Monocyte distribution width (MDW) and DECAF: two simple tools to determine the prognosis of severe COPD exacerbation.

Monocyte distribution width (MDW) has been associated with inflammation and poor prognosis in various acute diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations (ECOPD) are associated with mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of the MDW as a predictor of ECOPD prognosis.

Photoswitchable Catalysis by a Nanozyme Mediated by a Light-Sensitive Cofactor.

The activity of a gold nanoparticle-based catalyst can be reversibly up- and down-regulated by light. Light is used to switch a small molecule between cis- and trans-isomers, which inhibits the catalytic activity of the nanoparticles to different extent. The system is functional in aqueous buffer, which paves the way for integrating the system in biological networks.

Dynamic nanoproteins: self-assembled peptide surfaces on monolayer protected gold nanoparticles.

Here, we demonstrate the formation of dynamic peptide surfaces through the self-assembly of small peptides on the surface of monolayer protected gold nanoparticles. The complexity of the peptide surface can be simply tuned by changing the chemical nature of the added peptides and the ratio in which these are added. The dynamic nature of the surface permits adaptation to changes in the environment.

Multivalent interactions regulate signal transduction in a self-assembled Hg2+ sensor.

A self-assembled sensing system able to detect Hg(2+) at low nanomolar concentrations is reported that operates through a signal transduction pathway involving multivalent interactions. The analyte causes dimerization of low-affinity ligands, resulting in a complex with a high affinity for a multivalent monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle (AuNP). This complex displaces a quenched fluorescent reporter from the AuNP, resulting in a turn ON of fluorescence.