Unraveling the Amplification-Free Quantitative Detection of Viral RNA in Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples Using a Compact Electrochemical Rapid Test Device.

Providing viral load numbers of infection events aids in the identification of disease severity and in the effective overall patient management. Gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques make this possible but cannot be applied at the point of need and in low-resource settings. Here, we report on the development of a compact analytical platform that can detect a conserved sequence of the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 40 min in nasopharyngeal swab samples without the need for any previous purification or gene amplification steps.

Engineering a Point-of-Care Paper-Microfluidic Electrochemical Device Applied to the Multiplexed Quantitative Detection of Biomarkers in Sputum.

Health initiatives worldwide demand affordable point-of-care devices to aid in the reduction of morbidity and mortality rates of high-incidence infectious and noncommunicable diseases. However, the production of robust and reliable easy-to-use diagnostic platforms showing the ability to quantitatively measure several biomarkers in physiological fluids and that could in turn be decentralized to reach any relevant environment remains a challenge. Here, we show the particular combination of paper-microfluidic technology, electrochemical transduction, and magnetic nanoparticle-based immunoassay approaches to produce a unique, compact, and easily deployable multiplex device to simultaneously measure interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and myeloperoxidase biomarkers in sputum, developed with the aim of facilitating the timely detection of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus by Triplex Enhanced Nucleic Acid Detection Assay (TENADA).

SARS-CoV-2, a positive-strand RNA virus has caused devastating effects. The standard method for COVID diagnosis is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The method needs expensive reagents and equipment and well-trained personnel and takes a few hours to be completed.

Compact Microfluidic Platform with LED Light-Actuated Valves for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Automation.

Lab-on-a-chip devices incorporating valves and pumps can perform complex assays involving multiple reagents. However, the instruments used to drive these chips are complex and bulky. In this article, a new wax valve design that uses light from a light emitting diode (LED) for both opening and closing is reported.

Experimental image dataset for validation of the noise-induced bias that affects Digital Image Correlation.

The present article shares with the scientific community several image sets used for experimentally validating the noise-induced bias on different Digital Image Correlation (DIC) formulations, as reported in Baldi et al. [1]. These sets are provided with a description of the experimental setup used for image acquisition.

Stroke management during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: experience from three regions of the north east of Italy (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Trentino-Alto-Adige).

Background: Efficiency of care chain response and hospital reactivity were and are challenged for stroke acute care management during the pandemic period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in North-Eastern Italy (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Trentino-Alto-Adige), counting 7,193,880 inhabitants (ISTAT), with consequences in acute treatment for patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective data collection of patients admitted to stroke units eventually treated with thrombolysis and thrombectomy, ranging from January to May 2020 from the beginning to the end of the main first pandemic period of COVID-19 in Italy. The primary endpoint was the number of patients arriving to these stroke units, and secondary endpoints were the number of thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy.

Risk Factors for Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation on Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants for Stroke Prevention.

[Figure: see text].

Electrochemical Paper-Based Biosensor Devices for Rapid Detection of Biomarkers.

In healthcare, new diagnostic tools that help in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of diseases rapidly and accurately are in high demand. For in-situ measurement of disease or infection biomarkers, point-of-care devices provide a dramatic speed advantage over conventional techniques, thus aiding clinicians in decision-making. During the last decade, paper-based analytical devices, combining paper substrates and electrochemical detection components, have emerged as important point-of-need diagnostic tools.

Automated Determination of As(III) in Waters with an Electrochemical Sensor Integrated into a Modular Microfluidic System.

The presence of high levels of arsenic in waters poses a threat to the human health in many countries all over the world. Effective surveillance programs of water quality require the implementation of in-field tests to assess early the presence of this metal ion and other contaminants. To date, there exist few market-available analytical approaches that suffer from important limitations related to cost, in addition to complex reactions, very long analysis times, and/or high limits of detection.

Hemorrhagic Transformation in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation: Time to Initiation of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy and Outcomes.

Background In patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation, early anticoagulation prevents ischemic recurrence but with the risk of hemorrhagic transformation ( HT ). The aims of this study were to evaluate in consecutive patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation (1) the incidence of early HT, (2) the time to initiation of anticoagulation in patients with HT , (3) the association of HT with ischemic recurrences, and (4) the association of HT with clinical outcome at 90 days. Methods and Results HT was diagnosed by a second brain computed tomographic scan performed 24 to 72 hours after stroke onset.

Serum Interleukin-10 Levels Correlate with Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid Beta Deposition in Alzheimer Disease Patients.

Background And Objective: In Alzheimer disease (AD) inflammation becomes evident throughout the course of the disease. However, the association between inflammation, cognitive impairment, and cerebrospinal biomarkers (Aβ42, t-tau, p-tau181, and Aβ42/p-tau181 ratio) is poorly understood.

Methods: A large panel of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor) was analyzed using a multiplex immunoassay in 27 patients with a diagnosis of AD dementia and in 18 control subjects.

Prediction of Early Recurrent Thromboembolic Event and Major Bleeding in Patients With Acute Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation by a Risk Stratification Schema: The ALESSA Score Study.

Background And Purposes: This study was designed to derive and validate a score to predict early ischemic events and major bleedings after an acute ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: The derivation cohort consisted of 854 patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation included in prospective series between January 2012 and March 2014. Older age (hazard ratio 1.