Masking effects on iso-valeric acid recognition by sub-threshold odor mixture.

Masking unpleasant odors with pleasant-smelling odorants has a long history and is utilized in various industries, including perfumery and consumer products. However, the effectiveness of odor masking is idiosyncratic and temporary. In this study, we employed Sniff olfactometry (SO) to investigate the psychophysics of masking using brief 70 ms stimulations with mixtures of the mal-odorant iso-valeric acid (IVA) and different masking agents.

Normal-weight central obesity: implications for diabetes mellitus.

Background: Current guidelines for obesity prevention and control focus on body mass index (BMI) and rarely address central obesity. Few studies have been conducted on the association between normal-weight central obesity and the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: 26,825 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in our study.

Different pregnancy outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with belimumab.

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) predominantly occurs in women of child-bearing age. Selecting drugs for pregnant SLE patients has always been a difficult choice. Although there have been several reports of safety of belimumab in SLE patients during pregnancy, the data are far from sufficient.

Metagenome-wide association study of the alterations in the intestinal microbiome composition of ankylosing spondylitis patients and the effect of traditional and herbal treatment.

. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic progressive disease with an unknown etiology that may be related to the gut microbiome. Therefore, a more thorough understanding of its pathogenesis is necessary for directing future therapy.

p53 induces miR-199a-3p to suppress mechanistic target of rapamycin activation in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

How p53 participates in acute kidney injury (AKI) progress and what are the underlying mechanisms remain illusive. For this issue, it is important to probe into the role of p53 in cisplatin-induced AKI. We find that p53 was upregulated in cisplatin-induced AKI, yet, pifithrin-α inhibites the p53 expression to attenuated renal injury and cell apoptosis both in vivo cisplatin-induced AKI mice and in vitro HK-2 human renal tubular epithelial cells.

Aptamer based label free thrombin assay based on the use of silver nanoparticles incorporated into self-polymerized dopamine.

The authors describe an electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin that is based on the use of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with polydopamine that is loaded with silver nanoparticles (PDA/AgNPs). The use of AgNPs improves the conductivity of the film and increases the surface area of the GCE. PDA was deposited on the GCE via self-polymerization, and the thrombin binding aptamer was grafted onto the PDA-modified GCE by a single step reaction.

Antifouling aptasensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate in biological media based on mixed self-assembled aptamer and zwitterionic peptide.

Direct detection of targets in complex biological media with conventional biosensors is an enormous challenge due to the nonspecific adsorption and severe biofouling. In this work, a facile strategy for sensitive and low fouling detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is developed through the construction of a mixed self-assembled biosensing interface, which was composed of zwitterionic peptide (antifouling material) and ATP aptamer (bio-recognition element). The peptide and aptamer (both containing thiol groups) were simultaneously self-assembled onto gold electrode surface electrodeposited with gold nanoparticles.

Mixed Self-Assembly of Polyethylene Glycol and Aptamer on Polydopamine Surface for Highly Sensitive and Low-Fouling Detection of Adenosine Triphosphate in Complex Media.

Detection of disease biomarkers within complex biological media is a substantial outstanding challenge because of severe biofouling and nonspecific adsorptions. Herein, a reliable strategy for sensitive and low-fouling detection of a biomarker, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in biological samples was developed through the formation of a mixed self-assembled sensing interface, which was constructed by simultaneously self-assembling polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ATP aptamer onto the self-polymerized polydopamine-modified electrode surface. The developed aptasensor exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward the detection of ATP, and the linear range was 0.

Aptamer induced multicoloured Au NCs-MoS "switch on" fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensor for dual color simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers by single wavelength excitation.

An aptamer induced "switch on" fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor for the simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers (e.g., AFP and CEA) combining molybdenum disulfide (MoS) nanosheets with multicolored Au NCs by a single excitation was developed for the first time.

A novel dual-functional biosensor for fluorometric detection of inorganic pyrophosphate and pyrophosphatase activity based on globulin stabilized gold nanoclusters.

A novel ultrasensitive dual-functional biosensor for highly sensitive detection of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) and pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity was developed based on the fluorescent variation of globulin protected gold nanoclusters (Glo@Au NCs) with the assistance of Cu. Glo@Au NCs and PPi were used as the fluorescent indicator and substrate for PPase activity evaluation, respectively. In the presence of Cu, the fluorescence of the Glo@Au NCs will be quenched owing to the formation of Cu-Glo@Au NCs complex, while PPi can restore the fluorescence of the Cu-Glo@Au NCs complex because of its higher binding affinity with Cu.

Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv decoction inhibits osteogenic differentiation of rat fibroblasts by regulating connexin 43.

Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv (BQZ) decoction is a traditional Chinese medicinal compound widely used for treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the mechanisms underlying effects of BQZ remain largely unknown. Osteoblast differentiation of fibroblasts plays an important role in heterotopic ossification (HO) of AS, and connexin 43 (Cx43) is crucially involved in the osteoblast differentiation of fibroblasts.

Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis With a Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv Decoction: A Case Report With a 3-year Follow-up.

Context • Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a refractory rheumatic disease, characterized by sacroiliitis and structural damage, and over decades, it can lead to joint fusion, frequently followed by significant spinal deformity and disability. However, to date, no method has been found to be effective in relieving or blocking structural damage to joints. Objective • The study intended to show that a decoction of Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv (BQZ), a therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), can provide an alternative treatment for AS patients.

[Changes and clinical significance of peripheral blood natural killer cells in neonates with bacterial pneumonia].

Objective: To detect the percentage of total natural killer (NK) cells and its different populations in the peripheral blood from neonates with bacterial pneumonia and discuss the clinical significance of NK cells in the pathogenesis of bacterial pneumonia.

Methods: Flow cytometry was performed to detect the percentages of NK cells and its subsets in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 38 cases of neonatal bacterial pneumonias and 18 cases of normal neonates. Patients recruited were divided into two groups according to hospitalization days and numbers of peripheral leukocytes: hospitalization days within 10 days (including 10 days) as group A, and more than 10 days as group B; the number of peripheral blood leukocytes <5.

Anti-inflammatory activity of extracts of Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv decoction, a Chinese medicinal formula, in M1-polarized RAW264.7.

Background: Bushen-Qiangdu-Zhilv Decoction (BQZ) is one of famous traditional Chinese medical formula for treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the mechanisms underlying effects of BQZ remains unknown. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1, play an important role in AS.

Sensitive immunosensor for the label-free determination of tumor marker based on carbon nanotubes/mesoporous silica and graphene modified electrode.

A novel label-free immunoassay strategy for sensitive detection of α-fetoprotein (AFP) was proposed based on controlled fabrication of single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) inside the channels of mesoporous silica (MPS). The silanol groups on the internal pore walls of MPS were grafted with amino groups, while the silanol groups on the external surface were blocked by trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS). Thus, CNTs and the monoclonal antibodies of AFP (anti-AFP) could be confined inside the mesopores of MPS by the covalent linking of the carboxyl and amino groups.

A new dual immunoassay for tumor markers based on chemiluminescence signal amplification by magnetic mesoporous silica and enzyme modified gold nanoparticles.

A sensitive dual immunoassay was proposed for the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) based on signal amplification. Monoclonal antibodies immobilized on magnetic mesoporous silica particles (Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)) were prepared as the primary probe. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled antibodies co-coated with HRP on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used as the secondary probe to achieve signal amplification.

A label-free immunosensor by controlled fabrication of monoclonal antibodies and gold nanoparticles inside the mesopores.

A label-free immunosensor for the detection of α-fetoprotein (AFP) is proposed based on controlled fabrication of monoclonal antibodies of AFP (anti-AFP) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) inside the pores of mesoporous silica (MPS). The silanol groups on the internal pore walls were grafted by aminopropyltriethoxyl silane, whereas the silanol groups on the external surface of MPS were blocked by trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS). Thus, anti-AFP and GNPs could be confined inside the mesopores of TMCS-MPS by the covalent linking with the amino groups.

Fluorescence detection of thrombin using autocatalytic strand displacement cycle reaction and a dual-aptamer DNA sandwich assay.

A sensitive and specific sandwich assay for the detection of thrombin is described. Two affiliative aptamers were used to increase the assay specificity through sandwich recognition. Recognition DNA loaded on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) partially hybridized with the initiator DNA, which was displaced by surviving DNA.

A label-free immunosensor based on modified mesoporous silica for simultaneous determination of tumor markers.

A label-free multiplexed immunoassay strategy was proposed for the simultaneous detection of two tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Monoclonal antibody of CEA was co-immobilized with ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FCA) inside the channels of mesoporous silica (MPS) to prepare the label-free probe for CEA. Also, monoclonal antibody of AFP was co-immobilized with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) inside the channels of MPS to prepare the label-free probe for AFP by using o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and H(2)O(2) as the electrochemical substrates.

Immunoassay channels for alpha-fetoprotein based on encapsulation of biorecognition molecules into SBA-15 mesopores.

A novel immunoassay channeling sensor for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was proposed by incorporating biorecognition molecules into the mesopores of well-ordered hexagonal SBA-15. As the biosensing element, alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-labeled antibody was embedded into the mesopores with the substrate of 1-naphthyl phosphate (1-NP). The encapsulated ALP-labeled antibody retained its bioactivities on catalytic hydrolysis reaction with 1-NP and immunological reaction with antigen.

Sensitive amperometric immunosensor for alpha-fetoprotein based on carbon nanotube/gold nanoparticle doped chitosan film.

A novel strategy for the fabrication of sensitive immunosensor to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum has been proposed. The immunosensor was prepared by immobilizing AFP antigen onto the glassy carbon electrode (GC) modified by gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes doped chitosan (GNP/CNT/Ch) film. GNP/CNT hybrids were produced by one-step synthesis based on the direct redox reaction.

3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB)-H2O2-HRP voltammetric enzyme-linked immunoassay for the detection of carcionembryonic antigen.

A new voltammetric enzyme-linked immunoassay system of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB)-H2O2-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been presented and used for the sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human serum. In this proposed procedure, DAB was firstly used as the electroactive substrate in the HRP catalyzed oxidation reaction in the present of H2O2. The generated product produced a sensitive second-order derivative linear sweep voltammetric peak at potential of -0.

A channel-resolved approach coupled with magnet-captured technique for multianalyte chemiluminescent immunoassay.

A concept of channel-resolved multianalyte immunoassay (MAIA) and a semi-automated flow-through chemiluminescent (CL) MAIA system coupled with magnet-captured technique were proposed for rapid quantitation of different analytes in a single run. Using alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carcinoma antigen 125 (CA 125) as model analytes. They were firstly incubated in the mixtures of capture antibodies-immobilized paramagnetic microspheres (PMs) and corresponding alkaline phosphatase-labeled antibodies under stir and pumped into three parallel detection channels, the PMs were simultaneously captured by magnet, and the CL signals from the three channels were then sequentially collected with the aid of optical shutters to perform quantitative detection.