Search

Photovoltaic systems provide electrical power with reduced emissions at competitive costs compared to legacy systems. A low or medium voltage dc distribution system is usually used for solar integration. In dc systems, parallel and series arc faults are a safety concern. Thus, reliable and timely detection and mitigation of arc faults are critical. DC arc detection methods typically use time or frequency spectrum variations of the circuit current or voltage to differentiate the arcing event from other system events. Since practical systems include power electronics and maximum-power-point tracking, any detection scheme must perform robustly in the electrical environment that these components establish in the dc power system. A capacitor placed in parallel with the main system is an effective sensor for series arc fault detection and localization applicable in this complex electrical environment. This article shows that the analysis of the amplitude, polarity, and spectrum characteristics of the capacitor current and voltage resulting from perturbations caused by the arc provides an effective method to identify and localize faults. The detection accuracy of the proposed approach is 98.3% and the localization accuracy rate is 100% for the correctly detected faults.

Introduction: The scope of practice for pharmacy technicians is expanding to include vaccine administration in some provinces. Vaccine training courses and programs currently do not include education about mitigating immunization stress-related responses (ISRR) and improving the vaccination experience. We obtained feedback from pharmacy technician students about a new e-module that addresses this identified knowledge gap, whereby learners are educated about CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract), a vaccine delivery framework that reduces ISRR and improves the vaccination experience.Methods: Mixed-methods design including second-year pharmacy technician students who elected to take an accredited vaccine injection training program. Students were given access to the CARD e-module after completing mandatory vaccine education components. Eight students answered a quantitative survey and 4 (50%) additionally participated in a focus group. Qualitative data were analyzed deductively using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).Results: The study was conducted between April 28 and June 12, 2022. Students reported positive attitudes about the CARD e-module across quantitative and qualitative measures. Qualitative feedback spanned 4 CFIR constructs: intervention characteristics, outer setting, inner setting and individual characteristics. Students reported the e-module was well designed and that the content was relevant. They believed CARD facilitated provision of vaccinations using a person-centred approach that promotes vaccination. They felt that CARD could potentially add time to the vaccination appointment and that it would need to be acceptable to pharmacy leaders because of implications for training and vaccination delivery. They suggested that CARD education should be mandatory. CARD improved their confidence in delivering vaccinations, and they planned to integrate CARD into their practice.Conclusion: The CARD e-module was well received by pharmacy technician students when coupled with usual vaccine injection training.

Some proteins perform their biological functions by changing their material states through liquid-liquid phase separation. Upon phase separation, the protein condenses into a concentrated liquid phase and sometimes into a gel phase, changing its dynamic properties and intermolecular interactions, thereby regulating cellular functions. Although the biological significance of this phenomenon has been widely recognized by researchers, there is still a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the structural and dynamic properties of the protein in the condensed phase. In this phase, molecules usually contain domains with varied dynamic properties and undergo intermediate exchanges. Magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) experiments are very powerful in studying rigid protein polymers such as amyloid. The incorporation of solution-like experiments into SSNMR and the development of J-coupling based MAS SSNMR techniques extend its ability to study partially mobile segments of proteins in a condensed liquid or gel phase which are not visible by solution NMR or dipolar-coupling based SSNMR. Therefore, it has been applied in studying protein condensation and has provided very important information that is hard to obtain by other techniques.

Impedimetric wearable sensors are a promising strategy for determining the loss of water content (LWC) from leaves because they can afford on-site and nondestructive quantification of cellular water from a single measurement. Because the water content is a key marker of leaf health, monitoring of the LWC can lend key insights into daily practice in precision agriculture, toxicity studies, and the development of agricultural inputs. Ongoing challenges with this monitoring are the on-leaf adhesion, compatibility, scalability, and reproducibility of the electrodes, especially when subjected to long-term measurements. This paper introduces a set of sensing material, technological, and data processing solutions that overwhelm such obstacles. Mass-production-suitable electrodes consisting of stand-alone Ni films obtained by well-established microfabrication methods or ecofriendly pyrolyzed paper enabled reproducible determination of the LWC from soy leaves with optimized sensibilities of 27.0 (Ni) and 17.5 kΩ %–1(paper). The freestanding design of the Ni electrodes was further key to delivering high on-leaf adhesion and long-term compatibility. Their impedances remained unchanged under the action of wind at velocities of up to 2.00 m s–1, whereas X-ray nanoprobe fluorescence assays allowed us to confirm the Ni sensor compatibility by the monitoring of the soy leaf health in an electrode-exposed area. Both electrodes operated through direct transfer of the conductive materials on hairy soy leaves using an ordinary adhesive tape. We used a hand-held and low-power potentiostat with wireless connection to a smartphone to determine the LWC over 24 h. Impressively, a machine-learning model was able to convert the sensing responses into a simple mathematical equation that gauged the impairments on the water content at two temperatures (30 and 20 °C) with reduced root-mean-square errors (0.1% up to 0.3%). These data suggest broad applicability of the platform by enabling direct determination of the LWC from leaves even at variable temperatures. Overall, our findings may help to pave the way for translating “sense–act” technologies into practice toward the on-site and remote investigation of plant drought stress. These platforms can provide key information for aiding efficient data-driven management and guiding decision-making steps.

The patient experience of a gout flare is multidimensional. To establish the most appropriate methods of flare measurement, there is a need to understand the complete experience of a flare. This qualitative study aimed to examine what factors contribute to the severity of a flare from the patient perspective. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with patients with gout. Participants were asked to share their experience with their worst gout flare and contrast it to their experience of a less severe or mild flare. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. In total, 22 participants with gout (17 male participants, mean age 66.5 years) were interviewed at an academic center in Auckland, New Zealand. Four key themes were identified as contributing to the severity of a flare: 1) flare characteristics (pain intensity, joint swelling, redness and warmth, duration, and location); 2) impact on function (including walking, activities of daily living, wearing footwear, and sleep); 3) impact on family and social life (dependency on others, social connection, and work); and 4) psychological impact (depression, anxiety, irritability, and sense of control). A wide range of interconnecting factors contribute to the severity of a gout flare from the patient perspective. Capturing these domains in long‐term gout studies would provide a more meaningful and accurate representation of cumulative flare burden.

The monitoring of toxic inorganic gases and volatile organic compounds has brought the development of field-deployable, sensitive, and scalable sensors into focus. Here, we attempted to meet these requirements by using concurrently microhole-structured meshes as (i) a membrane for the gas diffusion extraction of an analyte from a donor sample and (ii) an electrode for the sensitive electrochemical determination of this target with the receptor electrolyte at rest. We used two types of meshes with complementary benefits, i.e., Ni mesh fabricated by robust, scalable, and well-established methods for manufacturing specific designs and stainless steel wire mesh (SSWM), which is commercially available at a low cost. The diffusion of gas (from a donor) was conducted in headspace mode, thus minimizing issues related to mesh fouling. When compared with the conventional polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane, both the meshes (40 μm hole diameter) led to a higher amount of vapor collected into the electrolyte for subsequent detection. This inedited fashion produced a kind of reverse diffusion of the analyte dissolved into the electrolyte (receptor), i.e., from the electrode to bulk, which further enabled highly sensitive analyses. Using Ni mesh coated with Ni(OH)2nanoparticles, the limit of detection reached for ethanol was 24-fold lower than the data attained by a platform with a PTFE membrane and placement of the electrode into electrolyte bulk. This system was applied in the determination of ethanol in complex samples related to the production of ethanol biofuel. It is noteworthy that a simple equation fitted by machine learning was able to provide accurate assays (accuracies from 97 to 102%) by overcoming matrix effect-related interferences on detection performance. Furthermore, preliminary measurements demonstrated the successful coating of the meshes with gold films as an alternative raw electrode material and the monitoring of HCl utilizing Au-coated SSWMs. These strategies extend the applicability of the platform that may help to develop valuable volatile sensing solutions.

Multiplexing is a valuable strategy to boost throughput and improve clinical accuracy. Exploiting the vertical, meshed design of reproducible and low‐cost ultra‐dense electrochemical chips, the unprecedented single‐response multiplexing of typical label‐free biosensors is reported. Using a cheap, handheld one‐channel workstation and a single redox probe, that is, ferro/ferricyanide, the recognition events taking place on two spatially resolved locations of the same working electrode can be tracked along a single voltammetry scan by collecting the electrochemical signatures of the probe in relation to different quasi‐reference electrodes, Au (0 V) and Ag/AgCl ink (+0.2 V). This spatial isolation prevents crosstalk between the redox tags and interferences over functionalization and binding steps, representing an advantage over the existing non‐spatially resolved single‐response multiplex strategies. As proof of concept, peptide‐tethered immunosensors are demonstrated to provide the duplex detection of COVID‐19 antibodies, thereby doubling the throughput while achieving 100% accuracy in serum samples. The approach is envisioned to enable broad applications in high‐throughput and multi‐analyte platforms, as it can be tailored to other biosensing devices and formats. Meshed ultra‐dense chips provide the single‐response duplexing of label‐free electrochemical biosensors. Distinguishable signatures are achieved by interrogating the same redox probe in spatially resolved areas of the same working electrode relative to distinct quasi‐reference electrodes, Au and Ag/AgCl. This spatial isolation prevents crosstalk between probes and interferences over functionalization/binding steps, representing an advantage over existing non‐spatially resolved single‐response multiplex strategies.

Biosensor In article 2303509, Renato S. Lima and co‐workers implement a new type of electrochemical chip to deliver the multiplexing of label‐free biosensors from a single response and redox probe. The recognition events taking place on two spatially resolved locations of a given working electrode can be tracked along the same voltammetry scan by collecting the probe signatures using different quasi‐reference electrodes.

Electrochemical sensing depends on the immobilization of biorecognition elements and charge transfer to the electrode, which can be tuned and sometimes controlled using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as matrices. In this study, we show that an efficient immobilization of an ssDNA probe to detect the prostate cancer antigen 3 biomarker is achieved even for less organized SAMs provided that the terminal groups were ionized. These conclusions were reached by comparing the biosensors made with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA) prepared in ethanol and thioglycolic acid (mercaptoacetic acid: MAA) prepared in ethanolic and aqueous solvents. The highest sensitivity with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was observed for sensors assembled over MAA monolayers on gold prepared in ethanol and water (at pH 12.5), with limits of detection of 1.2 × 10–9and 1.7 × 10–9mol L–1, respectively. The biosensors made on MAA films prepared in water at pH 7.0 and 2.5 were not efficient because they are mostly terminated by protonated carboxylic acid groups, according to sum-frequency generation vibrational and polarization modulation-infrared reflection-absorption (PM-IRRAS) spectroscopies, which prevent an adequate attachment of the biomarker. Well-organized SAMs of 11-MUA also showed good detection performance, but the limit of detection was not as low, 2.1 × 10–9mol L–1, probably due to its long chains that decrease the charge transfer. Therefore, the matrix fabrication method can control the molecular assembly of biosensors and hence their performance.

ObjectiveThe patient experience of gout flares is multidimensional, with several contributing factors including pain intensity, duration, and frequency. There is currently no consistent method for reporting gout flare burden in long-term studies. This study aimed to determine which factors contribute to patient perceptions of treatment efficacy in long-term studies of gout flare prevention.MethodsThis study involved face-to-face interviews with people with gout using visual representations of gout flare patterns. Participants were shown different flare scenarios over a hypothetical 6-month treatment period that portrayed varying flare frequency, pain intensity, and flare duration. The participants were asked to indicate and discuss which scenario they believed was most indicative of successful treatment over time. Quantitative data relating to the proportion of participants selecting each scenario were reported using descriptive statistics. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to code and categorize the data from the interview transcripts.ResultsTwenty-two people with gout participated in the semistructured interviews. All 3 factors of pain intensity, flare duration, and flare frequency influenced participants’ perception of treatment efficacy. However, a shorter flare duration was the most common indicator of successful treatment, with half of participants (n = 11, 50%) selecting the scenario with a shorter flare duration over those with less painful flares.ConclusionFlare duration, flare frequency, and pain severity are all taken into account by patients with gout when considering treatment efficacy over time. Long-term studies of gout should ideally capture all these factors to better represent patients’ experience of treatment success.

Objective.To determine the relationship between gout flare rate and self-categorization into remission, low disease activity (LDA), and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS).Methods.Patients with gout self-categorized as remission, LDA, and PASS, and reported number of flares over the preceding 6 and 12 months. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the association between being in each disease state (LDA and PASS were combined) and flare count, and self-reported current flare. A distribution-based approach and extended Youden index identified possible flare count thresholds for each state.Results.Investigators from 17 countries recruited 512 participants. Remission was associated with a median recalled flare count of zero over both 6 and 12 months. Each recalled flare reduced the likelihood of self-perceived remission compared with being in higher disease activity than LDA/PASS, by 52% for 6 months and 23% for 12 months, and the likelihood of self-perceived LDA/PASS by 15% and 5% for 6 and 12 months, respectively. A threshold of 0 flares in preceding 6 and 12 months was associated with correct classification of self-perceived remission in 58% and 56% of cases, respectively.Conclusion.Flares are significantly associated with perceptions of disease activity in gout, and no flares over the prior 6 or 12 months is necessary for most people to self-categorize as being in remission. However, recalled flare counts alone do not correctly classify all patients into self-categorized disease activity states, suggesting that other factors may also contribute to self-perceived gout disease activity.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis in which the immune system targets synovial joints. Methotrexate serves as the mainstay of treatment for RA due to its efficacy. However, patients treated with methotrexate are uniquely at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia due to coincident disease risk factors and the fact that methotrexate use is associated with vitamin B12 malabsorption. The objective of this study was to assess for vitamin B12 deficiency among patients with RA treated with methotrexate and folic acid.

Nanostructured microelectrodes (NMEs) are an attractive alternative to yield sensitive bioassays in unprocessed samples. However, although valuable for different applications, nanoporous NMEs usually cannot boost the sensitivity of diffusion-limited analyses because of the enlarged Debye length within the nanopores, which reduces their accessibility. To circumvent this limitation, nanopore-free gold NMEs were electrodeposited from 45 μm SU-8 apertures, featuring nanoridged microspikes on a recessed surface of gold thin film while carrying interconnected crown-like and spiky structures along the edge of a SU-8 passivation layer. These structures were grown onto ultradense, vertical array chips that offer a promising strategy for translating reproducible, high-resolution, and cost-effective sensors into real-world applications. The NMEs yielded reproducible analyses, while machine learning allowed us to predict the analytical responses from NME electrodeposition data. By taking advantage of the high surface area and accessible structure of the NMEs, these structures provided a sensitivity for [Fe(CN)6]3–/4–that was 5.5× higher than that of bare WEs while also delivering a moderate antibiofouling property in undiluted human plasma. As a proof of concept, these electrodes were applied toward the fast (22 min) and simple determination of Staphylococcus aureusby monitoring the oxidation of [Fe(CN)6]4–, which acted as a cellular respiration rate redox reporter. The sensors also showed a wide dynamic range, spanning 5 orders of magnitude, and a calculated limit of detection of 0.2 CFU mL–1.

We report the analysis of 1 year of data from the first cohort of 15 patients enrolled in an open-label, first-in-human, dose-escalation phase I study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03282760, EudraCT2015-004855-37) to determine the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of the transplantation of allogeneic human neural stem/progenitor cells (hNSCs) for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Even if coronary vasospasm (CV) is considered a rare phenomenon in heart transplant (HT) recipients, during routine coronary angiography asymptomatic CV may be observed. We report the case of a 30–year–old male who underwent HT in 2007 for dilatative cardiomyopathy. He was maintained on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil and had no significant rejection or coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) demonstration. In December 2020 patient presented with cardiac arrest preceded by angina. Coronary angiography demonstrated diffuse spasm of the right coronary artery (RCA) with resolution after intracoronary nitrate administration. An endomyocardial biopsy (EBM) revealed no signs of cellular rejection whilst cardiac magnetic resonance showed signs of acute rejection (Fig.1). Moreover, two major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class 2 donor–specific antibodies (DSAs) were positive with a high title. Treatment for antibody–mediated rejection (AMR) was initiated with steroids and plasmapheresis, followed by immunoglobulin infusion. Cardiac defibrillator was implanted before discharge. In August 2021, patient experienced a second cardiac arrest. Left heart catheterization found diffuse CV and after nitrates administration, proximal critical stenosis of RCA was pointed out and treated with stent insertion (Fig. 2–3). EMB and DSAs assessment were both negative. The patient was discharged after medical therapy optimization for CV prevention including the switch from mycophenolate to everolimus. After two more episodes of ACS with angiography finding of CV we decided to empirically treat the patient with weekly photopheresis sessions. Despite aggressive AMR management, a third ACC occurred in March 2022. The patient was finally reintroduced to the HT waiting list. Most CV episodes run without any symptoms due to the denervated heart post–transplant so probably re–innervation occurred in our patient. Calcium channel blockers, nitrates, and beta–blockers failed in CV prevention, suggesting ineffectiveness in HT recipients because of a different pathogenetic mechanism when compared to healthy subjects. Furthermore, documentation of coronary disease progression after the second ACC supports the hypothesis that CV could be the first manifestation of CAV. An intriguing hypothesis would be the presence of pathological vasoreactivity in the donor‘s heart, ascribable to an “inherited” endothelial dysfunction that could last be exacerbated by multiple factors, including AMR.

The main objective of this phase I trial was to assess the feasibility and safety of microtransplanting human neural stem cell (hNSC) lines into the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Eighteen patients with a definite diagnosis of ALS received microinjections of hNSCs into the gray matter tracts of the lumbar or cervical spinal cord. Patients were monitored before and after transplantation by clinical, psychological, neuroradiological, and neurophysiological assessment. For up to 60 months after surgery, none of the patients manifested severe adverse effects or increased disease progression because of the treatment. Eleven patients died, and two underwent tracheotomy as a result of the natural history of the disease. We detected a transitory decrease in progression of ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised, starting within the first month after surgery and up to 4 months after transplantation. Our results show that transplantation of hNSC is a safe procedure that causes no major deleterious effects over the short or long term. This study is the first example of medical transplantation of a highly standardized cell drug product, which can be reproducibly and stably expanded ex vivo, comprising hNSC that are not immortalized, and are derived from the forebrain of the same two donors throughout this entire study as well as across future trials. Our experimental design provides benefits in terms of enhancing both intra‐ and interstudy reproducibility and homogeneity. Given the potential therapeutic effects of the hNSCs, our observations support undertaking future phase II clinical studies in which increased cell dosages are studied in larger cohorts of patients. Stem Cells Translational Medicine2019;8:887&897 In this manuscript we present data from a phase I clinical trial on 18 ALS patients treated with human neural stem cells. Treatment has been performed transplanting cells directly into anterior horn of spinal cord. Results suggested that the procedure is feasible, safe and induce a transitory decline of ALS‐FRS‐R score progression.

This technical note describes a new microfluidic sensor that combines low-cost (USD $0.97) with rapid fabrication and user-friendly, fast, sensitive, and accurate quantification of a breast cancer biomarker. The electrodes consisted of cost-effective bare stainless-steel capillaries, whose mass production is already well-established. These capillaries were used as received, without any surface modification. Microfluidic chips containing electrical double-layer capillary capacitors (μEDLC) were obtained by a cleanroom-free prototyping that allows the fabrication of dozens to hundreds of chips in 1 h. This sensor provided the successful quantification of CA 15-3, a biomarker protein for breast cancer, in serum samples from cancer patients. Antibody-anchored magnetic beads were utilized for immunocapture of the marker, and then, water was added to dilute the protein. Next, the CA 15-3 detection (<2 min) was made without using redox probes, antibody on electrode (sandwich immunoassay), or signal amplification strategies. In addition, the capacitance tests eliminated external pumping systems and precise volumetric sampling steps, as well as presented low sample volume (5 μL) and high sensitivity using bare capillaries in a new design for double-layer capacitors. The achieved limit-of-detection (92.0 μU mL–1) is lower than that of most methods reported in the literature for CA 15-3, which are based on nanostructured electrodes. The data shown in this technical note support the potential of the μEDLC toward breast cancer diagnosis even at early stages. We believe that accurate analyses using a simple sample pretreatment such as magnetic field-assisted immunocapture and cost-effective bare electrodes can be extended to quantify other cancer biomarkers and even biomolecules by changing the biorecognition element.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease that targets motoneurons. Cell-based therapies have generated widespread interest as a potential therapeutic approach but no conclusive results have yet been reported either from pre-clinical or clinical studies.Areas covered: This is an integrated review of pre-clinical and clinical studies focused on the development of cell-based therapies for ALS. We analyze the biology of stem cell treatments and results obtained from pre-clinical models of ALS and examine the methods and the results obtained to date from clinical trials. We discuss scientific, clinical, and ethical issues and propose some directions for future studies.Expert opinion: While data from individual studies are encouraging, stem-cell-based therapies do not yet represent a satisfactory, reliable clinical option. The field will critically benefit from the introduction of well-designed, randomized and reproducible, powered clinical trials. Comparative studies addressing key issues such as the nature, properties, and number of donor cells, the delivery mode and the selection of proper patient populations that may benefit the most from cell-based therapies are now of the essence. Multidisciplinary networks of experts should be established to empower effective translation of research into the clinic.

While monoethylene glycol (MEG) is an efficient alternative to prevent the generation of hydrates into the natural gas (NG) processing pipes, this specie also generates undesirable effects such as pipe corrosion, catalyst poisoning, quality loss of the fuel, and environment contamination. Thus, MEG is removed from the system in final stages of the NG processing and is regenerated for reuse, making mandatory its monitoring in both regenerated samples and fuels such as the NG condensate (NGC). Herein, we address a simple and fast method to determine MEG traces in NGC which was based on two stages: microfluidic liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and electrochemical detection. High throughput (residence time of 0.05 s) and efficient LLEs were obtained in a single run by pumping the immiscible phases at harsh flow rates (up to 40 mL min–1) into a bulky chip (without interface) composed of bisphenol A (BSA)-based epoxy resin, which was prototyped using a clean-room-free and bondless approach. This unprecedented substrate in microfluidics showed resistance to elastic deformation and swelling in different organic media. The extraction was essential to allow the electrochemical determination of MEG, in which the aqueous acceptor phase from LLE was used as an electrolytic sample. Nickel disks modified with Ni(OH)2nanoparticles provided a sensitive quantification of MEG, because of the high electrode surface area and catalytic activity of Ni(OH)2for the irreversible oxidation of MEG. This electrode further requires a simple surface modification. We believe the method reported in this manuscript is a powerful alternative to monitor MEG in NGC samples by the industry.

Arc faults threaten the safe operation of photovoltaic (PV) systems. An arc fault detection and localization approach using parallel capacitors is proposed. A PV system has been analyzed and tested with five capacitors paralleled with the branches in the system. Series and parallel arc faults at nine locations have been tested in the system. When an arc occurred, current pulses were generated in the capacitors and their amplitudes and polarities were obtained through Hall current sensors. Discrete wavelet transformation was performed on the capacitor currents and the distributions of their amplitudes, frequency spectrums, and polarities are here reported. The results indicate that the distributions are unique under different fault types and locations, which could be used to detect and localize arc faults in PV systems. Moreover, the amplitudes of the capacitor currents can also help to localize a series arc fault within a PV string. Finally, the proposed approach is validated by a double-fault test.

The fast growth of celiac disease diagnosis has sparked the production of gluten-free food and the search for reliable methods to detect gluten in foodstuff. In this paper, we report on a microfluidic electronic tongue (e-tongue) capable of detecting trace amounts of gliadin, a protein of gluten, down to 0.005 mg kg–1in ethanol solutions, and distinguishing between gluten-free and gluten-containing foodstuff. In some cases, it is even possible to determine whether gluten-free foodstuff has been contaminated with gliadin. That was made possible with an e-tongue comprising four sensing units, three of which made of layer-by-layer (LbL) films of semiconducting polymers deposited onto gold interdigitated electrodes placed inside microchannels. Impedance spectroscopy was employed as the principle of detection, and the electrical capacitance data collected with the e-tongue were treated with information visualization techniques with feature selection for optimizing performance. The sensing units are disposable to avoid cross-contamination as gliadin adsorbs irreversibly onto the LbL films according to polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) analysis. Small amounts of material are required to produce the nanostructured films, however, and the e-tongue methodology is promising for low-cost, reliable detection of gliadin and other gluten constituents in foodstuff.

An investigation into the use of different amphiphiles and improvements in the analytical frequency of the microemulsification-based method (MEC) are described. The results are important for improving the understanding of the method (recently proposed by our group) and the development of attractive screening analysis platforms. MEC ensures precise determination with the naked eye, providing a powerful alternative to other point-of-use experiments. Herein, the influence of different surfactant-based amphiphiles (AP) on MEC analytical performance was exhaustively evaluated for the first time, including ionic (sodium dodecylsulphate, SDS, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and neutral (triton X-100, TX-100, and tergitol NP-9, TNP-9) surfactants. The analytical performance was investigated for each of the APs in three dispersion compositions according to precision, linearity, robustness, and accuracy, which were obtained for the determination of ethanol (% v/v) in water and commercial alcoholic beverages. The data obtained for TNP-9 showed poor robustness as a function of deviations in the oil phase volume and ionic strength. Additionally, CTAB exhibited unsatisfactory robustness as a function of temperature changes. In summary, TX-100 and SDS in regions A and B, and CTAB in region A, gave the best analytical performance in the determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, a new experimental mode was developed to increase the capacity of MEC for rapid analysis of various samples. This procedure was based on semi-quantitative analyses using a 96-deep-well plate (DWP) and a multichannel micropipette to prepare the dispersions. This assembly allowed naked-eye screening analysis of up to 12 samples with a resolution of eight concentration ranges in a single run without subjective uncertainties, even after storing the DWP at 4 °C for at least five weeks. This approach has advantages including rapidity, simplicity, portability, and low cost, making it a promising alternative for continuous quality control in many industrial processes.

•There is a lack of socioeconomic diversity in plastic surgery residency programs•Trainees arise from wealthier backgrounds, of whom a majority are White applicants•Trainees are publishing at earlier timelines with earlier first clinical experiences

Despite being the most common type of inflammatory arthritis, gout is often poorly managed. Except for febuxostat and pegloticase, research in new therapeutic agents for the management of hyperuricemia in gout remained insufficient for several decades. With emerging evidence of possible roles of hyperuricemia in cardiometabolic comorbidities, as well as more convincing evidence regarding poor outcomes (e.g. disability, recurrent hospital admissions) in patients with uncontrolled gout, several agents are current under development. Increasing knowledge regarding renal urate transporters has resulted in the development of new generation uricosurics such as lesinurad and arhalofenate. This review aims at discussing current therapeutic strategies for gout, as well as their limitations and the possible role of emerging agents in the chronic management of hyperuricemia in gout. Drugs in phases I and II of development will be discussed, along with new agents and therapeutic classes, such as purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors and dual-action drugs. These new developments are encouraging, and will hopefully contribute to a more adequate management of hyperuricemia in gout.