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Numerous efforts have been undertaken to mitigate the Debye screening effect of FET biosensors for achieving higher sensitivity. There are few reports that show sub-femtomolar detection of biomolecules by FET mechanisms but they either suffer from significant background noise or lack robust control. In this aspect, deformed/crumpled graphene has been recently deployed by other researchers for various biomolecule detection like DNA, COVID-19 spike proteins and immunity markers like IL-6 at sub-femtomolar levels. However, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for graphene fabrication suffers from various surface contamination while the transfer process induces structural defects. In this paper, an alternative fabrication methodology has been proposed where glass substrate has been initially texturized by wet chemical etching through the sacrificial layer of synthesized silver nanoparticles, obtained by annealing of thin silver films leading to solid state dewetting. Graphene has been subsequently deposited by thermal reduction technique from graphene oxide solution. The resulting deformed graphene structure exhibits higher sensor response towards glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) detection with respect to flat graphene owing to the combined effect of reduced Debye screening and higher surface area for receptor immobilization. Additionally, another interesting aspect of the reported work lies in the biomolecule capture by dielectrophoretic (DEP) transport on the crests of the convex surfaces of graphene in a coplanar gated topology structure which has resulted in 10 aM and 28 aM detection limits of GFAP in buffer and undiluted plasma respectively, within 15 min of application of analyte. The detection limit in buffer is almost four decades lower than that documented for GFAP using biosensors which is is expected to pave way for advancing graphene FET based sensors towards ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnosis of GFAP, a biomarker for traumatic brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse efforts undertaken to mitigate the Debye screening effect of field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors have achieved higher sensitivity. However, the charge transfer or induction mechanism between the captured biomolecules and the sensing surface, resulting in shift of surface potential and, hence, the drain current magnitude, shows poor selectivity for real time detection of ultra-low biomolecule concentration in unamplified samples. Herein, enabling direct interaction of the target molecule with edge passivated thermally reduced graphene oxide, through the template of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), specific trap induced characteristic bulges in the noise spectrum has been observed only in the presence of target molecule. Such a phenomenon has not been observed either with antibodies or aptamers as receptors. Hence, the direct interface of MIP with a graphene FET (GFET) results in the generation of an additional electronic label in FET transduction. As a proof of concept, this principle has been validated for serotonin detection in serum in the presence of other neurotransmitters, resulting in detection limit of 0.05 fM in real time, which is more than two orders of magnitude lower than existing reports and, hence, is expected to pave the way for advancing GFET based sensors toward ultrasensitive point-of-care applications without requiring complex machine learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soumya Bhattacharya,1 Purbarun Dhar,2 Sarit K Das,2 Ranjan Ganguly,3 Thomas J Webster,4,5 Suprabha Nayar1 1Biomaterials Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, 2Nanofluids, Microfluidics and Bio-MEMS Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai, 3Advanced Materials Research and Applications Laboratory, Department of Power Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India; 4Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 5Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: In the present study, the exfoliation of natural graphite (GR) directly to colloidal GR/graphene (G) nanostructures using collagen (CL) was studied as a safe and scalable process, akin to numerous natural processes and hence can be termed “biomimetic”. Although the exfoliation and functionalization takes place in just 1 day, it takes about 7 days for the nano GR/G flakes to stabilize. The predominantly aromatic residues of the triple helical CL forms its own special micro and nanoarchitecture in acetic acid dispersions. This, with the help of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces, interacts with GR and breaks it down to nanostructures, forming a stable colloidal dispersion. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the colloid show the interaction between GR and CL on day 1 and 7. Differential interference contrast images in the liquid state clearly reveal how the GR flakes are entrapped in the CL fibrils, with a corresponding fluorescence image showing the intercalation of CL within GR. Atomic force microscopy of graphene-collagen coated on glass substrates shows an average flake size of 350 nm, and the hexagonal diffraction pattern and thickness contours of the G flakes from transmission electron microscopy confirm ≤ five layers of G. Thermal conductivity of the colloid shows an approximate 17% enhancement for a volume fraction of less than approximately 0.00005 of G. Thus, through the use of CL, this new material and process may improve the use of G in terms of biocompatibility for numerous medical applications that currently employ G, such as internally controlled drug-delivery assisted thermal ablation of carcinoma cells. Keywords: graphene, collagen, colloid, nanostructures, biomimetic, carbon, nanomaterials, heat, thermal ablation, thermal conductivity

Various combinations of thyroid carcinomas have been reported including those between different cancers of follicular cell origin and those between follicular and C-cell histogenesis. Accordingly, anaplastic carcinomas have been seen to coincide with simultaneous papillary and follicular cancers. We report a case of composite anaplastic and papillary cancer on one thyroid lobe with a follicular carcinoma in the other lobe in a female patient aged 64 years. The patient also had a separate and independent follicular adenoma in the same lobe as the composite anaplastic and papillary carcinoma. The papillary carcinoma was continuous with the anaplastic carcinoma. The findings were supported by immunohistochemistry. The patient was managed by a total thyroidectomy with bilateral modified radical neck dissection followed by chemotherapy. However, she died two months after surgery. The common follicular cell origin will explain the concurrent presence of all these cancers. This could result from the dedifferentiation of a pre-existing differentiated carcinoma.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have significant, cardioprotective effects against ischemia. Hempseed contains a high proportion of the PUFAs linoleic acid (LA) and [alpha]-linolenic acid (ALA), which may have opposing effects on postischemic heart performance. There are no reported data concerning the cardiovascular effects of dietary hempseed intake. A group of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed evenly into four groups that were fed for 12 wk a normal rat chow supplemented with hempseed (5% and 10%), palm oil (1%), or a 10% partially delipidated hempseed that served as a control. Plasma ALA and [gamma]-linolenic acid levels were significantly elevated in the rats that were fed a 5% or 10% hempseed-supplemented diet, but in heart tissue only ALA levels were significantly elevated in the rats fed these diets compared with control. After the dietary interventions were completed, postischemic heart performance was evaluated by measuring developed tension, resting tension, the rates of tension development and relaxation, and the number of extrasystoles. Hearts from rats fed a hempseed-supplemented diet exhibited significantly better postischemic recovery of maximal contractile function and enhanced rates of tension development and relaxation during reperfusion than hearts from the other groups. These hearts, however, were not protected from the occurrence of extrasystoles, nor were the increases in resting tension altered during ischemia or reperfusion as a function of any dietary intervention. Our data demonstrate that dietary hempseed can provide significant cardioprotective effects during postischemic reperfusion. This appears to be due to its highly enriched PUFA content. polyunsaturated fatty acid; nutrition; heart; linoleic acid; alpha linolenic acid

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and viscosity measurements are used to study the mixed micellar system comprising the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-based triblock copolymer ([EO.sub.20])([PO.sub.70])([EO.sub.20]) and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Copolymers with high PO/EO ratios have showed an increase in the stability of the gel phase, whereas copolymers with low PO/EO ratios have showed a deterioration of the same in the presence of SDS.

A case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of vagina in an infant is being reported here because of its rarity and the changing trend in the treatment.

Aims: To assess the effects of 'clinical' and 'intensification inertia' by evaluating the impact of different intensification interventions on the probability of HbA1c goal attainment using real‐world data. Methods: Electronic health records (Cleveland Clinic, 2005–2016) were used to identify 7389 people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and HbA1c ≥53 mmol/mol (≥7.0%), despite a stable regimen of two oral antihyperglycaemic drugs for ≥6 months. The participants were stratified by index HbA1c and analysed over a 6‐month period for pharmacological intensification, and then for 12 additional months for HbA1c goal attainment (<53 mmol/mol). Results: The probability of HbA1c goal attainment (Kaplan–Meier analysis) in the group with index HbA1c 53–63 mmol/mol (7.0–7.9%) was highest with the addition of oral antidiabetic drugs [57.3% (95% CI 52.1, 62.0)] or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists [56.7% (95% CI 40.4, 68.6)], in the 64–74 mmol/mol (8.0–8.9%) group with the addition of oral antidiabetic drugs [31.9% (95% CI 25.1, 38.1)] or insulin [30.6% (95% CI 18.3, 41.0)], and in the ≥75 mmol/mol (≥9.0%) group with the addition of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists [53.0% (95% CI 31.8, 67.6)] or insulin [43.5% (95% CI 36.4, 49.8)]. Conclusions: Numerical, but not statistically significant, differences in HbA1c goal attainment probability by type of intensification were most marked in people with the highest index HbA1c [≥75 mmol/mol (≥9.0%)]; in this group, injectable therapy showed trends toward greater glycaemic control benefits. Additional research into the phenomenon of intensification inertia is warranted. What's new?: 'Clinical inertia', lack of timely treatment intensification when indicated, is a common barrier to achieving Type 2 diabetes mellitus glycaemic goals.Another type of inertia that warrants investigation is 'intensification inertia', the implementation of intensification measures that result in little‐to‐no impact on attainment of target HbA1c.This study found that the real‐world probability of HbA1c goal attainment in people with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes may vary by type of pharmacological intervention and baseline HbA1c.Awareness of intensification inertia should help reduce the frequency with which clinicians choose forms of intensification that may have a very low probability of success (HbA1c goal attainment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is a method to isolate biomaterials from a host fluid in which specifically selected antibodies attached to magnetic particles bind with their corresponding antigens on the surface of the target biological entities. A magnet separates these entities from the fluid through magnetophoresis. The method has promising applications in microscale biosensors. We develop a comprehensive model to characterize the interaction between target species and magnetic particles in microfluidic channels. The mechanics of the separation of target nonmagnetic N particles by magnetic M particles are investigated using a particle dynamics simulation. We consider both interparticle magnetic interactions and the binding of the functionalizing strands of complementary particles. The temporal growth of a particle aggregate and the relative concentrations of M and N particles are investigated under different operating conditions. A particle aggregate first grows and then exhibits periodic washaway about a quasisteady mean size. The washaway frequency and amplitude depend on the initial fractional concentration of N particles while the aggregate size scales linearly with the dipole strength and inversely with the fluid flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotational dynamics of two structurally similar hydrophobic solutes, 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-dioxo-3,6-diphenylpyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (DMDPP) and 1,4-dioxo-3,6-diphenylpyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (DPP), has been investigated in 30% w/v aqueous solution of triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)20-poly(propylene oxide)70-poly(ethylene oxide)20 as a function of temperature. This study has been undertaken in an attempt to explore how the dynamics of a solute molecule solubilized in a copolymer solution is influenced when it undergoes sol-to-gel transition. It has been observed that the anisotropy decays of both DMDPP and DPP can be described by biexponential functions in the sol as well as in the gel phase. This observation has been rationalized on the basis of the probe molecule undergoing two different kinds of motion rather than being located in two different regions of the micelle. Even in the gel phase, which results as a consequence of micelle-micelle entanglement due to an increase in their volume fraction, the rotational relaxation of the solutes is similar to that observed in the micellar solution. The outcome of this work indicates that even though these gels have very high macroscopic viscosities and hence do not flow, the microenvironments experienced by the solutes are akin to that of a micellar solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]