A lateral flow assay for miRNA-21 based on CRISPR/Cas13a and MnO nanosheets-mediated recognition and signal amplification.

The point-of-care testing (POCT) of miRNA has significant application in medical diagnosis, yet presents challenges due to their characteristics of high homology, low abundance, and short length, which hinders the achievement of quick detection with high specificity and sensitivity. In this study, a lateral flow assay based on the CRISPR/Cas13a system and MnO nanozyme was developed for highly sensitive detection of microRNA-21 (miR-21). The CRISPR/Cas13a cleavage system exhibits the ability to recognize the specific oligonucleotide sequence, where two-base mismatches significantly impact the cleavage activity of the Cas13a.

A lateral flow strip for on-site detection of homocysteine based on a truncated aptamer.

An elevated level of homocysteine (Hcy) in serum is closely related to the development of various diseases. Therefore, homocysteine has been widely employed as a biomarker in medical diagnosis and the on-site detection of homocysteine is highly desired. In this study, a truncated highly specific aptamer for homocysteine was screened and used to design a lateral flow strip (LFS) for the detection of homocysteine.

Laser acupuncture and photobiomodulation therapy in Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks: a randomized controlled trial.

To investigate the efficacy of laser acupuncture and photobiomodulation therapy in alleviating symptoms among patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy with duration of greater than 8 weeks. The randomized controlled trial has been performed from May 2021 to April 2023. Patients were eligible who had Bell's palsy with duration of greater than 8 weeks on out-patient Department of Otorhinolaryngology in Beijing Tongren Hospital.

Meniere Disease treated with transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation combined with betahistine Mesylate: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Meniere Disease is a clinical condition defined by hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness symptoms, there are currently no any medications approved for its treatment.

Objective: To determine whether taVNS as an adjunctive therapy could relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life in patients with Meniere disease.

Methods: In this Single-center, single blind, randomized trial, participants were assigned to transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) group and sham taVNS group.

Cavernous Sinus MRI Findings in Inflammatory and Ischemic Oculomotor Cranial Nerve Palsies.

Background: The significance of asymmetric enhancement on cavernous sinus MRIs in the differential diagnosis of ischemic and inflammatory oculomotor cranial nerve (OCN) palsies remains controversial. This study explored the cavernous sinus MRI findings for cavernous sinus idiopathic inflammation (inflammation group), microvascular ischemic OCN palsy (ischemic group), and ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG group) patients.

Methods: A total of 66, 117, and 60 patients were included in the inflammation, ischemic, and OMG groups, respectively.

A Nonrandomized Trial of the Effects of Near-Infrared Photobiomodulation Therapy on Bell's Palsy with a Duration of Greater Than 8 Weeks.

To determine whether photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) by class IV Multiwave Locked System laser treatment as an adjunctive therapy could relieve symptoms in patients with Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks. This nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2020 to December 2022. Patients were eligible if they had Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks at the out-patient department of otorhinolaryngology in Beijing Tongren Hospital.

Pendular Seesaw Nystagmus: Disappearance With Monocular Occlusion.

We report a case of pendular seesaw nystagmus caused by bitemporal hemianopia; the nystagmus disappeared while in darkness as previously described, but it also disappeared with monocular occlusion, which indicates the pivotal role of binocular vision in the pathogenesis.

Coexistence of Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A and nondystrophic myotonia due to PMP22 duplication and SCN4A pathogenic variants: a case report.

Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a genetically heterogeneous hereditary neuropathy, and CMT1A is the most common form; it is caused by a duplication of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene. Mutations in the transient sodium channel Nav1.4 alpha subunit (SCN4A) gene underlie a diverse group of dominantly inherited nondystrophic myotonias that run the spectrum from subclinical myopathy to severe muscle stiffness, disabling weakness, or frank episodes of paralysis.

Plasmonic ELISA based on DNA-directed gold nanoparticle growth for Cronobacter detection in powdered infant formula samples.

The traditional gold nanoparticle (AuNP) growth-based plasmonic ELISA (pELISA) strictly and directly controlled by reducing reagents can achieve high sensitivity, but it remains fragile toward the surrounding environment. This work developed a sandwich pELISA for Cronobacter detection in powdered infant formula samples by mediating AuNP growth through DNA. In this assay, DNA adsorbed on the surface of gold nanoseeds guided the anisotropic crystal growth with hydroxylamine as a reducing reagent, and the catalase-hydrogen peroxide (Cat-HO) system was introduced to bridge the DNA-directed AuNP growth and pELISA, as such DNA can be cleaved into fragments by the hydroxyl radical generated from oxidation of HO through Fenton reagents.

Integrated magneto-fluorescence nanobeads for ultrasensitive glycoprotein detection using antibody coupled boronate-affinity recognition.

Herein, we report a novel magnet-mediated antibody-boronate sandwich-typed assay (ABSTA) strategy for the ultrasensitive, specific, rapid, and enzyme-free detection of glycoproteins in complex samples. The proposed ABSTA method exhibited ultrahigh sensitivity for HCG with a detection limit of 0.19 mIU mL-1, which is approximately 40-fold lower than that of conventional sandwich enzyme immunoassay.

Bifunctional S, N-Codoped carbon dots-based novel electrochemiluminescent bioassay for ultrasensitive detection of atrazine using activated mesoporous biocarbon as enzyme nanocarriers.

A novel and ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescent (ECL) bioassay has been developed for the detection of atrazine (ATZ), whereby bifunctional S, N-codoped carbon dots (S, N-CDs) and activated mesoporous bicarbons (BCs) have been innovatively integrated to synergistically amplify the ECL signal. When endogenous dissolved O is used as a coreactant, its sluggish reduction hinders the enhancement of ECL intensity of the luminophore, thus restricting its further application in bioanalysis. Here, bifunctional S, N-CDs severe as not only the ECL luminophore but the coreaction accelerator of dissolved O to generate more intermediates to boost the coreaction without using any other coreactant and coreaction accelerator.

Fluorescence immunoassay through histone-ds-poly(AT)-templated copper nanoparticles as signal transductors for the sensitive detection of Salmonella choleraesuis in milk.

The rapid and sensitive detection of foodborne pathogens is one of the most important issues in food safety control. In this work, we developed a novel fluorescence immunoassay method for the sensitive detection of Salmonella choleraesuis. The method uses the fluorescent signals of histone-ds-poly(AT)-templated copper nanoparticles (His-pAT CuNP) as signal transducers and glucose oxidase as an alternative for horseradish peroxidase for the generation of hydrogen peroxide (HO) through the catalysis of glucose.

Urease-induced metallization of gold nanorods for the sensitive detection of Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis through colorimetric ELISA.

We applied urease-induced silver metallization on the surface of gold nanorods (AuNR) to improve colorimetric ELISA for the rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis. To this end, we introduced a biotin-streptavidin system as a bridge to determine the correlation between urease and S. enterica Choleraesuis concentrations.

Fluorescence immunoassay based on the enzyme cleaving ss-DNA to regulate the synthesis of histone-ds-poly(AT) templated copper nanoparticles.

Herein, for the first time we report a novel competitive fluorescence immunoassay for the ultrasensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) using histone-ds-poly(AT) templated copper nanoparticles (His-pAT CuNPs) as the fluorescent indicator. In this immunoassay, glucose oxidase (Gox) was used as the carrier of the competing antigen to catalyze the formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from glucose. H2O2 was converted to a hydroxyl radical using Fenton's reagent, which further regulated the fluorescence signals of His-pAT CuNPs.

Fluorescence ELISA based on glucose oxidase-mediated fluorescence quenching of quantum dots for highly sensitive detection of Hepatitis B.

Herein, we present a novel sandwich fluorescence enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for highly sensitive detection of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) based on glucose oxidase (GOx)-induced fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-modified CdTe quantum dots (MPA-QDs). In this system, hydrogen peroxide (HO) sensitive MPA-QDs was used as a signal output, and glucose oxidase (GOx) was used as label which can generate HO via catalytic oxidation of glucose. The proposed method showed dynamic linear detection of HBsAg both in the range of 47pgmL ~ 380pgmL and 0.

Insight into the Earthquake Risk Information Seeking Behavior of the Victims: Evidence from Songyuan, China.

Efficient risk communication is a vital way to reduce the vulnerability of individuals when facing emergency risks, especially regarding earthquakes. Efficient risk communication aims at improving the supply of risk information and fulfilling the need for risk information by individuals. Therefore, an investigation into individual-level information seeking behavior within earthquake risk contexts is very important for improved earthquake risk communication.

Comparative research on NIMBY risk acceptability between Chinese and Japanese college students.

Along with the progressive acceleration of urbanization, the need to identify potentially troublesome "Not In My Back Yard" (NIMBY) facilities in the city is inevitable. To resolve NIMBY conflict, it is important to know people's NIMBY risk acceptability for these facilities. A questionnaire survey was used among Chinese and Japanese college students to identify NIMBY risk acceptability.

alpha-Zearalanol attenuates oxLDL-induced ET-1 gene expression, ET-1 secretion and redox-sensitive intracellular signaling activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

alpha-Zearalanol (alpha-ZAL), a phytochemical with both antioxidant and estrogen-like properties, has been shown to retard progression of atherosclerosis and regulate cardiovascular function in part through suppression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion. However, the precise nature behind alpha-ZAL-elicited inhibition on ET-1 cascade is not largely known. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) plays a critical role in the expression and secretion of ET-1 as well as the onset and progression of atherosclerosis through accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase stress signaling cascade.

Reactive oxygen species mediate oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced endothelin-1 gene expression via extracellular signal-regulated kinase in vascular endothelial cells.

Background: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) promotes expression and secretion of endothelin-1 (ET-1), however, the precise mechanism involved is unclear. This study was designed to identify the regulatory mechanism of oxLDL-induced ET-1 expression in endothelial cells.

Methods: ET-1 mRNA expression, secretion and promoter activity were evaluated by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR), enzyme immunometric and luciferase assays, respectively.

RETRACTED: Phytoestrogen alpha-zearalanol inhibits homocysteine-induced endothelin-1 expression and oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).

Phytoestrogen alpha-zearalanol antagonizes oxidized LDL-induced inhibition of nitric oxide production and stimulation of endothelin-1 release in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) leads to formation of the atherogenic molecule oxidized LDL (oxLDL), which is considered to be an important mediator for vascular endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. It is speculated that reduced nitric oxide (NO) release/bioavailability and enhanced release of endothelin-1 (ET-1) may contribute to oxLDL-induced endothelial dysfunction. Estrogen may improve lipid profile and inhibit oxLDL-induced endothelial damage.

Phytoestrogen alpha-zearalanol inhibits atherogenesis and improves lipid profile in ovariectomized cholesterol-fed rabbits.

Although favorable effects of estrogen replacement therapy on atherosclerosis have been recognized, the benefit versus risk of estrogen replacement on overall cardio- vascular health remains controversial. The main adverse effect jeopardizing the clinical usage of estrogen is the increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer. Zearalenone (ZEN) is a universal endogenous hormone possessing estrogen-like effects and facilitating plant growth.