Notes

Globotriaosylceramide-related biomarkers associated with fabry disease identified inside plasma tv's simply by high-performance thin-layer chromatography -- densitometry- bulk spectrometry.
f probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplements in the improvement of established biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as lipid profiles among patients with CKD, which are well-known cardiovascular risk factors. Further research into these interventions should consider the limitations of our study to explore the effect of long-term administration of these supplements in the CKD population.Multidrug resistance (MDR) constitutes the major cause of the failure in anticancer therapy. One of the most important mechanisms leading to the occurrence of MDR is related to the modulation of cellular death pathways. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of quercetin (Q) on triggering the programed death of human promyelocytic leukemia sensitive cells HL60 as well as multidrug resistant HL60/VINC cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein and HL60/MX2 cells characterized by the presence of mutated α isoform of topoisomerase II and the absence of β isoform of this enzyme. Q exerted comparable cytotoxic activities toward sensitive HL60 cells and their MDR counterparts. It was also found that this compound modulated the cellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and led to the marked decrease in cellular GSH level. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that Q used at IC50 and IC90 significantly increased the percentage of sub-G1 subpopulation of all studied leukemia cells causing oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The present study also indicated that Q used at IC90 triggers predominantly programed cell death of sensitive HL60 cells and their MDR counterparts by induction of apoptosis occurring with the involvement of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as well as by lysosome membrane permeabilization-dependent mechanisms.Introduction Since decades, cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. The increasing knowledge of molecular and tumor biology has significantly changed the cancer treatment paradigms during the past few years.Area covered Conventionally, the first-line treatment of solid tumors is their surgical removal followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. Unfortunately, these approaches often fail, and the patient may discontinue the treatment before the complete eradication of tumors due to therapeutic and toxicological limitations. In this regard, the nucleic acid-based treatment therapy has been widely used in the management of cancer. However, nucleic acid delivery to the target sites is highly challenging because of their molecular size, difficulties to pass cellular membranes and susceptibility towards enzymatic and/or chemical degradation.Expert opinion Researchers have now overcome many problems associated with delivering nucleic acids to the target tissues by preventing them from off-target side effects and overcoming rapid degradation and clearance in the bloodstream using the lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNs). The present review, therefore, aims to provide an overview account on LPNHs, their preparation, characterization, application with special emphasis on intracellular delivery/transfection of nucleic acids in the management of cancer and key aspects of challenges in its delivery and clinical transition.1. Campylobacteriosis is the leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis. Broilers are considered the most important source of human Campylobacter infection. In the 2008 European baseline survey Ireland had a 98% prevalence of campylobacter-contaminated broiler carcasses.2. Randomly-selected Campylobacter isolates (296 C. jejuni, 54 C. coli) recovered in 2017 and 2018, from Irish broiler neck skin and caeca were tested for their resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid and streptomycin.3. Overall, 45% of the Campylobacter spp. isolates tested were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Tetracycline resistance (38%) was most prevalent in C. jejuni, followed by ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid resistance (29%). In C. coli, resistance to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid (26%) was most prevalent followed by resistance to tetracycline (13%). Gentamicin resistance was undetected and resistance to streptomycin was low for C. jejuni (1%) and C. coli (4%). All C. jejuni isolates examined were erythromycin-sensitive, while 9% of C. coli isolates were erythromycin-resistant. Three multidrug-resistant C. coli isolates were recovered.4. While antibiotic resistance rates were somewhat similar to figures reported nationally over the past 20 years, the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in C. jejuni has increased. The persistence of substantial ciprofloxacin resistance in the Irish broiler population was noteworthy, despite fluoroquinolones having been banned for growth promotion in Europe since 2006.1. This study investigated the pattern of feather follicle morphogenesis and the expression of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway in the skin of yellow-feathered broiler chick embryos during feather development, using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Western blot assays, respectively.2. The results showed that the skin displayed protrusions during embryonic days E7-E9, feather buds elongated during E10-E11 with anterior-posterior and proximal-distal asymmetries, and the epidermis invaginated to form the primary feather follicles (Pfs) at E12. At E13, the formation of the feather follicle and the epidermis at the base of the feather bud further invaginated into the dermis. By E15, Pf formation was essentially complete, and secondary feather follicles (Sfs) appeared. It was speculated that Pfs and Sfs developed independently and that Pfs occurred earlier than Sfs.3. Quantitative measurements of Pf density reached a maximum at E15 and then decreased gradually. Sf density started to increase from E15.4. Protein expression levels of β-catenin, TCF4, cyclin D1, and c-Myc were significantly increased during E8-E12 (P less then 0.05) and then decreased from E13 to the day of hatching (DOH) (P less then 0.05). The result of the β-catenin immunolocalisation signal intensity assay was consistent with the result of the Western blot assay.5. Collectively, the results indicated that the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is essential for promoting the development of feather follicles, especially during E7-E15.Objective Using naturalistic driving data, this study analyzed the driving behavior of major approach right and left turning vehicles to minor approach at rural two-way stop controlled intersections by detecting the location where drivers reacted to the upcoming intersection to complete a turning maneuver.Methods The study used 449 time series traces from 29 two-way stop controlled intersections across five states for the analysis. All 449 traces were associated to free flow condition with driving not obstructed by the vehicle ahead. Each time series trace was analyzed to check the point drivers first reacted to the intersection for the turning maneuver and this point was called the reaction point. Braking Behavior of Major Approach Turning Vehicles at Rural Two-Way Stop Controlled Intersections A Naturalistic Driving StudyResults The results from this study showed that right turning vehicles began reacting, in general, sooner than left turning vehicles. More than 75% of drivers showed a reaction within 300 meters upstream of intersection for both types of turning maneuver. The study found driving speed at the reaction point significantly affecting the initial point of reaction. Drivers who were traveling faster than the posted speed limit were associated with a reaction point farther upstream than vehicles traveling at the speed limit. On-pavement marking upstream of the intersection was found to be associated with longer reaction distance, while posted intersection ahead warning signs showed a reverse effect. The result provides information on braking zone of turning vehicles at intersections which has implication on the placement of different countermeasures upstream at the major approach.Conclusions By detecting reaction distance of all 449 time series trace, the study provides an influence area of the intersection for the turning vehicles.Human milk is the gold standard for newborn infants. Breast milk not only provides nutrients, it also contains bioactive components that guide the development of the infant's intestinal immune system, which can have a lifelong effect. The bioactive molecules in breast milk regulate microbiota development, immune maturation and gut barrier function. Human milk oligosaccharides (hMOs) are the most abundant bioactive molecules in human milk and have multiple beneficial functions such as support of growth of beneficial bacteria, anti-pathogenic effects, immune modulating effects, and stimulation of intestine barrier functions. Here we critically review the current insight into the benefits of bioactive molecules in mother milk that contribute to neonatal development and focus on current knowledge of hMO-functions on microbiota and the gastrointestinal immune barrier. hMOs produced via genetically engineered microorganisms are now applied in infant formulas to mimic the nutritional composition of breast milk as closely as possible, and their prospects and scientific challenges are discussed in depth.Tactile information is efficiently captured and processed through a complex sensory system combined with mechanoreceptors, neurons, and synapses in human skin. Synapses are essential for tactile signal transmission between pre/post-neurons. However, developing an electronic device that integrates the functions of tactile information sensation and transmission remains a challenge. Here, we present a piezotronic synapse based on a single GaN microwire that can simultaneously achieve the capabilities of strain sensing and synaptic functions. The piezotronic effect in the wurtzite GaN is introduced to strengthen synaptic weight updates (e.g., 330% enhancement at a compressive stress of -0.36%) with pulse trains. A high gauge factor for strain sensing (ranging from 0 to -0.81%) of about 736 is also obtained. Remarkably, the piezotronic synapse enables the neuromorphic hardware achievement of the perception and processing of tactile information in a single micro/nanowire system, demonstrating an advance in biorealistic artificial intelligence systems.Transistor downscaling by Moore's law has facilitated drastic improvements in information technology, but this trend cannot continue because power consumption issues have pushed Moore's law to its limit. Tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) have been suggested to address these issues; however, so far they have not achieved the essential criteria for fast, low-power switches, i.e., an average subthreshold swing over four decades of current (SSave_4dec) below 60 mV/dec and a current of 1-10 μA/μm where the SS is 60 mV/dec (I60). Here, we report a black phosphorus (BP) heterojunction (HJ) TFET that exhibits a record high I60 of 19.5 μA/μm and subthermionic SSave_4dec of 37.6 mV/dec at 300 K, using a key material factor, monolayer hexagonal boron nitride tunnel barrier for the drain contact. This work, demonstrating the influence of the tunnel barrier contact on device performance, paves the way for the development of ultrafast low-power logic circuits beyond CMOS capabilities.Modern-days CMOS-based computation technology is reaching its fundamental limitations. The emerging field of magnonics, which utilizes spin waves for data transport and processing, proposes a promising path to overcome these limitations. Different devices have been demonstrated recently on the macro- and microscale, but the feasibility of the magnonics approach essentially relies on the scalability of the structure feature size down to an extent of a few 10 nm, which are typical sizes for the established CMOS technology. Here, we present a study of propagating spin-wave packets in individual yttrium iron garnet (YIG) conduits with lateral dimensions down to 50 nm. Space and time resolved micro-focused Brillouin-Light-Scattering (BLS) spectroscopy is used to characterize the YIG nanostructures and measure the spin-wave decay length and group velocity directly. The revealed magnon transport at the scale comparable to the scale of CMOS proves the general feasibility of a magnon-based data processing.Here, we have studied the crystalline structure of bulk ZnX (X = O, S, Se, Te) and ZnF2 systems as a first step to understand the structures like ZnX and Zn-based systems like ZnO/ZnF2 interfaces, which are of utmost importance for possible technological applications. In addition, an adequate methodological description based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations is necessary. It is well known that plain DFT calculations based on local or semilocal exchange-correlation functionals fail to describe the correct band gap energy for these systems, whereas nonlocal approaches, such as hybrid-based functionals, can compensate the underestimation of band gap. To contribute to the assessment, DFT studies were performed within semilocal Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) and two nonlocal functionals, hybrid Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) and PBE + U functionals. Our results confirm that PBE underestimates the energy band gap values, from 33.0 to 42.8% for ZnX compounds compared to the experimental values. Applying te conducting layers that tend to penetrate the interface and decrease the band gap, leading to the transport of carriers through the interface to ZnF2, which, even with a high band gap for charge transfer, can be interesting for photovoltaic applications.A formulation of range-separated random phase approximation (RPA) based on our efficient ω-CDGD-RI-RPA [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2018, 14, 2505] method and a large scale benchmark study are presented. By application to the GMTKN55 data set, we obtain a comprehensive picture of the performance of range-separated RPA in general main group thermochemistry, kinetics, and noncovalent interactions. The results show that range-separated RPA performs stably over the broad range of molecular chemistry included in the GMTKN55 set. It improves significantly over semilocal DFT but it is still less accurate than modern dispersion corrected double-hybrid functionals. Furthermore, range-separated RPA shows a faster basis set convergence compared to standard full-range RPA making it a promising applicable approach with only one empirical parameter.Janus kinases (JAKs) are non-receptor tyrosine kinases that are essential components of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Associated aberrant signaling is responsible for many forms of cancer and disorders of the immune system. The present focus is on the discovery of molecules that may regulate the activity of JAK2 by selective binding to the JAK2 pseudokinase domain, JH2. Specifically, the Val617Phe mutation in JH2 stimulates the activity of the adjacent kinase domain (JH1) resulting in myeloproliferative disorders. Starting from a non-selective screening hit, we have achieved the goal of discovering molecules which preferentially bind to the ATP binding site in JH2 instead of JH1. We report the design and synthesis of the compounds and binding results for the JH1, JH2, and JH2 V617F domains, as well as five crystal structures for JH2 complexes. Testing with a selective and non-selective JH2 binder on the autophosphorylation of wild-type and V617F JAK2 is also contrasted.Despite intense interest in amine-catalyzed stereoselective reactions, high catalyst loadings of ≥10 mol % are still common and either due to low reactivity or catalyst deactivation. Yet, few deactivation pathways are well understood. Here, we unraveled the deactivation of secondary amines by undesired aldol reaction. Mechanistic studies with peptide and prolinol silyl ether catalysts showed the generality of this so-far underappreciated catalyst deactivation pathway. The insights enabled conjugate addition reactions between aldehydes and nitroolefins on a multigram scale in the absence of solvent-conditions that are attractive as environmentally benign processes-with excellent product yields and stereoselectivities in the presence of as little as 0.1 mol % of a chemoselective peptidic catalyst.Tuning reactivity of sulfur electrophiles is key for advancing click chemistry and chemical probe discovery. To date, activation of the sulfur electrophile for protein modification has been ascribed principally to stabilization of a fluoride leaving group (LG) in covalent reactions of sulfonyl fluorides and arylfluorosulfates. We recently introduced sulfur-triazole exchange (SuTEx) chemistry to demonstrate the triazole as an effective LG for activating nucleophilic substitution reactions on tyrosine sites of proteins. Here, we probed tunability of SuTEx for fragment-based ligand discovery by modifying the adduct group (AG) and LG with functional groups of differing electron-donating and -withdrawing properties. We discovered the sulfur electrophile is highly sensitive to the position of modification (AG versus LG), which enabled both coarse and fine adjustments in solution and proteome activity. We applied these reactivity principles to identify a large fraction of tyrosine sites (∼30%) on proteins (∼44%) that can be liganded across >1500 probe-modified sites quantified by chemical proteomics. Our proteomic studies identified noncatalytic tyrosine and phosphotyrosine sites that can be liganded by SuTEx fragments with site specificity in lysates and live cells to disrupt protein function. Collectively, we describe SuTEx as a versatile covalent chemistry with broad applications for chemical proteomics and protein ligand discovery.Despite increasing efforts to decarbonize the power sector, utilization of natural gas fired power plants is anticipated to continue. This study models existing solvent-based carbon capture technologies on natural gas-fired power plants, using site-specific emissions and regionally defined cost parameters to calculate the cost of CO2 avoided for two scenarios delivery to and injection with reliable sequestration sites, and delivery and injection for the purpose of CO2-EOR. Despite application of credits from the existing federal tax code 45Q, a minimum incentive gap of roughly $38/tCO2 remains for geologic sequestration of CO2, and $56/tCO2 for CO2-EOR (before consideration of revenue generated from delivered CO2). At full escalation of 45Q, delivered CO2 costs from this sector for geologic sequestration could reach as low as $22/tCO2. However, given the capital investment required in the near term, it would be beneficial if the credit provided the greatest economic benefit early on and decreasing over time as deployment continues to ramp up. Additionally, due to the high qualifying limit of 45Q for the power sector, e.g., 500 ktCO2/yr, the tax credit incentivizes the capture of roughly 397 MtCO2/yr at 90% capture efficiency, or 75% of the emissions in this sector, with missed opportunities equating to roughly 118 MtCO2. Advancing the scale of CCS will require both technological advances in the capture technology, cost reductions through the leveraging of existing infrastructure, and increased policy incentives in terms of cost along with reduction of qualifying limits.Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has proven to be a useful tool when investigating the spatial distributions of metabolites and proteins in a biological system. One of the biggest advantages of IMS is the ability to maintain the 3D chemical composition of a sample and analyze in a label free manner. However, acquiring the spatial information leads to an increase in data size. Due to the increased availability of commercial mass spectrometers capable of IMS, there has been an exciting development of different statistical tools that can help decipher the spatial relevance of an analyte in a biological sample. To address this need, software packages like SCiLS and the open source R package Cardinal have been designed to perform unbiased spectral grouping based on the similarity of spectra in an IMS data set. In this note we evaluate SCiLS and Cardinal compatibility with MALDI-TOF IMS data sets of the Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. Both software were able to perform unsupervised segmentation with similar performance. There were a few notable differences which are discussed related to the identification of statistically significant features which required optimization of preprocessing steps, region of interest, and manual analysis.Aqueous rechargeable zinc (Zn) metal batteries show great application prospects in grid-scale energy storage devices due to their good safety, low cost, and considerable energy density. However, the electrical and topographical inhomogeneity caused by the native passivation layer of metallic Zn foil lead to inhomogeneous electrochemical plating and stripping of metallic Zn, and the limited accessible area to electrolyte of regular foil electrode causes the poor rate capability, which together hinder the practical application of Zn metal electrode in rechargeable aqueous batteries. In this work, we show that the native passivation layer on Zn foil electrode can be removed by a simple chemical polishing strategy, associated with the formation of a three dimension (3D) ridge-like structure of metallic Zn (r-Zn) on the surface of the Zn foil electrode due to the selective etching of weak crystallographic planes and grain boundary of metallic Zn. The clean and uniform surface of metallic Zn electrode enables homogeneous plating and stripping of metallic Zn, and the ridge-like structure of r-Zn increases the accessible surface area to the electrolyte and reduces the local current density, which elevates the electrochemical performance of Zn metal anode with regard to the cycling stability and rate capability. It is demonstrated that a r-Zn anode cycles stably for over 200 hours at 1 mA cm-2 and 0.5 mAh cm-2 with a low overpotential of 20 mV, which far outperforms 39 hours' cycling with an overpotential of 72 mV for the pristine metallic Zn counterpart.Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus that may be associated with congenital anomalies in infected fetuses and severe neurological and genital tract complications in infected adults. Currently, antiviral treatments to revert these ZIKV-induced complications are lacking. ZIKV infection has recently been suggested to upregulate the host unfolded protein response, which may contribute to the congenital neurological anomalies. Extending from these findings, we thoroughly investigated ZIKV-induced unfolded protein response using a combination of neuronal cell line, induced pluripotent stem cells-derived human neuronal stem and progenitor cells, and an interferon receptor-deficient A129 mouse model. Our results revealed a critical contribution of the inositol-requiring enzyme-1 (IRE1) arm of the unfolded protein response to ZIKV-induced neurological and testicular complications. Importantly, inhibiting IRE1 signaling pathway activation with KIRA6 (Kinase-Inhibiting RNAse Attenuator 6), a selective small molecule IRE1 inhibitor that promotes cell survival, potently reverted the ZIKV-induced perturbations of the key gene expressions associated with neurogenesis and spermatogenesis in vitro and in vivo, highlighting the potential of IRE1 inhibition as a novel host-targeting antiviral strategy in combating against ZIKV-induced neurological and testicular pathologies.Although ultrahigh theoretical capacity has long been predicted for boron based lithium-ion-battery anodes, experimentally boron has only exhibited limited performance and its lithiation process remains elusive. The two dimensional (2D) form of boron is believed to be an ideal model system to investigate the lithiation behavior of boron, however unfortunately, most reported 2D boron structures are prone to oxidation under ambient conditions. In this contribution, through a simultaneous etching and in-situ functionalization process, we synthesized for the first time methyl-functionalized boron nanosheets, which remain stable up to 250 oC. Combining experiments and theoretical calculations, we found that lithiation of boron is realized through the formation of alloys such as LiB3 and Li3B14, while alloys with higher Li contents such as Li5B are thermodynamically less favored. In addition, detailed electrochemical analysis reveals that side reactions on boron surface may also contribute to the unsatisfactory performance of boron based electrodes. Our findings suggest that reducing the enthalpy of formation of high Li content alloys and the choice of less nucleophilic electrolyte are the key to developing high performance anodes based on novel boron materials. Our demonstration of stable 2D boron structures also paves the way for their fundamental study and practical applications.Immobilizing a signaling protein to guide cell behavior has been employed in a wide variety of studies. This approach draws inspiration from biology, where specific, affinity-based interactions between membrane receptors and immobilized proteins in the extracellular matrix guide many developmental and homeostatic processes. Synthetic immobilization approaches, however, do not necessarily recapitulate the in vivo signaling system and potentially lead to artificial receptor-ligand interactions. To investigate the effects of one example of engineered receptor-ligand interactions, we focus on the immobilization of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which has been used to drive differentiation of neuronal stem cells (NSCs). To isolate the effect of ligand immobilization, we transfected Cos-7 cells with only interferon-γ receptor 1 (IFNγR1), not IFNγR2, so that the cells could bind IFN-γ, but were incapable of canonical signal transduction. We then exposed the cells to surfaces containing covalently immobilized IFN-γ and studied membrane morphology, receptor-ligand dynamics, and receptor activation. We found that exposing cells to immobilized, but not soluble IFN-γ, drove the formation of filopodia in both NSCs and Cos-7, showing that covalently immobilizing IFN-γ is enough to affect cell behavior, independently of canonical downstream signaling. Overall, this work suggests that synthetic growth factor immobilization can influence cell morphology beyond enhancing canonical cell responses through the prolonged signaling duration or spatial patterning enabled by protein immobilization. This suggests that differentiation of NSCs could be driven by canonical and non-canonical pathways when IFN-γ is covalently immobilized. This finding has broad implications for bioengineering approaches to guide cell behavior, as one ligand has the potential to impact multiple pathways even when cells lack the canonical signal transduction machinery.Streptococcus sanguinis is an oral commensal bacterium, but can colonize pre-existing heart valve vegetations if introduced into the blood stream, leading to infective endocarditis. Loss of Mn- or Fe-cofactored virulence determinants are thought to result in enfeeblement of this bacterium. Indeed, intracellular Mn accumulation mediated by the lipoprotein SsaB, a component of the SsaACB transporter complex, has been shown to promote virulence for endocarditis and O2 tolerance. To delineate intracellular metal-ion abundance and redox speciation within S. sanguinis, we developed a protocol exploiting two spectroscopic techniques, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, to respectively quantify total intracellular metal concentrations, and directly measure redox speciation of Fe and Mn within intact whole-cell samples. Addition of the cell-permeable siderophore deferoxamine shifts the oxidation states of accessible Fe and Mn from reduced-to-oxidized, as verified by magnetic moment calculations, aiding in the characterization of intracellular metal pools and metal sequestration levels for Mn2+ and Fe. We have applied this methodology to S. sanguinis and an SsaACB knockout strain (ΔssaACB), indicating that SsaACB mediates both Mn and Fe uptake, directly influencing the metal-ion pools available for biological inorganic pathways. Mn-supplementation to ΔssaACB returns total intracellular Mn to wild-type levels, but does not restore wild-type redox speciation or distribution of metal cofactor availability for either Mn or Fe. Our results highlight the biochemical basis for S. sanguinis oxidative resistance, revealing a dynamic role for SsaACB in controlling redox homeostasis by managing the intracellular Fe/Mn composition and distribution.Fuel-free light-driven micromotors have attracted increasing attention since the advantages of reversible, noninvasive and remote manoeuvre on demand with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. However they are suffering from challenging bottleneck of the rather modest motion speed, which hinders their applications needing to overcome the water flow movement in environmental water. Herein, we demonstrate a near-infrared light (NIR)-steered, precise navigation-controlled micromotor based on reduced graphene oxide aerogel microsphere (RGOAM), which possess isotropic structure and is easily prepared by one-step electrospray approach other than conventional light-propelled micromotors with Janus structure. Benefiting from ultralight weight of aerogel and lesser fluid resistance on the water surface, the RGOAM motors show the higher motion speed (up to 17.60 mm/s) than that in the published literatures, letting it overcomes counter flow. Taking advantage of photothermal conversion capacity of RGOAM under asymmetric light field, it is capable of moving both on the water driven by the Marangoni effect and under the water via light-manipulated density change. The motion direction and speed on water, as well as "start/stop" state can be precisely steered by NIR light even in a complicated maze. Due to its strong adsorption and loading capacity, the RGOAM can be applied for active loading-transport-release of dyes on-demand, as well as micro-parts assembling and shaping. Our work provides a strategy to achieve high speed, precise navigation control as well as functional extensibility simultaneously for micromotors, which may offers considerable promise for the broad biomedical and environmental applications.Hydrogel bioelectronics as one of the next-generation wearable and implantable electronics ensure super biocompatibility and softness to bridge human body and electronics. However, volatile, opaque and fragile features of hydrogels due to the sparsely and microscale three-dimensional network, seriously limit their practical applications. Here, we report a type of smart and robust nanofibrillar polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) organohydrogels fabricated via one-step physical cross-linking. The nanofibrillar network cross-linked by numerous PVA nanocrystallites enables the formation of organohydrogels with high transparency (90%), drying resistance, high toughness (3.2 MJ/m3) and tensile strength (1.4 MPa). For strain sensor application, the PVA ionic organohydrogel after soaking NaCl solution shows excellent linear sensitivity (GF=1.56, R2 > 0.998) owing to the homogeneous nanofibrillar PVA network. We demonstrate the potential applications of the nanofibrillar PVA-based organohydrogel in smart contact lens and emotion recognition. Such a strategy paves an effective way to fabricate strong, tough, biocompatible and ionically conductive organohydrogels, shedding light on multifunctional sensing applications in next-generation flexible bioelectronics.Streptococcal species are gram positive bacteria responsible for a variety of infections including pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis, erysipelas, necrotizing fasciitis, periodontitis, skin and soft tissue infections, chorioamnionitis, funisitis, and neonatal sepsis. In response to streptococcal infections, the host innate immune system deploys a repertoire of antimicrobial and immune modulating molecules. One important molecule that is produced in response to streptococcal infections is lactoferrin. Lactoferrin has antimicrobial properties including the ability to bind iron with high affinity and sequester this important nutrient from an invading pathogen. Additionally, lactoferrin has the capacity to alter the host inflammatory response and contribute to disease outcome. This review presents the most recent published work that studies the interaction between the host innate immune protein lactoferrin and the invading pathogen, Streptococcus.An amyloid aggregate evolves through a series of intermediates that have different secondary structures and intra- and intermolecular contacts. The structural parameters of these intermediates are important determinants of their toxicity. For example, the early oligomeric species of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide have been implicated as the most cytotoxic species in Alzheimer's disease but are difficult to identify because of their dynamic and transitory nature. Conventional aggregation monitors such as the fluorescent dye thioflavin T report on only the overall transition of the soluble species to the final amyloid fibrillar aggregated state. Here, we show that the fluorescent dye bis(triphenylphosphonium) tetraphenylethene (TPE-TPP) identifies at least three distinct aggregation intermediates of Aβ. Some atomic-level features of these intermediates are known from solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hence, the TPE-TPP fluorescence data may be interpreted in terms of these Aβ structural transitions. Steady state fluorescence and lifetime characteristics of TPE-TPP distinguish between the small oligomeric species (emission wavelength maximum, λmax = 465 nm; average fluorescence lifetime, τFl measured at 420 nm = 3.58 ± 0.04 ns), the intermediate species (λmax = 452 nm; τFl = 3.00 ± 0.03 ns), and the fibrils (λmax = 406 nm; τFl = 5.19 ± 0.08 ns). Thus, TPE-TPP provides a ready diagnostic for differentiating between the various, including the toxic, Aβ aggregates and potentially can be utilized to screen for amyloid aggregation inhibitors.The study on the design and preparation of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts with high efficiency is currently attracting great concern. Among different types of catalysts, heteroatom-doped carbon-based catalysts have exhibited promising potential, and the exploration of optimized matching of the doping elements is crucial to the design and fabrication of this category of catalysts. Herein, by annealing commercially available and cost-effective precursors, Fe-N-S co-doped graphene-like carbon nanosheets catalysts were prepared. The atomically dispersed Fe atoms coordinated with N atoms to form FeN4 sites as proved by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). By facile modulation of the relative amount of the precursors, the contents of thiophene-S (Th-S) and Fe-N4 sites could be tuned, and a series of catalysts with different Th-S/Fe ratios were prepared. The doped sulfur exhibited enhancement effect on ORR performance, and strikingly the enhancement efficiency could be optimized by fine modulation h peak power density up to 153 mW cm-2, and superior cycling stability over 200 cycles.For surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis, only analytes that can be absorbed spontaneously onto the noble metal surface can be detected effectively. Therefore, how to make non-adsorptive molecules close enough to the surface has always been a key scientific problem in the SERS analysis. Here, the absorbance measurement shows that the liquid-interfacial arrays (LIA) do not adsorb or enrich the benzopyrene (Bap) molecules, which lack of effective functional groups that can interact with the noble metal surfaces. But the SERS intensity of 0.1 ppm Bap on the LIA is 10 times larger than that of 10 ppm Bap on traditional solid substrate, i.e. 3 orders of magnitude of enhancement. The LIA overcomes the restriction of affinity between Bap molecules and the metal surface, and the Bap molecules could easily enter into nanogaps without steric hindrance. Furthermore, both adsorptive and non-adsorptive molecules were used to observe the SERS enhancement behavior on the LIA platforms. In multiple detection, codrocarbons (PAHs) with a detection limit of 10 ppb. Finally, LIA platform successfully realizes simultaneous detection of multiple PAHs in both the plant and animal oils with good stability. This study provides a new breakthrough direction for the development of high-efficiency and practical SERS technology for non-adsorptive molecules.Monitoring and early warning of spores germination is of great significance in avoiding their potential pathogenicity. Thus, effective monitoring of markers during spore germination is of great value. A ratio-dependent fluorescent probe based on in situ incorporation of fluorophores in a metal-organic framework (MOF) was designed to monitor a main component of bacterial spores, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA), with high sensitivity and specificity. The fluorescence of CdS quantum dots loaded on zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanocrystals is initially quenched by europium ions. The europium ions, however, can be seized by DPA, leading to restoring the fluorescence of quantum dots. Simultaneously, the fluorescence of another dye molecule, rhodamine 6G, loaded on the ZIF-8 is not affected by DPA and can serve as a stable internal fluorescence reference signal. On this basis, a ratio-dependent fluorescence method for rapid detection of DPA was established. The linear calibration ranged from 0.1 to 150 μM with a detection limit of 67 nM, which is much lower than the amount of DPA (60 μM) released by the contagious number of spores needed to cause anthrax. This analysis platform exhibits good anti-interference ability for monitoring spore germination. The practicable application of the method was verified by monitoring and imaging the release of DPA in the course of spore germination.The 2019 coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) is affecting over 210 countries and territories, and it is spreading mainly by respiratory droplets. The use of disposable surgical masks is common for patients, doctors, and even the general public in highly risky areas. However, the current surgical masks cannot self-sterilize in order to reuse or be recycled for other applications. The resulting high economic and environmental costs are further damaging societies worldwide. Herein, we reported a unique method for functionalizing commercially available surgical masks with outstanding self-cleaning and photothermal properties. A dual-mode laser-induced forward transfer method was developed for depositing few-layer graphene onto low-melting temperature nonwoven masks. Superhydrophobic states were observed on the treated masks' surfaces, which can cause the incoming aqueous droplets to bounce off. Under sunlight illumination, the surface temperature of the functional mask can quickly increase to over 80 °C, making the masks reusable after sunlight sterilization. In addition, this graphene-coated mask can be recycled directly for use in solar-driven desalination with outstanding salt-rejection performance for long-term use. These roll-to-roll production-line-compatible masks can provide us with better protection against this severe virus. The environment can also benefit from the direct recycling of these masks, which can be used for desalinating seawater.Protein corona formation has been regarded as an obstacle to developing diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles for in vivo applications. Serum proteins that assemble around nanoparticles can hinder their targeting efficiency. Virus-based nanoparticles should be naturally predisposed to evade such barriers in host organisms. Here, we demonstrate that virus-like particles derived from mouse polyomavirus do not form a rich protein corona. These particles can be efficiently targeted to cells that overproduce transferrin receptors, e.g. cancer cells, by conjugating transferrin to the particle surface. In this study, we provide evidence that the interaction of virus-like particles with their newly assigned target receptor is not obstructed by serum proteins. The particles enter target cells via a clathrin-dependent endocytic pathway that is not naturally used by the virus. Our results support the notion that the natural properties of virus-like particles make them well-suited for development of nanosized theranostic tools resistant to de-targeting by protein coronas.Although tremendous efforts have been made to construct gene vectors incorporating multiple functionalities and moieties, designing gene vectors integrating innovative features to successfully negotiate biological impediments which hamper efficacious responses in gene-based therapy is still very urgent. Herein, a light-induced virus-inspired mimic in which a modular envelope was utilized to mask PEI/DNA polyplexes, was developed based on two pH-responsive polymers. The virus-inspired envelope, which was capable of achieving multi-targeting and dual pH-responsiveness in endo/lysosomal compartments, was composed of an iRGD-modified module and a NLS(Cit)-functionalized module. The envelope conjugated with chlorin e6 was shielded on the surface of PEI/DNA polyplexes. Dual pH-responsive deshielding of the virus-inspired mimic in endo/lysosomes allowed generation of a non-fatal amount of ROS under short-time photoirradiation, leading to photochemical internalization and much more substantial enhancement in light-induced gene expression without DNA damage caused by ROS. Confocal images revealed the virus-inspired mimic achieved successful nuclear translocation of chlorin e6, resulting in nucleus-targeting photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, pTRAIL-mediated gene therapy, accompanied by a fatal amount of ROS under long-time photoirradiation, additionally consolidated in vitro anti-tumor outcomes. This study demonstrates a novel paradigm of "one arrow, two hawks", accomplishing a combination of enhanced gene therapy and photodynamic therapy.Lead oxide (PbO) nanosheets are of significance in the design of functional devices. However, facile, green, and fast fabrication of ultrathin and homogenous PbO nanosheets with a chemically clean surface is still desirable. Herein, a simple and chemically clean route is developed for fabricating such nanosheets via laser ablation of a lead target in water for a short time and then ambient aging. The obtained PbO nanosheets are (002)-oriented with microsize in planar dimension and ∼15 nm in thickness. They are mostly hexagonal in shape. Experimental observations of the morphological evolution have revealed that the formation of such PbO nanosheets can be attributed to two processes (i) laser ablation-induced formation of ultrafine Pb and PbO nanoparticles (NPs) and (ii) PbO NP aggregation and their oriented connection growth. Importantly, a composite surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) chip is designed and fabricated by covering a PbO nanosheet monolayer on a Au NP film. Such a composite SERS chip can be used for the fast and trace detection of gaseous H2S in which the PbO nanosheets can effectively chemically trap H2S molecules, demonstrating a new application of these PbO nanosheets. The response of this chip to H2S can be detected within 10 s, and the detection limit is below 1 ppb. Also, this PbO nanosheet-based chip is reusable by heating after use. This study not only deepens the understanding of the NP-based formation mechanism of nanosheets but also provides the renewable SERS chips for the highly efficient detection of trace gaseous H2S.The formation of biofilms provides a formidable defense for many bacteria against antibiotics and host immune responses. As a consequence, biofilms are thought to be the root cause of most chronic infections, including those occurring on medical indwelling devices, endocarditis, urinary tract infections, diabetic and burn wounds, and bone and joint infections. In cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) respiratory infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adults. Previous studies have shown that many bacteria can undergo a coordinated dispersal event in the presence of low concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), suggesting that NO could be used to initiate biofilm dispersal in chronic infections, enabling clearance of the more vulnerable planktonic cells. In this study, we describe efforts to create "all-in-one" cephalosporin-based NO donor prodrugs (cephalosporin-3'-diazeniumdiolates, C3Ds) that show both direct β-lactam mediated antibacterial activity and antibiofilm effects. Twelve novel C3Ds were synthesized and screened against a panel of P. aeruginosa CF clinical isolates and other human pathogens. The most active compound, AMINOPIP2 ((Z)-1-(4-(2-aminoethyl)piperidin-1-yl)-2-(((6R,7R)-7-((Z)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-(((2-carboxypropan-2-yl)oxy)imino)acetamido)-2-carboxy-8-oxo-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-en-3-yl)methoxy)diazene 1-oxide)-ceftazidime 12, showed higher antibacterial potency than its parent cephalosporin and front-line antipseudomonal antibiotic ceftazidime, good stability against β-lactamases, activity against ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa in vitro biofilms, and efficacy equivalent to ceftazidime in a murine P. aeruginosa respiratory infection model. The results support further evaluation of AMINOPIP2-ceftazidime 12 for P. aeruginosa lung infections in CF and a broader study of "all-in-one" C3Ds for other chronic infections.Efficient charge separation can promote photocatalysis of semiconductors. Herein, a hollowed TiO2 sphere decorated with spatially separated bi-functional cocatalysts was designed, which exhibited enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Ultrasmall sized MOx (M = Pd, Co, Ni or Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) were first introduced into zeolite via confinement synthesis, and then hollow TiO2 was fabricated by using zeolite as a sacrificial template forming MOx@TiO2. Finally, Pt NPs were decorated at the outer shell, giving rise to MOx@TiO2@Pt, in which the MOx NPs and Pt NPs acted as holes captures and electrons sinks, respectively. Thanks to the enhanced light harvesting of the hollow structure, improved charge separation induced by the smaller sized cocatalysts as well as spatially separated bi-functional cocatalysts, the as-prepared PdOx@TiO2@Pt catalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic hydrogen generation property (0.45 mmol h-1). This work demonstrates the advantage of the spatially separated bi-functional cocatalysts in enhancing the photocatalytic property of semiconductors.Covid-19 pandemic is creating collateral damage to outpatients, whose rehabilitation services have been disrupted in most of the European countries. Telemedicine has been advocated as a possible solution. This paper reports the contents of the third Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (SIMFER) webinar on "experiences from the field" Covid-19 impact on rehabilitation ("Covinars"). It provides readily available, first-hand information about the application of telemedicine in rehabilitation. The experiences reported were very different for population (number and health conditions), interventions, professionals, service payment, and technologies used. Commonalities included the pushing need due to the emergency, previous experiences, and a dynamic research and innovation environment. Lights included feasibility, results, reduction of isolation, cost decrease, stimulation to innovation, satisfaction of patients, families, and professionals beyond the starting diffidence. Shadows included that telemedicine can integrate but will never substitute face-to-face rehabilitation base on the encounter among human beings; age, and technology barriers (devices absence, bad connection and human diffidence) have also been reported. Possible issues included privacy and informed consent, payments, cultural difficulties in understanding that telemedicine is a real rehabilitation intervention. There was a final agreement that this experience will be incorporated by participants in their future services technology is ready, but the real challenge is to change PRM physicians' and patients' habits, while better specific regulation is warranted.Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new disease characterized by lung damage and involvement in multiple tissues and organs in the whole body. Some of the patients may have long-term impairment and dysfunctions, including pulmonary fibrosis, heart, liver, kidney, nerve and immune system. Rehabilitation has certain beneficial effect in the acute stage, and especially in the recovery stage, including improving respiratory function, exercise endurance, self-care in daily living activities, as well as psychological support, etc. Rehabilitation is not offside or absent. A reasonable rehabilitation program needs scientific research to avoid arbitrary conclusions.BACKGROUND Instrumental assessments are typically used to assess swallowing function in stroke patients with dysphagia, but these tests cannot be used for all patients or for continuous monitoring. Hence, an adjunctive method is necessary for screening patients who may require such tests. AIM The purpose of this study was to analyze tongue strength with respect to the presence or absence of penetration and aspiration, using instrumental assessments, to provide a basis for clinical decision-making. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING University Hospitals in Gwangju, Korea. POPULATION Seventy-nine subjects with dysphagia underwent video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and Iowa Oral Performance Instrument evaluations. METHODS VFSS results were assessed for the presence of penetration and aspiration, according to the penetration-aspiration scale. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted with tongue strengths based on penetration and aspiration. RESULTS During the swallowing of pureed, liquid, and solid foods, cut-off values of tongue strength for the anterior and posterior elevation and for the protrusion of tongue were suggested in cases of penetration and aspiration, among patients with dysphagia. These criteria had positive and negative predictive values of 54.6-90.2% and 57.5-96.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study found that tongue strength has predictive abilities similar to clinical and bedside tests to screen penetration and aspiration in stroke patients with swallowing disorders. Therefore, it is a new screening test that clinical practitioners can choose to reduce the risk of pneumonia caused by post-stroke disorders. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT As a new screening tool, tongue strength can be combined with other clinical and instrumental assessments to predict penetration and aspiration in stroke patients with dysphagia.BACKGROUND Sequelae of poliomyelitis, coupled with asymmetric impairment and weight- bearing, typically alter walking biomechanics which can be associated with the knee and ankle osteoarthritis. AIM We aimed to investigate whether the distal femoral and talar cartilage thicknesses were different in patients with poliomyelitis. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING Outpatients, tertiary care center. POPULATION 36 patients (12 M, 24 F) with a history of poliomyelitis and 36 age-, gender- and body mass index-matched healthy subjects (11 M, 25 F) were enrolled. Mean values for age, body mass index and age of the poliomyelitis onset were 70.2±4.6 years, 27.2±5.7 kg/m2, and 3.6±2.4 years. METHODS Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain. Lower limb muscle strengths were measured by manual muscle testing. The more affected side was identified according to the lower limb manual muscle testing. Bilateral distal femoral cartilage from the lateral femoral condyle, intercondylar area, medial femoral condyle and talar cartilage thicknesses were measured using ultrasound imaging.
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