Kinetically Doped Silica Sol–Gel Optical Biosensors: Expanding Potential Through Dip-Coating

Kinetic doping has previously been shown to be an effective method of doping silica sol−gel thin films with an enzyme to construct biosensors. Until now, kinetic doping has only been applied to films produced through the spincoating method. In this study, we present the use of dipcoating to produce thin films kinetically doped for biosensor development. In this way, kinetically doped biosensors may benefit from the increased range of substrate material shapes and sizes that may be easily coated through dip-coating but not spin-coating. The biosensors produced through dipcoating continue to show enhanced performance over more conventional enzyme loading methods with horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome C samples, showing an increase of 2400× and 1300× in enzyme concentration over that in their loading solutions, respectively. These correspond to enzyme concentrations of 5.37 and 10.57 mmol/L all while preserving a modest catalytic activity for the detection of hydrogen peroxide by horseradish peroxidase. This leads to a 77% and 88% increase in the total amount of horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome C, respectively, over that from coating the same glass coverslip via spincoating methods.This work was supported by Oklahoma Centre for the Advancement of Science and Technology (HR 12-128). Article processing charges funded in part by University of Oklahoma Libraries.Ye

Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder—A Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Study

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that electroacupuncture possesses therapeutic benefits for depressive disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation (DCEAS) could enhance the antidepressant efficacy in the early phase of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: In this single-blind, randomized, controlled study, patients with MDD were randomly assigned to 9-session DCEAS or noninvasive electroacupuncture (n-EA) control procedure in combination with fluoxetine (FLX) for 3 weeks. Clinical outcomes were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Clinical Global Impression-severity (CGI-S), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) as well as the response and remission rates. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were randomly assigned to n-EA (n = 35) and DCEAS (n = 38), of whom 34 in n-EA and 36 in DCEAS group were analyzed. DCEAS-treated patients displayed a significantly greater reduction from baseline in HAMD-17 scores at Day 3 through Day 21 and in SDS scores at Day 3 and Day 21 compared to patients receiving n-EA. DCEAS intervention also produced a higher rate of clinically significant response compared to n-EA procedure (19.4% (7/36) vs. 8.8% (3/34)). The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: DCEAS is a safe and effective intervention that augments the antidepressant efficacy. It can be considered as an additional therapy in the early phase of SSRI treatment of depressed patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN88008690

Mindfulness Awareness Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults With Neurocognitive Disorders

Background: Apart from depressive disorders, there are great interests in adopting mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for other mental health conditions. Depression and anxiety are common in people with neurocognitive disorders (NCD). The potential of MBIs as an adjuvant treatment in this cognitively at-risk group should be further explored. Objectives: The current study explored the association between depression and anxiety symptoms with dispositional mindfulness in older adults, and if same association stays in the context of cognitive impairment. Methods: The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey for Older People (MMSOP) is an ongoing epidemiology study of the prevalence of neurocognitive and mental disorders in adults aged 60 years or over in Hong Kong. MMSOP evaluated cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms (Clinical Interview Schedule-revised, CIS-R), chronic physical disease burden, psychosocial support, and resilience factors, including dispositional mindfulness as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). We analyzed the impact of MAAS on CIS-R and potential moderation effects of mindfulness. Results: In March 2021, 1,218 community dwelling participants completed assessments. The mean age of the sample is 69.0 (SD 6.9) years. Eight hundred and two participants (65.7%) were not demented (CDR 0) and 391 (32%) and 25 (2%) were categorized as having mild NCD (CDR 0.5) and major NCD (CDR 1 or more), respectively. One hundred forty-three (11.7%) satisfied ICD-10 criteria for anxiety or depressive disorder as measured by CIS-R. Linear regression analysis showed that female gender, CIRS, and MAAS scores were significant factors associated with CIS-R scores. MAAS scores moderated and attenuated the impact CIRS on CIS-R (adjusted R2 = 0.447, p < 0.001). MAAS scores remained as significant moderator for CIRS in patients with NCD (CDR ≥ 0.5) (adjusted R2 = 0.33, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Interim findings of the MMSOP suggested that dispositional mindfulness is associated with lower level of mood symptoms in community dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. The interaction effects further suggested that high mindful awareness may reduce the adverse effects of chronic physical morbidity on mental health. The observation stayed in the participants with cognitive impairment. We should further explore MBIs as a non-pharmacological treatment for in older adults at-risk of physical morbidity and cognitive decline

Laser induced fluorescence - construction of the apparatus and kineticstudies of the O(3P)+I2 reaction

published_or_final_versionChemistryMasterMaster of Philosoph

Silica Sol–Gel Optical Biosensors: Ultrahigh Enzyme Loading Capacity on Thin Films via Kinetic Doping

Easy to use and easy to produce biosensors would have a huge range of applications. To reach this goal many see the incorporation of a protein into a sol–gel network as one of the most viable options. The current most prevalent technique of predoping presents inherent limits on the concentration possible for the resulting thin film. In this study we demonstrate a new process utilizing the newly developed kinetic doping method to load silica sol–gel thin films with cytochrome C (CytC) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Both enzymes are shown to successfully load and have a concentration increase over their original loading solution by factors of 1300× and 2600×, respectively. Furthermore, each enzyme once loaded retained the ability to act as a catalyst for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. Ultimately the CytC- and HRP-loaded thin films were found to have enzyme concentrations of 11 ± 1 mM and 6.0 ± 0.4 mM, respectively, a considerable step up from any doping method reported in the past

Silica Sol–Gel Optical Biosensors: Ultrahigh Enzyme Loading Capacity on Thin Films via Kinetic Doping

Easy to use and easy to produce biosensors would have a huge range of applications. To reach this goal many see the incorporation of a protein into a sol–gel network as one of the most viable options. The current most prevalent technique of predoping presents inherent limits on the concentration possible for the resulting thin film. In this study we demonstrate a new process utilizing the newly developed kinetic doping method to load silica sol–gel thin films with cytochrome C (CytC) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Both enzymes are shown to successfully load and have a concentration increase over their original loading solution by factors of 1300× and 2600×, respectively. Furthermore, each enzyme once loaded retained the ability to act as a catalyst for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. Ultimately the CytC- and HRP-loaded thin films were found to have enzyme concentrations of 11 ± 1 mM and 6.0 ± 0.4 mM, respectively, a considerable step up from any doping method reported in the past

Fluorescence-On Response via CB7 Binding to Viologen–Dye Pseudorotaxanes

Fluorescence-on sensors typically rely on disrupting photoinduced electron transfer quenching of the excited state through binding the electron donor. To provide a more general fluorescence-on signaling unit, a quencher–fluorophore dyad has been developed in which quenching by electron transfer to a tethered viologen acceptor can be disrupted through complexation of the viologen by cucurbit[7]uril (CB7). Dyads of benzyl viologen–rhodamine B or a BODIPY fluorophore gave upon CB7 complexation 14- and 30-fold fluorescence enhancement, respectively

Surgical outcomes for unilateral superior oblique palsy in Chinese population:a retrospective study

AIM: To evaluate the outcome after surgery for unilateral superior oblique (SO) palsy in Chinese. METHODS: The medical records of 39 patients that underwent surgery for unilateral SO palsy between January 2003 and December 2012 at Caritas Medical Centre, Hong Kong, were retrospectively reviewed. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. Pre-operative assessments for vertical deviation, cyclo-deviation, and Knapp’s classification were obtained to determine the nature and degree of surgical correction. Vertical deviation was measured at 1wk; 1, 6mo and on last follow-up day post-operatively. Cyclo-deviation was measured on last follow-up day post-operatively. RESULTS: During the 10y period, 39 subjects were recruited. The most common etiology was congenital (94.9%). Knapp’s Type III (66.7%) and Type I (12.8%) classifications were the most common subtypes. To treat SO palsy, the most common surgical procedures were: isolated inferior oblique (IO) anteriorization (41.0%), isolated IO myectomy (10.3%), and isolated IO recession (10.3%). At 3.5±2.1y post-operatively, the vertical deviation was significantly reduced (15.1±6.2 PD versus 0.5±1.4 PD, P<0.0001) without significant improvement in cyclo-deviation (P=0.5). Initial vertical deviation was correlated with cyclo-torsion (r=0.4, P=0.007). Those with over-correction had greater initial vertical deviation (19.4±7.2 PD versus 13.2±4.3 PD, P=0.003). After a single operation, 84.6% of subjects achieved a vertical deviation within ±3 PD. CONCLUSION: The majority of subjects achieved corrected vertical deviation after a single surgery although there was no improvement in cyclo-deviation. Those with over-correction of primary position deviation had greater preoperative vertical deviation and it may be related to simultaneous multiple muscle surgery