Low Rates of Colorectal Cancer Screening in First-Degree Relatives of Our Patients: Are We Failing Them?

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend screening those with a family history of early-onset colorectal cancer at age 40 years or 10 years before the age of their relative's diagnosis. Currently, there is no literature reporting the screening rate in these individuals, and no protocols are in place to identify and target this population for screening awareness. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess adherence to current screening guidelines among first-degree relatives of patients with early-onset colorectal cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective and qualitative study involving a telephone survey where patients were asked about relative's screening status and barriers to screening. SETTINGS: Two community-based institutions between January 2018 and December 2021. PATIENTS: Individuals diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer who had undergone surgery at our institutions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of screening in first-degree relatives of our patients with early-onset colorectal cancer. Other factors measured included demographics, clinicopathologic characteristics, and screening barriers. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were identified. The survey response rate was 66.6% (n = 24). A total of 88 first-degree relatives who met the screening criteria resulted in 67.1% of patients (n = 59) having a known screening status. Of the 59 patients with known screening status, only 44% (n = 26) had undergone screening. Patients of Black race, having stage III/IV disease, having Medicare/Medicaid insurance, and living within Baltimore City County were more likely to have family members with unknown or no screening. Lack of insurance coverage was the most common barrier, which was noted in 12.5% of patients (n = 3), whereas 54.1% of patients (n = 13) reported no barriers to screening. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS: Most first-degree relatives of patients diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer do not undergo colorectal cancer screening. This could be attributed to the lack of protocols that could guarantee these individuals are informed of their elevated risk and the different options available for screening. Furthermore, our study suggests that racial and socioeconomic disparities exist among high-risk patients who should pursue screening. See Video Abstract . BAJAS TASAS DE DETECCIN DEL CNCER COLORRECTAL EN LOS FAMILIARES DE PRIMER GRADO DE NUESTROS PACIENTES LES ESTAMOS FALLANDO: ANTECEDENTES:Las directrices recomiendan realizar pruebas de detección a las personas con antecedentes familiares de cáncer colorrectal de aparición temprana a los 40 años o 10 años antes de la edad del diagnóstico de su familiar. Actualmente, no hay literatura que informe la tasa de detección en estos individuos y no existen protocolos para identificar y dirigirse a esta población para concientizar sobre la detección.OBJETIVO:Evaluar el cumplimiento de las pautas de detección actuales entre los FDR de pacientes con cáncer colorrectal de aparición temprana.DISEÑO:Estudio retrospectivo y cualitativo que incluyó una encuesta telefónica en la que se preguntó a los pacientes sobre el estado de detección de sus familiares y las barreras para la detección.AJUSTES:Dos instituciones comunitarias entre enero de 2018 y diciembre de 2021.PACIENTES:Personas diagnosticadas con cáncer colorrectal de inicio temprano que habían sido intervenidas quirúrgicamente en nuestras instituciones.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Tasa de detección en familiares de primer grado de nuestros pacientes con cáncer colorrectal de aparición temprana. Otros factores medidos incluyeron datos demográficos, características clínico-patológicas y barreras de detección.RESULTADOS:Se identificaron treinta y seis pacientes. La tasa de respuesta a la encuesta fue del 66,6% (n = 24). Resultaron un total de 88 familiares de primer grado que cumplieron con los criterios para la detección, y el 67,1% (n = 59) tenía un estado de detección conocido. De los 59 con estado de detección conocido, se informó que solo el 44% (n = 26) se había sometido a pruebas de detección. Los pacientes de raza afroamericana, enfermedad en etapa III/IV, Medicare/Medicaid y que vivían dentro del condado de la ciudad de Baltimore tenían más probabilidades de tener familiares con pruebas de detección desconocidas o sin ellas. La falta de cobertura de seguro fue la barrera más común observada por el 12,5% (n = 3); mientras que el 54,1% (n = 13) no informó ninguna barrera para el cribado.LIMITACIONES:Diseño retrospectivo.CONCLUSIONES:La mayoría de los familiares de primer grado de pacientes diagnosticados con cáncer colorrectal de aparición temprana no se someten a pruebas de detección de cáncer colorrectal. Esto podría atribuirse a la falta de protocolos que garanticen que estas personas estén informadas sobre su elevado riesgo y las diferentes opciones disponibles para el cribado. Además, nuestro estudio sugiere que existen disparidades raciales y socioeconómicas entre los pacientes de alto riesgo que deberían someterse a pruebas de detección. (Traducción-Dr. Francisco M. Abarca-Rendon).

Efficacy and safety of 0.05% micellar nano-particulate (MNP) cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion in the treatment of moderate-to-severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca: a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, active-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca or dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disorder underpinned by a complex inflammatory cycle. Introduction of topical cyclosporine has been a significant advance in the management of DED. In recent years advancements in formulation technology have led to development of micellar nano-particulate (MNP) cyclosporine formulations that promise better penetration into ocular target tissues and potential for reduced ocular surface irritation. METHODS: We compared two dosing regimes of a proprietary MNP cyclosporine emulsion with the widely marketed topical cyclosporine formulation Restasis™ in a multicenter parallel-group randomised trial in patients with DED. Patients were randomised to one of 3 treatment groups with 90 patients eligible for the per protocol analysis: 30 in the higher dose test arm A; 32 in the lower dose test arm B; and 28 in the Restasis™ control arm C. All scored efficacy endpoints were tested for significance by comparing the mean change in scores from baseline in the test groups with that in the control group at 12 weeks, using the Student's t test. Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used to test individual symptom scores and clinician's global evaluation of treatment grades. RESULTS: Corneal fluorescein staining score, the primary efficacy endpoint, decreased by 6.8 ± 4.0, 5.7 ± 3.9, and 4.6 ± 3.6 points in the 3 groups respectively, indicating superior efficacy in test arm A in comparison to control arm C (p = 0.0026). Schirmer's tear test, conjunctival lissamine staining score, ocular surface disease index, and individual dry eye symptom scores also favoured higher dose MNP cyclosporine over Restasis™. The study failed to differentiate the treatment arms in terms of clinician's global evaluation of treatment, use of tear substitutes, best corrected visual acuity or safety and toleration. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the dose of 1 drop of a 0.05% w/v ophthalmic emulsion of MNP cyclosporine administered topically twice daily yields better outcomes at 12 weeks than the lower dose tested in the study, and is more efficacious than an equivalent dose of Restasis™, the active control used in the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of India on 29/03/2019, and was assigned registration number CTRI/2019/03/018319.

Effect of low-dose atropine (0.01%) on crystalline lens power among school-aged children with progressive myopia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the change in crystalline lens power (LP) in a cohort of Indian children with progressive myopia receiving atropine (0.01%) compared with an untreated control group. DESIGN: Nonrandomised clinical trial. METHODS: The study included 120 children (70 in the atropine group; 50 in the control group) with progressive myopia (≥0.5 D/year) with a 1-year follow-up. The atropine group received 0.01% atropine eye drops once daily in both eyes, whereas the control group received no treatment. Changes in cycloplegic spherical equivalent, axial length (AL), keratometry (KER), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and lens thickness (LT) were recorded. LP was calculated using the formula proposed by Bennett. RESULTS: Mean myopia progression at year 1 was significantly less in the atropine group (-0.18 D [0.2]) than in the control group (-0.59 [0.21]; p < 0.001). The increase in AL was significantly different between the two groups (atropine: 0.21 mm [0.12]; control: 0.29 mm [0.11], p < 0.001). A significantly greater loss of LP was noted in the atropine group (-0.67 D [0.34]) than in the placebo group (-0.28 D [0.42]; p < 0.001). The change in LT was significantly different between the atropine and control groups (p = 0.02), whereas the change in ACD and KER was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The greater loss of LP could contribute to the anti-myopia effect of atropine and should therefore be evaluated in studies reporting the efficacy of atropine on myopia to assess its actual effect on myopic progression.

Evaluation of Visual Outcome of 2 Phakic Posterior Chamber Implantable Lenses in High Myopia: A Comparative Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the visual outcomes of two phakic intraocular lenses in high myopia. METHODS: A prospective comparative study was undertaken on 50 eyes of 26 patients {age ≥21 years and divided into two groups (implantable collamer lens [ICL] V4c, n=25 eyes and refractive implantable lens [RIL], n=25 eyes)}. Patients were evaluated for uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected distance visual acuity, manifest refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE), contrast sensitivity, intraocular pressure, dilated fundus examination, trabecular-iris angle (TIA), anterior chamber depth, horizontal white-to-white diameter, wavefront aberrometry, and endothelial cell (EC) count. All patients were followed up until 6 months and additionally evaluated for anterior chamber inflammation, cataract, and lens vault. RESULTS: The baseline parameters (UCVA, MRSE, and EC count) and postoperative improvement in UCVA, contrast sensitivity, MRSE, EC loss, safety index, and efficacy index were comparable between both the lenses. The improvement in aberrometric profile was significantly better in the ICL group. The mean postoperative vault was higher in RIL group (434.88±162.48 µm vs. 547.24±159.83 µm, P=0.0173); however, the vault was within normal range in both the groups. The decrease in mean TIA was significantly higher in RIL group (8.58 vs. 13.45 µm, P=0.0073). CONCLUSION: Acrylic phakic lens can be considered as a suitable alternative to collamer lens for refractive correction of high myopia. The collamer lenses showed slight superiority in some qualitative visual parameters; however, collamer lenses do not present with subjective complaints in the patients.

Acute Hyperenergetic, High-Fat Feeding Increases Circulating FGF21, LECT2, and Fetuin-A in Healthy Men.

BACKGROUND: Hepatokines such as fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2), fetuin-A, fetuin-B, and selenoprotein P (SeP) are liver-derived proteins that are modulated by chronic energy status and metabolic disease. Emerging data from rodent and cell models indicate that hepatokines may be sensitive to acute nutritional manipulation; however, data in humans are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the influence of hyperenergetic, high-fat feeding on circulating hepatokine concentrations, including the time course of responses. METHODS: In a randomized, crossover design, 12 healthy men [mean ± SD: age, 24 ± 4 y; BMI (kg/m2), 24.1 ± 1.5] consumed a 7-d hyperenergetic, high-fat diet [HE-HFD; +50% energy, 65% total energy as fat (32% saturated, 26% monounsaturated, 8% polyunsaturated)] and control diet (36% total energy as fat), separated by 3 wk. Whole-body insulin sensitivity was assessed before and after each diet using oral-glucose-tolerance tests. Fasting plasma concentrations of FGF21 (primary outcome), LECT2, fetuin-A, fetuin-B, SeP, and related metabolites were measured after 1, 3, and 7 d of each diet. Hepatokine responses were analyzed using 2-factor repeated-measures ANOVA and subsequent pairwise comparisons. RESULTS: Compared with the control, the HE-HFD increased circulating FGF21 at 1 d (105%) and 3 d (121%; P ≤ 0.040), LECT2 at 3 d (17%) and 7 d (32%; P ≤ 0.004), and fetuin-A at 7 d (7%; P = 0.028). Plasma fetuin-B and SeP did not respond to the HE-HFD. Whole-body insulin sensitivity was reduced after the HE-HFD by 31% (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Acute high-fat overfeeding augments circulating concentrations of FGF21, LECT2, and fetuin-A in healthy men. Notably, the time course of response varies between proteins and is transient for FGF21. These findings provide further insight into the nutritional regulation of hepatokines in humans and their interaction with metabolic homeostasis. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03369145.

High performance asymmetric supercapacitor based on vertical nanowire arrays of a novel Ni@Co-Fe LDH core@shell as negative and Ni(OH)2 as positive electrode.

An efficient synthesis of the electrode material with abundant active sites is imperative for obtaining a flexible supercapacitor with excellent electrochemical performance. Herein, a novel flexible Ni@Co-Fe LDH core-shell nanowires supercapacitor negative electrode is synthesized using polycarbonate membrane on a copper substrate via an electrochemical deposition technique. The synthesized battery-type negative electrode exhibits remarkable specific capacitance of 1289 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and excellent cycling stability with 76.66% capacitive retention after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the Ni(OH)2//Ni@Co-Fe LDH nanowires based asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling stability of 90.49% after 1000 cycles with a highest energy density of 68 Wh kg-1 at 0.38 KW kg-1, and a good energy density of 31.8 Wh kg-1 is still attained at a high power density of 6 KW kg-1. For practical demonstration, a white LED of 3.3 V is lit by using two asymmetrical supercapacitor devices connected in series. The device offers a favorable and effective pathway for advanced energy storage.

The role of an unintentional carbon dopant in resolving the controversial conductivity aspects in BiFeO3.

Light elements like carbon may enter unintentionally into a material during material processing owing to their ubiquitous nature, and may significantly influence its observed electronic and magnetic properties. In the present work, the energetics and kinetics of carbon impurity related defects in BiFeO3 (BFO) are studied using first principles calculations in order to gain insight into the ongoing controversial aspects of conductivity of BFO. The results suggest that oxygen deficient conditions provide a favorable chemical environment for incorporation of carbon in BFO. Calculations based on the formation energy predict that carbon can spontaneously occupy interstitials, O, and Fe sites in BFO (where it is found to introduce impurity induced shallow acceptor type states at an energy of 0.05 eV above the valence band maximum). Carbon occupying cationic sites (CBi and CFe) tends to ionize their vacancies (VBi and VFe), resulting in the formation of a CO3 cluster, whereas it induces localized electron traps with energy levels composed of impurity states near the center of the band gap (0.9 eV above the valence band maximum) when occupying interstitial sites in BFO. An understanding of the migration of C impurity in BFO is developed, which suggests the favorable incorporation of carbon impurity via a vacancy mechanism. In order to confirm the theoretical results, experimental studies are carried out where BFO and carbon doped BFO (BCFO) thin films are grown by the pulsed laser deposition technique. Polycrystalline pure phase (R3c) thin films of BFO and BCFO are obtained. The presence of defect states in the deposited thin films is optically analyzed by the photoluminescence (PL) technique. In order to highlight the critical role of carbon in modifying the electrical conductivity of BFO, a BCFO/BFO/ITO based p-i-n heterojunction is prepared. The electrical characteristics depict remarkable rectifying characteristics, thus suggesting the p-type nature of carbon dopant in otherwise intrinsic BFO.

Peripapillary Retinal and Choroidal Perfusion in Nonarteritic Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

SIGNIFICANCE: Nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) has been linked with vascular insufficiency, although the pathophysiology remains elusive. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a promising technology that noninvasively evaluates optic disc perfusion and that may help to characterize peripapillary vascular changes in NAION. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate peripapillary vascularity in NAION eyes and to compare it with fellow unaffected eyes and healthy control eyes using OCTA. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, OCTA of the optic nerve head was obtained in 10 nonacute unilateral NAION and 12 healthy age-matched controls using ZEISS Angioplex. Quantitative analysis of peripapillary retinal and choroidal vascularity of NAION eyes was done using the instrument's inbuilt algorithm and ImageJ software and compared with fellow and control eyes. RESULTS: Mean total peripapillary superficial retinal vessel and perfusion density as calculated by the instrument was significantly reduced in NAION eyes compared with fellow eyes (13.93 ± 4.27 mm/0.36 ± 0.07 for NAION eyes; 17.77 ± 1.26 mm/0.43 ± 0.08 for fellow eyes; P = .01/P = .05). Using the ImageJ software technique, the mean superficial retinal perfusion was found to be significantly reduced in NAION eyes (0.17 ± 0.07) compared with fellow eyes (0.25 ± 0.06; P < .01) and control eyes (0.25 ± 0.04; P < .01). At the level of choriocapillaris, it was not significantly affected in NAION eyes (0.37 ± 0.13) versus fellow (0.34 ± 0.14; P = .1) and control eyes (0.31 ± 0.34; P = .83). Analysis with the two techniques yielded differing results: the ImageJ analysis technique found a 32% reduction in superficial retinal perfusion in NAION eyes, whereas the instrument's inbuilt algorithm found a 16% reduction compared with fellow and control eyes (P ≤.01). CONCLUSIONS: Peripapillary vascularity can be estimated both at the retinal and choroidal levels using ImageJ software to analyze OCTA images. Retinal peripapillary vascularity is compromised in NAION eyes, but vascularity is not significantly affected at the choroidal level.

Impact of A-D-A-Structured Dithienosilole- and Phenoxazine-Based Small Molecular Material for Bulk Heterojunction and Dopant-Free Perovskite Solar Cells.

Herein, the synthesis of the novel acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A)-structured small molecule Si-PO-2CN based on dithienosilole (DTS) as building block flanked by electron-rich phenoxazine (POZ) units, which are terminated with dicyanovinylene, is presented. Si-PO-2CN showed unique electrochemical and photophysical properties and has been successfully employed in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs). The PSCs fabricated with dopant-free Si-PO-2CN as hole-transport material (HTM) exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.1 % (active area=1.02 cm2 ). Additionally, a PCE of 5.6 % has been achieved for OSCs, which employed Si-PO-2CN as p-type donor material when blended with a [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71 BM) acceptor. The versatile application of Si-PO-2CN provides a pathway for further implementation of DTS-based building blocks in solar cells for designing new molecules.

CdSe/V2O5 core/shell quantum dots decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding application.

The present work reports nanocomposite of CdSe/V2O5 core-shell quantum dots with reduced graphene oxide (rGO-V-CdSe), as an efficient lightweight electromagnetic wave shielding material, synthesized by a simplistic solvothermal approach. The as-synthesized nanocomposite was analyzed for its structural, compositional and morphological features by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The measurement of complex permittivity/permeability and total shielding efficiency of the as-synthesized samples has been done in a wide frequency range of 8-12 GHz (X-band). Compared to rGO and rGO-CdSe, rGO-V-CdSe nanocomposite exhibits significantly enhanced EMI shielding properties in terms of both dielectric loss and total shielding SE T . The high value of real permittivity (average ε'∼70) and the overall shielding effectiveness up to ∼38 dB have been recorded for rGO-V-CdSe nanocomposite. The studies also infer that the absorption contributes more in total shielding than reflection. The high value of dielectric loss and shielding effectiveness could also be attributed to the presence of various defects leading to dipolar and interfacial polarizations. The excellent EMI shielding properties of the nanocomposite in GHz frequency range (X-band) pave an intuitive way for fabricating a versatile EMI shielding nanocomposite material for applications.

Ovarian cancer: screening and future directions.

Ovarian cancer carries a lifetime risk of approximately 2% for women and is the leading cause of death from any gynecologic malignancy. Currently, no screening program for ovarian cancer exists for the general population in the UK. This review focuses on the evidence surrounding the efficacy of current markers and discusses future improvements in screening for this disease. One-off cancer antigen 125 (CA125) measurements for detecting ovarian cancer have been well researched. However, studies have highlighted low positive predictive values (5%) and high false positive rates leading to patient anxiety and unnecessary invasive follow-up. Commonly, in the UK, CA125 is combined with transvaginal ultrasound, but there is little evidence that this approach can decrease mortality from ovarian cancer. Recently the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm, involving a combination of serial CA125 measurements and age, has been shown to detect more early stage cancers. Nevertheless, these measures are not robust in decreasing mortality from ovarian cancer and are costly to implement. Newer markers, such as human epididymis protein 4, have shown greater specificity. Its combination with CA125 and menopausal status in the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm can predict the risk of malignancy but provides no additional benefit as a screening tool. Advanced techniques are emerging, including ultrasound molecular imaging techniques using microbubbles targeted to kinase domain receptors, and fallopian tube cytology. To reduce mortality from ovarian cancer, detection of pre-invasive lesions is imperative as ovarian cancer may develop in the fallopian tube and spread to the peritoneal cavity before being detected systemically. It seems that screening tools for ovarian cancer are currently not worthwhile for implementation into a national program. An emphasis on reducing false positives rates, associated anxiety and subsequent overdiagnosis is needed.

Tunable nanostructured columnar growth of SnO2 for efficient detection of CO gas.

The present work is focused on the growth and modification of the columnar nanostructures of SnO2 using a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) assisted rf sputtering technique for low temperature detection of carbon monoxide (CO) gas. The GLAD angle and deposition pressure are optimized to tailor the grow of columnar nanostructures of SnO2, which exhibit an enhanced gas sensing response of 1.50 × 102 towards 500 ppm of CO gas at a comparatively lower operating temperature of 110 °C. The enhanced sensing response at low operating temperature is related to the growth of nanoporous columnar structures of SnO2 thin film under the GLAD configuration, which results in an enhanced interaction of target CO gas molecules with the large surface area of sensing SnO2 thin film. The origin of the sensing mechanism supporting the observed response characteristics towards CO gas is identified and discussed in detail.

Lightweight reduced graphene oxide-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite in the quest for an excellent electromagnetic interference shielding material.

This work reports a detailed study of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite as an excellent electromagnetic (EM) interference shielding material in GHz range. A rGO-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite was synthesized using a facile, one step, and modified solvothermal method with the reaction of FeCl3, ethylenediamine and graphite oxide powder in the presence of ethylene glycol. Various structural, microstructural and optical characterization tools were used to determine its synthesis and various properties. Dielectric, magnetic and EM shielding parameters were also evaluated to estimate its performance as a shielding material for EM waves. X-ray diffraction patterns have provided information about the structural and crystallographic properties of the as-synthesized material. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs revealed the information regarding the exfoliation of graphite into rGO. Well-dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles over the surface of the graphene can easily be seen by employing transmission electron microscopy. For comparison, rGO nanosheets and Fe3O4 nanoparticles have also been synthesized and characterized in a similar fashion. A plot of the dielectric and magnetic characterizations provides some useful information related to various losses and the relaxation process. Shielding effectiveness due to reflection (SER), shielding effectiveness due to absorption (SEA), and total shielding effectiveness (SET) were also plotted against frequency over a broad range (8-12 GHz). A significant change in all parameters (SEA value from 5 dB to 35 dB for Fe3O4 nanoparticles to rGO-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite) was found. An actual shielding effectiveness (SET) up to 55 dB was found in the rGO-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite. These graphs give glimpses of how significantly this material shows shielding effectiveness over a broad range of frequency.

Nanostructured NiO-based reagentless biosensor for total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein detection.

Nanostructured nickel oxide (NiO) thin film has been explored as a matrix to develop a reagentless biosensor for free and total cholesterol as well as low density lipoprotein (LDL) detection. The redox property of the matrix has been exploited to enhance the electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode as well as to eliminate the toxic mediator in solution. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were carried out to characterize the NiO thin film. Biosensing response studies were accomplished using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The developed biosensors exhibited a high sensitivity of 27 and 63 µA/mM/cm2 over a linear range of 0.12-10.23 and 1-12 mM, respectively, for free and total cholesterol. Reagentless estimation of LDL was also achieved over the wide range 0.018-0.5 µM with a sensitivity of 0.12 mA/µM/cm2. The results are extremely promising for the realization of an integrated biosensor for complete detection of cholesterol in the serum samples. Graphical Abstract Reagentless sensing mechanism of (a) free cholesterol and (b) total cholesterol using nanostructured NiO matrix.

Trends in survival of patients with primary plasma cell leukemia: a population-based analysis.

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare malignancy with an aggressive course and poor outcome. There has been significant improvement in the survival of multiple myeloma patients over the past decade as a result of incorporating autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and novel agents into treatment regimens. However, it is unknown whether these therapies have had a similar impact on the survival of patients with pPCL. We conducted an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to evaluate the trends in survival of 445 patients with pPCL between 1973 and 2009. The widespread availability of ASCT and use of novel agents in the upfront setting of multiple myeloma and pPCL began after 1995 and 2006, respectively. The median overall survival based on periods of diagnosis were 5, 6, 4, and 12 months for those diagnosed during 1973-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, and 2006-2009, respectively (P = .001). Thus, the current study confirms the recent survival improvement in pPCL within a large US population that may be associated with the use of better therapeutic strategies.

Highly Directional 1D Supramolecular Assembly of New Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Gel for Organic Solar Cell Applications.

A new thermoreversible organogel based on diketopyrrolopyrrole dye (DPP-NCO) is reported for the first time and evolved as a new building block for the fabrication of 1D supramolecular assembly. AFM analysis illustrated that its gel state is composed of different sized 1D rods. DPP-NCO gel used as an additive in organic solar cells yields high efficiency of 7.9% owing to better nanophase separation of its active layer.

An Update on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome-Pathogenesis, Risks, and Treatment.

Alcohol is a well-established teratogen that can cause variable physical and behavioral effects on the fetus. The most severe condition in this spectrum of diseases is known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The differences in maternal and fetal enzymes, in terms of abundance and efficiency, in addition to reduced elimination, allow for alcohol to have a prolonged effect on the fetus. This can act as a teratogen through numerous methods including reactive oxygen species (generated as by products of CYP2E1), decreased endogenous antioxidant levels, mitochondrial damage, lipid peroxidation, disrupted neuronal cell-cell adhesion, placental vasoconstriction, and inhibition of cofactors required for fetal growth and development. More recently, alcohol has also been shown to have epigenetic effects. Increased fetal exposure to alcohol and sustained alcohol intake during any trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of FAS. Other risk factors include genetic influences, maternal characteristics, for example, lower socioeconomic statuses and smoking, and paternal chronic alcohol use. The treatment options for FAS have recently started to be explored although none are currently approved clinically. These include prenatal antioxidant administration food supplements, folic acid, choline, neuroactive peptides, and neurotrophic growth factors. Tackling the wider impacts of FAS, such as comorbidities, and the family system have been shown to improve the quality of life of FAS patients. This review aimed to focus on the pathogenesis, especially mechanisms of alcohol teratogenicity, and risks of developing FAS. Recent developments in potential management strategies, including prenatal interventions, are discussed.