Smartphone-assisted point-of-care testing of nucleic acids based on hybridization chain reaction, magnetic beads, and gold nanorods etching

Colorimetric biosensors are simple but effective tools that are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide low-cost, rapid, and accurate detection for viruses like the Novel coronavirus, Influenza A, and Dengue virus, especially in point-of-care testing (POCT) and visual detection. In this study, a smartphone-assisted nucleic acid POCT was built using hybridization chain reaction (HCR), magnetic beads (MBs), and oxidized 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB2+)-mediated etching of gold nanorods (GNRs). The application of HCR without enzyme isothermal characteristics and MBs with easy separation, can quickly amplify nucleic acid signal and remove other reaction components. The blue shift of longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) based on GNRs showed significant differences in etching color for different concentrations of target nucleic acid, which convert the signal into a visually semi-quantitative colorimetric result, achieving quantitative analysis with the color recognition software built into smartphones. This strategy, which only takes 40 min to detect and is two-thirds less time than the PCR, was successfully applied for the detection of the Dengue target sequence with a detection limit of 1.25 nM and exhibited excellent specificity for distinguishing single-base mutations, indicating broad application prospects in clinical laboratory diagnosis and enriching the research of nucleic acid POCT.

Volatility Spillovers between Commodity and Financial Markets

The paper analyzes price volatility spillovers between commodity and financial markets order to investigate the interconnectedness and market integration and their potential in port-risk diversification. The paper analyzes gold and silver prices, oil prices, and the exchange of the Euro and British pound using the Diebold-Yilmaz spillover index methodology for-frequency weekly data from 1988 to 2020. The total spillovers between commodities and exchange rates were found to be 25.7% and the volatility spillover index during the analyzed period mostly ranged between 25% and 50% with extremes during the global financial crisis and during COVID-19 pandemic. This indicates a strong integration of commodity and financial markets, especially in crisis periods. Also, the results of the work suggest that silver price movements are affected by spillovers from other markets and therefore silver can be used to diversify risks. contribution of the paper to the existing literature is as follows: Firstly, the analysis of transmis-processes showed significant volatility spillovers between commodity markets and exchange indicating the existence of integration between different markets. Furthermore, a long period time is analyzed and the dynamic analysis shows intensified volatility spillovers in global crises periods. Secondly, the results of the analysis can help professional forecasters in forecasting and financial analysts to provide a comprehensive investment analysis. Managers and investors can thus design optimal protection instruments against unwanted movements in the financial and commod-markets. Investors benefit from portfolio diversification, and the information content obtained volatility spillover analysis can be used to assess potential determinants of future risk-adjusted returns, which would help them make investment decisions.

Autoethnographically Interrogating School-Based Anti-"Asian” Racism in Post(?)-Pandemic Times: An AsianCrit-Informed Composite Palimpsest

The ongoing racialized violence against "Asian” communities—that was simultaneously illuminated and amplified during COVID-19—is not a geographically isolated phenomenon. Vis-a-vis the Atlanta Massacre of 2021 and other senseless attacks on "Asian” Americans stemming from white supremacist fears of the Yellow Peril, "Asian” Australians have likewise been, and continue to be, victims of everyday old and new racisms rooted in Orientalist discourses and concomitant fears of the invading Other. As microcosms of society, schools are germane for the analysis, confrontation, and transformation of such racialized injustices and so, as a means of intervening in these everyday inequities, this paper weaves an AsianCrit-informed autoethnography with palimpsestuous composite narratives drawn from semi-structured interviews in a broader project with other migrant "Asian” Australian teachers to chronicle personal and professional race-making practices in the face of racism before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also rethinking and re-stor(y)ing a–way toward more hopeful, inclusive futures in schools. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Cultural Studies/Critical Methodologies is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Altın ve Kripto Paraların BÍST100 Endeksi için Hedge ve Güvenli Liman Özellikleri: Covid-19 Salgını Etkileri

Covid-19 salgınının ortaya çıkmasından sonra dünya çapında ekonomik çalkantılar ve şiddetli piyasa düşüşlerinin ortaya çıktığı görülmüştür. Bu dönemde hisse senedi piyasalarına yatırım yapmış ajanlar için hedge ve/veya güvenli liman araçları arayışları artmıştır. Kripto paralar ve altın özellikle gelişmekte olan ülke piyasalarındaki yatırımcılar için hedge ve/veya güvenli liman olma konusunda iyi potansiyellere sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, Borsa Ístanbul için Bitcoin, Etherium, Ripple, Litecoin ve altın piyasalarının hedge ve/veya güvenli liman piyasalar olup olmadığı, GARCH(1,1) hata terimleri varsayımı altında modellenmiş regresyon sistemi yardımı ile araştırılmıştır. Analizlerde örneklem olarak 4 Eylül 2017 – 30 Mart 2022 tarihleri arasındaki günlük frekanslı verilerden faydalanılmıştır. Ayrıca, Covid-19 salgın dönemi etkilerini ayrıştırmak için örneklem iki alt gruba ayrılmış ve tahminler Covid-19 öncesi dönem (31 Aralık 2019 öncesi) ve Covid-19 dönemi (31 Aralık 2019 ve sonrası) için ayrı ayrı analiz edilmiştir.A.B.D. doları cinsinden elde edilmiş kripto para (BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC), altın ve BÍST100 endeks getirileri kullanılarak bulunan tahmin sonuçlarına göre, tüm örneklem için Litecoin zayıf güvenli liman olarak ortaya çıkarken, Covid-19 öncesi dönemde Bitcoin ve Etherium zayıf hedge, Covid-19 salgın döneminde de Etherium zayıf güvenli liman olma özellikleri göstermektedir. Tüm örneklem ve salgın öncesi dönem verileri söz konusu olduğunda, BÍST100 endeks getiri dağılımının %10 çeyrek değerinden az olduğu durumlarda Bitcoin, Etherium ve Ripple güvenli liman piyasalar olarak gözlemlenirken, salgın döneminde altın, BÍST100 endeks getiri dağılımının %1 çeyrek değerinden az olduğu durumlarda güvenli bir liman olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Fakat tüm analizlere dayanarak, altının genel görünümüyle BÍST100 endeksi için hedge veya güvenli limandan çok bir çeşitlendirici varlık olarak öne çıktığı söylenebilir.Alternate :After the Covid-19 outbreak, economic turmoil and severe market crashes have been observed around the world. During this crisis period, cyriptocurrencies and gold have become potentially good hedge and/or safe haven assets for especially the stock investors in emerging markets. This study investigates whether or not Bitcoin, Etherium, Ripple, Litecoin and gold markets have hedge and/or safe-haven properties for Borsa Ístanbul through a regression system modeled under the assumption of GARCH(1,1) error terms. Daily frequency data covering the period September 4, 2017 through March 30, 2022 is used in the sample analysis. In addition, to separate out the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the analysis, full sample is divided into two subgroups and the estimations are made separately for the pre-Covid-19 period (before 31 December 2019) and the Covid-19 period (31 December 2019 and later).According to the estimation results, Litecoin emerges as a weak safe haven for Borsa Ístanbul over the entire sample period, while Bitcoin and Etherium appear to be weak hedges in the pre-pandemic period. During the Covid-19 pandemic period, Etherium is shown to be a weak safe haven for the BÍST100 index. Full sample and pre-pandemic data analysis reveal that, Bitcoin, Etherium and Ripple act as safe-haven markets in some cases when the BÍST100 index returns hit lower than their 10% quantile value. After the outburst of the Covid-19 however, gold seems to act as a safe haven asset for Borsa Ístanbul when the BÍST100 index returns hit lower than their 1% quantile value. Based on the overall estimation results, gold stands out as a diversifier rather than a hedge and/or a safe haven asset for the BÍST100 index.

Forecasting gold prices in India using an ARIMA model

Over the years, the gold prices have been increasing rapidly. Covid-19 and its impact leads to rise in the prices of Gold in the year 2020. So many variables are mindful for increasing the gold cost in India and it leads to investment decisions of individuals and enterprises. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) is useful method to gauge time series data. In the paper we mainly focus on daily costs of Gold from the year 2018 to 2020 to determine and forecast the daily gold prices in 2021. Also estimate the error (%) between the observed and estimated values through ARIMA model. This study will provide the estimates of suitable ARIMA model (0,1,2) along with Autocorrelation function (ACF) & Partial autocorrelation function (PACF) from the selected data, The auxiliary source information shows the positive patterns for getting effectiveness, For quantitative examination and speculation selections of financial backers. © 2023 Author(s).

Upskilling haematological services for WGS and germline assessments through a regional skin biopsy training programme

NHS England Genomics introduced whole genome sequencing (WGS) with standard-of- care (SoC) genetic testing for haemato-oncology patients who meet eligibility criteria, including patients with acute leukaemia across all ages, and exhausted SoC testing. Alongside, the role of germline mutations in haematological cancers is becoming increasingly recognised. DNA samples are required from the malignant cells (somatic sample) via a bone marrow aspirate, and from non-malignant cells (germline sample) for comparator analysis. Skin biopsy is considered the gold-standard tissue to provide a source of fibroblast DNA for germline analysis. Performing skin punch biopsies is not within the traditional skillset for haematology teams and upskilling is necessary to deliver WGS/germline testing safely, independently and sustainably. A teaching programme was designed and piloted by the dermatology and haematology teams in Sheffield and delivered throughout the NHS trusts in North East & Yorkshire Genomic Laboratory Hub. The training programme consisted of a 90-min session, slides, video and practical biopsy on pork belly or synthetic skin, designed to teach up to six students at one time. To disseminate best practice, the standard operating procedure and patient information used routinely in Sheffield were shared, to be adapted for local service delivery. From January 2021 to December 2022, 136 haematology staff from 11 hospitals, including 34 consultants, 41 registrars, 34 nurses and 8 physician associates, across the NEY GLH region completed the skin biopsy training programme. Feedback from the course was outstanding, with consistently high scores in all categories. Practical components of the course were especially valued;98.6% (71/72) trainees scored the practical element of the programme a top score of 5 out of 5, highlighting that despite the challenges of delivering face-to- face teaching due to COVID-19, teaching of practical skills was highly valued;training in this way could not have been replicated virtually. Costs of the programme have been approximately 16 000, including consultant input and teaching/educational materials. Recent support has been provided by a separately funded Genomic Nurse Practitioner (GNP), with succession planning for the GNP to take over leadership from the consultant dermatologist. Plans are in place to use the remaining budget to disseminate the programme nationally. Our training programme has shown that skin biopsy can be formally embedded into training for haematology consultants, trainees, nursing team, and physician associates. Delivery of training can be effective and affordable across regional GLHs with appropriate leadership and inter-speciality coordination, and ultimately sustainable with specialist nursing staff, including GNPs.

Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Assessment of Critically Ill patients in Respiratory Intensive Care Unit

Reaching a proper diagnosis for critically ill patients is like collecting pieces of puzzle and bed side lung ultrasound (LUS) becomes a crucial piece complementary to clinical and laboratory pieces. It is a bed side, real time tool for diagnosis of patients in ICU who are critical to be transferred to radiology unit especially in Covid-19 pandemic with risk of infection transmission. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of lung ultrasound in assessment of critically ill patients admitted to Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU), moreover to assess its diagnostic performance in different pulmonary diseases as compared to the gold standard approach accordingly. This observational prospective (cross sectional) study with a total 183 patients who met the inclusion criteria,were selected from patients admitted at the RICU;Chest Department, Zagazig University Hospitals, during the period from September 2019 to September 2021. LUS examination was performed to diagnose the different pulmonary diseases causing RF. All cases were examined by LUS on admission. From a total 183 patients, 111 patients 60.7% were males and 72 patients 39.3% were females, with a mean age of 56+/-12.77 years, 130 patients were breathing spontaneously received conservative management with O2 therapy, 32 patients needed NIV while 21 patients needed IMV with ETT. Exacerbated COPD was the most common disease finally diagnosed followed by bacterial pneumonia, exacerbated ILD, post Covid-19 fibrosis and pulmonary embolism in32, 29,27, 19 and 11 patients respectively with corresponding diagnostic accuracy of LUS 97.3%, AUC=0.943, 93.9% (AUC=0.922), 96.7%(AUC=0.920), 97.8%, AUC=0.895, and 97.8% respectively, while Covid-19 pneumonia was the final diagnosis in 8 patients with LUS diagnostic accuracy of 97.8% (AUC=0.869) with no statistical significant difference p-value=0.818 with bacterial pneumonia in distribution of US profiles. A profile was the commonest detected US profile among the studied patients followed by B profile, C profile, A/B profile and A' profile in 37.2%, 24.6%, 15.8% 4.9%, and 3.8% of cases respectively. Bed side LUS has a reliable, valuable diagnostic performance when integrated with clinical and laboratory data for the diagnosis of most pulmonary diseases in RICU.Copyright © 2023, Colegio de Farmaceuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. All rights reserved.

GDM diagnosis criteria: Standard and Covid-19 criteria

Aim: Standard diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) is based on the Oral Glucose Tolerance test (OGTT). During the Covid-19 outbreak, due to Covid restrictions, criteria were modified i.e Fasting Blood Glucose >=5.3 and/ or HbA1c >= 39 for diagnosis of GDM. After the lifting of the Covid restrictions, the standard criteria were reimplemented and on analyzing the data, it was highlighted that some of the patients could have tested negative for GDM based on Covid Criteria. Method(s): We analyzed the data of 43 patients based on standard criteria (OGTT and HbA1c) after Covid restrictions, with the following results. Result(s): 11/43(28%) patients who were diagnosed on the basis of standard criteria could have been missed based on Covid criteria. Out of 11 deliveries, 2 babies with weight above 4 kg. There were no admissions to NICU. One patient had postpartum hemorrhage with 670 mL of blood loss. Conclusion(s): This was a retrospective study in which we analyzed the data of 45 pregnant females diagnosed with GDM based on testing using the Covid criteria and compared this to 43 pregnant females who were diagnosed with GDM on the basis of OGTT based on GOLD standard NICE criteria. In addition, we also examined maternal and obstetric outcomes in both groups such as the mode of delivery, the baby's birth weight, the incidence of shoulder dystocia, mean blood loss (MBL), and NICU admission. We understand that Covid GDM diagnosis was a necessity of time. In this study, we want to learn what could have been missed with that diagnostic criteria. For future pandemics, we need to revise our diagnostic criteria to avoid the risk of underdiagnosing GDM and associated complications.

Economic policy uncertainty, Covid-19 and corporate investment: Evidence from the gold mining industry

Mining is a capital-intensive sector that requires substantial upfront investments and continuous capital expenditure to sustain and improve production. This study investigates the impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) on the investment decisions of the top 5 gold mining countries, namely Australia, China, Russia, the USA, and Canada, with a focus on the COVID-19 Pandemic. Using a two-step generalized method of moments, we analyze data from 333 gold mining companies from 2006 to 2021. Our results demonstrate that the EPU index has a negative effect on the investment decisions of gold mining companies during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We also utilize quantile regression analysis, which shows that the estimated coefficients for the low and high quantiles are significant. Our study reveals that during periods of uncertainty, gold mining companies tend to be risk-averse, which subsequently dampens investment projects. Furthermore, the capital-intensive nature of the gold mining sector renders companies to be more vulnerable to economic conditions. These findings have significant policy implications for investors, portfolio managers, and policymakers, which will be discussed in the conclusion section.

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of CRP Versus Ferritin in COVID Patients as a Marker of Severity of Disease Taking who Severity Classification as Gold Standard

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of elevated C reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin in predicting severe Covid-19 infection using the World Health Organization's (WHO) Covid-19 severity classification as gold standard. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from January 1st 2021 till April 30th 2021. Ethical review committee's (ERC) approval was taken and good clinical practice guidelines were followed. Material(s) and Method(s): Baseline blood samples were sent to the hospital laboratory for the measurement of C reactive protein and ferritin levels. PCR was taken as gold standard for the diagnosis of Corona virus disease. Patients were classified into severe and non-severe categories using WHO classification of severity. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, negative predictive value and positive predictive value were calculated for elevated CRP and ferritin. Result(s): There were 65 (57.5%) patients who had severe Covid-19 disease and 48 (42.5%) patients who had non-severe Covid-19 disease. Among the patients with severe Covid-19, 57 (87.7%) had elevated CRP levels, and 50 (76.9%) patients had elevated ferritin levels. Testing ferritin levels, against the severity of Covid-19 patients, there was a sensitivity of 76.9%, specificity of 79.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 83.3%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 71.7% and diagnostic accuracy of 77.8%. Testing CRP levels, there was a sensitivity of 87.7%, specificity of 85.4%, PPV of 89.1%, NPV of 83.6% and diagnostic accuracy of 86.7%. Conclusion(s): The results from our study show that CRP has a slightly improved diagnostic accuracy as compared to ferritin. However, both these markers have value in the prediction of severity of Covid-19 infection.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Modelling volatility effects between stock, oil, gold and forex markets: Evidence from India

Although several studies on the integration of diverse stock markets have been conducted in the financial literature, most of them have focused on the integration and volatility spillovers across established stock markets. The present study explores the dynamics of integration and volatility spillover across gold, oil, forex, and stock markets during four significant events in India: the pre-changed government regime, the post-changed government regime, the post-Brexit referendum date, and the COVID era. Daily data from 2010 to 2022 is divided into four categories using the Chow test. This is done to examine if these events' financial turmoil affects market interconnectivity. The unit root test determines data stationarity. The ARCH LM test examines series volatility clustering, and the BEKK GARCH test examines market volatility spillover. Results indicate that gold cannot be considered a hedge or safe haven. Secondly, market interconnectedness increased during the crisis period. Third, domestic political and geopolitical conditions globally do not increase the scale of spillover amongst financial assets, though they impact the spillover's magnitude. The results of this study have several important implications for portfolio diversification and risk management. © Varsha Ingalhalli, Prachi Kolamker, 2023.

Towards gold standard care for peripartum women admitted to general intensive care units

Introduction: Critically-ill obstetric patients admitted to general intensive care units (ICU) are a rare and unique population for whom excellent care is essential to prevent devastating physical and psychological morbidity. Admissions are often unanticipated and can present challenges to obstetric and intensive care MDTs. 2018 Enhanced Maternal Care (EMC) Guidelines provide standards for caring for these women, and the 2022 Ockenden review exposed the association of peripartum ICU admission with undertreated psychological trauma and a desire for individualised debriefing [1,2]. We audited the care of obstetric admissions to general ICUs in our quaternary centre. We sought evidence of psychological morbidity to improve follow-up pathways in line with 2022 Ockenden actions. Method(s): Retrospective online case note review of maternity admissions to general ICUs between 1/1/2021-1/1/2022 compared to EMC audit standards. Exclusion criteria: <22/40 gestation, >6/52 postpartum and admissions to our level 2 labour ward high dependency unit. Result(s): 25 patients were admitted to general ICUs over 12 months. Median age was 35-39 years, mean parity was 1. The commonest indication was obstetric haemorrhage (n = 10). 15 of 25 patients required level 3 care, median length of stay was 1.5 days. Documentation of daily obstetric MDT ward round was variable, as was mother-baby contact. 0 of 25 women were seen in obstetric anaesthesia clinic after discharge, only 1 received outpatient ICU follow-up. 50% of postnatal admissions (n = 14) had documentation of significant psychological distress. In response a local checklist was developed with key colleagues to support collaborative working and standardise quality care. It includes automatic referral into obstetric anaesthesia clinic and access to a novel perinatal mental health service. Discussion(s): A peripartum admission to ICU is highly likely to be experienced as traumatic [2]. The incidence of obstetric ICU admissions may increase in the context of greater clinical complexity of the UK pregnant population and COVID-19, whilst the non-anaesthetic ICU workforce may have little obstetric training. Obstetric anaesthetists are therefore uniquely skilled to facilitate quality resuscitation and referral to ICU, but gold-standard holistic care extends beyond admission. We believe regular audit and dedicated local care pathways which incorporate proactive debriefing and psychological health can improve the care of this important group of women.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

The COVID-19 pandemic, economic policy uncertainty and the hedging role of cryptocurrencies: a global perspective

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to global economic policy uncertainty, which has increased the need to investigate ways to mitigate the uncertainty. This study aims to examine the potential of cryptocurrencies as a hedge and safe haven avenue against economic policy uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the behavior of the five leading cryptocurrencies in relation to country-level and group-level economic policy uncertainty indices, as measured by the text-based method developed by Baker et al. (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2016, 131, 1593-1636). The research covers a broad range of emerging and developed economies from July 2013 to September 2020. The study employs the approach of Narayan et al. (Economic Modelling, 2016, 53, 388-397) to examine the hedging and safe-haven properties of cryptocurrencies.FindingsThis study finds that the top cryptocurrencies play a hedging role against economic policy uncertainty, with some exceptions. Additionally, there is evidence to support the idea that cryptocurrencies can serve as a safe haven during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, investors may benefit from using cryptocurrencies as a risk-management avenue during times of uncertainty.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing literature by testing the cryptocurrencies' hedging and safe haven properties in a new way, by analyzing their lead and lag behaviors using a recent and innovative approach. Additionally, it examines a wide range of emerging and advanced markets, providing insight into the potential of using cryptocurrencies as a risk mitigation avenue.

New horizon in fuzzy distributions: statistical distributions in continuous domains generated by Choquet integral.

In this paper, some statistical properties of the Choquet integral are discussed. As an interesting application of Choquet integral and fuzzy measures, we introduce a new class of exponential-like distributions related to monotone set functions, called Choquet exponential distributions, by combining the properties of Choquet integral with the exponential distribution. We show some famous statistical distributions such as gamma, logistic, exponential, Rayleigh and other distributions are a special class of Choquet distributions. Then, we show that this new proposed Choquet exponential distribution is better on daily gold price data analysis. Also, a real dataset of the daily number of new infected people to coronavirus in the USA in the period of 2020/02/29 to 2020/10/19 is analyzed. The method presented in this article opens a new horizon for future research.

Updates on the Biofunctionalization of Gold Nanoparticles for the Rapid and Sensitive Multiplatform Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Its Proteins: From Computational Models to Validation in Human Samples.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), academic communities and governments/private companies have used several detection techniques based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In this emergency context, colloidal AuNPs are highly valuable easy-to-synthesize biocompatible materials that can be used for different functionalization strategies and rapid viral immunodiagnosis. In this review, the latest multidisciplinary developments in the bioconjugation of AuNPs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus and its proteins in (spiked) real samples are discussed for the first time, with reference to the optimal parameters provided by three approaches: one theoretical, via computational prediction, and two experimental, using dry and wet chemistry based on single/multistep protocols. Overall, to achieve high specificity and low detection limits for the target viral biomolecules, optimal running buffers for bioreagent dilutions and nanostructure washes should be validated before conducting optical, electrochemical, and acoustic biosensing investigations. Indeed, there is plenty of room for improvement in using gold nanomaterials as stable platforms for ultrasensitive and simultaneous "in vitro" detection by the untrained public of the whole SARS-CoV-2 virus, its proteins, and specific developed IgA/IgM/IgG antibodies (Ab) in bodily fluids. Hence, the lateral flow assay (LFA) approach is a quick and judicious solution to combating the pandemic. In this context, the author classifies LFAs according to four generations to guide readers in the future development of multifunctional biosensing platforms. Undoubtedly, the LFA kit market will continue to improve, adapting researchers' multidetection platforms for smartphones with easy-to-analyze results, and establishing user-friendly tools for more effective preventive and medical treatments.

T Lymphocyte Subset Counts and Interferon-Gamma Production in Adults and Children with COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

Adults and children exhibit a broad range of clinical outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection, with minimal to mild symptoms, especially in the pediatric age. However, some children present with a severe hyperinflammatory post-infectious complication named multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), mainly affecting previously healthy subjects. Understanding these differences is still an ongoing challenge, that can lead to new therapeutic strategies and avoid unfavorable outcomes. In this review, we discuss the different roles of T lymphocyte subsets and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the immune responses of adults and children. Lymphopenia can influence these responses and represent a good predictor for the outcome, as reported by most authors. The increased IFN-γ response exhibited by children could be the starting point for the activation of a broad response that leads to MIS-C, with a significantly higher risk than in adults, although a single IFN signature has not been identified. Multicenter studies with large cohorts in both age groups are still needed to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis with new tools and to understand how is possible to better modulate immune responses.

Diversification evidence of bitcoin and gold from wavelet analysis.

To measure the diversification capability of Bitcoin, this study employs wavelet analysis to investigate the coherence of Bitcoin price with the equity markets of both the emerging and developed economies, considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Russia-Ukraine war. The results based on the data from January 9, 2014 to May 31, 2022 reveal that compared with gold, Bitcoin consistently provides diversification opportunities with all six representative market indices examined, specifically under the normal market condition. In particular, for short-term horizons, Bitcoin shows favorably low correlation with each index for all years, whereas exception is observed for gold. In addition, diversification between Bitcoin and gold is demonstrated as well, mainly for short-term investments. However, the diversification benefit is conditional for both Bitcoin and gold under the recent pandemic and war crises. The findings remind investors and portfolio managers planning to incorporate Bitcoin into their portfolios as a diversification tool to be aware of the global geopolitical conditions and other uncertainty in considering their investment tools and durations.

Tumor microenvironment-responsive gold nanodendrites for nanoprobe-based single-cell Raman imaging and tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal therapy

Nanodendrite particles (NDs) with densely branched structures and biomimetic architectures have exhibited great promise in tumor therapy owing to their prolonged in vivo circulation time and exceptional photothermal efficiency. Nevertheless, traditional NDs are deficient in terms of specific surface modification and targeting tumors, which restricts their potential for broader clinical applications. Here, we developed coronavirus-like gold NDs through a seed-mediated approach and using silk fibroin (SF) as a capping agent. Our results demonstrate that these NDs have a favorable drug-loading capacity (∼65.25%) and light-triggered release characteristics of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). Additionally, NDs functionalized with specific probes exhibited exceptional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) characteristics, enabling high-sensitivity Raman imaging of unstained single cells. Moreover, these NDs allowed for real-time monitoring of endocytic NDs for over 24 h. Furthermore, ND@DOX conjugated with tumor-targeting peptides exhibited mild hyperthermia, minimal cytotoxicity, and effective targeting towards cancer cells in vitro, as well as responsiveness to the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vivo. These unique properties led to the highest level of synergistic tumor-killing efficiency when stimulated by a near-infrared (NIR) laser at 808 nm. Therefore, our virus-like ND functionalized with SF presents a novel type of nanocarrier that exhibits significant potential for synergistic applications in precision medicine.

The Protective Nature of Gold During Times of Oil Price Volatility: An Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This research explores gold's safe-haven properties amid oil price instability, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines how gold hedges against oil price swings in the context of the pandemic's exceptional market circumstances. A VAR (Vector Autoregressive) model analyzes gold and oil prices from 2006 through 2021. The VAR model reflects the dynamic interactions and interdependencies between these two essential commodities in the context of oil price volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis shows that gold protects against oil price volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic-gold buffers against oil price swings due to its strong inverse association with oil prices. Gold offers investors security and asset preservation during significant oil price volatility. In light of oil price volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic, the study helps explain gold's importance as a diversification tool and haven asset. Investors, policymakers, and market players should consider gold as a hedge against oil price volatility and economic instability.

Organic Electrochemical Transistors (OECTs): Advancements and Exciting Prospects for Future Biosensing Applications

Over the past few decades, the field of organic electronics has depicted proliferated growth, due to the advantageous characteristics of organic semiconductors, such as tunability through synthetic chemistry, simplicity in processing, cost-effectiveness, and low-voltage operation, to cite a few. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have recently emerged as a highly promising technology in the area of biosensing and flexible electronics. OECT-based biosensors are capable of sensing brain activities, tissues, monitoring cells, hormones, DNAs, and glucose. Sensitivity, selectivity, and detection limit are the key parameters adopted for measuring the performance of OECT-based biosensors. This article highlights the advancements and exciting prospects of OECTs for future biosensing applications, such as cell-based biosensing, chemical sensing, DNA/ribonucleic acid (RNA) sensing, glucose sensing, immune sensing, ion sensing, and pH sensing. OECT-based biosensors outperform other conventional biosensors because of their excellent biocompatibility, high transconductance, and mixed electronic-ionic conductivity. At present, OECTs are fabricated and characterized in millimeter and micrometer dimensions, and miniaturizing their dimensions to nanoscale is the key challenge for utilizing them in the field of nanobioelectronics, nanomedicine, and nanobiosensing.