Queen's University at Kingston

Provided herein is a method for detecting a tumour that can be applied to cell-free samples, to cell-free detect circulating tumour DNA. The method utilizes detection of adjacent methylation signals within a single sequencing read as the basic positive tumour signal, thereby decreasing false positives. The method comprises extracting DNA from a cell-free sample obtained from a subject, bisulphite converting the DNA, amplifying regions methylated in cancer (CpG islands, CpG shores, and/or CpG shelves), generating sequencing reads, and detecting tumour signals. To increase sensitivity, biased primers designed based on bisulphite converted methylated sequences can be used. Target methylated regions can be selected from a pre-validated set according to the specific aim of the test. Absolute number, proportion, and/or distribution of tumour signals may be used for tumour detection or classification. The method is also useful in, predicting, prognosticating, and/or monitoring response to treatment, tumour load, relapse, cancer development, or risk.

Provided herein is a method for detecting a tumour that can be applied to cell-free samples, to cell-free detect circulating tumour DNA. The method utilizes detection of adjacent methylation signals within a single sequencing read as the basic positive tumour signal, thereby decreasing false positives. The method comprises extracting DNA from a cell-free sample obtained from a subject, bisulphite converting the DNA, amplifying regions methylated in cancer (CpG islands, CpG shores, and/or CpG shelves), generating sequencing reads, and detecting tumour signals. To increase sensitivity, biased primers designed based on bisulphite converted methylated sequences can be used. Target methylated regions can be selected from a pre-validated set according to the specific aim of the test. Absolute number, proportion, and/or distribution of tumour signals may be used for tumour detection or classification. The method is also useful in, predicting, prognosticating, and/or monitoring response to treatment, tumour load, relapse, cancer development, or risk.

The present application provides stable, carbene-functionalized composite materials, and methods and uses thereof. These carbene-functionalized composite materials comprise a material having a metal surface, and a carbene monolayer that is uniform, contaminant-free (metal oxide, etc), and more stable than thiol-functionalized monolayers. Uses of such carbene-functionalized composite materials include semi-conducting materials, microelectronic devices, drug delivery or sensing applications.

A plasmid includes a reporter and an inducible promoter that enables transcription of the reporter in the presence of one or more products of β-lactam antibiotic activity, wherein transcription of the reporter produces a signal. The plasmid may be incorporated into an assay to detect β-lactamase activity by reducing the signal in the presence of the β-lactamase, or β-lactamase inhibition by producing the signal in the presence of the β-lactamase inhibitor. A cell may be transformed with the plasmid to provide a biosensor cell for assays and kits used to detect, assess, and/or characterize activity of a compound as a β-lactamase inhibitor, or to detect, assess, and/or characterize a β-lactamase producing organism.

An instrument for measuring a mechanical property of a deformable tissue includes a rigid hollow tube housing a flexible magnetic microcatheter in a sliding fit. A length of the flexible magnetic microcatheter may be advanced from a distal end of the rigid hollow tube to engage the deformable material, and exhibits a deflection in response to an applied magnetic field. A relation of force and deflection of the flexible magnetic microcatheter engaged with the deformable material in response to the applied magnetic field is indicative of the mechanical property of the deformable material. The instrument may be used to measure deformable material mechanical properties in fields such as engineering and material science, and in medicine wherein the deformable material is biological tissue.

Anionic switchable hydrophilicity solvents (ASHS) that can be reversibly converted between hydrophobic and hydrophilic forms are described. The ASHS comprise a carboxylic acid, a water-soluble base, water, and addition and removal of an acidic gas (CO 2 ) effects the conversion between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic forms. A system and method for forming the ASHS are described, as well as applications utilizing the ASHS, including a method for separating a selected substance from a mixture, a method of removing gas from polymeric foam, and a method of extracting a hydrophobic material from a solid that is at least partially coated by the hydrophobic material.

A green chemistry hydrometallurgical process for recovering one or more metals from a metal-containing material includes leaching the metal-containing material with formic acid, obtaining a leachate comprising the one or more metals as one or more metal formates, and precipitating at least one of the one or more metal formates. The metal-containing material may be a lithium-ion battery cathode material, resulting in Li formate remaining in solution and precipitation of salts including one or more of Ni, Co, and Mn formates. Steps may include filtration of the leachate, sulphurization of retained metal formate salts to produce metal sulphate salts, purification of filtered leachate by adding lithium carbonate and filtering, dewatering of the purified leachate, and thermal decomposition of resulting lithium salts to produce battery grade lithium carbonate. Carbon dioxide, water, and formic acid may be recovered and reused, without liquid or solid waste produced.

A controller for a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printing apparatus receives imaging data obtained during printing of at least one layer of a build by the printing apparatus, processes the imaging data, and generates a surface profile of the at least one layer. The controller calculates values representing in situ height difference (HD) and in situ surface smoothness (SS) of the surface profile of the at least one layer. The HD and SS values are input to an algorithm trained to determine a densification rate of the at least one layer based on a correlation of HD and SS values with one or more printing process parameters. Based on the HD and SS values the algorithm outputs one or more control signals corresponding to the one or more printing process parameters to the LPBF printing apparatus to control printing according to a target densification rate in real time.

A method for controlling a three phase neutral point clamped (NPC) converter independently controls switching devices of each phase to produce a reconstructed output voltage level of each phase based on a linear combination of three voltage levels of that phase. The method includes setting duty ratios of the switching devices of each phase to provide the reconstructed voltage level of each phase during a switching cycle, wherein the three voltage levels of each phase are 0, Vdc 2 , and Vdc, where Vdc is the NPC converter input voltage. Controllers for three phase NPC converters produce drive signals for the switching devices according to the methods.

A method for treatment of one or more toxin(s) in a subject, that includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a serine protease that enzymatically cleaves certain toxins. Also, a method for preventing disease progression in a subject infected by Clostridioides difficile (CD), diarrhea, or infectious colitis, which includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the protease. The protease retains its activity up to 65° C. Treatment with the protease in mice infected with CD conferred a 10-fold survival benefit compared to mice infected with CD and untreated.