Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a powerful tool for ultrasensitive fingerprint recognition of molecules with considerable potential in wearable biochemical sensing. However, ...previous efforts to fabricate wearable SERS devices by directly treating fabrics with plasmonic nanoparticles have generated a nonuniform assembly of nanoparticles, weakly adsorbed on fabrics via van der Waals forces. Here, we report the creation of washing reusable SERS membranes and textiles via template-assisted self-assembly and micro/nanoimprinting approaches. Uniquely, we employ the capillary force driven self-assembly process to generate micropatch arrays of Au nanoparticle (NP) aggregates within hydrophobic microstructured templates, which are then robustly bonded onto semipermeable transparent membranes and stretchable textiles using the UV-resist based micro/nanoimprinting technique. A mild reactive ion etching (RIE) treatment of SERS membranes and textiles can physically expose the SERS hotspots of Au NP-aggregates embedded within the polymer UV resist for further improvement of their SERS performance. Also, we demonstrate that the semipermeable transparent SERS membranes can keep the moisture content of meat from evaporating to enable stable in situ SERS monitoring of biochemical environments at the fresh meat surface. By contrast, stretchable SERS textiles can allow the spreading, soaking, and evaporation of solution analyte samples on the fabric matrix for continuous enrichment of analyte molecules at the hotspots in biochemical SERS detection. Due to the mechanical robustness of the UV-resist immobilized Au NP aggregates, simple detergent-water washing with ultrasound sonication or mechanical stirring can noninvasively clean contaminated hot spots to reuse SERS textiles. Therefore, we envision that washing reusable SERS membranes and textiles by template-assisted self-assembly and micro/nanoimprinting fabrication are promising for wearable biochemical sensing applications, such as wound monitoring and body fluid monitoring.
In this era, the interaction between Human and Computers has always been a fascinating field. With the rapid development in the field of Computer Vision, gesture based recognition systems have always ...been an interesting and diverse topic. Though recognizing human gestures in the form of sign language is a very complex and challenging task. Recently various traditional methods were used for performing sign language recognition but achieving high accuracy is still a challenging task. This paper proposes a RGB and RGB-D static gesture recognition method by using a fine-tuned VGG19 model. The fine-tuned VGG19 model uses a feature concatenate layer of RGB and RGB-D images for increasing the accuracy of the neural network. Finally, on an American Sign Language (ASL) Recognition dataset, the authors implemented the proposed model. The authors achieved 94.8% recognition rate and compared the model with other CNN and traditional algorithms on the same dataset. KEYWORDS American Sign Language, Image Processing, CNN, Gesture Recognition.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the COVID-19 global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA virus that relies on its trimeric surface ...glycoprotein spike for entry into host cells. Here we describe the COVID-19 vaccine candidate MV-014-212, a live, attenuated, recombinant human respiratory syncytial virus expressing a chimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike as the only viral envelope protein. MV-014-212 was attenuated and immunogenic in African green monkeys (AGMs). One mucosal administration of MV-014-212 in AGMs protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, reducing by more than 200-fold the peak shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in the nose. MV-014-212 elicited mucosal immunoglobulin A in the nose and neutralizing antibodies in serum that exhibited cross-neutralization against virus variants of concern Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Intranasally delivered, live attenuated vaccines such as MV-014-212 entail low-cost manufacturing suitable for global deployment. MV-014-212 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials as an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine.
Introduction: Propofol is frequently used for deep sedation for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Sedation-Related Adverse Events (SRAEs), associated with propofol ...administration, include hypotension, arrhythmia, oxygen desaturation, unplanned intubation and procedure termination whereas, ketamine propofol combination has favourable haemodynamic effects. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of the synergistic effect of small dose of ketamine (25 mg) and propofol in comparison with propofol alone on propofol consumption for deep sedation in patients undergoing ERCP. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients undergoing ERCP were randomly assigned to one of the two medication regimens through chit and box method. Patients in Group 1 (n=30) received only intravenous propofol, while patients in Group 2 (n=30) received 25 mg of i.v. ketamine along with intravenous propofol and both groups of patients were titrated to achieve deep sedation. Total propofol consumption was recorded in both groups. Results: Patients in both groups were comparable in terms of BMI, ASA status and duration of ERCP. Group 1 patients required significantly higher doses of propofol (370±123.4 mg) as compared with Group 2 (342.65±116.4 mg). The mean percentage decline in oxygen saturation during the procedure was greater in Group 1 than it was in Group 2. Conclusion: Authors concluded that during ERCP addition of ketamine to propofol resulted in decrease in propofol consumption without disturbing intra and post-procedure haemodynamic stability.
Multicellular systems, such as microbial biofilms and cancerous tumors, feature complex biological activities coordinated by cellular interactions mediated via different signaling and regulatory ...pathways, which are intrinsically heterogeneous, dynamic, and adaptive. However, due to their invasiveness or their inability to interface with native cellular networks, standard bioanalysis methods do not allow in situ spatiotemporal biochemical monitoring of multicellular systems to capture holistic spatiotemporal pictures of systems‐level biology. Here, a high‐throughput reverse nanoimprint lithography approach is reported to create biomimetic transparent nanoplasmonic microporous mesh (BTNMM) devices with ultrathin flexible microporous structures for spatiotemporal multimodal surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) measurements at the bio‐interface. It is demonstrated that BTNMMs, supporting uniform and ultrasensitive SERS hotspots, can simultaneously enable spatiotemporal multimodal SERS measurements for targeted pH sensing and non‐targeted molecular detection to resolve the diffusion dynamics for pH, adenine, and Rhodamine 6G molecules in agarose gel. Moreover, it is demonstrated that BTNMMs can act as multifunctional bio‐interfaced SERS sensors to conduct in situ spatiotemporal pH mapping and molecular profiling of Escherichia coli biofilms. It is envisioned that the ultrasensitive multimodal SERS capability, transport permeability, and biomechanical compatibility of the BTNMMs can open exciting avenues for bio‐interfaced multifunctional sensing applications both in vitro and in vivo.
A high‐throughput reverse nanoimprint lithography approach is reported to create biomimetic transparent nanoplasmonic microporous mesh (BTNMM) devices for spatiotemporal multimodal surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) measurements at the bio‐interface. It is demonstrated that the BTNMMs, supporting uniform and ultrasensitive SERS hotspots, can serve as multifunctional bio‐interfaced mesh SERS sensors to conduct in situ spatiotemporal pH mapping and molecular profiling of Escherichia coli biofilms.
ObjectivesEmergency department (ED) attendances among infants have increased in high resources settings over the past ten years1; a trend continuing post-Covid.2 Low acuity attendances have also ...increased, in part due to gaps in preventative care services.3 National data shows significant regional variation in paediatric ED attendance rates, and social determinants of health also vary with location.4 Local data and insights are required to inform policy and interventions to reduce ED attendances.We aim to describe infant ED attendances in the past 6 years, including acuity level and numbers admitted, at a busy London district general hospital.MethodsData for all children aged 0–12 months attending the emergency department were extracted from the internal operational electronic information systems (SMISS and Symphony) from 01/01/2018 to 15/05/2023. Details included demographics, assigned acuity level at triage, initial complaint, diagnosis, admission rates and GP practice.Analysis was undertaken using excel including descriptive statistics and Chi squared test for trend.Ethics approval was not required in line with HRA guidance.Results21,319 infants aged 0–12 months attended ED during the study period. Attendance numbers were reasonably stable over time with a decrease in 2020 over the Covid-19 pandemic (see table 1). Younger infants were more likely to be admitted (p<0.0001). The proportion of children admitted per year substantially decreased over the 6-year period (p<0.0001). See table 1.The most commonly assigned acuity level was 4 (lower acuity) and a higher acuity level was associated with increased chance of admission (p<0.0001). However, among infants assigned acuity level 1 (highest acuity), 52.7% were still discharged home from ED. See figure 1.Abstract 6848 Table 1Infant ED attendances and admissions by year, by acuity level and by ageAbstract 6848 Figure 1Percentage of infant ED attendances resulting in admission by acuity levelConclusionWhile ED attendances among infants remain high, the proportion resulting in admission has decreased over the last 6 years. The majority of ED attendances are of lower acuity, and even those assigned higher acuity are frequently discharged from ED. Lower acuity attendances add to department overcrowding and healthcare costs which could be avoided by management by community services or primary care.Assigned acuity levels are correlated with the probability of admission, but are not good predictors of outcome. There is a lack of consensus on triage categories, acuity classification and what constitutes a low acuity attendance. A standardised definition used consistently would enable national comparison of data between services.ReferencesRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Facing the future: standards for children in emergency care settings, 2018.Ward J, Hargreaves D, Rogers M, Firth A, Turner S, Viner R, Recent and forecast post-COVID trends in hospital activity in England amongst 0 to 24 year olds: analyses using routine hospital administrative data, MedRxiv, 2021:2021.02. 11.21251584.Alele FO, Emeto TI, Callander EJ, Watt K, Non-urgent paediatric emergency department presentation: A systematic review, Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2019;55(3):271–7.Nath S, Zylbersztejn A, Viner RM, Cortina-Borja M, Lewis KM, Wijlaars L, et al. Determinants of accident and emergency attendances and emergency admissions in infants: birth cohort study, BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22(1):936.
ObjectivesLow acuity emergency department (ED) attendances among infants are known to be a significant issue,1 but granular data is lacking.2 We aim to present data on low acuity infant ED ...attendances and use a sample across acuity levels to examine clinical features of presentations at a busy London district general hospital.MethodsData for ED attendances aged 0–12 months were extracted from hospital electronic systems (SMISS and Symphony) from 01/01/2018 to 15/05/2023, including demographics, assigned acuity level, diagnosis and admission rates.Infants diagnosed as ‘No abnormality detected’ (NAD) and not admitted were categorised as low acuity attendances.A random sample of 100 ED attendances in 2022, equally distributed across 5 assigned acuity levels, were examined in more detail.Analysis including descriptive statistics, chi-squared test for trend and differences in proportions was undertaken in excel.Ethics approval was not required in line with HRA guidance.ResultsOf 21,319 ED attendances during the study period, 3286 (15.4%) were discharged with a diagnosis of NAD.There was a downward trend in proportion of NAD by year (p=0.016). NAD presentations were more likely to be female and of younger age compared with all ED presentations. The mean index of multiple deprivation decile among NAD attendances is 5.30, compared with 5.33 for all ED presentations. Both are lower (more deprived) than the national average (5.5). Details are shown in table 1.Of 100 randomly selected attendances across 5 assigned acuity levels (20 per acuity level), most were diagnosed NAD or upper respiratory tract infection; and discharged with no investigations or treatment. Frequent presentations among those discharged (all acuity levels) include noisy breathing (17), crying (10) and feeding concerns (8).Even among the 20 attendances assigned the highest acuity level, three were infants discharged home with NAD. Among infants assigned acuity 4 (low acuity) one required intubation and PICU, and 6 required intravenous medication and admission.Abstract 6705 Table 1Characteristics of low acuity compared with total infant ED presentationsConclusionAttendances with ‘NAD’ represent a significant proportion of all infant ED attendances. Low acuity attendances were younger and more likely to be female than all infant ED attendances. Rates of NAD diagnoses decreased over time, although this may indicate alternate low acuity diagnoses replacing NAD.Detailed examination of attendances indicates poor correlation between assigned acuity and outcome, and frequent attendances of younger babies with minor ailments. A large proportion of these could be managed in primary care or by community services.ReferencesAlele FO, Emeto TI, Callander EJ, Watt K. Non-urgent paediatric emergency department presentation: A systematic review. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2019.Nath S, Zylbersztejn A, Viner RM, Cortina-Borja M, Lewis KM, Wijlaars L, et al. Determinants of accident and emergency attendances and emergency admissions in infants: birth cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res, 2022.
Background: Situs inversus totalis is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by transposition of organs to the opposite side of the body. Diagnosis and treatment of cholelithiasis in such cases pose ...a challenge to the operating surgeon because of an atypical clinical picture and the contra lateral disposition of the viscera. Methods: A literature search using the PubMed and Cochrane databases identified articles focusing on the key issues of laparoscopy cholecystectomy in situs inversus. Conclusions: Without doubt, laparoscopic cholecystectomy in these patients is technically more demanding but still feasible and should be performed by trained and experienced laparoscopic surgeons. Difficulty is encountered in skeletonizing the structures in Calot's triangle, which usually requires extra time than in patients with a normally located gall bladder. Arch Clin Exp Surg 2016; 5(3.000): 169-176
Microporous mesh plasmonic devices have the potential to combine the biocompatibility of microporous polymeric meshes with the capabilities of plasmonic nanostructures to enhance nanoscale ...light–matter interactions for bio‐interfaced optical sensing and actuation. However, scalable integration of dense and uniformly structured plasmonic hotspot arrays with microporous polymeric meshes remains challenging due to the processing incompatibility of conventional nanofabrication methods with flexible microporous substrates. Here, scalable nanofabrication of microporous multiresonant plasmonic meshes (MMPMs) is achieved via a hierarchical micro‐/nanoimprint lithography approach using dissolvable polymeric templates. It is demonstrated that MMPMs can serve as broadband nonlinear nanoplasmonic devices to generate second‐harmonic generation, third‐harmonic generation, and upconversion photoluminescence signals with multiresonant plasmonic enhancement under fs pulse excitation. Moreover, MMPMs are employed and explored as bio‐interfaced surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy mesh sensors to enable in situ spatiotemporal molecular profiling of bacterial biofilm activity. Microporous mesh plasmonic devices open exciting avenues for bio‐interfaced optical sensing and actuation applications, such as inflammation‐free epidermal sensors in conformal contact with skin, combined tissue‐engineering and biosensing scaffolds for in vitro 3D cell culture models, and minimally invasive implantable probes for long‐term disease diagnostics and therapeutics.
A hierarchical micro‐/nanoimprint lithography fabrication process using dissolvable polymeric templates to produce flexible microporous multiresonant plasmonic meshes (MMPMs) is reported. It is demonstrated that the MMPMs can serve as broadband nonlinear nanoplasmonic devices under fs pulse excitation and function as bio‐interfaced surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) mesh sensors for in situ spatiotemporal SERS molecular profiling of bacterial biofilm activities.
Agriculture has seen quite a good growth due to the latest machinery being used to maximize yield and minimize cost. People around the world are starting to understand the inherent potential and ...scope of automation and robotics in agriculture. However, there are many problems which continue to prevail like the non-availability of labour, poor and costly machinery, etc. So there is a need to address these existing problems. This project addresses the inherent difficulties in the agricultural field. It tries to provide a remarkable solution to many of the existing problems. This project, named PHAL is a rover type bot which canperform all the basic activities included in farming. It is fully autonomous, ecofriendly machine which can perform many tasks like ploughing, sowing, irrigation, harvesting etc. Using this machine, farmers can get rid of majority of the problems, all this at a very low cost.
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