A novel plasmonic interferometry and the potential applications

In this article, we have proposed the plasmonic interferometry concept and analytical details given. By using the conventional optical interferometry, which can be simply calculated by using the relationship between the electric field and electron mobility, the interference mobility visibility (fringe visibility) can be observed. The surface plasmons in the sensing arm of the Michelson interferometer is constructed by the stacked layers of the silicon-graphene-gold, allows to characterize the spatial resolution of light beams in terms of the electron mobility down to 100-nm scales, with measured coherence lengths as low as ∼100 nm for an incident wavelength of 1550 nm. We have demonstrated a compact plasmonic interferometer that can apply to the electron mean free paths measurement, from which the precise determination can be used for the high-resolution mean free path measurement and sensing applications. This system provides the practical simulation device parameters that can be fabricated and tested by the experimental platform

Mathematical Model of Plasmid-Mediated Resistance to Ceftiofur in Commensal Enteric Escherichia coli of Cattle

Antimicrobial use in food animals may contribute to antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animals and humans. Commensal bacteria of animal intestine may serve as a reservoir of resistance-genes. To understand the dynamics of plasmid-mediated resistance to cephalosporin ceftiofur in enteric commensals of cattle, we developed a deterministic mathematical model of the dynamics of ceftiofur-sensitive and resistant commensal enteric Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the absence of and during parenteral therapy with ceftiofur. The most common treatment scenarios including those using a sustained-release drug formulation were simulated; the model outputs were in agreement with the available experimental data. The model indicated that a low but stable fraction of resistant enteric E. coli could persist in the absence of immediate ceftiofur pressure, being sustained by horizontal and vertical transfers of plasmids carrying resistance-genes, and ingestion of resistant E. coli. During parenteral therapy with ceftiofur, resistant enteric E. coli expanded in absolute number and relative frequency. This expansion was most influenced by parameters of antimicrobial action of ceftiofur against E. coli. After treatment (>5 weeks from start of therapy) the fraction of ceftiofur-resistant cells among enteric E. coli, similar to that in the absence of treatment, was most influenced by the parameters of ecology of enteric E. coli, such as the frequency of transfer of plasmids carrying resistance-genes, the rate of replacement of enteric E. coli by ingested E. coli, and the frequency of ceftiofur resistance in the latter

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens induces production of a novel blennolide K in coculture of Setophoma terrestris

The discovery of known bioactive chemical leads from microbial monocultures hinders the efficiency of drug discovery programmes. Therefore, in recent years, the use of fungal–bacterial coculture experiments has gained considerable attention due to their ability to generate new bioactive leads. In this work, fungal strain Setophoma terrestris was cocultured with Bacillus amyloliquifaciens to discover novel bioactive compounds

breast cancer screening

Terras Marques, I., Santos, C., & Santos, V. (2020). Process modelling (bpm) in healthcare : breast cancer screening. In M. Antona, & C. Stephanidis (Eds.), Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Design Approaches and Supporting Technologies. 14th International Conference, UAHCI 2020, Held as Part of the 22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19–24, 2020, Proceedings, Part I (pp. 98-109). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 12188 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3_7Breast cancer is a malignant epithelial neoplasm and it is a public health problem that has high incidence and mortality in women. Focusing the clinical performance on processes is proving to be the way to improve morbidity and mortality statistics. Business process management (BPM) is a management field that improves and analyzes business processes according to organizations’ strategies. The early diagnosis of breast cancer is of great importance since it will enable more conservative treatments and a longer disease-free survival. Organized oncology screening programs, with all elements properly prepared, revealed to be more efficient than the opportunistic screenings. BPM usage will enable optimize and manage all processes from the screening until the diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is identification and modelling of BPM processes for the healthcare sector, namely, for Portuguese organized breast cancer screening. To achieve this goal, it was required the identification of the main processes by an interview to the employees and the development of “As-Is” diagrams. Some of the problems in a macroscopic way were detected and improvement suggestions were made.authorsversionpublishe