Origin of the High Catalytic Activity of MoS in Na-S Batteries: Electrochemically Reconstructed Mo Single Atoms.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries with high energy density and low cost are considered promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems. However, their practical feasibility is seriously impeded by the shuttle effect of sodium polysulfide (NaPSs) resulting from the sluggish reaction kinetics. Introducing a suitable catalyst to accelerate conversion of NaPSs is the most used strategy to inhibit the shuttle effect.

Application of Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation of Parent Blood Flow in the Embolization of Unruptured A1 Aneurysms.

Objective: To investigate the effect of microcatheter shaping based on the parent artery mainstream line of blood flow simulated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique on embolization of unruptured aneurysms on the posterior wall of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) A1 segment.

Methods: Patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms on the posterior wall of the ACA A1 segment were retrospectively enrolled and treated with endovascular embolization after microcatheter shaping. The clinical, embolization, and follow-up data were analyzed.

Automated Droplet Ejection from a Digital Microfluidics Sample Pretreatment Device Enables Batch-Mode Chemiluminescence Immunoassay.

Digital microfluidics (DMF) features programmed manipulation of fluids in multiple steps, making it a valuable tool for sample pretreatment. However, the integration of sample pretreatment with its downstream reaction and detection requires transferring droplets from the DMF device to the outside world. To address this issue, the present study developed a modified DMF device that allows automated droplet ejection out of the chip, facilitated by a tailor-designed interface.

Rapid Detection of Uropathogens Using an Integrated Multiplex Digital Nucleic Acid Detection Assay Powered by a Digital-to-Droplet Microfluidic Device.

The digital nucleic acid detection assay features the capability of absolute quantitation without the need for calibration, thereby facilitating the rapid identification of pathogens. Although several integrated digital nucleic acid detection techniques have been developed, there are still constraints in terms of automation and analysis throughput. To tackle these challenges, this study presents a digital-to-droplet microfluidic device comprising a digital microfluidics (DMF) module at the bottom and a droplet microfluidics module at the top.

Significance of atherosclerotic plaque location in recanalizing non-acute long-segment occlusion of the internal carotid artery.

To investigate the significance of atherosclerotic plaque location in hybrid surgery comprising both endovascular recanalization approaches and carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic atherosclerotic non-acute long-segment occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), 162 patients were enrolled, including 120 (74.1%) patients in the proximal plaque group and 42 (25.9%) in the distal plaque group.

Transradial intra-aortic catheter looping in the angioplasty of severe intracranial symptomatic arteriosclerotic diseases.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect and feasibility of intra-aortic catheter looping via transradial access in angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial severe (>70%) atherosclerotic stenosis or occlusion of large arteries (SISOLAs).

Materials And Methods: Patients with SISOLAs who underwent transradial endovascular angioplasty using the catheter looping technique in the ascending aorta were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical data and treatment outcomes were analyzed.

Application of microcatheter shaping based on computational fluid dynamics simulation of cerebral blood flow in the intervention of posterior communicating aneurysm of the internal carotid artery.

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the application of the aneurysm embolization microcatheter plasticity method based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate cerebral blood flow in the interventional treatment of posterior communicating aneurysms in the internal carotid artery and to evaluate its practicality and safety.

Methods: A total of 20 patients with posterior internal carotid artery communicating aneurysms who used CFD to simulate cerebral flow lines from January 2020 to December 2022 in our hospital were analyzed. Microcatheter shaping and interventional embolization were performed according to the main cerebral flow lines, and the success rate, stability, and effect of the microcatheter being in place were analyzed.

Transradial access with intra-aortic catheter looping for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effect of transradial access with intra-aortic catheter looping for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective one-center study was performed on patients with intracranial aneurysms which were embolized through transradial access with intra-aortic catheter looping because of the difficulty of transfemoral access or transradial access without intra-aortic catheter looping. The imaging and clinical data were analyzed.

Comprehensive analysis of autophagy-related gene expression profiles identified five gene biomarkers associated with immune infiltration and advanced plaques in carotid atherosclerosis.

Background: Autophagy plays an important role in the progression of carotid atherosclerosis (CAS). This study aimed to identify hub autophagy-related genes (ATGs) associated with CAS.

Methods: GSE43292 and GSE28829 datasets of early and advanced CAS plaques were enrolled from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

Droplet Encoding-Pairing Enabled Multiplexed Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Simultaneous Quantitative Detection of Multiple Pathogens.

Despite the advantages of digital nucleic acid analysis (DNAA) in terms of sensitivity, precision, and resolution, current DNAA methods commonly suffer a limitation in multiplexing capacity. To address this issue, a droplet encoding-pairing enabled DNAA multiplexing strategy is developed, wherein unique tricolor combinations are deployed to index individual primer droplets. The template droplets and primer droplets are sequentially introduced into a microfluidic chip with a calabash-shaped microwell array and are pairwise trapped and merged in the microwells.

Cascade filtration and droplet digital detection integrated microfluidic assay enables isolating culture-free phenotypic identification of carbapenem-resistant organisms.

Carbapenem-resistant organisms (CROs) are characterized by high drug resistance, rapid transmission, and high lethality. Therefore, rapid detection for CROs is essential for appropriate applying antibiotics and implementing quarantine. Droplet digital chromogenic assays (DDCA) have been accepted as an effective means for rapid microbial detection as the small droplet volumes facilitate a significant enhancement in the local concentration of chromogenic factors and, therefore, reduce the required time of the test.

Active droplet-array microfluidics-based chemiluminescence immunoassay for point-of-care detection of procalcitonin.

The application of conventional chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) in resource-limited settings is limited due to the large apparatus footprint, cumbersome operation and maintenance process, and high consumption of reagents. To address this issue, we developed an active droplet-array (ADA) microfluidics-based CLIA system, which consists of a compact microchip analyzer and microfluidic chips with preloaded reagents. The microfluidic chip contains microslit-connected microchambers, in which all the required reagents were preloaded in water-in-oil droplets.

Benign testicular cavernous hemangioma presenting with acute onset: A case report.

Cavernous hemangioma is a congenital, benign vascular tumor that occurs in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Testicular cavernous hemangioma is extremely rare, mostly occurring during childhood or adolescence. Testicular cavernous hemangioma is a benign tumor that appears as a slowly growing painless mass.

Direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bloodstream infection on SlipChip.

This paper describes an integrated microfluidic SlipChip device for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bloodstream pathogens in positive blood cultures. Unlike conventional AST methods, which rely on an overnight subculture of positive blood cultures to obtain isolated colonies, this device enables direct extraction and enrichment of the bacteria from positive blood cultures by dielectrophoresis. SlipChip technology enables parallel inoculation of the extracted bacteria into nanoliter-scale broth droplets to perform multiplexed ASTs simultaneously.

Use of a First Large-Sized Coil Versus Conventional Coils for Embolization of Cerebral Aneurysms: Effects on Packing Density, Coil Length, and Durable Occlusion.

Objective: To investigate effects of using a large-sized coil first on embolizing cerebral aneurysms compared with conventional coils.

Materials And Methods: Forty-six patients with 51 saccular intracranial aneurysms who underwent embolization with a large-sized coil first were enrolled as the large-sized coil group. There were 33 female and 13 male patients with a mean age of 56.

Hybrid operation to revascularize long-segment occluded internal carotid artery prevent further ischemic events.

Purpose: The effects and complications of hybrid procedure (combined carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting) to revascularize chronic long-segment occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA) are currently unknown and the purpose of this study.

Methods: Sixty-five patients with long-segment occlusion of ICA were prospectively enrolled and divided into two groups of revascularization with hybrid operation (n = 30) and medication group (n = 35), and clinical and angiographic data were analyzed.

Results: The duration from symptom onset to revascularization ranged 17-120 days (mean 40.

Direct DNA and RNA detection from large volumes of whole human blood.

PCR inhibitors in clinical specimens negatively affect the sensitivity of diagnostic PCR and RT-PCR or may even cause false-negative results. To overcome PCR inhibition, increase the sensitivity of the assays and simplify the detection protocols, simple methods based on quantitative nested real-time PCR and RT-PCR were developed to detect exogenous DNA and RNA directly from large volumes of whole human blood (WHB). Thermus thermophilus (Tth) polymerase is resistant to several common PCR inhibitors and exhibits reverse transcriptase activity in the presence of manganese ions.

Direct enrichment of pathogens from physiological samples of high conductivity and viscosity using H-filter and positive dielectrophoresis.

The full potential of microfluidic techniques as rapid and accurate methods for the detection of disease-causing agents and foodborne pathogens is critically limited by the complex sample preparation process, which commonly comprises the enrichment of bacterial cells to detectable levels. In this manuscript, we describe a microfluidic device which integrates H-filter desalination with positive dielectrophoresis (pDEP) for direct enrichment of bacterial cells from physiological samples of high conductivity and viscosity, such as cow's milk and whole human blood. The device contained a winding channel in which electrolytes in the samples continuously diffused into deionized (DI) water (desalination), while the bacterial cells remained in the samples.

Capacity of rTth polymerase to detect RNA in the presence of various inhibitors.

The full potential of the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as a rapid and accurate diagnostic method is limited by DNA polymerase inhibitors as well as reverse transcriptase inhibitors which are ubiquitous in clinical samples. rTth polymerase has proven to be more resistant to DNA polymerase inhibitors present in clinical samples for DNA detection and also exhibits reverse transcriptase activity in the presence of Mn2+ ions. However, the capacity of rTth polymerase, which acts as DNA polymerase and reverse transcriptase, to detect RNA in the presence of various inhibitors has not been investigated in detail.

Wingspan stenting can effectively prevent long-term strokes for patients with severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar stenosis.

Objective: To investigate the safety and long-term effect of using the Wingspan stent for severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar artery stenosis (≥70%).

Materials And Methods: Between July 2007 and April 2013, we had 91 consecutive patients (age range 41-82 years old) with symptomatic severe basilar stenosis (70-99%) who underwent Wingspan stenting at our center. All patients had stenosis-related temporary ischemic attack or strokes.

Severe symptomatic intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis treated with intracranial stenting: a single center study with 58 patients.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of intracranial stenting in a population with severe (≥ 70%) symptomatic intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) atherosclerotic stenosis.

Methods: Fifty-eight patients with severe intracranial ICA atherosclerotic stenosis were prospectively enrolled. The baseline data, cerebral angiography, success rate, perioperative complications, clinical and imaging follow-up were prospectively analyzed.