A Biomimetic Visual Detection Model: Event-Driven LGMDs Implemented With Fractional Spiking Neuron Circuits.

Objective: Lobula giant motion detectors (LGMDs) in locusts effectively predict collisions and trigger avoidance, with potential applications in autonomous driving and UAVs. Research on LGMD characteristics splits into two views: one focusing on the presynaptic visual pathway, the other on the postsynaptic LGMD neurons. Both perspectives have support, leading to two computational models, but they lack a biophysical description of the individual LGMD neuron behavior.

The Prognostic Value and the Oncogenic and Immunological Roles of Vacuolar Protein Sorting Associated Protein 26 A in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

The identification of the prognostic markers and therapeutic targets might benefit the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), one of the most aggressive malignancies. Vacuolar protein sorting associated protein 26 A (VPS26A) is a candidate prognosis gene for hepatocellular carcinoma, but its expression and function in PAAD remain unknown. The mRNA and protein expression of VPS26A in PAAD was explored and validated by bioinformatics and immunohistochemical analysis.

Fractional Spiking Neuron: Fractional Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Circuit Described with Dendritic Fractal Model.

As dendrites are essential parts of neurons, they are crucial factors for neuronal activities to follow multiple timescale dynamics, which ultimately affect information processing and cognition. However, in the common SNN (Spiking Neural Networks), the hardware-based LIF (Leaky Integrate-and-Fire) circuit only simulates the single timescale dynamic of soma without relating dendritic morphologies, which may limit the capability of simulating neurons to process information. This study proposes the dendritic fractal model mainly for quantifying dendritic morphological effects containing branch and length.

Effects of fine particulate matter (PM) on ovarian function and embryo quality in mice.

Fine particulate matter (PM) has an adverse effect on reproductive function, in particular causing reduced male reproductive function, but relatively few studies have directly targeted its effects on female reproduction. To investigate the effects of PM exposure on female reproduction, we exposed female mice to PM by intratracheal instillation for 28 days, and evaluated apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and oocytes and the quality embryos after insemination. Our results showed increased numbers of apoptotic granulosa cells and oocytes after exposure to elevated concentrations of PM, which had adverse effects on female fertility via compromising embryo development and quality.

Development of Functional Phthalocyanine-Based Associate towards an Effective Fluorimetric Detection of Hg(II).

In acidic media, cationic phthalocyanine Alcian blue 8GX, has an efficient fluorescence quenching effect on anionic phthalocyanine tetrasulphoaluminium phthalocyanines (AlS₄Pc), forming an almost non-fluorescent associate. Based on this discovery, a red-emitting fluorescent probe consisted of AlS₄P and Alcian blue 8GX has been developed through molecular assembly. Further studies indicated that the presence of Hg(II) ion has a significant fluorescence recovery effect of the probe.

Study of the AlS4Pc-Polylysine Ion Pair, a Red-Fluorescent Probe: Its High Specificity, Large Concentration Range Response to Bismuth Ion, and Application.

Tetrasulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlSPc), a strongly red-emitting compound, shows high detection sensitivity, little effect of photobleaching, and photochemical stability, making it an excellent red-fluorescent probe. We have observed that in acid media, a low concentration of poly-L-lysine (PLL) has a strong fluorescence-quenching effect on AlSPc, forming the ion-pair complex as AlSPc-PLL with almost no fluorescence. However, in the presence of Bi, the fluorescence of AlSPc-PLL dramatically recovers and the emission is visual because of the remarkable recovery.

Structure-matched Phthalocyanine Ion Pair as a Red-emitting Fluorescent Optical Probe for the Analysis of Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate with High Specificity and Sensitivity.

We have found that a positively charged cationic copper phthalocyanine, Alcian blue (Alcian blue 8GX), can efficiently quench the fluorescence of an oppositely charged red fluorescent phthalocyanine compound with a matched molecular structure, tetrasulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlS4Pc), because of the formation of an ion pair complex (AlS4Pc-Alcian blue 8GX) that exhibits almost no fluorescence. An investigation was carried out on the fluorescence recovery of AlS4Pc-Alcian blue 8GX caused by a series of anionic surfactants containing a sulfonic group (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)). The results showed that SDBS exhibited a significant response, and the highest sensitivity among the surfactants.

[Sensitive Determination of Chondroitin Sulfate by Fluorescence Recovery of an Anionic Aluminum Phthalocyanine-Cationic Surfactant Ion-Association Complex Used as a Fluorescent Probe Emitting at Red Region].

Determination of chondroitin sulfate in the biomedical field has an important value. The conventional methods for the assay of chondroitin sulfate are still unsatisfactory in sensitivity, selectivity or simplicity. This work aimed at developing a novel method for sensitive and selective determination of chondroitin sulfate by fluorimetry.

Novel Method for the Analysis of Ribonuclease Based on Fluorescence Recovery of a Cationic Aluminum Phthalocyanine-RNA Association Complex as a Red-emitting Fluorogenic Substrate.

The conventional spectrophotometric method that is often applied to determine ribonuclease (RNase) has disadvantages that include cumbersome manipulation, time-consuming processing and a lack of linear range. We had found that a low concentration of RNA could induce cationic aluminum phthalocyanine (tetra(trimethylammonio)aluminum phthalocyanine (TTMAAlPc)), which emitted strong red fluorescence to aggregate in neutral media, resulting in an almost complete quenching of fluorescence from the cationic aluminum phthalocyanine. The RNA is degraded through hydrolysis by RNase, which destroys the induced aggregation of TTMAAlPc on RNA and releases free TTMAAlPc, leading to a significant fluorescence recovery of the reaction system.