There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

I have developed "tennis elbow" from lugging this book around the past four weeks, but it is worth the pain, the effort, and the aspirin. It is also worth the (relatively speaking) bargain price. Including appendixes, this book contains 894 pages of text. The entire panorama of the neural sciences is surveyed and examined, and it is comprehensive in its scope, from genomes to social behaviors. The editors explicitly state that the book is designed as "an introductory text for students of biology, behavior, and medicine," but it is hard to imagine any audience, interested in any fragment of neuroscience at any level of sophistication, that would not enjoy this book. The editors have done a masterful job of weaving together the biologic, the behavioral, and the clinical sciences into a single tapestry in which everyone from the molecular biologist to the practicing psychiatrist can find and appreciate his or

Principles of Neural Science

Summary Background Since December, 2019, Wuhan, China, has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 have been reported but risk factors for mortality and a detailed clinical course of illness, including viral shedding, have not been well described. Methods In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we included all adult inpatients (≥18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan, China) who had been discharged or had died by Jan 31, 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, including serial samples for viral RNA detection, were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between survivors and non-survivors. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Findings 191 patients (135 from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital) were included in this study, of whom 137 were discharged and 54 died in hospital. 91 (48%) patients had a comorbidity, with hypertension being the most common (58 [30%] patients), followed by diabetes (36 [19%] patients) and coronary heart disease (15 [8%] patients). Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death associated with older age (odds ratio 1·10, 95% CI 1·03–1·17, per year increase; p=0·0043), higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (5·65, 2·61–12·23; p Interpretation The potential risk factors of older age, high SOFA score, and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL could help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis at an early stage. Prolonged viral shedding provides the rationale for a strategy of isolation of infected patients and optimal antiviral interventions in the future. Funding Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences; National Science Grant for Distinguished Young Scholars; National Key Research and Development Program of China; The Beijing Science and Technology Project; and Major Projects of National Science and Technology on New Drug Creation and Development.

Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

In the last 10 years the field of molecular diagnostics has witnessed an explosion of interest in the use of nanomaterials in assays for gases, metal ions, and DNA and protein markers for many diseases. Intense research has been fueled by the need for practical, robust, and highly sensitive and selective detection agents that can address the deficiencies of conventional technologies. Chemists are playing an important role in designing and fabricating new materials for application in diagnostic assays. In certain cases assays based upon nanomaterials have offered significant advantages over conventional diagnostic systems with regard to assay sensitivity, selectivity, and practicality. Some of these new methods have recently been reviewed elsewhere with a focus on the materials themselves or as subclassifications in more generalized overviews of biological applications of nanomaterials.1-7 We intend to review some of the major advances and milestones in the field of detection systems based upon nanomaterials and their roles in biodiagnostic screening for nucleic acids, * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 847-4913907. Fax: 847-467-5123. E-mail: chadnano@northwestern.edu. Nathaniel L. Rosi earned his B.A. degree at Grinnell College (1999) and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan (2003), where he studied the design, synthesis, and gas storage applications of metal−organic frameworks under the guidance of Professor Omar M. Yaghi. In 2003 he began postdoctoral studies as a member of Professor Mirkin’s group at Northwestern University. His current research focuses on the rational assembly of DNA-modified nanostructures into larger-scale materials.

/pdf/nanostructures-in-biodiagnostics-5553cs9yqw.pdf

Nanostructures in Biodiagnostics

Detection of chemical and biological agents plays a fundamental role in biomedical, forensic and environmental sciences1–4 as well as in anti bioterrorism applications.5–7 The development of highly sensitive, cost effective, miniature sensors is therefore in high demand which requires advanced technology coupled with fundamental knowledge in chemistry, biology and material sciences.8–13

In general, sensors feature two functional components: a recognition element to provide selective/specific binding with the target analytes and a transducer component for signaling the binding event. An efficient sensor relies heavily on these two essential components for the recognition process in terms of response time, signal to noise (S/N) ratio, selectivity and limits of detection (LOD).14,15 Therefore, designing sensors with higher efficacy depends on the development of novel materials to improve both the recognition and transduction processes. Nanomaterials feature unique physicochemical properties that can be of great utility in creating new recognition and transduction processes for chemical and biological sensors15–27 as well as improving the S/N ratio by miniaturization of the sensor elements.28

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess distinct physical and chemical attributes that make them excellent scaffolds for the fabrication of novel chemical and biological sensors (Figure 1).29–36 First, AuNPs can be synthesized in a straightforward manner and can be made highly stable. Second, they possess unique optoelectronic properties. Third, they provide high surface-to-volume ratio with excellent biocompatibility using appropriate ligands.30 Fourth, these properties of AuNPs can be readily tuned varying their size, shape and the surrounding chemical environment. For example, the binding event between recognition element and the analyte can alter physicochemical properties of transducer AuNPs, such as plasmon resonance absorption, conductivity, redox behavior, etc. that in turn can generate a detectable response signal. Finally, AuNPs offer a suitable platform for multi-functionalization with a wide range of organic or biological ligands for the selective binding and detection of small molecules and biological targets.30–32,36 Each of these attributes of AuNPs has allowed researchers to develop novel sensing strategies with improved sensitivity, stability and selectivity. In the last decade of research, the advent of AuNP as a sensory element provided us a broad spectrum of innovative approaches for the detection of metal ions, small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, malignant cells, etc. in a rapid and efficient manner.37



Figure 1

Physical properties of AuNPs and schematic illustration of an AuNP-based detection system.



In this current review, we have highlighted the several synthetic routes and properties of AuNPs that make them excellent probes for different sensing strategies. Furthermore, we will discuss various sensing strategies and major advances in the last two decades of research utilizing AuNPs in the detection of variety of target analytes including metal ions, organic molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and microorganisms.

/pdf/gold-nanoparticles-in-chemical-and-biological-sensing-5e2qojkdzn.pdf

Gold nanoparticles in chemical and biological sensing.

Recent Trends in Macro-, Micro-, and Nanomaterial-Based Tools and Strategies for Heavy-Metal Detection Gemma Aragay, Josefina Pons, and Arben Merkoc-i* Nanobioelectronics & Biosensors Group, Institut Catal a de Nanotecnologia (CIN2, ICN-CSIC), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain Departament of Chemistry, Universitat Aut onoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain ICREA, Barcelona, Spain

Recent trends in macro-, micro-, and nanomaterial-based tools and strategies for heavy-metal detection.

Low-potential stable NADH detection at carbon-nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrodes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) combine in a unique way high electrical conductivity, high chemical stability and extremely high mechanical strength. These special properties of both single-wall (SW) and multi-wall (MW) CNTs have attracted the interest of many researchers in the field of electrochemical sensors. This article demonstrates the latest advances and future trends in producing, modifying, characterizing and integrating CNTs into electrochemical sensing systems.

CNTs can be either used as single probes after formation in situ or even individually attached onto a proper transducing surface after synthesis. Both SWCNTs and MWCNTs can be used to modify several electrode surfaces in either vertically oriented “nanotube forests” or even a non-oriented way. They can be also used in sensors after mixing them with a polymer matrix to form CNT composites.

We discuss novel applications of CNTs in electrochemical sensors, including enzyme-based biosensors, DNA sensors and immunosensors, and propose future challenges and applications.

New materials for electrochemical sensing VI: Carbon nanotubes

Nucleic-acid hybridization assays based on the use of different inorganic-colloid (quantum dots) nanocrystal tracers for the simultaneous electrochemical measurements of multiple DNA targets are described. Three encoding nanoparticles (zinc sulfide, cadmium sulfide, and lead sulfide) are used to differentiate the signals of three DNA targets in connection to stripping-voltammetric measurements of the heavy metal dissolution products. These products yield well-defined and resolved stripping peaks at −1.12 V (Zn), −0.68 V (Cd), and −0.53 V (Pb) at the mercury-coated glassy-carbon electrode (vs Ag/AgCl reference). The position and size of these peaks reflect the identity and level of the corresponding DNA target. The multi-target detection capability is coupled to the amplification feature of stripping voltammetry (to yield femtomole detection limits) and with an efficient magnetic removal of nonhybridized nucleic acids to offer high sensitivity and selectivity. The protocol is illustrated for the simultaneo...

Electrochemical coding technology for simultaneous detection of multiple DNA targets.

The authors would like to acknowledge MINECO (formerly, MICINN) for the project grant MAT2011-25870. M.G. thanks MINECO (formerly, MICINN) for the predoctoral fellowship
BES-2009-023939.

Arben Merkoçi

Papers

Recent trends in macro-, micro-, and nanomaterial-based tools and strategies for heavy-metal detection.

Low-potential stable NADH detection at carbon-nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrodes

New materials for electrochemical sensing VI: Carbon nanotubes

Electrochemical coding technology for simultaneous detection of multiple DNA targets.

Nano/micromotors in (bio)chemical science applications.