DNA lesion-gated dumbbell nanodevices enable on-demand activation of the cGAS-STING pathway for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

Utilizing the cGAS-STING pathway to combat immune evasion is one of the most promising strategies for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. However, current techniques for activating the cGAS-STING pathway often face a dilemma, mainly due to the balance between efficacy and safety. Here, we develop a uracil base lesion-gated dumbbell DNA nanodevice (UBLE) that allows on-demand activation and termination of the cGAS-STING pathway in tumor cells, thereby enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

Nanoconfined Silver Nanoclusters Combined with X-Shaped DNA Recognizer-Triggered Cascade Amplification for Electrochemiluminescence Detection of APE1.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), as a vital base excision repair enzyme, is essential for maintaining genomic integrity and stability, and its abnormal expression is closely associated with malignant tumors. Herein, we constructed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for detecting APE1 activity by combining nanoconfined ECL silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) with X-shaped DNA recognizer-triggered cascade amplification. Specifically, the Ag NCs were prepared and confined in the glutaraldehyde-cross-linked chitosan hydrogel network using the one-pot method, resulting in a strong ECL response and exceptional stability in comparison with discrete Ag NCs.

Pyrenecarboxaldehyde@Graphene Oxide Acted as a Highly Efficient ECL Emitter and Target-Triggered the Recyclable Cascade System as an Amplifier for Ultrasensitive APE1 Activity Detection.

Herein, pyrenecarboxaldehyde@graphene oxide (Pyc@GO) sheets with highly efficient electrochemiluminescence (ECL) as emitters were prepared by a noncovalent combination to develop a neoteric ECL biosensing platform for the ultrasensitive assessment of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease1 (APE1) activity. Impressively, the pyrenecarboxaldehyde (Pyc) molecules were able to form stable polar functional groups on the surface of GO sheets through the noncovalent π-π stacking mechanism to prevent intermolecular restacking and simultaneously generate Pyc@GO sheets. Compared with the tightly packed PAH nanocrystals, the Pyc@GO sheets significantly reduced internal filtering effects and diminished nonactivated emitters to enhance ECL intensity and achieve strong ECL emission.

Circular DNAzyme-Switched CRISPR/Cas12a Assay for Electrochemiluminescent Response of Demethylase Activity.

DNA nanostructure provides powerful tools for DNA demethylase activity detection, but its stability has been significantly challenged. By virtue of circular DNA with resistance to exonuclease degradation, herein, the circular DNAzyme duplex with artificial methylated modification was constructed to identify the target and output the DNA activators to drive the CRISPR/Cas12a, constructing an "on-off-on" electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for monitoring the activity of the O-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). Specifically, the circular DNAzyme duplex consisted of the chimeric RNA-DNA substrate ring with double activator sequences and two single-stranded DNAzymes, whose catalytic domains were premodified with the methyl groups.

Rapid classification of whole milk powder and skimmed milk powder by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with feature processing method and logistic regression.

Whole milk powder and skimmed milk powder are suitable for different groups of people due to their differences in composition. Therefore, a rapid classification method for whole milk powder and skimmed milk powder is urgently needed. In this paper, a novel strategy based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and feature processing methods combined with logistic regression (LR) was constructed for the classification of milk powder.

Target-Driven Annular DNA Walker Coupled with Electrochemiluminescent Silicon Quantum Dots for APE1 Bioanalysis.

Functional DNA walkers with substantial nanostructures have been extensively investigated; however, their stability still faces challenges when exposed to diverse nuclease in clinical biological samples, resulting in the unreliability of actual assessment. This work proposed a target-driven annular DNA walker with enhanced stability enabling the sensitive and reliable response to different concentrations of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), by preparing silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters. Specifically, the SiQDs showed significant strong and stable ECL signals by purifying the microenvironment of SiQDs through the dialysis removal of the gel-like layers surrounding the SiQDs.

Rapid Analysis of Squalene, Tocopherols, and Sterols in Walnut Oils Based on Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Quantification of liposoluble micronutrients in large-scale vegetable oil samples is urgently needed, because their health benefits are increasingly emphasized. However, current analytical methods are limited to either labor-intensive preparation processes or time-consuming chromatography separation. In this work, an online oil matrix separation strategy for direct, rapid, and simultaneous determination of squalene, tocopherols, and phytosterols in walnut oil (WO) was developed on the basis of the lipid class separation mode of supercritical fluid chromatography.

Accuracy of Mean Value of Central Venous Pressure from Monitor Digital Display: Influence of Amplitude of Central Venous Pressure during Respiration.

Background A simple measurement of central venous pressure (CVP)-mean by the digital monitor display has become increasingly popular. However, the agreement between CVP-mean and CVP-end (a standard method of CVP measurement by analyzing the waveform at end-expiration) is not well determined. This study was designed to identify the relationship between CVP-mean and CVP-end in critically ill patients and to introduce a new parameter of CVP amplitude (ΔCVP= CVPmax - CVPmin) during the respiratory period to identify the agreement/disagreement between CVP-mean and CVP-end.

Detection of walnut oil adulterated with high-linoleic acid vegetable oils using triacylglycerol pseudotargeted method based on SFC-QTOF-MS.

Authentication of walnut oil (WO) is challenging due to the adulteration of high-linoleic acid vegetable oils (HLOs) with similar fatty acid composition. To allow the discrimination of WO adulteration, a rapid, sensitive and stable scanning method based on supercritical fluid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SFC-QTOF-MS) was established to profile 59 potential triacylglycerol (TAGs) in HLOs samples within 10 min. Limit of quantitation of the proposed method is 0.

Investigating the impact of oral health on pregnancy and offspring outcomes: protocol for the Lifetime Impact of ORal heAlth (LIORA) cohort study.

Introduction: Oral health is a fundamental component of well-being, and is closely associated with overall health and quality of life. Oral health may also affect the next generation. The children of mothers with poor oral health are likely to also have poor oral health as they go through life.

Programmable Y-Shaped Probes with Proximity Bivalent Recognition for Rapid Electrochemiluminescence Response of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Herein, an exogenous luminophore-free and disposable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was established for rapid response of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using programmable Y-shaped probes (Y-probes) with proximity bivalent recognition. Specifically, the indium tin oxide thin film coated glass electrode (ITO) was modified with urchin-like porous TiO microspheres (pTiO MSs), which could achieve strong and stable ECL in SO solution due to the dual promoting effect of the coreaction accelerator pTiO MSs, exhibiting 2.7-fold higher ECL intensity in comparison with that of bare ITO.

A convenient and economical strategy for multiple-target electrochemiluminescence detection using peroxydisulfate solution.

As various aptasensors are adopted in clinical diagnosis, the development of convenient multiple-target determination is a field of ever-increasing interests. Herein, a label-free and amplified electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing platform was constructed to detect multiple targets of hemin, glucose and thrombin (TB) using peroxydisulfate (SO) solution, which was one of the most convenient and economical ECL systems. It was worth mentioning that the target-induced bi-enzyme cascade catalysis reaction was developed to increase the ECL response strongly of SO solution due to the production of (O)* from the inter-reaction between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and sulfate radical (SO•-).

Y-shaped DNA nanostructures assembled-spherical nucleic acids as target converters to activate CRISPR-Cas12a enabling sensitive ECL biosensing.

Considering the trans-cleavage capabilities, high-specificity and programmability, the CRISPR-Cas system has been recognized as a valuable platform to develop the next-generation diagnostic biosensors. However, due to the natural interaction with nucleic acids, current CRISPR-Cas-based detection mostly applies in nucleic acid analysis rather than non-nucleic acid analysis. By virtue of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) with programmability and specificity, the Y-shaped DNA nanostructures assembled-SNAs (Y-SNAs) were rationally designed as target converters to achieve the quantitative activation of CRISPR-Cas12a, enabling a highly specific and sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) determination of alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), a high specific protein biomarker of prostate cancer.

MicroRNA-Triggered Deconstruction of Field-Free Spherical Nucleic Acid as an Electrochemiluminescence Biosensing Switch.

Herein, a new field-free and highly ordered spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanostructure was self-assembled directly by ferrocene (Fc)-labeled DNA tweezers and DNA linkers based on the Watson-Crick base pairing rule, which was employed as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching switch with improved recognition efficiency due to the high local concentration of the ordered nanostructure. Moreover, with a collaborative strategy combined with the advantages of both self-accelerated approach and pore confinement-enhanced ECL effect, the mesoporous silica nanospheres (mSiO NSs) were prepared to be filled with rubrene (Rub) as ECL emitters and Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) as coreaction accelerators (Rub-Pt@mSiO NSs), which demonstrated high ECL response in the aqueous media (dissolved O as coreactant). When the SNA nanostructure was immobilized on the Rub-Pt@mSiO NSs-modified electrode, it presented a "signal off" state owing to the quenching effect of the Fc molecules.

An Affinity-Enhanced DNA Intercalator with Intense ECL Embedded in DNA Hydrogel for Biosensing Applications.

Herein, an amphiphilic perylene derivative (denoted as PTC-DEDA) was explored as DNA intercalators endowed with an enhanced affinity and intense electrochemiluminescence (ECL) to construct a target-induced DNA hydrogel biosensing platform for the sensitive detection of microRNA let-7a (miRNA let-7a). Specifically, the DNA hydrogel with numerous dendritic DNA structures was in situ generated a target-induced nonlinear hybrid chain reaction in the presence of miRNA let-7a, which possessed a large loading capacity to entrap massive DNA intercalators. Then, the PTC-DEDA with positive charges could easily intercalate into the DNA grooves due to the inherent amphipathic structure, achieving a strong ECL signal.

Association of Ang-2, vWF, and EVLWI with risk of mortality in sepsis patients with concomitant ARDS: A retrospective study.

Background/purpose: This study aimed to determine the potential effects of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), von Willebrand factor (vWF), and extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) on the risk of mortality in sepsis patients with concomitant acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: This retrospective study recruited 41 sepsis patients with concomitant ARDS from January 2015 to June 2018. Data of Ang-2 and vWF levels, EVLWI, and sequential organ failure assessment scores were collected at 0, 24, and 48 h after admission to the hospital.

Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Paper Mulberry Reveals Phosphorylation Functions in Chilling Tolerance.

Paper mulberry is a valuable woody species with a good chilling tolerance. In this study, phosphoproteomic analysis, physiological measurement, and mRNA quantification were employed to explore the molecular mechanism of chilling (4 °C) tolerance in paper mulberry. After chilling for 6 h, 427 significantly changed phosphoproteins were detected in paper mulberry seedlings without obvious physiological injury.

Unilateral intramuscular needling can improve ankle dorsiflexor strength and muscle activation in both legs.

Background/objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether unilateral manual needling at nonacupoints could result in bilateral strength gain similar to that found in electroacupuncture at specific acupoints.

Methods: Fifty healthy male volunteers with an age range of 19-27 years were recruited and randomly allocated into five groups: (1) manual acupuncture and (2) electroacupuncture at two acupoints (ST-36 and ST-39); (3) manual acupuncture and (4) electroacupuncture at two nonacupoints on the tibialis anterior muscle; and (5) control group. The intervention groups received needling in each session on the right leg for 15 minutes in Week 1, 20 minutes in Week 2, and 30 minutes in Weeks 3-8, three sessions per week.

The effect of variable arterial transducer level on the accuracy of pulse contour waveform-derived measurements in critically ill patients.

We know that a 10 cm departure from the reference level of pressure transducer position is equal to a 7.5 mmHg change of invasive hemodynamic pressure monitoring in a fluid-filled system. However, the relationship between the site level of a variable arterial pressure transducer and the pulse contour-derived parameters has yet to be established in critically ill patients.

New method for noninvasive quantification of central venous pressure by ultrasound.

Background: The central venous pressure (CVP) is essential for assessing the cardiac preload and circulating blood volume in clinic. The invasive CVP measurement by central venous catheter has been reported with various complications. The aim of this study was to develop a new noninvasive method for quantification of CVP by ultrasound.

Prognostic value of ERCC1, RRM1, and TS proteins in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Recent clinical trials showed that expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1), and thymidylate synthase (TS) proteins was able to predict the effects of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to chemotherapy. However, it remains unknown whether the adjuvant chemotherapy based on expression of the three proteins has survival significance in Chinese NSCLC patients.

Methods: We investigated 128 Chinese patients receiving chemotherapy after tumor resection for expression of these proteins using immunohistochemistry.

A multi-center, randomized, single-blind, controlled clinical study on the efficacy of composite sophora colon-soluble capsules in treating ulcerative colitis.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of composite sophora colon-soluble capsule (CSCC) in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) of the damp-heat accumulation syndrome pattern (DHAS) and to prepare a basis for a phase III clinical trial.

Methods: A multi-center, randomized, single-blind, and positive drug parallel-controlled design was adopted. There were 126 patients of UC-DHAS stratified and assigned equally to three groups.

Streptomyces plumbiresistens sp. nov., a lead-resistant actinomycete isolated from lead-polluted soil in north-west China.

The taxonomic position of an actinomycete isolated from a lead-polluted soil in Gansu province, north-west China, was determined by using a polyphasic approach. Chemical and morphological properties of the isolate, designated strain CCNWHX 13-160(T), were similar to those of streptomycetes. Analysis of the almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence placed strain CCNWHX 13-160(T) in the genus Streptomyces where it formed a distinct phyletic line with recognized Streptomyces species.