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Urinary microRNAs (miRNAs) may serve as promising biomarkers for non-invasive early detection of prostate cancer (PCa). We aimed to identify multi-miRNA urinary biomarker panel for early detection of PCa. Urine samples from 83 PCa patients and 88 healthy control subjects in a Chinese population were collected for miRNA profiling. The absolute expression of 360 unique miRNAs were measured in each sample using a highly sensitive and robust RT-qPCR workflow. Candidate urinary miRNA biomarkers were identified based on differential expression between PCa patients and healthy controls. Multi-miRNA biomarker panels were optimised for detection of PCa using three regression algorithms (Lasso, Stepwise, Exhaustive) to identify an optimal biomarker panel with best detection performance and least number of miRNAs. A total of 312 miRNAs were detected in urine samples, 10 candidate urinary miRNA biomarkers differentially expressed between PCa and healthy samples were identified. A panel comprising these 10 miRNAs detected PCa with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.738. Optimization of multi-miRNA panels resulted in a 6-miRNA biomarker panel (hsa-miR-375, hsa-miR-520d-5p, hsa-miR-199b-5p, hsa-miR-518e-5p, hsa-miR-31-3p and hsa-miR-4306) that had an AUC of 0.750. We identified a urinary miRNA biomarker panel for early detection of PCa in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a parameterized model of 3-RRR planar parallel manipulator is proposed, aiming to optimize the overall performance with optimum shapes and sizes of the base and mobile platforms. In the model, the inverse and direct kinematics are addressed, upon which the global kinematic performance in terms of dexterity index is calculated and analyzed. A shape and dimensional optimization is accomplished through the atlas-based method. Optimum configurations are obtained from the global performance atlases. Moreover, sensitivity analysis of overall kinematic performance with respect to each configuration parameter of planar 3-RRR parallel manipulator is performed to reveal the influences of the design parameters. A case study is included to present a more detailed design of 3-RRR manipulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal treatment is popular in reforming biomass for light-emitting carbon dots for multiple applications, but until now no work has been done on the hydrothermal treatment of soil organic matter (SOM) for this transformation. This work translates the knowledge from the chemical synthesis of carbon dots to the monitoring of SOM by a facile hydrothermal treatment of soils without the usage of toxic chromate chemicals: hydrothermally treated soils produce light-emitting carbon dots whose light absorbance and photoluminescence (PL) was attempted to correlate with the content of SOM. The light absorbance of the carbon dots was found to be correlated very well (R2 around 0.7) with the SOM by Walkley-Black acid digestion, but the PL was poor in describing the SOM. The absorbance at 250 nm related to the π-π* transition was less affected by pH or but can be reduced by high concentration ammonia. While the absorbance at wavelengths longer than 300 nm was variable, but it still can be used for SOM quantification. The fundamental optical properties are explored via PL and PL excitation spectroscopies to provide an overview of the monitoring of SOM using facile light-absorbance method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, two types of aptamer (specific to E. coli O157:H7 pathogenic bacteria) Cu3(PO4)2 nanocomposites loaded with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (aptamer@Fe3O4, magnetic separation) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) (aptamer@PtNP) were prepared in house via enzymatic hydrolysis of H2O2 to O2 through a one-step method. In the proposed point-of-care biosensor, these nanocomposites were used as capture and signal probes for the determination of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 bacteria via hand-held barometers detecting gas pressure signals in a sealed bottle. The pressure signal was linear when the concentration of E. coli O157:H7 was from 103 to 108 CFU/mL. With the easily prepared dual aptamer-Cu3(PO4)2 nanocomposites and the hand-held barometer signal readout, the proposed point-of-care biosensor was shown to be a potential tool for the determination of pathogenic bacteria in underdeveloped areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive decline can develop into mild cognitive impairment, a high-risk factor in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The antioxidant micronutrient selenium may have some effect on preventing cognitive decline, but the association between whole blood selenium concentration and cognitive function remains controversial. To investigate the association between whole blood selenium concentration and cognitive function score in elderly Americans. Data was obtained from the national health and nutrition survey between 2011 and 2014. A general linear model was used to adjust for possible risk factors to analyse the association between blood selenium concentration and cognitive function. 2068 participants were included in our study, and the average blood selenium concentration was high at 195.08 μg/L. The risk of lower cognitive scores was higher in people with lower blood selenium concentration (p < 0.05). The lower cognition may also be associated with one or more of the following characteristics: older, male, had a low poverty-income ratio, low education level, and consumed less alcohol. Related conditions such as stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure may also affect cognitive scores. Higher blood selenium is associated with higher cognitive scores in elderly Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study of the ecology of mesopelagic fishes is central for assessing the active biological pump in the ocean, especially in the mesopelagic layers. The use of δ13C and fatty acid analysis can help to analysis the ecology of mesopelagic fishes. Here, we analysed the fatty acid composition of mesopelagic fishes from the continental northern slope of the South China Sea (NSSCS) and compared with nearshore SCS fishes and mesopelagic fishes collected from the Southern Ocean. The mesopelagic fishes had unusually high lipids, which resulted in Δδ13C values exceeding 1‰, more than the enrichment factor in the food web. The mesopelagic fishes had higher C18:1n-9/C18:1n-7 and C20:1n-9/ C18:1n-7 ratios compared with other fishes in the SCS, which confirmed that plankton were their main dietary source. The mesopelagic fishes from SCS and Southern Ocean had different ratios of C20:5n-3/C22:6n-3 (EPA/DHA), suggesting geographical locations and diet sources had obvious influence on their fatty acid composition. The SCS mesopelagic fishes had higher C20:4n-6/C22:6n-3 (ARA/DHA) and C20:4n-6/C20:5n-3 (ARA/EPA) ratios than mesopelagic fishes in the Southern Ocean, indicating the influence of physical factors on fatty acid composition. Thus, future studies of the fatty acids in mesopelagic fishes should consider both dietary sources and physical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three organic-inorganic hybrid materials, namely [RE(H2O)3K(H2O)2 (pddc)2]2H4[SiW12O40]·2H2O (RE = Pr (1), Nd (2); H2pddc = 3,4-pyridine dicarboxylic acid) and [Y(pzdc)(H2O)3]2H2[SiW12O40]·4H2O (3) (H2pzdc = 2,3-pyrazine dicarboxylic acid) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, UV spectra, TG analyses and X-ray crystallography. Single crystal X-ray analyses reveal that 1-3 all exhibit 2D layer structures. Interestingly, 1 and 2 are isostructural differenting from 3. In 3, the polyoxoanions [SiW12O40]4- connect the rare earth cations [Y(pzdc)(H2O)3]2C via Y-O bonds forming a (4, 4)-connected 2D topology net with Schl€afli symbol of 32.62.72. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent breathable polyurethane (PU) that is easily allowable for vapor transmission at critical temperature would have significant implication for numerous applications; however, fabrication of such materials has proven to be tremendously challenging. Herein, we reported novel breathable polyurethane material covalently modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). When an optimal amount of CNTs (0.5 wt%) was added, the resultant PU film presented high waterproofness with hydrostatic pressure up to 10.9 kPa, as well as enhanced mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 22.2 kPa and elongation at break of 990%. This smart PU film has a significant increase in water vapor transmission rate between 18°C (1400 g/(m2·d)) and 38°C (3440 g/(m2·d)). The type of intelligent polyurethane material is a promising candidate for applications in areas such as protective clothing, separator media, and wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]