Hasil untuk "q-bio"

Q. Bu, H. Lei, A. Zacher et al.

Ride Wang, Lei Xu, Jiayi Wang et al.

An ultra-sensitive THz metasensor is presented based on quasi-BIC Fano resonance, which can distinguish extremely dilute concentrations (nM) of solutions. It provides a nondestructive sensing approach for disease prevention and diagnosis. However, the main drawback limiting the performance of THz-based bio-chemical sensors is the weak interaction between the optical field and the analyte, the characteristic scale of which is mismatched with the THz wavelength, leading to low sensitivity. Herein, we present an ultra-sensitive THz metasensor based on an electric Fano resonant metasurface which consists of three gold microrods arranged periodically. The designed electric Fano resonance provides a strong near-field enhancement near the surface of the microstructure, significantly boosting the light-analyte interactions and thus the sensitivity. Such an electric Fano resonance is formed by the interference between a leaky electric dipole resonance and a bound toroidal dipole mode which is a symmetry-protected bound state in the continuum supported by the sub-diffractive periodic system here. Owing to the strong electric fields generated near the interface of our microstructure around the toroidal dipole BIC, the proposed structure can distinguish extremely dilute concentrations (nM) of solutions. Importantly, by controlling the degree of geometrical asymmetry, the BIC-inspired mechanism provides an important and simple tool to engineer and tailor the linewidth and Q-factor of our proposed electric Fano resonance, indicating the ability to realize different biosensors for different optical regimes. Our results open new possibilities to realize a non-destructive and non-contact quantitative inspection of low-concentration solutions, providing a useful sensing approach for disease prevention and diagnosis.

Nina Jackson Levin, S. Kattari, Emily K. Piellusch et al.

“Chosen family”—families formed outside of biological or legal (bio-legal) bonds—is a signature of the queer experience. Therefore, we address the stakes of “chosen family” for queer and transgender (Q/T) young adults in terms of health, illness and the mutual provision of care. “Chosen family” is a refuge specifically generated by and for the queer experience, so we draw upon anthropological theory to explore questions of queer kinship in terms of care. We employ a phenomenological approach to semi-structured interviews (n = 11), open coding, and thematic analysis of transcriptions to meet our aims: (1) Develop an understanding of the beliefs and values that form the definition of “chosen family” for Q/T young adults; and (2) Understand the ways in which “chosen family” functions in terms of care for health and illness. Several themes emerged, allowing us to better understand the experiences of this population in navigating the concept of “chosen family” within and beyond health care settings. Emergent themes include: (1) navigating medical systems; (2) leaning on each other; and (3) mutual aid. These findings are explored, as are the implications of findings for how health care professionals can better engage Q/T individuals and their support networks.

Syed Kumayl Raza Moosavi, M. Zafar, Filippo Sanfilippo et al.

Stress affects individual of all ages as a regular part of life, but excessive and chronic stress can lead to physical and mental health problems, decreased productivity, and reduced quality of life. By identifying stress at an early stage, individuals can take steps to manage it effectively and improve their overall well-being. Feature selection is a critical aspect of early stress detection because it helps identify the most relevant and informative features that can differentiate between stressed and non-stressed individuals. This paper firstly proposes a variance based feature selection technique that uses q-learning embedded Starling Murmuration Optimiser (QLESMO) to choose relevant features from a publicly available dataset in which stresses experienced by nurses working during the Covid’19 Pandemic is recorded using bio-signals and user surveys. Furthermore, a comparative study with other metaheuristic based feature selection techniques have been demonstrated. Next, to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm, 10 benchmark test functions have been used. The reduced feature subset is then classified through a 1D convolutional neural network (CNN) model (QLESMO-CNN) and is seen to perform well in terms of the evaluation metrics in comparison to other competitive algorithms. Finally, the proposed technique is compared with the State-of-the-Art methodologies present in literature. The experiments provide a strong basis to determine features that are most relevant for early mental stress classification using a hybrid model combining CNN, Reinforcement Learning and metaheuristic algorithms.

Ekta J. Shah, W. Grunwald, T. Garrett et al.

Organophosphates cause hyperstimulation of the central nervous system, leading to extended seizures, convulsions, and brain damage. Sarin is a highly toxic organophosphate nerve agent that has been employed in several terrorist attacks. The prolonged toxicity of sarin may be enhanced by the neuroinflammatory response initiated by the inflammasome, caspase involvement, and generation/release of proinflammatory cytokines. Since neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation are prevalent in sarin-exposed animals, we were interested in evaluating the capacity of quinolyl-valyl-O-methylaspartyl-[-2,6-difluorophenoxy]-methyl ketone (Q-VD-OPh), a pan caspase inhibitor to attenuate neuroinflammation following sarin exposure. To test this hypothesis, sarin-exposed C57BL/6 mice were treated with Q-VD-OPh or negative control quinolyl-valyl-O-methylglutamyl-[-2,6-difluorophenoxy]-methyl ketone, sacrificed at 2- and 14-day time points, followed by removal of the amygdala and hippocampus. A Bio-Rad 23-Plex cytokine analysis was completed on each tissue. The results suggest that exposure to sarin induced a dramatic increase in interleukin-1β and 6 other cytokines and a decrease in 2 of the 23 cytokines at 2 days in the amygdala compared with controls. Q-VD-OPh attenuated these changes at the 2-day time point. At 14 days, six of these cytokines were still significantly different from controls. Hippocampus was less affected at both time points. Diazepam, a neuroprotective drug against nerve agents, caused an increase in several cytokines but did not have a synergistic effect with Q-VD-OPh. Treatment of sarin exposure with apoptosis inhibitors appears to be a worthwhile approach for further testing as a comprehensive counteragent against organophosphate exposure. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A pan inhibitor of caspases (Q-VD-OPh) was proposed as a potential antidote for sarin-induced neuroinflammation by reducing the level of inflammation via inflammasome caspase inhibition. Q-VD-OPh added at 30 minutes post-sarin exposure attenuated the inflammatory response of a number of cytokines and chemokines in the amygdala and hippocampus, two brain regions sensitive to organophosphate exposure. Apoptotic marker reduction at 2 and 14 days further supports further testing of inhibitors of apoptosis as a means to lessen extended organophosphate toxicity in the brain.

Lingxiao Wang, S. Pang

This article presents two new chemical plume tracing (CPT) algorithms for using on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to locate hydrothermal vents. We aim to design effective CPT navigation algorithms that direct AUVs to trace emitted hydrothermal plumes to the hydrothermal vent. Traditional CPT algorithms can be grouped into two categories, including bio-inspired and engineering-based methods, but they are limited by either search inefficiency in turbulent flow environments or high computational costs. To approach this problem, we design a new CPT algorithm by fusing traditional CPT methods. Specifically, two deep reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, including double deep Q-network (DDQN) and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG), are employed to train a customized deep neural network that dynamically combines two traditional CPT algorithms during the search process. Simulation experiments show that both DDQN- and DDPG-based CPT algorithms achieve a high success rate (>90%) in either laminar or turbulent flow environments. Moreover, compared to traditional moth-inspired method, the averaged search time is improved by 67% for the DDQN- and 44% for the DDPG-based CPT algorithms in turbulent flow environments.

S. Saikia, R. B. Costa, A. Sinharoy et al.

Hameed Miyan, Rajan Agrahari, Sanjay Kumar Gowre et al.

In this paper, a computational study was performed to design a compact and high sensitive photonic crystal for the early detection of cancer cells. The plane wave expansion (PWE) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods were used to determine the dispersion and optical properties of light under variable refractive indices, respectively. The proposed PC-based sensor provided a wide band structure and very-good confinement of light in the sensing area, corresponding to vary sensitive refractive index variations. The effect of lattice constant of PC and radius of the sensing region on the sensitivity of the biosensor were studied. A sensitivity of 15 085 nm/RIU and Q-factor of 81.58 were obtained, ensuing a low detection limit of 0.01 and a high Figure of Merit (FOM) of 159.54 RIU−1. Such combinations made an attribute to the proposed structure to perform label-free bio-sensing in cancer cells detection and other points of medical care diagnosis applications.

B. Ahmed, Anam Hashmi, M. S. Khan et al.

Abstract Yellow pepper extract and quercetin (QDH) were used for YPE-AgNPs and Q-AgNPs fabrication. The AgNPs were thoroughly characterized using standard physico-chemical techniques and were found monodispersed, pleomorphic and had variable shape and size with a lattice fringe of 0.23 nm. YPE-AgNPs and Q-AgNPs revealed a characteristic SPR band at 438 nm and 431 nm. The XRD crystal size of YPE-AgNPs and Q-AgNPs was 10.16 and 12.20 nm while TEM analysis showed a size range of 5–40 and 1–25 nm. Bio-fabricated AgNPs remained stable for at least four weeks as the SPR did not deviate with time. FTIR data revealed functionalization of AgNPs by organics of reaction mixture. AgNPs had robust antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against ESβL(+) Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and methicillin sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Staining of isolates with fluorescent probes displayed the increased production of ROS and membrane permeability. AgNPs hampered EPS production, endorsed DNA leakage, and generated superoxide radicals. Time and concentration dependent experiments demonstrated a consistent decrease in bacterial growth. Structural changes viz. irregular margins, distortion, depressions/indentations and shrinkage of cells were obvious under SEM. AgNPs due to strong antibacterial activity could be exploited as a supplement with antibacterial drugs to control resilient human infections.

B. Gandhi, Shekharappa, Rayappa Appa Balikai

S. Chakravarty, W. Lai, Yi Zou et al.

H. Khosroabadi, S. Miyasaka, J. Kobayashi et al.

The dispersion of phonons in Ba1-xKxBiO3 along the (3+q, 0, 0) direction in reciprocal space was determined for x=0, 0.30, 0.37, 0.52 using high-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering. The observed phonon energies near \Gamma were in good agreement with published optical data. It was found that two high-energy modes strongly soften near q=0.25 when the system becomes metallic (x >0.35). There was no softening in the insulating phase, even at x=0.30, very near the metal-insulator transition. This suggests that the phonon softening is linked to the appearance of the Fermi-surface.

S. S. Singh

S. Dhaka, G. Singh, N. Ali et al.

Ling Zhou, Yu-Ping Tang, Lu Gao et al.

San-ao decoction (SAD), comprising Herba Ephedrae, Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae and Seneb Armeniacae Amarum, is one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulae for asthma. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators of lipid and glucose metabolism and have become important therapeutic targets for various deseases, PPARγ activation might exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in different chronic inflammatory processes. The EtOAc fraction of SAD showed a significant effect on PPARγ activation. A simple and rapid method has been established for separation and characterization of the main compounds in the PPARγ-activating fraction of SAD by ultra-fast HPLC coupled with quadropole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). A total of 10 compounds were identified in the activating fraction of SAD, including amygdalin (1), liquiritin (2), 6′-acetyliquiritin (3), liquiritigenin (4), isoliquiritigenin (5), formononetin (6), licoisoflavanone (7), glycycoumarin (8), glycyrol (9) and quercetin (10). The results also characterized formononetin as a predominant component in this fraction. The dose-effect relationship comparison study of formononetin and the EtOAc fraction of SAD by adding formononetin was performed, the results suggested that formononetin was the major component of the EtOAc fraction of SAD responsible for activating PPARγ, and the method will possibly be applied to study the complex biological active constituents of other TCMs.

G. Nisola, E. Cho, Jennica D. Orata et al.

R. Pal, Gaje Singh, C. Prasad et al.

B. Khuri-yakub, K.K. Park, H.J. Lee et al.

R. Yogi, S. Gangal, R. Aiyer et al.

Q. S. M. Kwok, D. G. Jones, G. F. Núñez et al.