Liposome-exosome hybrids for in situ detection of exosomal miR-1246 in breast cancer.

Several lines of evidence suggest that exosomal miRNAs are potential biomarkers for cancer monitoring. An urgent need remains for the in situ detection of exosomal miRNAs at low concentrations without destroying the exosome structure. In the present study, a novel sensitive exosomal miR-1246 in situ detection strategy has been developed by integrating the CRISPR/Cas13a system with the formation of hybrids between exosomes and cationic liposomes. The liposomes were loaded with CRISPR/Cas13a, CRISPR RNA (crRNA), and RNA reporter probes. In the presence of exosomes, the liposome-exosome hybrids were formed through electrostatic interactions, and CRISPR/Cas13a was activated to cleave the reporter probes by exosomal miR-1246. The acquired fluorescence signal showed a linear response to the logarithm of MCF-7 exosome concentrations, indicating a quantitative response to exosomal miR-1246. The regression equation is y = 5021 log C - 9976 (R2 = 0.9985) with a limit of detection of 3 × 102 particles per mL. This strategy could not only be used to detect serum exosomal miR-1246 in breast cancer patients but also to distinguish early form advanced disease. This strategy can be exploited in future exosomal miRNA analyses.

Ecological restoration for eutrophication mitigation in urban interconnected water bodies: Evaluation, variability and strategy.

Many urban water bodies grapple with low flow flux and weak hydrodynamics. To address these issues, projects have been implemented to form integrated urban water bodies via interconnecting artificial lake or ponds with rivers, but causing pollution accumulation downstream and eutrophication. Despite it is crucial to assess eutrophication, research on this topic in urban interconnected water bodies is limited, particularly regarding variability and feasible strategies for remediation. This study focused on the Loucun river in Shenzhen, comprising an pond, river and artificial lake, evaluating water quality changes pre-(post-)ecological remediation and establishing a new method for evaluating the water quality index (WQI). The underwater forest project, involving basement improvement, vegetation restoration, and aquatic augmentation, in the artificial lake significantly reduced total nitrogen (by 43.58%), total phosphorus (by 79.17%) and algae density (by 36.90%) compared to pre-remediation, effectively controlling algal bloom. Rainfall, acting as a variable factor, exacerbated downstream nutrient accumulation, increasing total phosphorus by 4.56 times and ammonia nitrogen by 1.30 times compared to the dry season, and leading to algal blooms in the non-restoration pond. The improved WQI method effectively assesses water quality status. The interconnected water body exhibits obvious nutrient accumulation in downstream regions. A combined strategy that reducing nutrient and augmenting flux was verified to alleviate accumulation of nutrients downstream. This study provides valuable insights into pollution management strategies for interconnected pond-river-lake water bodies, offering significant reference for nutrient mitigation in such urban water bodies.

Efficacy of extended view totally extra peritoneal approach versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal on lay mesh plus for abdominal wall hernias: a single center preliminary retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has become the primary treatment for ventral hernias. The laparoscopic intraperitoneal on lay mesh (IPOM) plus approach for abdominal wall hernias is the most used procedure, while extended view totally extraperitoneal (e­TEP) repair is a newer option. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and complications of the 2 procedures for abdominal wall hernias repair. METHODS: This was a retrospective and comparative single-center study done at The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University Hospital (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, China. The study included patients with a 2 to 6 cm abdominal wall defect who underwent hernia repair from January 2022 to December 2022. Patients' baseline characteristics, hernia features, operative time, blood loss, postoperative pain level, and total hospitalization expenses were extracted from the medical records and compared between patients who underwent the IPOM plus and e-TEP repair. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients were included: 22 in the e-TEP group and 31 in IPOM plus group. Patient demographic characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The operation time of the e-TEP groups was significantly longer than the IPOM plus (98.5 ± 10.7 min vs. 65.9 ± 7.3 min, P < 0.01). Postoperative pain levels (VAS; visual analog scale) (4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 6.7 ± 0.9, P < 0.01), analgesic requirements (Tramadol) (25.0 ± 37.0 mg vs. 72.6 ± 40.5 mg, P < 0.01), length of hospital stay (1.2 ± 0.5days vs. 2.2 ± 0.6days, P < 0.01), and total hospitalization expenses (19695.9 ± 1221.7CNY vs. 35286.2 ± 1196.6CNY, P < 0.01) were significantly lower in the e-TEP group. The mean intraoperative blood loss was similar between the 2 groups. No postoperative complications were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: The e-TEP approach for abdominal wall hernias appears to be better than IPOM plus with respect to postoperative pain levels(VAS: 4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 6.7 ± 0.9, P < 0.01), analgesic requirements(25.0 ± 37.0 mg vs. 72.6 ± 40.5 mg, P < 0.01), length of hospital stay(1.2 ± 0.5days vs. 2.2 ± 0.6days, P < 0.01), and hospitalization costs (19695.9 ± 1221.7CNY vs. 35286.2 ± 1196.6CNY, P < 0.01).

Efficacy of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared with percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage in treating acute calculous cholecystitis in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute calculous cholecystitis is a common acute disease in elderly patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ELC) compared to percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGD) for treating acute calculous cholecystitis in elderly patients. METHODS: This retrospective study compared the clinical outcomes of two groups of elderly patients treated with ELC (group A) and PTGD (group B) from January 2018 to December 2021. Preoperative clinical characteristics and postoperative treatment outcomes were analyzed for both groups. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative clinical characteristics between the ELC and PTGD groups. ELC took longer to perform (69.8 ± 15.9 min vs. 29.6 ± 5.3 min, p < 0.001) but resulted in a significantly shorter duration of pain (1.9 ± 0.9 days vs. 3.9 ± 1.0 days, p < 0.001) and hospital stay (6.3 ± 2.5 days vs. 9.9 ± 3.6 days, p < 0.001), and a lower rate of sepsis (3.4% vs. 16.9%, p < 0.019). Time to soft diet was faster in the ELC group (1.5 ± 0.9 days vs. 3.0 ± 1.6 days, p < 0.001). Fewer patients in the ELC group experienced surgical reintervention than in the PTGD group (0% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.043). The incidence of postoperative complications and readmission rates in the ELC group were significantly lower than those in the PTGD group (ELC, 3.6%; PTGD, 25.4%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ELC is an effective treatment option for acute calculous cholecystitis in elderly patients, and has the added benefits of low postoperative complication rates, rapid recovery, shorter duration of pain, and excellent curative effects as compared to PTGD.

Modified duct-to-mucosa versus conventional pancreaticoenterostomy for pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective cohort study based on propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) remains the most common neopathy after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). An ideal pancreaticoenterostomy (PE) which can effectively reduce the incidence of CR-POPF and its potential neopathy is needed. We aimed to assess the efficacy of our modified duct-to-mucosa PE in the PD. METHOD: From January 2011 to December 2017, 233 consecutive patients with PD were retrospectively included from Shenzhen People's Hospital. After propensity score matching (PSM), there were 82 patients in both the modified duct-to-mucosa PE group (group A) and the conventional end-to-side inserting PE group (group B), respectively. The clinical course and the incidence of postoperative neopathy were compared between groups. Logistic regression method was utilized to analyze the association between PE approach and CR-POPF. RESULTS: The PE time was shorter in group A (9.3 ± 1.8 min vs. 21.5 ± 2.8 min, P < 0.001). The group A had significantly lower incidence of severe neopathy (Clavien-Dindo grade > II) [7.3% (5/82) vs. 17.1% (14/82), P = 0.028] and incidence of CR-POPF [1.2% (1/82) vs. 19.5% (12/82), P < 0.001] than the group B. Our modified duct-to-mucosa PE technique was associated with a reduced risk for CR-POPF (OR, 0.11 [95% CI, 0.02-0.57]; P = 0.009) as compared with the conventional end-to-side inserting PE. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional end-to-side inserting PE, our modified duct-to-mucosa PE technique can effectively reduce the incidences of postoperative neopathy and CR-POPF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Researchregistry3877 . Registered 24 March 2018. Retrospectively registered.

UBE2T promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth via ubiquitination of p53.

Deregulation of Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T) contributes to the progression of human cancers. However, its clinical significance and role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Here, we show that UBE2T is up-regulated in HCC and exerts oncogenic activities via ubiquitination of p53. High UBE2T expression was correlated with higher pathological grade, advanced TNM stage, tumor vascular invasion, and poor overall and disease-free survivals in two independent cohorts containing 827 patients with HCC. UBE2T was further identified as an independent factor for overall survival by multivariate analyses. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that UBE2T was directly targeted by miR-543 which was down-regulated in HCC. In vitro experiments demonstrated that UBE2T overexpression promoted, whereas UBE2T knockdown inhibited HCC cell growth. Ectopic expression of UBE2T resulted in the decreases of p53, p21 and Noxa. Further studies revealed that UBE2T facilitated the degradation of p53 protein via enhancing its ubiquitination. Collectively, our findings suggest UBE2T serves as a promising prognostic factor for HCC and functions as an oncogene. The newly identified miR-543/UBE2T/p53 axis may represent a new potential therapeutic target for HCC intervention.

The Effect of Adenine Repeats on G-quadruplex/hemin Peroxidase Mimicking DNAzyme Activity.

The catalytic activity of G-quadruplex/hemin is much lower than that of proteinous enzymes, so it is very important to increase its activity. Very recently, flanking sequences, which can be regarded as an external part of G-quadruplexes, were found to enhance the activity of G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme. However, little is known about the effect of internal parts, such as loop sequences and linkers, on the activity. In the present study, adenine repeats were incorporated into several designed G-quadruplex structures either in the loops, bulges, or linkers, and the constructed G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme exhibit about fivefold improvement in peroxidase-mimicking activity in some cases. The enhancement effect may result from the formation of compound I, protoporphyrin⋅FeIV =O.+ , accelerated by dA repeats, which was demonstrated by H2 O2 decay kinetics and pH dependency analysis. The novel enhancement methods described here may help in the development of high-activity DNAzymes, illustrated by a dimer G-quadruplex with flanking adenine at one end, a relatively long adenine run in one loop, and another adenine run in the linker.

Target-induced cyclic DNAzyme formation for colorimetric and chemiluminescence imaging assay of protein biomarkers.

A target-induced cyclic strategy for DNAzyme formation was proposed to achieve simple, sensitive and universal detection of protein biomarkers with convenient colorimetric or chemiluminescence imaging readout. In the assay, the target protein was recognized by a pair of DNA-labeled antibodies (Ab1-DNA1 and Ab2-DNA2) to form a proximate complex, which could hybridize with the conjugate DNA3/DNA4 to release the guanine-rich DNA4 and thus formed G-quadruplex/hemin horseradish peroxidase-mimicking DNAzyme. The process could be further recycled with Exonuclease III by cleaving DNA3 to free the proximate complex, resulting in the cyclic formation of DNAzyme. The G-quadruplex/hemin DNAzyme could catalyze the H2O2-mediated oxidation of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine to produce the color change from colorless to blue or enhance the chemiluminescence of a luminol-H2O2 system. Thus the signal could be read out with the naked eye, and by colorimetry and chemiluminescence imaging. Using a carcinoembryonic antigen as a model target, the proposed assay showed a detection range of 4 orders of magnitude along with detection limits of 170 and 16 pg mL-1 for colorimetric and chemiluminescence imaging assays respectively. This assay had the advantages of easy operation, sensitive detection, target flexibility and diversified signal readout, providing a great opportunity for commercial application.

A Thermophilic Tetramolecular G-Quadruplex/Hemin DNAzyme.

The quadruplex-based DNAzyme system is one of the most useful artificial enzymes or catalysts; their unique properties make them reliable alternatives to proteins for performing catalytic transformation. The first prototype of a thermally stable DNAzyme system is presented. This thermophilic DNAzyme is capable of oxidizing substrates at high temperatures (up to 95 °C) and long reaction times (up to 18 h at 75 °C). The catalytic activity of the DNAzymes were investigated with the standard peroxidase-mimicking oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) by H2 O2 . The step-by-step design of this unique heat-activated G-quadruplex/hemin catalyst, including the modification of adenines at both ends of G-tracts, the choice of cation, and its concentration for DNAzyme stabilization, is described. This work investigates thoroughly the molecular basis of these catalytic properties and provides an example of an industrially relevant application.

Binding of B-cell maturation antigen to B-cell activating factor induces survival of multiple myeloma cells by activating Akt and JNK signaling pathways.

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is expressed on normal and malignant plasma cells and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we characterized the mechanism underlying the protein kinase B (Akt) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways and BCMA interactions in regulating multiple myeloma (MM) cell survival. It was found that the expression levels of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and BCMA were increased in MM cells as compared with those in normal controls. The proliferation of U266 cells was induced by recombinant human BAFF (rhBAFF) and could also be decreased by BCMA siRNA. The expression of Bcl-2 protein was up-regulated, and Bax protein was down-regulated after rhBAFF treatment, which could be reversed by BCMA siRNA. Similarly, the protein p-JNK and p-Akt were activated by rhBAFF and could be changed by BCMA siRNA. In addition, the BCMA mRNA and protein expression levels were decreased after treatment with Akt and JNK pathway inhibitors. These results suggest that Akt and JNK pathways are involved in the regulation of BCMA. A novel BAFF/BCMA signalling pathway in MM may be a new therapeutic target for MM.

DNA tetrahedral scaffold-corbelled self-feedback circuit for dual-mode ratiometric biosensing with Ru@COF-LZU1 accelerator.

Sensitive, reliable, and specific detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is a key objective for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Here, a ratiometric fluorescent/electrochemiluminescent (FL/ECL) sensor was designed for the dual-mode detection of miRNA-122, a hepatocellular carcinoma biomarker. The strong ECL emission was achieved from imine-linked covalent organic framework (COF-LZU1) accelerator enriched Ru(bpy)32+ molecules (Ru@COF-LZU1), which was applied as a delimited reaction micro-reactor to enhance ECL emission. Impressively, to construct an efficient sensing platform, self-feedback circuit was grafted at the vertex of DNA tetrahedral scaffold (DTS), which could provide a solution-phase-like environment and transform miRNA-122 into abundant single-stranded DNAs on the disposable electrode. Simultaneously, the carboxyfluorescein (FAM) tagged DNA segment was cleaved and released into the reaction solution, bringing in the recovery of FL response (FL on). Finally, the introduction of glucose oxidase (GOD) could generate H2O2 by in situ catalyzing GOD to glucose, resulting in the decrease of ECL signal (ECL off). Relying on FL/ECL ratio value, miRNA-122 was quantified with high sensitivity, well selectivity, stability and favorable practicability, suggesting that the proposed biosensor hold great potential for clinical diagnosis.

Extreme rainstorm reshuffles the spatial distribution of heavy metals and pollution risk in sediments along the mangrove tidal flat.

Mangroves as typical blue carbon ecosystems exhibit a high level of heavy metal accumulation capability. In this study, we investigated how extreme rainstorm effects the spatial variability and pollution risk of sediment heavy metals (i.e., Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As and Hg) at different compartments of a typical tidal flat, including the bare mudflat, mangrove zone, and tidal creek in Shenzhen Bay, China. The results showed that the extreme rainstorm can change the sediment particle size, which further regulated the spatial distribution, and source-sink pattern of heavy metals. Due to the strong rainstorm flushing, the concentrations of most heavy metals increased toward the sea and the comprehensive pollution level increased by 8.3 % after the extreme rainstorm. This study contributes to better understanding of how extreme rainstorm regulates heavy metal behavior in mangrove sediments to achieve sustainable development of mangroves under the pressures of extreme weather events.

The Impact of Occupational Stigma on Gig Workers' Workplace Well-being: A Cross-sectional Study Based on the Platform-Based Food-Delivery Sector in China.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, the influence of occupational stigma on workplace well-being of platform-based food-delivery workers is examined. The mediation effect of work-contingent self-esteem and the moderating effect of job control are also assessed. METHODS: Questionnaire data from 362 platform-based food-delivery workers were gathered at three time points, and multiple regression analyses were used to test each hypothesis. RESULTS: Occupational stigma reduces workplace well-being of platform-based food-delivery workers, and this relationship is mediated by work-contingent self-esteem. Job control exerts a negative moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stigma and platform-based food-delivery workers' work-contingent self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies for reducing occupational stigma should be prioritized to increase workplace well-being in gig workers. Giving them more control over their work will likely alleviate the detrimental effect of occupational stigma on work-contingent self-esteem.

Translating cancer exosomes detection into the color change of phenol red based on target-responsive DNA microcapsules.

Emerging evidence indicates that exosomes can be used as a potential biomarker for monitoring diseases, including cancer. However, enhancing the sensing performance in terms of convenience and sensitivity remains an urgent demand for exosomes detection. In this study, a pH-sensitive colorimetric biosensing strategy was developed for exosomes detection by integrating stimuli-responsive DNA microcapsules and acetylcholinesterase to produce acetic acid. The constructed DNA microcapsules consisted of DNA shells crosslinked by anti-CD63 aptamers and loaded with acetylcholinesterase. With exosomes addition, an energetically stabilized aptamer-CD63 compound was produced and microcapsules dissociated due to the reaction of surface protein CD63 of exosomes and aptamer of CD63, resulting in the release of encapsulated AChE. Through a simple centrifugation separation, unreacted DNA microcapsules were removed and the supernatant containing released acetylcholinesterase collected, which was then used for colorimetric exosomes detection through the ability of acetylcholinesterase to hydrolyze acetylcholine to release acetic acid. The resulting decreased solution pH was detected with phenol red indicator, with the sharp color transition conveniently by naked eye. Exosomes quantification was also achieved using the solution's absorption intensity ratio of 558 vs. 432 nm. The linear range was from 2.0 × 103 to 5.0 × 105 particles/µL, and the limit of detection and limit of quantification were 1.2 × 103 particles/µL and 2.2 × 103 particles/µL, respectively. In addition, this proposed strategy for exosomes detection showed a relative standard deviation of 3.1% and high recovery efficiency (>94%), exhibiting a bright application future in exsomes analysis.

Acute abdominal disease associated with gallbladder torsion recovered after cholecystectomy: a rare case report and literature review.

Background: Gallbladder torsion is very rare and easily misdiagnosed as biliary disease. It is defined as the rotation of the gallbladder along the axis of the cystic pedicle on the mesentery. As gallbladder rotation involves the gallbladder artery, the blood supply is blocked, resulting in gallbladder ischemia and eventual necrosis. If misdiagnosis occurs and treatment is delayed, gallbladder torsion can develop into a lethal disease. The typical imaging features of gallbladder torsion in this case are a good learning resource for our young physicians, as well as providing a rare, unusual and typical case for our current literature database. Case Description: We present a rare case of gallbladder torsion in a 19-year-old man. The patient complained of sudden recurrent pain and discomfort in the right upper abdomen with vomiting for 12 hours. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan showed gallbladder enlargement and signs of acute cholecystitis in emergency examination, and there were no signs of cholecystolithiasis. Considering that the patient was a young male and the patients prefer conservative treatment, symptomatic treatment was given. However, there was no obvious effect after 1 day of medical treatment, but severe abdominal pain in the upper right quadrant continues to progress. Finally, the patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and the gallbladder was found to be enlarged with ischemic necrosis, which was caused by gallbladder torsion. The patient recovered 2 days after surgery and was discharged without complications. Conclusions: Although the clinical manifestation is similar to that of typical acute calculous cholecystitis, gallbladder torsion can be diagnosed early through some special signs on imaging examination, such as distorted cystic duct signs ("beak and whirl" sign), gallbladder dilatation with gallbladder fossa effusion, and gallbladder in the horizontal position. These signs can help primary surgical treatment and prevent fatal complications such as gallbladder gangrene, perforation, and biliary peritonitis. Therefore, for inexperienced doctors, careful imaging features are required for the correct diagnosis of rare gallbladder torsion. Keywords: Gallbladder torsion; acute abdominal disease; cholecystitis; case report.

Diagnostic accuracy of 3D imaging combined with intra-operative ultrasound in the prediction of post-hepatectomy liver failure.

Background: The risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is difficult to predict preoperatively. Accurate preoperative assessment of residual liver volume is critical in PHLF. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging and intra-operative ultrasound (IOUS) offer significant advantages in calculating liver volume and have been widely used in hepatectomy risk assessment. Our research aimed to explore the accuracy of 3D imaging technique combining IOUS in predicting PHLF after hepatectomy. Methods: We used a retrospective study design to analyze patients who underwent hepatectomy with 3D imaging combined with IOUS between 2017 and 2020. Utilizing 3D reconstruction, the patient's residual liver volumes (PRLVs) and ratio of PRLV to standard liver volume (SLV) were calculated preoperatively. Hepatectomy were performed and actual hepatectomy volume (AHV) were measured. Consistency between preoperative planned hepatectomy volume (PPHV) and AHV was quantified postoperatively by Bland-Altman analysis. Multiple logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to discuss the predictive value of PRLV/SLV in PHLF. Results: Among the 214 included patients, 58 (27.1%) had PHLF. Patients with PHLF had significantly higher residual rates of ICG-R15 (%) (P=0.000) and a lower PRLV/SLV ratio (P=0.000). Bland-Altman analysis showed that PPHV was consistent with AHV (P=0.301). Multivariate analysis confirmed that PRLV/SLV ratio >60% (OR, 0.178; 95% CI: 0.084-0.378; P<0.01) was a protective factor for PHLF. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 75.8% (95% CI: 64.5.3-87.2%), 66.6% (95% CI: 59.1-74.1%), 45.8%, and 88.1%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 73.7% (95% CI: 65.7-85.8%) and the diagnostic accuracy of PRLV/SLV for PHLF was moderate (P<0.001). These results were validated in the validation cohort perfectly. The primary cohort included 214 patients with a PHLF rate of 27.1% (n=58, 28 grade B and 13 grade C). The validation cohort included 135 patients with a PHLF rate of 35.6% (n=48, 24 grade B and 11 grade C). Conclusions: The calculation of PRLV/SLV has predictive value in PHLF and can be exploited as a predictive factor. The 3D imaging technique combined with IOUS may be useful for PHLF risk assessment in hepatectomy patients.

Proximity binding-triggered multipedal DNA walker for the electrochemiluminescence detection of telomerase activity.

The sensitive detection of telomerase activity is of great significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Here, an innovative electrochemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) sensor was explored to reliably detect telomerase activity based on proximity binding-triggered multipedal DNA walker. In this system, CdS quantum dots (CdS QDs) and silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) were applied as ECL donor and acceptor, respectively. By ingeniously introducing a repetitive bases sequence (TTAGGG) along the telomerase primer, multiple same DNA "legs" were formed, leading to the activation of proximity binding-triggered multipedal DNA walker. Unlike the traditional unipedal DNA walker, one walking step of multipedal DNA walker concurrently initiated the responsivity of multiple signals, resulting in the shortening of the walking time and improvement of the signal amplification efficiency. Thus, under optimal conditions, the designed ECL-RET sensor exhibited a wide dynamic correlation of HeLa cells' telomerase activity from 1 × 102 to 1 × 106 cells/mL and a low detection limit of 16 cells/mL. Moreover, this sensor realized the general and reliable analysis of telomerase activity in different cell lines. Due to the outstanding application potential in real samples, it is believed that the ECL-RET sensing system provides a new approach for the application of telomerase activity assays in cancer diagnostics.

Outcomes of reoperation for hepatolithiasis with 3D imaging individualized preoperative planning technique: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: A detailed assessment of biliary tract anatomy is necessary for the successful reoperation for hepatolithiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of preoperative individualized surgical planning with three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique for reoperation of hepatolithiasis. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched case-control study. From January 2011 to December 2018, 56 patients receiving reoperation according to the individualized preoperative plan based on 3D imaging at our center were included (group A). Meanwhile, 54 patients receiving traditional imaging guided reoperation matched by age, gender and distribution of hepatobiliary stones to each case were selected as controls (group B). The perioperative and long-term follow-up outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics between groups. Compared with group B, the group A had a significantly shorter operation time (245.7±56.2 min vs. 305.2±79.9 min, P<0.001), a significantly higher surgical plan implementation rate (SPIR, 92.9% vs. 66.7%, P=0.001) and a lower incidence-of severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade>II, 1.8% vs. 14.8%, P=0.015). The incidences of initial residual stone (7.1% vs. 44.4%, P<0.001) and repeated cholangitis (3.6% vs. 33.3%, P<0.001) were significantly lower in group A than in group B. After postoperative choledochoscopic lithotripsy, the incidence of final residual stones was significantly lower in group A than in group B. (1.8% vs. 20.4%, P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative 3D imaging assisted surgical planning is feasible and safe for reoperation of hepatolithiasis which can effectively improve surgical plan implementation rate and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications as compared with conventional surgical planning.

Distributed power allocation for sink-centric clusters in multiple sink wireless sensor networks.

Due to the battery resource constraints, saving energy is a critical issue in wireless sensor networks, particularly in large sensor networks. One possible solution is to deploy multiple sink nodes simultaneously. Another possible solution is to employ an adaptive clustering hierarchy routing scheme. In this paper, we propose a multiple sink cluster wireless sensor networks scheme which combines the two solutions, and propose an efficient transmission power control scheme for a sink-centric cluster routing protocol in multiple sink wireless sensor networks, denoted as MSCWSNs-PC. It is a distributed, scalable, self-organizing, adaptive system, and the sensor nodes do not require knowledge of the global network and their location. All sinks effectively work out a representative view of a monitored region, after which power control is employed to optimize network topology. The simulations demonstrate the advantages of our new protocol.

Catalytic hairpin assembly-triggered DNA walker for electrochemical sensing of tumor exosomes sensitized with Ag@C core-shell nanocomposites.

The detection of a small number of exosomes provides the possibility for early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Here, a multi-signal amplified electrochemical sensing platform was explored for the ultrasensitive detection of tumor exosomes relying on catalytic hairpin assembly-triggered DNA walker, entropy beacon-based DNA assembly and Ag@C core-shell nanocomposites. In this work, the utilization of Ag@C nanocomposites as electrode interface effectively enhanced functional active sites and electron transfer capability. By designing a target-assisted entropy beacon-based DNA assembly, single exosome initiated the release of multiple special DNA sequences, which could be separated conveniently by magnet and then hybridize with the blocking DNA to liberate swing arm. DNA walker was activated with the assistance of catalytic hairpin assembly, introducing extensive electroactive methylene blue (MB) to electrode surface. Thus, the detection of exosomes was transferred into the measurement of the MB current, with a good liner range from 100 to 75 000 particles/µL. Furthermore, this constructed sensing system displayed acceptable reproducibility, long-term stability, favorable selectivity, and highlighting application potential in real samples.