Search Results (5,461)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with patient outcomes highly dependent on early and accurate diagnosis. However, existing diagnostic methods, such as colonoscopy, fecal occult blood testing, and imaging, are often invasive, costly, or lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity, particularly in early-stage disease. In this context, aptamers, which are synthetic single-stranded oligonucleotides capable of binding to specific targets with high affinity, have emerged as a powerful alternative to antibodies for biosensing applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of aptamer-based strategies for CRC detection, spanning from biomarker discovery to clinical translation. We first examine established and emerging CRC biomarkers, including those approved by regulatory agencies, described in patents, and shared across multiple cancer types. We then discuss recent advances in aptamer selection and design, with a focus on SELEX variants and in silico optimization approaches tailored to CRC-relevant targets. The integration of aptamers into cutting-edge sensing platforms, such as electrochemical, optical, and nanomaterial-enhanced aptasensors, is highlighted, with emphasis on recent innovations that enhance sensitivity, portability, and multiplexing capabilities. Furthermore, we explore the convergence of aptasensing with microfluidics, and wearable technologies to enable intelligent, miniaturized diagnostic systems. Finally, we consider the clinical and regulatory pathways for point-of-care implementation, as well as current challenges and opportunities for advancing the field. By outlining the technological and translational trajectory of aptamer-based CRC diagnostics, this review aims to provide a roadmap for future research and interdisciplinary collaboration in precision oncology. Full article

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune, multifactorial, and complex disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting more than 2 million individuals globally. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have explained only a small fraction of its high heritability, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to identify rare genetic variants that contribute to its etiology. To address this, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a multi-affected family. Methods: WES was performed in a MS multigenerational family comprising two affected sisters, their two healthy brothers, and one affected son. Results: Bioinformatics analysis identified 47 co-segregating rare variants. Three missense variants in genes involved in inflammation, autoimmunity, and demyelinization were identified as the most promising candidates: c.443 C>T, p.Pro148Leu in the RTN4 gene, c.1678 T>G, p.Phe560Val in the JAK2 gene, and c.3449 A>G, p.Tyr1150Cys in the DUOX2 gene. Protein modeling and in silico tools suggest that the three selected variants may have a significant impact on protein function. Conclusions: We identified novel candidate genes for MS in a multiplex family, providing evidence for an oligogenic model of disease susceptibility. Further replication and functional studies are required to validate these preliminary results. Full article

In recent decades, the problem of resistant strains, which present resistance to different types of antimicrobials, has increased. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important species that exhibits an acquired resistance phenotype to at least one agent in three or more classes of antimicrobials and is thus characterized as a multidrug-resistant bacterium (MDR). 98 nosocomial strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated during the pre-COVID-19 period, and more specifically, from February 2015 to March 2019, were analyzed for the detection of class A, D, and B carbapenemase genes. The existence of KPC, OXA-48 like, IMP, VIM, and NDM carbapenemases has been examined. The immunochromatography showed that NDM carbapenemases are more frequently detected in the samples, reaching a percentage of 30.7%, while correspondingly the percentage for VIM carbapenemases was 7.68% among the strains with resistant phenotypes. No strain with carbapenemase IMP was found. Real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed, in contrast to immunochromatography kits, that a high percentage of bacterial isolates (94.26%) carry NDM and VIM carbapenemase genes, while no IMP carbapenemase genes were detected. Regarding the KPC enzymes, the immunochromatography kits showed that KPC positive strains are reaching 53.1%, and OXA-48 positive strains are reaching 3.1% among the strains with resistant phenotypes. Real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction revealed a much higher percentage of 89.6% KPC positive isolates and a percentage of 14.6% OXA-48 carbapenemase producers. The aforementioned results indicate the dominance of the Multiplex Real-Time PCR as a “gold standard” method. This study could not fully support the usefulness of rapid immunochromatographic tests as a fast and useful diagnostic tool in the laboratory daily routine, as per the results of previous studies. Thus, more studies need to be conducted in this field to introduce these rapid tests safely into the daily laboratory workflow as a screening tool. Additionally, this study underlines the predominance of KPC enzymes from clinical isolates of ICUs and a significant shift over the OXA-48 like enzymes that are not limited to the ICU environment. Full article

This paper studies the pilot design for compressed sensing (CS)-based sparse channel estimation in multi-input–multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems. To improve the performance of estimating multiple jointly sparse channels, based on the assumption that the modulus of the pilot symbol at each pilot carrier position is equal to a constant, the pilot is currently allocated by means of lowering the sensing matrix’s total coherence (TC). However, according to the block compressed sensing (BCS) theory, the recovery ability of the sensing matrix is determined by the block coherence (BC) and subblock coherence (SC), which should be as small as possible. Therefore, we propose a novel scheme, which designs the pilot by simultaneously minimizing the TC, BC, and SC of the sensing matrix to improve the channel estimation accuracy. We first formulate the jointly sparse channel estimation as a block sparse signal recovery problem, and the pilot allocation problem is comprised of allocating the pilot index for each transmitter and allocating the pilot symbol at each carrier. Then, we derive the error bound of BCS-based channel estimation, where the pilot symbols bear any value. Finally, a novel sequential joint criterion design (SJCD) method is proposed to design pilots with a joint criterion, where the pilot pattern and pilot power are designed by BC and TC, respectively. Simulation results show that, compared with existing algorithms, the proposed algorithm can achieve a better channel estimation performance in terms of normalized mean square error (NMSE) and bit error rate (BER). Full article

An optical vortex is a typical structured light field characterized by a helical wavefront and a central phase singularity. With its expanding applications in modern information technology, the demand for generating vortex beams with diverse topological charges continues to grow. Existing methods for modulating the topological charges of vortex beams involve complex operations and high costs. This study proposes a novel approach to modulate the topological charges of optical vortices through edge diffraction of a high-order Hermit–Gaussian (HG) mode laser. First, a high-order HG mode laser is built using off-axis pumping configuration. By selectively obscuring specific lobes of the high-order HG beam, various optical vortices are generated using a cylindrical lens mode converter. The topological charge can be continuously tuned by controlling the number of obscured lobes. This method substantially improves the efficiency of topological charge modulation, while also enabling the generation of fractional vortex states. These advancements show potential in mode-division-multiplexed optical communications and encryption. Full article

Multifunctional metasurfaces, capable of flexible electromagnetic wave manipulation, have become a focus of research for their high integration and utility. In particular, those operating simultaneously in transmission and reflection modes have attracted growing interest, as they integrate multiple functions within a single aperture, save physical space, and further expand wave control capabilities across full space. In this work, an inspiring strategy of transmission-reflection-integrated bifunctional metasurface by hybridizing geometric phase and propagation phase is proposed. The transmission and reflection modes can be independently and flexibly controlled in full space: the co-polarized reflection under left-handed circular polarization (LCP) incidence is governed by rotation-induced geometric phase modulation, while the co-polarized transmission under right-handed circular polarization (RCP) incidence is modulated through scaling-induced propagation phase modulation. Moreover, arbitrary amplitude modulation of the co-polarized transmission under RCP incidence can be realized by incorporating lumped resistors. As a proof of concept, a bifunctional meta-device is constructed, which can generate vortex beam carrying arbitrary topological charge for LCP reflected wave and achieve high-quality holographic imaging for RCP transmitted wave. Both the simulated and experimental results validate the feasibility of the proposed strategy, which significantly enhances the integration density of multifunctional metasurfaces while reducing inter-functional crosstalk, expanding its potential applications in electronic engineering. Moreover, it can also serve as a fundamental machine learning platform, facilitating multimodal fusion and cross-modal learning in radar signals and visual imaging. Full article

Ensuring the security and privacy of confidential data during transmission is a critical challenge, necessitating advanced techniques to protect against unwarranted disclosures. Steganography, a concealment technique, enables secret information to be embedded in seemingly harmless carriers such as images, audio, and video. This work proposes two secure audio steganography models based on the least significant bit (LSB) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) techniques for concealing different types of multimedia data (i.e., text, image, and audio) in audio files, representing an enhancement of current research that tends to focus on embedding a single type of multimedia data. The first model (secured model (1)) focuses on high embedding capacity, while the second model (secured model (2)) focuses on improved security. The performance of the two proposed secure models was tested under various conditions. The models’ robustness was greatly enhanced using convolutional encoding with binary phase shift keying (BPSK). Experimental results indicated that the correlation coefficient (Cr) of the extracted secret audio in secured model (1) increased by 18.88% and by 16.18% in secured model (2) compared to existing methods. In addition, the Cr of the extracted secret image in secured model (1) was improved by 0.1% compared to existing methods. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the steganography audio of secured model (1) was improved by 49.95% and 14.44% compared to secured model (2) and previous work, respectively. Furthermore, both models were evaluated in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system over various wireless channels, i.e., Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN), fading, and SUI-6 channels. In order to enhance the system performance, OFDM was combined with differential phase shift keying (DPSK) modulation and convolutional coding. The results demonstrate that secured model (1) is highly immune to noise generated by wireless channels and is the optimum technique for secure audio steganography on noisy communication channels. Full article

Time-sensitive networking (TSN), a cutting-edge technology enabling efficient real-time communication and control, provides strong support for traditional Ethernet in terms of real-time performance, reliability, and deterministic transmission. In TSN systems, although time-triggered (TT) flows enjoy deterministic delay guarantees, audio video bridging (AVB) and best effort (BE) traffic still share link bandwidth through statistical multiplexing, a process that remains nondeterministic. This competition in shared memory switches adversely affects data transmission performance. In this paper, a priority queue threshold control policy is proposed and analyzed for mixed-critical traffic in time-sensitive networks. The core of this policy is to set independent queues for different types of traffic in the shared memory queuing system. To prevent low-priority traffic from monopolizing the shared buffer, its entry into the queue is blocked when buffer usage exceeds a preset threshold. A two-dimensional Markov chain is introduced to accurately construct the system’s queuing model. Through detailed analysis of the queuing model, the truncated chain method is used to decompose the two-dimensional state space into solvable one-dimensional sub-problems, and the approximate solution of the system’s steady-state distribution is derived. Based on this, the blocking probability, average queue length, and average queuing delay of different priority queues are accurately calculated. Finally, according to the optimization goal of the overall blocking probability of the system, the optimal threshold value is determined to achieve better system performance. Numerical results show that this strategy can effectively allocate the shared buffer space in multi-priority traffic scenarios. Compared with the conventional schemes, the queue blocking probability is reduced by approximately 40% to 60%. Full article

The skin acts as a primary barrier against environmental insults and maintains homeostasis. Injury initiates a wound healing cascade of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In chronic wounds, persistent microbial colonization and inflammation disrupt this process, with bacterial virulence factors acting as key drivers. While the microbiome’s role in chronic wounds is recognized, the effects of individual virulence factors on acute repair remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the differential effects of virulence factors derived from five skin-associated bacterial species on acute wound healing dynamics. In this context, virulence factors from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Enterococcus faecalis were tested on HDF-n cell viability and wound closure, with multiplex ELISA used to assess inflammatory mediator secretion and underlying mechanisms. Overall, virulence factors were generally well tolerated across concentrations (0.05–16 µg/mL) and time points (24, 48 h), with cell viability >80%, except for S. aureus, which reduced viability to ~70% at higher concentrations by 48 h. Wound healing responses varied markedly: S. aureus significantly impaired closure in a dose-dependent manner (~10% closure at 16 µg/µL, 48 h), and E. faecalis similarly delayed repair. In contrast, factors from P. aeruginosa, S. pyogenes, and L. plantarum showed neutral or mildly pro-healing effects. Notably, co-treatment with S. pyogenes partially rescued impairment caused by S. aureus and E. faecalis. Collectively, these findings highlight that bacterial virulence factors have variable impacts on acute wound healing. These findings suggest potential therapeutic applications through targeted modulation or combinations of bacterial factors. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gene rearrangements involving oncogenes are major drivers in acute leukemia, influencing disease classification, prognosis, and therapeutic decision-making. Targeted RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) panels capable of detecting intergenic and intragenic fusions across multiple genes are increasingly used in diagnostic settings. However, comparative evaluation with orthogonal technologies remains limited. Material and Methods: We compared the performance of a 108-gene anchored multiplex PCR (AMP)-based RNA-Seq panel with that of Optical Genome Mapping (OGM) in 467 acute leukemia cases. The cohort included 360 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 89 B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), 12 T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and 6 cases of mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). Results: Results of both methods were concordant in 175 (74.7%) of 234 detected gene/rearrangement fusions. The concordance rate varied significantly across different leukemia types, ranging from 80.2% in B-ALL to 41.7% in T-ALL (p < 0.001) OGM uniquely detected 37 of 234 (15.8%) clinically relevant rearrangements, whereas RNA-Seq exclusively identified 22 of 234 (9.4%). Enhancer-hijacking lesions, including MECOM and BCL11B rearrangements, CDK6::MNX1, and IGH rearrangements, had a markedly lower concordance (20.6%) compared with all other aberrations (93.1%) (p < 0.001). Conversely, some gene fusions arising from intrachromosomal deletions were interpreted by OGM as simple deletions rather than rearrangements or fusions. Conclusions: Targeted RNA-Seq was effective for detecting chimeric fusion transcripts and showed slightly better performance in identifying fusions resulting from deletions. However, OGM was effective for detecting enhancer-hijacking events that do not generate fusion transcripts. Both methods are complementary for the workup of acute leukemia cases. Full article

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) are ideal for point-of-care diagnostics due to their low cost, compact size, and ease of use. However, current designs have limited multiplexing capabilities, making it difficult to simultaneously detect pathogens and biomarkers in the same sample. In this work, we introduce NanoArrayPAD−X, a novel µPAD design that combines wax-printed microfluidic networks with an array of nanoprobes for the simultaneous detection of multiple targets. This is achieved by distributing the sample through the microfluidic network containing X detection areas. There, targets are captured through physical interactions and recognized by specific antibody-coated nanoprobes released from the nanoprobe array. This generates X dots whose color depends on the concentration of the targets in the sample. A NanoArrayPAD−5 platform capable of detecting five targets was developed to aid in the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The sensor array could detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and the inflammatory biomarker myeloperoxidase (MPO) with a total turnaround time of 25 min, which is faster than waiting for an overnight culture and the results of an ELISA. Notably, our prototype successfully detected the targets in 87 bronchial aspirate (BAS) specimens, thus demonstrating the suitability of the platform for analyzing complex samples with sputum-like qualities. These findings establish NanoArrayPAD−X as a promising tool for the rapid, multiplexed screening of respiratory pathogens and biomarkers, with potential for guiding personalized antimicrobial therapy in suspected cases of nosocomial pneumonia. Full article

Exosomes, which are extracellular vesicles measuring 30–150 nm, are becoming a promising new target from cellular debris classification to a recognized biomarker with the potential to transform diagnostics. They have a fundamental role in intercellular communication, with selective molecular cargo that can reflect the pathophysiological state of parent cells. Exosomes are particularly advantageous for non-invasive liquid biopsies, as they provide continuous monitoring of disease progression or response to treatment. We detail the most recent diagnostic proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids in the context of different diseases. Here, we show the potential of exosomes as non-invasive biomarkers across diverse diseases, which may transcend the sensitivity of conventional biomarkers. The potential of exosome-based liquid biopsies to transform clinical laboratory practice will be determined by their ability to overcome challenges. Limitations comprise preanalytical variability, absence of standardized protocols, and heterogeneity in exosome isolation, which limit their diagnostic potential. The implementation is limited by isolation and analytical processes; however, many advanced platforms may offer multiplexed detection, which is accelerating their implementation process in clinical laboratories. Finally, we provide an overview of the clinical applications and preclinical advancements of exosomes to provide a perspective on the significance of exosomes for their use in biomarker study, as well as therapeutic monitoring in different diseases. Future initiatives must emphasize coordinated validation, economical scalability, and incorporation into clinical workflows to fulfill the potential of exosomes as advanced diagnostics. Full article

To support mode-division multiplexing with reduced inter-modal crosstalk, we propose a novel polarization-maintaining few-mode fiber design with a uniform doping profile and no air holes. The fiber employs two placed low-index inclusions to lift modal degeneracy and achieve strong birefringence while maintaining compatibility with standard MCVD and OVD fabrication processes. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the geometrical and refractive index parameters. Finite element simulations show that the optimized design supports ten guided modes with a minimum effective index difference exceeding $3.8\times {10}^{-4}$ across the C+L band. The fiber exhibits moderate dispersion and strong modal isolation. Tolerance analysis confirms good robustness against index fluctuations and moderate sensitivity to dimensional variations. These features suggest that the proposed PM-FMF is a promising candidate for short-reach spatial-division multiplexing applications where intrinsic polarization and mode separation are desired. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are frequent in the intensive care unit (ICU) and drive empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic use. Rapid multiplex PCR assays may improve pathogen detection and stewardship compared with conventional culture. We evaluated the real-world impact of the BioFire^® FilmArray^® Pneumonia Panel Plus (FA-PNEU^®) on antimicrobial management in suspected nosocomial LRTI. Methods: This was a single-centre, prospective observational cohort study conducted in a tertiary ICU (Madrid, Spain) between April 2021 and March 2025. Adult patients with suspected hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), or ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) were included if paired respiratory samples underwent FA-PNEU^® and conventional culture (CC). Diagnostic accuracy and prescribing changes were analysed. Results: A total of 344 samples from 236 patients were included. FA-PNEU^® demonstrated high sensitivity (93.4%) and negative predictive value (97.9%) but moderate specificity (65.0%) and low positive predictive value (36.5%). False positives occurred in 85.8% of patients with prior antibiotic therapy targeting the detected organism. Antibiotic management was considered directly influenced by FA-PNEU^® when any prescribing decision (initiation, escalation, de-escalation, or discontinuation) explicitly followed the panel’s results rather than other clinical or microbiological information. Using this definition, FA-PNEU^® directly influenced antibiotic therapy in 57.6% of cases, while in 17.7%, prescribing was instead guided by a suspected alternative infection. In patients without prior antibiotics, treatment initiation or withholding was fully concordant with FA-PNEU^® results, while in those already receiving therapy, 60.8% underwent modification, two-thirds in agreement with the panel. Conclusions: In critically ill patients with suspected nosocomial LRTI, FA-PNEU^® provided rapid, high-sensitivity diagnostics that substantially influenced antimicrobial prescribing. Its greatest value lies in ruling out bacterial infection and guiding stewardship, though results must be interpreted within the full clinical and microbiological context. Full article

Background/Objectives: Acute respiratory infections remain a major global public health concern affecting individuals across all ages. Accurate and rapid diagnosis of respiratory pathogens is crucial for effective patient management and infection control. Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays have gained prominence over conventional methods for routine viral detection in clinical laboratories owing to their enhanced sensitivity and specificity; however, comparative performance data for PowerChek™ RVP remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the PowerChek™ Respiratory Virus Panel 1/2/3/4, which detects 16 respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) specimens. Methods: Overall, 336 NPS specimens were analyzed using the PowerChek™ RVP, BioFire^® RP 2.1plus, and Allplex™ RP assays, with nucleic acid extraction performed using the Advansure™ E3 system. The performance metrics were calculated using two-by-two contingency tables. Results: Among 336 NPS specimens (232 positive, 104 negative), PowerChek™ RVP detected 226 positives with minimal discrepancies, showing high concordance with BioFire^® RP 2.1plus (accuracy 94.6%, kappa 0.843–1.000). Fifteen discordant cases were identified in this study. Eleven could not be sequenced because of amplification failure and most had high Ct values (>30). Sequencing of four samples confirmed concordance with BioFire^® RP 2.1plus and PowerChek™ RVP, whereas Allplex™ RP showed false-negative results. Conclusions: The PowerChek™ RVP assay demonstrated a high level of relative sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, diagnostic predictive values and strong concordance with comparable reference assays in identifying its targets. This assay is a reliable and efficient diagnostic tool for clinical laboratories to facilitate the accurate identification of respiratory pathogens. Full article