Developing sensor materials for screening intestinal diseases

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Zhao ◽  
Xiaoxuan Zhang ◽  
Guopu Chen ◽  
Luoran Shang

Abstract Intestinal diseases have always been the focus of clinicians and scientific researchers, which have high mortality and morbidity rates, and bring huge encumbrance on the public medical system and economy worldwide. In the progression of many intestinal diseases, early diagnosis and intervention are valuable. Fortunately, the emergence of sensor materials can effectively assist clinical early diagnosis and health monitoring. By accurately locating the lesion and sensitively analyzing the level of disease markers, these sensor materials can help to precisely diagnose the stage and state of lesions, thereby avoiding delaying the treatment. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge into diagnosing and monitoring intestinal diseases with the assistance of sensor materials, particularly emphasizing the design and application of them in bioimaging and biodetection. This review is dedicated to conveying the practical applications of sensor materials in the intestine, a critical analysis of their mechanisms and applications, and discussion of their future roles in medicine. We believe that this review would promote the multidisciplinary communication between material science, medicine, and the relevant engineering fields, thus improving the clinical translation of sensor materials

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanto Paul ◽  
Dawit Ghebreyesus ◽  
Hatim Sharif

Florence made landfall on the southeastern coast of North Carolina (NC) generating torrential rainfall and severe flooding that led to 53 fatalities in three states (NC, SC, and VA) and $16–$40 billion in damage. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of the fatalities occurred in the rural flood plains of NC with Duplin county reporting a high of eight deaths. Approximately 50% of the total number of hurricane-related fatalities across the three states were vehicle-related. The predominant demographic at risk were males over the age of 50 years. The type of property damage was in line with other major hurricanes and predominantly affected residential structures (93% of the total number of damaged buildings). Florence is among the top 10 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history with approximately 50% of the damage projected as uninsured losses due to residential flooding. The cumulative 5-day rainfall resulted in major flooding along the Cape Fear, Lumberton, and Neuse rivers where many industrial waste sites (hog manure lagoons and coal ash pits) are located. Several of these waste sites located in the flood plain were breached and have likely cross-contaminated the waterways and water treatment operations. The observed extent of the flooding, environmental contamination, and impact to public health caused by Florence will add to the long-term disaster related mortality and morbidity rates and suggests an expansion of the 100-yr flood hazard zone to communicate the expanded risk to the public.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Stephen Gorgas ◽  
Walid Abuhammour ◽  
R. Alexander Blackwood

We present a case of hyperimmunoglobulin E (hyper-IgE) syndrome in a three year old boy. There are many pitfalls in diagnosing this disease in the very young population, mainly due to the ambiguity of some diagnostic criteria in this population. Recognizing this syndrome early in life can potentially be very beneficial to the patients involved and the medical system as a whole. Early diagnosis can lead to fewer diagnostic tests, fewer referrals, and more focused exams, thus potentially reducing medical cost while also reducing the number of serious infections later in life, including those which are potentially fatal. Additionally, a well-known association between lymphoma and hyper-IgE syndrome has been established; while no recommendations are currently in place for screening, early diagnosis could help medical providers have a higher threshold for diagnosis of this disease.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhargav N. Waghela ◽  
Ramesh J. Pandit ◽  
Apurvasinh Puvar ◽  
Franky D. Shah ◽  
Prabhudas S. Patel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Breast and ovarian cancers are the most common cancer types in females in India which pertain to higher mortality and morbidity due to late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis for better prognosis improve the patient’s treatment and survival. The next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based screening has accelerated molecular diagnosis of various cancers. Methods We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of 30 patients who had a first or second degree relative with breast or ovarian cancer. Further, all these patients are tested negative for BRCA1/2 or other high and moderate risk genes reported for HBOC. WES data from 30 patients were analyzed and variants were called using bcftools. Functional annotation of variants and variant prioritization was performed by Exomiser. The clinical significance of variants was determined by Varsome tool. The functional analysis of genes was determined by STRING analysis and disease association was determined by open target tool. Results We examined the variants based on the prevalence of variants among 30 patients i.e. frequency and disease association determined by the phenotype score of exomiser. From both the approaches, we found novel variants and novel gene candidates associated with HBOC conditions. The variants in HYDIN, AVIL, IWS1, PLA2G6, PRDM4, ST3GAL2, and ZNF717 were predicted highly oncogenic. Moreover, we also found 59 genes having higher phenotype score (phenotype score >0.75) and which are associated with various biological processes such as DNA integrity maintenance, transcriptional regulation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Conclusion The gene variants associated with HBOC condition in West Indian cohort have been revisited. Our findings provide novel as well as highly prevalent variants in the population which could be further studied in detail for their use in early diagnosis and better prognosis of HBOC patients.


Health ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 361-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Hua Yan ◽  
Chih-Ming Kung ◽  
Chen-Luan Lu

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e001120
Author(s):  
Matthew Evison ◽  
Sarah Taylor ◽  
Seamus Grundy ◽  
Anna Perkins ◽  
Michael Peake

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on outcomes in lung cancer leading to later stage presentation, less curative treatment and higher mortality. This has amplified the existing problem of late-stage presentation in lung cancer and is a call to arms for a multifaceted strategy to address this, including public awareness campaigns to promote healthcare review in patients with persistent chest symptoms. We report the learning from patient and public insight work from across the North of England exploring the barriers to seeking healthcare review with persistent chest symptoms. Members of the public described how a lack of importance is placed on the common symptoms of lung cancer and a feeling of being unworthy of review by healthcare professionals. They would feel motivated to seek review by dispelling the nihilism of lung cancer and would be able to take action more easily by removing the logistical hassle in the process. We propose a four-pillar framework (validation–endorsement–motivation–action) for developing the content of any public awareness campaigns promoting early diagnosis of lung cancer based on the findings of this comprehensive insight work. All providers and commissioners must work together to overcome the perceived and real barriers to patients with persistent chest symptoms.


1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Carlos Escudero

The triumphant Sandinista revolution inherited a health situation characterized by high mortality, low life expectancy, widespread malnutrition, and a medical system limited in scope. The extent of these problems can only be estimated as a result of the somocista government's failure to develop an accurate system of vital statistics. While there are many options available for rapidly decreasing the high levels of mortality and morbidity in Nicaragua, the revolutionary government has chosen a strategy which fuses public health and politics. A health network based on popular participation and control is being formed which should not only decrease the high rates of malnutrition and infectious diseases in a cost-efficient manner, but should increase the strength of the revolution as well.


Author(s):  
Michael Westerlund ◽  
Karolina Krysinska

An overview of research on suicide and the internet, as well as the practical applications of online interventions in suicide prevention efforts is given. The text presents how much material about suicide is available online and what are the contents, with a special focus on pro-suicide and harmful online material and communication, and how people at risk of suicide use the internet. The topic of advantages and dangers of suicide-related material available on social media platforms will be covered. The range and effectiveness of online and web-based crisis interventions are discussed, along with support available online for people bereaved by suicide. The text also presents existing efforts on regulation and legislation in relation to suicide-related websites and content.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (05) ◽  
pp. 228-234
Author(s):  
Nilufer Okur ◽  
Mehmet Buyuktiryaki ◽  
Nurdan Uras ◽  
Mehmet Yekta Oncel ◽  
Halid Halil ◽  
...  

Objective Sepsis is one of the most significant contributors to mortality and morbidity in the neonatal population. The need to find specific biomarkers that provide meaningful information about the diagnosis of sepsis is still ongoing. This study aimed to investigate the utility of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a diagnostic biomarker in newborn infants with late-onset sepsis. Methods A prospective, observational study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit between July 2016 and January 2017. The patients suspected of having late-onset sepsis and meeting the selection criteria were included in the study, and serial measurements of white blood cell count, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma interleukin (IL) 6, and whole blood NT-proBNP levels were performed. Results The study included 87 patients diagnosed with sepsis and 35 control patients. The median NT-proBNP levels were higher in septic patients (58 [22–169] vs. 14 [7–21]; p < 0.001), showing a significant correlation with CRP and IL-6 levels (r = 0.327, p < 0.01 and r = 0.216, p < 0.05, respectively). The optimal diagnostic cutoff value for differentiating sepsis was 27.5 pg/mL. Predictive parameters of NT-proBNP, such as sensitivity (72%) and specificity (86%), were comparable to those of CRP and IL-6 for the early diagnosis of sepsis in neonates. Conclusion Plasma NT-proBNP levels were higher in septic neonates, and the predictive values were comparable to those of CRP and IL-6. However, these values were not high enough to make it a reliable diagnostic biomarker for identifying neonates in the early stages of sepsis.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e49643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Hollon ◽  
Matilda Eide ◽  
Gregory Gorman

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document