General spherically symmetric elastic stars in Relativity

The relativistic theory of elasticity is reviewed within the spherically symmetric context with a view towards the modeling of star interiors possessing elastic properties such as theones expected in neutron stars. Emphasis is placed on generality in the main sections of the paper, and the results are then applied to specific examples. Along the way, a few general results for spacetimes admitting isometries are deduced, and their consequences are fully exploited in the case of spherical symmetry relating them next to the the case in which the material content of the spacetime is some elastic material. This paper extends and generalizes the pioneering work by Magli and Kijowski [1], Magli [2] and [3], and complements, in a sense, that by Karlovini and Samuelsson in their interesting series of papers [4], [5] and [6].Comment: 23 page

Bioinspired photonic polymeric sensors for analysing exosomes

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Commission trough the project MindGAP (FET-Open/H2020/GA829040). The author RV also acknowledges Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for the PhD Grant (2020.09673.BD).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Emerging optical materials in sensing and discovery of bioactive compounds

Optical biosensors are used in numerous applications and analytical fields. Advances in these sensor platforms offer high sensitivity, selectivity, miniaturization, and real-time analysis, among many other advantages. Research into bioactive natural products serves both to protect against potentially dangerous toxic compounds and to promote pharmacological innovation in drug discovery, as these compounds have unique chemical compositions that may be characterized by greater safety and efficacy. However, conventional methods for detecting these biomolecules have drawbacks, as they are time-consuming and expensive. As an alternative, optical biosensors offer a faster, simpler, and less expensive means of detecting various biomolecules of clinical interest. In this review, an overview of recent developments in optical biosensors for the detection and monitoring of aquatic biotoxins to prevent public health risks is first provided. In addition, the advantages and applicability of these biosensors in the field of drug discovery, including high-throughput screening, are discussed. The contribution of the investigated technological advances in the timely and sensitive detection of biotoxins while deciphering the pathways to discover bioactive compounds with great health-promoting prospects is envisaged to meet the increasing demands of healthcare systems.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through COMPETE 2020-POCI and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio