Flexible Humidity Sensor Based on a Graphene Oxide-Carbon Nanotube-Modified CoO Nanoparticle-Embedded Laser-Induced Graphene Electrode.

To meet evolving humidity monitoring needs, the development of flexible, high-performance humidity sensors is crucial. This study introduces an innovative flexible humidity sensor using a single-step laser scribing technique to fabricate a flexible in situ CoO nanoparticle-embedded laser-induced graphene (CoO-LIG) composite electrode. Compared to conventional LIG electrodes, the CoO-LIG electrode exhibits improved conductivity and hydrophilicity, enhancing charge transfer and water molecule affinity.

Analysis of factors associated with family disease burden and correlation with social support among family caregivers of patients with severe mental illnesses.

Background: Caregivers are responsible for the home care of family members with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) and their lives are often subject to changes that can create stress and burden. The purpose of this study was to explore the current state of family disease burden and its correlation with social support among family caregivers of SMIs patients.

Methods: Using a random sampling method, a total of 1,108 family caregivers of SMIs patients in community health service centers were selected.

Heart rate and autonomic biomarkers distinguish convulsive epileptic vs. functional or dissociative seizures.

Objective: 20-40% of individuals whose seizures are not controlled by anti-seizure medications exhibit manifestations comparable to epileptic seizures (ES), but there are no EEG correlates. These events are called functional or dissociative seizures (FDS). Due to limited access to EEG-monitoring and inconclusive results, we aimed to develop an alternative diagnostic tool that distinguishes ES vs.

Monitoring Pulse Rate in the Background Using Front Facing Cameras of Mobile Devices.

We propose a novel framework to passively monitor pulse rate during the time spent by users on their personal mobile devices. Our framework is based on passively capturing the user's pulse signal using the front-facing camera. Signal capture is performed in the background, while the user is interacting with the device as he/she normally would, e.

Markers of ventricular repolarization and overall mortality in sleep disordered breathing.

Introduction: Variability and prolongation of ventricular repolarization - measured by changes in QT interval and QT variability are independently associated with ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, and mortality but such studies did not examine the role of sleep-disordered breathing. We aimed to determine whether sleep-disordered breathing moderated the association between measures of ventricular repolarization and overall mortality.

Methods: Eight hundred participants were randomly selected from each of the following four groups in the Sleep Heart Health Study: mild, moderate, severe or no sleep disordered breathing (n = 200 each).

Sex hormones and repolarization dynamics during the menstrual cycle in women with congenital long QT syndrome.

Background: Women with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) experience increased cardiac event risk after the onset of adolescence, perhaps stemming from the known modulating effects of sex hormones on the cardiac potassium channels.

Objective: We hypothesized that the effect of sex hormones on cardiac ion channel function may modify electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters associated with the propensity for ventricular tachyarrhythmias during the menstrual cycle in women with LQTS.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 women with congenital LQTS (type 1 LQTS [LQT1], n = 24 [36.

An electrochemical immunosensor coupling a bamboo-like carbon nanostructure substrate with toluidine blue-functionalized Cu(ii)-MOFs as signal probes for a C-reactive protein assay.

In this paper, a novel sandwich immunosensor based on a toluidine blue (Tb) loaded metal organic framework (Cu(ii)-HKUST-1/Tb) as the signal element and a nitrogen-doped 3D carbon nanostructure as the electrode substrate was constructed for the detection of C-reactive protein (CRP). Tb as an electrochemically active agent usually forms a polymer by aggregation in the solvent, causing a poor electrochemical response. Therefore, in order to overcome this obstacle, Cu(ii)-HKUST-1 with a porous nanostructure and large specific surface area as a carrier could adsorb a large number of Tb molecules on its surface to improve its electrochemical performance.

Development of Ochratoxin A Aptasensor Based on Au Nanoparticles@g-C₃N₄.

Ochratoxin is teratogenic, carcinogenic and immunotoxic to humans. It contains ochratoxin in many foods, so the detection of ochratoxin in food is particularly important. In this paper, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs)@g-C₃N₄ composite was synthesized by loading Au NPs on carbon nitride material, and it was immobilized on the surface of glassy carbon electrode by chitosan (Chit) as the substrate of electrochemical aptasensors.

T-wave and its association with myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance examination.

Background: Risk stratification in non-ischemic myocardial disease poses a challenge. While cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a comprehensive tool, the electrocardiogram (ECG) provides quick impactful clinical information. Studying the relationships between CMR and ECG can provide much-needed risk stratification.

Autonomic and Cardiac Repolarization Lability in Long QT Syndrome Patients.

Objective: Long QT-Syndrome (LQTS) patients are at risk of arrhythmias and seizures. We investigated whether autonomic and cardiac repolarization measures differed based on LQTS genotypes, and in LQTS patients with vs. without arrhythmias and seizures.

The Genome of (Brassicaceae) Provides Insights Into the Adaptation to Highly Calcareous Soils.

is widely distributed in temperate Eurasia, but restricted to Ca-rich habitats, predominantly on white Jurassic limestone, which is made up by calcium carbonate, with little other minerals. Thus, naturally occurring individuals are confronted with a high concentration of Ca ions while Mg ion concentration is relatively low. As there is a competitive uptake between these two ions, adaptation to the soil condition can be expected.

The Genome of Reveals High Heterozygosity, a Low Number of Canonical Effectors, and TC-Rich Promoters.

Along with , has arguably been the economically most important newly emerging downy mildew pathogen of the past two decades. Originating from Africa, it has started devastating basil production throughout the world, most likely due to the distribution of infested seed material. Here, we present the genome of this pathogen and results from comparisons of its genomic features to other oomycetes.

Low lead one ratio predicts clinical outcomes in left bundle branch block.

Introduction: We evaluated the association between a novel electrocardiographic (ECG) marker of late, rightward electrocardiographic forces (termed the lead one ratio [LOR]), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), myocardial scar, and clinical outcomes in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Methods And Results: LOR was calculated in patients with LBBB from a derivation cohort (n = 240) and receiver operator characteristic curves identified optimal threshold values for predicting myocardial scar and LVEF less than 35%. An independent validation cohort of patients with LBBB (n = 196) was used to test the association of LOR with the myocardial scar, LVEF, and the likelihood of death, heart transplant or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

The ability of the electrocardiogram in left bundle branch block to detect myocardial scar determined by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Aims: We aimed to improve the electrocardiographic 2009 left bundle branch block (LBBB) Selvester QRS score (2009 LBSS) for scar assessment.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 325 LBBB patients with available ECG and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement from four centers (142 [44%] with CMR scar). Forty-four semi-automatically measured ECG variables pre-selected based on the 2009 LBSS yielded one multivariable model for scar detection and another for scar quantification.

Baseline adverse electrical remodeling and the risk for ventricular arrhythmia in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients (MADIT CRT).

Introduction: Adverse electrical remodeling (AER), represented here as the sum absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST), has previously been shown to be directly associated with the risk for ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is known to reduce the risk for VA through various mechanisms, including reverse remodeling, and we aimed to evaluate the association between baseline AER and the risk for VA in CRT recipients.

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 961 CRT-D implanted patients from the MADIT CRT study.

Population-based beat-to-beat QT analysis from Holter recordings in the long QT syndrome.

The increasing dissemination of wearable ECG recorders (e.g. Holter, patches, and strap sensors) enables the acquisition of large amounts of data during long periods of time.

Increasing the yield of middle silk gland expression system through transgenic knock-down of endogenous sericin-1.

Various genetically modified bioreactor systems have been developed to meet the increasing demands of recombinant proteins. Silk gland of Bombyx mori holds great potential to be a cost-effective bioreactor for commercial-scale production of recombinant proteins. However, the actual yields of proteins obtained from the current silk gland expression systems are too low for the proteins to be dissolved and purified in a large scale.

An integrated CRISPR Bombyx mori genome editing system with improved efficiency and expanded target sites.

Genome editing enabled unprecedented new opportunities for targeted genomic engineering of a wide variety of organisms ranging from microbes, plants, animals and even human embryos. The serial establishing and rapid applications of genome editing tools significantly accelerated Bombyx mori (B. mori) research during the past years.

Validation of an automatic diagnosis of strict left bundle branch block criteria using 12-lead electrocardiograms.

Aims: Strict left bundle branch block (LBBB) criteria were recently proposed to identify LBBB patients to benefit most from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of our study was to automate identification of strict LBBB in order to facilitate its broader application.

Methods: We developed a series of algorithms to automatically detect and measure parameters required for strict LBBB criteria and proposed a definition of QRS notch detection.

The local environment determines the assembly of root endophytic fungi at a continental scale.

Root endophytic fungi are found in a great variety of plants and ecosystems, but the ecological drivers of their biogeographic distribution are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the occurrence of root endophytes in the non-mycorrhizal plant genus Microthlaspi, and the effect of environmental factors and geographic distance in structuring their communities at a continental scale. We sampled 52 plant populations across the northern Mediterranean and central Europe and used a cultivation approach to study their endophytic communities.

Genome analyses of the sunflower pathogen Plasmopara halstedii provide insights into effector evolution in downy mildews and Phytophthora.

Background: Downy mildews are the most speciose group of oomycetes and affect crops of great economic importance. So far, there is only a single deeply-sequenced downy mildew genome available, from Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Further genomic resources for downy mildews are required to study their evolution, including pathogenicity effector proteins, such as RxLR effectors.

Comparative Genomics Including the Early-Diverging Smut Fungus Ceraceosorus bombacis Reveals Signatures of Parallel Evolution within Plant and Animal Pathogens of Fungi and Oomycetes.

Ceraceosorus bombacis is an early-diverging lineage of smut fungi and a pathogen of cotton trees (Bombax ceiba). To study the evolutionary genomics of smut fungi in comparison with other fungal and oomycete pathogens, the genome of C. bombacis was sequenced and comparative genomic analyses were performed.

Selvester scoring in patients with strict LBBB using the QUARESS software.

Background: Estimation of the infarct size from body-surface ECGs in post-myocardial infarction patients has become possible using the Selvester scoring method. Automation of this scoring has been proposed in order to speed-up the measurement of the score and improving the inter-observer variability in computing a score that requires strong expertise in electrocardiography. In this work, we evaluated the quality of the QuAReSS software for delivering correct Selvester scoring in a set of standard 12-lead ECGs.

The genome of the basal agaricomycete Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous provides insights into the organization of its acetyl-CoA derived pathways and the evolution of Agaricomycotina.

Background: Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is a basal agaricomycete with uncertain taxonomic placement, known for its unique ability to produce astaxanthin, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties. It was the aim of this study to elucidate the organization of its CoA-derived pathways and to use the genomic information of X. dendrorhous for a phylogenomic investigation of the Basidiomycota.

Automatic QRS Selvester scoring system in patients with left bundle branch block.

Aims: The Selvester QRS scoring system uses quantitative criteria from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to estimate the myocardial scar size of patients, including those with left bundle branch block (LBBB). Automation of the scoring system could facilitate the clinical use of this technique which requires a set of multiple QRS patterns to be identified and measured.

Methods And Results: We developed a series of algorithms to automatically detect and measure the QRS parameters required for Selvester scoring.