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Topic Review
Microfluidics and Plasmodium
Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite called Plasmodium. Four different species of Plasmodium cause human infections: P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax. Worldwide, the most prevalent species is P. falciparum (around 96%), which is the most lethal species (300,000 deaths worldwide in 2017), and P. vivax, which has the most extensive geographical distribution.
  • 1.0K
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Hydrogel-Based Bone-On-Chips
The recent development of bone-on-chips (BOCs) holds the main advantage of requiring a low quantity of cells and material, compared to traditional In Vitro models. By incorporating hydrogels within BOCs, the culture system moved to a three dimensional culture environment for cells which is more representative of bone tissue matrix and function. The fundamental components of hydrogel-based BOCs, namely the cellular sources, the hydrogel and the culture chamber, have been tuned to mimic the hematopoietic niche in the bone aspirate marrow, cancer bone metastasis and osteo/chondrogenic differentiation.
  • 1.0K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Biomimetic Olfactory and Gustatory Biosensors
The biomimetic olfactory and gustatory biosensing devices have broad applications in many fields, such as industry, security, and biomedicine. The development of these biosensors was inspired by the organization of biological olfactory and gustatory systems.
  • 1.0K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
DSResSol
Protein solubility is an important thermodynamic parameter that is critical for the characterization of a protein’s function, and a key determinant for the production yield of a protein in both the research setting and within industrial (e.g., pharmaceutical) applications. Experimental approaches to predict protein solubility are costly, time-consuming, and frequently offer only low success rates. To reduce cost and expedite the development of therapeutic and industrially relevant proteins, a highly accurate computational tool for predicting protein solubility from protein sequence is sought. While a number of in silico prediction tools exist, they suffer from relatively low prediction accuracy, bias toward the soluble proteins, and limited applicability for various classes of proteins. In this study, researchers developed a novel deep learning sequence-based solubility predictor, DSResSol, that takes advantage of the integration of squeeze excitation residual networks with dilated convolutional neural networks and outperforms all existing protein solubility prediction models. This model captures the frequently occurring amino acid k-mers and their local and global interactions and highlights the importance of identifying long-range interaction information between amino acid k-mers to achieve improved accuracy, using only protein sequence as input. DSResSol outperforms all available sequence-based solubility predictors by at least 5% in terms of accuracy when evaluated by two different independent test sets. Compared to existing predictors, DSResSol not only reduces prediction bias for insoluble proteins but also predicts soluble proteins within the test sets with an accuracy that is at least 13% higher than existing models. Researchers derive the key amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides contributing to protein solubility, identifying glutamic acid and serine as critical amino acids for protein solubility prediction. Overall, DSResSol can be used for the fast, reliable, and inexpensive prediction of a protein’s solubility to guide experimental design.
  • 1.0K
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Microfluidic-Based Oxygen Sensors
Oxygen (O2) quantification is essential for assessing cell metabolism, and its consumption in cell culture is an important indicator of cell viability. Recent advances in microfluidics have made O2 sensing a crucial feature for organ-on-chip (OOC) devices for various biomedical applications. OOC O2 sensors can be categorized, based on their transducer type, into two main groups, optical and electrochemical.
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Enzymatic Paper-Based Point-of-Care Testing for Type-2 Diabetes
A point-of-care (POC) can be defined as an in vitro diagnostic test that can provide results within minutes. It has gained enormous attention as a promising tool for biomarkers detection and diagnosis, as well as for screening of chronic noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is one of the metabolic disorders that has grown exponentially in recent years, becoming one of the greatest challenges to health systems. Early detection and accurate diagnosis of this disorder are essential to provide adequate treatments. Diabetes-monitoring tools must be accessible and affordable; thus, POC platforms are attractive, especially paper-based ones. Paper-based POCs are simple and portable, can use different matrixes, do not require highly trained staff, and are less expensive than other platforms. These advantages enhance the viability of its application in low-income countries and hard-to-reach zones.
  • 1.0K
  • 15 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys for Biomedical Implants
Biomedical devices made from high-modulus and hardness materials play a critical role in enhancing the quality of life for people with bone-related ailments. While these materials have been successfully used in orthopedic applications, concerns including stress-shielding have necessitated the exploration of alternative solutions. An ideal biomedical implant requires a delicate balance of mechanical performance, corrosion resistance, tissue biocompatibility, and other properties such as tribological performance and osseointegration. Materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt alloys remain non-degradable throughout the implant’s lifespan. In contrast, certain magnesium alloys can be engineered to degrade safely and under controlled conditions within the body.
  • 1.0K
  • 15 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Immunosensors for Detecting Cortisol in Biological Samples
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is involved in a broad range of physiological processes in human/animal organisms. Cortisol levels in biological samples is a valuable biomarker -e.g., of stress and stress-related diseases; thus, cortisol determination in biological fluids, such as serum, saliva, and urine, is of great clinical value. Although cortisol analysis can be performed with chromatography-based analytical techniques, such as liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), conventional immunoassays (radioimmunoassays (RIAs), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), etc.) are considered the “gold standard” analytical methodology for cortisol, due to their high sensitivity along with a series of practical advantages, such as low-cost instrumentation, fast and easy to perform assay-protocol, and high sample throughput. Research efforts have pointed at the replacement of conventional immunoassays by cortisol immunosensors, which may offer further improvements in the field, such as real-time analysis at the point-of-care (e.g., continuous cortisol monitoring in sweat through wearable electrochemical sensors).
  • 1.0K
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Wearable Sensors in Sports
Wearable sensor technology provides an alternative to classical laboratory-based assessments of human performance that enables real-time monitoring in natural environments, without the cumbersome set-up procedure and limitations related to space. We conducted a scoping review, aiming to present an overview of existing methods for assessments of shock impacts using wearable sensor technology within two domains: sports and occupational settings.
  • 992
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Application of Organ-on-Chips for Intranasal Drug Delivery Studies
There have been attempts to manufacture anatomically relevant 3D replicas of the human nasal cavity for in vitro IN drug tests, and a couple of organ-on-chip (OoC) models, which mimic some key features of the nasal mucosa, have been proposed.
  • 989
  • 12 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Anaerobic Digestion Soft Sensor
Anaerobic digestion is associated with various crucial variables, such as biogas yield, chemical oxygen demand, and volatile fatty acid concentration. Real-time monitoring of these variables can not only reflect the process of anaerobic digestion directly but also accelerate the efficiency of resource conversion and improve the stability of the reaction process. Therefore, it is essential to conduct soft sensor modeling for unmeasurable variables and use auxiliary variables to realize real-time monitoring, optimization, and control of the an-aerobic digestion process.
  • 983
  • 09 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Anorectal Mechanosensory Physiology Bionics Assessment
Recently, a simulated stool named Fecobionics was developed. It has the consistency and shape of normal stool. Fecobionics records a variety of parameters including pressures, bending, and shape changes. It has been used to study defecation patterns in large animals and humans, including patients with symptoms of obstructed defecation and fecal incontinence. Recently, it was applied in a canine colon model where it revealed patterns consistent with shallow waves originating from slow waves generated by the interstitial Cells of Cajal. 
  • 982
  • 06 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Micro-Engineered Kidney, Liver, and Respiratory System Models
Developing novel drug formulations and progressing them to the clinical environment relies on preclinical in vitro studies and animal tests to evaluate efficacy and toxicity. However, these current techniques have failed to accurately predict the clinical success of new therapies with a high degree of certainty. The main reason for this failure is that conventional in vitro tissue models lack numerous physiological characteristics of human organs, such as biomechanical forces and biofluid flow. Moreover, animal models often fail to recapitulate the physiology, anatomy, and mechanisms of disease development in human. These shortfalls often lead to failure in drug development, with substantial time and money spent. To tackle this issue, organ-on-chip technology offers realistic in vitro human organ models that mimic the physiology of tissues, including biomechanical forces, stress, strain, cellular heterogeneity, and the interaction between multiple tissues and their simultaneous responses to a therapy. For the latter, complex networks of multiple-organ models are constructed together, known as multiple-organs-on-chip. Numerous studies have demonstrated successful application of organ-on-chips for drug testing, with results comparable to clinical outcomes.
  • 982
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Endogenous EEG-Based BCIs for Dynamic Device Control
Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) provide a novel approach for controlling external devices. BCI technologies can be important enabling technologies for people with severe mobility impairment. Endogenous paradigms, which depend on user-generated commands and do not need external stimuli, can provide intuitive control of external devices. 
  • 979
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Fundamentals of Gut-on-a-Chip Models
Recent progress in microfluidic technology has made it possible to mimic characteristics and responses of the human gut as seen in vivo. In the past decade, researchers have enhanced organ-on-a-chip technology (GOC) models by incorporating sensors and biometers to control parameters that mimic the human gut. Most in vitro GOC models depend upon 2D cell culture models, whereby the intestinal epithelial cell lines (i.e., human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) or human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line with epithelial morphology (HT-29 cells)) are grown on extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated porous membranes inside Transwell systems or 2D monoculture plates. These models are often used to study the barrier functions and drug absorption; hence they are primarily applied in the pharmaceutical industry. 2D Transwell culture systems are simple and can be used for short-term observations; however, they fail to recapitulate the 3D structures and interactions of the native tissue such as microstructures (i.e., microvilli), mucus production, peristaltic motion, drug metabolism, etc. Another challenge with conventional models is due to the static nature the integration of commensal microbiomes, such as bacteria (i.e., E. coli) due to overgrowth and contamination of the system. To appropriately study the human gut’s physiology, pharmacology or pathology, the system used must recreate the 3D structures and microenvironment of the human gut. This can be achieved by using microfluidic platforms and incorporating live cells, thereby creating a 3D model with dynamic cell culture, and overcoming challenges such as microbial overgrowth. The most common GOC model structure has two channels (upper and lower layer), separated by a porous semipermeable membrane, which depicts the separation between the intestinal lumen and the vasculature. Furthermore, one of the two microchannels represents the lumen of the human gut. This channel aligns with the gut epithelial cells (i.e., IECs). The other channel represents the blood vessels and therefore aligns with vascular endothelial cells. The role of the semipermeable membrane is to facilitate the transport of soluble molecules and nutrients between the gut and the blood vessels.
  • 978
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Application of VCSEL in Bio-Sensing Atomic Magnetometers
There is a rapid development of chip-scale atomic devices due to their great potential in the field of biomedical imaging, namely chip-scale atomic magnetometers that enable high resolution magnetocardiography (MCG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). For atomic devices of this kind, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) have become the most crucial components as integrated pumping sources, which are attracting growing interest.
  • 972
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
3D Bioprinting Skin
3D bioprinting is considered to have a significant impact in the field of tissue engineering, as tissue-scaled large analogs can be fabricated with submicron fidelity. 3D bioprinted skin equivalents are highlighted as the new gold standard for alternative models to animal testing, as well as full-thickness wound healing. 
  • 966
  • 16 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Regenerative Medicine of Liver
The liver is a very integral organ in the human body and in healthy adults’ the weight of this organ is approximately 1.4 kg, which makes it the largest gland in the human body. The rib cage protects the liver; therefore, it is unusual to be able to feel the liver from outside the body
  • 963
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Yoga Pose Estimation
Correct posture alignment is crucial in the practice of yoga. Posture is essential for all forms of exercise, but it is particularly critical in yoga to obtain the benefits and prevent yoga-related sports injuries. Yoga pose classification has been accomplished using a variety of computer vision techniques.
  • 963
  • 15 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Microfluidic Devices for HIV Diagnosis at Point-of-Care Settings
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global epidemic; however, many individuals are able to obtain treatment and manage their condition. Progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs during late-stage HIV infection, which compromises the immune system, making it susceptible to infections. While there is no cure, antiretroviral therapy can be used provided that detection occurs, preferably during the early phase. However, the detection of HIV is expensive and resource-intensive when tested with conventional methods, such as flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Improving disease detection in resource-constrained areas requires equipment that is affordable, portable, and can deliver rapid results. Microfluidic devices have transformed many benchtop techniques to on-chip detection for portable and rapid point-of-care (POC) testing. These devices are cost-effective, sensitive, and rapid and can be used in areas lacking resources. Moreover, their functionality can rival their benchtop counterparts, making them efficient for disease detection.
  • 960
  • 15 Dec 2022
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