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Neurogastroenterol Motil 2021 Apr 5:e14138. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.

Introduction: High amplitude peristaltic esophageal contractions, that is, nutcracker esophagus, were originally described in association with "angina-like pain" of esophageal origin. However, significant number of nutcracker patients also suffer from dysphagia. High-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) assesses only the contraction phase of peristalsis. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2021 Mar 16;21(6). Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), MIIT Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLoFE), Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLoFE), Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE), Ningbo Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.

The Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MOEMS) accelerometer is a new type of accelerometer that combines the merits of optical measurement and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) to enable high precision, small volume, and anti-electromagnetism disturbance measurement of acceleration, which makes it a promising candidate for inertial navigation and seismic monitoring. This paper proposes a modified micro-grating-based accelerometer and introduces a new design method to characterize the grating interferometer. A MEMS sensor chip with high sensitivity was designed and fabricated, and the processing circuit was modified. Read More

Biosensors (Basel) 2021 Mar 23;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Fraunhofer Institute of Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.

The technological advantages that biosensors have over conventional technical sensors for odor detection and the role they play in the biological transformation have not yet been comprehensively analyzed. However, this is necessary for assessing their suitability for specific fields of application as well as their improvement and development goals. An overview of biological basics of olfactory systems is given and different odor sensor technologies are described and classified in this paper. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2021 Apr 2. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Department of Dermatology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

The incidence of and mortality from anal cancer, predominantly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), have been increasing since the 1980s, during an era when many common malignancies have seen decreases in mortality. Dermatologists may be more likely to see patients at an increased risk for anal SCC, such as those living with HIV, MSM, and those presenting for management of anogenital warts, yet there is little guidance in the field on how to manage these patients. We underwent a project to review the evidence surrounding screening and prevention of anal SCC. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Mar 30;11(1):7156. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Physics, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

In the new generation of blood velocimeter systems, considerable attention has been paid to atomic magnetometers due to their high resolution and high sensitivity for detection of magnetic tracers. Passing the magnetic tracers adjacent to the atomic magnetometer produces a spike-like signal, the shape of which depends on the position of the tracer, as well as its velocity and orientation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of abrupt variations in the instantaneous velocity of the magnetic tracer on the magnetometer response compare to constant velocity. Read More

Biosens Bioelectron 2021 Mar 8;182:113150. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea; Department of Optics and Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Studies to understand the structure, functions, and electrophysiological properties of neurons have been conducted at the frontmost end of neuroscience. Such studies have led to the active development of high-performance research tools for exploring the neurobiology at the cellular and molecular level. Following this trend, research and application of plasmonics, which is a technology employed in high-sensitivity optical biosensors and high-resolution imaging, is essential for studying neurons, as plasmonic nanoprobes can be used to stimulate specific areas of cells. Read More

J Biophotonics 2021 Mar 27:e202000501. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Chair of Biological Imaging at the Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

Optical fiber sensors can offer robust and miniaturized detection of wideband ultrasound, yielding high sensitivity and immunity to electromagnetic interference. However, the lack of cost-effective manufacturing methods prevents the disseminated use of these sensors in biomedical applications. In this study, we developed and optimized a simple method to create optical cavities with high-quality mirrors for acoustic sensing based on micro-manipulation of UV-curable optical adhesives and electroless chemical silver deposition. Read More

J Neural Eng 2021 Mar 26. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213-3815, UNITED STATES.

Three-dimensional (3D) neuronal spheroid culture serves as a powerful model system for the investigation of neurological disorders and drug discovery. The success of such a model system requires techniques that enable high-resolution functional readout across the entire spheroid. Conventional microelectrode arrays and implantable neural probes cannot monitor the electrophysiology activity across the entire native 3D geometry of the cellular construct. Read More

Br J Radiol 2021 Mar 25:20210145. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China 110032.

Objective: This study investigated the diagnostic performance of MinIP images based on three-dimensional variable-flip-angle turbo spin echo weighted imaging (3D CUBE WI) from high-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging for detecting middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis.

Methods: A total of 63 consecutive patients were included in this study. MinIP images were reconstructed using 3D CUBE WI as the source images. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2021 Mar 24. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is one of the leading causes of mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We assessed predictive accuracies of the DETECT algorithm and 2015 European Society of Cardiology/ European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) guidelines in a SSc cohort that had a right heart catheterization (RHC) for pulmonary hypertension (PH) evaluation.

Methods: Subjects with SSc who had a diagnostic RHC, had no PH or had PAH, and had variables for application of DETECT and 2015 ESC/ERS guidelines were included for analysis. Read More

Sens Actuators B Chem 2021 Jun 15;337:129786. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials of Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, PR China.

The rapid and sensitive diagnosis of the highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the crucial issues at the outbreak of the ongoing global pandemic that has no valid cure. Here, we propose a SARS-CoV-2 antibody conjugated magnetic graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based magnetic relaxation switch (MRSw) that specifically recognizes the SARS-CoV-2. The probe of MRSw can be directly mixed with the test sample in a fully sealed vial without sample pretreatment, which largely reduces the testers' risk of infection during the operation. Read More

J Neurosci Res 2021 Mar 22. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

The hippocampus (Hc) is composed of cytoarchitectonically distinct subfields: dentate gyrus (DG), cornu ammonis sectors 1-3 (CA1-3), and subiculum. Limited evidence suggests differential maturation rates across the Hc subfields. While longitudinal studies are essential in demonstrating differential development of Hc subfields, a prerequisite for interpreting meaningful longitudinal effects is establishing test-retest consistency of Hc subfield volumes measured in vivo over time. Read More

J Vis Exp 2021 03 3(169). Epub 2021 Mar 3.

NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University;

Membrane proteins are vital for cell function and thus represent important drug targets. Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy offers a unique access to probe the structure and dynamics of such proteins in biological membranes of increasing complexity. Here, we present modern solid-state NMR spectroscopy as a tool to study structure and dynamics of proteins in natural lipid membranes and at atomic scale. Read More

Nucl Med Commun 2021 Mar 18. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Department of Quantum Medical Technology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital Department of Functional Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.

Purpose: A new low-energy high-resolution-sensitivity (LEHRS) collimator was developed by General Electric (GE) Healthcare. SwiftScan planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems using LEHRS collimator were developed to achieve the low-dose and/or short-time acquisition. We demonstrated the performance of SwiftScan planar and SPECT system with LEHRS collimator using phantoms. Read More

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2021 Mar 19. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z1 British Columbia, Canada.

Tandem mass spectral (MS/MS) data in liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis are often contaminated as the selection of precursor ions is based on a low-resolution quadrupole mass filter. In this work, we developed a strategy to differentiate contamination fragment ions (CFIs) from true fragment ions (TFIs) in an MS/MS spectrum. The rationale is that TFIs should coelute with their parent ions, but CFIs should not. Read More

Opt Express 2021 Jan;29(2):2049-2064

X-ray phase contrast imaging is a powerful analysis technique for materials science and biomedicine. Here, we report on laboratory grating-based X-ray interferometry employing a microfocus X-ray source and a high Talbot order (35th) asymmetric geometry to achieve high angular sensitivity and high spatial resolution X-ray phase contrast imaging in a compact system (total length <1 m). The detection of very small refractive angles (∼50 nrad) at an interferometer design energy of 19 keV was enabled by combining small period X-ray gratings (1. Read More

Opt Express 2021 Feb;29(4):6271-6281

Dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) is an emerging and promising spectrometric technique with high resolution, high sensitivity, broad spectral range, and fast acquisition speed. For the recovery of the information encoded on comb modes without resolution loss, two continuous wave lasers are commonly utilized as optical intermedia to track the real-time jitter of dual-comb interferograms. This paper presents a simplified error correction method based on single optical intermedium for quasi-free-running fiber DCS. Read More

Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021 Jan 30;5(1):e2000184. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Guangdong Province and Ministry of Education, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Avenue, Shenzhen, 518060, China.

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a nonlinear optical imaging method for visualizing chemical content based on molecular vibrational bonds. Featuring high speed, high resolution, high sensitivity, high accuracy, and 3D sectioning, SRS microscopy has made tremendous progress toward biochemical information acquisition, cellular function investigation, and label-free medical diagnosis in the biosciences. In this review, the principle of SRS, system design, and data analysis are introduced, and the current innovations of the SRS system are reviewed. Read More

Anal Chem 2021 03 10;93(11):4916-4923. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Institute of Materials Science & Devices, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, P.R. China.

Single-atom catalysts have attracted numerous attention due to the high utilization of metallic atoms, abundant active sites, and highly catalytic activities. Herein, a single-atom ruthenium biomimetic enzyme (Ru-Ala-CN) is prepared by dispersing Ru atoms on a carbon nitride support for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA), which are coexisting important biological molecules involving in many physiological and pathological aspects. The morphology and elemental states of the single-atom Ru catalyst are studied by transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray elemental mapping, high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2021 Mar 10. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Centro Cardiologico Monzino; IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

Aims: Patients with severe respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2 undergo cardiac complications due to hyper-inflammatory conditions. Although the presence of the virus has been detected in the myocardium of infected patients, and infection of induced pluripotent cells-derived cardiomyocytes has been demonstrated, the reported expression of ACE2 in cardiac stromal cells suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may determine cardiac injury by sustaining productive infection and increasing inflammation.

Methods And Results: We analyzed expression of ACE2 receptor in primary human cardiac stromal cells derived from cardiospheres, using proteomics and transcriptomics before exposing them to SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Feb 12;22(4). Epub 2021 Feb 12.

School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan.

Bioluminescence reactions are widely applied in optical in vivo imaging in the life science and medical fields. Such reactions produce light upon the oxidation of a luciferin (substrate) catalyzed by a luciferase (enzyme), and this bioluminescence enables the quantification of tumor cells and gene expression in animal models. Many researchers have developed single-color or multicolor bioluminescence systems based on artificial luciferin analogues and/or luciferase mutants, for application in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Read More

Analyst 2021 Mar 5. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Key Lab of Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China.

A new organosiloxane precursor ((E)-3-hydroxy-4-((2-(2-hydroxy-4-(3-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)ureido)benzoyl)hydrazono)methyl)phenyl(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)carbamate, hereinafter referred to as AHBH-Si) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) were mixed as the mixed Si source, and bridged periodic mesoporous organic silica (AHBH-PMOs) nanoparticles were obtained through the co-condensation reaction. AHBH-PMO nanoparticles possess mechanisms of "Aggregation Induced Emission" (AIE) and "Intramolecular Charge Transfer" (ICT), which originate from the molecular structure of AHBH having "C[double bond, length as m-dash]N" bond, ortho hydroxyl groups, etc.. Read More

Bio Protoc 2020 May 5;10(9):e3606. Epub 2020 May 5.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori, Japan.

Cells infected with flavivirus release various forms of infectious and non-infectious particles as products and by-products. Comprehensive profiling of the released particles by density gradient centrifugation is informative for understanding viral particle assembly. However, it is difficult to detect low-abundance minor particles in such analyses. Read More

Quant Imaging Med Surg 2021 Mar;11(3):1010-1022

Ultrasound and Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.

Background: Near infrared (NIR) environment-sensitive fluorophores are highly desired for many biomedical applications because of its non-invasive operation, high sensitivity and specificity, non-ionizing radiation and deep penetration in biological tissue. When the fluorophores are appropriately encapsulated in or conjugated with some thermal-sensitive polymers, they could work as excellent temperature-sensing probes.

Methods: In this study, we synthesized and characterized a series of NIR temperature-switchable nanoparticles based on two series of NIR fluorophores aza-BODIPY (ADP is used for abbreviation in this work) and Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and four pluronic polymers (F127, F98, F68 and F38). Read More

ACS Nano 2021 03 17;15(3):4077-4084. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Laboratory of Physics of Complex Matter (LPMC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Centre Est, Station 3, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

X-ray photon detection is important for a wide range of applications. The highest demand, however, comes from medical imaging, which requires cost-effective, high-resolution detectors operating at low-photon flux, therefore stimulating the search for novel materials and new approaches. Recently, hybrid halide perovskite CHNHPbI (MAPbI) has attracted considerable attention due to its advantageous optoelectronic properties and low fabrication costs. Read More

Biomed Chromatogr 2021 Feb 16:e5092. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

An ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometric (UHPLC-HRMS) method was developed for the simultaneous and sensitive quantification of 10 β-lactam antibiotics (cefepime, meropenem, amoxicillin, cefazolin, benzylpenicillin, ceftazidime, piperacillin, flucloxacillin, cefuroxime and aztreonam), linezolid and β-lactamase inhibitors tazobactam and clavulanic acid in human plasma. Validation according to the EMA guidelines showed excellent within- and between-run accuracy and precision (i.e. Read More

J Ultrasound 2021 Feb 15. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Department of Radiological, Oncological and Path Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

In December 2019 in Wuhan (China), a bat-origin coronavirus (2019-nCoV), also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified, and the World Health Organization named the related disease COVID-19. Its most severe manifestations are pneumonia, systemic and pulmonary thromboembolism, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and respiratory failure. A swab test is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of COVID-19 despite the high number of false negatives. Read More

J Sep Sci 2021 Feb 15. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Institute of Food Safety, Chinese Academy of Inspection & Quarantine, Beijing, P.R. China.

Heterocyclic aromatic amines, as a group of mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds, have gained worldwide concern. In this study, an accurate, rapid, and sensitive confirmation and quantification method of four major heterocyclic aromatic amines in roasted pork was developed based on Q-Orbitrap along with Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe extraction. The limit of detections and limit of quantitations were found to be 0. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2021 Jan 29;21(3). Epub 2021 Jan 29.

Division of Advanced Manufacturing, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.

Dual-comb spectroscopy has been an infusive spectroscopic tool for gas detection due to its high resolution, high sensitivity, and fast acquisition speed over a broad spectral range without any mechanical scanning components. However, the complexity and cost of high-performance dual-comb spectroscopy are still high for field-deployed applications. To solve this problem, we propose a simple frequency domain post-processing method by extracting the accurate position of a specific absorption line frame by frame. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jan;100(3):e24411

Ultrasound Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Province, China.

Background: Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a new ultrasound vascular imaging technology, which uses a new Doppler algorithm, it has the characteristics of high sensitivity and high resolution to detect low velocity blood flow; it is easier to detect microvessels with low-velocity flow compared with color Doppler flow imaging in theory; and it can image the microvessels of the lesion without angiography.[1] Previous studies showed that SMI can detect tumor neovascularization to differentiate benign from malignant focal liver lessions (FLLs). However, the results of these studies have been contradictory with low sample sizes. Read More