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Search results for: sensitivity analysis
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PCR test for Microsporum canis identification
PublicationMicrosporum canis, for which the natural hosts are cats and dogs, is the most prevalent zoophilic agent causing tinea capitis and tinea corporis in humans. We present here a diagnostic PCR test for M. canis, since its detection and species identification is relevant to the choice of treatment and to the understanding of a probable source of infection. An M. canis-specific PCR was evaluated using 130 clinical isolates of dermatophytes...
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A simple modification of PCR thermal profile applied to evade persisting contamination
PublicationThe polymerase chain reaction (PCR), one of the most commonly applied methods of diagnostics and molecular biology has a frustrating downside known as the false positive signal or contamination. Several solutions to avoid and to eliminate PCR contaminations have been worked out to date but the implementation of these solutions to laboratory practice may be laborious and time consuming. A simple approach to circumvent the problem...
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Characterizing the Scalability of Graph Convolutional Networks on Intel® PIUMA
PublicationLarge-scale Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) inference on traditional CPU/GPU systems is challenging due to a large memory footprint, sparse computational patterns, and irregular memory accesses with poor locality. Intel’s Programmable Integrated Unffied Memory Architecture (PIUMA) is designed to address these challenges for graph analytics. In this paper, a detailed characterization of GCNs is presented using the Open-Graph Benchmark...
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Gas selectivity enhancement by sampling-and-hold method in resistive gas sensors
PublicationCommercial resistive gas sensors exhibit various sensitivity to numerous gases when working at different elevated temperatures. That effect is due to a change in velocity of adsorption and desorption processes which can be modulated by temperature. Thus, to reach better selectivity of gas detection, we propose to apply a known method (called the sampling-and-hold method) of cooling down the gas sensor in the presence of the investigated...
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Thermodynamic Characteristics of Phenacetin in Solid State and Saturated Solutions in Several Neat and Binary Solvents
PublicationThe thermodynamic properties of phenacetin in solid state and in saturated conditions in neat and binary solvents were characterized based on differential scanning calorimetry and spectroscopic solubility measurements. The temperature-related heat capacity values measured for both the solid and melt states were provided and used for precise determination of the values for ideal solubility, fusion thermodynamic functions, and...
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Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Onychomycosis—Literature Review
PublicationOnychomycosis is a common fungal nail infection that is difficult to diagnose due to its similarity to other nail conditions. Accurate identification is essential for effective treatment. The current gold standard methods include microscopic examination with potassium hydroxide, fungal cultures, and Periodic acid-Schiff biopsy staining. These conventional techniques, however, suffer from high turnover times, variable sensitivity,...
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Endoscopic Video Classification with the Consideration of Temporal Patterns
PublicationThe article describes a novel approach to automatic recognition and classification of diseases in endoscopic videos. Current directions of research in this field are discussed. Most presented methods focus on processing single frames and do not take into consideration the temporal relationship between continuous classifications. Existing approaches that consider the temporal structure of an incoming frame sequence are focused on...
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O 1s excitation and ionization processes in the CO2 molecule studied via detection of low-energy fluorescence emission
PublicationOxygen 1s excitation and ionization processes in the CO2 molecule have been studied with dispersed and non-dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy as well as with the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon-photoion coincidence technique. The intensity of the neutral O emission line at 845 nm shows particular sensitivity to core-to-Rydberg excitations and core-valence double excitations, while shape resonances are suppressed. In contrast,...
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INNOVATIVE RUN FLAT SYSTEMS
PublicationOne of the most essential threats to the mobility of wheeled vehicles is their relatively high sensitivity to tire damage. Tires can be damaged as a result at vehicle-targeting fire, after running on a mine or an improvised charge. The purpose of the article is to analyze the current technical solutions in wheeled vehicle tires, allowing for the unobstructed use of the vehicle despite the damage of one or several tires (RUN FLAT...
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Sensitive simultaneous determination of 19 fluorobenzoic acids in saline waters by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationA solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using C18 stationary phase was optimized for the preconcentration of 19 fluorinated derivatives of benzoic acid (FBA): mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrafluorosubstituted in the ring, trifluoromethylbenzoic acid and 3,5-bistrifluoromethyl benzoic acid from undiluted salt-rich (>20%) reservoir waters. Quantitative (>90%) retention/elution of 16 out of 19 analyte compounds was achieved allowing a...
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Measurement of luminance and color uniformity of displays using the large-format scanner
PublicationUniformity of display luminance and color is important for comfort and good perception of the information presented on the display. Although display technology has developed and improved a lot over the past years, different types of displays still present a challenge in selected applications, e.g. in medical use or in case of multi-screen installations. A simplified 9-point method of determining uniformity does not always produce...
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Conductive Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposite Foams Derived from a Cellulose/MWCNTs Aerogel Framework: Simultaneous Enhancement of Piezoresistance, Strength, and Endurance
PublicationHigh conductivity and excellent mechanical properties of composite polymers favors their application as piezoresistive strain sensors. Nonetheless, it is difficult to develop composite polymers with desirable piezoresistance, mechanicaland durable properties. Herein, we developed conductive cellulose/MWCNTs aerogel using the freeze-drying technique. Besides, we explored the application of the highly-sensitive piezoresistive polymer...
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Low-Voltage Low-Power Filters with Independent ω0 and Q Tuning for Electronic Cochlea Applications
PublicationAn acoustic second-order low-pass filter is proposed for filter banks emulating the operation of a human cochlea. By using a special filter structure and an innovative quality (Q)-factor tuning technique, an independent change of the cutoff frequency (ω0) and the Q-factor with unchanged gain at low frequencies is achieved in this filter. The techniques applied result in a simple filter design with low Q-factor sensitivity to component...
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Quantitative assessment of the influence of tensile softening of concrete in beams under bending by numerical simulations with XFEM and cohesive cracks
PublicationResults of the numerical simulations of the size effect phenomenon for concrete in comparison with experimental data are presented. In-plane geometrically similar notched and unnotched beams under three-point bending are analyzed. EXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) with a cohesive softening law is used. Comprehensive parametric study with the respect to the tensile strength and the initial fracture energy is performed. Sensitivity...
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Inclusive Communication Model Supporting the Employment Cycle of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
PublicationDifficulties with interpersonal communication experienced by individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) significantly contribute to their underrepresentation in the workforce as well as problems experienced while in employment. Consistently, it is vital to understand how communication within the employment cycle of this group can be improved. This study aims to identify and analyze the possibilities of modifying the communication...
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Robustness in Compressed Neural Networks for Object Detection
PublicationModel compression techniques allow to significantly reduce the computational cost associated with data processing by deep neural networks with only a minor decrease in average accuracy. Simultaneously, reducing the model size may have a large effect on noisy cases or objects belonging to less frequent classes. It is a crucial problem from the perspective of the models' safety, especially for object detection in the autonomous driving...
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Optimizing FSO networks resilient to adverse weather conditions by means of enhanced uncertainty sets
PublicationThis work deals with dimensioning of wireless mesh networks (WMN) composed of FSO (free space optics) links. Although FSO links realize broadband transmission at low cost, their drawback is sensitivity to adverse weather conditions causing transmission degradation on multiple links. Hence, designing such FSO networks requires an optimization model to find the cheapest configuration of link capacities that will be able to carry...
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Suppressors of lapC mutation identify new regulators of LpxC, which mediates the first committed step in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis
PublicationGram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, are characterized by an asymmetric outer membrane (OM) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) located in the outer leaflet and phospholipids facing the inner leaflet. E. coli recruits LPS assembly proteins LapB, LapC and LapD in concert with FtsH protease to ensure a balanced biosynthesis of LPS and phospholipids. We recently reported that bacteria either lacking the periplasmic domain of...
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Classification of Covid-19 using Differential Evolution Chaotic Whale Optimization based Convolutional Neural Network
PublicationCOVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus disease-2019, is an transferrable disease that spreads rapidly, affecting countless individuals and leading to fatalities in this worldwide pandemic. The precise and swift detection of COVID-19 plays a crucial role in managing the pandemic's dissemination. Additionally, it is necessary to recognize COVID-19 quickly and accurately by investigating chest x-ray images. This paper proposed a...
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Physics augmented classification of fNIRS signals
PublicationBackground. Predictive classification favours performance over semantics. In traditional predictive classification pipelines, feature engineering is often oblivious to the underlying phenomena. Hypothesis. In applied domains such as functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), the exploitation of physical knowledge may improve the discriminative quality of our observation set. Aims. Give exemplary evidence that intervening the...
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QRS Morphology-Based EDR Signal—Factors Determining its Properties
PublicationRespiration-induced signals contain a clinically significant information. It could be obtained utilizing both direct and indirect methods. ECG-Derived Respiration (EDR) method is the latter one. However, in this case, two approaches could be distinguished. First one is based on determining changes in the morphology of QRS complexes while the second one is based on the Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) mechanism. The former approach...
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The effect of reduced pressure on carbon dioxide flow boiling heat transfer in minichannels
Publication. In the paper presented are the results of the study on the effect of reduced pressure on flow boiling heat transfer data in minichannels as well as conventional ones. That effect renders that most of heat transfer correlations fail to return appropriate results of predictions. Mostly they have been developed for the reduced pressures from the range 0.1-0.3. The special correction has been postulated to the in-house model of flow...
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Stable nanoconjugates of transferrin with alloyed quaternary nanocrystals Ag–In–Zn–S as a biological entity for tumor recognition
PublicationOne way to limit the negative effects of anti-tumor drugs on healthy cells is targeted therapy employing functionalized drug carriers. Here we present a biocompatible and stable nanoconjugate of transferrin anchored to Ag-In-Zn-S quantum dots modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (Tf-QD) as a drug carrier versus typical anticancer drug, doxorubicin. Detailed investigations of Tf-QD nanoconjugates without and with doxorubicin...
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Epidemiological study of Toxoplasma gondii infection among cattle in Northern Poland
PublicationToxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant disease in livestock and humans. Because of medical and veterinary importance it is essential to study the prevalence of T. gondii infection among human and animals in various parts of the word. In this study, 4033 cattle from eight provinces of Northern Poland (belonging to 190 herds) were tested for IgG antibodies against T. gondii by an in-house ELISA technique based...
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Volumetric incorporation of NV diamond emitters in nanostructured F2 glass magneto-optical fiber probes
PublicationIntegration of optically-active diamond particles with glass fibers is a powerful method of scaling diamond's magnetic sensing functionality. We propose a novel approach for the integration of diamond particles containing nitrogen-vacancy centers directly into the fiber core. The core is fabricated by stacking the preform from 790 soft glass canes, drawn from a single rod dip-coated with submicron diamond particles suspended in...
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Effects of UV light irradiation on fluctuation enhanced gas sensing by carbon nanotube networks
PublicationThe exceptionally large active surface-to-volume ratio of carbon nanotubes makes it an appealing candidate for gas sensing applications. Here, we studied the DC and low-frequency noise characteristics of a randomly oriented network of carbon nanotubes under NO2 gas atmosphere at two different wavelengths of the UV light-emitting diodes. The UV irradiation allowed to sense lower concentrations of NO2 (at least 1 ppm) compared to...
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Optical properties of thin TiO2 film deposited on the fiber optic sensor head
PublicationThe presented study was focused on investigation of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film deposited on the fiber tip. The intention of this investigation was using TiO2 film in the construction of the optical fiber sensor head. In the demonstrated construction TiO2 thin layer was deposited on the tip of a commonly used telecommunication single mode optical fiber (SMF-28) by means of the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Thickness...
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Optical fiber aptasensor for label-free bacteria detection in small volumes
PublicationHighly sensitive devices for fast bacteria detection are sought to be developed with the task of quantifying the worldwide problem of pathogenic bacteria and thus helping to take control over spreading bacterial infections. This work concerns a sensing solution based on microcavity in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer (μIMZI) induced in an optical fiber. Such a device exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity to refractive index changes...
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Permeability of sandy soils estimated from particle size distribution and field measurements
PublicationAccurate estimation of soil permeability is crucial in many geotechnical applications. Empirical and theoretical equations based on soil particle size distribution (PSD) offer a fast and cheap way for preliminary estimation of permeability in granular soils, however the results obtained from various formulas available in the literature often show significant discrepancies. While several comparative studies on this topic have been...
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Forewarned Is Forearmed: Machine Learning Algorithms for the Prediction of Catheter-Induced Coronary and Aortic Injuries
PublicationCatheter-induced dissections (CID) of coronary arteries and/or the aorta are among the most dangerous complications of percutaneous coronary procedures, yet the data on their risk factors are anecdotal. Logistic regression and five more advanced machine learning techniques were applied to determine the most significant predictors of dissection. Model performance comparison and feature importance ranking were evaluated. We identified...
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Highly Reliable Passive RFID-Based Inductor–Capacitor Sensory System Strengthened by Solvatochromism for Fast and Wide-Range Lactate Detection
PublicationA passive radio frequency-identification-based inductor-capacitor (LC) lactate sensory system with a specific dye-containing interdigitated capacitor (IDC) in which the sensing signal is amplified by the solvatochromic effect is proposed. When a lactate solution contacts the IDC of the LC lactate sensor, the capacitance of the IDC changes, changing the resonance frequency of the sensor. This changes the oscillation frequency of...
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Magnetically sensitive fiber probe with nitrogen-vacancy center nanodiamonds integrated in a suspended core
PublicationEfficient collection of photoluminescence arising from spin dynamics of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond is important for practical applications involving precise magnetic field or temperature mapping. These goals may be realized by the integration of nanodiamond particles with optical fibers and volumetric doping of the particles alongside the fiber core. That approach combines the advantages of robust axial fixation of...
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Toxoplasma gondii Recombinant antigen AMA1: Diagnostic Utility of Protein Fragments for the Detection of IgG and IgM Antibodies
PublicationToxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic protozoan that infects a wide variety of vertebrates as intermediate hosts. For this reason, the diagnosis of this disease is very important and requires continuous improvement. One possibility is to use recombinant antigens in serological tests. Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1), a protein located in specific secretory organelles (micronemes) of T. gondii, is very interesting in regard...
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Light-improved glucose sensing on ordered Au-Ti heterostructure
PublicationNon-enzymatic electrochemical platforms sensitive towards glucose presence have attracted a worldwide attention during last decades. We report on influence of solar light onto response of gold-titanium heterostructures prepared via controllable approach. The material based on Au nanoparticles orderly distributed over the structured titanium foil was obtained by electrochemical anodization followed by chemical etching, magnetron...
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A Flexible Nafion Coated Enzyme‐free Glucose Sensor Based on Au‐dimpled Ti Structures
PublicationThe detection of glucose at low concentrations using electrochemical sensors is of great importance due to the possibility of using different human body fluids than blood, such as e.g. urine, saliva, sweat or tears. The interest behind those biofluids is related to their utility in non-invasive sugar determination. In this work, we present flexible, fully biocompatible electrode material based on Au nanoparticles immobilized onto...
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The influence of frequency separation on imaging properties in DFEIT
PublicationW artykule przedstawiono wpływ wyboru składowych częstotliwościowych dla różnicowej tomografii impedancyjnej na wynik i własności obrazowania w dwuczęstotliwościowej różnicowej tomografii impedancyjnej.A Dual Frequency EIT is an extension of a traditional EIT that uses two sinusoidal signals for imaging. Appropriate selection of signals' frequency allows to achieve reasonable contrast of imaged structure. It has already been shown...
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The Development of Toxoplasma gondii Recombinant Trivalent Chimeric Proteins as an Alternative to Toxoplasma Lysate Antigen (TLA) in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the Detection of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in Small Ruminants
PublicationThis study presents an evaluation of seventeen newly produced recombinant trivalent chimeric proteins (containing the same immunodominant fragment of SAG1 and SAG2 of Toxoplasma gondii antigens, and an additional immunodominant fragment of one of the parasite antigens, such as AMA1, GRA1, GRA2, GRA5, GRA6, GRA7, GRA9, LDH2, MAG1, MIC1, MIC3, P35, and ROP1) as a potential alternative to the whole-cell tachyzoite lysate (TLA) used...
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Chemical pollution and toxicity of water samples from stream receiving leachate from controlled municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill
PublicationThe present study was aimed to determine the impact of municipal waste landfill on the pollution level of surface waters, and to investigate whether the choice and number of physical and chemical parameters monitored are sufficient for determining the actual risk related to bioavailability and mobility of contaminants. In 2007–2012, water samples were collected from the stream flowing through the site at two sampling locations,...
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An additional ultrasonographic sign of Hashimoto’s lymphocytic thyroiditis in children
PublicationWe present an additional sonographic sign of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HLT), increasing the specifi city of this method in pediatric populations. Methods: A total of 98 children (mean age 12.7 years, range 7–17 years) were selected from the registry of the endocrinology outpatient department. All subjects met the diagnostic criteria for HLT. All children underwent a prospective thyroid ultrasound examination with special attention...
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Silica-Based Ionogels: Nanoconfined Ionic Liquid-Rich Fibers for Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Gas Chromatography–Barrier Discharge Ionization Detection
PublicationIn this work, hybrid silica-based materials with immobilized ionic liquids (ILs) were prepared by sol–gel technology and evaluated as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coatings. High loadings of the IL 1-methyl-3-butylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C4MIM][TFSI]) were confined within the hybrid network. Coatings composition and morphology were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive...
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Size-exclusion chromatography for the determination of the boiling point distribution of high-boiling petroleum fractions
PublicationThe paper describes a new procedure for the determination of boiling point distribution of high-boiling petroleum fractions using size exclusion chromatography with refractive index detector. Thus far, the determination of boiling range distribution by chromatography has been accomplished using simulated distillation with gas chromatography with the flame ionization detection. This study revealed that in spite of substantial differences...
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Porównanie cystouretrografii mikcyjnej i sonocystografii mikcyjnej z użyciem ultrasonograficznego środka kontrastującego drugiej generacji w badaniu prospektywnym
PublicationThe invasiveness and exposure to radiation in voiding cystourethrography led to the introduction of alternative methods of diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux, including contrast enhanced voiding urosonography. While there is a limited number of studies comparing these methods using new generation ultrasound contrast agents, none of them compared both methods simultaneously. This study is aimed at assessing agreement between contrast...
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Changes in enzymatic activity of fish and slaughter animals meat after high pressure treatment at subzero temperatures
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine changes in the activity of proteolytic enzymes and transglutaminase of fish and mammal meat after pressurization at subzero temperatures. The activity was measured at the optimal pHs determined for enzymes from particular types of tested meat. It was found that increasing the pressure in the range of 60–193 MPa, did not change significantly the activity of acidic proteases of cod flesh, while...
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Regulation of the First Committed Step in Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Catalyzed by LpxC Requires the Essential Protein LapC (YejM) and HslVU Protease
PublicationWe previously showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) assembly requires the essential LapB protein to regulate FtsH-mediated proteolysis of LpxC protein that catalyzes the first committed step in the LPS synthesis. To further understand the essential function of LapB and its role in LpxC turnover, multicopy suppressors of ΔlapB revealed that overproduction of HslV protease subunit prevents its lethality by proteolytic degradation...
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Laser-Induced Graphitization of Polydopamine on Titania Nanotubes
PublicationSince the discovery of laser-induced graphite/graphene, there has been a notable surge of scientific interest in advancing diverse methodologies for their synthesis and applications. This study focuses on the utilization of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser to achieve graphitization of polydopamine (PDA) deposited on the surface of titania nanotubes. The partial graphitization is corroborated through Raman and XPS spectroscopies and supported...
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An automated, low-latency environment for studying the neural basis of behavior in freely moving rats
PublicationBackground Behavior consists of the interaction between an organism and its environment, and is controlled by the brain. Brain activity varies at sub-second time scales, but behavioral measures are usually coarse (often consisting of only binary trial outcomes). Results To overcome this mismatch, we developed the Rat Interactive Foraging Facility (RIFF): a programmable interactive arena for freely moving rats with multiple feeding...
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Field Calibration of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors Using Artificial Neural Networks and Affine Response Correction
PublicationDue to detrimental effects of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), its accurate monitoring is of paramount importance, especially in densely populated urban areas. However, precise measurement of PM levels requires expensive and sophisticated equipment. Although low-cost alternatives are gaining popularity, their reliability is questionable, attributed to sensitivity to environmental conditions, inherent instability, and manufacturing...
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Texture or Linker? Competitive Patterning of Receptor Assembly toward Ultra-Sensitive Impedimetric Detection of Viral Species at Gold-Nanotextured Titanium Surfaces
PublicationIn this work, we study the electrodes with a periodic matrix of gold particles pattered by titanium dimples and modified by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) followed by CD147 receptor grafting for specific impedimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral spike proteins. The synergistic DFT and MM/MD modeling revealed that MPA adsorption geometries on the Au–Ti surface have preferential and stronger binding patterns through the carboxyl...
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Bioactive hybrid metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanosensors for optical detection of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen
PublicationFast, efficient, and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen is pivotal to control the spread and reduce themortality of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of available nanobiosensors to detect recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen seems insufficient. As a proof-of-concept, MOF-5/CoNi2S4 is developed as a low-cost, safe, and bioactive hybrid nanostructure via the one-pot high-gravity protocol. Then, the porphyrin, H2TMP,...
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Solvent dependency of carbon dioxide Henry's constant in aqueous solutions of choline chloride-ethylene glycol based deep eutectic solvent
PublicationThe Henry's constants of carbon dioxide absorbed in aqueous solutions of ethaline (choline chloride-ethylene glycol) were determined for temperatures ranging from 303.15 to 323.15 K based on solubility measurement at CO2 pressure ranging from 0 to 6 bar (0.6 MPa). These studies revealed that the Henry's constant increased with the increase of temperature. Data indicated the highest capacity of CO2 absorption is obtained for ethaline...