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Dispersion is accepted as a fundamental step required for analyzing broadband light. The recognition of color by the human eye, its digital reproduction by a camera, or detailed ...analysis by a spectrometer all utilize dispersion; it is also an inherent component of color detection and machine vision. Here, we present a device (called artificial eye or, A-Eye) that accurately recognizes and reproduces tested colors, without any spectral dispersion. Instead, A-Eye uses N = 3–12 transmissive windows each with unique spectral features resulting from the broadband transmittance and excitonic peak-features of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. Colored light passing through (and modified by) these windows and incident on a single photodetector generated different photocurrents, and these were used to create a reference database (training set) for 1337 “seen” and 0.55 million synthesized “unseen” colors. By “looking” at test colors modified by these windows, A-Eye can accurately recognize and reproduce “seen” colors with zero deviation from their original spectra and “unseen” colors with only ∼1 % median deviation, using the k-NN algorithm. A-Eye can continuously improve color estimation by adding any corrected guesses to its training database. A-Eye’s accurate color recognition dispels the notion that dispersion of colors is a prerequisite for color identification and paves the way for ultra-reliable color-recognition by machines with reduced engineering complexity.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can present with a variety of symptoms. Severity of the disease may be associated with several factors. Here, we review clinical features of COVID-19 inpatients ...with different severities. This cross-sectional study was performed in Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during February-April 2020. COVID-19 patients with typical computed tomography (CT) patterns and/or positive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were included. The patients were classified into three groups of moderate, severe, and critical based on disease severity. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings were collected and compared. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Overall, 200 patients with mean age of 69.75 ± 6.39 years, of whom 82 (41%) were female were studied. Disease was severe/critical in the majority of patients (167, 83.5%). Disease severity was significantly associated with age, malignant comorbidities, dyspnea, nausea/vomiting, confusion, respiratory rate, pulse rate, O
saturation, extent of CT involvement, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), pH, pO
, and aspartate transaminase (P < 0.05). Moreover, complications including shock, coagulopathy, acidosis, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and intubation were significantly higher in patients with higher severities (P < 0.05). O
saturation, nausea/vomiting, and extent of lung CT involvement were independent predictors of severe/critical COVID-19 (OR 0.342, 45.93, and 25.48, respectively; P < 0.05). Our results indicate O
saturation, nausea/vomiting, and extent of lung CT involvement as independent predictors of severe COVID-19 conditions. Serum CRP levels and pO
were also considerably higher patients with higher severity and can be used along with other factors to predict severe disease in COVID-19 patients.
Background: Bariatric surgery has been known as an efficient treatment for morbid obesity during the last few decades. Considering the high prevalence of anemia in obese patients and the changes in ...the iron status of the body after bariatric surgery, the purpose of this study was to assess the pattern of changes in the ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb) levels in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery. Methods: The current retrospective cohort study was done on 241 obese patients of both genders undergoing bariatric surgery between 2018 and 2021. Preoperatively, 3, 6, and 12 months post-bariatric surgery, data considering body mass index (BMI), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Platelet (PLT), Hb, ferritin, and hematocrit (Hct) was extracted from the National Obesity Surgery database. Results: Before the surgery, the Hb, ferritin, and Hct levels in female and male groups were significantly different (p<0.001). The mean Hb, ferritin, and Hct levels in female and male participants were significantly different over the time (p<0.001, p=0.002, p<0.001, respectively). The levels of Hb, Hct, PLT, ferritin, and BMI variables decreased over the time in patients after bariatric surgery, and were significantly lower in women than men. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that anemia caused by micronutrient deficiency was relatively common in patients who underwent bariatric surgery and got worse over the time.
•There is no previous report on application of anti-EGFRvIII MAb as a targeting agent for targeted CUR delivery.•Targeted CUR-PLGA NPs specifically enhanced the cellular uptake of CUR in ...DKMG/EGFRvIII cell line.•Targeted CUR-PLGA NPs can apply as potential drug delivery system for PDT on human glioblastoma cell line.
In this study, antibody-conjugated biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles were developed to enhance the photodaynamic efficiency of curcumin (CUR) on glioblastoma tumor cells. Poly (D, l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) were synthesized and stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) was used to provide carboxyl groups on the surface of NPs. The CUR or FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) was encapsulated in PLGA NPs using the nanoprecipitation method. The carboxylic groups on the surface of the PLGA NPs were covalently conjugated to the amino groups of a monoclonal antibody against EGFRvIII (A-EGFRvIII-f). The prepared NPs were fully characterized by Zetasizer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and then entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading efficiency (DLE), CUR release, cell internalization, intrinsic cytotoxicity, and phototoxicity were evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of monoclonal antibody (MAb) on the tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFRvIII after photodynamic therapy (PDT) was assessed.
The immunoreactivity of the antibody in MAb-PLGA NPs was preserved during the process of conjugation. The selective cellular internalization of MAb-PLGA NPs (FITC or CUR loaded) into the DKMG/EGFRvIII cells (EGFRvIII overexpressed human glioblastoma cell line) in comparison with DK-MGlow (human glioblastoma cell line with low level of EGFRvIII) was also confirmed. MAb-CUR-PLGA NPs were able to show more effective photodynamic toxicity (56% vs. 24%) on the DKMG/EGFRvIII cells compared to CUR-PLGA NPs. These results suggest that the anti-EGFRvIII MAb-CUR-PLGA NPs have potential of targeted drug delivery system for PDT in the overexpressed EGFRvIII tumor cells.
The existence of a comprehensive model that enables the calculation of the real price of electricity production along with its environmental costs is one of the most important analytical tools in ...energy economics. It is now different from when virtual water costs and other environmental costs of power generation are taken into account. In this article, information from 56 power plants across the country was used. In this paper, an algorithm for calculating the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) is presented. Among these, common technologies in the production sector, including heating, gas, combined cycle, wind, and photovoltaic power plants, have been studied from an economic perspective and the results of calculating their cost price have been presented. The results show that the highest costs are related to electricity generation using gas technology (18.86 cents per kilowatt hour with subsidized fuel and 35.98 cents per kilowatt hour with exported fuel) and the lowest cost of generating electricity through a wind farm is 6.59 cents per kilowatt hour. In the calculations, the cost of fuel in the form of subsidies and exports and the cost of virtual water in the production process are also considered. One of the reasons for the slow growth of renewable energy development is that the fuel price of gas and oil for power plants in Iran was not realistic despite the fuel subsidy, so electricity production in thermal power plants is cost-effective and electricity production from renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaic power plants in a superficial view has no economic justification..
To investigate: 1) the racial/ethnic disparities in meeting the recommended physical activity as measured by subjective vs objective measures in a national sample of individuals with type 2 diabetes ...mellitus; and 2) the racial/ethnic differences with respect to the magnitude of the discrepancy between self-reported and objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA).
We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-06 to calculate and compare the percentage of individuals with diabetes who achieved the recommended levels of physical activity as measured by subjective self-report (500 metabolic equivalents (MET)-minutes/week) and objective accelerometer measurement (150 minutes per week of MVPA) across racial/ethnic groups.
71.2%, 15.7%, and 13.1% of participants were White, African American, and Hispanic, respectively. Based on self-report, 67.1%, 39.2%, and 55.1% of Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics, respectively, met the 500 MET-minutes/week threshold of physical activity (P<.0001). Objective measurement by accelerometer showed that 44.2%, 42.6%, and 65.1% of Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics, respectively, met the threshold (P<.0003).
Many individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus did not meet the recommended physical activity thresholds. African Americans had the lowest proportion of meeting both the self-reported and objectively measured thresholds. White patients with diabetes overestimated frequency of their physical activity, while their Hispanic counterparts significantly underestimated it. Also, the gap between the two measures of MVPA was largest among Hispanics.
Developing techniques for the high-quality synthesis of mono and few-layered two-dimensional (2D) materials with lowered complexity and cost continues to remain an important goal, both for ...accelerating fundamental research and for application development. We present the simplest conceivable technique to synthesize micrometer-scale single-crystal, less than 1 nm thick, triangular monolayers of MoS2, i.e., by direct heating of bulk MoS2 powder onto proximally placed substrates. Room-temperature excitonic line width values of our samples are narrower and more uniform than those of 2D-MoS2 obtained by most other techniques reported in literature, and comparable to those of ultraflat boron–nitride (h-BN)-capped mechanically exfoliated samples, indicative of their high quality. Feature-rich Raman spectra absent in samples grown or obtained by most other techniques, also stand out as a testament of the high quality of our samples. A contact-growth mode facilitates direct growth of crystallographically wrinkled circular samples, which allows us to directly compare the optoelectronic properties of flat vs wrinkled growth from the same growth runs. Our method allows, for the first time, to quantitatively compare the impact of wrinkle on excitonic and Raman peak positions on identically synthesized 2D-MoS2. Wrinkles lead to average red shifts of ∼30 meV in the A-exciton position and ∼2 cm–1 in the E2g 1 Raman peak in these samples. Our findings open up several possibilities that expand 2D material research. By eliminating the need for carrier-gas flow, mechanical motion, or chemical reactions, our method can be either miniaturized for substantially low-cost, high-quality scientific research or potentially scaled-up for the mass-production of 2D crystals for commercial purposes. Moreover, we believe that this technique can also be extended to other transition metal dichalcogenides and other layered materials, providing scientists and engineers a low-cost platform for advancing research in sensing, detection, and fundamental discoveries.
Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles can produce free radicals due to their piezoelectric properties, which are needed for cancer treatment. Also, using ultrasound waves in combination with zinc ...oxide nanoparticles can help increase the response to sonodynamic therapy by synergistically producing free radicals. On the other hand, with gold nanoparticles as a place for cavitation in the ultrasound field, the intensity threshold required for cavitation is reduced, reducing the damage to normal cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sonodynamic therapy of melanoma with zinc oxide/gold nanocomposite as a sonosensitizer. Methods: Chemical dosimetry was used to determine the level of free radicals produced due to combined zinc oxide/gold nanocomposite with and without ultrasound radiation. Also, measuring the survival and apoptosis rate in the cultured melanoma cells was done in-vitro by MTT and flow cytometry tests, respectively. Findings: With the increase in the production of free radicals, the survival percentage of melanoma cells treated with combined zinc oxide/gold nanocomposite and ultrasound waves at an intensity of 2 W/cm2 showed the most significant decrease (by 20%) which was significantly different from the control group. Also, the apoptosis level caused by sonodynamic therapy with zinc oxide/gold nanocomposite increased significantly. Conclusion: Using ultrasound waves in combination with zinc oxide/gold nanocomposite can play an influential role in improving the response of melanoma to treatment by raising the level of free radicals and reducing the general toxicity for non-cancerous cells by lowering the cavitation threshold.
Background: The use of chemotherapy drugs in combination with ultrasound exposure increases their synergic effect at lower doses. It can play an important role in the treatment of drug-resistant ...cancers, such as melanoma. Also, in this method, reducing the dose of the drug minimizes side effects on healthy cells. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-mediated chemotherapy with dacarbazine on malignant cell death and apoptosis induction in melanoma. Methods: After culturing B16F10 melanoma cells in-vitro, the optimal concentration of dacarbazine was determined by MTT assay. The effect of ultrasound on cell survival was also investigated separately by the same method. In the next step, the cells were treated with the optimal concentration of dacarbazine at intensities of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 w/cm2 and were observed for 3 minutes. After 24 hours MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. The level of apoptosis induction by treatments was also measured using flow cytometry.Findings: The survival rate of melanoma cells treated in combination with dacarbazine and ultrasound at 2 w/cm2showed the greatest decline. Also, the rate of apoptosis at 1.5 w/cm2in combination with dacarbazine increased significantly.Conclusion: The use of ultrasound in combination with dacarbazine can be effective in improving the response of melanoma to treatment and reduce the overall toxicity to non-cancerous cells.
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