Small world properties of schizophrenia and OCD patients derived from fNIRS based functional brain network connectivity metrics.

Individuals suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) frequently exhibit symptoms of cognitive disassociations, which are linked to poor functional integration among brain regions. The loss of functional integration can be assessed using graph metrics computed from functional connectivity matrices (FCMs) derived from neuroimaging data. A healthy brain at rest is known to exhibit small-world features with high clustering coefficients and shorter path lengths in contrast to random networks.

A Novel Peptide-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies.

The need for rapidly developed diagnostic tests has gained significant attention after the recent pandemic. Production of neutralizing antibodies for vaccine development or antibodies to be used in diagnostic tests usually require the usage of recombinant proteins representing the infectious agent. However, peptides that can mimic these recombinant proteins may be rapidly utilized, especially in emergencies such as the recent outbreak.

Rapid, label-free genetic detection of enteropathogens in stool without genetic isolation or amplification.

Current genetic detection methods require gene isolation, gene amplification and detection with a fluorescent-tagged probe. They typically require sophisticated equipment and expensive fluorescent probes, rendering them not widely available for rapid acute infection diagnoses at the point of care to ensure timely treatment of the diseases. Here we report a rapid genetic detection method that can detect the bacterial gene directly from patient stools using a piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) in conjunction with a continuous flow system with two temperature zones.

In situ, amplification-free double-stranded mutation detection at 60 copies/ml with thousand-fold wild type in urine.

We have investigated amplification-free in situ double-stranded mutation detection in urine in the concentration range 10 M - 10 M using piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPs). The detection was carried out in a close-loop flow with two temperature zones. The 95 °C high-temperature zone served as the reservoir where the sample was loaded and DNA de-hybridized.

Piezoelectric Plate Sensor (PEPS) for Analysis of Specific KRAS Point Mutations at Low Copy Number in Urine Without DNA Isolation or Amplification.

We have examined in situ detection of single-nucleotide KRAS mutations in urine using a (Pb(MgNb)O)(PbTiO) (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 17-nucleotide (nt) locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe DNA complementary to the KRAS mutation without DNA isolation and amplification. In situ mutant (MT) DNA in urine in a wild type (WT) background was carried out at a flow rate of 4 mL/min and at 63 °C with the PEPS vertically situated at the center of the flow. Both the temperature and the impingement flow force discriminated the wild type.

Amplification-free in situ KRAS point mutation detection at 60 copies per mL in urine in a background of 1000-fold wild type.

We have examined the in situ detection of a single-nucleotide KRAS mutation in urine using a (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65(PbTiO3)0.35 (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 17-nucleotide (nt) locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe DNA complementary to the KRAS mutation.

Specific in situ hepatitis B viral double mutation (HBVDM) detection in urine with 60 copies ml(-1) analytical sensitivity in a background of 250-fold wild type without DNA isolation and amplification.

We have examined in situ detection of hepatitis B virus 1762T/1764A double mutation (HBVDM) in urine using a (Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3)(0.65)(PbTiO3)(0.35) (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 16-nucleotide (nt) probe DNA (pDNA) complementary to the HBVDM.

DNA hybridization detection with 100 zM sensitivity using piezoelectric plate sensors with an improved noise-reduction algorithm.

We have examined real-time, in situ hybridization detection of target DNA (tDNA) in a buffer solution and in urine using 8 μm-thick lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPSs) about 1.1-1.2 mm long and 0.

Temperature- and flow-enhanced detection specificity of mutated DNA against the wild type with reporter microspheres.

Detection of mutated (MT) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amongst the wild type (WT) requires the probe DNA (pDNA) that is complementary to the MT to discriminate the WT by one or two nucleotide mismatches. Traditionally this is achieved by raising the temperature to above the melting temperature (Tm) of the WT (TWT) but below that of the MT (TMT). However, a raised temperature is also accompanied by a weakened binding of the MT to the pDNA which can reduce the detection sensitivity.

Real-time, in situ DNA hybridization detection with attomolar sensitivity without amplification using (pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65-(PbTiO3)0.35 piezoelectric plate sensors.

In this paper we have investigated real-time, in situ DNA hybridization detection using piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPSs) consisting of a highly piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) layer 8μm in thickness thinly coated with Cr/Au electrodes and electrically insulated with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) encapsulation. With probe complementary DNA (cDNA) immobilized on the PEPS surface and by monitoring the first longitudinal extension mode (LEM) resonance frequency shift of the PEPS we detected hybridization of the target DNA (tDNA) to the probe cDNA on the PEPS surface in real time at concentration 1.6×10(-18)M with a signal to noise ratio of 8 without isolation and amplification at room temperature in 30min in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution.