Fast Test Research Articles

Prehabilitative versus rehabilitative exercise in prostate cancer patients undergoing prostatectomy

PurposeThe study compared the efficacy of commencing supervised exercise in men with prostate cancer before and after prostatectomy on objective and patient-reported outcomes, hospital length of stay, and urinary incontinence.MethodsForty-one men were randomised to a 6-week prehabilitation or rehabilitation exercise programme. Prehabilitation involved resistance and aerobic exercise thrice weekly pre-surgery, while rehabilitation comprised the same commencing 6-weeks post-surgery. Assessments included strength, function (chair rise, stair climb, 400-m, 6-m usual, fast, and backwards walk), body composition, fatigue and quality of life, undertaken at pre-surgery, early post-surgery and late post-surgery phase, with urinary incontinence (24-h pad test) assessed at 2, 6, and 12-weeks post-surgery. Intention-to-treat and sensitivity analyses were undertaken.ResultsOf thirty-eight men (48–73 years), 29 completed all assessments with most undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (92.1%). In the pre-surgery phase, prehabilitation improved muscle strength (leg press: 17.2 kg; chest press: 2.9 kg; p ≤ 0.001), 400-m, chair rise, 6-m fast and backward walk tests (p ≤ 0.001–0.028). Strength and function declines in the early post-surgery phase were maintained late post-surgery. Rehabilitation showed declines of these outcomes after surgery with improvement late post-surgery (leg press: 14.6 kg, p < 0.001; chest press: 6.8 kg, p < 0.001; 400-m walk: -12.0 s, p = 0.005), resulting in no difference between groups at 12 weeks. There were no significant differences between groups for patient-reported outcomes, hospital length of stay or urinary incontinence.ConclusionPre-surgical exercise enhanced strength and function, protecting against post-surgery declines. Although exercise post-surgery is beneficial for recouping strength and function, where possible men undergoing prostatectomy are encouraged to exercise pre-surgery.Trial registrationACTRN12617001115325 registered 31 July 2017.

A new method for instrumental assessment of color stability

The article considers the improvement of methods for testing the color fastness of textile materials with the replacement of the visual method with an objective colorimetric evaluation method. A new method for testing the color fastness of textile materials is proposed. The analysis of domestic and foreign standards that establish the calculation and establishment of color fastness standards for cotton fabrics and their comparison with the norms of international and domestic standards was carried out. It is shown that the development of methods for instrumental determination of color fastness to friction, which is an alternative to the method of visual assessment of the color fastness of any textile material on a gray scale, is currently an urgent and promising scientific and technical task. A new method for testing the color fastness of textile materials is proposed. The overall color difference (ΔE) between the test sample of the color fastness test material and the original sample was measured. For both samples, the over-all color difference was determined in the CIEL*a*b* system, the values of which are converted into equivalent points on a gray scale. The score in terms of the value of ΔE was calculated on a computer using the Ecsel environment and displaying the calculation results on the display screen.

X-Ray Diffraction line profile analysis of defects and precipitates in high displacement damage neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels

Irradiation-induced defects and the precipitates in the wrapper material of the Indian Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), SS 316 are analyzed using the synchrotron source-based Angle Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction (ADXRD) technique with X-rays of energy 17.185 keV (wavelength ∼0.72146 Å). The differences and similarities in the high displacement damage samples as a function of dpa (displacement per atom) and dpa rate in the range of 2.9 × 10−7- 9 × 10−7dpa/s are studied. Ferrite and M23C6 are commonly observed in the present set of high displacement damage 40–74 dpa SS 316 samples irradiated at temperatures in the range of 400–483 °C. Also, the dislocation density has increased as a function of the irradiation dose. The X-ray diffraction peak profile parameters quantified such as peak shift and asymmetry show that the irradiation-induced defects are sensitive to the dpa rate-irradiation temperature combinations. The increase in yield strength as a function of displacement damage is also correlated to the dislocation density.

PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT OF PIGMENT PRINTED POLYESTER FABRIC USING PLASMA TECHNOLOGY

Today, the customer is the king of the market and polyester fabric is in high demand as it is more economical and has many good properties when compared with other textile material. Polyester is claiming more than 75percent of the estimated 60 million metric tons of fibres consumed in man-made textiles in the apparel industry over natural fibres. Naseerali (2013) In this study the researcher has made an attempt to improve the absorbency of polyester fabric as well as to reduce its static charge. Air plasma technology was used to treat the surface of 100% polyester fabric at different time durations of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 minutes. The control and the surface modified fabrics were then printed with water- based pigments which are eco-friendly and without water based pigments which are commercially used. As most of the pigment printed samples get peeled off so it was plasma treated and then printed to evaluate the durability of the pigment prints. The UPF (ultra-violet protection factor) value of all the control and the modified sample were then evaluated to determine the ultraviolet radiation blockage or transmittance by fabrics intended to be used for UV protection. It was further found that better UPF value of the modified non water- based pigment at 90 minutes when compared to water based pigment samples and untreated samples. The fastness properties like rub and color fastness were observed with standard methods. In the rub fastness tests it was observed that the plasma treated with water based pigments for 30 minutes gave better dry rub fastness and it concludes that plasma treatment more than 30 minutes is not required because it gives a better results at 30 minutes. In the color fastness properties the water- based and non-water based pigment printing gave a better result at all-time durations than the control sample, so in concern of energy usage, treatment can be given for less time duration to have better quality products.

Verification of point-of-care analysers for C-reactive protein, lipid studies and glycated haemoglobin

Due to increased convenience and faster test results, interest in point-of-care testing (PoCT) has grown significantly. Though PoCT may improve the speed and convenience of testing, the devices need to be fit for their intended purpose. Our aim was to verify the performance of Roche cobas b 101 and Abbott Afinion 2 for C-reactive protein (CRP), lipid studies and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and Siemens Atellica DCA for HbA1c. For all PoCT analysers and measurands, accuracy was assessed by method comparison with central laboratory analysers. Passing-Bablok linear regression was performed, and Bland-Altman plots were generated. The proportion of samples within the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs Analytical Performance Specifications (RCPAQAP APS) was assessed. Within-run and between-day imprecision was assessed and compared with manufacturer claims and biological variation or clinical guidelines for desirable imprecision. For CRP, both evaluated PoCT analysers had all samples within the RCPAQAP APS and had optimal imprecision according to biological variation. For lipid studies, the Roche cobas b 101 had most samples within the RCPAQAP APS, with two of 22 cholesterol, one of 22 high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and zero of 22 triglyceride comparisons outside the RCPAQAP APS. The Abbott Afinion 2 had a positive bias with all three measured parameters, although the effect was more limited in the calculated parameters cholesterol:HDL-C ratio, non-HDL-C and low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). For HbA1c, all analysers had acceptable imprecision for monitoring with coefficient of variation (CV) <3% and minimal bias at the treatment target (HbA1c 53 mmol/mol or 7.0%). However, significant biases were apparent at higher or lower HbA1c for all analysers. All evaluated analysers were fit for purpose for CRP and for serial monitoring of HbA1c, although bias in some analysers was present at extremes of HbA1c. For lipid studies, the Roche cobas b 101 had fewer results outside the RCPAQAP allowable limits, and better precision. The Abbott Afinion 2 had a positive bias on both the cholesterol and HDL-C, but there is limited clinical impact when calculating cholesterol:HDL-C, LDL-C and non-HDL-C.

A comparative study on outcomes of fasting vs postprandial thyroid function tests among pregnant mothers in a tertiary care setting in Sri Lanka.

Accurate estimation of serum thyrotropin (TSH) is crucial in the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in pregnancy. We aimed to investigate whether there are significant differences between fasting and nonfasting thyroid function tests (TFTs) among pregnant mothers. We studied 100 pregnant mothers with previously unknown thyroid dysfunction. An equal number of participants were included in each trimester. All pregnant mothers underwent fasting and 2-hour postprandial TFTs (TSH, free T4). Postprandial TSH (mean 1.01 mIU/L, SD 0.80) was significantly lower than the fasting TSH (mean 1.47 mIU/L, SD 1.18) in pregnancy (P < .01). Postprandial free T4 (mean 10.30 pmol/L, SD 2.01) was also lowered compared with fasting free T4 (mean 10.70 pmol/L, SD 1.99) in pregnancy (P < .01). The prevalence of SCH in pregnancy estimated using fasting TSH was 9.4% (SD 3%). In contrast, the prevalence was only 3.5% (SD 2%) when postprandial TSH was used. Compared with the fasting state, postprandial TSH demonstrates a statistically significant reduction that greatly influences the diagnosis of SCH in pregnant mothers. Therefore, we conclude that the timing of sampling for TFTs should be standardized, especially in the pregnant population.

Absence of the influence of the APOE gene on the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a cohort of workers: Effect of diet and shift work

BackgroundAPOE gene encoded a multifunctional protein in lipid metabolism, also associated with inflammatory markers. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease related to increased blood glucose, triglycerides and VLDL and associated with different dyslipidaemias. The aim of this study was to analyze whether the APOE genotype could determining the risk of developing T2D in a large cohort of workers. Material and methodsData from the Aragon Workers Health Study (AWHS) (n=4895) were used to investigate the relationship between glycemic levels and APOE genotype. All patients in the AWHS cohort had their blood drawn after an overnight fast and laboratory tests were performed on the same day as the blood drawn. Dietary and physical assessment was assessed by face-to-face interview. APOE genotype was determined by the Sanger sequencing method. ResultsThe relationship between APOE genotype and glycemic profile showed that glucose, Hb1Ac, insulin and HOMA levels did not seem to be associated with the APOE genotype (p=0.563, p=0.605, p=0.333 and p=0.276, respectively). In addition, the T2D prevalence did not show an association with the APOE genotype (p=0.354). Along the same lines, blood glucose levels and T2D prevalence did not show association with the APOE allele. Shift work had some effect on the glycaemic profile, showing that night shift workers have significantly lower levels of glucose, insulin and HOMA (p<0.001). However, the APOE genotype did not show difference in the concentration of glycaemic parameters adjusting by sex, age and BMI, work shift and dietary parameters. ConclusionGlycemic profile and T2D prevalence did not show any significant association with the APOE genotype. Besides, individuals, who worked in non-rotating night shift showed significantly lower glycemic levels, while workers in the morning-afternoon-night shift showed significantly higher values.

Non-destructive testing method of fiber content in steel fiber reinforced concrete based on magnetization loss

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) has been widely used in construction engineering due to its superior crack resistance and flexural capacity. Its mechanical properties mainly depend on the distribution of fibers, and the uneven distribution will reduce the structural performance. Therefore, this paper proposed a fast non-destructive testing method for steel fiber content evaluation based on magnetization loss. This method could solve the problem that the traditional methods were difficult to detect in situ. It is found that the higher the steel fiber content, the greater the magnetic loss and electrical loss of the fiber under sinusoidal excitation, resulting in the changes of the excitation coil impedance. Based on this phenomenon, the impedance difference modulus and quality factor evaluation index of the excitation coil are proposed, which can be used to accurately estimate the internal fiber content of concrete in-situ detection. The feasibility of the method is verified by experiments, which is of great significance to the quality control in the manufacturing process of SFRC.

Performance improvement: A lightweight gas information classification method combined with an electronic nose system

Electronic nose (e-nose) system can recognize gas information by imitating the perception pattern of the human olfactory system, and it has been widely used as a fast and effective nondestructive testing technology. An effective gas information classification method can promote the engineering transformation of the e-nose system. In this work, a lightweight gas information classification is proposed to effectively classify the e-nose system's detection data. First, a gas feature attention mechanism (GFAM) is proposed based on the data characteristics of the e-nose system, which combines the peak factor (PeF.), integral value (InV.), and steady mean (StM.) to focus on the key features of the deep gas information. Second, a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) structure is designed and combined with the GFAM to establish a gas information classification model (GFAM-Net). Finally, the effectiveness of GFAM-Net is verified based on different datasets of the e-nose system. The results show that GFAM-Net not only has a small number of parameters and calculations but also achieves the best classification performance in the comparison results of multi-learning models.

At any Level of Adiposity, Relatively Elevated Leptin Concentrations Are Associated With Decreased Insulin Sensitivity.

The impact of obesity on glucose homeostasis has high interindividual variability, which may be partially explained by different adipokine concentrations. Leptin regulates energy balance and metabolism, and although its plasma levels are proportional to fat mass, they vary significantly across individuals with the same level of adiposity. We tested whether glucose homeostasis differs in subjects with similar degrees of adiposity but different leptin levels. We analyzed 1290 healthy adults from the Relationship Between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease study cohort (30-60 years; male/female, 577/713; body mass index [BMI], 25 ± 3 kg/m2) characterized for body composition and metabolic variables with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, β-cell function, and lipidomics. Individuals were divided into relatively high and low leptin (RHL and RLL) if they were above or below the sex-specific leptin-fat mass (%) regression. Despite similar glucose tolerance, RHL showed markedly higher fasting and oral glucose tolerance test insulin concentration (+30% and +29%, respectively; P < .0001) and secretion (+17% and +11%, respectively; P < .0001). Regardless of BMI, RHL individuals had lower whole-body (-17-23%, P < .0001) and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity (-24%, P < .0001) compared with RLL. Notably, lean RHL individuals showed similar insulin sensitivity and β-cell function to RLL individuals with overweight/obesity. Subjects with leptin levels that are inappropriately elevated for their fat mass show whole-body/adipose tissue insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, regardless of BMI.

Problem exploration for creating value propositions when developing point-of-care solutions

Point-of-care (POC) testing has been increasingly proposed as one of the most promising solutions for improving healthcare provision as it enables fast and accurate testing both inside and outside hospital settings. Many of these POC device stem from academic research. Yet, the commercialization of these devices through academic spin-offs is not straigthforward. Many academic spin-offs fail due to an inproperly articulated value proposition. To create a value proposition with biosensors it is crucial to understand how they can be used to address problems in the current diagnostics processes and protocols. Therefore, this paper studies how different university teams engage in problem exploration to better understand how they can translate the technical features of their POC testing solutions into an attractive value proposition. To be able to study this, a qualitative case study research design was chosen. In particular, 11 university student teams participating in the SensUs contest were studied. The main findings show that teams adopting search patterns involving a ‘broader’ (i.e., considering a wider range of problems and stakeholders) and a more ‘interconnected’ (i.e., thematically linking problems with one another) problem-exploration were more successful in creating contest outcomes (biosensing solutions) with greater commercial viability. Moreover, teams that sougth direct feedback from market experts generated more commercially viable projects than teams that relied primarly on advice from technical experts.

Benchmark analysis of the FFTF LOSWOS test #13 with OpenMC and THACS

In order to support collaborative efforts within international partnerships on the development of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposes a coordinated research project (CRP) about the unprotected loss-of-flow-without-scram test (LOSWOS) performed at Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) in 2018, which could validate simulation tool and numerical models for SFR. As one of the participants, the Nuclear THermal-hydraulic Laboratory at Xi’an Jiaotong University (NuTHeL) participates with the monte carol code OpenMC and system thermal hydraulic code THACS. This paperdeal with the standalone neutronic modeling by OpenMC and thermal hydraulic modelling by THACS. For neutronic part, the axial homogenous model was modeled to analyze the reactivity feedback coefficients and steady radial power distribution. For thermal hydraulic part, the system model, including 2D CFD outlet plenum model, subchannel model and inter-wrapper flow model, was modeled to analyze both system response and local phenomena during the LOSWOS. In general, both neutronic results and thermal hydraulic results agreed well with other participants or experiments, the reactivity feedback of GEM could provide major negative feedback, which could be used as a novel passive shutdown device. However, the remaining discrepancies were the underestimated peak temperature of PIOTA at the begin of transients, it may be caused by unknow heat transfer coefficients around hexagon tube, which has no correlation and should be further investigated by experiments. In addition, when considering IWF model, the maximum temperature of the outlet for the active fuel region was 10 K larger than the subassemblie’ outlet in the PIOTA, this phenomenon should be carefully treated in loss of flow accidents of SFR.

(Invited) Bi-Layer Cathodes Comprising Different Active Material Sublayers Demonstrate Superior Fast Charge Capability

Sluggish electrolyte transport properties result in a tradeoff between energy density and rate capability in lithium-ion batteries. To increase energy density, electrodes are made thicker and less porous. However, once thick enough, lithium transport in the electrolyte becomes the rate limiting process, and capacities at elevated C rates are reduced as a result of underutilisation of active material near the current collector. Strategies have been proposed to overcome these limitations, including pore engineering to reduce through-plane tortuosity, to varying degrees of success.We introduce bilayer cathodes that aim to improve the rate performance of thick electrodes by controlling the through-thickness charging rate. The bilayer cathode structure is comprised of two discrete sublayers containing the active materials lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). Due to LFP and NMC having open-circuit voltage (OCV) profiles in different voltage windows, the through-thickness charging rate is dependent on the location of the two active materials. The bilayer electrodes are manufactured by multi-pass doctor blade coating and, in principle, could also be produced using twin-slot dies which would require only a minor modification to the current commercial manufacturing methods. The electrochemical performance of the bilayer cathodes are compared with a blended electrode (single layer containing intimately mixed LFP and NMC) and a uniform NMC electrode, all at constant areal capacity (4.5 mAh cm-2) and porosity (30%). We report significant differences in voltage profiles when charging from 0% state of charge as well as intermediate (e.g. 50%) states of charge in electrodes containing the same mass fraction of LFP and NMC, demonstrating that the location of the active material through the electrode thickness impacts behaviour. Moreover, the best performing bilayer electrode structure (LFP layer adjacent to the current collector, NMC layer on top of the LFP layer) outperforms the uniform NMC electrode in fast charge tests. At 3C, the best performing bilayer cathode maintains 84% of its capacity whilst the uniform NMC electrode maintains only 53%. In discharge, the same electrodes both maintain approximately 52% capacity at 3C, demonstrating the anisotropic charging/discharge performance introduced by the bilayer structure.An understanding of the through-thickness charging rate, and distribution of state of charge, throughout charging is required to explain why the bilayer cathode outperforms a conventional uniform cathode. In uniform electrodes, with the same active material through the thickness of the electrode, a gradient in state of charge is formed due to a gradient in resistance to charge through the electrode thickness. This is due to much higher ionic resistance within the electrolyte than the electronic resistance within the composite electrode. In thick electrodes this effect is pronounced enough so that at the end of charge there is far greater underutilisation of active material in the part of the electrode nearest the current collector. In the bilayer cathode structure, by placing active material with a lower OCV near the current collector, we can, somewhat counterintuitively, achieve much more even through-thickness charging compared to uniform electrodes, minimising underutilisation of active material near the current collector and increasing rate performance.

Tracing the Clues: Exploring Dried Bloodstain Analysis on Multiple Objects in Varied Environment Conditions

The primary goal of the study was to detect the presence of blood on different items often encountered at crime scenes. The researchers used a variety of techniques to analyze the blood on these surfaces. Blood samples were drawn from participants and stored in EDTA vials. Six different items were selected for analysis: a living leaf, glass slide, dry leaf, rusting iron, rubber (tyre tube), and stone. The procedure involved applying two to four drops of blood to each surface and subjecting the items to three different temperatures: room temperature, -75 degrees Celsius (in a deep refrigerator), and 150 degrees Celsius (in a hot air oven).The analysis of blood on the surfaces involved three tests: the Benzidine fast blue test, the Takayama test, and the Teichmann test. The Benzidine test produced a strong blue color if blood was present. The Takayama test resulted in salmon pink crystals, and the Teichmann test produced dark brown rhombic crystals – both indicating the presence of hemoglobin.The equipment used for analysis included a compound light microscope with various lenses for magnification. Reagents like Benzidine, glucose, pyridine, NAOH, and KCl/KBr were utilized in the tests. The samples were analyzed at different time intervals, ranging from 3 hours to 75 days after preservation. This allowed researchers to understand the stability of blood on the surfaces over time. To ensure reliable results, the study employed 10 objects for each temperature and time period. This setup facilitated comparative analysis and enhanced the credibility of the examination. The presence of blood was determined based on the outcomes of the tests and observations made under the microscope. The study's findings could potentially assist in solving crime cases and accidents involving the tested items. Detecting blood on various surfaces under different conditions could contribute valuable information to forensic investigations.

Turning chaotic sample group clusterization into organized ones by feature selection: Application on photodiagnosis of Brucella abortus serological test

Bovine brucellosis diagnosis is a major problem to be solved; the disease has a tremendous economic impact with significant losses in meat and dairy products, besides the fact that it can be transmitted to humans. The sanitary measures instituted in Brazil are based on disease control through diagnosis, animal sacrifice, and vaccination. Although the currently available diagnostic tests show suitable quality parameters, they are time-consuming, and the incidence of false-positive and/or false-negative results is still observed, hindering effective disease control. The development of a low-cost, fast, and accurate brucellosis diagnosis test remains a need for proper sanitary measures at a large-scale analysis. In this context, spectroscopy techniques associated with machine learning tools have shown great potential for use in diagnostic tests. In this study, bovine blood serum was investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms to build a prediction model for Brucella abortus diagnosis. Here we first pre-treated the UV raw data by using Standard Normal Deviate method to remove baseline deviation, then apply principal component analysis – a clustering method - to observe the group formation tendency; the first results showed no clustering tendency with a messy sample score distribution, then we properly select the main principal components to improve clusterization. Finally, by using machine learning algorithms (SVM and KNN), the predicting models achieved a 92.5% overall accuracy. The present methodology provides a test result in an average time of 5 min, while the standard diagnosis, with the screening and confirmatory tests, can take up to 48 h. The present result demonstrates the method's viability for diagnosing bovine brucellosis, which can significantly contribute to disease control programs in Brazil and other countries.

Fraction Execution Resolver Using a Hybrid Multi-CPU/GPU Encoding Scheme

Modern video coding standards make use of sub-pixel motion estimation to improve the video quality and reduce the bitrate. It is known that the fraction motion estimation (FME) part follows the integer motion estimation (IME) and adds an extra computational overhead due to the interpolation and the additional motion searches. In this paper, we propose a fraction execution resolver (FER) algorithm that lets the encoder skip the fraction part when specific criteria are met by introducing a preliminary fast test decision point (pFTDP) function for the IME part. If the pFTDP returns zero motion vectors (MVs) and the displacement search area center is also zero, then the fraction part is skipped. The pFTDP decision maker is executed only once, when a 2N × 2N block is first met, while all subsequent blocks follow this initial decision either by receiving the necessary MVs and RD from the pFTDP function or by using the precalculated IME values from the GPU kernel. For our experiments, we use a multithreaded CPU environment that also makes use of GPUs only for the integer part. Our evaluations provide a greater than 1600% encoding time saving at its peak in comparison with the default HEVC sequential mode and ideally a saving of greater than 2286% for still video frame sequences. The total average speedup for both Class A and Class B video sequences is ×13.45. The gain of the FER itself is more than ×3.9 compared with the same multithreaded setup environment. The PSNR and bitrate overhead observed are proportional to the tiling scheme used and are more related to the way CABAC works internally. The FER’s negative effects on coding efficiency are proven to be negligible. A balance between speed and quality achieved by using a lower tiling pattern is shown to minimize the negative effects of the encoding scheme pattern. The experimental results confirm the validity of our motivation, namely, that we can benefit from a software fraction execution resolver without any extra hardware costs. The gain is further increased when video sequences have more static blocks than others.

Forensic Analysis of Synthetic Cathinones on Nanomaterials-Based Platforms: Chemometric-Assisted Voltametric and UPLC-MS/MS Investigation.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are a group of new psychoactive substances often referred to as "legal highs" or "bath salts", being characterized by a dynamic change, new compounds continuously emerging on the market. This creates a lack of fast screening tests, making SCs a constant concern for law enforcement agencies. Herein, we present a fast and simple method for the detection of four SCs (alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, N-ethylhexedrone, 4-chloroethcathinone, and 3-chloromethcathinone) based on their electrochemical profiles in a decentralized manner. In this regard, the voltametric characterization of the SCs was performed by cyclic and square wave voltammetry. The elucidation of the SCs redox pathways was successfully achieved using liquid chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry. For the rational identification of the ideal experimental conditions, chemometric data processing was employed, considering two critical qualitative and quantitative variables: the type of the electrochemical platform and the pH of the electrolyte. The analytical figures of merit were determined on standard working solutions using the optimized method, which exhibited wide linear ranges and LODs suitable for confiscated sample screening. Finally, the performance of the method was evaluated on real confiscated samples, the resulting validation parameters being similar to those obtained with another portable device (i.e., Raman spectrometer).

Microfluidic technology and simulation models in studying pharmacokinetics during pregnancy.

Introduction: Preterm birth rates and maternal and neonatal mortality remain concerning global health issues, necessitating improved strategies for testing therapeutic compounds during pregnancy. Current 2D or 3D cell models and animal models often fail to provide data that can effectively translate into clinical trials, leading to pregnant women being excluded from drug development considerations and clinical studies. To address this limitation, we explored the utility of in silico simulation modeling and microfluidic-based organ-on-a-chip platforms to assess potential interventional agents. Methods: We developed a multi-organ feto-maternal interface on-chip (FMi-PLA-OOC) utilizing microfluidic channels to maintain intercellular interactions among seven different cell types (fetal membrane-decidua-placenta). This platform enabled the investigation of drug pharmacokinetics in vitro. Pravastatin, a model drug known for its efficacy in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation during pregnancy and currently in clinical trials, was used to test its transfer rate across both feto-maternal interfaces. The data obtained from FMi-PLA-OOC were compared with existing data from in vivo animal models and ex vivo placenta perfusion models. Additionally, we employed mechanistically based simulation software (Gastroplus®) to predict pravastatin pharmacokinetics in pregnant subjects based on validated nonpregnant drug data. Results: Pravastatin transfer across the FMi-PLA-OOC and predicted pharmacokinetics in the in silico models were found to be similar, approximately 18%. In contrast, animal models showed supraphysiologic drug accumulation in the amniotic fluid, reaching approximately 33%. Discussion: The results from this study suggest that the FMi-PLA-OOC and in silico models can serve as alternative methods for studying drug pharmacokinetics during pregnancy, providing valuable insights into drug transport and metabolism across the placenta and fetal membranes. These advanced platforms offer promising opportunities for safe, reliable, and faster testing of therapeutic compounds, potentially reducing the number of pregnant women referred to as "therapeutic orphans" due to the lack of consideration in drug development and clinical trials. By bridging the gap between preclinical studies and clinical trials, these approaches hold great promise in improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Mobile Efficient Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases via On-Chip RT-qPCR: MEDIC-PCR.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused public and global health crises. However, the lack of on-site fast, reliable, sensitive, and low-cost reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing limits early detection, timely isolation, and epidemic prevention and control. Here, the authors report a rapid mobile efficient diagnostics of infectious diseases via on-chip -RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR): MEDIC-PCR. First, the authors use a roll-to-roll printing process to accomplish low-cost carbon-black-based disposable PCR chips that enable rapid LED-induced photothermal PCR cycles. The MEDIC-PCR can perform RT (3min), and PCR (9min) steps. Further, the cohort of 89 COVID-19 and 103 non-COVID-19 patients testing is completed by the MEDIC-PCR to show excellent diagnostic accuracy of 97%, sensitivity of 94%, and specificity of 98%. This MEDIC-PCR can contribute to the preventive global health in the face of a future pandemic.

Diabesity phenotype in relation to the incidence and resolution of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A prospective cohort study.

Diabesity is a term used to emphasize the dual epidemic and the combined detrimental effects of diabetes and obesity. We aimed to investigate the associations of diabesity with the incidence and resolution of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This prospective cohort study included 5549 participants with a median follow-up of 4.3 years (2010-2015). Diabesity was defined as six categories by the combinations of glucose tolerance status (normal glucose tolerance [NGT], prediabetes, and diabetes) diagnosed by fasting and oral glucose tolerance test 2-h glucose and hemoglobin A1c and general or abdominal obesity status. We examined the odds ratios (ORs) for the incidence and resolution of NAFLD associated with diabesity categories, respectively. For NAFLD incidence, compared with the diabesity category of NGT with nonobesity, the categories of either glucose intolerance or general obesity were associated with higher risks of NAFLD, of which the categories with obesity, regardless of glucose intolerance status, exhibited greater risks (ORs ranged from 3.19 to 4.49) than the categories of nonobesity. For NAFLD resolution, the categories of prediabetes or diabetes with obesity were associated with decreased likelihoods of a resolution of NAFLD (ORs ranged from 0.40 to 0.58). These association patterns were consistent across various definitions of diabesity by glucose tolerance status diagnosed by different combinations of glycemic parameters and general or abdominal obesity. The diabesity association pattern with NAFLD incidence was mainly determined by obesity, while that with NAFLD resolution was driven by the combined phenotype of glucose intolerance and obesity.