Monodisperse, Highly Spherical, Single Crystalline Au Nanospheres for Uniform and Reproducible Hot Spots in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering at the Single-Particle Level.

Hot spots can generate intense local electromagnetic (EM) fields, thereby boosting diverse innovative applications. However, these applications may face challenges due to their subtle structural changes that can significantly impact their EM field strength. Herein, we report a large-scale synthesis of monodisperse, highly spherical, single crystalline (SC) Au nanospheres (Au NSs) with tunable sizes ranging from 38 to 92 nm for constructing uniform and reproducible hot spots with a nanosphere-on-mirror (NSoM) configuration.

Development of a 3D Hydrogel SERS Chip for Noninvasive, Real-Time pH and Glucose Monitoring in Sweat.

Traditional diagnostic methods, such as blood tests, are invasive and time-consuming, while sweat biomarkers offer a rapid physiological assessment. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has garnered significant attention in sweat analysis because of its high sensitivity, label-free nature, and nondestructive properties. However, challenges related to substrate reproducibility and interference from the biological matrix persist with SERS.

Fast, portable and sensitive detection of group B streptococcus DNA using one-pot MIRA-CRISPR system with suboptimal PAM.

The group B Streptococcus (GBS) can generate vertical transmission to infants during delivery, has been seriously threatening the health of infants. Rapid and accurate prenatal GBS diagnosis for pregnant women is a deterministic blueprint to avoid infant viruses. Here, we developed an extraction-free nucleic acid isothermal amplification/CRISPR-Cas12a cutting one-pot system for GBS diagnostic assay by using suboptimal protospacer adjacent motifs, effectively avoiding multiple handling steps and uncapping contamination.

A time-resolved fluorescence microsphere-lateral flow immunochromatographic strip for quantitative detection of Pregnanediol-3-glucuronide in urine samples.

Pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG), as the main metabolite of progesterone in urine, plays a significant role in the prediction of ovulation, threatened abortion, and menstrual cycle maintenance. To achieve a rapid and sensitive assay, we have designed a competitive model-based time-resolved fluorescence microsphere-lateral flow immunochromatography (TRFM-LFIA) strip. The optimized TRFM-LFIA strip exhibited a wonderful response to PdG over the range of 30-2,000 ng/mL, the corresponding limit of detection (LOD) was calculated as low as 8.

Tailoring Fluorescence-Phosphorescence Emission with a Single Nanocavity.

Realizing the dual emission of fluorescence-phosphorescence in a single system is an extremely important topic in the fields of biological imaging, sensing, and information encryption. However, the phosphorescence process is usually in an inherently "dark state" at room temperature due to the involvement of spin-forbidden transition and the rapid non-radiative decay rate of the triplet state. In this work, we achieved luminescent harvesting of the dark phosphorescence processes by coupling singlet-triplet molecular emitters with a rationally designed plasmonic cavity.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers as a fluorescent sensor for selective detection of Sudan I in chili powder.

In this manuscript, a novel strategy to design and prepare magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) is proposed. Based on the synthesized MMIPs, a fluorescent sensor for low-cost and fast detection of Sudan I was established. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of MMIPs decreased linearly with the concentration of Sudan I in the range of 1-40 μM, and the detection limit was 0.

Advanced plasmonic technologies for multi-scale biomedical imaging.

The use of imaging technologies has been critical in deciphering biological phenomena, structures, and mechanisms across a wide range of spatial scales. The spatial resolution of traditional imaging modalities cannot meet the needs of high-precision research and diagnosis in biomedical fields. Plasmon resonance is the light-matter interaction that allows localizing far-field radiation in the near field with an intense electromagnetic field, enhancing the nanometric ablation, elastic/inelastic scattering of the adsorbate, and photoluminescence of the fluorophore nearby.

Manipulating the light-matter interactions in plasmonic nanocavities at 1 nm spatial resolution.

The light-matter interaction between plasmonic nanocavity and exciton at the sub-diffraction limit is a central research field in nanophotonics. Here, we demonstrated the vertical distribution of the light-matter interactions at ~1 nm spatial resolution by coupling A excitons of MoS and gap-mode plasmonic nanocavities. Moreover, we observed the significant photoluminescence (PL) enhancement factor reaching up to 2800 times, which is attributed to the Purcell effect and large local density of states in gap-mode plasmonic nanocavities.

A New Approach for Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy through the Kinetics of Chemisorption.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a non-destructive, highly sensitive, and rapid analytical tool, which has been widely used in different fields, especially for trace quantities of analyte. However, using SERS for reliable quantitative sample analysis is still a great challenge. Herein, a new approach to quantitative SERS analysis at nanostructured substrates that does not require an internal standard or well-ordered nanostructured SERS substrates is developed.

Electrochemiluminescence of water-dispersed nitrogen and sulfur doped carbon dots synthesized from amino acids.

A facile one-pot hydrothermal approach for synthesizing water-dispersed nitrogen and sulfur doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) with high luminescence quantum yield was explored, using cysteine and tryptophan as precursors. The NS-CDs were characterized by means of FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, etc. It was found that the absolute photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) of the NS-CDs determined with an integrating sphere can reach up to 73%, with an average decay time of 17.

Plasmonic Core-Shell Nanoparticle Enhanced Spectroscopies for Surface Analysis.

Probing the properties and components of reactive surfaces is crucial for illustrating reaction mechanisms. However, common surface analysis techniques are restricted to in situ acquisition of surface information at the molecular scale in the human environment and industrial catalysis processes. Plasmonic spectroscopies are promising tools to solve this problem.

Molecular Insight of the Critical Role of Ni in Pt-Based Nanocatalysts for Improving the Oxygen Reduction Reaction Probed Using an SERS Borrowing Strategy.

PtNi alloy catalysts have excellent catalytic activity and are considered some of the most promising electrocatalysts capable of replacing pure Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). For PtNi alloys, Ni-doping can improve performance by changing the electronic and structural properties of the catalyst surface and its interaction with reaction intermediates. However, to date there is no direct spectral evidence detecting or identifying the effect of Ni on the ORR in PtNi alloy catalysts.

Rapid and Quantitative Detection of Aflatoxin B in Grain by Portable Raman Spectrometer.

Many foodstuffs are extremely susceptible to contamination with aflatoxins, in which aflatoxin B is highly toxic and carcinogenic. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a rapid and effective analytical method for detecting and monitoring aflatoxin B in food. Herein, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) method combined with QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap-effective, rugged, safe) sample pretreatment technique was used to detect aflatoxin B.

Probing Electric Field Distributions in the Double Layer of a Single-Crystal Electrode with Angstrom Spatial Resolution using Raman Spectroscopy.

The electrical double layer (EDL) is the extremely important interfacial region involved in many electrochemical reactions, and it is the subject of significant study in electrochemistry and surface science. However, the direct measurement of interfacial electric fields in the EDL is challenging. In this work, both electrochemical resonant Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations were used to study electric field distributions in the EDL of an atomically flat single-crystal Au(111) electrode with self-assembled monolayer molecular films.

[Treatment of spine metastases by open decompression, microwave ablation combined with open vertebroplasty and pedicle screw rod system].

Objective: To evaluate the preliminary clinical effective of open decompression, microwave ablation combined with open vertebroplasty and pedicle screw rod system in the treatment of spine metastases.

Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients with spine metastases were retrospectively analyzed, they were treated with open decompression, microwave ablation combined with open vertebroplasty and pedicle screw rod system between January 2014 and January 2016. Six males and 6 females were included, aged from 30 to 75 years old with an average of 55.

Raman study of the photoinduced behavior of dye molecules on TiO() single crystal surfaces.

In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the TiO/dye interface significantly affects photovoltaic performance. However, the adsorption and photoinduced behavior of dye molecules on the TiO substrate remains unclear. Herein, shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) was used to study the adsorption and photoinduced behavior of dye (N719) molecules on different TiO() surfaces.

miR-522-3p Promotes Osteosarcoma Cell Growth By Regulating Glucose Uptake And GLUT1 Expression.

Purpose: In a recent study, Kang et al reported a novel miRNA named miR-522-3p with critical roles in phagocytosis, in which GLUT1 played a critical role, indicating the possible interactions between them. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-522-3p in osteosarcoma (OS).

Methods: Gene expression was analyzed by qPCR and Western blot.

Dual-vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with isotope-dilution ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for the rapid determination of parabens in indoor dust samples.

A reliable and straightforward method was developed for the rapid determination of nine parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isopropyl-, isobutyl-, pentyl-, hexyl-, and benzyl-parabens) in indoor dust by a mortar/pestle-free and column-free dual-vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (DVA-MSPD) technique. After that, they were determined by isotope-dilution ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS, or called UHPLC-HRMS) and operating in negative electrospray ionization mode. Optimization of the DVA-MSPD was done using Box-Behnken Design along with response surface methodology.

[Treatment of benign bone lesions of proximal femur using dynamic hip screw and intralesional curettage via Watson-Jones approach].

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of dynamic hip screw (DHS) and intralesional curettage via Watson-Jones approach in treatment of benign bone lesions of the proximal femur.

Methods: Between March 2012 and December 2016, 20 patients (21 lesions) with benign bone tumors or tumor like conditions of proximal femurs were treated with DHS and intralesional curettage via Watson-Jones approach. Their average age was 27.

Identification of key gene modules for human osteosarcoma by co-expression analysis.

Background: Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer casting huge threat to the human health worldwide. Previously, gene expression analyses were performed to identify biomarkers for cancer; however, systemic co-expression analysis for osteosarcoma is still in need. The aim of this study was to construct a gene co-expression network that predicts clusters of candidate genes associated with the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma.

[Extensively Porous-coated Distal Fixation Long Stem Prosthesis for Unstable Proximal Femur Fracture with Complex Hip Disease].

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical results of femoral proximal fracture with complex hip diseases using an uncemented extensively porous-coated long femoral stems.

Methods: 15 cases of femoral proximal fracture with complex hip diseases treated with the uncemented extensively porous-coated long femoral stem were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12 months in the first year postoperatively and once a year from the second year on.

[Efficacy comparison between dynamic hip screw combined with anti-rotation screw and cannulated screw in treating femoral neck fractures].

Objective: To compare the curative effect of dynamic hip screw (DHS) combined with anti-rotation screw and cannulated screw in treating patients with Pauwels type II or III femoral neck fracture and to provide the basis for the choice of surgical procedure.

Methods: Between March 2008 and September 2009, 51 patients with fresh Pauwels type II or III femoral neck fracture were treated with DHS combined with anti-rotation screw (DHS group) and three cannulated screws (cannulated screw group). The DHS group included 23 patients, 13 males and 10 females, aging 27-59 years (mean, 43.