The early-stage detection of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a hallmark biomarker of Parkinson's disease, is critical for timely diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Herein, we report on a metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) immuno-biosensor constructed from a nanohybrid comprising glutathione (GSH)-capped CdSe/In2S3Se quantum dots (QDs), multishaped AuCu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The QDs-AuCu alloy NP-rGO nanohybrid was prepared via solution-phase assembly and anti- α-Syn antibodies (Ab) were immobilized via physical adsorption. Target α-syn interaction triggered fluorescence amplification, which was further supported by finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations revealing localized electric field enhancement at the QDs-AuCu alloy NP-rGO interface. Notably, the QDs-AuCu alloy NP-rGO nanohybrid exhibited enhanced redox currents and reduced impedance, reflecting a synergistic contribution from the QDs, plasmon-active AuCu NPs and conductive rGO scaffold in facilitating efficient charge transport and interfacial electron transfer. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that introducing an In2S3Se shell around GSH-CdSe QDs led to a significant reduction in the HOMO-LUMO energy gap from 0.323 eV to 0.013 eV which was accompanied by a downward shift in the Fermi level from −1.99 eV to −4.10 eV. Post-self-consistent field (SCF) analysis of electron density and electrostatic potential (ESP) maps confirmed increased electron delocalization and a stronger internal dipole moment in CdSe/In2S3Se QDs compared to CdSe, as evidenced by compact density contours and intensified polarity in the ESP profiles. These changes were driven by increased orbital delocalization and stronger interfacial electronic coupling between core and shell atoms, thus confirming the role of the core/shell architecture in enhancing charge transfer and electronic conductivity. The QDs-AuCu alloy NP-rGO-Ab immunosensor achieved a wide dynamic detection range from 0.01 to 100 pg/mL, a limit of detection of 5.6 fg/mL and high recovery rates (94.0 - 99.4%) in spiked human serum. In addition, cytotoxicity assessment using HEK293T cells demonstrated that the QDs and QDs-AuCu alloy NP-rGO nanohybrid retained high cell viability across all tested concentrations whilst stability studies conducted in acidic buffers (pH 1 to pH 5) and in biologically relevant media, showed that the QDs remained structurally stable with no observable degradation or loss of optical performance.
This study evaluates the seismic fragility of high-rise steel storage racks under long-distance and short-distance earthquake excitations using Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA). Two representative sites were selected to represent long- and short-distance earthquake scenarios. A numerical model of the high-rise rack system was developed and validated against substructure experimental results and benchmark data reported in the literature. The IDA results show that the earthquake scenario significantly influenced the seismic response of the investigated rack. Long-distance ground motions generally resulted in severe damage and collapse at lower seismic intensity levels, particularly for global deformation responses. Long-distance excitation also resulted in a more abrupt transition from severe damage to collapse, indicating a limited deformation reserve once severe damage was reached. In contrast, short-distance ground motions produced more localized damage and a more gradual progression toward collapse. In addition, serviceability assessments showed a higher susceptibility to residual misalignment under long-distance ground motions, highlighting potential risks to automated warehouse operations even at relatively low seismic intensities. Overall, the results indicate greater vulnerability of the investigated high-rise rack to long-distance ground motions in terms of global deformation, damage progression, and residual misalignment.
The mid-Holocene decline in elm (Ulmus) pollen frequencies is perhaps the most debated and researched pollen-analytical feature of vegetation history in northwest Europe, with various causes or combination of causes proposed to explain it. It has a significant radiocarbon age range in Britain, but its timing in the early stages of Neolithic settlement suggests that subsistence farming activities probably played a role as well as factors such as disease and climate change. With these variables unproven, we have investigated ascospores of the wood-rot fungus Ustulina deusta as an independent proxy indicator of elm tree mortality, as the distinctive spores are often stratified in Elm Decline levels. Inspection of 20 sites in north Britain shows the distinct association of U. deusta with the Elm Decline, although with considerable variation between sites in the amplitude and shape of the U. deusta curve across the Elm Decline levels. U. deusta relies for successful infection on physically damaged trees, and we contend that girdling of elms by early Neolithic farmers to provide clearings for cereal cultivation and cattle grazing provided the conditions for U. deusta infection. Curves for Plantago lanceolata and Sporormiella, other indicators of herbivore presence, mirror the U. deusta curve, supporting this hypothesis. We conclude that the behaviour of the U. deusta curve at the Elm Decline supports early Neolithic animal husbandry and woodland manipulation as a primary cause of the mid-Holocene fall in elm populations.
Several studies linking periodontitis and ocular diseases have been conducted over recent years, but the full extent of this relationship has not yet been established. Careful analysis of available data is required to explore the nature of the association and to develop an understanding of the possible biological mechanisms connecting periodontitis with ocular diseases. Accordingly, this review aimed to investigate reported relationships and explore biological mechanistic links between periodontitis and ocular diseases. A comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, yielded 231 papers of which 26 met the eligibility criteria used for evidence synthesis. Periodontitis represents a source of elevated inflammatory cytokines and systemically translocated oral pathobionts in the circulation, which may negatively affect distant organs and systemic disease states, potentially including ocular diseases. Periodontitis is likely to be associated with a significantly higher prevalence of multiple ocular diseases. Current evidence is insufficient to establish a causal link between periodontitis and ocular diseases, but it provides a foundation for high-quality, large-scale, multi-center prospective cohort studies and clinical trials to further explore the underlying biological mechanisms.
Spelling errors are among the most persistent symptoms of dyslexia in adults. This study investigated the influence of morphological information on spelling accuracy in French-speaking adults with developmental dyslexia. Specifically, we aimed to (1) compare university-level adults with dyslexia and age-matched controls in spelling morphologically complex words, and (2) examine the role of morphological awareness in spelling among individuals with dyslexia. In total, 53 adults with dyslexia and 55 typical adult readers completed a spelling task with five types of words: words with silent final letters that were either morphologically predictable or not, suffixed words, prefixed words, and inconsistent monomorphemic words. Additional measures included reading fluency, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary, and general spelling. Results showed that adults with dyslexia benefited more than controls from morphologically predictable cues in spelling, particularly for silent final letters. Moreover, morphological awareness predicted spelling in adults with dyslexia, even after controlling for phonological awareness and vocabulary. These findings allow us to better understand the spelling profile of adults with dyslexia at university level.
