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The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST/GOT) and alanineaminotransferase (ALT/GPT) in serum can help people diagnose body tissues especially theheart and the liver are injured or not. This article provides a comprehensive review ofresearch activities that concentrate on AST/GOT and ALT/GPT detection techniques due totheir clinical importance. The detection techniques include colorimetric, spectrophotometric,chemiluminescence, chromatography, fluorescence and UV absorbance, radiochemical, andelectrochemical techniques. We devote the most attention on experimental principle. Insome methods a few representative devices and important conclusions are presented.

The charge-transfer process and electrode process kinetics is investigated using uric acid as an example by employing carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) chemically assembled on gold substrate as netlike electrode. Results indicate that the surface adsorption-controlled electrochemical process governs electrode process in the carboxylated SWCNT electrode system.

Objective To define the anatomy of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LABCN) and the cephalic vein (CV) in the anterior forearm region of living humans using ultrasonography for preventing LABCN injury during cephalic venipuncture. Methods Thirty forearms of 15 healthy volunteers were evaluated using ultrasonography to identify the point where the LABCN begins to contact with the CV, and the point where the LABCN separates from the CV. The LABCN pathway in the forearm in relation to a nerve conduction study was also evaluated. Results The LABCNs came in contact with the CV at a mean of 0.6±1.6 cm distal to the elbow crease, and separated from the CV at a mean of 7.0±3.4 cm distal to the elbow crease. The mean distance between the conventionally used recording points (point R) for the LABCN conduction study and the actual sonographic measured LABCN was 2.4±2.4 mm. LABCN usually presented laterally at the point R (83.3%). Conclusion The LABCN had close proximity to the CV in the proximal first quarter of the forearm. Cephalic venipuncture in this area should be avoided, and performed with caution if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To identify the anatomic characteristics of the pronator quadratus (PQ) muscle and the entry zone (EZ) of the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to this muscle by means of cadaver dissection. Methods We examined the PQ muscle and AIN in 20 forearms from 10 fresh cadavers. After identifying the PQ muscle and the EZ of the AIN, we measured the distances from the midpoint (MidP) of the PQ muscle and EZ to the vertical line passing the tip of the ulnar styloid process (MidP_X and EZ_X, respectively) and to the medial border of the ulna (MidP_Y and EZ_Y, respectively). Forearm length (FL) and wrist width (WW) were also measured, and the ratios of MidP and EZ to FL and of MidP and EZ to WW were calculated. Results The MidP was found to be 3.0 cm proximal to the ulnar styloid process or distal 13% of the FL and 2.0 cm lateral to the medial border of the ulna or ulnar 40% side of the WW, which was similar to the location of EZ. The results reveal a more distal site than was reported in previous studies. Conclusion We suggest that the proper site for needle insertion and motor point block of the PQ muscle is 3 cm proximal to the ulnar styloid process or distal 13% of the FL and 2 cm lateral to the medial border of the ulna or ulnar 40% side of the WW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop the advanced electronic devices, the surface/interface of each component must be carefully considered. Here, we investigate the electrical properties of metal-semiconductor nanoscale junction using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). Single-crystalline CdS, CdSe, and ZnO one-dimensional nanostructures are synthesized via chemical vapor transport, and individual nanobelts (or nanowires) are used to fabricate nanojunction electrodes. The current−voltage (I−V) curves are obtained by placing a C-AFM metal (PtIr) tip as a movable contact on the nanobelt (or nanowire), and often exhibit a resistive switching behavior that is rationalized by the Schottky (high resistance state) and ohmic (low resistance state) contacts between the metal and semiconductor. We obtain the Schottky barrier height and the ideality factor through fitting analysis of the I−V curves. The present nanojunction devices exhibit a lower Schottky barrier height and a higher ideality factor than those of the bulk materials, which is consistent with the findings of previous works on nanostructures. It is shown that C-AFM is a powerful tool for characterization of the Schottky contact of conducting channels between semiconductor nanostructures and metal electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]