Development of a fluorescent probe for detecting Al3+ in cooked wheaten food based on phosphonic acid group functionalized polythiophene derivatives.

As an unnecessary trace element, the content of aluminium in biological systems should be strictly controlled. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a convenient method for detection of aluminium ions. In this study, a fluorescent probe based on polythiophene derivatives was developed and used to detect Al3+ in Chinese traditional pasta. The fluorescence of this probe showed a significant decrease in hexamethylenetetramine-HCl buffer solution (pH 5) when Al3+ was present. In addition, the probe exhibited good sensitivity and selectivity to Al3+ over other metal ions when EDTA was used as the masking agent. Fluorescence intensity had a good linear relationship with the Al3+ concentration in the range 0.1-10 µM and the limit of detection for Al3+ was 39 nM. Furthermore, the probe was successfully applied to detect Al3+ in food samples and the results were consistent with ICP-AES.

Crystal and Band-Gap Engineering of One-Dimensional Antimony/Bismuth-Based Organic-Inorganic Hybrids.

Hybrid halide perovskites are emerging semiconducting materials with a diverse set of remarkable optoelectronic properties. Besides the widely studied lead halide perovskites, Pb-free metal halides such as Bi- and Sb-containing hybrid organic-inorganic materials have shown potential as semiconductors and have been deemed candidates for optoelectronic devices. Here, we report a series of 1D Sb/Bi-based organic-inorganic hybrid alloys: [4ApyH]SbxBi1-xIyBr4-y, where 4ApyH stands for the 4-aminopyridine cations. These compounds are assembled by edge-sharing octahedral [MX6] units stabilizing 1D chains with organic cations filled in between. The crystallographic data of eight selected complexes show that [4ApyH]SbxBi1-xIyBr4-y has at least five phases (space group) with the difference metal and halogen content: Pbca ([4ApyH]BiI4), Pca21 ([4ApyH]Sb0.5Bi0.5I4), P21/c ([4ApyH]SbI4 (100 K), [4ApyH]BiI2Br2, [4ApyH]BiBr4, and [4ApyH]SbBr4 (100 K)), I2/a ([4ApyH]Sb0.5Bi0.5I2Br2and [4ApyH]SbI2Br2), and C2/c ([4ApyH]SbI4 (298 K) and [4ApyH]SbBr4 (298 K)). Powder X-ray diffraction shows that the phase of the sample changes with a change of the metal and halogen ratios, and the change law accords with Vegard's law. The optical band gaps are heavily affected by the metal and halide contents, ranging from 1.94 eV for [4ApyH]BiI4 to 2.73 eV for [4ApyH]SbBr4. When Sb substitutes for Bi to form an alloy, the band gap increases from 1.94 for [4ApyH]BiI4 to 1.67 eV for [4ApyH]SbI4, from 2.13 eV for [4ApyH]BiI2Br2 to 2.41 eV for [4ApyH]SbI2Br2, and from 2.55 eV for [4ApyH]BiBr4 to 2.73 eV for [4ApyH]SbBr4. The conductivity of [4ApyH]SbxBi1-xI4 increased from ∼1.00 × 10-15 to 2.14 × 10-8 S cm-1 with an increase of the Sb content. Solution-deposited thin films of the nine complexes show the same (110) orientation, displaying a parallel growth orientation with respect to the substrate. The devices of [4ApyH]Sb0.8Bi0.2I4 and [4ApyH]SbI4 demonstrated stable open-circuit photovoltages of 0.55 and 0.44 V, steady-state short-circuit photocurrent densities of 1.52 and 1.81 mA cm-2, and light-to-electrical energy conversion efficiencies of 0.29% and 0.30%, respectively.

Monodisperse Bismuth-Halide Double Perovskite Nanocrystals Confined in Mesoporous Silica Templates.

Metal halide perovskites have fascinating electronic properties and have already been implemented in various devices. Although the behavior of the properties of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals has been studied, the properties of lead-free perovskite nanocrystals are less well-understood because synthesizing them is still very challenging. Here, a simple and popularizable method has been demonstrated to grow monodisperse bismuth-halide double perovskite nanocrystals, Cs2AgBiBr6 (1), inside three kinds of mesoporous silica templates. The size and morphology of nanocrystals depend on the structure and pore size of the template. Structural analysis shows that the nanocrystals of various sizes and morphologies retain the crystal structure of bimetallic perovskite. 1 exhibits different morphologies in the silicon channels of three templates: square nanoparticles in KIT-6, spherical and rodlike particles in SBA-15, and nanowires in MCM-41. UV-vis-NIR and photoluminescence measurements show us the variation of band gap and carrier recombination time due to quantum confinement of nanocrystals in mesoporous silicon materials. The band gaps of nanocrystals in the template exhibit an obvious blue shift compared with that of the bulk sample, and the carrier recombination time is significantly shortened. We show that mesoporous silicon templates can be used to prepare lead-free perovskite nanocrystals, and the controllable preparation of nanocrystals can be achieved by the template's own characteristics. This provides a new idea for us to find new functional materials of lead-free metal halide solid-state light-emitting diodes.

Delayed surgical management is not effective for severe Bell's palsy after two months of onset.

AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of delayed surgery and follow-up observation in managing severe Bell's palsy after two months of onset. METHODS: Forty-one Bell's palsy patients with severe facial paralysis were treated after two months of onset. Eighteen patients in group I underwent decompression operations between two and three months after onset, and eight patients in group II underwent surgery after three months of onset; 15 patients in group III were managed with follow-up observation. All patients were followed up at the end of 3rd, 6th and 12th months, and surgical outcomes were compared with follow-up observations using House-Brackmann score and Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) scale. RESULTS: Between groups I and III, the difference in the proportion of the patients with fair or poor recoveries was statistically significant (p < 0.05) at the three-month follow-up visit. There was no significant difference in the distribution of complete, fair or poor recoveries at the 12-month follow-up visits among the three groups (p < 0.05). The total FaCE score and five individual domains were significantly improved at the end of the follow-up period in groups I and III (p < 0.05). However, in group I, the lacrimal control scores were significantly decreased at the end of the follow-up period compared to scores before surgery (p < 0.05). After surgery, four patients had sensorineural hearing loss, three patients had tinnitus and no patients had vertigo. CONCLUSION: Patients with severe Bell's palsy after two months of onset would not benefit from delayed decompression surgery.

Diagnostic accuracy of intracellular mycobacterium tuberculosis detection for tuberculous meningitis.

RATIONALE: Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculous meningitis saves lives, but current laboratory diagnostic tests lack sensitivity. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the detection of intracellular bacteria by a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain and early secretory antigen target (ESAT)-6 in cerebrospinal fluid leukocytes improves tuberculous meningitis diagnosis. METHODS: Cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with suspected tuberculous meningitis were stained by conventional Ziehl-Neelsen stain, a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain involving cytospin slides with Triton processing, and an ESAT-6 immunocytochemical stain. Acid-fast bacteria and ESAT-6-expressing leukocytes were detected by microscopy. All tests were performed prospectively in a central laboratory by experienced technicians masked to the patients' final diagnosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty patients with suspected tuberculous meningitis were enrolled. Thirty-seven had Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultured from cerebrospinal fluid; 40 had a microbiologically confirmed alternative diagnosis; the rest had probable or possible tuberculous meningitis according to published criteria. Against a clinical diagnostic gold standard the sensitivity of conventional Ziehl-Neelsen stain was 3.3% (95% confidence interval, 1.6-6.7%), compared with 82.9% (95% confidence interval, 77.4-87.3%) for modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain and 75.1% (95% confidence interval, 68.8-80.6%) for ESAT-6 immunostain. Intracellular bacteria were seen in 87.8% of the slides positive by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain. The specificity of modified Ziehl-Neelsen and ESAT-6 stain was 85.0% (95% confidence interval, 69.4-93.8%) and 90.0% (95% confidence interval, 75.4-96.7%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced bacterial detection by simple modification of the Ziehl-Neelsen stain and an ESAT-6 intracellular stain improve the laboratory diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.

[Determination of sodium, magnesium, calcium, lithium and strontium in natural mineral drinking water by microwave plasma torch spectrometer with nebulization sample introduction system].

The microwave plasma torch (MPT) was used as the emission light source. Aqueous samples were introduced with a nebulizer and a desolvation system. A method for the determination of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr in natural mineral drinking water by argon microwave plasma torch spectrometer (ArMPT spectrometer) was established. The effects of microwave power, flow rate of carrier gas and support gas were investigated in detail and these parameters were optimized. Under the optimized condition, the experiments for the determination of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr in 11 kinds of bottled mineral drinking water were carried out by ArMPT spectrometer. The limit-of-detection (LOD) of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr was found to be 4.4, 21, 56, 11 and 84 µg x mL(-1), respectively. Relative standard deviation (n = 6) was in the range of 1.30%-5.45% and standard addition recoveries were in the range of 84.6%-98.5%. MPT spectrometer was simpler, more convenient and of lower cost as compared to ICP unit. MPT spectrometer demonstrated its rapid analysis speed, accuracy, sensitivity and simultaneous multi element analysis ability during the analysis process. The results showed that MPT spectrometer was suitable for metal elements detection for natural mineral drinking water. This approach provides not only one way for resisting the illegal dealings, but also a security for the quality of drinking water. Moreover, the usability of MPT spectrometer in the field of food security; drug safety; clinical diagnostic is promised.

Disease spectrum and prognostic factors in patients treated for tuberculous meningitis in Shaanxi province, China.

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis (TB) and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, disease spectrum, outcome, and prognostic factors of patients treated for TBM in China. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted from 2009 to 2019 enrolling all presumptive TBM patients referred to Xijing tertiary Hospital from 27 referral centers in and around Shaanxi province, China. Patients with clinical features suggestive of TBM (abnormal CSF parameters) were included in the study if they had adequate baseline information to be classified as "confirmed," "probable," or "possible" TBM according to international consensus TBM criteria and remained in follow-up. Patients with a confirmed alternative diagnosis or severe immune compromise were excluded. Clinical presentation, central nervous system imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results, TBM score, and outcome-assessed using the modified Barthel disability index-were recorded and compared. Findings: A total of 341 presumptive TBM patients met selection criteria; 63 confirmed TBM (25 culture positive, 42 Xpert-MTB/RIF positive), 66 probable TBM, 163 possible TBM, and 49 "not TBM." Death was associated with BMRC grade III (OR = 5.172; 95%CI: 2.298-11.641), TBM score ≥ 15 (OR = 3.843; 95%CI: 1.372-10.761), age > 60 years (OR = 3.566; 95%CI: 1.022-12.442), and CSF neutrophil ratio ≥ 25% (OR = 2.298; 95%CI: 1.027-5.139). Among those with confirmed TBM, nearly one-third (17/63, 27.0%) had a TBM score < 12; these patients exhibited less classic meningitis symptoms and signs and had better outcomes compared with those with a TBM score ≥ 12. In this group, signs of disseminated/miliary TB (OR = 12.427; 95%CI: 1.138-135.758) and a higher TBM score (≥15, OR = 8.437; 95%CI: 1.328-53.585) were most strongly associated with death. Conclusion: TBM patients who are older (>60 years) have higher TBM scores or CSF neutrophil ratios, have signs of disseminated/miliary TB, and are at greatest risk of death. In general, more effort needs to be done to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcome in TBM patients.

A highly efficient Ziehl-Neelsen stain: identifying de novo intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis and improving detection of extracellular M. tuberculosis in cerebrospinal fluid.

Tuberculous meningitis leads to a devastating outcome, and early diagnosis and rapid chemotherapy are vital to reduce morbidity and mortality. Since Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a kind of cytozoic pathogen and its numbers are very few in cerebrospinal fluid, detecting M. tuberculosis in cerebrospinal fluid from tuberculous meningitis patients is still a challenge for clinicians. Ziehl-Neelsen stain, the current feasible microbiological method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, often needs a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid specimen but shows a low detection rate of M. tuberculosis. Here, we developed a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain, involving cytospin slides with Triton processing, in which only 0.5 ml of cerebrospinal fluid specimens was required. This method not only improved the detection rate of extracellular M. tuberculosis significantly but also identified intracellular M. tuberculosis in the neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes clearly. Thus, our modified method is more effective and sensitive than the conventional Ziehl-Neelsen stain, providing clinicians a convenient yet powerful tool for rapidly diagnosing tuberculous meningitis.

A novel method for three-dimensional analysis of endoscopic spatial relationships of pterygopalatine fossa structures and associated regions.

BACKGROUND: The spatial orientation rules of the important skull base structures are essential for performing endoscopic surgery. However, there is no satisfactory three-dimensional (3-D) anatomy study available to the surgeon at present. The aims of this study are to construct a new method to learn the spatial orientation of anatomical features under endoscopy and to help the surgeon establish a 3-D image of skull base structures in his mind. METHODS: A modified MicronTracker navigation system was used to measure the pitch angle, direction angle and distance from the reference points to various anatomical landmarks of the pterygopalatine fossa and related structures (PPFRS) at the skull base in 10 fresh cadavers (20 sides). RESULTS: The location data of the positions of the major landmarks were acquired and a digital model of the anatomical structures of the PPFRS was built, which can be moved, whirled or demonstrated easily. CONCLUSION: It is practical to measure the positions of the anatomical structures of the PPFRS with a modified binocular vision-based MicronTracker navigation system. It is a valuable exploration tool to help the surgeon establish the orientation of surgical landmarks in his mind by the 3-D parameters and model.

Postoperative infection of the skull base surgical site due to suppurative parotitis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Paraganglioma occurring at the lateral skull base is a rare tumor. Surgery is the primary treatment of benign paragangliomas. Postoperative infection of the surgical site at the lateral skull base is very dangerous and hard to manage. CASE SUMMARY: A 30-year-old man with a 1-year history of left-side progressive hearing loss, tinnitus, facial palsy, and choking failed conventional treatment and is the focus of this case report. Imaging revealed a mass around the left jugular foramen that was approximately 47 mm × 38 mm × 34 mm in size and had eroded the bone of the vertebral and horizontal segments of the internal carotid artery. The tumor breached the meninges and occupied the cerebella pontine region. A two-stage surgery was designed for the resection of the mass. In the first-stage, the epidural portion of the mass was removed. The abdominal fat and the temporal muscle flap were transposed within the surgical site. The surgery was successful; however, 25 d after surgery, he developed suppurative parotitis, and the infection spread to the surgical site at the skull base. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were used, and debridement was deployed. After that, the wound was cleaned daily. Five months after the first-stage surgery, the wound was still unclosed, and there was intermittent purulent exudation within the surgical site. vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) was used, and the wound healed in a month. One year after the first surgery, the second-stage of the operation was performed to remove the intracranial portion of the tumor. Recurrence of the tumor was not detected after a 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: After a lateral skull base surgery, suppurative parotitis can spread into the operative cavity leading to infection of the surgical site. VSD can help to effectively heal the infected wound. A two-stage surgical approach offers a safer option for removing the lateral skull base paraganglioma that involves the meninges.

Acinar ATP8b1/LPC pathway promotes macrophage efferocytosis and clearance of inflammation during chronic pancreatitis development.

Noninflammatory clearance of dying cells by professional phagocytes, termed efferocytosis, is fundamental in both homeostasis and inflammatory fibrosis disease but has not been confirmed to occur in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Here, we investigated whether efferocytosis constitutes a novel regulatory target in CP and its mechanisms. PRSS1 transgenic (PRSS1Tg) mice were treated with caerulein to mimic CP development. Phospholipid metabolite profiling and epigenetic assays were performed with PRSS1Tg CP models. The potential functions of Atp8b1 in CP model were clarified using Atp8b1-overexpressing adeno-associated virus, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and lipid metabolomic approaches. ATAC-seq combined with RNA-seq was then used to identify transcription factors binding to the Atp8b1 promoter, and ChIP-qPCR and luciferase assays were used to confirm that the identified transcription factor bound to the Atp8b1 promoter, and to identify the specific binding site. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the proportion of pancreatic macrophages. Decreased efferocytosis with aggravated inflammation was identified in CP. The lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) pathway was the most obviously dysregulated phospholipid pathway, and LPC and Atp8b1 expression gradually decreased during CP development. H3K27me3 ChIP-seq showed that increased Atp8b1 promoter methylation led to transcriptional inhibition. Atp8b1 complementation substantially increased the LPC concentration and improved CP outcomes. Bhlha15 was identified as a transcription factor that binds to the Atp8b1 promoter and regulates phospholipid metabolism. Our study indicates that the acinar Atp8b1/LPC pathway acts as an important "find-me" signal for macrophages and plays a protective role in CP, with Atp8b1 transcription promoted by the acinar cell-specific transcription factor Bhlha15. Bhlha15, Atp8b1, and LPC could be clinically translated into valuable therapeutic targets to overcome the limitations of current CP therapies.

2-[3-(1H-Benzimidazol-2-yl)prop-yl]-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium 3,5-dicarb-oxy-benzoate-benzene-1,3,5-tricarb-oxy-lic acid-water (1/1/1).

The title compound, C(17)H(17)N(4) (+)·C(9)H(5)O(6) (-)·C(9)H(6)O(6)·H(2)O, contains a protonated 2,2'-(1,3-propanedi-yl)bis-(1H-benzimidazole) cation, a deprotonated benzene-1,3,5-tricarb-oxy-lic acid anion, a neutral benzene-1,3,5-tricarb-oxy-lic acid mol-ecule and a water mol-ecule, which are linked together through N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O and weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into almost double sheets parallel to (4). These hydrogen-bonded sheets are packed in the crystal with the formation of centrosymmetric voids of 25.5 Å(3), which are filled by the water mol-ecules.

Pyoderma gangrenosum confused with congenital preauricular fistula infection: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pyoderma gangrenosum resulting from or associated with congenital preauricular fistula is rarely reported. CASE SUMMARY: We report a rare case of pyoderma gangrenosum misdiagnosed as preauricular fistula infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe pyoderma gangrenosum originating from the site of preauricular fistula. The lesion continued expanding even after combined treatment of systemic antibiotics and thorough debridement. Taking into account the possibility of pyoderma gangrenosum, we applied soft care with normal saline and Vaseline gauze dressing. Systemic corticosteroids were not used until intestinal Clostridium difficile was controlled. No local recurrence was noted at the 12-mo follow-up. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the necessity of considering rare diseases, such as pyoderma gangrenosum, when the preauricular sinus deteriorates with general management. The treatment strategy is mutually conflicting between pyoderma gangrenosum and infection of the preauricular sinus.

Validation and Precision of Mixed Reality Technology in Baha Attract Implant Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of image-guided Baha Attract implant surgery with mixed reality (MR) in the form of the HoloLens to visualize critical structures and facilitate precise Baha implant placement. METHODS: A cadaveric case study of bilateral Baha Attract implant approaches was conducted using Star Atlas MR three-dimensional (3D) medical interaction system guidance at the Otolaryngology Department of PUMCH, Beijing, China. The accuracy of visual surface registration was determined by the target registration error (TRE) between the predefined points on the preoperative 3D holographic Baha Attract implant model and the postoperatively reconstructed 3D model. RESULTS: Bilateral Baha Attract implantation was completed successfully for all four cadaveric heads using the Star Atlas MR 3D medical interaction system with the HoloLens. The preoperative 3D digital model characteristics (including bone quality and thickness and avoidance of cranial vessels, air cells, and cranial sutures) corresponded well with the 3D model of the actual implantation reconstructed postoperatively. The median TRE of our system was 2.97 mm (ranging from 1.98 to 4.58 mm) in terms of distance and 2.76 degrees (ranging from 0.59 to 6.4 degrees) in terms of angle. CONCLUSIONS: Applying MR technology in the form of the HoloLens in Baha Attract implant surgery is feasible and could improve the accuracy of the surgery. The described MR system for Baha Attract implantation has the potential to improve the surgeon's confidence, as well as the surgical safety, efficiency, and precision.

Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foam Modified by Tung Oil-Based Polyol and Flame-Retardant Particles.

Although tung oil is renewable, with an abundant production and low price in China, and it is used to synthesize different polyols for rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF), it remains a challenge to improve the properties of RPUF by redesigning the formula. Therefore, we propose four novel compounds to strengthen the properties of RPUF, such as the catalyst-free synthesis of tung oil-based polyol (PTOK), aluminum phosphate micro-capsule (AM), silica micro-capsule (SiM), and grafted epoxidized monoglyceride of tung oil on the surface of SiO2 (SiE), which were designed and introduced into the RPUF. Because of the PTOK with a catalytic function, the foaming process of some RPUF samples was catalyst-free. The results show that the incorporation of AM, SiM, and SiE, respectively, endow RPUF with a better thermal stability at a high temperature, and the T5%, Tmax1, and Tmax2 of RPUF appeared to be reduced, however, the Tmax3 and residue rate at 800 °C were improved, which may have a positive effect on the extension of the rescue time in case of fire, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value was increased to 22.6%. The formula, containing 25% PTOK made the RPUF environment-friendly. The results were obtained by comparing the pore size and mechanical properties of the RPUF-the AM had a better dispersion in the foam, and the foam obtained a better mechanical, thermal, and flame retardancy.

[DR image denoising based on Laplace-Impact mixture model].

A novel DR image denoising algorithm based on Laplace-Impact mixture model in dual-tree complex wavelet domain is proposed in this paper. It uses local variance to build probability density function of Laplace-Impact model fitted to the distribution of high-frequency subband coefficients well. Within Laplace-Impact framework, this paper describes a novel method for image denoising based on designing minimum mean squared error (MMSE) estimators, which relies on strong correlation between amplitudes of nearby coefficients. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper outperforms several state-of-art denoising methods such as Bayes least squared Gaussian scale mixture and Laplace prior.

Tracking the dimensional conversion process of semiconducting lead bromide perovskites by mass spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, microcalorimetry and crystallography.

The structural information of a material in both the solid state and solution state is essential to the in-depth understanding of the properties of inorganic-organic hybrid materials. A one-dimensional (1D) lead bromide formulated as [H][NH3(CH2)2SS(CH2)2NH3][H2O][PbBr5] (1) could be converted into a new two-dimensional (2D) complex, [NH3(CH2)2SS(CH2)2NH3][PbBr4] (2), by soaking the crystals in water. The isolated 2D compound showed single-layer lead-halide perovskite structures. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses of the reaction solution revealed that the [PbBr3]- fragments are initially formed from the rapid decomposition of the 1D [PbBr5]3- chains and subsequently reassemble into 2D [PbBr4]2- layers, which was verified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and microcalorimetry. Because of the decomposition and reassembly process, complex 1 could be used as a precursor to synthesize M2+-doped 2D lead bromide perovskites, namely, Mn@2, Ni@2 and Cd@2. In addition, preliminary tests indicated that complex 2 exhibited a lower optical band gap (3.25 eV) and higher electrical conductivity (3.2 × 10-11 S cm-1) than complex 1 (3.38 eV, 5.4 × 10-12 S cm-1).

Developed a novel sensor based on fluorescent graft conjugated polymer for the determination of aristolochic acid in traditional Chinese medicine.

A novel fluorescent graft conjugated polymer (poly (2, 5-bis (Polyethylene glycol oxybutyrate)-1, 4-phenylethynylene-alt-1, 4-phenyleneethynylene, PPE-OB-PEG) has been designed and synthesized for the determination of aristolochic acid (AA). The detection conditions and detection characters of PPE-OB-PEG were systematically explored in this work. The fluorescence intensity of PPE-OB-PEG changes with the different concentration of AA. PPE-OB-PEG has a good linear range towards AA from 1.00 × 10-7 to 8.00 × 10-5 mol L-1 and the limit of detection (LOD) is 3.00 × 10-8 mol L-1 (S/N = 3). PPE-OB-PEG have been applied to detect AA in traditional Chinese medicine samples and the results are satisfactory. The experimental results show that PPE-OB-PEG can be used as a fluorescence probe for rapid and sensitive detection of AA.

Clinical and electrophysiological profiles in early recognition of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The detection of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome at early stage is challenging for neurologists. Since polyneuropathy could be the first manifestation, it could be misdiagnosed as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The present study aimed to determine the clinical and electrophysiological features of POEMS syndrome to distinguish from CIDP. METHODS: The data of a group of patients with POEMS (n = 17) and patients with CIDP (n = 17) in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from January 2015 to September 2017 were analyzed in this retrospective study. The clinical features, neurological symptoms, and electrophysiological findings were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Clinically, patients with POEMS demonstrated significantly more neuropathic pain in the lower extremities than patients with CIDP (58.8% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.01). Multisystem features like edema, skin change, organomegaly, and thrombocytosis were also pointed towards the diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. Electrophysiologically, terminal latency index (TLI) was significantly higher in patients with POEMS than that in patients with CIDP (median nerve: 0.39 [0.17-0.52] vs. 0.30 (0.07-0.69), Z = -2.413, P = 0.016; ulnar nerve: 0.55 [0.23-0.78] vs. 0.42 [0.12-0.70], Z = -2.034, P = 0.042). Patients with POEMS demonstrated a higher frequency of absent compound muscle action potential of the tibial nerve (52.9% vs. 17.6%, P = 0.031), less conduction block (ulnar nerve: 0 vs. 35.3%, P = 0.018), and less temporal dispersion (median nerve: 17.6% vs. 58.8%, P = 0.032) than CIDP group. The combination of positive serum monoclonal protein and high TLI (if either one or both were present) discriminated POEMS from CIDP with a sensitivity of 94.1% and 47.1% and specificity of 76.5% and 100.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: POEMS syndrome could be distinguished from CIDP through typical clinical and electrophysiological characteristics in practice. The combination of serum monoclonal protein and high TLI might raise the sensitivity of detecting POEMS syndrome.

Fluorescence chemical sensor for determining trace levels of nitroaromatic explosives in water based on conjugated polymer with guanidinium side groups.

A novel fluorescent conjugated polymer (poly(2-amino-N-(2-((4-ethynylphenyl) ethynyl) phenyl)-5-guanidinopentanamide)-1,4-phenylethynylene-1,4-phenyleneethynylene, PPE-Arg) was synthesized in this paper. We found that PPE-Arg could be quenched by picric acid (PA). Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism can be used to describe the fluorescence quenching of PPE-Arg. It could be speculated that the photo-induced electrons may be transferred from PPE-Arg to nitroaromatic explosives. In this paper, the experiment conditions and detection performance of PPE-Arg were systematically studied. The experiment results demonstrate PPE-Arg as a sensor for PA has a good linear range from 5 × 10-7 to 6 × 10-5 mol L-1 with the calculated limit of detection (LOD) to be 1.0 × 10-7 mol L-1. Meanwhile, reaction time between PPE-Arg and PA is less than 1 min. This proposed sensor was applied to rapidly detect nitroaromatic explosives in environmental water samples and satisfactory results were obtained.