Low-cost, high-throughput and rapid-prototyped 3D-integrated dielectrophoretic channels for continuous cell enrichment and separation.

Microfluidic devices for dielectrophoretic cell separation are typically designed and constructed using microfabrication methods in a clean room, requiring time and expense. In this paper, we describe a novel alternative approach to microfluidic device manufacture, using chips cut from conductor-insulator laminates using a cutter plotter. This allows the manufacture of microchannel devices with micron-scale electrodes along every wall. Fabrication uses a conventional desktop cutter plotter, and requires no chemicals, masks or clean-room access; functional fluidic devices can be designed and constructed within a couple of hours at negligible cost. As an example, we demonstrate the construction of a continuous dielectrophoretic cell separator capable of enriching yeast cells to 80% purity at 10 000 cells/s.

High-throughput, low-loss, low-cost, and label-free cell separation using electrophysiology-activated cell enrichment.

Currently, cell separation occurs almost exclusively by density gradient methods and by fluorescence- and magnetic-activated cell sorting (FACS/MACS). These variously suffer from lack of specificity, high cell loss, use of labels, and high capital/operating cost. We present a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based cell-separation method, using 3D electrodes on a low-cost disposable chip; one cell type is allowed to pass through the chip whereas the other is retained and subsequently recovered. The method advances usability and throughput of DEP separation by orders of magnitude in throughput, efficiency, purity, recovery (cells arriving in the correct output fraction), cell losses (those which are unaccounted for at the end of the separation), and cost. The system was evaluated using three example separations: live and dead yeast; human cancer cells/red blood cells; and rodent fibroblasts/red blood cells. A single-pass protocol can enrich cells with cell recovery of up to 91.3% at over 300,000 cells per second with >3% cell loss. A two-pass protocol can process 300,000,000 cells in under 30 min, with cell recovery of up to 96.4% and cell losses below 5%, an effective processing rate >160,000 cells per second. A three-step protocol is shown to be effective for removal of 99.1% of RBCs spiked with 1% cancer cells while maintaining a processing rate of ∼170,000 cells per second. Furthermore, the self-contained and low-cost nature of the separator device means that it has potential application in low-contamination applications such as cell therapies, where good manufacturing practice compatibility is of paramount importance.

Missed opportunities: Genetic counseling and testing among an ethnically diverse cohort of women with endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Lynch syndrome (LS) accounts for the majority of inherited endometrial cancers (EC), and the identification of probands presents a unique opportunity to treat and prevent multiple cancers. The diagnosis of EC can provide the indication for women with specific risk factors to undergo genetic testing (GT). We sought to evaluate genetic counseling referrals (GCR) and subsequent GT rates in an ethnically diverse group of high-risk women. METHODS: All women diagnosed with EC between 2011 and 2016 were identified. Risk factors for LS including age, family and personal histories of Lynch-related cancers and loss of tumor mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression were identified from laboratory and medical records. Standard two-sided statistical tests were used. RESULTS: Of 583 women diagnosed with EC, 184 (31.6%) were found to have at least one high-risk characteristic for LS. Among these high-risk women, 58% were given GCR and resulting in only 35% undergoing GT. Ten of the 65 high-risk women who had GT (15.4%) were diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, and all ten met high-risk criteria. Two women of Asian race had tumors exhibiting retained MMR protein expression despite germline testing demonstrating Lynch syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Many high-risk women do not receive GCR despite a high rate of germline mutations among these women. Improving GCR among high-risk women will lead to more subsequent GT to identify more Lynch syndrome families and prevent additional cancers. Among our ethnically diverse cohort, two women diagnosed with LS had retained MMR protein expression. GCR should be offered to women who possess high-risk characteristics despite normal MMR protein expression.

Cervical Trident-Shaped Neurofibroma: A Rare Variant.

Spinal nerve root tumors can arise throughout the spine and at multiple levels, likely representing plexiform neurofibromas that grow from the nerve root into the intraspinal space either intradurally or epidurally and exit through the neural foramen, producing a dumbbell-shaped appearance. Although many cases of dumbbell-shaped extramedullary neurofibromas in the cervical spine have been reported, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of trident-shaped extramedullary neurofibromas. A 26-year-old woman presented with swelling over the right side of her neck. Diagnostic workup included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck, which revealed an intradural, extramedullary tumor mass at the right C2-C6 level with an extraspinal extension. Spinal cord compression or canal compromise is the most reliable indication for surgery. The solitary cervical neurofibroma was treated surgically in a single stage through laminoplasty and excision of the intradural tumor along with that of the neck component. This was performed without any complications. A single-stage double approach was adopted in this case. After total excision, the shape of the tumor was found to be more like a trident than a dumbbell. Hence, here we would like to suggest a new nomenclature for this neurofibroma, the trident neurofibroma.

Discovery of a new species of Euphlyctis (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from the western coastal plains of peninsular India.

The aquatic frog genus Euphlyctis is now considered under two separate genera- Euphlyctis Fitzinger and Phrynoderma Fitzinger, with four valid species in each genus, respectively. The current distribution range of the genus Phrynoderma is restricted to peninsular India and Bangladesh, with a probability of availability in Sri Lanka. The genus Euphlyctis has a wide range of distribution from the Arabian Peninsula and the South Asian countries, with a few historical descriptions treated as junior synonyms of the species Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis in India. A new species of skittering frog, Euphlyctis jaladhara sp. nov. is described here from the surroundings of the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary of Kerala, India, which has a predominant distribution in the western coastal plains of peninsular India and some parts of the Western Ghats. The new species has distinct morphological characters and a high genetic distance that distinguishes it from the sympatric species. Discussions are made concerning the validity of the species E. ghoshi and E. kalasgramensis.

Terrestrial snail-mucus mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and in vitro investigations on their antimicrobial and anticancer activities.

Over the past few years, biogenic methods for designing silver nanocomposites are in limelight due to their ability to generate semi-healthcare and para-pharmaceutical consumer goods. The present study reports the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the hitherto unexplored mucus of territorial snail Achatina fulica by the facile, clean and easily scalable method. The detailed characterization of the resultant samples by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, FESEM-EDS, XRD and FTIR Spectroscopy techniques corroborated the formation of silver nanoparticles in snail mucus matrix. The resultant samples were tested against a broad range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a fungal strain Aspergillus fumigatus by well diffusion method. The results indicate that silver nanoparticles in mucus matrix exhibit strong antibacterial as well as antifungal activity. The pertinent experiments were also performed to determine the inhibitory concentration against both bacterial and fungal strains. Anticancer activity was executed by in vitro method using cervical cancer cell lines. Curiously, our biogenically synthesized Ag nanoparticles in biocompatible mucus revealed anticancer activity and demonstrated more than 15% inhibition of Hela cells. We suggest an interesting possibility of formulating antimicrobial and possibly anticancer creams/gels for topical applications in skin ailments.

The effect of gender and age differences on media selection in small and medium tourism enterprises.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that gender and age differences have on the communication media selection within the context of small and medium tourism enterprises (SMEs). Media Richness Theory (MRT) was used to assess media preferences in the firms. Using a mail questionnaire, data from 78 firms were collected on seven popular media in use. Historical data of the firms, media characteristics, and other firm-specific factors were included in the analysis. The results indicated that there are substantial gender and age differences in term of communication media selection. This is consistent with MRT and highlights the importance of choosing the appropriate media in SMEs, according with the employee's behaviors, in order to achieve better outcomes and to smooth the path towards good performance in the future.