Wearable high-performance pressure sensors based on three-dimensional electrospun conductive nanofibers

Polymer-based pressure sensors play a key role in realizing lightweight and inexpensive wearable devices for healthcare and environmental monitoring systems. Here, conductive core/shell polymer nanofibers composed of poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) (PVDF-HFP)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) are fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) electrospinning and vapor deposition polymerization methods, and the resulting sponge-like 3D membranes are used to create piezoresistive-type pressure sensors. Interestingly, the PEDOT shell consists of well-dispersed spherical bumps, leading to the formation of a hierarchical conductive surface that enhances the sensitivity to external pressure. The sponge-like 3D mats exhibit a much higher pressure sensitivity than the conventional electrospun 2D mats due to their enhanced porosity and pressure-tunable contact area. Furthermore, large-area, wireless, 16 x 10 multiarray pressure sensors for the spatiotemporal mapping of multiple pressure points and wearable bands for monitoring blood pressure have been fabricated from these 3D mats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the fabrication of electrospun 3D membranes with nanoscopically engineered fibers that can detect changes in external pressure with high sensitivity. The developed method opens a new route to the mass production of polymer-based pressure sensors with high mechanical durability, which creates additional possibilities for the development of human-machine interfaces.11Ysciescopu

Guidelines for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies (third edition)

The third edition of Flow Cytometry Guidelines provides the key aspects to consider when performing flow cytometry experiments and includes comprehensive sections describing phenotypes and functional assays of all major human and murine immune cell subsets. Notably, the Guidelines contain helpful tables highlighting phenotypes and key differences between human and murine cells. Another useful feature of this edition is the flow cytometry analysis of clinical samples with examples of flow cytometry applications in the context of autoimmune diseases, cancers as well as acute and chronic infectious diseases. Furthermore, there are sections detailing tips, tricks and pitfalls to avoid. All sections are written and peer-reviewed by leading flow cytometry experts and immunologists, making this edition an essential and state-of-the-art handbook for basic and clinical researchers

Guidelines for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies (third edition)

The third edition of Flow Cytometry Guidelines provides the key aspects to consider when performing flow cytometry experiments and includes comprehensive sections describing phenotypes and functional assays of all major human and murine immune cell subsets. Notably, the Guidelines contain helpful tables highlighting phenotypes and key differences between human and murine cells. Another useful feature of this edition is the flow cytometry analysis of clinical samples with examples of flow cytometry applications in the context of autoimmune diseases, cancers as well as acute and chronic infectious diseases. Furthermore, there are sections detailing tips, tricks and pitfalls to avoid. All sections are written and peer-reviewed by leading flow cytometry experts and immunologists, making this edition an essential and state-of-the-art handbook for basic and clinical researchers

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A Review of CAR-T Therapy in Pediatric and Young Adult B-Lineage Acute Leukemia: Clinical Perspectives in Singapore

Michaela S Seng,1,2 Amandine C Meierhofer,3 Francesca L Lim,2,4 Shui Yen Soh,1,2 William YK Hwang2,4,5 1Department of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore; 2Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; 3Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland; 4Department of Hematology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; 5National Cancer Centre Singapore, SingaporeCorrespondence: William YK Hwang, Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital, 31 Third Hospital Ave, 168753, Singapore, Tel +65 62223322, Email [email protected]: Approximately 10– 15% of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) are high risk at diagnosis or relapsed/ refractory. Prior to the availability of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) in Singapore and the region, the treatment options for these paediatric and young adults are conventional salvage chemotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy regimens as a bridge to allogeneic total body irradiation-based hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This results in significant acute and long-term toxicities, with suboptimal survival outcomes. Finding a curative salvage therapy with fewer long-term toxicities would translate to improved quality-adjusted life years in these children and young adults. In this review, we focus on the burden of relapsed/refractory pediatric B-ALL, the limitations of current strategies, the emerging paradigms for the role of CAR-T in r/r B-ALL, our local perspectives on the health economics and future direction of CAR-T therapies in pediatric patients.Keywords: cell therapy, relapsed, refractory, lymphoblastic leukemia, pediatric and young adul

Re-Engraftment of Prior Cord Blood Graft in a Patient with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukaemia following Haploidentical Transplantation

We report the case of a 32-year-old man with poor risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received transplantation of an UCB graft following myeloablative conditioning but unfortunately relapsed after one year with complete loss of donor chimerism. As this patient did not have an HLA - matched sibling donor or a volunteer MUD, he went on to receive a second transplant with haploidentical CD34 cells from his mother following a non-myeloablative conditioning. After initial engraftment with the haploidentical donor cells, the patient became progressively pancytopenic and chimerism analysis revealed decreased level of cells derived from the haploidentical graft. However, there was a concurrent increasing ratio of the UCB derived cells from the first transplant. The patient had eventual recovery and stabilization of his full blood count and repeat chimerism analysis demonstrated successful re-engraftment with the previous UCB graft. To the best of our knowledge, no such similar cases have been reported in the literature. Thus, cord blood cells from a prior transplant could remain present in small quantities at the phase ofleukemia relapse and re-emerge to establish long term hematopoiesis even after graft failure from a subsequent haploidentical transplant

Central Pontine Myelinolysis Associated with Cyclosporine in a Patient with NK Cell Leukaemia after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) has been described as a rare complication of liver transplantation. Cases in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant are less reported. We present a patient with NK cell leukaemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and had progressive altered mental status and neurological deterioration. Clinical and radiological findings were consistent with CPM. The patient had hepatic impairment and was on cyclosporine at the time of diagnosis of CPM, both are common risk factors for development of CPM in the post-transplant setting. Patient was managed in the intensive care unit. A trial of corticosteroids was given and immunosuppressive agent was switched from cyclosporine to sirolimus. Patient regained full neurological function from this CPM episode