troyer, Donald L.; And Others

This is a reference book of curriculum and multimedia materials, equipment and supplies, professional references, and auxiliary resource material. This sourcebook attempts to meet the needs of the classroom biology teacher and is a direct response to the many questions and concerns of both biology teachers and those preparing to become teachers.…

Particle Accelerator Applications: Ion and Electron Irradiation in Materials Science, Biology and Medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez-Fernandez, Luis

2010-09-10

Although the developments of particle accelerators are devoted to basic study of matter constituents, since the beginning these machines have been applied with different purposes in many areas also. Today particle accelerators are essential instruments for science and technology. This work presents an overview of the main application for direct particle irradiation with accelerator in material science, biology and medicine. They are used for material synthesis by ion implantation and charged particle irradiation; to make coatings and micromachining; to characterize broad kind of samples by ion beam analysis techniques; as mass spectrometers for atomic isotopes determination. In biomedicine the acceleratorsmore » are applied for the study of effects by charged particles on cells. In medicine the radiotherapy by electron irradiation is widely used, while hadrontherapy is still under development. Also, they are necessary for short life radioisotopes production required in radiodiagnostic.« less

Recent Advances on Neuromorphic Systems Using Phase-Change Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Lu, Shu-Ren; Wen, Jing

2017-05-01

Realization of brain-like computer has always been human's ultimate dream. Today, the possibility of having this dream come true has been significantly boosted due to the advent of several emerging non-volatile memory devices. Within these innovative technologies, phase-change memory device has been commonly regarded as the most promising candidate to imitate the biological brain, owing to its excellent scalability, fast switching speed, and low energy consumption. In this context, a detailed review concerning the physical principles of the neuromorphic circuit using phase-change materials as well as a comprehensive introduction of the currently available phase-change neuromorphic prototypes becomes imperative for scientists to continuously progress the technology of artificial neural networks. In this paper, we first present the biological mechanism of human brain, followed by a brief discussion about physical properties of phase-change materials that recently receive a widespread application on non-volatile memory field. We then survey recent research on different types of neuromorphic circuits using phase-change materials in terms of their respective geometrical architecture and physical schemes to reproduce the biological events of human brain, in particular for spike-time-dependent plasticity. The relevant virtues and limitations of these devices are also evaluated. Finally, the future prospect of the neuromorphic circuit based on phase-change technologies is envisioned.

Recent Advances on Neuromorphic Systems Using Phase-Change Materials.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Lu, Shu-Ren; Wen, Jing

2017-12-01

Realization of brain-like computer has always been human's ultimate dream. Today, the possibility of having this dream come true has been significantly boosted due to the advent of several emerging non-volatile memory devices. Within these innovative technologies, phase-change memory device has been commonly regarded as the most promising candidate to imitate the biological brain, owing to its excellent scalability, fast switching speed, and low energy consumption. In this context, a detailed review concerning the physical principles of the neuromorphic circuit using phase-change materials as well as a comprehensive introduction of the currently available phase-change neuromorphic prototypes becomes imperative for scientists to continuously progress the technology of artificial neural networks. In this paper, we first present the biological mechanism of human brain, followed by a brief discussion about physical properties of phase-change materials that recently receive a widespread application on non-volatile memory field. We then survey recent research on different types of neuromorphic circuits using phase-change materials in terms of their respective geometrical architecture and physical schemes to reproduce the biological events of human brain, in particular for spike-time-dependent plasticity. The relevant virtues and limitations of these devices are also evaluated. Finally, the future prospect of the neuromorphic circuit based on phase-change technologies is envisioned.

Energy Materials Center at Cornell: Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abruña, Héctor; Mutolo, Paul F

2015-01-02

The mission of the Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc 2) was to achieve a detailed understanding, via a combination of synthesis of new materials, experimental and computational approaches, of how the nature, structure, and dynamics of nanostructured interfaces affect energy conversion and storage with emphasis on fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors. Our research on these systems was organized around a full system strategy for; the development and improved performance of materials for both electrodes at which storage or conversion occurs; understanding their internal interfaces, such as SEI layers in batteries and electrocatalyst supports in fuel cells, and methods formore » structuring them to enable high mass transport as well as high ionic and electronic conductivity; development of ion-conducting electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells (separately) and other separator components, as needed; and development of methods for the characterization of these systems under operating conditions (operando methods) Generally, our work took industry and DOE report findings of current materials as a point of departure to focus on novel material sets for improved performance. In addition, some of our work focused on studying existing materials, for example observing battery solvent degradation, fuel cell catalyst coarsening or monitoring lithium dendrite growth, employing in operando methods developed within the center.« less

Why should we respect the privacy of donors of biological material?

PubMed

Tännsjö, Torbjörn

2011-02-01

Why should we respect the privacy of donors of biological material? The question is answered in the present article in general philosophical terms from the point of view of an ethics of honour, a libertarian theory of rights, a view of respect for privacy based on the idea that autonomy is of value in itself, and utilitarianism respectively. For different reasons the ethics of honour and the idea of the value of autonomy are set to one side. It surfaces that the moral rights theory and utilitarianism present conflicting answers to the question. The main thrust of the argument is that there is no way of finding an overlapping consensus, so politicians have to take decisions that are bound to be controversial in that they can be questioned on reasonable philosophical grounds.

Urban Biomining: Biological Extraction of Metals and Materials from Electronics Waste Using a Synthetic Biology Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbina-Navarrete, J.; Rothschild, L.

2016-12-01

End-of-life electronics waste (e-waste) containing toxic and valuable materials is a rapidly progressing human health and environmental issue. Using synthetic biology tools, we have developed a recycling method for e-waste. Our innovation is to use a recombinant version of a naturally-occurring silica-degrading enzyme to depolymerize the silica in metal- and glass- containing e-waste components, and subsequently, to use engineered bacterial surfaces to bind and separate metals from a solution. The bacteria with bound metals can then be used as "bio-ink" to print new circuits using a novel plasma jet electronics printing technology. Here, we present the results from our initial studies that focus on the specificity of metal-binding motifs for a cognate metal. The candidate motifs that show high affinity and specificity will be engineered into bacterial surfaces for downstream applications in biologically-mediated metal recycling. Since the chemistry and role of Cu in metalloproteins is relatively well-characterized, we are using Cu as a proxy to elucidate metal and biological ligand interactions with various metals in e-waste. We assess the binding parameters of 3 representative classes of Cu-binding motifs using isothermal titration calorimetry; 1) natural motifs found in metalloproteins, 2) consensus motifs, and 3) rationally designed peptides that are predicted, in silico, to bind Cu. Our results indicate that naturally-occurring motifs have relative high affinity and specificity for Cu (association constant for Cu Ka 104 M-1, Zn Ka 103 M-1) when competing ions are present in the aqueous milieu. However, motifs developed through rational design by applying quantum mechanical methods that take into account complexation energies of the elemental binding partners and molecular geometry of the cognate metal, not only show high affinity for the cognate metal (Cu Ka 106 M-1), but they show specificity and discrimination against other metal ions that would be

Biomimetic Strategies for Sensing Biological Species

PubMed Central

Hussain, Munawar; Wackerlig, Judith; Lieberzeit, Peter A.

2013-01-01

The starting point of modern biosensing was the application of actual biological species for recognition. Increasing understanding of the principles underlying such recognition (and biofunctionality in general), however, has triggered a dynamic field in chemistry and materials sciences that aims at joining the best of two worlds by combining concepts derived from nature with the processability of manmade materials, e.g., sensitivity and ruggedness. This review covers different biomimetic strategies leading to highly selective (bio)chemical sensors: the first section covers molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) that attempt to generate a fully artificial, macromolecular mold of a species in order to detect it selectively. A different strategy comprises of devising polymer coatings to change the biocompatibility of surfaces that can also be used to immobilized natural receptors/ligands and thus stabilize them. Rationally speaking, this leads to self-assembled monolayers closely resembling cell membranes, sometimes also including bioreceptors. Finally, this review will highlight some approaches to generate artificial analogs of natural recognition materials and biomimetic approaches in nanotechnology. It mainly focuses on the literature published since 2005. PMID:25587400

Biomimetic materials in the utility industry: A program plan for research opportunities, volume 2. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richman, R.H.; McNaughton, W.P.

1996-09-01

This report is the second of a two-volume set addressing the state-of-the-art and outlook for the application of biomimetic materials. The first volume examined achievements in mimicking novel aspects of biological systems in five broad categories: (1) Mimicking of Natural Material Designs, (2) Biomimetic Materials Processing, (3) Artificial Photosynthesis, (4) Biomimetic Molecular Electronics, and (5) Biomimetic Catalysis. Each topic was examined as to current activities and approaches, key aspects, unresolved issues, and implications for the power industry. Key researchers, their organizations, the main thrusts of investigation, achievements, and funding agencies were also summarized. This volume highlights opportunities for future researchmore » activities in biomimetics that could be valuable to the U.S. utility industry. Nineteen specific research projects have been identified. These opportunities are outlined in four classes: (1) technology awareness, (2) modeling and experimental studies, (3) state-of-the-art and outlook studies: developing experimental plans, and (4) concept feasibility studies.« less

Informed consent should be obtained from patients to use products (skin substitutes) and dressings containing biological material.

PubMed

Enoch, S; Shaaban, H; Dunn, K W

2005-01-01

Biological products (tissue engineered skin, allograft and xenograft, and biological dressings) are widely used in the treatment of burns, chronic wounds, and other forms of acute injury. However, the religious and ethical issues, including consent, arising from their use have never been addressed in the medical literature. This study was aimed to ascertain the views of religious leaders about the acceptability of biological products and to evaluate awareness among healthcare professionals about their constituents. The religious groups that make up about 75% of the United Kingdom population were identified and a questionnaire on 11 biological products was sent to its leaders. Another questionnaire concerning 17 products (11 biological and 6 synthetic dressings) was sent to 100 healthcare professionals working in seven specialist units in the UK. All religious leaders (100% response rate) replied, some after consultation with international bodies. Among them, 77% said that patients should be informed of the constituents of the biological products and consent obtained. Some leaders expressed concerns about particular products including the transmission of viral and prion diseases, cruelty to animals, and material derived from neonates. None of the healthcare professionals (73% response rate) surveyed knew the constituents of all the products correctly. Ignoring religious sensitivities and neglecting consent in the usage of biological products could have very serious implications, including litigation. Hospitals and manufacturers should take immediate measures to enlighten healthcare professionals of the constituents of these products so that they can obtain informed consent from patients.

Cementitious materials for thin patches : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-06-01

Ten cementitious patching materials, which were suitable for thin, vertical repairs according to the manufacturers, were evaluated. Compatibility with cathodic protection systems was a particular concern. The materials were tested for propensity to c...

Synthesis and Characterization of Rhodamine B-ethylenediamine-hyaluronan Acid as Potential Biological Functional Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y. L.; Wang, W. X.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, W. B.; Gong, H. M.; Liu, M. X.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study is to synthesize and characterize fluorescent polymers, rhodamine B-ethylenediamine-hyaluronan acid (RhB-EA-HA). RhB-EA-HA was successfully synthesized by ester ammonolysis reaction and amidation reaction. Moreover, the structural properties of RhB-EA-HA were characterized by 1H-NMR spectra, UV-vis spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). RhB-EA-HA can be grafted on the surface of silica nanomaterials, which may be potential biological functional materials for drug delivery system.

Health care facility-based decontamination of victims exposed to chemical, biological, and radiological materials.

PubMed

Koenig, Kristi L; Boatright, Connie J; Hancock, John A; Denny, Frank J; Teeter, David S; Kahn, Christopher A; Schultz, Carl H

2008-01-01

Since the US terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, concern regarding use of chemical, biological, or radiological weapons is heightened. Many victims of such an attack would present directly to health care facilities without first undergoing field decontamination. This article reviews basic tenets and recommendations for health care facility-based decontamination, including regulatory concerns, types of contaminants, comprehensive decontamination procedures (including crowd control, triage, removal of contaminated garments, cleaning of body contaminants, and management of contaminated materials and equipment), and a discussion of methods to achieve preparedness.

The Role of Synthetic and Biologic Materials in the Treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

PubMed Central

Brown, Ramon A.; Ellis, C. Neal

2014-01-01

Pelvic organ prolapse is a significant medical problem that poses a diagnostic and management dilemma. These diseases cause serious morbidity in those affected and treatment is sought for relief of pelvic pain, rectal bleeding, chronic constipation, obstructed defecation, and fecal incontinence. Numerous procedures have been proposed to treat these conditions; however, the search continues as colorectal surgeons attempt to find the procedure that would optimally treat these conditions. The use of prosthetics in the repair of pelvic organ prolapse has become prevalent as the benefits of their use are realized. While advances in biologic mesh and new surgical techniques promise improved functional outcomes with decreased complication rates without de novo symptoms, the debate concerning the best prosthetic material, synthetic or biologic, remains controversial. Furthermore, laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy has emerged as a procedure that could potentially fill this role and is rapidly becoming the procedure of choice for the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. PMID:25435827

The role of synthetic and biologic materials in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.

PubMed

Brown, Ramon A; Ellis, C Neal

2014-12-01

Pelvic organ prolapse is a significant medical problem that poses a diagnostic and management dilemma. These diseases cause serious morbidity in those affected and treatment is sought for relief of pelvic pain, rectal bleeding, chronic constipation, obstructed defecation, and fecal incontinence. Numerous procedures have been proposed to treat these conditions; however, the search continues as colorectal surgeons attempt to find the procedure that would optimally treat these conditions. The use of prosthetics in the repair of pelvic organ prolapse has become prevalent as the benefits of their use are realized. While advances in biologic mesh and new surgical techniques promise improved functional outcomes with decreased complication rates without de novo symptoms, the debate concerning the best prosthetic material, synthetic or biologic, remains controversial. Furthermore, laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy has emerged as a procedure that could potentially fill this role and is rapidly becoming the procedure of choice for the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.

The use of an ion-beam source to alter the surface morphology of biological implant materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.

1978-01-01

An electron bombardment, ion thruster was used as a neutralized-ion beam sputtering source to texture the surfaces of biological implant materials. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes of all materials after ion-texturing. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine the effects of ion texturing on the surface chemical composition of some polymers. Liquid contact angle data were obtained for ion textured and untextured polymer samples. Results of tensile and fatigue tests of ion-textured metal alloys are presented. Preliminary data of tissue response to ion textured surfaces of some metals, polytetrafluoroethylene, alumina, and segmented polyurethane were obtained.

Marketing the use of the space environment for the processing of biological and pharmaceutical materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The perceptions of U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies concerning the potential use of the space environment for the processing of biological substances was examined. Physical phenomena that may be important in space-base processing of biological materials are identified and discussed in the context of past and current experiment programs. The capabilities of NASA to support future research and development, and to engage in cooperative risk sharing programs with industry are discussed. Meetings were held with several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to provide data for an analysis of the attitudes and perceptions of these industries toward the use of the space environment. Recommendations are made for actions that might be taken by NASA to facilitate the marketing of the use of the space environment, and in particular the Space Shuttle, to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Combinational pixel-by-pixel and object-level classifying, segmenting, and agglomerating in performing quantitative image analysis that distinguishes between healthy non-cancerous and cancerous cell nuclei and delineates nuclear, cytoplasm, and stromal material objects from stained biological tissue materials

DOEpatents

Boucheron, Laura E

2013-07-16

Quantitative object and spatial arrangement-level analysis of tissue are detailed using expert (pathologist) input to guide the classification process. A two-step method is disclosed for imaging tissue, by classifying one or more biological materials, e.g. nuclei, cytoplasm, and stroma, in the tissue into one or more identified classes on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and segmenting the identified classes to agglomerate one or more sets of identified pixels into segmented regions. Typically, the one or more biological materials comprises nuclear material, cytoplasm material, and stromal material. The method further allows a user to markup the image subsequent to the classification to re-classify said materials. The markup is performed via a graphic user interface to edit designated regions in the image.

Preparation and antibacterial performance testing of Ag nanoparticles embedded biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoyun; Gao, Guanhui; Sun, Chengjun; Zhu, Yaoyao; Qu, Lingyun; Jiang, Fenghua; Ding, Haibing

2015-03-01

In this study, we developed an environmentally friendly chemistry strategy to synthesize Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) embedded biological material, powdered mussel shell (PMS). With the PMS as scaffolds and surfactant, Ag nanoparticles of controllable size dispersed uniformly on it via liquid chemical reduction approach. Morphologies and characteristics of synthesized Ag-NPs/PMS hybrids were analyzed with TEM, SEM and XPS. Antibacterial properties were investigated with Gram-positive bacteria (Arthrobacter sulfureus (A. sulfureus) YACS14, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)) and Gram-negative bacteria (Vibrio anguillarum (V. anguillarum) MVM425, Escherichia coli (E. coli)). The antimicrobial results illustrated that Ag-NPs/PMS composites have antibacterial effect on both sea water and fresh water bacteria with a better effect on sea water bacteria. The degree of antibacterial effect is directly related to the amount of Ag released from Ag-NPs/PMS.

[Work accidents with biological material occurred in municipalities of Minas Gerais].

PubMed

Julio, Renata Siqueira; Filardi, Monique Borsato Silva; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci

2014-01-01

The study aimed to identify the profile accidents involving exposure to biological material occurring in Minas Gerais. A descriptive study carried out by querying the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, 50 cities in south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in the period of 2007-2011. Were recorded 460 accidents, and about half occurred among nursing assistants and technicians, followed by nurses and physicians. There were more accidents due to improper disposal of sharps. Among the source patients, there was a 8.0% prevalence of positive serology for HIV, 1.0% for HBsAg, 6.0% for anti-HBc and 3% for anti-HCV. Among the injured 14.0% were not immunized to hepatitis B; however, the vaccine and immunoglobulin prescription was lower than necessary. The results will subsidize the plan preventive measures and new approach towards the occurrence of such accidents.

Optimization of the Inverse Algorithm for Estimating the Optical Properties of Biological Materials Using Spatially-resolved Diffuse Reflectance Technique

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Determination of the optical properties from intact biological materials based on diffusion approximation theory is a complicated inverse problem, and it requires proper implementation of inverse algorithm, instrumentation, and experiment. This work was aimed at optimizing the procedure of estimatin...

Quantum Materials at the Nanoscale - Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, Stephen Lance

The central aim of the Quantum Materials at the Nanoscale (QMN) cluster was to understand and control collective behavior involving the interplay of spins, orbitals, and charges, which governs many scientifically interesting and technologically important phenomena in numerous complex materials. Because these phenomena involve various competing interactions, and influence properties on many different length and energy scales in complex materials, tackling this important area of study motivated a collaborative effort that combined the diverse capabilities of QMN cluster experimentalists, the essential theoretical analysis provided by QMN cluster theorists, and the outstanding facilities and staff of the FSMRL. During the fundingmore » period 2007-2014, the DOE cluster grant for the Quantum Materials at the Nanoscale (QMN) cluster supported, at various times, 15 different faculty members (14 in Physics and 1 in Materials Science and Engineering), 7 postdoctoral research associates, and 57 physics and materials science PhD students. 41 of these PhD students have since graduated and have gone on to a variety of advanced technical positions at universities, industries, and national labs: 25 obtained postdoctoral positions at universities (14), industrial labs (2 at IBM), DOE national facilities (3 at Argonne National Laboratory, 1 at Brookhaven National Lab, 1 at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and 1 at Sandia National Lab), and other federal facilities (2 at NIST); 13 took various industrial positions, including positions at Intel (5), Quantum Design (1), Lasque Industries (1), Amazon (1), Bloomberg (1), and J.P. Morgan (1). Thus, the QMN grant provided the essential support for training a large number of technically advanced personnel who have now entered key national facilities, industries, and institutions. Additionally, during the period 2007-2015, the QMN cluster produced 159 publications (see pages 14-23), including 23 papers published in Physical Review Letters

Smart Materials Meet Multifunctional Biomedical Devices: Current and Prospective Implications for Nanomedicine.

PubMed

Genchi, Giada Graziana; Marino, Attilio; Tapeinos, Christos; Ciofani, Gianni

2017-01-01

With the increasing advances in the fabrication and in monitoring approaches of nanotechnology devices, novel materials are being synthesized and tested for the interaction with biological environments. Among them, smart materials in particular provide versatile and dynamically tunable platforms for the investigation and manipulation of several biological activities with very low invasiveness in hardly accessible anatomical districts. In the following, we will briefly recall recent examples of nanotechnology-based materials that can be remotely activated and controlled through different sources of energy, such as electromagnetic fields or ultrasounds, for their relevance to both basic science investigations and translational nanomedicine. Moreover, we will introduce some examples of hybrid materials showing mutually beneficial components for the development of multifunctional devices, able to simultaneously perform duties like imaging, tissue targeting, drug delivery, and redox state control. Finally, we will highlight challenging perspectives for the development of theranostic agents (merging diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities), underlining open questions for these smart nanotechnology-based devices to be made readily available to the patients in need.

Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis for Selected Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, George

1999-01-01

This particular project was completed in collaboration with the metallurgical diagnostics facility. The objective of this research had four major components. First, we required training in the operation of the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) for imaging of selected materials including biological specimens. The types of materials range from cyanobacteria and diatoms to cloth, metals, sand, composites and other materials. Second, to obtain training in surface elemental analysis technology using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, and in the preparation of x-ray maps of these same materials. Third, to provide training for the staff of the metallurgical diagnostics and failure analysis team in the area of image processing and image analysis technology using NIH Image software. Finally, we were to assist in the sample preparation, observing, imaging, and elemental analysis for Mr. Richard Hoover, one of NASA MSFC's solar physicists and Marshall's principal scientist for the agency-wide virtual Astrobiology Institute. These materials have been collected from various places around the world including the Fox Tunnel in Alaska, Siberia, Antarctica, ice core samples from near Lake Vostoc, thermal vents in the ocean floor, hot springs and many others. We were successful in our efforts to obtain high quality, high resolution images of various materials including selected biological ones. Surface analyses (EDX) and x-ray maps were easily prepared with this technology. We also discovered and used some applications for NIH Image software in the metallurgical diagnostics facility.

Apollo-Soyuz pamphlet no. 9: General science. [experimental design in Astronomy, Biology, Geophysics, Aeronomy and Materials science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Page, L. W.; From, T. P.

1977-01-01

The objectives and planning activities for the Apollo-Soyuz mission are summarized. Aspects of the space flight considered include the docking module and launch configurations, spacecraft orbits, and weightlessness. The 28 NASA experiments conducted onboard the spacecraft are summarized. The contributions of the mission to the fields of astronomy, geoscience, biology, and materials sciences resulting from the experiments are explored.

A controlled rate freeze/thaw system for cryopreservation of biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anselmo, V. J.; Harrison, R. G.

1979-01-01

A system which allows programmable temperature-time control for a 5 cc sample volume of an arbitrary biological material was constructed. Steady state and dynamic temperature control was obtained by supplying heat to the sample volume through resistive elements constructed as an integral part of the sample container. For cooling purposes, this container was totally immersed into a cold heat sink. Sample volume thermodynamic property data were obtained by measurements of heater power and heat flux through the container walls. Using a mixture of dry ice and alcohol at -79 C, sample volume was controlled from +40 C to -60 C at rates from steady state to + or - 65 C/min. Steady state temperature precision was better than 0.2 C while the dynamic capability depends on the temperature rate of change as well as the thermal mass of the sample and the container.

The use of an ion-beam source to alter the surface morphology of biological implant materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.

1978-01-01

An electron-bombardment ion-thruster was used as a neutralized-ion-beam sputtering source to texture the surfaces of biological implant materials. The materials investigated included 316 stainless steel; titanium-6% aluminum, 4% vanadium; cobalt-20% chromium, 15% tungsten; cobalt-35% nickel, 20% chromium, 10% molybdenum; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyoxymethylene; silicone and polyurethane copolymer; 32%-carbon-impregnated polyolefin; segmented polyurethane; silicone rubber; and alumina. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes of all materials after ion-texturing. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine the effects of ion-texturing on the surface chemical composition of some polymers. Liquid contact angle data were obtained for ion-textured and untextured polymer samples. Results of tensile and fatigue tests of ion-textured metal alloys are presented. Preliminary data of tissue response to ion-textured surfaces of some metals, polytetrafluoroethylene, alumina, and segmented polyurethane have been obtained.

2012 Gordon Research Conference on Cellular and Molecular Fungal Biology, Final Progress Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berman, Judith

The Gordon Research Conference on Cellular and Molecular Fungal Biology was held at Holderness School, Holderness New Hampshire, June 17 - 22, 2012. The 2012 Gordon Conference on Cellular and Molecular Fungal Biology (CMFB) will present the latest, cutting-edge research on the exciting and growing field of molecular and cellular aspects of fungal biology. Topics will range from yeast to filamentous fungi, from model systems to economically important organisms, and from saprophytes and commensals to pathogens of plants and animals. The CMFB conference will feature a wide range of topics including systems biology, cell biology and morphogenesis, organismal interactions, genomemore » organisation and regulation, pathogenesis, energy metabolism, biomass production and population genomics. The Conference was well-attended with 136 participants. Gordon Research Conferences does not permit publication of meeting proceedings.« less

Physical methods for investigating structural colours in biological systems

PubMed Central

Vukusic, P.; Stavenga, D.G.

2009-01-01

Many biological systems are known to use structural colour effects to generate aspects of their appearance and visibility. The study of these phenomena has informed an eclectic group of fields ranging, for example, from evolutionary processes in behavioural biology to micro-optical devices in technologically engineered systems. However, biological photonic systems are invariably structurally and often compositionally more elaborate than most synthetically fabricated photonic systems. For this reason, an appropriate gamut of physical methods and investigative techniques must be applied correctly so that the systems' photonic behaviour may be appropriately understood. Here, we survey a broad range of the most commonly implemented, successfully used and recently innovated physical methods. We discuss the costs and benefits of various spectrometric methods and instruments, namely scatterometers, microspectrophotometers, fibre-optic-connected photodiode array spectrometers and integrating spheres. We then discuss the role of the materials' refractive index and several of the more commonly used theoretical approaches. Finally, we describe the recent developments in the research field of photonic crystals and the implications for the further study of structural coloration in animals. PMID:19158009

Digital Learning Material for Model Building in Molecular Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aegerter-Wilmsen, Tinri; Janssen, Fred; Hartog, Rob; Bisseling, Ton

2005-01-01

Building models to describe processes forms an essential part of molecular biology research. However, in molecular biology curricula little attention is generally being paid to the development of this skill. In order to provide students the opportunity to improve their model building skills, we decided to develop a number of digital cases about…

Resonance energy transfer improves the biological function of bacteriorhodopsin within a hybrid material built from purple membranes and semiconductor quantum dots.

PubMed

Rakovich, Aliaksandra; Sukhanova, Alyona; Bouchonville, Nicolas; Lukashev, Evgeniy; Oleinikov, Vladimir; Artemyev, Mikhail; Lesnyak, Vladimir; Gaponik, Nikolai; Molinari, Michael; Troyon, Michel; Rakovich, Yury P; Donegan, John F; Nabiev, Igor

2010-07-14

Purple membrane (PM) from bacteria Halobacterium salinarum contains a photochromic protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR) arranged in a 2D hexagonal nanocrystalline lattice (Figure 1 ). Absorption of light by the protein-bound chromophore retinal results in pumping the protons through the PM creating an electrochemical gradient which is then used by the ATPases to energize the cellular processes. Energy conversion, photochromism, and photoelectrism are the inherent effects which are employed in many bR technical applications. bR, along with the other photosensitive proteins, is not able to deal with the excess energy of photons in UV and blue spectral region and utilizes less than 0.5% of the energy from the available incident solar light for its biological function. Here, we proceed with optimization of bR functions through the engineering of a "nanoconverter" of solar energy based on semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) tagged with the PM. These nanoconverters are able to harvest light from deep-UV to the visible region and to transfer this additionally collected energy to bR via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). We show that specific nanobio-optical and spatial coupling of QDs (donor) and bR retinal (acceptor) provide a means to achieve FRET with efficiency approaching 100%. We have finally demonstrated that the integration of QDs within PM significantly increases the efficiency of light-driven transmembrane proton pumping, which is the main bR biological function. This new QD-PM hybrid material will have numerous optoelectronic, photonic, and photovoltaic applications based on its energy conversion, photochromism, and photoelectrism properties.

Critical assessment of the performance of electronic moisture analyzers for small amounts of environmental samples and biological reference materials.

PubMed

Krachler, M

2001-12-01

Two electronic moisture analyzers were critically evaluated with regard to their suitability for determining moisture in small amounts (< or = 200 mg) of various environmental matrices such as leaves, needles, soil, peat, sediments, and sewage sludge, as well as various biological reference materials. To this end, several homogeneous bulk materials were prepared which were subsequently employed for the development and optimization of all analytical procedures. The key features of the moisture analyzers included a halogen or ceramic heater and an integrated balance with a resolution of 0.1 mg, which is an essential prerequisite for obtaining precise results. Oven drying of the bulk materials in a conventional oven at 105 degrees C until constant mass served as reference method. A heating temperature of 65degrees C was found to provide accurate and precise results for almost all matrices investigated. To further improve the accuracy and precision, other critical parameters such as handling of sample pans, standby temperature, and measurement delay were optimized. Because of its ponderous heating behavior, the performance of the ceramic radiator was inferior to that of the halogen heater, which produced moisture results comparable to those obtained by oven drying. The developed drying procedures were successfully applied to the fast moisture analysis (1.4-6.3 min) of certified biological reference materials of similar provenance to the investigated the bulk materials. Moisture results for 200 mg aliquots ranged from 1.4 to 7.8% and good agreement was obtained between the recommended drying procedure for the reference materials and the electronic moisture analyzers with absolute uncertainties amounting to 0.1% and 0.2-0.3%, respectively.

Corrosion performance of alternative steam generator materials and designs. Volume 2. Posttest examination of a seawater-faulted alternative materials model steam generator. Final report. [PWR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krupowicz, J.J.; Scott, D.B.; Fink, G.C.

Corrosion results obtained from the post-test non-destructive and destructive examinations of an alternative materials model steam generator are described in this final report. The model operated under representative thermal and hydraulic and accelerated (high seawater contaminant concentration) steam generator secondary water chemistry conditions. Total exposure consisted of 114 steaming days under all volatile treatment (AVT) chemistry conditions followed by 282 fault steaming days at a 30 ppM chloride concentration in the secondary bulk water. Various support plate and lattice strip support designs incorporated Types 347, 405, 409 and SCR-3 stainless steels; Alloys 600 and 690; and carbon steel. Heat transfermore » tube materials included Alloy 600 in various heat treated conditions, Alloy 690, and Alloy 800. All tubing materials in this test exhibited moderate pitting, primarily in the sludge pile region above the tubesheet.« less

Corrosion performance of alternative steam generator materials and designs. Volume 3. Posttest examination of a freshwater-faulted alternative materials model steam generator. Final report. [PWR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krupowicz, J.J.; Scott, D.B.; Rentler, R.M.

Corrosion results obtained from the post-test non-destructive and destructive examinations of an alternative materials model steam generator are described in this final report. The model operated under representative thermal and hydraulic and accelerated (high fresh water contaminant concentration) steam generator secondary water chemistry conditions. Total exposure consisted of 114 steaming days under all volatile treatment (AVT) chemistry conditions followed by 358 fault steaming days at a 40 ppM sulfate concentration in the secondary bulk water. Various support plate and lattice strip support designs incorporated Types 347, 405, 409 and SCR-3 stainless steels; Alloys 600 and 690; and carbon steel. Heatmore » transfer tube materials included Alloy 600 in various heat treated conditions, Alloy 690, and Alloy 800. All tubing materials in this test exhibited significant general corrosion beneath thick surface deposits.« less

Biological Applications of FM-AFM in Liquid Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuma, Takeshi; Jarvis, Suzanne P.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was noted for its potential to study biological materials shortly after its first development in 1986 due to its ability to image insulators in liquid environments. The subsequent application of AFM to biology has included lateral characterization via imaging, unraveling of molecules under a tensile load and application of a force either to measure mechanical properties under the tip or to instigate a biochemical response in living cells. To date, the application of frequency modulation AFM (FM-AFM) specifically to biological materials has been limited to relatively few research groups when compared to the extensive application of AFM to biological materials. This is probably due to the perceived complexity of the technique both by researchers in the life sciences and those manufacturing liquid AFMs for biological research. In this chapter, we aim to highlight the advantages of applying the technique to biological materials.

Chapter 5:Biological Properties of Wood

Treesearch

Rebecca E. Ibach

2013-01-01

There are numerous biological degradations that wood is exposed to in various environments. Biological damage occurs when a log, sawn product, or final product is not stored, handled, or designed properly. Biological organisms such as bacteria, mold, stain, decay fungi, insects, and marine borers depend heavily on temperature and moisture conditions to grow. Figure 5.1...

4D bioprinting: the next-generation technology for biofabrication enabled by stimuli-responsive materials.

PubMed

Li, Yi-Chen; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Akpek, Ali; Shin, Su Ryon; Khademhosseini, Ali

2016-12-02

Four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting, encompassing a wide range of disciplines including bioengineering, materials science, chemistry, and computer sciences, is emerging as the next-generation biofabrication technology. By utilizing stimuli-responsive materials and advanced three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting strategies, 4D bioprinting aims to create dynamic 3D patterned biological structures that can transform their shapes or behavior under various stimuli. In this review, we highlight the potential use of various stimuli-responsive materials for 4D printing and their extension into biofabrication. We first discuss the state of the art and limitations associated with current 3D printing modalities and their transition into the inclusion of the additional time dimension. We then suggest the potential use of different stimuli-responsive biomaterials as the bioink that may achieve 4D bioprinting where transformation of fabricated biological constructs can be realized. We finally conclude with future perspectives.

Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools; Final Rule and Notice. Part III: Environmental Protection Agency. 40 CFR Part 763.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Register, 1987

1987-01-01

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to require all local education agencies (LEAs) to identify asbestos-containing materials in their school buildings and take appropriate action to control release of asbestos fibers. The LEAs are required to describe their activities in…

[Determinant factors and conduct in post-accident with biological material among pre-hospital professionals].

PubMed

Paiva, Maria Henriqueta Rocha Siqueira; Oliveira, Adriana Cristina

2011-01-01

This transversal study was carried out with a multiprofessional team in the pre-hospital care in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It aimed to estimate the incidence of occupational accidents by exposure to biological material and post-accidents conductsta. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used. Incidence of accidents was 19.8%: 39,1% perforating-cutting materials and 56.5% body fluids. Doctors (33.3%) and drivers (24.0%) were most involved. Inadequate subsequent measures were highly prevalent: no medical assessment (69.6%), no work accident communication issued (91.3%), no measures (52.2%) and no serological follow-up (52.2%). Variables associated with accidents were: age >31 years old (OR = 3,02; IC95%: 1,25 - 7,33; p = 0,014) and working in basic support units (OR = 5,36; IC95%: 1,51 19,08; p = 0,010). The implementation of post-accidents protocols is suggested in order to reduce accidents and under-notification, and increase post-accident follow-up.

Nanoparticle-based biologic mimetics

PubMed Central

Cliffel, David E.; Turner, Brian N.; Huffman, Brian J.

2009-01-01

Centered on solid chemistry foundations, biology and materials science have reached a crossroad where bottom-up designs of new biologically important nanomaterials are a reality. The topics discussed here present the interdisciplinary field of creating biological mimics. Specifically, this discussion focuses on mimics that are developed using various types of metal nanoparticles (particularly gold) through facile synthetic methods. These methods conjugate biologically relevant molecules, e.g., small molecules, peptides, proteins, and carbohydrates, in conformationally favorable orientations on the particle surface. These new products provide stable, safe, and effective substitutes for working with potentially hazardous biologicals for applications such as drug targeting, immunological studies, biosensor development, and biocatalysis. Many standard bioanalytical techniques can be used to characterize and validate the efficacy of these new materials, including quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Metal nanoparticle–based biomimetics continue to be developed as potential replacements for the native biomolecule in applications of immunoassays and catalysis. PMID:20049778

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. In such interactions these are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insightsmore » into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. Our review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. Finally, the outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.« less

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

DOE PAGES

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.; ...

2016-11-02

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. In such interactions these are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insightsmore » into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. Our review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. Finally, the outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.« less

Evaluation of thermoplastic materials : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-04-01

In order to find a striping material which would last longer and have greater reflectance than the presently used traffic paint, research was performed on three relatively new thermoplastic marking compounds. The manufacturers of these products claim...

A New Biology for the 21st Century; Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution. Final committee report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None None

2012-05-10

In July, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Energy (DOE) asked the National Research Council’s Board on Life Sciences to convene a committee to examine the current state of biological research in the United States and recommend how best to capitalize on recent technological and scientific advances that have allowed biologists to integrate biological research findings, collect and interpret vastly increased amounts of data, and predict the behavior of complex biological systems. From September 2008 through July of 2009, a committee of 16 experts from the fields of biology, engineering and computationalmore » science undertook to delineate those scientific and technological advances and come to a consensus on how the U.S. might best capitalize on them. This report, authored by the Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century, describes the committee’s work and conclusions.« less

Binding abilities of polyaminocyclodextrins: polarimetric investigations and biological assays

PubMed Central

Russo, Marco; La Corte, Daniele; Pisciotta, Annalisa; Riela, Serena; Alduina, Rosa

2017-01-01

Three polyaminocyclodextrin materials, obtained by direct reaction between heptakis(6-deoxy-6-iodo)-β-cyclodextrin and the proper linear polyamines, were investigated for their binding properties, in order to assess their potential applications in biological systems, such as vectors for simultaneous drug and gene cellular uptake or alternatively for the protection of macromolecules. In particular, we exploited polarimetry to test their interaction with some model p-nitroaniline derivatives, chosen as probe guests. The data obtained indicate that binding inside the host cavity is mainly affected by interplay between Coulomb interactions and conformational restraints. Moreover, simultaneous interaction of the cationic polyamine pendant bush at the primary rim was positively assessed. Insights on quantitative aspects of the interaction between our materials and polyanions were investigated by studying the binding with sodium alginate. Finally, the complexation abilities of the same materials towards polynucleotides were assessed by studying their interaction with the model plasmid pUC19. Our results positively highlight the ability of our materials to exploit both the cavity and the polycationic branches, thus functioning as bimodal ligands. PMID:29564010

Matrix Assisted Ionization Vacuum (MAIV), a New Ionization Method for Biological Materials Analysis Using Mass Spectrometry*

PubMed Central

Inutan, Ellen D.; Trimpin, Sarah

2013-01-01

The introduction of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) for the mass spectrometric analysis of peptides and proteins had a dramatic impact on biological science. We now report that a wide variety of compounds, including peptides, proteins, and protein complexes, are transported directly from a solid-state small molecule matrix to gas-phase ions when placed into the vacuum of a mass spectrometer without the use of high voltage, a laser, or added heat. This ionization process produces ions having charge states similar to ESI, making the method applicable for high performance mass spectrometers designed for atmospheric pressure ionization. We demonstrate highly sensitive ionization using intermediate pressure MALDI and modified ESI sources. This matrix and vacuum assisted soft ionization method is suitable for the direct surface analysis of biological materials, including tissue, via mass spectrometry. PMID:23242551

Freshwater Biological Traits Database (Data Sources)

EPA Science Inventory

When EPA release the final report, Freshwater Biological Traits Database, it referenced numerous data sources that are included below. The Traits Database report covers the development of a database of freshwater biological traits with additional traits that are relevan...

MyLabStocks: a web-application to manage molecular biology materials

PubMed Central

Chuffart, Florent; Yvert, Gaël

2014-01-01

Laboratory stocks are the hardware of research. They must be stored and managed with mimimum loss of material and information. Plasmids, oligonucleotides and strains are regularly exchanged between collaborators within and between laboratories. Managing and sharing information about every item is crucial for retrieval of reagents, for planning experiments and for reproducing past experimental results. We have developed a web-based application to manage stocks commonly used in a molecular biology laboratory. Its functionalities include user-defined privileges, visualization of plasmid maps directly from their sequence and the capacity to search items from fields of annotation or directly from a query sequence using BLAST. It is designed to handle records of plasmids, oligonucleotides, yeast strains, antibodies, pipettes and notebooks. Based on PHP/MySQL, it can easily be extended to handle other types of stocks and it can be installed on any server architecture. MyLabStocks is freely available from: https://forge.cbp.ens-lyon.fr/redmine/projects/mylabstocks under an open source licence. PMID:24643870

Biological cell as a soft magnetoelectric material: Elucidating the physical mechanisms underpinning the detection of magnetic fields by animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krichen, S.; Liu, L.; Sharma, P.

2017-10-01

Sharks, birds, bats, turtles, and many other animals can detect magnetic fields. Aside from using this remarkable ability to exploit the terrestrial magnetic field map to sense direction, a subset is also able to implement a version of the so-called geophysical positioning system. How do these animals detect magnetic fields? The answer to this rather deceptively simple question has proven to be quite elusive. The currently prevalent theories, while providing interesting insights, fall short of explaining several aspects of magnetoreception. For example, minute magnetic particles have been detected in magnetically sensitive animals. However, how is the detected magnetic field converted into electrical signals given any lack of experimental evidence for relevant electroreceptors? In principle, a magnetoelectric material is capable of converting magnetic signals into electricity (and vice versa). This property, however, is rare and restricted to a rather small set of exotic hard crystalline materials. Indeed, such elements have never been detected in the animals studied so far. In this work we quantitatively outline the conditions under which a biological cell may detect a magnetic field and convert it into electrical signals detectable by biological cells. Specifically, we prove the existence of an overlooked strain-mediated mechanism and show that most biological cells can act as nontrivial magnetoelectric materials provided that the magnetic permeability constant is only slightly more than that of a vacuum. The enhanced magnetic permeability is easily achieved by small amounts of magnetic particles that have been experimentally detected in magnetosensitive animals. Our proposed mechanism appears to explain most of the experimental observations related to the physical basis of magnetoreception.

Accidental exposure to biological material in healthcare workers at a university hospital: Evaluation and follow-up of 404 cases.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Eliana Battaggia; Lopes, Marta Heloísa; Yasuda, Maria Aparecida Shikanai

2005-01-01

The care and follow-up provided to healthcare workers (HCWs) from a large teaching hospital who were exposed to biological material between 1 August 1998 and 31 January 2002 is described here. After exposure, the HCW is evaluated by a nurse and doctor in an emergency consultation and receives follow-up counselling. The collection of 10 ml of blood sample from each HCW and its source patient, when known, is made for immunoenzymatic testing for HIV, HBV and HCV. Evaluation and follow-up of 404 cases revealed that the exposures were concentrated in only a few areas of the hospital; 83% of the HCWs exposed were seen by a doctor responsible for the prophylaxis up to 3 h after exposure. Blood was involved in 76.7% (309) of the exposures. The patient source of the biological material was known in 80.7% (326) of the exposed individuals studied; 80 (24.5%) sources had serological evidence of infection with 1 or more agents: 16.2% were anti-HCV positive, 3.8% were HAgBs positive and 10.9% were anti-HIV positive. 67% (273) of the study population completed the proposed follow-up. No confirmed seroconversion occurred. In conclusion, the observed adherence to the follow-up was quite low, and measures to improve it must be taken. Surprisingly, no difference in adherence to the follow-up was observed among those exposed HCW at risk, i.e. those with an infected or unknown source patient. Analysis of post-exposure management revealed excess prescription of antiretroviral drugs, vaccine and immunoglobulin. Infection by HCV is the most important risk of concern, in our hospital, in accidents with biological material.

Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy Is Being Used to Address Core Scientific Questions in Biology and Materials Science.

PubMed

Petti, Megan K; Lomont, Justin P; Maj, Michał; Zanni, Martin T

2018-02-15

Two-dimensional spectroscopy is a powerful tool for extracting structural and dynamic information from a wide range of chemical systems. We provide a brief overview of the ways in which two-dimensional visible and infrared spectroscopies are being applied to elucidate fundamental details of important processes in biological and materials science. The topics covered include amyloid proteins, photosynthetic complexes, ion channels, photovoltaics, batteries, as well as a variety of promising new methods in two-dimensional spectroscopy.

Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment Final Report 2006.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

May, Christopher W.; McGrath, Kathleen E.; Geist, David R.

2008-02-04

The Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment was funded to address degradation and loss of spawning habitat for chum salmon (Onchorhynchus keta) and fall Chinook salmon (Onchoryhnchus tshawytscha). In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed lower Columbia River chum salmon as a threatened Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Grays River watershed is one of two remaining significant chum salmon spawning locations in this ESU. Runs of Grays River chum and Chinook salmon have declined significantly during the past century, largely because of damage to spawning habitat associated with timber harvest andmore » agriculture in the watershed. In addition, approximately 20-25% of the then-remaining chum salmon spawning habitat was lost during a 1999 channel avulsion that destroyed an important artificial spawning channel operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Although the lack of stable, high-quality spawning habitat is considered the primary physical limitation on Grays River chum salmon production today, few data are available to guide watershed management and channel restoration activities. The objectives of the Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment project were to (1) perform a comprehensive watershed and biological analysis, including hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological assessments; (2) develop a prioritized list of actions that protect and restore critical chum and Chinook salmon spawning habitat in the Grays River based on comprehensive geomorphic, hydrologic, and stream channel assessments; and (3) gain a better understanding of chum and Chinook salmon habitat requirements and survival within the lower Columbia River and the Grays River. The watershed-based approach to river ecosystem restoration relies on a conceptual framework that describes general relationships between natural landscape characteristics, watershed-scale habitat-forming processes

Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment, 2006 Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

May, Christopher; Geist, David

2007-04-01

The Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment was funded to address degradation and loss of spawning habitat for chum salmon (Onchorhynchus keta) and fall Chinook salmon (Onchoryhnchus tshawytscha). In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed lower Columbia River chum salmon as a threatened Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Grays River watershed is one of two remaining significant chum salmon spawning locations in this ESU. Runs of Grays River chum and Chinook salmon have declined significantly during the past century, largely because of damage to spawning habitat associated with timber harvest andmore » agriculture in the watershed. In addition, approximately 20-25% of the then-remaining chum salmon spawning habitat was lost during a 1999 channel avulsion that destroyed an important artificial spawning channel operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Although the lack of stable, high-quality spawning habitat is considered the primary physical limitation on Grays River chum salmon production today, few data are available to guide watershed management and channel restoration activities. The objectives of the Grays River Watershed and Biological Assessment project were to (1) perform a comprehensive watershed and biological analysis, including hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological assessments; (2) develop a prioritized list of actions that protect and restore critical chum and Chinook salmon spawning habitat in the Grays River based on comprehensive geomorphic, hydrologic, and stream channel assessments; and (3) gain a better understanding of chum and Chinook salmon habitat requirements and survival within the lower Columbia River and the Grays River. The watershed-based approach to river ecosystem restoration relies on a conceptual framework that describes general relationships between natural landscape characteristics, watershed-scale habitat-forming processes

21 CFR 640.103 - The final product.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false The final product. 640.103 Section 640.103 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS... manufacturer by the Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration. [38...

21 CFR 640.103 - The final product.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true The final product. 640.103 Section 640.103 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) BIOLOGICS... manufacturer by the Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration. [38...

Comparative Analysis of the Biaxial Mechanical Behavior of Carotid Wall Tissue and Biological and Synthetic Materials Used for Carotid Patch Angioplasty

PubMed Central

Kamenskiy, Alexey V.; Pipinos, Iraklis I.; MacTaggart, Jason N.; Jaffar Kazmi, Syed A.; Dzenis, Yuris A.

2011-01-01

Patch angioplasty is the most common technique used for the performance of carotid endarterectomy. A large number of patching materials are available for use while new materials are being continuously developed. Surprisingly little is known about the mechanical properties of these materials and how these properties compare with those of the carotid artery wall. Mismatch of the mechanical properties can produce mechanical and hemodynamic effects that may compromise the long-term patency of the endarterectomized arterial segment. The aim of this paper was to systematically evaluate and compare the biaxial mechanical behavior of the most commonly used patching materials. We compared PTFE (n = 1), Dacron (n = 2), bovine pericardium (n = 10), autogenous greater saphenous vein (n = 10), and autogenous external jugular vein (n = 9) with the wall of the common carotid artery (n = 18). All patching materials were found to be significantly stiffer than the carotid wall in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. Synthetic patches demonstrated the most mismatch in stiffness values and vein patches the least mismatch in stiffness values compared to those of the native carotid artery. All biological materials, including the carotid artery, demonstrated substantial nonlinearity, anisotropy, and variability; however, the behavior of biological and biologically-derived patches was both qualitatively and quantitatively different from the behavior of the carotid wall. The majority of carotid arteries tested were stiffer in the circumferential direction, while the opposite anisotropy was observed for all types of vein patches and bovine pericardium. The rates of increase in the nonlinear stiffness over the physiological stress range were also different for the carotid and patching materials. Several carotid wall samples exhibited reverse anisotropy compared to the average behavior of the carotid tissue. A similar characteristic was observed for

Concrete deck material properties : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

The two-fold focus of this study was (a) to develop an understanding of the mechanisms responsible for causing : cracking in the concrete; and (b) to study the influence of the local materials on the performance of NYSDOTs HP : concrete mixture. R...

Biology Modules for the Visually Handicapped.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, Douglas M.

The instructional materials presented and described in this document were prepared as part of a project to develop enrichment materials for visually impaired biology students. A wide range of biology topics are presented, including most subjects covered in a one-semester course for nonmajors. Typewritten handouts, duplicating the content of…

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Web Academy Webinar: Compost from Food Waste: Understanding Soil Chemistry and Soil Biology on a College/University Campus

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page contains information about the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Web Academy Webinar Series titled Compost from Food Waste:Understanding Soil Chemistry and Soil Biology on a College/University Campus

Bioinspired Functional Materials

DOE PAGES

Zheng, Yongmei; Wang, Jingxia; Hou, Yongping; ...

2014-11-25

This special issue is focused on the nanoscale or micro-/nanoscale structures similar to the biological features in multilevels or hierarchy and so on. Research by mimicking biological systems has shown more impact on many applications due to the well-designed micro-/nanostructures inspired from the biological surfaces or interfaces; therefore, the materials may achieve the fascinating functionality. In conclusion, the bioinspired functional materials may be fabricated by developing novel technology or methods such as synthesis, self-assembly, and soft lithography at micro- or nanolevel or multilevels and, in addition, the multidisciplinary procedures of physical or chemical methods and nanotechnology to mimic the biologicalmore » multiscale micro-/nanostructures onto one-/two-dimensional surface materials.« less

[Modeling and experimental study on frequency-domain electricity properties of biological materials].

PubMed

Tian, Hua; Luo, Shiqiang; Zhang, Rui; Yang, Gang; Huang, Hua

2009-12-01

Frequency-domain electricity properties of four objects, including bullfrog skin, bullfrog muscle, triply distilled water and 0.9% NaCl, were tested in the range of 100Hz-10MHz using home-made electrode and measuring system. The experimental results showed that the resistance of 0.9% NaCl decreased dramatically, that the amplitude frequency characteristics of bullfrog's muscle and skin were similar, but that of triply distilled water did not change significantly. The frequency dependence of 0.9% NaCl showed that the electrode had great influence on the measuring system, so a new equivalent circuit model based on the electrode system was needed. These findings suggest that the new five-parameter equivalent circuit model, which embodies considerations on the interaction between electrodes and tissues, is a reasonable equivalent circuit for studying the electrical characteristics of biological materials.

Nature or petrochemistry?-biologically degradable materials.

PubMed

Mecking, Stefan

2004-02-20

Naturally occurring polymers have been utilized for a long time as materials, however, their application as plastics has been restricted because of their limited thermoplastic processability. Recently, the microbial synthesis of polyesters directly from carbohydrate sources has attracted considerable attention. The industrial-scale production of poly(lactic acid) from lactic acid generated by fermentation now provides a renewable resources-based polyester as a commodity plastic for the first time. The biodegradability of a given material is independent of its origin, and biodegradable plastics can equally well be prepared from fossil fuel feedstocks. A consideration of the overall carbon dioxide emissions and consumption of non-renewable resources over the entire life-cycle of a product is not necessarily favorable for plastics based on renewable resources with current technology-in addition to the feedstocks for the synthesis of the polymer materials, the feedstock for generation of the overall energy required for production and processing is decisive.

Composites comprising biologically-synthesized nanomaterials

DOEpatents

Curran, Seamus; Dias, Sampath; Blau, Werner; Wang, Jun; Oremland, Ronald S; Baesman, Shaun

2013-04-30

The present disclosure describes composite materials containing a polymer material and a nanoscale material dispersed in the polymer material. The nanoscale materials may be biologically synthesized, such as tellurium nanorods synthesized by Bacillus selenitireducens. Composite materials of the present disclosure may have optical limiting properties and find use in optical limiting devices.

Use of materials derived from cattle in human food and cosmetics; reopening of the comment period. Interim final rule; reopening of the comment period.

PubMed

2013-03-04

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or ``we'') is reopening the comment period for the interim final rule entitled "Use of Materials Derived From Cattle in Human Food and Cosmetics'' that published in the Federal Register of July 14, 2004 (69 FR 42256). The interim final rule prohibited the use of certain cattle material to address the potential risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in human food, including dietary supplements, and cosmetics. In the Federal Register of September 7, 2005 (70 FR 53063), we amended the interim final rule to make changes, including providing that the small intestine of cattle, formerly prohibited cattle material, could be used in human food and cosmetics if the distal ileum was removed by a specified procedure or one that the establishment could demonstrate is equally effective in ensuring complete removal of the distal ileum. Since 2005, peer-reviewed studies have been published showing the presence of infectivity in the proximal ileum, jejunum, ileocecal junction, and colon of cattle with BSE. Therefore, we are reopening the comment period for the interim final rule to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on the new studies concerning infectivity in parts of the small intestine other than the distal ileum.

Generating Systems Biology Markup Language Models from the Synthetic Biology Open Language.

PubMed

Roehner, Nicholas; Zhang, Zhen; Nguyen, Tramy; Myers, Chris J

2015-08-21

In the context of synthetic biology, model generation is the automated process of constructing biochemical models based on genetic designs. This paper discusses the use cases for model generation in genetic design automation (GDA) software tools and introduces the foundational concepts of standards and model annotation that make this process useful. Finally, this paper presents an implementation of model generation in the GDA software tool iBioSim and provides an example of generating a Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) model from a design of a 4-input AND sensor written in the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL).

Toughening mechanisms in bioinspired multilayered materials.

PubMed

Askarinejad, Sina; Rahbar, Nima

2015-01-06

Outstanding mechanical properties of biological multilayered materials are strongly influenced by nanoscale features in their structure. In this study, mechanical behaviour and toughening mechanisms of abalone nacre-inspired multilayered materials are explored. In nacre's structure, the organic matrix, pillars and the roughness of the aragonite platelets play important roles in its overall mechanical performance. A micromechanical model for multilayered biological materials is proposed to simulate their mechanical deformation and toughening mechanisms. The fundamental hypothesis of the model is the inclusion of nanoscale pillars with near theoretical strength (σth ~ E/30). It is also assumed that pillars and asperities confine the organic matrix to the proximity of the platelets, and, hence, increase their stiffness, since it has been previously shown that the organic matrix behaves more stiffly in the proximity of mineral platelets. The modelling results are in excellent agreement with the available experimental data for abalone nacre. The results demonstrate that the aragonite platelets, pillars and organic matrix synergistically affect the stiffness of nacre, and the pillars significantly contribute to the mechanical performance of nacre. It is also shown that the roughness induced interactions between the organic matrix and aragonite platelet, represented in the model by asperity elements, play a key role in strength and toughness of abalone nacre. The highly nonlinear behaviour of the proposed multilayered material is the result of distributed deformation in the nacre-like structure due to the existence of nano-asperities and nanopillars with near theoretical strength. Finally, tensile toughness is studied as a function of the components in the microstructure of nacre.

Toughening mechanisms in bioinspired multilayered materials

PubMed Central

Askarinejad, Sina; Rahbar, Nima

2015-01-01

Outstanding mechanical properties of biological multilayered materials are strongly influenced by nanoscale features in their structure. In this study, mechanical behaviour and toughening mechanisms of abalone nacre-inspired multilayered materials are explored. In nacre's structure, the organic matrix, pillars and the roughness of the aragonite platelets play important roles in its overall mechanical performance. A micromechanical model for multilayered biological materials is proposed to simulate their mechanical deformation and toughening mechanisms. The fundamental hypothesis of the model is the inclusion of nanoscale pillars with near theoretical strength (σth ~ E/30). It is also assumed that pillars and asperities confine the organic matrix to the proximity of the platelets, and, hence, increase their stiffness, since it has been previously shown that the organic matrix behaves more stiffly in the proximity of mineral platelets. The modelling results are in excellent agreement with the available experimental data for abalone nacre. The results demonstrate that the aragonite platelets, pillars and organic matrix synergistically affect the stiffness of nacre, and the pillars significantly contribute to the mechanical performance of nacre. It is also shown that the roughness induced interactions between the organic matrix and aragonite platelet, represented in the model by asperity elements, play a key role in strength and toughness of abalone nacre. The highly nonlinear behaviour of the proposed multilayered material is the result of distributed deformation in the nacre-like structure due to the existence of nano-asperities and nanopillars with near theoretical strength. Finally, tensile toughness is studied as a function of the components in the microstructure of nacre. PMID:25551150

Biological Dual-Use Research and Synthetic Biology of Yeast.

PubMed

Cirigliano, Angela; Cenciarelli, Orlando; Malizia, Andrea; Bellecci, Carlo; Gaudio, Pasquale; Lioj, Michele; Rinaldi, Teresa

2017-04-01

In recent years, the publication of the studies on the transmissibility in mammals of the H5N1 influenza virus and synthetic genomes has triggered heated and concerned debate within the community of scientists on biological dual-use research; these papers have raised the awareness that, in some cases, fundamental research could be directed to harmful experiments, with the purpose of developing a weapon that could be used by a bioterrorist. Here is presented an overview regarding the dual-use concept and its related international agreements which underlines the work of the Australia Group (AG) Export Control Regime. It is hoped that the principles and activities of the AG, that focuses on export control of chemical and biological dual-use materials, will spread and become well known to academic researchers in different countries, as they exchange biological materials (i.e. plasmids, strains, antibodies, nucleic acids) and scientific papers. To this extent, and with the aim of drawing the attention of the scientific community that works with yeast to the so called Dual-Use Research of Concern, this article reports case studies on biological dual-use research and discusses a synthetic biology applied to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, namely the construction of the first eukaryotic synthetic chromosome of yeast and the use of yeast cells as a factory to produce opiates. Since this organism is considered harmless and is not included in any list of biological agents, yeast researchers should take simple actions in the future to avoid the sharing of strains and advanced technology with suspicious individuals.

Spatio-structural granularity of biological material entities

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background With the continuously increasing demands on knowledge- and data-management that databases have to meet, ontologies and the theories of granularity they use become more and more important. Unfortunately, currently used theories and schemes of granularity unnecessarily limit the performance of ontologies due to two shortcomings: (i) they do not allow the integration of multiple granularity perspectives into one granularity framework; (ii) they are not applicable to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities, which cover most of the biomedical material entities. Results The above mentioned shortcomings are responsible for the major inconsistencies in currently used spatio-structural granularity schemes. By using the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) as a top-level ontology and Keet's general theory of granularity, a granularity framework is presented that is applicable to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. It provides a scheme for granulating complex material entities into their constitutive and regional parts by integrating various compositional and spatial granularity perspectives. Within a scale dependent resolution perspective, it even allows distinguishing different types of representations of the same material entity. Within other scale dependent perspectives, which are based on specific types of measurements (e.g. weight, volume, etc.), the possibility of organizing instances of material entities independent of their parthood relations and only according to increasing measures is provided as well. All granularity perspectives are connected to one another through overcrossing granularity levels, together forming an integrated whole that uses the compositional object perspective as an integrating backbone. This granularity framework allows to consistently assign structural granularity values to all different types of material entities. Conclusions The here presented framework provides a spatio-structural granularity framework

Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stinis, Panos

2016-08-07

This is the final report for the work conducted at the University of Minnesota (during the period 12/01/12-09/18/14) by PI Panos Stinis as part of the "Collaboratory on Mathematics for Mesoscopic Modeling of Materials" (CM4). CM4 is a multi-institution DOE-funded project whose aim is to conduct basic and applied research in the emerging field of mesoscopic modeling of materials.

Green Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles via Biological Entities

PubMed Central

Shah, Monaliben; Fawcett, Derek; Sharma, Shashi; Tripathy, Suraj Kumar; Poinern, Gérrard Eddy Jai

2015-01-01

Nanotechnology is the creation, manipulation and use of materials at the nanometre size scale (1 to 100 nm). At this size scale there are significant differences in many material properties that are normally not seen in the same materials at larger scales. Although nanoscale materials can be produced using a variety of traditional physical and chemical processes, it is now possible to biologically synthesize materials via environment-friendly green chemistry based techniques. In recent years, the convergence between nanotechnology and biology has created the new field of nanobiotechnology that incorporates the use of biological entities such as actinomycetes algae, bacteria, fungi, viruses, yeasts, and plants in a number of biochemical and biophysical processes. The biological synthesis via nanobiotechnology processes have a significant potential to boost nanoparticles production without the use of harsh, toxic, and expensive chemicals commonly used in conventional physical and chemical processes. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of recent trends in synthesizing nanoparticles via biological entities and their potential applications. PMID:28793638

Effects of chemical and biological warfare remediation agents on the materials of museum objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solazzo, C.; Erhardt, D.; Marte, F.; von Endt, D.; Tumosa, C.

In the fall of 2001, anthrax-contaminated letters were sent to public figures in the United States. Chemical and radiation treatments were employed to decontaminate exposed buildings, objects, and materials. These treatments are effective, but potentially damaging to exposed objects and materials. The recommended surface chemical treatments include solutions, gels, and foams of oxidizing agents such as peroxides or chlorine bleaching agents. Such oxidizing agents are effective against a wide range of hazardous chemical and biological agents. Knowing how these reagents affect various substrates would help to anticipate and to minimize any potential damage. We are examining the effects on typical museum materials of reagents likely to be used, including hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, and potassium peroxymonosulfate. Results so far show significant changes in a number of materials. Surface corrosion was observed on metals such as copper, silver, iron, and brass. Color changes occurred with at least one reagent in about one-fourth of the dyed fabric swatches tested, and about half of the inks. Samples of aged yellowed paper are bleached. Effects varied with both the substrate and the tested reagent. The observed changes were generally less drastic than might have been expected. Enough materials were affected, though, to preclude the use of these reagents on museum objects unless no less drastic alternative is available. It appears that many objects of lesser intrinsic value can be treated without severe loss of properties or usefulness. For example, most documents should remain legible if the appropriate reagent is used. This work will provide a basis for determining which treatment is most appropriate for a specific situation and what consequences are to be expected from other treatments.

Br-rich tips of calcified crab claws are less hard but more fracture resistant: a comparison of mineralized and heavy-element biological materials.

PubMed

Schofield, Robert M S; Niedbala, Jack C; Nesson, Michael H; Tao, Ye; Shokes, Jacob E; Scott, Robert A; Latimer, Matthew J

2009-06-01

We find that the spoon-like tips of the chelipeds (large claws) of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes differ from the rest of the claw in that they are not calcified, but instead contain about 1% bromine--thus they represent a new example of a class of structural biological materials that contain heavy elements such as Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Br bound in an organic matrix. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data suggest that the bromine is bound to phenyl rings, possibly in tyrosine. We measure a broad array of mechanical properties of a heavy-element biological material for the first time (abrasion resistance, coefficient of kinetic friction, energy of fracture, hardness, modulus of elasticity and dynamic mechanical properties), and we make a direct comparison with a mineralized tissue. Our results suggest that the greatest advantage of bromine-rich cuticle over calcified cuticle is resistance to fracture (the energy of fracture is about an order of magnitude greater than for calcified cuticle). The greatest advantage relative to unenriched cuticle, represented by ant mandible cuticle, is a factor of about 1.5 greater hardness and modulus of elasticity.The spoon-like tips gain additional fracture resistance from the orientation of the constituent laminae and from the viscoelasticity of the material. We suggest that fracture resistance is of greater importance in smaller organisms, and we speculate that one function of heavy elements in structural biological materials is to reduce molecular resonant frequencies and thereby increase absorption of energy from impacts.

Three-dimensional nanoscale characterisation of materials by atom probe tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Devaraj, Arun; Perea, Daniel E.; Liu, Jia

The development of three-dimensional (3D), characterization techniques with high spatial and mass resolution is crucial for understanding and developing advanced materials for many engineering applications as well as for understanding natural materials. In recent decades, atom probe tomography (APT) which combines a point projection microscope and time-of-flight mass spectrometer has evolved to be an excellent characterization technique capable of providing 3D nanoscale characterization of materials with sub-nanometer scale spatial resolution, with equal sensitivity for all elements. This review discusses the current state as of beginning of the year 2016 of APT instrumentation, new developments in sample preparation methods, experimental proceduresmore » for different material classes, reconstruction of APT results, the current status of correlative microscopy, and application of APT for microstructural characterization in established scientific areas like structural materials as well as new applications in semiconducting nanowires, semiconductor devices, battery materials, catalyst materials, geological materials and biological materials. Finally, a brief perspective is given regarding the future of APT.« less

From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiel, Hillel J.; McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge…

Cueing Metacognition to Improve Researching and Essay Writing in a Final Year High School Biology Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conner, L. N.

2007-03-01

This paper reports on degrees of awareness and use of specific metacognitive strategies by 16 students in a final-year high school biology class in New Zealand. The aims of the intervention were to broaden students' thinking about bioethical issues associated with cancer and to enhance students' use of metacognition. Cues and prompts were used in this unit of work to help students use metacognitive strategies since students did not generally use metacognitive strategies spontaneously. Scaffolding was mediated through the teacher modelling, questioning, cueing or prompting students to evaluate their learning. The research reported here illustrates how teachers can cue students to be more self-directed in their learning. Three case studies illustrate how learning strategies were used differentially. Most students were aware of strategies that could help them to learn more effectively. It was found that those students who were not only aware of but also used strategies to plan, monitor and evaluate their work, produced essays of higher quality.

Method of measurement in biological systems

DOEpatents

Turteltaub, K.W.; Vogel, J.S.; Felton, J.S.; Gledhill, B.L.; Davis, J.C.

1994-12-27

Disclosed is a method of quantifying molecules in biological substances comprising: a. selecting a biological host in which radioisotopes are present in concentrations equal to or less than those in the ambient biosphere, b. preparing a long-lived radioisotope labeled reactive chemical specie, c. administering the chemical specie to the biological host in doses sufficiently low to avoid significant overt damage to the biological system, d. allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and interaction of the chemical specie with the host throughout the biological system of the host, e. isolating a reacted fraction of the biological substance from the host in a manner sufficient to avoid contamination of the substance from extraneous sources, f. converting the fraction of biological substance by suitable means to a material which efficiently produces charged ions in at least one of several possible ion sources without introduction of significant isotopic fractionation, and, g. measuring the radioisotope concentration in the material by means of direct isotopic counting. 5 figures.

Method of measurement in biological systems

DOEpatents

Turteltaub, K.W.; Vogel, J.S.; Felton, J.S.; Gledhill, B.L.: Davis, J.C.; Stanker, L.H.

1993-05-11

A method is disclosed of quantifying molecules in biological substances, comprising: selecting a biological host in which radioisotopes are present in concentrations equal to or less than those in the ambient biosphere; preparing a long-lived radioisotope labeled reactive chemical specie; administering the chemical specie to the biological host in doses sufficiently low to avoid significant overt damage to the biological system; allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and interaction of the chemical specie with the host throughout the biological system of the host; isolating a reacted fraction of the biological substance from the host in a manner sufficient to avoid contamination of the substance from extraneous sources; converting the fraction of biological substance by suitable means to a material which efficiently produces charged ions in at least one of several possible ion sources without introduction of significant isotopic fractionation; and measuring the radioisotope concentration in the material by means of direct isotopic counting.

Method of measurement in biological systems

DOEpatents

Turteltaub, Kenneth W.; Vogel, John S.; Felton, James S.; Gledhill, Barton L.; Davis, Jay C.; Stanker, Larry H.

1993-05-11

Disclosed is a method of quantifying molecules in biological substances, comprising: a. selecting a biological host in which radioisotopes are present in concentrations equal to or less than those in the ambient biosphere, b. preparing a long-lived radioisotope labeled reactive chemical specie, c. administering said chemical specie to said biological host in doses sufficiently low to avoid significant overt damage to the biological system thereof, d. allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and interaction of said chemical specie with said host throughout said biological system of said host, e. isolating a reacted fraction of the biological substance from said host in a manner sufficient to avoid contamination of said substance from extraneous sources, f. converting said fraction of biological substance by suitable means to a material which efficiently produces charged ions in at least one of several possible ion sources without introduction of significant isotopic fractionation, and, g. measuring the radioisotope concentration in said material by means of direct isotopic counting.

Method of measurement in biological systems

DOEpatents

Turteltaub, Kenneth W.; Vogel, John S.; Felton, James S.; Gledhill, Barton L.; Davis, Jay C.

1994-01-01

Disclosed is a method of quantifying molecules in biological substances comprising: a. selecting a biological host in which radioisotopes are present in concentrations equal to or less than those in the ambient biosphere, b. preparing a long-lived radioisotope labeled reactive chemical specie, c. administering said chemical specie to said biological host in doses sufficiently low to avoid significant overt damage to the biological system thereof, d. allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and interaction of said chemical specie with said host throughout said biological system of said host, e. isolating a reacted fraction of the biological substance from said host in a manner sufficient to avoid contamination of said substance from extraneous sources, f. converting said fraction of biological substance by suitable means to a material which efficiently produces charged ions in at least one of several possible ion sources without introduction of significant isotopic fractionation, and, g. measuring the radioisotope concentration in said material by means of direct isotopic counting.

Opportunities for Materials Science and Biological Research at the OPAL Research Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kennedy, S. J.

Neutron scattering techniques have evolved over more than 1/2 century into a powerful set of tools for determination of atomic and molecular structures. Modern facilities offer the possibility to determine complex structures over length scales from {approx}0.1 nm to {approx}500 nm. They can also provide information on atomic and molecular dynamics, on magnetic interactions and on the location and behaviour of hydrogen in a variety of materials. The OPAL Research Reactor is a 20 megawatt pool type reactor using low enriched uranium fuel, and cooled by water. OPAL is a multipurpose neutron factory with modern facilities for neutron beam research,more » radioisotope production and irradiation services. The neutron beam facility has been designed to compete with the best beam facilities in the world. After six years in construction, the reactor and neutron beam facilities are now being commissioned, and we will commence scientific experiments later this year. The presentation will include an outline of the strengths of neutron scattering and a description of the OPAL research reactor, with particular emphasis on it's scientific infrastructure. It will also provide an overview of the opportunities for research in materials science and biology that will be possible at OPAL, and mechanisms for accessing the facilities. The discussion will emphasize how researchers from around the world can utilize these exciting new facilities.« less

Surface functionalization of thin-film diamond for highly stable and selective biological interfaces

PubMed Central

Stavis, Courtney; Clare, Tami Lasseter; Butler, James E.; Radadia, Adarsh D.; Carr, Rogan; Zeng, Hongjun; King, William P.; Carlisle, John A.; Aksimentiev, Aleksei; Bashir, Rashid; Hamers, Robert J.

2011-01-01

Carbon is an extremely versatile family of materials with a wide range of mechanical, optical, and mechanical properties, but many similarities in surface chemistry. As one of the most chemically stable materials known, carbon provides an outstanding platform for the development of highly tunable molecular and biomolecular interfaces. Photochemical grafting of alkenes has emerged as an attractive method for functionalizing surfaces of diamond, but many aspects of the surface chemistry and impact on biological recognition processes remain unexplored. Here we report investigations of the interaction of functionalized diamond surfaces with proteins and biological cells using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence methods. XPS data show that functionalization of diamond with short ethylene glycol oligomers reduces the nonspecific binding of fibrinogen below the detection limit of XPS, estimated as > 97% reduction over H-terminated diamond. Measurements of different forms of diamond with different roughness are used to explore the influence of roughness on nonspecific binding onto H-terminated and ethylene glycol (EG)-terminated surfaces. Finally, we use XPS to characterize the chemical stability of Escherichia coli K12 antibodies on the surfaces of diamond and amine-functionalized glass. Our results show that antibody-modified diamond surfaces exhibit increased stability in XPS and that this is accompanied by retention of biological activity in cell-capture measurements. Our results demonstrate that surface chemistry on diamond and other carbon-based materials provides an excellent platform for biomolecular interfaces with high stability and high selectivity. PMID:20884854

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON ADVANCED GRAPHITE MATERIALS. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1962-04-01

A review is given of activities over the period October 15, 1960 to October 15, 1961 on a three year program for the research and development of materials, experimental techniques, and equipment for development of premium quality, reproducible graphite-base materials suitable for missile and astronautic applications. Progress is reported on research and development in the study areas of raw materials, fabrication, and material characterization and evaluation. (auth)

Structural biological composites: An overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyers, Marc A.; Lin, Albert Y. M.; Seki, Yasuaki; Chen, Po-Yu; Kad, Bimal K.; Bodde, Sara

2006-07-01

Biological materials are complex composites that are hierarchically structured and multifunctional. Their mechanical properties are often outstanding, considering the weak constituents from which they are assembled. They are for the most part composed of brittle (often, mineral) and ductile (organic) components. These complex structures, which have risen from millions of years of evolution, are inspiring materials scientists in the design of novel materials. This paper discusses the overall design principles in biological structural composites and illustrates them for five examples; sea spicules, the abalone shell, the conch shell, the toucan and hornbill beaks, and the sheep crab exoskeleton.

Biologically inspired crack delocalization in a high strain-rate environment.

PubMed

Knipprath, Christian; Bond, Ian P; Trask, Richard S

2012-04-07

Biological materials possess unique and desirable energy-absorbing mechanisms and structural characteristics worthy of consideration by engineers. For example, high levels of energy dissipation at low strain rates via triggering of crack delocalization combined with interfacial hardening by platelet interlocking are observed in brittle materials such as nacre, the iridescent material in seashells. Such behaviours find no analogy in current engineering materials. The potential to mimic such toughening mechanisms on different length scales now exists, but the question concerning their suitability under dynamic loading conditions and whether these mechanisms retain their energy-absorbing potential is unclear. This paper investigates the kinematic behaviour of an 'engineered' nacre-like structure within a high strain-rate environment. A finite-element (FE) model was developed which incorporates the pertinent biological design features. A parametric study was carried out focusing on (i) the use of an overlapping discontinuous tile arrangement for crack delocalization and (ii) application of tile waviness (interfacial hardening) for improved post-damage behaviour. With respect to the material properties, the model allows the permutation and combination of a variety of different material datasets. The advantage of such a discontinuous material shows notable improvements in sustaining high strain-rate deformation relative to an equivalent continuous morphology. In the case of the continuous material, the shockwaves propagating through the material lead to localized failure while complex shockwave patterns are observed in the discontinuous flat tile arrangement, arising from platelet interlocking. The influence of the matrix properties on impact performance is investigated by varying the dominant material parameters. The results indicate a deceleration of the impactor velocity, thus delaying back face nodal displacement. A final series of FE models considered the

Biologically inspired crack delocalization in a high strain-rate environment

PubMed Central

Knipprath, Christian; Bond, Ian P.; Trask, Richard S.

2012-01-01

Biological materials possess unique and desirable energy-absorbing mechanisms and structural characteristics worthy of consideration by engineers. For example, high levels of energy dissipation at low strain rates via triggering of crack delocalization combined with interfacial hardening by platelet interlocking are observed in brittle materials such as nacre, the iridescent material in seashells. Such behaviours find no analogy in current engineering materials. The potential to mimic such toughening mechanisms on different length scales now exists, but the question concerning their suitability under dynamic loading conditions and whether these mechanisms retain their energy-absorbing potential is unclear. This paper investigates the kinematic behaviour of an ‘engineered’ nacre-like structure within a high strain-rate environment. A finite-element (FE) model was developed which incorporates the pertinent biological design features. A parametric study was carried out focusing on (i) the use of an overlapping discontinuous tile arrangement for crack delocalization and (ii) application of tile waviness (interfacial hardening) for improved post-damage behaviour. With respect to the material properties, the model allows the permutation and combination of a variety of different material datasets. The advantage of such a discontinuous material shows notable improvements in sustaining high strain-rate deformation relative to an equivalent continuous morphology. In the case of the continuous material, the shockwaves propagating through the material lead to localized failure while complex shockwave patterns are observed in the discontinuous flat tile arrangement, arising from platelet interlocking. The influence of the matrix properties on impact performance is investigated by varying the dominant material parameters. The results indicate a deceleration of the impactor velocity, thus delaying back face nodal displacement. A final series of FE models considered the

Biological preconcentrator

DOEpatents

Manginell, Ronald P [Albuquerque, NM; Bunker, Bruce C [Albuquerque, NM; Huber, Dale L [Albuquerque, NM

2008-09-09

A biological preconcentrator comprises a stimulus-responsive active film on a stimulus-producing microfabricated platform. The active film can comprise a thermally switchable polymer film that can be used to selectively absorb and desorb proteins from a protein mixture. The biological microfabricated platform can comprise a thin membrane suspended on a substrate with an integral resistive heater and/or thermoelectric cooler for thermal switching of the active polymer film disposed on the membrane. The active polymer film can comprise hydrogel-like polymers, such as poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(n-isopropylacrylamide), that are tethered to the membrane. The biological preconcentrator can be fabricated with semiconductor materials and technologies.

Advances in Structural Biology and the Application to Biological Filament Systems.

PubMed

Popp, David; Koh, Fujiet; Scipion, Clement P M; Ghoshdastider, Umesh; Narita, Akihiro; Holmes, Kenneth C; Robinson, Robert C

2018-04-01

Structural biology has experienced several transformative technological advances in recent years. These include: development of extremely bright X-ray sources (microfocus synchrotron beamlines and free electron lasers) and the use of electrons to extend protein crystallography to ever decreasing crystal sizes; and an increase in the resolution attainable by cryo-electron microscopy. Here we discuss the use of these techniques in general terms and highlight their application for biological filament systems, an area that is severely underrepresented in atomic resolution structures. We assemble a model of a capped tropomyosin-actin minifilament to demonstrate the utility of combining structures determined by different techniques. Finally, we survey the methods that attempt to transform high resolution structural biology into more physiological environments, such as the cell. Together these techniques promise a compelling decade for structural biology and, more importantly, they will provide exciting discoveries in understanding the designs and purposes of biological machines. © 2018 The Authors. BioEssays Published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Hazardous Materials Management Skill Standard. Final Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, Tex.

This document begins with a brief report describing how the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) organized a coalition of organizations related to the hazardous materials industry to identify required skills and training for Hazardous Materials Management Technician (HMMT). CORD staff established a committee of employers,…

Standard Biological Parts Knowledgebase

PubMed Central

Galdzicki, Michal; Rodriguez, Cesar; Chandran, Deepak; Sauro, Herbert M.; Gennari, John H.

2011-01-01

We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb) as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org). The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org). SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate “promoter” parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible. PMID:21390321

Standard biological parts knowledgebase.

PubMed

Galdzicki, Michal; Rodriguez, Cesar; Chandran, Deepak; Sauro, Herbert M; Gennari, John H

2011-02-24

We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb) as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org). The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org). SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate "promoter" parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible.

MyLabStocks: a web-application to manage molecular biology materials.

PubMed

Chuffart, Florent; Yvert, Gaël

2014-05-01

Laboratory stocks are the hardware of research. They must be stored and managed with mimimum loss of material and information. Plasmids, oligonucleotides and strains are regularly exchanged between collaborators within and between laboratories. Managing and sharing information about every item is crucial for retrieval of reagents, for planning experiments and for reproducing past experimental results. We have developed a web-based application to manage stocks commonly used in a molecular biology laboratory. Its functionalities include user-defined privileges, visualization of plasmid maps directly from their sequence and the capacity to search items from fields of annotation or directly from a query sequence using BLAST. It is designed to handle records of plasmids, oligonucleotides, yeast strains, antibodies, pipettes and notebooks. Based on PHP/MySQL, it can easily be extended to handle other types of stocks and it can be installed on any server architecture. MyLabStocks is freely available from: https://forge.cbp.ens-lyon.fr/redmine/projects/mylabstocks under an open source licence. © 2014 Laboratoire de Biologie Moleculaire de la Cellule CNRS. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biotemplated materials for sustainable energy and environment: current status and challenges.

PubMed

Zhou, Han; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

2011-10-17

Materials science will play a key role in the further development of emerging solutions for the increasing problems of energy and environment. Materials found in nature have many inspiring structures, such as hierarchical organizations, periodic architectures, or nanostructures, that endow them with amazing functions, such as energy harvesting and conversion, antireflection, structural coloration, superhydrophobicity, and biological self-assembly. Biotemplating is an effective strategy to obtain morphology-controllable materials with structural specificity, complexity, and related unique functions. Herein, we highlight the synthesis and application of biotemplated materials for six key areas of energy and environment technologies, namely, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, CO(2) reduction, solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, photocatalytic degradation, and gas/vapor sensing. Although the applications differ from each other, a common fundamental challenge is to realize optimum structures for improved performances. We highlight the role of four typical structures derived from biological systems exploited to optimize properties: hierarchical (porous) structures, periodic (porous) structures, hollow structures, and nanostructures. We also provide examples of using biogenic elements (e.g., C, Si, N, I, P, S) for the creation of active materials. Finally, we disscuss the challenges of achieving the desired performance for large-scale commercial applications and provide some useful prototypes from nature for the biomimetic design of new materials or systems. The emphasis is mainly focused on the structural effects and compositional utilization of biotemplated materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS): 1972-79. Final Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laetsch, W. M.; Knott, Robert C.

Prepared for the National Science Foundation (NSF), this report summarizes the development and work of the Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) project from 1972 to 1979. One hundred activities for ten- to fifteen-year-olds in community groups (scouts, clubs, camps, churches, etc.) were developed, field tested, revised, and made…

Marine molecular biology: an emerging field of biological sciences.

PubMed

Thakur, Narsinh L; Jain, Roopesh; Natalio, Filipe; Hamer, Bojan; Thakur, Archana N; Müller, Werner E G

2008-01-01

An appreciation of the potential applications of molecular biology is of growing importance in many areas of life sciences, including marine biology. During the past two decades, the development of sophisticated molecular technologies and instruments for biomedical research has resulted in significant advances in the biological sciences. However, the value of molecular techniques for addressing problems in marine biology has only recently begun to be cherished. It has been proven that the exploitation of molecular biological techniques will allow difficult research questions about marine organisms and ocean processes to be addressed. Marine molecular biology is a discipline, which strives to define and solve the problems regarding the sustainable exploration of marine life for human health and welfare, through the cooperation between scientists working in marine biology, molecular biology, microbiology and chemistry disciplines. Several success stories of the applications of molecular techniques in the field of marine biology are guiding further research in this area. In this review different molecular techniques are discussed, which have application in marine microbiology, marine invertebrate biology, marine ecology, marine natural products, material sciences, fisheries, conservation and bio-invasion etc. In summary, if marine biologists and molecular biologists continue to work towards strong partnership during the next decade and recognize intellectual and technological advantages and benefits of such partnership, an exciting new frontier of marine molecular biology will emerge in the future.

Robust Design of Biological Circuits: Evolutionary Systems Biology Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, Bor-Sen; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Liou, Jing-Jia

2011-01-01

Artificial gene circuits have been proposed to be embedded into microbial cells that function as switches, timers, oscillators, and the Boolean logic gates. Building more complex systems from these basic gene circuit components is one key advance for biologic circuit design and synthetic biology. However, the behavior of bioengineered gene circuits remains unstable and uncertain. In this study, a nonlinear stochastic system is proposed to model the biological systems with intrinsic parameter fluctuations and environmental molecular noise from the cellular context in the host cell. Based on evolutionary systems biology algorithm, the design parameters of target gene circuits can evolve to specific values in order to robustly track a desired biologic function in spite of intrinsic and environmental noise. The fitness function is selected to be inversely proportional to the tracking error so that the evolutionary biological circuit can achieve the optimal tracking mimicking the evolutionary process of a gene circuit. Finally, several design examples are given in silico with the Monte Carlo simulation to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the robust performance of the proposed design method. The result shows that the designed gene circuits can robustly track desired behaviors with minimal errors even with nontrivial intrinsic and external noise. PMID:22187523

Robust design of biological circuits: evolutionary systems biology approach.

PubMed

Chen, Bor-Sen; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Liou, Jing-Jia

2011-01-01

Artificial gene circuits have been proposed to be embedded into microbial cells that function as switches, timers, oscillators, and the Boolean logic gates. Building more complex systems from these basic gene circuit components is one key advance for biologic circuit design and synthetic biology. However, the behavior of bioengineered gene circuits remains unstable and uncertain. In this study, a nonlinear stochastic system is proposed to model the biological systems with intrinsic parameter fluctuations and environmental molecular noise from the cellular context in the host cell. Based on evolutionary systems biology algorithm, the design parameters of target gene circuits can evolve to specific values in order to robustly track a desired biologic function in spite of intrinsic and environmental noise. The fitness function is selected to be inversely proportional to the tracking error so that the evolutionary biological circuit can achieve the optimal tracking mimicking the evolutionary process of a gene circuit. Finally, several design examples are given in silico with the Monte Carlo simulation to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the robust performance of the proposed design method. The result shows that the designed gene circuits can robustly track desired behaviors with minimal errors even with nontrivial intrinsic and external noise.

Instructional Materials in Spanish for Agriculture. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainous, Bruce H.

A federally funded project to develop Spanish for Agricultural Purposes, a set of instructional materials for agricultural specialists planning to work in Latin America, is reported. The materials are intended for use by individuals with at least a year's college-level study of Spanish. They include: a series of authentic readings, each with an…

Anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography of water-soluble chromium (VI) and chromium (III) complexes in biological materials.

PubMed

Suzuki, Y

1987-04-10

A high-performance anion-exchange liquid chromatograph coupled to visible-range (370 nm) and UV (280 nm) detectors and an atomic-absorption spectrometer allowed the rapid determination of CrVI and/or complexes of CrIII in rat plasma, erythrocyte lysate and liver supernatant treated with CrVI or CrIII in vitro. CrVI in the eluates was determined using both the visible-range detector and atomic-absorption spectrometer (AAS). The detection limits of CrVI in standard solutions using these methods were 2 and 5 ng (signal-to-noise ratio = 2), respectively. Separations of the biological components and of CrIII complexes were monitored by UV and AAS analyses, respectively. Time-related decreases of CrVI accompanied by increases in CrIII complexes were observed, indicating the reduction of CrVI by some of the biological components. The reduction rates were considerably higher in the liver supernatant and erythrocyte lysate than in the plasma. These results indicate that the anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatographic system is useful for simultaneous determination of CrVI and CrIII complexes in biological materials.

Biological Dialogues: How to Teach Your Students to Learn Fluency in Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, S. Randolph; Cook, David L.; May, Marilyn K.

2013-01-01

Biology courses have thousands of words to learn in order to intelligently discuss the subject and take tests over the material. Biological fluency is an important goal for students, and practical methods based on constructivist pedagogies can be employed to promote it. We present a method in which pairs of students write dialogues from…

Non-integer viscoelastic constitutive law to model soft biological tissues to in-vivo indentation.

PubMed

Demirci, Nagehan; Tönük, Ergin

2014-01-01

During the last decades, derivatives and integrals of non-integer orders are being more commonly used for the description of constitutive behavior of various viscoelastic materials including soft biological tissues. Compared to integer order constitutive relations, non-integer order viscoelastic material models of soft biological tissues are capable of capturing a wider range of viscoelastic behavior obtained from experiments. Although integer order models may yield comparably accurate results, non-integer order material models have less number of parameters to be identified in addition to description of an intermediate material that can monotonically and continuously be adjusted in between an ideal elastic solid and an ideal viscous fluid. In this work, starting with some preliminaries on non-integer (fractional) calculus, the "spring-pot", (intermediate mechanical element between a solid and a fluid), non-integer order three element (Zener) solid model, finally a user-defined large strain non-integer order viscoelastic constitutive model was constructed to be used in finite element simulations. Using the constitutive equation developed, by utilizing inverse finite element method and in vivo indentation experiments, soft tissue material identification was performed. The results indicate that material coefficients obtained from relaxation experiments, when optimized with creep experimental data could simulate relaxation, creep and cyclic loading and unloading experiments accurately. Non-integer calculus viscoelastic constitutive models, having physical interpretation and modeling experimental data accurately is a good alternative to classical phenomenological viscoelastic constitutive equations.

Modified Organosilica Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Stable pH Sensing in Biological Solutions.

PubMed

Robinson, Kye J; Huynh, Gabriel T; Kouskousis, Betty P; Fletcher, Nicholas L; Houston, Zachary H; Thurecht, Kristofer J; Corrie, Simon R

2018-04-19

Continuous monitoring using nanoparticle-based sensors has been successfully employed in complex biological systems, yet the sensors still suffer from poor long-term stability partially because of the scaffold materials chosen to date. Organosilica core-shell nanoparticles containing a mixture of covalently incorporated pH-sensitive (shell) and pH-insensitive (core) fluorophores is presented as a continuous pH sensor for application in biological media. In contrast to previous studies focusing on similar materials, we sought to investigate the sensor characteristics (dynamic range, sensitivity, response time, stability) as a function of material properties. The ratio of the fluorescence intensities at specific wavelengths was found to be highly sensitive to pH over a physiologically relevant range (4.5-8) with a response time of <100 ms, significantly faster than that of previously reported response times using silica-based particles. Particles produced stable, pH-specific signals when stored at room temperature for more than 80 days. Finally, we demonstrated that the nanosensors successfully monitored the pH of a bacterial culture over 15 h and that pH changes in the skin of mouse cadavers could also be observed via in vivo fluorescence imaging following subcutaneous injection. The understanding gained from linking sensor characteristics and material properties will inform the next generation of optical nanosensors for continuous-monitoring applications.

Designing Biomimetic Materials from Marine Organisms.

PubMed

Nichols, William T

2015-01-01

Two biomimetic design approaches that apply biological solutions to engineering problems are discussed. In the first case, motivation comes from an engineering problem and the key challenge is to find analogous biological functions and map them into engineering materials. We illustrate with an example of water pollution remediation through appropriate design of a biomimetic sponge. In the second case, a biological function is already known and the challenge is to identify the appropriate engineering problem. We demonstrate the biological approach with marine diatoms that control energy and materials at their surface providing inspiration for a number of engineering applications. In both cases, it is essential to select materials and structures at the nanoscale to control energy and materials flows at interfaces.

Developing Materials for Biology Teaching. Asian Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) Report of a Sub-Regional Workshop (Bangkok, Thailand, August 3-12, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

The major purposes of this workshop were to develop teaching and learning materials on certain selected key biology concepts relevant to environmental, genetic, and agricultural aspects, and to develop exemplary training materials on certain teacher competencies relating to laboratory and field techniques. Chapter One reports on the status and…

BSCS BIOLOGY--IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SCHOOLS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GROBMAN, ARNOLD B.; AND OTHERS

INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS IMPLEMENTING BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM STUDY (BSCS) BIOLOGY IN THE SCHOOL PROGRAM IS INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE. THE RATIONALE AND CONTENT OF THE BSCS VERSIONS ARE EXPLAINED. PHYSICAL FACILITIES, LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, AND LABORATORY MATERIALS THAT FACILITATE TEACHING BSCS BIOLOGY ARE ANALYZED. ADMINISTRATIVE…

Conceptual Elements: A Detailed Framework to Support and Assess Student Learning of Biology Core Concepts

PubMed Central

Cary, Tawnya; Branchaw, Janet

2017-01-01

The Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: Call to Action report has inspired and supported a nationwide movement to restructure undergraduate biology curricula to address overarching disciplinary concepts and competencies. The report outlines the concepts and competencies generally but does not provide a detailed framework to guide the development of the learning outcomes, instructional materials, and assessment instruments needed to create a reformed biology curriculum. In this essay, we present a detailed Vision and Change core concept framework that articulates key components that transcend subdisciplines and scales for each overarching biological concept, the Conceptual Elements (CE) Framework. The CE Framework was developed using a grassroots approach of iterative revision and incorporates feedback from more than 60 biologists and undergraduate biology educators from across the United States. The final validation step resulted in strong national consensus, with greater than 92% of responders agreeing that each core concept list was ready for use by the biological sciences community, as determined by scientific accuracy and completeness. In addition, we describe in detail how educators and departments can use the CE Framework to guide and document reformation of individual courses as well as entire curricula. PMID:28450444

Outdoor Education, Junior Biology Field Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aikman, John H.; And Others

Field studies for grade nine and ten biology students are developed in this teacher and student guide for outdoor education. A small section is devoted to teacher pre-planning and final sections are concerned with equipment, audio-visual resources, and a large booklist. Twenty-three investigations related to earth science and biology topics are…

Opportunities in plant synthetic biology.

PubMed

Cook, Charis; Martin, Lisa; Bastow, Ruth

2014-05-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging field uniting scientists from all disciplines with the aim of designing or re-designing biological processes. Initially, synthetic biology breakthroughs came from microbiology, chemistry, physics, computer science, materials science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines. A transition to multicellular systems is the next logical step for synthetic biologists and plants will provide an ideal platform for this new phase of research. This meeting report highlights some of the exciting plant synthetic biology projects, and tools and resources, presented and discussed at the 2013 GARNet workshop on plant synthetic biology.

New imaging systems in nuclear medicine. Final report, January 1, 1993--December 31, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-31

The aim of this program has been to improve the performance of positron emission tomography (PET) to achieve high resolution with high sensitivity. Towards this aim, the authors have carried out the following studies: (1) explored new techniques for detection of annihilation radiation including new detector materials and system geometries, specific areas that they have studied include--exploration of factors related to resolution and sensitivity of PET instrumentation including geometry, detection materials and coding, and the exploration of technique to improve the image quality by use of depth of interaction and increased sampling; (2) complete much of the final testing ofmore » PCR-II, an analog-coded cylindrical positron tomograph, developed and constructed during the current funding period; (3) developed the design of a positron microtomograph with mm resolution for quantitative studies in small animals, a single slice version of this device has been designed and studied by use of computer simulation; (4) continued and expanded the program of biological studies in animal models. Current studies have included imaging of animal models of Parkinson`s and Huntington`s disease and cancer. These studies have included new radiopharmaceuticals and techniques involving molecular biology.« less

Biologically Enhanced Carbon Sequestration: Research Needs and Opportunities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Torn, Margaret S.

2008-03-21

Fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and biomass burning are the dominant contributors to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) concentrations and global warming. Many approaches to mitigating CO{sub 2} emissions are being pursued, and among the most promising are terrestrial and geologic carbon sequestration. Recent advances in ecology and microbial biology offer promising new possibilities for enhancing terrestrial and geologic carbon sequestration. A workshop was held October 29, 2007, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) on Biologically Enhanced Carbon Sequestration (BECS). The workshop participants (approximately 30 scientists from California, Illinois, Oregon, Montana, and New Mexico) developed a prioritized list of researchmore » needed to make progress in the development of biological enhancements to improve terrestrial and geologic carbon sequestration. The workshop participants also identified a number of areas of supporting science that are critical to making progress in the fundamental research areas. The purpose of this position paper is to summarize and elaborate upon the findings of the workshop. The paper considers terrestrial and geologic carbon sequestration separately. First, we present a summary in outline form of the research roadmaps for terrestrial and geologic BECS. This outline is elaborated upon in the narrative sections that follow. The narrative sections start with the focused research priorities in each area followed by critical supporting science for biological enhancements as prioritized during the workshop. Finally, Table 1 summarizes the potential significance or 'materiality' of advances in these areas for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Biocompatibility of Resin-based Dental Materials

PubMed Central

Moharamzadeh, Keyvan; Brook, Ian M.; Van Noort, Richard

2009-01-01

Oral and mucosal adverse reactions to resin-based dental materials have been reported. Numerous studies have examined the biocompatibility of restorative dental materials and their components, and a wide range of test systems for the evaluation of the biological effects of these materials have been developed. This article reviews the biological aspects of resin-based dental materials and discusses the conventional as well as the new techniques used for biocompatibility assessment of dental materials.

Second Wind: Bringing Good Coping Skills Materials to More Adult Students. Final Narrative Report [and] Coping Skills for Adults Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Educational Projects, Inc., Lancaster, PA.

This document consists of a narrative final project report and the project product, a new edition of five booklets in the "Coping with Crisis" series. The report describes the process of redesigning and repackaging existing adult basic education materials; comments from three students are given. The five booklets are as follows: (1)…

Evaluation of concrete patching materials : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-01-01

The project evaluated numerous repairs on portland cement concrete pavements and bridge decks made with a number of laboratory accepted, proprietary patching materials and portland cement concrete mixtures of different designs. It was ascertained tha...

[Alternative biological materials to detect prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse in the third trimester of pregnancy].

PubMed

García-Serra, J; Ramis, J; Simó, S; Joya, X; Pichini, S; Vall, O; García-Algar, O

2012-11-01

Detection of prenatal drug abuse exposure is essential to ensure an appropriate monitoring of affected children. A maternal questionnaire is not an efficient screening tool. The usefulness of maternal hair and meconium as biological materials to assess this exposure has been described in last few years. The aim of this study was to compare both these alternative biological materials for prenatal drug exposure detection in the third trimester of pregnancy, in order to assess its use as a screening tool. Between January and March 2010, samples of maternal hair and meconium from 107 mother-infant dyads were collected in Can Misses Hospital, Ibiza. The presence of opiates, cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamines, was determined in both materials, using standard chromatographic techniques. Maternal hair analysis showed a 15.9% positivity for drugs of abuse (17 cases): 11 cannabis, 7 cocaine, 1 cannabis and ecstasy, and 1 cannabis and cocaine. Only one mother reported cannabis consumption and another one, cocaine. Of the 7 cocaine positive cases in hair, 6 were confirmed in meconium analysis, while of 11 cannabis positive cases, only 3 were confirmed in meconium. Two different consumer profiles were defined: cocaine consumers and cannabis consumers (with only 2 cases of multiple drug use). The highest level of cocaine ever published was detected (1.582ng/g) in one case. This study reveals a high prevalence of drug abuse in this cohort during pregnancy. Improved screening methods may optimize prevention and monitoring of exposed infants. Maternal hair seems to be more sensitive than meconium to detect prenatal exposure to cannabis during the third trimester, so it might become a good screening tool. Copyright © 2011 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Nano- and microstructured materials for in vitro studies of the physiology of vascular cells

PubMed Central

Chen, Hao; Biela, Sarah A; Kaufmann, Dieter

2016-01-01

The extracellular environment of vascular cells in vivo is complex in its chemical composition, physical properties, and architecture. Consequently, it has been a great challenge to study vascular cell responses in vitro, either to understand their interaction with their native environment or to investigate their interaction with artificial structures such as implant surfaces. New procedures and techniques from materials science to fabricate bio-scaffolds and surfaces have enabled novel studies of vascular cell responses under well-defined, controllable culture conditions. These advancements are paving the way for a deeper understanding of vascular cell biology and materials–cell interaction. Here, we review previous work focusing on the interaction of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) with materials having micro- and nanostructured surfaces. We summarize fabrication techniques for surface topographies, materials, geometries, biochemical functionalization, and mechanical properties of such materials. Furthermore, various studies on vascular cell behavior and their biological responses to micro- and nanostructured surfaces are reviewed. Emphasis is given to studies of cell morphology and motility, cell proliferation, the cytoskeleton and cell-matrix adhesions, and signal transduction pathways of vascular cells. We finalize with a short outlook on potential interesting future studies. PMID:28144512

Piezo- and Flexoelectric Membrane Materials Underlie Fast Biological Motors in the Ear

PubMed Central

Breneman, Kathryn D.; Rabbitt, Richard D.

2010-01-01

The mammalian inner ear is remarkably sensitive to quiet sounds, exhibits over 100dB dynamic range, and has the exquisite ability to discriminate closely spaced tones even in the presence of noise. This performance is achieved, in part, through active mechanical amplification of vibrations by sensory hair cells within the inner ear. All hair cells are endowed with a bundle of motile microvilli, stereocilia, located at the apical end of the cell, and the more specialized outer hair cells (OHC’s) are also endowed with somatic electromotility responsible for changes in cell length in response to perturbations in membrane potential. Both hair bundle and somatic motors are known to feed energy into the mechanical vibrations in the inner ear. The biophysical origin and relative significance of the motors remains a subject of intense research. Several biological motors have been identified in hair cells that might underlie the motor(s), including a cousin of the classical ATP driven actin-myosin motor found in skeletal muscle. Hydrolysis of ATP, however, is much too slow to be viable at audio frequencies on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Heuristically, the OHC somatic motor behaves as if the OHC lateral wall membrane were a piezoelectric material and the hair bundle motor behaves as if the plasma membrane were a flexoelectric material. We propose these observations from a continuum materials perspective are literally true. To examine this idea, we formulated mathematical models of the OHC lateral wall “piezoelectric” motor and the more ubiquitous “flexoelectric” hair bundle motor. Plausible biophysical mechanisms underlying piezo- and flexoelectricity were established. Model predictions were compared extensively to the available data. The models were then applied to study the power conversion efficiency of the motors. Results show that the material properties of the complex membranes in hair cells provide them with the ability to convert electrical power available in

Do-it-yourself biology: challenges and promises for an open science and technology movement.

PubMed

Landrain, Thomas; Meyer, Morgan; Perez, Ariel Martin; Sussan, Remi

2013-09-01

The do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) community is emerging as a movement that fosters open access to resources permitting modern molecular biology, and synthetic biology among others. It promises in particular to be a source of cheaper and simpler solutions for environmental monitoring, personal diagnostic and the use of biomaterials. The successful growth of a global community of DIYbio practitioners will depend largely on enabling safe access to state-of-the-art molecular biology tools and resources. In this paper we analyze the rise of DIYbio, its community, its material resources and its applications. We look at the current projects developed for the international genetically engineered machine competition in order to get a sense of what amateur biologists can potentially create in their community laboratories over the coming years. We also show why and how the DIYbio community, in the context of a global governance development, is putting in place a safety/ethical framework for guarantying the pursuit of its activity. And finally we argue that the global spread of DIY biology potentially reconfigures and opens up access to biological information and laboratory equipment and that, therefore, it can foster new practices and transversal collaborations between professional scientists and amateurs.

[Valorization of biological resources in tumour libraries].

PubMed

Keelaghan, Thérèse

2006-01-01

The transfer and commercialization of biological materials, whether in the form of tumour samples, tissue samples or chemicals, and of the data base pertaining to such material have become a subject of considerable importance for both the private and public sectors involved in medical research. In order to fully appreciate and apprehend the process for the protection and the valuation of the transferred material, intellectual property law must be taken into account. As a result, a distinction is made between the tangible and intangible elements of the biological material and of the attached data base, thus providing the transferring entity the possibility to claim property rights to future intellectual property arising from the research regarding the transferred material. The transfer of biological material and attached data base without such contractual provisions can lead to the loss of this potential value as well as of physical and legal control over the material transferred by the providing entity. The intentions and the assumptions of the parties must be negotiated and written into terms of contract, at the risk of losing future value due to unexpressed assumptions concerning intangible property rights.

TEST BOOKLET FOR HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS FOR USE 1966-1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, Boulder, CO.

SUPPLEMENTARY TEST QUESTIONS FOR USE BY SECONDARY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM STUDY GREEN VERSION BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EXAMINATIONS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS EXPERIMENTAL MANUAL. THE ITEMS WERE PREPARED BY THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM STUDY TEST CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE IN RESPONSE TO TEACHER REQUESTS FOR SHORT-RANGE TESTS.…

Influence of different final irrigation regimens and various endodontic filling materials on vertical root fracture resistance.

PubMed

Sungur, D D; Altundasar, E; Uzunoglu, E; Yilmaz, Z

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different endodontic materials and final irrigation regimens on vertical root fracture (VRF) resistance. Eighty human teeth were prepared then assigned into two groups (n = 40) according to the final irrigations. G1: 5 mL, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), G2: 5 mL, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX). Each group was assigned into four subgroups according to the obturation system used (n = 10): A: iRoot SP/single gutta-percha cone (SGP), B: Only iRoot SP, C: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)-Fillapex/SGP, D: AH26/SGP. The specimens were embedded in acrylic molds and subjected to compressive loading at a rate of 1 mm min until VRF occurred. Data were analyzed via three-way ANOVA tests. The statistically significant difference was found among groups (P < 0.05). The G1A and G1B and G1D revealed significantly higher-VRF values than G1C (P = 0.023). The roots filled with MTA-Fillapex revealed lower-VRF values than the other subgroups (P < 0.05). Groups irrigated with NaOCl had significantly lower-VRF values than the groups irrigated with CHX (P < 0.05). Final irrigation regimens could alter VRF resistance of root canals filled with different obturation technique and root canal sealers.

The Default Mode Network Differentiates Biological From Non-Biological Motion

PubMed Central

Dayan, Eran; Sella, Irit; Mukovskiy, Albert; Douek, Yehonatan; Giese, Martin A.; Malach, Rafael; Flash, Tamar

2016-01-01

The default mode network (DMN) has been implicated in an array of social-cognitive functions, including self-referential processing, theory of mind, and mentalizing. Yet, the properties of the external stimuli that elicit DMN activity in relation to these domains remain unknown. Previous studies suggested that motion kinematics is utilized by the brain for social-cognitive processing. Here, we used functional MRI to examine whether the DMN is sensitive to parametric manipulations of observed motion kinematics. Preferential responses within core DMN structures differentiating non-biological from biological kinematics were observed for the motion of a realistically looking, human-like avatar, but not for an abstract object devoid of human form. Differences in connectivity patterns during the observation of biological versus non-biological kinematics were additionally observed. Finally, the results additionally suggest that the DMN is coupled more strongly with key nodes in the action observation network, namely the STS and the SMA, when the observed motion depicts human rather than abstract form. These findings are the first to implicate the DMN in the perception of biological motion. They may reflect the type of information used by the DMN in social-cognitive processing. PMID:25217472

Mass spectrometry in systems biology an introduction.

PubMed

Dunn, Warwick B

2011-01-01

The qualitative detection, quantification, and structural characterization of analytes in biological systems are important requirements for objectives to be fulfilled in systems biology research. One analytical tool applied to a multitude of systems biology studies is mass spectrometry, particularly for the study of proteins and metabolites. Here, the role of mass spectrometry in systems biology will be assessed, the advantages and disadvantages discussed, and the instrument configurations available described. Finally, general applications will be briefly reviewed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biological effects of emissions from resistance spot welding of zinc-coated material after controlled exposure of healthy human subjects.

PubMed

Gube, Monika; Kraus, Thomas; Lenz, Klaus; Reisgen, Uwe; Brand, Peter

2014-06-01

Do emissions from a resistance spot welding process of zinc-coated materials induce systemic inflammation in healthy subjects after exposure for 6 hours? Twelve healthy male subjects were exposed once for 6 hours either to filtered ambient air or to welding fume from resistance spot welding of zinc-coated material (mass concentration approximately 100 μg m). Biological effects were measured before, after, and 24 hours after exposure. At the concentrations used in this study, however, the suspected properties of ultrafine particles did not lead to systemic inflammation as reflected by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or other endpoint parameters under consideration. Ultrafine particles from a resistance spot welding process of zinc-covered materials with a number concentration of about 10 cm and a mass concentration of about 100 μg m did not induce systemic inflammation.

Biology Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1983

1983-01-01

Describes laboratory procedures, demonstrations, and classroom activities/materials, including water relation exercise on auxin-treated artichoke tuber tissue; aerobic respiration in yeast; an improved potometer; use of mobiles in biological classification, and experiments on powdery mildews and banana polyphenol oxidase. Includes reading lists…

Materials with structural hierarchy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakes, Roderic

1993-01-01

The role of structural hierarchy in determining bulk material properties is examined. Dense hierarchical materials are discussed, including composites and polycrystals, polymers, and biological materials. Hierarchical cellular materials are considered, including cellular solids and the prediction of strength and stiffness in hierarchical cellular materials.

Natural production of biological optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Seung Ho; Kim, Young L.

2015-03-01

Synthesis and production in nature often provide ideas to design and fabricate advanced biomimetic photonic materials and structures, leading to excellent physical properties and enhanced performance. In addition, the recognition and utilization of natural or biological substances have been typical routes to develop biocompatible and biodegradable materials for medical applications. In this respect, biological lasers utilizing such biomaterials and biostructures have been received considerable attention, given a variety of implications and potentials for bioimaging, biosensing, implantation, and therapy. However, without relying on industrial facilities, eco-friendly massive production of such optical components or systems has not yet been investigated. We show examples of bioproduction of biological lasers using agriculture and fisheries. We anticipate that such approaches will open new possibilities for scalable eco-friendly `green' production of biological photonics components and systems.

A non-resonant mass sensor to eliminate the "missing mass" effect during mass measurement of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrikanth, V.; Bobji, M. S.

2014-10-01

Resonant sensors and crystal oscillators for mass detection need to be excited at very high natural frequencies (MHz). Use of such systems to measure mass of biological materials affects the accuracy of mass measurement due to their viscous and/or viscoelastic properties. The measurement limitation of such sensor system is the difficulty in accounting for the "missing mass" of the biological specimen in question. A sensor system has been developed in this work, to be operated in the stiffness controlled region at very low frequencies as compared to its fundamental natural frequency. The resulting reduction in the sensitivity due to non-resonant mode of operation of this sensor is compensated by the high resolution of the sensor. The mass of different aged drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is measured. The difference in its mass measurement during resonant mode of operation is also presented. That, viscosity effects do not affect the working of this non-resonant mass sensor is clearly established by direct comparison.

Development of a candidate reference material for adventitious virus detection in vaccine and biologicals manufacturing by deep sequencing

PubMed Central

Mee, Edward T.; Preston, Mark D.; Minor, Philip D.; Schepelmann, Silke; Huang, Xuening; Nguyen, Jenny; Wall, David; Hargrove, Stacey; Fu, Thomas; Xu, George; Li, Li; Cote, Colette; Delwart, Eric; Li, Linlin; Hewlett, Indira; Simonyan, Vahan; Ragupathy, Viswanath; Alin, Voskanian-Kordi; Mermod, Nicolas; Hill, Christiane; Ottenwälder, Birgit; Richter, Daniel C.; Tehrani, Arman; Jacqueline, Weber-Lehmann; Cassart, Jean-Pol; Letellier, Carine; Vandeputte, Olivier; Ruelle, Jean-Louis; Deyati, Avisek; La Neve, Fabio; Modena, Chiara; Mee, Edward; Schepelmann, Silke; Preston, Mark; Minor, Philip; Eloit, Marc; Muth, Erika; Lamamy, Arnaud; Jagorel, Florence; Cheval, Justine; Anscombe, Catherine; Misra, Raju; Wooldridge, David; Gharbia, Saheer; Rose, Graham; Ng, Siemon H.S.; Charlebois, Robert L.; Gisonni-Lex, Lucy; Mallet, Laurent; Dorange, Fabien; Chiu, Charles; Naccache, Samia; Kellam, Paul; van der Hoek, Lia; Cotten, Matt; Mitchell, Christine; Baier, Brian S.; Sun, Wenping; Malicki, Heather D.

2016-01-01

Background Unbiased deep sequencing offers the potential for improved adventitious virus screening in vaccines and biotherapeutics. Successful implementation of such assays will require appropriate control materials to confirm assay performance and sensitivity. Methods A common reference material containing 25 target viruses was produced and 16 laboratories were invited to process it using their preferred adventitious virus detection assay. Results Fifteen laboratories returned results, obtained using a wide range of wet-lab and informatics methods. Six of 25 target viruses were detected by all laboratories, with the remaining viruses detected by 4–14 laboratories. Six non-target viruses were detected by three or more laboratories. Conclusion The study demonstrated that a wide range of methods are currently used for adventitious virus detection screening in biological products by deep sequencing and that they can yield significantly different results. This underscores the need for common reference materials to ensure satisfactory assay performance and enable comparisons between laboratories. PMID:26709640

Promotional materials clearinghouse, year 5 final report 2001-2002

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-10-01

The Promotional Materials Clearinghouse is a participant-driven undertaking. All materials currently archived at the Clearinghouse were solicited from transit systems and transportation demand management (TDM) agencies nationwide with marketing manag...

Bristol Bay Assessment - Final Report (2014)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This is the final Bristol Bay assessment developed and peer reviewed by the Office of Research and Development in EPA. The purpose of this assessment is to provide a characterization of the biological and mineral resources of the Bristol Bay watershed.

Global Biology Research Program: Program plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Biological processes which play a dominant role in these cycles which transform and transfer much of this material throughout the biosphere are examined. A greater understanding of planetary biological processes as revealed by the interaction of the biota and the environment. The rationale, scope, research strategy, and research priorities of the global biology is presented.

Chemically-functionalized microcantilevers for detection of chemical, biological and explosive material

DOEpatents

Pinnaduwage, Lal A [Knoxville, TN; Thundat, Thomas G [Knoxville, TN; Brown, Gilbert M [Knoxville, TN; Hawk, John Eric [Olive Branch, MS; Boiadjiev, Vassil I [Knoxville, TN

2007-04-24

A chemically functionalized cantilever system has a cantilever coated on one side thereof with a reagent or biological species which binds to an analyte. The system is of particular value when the analyte is a toxic chemical biological warfare agent or an explosive.

[Fundamental biological model for trials of wound ballistics].

PubMed

Krajsa, J; Hirt, M

2006-10-01

The aim of our experiment was the testing of effects of common ammunition on usable and slightly accessible biological tissue thereby to create fundamental simple biological model for trials of wounded ballistic. Like objective tissue was elected biological material - pork and beef hind-limbs, pork head, pork bodily cavity. It was discovered that objective tissue is able to react to singles types of shots in all spectrum results namely simple smooth penetration wound as well as splintery fracture in dependence on kind of using ammunition. Pork hind-limb was evaluated like the most suitable biological material for given object.

Economic impact profiling of CBRN events: focusing on biological incidents.

PubMed

Cavallini, Simona; Bisogni, Fabio; Mastroianni, Marco

2014-12-01

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, both caused accidentally by human error or natural/technological events and determined intentionally as criminal/malicious/terroristic acts, have consequences that could be differently characterized. In the last years many efforts to analyze the economic impact of terrorist threat have been carried out, while researches specifically concerning CBRN events have not been extensively undertaken. This paper in particular aims at proposing a methodological approach for studying macro-level economic impact profiles of biological incidents caused by weaponized and non-weaponized materials. The suggested approach investigates the economic consequences of biological incidents according to two main dimensions: type of large-scale effect and persistence of effect. Biological incident economic impacts are analyzed taking into account the persistence of effect during time as short-term impact (i.e. immediately after the incident), medium-term impact (i.e. by a month) and long-term impact (i.e. by years). The costs due to preventive countermeasure against biological threats (e.g. prevention, protection and preparedness expenses) are not taken into account. To this purpose, information on the key features of past biological incidents can be used as case studies to try to build impact profiles taking into account the proposed two main dimensions. Consequence management and effect mitigation of CBRN emergencies and disasters may benefit from an ex ante definition of the impact profiling related to this kind of incidents. The final goal of this paper is to define an approach to organize information on possible biological events according to their impact profile for supporting more effective and efficient first responders' prompt actions and policy makers' strategic decisions after the event occurrence.

Ferromagnetic resonance for the quantification of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in biological materials

PubMed Central

Gamarra, Lionel F; daCosta-Filho, Antonio J; Mamani, Javier B; de Cassia Ruiz, Rita; Pavon, Lorena F; Sibov, Tatiana T; Vieira, Ernanni D; Silva, André C; Pontuschka, Walter M; Amaro, Edson

2010-01-01

The aim of the present work is the presentation of a quantification methodology for the control of the amount of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) administered in biological materials by means of the ferromagnetic resonance technique (FMR) applied to studies both in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo study consisted in the analysis of the elimination and biodistribution kinetics of SPIONs after intravenous administration in Wistar rats. The results were corroborated by X-ray fluorescence. For the in vitro study, a quantitative analysis of the concentration of SPIONs bound to the specific AC133 monoclonal antibodies was carried out in order to detect the expression of the antigenic epitopes (CD133) in stem cells from human umbilical cord blood. In both studies FMR has proven to be an efficient technique for the SPIONs quantification per volume unit (in vivo) or per labeled cell (in vitro). PMID:20463936

The road not taken: Applications of fluorescence spectroscopy and electronic structure theory to systems of materials and biological relevance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, Philip Joseph

Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Electronic Structure Theory to Systems of Materials and Biological Relevance. The photophysics of curcumin was studied in micelles and the solvation dynamics were probed. The high-energy ionic liquid HEATN was also studied using the fragment molecular orbital method. The solvation dynamics of the HEATN system were determined. This marks the first study of the solvation dynamics in a triazolium ionic liquid system.

Marine Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewees, Christopher M.; Hooper, Jon K.

1976-01-01

A variety of informational material for a course in marine biology or oceanology at the secondary level is presented. Among the topics discussed are: food webs and pyramids, planktonic blooms, marine life, plankton nets, food chains, phytoplankton, zooplankton, larval plankton and filter feeders. (BT)

Cell-based composite materials with programmed structures and functions

DOEpatents

None

2016-03-01

The present invention is directed to the use of silicic acid to transform biological materials, including cellular architecture into inorganic materials to provide biocomposites (nanomaterials) with stabilized structure and function. In the present invention, there has been discovered a means to stabilize the structure and function of biological materials, including cells, biomolecules, peptides, proteins (especially including enzymes), lipids, lipid vesicles, polysaccharides, cytoskeletal filaments, tissue and organs with silicic acid such that these materials may be used as biocomposites. In many instances, these materials retain their original biological activity and may be used in harsh conditions which would otherwise destroy the integrity of the biological material. In certain instances, these biomaterials may be storage stable for long periods of time and reconstituted after storage to return the biological material back to its original form. In addition, by exposing an entire cell to form CSCs, the CSCs may function to provide a unique system to study enzymes or a cascade of enzymes which are otherwise unavailable.

Cell-based composite materials with programmed structures and functions

DOEpatents

Kaehr, Bryan J.; Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Townson, Jason L.

2018-05-15

The present invention is directed to the use of silicic acid to transform biological materials, including cellular architecture into inorganic materials to provide biocomposites (nanomaterials) with stabilized structure and function. In the present invention, there has been discovered a means to stabilize the structure and function of biological materials, including cells, biomolecules, peptides, proteins (especially including enzymes), lipids, lipid vesicles, polysaccharides, cytoskeletal filaments, tissue and organs with silicic acid such that these materials may be used as biocomposites. In many instances, these materials retain their original biological activity and may be used in harsh conditions which would otherwise destroy the integrity of the biological material. In certain instances, these biomaterials may be storage stable for long periods of time and reconstituted after storage to return the biological material back to its original form. In addition, by exposing an entire cell to form CSCs, the CSCs may function to provide a unique system to study enzymes or a cascade of enzymes which are otherwise unavailable.

Final report on CCQM-K80: Comparison of value-assigned CRMs and PT materials: Creatinine in human serum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camara, Johanna E.; Duewer, David L.; Gasca Aragon, Hugo; Lippa, Katrice A.; Toman, Blaza

2013-01-01

regression was used to establish the key comparison reference function (KCRF) relating the assigned values to the repeatability measurements. Parametric bootstrap Monte Carlo was used to estimate 95% level-of-confidence coverage intervals for the degrees of equivalence of materials, d +/- U95(d), and of the participating NMIs, D +/- U95(D). Because of the wide range of creatinine mass fraction in the materials, these degrees of equivalence are expressed in percent relative form: %d +/- U95(%d) and %D +/- U95(%D). On the basis of leave-one-out cross-validation, the assigned values for 16 of the 17 materials were deemed equivalent at the 95% level of confidence. These materials were used to define the KCRF. The excluded material was identified as having a marginally underestimated assigned uncertainty, giving it large and potentially anomalous influence on the KCRF. However, this material's %d of 1.4 +/- 1.5 indicates that it is equivalent with the other materials at the 95% level of confidence. The median |%d| for all 17 of the materials is 0.3 with a median U95(%d) of 1.9. All of these higher-order CRMs for creatinine in human serum are equivalent within their assigned uncertainties. The median |%D| for the participating NMIs is 0.3 with a median U95(%D) of 2.1. These results demonstrate that all participating NMIs have the ability to correctly value-assign CRMs and proficiency test materials for creatinine in human serum and similar measurands. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Raw materials in the manufacture of biotechnology products: regulatory considerations.

PubMed

Cordoba-Rodriguez, Ruth

2010-01-01

The Food and Drug Administration's Pharmaceutical cGMPs for the 21st Century initiative emphasizes science and risk-based approaches in the manufacture of drugs. These approaches are reflected in the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidances ICH Q8, Q9, and Q10 and encourage a comprehensive assessment of the manufacture of a biologic, including all aspects of manufacture that have the potential to affect the finished drug product. Appropriate assessment and management of raw materials are an important part of this initiative. Ideally, a raw materials program should strive to assess and minimize the risk to product quality. With this in mind, risk-assessment concepts and control strategies will be discussed and illustrated by examples, with an emphasis on the impact of raw materials on cell substrates. Finally, the life cycle of the raw material will be considered, including its potential to affect the drug product life cycle. In this framework, the supply chain and the vendor-manufacturer relationship will be explored as important parts of an adequate raw materials control strategy.

From cells to embryos: the application of femtosecond laser pulses for altering cellular material in complex biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohli, V.; Elezzabi, A. Y.

2008-02-01

We report the application of high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses as a novel tool for manipulating biological specimens. When femtosecond laser pulses were focused to a near diffraction-limited focal spot, cellular material within the laser focal volume was surgically ablated. Several dissection cuts were made in the membrane of live mammalian cells, and membrane surgery was accomplished without inducing cell collapse or disassociation. By altering how the laser pulses were applied, focal adhesions joining live epithelial cells were surgically removed, resulting in single cell isolation. To further examine the versatility of this reported tool, cells were transiently permeabilized for introducing foreign material into the cytoplasm of live mammalian cells. Localizing focused femtosecond laser pulses on the biological membrane resulted in the formation of transient pores, which were harnessed as a pathway for the delivery of exogenous material. Individual mammalian cells were permeabilized in the presence of a hyperosmotic cryoprotective disaccharide. Material delivery was confirmed by measuring the volumetric response of cells permeabilized in 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 M cryoprotective sugar. The survival of permeabilized cells in increasing osmolarity of sugar was assessed using a membrane integrity assay. Further demonstrating the novelty of this reported tool, laser surgery of an aquatic embryo, the zebrafish (Danio rerio), was also performed. Utilizing the transient pores that were formed in the embryonic cells of the zebrafish embryo, an exogenous fluorescent probe FITC, Streptavidin-conjugated quantum dots or plasmid DNA (sCMV) encoding EGFP was introduced into the developing embryonic cells. To determine if the laser induced any short- or long-term effects on development, laser-manipulated embryos were reared to 2 and 7 days post-fertilization and compared to control embryos at the same developmental stages. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy

Assessing safety of extractables from materials and leachables in pharmaceuticals and biologics - Current challenges and approaches.

PubMed

Broschard, Thomas H; Glowienke, Susanne; Bruen, Uma S; Nagao, Lee M; Teasdale, Andrew; Stults, Cheryl L M; Li, Kim L; Iciek, Laurie A; Erexson, Greg; Martin, Elizabeth A; Ball, Douglas J

2016-11-01

Leachables from pharmaceutical container closure systems can present potential safety risks to patients. Extractables studies may be performed as a risk mitigation activity to identify potential leachables for dosage forms with a high degree of concern associated with the route of administration. To address safety concerns, approaches to toxicological safety evaluation of extractables and leachables have been developed and applied by pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturers. Details of these approaches may differ depending on the nature of the final drug product. These may include application, the formulation, route of administration and length of use. Current regulatory guidelines and industry standards provide general guidance on compound specific safety assessments but do not provide a comprehensive approach to safety evaluations of leachables and/or extractables. This paper provides a perspective on approaches to safety evaluations by reviewing and applying general concepts and integrating key steps in the toxicological evaluation of individual extractables or leachables. These include application of structure activity relationship studies, development of permitted daily exposure (PDE) values, and use of safety threshold concepts. Case studies are provided. The concepts presented seek to encourage discussion in the scientific community, and are not intended to represent a final opinion or "guidelines." Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biology Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1984

1984-01-01

Presents information on the teaching of nutrition (including new information relating to many current O-level syllabi) and part 16 of a reading list for A- and S-level biology. Also includes a note on using earthworms as a source of material for teaching meiosis. (JN)

On the Use of Machine Learning Techniques for the Mechanical Characterization of Soft Biological Tissues.

PubMed

Cilla, M; Pérez-Rey, I; Martínez, M A; Peña, Estefania; Martínez, Javier

2018-06-23

Motivated by the search for new strategies for fitting a material model, a new approach is explored in the present work. The use of numerical and complex algorithms based on machine learning techniques such as support vector machines for regression, bagged decision trees and artificial neural networks is proposed for solving the parameter identification of constitutive laws for soft biological tissues. First, the mathematical tools were trained with analytical uniaxial data (circumferential and longitudinal directions) as inputs, and their corresponding material parameters of the Gasser, Ogden and Holzapfel strain energy function as outputs. The train and test errors show great efficiency during the training process in finding correlations between inputs and outputs; besides, the correlation coefficients were very close to 1. Second, the tool was validated with unseen observations of analytical circumferential and longitudinal uniaxial data. The results show an excellent agreement between the prediction of the material parameters of the SEF and the analytical curves. Finally, data from real circumferential and longitudinal uniaxial tests on different cardiovascular tissues were fitted, thus the material model of these tissues was predicted. We found that the method was able to consistently identify model parameters, and we believe that the use of these numerical tools could lead to an improvement in the characterization of soft biological tissues. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Designing synthetic biology.

PubMed

Agapakis, Christina M

2014-03-21

Synthetic biology is frequently defined as the application of engineering design principles to biology. Such principles are intended to streamline the practice of biological engineering, to shorten the time required to design, build, and test synthetic gene networks. This streamlining of iterative design cycles can facilitate the future construction of biological systems for a range of applications in the production of fuels, foods, materials, and medicines. The promise of these potential applications as well as the emphasis on design has prompted critical reflection on synthetic biology from design theorists and practicing designers from many fields, who can bring valuable perspectives to the discipline. While interdisciplinary connections between biologists and engineers have built synthetic biology via the science and the technology of biology, interdisciplinary collaboration with artists, designers, and social theorists can provide insight on the connections between technology and society. Such collaborations can open up new avenues and new principles for research and design, as well as shed new light on the challenging context-dependence-both biological and social-that face living technologies at many scales. This review is inspired by the session titled "Design and Synthetic Biology: Connecting People and Technology" at Synthetic Biology 6.0 and covers a range of literature on design practice in synthetic biology and beyond. Critical engagement with how design is used to shape the discipline opens up new possibilities for how we might design the future of synthetic biology.

A Management Workshop for Institutional Administrators in Optometric and Podiatric Education. Final Report and Compendium of Presentation Papers and Related Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Lee W.; Muntone, John C.

A final report and compendium of presentation papers and related materials on a management workshop for institutional administrators in optometric and podiatric education is presented. Place and dates of the workshop are listed as are the participants, and the program agenda is provided. A synopsis of the curriculum content of the workshop…

Laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for direct profiling and imaging of small molecules from raw biological materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cha, Sangwon

2008-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization(MALDI) mass spectrometry(MS) has been widely used for analysis of biological molecules, especially macromolecules such as proteins. However, MALDI MS has a problem in small molecule (less than 1 kDa) analysis because of the signal saturation by organic matrixes in the low mass region. In imaging MS (IMS), inhomogeneous surface formation due to the co-crystallization process by organic MALDI matrixes limits the spatial resolution of the mass spectral image. Therefore, to make laser desorption/ionization (LDI) MS more suitable for mass spectral profiling and imaging of small molecules directly from raw biological tissues, LDI MS protocols with various alternativemore » assisting materials were developed and applied to many biological systems of interest. Colloidal graphite was used as a matrix for IMS of small molecules for the first time and methodologies for analyses of small metabolites in rat brain tissues, fruits, and plant tissues were developed. With rat brain tissues, the signal enhancement for cerebroside species by colloidal graphite was observed and images of cerebrosides were successfully generated by IMS. In addition, separation of isobaric lipid ions was performed by imaging tandem MS. Directly from Arabidopsis flowers, flavonoids were successfully profiled and heterogeneous distribution of flavonoids in petals was observed for the first time by graphite-assisted LDI(GALDI) IMS.« less

Interactive Biology[TM] Multimedia Courseware Series. [CD-ROM].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

Interactive Biology Multimedia Courseware is an on-going project, with new titles continually under development. Currently, Interactive Biology includes 38 biological titles on CD-ROM for Macintosh and IBM-compatible systems. Each title deals with a specific biological subject and provides in-depth, comprehensive course material for the 9th grade…

Improved Spacecraft Materials for Radiation Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Tripathi, Ram K.; Clowdsley, M. S.; Shinn, J. L.; Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; Thibeault, Sheila Ann; Kim, M.-H. Y.; Heinbockel, John H.; Badhwar, Gautam D.

2001-01-01

Methods by which radiation shielding is optimized need to be developed and materials of improved shielding characteristics identified and validated. The galactic cosmic rays (GCR) are very penetrating and the energy absorbed by the astronaut behind the shield is nearly independent of shield composition and even the shield thickness. However, the mix of particles in the transmitted beam changes rapidly with shield material composition and thickness. This results in part from the breakup of the high-energy heavy ions of the GCR which make contributions to biological effects out of proportion to their deposited energy. So the mixture of particles in the radiation field changes with shielding and the control of risk contributions from dominant particle types is critical to reducing the hazard to the astronaut. The risk of biological injury for a given particle type depends on the type of biological effect and is specific to cell or tissue type. Thus, one is faced with choosing materials which may protect a given tissue against a given effect but leave unchanged or even increase the risk of other effects in the same tissue or increase the risks to other adjacent tissues of a different type in the same individual. The optimization of shield composition will then be tied to a specific tissue and risk to that tissue. Such peculiarities arise from the complicated mixture of particles, the nature of their biological response, and the details of their interaction with material constituents. Aside from the understanding of the biological response to specific components, one also needs an accurate understanding of the radiation emerging from the shield material. This latter subject has been a principal element of this project. In the past ten years our understanding of space radiation interactions with materials has changed radically, with a large impact on shield design. For example, the NCRP estimated that only 2 g/sq cm. of aluminum would be required to meet the annual 500 m

The Default Mode Network Differentiates Biological From Non-Biological Motion.

PubMed

Dayan, Eran; Sella, Irit; Mukovskiy, Albert; Douek, Yehonatan; Giese, Martin A; Malach, Rafael; Flash, Tamar

2016-01-01

The default mode network (DMN) has been implicated in an array of social-cognitive functions, including self-referential processing, theory of mind, and mentalizing. Yet, the properties of the external stimuli that elicit DMN activity in relation to these domains remain unknown. Previous studies suggested that motion kinematics is utilized by the brain for social-cognitive processing. Here, we used functional MRI to examine whether the DMN is sensitive to parametric manipulations of observed motion kinematics. Preferential responses within core DMN structures differentiating non-biological from biological kinematics were observed for the motion of a realistically looking, human-like avatar, but not for an abstract object devoid of human form. Differences in connectivity patterns during the observation of biological versus non-biological kinematics were additionally observed. Finally, the results additionally suggest that the DMN is coupled more strongly with key nodes in the action observation network, namely the STS and the SMA, when the observed motion depicts human rather than abstract form. These findings are the first to implicate the DMN in the perception of biological motion. They may reflect the type of information used by the DMN in social-cognitive processing. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tropical Biological Drawings with Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchelmore, June A.

The annotated illustrations of biological specimens useful for illustrating the "tropical" topics dealt with in African secondary school biology courses are designed to serve a two-fold purpose. The diagrams are intended to show the pupil the structures he should be looking for in his laboratory work, with the textual material being an…

Thermoelectric needle probe for temperature measurements in biological materials.

PubMed

Korn, U; Rav-Noy, Z; Shtrikman, S; Zafrir, M

1980-04-01

In certain biological and medical applications it is important to measure and follow temperature changes inside a body or tissue. Any probe inserted into a tissue causes damage to tissue and distortion to the initial temperature distribution. To minimize this interference, a fine probe is needed. Thus, thin film technology is advantageous and was utilized by us to produce sensitive probes for these applications. The resulting probe is a small thermocouple at the tip of a thin needle (acupuncture stainless steel needle, approximately 0.26 mm in diameter and length in the range 5-10 cm was used). The junction was produced at the needle's tip by coating the needle with thin layers of insulating and thermoelectric materials. The first layer is an insulating one and is composed of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polymide produced by plasma polymerization and dip-coating respectively. This layer covers all the needle except the tip. The second layer is a vacuum deposited thermoelectric thin layer of Bi-5% Sb alloy coating also the tip. The third layer is for insulation and protection and is composed of PAN and polyimide. In this arrangement the junction is at the needle's tip, the needle is one conductor, the thermoelectric layer is the other and they are isolated by the plastic layer. The probe is handy and mechanically sturdy. The sensitivity is typically 77 microV/degrees C at room temperature and is constant to within 2% up to 90 degrees C. The response is fast (less than 1 sec) the noise is small, (less than 0.05 degrees C) and because of the small dimension, damage to tissue and disturbance to the measured temperature field are minimal.

Processing and properties of Titanium alloy based materials with tailored porosity and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabezas-Villa, Jose Luis; Olmos, Luis; Lemus-Ruiz, Jose; Bouvard, Didier; Chavez, Jorge; Jimenez, Omar; Manuel Solorio, Victor

2017-06-01

This paper deals with powder processing of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy based materials with tailored porosity and composition. Ti6Al4V powder was mixed either with salt particles acting as space holder, so as to provide two-scale porosity, or with hard TiN particles that significantly modified the microstructure of the material and increased its hardness. Finally an original three-layer component was produced. Sample microstructure was observed by SEM and micro-tomography with special interest in pore size and shape, inclusion distribution and connectivity. Compression tests provided elastic modulus and yield stress as functions of density. These materials are representative of bone implants subjected to complex biological and mechanical conditions. These results thus open avenues for processing personalized implants by powder metallurgy.

Potentials of biological oxidation processes for the treatment of spent sulfidic caustics containing thiols.

PubMed

Sipma, Jan; Svitelskaya, Anna; van der Mark, Bart; Pol, Look W Hulshoff; Lettinga, Gatze; Buisman, Cees J N; Janssen, Albert J H

2004-12-01

This research focused on the biological treatment of sulfidic spent caustics from refineries, which contain mainly hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol (MT) and ethanethiol (ET). Also various organic compounds can be present such as BTEX. Biological oxidation of 2.5 mM MT in batch experiments occurred after MT was first auto-oxidized into dimethyldisulfide (DMDS) whereafter oxidation into sulfate was completed in 350 h. DMDS as sole substrate was completely oxidized within 40 h. Therefore, DMDS formation seems to play an important role in detoxification of MT. Biological oxidation of ET and buthanethiol was not successful in batch experiments. Complete oxidation of MT and ET was observed in flow-through reactor experiments. Simultaneous oxidation of sulfide and MT was achieved when treating a synthetic spent caustic, containing 10 mM sulfide and 2.5 mM MT, in a bubble column reactor with carrier material at a hydraulic retention time of 6 h. Addition of 7.5 mM phenol, a common pollutant of spent caustics, did not adversely affect the biological oxidation process and phenol was completely removed from the effluent. Finally, three different spent caustics solutions from refineries were successfully treated.

Structure-Based Design of Functional Amyloid Materials

DOE PAGES

Li, Dan; Jones, Eric M.; Sawaya, Michael R.; ...

2014-12-04

We report that amyloid fibers, once exclusively associated with disease, are acquiring utility as a class of biological nanomaterials. We introduce a method that utilizes the atomic structures of amyloid peptides, to design materials with versatile applications. As a model application, we designed amyloid fibers capable of capturing carbon dioxide from flue gas, to address the global problem of excess anthropogenic carbon dioxide. By measuring dynamic separation of carbon dioxide from nitrogen, we show that fibers with designed amino acid sequences double the carbon dioxide binding capacity of the previously reported fiber formed by VQIVYK from Tau protein. In amore » second application, we designed fibers that facilitate retroviral gene transfer. Finally, by measuring lentiviral transduction, we show that designed fibers exceed the efficiency of polybrene, a commonly used enhancer of transduction. The same procedures can be adapted to the design of countless other amyloid materials with a variety of properties and uses.« less

Micro-processing of polymers and biological materials using high repetition rate femtosecond laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Li

has been observed in or around the laser-induced refractive index modification regions. These results support the notion that femtosecond laser micro-processing method may be an excellent means of altering the refraction or higher order aberration content of corneal tissue without cell death and short-term tissue damage, and has been named as Intra-tissue Refractive Index Shaping (IRIS). The femtosecond laser micro-processing workstation has also been employed for laser transfection of single defined cells. Some preliminary results suggest that this method can be used to trace individual cells and record their biological and morphological evolution, which is quite promising in many biomedical applications especially in immunology science. In conclusion, high repetition rate femtosecond laser micro-processing has been employed to fabricate microstructures in ophthalmological hydrogels and ocular tissues. Its unique three-dimensional capability over transparent materials and biological media makes it a powerful tool and will greatly impact the future of laser material-processing.

Protein-Based Drug-Delivery Materials

PubMed Central

Jao, Dave; Xue, Ye; Medina, Jethro; Hu, Xiao

2017-01-01

There is a pressing need for long-term, controlled drug release for sustained treatment of chronic or persistent medical conditions and diseases. Guided drug delivery is difficult because therapeutic compounds need to survive numerous transport barriers and binding targets throughout the body. Nanoscale protein-based polymers are increasingly used for drug and vaccine delivery to cross these biological barriers and through blood circulation to their molecular site of action. Protein-based polymers compared to synthetic polymers have the advantages of good biocompatibility, biodegradability, environmental sustainability, cost effectiveness and availability. This review addresses the sources of protein-based polymers, compares the similarity and differences, and highlights characteristic properties and functionality of these protein materials for sustained and controlled drug release. Targeted drug delivery using highly functional multicomponent protein composites to guide active drugs to the site of interest will also be discussed. A systematical elucidation of drug-delivery efficiency in the case of molecular weight, particle size, shape, morphology, and porosity of materials will then be demonstrated to achieve increased drug absorption. Finally, several important biomedical applications of protein-based materials with drug-delivery function—including bone healing, antibiotic release, wound healing, and corneal regeneration, as well as diabetes, neuroinflammation and cancer treatments—are summarized at the end of this review. PMID:28772877

Protein-Based Drug-Delivery Materials.

PubMed

Jao, Dave; Xue, Ye; Medina, Jethro; Hu, Xiao

2017-05-09

There is a pressing need for long-term, controlled drug release for sustained treatment of chronic or persistent medical conditions and diseases. Guided drug delivery is difficult because therapeutic compounds need to survive numerous transport barriers and binding targets throughout the body. Nanoscale protein-based polymers are increasingly used for drug and vaccine delivery to cross these biological barriers and through blood circulation to their molecular site of action. Protein-based polymers compared to synthetic polymers have the advantages of good biocompatibility, biodegradability, environmental sustainability, cost effectiveness and availability. This review addresses the sources of protein-based polymers, compares the similarity and differences, and highlights characteristic properties and functionality of these protein materials for sustained and controlled drug release. Targeted drug delivery using highly functional multicomponent protein composites to guide active drugs to the site of interest will also be discussed. A systematical elucidation of drug-delivery efficiency in the case of molecular weight, particle size, shape, morphology, and porosity of materials will then be demonstrated to achieve increased drug absorption. Finally, several important biomedical applications of protein-based materials with drug-delivery function-including bone healing, antibiotic release, wound healing, and corneal regeneration, as well as diabetes, neuroinflammation and cancer treatments-are summarized at the end of this review.

Synthetic Biology for Specialty Chemicals.

PubMed

Markham, Kelly A; Alper, Hal S

2015-01-01

In this review, we address recent advances in the field of synthetic biology and describe how those tools have been applied to produce a wide variety of chemicals in microorganisms. Here we classify the expansion of the synthetic biology toolbox into three different categories based on their primary function in strain engineering-for design, for construction, and for optimization. Next, focusing on recent years, we look at how chemicals have been produced using these new synthetic biology tools. Advances in producing fuels are briefly described, followed by a more thorough treatment of commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Throughout this review, an emphasis is placed on how synthetic biology tools are applied to strain engineering. Finally, we discuss organism and host strain diversity and provide a future outlook in the field.

Decontamination of chemical and biological warfare agents with a single multi-functional material.

PubMed

Amitai, Gabi; Murata, Hironobu; Andersen, Jill D; Koepsel, Richard R; Russell, Alan J

2010-05-01

We report the synthesis of new polymers based on a dimethylacrylamide-methacrylate (DMAA-MA) co-polymer backbone that support both chemical and biological agent decontamination. Polyurethanes containing the redox enzymes glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase can convert halide ions into active halogens and exert striking bactericidal activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. New materials combining those biopolymers with a family of N-alkyl 4-pyridinium aldoxime (4-PAM) halide-acrylate co-polymers offer both nucleophilic activity for the detoxification of organophosphorus nerve agents and internal sources of halide ions for generation of biocidal activity. Generation of free bromine and iodine was observed in the combined material resulting in bactericidal activity of the enzymatically formed free halogens that caused complete kill of E. coli (>6 log units reduction) within 1 h at 37 degrees C. Detoxification of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) by the polyDMAA MA-4-PAM iodide component was dose-dependent reaching 85% within 30 min. A subset of 4-PAM-halide co-polymers was designed to serve as a controlled release reservoir for N-hydroxyethyl 4-PAM (HE 4-PAM) molecules that reactivate nerve agent-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Release rates for HE 4-PAM were consistent with hydrolysis of the HE 4-PAM from the polymer backbone. The HE 4-PAM that was released from the polymer reactivated DFP-inhibited AChE at a similar rate to the oxime antidote 4-PAM. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tunable structural color in organisms and photonic materials for design of bioinspired materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudouzi, Hiroshi

2011-12-01

In this paper, the key topics of tunable structural color in biology and material science are overviewed. Color in biology is considered for selected groups of tropical fish, octopus, squid and beetle. It is caused by nanoplates in iridophores and varies with their spacing, tilting angle and refractive index. These examples may provide valuable hints for the bioinspired design of photonic materials. 1D multilayer films and 3D colloidal crystals with tunable structural color are overviewed from the viewpoint of advanced materials. The tunability of structural color by swelling and strain is demonstrated on an example of opal composites.

Tunable structural color in organisms and photonic materials for design of bioinspired materials

PubMed Central

Fudouzi, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

In this paper, the key topics of tunable structural color in biology and material science are overviewed. Color in biology is considered for selected groups of tropical fish, octopus, squid and beetle. It is caused by nanoplates in iridophores and varies with their spacing, tilting angle and refractive index. These examples may provide valuable hints for the bioinspired design of photonic materials. 1D multilayer films and 3D colloidal crystals with tunable structural color are overviewed from the viewpoint of advanced materials. The tunability of structural color by swelling and strain is demonstrated on an example of opal composites. PMID:27877454

Collaborative Research. Fundamental Science of Low Temperature Plasma-Biological Material Interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graves, David Barry; Oehrlein, Gottlieb

2014-09-01

work at atmospheric pressure using several types of low temperature plasma sources, for which radical induced interactions generally dominate due to short mean free paths of ions and VUV photons. For these conditions we demonstrated the importance of environmental interactions when atmospheric pressure plasma sources are used to modify biomolecules. This is evident from both gas phase characterization data and in-situ surface characterization of treated biomolecules. Environmental interactions can produce unexpected outcomes due to the complexity of reactions of reactive species with the atmosphere which determines the composition of reactive fluxes and atomistic changes of biomolecules. Overall, this work clarified a richer spectrum of scientific opportunities and challenges for the field of low temperature plasma-biomolecule surface interactions than initially anticipated, in particular for plasma sources operating at atmospheric pressure. The insights produced in this work, e.g. demonstration of the importance of environmental interactions, are generally important for applications of APP to materials modifications. Thus one major contributions of this research has been the establishment of methodologies to more systematically study the interaction of plasma with bio-molecules. In particular, our studies of atmospheric pressure plasma sources using very well-defined experimental conditions enabled to combine atomistic surface modifications of biomolecules with changes in their biological function. The clarification of the role of ions, VUV photons and radicals in deactivation of biomolecules during low pressure and atmospheric pressure plasma-biomolecule interaction has broad implications, e.g. for the emerging field of plasma medicine. The development of methods to detect the effects of plasma treatment on immune-active biomolecules will be helpful in many future studies.« less

New Methods of Simulation of Mn(II) EPR Spectra: Single Crystals, Polycrystalline and Amorphous (Biological) Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Sushil K.

Biological systems exhibit properties of amorphous materials. The Mn(II) ion in amorphous materials is characterized by distributions of spin-Hamiltonian parameters around mean values. It has a certain advantage over other ions, being one of the most abundant elements on the earth. The extent to which living organisms utilize manganese varies from one organism to the other. There is a fairly high concentration of the Mn(II) ion in green plants, which use it in the O2 evolution reaction of photosynthesis (Sauer, 1980). Structure-reactivity relationships in Mn(II)-O2 complexes are given in a review article by Coleman and Taylor (1980). Manganese is a trace requirement in animal nutrition; highly elevated levels of manganese in the diet can be toxic, probably because of an interference with iron homeostasis (Underwood, 1971). On the other hand, animals raised with a dietary deficiency of manganese exhibit severe abnormalities in connective tissue; these problems have been attributed to the obligatory role of Mn(II) in mucopolysaccharide metabolism (Leach, 1971). Mn(II) has been detected unequivocally in living organisms.

Hidden biodiversity in entomological collections: The overlooked co-occurrence of dipteran and hymenopteran ant parasitoids in stored biological material.

PubMed

Pérez-Lachaud, Gabriela; Lachaud, Jean-Paul

2017-01-01

Biological collections around the world are the repository of biodiversity on Earth; they also hold a large quantity of unsorted, unidentified, or misidentified material and can house behavioral information on species that are difficult to access or no longer available to science. Among the unsorted, alcohol-preserved material stored in the Formicidae Collection of the 'El Colegio de la Frontera Sur' Research Center (Chetumal, Mexico), we found nine colonies of the ponerine ant Neoponera villosa, that had been collected in bromeliads at Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico) in 1999. Ants and their brood were revised for the presence of any sign of parasitism. Cocoons were dissected and their content examined under a stereomicroscope. Six N. villosa prepupae had been attacked by the ectoparasitoid syrphid fly Hypselosyrphus trigonus Hull (Syrphidae: Microdontinae), to date the only known dipteran species of the Microdontinae with a parasitoid lifestyle. In addition, six male pupae from three colonies contained gregarious endoparasitoid wasps. These were specialized in parasitizing this specific host caste as no gyne or worker pupae displayed signs of having been attacked. Only immature stages (larvae and pupae) of the wasp could be obtained. Due to the long storage period, DNA amplification failed; however, based on biological and morphological data, pupae were placed in the Encyrtidae family. This is the first record of an encyrtid wasp parasitizing N. villosa, and the second example of an encyrtid as a primary parasitoid of ants. Furthermore, it is also the first record of co-occurrence of a dipteran ectoparasitoid and a hymenopteran endoparasitoid living in sympatry within the same population of host ants. Our findings highlight the importance of biological collections as reservoirs of hidden biodiversity, not only at the taxonomic level, but also at the behavioral level, revealing complex living networks. They also highlight the need for funding in order to carry out

A Different Approach for Usage of the Implant Materials: The Composite Graft Prefabrication.

PubMed

Deniz, Lutfi Murat; Ataman, Murat Görkem; Borman, Huseyin; Erinanç, Hilal

2016-10-01

With all implanted materials, a certain sequence of biological events occurs following the implantation. This process is destructive to the implant and peri-implant tissues. The aforementioned sequence of biological events may be responsible for the complications. In this study, the natural biologic process following implantation was completed in an area other than the final implantation area. The aim was to keep the peri-implant tissues in the final implantation area away from the process. In the control group, the porous polyethylene discs were implanted to subcutaneous area on the frontal bone of the rats. A month after the implantation, macroscopic and microscopic examinations were performed. In the study group, the discs were implanted primarily above the rectus abdominis muscle of the rats. It was named as "the composite graft prefabrication." Twenty-one days after the first implantation, the discs were removed from the rectus muscle and implanted to subcutaneous area on the frontal bone of the rats. A month after the final implantation, macroscopic and microscopic examinations were performed. In macroscopic examination, all possible complications were evaluated. In microscopic examination, apoptosis, fibrosis, inflammation, and fibrovascular in-growing were evaluated. In the control group, implant exposure was observed in 3 of the rats. In the study group, no complications were observed. Although there was no statistical difference between 2 groups in the microscopic findings, at first glance, the inflammation seemed to be the factor responsible for the complication in the control group. According to the macroscopic results, the composite graft prefabrication seemed to be effective in preventing complications.

Maps, books and other metaphors for systems biology.

PubMed

Ouzounis, Christos; Mazière, Pierre

2006-07-01

We briefly review the use of metaphors in science and progressively focus on fields from biology and molecular biology to genomics and bioinformatics. We discuss how metaphors are both a tool for scientific exploration and a medium for public communication of complex subjects, by various short examples. Finally, we propose a metaphor for systems biology that provides an illuminating perspective for the ambitious goals of this field and delimits its current agenda.

Fracture behavior of W based materials. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hack, J.E.

This report describes the results of a program to investigate the fracture properties of tungsten based materials. In particular, the role of crack velocity on crack instability was determined in a W-Fe-Ni-Co ``heavy alloy`` and pure polycrystalline tungsten. A considerable effort was expended on the development of an appropriate crack velocity gage for use on these materials. Having succeeded in that, the gage technology was employed to determine the crack velocity response to the applied level of stress intensity factor at the onset of crack instability in pre-cracked specimens. The results were also correlated to the failure mode observed inmore » two material systems of interest. Major results include: (1) unstable crack velocity measurements on metallic specimens which require high spatial resolution require the use of brittle, insulating substrates, as opposed to the ductile, polymer based substrates employed in low spatial resolution measurements; and (2) brittle failure modes, such as cleavage, are characterized by relatively slow unstable crack velocities while evidence of high degrees of deformation are associated with failures which proceed at high unstable crack velocities. This latter behavior is consistent with the predictions of the modeling of Hack et al and may have a significant impact on the interpretation of fractographs in general.« less

Designing nacre-like materials for simultaneous stiffness, strength and toughness: Optimum materials, composition, microstructure and size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthelat, Francois

2014-12-01

Nacre, bone and spider silk are staggered composites where inclusions of high aspect ratio reinforce a softer matrix. Such staggered composites have emerged through natural selection as the best configuration to produce stiffness, strength and toughness simultaneously. As a result, these remarkable materials are increasingly serving as model for synthetic composites with unusual and attractive performance. While several models have been developed to predict basic properties for biological and bio-inspired staggered composites, the designer is still left to struggle with finding optimum parameters. Unresolved issues include choosing optimum properties for inclusions and matrix, and resolving the contradictory effects of certain design variables. Here we overcome these difficulties with a multi-objective optimization for simultaneous high stiffness, strength and energy absorption in staggered composites. Our optimization scheme includes material properties for inclusions and matrix as design variables. This process reveals new guidelines, for example the staggered microstructure is only advantageous if the tablets are at least five times stronger than the interfaces, and only if high volume concentrations of tablets are used. We finally compile the results into a step-by-step optimization procedure which can be applied for the design of any type of high-performance staggered composite and at any length scale. The procedure produces optimum designs which are consistent with the materials and microstructure of natural nacre, confirming that this natural material is indeed optimized for mechanical performance.

Biological Effects of Directed Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dayton, Thomas; Beason, Charles; Hitt, M. K.; Rogers, Walter; Cook, Michael

2002-11-01

This Final Report summarizes the biological effects research conducted by Veridian Engineering personnel under contract F41624-96-C-9009 in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Radio Frequency Radiation Branch from April 1997 to April 2002. Biological effects research and consultation were provided in five major areas: Active Denial System (also known as Vehicle Mounted Active Denial System), radio frequency radiation (RFR) health and safety, non-lethal weapon biological effects research, the newly formed Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Human Effects Center of Excellence, and Biotechnology. The report is organized by research efforts within the major research areas, providing title, objective, a brief description, relevance to the AF or DoD, funding, and products.

Dissemination of Continuing Education Materials Via Television Delivery Systems. Final Technical Report and Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munushian, Jack

In 1972, the University of Southern California School of Engineering established a 4-channel interactive instructional television network. It was designed to allow employees of participating industries to take regular university science and engineering courses and special continuing education courses at or near their work locations. Final progress…

Material Demand Studies: Materials Sorption of Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

SORPTION OF VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Lawrence R. Procell Zoe A. Hess David G. Gehring Joseph T. Lynn Philip W. Bartram Teri Lalain RESEARCH AND...2010 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) Nov 2003 - Jul 2005 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Material Demand Studies: Materials Sorption of...of office surfaces 33 \\i MATERIAL DEMAND STUDIES: MATERIALS SORPTION OF VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE 1. BACKGROUND The Material Demand effort was

Using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy to analyze biological materials

PubMed Central

Baker, Matthew J; Trevisan, Júlio; Bassan, Paul; Bhargava, Rohit; Butler, Holly J; Dorling, Konrad M; Fielden, Peter R; Fogarty, Simon W; Fullwood, Nigel J; Heys, Kelly A; Hughes, Caryn; Lasch, Peter; Martin-Hirsch, Pierre L; Obinaju, Blessing; Sockalingum, Ganesh D; Sulé-Suso, Josep; Strong, Rebecca J; Walsh, Michael J; Wood, Bayden R; Gardner, Peter; Martin, Francis L

2015-01-01

IR spectroscopy is an excellent method for biological analyses. It enables the nonperturbative, label-free extraction of biochemical information and images toward diagnosis and the assessment of cell functionality. Although not strictly microscopy in the conventional sense, it allows the construction of images of tissue or cell architecture by the passing of spectral data through a variety of computational algorithms. Because such images are constructed from fingerprint spectra, the notion is that they can be an objective reflection of the underlying health status of the analyzed sample. One of the major difficulties in the field has been determining a consensus on spectral pre-processing and data analysis. This manuscript brings together as coauthors some of the leaders in this field to allow the standardization of methods and procedures for adapting a multistage approach to a methodology that can be applied to a variety of cell biological questions or used within a clinical setting for disease screening or diagnosis. We describe a protocol for collecting IR spectra and images from biological samples (e.g., fixed cytology and tissue sections, live cells or biofluids) that assesses the instrumental options available, appropriate sample preparation, different sampling modes as well as important advances in spectral data acquisition. After acquisition, data processing consists of a sequence of steps including quality control, spectral pre-processing, feature extraction and classification of the supervised or unsupervised type. A typical experiment can be completed and analyzed within hours. Example results are presented on the use of IR spectra combined with multivariate data processing. PMID:24992094

Michigan Early Adolescent Survey: Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keith, Joanne; And Others

This document contains the final report from the Michigan Early Adolescent Survey, a study undertaken to: (1) develop a profile of Michigan early adolescents that focused on out-of-school time and included biological, psychological, and sociological information; (2) develop a profile of families which included early adolescents; (3) assess the…

Molecular biology of pancreatic cancer: how useful is it in clinical practice?

PubMed

Sakorafas, George H; Smyrniotis, Vasileios

2012-07-10

During the recent two decades dramatic advances of molecular biology allowed an in-depth understanding of pancreatic carcinogenesis. It is currently accepted that pancreatic cancer has a genetic component. The real challenge is now how these impressive advances could be used in clinical practice. To critically present currently available data regarding clinical application of molecular biology in pancreatic cancer. Reports about clinical implications of molecular biology in patients with pancreatic cancer were retrieved from PubMed. These reports were selected on the basis of their clinical relevance, and the data of their publication (preferentially within the last 5 years). Emphasis was placed on reports investigating diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. Molecular biology can be used to identify individuals at high-risk for pancreatic cancer development. Intensive surveillance is indicated in these patients to detect pancreatic neoplasia ideally at a preinvasive stage, when curative resection is still possible. Molecular biology can also be used in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, with molecular analysis on samples of biologic material, such as serum or plasma, duodenal fluid or preferentially pure pancreatic juice, pancreatic cells or tissue, and stools. Molecular indices have also prognostic significance. Finally, molecular biology may have therapeutic implications by using various therapeutic approaches, such as antiangiogenic factors, purine synthesis inhibitors, matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, factors modulating tumor-stroma interaction, inactivation of the hedgehog pathway, gene therapy, oncolytic viral therapy, immunotherapy (both passive as well as active) etc. Molecular biology may have important clinical implications in patients with pancreatic cancer and represents one of the most active areas on cancer research. Hopefully clinical applications of molecular biology in pancreatic cancer will expand in the future, improving the

Evaluation of radiochemical neutron activation analysis methods for determination of arsenic in biological materials.

PubMed

Paul, Rick L

2011-01-01

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) with retention on hydrated manganese dioxide (HMD) has played a key role in the certification of As in biological materials at NIST. Although this method provides very high and reproducible yields and detection limits at low microgram/kilogram levels, counting geometry uncertainties may arise from unequal distribution of As in the HMD, and arsenic detection limits may not be optimal due to significant retention of other elements. An alternate RNAA procedure with separation of arsenic by solvent extraction has been investigated. After digestion of samples in nitric and perchloric acids, As(III) is extracted from 2 M sulfuric acid solution into a solution of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate in chloroform. Counting of (76)As allows quantitation of arsenic. Addition of an (77)As tracer solution prior to dissolution allows correction for chemical yield and counting geometries, further improving reproducibility. The HMD and solvent extraction procedures for arsenic were compared through analysis of SRMs 1577c (bovine liver), 1547 (peach leaves), and 1575a (pine needles). Both methods gave As results in agreement with certified values with comparable reproducibility. However, the solvent extraction method yields a factor of 3 improvement in detection limits and is less time-consuming than the HMD method. The new method shows great promise for use in As certification in reference materials.

Biology II Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1820.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

In 1986, the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education requested that an advanced course in Biology II be developed. The resulting curriculum guide contains grade appropriate goals, skills, and competencies; suggested activities; suggested materials of instruction; and minimum time allotments for instruction. Biology II is a…

Innovations in Undergraduate Chemical Biology Education.

PubMed

Van Dyke, Aaron R; Gatazka, Daniel H; Hanania, Mariah M

2018-01-19

Chemical biology derives intellectual vitality from its scientific interface: applying chemical strategies and perspectives to biological questions. There is a growing need for chemical biologists to synergistically integrate their research programs with their educational activities to become holistic teacher-scholars. This review examines how course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an innovative method to achieve this integration. Because CUREs are course-based, the review first offers strategies for creating a student-centered learning environment, which can improve students' outcomes. Exemplars of CUREs in chemical biology are then presented and organized to illustrate the five defining characteristics of CUREs: significance, scientific practices, discovery, collaboration, and iteration. Finally, strategies to overcome common barriers in CUREs are considered as well as future innovations in chemical biology education.

Enhanced stability and local structure in biologically relevant amorphous materials containing pyrophosphate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Slater, Colin; Laurencin, Danielle; Burnell, Victoria

2012-10-25

There is increasing evidence that amorphous inorganic materials play a key role in biomineralisation in many organisms, however the inherent instability of synthetic analogues in the absence of the complex in vivo matrix limits their study and clinical exploitation. To address this, we report here an approach that enhances long-term stability to >1 year of biologically relevant amorphous metal phosphates, in the absence of any complex stabilizers, by utilizing pyrophosphates (P{sub 2}O{sub 7}{sup 4-}); species themselves ubiquitous in vivo. Ambient temperature precipitation reactions were employed to synthesise amorphous Ca{sub 2}P{sub 2}O{sub 7}.nH{sub 2}O and Sr{sub 2}P{sub 2}O{sub 7}.nH{sub 2}O (3.8more » < n < 4.2) and their stability and structure were investigated. Pair distribution functions (PDF) derived from synchrotron X-ray data indicated a lack of structural order beyond 8 {angstrom} in both phases, with this local order found to resemble crystalline analogues. Further studies, including {sup 1}H and {sup 31}P solid state NMR, suggest the unusually high stability of these purely inorganic amorphous phases is partly due to disorder in the P-O-P bond angles within the P{sub 2}O{sub 7} units, which impede crystallization, and to water molecules, which are involved in H-bonds of various strengths within the structures and hamper the formation of an ordered network. In situ high temperature powder X-ray diffraction data indicated that the amorphous nature of both phases surprisingly persisted to 450 C. Further NMR and TGA studies found that above ambient temperature some water molecules reacted with P{sub 2}O{sub 7} anions, leading to the hydrolysis of some P-O-P linkages and the formation of HPO{sub 4}{sup 2-} anions within the amorphous matrix. The latter anions then recombined into P{sub 2}O{sub 7} ions at higher temperatures prior to crystallization. Together, these findings provide important new materials with unexplored potential for enzyme

Systems Biology of Industrial Microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papini, Marta; Salazar, Margarita; Nielsen, Jens

The field of industrial biotechnology is expanding rapidly as the chemical industry is looking towards more sustainable production of chemicals that can be used as fuels or building blocks for production of solvents and materials. In connection with the development of sustainable bioprocesses, it is a major challenge to design and develop efficient cell factories that can ensure cost efficient conversion of the raw material into the chemical of interest. This is achieved through metabolic engineering, where the metabolism of the cell factory is engineered such that there is an efficient conversion of sugars, the typical raw materials in the fermentation industry, into the desired product. However, engineering of cellular metabolism is often challenging due to the complex regulation that has evolved in connection with adaptation of the different microorganisms to their ecological niches. In order to map these regulatory structures and further de-regulate them, as well as identify ingenious metabolic engineering strategies that full-fill mass balance constraints, tools from systems biology can be applied. This involves both high-throughput analysis tools like transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis, as well as the use of mathematical modeling to simulate the phenotypes resulting from the different metabolic engineering strategies. It is in fact expected that systems biology may substantially improve the process of cell factory development, and we therefore propose the term Industrial Systems Biology for how systems biology will enhance the development of industrial biotechnology for sustainable chemical production.

Systems biology of industrial microorganisms.

PubMed

Papini, Marta; Salazar, Margarita; Nielsen, Jens

2010-01-01

The field of industrial biotechnology is expanding rapidly as the chemical industry is looking towards more sustainable production of chemicals that can be used as fuels or building blocks for production of solvents and materials. In connection with the development of sustainable bioprocesses, it is a major challenge to design and develop efficient cell factories that can ensure cost efficient conversion of the raw material into the chemical of interest. This is achieved through metabolic engineering, where the metabolism of the cell factory is engineered such that there is an efficient conversion of sugars, the typical raw materials in the fermentation industry, into the desired product. However, engineering of cellular metabolism is often challenging due to the complex regulation that has evolved in connection with adaptation of the different microorganisms to their ecological niches. In order to map these regulatory structures and further de-regulate them, as well as identify ingenious metabolic engineering strategies that full-fill mass balance constraints, tools from systems biology can be applied. This involves both high-throughput analysis tools like transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis, as well as the use of mathematical modeling to simulate the phenotypes resulting from the different metabolic engineering strategies. It is in fact expected that systems biology may substantially improve the process of cell factory development, and we therefore propose the term Industrial Systems Biology for how systems biology will enhance the development of industrial biotechnology for sustainable chemical production.

Mycotoxins from mould infested building materials.

PubMed

Nielsen, K F

2000-03-01

Only limited documentation of non-allergenic, especially toxic reactions after inhalation of microfungal spores in water damaged buildings exists. Recently attention has been drawn to the mycotoxins as causal compounds, as some the dominating genera found in buildings are well known mycotoxin producers.Penicillium chrysogenum and A. ustus do not seem to produce any known mycotoxins when growing on building materials, whereasP. brevicompactum produces mycophenolic acid, someP. polonicum produces verrucosidin and verrucofortine,A. versicolor produces sterigmatocystins,A. niger produces nigragillin, orlandin, naphtho-γ-pyrones and tetracyclic compounds, someA. ochraceus produces ochratoxin A,Alternaria spp. produce alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether,Chaetomium globosum produce chaetoglobosins, and finally 30-40% ofStachybotrys chartarum isolates from buildings produce macrocyclic trichothecenes and a number of other biologically active compounds.

Development of a Complimentary Low Temperature Decontamination Technique for Spacecraft Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pottage, Thomas; Bennett, Allan; Walker, James; Fowler, Chantal; Weber, Christina; Rohr, Thomas; Kminek, Gerhard

Dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) is one of the current processes used to ensure that the microbial burden of a spacecraft lander meets the predetermined levels set out within the COSPAR policy regarding planetary protection. DHMR involves heating the craft or compo-nents to approximately 110-125C for over 6-30hrs, and was previously used to decontaminate the entire Viking lander spacecraft and parts of almost all other spacecrafts sent to Mars after-wards. This process, whilst proving effective and reproducible is not compatible with the some highly sensitive sensor and electronic components of a modern spacecraft. For these components an alternative method for low temperature decontamination needs to be identified. The Health Protection Agency, UK, investigated three gaseous decontamination technologies in a project funded by European Space Agency. These technologies consisted of two hydrogen peroxide technologies (Vapour Hydrogen Peroxide, Steris Inc. and Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour, Bioquell Ltd.) and one chlorine dioxide (ClorDiSys) system. The technologies were chosen after a comprehensive literature study identified them as the most suitable technologies for the decontamination process. An environmental chamber (20m3 ) was used as the test chamber to expose two commercially available biological indicators, three naturally occurring organisms chosen by ESA and a range of spacecraft materials to each of the technologies. The commercial biological indicators, Bacil-lus atrophaeus and Geobacillus sterothermophilus, were exposed to 3 varying concentrations of each of the technologies in order to attempt to achieve a 6-log reduction in recoverable organ-isms. After these results were obtained the most efficacious cycle was chosen for each technology and the naturally occurring organisms and materials to be tested were exposed to three cy-cles. Whilst the microbial enumeration was completed at the HPA, material compatibility was undertaken at ESTEC and residue

Photoconversion of gasified organic materials into biologically-degradable plastics

DOEpatents

Weaver, Paul F.; Maness, Pin-Ching

1993-01-01

A process is described for converting organic materials (such as biomass wastes) into a bioplastic suitable for use as a biodegradable plastic. In a preferred embodiment the process involves thermally gasifying the organic material into primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen, followed by photosynthetic bacterial assimilation of the gases into cell material. The process is ideally suited for waste recycling and for production of useful biodegradable plastic polymer.

Standoff detection of chemical and biological threats using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gottfried, Jennifer L; De Lucia, Frank C; Munson, Chase A; Miziolek, Andrzej W

2008-04-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for real-time chemical and biological warfare agent detection in the field. We have demonstrated the detection and discrimination of the biological warfare agent surrogates Bacillus subtilis (BG) (2% false negatives, 0% false positives) and ovalbumin (0% false negatives, 1% false positives) at 20 meters using standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ST-LIBS) and linear correlation. Unknown interferent samples (not included in the model), samples on different substrates, and mixtures of BG and Arizona road dust have been classified with reasonable success using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). A few of the samples tested such as the soot (not included in the model) and the 25% BG:75% dust mixture resulted in a significant number of false positives or false negatives, respectively. Our preliminary results indicate that while LIBS is able to discriminate biomaterials with similar elemental compositions at standoff distances based on differences in key intensity ratios, further work is needed to reduce the number of false positives/negatives by refining the PLS-DA model to include a sufficient range of material classes and carefully selecting a detection threshold. In addition, we have demonstrated that LIBS can distinguish five different organophosphate nerve agent simulants at 20 meters, despite their similar stoichiometric formulas. Finally, a combined PLS-DA model for chemical, biological, and explosives detection using a single ST-LIBS sensor has been developed in order to demonstrate the potential of standoff LIBS for universal hazardous materials detection.

From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

PubMed Central

McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a “live” textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology. PMID:20810957

From biology to mathematical models and back: teaching modeling to biology students, and biology to math and engineering students.

PubMed

Chiel, Hillel J; McManus, Jeffrey M; Shaw, Kendrick M

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a "live" textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology.

Photoconversion of gasified organic materials into biologically-degradable plastics

DOEpatents

Weaver, P.F.; Pinching Maness.

1993-10-05

A process is described for converting organic materials (such as biomass wastes) into a bioplastic suitable for use as a biodegradable plastic. In a preferred embodiment the process involves thermally gasifying the organic material into primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen, followed by photosynthetic bacterial assimilation of the gases into cell material. The process is ideally suited for waste recycling and for production of useful biodegradable plastic polymer. 3 figures.

Nanostructured materials: A novel approach to enhanced performance. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Korth, G.E.; Froes, F.H.; Suryanarayana, C.

Nanostuctured materials are an emerging class of materials that can exhibit physical and mechanical characteristics often exceeding those exhibited by conventional course grained materials. A number of different techniques can be employed to produce these materials. In this program, the synthesis methods were (a) mechanical alloying , (b) physical vapor deposition, and (c) plasma processing. The physical vapor deposition and plasma processing were discontinued after initial testing with subsequent efforts focused on mechanical alloying. The major emphasis of the program was on the synthesis, consolidation, and characterization of nanostructured Al-Fe, Ti-Al, Ti-Al-Nb, and Fe-Al by alloying intermetallics with a viewmore » to increase their ductilities. The major findings of this project are reported.« less

Identification of nanoparticles and nanosystems in biological matrices with scanning probe microscopy.

PubMed

Angeloni, Livia; Reggente, Melania; Passeri, Daniele; Natali, Marco; Rossi, Marco

2018-04-17

Identification of nanoparticles and nanosystems into cells and biological matrices is a hot research topic in nanobiotechnologies. Because of their capability to map physical properties (mechanical, electric, magnetic, chemical, or optical), several scanning probe microscopy based techniques have been proposed for the subsurface detection of nanomaterials in biological systems. In particular, atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to reveal stiff nanoparticles in cells and other soft biomaterials by probing the sample mechanical properties through the acquisition of local indentation curves or through the combination of ultrasound-based methods, like contact resonance AFM (CR-AFM) or scanning near field ultrasound holography. Magnetic force microscopy can detect magnetic nanoparticles and other magnetic (bio)materials in nonmagnetic biological samples, while electric force microscopy, conductive AFM, and Kelvin probe force microscopy can reveal buried nanomaterials on the basis of the differences between their electric properties and those of the surrounding matrices. Finally, scanning near field optical microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can visualize buried nanostructures on the basis of their optical and chemical properties. Despite at a still early stage, these methods are promising for detection of nanomaterials in biological systems as they could be truly noninvasive, would not require destructive and time-consuming specific sample preparation, could be performed in vitro, on alive samples and in water or physiological environment, and by continuously imaging the same sample could be used to dynamically monitor the diffusion paths and interaction mechanisms of nanomaterials into cells and biological systems. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Accidents with biological material in health care workers in 2 primary health care areas (1990-1999)].

PubMed

Hernández Navarrete, M J; Montes Villameriel, F J; Solano Bernad, V M; Sánchez Matienzo, D; del Val García, J L; Gil Montalbán, E; Arribas Llorente, J L

2001-09-15

To find out the exposures with biological material in health care workers in primary health care, registered in the biological accidents database from Preventive Medicine Service in Miguel Servet Universitary Hospital of Zaragoza. Descriptive study of a retrospective cohort. SITE: Primary health care, Areas II and V of Zaragoza.Participants. Workers in this areas, distributed by: physician, nursing staff, auxiliary, orderly, housekeeping staff, others. Data of: workers, accident, serologic source, worker protection and vaccinal status of hepatitis B. The incidence of accidents was 26 (period 1997-1999). Most proportion of accidents were declared by nursing (78%). The highest occupational incidence was in auxiliary (63 ). In 90,1% of the cases, the accident was needlestick injury. The source was known in 67,7% of cases. The accidents occurred in hands in 96,8% of cases, and only one third of workers carried gloves. Results obtained are similar with previous studies about this event. We must insist on the need to declare these accidents, providing more information and accessibility for the declaration to worker. Moreover, we must insist on the correct application in the health care field of the standard precautions, because almost 50% of accidents are evitable, and to increase hepatitis B vaccination covertures.

Metropolitan Programs in Applied Biological and Agricultural Occupations; A Need and Attitude Study. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Hollie B.; And Others

To establish the feasibility of implementing applied biological and agricultural occupations programs in the metropolitan area of Chicago, four populations were surveyed by means of mailed questionnaires or interest inventories to determine: (1) the employment opportunities in the applied biological and agricultural industries, (2) the interests…

Propulsion of swimming microrobots inspired by metachronal waves in ciliates: from biology to material specifications.

PubMed

Palagi, Stefano; Jager, Edwin W H; Mazzolai, Barbara; Beccai, Lucia

2013-12-01

The quest for swimming microrobots originates from possible applications in medicine, especially involving navigation in bodily fluids. Swimming microorganisms have become a source of inspiration because their propulsion mechanisms are effective in the low-Reynolds number regime. In this study, we address a propulsion mechanism inspired by metachronal waves, i.e. the spontaneous coordination of cilia leading to the fast swimming of ciliates. We analyse the biological mechanism (referring to its particular embodiment in Paramecium caudatum), and we investigate the contribution of its main features to the swimming performance, through a three-dimensional finite-elements model, in order to develop a simplified, yet effective artificial design. We propose a bioinspired propulsion mechanism for a swimming microrobot based on a continuous cylindrical electroactive surface exhibiting perpendicular wave deformations travelling longitudinally along its main axis. The simplified propulsion mechanism is conceived specifically for microrobots that embed a micro-actuation system capable of executing the bioinspired propulsion (self-propelled microrobots). Among the available electroactive polymers, we select polypyrrole as the possible actuation material and we assess it for this particular embodiment. The results are used to appoint target performance specifications for the development of improved or new electroactive materials to attain metachronal-waves-like propulsion.

Programming function into mechanical forms by directed assembly of silk bulk materials

PubMed Central

Patel, Nereus; Duggan, Thomas; Perotto, Giovanni; Shirman, Elijah; Li, Chunmei; Kaplan, David L.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.

2017-01-01

We report simple, water-based fabrication methods based on protein self-assembly to generate 3D silk fibroin bulk materials that can be easily hybridized with water-soluble molecules to obtain multiple solid formats with predesigned functions. Controlling self-assembly leads to robust, machinable formats that exhibit thermoplastic behavior consenting material reshaping at the nanoscale, microscale, and macroscale. We illustrate the versatility of the approach by realizing demonstrator devices where large silk monoliths can be generated, polished, and reshaped into functional mechanical components that can be nanopatterned, embed optical function, heated on demand in response to infrared light, or can visualize mechanical failure through colorimetric chemistries embedded in the assembled (bulk) protein matrix. Finally, we show an enzyme-loaded solid mechanical part, illustrating the ability to incorporate biological function within the bulk material with possible utility for sustained release in robust, programmably shapeable mechanical formats. PMID:28028213

Mathematical biology modules based on modern molecular biology and modern discrete mathematics.

PubMed

Robeva, Raina; Davies, Robin; Hodge, Terrell; Enyedi, Alexander

2010-01-01

We describe an ongoing collaborative curriculum materials development project between Sweet Briar College and Western Michigan University, with support from the National Science Foundation. We present a collection of modules under development that can be used in existing mathematics and biology courses, and we address a critical national need to introduce students to mathematical methods beyond the interface of biology with calculus. Based on ongoing research, and designed to use the project-based-learning approach, the modules highlight applications of modern discrete mathematics and algebraic statistics to pressing problems in molecular biology. For the majority of projects, calculus is not a required prerequisite and, due to the modest amount of mathematical background needed for some of the modules, the materials can be used for an early introduction to mathematical modeling. At the same time, most modules are connected with topics in linear and abstract algebra, algebraic geometry, and probability, and they can be used as meaningful applied introductions into the relevant advanced-level mathematics courses. Open-source software is used to facilitate the relevant computations. As a detailed example, we outline a module that focuses on Boolean models of the lac operon network.

Mathematical Biology Modules Based on Modern Molecular Biology and Modern Discrete Mathematics

PubMed Central

Davies, Robin; Hodge, Terrell; Enyedi, Alexander

2010-01-01

We describe an ongoing collaborative curriculum materials development project between Sweet Briar College and Western Michigan University, with support from the National Science Foundation. We present a collection of modules under development that can be used in existing mathematics and biology courses, and we address a critical national need to introduce students to mathematical methods beyond the interface of biology with calculus. Based on ongoing research, and designed to use the project-based-learning approach, the modules highlight applications of modern discrete mathematics and algebraic statistics to pressing problems in molecular biology. For the majority of projects, calculus is not a required prerequisite and, due to the modest amount of mathematical background needed for some of the modules, the materials can be used for an early introduction to mathematical modeling. At the same time, most modules are connected with topics in linear and abstract algebra, algebraic geometry, and probability, and they can be used as meaningful applied introductions into the relevant advanced-level mathematics courses. Open-source software is used to facilitate the relevant computations. As a detailed example, we outline a module that focuses on Boolean models of the lac operon network. PMID:20810955

Biological effects of four iron-containing nanoremediation materials on the green alga Chlamydomonas sp.

PubMed

Nguyen, Nhung H A; Von Moos, Nadia R; Slaveykova, Vera I; Mackenzie, Katrin; Meckenstock, Rainer U; Thűmmler, Silke; Bosch, Julian; Ševců, Alena

2018-06-15

As nanoremediation strategies for in-situ groundwater treatment extend beyond nanoiron-based applications to adsorption and oxidation, ecotoxicological evaluations of newly developed materials are required. The biological effects of four new materials with different iron (Fe) speciations ([i] FerMEG12 - pristine flake-like milled Fe(0) nanoparticles (nZVI), [ii] Carbo-Iron ® - Fe(0)-nanoclusters containing activated carbon (AC) composite, [iii] Trap-Ox® Fe-BEA35 (Fe-zeolite) - Fe-doped zeolite, and [iv] Nano-Goethite - 'pure' FeOOH) were studied using the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas sp. as a model test system. Algal growth rate, chlorophyll fluorescence, efficiency of photosystem II, membrane integrity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were assessed following exposure to 10, 50 and 500 mg L -1 of the particles for 2 h and 24 h. The particles had a concentration-, material- and time-dependent effect on Chlamydomonas sp., with increased algal growth rate after 24 h. Conversely, significant intracellular ROS levels were detected after 2 h, with much lower levels after 24 h. All Fe-nanomaterials displayed similar Z-average sizes and zeta-potentials at 2 h and 24 h. Effects on Chlamydomonas sp. decreased in the order FerMEG12 > Carbo-Iron® > Fe-zeolite > Nano-Goethite. Ecotoxicological studies were challenged due to some particle properties, i.e. dark colour, effect of constituents and a tendency to agglomerate, especially at high concentrations. All particles exhibited potential to induce significant toxicity at high concentrations (500 mg L -1 ), though such concentrations would rapidly decrease to mg or µg L -1 in aquatic environments, levels harmless to Chlamydomonas sp. The presented findings contribute to the practical usage of particle-based nanoremediation in environmental restoration. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC's). Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zickefoose, Charles S.

This student manual provides the textual material for a unit on rotating biological contactors (RBC's). Topic areas considered include: (1) flow patterns of water through RBC installations; (2) basic concepts (shaft and stage); (3) characteristics of biomass; (4) mechanical features (bearings, mechanical drive systems, and air drive systems); (5)…

Isolation, characterization, and biological properties of an endotoxin-like material from the gram-positive organism Listeria monocytogenes.

PubMed

Wexler, H; Oppenheim, J D

1979-03-01

The bacterial component responsible for the induction of transient cold agglutinin syndrome in rabbits after intravenous injection of heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes type 4B has been purified and biologically and chemically characterized. A purified immunoglobulin M cold agglutinin was prepared from high-titer sera resulting from the immunization of rabbits with heat-killed L. monocytogenes type 4B and was subsequently used to monitor the purification of the bacterial component responsible for its induction. The bacterial component was isolated from a hot phenol-water extract of lyophilized L. monocytogenes type 4B by multiple molecular sieve chromatography. Upon chemical analysis the purified material was found to be strikingly similar in chemical composition to gram-negative lipopolysaccharide endotoxins. The material contained 15% total fatty acid (of which 50% was beta-hydroxymyristic acid), 40 to 45% neutral sugar (glucose, galactose, and rhamnose), 11.5% amino sugar, 12% uronic acid, 2.5% 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid, 2% heptose, 0.87% phosphorus, and 1.6% amino acid, thereby accounting for 85 to 90% of the weight of the component. Electron micrographs of the purified material were similar to those of lipopolysaccharide preparations from gram-negative organisms. The purified material exist in aqueous solutions as large aggregates, but can be dissociated into a single smaller subunit (3.1S) by dialysis against sodium dodecyl sulfate buffer. The listerial component was toxic and pyrogenic to rabbits, producing symptoms typical of gram-negative endotoxins. Activity in the limulus lysate gelation assay and in the carbocyanine dye assay provides a further link of this material with classical gram-negative endotoxins.

Materials for Microfluidic Immunoassays: A Review.

PubMed

Mou, Lei; Jiang, Xingyu

2017-08-01

Conventional immunoassays suffer from at least one of these following limitations: long processing time, high costs, poor user-friendliness, technical complexity, poor sensitivity and specificity. Microfluidics, a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids in channels with characteristic lengthscale of tens of micrometers, has shown considerable promise for improving immunoassays that could overcome these limitations in medical diagnostics and biology research. The combination of microfluidics and immunoassay can detect biomarkers with faster assay time, reduced volumes of reagents, lower power requirements, and higher levels of integration and automation compared to traditional approaches. This review focuses on the materials-related aspects of the recent advances in microfluidics-based immunoassays for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics of biomarkers. We compare the materials for microfluidic chips fabrication in five aspects: fabrication, integration, function, modification and cost, and describe their advantages and drawbacks. In addition, we review materials for modifying antibodies to improve the performance of the reaction of immunoassay. We also review the state of the art in microfluidic immunoassays POC platforms, from the laboratory to routine clinical practice, and also commercial products in the market. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future developments in microfluidic immunoassays. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF INTEGRATED CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL AQUATIC WEED CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This final report presents results of a four-year study of the ecological impacts of chemical, biological, and integrated methods of aquatic weed control. Biological and water quality changes occurred as abundance of macrophytic vegetation was altered by natural factors or manage...

Accelerating the design of biomimetic materials by integrating RNA-seq with proteomics and materials science.

PubMed

Guerette, Paul A; Hoon, Shawn; Seow, Yiqi; Raida, Manfred; Masic, Admir; Wong, Fong T; Ho, Vincent H B; Kong, Kiat Whye; Demirel, Melik C; Pena-Francesch, Abdon; Amini, Shahrouz; Tay, Gavin Z; Ding, Dawei; Miserez, Ali

2013-10-01

Efforts to engineer new materials inspired by biological structures are hampered by the lack of genomic data from many model organisms studied in biomimetic research. Here we show that biomimetic engineering can be accelerated by integrating high-throughput RNA-seq with proteomics and advanced materials characterization. This approach can be applied to a broad range of systems, as we illustrate by investigating diverse high-performance biological materials involved in embryo protection, adhesion and predation. In one example, we rapidly engineer recombinant squid sucker ring teeth proteins into a range of structural and functional materials, including nanopatterned surfaces and photo-cross-linked films that exceed the mechanical properties of most natural and synthetic polymers. Integrating RNA-seq with proteomics and materials science facilitates the molecular characterization of natural materials and the effective translation of their molecular designs into a wide range of bio-inspired materials.

Luminescence materials for pH and oxygen sensing in microbial cells - structures, optical properties, and biological applications.

PubMed

Zou, Xianshao; Pan, Tingting; Chen, Lei; Tian, Yanqing; Zhang, Weiwen

2017-09-01

Luminescence including fluorescence and phosphorescence sensors have been demonstrated to be important for studying cell metabolism, and diagnosing diseases and cancer. Various design principles have been employed for the development of sensors in different formats, such as organic molecules, polymers, polymeric hydrogels, and nanoparticles. The integration of the sensing with fluorescence imaging provides valuable tools for biomedical research and applications at not only bulk-cell level but also at single-cell level. In this article, we critically reviewed recent progresses on pH, oxygen, and dual pH and oxygen sensors specifically for their application in microbial cells. In addition, we focused not only on sensor materials with different chemical structures, but also on design and applications of sensors for better understanding cellular metabolism of microbial cells. Finally, we also provided an outlook for future materials design and key challenges in reaching broad applications in microbial cells.

Development of interactive hypermedia software for high school biology: A research and development study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alturki, Uthman T.

The goal of this research was to research, design, and develop a hypertext program for students who study biology. The Ecology Hypertext Program was developed using Research and Development (R&D) methodology. The purpose of this study was to place the final "product", a CD-ROM for learning biology concepts, in the hands of teachers and students to help them in learning and teaching process. The product was created through a cycle of literature review, needs assessment, development, and a cycle of field tests and revisions. I applied the ten steps of R&D process suggested by Borg and Gall (1989) which, consisted of: (1) Literature review, (2) Needs assessment, (3) Planning, (4) Develop preliminary product, (5) Preliminary field-testing, (6) Preliminary revision, (7) Main field-testing, (8) Main revision, (9) Final field-testing, and (10) Final product revision. The literature review and needs assessment provided a support and foundation for designing the preliminary product---the Ecology Hypertext Program. Participants in the needs assessment joined a focus group discussion. They were a group of graduate students in education who suggested the importance for designing this product. For the preliminary field test, the participants were a group of high school students studying biology. They were the potential user of the product. They reviewed the preliminary product and then filled out a questionnaire. Their feedback and suggestions were used to develop and improve the product in a step called preliminary revision. The second round of field tasting was the main field test in which the participants joined a focus group discussion. They were the same group who participated in needs assessment task. They reviewed the revised product and then provided ideas and suggestions to improve the product. Their feedback were categorized and implemented to develop the product as in the main revision task. Finally, a group of science teachers participated in this study by reviewing

Final report for Conference Support Grant "From Computational Biophysics to Systems Biology - CBSB12"