Commercial Availability Research Articles

Current progress and future perspectives in total‐body positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Part II: Clinical applications

AbstractTotal‐body positron emission tomography (TB‐PET) has significantly advanced from initial conception to global commercial availability. The high sensitivity of TB‐PET has led to superior lesion detection, thereby expanding the range of clinical applications. TB‐PET technology offers several advantages: (a) It enables the detection of small lesions, facilitating precise cancer staging and targeted cancer formulation. (b) The technology shortens the acquisition time while maintaining the quality of diagnostic images. (c) TB‐PET allows for a reduction in the amount of administered radiotracer, which minimizes image noise, reduces the effective radiation dose to patients, and enhances staff safety. (d) The scanner supports the development of new tracers and the dynamic imaging of these tracers throughout the entire body. (e) TB‐PET accommodates delayed scanning, which has been shown to improve the detection of small and previously undetected malignant lesions by enhancing the clearance in areas of significant background activity. (f) Owing to its high‐quality images, TB‐PET is suitable for parametric imaging, which offers several advantages over conventional standardized uptake value imaging. However, TB‐PET still faces several challenges. There is a lack of consensus on the optimal dose and scan duration for clinical diagnosis using TB‐PET. Additionally, unified standards for parametric imaging via TB‐PET are yet to be established, and the full clinical significance of this technology remains under‐explored. The accompanying review (Part 1) covers TB‐PET data manipulation and analysis.

Exploring the effect of porphyrin chemical structure on the performance of polymer-based Pressure-Sensitive Paints

Pressure sensitive paints (PSPs) are a powerful optical oxygen sensor technique for measuring the surface pressure distribution upon an aircraft model in wind tunnel testing. Traditional PSPs have relied heavily on platinum(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorphenyl)-porphyrin due to its reasonable quantum yield of emission, high pressure sensitivity, resistance to photo oxidation, and commercial availability. This work investigates the effect of luminophore chemical structure on PSP performance by altering the degree, substitution pattern, and nature of halogen atom on the phenyl groups of ten different Pt(II) tetraphenyl porphyrins. From this initial screening it was found that platinum(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-porphyrin polymer PSPs had a substantially lower temperature sensitivity and a slightly higher pressure sensitivity. Using this new luminophore a Fluoro/Isopropyl/Butyl (FIB) polymer based PSP formulation was optimised whereby it was found that 3.2% w/v of FIB polymer and 800 μM concentration of platinum(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-porphyrin gave a low temperature sensitivity at 100 kPa for a single component polymer based PSP of 0.22%/K and a relatively high pressure sensitivity at 293 K of 0.846, exceeding current commercial PSP performance.

Recent Developments and Applications of Biocatalytic and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis for the Generation of Diverse Classes of Drugs.

Biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic biosynthesis are powerful methods of organic chemistry that use enzymes to execute selective reactions and allow the efficient production of organic compounds. The advantages of these approaches include high selectivity, mild reaction conditions, and the ability to work with complex substrates. The utilization of chemoenzymatic techniques for the synthesis of complicated compounds has lately increased dramatically in the area of organic chemistry. Biocatalytic technologies and modern synthetic methods are utilized synergistically in a multi-step approach to a target molecule under this paradigm. Chemoenzymatic techniques are promising for simplifying access to essential bioactive compounds because of the remarkable regio- and stereoselectivity of enzymatic transformations and the reaction diversity of modern organic chemistry. Enzyme kits may include ready-to-use, reproducible biocatalysts. Its use opens up new avenues for the synthesis of active therapeutic compounds and aids in drug development by synthesizing active components to construct scaffolds in a targeted and preparative manner. This study summarizes current breakthroughs as well as notable instances of biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic synthesis. To assist organic chemists in the use of enzymes for synthetic applications, it also provides some basic guidelines for selecting the most appropriate enzyme for a targeted reaction while keeping aspects like cofactor requirement, solvent tolerance, use of whole cell or isolated enzymes, and commercial availability in mind.

Additive and Lithographic Manufacturing of Biomedical Scaffold Structures Using a Versatile Thiol-Ene Photocurable Resin.

Additive and lithographic manufacturing technologies using photopolymerisation provide a powerful tool for fabricating multiscale structures, which is especially interesting for biomimetic scaffolds and biointerfaces. However, most resins are tailored to one particular fabrication technology, showing drawbacks for versatile use. Hence, we used a resin based on thiol-ene chemistry, leveraging its numerous advantages such as low oxygen inhibition, minimal shrinkage and high monomer conversion. The resin is tailored to applications in additive and lithographic technologies for future biofabrication where fast curing kinetics in the presence of oxygen are required, namely 3D inkjet printing, digital light processing and nanoimprint lithography. These technologies enable us to fabricate scaffolds over a span of six orders of magnitude with a maximum of 10 mm and a minimum of 150 nm in height, including bioinspired porous structures with controlled architecture, hole-patterned plates and micro/submicro patterned surfaces. Such versatile properties, combined with noncytotoxicity, degradability and the commercial availability of all the components render the resin as a prototyping material for tissue engineers.

Low-cost dual-comb spectrometer for CO2 monitoring based on gain-switched semiconductor lasers

Dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) is an emerging technique that has attracted the attention of the research community due to its fast data acquisition and high-spectral resolution properties. Despite its versatility and mechanical stability, the complexity and cost of high performance DCS are still experimentally challenging. We propose a simple and compact DCS system that significantly reduces system costs by incorporating three low-cost key components: direct digital synthesizers and step recovery diodes in the signal generator to operate the lasers under gain-switching regime, and a software-defined radio as a digitizer. The viability of this configuration is demonstrated by performing DCS measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), with a standard deviation of residual error of only ∼ 0.01. These results will pave the way to the commercial availability of compact, high-resolution DCS systems.

Recent Synthesis of Mono‐ & Bis‐Pyranopyrazole Derivatives

AbstractRecent Synthesis of Mono‐ & Bis‐Pyranopyrazole Derivatives. Pyranopyrazole is an important structural unit in heterocyclic chemistry and is useful in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. The pyranopyrazole‐based compounds are known in the agricultural industry as herbicides, fungicides, and insecticide agents and in medicinal fields as antimicrobial, anticancer, and antiHIV agents. Despite its wide range of applications, the synthesis of pyranopyrazole has several limitations such as the cost of reagents, potential environmental risks, harsh reaction conditions, longer reaction times, laborious workup procedures, and unsatisfactory yields. However, many studies have been recently reported on the synthesis of pyranopyrazoles using mild, green, and environmentally friendly methods that also give higher yields. Different catalysts and conditions have been reported for the synthesis of pyranopyrazole using four, three, and two components. Among these, four‐component synthesis is commonly reported by using benzaldehyde, hydrazine derivatives, ethyl acetoacetate and malononitrile due to the commercial availability and stability of the reagents. This review summarized the recent synthesis of pyranopyrazole i. e., mono‐ and bis‐pyranopyrazole derivatives via four‐, three‐ and two‐component‐based reactions. Mono‐ and bis‐pyranopyrazole derivatives varied due to the number of pyranopyrazole units that contributed to play an important role in increasing the binding interaction and biological activities beneficial for pharmaceutical industries.

The mothers: contesting health-illness status and cultural authority in the age of AIDS

Despite the relevance and prevalence of research that produced knowledge about stigmatised groups and communities throughout the 1980s and 1990s, in the United States, studies that investigated the relationship between HIV/AIDS, intersectional stigma, and health-illness status among groups considered hegemonic are incipient—i.e., heterosexual, and white groups, who did not suffer stigma due to sexuality and race/colour, for example. In this study, such a gap is examined in order to observe the effects of stigma in non-exposed communities. Additionally, the article (i) explores the formation of a pioneering group of caregivers in New York City, the Mothers of Patients with AIDS (MPWA), created in 1986; and (ii) analyses narratives about health disease from a collective care agenda established by middle-aged and elderly mothers dealing with the challenges and needs of adult children and people with moderate and high degrees of dependence. This study is part of a larger project that investigated the emergence of non-profit organisations and gerontology care groups in the context of the HIV-AIDS epidemic in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. Documentary research was developed in the Florence Rush collection, made available by the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The selected materials bring together qualitative empirical sources from reports, personal histories, and interviews conducted by Florence Rush and other mothers, social workers, and health professionals. As the results attest, the narratives produced by Florence Rush’s interlocutors during the AIDS health crisis make it possible to understand how social and cultural dynamics of recognising the disease did not result in autonomous, individual, and objective processes for exposing the pathological state. The strategic use of the term “cancer” instead of “AIDS” as an umbrella definition, and one less demarcated by aspects involving gender and sexual behaviour, evidenced the sociality of the illness. Conclusions show how negative representations were associated with AIDS—perceived as harmful, immoral, or deviant behaviours — and produced new meanings and demands among patients who feared stigmatising classifications in the midst of sexual panic until the commercial availability of the antiretroviral cocktail in 1997.

Could Commercially Available Aqueous Binders Allow for the Fabrication of Highly Loaded Sulfur Cathodes with a Stable Cycling Performance?

In this review, the application of five commercially available aqueous-based binders including sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as well as some representative custom (or purpose) synthesized functional binders used in lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries is summarized based on the main evaluation criteria of cycling capacity, battery lifetime, and areal sulfur loading (and, consequently, energy density of the battery). CMC with SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) has been reported with promising results in highly loaded sulfur cathodes (>5 mg cm−2 sulfur loading). PVA and PEI were confirmed to provide an enhanced adsorption of lithium polysulfides due to the interaction with hydroxyl and amine groups. No competitive advantage in electrochemical performance was demonstrated through the use of PAA and PEO. Water-based binders modified with polysulfide-trapping functional groups have complex fabrication processes, which hinders their commercial application. In general, achieving a high capacity and long cycling stability for highly loaded sulfur cathodes using commercial aqueous-based binders remains a significant challenge. Additionally, the scalability of these reported sulfur cathodes, in terms of complexity, cost, and stable electrochemical cycling, should be evaluated through further battery testing, particularly targeting pouch cell performance.

A Journey of the Development of Privileged Difluorocarbene Reagents TMSCF2X (X = Br, F, Cl) for Organic Synthesis.

ConspectusAs fluorine has played an increasingly important role in modulating the physical, chemical, and biological properties of organic molecules, the selective introduction of fluorine atom(s) or fluorinated moieties into target molecules has become a powerful tool in the development of new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional materials. In this context, the difluoromethylene (CF2) and difluoromethyl (CF2H) groups are of special interest because of their ability to serve as bioisosteres of ethereal oxygen atoms and hydroxyl (OH) and thiol (SH) groups, respectively. Difluorocarbene is one of the most versatile reactive intermediates to incorporate CF2 and CF2H groups; however, before 2006, most of the previously known difluorocarbene reagents suffered from several drawbacks such as using ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), difficult-to-handle reagents, or harsh reaction conditions or having narrow substrate scope and/or low yields. Moreover, the reactivity of difluorocarbene generated from different precursors (reagents) was often unpredictable, since the difluorocarbene generation conditions (activation modes) of various difluorocarbene precursors are different, and these conditions may mismatch those required for subsequent difluorocarbene-involved transformations. Therefore, the development of new environmentally friendly and versatile difluorocarbene reagents, as well as the investigation of the mechanistic insights into difluorocarbene-involved reactions, has been highly desirable.In this Account, we summarize our contributions to the development of new difluorocarbene reagents and their applications in organic synthesis since 2006. We have developed seven new difluorocarbene reagents, including 2-chloro-2,2-difluoroacetophenone (1), chlorodifluoromethyl phenyl sulfone (2), S-difluoromethyl-S-phenyl-N-tosylsulfoximine (3), difluoromethyltri(n-butyl)ammonium chloride (4), (chlorodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF2Cl, 5), (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF2Br, 6), and (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF3, 7). In this journey, we realized the key factor for an ideal difluorocarbene reagent that can be used for a broad range of reactions, that is, the reagent should allow various activation modes for the generation of difluorocarbene species, such as under basic/acidic/neutral conditions, at wide range of temperatures, and in different solvents, which are compatible with a wide range of difluorocarbene-involved transformations. Among all known difluorocarbene reagents, silanes TMSCF2X (X = Br, F, Cl) have stood out as privileged ones, which paves a new avenue for further developing difluorocarbene chemistry. In particular, TMSCF2Br was recognized as an "all-rounder": TMSCF2Br can be applied in almost all common difluorocarbene-involved reactions, and more importantly, TMSCF2Br also enables many other novel transformations that other difluorocarbene reagents cannot achieve, thanks to its unique structure and rich activation modes of releasing difluorocarbene under different reaction conditions. It can be expected that with the commercial availability of TMSCF2X reagents (X = Br, F, Cl) now, the development of difluorocarbene chemistry will be accelerated in the years to come.

Project NextGen: Developing the Next Generation of COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics to Respond to the Present and Prepare for the Future.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology and product landscapes have changed considerably since onset of the pandemic. Safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics are available, but the continual emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants introduce limitations in our ability to prevent and treat disease. Project NextGen is a collaboration between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, that is leveraging public-private partnerships to address gaps in the nation's COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic capabilities. Targeted investments will advance promising next-generation candidates through the most difficult phases of clinical development to encourage further private sector interest for later stage development and commercial availability. New commercial vaccines and therapeutics that are more durable and effective across variants will improve our fight against COVID-19 and transform our response to future threats.

Radiomics and artificial intelligence for risk stratification of pulmonary nodules: Ready for primetime?

Pulmonary nodules are ubiquitously found on computed tomography (CT) imaging either incidentally or via lung cancer screening and require careful diagnostic evaluation and management to both diagnose malignancy when present and avoid unnecessary biopsy of benign lesions. To engage in this complex decision-making, clinicians must first risk stratify pulmonary nodules to determine what the best course of action should be. Recent developments in imaging technology, computer processing power, and artificial intelligence algorithms have yielded radiomics-based computer-aided diagnosis tools that use CT imaging data including features invisible to the naked human eye to predict pulmonary nodule malignancy risk and are designed to be used as a supplement to routine clinical risk assessment. These tools vary widely in their algorithm construction, internal and external validation populations, intended-use populations, and commercial availability. While several clinical validation studies have been published, robust clinical utility and clinical effectiveness data are not yet currently available. However, there is reason for optimism as ongoing and future studies aim to target this knowledge gap, in the hopes of improving the diagnostic process for patients with pulmonary nodules.

Epidemiology of and Genetic Factors Associated with Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe, rare protozoal infection of the cornea. Acanthamoeba can survive in diverse habitats and at extreme temperatures. AK is mostly seen in contact lens wearers whose lenses have become contaminated or who have a history of water exposure, and in those without contact lens wear who have experienced recent eye trauma involving contaminated soil or water. Infection usually results in severe eye pain, photophobia, inflammation, and corneal epithelial defects. The pathophysiology of this infection is multifactorial, including the production of cytotoxic proteases by Acanthamoeba that degrades the corneal epithelial basement membrane and induces the death of ocular surface cells, resulting in degradation of the collagen-rich corneal stroma. AK can be prevented by avoiding risk factors, which includes avoiding water contact, such as swimming or showering in contact lenses, and wearing protective goggles when working on the land. AK is mostly treated with an antimicrobial therapy of biguanides alone or in combination with diaminidines, although the commercial availability of these medicines is variable. Other than anti-amoeba therapies, targeting host immune pathways in Acanthamoeba disease may lead to the development of vaccines or antibody therapeutics which could transform the management of AK.

Application of green synthesized magnesium oxide nanoparticles to prolong commercial availability of Vitis vinifera L

The objective of the study was to extend shelf life of Vitis vinifera (L.) by the application of green synthesized Magnesium oxide nanoparticles. Aqueous leaf extract of Azadirachta indica A. juss. and various concentrations of 20 mM, 30 mM, and 40 mM solutions of Magnesium nitrate hexa hydrate salt, were used to synthesize nanoparticles of different size. The characterization of nanoparticles was done by SEM, XRD, and UV. The antimicrobial activity of MgO NPs was evaluated for Azospirilum brasilense and Trichoderma viride, representative of microbes responsible for V. vinifera fruits spoilage. Nanoparticles with crystal size of 28.60 nm has more pronounced effect against microbes. The Shelf life of the Vitis vinifera L. was evaluated by application of 28.60 nm MgO NPs through T1 (nanoparticles coated on packaging), T2 (nanoparticles coated directly on fruit) at 4 °C and 25 °C. T1 at 4 °C was effective to extend the shelf life of Vitis vinifera (L) for an average of 20 days.

Development of an Improved LASER-Resistant Endotracheal Tube.

Surgical fires, particularly within Otolaryngology, remain a surprisingly frequent and devastating complication of laser-related surgery in the oropharynx and airway; Current estimates suggest anywhere from 200 to 600 surgical fires per year in the United States, with 20%-30% of these occurring as a complication of laser surgery and 90%-95% of these occurring in the head and neck region. Unfortunately, the complications of laser surgery in the airway may include respiratory failure, airway burns with stenosis, and may result in mortality. The most commonly utilized endotracheal tube for protection against inadvertent laser strikes, the Laser-Shield II tube (Medtronic), was removed from the commercial marketplace in 2016 after cases of airway fires were reported as a result of feature deficiencies in the product (FDA MAUDE Database review). Since the demise of the Laser-Shield II tube, alternatives such as the Mallinckrodt laser tube and handmade reinforced tubes have been utilized, although shortcomings in design and features have made these options less appealing to practicing Otolaryngologists. Creating a laser-safe endotracheal tube is critical for safe upper airway surgery. This paper evaluates new technologies, materials, and technical innovations in endotracheal tubes that may advance patient safety in laser-assisted Otolaryngology procedures. This paper evaluates new technologies, materials, and technical innovations in endotracheal tubes that may advance patient safety in laser-assisted Otolaryngology procedures. First, this article reviews the background of laser surgery in Otolaryngology and the consequent risk of surgical fire with resultant development of laser-resistant endotracheal tubes and commercial availability. Next, a review of claims and national database review of product failures related to previous laser-resistant endotracheal tubes is performed through the FDA MAUDE database. This includes an evaluation of cases: review of techniques in laser airway surgery including spontaneous ventilation, decreased O2 concentration, currently available endotracheal tubes including "handmade" fixes for perceived safety risks, and determination of failure points for previous laser-resistant endotracheal tubes. Third, the paper reviews the requested features of an "ideal" laser-resistant endotracheal tube. Finally, the paper reviews failure testing from an initial, unsuccessful attempt at material development and the consequent development of alternative technologies that address failure points from previous endotracheal tubes and addresses requested features with a detailed analysis of FDA-approval required testing. Extensive lab testing of the new tube predicts a significant reduction of risk in vivo with inability to perforate the shaft or cuff of the tubes under standard working conditions. While no iteration of a laser-resistant endotracheal tube is entirely laser safe, advances in technology can improve the safety profile of these devices. The new tube contains a double cuff, a soft and flexible shaft to minimize laryngeal insertion trauma, a smooth external surface, a tight-to-shaft balloon, and methylene blue dye in the cuff to alert the user to inadvertent penetration. These characteristics were the most requested by laryngologists in the development of a new laser-resistant tube. The newest endotracheal tube brings the features most requested by Otolaryngologists in a laser-resistant tube, and improves the safety profile over previous tubes. Development of a new endotracheal tube represents an advancement in safety for the Otolaryngologist in laser airway surgery. Understanding the previous history and the science behind surgical fire formation is essential in advancing safety for patients in the future. N/A Laryngoscope, 134:S1-S12, 2024.

Influence of Silicon Oxide Processes on the Performance of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Flexible Solar Cells

Stainless steel (SS) foils have successful flexible device applications because of their excellent high‐temperature performance and commercial availability, and they are widely used as flexible substrate materials for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. The method used to control metal impurities is crucial for producing high‐quality cells. Herein, CIGS precursor films are deposited on SS foils coated with a SiOx/Ti compound barrier layer by sputtering a CIGS quaternary target. The absorber layer is recrystallized at a high annealing temperature (≈600 °C). The relationship between cell performance and SiOx layer processes is investigated. The diffusion of Fe and Cr in the annealed films is influenced by SiOx layer processes. The proposed CIGS flexible cells obtain better conversion efficiency when thicker SiOx layers are deposited at high sputtering powers.

P20 Clinical metagenomics from cell-free DNA: overview and lessons learned from 4 years as a clinical metagenomics provider

Abstract Background Clinical metagenomics emerges more and more from academic research to clinical practice. Here, we share an overview of the field of clinical metagenomics on cell-free DNA found in the blood of patients with severe infections and share a few learning points regarding the implementation as a routine lab service and CE-IVD marked software running in the cloud. Methods We use next-generation sequencing of cell-free DNA to digitally determine relevant pathogens from patients with systemic infections in blood and other bodily fluids using our CE-IVD marked DISQVER diagnostic platform. Until now we have collected microbial data from several thousand samples within 4 years of routine service. Results The set up of the DISQVER test is within the regulatory framework of CE-IVD marking of software as a service (SaaS) and ISO 13485 accreditation. This brings practical implications on database quality, software lock-in/development/testing, change and risk management, technical documentation, requiring substantial resources. Also the wetlab process runs within tightly defined and controlled QM boundaries, pre-set by extensive analytical validations. We clinically validated our test for pathogen identification from blood within 8 clinical trials for intensive care medicine, haematology and coinfection in COVID-19, showing 2- to 3-fold higher identification rates for pathogens in comparison to standard of care blood culture. Furthermore, several case reports/ case series from different clinical backgrounds, frequently with difficult to diagnose pathogens, have been published. From the analysis of our routine processes with several thousand samples, we could show that the turn-around time of our mNGS process is very fast and can detect more species than blood culture. In particular, the relatively high proportion of fungi and dsDNA viruses indicates superiority of the method compared with the standard diagnostic pathway. Conclusions To bridge the gap between academic research and clinical implementation, many aspects of regulatory, technical and data protection requirements need to be addressed. Within the timeframe of commercial availability DISQVER from cell-free DNA found in the blood of infected patients is increasingly becoming a useful tool for infection diagnostics.

Stachydrine, a pyrrole alkaloid with promising therapeutic potential against metabolic syndrome and associated organ dysfunction.

Metabolic syndrome is a multifaceted condition marked by interconnected risk factors, significantly increasing the risk of serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Effective management often demands new medications due to complexity of the conditions and limitations of current treatments. Natural compounds are increasingly recognized in drug discovery due to their vast chemical diversity, commercial availability, low cost, and minimal side effects. One such compound is stachydrine (STA), also known as proline betaine or N-dimethyl proline. This simple pyrrole alkaloid is a major constituent of the genus Leonurus and the family Lamiaceae, and it shows promise due to its potential therapeutic properties. A comprehensive review of the literature, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder, and Google Scholar, has provided extensive information on the sources, chemistry, biosynthesis, derivatives, molecular targets, biological activities, bioavailability, and toxicity of STA. This review highlights numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of STA in various therapeutic areas, including anti-obesity, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, and cardiovascular protection, among others. The wide range of biological activities of STA is attributed to its influence on multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways, such as ACE/AngII/AT1R-TGFβ1, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, AKT/ERK, AMPK/CAMKKβ/LKB1, CaMKII/PLN, etc. which are critical in the development and progression of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, this review addresses limitations related to the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of STA. Overall, the findings underscore the potential of STA as a therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome and related disorders, suggesting that further clinical investigation is warranted to fully understand and utilize its benefits.

A PEDOT based graft copolymer with enhanced electronic stability.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) remains the most investigated conjugated polymer in bioelectronics, due to its biocompatibility, high conductivity, and commercial availability. Despite these advantages, it suffers from structural and electronic instability, associated with the PSS component. Here, a graft copolymer based on ionised sulfonic modified PEDOT, poly(EDOTS-g-EDOT), was electrochemically synthesised with demonstrated structural and electronic stability and enhanced electrochemical performance. The graft copolymer was insoluble in water without crosslinking, and exhibited enhanced ion diffusion upon electrochemical switching, as revealed by its volumetric capacitance (159 ± 8 F cm-3), which was significantly higher than that of spin-coated PEDOT:PSS films (41 ± 5 F cm-3). Similarly, its performance as an active channel material in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) was superior to the spin-coated PEDOT:PSS, as shown for instance by its high normalised transconductance (273 ± 79 S cm-1) and a significantly high ION/IOFF ratio (19 345 ± 1205). Its short- and long-term electronic stability were also confirmed with no drop in its output drain current, despite its high swelling degree. In contrast, the spin-coated PEDOT:PSS experienced a significant deterioration in its performance over the same operational time. The facile synthesis and improved performance of poly(EDOTS-g-EDOT) highlight the importance of innovative material design in overcoming existing operational shortcomings in electronic devices.

Internationally standardized respiratory viral load testing with limited resources: A derivative-of-care calibration strategy for SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated that, in targeted circumstances, viral quantification within respiratory specimens can valuably inform patient management, as well as research. Nevertheless, the pandemic has illustrated concomitant challenges for obtaining high-quality (and broadly comparable) respiratory viral loads. This includes a critical need for standardization and calibration, even though the necessary resources may not always be available for emergent pathogens and non-bloodstream specimens. To these ends, we describe a novel strategy for implementing quantitative SARS-CoV-2 testing with International Unit-based calibration. Earlier in the course of the pandemic-when analytic resources were far more limited-select residual SARS-CoV-2 positive specimens from routine care in our diagnostic laboratory were pooled to formulate a clinically realistic secondary standard of high volume and analyte concentration, which was cross-calibrated to the primary SARS-CoV-2 standard of the World Health Organization. The resultant calibrators were integrated into the original CDC RT-qPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2, whose (now broadened) performance characteristics were defined to generate a test appropriate for both clinical and research use. This test allowed for the quantification of virus in respiratory specimens down to a validated lower limit of quantification of 103.4 IU/ml. By self-formulating calibrators from this derivative-of-care secondary standard, we successfully validated respiratory viral loads without the commercial availability (at that time) of quantitative assays or calibrators. As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to decline-and even beyond this pathogen-this strategy may be applicable for laboratories seeking to implement viral load testing for nontraditional specimen types despite limited resources.

Enhanced removal of emerging contaminants from tap water by developing graphene oxide and nanoplatelet hybrid aerogels.

The removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) from drinking water is a current challenge of global concern. Graphene-based sorbents are attracting increasing interest in this field owing to the chemical versatility of graphene-based materials, their commercial availability and processability in various 3D structures. Herein, for the first time, graphene aerogels (GAs) are reported based on the synergy of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) derived from waste tire and their use as a sorbent for a mixture of ECs in tap water. Reduction of GO up to 52.1% (O/C = 0.092) was demonstrated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, whereas no changes in the GNP structure during aerogel synthesis were demonstrated with comprehensive spectroscopic and microscopic characterisation. Adsorption of a selection of ECs in a mixture from tap water was tested under flow conditions by inserting the aerogels into filtration cartridges and filtering tap water spiked with the mixture of ECs. Remarkably, the GO + GNP aerogel showed an increase in adsorption capacity of about 2.3 times that of the rGO aerogel owing to the higher obtained surface area, 27 instead of 16 m2 g-1, and the resultant more-reduced structure.