Objective:

The concentration of bilirubin in blood or serum is useful for assessing liver function as well as monitoring treatment. This study evaluates the clinical performance of a novel point-of-care (PoC) device for the detection of bilirubin in serum. The PoC device incorporates an integrated miniature optoelectronic sensing module and a microfluidic test cartridge.

Methods:

Patients’ serum total bilirubin concentrations, ranging from 2 μmol/L to 480 μmol/L, were measured using the PoC device and the standard laboratory method (n=20). Bland-Altman analysis and regression analysis using Passing-Bablok method were used to benchmark the PoC device against the standard laboratory measurements. The diagnostic capability of the PoC device in categorising the serum samples within clinically relevant bilirubin concentration thresholds of 200, 300, and 450 μmol/L was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results:

The mean difference between the PoC device and the standard laboratory method was −5.6 μmol/L, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of −45.1 μmol/L to 33.9 μmol/L. The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.986. The PoC device achieved a detection sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 97% in categorising bilirubin concentrations within bands used in clinical decision-making.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that the proposed PoC device is capable of measuring bilirubin levels in patient samples with clinically acceptable accuracy.

Osteocalcin (OCN), a non-collagenous protein synthesized by osteoblasts, is integral to bone mineralization and demonstrates significant effects on metabolic and neurological functions. Its undercarboxylated form, Glu-OCN, has emerged as a key regulator of glucose metabolism in diabetes, bone density in osteoporosis (OP), and lipid metabolism in conditions such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Additionally, Glu-OCN is implicated in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases through its roles in neurotransmitter synthesis and vascular calcification, respectively. This review examines the essential functions of Glu-OCN in the management of metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders, emphasizing its significance as both a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. While findings to date are promising, most studies remain observational. Advanced detection methodologies and extensive longitudinal studies are urgently needed to elucidate the mechanisms and clinical applications of Glu-OCN. Advancements in this area could facilitate the integration of Glu-OCN into personalized medicine approaches, improving early diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment monitoring.

α-phase formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃) has demonstrated extraordinary properties for near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes (NIR-PeLEDs). The vacuum processing technique has recently received increasing attention from industry and academia due to its solvent-free feature and compatibility with large-scale production. Nevertheless, vacuum-deposited NIR-PeLEDs have been less studied, and their efficiencies lag far behind those of solution-based PeLEDs as it is still challenging to prepare pure α-FAPbI₃ by the thermal evaporation. Herein, we report a Cs-containing triple-source co-evaporation approach to develop the perovskite films. The addition of thermally stable Cs cation fills in the perovskite crystal lattice and eliminates the formation of metallic Pb caused by the degradation of FA cation during the evaporation process. The tri-source co-evaporation strategy significantly promotes the phase transition from yellow δ-phase FAPbI₃ to black α-phase FACsPbI₃, fostering smooth, uniform, and pinhole-free perovskite films with higher crystallinity and fewer defects. On this basis, the resulting NIR-PeLED based on FACsPbI₃ yields a maximum EQE of 10.25%, which is around sixfold higher than that of FAPbI₃-based PeLEDs. Our work demonstrates a reliable and effective strategy to achieve α-FAPbI₃ via thermal evaporation and paves the pathway toward highly efficient perovskite optoelectronic devices for future commercialization.

In the quest for high-efficiency and cost-effective catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a novel biomass-driven strategy is developed to fabricate a unique one-dimensional rod-arrays@two-dimensional interlaced-sheets (C_1D@2D) network. A groundbreaking chemical fermentation (CF) pore-generation mechanism, proposed for the first time for creating nanopores within carbon structures, is based on the optimal balance between gasification and solidification. This mechanism not only results in a distinctive C_1D@2D multilevel network with nanoscale, intersecting and freely flowing channels but also introduces a novel concept for in situ, extensive and hierarchical pore formation. The unique architecture, combined with the homogeneous dispersion of Ni–Fe nanoparticles, facilitates easy electrolyte penetration and provides abundant active sites for the anchoring and dispersion of reactive molecules or ions. Consequently, the Ni–Fe@C_1D@2D porous network demonstrates an exceptional OER electrocatalytic performance, achieving a record-low overpotential of 165 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and maintaining long-term stability for over 90 h. Theoretical calculations reveal that the porous structure markedly strengthens the interaction between alloy nanoparticles and the carbon matrix, thereby significantly boosting their electrocatalytic activity and stability. These findings unequivocally validate the CF pore-generation mechanism as a powerful and innovative strategy for designing highly efficient functional nanostructures.

A research team has identified a key gene, CsCHLI, that plays a central role in chlorophyll biosynthesis and leaf coloration in tea plants.