ABSTRACT
Biofouling is a major problem in all natural and artificial settings where solid surfaces meet liquids in the presence of living microorganisms. Microbes attach to the surface and form a multidimensional slime that protects them from unfavorable environments. These structures, known as biofilms, are detrimental and very hard to remove. Here, we used SMART magnetic fluids [ferrofluids (FFs), magnetorheological fluids (MRFs), and ferrogels (FGs) containing iron oxide nano/microparticles] and magnetic fields to remove bacterial biofilms from culture tubes, glass slides, multiwell plates, flow cells, and catheters. We compared the ability of different SMART fluids to remove biofilms and found that commercially available, as well as homemade, FFs, MRFs, and FGs can successfully remove biofilm more efficiently than traditional mechanical methods, especially from textured surfaces. In tested conditions, SMARTFs reduced bacterial biofilms by five orders of magnitude. The ability to remove biofilm increased with the amount of magnetic particles; therefore, MRFs, FG, and homemade FFs with high amounts of iron oxide were the most efficient. We showed also that SMART fluid deposition can protect a surface from bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Possible applications of these technologies are discussed.
ABSTRACT
The population of Singapore is ageing rapidly. Acute hospitals in Singapore are also experiencing an acute bed shortage. However, many elderly admitted to acute hospitals require a longer period of convalescence before they are able to go home. Community hospitals are most suitable to provide such care for the elderly patient. Patients could be discharged to the community hospitals to continue rehabilitation and convalescence. In addition this would also free the beds in the acute hospitals. However, there is a risk that without adequate discharge planning, the community hospitals would in turn also reach full capacity and no longer be able to accept patients. A discharge planning programme has been set up in a community hospital to address the following needs: 1) caring for a rapidly ageing population with increasing degrees of disability; 2) the shortage of beds in the acute hospitals; (3) the provision of holistic care and care-giver education, and 4) to prevent long term institutionalisation of the elderly as much as possible.
Subject(s)
Hospitals, Community/organization & administration , Patient Discharge , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Care Team , Quality Assurance, Health Care , Referral and Consultation , Singapore , Surveys and QuestionnairesSubject(s)
Mental Disorders/psychology , Students/psychology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Singapore , UniversitiesABSTRACT
Somatic cell variants of Chinese hamster V79 were selected for rapid growth on D-galactose at high temperatures. Their phenotypes are stable after many generations in the absence of selection pressure. They clone in D-galactose at temperatures at which the wild type cannot, while in D-glucose, the variants and the wild type appear to have the same growth properties. The use of such variants should be very important for the study of gene regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in mammalian cells.
Subject(s)
Clone Cells/metabolism , Galactose/metabolism , Mutation , Animals , Cell Division , Cell Line , Cricetinae , Culture Media , Female , Ovary , TemperatureABSTRACT
Growth medium was conditioned by incubation on mouse embryo cells in vitro. Supplementation of agar suspension cultures with conditioned medium from primary cells, but not from established lines, readily enhanced colony development by mouse tumor cells. Only cells with the properties of myoblasts responded to conditioned medium. Other fibroblastoid cells and virus-transformed cell lines were not affected. Myogenic cells in agar cultures grew in the presence of conditioned medium but did not differentiate. Soluble collagen at 400 mug/ml possessed little colony-stimulating activity by comparison with fresh conditioned medium.
