Rapid nanomolar detection of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in biofluids via electrochemical aptamer-based biosensor.

BACKGROUND: The fabrication of sensors capable of achieving rapid, sensitive, and highly selective detection of target molecules in complex fluids is key to realizing their real-world applications. For example, there is an urgent need in drugged driving roadside screening scenarios to develop a method that can be used for rapid drug detection and that avoids interference from the matrix in the sample. How to minimize the interference of complex matrices in biofluids at the electrode interface is the key to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. RESULTS: This work develops a facile and green method to prepare rough electrodes with a porous structure for constructing electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) sensors for rapid, sensitive and accurate detection of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in biofluids. The electroactive area of the rough electrode was 21 times of smooth electrode. And the antifouling performance of the rough electrode was much better than that of smooth electrode. Based on the unique advantages of the rough electrode, the developed EAB sensor achieves rapid nanomolar detection of THC in undiluted serum, undiluted urine and 50 % saliva with the detection limit of 5.0 nM, 10 nM and 10 nM, respectively. Moreover, our method possesses good reproducibility, accuracy and specificity. SIGNIFICANCE: The porous structure can effectively reduce the non-specific adsorption and enhance the stability of the signal, while the larger active area can modify more aptamers, thus improving the sensitivity. The detection limits of the EAB sensor were lower than the cutoff concentration of THC in drugged driving and the measuring process was completed within 60 s after target addition, which makes the present sensors capable for real-world applications.

"Adjacent Bed Effect" of Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients During the Perioperative Period.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthropathy is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases in the elderly, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most commonly used treatment for end-stage knee osteoarthropathy. Negative emotions such as anxiety have been extensively documented in knee osteoarthropathy patients. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the Emotional Contagion during hospitalization in patients undergoing TKA. METHODS: Eligible subjects were divided into three case groups according to their anxiety states and bed arrangement. All subjects underwent a unilateral, cemented TKA under general anesthesia. Post-operative recovery outcomes including pain, pain behavior and physical function were recorded pre-operation, 1-day, 1 week, 2-weeks, 1-month and 3-months post-operation. RESULTS: A total of 38 subjects were included in the final analysis. Subjects with anxiety had higher Visual Analogue Scale pain scores, PROMIS-Pain Behavior scores than subjects without anxiety in the Contagion Group preoperation (p ≤ .05). Non-anxiety subjects hospitalized in beds physically adjacent to anxiety subjects experienced more severe pain and poorer function (p ≤ .05). After discharge, all clinical outcomes gradually became lower than anxiety subjects in the Contagion Group, reaching levels similar to non-anxiety subjects in the No Contagion Group within 1 month (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that patients with anxiety may have an "Adjacent Bed Effect" on patients with TKA in the adjacent bed, which may be associated with poorer postoperative recovery, including pain and physical function. We speculate this phenomenon can be effectively avoided by the nursing team through accurately assessing psychological status and reasonable bed arrangements in the inpatient assessment phase.

Efficacy and safety of voriconazole in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with liver failure: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a common clinical type of liver failure, and patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure are prone to fungal infections, especially the increasing incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Voriconazole is recommended as the first-line antifungal agent in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis; however, no recommendation has been given for patients with severe liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh C) and liver failure. This trial aims to examine the therapeutic effects and safety of voriconazole in the treatment of IPA in patients with liver failure. METHODS: This study is a non-double-blind randomized controlled trial. The 96 eligible acute-on-chronic liver failure patients complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis will be randomly assigned to receive either the optimized voriconazole regimen or the recommended voriconazole regimen for patients with mild to moderate liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A and B), at a 1:1 ratio, with an 8-week follow-up period. The antifungal efficacy of voriconazole will be the primary outcome measure. Plasma voriconazole trough concentration, the laboratory examination (CRP, PCT, ESR, etc.), chest CT, adverse events, and mortality at week 4 and 8 will be the secondary outcome measures. DISCUSSION: This trial aims to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of voriconazole in the treatment of IPA in patients with liver failure, which is expected to provide a reference for scientific optimization of voriconazole regimens and a realistic basis for the standardized treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure patients complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100048259. Registered on 5 July 2021.

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Protect Endothelial Cells from Hypoxic Injury by Suppressing Terminal UPR In Vivo and In Vitro.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been used as a therapeutic intervention for peripheral artery disease (PAD) in clinical trials. To further explore the therapeutic mechanism of these mesenchymal multipotent stromal/stem cells in PAD, this study was designed to test the effect of xenogeneic ASCs extracted from human adipose tissue on hypoxic endothelial cells (ECs) and terminal unfolded protein response (UPR) in vitro and in an atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (ApoE-/- mice) hindlimb ischemia model in vivo. ASCs were added to Cobalt (II) chloride-treated ECs; then, metabolic activity, cell migration, and tube formation were evaluated. Fluorescence-based sensors were used to assess dynamic changes in Ca2+ levels in the cytosolic- and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as changes in reactive oxygen species. Western blotting was used to observe the UPR pathway. To simulate an acute-on-chronic model of PAD, ApoE-/- mice were subjected to a double ligation of the femoral artery (DLFA). An assessment of functional recovery after DFLA was conducted, as well as histology of gastrocnemius. Hypoxia caused ER stress in ECs, but ASCs reduced it, thereby promoting cell survival. Treatment with ASCs ameliorated the effects of ischemia on muscle tissue in the ApoE-/- mice hindlimb ischemia model. Animals showed less muscle necrosis, less inflammation, and lower levels of muscle enzymes after ASC injection. In vitro and in vivo results revealed that all ER stress sensors (BIP, ATF6, CHOP, and XBP1) were activated. We also observed that the expression of these proteins was reduced in the ASCs treatment group. ASCs effectively alleviated endothelial dysfunction under hypoxic conditions by strengthening ATF6 and initiating a transcriptional program to restore ER homeostasis. In general, our data suggest that ASCs may be a meaningful treatment option for patients with PAD who do not have traditional revascularization options.

Research hotspots and frontiers of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis.

Background: Aphasia is a common complication of stroke and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in the comprehensive management of post-stroke aphasia and its consequences. However, bibliometric analysis in the field of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation is still lacking. This study aimed to comprehensively identify assistance networks, analyze research trends, focus on hot and cutting-edge health topics related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation, and inform future research guidelines. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) electronic database was searched from inception to January 4, 2023 to identify studies related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Bibliometric analysis and visualization of country, institution, journal, author, reference, and keywords were performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. Results: A total of 2,325 papers were included in the analysis, with a progressive increase in the number of articles published each year. The USA was the country with the most publications (809 articles), and the University of Queensland was the institution with the most publications (137 articles). The subject area of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation is dominated by clinical neurology (882 articles). Aphasiology was the journal with the most publications (254 articles) and the most cited journal (6,893 citations). Worrall L was the most prolific author (51 publications), and Frideriksson J was the most cited author (804 citations). Conclusion: By using bibliometrics, we provided a comprehensive review of studies related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Future research hotspots on topics related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation will mainly focus on the plasticity mechanisms of neurolinguistics networks, language function assessment, language rehabilitation modalities, and patients' rehabilitation needs and participation experiences in post-stroke aphasia. This paper provides systematic information that is worth exploring in the future.

ABCB5+ mesenchymal stromal cells therapy protects from hypoxia by restoring Ca2+ homeostasis in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia in ischemic disease impairs Ca2+ homeostasis and may promote angiogenesis. The therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in peripheral arterial occlusive disease is well established, yet its influence on cellular Ca2+ homeostasis remains to be elucidated. We addressed the influence of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 5 positive mesenchymal stromal cells (ABCB5+ MSCs) on Ca2+ homeostasis in hypoxic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Hypoxia was induced in HUVECs by Cobalt (II) chloride (CoCl2) or Deferoxamine (DFO). Dynamic changes in the cytosolic- and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ and changes in reactive oxygen species were assessed by appropriate fluorescence-based sensors. Metabolic activity, cell migration, and tube formation were assessed by standard assays. Acute-on-chronic ischemia in Apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice was performed by double ligation of the right femoral artery (DFLA). ABCB5+ MSC cells were injected into the ischemic limb. Functional recovery after DFLA and histology of gastrocnemius and aorta were assessed. RESULTS: Hypoxia-induced impairment of cytosolic and ER Ca2+ were restored by ABCB5+ MSCs or their conditioned medium. Similar was found for changes in intracellular ROS production, metabolic activity, migratory ability and tube formation. The restoration was paralleled by an increased expression of the Ca2+ transporter Sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) and the phosphorylation of Phospholamban (PLN). In acute-on-chronic ischemia, ABCB5+ MSCs treated mice showed a higher microvascular density, increased SERCA2a expression and PLN phosphorylation relative to untreated controls. CONCLUSIONS: ABCB5+ MSCs therapy can restore cellular Ca2+ homeostasis, which may beneficially affect the angiogenic function of endothelial cells under hypoxia in vitro and in vivo.

A Novel Two-Axis Differential Resonant Accelerometer Based on Graphene with Transmission Beams.

In this paper, a novel two-axis differential resonant accelerometer based on graphene with transmission beams is presented. This accelerometer can not only reduce the cross sensitivity, but also overcome the influence of gravity, realizing fast and accurate measurement of the direction and magnitude of acceleration on the horizontal plane. The simulation results show that the critical buckling acceleration is 460 g, the linear range is 0-89 g, while the differential sensitivity is 50,919 Hz/g, which is generally higher than that of the resonant accelerometer reported previously. Thus, the accelerometer belongs to the ultra-high sensitivity accelerometer. In addition, increasing the length and tension of graphene can obviously increase the critical linear acceleration and critical buckling acceleration with the decreasing sensitivity of the accelerometer. Additionally, the size change of the force transfer structure can significantly affect the detection performance. As the etching accuracy reaches the order of 100 nm, the critical buckling acceleration can reach up to 5 × 104 g, with a sensitivity of 250 Hz/g. To sum up, a feasible design of a biaxial graphene resonant accelerometer is proposed in this work, which provides a theoretical reference for the fabrication of a graphene accelerometer with high precision and stability.

Effects of dietary n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio on growth performance, blood indexes, tissue fatty acid composition and the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma signaling related genes in finishing pigs.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of dietary n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio on growth performance, blood indexes, tissue fatty acid composition and the gene expression in finishing pigs. METHODS: Seventy-two crossbred ([Duroc×Landrace]×Yorkshire) barrows (68.5±1.8 kg) were fed one of four isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets with n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios of 2:1, 3:1, 5:1, and 8:1. RESULTS: Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and gain-to-feed ratio had quadratic responses but the measurements were increased and then decreased (quadratic, p<0.05). The concentrations of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and interleukin 6 were linearly increased (p<0.05) with increasing of dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio, while that of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol tended to decrease (p = 0.062), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol:low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and leptin concentration were linearly decreased (p<0.05). The concentration of serum adiponectin had a quadratic response but the measurement was decreased and then increased (quadratic, p<0.05). The proportion of C18:3n-3 was linearly decreased (p<0.05) in the longissimus thoracis (LT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) as dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio increasing, while the proportion of C18:2n-6 and n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio were linearly increased (p<0.05). In addition, the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and lipoprotein lipase in the LT and SCAT, and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) in the SCAT had quadratic responses but the measurements were increased and then decreased (quadratic, p<0.05). The expression of HSL in the LT was linearly decreased (p<0.05) with increasing of dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio. CONCLUSION: Dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio could regulate lipid and fatty acid metabolism in blood and tissue. Reducing dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio (3:1) could appropriately suppress expression of related genes in PPARγ signaling, and result in improved growth performance and n-3 PUFA deposition in muscle and adipose tissue in finishing pigs.

Determination of stress components in a complex stress condition using micro-Raman spectroscopy.

In this study, an iterative method using polarized Raman spectroscopy to quantitatively determine all the in-plane components of the stress tensor in semiconductor structures is presented. Raman experiments were conducted on silicon at different stress states. The results obtained by the proposed method were in good agreement with the given stress state. In addition, the effect of random errors of Raman shifts on the stress component calculation is discussed. In contrast to the conventional analytical solution, our iterative method can significantly reduce the random errors.

Rapid diagnosis of disseminated Mycobacterium mucogenicum infection in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen using next-generation sequencing: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium mucogenicum (M. mucogenicum) belongs to the group of rapidly growing Nontuberculous mycobacteria. This microorganism is associated with a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. Due to a low detection rate or the time required for conventional culture methodology, a rapid and broad-spectrum method is necessary to identify rare pathogens. CASE SUMMARY: A 12-year-old immunocompetent girl presented with painful masses for five months. The first mass was found in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, and was about 1 cm × 1.5 cm in size, tough but pliable in texture, with an irregular margin and tenderness. An abscess gradually formed and ulcerated with suppuration of the mass. Three new masses appeared on the back one by one. Chest computed tomography showed patchy and streaky cloudy opacities in both lungs. Needle aspiration of the abscess was performed, but the smear and conventional culture were negative, and the pathological examination showed no pathogens. We then performed next-generation sequencing using a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen to identify the pathogen. A significantly high abundance of M. mucogenicum was detected. The patient's abscesses gradually decreased in size, while inflammation in both lungs improved following 12-wk of treatment. No recurrence was observed four months after the end of the one-year treatment period. CONCLUSION: Next-generation sequencing is a promising tool for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of rare pathogens, even when using a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen.

A Modified Surgical Model of Hind Limb Ischemia in ApoE-/- Mice using a Miniature Incision.

The purpose of this study is to introduce and evaluate a modified surgical approach to induce acute ischemia in mice that can be implemented in most animal laboratories. Contrary to the conventional approach for double ligation of the femoral artery (DLFA), a smaller incision on the right inguinal region was made to expose the proximal femoral artery (FA) to perform DLFA. Then, using a 7-0 suture, the incision was dragged to the knee region to expose the distal FA. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on bilateral hind limbs was used to detect FA occlusion after the surgery. At 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after the surgery, functional recovery of the hind limbs was visually assessed and graded using the Tarlov scale. Histologic evaluation was performed after euthanizing the animals 7 days after DLFA. The procedures were successfully performed on the right leg in ten ApoE-/- mice, and no mice died during subsequent observation. The incision sizes in all 10 mice were less than 5 mm (4.2 ± 0.63 mm). MRI results showed that FA blood flow in the ischemic side was clearly blocked. The Tarlov scale results demonstrated that hind limb function significantly decreased after the procedure and slowly recovered over the following 7 days. Histologic evaluation showed a significant inflammatory response on the ischemic side and reduced microvascular density in the ischemic hind limb. In conclusion, this study introduces a modified technique using a miniature incision to perform hind limb ischemia (HLI) using DLFA.

An Analysis of the Attitude Estimation Errors Caused by the Deflections of Vertical in the Integration of Rotational INS and GNSS.

This paper investigates the attitude estimation errors caused by the deflections of vertical (DOV) in the case of a rotational inertial navigation system (INS) integrated with a global satellite navigation system (GNSS). It has been proved theoretically and experimentally that the DOV can introduce a tilt error to the INS/GNSS integration, whereas less attention has been given to its effect to the heading estimation. In fact, due to the intercoupling characteristic of attitude errors, the heading estimation of an INS/GNSS integrated navigation system can also be affected. In this paper, first, the attitude estimation errors caused by DOV were deduced based on the INS's error propagation functions. Then, the corresponding simulations were conducted and the results were well consistent with the theoretical analysis. Finally, a real shipborne marine test was organized with the aimed to verify the effect of DOV on attitude estimation in the rotational INS/GNSS integration, whereas the global gravity model was used for DOV compensation. The results with DOV compensation were compared with the corresponding results where the compensation was not used and showed that the heading estimation errors caused by DOV could exceed 20 arcsecs, which must be considered in high-precision application cases.

Attitude-correlated frames approach for a star sensor to improve attitude accuracy under highly dynamic conditions.

The attitude accuracy of a star sensor decreases rapidly when star images become motion-blurred under dynamic conditions. Existing techniques concentrate on a single frame of star images to solve this problem and improvements are obtained to a certain extent. An attitude-correlated frames (ACF) approach, which concentrates on the features of the attitude transforms of the adjacent star image frames, is proposed to improve upon the existing techniques. The attitude transforms between different star image frames are measured by the strap-down gyro unit precisely. With the ACF method, a much larger star image frame is obtained through the combination of adjacent frames. As a result, the degradation of attitude accuracy caused by motion-blurring are compensated for. The improvement of the attitude accuracy is approximately proportional to the square root of the number of correlated star image frames. Simulations and experimental results indicate that the ACF approach is effective in removing random noises and improving the attitude determination accuracy of the star sensor under highly dynamic conditions.

Colorimetric detection of cyanide with phenyl thiourea derivatives.

Three structurally simple thiourea derivatives 1-3 were prepared, and their chromogenic behaviors toward various anions were investigated in aqueous solution. Among them 1 showed good sensitivity and selectivity for cyanide ion and also can distinguish it from other anions by different color changes. Besides that, the receptor 1 has a sensitive detection limit (1.27 µM) for cyanide ion accordingly it can be used as a colorimetric sensor for the determination of cyanide ion. The use of the test strip of sensor 1 to detect cyanide ion was also reported.