A simple suspension method has been widely used in Japan, however, chemical interactions among drugs in co-suspensions have not been fully clarified. Magnesium oxide (MgO), which is frequently prescribed as a laxative, can interact with various drugs. Eplerenone and spironolactone, potassium-sparing diuretics, are sometimes co-prescribed with MgO to older patients. In this study, we investigated the chemical stability of eplerenone and spironolactone in a co-suspension with MgO and characterized the structures of the degradation products that were formed under the conditions. An eplerenone or spironolactone tablet was soaked with or without an MgO tablet in warm water in a tube according to a standard simple suspension method. The contents in the tube were mixed by inversion after 10 min, 1 h or 5 h to prepare a simple suspension. In separate experiments, the suspension prepared after 10 min soaking was allowed to stand for 50 min or 4.8 h at room temperature. The suspensions were immediately analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The recovery rates of the diuretics from the suspensions were calculated relative to the labeled amounts. The degradation products were isolated and the structures analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis showed that the diuretics were stable in their simple suspensions without MgO under any of the conditions. When co-suspended with MgO, a slight degradation was observed for eplerenone after just 10 min soaking and the degradation was statistically significant after 5 h soaking, whereas spironolactone was stable even after 5 h soaking. On the other hand, when the co-suspensions with MgO were left alone after mixing, eplerenone significantly degraded in 50 min, and spironolactone slightly degraded in the same period. Based on the mass spectra from the degradation products, hydrolysis of the lactone ring was shown to have occurred in both diuretics co-suspended with MgO. For spironolactone, hydrolysis and elimination of the thioester were also shown to have occurred in the co-suspensions. Eplerenone is more unstable than spironolactone in the simple co-suspension with MgO. As such, the simple co-suspensions of eplerenone are preferably prepared immediately before administration.
Computed tomography is the gold standard for visually assessing gas trapping, a hallmark of early lung disease in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), but its use is limited in children. Lung proton magnetic resonance imaging (¹H-MRI) offers a simple, non-ionising alternative. This work aimed to use breath-hold 1H-MRI to visualise and quantify gas trapping in pwCF. 24 normal controls (9 adults, 15 children) and 27 pwCF underwent breath-hold 1H-MRI at residual volume (RV) and total lung capacity (TLC). For each participant, a threshold was defined from the TLC image and applied to the RV image to quantify low-signal areas, presumed to be gas trapping, as a gas trapping volume (GTV). An upper limit of normal (ULN) was defined based on the normal distribution of GTV, and GTV was compared to spirometry, body plethysmography, multiple breath washout and 129Xe Ventilation MRI. Gas trapping was visualised in pwCF as regions of low signal intensity on RV images. Healthy volunteers had a median GTV of 2.93% (0.32-14.37%). PwCF had a GTV of 21.80% (2.04-82.68%) and FEV1 z-scores of -1.14 (-5.43, 2.17), with 14 having normal FEV1. The ULN of GTV was 7.01%; 9/14 pwCF with normal spirometry exceeded this. In pwCF, GTV is strongly correlated with FEV1 z-scores, 129Xe-MRI ventilation defect percentage, and gas trapping measured by body plethysmography (RV/TLC%). Using a standard, easily implementable breath-hold 1H-MRI protocol, gas trapping in CF can be clearly visualised and quantified. Preliminary evidence shows lung function impairment in pwCF who have normal FEV1.
Currently, no unified standardized protocols exist for myocardial longitudinal strain measurement in functional single ventricle (FSV) patients, causing inconsistent methodologies in clinical practice and related studies. Some studies use only the apical four-chamber view, while others employ three apical views. This study aimed to determine whether longitudinal strain (LS-4CH) measured from the apical four-chamber view can serve as an effective substitute for the average global longitudinal strain (GLS-AV) derived from multiple apical views in different subtypes of FSV patients. This retrospective study enrolled 34 FSV patients. The consistency between LS-4CH and GLS-AV was assessed via Bland-Altman analysis, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and Passing-Bablok regression, with Two One-Sided Tests (TOST) for formal equivalence verification. Intra- and inter-observer ICC were used to evaluate the repeatability of the two methods. Spearman's correlation analyzed the associations of LS-4CH and GLS-AV with cardiac magnetic resonance-derived ejection fraction (CMR-EF). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the predictive value of each index for predicting CMR-EF < 50%; DeLong test, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used for predictive efficacy comparison and incremental value assessment. LS-4CH and GLS-AV exhibited good consistency (all ICC > 0.87, CCC > 0.83) and excellent intra- and inter-observer repeatability, with TOST confirming their statistical equivalence within a predefined margin of ± 3% (all P < 0.05). Both GLS-AV and LS-4CH showed significant negative correlations with CMR-EF in the overall cohort and both SLV/SRV subgroups (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that GLS-AV had significant predictive value for CMR-EF < 50% in the SLV group (AUC = 0.86, P = 0.02). When multi-view measurement of GLS-AV is impractical due to poor image quality, technical limitations, or urgent assessment needs, LS-4CH may serve as an effective alternative assessment indicator for patients with functional single ventricle. However, GLS-AV remains the preferred method when feasible, since LS-4CH cannot reflect regional dysfunction beyond the apical four-chamber view.
This study investigates how emotional intelligence mediates the link between future temporal orientation and depressive symptoms in university students and explores whether physical activity moderates this connection. Data were collected from 1,014 undergraduate students (490 males and 524 females) across three universities in Fujian Province, China, between 1 March and 5 July 2024. Participants were selected via random sampling and completed the Future Time Perspective Scale, Emotional Intelligence Scale, Physical Activity Rating Scale, and Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Statistical analyses included Pearson's correlation, linear regression, and moderated mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 7) using SPSS 22.0. (1) Future time perspective significantly and negatively predicted depression (β = -0.32, p < 0.001). (2) Emotional intelligence partially mediated the association between future time perspective and depression (indirect effect = -0.11, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.15, -0.08]). (3) Physical exercise moderated the first-stage path of the mediation model (FTP → EI). Simple slope analyses showed that the FTP-EI association was significant at both low (M - 1 SD) and high (M + 1 SD) levels of physical exercise, but was stronger at high physical exercise (simple slope: β = 0.41, p < 0.01) than at low physical exercise (simple slope: β = 0.25, p < 0.01). Future time perspective influences depression both directly and indirectly through emotional intelligence. Additionally, physical exercise enhances the predictive effect of future time perspective on emotional intelligence, suggesting that active individuals exhibit a stronger link between future-oriented thinking and emotion regulation.
Microbubbles are clinically approved as ultrasound contrast agents because they oscillate in response to ultrasound (cavitation) and are increasingly explored for therapeutic applications. Microbubble diameter governs dynamic behaviour under ultrasound; therefore, a narrow size distribution is essential for predictable performance and optimal responsiveness. However, producing phospholipid-coated microbubbles with narrow distributions using simple methods remains challenging. This study evaluated a bead-type tissue homogeniser as an alternative to probe sonication for generating DSPC-PEG40S (9:1), air-filled microbubbles, using design of experiments (DoE) to identify influential parameters. A three-level full-factorial design assessed effects on mean diameter, concentration, and polydispersity index (PDI). Optical microscopy with an ImageJ analysis pipeline quantified size and concentration, while passive cavitation detection characterised acoustic response. Liquid volume significantly affected mean diameter, concentration, and PDI, whereas homogenisation speed significantly influenced PDI only. Response optimisation identified 5 m·s⁻1, 45 s, and 500 µl as optimal speed, time, and volume settings. Compared with sonication, homogenisation generated less heat and achieved higher production rates. Resulting microbubbles were smaller, more uniform in size, and higher in concentration. At 37 °C, homogenised suspensions remained above 108 MB/ml at 6 h, indicating improved short-term stability. Acoustic emissions increased with pressure and were comparable between methods when normalised to gas volume. Overall, bead homogenisation offers a simple, less thermogenic, high-throughput method for reproducible phospholipid microbubble production.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with increasing cases worldwide. Early screening is important for AD prevention and treatment, but current methods still face many challenges. To address these challenges, we developed a simple and novel molecular beacon (MB) fluorescent biosensor. This sensor combines aptamers with exponential amplification reaction (EXPAR). Through special design of the EXPAR templates, the sensor achieves triple signal amplification. It showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 110 fM for Aβ42 and 300 fM for Aβ40, exhibits high sensitivity. The coefficient of variation (CV) for detecting different target concentrations ranged from 4.42% to 8.85%, showing good repeatability. We also applied this sensor to detect these biomarkers in plasma samples from AD patients. The spike recovery rates were 104.67%-109.3% for Aβ42 and 104.2%-106.93% for Aβ40, demonstrating strong resistance to plasma matrix interference. Due to the specificity of aptamers and nucleic acid design, this method allows simultaneous detection of multiple targets (e.g., Aβ42, Aβ40) in the same system, improving detection efficiency and reliability in complex samples. Compared with traditional Aβ detection methods such as ELISA and colorimetry, our method shows 10-104 times higher sensitivity. Compared with emerging techniques like electrochemical detection and single-molecule array, our sensor has the advantages of stronger resistance to plasma matrix interference, more stable results, lower cost and biotoxicity, simpler operation and better biocompatibility and potential of multiple-target detection. These features make it a promising tool for high-throughput early screening of AD, with potential to advance early diagnosis.
Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is increasingly prevalent among young people and impairs their quality of life. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), depressive symptoms, and suboptimal health status (SHS) are linked to health risks and chronic diseases, but their interrelationships with periodontitis in Chinese young adults remain unclear. This study aimed to explore associations among these factors. From December 2024 to May 2025, 2,888 participants (aged 18-35) from Tongji Hospital completed surveys on demographics, ACE, depressive symptoms, and SHS. Periodontitis was diagnosed according to the 2018 criteria. Simple, parallel, and chain mediation models were used, controlling for age, sex, marital status, and smoking. Periodontitis prevalence was 25.00% and higher in married individuals (P < 0.001) and smokers (P = 0.004). ACE correlated positively with depressive symptoms (r = 0.28, P < 0.001), SHS (r = 0.19, P < 0.001), and periodontitis (r = 0.16, P < 0.001). Mediation analyses showed: Simple model: Depressive symptoms and SHS partially mediated the effect of ACE on periodontitis (indirect effect = 0.011 for both). Parallel model: Only SHS significantly mediated the effect (indirect effect = 0.011). Chain model: ACE was related to periodontitis via "depressive symptoms → SHS" (indirect effect = 0.010), with significant direct and indirect effects. ACE associated with higher periodontitis risk in young people. This association included both a direct link between ACE and periodontitis, and an indirect link through the chain pathway of "depressive symptoms → SHS"; among these pathways, SHS was a key mediator. The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) with the registration number ChiCTR2500103464. Childhood trauma can exert long‐term impacts on health, including oral health. This study involving 2,888 Chinese young adults aged 18‐35 found that 25% of the participants had periodontitis. Those who experienced childhood abuse, neglect, or family issues showed a higher association with the disease. The research revealed two pathways linking early trauma to periodontitis: a direct association and an indirect chain of “depressive symptoms → suboptimal health status (e.g., persistent fatigue).” While depressive symptoms played a role, suboptimal health status was the critical mediator. Higher periodontitis rates in married individuals and smokers may relate to stress or lifestyle factors. The findings suggested that early identification of childhood trauma, combined with interventions targeting mental health or overall well‐being (e.g., counseling, health management), could be more effective than oral care alone in prevention. This underscored the association between early‐life experiences and long‐term health and the need for integrated interventions.
The classification of functional brain networks plays an important role in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, brain decoding and other fields. Functional brain networks can effectively reflect the functional connection relationships between brain regions or neurons and accurately represent brain activities. Therefore, a large number of problems related to the classification of functional brain networks have been studied. However, the traditional functional brain network merely measures the static correlation between brain regions or neurons in a simple way, and does not reflect the causal transmission effect between brain regions. This directionality is crucial for the regulatory relationship between brain regions. Furthermore, since the brain is constantly in a state of dynamic change, the dynamics of functional connectivity also plays a very important role in the classification of functional brain networks. Therefore, we propose a classification framework named Dynamic Directed Propagation Networks (DDPN) for functional brain networks considering the dynamic directed propagation mechanism. This method effectively captures the dynamics and directionality of the dynamic directed brain network and further improves the classification accuracy of the functional brain network. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct experiments on real datasets. The experiments show that the proposed method improved by 3.1-4.1% compared with state-of-the art methods in two datasets.
A new method combining liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME) with flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) is presented for the accurate determination of Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions. The extraction efficiency of five distinct natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) composed of sugar molecules (abbreviated as SDES) was evaluated. The SDESs tested consist of the components betaine, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, and L-proline. In order to facilitate the extraction of Ni (II) and Cu (II) ions into the SDES phase, these ions were complexed with cyclam (prepared at a concentration of 1.0 × 10- 3 mmol L- 1). Optimization of important parameters of the developed method was performed using statistical and mathematical optimization technique. This approach promises a more minimal method owing to Central Composite Design (CCD) used. In parallel, it contributes to the efficiency of the analytical parameters and the greenness of the procedure. The method based on ultrasound-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction using a natural deep eutectic solvent with a sugar component (UA-SDES-LLME) has the characteristics of being simple, low-cost, green and applicable. The developed method provided high accuracy (recoveries of 97.8% and 96.5% for Ni (II) and Cu (II), respectively), high precision (relative standart deviations (RSDs) of 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively), high sensitivity (limits of determination (LODs) of 0.33 and 0.15 µg L- 1, respectively) and a satisfactory preconcentration factor (PF, 96) under optimum conditions. The UA-SDES-LLME method developed has been applied to various tea and environmental water samples.
Wastewater treatment has become a hot topic of research in the field of environmental catalysis in recent years. However, traditional catalytic treatment methods often depended on noble-metal components or harsh reaction conditions, which were costly and difficult to meet the requirements of green and large-scale applications. To address these challenges, the core@shell structure micromotors (MMs) composed of a spherical Co3O4 core and an environmentally friendly MnO2 nanosheet shell were prepared through a solvothermal method. Under neutral pH conditions, the Co3O4@MnO2 MMs could efficiently drive the Fenton-like reaction, achieving rapid degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride with a degradation efficiency of up to 92% within 1 h under neutral conditions, thus overcoming the limitation of the conventional Fenton process that required strongly acidic media. Mechanistic studies revealed that abundant singlet oxygen was generated during the catalytic process of the Co3O4@MnO2-H2O2 system. The Co3O4@MnO2 MMs offer a promising strategy for constructing cost-effective, highly stable, and sustainable wastewater remediation systems owing to their self-propulsion capability, simple preparation, and favorable catalytic performance.
Many Nigerian adolescents lack knowledge about ideal oral hygiene practices, which has contributed to the high prevalence of poor oral health among them. Delivering oral hygiene education using innovative methods, such as board games associated with having fun while also learning, would help increase their understanding and adherence to these practices. A board game operates on the principle that knowledge is acquired and retained through repetition and interaction with peers. This paper highlights the development of a culturally tailored board game based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and validated for promoting oral hygiene among adolescents. To report how a board game on oral hygiene education for adolescents was developed and validated in southwestern Nigeria. A Research and Development (R&D) framework, incorporating Design-Based Research (DBR) principles, was used to develop a board game containing oral hygiene messages. The messages were adapted from the World Health Organisation's (WHO) promoting Oral Health in Africa manual. This was based on the HBM constructs and tailored to fit the African context. Over a period of three months, the development of the oral hygiene education board game involved five community oral health professionals, a paediatric dentist, and a psychologist specialising in adolescent health from the University of Ibadan. Students of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Ibadan, a graphic designer, and an artist also contributed to the project. The board game was developed using English, the official language of Nigeria. In the validation of this tool, the ease of use, duration of play, number of players, and its relevance to this age bracket's daily activities were largely considered. A 20 by 20 inches stainless steel framed board game with an acrylic surface containing 100 small boxes, featuring black-themed oral hygiene graphical illustrations and oral hygiene messages inserted in some boxes, were developed. In addition, 10 cards of size 8.5 cm by 5.4 cm containing oral hygiene questions on one side and the answers on the other side, as well as five colour-coded laminated player identification cards, were also created. Two dice and a plastic cup for throwing the dice were procured. The oral hygiene messages, questions and answers focus on enhancing adolescents' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding optimal oral hygiene measures in Southwestern Nigeria. Oral hygiene messages, questions and answers were modified accordingly to ensure they were age appropriate and effective for promoting oral hygiene education through a board game. The board game was designed to be colourful to increase its appeal and encourage play. The development of the board game was informed by the need for context-specific, age-appropriate tools to enhance oral hygiene education among adolescents. The design stages integrated culturally relevant content, simple language, and familiar visual elements to improve accessibility and relatability. Interactive components were incorporated to promote peer-to-peer learning and active engagement. The board game was structured for ease of implementation in school-based and community settings. While not yet evaluated through formal intervention, its design features suggest potential to support improved oral health awareness and behaviour among adolescents, particularly in low and middle-income contexts.
Caregivers of children with developmental delays often experience high stress and challenges in parent-child interactions. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a caregiver behavioral intervention delivered in hybrid and self-study formats. Forty caregivers were randomized to an 8-week hybrid program (online modules plus therapist consultations) or a self-study program. Primary outcomes included caregiver stress and self-efficacy, with feasibility assessed through satisfaction and intervention fidelity. Both groups showed improvements in caregiver stress and parent-child interaction, with no significant between-group differences. The self-study group demonstrated additional gains in parenting competence. The hybrid group reported higher satisfaction and fidelity, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 3.96 and 4.08) and described stronger parent-child connections. The intervention was feasible and supported a stepped-care approach, with self-study as a first-line option and hybrid models for families needing additional support. Trials: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05827952. Helping Parents of Young Children With Developmental Delays: A Study Comparing a Hybrid Online Program and a Self-Study Approach to Reduce Stress, Build Parenting Confidence, and Strengthen Parent–Child Relationships Through Small, Meaningful Behavior ChangesParents of children with developmental delays often face high levels of stress and uncertainty in daily caregiving. This study tested a program that helps caregivers make small, consistent changes in routines to reduce stress, build parenting confidence, and improve parent–child relationships. The program used simple behavioral strategies and occupational therapy principles, focusing on role balance and meaningful play. Forty caregivers were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a hybrid group that joined online lessons and consultations with therapists, and a self-study group that completed guided readings on their own. Both programs lasted 8 weeks. Caregivers completed questionnaires before and after the program to measure stress, confidence in parenting, and satisfaction. After the program, both groups showed reduced parenting stress and better interactions with their children. The self-study group gained more confidence, while the hybrid group reported higher satisfaction, stronger engagement, and closer emotional bonds with their children. Many parents in the hybrid group also noticed improvements in their children’s emotional control and initiative during daily activities. These findings suggest that both formats are helpful and practical. A stepped-care approach—starting with self-study for most families, and offering hybrid support for those needing more guidance—may be an effective model in occupational therapy and telehealth services to reach more families, especially those with limited access to in-person care.
Traditional aptamer screening methods often prove ineffective for small molecule targets, primarily due to the inherent structural limitations of such compounds. Their simple architecture, limited functional groups, and restricted spatial complexity drastically reduce the probability of identifying nucleic acid sequences that bind with both high affinity and specificity. Consequently, the screening process becomes inefficient and labor-intensive, frequently failing to yield aptamers of satisfactory performance for practical applications. This represents a significant technical hurdle in expanding the use of aptamers in small-molecule detection and therapeutics. Based on this, this study innovatively proposes an aptamer design method based on single-nucleotide docking assembly, using the small molecule temicloxacin as an example. Through molecular dynamics simulations (50 ns, RMSD convergence threshold of 0.15 nm), the dynamic conformational characteristics of tilmicosin were analyzed. Subsequently, saturated docking was performed on four classes of mononucleotides, screening out 32 high-affinity mononucleotides (atomic contact distance ≤4 Å). Methods such as depth-first search algorithm (DFS) and weighted graph theory model were introduced to obtain the representative single nucleotides of eight classes of functional modules and linkage assembly, and finally 63 non-redundant candidate sequences were screened. Molecular docking results indicate that the optimal aptamer Til-14 exhibits high binding affinity with tilmicosin. with an affinity of 298.16 ± 95.588 nM measured via SYBR Green I fluorescence assay. Colloidal gold colorimetric analysis confirmed its high affinity (Kd = 279.323 ± 87.234 nM) and excellent specificity. This innovative method successfully addresses the key limitations of the traditional SELEX process in screening aptamers for small molecule targets. By enhancing the efficiency and specificity of selection, it not only facilitates the discovery of high-performance aptamers but also establishes a novel, generalizable framework for the construction of nucleic acid aptamers targeting other small molecules.
Aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (AZIBs) are promising for grid-scale energy storage yet face challenges of polyiodide shuttling and sluggish kinetics in the iodine cathode. Nitrogen-doped porous carbons are widely used as host materials to mitigate these issues. However, the potential roles of different nitrogen configurations and their synergy with trace oxygen doping in the iodine conversion process remain unclear. Herein, a hierarchical N/O codoped porous carbon (ONC) is synthesized through a simple citrate-assisted pyrolysis method and utilized as an advanced host. The codoping strategy modulates the electronic structure of the carbon surface, significantly enhancing the chemical adsorption and catalytic conversion of iodine species, while the multi-scale pores provide effective confinement. This synergy, combined with abundant surface defects, reduces the charge transfer barrier and facilitates ion transport, resulting in rapid surface conversion kinetics. Consequently, the ONC/I2 cathodes deliver a high capacity of 205.8 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and excellent stability, retaining 59% of their initial capacity over 10,000 cycles at 1 A g-1. This work provides deep insights into the synergistic mechanisms of heteroatom codoping in carbon hosts, guiding the rational design of high-performance iodine cathodes through the integration of pore engineering and interfacial chemistry.
Men show a higher mortality than women, especially at a young age (between 15 and 39 years). They are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours and tend not to implement preventative efforts or to seek help. While (mental) health promotion programmes aim to foster healthy behaviours, men often do not feel addressed by them and are therefore reluctant to participate. This synthesis aims at drawing together barriers to and facilitators of male participation in (mental) health promotion programmes and identifying how to best address men in health communication and programme promotion. This rapid qualitative evidence synthesis includes a sample of 21 studies. 18 are qualitative studies and 3 are mixed-methods studies with separately reported qualitative findings that captured the perspectives of males aged 12 to 79 years and of professionals working in men's health on the barriers to and facilitators of participation in (mental) health promotion programmes and on preferred health communication. Studies were purposefully selected to maximise variation across interview content, context, and participant characteristics (e.g., age, occupation). The selection was restricted to studies published between 2015 and 2025. Gender norms were one of the main barriers to participation in men's (mental) health promotion programmes. Preferably such programmes should be integrated into settings attractive or familiar to men, such as sport clubs or handicraft workshops, or the workplace. Peers and peer support played a crucial role within men's health promotion and were found to facilitate positive behavioural changes. When reaching out to men, clinical and stigmatising terminology should be avoided in favour of action-oriented language that emphasises control and practical solutions while keeping the messaging simple and focused on tangible benefits. Health promotion programmes for men require embedding interventions within male-relevant contexts, such as sports, workplaces, and peer networks, that ease participation and reduce stigma. To reach and benefit men, communication strategies should use relatable, non-stigmatising language from credible messengers and should frame self-care as compatible with masculine identities.
In this research, a surface ligand engineering strategy is employed to fabricate UiO-66 confined Au nanoclusters (UiO-66@Au) with controllable multienzyme performances. Especially, ligand PSS and PVP can trigger optimized peroxidase (POD) and glucose oxidase (GOx) mimic activity respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that electron transferring between Au and ligands can be an effective tactic to regulate the multienzyme activity. Theoretical calculations revealed that electron-withdrawing polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) can decrease the key energy barriers of ·OH desorption in POD process and electron-donating polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) decreased the key energy barriers of O2 to OOH∗ in GOx catalysis, which confirmed the enhanced POD and GOx activity correspondingly. For practical application, PSS-UiO-66@Au coupled lateral flow assay (LFA) can visually detect HER2-positive breast cancer exosomes as low as 428 exosomes/μL, about 16355-fold higher sensitivity than that of common LFA. PVP-UiO-66@Au with superior GOx-mimic activity can detect salivary glucose as low as 19 μM, meanwhile, due to the effective gluconic acid adsorption repulsion by PVP, PVP-UiO-66@Au displays superior stability even after 10 reuse cycles This work provides a simple route to regulate the multi-enzyme properties of UiO-66@Au and broadens the application in multiple target biosensing.
Nigeria is among the leading countries contributing to the burden of cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the commonest physical disability in childhood, accounting for 16.2% of child neurology referrals. Many cases of CP are preventable with simple interventions such as neonatal resuscitation and effective phototherapy. Lack of reliable data on the burden of disease limits comprehensive national policy directed to the prevention, holistic care and rehabilitation of patients with cerebral palsy in Nigeria. Therefore, to effectively address this problem, this study aimed to describe the pooled prevalence of CP in Nigeria, its potential causes and types. This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of published articles on Nigerian children less than 18 years with CP. A combination of controlled vocabulary and keyword searching was used to reflect the core concepts of CP in Nigeria. Searches were conducted in nine databases and articles were screened using Rayyan. Data extraction forms were developed and refined by the team. Risk of Bias Tool was derived from the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018. One hundred and twelve articles were initially included following title/abstract screening from 330 distinct articles. Thirty-nine studies involving 194,831 children were eventually included in the review with about half (18/39) from the South-West. The pooled prevalence of CP in Nigeria was 32.5% (95%CI 25.5-39.9%) in neurology/physiotherapy clinics, 1.7% in the general Paediatric clinic/admissions, and 0.22% (95%CI 0.20-0.24%) in community settings. A higher proportion of individuals with CP were male (59.4%) compared to female (40.6%). Asphyxia and neonatal jaundice were the leading causes of CP accounting for 37.1% (95%CI 31.3-43.2%) and 24.8% (95%CI 20.4-29.5%), respectively. There was a high degree of heterogeneity in most of the data on prevalence, types and causes of CP (I2 >80%). Univariable meta-regression showed that the prevalence of CP was higher in studies that included younger children while study quality accounted for 20% of heterogeneity. However, this significance was lost with multivariable meta-regression analysis. This review highlights the high prevalence of CP in Nigeria. Tackling the leading preventable causes of CP calls for urgent public health interventions such as improved obstetric and neonatal care, in addition to improved rehabilitation services for children with CP.
We present a novel yet simple approach to measuring individual differences in visual imagery, in which people compare the quality of voluntarily generated visual images to the quality of (eyes-closed) negative afterimages. In laboratory testing (n = 98), many participants rated their own imagery of a face or a letter A to be similar or even stronger - on each of several experiential dimensions - than an afterimage of a face or letter. Dimensions were brightness, sharpness, detail, and two dimensions which deconstruct and challenge a simple distinction between associator-versus projector-imagers. Other participants rated their voluntary images to be weaker than afterimages, indicating qualitative differences between participants. This replicated data from a large-sample pilot, conducted under less formal conditions. Participants mostly expressed that their comparative ratings were accurate. Over the pilot and main study, ratings correlated with 3 standard self-report instruments for visual imagery, supporting the construct validity of our measure. Participants visually rendered the brightness and sharpness of their afterimages on a computer screen, allowing (a) depiction of the baseline against which voluntary images were being compared and (b) calculation that variation in afterimagery strength was independent of the strength of voluntary images, and cannot account for variance in our comparative ratings of voluntary imagery. As a method of quantifying the range of visual imagery experience from aphantasics to hyperphantasics, in healthy and clinical populations, our approach may be less metacognitively contaminated and more accurate than widely-used yet criticised self-report instruments of imagery, e.g. those comparing imagery vividness to real seeing.
Flexible sensors based on the piezoresistive principle are widely used in health monitoring and motion tracking due to their ability to accurately capture subtle pressure changes and their excellent conformability. However, designing flexible pressure sensors with high stability and a simple manufacturing process remains a significant challenge. In this study, a melamine sponge (MS) serves as the flexible substrate. A three-dimensional conductive network is constructed through the innovative incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Concurrently, the piezoresistive properties of the composite are significantly enhanced by introducing a dual-functional filler system comprising zinc oxide (ZnO) and conductive polyaniline (PANI). The material composition was optimized using an orthogonal experimental design. The fabricated sensor, based on the ZnO-PANI modified CNTs/MS composite, demonstrates a rapid response time of 60 ms(±3.1 ms) and a relaxation time of 50 ms(±4.3 ms). It exhibits a high sensitivity of 31.261 kPa-1 (±0.3 kPa-1) within a pressure range of 0-3 kPa. A pressure testing system incorporating an independent SDNT1608 thermistor was developed, enabling simultaneous acquisition of pressure and temperature parameters. Furthermore, this system preliminarily demonstrated the feasibility of real-time monitoring of various human physiological signals, including radial artery pulse waveforms, abdominal respiration, and joint movement, serving as a laboratory-level proof-of-concept for potential health monitoring.
Examine the relationship between the inter-superior vena cava (SVC) distance and pulmonary blood flow (PBF) splitting, post-Fontan outcomes, hemodynamics, Fontan geometry, and pulmonary artery (PA) growth in bilateral bidirectional Glenn (BBDG) patients compared to unilateral bidirectional Glenn (BDG) patients. A single center retrospective cohort study comparing demographic, hemodynamic, and post-Fontan outcome variables between BBDG patients and a randomized cohort of BDG patients was conducted. A simple linear regression model was created to evaluate the relationship between Fontan geometry and PBF splitting. Cardiac magnetic resonance images were segmented using Slicer 5.6.2 and center line distance between the right and left SVC was calculated using an in-house code. The relationship between SVC distance and PBF was examined. The Nakata index was compared for BBDG and BDG patients. 42 patients (21 BBDG and 21 BDG) were included. Demographics, post-Fontan complications, and hemodynamics between groups were not different. PBF flow splitting increased as a function of inter-SVC distance. Patients with BBDG experienced a decrease in PA size over time with the mean difference in Nakata index between groups of 128.5 ± 23.73 (95% CI: 75.66, 181.4; p = 0.0003). Patients with BBDG have poor central PA growth compared to BDG patients. Although outcomes and hemodynamics were equivalent between groups, inter-SVC distance impacts PBF. This study provides a foundation on which to direct further prospective, studies of flow efficiencies in patients with BBDG circulations to guide patient-specific reconstruction techniques that maximize pulmonary artery growth potential and Fontan efficiency.