Paper-Based Flow Sensor for the Detection of Hyaluronidase via an Enzyme Hydrolysis-Induced Viscosity Change in a Polymer Solution.

Hyaluronidase (HAase) is implicated in inflammation, cancer development, and allergic reaction. The detection of HAase is significantly important in clinical diagnosis and medical treatment. Herein, we propose a new principle for the development of equipment-free and label-free paper-based flow sensors based on the enzymatic hydrolysis-induced viscosity change in a stimuli-responsive polymer solution, which increases the water flow distance on the pH indicator paper. The detection of HAase is demonstrated as an example. This facile and versatile method can overcome the potential drawbacks of traditional hydrogel-based sensors, including complex preparation steps, slow response time, or low sensitivity. Moreover, it can also avoid the use of specialized instruments, labeled molecules, or functionalized nanoparticles in the sensors developed using the polymer solutions. Using this strategy, the detection of HAase is achieved with a limit of detection as low as 0.2 U/mL. Also, it works well in human urine. Additionally, the detection of tannic acid, which is an inhibitor of HAase, is also fulfilled. Overall, a simple, efficient, high-throughput, and low-cost detection method is developed for the rapid and quantitative detection of HAase and its inhibitor without the use of labeled molecules, synthetic particles, and specialized instruments. As only minimal reagents of HAase, HA, and paper are used, it is very promising in the development of commercial kits for point-of-care testing.

The willingness to attend the first dental visit within 1 year of age: An analysis applying Andersen's behavioral model of health service utilization.

BACKGROUND: The first dental visit (FDV) within 1 year of age is important for establishing good oral health behaviors for young children, but delayed FDVs are common. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the predisposing, enabling, and need factors of maternal willingness to attend the FDV for infants. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers of infants aged 11-14 months. A questionnaire was developed based on Andersen's behavioral model of health service utilization. Data regarding the FDV, FDV willingness, and reasons for not attending the FDV were collected. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associated factors. RESULTS: Of 658 infants, only 2.7% (18) had a Thirty percent (191/640) of mothers reported their willingness to attend the FDV in the next 3 months. Nearly two-thirds of mothers reported not attending the FDV since their children's teeth were healthy. Maternal perceptions of their infants' oral health status were negatively associated with willingness to undergo the FDV, whereas family social support was positively associated with willingness to undergo the FDV. CONCLUSIONS: Need factors play a key role in the utilization of FDV. Improving parental awareness of FDV might help parents voluntarily attend the FDV, and offering support from the family and healthcare system levels enables access to paediatric dental care.

Nanobowl-Supported Liposomes Improve Drug Loading and Delivery.

Liposomal drug delivery for cancer therapy can be limited due to drug leakage in circulation. Here, we develop a new method to enhance the stability of actively loaded liposomal doxorubicin (DOX) through embedding a stiff nanobowl in the liposomal water cavity. Nanobowl-supported liposomal DOX (DOX@NbLipo) resists the influence of plasma protein and blood flow shear force to prevent drug leakage. This approach yields improved drug delivery to tumor sites and enhanced antitumor efficacy. Compared to alternative methods of modifying liposome surface and composition for stability, this approach designs a physical support for an all-aqueous nanoliposomal cavity. Nanobowl stabilization of liposomes is a simple and effective method to improve carrier stability and drug delivery.

Association of siblings' presence and oral health-related quality of life among children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The quantity-quality trade-off theory indicates that an increase in siblings might decrease a child's well-being, but little is known about the impacts of sibling number on children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This study aims to investigate the effects of presence of siblings on children's OHRQoL, and to further test whether there is an interaction effect between siblings' presence and locations on children's OHRQoL. METHODS: Data were obtained from an oral-health survey of 12-year-old children in Beijing, China, which was a part of the 4th National Oral Health Survey in the Mainland of China (2015-2016). This study included 2158 children data for analysis. OHRQoL was assessed by the child's Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP). OIDP prevalence served as an indicator of OHRQoL. Children with and without siblings were recorded as non-single and single children, respectively. Dental variables, including active caries, gingival bleeding, and calculus, were reported. A logistic regression model was applied to investigate the association of siblings' presence and OIDP prevalence. A synergy index was used to assess the possible interaction effect between siblings' presence and location on OIDP prevalence. RESULTS: Sixty percent of Chinese children reported suffering OIDP in the previous six months. OIDP prevalence for non-single and single children were 68.3% and 56.9%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of OIDP for non-single children was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.63), and the adjusted OR of OIDP for non-single and rural children was 2.03 (95% CI: 1.47, 2.81). The synergy index between siblings' presence and location on OIDP was 2.18 (85% CI: 1.30, 3.67), which indicates that an excessive risk increase for OIDP was observed among non-single and rural children. CONCLUSIONS: Children with siblings are more likely to report OIDP and have lower OHRQoL, especially those from rural areas. These findings indicate that oral-health interventions should be given priority for non-single and rural children.

Gradient Coating of Polydopamine via CDR.

Surfaces with gradient properties are of central importance for a number of chemical and biological processes. Here, we report rapid generation of a polydopamine (PDA) gradient on hydrophobic surfaces by a simple, low cost, and general technology, cyclic draining-replenishing (CDR). Due to the unique surface chemistry of PDA, it enables continuous and precise control of surface wettability and subsequent deposition of organic and inorganic compounds. Using kanamycin as a model compound, we show that the gradient PDA membrane potentially can be used to prepare minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test strips for quantifying resistance of antimicrobial agents from microorganisms. Because CDR is experimentally simple, scalable, fast, and does not require specialized reagents or instruments, we envision this platform can be easily adopted to create a variety of functional surfaces.

Case report: A novel variant (H49N) in Myelin Protein Zero gene is responsible for a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

This report presents a case of Charcot-Marie-Tooth dominant intermediate D (CMTDID), a rare subtype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, in a 52 years-old male patient. The patient exhibited mobility impairment, foot abnormalities (pes cavus), and calf muscle atrophy. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing suggested that a novel variant (NM_000530.8, c.145C>A/p.His49Asn) of MPZ may be the genetic lesion in the patient. The bioinformatic program predicted that the new variant (p.His49Asn), located at an evolutionarily conserved site of MPZ, was neutral. Our study expands the variant spectrum of MPZ and the number of identified CMTDID patients, contributing to a better understanding of the relationship between MPZ and CMTDID.

pH and GSH dual-responsive drug-controlled nanomicelles for breast cancer treatment.

We developed a pH/glutathione (GSH) dual-responsive smart nano-drug delivery system to achieve targeted release of a chemotherapeutic drug at breast tumor site. Doxorubicin (DOX) was linked to polyethylene glycol (PEG) through cis-aconitic anhydride (CA) and disulfide bonds (SS) to obtain the PEG-SS-CA-DOX prodrug, which spontaneously assembled into nanomicelles with a particle size of 48 ± 0.45 nm. PEG-SS-CA-DOX micelles achieved an efficient and rapid release of DOX under dual stimulation by weak acidic pH and high GSH content of tumors, with the release amount reaching 88.0% within 48 h. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that PEG-SS-CA-DOX micelles could efficiently transport DOX into cells and rapidly release it in the tumor microenvironment. In addition,in vivoantitumor experiments showed that PEG-SS-CA-DOX had a high inhibition rate of 70% against 4T1 breast cancer cells along with good biosafety. In conclusion, dual-responsive smart nanomicelles can achieve tumor-targeted drug delivery and specific drug release, thus improving therapeutic efficacy of drugs.

Expansins are involved in cell growth mediated by abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid under drought stress in wheat.

Expansin protein is a component of the cell wall generally accepted to be the key regulator of cell wall extension during plant growth. Plant hormones regulate expansin gene expression as well as plant growth during drought stress. However, the relationship between expansin and plant hormone is far from clear. Here, we studied the involvement of expansin in plant cell growth mediated by the hormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) under osmotic stress which was induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000. Wheat coleoptiles from a drought-resistant cultivar HF9703 and a drought-sensitive cultivar 921842 were used to evaluate cell growth and expansin activity. Osmotic stress induced the accumulation of ABA. ABA induced expansin activity mainly by enhancing expansin expression, since ABA induced cell wall basification via decreasing plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity, which was unfavorable for expansin activity. Although ABA induced expansin activity and cell wall extension, treatment with exogenous ABA and/or fluridone (FLU, an ABA inhibitor) suggested that ABA was involved in the coleoptile growth inhibition during osmotic stress. IAA application to detached coleoptiles also enhanced coleoptile growth and increased expansin activity, but unlike ABA, IAA-induced expansin activity was mainly due to the decrease of cell wall pH by increasing plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity. Compared with drought-sensitive cultivar, the drought-resistant cultivar could maintain greater expansin activity and cell wall extension, which was contributive to its resultant faster growth under water stress.

The pharmaceutical excipient PEG400 affect the absorption of baicalein in Caco-2 monolayer model by interacting with UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and efflux transport proteins.

The bioavailability of drugs is often related to intestinal metabolism and transport mechanisms. In previous studies, pharmaceutical excipients were recognized as inert substances in clinical safety evaluations. However, a large number of studies have shown that pharmaceutical excipients regulate the metabolism and transport of drugs in the body and improve the bioavailability. The pharmaceutical excipient polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) as a good solubilizer and surfactant has the potential to improve the bioavailability of drugs. The combined action of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) and efflux transport proteins is responsible for the intestinal disposition and poor bioavailability of baicalein. Our aim is to study the effect of PEG400 on the absorption of baicalein on the Caco-2 monolayer, and confirm the interaction of PEG400 with UGTs (UGT1A8 and UGT1A9) and efflux transports. We initially found that baicalein in the Caco-2 monolayer would be metabolized into glucuronide conjugates BG and B6G under the action of UGT1A8 and UGT1A9 on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and then mainly excreted to different sides by acting of MRP and BCRP. The addition of PEG400 significantly accelerated the metabolism of B in Caco-2 cells and increased the penetration of BG and B6G. Furthermore, PEG400 also significantly decreased the efflux ratio of BG and B6G, which was the evidence of the interaction with the efflux transporters. In the in vitro intestinal microsome regeneration system, low concentration PEG400 decreased the Km value of UGT1A8 and UGT1A9 (key enzymes that mediate the production of BG and B6G); high concentration PEG400 enhanced the Vmax value of UGT1A8 and UGT1A9. In conclusion, our results determined that PEG400 interacted with some UGTs and efflux transporters, which were the main factors affecting the absorption of baicalein.

Lactobacillus buchneri S-layer protein-coated liposomes loaded with ß-cyclodextrin-carvacrol inclusion complexes for the enhancement of antibacterial effect.

This article describes the development of a novel liposome nanocarrier system. Carvacrol (Car) is first embedded in ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) by the freeze-drying method to form the ß-cyclodextrin-carvacrol inclusion compound (ß-CD-Car), and then ß-CD-Car liposomes (ß-CD-Car-LPs) and ß-CD-Car liposomes coated with S-layer proteins (SLPs) from Lactobacillus buchneri 20023 (SLP/ß-CD-Car-LPs) were prepared. The liposomes were characterized, and their stabilities, in vitro release characteristics, and antibacterial activities were investigated. Results showed that the fabricated liposome SLP/ß-CD-Car-LPs was nanosized, oval and homogenous, with the particle size of 229.1 ± 6.81 nm, the polydispersity index of 0.139, and the zeta potential of 27.9 mV. Measurements based on Triton X-100 resistance indicated that the SLP-coated liposomes were more stable than naked liposomes. The in vitro release study results showed that the rate of release from SLP-coated liposomes was much lower than that from uncoated liposomes. The minimum inhibitory activity (MIC) of SLP/ß-CD-Car-LPs (0.05 mg/mL) was 6.4 times higher than that of the free carvacrol (0.32 mg/mL) and was twice that of ß-CD-Car-LPs (0.1 mg/mL). In general, the stability, antibacterial activity, and sustained release effect of ß-CD-Car-LPs modified with SLPs were improved. Findings suggested that SLP-coated liposomes could be developed as a favorable delivery system for potential applications in the food industry.

Investigating the impact of oral health on pregnancy and offspring outcomes: protocol for the Lifetime Impact of ORal heAlth (LIORA) cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral health is a fundamental component of well-being, and is closely associated with overall health and quality of life. Oral health may also affect the next generation. The children of mothers with poor oral health are likely to also have poor oral health as they go through life. We aim to investigate associations between maternal oral health and general health, pregnancy outcomes, offspring oral health and offspring general health. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Lifetime Impact of Oral Health study is a prospective, observational cohort study being done at a single centre in Chongqing, China. A total of 1000 pregnant women will be recruited in their first trimester (11-14 weeks gestation). After obtaining informed consent, general and oral health assessments will be undertaken. Maternal lifestyle, demographic data and biospecimens (blood, hair, urine, nail clippings, saliva, dental plaque, buccal, vaginal and anal swabs) will be collected. Pregnancy outcomes will be recorded at the time of delivery. Cord blood and placenta samples will be collected. The offspring will be followed up for general and oral health examinations, neurodevelopmental assessments and biospecimen (dental plaque, saliva, buccal swabs, exfoliated primary dentition, urine, hair, nail clippings) collection until they are 15 years old. Biological samples will undergo comprehensive metabolomic, microbiome and epigenome analyses. Associations between maternal oral health and general health, pregnancy outcomes, offspring oral health and offspring general health will be investigated and the underlying mechanisms explored. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This project has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology of Chongqing Medical University (CQHS-REC-2021 LSNo.23). Participants will be required to provide informed consent to participate in the study. Dissemination of findings will take the form of publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2100046898.

[Differences in maxillary growth vector of skeletal class I with various vertical growth types before and after growth spurts].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the differences in maxillary growth vector with different vertical skeletal patterns of skeletal class I before and after growth spurts. METHODS: One hundred and ninety four cases with different vertical skeletal patterns of skeletal class I were selected and categorized into six groups according to their vertical skeletal patterns and cervical vertebral stages: cervical vertebral maturation stage (CVMS)1,2-horizontal pattern (n=30); CVMS1,2-average pattern (n=32); CVMS1, 2-vertical pattern (n=33); CVMS5, 6-horizontal pattern (n=34); CVMS5, 6-average pattern (n=29); and CVMS5, 6-vertical pattern (n=36). Lateral cephalograms were taken on all of the cases. The angle SN-C axis (theta) and angel PP-C axis (alpha) were measured. RESULTS: (1) The skeletal class I with a vertical growth pattern had larger angle SN-C axis than those with a horizontal or average growth pattern before growth spurts (P(average-vertical) < 0.05, P(horizontal-vertical) < 0.001). (2) The skeletal class I with a vertical growth pattern had the largest angle SN-C axis after growth spurts, followed by those with an average growth pattern. Those with a horizontal growth pattern had the smallest angle SN-C axis. The differences were statistically significant (P(horizontal-average) < 0.05, P(horizontal-vertical) < 0.001, P(average-vertical) < 0.001). (3) The skeletal class I with the same vertical growth pattern had slightly larger angle SN-C axis after growth spurts than before growth spurts, but without statistical significance. (4) The skeletal class I had relatively stable angle PP-C axis and no significant differences were found before and after growth spurts or among those with various vertical skeletal facial types. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of angle SN-C axis is closely associated with vertical growth patterns and is weakly influenced by maxillofacial growth and development.

Evaluation of the Biological Activity of Folic Acid-Modified Paclitaxel-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles.

PURPOSE: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with good physical and biological properties are often used in medicine, diagnostics, food, and similar industries. This paper explored an AuNPs drug delivery system that had good target selectivity for folate-receptor overexpressing cells to induce apoptosis. METHODS: A novel drug delivery system, Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX, was developed carrying paclitaxel (PTX) on folic acid (FA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified AuNPs. The nanomaterial was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Also, the biological activity of the AuNPs drug delivery system was examined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in HL-7702, Hela, SMMC-7721, and HCT-116 cells. Furthermore, apoptotic activity using annexin V-FITC, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was estimated by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX exhibited a distinct core-shell structure with a controllable size of 28±1 nm. Also, the AuNPs maintained good dispersion and spherical shape uniformity before and after modification. The MTT assay revealed good antitumor activity of the Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX against the Hela, SMMC-7721, and HCT-116 cells, while Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX produced better pharmacological effects than PTX in isolation. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that effective internalization of AuNPs by folate-receptor overexpressing cancer cells induced cell apoptosis through excessive production of intracellular ROS. CONCLUSION: The AuNPs drug delivery system showed good target selectivity for folate-receptor overexpressing cancer cells to induce target cell-specific apoptosis. These AuNPs may have great potential as theranostic agents such as in cancer.

Ten-year changes in children's oral health disparities: Findings from the 3rd and 4th oral health surveys in Beijing, China.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about children's oral health disparities and their changes in developing countries. This study aimed to measure rural-urban and maternal education-related disparities in dental visits and untreated caries among Chinese children, and to describe their changes between 2005 and 2015. METHODS: The 12-year-old children's oral health data were from the 3rd (2005) and 4th (2015) oral health surveys in Beijing, China. Rural-urban disparities and maternal education-related disparities in dental visits and untreated caries were measured. The slope index of inequality (SII) and a relative index of inequality (RII) were applied to reflect the absolute and relative disparities respectively. These were estimated using a generalized linear regression model. RESULTS: Data were analysed from 388 children in 2005 and 1926 children in 2015. The proportion of 12-year-old schoolchildren who visited the dentist was 24.0% in 2005 and 36.0% in 2015. Untreated caries prevalence in 2005 and 2015 was 20.9% and 16.2% respectively. Rural-urban disparities in dental visits narrowed between 2005 and 2015 (SII: -10.75 to -3.30, RII: 0.55 to 0.87), and maternal education-related disparities in dental visits also decreased during this decade (SII: -18.52 to -8.49, RII: 0.38 to 0.65). These changes were statistically significant. For disparities in untreated caries, only maternal education-related disparities in untreated caries in 2015 were found. The SII and RII were 6.39% (95% CI: 1.65, 11.13) and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.13, 2.20) respectively. The change in disparities in untreated caries was not statistically significant for rural-urban disparities (P = .319) or maternal education-related disparities (P = .501). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that in Beijing, China, disparities in children's dental visits narrowed between 2005 and 2015. However, maternal education-related disparities in dental visits and in untreated caries were still apparent, suggesting that policies to improve children's oral healthcare utilization equality should target the children with less-educated mothers.

Mitochondria-Targeted BODIPY Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photothermal and Photoacoustic Imaging In Vivo.

Short-wavelength absorption and emission (<600 nm), hydrophobicity, and low selectivity have greatly restricted the biomedical applications of BODIPY. Herein, a series of mitochondria-targeted BODIPY nanoparticles with a cationic triphenylphosphine (TPP) group (Mito-BDP1-5 NPs) bearing different lengths of ethylene glycol (0-4 units), along with HO-BDP5 without a cationic TPP group for comparison, have been rationally designed and prepared to investigate the interplay between their structures and the related properties. Our studies found that Mito-BDP1-4 NPs showed a tendency of aggregation and precipitation while Mito-BDP5 NPs could be stable in aqueous solutions. Compared with HO-BDP5, tailor-made Mito-BDP5 possessed a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 76.6 vs 9.0% and exhibited the highest photoinduced cytotoxicity. Upon NIR irradiation, the temperature induced by Mito-BDP5 NPs increased rapidly from room temperature to 76.0 °C in vitro and 50.0 °C at the tumor site in vivo within 5 min. Furthermore, effective mitochondrial imaging in vitro, photothermal imaging (PTI), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) in vivo were achieved. In this paper, we developed tailor-made photothermal agents for targeting mitochondria and enhancing the PTI and PAI performances, which could be potentially applied in clinical precision theranostics.

Caries-Preventive Effect of a Public Health Programme for Pit and Fissure Sealant.

PURPOSE: The caries-preventive effect of pit and fissure sealant was found to be related to the incidence of caries in the population. The rate of caries in China has been very low, and a pit and fissure sealant public health programme has been widely carried out since 2005. This study aims to evaluate the caries-preventive effect of this dental public health programme in Beijing, the capital of China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted from 2012 to 2015. All students (n = 2973) in one district of Beijing were included. Children who received a sealant were categorised into the sealant group (n = 1648), and the other children were categorised into the no sealant group (n = 1325). RESULTS: The dental caries risk levels in the sealant group and the no sealant group were balanced at baseline. The caries incidences of children only counting four first molars after 28 months were 18.1% and 13.6% for the sealant group and the no sealant group, respectively (Chi-square test, p = 0.001). The risk ratio in the sealant group versus the no sealant group for caries yes/no (only four molars) at 28 months was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.60-0.90; p = 0.001), based on binary logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: The pit and fissure sealant dental public health programme implemented in Beijing was effective in preventing dental caries in the first permanent molars.

Salivary microbial changes during the first 6 months of orthodontic treatment.

BACKGROUND: Orthodontic treatment is widely used to treat malocclusion. However, the influence of treatment on the oral microbiome remains unclear. In this study, we investigated salivary microbial changes in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. METHODS: In total, 19 orthodontic patients participated in this study. Saliva samples were collected at the following three timepoints: before (T0) and 3 months (T1) and 6 months (T2) after the placement of orthodontic appliances. High-throughput sequencing was performed based on the 16S rRNA gene V4 region. RESULTS: The phyla of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria were predominant. Observed Species, Chao1 and ACE, which represent α diversity, were significantly decreased at T1 and subsequently increased at T2. In addition, the ß diversity at T1 based on the Bray-Curtis distances differed from T0 and T2. The relative abundances of Prevotella, Porphyromonas and Peptostreptococcus were decreased with treatment, whereas those of Capnocytophaga and Neisseria exhibited the opposite results. In total, 385 of 410 operational taxonomic units were shared at T0, T1 and T2. The co-occurrence networks with hub nodes at T1 were the most complex. CONCLUSION: Orthodontic treatment temporarily affected the saliva microbial community. This dynamic alteration in species did not induce deterioration in oral health. Oral hygiene instructions were necessary and should be emphasized during each visit. Further studies with longer observation periods and more participants are required.

Cupric ion enhanced molecular imprinting of bovine serum albumin in hydrogel.

A novel molecularly imprinted hydrogel for bovine serum albumin (BSA) was prepared using cupric ion as the bridge between the template BSA and the functional monomer 4-vinylpyridine. N-Isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) was used as an assistant monomer to provide the stimuli-responsibility of the polymer. The adsorption conditions of BSA on the BSA-Cu(II)-imprinted hydrogel were optimized considering the influences of pH, temperature, and salt concentration. The proteins bound on the imprinted hydrogel can be easily recovered under mild conditions by using 10 mmol/L ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) (pH 7.0) containing 150 mmol/L NaCl as the eluting solution. The imprinting effect and adsorption capacity of the polymer were found to be significantly improved compared to the hydrogel prepared in the absence of cupric ion. The results demonstrated the advantages of using a template-metal ion-monomer coordination system to strengthen the interaction between the protein and monomer. The effects of different metals ions including Zn(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II), and Al(III) on the recognition ability of the BSA-Cu(II)-imprinted hydrogel were also investigated. The polymer showed high selectivity toward both the template protein and the cupric ion.

Preparation and anticoagulation activity of sodium cellulose sulfate.

Semi-synthesis of cellulose sulfate sodium (Na-MCS) was carried out by sulfation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with chlorosulfonic acid-dimethylformamide complex as sulfating agent. As shown by FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, the sulfation occurred mainly at C6, partially at C2, and no substitution at C3. The substitution degree ranged from 1.10 to 1.70 and the average molecular weight is between 1.1 and 3.5 x 10(4)Da. The anticoagulant efficacy and its possible mechanism were investigated using in vitro, in vivo coagulation assays and amidolytic tests in comparison with heparin. Results indicated that Na-MCS exhibited higher anticoagulation activity based on activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) assay and prolonged the thrombin time (TT) to a lesser extent than heparin. No effect was detected on the prothrombin time (PT). Subcutaneous administration of Na-MCS to mice increased the clotting time (CT) in a moderate dose-dependent manner with a longer duration. Na-MCS exhibited anticoagulation activity mainly by accelerating the inhibition of antithrombin III (AT-III) on coagulation factors FIIa and FXa in plasma.

Polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chemiluminescence immunodevice with the signal amplification strategy for sensitive detection of human immunoglobin G.

A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chemiluminescence (CL) immunodevice for sensitive detection of human immunoglobin G (IgG) with the signal amplification strategy was developed in this work. The immunodevice was prepared by covalently immobilizing capture antibodies (Abs) on the silanized microchannel of microfluidic chip. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with a high molar ratio of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were used as an Ab label for signal amplification. Using a sandwich immunoassay, the multi-HRP conjugated AuNPs can catalyze the luminol-H2O2 CL system to achieve the high sensitivity. In addition, the double spiral flow-channel was adopted here, which can still contribute to the high sensitivity. Based on signal amplification strategy, the performance of human IgG tests revealed a lower detection limit (DL) of 0.03ng/mL and showed an increase of 7.4-fold in detection sensitivity compared to a commercial Ab-HRP conjugation. This microfluidic immunodevice can provide an alternative approach for sensitive detection of human IgG in the field of clinic diagnostic and therapeutic.