Open thyroidectomy is the most common approach to thyroid surgery. However, 'scarless' (in the neck) endoscopic thyroidectomy, consisting of endoscopic and robotic surgery, is progressively being adopted for its perceived cosmetic benefits. This study aims to determine the patient's preferred surgical approach and to identify the factors that influence their decision.
 
  A pilot study consisting of 100 patients with a surgical thyroid disorder were prospectively recruited from a single tertiary centre. An interviewer-administered survey was conducted. Demographic, socioeconomic status, scar perception and an adapted body image scale were evaluated to identify factors that shaped the patient's perception of the surgical approach.
 
  The mean age of participants was 54.5 ± 13.0 years; 72% were women and 87% Chinese. Of the 100 patients, 75 patients considered scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy as their preferred surgical approach while 25 patients opted for open thyroid surgery. Improvement in scar perception score between scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy and open thyroid surgery is associated with an increased willingness to choose scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy. The mean body image scale score was 6.9 ± 2.8, indicating no statistical difference between the surgical approaches. On multivariate analysis, improvement in scar perception score (odds ratio 3.38, 95% confidence interval 1.11-10.29) and having surgeon recommendation (odds ratio 6.38, 95% confidence interval 1.80-22.63) were independently associated with interest in scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy.
 
  Patients interest in undergoing scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy is driven by improved scar perception and surgeon's recommendation compared with open thyroid surgery.
 Patients interest in undergoing scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy is driven by improved scar perception and surgeon's recommendation compared with open thyroid surgery.Spike-in of standards of known concentrations used in proteomics-based workflows is an attractive approach for both accurate and precise multiplexed protein quantification. Here, a quantitative method based on targeted proteomics analysis of plasma proteins using isotope-labeled recombinant standards originating from the Human Protein Atlas project has been established.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/elenestinib-phosphate.html  The standards were individually quantified prior to being employed in the final multiplex assay. The assays are mainly directed toward actively secreted proteins produced in the liver, but may also originate from other parts of the human body. This study included 21 proteins classified by the FDA as either drug targets or approved clinical protein biomarkers. We describe the use of this multiplex assay for profiling a well-defined human cohort with sample collection spanning over a one-year period. Samples were collected at four different time points, which allowed for a longitudinal analysis to assess the variable plasma proteome within individuals. Two assays toward APOA1 and APOB had available clinical data, and the two assays were benchmarked against each other. The clinical assay is based on antibodies and shows high correlation between the two orthogonal methods, suggesting that targeted proteomics with highly parallel, multiplex analysis is an attractive alternative to antibody-based protein assays.The molecular composition of viral particles indicates that a single virion is capable of initiating an infection. However, the majority of viruses that come into contact with cells fails to infect them. Understanding what makes one viral particle more successful than others requires visualizing the infection process directly in living cells, one virion at a time. In this Perspective, we explain how single-virus imaging using fluorescence microscopy can provide answers to unsolved questions in virology. We discuss fluorescent labeling of virus particles, resolution at the subviral and molecular levels, tracking in living cells, and imaging of interactions between viral and host proteins. We end this Perspective with a set of remaining questions in understanding the life cycle of retroviruses and how imaging a single virus can help researchers address these questions. Although we use examples from the HIV field, these methods are of value for the study of other viruses as well.Exploring a simple, on-demanding method of manipulating ionic conduction of ionic liquids with large amplitudes is a challenging task. Here, a reversible ion-conducting switch was obtained based on photoswitchable sol-gel transitions. The device was successfully applied in an electronic circuit to switch it on/off. The ion gel was prepared by directly mixing following individual components azobenzene (Azo), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C2mim][NTf2]). The mixture is denoted as Azo/PNIPAm/[C2mim][NTf2]. The framework of this gel structure was particularly designed as an analogue to the physical mode of control theory sensor/amplification/action. Light-induced isomerization of Azo acts as the light sensor to trigger the macroscopic sol-gel transition of PNIPAm assemblies. Such transition works as the amplification, which significantly affects the ionic movements, resulting in high-amplitude switching behavior. A photoswitchable ionic conductive device was demonstrated as action in this paper. Under UV irradiation, the sol-like state of Azo/PNIPAm/[C2mim][NTf2] provided a higher ion conduction (around 1 mS/cm) while being exposed to visible light, and a lower ion conduction (0.04 mS/cm) was observed in the gel state. This photoswitchable ion conductivity device was integrated to a well-designed logic gate to switch circuits on or off. This confirms the possible practical application of the sol-gel device, which outputs stable and detectable electrical signals. The research here demonstrates a simple but effective strategy to control the ionic movements, which can be applied in optoelectronic devices. The principle can be used to design different types of molecular optoelectronic switches.Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are typically isolated as microcrystalline powders. It remains fundamentally challenging to fabricate COFs into high-quality self-standing films to take full advantage of their ordered pore channels for molecular separation. Here, we report a new strategy for fabricating self-standing imine-linked COF films via homogeneous polymerization where films emerge from clear solutions without forming amorphous precipitates. The abundant basic nitrogen atoms of the monomers acted as a reaction controller to realize the homogeneous polymerization and also promoted the tight self-aggregation of COF crystallites to form compact films via H-bonding. The chemically supported self-standing COF films on nylon membranes were also developed via an in situ growth method. The resulting films showed an unprecedentedly ultrafast permeance of 2822 L m-2 h-1 MPa-1 with a high rejection rate (99.8%) in the filtration of a congo red (CR) solution, demonstrating the advantage of this new strategy in fabricating high-quality self-standing COF films.