Spectral analysis with highly collimated mini-LEDs as light sources for quantitative detection of direct bilirubin.

Because the human eye cannot visually detect the results of direct bilirubin test papers accurately and quantitatively, this study proposes four different highly collimated mini light-emitting diodes (HC mini-LEDs) as light sources for detection. First, different concentrations of bilirubin were oxidized to biliverdin by FeCl on the test paper, and pictures were obtained with a smartphone. Next, the red, green, and blue (RGB) channels of the pictures were separated to average grayscale values, and their linear relationship with the direct bilirubin concentration was analyzed to detect bilirubin on the test paper noninvasively and quantitatively.

Artificial intelligence predicts direct-acting antivirals failure among hepatitis C virus patients: A nationwide hepatitis C virus registry program.

Background/aims: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1-3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy.

High-sensitivity flip chip blue Mini-LEDs miniaturized optical instrument for non-invasive glucose detection.

The colorimetric detection of glucose typically involves a peroxidase reaction producing a color, which is then recorded and analyzed. However, enzyme detection has difficulties with purification and storage. In addition, replacing enzyme detection with chemical methods involves time-consuming steps such as centrifugation and purification and the optical instruments used for colorimetric detection are often bulky and not portable.

Noninvasive direct bilirubin detection by spectral analysis of color images using a Mini-LED light source.

Urine test paper is a standard, noninvasive detection method for direct bilirubin, but this method can only achieve qualitative analysis and cannot achieve quantitative analysis. This study used Mini-LEDs as the light source, and direct bilirubin was oxidized to biliverdin by an enzymatic method with ferric chloride (FeCl) for labeling. Images were captured with a smartphone and evaluated for red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors to analyze the linear relationship between the spectral change of the test paper image and the direct bilirubin concentration.

Wide-Angle Mini-Light-Emitting Diodes without Optical Lens for an Ultrathin Flexible Light Source.

This report outlines a proposed method of packaging wide-angle (WA) mini-light-emitting diode (mini-LED) devices without optical lenses to create a highly efficient, ultrathin, flexible planar backlight for portable quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) displays. Since the luminous intensity curve for mini-LEDs generally recommends a beam angle of 120°, numerous LEDs are necessary to achieve a uniform surface light source for a QLED backlight. The light-guide layer and diffusion layer were packaged together on a chip surface to create WA mini-LEDs with a viewing angle of 180°.

Electrothermally-Actuated Micromirrors with Bimorph Actuators--Bending-Type and Torsion-Type.

Three different electrothermally-actuated MEMS micromirrors with Cr/Au-Si bimorph actuators are proposed. The devices are fabricated with the SOIMUMPs process developed by MEMSCAP, Inc. (Durham, NC, USA).

A high performance load balance strategy for real-time multicore systems.

Finding ways to distribute workloads to each processor core and efficiently reduce power consumption is of vital importance, especially for real-time systems. In this paper, a novel scheduling algorithm is proposed for real-time multicore systems to balance the computation loads and save power. The developed algorithm simultaneously considers multiple criteria, a novel factor, and task deadline, and is called power and deadline-aware multicore scheduling (PDAMS).

A high-performance genetic algorithm: using traveling salesman problem as a case.

This paper presents a simple but efficient algorithm for reducing the computation time of genetic algorithm (GA) and its variants. The proposed algorithm is motivated by the observation that genes common to all the individuals of a GA have a high probability of surviving the evolution and ending up being part of the final solution; as such, they can be saved away to eliminate the redundant computations at the later generations of a GA. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we use it not only to solve the traveling salesman problem but also to provide an extensive analysis on the impact it may have on the quality of the end result.

A high performance cloud-based protein-ligand docking prediction algorithm.

The potential of predicting druggability for a particular disease by integrating biological and computer science technologies has witnessed success in recent years. Although the computer science technologies can be used to reduce the costs of the pharmaceutical research, the computation time of the structure-based protein-ligand docking prediction is still unsatisfied until now. Hence, in this paper, a novel docking prediction algorithm, named fast cloud-based protein-ligand docking prediction algorithm (FCPLDPA), is presented to accelerate the docking prediction algorithm.

Evaluation of the DNA stability of forensic markers used in betel-quid chewers' oral swab samples and oral cancerous specimens: implications for forensic application.

Chewed betel-quid (BQ) residues are often considered vital biological evidence at crime scenes, since the human DNA extracted from the residues is actually from buccal epithelial cells and can be associated with suspects. BQ-chewing is also a risk factor for oral diseases and/or cancers. Archived medical oral-specimens can be used to identify specific individuals under adverse conditions, although STR markers are known to be unstable in various tumor tissues.

Allelic alterations at the STR markers in the buccal tissue cells of oral cancer patients and the oral epithelial cells of healthy betel quid-chewers: an evaluation of forensic applicability.

Although cancerous specimens are usually not used in forensic DNA typing, they might be forcibly employed under certain instances. On the other hand, though the oral epithelial samples have been applied to forensic identification, the great popularity of betel quid (BQ)-chewing in Taiwan, which is known to be a risk factor leading to an oral cancer, makes this application questionable. The DNA stability of nine short tandem repeat (STR) markers (the AmpFlSTR kit) was first investigated and then used to evaluate the forensic appropriateness of the oral samples of both healthy BQ-chewers and the archived clinical specimens from oral cancer patients.