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This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of trigeminal parasympathetic pathway (TPP) stimulation in the treatment of dry eye. A comprehensive search for randomized clinical trials was performed in seven databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, etc.) up to 28 February 2023. After screening the suitable studies, the data were extracted and transformed as necessary. Data synthesis and analysis were performed using Review Manager 5.4, and the risk of bias and quality of evidence were evaluated with the recommended tools. Fourteen studies enrolling 1714 patients with two methods (electrical and chemical) of TPP stimulation were included. Overall findings indicate that TPP stimulation was effective in reducing subjective symptom score (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.63 to -0.28), corneal fluorescence staining (mean difference [MD], -0.78; 95% CI, -1.39 to -0.18), goblet cell area (MD, -32.10; 95% CI, -54.58 to -9.62) and perimeter (MD, -5.90; 95% CI, -10.27 to -1.53), and increasing Schirmers test score (SMD, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.31) and tear film break-up time (SMD, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.95). Compared to inactive or low-activity stimulation controls, it has a higher incidence of adverse events. Therefore, TPP stimulation may be an effective treatment for dry eye, whether electrical or chemical. Adverse events are relatively mild and tolerable. Due to the high heterogeneity and low level of evidence, the current conclusions require to be further verified. Keywords: Dry eye, neuromodulation, neurostimulation, trigeminal parasympathetic pathway, Author(s): Jindong Hu (corresponding author) [1,2]; Mohan Ju [3]; Yongjun Shi [4]; Xinquan Liu [5]; Yongbao Zhu (corresponding author) [6] Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface[sup.[1]] [...]

Traditional detection methods to detect heavy metal ions are time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. Here, we developed a simple electroless plating method to prepare three-dimensional gold nanowire (Au NW) films with high specific surface area. In an aqueous plating bath, tetrachloroauric acid, 4-dimethylaminopyridine and formaldehyde are used as precursor, ligand, and reducing agent, respectively. An electrochemical sensor based on a Au NWs/SPE could be applied for simultaneous detection of lead (Pb(ii)), arsenic (As(iii)), and mercury (Hg(ii)) ions. The detection limits of Pb(ii), As(iii), and Hg(ii) are 2.6, 1.5, and 4.2 μg L−1, all lower than the permissible limits of the WHO for drinking water (the permissible level of Pb(ii) and As(iii) is 10.0 μg L−1, and the permissible level of Hg(ii) is 6.0 μg L−1), respectively. This work presents a simple and novel method to prepare gold nanowires for quick detection of trace heavy metal ions.

Natural graphite has a large electrical conductivity in plane direction, hundreds times of that in vertical direction. Regulating graphite flakes perpendicular to the plane will improve the performance of the sensor. As a non-connected method, magnetic field-assisted orientation can be no-additives. However, some studies believe that diamagnetic materials are non-magnetic, and must be doped by ferromagnetic materials before oriented by a magnetic field. Here, original graphite flakes were vertically oriented by a low magnetic field during the electrode preparation to increase effective surface area. The performance of electrode was enhanced in both potassium ferricyanide/potassium ferrocyanide probe system and detection of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC). For HQ and CC detection, the sensitivities of vertically oriented graphite flakes electrode are 5.05 times and 6.35 times higher than that of graphite flakes without magnetic field, respectively. This magnetic alignment technology could construct other electrode materials for electrochemical sensors.

Background: Uric acid (UA) is an important metabolic intermediate of the human body. Abnormally high levels of UA will cause diseases. However, UA monitoring with commercial products relies on invasive blood collection, which not only causes pain in patients but also risks bacterial infections and skin irritation. In recent years, new models of noninvasive detection through body surface penetration have raised higher expectations for the sensitivity of uric acid detection, and rapid, accurate and highly sensitive UA sensors will become powerful tools for the diagnosis of UA-related diseases. Objective: This study aimed to identify the differences in catalytic efficiency between regular PB from spray crystallization (RPB) and irregular PB from electrodeposition (EDPB), which is used for fabricate a high sensitive uric acid sensor. Methods: Regular Prussian blue nanocrystals (RPB) were grown on graphene oxide flakes (GO), on the surface of a custom screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), using a spray method assisted by a constant magnetic field (CMF). After immobilizing uricase, the uric acid biosensor Uricase/RPB/CMF-GO/SPCE was obtained. Results: The detection range of the sensor response to UA was 0.005 2.525 mM, and the detection limit was as low as 3.6 μM. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results showed that compared to amorphous electrodeposited Prussian blue (EDPB), RPB more favorably accelerated electron transport. Conclusion: This novel uric acid biosensor exhibits high sensitivity over a wide concentration range, strong anti-interference ability, and good stability and reproducibility. Thus, it has good application prospects for determining uric acid in physiological samples.

Inhibition of O-GlcNAcase (OGA) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to treat tau pathology in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Beginning with carbohydrate-based lead molecules, we pursued an optimization strategy of reducing polar surface area to align the desired drug-like properties of potency, selectivity, high central nervous system (CNS) exposure, metabolic stability, favorable pharmacokinetics, and robust in vivo pharmacodynamic response. Herein, we describe the medicinal chemistry and pharmacological studies that led to the identification of (3aR,5S,6S,7R,7aR)-5-(difluoromethyl)-2-(ethylamino)-3a,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-5H-pyrano[3,2-d]thiazole-6,7-diol 42(MK-8719), a highly potent and selective OGA inhibitor with excellent CNS penetration that has been advanced to first-in-human phase I clinical trials.

Conjugated polymers containing metal groups are an important class of new materials that may find application as sensors, non‐linear optical materials and in molecular electronics. Polythiophenes are an extensively studied class of conjugated polymers, that can be easily modified synthetically, and may be prepared using a variety of methods. Metal groups pendant to polythiophene backbones modulate the electronic, optical and redox properties of the conjugated backbone and can introduce novel structural motifs to these materials. Functionalization of oligo‐ and polythiophenes by Fe, Pd and Ru containing groups is discussed, along with the properties of some of these materials.

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