Mechanism of Structural Colors in Binary Mixtures of Nanoparticle-based Supraballs

Inspired by structural colors in avian species, various synthetic strategies have been developed to produce non-iridescent, saturated colors using nanoparticle assemblies. Mixtures of nanoparticles varying in particle chemistry (or complex refractive indices) and particle size have additional emergent properties that impact the color produced. For such complex multi-component systems, an understanding of assembled structure along with a robust optical modeling tool can empower scientists to perform intensive structure-color relationship studies and fabricate designer materials with tailored color. Here, we demonstrate how we can reconstruct the assembled structure from small-angle scattering measurements using the computational reverse-engineering analysis for scattering experiments (CREASE) method and then use the reconstructed structure in finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations to predict color. We successfully, quantitatively predict experimentally observed color in mixtures containing strongly absorbing melanin nanoparticles and demonstrate the influence of a single layer of segregated nanoparticles on color produced. The versatile computational approach presented in this work is useful for engineering synthetic materials with desired colors without laborious trial and error experiments.Comment: 23 Pages, 5 Figures, 1 ToC Figur

Visual Measurement of Fumonisin B₁ with Bipolar Electrodes Array-Based Electrochemiluminescence Biosensor

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a toxin produced by the metabolism of Fusarium oxysporum, which can cause serious effects on the nervous, respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems of humans or animals; it is known as one of the highly toxic epidemic contaminants. Herein, we report the visual inspection of FB1 using bipolar electrodes (BPEs) with an array-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) platform. The sensor consists of a PDMS cover and a glass substrate containing an array of 10 ITO electrodes. A specific sensing interface was constructed on the cathode of the BPE, which could modulate the ECL reactions that occurred at the anode of BPEs. To amplify the ECL signal, methylene blue (MB)-encapsulated Zr-MOFs (MB@Zr-MOFs) were synthesized and immobilized on the cathode of the BPE, which could amplify the ECL signal at the anode. By coupling the cyclic amplification effect of the DNA walker and nicking endonuclease (Nb.BbvCI), the biosensor can realize the visual measurement of FB1 in the range of 5 × 10−5~0.5 ng/mL. In addition, the developed biosensor was used to monitor the concentration of FB1 in maize and peanut samples. The recoveries were in the range of 99.2%~110.6%, which demonstrated the good accuracy of the designed BPE-ECL biosensor for FB1 assay in food samples

Application of end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring via distal gas samples in ventilated neonates

Previous research has suggested correlations between the end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PETCO2) and the partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in mechanically ventilated patients, but both the relationship between PETCO2 and PaCO2 and whether PETCO2 accurately reflects PaCO2 in neonates and infants are still controversial. This study evaluated remote sampling of PETCO2 via an epidural catheter within an endotracheal tube to determine the procedure's clinical safety and efficacy in the perioperative management of neonates. Methods: Abdominal surgery was performed under general anesthesia in 86 full-term newborns (age 1–30 days, weight 2.55–4.0 kg, American Society of Anesthesiologists class I or II). The infants were divided into 2 groups (n = 43 each), and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas samples were collected either from the conventional position (the proximal end) or a modified position (the distal end) of the epidural catheter. Results: The PETCO2 measured with the new method was significantly higher than that measured with the traditional method, and the difference between PETCO2 and PaCO2 was also reduced. The accuracy of PETCO2 measured increased from 78.7% to 91.5% when the modified sampling method was used. The moderate correlation between PETCO2 and PaCO2 by traditional measurement was 0.596, which significantly increased to 0.960 in the modified sampling group. Thus, the PETCO2 value was closer to that of PaCO2. Conclusion: PETCO2 detected via modified carbon dioxide monitoring had a better accuracy and correlation with PaCO2 in neonates

Diagnostic value of a CT-based radiomics nomogram for discrimination of benign and early stage malignant ovarian tumors

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify the diagnostic value of models constructed using computed tomography-based radiomics features for discrimination of benign and early stage malignant ovarian tumors. Methods The imaging and clinicopathological data of 197 cases of benign and early stage malignant ovarian tumors (FIGO stage I/II), were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were randomly assigned into training data set and validation data set. Radiomics features were extracted from images of plain computed tomography scan and contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan, were then screened in the training data set, and a radiomics model was constructed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to construct a radiomic nomogram, containing the traditional diagnostic model and the radiomics model. Moreover, the decision curve analysis was used to assess the clinical application value of the radiomics nomogram. Results Six textural features with the greatest diagnostic efficiency were finally screened. The value of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the radiomics nomogram was superior to the traditional diagnostic model and the radiomics model (P  0.05). The calibration curve and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test revealed that the three models all had a great degree of fit (All P > 0.05). The results of decision curve analysis indicated that utilization of the radiomics nomogram to distinguish benign and early stage malignant ovarian tumors had a greater clinical application value when the risk threshold was 0.4–1.0. Conclusions The computed tomography-based radiomics nomogram could be a non-invasive and reliable imaging method to discriminate benign and early stage malignant ovarian tumors

Recent Advances in the Application of Characterization Techniques for Studying Physical Stability of Amorphous Pharmaceutical Solids

The amorphous form of a drug usually exhibits higher solubility, faster dissolution rate, and improved oral bioavailability in comparison to its crystalline forms. However, the amorphous forms are thermodynamically unstable and tend to transform into a more stable crystalline form, thus losing their advantages. In order to investigate and suppress the crystallization, it is vital to closely monitor the drug solids during the preparation, storage, and application processes. A list of advanced techniques—including optical microscopy, surface grating decay, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, broadband dielectric spectroscopy—have been applied to characterize the physicochemical properties of amorphous pharmaceutical solids, to provide in-depth understanding on the crystallization mechanism. This review briefly summarizes these characterization techniques and highlights their recent advances, so as to provide an up-to-date reference to the available tools in the development of amorphous drugs

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles analysis in primary warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia patients

ABSTRACTBackground Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is caused by auto-antibodies, secreted by overactivated B cells, directed against self-red blood cells, resulting in hemolysis. It found that aberrant DNA methylation in B cells can induce the production of autoantibodies. Therefore, we attempted to explore if similar aberrant DNA methylation occur in AIHA patients.Methods A 49-year-old female wAIHA patient and a 47-year-old female healthy control (HC) were enrolled. Peripheral blood (PB) B cells DNA was extracted. After constructing genomic libraries, bisulfite genomic sequencing (BSP) and DNA methylation profiles were analyzed. BSP was verified using PB B cells from 10 patients with hemolysis, 10 patients with hemolytic remission, and 10 healthy controls (HCs) by Methylation-specific PCR.Results Total DNA methylation of whole-genome C bases (4.8%) and CG type bases (76.8%) in wAIHA patient were lower than those in the HC (5.3 and 82.5%, respectively) (p = 0.022 and p < 0.001). DNA methylation of C bases and CG type bases in whole-genome regulatory elements, such as coding sequence, up2Kb and down2Kb in the patient were also lower than those in the HC (p = 0.041, p = 0.038, and p = 0.029). 30,180 DNA-methylated regions (DMRs) on all 23 chromosomes were identified. DMR-related genes were mainly involved in the Rap1, phospholipase D, HIF-1, calcium, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Ras signaling pathways.Conclusion The DNA methylation spectrum of B cells in AIHA patients is different from that of HC, and the proportion of hypo-methylation regions is higher than that of HC. DMR-related genes are mainly related to some signaling pathways

Recent Advances in the Application of Characterization Techniques for Studying Physical Stability of Amorphous Pharmaceutical Solids

The amorphous form of a drug usually exhibits higher solubility, faster dissolution rate, and improved oral bioavailability in comparison to its crystalline forms. However, the amorphous forms are thermodynamically unstable and tend to transform into a more stable crystalline form, thus losing their advantages. In order to investigate and suppress the crystallization, it is vital to closely monitor the drug solids during the preparation, storage, and application processes. A list of advanced techniques—including optical microscopy, surface grating decay, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, broadband dielectric spectroscopy—have been applied to characterize the physicochemical properties of amorphous pharmaceutical solids, to provide in-depth understanding on the crystallization mechanism. This review briefly summarizes these characterization techniques and highlights their recent advances, so as to provide an up-to-date reference to the available tools in the development of amorphous drugs

Interleukin 6 exacerbates the progression of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia by influencing the activity and function of B cells

Abstract To explore the effect of IL-6 on the activity and secretory function of B cells and analyze its effect on clinical indicators and efficacy in wAIHA patients. This study included 25 hemolytic wAIHA patients, 13 remission patients, and 10 HCs. Plasma levels of various cytokines were detected using CBA. PBMCs were extracted from 12 hemolytic wAIHA patients and divided into three wells, stimulation with IL-6 and IL-6 + tocilizumab, the blank control wells were also set. After 48 h of in vitro cell culture, percentage of CD5+CD80+, CD5–CD80+,CD5+CD86+,CD5–CD86+,CD5+IL-10+,CD5–IL-10+B cells were determined by flow-cytometry. Plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in hemolytic episode group were significantly higher than that in HCs group (p = 0.0243; p = 0.0214). RBC and Hb levels were negatively correlated with IL-6 levels in wAIHA patients, while LDH levels were positively correlated.Therapeutic effects of glucocorticoid and duration of efficacy were also significantly correlated with IL-6 levels in wAIHA patients. After 48 h in vitro cell culture, percentages of CD80+/CD5+CD19+and CD80+/CD5–CD19+ cells in the IL-6 stimulation group were higher than those in blank control group (p = 0.0019; p = 0.0004), while CD86+/CD5+ CD19+ and CD86+/CD5–CD19+ cells were not statistically different before and after IL-6 stimulation. Percentage of IL-10+/CD5+ CD19+ cells in IL-6 stimulation group was lower than that in blank control (p = 0.0017) and IL-6 + toc (p = 0.0117) group. Percentage of IL-10+/CD5– CD19+cells in the IL-6 stimulation group was lower than that in the blank control group (p = 0.0223). Plasma levels of IL-6 were significantly elevated in hemolytic wAIHA patients and correlated with clinical indicators and efficacy. IL-6 promotes the activation of B cells. Although the results were not statistically significant, IL-6R antagonist tocilizumab may hopefully become a targeted therapy for wAIHA patients