The aim of this study is to compare the time-course changes in neurologic impairments (trunk control, motor function, sensory, and cognition) and recovery in functional impairments (activity of daily livings and gait) simultaneously from initiating rehabilitation to 6 months after stroke. Consecutive stroke patients were recruited from the department of nervous surgery, and transferred into the department of rehabilitation medicine and continued on treatment during the acute stage. Outcome measures were examined at the initial rehabilitation baseline, 1, 2, and 4 weeks after rehabilitation treatment, and 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after stroke. Patients were assessed using the Trunk Impairment Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Motor and Sensory Assessments for the upper and lower limbs, Mini-Mental State Examination, Functional Ambulation Category, and Modified Barthel Index. Twenty consecutive patients were analyzed in the study with complete assessments. The recovery was relatively rapid during the 4 weeks after treatment (P value ranges from <0.001 to <0.007) and then to a lesser extent decelerated between 3 and 6 months after stroke (P value between <0.001 and 0.080). Statistical comparison by repeated measures analysis showed a significant interaction between time points and measures of all recovery variables (P<0.001). Significant differences in level of impairments and functional recovery were found at the different time points. In comparison with the lower leg and trunk control, the upper arm showed less recovery, with a significant difference. All variables except for leg motor function improved continuously over 6 months after stroke. Nevertheless, this study confirms the importance of the period within 3 months for recovery after stroke, during which most of the recovery occurred, ranging from 48 to 91%. Therefore, intensive treatment targeting motor and sensory functions early after stroke may be beneficial for recovery of impairments and functional performance.

No abstract

The enantioselective recognition of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine using penicillamine-modified gold nanoparticles has been investigated. Smaller gold nanoparticles with one enantiomeric ligand facilitate the redox reaction of only one enantiomer of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, with cross inversion for the gold nanoparticles with the other enantiomeric ligand.

A strategy for the rational design of a novel colorimetric sensor based on dithioerythritol-modified gold nanoparticles for the selective recognition of Hg2+ in aqueous media is presented. This approach relies on the combination of gold nanoparticles with Hg2+ through sulfur-Hg2+-sulfur interaction. The gold nanoparticles showed high selectivity toward Hg2+ with binding-induced red shift in the absorption spectra, with no response to major interfering cations such as Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ in the presence of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. The system responds to Hg2+ with a detection limit of 100 nM and might open a new avenue for the development of Hg2+ sensing probes.

We have developed a selective, sensitive, and re-usable electrochemical sensor for Hg2+ ion detection. This sensor is based on the Hg2+-induced conformational change of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) which involves an electroactive, ferrocene-labeled DNA hairpin structure and provides strategically the selective binding of a thymine-thymine mismatch for the Hg2+ ion. The ferrocene-labeled DNA is self-assembled through S-Au bonding on a polycrystalline gold electrode surface and the surface blocked with 3-mercapto-1-propanol to form a mixed monolayer. The modified electrode showed a voltammetric signal due to a one-step redox reaction of the surface-confined ferrocenyl moiety. The 'signal-on' upon mercury binding could be attributed to a change in the conformation of ferrocene-labeled DNA from an open structure to a restricted hairpin structure. The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of the modified electrode showed a linear response of the ferrocene oxidation signal with increase of Hg2+ concentration in the range between 0.1 and 2 microM with a detection limit of 0.1 microM. The molecular beacon mercury(II) ion sensor was amenable to regeneration by simply unfolding the ferrocene-labeled DNA in 10 microM cysteine, and could be regenerated with no loss in signal gain upon subsequent mercury(II) ion binding.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) fi lms are decorated with non-overlapping Au nanoparticles using diblock copolymer micelles that provide controllability over the number density as well as the diameter of the nanoparticles. This synthetic process produces a pure Au surface without extra layers. Further more, the rGO fi lm enables the transferability of the Au nanoparticles without deterioration of their arrays. Thus, the controllability of the Au nanoparticles and their transferability with rGO fi lms allow the effective modifi cation of electrochemical electrodes. With a glassy carbon electrode modifi ed with an rGO fi lm with Au nanoparticles, high electrochemical activity is observed in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Furthermore, it is possible to identify a size-dependent ORR mechanism, showing that Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 8.6 nm exhibit a 4-electron direct reduction of O 2 to H 2 O.

A thiol‐functionalized rhodamine‐based chemodosimeter on platinum films (PFIR) is successfully used for the first time as a molecular switch for the fluorescent sensing of Cu2+. In addition, the colorimetric response (colorless to pink) of the PFIR could be detected by the naked eye as platinum films display optical transparency (transmittance of ∼0.70) in the visible spectral region.

Significant enhancement of the ECL signals from the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/TPA system was achieved when using a BDD nanograss array, mainly because of the highly facile oxidation of TPA. The facile oxidation of TPA is due to the superior properties of the BDD nanograss array, such as improved electrocatalytic activity and accelerated electron transfer.