scholarly journals A Low-Cost and Customizable TEER Meter for the Measurements of Cellular Barrier Integrity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis G. Jones ◽  
Chengpeng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Cell Monolayers ◽  
Measurement Duration ◽  
Endothelial Barriers ◽  
Control Electronics ◽  
Open Source Hardware ◽  
First Time ◽  
Relevant Range

<p>A low-cost and translational TEER (trans-endothelial/epithelial electric resistance) meter was designed, fabricated, validated, and applied in this paper. TEER is a critical tool to quantitate the integrity of biological barriers. Commercially available TEER meters are expensive (thousands of dollars) with low customization capability. Using Arduino, an open-source hardware and program that are used to control electronics, we fabricated the TEER meter that costs ~$50 to purchase the parts and 2 hours to be constructed. Robust characterization and validation shows that the meter can accurately measure TEER values between 132 and 82,500 Ω·cm<sup>2</sup> with <3% errors, which covers the reported TEER ranges based on a literature study we conducted. The temporal resolution, the measurement duration, and the electrode configurations of meter are also customizable. We successfully applied the meter to measure TEERs of endothelial cell monolayers, finding that cells treated with histamine have lower TEER values compared to untreated cells (793.4 ± 190.5 Ω·cm<sup>2 </sup>vs. 3027.5 ± 664.4 Ω∙cm<sup>2</sup>; p < 0.001), which is consistent with literature results. We further validated the TEER measurement by showing that histamine increased the intercellular gap from 2.34 ± 0.12 µm to 5.49 ± 0.17 µm, causing leakier endothelial barriers and thus lower TEERs. In conclusion, we report for the first time a low-cost Arduino-based TEER meter capable of accurately measuring TEERs in the relevant range. We also include detailed tutorials in the supplementary information to promote the translation of the technology. </p>

scholarly journals A Low-Cost and Customizable TEER Meter for the Measurements of Cellular Barrier Integrity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis G. Jones ◽  
Chengpeng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Cell Monolayers ◽  
Measurement Duration ◽  
Endothelial Barriers ◽  
Control Electronics ◽  
Open Source Hardware ◽  
First Time ◽  
Relevant Range

<p>A low-cost and translational TEER (trans-endothelial/epithelial electric resistance) meter was designed, fabricated, validated, and applied in this paper. TEER is a critical tool to quantitate the integrity of biological barriers. Commercially available TEER meters are expensive (thousands of dollars) with low customization capability. Using Arduino, an open-source hardware and program that are used to control electronics, we fabricated the TEER meter that costs ~$50 to purchase the parts and 2 hours to be constructed. Robust characterization and validation shows that the meter can accurately measure TEER values between 132 and 82,500 Ω·cm<sup>2</sup> with <3% errors, which covers the reported TEER ranges based on a literature study we conducted. The temporal resolution, the measurement duration, and the electrode configurations of meter are also customizable. We successfully applied the meter to measure TEERs of endothelial cell monolayers, finding that cells treated with histamine have lower TEER values compared to untreated cells (793.4 ± 190.5 Ω·cm<sup>2 </sup>vs. 3027.5 ± 664.4 Ω∙cm<sup>2</sup>; p < 0.001), which is consistent with literature results. We further validated the TEER measurement by showing that histamine increased the intercellular gap from 2.34 ± 0.12 µm to 5.49 ± 0.17 µm, causing leakier endothelial barriers and thus lower TEERs. In conclusion, we report for the first time a low-cost Arduino-based TEER meter capable of accurately measuring TEERs in the relevant range. We also include detailed tutorials in the supplementary information to promote the translation of the technology. </p>

scholarly journals UV Inscription and Pressure Induced Long-Period Gratings through 3D Printed Amplitude Masks

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1977
Author(s):  
Ricardo Oliveira ◽  
Liliana M. Sousa ◽  
Ana M. Rocha ◽  
Rogério Nogueira ◽  
Lúcia Bilro
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Resonance Wavelength ◽  
Complex Structures ◽  
Pressing Method ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Long Period Gratings ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Mechanical Pressing ◽  
First Time

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the capability to inscribe long-period gratings (LPGs) with UV radiation using simple and low cost amplitude masks fabricated with a consumer grade 3D printer. The spectrum obtained for a grating with 690 µm period and 38 mm length presented good quality, showing sharp resonances (i.e., 3 dB bandwidth < 3 nm), low out-of-band loss (~0.2 dB), and dip losses up to 18 dB. Furthermore, the capability to select the resonance wavelength has been demonstrated using different amplitude mask periods. The customization of the masks makes it possible to fabricate gratings with complex structures. Additionally, the simplicity in 3D printing an amplitude mask solves the problem of the lack of amplitude masks on the market and avoids the use of high resolution motorized stages, as is the case of the point-by-point technique. Finally, the 3D printed masks were also used to induce LPGs using the mechanical pressing method. Due to the better resolution of these masks compared to ones described on the state of the art, we were able to induce gratings with higher quality, such as low out-of-band loss (0.6 dB), reduced spectral ripples, and narrow bandwidths (~3 nm).

scholarly journals Experimental Setting for Applying Mechanical Stimuli to Study the Endothelial Response of Ex Vivo Vessels under Realistic Pathophysiological Environments

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 671
Author(s):  
Ana Osuna ◽  
Anna Ulldemolins ◽  
Hector Sanz-Fraile ◽  
Jorge Otero ◽  
Núria Farré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Rabbit Aorta ◽  
Pressure Waveform ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Experimental Setting ◽  
Endothelial Response ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Open Source Hardware

This paper describes the design, construction and testing of an experimental setting, making it possible to study the endothelium under different pathophysiological conditions. This novel experimental approach allows the application of the following stimuli to an ex vivo vessel in a physiological bath: (a) a realistic intravascular pressure waveform defined by the user; (b) shear stress in the endothelial layer since, in addition to the pressure waveform, the flow through the vessel can be independently controlled by the user; (c) conditions of hypo/hyperoxia and hypo/hypercapnia in an intravascular circulating medium. These stimuli can be applied alone or in different combinations to study possible synergistic or antagonistic effects. The setting performance is illustrated by a proof of concept in an ex vivo rabbit aorta. The experimental setting is easy to build by using very low-cost materials widely available. Online Supplement files provide all the technical information (e.g., circuits, codes, 3D printer drivers) following an open-source hardware approach for free replication.

scholarly journals ResUHUrge: A Low Cost and Fully Functional Ventilator Indicated for Application in COVID-19 Patients

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 6774
Author(s):  
Francisco José Vivas Fernández ◽  
José Sánchez Segovia ◽  
Ismael Martel Bravo ◽  
Carlos García Ramos ◽  
Daniel Ruiz Castilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Lung Infection ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Multidisciplinary Research ◽  
Global North ◽  
Severity Of The Disease ◽  
Open Source Hardware ◽  
The University

Although the cure for the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) will come in the form of pharmaceutical solutions and/or a vaccine, one of the only ways to face it at present is to guarantee the best quality of health for patients, so that they can overcome the disease on their own. Therefore, and considering that COVID-19 generally causes damage to the respiratory system (in the form of lung infection), it is essential to ensure the best pulmonary ventilation for the patient. However, depending on the severity of the disease and the health condition of the patient, the situation can become critical when the patient has respiratory distress or becomes unable to breathe on his/her own. In that case, the ventilator becomes the lifeline of the patient. This device must keep patients stable until, on their own or with the help of medications, they manage to overcome the lung infection. However, with thousands or hundreds of thousands of infected patients, no country has enough ventilators. If this situation has become critical in the Global North, it has turned disastrous in developing countries, where ventilators are even more scarce. This article shows the race against time of a multidisciplinary research team at the University of Huelva, UHU, southwest of Spain, to develop an inexpensive, multifunctional, and easy-to-manufacture ventilator, which has been named ResUHUrge. The device meets all medical requirements and is developed with open-source hardware and software.

Printing ultrathin graphene oxide nanofiltration membranes for water purification

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (39) ◽  
pp. 20860-20866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Fathizadeh ◽  
Huynh Ngoc Tien ◽  
Konstantin Khivantsev ◽  
Jung-Tsai Chen ◽  
Miao Yu
Keyword(s):  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Water Purification ◽  
Inkjet Printing ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Nanofiltration Membranes ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
First Time ◽  
Polymeric Supports ◽  
Effective Water

We demonstrated for the first time that inkjet printing can be a low-cost, easy, fast, and scalable method for depositing ultrathin (7.5–60 nm) uniform graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes on polymeric supports for highly effective water purification.

Antimony trifluoride incorporated SnO2 for high-efficiency planar perovskite solar cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Jing Zhuang ◽  
Yigang Luan ◽  
Sixuan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electron Transport ◽  
Tin Dioxide ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Perovskite Solar Cells ◽  
Transport Layer ◽  
Electron Transport Layer ◽  
Antimony Trifluoride ◽  
First Time

The low-cost material antimony trifluoride (SbF3) was doped into the commonly used tin dioxide (SnO2) for the first time, and the SbF3-doped SnO2 as an electron transport layer (ETL) was...

New Results of Using the Light Trap for Collecting Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) in the Urban Environment (on the Example of Saratov)

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-78
Author(s):  
A.S. Sazhnev ◽  
◽  
V.V. Anikin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Light Trap ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Light Traps ◽  
Adventitious Species ◽  
First Time ◽  
Stegobium Paniceum

The article presents the results of research of the using light traps (luminescent lamp Actinic 6W) for collecting Coleoptera in the Saratov city. Entomological material was collected by the second author in the period from 1.06 to 2.10.2019. In 2019, 52 species of Coleoptera of 22 families from different ecological groups were recorded. A relatively high proportion of adventitious species remains in 17.3– 30.7% of the presented fauna was presented. For two years the 14 species of alien and cryptogenic Coleoptera species were observed, that is 24.5% of the adventive fauna of the Saratov Province. Among invasive species Attagenus smirnovi, Stegobium paniceum, Atomaria lewisi, Harmonia axyridis, Gnatocerus cornutus, and Orchestes steppensis were record for the first time in 2019. It to use bringing on light as one of the available and low-cost ways to identify alien and cryptogenic organisms in urban areas is recommended.

Impact of the Karnofsky Performance Status on Survival and its Dynamics during the Terminal Year of Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Modesto ◽  
Len Usvyat ◽  
Viviane Calice-Silva ◽  
Dandara Novakowski Spigolon ◽  
Ana Elizabeth Figueiredo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peritoneal Dialysis ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Independent Predictor ◽  
Karnofsky Performance Status ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Multi Center Study ◽  
Complications And Mortality ◽  
First Time

Background Simple and low-cost tools to monitor the risk profile of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) at high risk of complications and mortality are scarce. One of the tools available to monitor the variation in vitality and dependence levels is the Karnofsky performance status (KPS). This study analyzed the average trends and variation of KPS during the 12 months before death and its independent value in predicting patients’ survival. Methods The data were compiled from the BRAZPD II multi-center study, performed in Brazil between 2004 and 2011. For the analysis of KPS dynamics, we included patients with at least 12 months of follow-up on PD and who had a fatal event during the follow-up. The following covariables were evaluated: age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, and presence of diabetes. We used the linear regression model to present the results: the log (time) before death was represented by the regression variable and KPS was the response. We also analyzed the independent impact of baseline KPS on patients’ survival. Results From the population of 9,905 patients enrolled in the BRAZPD study, 4,133 survived 12 months on PD and were included in the analysis. There was a gradual decline in the KPS scores, which accelerated in the last 2 months before death. These changes were similar irrespective of age, race, family income, gender, diabetes, PD modality, and education level. We observed 989 fatal events in this population during the observation period, and the KPS score was identified as an independent predictor for mortality in this cohort. Conclusions This study demonstrates for the first time the dynamics of KPS before death in PD patients, indicating a progressive and accelerated decline of KPS in the 12 months before patients died. In addition, KPS was an independent predictor of mortality in this population.

scholarly journals Controlled Assembly of Nanorod TiO2 Crystals via a Sintering Process: Photoanode Properties in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Saeid Vafaei ◽  
Kazuhiro Manseki ◽  
Soki Horita ◽  
Masaki Matsui ◽  
Takashi Sugiura
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Semiconductor Nanocrystals ◽  
Photovoltaic Performance ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Sintering Process ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
First Time ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Control Crystallization

We present for the first time a synthetic method of obtaining 1D TiO2 nanorods with sintering methods using bundle-shaped 3D rutile TiO2 particles (3D BR-TiO2) with the dimensions of around 100 nm. The purpose of this research is (i) to control crystallization of the mixture of two kinds of TiO2 semiconductor nanocrystals, that is, 3D BR-TiO2 and spherical anatase TiO2 (SA-TiO2) on FTO substrate via sintering process and (ii) to establish a new method to create photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In addition, we focus on the preparation of low-cost and environmentally friendly titania electrode by adopting the “water-based” nanofluids. Our results provide useful guidance on how to improve the photovoltaic performance by reshaping the numerous 3D TiO2 particles to 1D TiO2-based electrodes with sintering technique.

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