16 research outputs found
Effect of moisture content on compressive and split tensile strength of concrete
427-435The aim of this study is to evaluate the moisture effect on the strength
of concrete specimens that has completely cured. This study is also aimed to
develop relations that can be used to determine the properties of concrete with
different moisture contents that are normally experienced in outside
conditions. Numerous compressions and split tensile tests are performed. In
order to better understand the results obtained from mechanical tests, a simple
empirical formula is suggested that accurately fits experimentally measured
sorption data for concrete specimens. Analysis of the collected test results
suggests that the moisture content in concrete does have a significant effect
on the compressive strength of concrete, but has a much lesser effect on the
split tensile strength. As the specimen degrees of saturation increased, the
compressive strength fell. However, at nearly saturated condition, an increase
in compressive strength can be found
Microneedles for Enhanced Topical Treatment of Skin Disorders : Applications, Challenges, and Prospects
Microneedles (MNs) can be used for the topical treatment of skin disorders as they directly deliver therapeutics to the site of skin lesions, resulting in increased therapeutic efficacy while having minimum side effects. MNs are used to deliver different kinds of therapeutics (e.g., small molecules, macromolecules, nanomedicines, living cells, bacteria, and exosomes) for treating various skin disorders, including superficial tumors, wounds, skin infections, inflammatory skin diseases, and abnormal skin appearance. The therapeutic efficacy of MNs can be improved by integrating the advantages of multiple therapeutics to perform combination therapy. Through careful designing, MNs can be further modified with biomimetic structures for the responsive drug release from internal and external stimuli and to enhance the transdermal delivery efficiency for robust therapeutic outcomes. Some studies have proposed the use of drug-free MNs as a promising mechanotherapeutic strategy to promote wound healing, scar removal, and hair regeneration via a mechanical communication pathway. Although MNs have several advantages, the practical application of MNs suffers from problems related to industrial manufacture and clinical evaluation, making it difficult for clinical translation. In this study, we summarized the various applications, emerging challenges, and developmental prospects of MNs in skin disorders to provide information on ways to advance clinical translation.Peer reviewe
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Simple and rapid determination of homozygous transgenic mice via in vivo fluorescence imaging
Setting up breeding programs for transgenic mouse strains require to distinguish homozygous from the heterozygous transgenic animals. The combinational use of the fluorescence reporter transgene and small animal in-vivo imaging system might allow us to rapidly and visually determine the transgenic mice homozygous for transgene(s) by the in vivo fluorescence imaging. RLG, RCLG or Rm17LG transgenic mice ubiquitously express red fluorescent protein (RFP). To identify homozygous RLG transgenic mice, whole-body fluorescence imaging for all of newborn F2-generation littermates produced by mating of RFP-positive heterozygous transgenic mice (F1-generation) derived from the same transgenic founder was performed. Subsequently, the immediate data analysis of the in vivo fluorescence imaging was carried out, which greatly facilitated us to rapidly and readily distinguish RLG transgenic individual(s) with strong fluorescence from the rest of F2-generation littermates, followed by further determining this/these RLG individual(s) showing strong fluorescence to be homozygous, as strongly confirmed by mouse mating. Additionally, homozygous RCLG or Rm17LG transgenic mice were also rapidly and precisely distinguished by the above-mentioned optical approach. This approach allowed us within the shortest time period to obtain 10, 8 and 2 transgenic mice homozygous for RLG, RCLG and Rm17LG transgene, respectively, as verified by mouse mating, indicating the practicality and reliability of this optical method. Taken together, our findings fully demonstrate that the in vivo fluorescence imaging offers a visual, rapid and reliable alternative method to the traditional approaches (i.e., mouse mating and real-time quantitative PCR) in identifying homozygous transgenic mice harboring fluorescence reporter transgene under the control of a ubiquitous promoter in the situation mentioned in this study
Comprehensive Metabolic Fingerprints Characterize Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder by Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Timely screening of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
(NMOSD)
and differential diagnosis from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein
associated disorder (MOGAD) are the keys to improving the quality
of life of patients. Metabolic disturbance occurs with the development
of NMOSD. Still, advanced tools are required to probe the metabolic
phenotype of NMOSD. Here, we developed a fast nanoparticle-enhanced
laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry assay for multiplexing
metabolic fingerprints (MFs) from trace plasma and cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF) samples in 30 s. Machine learning of the plasma MFs achieved
the timely screening of NMOSD from healthy donors with an area under
receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.998, and it comprehensively
revealed the dysregulated neurotransmitter and energy metabolisms.
Combining comprehensive MFs from both plasma and CSF, we constructed
an integrated panel for differential diagnosis of NMOSD versus MOGAD
with an AUROC of 0.923. This approach demonstrated performance superior
to that of human experts in classifying two diseases, especially in
antibody assay-limited regions. Together, this approach provides an
advanced nanomaterial-based tool for identifying vulnerable populations
below the antibody threshold of aquaporin-4 positivity
Efficient Metabolic Fingerprinting of Follicular Fluid Encodes Ovarian Reserve and Fertility
Abstract Ovarian reserve (OR) and fertility are critical in women's healthcare. Clinical methods for encoding OR and fertility rely on the combination of tests, which cannot serve as a multi‐functional platform with limited information from specific biofluids. Herein, metabolic fingerprinting of follicular fluid (MFFF) from follicles is performed, using particle‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (PALDI‐MS) to encode OR and fertility. PALDI‐MS allows efficient MFFF, showing fast speed (≈30 s), high sensitivity (≈60 fmol), and desirable reproducibility (coefficients of variation <15%). Further, machine learning of MFFF is applied to diagnose diminished OR (area under the curve of 0.929) and identify high‐quality oocytes/embryos (p < 0.05) by a single PALDI‐MS test. Meanwhile, metabolic biomarkers from MFFF are identified, which also determine oocyte/embryo quality (p < 0.05) from the sampling follicles toward fertility prediction in clinics. This approach offers a powerful platform in women's healthcare, not limited to OR and fertility