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In this study, the interaction of graphene (G), BC3 nanoflake (B), and NC3 nanoflake (N) with Busulfan (BN) drugs under the influence of electrical fields and solvents is investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) with 6-31G (d, p) basis set at ωB97XD level are employed to analyze the optimized geometrical structures, and various electronic and thermodynamic parameters of the BN&G, BN&BC3, and BN&NC3 complexes are calculated. The calculated results indicate that the interaction of BN with NC3 nanoflake exhibits higher adsorption energy and enthalpy than BC3 and G nanoflakes. The static electric field (SEF) enhances the dipole moment of BN&BC3 and BN&NC3 complexes, potentially facilitating drug binding to target cells and enhancing therapeutic effects. Furthermore, BC3 nanoflake shows promise in designing sensitive and selective sensors for BN drugs. Nonlinear optics (NLO) results, UV–visible spectra, and infrared (IR) spectra serve as effective methods for drug detection. The bonding nature between BN drug and studied nanoflakes is identified as van der Waals and electrostatic type. Overall, the calculated results indicate that BC3 and NC3 nanoflakes can emerge as promising candidates for the sensitive sensor of BN drugs and targeted drug delivery to cancer cells, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Contemporary Tourism Research is the property of Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Tourism / Izmir Katip Celebi Universitesi, Turizm Fakultei and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Momento: Revista de Física is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Departamento de Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Education & Science is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Accurate prediction of molecular properties is essential in the screening and development of drug molecules and other functional materials. Traditionally, property-specific molecular descriptors are used in machine learning models. This in turn requires the identification and development of target or problem-specific descriptors. Additionally, an increase in the prediction accuracy of the model is not always feasible from the standpoint of targeted descriptor usage. We explored the accuracy and generalizability issues using a framework of Shannon entropies, based on SMILES, SMARTS and/or InChiKey strings of respective molecules. Using various public databases of molecules, we showed that the accuracy of the prediction of machine learning models could be significantly enhanced simply by using Shannon entropy-based descriptors evaluated directly from SMILES. Analogous to partial pressures and total pressure of gases in a mixture, we used atom-wise fractional Shannon entropy in combination with total Shannon entropy from respective tokens of the string representation to model the molecule efficiently. The proposed descriptor was competitive in performance with standard descriptors such as Morgan fingerprints and SHED in regression models. Additionally, we found that either a hybrid descriptor set containing the Shannon entropy-based descriptors or an optimized, ensemble architecture of multilayer perceptrons and graph neural networks using the Shannon entropies was synergistic to improve the prediction accuracy. This simple approach of coupling the Shannon entropy framework to other standard descriptors and/or using it in ensemble models could find applications in boosting the performance of molecular property predictions in chemistry and material science.

Accurate prediction of molecular properties is essential in the screening and development of drug molecules and other functional materials. Traditionally, property-specific molecular descriptors are used in machine learning models. This in turn requires the identification and development of target or problem-specific descriptors. Additionally, an increase in the prediction accuracy of the model is not always feasible from the standpoint of targeted descriptor usage. We explored the accuracy and generalizability issues using a framework of Shannon entropies, based on SMILES, SMARTS and/or InChiKey strings of respective molecules. Using various public databases of molecules, we showed that the accuracy of the prediction of machine learning models could be significantly enhanced simply by using Shannon entropy-based descriptors evaluated directly from SMILES. Analogous to partial pressures and total pressure of gases in a mixture, we used atom-wise fractional Shannon entropy in combination with total Shannon entropy from respective tokens of the string representation to model the molecule efficiently. The proposed descriptor was competitive in performance with standard descriptors such as Morgan fingerprints and SHED in regression models. Additionally, we found that either a hybrid descriptor set containing the Shannon entropy-based descriptors or an optimized, ensemble architecture of multilayer perceptrons and graph neural networks using the Shannon entropies was synergistic to improve the prediction accuracy. This simple approach of coupling the Shannon entropy framework to other standard descriptors and/or using it in ensemble models could find applications in boosting the performance of molecular property predictions in chemistry and material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effects of hypocapnia and hypercapnia on human somatosensory processing by utilizing somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) with magnetoencephalography (MEG). Thirteen volunteers participated in two experiments separately to measure respiratory and cardiovascular data and SEFs. Both experiments consisted of a combination of normal and rapid respiratory rhythms and two inspiratory gas conditions (air and a hypercapnic gas); normal breathing with air (NB), rapid breathing with air (RB), normal breathing with the hypercapnic gas (NB+Gas), and rapid breathing with gas (RB+Gas). Partial pressures of end-tidal CO 2 (P ETCO2) increased during inhaling the hypercapnic gas and decreased during RB, but the RB+Gas condition continued to cause elevated PETCO 2 compared with the baseline. Subsequently, middle cerebral artery blood (MCA) velocity using transcranial Doppler changed as well, while mean MCA velocity increased under the RB+Gas condition. The peak amplitude of the M60 component in SEFs was also significantly larger under with-gas than without-gas conditions, irrespective of the respiratory frequency. These results suggest that there is a close relationship between cerebral blood flow and neural activity of the M60 component in SEFs. This study provides evidence to further understanding on one of the neural mechanisms of hypercapnia. • We investigated effects of hypocapnia and hypercapnia on somatosensory processing. • Middle cerebral artery blood velocity increased under with-gas conditions. • The peak amplitude of the M60 component also increased under with-gas conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges in targeted drug delivery to cancer cells is the practical use of high-precision drug carriers. Extensive theoretical research has been done in this field. Among these studies, the use of harmless nanoclusters has attracted the attention of many researchers. Among them, boron phosphide nanoclusters have also received more attention. In this regard, in this research, the adsorption, thermodynamic, and quantum chemical study of all the designed complexes of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) anticancer drug with the pristine and Sc- and Ti-doped boron phosphide nanocage (B12P12) in the presence of static electric field (SEFz+0.01, SEFz+0.02. SEFz+0.03, SEFz+0.04 a.u.) have been carried out with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) at the ωB97XD/Lanl2DZ level of theory at 303.15 K. The adsorption energy (Eads) and ∆H values of all studied configurations are exothermic and with increasing the strength of the static electric field (SEF) from 0.01 to 0.04 a.u, decrease significantly from the original state. The ScB11P12 is a good adsorbent of the 5-FU drug in the gas phase and is suitable for drug delivery in a water solvent. The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and QNBO results indicate that the surface of the 5-FU drug in the 5-FU&nanocage complex is suitable for attacking the nucleophilic compounds and it will mostly attack the sites of the cell that has a negative charge and is nucleophilic. Further, analysis of frontier molecular orbital, reduced density gradient, TD-DFT, electron localized function (ELF), and atom in the molecule (AIM) suggested that the Sc- and Ti-doped B12P12 and the presence of static electric field are efficient candidates for 5-FU drug delivery and sensitive sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans and other animals need to make decisions under varying degrees of uncertainty. These decisions are strongly influenced by an individuals risk preference; however, the neuronal circuitry by which risk preference shapes choice is still unclear [1]. Supplementary eye field (SEF), an oculomotor area within primate medial frontal cortex, is thought to be an essential part of the neuronal circuit underlying oculomotor decision making, including decisions under risk [2-5]. Consistent with this view, risk-related action value and monitoring signals have been observed in SEF [6-8]. However, such activity has also been observed in other frontal areas, including orbitofrontal [9-11], cingulate [12-14], and dorsal-lateral frontal cortex [15]. It is thus unknown whether the activity in SEF causally contributes to risky decisions, or whether it is merely a reflection of neural processes in other cortical regions. Here, we tested a causal role of SEF in risky oculomotor choices. We found that SEF inactivation strongly reduced the frequency of risky choices. This reduction was largely due to a reduced attraction to reward uncertainty and high reward gain, but not due to changes in the subjective estimation of reward probability or average expected reward. Moreover, SEF inactivation also led to increased sensitivity to differences between expected and actual reward during free choice. Nevertheless, it did not affect adjustments of decisions based on reward history.

Background: Emergence delirium (ED) usually occurs in children after surgery with an incidence of 10−80%. Though ED is mostly self-limited, its potential injuries cannot be ignored. Whether electroencephalography (EEG)-parameter-guided anesthesia could reduce the incidence of ED in pediatric surgery has not been fully discussed to date. Methods: Fifty-four boys aged 2–12 years undergoing elective hypospadias surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia were selected. In the EEG-parameter-guided group (E group), sevoflurane was used for anesthesia induction and was maintained by titrating the spectral edge frequency (SEF) to 10–15 and combining the monitoring of density spectral array (DSA) power spectra and raw EEG. While in the control group (C group), anesthesiologists were blinded to the SedLine screen (including SEF, DSA, and raw EEG) and adjusted the intraoperative drug usage according to their experience. Patients with a Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score > 10 were diagnosed with ED, while patients with a PAED score > 2 were diagnosed with emergence agitation (EA). Results: Finally, a total of 37 patients were included in this trial. The incidence of ED in the E group was lower than in the C group (5.6% vs. 36.8%; p = 0.04), while the incidence of EA was similar in the two groups (61% vs. 78.9%; p = 0.48). Intraoperative parameters including remifentanil dosage and the decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) were not different between the two groups (p > 0.05), but the mean end-tidal sevoflurane concentration (EtSevo) was lower in the E group than in the C group (p > 0.05). Moreover, during PACU stay, the extubation time and discharge time of the groups were similar, while the PAED scores within 5 min from extubation and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scores within 30 min from extubation were lower in the E group than in the C group. Conclusion: EEG-parameter-guided anesthesia management reduced the incidence of ED in children. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to obtain more convincing results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The assessment of the executive function in the elderly is of clinical relevance because deficits in cognitive control and regulatory processes can be an early sign of neurodegenerative disease and likely also affect daily activities. Well-established screenings like the MMSE or MoCA cannot completely measure the heterogeneous nature of executive function. This paper compares the likelihood of proper clinical classification based on the results in these tests with a new method of screening for executive function (SEF) in a geriatric sample. Like the MMSE and the MoCA, the SEF showed clinical acceptance and ease of applicability. It correlated with the executive MoCA items, whereas the SEF shows a higher specificity and therefore allows a more comprehensive assessment of executive function in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Interleukin-17 receptor D (IL17RD or IL-17RD) also known as Sef (similar expression to fibroblast growth factor), is a single pass transmembrane protein that is reported to regulate several signaling pathways . IL17RD was initially described as a feedback inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling during zebrafish and frog development. It was subsequently determined to regulate other receptor tyrosine kinase signaling cascades as well as several proinflammatory signaling pathways including Interleukin-17A (IL17A), Toll-like receptors (TLR) and Interleukin-1α (IL1α) in several vertebrate species including humans. This review will provide an overview of IL17RD regulation of signaling pathways and functions with emphasis on regulation of development and pathobiological conditions. We will also discuss gaps in our knowledge about IL17RD function to provide insight into opportunities for future investigation. Video Abstract

Absorption, scattering, and fluorescence are processes that increase with electric field intensity. The most prominent way to enhance electric field intensity is to use localized or propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) based on metallic particles and nanostructures. In addition, several other, much less well-known, photonic structures that increase electric field intensity exist. Interference enhancement provided by thin dielectric coatings on reflective substrates is able to provide electric field intensity enhancement over the whole substrate and not only at certain hotspots, thereby being in particular suitable for the spectroscopy of thin surface layers. The same coatings on high refractive index substrates may be used for interference-enhanced total internal reflection-based spectroscopy in much the same way as Kretschmann or Otto configuration for exciting propagating SPPs. The latter configurations can also be used to launch Bloch surface waves on 1D photonic crystal structures for the enhancement of electric field intensity and thereby absorption, scattering, and fluorescence-based spectroscopies. High refractive index substrates alone can also, when nanostructured, enhance infrared absorption or Raman scattering via Mie-type resonances. As a further method, this review will cover recent developments to employ phonon polaritons in the reststrahlen region.

We report a rare case of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) arising in the anterior mandible of a 49-year-old male confirmed by the detection of an EWSR1-CREB3L3 fusion gene. SEF of the oral cavity is rare. To our knowledge this case marks the twelfth reported case to date. Our report and review of the literature highlights the molecular, immunophenotypic, and unique clinicopathological features of SEF in the oral cavity, specifically, its predilection for the jaw bones. Although SEF is usually a malignancy of soft tissue, nine (75%) of the reported oral cavity cases have occurred as a primary jaw neoplasm. The mandible represents the most common location with seven cases, while two occurred in the maxilla. These findings suggest a propensity for bone involvement in the oral cavity, which may be a feature unique to this site.

Background: Emergence delirium (ED) usually occurs in children after surgery with an incidence of 10−80%. Though ED is mostly self-limited, its potential injuries cannot be ignored. Whether electroencephalography (EEG)-parameter-guided anesthesia could reduce the incidence of ED in pediatric surgery has not been fully discussed to date. Methods: Fifty-four boys aged 2–12 years undergoing elective hypospadias surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia were selected. In the EEG-parameter-guided group (E group), sevoflurane was used for anesthesia induction and was maintained by titrating the spectral edge frequency (SEF) to 10–15 and combining the monitoring of density spectral array (DSA) power spectra and raw EEG. While in the control group (C group), anesthesiologists were blinded to the SedLine screen (including SEF, DSA, and raw EEG) and adjusted the intraoperative drug usage according to their experience. Patients with a Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score > 10 were diagnosed with ED, while patients with a PAED score > 2 were diagnosed with emergence agitation (EA). Results: Finally, a total of 37 patients were included in this trial. The incidence of ED in the E group was lower than in the C group (5.6% vs. 36.8%; p = 0.04), while the incidence of EA was similar in the two groups (61% vs. 78.9%; p = 0.48). Intraoperative parameters including remifentanil dosage and the decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) were not different between the two groups (p > 0.05), but the mean end-tidal sevoflurane concentration (EtSevo) was lower in the E group than in the C group (p > 0.05). Moreover, during PACU stay, the extubation time and discharge time of the groups were similar, while the PAED scores within 5 min from extubation and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scores within 30 min from extubation were lower in the E group than in the C group. Conclusion: EEG-parameter-guided anesthesia management reduced the incidence of ED in children. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to obtain more convincing results.

Abstract Target molecules adsorbed onto metallic nanoparticles can have their Raman and/or fluorescence signals enhanced, leading to the called surface-enhanced [resonance] Raman scattering (SE[R]RS) or surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). Here we have applied Au nanorods (AuNRs) coated with a surfactant bilayer leading to a positive surface charge to investigate the role played by these AuNRs in colloidal suspension on SERRS and SEF effects of charged molecules. In the case of the anionic nickel (II) tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (NiTsPc), besides achieving SERRS with an enhancement factor (EF) of ca. 105, the AuNRs allowed the analytical application of the SERRS effect for the NiTsPc between 8.3x10-6 and 4.0x10-5 mol L-1. The limit of detection of 4.8x10-7 mol L-1 (at 752 cm-1) and 1.3x10-6 mol L-1 (at 1338 cm-1) was found. In the case of the cationic methylene blue, the SEF effect was achieved reaching an EF of ca. 10. Besides, fundamental discussions are carried out considering the results presented here.

The military conductors who are the leaders, managers and trainers of military orchestras; they are trained through a process in which they gain the necessary competencies in their profession. The research aims to investigate the historical development and current situation of the military conductor training process in Turkey, the USA and Russia. This research is important in terms of developing recommendations for the evaluation of the process and contributing to the literature. In the study, in which the descriptive survey model, one of the qualitative research methods, was used, the data obtained by the literature review were interpreted and the past and present of the process were revealed. When the historical process is examined, it is seen that especially in the USA and Russia, intensive efforts have been made to give military conductors an artistic identity, and a programmed education system was developed in the early period with the contributions of art institutions and artists. Considering the process of training military conductors in these countries in general, both in terms of military and artistic needs; it can be said that Russia follows a more organized training process. As a result, it is revealed that the process of training military conductors should be evaluated in a versatile way by the professionals of the subject and planned and carried out in a way that will meet all the needs of the military conductors in their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-17 receptor D (IL17RD or IL-17RD) also known as Sef (similar expression to fibroblast growth factor), is a single pass transmembrane protein that is reported to regulate several signaling pathways. IL17RD was initially described as a feedback inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling during zebrafish and frog development. It was subsequently determined to regulate other receptor tyrosine kinase signaling cascades as well as several proinflammatory signaling pathways including Interleukin-17A (IL17A), Toll-like receptors (TLR) and Interleukin-1α (IL1α) in several vertebrate species including humans. This review will provide an overview of IL17RD regulation of signaling pathways and functions with emphasis on regulation of development and pathobiological conditions. We will also discuss gaps in our knowledge about IL17RD function to provide insight into opportunities for future investigation. 7AmP1ZEVoxegCaGBJnH-2X Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an unmet need to develop robust predictive algorithms to preoperatively identify pediatric epilepsy patients who will respond to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Given the similarity in the neural circuitry between vagus and median nerve afferent projections to the primary somatosensory cortex, the current study hypothesized that median nerve somatosensory evoked field(s) (SEFs) could be used to predict seizure response to VNS. Retrospective data from forty-eight pediatric patients who underwent VNS at two different institutions were used in this study. Thirty-six patients (“Discovery Cohort”) underwent preoperative electrical median nerve stimulation during magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings and 12 patients (“Validation Cohort”) underwent preoperative pneumatic stimulation during MEG. SEFs and their spatial deviation, waveform amplitude and latency, and event-related connectivity were calculated for all patients. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier was trained on the Discovery Cohort to differentiate responders from non-responders based on these input features and tested on the Validation Cohort by comparing the model-predicted response to VNS to the known response. We found that responders to VNS had significantly more widespread SEF localization and greater functional connectivity within limbic and sensorimotor networks in response to median nerve stimulation. No difference in SEF amplitude or latencies was observed between the two cohorts. The SVM classifier demonstrated 88.9% accuracy (0.93 area under the receiver operator characteristics curve) on cross-validation, which decreased to 67% in the Validation cohort. By leveraging overlapping neural circuitry, we found that median nerve SEF characteristics and functional connectivity could identify responders to VNS.

Copyright of Felsefe ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi (FLSF) is the property of Felsefe ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi (FLSF) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For the mechanical properties of paper, tensile testing has been widely used. Among the tensile properties, the tensile stiffness has been used to determine the softness of low-density paper. The lower tensile stiffness, the greater softness of paper. Because the elastic region may not be clearly defined in a load-elongation curve, it is suggested to use the tensile modulus which is defined as the slope between the two points in the curve. The two points which provide the best correlation with subjective softness evaluation should be selected. Low-density paper has a much lower tensile strength, but much larger elongation at the break. It undergoes a continuous structural change during mechanical testing. The degree of the structural change should depend on tensile conditions such as the sample size, the gauge length, and the rate of elongation. For low-density paper, the tensile modulus and the tensile strength should be independent of each other. The structure efficiency factor (SEF) is defined as a ratio of the tensile strength to the tensile modulus and it may be used a guideline in developing superior low-density paper products.

Abstract Background Similar to other eukaryotes, splicing is emerging as an important process affecting development and stress tolerance in plants. Ski-interacting protein (SKIP), a splicing factor, is essential for circadian clock function and abiotic stress tolerance; however, the mechanisms whereby it regulates flowering time are unknown. Results In this study, we found that SKIP is required for the splicing of serrated leaves and early flowering (SEF) pre-messenger RNA (mRNA), which encodes a component of the ATP-dependent SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex (SWR1-C). Defects in the splicing of SEF pre-mRNA reduced H2A.Z enrichment at FLC, MAF4, and MAF5, suppressed the expression of these genes, and produced an early flowering phenotype in skip-1 plants. Conclusions Our findings indicate that SKIP regulates SWR1-C function via alternative splicing to control the floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The classical NF-κB transcription factor (RelA:p50) and the tumor suppressor Sef axis constitute a negative regulatory loop in which Sef, a target of NF-κB/RelA:p50, fine-tunes NF-κB/RelA:p50 transcriptional-activation in response to inflammatory stimuli trough binding to p50. Similar to the inhibitor IκBα, Sef sequesters NF-κB/RelA:p50 in the cytoplasm of unstimulated cells. Despite its key roles in regulating multiple cellular processes and its potential role as mediator between inflammation and cancer, Sef structural domains required to fulfill its tasks are poorly characterized, and how Sef specificity towards RelA:p50 is achieved is unknown. In-vitro binding assays using bacterially expressed Sef and Co-IP experiments, revealed that in addition to p50, Sef directly interacts with IκBα, and the IKKβ subunit of the IKK complex which mediates RelA:p50 induction by inflammatory stimuli. These interactions are ligand-independent and do not require Sef post-translational modifications. Deletion mutagenesis mapped binding site to IKKβ in a 74- residue segment juxtaposing Sef transmembrane domain, whereas several Sef regions seem to interact with IκBα. Moreover, we identified two new sites which together with the previously identified conserved tyrosine constitute three discontinuous Sef regions each indispensable for Sef binding to RelA:p50 and inhibiting its cytokine induced transcriptional activation. Contrary to IκBα, endogenous Sef is not degraded upon cytokine-stimulation, and its targeting in different cell types markedly enhances cytokine-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation. These results reveal Sef as the first scaffold that brings together the components of NF-κB/RelA:p50 signaling-module. Sef scaffolding function explains the basis for Sef specificity towards inhibiting inflammatory cytokine-induction of NF-κB/RelA:p50. • Three distinct Sef's motifs are essential for limiting the NF-κB response. • Sef directly interacts with NF-κB/p50, IKKβ and IκBα in a signal independent manner. • Sef scaffolding function determines its specific attenuation of classical NF-κB. • Contrary to IκBα, Sef protein levels remain intact upon cytokine stimulation. • Sef stability explains how it inhibits NF-κB activity even though IκBα is degraded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetoencephalography is primarily sensitive to current sources tangential to the skull. Therefore, currents generated in area 3b of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and area 4 of primary motor cortex (M1) located on the posterior and anterior banks of the central sulcus, respectively, are easily detected. The movement-related cortical magnetic fields (MRCFs) following voluntary movement and the somatosensory magnetic fields (SEFs) generated by peripheral mixed nerve stimulation (e.g., median nerve) have been widely used to investigate the physiology of normal somatosensory cortical processing. Here, we describe the MRCFs produced by two types of movement (experiment 1) and the SEFs elicited by motor point stimulation (experiment 2), passive movement (experiments 3 and 4), and mechanical stimulation (experiments 5, 6, and 7). In addition, we examined the modulation of these fields.

This paper investigates the influence of the spectral irradiance variation and the spectral response (SR) on the production of energy by photovoltaic cells. To determine the impact of SR and spectral irradiance on m-Si and perovskite cells, experimental tests were conducted outdoors, used optical filters to select different zones of the spectrum. For the computational simulations of the different photovoltaic modules, when subjected to a certain spectral irradiance, a model with spectral factor (SF) was implemented. The SF model accurately simulated the experiments performed for the high-pass filters. The highest relative errors for certain irradiation bands occurred due to the input variables used in the model, which did not fully describe the reality of the experiments performed. The effect of the SR and the spectral irradiance for each of them were observed through the simulations for the m-Si, a-Si, CdTe, and copper indium selenide (CIS) modules. The CIS technology presented a better overall result in the near infrared zone, producing about half of the energy produced by the CdTe technology in the visible zone. The SF, spectral incompatibility factor (MM), and spectral effective responsivity (SEF) parameters were verified to be important for studying the photovoltaic energy production.

The early detection of the amyloid beta peptide aggregates involved in Alzheimer’s disease is crucial to test new potential treatments. In this research, we improved the detection of amyloid beta peptide aggregates in vitro and ex vivo by fluorescence combining the use of CRANAD-2 and gold nanorods (GNRs) by the surface enhancement fluorescence effect. We synthetized GNRs and modified their surface with HS-PEG-OMe and HS-PEG-COOH and functionalized them with the D1 peptide, which has the capability to selectively bind to amyloid beta peptide. For an in vitro detection of amyloid beta peptide, we co-incubated amyloid beta peptide aggregates with the probe CRANAD-2 and GNR-PEG-D1 observing an increase in the intensity of the fluorescence signal attributed to surface enhancement fluorescence. Furthermore, the surface enhancement fluorescence effect was observed in brain slices of transgenic mice with Alzheimer´s disease co-incubated with CRANAD-2 and GNR-PEG-D1. An increase in the fluorescence signal was observed allowing the detection of aggregates that cannot be detected with the single use of CRANAD-2. Gold nanoparticles allowed an improvement in the detection of the amyloid aggregated by fluorescence in vitro and ex vivo.

Paired-pulse depression (PPD) has been widely used to investigate the functional profiles of somatosensory cortical inhibition. However, PPD induced by somatosensory stimulation is variable, and the reasons for between- and within-subject PPD variability remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the factors influencing PPD variability induced by somatosensory stimulation. The study participants were 19 healthy volunteers. First, we investigated the relationship between the PPD ratio of each component (N20m, P35m, and P60m) of the somatosensory magnetic field, and the alpha, beta, and gamma band changes in power [event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS)] induced by median nerve stimulation. Second, because brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphisms reportedly influence the PPD ratio, we assessed whether BDNF genotype influences PPD ratio variability. Finally, we evaluated the test-retest reliability of PPD and the alpha, beta, and gamma ERD/ERS induced by somatosensory stimulation. Significant positive correlations were observed between the P60m_PPD ratio and beta power change, and the P60m_PPD ratio was significantly smaller for the beta ERD group than for the beta ERS group. P35m_PPD was found to be robust and highly reproducible; however, P60m_PPD reproducibility was poor. In addition, the ICC values for alpha, beta, and gamma ERD/ERS were 0.680, 0.760, and 0.552 respectively. These results suggest that the variability of PPD for the P60m deflection may be influenced by the ERD/ERS magnitude, which is induced by median nerve stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches / İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gold nanocrystals have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent physical and chemical properties and their extensive applications in plasmonics, spectroscopy, biological detection, and nanoelectronics. Gold nanoparticles are able to be readily modified and arranged with DNA materials and protein molecules, as well as viruses. Particularly DNA materials with the advantages endowed by programmability, stability, specificity, and the capability to adapt to functionalization, have become the most promising candidates that are widely utilized for building plenty of discrete gold nanoarchitectures. This review highlights recent advances on the DNA-based assembly of gold nanostructures and especially emphasizes their resulted superior optical properties and principles, including plasmonic extinction, plasmonic chirality, surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).

We have previously reported that the negative signaling regulator Similar Expression to FGF (hSef) is downregulated in prostate cancer and its loss is associated with clinical metastasis. Here, we explored the mechanistic basis of this finding. We first confirmed our clinical observation by testing hSef manipulation in an in vivo metastasis model. hSef stable expressing cells (PC3M-hSef) or empty vector controls (PC3M-EV) were injected subcutaneously into the lateral thoracic walls of NOD-SCID gamma mice and lungs were harvested at autopsy. In this model, 6/7 PC3M-EV xenografts had definitive lung micro-metastasis whilst only 1/6 PC3M-hSef xenografts exhibited metastasis recapitulating the clinical scenario ( p = 0.03). Gene expression studies revealed key perturbations in genes involved in cell motility and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) along with alterations in cognate signaling pathways. These results were validated in an EMT specific PCR array whereby hSef over-expression and silencing reciprocally altered E-Cadherin expression ( p = <0.001) amongst other EMT markers. Immunohistochemistry of excised tumors from the xenografts also confirmed the effect of hSef in suppressing E-Cadherin expression at the protein level. Phosphokinase arrays further demonstrated a role for hSef in attenuating signaling of not only ERK-MAPK but also the JNK and p38 pathways as well. Taken together, these data suggest evidence that loss of hSef may be a critical event facilitating tumor dissemination of prostate cancer through alteration of EMT. Detection of downregulated hSef, along with other negative regulators, may therefore be a useful biomarker heralding a transition to a metastatic phenotype and warrants further exploration in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Display omitted] • Development of biosensors based on Au nanorods and surface-enhanced fluorescence. • Biosensing based on sandwich immunoassays for monitoring the molecular recognition. • Highly positive response for anti-BSA detection using antigen–antibody interaction. • Conversion of spectroscopic data into a digital protocol, simplifying data analysis. • Contributing for advancing SEF and AuNRs as an efficient biosensors platforms. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are attractive structures for biosensing, most due to different properties at nanoscale and biocompatibility. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is one of these properties; LSPR enable the electromagnetic field enhancement closer to metallic surface, which allows surface-enhanced spectroscopies, like surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF). In this study, an immuno-biosensor based on gold nanorods (AuNRs) and SEF was constructed for simple and fast analysis to detect albumin antibody (anti-BSA) using antigen–antibody (anti-BSA/BSA) interaction as the biorecognition model. AuNRs were presented in two distinct configurations, in suspension (S-AuNRs) and adsorbed on glass slides (AuNRs-chip), and the detection was performed through an extrinsic method, wherein the SEF signal of a reporter molecule (IR-820 cyanine-type dye) was monitored. The analyte detection was evidenced by SEF mapping, where the average signal in the presence of anti-BSA was three times more intense than for the assay in the absence of analyte. A digital protocol was proposed to simplify the spectroscopic data analysis and reduce the intensity variability; in this protocol the number of positive events in the presence of anti-BSA is much larger (around two times) compared to the absence of analyte. The AuNRs based SEF immuno-biosensor allowed an efficient and simple analysis with specific biorecognition and may contribute as an efficient spectroscopy platform for immuno-biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive and negative-state bands of even–even 120–136 Ba nuclei have been studied. The energy levels for the ground-state band of 120–136 Ba have been calculated using Interacting Boson Model (IBM), Interacting Vector Boson Model (IVBM) and a new method called Semi-Empirical Formula (SEF). The negative parity band of even–even 120–136 Ba isotopes has been also calculated using (IVBM) and (SEF). The γ and β -bands of even–even 120–136 Ba isotopes have been calculated using IBM and SEF. The parameters of the best fit to the measured data are determined. The reduced transition probabilities B ( E 2 ) of these nuclei was calculated. The critical points have been determined for 134,136 Ba isotopes. The potential energy surfaces for even–even Ba isotopes are studied using the simplified form of Interacting Boson Model (IBM) with an intrinsic coherent state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antisaccade task has been widely used to investigate cognitive action control. While the general network for saccadic eye movements is well defined, the exact location of eye fields within the frontal cortex strongly varies between studies. It is unknown whether this inconsistency reflects spatial uncertainty or is the result of different involvement of subregions for specific aspects of eye movement control. The aim of the present study was to examine functional differentiations within the frontal cortex by integrating results from neuroimaging studies analyzing pro- and antisaccade behavior using meta-analyses. The results provide evidence for a differential functional specialization of neighboring oculomotor frontal regions, with lateral frontal eye fields (FEF) and supplementary eye field (SEF) more often involved in prosaccades while medial FEF and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) revealed consistent stronger involvement for antisaccades. This dissociation was furthermore mirrored by functional connectivity analyses showing that the lateral FEF and SEF are embedded in a motor output network, while medial FEF and aMCC are integrated in a multiple demand network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal metal nanoparticles present very special optical and electromagnetic properties at the nanoscale range. Such plasmonic properties have derived in a huge research field that encompasses the understanding of nanoparticle formation mechanisms for the ultimate goal of developing novel materials for real-life applications. Plasmonic sensing is experiencing a rapid transition by taking advantage of the characteristic properties of colloidal metal nanoparticles. However, a rational design of novel nanoplasmonic substrates, which gathers as much as the required properties for a substrate to be a ‘good’ sensor is critical through the development of applications that can be effectively transferred as applied technologies. Also, the chosen sensing technique is a key factor when planning the design of a new plasmonic-based sensor. Several factors such as composition, shape, size, particle interactions or stability among others will define the final quality of the nanomaterial as sensing platform. Herein, we review the latest and most promising state-of-the art of nanoplasmonic-based sensors in four differentiated areas regarding the surface-enhanced spectroscopy detection technique being LSPR-, SERS- and SEIRA-, and SEF based platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive algorithms are prevalently applied in the design of nonlinear active noise control (ANC) systems. The most important nonlinearity in ANC is the saturation effect produced by the electro-acoustical sensors and transducers. The dominant saturation nonlinearity is in the transducers, which can be represented by a Wiener model. An effective solution to mitigate such nonlinear distortion is to employ the Nonlinear Filtered-X Least Mean Square (NLFXLMS) algorithm. The controller compensates the nonlinearity using a model of the saturation effect represented by the scaled error function (SEF). However, the NLFXLMS is limited by two practical issues such that the degree of nonlinearity has to be known in advance and the SEF cannot be evaluated in real time. In this work, the NLFXLMS algorithm is modified by incorporating the tangential hyperbolic function (THF) to model the saturation effect of the loudspeaker. The proposed THF-NLFXLMS algorithm, models the nonlinear secondary path and applies the estimated degree of nonlinearity in the control algorithm design. The results show that the Wiener secondary path, with saturation nonlinearity represented by SEF, can be modelled by THF with a certain degree of accuracy and can yield a reasonable estimate of the degree of nonlinearity. The performance of the proposed algorithm is comparable with the benchmark NLFXLMS and is superior to the conventional FXLMS as well as the second order Volterra algorithm of similar computational complexity with the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]