Multifunctional Supramolecular Hydrogel Modulated Heterojunction Interface Carrier Transport Engineering Facilitates Sensitive Photoelectrochemical Immunosensing.

Highly responsive interface of semiconductor nanophotoelectrochemical materials provides a broad development prospect for the identification of low-abundance cancer marker molecules. This work innovatively proposes an efficient blank WO3/SnIn4S8 heterojunction interface formed by self-assembly on the working electrode for interface regulation and photoregulation. Different from the traditional biomolecular layered interface, a hydrogel layer containing manganese dioxide with a wide light absorption range is formed at the interface after an accurate response to external immune recognition. The formation of the hydrogel layer hinders the effective contact between the heterojunction interface and the electrolyte solution, and manganese dioxide in the hydrogel layer forms a strong competition between the light source and the substrate photoelectric material. The process effectively improves the carrier recombination efficiency at the interface, reduces the interface reaction kinetics and photoelectric conversion efficiency, and thus provides strong support for target identification. Taking advantage of the process, the resulting biosensors are being explored for sensitive detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, with a limit of detection as low as 0.037 pg/mL. Also, this study contributes to the advancement of photoelectrochemical biosensing technology and opens up new avenues for the development of sensitive and accurate analytical tools in the field of bioanalysis.

Validation of the PowerPlex®35GY System: a novel eight-dye STR multiplex kit on the Spectrum Compact CE System.

The PowerPlex® 35GY System (Promega, USA) is an advanced eight-dye multiplex STR kit, incorporating twenty-three autosomal STR loci, eleven Y chromosome STR loci, one sex determining marker Amelogenin, and two quality indicators. This multiplex system includes 20 CODIS loci and up to 15 mini-STR loci with sizing values less than 250 bases. In this study, validation for PowerPlex® 35GY System was conducted following the guidelines of SWGDAM, encompassing sensitivity, precision, accuracy, concordance, species specificity, stutter, mixture, stability, and degraded DNA. The results from experiments demonstrated that the PowerPlex® 35GY System could effectively amplify DNA samples, with complete allele detection achieved at 125 pg. Moreover, over 90% of alleles from minor contributors were detected at a mixed ratio of 1:4. Additionally, the system was found to yield full profiles even in the presence of hematin, humic acid, and indigo. The PowerPlex® 35GY System demonstrated superior performance in the sensitivity and degraded DNA studies compared to a six-dye STR kit. Hence, it is evident that the PowerPlex® 35GY System is well-suited for forensic practice, whether in casework or for database samples. These findings provide strong support for the efficacy and reliability of the PowerPlex® 35GY System in forensic applications.

Extracting big data from the internet to support the development of a new patient-reported outcome measure for breast implant illness: a proof of concept study.

PURPOSE: Individuals with health conditions often use online patient forums to share their experiences. These patient data are freely available and have rarely been used in patient-reported outcomes (PRO) research. Web scraping, the automated identification and coding of webpage data, can be employed to collect patient experiences for PRO research. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using web scraping to support the development of a new PRO measure for breast implant illness (BII). METHODS: Nine publicly available BII-specific web forums were chosen post-consultation with two prominent BII advocacy leaders. The Python Selenium and Pandas packages were used to automate extraction of de-identified text from the individual posts/comments into a spreadsheet. Data were coded using a line-by-line approach and constant comparison was used to create top-level domains and sub-domains. RESULTS: 6362 unique codes were identified and organized into four top-level domains of information needs, symptom experiences, life impact of BII, and care experiences. Information needs of women included seeking/sharing information pre-breast implant surgery, post-breast implant surgery, while contemplating explant surgery, and post-explant surgery. Symptoms commonly described by women included fatigue, brain fog, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Many comments described BII's impact on daily activities and psychosocial wellbeing. Lastly, some comments described negative care experiences and experiences related to advocating for themselves to providers. CONCLUSION: This proof-of-concept study demonstrated the feasibility of employing web scraping as a cost-effective, efficient method to understand the experiences of women with BII. These data will be used to inform the development of a BII-specific PROM.

Highly sensitive photoelectrochemical biosensing detection of early cardiac injury enabled by novel self-assembled Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 photoelectrode coupled with ZnSnO3 quencher.

The development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors plays a critical role in enabling timely intervention and personalized treatment for cardiac injury. Herein, a novel approach is presented for the fabrication of highly sensitive PEC biosensor employing Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction for the ultrasensitive detection of heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP). The Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction, synthesized through in-situ growth of MgIn2S4 on Bi2O3 nanoplates, offers superior attributes including a larger specific surface area and more homogeneous distribution, leading to enhanced sensing sensitivity. The well-matched valence and conduction bands of Bi2O3 and MgIn2S4 effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated carriers and facilitate electron transfer, resulting in a significantly improved photocurrent signal response. And the presence of the secondary antibody marker (ZnSnO3) introduces steric hindrance that hinders electron transfer between ascorbic acid and the photoelectrode, leading to a reduction in photocurrent signal. Additionally, the competition between the ZnSnO3 marker and the Bi2O3/MgIn2S4 heterojunction material for the excitation light source further diminishes the photocurrent signal response. After rigorous repeatability and selectivity tests, the PEC biosensor exhibited excellent performance, and the linear detection range of the biosensor was determined to be 0.05 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a remarkable detection limit of 0.029 pg/mL (S/N = 3).

Ultrafast Electron-Transfer Via Hybrid States at Perovskite/Fullerene Interface.

Interfacial charge-transfer between perovskite and charge-transport layers plays a key role in determining performance of perovskite solar cells. The conventional viewpoint emphases the necessity of favorable energy-level alignment of the two components. In recent reports, efficient electron-transfer is observed from perovskite to fullerene-based electron-transport layers even when there are unfavorable energy-level alignments, but the mechanism is still unclear. Here, using an ultrafast in situ two-photon photoelectron spectroscopy, real-time observations of electron-transfer processes at CsPbI3/C60 interface in both temporal and energetic dimensions are reported. Due to strong electronic coupling, a large amount of interfacial hybrid states is generated at the interfaces, aiding fast photoinduced electron-transfer in ≈124 fs. This process is further verified by nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations and transient absorption experiments. The short timescale explains why electron-transfer can overcome unfavorable energy-level alignments, providing a guideline for device design.

Association of blood pressure and outcomes differs upon cerebral perfusion post-thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between post-endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) blood pressure (BP) and outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains contentious. We aimed to explore whether this association differs with different cerebral perfusion statuses post-EVT. METHODS: In a multicenter observational study of patients with AIS with large vessel occlusion who underwent EVT, we enrolled those who accepted CT perfusion (CTP) imaging within 24 hours post-EVT. We recorded post-EVT systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP. Patients were stratified into favorable perfusion and unfavorable perfusion groups based on the hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) on CTP. The primary outcome was good functional outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3). Secondary outcomes included early neurological deterioration, infarct size growth, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. RESULTS: Of the 415 patients studied (mean age 62 years, 75% male), 233 (56%) achieved good functional outcomes. Logistic regression showed that post-EVT HIR and 24-hour mean SBP were significantly associated with functional outcomes. Among the 326 (79%) patients with favorable perfusion, SBP <140 mmHg was associated with a higher percentage of good functional outcomes compared with SBP ≥140 mmHg (68% vs 52%; aOR 1.70 (95% CI 1.00 to 2.89), P=0.04). However, no significant difference was observed between SBP and functional outcomes in the unfavorable perfusion group. There was also no discernible difference between SBP and secondary outcomes across the different perfusion groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with favorable perfusion post-EVT, SBP <140 mmHg was associated with good functional outcomes, which underscores the need for further investigations with larger sample sizes or a more individualized BP management strategy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900022154.

Chinese Stroke Association guidelines for clinical management of ischaemic cerebrovascular diseases: executive summary and 2023 update.

BACKGROUND: China is one of the countries with the highest burden of stroke. Implementing multidimensional management guidelines will help clinicians practise evidence-based care, improve patient outcomes and alleviate societal burdens. This update of the 2019 edition will provide the latest comprehensive recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ischaemic cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search on MEDLINE (via PubMed) up to 31 August 2023. The writing team established the recommendations through multiple rounds of online and offline discussions. Each recommendation was graded using the evidence grading algorithm developed by the Chinese Stroke Association (CSA). The draft was reviewed and finalised by the CSA Stroke Guidelines Writing Committee. RESULTS: This update included revisions of 15 existing recommendations and 136 new recommendations in the following areas of stroke care: emergency assessment and diagnosis of ischaemic cerebrovascular disease, acute-phase reperfusion therapy, evaluation of underlying mechanisms, antithrombotic therapy, prevention and treatment of complications, and risk factor management. CONCLUSIONS: This guideline updated the recommendations for the clinical management of ischaemic cerebrovascular disease from 2019.