Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Quantitatively Controlled Bioconjugation for Photoacoustic Imaging of Live Cancer Cells

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135410/1/advs216_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135410/2/advs216-sup-0001-S1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135410/3/advs216.pd

Foreground-background salience effect in traffic risk communication

Pie charts are often used to communicate risk, such as the risk of driving. In the foreground-background salience effect (FBSE), foreground (probability of bad event) has greater salience than background (no bad event) in such a chart. Experiment 1 confirmed that the displays format of pie charts showed a typical FBSE. Experiment 2 showed that the FBSE resulted from a difference in cognitive efforts in processing the messages and that a foreground-emphasizing display was easier to process. Experiment 3 manipulated subjects’ information processing mindset and explored the interaction between displays format and information processing mindset. In the default mindset, careless subjects displayed a typical FBSE, while those who were instructed to be careful reported similar risk-avoidant behavior preference reading both charts. Suggestions for improving risk communication are discussed

Developments of a 2D Position Sensitive Neutron Detector

Chinese Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), one project of the 12th five-year-plan scheme of China, is under construction in Guangdong province. Three neutron spectrometers will be installed at the first phase of the project, where two-dimensional position sensitive thermal neutron detectors are required. Before the construction of the neutron detector, a prototype of two-dimensional 200 mmx200 mm Multi-wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC) with the flowing gas of Ar/CO2 (90/10) has been constructed and tested with the 55Fe X-Ray using part of the electronics in 2009, which showed a good performance. Following the test in 2009, the neutron detector has been constructed with the complete electronics and filled with the 6atm.3He + 2.5atm.C3H8 gas mixture in 2010. The neutron detector has been primarily tested with an Am/Be source. In this paper, some new developments of the neutron detector including the design of the high pressure chamber, the optimization of the gas purifying system and the gas filling process will be reported. The results and discussion are also presented in this paper.Comment: 5 page

Templated-Construction of Hollow MoS2 Architectures with Improved Photoresponses

: Despite the outstanding optoelectronic properties of MoS2 and its analogues, synthesis of such materials with desired features including fewer layers, arbitrary hollow structures, and particularly specifically customized morphologies, via inorganic reactions has always been challenging. Herein, using predesigned lanthanide-doped upconversion luminescent materials (e.g., NaYF4:Ln) as templates, arbitrary MoS2 hollow structures with precisely defined morphologies, widely variable dimensions, and very small shell thickness (≈2.5 nm) are readily constructed. Most importantly, integration of the near-infrared-responsive template significantly improves the photoresponse of up to 600 fold in device made of NaYF4:Yb/Er@MoS2 compared with that of MoS2 nanosheets under 980 nm laser illumination. Multichannel optoelectronic device is further fabricated by simply changing luminescent ions in the template, e.g., NaYF4:Er@MoS2, operating at 1532 nm light excitation with a 276-fold photoresponse enhancement. The simple chemistry, easy operation, high reliability, variable morphologies, and wide universality represent the most important advantages of this novel strategy that has not been accessed before

Effect of Revaccination Using Different Schemes among Adults with Low or Undetectable Anti-HBs Titers after Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination

Our objective was to investigate the effect of various reimmunization schemes for hepatitis B in adults with low or undetectable anti-HBs titers. Over 2 years, 10 g of Saccharomyces cerevisiae-recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine (synthesized in China) was used in at least one standardized scheme to immunize 2,310 healthy male and nonpregnant female adults. Of these, 240 subjects tested negative for hepatitis B markers. These 240 subjects were equally divided into 4 groups. The first group, designated Engerix-40, was revaccinated with 40 g Engerix-B; the second, Engerix-20, was revaccinated with 20 g Engerix-B; the third, Chinese-20, was revaccinated with 20 g Chinese-made yeast-recombinant vaccine; and the last group, Chinese-10, was revaccinated with 10 g Chinese-made yeast-recombinant vaccine. Blood samples were collected before and 1, 2, 8, and 12 months after the first injection. The anti-HBs-positive conversion rates of the Engerix-40, Engerix-20, and Chinese-20 groups were higher than that of the Chinese-10 group (P < 0.01). Over time, the anti-HBs conversion rate increased in all groups, but values were significantly different from those for the other groups only in the Chinese-10 group (P < 0.001). The anti-HBs geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the Engerix-40, Engerix-20, and Chinese-20 groups were higher than in the Chinese-10 group (P < 0.05). Increased doses raise and maintain anti-HBs titers in subjects with low or undetectable titers after HBV vaccination. Viral hepatitis B is a worldwide public health problem, and there are no specific drugs to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. For susceptible populations, the most effective preventive measure is to improve immune competence by immunizing with a hepatitis B vaccine (7). Yet, 5 to 15% of subjects have low or undetectable anti-HBs titers after an entire course of Heptavax-B vaccination following standardized immunization programs (0, 1, and 6 months), as recommended by the WHO (17, 26). Subjects with low or undetectable anti-HBs titers remain susceptible to HBV (23). Many studies have probed for the reasons why subjects fail to develop adequate anti-HBs titers after hepatitis B vaccination (5, 6, 9), but no formal recommendations regarding standardized, normalized reimmunization programs have been made. To develop an effective enhanced hepatitis B vaccination program, we reimmunized 240 subjects with low or undetectable anti-HBs titers using 4 schemes and report and compare the results here. MATERIALS AND METHODS (i) Subjects. Between September 2006 and August 2009, 2,310 healthy male and nonpregnant female adults were selected from among outpatients at the Infectious Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. The subjects were immunized by hypodermic injection of 10 g Chinese-made Saccharomyces cerevisiae-recombinant HBV vaccine using at least 1 standardized scheme over 2 years. Of the original 2,310 immunized outpatients, 240 healthy subjects tested negative for hepatitis B markers (HBV surface antigen [HBsAg], anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and anti-HBc), as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and were enrolled in this study. The enrollees had no history of hepatitis and had normal liver function. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. (ii) Research methods and revaccination schemes. The 240 healthy adult subjects were randomly divided into 4 groups of 60, and each group was assigned to a different revaccination scheme. Revaccination was administered in each group by intramuscular injection into the deltoid muscle at 0, 1, and 6 months. The baseline statistical differences between subjects in the 4 groups were insignificant (P Ͼ 0.05). (iii) Sources of vaccines. The Chinese-made yeast-recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (10 g and 20 g) was produced by Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. (batch no. 20051131, 5 g/0.5 ml). The imported yeast-recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (20 g Engerix-B) was produced by Shanghai GlaxoSmithKline Biological Products Co., Ltd. (batch no. XHBVB270AA, 20 g/ml). The vaccines were used within the dates of validity. (iv) Blood collection and detection. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected from all subjects before the first injection, ϳ28 to ϳ30 days after the first injection (time 1 [T1]), ϳ28 to ϳ30 days after the second injection (T2), 2 months after the third injection (T8), and 13 to 15 months after the first injection (T12). Anti-HBs was detected according to the manufacturer's instructions for the anti-HBs assay kit (Abbot Axsym AUSAB) by a single investigator in a single laboratory, using the same equipment and methods; the reagents were purchased from the same supplier. (v) Definition of anti-HBs levels. Anti-HBs titers of Ͻ10 mIU/ml were considered negative; anti-HBs titers of Ն10 mIU/ml were considered positive. (vi) Statistical analysis. The statistical software SPSS 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. Mean comparisons between groups were made by single-facto

Epidemiological characteristics of respiratory viruses in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern China

BackgroundMultinational studies have reported that the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to control severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission coincided with the decline of other respiratory viruses, such as influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus.ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of common respiratory viruses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.MethodsRespiratory specimens of children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 were collected. Seven common pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV), influenza virus A and B (Flu A, Flu B), and parainfluenza virus types 1–3 (PIV1–3), were detected by a multiplex direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA). Demographic data and laboratory test results were analyzed.Results1) A total of 31,113 children with LRTIs were enrolled, including 8141 in 2018, 8681 in 2019, 6252 in 2020, and 8059 in 2021.The overall detection rates decreased in 2020 and 2021 (P < 0.001). The detection rates of RSV, ADV, Flu A, PIV-1, and PIV-3 decreased when NPIs were active from February to August 2020, with Flu A decreasing most predominantly, from 2.7% to 0.3% (P < 0.05). The detection rates of RSV and PIV-1 resurged and even surpassed the historical level of 2018–2019, while Flu A continued decreasing when NPIs were lifted (P < 0.05). 2) Seasonal patterns of Flu A completely disappeared in 2020 and 2021. The Flu B epidemic was observed until October 2021 after a long period of low detection in 2020. RSV decreased sharply after January 2020 and stayed in a nearly dormant state during the next seven months. Nevertheless, the detection rates of RSV were abnormally higher than 10% in the summer of 2021. PIV-3 decreased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it atypically surged from August to November 2020.ConclusionThe NPIs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the prevalence and seasonal patterns of certain viruses such as RSV, PIV-3, and influenza viruses. We recommend continuous surveillance of the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of multiple respiratory pathogens, especially when NPIs are no longer necessary