生物工程与生物医学杂志

Bedside monitoring of patients often involves measuring pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Auscultation can also provide useful diagnostic information but requires the presence of a healthcare provider and hence is done intermittently. New technologies of optimally designed sound acquisition and processing systems can make this adaptable for continuous patient monitoring. The state of the art as well as some of the features, advantages and challenges for using this technology for patient monitoring are discussed.

Biomolecular computing, encompassing computations performed by molecules, proteins and DNA, is a central area of focus in Synthetic Biology research and development, which attempt to apply engineering design principles in living cells. Two major computation paradigms have been implemented so far in living cells - analog paradigm that computes with a continuous set of numbers and digital paradigm that computes with two-discreet set of numbers. Here, we analyze the biophysical and technological limits of large-scale gene networks created based on analog and digital computation in living cells. More specifically, we calculate the precision of analog systems and the noise margin of digital systems in living cells. We conclude that both systems are challenging to operate with low protein levels. To overcome this challenge, we show that analog systems should operate with a Hill coefficient smaller than 1 and digital systems should be buffered. Furthermore, an analytical description of a biophysical model recently developed for positive feedback linearization circuits and used in analog synthetic biology, is presented. Finally, we suggest new directions for engineering biological circuits capable of computation.

We have got evolved a Wi-Fi, noncontact, unobtrusive, tongue-operated assistive technology called the Tongue controlled device. The TCS affords humans with paralysis, Quadriplegic diseases, minimum or no motion capability of their higher limbs, lower limbs with an efficacious tool for computer access and environmental control. A small permanent magnet secured at the tongue by using implantation, piercing, or tissue adhesives is used as a tracer, the motion of that is detected by way of an array of magnetic sensors established on a headset outside the mouth or on an orthodontic brace interior sent wirelessly to microcontroller by using wireless transceiver. The microcontroller’s outputs signals are wirelessly transmitted to an ultraportable personal digital assistant compact computer carried at the user’s clothing or wheelchair and are processed to extract the person’s instructions. The consumer can then use those commands to get right of entry to a personal digital assistant computer, manage a power wheelchair, prosthetics and home appliances or have interaction with his or her surroundings.

Most adult humans have 32 teeth, and several commands can be linked to a combination of teeth or tongue gestures, making the possibilities countless.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women, which often leads to death. As a result, developing new techniques for diagnosing this disease at early stages, preventing the high rate of death in women with high-risk, and minimizing the large side effects on the economy must be considered seriously by experts. For early diagnosis of this disease, it is necessary to utilize ultrasound integrated with photo acoustic technique in which the minimal amount of cost, energy, and laser are acquired. In addition, the procedure should provide sufficient pulse to make ovaries tissue able to take image. This new clinical diagnosis technique utilizes modest pulse energy and low electrical voltage so that, it could be assumed as a proper alternative for conventional ultrasound in showing the image of abdominal ovary tissue. The researcher aims at presenting a real time photo acoustic-imaging probe for imaging human ovaries tissue; thus, this study seeks to investigate the effect of low electrical voltage and modest laser pulse energy while providing enough pulse for ovarian tissue as well as implementation issue. This model utilizes dual modality imaging approach and describes several researches carried out in order to establish dual-model imaging consisting ultrasound and photo acoustic. The system can accomplish near-simultaneous ultrasound and photo acoustic imaging. The model is capable of reaching thorough diagnostic information based on the tissue where there is only individual imaging model with its limitations.

Epileptic diagnosis is generally achieved by visual scanning of Interictal Epileptiform Discharges (IEDs) using EEG recordings. The main objective of this research is to select a smallest relevant feature subset from the original dataset in order to reduce the diagnosis time and increase classification accuracy by removing irrelevant and redundant features. For this purpose we suggest a two-stage feature selection algorithm based on supervised classification approach adopting successively a wrapper feature selection and a wrapper feature subset selection method. Matlab simulation results illustrate that through comparing the two classifiers, the high-dimensionality is reduced at only one relevant feature that showed classification metrics of 100%. The epilepsy diagnosis is successfully tested in the discriminant Fisher-space with the single-best relevant feature.

Introduction: Gelatin and hyaluronic acid are two biopolymers with different applications in tissue engineering. They may be employed to construct diverse scaffolds that allow cells to differentiate and proliferate on them. In order to obtain the best functional and mechanical conditions in scaffolds, they must be crosslinked to form covalent links between gelatin and hyaluronic acid. The crosslinker 1-ethy-3-(3-dymethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) is a compound widely used due to its low cytotoxicity. Besides, the concentration of the crosslinker may modify the physical properties and morphological characteristics of scaffolds when it forms covalent links between biopolymers, helping to construct different kinds of scaffolds used for developing soft tissues. However, the development of scaffolds made of gelatin and hyaluronic acid crosslinked with EDC has been poorly studied. In addition, the concentrations used for crosslinking gelatin and hyaluronic acid are contradictory. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the structure of gelatin/hyaluronic acid scaffolds crosslinked with EDC.

Methods: Gelatin-hyaluronic acid scaffolds were prepared by direct freeze-drying. Afterwards, They were crosslinked with different concentrations of EDC (6, 30, 50 and 60 mM) for 12 h.

Results: This research has demonstrated that the gelatin/hyaluronic acid scaffolds crosslinked with the highest concentrations of the crosslinker had fewer water concentration absorbed, pore size diminished and pore number increased in comparison with control groups. Despite scaffolds composition has not changed in any of the concentrations, the bone marrow mesenchymal cells mortality percentage increased when cells were placed on the scaffolds of concentration 60 mM, perhaps for the residual 1-ethy-3-(3-dymethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride found in the scaffolds.

Conclusion: Our results revealed that different EDC concentrations may modify the physical and biological characteristics of gelatin/hyaluronic acid scaffolds; as a result, the scaffolds obtained may be used for the manufacture of different tissues in regenerative medicine.

In this paper we propose Periodic Dynamic Thermography (PDT), in conjunction with Image processing and Analysis, to be an easy to use procedure involving capturing thermal images of the breast. The authors present a proof of concept study for subjects to image their own breasts periodically, starting from early ages of adolescence, where mammography is not recommended. Utilizing the proposed procedure, it is envisaged that each subject will establish historical thermal images of their own breasts where they can later be analyzed, by a physician, to assess the causes of thermal changes identified on the surface of the breast. Towards this end we have utilized phantoms, solved the heat transfer equations for the phantom shape boundary conditions with COMSOL, and confirmed the resulting thermal distribution with the observed temperature distribution for the phantoms. Based on this model’s promising results we propose the development of a system to capture thermographic images of the subject from their early years in life, periodically (monthly or bi-weekly), with image analysis application software to be used as an assessment tool to alert the subject of any abnormal thermal changes.

Due to their unique properties such as high surface area, uniform and adjustable pore structure, and permeability of various molecules within and on their surface, mesoporous materials have become of interest in various fields including electronics, separation, catalysis, medical applications such as implant coatings and drug delivery. Mesoporous SiO₂/ TiO₂ particles were synthesized by sol-gel method using various amounts of surfactant cetyl tri methyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as structure directing agent under acidic condition; moreover, hexane was applied as a swelling agent. The samples were investigated using XRD, SEM, FTIR, SEM and N₂ adsorption-desorption analyses, in addition, the incremental effect of surfactant and hexane were examined. The results obtained from the analysis clarified that an increase in amount of surfactant will lead to an increase in surface area, pore size and pore volume. Additionally, with adding hexane to the constant amount of surfactant; the results showed an increase in surface area, pore size and pore volume while order of the structure was maintained.