High efficiency vortex trapping of circulating tumor cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important biomarkers for monitoring tumor dynamics and efficacy of cancer therapy. Several technologies have been demonstrated to isolate CTCs with high efficiency but achieve a low purity from a large background of blood cells. We have previously shown the ability to enrich CTCs with high purity from large volumes of blood through selective capture in microvortices using the Vortex Chip. The device consists of a narrow channel followed by a series of expansion regions called reservoirs. Fast flow in the narrow entry channel gives rise to inertial forces, which direct larger cells into trapping vortices in the reservoirs where they remain circulating in orbits. By studying the entry and stability of particles following entry into reservoirs, we discover that channel cross sectional area plays an important role in controlling the size of trapped particles, not just the orbital trajectories. Using these design modifications, we demonstrate a new device that is able to capture a wider size range of CTCs from clinical samples, uncovering further heterogeneity. This simple biophysical method opens doors for a range of downstream interventions, including genetic analysis, cell culture, and ultimately personalized cancer therapy.     

Where Pop Meets Purl: Knitting,the Curation of Craft,and the Folk/Mass Culture Divide

Since the 1970s, the de‐differentiation of high and low culture has legitimized the curation of craft and popular culture. The curation of some crafts, such as quilting, has assisted in reducing art‐craft distinctions, and the exhibition of fashion and popular music has highlighted links between folk culture (e.g., stories, songs, and crafts) and mass culture. With reference to the craft of knitting, we draw on the concept of the contact zone) to show how the current breaching of museum boundaries by yarn bombers can draw further attention to inclusions and exclusions in museum curation. Just as traditional age and gender distinctions are both problematized and perpetuated in public images and press reports on knitting, we argue that discussion of new forms and new contributors to curation processes may be tempered by broader analysis of the representation of craft within popular culture.     

The superstar phenomenon in the knowledge management and intellectual capital academic discipline

This paper reports on the first documented attempt to investigate the presence of the superstar (or Matthew) effect in the knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC) scholarly discipline. The Yule–Simon model and Lotka's square law were applied to the publication data obtained from 2175 articles from 11 KM/IC journals. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the KM/IC discipline represents a very young, attractive academic field that welcomes contributions from a variety of academics and practitioners. In their paper acceptance decisions, KM/IC journal editors are not biased towards a small group of highly productive researchers, which is a positive sign that the field has been progressing in the right direction. The discipline is driven more by academics than by practitioners, and the distribution of articles is more concentrated among a few academic but not practitioner institutions. It was also observed that the Yule–Simon model and Lotka's square law may produce different distributions with respect to institutions.     

Toward a research-based assessment of dyslexia: using cognitive measures to identify reading disabilities

One hundred five participants from a random sample of elementary and middle school children completed measures of reading achievement and cognitive abilities presumed, based on a synthesis of current dyslexia research, to underlie reading. Factor analyses of these cognitive variables (including auditory processing, phonological awareness, short-term auditory memory, visual memory, rapid automatized naming, and visual processing speed) produced three empirically and theoretically derived factors (auditory processing, visual processing/speed, and memory), each of which contributed to the prediction of reading and spelling skills. Factor scores from the three factors combined predicted 85% of the variance associated with letter/sight word naming, 70% of the variance associated with reading comprehension, 73% for spelling, and 61% for phonetic decoding. The auditory processing factor was the strongest predictor, accounting for 27% to 43% of the variance across the different achievement areas. The results provide practitioner and researcher with theoretical and empirical support for the inclusion of measures of the three factors, in addition to specific measures of reading achievement, in a standardized assessment of dyslexia. Guidelines for a thorough, research-based assessment are provided.     

Preliminary Detection of Relations Among Dynamic Processes With Two-Occasion Data

Most novel analytic methods for longitudinal data are applicable to studies spanning three time-points of data at a minimum, whereas methods for two-occasion data have garnered comparatively little attention. Here, we address this limitation by introducing the two-wave latent change score (2W-LCS) model, a technique appropriate for preliminary detection of relations among dynamic processes with two-occasion data. The 2W-LCS model is well suited for the investigation of hypotheses in which changes in a construct are posited as predictors of changes in another construct. In an empirical illustration using data of elderly Hispanics from the Health and Retirement Study, we demonstrate how the 2W-LCS model provides the best match to theories rooted in changes, and highlight the advantages of this approach over other modeling alternatives (i.e., Little, Preacher, Selig, & Card, 2007; Selig & Preacher, 2009).     

Integrating student learning with practitioner experiences via virtual field trips

The challenge of enriching the teaching/learning experience with the voice of practitioners has long been accomplished via field trips. Now, whether students are on another continent or in the presence of a teacher, they can have the field trip experience electronically. Therefore, this paper addresses: (i) the rationale for virtual field trips (VFTs) for a basic public speaking course; (ii) the content and design of the VFTs; (iii) insights gained from assessments of the roles and functions of VFTs over a 3 year period.