Greater Dynamic Range Research Articles

Polymorph Identification for Flexible Molecules: Linear Regression Analysis of Experimental and Calculated Solution- and Solid-State NMR Data.

The Δδ regression approach of Blade et al. [ J. Phys. Chem. A 2020, 124(43), 8959-8977] for accurately discriminating between solid forms using a combination of experimental solution- and solid-state NMR data with density functional theory (DFT) calculation is here extended to molecules with multiple conformational degrees of freedom, using furosemide polymorphs as an exemplar. As before, the differences in measured 1H and 13C chemical shifts between solution-state NMR and solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR (Δδexperimental) are compared to those determined by gauge-including projector augmented wave (GIPAW) calculations (Δδcalculated) by regression analysis and a t-test, allowing the correct furosemide polymorph to be precisely identified. Monte Carlo random sampling is used to calculate solution-state NMR chemical shifts, reducing computation times by avoiding the need to systematically sample the multidimensional conformational landscape that furosemide occupies in solution. The solvent conditions should be chosen to match the molecule's charge state between the solution and solid states. The Δδ regression approach indicates whether or not correlations between Δδexperimental and Δδcalculated are statistically significant; the approach is differently sensitive to the popular root mean squared error (RMSE) method, being shown to exhibit a much greater dynamic range. An alternative method for estimating solution-state NMR chemical shifts by approximating the measured solution-state dynamic 3D behavior with an ensemble of 54 furosemide crystal structures (polymorphs and cocrystals) from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) was also successful in this case, suggesting new avenues for this method that may overcome its current dependency on the prior determination of solution dynamic 3D structures.

Comparison of protein quantification methods for protein encapsulation with ZIF-8 metal-organic frameworks.

The use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as delivery systems for biologically functional macromolecules has been explored widely in recent years due to their ability to protect their payload from a wide range of harsh conditions. Given the wide usage and diversity of potential applications, optimising the encapsulation efficiency by MOFs for different biologicals is of particular importance. Here we directly compare several protein quantitation methods and report on the accuracy, practicality, limitations, and sensitivity of these methods to assess the encapsulation efficiency of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF)-8 MOFs for two common biologicals commonly used in nanomedicine, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the enzyme catalase (CAT). Using these methods, ZIF-8 encapsulation of BSA and CAT was confirmed to enrich for high molecular weight and glycosylated protein forms. However, contrary to most reports, a high degree of variance was observed across all methods assessed, with fluorometric quantitation providing the most consistent results with the lowest background and greatest dynamic range. While Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) has showed greater detection range than the Bradford (Coomassie) assay, BCA and Bradford assays were found to be susceptible to background from the organic 'MOF' linker 2-methylimidazole, reducing their overall sensitivity. Finally, while very sensitive and useful for assessing protein quality SDS-PAGE is also susceptible to confounding artifacts and background. Given the increasing use of enzyme delivery using MOFs, and the diversity of potential uses in biomedicine, identifying a rapid and efficient method of assessing biomolecule encapsulation is key to their wider acceptance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The impact of COVID-19 public health restrictions on particulate matter pollution measured by a validated low-cost sensor network in Oxford, UK

Emergency responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to major changes in travel behaviours and economic activities with arising impacts upon urban air quality. To date, these air quality changes associated with lockdown measures have typically been assessed using limited city-level regulatory monitoring data, however, low-cost air quality sensors provide capabilities to assess changes across multiple locations at higher spatial-temporal resolution, thereby generating insights relevant for future air quality interventions. The aim of this study was to utilise high-spatial resolution air quality information utilising data arising from a validated (using a random forest field calibration) network of 15 low-cost air quality sensors within Oxford, UK to monitor the impacts of multiple COVID-19 public heath restrictions upon particulate matter concentrations (PM10, PM2.5) from January 2020 to September 2021. Measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 particle size fractions both within and between site locations are compared to a pre-pandemic related public health restrictions baseline. While average peak concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were reduced by 9–10 μg/m3 below typical peak levels experienced in recent years, mean daily PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were only ∼1 μg/m3 lower and there was marked temporal (as restrictions were added and removed) and spatial variability (across the 15-sensor network) in these observations. Across the 15-sensor network we observed a small local impact from traffic related emission sources upon particle concentrations near traffic-oriented sensors with higher average and peak concentrations as well as greater dynamic range, compared to more intermediate and background orientated sensor locations. The greater dynamic range in concentrations is indicative of exposure to more variable emission sources, such as road transport emissions. Our findings highlight the great potential for low-cost sensor technology to identify highly localised changes in pollutant concentrations as a consequence of changes in behaviour (in this case influenced by COVID-19 restrictions), generating insights into non-traffic contributions to PM emissions in this setting. It is evident that additional non-traffic related measures would be required in Oxford to reduce the PM10 and PM2.5 levels to within WHO health-based guidelines and to achieve compliance with PM2.5 targets developed under the Environment Act 2021.

Primer Exchange Reaction Coupled with DNA-Templated Silver Nanoclusters for Label-Free and Sensitive Detection of MicroRNA.

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) play pivotal roles in regulating gene expression, and serve as crucial biomarkers for diagnosis of a variety of disease. However, label-free and sensitive miRNA detection remains a huge challenge due to the low abundance. Herein, we developed an approach through integrating primer exchange reaction (PER) with DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) for label-free and sensitive miRNA detection. In this method, PER was used to amplify miRNA signals and produce single-strand DNA (ssDNA) sequences. The produced ssDNA sequences mediated DNA-templated AgNCs based signal generation by unfolding the designed hairpin probe (HP). The generated AgNCs signal was correlated with the dosage of target miRNA. Eventually, the established approach exhibited a low detection of limit of 47 fM with a great dynamic range of more than five orders of magnitude. In addition, the method was also utilized to detect the miRNA-31 expression in collected clinical samples from pancreatitis patients and demonstrated that miRNA-31 was upregulated in patients, showing a great promising of the method in clinical application.

The continuum of attention dysfunction: Evidence from dynamic functional network connectivity analysis in neurotypical adolescents.

The question of whether attention-related disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are best understood as clinical categories or as extreme ends of a spectrum is an ongoing debate. Assessing individuals with varying degrees of attention problems and utilizing novel methodologies to assess relationships between attention and brain activity may provide key information to support the spectrum hypothesis. We scanned 91 neurotypical adolescents during rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We conducted static and dynamic functional network connectivity (FNC) analysis and correlated findings to behavioral metrics of ADHD, attention problems, and impulsivity. We found that dynamic FNC analysis detects significant differences in large-scale neural connectivity as a function of individual differences in attention and impulsivity that are obscured in static analysis. We show ADHD manifestations and attention problems are associated with diminished Salience Network-centered FNC and that ADHD manifestations and impulsivity are associated with prolonged periods of dynamically hyperconnected states. Importantly, our meta-state analysis results reveal a relationship between ADHD manifestations and exhibiting variable and volatile dynamic behavior such as changing meta-states more often and traveling over a greater dynamic range. These findings in non-clinical adolescents provide support for the continuum model of attention disorders.

2D Surface Roughness Quantification for Enhanced Petrophysical Applications

Summary Surface roughness is an essential rock parameter affecting petrophysical properties that are surface sensitive such as characterization of pore structure and wettability. For instance, Wenzel’s contact angle formula for rough surfaces requires knowledge of the surface roughness, and surface roughness is expected to speed up the aging of cores in crude oil for wettability restoration. In addition, proper quantification of surface roughness is critical for obtaining representative, roughness-independent, pore sizes for applications such as prediction of permeability and interpretation of capillary pressure curves. Intuitively, a surface is better characterized in 2D than in 1D. This 2D study is a continuation and enhancement of the previous 1D work, recently published in the SPE Journal (Ma et al. 2021). In this current paper, a comprehensive investigation of 1D vs. 2D surface roughness measurements is conducted to evaluate and cross validate the two approaches. In this study, surface roughness is measured on 26 carbonate rock samples by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), where both the 1D absolute increment surface roughness, Sr, and the 2D interfacial area ratio of surface roughness, Sdr, are reported. As expected, the results indicate that surface roughness characterized by 2D Sdr has a greater dynamic range than the 1D Sr measurement, i.e., the 2D Sdr provides a more representative characterization of surface roughness. A detailed account of methodologies, assumptions, limitations, validation, and applications of the 1D and 2D surface roughness characterization is documented in this paper. To extract the roughness features present on rock grain surfaces, effects of de-spiking and filter length, used to eliminate pore-size effects, are investigated. For specific applications of surface roughness corrected pore-size estimation from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, differences in length scales of surface roughness are compared between LSCM measurement and that derived from NMR diffusion-T2 plus BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area. The surface roughness-corrected NMR pore-size distribution is also validated against the pore-size distribution obtained from the measurement of micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning.

Extension of the RADTriage Colorimetric Dosimeter to Low-Dose Gamma-Ray Exposure Using Scanning Densitometry.

There is a need for an instantly indicating, easy-to-read, and inexpensive ionizing radiation dosimeter for first responders and members of the general public. One commercially available option is the RADTriage50 TM colorimetric dosimeter. However, existing literature has not adequately addressed the accuracy of RADTriage50 dosimeters at low doses of ionizing radiation (<50 mSv) or the need for methods to quantitatively read the RADTriage50 dosimeters after they are exposed. In this paper, we use digital scanning methods to read the RADTriage50 dosimeters. The performance of the dosimeters was evaluated by irradiation with a gamma irradiator traceable to national standards. Experiments covered a range of deep dose equivalents (50 mSv to 2,000 mSv) within the manufacturer's specified range (50 mSv to 4,000 mSv) and also below 50 mSv to determine if the digital scanning densitometry method allowed for a quantitative readout with a greater dynamic range. We also conducted tests using different gamma energies, 137 Cs (662 keV) and 60 Co (1.17 and 1.33 MeV), and different dose rates to evaluate the dependency of the RADTriage50 dosimeters on these parameters. Modeling of our measurements suggests that the dose-response of the RADTriage50 dosimeter is linear at low doses with strong non-linearity beginning at ~750 mSv and the dosimeter response appearing to plateau at ~2,000 mSv, although additional measurements at doses beyond 2,000 mSv are needed to confirm this finding. We also found that the RadTriage50 dosimeter response varied with gamma energy, but not with dose rate.

Connecting Energy Input With Ionospheric Upflow and Outflow

AbstractThe connection between energy inputs and the generation of ion upflows and outflows is a topic of keen scientific interest and the subject of a number of empirical studies. Despite this interest, it remains uncertain how different ion species respond to energy input, what defines the upper and lower bounds of the ion flux, and what role solar illumination plays in regulating the relationship between energy input and ion upflows/outflows. This work simulates how ion flux scales with low and high altitude energization, and to a combination of both. Furthermore, we examine the influence of solar illumination on these relationships by considering how the scaling of ion flux with energy input changes over the solar cycle, comparing solar minimum and maximum, as well as how they change from day to night conditions. We find O+ flux tends to respond more strongly to energy inputs than H+ flux, with the O+ flux often exhibiting a lower activation energy and a greater dynamic range. The lower bound of the ion flux at 4,000 km is typically defined by the polar wind H+, although O+ upflows can dominate at low altitudes in the presence of significant frictional heating of the ion gas or soft electron precipitation. However, when significant soft electron precipitation and wave‐particle interactions are present simultaneously the lower bound of the ion flux at 4,000 km is defined by the O+. Finally, we find a difference between the steady state response of the outflow to energy input and the peak response.

Duplex-specific nuclease and Exo-III enzyme-assisted signal amplification cooperating DNA-templated silver nanoclusters for label-free and sensitive miRNA detection

Development of novel miRNA detection strategies plays a crucial role in fundamental research and clinical diagnosis of various diseases, such as infantile pneumonia. We herein develop a rapid and sensitive DNA-templated AgNCs-based miRNA detection approach, pinning the hope on an improved detection sensitivity in an easy-to-operate way. In the method, a hairpin probe is designed to specifically bind with target miRNA, and to initiate the DSN enzyme and Exo-III-assisted dual signal recycles. The resultant guanine-rich DNA sequences after signal amplification turn on the fluorescence of the dark AgNCs by hybridizing with the DNA template of the dark AgNCs. The generated signals are correlated with the amounts of target miRNA in the sensing system. Through a series of experiments, the established approach exhibits a great dynamic range of more than seven orders of magnitude with a low limit of detection of 245 aM, holding great promises for miRNA-related researches and disease diagnosis.Graphical abstract

Robot Fish Caudal Propulsive Mechanisms: A Mini-Review

Researchers have developed numerous artificial fish to mimic the swimming abilities of biological species and understand their biomechanical subaquatic skills. The motivation arises from the interest to gain deeper comprehension of the efficient nature of biological locomotion, which is the result of millions of years of evolution and adaptation. Fin-based biological species developed exceptional swimming abilities and notable performance in highly dynamic and complex subaquatic environments. Therefore, based on research by the scientific community, this mini-review concentrates on discussing the mechanical devices developed to implement the caudal propulsive segments of robotic fish. Caudal mechanisms are of considerable interest because they may be designed to control inertial and gravitational forces, as well as exerting great dynamic range in robotic fish. This manuscript provides a concise review focused on the engineering implementations of caudal mechanisms of anguilliform, subcarangiform, subcarangiform, thunniform and ostraciiform swimming modes.

FluoRNT: A robust, efficient assay for the detection of neutralising antibodies against yellow fever virus 17D.

There is an urgent need for better diagnostic and analytical methods for vaccine research and infection control in virology. This has been highlighted by recently emerging viral epidemics and pandemics (Zika, SARS-CoV-2), and recurring viral outbreaks like the yellow fever outbreaks in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2016) and in Brazil (2016-2018). Current assays to determine neutralising activity against viral infections in sera are costly in time and equipment and suffer from high variability. Therefore, both basic infection research and diagnostic population screenings would benefit from improved methods to determine virus-neutralising activity in patient samples. Here we describe a robust, objective, and scalable Fluorescence Reduction Neutralisation Test (FluoRNT) for yellow fever virus, relying on flow cytometric detection of cells infected with a fluorescent Venus reporter containing variant of the yellow fever vaccine strain 17D (YF-17D-Venus). It accurately measures neutralising antibody titres in human serum samples within as little as 24 h. Samples from 32 vaccinees immunised with YF-17D were tested for neutralising activity by both a conventional focus reduction neutralisation test (FRNT) and FluoRNT. Both types of tests proved to be equally reliable for the detection of neutralising activity, however, FluoRNT is significantly more precise and reproducible with a greater dynamic range than conventional FRNT. The FluoRNT assay protocol is substantially faster, easier to control, and cheaper in per-assay costs. FluoRNT additionally reduces handling time minimising exposure of personnel to patient samples. FluoRNT thus brings a range of desirable features that can accelerate and standardise the measurement of neutralising anti-yellow fever virus antibodies. It could be used in applications ranging from vaccine testing to large cohort studies in systems virology and vaccinology. We also anticipate the potential to translate the methodology and analysis of FluoRNT to other flaviviruses such as West Nile, Dengue and Zika or to RNA viruses more generally.

Label-free and sensitive MiRNA detection based on turn-on fluorescence of DNA-templated silver nanoclusters coupled with duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification.

Anovel strategy for microRNAs (miRNAs) detection has been developedutilizing duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification (DSNSA) and guanine-rich DNA-enhanced fluorescence of DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). The combination between target miRNA, DSNSA, and AgNCs is achieved by the unique design of DNA sequences. Target miRNA opens the hairpin structure of the Hairpin DNA probe (HP) by hybridizing with the HP and initiates the duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification (DSNSA) reaction. The DSNSA reaction generates the release of the guanine-rich DNA sequence, which can turn on the fluorescence of the dark AgNCs by hybridizing with the DNA template of the dark AgNCs. The fluorescence intensity of AgNCs corresponds to the dosage of the target miRNA. This is measured at 630nm by exciting at 560nm. The constructed method exhibits a low detection limit (~8.3 fmol), a great dynamic range of more than three orders of magnitude, and excellent selectivity. Moreover, it has a good performance for miR-21 detection in complex biological samples. A novel strategy for microRNAs (miRNAs) detection has been developed utilizing duplex-specific nuclease-assisted signal amplification (DSNSA) and guanine-rich DNA-enhanced fluorescence of DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs).

Selective auditory attention modulates cortical responses to sound location change in younger and older adults.

The present study measured scalp potentials in response to low-frequency, narrowband noise bursts changing location in the front, azimuthal plane. At question was whether selective auditory attention has a modulatory effect on the cortical encoding of spatial change and whether older listeners with normal-hearing thresholds would show depressed cortical representation for spatial changes relative to younger listeners. Young and older normal-hearing listeners were instructed to either passively listen to the stimulus presentation or actively attend to a single location (either 30° left or right of midline) and detect when a noise stream moved to the attended location. Prominent peaks of the electroencephalographic scalp waveforms were compared across groups, locations, and attention conditions. In addition, an opponent-channel model of spatial coding was performed to capture the effect of attention on spatial-change tuning. Younger listeners showed not only larger responses overall but a greater dynamic range in their response to location changes. Results suggest that younger listeners were acquiring and encoding key spatial cues at early cortical processing areas. On the other hand, each group exhibited modulatory effects of attention to spatial-change tuning, indicating that both younger and older listeners selectively attend to space in a manner that amplifies the available signal.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In complex acoustic scenes, listeners take advantage of spatial cues to selectively attend to sounds that are deemed immediately relevant. At the neural level, selective attention amplifies electrical responses to spatial changes. We tested whether older and younger listeners have comparable modulatory effects of attention to stimuli moving in the free field. Results indicate that although older listeners do have depressed overall responses, selective attention enhances spatial-change tuning in younger and older listeners alike.

Quantitative Muscle MRI in Patients with Neuromuscular Diseases-Association of Muscle Proton Density Fat Fraction with Semi-Quantitative Grading of Fatty Infiltration and Muscle Strength at the Thigh Region.

(1) Background and Purpose: The skeletal muscles of patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases (NMD) are affected by atrophy, hypertrophy, fatty infiltration, and edematous changes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important tool for diagnosis and monitoring. Concerning fatty infiltration, T1-weighted or T2-weighted DIXON turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences enable a qualitative assessment of muscle involvement. To achieve higher comparability, semi-quantitative grading scales, such as the four-point Mercuri scale, are commonly applied. However, the evaluation remains investigator-dependent. Therefore, effort is being invested to develop quantitative MRI techniques for determination of imaging markers such as the proton density fat fraction (PDFF). The present work aims to assess the diagnostic value of PDFF in correlation to Mercuri grading and clinically determined muscle strength in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2), limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A), and adult Pompe disease. (2) Methods: T2-weighted two-dimensional (2D) DIXON TSE and chemical shift encoding-based water-fat MRI were acquired in 13 patients (DM2: n = 5; LGMD2A: n = 5; Pompe disease: n = 3). Nine different thigh muscles were rated in all patients according to the Mercuri grading and segmented to extract PDFF values. Muscle strength was assessed according to the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) scale. For correlation analyses between Mercuri grading, muscle strength, and PDFF, the Spearman correlation coefficient (rs) was computed. (3) Results: Mean PDFF values ranged from 7% to 37% in adults with Pompe disease and DM2 and up to 79% in LGMD2A patients. In all three groups, a strong correlation of the Mercuri grading and PDFF values was observed for almost all muscles (rs > 0.70, p < 0.05). PDFF values correlated significantly to muscle strength for muscle groups responsible for knee flexion (rs = −0.80, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: In the small, investigated patient cohort, PDFF offers similar diagnostic precision as the clinically established Mercuri grading. Based on these preliminary data, PDFF could be further considered as an MRI-based biomarker in the assessment of fatty infiltration of muscle tissue in NMD. Further studies with larger patient cohorts are needed to advance PDFF as an MRI-based biomarker in NMD, with advantages such as its greater dynamic range, enabling the assessment of subtler changes, the amplified objectivity, and the potential of direct correlation to muscle function for selected muscles.

Integrating Resonator to Enhance Magnetometer Microelectromechanical System Implementation with ASIC Compatible CMOS 0.18 μm Process.

In this study, a multi-function microelectromechanical system (MEMS) was integrated with a MEMS oscillator, using the resonant frequency oscillation characteristics of the oscillator to provide the Lorentz current of the magnetometer to enhance a large dynamic range of reading, which eliminates the off-chip clock and current generator. The resonant frequency can be adjusted by adjusting the bias voltage of the oscillator to further adjust the sensitivity of the magnetometer. With the mechanical Q value characteristic, a great dynamic range can be achieved. In addition, using the readout circuit of the nested chopper and correlated double-sampling (CDS) to reduce the noise and achieve a smaller resolution, the calibration circuit compensates for errors caused by the manufacturing process. The frequency of the tuning range of the proposed structure is 17,720–19,924 Hz, and the tuning range of the measurement result is 110,620.36 ppm. The sensitivities of the x-, y-, and z-axes of the magnetometer with driving current of 2 mA are 218.3, 74.33, and 7.5 μV/μT for ambient pressure of 760 torr. The resolutions of the x-, y-, and z-axes of the magnetometer with driving current of 2 mA are 3.302, 9.69, and 96 nT/√Hz for ambient pressure of 760 torr.

Analysis and Validation of a Hybrid Forward-Looking Down-Looking Ground Penetrating Radar Architecture

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has proved to be a successful technique for the detection of landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) buried in the ground. In the last years, novel architectures for safe and fast detection, such as those based on GPR systems onboard Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have been proposed. Furthermore, improvements in GPR hardware and signal processing techniques have resulted in a more efficient detection. This contribution presents an experimental validation of a hybrid Forward-Looking–Down-Looking GPR architecture. The main goal of this architecture is to combine advantages of both GPR architectures: reduction of clutter coming from the ground surface in the case of Forward-Looking GPR (FLGPR), and greater dynamic range in the case of Down-Looking GPR (DLGPR). Compact radar modules working in the lower SHF frequency band have been used for the validation of the hybrid architecture, which involved realistic targets.

Accurate detection of Newcastle disease virus using proximity-dependent DNA aptamer ligation assays.

Detecting viral antigens at low concentrations in field samples can be crucial for early veterinary diagnostics. Proximity ligation assays (PLAs) in both solution and solid‐phase formats are widely used for high‐performance protein detection in medical research. However, the affinity reagents used, which are mainly poly‐ and monoclonal antibodies, play an important role in the performance of PLAs. Here, we have established the first homogeneous and solid‐phase proximity‐dependent DNA aptamer ligation assays for rapid and accurate detection of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). NDV is detected by a pair of extended DNA aptamers that, upon binding in proximity to proteins on the envelope of the virus, are joined by enzymatic ligation to form a unique amplicon that can be sensitively detected using real‐time PCR. The sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of the assays were validated using 40 farm samples. The results demonstrated that the developed homogeneous and solid‐phase PLAs, which use NDV‐selective DNA aptamers, are more sensitive than the sandwich enzymatic‐linked aptamer assay (ELAA), and have a comparable sensitivity to real‐time reverse transcription PCR (rRT‐PCR) as the gold standard detection method. In addition, the solid‐phase PLA was shown to have a greater dynamic range with improved lower limit of detection, upper‐ and lower limit of quantification, and minimal detectable dose as compared with those of ELAA and rRT‐PCR. The specificity of PLA is shown to be concordant with rRT‐PCR.

Transcriptional readout of neuronal activity via an engineered Ca2+-activated protease

Molecular integrators, in contrast to real-time indicators, convert transient cellular events into stable signals that can be exploited for imaging, selection, molecular characterization, or cellular manipulation. Many integrators, however, are designed as complex multicomponent circuits that have limited robustness, especially at high, low, or nonstoichiometric protein expression levels. Here, we report a simplified design of the calcium and light dual integrator FLARE. Single-chain FLARE (scFLARE) is a single polypeptide chain that incorporates a transcription factor, a LOV domain-caged protease cleavage site, and a calcium-activated TEV protease that we designed through structure-guided mutagenesis and screening. We show that scFLARE has greater dynamic range and robustness than first-generation FLARE and can be used in culture as well as in vivo to record patterns of neuronal activation with 10-min temporal resolution.

Optimization of Filtered Rayleigh Scattering for the Measurement of Pressure and Temperature

ABSTRACT The stand-off measurements of temperature and pressure are important for a variety of physical and engineering processes. Filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) configurations that enhance and suppress sensitivity to temperature are modeled and demonstrated using premixed, atmospheric methane-air Hencken burner generating temperatures up to 2100 K. For a characteristic flame gas mixture, modeling of the FRS signal using a molecular iodine filter shows that conditions exist for which the signal has a greater dynamic range or does not change significantly with respect to high gas temperatures. Laser Rayleigh scattering (LRS) measurements coupled with nonadiabatic flame simulations validate the temperatures, while FRS measurements are compared with the model predictions for different observation angles and iodine cell conditions. Results are discussed in the context of making direct measurements of gas pressure at high temperatures and within turbulent flames.

Contrast Sensitivity Based Multiscale Base–Detail Separation for Enhanced HDR Imaging

High dynamic range (HDR) imaging is used to represent scenes with a greater dynamic range of luminance on a standard dynamic range display. Usually, HDR images are synthesized through base–detail separations. The base layer is used for tone compression and the detail layer is used for detail preservation. The representative detail-preserved algorithm iCAM06 has a tendency to reduce the sharpness of dim surround images, because of the fixed edge-stopping function of the fast-bilateral filter (FBF). This paper proposes a novel base–detail separation and detail compensation technique using the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) in the segmented frequency domain. Experimental results show that the proposed rendering method has better sharpness features and image quality than previous methods correlated by the human visual system.