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Pointed magnetic elements are introduced as an improvement upon rectangular strips currently employed in composite element magnetic barcodes. The coercivity of these elements, as measured using the magneto-optic Kerr effect, is found to strictly adhere to a single power law relationship with the element width, where the power law exponent is dependent on the length of the pointed region and takes values between − 0.98 and − 0.91. The steeper gradients here, along with the absence of the crossover region seen in rectangular devices, present these structures as a strict improvement in terms of potential device applications. These improvements are found to be present for all structures where the pointed region is as long as, or longer than, the magnetic element is wide. The remanent magnetization configuration, imaged using photo-emission microscopy with contrast from x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD-PEEM), is compared to the results of micromagnetic simulations. It is found to cant inward in the pointed section of the strip, aligning with the edges of the point, pinning the magnetization and giving a consistent magnetization reversal behavior for all element widths investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single published record of centipedes from the Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory, is for the scolopendrid Rhysida longipes Newport, 1845, from Eagle Island. Recent collections from Diego Garcia atoll include new records of R. longipes as well as four other centipede species, including the first records of the orders Lithobiomorpha and Geophilomorpha. A new species of the lithobiid Australobius Chamberlin, 1920, A. chagosensissp. n., is closely allied to species described from southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The henicopid Lamyctes is represented by two geographically widespread species, L. mauriesi Demange, 1981 and L. tristani (Pocock, 1893), from which sequence data for the COI barcode marker are presented and analysed phylogenetically. The types of Lamyctes albipes (Pocock, 1894), and L. tristani, from Java and Tristan da Cunha, respectively, are illustrated for the first time to facilitate taxonomic comparisons with Chagos material. Specimens of Mecistocephalus are identified as Mecistocephalus lohmanderi Verhoeff, 1939, closely resembling specimens from the Seychelles. Collections from the archipelago in 1971–1972 also included Mecistocephalus angusticeps (Ribaut, 1914), and Nycternyssa dekania dekania (Verhoeff, 1938). The Chagos centipede fauna reveals affinities to those of the southern Indian Subcontinent, East Africa, Madagascar, the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Java. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust data privacy regulations hinder the exchange of healthcare data among institutions, crucial for global insights and developing generalised clinical models. Federated learning (FL) is ideal for training global models using datasets from different institutions without compromising privacy. However, disparities in electronic healthcare records (EHRs) lead to inconsistencies in ML-ready data views, making FL challenging without extensive preprocessing and information loss. These differences arise from variations in services, care standards, and record-keeping practices. This paper addresses data view heterogeneity by introducing a knowledge abstraction and filtering-based FL framework that allows FL over heterogeneous data views without manual alignment or information loss. The knowledge abstraction and filtering mechanism maps raw input representations to a unified, semantically rich shared space for effective global model training. Experiments on three healthcare datasets demonstrate the framework's effectiveness in overcoming data view heterogeneity and facilitating information sharing in a federated setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of the Internet of Things has led to the widespread adoption of 2D barcodes as a means of offline-to-online communication. Whereas, 2D barcodes are not ideal for publicity materials due to their space-consuming nature. Recent works have proposed 2D image barcodes that contain invisible codes or hyperlinks to transmit hidden information from offline to online. However, these methods undermine the purpose of the codes being invisible due to the the requirement of markers to locate them. The conference version of this work presented a novel imperceptible information embedding framework for display or print-camera scenarios, which includes not only hiding and recovery but also locating and correcting. With the assistance of learned invisible markers, hidden codes can be rendered truly imperceptible. A highly effective multi-stage training scheme is proposed to achieve high visual fidelity and retrieval resiliency, wherein information is concealed in a sub-region rather than the entire image. However, our conference version does not address the optimal sub-region for hiding, which is crucial when dealing with local region concealment problems. In this article extension, we consider human perceptual characteristics and introduce an optimal hiding region recommendation algorithm that comprehensively incorporates Just Noticeable Difference and visual saliency factors into consideration. Extensive experiments demonstrate superior visual quality and robustness compared to state-of-the-art methods. With the assistance of our proposed hiding region recommendation algorithm, concealed information becomes even less visible than the results of our conference version without compromising robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barcode medication administration (BCMA) technology can improve patient safety by using scanning technology to ensure the right drug and dose are given to the right patient. Implementation can be challenging, requiring adoption of different workflows by nursing staff. In one London National Health Service trust scanning rates were lower than desired at around 0--20% of doses per ward. Our objective was to encourage patient safety behaviours in the form of medication scanning through implementation of a feedback intervention. This was informed by behavioural science, codesigned with nurses and informed by known barriers to use. Five wards were selected to trial the intervention over an 18-week period beginning August 2021. The remaining 14 hospital wards acted as controls. Intervention wards had varying uptake of BCMA at baseline and represented a range of specialties. A bespoke feedback intervention comprising three behavioural science constructs (gamification, the messenger effect and framing) was delivered to each intervention ward each week. A linear difference-in-difference analysis was used to evaluate the impact of our intervention on scan rates, both for the overall 18-week period and at two weekly intervals within this timeframe. We identified a 23.1 percentage point increase in medication scan rates (from an average baseline of 15.0% to 38.1%) on the intervention wards compared with control (p<0.001) following implementation of the intervention. Feedback had most impact in the first 6 weeks, with an initial percentage point increase of 26.3 (p<0.001), which subsequently plateaued. Neither clinical specialty nor number of beds on each ward were significant factors in our models. Our study demonstrated that a feedback intervention, codesigned with end users and incorporating behavioural science constructs, can lead to a significant increase in the adoption of BCMA scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species Xysticus lendli is known only from its original description of a single male and one doubtful record so far. Here, we illustrate and redescribe the species based on 34 specimens in total and describe its female for the first time. We illustrated the male palp via compound micrographs and scanning electron micrographs. We generated a DNA barcode and placed it into a current phylogenetic scaffold to confirm the species' placement of Spiracme, a long-debated sister- or subgroup of Xysticus; hence, a new combination of Spiracme lendli (Kulczyński, 1897), comb. nov. is proposed. We illustrated the visually similar Xysticus mongolicus and the type species of Spiracme, S. striatipes, and compared them to S. lendli to aid future distinctions between those species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, the spread of pheretimoid earthworm species from Southeast Asia has raised ecological, environmental, and conservation concerns in urban-suburban settings and forest habitats. There is currently a global discourse surrounding the taxonomic status of pheretimoid earthworms. Therefore, a comparative molecular systematics study was conducted on pheretimoid, utilizing an integrative taxonomy approach that relied on morpho-anatomical characterization and the COI gene. The study generated and compared the 51 COI barcodes of pheretimoid with existing 156 COI sequences of pheretimoid earthworms worldwide, with the primary goal of testing various analytical methods for species delimitation and examining phylogenetic reconstruction. Seven different methods of species delineation were applied, viz., Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP), General Mixed Yule Coalescence (GMYC), Poisson Tree Processes (PTP), Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP), Multiple Poisson Tree Processes (mPTP), and Refined Single Linkage (RESL). Additionally, trees using Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) were created for phylogenetic studies. The results unveiled 10 species belonging to 3 genera, viz., Amynthas, Metaphire, and Polypheretima. Furthermore, the study reported one new record from India, Amynthas andersoni choprai, and range expansion of Amynthas alexandri, Metaphire posthuma, and Polypheretima elongata to Manipur, the north-eastern region of India. Further, the peregrine species Amynthas corticis was reported for the first time in Madhya Pradesh in the central part of India. The study concluded that the genera Amynthas, Metaphire, and Pheretima do not exhibit monophyletic lineages which corroborates with previous studies. The study aligns with earlier studies that recommended reassessing the numerical revision of the genus Pheretima auct. (Sims & Easton, 1972). In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary relationships between multiple pheretimoid earthworms in India has been provided, laying the foundation for understanding their origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New medical devices are frequently introduced at the point of care, and nursing competence in their management is critical for safe patient care. Industry vendors often provide on-the-job in-services for new devices within the constraints of clinical priorities, yet these in-services are not usually monitored or systematically coordinated with stakeholders. Method: This project employed quick response (QR) codes and best practices in instructional design in a partnership with vendors to develop and evaluate the impact of an in-service for a new medical device on nursing competence. An online survey measured usefulness, knowledge, and the change in self-perceived competence. Discussion: A total of 536 nurses participated, and 91.2% correctly answered five or six of six questions about device management. The proportion of nurses rating their competence as no experience decreased from 21.2% to 4.5%, and ratings for can do independently/competent increased from 37.6% to 60.2%. Conclusion: The use of QR codes offers novel solutions to evaluate how structured, on-the-job education can positively impact nursing practice around medical devices. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(9):425–432.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desensitisation of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) is proposed to underlie the initiation of opioid analgesic tolerance and previous work has shown that agonist-induced phosphorylation of the MOR C-tail contributes to this desensitisation. Moreover, phosphorylation is important for β-arrestin recruitment to the receptor, and ligands of different efficacies induce distinct phosphorylation barcodes. The C-tail 370TREHPSTANT379 motif harbours Ser/Thr residues important for these regulatory functions. 375Ser is the primary phosphorylation site of a ligand-dependent, hierarchical, and sequential process, whereby flanking 370Thr, 376Thr and 379Thr get subsequently and rapidly phosphorylated. Here we used GRK KO cells, phosphosite specific antibodies and site-directed mutagenesis to evaluate the contribution of the different GRK subfamilies to ligand-induced phosphorylation barcodes and β-arrestin2 recruitment. We show that both GRK2/3 and GRK5/6 subfamilies promote phosphorylation of 370Thr and 375Ser. Importantly, only GRK2/3 induce phosphorylation of 376Thr and 379Thr, and we identify these residues as key sites to promote robust β-arrestin recruitment to the MOR. These data provide insight into the mechanisms of MOR regulation and suggest that the cellular complement of GRK subfamilies plays an important role in determining the tissue responses of opioid agonists. CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out of GRKs combined with mutagenesis and phospho-specific antibodies reveal the sites of the mu-opioid receptor that underlie the differences in regulation of this receptor by morphine and fentanyl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Digital Revolution has significantly transformed secure and transmitted information, with QR codes emerging as a powerful tool in this landscape. QR codes that stands for Quick Response codes are 2D barcodes that can contain a vast amount of information; they have great opportunities to encrypt information, so they provide reliable solutions in terms of data hiding and data transfer. The described confrontation of the Digital Revolution insists on enhancing and changing ways to ensure information security, and the application of QR codes is a good example of how technological advancements can offer efficient ideas for concealing and protecting information. As encryption and QR code technology evolve, their role in securing data will undoubtedly expand, offering new levels of security in our increasingly digital world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In global health crises, there is a heightened risk to patient and professional safety. Several studies have evaluated the safety climate, revealing different perceptions among healthcare professionals, often influenced by demographic characteristics. This study aimed to assess the percentage of problematic responses (PPR) for the patient safety climate dimensions and... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) made from Eu3+ and 1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) is enhanced eightfold by doping with Y3+ and Ca2+ ions. The Ca2+ ions are shown to substitute into the MOFs, and the MOFs structure is shown to be retained at high Y3+ doping levels. The emission enhancement is shown to be associated with variations in the local electric field at the Eu3+ centers in the MOFs. Calculations indicate that the HOMO and LUMO levels vary considerably with both Y3+ doping and with low‐level Ca2+ doping. These then modulates Eu3+ concentration quenching, ligand‐metal energy transfer processes, and the local electric field at the Eu3+ centers, qualitatively accounting for the primary observed features. For UV excitation (250, 295, and 393 nm, respectively), the greatest emission enhancement comes from the doped MOFs with 10% Eu3+, 89% Y3+, and 1% Ca2+. In a photonic barcode application, the doped MOFs are shown to facilitate increased information storage density, and in a fingerprinting application, they are displayed to lead to higher photostability and reduced materials demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of AI models into bioinformatics has brought about a revolutionary era in the analysis and interpretation of biological data. This mini-review offers a succinct overview of the indispensable role AI plays in the convergence of computational techniques and biological research. The search strategy followed PRISMA guidelines, encompassing databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to include studies published between 2018 and 2024, utilizing specific keywords. We explored the diverse applications of AI methodologies, including machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and natural language processing (NLP), across various domains of bioinformatics. These domains encompass genome sequencing, protein structure prediction, drug discovery, systems biology, personalized medicine, imaging, signal processing, and text mining. AI algorithms have exhibited remarkable efficacy in tackling intricate biological challenges, spanning from genome sequencing to protein structure prediction, and from drug discovery to personalized medicine. In conclusion, this study scrutinizes the evolving landscape of AI-driven tools and algorithms, emphasizing their pivotal role in expediting research, facilitating data interpretation, and catalyzing innovations in biomedical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, environmental DNA (eDNA) assays have become an essential tool to investigate species presence with samples from the environment instead of collected specimens. eDNA sampling techniques have proved their worth in freshwater and marine studies; now, some trends emerge for their use in terrestrial habitats and particularly to study arthropods. After a systematic review of the literature, we illustrate and analyse the diversity of such studies and discuss their benefits and drawbacks.We identified the most relevant research themes and focused on (i) the taxa and environmental sample types targeted and (ii) the details of the survey scheme. In parallel, we also assessed the available number of sequences from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S and 18S barcode regions for four major taxa (spiders, centipedes, springtails and insects) in relation to their diversity.We found strong taxonomic and geographic biases regarding coverage per barcode. eDNA research on terrestrial arthropods mainly focuses on insect species that affect humanity in a positive or negative way, and the availability of sequences is much higher for species from temperate‐developed countries than from tropical ones. Moreover, although a high variety of environmental samples are being used, most studies do not assess the barcode completeness of the target taxa nor compare the efficacy of eDNA monitoring technique to other well established and known traditional techniques.Careful workflow designs and comparisons are needed before giving any management or conservation advice as eDNA monitoring does not come without error. Strengths and weaknesses of eDNA assays for conservation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high variability of secondary agricultural teacher background and facility constraints, the instruction of tractor (and similar agricultural machinery) component identification, function, maintenance, and corresponding safety precautions oftentimes prove difficult and/or inconsistent. This study focused on the development and plausible application of quick response codes, commonly referred to as QR codes, placed on a demonstration tractor or machine to be used as a self-guided student learning experience for training the next generation of safe operators. This review documents a novel self-guided instruction methodology utilizing "gamification" learning theory. Content materials were derived from the nationally disseminated, open source, Gearing Up for Safety Production Agriculture Safety Training for Youth curriculum. Specifically, QR code learning modules were recommended to supplement Gearing Up for Safety, Lesson 16: Hands-On Tractor Operation of the youth worker certification component of the Pre-Operational Skills Exam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: High acuity trauma and patients in cardiopulmonary arrest are not frequently seen in all pediatric Level I trauma centers. Yet, nurses are required to manage these patients in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. OBJECTIVE: This project aims to develop and evaluate an education program for high-risk, low-volume equipment and skills in the pediatric emergency department setting. METHODS: This is a pre- and post-quality improvement study conducted in a Northeastern United States pediatric Level I trauma center. Emergency department nurses were invited to view videos detailing high-risk, low-volume equipment use. For the convenience of access, Quick Response (QR) codes linked to the videos were placed on each piece of equipment reviewed. General self-efficacy and levels of self-efficacy in using the equipment were assessed before the intervention and again after 4 weeks from January to February 2023. RESULTS: A total of 43 pediatric emergency nurses participated in the education. The mean aggregate general self-efficacy score was 32.93. Mean scores in all areas (Level 1 rapid infuser, fluid warmer, blood administration, and securing an endotracheal tube) improved after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Easily accessible, brief refresher videos linked to QR codes in the pediatric emergency department can help empower nurses who need to use high-risk, low-volume equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syrphid identification keys that cover all life cycle stages of the taxonomy are insufficient, and there are problems with the morphological identification of these flies. Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) is widely used for molecular identification and phylogenetic reconstruction. The study examined the effectiveness of COI in identifying 18 specimens containing 13 agriculturally important species of syrphids collected from different geo-climatic regions of West Bengal. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian (BA) trees, which were almost congruent. Barcodes were generated for Dasysyrphus orsua and Eristalinus polychromata for the first time. This is the first study to use the COI for barcoding ecologically and agriculturally relevant syrphid flies from eastern India and their phylogeny. The findings contribute to the basic understanding of the diversity of syrphids across West Bengal and the molecular characterization of hoverflies, promoting their conservation and thus leading to the augmentation of crops. © 2024 Association for Advancement of Entomology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reductions in sugar intake are at the center of policy discussions to improve health. In this article, we use barcode‐level nutrition and sales data on the near‐universe of all packaged food products in the United States over 2007–2015 to investigate whether food manufacturers have reduced added sugar in their product offerings and whether these reformulations have played a role on consumers' sugar intake. We find that reformulation efforts would have reduced sugar intake by 52.8% between 2007 and 2015 had households' shopping baskets in 2015 remained the same as in 2007. However, consumers' purchases have gravitated toward more sugary products over time, thereby negating more than twothirds of the reduction in sugar intake that reformulation could have brought about. As a result, sugar intake has only decreased by 15.6%. Evidence shows that the largest reformulation effects come from product groups that have received the greatest scrutiny. Sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweets together represent 89% of pure reformulation, where sweetened beverages alone represent 43%. We also analyze the change in added sugar intake across income and find larger reductions in higher‐income households; this finding suggests that existing disparities in diet quality have become more pronounced over time [EconLit Citations: D22, I12, I18, L66]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA-based identification is vital for classifying biological specimens, yet methods to quantify the uncertainty of sequence-based taxonomic assignments are scarce. Challenges arise from noisy reference databases, including mislabelled entries and missing taxa. PROTAX addresses these issues with a probabilistic approach to taxonomic classification, advancing on methods that rely solely on sequence similarity. It provides calibrated probabilistic assignments to a partially populated taxonomic hierarchy, accounting for taxa that lack references and incorrect taxonomic annotation. While effective on smaller scales, global application of PROTAX necessitates substantially larger reference libraries, a goal previously hindered by computational barriers. We introduce PROTAX-GPU, a scalable algorithm capable of leveraging the global Barcode of Life Data System (>14 million specimens) as a reference database. Using graphics processing units (GPU) to accelerate similarity and nearest-neighbour operations and the JAX library for Python integration, we achieve over a 1000 × speedup compared with the central processing unit (CPU)-based implementation without compromising PROTAX's key benefits. PROTAX-GPU marks a significant stride towards real-time DNA barcoding, enabling quicker and more efficient species identification in environmental assessments. This capability opens up new avenues for real-time monitoring and analysis of biodiversity, advancing our ability to understand and respond to ecological dynamics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current knowledge on insects feeding on fruits is limited, and some of the scarce existing data on the fruit‐associated insects are secluded within the host institutions. Consequently, their value is not fully realized. Moreover, in countries like Kenya, the integration of biocollections data within a digital framework has not been fully exploited. To address these gaps, this article presents a description of the development of a web‐based platform for data sharing and integrating biodiversity historical data of wild plants, fruits, associated insects, and their molecular barcodes (WiPFIM) while leveraging data science technologies. The barcodes corresponding to the biocollections data were retrieved from BOLD database. The platform is an online resource about fruit–insect interactions that can be of interest to a worldwide community of users and can be useful in building innovative tools. The platform is accessible online at https://test‐dmmg.icipe.org/wpfhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Next-generation sequencing libraries are constructed with numerous synthetic constructs such as sequencing adapters, barcodes, and unique molecular identifiers. Such sequences can be essential for interpreting results of sequencing assays, and when they contain information pertinent to an experiment, they must be processed and analyzed. Results We present a tool called splitcode , that enables flexible and efficient parsing, interpreting, and editing of sequencing reads. This versatile tool facilitates simple, reproducible preprocessing of reads from libraries constructed for a large array of single-cell and bulk sequencing assays. Availability and implementation The splitcode program is available at http://github.com/pachterlab/splitcode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying and representing clusters in time-varying network data is of particular importance when studying collective behaviors emerging in nature, in mobile device networks or in social networks. Based on combinatorial, categorical, and persistence theoretic viewpoints, we establish a stable functorial pipeline for the summarization of the evolution of clusters in a time-varying network. We first construct a complete summary of the evolution of clusters in a given time-varying network over a set of entities X of which takes the form of a formigram. This formigram can be understood as a certain Reeb graph R which is labeled by subsets of X. By applying Möbius inversion to the formigram in two different manners, we obtain two dual notions of diagram: the maximal group diagram and the persistence clustergram, both of which are in the form of an 'annotated' barcode. The maximal group diagram consists of time intervals annotated by their corresponding maximal groups — a notion due to Buchin et al., implying that we recognize the notion of maximal groups as a special instance of generalized persistence diagram by Patel. On the other hand, the persistence clustergram is mostly obtained by annotating the intervals in the zigzag barcode of the Reeb graph R with certain merging/disbanding events in the given time-varying network. We show that both diagrams are complete invariants of formigrams (or equivalently of trajectory grouping structure by Buchin et al.) and thus contain more information than the Reeb graph R . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread application of QR code technology is best represented by the health codes used in China's pandemic prevention and control. This technology has enhanced the country's ability to manage the pandemic by achieving higher efficiency and accuracy. Unfortunately, a certain segment of the older population has encountered difficulties in adapting and maintaining their daily activities. This indicates the limitations of QR code technology in achieving social isolation. This article argues that for a more comprehensive pandemic prevention and control policy system to be established, managing the implementation of this very technology should be done in a more humane fashion, i.e. under the guidance of three moral principles: benevolence, justice, and non-maleficence. By doing so, implementation of QR code technology is done in a way that is not only conducive to COVID-19 prevention and control but also mitigate marginalization of the older people. In the post-pandemic era, the socialization of digital technology will accelerate. Therefore, in the field of public health, we should direct attention not only to the fair distribution of resources but also to the issue of identity that arises due to digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible self-cleaning surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors are highly desirable for the detection of various environmental pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, achieving sensitive detection without labeling and ensuring efficient cyclic use remain significant challenges. Herein, we introduce a direct approach to create a versatile Ni3S2/MoS2@Ag@PDMS (PDMS = polydimethylsiloxane) composite SERS substrate using chemical vapor deposition technology. The produced substrate shows outstanding performance, offering extremely low detection sensitivity (1.0 × 10−12 M 4-aminobenzenethiol) and high enhancement factors (approximately 107). The interactions between the rod-shaped Ni3S2/MoS2@Ag heterostructure and the molecules facilitate the transfer of charge, resulting in an increased electric field enhancement of the exciton resonance. This has the dual benefit of providing a self-cleaning effect and enhancing SERS efficiency. Importantly, the substrate enables sensitive detection of VOCs gas molecules without the need for labels, achieving a minimum detectable concentration as low as 1 ppm for o-dichlorobenzene, due to the preconcentration effect of PDMS. Theoretical calculations further explain the combined effect of electromagnetic and chemical enhancement in this composite substrate. By utilizing the developed visual SERS barcode, quick multiple detection and analysis of mixtures can be accomplished. This flexible and versatile SERS technique has significant potential for on-site detection and analysis of environmental pollutants, opening the doors for the development of a wearable in-situ SERS sensing platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive brain development disease. Recently, the incidence rate of ASD has increased year by year and posed a great threat to the lives and families of individuals with ASD. Therefore, the study of ASD has become very important. A suitable feature representation that preserves the data intrinsic information and also reduces data complexity is very vital to the performance of established models. Topological data analysis (TDA) is an emerging and powerful mathematical tool for characterizing shapes and describing intrinsic information in complex data. In TDA, persistence barcodes or diagrams are usually regarded as visual representations of topological features of data. In this paper, the Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) data of subjects obtained from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database were used to extract features by using TDA. The average accuracy of cross validation on ABIDE I database was 95.6% that was higher than any other existing methods (the highest accuracy among existing methods was 93.59%). The average accuracy for sampling with the same resolutions with the ABIDE I on the ABIDE II database was 96.5% that was also higher than any other existing methods (the highest accuracy among existing methods was 75.17%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Association of Arab Universities Journal of Engineering Sciences (JAARU) is the property of Association of Arab Universities 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.)

Although long-read sequencing enables the generation of complete genomes for unculturable microbes, its high cost limits the widespread adoption of long-read sequencing in large-scale metagenomic studies. An alternative method is to assemble short-reads with long-range connectivity, which can be a cost-effective way to generate high-quality microbial genomes. Here, we develop Pangaea, a bioinformatic approach designed to enhance metagenome assembly using short-reads with long-range connectivity. Pangaea leverages connectivity derived from physical barcodes of linked-reads or virtual barcodes by aligning short-reads to long-reads. Pangaea utilizes a deep learning-based read binning algorithm to assemble co-barcoded reads exhibiting similar sequence contexts and abundances, thereby improving the assembly of high- and medium-abundance microbial genomes. Pangaea also leverages a multi-thresholding algorithm strategy to refine assembly for low-abundance microbes. We benchmark Pangaea on linked-reads and a combination of short- and long-reads from simulation data, mock communities and human gut metagenomes. Pangaea achieves significantly higher contig continuity as well as more near-complete metagenome-assembled genomes (NCMAGs) than the existing assemblers. Pangaea also generates three complete and circular NCMAGs on the human gut microbiomes. Here, the authors develop Pangaea, an assembler that uses short-reads with long-range connectivity to create high-quality microbial genomes affordably, showing it outperforms existing methods in generating more complete genomes from both mock and real metagenomic samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many organisms, most notably Drosophila, homologous chromosomes associate in somatic cells, a phenomenon known as somatic pairing, which takes place without double strand breaks or strand invasion, thus requiring some other mechanism for homologs to recognize each other. Several studies have suggested a "specific button" model, in which a series of distinct regions in the genome, known as buttons, can associate with each other, mediated by different proteins that bind to these different regions. Here, we use computational modeling to evaluate an alternative "button barcode" model, in which there is only one type of recognition site or adhesion button, present in many copies in the genome, each of which can associate with any of the others with equal affinity. In this model, buttons are nonuniformly distributed, such that alignment of a chromosome with its correct homolog, compared with a nonhomolog, is energetically favored; since to achieve nonhomologous alignment, chromosomes would be required to mechanically deform in order to bring their buttons into mutual register. By simulating randomly generated nonuniform button distributions, many highly effective button barcodes can be easily found, some of which achieve virtually perfect pairing fidelity. This model is consistent with existing literature on the effect of translocations of different sizes on homolog pairing. We conclude that a button barcode model can attain highly specific homolog recognition, comparable to that seen in actual cells undergoing somatic homolog pairing, without the need for specific interactions. This model may have implications for how meiotic pairing is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Many resources exist to analyze cancer RNA data, but many of the algorithms and programs can appear as black boxes to non-bioinformaticians. To make RNA data more accessible, we here present modular barcoding, an approach predicated on the idea that cancer type-specific modules derived from high-quality, "gold standard" datasets will also be of high quality. Key to the use of these modules is their direct visualization, which can be done in spreadsheet programs in a color-coded way, essentially creating interactive heatmaps and visual gene set enrichments. We illustrate a variety of uses, including cancer subtype analyses, novel gene–gene and gene–clinical relationships, the inference of novel gene functions, and single-cell RNAseq analysis. Finally, we provide the tools for users to create their own modules, which will further improve their quality over time as single-cell RNAseq resolution advances. Modular barcoding is a user-friendly, tractable, yet powerful approach to make novel transcriptomic discoveries. A challenge with studying cancer transcriptomes is in distilling the wealth of information down into manageable portions of information. In this resource, we develop an approach that creates and assembles cancer type-specific gene expression modules into flexible barcodes, allowing for adaptation to a wide variety of uses. Specifically, we propose that modules derived organically from high-quality gold standards such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) can accurately capture and describe functionally related genes that are relevant to specific cancer types. We show that such modules can: (1) uncover novel gene relationships and nominate new functional memberships, (2) improve and speed up analysis of smaller or lower-resolution datasets, (3) re-create and expand known cancer subtyping schemes, (4) act as a "decoder" to bridge seemingly disparate established gene signatures, and (5) efficiently apply single-cell RNA sequencing information to other datasets. Moreover, such modules can be used in conjunction with native spreadsheet program commands to create a powerful and rapid approach to hypothesis generation and testing that is readily accessible to non-bioinformaticians. Finally, we provide tools for users to create and interpret their own modules. Overall, the flexible modular nature of the proposed barcoding provides a user-friendly approach to rapidly decoding transcriptome-wide data for research or, potentially, clinical uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practical scenarios, such as in electronics, where barcodes on electronic component carriers often wear out, and in logistics, where package labels frequently get damaged, this type of damage makes the recognition of two-dimensional (2D) barcodes challenging. In this study, a new repair method was introduced for quick response (QR) and PDF417 codes. In addition, a structural fusion attention (SFA) mechanism with a recurrent feature reasoning network was integrated to enhance structural integrity and recognition rates. The proposed method significantly outperforms existing inpainting models in terms of accuracy and robustness, which is demonstrated by the custom dataset provided by the authors. Notably, the approach ensures near-perfect recognition rates despite extensive structural impairments. It achieves an accuracy of 98% for large-area PDF417 occlusions and maintains a recognition rate of 100% for QR codes with 75–90% structural damage. These findings highlight the exceptional ability of the proposed method to restore 2D barcodes impaired by diverse levels of structural occlusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product design and manufacturing leverage 3D scanning for various applications. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of 3D scanning in furniture production by surveying the literature and showcasing four real-world case studies. The literature review reveals that 3D data acquired from real-world objects have applications in research, rapid prototyping, restoration, and preservation of antique furniture, optimizing CNC machining processes, and measuring furniture components for quality control. The case study descriptions demonstrated the circumstances, rationale, and methodology for 3D scanning. All the case studies analyzed stem from the collaboration between the Laboratory for Product Development and Design at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo and various furniture production enterprises from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conclusions highlight that 3D scanning in the furniture sector is advantageous for developing computer-aided design models from early-stage design prototypes, validating the dimensional accuracy of manufactured components by comparing with CAD models, safeguarding and reconstructing vintage furniture, and remanufacturing formerly produced goods that lack complete technical records (reverse engineering). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we developed a gold nanoparticle (GNP)-mediated barcode qPCR strategy with a sensitivity for a single virus particle per reaction for the detection of influenza virus H3N2. The analysis of the results for pure virus and real virus samples show that GNP-mediated barcode qPCR is ∼16 times more sensitive than conventional qPCR, demonstrating the potential to reduce false negatives and improve early diagnosis of viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]