Dimethyl-Dioctadecyl-Ammonium Bromide/Poly(lactic acid) Nanoadjuvant Enhances the Immunity and Cross-Protection of an NM2e-Based Universal Influenza Vaccine.

For most frequent respiratory viruses, there is an urgent need for a universal influenza vaccine to provide cross-protection against intra- and heterosubtypes. We previously developed an Escherichia coli fusion protein expressed extracellular domain of matrix 2 (M2e) and nucleoprotein, named NM2e, and then combined it with an aluminum adjuvant, forming a universal vaccine. Although NM2e has demonstrated a protective effect against the influenza virus in mice to some extent, further improvement is still needed for the induction of immune responses ensuring adequate cross-protection against influenza. Herein, we fabricated a cationic solid lipid nanoadjuvant using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and dimethyl-dioctadecyl-ammonium bromide (DDAB) and loaded NM2e to generate an NM2e@DDAB/PLA nanovaccine (Nv). In vitro experiments suggested that bone marrow-derived dendritic cells incubated with Nv exhibited ∼4-fold higher antigen (Ag) uptake than NM2e at 16 h along with efficient activation by NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv. In vivo experiments revealed that Ag of the Nv group stayed in lymph nodes (LNs) for more than 14 days after initial immunization and DCs in LNs were evidently activated and matured. Furthermore, the Nv primed T and B cells for robust humoral and cellular immune responses after immunization. It also induced a ratio of IgG2a/IgG1 higher than that of NM2e to a considerable extent. Moreover, NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv quickly restored body weight and improved survival of homo- and heterosubtype influenza challenged mice, and the cross-protection efficiency was over 90%. Collectively, our study demonstrated that NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv could offer notable protection against homo- and heterosubtype influenza virus challenges, offering the potential for the development of a universal influenza vaccine.

Plasma Circulating Cell-Free DNA Facilitated the Detection of an Alveolar Echinococcosis Patient Initially Misdiagnosed as Cystic Echinococcosis: A Case Report.

Echinococcosis, especially alveolar echinococcosis (AE), is becoming an emerging/re-emerging disease with a growing number of cases reported globally. The diagnosis of echinococcosis is based mainly on imaging, which may be challenging when the image presentation is atypical. We reported one patient with suspected cystic echinococcosis (CE) by imaging. The cell-free DNA (cfDNA) obtained from sequencing the patient's plasma before the operation showed that this patient probably had AE with 45 reads mapped to the Echinococcus multilocularis reference genome (Read-Pairs Per Million = 0.24). The patients underwent surgery, and the pathological result showed that the patient had AE. The conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of her lesion sample extraction also indicated that the infection was caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. The follow-up ultrasound after three months indicated no recurrence. We demonstrated that the differentiation of CE and AE by imaging may not be that easy, with further elaboration on the differentiation between AE and CE in different aspects. We demonstrated that it is possible to use patients' plasma cfDNA mapped to Echinococcus references before the operation to obtain the objective clue of the lesion to facilitate diagnosis.

Visual psychosocial profiling of Chinese temporomandibular disorder pain patients and correlations with somatosensory function.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial function of Chinese temporomandibular disorders (TMD) pain patients and the correlation with somatosensory function has not been sufficiently studied. OBJECTIVE: The study aims at assessing the psychosocial function of Chinese TMD pain patients by visualisation method and evaluating the correlations with somatosensory function quantitatively. METHODS: The Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) questionnaire and standardised quantitative sensory testing (QST) were administered to 70 Chinese TMD pain patients and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). Of these, 40 TMD arthralgia patients received QST before and after medication. Psychosocial and somatosensory parameters were transformed into standardised scores. Differences within groups were assessed through t tests. Correlations between psychosocial and somatosensory profiles were explored through correlation analyses with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: 100% of the Chinese TMD pain patients exhibited psychosocial distress in contrast to HCs. Anger and hostility showed negative correlation with the thermal nonnociceptive parameter (thermal sensory limen, p =.002) and nociceptive parameters (cold pain threshold and pain pressure threshold, p<.001). Correlation analysis indicated that cold detection threshold was negatively correlated with somatization and mechanical pain sensitivity had a negative correlation with anger and hostility through medical treatment (p <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Visual psychosocial profiles provided an easy overview of psychosocial function in Chinese TMD pain patients. Anger and hostility was associated with increased thermal nonnociceptive and nociceptive sensitivity to stimuli. Psychosocial distress might be negatively associated with TMD treatment response which indicated a possible need for psychological intervention during treatment.

Unveiling the flames: macrophage pyroptosis and its crucial role in liver diseases.

Macrophages play a critical role in innate immunity, with approximately 90% of the total macrophage population in the human body residing in the liver. This population encompasses both resident and infiltrating macrophages. Recent studies highlight the pivotal role of liver macrophages in various aspects such as liver inflammation, regeneration, and immune regulation. A novel pro-inflammatory programmed cell death, pyroptosis, initially identified in macrophages, has garnered substantial attention since its discovery. Studies investigating pyroptosis and inflammation progression have particularly centered around macrophages. In liver diseases, pyroptosis plays an important role in driving the inflammatory response, facilitating the fibrotic process, and promoting tumor progression. Notably, the role of macrophage pyroptosis cannot be understated. This review primarily focuses on the role of macrophage pyroptosis in liver diseases. Additionally, it underscores the therapeutic potential inherent in targeting macrophage pyroptosis.

Targeted activation of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer via LGR4 targeting overcomes acquired drug resistance.

Acquired drug resistance is a major challenge for cancer therapy and is the leading cause of cancer mortality; however, the mechanisms of drug resistance are diverse and the strategy to specifically target drug-resistant cancer cells remains an unmet clinical issue. Here, we established a colorectal cancer-derived organoid biobank and induced acquired drug resistance by repeated low-level exposures of chemo-agents. Chemosensitivity profiling and transcriptomic analysis studies revealed that chemoresistant cancer-derived organoids exhibited elevated expression of LGR4 and activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Further, we generated a monoclonal antibody (LGR4-mAb) that potently inhibited LGR4-Wnt signaling and found that treatment with LGR4-mAb notably sensitized drug-induced ferroptosis. Mechanistically, LGR4-dependent Wnt signaling transcriptionally upregulated SLC7A11, a key inhibitor of ferroptosis, to confer acquired drug resistance. Our findings reveal that targeting of Wnt signaling by LGR4-mAb augments ferroptosis when co-administrated with chemotherapeutic agents, demonstrating a potential opportunity to fight refractory and recurrent cancers.

Prevalence of Adeno-Associated Virus-9-Neutralizing Antibody in Chinese Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The delivery of a mini-dystrophin gene to skeletal muscles using recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype (AAV) holds great potential as a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the presence of anti-AAV-neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) may impede the effectiveness of gene transduction. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anti-AAV9 NAbs in Chinese patients with DMD, and to characterize the target population for an AAV gene therapy. A total of one hundred male patients with DMD were included in this study, and demographic and clinical data were collected. A blood specimen was obtained from each participant for the purpose of evaluating the existence of anti-AAV9 NAbs through a cell-based functional assay conducted at a central laboratory. A NAb titer exceeding 1:4 was considered positive. The positivity rates of anti-AAV9 NAb were compared among different subgroups. The median age of this DMD cohort was 8 years old, ranging from 3 to 15 years of age. Forty-two percent of patients tested positive for anti-AAV9 NAb. Notably, all samples from patients under 4 years of age tested negative, and the positivity rates of anti-AAV9 NAb differed significantly across the three age subgroups (<4 years old, ≥4 years old and <12 years old, and ≥12 years old, χ2 = 7.221, p = 0.023). Further investigation into the living environment revealed a higher positivity rate of anti-AAV9 NAb in rural patients compared with urban patients (χ2 = 3.923, p = 0.048). Moreover, the prevalence in patients from different cities/provinces varied greatly (χ2 = 16.550, p = 0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in the positivity rate of NAb among subgroups of patients with different motor functions (ambulatory or nonambulatory) and different treatment strategies (taking or not taking glucocorticoid). In Chinese DMD patients, the prevalence of anti-AAV9 NAb was found to reach 42%. Moreover, the antibody-positive rate in children <4 years of age was low and revealed notable regional discrepancies.

Molecularly imprinted polymer sheathed mesoporous silica tube as SPME fiber coating for determination of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in water.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are probably carcinogenic disinfection byproducts eliciting health risk concerns. The determination and surveillance of TSNAs in water is still cumbersome due to the lack of advanced sample preparation methods. Herein, we prepared a solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coated with the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sheathed mesoporous silica tube (MST) composite material, and developed a highly efficient, selective, and sensitive method for the determination of five TSNAs in water. Benefiting from the TSNAs-specific recognition of MIP and the increased specific surface area derived from MST, the MIP@MST fiber exhibited excellent extraction performance for TSNAs, which was much superior to the commercially available SPME fibers. By coupling to high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), the outstanding analytical merits such as low method detection limits (ranging 0.1-6.7 ng L-1) and good reproducibility (intra-fiber and inter-fiber relative standard deviations ranging 4.1 %-11.6 % and 3.5 %-12.2 %, respectively) were achieved with the consumption of 8 mL water sample and 100 µL methanol solvent in 50 min. The feasibility of the SPME-HPLC-MS/MS method was demonstrated in tap water and chloraminated source water, with relative recoveries for the five TSNAs ranging from 85.2 % to 108.5 %. In result, none of the TSNAs were found in the tap water samples, while 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-Butanol (NNAL) were detected in the chloraminated source water samples. The rapid and convenient SPME-HPLC-MS/MS method developed in this study offers a powerful tool for monitoring TSNAs in water.

Ecological risk assessment of the typical anti-epidemic drugs in the Pearl River Delta by tracing their source and residual characteristics.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-epidemic drugs have been used in extraordinary quantities with high intensity, and concerns have grown about their potential ecological risks due to their continued release and persistence in the receiving environments. A systematic investigation, covering the samples from hospital wastewater, effluent from wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRDR), was carried out and aimed at tracing the sources and fate of 30 typical anti-epidemic in different water matrixes and evaluating their ecological risk. The results showed that these typical anti-epidemic drugs residues were detected in most of the sampling sites, with the highest concentration measured in hospital wastewater, whose concentrations were as high as ppb level, while the highest concentration of the surface water samples in tributaries was lower than ppb level. Anti-epidemic drugs contained in hospital wastewater and effluent from WWTPs were the main sources of drug residues in the surface water of this region. In the surface water of PRDR, although the detected concentration anti-epidemic drugs were basically in the range of 0-10 ng/L. The risk quotient of several anti-epidemic drugs, including Ciprofloxacin (CFX), Ofloxacin (OFX), Erythromycin (ETM), Clindamycin (CLI), and Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), was calculated to be a high value, which indicated that they might cause non-negligible ecological risk to the aquatic environment.

Retrospective study of synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint: clinical and histopathologic analysis and the early-stage imaging features.

OBJECTIVE: Herein, we aimed to study the clinical, radiographical, and histopathologic features of synovial chondromatosis in the temporomandibular joint (SC in TMJ) and provide references for early diagnosis and treatment prognosis. STUDY DESIGN: The medical records and imaging examinations of patients with SC in TMJ, diagnosed using postoperative histopathologic examination, were reviewed and analyzed. Among them, 18 cases who lacked calcified loose bodies on spiral computed tomography or cone beam computed tomography (SCT/CBCT) were selected for further study. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients. RESULTS: The study included 100 patients with SC in TMJ, who were predominantly female (male to female: 1:3), and were aged from 21 to 77 years (median, 47). Radiopaque calcified lesions on SCT/CBCT were missing in 18 cases, but cartilaginous nodules were observed during surgery. The cases lacking calcification had a relatively shorter disease course, suggesting they were in the early stages of SC. CONCLUSION: In the early stage of SC, although calcified loose bodies cannot be detected on SCT/CBCT, attention should be paid to the widening of the posterior superior joint space and sclerosis or slight erosion of the joint fossa. Magnetic resonance imaging would be helpful to detect the early-stage SC in TMJ.

Thrombosis density ratio can predict the occurrence of pulmonary embolism and post-thrombotic syndrome in lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) formation of lower extremities can lead to serious complications including pulmonary embolism (PE) and chronic post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). We aimed to explore the relationship between the ratio of thrombotic density and the occurrence of PE and PTS in patients with DVT of the lower extremities. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted in patients who performed computed tomography venography, dividing into DVT with PE group (54 patients) and DVT-alone group (34 patients), The clinical data were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analysis variables associated with PE. The ability of thrombosis density ratio and Wells score to diagnose PE was evaluated by using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) area under the curve (AUC). According to the treatment and follow-up results, subgroup analysis was performed, and the Villata score was used to determine the presence or absence of PTS and its severity. RESULTS: Compare with the DVT-alone group, more patients had dyspnea and chest pain in the DVT with PE group. DVT with PE group had lower the percentage of neutrophils, white blood cell count and platelet count, while had higher blood cell count, D-dimer, wells score, thrombus and thrombus density ratio. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that percentage of neutrophils (OR(95% CIs)=1.15 (1.01,1.31), P = 0.040), platelets (OR(95% CIs)=0.96 (0.93,0.99), P = 0.011), and thrombus density ratio (OR(95% CIs)=5.99 (1.96,18.35), P = 0.002) are independent predictors of PE. The Wells score and thrombosis density ratio were consistent in the diagnostic efficacy of PE. In the subgroup analysis, there was a relevance between the ratio of thrombosis density and the Villalta score. CONCLUSION: Percentage of neutrophils, platelets, and thrombus density ratio are independent predictors of PE. The thrombosis density of DVT patients may be an index to predict the risk of PE and PTS in DVT patients.

Analysis of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Children in Shenyang, China, 2017-2021.

Objective: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in children seriously threatens TB control. Information on the epidemiology and characteristics of DR-TB in children in China is limited. We studied data in Shenyang Tenth People's Hospital to understand the DR-TB epidemiology in children in Shenyang. Design or Methods: We retrospectively analyzed drug resistance testing data of pediatric TB patients between 2017 and 2021, and included 2976 clinically-diagnosed pediatric TB patients. We described the epidemiology of DR-TB and analyzed the trends of DR-TB incidence. The Kappa value was calculated to assess the agreement between MGIT 960 DST and Xpert MTB/RIF for detecting rifampicin resistance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for DR-TB in pediatric patients. Results: Of the 2976 TB patients, 1076 were confirmed by MGIT 960 culture and/or Xpert MTB/RIF. Among the 806 patients identified by MGIT 960 culture, 232 cases (28.78%) were DR-TB. Resistance to the six drugs was in the following order: streptomycin (21.09%), isoniazid (9.35%), rifampin (15.01%), levofloxacin (6.20%), ethambutol (4.22%), and amikacin (3.23%). Alarmingly, 12.90% were MDR-TB (104/806), including 28 (3.47%) pre-XDR-TB. Of the 1076 pediatric TB patients, 295 (27.4%) developed DR-TB to any one drug (including 69 rifampicin-resistant cases identified by Xpert MTB/RIF only). No difference was found in the incidence of pediatric DR-TB between 2017 and 2021. Among 376 patients who were positive for both methods, using the MGIT 960 DST results as the gold standard, Xpert MTB/RIF's sensitivity for detecting rifampicin resistance was 91.38% and its specificity was 94.65%. Conclusion: Between 2017 and 2021, the DR-TB incidence in children remained unchanged in Shenyang. RR-TB, MDR-TB, and even Pre-XDR-TB require attention in children with drug-resistant TB. Xpert MTB/RIF helped to detect more rifampicin-resistant pediatric patients; thus Xpert MTB/RIF should be widely used as an important complementary tool to detect rifampicin-resistant TB in children.

Quantitative assessment of condylar bone resorption using fused CBCT images: differentiating and diagnosing three distinct groups based on volume and thickness decrease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the accuracy of fused CBCT images in diagnosing three distinct groups of bone changes characterized by volume and thickness decrease in patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis (TMJ OA) during follow-up. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 109 patients (176 TMJs) with TMJ OA were included. Two consecutive CBCT images for the same patient were registered and fused. Then, three image sets were established: without fusion, fused 2D image, and fused 3D image. Three residents randomly and independently evaluated whether there was condylar resorption with the three image sets respectively. The samples diagnosed as condylar resorption by the expert panel were divided into three subgroups according to the volume and thickness decrease calculated after segmentation. The inter- and intraobserver agreement, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and area under the curve (AUC) evaluated the diagnostic capability for different subgroups. RESULTS: For the volume decrease more than 50 mm3 and thickness decrease more than 1 mm groups, the AUC values for fused image sets were higher than those without fusion (p < 0.01). For the volume decrease within 50 mm3 and thickness decrease within 1 mm groups, the AUC values for fused 2D image sets were higher than the image sets without fusion (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the fused 3D image sets and the image sets without fusion (p = 0.48 for volume decrease, p = 0.37 for thickness decrease). CONCLUSIONS: The fused images can improve the diagnostic accuracy and repeatability for the samples with at least 50 mm3 volume decrease or 1 mm thickness decrease compared with the image groups without fusion.

NRF1-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis antagonizes innate antiviral immunity.

Mitochondrial biogenesis is the process of generating new mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis. Here, we report that viruses exploit mitochondrial biogenesis to antagonize innate antiviral immunity. We found that nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF1), a vital transcriptional factor involved in nuclear-mitochondrial interactions, is essential for RNA (VSV) or DNA (HSV-1) virus-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. NRF1 deficiency resulted in enhanced innate immunity, a diminished viral load, and morbidity in mice. Mechanistically, the inhibition of NRF1-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis aggravated virus-induced mitochondrial damage, promoted the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), increased the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and activated the innate immune response. Notably, virus-activated kinase TBK1 phosphorylated NRF1 at Ser318 and thereby triggered the inactivation of the NRF1-TFAM axis during HSV-1 infection. A knock-in (KI) strategy that mimicked TBK1-NRF1 signaling revealed that interrupting the TBK1-NRF1 connection ablated mtDNA release and thereby attenuated the HSV-1-induced innate antiviral response. Our study reveals a previously unidentified antiviral mechanism that utilizes a NRF1-mediated negative feedback loop to modulate mitochondrial biogenesis and antagonize innate immune response.

Divergent temporal changes of heavy metals in the soil induced by natural versus anthropogenic forces: A case study in the Yangtze River delta area, China.

The contributions of natural versus anthropogenic forces on temporal changes of metals in the soil of the Yangtze River delta region were successfully quantified by combining repeated soil sampling, geostatistics and the modified principal component scores and multiple linear regressions approach. The findings show that the mean concentrations of Cu, Cd, As, Hg, Cr and Ni generally exhibited a decrease trend from 2010 to 2020. The decline of soil Hg was most outstanding, decreased by 20 % as a whole. The result of the modified principal component scores and multiple linear regressions approach suggests that the decrease of Hg content was predominately driven by the geochemical processes, with 48 % contribution. The mean soil Pb concentration increased by 40 % from 2010 to 2020. Approximately 76 % of the Pb change was attributed to the strengthened development of Pb-containing battery industry in the south part of the Yangtze River delta region. The Pb battery industry development also contributed 48 % of the change of Cd. The anthropogenic activities involving Cu, Zn or fossil fuel consumption contributed 32-35 % of the changes of As, Cu and Zn concentrations in the soil, and the steel industries contributed 82 % of Cr and 60 % of Ni changes, respectively.

Network pharmacology prediction and molecular docking-based strategy to discover the potential pharmacological mechanism of action of Wang Bu Liu Xing (Semen vaccariae) for colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Wang Bu Liu Xing [Semen vaccariae (SV)] is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ingredient with anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor effects. However, little research has been done on the ingredients found in SV or the putative process by which SV fights CRC, and this paper aims to reveal the components of SV that are effective in treating CRC. Methods: The open database and online platform were used in this study, Symptom Mapping (SymMap) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) for SV ingredient and targets, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of CRC, Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) for Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, STRING-Cytoscape for protein-protein interaction (PPI), AutoDockTools for Molecular docking and others. were conducted to determine how SV affects CRC and what are the most important components, potential targets, and signaling pathways. Results: The findings of the network pharmacology study indicated that swerchirin and CDK2 potential target gene for SV was connected to anti-CRC actions. SV may inhibit CRC by interacting with crucial targets like BCL2L1, CDK2, and SERPINE1. Additionally, KEGG analysis revealed that the p53 signaling pathway may be a driver of the anti-CRC impact of SV. Molecular docking showed that swerchirin can bind with its target protein in a good bond by intermolecular force. Conclusions: In this study, the pharmacological effects of SV were examined, along with its potential therapeutic impact on CRC. These effects of SV appear to be mediated via a variety of substances, targets, and pathways. SV exerts pharmacological effects in CRC, p53 signaling pathway is great value. The main molecular docking is CDK2 and swerchirin. Moreover, our research offers a promising method for characterizing therapeutic pathways and identifying molecules in TCM.

A novel high-stability bioelectrochemical sensor based on sol-gel immobilization of lactate dehydrogenase and AuNPs-rGO signal enhancement for serum pyruvate detection.

Pyruvate participates in diverse metabolic pathways in the body and is normally present in human blood at 40-120 µM, with concentrations outside this range associated with various diseases. Therefore, accurate and stable blood pyruvate level tests are necessary for effective disease detection. However, traditional analytical techniques require complicated instrumentation and are time consuming and expensive, prompting researchers to develop improved methods based on biosensors and bioassays. Here, we designed a highly stable bioelectrochemical pyruvate sensor affixed to a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). To maximize biosensor stability, 0.1 U of lactate dehydrogenase was affixed to the GCE using a sol-gel process, resulting in generation of Gel/LDH/GCE. Next, 2.0 mg/mL AuNPs-rGO was added to enhance current signal strength, resulting in generation of the bioelectrochemical sensor Gel/AuNPs-rGO/LDH/GCE. AuNPs-rGO synthesized in advance was verified as correct using transmission electron microscopy and UV-Vis, Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Pyruvate detection conducted via differential pulse voltammetry in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 100 mM) at 37 °C for 1-4500 µM pyruvate provided detection sensitivity as high as 254.54 µA/mM/cm2. The reproducibility, regenerability and storage stability were analyzed with the relative standard deviation of 5 bioeletrochemical sensors detection was 4.60% and biosensor accuracy after 9 cycles was 92%, with accuracy remaining at 86% after 7 days. In the presence of D-glucose, citric acid, dopamine, uric acid and ascorbic acid, the Gel/AuNPs-rGO/LDH/GCE sensor exhibited excellent stability, high anti-interference ability and better performance than conventional spectroscopic methods for detection of pyruvate in artificial serum.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Inorganic Phosphates in the Water Environment by Biosensors Based on Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

The accurate detection of phosphate in water is very important to prevent water eutrophication and ensure the health of water quality. However, traditional phosphomolybdenum blue spectrophotometry is not sensitive, is time-consuming, and demands large amounts of chemical reagents. Therefore, highly sensitive, rapid, and environmentally friendly Pi detection methods are urgently needed. Here, we developed a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based biosensor, which can detect Pi in water quickly, highly sensitively, and highly selectively. The NanoLuc and the Venus fluorescent protein were selected as the bioluminescence donor and energy acceptor, respectively. The best-performing BRET sensor variant, VenusΔC10-PΔC12-ΔN4Nluc, was identified by Pi-specific binding protein (PiBP) screening and systematic truncation. Single-factor experiments optimized the key parameters affecting the detection performance of the sensor. Under the optimal detection conditions, the detection limit of this method was 1.3 µg·L-1, the detection range was 3.3-434 µg·L-1, and it had excellent selectivity, repeatability, and stability. This low-cost and environment-friendly BRET sensor showed a good application prospect in real water quality detection.

A study of the diagnostic value of a modified transthoracic lung ultrasound scoring method in interstitial lung disease.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious complication of connective tissue disease (CTD) with significant morbidity and mortality. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has been widely used in the diagnosis of a variety of lung diseases. However, there is no standard ultrasound scanning method or scoring method for connective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD); therefore, it is necessary to establish a set of standard evaluation methods. Methods: A total of 60 consecutive patients with clinically confirmed CTD and suspected ILD were prospectively included in this study. LUS and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were used to examine all patients. The time between HRCT and LUS examinations was less than 2 weeks. The ultrasonographic results were evaluated with the modified scoring method and the Buda scoring method. The imaging results were evaluated with the HRCT Warrick scoring method. The primary aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of a modified ultrasound scoring method in CTD-ILD. Results: The results of the Youden index for the diagnosis of CTD-ILD by the modified method, the Buda method, and the HRCT method were 0.845, 0.711, and 0.911, respectively, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.982 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.945-1.000], 0.950 (95% CI: 0.851-0.990), and 0.985 (95% CI: 0.949-1.000), respectively. With a clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the consistency of the modified method and the HRCT method for CTD-ILD was high (Kappa values =0.872 and 0.913, respectively). The values of the modified method and the Buda method consistently and significantly increased with the increasing severity of CTD-ILD. For the former, there were significant differences between the mild, moderate, and severe groups (P<0.05). The ROC curve used to calculate the modified ultrasound score predicted the critical values of mild and severe pulmonary fibrotic lesions at 34 points (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 92.9%; AUC =0.933; 95% CI: 0.807-1.000) and 64.5 points (sensitivity, 92.0%; specificity, 85.3%; AUC =0.972; 95% CI: 0.929-1.000). Conclusions: The modified ultrasound method has a higher diagnostic value than the Buda method for CTD-ILD.

Trace Metal(loid) Migration from Road Dust to Local Vegetables and Tree Tissues and the Bioaccessibility-Based Health Risk: Impacts of Vehicle Operation-Associated Emissions.

Traffic activities release large amounts of trace metal(loid)s in urban environments. However, the impact of vehicle operation-associated emissions on trace metal(loid) enrichment in road dust and the potential migration of these trace metal(loid)s to the surrounding environment remain unclear. We evaluated the contamination, sequential fraction, and bioaccessibility of trace metal(loid)s in urban environments by assessing their presence in road dust, garden vegetables, and tree tissues, including bark and aerial roots, at a traffic-training venue impacted by vehicle operation emissions and, finally, calculated the bioaccessibility-based health risk. The results indicated a significant accumulation of trace metal(loid)s in road dust, with the highest lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and antimony (Sb) concentrations in the garage entrance area due to higher vehicle volumes, frequent vehicle starts and stops, and lower speeds. Aerial roots exposed to hill start conditions exhibited the highest Pb, Zn, and Sb levels, potentially caused by high road dust resuspension, confirming that this tree tissue is an appropriate bioindicator. Sequential extraction revealed high percentages of carbonate-, Fe/Mn oxide-, and organic/sulphide-associated fractions of Pb, copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in road dust, while most Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb occurred as residual fractions. According to the potential mobilizable fractions in sequential extraction, the in vitro gastrointestinal method could be more suitable than the physiologically based extraction test to evaluate the bioaccessibility-related risk of traffic-impacted road dust. The bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment of the road dust or soil confirmed no concern about noncarcinogenic risk, while the major risk originated from Pb although leaded gasoline was prohibited before the venue establishment. Furthermore, the cancer risks (CRs) analysis showed the probable occurrence of carcinogenic health effects from Cd and Ni to adults and from Cd, Cr, and Ni to children. Furthermore, the Cd and Pb concentrations in the edible leaves of cabbage and radish growing in gardens were higher than the recommended maximum value. This study focused on the health risks of road dust directly impacted by vehicle emissions and provides accurate predictions of trace metal(loid) contamination sources in the urban environment.