This work addresses a technological advance applied to the construction of a magnetogenoassay with electrochemical transduction for the maize taxon-specific (HMGA gene) detection using gold-coated ...magnetic nanoparticles as nanosized platform.
Superparamagnetic core-shell Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles (10.4 ± 1.7 nm) were used to assemble the genoassay through the covalent immobilization of HMGA DNA probes onto carboxylated self-assembled monolayers at the nanoparticles surface.
A hybridization reaction using sandwich format was selected to prevent inefficient hybridization connected with stable secondary DNA structures using also fluorescein isothiocyanate as DNA signaling tag. The labelling of the hybridization reaction with enzymes allowed the chronoamperometric measurement of the peroxidase activity linked to the nanoplatform located on gold surface.
Using this electrochemical magnetogenoassay a linear concentration range from 0.5 to 5 nM and a LOD of 90 pM with a RSD <1.2% was calculated. Certified maize was evaluated without further purification after PCR amplification. This work highlights the efficacy of the electrochemical magnetogenoassay for the HMGA detection, showing its potential as alternative procedure for the verification of the compliance of the legislation.
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•Superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles were prepared with high stability, monodispersity and probe conjugation.•Electrochemical magnetogenoassay on Fe3O4@Au as nanosized platform for the maize taxon detection.•Gold leaf obtained by DC Sputering on a polyester film was used to produce home-made gold working electrodes.•Low-cost (<0.50 Euros), simple, rapid, robust and accurate home-made gold working electrode was fabricated.•Limit of detection of 90 pM (2.25 fmol in 25 μL) was obtained.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Gamma variant of concern has spread rapidly across Brazil since late 2020, causing substantial infection and death waves. Here we used ...individual-level patient records after hospitalization with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between 20 January 2020 and 26 July 2021 to document temporary, sweeping shocks in hospital fatality rates that followed the spread of Gamma across 14 state capitals, during which typically more than half of hospitalized patients aged 70 years and older died. We show that such extensive shocks in COVID-19 in-hospital fatality rates also existed before the detection of Gamma. Using a Bayesian fatality rate model, we found that the geographic and temporal fluctuations in Brazil's COVID-19 in-hospital fatality rates were primarily associated with geographic inequities and shortages in healthcare capacity. We estimate that approximately half of the COVID-19 deaths in hospitals in the 14 cities could have been avoided without pre-pandemic geographic inequities and without pandemic healthcare pressure. Our results suggest that investments in healthcare resources, healthcare optimization and pandemic preparedness are critical to minimize population-wide mortality and morbidity caused by highly transmissible and deadly pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
PurposeFibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC) is a rare primary liver malignancy often diagnosed at advanced stages. While there are limited data on the efficacy of specific agents, we aim to ...report outcomes of patients treated with systemic therapies and explore prognostic factors.Patients and MethodsMedical records of patients treated between 2010 and 2022 were reviewed. Treatments were defined after multidisciplinary assessment. Descriptive statistics were used for baseline demographics. Time-to-event outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, compared by log-rank and adjusted by a regression model. Radiomic features (including size, shape, and texture) of the primary lesion were extracted and dimensionality reduced. An unsupervised Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) clustering was performed, and survival was compared between clusters.ResultsWe identified 23 patients: 12 males, with a median age of 23.6 years. At diagnosis, 82.6% had metastases, most frequently to the lungs (39.1%), lymph nodes (39.1%), and peritoneum (21.7%). Patients received a median of three lines (1-8) of treatment, including different regimens. Sorafenib (39.1%), capecitabine (30.4%), and capecitabine/interferon (13%) were the most used first-line regimens. The median time-to-failure was 3.8 months (95% CI: 3.2-8.7). Capecitabine + interferon (42.1%) and platinum combinations (39.1%) were the most used second-line regimens, with a time-to-failure of 3.5 months (95% CI: 1.5-11.6). Median overall survival was 26.7 months (95% CI: 15.1-40.4). A high baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was associated with worse survival (p=0.02). Radiomic features identified three clusters, with one cluster (n=6) having better survival (40.4 vs 22.6 months, p=0.039). Tumor sphericity in the arterial phase was the most relevant characteristic associated with a better prognosis (accuracy=0.93).ConclusionFLHCC has unique features compared to conventional HCC, including young onset, gender balance, and absence of hepatopathy. Systemic therapies can provide encouraging survival, but lack of uniformity precludes defining a preferable regimen. Radiomics and NLR were suggested to correlate with prognosis and warrant further validation.
Within our program of physical characterization of trans-Neptunian objects and centaurs, we predicted a stellar occultation by the centaur (54598) Bienor to occur on January 11, 2019, with good ...observability potential. We obtained high accuracy astrometric data to refine the prediction, resulting in a shadow path favorable for the Iberian Peninsula. This encouraged us to carry out an occultation observation campaign that resulted in five positive detections from four observing sites. This is the fourth centaur for which a multichord (more than two chords) stellar occultation has been observed so far, the other three being (2060) Chiron, (10199) Chariklo, and (95626) 2002 GZ
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. From the analysis of the occultation chords, combined with the rotational light curve obtained shortly after the occultation, we determined that Bienor has an area-equivalent diameter of 150 ± 20 km. This diameter is ~30 km smaller than the one obtained from thermal measurements. The position angle of the short axis of the best fitting ellipse obtained through the analysis of the stellar occultation does not match that of the spin axis derived from long-term photometric models. We also detected a strong irregularity in one of the minima of the rotational light curve that is present no matter the aspect angle at which the observations were done. We present different scenarios to reconcile the results from the different techniques. We did not detect secondary drops related to potential rings or satellites. Nonetheless, similar rings in size to that of Chariklo's cannot be discarded due to low data accuracy.
Background
Chemical–mechanical caries removal (CMCR) products are in constant evolution and were recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic as substitutes for conventional caries removal.
Aim
...Characterize the worldwide scientific literature about CMCR products, over the years, by means of a critical review.
Design
Electronic search was performed on Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Lilacs, and Embase up to November 2020. Year, journal, country of authors, and type of study were the data extracted from the retrieved studies. Additional data of the clinical studies and systematic reviews were investigated.
Results
2221 records were identified, 397 selected. 2011–2020 period concentrates higher number of publications (
n
= 169), in the Journal of Dental Research (
n
= 51), developed in Brazil (
n
= 45) and India (
n
= 44). Most studies were in vitro (
n
= 211) and clinical trials (
n
= 101). Carisolv™ (
n
= 48) and Papacarie Duo Gel™ (
n
= 33) were the most used products, prescript in isolated usage (
n
= 101), and compared with drills (
n
= 77). CMCR were more studied in primary teeth (
n
= 78), receiving glass ionomer cement (GIC) (
n
= 51) as restorative material. The most evaluated outcomes were time spent (
n
= 48) and pain (
n
= 41). Clinical application of CMCR takes more time than other techniques, but can also reduce patient anxiety, pain, and need for anesthesia.
Conclusion
In vitro and clinical studies with CMCR products have been increasing, mostly carried out in developing countries, evaluating Carisolv™ and Papacarie Duo Gel™. Clinical studies tend to evaluate the time spent and pain compared to drills for removing caries in primary teeth, posteriorly restored with GIC. CMCR clinical application reduces anxiety, pain, and need for anesthesia, despite increase treatments’ time.
An artificial tongue composed of four sensors made from ultrathin films deposited onto gold interdigitated electrodes has been able to distinguish easily the four basic tastes (salty, sour, sweet, ...and bitter), in addition to detecting inorganic contaminants in ultrapure water and identifying different brands of coconut water. Some tastants were detected below the human threshold values, for example, 5 mM of NaCl or sucrose. Suppression of quinine by sucrose was also detected. The high sensitivity may be partially attributed to the ultrathin nature of the films as the sensors were produced with Langmuir−Blodgett films of the 16-mer polyaniline oligomer, polypyrrole, and a ruthenium complex and with self-assembled films of an azobenzene-containing polymer. The sensor response was evaluated with ac measurements taken at various frequencies, with the admittance being treated theoretically with an equivalent circuit representing the sensor immersed in a polyelectrolyte solution.
Reliability analysis is usually required as input for feasibility assessments of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. This study introduces the concept of elasticity between the volumetric reliability ...and a cost function to optimize the storage capacity. The elasticity was estimated for three tanks at a campus of the Universidad de Santander, Colombia; by means of a daily water balance under specific conditions of demand (non-potable uses), infrastructure (area and coverage of surface), and climatic variability. This method showed that, the average expected efficiency ranges from 29% to 58% with tanks of 60 m3. These values are 7–10% lower than those expected just from the water balance, but the size of tanks decreases by up to 53%. Therefore, the present method allows not only a comparison between expected efficiencies from average estimations with the optimization from daily water balance, but also with that estimated in conjunction with costs.
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