Palm-Sized Uric Acid Test Lab Powered by Smartphone for Proactive Gout Management.

A simple and convenient photochemical system based on a smartphone-powered photochemical dongle and disposable photochemical test strips was proposed in this paper. The components of the system were only connected with each other in a simple hot-plug way, but provided a convenient function of biological sample detection. The photochemical dongle working as a highly rigorous reflectance spectral analyzer was used to evaluate the uric acid levels of the fingertip whole blood with the participation of the photochemical test strip for the point of care, which showed good agreement (linear regression coefficient of 0.99338) as compared to the results from the specific and bulky biochemical analyzer in the clinical test. Furthermore, combined with the widespread smartphone and well-developed Internet, the photochemical dongle could provide a flexible and portable platform for the evaluation and treatment of chronic diseases, such as gout, and it is promising to be applied in the remote chronic disease management.

Endothelial exocytosis of angiopoietin-2 resulting from CCM3 deficiency contributes to cerebral cavernous malformation.

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular malformations that affect the central nervous system and result in cerebral hemorrhage, seizure and stroke. CCMs arise from loss-of-function mutations in one of three genes: KRIT1 (also known as CCM1), CCM2 or PDCD10 (also known as CCM3). PDCD10 mutations in humans often result in a more severe form of the disease relative to mutations in the other two CCM genes, and PDCD10-knockout mice show severe defects, the mechanistic basis for which is unclear. We have recently reported that CCM3 regulates exocytosis mediated by the UNC13 family of exocytic regulatory proteins. Here, in investigating the role of endothelial cell exocytosis in CCM disease progression, we found that CCM3 suppresses UNC13B- and vesicle-associated membrane protein 3 (VAMP3)-dependent exocytosis of angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) in brain endothelial cells. CCM3 deficiency in endothelial cells augments the exocytosis and secretion of ANGPT2, which is associated with destabilized endothelial cell junctions, enlarged lumen formation and endothelial cell-pericyte dissociation. UNC13B deficiency, which blunts ANGPT2 secretion from endothelial cells, or treatment with an ANGPT2-neutralizing antibody normalizes the defects in the brain and retina caused by endothelial-cell-specific CCM3 deficiency, including the disruption of endothelial cell junctions, vessel dilation and pericyte dissociation. Thus, enhanced secretion of ANGPT2 in endothelial cells contributes to the progression of CCM disease, providing a new therapeutic approach for treating this devastating pathology.

The Effects of Chloride Additives on Adsorption of Heavy Metals during Incineration.

The dynamic adsorption behaviors and characteristics of heavy metals on a sorbent at different temperatures have been investigated in a previous study by the same authors. The present work focuses on the dynamic adsorption behaviors of Cr, Cu, Pb, and Cd on a sorbent (silica sand with limestone) under various chloride additive conditions (no chloride; an organic chloride, polyvinyl chloride [PVC]; and an inorganic chloride, sodium chloride [NaCl]), and estimates the adsorption saturation point of the sorbent during fluid-ized-bed incineration. The results will enable us to evaluate the effects of various chloride additives on the adsorption efficiency of heavy metals and to determine when the sor-bents should be renewed. From the perspective of controlling heavy metal emissions, the results indicated that (1) using the NaCl additive generally led to a higher adsorption capacity than did a PVC additive or no additive at all; and (2) cadmium was extremely difficult to remove in any situation. Most adsorption curves of chloride additives did not reach the adsorption saturation point because of their relatively high volatility. Under the same chloride additives condition, the adsorption capacities of the sorbent for the four metals followed the sequence Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd with no chloride additive; Cr>Pb>Cu>Cd with PVC additives; and Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd with NaCl additives.