Currently, the majority of the global population has been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and characterization studies of antibodies in vivo from Omicron breakthrough infection and naive ...infection populations are urgently needed to provide pivotal clues about accurate diagnosis, treatment, and next-generation vaccine design against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We showed that after infection with Omicron-BA.2, the antibody levels of specific IgM against the Wuhan strain and specific IgG against Omicron were not significantly elevated within 27 days of onset. Interestingly, in this study, the levels of humoral immunity against Omicron-specific IgM were significantly increased after breakthrough infection, suggesting that the detection of Omicron-specific IgM antibodies can be used as a test criterion of Omicron breakthrough infection. In addition, we observed that serums from unvaccinated individuals and the majority of vaccinated infections possessed only low or no neutralizing activity against Omicron at the onset of Omicron breakthrough infections, and at the later stage of Omicron-BA.2 breakthrough infection, levels of neutralization antibody against the Wuhan and Omicron strains were elevated in infected individuals. The findings of this study provide important clues for the diagnosis of Omicron breakthrough infections, antibody characterization studies and vaccine design against COVID-19.
There is an increased concern that statins may have an unintended effect of elevated lipoprotein(a) Lp(a). We conducted a large sample real-world study to test the association.
This retrospective ...cohort study was conducted using data from an integrated SuValue database, which includes 221 hospitals across China covering more than 200,000 of population with longitudinal follow-up to 10 years. Propensity score matching was applied to identify two comparable cohorts with statin users and non-statin users. Detailed follow-up information such as Lp(a) levels were extracted. The hazard ratio was calculated on Lp(a) changes based on the statin usage cohorts. Detailed subgroup and different characteristic cohorts' analyses were also conducted.
After baseline propensity score matching, a total of 42,166 patients were included in a 1:1 matched ratio between statin users and non-statin users. In the case of no difference in low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), Lp(a) was increased significantly with the use of statins (adjusted HR 1.47; 95% confidence interval CI 1.43-1.50). Lp(a) increase was observed in various subgroup analyses and different cohorts. The dose intensity of statin was positively associated with the evaluated Lp(a) level.
The use of statins was associated with an increased risk of Lp(a) elevation compared with non-statin use counterparts. The clinical relevance of these increases needs to be addressed in surrogate marker trials and/or large, cardiovascular outcomes trials.
Hierarchical TiO2/SiO2 composite film formed by controllable size microspheres of SiO2 deposited with nanoparticles of TiO2 for enhanced surface reversible wettability conversion under UV ...irradiation.
•We fabricated micro-nano TiO2/SiO2 composite films with tailored, repeated and reversible hydrophobic to hydrophilic conversion properties.•Hierarchical TiO2/SiO2 composite film enhances surface reversible wettability conversion under UV irradiation.•A simple theoretical model was proposed for elucidating the correlation between TiO2/SiO2 size ratio and water contact angle.
A new type of micro-nano hierarchical TiO2/SiO2 composite film, which is formed by nanoparticles of TiO2 deposited on microspheres of SiO2, has been prepared through a convenient and size-controllable method. A water-resistant agent (Aquapel PPG Co., USA) is grafted onto the composite films to achieve surface hydrophobicity. The morphologies, formations, and wettability of the novel films were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle (WCA), respectively. The results indicate that these composite films can achieve reversible wetting and are reproducible over several cycles of ultraviolet (UV) exposure and dark storage. The specific micro-nano structures enabled significant variation in wetting, due to the effect on both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic states of these tunable surfaces. Our study demonstrated that the wettability transition increased with decreased TiO2/SiO2 size ratios, which resulted in a maximum wetting contrast in WCA of 103.8°, which is nearly twice the contrast of TiO2 nano-structured film. A simple theoretical model was proposed to elucidate the correlation between size ratio and WCA, which indicated good agreement with the experimental data. These findings offer a new method for the design of intelligent surfaces with tailored and reversible wettability.
Background:
Current replacement procedures for stenosis or occluded arteries using prosthetic grafts have serious limitations in clinical applications, particularly, endothelialization of the luminal ...surface is a long-standing unresolved problem.
Method:
We produced a cell-based hybrid vascular graft using a bioink engulfing adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) and a 3D bioprinting process lining the ADSCs on the luminal surface of GORE-Tex grafts. The hybrid graft was implanted as an interposition conduit to replace a 3-cm-long segment of the infrarenal abdominal aorta in Rhesus monkeys.
Results:
Complete endothelium layer and smooth muscle layer were fully developed within 21 days post-implantation, along with normalized collagen deposition and crosslinking in the regenerated vasculature in all monkeys. The regenerated blood vessels showed normal functionality for the longest observation of more than 1650 days. The same procedure was also conducted in miniature pigs for the interposition replacement of a 10-cm-long right iliac artery and showed the same long-term effective and safe outcome.
Conclusion:
This cell-based vascular graft is ready to undergo clinical trials for human patients.
Microfluidic extraction based on a co-laminar flow of aqueous two-phase system is used to separate bovine serum albumin (BSA). Mass transfer between the continuous two-phase flows is demonstrated by ...the extraction of BSA in a microfluidic device. The protein concentrations of the BSA samples were determined using the Bradford method. Polyethylene glycol 4000 and ammonium sulfate ((NH
4
)
2
SO
4
) served as model aqueous two-phase solutions. The appropriate flow rates of the aqueous two phases were thus determined. We can flexibly control the mass transfer area and time by simply adjusting the flow rate. It takes only 3.6 s for three extraction cycles in a coaxial microfluidic device to achieve a BSA recovery yield of 71.1 %, which is superior to the traditional beaker aqueous two-phase extraction process. In this study, co-laminar flow-based continuous microextraction is demonstrated and its mass transfer is analyzed by solving the diffusion model, based on a large specific interfacial area and surface renewal.
Pneumonia is the leading cause of hospitalization in pediatric patients. Disease severity greatly influences pneumonia progression and adverse health outcomes such as hospital readmission. Hospital ...readmissions have become a measure of healthcare quality to reduce excess expenditures. The aim of this study was to examine 30-day all-cause readmission rates and evaluate the association between pneumonia severity and readmission among pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations. Using 2018 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), we conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric hospitalizations for pneumonia. Pneumonia severity was defined by the presence of respiratory failure, sepsis, mechanical ventilation, dependence on long-term supplemental oxygen, and/or respiratory intubation. Outcomes of interest were 30-day all-cause readmission, length of stay, and cost. The rate of 30-day readmission for the total sample was 5.9%, 4.7% for non-severe pneumonia, and 8.7% for severe pneumonia (p < 0.01). Among those who were readmitted, hospitalizations for severe pneumonia had a longer length of stay (6.5 vs. 5.4 days, p < 0.01) and higher daily cost (USD 3246 vs. USD 2679, p < 0.01) than admissions for non-severe pneumonia. Factors associated with 30-day readmission were pneumonia severity, immunosuppressive conditions, length of stay, and hospital case volume. To reduce potentially preventable readmissions, clinical interventions to improve the disease course and hospital system interventions are necessary.
Purpose:
The distribution and vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines to billions of people worldwide will likely be one of the biggest public health undertakings in history. There has been a large focus on ...identifying processes to safely, efficiently, and effectively vaccinate large populations. We aimed to describe the development and operationalization of a drive-in COVID-19 vaccine site in a parking garage adjacent to outpatient clinics at University of Florida (UF) Health Physicians and how it was informed by the roll-out of SARS-CoV-2 testing and administration of respiratory vaccinations.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
A technical description and analysis of a drive-in COVID-19 vaccine site.
Findings:
We incrementally increased the number of vaccines performed per day from 300 in the first 2 weeks to 700 an additional 2 weeks later. By the end of January, we completed nearly 14 000 vaccinations. At this capacity, we estimate the site could performed 5000 vaccinations per week.
Practical Implications:
This manuscript provides step-by-step guidance how to develop, operationalize, and implement a sustainable drive-in COVID-19 vaccination site.
Originality/Value:
To our knowledge, this is the first description of a drive-in approach to COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings can help inform other health entities as they develop or expand vaccination efforts that may serve as a template for other sites to adapt.
Aquatic toxicity testing in environmental monitoring and chemical risk assessment is critical to assess water quality for human use as well as predict impact of pollutants on ecosystems. In recent ...years, studies have increasingly focused on the relevance of sub-lethal effects of environmental contaminants. Sub-lethal toxicity endpoints such as behavioural responses are highly integrative and have distinct benefits for assessing water quality because they occur rapidly and thus can be used to sense the presence of toxicants. Our work describes a Lab-on-a-Chip system for the automated analysis of freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna locomotory responses to water-born toxicants. The design combines a Lab-on-a-Chip system for Daphnia sp. culture under perfusion with time-resolved videomicroscopy and software tracking locomotory activity of multiple specimens. The application of the system to analyse the swimming behaviour of water fleas exposed to different concentrations of water-born toxicants demonstrated that Lab-on-a-Chip devices can become important research tools for behavioural ecotoxicology and water quality biomonitoring.
•The first application of biomicrofluidics in ecotoxicology is demonstrated.•On-chip microperfusion culture of crustacean Artemia franciscana is shown.•Chip-based platform enables sub-lethal ...behavioural ecotoxicity tests.•Distinct behavioural syndromes in response to toxicants were discovered.
Dynamic behavioral parameters are increasingly postulated as alternatives to traditional mortality testing. Behavioral changes can precede mortality endpoints at substantially lower concentrations and are therefore considered as a useful indicator of sub-lethal effects. Despite recent acknowledgement of the importance of sub-lethal behavioral biotests, their implementation is profoundly limited by the lack of appropriate and user-friendly laboratory automation. This work outlines development of a proof-of-concept miniaturized Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) platform for rapid aquatic toxicity tests based on changes in swimming patterns exhibited by a ubiquitous saltwater crustacean Artemia franciscana (Artoxkit M™) commonly used for marine ecotoxicity testing. In contrast to any conventionally performed end-point analysis based on counting numbers of dead/immobile specimens we performed a fully automated time-resolved video data analysis to dynamically assess the effect of a reference toxicant on selected behavioral parameters. Our proof-of-concept system combined innovative microfluidic device designed to keep free-swimming Artemia sp. nauplii under continuous microperfusion with a miniaturized video acquisition system for automated movement analysis of test specimens. For the majority of chemical stressors tested, behavioral changes were very rapid and observed often from the first few minutes of toxicant exposure. Furthermore, we identified distinct behavioral responses such as hyperactivity and hypoactivity syndromes in response to chemical stressors exposure. Both behavioral syndromes occurred in a concentration- and exposure time-dependent manner. This work provides evidence that sub-lethal, behavioral analysis performed under microperfusion can prospectively provide much more sensitive effect end-points as compared to conventional protocols where mortality is used as the main evaluation criterion. Innovative Lab-on-a-Chip technologies open a brand new alternative for inexpensive and rapid aquatic ecotoxicity protocols.
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•A sludge-derived biochar loaded Co3O4 composite was synthesized.•The Co3O4@SDBC exhibited superior catalytic performance and exceptional adaptability under various ...conditions.•Electron transfer and 1O2 played the greatest contribution to the degradation of OFL.•DFT calculations revealed the introduction of biochar carrier significantly promoted electron transfer and 1O2 generation.•Possible degradation pathways of OFL were proposed on the basis of DFT calculations.
In this study, sludge-derived biochar loaded Co3O4 composite (Co3O4@SDBC) were successfully synthesized through cobalt impregnation and secondary calcination of sludge-derived biochar precursors. The experimental results demonstrated that the Co3O4@SDBC catalyst performed exceptionally well for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, with a high degradation efficiency (>99 %) of ofloxacin (OFL) within 10 min under the optimal conditions (a catalyst dose of 0.10 g•L−1, a PMS dose of 0.975 mM and an initial pH = 6.4), and showed good adaptability across a broad pH spectrum, under the interference of the anions and humic acid (HA), as well as in various water matrices. The results of quenching experiments revealed that the non-radical pathway (especially 1O2 and electron transfer) was the dominated reactive ingredients in the PMS activation process induced by Co3O4@SDBC. Notably, the online electrochemical tests and density functional theory (DFT) results indicated the presence of biochar carrier not only effectively lowered the escape of Co ions, while enhanced the steadiness of Co3O4@SDBC, but also accelerated the electron transfer, promoted the adsorption and cleavage of PMS, facilitated the redox cycle between Co(II) and Co(III), reduced the reaction energy barriers simultaneously, thereby making it more favourable for the generation of 1O2. Furthermore, the toxicity assessment suggested that the cumulative toxicity of OFL decreased throughout degradation. Overall, this work mechanistically revealed the enhancement of biochar on the Co3O4@SDBC catalyst, offering a viable method to activate PMS for antibiotic removal and achieving a mutually beneficial strategy for sludge waste resource utilization and environmental remediation.
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