Simultaneous Detection of Citric Acid and Oxalic Acid Based on Dual Spectrum and Biomimetic Peroxidase for Urolithiasis Screening with a Fully Automatic Urine Analyzer.

Urolithiasis stands as a prevalent ailment within the urinary system, with hyperoxaluria and hypocitraturia being the most frequent manifestations characterized by excessive oxalic acid (OA) and deficient citric acid (CA) levels in urine. Detecting these compounds in urine quantitatively holds paramount importance for early urolithiasis screening. Existing methodologies fall short in achieving simultaneous and on-site identification of OA and CA, posing challenges for accurate urolithiasis screening. Addressing this concern, the study successfully accomplishes the concurrent identification of OA and CA in urine through a combination of dual-spectral analysis and biomimetic peroxidase utilization. Bovine serum albumin and dithiothreitol-modified copper nanoclusters (BSA-DTT-CuNCs) are employed as biomimetic peroxidases, effectively mitigating interference and enabling the simultaneous determination of OA and CA. The quantification range spans from 0 to 12 mm for OA and 0.5 to 2.5 mm for CA, with detection limits of 0.18 and 0.11 mm, respectively. To facilitate swift and on-location urine analysis, a fully automated urine analyzer (FAUA) is introduced that streamlines the process of biomarker pretreatment and identification within urine samples. Validation with real urine samples from urolithiasis patients demonstrates the method's diagnostic precision, highlighting the dual-spectral technique and analyzer's promising role in urolithiasis screening.

Peripheral Blood Non-Coding RNA as Biomarker for Schizophrenia: A Review.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex and heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder that lacks objective diagnostic indicators and the pathogenesis remain unclear. Genetic factors may exert a significant impact on the development of the condition. While obtaining brain tissue for biopsy in the course of adjuvant diagnosis of SCZ patients may not be possible, the collection of peripheral blood is more accessible and easier to implement. In recent years, the development and application of RNA sequencing technology has made seeking biomarkers of SCZ becomes more feasible. There is emerging evidence suggesting that certain non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) are distinctly different in the peripheral blood of SCZ patients and healthy controls. Although the mechanisms remain unclear, these aberrantly expressed ncRNAs may be intimately associated with the onset and development of SCZ and may be of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of SCZ. Therefore, we reviewed the expression of distinct types of ncRNAs that have been found in the peripheral blood of SCZ patients and explored their potential application as diagnostic biomarkers of SCZ. Differentially expressed ncRNAs in the peripheral blood of SCZ patients could not only serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for SCZ but may also have implications for advancing understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of SCZ and elucidating the complex etiology of SCZ. Early diagnostic biomarkers obtained directly from peripheral blood are of great significance for the timely diagnosis and treatment of SCZ. Our review will enhance the comprehension of molecular mechanisms of SCZ and contribute to the identification of promising ncRNAs in peripheral blood for both diagnosis and therapy of SCZ.

Construction of Microporous Zincophilic Interface for Stable Zn Anode.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising electrochemical energy storage devices due to their high theoretical specific capacity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, uncontrolled dendrite growth poses a serious threat to the reversibility of Zn plating/stripping, which impacts the stability of batteries. Therefore, controlling the disordered dendrite growth remains a considerable challenge in the development of AZIBs. Herein, a ZIF-8-derived ZnO/C/N composite (ZOCC) interface layer was constructed on the surface of the Zn anode. The homogeneous distribution of zincophilic ZnO and the N element in the ZOCC facilitates directional Zn deposition on the (002) crystal plane. Moreover, the conductive skeleton with a microporous structure accelerates Zn2+ transport kinetics, resulting in a reduction in polarization. As a result, the stability and electrochemical properties of AZIBs are improved. Specifically, the ZOCC@Zn symmetric cell sustains over 1150 h at 0.5 mA cm-2 with 0.25 mA h cm-2, while the ZOCC@Zn half-cell achieves an outstanding Coulombic efficiency of 99.79% over 2000 cycles. This work provides a simple and effective strategy for improving the lifespan of AZIBs.

Coil Positioning for Wireless Power Transfer System of Automatic Guided Vehicle Based on Magnetic Sensing.

As an auxiliary function of the wireless power transfer (WPT) system, coil positioning can solve the power and efficiency degradation during power transmission caused by misalignment of the magnetic coupler. In this paper, a Hall sensor array is used to measure the change of magnetic flux density. By comparing the multisensor data fusion results with the preset data obtained from the coil alignment, the real-time accurate positioning of the receiving coil can be realized. Firstly, the positioning model of the receiving coil is built and the variation of magnetic flux density with the coil misalignment is analyzed. Secondly, the arrangement of the Planar 8-direction symmetric sensor array and the positioning algorithm based on data fusion of magnetic flux density variations are proposed. In order to avoid coil positioning misalignment caused by the unstable magnetic field distribution which is actually affected by the change of mutual inductance during automatic guided vehicle (AGV) alignment, the constant current strategy of primary and secondary sides is proposed. Finally, the coil positioning experimental platform is built. The experimental results show that the coil positioning method proposed in this paper has high accuracy, and the positioning error is within 4 cm.

Fibrinogen and Kininogen are Potential Serum Protein Biomarkers for Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Depressive disorder is a debilitating psychiatric mental disease. However, no biological methods are used for the diagnosis of this disorder. Proteomic approaches for biomarker discovery may provide an important objective tool for diagnostics of depression. This study aimed to identify serum protein biomarkers for diagnosis of depressive disorder. METHODS: We screened for potential depression biomarkers in 175 serum samples from 86 patients and 89 healthy controls. Serum protein spectrums were detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Differentially expressed peptides among the two groups were analyzed and followed by sequence analysis to identify these peptides. RESULTS: Five peaks were found to have a significant different between the depression and healthy control groups. Among them, up-regulated m/z 1,466.21 and down-regulated m/z 1,944.99 are identified as the fractions of fibrinogen alpha chain and kininogen 1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrinogen and kininogen may be potential serum protein biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of depressive disorders.

Engineering a universal and fully automatic analyzer for multichannel and on-site biochemical detection in body fluids.

OBJECTIVE: Rising concerns over wellness and aging have heightened the demand for convenient and efficient on-site health monitoring and disease screening. Current research, focused on specific biomarker detection, often neglects the complexities of sample matrix interference and the absence of a comprehensive, automated platform. To address these issues, we have developed a universal, fully automated analyzer for multifaceted, on-site biochemical analysis of body fluids. METHODS: This analyzer integrates automated sample pretreatment, automatic dilution, detection, and self-cleaning functionalities seamlessly. It is designed to detect a wide range of analytes, from small molecules to macromolecules, including ions and proteins, utilizing spectrophotometric sensing. After optimization, the analyzer achieves performance comparable to traditional Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), while significantly expanding its detection range through automated dilution. RESULTS: Demonstrations of small molecule detection include the simultaneous assessment of citric acid (CA) and oxalic acid (OA) in urine, achieving recovery rates between 96.65%-106.42% and 93.13%-112.50%, respectively. For protein detection, the analyzer successfully identified Cyfra21-1 in saliva with a recovery rate of 104.93%-111.31%. The pre-treatment process requires only 8.8 minutes, showing enhanced recovery rates for CA and OA at 97.8% and 97.6% respectively, which are superior and more rapid than manual methods. CONCLUSION: The exemplary pretreatment and detection performance of the analyzer underlines its effectiveness in multifaceted, on-site biomarker detection, establishing it as a promising and versatile tool for disease screening and health monitoring. SIGNIFICANCE: This analyzer offers a powerful technological solution for on-site fluid testing, advancing community health care by facilitating more reliable and rapid diagnostics.

The Effects of Subjective Social Class on Subjective Well-Being and Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Model.

In recent decades, China's rapid economic growth has substantially improved average living standards; however, this has not been accompanied by greater happiness among the Chinese population. This phenomenon is known as the Easterlin Paradox (i.e., there is no link between a society's economic development and its average level of happiness) in Western countries. This study examined the effects of subjective social class on subjective well-being and mental health in China. Consequently, we found that individuals in a relatively low social class had lower levels of subjective well-being and mental health; self-class discrepancy partially explains the relationship between subjective social class and subjective well-being and fully explains the relationship between subjective social class and mental health; and subjective social mobility moderates the path from self-class discrepancy to subjective well-being and mental health. These findings suggest that enhancing social mobility is an important method for reducing class differences in subjective well-being and mental health. These results have important implications, indicating that enhancing social mobility is an important method for reducing class differences in subjective well-being and mental health in China.

Enzyme-free and wide-range portable colorimetric sensing system for uric acid and hydrogen peroxide based on copper nanoparticles.

Uric acid (UA) is the final product of purine metabolism. A high concentration of UA in body fluid may lead to kidney stones, gout, and some cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the non-invasive daily monitoring of UA is of great significance for both hyperuricemia patients and fit people. However, most of the current detection methods for UA are enzyme-dependent which limits the application scenarios and lacks portable instruments for on-site detection, including optics and electrochemistry. In this work, an enzyme-free and wide-range colorimetric sensor for UA and H2O2 detection was developed based on a mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA)-modified Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs). Under the action of UA or H2O2, with the cleavage of MSAs on the CuNPs surface, small Cu particles are further aggregated into larger particles with a lightning violet color. With the employment of the multi-channel handheld automatic photometer (MHAP), the concentration of UA and H2O2 can be determined on-site according to the absorbance measurement by the photodiodes. The linear range of UA was 5 µM-4.5 mM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 3.7 µM, while the linear range of H2O2 was 5 mM-500 mM and 5 µM-5 mM with the LOD of 4.3 µM. This approach has been applied to the detection of UA in human urine, providing more possibilities for non-invasive home health monitoring, community medical diagnosis, and broader prospects of on-site disease detection.

Multifunctional AuNPs@HRP@FeMOF immune scaffold with a fully automated saliva analyzer for oral cancer screening.

Delayed diagnosis of cancer-causing death is a worldwide concern. General diagnosis methods are invasive, time-consuming, and operation complicated, which are not suitable for preliminary screening. To address these challenges, the sensing platform based on immune scaffold and fully automated saliva analyzer (FASA) was proposed for oral cancer screening for the first time by non-invasive detection of Cyfra21-1 in saliva. Through one-step synthesis method with unique covalent and electrostatic adsorption strategy, AuNPs@HRP@FeMOF immune scaffold features multiple functions including antibody carrier, catalytic activity, and signal amplification. Highly integrated FASA with the immune scaffold provides automatic testing to avoid false-positive results and reduce pretreatment time without any user intervention. Compared with the commercial analyzer, FASA has comparable performance for Cyfra21-1 detection with a detection range of 3.1-50.0 ng/mL and R2 of 0.971, and superior features in full automation, high integration, time saving and low cost. Oral cancer patients could be distinguished accurately by the platform with an excellent correlation (R2 of 0.904) and average RSD (5.578%) without sample dilution. The proposed platform provides an effective and promising tool for cancer screening in point-of-care applications, which can be further extended for biomarker detection in universal body fluids, disease screening, prognosis review and homecare monitoring.

Socioeconomic Status and Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Roles of Community Identity and Perceived Control.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior, but the underlying mechanism between them is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the serially mediating roles of community identity and perceived control in this relationship. METHODS: Using the convenient sampling technique, a total of 477 Chinese adults from Chinese communities, and ranging in age from 20 to 65 completed the questionnaires for objective socioeconomic status, the MacArthur scale of subjective socioeconomic status, an eight-item community identity scale, the perceived control scale, and a prosocial tendencies measure. Bivariate correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to examine the relationships among the major variables. RESULTS: Socioeconomic status was positively associated with prosocial behavior. It was also found that community identity and perceived control played mediating roles between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior, respectively. In addition, community identity and perceived control also had a serially mediating role in the relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Community identity and perceived control played a serially mediating role in the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior. The findings in the present study contribute to understanding the underlying mechanism in the association between socioeconomic status and prosocial behavior among adults, and have important implications for interventions aimed at improving prosocial behavior in lower-status individuals.

A Review of Recent Advances in Flexible Wearable Sensors for Wound Detection Based on Optical and Electrical Sensing.

Chronic wounds that are difficult to heal can cause persistent physical pain and significant medical costs for millions of patients each year. However, traditional wound care methods based on passive bandages cannot accurately assess the wound and may cause secondary damage during frequent replacement. With advances in materials science and smart sensing technology, flexible wearable sensors for wound condition assessment have been developed that can accurately detect physiological markers in wounds and provide the necessary information for treatment decisions. The sensors can implement the sensing of biochemical markers and physical parameters that can reflect the infection and healing process of the wound, as well as transmit vital physiological information to the mobile device through optical or electrical signals. Most reviews focused on the applicability of flexible composites in the wound environment or drug delivery devices. This paper summarizes typical biochemical markers and physical parameters in wounds and their physiological significance, reviews recent advances in flexible wearable sensors for wound detection based on optical and electrical sensing principles in the last 5 years, and discusses the challenges faced and future development. This paper provides a comprehensive overview for researchers in the development of flexible wearable sensors for wound detection.

Targeting Ferroptosis: Pathological Mechanism and Treatment of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a pathological process that occurs in many organs and diseases. Reperfusion, recovery of blood flow, and reoxygenation often lead to reperfusion injury. Drug therapy and early reperfusion therapy can reduce tissue injury and cell necrosis caused by ischemia, leading to irreversible I/R injury. Ferroptosis was clearly defined in 2012 as a newly discovered iron-dependent, peroxide-driven, nonapoptotic form of regulated cell death. Ferroptosis is considered the cause of reperfusion injury. This discovery provides new avenues for the recognition and treatment of diseases. Ferroptosis is a key factor that leads to I/R injury and organ failure. Given the important role of ferroptosis in I/R injury, there is considerable interest in the potential role of ferroptosis as a targeted treatment for a wide range of I/R injury-related diseases. Recently, substantial progress has been made in applying ferroptosis to I/R injury in various organs and diseases. The development of ferroptosis regulators is expected to provide new opportunities for the treatment of I/R injury. Herein, we analytically review the pathological mechanism and targeted treatment of ferroptosis in I/R and related diseases from the perspectives of myocardial I/R injury, cerebral I/R injury, and ischemic renal injury.

Self-Serving Bias in Memories.

Protecting one's positive self-image from damage is a fundamental need of human beings. Forgetting is an effective strategy in this respect. Individuals show inferior recall of negative feedback about themselves but unimpaired recognition of self-related negative feedback. This discrepancy may imply that individuals retain negative information but forget that the information is associated with the self. In two experiments, participants judged whether two-character trait adjectives (positive or negative) described themselves or others. Subsequently, they completed old-new judgments (Experiment 2) and attribution tasks (Experiments 1 and 2). Neither old-new recognition nor source guessing bias was influenced by word valence. Participants' source memory was worse in the negative self-referenced word processing condition than in the other conditions. These results suggest there is a self-serving bias in memory for the connection between valence information and the self.

The Mirrored Hand Illusion: I Control, So I Possess?

Certain situations may not only cause people to misjudge external information but also distort people's perception of themselves. The present study is the first to report the mirrored hand illusion which could be generated when the experimenter imitated the fist-clenching movements of the subject synchronously. The subjects formed the illusion that the experimenter's hand was "something I can control" when being imitated synchronously. In addition, a sense of ownership over the alien hand was established by integrating multisensory signals and comparing these signals with preexisting body presentations. This method might represent a new avenue for research on the formation of self-consciousness.

A 6-week randomized controlled trial with 4-week follow-up of acupuncture combined with paroxetine in patients with major depressive disorder.

Acupuncture possesses the antidepressant potential. In this 6-week randomized controlled trial with 4-week follow-up, 160 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomly assigned to paroxetine (PRX) alone (n = 48) or combined with 18 sessions of manual acupuncture (MA, n = 54) or electrical acupuncture (EA, n = 58). Treatment outcomes were measured mainly using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), clinical response and remission rates. Average PRX dose taken and proportion of patients who required an increased PRX dose due to symptom aggravation were also obtained. Both additional MA and EA produced a significantly greater reduction from baseline in score on HAMD-17 and SDS at most measure points from week 1 through week 6 compared to PRX alone. The clinical response was markedly greater in MA (69.8%) and EA (69.6%) groups than the group treated with PRX alone (41.7%, P = 0.004). The proportion of patients who required an increase dose of PRX due to symptom aggravation was significantly lower with MA (5.7%) and EA (8.9%) than PRX alone (22.9%, P = 0.019). At 4 weeks follow-up after completion of acupuncture treatment, patients with EA, but not MA, continued to show significantly greater clinical improvement. Incidence of adverse events was not different in the three groups. Our study indicates that acupuncture can accelerate the clinical response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and prevent the aggravation of depression. Electrical acupuncture may have a long-lasting enhancement of the antidepressant effects (Trial Registration: ChiCTR-TRC-08000278).

Bioinformatic system modeling on hetian uygur natural longevity people.

Longevity and life science are active topics in biomedicine and other subjects. In this research, longevity people from Hetian area in Xinjiang, China are used as an example. The cause of longevity is discussed and a bioinformatic longevity model is established based on the medical findings. Human life is a complex multi-variant natural process. It is complicated yet important to extract expert knowledge that can describe the interactions among different factors and influence of the factors on human life. Artificial intelligent (AI) and information processing techniques are used to efficiently process large amount of collected biomedical data and effectively extract hidden information into the longevity model. The test results show that the established model is able to identify individuals who belong to longevity group with over 90 percent accuracy. This research creates a new approach to explore the cause of formation of human longevity based on comprehensive medical data rather than just from one medical subject. More importantly, this research explores a practical way to model complex bioinformatic systems.