The association between inhibitory control and alcohol use has been well established. However, studies comparing the effects of alcohol cues on disinhibition in heavy and light drinkers have reported mixed results. The present study used a crowdsourcing platform, Prolific, to assess the effects of alcohol-related cues on inhibitory control in light drinkers versus heavy drinkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA mouthguard electrochemical sensor for salivary glucose detection based on platinum metal hydrogel is proposed in this work. Conventional enzyme-based electrochemical glucose sensors are fraught with issues such as high cost, oxygen dependency, intricate immobilization procedures, and susceptibility to variations in temperature, pH, and so on. The detection of glucose in saliva, as a non-invasive sensing approach, presents a more convenient solution for diabetes monitoring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe growing demand of novel hybrid organic/inorganic systems with exciting properties has contributed to an increasing need for simplifying production strategies. Here, we report a simple method to obtain controlled three-dimensional hybrid architectures, in particular hybrid supracolloids (hSC), formed by gold nanoparticles and a double hydrophilic block copolymer, specifically the poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PAA-b-PVP), directly in aqueous medium. The ubiquitous pH-sensitive poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) block initiates the assembly through pH changes, while the poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) block assures the close affinity with the AuNPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study integrates hollow microneedle arrays (HMNA) with a novel jellyfish-shaped electrochemical sensor for the detection of key biomarkers, including uric acid (UA), glucose, and pH, in artificial interstitial fluid. The jellyfish-shaped sensor displayed linear responses in detecting UA and glucose via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry, respectively. Notably, the open circuit potential (OCP) of the system showed a linear variation with pH changes, validating its pH-sensing capability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLandscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues arising from purported range expansions into the south Texas Brush Country of two sister species of ducks: mottled () and Mexican () ducks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonitoring agricultural toxins such as mycotoxins is crucial for a healthy society. High concentrations of these toxins lead to the cause of several chronic diseases; therefore, developing analytical systems for detecting/monitoring agricultural toxins is essential. These toxins are found in crops such as vegetables, fruits, food, and beverage products.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHybrid poly-ion complexes were synthesized through the complexation of a double hydrophilic copolymer with Ce(III) ions. These colloids act as reservoirs for cerium ions, enabling the synthesis of cerium-based Prussian blue nanoparticles with a cubic structure, a narrow size distribution around 100 nm, and good colloidal stability in water. Upon high-temperature calcination, these nanoparticles are transformed into a cerium/iron-based metal oxide catalyst (CeO/FeO).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHomopolymers of poly[N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl) acrylamide] exhibit the ability to adsorb onto the surface of preformed or growing gold nanoparticles. The resulting hybrid materials possess a pH and thermo-sensitive nature. Consequently, their optical properties can be modulated by manipulating either the temperature or the pH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the last decade, autoimmune diseases (ADs) have undergone a significant increase because of genetic and/or environmental factors; therefore, their simple and fast diagnosis is of high importance. The conventional diagnostic techniques for ADs require tedious sample preparation, sophisticated instruments, a dedicated laboratory, and qualified personnel. For these reasons, biosensors could represent a useful alternative to these methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo prioritize compounds with a higher likelihood of success, artificial intelligence models can be used to predict absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties of molecules quickly and efficiently. Models were trained with BioPrint database proprietary data along with public datasets to predict various ADMET end points for the SAFIRE platform. SAFIRE models performed at or above 75% accuracy and 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLanthanide-based macrocycles are successfully incorporated into hybrid polyionic complexes, formed by adding a mixture of zirconium ions to a solution of a double-hydrophilic block copolymer. The resulting nanoobjects with an average radius of approximately 10-15 nm present good colloidal and chemical stability in physiological media even in the presence of competing ions such as phosphate or calcium ions. The final optical and magnetic properties of these objects benefit from both their colloidal nature and the specific properties of the complexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn temperate regions, the annual pattern of spring onset can be envisioned as a 'green wave' of emerging vegetation that moves across continents from low to high latitudes, signifying increasing food availability for consumers. Many herbivorous migrants 'surf' such resource waves, timing their movements to exploit peak vegetation resources in early spring. Although less well studied at the individual level, secondary consumers such as insectivorous songbirds can track vegetation phenology during migration as well.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn innovative and universal imprinted sensor design for sandwich type detection of gemcitabine (GMT) in human serum samples is described. GMT is widely used in the treatment of different tumors, such as lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and breast cancer. The serum albumin-drug interaction was translated to design a multifunctional, ratiometric and dual mode silver nanoparticle based probe (BSA-Ag nanoprobe), as a read out system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosensors (Basel)
September 2023
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is pleiotropic cytokine with pathological pro-inflammatory effects in various acute, chronic and infectious diseases. It is involved in a variety of biological processes including immune regulation, hematopoiesis, tissue repair, inflammation, oncogenesis, metabolic control, and sleep. Due to its important role as a biomarker of many types of diseases, its detection in small amounts and with high selectivity is of particular importance in medical and biological fields.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosensors enable fast and specific detection of various molecules, including allergens. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensors combine the capabilities of SPR detection, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe unbalanced hemoglobin level in biological fluids can cause several diseases; hence it can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis. We aim, in the present study, to construct a label-free electrochemical aptasensor for the quantification of hemoglobin. For that, a conjugate of L-cysteine and gold nanoparticles was used for the aptamer immobilization on screen printed carbon electrodes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypothesis: Hybrid polyion complexes (HPICs) obtained from the complexation in aqueous solution of a double hydrophilic block copolymer and metal ions can act as efficient precursors for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. In particular, the possibility to control the availability of metal ions by playing on the pH conditions is of special interest to obtain nanoparticles with controlled size and composition.
Experiments: HPICs based on Fe ions were used to initiate the formation of Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles in presence of potassium ferrocyanide in reaction media with varying pH values.
Hypothesis: Random insertion of vinylphosphonic acid (VPA) units into a of PEG-PAA block copolymer improves the chemical stability and properties of hybrid nanoobjects obtained from the complexation of the copolymer with metal ions.
Experiments: Block polymers based on poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are modified by random insertion of 0 to 100 % of phosphonic acid functions in PAA block by a RAFT polymerization process. These polymers are then used to form hybrid polyionic complexes (HPICs) by complexation with gadolinium or europium ions.
Background: It is unknown which valid criteria should be considered to justify the decision for return to sport (RTS) following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The research question is whether gender, age, the outcome of the isokinetic maximal strength measurement and the single-leg hop test (quantitative/qualitative) influence the decision for RTS nine months after ACLR.
Methods: This study is a retrospective data analysis.
Knowledge of the interior structure and atmosphere of Mars is essential to understanding how the planet has formed and evolved. A major obstacle to investigations of planetary interiors, however, is that they are not directly accessible. Most of the geophysical data provide global information that cannot be separated into contributions from the core, the mantle and the crust.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on managing liver malignancies worldwide is unknown. This study aimed to determine the impact of lockdowns on patient clinical pathways and postoperative morbi-mortality.
Methods: This study evaluated all adults' hospital stays for liver tumors between 2019 and 2021 from the national French discharge database.
A flexible CeO nanostructured polydopamine-modified carbon cloth (CeO/PDA/CC) interface was fabricated via electrodeposition for ethanol detection. The fabrication method involved two consecutive electrochemical steps in which dopamine was firstly electrodeposited on carbon fibers, followed by the electrochemical growth of CeO nanoparticles. The CeO/PDA-based electroactive interface exerts an impressive electrochemical performance on the flexible sensor due to strong synergistic effect of the PDA functionalization with more active sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer is one of the major public health issues in the world. It has become the second leading cause of death, with approximately 75% of cancer deaths transpiring in low- or middle-income countries. It causes a heavy global economic cost estimated at more than a trillion dollars per year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBecause of the formation of specific antibodies to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) leading to life-threatening side effects, there is an increasing need to develop alternatives to treatments and diagnostic methods based on PEGylated copolymers. Block copolymers comprising a poly(-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) segment can be used for the design of such vectors without any PEG block. As an example, a poly(acrylic acid)--poly(-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PAA--PVP) copolymer with controlled composition and molar mass is synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMixing double-hydrophilic block copolymers containing a poly(vinylphosphonic acid) block with gadolinium ions in water leads to the spontaneous formation of polymeric nanoparticles. With an average diameter near 20 nm, the nanoparticles are stable after dilution or change of pH and ionic strength. High magnetic relaxivities were measured in vitro, and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging on rats demonstrates the high potential of such polymeric assemblies.
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