An Evaluation Schema for the Ethical Use of Autonomous Robotic Systems in Security Applications

We propose a multi-step evaluation schema designed to help procurement agencies and others to examine the ethical dimensions of autonomous systems to be applied in the security sector, including autonomous weapons systems

Paper and Fiber-Based Bio-Diagnostic Platforms: Current Challenges and Future Needs

In this perspective article, some of the latest paper and fiber-based bio-analytical platforms are summarized, along with their fabrication strategies, the processing behind the product development, and the embedded systems in which paper or fiber materials were integrated. The article also reviews bio-recognition applications of paper/fiber-based devices, the detected analytes of interest, applied detection techniques, the related evaluation parameters, the type and duration of the assays, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. Moreover, some of the existing challenges of utilizing paper and/or fiber materials are discussed. These include control over the physical characteristics (porosity, permeability, wettability) and the chemical properties (surface functionality) of paper/fiber materials are discussed. Other aspects of the review focus on shelf life, the multi-functionality of the platforms, readout strategies, and other challenges that have to be addressed in order to obtain reliable detection outcomes. Keywords: paper-based bio-analytical devices; shelf life; equipment-free bio-recognition; flow rate; readout strategies; multi-functional platform

Saving Face: Comparing the Effects of Endorsement Marketing Strategies on Millennial Americans

The rapid boom of social media in the 21st century has positioned it as a key instrument in the realm of marketing. Social media has also given rise to a new kind of endorser: the influencer. The present study tested the effects of expert influencers vs traditional celebrities on brand attitude and purchase intentions of makeup products, within a cohort of millennials. Results showed respondents tended to favor the expert influencer in terms of perceived expertise, brand attitude and purchase intention. This has important implications for marketers when it comes to deciding upon an endorser for their brand, with expert influencers having an advantage in the eyes of consumers

Design of a surface plasmon resonance immunoassay for therapeutic drug monitoring of amikacin

The therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of pharmaceutical drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges is of great importance in the clinical setting. It provides useful information towards the enhancement of drug therapies, aiding in dosage control and toxicity risk management. Amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic commonly used in neonatal therapies that is indicated for TDM due to the toxicity risks inherent in its use. Current techniques for TDM such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are costly, time consuming, and cannot be performed at the site of action. Over the last decades, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have become increasingly popular in clinical diagnostics due to their ability to detect biomolecular interactions in real-time. We present an SPR-based competitive immunoassay for the detection of the antibiotic amikacin, suitable for TDM in both adults and neonates. We have obtained high specificity and sensitivity levels with an IC value of 1.4 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.13 ng/mL, which comfortably comply with the drug's therapeutic range. Simple dilution of serum can therefore be sufficient to analyze low-volume real samples from neonates, increasing the potential of the methodology for TDM. Compared to current TDM conventional methods, this SPR-based immunoassay can provide advantages such as simplicity, potential portability, and label-free measurements with the possibility of high throughput. This work is the foundation towards the development of an integrated, simple use, highly sensitive, fast, and point-of-care sensing platform for the opportune TDM of antibiotics and other drugs in a clinical setting

Temporal and spatial variation of waterbirds at Sayula Lagoon, Jalisco, Mexico: a five–year winter season study

Variació temporal i espacial dels ocells aquàtics de la llacuna de Sayula, Jalisco, Mèxic: estudi de cinc temporades hivernals Els aiguamolls del centre de Mèxic són hàbitats importants tant per a ensambles d’ocells migratoris com residents. Per tal d’estudiar la variació quant a riquesa i abundància dels ocells aquàtics es van portar a terme observacions mensuals en 30 parcel·les permanents de tota la llacuna de Sayula, Jalisco, Mèxic, durant les temporades hivernals (d’octubre a març) dels anys 2004 a 2007 i 2009 a 2011. S’hi van registrar 73 espècies. Un total de 39 espècies són visitants invernals i vuit estan incloses en alguna categoria de risc. Les famílies més ben representades van ser: Anatidae, Scolopacidae i Ardeidae. Spatula clypeata i Anser caerulescens van ser les espècies més abundants. Es va observar una variació de la riquesa entre zones (només dues van ser similars), però no entre estacions (només WS4 va ser diferent) ni entre mesos (només el mes de novembre va ser diferent). La llacuna de Sayula és un ecosistema molt dinàmic influït per la migració i l’aportació d’aigua durant la temporada de pluges.Dades publicades a GBIF (doi: 10.15470/cuwqgi)Variación temporal y espacial de las aves acuáticas de la laguna de Sayula, Jalisco, México: estudio de cinco temporadas invernales Los humedales del centro de México son hábitats importantes para ensambles de aves tanto migratorias como residentes. A fin de estudiar la variación en cuanto a riqueza y abundancia de las aves acuáticas, se realizaron observaciones mensuales en 30 parcelas permanentes de toda la laguna de Sayula, Jalisco, México, durante las temporadas invernales (de octubre a marzo) de los años 2004 a 2007 y 2009 a 2011. Se registraron 73 especies. Un total de 39 especies son visitantes invernales y ocho están incluidas en alguna categoría de riesgo. Las familias mejor representadas fueron: Anatidae, Scolopacidae y Ardeidae. Spatula clypeata y Anser caerulescens fueron las especies más abundantes. Se observó variación de la riqueza entre zonas (sólo dos fueron similares), pero no entre estaciones (solo WS4 fue diferente) ni entre meses (solo el mes de noviembre fue diferente). La laguna de Sayula es un ecosistema muy dinámico influido por la migración y el aporte de agua durante la temporada de lluvias. Datos publicados en GBIF (doi: 10.15470/cuwqgi)Wetlands in central Mexico are important habitats for assemblages of migratory and resident birds. To study variation in richness and abundance of waterbirds, we conducted monthly observations in 30 permanent plots throughout the Sayula Lagoon, Jalisco, Mexico, during the winter season (from October to March) from 2004-2007 and from 2009-2011. Seventy-three species were recorded; 39 species were winter visitors, and eight species are included in some risk category. The best represented families were: Anatidae, Scolopacidae and Ardeidae. Spatula clypeata and Anser caerulescens were the most abundant species. We found variation in richness between zones (only two were similar), but not between the seasons (only WS4 was different) or months (only NOV was different). Sayula lagoon is a highly dynamic ecosystem influenced by migration and the water inputs occurring during the rainy season.Data published in GBIF (doi: 10.15470/cuwqgi

Pyrolysis-induced shrinking of three-dimensional structures fabricated by two-photon polymerization: experiment and theoretical model

The introduction of two-photon polymerization (TPP) into the area of Carbon Micro Electromechanical Systems (CMEMS) has enabled the fabrication of three-dimensional glassy carbon nanostructures with geometries previously unattainable through conventional UV lithography. Pyrolysis of TPP structures conveys a characteristic reduction of feature size—one that should be properly estimated in order to produce carbon microdevices with accuracy. In this work, we studied the volumetric shrinkage of TPP-derived microwires upon pyrolysis at 900 °C. Through this process, photoresist microwires thermally decompose and shrink by as much as 75%, resulting in glassy carbon nanowires with linewidths between 300 and 550 nm. Even after the thermal decomposition induced by the pyrolysis step, the linewidth of the carbon nanowires was found to be dependent on the TPP exposure parameters. We have also found that the thermal stress induced during the pyrolysis step not only results in axial elongation of the nanowires, but also in buckling in the case of slender carbon nanowires (for aspect ratios greater than 30). Furthermore, we show that the calculated residual mass fraction that remains after pyrolysis depends on the characteristic dimensions of the photoresist microwires, a trend that is consistent with several works found in the literature. This phenomenon is explained through a semi-empirical model that estimates the feature size of the carbon structures, serving as a simple guideline for shrinkage evaluation in other designs