A Reliable Approach for Revealing Molecular Targets in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Nano secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) imaging is a rapidly growing field in biological sciences, which enables investigators to describe the chemical composition of cells and tissues with high resolution. One of the major challenges of nanoSIMS is to identify specific molecules or organelles, as these are not immediately recognizable in nanoSIMS and need to be revealed by SIMS-compatible probes. Few laboratories have generated such probes, and none are commercially available. To address this, we performed a systematic study of probes initially developed for electron microscopy. Relying on nanoscale SIMS, we found that antibodies coupled to 6 nm gold particles are surprisingly efficient in terms of labeling specificity while offering a reliable detection threshold. These tools enabled accurate visualization and sample analysis and were easily employed in correlating SIMS with other imaging approaches, such as fluorescence microscopy. We conclude that antibodies conjugated to moderately sized gold particles are promising tools for SIMS imaging.     

Effectiveness of learning in online academic courses compared with face‐to‐face courses in higher education

This study examined the effectiveness of 3 online courses compared with the same 3 courses in a face‐to‐face (F2F) format, which had the same characteristics (e.g., the same instructor and final exam content and place). Effectiveness was examined by utilizing a wide range of variables, including 2 objective measures (N = 968): grades and completion rate; and 9 subjective measures (N = 360): 7 measures include instructional aspects (course structure, learning content, lessons watched, assignments, communication), engagement, and satisfaction. Findings indicate significant differences between online and F2F courses in most of the examined variables. Students in the online courses reported better understanding of the course structure, better communication with the course staff, watching the videos lessens more, and higher engagement and satisfaction. Students in the F2F courses reported better contribution of the learning content. Students' final grades were higher in the online courses, and no differences were found in the completion rate. The findings suggest that in many of the examined effectiveness aspects, online courses are as effective as, or more effective than, F2F courses. Interpretations of the findings are discussed.     

Personalized Hydrogels for Engineering Diverse Fully Autologous Tissue Implants

Despite incremental improvements in the field of tissue engineering, no technology is currently available for producing completely autologous implants where both the cells and the scaffolding material are generated from the patient, and thus do not provoke an immune response that may lead to implant rejection. Here, a new approach is introduced to efficiently engineer any tissue type, which its differentiation cues are known, from one small tissue biopsy. Pieces of omental tissues are extracted from patients and, while the cells are reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, the extracellular matrix is processed into an immunologically matching, thermoresponsive hydrogel. Efficient cell differentiation within a large 3D hydrogel is reported, and, as a proof of concept, the generation of functional cardiac, cortical, spinal cord, and adipogenic tissue implants is demonstrated. This versatile bioengineering approach may assist to regenerate any tissue and organ with a minimal risk for immune rejection.     

Propaganda as a research field: a bibliometric study

Scientometrics - In its efforts to direct thought and with the help of technological developments that allow it to spread more easily and quicker than ever before, propaganda has become a dominant...     

The perception of pedestrians from the perspective of elderly experienced and experienced drivers

We examined hazard perception (HP) abilities among elderly experienced and experienced drivers, with regard to the presence of pedestrians in residential areas. Two evaluation methods were used: (a) observation of traffic scene videos and pressing a button when a hazardous situation was identified, and (b) driving in a driving simulator. The results of the video observation method showed that elderly drivers had a longer response time for hazard detection. In addition, four of the eight pedestrian-related events were difficult for elderly drivers to perceive when compared to experienced drivers. Elderly drivers, shown to have limited useful field of view, may also be limited in their ability to detect hazards, particularly when located away from the center of the screen. Results from the simulator drive showed that elderly drivers drove about 20% slower than experienced drivers, possibly being aware of their deficiencies in detecting hazards and slower responses. Authorities should be aware of these limitations and increase elderly drivers' awareness to pedestrians by posting traffic signs or dedicated lane marks that inform them of potential upcoming hazards.     

Drivers' perception of vulnerable road users: a hazard perception approach

The present study examined how experienced and young-inexperienced drivers (either trained in hazard perception or not) respond to and identify pedestrians when they appear in residential roads within populated neighborhoods and in urban roads located outside neighborhoods and usually less populated. As part of a hazard perception test, participants were connected to an eye tracking system and were asked to observe 58 traffic scene movies and press a response button each time they detected a hazardous situation. Analyzing all pedestrian-related events revealed that, regardless of driving experience or training, drivers detect pedestrians less often when they appear in urban areas and more often when they appear in residential areas. Moreover, experienced drivers processed information more efficiently than young-inexperienced drivers (both trained and untrained) when pedestrians were identified. Visual search patterns in urban and residential traffic environments are discussed.     

Optical nanomanipulations of malignant cells: controlled cell damage and fusion

Specifically targeting and manipulating living cells is a key challenge in biomedicine and in cancer research in particular. Several studies have shown that nanoparticles irradiated by intense lasers are capable of conveying damage to nearby cells for various therapeutic and biological applications. In this work ultrashort laser pulses and gold nanospheres are used for the generation of localized, nanometric disruptions on the membranes of specifically targeted cells. The high structural stability of the nanospheres and the resonance pulse irradiation allow effective means for controlling the induced nanometric effects. The technique is demonstrated by inducing desired death mechanisms in epidermoid carcinoma and Burkitt lymphoma cells, and initiating efficient cell fusion between various cell types. Main advantages of the presented approach include low toxicity, high specificity, and high flexibility in the regulation of cell damage and cell fusion, which would allow it to play an important role in various future clinical and scientific applications.     

On the tractability of hard scheduling problems with generalized due-dates with respect to the number of different due-dates

Journal of Scheduling - We study two $$\mathcal {NP}$$ -hard single-machine scheduling problems with generalized due-dates. In such problems, due-dates are associated with positions in the job...