Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Yuting Zhou, Liguo Dai, Niandong Jiao
Summary: Microbubbles have been widely used in the field of microrobots due to their unique properties. They can serve as power sources, manipulation tools, or even microrobots themselves. This review provides a comprehensive overview of bubble applications in microrobotics, including propulsion, manipulation, and assembly, highlighting the advantages and challenges.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shujie Yang, Joseph Rufo, Ruoyu Zhong, Joseph Rich, Zeyu Wang, Luke P. P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: Acoustic tweezers offer an efficient and contact-free way to manipulate individual cells and particles. Its application in next-generation cellular assays can enhance our understanding of biological systems. With acoustic tweezers, users can conduct a variety of experiments involving trapping, patterning, pairing, and separating single cells in the field of biological sciences.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Huaping Wang, Jiancong Chen, Han Tao, Haojun Hu, Qing Shi, Qiang Huang, Toshio Fukuda
Summary: In this paper, a formation-based dynamically reconfigurable control method for railed multirobot coordinated micromanipulation is proposed. By using the leader-follower and artificial potential field methods, the micromanipulators can perform coordinated operations in different configurations. Experimental results show the feasibility and stability of the method, as well as its superior following performance.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jerome Dejeu, Amelie Cot, Patrick Rougeot, Boris Lakard, Sophie Lakard, Michael Gauthier
Summary: The development of new surfaces with high adhesion and conductivity for microdevice fabrication, specifically for 3D assembly of microcomponents, is a significant challenge. Polyaniline films prepared through electrochemical deposition in phosphoric acid solution showed high adhesion properties, stability, and conductivity, making them comparable to the best commercial glues. These materials have a wide range of potential applications in telecommunications, bioengineering, and MEMS.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shujie Yang, Zhenhua Tian, Zeyu Wang, Joseph Rufo, Peng Li, John Mai, Jianping Xia, Hunter Bachman, Po-Hsun Huang, Mengxi Wu, Chuyi Chen, Luke P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang
Summary: The authors introduce a harmonic acoustics platform for non-contact and dynamic particle manipulation. This method enables precise assembly of colloidal crystals or cells and measurement of intercellular adhesion forces, with subwavelength resolution and high throughput.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Ngoc Thoai Tran, Minh Phung Dang, Alokesh Pramanik, Animesh Basak, S. Shankar, Dharam Buddhi, Thanh-Phong Dao
Summary: This article presents an effective computation method for designing a new robotic grasper that can be used for microassembly and micromanipulation. The method involves a structural scheme using topology procedures, refinement of compliant joints, and modeling establishment using intelligent computation. The results indicate improved performance of the grasper with optimized geometrical dimensions.
ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Lorena Fiorini, Francesco Zullo, Alessandro Marucci, Chiara Di Dato, Bernardino Romano
Summary: The PTM is a technical device that provides a standardized framework for municipal regulatory planning, improving transparency and public understanding of future urban layouts, especially before transformative events occur.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Wenxu Wang, Wei Chen, Chaoyang Wu, Chen Zhang, Jingjing Feng, Pengxiang Liu, Yuru Hu, Hongyun Li, Feng Sun, Kai Jiang, Xinghua Zhang, Zheng Liu
Summary: Extracellular matrix rigidity plays a crucial role in various biological processes. This study developed a method to functionalize DNA tension probes on soft hydrogel surfaces, allowing for molecular tension fluorescence microscopy to investigate the mechanisms of rigidity sensing. The findings showed that cells respond to substrate rigidity by modulating integrin sampling frequency and recruiting more force-bearing integrins, rather than simply overloading existing integrin-ligand bonds. The study also demonstrated that ECM rigidity positively regulates T cell receptor force and mechanical sampling frequency, promoting T cell activation.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Evan Weisman, Chethn Krishna Galla, Cris Montoya, Eduardo Alejandro, Jason Lim, Melanie Beck, George P. Winstone, Alexey Grinin, William Eom, Andrew A. Geraci
Summary: The study describes an apparatus that uses a piezoelectric transducer for loading nanoparticles into an optical trap for levitated optomechanics experiments. The device can generate dry aerosols suitable for particles of varying sizes and has been successful in loading particles into traps under high vacuum conditions. The results show promise for direct loading into ultra-high vacuum for various applications.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Qiao Jiang, Hong Xiang, Dezhuan Han
Summary: This study proposes an all-dielectric metasurface that can generate Bessel beams with tunable longitudinally polarized electric and magnetic fields under the incidence of linear polarization. By changing the polarization angle of the incident light, the longitudinal components of the electric and magnetic fields can be accurately manipulated between zero and the maximum. The simplicity and flexibility of this metasurface offer new possibilities in ultracompact photonic devices for optical trapping, optical storage, and related fields.
Article
Polymer Science
Qiuhui Chang, Jian Jiang
Summary: By using density functional theory, self-consistent field theory, and molecular dynamics simulation, the microstructures of sequence-defined polyelectrolytes (PEs) confined in a nanoscale slit were analyzed, as well as the relationship between the sequences and the attractive forces induced by the nanoconfined PEs. Among three sequence-defined PEs (alternating, tapered, and reversely tapered sequence), the alternating-sequence PEs induce the strongest attractive forces and exhibit the best salt tolerance. The strength of attractive forces can be regulated by the block number N(b), and it varies nonmonotonically with N(b) due to electrostatic correlations.
Article
Environmental Studies
Gaetan Palka, Eduardo Oliveira, Sofia Pagliarin, Anna M. Hersperger
Summary: Strategic spatial planning is a key planning practice at the urban regional level, characterized by complexity, context-dependency, and embeddedness in multi-level governance configurations. This study evaluates the planning efficacy of strategic spatial planning processes in Lyon and Copenhagen using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, showing that a quantitative approach is a useful way to compare strategic spatial planning across urban regions.
EUROPEAN PLANNING STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zan Zhu, Liang Bao, Dmitry Pestov, Ping Xu, Wei-Ning Wang
Summary: The surface-modulated photocatalyst with a positively charged layer enhances the affinity towards bacterial cells via electrostatic attractions. The experimental results demonstrate that the positively charged layer does promote the contact between bacteria and photocatalyst through electrostatic attractions. The cooperative effects of bacterial cell adhesion and ROS generation significantly enhance the disinfection performance of the photocatalyst.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Stachowicz
Summary: This article discusses the role of cell adhesion molecules in brain function, covering the basic physical and chemical properties of adhesion. It explores different cell adhesion molecules and their impact on physiological and pathological brain function, as well as methods for studying adhesion in the brain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sanat Kumar Dash, Bamadeb Patra, Vineeta Sharma, Sarit K. Das, Rama Shanker Verma
Summary: Fluid shear stress (FSS) plays a crucial role in cancer cell survival and tumor development. This study investigated the stemness and drug resistance characteristics of cervical cancer cells (HeLa) under different magnitudes of FSS. The results showed that FSS affected cell proliferation, mitotic arrest, and the expression of stemness-related genes and cell surface markers. FSS also increased the cells' ability to withstand oxidative stress and maintain mitochondrial membrane potential. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of cancer cell survival and drug resistance during metastasis and relapse.
