Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are widely used for their low cost, simplicity, and rapid results; however, enhancing their reliability requires the meticulous selection of ligands and nanoparticles (NPs). SiO@QD@SiO (QD) nanoparticles, which consist of quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a silica (SiO) core and surrounded by an outer SiO shell, exhibit significantly higher fluorescence intensity (FI) compared to single QDs. In this study, we prepared QD@PEG@Aptamer, an aptamer conjugated with QD using succinimidyl-[(N-maleimidopropionamido)-hexaethyleneglycol]ester, which is 130 times brighter than single QDs, for detecting carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 through LFIA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: We investigated associations between body mass index (BMI) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B (HBV) C (HCV) virus infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and liver cirrhosis (LC).
Methods: We followed 350,608 Korean patients with liver disease who underwent routine health examinations from 2003-2006 until December 2018 via national hospital discharge records. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 5-kg/m2 BMI increase (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) for HCC risk were calculated using Cox models.
Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) systems are increasingly recognized as sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for decentralized water treatment. However, membrane fouling, particularly by organic matter, remains a significant operational challenge, necessitating regular chemical cleaning to maintain performance. The present study was undertaken to investigate the cleaning efficiency of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) tablets, a novel solid-state alternative to conventional liquid cleaning agents such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), acetic acid, and citric acid.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe field of optical nanomaterials stands at the forefront of technological innovation, driving advancements across a spectrum of scientific disciplines and industries [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Our aim was to analyze the developmental changes in the morphology of the internal auditory canal (IAC) in both children and adults to gain a three-dimensional understanding that could enhance various surgical approaches.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated 120 ears of 60 patients, ranging in age from birth to adulthood, using 3D-reconstruction data from normal temporal bone CT scans. The volume of the IAC in the temporal bone was reconstructed in 3D using Vworks version 4.