Various whole cell-based biosensors have been reported in the literature for the last 20 years and these reports have shown great potential for their use in the areas of pollution detection in environmental and in biomedical diagnostics. Unlike other reviews of this growing field, this mini-review argues that: (1) the selection of reporter genes and their regulatory proteins are directly linked to the performance of celllular biosensors; (2) broad enhancements in microelectronics and information technologies have also led to improvements in the performance of these sensors; (3) their future potential is most apparent in their use in the areas of medical diagnostics and in environmental monitoring; and (4) currently the most promising work is focused on the better integration of cellular sensors with nano and micro scaled integrated chips. With better integration it may become practical to see these cells used as (5) real-time portable devices for diagnostics at the bedside and for remote environmental toxin detection and this in situ application will make the technology commonplace and thus as unremarkable as other ubiquitous technologies.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have the potential to be as efficient and as widespread as lithium-ion batteries, since sulfur has high theoretical capacity (1672 mA h g sul -1) and this element is affordable and none toxic. However, unlike their ubiquitous lithium ion counterparts, it has proven difficult to make lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries that perform well. The main problem that restricted the commercialization of Li-S battery is the shuttle effect of polysulfide that inevitably results in the serious capacity degradation. Tremendous progress has been devoted to approach this problem from the aspect of physical confinement and chemisorption of polysulfide. Owing to weak intermolecular interactions, physical confinement strategy, however is not effective when the battery is cycled long-term. While the chemical interactions, including polar-polar interaction, Lewis acid-base interaction and sulfur-chain catenation, are proven to significantly suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfide. Recently, it was discovered that the metal compounds possess strong chemical interactions with polysulfide species, thus this review focuses on latest metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), metal nitrides, metal sulfides, metal hydroxides, metal carbides and discusses how the chemical interactions coupling with the unique properties of these metal compounds to tackle the problem of polysulfide shuttle effect. It is anticipated that the new research reviewed in this work will lead to greater breakthroughs and to a wider application of Li-S batteries.Received: ((will be filled in by the editorial staff))Revised: ((will be filled in by the editorial staff))

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of prolonged administration of quinapril, a long-acting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, in the management of the peripheral vascular manifestations of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and in the prevention of the progression of visceral organ involvement in the disease.Methods. This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating quinapril 80 mg/day, or the maximum tolerated dosage, in 210 patients with lcSSc or with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and the presence of SSc-specific antinuclear antibodies. Treatment was for 2-3 years. The primary outcome measure was the number of new ischemic ulcers appearing on the hands; secondary measures were the frequency and severity of RP attacks, skin score, treatments for ischemia, health status (measured by the Short Form 36 instrument), measures of kidney and lung function, and echocardiographic estimates of pulmonary artery pressure. An intent-to-treat analysis was used.Results. Quinapril did not affect the occurrence of digital ulcers or the frequency or severity of RP episodes. It did not alter the treatments that were prescribed for either infected ulcers or severe RP symptoms. There was no apparent effect on the estimated tricuspid gradient. Health status was not affected by quinapril, and one-half of the patients who believed they had benefited from the trial treatment were in the placebo arm. Quinapril was not tolerated by one-fifth of the patients, with dry cough being the most frequent side effect.Conclusion. Administration of quinapril for up to 3 years had no demonstrable effects on the occurrence of upper limb digital ulcers or on other vascular manifestations of lcSSc in this patient population. ISRCTN: 57984704.

The noninvasive and real-time detection of glucose sugar from tears is promising for the early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, its realization is a big challenge. A suitable biosensor electrode that can closely fit the eye and be electrochemically sensitive is still unrealized. In this work, nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) was used as an ophthalmic electrode in a high-performance intraocular biosensor. The use of N-G has been reported elsewhere before as it is highly electroactive and so has a particular use in biosensors. We hereby present a novel procedure for making carboxylated chitosan-functionalized nitrogen-containing graphene (GC–COOH) by using a one-step ball-milling process. This process does not use toxic chemicals, flammable gases, or a high temperature. It is thus particularly easy to perform. The fabricated nanomaterial had a high electroactivity and was easily assembled as a glucose biosensor by the immobilization of glucose oxidase. The thus constructed biosensor has a high sensitivity at 9.7 μA mM–1 cm–2, a broad linear range at 12 mM, and a good detection limit of 9.5 μM. It was able to maintain this activity after a month of storage. We also report the intraocular use of this constructed biosensor. The as-prepared GC–COOH was found to be highly biocompatible to ophthalmologic cells such as corneal epithelial and retinal pigment epithelium cells. No change in the intraocular pressure or the corneal structure was measured in a New Zealand white rabbit model. The as-assembled sensor was worn by the animals for more than 24 h without undue impact. This result confirmed the biosensor’s potential for intraocular application in the clinic. Its assembly into a useful sensor shown here has great potential to provide real-time monitoring of glucose levels in tear fluids of patients with high sugar levels.

On the basis of efficacy, safety and cost, leflunomide should be considered in patients with RA who have failed first-line DMARD drug therapy. In refractory cases, leflunomide may be used in combination with, for example, methotrexate before biological agents. Therapy should be initiated by a specialist, but repeat prescribing in general practice on a shared care basis is acceptable using agreed protocols. Clear mechanisms are required to monitor toxicity, with good communication between the patient and rheumatologist to manage nuisance side-effects and avoid unnecessary discontinuation of leflunomide.

MIL is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical and serological features. The diagnosis can be confirmed by rechallenge, which results in rapid reappearance of symptoms and a rise in CRP.

In plants, fungi

This comes with a much lower survival rate. The 5 year survival rate of advancedstage BC after its successful initial treatment is 30% or less. [3] There are various non-surgical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have been developed to deal with BC. But their outcomes are poor as there is a high likelihood of tumorous metastasis. [4,5] A new treatment using photothermal therapy (PTT) technology can offer options for the last-stage cancer treatment. [6] Part of its appeal is its capability to provide strong tissue penetration, its low invasiveness and its intrinsic specificity. [7] Used with PTT, nanomaterials can be excited by the near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, and can produce excellent photothermal properties for effective PTT. But this form of treatment for tumorous metastasis and its recurrence is still a big challenge. [8] For example, the spot size of NIR emitter for PTT cannot fully cover the amorphous uncontrolled growth of some tumor sites. Recently, the development of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) techniques has provided a novel means to deal with the tumor microenvironment, and is considered as a promising way to inhibit the recurrence of cancer beyond PTT. [9] With CDT, Fenton or Fenton-like reactions (which occur in an acidic environment) produce a large number of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), This article reports the fabrication of a smart biomimetic enzyme system, which incorporates a pH-responsive chemodynamic therapy (CDT) combined with a photothermal (PTT) therapy approach in resolving the high recurrence rate of deadly cancers. The resulting enzyme system comprises copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticle (NP) cores as Fenton-like catalysts, and a photothermalactive generation 5 poly(amidoamine) (G5) dendrimer as a template for the entrapment of Cu NPs and the compression of glucose oxidase (GOD). GOD is introduced to produce H 2 O 2 necessary in the sequential Fenton-like reaction, and this generates hydroxyl radicals that kill the cancerous cells. Polyethylene glycol is added to the system to improve biocompatibility. Mechanism study suggests that the constructed CuS/G5-GOD-based system has a better Fenton-like catalytic activity than a Fe 3 O 4-GOD-based system. This allows the further inhibition on the residual tumors from recurrence and metastasis through CDT after being treated by PTT. The developed smart nanoscale biomimetic system shows high efficiency for breast cancer suppression from recurrence and metastasis by combining PTT with a pH-responsive CDT. It has the potential to resolve the essential issue of cancer recurrence after its initial clinic treatment.