BioSensors

High-level composite, ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) procedures have been employed to study O–H bond dissociation energies (BDEs), as well as radical stabilization energies (RSEs) in the oxygen-centred radicals that are formed in the dissociation of the O–H bonds. Benchmark values are provided by Wn results up to W3.2 and W4.x. We are able to recommend revised BDE values for FO–H (415.6 ± 3 kJ mol–1), MeC(O)O–H (459.8 ± 6 kJ mol–1) and CF3CH2O–H (461.9 ± 6 kJ mol–1) on the basis of high-level calculations. We find that Gn-type procedures are generally reliable and cost-effective, and that some contemporary functionals and double-hybrid DFT procedures also provide adequate O–H BDEs/RSEs. We note that the variations in the O–H BDEs are associated with variations in the stabilities of not only the radicals but also the closed-shell precursor molecules. Most substituents destabilize both species, with σ-electron-withdrawing groups having larger destabilizing effects, whil...

Emotion recognition is one of the important highlights of human emotional intelligence and has long been studied to be incorporated with machine intelligence argued to make machines even more intelligent. This paper aims to contribute to this field of study by enabling machines to recognize emotion from facial electromyogram (EMG) signals. This includes a compilation of the groups attempt to recognize basic facial expressions namely happy, angry, and sad through the use of EMG signals from facial muscles. The group extracted features from the three EMG signals from the face of two human subjects, a male and a female, and analyzed these features to serve as feature templates. Using a minimum-distance classifier, recognition rates exceeded the target accuracy - 85 percent - reaching 94.44 percent for both the male and female subjects.

The pharmaceutical industry is facing enormous challenges due to high drug attribution rates. For the past decades, novel methods have been developed for safety and efficacy testing, as well as for improving early development stages. screening methods for drug-receptor binding are considered to be good alternatives for decreasing costs in the identification of drug candidates. However, these methods require lengthy and troublesome labeling steps. Biosensors hold great promise due to the fact that label-free detection schemes can be designed in an easy and low-cost manner. In this paper, for the first time in the literature, we aimed to compare the potential of label-free optical and impedimetric electrochemical biosensors for the screening of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) based on their binding properties to dopamine receptors. Particularly, we have chosen a currently-used atypical antipsychotic drug (Buspirone) for investigating its dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) binding properties using ...

This paper describes an action research project based on the process of designing the visualisation of heart and breath rate data for the interactive artwork Cardiomorphologies. The project aimed to realise the affective goals of the artist as closely as possible by studying the audience experience of the visualisations and incorporating the findings into an iterative design process. The qualities of richness and ambiguity were found to contribute to the achievement of the artists' two major aims: 1) to create a sense of ...

The detection of water contamination with Legionella pneumophila is of critical importance to manufacturers of water processing equipment and public health entities dealing with water networks and distribution systems. Detection methods based on polymerase chain reaction or biosensor technologies require preconcentration steps to achieve attractive sensitivity levels. Preconcentration must also be included in protocols of automated collection of water samples by systems designed for quasi-continuous monitoring of remotely located water reservoirs for the presence of L. pneumophila. We designed and characterized a water sampling module for filtration and backwashing intended for analysis of low-to-medium contaminated water, typically with L. pneumophila bacteria not exceeding 50 colony-forming units per milliliter. The concentration factors of 10× and 21× were achieved with 0.22 and 0.45 µm filters, respectively, for samples of bacteria prepared in clean saline solutions. However, a ...

Glucose sensors are potentially useful tools for monitoring the glucose concentration in cell culture medium. Here, we present a new, low-cost, and reproducible sensor based on a cellulose-based material, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) oxidized-cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). This novel biocompatible and inert nanomaterial is employed as a polymeric matrix to immobilize and stabilize glucose oxidase in the fabrication of a reproducible, operationally stable, highly selective, cost-effective, screen-printed glucose sensor. The sensors have a linear range of 0.1–2 mM (R2 = 0.999) and a sensitivity of 5.7 ± 0.3 µA cm−2∙mM−1. The limit of detection is 0.004 mM, and the limit of quantification is 0.015 mM. The sensor maintains 92.3 % of the initial current response after 30 consecutive measurements in a 1 mM standard glucose solution, and has a shelf life of 1 month while maintaining high selectivity. We demonstrate the practical application of the sensor by monitoring the g...

Aquaculture is globally the fastest growing primary industry (>6% per annum). Smart-farming, using sentinel animals equipped with miniature biosensors alongside environmental sensors and farm management systems has the potential to revolutionize all sectors of the industry. Real-time animal and environmental monitoring together, will support improved farm management decisions, animal welfare, social awareness and consequently sustainable productivity. Biosensors that monitor the physiology and behavior of sentinel animals provide information on animal well-being and its responses to environmental change and management actions. In turn, this information is extrapolated to help with stock management decisions. This paper introduces the sentinel animal concept to commercial aquaculture with a case study using oysters fitted with biosensors that measure heart rate, and other parameters. We demonstrate how sentinel animals can be effectively integrated alongside environmental sensors ...

The advances in studies of trace metal speciation and bioavailability since Mark Florence’s 1982 review of the topic, published in Talanta, have been comprehensively reviewed. While the relative merits of kinetic and equilibrium approaches are still being determined, advances in the applications of stripping voltammetry, including the application of microelectrodes and an appreciation of detection windows in both CSV and ASV, have been matched by the introduction of new dynamic techniques including diffusive gradients in thin films (DGTs), permeation liquid membranes (PLMs), and improved applications of chelating resins. There have also been improvements in equilibrium techniques such as ion-selective electrodes and Donnan dialysis. The ability of geochemical speciation models to predict metal complexation by natural organic matter has greatly improved, yet the models still require validation against field measurements. More reliable and relevant bioassays have been developed using ...

Wireless biosensor applications require RF electronics to operate in immediate proximity of the body. This work investigates the effect of human body on RF circuits by simulations and measurements. Design methodology and initial design guidelines for body-worn discrete RF electronics are presented. The test structures are manufactured using printed electronics technology well suited for thin, flexible body-worn wireless sensor applications. The results indicate that in direct contact the human body significantly affects the performance of an RF circuit and needs to be considered. The research is relevant for modeling-based design of flexible body-worn wireless sensors.

In body biosensor networks, which may be classified as a specialized type of ad hoc networks, it is necessary to ensure the authenticity and freshness of the vital medical information. In this work, we propose security solutions to identify attacks on data freshness and preserve message integrity in these networks. We use the measurement of permissible round trip time threshold and computationally feasible authentication solution to address the security threats in the network. We have implemented a prototype framework in GloMoSim to assess and evaluate the robustness of our detection mechanism.

The author discusses the benefits for forensic science from greater engagement with basic and other applied areas of chemistry and gives examples of how his organization, the Australian Federal Police, have partnered with academia and others to promote the use of chemistry in areas of trace evidence, illicit drugs, fingerprint detection, and explosives.

In this paper, an optimal PID-FLC (Proportional Integral Derivative Fuzzy Logic Controller) is proposed. The design of this system aims to control blood glucose elevation in type 1 diabetic patients. An automated system integrated with a miniaturized insulin infusion pump and a continuous biosensor that measures the glucose level has been developed recently to replace beta cells in the pancreas. The main contribution of the paper is that it introduces an automated insulin delivery system based on a parallel PID-FLC structure tuned with genetic algorithms. This control system was compared to an optimal PIFLC and PD-FLC as well as a reference model. The results revealed that the controllers could maintain the glucose level within a normal range. In addition, the performance of the PIFLC and the PID-FLC was very close to that of beta cells in normal individuals. So, they can be exploited prosperously as control systems to manage blood glucose concentrations in Type 1 diabetic patients. In addition, the PID-FLC saved the amount of the daily delivered insulin, while, its performance was approximately the same as that of the PI-FLC.

The increasing use of nanomaterials and scalable, high-yield nanofabrication process are revolutionizing the development of novel biosensors. Over the past decades, researches on nanotechnology-mediated biosensing have been on the forefront due to their potential application in healthcare, pharmaceutical, cell diagnosis, drug delivery, and water and air quality monitoring. The advancement of nanoscale science relies on a better understanding of theory, manufacturing and fabrication practices, and the application specific methods. The topology and tunable properties of nanoparticles, a part of nanoscale science, can be changed by different manufacturing processes, which separate them from their bulk counterparts. In the recent past, different nanostructures, such as nanosphere, nanorods, nanofiber, core–shell nanoparticles, nanotubes, and thin films, have been exploited to enhance the detectability of labelled or label-free biological molecules with a high accuracy. Furthermore, thes...