An integrated paper-based microfluidic platform for screening of early-stage Alzheimer's disease by detecting Aβ42.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, and the development of early screening methods can address its significant health and social consequences. In this paper, we present a rotary-valve assisted paper-based immunoassay device (RAPID) for early screening of AD, featuring a highly integrated on-chip rotary micro-valve that enables fully automated and efficient detection of the AD biomarker (amyloid beta 42, Aβ42) in artificial plasma. The microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) of the RAPID pre-stores the required assay reagents on a μPAD and automatically controls the liquid flow through a single valve.

A microgripper based on electrothermal Al-SiO bimorphs.

Microgrippers are essential for assembly and manipulation at the micro- and nano-scales, facilitating important applications in microelectronics, MEMS, and biomedical engineering. To guarantee the safe handling of delicate materials and micro-objects, a microgripper needs to be designed to operate with exceptional precision, rapid response, user-friendly operation, strong reliability, and low power consumption. In this study, we develop an electrothermal actuated microgripper with Al-SiO bimorphs as the primary structural element.

Electromagnetic-Driven Spider-Inspired Soft Robot Using Electroelastic Materials and Conductive Actuators.

Soft robots have developed gradually in the fields of portability, high precision, and low noise level due to their unique advantages of low noise and low energy consumption. This paper proposes an electromagnetically driven elastomer, using gelatin and glycerol (GG) as matrix materials and a mixture of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Ag NWs (MA) as the conductive medium. Inchworm-inspired and spider-inspired soft robots have been developed, demonstrating fast movement speed, flexibility, and loading performance.

Digital microfluidics with integrated Raman sensor for high-sensitivity in-situ bioanalysis.

This study introduces an advanced bioanalytical platform that combines digital microfluidics (DMF) with Raman spectroscopy, effectively addressing common issues in bioanalysis such as sample contamination, excessive consumption of samples and reagents, and manual handling. Our innovative system is engineered to handle diverse sample types and enables both sample preparation and in-situ analysis on a single device, utilizing less than 5 μL of samples and reagents. It incorporates a Translucent Raman Enhancement Stack (TRES) sensor, which boosts the detection signal, and includes droplet-driving functionality for automated processing of complex samples in a compact setting.

Which novel teaching strategy is most recommended in medical education? A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Aim: There is no conclusive evidence which one is the optimal methodology for enhancing the quality and efficacy of learning for medical students. Therefore, this systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to evaluate and prioritize various teaching strategies in medical education, including simulation-based learning (SBL), flipped classrooms (FC), problem-based learning (PBL), team-based learning (TBL), case-based learning (CBL), and bridge-in, objective, pre-assessment, participatory learning, post-assessment, and summary (BOPPPS).

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and some key medical education journals up to November 31, 2023.

A compact microfluidic platform for rapid multiplex detection of respiratory viruses via centrifugal polar-absorbance spectroscopy.

Nucleic acid detection technology has become a crucial tool in cutting-edge research within the life sciences and clinical diagnosis domains. Its significance is particularly highlighted during the respiratory virus pandemic, where nucleic acid testing plays a pivotal role in accurately detecting the virus. Isothermal amplification technologies have been developed and offer advantages such as rapidity, mild reaction conditions and excellent stability.

Machine Learning Assisted MALDI Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Antimicrobial Resistance Prediction in Clinicals.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) plays a critical role in assessing the resistance of individual microbial isolates and determining appropriate antimicrobial therapeutics in a timely manner. However, conventional AST normally takes up to 72 h for obtaining the results. In healthcare facilities, the global distribution of vancomycin-resistant (VRE) infections underscores the importance of rapidly determining VRE isolates.

Weakly ionized gold nanoparticles amplify immunoassays for ultrasensitive point-of-care sensors.

Gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassays (AuNP LFIAs) are widely used point-of-care (POC) sensors for in vitro diagnostics. However, the sensitivity limitation of conventional AuNP LFIAs impedes the detection of trace biomarkers. Several studies have explored the size and shape factors of AuNPs and derivative nanohybrids, showing limited improvements or enhanced sensitivity at the cost of convenience and affordability.

Optoelectronically navigated nano-kirigami microrotors.

With the rapid development of micro/nanofabrication technologies, the concept of transformable kirigami has been applied for device fabrication in the microscopic world. However, most nano-kirigami structures and devices were typically fabricated or transformed at fixed positions and restricted to limited mechanical motion along a single axis due to their small sizes, which significantly limits their functionalities and applications. Here, we demonstrate the precise shaping and position control of nano-kirigami microrotors.

Structural basis for the immune recognition and selectivity of the immune receptor PVRIG for ligand Nectin-2.

Nectin and nectin-like (Necl) co-receptor axis, comprised of receptors DNAM-1, TIGIT, CD96, PVRIG, and nectin/Necl ligands, is gaining prominence in immuno-oncology. Within this axis, the inhibitory receptor PVRIG recognizes Nectin-2 with high affinity, but the underlying molecular basis remains unknown. By determining the crystal structure of PVRIG in complex with Nectin-2, we identified a unique CC' loop in PVRIG, which complements the double-lock-and-key binding mode and contributes to its high affinity for Nectin-2.

Rapid and multi-target genotyping of Helicobacter pylori with digital microfluidics.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection correlates closely with gastric diseases such as gastritis, ulcers, and cancer, influencing more than half of the world's population. Establishing a rapid, precise, and automated platform for H.

Experimental study on evaluation of density, P-wave velocity, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusion coefficient of granite after thermal treatments by using PCA.

Temperature significantly influences the physical parameters of granite, resulting in variations in the rock's thermal conductivity. In order to examine the impact of changes in multiple physical parameters of granite at different temperatures on the thermal conductivity of rocks, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to determine the correlation between granite at different temperatures and various physical parameters, including density (ρ), P-wave velocity (P), thermal conductivity (K), and thermal diffusion coefficient (K). Utilizing the linear contribution rate, a single indicator 'y' was derived to comprehensively represent the thermal conductivity of rocks.

Transcriptomic data of BT549 triple negative breast cancer cells treated with 20 µM NU7441, a DNA-dependent kinase inhibitor.

DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK) is a multifunctional serine‑threonine protein kinase that plays roles in non-homologous end joining of DNA repair in cells. NU7441 is a specific DNA-PKcs inhibitor. We investigated the effects of NU7441 on the transcriptome of BT549 triple negative breast cancer cells.

Effects of six teaching strategies on medical students: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Mounting evidence has suggested that novel teaching strategies have a positive impact on the quality and efficiency of medical education. However, the comprehensive evidence about the superiority among various strategies is not clear. To address this issue, we aim to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the effects of six main strategies on medical education, including case-based learning, problem-based learning, team-based learning, flipped classrooms, simulation-based education and bridge-in, objective, preassessment, participatory learning, postassessment and summary.

Ultrahigh Proton Conductivities of Postmodified Hf(IV) Metal-Organic Frameworks and Related Chitosan-Based Composite Membranes.

Recently, researchers have focused on preparing and studying proton exchange membranes. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are candidates for composite membrane fillers due to their high crystallinity and structural characteristics, and Hf-based MOFs have attracted our attention with their high porosity and high stability. Therefore, in this study, Hf-based MOFs were doped into a cost-effective chitosan matrix as fillers to fabricate composite films having excellent proton conductivity (σ).

Comparative Study on Proton Conductivity and Mechanism Analysis of Two Imidazole Modified Imine-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks.

This work elucidates the potential impact of intramolecular H-bonds within the pore walls of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) on proton conductivity. Employing DaTta and TaTta as representative hosts, it was observed that their innate proton conductivities (σ) are both unsatisfactory and σ(DaTta)<σ(TaTta). Intriguingly, the performance of both imidazole-loaded products, Im@DaTta and Im@TaTta is greatly improved, and the σ of Im@DaTta (0.

Design, Preparation, and High Intrinsic Proton Conductivity of Two Highly Stable Hydrazone-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Assembling crystalline materials with high stability and high proton conductivity as a potential alternative to the Nafion membrane is a challenging topic in the field of energy materials. Herein, we concentrated on the creation and preparation of hydrazone-linked COFs with super-high stability to explore their proton conduction. Fortunately, two hydrazone-linked COFs, and , were solvothermally prepared by using benzene-1,3,5-tricarbohydrazide (Bth), 2,4,6-trihydroxy-benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde (Tp), and 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (Ta) as monomers.

A Versatile Continuum Gripping Robot with a Concealable Gripper.

Continuum robots with their inherent compliance provide the potential for crossing narrow unstructured workspace and safely grasping various objects. However, the display gripper increases the size of the robots, and therefore, it tends to get stuck in constrained environments. This paper proposes a versatile continuum grasping robot (CGR) with a concealable gripper.

All-in-One digital microfluidics pipeline for proteomic sample preparation and analysis.

Highly sensitive and reproducible analysis of samples containing low amounts of protein is restricted by sample loss and the introduction of contaminants during processing. Here, we report an All-in-One digital microfluidic (DMF) pipeline for proteomic sample reduction, alkylation, digestion, isotopic labeling and analysis. The system features end-to-end automation, with integrated thermal control for digestion, optimized droplet additives for sample manipulation and analysis, and an automated interface to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).