Development of a cost-effective confocal Raman microscopy with high sensitivity.

Confocal Raman microscopy is a powerful technique for identifying materials and molecular species; however, the signal from Raman scattering is extremely weak. Typically, handheld Raman instruments are cost-effective but less sensitive, while high-end scientific-grade Raman instruments are highly sensitive but extremely expensive. This limits the widespread use of Raman technique in our daily life.

Pushing the Limits of Capacitively Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detection for Capillary Electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-CD) has proven to be an efficient technique for the separation and detection of charged inorganic, organic, and biochemical analytes. It offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, nanoliter injection volume, short analysis time, good separation efficiency, suitability for miniaturization, and portability. However, the routine determination of common inorganic cations (NH, K, Na, Ca, Mg, and Li) and inorganic anions (F, Cl, Br, NO, NO, PO, and SO) in water quality monitoring typically exhibits limits of detection of about 0.

Correction: A compact and high-performance setup of capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-CD).

Correction for 'A compact and high-performance setup of capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-CD)' by Lin Li , , 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4an00354c.

A compact and high-performance setup of capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-CD).

Capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-CD) has the advantages of high throughput (simultaneous detection of multiple ions), high separation efficiency (higher than 10 theoretical plates) and rapid analysis capability (less than 5 min for common inorganic ions). A compact CE-CD system is ideal for water quality control and on-site analysis. It is suitable not only for common cations ( Na, K, Li, NH, Ca, .

Anticipation and Verification of Dendrobium-Derived Nanovesicles for Skin Wound Healing Targets, Predicated Upon Immune Infiltration and Senescence.

Background: , with profound botanical importance, reveals a rich composition of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and diverse amino acids, holding promise for skin regeneration. However, the precise mechanism remains elusive. Seeking a potent natural remedy for wound healing, exocyst vesicles were successfully isolated from .

Calibration of the oscillation amplitude of quartz tuning fork-based force sensors with astigmatic displacement microscopy.

Quartz tuning forks and qPlus-based force sensors offer an alternative approach to silicon cantilevers for investigating tip-sample interactions in scanning probe microscopy. The high-quality factor (Q) and stiffness of these sensors prevent the tip from jumping to the contact, even at sub-nanometer amplitude. The qPlus configuration enables simultaneous scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy, achieving spatial resolution and spectroscopy at the subatomic level.

Flexible optical limiters based on CuVSe nanocrystals.

Optical limiters are greatly needed to protect eyes and sensitive optoelectronic devices such as photodetectors and sensors from laser damage, but they are currently plagued by low efficiency. In this work, we utilized CuVSe nanocrystals (NCs) to enhance laser protection performance, and they exhibit higher saturation intensity and broader nonlinear spectral response extending into the near IR region than the C60 benchmark. A flexible optical limiter goggle prototype based on the NCs significantly attenuated the incident laser beam, with scan and scan measurements demonstrating a giant nonlinear absorption coefficient value of 1.

Development of alternative herbals remedy for gastric cancer based on transcriptomic analysis of immune infiltration and ferroptosis.

Screening out potential herbal medicines and herbal ingredients for the treatment of gastric cancer based on transcriptomic analysis of immune infiltration and ferroptosis. Gene expression profiles of gastric tumour tissues and normal tissue samples were obtained from the GEO database and the samples were analysed for immune cell infiltration condition and differential expressed genes of ferroptosis. Key genes were screened by protein-protein interaction (PPI) and enrichment analysis, and molecular docking was used to predict and preliminary validate potential herbal and traditional Chinese medicine components for gastric cancer based on the key genes.

Prediction of herbal medicines based on immune cell infiltration and immune- and ferroptosis-related gene expression levels to treat valvular atrial fibrillation.

Inflammatory immune response is apparently one of the determinants of progressive exacerbation of valvular atrial fibrillation(VAF). Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent modality of regulated cell death, is involved in the immune regulation of cardiovascular disease. However, the relevant regulatory mechanisms of immune infiltration and ferroptosis in VAF have been less studied.

Transcriptomic Analysis Uncovers Immunogenic Characteristics of Ferroptosis for Myocardial Infarction and Potential Therapeutic Prediction of Chinese Herbs.

Background: Inflammation and immune response play a key role in myocardial injury and repair after myocardial infarction (MI), while the relevant regulatory mechanisms of immune infiltration in MI have been fully explored. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by an excessive accumulation of iron and lipid peroxides and involves in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. In the present study, by integrating intelligent data acquisition, data mining, network pharmacology, and computer-assisted target fishing, we developed a highly efficient system for screening immunity- and ferroptosis-related biomarkers and immunomodulatory ability of herbal ingredients.

After enjoying curry: urine metabolism analysis of curcuminoids by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced native fluorescence detection.

Considering pH-dependent fluorescence of curcuminoids, a microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic (MEEKC) method was developed under acidic conditions for their separation and detection using laser-induced native fluorescence (LINF), so as to solve the analysis of urine metabolism for curcuminoids. The microemulsion composition was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), and the effects of buffer pH and organic modifiers were systematically investigated. The optimal buffer for the separation of curcuminoids was chosen as follows: 2.

Atomic Force Microscopy Based Top-Illumination Electrochemical Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Electrochemical tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-TERS) is a powerful technique for the in situ study of the physiochemical properties of the electrochemical solid/liquid interface at the nanoscale and molecular level. To further broaden the potential window of EC-TERS while extending its application to opaque samples, here, we develop a top-illumination atomic force microscopy (AFM) based EC-TERStechnique by using a water-immersion objective of a high numerical aperture to introduce the excitation laser and collect the signal. This technique not only extends the application of EC-TERS but also has a high detection sensitivity and experimental efficiency.

Berberine Attenuates Arterial Plaque Formation in Atherosclerotic Rats with Damp-Heat Syndrome via Regulating Autophagy.

Purpose: Berberine (BBR) is an effective component of Huanglian and has shown to attenuate atherosclerosis (AS); however, the detailed mechanism of BBR-mediated protective actions against AS remains elusive. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of BBR on aortic atherosclerotic plaque stability and the expression of autophagy-related proteins in AS rats with damp-heat syndrome or yang deficiency.

Methods: Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into (1) control (CON); (2) damp-heat syndrome atherosclerosis (AS + DH); (3) yang deficiency syndrome atherosclerosis (AS + YX); (4) damp-heat syndrome atherosclerosis + BBR (AS + DH + BBR); (5) yang deficiency syndrome, atherosclerosis + BBR (AS + YX + BBR); and (6) damp-heat syndrome, atherosclerosis + BBR + 3-methyladenine (AS + DH + BBR + 3-MA) (n = 5/group) groups.

Semen Brassicae reduces thoracic aortic remodeling, inflammation, and oxidative damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the role of Semen Brassicae, a common Traditional Chinese Medicine, in the treatment of hypertension.

Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were divided into five groups and were gavaged with either distilled water, water-decocted solution from Semen Brassicae (0.5, 1 or 2 g/kg), or nifedipine (2.

-Sitosterol Protects against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Targeting PPAR/NF-B Signalling.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a clinically severe complication, which can cause high rates of disability and mortality particularly in patients with myocardial infarction, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the protective effects of -sitosterol against myocardial I/R injury and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment suppressed cell viability, induced cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production, increased caspase-3 and -9 activities, upregulated caspase-3 and -9 protein expressions, downregulated the Bcl-2 protein expression, and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential.

Hydrogen Sulfide Protects Against High Glucose-Induced Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell Injury Through Activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS Pathway.

Purpose: Dysfunction of endothelial cells plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic atherosclerosis. High glucose (HG) has been found as a key factor in the progression of diabetic complications, including atherosclerosis. PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway has been shown to involve in HG-induced vascular injuries.

Myocardial hypertrophy is improved with berberine treatment via long non-coding RNA MIAT-mediated autophagy.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate berberine (BBR) effects on myocardial hypertrophy (MH) and associated mechanisms.

Methods: BBR effects on MH were evaluated in rats with constriction of abdominal aorta (CAA). qRT-PCR assay was used to measure MH-related genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and autophagy-related genes expressions.

YBX-1 mediated sorting of miR-133 into hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced EPC-derived exosomes to increase fibroblast angiogenesis and MEndoT.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a common pathophysiological change in cardiovascular disease, which can cause cardiac dysfunction and even sudden death. Excessively activated fibroblasts proliferate and secret excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) components, resulting in normal cardiac structural damage and cardiac fibrosis. We previously found that human endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-derived exosomes, after hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induction, could significantly increase the mesenchymal-endothelial transition (MEndoT) compared to normal culture EPC-derived exosomes.

Electrochemical Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with Improved Sensitivity Enabled by a Water Immersion Objective.

Electrochemical tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-TERS) appears as a promising in situ nanospectroscopic tool for characterization and understanding of the electrochemical interfacial processes at the nanometer scale and molecular level. However, the wide application of EC-TERS is hampered by its low sensitivity as a result of the optical path distortion due to the refractive index mismatch of the multilayer media (air, glass, and electrolyte). Here, we propose a new side-illumination EC-TERS setup by coupling a water immersion objective with a high numerical aperture to a scanning tunneling microscope scanning head customized with a large open space and a compact spectroelectrochemical cell.

Efficacy and safety of Shen-Song-Yang-Xin capsule for treating arrhythmia in the elderly patients with coronary heart disease: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Shen-Song-Yang-Xin capsule (SSYXC) has received extensive attention as an alternative therapy in improving myocardial ischemia and hypoxia effectively. In addition, there has been no systematic review or meta-analysis of SSYXC in the treatment of the elderly patients with cardiac arrhythmias in coronary heart disease (CHD).

Internal mammary artery injury during percutaneous coronary intervention: a case report.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD). However, complications of PCI are inevitable. Internal mammary artery (IMA) injury is an infrequent but potentially lethal complication of PCI.

A sensitive, low noise, DC to 12 MHz, large area photodiode preamplifier for photothermal heterodyne imaging.

We report a compact, fast, and low-noise large area photodiode preamplifier designed for photothermal heterodyne imaging (PHI). The preamplifier exhibits a noise level of 7 nV/Hz and a bandwidth from DC to 12 MHz sufficient for PHI experiments. Simulations of the preamplifier bandwidth and noise agree with the observed experimental characterization and performance in our home-built PHI system.

Rational fabrication of silver-coated AFM TERS tips with a high enhancement and long lifetime.

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), known as nanospectroscopy, has received increasing interest as it can provide nanometer spatial resolution and chemical fingerprint information of samples simultaneously. Since Ag tips are well accepted to show a higher TERS enhancement than that of gold tips, there is an urgent quest for Ag TERS tips with a high enhancement, long lifetime, and high reproducibility, especially for atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based TERS. Herein, we developed an electrodeposition method to fabricate Ag-coated AFM TERS tips in a highly controllable and reproducible way.

Elucidating Protein/Ligand Recognition with Combined Surface Plasmon Resonance and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

The ability to distinguish between specific and nonspecific binding is important for assessing the interactions between protein receptors and ligands. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy is an advanced tool to measure binding events, yet the ability to distinguish between specific and nonspecific binding remains a limitation. To address this problem, we use SPR spectroscopy correlated with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).