Nanomaterials for fluorescent detection of vitamin B2: A review.

Vitamin B2 plays vital roles in maintaining human health. It is of tremendous significance to construct sensitive sensors of VB2. In this review, we first briefly presented the sensing mechanisms of fluorescent nanomaterials for sensing VB2. Subsequently, the advances of nanomaterials for fluorescent determination of VB2 were highlighted. And sensing performance of traditional approaches and fluorescent nanosensors was further compared. In last section, the challenges and perspectives concerning the topic were discussed.

Nanomaterials for fluorescent assay of bilirubin.

The accumulation of bilirubin in blood is associated with many diseases. Sensitive and accurate detection of bilirubin is of great significance for personal health care. The rapid development of fluorescent nanomaterials promotes rapid development in the bilirubin assay. In this review, traditional methods for detection of bilirubin are briefly presented to compare with fluorescent nanosensors. Subsequently, the recent progress of different types of fluorescent nanomaterials for determination of bilirubin is summarized. Further, the performance of fluorescent nanosensors and conventional techniques for sensing bilirubin are compared. To this end, the challenges and prospects concerning the topics are discussed. This review will provide some introductory knowledge for researchers to understand the status and importance of fluorescent nanosensors for sensing bilirubin.

Facile one-pot synthesis of fluorescent aminoclay and the applications for fluorescence sensing Cr2 O7 2.

Here, we developed a facile one-pot strategy for the fabrication of fluorescent aminoclay (F-AC) through in situ solvothermal treatment of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, MgCl2 , and sodium ascorbate at 180°C for 6 h. The obtained F-AC exhibited blue emission, good water solubility, and satisfactory photostability. It was observed that Cr2 O7 2- could selectively quench the fluorescence of F-AC through the inner filter effect and static quenching process. As a result, a novel fluorescent F-AC-based nanosensor was constructed with good linearity in the range 0.1-75 µM. The nanosensor was successfully applied in real water samples with satisfactory results. This work not only provides a novel nanosensor for Cr2 O7 2- , but also highlights the F-AC's promising applications in wider fields due to the versatility and simplicity of the preparation strategy.

The Role of Neuroglial Crosstalk and Synaptic Plasticity-Mediated Central Sensitization in Acupuncture Analgesia.

Although pain is regarded as a global public health priority, analgesic therapy remains a significant challenge. Pain is a hypersensitivity state caused by peripheral and central sensitization, with the latter considered the culprit for chronic pain. This study summarizes the pathogenesis of central sensitization from the perspective of neuroglial crosstalk and synaptic plasticity and underlines the related analgesic mechanisms of acupuncture. Central sensitization is modulated by the neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in the ascending excitatory pathway and the descending pain modulatory system. Acupuncture analgesia is associated with downregulating glutamate in the ascending excitatory pathway and upregulating opioids, 𝛾-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the descending pain modulatory system. Furthermore, it is increasingly appreciated that neurotransmitters, cytokines, and chemokines are implicated in neuroglial crosstalk and associated plasticity, thus contributing to central sensitization. Acupuncture produces its analgesic action by inhibiting cytokines, such as interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and upregulating interleukin-10, as well as modulating chemokines and their receptors such as CX3CL1/CX3CR1, CXCL12/CXCR4, CCL2/CCR2, and CXCL1/CXCR2. These factors are regulated by acupuncture through the activation of multiple signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling (e.g., the p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and c-Jun-N-terminal kinase pathways), which contribute to the activation of nociceptive neurons. However, the responses of chemokines to acupuncture vary among the types of pain models, acupuncture methods, and stimulation parameters. Thus, the exact mechanisms require future clarification. Taken together, inhibition of central sensitization modulated by neuroglial plasticity is central in acupuncture analgesia, providing a novel insight for the clinical application of acupuncture analgesia.

Effects and Mechanisms of Acupuncture Combined with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation on Neural Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury: Progress and Prospects.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a structural event with devastating consequences worldwide. Due to the limited intrinsic regenerative capacity of the spinal cord in adults, the neural restoration after SCI is difficult. Acupuncture is effective for SCI-induced neurologic deficits, and the potential mechanisms responsible for its effects involve neural protection by the inhibition of inflammation, oxidation, and apoptosis. Moreover, acupuncture promotes neural regeneration and axon sprouting by activating multiple cellular signal transduction pathways, such as the Wnt, Notch, and Rho/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathways. Several studies have demonstrated that the efficacy of combining acupuncture with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is superior to either procedure alone. The advantage of the combined treatment is dependent on the ability of acupuncture to enhance the survival of MSCs, promote their differentiation into neurons, and facilitate targeted migration of MSCs to the spinal cord. Additionally, the differentiation of MSCs into neurons overcomes the problem of the shortage of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in the acupuncture-treated SCI patients. Therefore, the combination of acupuncture and MSCs transplantation could become a novel and effective strategy for the treatment of SCI. Such a possibility needs to be verified by basic and clinical research.

Nanomaterials for luminescent detection of water and humidity.

The rapid and sensitive detection of water or humidity has attracted wide interest because of their considerable significance in the chemical industry and other fields. Nanotechnology offers potential tools in the construction of various luminescent nanosensors for sensing water or relative humidity (RH). In this review, we present the recent advances in different luminescent nanomaterials, namely, luminescent copper nanoclusters, carbon quantum dots, metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks and other nanomaterials, in the detection of water and RH. Also, the challenges and opportunities are discussed.

Studies of the effect of halide ions on the fluorescence of quinine sulfate.

The effect of halide ions (Cl- , Br- and I- ) on the fluorescence of quinine sulfate in dilute sulfuric acid solution was studied by fluorescence spectra, ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) absorption spectra and fluorescence decay technique. The results exhibited that halide ions with heavier atomic mass could significantly reduce the fluorescence intensity of quinine sulfate, as a result, the order of fluorescence quenching caused by halide ions is Cl-  < Br-  < I- . Therefore, halide ions with high concentration could seriously quench the fluorescence of quinine sulfate. The UV-visible absorption spectra and fluorescence decay technique revealed that the fluorescence quenching of quinine sulfate caused by halide ions was attributed to dynamic quenching, static quenching process, self-quenching fluorescence effect and electronic transfer.

Dynamic stability and spatiotemporal parameters during turning in healthy young adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Turning while walking has a frequent occurrence in daily life. Evaluation of its dynamic stability will facilitate fall prevention and rehabilitation scheme. This knowledge is so limited that we set it as the first aim of this study. Another aim was to investigate spatiotemporal parameters during turning. METHODS: Fifteen healthy young adults were instructed to perform straight walking, 45° step turn to the left and 45° spin turn to the right at natural speed. Dynamic stability was measured by margin of stability (MoS) in anterior, posterior, left and right direction at each data point where significant differences were detected using 95% bootstrap confidence band. Common spatiotemporal parameters were computed in each condition subdivided into approach, turn and depart phases. RESULTS: Results showed that minimum anterior MoS appeared at middle of swing while minimum lateral MoS at contralateral heel strike in all conditions. Posterior MoS decreased before middle of turn phase in spin whereas after middle of turn phase in step. Lateral MoS and stride width declined in turn phase of spin while in depart of step. Spin had a long step and stride length. Long swing phases were observed in turns. CONCLUSIONS: These data help explain that people are most likely to fall forward at middle of swing and to fall toward the back and the support side at heel strike. Our findings demonstrate that instability mainly exist in turn phase of spin and depart phase of step turn.

Finite element analysis of cementless femoral stems based on mid- and long-term radiological evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Femoral bone remodeling in response to stress shielding induces periprosthetic bone loss. Computerized finite element analysis (FEA) is employed to demonstrate differences in initial stress distribution. However, FEA is often performed without considering the precise sites at which the stem was fixed. We determined whether FEA reflects mid-term radiological examination exactly as predicted following long-term stress shielding. METHODS: Femur-stem fixation sites were evaluated radiologically according to the location of spot welds in two anatomical cementless stem designs. Based on mid-term radiological results, four femur-stem bonding site conditions were defined as: (Condition A) no bonding; (Condition B) bonding within the 10 mm area proximal to the distal border of the porous area; (Condition C) bonding of the entire porous area; and (Condition D) bonding of the entire femoral stem, prior to conducting FEA analysis. Furthermore, we radiographically evaluated mid- and long-term stress shielding, and measured bone mineral density of the femur 10 years after total hip arthroplasty. RESULTS: Spot welds appeared frequently around the border between the porous and smooth areas. FEA showed that, based on mid-term radiological evaluation, von Mises stress was reduced in condition B in the area proximal to the femur-stem bonding sites for both stem designs compared with condition A (no bonding). Conversely, von Mises stress at all areas of the femur-stem bonding sites in conditions C and D was higher than that in condition A. With respect to stress shielding progression, there was no significant difference between the two types of stem designs. However, stress shielding progressed and was significantly higher in the presence of spot welds (p = 0.001). In both stem designs, bone mineral density in zone VII was significantly lower than that in the contralateral hips. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that FEA based on mid-term radiological evaluation may be helpful to predict the influence of long-term stress shielding more precisely.

Acupuncture with different acupoint combinations for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is beneficial for controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, the effect of different acupoint combinations on controlling CINV remains unknown. This study aims to compare the effects of distal-proximal point association and local distribution point association on controlling CINV. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is a single-center, randomized controlled trial. A total of 240 participants will be randomly divided into four groups. The control group will receive standard antiemetic only, whereas three acupuncture groups will receive four electro-acupuncture treatments once a day with the standard antiemetic. Acupuncture group I and II will receive distal-proximal point association ("Neiguan (PC6) and Zhongwan (CV12)", and "Zusanli (ST36) and CV12", respectively); Acupuncture group III will receive local distribution point association ("Shangwan (CV13) and CV12"). The primary outcome measures are the frequency and distress of nausea and vomiting. The secondary outcome measures are the grade of constipation and diarrhea, electrogastrogram, quality of life, etc. Assessment is scheduled from the day before chemotherapy to the fifth day of chemotherapy. Follow-ups are performed from the sixth day to the twenty-first day of chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: Results of this trial will help in evaluating the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture with different acupoint combinations in the management of CINV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02478047 .

Label-free colorimetric detection of cadmium ions in rice samples using gold nanoparticles.

A simple and label-free colorimetric method for cadmium ions (Cd(2+)) detection using unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is reported. The unmodified AuNPs easily aggregate in a high concentration of NaCl solution, but the presence of glutathione (GSH) can prevent the salt-induced aggregation of AuNPs. When Cd(2+) is added to the stable mixture of AuNPs, GSH, and NaCl, Cd(2+) can coordinate with 4× GSH as a spherical shaped complex, which decreases the amount of free GSH on the surface of gold nanoparticles to weaken the stability of AuNPs, and AuNPs will easily aggregate in high-salt conditions. On the basis of the mechanism, we design a simple, label-free colorimetric method using AuNPs accompanied by GSH in a high-salt environment to detect Cd(2+) in water and digested rice samples.

Advances in Fluorescent Nanosensors for Detection of Vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 plays a significant role in maintaining human health. Deficiency or excess intake of vitamin B12 may cause some diseases. Therefore, it is significant to fabricate sensors for sensitive assay of vitamin B12. In the past few years, a variety of nanomaterials have been developed for the fluorescence detection of vitamin B12 in tablets, injection, human serum and food. In the review, the assay mechanisms of fluorescent nanomaterials for sensing vitamin B12 were first briefly discussed. And the progress of various nanomaterials for fluorescence detection of vitamin B12 were systematically summarized. Furthermore, the sensing performance of fluorescent nanosensors was compared with fluorescent probes. Lastly, the challenges and perspectives about the topic were presented.

Development and current application status of acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument and operating instrument. / é’ˆåˆºæ‰‹æ³•æµ‹å®šä»ªå’Œæ“ä½œä»ªçš„ç ”åˆ¶åŠåº”ç”¨çŽ°çŠ¶.

Acupuncture manipulation, a crucial component of acupuncture procedures, significantly influences the therapeutic outcomes. Acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument and operating instrument have been developed based on modern technology to objectively characterize manipulation parameters, and achieve standardized and normalized output of acupuncture manipulation. This paper systematically reviews the development and current application status of in vivo acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument, ex vivo acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument, and acupuncture manipulation operating instrument worldwide, and explores key issues that acupuncture manipulation operating instruments need to address for clinical applications, and provides insights into the future prospect of acupuncture robots.

Nanomaterials for Fluorescent Detection of Hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin plays a vital role in a series of biological activities. Abnormal levels of hemoglobin in blood are associated with many clinical diseases. Therefore, development of simple and accurate methods for sensing hemoglobin is of considerable significance. The blowout advancement in nanotechnology has urged the use of different types of fluorescent nanomaterials for hemoglobin assay. The past decades have witnessed the rapid progress of fluorescent nanosensors for hemoglobin assay. In the review, the sensing principles of fluorescent nanomaterials for sensing hemoglobin were briefly discussed. The advances of fluorescent nanosensors for detection of hemoglobin were further highlighted. And the sensing performance of fluorescent nanosensors versus traditional detection approaches was compared. Finally, the challenges and future directions of fluorescent nanomaterials for detection of hemoglobin are discussed. The review will arouse much more attention to the construction of hemoglobin sensors and facilitate rapid development of fluorescent nanosensors of hemoglobin.

Simple fluorescence "turn-off" assay for Congo red using commercial 2-aminophthalic acid.

In this work, the fluorescence properties of 2-aminophthalic acid (NH2-BDC) were studied. NH2-BDC possessed excellent optical properties including bright blue emission with maximum emission at 425 nm, a high quantum yield of 38.49% and excellent photostability. And the fluorescence of NH2-BDC could be selectively quenched by Congo red, which was ascribed to the inner filter effect. Accordingly, NH2-BDC was further employed for fluorescence "turn-off" assay of Congo red with a linear range of 0.05-50 µM and a limit of detection of 1.72 µM. And the sensor was used for the detection of Congo red in real water samples with acceptable results.

Acupuncture alleviates inflammatory pain by activating CXCL1/CXCR2 signaling in the primary somatosensory cortex in adjuvant induced arthritis rats. / S1脑区CXCL1/CXCR2å‚ä¸Žé’ˆåˆºæ”¹å–„ä½å‰‚æ€§å ³èŠ‚ç‚Žå¤§é¼ ç‚Žæ€§ç—›çš„ä½œç”¨æœºåˆ¶.

OBJECTIVES: To observe whether acupuncture up-regulates chemokine CXC ligand 1 (CXCL1) in the brain to play an analgesic role through CXCL1/chemokine CXC receptor 2 (CXCR2) signaling in adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) rats, so as to reveal its neuro-immunological mechanism underlying improvement of AIA. METHODS: BALB/c mice with relatively stable thermal pain reaction were subjected to planta injection of complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) for establishing AIA model, followed by dividing the AIA mice into simple AF750 (fluorochrome) and AF750+CXCL1 groups (n=2 in each group). AF750 labeled CXCL1 recombinant protein was then injected into the mouse's tail vein to induce elevation of CXCL1 level in blood for simulating the effect of acupuncture stimulation which has been demonstrated by our past study. In vivo small animal imaging technology was used to observe the AF750 and AF750+CXCL1-labelled target regions. After thermal pain screening, the Wistar rats with stable pain reaction were subjected to AIA modeling by injecting CFA into the rat's right planta, then were randomized into model and manual acupuncture groups (n=12 in each group). Other 12 rats that received planta injection of saline were used as the control group. Manual acupuncture (uniform reinforcing and reducing manipulations) was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36) for 4×2 min, with an interval of 5 min between every 2 min, once daily for 7 days. The thermal pain threshold was assessed by detecting the paw withdrawal latency (PWL) using a thermal pain detector. The contents of CXCL1 in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, periaqueductal gray and rostroventromedial medulla regions were assayed by using ELISA, and the expression levels of CXCL1, CXCR2 and mu-opioid receptor (MOR) mRNA in the S1 region were detected using real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The immune-fluorescence positive cellular rate of CXCL1 and CXCR2 in S1 region was observed after immunofluorescence stain. The immunofluorescence double-stain of CXCR2 and astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) or neuron marker NeuN or MOR was used to determine whether there is a co-expression between them. RESULTS: In AIA mice, results of in vivo experiments showed no obvious enrichment signal of AF750 or AF750+CXCL1 in any organ of the body, while in vitro experiments showed that there was a stronger fluorescence signal of CXCL1 recombinant protein in the brain. In rats, compared with the control group, the PWL from day 0 to day 7 was significantly decreased (P<0.01) and the expression of CXCR2 mRNA in the S1 region significantly increased in the model group (P<0.05), while in comparison with the model group, the PWL from day 2 to day 7, CXCL1 content, CXCR2 mRNA expression and CXCR2 content, and MOR mRNA expression in the S1 region were significantly increased in the manual acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Immunofluorescence stain showed that CXCR2 co-stained with NeuN and MOR in the S1 region, indicating that CXCR2 exists in neurons and MOR-positive neurons but not in GFAP positive astrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture can increase the content of CXCL1 in S1 region, up-regulate CXCR2 on neurons in the S1 region and improve MOR expression in S1 region of AIA rats, which may contribute to its effect in alleviating inflammatory pain.

[Discussion on the safety of acupuncture in experimental animals].

Many basic studies on acupuncture need to be carried out on experimental animals. However, the safety of acupuncture in experimental animals has been neglected for a long time. In the present paper, we make a discussion on the current situations, causes, its influence on research results and countermeasures of acupuncture safety events in experimental animals, so as to promote the safety evaluation of acupuncture in experimental animals and the standardized operation of acupuncture.

Carbon quantum dots for fluorescent detection of nitrite: A review.

NO2- is commonly found in foods and the environment, and excessive intake of NO2- poses serious hazards to human health. Thus, rapid and accurate assay of NO2- is of considerable significance. Traditional instrumental approaches for detection of NO2- faced with limitations of expensive instruments and complicated operations. Current gold standards for sensing NO2- are Griess assay and 2,3-diaminonaphthalene assay, which suffer from slow detection kinetics and bad water solubility. The newly emerged carbon quantum dots (CQDs) exhibit integrated merits including easy fabrication, low-cost, high quantum yield, excellent photostability, tunable emission behavior, good water solubility and low toxicity, which make CQDs be widely applied to fluorescent assay of NO2-. In this review, synthetic strategies of CQDs are briefly presented. Advances of CQDs for fluorescent detection of NO2- are systematically highlighted. Lastly, the challenges and perspectives in the field are discussed.

[Effectiveness of dorsal perforator flap of cross-finger proper digital artery in treatment of high-pressure injection injuries of the finger].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of dorsal perforator flap of cross-finger proper digital artery in the treatment of finger soft tissue defect caused by high-pressure injection injury. Methods: Between July 2011 and June 2020, 14 cases of finger soft tissue defect caused by high-pressure injection injury were repaired with dorsal perforator flap of cross-finger proper digital artery. All patients were male, with a mean age of 36 years (range, 22-56 years). The defects were located on the index finger in 8 cases, middle finger in 4 cases, and ring finger in 2 cases. The causes of injury include 8 cases of emulsion paint injection, 4 cases of oil paint injection, and 2 cases of cement injection. The time from injury to debridement was 2-8 hours, with a mean time of 4.5 hours. The soft tissue defects sized from 4.0 cm×1.2 cm to 6.0 cm×2.0 cm. The flaps sized from 4.5 cm×1.5 cm to 6.5 cm×2.5 cm. The donor site of the flap was repaired with skin graft. The pedicle was cut off at 3 weeks after operation, and followed by functional exercise. Results: All flaps and skin grafts at donor sites survived, and the wounds healed by first intention. Twelve patients were followed-up 16-38 months (mean, 22.6 months). The texture and appearance of all flaps were satisfactory. The color and texture of the flaps were similar to those of the surrounding tissues. The two-point discrimination of the flap was 10-12 mm, with a mean of 11.5 mm. There were different degrees of cold intolerance at the end of the affected fingers. At last follow-up, the finger function was evaluated according to the Upper Extremity Functional Evaluation Standard set up by Hand Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, 3 cases were excellent, 8 cases were good, and 1 case was poor. Conclusion: The dorsal perforator flap of cross-finger proper digital artery can effectively repair finger soft tissue defect caused by high-pressure injection injury. The operation was simple, and the appearance and function of the finger recover well.

Manual acupuncture at ST36 attenuates rheumatoid arthritis by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization and enhancing Treg cell populations in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats.

OBJECTIVES: Acupuncture has been found to be effective at relieving many inflammatory pain conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory potential of manual acupuncture (MA) treatment of RA using adjuvant-induced arthritic (AIA) rats and to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of MA at ST36 (Zusanli) in AIA rats were assessed using paw withdrawal latency and swelling, histological examination and cytokine detection by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). The cell-cell communication (CCC) network was analyzed with a multiplex immunoassay of 24 immune factors expressed in the inflamed joints, and the macrophage and Treg populations and associated cytokines regulated by MA were investigated using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), ELISA and flow cytometry. RESULTS: MA markedly decreased heat hyperalgesia and paw swelling in AIA rats. MA-treated rats also exhibited decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß) coupled with increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1) in the ankle joints at protein and mRNA levels. CCC network analysis confirmed that macrophages are of critical importance and are potential therapeutic targets in RA. Repeated treatment with MA triggered a macrophage phenotypic switch in the paws, with fewer M1 macrophages. Prominent increases in the Treg cell population and TGF-ß1 in the popliteal lymph nodes demonstrated the immunomodulatory effects of MA. Furthermore, a selective TGF-ß1-receptor inhibitor, SB431542, attenuated the anti-inflammatory effects of MA and MA-induced suppression of the levels of M1-released cytokines. CONCLUSION: These findings provide novel evidence that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of MA on RA act through phenotypic modulation involving the inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization and an increase in the Treg cell population, highlighting the potential therapeutic advantages of acupuncture in controlling pain and ameliorating inflammatory conditions.