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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a glycoprotein hormone secreted from the placenta, is an important biomarker for pregnancy. In this study, we designed a precise, rapid and fully automatic device with an electrochemical point-of-care biosensor capable of quantitative hCG detection from human urine samples for early pregnancy detection. Gold and Ag/AgCl electrodes, whose structure with optimum isopotential region and current density, were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics® software and custom-made from Flex Medical. The sensing surface was fabricated with DSP self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and covalently immobilized anti-hCG-beta antibody. The detection method involved a sandwich assay using anti-hCG alpha-HRP. Based on an automated agitation design implemented in our device, the surface reaction rate is significantly improved comparing to routinely performed sandwich assays, and therefore a rapid detection of very low concentration can be achieved. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements were used to characterize the immobilization of the antibodies and to determine the sensor activities respectively. The sensors displayed a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.17 mIU/ml within established clinical hCG levels for early detection of pregnancy. They responded very well to hCG, but not to luteinizing hormone (LH), which has a high degree of cross-reactivity with hCG. The results showed that the immunosensor has high specificity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability for the detection of hCG in urine samples.

Older age is associated with an increased accumulation of multiple chronic conditions. The clinical management of patients suffering from multiple chronic conditions is very complex, disconnected and time-consuming with the traditional care settings. Integrated care is a means to address the growing demand for improved patient experience and health outcomes of multimorbid and long-term care patients. Care planning is a prevalent approach of integrated care, where the aim is to deliver more personalized and targeted care creating shared care plans by clearly articulating the role of each provider and patient in the care process. In this paper, we present a method and corresponding implementation of a semi-automatic care plan management tool, integrated with clinical decision support services which can seamlessly access and assess the electronic health records (EHRs) of the patient in comparison with evidence based clinical guidelines to suggest personalized recommendations for goals and interventions to be added to the individualized care plans. We also report the results of usability studies carried out in four pilot sites by patients and clinicians., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image

CuO composite thin films with Sn-doping are deposited on glass substrates by the SILAR method. All the films are characterized by metallurgical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis. spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Metallurgical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results revealed that homogeneity of the film surface distorts and particle size decreases from 110 to 43 nm with increasing Sn-doping. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy evidences the amount of Sn in CuO films, which increases with increasing Sn concentration in the growth solutions. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the mean crystallite size of the films is decreasing from ∼14 to ∼9 nm with increasing Sn-doping. Moreover, increase in Sn concentration results new peaks belong to SnO 2 phases. UV–Vis. analysis showed that the transmittance and optical band-gap energy values of the films are increasing with increasing Sn-doping. Raman spectrum was also confirmed the phase formation of CuO nanostructures and it was seen that the Sn-doping caused shifts in Raman active modes.

WOS: 000370884500050, Cadmium oxide films with and without silver-doping have been prepared by the SILAR method onto soda-lime-silica glass slides and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Scanning electron microscopy images show that increasing silver concentration contributed to adjust surface properties and led to a decrease in particle size from the UV-Visible spectroscopy analysis it was found that the optical band gap value of the films is increased with silver doping. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

This paper presents the effect of dextrin addition to the growth solution to prepare CuO nanostructures by SILAR method. Structural, morphological and optical properties of the films were investigated by means of XRD, SEM and UV/Vis. analysis. From the XRD data it is found that with increasing dextrin concentrations in the growth solution the crystallite size of the films decreased. SEM images showed that dextrin addition has a decreasing effect on grain size and changes the morphology drastically. By UV/Vis spectrophotometer analysis it is found that the dextrin concentration increases both the optical band gap value and the transmission rate.

Un-doped and Co-doped CdO nanostructures were deposited on glass substrates by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method and annealed at 300 and 400 °C. Morphological, structural and optical properties of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and ultra violet-vis (UV–vis) spectrophotometry. The analyzed results indicate that Co-doping concentration and annealing temperature affect the properties of nanostructure cadmium oxide (CdO) films. XRD results showed that all of the films are polycrystalline cubic CdO with good crystallinity levels. With UV–vis. analysis at the room temperature it was found that the doping and annealing temperature changed optical properties of CdO films.

Nanostructured CuO thin films were produced from alkaline baths containing saccharin as additive. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to determine the phase, crystallization and average crystallite size of the films. From the XRD analysis it was understood that the films have polycrystalline structure with monoclinic phases. The average crystallite size was also studied by the scanning electron microscopy. SEM images showed that the films were consisted of plate-like nanostructures with the thicknesses of ∼25 nm. The effect of saccharin concentration on the transmission and optical band gap were also studied by UV–vis spectrophotometry. From the UV–vis spectra of the films it was seen that both the optical band gap and transmission properties of the films change with increasing saccharin concentration in the growth bath.