ABSTRACT Introduction: There is a lack of electrochemical biosensors that allow finding hemoglobin (Hb), a protein found within red blood cells, available in athletes’ urine samples. Objective: This work is focused on the production of dsDNA immobilized on an Au-modified glassy carbon electrode (dsDNA/Au/GCE) and its use as a sensor for the presence of urinary hemoglobin. Methods: The elements were deposited in spherical form and tested as a porosity electrode surface for DNA immobilization according to the surface scan of the functionalized dsDNA/Au/GCE using SEM analysis. DPV and amperometry were used to conduct electrochemical studies. Results: Amperometric analyses showed that Hb determination on dsDNA/Au/GCE showed better stability and sensitivity. In the existence of multiple interfering species and clinical urine samples produced, the selectivity and the actual ability of dsDNA/Au/GCE for hemoglobin determination were investigated. Conclusion: The results showed that dsDNA/Au/GCE is effective, reliable, and selective as an electrochemical sensor of Hb. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMEN Introducción: Se carece de biosensores electroquímicos que permitan encontrar la hemoglobina (Hb), una proteína que se encuentra dentro de los glóbulos rojos, disponible en las muestras de orina de los deportistas. Objetivo: Este trabajo se centra en la producción de dsDNA inmovilizado en un electrodo de carbono vítreo modificado con Au (dsDNA/Au/GCE) y su uso como sensor de la presencia de hemoglobina urinaria. Métodos: Los elementos fueron depositados en forma esférica y probados como una superficie de electrodo porosa para la inmovilización de ADN, según el escaneo de la superficie del dsDNA/Au/GCE funcionalizado, utilizando el análisis SEM. Se utilizó la DPV y la amperometría para realizar estudios electroquímicos. Resultados: Los análisis amperométricos demostraron que la determinación de Hb en dsDNA/Au/GCE mostraba un mayor grado de estabilidad y sensibilidad. En la existencia de múltiples especies interferentes y muestras clínicas de orina producidas, se investigó la selectividad y la capacidad real del dsDNA/Au/GCE para la determinación de Hb. Conclusión: Los resultados mostraron que el dsDNA/Au/GCE es eficaz, fiable y selectivo como sensor electroquímico de Hb. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

RESUMO Introdução: Há uma carência de biossensores eletroquímicos que permitam encontrar a hemoglobina (Hb), uma proteína encontrada dentro dos glóbulos vermelhos do sangue, disponível em amostras de urina dos atletas. Objetivo: Este trabalho é focado na produção de dsDNA imobilizado em um eletrodo de carbono vítreo Au-modificado (dsDNA/Au/GCE) e seu uso como sensor para a presença de hemoglobina urinária. Métodos: Os elementos foram depositados em forma esférica e testados como superfície de eletrodo de porosidade para imobilização do DNA, de acordo com o exame de superfície do dsDNA/Au/GCE funcionalizado, utilizando análise SEM. DPV e amperometria foram usados para conduzir estudos eletroquímicos. Resultados: As análises amperométricas demonstraram que a determinação de Hb em dsDNA/Au/GCE apresentou um melhor grau de estabilidade e sensibilidade. Na existência de múltiplas espécies interferentes e amostras clínicas de urina produzidas, a seletividade e capacidade real do dsDNA/Au/GCE para a determinação da hemoglobina foram investigadas. Conclusão: Os resultados mostraram que o dsDNA/Au/GCE é efetivo, confiável e seletivo como sensor eletroquímico de Hb. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

Abstract Background Although traditionally used for the diagnosis of skin tumors, in the past few years dermoscopy as a clinical diagnostic aid for inflammatory and infectious skin manifestations has also received more and more attention. The clinical variability of cutaneous sarcoidosis (CS) often makes its correct diagnosis challenging. Dermoscopy can be used as an auxiliary examination method. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the role of dermoscopy in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CS. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 39 CS clinical and dermoscopic images collected in the Department of Dermatology, Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University from August 2013 to February 2021. Results Retrospective dermoscopic evaluation revealed small grouped, translucent orange globular structures in all 39 cases. Variable diameter linear vessels were found in 38 cases. A central scar-like area was seen in 26 cases. Bright white streaks were seen in 30 cases. The follicular plugs were seen in 15 cases. Study limitations First, the number of cutaneous sarcoidosis cases the authors collected is small. Second, due to the lack of a control group, the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed criteria were not calculated. Finally, since our study mainly includes suspicious lesions that were biopsied for diagnostic purposes, there may be a selection bias. Conclusion Lesions showing on dermoscopy grouped translucent orange ovoid structures associated with linear vessels should raise the suspicion of CS. Central scar-like areas and bright white streaks are also helpful in the diagnosis of CS.

Naringenin (NAR) is a major flavanone in citrus fruits that has multiple pharmacological attributes such as anticancer and antiatherogenic. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of NAR in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis (AS) in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice. A HFD-induced AS ApoE-/- mouse model was established. The mice were treated with HFD, different doses of NAR and simvastatin (Simv). After drug treatment, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined. The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected using qRT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The plaque area of the aorta of AS mice was determined using oil red O staining. Western blot analysis was applied to measure the levels of autophagy-related proteins [protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), beclin 1, and p62]. The TC, TG, LDL-C, TNF-α, ALT, and MDA levels were significantly increased while the HDL-C, SOD, and GSH-Px levels were decreased in the HFD-induced AS ApoE-/- mice. NAR treatment reversed the expression of the above indicators in mice. After they were treated with different doses of NAR, the LC3B and beclin 1 levels were improved while the p62 protein level was decreased. This study suggested that NAR could promote cell autophagy to improve HFD-induced AS in ApoE-/- mice.

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China and has spread rapidly worldwide. We present a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection in a baby with non-productive cough and normal chest computed tomography, in whom only anal swabs tested positive by real-time PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2. She was given atomization inhalation therapy with recombinant human interferon alfa-1b for 10 days. Her anal swabs remained positive for eight days, whereas her throat swabs were persistently negative by real-time PCR testing. Mild and asymptomatic cases, especially in children, might present with PCR negative pharyngeal/nasal swabs and PCR positive anal swabs. Those patients are potential sources of infection via fecal-oral transmission for COVID-19.

A series of three new benzohydrazone derivatives, N'-(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzylidene)-4-methylbenzohydrazide (1), N'-(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzylidene)-4-hydroxybenzohydrazide (2), and N'-(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzylidene)-4-dimethylaminobenzohydrazide (3), were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, Ή and 13C NMR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound (1) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell dimensions a = 27.421(1) Å, b = 9.9843(4) Å, c = 24.302(1) Å, β = 119.416(2)°, V = 5795.7(5) ų, Z = 16, R1 = 0.0520, and wR2 = 0.1172. Compound (2) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 9.511(2) Å, b = 9.866(2) Å, c = 13.871(3) Å, V = 1301.6(5) ų, Z = 4, R1 = 0.0342, and wR2 = 0.0912. Compound (3) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell dimensions a = 26.957(2) Å, b = 10.0612(9) Å, c = 25.526(2) Å, β = 114.405(3)°, V= 6304.5(10) ų, Z = 16, R1 = 0.0532, and wR2 = 0.1079. X-ray diffraction indicated that the benzohydrazone molecules of the compounds display trans configuration with respect to the C=N double bonds. The crystal structures of the compounds are stabilized by hydrogen bonds and weak π···π interactions.

Um eletrodo de partículas compósitas de carbono modificado com níquel níquel (Ni/AC) foi preparado por deposição sem aplicação de corrente com pré-tratamento livre de paládio para melhorar o desempenho eletrocatalítico do eletrodo compósito em uma cela eletroquímica. As condições de preparo do eletrodo de partículas compósitas de Ni/AC foram otimizadas usando-se como índice a razão do descoramento de uma solução do corante alaranjado de metila. Os eletrodos de partículas compósitas foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, difração de raios-X e análises por espectrometria de energia dispersiva. Os desempenhos eletrocatalíticos do eletrodo de partículas Ni/AC foram examinados por meio de vários parâmetros, incluindo dosagem do eletrodo de partículas, concentração de sulfato de sódio, tensão da cela e tempo de eletrólise. Os resultados foram comparados com os de eletrodo de partículas convencionais de carbono ativado (AC). Esses resultados indicaram ser possível preparar um eletrodo de partículas compósitas de Ni/AC por revestimento electroless com pré-tratamento sem paládio. As condições ótimas de preparo do eletrodo Ni/AC eram 40 g L-1 NiSO4·6H2O, 27 g L-1 NaH2PO2·H2O, 50 °C temperatura de revestimento, e 20 min tempo de revestimento. O desempenho eletrocatalítico do eletrodo Ni/AC foi superior ao do eletrodo AC sob as mesmas condições de eletrólise. A constante de velocidade de oxidação do alaranjado de metila pelo eletrodo Ni/AC foi 1,5 vezes maior que o do eletrodo AC.

A nickel-loaded activated carbon (Ni/AC) composite particle electrode was prepared by electroless deposition with palladium-free pretreatment to improve the electrocatalytic performance of a composite particle electrode in a three-dimensional electrode cell. The preparation conditions of the Ni/AC particle electrode were optimized using the decolorization ratio of methyl orange dye solution as an index. The composite particle electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive spectrometry analyses. The electrocatalytic performances of the Ni/AC particle electrode were examined by a series of parameters, including particle electrode dose, sodium sulfate concentration, cell voltage, and electrolysis time. The results were compared with those of conventional activated carbon (AC) particle electrode. These results indicated the feasibility of preparing a Ni/AC composite particle electrode by electroless plating with non-palladium pretreatment. The optimal conditions for preparing the Ni/AC electrode were 40 g L-1 NiSO4·6H2O, 27 g L-1 NaH2PO2·H2O, 50 °C plating temperature, and 20 min plating time. The electrocatalytic performance of Ni/AC electrode was superior to that of AC electrode under the same electrolysis conditions. The rate constant of the Ni/AC electrode electrochemical oxidation of methyl orange was 1.5 times larger than that of AC electrode.

Over the past three decades, mortality from lung cancer has sharply and continuously increased in China, ascending to the first cause of death among all types of cancer. The ability to identify the actual sequence of gene mutations may help doctors determine which mutations lead to precancerous lesions and which produce invasive carcinomas, especially using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. In this study, we analyzed the latest lung cancer data in the COSMIC database, in order to find genomic "hotspots" that are frequently mutated in human lung cancer genomes. The results revealed that the most frequently mutated lung cancer genes are EGFR, KRAS and TP53.In recent years, EGFR and KRAS lung cancer test kits have been utilized for detecting lung cancer patients, but they presented many disadvantages, as they proved to be of low sensitivity, labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we constructed a more complete catalogue of lung cancer mutation events including 145 mutated genes. With the genes of this list it may be feasible to develop a NGS kit for lung cancer mutation detection.

Reputation systems provide a form of social control and reveal behaviour patterns in the uncertain and risk-laden environment of the open Internet. However, proposed reputation systems typically focus on the effectiveness and accuracy of reputation management, and suffer from a number of common vulnerabilities. As a result, introducing reputation management into the business environment may only replace the problems it hopes to solve with new issues. This paper aims to improve the security and robustness of reputation systems through 1) identifying the basic requirements in that area, 2) analyzing existing reputation systems for e-Commerce and a handful of other environments to compare their design choices and solutions provided, and 3) compiling a number of topical practices into guidelines for future research and development of reputation systems.

The role of myogenic enhancer transcription factor 2a (MEF2A) in avian muscle during fetal development is unknown. In this work, we cloned the duck MEF2A cDNA sequence (GenBank accession no. HM460752) and examined its developmental expression profiles in cardiac muscle, non-vascular smooth muscle and skeletal muscle. Duck MEF2A cDNA comprised 1479 bp encoding 492 amino acid residues. In silico analysis showed that MEF2A contained MADS (MCM1, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENS and SRF -serum response factor), MEF2 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) transcription domains with high homology to related proteins in other species. Modified sites in these domains were conserved among species and several variants were found. Quantitative PCR showed that MEF2A was expressed in all three muscles at each developmental stage examined, with the expression in smooth muscle being higher than in the other muscles. These results indicate that the conserved domains of duck MEF2A, including the MADS and MEF2 domains, are important for MEF2A transcription factor function. The expression of MEF2A in duck smooth muscle and cardiac muscle suggests that MEF2A plays a role in these two tissues.