Electrochemical Sensing in Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices

This paper describes the fabrication and the performance of microfluidic paper-based electrochemical sensing devices (we call the microfluidic paper-based electrochemical devices, μPEDs). The μPEDs comprise paper-based microfluidic channels patterned by photolithography or wax printing, and electrodes screen-printed from conducting inks (e.g., carbon or Ag/AgCl). We demonstrated that the μPEDs are capable of quantifying the concentrations of various analytes (e.g., heavy-metal ions and glucose) in aqueous solutions. This low-cost analytical device should be useful for applications in public health, environmental monitoring, and the developing world

Electrochemical Sensing in Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices

This paper describes the fabrication and the performance of microfluidic paper-based electrochemical sensing devices (we call the microfluidic paper-based electrochemical devices, µPEDs). The µPEDs comprise paper-based microfluidic channels patterned by photolithography or wax printing, and electrodes screen-printed from conducting inks (e.g., carbon or Ag/AgCl). We demonstrated that the µPEDs are capable of quantifying the concentrations of various analytes (e.g., heavy-metal ions and glucose) in aqueous solutions. This low-cost analytical device should be useful for applications in public health, environmental monitoring, and the developing world.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Efficacy of prostate extract in the treatment of patients with chronic prostatitis caused by intracellular pathogens

Different statistical studies showed that chronic prostatitis (CP) is the most common urological disease among men aged 20 to 40 years. The etiological nature of intracellular pathogens in the development of CP is currently finding more and more evidence. The prostate extract acting on various pathogenesis units is of particular interest, taking into account the variety of pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of CP. A study of the efficacy and safety of prostate extract (rectal suppositories) combined with josamycin was conducted. Findings. Patients with CP caused by intracellular pathogens received josamycin therapy. The prostate extract was included in the treatment (rectal suppositories) in Group I. Both groups showed a significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life on the NIH-CPSI scale, both in total and in individual domains, and the differences between the groups were statistically insignificant. The number of leukocytes in the prostate gland secret reduced more significantly in the active treatment group.Thus, the use of prostate extract increased the clinical efficacy of treatment, which correlates with data from the previous studies

The efficacy and safety of levofloxacin 750 mg (Hileflox) in the treatment of chronic prostatitis

Chronic prostatitis is the most common urological disease in men aged 20 to 50 years. Chronic bacterial prostatitis occurs in 5–10 % of cases.The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy and safety of Hileflox (levofloxacin) in chronic bacterial prostatitis in a dosage of 750 mg per day for 10 days. The study involved 40 patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis.Results. National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores were decreased by 72 %, which is characterized as a distinct clinical effect. Quality of life has changed on average from 4.64 to 1.46 points, which was 68 %. Results of uroflowmetry before and after treatment showed a positive trend. According to the benchmark survey of microbiological eradication of the pathogen was found in 36 (90 %) patients. In 4 patients was recorded persistence of previously identified pathogens in diagnostically significant titre. Side effects were observed in 3 (7.5 %) patients. Hileflox (levofloxacin) 750 mg course of 10 days showed marked clinical (87.5 %) and bacterial (90 %) effective in chronic bacterial prostatitis. Necessary to conduct further analysis to determine the duration of relapse-free interval.</em

Universal behavior of hydrogels confined to narrow capillaries

Flow of soft matter objects through one-dimensional environments is important in industrial, biological and biomedical systems. Establishing the underlying principles of the behavior of soft matter in confinement can shed light on its performance in many man-made and biological systems. Here, we report an experimental and theoretical study of translocation of micrometer-size hydrogels (microgels) through microfluidic channels with a diameter smaller than an unperturbed microgel size. For microgels with different dimensions and mechanical properties, under a range of applied pressures, we established the universal principles of microgel entrance and passage through microchannels with different geometries, as well as the reduction in microgel volume in confinement. We also show a non-monotonic change in the flow rate of liquid through the constrained microgel, governed by its progressive confinement. The experimental results were in agreement with the theory developed for non-linear biaxial deformation of unentangled polymer gels. Our work has implications for a broad range of phenomena, including occlusion of blood vessels by thrombi and needle-assisted hydrogel injection in tissue engineering