Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance as a Biosensing Platform for Developing Countries

The discovery of the phenomena known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has provided the basis for many research areas, ranging from materials science to biosensing. LSPR has since been viewed as a transduction platform that could yield affordable, portable devices for a multitude of applications. This review aims to outline the potential applications within developing countries and the challenges that are likely to be faced before the technology can be effectively employed

Electrochemical biosensors and nanobiosensors

Electrochemical techniques have great promise for low-cost miniaturised easy-to-use portable devices for a wide range of applications–in particular, medical diagnosis and environmental monitoring. Different techniques can be used for biosensing, with amperometric devices taking the central role due to their widespread application in glucose monitoring. In fact, glucose biosensing takes an approximately 70% share of the biosensor market due to the need for diabetic patients to monitor their sugar levels several times a day, making it an appealing commercial market. In this review, we present the basic principles of electrochemical biosensor devices. A description of the different generations of glucose sensors is used to describe in some detail the operation of amperometric sensors and how the introduction of mediators can enhance the performance of the sensors. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is a technique being increasingly used in devices due to its ability to detect variations in resistance and capacitance upon binding events. Novel advances in electrochemical sensors, due to the use of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, are presented as well as future directions that the field is taking

Boron-doped diamond dual-plate deep-microtrench device for generator-collector sulfide sensing

International audienceA BDD-BDD dual-plate microtrench electrode with 6 μm inter-electrode spacing is investigated using generator-collector electrochemistry and shown to give microtrench depth-dependent sulfide detection down to the μM levels. The effect of the microtrench depth is compared for a “shallow” 44 μm and a “deep” 180 μm microtrench and linked to the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide which interferes with sulfide redox cycling. With a deeper microtrench and a fixed collector potential at −1.4 V vs. SCE, two distinct redox cycling potential domains are observed at 0.0 V vs. SCE (2-electron) and at 1.1 V vs. SCE (6-electron)

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24:Transporters

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and over 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.16182. Transporters are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors and enzymes. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2023, and supersedes data presented in the 2021/22, 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate.</p

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Modelling Dynamic Photovoltaic Arrays for Marine Applications

This paper presents a new simulator platform with findings from experiments aiming to identify the electrical characteristics of a marine vessel covered in photovoltaic modules, operating in various sea conditions. More specifically, we show that by giving a solar array the ability to reconfigure the arrangement of its modules in real time, that significant improvements (up to 50%) in power yield can be achieved compared to typical static arrays. A bespoke MATLAB simulator has been developed in order to model the complex interplay between the electrical arrangement of photovoltaic modules, the position of the photovoltaic modules on the vessel, the vessel’s tilting motion on the surface of the sea and the resultant irradiance based on the position of the Sun in the sky. Our approach allows the user to define these factors using a simple and intuitive graphical user interface so that a range of scenarios can be quickly simulated. We have used a basic test strategy that allows us to measure the effectiveness of different arrays and quantify performance in terms of mean output power and power stability over a range of sea conditions. A key factor in the effectiveness of the use of marine survey vessels is their ability to remain at sea for extended periods, preferably avoiding the use of high-carbon fuel sources such as diesel generators. This is of particular importance when observing marine life as the platform needs to operate as quietly as possible. The ASV Global C-Enduro autonomous, self-righting platform is the initial application for this new energy harvesting system, with the aim to extend mission endurance. A second case study has also been performed in parallel with this, using a much more divergent orientation of onboard photovoltaic modules in order to asses the ability for a dynamic photovoltaic array to increase and stabilise power output.<br/

Boron-doped diamond dual-plate deep-microtrench device for generator-collector sulfide sensing

A BDD-BDD dual-plate microtrench electrode with 6 μm inter-electrode spacing is investigated using generator-collector electrochemistry and shown to give microtrench depth-dependent sulfide detection down to the μM levels. The effect of the microtrench depth is compared for a “shallow” 44 μm and a “deep” 180 μm microtrench and linked to the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide which interferes with sulfide redox cycling. With a deeper microtrench and a fixed collector potential at −1.4 V vs. SCE, two distinct redox cycling potential domains are observed at 0.0 V vs. SCE (2-electron) and at 1.1 V vs. SCE (6-electron)