Metallic alloy nanoparticles are synthesized by combining two or more different metals. Bimetallic or trimetallic nanoparticles are considered more effective than monometallic nanoparticles because ...of their synergistic characteristics. In this review, we outline the structure, synthesis method, properties, and biological applications of metallic alloy nanoparticles based on their plasmonic, catalytic, and magnetic characteristics.
Blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are widely used as diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer. Lateral-flow immunoassay (LFIA)-based PSA detection can overcome the limitations associated ...with other methods. LFIAbased PSA detection in clinical samples enables prognosis and early diagnosis owing to the use of high-performance signal reporters.
Here, a semiquantitative LFIA platform for PSA detection in blood was developed using Au-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) assembled on silica NPs (SiO2@Au-Ag NPs) that served as signal reporters. Synthesized SiO2@Au-Ag NPs exhibited a high absorbance at a wide wavelength range (400-800 nm), with a high scattering on nitrocellulose membrane test strips. In LFIA, the color intensity of the test line on the test strip differed depending on the PSA concentration (0.30-10.00 ng/mL), and bands for the test line on the test strip could be used as a standard. When clinical samples were assessed using this LFIA, a visual test line with particular color intensity observed on the test strip enabled the early diagnosis and prognosis of patients with prostate cancer based on PSA detection. In addition, the relative standard deviation of reproducibility was 1.41%, indicating high reproducibility, and the signal reporter showed good stability for 10 days.
These characteristics of the signal reporter demonstrated the reliability of the LFIA platform for PSA detection, suggesting potential applications in clinical sample analysis.
The growing demand of construction around the world has led to the increased usage of concrete. However, conventional concrete-making materials are not entirely environmental-friendly and this has ...enthused research on seeking greener alternative for concrete production. In the past, extensive research works had been carried out to utilize farming waste materials such as those from palm oil, coconut, sugarcane as well as the paddy industry and these findings indicate potential of utilizing such materials in concrete. The re-use of the farming waste materials in concrete could reduce the dependency on conventional concrete-making material as well as minimizing the negative impact on the environment besides ensuring waste conservation and reduction in waste disposal from these sectors. In this paper, a review on the utilization of emerging alternative farming waste materials in concrete such as from the farming of bamboo, corn, wheat, olive, sisal, seashells and more is carried out with the aim of examining the benefits and shortcomings of using these materials. This review shows the possible usage of farming waste materials in different form in concrete, such as partial cement and aggregate replacement, as well as fibre reinforcement. The main finding from the paper is that although usage of farming waste materials resulted in lowering of some concrete properties, appropriate treatment methods and selection of the waste materials would enable the production of concrete with improved performance. The summary and discussion provided in this paper should provide new information and knowledge on a greater variety of farming waste materials which are suitable to be used for the production of a greener and sustainable concrete.
•Alternative farming wastes from agriculture and aquaculture industries for concrete.•Pozzolanic materials as SCM using burned ashes from agriculture waste materials.•Possible usage of farming wastes as partial aggregate replacement in concrete.•Natural fibres from farming wastes as a form of fibre reinforcement for concrete.
•Seashell waste such as oyster, mussel, scallop and cockle shells usage in concrete.•The characteristics of seashell waste in aggregate and powder forms are summarized.•Effects on the fresh and ...hardened properties of concrete are discussed.
In order to reduce the dependency on virgin materials for construction, efforts have been made to incorporate by-products and wastes from different industries as alternatives in concrete. Originating from the fishery industry, seashell waste, such as oyster shells, mussel shells, and scallop shells, among others, is available in huge quantities in certain regions, and is usually dumped or landfilled without any re-use value. This paper summarizes previous research concerning the use of seashell waste as a partial replacement for conventional materials in concrete and other related cement-based products. The characteristics of different types of seashell waste, as well as the effects of incorporating the seashells on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete, are discussed. The material characteristics suggest that, similar to limestone, seashell waste could be an inert material due to the high calcium oxide content. However, proper treatment such as heating at high temperature and crushing to achieve appropriate fineness are desirable for a better quality material. It is shown in past research that while seashell waste has been used as a replacement for both cement and aggregate, there is still a lack of investigation concerning its durability, as well as the actual influence of seashell powder as a cement replacement material. Despite the reduction in the workability and strength, based on the review, it is suggested that seashell waste could still be utilized as a partial aggregate at a replacement level of up to 20% for adequate workability and strength of concrete for non-structural purposes.
Understanding the underlying and unpredictable dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic is important. We supplemented the findings of Jones and Strigul (2020) and described the chaotic behavior of COVID-19 ...using state space plots which depicted the changes in asymptotic behavior and trajectory brought about by the increase or decrease in the number of cases which resulted from the easing or tightening of restrictions and other non-pharmaceutical interventions instituted by governments as represented by the country's stringency index (SI). We used COVID-19 country-wide case count data and analyzed it using convergent cross-mapping (CCM) and found that the SI influence on COVID-19 case counts is high in almost all the countries considered. When we utilized finer granular geographical data ('barangay' or village level COVID-19 case counts in the Philippines), the effects of SI were reduced as the population density increased. The authors believe that the knowledge of the chaotic behavior of COVID-19 and the effects of population density as applied to finer granular geographical data has the potential to generate more accurate COVID-19 non-linear prediction models. This could be used at the local government level to guide strategic and highly targeted COVID-19 policies which are favorable to public health systems but with limited impact to the economy.
Abstract
We present a 37 years’ experience in the management of biliary atresia (BA) and discuss long-term complications after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). A retrospective territory-wide study from ...1980 to 2017 on 231 patients with open KPE from three tertiary paediatric surgical centres was performed. Outcome parameters were clearance of jaundice (COJ), native liver survival (NLS) and long-term complications. Factors affecting the operative outcomes were analyzed. The median duration of follow up was 17.5 (IQR: 13.5–22) years. Over 66% of patients became jaundice-freed at 1 year after KPE. Seventy patients (30.3%) received liver transplant (LT) at a median age of 6.2 (IQR: 4.3–8.4) years. The NLS rates at 10 and 20 years were 70.7% and 61.5% respectively with no significant change over the study period. The median age at KPE was 59 (IQR: 49–67) days. KPE performed before 70 days was associated with higher odd ratios for successful drainage but the age of KPE did not have an impact on the long-term NLS. Among all native liver survivors (n = 153), the median bilirubin level was 24 (IQR: 16–36) µmol/L. Portal hypertension (PHT) and recurrent cholangitis were found in 51.6% and 27.5% of them respectively. With a vigilant follow up program, more than 60% of BA patients could remain stable with the disease and achieve long-term survival without LT. Although cholestasis, portal hypertension and recurrent cholangitis are common in long-term NLS, with a comprehensive follow management strategy, they do not always necessitate LT. Our study serves as an example for countries where deceased donor organs are scarce due to very low donation rate.
The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique, that uses magnetic plasmonic particles (MPPs), is an advanced SERS detection platform owing to the synergetic effects of the particles’ ...magnetic and plasmonic properties. As well as being an ultrasensitive and reliable SERS material, MPPs perform various functions, such as aiding in separation, drug delivery, and acting as a therapeutic material. This literature discusses the structure and multifunctionality of MPPs, which has enabled the novel application of MPPs to various biological fields.
In this study, dense gold-assembled SiO
nanostructure (SiO
@Au) was successfully developed using the Au seed-mediated growth. First, SiO
(150 nm) was prepared, modified by amino groups, and incubated ...by gold nanoparticles (ca. 3 nm Au metal nanoparticles (NPs)) to immobilize Au NPs to SiO
surface. Then, Au NPs were grown on the prepared SiO
@Au seed by reducing chloroauric acid (HAuCl
by ascorbic acid (AA) in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The presence of bigger (ca. 20 nm) Au NPs on the SiO
surface was confirmed by transmittance electronic microscopy (TEM) images, color changes to dark blue, and UV-vis spectra broadening in the range of 450 to 750 nm. The SiO
@Au nanostructure showed several advantages compared to the hydrofluoric acid (HF)-treated SiO
@Au, such as easy separation, surface modification stability by 11-mercaptopundecanoic acid (R-COOH), 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (R-OH), and 1-undecanethiol (R-CH
), and a better peroxidase-like catalysis activity for 5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and hydrogen peroxide (H
O
) reaction. The catalytic activity of SiO
@Au was two times better than that of HF-treated SiO
@Au. When SiO
@Au nanostructure was used as a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, the signal of 4-aminophenol (4-ATP) on the surface of SiO
@Au was also stronger than that of HF-treated SiO
@Au. This study provides a potential method for nanoparticle preparation which can be replaced for Au NPs in further research and development.
The importance of glucose in many biological processes continues to garner increasing research interest in the design and development of efficient biotechnology for the sensitive and selective ...monitoring of glucose. Here we report on a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid (4-MPBA)-immobilized gold-silver core-shell assembled silica nanostructure (SiO
@Au@Ag@4-MPBA) for quantitative, selective detection of glucose in physiologically relevant concentration. This work confirmed that 4-MPBA converted to 4-mercaptophenol (4-MPhOH) in the presence of H
O
. In addition, a calibration curve for H
O
detection of 0.3 µg/mL was successfully detected in the range of 1.0 to 1000 µg/mL. Moreover, the SiO
@Au@Ag@4-MPBA for glucose detection was developed in the presence of glucose oxidase (GOx) at the optimized condition of 100 µg/mL GOx with 1-h incubation time using 20 µg/mL SiO
@Au@Ag@4-MPBA and measuring Raman signal at 67 µg/mL SiO
@Au@Ag. At the optimized condition, the calibration curve in the range of 0.5 to 8.0 mM was successfully developed with an LOD of 0.15 mM. Based on those strategies, the SERS detection of glucose can be achieved in the physiologically relevant concentration range and opened a great promise to develop a SERS-based biosensor for a variety of biomedicine applications.
We retrospectively investigated the treatment outcomes of second-line treatment with pazopanib or gemcitabine/docetaxel in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS).
Ninety-one patients who ...were treated with pazopanib or gemcitabine/docetaxel for advanced STS between 1995 and 2015 were analyzed.
Forty-six and 45 patients received pazopanib and gemcitabine/docetaxel, respectively. The median progression-free survival for the group treated with pazopanib was 4.5 months compared with 3.0 months for the gemcitabine/docetaxel group (p = 0.593). The median overall survival for the group treated with pazopanib was 12.6 months compared with 14.2 months for the gemcitabine/docetaxel group (p = 0.362). The overall response rates (ORRs) were 6.5 and 26.7% in the pazopanib and gemcitabine/docetaxel groups, respectively. The following parameters had ORRs favoring gemcitabine/docetaxel: age ≥50 years (31.6 vs. 2.9%, p = 0.006), histologic grade 1-2 (40.9 vs. 0%, p = 0.001), and poor first-line treatment response (23.3 vs. 3.0%, p = 0.022). Gemcitabine/docetaxel was associated with better ORRs for the following histologic subtypes: leiomyosarcoma (p = 0.624), malignant fibrous histiocytoma/undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (p = 0.055), and angiosarcoma (p = 0.182). However, the ORR of synovial sarcoma favored pazopanib (p = 0.99).
The efficacies of pazopanib and gemcitabine/docetaxel as second-line treatments after doxorubicin or ifosfamide failure differed among clinical and histologic subgroups and appeared to facilitate a more personalized treatment approach for advanced STS.
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