1H-NMR-based urine metabolomics of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are prevalent conditions affecting a significant portion of the male population, particularly with advancing age. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, have limitations in specificity and sensitivity, leading to potential overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies.

Significance

This study explores the effectiveness of 1H NMR urine metabolomics in distinguishing PCa from BPH and in differentiating various PCa grades, presenting a non-invasive diagnostic alternative with the potential to enhance early detection and patient-specific treatment strategies.

Results

The study demonstrated the capability of 1H NMR urine metabolomics in detecting distinct metabolic profiles between PCa and BPH, as well as among different Gleason grade groups. Notably, this method surpassed the PSA test in distinguishing PCa from BPH. Untargeted metabolomics analysis also revealed several metabolites with varying relative concentrations between PCa and BPH cases, suggesting potential biomarkers for these conditions.

Tuberculin skin testing and QuantiFERON™-TB Gold Plus positivity among household contacts in Vietnam

SETTING

TB infection (TBI) is diagnosed using the technique-dependent tuberculin skin test (TST) or costly, more accurate interferon-gamma release assays. The TST (⩾10 mm) threshold was indicated by previous research among household contacts in Vietnam, but routine implementation with a different tuberculin reagent showed unexpectedly low TST positivity.

OBJECTIVE

TST (⩾5 mm and ⩾10 mm) results were compared to QuantiFERON™-TB Gold Plus (QFT) results in household contacts during community campaigns in 2020 and 2021.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional multi-center implementation study.

RESULTS

Among 1,330 household contacts in 2020, we found a TBI prevalence of 38.6% (QFT), similar to TST ⩾5 mm (37.4%) and higher than TST ⩾10 mm (13.1%). QFT+/TST+ was higher for TST ⩾5 mm (20.7%) than TST ⩾10 mm (9.4%). QFT was not discordant with TST ⩾5 mm (McNemar's test = 0.6, P = 0.5) but was discordant with TST ⩾10 mm (McNemar's test = 263.9, P < 0.01). Older age and Southern region increased odds for positive TST ⩾5 mm and QFT with weaker associations for TST ⩾10 mm. Agreement and discordance were similar in 2021 for 1,158 household contacts.

CONCLUSION

Tuberculin reagents affect TST positivity rates. High TB burden countries should monitor reliability of TBI diagnosis, including tuberculin potency, cold chain, and TST technique to optimize eligibility for TB preventive treatment.

A Further Study on Calcium Phosphate Gardens Grown from the Interface of κ-Carrageenan-based Hydrogels and Counterion Solutions

Originating from the concept of classical chemical gardens, a new field coined 'chemobrionics' has recently emerged. In the present work, two chemobrionic systems grown from a hydrogel/liquid interface at different time scales (for 1, 7, 14 or 28 days) were investigated, i. e., a calcium-based hydrogel with a phosphate counterion solution (Ca-gel) and a phosphate-based hydrogel with a calcium counterion solution (P-gel). The initial pH changes of the systems were investigated, and the obtained tubular structures were studied using optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, PXRD and TGA. One of the important findings is that the tubes obtained in the Ca-gel system were straight and long, which could be explained by the larger pH difference observed between the hydrogel and the counterion solution in this system (ΔpH∼2.1) compared to the P-gel system (ΔpH∼0). The Ca-gel structures remained overall more amorphous even though increased crystallinity was observed in both systems with increased time spent in counterion solution. Both systems contained hydroxyapatite phases, with additional calcite phases observed for the P-gel structures and traces of κ-carrageenan for the Ca-gel structures. Our study provides a promising method for controlling tubular macrostructures through adjusting the reaction conditions such as maturation time and pH.

Analysis of urine using electronic tongue towards non-invasive cancer diagnosis

Electronic tongues (e-tongues) have been broadly employed in monitoring the quality of food, beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products, and in diagnosis of diseases, as the e-tongues can discriminate samples of high complexity, reduce interference of the matrix, offer rapid response. Compared to other analytical approaches using expensive and complex instrumentation as well as required sample preparation, the e-tongue is non-destructive, miniaturizable and on-site method with little or no preparation of samples. Even though e-tongues are successfully commercialized, their application in cancer diagnosis from urine samples is underestimated. In this review, we would like to highlight the various analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods (potentiometry and voltammetry) used as e-tongues for urine analysis towards non-invasive cancer diagnosis. Besides, different machine learning approaches, for instance, supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms are introduced to analyze extracted chemical data. Finally, capabilities of e-tongues in distinguishing between patients diagnosed with cancer and healthy controls are highlighted.

Synthesis, characterization, and humidity-responsiveness of guar gum xanthate and its nanocomposite with copper sulfide covellite

A novel conjugation of guar gum with xanthate groups via facile aqueous xanthation reaction has been reported. Density of grafted xanthate on guar gum product (GG-X) is as high as 4.4%, thus GG-X is conceivably characterized and confirmed by various spectrometric, electrochemical, thermogravimetric, and microscopic methods. Complexation of GG-X with numerous borderline and soft metal ions (e.g. Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Pt²⁺ and Cd²⁺) yields hydrophilic gel-like materials and shows good agreement with hard and soft acid and base (HSAB) theory. This indicates tremendous potential of GG-X in metal ion extraction, removal and hydrogel cross-linking. GG-X is also employed to formulate an aqueous colloidal dispersion of copper sulfide covellite (GG-X/CuS) nanocomposites. GG-X therefore behaves as a surfactant, allowing formation of electronically conductive nanocomposites. XRD indicates apparent beneficial effects of GG-X in the synthesis of CuS with a crystallite size of 15.6 nm. This novel nanocomposite is a promising material for humidity sensing, showing reversible linear responses to relative humidity changes within 10 to 80% range. The interaction between GG-X and water might cause changes in electrical permittivity of GG-X/CuS nanocomposite and/or electrical hopping conductivity between CuS nanoparticles.

Synthesis, characterization and biocompatibility of guar gum-benzoic acid

A novel chemical functionalization of guar gum (GG) by benzoic acid (BA) via nucleophilic substitution reaction in aqueous solution has been reported. BA moieties are chosen due to coordination chemistry of carboxylic acid moieties, hydrophobicity and intermolecular interaction of aromatic rings. The presence of conjugated BA on guar gum-benzoic acid (GG-BA) with grafting density of 5.5% is confirmed by ¹H NMR. Amorphous GG-BA with irregular morphology has been studied by UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, computational chemistry and contact angle measurement. GG-BA in a concentration range from 0 to 4000 μg mL^-1 has good biocompatibility to mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), human mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A) after 48 and 72 h of treatment using WST-1 assay. GG-BA shows great potential for the development of biomaterials such as bioadhesives, hydrogels, and coacervates.

Colorimetric Hydrogel from Natural Indicators: A Tool for Electrochemistry Education

The electrolysis of water is popular both as lab work and as a demonstration. In this activity, the electrolysis of water in the presence of a pH indicator is used to produce text and symbols. This report describes the design of an environmentally friendly setup of a writing board utilizing the electrolysis of water in a hydrogel environment. The activity can be performed by only using chemicals and materials that are easily accessible to everyone, with no special permit needed. The writing board has been developed mainly as an outreach activity for our faculty and has been assessed during visits from upper secondary school students.

Time-space-resolved origami hierarchical electronics for ultrasensitive detection of physical and chemical stimuli

Recent years have witnessed thriving progress of flexible and portable electronics, with very high demand for cost-effective and tailor-made multifunctional devices. Here, we report on an ingenious origami hierarchical sensor array (OHSA) written with a conductive ink. Thanks to origami as a controllable hierarchical framework for loading ink material, we have demonstrated that OHSA possesses unique time-space-resolved, high-discriminative pattern recognition (TSR-HDPR) features, qualifying it as a smart sensing device for simultaneous sensing and distinguishing of complex physical and chemical stimuli, including temperature, relative humidity, light and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Of special importance, OSHA has shown very high sensitivity in differentiating between structural isomers and chiral enantiomers of VOCs – opening a door for wide variety of unique opportunities in several length scales.

Developing portable, disposable and cost-effective electronics for multifunctional sensing is desirable. Here, the authors present origami-based hierarchical electronics with time-space-resolved high-discriminative pattern recognition (TSR-HDPR) features for multifunctional detection of complex physical and chemical stimuli.

A Freestanding Stretchable and Multifunctional Transistor with Intrinsic Self-Healing Properties of all Device Components

A flexible and stretchable field-effect transistor (FET) is an essential element in a number of modern electronics. To realize the potential of this device in harsh real-world conditions and to extend its application spectrum, new functionalities are needed to be introduced into the device. Here, solution-processable elements based on carbon nanotubes that empower flexible and stretchable FET with high hole-mobility (µ_h ≈ 10 cm² V^-1 s^-1 ) and relatively low operating voltages (<8 V) and that retain self-healing properties of all FET components are reported. The device has repeatable intrinsic and autonomic self-healing ability, namely without use of any external trigger, enabling the restoration of its electrical and mechanical properties, both after microscale damage or complete cut of the device-for example by a scissor. The device can be repeatedly stretched for >200 cycles of up to 50% strain without a significant loss in its electrical properties. The device is applicable in the form of a ≈3 µm thick freestanding skin tattoo and has multifunctional sensing properties, such as detection of temperature and humidity. With this unprecedented biomimetic transistor, highly sustainable and reliable soft electronic applications can be introduced.

The Combination of Hydrogen and Methanol Production through Artificial Photosynthesis-Are We Ready Yet?

Because 100 % quantum efficiency for the photosynthetic production of H₂ from H₂ O under visible illumination has been achieved recently, the oxidation of H₂ O to O₂ remains the bottleneck to the overall water-splitting reaction. Oxidation of CH₄ to CH₃ OH might be combined with water reduction instead, so that H₂ and CH₃ OH chemical fuels can be simultaneously produced through a one-step process under solar illumination. This combination would be a promising approach towards a more sustainable future of chemistry, in which developing different strategies for artificial photosynthesis is of paramount importance. By using free and adsorbed HO^. radicals on the semiconductor surface, CH₄ can be activated to H₃ C^. radicals and converted into CH₃ OH, respectively, with great selectivity up to 100 %. The present lack of efficient photosynthetic systems for the formation of H₂ and CH₃ OH from abundant H₂ O and CH₄ motivates future research for basic science and industrial applications.

Advanced Materials for Use in Soft Self-Healing Devices

Devices integrated with self-healing ability can benefit from long-term use as well as enhanced reliability, maintenance and durability. This progress report reviews the developments in the field of self-healing polymers/composites and wearable devices thereof. One part of the progress report presents and discusses several aspects of the self-healing materials chemistry (from non-covalent to reversible covalent-based mechanisms), as well as the required main approaches used for functionalizing the composites to enhance their electrical conductivity, magnetic, dielectric, electroactive and/or photoactive properties. The second and complementary part of the progress report links the self-healing materials with partially or fully self-healing device technologies, including wearable sensors, supercapacitors, solar cells and fabrics. Some of the strong and weak points in the development of each self-healing device are clearly highlighted and criticized, respectively. Several ideas regarding further improvement of soft self-healing devices are proposed.

Programmed Transfer of Sequence Information into a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Hexakis(2,2'-bithien-5-yl) DNA Analogue Formation toward Single-Nucleotide-Polymorphism Detection

A new strategy of simple, inexpensive, rapid, and label-free single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) detection using robust chemosensors with piezomicrogravimetric, surface plasmon resonance, or capacitive impedimetry (CI) signal transduction is reported. Using these chemosensors, selective detection of a genetically relevant oligonucleotide under FIA conditions within 2 min is accomplished. An invulnerable-to-nonspecific interaction molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) with electrochemically synthesized probes of hexameric 2,2'-bithien-5-yl DNA analogues discriminating single purine-nucleobase mismatch at room temperature was used. With density functional theory modeling, the synthetic procedures developed, and isothermal titration calorimetry quantification, adenine (A)- or thymine (T)-substituted 2,2'-bithien-5-yl functional monomers capable of Watson-Crick nucleobase pairing with the TATAAA oligodeoxyribonucleotide template or its peptide nucleic acid (PNA) analogue were designed. Characterized by spectroscopic techniques, molecular cavities exposed the ordered nucleobases on the 2,2'-bithien-5-yl polymeric backbone of the TTTATA hexamer probe designed to hybridize the complementary TATAAA template. In that way, an artificial TATAAA-promoter sequence was formed in the MIP. The purine nucleobases of this sequence are known to be recognized by RNA polymerase to initiate the transcription in eukaryotes. The hexamer strongly hybridized TATAAA with the complex stability constant K_s^{TTTATA-TATAAA} = k_a/k_d ≈ 10⁶ M^-1, as high as that characteristic for longer-chain DNA-PNA hybrids. The CI chemosensor revealed a 5 nM limit of detection, quite appreciable as for the hexadeoxyribonucleotide. Molecular imprinting increased the chemosensor sensitivity to the TATAAA analyte by over 4 times compared to that of the nonimprinted polymer. The herein-devised detection platform enabled the generation of a library of hexamer probes for typing the majority of SNP probes as well as studying a molecular mechanism of the complex transcription machinery, physics of single polymer molecules, and stable genetic nanomaterials.

Self-Healable Sensors Based Nanoparticles for Detecting Physiological Markers via Skin and Breath: Toward Disease Prevention via Wearable Devices

Flexible and wearable electronic sensors are useful for the early diagnosis and monitoring of an individual's health state. Sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from human breath/skin or monitoring abrupt changes in heart-beat/breath rate should allow noninvasive monitoring of disease states at an early stage. Nevertheless, for many reported wearable sensing devices, interaction with the human body leads incidentally to unavoidable scratches and/or mechanical cuts and bring about malfunction of these devices. We now offer proof-of-concept of nanoparticle-based flexible sensor arrays with fascinating self-healing abilities. By integrating a self-healable polymer substrate with 5 kinds of functionalized gold nanoparticle films, a sensor array gives a fast self-healing (<3 h) and attractive healing efficiency in both the substrate and sensing films. The proposed platform was used in sensing pressure variation and 11 kinds of VOCs. The sensor array had satisfactory sensitivity, a low detection limit, and promising discrimination features in monitoring both of VOCs and pressure variation, even after full healing. These results presage a new type of smart sensing device, with a desirable performance in the possible detection and/or clinical application for a number of different purposes.

A Highly Sensitive Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Ambipolar Transistor for Selective Detection and Discrimination of Xylene Isomers

An ambipolar poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene)-based field-effect transistor (FET) sensitively detects xylene isomers at low ppm levels with multiple sensing features. Combined with pattern-recognition algorithms, a sole ambipolar FET sensor, rather than arrays of sensors, can discriminate highly similar xylene structural isomers from one another.

Sensors: A Highly Sensitive Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Ambipolar Transistor for Selective Detection and Discrimination of Xylene Isomers (Adv. Mater. 21/2016)

An ambipolar organic field-effect transistor (OFET) based on poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene) (PDPPHD-T3) is shown by P. Sonar, H. Haick, and co-workers on page 4012 to sensitively detect xylene isomers at low to 40 ppm level in multiple sensing features. Combined with pattern-recognition algorithms, a sole ambipolar FET sensor, rather than arrays of sensors, is able to discriminate highly similar xylene structural isomers from each other.

Self-Healing, Fully Functional, and Multiparametric Flexible Sensing Platform

A non-biological and flexible self-healing platform has tailored sensitivity toward one or a combination of pressure, strain, gas analytes, and temperature. For demonstration, a complete self-healing device is described in the form of a bendable and stretchable chemiresistor, where every part is self-healing.

An electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer for selective carnosine sensing with impedimetric capacity

Functional monomers are designed for the development of a polymer with molecular cavities selective for the carnosine dipeptide recognition and quantification.

Fullerene derived molecularly imprinted polymer for chemosensing of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)

For molecular imprinting of oxidatively electroactive analytes by electropolymerization, we used herein reductively electroactive functional monomers. As a proof of concept, we applied C60 fullerene adducts as such for the first time. For that, we derivatized C60 to bear either an uracil or an amide, or a carboxy addend for recognition of the adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) oxidizable analyte with the ATP-templated molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP-ATP). Accordingly, the ATP complex with all of the functional monomers formed in solution was potentiodynamically electropolymerized to deposit an MIP-ATP film either on an Au electrode of the quartz crystal resonator or on a Pt disk electrode for the piezoelectric microgravimetry (PM) or capacitive impedimetry (CI) determination of ATP, respectively, under the flow-injection analysis (FIA) conditions. The apparent imprinting factor for ATP was ∼4.0. After extraction of the ATP template, analytical performance of the resulting chemosensors, including detectability, sensitivity, and selectivity, was characterized. The limit of detection was 0.3 and 0.03mM ATP for the PM and CI chemosensor, respectively. The MIP-ATP film discriminated structural analogues of ATP quite well. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Langmuir-Freundlich isotherms were fitted to the experimental data of the ATP sorption and sorption stability constants appeared to be nearly independent of the adopted sorption model.

Molecularly imprinted polymer for recognition of 5-fluorouracil by RNA-type nucleobase pairing

A 6-aminopurine (adenine) derivative of bis(2,2'-bithienyl)methane, vis., 4-[2-(6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)ethoxy]phenyl-4-[bis(2,2'-bithienyl)methane] or Ade-BTM, was designed and synthesized for recognition of 5-fluorouracil (FU), an antitumor chemotherapy agent, by RNA-type (nucleobase pairing)-driven molecular imprinting. The prepolymerization complex stoichiometry involved one FU molecule and two molecules of the Ade-BTM functional monomer. Molecular structure of this complex was thermodynamically optimized via density functional theory at the B3LYP/3-21G* level. The stability constant of the FU-Ade-BTM complex of 1:2 stoichiometry was K = 2.17(±0.07) × 10(7) M(-2), as determined by titration with quenching of fluorescence of the bis(2,2'-bithienyl)methane moiety of Ade-BTM by the FU titrant, in benzonitrile, at 352 nm excitation. Next, (5-fluorouracil)-templated molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP-FU) films were deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) or Au film-coated glass slides, Pt disk electrodes, or 10-MHz quartz crystal resonators by potentiodynamic electropolymerization from solution of FU, Ade-BTM, and tris([2,2'-bithiophen]-5-yl)methane (TTM) cross-linking monomer at FU:Ade-BTM:TTM = 1:2:3 mol ratio. Then UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the MIP-FU films were recorded to confirm the FU template presence in the MIP-FU film and its subsequent release by extraction with methanol from this film. For determination of the stability constant of the complex of the MIP cavity and FU, piezoelectric microgravimetry (PM) under both batch- and flow-injection analysis conditions was used. For sensing application, three different transduction platforms [differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), capacitive impedimetry (CI), and PM] were integrated with the MIP-FU recognition unit. The limit of detection (LOD) was 56 nM, 75 nM, and 0.26 mM, for these chemosensors, respectively, indicating suitability of the former two for FU determination in blood plasma or serum (~500 nM). Moreover, the CI chemosensor was appreciably more sensitive to FU than to their common interferences.

Electrochemically synthesized molecularly imprinted polymer of thiophene derivatives for flow-injection analysis determination of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)

Two selective chemosensors for adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) determination featuring molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film recognition units were fabricated. For imprinting, three different thiophene derivatives were used as functional monomers. That is, the uracil substituent of bis(2,2'-bithienyl)methane 2 complementarily H-bond paired the adenine moiety of ATP, the boronic acid substituent of thiophene 3 covalently bound vicinal diols of the ribofuranose moiety, and amide substituents of bis(2,2'-bithienyl)methanes 4 bound to the pyrophosphate moieties. Different binding motifs adopted for the ATP recognition and the structure of the supramolecular pre-polymerization complex were optimized with the DFT computing at the B3LYP/3-21G((*)) level. MIP films were prepared by potentiodynamic electropolymerization of this complex with the imprinting factor of 9.47±0.2. An analytical signal was transduced with a 10-MHz resonator of EQCM and a Pt electrode for the piezoelectric microgravimetry (PM) and capacitive impedometry (CI) determination of ATP, respectively, under FIA conditions. Analytical properties of the MIP film were unraveled by spectroscopic ellipsometry, XPS, IRRAS, and DPV. The limit of detection was 0.1 and 0.2 μM for the PM and CI chemosensor, respectively, being an order of magnitude lower than the ATP concentration in biological systems. Moreover, cross-selectivity was demonstrated with the adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP) imprinting and ATP discrimination.

Immunocytochemical characterization of viruses and antigenic macromolecules in viral vaccines

Gold immunolabeling combined with negative staining (GINS) provides a valuable immunocytochemical approach that allows a direct ultrastructural definition of all viral vaccine constituents that share common antigenic features with pathogenic viral particles. These results have implications for the development of viral vaccines since it has been demonstrated that incomplete viral particles such as natural empty capsides and Rotavirus-like particles lacking the infective genome are potential candidates for the production of neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore comparative results of the application of GINS to either inactivated vaccines or unfixed samples provide direct evidence that even after inactivation specific antigenic sites are still available for gold immunolabeling.