Single-walled carbon nanotubes covalently functionalized with polytyrosine: A new material for the development of NADH-based biosensors.

PubMed

Eguílaz, Marcos; Gutierrez, Fabiana; González-Domínguez, Jose Miguel; Martínez, María T; Rivas, Gustavo

2016-12-15

We report for the first time the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) covalently functionalized with polytyrosine (Polytyr) (SWCNT-Polytyr) as a new electrode material for the development of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-based biosensors. The oxidation of glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) modified with SWCNT-Polytyr at potentials high enough to oxidize the tyrosine residues have allowed the electrooxidation of NADH at low potentials due to the catalytic activity of the quinones generated from the primary oxidation of tyrosine without any additional redox mediator. The amperometric detection of NADH at 0.200V showed a sensitivity of (217±3)µAmM(-1)cm(-2) and a detection limit of 7.9nM. The excellent electrocatalytic activity of SWCNT-Polytyr towards NADH oxidation has also made possible the development of a sensitive ethanol biosensor through the immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) via Nafion entrapment, with excellent analytical characteristics (sensitivity of (5.8±0.1)µAmM(-1)cm(-2), detection limit of 0.67µM) and very successful application for the quantification of ethanol in different commercial beverages. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional graphene-gold nano-composite fabricated electrochemical biosensor for direct and rapid detection of bisphenol A.

PubMed

Pan, Daodong; Gu, Yuanyuan; Lan, Hangzhen; Sun, Yangying; Gao, Huiju

2015-01-01

In this research, the graphene with excellent dispersity is prepared successfully by introducing gold nanoparticle to separate the individual sheets. Various techniques are adopted to characterize the prepared graphene and graphene-gold nanoparticle composite materials. This fabricated new composite material is used as the support material to construct a novel tyrosinase based biosensor for detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The electrochemical performances of the proposed new enzyme biosensor were investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method. The proposed biosensor exhibited excellent performance for BPA determination with a wide linear range (2.5×10(-3)-3.0 μM), a highly reproducible response (RSD of 2.7%), low interferences and long-term stability. And more importantly, the calculated detection limit of the proposed biosensor was as low as 1 nM. Compared with other detection methods, this graphene-gold nanoparticle composite based tyrosinase biosensor is proved to be a promising and reliable tool for rapid detection of BPA for on-site analysis of emergency BPA related pollution affairs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogel Based Biosensors for In Vitro Diagnostics of Biochemicals, Proteins, and Genes.

PubMed

Jung, Il Young; Kim, Ji Su; Choi, Bo Ram; Lee, Kyuri; Lee, Hyukjin

2017-06-01

Hydrogel-based biosensors have drawn considerable attention due to their various advantages over conventional detection systems. Recent studies have shown that hydrogel biosensors can be excellent alternative systems to detect a wide range of biomolecules, including small biochemicals, pathogenic proteins, and disease specific genes. Due to the excellent physical properties of hydrogels such as the high water content and stimuli-responsive behavior of cross-linked network structures, this system can offer substantial improvement for the design of novel detection systems for various diagnostic applications. The other main advantage of hydrogels is the role of biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) matrix immobilizing enzymes and aptamers within the detection systems, which enhances their stability. This provides ideal reaction conditions for enzymes and aptamers to interact with substrates within the aqueous environment of the hydrogel. In this review, we have highlighted various novel detection approaches utilizing the outstanding properties of the hydrogel. This review summarizes the recent progress of hydrogel-based biosensors and discusses their future perspectives and clinical limitations to overcome. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Label-Free Aptasensor for Ochratoxin a Detection Based on the Structure Switch of Aptamer.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Ding, Ailing; Zheng, Jiushang; Chen, Jiucun; Wang, Bin

2018-06-01

A label-free sensing platform is developed based on switching the structure of aptamer for highly sensitive and selective fluorescence detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). OTA induces the structure of aptamer, transforms into G-quadruplex and produces strong fluorescence in the presence of zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX probe due to the specific bind to G-quadruplex. The simple method exhibits high sensitivity towards OTA with a detection limit of 0.03 nM and excellent selectivity over other mycotoxins. In addition, the successful detection of OTA in real samples represents a promising application in food safety.

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiaomiao; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Jinhua; Li, Yi; Chen, Shufen; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui; Yan, Xiaohong

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene (3D N-doped graphene) was prepared through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by using porous nickel foam as a substrate. As a model, a dopamine biosensor was constructed based on the 3D N-doped graphene porous foam. Electrochemical experiments exhibited that this biosensor had a remarkable detection ability with a wide linear detection range from 3 × 10-6 M to 1 × 10-4 M and a low detection limit of 1 nM. Moreover, the fabricated biosensor also showed an excellent anti-interference ability, reproducibility, and stability.

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Feng, Xiaomiao; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Jinhua; Li, Yi; Chen, Shufen; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui; Yan, Xiaohong

2015-02-14

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene (3D N-doped graphene) was prepared through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by using porous nickel foam as a substrate. As a model, a dopamine biosensor was constructed based on the 3D N-doped graphene porous foam. Electrochemical experiments exhibited that this biosensor had a remarkable detection ability with a wide linear detection range from 3 × 10(-6) M to 1 × 10(-4) M and a low detection limit of 1 nM. Moreover, the fabricated biosensor also showed an excellent anti-interference ability, reproducibility, and stability.

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles-based fluorescent biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of hydroquinone.

PubMed

Liu, Yuan; Wang, Yu-Min; Zhu, Wu-Yang; Zhang, Chong-Hua; Tang, Hao; Jiang, Jian-Hui

2018-07-05

This work describes a simple and sensitive fluorescent method for detection of hydroquinone utilizing conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs). The CPNs serve both as a catalyst to accelerate the conversion of hydroquinone to benzoquinone and a fluorescent probe. In the presence of hydroquinone, the fluorescence of CPNs can be effectively quenched by benzoquinone. The detection limit of hydroquinone was down to 5 nM and excellent selectivity toward possible interferences was obtained. This method was successfully applied for hydroquinone detection in lake water and satisfactory results were achieved. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A benzothiazole-based fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid detection and imaging in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Khac Hong; Hao, Yuanqiang; Zeng, Ke; Fan, Shengnan; Li, Fen; Yuan, Suke; Ding, Xuejing; Xu, Maotian; Liu, You-Nian

2018-06-01

A benzothiazole-based turn-on fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift (190 nm) has been developed for hypochlorous acid detection. The probe displays prompt fluorescence response for HClO with excellent selectivity over other reactive oxygen species as well as a low detection limit of 0.08 μM. The sensing mechanism involves the HClO-induced specific oxidation of oxime moiety of the probe to nitrile oxide, which was confirmed by HPLC-MS technique. Furthermore, imaging studies demonstrated that the probe is cell permeable and can be applied to detect HClO in living cells.

Sensitive electrochemical sensors for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid based on Au@Pd-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Jingjing; Du, Xuezhong

2014-09-01

Sensitive electrochemical sensors were fabricated with reduced graphene oxide-supported Au@Pd (Au@Pd-RGO) nanocomposites by one-step synthesis for individual and simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) with low detection limits and wide concentration ranges. From the Au@Pd-RGO-modified electrodes, well-separated oxidation peaks and enhanced peak currents of AA, DA, and UA were observed owing to the superior conductivity of RGO and the excellent catalytic activity of Au@Pd nanoparticles. For individual detection, the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1000, 0.01-100, and 0.02-500 μM with detection limits of 0.02, 0.002, and 0.005 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the concentrations of AA, DA, and UA, the linear response ranges were 1-800, 0.1-100, and 0.1-350 μM with detection limits of 0.28, 0.024, and 0.02 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The fabricated sensors were further applied to the detection of AA, DA, and UA in urine samples. The Au@Pd-RGO nanocomposites have promising applications in highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing.Sensitive electrochemical sensors were fabricated with reduced graphene oxide-supported Au@Pd (Au@Pd-RGO) nanocomposites by one-step synthesis for individual and simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) with low detection limits and wide concentration ranges. From the Au@Pd-RGO-modified electrodes, well-separated oxidation peaks and enhanced peak currents of AA, DA, and UA were observed owing to the superior conductivity of RGO and the excellent catalytic activity of Au@Pd nanoparticles. For individual detection, the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1000, 0.01-100, and 0.02-500 μM with detection limits of 0.02, 0.002, and 0.005 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the concentrations of AA, DA, and UA, the linear response ranges were 1-800, 0.1-100, and 0.1-350 μM with detection limits of 0.28, 0.024, and 0.02 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The fabricated sensors were further applied to the detection of AA, DA, and UA in urine samples. The Au@Pd-RGO nanocomposites have promising applications in highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: pH optimization, comparison of sensor performances, interference experiments, and detection in urine samples. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr01774a

High-response and low-temperature nitrogen dioxide gas sensor based on gold-loaded mesoporous indium trioxide.

PubMed

Li, Shan; Cheng, Ming; Liu, Guannan; Zhao, Lianjing; Zhang, Bo; Gao, Yuan; Lu, Huiying; Wang, Haiyu; Zhao, Jing; Liu, Fangmeng; Yan, Xu; Zhang, Tong; Lu, Geyu

2018-04-10

Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), as a typical threatening atmospheric pollutant, is hazardous to the environment and human health. Thus, the development of a gas sensor with high response and low detection limit for NO 2 detection is highly important. The highly ordered mesoporous indium trioxide (In 2 O 3 ) prepared by simple nanocasting method using mesoporous silica as template and decorated with Au nanoparticles was investigated for NO 2 detection. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Characterization results showed that the samples exhibited ordered mesostructure and were successfully decorated with Au. The gas sensing performance of the sensors based on a series of Au-loaded mesoporous In 2 O 3 were systematically investigated. The Au loading level strongly affected the sensing performance toward NO 2 . The optimal sensor, which was based on 0.5 wt% Au-loaded In 2 O 3 , displayed high sensor response and low detection limit of 10 ppb at low operating temperature of 65 °C. The excellent sensing properties were mainly attributed to the ordered mesoporous structure and the catalytic performance of Au. We believe that the Au-loaded mesoporous In 2 O 3 can provide a promising platform for NO 2 gas sensors with excellent performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hetero-enzyme-based two-round signal amplification strategy for trace detection of aflatoxin B1 using an electrochemical aptasensor.

PubMed

Zheng, Wanli; Teng, Jun; Cheng, Lin; Ye, Yingwang; Pan, Daodong; Wu, Jingjing; Xue, Feng; Liu, Guodong; Chen, Wei

2016-06-15

An electrochemical aptasensor for trace detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was developed by using an aptamer as the recognition unit while adopting the telomerase and EXO III based two-round signal amplification strategy as the signal enhancement units. The telomerase amplification was used to elongate the ssDNA probes on the surface of gold nanoparticles, by which the signal response range of the signal-off model electrochemical aptasensor could be correspondingly enlarged. Then, the EXO III amplification was used to hydrolyze the 3'-end of the dsDNA after the recognition of target AFB1, which caused the release of bounded AFB1 into the sensing system, where it participated in the next recognition-sensing cycle. With this two-round signal amplified electrochemical aptasensor, target AFB1 was successfully measured at trace concentrations with excellent detection limit of 0.6*10(-4)ppt and satisfied specificity due to the excellent affinity of the aptamer against AFB1. Based on this designed two-round signal amplification strategy, both the sensing range and detection limit were greatly improved. This proposed ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor method was also validated by comparison with the classic instrumental methods. Importantly, this hetero-enzyme based two-round signal amplified electrochemical aptasensor offers a great promising protocol for ultrasensitive detection of AFB1 and other mycotoxins by replacing the core recognition sequence of the aptamer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyaniline-graphene oxide nanocomposite sensor for quantification of calcium channel blocker levamlodipine.

PubMed

Jain, Rajeev; Sinha, Ankita; Khan, Ab Lateef

2016-08-01

A novel polyaniline-graphene oxide nanocomposite (PANI/GO/GCE) sensor has been fabricated for quantification of a calcium channel blocker drug levamlodipine (LAMP). Fabricated sensor has been characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, square wave and cyclic voltammetry, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The developed PANI/GO/GCE sensor has excellent analytical performance towards electrocatalytic oxidation as compared to PANI/GCE, GO/GCE and bare GCE. Under optimized experimental conditions, the fabricated sensor exhibits a linear response for LAMP for its oxidation over a concentration range from 1.25μgmL(-1) to 13.25μgmL(-1) with correlation coefficient of 0.9950 (r(2)), detection limit of 1.07ngmL(-1) and quantification limit of 3.57ngmL(-1). The sensor shows an excellent performance for detecting LAMP with reproducibility of 2.78% relative standard deviation (RSD). The proposed method has been successfully applied for LAMP determination in pharmaceutical formulation with a recovery from 99.88% to 101.75%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Designing and facilely synthesizing a series of cobalt nitride (Co4N) nanocatalysts as non-enzymatic glucose sensors: A comparative study toward the influences of material structures on electrocatalytic activities.

PubMed

Liu, Tingting; Li, Mian; Guo, Liping

2018-05-01

Designing high-efficiency electrocatalysts for glucose concentration detection plays a pivotal role in developing various non-enzymatic glucose detection devices. Herein, we have successfully designed and synthesized various cobalt nitrides (Co 4 N) by using different weak bases (i.e. hexamethylenetetramine (HMT), urea, and ammonium hydroxide (AH)) through nitridation treatment in ammonia (NH 3 ) atmosphere. Physical characterization results demonstrate that Co 4 N-NSs (nanosheets) with vast meso/macropores and large BET surface are successfully constructed once adding carbon paper and HMT into precursors. As the synergistic effect of metallic character of Co 4 N phase , excellent electroconductibility of pyrolytic carbon, and large surface area, Co 4 N-NSs surfaces can form more Co 4+ active sites in electrochemical reaction processes. Meanwhile, the abundant meso/macroporous structures constructed in Co 4 N-NSs further promoted its mass transfer ability. Benefitting from the above mentioned advantages, Co 4 N-NSs therefore exhibit more excellent glucose oxidation ability than another three control samples (i.e. Co 4 N-HMT, Co 4 N-Urea and Co 4 N-AH). When used for glucose detection, the optimal Co 4 N-NSs display excellent detection parameters as well, such as: a wide linear range of 0.6-10.0mM, a large sensitivity of 1137.2uAcm -2 mM -1 glucose, a low detection limit of 0.1µM, a small response time of 1.7s, good reproducibility and stability, and the excellent anti-interference to other electroactive molecules and Cl - . Upon utilized for measuring glucose concentrations in human blood serum samples, the detection results on Co 4 N-NSs are accurate and satisfying as well. This work opens a new possibility for boosting electrochemical catalysis abilities of Co 4 N samples by the structure design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Muti-component nanocomposite of nickel and manganese oxides with enhanced stability and catalytic performance for non-enzymatic glucose sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dandan; Cai, Daoping; Wang, Chenxia; Liu, Bin; Wang, Lingling; Liu, Yuan; Li, Han; Wang, Yanrong; Li, Qiuhong; Wang, Taihong

2016-06-01

A muti-component nanocomposite of nickel and manganese oxides with a uniformly dispersed microspherical structure has been fabricated by a hydrothermal synthesis method. The as-prepared nanocomposite has been employed as a sensing material for non-enzymatic glucose detection and shown excellent electrocatalytic activity, such as high sensitivities of 82.44 μA mM-1 cm-2 and 27.92 μA mM-1 cm-2 over the linear range of 0.1-1 mM and 1-4.5 mM, respectively, a low detection limit of 0.2 μM and a fast response time of <3 s. Moreover, satisfactory specificity and excellent stability have also been achieved. The results demonstrate that a muti-component nanocomposite of nickel and manganese oxides has great potential applications as glucose sensors.

Nafion covered core-shell structured Fe3O4@graphene nanospheres modified electrode for highly selective detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Zhang, Wuxiang; Zheng, Jianzhong; Shi, Jiangu; Lin, Zhongqiu; Huang, Qitong; Zhang, Hanqiang; Wei, Chan; Chen, Jianhua; Hu, Shirong; Hao, Aiyou

2015-01-01

Nafion covered core-shell structured Fe3O4@graphene nanospheres (GNs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was successfully prepared and used for selective detection dopamine. Firstly, the characterizations of hydro-thermal synthesized Fe3O4@GNs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Then Fe3O4@GNs/Nafion modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidations of dopamine (DA). The interference test showed that the coexisted ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) had no electrochemical interference toward DA. Under the optimum conditions, the broad linear relationship was obtained in the experimental concentration from 0.020 μM to 130.0 μM with the detection limit (S/N=3) of 0.007 μM. Furthermore, the core-shell structured Fe3O4@GNs/Nafion/GCE was applied to the determination of DA in real samples and satisfactory results were got, which could provide a promising platform to develop excellent biosensor for detecting DA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasensitive Immunosensor for Cancer Biomarker Proteins using Gold Nanoparticle Film Electrodes and Multienzyme-Particle Amplification

PubMed Central

Mani, Vigneshwaran; Chikkaveeraiah, Bhaskara V.; Patel, Vyomesh; Gutkind, J. Silvio; Rusling, James F.

2009-01-01

A densely packed gold nanoparticle platform combined with a multiple-enzyme labeled detection antibody-magnetic bead bioconjugate was used as the basis for an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor to detect cancer biomarkers in serum. Sensitivity was greatly amplified by synthesizing magnetic bioconjugates particles containing 7500 horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labels along with detection antibodies (Ab2) attached to activated carboxyl groups on 1 µm diameter magnetic beads. These sensors had sensitivity of 31.5 µA mL ng−1 and detection limit (DL) of 0.5 pg mL−1 for prostate specific antigen (PSA) in 10 µL of undiluted serum. This represents an ultralow mass DL of 5 fg PSA, eight fold better than a previously reported carbon nanotube (CNT) forest immunosensor featuring multiple labels on carbon nanotubes, and near or below the normal serum levels of most cancer biomarkers. Measurements of PSA in cell lysates and human serum of cancer patients gave excellent correlations with standard ELISA assays. These easily fabricated AuNP immunosensors show excellent promise for future fabrication of bioelectronic arrays. PMID:19216571

MnOx/C nanocomposite: An insight on high-performance supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahuja, Preety; Kumar Ujjain, Sanjeev; Kanojia, Rajni

2017-05-01

In this work, we have used microemulsion method for synthesis of MnOx/C nanocomposite and investigated its electrochemical properties via fabrication of supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor. In-situ inclusion of conducting carbon in manganese oxide (MnOx/C) enhances the network conductivity facilitating the charge transfer process which is beneficial for supercapacitor and sensing applications. MnOx/C provides high energy and power density, 31.6 Wh kg-1 and 3.8 kW kg-1 respectively and short relaxation time ∼3 ms for fabricated cell (MnOx/C//MnOx/C) endowing excellent power delivery capacity. Furthermore, MnOx/C as sensor, exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of H2O2 and shows high sensitivity (0.37 mA mM-1 cm-2) with low detection limit (0.5 μM at an S/N of 3). Hence, this study provides new avenue for high performance supercapacitor and H2O2 detection.

Rogue athletes and recombinant DNA technology: challenges for doping control.

PubMed

Azzazy, Hassan M E; Mansour, Mai M H

2007-10-01

The quest for athletic excellence holds no limit for some athletes, and the advances in recombinant DNA technology have handed these athletes the ultimate doping weapons: recombinant proteins and gene doping. Some detection methods are now available for several recombinant proteins that are commercially available as pharmaceuticals and being abused by dopers. However, researchers are struggling to come up with efficient detection methods in preparation for the imminent threat of gene doping, expected in the 2008 Olympics. This Forum article presents the main detection strategies for recombinant proteins and the forthcoming detection strategies for gene doping as well as the prime analytical challenges facing them.

Highly selective luminescent sensing of picric acid based on a water-stable europium metal-organic framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Tifeng; Zhu, Fengliang; Cui, Yuanjing; Yang, Yu; Wang, Zhiyu; Qian, Guodong

2017-01-01

A water-stable metal-organic framework (MOF) EuNDC has been synthesized for selective detection of the well-known contaminant and toxicant picric acid (PA) in aqueous solution. Due to the photo-induced electron transfer and self-absorption mechanism, EuNDC displayed rapid, selective and sensitive detection of PA with a detection limit of 37.6 ppb. Recyclability experiments revealed that EuNDC retains its initial luminescent intensity and same quenching efficiency in each cycle, suggesting high photostability and reusability for long-term sensing applications. The excellent detection performance of EuNDC makes it a promising PA sensing material for practical applications.

Hydrothermal synthesis of NiWO4 crystals for high performance non-enzymatic glucose biosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mani, Sivakumar; Vediyappan, Veeramani; Chen, Shen-Ming; Madhu, Rajesh; Pitchaimani, Veerakumar; Chang, Jia-Yaw; Liu, Shang-Bin

2016-04-01

A facile hydrothermal route for the synthesis of ordered NiWO4 nanocrystals, which show promising applications as high performance non-enzymatic glucose sensor is reported. The NiWO4-modified electrodes showed excellent sensitivity (269.6 μA mM-1 cm-2) and low detection limit (0.18 μM) for detection of glucose with desirable selectivity, stability, and tolerance to interference, rendering their prospective applications as cost-effective, enzyme-free glucose sensors.

Hydrothermal synthesis of NiWO4 crystals for high performance non-enzymatic glucose biosensors.

PubMed

Mani, Sivakumar; Vediyappan, Veeramani; Chen, Shen-Ming; Madhu, Rajesh; Pitchaimani, Veerakumar; Chang, Jia-Yaw; Liu, Shang-Bin

2016-04-18

A facile hydrothermal route for the synthesis of ordered NiWO4 nanocrystals, which show promising applications as high performance non-enzymatic glucose sensor is reported. The NiWO4-modified electrodes showed excellent sensitivity (269.6 μA mM(-1 )cm(-2)) and low detection limit (0.18 μM) for detection of glucose with desirable selectivity, stability, and tolerance to interference, rendering their prospective applications as cost-effective, enzyme-free glucose sensors.

An Optoelectronic Nose for Detection of Toxic Gases

PubMed Central

Lim, Sung H.; Feng, Liang; Kemling, Jonathan W.; Musto, Christopher J.; Suslick, Kenneth S.

2009-01-01

We have developed a simple colorimetric sensor array (CSA) for the detection of a wide range of volatile analytes and applied it to the detection of toxic gases. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments whose colors are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Although no single chemically responsive pigment is specific for any one analyte, the pattern of color change for the array is a unique molecular fingerprint. Clear differentiation among 19 different toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) within two minutes of exposure at IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health) concentration has been demonstrated. Quantification of each analyte is easily accomplished based on the color change of the array, and excellent detection limits have been demonstrated, generally below the PELs (permissible exposure limits). Identification of the TICs was readily achieved using a standard chemometric approach, i.e., hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), with no misclassifications over 140 trials. PMID:20160982

An optoelectronic nose for the detection of toxic gases.

PubMed

Lim, Sung H; Feng, Liang; Kemling, Jonathan W; Musto, Christopher J; Suslick, Kenneth S

2009-10-01

We have developed a simple colorimetric sensor array that detects a wide range of volatile analytes and then applied it to the detection of toxic gases. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments with colours that are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Although no single chemically responsive pigment is specific for any one analyte, the pattern of colour change for the array is a unique molecular fingerprint. Clear differentiation among 19 different toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) within two minutes of exposure at concentrations immediately dangerous to life or health were demonstrated. Based on the colour change of the array, quantification of each analyte was accomplished easily, and excellent detection limits were achieved, generally below the permissible exposure limits. Different TICs were identified readily using a standard chemometric approach (hierarchical clustering analysis), with no misclassifications over 140 trials.

A practical and highly sensitive C3N4-TYR fluorescent probe for convenient detection of dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hao; Yang, Manman; Liu, Juan; Zhang, Yalin; Yang, Yanmei; Huang, Hui; Liu, Yang; Kang, Zhenhui

2015-07-01

The C3N4-tyrosinase (TYR) hybrid is a highly accurate, sensitive and simple fluorescent probe for the detection of dopamine (DOPA). Under optimized conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity of C3N4-TYR is proportional to the DOPA concentration in the range from 1 × 10-3 to 3 × 10-8 mol L-1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. In the present system, the detection limit achieved is as low as 3 × 10-8 mol L-1. Notably, these quantitative detection results for clinical samples are comparable to those of high performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, the enzyme-encapsulated C3N4 sensing arrays on both glass slide and test paper were evaluated, which revealed sensitive detection and excellent stability. The results reported here provide a new approach for the design of a multifunctional nanosensor for the detection of bio-molecules.The C3N4-tyrosinase (TYR) hybrid is a highly accurate, sensitive and simple fluorescent probe for the detection of dopamine (DOPA). Under optimized conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity of C3N4-TYR is proportional to the DOPA concentration in the range from 1 × 10-3 to 3 × 10-8 mol L-1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. In the present system, the detection limit achieved is as low as 3 × 10-8 mol L-1. Notably, these quantitative detection results for clinical samples are comparable to those of high performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, the enzyme-encapsulated C3N4 sensing arrays on both glass slide and test paper were evaluated, which revealed sensitive detection and excellent stability. The results reported here provide a new approach for the design of a multifunctional nanosensor for the detection of bio-molecules. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03316k

A novel fluorimetric sensing platform for highly sensitive detection of organophosphorus pesticides by using egg white-encapsulated gold nanoclusters.

PubMed

Yan, Xu; Li, Hongxia; Hu, Tianyu; Su, Xingguang

2017-05-15

Assays for organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) with high sensitivity as well as on-site screening have been urgently required to protect ecosystem and prevent disease. Herein, a novel fluorimetric sensing platform was constructed for quantitative detection of OPs via tyrosinase (TYR) enzyme-controlled quenching of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). One-step green synthetic approach was developed for the synthesis of AuNCs by using chicken egg white (CEW) as template and stabilizer. Initially, TYR can catalyze the oxidation of dopamine to dopaminechrome, which can efficiently quench the fluorescence intensity of AuNCs at 630nm based on dynamic quenching process. However, with the presence of OPs, the activity of TYR was inhibited, resulting in the fluorescence recovery of AuNCs. This proposed fluorescence platform was demonstrated to enable rapid detection for OPs (paraoxon as model) and to provide excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.1ngmL -1 . Significantly, the fluorescence probe was used to prepare paper-based test strips for visual detection of OPs, which validated the excellent potential for real-time and on-site application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using tunneling magnetoresistance biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuanzhao; Liu, Yiwei; Zhan, Qingfeng; Liu, J. Ping; Li, Run-Wei

2017-05-01

A rapid method for the sensitive detection of bacteria using magnetic immunoassay, which are measured with a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor, is described. For the measurement of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) bacteria, the target was labeled by magnetic beads through magnetic immunoassay. The magnetic beads produce a weak magnetic fringe field when external field is applied, thus induce the magnetoresistance change of TMR sensor. A detection limit of 100 CFU/mL E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in 5 hours was obtained. With its high sensitive and rapid detection scheme based on the TMR biosensor, the detection system is an excellent candidate suitable and promising for food safety and biomedical detection.

Bioelectrocatalytic application of titania nanotube array for molecule detection.

PubMed

Xie, Yibing; Zhou, Limin; Huang, Haitao

2007-06-15

A bioelectrocatalysis system based on titania nanotube electrode has been developed for the quantitative detection application. Highly ordered titania nanotube array with inner diameter of 60 nm and total length of 540 nm was formed by anodizing titanium foils. The functionalization modification was achieved by embedding glucose oxidases inside tubule channels and electropolymerizing pyrrole for interfacial immobilization. Morphology and microstructure characterization, electrochemical properties and bioelectrocatalytic reactivities of this composite were fully investigated. The direct detection of hydrogen peroxide by electrocatalytic reduction reaction was fulfilled on pure titania nanotube array with a detection limit up to 2.0 x 10(-4)mM. A biosensor based on the glucose oxidase-titania/titanium electrode was constructed for amperometric detection and quantitative determination of glucose in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8) under a potentiostatic condition (-0.4V versus SCE). The resulting glucose biosensor showed an excellent performance with a response time below 5.6s and a detection limit of 2.0 x 10(-3)mM. The corresponding detection sensitivity was 45.5 microA mM(-1)cm(-2). A good operational reliability was also achieved with relative standard deviations below 3.0%. This novel biosensor exhibited quite high response sensitivity and low detection limit for potential applications.

Limitations of Using Microsoft Excel Version 2016 (MS Excel 2016) for Statistical Analysis for Medical Research.

PubMed

Tanavalee, Chotetawan; Luksanapruksa, Panya; Singhatanadgige, Weerasak

2016-06-01

Microsoft Excel (MS Excel) is a commonly used program for data collection and statistical analysis in biomedical research. However, this program has many limitations, including fewer functions that can be used for analysis and a limited number of total cells compared with dedicated statistical programs. MS Excel cannot complete analyses with blank cells, and cells must be selected manually for analysis. In addition, it requires multiple steps of data transformation and formulas to plot survival analysis graphs, among others. The Megastat add-on program, which will be supported by MS Excel 2016 soon, would eliminate some limitations of using statistic formulas within MS Excel.

Non-protein coding RNA genes as the novel diagnostic markers for the discrimination of Salmonella species using PCR.

PubMed

Nithya, Ravichantar; Ahmed, Siti Aminah; Hoe, Chee-Hock; Gopinath, Subash C B; Citartan, Marimuthu; Chinni, Suresh V; Lee, Li Pin; Rozhdestvensky, Timofey S; Tang, Thean-Hock

2015-01-01

Salmonellosis, a communicable disease caused by members of the Salmonella species, transmitted to humans through contaminated food or water. It is of paramount importance, to generate accurate detection methods for discriminating the various Salmonella species that cause severe infection in humans, including S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A. Here, we formulated a strategy of detection and differentiation of salmonellosis by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay using S. Typhi non-protein coding RNA (sRNA) genes. With the designed sequences that specifically detect sRNA genes from S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, a detection limit of up to 10 pg was achieved. Moreover, in a stool-seeding experiment with S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, we have attained a respective detection limit of 15 and 1.5 CFU/mL. The designed strategy using sRNA genes shown here is comparatively sensitive and specific, suitable for clinical diagnosis and disease surveillance, and sRNAs represent an excellent molecular target for infectious disease.

Development of highly sensitive amperometric biosensor for glucose using carbon nanosphere/sodium alginate composite matrix for enzyme immobilization.

PubMed

Han, En; Li, Xia; Cai, Jian-Rong; Cui, Hai-Ying; Zhang, Xing-Ai

2014-01-01

In this study, we developed a highly sensitive amperometric biosensor for glucose detection based on glucose oxidase immobilized in a novel carbon nanosphere (CNS)/sodium alginate (SA) composite matrix. This hybrid material combined the advantages of CNS and natural biopolymer SA. This composite film was characterized by scanning electron microscope, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and UV-vis, which indicated that the hybrid material was suitable for immobilization of glucose oxidase. Various experimental conditions were investigated that influenced the performance of the biosensor, such as pH, applied potential and temperature. Under the optimum conditions, the biosensor showed excellent performance for glucose over a wide linear concentration range from 1.0 × 10(-6) to 4.6 × 10(-3) M with a detection limit of 0.5 μM based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Furthermore, the biosensor exhibited excellent long-term stability and satisfactory reproducibility.

A new multifunctional Schiff base as a fluorescence sensor for Al³⁺ and a colorimetric sensor for CN⁻ in aqueous media: an application to bioimaging.

PubMed

Lee, Seul Ah; You, Ga Rim; Choi, Ye Won; Jo, Hyun Yong; Kim, Ah Ram; Noh, Insup; Kim, Sung-Jin; Kim, Youngmee; Kim, Cheal

2014-05-14

A multifunctional fluorescent and colorimetric receptor 1 ((E)-N'-((8-hydroxy-1,2,3,5,6,7-hexahydropyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-9-yl)methylene)benzohydrazide) for the detection of both Al(3+) and CN(-) in aqueous solution has been developed. Receptor 1 exhibited an excellent selective fluorescence response toward Al(3+). The sensitivity of the fluorescent based assay (0.193 μM) for Al(3+) is far below the limit in the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water (7.41 μM). In addition, receptor 1 showed an excellent detection ability in a wide pH range of 4-10 and also in living cells. Moreover, receptor 1 showed a highly selective colorimetric response to CN(-) by changing its color from colorless to yellow immediately without any interference from other anions.

Simultaneous determination of dopamine and uric acid using layer-by-layer graphene and chitosan assembled multilayer films.

PubMed

Weng, Xuexiang; Cao, Qingxue; Liang, Lixin; Chen, Jianrong; You, Chunping; Ruan, Yongmin; Lin, Hongjun; Wu, Lanju

2013-12-15

Multilayer films containing graphene (Gr) and chitosan (CS) were prepared on glassy carbon electrodes with layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique. After being characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the electrochemical sensor based on the resulted films was developed to simultaneously determine dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The LBL assembled electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of DA and UA. In addition, the self-assembly electrode possessed an excellent sensing performance for detection of DA and UA with a linear range from 0.1 μM to 140 µM and from 1.0 µM to 125 µM with the detection limit as low as 0.05 µM and 0.1 µM based on S/N=3, respectively. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A cooperative-binding split aptamer assay for rapid, specific and ultra-sensitive fluorescence detection of cocaine in saliva.

PubMed

Yu, Haixiang; Canoura, Juan; Guntupalli, Bhargav; Lou, Xinhui; Xiao, Yi

2017-01-01

Sensors employing split aptamers that reassemble in the presence of a target can achieve excellent specificity, but the accompanying reduction of target affinity mitigates any overall gains in sensitivity. We for the first time have developed a split aptamer that achieves enhanced target-binding affinity through cooperative binding. We have generated a split cocaine-binding aptamer that incorporates two binding domains, such that target binding at one domain greatly increases the affinity of the second domain. We experimentally demonstrate that the resulting cooperative-binding split aptamer (CBSA) exhibits higher target binding affinity and is far more responsive in terms of target-induced aptamer assembly compared to the single-domain parent split aptamer (PSA) from which it was derived. We further confirm that the target-binding affinity of our CBSA can be affected by the cooperativity of its binding domains and the intrinsic affinity of its PSA. To the best of our knowledge, CBSA-5335 has the highest cocaine affinity of any split aptamer described to date. The CBSA-based assay also demonstrates excellent performance in target detection in complex samples. Using this CBSA, we achieved specific, ultra-sensitive, one-step fluorescence detection of cocaine within fifteen minutes at concentrations as low as 50 nM in 10% saliva without signal amplification. This limit of detection meets the standards recommended by the European Union's Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines program. Our assay also demonstrates excellent reproducibility of results, confirming that this CBSA-platform represents a robust and sensitive means for cocaine detection in actual clinical samples.

Graphene Field-Effect Transistors for the Sensitive and Selective Detection of Escherichia coli Using Pyrene-Tagged DNA Aptamer.

PubMed

Wu, Guangfu; Dai, Ziwen; Tang, Xin; Lin, Zihong; Lo, Pik Kwan; Meyyappan, M; Lai, King Wai Chiu

2017-10-01

This study reports biosensing using graphene field-effect transistors with the aid of pyrene-tagged DNA aptamers, which exhibit excellent selectivity, affinity, and stability for Escherichia coli (E. coli) detection. The aptamer is employed as the sensing probe due to its advantages such as high stability and high affinity toward small molecules and even whole cells. The change of the carrier density in the probe-modified graphene due to the attachment of E. coli is discussed theoretically for the first time and also verified experimentally. The conformational change of the aptamer due to the binding of E. coli brings the negatively charged E. coli close to the graphene surface, increasing the hole carrier density efficiently in graphene and achieving electrical detection. The binding of negatively charged E. coli induces holes in graphene, which are pumped into the graphene channel from the contact electrodes. The carrier mobility, which correlates the gate voltage to the electrical signal of the APG-FETs, is analyzed and optimized here. The excellent sensing performance such as low detection limit, high sensitivity, outstanding selectivity and stability of the graphene biosensor for E. coli detection paves the way to develop graphene biosensors for bacterial detection. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ultra-sensitive and selective Hg{sup 2+} detection based on fluorescent carbon dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ruihua; Li, Haitao; Kong, Weiqian

2013-07-15

Graphical abstract: Fluorescent carbon dots were efficiently synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from PEG and demonstrated to show high selectivity toward Hg2+ ions detection. - Highlights: • FCDs were synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from PEG. • The FCDs emit blue photoluminescence and have upconversion fluorescent property. • The FCDs show ultra-sensitive detective ability for Hg{sup 2+} ions. - Abstract: Fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) were efficiently synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The obtained FCDs exhibit excellent water-solubility and high stability. Under the UV irradiation, the FCDs could emit bright bluemore » photoluminescence, and also they were found to show excellent up-conversion fluorescence. It was further demonstrated that such FCDs can serve as effective fluorescent sensing platform for Hg{sup 2+} ions detection with ultra-sensitivity and selectivity. The sensing system achieved a limit of detection as low as 1 fM, which is much lower than all the previous reported sensing systems for Hg{sup 2+} ions detection. This FCDs sensing system has been successfully applied for the analysis of Hg{sup 2+} ions in water samples from river, lake, and tap water, showing good practical feasibility.« less

UV-Enhanced Ethanol Sensing Properties of RF Magnetron-Sputtered ZnO Film.

PubMed

Huang, Jinyu; Du, Yu; Wang, Quan; Zhang, Hao; Geng, Youfu; Li, Xuejin; Tian, Xiaoqing

2017-12-26

ZnO film was deposited by the magnetron sputtering method. The thickness of ZnO film is approximately 2 μm. The influence of UV light illumination on C₂H₅OH sensing properties of ZnO film was investigated. Gas sensing results revealed that the UV-illuminated ZnO film displays excellent C₂H₅OH characteristics in terms of high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, rapid response/recovery, and low detection limit down to 0.1 ppm. The excellent sensing performance of the sensor with UV activation could be attributed to the photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on the surface of the ZnO film, the planar film structure with high utilizing efficiency of UV light, high electron mobility, and a good surface/volume ratio of of ZnO film with a relatively rough and porous surface.

European validation of Real-Time PCR method for detection of Salmonella spp. in pork meat.

PubMed

Delibato, Elisabetta; Rodriguez-Lazaro, David; Gianfranceschi, Monica; De Cesare, Alessandra; Comin, Damiano; Gattuso, Antonietta; Hernandez, Marta; Sonnessa, Michele; Pasquali, Frédérique; Sreter-Lancz, Zuzsanna; Saiz-Abajo, María-José; Pérez-De-Juan, Javier; Butrón, Javier; Prukner-Radovcic, Estella; Horvatek Tomic, Danijela; Johannessen, Gro S; Jakočiūnė, Džiuginta; Olsen, John E; Chemaly, Marianne; Le Gall, Francoise; González-García, Patricia; Lettini, Antonia Anna; Lukac, Maja; Quesne, Segolénè; Zampieron, Claudia; De Santis, Paola; Lovari, Sarah; Bertasi, Barbara; Pavoni, Enrico; Proroga, Yolande T R; Capuano, Federico; Manfreda, Gerardo; De Medici, Dario

2014-08-01

The classical microbiological method for detection of Salmonella spp. requires more than five days for final confirmation, and consequently there is a need for an alternative methodology for detection of this pathogen particularly in those food categories with a short shelf-life. This study presents an international (at European level) ISO 16140-based validation study of a non-proprietary Real-Time PCR-based method that can generate final results the day following sample analysis. It is based on an ISO compatible enrichment coupled to an easy and inexpensive DNA extraction and a consolidated Real-Time PCR assay. Thirteen laboratories from seven European Countries participated to this trial, and pork meat was selected as food model. The limit of detection observed was down to 10 CFU per 25 g of sample, showing excellent concordance and accordance values between samples and laboratories (100%). In addition, excellent values were obtained for relative accuracy, specificity and sensitivity (100%) when the results obtained for the Real-Time PCR-based methods were compared to those of the ISO 6579:2002 standard method. The results of this international trial demonstrate that the evaluated Real-Time PCR-based method represents an excellent alternative to the ISO standard. In fact, it shows an equal and solid performance as well as it reduces dramatically the extent of the analytical process, and can be easily implemented routinely by the Competent Authorities and Food Industry laboratories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limits of detection and decision. Part 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voigtman, E.

2008-02-01

It has been shown that the MARLAP (Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory Analytical Protocols) for estimating the Currie detection limit, which is based on 'critical values of the non-centrality parameter of the non-central t distribution', is intrinsically biased, even if no calibration curve or regression is used. This completed the refutation of the method, begun in Part 2. With the field cleared of obstructions, the true theory underlying Currie's limits of decision, detection and quantification, as they apply in a simple linear chemical measurement system (CMS) having heteroscedastic, Gaussian measurement noise and using weighted least squares (WLS) processing, was then derived. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations were performed, on 900 million independent calibration curves, for linear, "hockey stick" and quadratic noise precision models (NPMs). With errorless NPM parameters, all the simulation results were found to be in excellent agreement with the derived theoretical expressions. Even with as much as 30% noise on all of the relevant NPM parameters, the worst absolute errors in rates of false positives and false negatives, was only 0.3%.

Fluorescence ELISA based on glucose oxidase-mediated fluorescence quenching of quantum dots for highly sensitive detection of Hepatitis B.

PubMed

Wu, Yunqing; Zeng, Lifeng; Xiong, Ying; Leng, Yuankui; Wang, Hui; Xiong, Yonghua

2018-05-01

Herein, we present a novel sandwich fluorescence enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for highly sensitive detection of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) based on glucose oxidase (GOx)-induced fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-modified CdTe quantum dots (MPA-QDs). In this system, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) sensitive MPA-QDs was used as a signal output, and glucose oxidase (GOx) was used as label which can generate H 2 O 2 via catalytic oxidation of glucose. The proposed method showed dynamic linear detection of HBsAg both in the range of 47pgmL -1 ~ 380pgmL -1 and 0.75ngmL -1 ~ 12.12ngmL -1 . The detection limit of the proposed fluorescence ELISA was 1.16pgmL -1 , which was approximately 430-fold lower than that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based conventional ELISA. The average recoveries for HBsAg-spiked serum samples ranged from 98.0% to 126.8% with the relative standard derivation below 10%, thus indicating acceptable precision and high reproducibility of the proposed fluorescence ELISA for HBsAg detection. Additionally, the developed method showed no false positive results analyzing 35 real HBsAg-negative serum samples, and exhibited excellent agreement (R 2 =0.9907) with a commercial time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) kit for detecting 31 HBsAg-positive serum samples. In summary, the proposed method based on fluorescence quenching of H 2 O 2 sensitive QDs is considerably to be an excellent biodetection platform with ultrahigh sensitivity, good accuracy and excellent reliability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing

PubMed Central

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

2012-01-01

In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented. PMID:23443389

Chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy for remote open-path trace-gas sensing.

PubMed

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

2012-11-28

In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented.

Automatic on-line detection system design research on internal defects of metal materials based on optical fiber F-P sensing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Liu; Shan, Ning; Chao, Ban; Caoshan, Wang

2016-10-01

Metal materials have been used in aerospace and other industrial fields widely because of its excellent characteristics, so its internal defects detection is very important. Ultrasound technology is used widely in the fields of nondestructive detection because of its excellent characteristic. But the conventional detection instrument for ultrasound, which has shortcomings such as low intelligent level and long development cycles, limits its development. In this paper, the theory of ultrasound detection is analyzed. A computational method of the defects distributional position is given. The non-contact type optical fiber F-P interference cavity structure is designed and the length of origin cavity is given. The real-time on-line ultrasound detecting experiment devices for internal defects of metal materials is established based on the optical fiber F-P sensing system. The virtual instrument of automation ultrasound detection internal defects is developed based on LabVIEW software and the experimental study is carried out. The results show that this system can be used in internal defect real-time on-line locating of engineering structures effectively. This system has higher measurement precision. Relative error is 6.7%. It can be met the requirement of engineering practice. The system is characterized by simple operation, easy realization. The software has a friendly interface, good expansibility, and high intelligent level.

Highly sensitive on-site detection of glucose in human urine with naked eye based on enzymatic-like reaction mediated etching of gold nanorods.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiyang; Chen, Zhaopeng; Cheng, Fangbin; Zhang, Yaowen; Chen, Lingxin

2017-03-15

Based on enzymatic-like reaction mediated etching of gold nanorods (GNRs), an ultrasensitive visual method was developed for on-site detection of urine glucose. With the catalysis of MoO 4 2 - , GNRs were efficiently etched by H 2 O 2 which was generated by glucose-glucose oxidase enzymatic reaction. The etching of GNRs lead to a blue-shift of logitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance of GNRs, accompanied by an obvious color change from blue to red. The peak-shift and the color change can be used for detection of glucose by the spectrophotometer and the naked eyes. Under optimal condition, an excellent sensitivity toward glucose is obtained with a detection limit of 0.1μM and a visual detection limit of 3μM in buffer solution. Benefiting from the high sensitivity, the successful colorimetric detection of glucose in original urine samples was achieved, which indicates the practical applicability to the on-site determination of urine glucose. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-step Synthesis of Highly Luminescent Nitrogen-doped Carbon Dots for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Mercury(II) Ions and Cellular Imaging.

PubMed

Liu, Ying; Liao, Mei; He, Xueling; Liu, Xia; Kou, Xingming; Xiao, Dan

2015-01-01

In this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) with high quantum yield (QY) of 40.5% were prepared through a facile and straightforward hydrothermal route. The as-prepared N-CDs exhibited excellent photoluminescence properties, good water-solublity and photostability, negligible cytotoxicity and favourable biocompatibility. Such N-CDs were found to serve as an effective fluorescent sensor for selective and sensitive detection of Hg(2+) in a wide linear response concentration range of 0 - 8 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.087 μM and could be applied to the determination of Hg(2+) in environmental water samples. The corresponding mechanisms were discussed in detail. Moreover, another attractive finding was that the N-CDs showed satisfactory performance in bioimaging before and after the addition of Hg(2+) in human lung cancer PC14 cells. With excellent sensitivity, selectivity and biocompatibility, such cheap carbonmaterials are potentially suitable for monitoring of Hg(2+) in environmental applications and promising for biological applications.

Preparation of β-cyclodextrin entrapped graphite composite for sensitive detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Palanisamy, Selvakumar; Sakthinathan, S; Chen, Shen-Ming; Thirumalraj, Balamurugan; Wu, Tsung-Han; Lou, Bih-Show; Liu, Xiaoheng

2016-01-01

A simple dopamine (DA) electrochemical sensor was developed based on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with β-cyclodextrin entrapped graphite (GR/β-CD) composite for the first time. The polar hydroxyl groups on the β-CD rims interact with polar groups of edges of GR sheets resulting into the high dispersion ability of GR in β-CD solution. The GR/β-CD modified electrode exhibited a higher electrochemical response to DA with a lower oxidation potential (0.224V) than that of bare/β-CD (0.38V) and GR (0.525V) modified SPCEs, revealing an excellent electro-oxidation behavior of GR/β-CD composite toward DA. Under optimum conditions, the fabricated sensor detects the DA in the linear concentration range from 0.1 to 58.5μM with a limit of detection of 0.011μM and the sensitivity of 1.27±0.02μAμM(-1)cm(-2). The fabricated sensor also exhibits the excellent repeatability, practicality, reproducibility, storage stability along with acceptable selectivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitive electrochemical sensors for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid based on Au@Pd-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites.

PubMed

Jiang, Jingjing; Du, Xuezhong

2014-10-07

Sensitive electrochemical sensors were fabricated with reduced graphene oxide-supported Au@Pd (Au@Pd-RGO) nanocomposites by one-step synthesis for individual and simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) with low detection limits and wide concentration ranges. From the Au@Pd-RGO-modified electrodes, well-separated oxidation peaks and enhanced peak currents of AA, DA, and UA were observed owing to the superior conductivity of RGO and the excellent catalytic activity of Au@Pd nanoparticles. For individual detection, the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1000, 0.01-100, and 0.02-500 μM with detection limits of 0.02, 0.002, and 0.005 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the concentrations of AA, DA, and UA, the linear response ranges were 1-800, 0.1-100, and 0.1-350 μM with detection limits of 0.28, 0.024, and 0.02 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The fabricated sensors were further applied to the detection of AA, DA, and UA in urine samples. The Au@Pd-RGO nanocomposites have promising applications in highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing.

Coupling a universal DNA circuit with graphene sheets/polyaniline/AuNPs nanocomposites for the detection of BCR/ABL fusion gene.

PubMed

Chen, Xueping; Wang, Li; Sheng, Shangchun; Wang, Teng; Yang, Juan; Xie, Guoming; Feng, Wenli

2015-08-19

This article described a novel method by coupling a universal DNA circuit with graphene sheets/polyaniline/AuNPs nanocomposites (GS/PANI/AuNPs) for highly sensitive and specific detection of BCR/ABL fusion gene (bcr/abl) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). DNA circuit known as catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA) is enzyme-free and can be simply operated to achieve exponential amplification, which has been widely employed in biosensing. However, application of CHA has been hindered by the need of specially redesigned sequences for each single-stranded DNA input. Herein, a transducer hairpin (HP) was designed to obtain a universal DNA circuit with favorable signal-to-background ratio. To further improve signal amplification, GS/PANI/AuNPs with excellent conductivity and enlarged effective area were introduced into this DNA circuit. Consequently, by combining the advantages of CHA and GS/PANI/AuNPs, bcr/abl could be detected in a linear range from 10 pM to 20 nM with a detection limit of 1.05 pM. Moreover, this protocol showed excellent specificity, good stability and was successfully applied for the detection of real sample, which demonstrated its great potential in clinical application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trace detection of oxygen--ionic liquids in gas sensor design.

PubMed

Baltes, N; Beyle, F; Freiner, S; Geier, F; Joos, M; Pinkwart, K; Rabenecker, P

2013-11-15

This paper presents a novel electrochemical membrane sensor on basis of ionic liquids for trace analysis of oxygen in gaseous atmospheres. The faradaic response currents for the reduction of oxygen which were obtained by multiple-potential-step-chronoamperometry could be used for real time detection of oxygen down to concentrations of 30 ppm. The theoretical limit of detection was 5 ppm. The simple, non-expensive sensors varied in electrolyte composition and demonstrated a high sensitivity, a rapid response time and an excellent reproducibility at room temperature. Some of them were continuously used for at least one week and first results promise good long term stability. Voltammetric, impedance and oxygen detection studies at temperatures up to 200 °C (in the presence and absence of humidity and CO2) revealed also the limitations of certain ionic liquids for some electrochemical high temperature applications. Application areas of the developed sensors are control and analysis processes of non oxidative and oxygen free atmospheres. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single Nanochannel-Aptamer-Based Biosensor for Ultrasensitive and Selective Cocaine Detection.

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Hou, Jue; Zhang, Huacheng; Tian, Ye; Jiang, Lei

2018-01-17

Ultrasensitive and selective detection of molecules at nano or sub-nanomolar level is very important for many areas such as early diagnosis and drug testing. Herein, we report a high-sensitive cocaine sensor based on a single nanochannel coupled with DNA aptamers. The single nanochannel-aptamer-based biosensor can recognize cocaine molecules with an excellent sensitivity and good selectivity. A linear relationship between target cocaine concentration and output ionic current is obtained in a wide concentration range of cocaine from 1 nM to 10 μM. The cocaine sensor also shows a detection limit down to 1 nM. This study provides a new avenue to develop new nanochannel-aptamer-based biosensors for rapid and ultratrace detection of a variety of illicit drugs.

Quality control of test iodine in urine by spectrophotometry UV-Vis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huda, Thorikul; Nafisah, Durotun; Kumorowulan, Suryati; Lestari, Sri

2017-12-01

A quality control of iodine test in with UV-Vis spectrophotometry has been done. The purpose of this research is to find out whether the test results of samples conducted by Clinical Office of Research and Development Of GAKI (BP2GAKI) laboratory are still controlled, feasible and reliable, and still consistent over time, as indicated by the control chart. Quality control parameters are linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. Based on the quality control that has been done, obtained linearity (r)= -0.9974, the detection limit and the limit of quantitation are respectively 2.26 µg/L and 7.54 µg/L, while the accuracy is calculated by %recovery and precision with value % RSD are 97.4161% and 1.7136% respectively. The quality control of iodine test in urine using the control chart shows excellent or stable results for 30 days and no variation of the results is very different for each day.

Ultrasensitive optical detection of trinitrotoluene by ethylenediamine-capped gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Lin, Dongyue; Liu, Honglin; Qian, Kai; Zhou, Xia; Yang, Liangbao; Liu, Jinhuai

2012-09-26

This study found that 1,2-ethylenediamine (EDA) as a primary amine could be modified onto the surface of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and the EDA-capped Au NPs were successfully used as an ultrasensitive optical probe for TNT detection. The strong donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions between EDA and trinitrotoluene (TNT) at the Au NP/solution interface induced significant aggregation of the EDA-capped Au NPs, and enabled to easily realize the direct colorimetric detection of ultratrace TNT. The results showed that such a color change was readily seen by the naked eye, and the colorimetric detection could be down to 400 pM level of TNT with excellent discrimination against other nitro compounds. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy was used to examine the TNT-induced changes in local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of EDA-capped Au NPs, and a new LSPR band at ca. 630 nm arose along with the addition of TNT, which produced a detection limit of TNT down to ca. 40 pM. Furthermore, dynamic light scattering measurements evidenced the ultratrace TNT-induced small changes in the size of the EDA-capped Au NPs, and realized the quick and accurate detection of TNT in 0.4 pM level. These results demonstrated the ultrahigh sensitivity of this optical probe for TNT detection. Moreover, this optical probe is sample, stable, low-cost, and these excellent properties make it quite promising for infield and rapid detection of TNT. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical immunosensor with nanocellulose-Au composite assisted multiple signal amplification for detection of avian leukosis virus subgroup J.

PubMed

Liu, Chao; Dong, Jing; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I N; Cheng, Ziqiang; Ai, Shiyun

2018-03-15

A sensitive sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the detection of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), which benefitted from multiple signal amplification involving graphene-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid nanocomposites (GR-PTCA), nanocellulose-Au NP composites (NC-Au) and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) catalytic reaction. GR-PTCA nanocomposites on glassy carbon electrodes served as the immunosensor platform. Due to their excellent electrical conductivity and abundant polycarboxylic sites, the GR-PTCA nanocomposites allowed fast electron transfer and good immobilization of primary antibodies, thereby affording a strong immunosensor signal in the presence of ALV-J. The detected signal could be further amplified by the introduction of NC-Au composites as a carrier of secondary antibodies (Ab 2 ) and by harnessing the catalytic properties of Au and ALP. Under optimized testing conditions, the electrochemical immunosensor displayed excellent analytical performance for the detection of ALV-J, showing a linear current response from 10 2.08 to 10 4.0 TCID 50 /mL (TCID 50 : 50% tissue culture infective dose) with a low detection limit of 10 1.98 TCID 50 /mL (S/N = 3). In addition to high sensitivity, the immunosensor showed very good selectivity, reproducibility and operational stability, demonstrating potential application for the quantitative detection of ALV-J in clinical diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enantioselective determination of the organochlorine pesticide bromocyclen in spiked fish tissue using solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with ECD and ICP-MS detection.

PubMed

Fidalgo-Used, Natalia; Montes-Bayón, Maria; Blanco-González, Elisa; Sanz-Medel, Alfredo

2008-05-15

A method for enantioselective determination of bromocyclen enantiomers in fish tissue has been developed. The enantiomers were resolved by capillary gas chromatography (GC) using a commercial chiral column (CP-Chirasil-Dex CB) and a temperature program from 50 degrees C (held for 1 min), raised to 140 degrees C at 40 degrees C min(-1) and then raised at 0.2 degrees C min(-1) to 155 degrees C. This enantioselective gas chromatographic separation was combined with a clean-up/enrichment procedure based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Under SPME optimized conditions, precision, linearity range and detection limits of the developed SPME-enantioselective GC procedure were evaluated and compared using two different detection systems: a classical electron-capture detection (ECD) and an element specific detection using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The SPME-GC-ECD method exhibited an excellent sensitivity, with detection limits of 0.2 ng L(-1) for each enantiomer of bromocyclen. Although ICP-MS offered poorer detection limits (7 ng L(-1) as Br, equivalent to 36 ng L(-1) of each enantiomer) than conventional ECD detector, it proved to be clearly superior in terms of selectivity. The relative potential and performance of the two compared methods for real-life analysis has been illustrated by the determination of enantiomers of bromocyclen in spiked tissue extracts of trout.

Nanoparticle-Functionalized Porous Polymer Monolith Detection Elements for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

PubMed Central

Liu, Jikun; White, Ian; DeVoe, Don L.

2011-01-01

The use of porous polymer monoliths functionalized with silver nanoparticles is introduced in this work for high-sensitivity surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. Preparation of the SERS detection elements is a simple process comprising the synthesis of a discrete polymer monolith section within a silica capillary, followed by physically trapping silver nanoparticle aggregates within the monolith matrix. A SERS detection limit of 220 fmol for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) is demonstrated, with excellent signal stability over a 24 h period. The capability of the SERS-active monolith for label-free detection of biomolecules was demonstrated by measurements of bradykinin and cyctochrome c. The SERS-active monoliths can be readily integrated into miniaturized micro-total-analysis systems for on-line and label-free detection for a variety of biosensing, bioanalytical, and biomedical applications. PMID:21322579

Magnetic solid-phase extraction of phthalate esters (PAEs) in apparel textile by core-shell structured Fe3O4@silica@triblock-copolymer magnetic microspheres.

PubMed

Xu, Mei; Liu, Minhua; Sun, Meirong; Chen, Kun; Cao, Xiujun; Hu, Yaoming

2016-04-01

In this paper, novel core-shell structured magnetic Fe3O4/silica nanocomposites with triblock-copolymer grafted on their surface (Fe3O4@SiO2@MDN) were successfully fabricated by combining a sol-gel method with a seeded aqueous-phase radical copolymerization approach. Owing to the excellent characteristics of the strong magnetic responsivity, outstanding hydrophilicity and abundant π-electron system, the obtained core-shell structured microspheres showed great potential as a magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbent. Several kinds of phthalate esters (PAEs) were selected as model analytes to systematically evaluate the applicability of adsorbents for extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Various parameters, including adsorbents amounts, adsorption time, species of eluent, and desorption time were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, Validation experiments such as recovery, reproducibility, and limit of detection were carried on and showed satisfactory results. The analysis method showed excellent linearity with a wide range of 0.2-10mg/kg (R(2)>0.9974) and low limits of detection (LOD) of 0.02-0.09 mg/kg (S/N=3). Ultimately, the novel magnetic adsorbents were successfully employed to detect the PAEs in apparel textile samples. And the results indicated that this novel approach brought forward in the present work offered an attractive alternative for rapid, efficient and sensitive MSPE for PAEs compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Cu-MOF-199/single-walled carbon nanotubes modified electrode for simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol with extended linear ranges and lower detection limits.

PubMed

Zhou, Jian; Li, Xi; Yang, Linlin; Yan, Songlin; Wang, Mengmeng; Cheng, Dan; Chen, Qi; Dong, Yulin; Liu, Peng; Cai, Weiquan; Zhang, Chaocan

2015-10-29

A novel electrochemical sensor based on Cu-MOF-199 [Cu-MOF-199 = Cu3(BTC)2 (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylicacid)] and SWCNTs (single-walled carbon nanotubes) was fabricated for the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CT). The modification procedure was carried out through casting SWCNTs on the bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and followed by the electrodeposition of Cu-MOF-199 on the SWCNTs modified electrode. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to characterize the electrochemical performance and surface characteristics of the as-prepared sensor. The composite electrode exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity with increased electrochemical signals towards the oxidation of HQ and CT, owing to the synergistic effect of SWCNTs and Cu-MOF-199. Under the optimized condition, the linear response range were from 0.1 to 1453 μmol L(-1) (RHQ = 0.9999) for HQ and 0.1-1150 μmol L(-1) (RCT = 0.9990) for CT. The detection limits for HQ and CT were as low as 0.08 and 0.1 μmol L(-1), respectively. Moreover, the modified electrode presented the good reproducibility and the excellent anti-interference performance. The analytical performance of the developed sensor for the simultaneous detection of HQ and CT had been evaluated in practical samples with satisfying results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Functional High-Throughput Assay of Myelination in Vitro

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

iPS cells derived from human astrocytes. These cell lines will serve as an excellent source of human cells from which our model systems may be...image the 3D rat dorsal root ganglion ( DRG ) cultures with sufficiently low background as to detect electrically-evoked depolarization events, as...stimulation and recording system specifically for this purpose. Further, we found that the limitations inherent in optimizing speed and FOV may

Empirically Optimized Flow Cytometric Immunoassay Validates Ambient Analyte Theory

PubMed Central

Parpia, Zaheer A.; Kelso, David M.

2010-01-01

Ekins’ ambient analyte theory predicts, counter intuitively, that an immunoassay’s limit of detection can be improved by reducing the amount of capture antibody. In addition, it also anticipates that results should be insensitive to the volume of sample as well as the amount of capture antibody added. The objective of this study is to empirically validate all of the performance characteristics predicted by Ekins’ theory. Flow cytometric analysis was used to detect binding between a fluorescent ligand and capture microparticles since it can directly measure fractional occupancy, the primary response variable in ambient analyte theory. After experimentally determining ambient analyte conditions, comparisons were carried out between ambient and non-ambient assays in terms of their signal strengths, limits of detection, and their sensitivity to variations in reaction volume and number of particles. The critical number of binding sites required for an assay to be in the ambient analyte region was estimated to be 0.1VKd. As predicted, such assays exhibited superior signal/noise levels and limits of detection; and were not affected by variations in sample volume and number of binding sites. When the signal detected measures fractional occupancy, ambient analyte theory is an excellent guide to developing assays with superior performance characteristics. PMID:20152793

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Decorated Graphene Nanosheets for Selective Detection of Dopamine.

PubMed

Nayak, Pranati; Santhosh, P N; Ramaprabhu, S

2015-07-01

The fabrication of a novel amperometric biosensor based on selective determination of dopamine (DA) using nafion coated cerium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) decorated graphene nanosheets (CeO2-HEG-nafion) as a transducer candidate is reported. Graphene was synthesized by hydrogen exfoliation technique. Decoration of CeO2NPs over graphene nanosheets was done by chemical reduction method. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study shows the enhanced electron transfer kinetics of the composite compared to HEG modified and bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The response of the composite towards dopamine displays a lower oxidation potential of 0.23 V and a high oxidation current. The sensor exhibits linearity from 10 µM to 780 µM with a detection limit of 1 µM. In the presence of nafion, it shows excellent selectivity for coexisting interference species like Ascorbic acid (AA) and Uric acid (UA). The excellent performance of the biosensor can be attributed to large active surface area, enhanced electron transfer kinetics and high catalytic activity of the composite.

Silicon carbide nanomaterial as a coating for solid-phase microextraction.

PubMed

Tian, Yu; Feng, Juanjuan; Wang, Xiuqin; Sun, Min; Luo, Chuannan

2018-01-26

Silicon carbide has excellent properties, such as corrosion resistance, high strength, oxidation resistance, high temperature, and so on. Based on these properties, silicon carbide was coated on stainless-steel wire and used as a solid-phase microextraction coating, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were employed as model analytes. Using gas chromatography, some important factors that affect the extraction efficiency were optimized one by one, and an analytical method was established. The analytical method showed wide linear ranges (0.1-30, 0.03-30, and 0.01-30 μg/L) with satisfactory correlation coefficients (0.9922-0.9966) and low detection limits (0.003-0.03 μg/L). To investigate the practical application of the method, rainwater and cigarette ash aqueous solution were collected as real samples for extraction and detection. The results indicate that silicon carbide has excellent application in the field of solid-phase microextraction. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of high-sensitive, reproducible colloidal surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy active substrate using silver nanocubes for potential biosensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasna, Kudilatt; Lakshmi, Kiran; Ezhuthachan Jayaraj, Madambi Kunjukuttan; Kumar, Kumaran Rajeev; Matham, Murukeshan Vadakke

2016-04-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as one of the thrust research areas that could find potential applications in bio and chemical sensing. We developed colloidal SERS active substrate with excellent sensitivity and high reproducibility using silver nanocube (AgNC) synthesized via the solvothermal method. Finite-difference time-domain simulation was carried out in detail to visualize dipole generation in the nanocube during localized surface plasmon resonance and to locate the respective hot spots in AgNC responsible for the huge Raman enhancement. The prediction is verified by the SERS analysis of the synthesized nanocubes using Rhodamine 6G molecule. An excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of 10-17 M and a very high enhancement factor of 1.2×108 confirms the "hot spots" in the nanocube. SERS activity is also carried out for crystal violet and for food adulterant Sudan I molecule. Finally, label-free DNA detection is performed to demonstrate the versatility of SERS as a potential biosensor.

A novel aptasensor for the ultra-sensitive detection of adenosine triphosphate via aptamer/quantum dot based resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Wang, Yijing; Liu, Ying; Zeng, Yongyi; Huang, Aimin; Peng, Niancai; Liu, Xiaolong; Liu, Jingfeng

2013-09-07

We designed a novel aptamer based biosensor (aptasensor) for ultrasensitive detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through resonance energy transfer (RET). The ATP aptamer was modified with Cy3 at the 3' end, and a green quantum dot (525) was attached to the 5' end of its complementary sequence respectively. The ATP aptamer and its complementary sequence could assemble into a duplex structure in the absence of target ATP, and then decrease the distance between the quantum dot and Cy3 which could produce significant RET signal. Upon ATP binding, the ATP aptamer could dissociate with its complementary sequence and then increase the distance between the quantum dot and Cy3 which would significantly decrease the RET signal. Therefore, the ATP detection could be easily achieved through detection of the fluorescence intensity ratio between 525 nm and 560 nm. The results show that the emission fluorescence intensity ratio of 525/560 is linearly related to the logarithmic concentration of ATP. The linear range of this aptasensor is from 0.1 nM to 1 μM, and the detection limit is lower down to 0.01 nM. Excellent selectivity of this aptasensor for ATP has been demonstrated through the detection of thymidine triphosphate (TTP), cytidine triphosphate (CTP), guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) respectively as control. The method we described here could easily detect ATP with excellent selectivity, linearity and sensitivity down to the nanomolar range, as well as avoid photobleaching.

Limited-preparation CT colonography in frail elderly patients: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Keeling, Aoife N; Slattery, Michael M; Leong, Sum; McCarthy, Eoghan; Susanto, Maja; Lee, Michael J; Morrin, Martina M

2010-05-01

Full colonic preparation can be onerous and may be poorly tolerated in frail elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the image quality and diagnostic yield of limited-preparation CT colonography (CTC) in elderly patients with suspected colorectal cancer who were deemed medically unfit or unsuitable for colonoscopy. A prospective study was performed of 67 elderly patients with reduced functional status referred for CTC. Participants were prescribed a limited bowel preparation consisting of a low-residue diet for 3 days, 1 L of 2% oral diatrizoate meglumine (Gastrografin) 24 hours before CTC, and 1 L of 2% oral Gastrografin over the 2 hours immediately before CTC. No cathartic preparation was administered. All colonic segments were graded from 1 to 5 for image quality (1, unreadable; 2, poor; 3, equivocal; 4, good; 5, excellent) and reader confidence. Clinical and conventional colonoscopy follow-up findings were documented, and all colonic and extracolonic pathologic findings were documented. Overall image quality and reader confidence in the evaluation of the colon was rated good or excellent in 84% of the colonic segments. Colonic abnormalities were identified in 12 patients (18%), including four colonic tumors, two polyps, and seven colonic strictures. Incidental extraintestinal findings were detected in 43 patients (64%), including nine patients with lesions radiologically consistent with malignancy. Limited-preparation low-dose CTC is a feasible and useful minimally invasive technique with which to evaluate the colon and exclude gross pathology (mass lesions and polyps > 1 cm) in elderly patients with diminished performance status, yielding good to excellent image quality.

Fabrication of a self-assembled and flexible SERS nanosensor for explosive detection at parts-per-quadrillion levels from fingerprints.

PubMed

Liyanage, Thakshila; Rael, Ashur; Shaffer, Sidney; Zaidi, Shozaf; Goodpaster, John V; Sardar, Rajesh

2018-04-30

Apart from high sensitivity and selectivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based trace explosive detection, efficient sampling of explosive residue from real world surfaces is very important for homeland security applications. Herein, we demonstrate an entirely new SERS nanosensor fabrication approach. The SERS nanosensor was prepared by self-assembling chemically synthesized gold triangular nanoprisms (Au TNPs), which we show display strong electromagnetic field enhancements at the sharp tips and edges, onto a pressure-sensitive flexible adhesive film. Our SERS nanosensor provides excellent SERS activity (enhancement factor = ∼6.0 × 106) and limit of detection (as low as 56 parts-per-quadrillions) with high selectivity by chemometric analyses among three commonly military high explosives (TNT, RDX, and PETN). Furthermore, the SERS nanosensors present excellent reproducibility (<4.0% relative standard deviation at 1.0 μM concentration) and unprecedentedly high stability with a "shelf life" of at least 5 months. Finally, TNT and PETN were analyzed and quantified by transferring solid explosive residues from fingerprints left on solid surfaces to the SERS nanosensor. Taken together, the demonstrated sensitivity, selectivity, and reliability of the measurements as well as with the excellent shelf life of our SERS nanosensors obviate the need for complicated sample processing steps required for other analytical techniques, and thus these nanosensors have tremendous potential not only in the field of measurement science but also for homeland security applications to combat acts of terror and military threats.

Detectors for Tomorrow's Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moseley, Harvey

2009-01-01

Cryogenically cooled superconducting detectors have become essential tools for a wide range of measurement applications, ranging from quantum limited heterodyne detection in the millimeter range to direct searches for dark matter with superconducting phonon detectors operating at 20 mK. Superconducting detectors have several fundamental and practical advantages which have resulted in their rapid adoption by experimenters. Their excellent performance arises in part from reductions in noise resulting from their low operating temperatures, but unique superconducting properties provide a wide range of mechanisms for detection. For example, the steep dependence of resistance with temperature on the superconductor/normal transition provides a sensitive thermometer for calorimetric and bolometric applications. Parametric changes in the properties of superconducting resonators provides a mechanism for high sensitivity detection of submillimeter photons. From a practical point of view, the use of superconducting detectors has grown rapidly because many of these devices couple well to SQUID amplifiers, which are easily integrated with the detectors. These SQUID-based amplifiers and multiplexers have matured with the detectors; they are convenient to use, and have excellent noise performance. The first generation of fully integrated large scale superconducting detection systems are now being deployed. I will discuss the prospects for a new generation of instruments designed to take full advantage of the revolution in detector technology.

Magneto immunosensor for gliadin detection in gluten-free foodstuff: towards food safety for celiac patients.

PubMed

Laube, T; Kergaravat, S V; Fabiano, S N; Hernández, S R; Alegret, S; Pividori, M I

2011-09-15

Gliadin is a constituent of the cereal protein gluten, responsible for the intolerance generated in celiac disease. Its detection is of high interest for food safety of celiac patients, since the only treatment known until now is a lifelong avoidance of this protein in the diet. Therefore, it is essential to have an easy and reliable method of analysis to control the contents in gluten-free foods. An electrochemical magneto immunosensor for the quantification of gliadin or small gliadin fragments in natural or pretreated food samples is described for the first time and compared to a novel magneto-ELISA system based on optical detection. The immunological reaction was performed on magnetic beads as solid support by the oriented covalent immobilization, of the protein gliadin on tosyl-activated beads. Direct, as well as indirect competitive immunoassays were optimized, achieving the best analytical performance with the direct competitive format. Excellent detection limits (in the order of μg L(-1)) were achieved, according to the legislation for gluten-free products. The matrix effect, as well as the performance of the assays was successfully evaluated using spiked gluten-free foodstuffs (skimmed milk and beer), obtaining excellent recovery values in the results. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Supercompressible, Elastic, and Bendable Carbon Aerogel with Ultrasensitive Detection Limits for Compression Strain, Pressure, and Bending Angle.

PubMed

Zhuo, Hao; Hu, Yijie; Tong, Xing; Chen, Zehong; Zhong, Linxin; Lai, Haihong; Liu, Linxiang; Jing, Shuangshuang; Liu, Qingzhong; Liu, Chuanfu; Peng, Xinwen; Sun, Runcang

2018-05-01

Ultralight and compressible carbon materials have promising applications in strain and pressure detection. However, it is still difficult to prepare carbon materials with supercompressibility, elasticity, stable strain-electrical signal response, and ultrasensitive detection limits, due to the challenge in structural regulation. Herein, a new strategy to prepare a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based lamellar carbon aerogels with unexpected and integrated performances by designing wave-shape rGO layers and enhancing the interaction among the rGO layers is demonstrated. Addition of cellulose nanocrystalline and low-molecular-weight carbon precursors enhances the interaction among rGO layers and thus produces an ultralight, flexible, and superstable structure. The as-prepared carbon aerogel displays a supercompressibility (undergoing an extreme strain of 99%) and elasticity (100% height retention after 10 000 cycles at a strain of 30%), as well as stable strain-current response (at least 10 000 cycles). Particularly, the carbon aerogel is ultrasensitive for detecting tiny change in strain (0.012%) and pressure (0.25 Pa), which are the lowest detection limits for compressible carbon materials reported in the literature. Moreover, the carbon aerogel exhibits excellent bendable performance and can detect an ultralow bending angle of 0.052°. Additionally, the carbon aerogel also demonstrates its promising application as wearable devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast methods for analysis of neurotransmitters from single cell and monitoring their releases in central nervous system by capillary electrophoresis, fluorescence microscopy and luminescence imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Ziqiang

1999-12-10

Fast methods for separation and detection of important neurotransmitters and the releases in central nervous system (CNS) were developed. Enzyme based immunoassay combined with capillary electrophoresis was used to analyze the contents of amino acid neurotransmitters from single neuron cells. The release of amino acid neurotransmitters from neuron cultures was monitored by laser induced fluorescence imaging method. The release and signal transduction of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in CNS was studied with sensitive luminescence imaging method. A new dual-enzyme on-column reaction method combined with capillary electrophoresis has been developed for determining the glutamate content in single cells. Detection was based onmore » monitoring the laser-induced fluorescence of the reaction product NADH, and the measured fluorescence intensity was related to the concentration of glutamate in each cell. The detection limit of glutamate is down to 10 -8 M level, which is 1 order of magnitude lower than the previously reported detection limit based on similar detection methods. The mass detection limit of a few attomoles is far superior to that of any other reports. Selectivity for glutamate is excellent over most of amino acids. The glutamate content in single human erythrocyte and baby rat brain neurons were determined with this method and results agreed well with literature values.« less

An Ru(II)-Fe(III) bimetallic complex as a multifunctional device for detecting, signal amplifying, and degrading oxalate.

PubMed

Chow, Cheuk-Fai; Ho, Pui-Yu; Gong, Cheng-Bin

2014-09-07

A tetranuclear bimetallic complex, [Ru(II)((t)Bubpy)(CN)4]2-[Fe(III)(H2O)3Cl]2·8H2O (1) has been synthesized and characterized. It was found to be a multifunctional device that can detect, signal amplify, and degrade an organic pollutant, oxalate. Results of the chemosensing studies of 1 toward common anions show that only oxalate selectively induces naked-eye colorimetric and luminometric responses with method detection limits down to 78.7 and 5.5 ppm, respectively from 1. Meanwhile, results of the photo-degradation studies of 1 toward oxalate show that the dissolved organic carbon content of oxalate decreased and reached complete mineralization into CO2 within 6 hours. Complex 1 was also found as the catalyst that amplified the detection signal toward oxalate. Through the photoassisted Fenton reaction by 1, methyl orange, an additional coloring agent, could be degraded so that the visual detection limit of 1 toward oxalate was magnified 50 times from 100 to 2 ppm. The detection, degradation, mineralization and signal amplification were found applicable in real water bodies such as river, pond and underground water with excellent recoveries and relative standard deviation.

A new insert sample approach to paper spray mass spectrometry: a paper substrate with paraffin barriers.

PubMed

Colletes, T C; Garcia, P T; Campanha, R B; Abdelnur, P V; Romão, W; Coltro, W K T; Vaz, B G

2016-03-07

The analytical performance for paper spray (PS) using a new insert sample approach based on paper with paraffin barriers (PS-PB) is presented. The paraffin barrier is made using a simple, fast and cheap method based on the stamping of paraffin onto a paper surface. Typical operation conditions of paper spray such as the solvent volume applied on the paper surface, and the paper substrate type are evaluated. A paper substrate with paraffin barriers shows better performance on analysis of a range of typical analytes when compared to the conventional PS-MS using normal paper (PS-NP) and PS-MS using paper with two rounded corners (PS-RC). PS-PB was applied to detect sugars and their inhibitors in sugarcane bagasse liquors from a second generation ethanol process. Moreover, the PS-PB proved to be excellent, showing results for the quantification of glucose in hydrolysis liquors with excellent linearity (R(2) = 0.99), limits of detection (2.77 mmol L(-1)) and quantification (9.27 mmol L(-1)). The results are better than for PS-NP and PS-RC. The PS-PB was also excellent in performance when compared with the HPLC-UV method for glucose quantification on hydrolysis of liquor samples.

Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria Diagnosis in the Peruvian Amazon: Impact of pfhrp2 Gene Deletions and Cross-Reactions

PubMed Central

Maltha, Jessica; Gamboa, Dionicia; Bendezu, Jorge; Sanchez, Luis; Cnops, Lieselotte; Gillet, Philippe; Jacobs, Jan

2012-01-01

Background In the Peruvian Amazon, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria are endemic in rural areas, where microscopy is not available. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) provide quick and accurate diagnosis. However, pfhrp2 gene deletions may limit the use of histidine-rich protein-2 (PfHRP2) detecting RDTs. Further, cross-reactions of P. falciparum with P. vivax-specific test lines and vice versa may impair diagnostic specificity. Methods Thirteen RDT products were evaluated on 179 prospectively collected malaria positive samples. Species diagnosis was performed by microscopy and confirmed by PCR. Pfhrp2 gene deletions were assessed by PCR. Results Sensitivity for P. falciparum diagnosis was lower for PfHRP2 compared to P. falciparum-specific Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (Pf-pLDH)- detecting RDTs (71.6% vs. 98.7%, p<0.001). Most (19/21) false negative PfHRP2 results were associated with pfhrp2 gene deletions (25.7% of 74 P. falciparum samples). Diagnostic sensitivity for P. vivax (101 samples) was excellent, except for two products. In 10/12 P. vivax-detecting RDT products, cross-reactions with the PfHRP2 or Pf-pLDH line occurred at a median frequency of 2.5% (range 0%–10.9%) of P. vivax samples assessed. In two RDT products, two and one P. falciparum samples respectively cross-reacted with the Pv-pLDH line. Two Pf-pLDH/pan-pLDH-detecting RDTs showed excellent sensitivity with few (1.0%) cross-reactions but showed faint Pf-pLDH lines in 24.7% and 38.9% of P. falciparum samples. Conclusion PfHRP2-detecting RDTs are not suitable in the Peruvian Amazon due to pfhrp2 gene deletions. Two Pf-pLDH-detecting RDTs performed excellently and are promising RDTs for this region although faint test lines are of concern. PMID:22952633

Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria diagnosis in the Peruvian Amazon: impact of pfhrp2 gene deletions and cross-reactions.

PubMed

Maltha, Jessica; Gamboa, Dionicia; Bendezu, Jorge; Sanchez, Luis; Cnops, Lieselotte; Gillet, Philippe; Jacobs, Jan

2012-01-01

In the Peruvian Amazon, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria are endemic in rural areas, where microscopy is not available. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) provide quick and accurate diagnosis. However, pfhrp2 gene deletions may limit the use of histidine-rich protein-2 (PfHRP2) detecting RDTs. Further, cross-reactions of P. falciparum with P. vivax-specific test lines and vice versa may impair diagnostic specificity. Thirteen RDT products were evaluated on 179 prospectively collected malaria positive samples. Species diagnosis was performed by microscopy and confirmed by PCR. Pfhrp2 gene deletions were assessed by PCR. Sensitivity for P. falciparum diagnosis was lower for PfHRP2 compared to P. falciparum-specific Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (Pf-pLDH)-detecting RDTs (71.6% vs. 98.7%, p<0.001). Most (19/21) false negative PfHRP2 results were associated with pfhrp2 gene deletions (25.7% of 74 P. falciparum samples). Diagnostic sensitivity for P. vivax (101 samples) was excellent, except for two products. In 10/12 P. vivax-detecting RDT products, cross-reactions with the PfHRP2 or Pf-pLDH line occurred at a median frequency of 2.5% (range 0%-10.9%) of P. vivax samples assessed. In two RDT products, two and one P. falciparum samples respectively cross-reacted with the Pv-pLDH line. Two Pf-pLDH/pan-pLDH-detecting RDTs showed excellent sensitivity with few (1.0%) cross-reactions but showed faint Pf-pLDH lines in 24.7% and 38.9% of P. falciparum samples. PfHRP2-detecting RDTs are not suitable in the Peruvian Amazon due to pfhrp2 gene deletions. Two Pf-pLDH-detecting RDTs performed excellently and are promising RDTs for this region although faint test lines are of concern.

Simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers by means of SERS on polymer nanopillar gold arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morasso, Carlo; Picciolini, Silvia; Mehn, Dora; Pellacani, Paola; Frangolho, Ana; Marchesini, Gerardo; Vanna, Renzo; Gualerzi, Alice; Bedoni, Marzia; Marabelli, Franco; Gramatica, Furio

2016-03-01

The detection of biomarkers by means of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is foreseen to became a very important tool in the clinical practice because of its excellent sensitivity and potential for the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers. In the present paper we describe how it was possible to build a sensor for the detection of genetic biomarkers involved in acute myeloid leukemia. The assay is based on the use of a specifically designed SERS substrate made of a 2D crystal structure of polymeric pillars embedded in a gold layer. This substrate is characterized by good enhancing properties coupled with an excellent homogeneity. The SERS substrate was conjugated with DNA probes complementary to a target sequence and used in a sandwich assay with gold nanoparticles labeled with a second DNA probe and a Raman reporter. The so developed assay allowed the detection of a leukemia biomarker (WT1 gene) and an housekeeping gene with low picomolar sensitivity. At last, we optimized the assay in order to tackle one of the main limitations of SERS based assay: the loss of signal that is observed when the Raman spectra are collected in liquid. Combining a preferential functionalization on the polymeric pillars with a different height of the polymer pillars from the gold layer the assay demonstrated its effectiveness even when measured in buffer.

Carbon dots for fluorescent detection of α-glucosidase activity using enzyme activated inner filter effect and its application to anti-diabetic drug discovery.

PubMed

Kong, Weiheng; Wu, Di; Xia, Lian; Chen, Xuefeng; Li, Guoliang; Qiu, Nannan; Chen, Guang; Sun, Zhiwei; You, Jinmao; Wu, Yongning

2017-06-22

Recently, α-glucosidase inhibitor has been widely used in clinic for diabetic therapy. In the present study, a facile and sensitive fluorescent assay based on enzyme activated inner filter effect (IFE) on nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) was first developed for the detection of α-glucosidase. The N-doped CDs with green emission were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis and gave the fluorescence quantum yield of 30%, which were used as the signal output. Through α-glucosidase catalysis, 4-nitrophenol was released from 4-nitrophenyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (NGP). Interestingly, the absorption of 4-nitrophenol and the excitation of CDs were completely overlapping. Due to its great molar absorptivity, 4-nitrophenol was capable of acting as a powerful absorber to affect the fluorescent signal of CDs (i.e. IFE). By converting the absorption signals into fluorescence signals, the facile fluorescence assay strategy could be realized for α-glucosidase activity sensing, which effectively avoided the complex modification of the surface of CDs or construction of the nanoprobes. The established IFE-based sensing platform offered a low detection limit of 0.01 U/mL (S/N = 3). This proposed sensing approach has also been expanded to the inhibitor screening and showed excellent applicability. As a typical α-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose was investigated with a low detection limit of 10 -8  M. This developed method enjoyed many merits including simplicity, lost cost, high sensitivity, good reproducibility and excellent selectivity, which also provided a new insight on the application of CDs to develop the facile and sensitive biosensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly sensitive dendrimer-based nanoplasmonic biosensor for drug allergy diagnosis.

PubMed

Soler, Maria; Mesa-Antunez, Pablo; Estevez, M-Carmen; Ruiz-Sanchez, Antonio Jesus; Otte, Marinus A; Sepulveda, Borja; Collado, Daniel; Mayorga, Cristobalina; Torres, Maria Jose; Perez-Inestrosa, Ezequiel; Lechuga, Laura M

2015-04-15

A label-free biosensing strategy for amoxicillin (AX) allergy diagnosis based on the combination of novel dendrimer-based conjugates and a recently developed nanoplasmonic sensor technology is reported. Gold nanodisks were functionalized with a custom-designed thiol-ending-polyamido-based dendron (d-BAPAD) peripherally decorated with amoxicilloyl (AXO) groups (d-BAPAD-AXO) in order to detect specific IgE generated in patient's serum against this antibiotic during an allergy outbreak. This innovative strategy, which follows a simple one-step immobilization procedure, shows exceptional results in terms of sensitivity and robustness, leading to a highly-reproducible and long-term stable surface which allows achieving extremely low limits of detection. Moreover, the viability of this biosensor approach to analyze human biological samples has been demonstrated by directly analyzing and quantifying specific anti-AX antibodies in patient's serum without any sample pretreatment. An excellent limit of detection (LoD) of 0.6ng/mL (i.e. 0.25kU/L) has been achieved in the evaluation of clinical samples evidencing the potential of our nanoplasmonic biosensor as an advanced diagnostic tool to quickly identify allergic patients. The results have been compared and validated with a conventional clinical immunofluorescence assay (ImmunoCAP test), confirming an excellent correlation between both techniques. The combination of a novel compact nanoplasmonic platform and a dendrimer-based strategy provides a highly sensitive label free biosensor approach with over two times better detectability than conventional SPR. Both the biosensor device and the carrier structure hold great potential in clinical diagnosis for biomarker analysis in whole serum samples and other human biological samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Superconducting Detectors Come of Age, or Ready to Leave the Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moseley, Samuel H.

2008-01-01

Cryogenically cooled superconducting detectors have become essential tools for a wide range of measurement applications, ranging from quantum limited heterodyne detection in the millimeter range to direct searches for dark matter with superconducting phonon detectors operating at 20 mK. Superconducting detectors have several fundamental and practical advantages which have resulted in their rapid adoption by experimenters. Their excellent performance arises in part from reductions in noise resulting from their low operating temperatures, but unique superconducting properties provide a wide range of mechanisms for detection. For example, the steep dependence of resistance with temperature on the superconductor normal transition provides a sensitive thermometer for calorimetric and bolometric applications. Parametric changes in the properties of superconducting resonators provide a mechanism for high sensitivity detection of submillil.neter photons. From a practical point of view, the use of superconducting detectors has grown rapidly because many of these devices couple well to SQUID amplifiers, which are easily integrated with the detectors. These SQUID-based amplifiers and multiplexers have matured with the detectors; they are convenient to use, and have excellent noise performance. The first generation of fully integrated large-scale superconducting detection systems is now being deployed. Improved understanding of the operation of these detectors, combined with rapidly improving fabrication techniques, is quickly expanding the capability of these detectors. I will review the development and application of superconductor-based detectors, the ultimate limits to their performance, and consider prospects for their future applications. Continued advances promise to enable important new measurements in physics, and with appropriate advances in cryogenic infrastncturem, ay result in the use of these detectors in everyday monitoring applications.

Amperometric immunoassay for the obesity biomarker amylin using a screen printed carbon electrode functionalized with an electropolymerized carboxylated polypyrrole.

PubMed

Martínez-García, Gonzalo; Sánchez-Tirado, Esther; González-Cortés, Araceli; Yáñez-Sedeño, Paloma; Pingarrón, José M

2018-06-09

Amylin (the islet amyloid polypeptide) is a hormone related to adiposity, hunger and satiety. It is co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic B-cells. An amperometric immunosensor is presented here for the determination of amylin. It is making use of a screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) functionalized with electropolymerized poly(pyrrole propionic acid) (pPPA) with abundant carboxyl groups that facilitate covalent binding of antibody against amylin. A competitive immunoassay was implemented using biotinylated amylin and streptavidin labeled with horse radish peroxidase (HRP-Strept) as the enzymatic tracer. The amperometric detection of H 2 O 2 mediated by hydroquinone was employed as an electrochemical probe to monitor the affinity reaction. The variables involved in the preparation and function of the immunosensor were optimized and the electrodes were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The calibration graph for amylin, obtained by amperometry at -200 mV vs Ag pseudo-reference electrode, showed a range of linearity extending from 1.0 fg∙mL -1 to 50 pg∙mL -1 , with a detection limit of 0.92 fg∙mL -1 . This is approximately 7000 times lower than the minimum detectable concentration reported for the ELISA immunoassays available for amylin. The assay has excellent reproducibility and good selectivity over potential interferents. Graphical abstract Schematic of an amperometric competitive immunoassay for the obesity biomarker amylin using a poly(pyrrole propionic acid)-modified screen-printed electrode. The detection limit is 0.92 fg∙mL-1 amylin. The method provides excellent reproducibility for the measurements, good selectivity and successful applicability to human urine and serum samples.

Lectin functionalized ZnO nanoarrays as a 3D nano-biointerface for bacterial detection.

PubMed

Zheng, Laibao; Wan, Yi; Qi, Peng; Sun, Yan; Zhang, Dun; Yu, Liangmin

2017-05-15

The detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential in various fields, such as food safety, water environmental analysis, or clinical diagnosis. Although rapid and selective techniques have been achieved based on the fast and specific binding of recognitions elements and target, the sensitive detection of bacterial pathogens was limited by their low targets-binding efficiency. The three-dimensional (3D) nano-biointerface, compared with the two-dimensional (2D) flat substrate, has a much higher binding capacity, which can offer more reactive sites to bind with bacterial targets, resulting in a great improvement of detection sensitivity. Herein, a lectin functionalized ZnO nanorod (ZnO-NR) array has been fabricated and employed as a 3D nano-biointerface for Escherichia coli (E. coli) capture and detection by multivalent binding of concanavalin A (ConA) with polysaccharides on the cellular surface of E. coli. The 3D lectin functionalized ZnO-NR array-based assay shows reasonable detection limit and efficiently expanded linear range (1.0×10 3 to 1.0×10 7 cfumL -1 ) for pathogen detection. The platform has a potential for further applications and provides an excellent sensitivity approach for detection of pathogenic bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Short Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder Screener (SOCS) in children and adolescents

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Jiménez, Tíscar; Ortiz, Ana G.; Moreno, Elena; Lázaro, Luisa; Godoy, Antonio

2015-01-01

Background The Short Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder Screener (SOCS) is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as a suitable and validated screening tool for 11- to 15-year olds. Despite its excellent sensitivity and specificity in detecting obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), it has limitations. Aims To empirically examine whether the SOCS is suitable for assessing OCD symptoms across a wide age range of children and adolescents and to provide new data about its psychometric properties. Method Participants were 94 patients (9–19 years) with OCD, and 880 healthy controls. Results The results supported the SOCS’ unidimensional factor structure and metric invariance across samples. It showed good reliability in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. Furthermore, it had significantly high correlations with other OCD measures and an acceptable sensitivity and specificity for detecting OCD. Conclusions The SOCS is a brief screening tool suitable for detecting OCD in children and adolescents. Declaration of interest None. Copyright and usage © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence. PMID:27703719

Magnetic MoS2 on multiwalled carbon nanotubes for sulfide sensing.

PubMed

Li, Chunxiang; Zhang, Dan; Wang, Jiankang; Hu, Pingan; Jiang, Zhaohua

2017-07-04

A novel hybrid metallic cobalt insided in multiwalled carbon nanotubles/molybdenum disulfide (Co@CNT/MoS 2 ) modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated with a adhesive of Nafion suspension and used as chemical sensors for sulfide detection. Single-layered MoS 2 was coated on CNTs through magnetic traction force between paramagnetic monolayer MoS 2 and Co particles in CNTs. Co particles faciliated the collection of paramagnetic monolayer MoS 2 exfoliated from bulk MoS 2 in solution. Amperometric analysis, cycle voltammetry, cathodic stripping analysis and linear sweep voltammetry results showed the Co@CNT/MoS 2 modified GCE exhibited excellent electrochemical activity to sulfide in buffer solutions, but amperometric analysis was found to be more sensitive than the other methods. The amperometric response result indicated the Co@CNT/MoS 2 -modified GCE electrode was an excellent electrochemical sensor for detecting S 2- with a detection limit of 7.6 nM and sensitivity of 0.23 mA/μM. The proposed electrode was used for the determination of sulfide levels in hydrogen sulfide-pretreated fruits, and the method was also verified with recovery studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A facile one-pot preparation of Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions with excellent electrocatalytic activity for the detection of environmental phenolic hormones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yanjuan; Jiang, Jizhou; Liu, Yi; Wu, Shengli; Zou, Jing

2018-02-01

The Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions were prepared by a facile one-pot thermal decomposition technique. Compared with g-C3N4, it was found that Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions possessed a higher Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, which was beneficial to the diffusion of aim molecules on the electrode surfaces. And the optimal Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions exhibited a narrower band gap and a higher donor density, resulting in an excellent electrocatalytic activity for environmental phenolic hormones. Moreover, the Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions were used for the electrochemical sensing of environmental phenolic hormones such as bisphenol A, pentachlorophenol, p-nitrophenol and octylphenol. All detection ranges reached three orders of magnitude, showing a lower limit of detection of 10-9 mol L-1. So, sensitivity and accurate determination of environmental phenolic hormones in real water samples may use this Co3O4/g-C3N4 heterojunctions modified electrode.

A highly selective and fast-response fluorescent probe based on Cd-MOF for the visual detection of Al3+ ion and quantitative detection of Fe3+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Rui; Chen, Zhihengyu; Fu, Xin; Yang, Boyi; Li, Hui; Su, Jian; Gu, Wen; Liu, Xin

2018-03-01

A new luminescent Cd(II)-based metal-organic framework, [Cd(PAM)(4-bpdb)1.5]·DMF (Cd-MOF, PAM = 4,4‧-methylenebis(3-hydroxy-2-naphthalene-carboxylic acid) and 4-bpdb = 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene) was successfully synthesized by solvothermal synthesis method. The Cd-MOF reveals excellent luminescence property which can selectively detect Al3+ and Fe3+ ions among other interfering metal ions. The detection limit is 0.56 μM for Al3+ ion in aqueous solutions, and it is obvious lower than the maximum standard of Al3+ ion in drinking water of 7.41 μM which is defined by the WHO. More importantly, the Cd-MOF shows an obvious luminescent color change from yellow to blue under the UV lamp irradiation at 365 nm with the dropping of Al3+ ion, which can make it apply to the visual detection. And, the detection based on the test paper was explored for the first time. In addition, the Cd-MOF can also be used for quantitative detecting Fe3+ ion, and the LOD for Fe3+ ion can be as low as 0.3 μM which is lower than most reported MOFs. It is worth noting that Fe3+ and Al3+ ions can not interfere with each other. These properties make it become an excellent luminescence sensor for the detection of Al3+ and Fe3+ ions.

A normal incidence X-ray telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1987-01-01

The postflight performance evaluation of the X-ray telescope was summarized. All payload systems and subsystems performed well within acceptable limits, with the sole exception of the light-blocking prefilters. Launch, flight and recovery were performed in a fully satisfactory manner. The payload was recovered in a timely manner and in excellent condition. The prefilter performance analysis showed that no X-ray images were detected on the processed flight film. Recommendations for improved performance are listed.

Electrochemiluminescence quenching of luminol by CuS in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide for detection of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide.

PubMed

Li, Xiaojian; Lu, Peng; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yaoguang; Wang, Huan; Du, Bin; Pang, Xuehui; Wei, Qin

2018-07-30

A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal-off strategy based on CuS in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (CuS-rGO) quenching luminol/H 2 O 2 system was firstly proposed. Luminol was grafted on the surface of Au@Fe 3 O 4 -Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 nanoflowers (Luminol-Au@Fe 3 O 4 -Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) which exhibited excellent catalytic effect towards the reduction of H 2 O 2 to enhance the ECL intensity of luminol. Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 nanoflowers showed large surface area which can immobilize more Fe 3 O 4 and Au nanoparticles. The quenching mechanism of CuS-rGO was due to ECL resonance energy transfer (RET). The spectral overlap between fluorescence spectrum of Luminol-Au@Fe 3 O 4 -Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 and UV-vis absorption spectrum of CuS-rGO revealed that resonance energy transfer was possible. Au nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of CuS-rGO to capture secondary antibodies. After a sandwich-type immunoreaction, a remarkable decrease of ECL signal was observed. Under the optimal conditions, the immunosensor showed excellent performance for N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) detection with a wide detection range from 0.5 pg mL -1 to 20 ng mL -1 and a low detection limit of 0.12 pg mL -1 (S/N = 3). The prepared NT-proBNP immunosensor displayed high sensitivity, excellent stability and good specificity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Label-free turn-on fluorescent detection of melamine based on the anti-quenching ability of Hg 2+ to gold nanoclusters.

PubMed

Dai, Haichao; Shi, Yan; Wang, Yilin; Sun, Yujing; Hu, Jingting; Ni, Pengjuan; Li, Zhuang

2014-03-15

In this work, we proposed a facile, environmentally friendly and cost-effective assay for melamine with BSA-stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) as a fluorescence reader. Melamine, which has a multi-nitrogen heterocyclic ring, is prone to coordinate with Hg(2+). This property causes the anti-quenching ability of Hg(2+) to AuNCs through decreasing the metallophilic interaction between Hg(2+) and Au(+). By this method, detection limit down to 0.15 µM is obtained, which is approximately 130 times lower than that of the US food and Drug Administration estimated melamine safety limit of 20 µM. Furthermore, several real samples spiked with melamine, including raw milk and milk powder, are analyzed using the sensing system with excellent recoveries. This gold-nanocluster-based fluorescent method could find applications in highly sensitive detection of melamine in real samples. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peptide Functionalized Gold Nanorods for the Sensitive Detection of a Cardiac Biomarker Using Plasmonic Paper Devices.

PubMed

Tadepalli, Sirimuvva; Kuang, Zhifeng; Jiang, Qisheng; Liu, Keng-Ku; Fisher, Marilee A; Morrissey, Jeremiah J; Kharasch, Evan D; Slocik, Joseph M; Naik, Rajesh R; Singamaneni, Srikanth

2015-11-10

The sensitivity of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanostructures to adsorbates lends itself to a powerful class of label-free biosensors. Optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures are dependent on the geometrical features and the local dielectric environment. The exponential decay of the sensitivity from the surface of the plasmonic nanotransducer calls for the careful consideration in its design with particular attention to the size of the recognition and analyte layers. In this study, we demonstrate that short peptides as biorecognition elements (BRE) compared to larger antibodies as target capture agents offer several advantages. Using a bioplasmonic paper device (BPD), we demonstrate the selective and sensitive detection of the cardiac biomarker troponin I (cTnI). The smaller sized peptide provides higher sensitivity and a lower detection limit using a BPD. Furthermore, the excellent shelf-life and thermal stability of peptide-based LSPR sensors, which precludes the need for special storage conditions, makes it ideal for use in resource-limited settings.

Small-size pedestrian detection in large scene based on fast R-CNN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shengke; Yang, Na; Duan, Lianghua; Liu, Lu; Dong, Junyu

2018-04-01

Pedestrian detection is a canonical sub-problem of object detection with high demand during recent years. Although recent deep learning object detectors such as Fast/Faster R-CNN have shown excellent performance for general object detection, they have limited success for small size pedestrian detection in large-view scene. We study that the insufficient resolution of feature maps lead to the unsatisfactory accuracy when handling small instances. In this paper, we investigate issues involving Fast R-CNN for pedestrian detection. Driven by the observations, we propose a very simple but effective baseline for pedestrian detection based on Fast R-CNN, employing the DPM detector to generate proposals for accuracy, and training a fast R-CNN style network to jointly optimize small size pedestrian detection with skip connection concatenating feature from different layers to solving coarseness of feature maps. And the accuracy is improved in our research for small size pedestrian detection in the real large scene.

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy coupled with an external-cavity quantum cascade laser operating between 7.5 and 8 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maity, Abhijit; Pal, Mithun; Maithani, Sanchi; Dutta Banik, Gourab; Pradhan, Manik

2018-04-01

We demonstrate a mid-infrared detection strategy with 1f-normalized 2f-wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS-2f/1f) using a continuous wave (CW) external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) operating between 7.5 and 8 µm. The detailed performance of the WMS-2f/1f detection method was evaluated by making rotationally resolved measurements in the (ν 4  +  ν 5) combination band of acetylene (C2H2) at 1311.7600 cm-1. A noise-limited detection limit of three parts per billion (ppb) with an integration time of 110 s was achieved for C2H2 detection. The present high-resolution CW-EC-QCL system coupled with the WMS-2f/1f strategy was further validated with an extended range of C2H2 concentration of 0.1-1000 ppm, which shows excellent promise for real-life practical sensing applications. Finally, we utilized the WMS-2f/1f technique to measure the C2H2 concentration in the exhaled breath of smokers.

Rapid Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Detection of Sibutramine Hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical Capsules with a β-Cyclodextrin- Ag/Polyvivnyl Alcohol Hydrogel Substrate.

PubMed

Ouyang, Lei; Jiang, Zuyan; Wang, Nan; Zhu, Lihua; Tang, Heqing

2017-07-10

Sibutramine hydrochloride (SH) is a banned weight-loss drug, but its illegal addition to health products is still rampant. This suggests a very urgent need for a fast and precise detection method for SH. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a promising candidate for this purpose, but the weak affinity between SH and bare metal limits its direct SERS detection. In the present work, β-cyclodextrin was capped in situ onto the surface of Ag nanoparticles to function as a scaffold to capture SH. The obtained Ag nanoparticles were encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate a SERS active hydrogel with excellent reproducibility. A facile SERS strategy based on such substrate was proposed for trace SH quantification with a linear range of 7.0-150.0 µg·mL -1 , and a detection limit low to 3.0 µg·mL -1 . It was applied to analyze seven types of commercial slimming capsules with satisfactory results, showing good prospect for real applications.

Rapid Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Detection of Sibutramine Hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical Capsules with a β-Cyclodextrin- Ag/Polyvivnyl Alcohol Hydrogel Substrate

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Lei; Jiang, Zuyan; Wang, Nan; Zhu, Lihua; Tang, Heqing

2017-01-01

Sibutramine hydrochloride (SH) is a banned weight-loss drug, but its illegal addition to health products is still rampant. This suggests a very urgent need for a fast and precise detection method for SH. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a promising candidate for this purpose, but the weak affinity between SH and bare metal limits its direct SERS detection. In the present work, β-cyclodextrin was capped in situ onto the surface of Ag nanoparticles to function as a scaffold to capture SH. The obtained Ag nanoparticles were encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate a SERS active hydrogel with excellent reproducibility. A facile SERS strategy based on such substrate was proposed for trace SH quantification with a linear range of 7.0–150.0 µg·mL–1, and a detection limit low to 3.0 µg·mL−1. It was applied to analyze seven types of commercial slimming capsules with satisfactory results, showing good prospect for real applications. PMID:28698502

A simple ratiometric fluorescent sensor for fructose based on complexation of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline with boronic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huihui; Yang, Cailing; Zhu, Xinyue; Zhang, Haixia

2017-06-01

A simple ratiometric fluorescent sensor for fructose was presented. It consisted of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline (HBQ) which showed emission at 572 nm and 3-pyridylboronic acid (PDBA) whose complex with HBQ gave emission at 500 nm. The reaction of fructose with PDBA inhibited the complexation of HBQ with PDBA, resulting in the change of dual-emission intensity ratio. The sensor well quantified fructose in the range of 0.015-2.5 mM with detection limit of 0.005 mM. Besides, this sensor exhibited excellent selectivity and was successfully applied to fructose detection in food. This work provides a simple ratiometric sensing platform for sensitive and selective detection of fructose.

One-Step Hydrothermal Approach to Synthesis Carbon Dots from D-Sorbitol for Detection of Iron(III) and Cell Imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Junqiu; Yan, Juping; Wang, Yingte; Zhang, Yong

2018-07-01

A facile and economic approach to synthesis highly fluorescence carbon dots (CDs) via one-step hydrothermal treatment of D-sorbitol was presented. The as-synthesized CDs were characterized by good water solubility, well monodispersion, and excellent biocompatibility. Spherical CDs had a particle size about 5 nm and exhibited a quantum yield of 8.85% at excitation wavelength of 360 nm. In addition, the CDs can serve as fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ ions with the detection limit of 1.16 μM. Moreover, the potential of the as-prepared carbon dots for biological application was confirmed by employing it for fluorescence imaging in MCF-7 cells.

Sensitive detection of hydroxylamine at a simple baicalin carbon nanotubes modified electrode.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongfang; Zheng, Jianbin

2012-05-15

A baicalin multi-wall carbon nanotubes (BaMWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the sensitive determination of hydroxylamine was described. The BaMWCNT/GCE with dramatic stability was firstly fabricated with a simple adsorption method. And it showed excellent catalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of hydroxylamine. The amperometric response at the BaMWCNT/GCE modified electrode increased linearly to hydroxylamine concentrations in the range of 0.5 μM to 0.4mM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The modified electrode was applied to detection hydroxylamine in the tap water, and the average recovery for the standards added was 96.0%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in chemiluminescence detection coupled with capillary electrophoresis and microchip capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Liu, Yuxuan; Huang, Xiangyi; Ren, Jicun

2016-01-01

CE is an ideal analytical method for extremely volume-limited biological microenvironments. However, the small injection volume makes it a challenge to achieve highly sensitive detection. Chemiluminescence (CL) detection is characterized by providing low background with excellent sensitivity because of requiring no light source. The coupling of CL with CE and MCE has become a powerful analytical method. So far, this method has been widely applied to chemical analysis, bioassay, drug analysis, and environment analysis. In this review, we first introduce some developments for CE-CL and MCE-CL systems, and then put the emphasis on the applications in the last 10 years. Finally, we discuss the future prospects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detection and Quantification of 8-Hydroxy-2′-Deoxyguanosine in Alzheimer’s Transgenic Mouse Urine using Capillary Electrophoresis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Cheng; Nestorova, Gergana; Rissman, Robert A.; Feng, June

2013-01-01

8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is one of the major forms of oxidative deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, and is commonly analyzed as an excellent marker of DNA lesions. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitive method to accurately and rapidly quantify the 8-OHdG by using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). The method involved the use of specific antibody to detect DNA lesions (8-OHdG) and consecutive fluorescence labeling. Next, the urine sample with 8-OHdG fluorescently labeled along with other constituents was resolved by capillary electrophoretic system and the lesion of interest was detected using fluorescence detector. The limit of detection was 0.18 fmol, which is sufficient sensitivity for detection and quantification of 8-OHdG in untreated urine samples. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was found to be 11.32 % for migration time, and 5.52 % for peak area. To demonstrate the utility of this method, the urinary concentration of 8-OHdG in an Alzheimer’s transgenic mouse model was determined. Collectively, our results indicate that this methodology offers great advantages such as high separation efficiency, good selectivity, low limit of detection (LOD), simplicity and low cost of analysis. PMID:23712533

Detection of adenosine triphosphate in HeLa cell using capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection based on aptamer and graphene oxide.

PubMed

Fang, Bi-Yun; Yao, Ming-Hao; Wang, Chun-Yuan; Wang, Chao-Yang; Zhao, Yuan-Di; Chen, Fang

2016-04-01

A method for ATP quantification based on dye-labeled aptamer/graphene oxide (aptamer/GO) using capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detecting technique has been established. In this method, the carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labelled ATP aptamers were adsorbed onto the surface of GO, leading to the fluorescence quenching of FAM; after the incubation with a limited amount of ATP, stronger affinity between ATP aptamer and ATP resulted in the desorption of aptamers and the fluorescence restoration of FAM. Then, aptamer-ATP complex and excess of aptamer/GO and GO were separated and quantified by CE-LIF detection. It was shown that a linear relation was existing in the CE-LIF peak intensity of aptamer-ATP and ATP concentration in range of 10-700 μM, the regression equation was F=1.50+0.0470C(ATP) (R(2)=0.990), and the limit of detection was 1.28 μM (3S/N, n=5), which was one order magnitude lower than that of detection in solution by fluorescence method. The approach with excellent specificity and reproducibility has been successfully applied to detecting concentration of ATP in HeLa cell. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Highly Sensitive Nonenzymatic Glucose Biosensor Based on the Regulatory Effect of Glucose on Electrochemical Behaviors of Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles on MoS₂†.

PubMed

Anderson, Kash; Poulter, Benjamin; Dudgeon, John; Li, Shu-En; Ma, Xiang

2017-08-05

A novel and highly sensitive nonenzymatic glucose biosensor was developed by nucleating colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on MoS₂. The facile fabrication method, high reproducibility (97.5%) and stability indicates a promising capability for large-scale manufacturing. Additionally, the excellent sensitivity (9044.6 μA mM -1 cm -2 ), low detection limit (0.03 μM), appropriate linear range of 0.1-1000 μM, and high selectivity suggests that this biosensor has a great potential to be applied for noninvasive glucose detection in human body fluids, such as sweat and saliva.

Polyaniline nanowires-gold nanoparticles hybrid network based chemiresistive hydrogen sulfide sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirsat, Mahendra D.; Bangar, Mangesh A.; Deshusses, Marc A.; Myung, Nosang V.; Mulchandani, Ashok

2009-02-01

We report a sensitive, selective, and fast responding room temperature chemiresistive sensor for hydrogen sulfide detection and quantification using polyaniline nanowires-gold nanoparticles hybrid network. The sensor was fabricated by facile electrochemical technique. Initially, polyaniline nanowires with a diameter of 250-320 nm bridging the gap between a pair of microfabricated gold electrodes were synthesized using templateless electrochemical polymerization using a two step galvanostatic technique. Polyaniline nanowires were then electrochemically functionalized with gold nanoparticles using cyclic voltammetry technique. These chemiresistive sensors show an excellent limit of detection (0.1 ppb), wide dynamic range (0.1-100 ppb), and very good selectivity and reproducibility.

Carbon nanotube enhanced label-free detection of microRNAs based on hairpin probe triggered solid-phase rolling-circle amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qianqian; Wang, Ying; Deng, Ruijie; Lin, Lei; Liu, Yang; Li, Jinghong

2014-12-01

The detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is imperative for gaining a better understanding of the functions of these biomarkers and has great potential for the early diagnosis of human disease. High sensitivity and selectivity for miRNA detection brings new challenges. Herein, an ultrasensitive protocol for electrochemical detection of miRNA is designed through carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced label-free detection based on hairpin probe triggered solid-phase rolling-circle amplification (RCA). Traditionally, RCA, widely applied for signal enhancement in the construction of a variety of biosensors, has an intrinsic limitation of ultrasensitive detection, as it is difficult to separate the enzymes, templates, and padlock DNAs from the RCA products in the homogeneous solution. We purposely designed a solid-phase RCA strategy, using CNTs as the solid substrate, integrated with a hairpin structured probe to recognize target miRNA. In the presence of miRNA the stem-loop structure will be unfolded, triggering the CNT based RCA process. Due to the efficient blocking effect originating from the polymeric RCA products, the label-free assay of miRNA exhibits an ultrasensitive detection limit of 1.2 fM. Furthermore, the protocol possesses excellent specificity for resolving lung cancer-related let-7 family members which have only one-nucleotide variations. The high sensitivity and selectivity give the method great potential for applications in online diagnostics and in situ detection in long-term development.The detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is imperative for gaining a better understanding of the functions of these biomarkers and has great potential for the early diagnosis of human disease. High sensitivity and selectivity for miRNA detection brings new challenges. Herein, an ultrasensitive protocol for electrochemical detection of miRNA is designed through carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced label-free detection based on hairpin probe triggered solid-phase rolling-circle amplification (RCA). Traditionally, RCA, widely applied for signal enhancement in the construction of a variety of biosensors, has an intrinsic limitation of ultrasensitive detection, as it is difficult to separate the enzymes, templates, and padlock DNAs from the RCA products in the homogeneous solution. We purposely designed a solid-phase RCA strategy, using CNTs as the solid substrate, integrated with a hairpin structured probe to recognize target miRNA. In the presence of miRNA the stem-loop structure will be unfolded, triggering the CNT based RCA process. Due to the efficient blocking effect originating from the polymeric RCA products, the label-free assay of miRNA exhibits an ultrasensitive detection limit of 1.2 fM. Furthermore, the protocol possesses excellent specificity for resolving lung cancer-related let-7 family members which have only one-nucleotide variations. The high sensitivity and selectivity give the method great potential for applications in online diagnostics and in situ detection in long-term development. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Preparation of the chemically modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), characterization of the CNTs and modified CNTs, preparation of the circular probe, gel electrophoresis of the RCA products, and DNA probes as noted in the text. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05243a

A Novel Sensitive Luminescence Probe Microspheres for Rapid and Efficient Detection of τ-Fluvalinate in Taihu Lake

PubMed Central

Wang, Jixiang; Wang, Yunyun; Qiu, Hao; Sun, Lin; Dai, Xiaohui; Pan, Jianming; Yan, Yongsheng

2017-01-01

Fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers have shown great promise in biological or chemical separations and detection, due to their high stability, selectivity and sensitivity. In this work, fluorescent molecularly imprinted microsphere was synthesized via precipitation polymerization, which could separate efficiently and rapidly detect τ-fluvalinate (a toxic insecticide) in water samples, was reported. The fluorescent imprinted sensor showed excellent stability, outstanding selectivity and the limit of detection low to 12.14 nM, good regeneration ability which still kept good sensitivity after 8 cycling experiments and fluorescence quenching mechanism was illustrated in details. In addition, the fluorescent sensor was further used to detect τ-fluvalinate in real samples from Taihu Lake. Despite the relatively complex components of the environment water, the fluorescent imprinted microspheres sitll showed good recovery, clearly demonstrating the potental value of this smart sensor nanomaterial in environment monitoring. PMID:28485402

A localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) immunosensor for CRP detection using 4-chloro-1-naphtol (4-CN) precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Su-Ji; Park, Jin-Ho; Byun, Ju-Young; Ahn, Young-Deok; Kim, Min-Gon

2017-07-01

In this study, C-reactive protein (CRP) was detected by monitoring of LSPR shift promoted by precipitation of 4-chloro-1-naphthol (4-CN). The precipitation occurred by horseradish peroxide (HRP) catalyst which is modified at CRP-detection antibody utilized in sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on gold nano bipyramid (GNBP) substrate. Due to 4-CN precipitates which are located nearby the surface of GNBP, local refractive index (RI) and molecular density were greatly increased. This phenomenon eventually induced strong spectral red-shift of absorption band of GNBP. An excellent linear relationship (R2=0.9895) between the LSPR shift and CRP concentration was obtained in the range from 100 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL and limit of detection (LOD) was reached to 87 pg/mL.

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic detection of ethylene using a 10.5 μm quantum cascade laser.

PubMed

Wang, Zhen; Li, Zhili; Ren, Wei

2016-02-22

A quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor has been developed for the sensitive detection of ethylene (C2H4) at 10.5 µm using a continuous-wave distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. At this long-wavelength infrared, the key acoustic elements of quartz tuning fork and micro-resonators were optimized to improve the detection signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of >4. The sensor calibration demonstrated an excellent linear response (R2>0.999) to C2H4 concentration at the selected operating pressure of 500 and 760 Torr. With a minimum detection limit of 50 parts per billion (ppb) achieved at an averaging time of 70 s, the sensor has been deployed for measuring the C2H4 efflux during the respiration of biological samples in an agronomic environment.

Effective Enrichment and Detection of Trace Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Food Samples based on Magnetic Covalent Organic Framework Hybrid Microspheres.

PubMed

Li, Ning; Wu, Di; Hu, Na; Fan, Guangsen; Li, Xiuting; Sun, Jing; Chen, Xuefeng; Suo, Yourui; Li, Guoliang; Wu, Yongning

2018-04-04

The present study reported a facile, sensitive, and efficient method for enrichment and determination of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food samples by employing new core-shell nanostructure magnetic covalent organic framework hybrid microspheres (Fe 3 O 4 @COF-(TpBD)) as the sorbent followed by HPLC-DAD. Under mild synthetic conditions, the Fe 3 O 4 @COF-(TpBD) were prepared with the retention of colloidal nanosize, larger specific surface area, higher porosity, uniform morphology, and supermagnetism. The as-prepared materials showed an excellent adsorption ability for PAHs, and the enrichment efficiency of the Fe 3 O 4 @COF-(TpBD) could reach 99.95%. The obtained materials also had fast adsorption kinetics and realized adsorption equilibrium within 12 min. The eluent was further analyzed by HPLC-DAD, and good linearity was observed in the range of 1-100 ng/mL with the linear correlation being above 0.9990. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) and limits of quantitation (S/N = 10) for 15 PAHs were in the range of 0.83-11.7 ng/L and 2.76-39.0 ng/L, respectively. For the application, the obtained materials were employed for the enrichment of trace PAHs in food samples and exhibited superior enrichment capacity and excellent applicability.

Rapid and sensitive detection of canine distemper virus by one-tube reverse transcription-insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction.

PubMed

Wilkes, Rebecca P; Tsai, Yun-Long; Lee, Pei-Yu; Lee, Fu-Chun; Chang, Hsiao-Fen Grace; Wang, Hwa-Tang Thomas

2014-09-09

Canine distemper virus (CDV) has been associated with outbreaks of canine infectious respiratory disease in shelters and boarding kennel environments. POCKITTM Nucleic Acid Analyzer is a field-deployable device capable of generating automatically interpreted insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction (iiPCR) results from extracted nucleic acid within one hour. In this study, reverse transcription iiPCR (RT-iiPCR) was developed to facilitate point-of-need diagnosis of CDV infection. Analytical sensitivity (limit of detection 95%) of the established CDV RT-iiPCR was about 11 copies of in vitro transcribed RNA per reaction. CDV RT-iiPCR generated positive signals from CDV, but not Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parvovirus, canine herpesvirus, canine adenovirus 2, canine influenza virus (subtype H3N8), canine parainfluenza virus, and canine respiratory coronavirus. To evaluate accuracy of the established reaction in canine distemper clinical diagnosis, 110 specimens from dogs, raccoons, and foxes suspected with CDV infection were tested simultaneously by CDV RT-iiPCR and real-time RT-PCR. CDV RT-iiPCR demonstrated excellent sensitivity (100%) and specificity (100%), compared to real-time RT-PCR. The results indicated an excellent correlation between RT-iiPCR and a reference real time RT-PCR method. Working in a lyophilized format, the established method has great potential to be used for point-of-care diagnosis of canine distemper in animals, especially in resource-limited facilities.

A paper-based resonance energy transfer nucleic acid hybridization assay using upconversion nanoparticles as donors and quantum dots as acceptors.

PubMed

Doughan, Samer; Uddayasankar, Uvaraj; Krull, Ulrich J

2015-06-09

Monodisperse aqueous upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) were covalently immobilized on aldehyde modified cellulose paper via reduction amination to develop a luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET)-based nucleic acid hybridization assay. This first account of covalent immobilization of UCNPs on paper for a bioassay reports an optically responsive method that is sensitive, reproducible and robust. The immobilized UCNPs were decorated with oligonucleotide probes to capture HPRT1 housekeeping gene fragments, which in turn brought reporter conjugated quantum dots (QDs) in close proximity to the UCNPs for LRET. This sandwich assay could detect unlabeled oligonucleotide target, and had a limit of detection of 13 fmol and a dynamic range spanning nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The use of QDs, which are excellent LRET acceptors, demonstrated improved sensitivity, limit of detection, dynamic range and selectivity compared to similar assays that have used molecular fluorophores as acceptors. The selectivity of the assay was attributed to the decoration of the QDs with polyethylene glycol to eliminate non-specific adsorption. The kinetics of hybridization were determined to be diffusion limited and full signal development occurred within 3 min. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limits to the Fraction of High-energy Photon Emitting Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-02-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

European validation of a real-time PCR-based method for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheese.

PubMed

Gianfranceschi, Monica Virginia; Rodriguez-Lazaro, David; Hernandez, Marta; González-García, Patricia; Comin, Damiano; Gattuso, Antonietta; Delibato, Elisabetta; Sonnessa, Michele; Pasquali, Frederique; Prencipe, Vincenza; Sreter-Lancz, Zuzsanna; Saiz-Abajo, María-José; Pérez-De-Juan, Javier; Butrón, Javier; Kozačinski, Lidija; Tomic, Danijela Horvatek; Zdolec, Nevijo; Johannessen, Gro S; Jakočiūnė, Džiuginta; Olsen, John Elmerdahl; De Santis, Paola; Lovari, Sarah; Bertasi, Barbara; Pavoni, Enrico; Paiusco, Antonella; De Cesare, Alessandra; Manfreda, Gerardo; De Medici, Dario

2014-08-01

The classical microbiological method for detection of Listeria monocytogenes requires around 7 days for final confirmation, and due to perishable nature of RTE food products, there is a clear need for an alternative methodology for detection of this pathogen. This study presents an international (at European level) ISO 16140-based validation trial of a non-proprietary real-time PCR-based methodology that can generate final results in the following day of the analysis. This methodology is based on an ISO compatible enrichment coupled to a bacterial DNA extraction and a consolidated real-time PCR assay. Twelve laboratories from six European countries participated in this trial, and soft cheese was selected as food model since it can represent a difficult matrix for the bacterial DNA extraction and real-time PCR amplification. The limit of detection observed was down to 10 CFU per 25 of sample, showing excellent concordance and accordance values between samples and laboratories (>75%). In addition, excellent values were obtained for relative accuracy, specificity and sensitivity (82.75%, 96.70% and 97.62%, respectively) when the results obtained for the real-time PCR-based methods were compared to those of the ISO 11290-1 standard method. An interesting observation was that the L. monocytogenes detection by the real-time PCR method was less affected in the presence of Listeria innocua in the contaminated samples, proving therefore to be more reliable than the reference method. The results of this international trial demonstrate that the evaluated real-time PCR-based method represents an excellent alterative to the ISO standard since it shows a higher performance as well as reduce the extent of the analytical process, and can be easily implemented routinely by the competent authorities and food industry laboratories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of aflatoxin B₁ with immunochromatographic test strips: Enhanced signal sensitivity using gold nanoflowers.

PubMed

Ji, Yanwei; Ren, Meiling; Li, Yanping; Huang, Zhibing; Shu, Mei; Yang, Hongwei; Xiong, Yonghua; Xu, Yang

2015-09-01

Immunochromatographic test strips (ICTS) are commonly limited to higher concentrations of analytes. This limitation stems from the relatively low sensitivity of conventional gold nanospheres (AuNSs with a diameter of 20 nm) to emit detectable brightness values. The larger multi-branched gold nanoflowers (AuNFs) with a higher optical brightness as well as good colloidal stability exhibit significant improvements over conventional AuNSs for enhanced sensitivity of ICTS. In this study, blue AuNFs with an average diameter of 75±5 nm were synthetized and employed as a signal amplification probe for ultrasensitive and quantitative detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in rice. A portable optical strip reader was used to record the optical densities of test and control lines of the strip. Under the optimal conditions, the AuNF based ICTS system accurately detected AFB1 linearly and dynamically over the range of 0.5-25 pg/mL with a half maximal inhibitory concentration at 4.17 pg/mL. The inhibitory concentration was achieved 10 times lower than that of the traditional AuNS based ICTS systems (41.25 pg/mL). The limit of detection for AFB1 in rice extract was achieved at 0.32 pg/mL. In summary, AuNFs are a novel probe that exhibited excellent sensitivity in the ICTS system and could be used for ultrasensitive detection of other analytes in food safety monitoring, and even medical diagnostics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amperometric hydrogen peroxide and glucose biosensor based on NiFe2/ordered mesoporous carbon nanocomposites.

PubMed

Xiang, Dong; Yin, Longwei; Ma, Jingyun; Guo, Enyan; Li, Qun; Li, Zhaoqiang; Liu, Kegao

2015-01-21

Nanocomposites of NiFex embedded in ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) (x = 0, 1, 2) were prepared by a wet impregnation and hydrogen reduction process and were used to construct electrochemical biosensors for the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or glucose. The NiFe2/OMC nanocomposites were demonstrated to have a large surface area, suitable mesoporous channels, many edge-plane-like defective sites, and a good distribution of alloyed nanoparticles. The NiFe2/OMC and Nafion modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of H2O2 as well. By utilizing it as a bioplatform, GOx (glucose oxidase) cross-linked with Nafion was immobilized on the surface of the electrode for the construction of an amperometric glucose biosensor. Our results indicated that the amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor (NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE) showed good analytical performances in term of a high sensitivity of 4.29 μA mM(-1) cm(-2), wide linearity from 6.2 to 42,710 μM and a low detection limit of 0.24 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 (S/N = 3). This biosensor exhibited excellent selectivity, high stability and negligible interference for the detection of H2O2. In addition, the immobilized enzyme on NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE, retaining its bioactivity, exhibited a reversible two-proton and two-electron transfer reaction, a fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate and an effective Michaelis-Menten constant (K) (3.18 mM). The GOx + NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE could be used to detect glucose based on the oxidation of glucose catalyzed by GOx and exhibited a wide detection range of 48.6-12,500 μM with a high sensitivity of 6.9 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) and a low detection limit of 2.7 μM (S/N = 3). The enzymic biosensor maintained a high selectivity and stability features, and shows great promise for application in the detection of glucose.

Colorimetric sensor array for determination and identification of toxic industrial chemicals.

PubMed

Feng, Liang; Musto, Christopher J; Kemling, Jonathan W; Lim, Sung H; Zhong, Wenxuan; Suslick, Kenneth S

2010-11-15

A low-cost yet highly sensitive colorimetric sensor array for the detection and identification of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) has been developed. The sensor consists of a disposable array of cross-responsive nanoporous pigments whose colors are changed by diverse chemical interactions with analytes. Clear differentiation among 20 different TICs has been easily achieved at both their IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health) concentration within 2 min of exposure and PEL (permissible exposure limit) concentration within 5 min of exposure with no errors or misclassifications. Detection limits are generally well below the PEL (in most cases below 5% of PEL) and are typically in the low ppb range. The colorimetric sensor array is not responsive to changes in humidity or temperature over a substantial range. The printed arrays show excellent batch to batch reproducibility and long shelf life (greater than 3 months).

Diagnostic yield of 90-kVp low-tube-voltage carotid and intracerebral CT-angiography: effects on radiation dose, image quality and diagnostic performance for the detection of carotid stenosis.

PubMed

Leithner, Doris; Wichmann, Julian L; Mahmoudi, Scherwin; Martin, Simon S; Albrecht, Moritz H; Vogl, Thomas J; Scholtz, Jan-Erik

2018-06-01

To investigate the impact of low-tube-voltage 90-kVp acquisition combined with advanced modeled iterative reconstruction algorithm (Admire) on radiation exposure, image quality, artifacts, and assessment of stenosis in carotid and intracranial CT angiography (CTA). Dual-energy CTA studies of 43 patients performed on a third-generation 192-slice dual-source CT were retrospectively evaluated. Intraindividual comparison of 90-kVp and linearly blended 120-kVp equivalent image series (M_0.6, 60% 90-kVp, 40% Sn-150-kVp) was performed. Contrast-to-noise and signal-to-noise ratios of common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and basilar artery were calculated. Qualitative image analysis included evaluation of artifacts and suitability for angiographical assessment at shoulder level, carotid bifurcation, siphon, and intracranial by three independent radiologists. Detection and quantification of carotid stenosis were performed. Radiation dose was expressed as dose-length product (DLP). Contrast-to-noise values of all arteries were significantly increased in 90-kVp compared to M_0.6 (p < 0.001). Suitability for angiographical evaluation was rated excellent with low artifacts for all levels in both image series. Both 90-kVp and M_0.6 showed excellent accordance for detection and grading of carotid stenosis with almost perfect interobserver agreement (carotid stenoses in 32 of 129 segments; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.94). dose-length product was reduced by 40.3% in 90-kVp (110.6 ± 32.1 vs 185.4 ± 47.5 mGy·cm, p < 0.001). 90-kVp carotid and intracranial CTA with Admire provides increased quantitative and similarly good qualitative image quality, while reducing radiation exposure substantially compared to M_0.6. Diagnostic performance for arterial stenosis detection and quantification remained excellent. Advances in knowledge: 90-kVp carotid and intracranial CTA with an advanced iterative reconstruction algorithm results in excellent image quality and reduction of radiation exposure without limiting diagnostic performance.

Molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanoparticles as sensors for rapid and efficient detection λ-cyhalothrin in environmental water.

PubMed

Wang, Jixiang; Qiu, Hao; Shen, Hongqiang; Pan, Jianming; Dai, Xiaohui; Yan, Yongsheng; Pan, Guoqing; Sellergren, Börje

2016-11-15

Molecularly imprinted fluorescent polymers have shown great promise in biological or chemical separations and detections, due to their high stability, selectivity and sensitivity. In this work, molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanoparticles, which could rapidly and efficiently detect λ-cyhalothrin (a toxic insecticide) in water samples, was reported. The molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor showed excellent sensitivity (the limit of detection low to 10.26nM), rapid detection rate (quantitative detection of λ-cyhalothrin within 8min), regeneration ability (maintaining good fluorescence properties after 8 cycling operation) and appreciable selectivity over several structural analogs. Moreover, the fluorescent sensor was further used to detect λ-cyhalothrin in real samples form the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Water. Despite the relatively complex components of the environmental water, the molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanosensor still showed good recovery, clearly demonstrating the potential value of this smart sensor nanomaterial in environmental monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

N-Hydroxysuccinimide as an effective chemiluminescence coreactant for highly selective and sensitive detection.

PubMed

Saqib, Muhammad; Li, Suping; Gao, Wenyue; Majeed, Saadat; Qi, Liming; Liu, Zhongyuan; Xu, Guobao

2016-12-01

The development of novel coreactants for chemiluminescence is very important to improve performance and widen its applications without using any other catalyst. N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), a highly popular amine-reactive, activating, or protecting reagent in biochemical applications and organic synthesis, has been explored as an efficient and stable chemiluminescence coreactant for the first time. The chemiluminescence intensity of the newly developed luminol-NHS system is about 22 times higher than that of the traditional luminol-H 2 O 2 system. Chemiluminescence of this system is dramatically enhanced by Co 2+ . This new chemiluminescence system is then applied for the highly selective and ultrasensitive detection of Co 2+ with limit of detection (0.01 nM) better than those of several conventional analytical methods. This system also enables the efficient detection of luminol (LOD = 7 pM) and NHS (LOD = 3.0 μM) with excellent sensitivity. This chemiluminescence method was then also utilized to detect Co 2+ in tap water and blue silica gel with excellent recoveries in the range 99.20-103.07 %. This novel chemiluminescence system has several advantages, including simple, cost-effective, highly sensitive, selective, and wide linear range. We expect that this chemiluminescence system will be a promising candidate for chemical and biological sensing. Graphical Abstract Comparison of CL peak intensities of classical luminol-H 2 O 2 CL system and newly developed luminol-NHS CL system.

Chemiluminescent labels released from long spacer arm-functionalized magnetic particles: a novel strategy for ultrasensitive and highly selective detection of pathogen infections.

PubMed

Yang, Haowen; Liang, Wenbiao; He, Nongyue; Deng, Yan; Li, Zhiyang

2015-01-14

Previously, the unique advantages provided by chemiluminescence (CL) and magnetic particles (MPs) have resulted in the development of many useful nucleic acid detection methods. CL is highly sensitive, but when applied to MPs, its intensity is limited by the inner filter-like effect arising from excess dark MPs. Herein, we describe a modified strategy whereby CL labels are released from MPs to eliminate this negative effect. This approach relies on (1) the magnetic capture of target molecules on long spacer arm-functionalized magnetic particles (LSA-MPs), (2) the conjugation of streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (SA-AP) to biotinylated amplicons of target pathogens, (3) the release of CL labels (specifically, AP tags), and (4) the detection of the released labels. CL labels were released from LSA-MPs through LSA ultrasonication or DNA enzymolysis, which proved to be the superior method. In contrast to conventional MPs, LSA-MPs exhibited significantly improved CL detection, because of the introduction of LSA, which was made of water-soluble carboxymethylated β-1,3-glucan. Detection of hepatitis B virus with this technique revealed a low detection limit of 50 fM, high selectivity, and excellent reproducibility. Thus, this approach may hold great potential for early stage clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases.

An enhanced electrochemical platform based on graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite for sensitive determination of Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine.

PubMed

Qiu, Xinlan; Lu, Limin; Leng, Jing; Yu, Yongfang; Wang, Wenmin; Jiang, Min; Bai, Ling

2016-01-01

A novel electrochemical platform was designed for the simultaneous determination of Sunset Yellow (SY) and Tartrazine (TT), synthetic food dyes, by combining the signal amplification properties of graphene oxide (GO) and the excellent electronic and antifouling properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Stable dispersion of GO/MWCNTs composite was produced by sonication mixing. Compared with glassy carbon, MWCNTs and GO electrodes, GO/MWCNTs electrode exhibited strong enhancement effect and greatly increased the oxidation signal of SY and TT. Under optimized conditions, the enhanced anodic peak currents represented the excellent analytical performance of simultaneous detection of SY and TT in the range of 0.09-8.0 μM, with a low limit of detection of 0.025 μM for SY and 0.01 μM for TT (S/N = 3), respectively. To further validate its possible application, the proposed method was successfully used for the determination of SY and TT in orange juice with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gold Nanoparticles Deposited Polyaniline-TiO2 Nanotube for Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Biosensing.

PubMed

Zhu, Jie; Huo, Xiaohe; Liu, Xiaoqiang; Ju, Huangxian

2016-01-13

A novel ternary composite composed of TiO2 nanotubes (TiONTs), polyaniline (PANI), and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) was prepared for photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing. PANI was initially coated on TiONTs with an oxidative polymerization method, and 12-phosphotungstic acid was then used as a highly localized photoactive reducing agent to deposit GNPs on TiONT-PANI. The morphology and composition of the composite were characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic methods. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also conducted to demonstrate the excellent electrical conductivity of the composite. A PEC biosensor was fabricated by immobilizing a mixture of lactate dehydrogenase and the composite onto ITO electrodes, which regenerated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) to complete the enzymatic cycle and led to an improved method for PEC detection of lactate. Because of the surface plasmon resonance enhanced effect of GNPs, the electrochromic performance of PANI, and excellent conductivity and biocompatibility of the composite, this method showed a dynamic range of 0.5-210 μM, sensitivity of 0.0401 μA μM(-1), and a detection limit of 0.15 μM.

A novel and simple strategy for simultaneous determination of dopamine, uric acid and ascorbic acid based on the stacked graphene platelet nanofibers/ionic liquids/chitosan modified electrode.

PubMed

Niu, Xiuli; Yang, Wu; Guo, Hao; Ren, Jie; Yang, Fusheng; Gao, Jinzhang

2012-09-15

A promising electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) was fabricated based on the stacked graphene platelet nanofibers (SGNF)/ionic liquid (IL)/chitosan (CS) modified electrode. The SGNF/IL/CS modified electrode possessed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of DA, UA and AA with obvious reduction of over-potential and increased peak current, and the separations of oxidation peak potentials of DA-UA, DA-AA, and UA-AA were of 151, 213 and 364 mV, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range for the detection of DA, UA and AA were 0.05-240, 0.12-260, and 30-350 μM with the lowest detection limits of 0.05, 0.10 and 14.8 μM for DA, UA and AA, respectively. In addition, the electrochemical sensor showed high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, reproducibility and long-term stability. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-Step Synthesis of Boron Nitride Quantum Dots: Simple Chemistry Meets Delicate Nanotechnology.

PubMed

Liu, Bingping; Yan, Shihai; Song, Zhongqian; Liu, Mengli; Ji, Xuqiang; Yang, Wenrong; Liu, Jingquan

2016-12-23

Herein, a conceptually new and straightforward aqueous route is described for the synthesis of hydroxyl- and amino-functionalized boron nitride quantum dots (BNQDs) with quantum yields (QY) as high as 18.3 % by using a facile bottom-up approach, in which a mixture of boric acid and ammonia solution was hydrothermally treated in one pot at 200 °C for 12 h. The functionalized BNQDs, with excellent photoluminescence properties, could be easily dispersed in an aqueous medium and applied as fluorescent probes for the detection of ferrous (Fe 2+ ) and ferric (Fe 3+ ) ions with excellent selectivity and low detection limits. The mechanisms for the hydrothermal reaction and fluorescence quenching were also simulated by using density functional theory (DFT), which confirmed the feasibility and advantages of this strategy. It provides a scalable and eco-friendly method for preparation of BNQDs with good dispersability and could also be generalized to the synthesis of other 2D quantum dots and nanoplates. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly Efficient Gas Sensor Using a Hollow SnO2 Microfiber for Triethylamine Detection.

PubMed

Zou, Yihui; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Jin; Liu, Jingquan; Che, Yanke; Liu, Xianghong; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Dongjiang

2017-07-28

Triethylamine (TEA) gas sensors having excellent response and selectivity are in great demand to monitor the real environment. In this work, we have successfully prepared a hollow SnO 2 microfiber by a unique sustainable biomass conversion strategy and shown that the microfiber can be used in a high-performance gas sensor. The sensor based on the hollow SnO 2 microfiber shows a quick response/recovery toward triethylamine. The response of the hollow SnO 2 microfiber is up to 49.5 when the concentration of TEA gas is 100 ppm. The limit of detection is as low as 2 ppm. Furthermore, the sensor has a relatively low optimal operation temperature of 270 °C, which is lower than those of many other reported sensors. The excellent sensing properties are largely attributed to the high sensitivity provided by SnO 2 and the good permeability and conductivity of the one-dimensional hollow structure. Thus, the hollow SnO 2 microfiber using sustainable biomass as a template is a significant strategy for a unique TEA gas sensor.

A flexible and highly sensitive nonenzymatic glucose sensor based on DVD-laser scribed graphene substrate.

PubMed

Lin, Songyue; Feng, Wendou; Miao, Xiaofei; Zhang, Xiangxin; Chen, Sujing; Chen, Yuanqiang; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Yining

2018-07-01

Flexible and implantable glucose biosensors are emerging technologies for continuous monitoring of blood-glucose of diabetes. Developing a flexible conductive substrates with high active surface area is critical for advancing the technology. Here, we successfully fabricate a flexible and highly sensitive nonenzymatic glucose by using DVD-laser scribed graphene (LSG) as a flexible conductively substrate. Copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) are electrodeposited as the catalyst. The LSG/Cu-NPs sensor demonstrates excellent catalytic activity toward glucose oxidation and exhibits a linear glucose detection range from 1 μM to 4.54 mM with high sensitivity (1.518 mA mM -1 cm -2 ) and low limit of detection (0.35 μM). Moreover, the LSG/Cu-NPs sensor shows excellent reproducibility and long-term stability. It is also highly selective toward glucose oxidation under the presence of various interfering species. Excellent flexing stability is also demonstrated by the LSG/Cu-NPs sensor, which is capable of maintaining 83.9% of its initial current after being bent against a 4-mm diameter rod for 180 times. The LSG/Cu-NPs sensor shows great potential for practical application as a nonenzymatic glucose biosensor. Meanwhile, the LSG conductive substrate provides a platform for the developing next-generation flexible and potentially implantable bioelectronics and biosensors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene platform for sensitive electrochemical glucose biosensing.

PubMed

Yang, Zhanjun; Cao, Yue; Li, Juan; Jian, Zhiqin; Zhang, Yongcai; Hu, Xiaoya

2015-04-29

In this work, we reported an efficient platinum nanoparticles functionalized nitrogen doped graphene (PtNPs@NG) nanocomposite for devising novel electrochemical glucose biosensor for the first time. The fabricated PtNPs@NG and biosensor were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, static water contact angle, UV-vis spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. PtNPs@NG showed large surface area and excellent biocompatibility, and enhanced the direct electron transfer between enzyme molecules and electrode surface. The glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized on PtNPs@NG nanocomposite retained its bioactivity, and exhibited a surface controlled, quasi-reversible and fast electron transfer process. The constructed glucose biosensor showed wide linear range from 0.005 to 1.1mM with high sensitivity of 20.31 mA M(-1) cm(-2). The detection limit was calculated to be 0.002 mM at signal-to-noise of 3, which showed 20-fold decrease in comparison with single NG-based electrochemical biosensor for glucose. The proposed glucose biosensor also demonstrated excellent selectivity, good reproducibility, acceptable stability, and could be successfully applied in the detection of glucose in serum samples at the applied potential of -0.33 V. This research provided a promising biosensing platform for the development of excellent electrochemical biosensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A highly selective chemiluminescent probe for the detection of chromium(VI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yan; Sun, Yonghua; Li, Chongying; Yang, Chao

2018-03-01

In present work, rhodamine B hydrazide and rhodamine 6G hydrazide were synthesized and the chemiluminescence performance has been investigated. Based on the chemiluminescence of rhodamine 6G hydrazide-chromium(VI), a selective and sensitive method for the direct detection of chromium(VI) was developed. The chemiluminescence intensity was linearly related to the concentration of chromium(VI) in the range of 2.60 × 10- 8-8.00 × 10- 6 mol/L with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.998 and a detection limit of 1.4 × 10- 8 mol/L (S/N = 3). The results indicated rhodamine 6G hydrazide was an excellent chemiluminescent probe for chromium(VI) without reduction of chromium(VI) to chromium(III). A possible mechanism of CL emission was also suggested.

Sensitive sub-Doppler nonlinear spectroscopy for hyperfine-structure analysis using simple atomizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickadeit, Fritz K.; Kemp, Helen; Schafer, Julia; Tong, William M.

1998-05-01

Laser wave-mixing spectroscopy is presented as a sub-Doppler method that offers not only high spectral resolution, but also excellent detection sensitivity. It offers spectral resolution suitable for hyperfine structure analysis and isotope ratio measurements. In a non-planar backward- scattering four-wave mixing optical configuration, two of the three input beams counter propagate and the Doppler broadening is minimized, and hence, spectral resolution is enhanced. Since the signal is a coherent beam, optical collection is efficient and signal detection is convenient. This simple multi-photon nonlinear laser method offers un usually sensitive detection limits that are suitable for trace-concentration isotope analysis using a few different types of simple analytical atomizers. Reliable measurement of hyperfine structures allows effective determination of isotope ratios for chemical analysis.

SkinScan©: A PORTABLE LIBRARY FOR MELANOMA DETECTION ON HANDHELD DEVICES

PubMed Central

Wadhawan, Tarun; Situ, Ning; Lancaster, Keith; Yuan, Xiaojing; Zouridakis, George

2011-01-01

We have developed a portable library for automated detection of melanoma termed SkinScan© that can be used on smartphones and other handheld devices. Compared to desktop computers, embedded processors have limited processing speed, memory, and power, but they have the advantage of portability and low cost. In this study we explored the feasibility of running a sophisticated application for automated skin cancer detection on an Apple iPhone 4. Our results demonstrate that the proposed library with the advanced image processing and analysis algorithms has excellent performance on handheld and desktop computers. Therefore, deployment of smartphones as screening devices for skin cancer and other skin diseases can have a significant impact on health care delivery in underserved and remote areas. PMID:21892382

Encapsulation of Hemin in Metal-Organic Frameworks for Catalyzing the Chemiluminescence Reaction of the H2O2-Luminol System and Detecting Glucose in the Neutral Condition.

PubMed

Luo, Fenqiang; Lin, Yaolin; Zheng, Liyan; Lin, Xiaomei; Chi, Yuwu

2015-06-03

Novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based solid catalysts have been synthesized by encapsulating Hemin into the HKUST-1 MOF materials. These have been first applied in the chemiluminescence field with outstanding performance. The functionalized MOFs not only maintain an excellent catalytic activity inheriting from Hemin but also can be cyclically utilized as solid mimic peroxidases in the neutral condition. The synthesized Hemin@HKUST-1 composites have been used to develop practical sensors for H2O2 and glucose with wide response ranges and low detection limits. It was envisioned that catalyst-functionalized MOFs for chemiluminescence sensing would have promising applications in green, selective, and sensitive detection of target analytes in the future.

Feasibility of Detecting Bioorganic Compounds in Enceladus Plumes with the Enceladus Organic Analyzer

PubMed Central

Razu, Md Enayet; Kim, Jungkyu; Stockton, Amanda M.; Turin, Paul; Butterworth, Anna

2017-01-01

Abstract Enceladus presents an excellent opportunity to detect organic molecules that are relevant for habitability as well as bioorganic molecules that provide evidence for extraterrestrial life because Enceladus' plume is composed of material from the subsurface ocean that has a high habitability potential and significant organic content. A primary challenge is to send instruments to Enceladus that can efficiently sample organic molecules in the plume and analyze for the most relevant molecules with the necessary detection limits. To this end, we present the scientific feasibility and engineering design of the Enceladus Organic Analyzer (EOA) that uses a microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system to provide sensitive detection of a wide range of relevant organic molecules, including amines, amino acids, and carboxylic acids, with ppm plume-detection limits (100 pM limits of detection). Importantly, the design of a capture plate that effectively gathers plume ice particles at encounter velocities from 200 m/s to 5 km/s is described, and the ice particle impact is modeled to demonstrate that material will be efficiently captured without organic decomposition. While the EOA can also operate on a landed mission, the relative technical ease of a fly-by mission to Enceladus, the possibility to nondestructively capture pristine samples from deep within the Enceladus ocean, plus the high sensitivity of the EOA instrument for molecules of bioorganic relevance for life detection argue for the inclusion of EOA on Enceladus missions. Key Words: Lab-on-a-chip—Organic biomarkers—Life detection—Planetary exploration. Astrobiology 17, 902–912. PMID:28915087

ATP-mediated intrinsic peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4-based nanozyme: One step detection of blood glucose at physiological pH.

PubMed

Vallabani, N V Srikanth; Karakoti, Ajay S; Singh, Sanjay

2017-05-01

Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs), demonstrating peroxidase-like activity has garnered attention in the detection of several biomolecules, therefore, emerged as an excellent nano-biosensing agent. The intrinsic peroxidase-like activity of Fe 3 O 4 NPs at acidic pH is the fundamental action driving the oxidation of substrates like TMB, resulting in a colorimetric product formation used in the detection of biomolecules. Hence, the detection sensitivity essentially depends on the ability of oxidation by Fe 3 O 4 NPs in presence of H 2 O 2 . However, the limited sensitivity and pH condition constraint have been identified as the major drawbacks in the detection of biomolecules at physiological pH. Herein, we report overwhelming of the fundamental limitation of acidic pH and tuning the peroxidase-like activity of Fe 3 O 4 NPs at physiological pH by using ATP. In presence of ATP, Fe 3 O 4 NPs exhibited enhanced peroxidase-like activity over a wide range of pH and temperatures. Mechanistically, it was found that the ability of ATP to participate in single electron transfer reaction, through complexation with Fe 3 O 4 NPs, results in the generation of hydroxyl radicals which are responsible for enhanced peroxidase activity at physiological pH. We utilized this ATP-mediated enhanced peroxidase-like activity of Fe 3 O 4 NPs for single step detection of glucose with a colorimetric detection limit of 50μM. Further, we extended this single step detection method to monitor glucose level in human blood serum and detected in a time span of <5min at pH 7.4. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal noise limit for ultra-high vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Lübbe, Jannis; Temmen, Matthias; Rode, Sebastian; Rahe, Philipp; Kühnle, Angelika

2013-01-01

Summary The noise of the frequency-shift signal Δf in noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) consists of cantilever thermal noise, tip–surface-interaction noise and instrumental noise from the detection and signal processing systems. We investigate how the displacement-noise spectral density d z at the input of the frequency demodulator propagates to the frequency-shift-noise spectral density d Δ f at the demodulator output in dependence of cantilever properties and settings of the signal processing electronics in the limit of a negligible tip–surface interaction and a measurement under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. For a quantification of the noise figures, we calibrate the cantilever displacement signal and determine the transfer function of the signal-processing electronics. From the transfer function and the measured d z, we predict d Δ f for specific filter settings, a given level of detection-system noise spectral density d z ds and the cantilever-thermal-noise spectral density d z th. We find an excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values for d Δ f. Furthermore, we demonstrate that thermal noise in d Δ f, defining the ultimate limit in NC-AFM signal detection, can be kept low by a proper choice of the cantilever whereby its Q-factor should be given most attention. A system with a low-noise signal detection and a suitable cantilever, operated with appropriate filter and feedback-loop settings allows room temperature NC-AFM measurements at a low thermal-noise limit with a significant bandwidth. PMID:23400758

An accurate and inexpensive color-based assay for detecting severe anemia in a limited-resource setting

PubMed Central

McGann, Patrick T.; Tyburski, Erika A.; de Oliveira, Vysolela; Santos, Brigida; Ware, Russell E.; Lam, Wilbur A.

2016-01-01

Severe anemia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among children in resource-poor settings, but laboratory diagnostics are often limited in these locations. To address this need, we developed a simple, inexpensive, and color-based point-of-care (POC) assay to detect severe anemia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of this novel POC assay to detect moderate and severe anemia in a limited-resource setting. The study was a cross-sectional study conducted on children with sickle cell anemia in Luanda, Angola. The hemoglobin concentrations obtained by the POC assay were compared to reference values measured by a calibrated automated hematology analyzer. A total of 86 samples were analyzed (mean hemoglobin concentration 6.6 g/dL). There was a strong correlation between the hemoglobin concentrations obtained by the POC assay and reference values obtained from an automated hematology analyzer (r=0.88, P<0.0001). The POC assay demonstrated excellent reproducibility (r=0.93, P<0.0001) and the reagents appeared to be durable in a tropical setting (r=0.93, P<0.0001). For the detection of severe anemia that may require blood transfusion (hemoglobin <5 g/dL), the POC assay had sensitivity of 88.9% and specificity of 98.7%. These data demonstrate that an inexpensive (<$0.25 USD) POC assay accurately estimates low hemoglobin concentrations and has the potential to become a transformational diagnostic tool for severe anemia in limited-resource settings. PMID:26317494

Thermal noise limit for ultra-high vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Lübbe, Jannis; Temmen, Matthias; Rode, Sebastian; Rahe, Philipp; Kühnle, Angelika; Reichling, Michael

2013-01-01

The noise of the frequency-shift signal Δf in noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) consists of cantilever thermal noise, tip-surface-interaction noise and instrumental noise from the detection and signal processing systems. We investigate how the displacement-noise spectral density d(z) at the input of the frequency demodulator propagates to the frequency-shift-noise spectral density d(Δ) (f) at the demodulator output in dependence of cantilever properties and settings of the signal processing electronics in the limit of a negligible tip-surface interaction and a measurement under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. For a quantification of the noise figures, we calibrate the cantilever displacement signal and determine the transfer function of the signal-processing electronics. From the transfer function and the measured d(z), we predict d(Δ) (f) for specific filter settings, a given level of detection-system noise spectral density d(z) (ds) and the cantilever-thermal-noise spectral density d(z) (th). We find an excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values for d(Δ) (f). Furthermore, we demonstrate that thermal noise in d(Δ) (f), defining the ultimate limit in NC-AFM signal detection, can be kept low by a proper choice of the cantilever whereby its Q-factor should be given most attention. A system with a low-noise signal detection and a suitable cantilever, operated with appropriate filter and feedback-loop settings allows room temperature NC-AFM measurements at a low thermal-noise limit with a significant bandwidth.

Graphene-loaded nanofiber-modified electrodes for the ultrasensitive determination of dopamine.

PubMed

Rodthongkum, Nadnudda; Ruecha, Nipapan; Rangkupan, Ratthapol; Vachet, Richard W; Chailapakul, Orawon

2013-12-04

A novel and highly sensitive electrochemical system based on electrospun graphene/polyaniline/polystyrene (G/PANI/PS) nanofiber-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes has been developed for dopamine (DA) determination. A dramatic increase (9 times) in the current signal for the redox reaction of a standard, ferri/ferrocyanide [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) couple was found when compared to an unmodified electrode. This modified electrode also exhibited favorable electron transfer kinetics and excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of DA. When used together with square wave voltammetry (SWV), DA can be selectively determined in the presence of the common interferents (i.e. ascorbic acid and uric acid). Under optimal conditions, a very low limit of detection (0.05 nM) and limit of quantification (0.30 nM) were achieved for DA. In addition, a wide dynamic range of 0.1 nM to 100 μM was found for this electrode system. Finally, the system can be successfully applied to determine DA in complex biological environment (e.g. human serum, urine) with excellent reproducibility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of nitrite in food samples based on sonochemical synthesized Calcium Ferrite (CaFe2O4) clusters modified screen printed carbon electrode.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Paramasivam; Settu, Ramki; Chen, Shen-Ming; Chen, Tse-Wei; Sharmila, Ganapathi

2018-08-15

Herein, we report a novel, disposable electrochemical sensor for the detection of nitrite ions in food samples based on the sonochemical synthesized orthorhombic CaFe 2 O 4 (CFO) clusters modified screen printed electrode. As synthesized CFO clusters were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry (i-t). Under optimal condition, the CFO modified electrode displayed a rapid current response to nitrite, a linear response range from 0.016 to 1921 µM associated with a low detection limit 6.6 nM. The suggested sensor also showed the excellent sensitivity of 3.712 μA μM -1  cm -2 . Furthermore, a good reproducibility, long-term stability and excellent selectivity were also attained on the proposed sensor. In addition, the practical applicability of the sensor was investigated via meat samples, tap water and drinking water, and showed desirable recovery rate, representing its possibilities for practical application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Screening of biologically important Zn2 + by a chemosensor with fluorescent turn on-off mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Tanveer A.; Sheoran, Monika; Nikhil Raj M., Venkata; Jain, Surbhi; Gupta, Diksha; Naik, Sunil G.

2018-01-01

Reported herein the synthesis, characterization and biologically important zinc ion binding propensity of a weakly fluorescent chemosensor, 4-methyl-2,6-bis((E)-(2-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol (1). 1H NMR spectroscopic titration experiment reveals the binding knack of 1 to the essential Zn2 +. The photo-physical studies of 1 exhibit an enhancement in the fluorescence by several folds upon binding with the zinc ions attributed to PET-off process, with a binding constant value of 5.22 × 103 M- 1. 1 exhibits an excellent detection range for Zn2 + with lower detection limit value of 2.31 × 10- 8 M. The selectivity of 1 was studied with various mono and divalent metal cations and it was observed that most cations either quenches the fluorescence or remains unchanged except for Cd2 +, which shows a slight enhancement in fluorescence intensity of 1. The ratiometric displacement of Cd2 + ions by Zn2 + ions shows an excellent selectivity towards in-situ detection of Zn2 + ions. Photo-physical studies also support the reversible binding of 1 to Zn2 + ions having on and off mechanism in presence of EDTA. Such recognition of the biologically important zinc ions finds potential application in live cell imaging.

Azadirachta indica plant-assisted green synthesis of Mn3O4 nanoparticles: Excellent thermal catalytic performance and chemical sensing behavior.

PubMed

Sharma, Jitendra Kumar; Srivastava, Pratibha; Ameen, Sadia; Akhtar, M Shaheer; Singh, Gurdip; Yadava, Sudha

2016-06-15

The leaf extract of Azadirachta indica (Neem) plant was utilized as reducing agent for the green synthesis of Mn3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). The crystalline analysis demonstrated the typical tetragonal hausmannite crystal structure of Mn3O4, which confirmed the formation of Mn3O4 NPs without the existence of other oxides. Green synthesized Mn3O4 NPs were applied for the catalytic thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and as working electrode for fabricating the chemical sensor. The excellent catalytic effect for the thermal decomposition of AP was observed by decreasing the decomposition temperature by 175 °C with single decomposing step. The fabricated chemical sensor based on green synthesized Mn3O4 NPs displayed high, reliable and reproducible sensitivity of ∼569.2 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) with reasonable limit of detection (LOD) of ∼22.1 μM and the response time of ∼10 s toward the detection of 2-butanone chemical. A relatively good linearity in the ranging from ∼20 to 160 μM was detected for Mn3O4 NPs electrode based 2-butanone chemical sensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Glucose biosensor based on functionalized ZnO nanowire/graphite films dispersed on a Pt electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallay, P.; Tosi, E.; Madrid, R.; Tirado, M.; Comedi, D.

2016-10-01

We present a glucose biosensor based on ZnO nanowire self-sustained films grown on compacted graphite flakes by the vapor transport method. Nanowire/graphite films were fragmented in water, filtered to form a colloidal suspension, subsequently functionalized with glucose oxidase and finally transferred to a metal electrode (Pt). The obtained devices were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The electrochemical responses of the devices were determined in buffer solutions with successive glucose aggregates using a tripolar electrode system. The nanostructured biosensors showed excellent analytical performance, with linear response to glucose concentrations, high sensitivity of up to ≈17 μA cm-2 mM-1 in the 0.03-1.52 mM glucose concentration range, relatively low Michaelis-Menten constant, excellent reproducibility and a fast response. The detection limits are more than an order of magnitude lower than those achievable in commercial biosensors for glucose control, which is promising for the development of glucose monitoring methods that do not require blood extraction from potentially diabetic patients. The strong detection enhancements provided by the functionalized nanostructures are much larger than the electrode surface-area increase and are discussed in terms of the physical and chemical mechanisms involved in the detection and transduction processes.

Highly sensitive luminol electrochemiluminescence immunosensor based on ZnO nanoparticles and glucose oxidase decorated graphene for cancer biomarker detection.

PubMed

Cheng, Yinfeng; Yuan, Ruo; Chai, Yaqin; Niu, Huan; Cao, Yaling; Liu, Huijing; Bai, Lijuan; Yuan, Yali

2012-10-01

In this work, we reported a sandwiched luminol electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor using ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and glucose oxidase (GOD) decorated graphene as labels and in situ generated hydrogen peroxide as coreactant. In order to construct the base of the immunosensor, a hybrid architecture of Au nanoparticles and graphene by reduction of HAuCl(4) and graphene oxide (GO) with ascorbic acid was prepared. The resulted hybrid architecture modified electrode provided an excellent platform for immobilization of antibody with good bioactivity and stability. Then, ZnONPs and GOD functionalized graphene labeled secondary antibody was designed for fabricating a novel sandwiched ECL immunosensor. Enhanced sensitivity was obtained by in situ generating hydrogen peroxide with glucose oxidase and the catalysis of ZnONPs to the ECL reaction of luminol-H(2)O(2) system. The as-prepared ECL immunosensor exhibited excellent analytical property for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the range from 10 pg mL(-1) to 80 ng mL(-1) and with a detection limit of 3.3 pg mL(-1) (SN(-1)=3). The amplification strategy performed good promise for clinical application of screening of cancer biomarkers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

B-scan ultrasonography for the detection of space-occupying ocular masses.

PubMed

Miller, W W; Cartee, R E

1985-07-01

A noninvasive technique, B-scan ultrasonography, was used to obtain detailed cross-sectional images of ocular and orbital structure and form. When a low-frequency probe (5 MHz) was used, tissue penetration was excellent; however, axial resolution was limited. The technique was used in a study of 2 cats and 1 dog. The use of low-frequency B-scan ultrasound should aid in the diagnostic examinations of space-occupying masses in the posterior portion of the ocular bulb and the orbit.

Framework for Evaluating Loop Invariant Detection Games in Relation to Automated Dynamic Invariant Detectors

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Detectability ...............................................................................................37 Figure 20. Excel VBA Codes for Checker...National Vulnerability Database OS Operating System SQL Structured Query Language VC Verification Condition VBA Visual Basic for Applications...checks each of these assertions for detectability by Daikon. The checker is an Excel Visual Basic for Applications ( VBA ) script that checks the

Vocal fold motion outcome based on excellent prognosis with laryngeal electromyography.

PubMed

Smith, Libby J; Rosen, Clark A; Munin, Michael C

2016-10-01

As laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) becomes more refined, accurate predictions of vocal fold motion recovery are possible. Focus has been on outcomes for patients with poor prognosis for vocal fold motion recovery. Limited information is available regarding the expected rate of purposeful vocal fold motion recovery when there is good to normal motor recruitment, no signs of denervation, and no signs of synkinetic activity with LEMG, termed excellent prognosis. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of vocal fold motion recovery with excellent prognosis findings on LEMG after acute recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Retrospective review. Patients undergoing a standardized LEMG protocol, consisting of qualitative (evaluation of motor recruitment, motor unit configuration, detection of fibrillations, presence of synkinesis) and quantitative (turns analysis) measurements were evaluated for purposeful vocal-fold motion recovery, calculated after at least 6 months since onset of injury. Twenty-three patients who underwent LEMG for acute vocal fold paralysis met the inclusion criteria of excellent prognosis. Eighteen patients (78.3%) recovered vocal fold motion, as determined by flexible laryngoscopy. Nearly 80% of patients determined to have excellent prognosis for vocal fold motion recovery experienced return of vocal fold motion. This information will help clinicians not only counsel their patients on expectations but will also help guide treatment. 4. Laryngoscope, 126:2310-2314, 2016. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

A SERS-active sensor based on heterogeneous gold nanostar core-silver nanoparticle satellite assemblies for ultrasensitive detection of aflatoxinB1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Aike; Tang, Lijuan; Song, Dan; Song, Shanshan; Ma, Wei; Xu, Liguang; Kuang, Hua; Wu, Xiaoling; Liu, Liqiang; Chen, Xin; Xu, Chuanlai

2016-01-01

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor based on gold nanostar (Au NS) core-silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) satellites was fabricated for the first time to detect aflatoxinB1 (AFB1). We constructed the SERS sensor using AFB1 aptamer (DNA1)-modified Ag satellites and a complementary sequence (DNA2)-modified Au NS core. The Raman label (ATP) was modified on the surface of Ag satellites. The SERS signal was enhanced when the satellite NP was attached to the Au core NS. The AFB1 aptamer on the surface of Ag satellites would bind to the targets when AFB1 was present in the system, Ag satellites were then removed and the SERS signal decreased. This SERS sensor showed superior specificity for AFB1 and the linear detection range was from 1 to 1000 pg mL-1 with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.48 pg mL-1. The excellent recovery experiment using peanut milk demonstrated that the sensor could be applied in food and environmental detection.A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor based on gold nanostar (Au NS) core-silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) satellites was fabricated for the first time to detect aflatoxinB1 (AFB1). We constructed the SERS sensor using AFB1 aptamer (DNA1)-modified Ag satellites and a complementary sequence (DNA2)-modified Au NS core. The Raman label (ATP) was modified on the surface of Ag satellites. The SERS signal was enhanced when the satellite NP was attached to the Au core NS. The AFB1 aptamer on the surface of Ag satellites would bind to the targets when AFB1 was present in the system, Ag satellites were then removed and the SERS signal decreased. This SERS sensor showed superior specificity for AFB1 and the linear detection range was from 1 to 1000 pg mL-1 with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.48 pg mL-1. The excellent recovery experiment using peanut milk demonstrated that the sensor could be applied in food and environmental detection. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08372a

A turn-on chemiluminescence biosensor for selective and sensitive detection of adenosine based on HKUST-1 and QDs-luminol-aptamer conjugates.

PubMed

Lin, Yanna; Dai, Yuxue; Sun, Yuanling; Ding, Chaofan; Sun, Weiyan; Zhu, Xiaodong; Liu, Hao; Luo, Chuannan

2018-05-15

In this work, HKUST-1 and QDs-luminol-aptamer conjugates were prepared. The QDs-luminol-aptamer conjugates can be adsorbed by graphene oxide through π-π conjugation. When the adenosine was added, the QDs-luminol-aptamer conjugates were released from magnetic graphene oxide (MGO), the chemiluminescent switch was turned on. It was reported that HKUST-1 can catalyze the chemiluminescence reaction of luminol-H 2 O 2 system in an alkaline medium, and improve the chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) between chemiluminescence and QDs indirectly. Thus, the adenosine can be detected sensitively. Based on this phenomenon, the excellent platform for detection of adenosine was established. Under the optimized conditions, the linear detection range for adenosine was 1.0 × 10 -12 -2.2 × 10 -10 mol/L with a detection limit of 2.1 × 10 -13 mol/L. The proposed method was successfully used for adenosine detection in biological samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A CO trace gas detection system based on continuous wave DFB-QCL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Jingmin; Yu, Haiye; Sun, Yujing; Wang, Yiding

2017-05-01

A compact and mobile system was demonstrated for the detection of carbon monoxide (CO) at trace level. This system adopted a high-power, continuous wave (CW), distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) operating at ∼22 °C as excitation source. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) as well as second harmonic detection was used to isolate complex, overlapping spectral absorption features typical of ambient pressures and to achieve excellent specificity and high detection sensitivity. For the selected P(11) absorption line of CO molecule, located at 2099.083 cm-1, a limit of detection (LoD) of 26 ppb by volume (ppbv) at atmospheric pressure was achieved with a 1 s acquisition time. Allan deviation analysis was performed to investigate the long term performance of the CO detection system, and a measurement precision of 3.4 ppbv was observed with an optimal integration time of approximate 114 s, which verified the reliable and robust operation of the developed system.

Line-scanning Raman imaging spectroscopy for detection of fingerprints.

PubMed

Deng, Sunan; Liu, Le; Liu, Zhiyi; Shen, Zhiyuan; Li, Guohua; He, Yonghong

2012-06-10

Fingerprints are the best form of personal identification for criminal investigation purposes. We present a line-scanning Raman imaging system and use it to detect fingerprints composed of β-carotene and fish oil on different substrates. Although the line-scanning Raman system has been used to map the distribution of materials such as polystyrene spheres and minerals within geological samples, this is the first time to our knowledge that the method is used in imaging fingerprints. Two Raman peaks of β-carotene (501.2, 510.3 nm) are detected and the results demonstrate that both peaks can generate excellent images with little difference between them. The system operates at a spectra resolution of about 0.4 nm and can detect β-carotene signals in petroleum ether solution with the limit of detection of 3.4×10(-9) mol/L. The results show that the line-scanning Raman imaging spectroscopy we have built has a high accuracy and can be used in the detection of latent fingerprints in the future.

The Novel Immunobiosensors for Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zhang, Deng; Chen, Songyue; Qin, Lifeng; Li, Rong; Wang, Ping; Li, Yanbin

2005-01-01

Immunobiosensors were developed for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on the surface immobilization of monoclone antibodies onto indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The immobilization of antibodies onto ITO chips was carried out by silanization. The effects of epoxysilane monolayer, the antibody layer on the electrochemical properties of the electrode, and the combined target bacteria were analyzed through cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. By using Randles model as the equivalent circuit, the concentration of the target bacteria can be quantitatively analyzed in terms of the change of electron transfer resistance. The biosensor could detect the target bacteria with a detection limit of 4×10³CFU/mL. A linear response was found between 4×10³- 4×10⁶CFU/mL. This biosensor was characterized with high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, short detection time and easy operation It has a promising application in clinical laboratory diagnoses, environmental detection and food safety.

Two New Fluorogenic Aptasensors Based on Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles to Detect Ochratoxin A

PubMed Central

Ribes, Àngela; Santiago‐Felipe, Sara; Bernardos, Andrea; Marcos, M. Dolores; Pardo, Teresa; Sancenón, Félix; Aznar, Elena

2017-01-01

Abstract Aptamers have been used as recognition elements for several molecules due to their great affinity and selectivity. Additionally, mesoporous nanomaterials have demonstrated great potential in sensing applications. Based on these concepts, we report herein the use of two aptamer‐capped mesoporous silica materials for the selective detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). A specific aptamer for OTA was used to block the pores of rhodamine B‐loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Two solids were prepared in which the aptamer capped the porous scaffolds by using a covalent or electrostatic approach. Whereas the prepared materials remained capped in water, dye delivery was selectively observed in the presence of OTA. The protocol showed excellent analytical performance in terms of sensitivity (limit of detection: 0.5–0.05 nm), reproducibility, and selectivity. Moreover, the aptasensors were tested for OTA detection in commercial foodstuff matrices, which demonstrated their potential applicability in real samples. PMID:29046860

Nanoshell-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on a Microplate for Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B Sensing.

PubMed

Wang, Wenbin; Wang, Weiwei; Liu, Liqiang; Xu, Liguang; Kuang, Hua; Zhu, Jianping; Xu, Chuanlai

2016-06-22

A sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) immunosensor based on the Au nanoparticle (Au NP) shell structure was developed to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) on a microplate. Au NPs modified with 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) and coated with Ag shell of controlled thickness at 6.6 nm exhibited excellent SERS intensity and were used as signal reporters in the detection of SEB. The engaged 4-NTP allowed the significant electromagnetic enhancement between Au NPs and the Ag shell and prevented the dissociation of the Raman reporter. More importantly, 4-NTP-differentiated SERS signals between the sample and microplate. The SERS-based immunosensor had a limit of detection of 1.3 pg/mL SEB. Analysis of SEB-spiked milk samples revealed that the developed method had high accuracy. Therefore, the SERS-encoded Au@Ag core-shell structure-based immunosensor is promising for the detection of biotoxins, pathogens, and environmental pollutants.

Electrochemical determination of bisphenol A in plastic bottled drinking water and canned beverages using a molecularly imprinted chitosan-graphene composite film modified electrode.

PubMed

Deng, Peihong; Xu, Zhifeng; Kuang, Yunfei

2014-08-15

Herein, a novel electrochemical sensor based on an acetylene black paste electrode modified with molecularly imprinted chitosan-graphene composite film for sensitive and selective detection of bisphenol A (BPA) has been developed. Several important parameters controlling the performance of the sensor were investigated and optimised. The imprinted sensor offers a fast response and sensitive BPA quantification. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range from 8.0 nM to 1.0 μM and 1.0 to 20 μM for the detection of BPA was observed with the detection limit of 6.0 nM (S/N=3). Meanwhile, the fabricated sensor showed excellent specific recognition to template molecule among the structural similarities and coexistence substances. Furthermore, this imprinted electrochemical sensor was successfully employed to detect BPA in plastic bottled drinking water and canned beverages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optofluidic analysis system for amplification-free, direct detection of Ebola infection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, H.; Parks, J. W.; Wall, T. A.; Stott, M. A.; Stambaugh, A.; Alfson, K.; Griffiths, A.; Mathies, R. A.; Carrion, R.; Patterson, J. L.; Hawkins, A. R.; Schmidt, H.

2015-09-01

The massive outbreak of highly lethal Ebola hemorrhagic fever in West Africa illustrates the urgent need for diagnostic instruments that can identify and quantify infections rapidly, accurately, and with low complexity. Here, we report on-chip sample preparation, amplification-free detection and quantification of Ebola virus on clinical samples using hybrid optofluidic integration. Sample preparation and target preconcentration are implemented on a PDMS-based microfluidic chip (automaton), followed by single nucleic acid fluorescence detection in liquid-core optical waveguides on a silicon chip in under ten minutes. We demonstrate excellent specificity, a limit of detection of 0.2 pfu/mL and a dynamic range of thirteen orders of magnitude, far outperforming other amplification-free methods. This chip-scale approach and reduced complexity compared to gold standard RT-PCR methods is ideal for portable instruments that can provide immediate diagnosis and continued monitoring of infectious diseases at the point-of-care.

Polyhydroquinone-graphene composite as new redox species for sensitive electrochemical detection of cytokeratins antigen 21-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Huiqiang; Rong, Qinfeng; Ma, Zhanfang

2016-07-01

Polyhydroquinone-graphene composite as a new redox species was synthesized simply by a microwave-assisted one-pot method through oxidative polymerization of hydroquinone by graphene oxide, which exhibited excellent electrochemical redox activity at 0.124 V and can remarkably promote electron transfer. The as-prepared composite was used as immunosensing substrate in a label-free electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of cytokeratins antigen 21-1, a kind of biomarker of lung cancer. The proposed immunosensor showed wide liner range from 10 pg mL-1 to 200 ng mL-1 with a detection limit 2.3 pg mL-1, and displayed a good stability and selectivity. In addition, this method has been used for the analysis of human serum sample, and the detection results showed good consistence with those of ELISA. The present substrate can be easily extended to other polymer-based nanocomposites.

Cobalt oxide nanosheets wrapped onto nickel foam for non-enzymatic detection of glucose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Shangjun; Wu, Meiyan; Wang, Qian; Dai, Ziyang; Si, Weili; Huang, Wei; Dong, Xiaochen

2016-08-01

Ultra-sensitive and highly selective detection of glucose is essential for the clinical diagnosis of diabetes. In this paper, an ultra-sensitive glucose sensor was successfully fabricated based on cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanosheets directly grown on nickel foam through a simple hydrothermal method. Characterizations indicated that the Co3O4 nanosheets are completely and uniformly wrapped onto the surface of nickel foam to form a three-dimensional heterostructure. The resulting self-standing electrochemical electrode presents a high performance for the non-enzymatic detection of glucose, including short response time (<10 s), ultra-sensitivity (12.97 mA mM-1 cm-2), excellent selectivity and low detection limit (0.058 μM, S/N = 3). These results indicate that Co3O4 nanosheets wrapped onto nickel foam are a low-cost, practical, and high performance electrochemical electrode for bio sensing.

An electrochemical immunosensor for quantitative detection of ficolin-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San, Lili; Zeng, Dongdong; Song, Shiping; Zuo, Xiaolei; Zhang, Huan; Wang, Chenguang; Wu, Jiarui; Mi, Xianqiang

2016-06-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders in the world, of which more than 90% is type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There is a rather urgent need for reliable, sensitive and quick detection techniques in clinical application of T2DM. Ficolin-3 is a potential biomarker of T2DM, because serum ficolin-3 levels are associated with insulin resistance and predict the incidence of T2DM. Herein, a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the detection of ficolin-3 in human serum. Cyclic voltammetry and the amperometric current versus time were used to characterize the performance of the immunosensor. Under optimal conditions, the detection limitation of ficolin-3 was 100 ng ml-1 and the linear dynamic range was between 2 and 50 μg ml-1. The method has ideal accuracy, excellent stability and selectivity and has wide application prospects in clinical research.

Ultrasonic assisted synthesis of adenosine triphosphate capped manganese-doped ZnS quantum dots for selective room temperature phosphorescence detection of arginine and methylated arginine in urine based on supramolecular Mg(2+)-adenosine triphosphate-arginine ternary system.

PubMed

Ren, Hu-Bo; Yan, Xiu-Ping

2012-08-15

An ultrasonic assisted approach was developed for rapid synthesis of highly water soluble phosphorescent adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-capped Mn-doped ZnS QDs. The prepared ATP-capped Mn-doped ZnS QDs allow selective phosphorescent detection of arginine and methylated arginine based on the specific recognition nature of supramolecular Mg(2+)-ATP-arginine ternary system in combination with the phosphorescence property of Mn-doped ZnS QDs. The developed QD based probe gives excellent selectivity and reproducibility (1.7% relative standard deviation for 11 replicate detections of 10 μM arginine) and low detection limit (3 s, 0.23 μM), and favors biological applications due to the effective elimination of interference from scattering light and autofluorescence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An electrochemical fungicide pyrimethanil sensor based on carbon nanotubes/ionic-liquid construction modified electrode.

PubMed

Yang, Jichun; Wang, Qiong; Zhang, Minhui; Zhang, Shuming; Zhang, Lei

2015-11-15

In this study, a simple, rapid, sensitive and environmentally friendly electroanalytical detection method for pyrimethanil (PMT) was developed, which was based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and ionic liquids (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). MWCNTs-IL modified electrode significantly enhanced the oxidation peak current of PMT by combining the excellent electrochemical properties of MWCNTs and IL, suggesting that the modified electrode can remarkably improve the sensitivity of PMT detection. Under the optimum conditions, this electrochemical sensor exhibited a linear concentration range for PMT of 1.0 × 10(-7)-1.0 × 10(-4) mol L(-1) and the detection limit was 1.6 × 10(-8) mol L(-1) (S/N = 3). The fabricated electrode showed good reproducibility, stability and anti-interference, and also it was successfully employed to detect PMT in real samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous Detection of Dopamine and Uric Acid Using a Poly(l-lysine)/Graphene Oxide Modified Electrode

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuehua; Lei, Wu; Xu, Yujuan; Xia, Xifeng; Hao, Qingli

2016-01-01

A novel, simple and selective electrochemical method was investigated for the simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) on a poly(l-lysine)/graphene oxide (GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (PLL/GO/GCE) by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemically prepared PLL/GO sensory platform toward the oxidation of UA and DA exhibited several advantages, including high effective surface area, more active sites and enhanced electrochemical activity. Compared to the PLL-modified GCE (PLL/GCE), GO-modified GCE and bare GCE, the PLL/GO/GCE exhibited an increase in the anodic potential difference and a remarkable enhancement in the current responses for both UA and DA. For the simultaneous detection of DA and UA, the detection limits of 0.021 and 0.074 μM were obtained, while 0.031 and 0.018 μM were obtained as the detection limits for the selective detection of UA and DA, using DPV in the linear concentration ranges of 0.5 to 20.0 and 0.5 to 35 μM, respectively. In addition, the PLL/GO/GCE demonstrated good reproducibility, long-term stability, excellent selectivity and negligible interference of ascorbic acid (AA). The proposed modified electrode was successfully implemented in the simultaneous detection of DA and UA in human blood serum, urine and dopamine hydrochloride injection with satisfactory results. PMID:28335305

Photoacoustic and photothermal detection of circulating tumor cells, bacteria and nanoparticles in cerebrospinal fluid in vivo and ex vivo.

PubMed

Nedosekin, Dmitry A; Juratli, Mazen A; Sarimollaoglu, Mustafa; Moore, Christopher L; Rusch, Nancy J; Smeltzer, Mark S; Zharov, Vladimir P; Galanzha, Ekaterina I

2013-06-01

Circulating cells, bacteria, proteins, microparticles, and DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are excellent biomarkers of many diseases, including cancer and infections. However, the sensitivity of existing methods is limited in their ability to detect rare CSF biomarkers at the treatable, early-stage of diseases. Here, we introduce novel CSF tests based on in vivo photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) and ex vivo photothermal scanning cytometry. In the CSF of tumor-bearing mice, we molecularly detected in vivo circulating tumor cells (CTCs) before the development of breast cancer brain metastasis with 20-times higher sensitivity than with current assays. For the first time, we demonstrated assessing three pathways (i.e., blood, lymphatic, and CSF) of CTC dissemination, tracking nanoparticles in CSF in vivo and their imaging ex vivo. In label-free CSF samples, we counted leukocytes, erythrocytes, melanoma cells, and bacteria and imaged intracellular cytochromes, hemoglobin, melanin, and carotenoids, respectively. Taking into account the safety of PAFC, its translation for use in humans is expected to improve disease diagnosis beyond conventional detection limits. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Carbon dots based fluorescent sensor for sensitive determination of hydroquinone.

PubMed

Ni, Pengjuan; Dai, Haichao; Li, Zhen; Sun, Yujing; Hu, Jingting; Jiang, Shu; Wang, Yilin; Li, Zhuang

2015-11-01

In this paper, a novel biosensor based on Carbon dots (C-dots) for sensitive detection of hydroquinone (H2Q) is reported. It is interesting to find that the fluorescence of the C-dots could be quenched by H2Q directly. The possible quenching mechanism is proposed, which shows that the quenching effect may be caused by the electron transfer from C-dots to oxidized H2Q-quinone. Based on the above principle, a novel C-dots based fluorescent probe has been successfully applied to detect H2Q. Under the optimal condition, detection limit down to 0.1 μM is obtained, which is far below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated wastewater discharge limit of 0.5 mg/L. Moreover, the proposed method shows high selectivity for H2Q over a number of potential interfering species. Finally, several water samples spiked with H2Q are analyzed utilizing the sensing method with satisfactory recovery. The proposed method is simple with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity, which provides a new approach for the detection of various analytes that can be transformed into quinone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of N-doped graphene modified carbon ionic liquid electrode for direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin.

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Dong, Lifeng; Deng, Ying; Yu, Jianhua; Wang, Wencheng; Zhu, Qianqian

2014-06-01

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) was synthesized and used for the investigation on direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) with a carbon ionic liquid electrode as the substrate electrode. Due to specific characteristics of NG such as excellent electrocatalytic property and large surface area, direct electron transfer of Hb was realized with enhanced electrochemical responses appearing. Electrochemical behaviors of Hb on the NG modified electrode were carefully investigated with the electrochemical parameters calculated. The Hb modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic reduction activity toward different substrates, such as trichloroacetic acid and H2O2, with wider dynamic range and lower detection limit. These findings show that NG can be used for the preparation of chemically modified electrodes with improved performance and has potential applications in electrochemical sensing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Zika virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

PubMed

Wang, Xuan; Yin, Fenggui; Bi, Yuhai; Cheng, Gong; Li, Jing; Hou, Lidan; Li, Yunlong; Yang, Baozhi; Liu, Wenjun; Yang, Limin

2016-12-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus that recently emerged and has expanded worldwide, causing a global threat and raising international concerns. Current molecular diagnostics, e.g., real-time PCR and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), are time consuming, expensive, and can only be deployed in a laboratory instead of for field diagnostics. This study aimed to develop a one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) platform showing sensitivity, specificity, and more convenience than previous methods, being easily distributed and implemented. Specific primers were designed and screened to target the entire ZIKV genome. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the assay were evaluated and compared with traditional PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. Three different simulated clinical sample quick preparation protocols were evaluated to establish a rapid and straightforward treatment procedure for clinical specimens in open field detection. The RT-LAMP assay for detection of ZIKV demonstrated superior specificity and sensitivity compared to traditional PCR at the optimum reaction temperature. For the ZIKV RNA standard, the limit of detection was 20 copies/test. For the simulated ZIKV clinical samples, the limit of detection was 0.02 pfu/test, which was one order of magnitude higher than RT-PCR and similar to real-time PCR. The detection limit of simulated ZIKV specimens prepared using a protease quick processing method was consistent with that of samples prepared using commercial nucleic acid extraction kits, indicating that our ZIKV detection method could be used in point-of-care testing. The RT-LAMP assay had excellent sensitivity and specificity for detecting ZIKV and can be deployed together with a rapid specimen processing method, offering the possibility for ZIKV diagnosis outside of the laboratory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fe3O4 and metal-organic framework MIL-101(Fe) composites catalyze luminol chemiluminescence for sensitively sensing hydrogen peroxide and glucose.

PubMed

Qian Tang, Xue; Dan Zhang, Yi; Wei Jiang, Zhong; Mei Wang, Dong; Zhi Huang, Cheng; Fang Li, Yuan

2018-03-01

In this work, Fe 3 O 4 and metal-organic framework MIL-101(Fe) composites (Fe 3 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe)) was demonstrated to possess excellent catalytic property to directly catalyze luminol chemiluminescence without extra oxidants. We utilized Fe 3 O 4 /MIL-101(Fe) to develop a ultra-sensitive quantitative analytical method for H 2 O 2 and glucose. The possible mechanism of the chemiluminescence reaction had been investigated. Under optimal conditions, the relative chemiluminescence intensity was linearly proportional to the logarithm of H 2 O 2 concentration in the range of 5-150nM with a limit of detection of 3.7nM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and glucose could be linearly detected in the range from 5 to 100nM and the detection limit was 4.9nM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3). Furthermore, the present approach was successfully applied to quantitative determination of H 2 O 2 in medical disinfectant and glucose in human serum samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A circular dichroism sensor for selective detection of Cd2 + and S2 - based on the in-situ generation of chiral CdS quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sianglam, Pradthana; Kulchat, Sirinan; Tuntulani, Thawatchai; Ngeontae, Wittaya

2017-08-01

We demonstrate an advance in the fabrication of circular dichroism (CD) sensors for detection of Cd2 + and S2 - based on chiral CdS quantum dots (QDs) generated by a facile in-situ reaction. The chiral quantum dots are generated in solutions composed of Cd2 +, S2 -, cysteamine (CA) and L-penicillamine (L-PA), with the number of the generated particles limited by either the Cd2 + or S2 - concentration. We show that the magnitude of the CD signal produced by the QDs is linearly related to the initial concentration of Cd2 + and S2 -, with excellent selectivity over other ions. Our sensor functions over concentration ranges of 65-200 μM and 7-125 μM with detection limits of 59.7 and 1.6 μM for Cd2 + and S2 -, respectively. The sensor is applied in real water samples with results comparing favorably with those obtained from ICP-OES (for Cd2 +) and HPLC (for S2 -).

PdCo alloy nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanofiber for ultrasensitive nonenzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Guo, Qiaohui; Zhang, Xueping; Hou, Haoqing; You, Tianyan

2015-07-15

PdCo alloy nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanofiber (PdCo/CNF) prepared by electrospinning and thermal treatment was employed as a high-performance platform for the determination of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. The as-obtained PdCo/CNF were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were employed to investigate the electrochemical behaviors of the resultant biosensor. The proposed PdCo/CNF-based biosensor showed excellent analytical performances toward hydrogen peroxide (detection limit: 0.1 μM; linear range: 0.2 μM-23.5 mM) and nitrite (detection limit: 0.2 μM; linear range: 0.4-30 μM and 30-400 μM). The superior analytical properties could be attributed to the synergic effect and firmly embedment of well-dispersed PdCo alloy nanoparticles. These attractive electrochemical properties make this robust electrode material promising for the development of effective electrochemical sensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the detectability of antioxidants in two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Bassanese, Danielle N; Conlan, Xavier A; Barnett, Neil W; Stevenson, Paul G

2015-05-01

This paper explores the analytical figures of merit of two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography for the separation of antioxidant standards. The cumulative two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography peak area was calculated for 11 antioxidants by two different methods--the areas reported by the control software and by fitting the data with a Gaussian model; these methods were evaluated for precision and sensitivity. Both methods demonstrated excellent precision in regards to retention time in the second dimension (%RSD below 1.16%) and cumulative second dimension peak area (%RSD below 3.73% from the instrument software and 5.87% for the Gaussian method). Combining areas reported by the high-performance liquid chromatographic control software displayed superior limits of detection, in the order of 1 × 10(-6) M, almost an order of magnitude lower than the Gaussian method for some analytes. The introduction of the countergradient eliminated the strong solvent mismatch between dimensions, leading to a much improved peak shape and better detection limits for quantification. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Construction of graphene oxide magnetic nanocomposites-based on-chip enzymatic microreactor for ultrasensitive pesticide detection.

PubMed

Liang, Ru-Ping; Wang, Xiao-Ni; Liu, Chun-Ming; Meng, Xiang-Ying; Qiu, Jian-Ding

2013-11-08

A new strategy for facile construction of graphene oxide magnetic nanocomposites (GO/Fe3O4 MNCs)-based on-chip enzymatic microreactor and ultrasensitive pesticide detection has been proposed. GO/Fe3O4 MNCs were first prepared through an in situ chemical deposition strategy. Then, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was adsorbed onto the GO/Fe3O4 surface to form GO/Fe3O4/AChE MNCs which was locally packed into PDMS microchannel simply with the help of external magnetic field to form an on-chip enzymatic microreactor. The constructed GO/Fe3O4/AChE MNCs-based enzymatic microreactor not only have the magnetism of Fe3O4 NPs that make them conveniently manipulated by an external magnetic field, but also have the larger surface and excellent biocompatibility of graphene which can incorporate much more AChE molecules and well maintain their biological activity. On the basis of the AChE inhibition principle, a novel on-chip enzymatic microreactor was constructed for analyzing dimethoate which is usually used as a model of organophosphorus pesticides. Under optimal conditions, a linear relationship between the inhibition rates of AChE and the concentration of dimethoate from 1 to 20 μgL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.18 μgL(-1) (S/N=3) was obtained. The developed electrophoretic and magnetic-based chip exhibited excellent reproducibility and stability with no decrease in the activity of enzyme for more than 20 repeated measurements over one week period, which provided a new and promising tool for the analysis of enzyme inhibitors with low cost and excellent performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound extracted flavonoids from four varieties of Portuguese red grape skins determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

PubMed

Novak, Ivana; Janeiro, Patricia; Seruga, Marijan; Oliveira-Brett, Ana Maria

2008-12-23

Several flavonoids present in red grape skins from four varieties of Portuguese grapes were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with electrochemical detection (ECD). Extraction of flavonoids from red grape skins was performed by ultrasonication, and hydrochloric acid in methanol was used as extraction solvent. The developed RP-HPLC method used combined isocratic and gradient elution with amperometric detection with a glassy carbon-working electrode. Good peak resolution was obtained following direct injection of a sample of red grape extract in a pH 2.20 mobile phase. Eleven different flavonoids: cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (kuromanin), delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (myrtillin), petunidin-3-O-glucoside, peonidin-3-O-glucoside, malvidin-3-O-glucoside (oenin), (+)-catechin, rutin, fisetin, myricetin, morin and quercetin, can be separated in a single run by direct injection of sample solution. The limit of detection obtained for these compounds by ECD was 20-90 pg/L, 1000 times lower when compared with photodiode array (PDA) limit of detection of 12-55 ng/L. RP-HPLC-ECD was characterized by an excellent sensitivity and selectivity, and appropriate for the simultaneous determination of these electroactive phenolic compounds present in red grape skins.

Polythiophene nanofilms for sensitive fluorescence detection of viruses in drinking water.

PubMed

Wankar, Shashwati; Turner, Nicholas W; Krupadam, Reddithota J

2016-08-15

Molecular imprints of the tobacco necrosis virus (TNV) have been formed within polythiophene nanofilms with an approximate thickness of 200nm. These films have been electrochemically deposited onto conducting Au surfaces. Upon rebinding, the TNV-polythiophene complex changes the fluorescence intensity of the nanofilm. The fluorescence intensity at 410nm was observed to be proportional to the concentration of viruses in the range of 0.1-10ngL(-1) (0.15-15pg) with the lower calculated detection limit of 2.29ngL(-1) (3.4pg). The intensity of the fluorescence emission is not affected by the thickness of the polythiophene film and the nature of TNV specific binding sites. Kinetic data analyses showed that the nanofilm responds to TNV within 2min; and cross-selectivity studies with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) showed an excellent specificity for the targeted TNV. These binding experiments demonstrate the potential of fluorescence emission for the specific, label free and rapid detection of viruses using nanofilm sensors. Taking into account the lower limit of detection, the fluorescence sensing reported here is reliable, simple to perform, rapid, cost-effective and offers a sensitive analytical method for virus detection in water resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of Detection Limits and Quantitation Limits for Compounds in a Database of GC/MS by FUMI Theory

PubMed Central

Nakashima, Shinya; Hayashi, Yuzuru

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to propose a stochastic method for estimating the detection limits (DLs) and quantitation limits (QLs) of compounds registered in a database of a GC/MS system and prove its validity with experiments. The approach described in ISO 11843 Part 7 is adopted here as an estimation means of DL and QL, and the decafluorotriphenylphosphine (DFTPP) tuning and retention time locking are carried out for adjusting the system. Coupled with the data obtained from the system adjustment experiments, the information (noise and signal of chromatograms and calibration curves) stored in the database is used for the stochastic estimation, dispensing with the repetition measurements. Of sixty-six pesticides, the DL values obtained by the ISO method were compared with those from the statistical approach and the correlation between them was observed to be excellent with the correlation coefficient of 0.865. The accuracy of the method proposed was also examined and concluded to be satisfactory as well. The samples used are commercial products of pesticides mixtures and the uncertainty from sample preparation processes is not taken into account. PMID:27162706

Marine chemical technology and sensors for marine waters: potentials and limits.

PubMed

Moore, Tommy S; Mullaugh, Katherine M; Holyoke, Rebecca R; Madison, Andrew S; Yücel, Mustafa; Luther, George W

2009-01-01

A significant need exists for in situ sensors that can measure chemical species involved in the major processes of primary production (photosynthesis and chemosynthesis) and respiration. Some key chemical species are O2, nutrients (N and P), micronutrients (metals), pCO2, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH, and sulfide. Sensors need to have excellent detection limits, precision, selectivity, response time, a large dynamic concentration range, low power consumption, robustness, and less variation of instrument response with temperature and pressure, as well as be free from fouling problems (biological, physical, and chemical). Here we review the principles of operation of most sensors used in marine waters. We also show that some sensors can be used in several different oceanic environments to detect the target chemical species, whereas others are useful in only one environment because of various limitations. Several sensors can be used truly in situ, whereas many others involve water brought into a flow cell via tubing to the analyzer in the environment or aboard ship. Multi-element sensors that measure many chemical species in the same water mass should be targeted for further development.

A cell-surface-anchored ratiometric i-motif sensor for extracellular pH detection.

PubMed

Ying, Le; Xie, Nuli; Yang, Yanjing; Yang, Xiaohai; Zhou, Qifeng; Yin, Bincheng; Huang, Jin; Wang, Kemin

2016-06-14

A FRET-based sensor is anchored on the cell surface through streptavidin-biotin interactions. Due to the excellent properties of the pH-sensitive i-motif structure, the sensor can detect extracellular pH with high sensitivity and excellent reversibility.

Voltammetric determination of attomolar levels of a sequence derived from the genom of hepatitis B virus by using molecular beacon mediated circular strand displacement and rolling circle amplification.

PubMed

Huang, Shan; Feng, Mengmeng; Li, Jiawen; Liu, Yi; Xiao, Qi

2018-03-03

The authors describe an electrochemical method for the determination of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) oligonucleotide with a sequence derived from the genom of hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is making use of circular strand displacement (CSD) and rolling circle amplification (RCA) strategies mediated by a molecular beacon (MB). This ssDNA hybridizes with the loop portion of the MB immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode, while primer DNA also hybridizes with the rest of partial DNA sequences of MB. This triggers the MB-mediated CSD. The RCA is then initiated to produce a long DNA strand with multiple tandem-repeat sequences, and this results in a significant increase of the differential pulse voltammetric response of the electrochemical probe Methylene Blue at a rather low working potential of -0.24 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Under optimal experimental conditions, the assay displays an ultrahigh sensitivity (with a 2.6 aM detection limit) and excellent selectivity. Response is linear in the 10 to 700 aM DNA concentration range. Graphical abstract Schematic of a voltammetric method for the determination of attomolar levels of target DNA. It is based on molecular beacon mediated circular strand displacement and rolling circle amplification strategies. Under optimal experimental conditions, the assay displays an ultrahigh sensitivity with a 2.6 aM detection limit and excellent selectivity.

Illustrating the Central Limit Theorem through Microsoft Excel Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moen, David H.; Powell, John E.

2005-01-01

Using Microsoft Excel, several interactive, computerized learning modules are developed to demonstrate the Central Limit Theorem. These modules are used in the classroom to enhance the comprehension of this theorem. The Central Limit Theorem is a very important theorem in statistics, and yet because it is not intuitively obvious, statistics…

Electrochemical Nanoparticle Sizing Via Nano-Impacts: How Large a Nanoparticle Can be Measured?

PubMed Central

Bartlett, Thomas R; Sokolov, Stanislav V; Compton, Richard G

2015-01-01

The field of nanoparticle (NP) sizing encompasses a wide array of techniques, with electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) having become the established methods for NP quantification; however, these techniques are not always applicable. A new and rapidly developing method that addresses the limitations of these techniques is the electrochemical detection of NPs in solution. The ‘nano-impacts’ technique is an excellent and qualitative in situ method for nanoparticle characterization. Two complementary studies on silver and silver bromide nanoparticles (NPs) were used to assess the large radius limit of the nano-impact method for NP sizing. Noting that by definition a NP cannot be larger than 100 nm in diameter, we have shown that the method quantitatively sizes at the largest limit, the lower limit having been previously reported as ∼6 nm.1 PMID:26491639

Amperometric sensing of hydrogen peroxide using glassy carbon electrode modified with copper nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sophia, J.; Muralidharan, G., E-mail: muraligru@gmail.com

2015-10-15

In this paper, fabrication of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with nano copper particles is discussed. The modified electrode has been tested for the non-enzymatic electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}). The copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were prepared employing a simple chemical reduction method. The presence of Cu NPs was confirmed through UV–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The size and morphology of the particles were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical properties of the fabricated sensor were studied via cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical sensor displayedmore » excellent performance features towards H{sub 2}O{sub 2} detection exhibiting wide linear range, low detection limit, swift response time, good reproducibility and stability.« less

A New Smart Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor Based on pH-Responsive Polyacryloyl Hydrazine Capped Ag Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Shuai; Ge, Fengyan; Zhou, Man; Cai, Zaisheng; Guang, Shanyi

2017-08-01

A novel pH-responsive Ag@polyacryloyl hydrazide (Ag@PAH) nanoparticle for the first time as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate was prepared without reducing agent and end-capping reagent. Ag@PAH nanoparticles exhibited an excellent tunable detecting performance in the range from pH = 4 to pH = 9. This is explained that the swelling-shrinking behavior of responsive PAH can control the distance between Ag NPs and the target molecules under external pH stimuli, resulting in the tunable LSPR and further controlled SERS. Furthermore, Ag@PAH nanoparticles possessed an ultra-sensitive detecting ability and the detection limit of Rhodamine 6G reduced to 10-12 M. These advantages qualified Ag@PAH NP as a promising smart SERS substrate in the field of trace analysis and sensors.

Simultaneous determination of active ingredients in Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection.

PubMed

Chu, Qingcui; Wu, Ting; Fu, Liang; Ye, Jiannong

2005-03-09

A high-performance capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical detection (ED) method was developed for the determination of the pharmacologically active ingredients in Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. and its extract phytopharmaceuticals in this work. Under the optimum conditions, nine analytes, baicalein, naringenin, scopoletin, kaempferol, apigenin, scutellarin, luteolin, caffeic acid and protocatechuic acid were separated within 24 min in a borax buffer (pH 8.7). Notably, excellent linearity was obtained over two orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 1.0 x 10(-7) g/mL to 5.6 x 10(-7) g/mL for all nine analytes. This method was successfully used in the analysis of E. breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. and its phytopharmaceuticals with a relatively simple extraction procedure, and the assay results were satisfactory.

Engineering surface states of carbon dots to achieve controllable luminescence for solid-luminescent composites and sensitive Be2+ detection

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Shengli; Kulinich, Sergei A.; Liu, Yanli; Zeng, Haibo

2014-01-01

Luminescent carbon dots (L-CDs) with high quantum yield value (44.7%) and controllable emission wavelengths were prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. Importantly, the surface states of the materials could be engineered so that their photoluminescence was either excitation-dependent or distinctly independent. This was achieved by changing the density of amino-groups on the L-CD surface. The above materials were successfully used to prepare multicolor L-CDs/polymer composites, which exhibited blue, green, and even white luminescence. In addition, the excellent excitation-independent luminescence of L-CDs prepared at low temperature was tested for detecting various metal ions. As an example, the detection limit of toxic Be2+ ions, tested for the first time, was as low as 23 μM.

Highly sensitive biofunctionalized mesoporous electrospun TiO(2) nanofiber based interface for biosensing.

PubMed

Mondal, Kunal; Ali, Md Azahar; Agrawal, Ved V; Malhotra, Bansi D; Sharma, Ashutosh

2014-02-26

The surface modified and aligned mesoporous anatase titania nanofiber mats (TiO2-NF) have been fabricated by electrospinning for esterified cholesterol detection by electrochemical technique. The electrospinning and porosity of mesoporous TiO2-NF were controlled by use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a sacrificial carrier polymer in the titanium isopropoxide precursor. The mesoporous TiO2-NF of diameters ranging from 30 to 60 nm were obtained by calcination at 470 °C and partially aligned on a rotating drum collector. The functional groups such as -COOH, -CHO etc. were introduced on TiO2-NF surface via oxygen plasma treatment making the surface hydrophilic. Cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) were covalently immobilized on the plasma treated surface of NF (cTiO2-NF) via N-ethyl-N0-(3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC-NHS) chemistry. The high mesoporosity (∼61%) of the fibrous film allowed enhanced loading of the enzyme molecules in the TiO2-NF mat. The ChEt-ChOx/cTiO2-NF-based bioelectrode was used to detect esterified cholesterol using electrochemical technique. The high aspect ratio, surface area of aligned TiO2-NF showed excellent voltammetric and catalytic response resulting in improved detection limit (0.49 mM). The results of response studies of this biosensor show excellent sensitivity (181.6 μA/mg dL(-1)/cm(2)) and rapid detection (20 s). This proposed strategy of biomolecule detection is thus a promising platform for the development of miniaturized device for biosensing applications.

Fabrication of bimetallic microfluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors on paper by screen printing.

PubMed

Qu, Lu-Lu; Song, Qi-Xia; Li, Yuan-Ting; Peng, Mao-Pan; Li, Da-Wei; Chen, Li-Xia; Fossey, John S; Long, Yi-Tao

2013-08-20

Au-Ag bimetallic microfluidic, dumbbell-shaped, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors were fabricated on cellulose paper by screen printing. These printed sensors rely on a sample droplet injection zone, and a SERS detection zone at either end of the dumbbell motif, fabricated by printing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) successively with microscale precision. The microfluidic channel was patterned using an insulating ink to connect these two zones and form a hydrophobic circuit. Owing to capillary action of paper in the millimeter-sized channels, the sensor could enable self-filtering of fluids to remove suspended particles within wastewater without pumping. This sensor also allows sensitive SERS detection, due to advantageous combination of the strong surface enhancement of Ag NPs and excellent chemical stability of Au NPs. The SERS performance of the sensors was investigated by employing the probe rhodamine 6G, a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.1×10(-13)M and an enhancement factor of 8.6×10(6) could be achieved. Moreover, the dumbbell-shaped bimetallic sensors exhibited good stability with SERS performance being maintained over 14 weeks in air, and high reproducibility with less than 15% variation in spot-to-spot SERS intensity. Using these dumbbell-shaped bimetallic sensors, substituted aromatic pollutants in wastewater samples could be quantitatively analyzed, which demonstrated their excellent capability for rapid trace pollutant detection in wastewater samples in the field without pre-separation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-step sonochemical synthesis of 1D β-stannous tungstate nanorods: An efficient and excellent electrocatalyst for the selective electrochemical detection of antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine.

PubMed

Kokulnathan, Thangavelu; Kumar, Jeyaraj Vinoth; Chen, Shen-Ming; Karthik, Raj; Elangovan, Arumugam; Muthuraj, Velluchamy

2018-06-01

In the modern world, the contamination of ecosystem by human and veterinary pharmaceutical drugs through the metabolic excretion, improper disposal/industrial waste has been subjected to a hot issue. Therefore, exploitation of exclusive structured material and reliable technique is a necessary task to the precise detection of drugs. With this regards, we made an effort for the fabrication of novel one-dimensional (1D) stannous tungstate nanorods (β-SnW NRs) via simple sonochemical approach and used as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine (CPZ) for the first time. The crystallographic structure, surface topology, elemental compositions and their distributions and ionic states were enquired by different spectroscopic techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, elemental mapping and XPS analysis. The developed β-SnW NRs/GCE sensor exhibits a rapid and sensitive electrochemical response towards CPZ sensing with wide linear response range (0.01-457 µM), high sensitivity (2.487 µA µM -1  cm -2 ), low detection limit (0.003 µM) and excellent selectivity. Besides, the as-proposed electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to real sample analysis in commercial CPZ drug and biological fluids and the acquired recovery results are quite satisfactory. The proposed sonochemical method for the preparation of β-SnW NRs is low cost, very simple, fast and efficient for sensor applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcutaneous Measurement of Blood Analyte Concentration Using Raman Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barman, Ishan; Singh, Gajendra P.; Dasari, Ramachandra R.; Feld, Michael S.

2008-11-01

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder, affecting nearly 200 million people worldwide. Acute complications, such as hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease and retinal damage, may occur if the disease is not adequately controlled. As diabetes has no known cure, tight control of glucose levels is critical for the prevention of such complications. Given the necessity for regular monitoring of blood glucose, development of non-invasive glucose detection devices is essential to improve the quality of life in diabetic patients. The commercially available glucose sensors measure the interstitial fluid glucose by electrochemical detection. However, these sensors have severe limitations, primarily related to their invasive nature and lack of stability. This necessitates the development of a truly non-invasive glucose detection technique. NIR Raman Spectroscopy, which combines the substantial penetration depth of NIR light with the excellent chemical specificity of Raman spectroscopy, provides an excellent tool to meet the challenges involved. Additionally, it enables simultaneous determination of multiple blood analytes. Our laboratory has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy for blood analytes' detection in biological media. The preliminary success of our non-invasive glucose measurements both in vitro (such as in serum and blood) and in vivo has provided the foundation for the development of feasible clinical systems. However, successful application of this technology still faces a few hurdles, highlighted by the problems of tissue luminescence and selection of appropriate reference concentration. In this article we explore possible avenues to overcome these challenges so that prospective prediction accuracy of blood analytes can be brought to clinically acceptable levels.

A sensitive detection assay based on signal amplification technology for Alzheimer's disease's early biomarker in exosome.

PubMed

Zhou, Jie; Meng, Lingchang; Ye, Weiran; Wang, Qiaolei; Geng, Shizhen; Sun, Chong

2018-08-31

Alzheimer's disease (AD) considered as the third health "killer" has seriously threatened the health of the elderly. However, the modern diagnostic strategies of AD present several disadvantages: the low accuracy and specificity resulting in some false-negative diagnoses, and the poor sensitivity leading to a delayed treatment. In view of this situation, a enzyme-free and target-triggered signal amplification strategy, based on graphene oxide (GO) and entropy-driven strand displacement reaction (ESDR) principle, was proposed. In this strategy, when the hairpin structure probes (H)specially binds with beta-amyloid-(1-42) oligomers (Aβ42 oligomers), it's structure will be opened, causing the bases complementary to FAM-labeled replacement probes R (R1 and R2) exposed. At this time, R1 and R2 will hybridize with H, resulting in the bound Aβ42 oligomers released. The released Aβ42 oligomers would participate in the next cycle reaction, making the signal amplified. As a quencher, GO could absorb the free single-stranded DNA R1 and R2 and quench their fluorescence; however, the DNA duplex still exists free and keeps its signal-on. Through the detection of Aβ42 oligomers in exosomes, this ultrasensitive detection method with the advantages of low limit of detection (LOD, 20 pM), great accuracy, excellent precision and convenience provides an excellent prospect for AD's early diagnosis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors for ultra-sensitive pressure detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Yaping; Zhang, Fengjiao; Huang, Dazhen; Gao, Xike; di, Chong-An; Zhu, Daoben

2015-03-01

The utilization of organic devices as pressure-sensing elements in artificial intelligence and healthcare applications represents a fascinating opportunity for the next-generation electronic products. To satisfy the critical requirements of these promising applications, the low-cost construction of large-area ultra-sensitive organic pressure devices with outstanding flexibility is highly desired. Here we present flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors (SGOTFTs) as a model platform that enables ultra-sensitive pressure detection. More importantly, the unique device geometry of SGOTFTs allows the fine-tuning of their sensitivity by the suspended gate. An unprecedented sensitivity of 192 kPa-1, a low limit-of-detection pressure of <0.5 Pa and a short response time of 10 ms were successfully realized, allowing the real-time detection of acoustic waves. These excellent sensing properties of SGOTFTs, together with their advantages of facile large-area fabrication and versatility in detecting various pressure signals, make SGOTFTs a powerful strategy for spatial pressure mapping in practical applications.

A Facile Photoluminescent Probe for Picric Acid Detection Using Carbon Nanodots Prepared by Sichuan Bergamot.

PubMed

Deng, Xiang; Huang, Xiaomei

2018-03-01

A facile photoluminescent probe for picric acid (PA) detection was developed using photoluminescent carbon nanodots (C-dots), which was obtained from a traditional Chinese medicinal material Sichuan Bergamot via a one-step hydrothermal method for the first time. The as-prepared photoluminescent C-dots show favorable blue color photoluminescence with the maximum emission at 440 nm. It has been successfully applied as a photoluminescent probe for the detection of PA. This photoluminescent probe exhibits excellent sensitivity and selectivity toward PA from 0.4 μM to 80 μM with correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9987. The limit of detection (LOD) for PA is 82 nM. Furthermore, the proposed C-dots for photoluminescent probe detection of PA in real water samples (river water, refinery wastewater and pharmaceutical factory wastewater) by adding 5 μM and 20 μM PA with satisfactory recoveries from 99.5% to 101.5%. These novel photoluminescent C-dots is promising in environmental analysis of PA.

Flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors for ultra-sensitive pressure detection

PubMed Central

Zang, Yaping; Zhang, Fengjiao; Huang, Dazhen; Gao, Xike; Di, Chong-an; Zhu, Daoben

2015-01-01

The utilization of organic devices as pressure-sensing elements in artificial intelligence and healthcare applications represents a fascinating opportunity for the next-generation electronic products. To satisfy the critical requirements of these promising applications, the low-cost construction of large-area ultra-sensitive organic pressure devices with outstanding flexibility is highly desired. Here we present flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors (SGOTFTs) as a model platform that enables ultra-sensitive pressure detection. More importantly, the unique device geometry of SGOTFTs allows the fine-tuning of their sensitivity by the suspended gate. An unprecedented sensitivity of 192 kPa−1, a low limit-of-detection pressure of <0.5 Pa and a short response time of 10 ms were successfully realized, allowing the real-time detection of acoustic waves. These excellent sensing properties of SGOTFTs, together with their advantages of facile large-area fabrication and versatility in detecting various pressure signals, make SGOTFTs a powerful strategy for spatial pressure mapping in practical applications. PMID:25872157

PdNi- and Pd-coated electrodes prepared by electrodeposition from ionic liquid for nonenzymatic electrochemical determination of ethanol and glucose in alkaline media.

PubMed

Huang, Hsin-Yi; Chen, Po-Yu

2010-12-15

Nonenzymatic electrochemical determination of ethanol and glucose was respectively achieved using PdNi- and Pd-coated electrodes prepared by electrodeposition from the novel metal-free ionic liquid (IL); N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide (BMP-DCA). BMP-DCA provided an excellent environment and wide cathodic limit for electrodeposition of metals and alloys because many metal chlorides could dissolve in this IL where the reduction potentials of Pd(II) and Ni(II) indeed overlapped, leading to the convenience of potentiostatic codeposition. In aqueous solutions, the reduction potentials of Pd(II) and Ni(II) are considerably separated. The bimetallic PdNi coatings with atomic ratios of ∼ 80/20 showed the highest current for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Ethanol was detected by either cyclic voltammetry (CV) or hydrodynamic amperometry (HA). Using CV, the dependence of EOR peak current on concentration was linear from 4.92 to 962 μM with a detection limit of 2.26 μM (σ=3), and a linearity was observed from 4.92 to 988 μM using HA (detection limit 0.83 μM (σ=3)). The Pd-coated electrodes prepared by electrodeposition from BMP-DCA showed electrocatalytic activity to glucose oxidation and CV, HA, and square-wave voltammetry (SWV) were employed to determine glucose. SWV showed the best sensitivity and linearity was observed from 2.86 μM to 107 μM, and from 2.99 mM to 10.88 mM with detection limits of 0.78 μM and 25.9 μM (σ=3), respectively. For glucose detection, the interference produced from ascorbic acid, uric acid, and acetaminophen was significantly suppressed, compared with a regular Pt disk electrode. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of H7N9 Avian Influenza Virus by Use of Reverse Transcription–Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jinhai; Feng, Youjun; Hu, Dan; Lv, Heng; Zhu, Jing; Cao, Min; Zheng, Feng; Zhu, Jin; Gong, Xiufang; Hao, Lina; Srinivas, Swaminath; Ren, Hao; Qi, Zhongtian

2013-01-01

An epidemic of human H7N9 influenza virus infection recently emerged in China whose clinical features include high mortality and which has also resulted in serious economic loss. The novel reassortant avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus which was the causative agent of this epidemic raised the possibility of triggering a large-scale influenza pandemic worldwide. It seemed likely that fast molecular detection assays specific for this virus would be in great demand. Here, we report a one-step reverse transcription–loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method for rapid detection of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of H7N9 virus, the minimum detection limit of which was evaluated using in vitro RNA transcription templates. In total, 135 samples from clinical specimens (from either patients or poultry) were tested using this method in comparison with the real-time PCR recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our results showed that (i) RT-LAMP-based trials can be completed in approximately 12 to 23 min and (ii) the detection limit for the H7 gene is around 10 copies per reaction, similar to that of the real-time PCR, whereas the detection limit for its counterpart the N9 gene is 5 copies per reaction, a 100-fold-higher sensitivity than the WHO-recommended method. Indeed, this excellent performance of our method was also validated by the results for a series of clinical specimens. Therefore, we believe that the simple, fast, and sensitive method of RT-LAMP might be widely applied for detection of H7N9 infections and may play a role in prevention of an influenza pandemic. PMID:24006004

Variation in the limit-of-detection of the ProSpecT Campylobacter microplate enzyme immunoassay in stools spiked with emerging Campylobacter species.

PubMed

Bojanić, Krunoslav; Midwinter, Anne Camilla; Marshall, Jonathan Craig; Rogers, Lynn Elizabeth; Biggs, Patrick Jon; Acke, Els

2016-08-01

Campylobacter enteritis in humans is primarily associated with C. jejuni/coli infection. The impact of other Campylobacter spp. is likely to be underestimated due to the bias of culture methods towards Campylobacter jejuni/coli diagnosis. Stool antigen tests are becoming increasingly popular and appear generally less species-specific. A review of independent studies of the ProSpecT® Campylobacter Microplate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) developed for C. jejuni/coli showed comparable diagnostic results to culture methods but the examination of non-jejuni/coli Campylobacter spp. was limited and the limit-of-detection (LOD), where reported, varied between studies. This study investigated LOD of EIA for Campylobacter upsaliensis, Campylobacter hyointestinalis and Campylobacter helveticus spiked in human stools. Multiple stools and Campylobacter isolates were used in three different concentrations (10(4)-10(9)CFU/ml) to reflect sample heterogeneity. All Campylobacter species evaluated were detectable by EIA. Multivariate analysis showed LOD varied between Campylobacter spp. and faecal consistency as fixed effects and individual faecal samples as random effects. EIA showed excellent performance in replicate testing for both within and between batches of reagents, in agreement between visual and spectrophotometric reading of results, and returned no discordance between the bacterial concentrations within independent dilution test runs (positive results with lower but not higher concentrations). This study shows how limitations in experimental procedures lead to an overestimation of consistency and uniformity of LOD for EIA that may not hold under routine use in diagnostic laboratories. Benefits and limitations for clinical practice and the influence on estimates of performance characteristics from detection of multiple Campylobacter spp. by EIA are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aptamer-aided target capturing with biocatalytic metal deposition: an electrochemical platform for sensitive detection of cancer cells.

PubMed

Yi, Zi; Li, Xiao-Yan; Gao, Qing; Tang, Li-Juan; Chu, Xia

2013-04-07

A novel aptamer biosensor for cancer cell assay has been reported on the basis of ultrasensitive electrochemical detection. Cancer cell capturing is first accomplished via aptamer-aided recognition, and the cell-aptamer binding events then mediate an alkaline phosphatase-catalyzed silver deposition reaction which can be probed by electrochemical detection. Following biocatalytic silver deposition, an efficient amplification approach for sensitive electrochemical measurements is demonstrated, for cell detection with high sensitivity. Ramos cell are used as a model case, a typical biomarker of the acute blood cell cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma. The results reveal that the developed technique displays desirable selectivity in Ramos cell discrimination, and linear response range from 10 to 10(6) cells with a detection limit as low as 10 cells. Due to the simple procedures, label-free and electrochemistry based detection format, this technique is simple and cost-effective, and exhibits excellent compatibility with miniaturization technologies. The electrochemical cell detection strategy may create an intrinsically specific and sensitive platform for cancer cell assay and associated studies.

Amperometric sensor for ethanol based on one-step electropolymerization of thionine-carbon nanofiber nanocomposite containing alcohol oxidase.

PubMed

Wu, Lina; McIntosh, Mike; Zhang, Xueji; Ju, Huangxian

2007-12-15

Thionine had strong interaction with carbon nanofiber (CNF) and was used in the non-covalent functionalization of carbon nanofiber for the preparation of stable thionine-CNF nanocomposite with good dispersion. With a simple one-step electrochemical polymerization of thionine-CNF nanocomposite and alcohol oxidase (AOD), a stable poly(thionine)-CNF/AOD biocomposite film was formed on electrode surface. Based on the excellent catalytic activity of the biocomposite film toward reduction of dissolved oxygen, a sensitive ethanol biosensor was proposed. The ethanol biosensor could monitor ethanol ranging from 2.0 to 252 microM with a detection limit of 1.7 microM. It displayed a rapid response, an expanded linear response range as well as excellent reproducibility and stability. The combination of catalytic activity of CNF and the promising feature of the biocomposite with one-step non-manual technique favored the sensitive determination of ethanol with improved analytical capabilities.

Experiment K305: Quantitative analysis of selected bone parameters. Supplement 3A: Trabecular spacing and orientation in the long bones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Judy, M. M.

1981-01-01

Values of mean trabecular spacing computed from optical diffraction patterns of 1:1 X-ray micrographs of tibial metaphysis and those obtained by standard image digitization techniques show excellent agreement. Upper limits on values of mean trabecular orientation deduced from diffraction patterns and the images are also in excellent agreement. Values of the ratio of mean trabecular spatial density in a region of 300 micrometers distal to the downwardly directed convexity in the cartilage growth plate to the value adjacent to the plate determined for flight animals sacrificed at recovery were significantly smaller than values for vivarium control animals. No significant differences were found in proximal regions. No significant differences in mean trabecular orientation were detected. Decreased values of trabecular spatial density and of both obsteoblastic activity and trabecular cross-sectional area noted in collateral researches suggest decreased modeling activity under weightlessness.

Preparation of quantum dots CdTe decorated graphene composite for sensitive detection of uric acid and dopamine.

PubMed

Yu, Hong-Wei; Jiang, Jing-Hui; Zhang, Ze; Wan, Guang-Cai; Liu, Zhi-Yong; Chang, Dong; Pan, Hong-Zhi

2017-02-15

The assembly of quantum dots (QDs) in a simply method opens up opportunities to obtain access to the full potential of assembled QDs by virtue of the collective properties of the ensembles. In this study, quantum dots CdTe and graphene (Gr) nanocomposite was constructed for the simultaneous determination of uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA). The CdTe QDs-Gr nanocomposite was prepared by ultrasonication and was characterized with microscopic techniques. The nanocomposite modified electrode was characterized by cyclicvoltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Due to the synergistic effects between CdTe QDs and Gr, the fabricated electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical catalytic activities, good biological compatibility and high sensitivity toward the oxidation of UA and DA. Under optimum conditions, in the co-existence system the linear calibration plots for UA and DA were obtained over the range of 3-600 μM and 1-500 μM with detection limits of 1.0 μM and 0.33 μM. The fabricated biosensor also exhibits the excellent repeatability, reproducibility, storage stability along with acceptable selectivity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Dual-Mode SERS-Fluorescence Immunoassay Using Graphene Quantum Dot Labeling on One-Dimensional Aligned Magnetoplasmonic Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zou, Fengming; Zhou, Hongjian; Tan, Tran Van; Kim, Jeonghyo; Koh, Kwangnak; Lee, Jaebeom

2015-06-10

A novel dual-mode immunoassay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and fluorescence was designed using graphene quantum dot (GQD) labels to detect a tuberculosis (TB) antigen, CFP-10, via a newly developed sensing platform of linearly aligned magnetoplasmonic (MagPlas) nanoparticles (NPs). The GQDs were excellent bilabeling materials for simultaneous Raman scattering and photoluminescence (PL). The one-dimensional (1D) alignment of MagPlas NPs simplified the immunoassay process and enabled fast, enhanced signal transduction. With a sandwich-type immunoassay using dual-mode nanoprobes, both SERS signals and fluorescence images were recognized in a highly sensitive and selective manner with a detection limit of 0.0511 pg mL(-1).

Aptamer Based Microsphere Biosensor for Thrombin Detection

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Suter, Jonathan D.; White, Ian M.; Fan, Xudong

2006-01-01

We have developed an optical microsphere resonator biosensor using aptamer as receptor for the measurement of the important biomolecule thrombin. The sphere surface is modified with anti-thrombin aptamer, which has excellent binding affinity and selectivity for thrombin. Binding of the thrombin at the sphere surface is monitored by the spectral position of the microsphere's whispering gallery mode resonances. A detection limit on the order of 1 NIH Unit/mL is demonstrated. Control experiments with non-aptamer oligonucleotide and BSA are also carried out to confirm the specific binding between aptamer and thrombin. We expect that this demonstration will lead to the development of highly sensitive biomarker sensors based on aptamer with lower cost and higher throughput than current technology.

Sensitive determination of carbohydrates by fluorimetric method with Ce(IV) and sodium triphosphate.

PubMed

Yang, Jinghe; Cao, Xihui; Sun, Changxia; Wu, Xia; Li, Lei

2004-05-01

A new simple and sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of carbohydrates is described. The method is based on the reaction between carbohydrates and Ce(IV) in the presence of sulfuric acid. All the reductive carbohydrates can be detected indirectly by the fluorescence of Ce(III) produced. The addition of sodium triphate enhances the sensitivity of the method by more than 10-folds. Under optimum conditions, an excellent linear relationship was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of carbohydrates. The limits of detection lie in the range of 9.3 x 10(-10) - 1.3 x 10(-9) mol/L. As compared to the normal fluorimetric method, the proposed method is faster and more sensitive.

Highly selective and sensitive trimethylamine gas sensor based on cobalt imidazolate framework material.

PubMed

Chen, Er-Xia; Fu, Hong-Ru; Lin, Rui; Tan, Yan-Xi; Zhang, Jian

2014-12-24

A cobalt imidazolate (im) framework material [Co(im)2]n was employed to use as a trimethylamine (TMA) gas sensor and the [Co(im)2]n sensor can be easily fabricated by using Ag-Pd interdigitated electrodes. Gas sensing measurement indicated that the [Co(im)2]n sensor shows excellent selectivity, high gas response and a low detection limit level of 2 ppm to TMA at 75 °C. The good selectivity and high response to TMA of the sensor based on [Co(im)2]n may be attributed to the weak interaction between the TMA molecules and the [Co(im)2]n framework. That may provide an ideal candidate for detecting freshness of fish and seafood.

Rational design of 3D inverse opal heterogeneous composite microspheres as excellent visible-light-induced NO2 sensors at room temperature.

PubMed

Wang, Tianshuang; Yu, Qi; Zhang, Sufang; Kou, Xueying; Sun, Peng; Lu, Geyu

2018-03-08

The lower gas sensitivity, humidity dependence of the gas sensing properties, and long recovery times of room-temperature gas sensors severely limit their applications. Herein, to address these issues, a series of 3D inverse opal (IO) In 2 O 3 -ZnO heterogeneous composite microspheres (HCMs) are fabricated by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) employing self-assembled sulfonated polystyrene (S-PS) spheres as a sacrificial template. The 3D IO In 2 O 3 -ZnO HCMs possess highly ordered 3D inverse opal structures and bimodal (meso-scale and macro-scale) pores, which can provide large accessible surface areas and rapid mass transfer, resulting in enhanced gas sensing characteristics. Furthermore, the 3D IO architecture and n-n heterojunctions can extend the photoabsorption range to the visible light area, effectively prolonging the lifetimes of photo-generated charge carriers, and can increase separation of visible light-generated charges. As a result, the as-prepared 3D IO In 2 O 3 -ZnO HCMs deliver excellent NO 2 sensing performance under visible light irradiation at room temperature, such as high sensitivity (R gas /R air = 54.3 to 5 ppm NO 2 ), low detection limit (250 ppb), fast recovery time (188 s), excellent selectivity and humidity independence. These enhanced photo-electronic gas sensing properties are attributed to the combination of highly ordered 3D IO microspheres and In 2 O 3 -ZnO heterogeneous composites.

Creating an effective clinical registry for rare diseases

PubMed Central

D’Agnolo, Hedwig MA; Kievit, Wietske; Andrade, Raul J; Karlsen, Tom Hemming; Wedemeyer, Heiner

2015-01-01

The exposure of clinicians to patients with rare gastrointestinal diseases is limited. This hurts clinical studies, which impedes accumulation of scientific knowledge on the natural disease course, treatment outcomes and prognosis in these patients. An excellent method to detect patterns on an aggregate level that would not be possible to discover in individual cases, is a registry study. This paper aims to describe a template to create a successful international registry for rare diseases. We focus mainly on rare hepatic diseases, but lessons from this paper serve other fields in medicine, as well. PMID:27403298

Highly Sensitive Aluminium(III) Ion Sensor Based on a Self-assembled Monolayer on a Gold Nanoparticles Modified Screen-printed Carbon Electrode.

PubMed

See, Wong Pooi; Heng, Lee Yook; Nathan, Sheila

2015-01-01

A new approach for the development of a highly sensitive aluminium(III) ion sensor via the preconcentration of aluminium(III) ion with a self-assembled monolayer on a gold nanoparticles modified screen-printed carbon electrode and current mediation by potassium ferricyanide redox behavior during aluminium(III) ion binding has been attempted. A monolayer of mercaptosuccinic acid served as an effective complexation ligand for the preconcentration of trace aluminium; this led to an enhancement of aluminium(III) ion capture and thus improved the sensitivity of the sensor with a detection limit of down to the ppb level. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the sensor exhibited a wide linear dynamic range from 0.041 to 12.4 μM. The lower detection limit of the developed sensor was 0.037 μM (8.90 ppb) using a 10 min preconcentration time. The sensor showed excellent selectivity towards aluminium(III) ion over other interference ions.

Development of an electrochemical biosensor for vitamin B12 using D-phenylalanine nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moazeni, Maryam; Karimzadeh, Fathallah; Kermanpur, Ahmad; Allafchian, Alireza

2018-01-01

In the past decades, biosensors are one of the most interesting topics among researchers and scientist. The biosensors are used in several applications such as determining food quality, control and diagnose clinical problems and metabolic control. Therefore, many efforts have been carried out to design and develop a new generation of these systems. On the other hand nanotechnology by improving the performance of sensors has created an excellent outlook. Using nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, and nanorods in diagnostic tools has been significantly increased accuracy, sensitivity and improved detection limits in sensors. In this study, the one-dimensional morphology of the D-phenylalanine was assembled on the surface of the gold electrode. In the next step electrochemical performance of the modified electrode was investigated by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Differential Pals Voltammograms (DPV). Finally, by measuring the different concentrations of vitamin B12, the detection limit of the biosensor was obtained 1.6 µM.

Highly sensitive determination of iron (III) ion based on phenanthroline probe: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Ma, Ning; Park, Yeonju; Jin, Sila; Hwang, Hoon; Jiang, Dayu; Jung, Young Mee

2018-05-01

In this paper, we introduced Raman spectroscopy techniques that were based on the traditional Fe3 + determination method with phenanthroline as a probe. Interestingly, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach exhibited excellent sensitivities to phenanthroline. Different detection mechanisms were observed for the RR and SERS techniques, in which the RR intensity increased with increasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the RR effect of the phenanthroline-Fe2 + complex, whereas the SERS intensity increased with decreasing Fe3 + concentration due to the observation of the SERS effect of the uncomplexed phenanthroline. More importantly, the determination sensitivity was substantially improved in the presence of a SERS-active substrate, giving a detection limit as low as 0.001 μg/mL, which is 20 times lower than the limit of the UV-vis and RR methods. Furthermore, the proposed SERS method was free from other ions interference and can be used quality and sensitivity for the determination of the city tap water.

Amperometric immunosensor for α-fetoprotein antigen in human serum based on co-immobilizing dinuclear copper complex and gold nanoparticle doped chitosan film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Ning; Meng, Ling Hua; Wang, Feng

2009-09-01

A sensitive amperometric immunosensor for α-fetoprotein (AFP), a tumor marker for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was constructed, The immunosensor is prepared by co-immobilizing [Cu2(phen)2Cl2] (μ-Cl)2 (CuL), nano-Au/Chitosan(Chit) composite, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and AFP antibody(anti-AFP) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Firstly, CuL was irreversibly absorb on GCE electrode through π-π stacking interaction; then nano-Au/Chit composite was immobilized onto the electrode because of its excellent membrane-forming ability, finally HRP and anti-AFP was adsorbed onto the surface of the gold nanoparticles to construct GCE | CuL/nanoAu-chit/HRP/anti-AFP immunosensor. The preparation procedure of the electrode was characterized by electrochemical and spectroscopy method. The results showed that this immunosensor exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic response to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) without the aid of an electron mediator, offers a high-sensitivity (1710 nA · ng-1 · ml-1) for the detection of AFP and has good correlation for detection of AFP in the range of 0.2 to 120.0 ng/ml with a detection limit of 0.05 ng/ml. The biosensor showed high selectivity as well as good stability and reproductivity.

A Facile synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanofibers with superior peroxidase-like catalytic activity for sensitive colorimetric detection of L-cysteine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sihui; Chi, Maoqiang; Zhu, Yun; Gao, Mu; Wang, Ce; Lu, Xiaofeng

2018-05-01

Superaramagnetic Fe3O4 nanomaterials are good candidates as enzyme mimics due to their excellent catalytic activity, high stability and facile synthesis. However, the morphology of Fe3O4 nanomaterials has much influence on their enzyme-like catalytic activity. In this work, we have developed a simple polymer-assisted thermochemical reduction approach to prepare Fe3O4 nanofibers for peroxidase-like catalytic applications. The as-prepared Fe3O4 nanofibers show a higher catalytic activity than commercial Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The steady-state kinetic assay result shows that the Michaelis-Menten constant value of the as-obtained Fe3O4 nanofibers is similar to that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), indicating their superior affinity to the 3,3‧,5,5‧-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 substrate. Based on the outstanding catalytic activity, a sensing platform for the detection of L-cysteine has been performed and the limit of detection is as low as 0.028 μM. In addition, an excellent selectivity toward L-cysteine over other types of amino acids, glucose and metal ions has been achieved as well. This work offers an original means for the fabrication of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanofibers and demonstrates their delightful potential applications in the fields of biosensing, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnostics.

Electrophoretically deposited reduced graphene oxide platform for food toxin detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Saurabh; Kumar, Vinod; Ali, Md Azahar; Solanki, Pratima R.; Srivastava, Anchal; Sumana, Gajjala; Saxena, Preeti Suman; Joshi, Amish G.; Malhotra, B. D.

2013-03-01

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) due to its excellent electrochemical properties and large surface area, has recently aroused much interest for electrochemical biosensing application. Here, the chemically active RGO has been synthesized and deposited onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by the electrophoretic deposition technique. This novel platform has been utilized for covalent attachment of the monoclonal antibodies of aflatoxin B1 (anti-AFB1) for food toxin (AFB1) detection. The electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible studies reveal successful synthesis of reduced graphene oxide while the XPS and FTIR studies suggest its carboxylic functionalized nature. The electrochemical sensing results of the anti-AFB1/RGO/ITO based immunoelectrode obtained as a function of aflatoxin concentration show high sensitivity (68 μA ng-1 mL cm-2) and improved detection limit (0.12 ng mL-1). The association constant (ka) for antigen-antibody interaction obtained as 5 × 10-4 ng mL-1 indicates high affinity of antibodies toward the antigen (AFB1).Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) due to its excellent electrochemical properties and large surface area, has recently aroused much interest for electrochemical biosensing application. Here, the chemically active RGO has been synthesized and deposited onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by the electrophoretic deposition technique. This novel platform has been utilized for covalent attachment of the monoclonal antibodies of aflatoxin B1 (anti-AFB1) for food toxin (AFB1) detection. The electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible studies reveal successful synthesis of reduced graphene oxide while the XPS and FTIR studies suggest its carboxylic functionalized nature. The electrochemical sensing results of the anti-AFB1/RGO/ITO based immunoelectrode obtained as a function of aflatoxin concentration show high sensitivity (68 μA ng-1 mL cm-2) and improved detection limit (0.12 ng mL-1). The association constant (ka) for antigen-antibody interaction obtained as 5 × 10-4 ng mL-1 indicates high affinity of antibodies toward the antigen (AFB1). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr32242d

Study and optimisation of SIMS performed with He+ and Ne+ bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillatsch, L.; Vanhove, N.; Dowsett, D.; Sijbrandij, S.; Notte, J.; Wirtz, T.

2013-10-01

The combination of the high-brightness He+/Ne+ atomic level ion source with the detection capabilities of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) opens up the prospect of obtaining chemical information with high lateral resolution and high sensitivity on the Zeiss ORION helium ion microscope (HIM). A feasibility study with He+ and Ne+ ion bombardment is presented in order to determine the performance of SIMS analyses using the HIM. Therefore, the sputtering yields, useful yields and detection limits obtained for metallic (Al, Ni and W) as well as semiconductor samples (Si, Ge, GaAs and InP) were investigated. All the experiments were performed on a Cameca IMS4f SIMS instrument which was equipped with a caesium evaporator and oxygen flooding system. For most of the elements, useful yields in the range of 10-4 to 3 × 10-2 were measured with either O2 or Cs flooding. SIMS experiments performed directly on the ORION with a prototype secondary ion extraction and detection system lead to results that are consistent with those obtained on the IMS4f. Taking into account the obtained useful yields and the analytical conditions, such as the ion current and typical dwell time on the ORION HIM, detection limits in the at% range and better can be obtained during SIMS imaging at 10 nm lateral resolution with Ne+ bombardment and down to the ppm level when a lateral resolution of 100 nm is chosen. Performing SIMS on the HIM with a good detection limit while maintaining an excellent lateral resolution (<50 nm) is therefore very promising.

A novel vacuum spectrometer for total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis with two exchangeable low power x-ray sources for the analysis of low, medium, and high Z elements in sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wobrauschek, P.; Prost, J.; Ingerle, D.; Kregsamer, P.; Misra, N. L.; Streli, C.

2015-08-01

The extension of the detectable elemental range with Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) analysis is a challenging task. In this paper, it is demonstrated how a TXRF spectrometer is modified to analyze elements from carbon to uranium. Based on the existing design of a vacuum TXRF spectrometer with a 12 specimen sample changer, the following components were renewed: the silicon drift detector with 20 mm2 active area and having a special ultra-thin polymer window allowing the detection of elements from carbon upwards. Two exchangeable X-ray sources guarantee the efficient excitation of both low and high Z elements. These X-ray sources were two light-weighted easily mountable 35 W air-cooled low-power tubes with Cr and Rh anodes, respectively. The air cooled tubes and the Peltier-cooled detector allowed to construct a transportable tabletop spectrometer with compact dimensions, as neither liquid nitrogen cooling for the detector nor a water cooling circuit and a bulky high voltage generator for the X-ray tubes are required. Due to the excellent background conditions as a result of the TXRF geometry, detection limits of 150 ng for C, 12 ng for F, and 3.3 ng for Na have been obtained using Cr excitation in vacuum. For Rh excitation, the detection limits of 90 pg could be achieved for Sr. Taking 10 to 20 μl of sample volume, extrapolated detection limits in the ng/g (ppb) range are resulting in terms of concentration.

A self-assembled fluorescent organic nanoprobe and its application for sulfite detection in food samples and living systems.

PubMed

Gao, Tang; Cao, Xiaozheng; Ge, Peng; Dong, Jie; Yang, Shuqi; Xu, Huan; Wu, Yong; Gao, Feng; Zeng, Wenbin

2017-05-23

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) is a widely distributed air pollutant, and humans can easily be exposed to sulfite by inhaling SO 2 , thus inducing respiratory responses and diseases. Hence, to develop a rapid, sensitive and selective method for detection of sulfites is of great importance. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel tetraphenyl imidazole compound TIBM with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE). TIBM can self-assemble into well-organized nanoparticles and is reported as an excellent probe for detection of sulfite with high selectivity and sensitivity. The nanoprobe performed very well for the detection of sulfite with an ultrafast detection time (15 s) and an ultralow detection limit (7.4 nM), which is superior to most of the reported probes. Moreover, the nanoprobe was successfully used to detect sulfite in food samples with a favorable accuracy. In addition, we developed paper-based devices for point-of-care detection of sulfite with naked eyes. Furthermore, due to its high water solubility, cell membrane permeability and good biocompatibility, the nanoproboe was further applied to detect sulfite in living systems. This study may offer some helpful insights for designing other AIE-based fluorescent nanosensors for various analytes.

Carbon nanotube-based labels for highly sensitive colorimetric and aggregation-based visual detection of nucleic acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ai Cheng; Ye, Jian-Shan; Ngin Tan, Swee; Poenar, Daniel P.; Sheu, Fwu-Shan; Kiat Heng, Chew; Meng Lim, Tit

2007-11-01

A novel carbon nanotube (CNT) derived label capable of dramatic signal amplification of nucleic acid detection and direct visual detection of target hybridization has been developed. Highly sensitive colorimetric detection of human acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) related oncogene sequences amplified by the novel CNT-based label was demonstrated. Atomic force microscope (AFM) images confirmed that a monolayer of horseradish peroxidase and detection probe molecules was immobilized along the carboxylated CNT carrier. The resulting CNT labels significantly enhanced the nucleic acid assay sensitivity by at least 1000 times compared to that of conventional labels used in enzyme-linked oligosorbent assay (ELOSA). An excellent detection limit of 1 × 10-12 M (60 × 10-18 mol in 60 µl) and a four-order wide dynamic range of target concentration were achieved. Hybridizations using these labels were coupled to a concentration-dependent formation of visible dark aggregates. Targets can thus be detected simply with visual inspection, eliminating the need for expensive and sophisticated detection systems. The approach holds promise for ultrasensitive and low cost visual inspection and colorimetric nucleic acid detection in point-of-care and early disease diagnostic application.

A Facile Stable-Isotope Dilution Method for Determination of Sphingosine Phosphate Lyase Activity

PubMed Central

Suh, Jung H.; Eltanawy, Abeer; Rangan, Apoorva; Saba, Julie D.

2015-01-01

A new technique for quantifying sphingosine phosphate lyase activity in biological samples is described. In this procedure, 2-hydrazinoquinoline is used to convert (2E)-hexadecenal into the corresponding hydrazone derivative to improve ionization efficiency and selectivity of detection. Combined utilization of liquid chromatographic separation and multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry allows for simultaneous quantification of the substrate S1P and product (2E)-hexadecenal. Incorporation of (2E)-d5-hexadecenal as an internal standard improves detection accuracy and precision. A simple one-step derivatization procedure eliminates the need for further extractions. Limits of quantification for (2E)-hexadecenal and sphingosine-1-phosphate are 100 and 50 fmol, respectively. The assay displays a wide dynamic detection range useful for detection of low basal sphingosine phosphate lyase activity in wild type cells, SPL-overexpressing cell lines, and wild type mouse tissues. Compared to current methods, the capacity for simultaneous detection of sphingosine-1-phosphate and (2E)-hexadecenal greatly improves the accuracy of results and shows excellent sensitivity and specificity for sphingosine phosphate lyase activity detection. PMID:26408264

Rapid detection of porcine circovirus type 2 using a TaqMan-based real-time PCR.

PubMed

Zhao, Kai; Han, Fangting; Zou, Yong; Zhu, Lianlong; Li, Chunhua; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Chunling; Tan, Furong; Wang, Jinbin; Tao, Shiru; He, Xizhong; Zhou, Zongqing; Tang, Xueming

2010-12-31

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and the associated disease postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) have caused heavy losses in global agriculture in recent decades. Rapid detection of PCV2 is very important for the effective prophylaxis and treatment of PMWS. To establish a sensitive, specific assay for the detection and quantitation of PCV2, we designed and synthesized specific primers and a probe in the open reading frame 2. The assay had a wide dynamic range with excellent linearity and reliable reproducibility, and detected between 102 and 1010 copies of the genomic DNA per reaction. The coefficient of variation for Ct values varied from 0.59% to 1.05% in the same assay and from 1.9% to 4.2% in 10 different assays. The assay did not cross-react with porcine circovirus type 1, porcine reproductive and respiratory, porcine epidemic diarrhea, transmissible gastroenteritis of pigs and rotavirus. The limits of detection and quantitation were 10 and 100 copies, respectively. Using the established real-time PCR system, 39 of the 40 samples we tested were detected as positive.

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy with Quantum Cascade Lasers for Trace Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Elia, Angela; Di Franco, Cinzia; Lugarà, Pietro Mario; Scamarcio, Gaetano

2006-01-01

Various applications, such as pollution monitoring, toxic-gas detection, non invasive medical diagnostics and industrial process control, require sensitive and selective detection of gas traces with concentrations in the parts in 109 (ppb) and sub-ppb range. The recent development of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) has given a new aspect to infrared laser-based trace gas sensors. In particular, single mode distributed feedback QCLs are attractive spectroscopic sources because of their excellent properties in terms of narrow linewidth, average power and room temperature operation. In combination with these laser sources, photoacoustic spectroscopy offers the advantage of high sensitivity and selectivity, compact sensor platform, fast time-response and user friendly operation. This paper reports recent developments on quantum cascade laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas detection. In particular, different applications of a photoacoustic trace gas sensor employing a longitudinal resonant cell with a detection limit on the order of hundred ppb of ozone and ammonia are discussed. We also report two QC laser-based photoacoustic sensors for the detection of nitric oxide, for environmental pollution monitoring and medical diagnostics, and hexamethyldisilazane, for applications in semiconductor manufacturing process.

Naked-eye detection of potassium ions in a novel gold nanoparticle aggregation-based aptasensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Mahboube; Hosseini, Morteza; Ganjali, Mohammad Reza

2018-04-01

In this work, we studied the feasibility of interaction among gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a cationic dye in an aptasensor system for the detection of potassium ions. The presence and absence of potassium in the solution was distinguishable by different colors (between orange and green) appeared after reaction. Cationic dye (Y5GL) acts as a new aggregator for AuNP-based sensors which changes the aggregated AuNP solution color from blue-purple to green. In the presence of K+ ions, the aptamer dissociated from the surface of the AuNP so that free AuNPs and cationic dye make the solution green. The aptasensor showed that the analytical linear range was from 10 nM to 50 mM and the detection limit was 4.4 nM. Also, we examined the practicality of this method on a simple paper based platform. The linear range of the colorimetric paper sensor covered of K+ concentration from 10 μM to 40 mM and the detection limit of 6.2 μM was obtained. The selectivity of AuNP aggregation-based sensor improved by the use of cationic dye. Rapidity, simplicity, high sensitivity and excellent selectivity made this assay suitable for practical determination of K+ in real urine samples.

Visual and surface plasmon resonance sensor for zirconium based on zirconium-induced aggregation of adenosine triphosphate-stabilized gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Qi, Wenjing; Zhao, Jianming; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Zhongyuan; Xu, Min; Anjum, Saima; Majeed, Saadat; Xu, Guobao

2013-07-17

Owing to its high affinity with phosphate, Zr(IV) can induce the aggregation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-stabilized AuNPs, leading to the change of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption spectra and color of ATP-stabilized AuNP solutions. Based on these phenomena, visual and SPR sensors for Zr(IV) have been developed for the first time. The A(660 nm)/A(518 nm) values of ATP-stabilized AuNPs in SPR absorption spectra increase linearly with the concentrations of Zr(IV) from 0.5 μM to 100 μM (r=0.9971) with a detection limit of 95 nM. A visual Zr(IV) detection is achieved with a detection limit of 30 μM. The sensor shows excellent selectivity against other metal ions, such as Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Cd(2+), and Pb(2+). The recoveries for the detection of 5 μM, 10 μM, 25 μM and 75 μM Zr(IV) in lake water samples are 96.0%, 97.0%, 95.6% and 102.4%, respectively. The recoveries of the proposed SPR method are comparable with those of ICP-OES method. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micromachined optical microphone structures with low thermal-mechanical noise levels.

PubMed

Hall, Neal A; Okandan, Murat; Littrell, Robert; Bicen, Baris; Degertekin, F Levent

2007-10-01

Micromachined microphones with diffraction-based optical displacement detection have been introduced previously [Hall et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 118, 3000-3009 (2005)]. The approach has the advantage of providing high displacement detection resolution of the microphone diaphragm independent of device size and capacitance-creating an unconstrained design space for the mechanical structure itself. Micromachined microphone structures with 1.5-mm-diam polysilicon diaphragms and monolithically integrated diffraction grating electrodes are presented in this work with backplate architectures that deviate substantially from traditional perforated plate designs. These structures have been designed for broadband frequency response and low thermal mechanical noise levels. Rigorous experimental characterization indicates a diaphragm displacement detection resolution of 20 fm radicalHz and a thermal mechanical induced diaphragm displacement noise density of 60 fm radicalHz, corresponding to an A-weighted sound pressure level detection limit of 24 dB(A) for these structures. Measured thermal mechanical displacement noise spectra are in excellent agreement with simulations based on system parameters derived from dynamic frequency response characterization measurements, which show a diaphragm resonance limited bandwidth of approximately 20 kHz. These designs are substantial improvements over initial prototypes presented previously. The high performance-to-size ratio achievable with this technology is expected to have an impact on a variety of instrumentation and hearing applications.

Boronic Acid vs. Folic Acid: A Comparison of the bio-recognition performances by Impedimetric Cytosensors based on Ferrocene cored dendrimer.

PubMed

Dervisevic, Muamer; Şenel, Mehmet; Sagir, Tugba; Isik, Sevim

2017-05-15

A comparative study is reported where folic acid (FA) and boronic acid (BA) based cytosensors and their analytical performances in cancer cell detection were analyzed by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. Cytosensors were fabricated using self-assembled monolayer principle by modifying Au electrode with cysteamine (Cys) and immobilization of ferrocene cored polyamidiamine dendrimers second generation (Fc-PAMAM (G2)), after which electrodes were modified with FA and BA. Au/Fc-PAMAM(G2)/FA and Au/Fc-PAMAM(G2)/BA based cytosensors showed extremely good analytical performances in cancer cell detection with linear range of 1×10 2 to 1×10 6 cellsml -1 , detection limit of 20cellsml -1 with incubation time of 20min for FA based electrode, and for BA based electrode detection limit was 28cellsml -1 with incubation time of 10min. Next to excellent analytical performances, cytosensors showed high selectivity towards cancer cells which was demonstrated in selectivity study using human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK 293) as normal cells and Au/Fc-PAMAM(G2)/FA electrode showed two times better selectivity than BA modified electrode. These cytosensors are promising for future applications in cancer cell diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An optical system for detecting 3D high-speed oscillation of a single ultrasound microbubble

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuan; Yuan, Baohong

2013-01-01

As contrast agents, microbubbles have been playing significant roles in ultrasound imaging. Investigation of microbubble oscillation is crucial for microbubble characterization and detection. Unfortunately, 3-dimensional (3D) observation of microbubble oscillation is challenging and costly because of the bubble size—a few microns in diameter—and the high-speed dynamics under MHz ultrasound pressure waves. In this study, a cost-efficient optical confocal microscopic system combined with a gated and intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera were developed to detect 3D microbubble oscillation. The capability of imaging microbubble high-speed oscillation with much lower costs than with an ultra-fast framing or streak camera system was demonstrated. In addition, microbubble oscillations along both lateral (x and y) and axial (z) directions were demonstrated. Accordingly, this system is an excellent alternative for 3D investigation of microbubble high-speed oscillation, especially when budgets are limited. PMID:24049677

Label-Free Electrochemical Detection of Vanillin through Low-Defect Graphene Electrodes Modified with Au Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Gao, Jingyao; Yuan, Qilong; Ye, Chen; Guo, Pei; Du, Shiyu; Lai, Guosong; Yu, Aimin; Jiang, Nan; Fu, Li; Lin, Cheng-Te; Chee, Kuan W A

2018-03-25

Graphene is an excellent modifier for the surface modification of electrochemical electrodes due to its exceptional physical properties and, for the development of graphene-based chemical and biosensors, is usually coated on glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) via drop casting. However, the ease of aggregation and high defect content of reduced graphene oxides degrade the electrical properties. Here, we fabricated low-defect graphene electrodes by catalytically thermal treatment of HPHT diamond substrate, followed by the electrodeposition of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) with an average size of ≈60 nm on the electrode surface using cyclic voltammetry. The Au nanoparticle-decorated graphene electrodes show a wide linear response range to vanillin from 0.2 to 40 µM with a low limit of detection of 10 nM. This work demonstrates the potential applications of graphene-based hybrid electrodes for highly sensitive chemical detection.

Facile and scalable disposable sensor based on laser engraved graphene for electrochemical detection of glucose

PubMed Central

Tehrani, Farshad; Bavarian, Behzad

2016-01-01

A novel and highly sensitive disposable glucose sensor strip was developed using direct laser engraved graphene (DLEG) decorated with pulse deposited copper nanocubes (CuNCs). The high reproducibility (96.8%), stability (97.4%) and low cost demonstrated by this 3-step fabrication method indicates that it could be used for high volume manufacturing of disposable glucose strips. The fabrication method also allows for a high degree of flexibility, allowing for control of the electrode size, design, and functionalization method. Additionally, the excellent selectivity and sensitivity (4,532.2 μA/mM.cm2), low detection limit (250 nM), and suitable linear range of 25 μM–4 mM, suggests that these sensors may be a great potential platform for glucose detection within the physiological range for tear, saliva, and/or sweat. PMID:27306706

A highly selective fluorescent probe for the detection of hypochlorous acid in tap water and living cells.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao; Zhou, Yanmei; Xu, Chenggong; Song, Haohan; Li, Li; Zhang, Junli; Guo, Meixia

2018-06-03

A turn-on fluorescent probe (DAME) for sensing hypochlorous acid (HClO) with excellent selectivity was presented. The fluorescent probe was composed of coumarin derivative as the fluorophore and dimethylcarbamothioic chloride group with a sulfide moiety as modulator. Additionally, the sulfide moiety would be oxidized by HClO, and then free dye of coumarin derivate was released and exhibited significant fluorescence. In addition, the probe could respond to HClO in solutions within 60 s and the limit of detection was down to 34.75 nM. Moreover, the probe was used for the detection of HClO in tap water through the home-made test paper. And confocal images confirmed that probe DAME could be used for recognizing HClO in living cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facile and scalable disposable sensor based on laser engraved graphene for electrochemical detection of glucose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tehrani, Farshad; Bavarian, Behzad

2016-06-01

A novel and highly sensitive disposable glucose sensor strip was developed using direct laser engraved graphene (DLEG) decorated with pulse deposited copper nanocubes (CuNCs). The high reproducibility (96.8%), stability (97.4%) and low cost demonstrated by this 3-step fabrication method indicates that it could be used for high volume manufacturing of disposable glucose strips. The fabrication method also allows for a high degree of flexibility, allowing for control of the electrode size, design, and functionalization method. Additionally, the excellent selectivity and sensitivity (4,532.2 μA/mM.cm2), low detection limit (250 nM), and suitable linear range of 25 μM-4 mM, suggests that these sensors may be a great potential platform for glucose detection within the physiological range for tear, saliva, and/or sweat.

A New Smart Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor Based on pH-Responsive Polyacryloyl Hydrazine Capped Ag Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yuan, Shuai; Ge, Fengyan; Zhou, Man; Cai, Zaisheng; Guang, Shanyi

2017-08-14

A novel pH-responsive Ag@polyacryloyl hydrazide (Ag@PAH) nanoparticle for the first time as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate was prepared without reducing agent and end-capping reagent. Ag@PAH nanoparticles exhibited an excellent tunable detecting performance in the range from pH = 4 to pH = 9. This is explained that the swelling-shrinking behavior of responsive PAH can control the distance between Ag NPs and the target molecules under external pH stimuli, resulting in the tunable LSPR and further controlled SERS. Furthermore, Ag@PAH nanoparticles possessed an ultra-sensitive detecting ability and the detection limit of Rhodamine 6G reduced to 10 -12  M. These advantages qualified Ag@PAH NP as a promising smart SERS substrate in the field of trace analysis and sensors.

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) for Inspection of Composite Sandwich Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zalameda, Joseph N.; Parker, F. Raymond

2014-01-01

Composite honeycomb structures are widely used in aerospace applications due to their low weight and high strength advantages. Developing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspection methods are essential for their safe performance. Flash thermography is a commonly used technique for composite honeycomb structure inspections due to its large area and rapid inspection capability. Flash thermography is shown to be sensitive for detection of face sheet impact damage and face sheet to core disbond. Data processing techniques, using principal component analysis to improve the defect contrast, are discussed. Limitations to the thermal detection of the core are investigated. In addition to flash thermography, X-ray computed tomography is used. The aluminum honeycomb core provides excellent X-ray contrast compared to the composite face sheet. The X-ray CT technique was used to detect impact damage, core crushing, and skin to core disbonds. Additionally, the X-ray CT technique is used to validate the thermography results.

A new FRET ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for Hg2+ and its application in living EC 109 cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jianhua; Huai, Manxiu; Wang, Cuicui; Xu, Zhanhui; Zhao, Yufen; Ye, Yong

2015-03-01

On the basis of fluorescent resonance energy transfer, a new fluorophore dyad (L) bearing rhodamine B and naphthalimide was developed as fluorescent ratiometric chemosensor for Hg2+ in aqueous solution. L exhibited high selectivity and excellent sensitivity towards Hg2+ with a broad pH span (1.0-8.0) and the detection limit of L was 2.11 × 10-8 M. Sensor L for the detection of Hg2+ was rapid and the recognizing event could complete in 2.5 min. A significant change in the color could be used for naked-eye detection. The selective fluorescence response of L to Hg2+ is due to the Hg2+-promoted ring opening of spirolactam of rhodamine moiety, leading to a cyclization reaction of thiourea moiety. In addition, fluorescence imaging experiments of Hg2+ in living EC 109 cells demonstrated its value of practical applications in biological systems.

Nickel-Cobalt Oxide Decorated Three-Dimensional Graphene as an Enzyme Mimic for Glucose and Calcium Detection.

PubMed

Wu, Meiyan; Meng, Shangjun; Wang, Qian; Si, Weili; Huang, Wei; Dong, Xiaochen

2015-09-30

Glucose and calcium ion play key roles in human bodies. The needlelike NiCo2O4 nanostructures are in situ deposited on three-dimensional graphene foam (3DGF) by a facile hydrothermal procedure. The structure and morphology of the hierarchical NiCo2O4/3DGF are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. With the self-standing NiCo2O4/3DGF as electrochemical electrode, it can realize the high-sensitivity detections for glucose and calcium ion. The limit of detection can reach 0.38 and 4.45 μM, respectively. In addition, the electrochemical electrode presents excellent selectivity for glucose and calcium ion. This study demonstrates that NiCo2O4/3DGF is a unique and promising material for practical application in both glucose and calcium ion sensing.

Highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for bisphenol A detection based on a diazonium-functionalized boron-doped diamond electrode modified with a multi-walled carbon nanotube-tyrosinase hybrid film.

PubMed

Zehani, Nedjla; Fortgang, Philippe; Saddek Lachgar, Mohamed; Baraket, Abdoullatif; Arab, Madjid; Dzyadevych, Sergei V; Kherrat, Rochdi; Jaffrezic-Renault, Nicole

2015-12-15

A highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in water has been developed by immobilizing tyrosinase onto a diazonium-functionalized boron doped diamond electrode (BDD) modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The fabricated biosensor exhibits excellent electroactivity towards o-quinone, a product of this enzymatic reaction of BPA oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase. The developed BPA biosensor displays a large linear range from 0.01 nM to 100 nM, with a detection limit (LOD) of 10 pM. The feasibility of the proposed biosensor has been demonstrated on BPA spiked water river samples. Therefore, it could be a promising and reliable analytical tool for on-site monitoring of BPA in waste water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A colorimetric and fluorometric dual-signal sensor for arginine detection by inhibiting the growth of gold nanoparticles/carbon quantum dots composite.

PubMed

Liu, Ting; Li, Na; Dong, Jiang Xue; Zhang, Ying; Fan, Yu Zhu; Lin, Shu Min; Luo, Hong Qun; Li, Nian Bing

2017-01-15

A bidimensional optical sensing platform which combines the advantages of fluorescence and colorimetry has been designed for arginine (Arg) detection. The system was established by monitoring the influence of Arg on the growth of gold nanoparticles/carbon quantum dots (Au/CQDs) composite, and the CQDs synthesized by ethylene glycol were used as the reducing and stabilizing agent in this paper. Considering that Arg is the only amino acid with guanidine group and has the highest isoelectric point (pI) value at 10.76, Arg would carry positive charges at pH 7.4. Consequently, the positively charged guanidine group of Arg could attract AuCl 4 - and CQDs through electrostatic interaction, which inhibited the growth of Au/CQDs composite. Thereby, the color of the system almost did not change and the fluorescence quenching of CQDs was prevented in the presence of Arg. Based on the color change a low detection limit for Arg was 37nM, and a detection limit of 450nM was obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, this dual-signal sensor also revealed excellent selectivity toward Arg over other amino acids. Besides, Arg can be detected in urine samples with satisfactory results, which demonstrate the potential applications for real analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exonuclease III-assisted graphene oxide amplified fluorescence anisotropy strategy for ricin detection.

PubMed

Xiao, Xue; Tao, Jing; Zhang, Hong Zhi; Huang, Cheng Zhi; Zhen, Shu Jun

2016-11-15

Graphene oxide (GO) is an excellent fluorescence anisotropy (FA) amplifier. However, in the conventional GO amplified FA strategy, one target can only induce the FA change of one fluorophore on probe, which limits the detection sensitivity. Herein, we developed an exonuclease III (Exo III) aided GO amplified FA strategy by using aptamer as an recognition element and ricin B-chain as a proof-of-concept target. The aptamer was hybridized with a blocker sequence and linked onto the surface of magnetic beads (MBs). Upon the addition of ricin B-chain, blocker was released from the surface of MBs and hybridized with the dye-modified probe DNA on the surface of GO through the toehold-mediated strand exchange reaction. The formed blocker-probe DNA duplex triggered the Exo III-assisted cyclic signal amplification by repeating the hybridization and digestion of probe DNA, liberating the fluorophore with several nucleotides (low FA value). Thus, ricin B-chain could be sensitively detected by the significantly decreased FA. The linear range was from 1.0μg/mL to 13.3μg/mL and the limit of detection (LOD) was 400ng/mL. This method improved the sensitivity of FA assay and it could be generalized to any kind of target detection based on the use of an appropriate aptamer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-Performance Visible-Blind UV Phototransistors Based on n-Type Naphthalene Diimide Nanomaterials.

PubMed

Song, Inho; Lee, Seung-Chul; Shang, Xiaobo; Ahn, Jaeyong; Jung, Hoon-Joo; Jeong, Chan-Uk; Kim, Sang-Wook; Yoon, Woojin; Yun, Hoseop; Kwon, O-Pil; Oh, Joon Hak

2018-04-11

This study investigates the performance of single-crystalline nanomaterials of wide-band gap naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives with methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Such materials are found to be easily used as high-performance, visible-blind near-UV light detectors. NDI single-crystalline nanoribbons are assembled using a simple solution-based process (without solvent-inclusion problems), which is then applied to organic phototransistors (OPTs). Such OPTs exhibit excellent n-channel transistor characteristics, including an average electron mobility of 1.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , sensitive UV detection properties with a detection limit of ∼1 μW cm -2 , millisecond-level responses, and detectivity as high as 10 15 Jones, demonstrating the highly sensitive organic visible-blind UV detectors. The high performance of our OPTs originates from the large face-to-face π-π stacking area between the NDI semiconducting cores, which is facilitated by methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Interestingly, NDI-based nanoribbon OPTs exhibit a distinct visible-blind near-UV detection with an identical detection limit, even under intense visible light illumination (for example, 10 4 times higher intensity than UV light intensity). Our findings demonstrate that wide-band gap NDI-based nanomaterials are highly promising for developing high-performance visible-blind UV photodetectors. Such photodetectors could potentially be used for various applications including environmental and health-monitoring systems.

Portable device for the detection of colorimetric assays

PubMed Central

Nowak, E.; Kawchuk, J.; Hoorfar, M.; Najjaran, H.

2017-01-01

In this work, a low-cost, portable device is developed to detect colorimetric assays for in-field and point-of-care (POC) analysis. The device can rapidly detect both pH values and nitrite concentrations of five different samples, simultaneously. After mixing samples with specific reagents, a high-resolution digital camera collects a picture of the sample, and a single-board computer processes the image in real time to identify the hue–saturation–value coordinates of the image. An internal light source reduces the effect of any ambient light so the device can accurately determine the corresponding pH values or nitrite concentrations. The device was purposefully designed to be low-cost, yet versatile, and the accuracy of the results have been compared to those from a conventional method. The results obtained for pH values have a mean standard deviation of 0.03 and a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.998. The detection of nitrites is between concentrations of 0.4–1.6 mg l−1, with a low detection limit of 0.2 mg l−1, and has a mean standard deviation of 0.073 and an R2 value of 0.999. The results represent great potential of the proposed portable device as an excellent analytical tool for POC colorimetric analysis and offer broad accessibility in resource-limited settings. PMID:29291093

Pen-on-paper strategy for point-of-care testing: Rapid prototyping of fully written microfluidic biosensor.

PubMed

Li, Zedong; Li, Fei; Xing, Yue; Liu, Zhi; You, Minli; Li, Yingchun; Wen, Ting; Qu, Zhiguo; Ling Li, Xiao; Xu, Feng

2017-12-15

Paper-based microfluidic biosensors have recently attracted increasing attentions in point-of-care testing (POCT) territories benefiting from their affordable, accessible and eco-friendly features, where technologies for fabricating such biosensors are preferred to be equipment free, easy-to-operate and capable of rapid prototyping. In this work, we developed a pen-on-paper (PoP) strategy based on two custom-made pens, i.e., a wax pen and a conductive-ink pen, to fully write paper-based microfluidic biosensors through directly writing both microfluidic channels and electrodes. Particularly, the proposed wax pen is competent to realize one-step fabrication of wax channels on paper, as the melted wax penetrates into paper during writing process without any post-treatments. The practical applications of the fabricated paper-based microfluidic biosensors are demonstrated by both colorimetric detection of Salmonella typhimurium DNA with detection limit of 1nM and electrochemical measurement of glucose with detection limit of 1mM. The developed PoP strategy for making microfluidic biosensors on paper characterized by true simplicity, prominent portability and excellent capability for rapid prototyping shows promising prospect in POCT applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid Trace Detection and Isomer Quantitation of Pesticide Residues via Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Wu, Xinzhou; Li, Weifeng; Guo, Pengran; Zhang, Zhixiang; Xu, Hanhong

2018-04-18

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (MALDI-FTICR-MS) has been applied for rapid, sensitive, undisputed, and quantitative detection of pesticide residues on fresh leaves with little sample pretreatment. Various pesticides (insecticides, bactericides, herbicides, and acaricides) are detected directly in the complex matrix with excellent limits of detection down to 4 μg/L. FTICR-MS could unambiguously identify pesticides with tiny mass differences (∼0.017 75 Da), thereby avoiding false-positive results. Remarkably, pesticide isomers can be totally discriminated by use of diagnostic fragments, and quantitative analysis of pesticide isomers is demonstrated. The present results expand the horizons of the MALDI-FTICR-MS platform in the reliable determination of pesticides, with integrated advantages of ultrahigh mass resolution and accuracy. This method provides growing evidence for the resultant detrimental effects of pesticides, expediting the identification and evaluation of innovative pesticides.

Sol-Gel Synthesis of Carbon Xerogel-ZnO Composite for Detection of Catechol

PubMed Central

Li, Dawei; Zang, Jun; Zhang, Jin; Ao, Kelong; Wang, Qingqing; Dong, Quanfeng; Wei, Qufu

2016-01-01

Carbon xerogel-zinc oxide (CXZnO) composites were synthesized by a simple method of sol-gel condensation polymerization of formaldehyde and resorcinol solution containing zinc salt followed by drying and thermal treatment. ZnO nanoparticles were observed to be evenly dispersed on the surfaces of the carbon xerogel microspheres. The as-prepared CXZnO composites were mixed with laccase (Lac) and Nafion to obtain a mixture solution, which was further modified on an electrode surface to construct a novel biosensing platform. Finally, the prepared electrochemical biosensor was employed to detect the environmental pollutant, catechol. The analysis result was satisfactory, the sensor showed excellent electrocatalysis towards catechol with high sensitivity (31.2 µA·mM−1), a low detection limit (2.17 µM), and a wide linear range (6.91–453 µM). Moreover, the biosensor also displayed favorable repeatability, reproducibility, selectivity, and stability besides being successfully used in the trace detection of catechol existing in lake water environments. PMID:28773407

Entropy Beacon: A Hairpin-Free DNA Amplification Strategy for Efficient Detection of Nucleic Acids

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Here, we propose an efficient strategy for enzyme- and hairpin-free nucleic acid detection called an entropy beacon (abbreviated as Ebeacon). Different from previously reported DNA hybridization/displacement-based strategies, Ebeacon is driven forward by increases in the entropy of the system, instead of free energy released from new base-pair formation. Ebeacon shows high sensitivity, with a detection limit of 5 pM target DNA in buffer and 50 pM in cellular homogenate. Ebeacon also benefits from the hairpin-free amplification strategy and zero-background, excellent thermostability from 20 °C to 50 °C, as well as good resistance to complex environments. In particular, based on the huge difference between the breathing rate of a single base pair and two adjacent base pairs, Ebeacon also shows high selectivity toward base mutations, such as substitution, insertion, and deletion and, therefore, is an efficient nucleic acid detection method, comparable to most reported enzyme-free strategies. PMID:26505212

Inkjet-assisted layer-by-layer printing of quantum dot/enzyme microarrays for highly sensitive detection of organophosphorous pesticides.

PubMed

Luan, Enxiao; Zheng, Zhaozhu; Li, Xinyu; Gu, Hongxi; Liu, Shaoqin

2016-04-15

We present a facile fabrication of layer-by-layer (LbL) microarrays of quantum dots (QDs) and acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). The resulting arrays had several unique properties, such as low cost, high integration and excellent flexibility and time-saving. The presence of organophosphorous pesticides (OPs) can inhibit the AChE activity and thus changes the fluorescent intensity of QDs/AChE microscopic dot arrays. Therefore, the QDs/AChE microscopic dot arrays were used for the sensitive visual detection of OPs. Linear calibration for parathion and paraoxon was obtained in the range of 5-100 μg L(-1) under the optimized conditions with the limit of detection (LOD) of 10 μg L(-1). The arrays have been successfully used for detection of OPs in fruits and water real samples. The new array was validated by comparison with conventional high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface plasmon aided high sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor using Au/NiAu multilayered nanowire arrays.

PubMed

Wang, Lanfang; Zhu, Weiqi; Lu, Wenbo; Qin, Xiufang; Xu, Xiaohong

2018-07-15

A novel plasmon aided non-enzymatic glucose sensor was first constructed based on the unique half-rough Au/NiAu multilayered nanowire arrays. These multilayered and half-rough nanowires provide high chemical activity and large surface area for glucose oxidation in an alkaline solution. Under visible light irradiation, the surface plasmons originated from Au part enhance the electron transfer in the vertically aligned nanowires, leading to high sensitivity and wide detection range. The resulting sensor exhibits a wide glucose detection concentration range, low detection limit, and high sensitivity for plasmon aided non-enzymatic glucose sensor. Moreover, the detection sensitivity is enhanced by almost 2 folds compared to that in the dark, which significantly enhanced the performance of Au/NiAu multilayered nanowire arrays sensor. An excellent selectivity and acceptable stability were also achieved. These results indicate that surface plasmon aided nanostructures are promising new platforms for the construction of non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Luminescent Cocaine Detection Platform Using a Split G-Quadruplex-Selective Iridium(III) Complex and a Three-Way DNA Junction Architecture.

PubMed

Ma, Dik-Lung; Wang, Modi; He, Bingyong; Yang, Chao; Wang, Wanhe; Leung, Chung-Hang

2015-09-02

In this study, a series of 10 in-house cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes bearing different auxiliary ligands were tested for their selectivity toward split G-quadruplex in order to construct a label-free switch-on cocaine detection platform employing a three-way junction architecture and a G-quadruplex motif as a signal output unit. Through two rounds of screening, we discovered that the iridium(III) complex 7 exhibited excellent selectivity toward the intermolecular G-quadruplex motif. A detection limit as low as 30 nM for cocaine can be achieved by this sensing approach with a linear relationship between luminescence intensity and cocaine concentration established from 30 to 300 nM. Furthermore, this sensing approach could detect cocaine in diluted oral fluid. We hope that our simple, signal-on, label-free oligonucleotide-based sensing method for cocaine using a three-way DNA junction architecture could act as a useful platform in bioanalytical research.

Highly sensitive detection of quantal dopamine secretion from pheochromocytoma cells using neural microelectrode array electrodeposited with polypyrrole graphene.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Xu, Huiren; Song, Yilin; Luo, Jinping; Wei, Wenjing; Xu, Shengwei; Cai, Xinxia

2015-04-15

For the measurement of events of dopamine (DA) release as well as the coordinating neurotransmission in the nerve system, a neural microelectrode array (nMEA) electrodeposited directionally with polypyrrole graphene (PG) nanocomposites was fabricated. The deposited graphene significantly increased the surface area of working electrode, which led to the nMEA (with diameter of 20 μm) with excellent selectivity and sensitivity to DA. Furthermore, PG film modification exhibited low detection limit (4 nM, S/N = 3.21), high sensitivity, and good linearity in the presence of ascorbic acid (e.g., 13933.12 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) in the range of 0.8-10 μM). In particular, the nMEA combined with the patch-clamp system was used to detect quantized DA release from pheochromocytoma cells under 100 mM K(+) stimulation. The nMEA that integrates 60 microelectrodes is novel for detecting a large number of samples simultaneously, which has potential for neural communication research.

Copper sulfide nanoparticle-decorated graphene as a catalytic amplification platform for electrochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase activity.

PubMed

Peng, Juan; Han, Xiao-Xia; Zhang, Qing-Chun; Yao, Hui-Qin; Gao, Zuo-Ning

2015-06-09

Copper sulfide nanoparticle-decorated graphene sheet (CuS/GR) was successfully synthesized and used as a signal amplification platform for electrochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase activity. First, CuS/GR was prepared through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach. The CuS/GR nanocomposites exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of ALP hydrolyzed products such as 1-naphthol, which produced a current response. Thus, a catalytic amplification platform based on CuS/GR nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of ALP activity was designed using 1-naphthyl phosphate as a model substrate. The current response increased linearly with ALP concentration from 0.1 to 100 U L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.02 U L(-1). The assay was applied to estimate ALP activity in human serum samples with satisfactory results. This strategy may find widespread and promising applications in other sensing systems that involves ALP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Label-free nanoplasmonic sensing of tumor-associate autoantibodies for early diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Soler, Maria; Estevez, M-Carmen; Villar-Vazquez, Roi; Casal, J Ignacio; Lechuga, Laura M

2016-08-03

Colorectal cancer is treatable and curable when detected at early stages. However there is a lack of less invasive and more specific screening and diagnosis methods which would facilitate its prompt identification. Blood circulating autoantibodies which are immediately produced by the immune system at tumor appearance have become valuable biomarkers for preclinical diagnosis of cancer. In this work, we present the rapid and label-free detection of colorectal cancer autoantibodies directly in blood serum or plasma using a recently developed nanoplasmonic biosensor. Our nanoplasmonic device offers sensitive and real-time quantification of autoantibodies with excellent selectivity and reproducibility, achieving limits of detection around 1 nM (150-160 ng mL(-1)). A preliminary evaluation of clinical samples of colorectal cancer patients has shown good correlation with ELISA. These results demonstrate the reliability of the nanobiosensor strategy and pave the way towards the achievement of a sensitive diagnostic tool for early detection of colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrically contacted enzyme based on dual hairpin DNA structure and its application for amplified detection of Hg2+.

PubMed

Wang, Guangfeng; Huang, Hao; Zhang, Xiaojun; Wang, Lun

2012-05-15

In the present study, based on a dual hairpin DNA structure, a novel system of electrically contacted enzyme and its signal amplification for ultrasensitive detection of Hg(2+) was demonstrated. In the presence of Hg(2+), with the interaction of thymine-Hg(2+)-thymine (T-Hg(2+)-T), DNA sequence dully labeled with ferrocene (Fc) at 5' end and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) at 3' end, hybridized to the capture probe and formed the dual hairpin structure on the electrode. Fc unit acts as a relay that electrically contacts HRP with the electrode and activates the bioelectrocatalyzed reduction of H(2)O(2). And based on the bioelectrocatalyzed signal amplification of the presented system, Hg(2+) could be quantitatively detected in the range of 10(-10)-10(-6)M with a low detection limit of 52 pM. And it also demonstrated excellent selectivity against other interferential metal ions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Portable kit for identification and detection of drugs in human urine using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Han, Zhenzhen; Liu, Honglin; Meng, Juan; Yang, Liangbao; Liu, Jing; Liu, Jinhuai

2015-09-15

A portable kit was demonstrated for rapid and reliable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of drugs in human urine. This kit contains two sealed reagent tubes, a packet of standardized SERS substrates, and a mini Raman device. A 3 min pretreatment for separating amphetamines from human urine was developed with an extraction rate of >80% examined by ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Simultaneously, highly reproducible two-dimensional (2D) gold nanorod (GNR) arrays were assembled by the use of methoxymercaptopoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-SH) capping. Thirty batches of GNR arrays produced the 1001 cm(-1) intensity of methamphetamine (MA) molecules with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.9%, and a 21 × 21 μm(2) area mapping on a 2D GNR array produced a statistical RSD of <10%, implying an excellent reproducibility and uniformity. The detection limit of amphetamines in human urine was at least 0.1 ppm. Moreover, the portable kit was successfully used for detecting MA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and methcathinone (MC) in 30 volunteers' urine samples with various clinical natures, and the dual-analyte detection of MA and MDMA implied a good capability of multiplex analysis. UPLC examination and the SERS recovery test clearly indicated that our pretreatment procedure was sufficient to lower the high background signals caused by complex components in urine and demonstrated the practicability and the resistance to false positives, which is a vital problem for law enforcement applications. The excellent performance of our portable kit promises a great prospective toward a rapid, reliable, and on-spot analyzer, especially for public safety and healthcare.

Ultrasensitive sliver nanorods array SERS sensor for mercury ions.

PubMed

Song, Chunyuan; Yang, Boyue; Zhu, Yu; Yang, Yanjun; Wang, Lianhui

2017-01-15

With years of outrageous mercury emissions, there is an urgent need to develop convenient and sensitive methods for detecting mercury ions in response to increasingly serious mercury pollution in water. In the present work, a portable, ultrasensitive SERS sensor is proposed and utilized for detecting trace mercury ions in water. The SERS sensor is prepared on an excellent sliver nanorods array SERS substrate by immobilizing T-component oligonucleotide probes labeled with dye on the 3'-end and -SH on the 5'-end. The SERS sensor responses to the specific chemical bonding between thymine and mercury ions, which causes the previous flexible single strand of oligonucleotide probe changing into rigid and upright double chain structure. Such change in the structure drives the dyes far away from the excellent SERS substrate and results in a SERS signal attenuation of the dye. Therefore, by monitoring the decay of SERS signal of the dye, mercury ions in water can be detected qualitatively and quantitatively. The experimental results indicate that the proposed optimal SERS sensor owns a linear response with wide detecting range from 1pM to 1μM, and a detection limit of 0.16pM is obtained. In addition, the SERS sensor demonstrates good specificity for Hg 2+ , which can accurately identify trace mercury ions from a mixture of ten kinds of other ions. The SERS sensor has been further executed to analyze the trace mercury ions in tap water and lake water respectively, and good recovery rates are obtained for sensing both kinds of water. With its high selectivity and good portability, the ultrasensitive SERS sensor is expected to be a promising candidate for discriminating mercury ions in the fields of environmental monitoring and food safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Layered composites of PEDOT/PSS/nanoparticles and PEDOT/PSS/phthalocyanines as electron mediators for sensors and biosensors

PubMed Central

García-Hernández, Celia; García-Cabezón, Cristina; Martín-Pedrosa, Fernando; De Saja, José Antonio

2016-01-01

The sensing properties of electrodes chemically modified with PEDOT/PSS towards catechol and hydroquinone sensing have been successfully improved by combining layers of PEDOT/PSS with layers of a secondary electrocatalytic material such as gold nanoparticles (PEDOT/PSS/AuNPs), copper phthalocyanine (PEDOT/PSS/CuPc) or lutetium bisphthalocyanine (PEDOT/PSS/LuPc2). Layered composites exhibit synergistic effects that strongly enhance the electrocatalytic activity as indicated by the increase in intensity and the shift of the redox peaks to lower potentials. A remarkable improvement has been achieved using PEDOT/PSS/LuPc2, which exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of catechol. The kinetic studies demonstrated diffusion-controlled processes at the electrode surfaces. The kinetic parameters such as Tafel slopes and charge transfer coefficient (α) confirm the improved electrocatalytic activity of the layered electron mediators. The peak currents increased linearly with concentration of catechol and hydroquinone over the range of 1.5 × 10−4 to 4.0 × 10−6 mol·L−1 with a limit of detection on the scale of μmol·L−1. The layered composite hybrid systems were also found to be excellent electron mediators in biosensors containing tyrosinase and laccase, and they combine the recognition and biocatalytic properties of biomolecules with the unique catalytic features of composite materials. The observed increase in the intensity of the responses allowed detection limits of 1 × 10−7 mol·L−1 to be attained. PMID:28144543

Graphite paper-based bipolar electrode electrochemiluminescence sensing platform.

PubMed

Zhang, Xin; Ding, Shou-Nian

2017-08-15

In this work, aiming at the construction of a disposable, wireless, low-cost and sensitive system for bioassay, we report a closed bipolar electrode electrochemiluminescence (BPE-ECL) sensing platform based on graphite paper as BPE for the first time. Graphite paper is qualified as BPE due to its unique properties such as excellent electrical conductivity, uniform composition and ease of use. This simple BPE-ECL device was applied to the quantitative analysis of oxidant (H 2 O 2 ) and biomarker (CEA) respectively, according to the principle of BPE sensing-charge balance. For the H 2 O 2 analysis, Pt NPs were electrodeposited onto the cathode through a bipolar electrodeposition approach to promote the sensing performance. As a result, this BPE-ECL device exhibited a wide linear range of 0.001-15mM with a low detection limit of 0.5µM (S/N=3) for H 2 O 2 determination. For the determination of CEA, chitosan-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CS-MWCNTs) were employed to supply a hydrophilic interface for immobilizing primary antibody (Ab 1 ); and Au@Pt nanostructures were conjugated with secondary antibody (Ab 2 ) as catalysts for H 2 O 2 reduction. Under the optimal conditions, the BPE-ECL immunodevice showed a wide linear range of 0.01-60ngmL -1 with a detection limit of 5.0pgmL -1 for CEA. Furthermore, it also displayed satisfactory selectivity, excellent stability and good reproducibility. The developed method opened a new avenue to clinical bioassay. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A silver nanoislands on silica spheres platform: enriching trace amounts of analytes for ultrasensitive and reproducible SERS detection.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongshun; Feng, Lei; Xiao, Dongyang; Li, Ning; Li, Yao; Cao, Danfeng; Shi, Zuosen; Cui, Zhanchen; Lu, Nan

2017-11-09

The performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for detecting trace amounts of analytes depends highly on the enrichment of the diluted analytes into a small region that can be detected. A super-hydrophobic delivery (SHD) process is an excellent process to enrich even femtomolar analytes for SERS detection. However, it is still challenging to easily fabricate a low detection limit, high sensitivity and reproducible SHD-SERS substrate. In this article, we present a cost-effective and fewer-step method to fabricate a SHD-SERS substrate, named the "silver nanoislands on silica spheres" (SNOSS) platform. It is easily prepared via the thermal evaporation of silver onto a layer of super-hydrophobic paint, which contains single-scale surface-fluorinated silica spheres. The SNOSS platform performs reproducible detection, which brings the relative standard deviation down to 8.85% and 5.63% for detecting 10 -8 M R6G in one spot and spot-to-spot set-ups, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R 2 ) is 0.9773 for R6G. The SNOSS platform can be applied to the quantitative detection of analytes whose concentrations range from sub-micromolar to femtomolar levels.

Multiyear and multisite photometric campaigns on the bright high-amplitude pulsating subdwarf B star EC 01541-1409

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, M. D.; Kilkenny, D.; O'Toole, S.; Østensen, R. H.; Honer, C.; Gilker, J. T.; Quint, A. C.; Doennig, A. M.; Hicks, L. H.; Thompson, M. A.; McCart, P. A.; Zietsman, E.; Chen, W.-P.; Chen, C.-W.; Lin, C.-C.; Beck, P.; Degroote, P.; Barlow, B. N.; Reichart, D. E.; Nysewander, M. C.; Lacluyze, A. P.; Ivarsen, K. M.; Haislip, J. B.; Baran, A.; Winiarski, M.; Drozdz, M.

2012-03-01

We present follow-up observations of the pulsating subdwarf B (sdB) star EC 01541-1409 as part of our efforts to resolve pulsation spectra for use in asteroseismological analyses. This paper reports on data obtained from a single-site campaign, during 2008, and a multisite campaign, during 2009. From limited 2008 data, we were able to clearly resolve and pre-whiten 24 periods. A subsequent multisite campaign spanning nearly 2 months found over 30 individual periodicities most of which were unstable in amplitude and/or phase. Pulsation amplitudes were found to the detection limit, meaning that further observations would likely reveal more periodicities. EC 01541-1409 reveals itself to be one of two sdB pulsators with many pulsation frequencies covering a large frequency range. Unlike the other star of this type (PG 0048+091), it has one high-amplitude periodicity which appears phase stable, making EC 01541-1409 an excellent candidate for exoplanet studies via pulsation phases. No multiplets were detected leaving EC 01541-1409 as yet another rich p-mode sdB pulsator without these features, limiting observational constraints on pulsation modes.

Mercury stabilization in chemically bonded phosphate ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagh, Arun S.; Jeong, Seung-Young; Singh, Dileep

1997-07-01

We have investigated mercury stabilization in chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) using four surrogate waste streams that represent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ash, soil, and two secondary waste streams resulting from the destruction of DOE`s high-organic wastes by the DETOX{sup SM} Wet Oxidation Process. Hg content in the waste streams was 0.1 to 0.5 wt.% (added as soluble salts). Sulfidation of Hg and its concurrent stabilization in the CBPC matrix yielded highly nonleachable waste forms. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure showed that leaching levels were well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s regulatory limits. The American Nuclear Society`s ANSmore » 16.1 immersion test also gave very high leaching indices, indicating excellent retention of the contaminants. In particular, leaching levels of Hg in the ash waste form were below the measurement detection limit in neutral and alkaline water, negligibly low but measureable in the first 72 h of leaching in acid water, and below the detection limit after that. These studies indicate that the waste forms are stable in a wide range of chemical environments during storage. 9 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Detection of malachite green in fish based on magnetic fluorescent probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Le; Lin, Zheng-Zhong; Zeng, Jun; Zhong, Hui-Ping; Chen, Xiao-Mei; Huang, Zhi-Yong

2018-05-01

A magnetic fluorescent probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs was prepared using CdTe QDs and Fe3O4 nanoparticles as co-nucleus and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as specific recognition sites based on a reverse microemulsion method. With the specific enrichment and magnetic separation properties, the probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs was used to detect malachite green (MG) in fish samples. The TEM analysis showed that the particles of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs were spherical with average diameter around 53 nm, and a core-shell structure was well-shaped with several Fe3O4 nanoparticles and CdTe QDs embedded in each of the microsphere. Quick separation of the probes from solutions could be realized with a magnet, indicating the excellent magnetic property of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs. The probe exhibited high specific adsorption towards MG and excellent fluorescence emission at λem 598 nm. The fluorescence of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs could be linearly quenched by MG at the concentrations from 0.025 to 1.5 μmol L-1. The detection limit was 0.014 μmol L-1. The average recovery of spiked MG in fish samples was 105.2%. The result demonstrated that the as-prepared CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs could be used as a probe to the detection of trace MG in fish samples.

Electrochemiluminescence of luminol enhanced by the synergetic catalysis of hemin and silver nanoparticles for sensitive protein detection.

PubMed

Jiang, Xinya; Chai, Yaqin; Wang, Haijun; Yuan, Ruo

2014-04-15

A novel and ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor, which was based on the amplifying ECL of luminol by hemin-reduced graphene oxide (hemin-rGO) and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated reduced graphene oxide (Ag-rGO), was constructed for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). For this proposed sandwich-type ECL immunosensor, Au nanoparticles electrodeposited (DpAu) onto hemin-rGO (DpAu/hemin-rGO) constructed the base of the immunosensor. DpAu had outstanding electrical conductivity to promote the electron transfer at the electrode interface and had good biocompatibility to load large amounts of primary antibody (Ab1), which provided an excellent platform for this immunosensor. Moreover, AgNPs and glucose oxidase (GOD) functionalized graphene labeled secondary antibody (Ag-rGO-Ab2-GOD) was designed as the signal probe for the sandwiched immunosensor. Not only did the hemin-rGO improve the electron transfer of the electrode surface, but hemin also further amplified the ECL signal of luminol in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). With the aid of Ag-rGO-Ab2-GOD, enhanced signal was obtained by in situ generation of H2O2 and catalysis of AgNPs to ECL reaction of the luminol-H2O2 system. The as-prepared ECL immunosensor exhibited excellent analytical property for the detection of CEA in the range from 0.1 pg mL(-1) to 160 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.03 pg mL(-1) (SN(-1)=3). © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

A highly sensitive and selective fluorimetric probe for intracellular peroxynitrite based on photoinduced electron transfer from ferrocene to carbon dots.

PubMed

Zhu, Jiali; Sun, Shan; Jiang, Kai; Wang, Yuhui; Liu, Wenqing; Lin, Hengwei

2017-11-15

Herein, a highly sensitive and selective fluorimetric nanoprobe for peroxynitrite (ONOO - ) detection based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from ferrocene (Fc) to carbon dots (CDs) is reported. The nanoprobe (named CDs-Fc) can be facilely constructed through covalently conjugating CDs and ferrocenecarboxylic acid. Further studies reveal that the energy level of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the CDs is lowered with the addition of ONOO - due to its oxidation and nitration capabilities. Thus, an efficient electron transfer from Fc to the excited states of CDs could occur, leading to obvious fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence quenching of the nanoprobe was determined to be peroxynitrite concentrations dependence with a linear range between 4nM to 0.12μM. Thanks to the excellent optical properties of the CDs and efficient electron transfer efficiency from Fc to the excited CDs, the nanoprobe exhibits very high sensitivity to ONOO - with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.9nM. To the best of our knowledge, this LOD is the highest reported value till today for the detection of peroxynitrite. Besides, the nanoprobe also shows excellent selectivity to ONOO - among a broad range of substances, even including other reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Finally, the nanoprobe was verified to be very low cytotoxicity, and was successfully applied for intracellular ONOO - detection. This work would provide a promising tool for the research of ONOO - in cytobiology and disease diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intracellular in situ labeling of TiO2 nanoparticles for fluorescence microscopy detection

PubMed Central

Brown, Koshonna; Thurn, Ted; Xin, Lun; Liu, William; Bazak, Remon; Chen, Si; Lai, Barry; Vogt, Stefan; Jacobsen, Chris; Paunesku, Tatjana; Woloschak, Gayle E.

2018-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are produced for many different purposes, including development of therapeutic and diagnostic nanoparticles for cancer detection and treatment, drug delivery, induction of DNA double-strand breaks, and imaging of specific cells and subcellular structures. Currently, the use of optical microscopy, an imaging technique most accessible to biology and medical pathology, to detect TiO2 nanoparticles in cells and tissues ex vivo is limited with low detection limits, while more sensitive imaging methods (transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence microscopy, etc.) have low throughput and technical and operational complications. Herein, we describe two in situ post-treatment labeling approaches to stain TiO2 nanoparticles taken up by the cells. The first approach utilizes fluorescent biotin and fluorescent streptavidin to label the nanoparticles before and after cellular uptake; the second approach is based on the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, the so-called Click chemistry, for labeling and detection of azide-conjugated TiO2 nanoparticles with alkyne-conjugated fluorescent dyes such as Alexa Fluor 488. To confirm that optical fluorescence signals of these nanoparticles match the distribution of the Ti element, we used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Titanium-specific XFM showed excellent overlap with the location of optical fluorescence detected by confocal microscopy. Therefore, future experiments with TiO2 nanoparticles may safely rely on confocal microscopy after in situ nanoparticle labeling using approaches described here. PMID:29541425

Intracellular in situ labeling of TiO2 nanoparticles for fluorescence microscopy detection.

PubMed

Brown, Koshonna; Thurn, Ted; Xin, Lun; Liu, William; Bazak, Remon; Chen, Si; Lai, Barry; Vogt, Stefan; Jacobsen, Chris; Paunesku, Tatjana; Woloschak, Gayle E

2018-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles are produced for many different purposes, including development of therapeutic and diagnostic nanoparticles for cancer detection and treatment, drug delivery, induction of DNA double-strand breaks, and imaging of specific cells and subcellular structures. Currently, the use of optical microscopy, an imaging technique most accessible to biology and medical pathology, to detect TiO 2 nanoparticles in cells and tissues ex vivo is limited with low detection limits, while more sensitive imaging methods (transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence microscopy, etc.) have low throughput and technical and operational complications. Herein, we describe two in situ post-treatment labeling approaches to stain TiO 2 nanoparticles taken up by the cells. The first approach utilizes fluorescent biotin and fluorescent streptavidin to label the nanoparticles before and after cellular uptake; the second approach is based on the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, the so-called Click chemistry, for labeling and detection of azide-conjugated TiO 2 nanoparticles with alkyne-conjugated fluorescent dyes such as Alexa Fluor 488. To confirm that optical fluorescence signals of these nanoparticles match the distribution of the Ti element, we used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Titanium-specific XFM showed excellent overlap with the location of optical fluorescence detected by confocal microscopy. Therefore, future experiments with TiO 2 nanoparticles may safely rely on confocal microscopy after in situ nanoparticle labeling using approaches described here.

One-pot synthesis of magnetite nanorods/graphene composites and its catalytic activity toward electrochemical detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Salamon, J; Sathishkumar, Y; Ramachandran, K; Lee, Yang Soo; Yoo, Dong Jin; Kim, Ae Rhan; Gnana Kumar, G

2015-02-15

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanorods anchored over reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized through a one-pot synthesis method, where the reduction of GO and in-situ generation of Fe3O4 nanorods occurred concurrently. The average head and tail diameter of Fe3O4 nanorods anchored over the rGO matrix are found to be 32 and 11 nm, respectively, and morphology, structure and diameter of bare Fe3O4 nanorods were not altered even after the composite formation with rGO. The increased structural disorders and decrement in the sp(2) domains stimulated the high electrical conductivity and extended catalytic active sites for the prepared rGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite. The constructed rGO/Fe3O4/GCE sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of dopamine (DA) with a quick response time of 6s, a wide linear range between 0.01 and 100.55 µM, high sensitivity of 3.15 µA µM(-1) cm(-2) and a lower detection limit of 7 nM. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor exhibited a practical applicability in the quantification of DA in urine samples with an excellent recovery rate. The excellent electroanalytical performances and straight-forward, surfactant and template free preparation method construct the rGO/Fe3O4 composite as an extremely promising material for the diagnosis of DA related diseases in biomedical applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-toxic fluorescent phosphonium probes to detect mitochondrial potential.

PubMed

Šarić, Ana; Crnolatac, Ivo; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Sobočanec, Sandra; Mikecin, Ana-Matea; Mačak Šafranko, Željka; Delgeorgiev, Todor; Piantanida, Ivo; Balog, Tihomir; Petit, Patrice X

2017-03-22

We evaluated our phosphonium-based fluorescent probes for selective staining of mitochondria. Currently used probes for monitoring mitochondrial membrane potential show varying degrees of interference with cell metabolism, photo-induced damage and probe binding. Here presented probes are characterised by highly efficient cellular uptake and specific accumulation in mitochondria. Fluorescent detection of the probes was accomplished using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy imaging of yeast and mammalian cells. Toxicity analysis (impedimetry-xCELLigence for the cellular proliferation and Seahorse technology for respiratory properties) confirms that these dyes exhibit no-toxicity on mitochondrial or cellular functioning even for long time incubation. The excellent chemical and photophysical stability of the dyes makes them promising leads toward improved fluorescent probes. Therefore, the probes described here offer to circumvent the problems associated with existing-probe's limitations.

Non-toxic fluorescent phosphonium probes to detect mitochondrial potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šarić, Ana; Crnolatac, Ivo; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Sobočanec, Sandra; Mikecin, Ana-Matea; Mačak Šafranko, Željka; Delgeorgiev, Todor; Piantanida, Ivo; Balog, Tihomir; Petit, Patrice X.

2017-03-01

We evaluated our phosphonium-based fluorescent probes for selective staining of mitochondria. Currently used probes for monitoring mitochondrial membrane potential show varying degrees of interference with cell metabolism, photo-induced damage and probe binding. Here presented probes are characterised by highly efficient cellular uptake and specific accumulation in mitochondria. Fluorescent detection of the probes was accomplished using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy imaging of yeast and mammalian cells. Toxicity analysis (impedimetry—xCELLigence for the cellular proliferation and Seahorse technology for respiratory properties) confirms that these dyes exhibit no-toxicity on mitochondrial or cellular functioning even for long time incubation. The excellent chemical and photophysical stability of the dyes makes them promising leads toward improved fluorescent probes. Therefore, the probes described here offer to circumvent the problems associated with existing-probe’s limitations.

A novel array of chemiluminescence sensors for sensitive, rapid and high-throughput detection of explosive triacetone triperoxide at the scene.

PubMed

Li, Xiaohua; Zhang, Zhujun; Tao, Liang

2013-09-15

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is relatively easy to make and has been used in various terrorist acts. Early but easy detection of TATP is highly desired. We designed a new type sensor array for H2O2. The unique CL sensor array was based on CeO2 nanoparticles' membranes, which have an excellent catalytic effect on the luminol-H2O2 CL reaction in alkaline medium. It exhibits a linear range for the detection of H2O2 from 1.0×10(-8) to 5.0×10(-5)M (R(2)=0.9991) with a 1s response time. The detection limit is 1.0×10(-9)M. Notably, the present approach allows the design of CL sensor array assays in a more simple, time-saving, long-lifetime, high-throughput, and economical approach when compared with conventional CL sensor. It is conceptually different from conventional CL sensor assays. The novel sensor array has been successfully applied for the detection of TATP at the scene. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A robust and versatile signal-on fluorescence sensing strategy based on SYBR Green I dye and graphene oxide

PubMed Central

Qiu, Huazhang; Wu, Namei; Zheng, Yanjie; Chen, Min; Weng, Shaohuang; Chen, Yuanzhong; Lin, Xinhua

2015-01-01

A robust and versatile signal-on fluorescence sensing strategy was developed to provide label-free detection of various target analytes. The strategy used SYBR Green I dye and graphene oxide as signal reporter and signal-to-background ratio enhancer, respectively. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) gene and mercury ion (Hg2+) were selected as target analytes to investigate the generality of the method. The linear relationship and specificity of the detections showed that the sensitive and selective analyses of target analytes could be achieved by the proposed strategy with low detection limits of 0.5 and 2.2 nM for MDR1 gene and Hg2+, respectively. Moreover, the strategy was used to detect real samples. Analytical results of MDR1 gene in the serum indicated that the developed method is a promising alternative approach for real applications in complex systems. Furthermore, the recovery of the proposed method for Hg2+ detection was acceptable. Thus, the developed label-free signal-on fluorescence sensing strategy exhibited excellent universality, sensitivity, and handling convenience. PMID:25565810

Electrochemiluminescence assay of Cu2+ by using one-step electrodeposition synthesized CdS/ZnS quantum dots.

PubMed

Zhao, Guanhui; Li, Xiaojian; Zhao, Yongbei; Li, Yueyuan; Cao, Wei; Wei, Qin

2017-08-21

A sensitive and selective method was proposed to detect Cu 2+ based on the electrochemiluminescence quenching of CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). Herein, CdS/ZnS QDs were one-step electrodeposited directly on a gold electrode from an electrolyte (containing Cd(NO 3 ) 2 , Zn(NO 3 ) 2 , EDTA and Na 2 S 2 O 3 ) by cycling the potential from 0 to -1.8 V. The prepared CdS/ZnS QDs exhibited excellent solubility and strong and stable cathodic ECL activity. Meanwhile, Nafion was used to immobilize CdS/ZnS QDs. The quenching effect of Cu 2+ on the cathodic ECL of CdS/ZnS QDs was found to be selective and concentration dependent. The linear range for Cu 2+ detection was from 2.5 nM to 200 nM with a detection limit of 0.95 nM. Furthermore, the designed method for the detection of Cu 2+ can provide a reference for the detection of other heavy metal ions.

Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) as a Highly Sensitive and Quickly Responsive Chemical Sensor for the Detection of Antibiotics in Simulated Wastewater.

PubMed

Zhu, Xian-Dong; Zhang, Kun; Wang, Yu; Long, Wei-Wei; Sa, Rong-Jian; Liu, Tian-Fu; Lü, Jian

2018-02-05

A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

Passive IR polarization sensors: a new technology for mine detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Blair A.; Jones, Michael W.; Barnes, Howard B.; Lewis, Charles P.

1998-09-01

The problem of mine and minefield detection continues to provide a significant challenge to sensor systems. Although the various sensor technologies (infrared, ground penetrating radar, etc.) may excel in certain situations there does not exist a single sensor technology that can adequately detect mines in all conditions such as time of day, weather, buried or surface laid, etc. A truly robust mine detection system will likely require the fusion of data from multiple sensor technologies. The performance of these systems, however, will ultimately depend on the performance of the individual sensors. Infrared (IR) polarimetry is a new and innovative sensor technology that adds substantial capabilities to the detection of mines. IR polarimetry improves on basic IR imaging by providing improved spatial resolution of the target, an inherent ability to suppress clutter, and the capability for zero (Delta) T imaging. Nichols Research Corporation (Nichols) is currently evaluating the effectiveness of IR polarization for mine detection. This study is partially funded by the U.S. Army Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD). The goal of the study is to demonstrate, through phenomenology studies and limited field trials, that IR polarizaton outperforms conventional IR imaging in the mine detection arena.

Square wave voltammetry at the dropping mercury electrode: Experimental

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, J.A.; Christie, J.H.; Vukovic, M.; Osteryoung, R.A.

1977-01-01

Experimental verification of earlier theoretical work for square wave voltammetry at the dropping mercury electrode is given. Experiments using ferric oxalate and cadmium(II) in HCl confirm excellent agreement with theory. Experimental peak heights and peak widths are found to be within 2% of calculated results. An example of trace analysis using square wave voltammetry at the DME is presented. The technique is shown to have the same order of sensitivity as differential pulse polarography but is much faster to perform. A detection limit for cadmium in 0.1 M HCl for the system used here was 7 ?? 10-8 M.

Observations of interstellar hydrogen and deuterium toward Alpha Centauri A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landsman, W. B.; Henry, R. C.; Moos, H. W.; Linsky, J. L.

1984-01-01

A composite profile is presented of the Ly-alpha emission line of Alpha Cen A, obtained from 10 individual spectra with the high-resolution spectrograph aboard the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite. There is excellent overall agreement with two previous Copernicus observations. Interstellar deuterium is detected, and a lower limit is set on the deuterium to hydrogen ratio of nDI/nHI greater than 8 x 10 to the -6th. In addition, the deuterium bulk velocity appears blueshifted by 8 + or - 2 km/s with respect to interstellar hydrogen, suggesting a nonuniform medium along the line of sight.

Optical and Electrochemical Aptasensors for Sensitive Detection of Streptomycin in Blood Serum and Milk.

PubMed

Ramezani, Mohammad; Abnous, Khalil; Taghdisi, Seyed Mohammad

2017-01-01

Detection and quantitation of antibiotic residues in blood serum and foodstuffs are in great demand. We have developed aptasensors for detection of streptomycin using electrochemical and optical methods. In the first method, an electrochemical aptasensor was developed for sensitive and selective detection of streptomycin, based on combination of exonuclease I (Exo I), complementary strand of aptamer (CS), arch shaped structure of aptamer (Apt)-CS conjugate, and gold electrode. The designed electrochemical aptasensor exhibited high selectivity toward streptomycin with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 11.4 nM. Moreover, the developed electrochemical aptasensor was successfully used to detect streptomycin in milk and serum with LODs of 14.1 and 15.3 nM, respectively. In the second method, fluorescence quenching and colorimetric aptasensors were designed for detection of streptomycin based on aqueous gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the absence of streptomycin, aptamer/FAM-labeled complementary strand dsDNA is stable, resulting in the aggregation of AuNPs by salt bridge and an obvious color change from red to blue and strong emission of fluorescence. The colorimetric and fluorescence quenching aptasensors showed excellent selectivity toward streptomycin with limit of detections as low as 73.1 and 47.6 nM, respectively. The presented aptasensors were successfully used to detect streptomycin in milk and serum. For serum, LODs were determined to be 58.2 and 102.4 nM for fluorescence quenching and colorimetric aptasensors, respectively. For milk, LODs were calculated to be 56.2 and 108.7 nM for fluorescence quenching and colorimetric aptasensors, respectively.

A novel vacuum spectrometer for total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis with two exchangeable low power x-ray sources for the analysis of low, medium, and high Z elements in sequence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wobrauschek, P., E-mail: wobi@ati.ac.at; Prost, J.; Ingerle, D.

2015-08-15

The extension of the detectable elemental range with Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) analysis is a challenging task. In this paper, it is demonstrated how a TXRF spectrometer is modified to analyze elements from carbon to uranium. Based on the existing design of a vacuum TXRF spectrometer with a 12 specimen sample changer, the following components were renewed: the silicon drift detector with 20 mm{sup 2} active area and having a special ultra-thin polymer window allowing the detection of elements from carbon upwards. Two exchangeable X-ray sources guarantee the efficient excitation of both low and high Z elements. These X-raymore » sources were two light-weighted easily mountable 35 W air-cooled low-power tubes with Cr and Rh anodes, respectively. The air cooled tubes and the Peltier-cooled detector allowed to construct a transportable tabletop spectrometer with compact dimensions, as neither liquid nitrogen cooling for the detector nor a water cooling circuit and a bulky high voltage generator for the X-ray tubes are required. Due to the excellent background conditions as a result of the TXRF geometry, detection limits of 150 ng for C, 12 ng for F, and 3.3 ng for Na have been obtained using Cr excitation in vacuum. For Rh excitation, the detection limits of 90 pg could be achieved for Sr. Taking 10 to 20 μl of sample volume, extrapolated detection limits in the ng/g (ppb) range are resulting in terms of concentration.« less

Synthesis of hierarchical Co3O4@NiO core-shell nanotubes with a synergistic catalytic activity for peroxidase mimicking and colorimetric detection of dopamine.

PubMed

Zhu, Yun; Yang, Zezhou; Chi, Maoqiang; Li, Meixuan; Wang, Ce; Lu, Xiaofeng

2018-05-01

Fabrication of core-shell nanostructured catalyst is a promising way for tuning its catalytic performance due to the highly active interface and rich redox properties. In this work, hierarchical Co 3 O 4 @NiO core-shell nanotubes are fabricated by the deposition of NiO shells via a chemical bath treatment using electrospun Co-C composite nanofibers as templates, followed by a calcination process in air. The as-prepared Co 3 O 4 @NiO core-shell nanotubes exhibit a uniform and novel hollow structure with Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles attached to the inner wall of NiO nanotubes and excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H 2 O 2 . Due to the synergistic effect, the peroxidase-like activity of the Co 3 O 4 @NiO core-shell nanotubes is much higher than that of individual Co 3 O 4 and NiO components. Owing to the superior peroxidase-like activity, a simple and rapid colorimetric approach for the detection of dopamine with a detection limit of 1.21µM and excellent selectivity has been developed. It is anticipated that the prepared Co 3 O 4 @NiO core-shell nanotubes are promising materials applied for biomedical analysis and environmental monitoring. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A facile synthesis of mesoporous Pdsbnd ZnO nanocomposites as efficient chemical sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Adel A.; Harraz, Farid A.; Faisal, M.; El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Al-Hajry, A.; Al-Assiri, M. S.

2016-07-01

Mesoporous ZnO was synthesized through the sol-gel method in the presence of triblock co-polymer Pluronic (F-127) template as the structure directing agent. Palladium nanoparticles were photochemically reduced and deposited onto mesoporous ZnO to obtain 1 wt.% Pd/ZnO nanocomposite. Structural and morphological analysis revealed high homogeneity and monodispersity of Pd nanoclusters with small particle sizes ∼ 2-5 nm onto mesoporous ZnO. The electrochemical detection of ethanol in aqueous solutions was conducted at the newly developed Pd/ZnO modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by the current-potential (IV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques and compared with bare GCE or pure ZnO. The presence of Pd dopant greatly enhances the sensitivity of ZnO, and the obtained mesoporous Pd/ZnO sensor has an excellent performance for precision detection of ethanol in aqueous solution with low concentration. The sensitivity was found to be 33.08 μAcm-2 mM-1 at lower concentration zone (0.05-0.8 mM) and 2.13 μAcm-2 mM-1 at higher concentration zone (0.8-12 mM), with a limit of detection (LOD) 19.2 μM. The kinetics study of ethanol oxidation revealed a characteristic feature for a mixed surface and diffusion-controlled process. These excellent sensing characteristics make the mesoporous Pd/ZnO nanocomposite a good candidate for the production of high-performance electrochemical sensors at low ethanol concentration in aqueous solution.

Carbon-dot-based fluorescent turn-on sensor for selectively detecting sulfide anions in totally aqueous media and imaging inside live cells.

PubMed

Hou, Xianfeng; Zeng, Fang; Du, Fangkai; Wu, Shuizhu

2013-08-23

Sulfide anions are generated not only as a byproduct from industrial processes but also in biosystems. Hence, robust fluorescent sensors for detecting sulfide anions which are fast-responding, water soluble and biocompatible are highly desirable. Herein, we report a carbon-dot-based fluorescent sensor, which features excellent water solubility, low cytotoxicity and a short response time. This sensor is based on the ligand/Cu(II) approach so as to achieve fast sensing of sulfide anions. The carbon dot (CD) serves as the fluorophore as well as the anchoring site for the ligands which bind with copper ions. For this CD-based system, as copper ions bind with the ligands which reside on the surface of the CD, the paramagnetic copper ions efficiently quench the fluorescence of the CD, affording the system a turn-off sensor for copper ions. More importantly, the subsequently added sulfide anions can extract Cu(2+) from the system and form very stable CuS with Cu(2+), resulting in fluorescence enhancement and affording the system a turn-on sensor for sulfide anions. This fast-responding and selective sensor can operate in totally aqueous solution or in physiological milieu with a low detection limit of 0.78 μM. It displays good biocompatibility, and excellent cell membrane permeability, and can be used to monitor S(2-) levels in running water and living cells.

History, rare, and multiple events of mechanical unfolding of repeat proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumbul, Fidan; Marchesi, Arin; Rico, Felix

2018-03-01

Mechanical unfolding of proteins consisting of repeat domains is an excellent tool to obtain large statistics. Force spectroscopy experiments using atomic force microscopy on proteins presenting multiple domains have revealed that unfolding forces depend on the number of folded domains (history) and have reported intermediate states and rare events. However, the common use of unspecific attachment approaches to pull the protein of interest holds important limitations to study unfolding history and may lead to discarding rare and multiple probing events due to the presence of unspecific adhesion and uncertainty on the pulling site. Site-specific methods that have recently emerged minimize this uncertainty and would be excellent tools to probe unfolding history and rare events. However, detailed characterization of these approaches is required to identify their advantages and limitations. Here, we characterize a site-specific binding approach based on the ultrastable complex dockerin/cohesin III revealing its advantages and limitations to assess the unfolding history and to investigate rare and multiple events during the unfolding of repeated domains. We show that this approach is more robust, reproducible, and provides larger statistics than conventional unspecific methods. We show that the method is optimal to reveal the history of unfolding from the very first domain and to detect rare events, while being more limited to assess intermediate states. Finally, we quantify the forces required to unfold two molecules pulled in parallel, difficult when using unspecific approaches. The proposed method represents a step forward toward more reproducible measurements to probe protein unfolding history and opens the door to systematic probing of rare and multiple molecule unfolding mechanisms.

Poly(zwitterionic liquids) functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanosheets for electrochemically detecting dopamine at low concentration.

PubMed

Mao, Hui; Liang, Jiachen; Ji, Chunguang; Zhang, Haifeng; Pei, Qi; Zhang, Yuyang; Zhang, Yu; Hisaeda, Yoshio; Song, Xi-Ming

2016-08-01

Poly(3-(1-vinylimidazolium-3-yl)propane-1-sulfonate) (PVIPS), a novel kind of poly(zwitterionic liquids) (PZILs) containing both imidazolium cation and sulfonate anion, was successfully modified on the surface of polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanosheets (PPy/GO) by covalent bonding. The obtained novel PZILs functionalized PPy/GO nanosheets (PVIPS/PPy/GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) presented the excellent electrochemical catalytic activity towards dopamine (DA) with high stability, sensitivity, selectivity and wide linear range (40-1220nM), especially having a lower detection limit (17.3nM). The excellent analytical performance is attributed to the strongly negative charges on the surface of modified GCE in aqueous solution, which is different from conventional poly(ionic liquids) modified GCE. DA cations could be quickly enriched on the electrode surface by electrostatic interaction in solution due to the existence of SO3(-) groups with negative charge at the end of pendant groups in zwitterionic PVIPS, resulting in a change of the electrons transmission mode in the oxidation of DA, that is, from a typical diffusion-controlled process at conventional poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazole bromide) (PVEIB)/PPy/GO modified GCE to a typical surface-controlled process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Point-of-care detection and real-time monitoring of intravenously delivered drugs via tubing with an integrated SERS sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hsin-Yu; Cunningham, Brian T.

2014-04-01

We demonstrate an approach for detection, identification, and kinetic monitoring of drugs flowing within tubing, through the use of a plasmonic nanodome array (PNA) surface. The PNA structures are fabricated using a low-cost nanoreplica molding process upon a flexible plastic substrate that is subsequently integrated with a flow cell that connects in series with ordinary intravenous (IV) drug delivery tubing. To investigate the potential clinical applications for point-of-care detection and real-time monitoring, we perform SERS detection of ten pharmaceutical compounds (hydrocodone, levorphanol, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, phenobarbital, dopamine, diltiazem, promethazine, and mitoxantrone). We demonstrate dose-dependent SERS signal magnitude, resulting in detection limits (ng ml-1) well below typical administered dosages (mg ml-1). Further, we show that the detected drugs are not permanently attached to the PNA surface, and thus our approach is capable of performing continuous monitoring of drug delivery as materials flow through IV tubing that is connected in series with the sensor. Finally, we demonstrate the potential co-detection of multiple drugs when they are mixed together, and show excellent reproducibility and stability of SERS measurements for periods extending at least five days. The capabilities reported here demonstrate the potential to use PNA SERS surfaces for enhancing the safety of IV drug delivery.We demonstrate an approach for detection, identification, and kinetic monitoring of drugs flowing within tubing, through the use of a plasmonic nanodome array (PNA) surface. The PNA structures are fabricated using a low-cost nanoreplica molding process upon a flexible plastic substrate that is subsequently integrated with a flow cell that connects in series with ordinary intravenous (IV) drug delivery tubing. To investigate the potential clinical applications for point-of-care detection and real-time monitoring, we perform SERS detection of ten pharmaceutical compounds (hydrocodone, levorphanol, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, phenobarbital, dopamine, diltiazem, promethazine, and mitoxantrone). We demonstrate dose-dependent SERS signal magnitude, resulting in detection limits (ng ml-1) well below typical administered dosages (mg ml-1). Further, we show that the detected drugs are not permanently attached to the PNA surface, and thus our approach is capable of performing continuous monitoring of drug delivery as materials flow through IV tubing that is connected in series with the sensor. Finally, we demonstrate the potential co-detection of multiple drugs when they are mixed together, and show excellent reproducibility and stability of SERS measurements for periods extending at least five days. The capabilities reported here demonstrate the potential to use PNA SERS surfaces for enhancing the safety of IV drug delivery. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Fabrication of PNA substrates, fabrication details of the flow cell, details of FDTD simulation, characterization of the scattering volume, and detection of diltiazem diluted in DI water and PBS. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00027g

Bisphenol A, 4-t-octylphenol, and 4-nonylphenol determination in serum by Hybrid Solid Phase Extraction-Precipitation Technology technique tailored to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Asimakopoulos, Alexandros G; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S

2015-04-01

A rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and optimized for the simultaneous determination of bisphenol A, 4-t-octylphenol and 4-nonylphenol in human blood serum. For the first time, the electrospray ionization (ESI) parameters of probe position, voltage potential, sheath gas flow rate, auxiliary gas flow rate, and ion transfer tube temperature were thoroughly studied and optimized for each phenol by a univariate approach. As a consequence, low instrumental limits of detection were reported, demonstrating at 0.2 ng/mL (in solvent matrix) excellent injection repeatability (RSD<14.5%) and a confirmation peak for all target phenols. Extraction and purification of serum was performed by the novel Hybrid Solid Phase Extraction-Precipitation Technology technique (Hybrid SPE-PPT). The limits of detection in human blood serum were 0.80, 1.3 and 1.4 ng/mL for BPA, 4-t-OP and 4-NP, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of ICP-MS as a multi-element detector for sulfur and metal hydride impurities in hydrocarbon matrices.

PubMed

Geiger, William M; McSheehy, Shona; Nash, Martin J

2007-01-01

Maturation of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in terms of size, reliability, and cost has had a significant impact on its consideration as a viable detector for gas chromatography. Its generally excellent sensitivity for those elements it can measure has been a contributing factor. A method for sulfur speciation in various hydrocarbon products is investigated, as well as sulfur and metal hydride contaminants in high purity hydrocarbon feed stocks. Detection limits for sulfur species in hydrocarbon liquids and gases are approximately 5 and 10 ppb, respectively, as sulfur. Lower detection limits on the order of 100 parts per trillion are achieved for arsine. The use of collision cell technology (CCT) is exploited to remove interferences. CCT has been described elsewhere (1) using helium or helium-hydrogen mixtures for suppression of (16)O(16)O(+) interference with (32)S. In this work, a novel approach is investigated which uses oxygen to remove this interference by shifting it in a comprehensive fashion. The advantage of operating the system at full power with a tandem gas and liquid interface is also discussed.

Sol-gel immobilized short-chain poly(ethylene glycol) coating for capillary microextraction of underivatized polar analytes.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Sameer; Shearrow, Anne M; Malik, Abdul

2007-12-07

Sol-gel coating with covalently bonded low-molecular-weight (MW<300 Da) poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains was developed for capillary microextraction (CME). The sol-gel chemistry proved effective in the immobilization of low-molecular-weight PEGs thanks to the formation of chemical bonds between the organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel PEG coating and the fused silica capillary inner surface. This chemical anchorage provided excellent thermal and solvent stability to the created sol-gel PEG coating as is evidenced by its high upper limit of allowable conditioning temperature (340 degrees C) and its practically identical performance before and after rinsing with various solvents. The prepared sol-gel PEG coating provided simultaneous extraction of moderately polar and highly polar analytes from aqueous samples without requiring derivatization, pH adjustment or salting-out procedures. Detection limits on the order of nanogram per liter (ng/L) were achieved in CME-GC-flame ionization detection experiments designed for the preconcentration and trace analysis of both highly polar and moderately polar compounds extracted directly from aqueous media using sol-gel short-chain PEG coated microextraction capillaries.

A nonfouling voltammetric immunosensor for the carcinoembryonic antigen based on the use of polyaniline nanowires wrapped with hyaluronic acid.

PubMed

Wang, Jiasheng; Hui, Ni

2018-06-16

A non-fouling electrochemical immunosensor is described for determination of the tumor biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). It is based on the use of composite wires made by chemical grafting of hyaluronic acid onto polyaniline nanowires. The modified nanowires possess excellent antifouling property both in single protein solutions and in dilute serum samples. The current of immunoelectrode exhibits a linear response in the 0.01 pg mL -1 to 10,000 pg mL -1 CEA concentration range and 0.0075 pg mL -1 detection limit. This work demonstrates that coating an electrode with hyaluronic acid can largely reduce unspecific adsorption of proteins on the electrode surface. Graphical abstract Schematic of a nonfouling electrochemical immunosensor for the carcinoembryonic antigen. It is based on novel composite wires made through the chemical grafting of easily available hyaluronic acid (HA) onto polyaniline (PANI) nanowires. The HA/PANI demonstrated excellent antifouling property both in single protein solutions and human serum samples.

Reducing adverse effects from UV sunscreens by zeolite encapsulation: comparison of oxybenzone in solution and in zeolites.

PubMed

Chrétien, Michelle N; Heafey, Eve; Scaiano, Juan C

2010-01-01

Oxybenzone (OXB) is one of the most widely employed sunscreen ingredients, yet its allowed load is limited to a maximum of 6% reflecting the frequency with which adverse effects are reported. From a spectroscopic point of view, OXB has excellent absorption properties in both the UVB and UVA regions. We propose that zeolite encapsulation can lead to a sunscreen composite ingredient, that we describe as a supramolecular sunscreen, that will retain the excellent spectroscopic properties of OXB, while preventing contact between the skin and the active ingredient. OXB is very photostable, with the only photodegradative pathway observed being the monophotonic photoejection of electrons that leads to trace yields of phenoxyl radicals; this trace reaction is so minor that it cannot be detected from the recovery of unreacted OXB following UV exposure. Solution, as well as powder and in vitro studies of the supramolecular sunscreen, demonstrate that the protective properties of OXB are totally preserved when encapsulated in zeolite NaY.

Identification of amino acids by material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MELDI-MS) in positive- and negative-ion mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashir, Muhammad Ahsan; Stecher, Guenther; Mayr, Stefan; Bonn, Guenther K.

2009-01-01

In the present study, different silica gel modifications were evaluated for their application as target surface for material enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometric (MELDI-MS) investigation of amino acids. 4,4'-Azodianiline (ADA-silica) modified silica gel was successfully employed for the qualitative analysis of amino acids in positive- and in negative-ion mode. Further no derivatisation of amino acids was necessary, as the introduced system allowed the direct analysis of targets and delivered spectra with excellent signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio within a few minutes. The influence of surface chemistry, ionisation mode and the nature of analytes on signal intensity was studied and discussed. Detection limit of 2.10 pg (10 fmol) was achieved by employing ADA-silica in positive-ion mode. Finally, xylem saps from different types of trees were analysed. This proved the high performance and excellent behaviour of the introduced target surface material.

Interobserver variability and feasibility of polymerase chain reaction-based assay in distinguishing ischemic colitis from Clostridium difficile colitis in endoscopic mucosal biopsies.

PubMed

Wiland, Homer O; Procop, Gary W; Goldblum, John R; Tuohy, Marion; Rybicki, Lisa; Patil, Deepa T

2013-06-01

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays using stool samples are currently the most effective method of detecting Clostridium difficile. This study examines the feasibility of this assay using mucosal biopsy samples and evaluates the interobserver reproducibility in diagnosing and distinguishing ischemic colitis from C difficile colitis. Thirty-eight biopsy specimens were reviewed and classified by 3 observers into C difficile and ischemic colitis. The findings were correlated with clinical data. PCR was performed on 34 cases using BD GeneOhm C difficile assay. The histologic interobserver agreement was excellent (κ= 0.86) and the agreement between histologic and clinical diagnosis was good (κ = 0.84). All 19 ischemic colitis cases tested negative (100% specificity) and 3 of 15 cases of C difficile colitis tested positive (20% sensitivity). C difficile colitis can be reliably distinguished from ischemic colitis using histologic criteria. The C difficile PCR test on endoscopic biopsy specimens has excellent specificity but limited sensitivity.

Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase on a Carbon Nanotubes/Dendrimer-Ferrocene Modified Electrode for Reagentless Glucose Biosensing.

PubMed

Zhou, Juan; Li, Huan; Yang, Huasong; Cheng, Hui; Lai, Guosong

2017-01-01

Ferrocene-grafted dendrimer was covalently linked to the surface of a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-chitosan (CS) nanocomposite modified electrode for immobilizing high-content glucose oxidase (GOx), which resulted in the successful development a novel reagentless glucose biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and amperometry were used to characterize the preparation process and the enzymatically catalytic response of this biosensor. Due to the excellent electron transfer acceleration of the CNTs and the high-content loading of the GOx biomolecule and ferrocene mediator on the electrode matrix, this biosensor showed excellent analytical performance such as fast response time less than 10 s, wide linear range from 0.02 to 2.91 mM and low detection limit down to 7.5 μM as well as satisfactory stability and reproducibility toward the amperometric glucose determination. In addition, satisfactory result was obtained when it was used for the glucose measurements in human blood samples. Thus this biosensor provides great potentials for practical applications.

A glucose biosensor based on direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase immobilized on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Deng, Shengyuan; Jian, Guoqiang; Lei, Jianping; Hu, Zheng; Ju, Huangxian

2009-10-15

A novel biosensor for glucose was prepared by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNx-MWNTs) modified electrode. The CNx-MWNTs membrane showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of O(2) due to its diatomic side-on adsorption on CNx-MWNTs. The nitrogen doping accelerated the electron transfer from electrode surface to the immobilized GOx, leading to the direct electrochemistry of GOx. The biofunctional surface showed good biocompatibility, excellent electron-conductive network and large surface-to-volume ratio, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle and electrochemical impedance technique. The direct electron transfer of immobilized GOx led to stable amperometric biosensing for glucose with a linear range from 0.02 to 1.02 mM and a detection limit of 0.01 mM (S/N=3). These results indicated that CNx-MWNTs are good candidate material for construction of the third-generation enzyme biosensors based on the direct electrochemistry of immobilized enzymes.

Selective electrochemical detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in water based on poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) PSA/SiO2/Fe3O4/AuNPs/lignin-modified glassy carbon electrode.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Khaled A; Abdel-Wahab, Ahmed; Zourob, Mohammed

2015-01-01

A new versatile electrochemical sensor based on poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) PSA/SiO2/Fe3O4/AuNPs/lignin (L-MMS) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed for the selective detection of trace trinitrotoluene (TNT) from aqueous media with high sensitivity. The fabricated magnetic microspheres were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). L-MMS films were cast on the GCE surface to fabricate the TNT sensing electrode. The limit of detection (LOD) of TNT determined by the amperometric i-t curve reached 35 pM. The lignin film and well packed Fe3O4/AuNPs facilitated the pre-concentration of trace TNT on the electrode surface resulting in a fast amperometric response of 3 seconds near the detection limit. The high sensitivity and excellent catalytic activity of the modified electrode could be attributed to the lignin layer and highly packed Fe3O4/AuNPs on the electrode surface. The total recovery of TNT from tapwater and seawater matrices was 98% and 96%, respectively. The electrode film was highly stable after five repeated adsorption/desorption cycles. The new electrochemical sensing scheme provides a highly selective, sensitive and versatile assay for the in-situ detection of TNT in complex water media.

QCM-nanomagnetic beads biosensor for lead ion detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Qingli; Cui, Haixia; Xiong, Xingliang; Chen, Jun; Wang, Ying; Shen, Jia; Luo, Yiting; Chen, Longcong

2018-01-15

As lead poses a serious threat to humans even in small amounts, all kinds of lead detection sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity are being constantly improved and put forward. In this report, a novel, simple and label-free quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor is proposed for detecting lead ions (Pb 2+ ). The biosensor takes full advantage of the high specificity of GR-5 DNAzyme to Pb 2+ and the high sensitivity of QCM. In particular, nanomagnetic beads (NMBs) are used as a novel and effective mean of signal amplification in the biosensor because of their mass and their ability to enhance the inductive effect, which are very beneficial for both higher sensitivity and a lower detection limit. In practice, GR-5 DNAzyme, innovatively combined with NMBs, was modified on the gold electrode of the QCM through gold-sulfur self-assembly. When the electrode was exposed to Pb 2+ solution, DNAzyme was severed into two parts at the RNA site (rA), along with the release of NMBs, which caused a great increase in frequency shift of the QCM electrode. Finally, a perfect linear correlation between the logarithm of Pb 2+ concentration and the change in frequency was obtained from 1 pM to 50 nM, with a detection limit as low as 0.3 pM. Moreover, the biosensor shows both an average recovery of 97 ± 6% in a drinking water sample and an excellent specificity for Pb 2+ compared with other metal ions.

Cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag magnetic nanoparticles: a highly efficient SERS substrate for pesticide detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Mei; Zhao, Aiwu; Wang, Dapeng; Wang, Jin; Chen, Ping; Sun, Henghui

2018-04-01

As a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) nanocomposite, cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized for the first time. Cube-like α-Fe2O3 NPs with uniform size were achieved by optimizing reaction temperature and time. Firstly, the cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2 with good dispersity was achieved by calcining α-Fe2O3@SiO2 NPs in hydrogen atmosphere at 360 °C for 2.5 h, followed by self-assembling a PEI shell via sonication. Furthermore, the Au@Ag particles were densely assembled on the Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs to form the Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag composite structure via strong Ag-N interaction. The obtained nanocomposites exhibited an excellent SERS behavior, reflected by the low detection of limit (p-ATP) at the 5 × 10-14 M level. Moreover, these nanocubes were used for the detection of thiram, and the detection limit can reach 5 × 10-11 M. Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specifies that the residue in fruit must be lower than 7 ppm. Hence, the resulting substrate with high SERS activity has great practical potential applications in the rapid detection of chemical, biological, and environment pollutants with a simple portable Raman instrument at trace level.

Cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag magnetic nanoparticles: a highly efficient SERS substrate for detection of pesticide.

PubMed

Sun, Mei; Zhao, Aiwu; Wang, Dapeng; Wang, Jin; Chen, Ping; Sun, Henghui

2018-02-09

As a novel SERS nanocomposities, cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag magnetic nanoparticles have been synthesized for the first time. Cube-like α-Fe2O3 NPs with uniform size can be achieved by optimizing reaction temperature and time. Firstly, the cube-like Fe3O4@SiO2 with good dispersity were achieved by calcining α-Fe2O3@SiO2 NPs in hydrogen atmosphere at 360 °C for 2.5 h, followed by self-assembling PEI shell via sonication. Furthermore, the Au@Ag particles can be densely assembled on the Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs to form the Fe3O4@SiO2@Au@Ag composite structure via strong Ag-N interaction. The obtained nanocomposites exhibit an excellent surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) behavior, reflected from low detection of limit (p-ATP) at 5×10-14 M level. Moreover, these nanocubes are used for detection of thiram and the detection limit can reach up to 5×10-11 M, while the rule of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specifies that the residue in fruit must be lower than 7 ppm. Hence, the resulting substrate with high SERS activity has great practical potential applications in rapid detection of chemical, biological and environment pollutants with a simple portable Raman instrument at trace level. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Signal-on electrochemiluminescence biosensor for microRNA-319a detection based on two-stage isothermal strand-displacement polymerase reaction.

PubMed

Wang, Minghui; Zhou, Yunlei; Yin, Huanshun; Jiang, Wenjing; Wang, Haiyan; Ai, Shiyun

2018-06-01

MicroRNAs play crucial role in regulating gene expression in organism, thus it is very necessary to exploit an efficient method for the sensitive and specific detection of microRNA. Herein, a signal-on electrochemiluminescence biosensor was fabricated for microRNA-319a detection based on two-stage isothermal strand-displacement polymerase reaction (ISDPR). In the presence of target microRNA, amounts of trigger DNA could be generated by the first ISDPR. Then, the trigger DNA and the primer hybridized simultaneously with the hairpin probe to open the stem of the probe, and then the ECL signal will be emitted. In the presence of phi29 DNA polymerase and dNTPs, the trigger DNA could be displaced to initiate a new cycle which was the second ISDPR. Due to the two-stage amplification, this method presented excellent detection sensitivity with a low detection limit of 0.14 fM. Moreover, the applicability of the developed method was demonstrated by detecting the change of microRNA-319a content in the leaves of rice seedlings after the rice seeds were incubated with chemical mutagen of ethyl methanesulfonate. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of peptide stabilized fluorescent gold nanocluster/graphene oxide nanocomplex and its application in turn-on detection of metalloproteinase-9.

PubMed

Nguyen, Phuong-Diem; Cong, Vu Thanh; Baek, Changyoon; Min, Junhong

2017-03-15

This study introduces the double-ligands stabilizing gold nanoclusters and the fabrication of gold nanocluster/graphene nanocomplex as a "turn-on" fluorescent probe for the detection of cancer-related enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-9. A facile, one-step approach was developed for the synthesis of fluorescent gold nanoclusters using peptides and mercaptoundecanoic acid as co-templating ligands. The peptide was designed to possess a metalloproteinase-9 cleavage site and to act not only as a stabilizer but also as a targeting ligand for the enzyme detection. The prepared gold nanoclusters show an intense red fluorescence with a broad adsorption spectrum. In the presence of the enzyme, due to the excellent quenching properties and the negligible background of graphene oxide, the developed peptide-gold nanocluster/graphene nanocomplex yielded an intense "turn-on" fluorescent response, which strongly correlated with the enzyme concentration. The limit of detection of the nanocomplex was 0.15nM. The sensor was successfully applied for "turn-on" detection of metalloproteinase-9 secreted from human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells with high sensitivity, selectivity, significant improvement in terms of detection time and simplicity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Excellence in Computational Biology and Informatics — EDRN Public Portal

Cancer.gov

9th Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) Scientific Workshop. Excellence in Computational Biology and Informatics: Sponsored by the EDRN Data Sharing Subcommittee Moderator: Daniel Crichton, M.S., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Advances in stir bar sorptive extraction for the determination of acidic pharmaceuticals in environmental water matrices Comparison between polyurethane and polydimethylsiloxane polymeric phases.

PubMed

Silva, Ana Rita M; Portugal, Fátima C M; Nogueira, J M F

2008-10-31

Stir bar sorptive extraction with polyurethane (PU) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymeric phases followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection [SBSE(PU or PDMS)/HPLC-DAD] was studied for the determination of six acidic pharmaceuticals [o-acetylsalicylic acid (ACA), ibuprofen (IBU), diclofenac sodium (DIC), naproxen (NAP), mefenamic acid (MEF) and gemfibrozil (GEM)], selected as non-steroidal acidic anti-inflammatory drugs and lipid regulators model compounds in environmental water matrices. The main parameters affecting the efficiency of the proposed methodology are fully discussed. Assays performed on 25 mL of water samples spiked at the 10 microg L(-1) level under optimized experimental conditions, yielded recoveries ranging from 45.3+/-9.0% (ACA) to 90.6+/-7.2% (IBU) by SBSE(PU) and 9.8+/-1.6% (NAP) to 73.4+/-5.0% (GEM) by SBSE(PDMS), where the former polymeric phase presented a better affinity to extract these target analytes from water matrices at the trace level. The methodology showed also excellent linear dynamic ranges for the six acidic pharmaceuticals studied, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9976, limits of detection and quantification between 0.40-1.7 microg L(-1) and 1.5-5.8 microg L(-1), respectively, and suitable precision (RSD <15%). Moreover, the developed methodology was applied for the determination of these target analytes in several environmental matrices, including river, sea and wastewater samples, having achieved good performance and moderate matrix effects. In short, the PU foams demonstrated to be an excellent alternative for the enrichment of the more polar metabolites from water matrices by SBSE, overcoming the limitations of the conventional PDMS phase.

DNA/nickel oxide nanoparticles/osmium(III)-complex modified electrode toward selective oxidation of l-cysteine and simultaneous detection of l-cysteine and homocysteine.

PubMed

Sharifi, Ensiyeh; Salimi, Abdollah; Shams, Esmaeil

2012-08-01

The modification of glassy carbon (GC) electrode with electrodeposited nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiOxNPs) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is utilized as a new efficient platform for entrapment of osmium (III) complex. Surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposite modified electrode (GC/DNA/NiOxNPs/Os(III)-complex) were investigated by FESEM, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated the excellent electrocatalytic activity of the resulting electrode toward oxidation of l-cysteine (CySH) at reduced overpotential (0.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Using chronoamperometry to CySH detection, the sensitivity and detection limit of the biosensor are obtained as 44 μA mM(-1) and 0.07 μM with a concentration range up to 1000 μM. The electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode not only for oxidation of low molecular-mass biothiols derivatives such as, glutathione, l-cystine, l-methionine and electroactive biological species ( dopamine, uric acid, glucose) is negligible but also for very similar biothiol compound (homocysteine) no recognizable response is observed at the applied potential window. Furthermore, the simultaneous voltammetric determination of l-cysteine and homocysteine compounds without any separation or pretreatment process was reported for the first time in this work. Finally, the applicability of sensor for the analysis of CySH concentration in complex serum samples was successfully demonstrated. Highly selectivity, excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability, remarkable antifouling property toward thiols and their oxidation products, as well as the ability for simultaneous detection of l-cysteine and homocysteine are remarkably advantageous of the proposed DNA based biosensor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct sampling of sub-µm atmospheric particulate organic matter in sub-ng m-3 mass concentrations by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armin, W.; Mueller, M.; Klinger, A.; Striednig, M.

2017-12-01

A quantitative characterization of the organic fraction of atmospheric particulate matter is still challenging. Herein we present the novel modular "Chemical Analysis of Aerosol Online" (CHARON) particle inlet system coupled to a new-generation proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF 6000 X2, Ionicon Analytik, Austria) that quantitatively detects organic analytes in real-time and sub-pptV levels by chemical ionization with hydronium reagent ions. CHARON consists of a gas-phase denuder for stripping off gas-phase analytes (efficiency > 99.999%), an aerodynamic lens for particle collimation combined with an inertial sampler for the particle-enriched flow and a thermodesorption unit for particle volatilization prior to chemical analysis. With typical particle enrichment factors of around 30 for particle diameters (DP) between 120 nm and 1000 nm (somewhat reduced enrichment for 60 nm < DP < 120 nm) we boost the already excellent limits of detection of the PTR-TOF 6000 X2 system to unprecedented levels. We demonstrate that particulate organic analytes of mass concentrations down to 100 pg m-3 can be detected on-line and in single-minute time-resolutions. In addition, PTR-MS allows for a quantitative detection of almost the full range of particulate organics of intermediate to low volatility. With the high mass resolution (R > 6000) and excellent mass accuracies (< 10 ppm) chemical compositions can be assigned and included in further analyses. In addition to a detailed characterization of the CHARON PTR-TOF 6000 X2 we will present first results on the chemical composition of sub-µm particulate organic matter in the urban atmosphere in Innsbruck (Austria).

Detection of malachite green in fish based on magnetic fluorescent probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe3O4@MIPs.

PubMed

Wu, Le; Lin, Zheng-Zhong; Zeng, Jun; Zhong, Hui-Ping; Chen, Xiao-Mei; Huang, Zhi-Yong

2018-05-05

A magnetic fluorescent probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs was prepared using CdTe QDs and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles as co-nucleus and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as specific recognition sites based on a reverse microemulsion method. With the specific enrichment and magnetic separation properties, the probe of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs was used to detect malachite green (MG) in fish samples. The TEM analysis showed that the particles of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs were spherical with average diameter around 53nm, and a core-shell structure was well-shaped with several Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and CdTe QDs embedded in each of the microsphere. Quick separation of the probes from solutions could be realized with a magnet, indicating the excellent magnetic property of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs. The probe exhibited high specific adsorption towards MG and excellent fluorescence emission at λ em 598nm. The fluorescence of CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs could be linearly quenched by MG at the concentrations from 0.025 to 1.5μmolL -1 . The detection limit was 0.014μmolL -1 . The average recovery of spiked MG in fish samples was 105.2%. The result demonstrated that the as-prepared CdTe QDs/nano-Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs could be used as a probe to the detection of trace MG in fish samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel electrochemical immunosensor based on PG for early screening of depression markers-heat shock protein 70.

PubMed

Sun, Bolu; Cai, Jinying; Li, Wuyan; Gou, Xiaodan; Gou, Yuqiang; Li, Dai; Hu, Fangdi

2018-07-15

In this study, a novel electrochemical immunosensor for early screening of depression markers-heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was successfully developed based on the porous graphene (PG) with huge specific surface area and excellent structure. Benefiting from the strong adsorption and good bioactivity of PG which was initially prepared via a simple pyrolysis process, a variety of heat shock protein70 (HSP70) can be firmly loaded on the PG to construct the basic electrode (HSP70/PG/GCE)，which was characterized by the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. Due to the HSP70 fixed on the surface of basic electrode and the HSP70 in the samples can competitively combine with the horseradish peroxidase labeled human HSP 70 antibody (HRP-Strept-Biotin-Ab). As a result, it presented a negative correlation between the concentration of HSP70 in samples and the detection signal of the proposed electrochemical immunosensor (HRP-Strept-Biotin-Ab-HSP70/PG/GCE) in the test liquid. The application of PG with excellent electrical conductivity in construction of immunosensor remarkably improved the sensitivity of the immunosensor for detection of HSP70. The proposed immunosensor demonstrated a wide linear range of 0.0448 ~ 100 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 0.02 ng/mL at 3σ. Moreover, the proposed immunosensor could be applied for the sensitive and efficient detection of HSP70 in real samples with good precision, acceptable stability, reproducibility and satisfactory results. Therefore, the HSP70 immunosensor provides a novel and convenient method for early clinical screening of depression markers-heat shock protein 70. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Ag synchronously deposited and doped TiO2 hybrid as an ultrasensitive SERS substrate: a multifunctional platform for SERS detection and photocatalytic degradation.

PubMed

Yang, Libin; Sang, Qinqin; Du, Juan; Yang, Ming; Li, Xiuling; Shen, Yu; Han, Xiaoxia; Jiang, Xin; Zhao, Bing

2018-06-06

Ag simultaneously deposited and doped TiO2 (Ag-TiO2) hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via a sol-hydrothermal method, as both a sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and a superior photocatalyst for the first time. Ag-TiO2 hybrid NPs exhibit excellent SERS performance for several probe molecules and the enhancement factor is calculated to be 1.86 × 105. The detection limit of the 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) probe on the Ag-TiO2 substrate is 1 × 10-9 mol L-1, which is four orders of magnitude lower than that on pure TiO2 as a consequence of the synergistic effects of TiO2 and Ag. This is the highest SERS sensitivity among the reported semiconductor substrates and even comparable to noble metal substrates, and a SERS enhancement mechanism from the synergistic contribution of the semiconductor and noble metal was proposed. And importantly, the Ag-TiO2 hybrid shows excellent photocatalytic degradation activity for the detected species under UV light irradiation at lower concentration conditions, even for the hard to degrade 4-MBA molecule. This makes the Ag-TiO2 hybrid promising as a dual-function platform for both highly sensitive SERS detection and photocatalytic degradation of a pollutant system. Moreover, it also proves that the Ag-TiO2 hybrid can serve as a promising recyclable SERS-active substrate by virtue of its photocatalytic self-cleaning properties for some specific applications, for instance comparative studies of different species on the same SERS platform, in addition to the economic benefit.

The pristine graphene produced by liquid exfoliation of graphite in mixed solvent and its application to determination of dopamine.

PubMed

Zhang, Juan; Xu, Liao; Zhou, Bo; Zhu, Yinyan; Jiang, Xiaoqing

2018-03-01

The pristine graphene can be easily prepared in isopropanol-water mixture with salts as assistant via liquid-phase exfoliation method. The concentration of graphene dispersion reaches as high as 0.565 mg/mL. The graphene film prepared by drop-casting method shows an excellent electrical conductivity (7.095 × 10 4  S/m). Furthermore, an electrochemical biosensor based on the pristine graphene shows high selectivity and sensitivity for the determination of dopamine. The linear detection range for dopamine is 2.5-1500 μM with detection limit of 1.5 μM. This method provides a potential process for preparing high-quality graphene ready-to-use in low-boiling point solvent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, uric acid and tryptophan based on MWNTs bridged mesocellular graphene foam nanocomposite.

PubMed

Li, Huixiang; Wang, Yi; Ye, Daixin; Luo, Juan; Su, Biquan; Zhang, Song; Kong, Jilie

2014-09-01

A multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) bridged mesocellular graphene foam (MGF) nanocomposite (MWNTs/MGF) modified glassy carbon electrode was fabricated and successfully used for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA) and tryptophan (TRP). Comparing with pure MGF, MWNTs or MWNTs/GS (graphene sheets), MWNTs/MGF displayed higher catalytic activity and selectivity toward the oxidation of AA, DA, UA and TRP. Under the optimal conditions, MWCNs/MGF/GCE can simultaneously detect AA, DA, UA and TRP with high selectivity and sensitivity. The detection limits were 18.28 µmol L(-1), 0.06 µmol L(-1), 0.93 µmol L(-1) and 0.87 µmol L(-1), respectively. Moreover, the modified electrode exhibited excellent stability and reproducibility. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Zwitterionic peptide anchored to conducting polymer PEDOT for the development of antifouling and ultrasensitive electrochemical DNA sensor.

PubMed

Wang, Guixiang; Han, Rui; Su, Xiaoli; Li, Yinan; Xu, Guiyun; Luo, Xiliang

2017-06-15

Zwitterionic peptides were anchored to a conducting polymer of citrate doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) via the nickel cation coordination, and the obtained peptide modified PEDOT, with excellent antifouling ability and good conductivity, was further used for the immobilization of a DNA probe to construct an electrochemical biosensor for the breast cancer marker BRCA1. The DNA biosensor was highly sensitive (with detection limit of 0.03fM) and selective, and it was able to detect BRCA1 in 5% (v/v) human plasma with satisfying accuracy and low fouling. The marriage of antifouling and biocompatible peptides with conducting polymers opened a new avenue to construct electrochemical biosensors capable of assaying targets in complex biological media with high sensitivity and without biofouling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance Characteristics of the Cepheid Xpert vanA Assay for Rapid Identification of Patients at High Risk for Carriage of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

PubMed Central

Gilhuley, Kathleen; Cianciminio-Bordelon, Diane; Tang, Yi-Wei

2012-01-01

We compared the performance characteristics of culture and the Cepheid Xpert vanA assay for routine surveillance of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from rectal swabs in patients at high risk for VRE carriage. The Cepheid Xpert vanA assay had a limit of detection of 100 CFU/ml and correctly detected 101 well-characterized clinical VRE isolates with no cross-reactivity in 27 non-VRE and related culture isolates. The clinical sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the Xpert vanA PCR assay were 100%, 96.9%, 91.3%, and 100%, respectively, when tested on 300 consecutively collected rectal swabs. This assay provides excellent predictive values for prompt identification of VRE-colonized patients in hospitals with relatively high rates of VRE carriage. PMID:22972822

The Importance of Bacterial Culture to Food Microbiology in the Age of Genomics.

PubMed

Gill, Alexander

2017-01-01

Culture-based and genomics methods provide different insights into the nature and behavior of bacteria. Maximizing the usefulness of both approaches requires recognizing their limitations and employing them appropriately. Genomic analysis excels at identifying bacteria and establishing the relatedness of isolates. Culture-based methods remain necessary for detection and enumeration, to determine viability, and to validate phenotype predictions made on the bias of genomic analysis. The purpose of this short paper is to discuss the application of culture-based analysis and genomics to the questions food microbiologists routinely need to ask regarding bacteria to ensure the safety of food and its economic production and distribution. To address these issues appropriate tools are required for the detection and enumeration of specific bacterial populations and the characterization of isolates for, identification, phylogenetics, and phenotype prediction.

Quantitative PCR for HTLV-1 provirus in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma using paraffin tumor sections.

PubMed

Kato, Junki; Masaki, Ayako; Fujii, Keiichiro; Takino, Hisashi; Murase, Takayuki; Yonekura, Kentaro; Utsunomiya, Atae; Ishida, Takashi; Iida, Shinsuke; Inagaki, Hiroshi

2016-11-01

Detection of HTLV-1 provirus using paraffin tumor sections may assist the diagnosis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). For the detection, non-quantitative PCR assay has been reported, but its usefulness and limitations remain unclear. To our knowledge, quantitative PCR assay using paraffin tumor sections has not been reported. Using paraffin sections from ATLLs and non-ATLL T-cell lymphomas, we first performed non-quantitative PCR for HTLV-1 provirus. Next, we determined tumor ratios and carried out quantitative PCR to obtain provirus copy numbers. The results were analyzed with a simple regression model and a novel criterion, cut-off using 95 % rejection limits. Our quantitative PCR assay showed an excellent association between tumor ratios and the copy numbers (r = 0.89, P < 0.0001). The 95 % rejection limits provided a statistical basis for the range for the determination of HTLV-1 involvement. Its application suggested that results of non-quantitative PCR assay should be interpreted very carefully and that our quantitative PCR assay is useful to estimate the status of HTLV-1 involvement in the tumor cases. In conclusion, our quantitative PCR assay using paraffin tumor sections may be useful for the screening of ATLL cases, especially in HTLV-1 non-endemic areas where easy access to serological testing for HTLV-1 infection is limited. © 2016 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Facile detection of toxic ingredients in seafood using biologically enabled photonic crystal materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Xianming; Squire, Kenneth; Wang, Alan X.

2018-02-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has attracted considerable attention recently as a powerful detection platform in biosensing because of the wealth of inherent information ascertained about the chemical and molecular composition of a sample. However, real-world samples are often composed of many components, which renders the detection of constitutes of mixed samples very challenging for SERS sensing. Accordingly, separation techniques are needed before SERS measurements. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple, fast and costeffective technique for analyte separation and can a play pivotal role for on-site sensing. However, combining TLC with SERS is only successful to detect a limited number of analytes that have large Raman scattering cross sections. As a kind of biogenic amine, histamine (2-(4-imidazolyl)-ethylamine) has a relationship with many health problems resulting from seafood consumption occurring worldwide. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. As a kind of natural photonic biosilica from geological deposits, it has a variety of unique properties including highly porous structure, excellent adsorption capacity, and low cost. In addition, the two dimensional periodic pores on diatomite earth with hierarchical nanoscale photonic crystal features can enhance the localized optical field. Herein, we fabricate TLC plates from diatomite as the stationary phase combining with SERS to separate and detect histamine from seafood samples. We have proved that the diatomite on the TLC plate not only functions as stationary phase, but also provides additional Raman enhancement, in which the detection limit of 2 ppm was achieved for pyrene in mixture.

Intracellular in situ labeling of TiO 2 nanoparticles for fluorescence microscopy detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Koshonna; Thurn, Ted; Xin, Lun

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles are produced for many different purposes, including development of therapeutic and diagnostic nanoparticles for cancer detection and treatment, drug delivery, induction of DNA double-strand breaks, and imaging of specific cells and subcellular structures. Currently, the use of optical microscopy, an imaging technique most accessible to biology and medical pathology, to detect TiO 2 nanoparticles in cells and tissues ex vivo is limited with low detection limits, while more sensitive imaging methods (transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence microscopy, etc.) have low throughput and technical and operational complications. In this paper, we describe two in situ posttreatmentmore » labeling approaches to stain TiO 2 nanoparticles taken up by the cells. The first approach utilizes fluorescent biotin and fluorescent streptavidin to label the nanoparticles before and after cellular uptake; the second approach is based on the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, the so-called Click chemistry, for labeling and detection of azide-conjugated TiO 2 nanoparticles with alkyneconjugated fluorescent dyes such as Alexa Fluor 488. To confirm that optical fluorescence signals of these nanoparticles match the distribution of the Ti element, we used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Titanium-specific XFM showed excellent overlap with the location of optical fluorescence detected by confocal microscopy. Finally and therefore, future experiments with TiO 2 nanoparticles may safely rely on confocal microscopy after in situ nanoparticle labeling using approaches described here.« less

Intracellular in situ labeling of TiO 2 nanoparticles for fluorescence microscopy detection

DOE PAGES

Brown, Koshonna; Thurn, Ted; Xin, Lun; ...

2017-07-19

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles are produced for many different purposes, including development of therapeutic and diagnostic nanoparticles for cancer detection and treatment, drug delivery, induction of DNA double-strand breaks, and imaging of specific cells and subcellular structures. Currently, the use of optical microscopy, an imaging technique most accessible to biology and medical pathology, to detect TiO 2 nanoparticles in cells and tissues ex vivo is limited with low detection limits, while more sensitive imaging methods (transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence microscopy, etc.) have low throughput and technical and operational complications. In this paper, we describe two in situ posttreatmentmore » labeling approaches to stain TiO 2 nanoparticles taken up by the cells. The first approach utilizes fluorescent biotin and fluorescent streptavidin to label the nanoparticles before and after cellular uptake; the second approach is based on the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, the so-called Click chemistry, for labeling and detection of azide-conjugated TiO 2 nanoparticles with alkyneconjugated fluorescent dyes such as Alexa Fluor 488. To confirm that optical fluorescence signals of these nanoparticles match the distribution of the Ti element, we used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Titanium-specific XFM showed excellent overlap with the location of optical fluorescence detected by confocal microscopy. Finally and therefore, future experiments with TiO 2 nanoparticles may safely rely on confocal microscopy after in situ nanoparticle labeling using approaches described here.« less

Coarse-to-fine deep neural network for fast pedestrian detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yaobin; Yang, Xinmei; Cao, Lijun

2017-11-01

Pedestrian detection belongs to a category of object detection is a key issue in the field of video surveillance and automatic driving. Although recent object detection methods, such as Fast/Faster RCNN, have achieved excellent performance, it is difficult to meet real-time requirements and limits the application in real scenarios. A coarse-to-fine deep neural network for fast pedestrian detection is proposed in this paper. Two-stage approach is presented to realize fine trade-off between accuracy and speed. In the coarse stage, we train a fast deep convolution neural network to generate most pedestrian candidates at the cost of a number of false positives. The detector can cover the majority of scales, sizes, and occlusions of pedestrians. After that, a classification network is introduced to refine the pedestrian candidates generated from the previous stage. Refining through classification network, most of false detections will be excluded easily and the final pedestrian predictions with bounding box and confidence score are produced. Competitive results have been achieved on INRIA dataset in terms of accuracy, especially the method can achieve real-time detection that is faster than the previous leading methods. The effectiveness of coarse-to-fine approach to detect pedestrians is verified, and the accuracy and stability are also improved.

Highly sensitive and specific colorimetric detection of cancer cells via dual-aptamer target binding strategy.

PubMed

Wang, Kun; Fan, Daoqing; Liu, Yaqing; Wang, Erkang

2015-11-15

Simple, rapid, sensitive and specific detection of cancer cells is of great importance for early and accurate cancer diagnostics and therapy. By coupling nanotechnology and dual-aptamer target binding strategies, we developed a colorimetric assay for visually detecting cancer cells with high sensitivity and specificity. The nanotechnology including high catalytic activity of PtAuNP and magnetic separation & concentration plays a vital role on the signal amplification and improvement of detection sensitivity. The color change caused by small amount of target cancer cells (10 cells/mL) can be clearly distinguished by naked eyes. The dual-aptamer target binding strategy guarantees the detection specificity that large amount of non-cancer cells and different cancer cells (10(4) cells/mL) cannot cause obvious color change. A detection limit as low as 10 cells/mL with detection linear range from 10 to 10(5) cells/mL was reached according to the experimental detections in phosphate buffer solution as well as serum sample. The developed enzyme-free and cost effective colorimetric assay is simple and no need of instrument while still provides excellent sensitivity, specificity and repeatability, having potential application on point-of-care cancer diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of an enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of azo dye (Orange II) in food products.

PubMed

Xue, Huyin; Xing, Yue; Yin, Yongmei; Zhang, Taichang; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Yu; Song, Pei; Tian, Xi; Xu, Yinghui; Wang, Peng; Meng, Meng; Xi, Rimo

2012-01-01

This paper reports the preparation of polyclonal antibodies against a synthetic azo dye, Orange II, and the development of an indirect ELISA to detect Orange II in foods. The sulfonic group of Orange II was modified and linked with carrier protein to synthesise an artificial antigen. Based on the checkerboard titration, the method showed excellent sensitivity (IC₅₀ = 0.61 ng g⁻¹) to Orange II in the linear range of 0.05-10 ng g⁻¹. The antibody had little cross-reactivity with Chromotrope FB, Gardenia Yellow, Ponceau 4R, Sunset Yellow and Sudan dyes. The ELISA had limits of detection (LOD) of 0.22, 0.97 and 0.74 ng g⁻¹ in chilli powder, chilli oil and braised pork, respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQ) of the assay were 0.91 ng g⁻¹ in chilli powder, 1.48 ng g⁻¹ in chilli oil and 1.10 ng g⁻¹ in braised pork. For food products fortified with 1-10 ng g⁻¹ Orange II, the inter- and intra-assay variations were all less than 24.0% and 18.0%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed test could be used as a rapid screening method for Orange II detection in food samples.

A widely-tunable and sensitive optical sensor for multi-species detection in the mid-IR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alquaity, Awad B. S.; Al-Saif, Bidoor; Farooq, Aamir

2018-01-01

Pulsed cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) technique was used to develop a novel widely-tunable laser-based sensor for sensitive measurements of ethylene, propene, 1-butene and allene in the mid-IR. The use of an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) enabled the sensor to cover a wide wavelength range from 10 to 11.1 µm (900-1000 cm-1) to detect multiple gases relevant to combustion and environment. The sensor operation was validated in a room-temperature static cell using well-characterized absorption lines of carbon dioxide near 938.69 cm-1 and 974.62 cm-1. Detection limits for ethylene, propene, 1-butene, and allene were measured to be 17, 134, 754 and 378 ppb, respectively, at 296 K and 760 Torr for a single-pass path-length of 70 cm with averaging time of 4 ms. The excellent sensitivity of the optical sensor enabled it to measure the aforementioned gases at levels smaller than 1% of their recommended exposure limits. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first successful applications of the pulsed CRDS technique to measure trace levels of multiple gases in the 10-11 µm wavelength region.

CMOS-compatible silicon nanowire field-effect transistors for ultrasensitive and label-free microRNAs sensing.

PubMed

Lu, Na; Gao, Anran; Dai, Pengfei; Song, Shiping; Fan, Chunhai; Wang, Yuelin; Li, Tie

2014-05-28

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been regarded as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of early-stage cancer as their expression levels are associated with different types of human cancers. However, it is a challenge to produce low-cost miRNA sensors, as well as retain a high sensitivity, both of which are essential factors that must be considered in fabricating nanoscale biosensors and in future biomedical applications. To address such challenges, we develop a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible SiNW-FET biosensor fabricated by an anisotropic wet etching technology with self-limitation which provides a much lower manufacturing cost and an ultrahigh sensitivity. This nanosensor shows a rapid (< 1 minute) detection of miR-21 and miR-205, with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1 zeptomole (ca. 600 copies), as well as an excellent discrimination for single-nucleotide mismatched sequences of tumor-associated miRNAs. To investigate its applicability in real settings, we have detected miRNAs in total RNA extracted from lung cancer cells as well as human serum samples using the nanosensors, which demonstrates their potential use in identifying clinical samples for early diagnosis of cancer. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quantitative determination of methamphetamine in oral fluid by liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Bahmanabadi, L; Akhgari, M; Jokar, F; Sadeghi, H B

2017-02-01

Methamphetamine abuse is one of the most medical and social problems many countries face. In spite of the ban on the use of methamphetamine, it is widely available in Iran's drug black market. There are many analytical methods for the detection of methamphetamine in biological specimen. Oral fluid has become a popular specimen to test for the presence of methamphetamine. The purpose of the present study was to develop a method for the extraction and detection of methamphetamine in oral fluid samples using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) methods. An analytical study was designed in that blank and 50 authentic oral fluid samples were collected to be first extracted by LLE and subsequently analysed by GC/MS. The method was fully validated and showed an excellent intra- and inter-assay precision (reflex sympathetic dystrophy ˂ 10%) for external quality control samples. Recovery with LLE methods was 96%. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 5 and 15 ng/mL, respectively. The method showed high selectivity, no additional peak due to interfering substances in samples was observed. The introduced method was sensitive, accurate and precise enough for the extraction of methamphetamine from oral fluid samples in forensic toxicology laboratories.

Facile synthesis of Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with adjustable phase composition for effective NO{sub x} gas sensor at room temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Lixue; Li, Li; Yang, Ying

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with 30–70 nm hollow nanospheres reduced by 3 mmol NaBH{sub 4} exhibits excellent gas-sensing property to low-concentration NO{sub x} gas at room temperature. - Highlights: • The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with hollow nanospheres are successfully synthesized. • The method is used for preparing the with Cu/Cu{sub x}O adjustable phase composition. • The C3 sample exhibites excellent gas-sensing propertie to NO{sub x} at room temperation. • The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures have significant for application of gas sensor. - Abstract: The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with 30–70 nm hollow nanospheres are successfully synthesized by a facile wetmore » chemical method. The synthesized products have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) analysis. The Cu/Cu{sub x}O sensors based on the nanoarchitectures are used to detect the NO{sub x} at room temperature. The results demonstrate that the obtained Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures reduced by 3 mmol NaBH{sub 4} exhibits excellent gas-sensing properties: low detection limit of 0.97 ppm, relatively high sensitivity, short response time, broad linear range and high selectivity. The reasons for gas-sensing activity enhancement on Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures are discussed. The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanocrystalline with the hierarchical pores structure and tunable compositions have significant for application of gas sensor.« less

Highly-sensitive aptasensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer between l-cysteine capped ZnS quantum dots and graphene oxide sheets for the determination of edifenphos fungicide.

PubMed

Arvand, Majid; Mirroshandel, Aazam A

2017-10-15

With the advantages of excellent optical properties and biocompatibility, single-strand DNA-functionalized quantum dots have been widely applied in biosensing and bioimaging. A new aptasensor with easy operation, high sensitivity, and high selectivity was developed by immobilizing the aptamer on water soluble l-cysteine capped ZnS quantum dots (QDs). Graphene oxide (GO) sheets are mixed with the aptamer-QDs. Consequently, the aptamer-conjugated QDs bind to the GO sheets to form a GO/aptamer-QDs ensemble. This aptasensor enables the energy transfer based on a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the QDs to the GO sheets, quenching the fluorescence of QDs. The GO/aptamer-QDs ensemble assay acts as a "turn-on'' fluorescent sensor for edifenphos (EDI) detection. When GO was replaced by EDI, the fluorescence of QDs was restored and its intensity was proportional to the EDI concentration. This GO-based aptasensor under the optimum conditions exhibited excellent analytical performance for EDI determination, ranging from 5×10 -4 to 6×10 -3 mg L -1 with the detection limit of 1.3×10 -4 mgL -1 . Furthermore, the designed aptasensor exhibited excellent selectivity toward EDI compared to other pesticides and herbicides with similar structures such as diazinon, heptachlor, endrin, dieldrin, butachlor and chlordane. Good reproducibility and precision (RSD =3.9%, n =10) of the assay indicates the high potential of the aptasensor for quantitative trace analysis of EDI. Moreover, the results demonstrate the applicability of the aptasensor for monitoring EDI fungicide in spiked real samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of benzo[a]pyrene in edible oils using phase-transfer-catalyst-assisted saponification and supramolecular solvent microextraction coupled to HPLC with fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Wang, Jin; Liu, Laping; Shi, Ludi; Yi, Tingquan; Wen, Yuxia; Wang, Juanli; Liu, Shuhui

2017-01-01

For the analysis of edible oils, saponification is well known as a useful method for eliminating oil matrices. The conventional approach is conducted with alcoholic alkali; it consumes a large volume of organic solvents and impedes the retrieval of analytes by microextraction. In this study, a low-organic-solvent-consuming method has been developed for the analysis of benzo[a]pyrene in edible oils by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Sample treatment involves aqueous alkaline saponification, assisted by a phase-transfer catalyst, and selective in situ extraction of the analyte with a supramolecular solvent. Comparison of the chromatograms of the oil extracts obtained by different microextraction methods showed that the supramolecular solvent has a better clean-up effect for the unsaponifiable matter from oil matrices. The method offered excellent linearity over a range of 0.03- 5.0 ng mL -1 (r > 0.999). Recovery rates varied from 94 to 102% (RSDs <5.0%). The detection limit and quantification limit were 0.06 and 0.19 μg kg -1 , respectively. The proposed method was applied for the analysis of 52 edible oils collected online in China; the analyte contents of 23 tested oil samples exceeded the maximum limit of 2 μg kg -1 for benzo[a]pyrene set by the Commission Regulation of the European Union. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Feasibility study of total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis using a liquid metal jet X-ray tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maderitsch, A.; Smolek, S.; Wobrauschek, P.; Streli, C.; Takman, P.

2014-09-01

Total reflection X-ray spectroscopy (TXRF) is a powerful analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace and ultratrace elements in a sample with lower limits of detection (LLDs) of pg/g to ng/g in concentration and absolute high fg levels are attainable. Several X-ray sources, from low power (few W), 18 kW rotating anodes to synchrotron radiation, are in use for the excitation and lead accordingly to their photon flux delivered on the sample the detection limits specified. Not only the power, but also the brilliance and focal shape are of importance for TXRF. A microfocus of 50-100 μm spot size or the line focus of diffraction tubes is best suited. Excillum developed a new approach in the design of a source: the liquid metal jet anode. In this paper the results achieved with this source are described. A versatile TXRF spectrometer with vacuum chamber designed at Atominstitut was used for the experiments. A multilayer monochromator selecting the intensive Ga-Kα radiation was taken and the beam was collimated by 50 μm slits. Excellent results regarding geometric beam stability, high fluorescence intensities and low background were achieved leading to detection limits in the high fg range for Ni. A 100 mm2 silicon drift detector (SDD) collimated to 80 mm2 was used to collect the fluorescence radiation. The results from measurements on single element samples are presented.

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin in graphene oxide and ionic liquid composite film.

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Gong, Shixing; Shi, Fan; Cao, Lili; Ling, Luyang; Zheng, Weizhe; Wang, Wencheng

2014-07-01

In this paper a novel sensing platform based on graphene oxide (GO), ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and Nafion for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) was adopted with a carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) as the substrate electrode, which was denoted as Nafion/Hb-GO-IL/CILE. Spectroscopic results suggested that Hb molecules were not denatured in the composite. A pair of well-defined redox peaks appeared on the cyclic voltammogram, which was attributed to the realization of direct electron transfer of Hb on the electrode. Electrochemical behaviors of Hb entrapped in the film were carefully investigated by cyclic voltammetry with the electrochemical parameters calculated. Based on the catalytic ability of the immobilized Hb, Nafion/Hb-GO-IL/CILE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic behavior towards the reduction of different substrates such as trichloroacetic acid in the concentration range from 0.01 to 40.0mM with the detection limit as 3.12 μM (3σ), H2O2 in the concentration range from 0.08 to 635.0 μM with the detection limit as 0.0137 μM (3σ) and NaNO2 in the concentration range from 0.5 to 800.0 μM with the detection limit as 0.0104 μM (3σ). So the proposed bioelectrode could be served as a new third-generation electrochemical sensor without mediator. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel fluorescence-based assay for the rapid detection and quantification of cellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates

PubMed Central

Wilson, Peter M.; LaBonte, Melissa J.; Russell, Jared; Louie, Stan; Ghobrial, Andrew A.; Ladner, Robert D.

2011-01-01

Current methods for measuring deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) employ reagent and labor-intensive assays utilizing radioisotopes in DNA polymerase-based assays and/or chromatography-based approaches. We have developed a rapid and sensitive 96-well fluorescence-based assay to quantify cellular dNTPs utilizing a standard real-time PCR thermocycler. This assay relies on the principle that incorporation of a limiting dNTP is required for primer-extension and Taq polymerase-mediated 5–3′ exonuclease hydrolysis of a dual-quenched fluorophore-labeled probe resulting in fluorescence. The concentration of limiting dNTP is directly proportional to the fluorescence generated. The assay demonstrated excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) and can be modified to detect between ∼0.5 and 100 pmol of dNTP. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for all dNTPs were defined as <0.77 and <1.3 pmol, respectively. The intra-assay and inter-assay variation coefficients were determined to be <4.6% and <10%, respectively with an accuracy of 100 ± 15% for all dNTPs. The assay quantified intracellular dNTPs with similar results obtained from a validated LC–MS/MS approach and successfully measured quantitative differences in dNTP pools in human cancer cells treated with inhibitors of thymidylate metabolism. This assay has important application in research that investigates the influence of pathological conditions or pharmacological agents on dNTP biosynthesis and regulation. PMID:21576234

Analytical evaluation of BEA zeolite for the pre-concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their subsequent chromatographic analysis in water samples.

PubMed

Wilson, Walter B; Costa, Andréia A; Wang, Huiyong; Dias, José A; Dias, Sílvia C L; Campiglia, Andres D

2012-07-06

The analytical performance of BEA - a commercial zeolite - is evaluated for the pre-concentration of fifteen Environmental Protection Agency - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their subsequent HPLC analysis in tap and lake water samples. The pre-concentration factors obtained with BEA have led to a method with excellent analytical figures of merit. One milliliter aliquots were sufficient to obtain excellent precision of measurements at the parts-per-trillion concentration level with relative standard deviations varying from 4.1% (dibenzo[a,h]anthracene) to 13.4% (pyrene). The limits of detection were excellent as well and varied between 1.1 (anthracene) and 49.9 ng L(-1) (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene). The recovery values of all the studied compounds meet the criterion for regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which mandates relative standard deviations equal or lower than 25%. The small volume of organic solvents (100 μL per sample) and amount of BEA (2 mg per sample) makes sample pre-concentration environmentally friendly and cost effective. The extraction procedure is well suited for numerous samples as the small working volume (1 mL) facilitates the implementation of simultaneous sample extraction. These are attractive features when routine monitoring of numerous samples is contemplated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infiltrated photonic crystal cavity as a highly sensitive platform for glucose concentration detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arafa, Safia; Bouchemat, Mohamed; Bouchemat, Touraya; Benmerkhi, Ahlem; Hocini, Abdesselam

2017-02-01

A Bio-sensing platform based on an infiltrated photonic crystal ring shaped holes cavity-coupled waveguide system is proposed for glucose concentration detection. Considering silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, it has been demonstrated that the ring shaped holes configuration provides an excellent optical confinement within the cavity region, which further enhances the light-matter interactions at the precise location of the analyte medium. Thus, the sensitivity and the quality factor (Q) can be significantly improved. The transmission characteristics of light in the biosensor under different refractive indices that correspond to the change in the analyte glucose concentration are analyzed by performing finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Accordingly, an improved sensitivity of 462 nm/RIU and a Q factor as high as 1.11х105 have been achieved, resulting in a detection limit of 3.03х10-6 RIU. Such combination of attributes makes the designed structure a promising element for performing label-free biosensing in medical diagnosis and environmental monitoring.

An excited state intramolecular proton transfer dye based fluorescence turn-on probe for fast detection of thiols and its applications in bioimaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yun; Xue, Yuanyuan; Li, Haoyang; Zhu, Ruitao; Ren, Yuehong; Shi, Qinghua; Wang, Song; Guo, Wei

2017-03-01

In this study, a new fluorescent probe 2-(2‧-hydroxy-5‧-N-maleimide phenyl)-benzothiazole (probe 1), was designed and synthesized by linking the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophore to the maleimide group for selective detection of thiols in aqueous solution. The fluorescence of probe 1 is strongly quenched by maleimide group through the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) mechanism, but after reaction with thiol, the fluorescence of ESIPT fluorophore is restored, affording a large Stokes shifts. Upon addition of cysteine (Cys), probe 1 exhibited a fast response time (complete within 30 s) and a high signal-to-noise ratio (up to 23-fold). It showed a high selectivity and excellent sensitivity to thiols over other relevant biological species, with a detection limit of 3.78 × 10- 8 M (S/N = 3). Moreover, the probe was successfully applied to the imaging of thiols in living cells.

Biophotonics determination of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) plant growth regulator using OFRR biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gilmo; Kang, Sukwon; Lee, Kangjin; Kim, Giyoung; Son, Jaeryong; Mo, Changyeun

2010-04-01

The identification of pesticide and 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) plant growth regulator was carried out using a label-free opto-fluidic ring resonator (OFRR) biosensor. The OFRR sensing platform is a recent advancement in opto-fluidic technology that integrates photonic sensing technology with microfluidics. It features quick detection time, small sample volume, accurate quantitative and kinetic results. The most predominant advantage of the OFRR integrated with microfluidics is that we can potentially realize the multi-channel and portable biosensor that detects numerous analytes simultaneously. Antisera for immunoassay were raised in rabbits against the 6-BAP-BSA conjugate. Using the immunization protocol and unknown cytokinin reacting with same antibody, comparable sensitivity and specificity were obtained. 6-BAP antibody was routinely used for cytokinin analysis. A sensitive and simple OFRR method with a good linear relationship was developed for the determination of 6-BAP. The detection limit was also examined. The biosensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility when periodically exposed to 6-BAP.

Preparing cuprous oxide nanomaterials by electrochemical method for non-enzymatic glucose biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Thu-Thuy; Huy, Bui The; Hwang, Seo-Young; Vuong, Nguyen Minh; Pham, Quoc-Thai; Nghia, Nguyen Ngoc; Kirtland, Aaron; Lee, Yong-Ill

2018-05-01

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanostructure has been synthesized using an electrochemical method with a two-electrode system. Cu foils were used as electrodes and NH2(OH) was utilized as the reducing agent. The effects of pH and applied voltages on the morphology of the product were investigated. The morphology and optical properties of Cu2O particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and diffuse reflectance spectra. The synthesized Cu2O nanostructures that formed in the vicinity of the anode at 2 V and pH = 11 showed high uniform distribution, small size, and good electrochemical sensing. These Cu2O nanoparticles were coated on an Indium tin oxide substrate and applied to detect non-enzyme glucose as excellent biosensors. The non-enzyme glucose biosensors exhibited good performance with high response, good selectivity, wide linear detection range, and a low detection limit at 0.4 μM. Synthesized Cu2O nanostructures are potential materials for a non-enzyme glucose biosensor.

Sensitive determination of chlorogenic acid in pharmaceutical products based on the decoration of 3D macroporous carbon with Au nanoparticles via polyoxometalates.

PubMed

Zhang, Tongrui; Liu, Mengjun; Zhang, Qianqian; Wang, Yeyu; Kong, Xiangyi; Wang, Lei; Wang, Huan; Zhang, Yufan

2017-07-10

A simple and sensitive electrochemical sensor is constructed for the detection of chlorogenic acid (CGA) based on Au nanoparticles (NPs)/polyoxometalates/3D macroporous carbon (Au-POMs-MPC). Serving as both a reducing and stabilizing agent, the Keggin-type POM, H 3 PW 12 O 40 , is used for the synthesis of stable colloidal Au NPs and then used to link them to MPC at a mild temperature. Because of the unique structural properties and synergetic catalytic effect, Au-POMs-MPC can be developed as an effective sensing platform for the detection of CGA, which showed high activity and excellent analytical performance towards CGA, such as a wide linear range of 2.28 nM-3.24 μM, a high sensitivity of 30 554.71 μA mM -1 , and a low limit of detection of 2.15 nM. Importantly, the successfully fabricated Au-POMs-MPC device accurately measured the amount of CGA in pharmaceutical samples.

Sensitive Nonenzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Detection Based on Hollow Porous NiO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Gege; Tian, Liangliang; Cai, Yanhua; Wu, Shenping; Su, Yongyao; Yan, Hengqing; Pu, Wanrong; Zhang, Jinkun; Li, Lu

2018-01-01

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have attracted extensive research attentions as promising electrocatalytic materials. Despite low cost and high stability, the electrocatalytic activity of TMOs still cannot satisfy the requirements of applications. Inspired by kinetics, the design of hollow porous structure is considered as a promising strategy to achieve superior electrocatalytic performance. In this work, cubic NiO hollow porous architecture (NiO HPA) was constructed through coordinating etching and precipitating (CEP) principle followed by post calcination. Being employed to detect glucose, NiO HPA electrode exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity in terms of high sensitivity (1323 μA mM-1 cm-2) and low detection limit (0.32 μM). The excellent electrocatalytic activity can be ascribed to large specific surface area (SSA), ordered diffusion channels, and accelerated electron transfer rate derived from the unique hollow porous features. The results demonstrate that the NiO HPA could have practical applications in the design of nonenzymatic glucose sensors. The construction of hollow porous architecture provides an effective nanoengineering strategy for high-performance electrocatalysts.

Amperometric Detection of Sub-ppm Formaldehyde Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Hydroxylamines: A Referenced Chemiresistive System.

PubMed

Ishihara, Shinsuke; Labuta, Jan; Nakanishi, Takashi; Tanaka, Takeshi; Kataura, Hiromichi

2017-10-27

We report amperometric detection of formaldehyde (HCHO) using hydroxylamine hydrochloride and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Hydroxylamine hydrochloride reacts with HCHO to emit HCl vapor, which injects a hole carrier into semiconducting SWCNTs. The increase of conductivity in SWCNTs is easily monitored using an ohmmeter. The debundling of SWCNTs with a metallo-supramolecular polymer (MSP) increased the active surface area in the SWCNTs network, leading to excellent sensitivity to HCHO with a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.016 ppm. The response of sensor is reversible, and the sensor is reusable. The selectivity to HCHO is 10 5 -10 6 times higher than interferences with other volatiles such as water, methanol, and toluene. Moreover, false-positive responses caused by a significant variation of humidity and/or temperature are successfully discriminated from true-positive responses by using two sensors, one with and the other without hydroxylamine hydrochloride, in a referenced system.

Forchlorfenuron detection based on its inhibitory effect towards catalase immobilized on boron nitride substrate.

PubMed

Xu, Qin; Cai, Lijuan; Zhao, Huijie; Tang, Jiaqian; Shen, Yuanyuan; Hu, Xiaoya; Zeng, Haibo

2015-01-15

An enzymatic procedure based on a catalase biosensor for the detection of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) has been reported in this work. Catalase was immobilized on boron nitride (BN) sheets dispersed in chitosan by adsorption. The immobilized catalase exhibited direct electron transfer character and excellent electrocatalytic activity towards H2O2 reduction. After introducing CPPU into the H2O2 containing phosphate buffer solution, the catalase-catalyzed H2O2 reduction current decreased. By measuring the current decrease, CPPU can be determined in the range of 0.5-10.0 µM with the detection limit of 0.07 μM. The non-competitive inhibition behavior of CPPU towards catalase was verified by the Lineweaver-Burk plots. Long stability character has been ascribed to this biosensor. Possible use of this biosensor in flow systems is illustrated. The proposed biosensor has been successfully applied to CPPU determination in fruits samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid Real-time Electrical Detection of Proteins Using Single Conducting Polymer Nanowire-Based Microfluidic Aptasensor

PubMed Central

Huang, Jiyong; Luo, Xiliang; Lee, Innam; Hu, Yushi; Cui, Xinyan Tracy; Yun, Minhee

2011-01-01

Single polypyrrole (PPy) nanowire-based microfluidic aptasensors were fabricated using a one-step electrochemical deposition method. The successful incorporation of the aptamers into the PPy nanowire was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy image. The microfluidic aptasensor showed responses to IgE protein solutions in the range from 0.01 nM to 100 nM, and demonstrated excellent specificity and sensitivity with faster response and rapid stabilization times (~20 s). At the lowest examined IgE concentration of 0.01nM, the microfluidic aptasensor still exhibited ~0.32% change in the conductance. The functionality of this aptasensor was able to be regenerated using an acid treatment with no major change in sensitivity. In addition, the detection of cancer biomarker MUC1 was performed using another microfluidic aptasensor, which showed a very low detection limit of 2.66 nM MUC1 compared to commercially available MUC1 diagnosis assay (800 nM). PMID:21937215

Self-assembly of an upconverting nanocomplex and its application to turn-on detection of metalloproteinase-9 in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Phuong-Diem; Thanh Cong, Vu; Baek, Changyoon; Min, Junhong

2016-10-01

Upcoversion nanoparticles are an emerging luminescent nanomaterial with excellent photophysical properties that have great benefits in biological sensing. In this study, a luminescent turn-on biosensor for cell-secreted protease activity assay is established based on resonance energy transfer in an upconversion nanoparticle-graphene oxide nano-assembly. The proposed biosensor consists of a blue-emitting upconversion nanoparticle covered with a quenching complex, comprising gelatin as the proteinase substrate and graphene oxide nanosheets as luminescence acceptors. After enzymatic digestion, the upconversion nanoparticles lose the gelatin cover due to the disassembly of the quenching complex, thus the upconverting luminescence in the blue region is restored (a turn-on response). The recovered upconverting luminescence is proportional to the protease concentration; the limit of detection was 12 ng ml-1. Finally, the upconversion-graphene oxide nanocomplex was successfully applied in the detection of cell-secreted protease-metalloproteinase in MCF-7 cancer cells with high sensitivity and specificity.

Two-dimensional polyaniline nanostructure to the development of microfluidic integrated flexible biosensors for biomarker detection.

PubMed

Liu, Pei; Zhu, Yisi; Lee, Seung Hee; Yun, Minhee

2016-12-01

In this work, we report a flexible field-effect-transistor (FET) biosensor design based on two-dimensional (2-D) polyaniline (PANI) nanostructure. The flexible biosensor devices were fabricated through a facile and inexpensive method that combines top-down and bottom-up processes. The chemically synthesized PANI nanostructure showed excellent p-type semiconductor properties as well as good compatibility with flexible design. With the 2-D PANI nanostructure being as thin as 80 nm and its extremely large surface-area-to-volume (SA/V) ratio due to the intrinsic properties of PANI chemical synthesis, the developed flexible biosensor exhibited outstanding sensing performance in detecting B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) biomarkers, and was able to achieve high specificity (averagely 112 folds) with the limit of detection as low as 100 pg/mL. PANI nanostructure under bending condition was also investigated and showed controllable conductance changes being less than 20% with good restorability which may open up the possibility for wearable applications.

Studies of the Low-energy Gamma Background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bikit, K.; Mrđa, D.; Bikit, I.; Slivka, J.; Veskovic, M.; Knezevic, D.

The investigations of contribution to the low-energy part of background gamma spectrum (below 100 keV) and knowing detection efficiency for this region are important for both, a fundamental, as well as for applied research. In this work, the components contributing to the low-energy region of background gamma spectrum for shielded detector are analyzed, including the production and spectral distribution of muon-induced continuous low-energy radiation in the vicinity of high-purity germanium detector.In addition, the detection efficiency for low energy gamma region is determined using the GEANT 4 simulation package. This technique offers excellent opportunity to predict the detection response in mentioned region. Unfortunately, the frequently weakly known dead layer thickness on the surface of the extended-range detector, as well as some processes which are not incorporated in simulation (e.g. charge collection from detector active volume) may limit the reliability of simulation technique. Thus, the 14, 17, 21, 26, 33, 59.5 keV transitions in the calibrated 241Am point source were used to check the simulated efficiencies.

Resonance Rayleigh scattering technique for simple and sensitive analysis of tannic acid with carbon dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Ying; Yang, Liu; Zhu, Jinghui; Yang, Jidong; Liu, Shaopu; Qiao, Man; Duan, Ruilin; Hu, Xiaoli

2017-02-01

Carbon dots (CDs) are raising a substantial amount of attention owing to their many unique and novel physicochemical properties. Herein one-pot synthesized CDs, to the best of our knowledge, were first served as the robust nanoprobe for detection tannic acid (TA) based on resonance Rayleigh scattering technique. The as-prepared CDs can combine with TA via hydrogen bond, resulting in remarkable enhancement of scattering signal with no changes in the fluorescence of CDs. Therefore, a novel protocol for TA determination was established and this strategy allowed quantitative detection of TA in the linear range of 0.2-10.0 μmol L- 1 with an excellent detection limit of 9.0 nmol L- 1. Moreover, the CDs based nanoprobe can be applied to the determination of TA in water sample with satisfactory results. Our study can potentially influence our current views on CDs and particularly impressive and offers new insights into application of CDs beyond the traditional understanding of CDs.

Formation of N, S-codoped fluorescent carbon dots from biomass and their application for the selective detection of mercury and iron ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Qianghua; Yan, Fanyong; Luo, Yunmei; Wang, Yinyin; Zhou, Xuguang; Chen, Li

2017-02-01

Biomass is regarded as an excellent candidate for the preparation of heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials. We have developed a simple and facile one-pot synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur codoped fluorescent carbon dots from pigeon feathers, egg and manure via the pyrolysis carbonization method. The as-prepared four PCDs have high fluorescence quantum yield about 24.87% (PCDs-f), 17.48% (PCDs-w), 16.34% (PCDs-y), 33.50% (PCDs-m), respectively, which is higher than the other carbon dots preparing from biomass. We found that the preparation of PCDs-m with pigeon manure has no favourable selectively with heavy metal ions. However, other PCDs exhibit highly sensitive and selective detection behavior of Hg2 +/Fe3 + ions with a low detection limit of 10.3 and 60.9 nM. They were applied to imaging of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, showing low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility.

Urea impedimetric biosensing using electrospun nanofibers modified with zinc oxide nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliorini, Fernanda L.; Sanfelice, Rafaela C.; Mercante, Luiza A.; Andre, Rafaela S.; Mattoso, Luiz H. C.; Correa, Daniel. S.

2018-06-01

Reliable analytical techniques to evaluate dairy products, including milk, are of outmost importance to ensure food safety against contaminants. Among possible substances employed as adulterants in milk, urea raises deep concern due to its harmful effects to consumer's health. In the present study, a biosensing platform was developed to be applied in the electrochemical detection of urea. The sensing platform was fabricated using polymeric electrospun nanofibers of polyamide 6 (PA6) and polypyrrole (PPy) deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes, which were then modified with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO). This material showed excellent properties for the immobilization of urease enzyme, conferring the FTO/PA6/PPy/ZnO/urease electrode high sensitivity for urea detection within the concentration range between 0.1 and 250 mg dL-1 with a limit of detection of 0.011 mg dL-1. The results achieved evidence the potential of electrospun nanofibers-based electrodes for applications in biosensors aiming at dairy products analysis.

Preparing cuprous oxide nanomaterials by electrochemical method for non-enzymatic glucose biosensor.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thu-Thuy; Huy, Bui The; Hwang, Seo-Young; Vuong, Nguyen Minh; Pham, Quoc-Thai; Nghia, Nguyen Ngoc; Kirtland, Aaron; Lee, Yong-Ill

2018-05-18

Cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) nanostructure has been synthesized using an electrochemical method with a two-electrode system. Cu foils were used as electrodes and NH 2 (OH) was utilized as the reducing agent. The effects of pH and applied voltages on the morphology of the product were investigated. The morphology and optical properties of Cu 2 O particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and diffuse reflectance spectra. The synthesized Cu 2 O nanostructures that formed in the vicinity of the anode at 2 V and pH = 11 showed high uniform distribution, small size, and good electrochemical sensing. These Cu 2 O nanoparticles were coated on an Indium tin oxide substrate and applied to detect non-enzyme glucose as excellent biosensors. The non-enzyme glucose biosensors exhibited good performance with high response, good selectivity, wide linear detection range, and a low detection limit at 0.4 μM. Synthesized Cu 2 O nanostructures are potential materials for a non-enzyme glucose biosensor.

Graphene oxide-DNA based sensors.

PubMed

Gao, Li; Lian, Chaoqun; Zhou, Yang; Yan, Lirong; Li, Qin; Zhang, Chunxia; Chen, Liang; Chen, Keping

2014-10-15

Since graphene oxide (GO) is readily available and exhibits exceptional optical, electrical, mechanical and chemical properties, it has attracted increasing interests for use in GO-DNA based sensors. This paper reviews the advances in GO-DNA based sensors using DNA as recognition elements. In solution, GO is as an excellent acceptor of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to quench the fluorescence in dye labeled DNA sequences. This review discusses the emerging GO-DNA based sensors related to FRET for use in the detection of DNA, proteins, metal ions, cysteine (Cys), and others. The application of the electrochemical GO-DNA based sensors is also summarized because GO possesses exceptional electrochemical properties. The detection mechanisms and the advantages of GO are also revealed and discussed. GO-DNA based sensors perform well at low cost, and high sensitivity, and provide low detection limits. Additionally, GO-DNA based sensors should appear in the near future as scientists explore their usefulness and properties. Finally, future perspectives and possible challenges in this area are outlined. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-hole hollow molecularly imprinted polymer embedded carbon dot for fast detection of tetracycline in honey.

PubMed

Li, Huiyu; Zhao, Li; Xu, Yuan; Zhou, Tianyu; Liu, Haochi; Huang, Ning; Ding, Jie; Li, Yi; Ding, Lan

2018-08-01

It is difficult to detect tetracycline (TC) in honey sample by using carbon dots (CDs) because the autofluorescence of the matrix of honey sample overlaps with the fluorescence emission spectrum of the large majority of CDs. Herein, single-hole hollow molecularly imprinted polymers embedded carbon dots (HMIP@CD) was prepared via microwave-assisted method. TC in diluted honey sample was adsorbed by the HMIP@CD within 3 min, after which the HMIP@CD absorbed with TC was separated by centrifugation from honey sample and redispersed into phosphate buffer solution. The autofluorescence of honey that interferes with the fluorescence signal of HMIP@CD was avoided. The method exhibited an excellent linearity within 10-200 μg L -1 and a low detection limit of 3.1 μg L -1 . At three spiking levels of TC, the recoveries ranged from 93% to 105% with precisions below 1.6%. This method provides an effective strategy for detecting analyte in complex matrix with autofluorescence interference. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A nanoscale Zr-based fluorescent metal-organic framework for selective and sensitive detection of hydrogen sulfide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanping; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Ling; Jiang, Ke; Cui, Yuanjing; Yang, Yu; Qian, Guodong

2017-11-01

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been commonly viewed as a gas signaling molecule in various physiological and pathological processes. However, the highly efficient H2S detection still remains challenging. Herein, we designed a new robust nano metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-CH=CH2 as a fluorescent probe for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of biological H2S. UiO-66-CH=CH2 was prepared by heating ZrCl4 and 2-vinylterephthalic acid via a simple method. UiO-66-CH=CH2 displayed fluorescence quenching to H2S and kept excellent selectivity in the presence of biological relevant analytes especially the cysteine and glutathione. This MOF-based probe also exhibited fast response (10 s) and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 6.46 μM which was within the concentration range of biological H2S in living system. Moreover, this constructed MOF featured water-stability, nanoscale (20-30 nm) and low toxicity, which made it a promising candidate for biological H2S sensing.

Electrochemical Detection of Ultratrace (Picomolar) Levels of Hg2+ Using a Silver Nanoparticle-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode.

PubMed

Suherman, Alex L; Ngamchuea, Kamonwad; Tanner, Eden E L; Sokolov, Stanislav V; Holter, Jennifer; Young, Neil P; Compton, Richard G

2017-07-05

Ultratrace levels of Hg 2+ have been quantified by undertaking linear sweep voltammetry with a silver nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode (AgNP-GCE) in aqueous solutions containing Hg 2+ . This is achieved by monitoring the change in the silver stripping peak with Hg 2+ concentration resulting from the galvanic displacement of silver by mercury: Ag(np) + 1/2Hg 2+ (aq) → Ag + (aq) + 1/2Hg(l). This facile and reproducible detection method exhibits an excellent linear dynamic range of 100.0 pM to 10.0 nM Hg 2+ concentration with R 2 = 0.982. The limit of detection (LoD) based on 3σ is 28 pM Hg 2+ , while the lowest detectable level for quantification purposes is 100.0 pM. This method is appropriate for routine environmental monitoring and drinking water quality assessment since the guideline value set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for inorganic mercury in drinking water is 0.002 mg L -1 (10 nM).

One-pot carbonization synthesis of europium-doped carbon quantum dots for highly selective detection of tetracycline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li Liu, Meng; Chen, Bin Bin; Yang, Tong; Wang, Jian; Liu, Xi Dong; Zhi Huang, Cheng

2017-03-01

The detection of tetracycline is of great significance because of its damaging effects on human health, such as renal toxicity and hemolytic anemia. Any release of tetracycline into the surrounding environment can produce bacterial drug resistance. We develop a new sensitive and selective detection approach for tetracycline in complex water samples by preparing europium-doped carbon quantum dots (Eu-CQDs) through a simple and rapid carbonization method operating at 200 °C for 5 min. The Eu-CQDs are characterized by blue photoluminescence, excitation-wavelength-dependent emission and excellent stability. Importantly, the fluorescence of the Eu-CQDs can be quenched efficiently by tetracycline, based on the strong inner filter effect mechanism between Eu-CQDs and tetracycline, making the fluorescence intensity ratio (I 0/I) of the Eu-CQDs at 465 nm correlate linearly with the concentration of tetracycline in the range of 0.5-200 μM, with a limit of detection of 0.3 μM. This shows the broad applicability of the Eu-CQDs in pursuing the concepts of simplicity and specificity for analytical purposes.

A Simple Assay for Ultrasensitive Colorimetric Detection of Ag⁺ at Picomolar Levels Using Platinum Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wang, Yi-Wei; Wang, Meili; Wang, Lixing; Xu, Hui; Tang, Shurong; Yang, Huang-Hao; Zhang, Lan; Song, Hongbo

2017-11-02

In this work, uniformly-dispersed platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) were synthesized by a simple chemical reduction method, in which citric acid and sodium borohydride acted as a stabilizer and reducer, respectively. An ultrasensitive colorimetric sensor for the facile and rapid detection of Ag⁺ ions was constructed based on the peroxidase mimetic activities of the obtained PtNPs, which can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H₂O₂ to produce colored products. The introduced Ag⁺ would be reduced to Ag⁰ by the capped citric acid, and the deposition of Ag⁰ on the PtNPs surface, can effectively inhibit the peroxidase-mimetic activity of PtNPs. Through measuring the maximum absorption signal of oxidized TMB at 652 nm, ultra-low detection limits (7.8 pM) of Ag⁺ can be reached. In addition to such high sensitivity, the colorimetric assay also displays excellent selectivity for other ions of interest and shows great potential for the detection of Ag⁺ in real water samples.

Reaction-Based Off-On Near-infrared Fluorescent Probe for Imaging Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Living Cells and Mice.

PubMed

Tan, Yi; Zhang, Ling; Man, Ka Ho; Peltier, Raoul; Chen, Ganchao; Zhang, Huatang; Zhou, Liyi; Wang, Feng; Ho, Derek; Yao, Shao Q; Hu, Yi; Sun, Hongyan

2017-03-01

Alkaline phosphatases are a group of enzymes that play important roles in regulating diverse cellular functions and disease pathogenesis. Hence, developing fluorescent probes for in vivo detection of alkaline phosphatase activity is highly desirable for studying the dynamic phosphorylation in living organisms. Here, we developed the very first reaction-based near-infrared (NIR) probe (DHXP) for sensitive detection of alkaline phosphatase activity both in vitro and in vivo. Our studies demonstrated that the probe displayed an up to 66-fold fluorescence increment upon incubation with alkaline phosphatases, and the detection limit of our probe was determined to be 0.07 U/L, which is lower than that of most of alkaline phosphatase probes reported in literature. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the probe can be applied to detecting alkaline phosphatase activity in cells and mice. In addition, our probe possesses excellent biocompatibility and rapid cell-internalization ability. In light of these prominent properties, we envision that DHXP will add useful tools for investigating alkaline phosphatase activity in biomedical research.

Increased electrocatalyzed performance through high content potassium doped graphene matrix and aptamer tri infinite amplification labels strategy: Highly sensitive for matrix metalloproteinases-2 detection.

PubMed

Ren, Xiang; Zhang, Tong; Wu, Dan; Yan, Tao; Pang, Xuehui; Du, Bin; Lou, Wanruo; Wei, Qin

2017-08-15

Herein, a super-labeled immunoassay was fabricated for matrix metalloproteinases-2 detection. A self-corrosion ITO micro circuit board was designed in this sensing platform to reduce the random error in the same testing condition, and the self-constructed sensing platform is portable with a cheap price. The K-modified graphene (K-GS) was utilized as the matrix material, which was synthesized well by phenylate and phenanthrene through the polar bond of nonpolar molecule phenylate and the π-π interaction for the first time. An aptamer-based labels based on Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), thionine (Th) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were applied as the signal source for tri infinite amplification. This fabricated super-labeled immunoassay exhibit excellent performance for MMPs-2 detection. It displayed a broad linear range of 10 -4 -10ng/mL with a low detection limit of 35 fg/mL, which may have a potential application in the clinical diagnose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a comprehensive analytical platform for the detection and quantitation of food fraud using a biomarker approach. The oregano adulteration case study.

PubMed

Wielogorska, Ewa; Chevallier, Olivier; Black, Connor; Galvin-King, Pamela; Delêtre, Marc; Kelleher, Colin T; Haughey, Simon A; Elliott, Christopher T

2018-01-15

Due to increasing number of food fraud incidents, there is an inherent need for the development and implementation of analytical platforms enabling detection and quantitation of adulteration. In this study a set of unique biomarkers of commonly found oregano adulterants became the targets in the development of a LC-MS/MS method which underwent a rigorous in-house validation. The method presented very high selectivity and specificity, excellent linearity (R 2 >0.988) low decision limits and detection capabilities (<2%), acceptable accuracy (intra-assay 92-113%, inter-assay 69-138%) and precision (CV<20%). The method was compared with an established FTIR screening assay and revealed a good correlation of quali- and quantitative results (R 2 >0.81). An assessment of 54 suspected adulterated oregano samples revealed that almost 90% of them contained at least one bulking agent, with a median level of adulteration of 50%. Such innovative methodologies need to be established as routine testing procedures to detect and ultimately deter food fraud. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amperometric Biosensor Based on Diamine Oxidase/Platinum Nanoparticles/Graphene/Chitosan Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Histamine Detection.

PubMed

Apetrei, Irina Mirela; Apetrei, Constantin

2016-03-24

This work describes the development and optimization studies of a novel biosensor employed in the detection and quantification of histamine in freshwater fish samples. The proposed biosensor is based on a modified carbon screen-printed electrode with diamineoxidase, graphene and platinum nanoparticles, which detects the hydrogen peroxide formed by the chemical process biocatalysed by the enzyme diamine oxidase and immobilized onto the nanostructurated surface of the receptor element. The amperometric measurements with the biosensor have been implemented in buffer solution of pH 7.4, applying an optimal low potential of +0.4 V. The novel biosensor shows high sensitivity (0.0631 μA·μM), low detection limit (2.54 × 10(-8) M) and a broad linear domain from 0.1 to 300 μM. The applicability in natural complex samples and the analytical parameters of this enzyme sensor have been performed in the quantification of histamine in freshwater fish. An excellent correlation among results achieved with the developed biosensor and results found with the standard method for all freshwater fish samples has been achieved.

Simultaneous Automatic Electrochemical Detection of Zinc, Cadmium, Copper and Lead Ions in Environmental Samples Using a Thin-Film Mercury Electrode and an Artificial Neural Network

PubMed Central

Kudr, Jiri; Nguyen, Hoai Viet; Gumulec, Jaromir; Nejdl, Lukas; Blazkova, Iva; Ruttkay-Nedecky, Branislav; Hynek, David; Kynicky, Jindrich; Adam, Vojtech; Kizek, Rene

2015-01-01

In this study a device for automatic electrochemical analysis was designed. A three electrodes detection system was attached to a positioning device, which enabled us to move the electrode system from one well to another of a microtitre plate. Disposable carbon tip electrodes were used for Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) ion quantification, while Zn(II) did not give signal in this electrode configuration. In order to detect all mentioned heavy metals simultaneously, thin-film mercury electrodes (TFME) were fabricated by electrodeposition of mercury on the surface of carbon tips. In comparison with bare electrodes the TMFEs had lower detection limits and better sensitivity. In addition to pure aqueous heavy metal solutions, the assay was also performed on mineralized rock samples, artificial blood plasma samples and samples of chicken embryo organs treated with cadmium. An artificial neural network was created to evaluate the concentrations of the mentioned heavy metals correctly in mixture samples and an excellent fit was observed (R2 = 0.9933). PMID:25558996

Electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles and graphene for sensitive determination of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase.

PubMed

Pan, Hong-zhi; Yu, Hong-wei; Wang, Na; Zhang, Ze; Wan, Guang-cai; Liu, Hao; Guan, Xue; Chang, Dong

2015-11-20

We describe the fabrication of a sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor for determination of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC). The highly sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection was constructed based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and graphene (Gr). Then Au-NPs/Gr/GCE was characterized by scanning electro microscope (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The hybridization detection was measured by diffierential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue (MB) as the hybridization indicator. The dynamic range of detection of the sensor for the target DNA sequences was from 1 × 10(-12) to 1 × 10(-7)mol/L, with a detection limit of 2 × 10(-13)mol/L. The DNA biosensor had excellent specificity for distinguishing complementary DNA sequence in the presence of non-complementary and mismatched DNA sequence. The results demonstrated that the Au-NPs/Gr nanocomposite was a promising substrate for the development of high-performance electrocatalysts for determination of KPC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared light-assisted preparation of Ag nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for non-enzymatic H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Ye; State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhang, Yong

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: An infrared light irradiation method has been developed for preparation of AgNPs/rGO nanocomposites for electrochemical detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. - Highlights: • AgNPs/rGO nanocomposites have been prepared by photochemical method. • AgNPs/rGO nanocomposites exhibit good sensing performances for detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • The present work provides a simple and green method for preparation of rGO-based materials. - Abstract: A green method has been developed for preparation of Ag nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide (AgNPs/rGO) nanocomposites by infrared light irradiation. The characterizations indicate the successful preparation of AgNPs/rGO nanocomposites. Most importantly, AgNPs/rGO nanocomposites exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity formore » reduction of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, leading to a high-performance non-enzymatic H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor with linear detection range and detection limit about 0.1 mM to 140 mM (r = 0.9896) and 3.0 μM, respectively.« less

Amperometric Biosensor Based on Diamine Oxidase/Platinum Nanoparticles/Graphene/Chitosan Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Histamine Detection

PubMed Central

Apetrei, Irina Mirela; Apetrei, Constantin

2016-01-01

This work describes the development and optimization studies of a novel biosensor employed in the detection and quantification of histamine in freshwater fish samples. The proposed biosensor is based on a modified carbon screen-printed electrode with diamineoxidase, graphene and platinum nanoparticles, which detects the hydrogen peroxide formed by the chemical process biocatalysed by the enzyme diamine oxidase and immobilized onto the nanostructurated surface of the receptor element. The amperometric measurements with the biosensor have been implemented in buffer solution of pH 7.4, applying an optimal low potential of +0.4 V. The novel biosensor shows high sensitivity (0.0631 μA·μM), low detection limit (2.54 × 10−8 M) and a broad linear domain from 0.1 to 300 μM. The applicability in natural complex samples and the analytical parameters of this enzyme sensor have been performed in the quantification of histamine in freshwater fish. An excellent correlation among results achieved with the developed biosensor and results found with the standard method for all freshwater fish samples has been achieved. PMID:27023541

A cooperative-binding split aptamer assay for rapid, specific and ultra-sensitive fluorescence detection of cocaine in saliva† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Optimization of Mg2+ and ATMND concentrations for our CBSA-based ATMND-binding assay; ATMND-reported calibration curve for CBSA-5325 at various cocaine concentrations; ATMND binding affinity for the cocaine-assembled CBSA-5325; K D of 38-GC and different 38-GC mutants for cocaine as characterized by ITC; stem length effects on cocaine-induced CBSA assembly; spectra of CBSA-5335-based fluorescence detection of cocaine in 1× binding buffer; characterization of cocaine binding affinity of CBSA-5335 and PSA using ITC; fluorescence detection of cocaine in saliva with our fluorophore/quencher modified CBSA-5335; calibration curve of our CBSA-5335-based fluorophore/quencher assay in 1× binding buffer and 10% saliva at cocaine concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 μM; bias and precision of the CBSA-5335-based fluorophore/quencher assay; comparison of amplification-free split-aptamer assays for cocaine detection; sequence ID and DNA sequences used in this work. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc01833e Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Yu, Haixiang; Canoura, Juan; Guntupalli, Bhargav; Lou, Xinhui

2017-01-01

Sensors employing split aptamers that reassemble in the presence of a target can achieve excellent specificity, but the accompanying reduction of target affinity mitigates any overall gains in sensitivity. We for the first time have developed a split aptamer that achieves enhanced target-binding affinity through cooperative binding. We have generated a split cocaine-binding aptamer that incorporates two binding domains, such that target binding at one domain greatly increases the affinity of the second domain. We experimentally demonstrate that the resulting cooperative-binding split aptamer (CBSA) exhibits higher target binding affinity and is far more responsive in terms of target-induced aptamer assembly compared to the single-domain parent split aptamer (PSA) from which it was derived. We further confirm that the target-binding affinity of our CBSA can be affected by the cooperativity of its binding domains and the intrinsic affinity of its PSA. To the best of our knowledge, CBSA-5335 has the highest cocaine affinity of any split aptamer described to date. The CBSA-based assay also demonstrates excellent performance in target detection in complex samples. Using this CBSA, we achieved specific, ultra-sensitive, one-step fluorescence detection of cocaine within fifteen minutes at concentrations as low as 50 nM in 10% saliva without signal amplification. This limit of detection meets the standards recommended by the European Union's Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines program. Our assay also demonstrates excellent reproducibility of results, confirming that this CBSA-platform represents a robust and sensitive means for cocaine detection in actual clinical samples. PMID:28451157

[Detection of rifampicin concentration in cerebrospinal fluid by online enrichment and restricted-access media coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography].

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoping; Zhang, Xiaohui; Huang, Yanping; Wang, Rong; Xia, Hua; Li, Wenbin; Guo, YouMin

2015-11-01

To establish a method for detecting rifampicin in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with restricted access media coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography that allows online direct sample injection and enrichment. We used the column of restricted access media as the pre-treatment column and a C18 column as the analytical column. The mobile phase of pre-treatment column was water-methanol (95:5,V/V) and the flow rate was 1 mL/min; the mobile phase of the analytical column was methanol-acetonitrile-10 mmol/L ammonuium acetate (volume ratio of 60:5:35). The detection wavelength was 254 nm and the column temperature was set at 25 degrees celsius;. For an injection volume of 100 µL, the peak area of rifampicin was 5.33 times that for an injection volume of 20 µL, and the limit of detection was effectively improved. The calibration curve showed an excellent linear relationship (r=0.9997) between rifampicin concentrations and peak areas within the concentration range of 0.25 to 8 µg/mL in CSF. The limits of detection and quantification was 0.07 µg/mL and 0.25 µg/mL, respecetively, with intra-day and inter-day assay precisions and relative standard deviation (RSD%) all below 5%. The recoveries of rifampicin at 3 blank spiked levels (low, medium, and high) ranged from 87.69% to 102.11%. In patients taking oral rifampicin at the dose of 10 mg/kg, the average rifampicin concentration was 0.29 in the CSF at 2 h after medication. The method we established is simple and fast for detecting rifampicin in CSF and allows direct online injection and enrichment with good detection precisions and accuracies.

A sensitive and innovative detection method for rapid C-reactive proteins analysis based on a micro-fluxgate sensor system

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhen; Zhi, Shaotao; Feng, Zhu; Lei, Chong; Zhou, Yong

2018-01-01

A sensitive and innovative assay system based on a micro-MEMS-fluxgate sensor and immunomagnetic beads-labels was developed for the rapid analysis of C-reactive proteins (CRP). The fluxgate sensor presented in this study was fabricated through standard micro-electro-mechanical system technology. A multi-loop magnetic core made of Fe-based amorphous ribbon was employed as the sensing element, and 3-D solenoid copper coils were used to control the sensing core. Antibody-conjugated immunomagnetic microbeads were strategically utilized as signal tags to label the CRP via the specific conjugation of CRP to polyclonal CRP antibodies. Separate Au film substrates were applied as immunoplatforms to immobilize CRP-beads labels through classical sandwich assays. Detection and quantification of the CRP at different concentrations were implemented by detecting the stray field of CRP labeled magnetic beads using the newly-developed micro-fluxgate sensor. The resulting system exhibited the required sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, and selectivity. A detection limit as low as 0.002 μg/mL CRP with a linearity range from 0.002 μg/mL to 10 μg/mL was achieved, and this suggested that the proposed biosystem possesses high sensitivity. In addition to the extremely low detection limit, the proposed method can be easily manipulated and possesses a quick response time. The response time of our sensor was less than 5 s, and the entire detection period for CRP analysis can be completed in less than 30 min using the current method. Given the detection performance and other advantages such as miniaturization, excellent stability and specificity, the proposed biosensor can be considered as a potential candidate for the rapid analysis of CRP, especially for point-of-care platforms. PMID:29601593

Detection of ESKAPE Bacterial Pathogens at the Point of Care Using Isothermal DNA-Based Assays in a Portable Degas-Actuated Microfluidic Diagnostic Assay Platform

PubMed Central

Renner, Lars D.; Zan, Jindong; Hu, Linda I.; Martinez, Manuel; Resto, Pedro J.; Siegel, Adam C.; Torres, Clint; Hall, Sara B.; Slezak, Tom R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT An estimated 1.5 billion microbial infections occur globally each year and result in ∼4.6 million deaths. A technology gap associated with commercially available diagnostic tests in remote and underdeveloped regions prevents timely pathogen identification for effective antibiotic chemotherapies for infected patients. The result is a trial-and-error approach that is limited in effectiveness, increases risk for patients while contributing to antimicrobial drug resistance, and reduces the lifetime of antibiotics. This paper addresses this important diagnostic technology gap by describing a low-cost, portable, rapid, and easy-to-use microfluidic cartridge-based system for detecting the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) bacterial pathogens that are most commonly associated with antibiotic resistance. The point-of-care molecular diagnostic system consists of a vacuum-degassed microfluidic cartridge preloaded with lyophilized recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays and a small portable battery-powered electronic incubator/reader. The isothermal RPA assays detect the targeted ESKAPE pathogens with high sensitivity (e.g., a limit of detection of ∼10 nucleic acid molecules) that is comparable to that of current PCR-based assays, and they offer advantages in power consumption, engineering, and robustness, which are three critical elements required for the point-of-care setting. IMPORTANCE This paper describes a portable system for rapidly identifying bacteria in resource-limited environments; we highlight the capabilities of the technology by detecting different pathogens within the ESKAPE collection, which cause nosocomial infections. The system is designed around isothermal DNA-based assays housed within an autonomous plastic cartridge that are designed with the end user in mind, who may have limited technological training. Displaying excellent sensitivity and specificity, the assay systems that we demonstrate may enable future diagnoses of bacterial infection to guide the development of effective chemotherapies and may have a role in areas beyond health where rapid detection is valuable, including in industrial processing and manufacturing, food security, agriculture, and water quality testing. PMID:27986722

Detection of ESKAPE Bacterial Pathogens at the Point of Care Using Isothermal DNA-Based Assays in a Portable Degas-Actuated Microfluidic Diagnostic Assay Platform.

PubMed

Renner, Lars D; Zan, Jindong; Hu, Linda I; Martinez, Manuel; Resto, Pedro J; Siegel, Adam C; Torres, Clint; Hall, Sara B; Slezak, Tom R; Nguyen, Tuan H; Weibel, Douglas B

2017-02-15

An estimated 1.5 billion microbial infections occur globally each year and result in ∼4.6 million deaths. A technology gap associated with commercially available diagnostic tests in remote and underdeveloped regions prevents timely pathogen identification for effective antibiotic chemotherapies for infected patients. The result is a trial-and-error approach that is limited in effectiveness, increases risk for patients while contributing to antimicrobial drug resistance, and reduces the lifetime of antibiotics. This paper addresses this important diagnostic technology gap by describing a low-cost, portable, rapid, and easy-to-use microfluidic cartridge-based system for detecting the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) bacterial pathogens that are most commonly associated with antibiotic resistance. The point-of-care molecular diagnostic system consists of a vacuum-degassed microfluidic cartridge preloaded with lyophilized recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays and a small portable battery-powered electronic incubator/reader. The isothermal RPA assays detect the targeted ESKAPE pathogens with high sensitivity (e.g., a limit of detection of ∼10 nucleic acid molecules) that is comparable to that of current PCR-based assays, and they offer advantages in power consumption, engineering, and robustness, which are three critical elements required for the point-of-care setting. This paper describes a portable system for rapidly identifying bacteria in resource-limited environments; we highlight the capabilities of the technology by detecting different pathogens within the ESKAPE collection, which cause nosocomial infections. The system is designed around isothermal DNA-based assays housed within an autonomous plastic cartridge that are designed with the end user in mind, who may have limited technological training. Displaying excellent sensitivity and specificity, the assay systems that we demonstrate may enable future diagnoses of bacterial infection to guide the development of effective chemotherapies and may have a role in areas beyond health where rapid detection is valuable, including in industrial processing and manufacturing, food security, agriculture, and water quality testing. Copyright © 2017 Renner et al.

Hidden Markov models and neural networks for fault detection in dynamic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smyth, Padhraic

1994-01-01

Neural networks plus hidden Markov models (HMM) can provide excellent detection and false alarm rate performance in fault detection applications, as shown in this viewgraph presentation. Modified models allow for novelty detection. Key contributions of neural network models are: (1) excellent nonparametric discrimination capability; (2) a good estimator of posterior state probabilities, even in high dimensions, and thus can be embedded within overall probabilistic model (HMM); and (3) simple to implement compared to other nonparametric models. Neural network/HMM monitoring model is currently being integrated with the new Deep Space Network (DSN) antenna controller software and will be on-line monitoring a new DSN 34-m antenna (DSS-24) by July, 1994.

Point-of-care detection and real-time monitoring of intravenously delivered drugs via tubing with an integrated SERS sensor.

PubMed

Wu, Hsin-Yu; Cunningham, Brian T

2014-05-21

We demonstrate an approach for detection, identification, and kinetic monitoring of drugs flowing within tubing, through the use of a plasmonic nanodome array (PNA) surface. The PNA structures are fabricated using a low-cost nanoreplica molding process upon a flexible plastic substrate that is subsequently integrated with a flow cell that connects in series with ordinary intravenous (IV) drug delivery tubing. To investigate the potential clinical applications for point-of-care detection and real-time monitoring, we perform SERS detection of ten pharmaceutical compounds (hydrocodone, levorphanol, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, phenobarbital, dopamine, diltiazem, promethazine, and mitoxantrone). We demonstrate dose-dependent SERS signal magnitude, resulting in detection limits (ng ml(-1)) well below typical administered dosages (mg ml(-1)). Further, we show that the detected drugs are not permanently attached to the PNA surface, and thus our approach is capable of performing continuous monitoring of drug delivery as materials flow through IV tubing that is connected in series with the sensor. Finally, we demonstrate the potential co-detection of multiple drugs when they are mixed together, and show excellent reproducibility and stability of SERS measurements for periods extending at least five days. The capabilities reported here demonstrate the potential to use PNA SERS surfaces for enhancing the safety of IV drug delivery.

Inertial Head-Tracker Sensor Fusion by a Complementary Separate-Bias Kalman Filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foxlin, Eric

1996-01-01

Current virtual environment and teleoperator applications are hampered by the need for an accurate, quick-responding head-tracking system with a large working volume. Gyroscopic orientation sensors can overcome problems with jitter, latency, interference, line-of-sight obscurations, and limited range, but suffer from slow drift. Gravimetric inclinometers can detect attitude without drifting, but are slow and sensitive to transverse accelerations. This paper describes the design of a Kalman filter to integrate the data from these two types of sensors in order to achieve the excellent dynamic response of an inertial system without drift, and without the acceleration sensitivity of inclinometers.

2-µm wavelength-range low-loss inhibited-coupling hollow-core PCF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurel, M.; Chafer, M.; Delahaye, F.; Amrani, F.; Debord, B.; Gerome, F.; Benabid, F.

2018-02-01

We report on the design and fabrication of inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core photonic crystal fiber with a transmission band optimized for low loss guidance around 2 μm. Two fibers design based on a Kagome-lattice cladding have been studied to demonstrate a minimum loss figure of 25 dB/km at 2 μm associated to an ultra-broad transmission band spanning from the visible to our detection limit of 3.4 μm. Such fibers could be an excellent tool to deliver and compress ultra-short pulse laser systems, especially for the emerging 2-3 μm spectral region.

Inertial head-tracker sensor fusion by a complementary separate-bias Kalman filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foxlin, Eric

1996-01-01

Current virtual environment and teleoperator applications are hampered by the need for an accurate, quick responding head-tracking system with a large working volume. Gyroscopic orientation sensors can overcome problems with jitter, latency, interference, line-of-sight obscurations, and limited range, but suffer from slow drift. Gravimetric inclinometers can detect attitude without drifting, but are slow and sensitive to transverse accelerations. This paper describes the design of a Kalman filter to integrate the data from these two types of sensors in order to achieve the excellent dynamic response of an inertial system without drift, and without the acceleration sensitivity of inclinometers.

Fluorine-Induced Chemiluminescence Detection of Biologically Methylated Tellurium, Selenium, and Sulfur Compounds and Methyldithiocarbhydrazide as a Formaldehyde Derivatization Reagent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chasteen, Thomas Girard

1990-01-01

The first part of this dissertation describes capillary chromatography coupled to a fluorine-induced chemiluminescence detector as a sensitive method by which biologically methylated metalloids can be determined in the presence of high concentrations of potentially interfering molecules. With a wide linear range and excellent sensitivity, this method was applied to the detection of dimethyl selenide (DMSe), dimethyl diselenide (DMDSe), and dimethyl telluride (DMTe), often found in biological environments in the presence of interfering methylated sulfur gases, such as methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide. Detection limits for DMSe, DMDSe, and DMTe were 30, 9, and 7 picograms, respectively. This DMTe detection limit is the lowest reported to date for a volatile tellurium gas. A variety of selenium-resistant bacteria emitted mixtures of methylated sulfur/selenium gases when dosed with inorganic selenium salts in the presence of sulfur containing growth media. One of the gases detected was dimethyl selenenyl sulfide, CH_3SeSCH _3, reported here for the first time in headspace above microorganisms. In addition, this detector responded to reduced phosphorus compounds such as phosphine. The detection limit for this compound was 2.8 picograms. Detection limits for alkylated phosphines trimethyl and triethyl phosphine were 0.5 and 17 picograms respectively, based on the relative response of these compounds compared to dimethyl sulfide. This method can be used for the simultaneous determination of methylated sulfur, selenium, tellurium compounds found in biological systems. Part II of this dissertation describes work with methyldithiocarbhydrazide, a compound that has been synthesized for use as a derivatization reagent to capture formaldehyde in the gas phase. Chosen for its ability to react in a manner similar to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, this molecule was selected based on two structural characteristics: a hydrazine tag to react with and thereby capture carbonyls and a methyl sulfide group to allow for sensitive detection by fluorine-induced chemiluminescence. Although in the final analysis methyldithiocarbohydrazide failed as a successful means by which formaldehyde can be determined using gas chromatography in conjunction with fluorine-induced chemiluminescence, it did successfully derivatize formaldehyde in both solution and the gas phase without the need for low pH conditions.

Label-free signal-on aptasensor for sensitive electrochemical detection of arsenite.

PubMed

Cui, Lin; Wu, Jie; Ju, Huangxian

2016-05-15

A signal-on aptasensor was fabricated for highly sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of arsenite with a label-free Ars-3 aptamer self-assembled on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) via Au-S bond. The Ars-3 aptamer could adsorb cationic polydiallyldimethylammonium (PDDA) via electrostatic interaction to repel other cationic species. In the presence of arsenite, the change of Ars-3 conformation due to the formation of Ars-3/arsenite complex led to less adsorption of PDDA, and the complex could adsorb more positively charged [Ru(NH3)6](3+) as an electrochemically active indicator on the aptasensor surface, which produced a sensitive "turn-on" response. The target-induced structure switching could be used for sensitive detection of arsenite with a linear range from 0.2 nM to 100 nM and a detection limit down to 0.15 nM. Benefiting from Ars-3 aptamer, the proposed system exhibited excellent specificity against other heavy metal ions. The SPCE-based aptasensor exhibited the advantages of low cost and simple fabrication, providing potential application of arsenite detection in environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergetic signal amplification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Fe3O4 hybrid and trimethyloctadecylammonium bromide as a highly sensitive detection platform for tetrabromobisphenol A

PubMed Central

Zhou, Feng; Wang, Yue; Wu, Wei; Jing, Tao; Mei, Surong; Zhou, Yikai

2016-01-01

In this work, we fabricated an electrochemical sensor based on trimethyloctadecylammonium bromide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Fe3O4 hybrid (TOAB/MWCNTs-Fe3O4) for sensitive detection of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The electrochemical behaviors of TBBPA on TOAB/MWCNTs-Fe3O4 composite film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. The experimental results indicated that the incorporation of MWCNTs-Fe3O4 with TOAB greatly enhanced the electrochemical response of TBBPA. This fabricated sensor displayed excellent analytical performance for TBBPA detection over a range from 3.0 nM to 1000.0 nM with a detection limit of 0.73 nM (S/N = 3). Moreover, the proposed electrochemical sensor exhibited good reproducibility and stability, and could be successfully applied to detect TBBPA in water samples with satisfactory results. PMID:27897238

A label-free and portable graphene FET aptasensor for children blood lead detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chenyu; Cui, Xinyi; Li, Ying; Li, Hongbo; Huang, Lei; Bi, Jun; Luo, Jun; Ma, Lena Q.; Zhou, Wei; Cao, Yi; Wang, Baigeng; Miao, Feng

2016-02-01

Lead is a cumulative toxicant, which can induce severe health issues, especially in children’s case due to their immature nervous system. While realizing large-scale monitoring of children blood lead remains challenging by utilizing traditional methods, it is highly desirable to search for alternative techniques or novel sensing materials. Here we report a label-free and portable aptasensor based on graphene field effect transistor (FET) for effective children blood lead detection. With standard solutions of different Pb2+ concentrations, we obtained a dose-response curve and a detection limitation below 37.5 ng/L, which is three orders lower than the safe blood lead level (100 μg/L). The devices also showed excellent selectivity over other metal cations such as, Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+, suggesting the capability of working in a complex sample matrix. We further successfully demonstrated the detection of Pb2+ ions in real blood samples from children by using our aptasensors, and explored their potential applications for quantification. Our results underscore such graphene FET aptasensors for future applications on fast detection of heavy metal ions for health monitoring and disease diagnostics.

Fluorescence detection of glutathione and oxidized glutathione in blood with a NIR-excitable cyanine probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chang-hui; Qi, Feng-pei; Wen, Fu-bin; Long, Li-ping; Liu, Ai-juan; Yang, Rong-hua

2018-04-01

Cyanine has been widely utilized as a near infrared (NIR) fluorophore for detection of glutathione (GSH). However, the excitation of most of the reported cyanine-based probes was less than 800 nm, which inevitably induce biological background absorption and lower the sensitivity, limiting their use for detection of GSH in blood samples. To address this issue, here, a heptamethine cyanine probe (DNIR), with a NIR excitation wavelength at 804 nm and a NIR emission wavelength at 832 nm, is employed for the detection of GSH and its oxidized form (GSSG) in blood. The probe displays excellent selectivity for GSH over GSSG and other amino acids, and rapid response to GSH, in particular a good property for indirect detection of GSSG in the presence of enzyme glutathione reductase and the reducing agent nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide phosphate, without further separation prior to fluorescent measurement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to explore NIR fluorescent approach for the simultaneous assay of GSH and GSSG in blood. As such, we expect that our fluorescence sensors with both NIR excitation and NIR emission make this strategy suitable for the application in complex physiological systems.

A visual assay and spectrophotometric determination of LLM-105 explosive using detection of gold nanoparticle aggregation at two pH values.

PubMed

He, Yi; Cheng, Yang

2016-08-01

We report a simple, rapid, and sensitive assay for visual and spectrophotometric detection of the 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-1-oxide (LLM-105) explosive. The assay is based on different interactions between LLM-105 and gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dispersions at two pH values, leading to the formation of dispersed or aggregated AuNPs. Two AuNP dispersions at two pH values were applied to recognize and detect LLM-105 instead of traditional AuNP dispersion under an aptotic pH to improve the anti-interference ability. The developed assay showed excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of 3 ng/mL, and the presence of as low as 0.2 μg/mL LLM-105 can be directly detected with the bare eye. This sensitivity is about six orders of magnitude higher than that of the reported traditional assays. Additionally, the assay exhibited good selectivity toward LLM-105 over other explosives, sulfur-containing compounds, and amines. Graphical abstract A simple, sensitive, and selective assay for LLM-105 was developed based on the pH-dependent interaction between the LLM-105 explosive and gold nanoparticle dispersion.

High Throughput Detection of Tetracycline Residues in Milk Using Graphene or Graphene Oxide as MALDI-TOF MS Matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junyan; Liu, Yang; Gao, Mingxia; Zhang, Xiangmin

2012-08-01

In this work, a new pre-analysis method for tetracyclines (TCs) detection from the milk samples was established. As a good accomplishment for the existing accurate quantification strategies for TCs detection, the new pre-analysis method was demonstrated to be simple, sensitive, fast, cost effective, and high throughput, which would do a great favor to the routine quality pre-analysis of TCs from milk samples. Graphene or graphene oxide was utilized, for the first time, as a duel-platform to enrich and detect the TCs by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). All together, four TCs were chosen as models: tetracycline, oxytetracycline, demeclocycline, and chlortetracycline. Due to the excellent electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties, graphene and graphene oxide were successfully applied as matrices for MALDI-TOF MS with free background inference in low mass range. Meanwhile, graphene or graphene oxide has a large surface area and strong interaction force with the analytes. By taking the advantage of these features, TCs were effectively enriched with the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 2 nM.

Ultrasensitive Visual Detection of HIV DNA Biomarkers via a Multi-amplification Nanoplatform.

PubMed

Long, Yuyin; Zhou, Cuisong; Wang, Congmin; Cai, Honglian; Yin, Cuiyun; Yang, Qiufang; Xiao, Dan

2016-04-01

Methodologies to detect disease biomarkers at ultralow concentrations can potentially improve the standard of living. A facile and label-free multi-amplification strategy is proposed for the ultrasensitive visual detection of HIV DNA biomarkers in real physiological media. This multi-amplification strategy not only exhibits a signficantly low detection limit down to 4.8 pM but also provides a label-free, cost-effective and facile technique for visualizing a few molecules of nucleic acid analyte with the naked eye. Importantly, the biosensor is capable of discriminating single-based mismatch lower than 5.0 nM in human serum samples. Moreover, the visual sensing platform exhibits excellent specificity, acceptable reusability and a long-term stability. All these advantages could be attributed to the nanofibrous sensing platform that 1) has a high surface-area-to-volume provided by electrospun nanofibrous membrane, and 2) combines glucose oxidase (GOx) biocatalysis, DNAzyme-catalyzed colorimetric reaction and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) recycling amplification together. This multi-amplification nanoplatform promises label-free and visual single-based mismatch DNA monitoring with high sensitivity and specificity, suggesting wide applications that range from virus detection to genetic disease diagnosis.

Electrochemical detection of Piscirickettsia salmonis genomic DNA from salmon samples using solid-phase recombinase polymerase amplification.

PubMed

Del Río, Jonathan Sabaté; Svobodova, Marketa; Bustos, Paulina; Conejeros, Pablo; O'Sullivan, Ciara K

2016-12-01

Electrochemical detection of solid-phase isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) of Piscirickettsia salmonis in salmon genomic DNA is reported. The electrochemical biosensor was constructed by surface functionalization of gold electrodes with a thiolated forward primer specific to the genomic region of interest. Solid-phase RPA and primer elongation were achieved in the presence of the specific target sequence and biotinylated reverse primers. The formation of the subsequent surface-tethered duplex amplicons was electrochemically monitored via addition of streptavidin-linked HRP upon completion of solid-phase RPA. Successful quantitative amplification and detection were achieved in less than 1 h at 37 °C, calibrating with PCR-amplified genomic DNA standards and achieving a limit of detection of 5 · 10 -8  μg ml -1 (3 · 10 3 copies in 10 μl). The presented system was applied to the analysis of eight real salmon samples, and the method was also compared to qPCR analysis, observing an excellent degree of correlation. Graphical abstract Schematic of use of electrochemical RPA for detection of Psiricketessia salmonis in salmon liver.

Simultaneous determination of CRP and D-dimer in human blood plasma samples with White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Koukouvinos, Georgios; Petrou, Panagiota; Misiakos, Konstantinos; Drygiannakis, Dimitris; Raptis, Ioannis; Stefanitsis, Gerasimos; Martini, Spyridoula; Nikita, Dimitra; Goustouridis, Dimitrios; Moser, Isabella; Jobst, Gerhard; Kakabakos, Sotirios

2016-10-15

A dual-analyte assay for the simultaneous determination of C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer in human blood plasma based on a white light interference spectroscopy sensing platform is presented. Measurement is accomplished in real-time by scanning the sensing surface, on which distinct antibody areas have been created, with a reflection probe used both for illumination of the surface and collection of the reflected interference spectrum. The composition of the transducer, the sensing surface chemical activation and biofunctionalization procedures were optimized with respect to signal magnitude and repeatability. The assay format involved direct detection of CRP whereas for D-dimer a two-site immunoassay employing a biotinylated reporter antibody and reaction with streptavidin was selected. The assays were sensitive with detection limits of 25ng/mL for both analytes, precise with intra- and inter-assay CV values ranging from 3.6% to 7.7%, and from 4.8% to 9.5%, respectively, for both assays, and accurate with recovery values ranging from 88.5% to 108% for both analytes. Moreover, the values determined for the two analytes in 35 human plasma samples were in excellent agreement with those received for the same samples by standard diagnostic laboratory instrumentation employing commercial kits. The excellent agreement of the results supported the validity of the proposed system for clinical application for the detection of multiple analytes since it was demonstrated that up to seven antibody areas can be created on the sensing surface and successfully interrogated with the developed optical set-up. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of graphite carbon nitride based fluorescent immune sensor for detection of alpha fetoprotein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yike; Dong, Lingyu; Wang, Xiangfeng; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Hailing; Xie, Mengxia

2018-05-01

A novel fluorescent immunosensor for determination of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in serum samples has been developed based on the nano graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as fluorophore and immunomagnetic beads (MBs) as separation material. The bulk g-C3N4 was obtained by thermal polymerization of melamine, and then carboxylated and exfoliated to acquire the carboxylated nano g-C3N4 (c-n-g-C3N4), which has been characterized and the results showed that it had excellent fluorescent properties. The antibodies of AFP (Ab1, Ab2) were conjugated to the MBs and the c-n-g-C3N4, respectively. In assay of AFP detection, the magnetic part of the immunosensor, MBs-Ab1, would form the sandwich type complex with the signal part of the sensor, c-n-g-C3N4-Ab2. The developed immunosensor could simplify the process of separation due to the MBs. The results illustrated that proposed approach held a good linearity between the fluorescence intensity of the sensor and the AFP concentration ranging from 5-600 ng/mL with the limit of detection as low as 0.43 ng/mL, and its spiking recoveries ranged from 98.2% to 105.9% with RSD from 2.1% to 3.5%. The fabricated fluorescent immunosensor possesses the merits of good sensitivity, excellent selectivity, high biocompatibility and low cost, and the results provide a novel clue to develop immunosensor for determination of the biomarkers in complex matrices.

Ultrasensitive luminol electrochemiluminescence for protein detection based on in situ generated hydrogen peroxide as coreactant with glucose oxidase anchored AuNPs@MWCNTs labeling.

PubMed

Cao, Yaling; Yuan, Ruo; Chai, Yaqin; Mao, Li; Niu, Huan; Liu, Huijing; Zhuo, Ying

2012-01-15

In this study, an ultrasensitive luminol electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was constructed using carboxyl group functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as platform and glucose oxidase (GOD) supported on Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) decorated MWCNTs (AuNPs@MWCNTs-GOD) as labels. Firstly, using poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) as linkage reagents, AuNPs@MWCNTs were prepared and introduced for binding of the secondary antibody (Ab(2)) and glucose oxidase (GOD) with high loading amount and good biological activity due to the improved surface area of AuNPs@MWCNTs and excellent biocompatibility of AuNPs. Then the GOD and Ab(2) labeled AuNPs@MWCNTs were linked to the electrode surface via sandwich immunoreactions. These localized GOD and AuNPs amplified luminol ECL signals dramatically, which was achieved by efficient catalysis of the GOD and AuNPs towards the oxidation of glucose to in situ generate improved amount of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as coreactant and the enhancement of AuNPs to the ECL reaction of luminol-H(2)O(2). The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed immunosensor exhibited sensitive and stable response for the detection of α-1-fetoprotein (AFP), ranging from 0.0001 to 80 ng mL(-1) with a limit of detection down to 0.03 pg mL(-1) (S/N=3). With excellent stability, sensitivity, selectivity and simplicity, the proposed luminol ECL immunosensor showed great potential in clinical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gallium plasmonic nanoparticles for label-free DNA and single nucleotide polymorphism sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín, Antonio García; García-Mendiola, Tania; Bernabeu, Cristina Navio; Hernández, María Jesús; Piqueras, Juan; Pau, Jose Luis; Pariente, Félix; Lorenzo, Encarnación

2016-05-01

A label-free DNA and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sensing method is described. It is based on the use of the pseudodielectric function of gallium plasmonic nanoparticles (GaNPs) deposited on Si (100) substrates under reversal of the polarization handedness condition. Under this condition, the pseudodielectric function is extremely sensitive to changes in the surrounding medium of the nanoparticle surface providing an excellent sensing platform competitive to conventional surface plasmon resonance. DNA sensing has been carried out by immobilizing a thiolated capture probe sequence from Helicobacter pylori onto GaNP/Si substrates; complementary target sequences of Helicobacter pylori can be quantified over the range of 10 pM to 3.0 nM with a detection limit of 6.0 pM and a linear correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.990. The selectivity of the device allows the detection of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a specific sequence of Helicobacter pylori, without the need for a hybridization suppressor in solution such as formamide. Furthermore, it also allows the detection of this sequence in the presence of other pathogens, such as Escherichia coli in the sample. The broad applicability of the system was demonstrated by the detection of a specific gene mutation directly associated with cystic fibrosis in large genomic DNA isolated from blood cells.A label-free DNA and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sensing method is described. It is based on the use of the pseudodielectric function of gallium plasmonic nanoparticles (GaNPs) deposited on Si (100) substrates under reversal of the polarization handedness condition. Under this condition, the pseudodielectric function is extremely sensitive to changes in the surrounding medium of the nanoparticle surface providing an excellent sensing platform competitive to conventional surface plasmon resonance. DNA sensing has been carried out by immobilizing a thiolated capture probe sequence from Helicobacter pylori onto GaNP/Si substrates; complementary target sequences of Helicobacter pylori can be quantified over the range of 10 pM to 3.0 nM with a detection limit of 6.0 pM and a linear correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.990. The selectivity of the device allows the detection of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a specific sequence of Helicobacter pylori, without the need for a hybridization suppressor in solution such as formamide. Furthermore, it also allows the detection of this sequence in the presence of other pathogens, such as Escherichia coli in the sample. The broad applicability of the system was demonstrated by the detection of a specific gene mutation directly associated with cystic fibrosis in large genomic DNA isolated from blood cells. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr00926c

Paper-based solid-phase multiplexed nucleic acid hybridization assay with tunable dynamic range using immobilized quantum dots as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Noor, M Omair; Krull, Ulrich J

2013-08-06

A multiplexed solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assay on a paper-based platform is presented using multicolor immobilized quantum dots (QDs) as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The surface of paper was modified with imidazole groups to immobilize two types of QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates that were assembled in solution. Green-emitting QDs (gQDs) and red-emitting QDs (rQDs) served as donors with Cy3 and Alexa Fluor 647 (A647) acceptors. The gQD/Cy3 FRET pair served as an internal standard, while the rQD/A647 FRET pair served as a detection channel, combining the control and analytical test zones in one physical location. Hybridization of dye-labeled oligonucleotide targets provided the proximity for FRET sensitized emission from the acceptor dyes, which served as an analytical signal. Hybridization assays in the multicolor format provided a limit of detection of 90 fmol and an upper limit of dynamic range of 3.5 pmol. The use of an array of detection zones was designed to provide improved analytical figures of merit compared to that which could be achieved on one type of array design in terms of relative concentration of multicolor QDs. The hybridization assays showed excellent resistance to nonspecific adsorption of oligonucleotides. Selectivity of the two-plex hybridization assay was demonstrated by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection at a contrast ratio of 50:1. Additionally, it is shown that the use of preformed QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates and consideration of the relative number density of the two types of QD-probe conjugates in the two-color assay format is advantageous to maximize assay sensitivity and the upper limit of dynamic range.

A large-scale superhydrophobic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform fabricated via capillary force lithography and assembly of Ag nanocubes for ultratrace molecular sensing.

PubMed

Tan, Joel Ming Rui; Ruan, Justina Jiexin; Lee, Hiang Kwee; Phang, In Yee; Ling, Xing Yi

2014-12-28

An analytical platform with an ultratrace detection limit in the atto-molar (aM) concentration range is vital for forensic, industrial and environmental sectors that handle scarce/highly toxic samples. Superhydrophobic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms serve as ideal platforms to enhance detection sensitivity by reducing the random spreading of aqueous solution. However, the fabrication of superhydrophobic SERS platforms is generally limited due to the use of sophisticated and expensive protocols and/or suffers structural and signal inconsistency. Herein, we demonstrate a high-throughput fabrication of a stable and uniform superhydrophobic SERS platform for ultratrace molecular sensing. Large-area box-like micropatterns of the polymeric surface are first fabricated using capillary force lithography (CFL). Subsequently, plasmonic properties are incorporated into the patterned surfaces by decorating with Ag nanocubes using the Langmuir-Schaefer technique. To create a stable superhydrophobic SERS platform, an additional 25 nm Ag film is coated over the Ag nanocube-decorated patterned template followed by chemical functionalization with perfluorodecanethiol. Our resulting superhydrophobic SERS platform demonstrates excellent water-repellency with a static contact angle of 165° ± 9° and a consequent analyte concentration factor of 59-fold, as compared to its hydrophilic counterpart. By combining the analyte concentration effect of superhydrophobic surfaces with the intense electromagnetic "hot spots" of Ag nanocubes, our superhydrophobic SERS platform achieves an ultra-low detection limit of 10(-17) M (10 aM) for rhodamine 6G using just 4 μL of analyte solutions, corresponding to an analytical SERS enhancement factor of 10(13). Our fabrication protocol demonstrates a simple, cost- and time-effective approach for the large-scale fabrication of a superhydrophobic SERS platform for ultratrace molecular detection.

Type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus from patients with acute flaccid paralysis in china: current immunization strategy effectively prevented its sustained transmission.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Yan, Dongmei; Zhu, Shuangli; Wen, Ning; Li, Li; Wang, Haiyan; Liu, Jianfeng; Ye, Xufang; Ding, Zhengrong; Wang, Dongyan; Zhu, Hui; Chen, Li; Hou, Xiaohui; An, Hongqiu; Liang, Xiaofeng; Luo, Huiming; Kew, Olen; Xu, Wenbo

2010-12-15

In China, 5 patients with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) associated with type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) were identified by an AFP surveillance system from 1996 through 2009. A maximum-likelihood tree shows that all 5 Chinese VDPVs were independent. These 5 VDPVs were 100-216 d old according to the number of synonymous substitutions per synonymous site and 176-292 d old according to the number of substitutions per site. This result indicates limited virus replication since the administration of the initiating oral polio vaccine (OPV) dose, which is consistent with the rapid evolution rate of poliovirus genomes. The above-mentioned VDPVs have important implications in the global polio eradication initiative. Localized, limited, and transient circulation may be typical of OPVs; hence, independent VDPVs could be found because of the large population and excellent surveillance system, which permitted early detection and response, but sustained transmission was limited because of high population immunity.

Talent in autism: hyper-systemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity

PubMed Central

Baron-Cohen, Simon; Ashwin, Emma; Ashwin, Chris; Tavassoli, Teresa; Chakrabarti, Bhismadev

2009-01-01

We argue that hyper-systemizing predisposes individuals to show talent, and review evidence that hyper-systemizing is part of the cognitive style of people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). We then clarify the hyper-systemizing theory, contrasting it to the weak central coherence (WCC) and executive dysfunction (ED) theories. The ED theory has difficulty explaining the existence of talent in ASC. While both hyper-systemizing and WCC theories postulate excellent attention to detail, by itself excellent attention to detail will not produce talent. By contrast, the hyper-systemizing theory argues that the excellent attention to detail is directed towards detecting ‘if p, then q’ rules (or [input–operation–output] reasoning). Such law-based pattern recognition systems can produce talent in systemizable domains. Finally, we argue that the excellent attention to detail in ASC is itself a consequence of sensory hypersensitivity. We review an experiment from our laboratory demonstrating sensory hypersensitivity detection thresholds in vision. We conclude that the origins of the association between autism and talent begin at the sensory level, include excellent attention to detail and end with hyper-systemizing. PMID:19528020

Recent mycotoxin survey data and advanced mycotoxin detection techniques reported from China: a review.

PubMed

Selvaraj, Jonathan Nimal; Wang, Yan; Zhou, Lu; Zhao, Yueju; Xing, Fuguo; Dai, Xiaofeng; Liu, Yang

2015-01-01

Mycotoxin contamination in agro-food systems has been a serious concern over the last few decades in China, where the Ministry of Health has set maximum limits for mycotoxins in different agro-products. Overall survey data show that aflatoxin contamination in infant cereals, edible oils, raw milk, ginger and its related products are far below Chinese regulatory limits. The absence of aflatoxin M1 contamination in infant milk powders indicates a high standard of control. Aflatoxins in liquorice roots and lotus seeds have been reported for the first time. For deoxynivalenol, high levels were found in wheat grown in the Yangtze Delta region, which is more prone to rainfall, supporting Fusarium infection. The emerging mycotoxins beauvericins and enniatins have been reported in the medicinal herbs in China. Ochratoxin A in wine was below the European Union regulatory limits, but fumonisins in maize need to be monitored and future regulatory control considered. Overall from all the survey data analysed in this review, it can be concluded that 92% of the samples analysed had mycotoxin levels below the Chinese regulatory limits. In terms of detection techniques in recent years, immuno-based assays have been developed largely due to their excellent sensitivity and ease of use. Assays targeting multiple mycotoxins like aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol have been reported using microarrays and suspension arrays targeting in particular maize, rice and peanuts. Aptamer-based assays against ochratoxin A and aflatoxins B1 and B2 have been developed involving fluorescence detection; and surface plasmon resonance immunosensors have been developed targeting wine, maize, wheat, wild rye, hay and peanut oil with high sensitivity (> 0.025 ng l(-1)). Commercialisation of these technologies is much needed for wider usage in the coming years.

Hydrogen bubble dynamic template fabrication of nanoporous Cu film supported by graphene nanaosheets: A highly sensitive sensor for detection of nitrite.

PubMed

Majidi, Mir Reza; Ghaderi, Seyran

2017-12-01

High surface area nanoporous Cu film (NPCF) has been successfully synthesized using a hydrogen bubble dynamic template on the graphene nanosheets (GNs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The effect of different synthesis conditions such as applied potential and deposition time on the NPCF morphology was investigated. The structure and constituent of the NPCF-GNs/GCE were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical methods. The study on electrocatalytic performance of the NPCF-GNs/GCE demonstrated that this electrode has excellent catalytic activity toward nitrite oxidation. The quantitative measurement of nitrite by amperometric method showed a wide concentration range (0.1-100µmolL -1 ) with a detection limit and a sensitivity of 8.87 × 10 -8 molL -1 and 3.1 AL/molcm 2 , respectively. The excellent electrochemical response and high sensitivity of the proposed electrode were attributed to the 3D structure of NPCF and the synergic effect of NPCF and GNs. Furthermore, this electrode showed some other advantages including good repeatability, high reproducibility, long-term stability and anti-interference performance toward nitrite sensing. The applicability of the proposed electrode was proved by successful determination of nitrite in real samples (tap water, river water and sausage samples). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A resumable two-photon fluorescent probe for Cu2+ and S2- based on magnetic silica core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles and its application in bioimaging.

PubMed

Jiang, Huie; Liu, Yan; Luo, Weifang; Wang, Yujiao; Tang, Xiaoliang; Dou, Wei; Cui, Yumei; Liu, Weisheng

2018-07-19

A two-photon fluorescent probe for Cu 2+ and S 2- has been strategically prepared with naphthalimide derivative platform (NPE) covalently grafted onto the surface of magnetic core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanoparticles. The probe (NPE-Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 ) exhibits selective response to Cu 2+ with enhanced fluorescence and efficient separation of Cu 2+ with external magnetic field. The consequent product NPE-Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -Cu of NPE-Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 and Cu 2+ can work as an excellent sensor for S 2- by removing Cu 2+ from the complex with fluorescence decreased, recovering the fluorescence of the probe. Therefore, the constituted Off-On-Off type fluorescence monitoring system means the probe is resumable. Moreover, the probe has been used to quantitatively detect Cu 2+ and S 2- with low detection limits, which are 0.28 μM and 0.12 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the probe shows low cytotoxicity and excellent membrane permeability, which has been successfully applied for monitoring Cu 2+ and S 2- in living cells and imaging Cu 2+ in deep-tissue with two-photon excited fluorescence. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A sandwich-type electrochemical immunoassay for ultrasensitive detection of non-small cell lung cancer biomarker CYFRA21-1.

PubMed

Zeng, Yan; Bao, Jing; Zhao, Yanan; Huo, Danqun; Chen, Mei; Qi, Yanli; Yang, Mei; Fa, Huanbao; Hou, Changjun

2018-04-01

Many studies confirm that the aberrant expression of Cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 (CYFRA21-1) is highly correlated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for squamous cell carcinoma. Herein, we report a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor based on signal amplification strategy of multiple nanocomposites to test CYFRA21-1 selectively and sensitively. The proposed immunosensor fabricated by three-dimensional graphene (3D-G), chitosan (CS) and glutaraldehyde (GA) composite on the glass carbon electrode (GCE) with a large surface area is prepared to immobilize primary antibodies (Ab 1 ) and provide excellent conductivity. To further amplify the electrochemical signal, the trace tag on the foundation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is coated with amino-functionalized carbon nanotube (MWCNT-NH 2 ) nanocomposite through thionine linking, which provides more amino groups to capture more horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibodies (HPR-Ab 2 ) and enhances the conductivity. Under optimal conditions, the developed immunosensor exhibits excellent analytical performance for the determination of CYFRA21-1 with a wide linear range from 0.1 to 150ng·mL -1 and a low detection limit (LOD) of 43pg·mL -1 . Furthermore, satisfactory results are obtained for the determination of CYFRA21-1 in real clinical serum samples, indicating the potential of the immunoassay to be applied in clinical analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Situ Synthesis of Porous Carbons by Using Room-Temperature, Atmospheric-Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma as High-Performance Adsorbents for Solid-Phase Microextraction.

PubMed

Lin, Yao; Wu, Li; Xu, Kailai; Tian, Yunfei; Hou, Xiandeng; Zheng, Chengbin

2015-09-21

A one-step, template-free method is described to synthesize porous carbons (PCs) in situ on a metal surface by using a room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. This method not only features high efficiency, environmentally friendliness, and low cost and simple equipment, but also can conveniently realize large-area synthesis of PCs by only changing the design of the DBD reactor. The synthesized PCs have a regulated nestlike morphology, and thus, provide a high specific surface area and high pore volume, which result in excellent adsorption properties. Its applicability was demonstrated by using a PC-coated stainless-steel fiber as a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber to preconcentrate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) prior to analysis by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The results showed that the fiber exhibited excellent enrichment factors (4.1×10(4) to 3.1×10(5)) toward all tested PAHs. Thus, the PC-based SPME-GC-FID provides low limits of detection (2 to 20 ng L(-1)), good precision (<7.8%), and good recoveries (80-115%) for ultra-sensitive determination of PAHs in real water samples. In addition, the PC-coated fiber could be stable enough for more than 500 replicate extraction cycles. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lable-free quadruple signal amplification strategy for sensitive electrochemical p53 gene biosensing.

PubMed

Wang, Zonghua; Xia, Jianfei; Song, Daimin; Zhang, Feifei; Yang, Min; Gui, Rijun; Xia, Lin; Bi, Sai; Xia, Yanzhi

2016-03-15

A versatile label-free quadruple signal amplification biosensing platform for p53 gene (target DNA) detection was proposed. The chitosan-graphene (CS-GR) modified electrode with excellent electron transfer ability could provide a large specific surface for high levels of AuNPs-DNA attachment. The large amount of AuNPs could immobilize more capture probes and enhance the electrochemical signal with the excellent electrocatalytic activity. Furthermore, with the assist of N.BstNB I (the nicking endonuclease), target DNA could be reused and more G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme could be formed, allowing significant signal amplification in the presence of H2O2. Such strategy can enhance the oxidation-reduction reaction of adsorbed methylene blue (MB) and efficiently improve the sensitivity of the proposed biosensor. The morphologies of materials and the stepwise biosensor were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signals of MB provided quantitative measures of the concentrations of target DNA, with a linear calibration range of 1.0 × 10(-15)-1.0 × 10(-9)M and a detection limit of 3.0 × 10(-16)M. Moreover, the resulting biosensor also exhibited good specificity, acceptable reproducibility and stability, indicating that the present strategy was promising for broad potential application in clinic assay. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The LUCIFER Project: Achievements and Near Future Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, F.; Benetti, P.; Cardani, L.; Casali, N.; Chiesa, D.; Clemenza, M.; Dafinei, I.; Di Domizio, S.; Ferroni, F.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gotti, C.; Maino, M.; Nagorny, S. S.; Nisi, S.; Nones, C.; Pagnanini, L.; Pattavina, L.; Pessina, G.; Piperno, G.; Pirro, S.; Previtali, E.; Rusconi, C.; Schäffner, K.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M.

2016-08-01

In the view of exploring the inverted hierarchy region future experiments investigating the neutrinoless double beta decay have to demand for detectors with excellent energy resolution and zero background in the energy region of interest. Cryogenic scintillating bolometers are very suitable detectors for this task since they provide particle discrimination: the simultaneous detection of the phonon and light signal allows us to identify the interacting type of particle and thus guarantees a suppression of α -induced backgrounds, the key-issue for next-generation tonne-scale bolometric experiments. The LUCIFER project aims at running the first array of enriched scintillating Zn^{ {82}}Se bolometers (total mass of about 8kg of ^{ {82}}Se) with a background level as low as 10^{ {-3}} counts/(keV kg y) in the energy region of interest. The main effort is currently focused on the finalization of the crystal growth procedure in order to achieve high quality Zn^{ {82}}Se crystals both in terms of radiopurity and bolometric properties. We present results from tests of such crystals operated at mK temperatures which demonstrate the excellent background rejection capabilities of this detection approach towards a background-free demonstrator experiment. Besides, the high purity of the enriched ^{ {82}}Se material allows us to establish the most stringent limits on the half-life of the double beta decay of ^{ {82}}Se on excited levels.

Development and evaluation of an up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow assay for rapid detection of Francisella tularensis.

PubMed

Hua, Fei; Zhang, Pingping; Zhang, Fuli; Zhao, Yong; Li, Chunfeng; Sun, Chongyun; Wang, Xiaochen; Yang, Ruifu; Wang, Chengbin; Yu, Ailian; Zhou, Lei

2015-11-26

Francisella tularensis is a potential biowarfare/bioterrorism agent and zoonotic pathogen that causes tularemia; thus, surveillance of F. tularensis and first-level emergency response using point-of-care testing (POCT) are essential. The UPT-LF POCT assay was established to quantitatively detect F. tularensis within 15 min, and the sensitivity of the assay was 10(4) CFU · mL(-1) (100 CFU/test). The linear quantitative range covered five orders of magnitude, and the coefficients of variation were less than 10%. Except Shigella dysenteriae, UPT-LF showed excellent specificity to four strains that are also potential biowarfare/bioterrorism agents and 13 food-borne pathogenic strains. Samples with pH 2-13, high ion strengths (≥ 2 mol · L(-1) solution of KCl and NaCl), high viscosities (≤ 50 mg · mL(-1) PEG20000 or ≥ 20% glycerol), and high concentrations of biomacromolecules (≥ 400 mg · mL(-1) bovine serum albumin or ≥ 80 mg · mL(-1) casein) showed little influence on the assay. For practical utilization, the tolerance limits for seven powders and eight viscera were determined, and operation errors of liquid measurement demonstrated a minor influence on the strip. Ftu-UPT-LF is a candidate POCT method because of its excellent sensitivity, specificity, and stability in complex samples, as well as low operation error.

Evaluation of Raman spectroscopy for the trace analysis of biomolecules for Mars exobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jehlicka, Jan; Edwards, Howell G. M.; Vitek, Petr; Culka, Adam

2010-05-01

Raman spectroscopy is an ideal technique for the identification of biomolecules and minerals for astrobiological applications. Raman spectroscopic instrumentation has been shown to be potentially valuable for the in-situ detection of spectral biomarkers originating from rock samples containing remnants of terrestrial endolithic colonisation. Within the future payloads designed by ESA and NASA for several missions focussing on life detection on Mars, Raman spectroscopy has been proposed as an important non-destructive analytical tool for the in-situ identification of organic compounds relevant to life detection on planetary and moon surfaces or near sub-surfaces. Portable Raman systems equipped with 785 nm lasers permit the detection of pure organic minerals, aminoacids, carboxylic acids, as well as NH-containing compounds outdoors at -20°C and at an altitude of 3300 m. A potential limitation for the use of Raman spectroscopic techniques is the detection of very low amounts of biomolecules in rock matrices. The detection of beta-carotene and aminoacids has been achieved in the field using a portable Raman system in admixture with crystalline powders of sulphates and halite. Relatively low detection limits less than 1 % for detecting beta-carotene, aminoacids using a portable Raman system were obtained analysing traces of these compounds in crystalline powders of sulphates and halite. Laboratory systems permit the detection of these biomolecules at even lower concentrations at sub-ppm level of the order of 0.1 to 1 mg kg-1. The comparative evaluation of laboratory versus field measurements permits the identification of critical issues for future field applications and directs attention to the improvements needed in the instrumentation . A comparison between systems using different laser excitation wavelengths shows excellent results for 785 nm laser excitation . The results of this study will inform the acquisition parameters necessary for the deployment of robotic miniaturised Raman spectrosocpic instrumentation intended for the detection of spectral signatures of extant or relict life on Mars.

A Microsoft® Excel Simulation Illustrating the Central Limit Theorem's Appropriateness for Comparing the Difference between the Means of Any Two Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moen, David H.; Powell, John E.

2008-01-01

Using Microsoft® Excel, several interactive, computerized learning modules are developed to illustrate the Central Limit Theorem's appropriateness for comparing the difference between the means of any two populations. These modules are used in the classroom to enhance the comprehension of this theorem as well as the concepts that provide the…

Solvent-assisted morphology confinement of a nickel sulfide nanostructure and its application for non-enzymatic glucose sensor.

PubMed

Kim, Soochan; Lee, Sang Ha; Cho, Misuk; Lee, Youngkwan

2016-11-15

Morphology-controlled synthesis of nickel sulfide (Ni3S2) was performed directly on Ni foam using thioacetamide as a sulfur ion source. Various morphologies of nickel sulfide were fabricated using a hydrothermal process by adjusting the solvent composition of ethanol and water. In the water-dominant condition, a dendrite structure was obtained; otherwise, a flaky structure was achieved. A hierarchical cauliflower-like structure was obtained at a solvent mixture composition of 1:1 and was used as non-enzymatic glucose sensor. The hierarchical Ni3S2 electrode showed a high level of electro-catalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose (16,460μAmM(-1)cm(-2)) over a wide range of detection (0.0005-3mM) and a low detection limit (0.82μM) with excellent selectivity in the presence of several electroactive species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of analytical performance and reliability of direct nanoLC-nanoESI-high resolution mass spectrometry for profiling the (xeno)metabolome.

PubMed

Chetwynd, Andrew J; David, Arthur; Hill, Elizabeth M; Abdul-Sada, Alaa

2014-10-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) profiling techniques are used for analysing metabolites and xenobiotics in biofluids; however, detection of low abundance compounds using conventional MS techniques is poor. To counter this, nanoflow ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-nanoelectrospray ionization-time-of-flight MS (nUHPLC-nESI-TOFMS), which has been used primarily for proteomics, offers an innovative prospect for profiling small molecules. Compared to conventional UHPLC-ESI-TOFMS, nUHPLC-nESI-TOFMS enhanced detection limits of a variety of (xeno)metabolites by between 2 and 2000-fold. In addition, this study demonstrates for the first time excellent repeatability and reproducibility for analysis of urine and plasma samples using nUHPLC-nESI-TOFMS, supporting implementation of this platform as a novel approach for high-throughput (xeno)metabolomics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simple and novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of tetracycline based on iron/zinc cations-exchanged montmorillonite catalyst.

PubMed

Gan, Tian; Shi, Zhaoxia; Sun, Junyong; Liu, Yanming

2014-04-01

A simple and novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of tetracycline (TC), a kind of antibiotic that may induce residue in the food chain, was developed by the modification of iron/zinc cation-exchanged montmorillonite (Fe/Zn-MMT) catalyst on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The morphology and the structure of the Fe/Zn-MMT nanomaterial were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The results of electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity to the oxidation of TC in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The sensor displayed a wide linear range from 0.30 to 52.0 μM and a low detection limit of 0.10 μM by using the derivative differential pulse voltammetry. Moreover, the electrochemical sensor was applied to the detection of TC in feedstuff and meat samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zinc metal complex as a sensor for simultaneous detection of fluoride and HSO4(-) ions.

PubMed

Singh, Jasminder; Yadav, Manisha; Singh, Ajnesh; Singh, Narinder

2015-07-28

A Schiff base based tripodal receptor was synthesized and complexed with a zinc metal ion (n17) using a very easy single step process. The resulting complex was fully characterized by CHN and single crystal XRD. The real time application of the complex in aqueous media was devised by preparing its organic nanoparticles (ONPs) and their sensor activity was tested with various anions by observing changes in the fluorescence profile of n17. It was observed that ONPs of n17 responded excellently for fluoride and sulfate, producing two different signals, with detection limits of 4.84 × 10(-12) M and 5.67 × 10(-9) M respectively, without having any interference from each other. The real time application of the sensor was also tested using various samples collected from various daily utility items and found to respond exceptionally well.

Second Harmonic Generation Guided Raman Spectroscopy for Sensitive Detection of Polymorph Transitions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chowdhury, Azhad U.; Ye, Dong Hye; Song, Zhengtian

Second harmonic generation (SHG) was integrated with Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of pharmaceutical materials. Particulate formulations of clopidogrel bisulfate were prepared in two crystal forms (Form I and Form II). Image analysis approaches enable automated identification of particles by bright field imaging, followed by classification by SHG. Quantitative SHG microscopy enabled discrimination of crystal form on a per particle basis with 99.95% confidence in a total measurement time of ~10 ms per particle. Complementary measurements by Raman and synchrotron XRD are in excellent agreement with the classifications made by SHG, with measurement times of ~1 min and several secondsmore » per particle, respectively. Coupling these capabilities with at-line monitoring may enable real-time feedback for reaction monitoring during pharmaceutical production to favor the more bioavailable but metastable Form I with limits of detection in the ppm regime.« less

Acridine-based fluorescence chemosensors for selective sensing of Fe3+ and Ni2+ ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chaoyu; Fu, Jiaxin; Yao, Kun; Xue, Kun; Xu, Kuoxi; Pang, Xiaobin

2018-06-01

Two novel acridine-based fluorescence chemosensors (L1 and L2) were prepared and their metal ions sensing properties were investigated. L1 (L2) exhibited an excellent selective fluorescence response toward Fe3+ (Ni2+) and the stoichiometry ratio of L1-Fe3+ and L2-Ni2+ were 1:1. The detection limits of L1 and L2 were calculated by the fluorescence titration to be 4.13 μM and 1.52 μM, respectively, which were below the maximum permissive level of Fe3+ and Ni2+ ions in drinking water set by the EPA. The possible mechanism of the fluorescence detection of Fe3+ and Ni2+ had been proposed according to the analysis of Job's plot, IR spectra and ESI-MS. The determination of Fe3+ and Ni2+ ions in living cells had been applied successfully.

Development of a high-sensitivity plasticizer sensor based on a quartz crystal microbalance modified with a nanostructured nickel hydroxide film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Ruifen; Zhang, Kaihuan; Fan, Guokang; Luo, Zhiyuan; Li, Guang

2015-05-01

Nanostructured nickel hydroxide (nano-Ni(OH)2) was synthesized at a low temperature without annealing. Accordingly, a plasticizer sensor based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) modified with the nano-Ni(OH)2 sensing film was fabricated to detect dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and its relative film thickness was optimized. The sensor worked at room temperature and exhibited a high sensitivity of 4.91 Hz ppb-1 to DBP in a low concentration range of 5-20 ppb, and an ultra-low detection limit of 5 ppb was achieved. In addition, the sensor maintained good repeatability as well as stability shown by the experimental data. The responses to five possible interferences and four other plasticizers were also measured, which indicated the excellent selectivity of the sensor and its potential use in monitoring plasticizers in a gaseous state.

A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method for the simultaneous detection of four triazolone herbicides in cereals combined with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Tao, Yan; Xu, Jun; Liu, Xingang; Cheng, Youpu; Liu, Na; Chen, Zenglong; Dong, Fengshou; Zheng, Yonguan

2014-09-01

This paper describes a novel, rapid, and sensitive analytical method for monitoring four triazolone herbicides in cereals (wheat, rice, corn, and soybean), using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe sample extraction procedure followed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The four triazolone herbicides (amicarbazone, carfentrazone-ethyl, sulfentrazone, and thiencarbazone-methyl) were extracted using acidified acetonitrile (containing 1% v/v formic acid) and subsequently purified with octadecylsilane (C18 ) prior to sample analysis. Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was operated in positive and negative ionization switching mode. Amicarbazone and carfentrazone-ethyl were detected in the positive mode (ESI+), while sulfentrazone and thiencarbazone-methyl were detected in the negative mode (ESI-). All compounds were successfully separated in less than 3.0 min. Further optimization achieved desired recoveries ranging from 74.5 to 102.1% for all analytes with relative standard deviation values ≤17.2% in all tested matrices at three levels (10, 100, and 500 μg/kg). The limits of detection for all compounds were ≤2.3 μg/kg, and the limits of quantitation did not exceed 7.1 μg/kg. The developed method showed excellent linearity (R(2) ≥ 0.994) and was proven to be highly efficient and reliable for the routine monitoring of triazolone herbicides in cereals. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determination of tryptamine in foods using square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry.

PubMed

Costa, Daniel J E; Martínez, Ana M; Ribeiro, Williame F; Bichinho, Kátia M; Di Nezio, María Susana; Pistonesi, Marcelo F; Araujo, Mario C U

2016-07-01

Tryptamine, a biogenic amine, is an indole derivative with an electrophilic substituent at the C3 position of the pyrrole ring of the indole moiety. The electrochemical oxidation of tryptamine was investigated using glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and focusing on trace level determination in food products by square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV). The electrochemical responses of tryptamine were evaluated using differing voltammetric techniques over a wide pH range, a quasi-reversible electron-transfer to redox system represented by coupled peaks P1-P3, and an irreversible reaction for peak P2 were demonstrated. The proton and electron counts associated with the oxidation reactions were estimated. The nature of the mass transfer process was predominantly diffusion-limited for the oxidation process of P1, the most selective and sensitive analytical response (acetate buffer solution pH 5.3), being used for the development of SWAdSV method, under optimum conditions. The excellent response allowed the development of an electroanalytical method with a linear response range of from 4.7-54.5)×10(-)(8)molL(-1), low detection limit (0.8×10(-)(9)molL(-)(1)), and quantification limit (2.7×10(-9)molL(-1)), and acceptable levels of repeatability (3.6%), and reproducibility (3.8%). Tryptamine content was determined in bananas, tomatoes, cheese (mozzarella and gorgonzola), and cold meats (chicken sausage and pepperoni sausage), yielding recoveries above 90%, with excellent analytical performance using simple and low cost instrumentation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A robust electrochemical immunosensor based on hydroxyl pillar[5]arene@AuNPs@g-C3N4 hybrid nanomaterial for ultrasensitive detection of prostate specific antigen.

PubMed

Zhou, Xu; Yang, Long; Tan, Xiaoping; Zhao, Genfu; Xie, Xiaoguang; Du, Guanben

2018-07-30

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is the most significant biomarker for the screening of prostate cancer in human serum. However, most methods for the detection of PSA often require major laboratories, precisely analytical instruments and complicated operations. Currently, the design and development of satisfying electrochemical biosensors based on biomimetic materials (e.g. synthetic receptors) and nanotechnology is highly desired. Thus, we focused on the combination of molecular recognition and versatile nanomaterials in electrochemical devices for advancing their analytical performance and robustness. Herein, by using the present prepared multifunctional hydroxyl pillar[5]arene@gold nanoparticles@graphitic carbon nitride (HP5@AuNPs@g-C 3 N 4 ) hybrid nanomaterial as robust biomimetic element, a high-performance electrochemical immunosensor for detection of PSA was constructed. The as-prepared immunosensor, with typically competitive advantages of low cost, simple preparation and fast detection, exhibited remarkable robustness, ultra-sensitivity, excellent selectivity and reproducibility. The limit of detection (LOD) and linear range were 0.12 pg mL -1 (S/N = 3) and 0.0005-10.00 ng mL -1 , respectively. The satisfying results provide a promising approach for clinical detection of PSA in human serum. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Target-protecting dumbbell molecular probe against exonucleases digestion for sensitive detection of ATP and streptavidin.

PubMed

Chen, Jinyang; Liu, Yucheng; Ji, Xinghu; He, Zhike

2016-09-15

In this work, a versatile dumbbell molecular (DM) probe was designed and employed in the sensitively homogeneous bioassay. In the presence of target molecule, the DM probe was protected from the digestion of exonucleases. Subsequently, the protected DM probe specifically bound to the intercalation dye and resulted in obvious fluorescence signal which was used to determine the target molecule in return. This design allows specific and versatile detection of diverse targets with easy operation and no sophisticated fluorescence labeling. Integrating the idea of target-protecting DM probe with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) involved ligation reaction, the DM probe with 5'-end phosphorylation was successfully constructed for ATP detection, and the limitation of detection was found to be 4.8 pM. Thanks to its excellent selectivity and sensitivity, this sensing strategy was used to detect ATP spiked in human serum as well as cellular ATP. Moreover, the proposed strategy was also applied in the visual detection of ATP in droplet-based microfluidic platform with satisfactory results. Similarly, combining the principle of target-protecting DM probe with streptavidin (SA)-biotin interaction, the DM probe with 3'-end biotinylation was developed for selective and sensitive SA determination, which demonstrated the robustness and versatility of this design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of trace heavy metal ions in water by nanostructured porous Si biosensors.

PubMed

Shtenberg, Giorgi; Massad-Ivanir, Naama; Segal, Ester

2015-07-07

A generic biosensing platform, based on nanostructured porous Si (PSi), Fabry-Pérot thin films, for label-free monitoring of heavy metal ions in aqueous solutions by enzymatic activity inhibition, is described. First, we show a general detection assay by immobilizing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) within the oxidized PSi nanostructure and monitor its catalytic activity in real time by reflective interferometric Fourier transform spectroscopy. Optical studies reveal the high specificity and sensitivity of the HRP-immobilized PSi towards three metal ions (Ag(+) > Pb(2+) > Cu(2+)), with a detection limit range of 60-120 ppb. Next, we demonstrate the concept of specific detection of Cu(2+) ions (as a model heavy metal) by immobilizing Laccase, a multi-copper oxidase, within the oxidized PSi. The resulting biosensor allows for specific detection and quantification of copper ions in real water samples by monitoring the Laccase relative activity. The optical biosensing results are found to be in excellent agreement with those obtained by the gold standard analytical technique (ICP-AES) for all water samples. The main advantage of the presented biosensing concept is the ability to detect heavy metal ions at environmentally relevant concentrations using a simple and portable experimental setup, while the specific biosensor design can be tailored by varying the enzyme type.

A functional glycoprotein competitive recognition and signal amplification strategy for carbohydrate-protein interaction profiling and cell surface carbohydrate expression evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yangzhong; Chen, Zhuhai; Liu, Yang; Li, Jinghong

2013-07-01

A simple and sensitive carbohydrate biosensor has been suggested as a potential tool for accurate analysis of cell surface carbohydrate expression as well as carbohydrate-based therapeutics for a variety of diseases and infections. In this work, a sensitive biosensor for carbohydrate-lectin profiling and in situ cell surface carbohydrate expression was designed by taking advantage of a functional glycoprotein of glucose oxidase acting as both a multivalent recognition unit and a signal amplification probe. Combining the gold nanoparticle catalyzed luminol electrogenerated chemiluminescence and nanocarrier for active biomolecules, the number of cell surface carbohydrate groups could be conveniently read out. The apparent dissociation constant between GOx@Au probes and Con A was detected to be 1.64 nM and was approximately 5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of mannose and Con A, which would arise from the multivalent effect between the probe and Con A. Both glycoproteins and gold nanoparticles contribute to the high affinity between carbohydrates and lectin. The as-proposed biosensor exhibits excellent analytical performance towards the cytosensing of K562 cells with a detection limit of 18 cells, and the mannose moieties on a single K562 cell were determined to be 1.8 × 1010. The biosensor can also act as a useful tool for antibacterial drug screening and mechanism investigation. This strategy integrates the excellent biocompatibility and multivalent recognition of glycoproteins as well as the significant enzymatic catalysis and gold nanoparticle signal amplification, and avoids the cell pretreatment and labelling process. This would contribute to the glycomic analysis and the understanding of complex native glycan-related biological processes.A simple and sensitive carbohydrate biosensor has been suggested as a potential tool for accurate analysis of cell surface carbohydrate expression as well as carbohydrate-based therapeutics for a variety of diseases and infections. In this work, a sensitive biosensor for carbohydrate-lectin profiling and in situ cell surface carbohydrate expression was designed by taking advantage of a functional glycoprotein of glucose oxidase acting as both a multivalent recognition unit and a signal amplification probe. Combining the gold nanoparticle catalyzed luminol electrogenerated chemiluminescence and nanocarrier for active biomolecules, the number of cell surface carbohydrate groups could be conveniently read out. The apparent dissociation constant between GOx@Au probes and Con A was detected to be 1.64 nM and was approximately 5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of mannose and Con A, which would arise from the multivalent effect between the probe and Con A. Both glycoproteins and gold nanoparticles contribute to the high affinity between carbohydrates and lectin. The as-proposed biosensor exhibits excellent analytical performance towards the cytosensing of K562 cells with a detection limit of 18 cells, and the mannose moieties on a single K562 cell were determined to be 1.8 × 1010. The biosensor can also act as a useful tool for antibacterial drug screening and mechanism investigation. This strategy integrates the excellent biocompatibility and multivalent recognition of glycoproteins as well as the significant enzymatic catalysis and gold nanoparticle signal amplification, and avoids the cell pretreatment and labelling process. This would contribute to the glycomic analysis and the understanding of complex native glycan-related biological processes. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details; characterization of probes; the influence of electrolyte pH; probe concentration and glucose concentration on the electrode ECL effect. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr01598j

Digital diffraction analysis enables low-cost molecular diagnostics on a smartphone

PubMed Central

Im, Hyungsoon; Castro, Cesar M.; Shao, Huilin; Liong, Monty; Song, Jun; Pathania, Divya; Fexon, Lioubov; Min, Changwook; Avila-Wallace, Maria; Zurkiya, Omar; Rho, Junsung; Magaoay, Brady; Tambouret, Rosemary H.; Pivovarov, Misha; Weissleder, Ralph; Lee, Hakho

2015-01-01

The widespread distribution of smartphones, with their integrated sensors and communication capabilities, makes them an ideal platform for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings. Molecular diagnostics, however, have been difficult to implement in smartphones. We herein report a diffraction-based approach that enables molecular and cellular diagnostics. The D3 (digital diffraction diagnosis) system uses microbeads to generate unique diffraction patterns which can be acquired by smartphones and processed by a remote server. We applied the D3 platform to screen for precancerous or cancerous cells in cervical specimens and to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The D3 assay generated readouts within 45 min and showed excellent agreement with gold-standard pathology or HPV testing, respectively. This approach could have favorable global health applications where medical access is limited or when pathology bottlenecks challenge prompt diagnostic readouts. PMID:25870273

Limitations of signal averaging due to temporal correlation in laser remote-sensing measurements.

PubMed

Menyuk, N; Killinger, D K; Menyuk, C R

1982-09-15

Laser remote sensing involves the measurement of laser-beam transmission through the atmosphere and is subject to uncertainties caused by strong fluctuations due primarily to speckle, glint, and atmospheric-turbulence effects. These uncertainties are generally reduced by taking average values of increasing numbers of measurements. An experiment was carried out to directly measure the effect of signal averaging on back-scattered laser return signals from a diffusely reflecting target using a direct-detection differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) system. The improvement in accuracy obtained by averaging over increasing numbers of data points was found to be smaller than that predicted for independent measurements. The experimental results are shown to be in excellent agreement with a theoretical analysis which considers the effect of temporal correlation. The analysis indicates that small but long-term temporal correlation severely limits the improvement available through signal averaging.

Simultaneous determination of five marker constituents in Ssanghwa tang by HPLC/DAD

PubMed Central

Won, Jin Bae; Ma, Jin Yeul; Um, Young Ran; Ma, Choong Je

2010-01-01

A HPLC-DAD method was established for the simultaneous evaluation of five bioactive compounds in Ssanghwa tang (SHT) including glycyrrhizin, paeoniflorin, cinnamic acid, decursin and 6-gingerol. These compounds were separated in less than 40 min using a Dionex C18 column with a gradient elution system of water and methanol at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Calibration curve of standard components presented excellent linear regression (R2 > 0.9903) within the test range. Limit of detection and limit of quantification varied from 0.07 to 0.46 μg/ml and 0.13 to 1.11 μg/ml, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of data of the intraday and interday experiments were less than 3.67 and 5.73%, respectively. The accuracy of recovery test ranged from 95.98 to 105.88% with RSD values 0.10– 4.82%. PMID:20668576

Digital diffraction analysis enables low-cost molecular diagnostics on a smartphone.

PubMed

Im, Hyungsoon; Castro, Cesar M; Shao, Huilin; Liong, Monty; Song, Jun; Pathania, Divya; Fexon, Lioubov; Min, Changwook; Avila-Wallace, Maria; Zurkiya, Omar; Rho, Junsung; Magaoay, Brady; Tambouret, Rosemary H; Pivovarov, Misha; Weissleder, Ralph; Lee, Hakho

2015-05-05

The widespread distribution of smartphones, with their integrated sensors and communication capabilities, makes them an ideal platform for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings. Molecular diagnostics, however, have been difficult to implement in smartphones. We herein report a diffraction-based approach that enables molecular and cellular diagnostics. The D3 (digital diffraction diagnosis) system uses microbeads to generate unique diffraction patterns which can be acquired by smartphones and processed by a remote server. We applied the D3 platform to screen for precancerous or cancerous cells in cervical specimens and to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The D3 assay generated readouts within 45 min and showed excellent agreement with gold-standard pathology or HPV testing, respectively. This approach could have favorable global health applications where medical access is limited or when pathology bottlenecks challenge prompt diagnostic readouts.

Determination of ametoctradin residue in fruits and vegetables by modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Hu, Mingfeng; Liu, Xingang; Dong, Fengshou; Xu, Jun; Li, Shasha; Xu, Hanqing; Zheng, Yongquan

2015-05-15

A rapid, effective and sensitive method to quantitatively determine ametoctradin residue in apple, cucumber, cabbage, tomato and grape was developed and validated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The target compound was determined in less than 5.0 min using an electrospray ionisation source in positive mode (ESI+). The limit of detection was below 0.043 μg kg(-1), whereas the limits of quantification did not exceed 0.135 μg kg(-1) in all five matrices. The method showed excellent linearity (R(2)>0.9969) for the target compound. Recovery studies were performed in all matrices at three spiked levels (1, 10 and 100 μg L(-1)). The mean recoveries from five matrices ranged from 81.81% to 100.1%, with intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDr) in the range of 0.65-7.88% for the test compound. This method will be useful for the quick and routine detection of ametoctradin residues in potato, grape, cucumber, apple and tomato. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-resolution detection of Brownian motion for quantitative optical tweezers experiments.

PubMed

Grimm, Matthias; Franosch, Thomas; Jeney, Sylvia

2012-08-01

We have developed an in situ method to calibrate optical tweezers experiments and simultaneously measure the size of the trapped particle or the viscosity of the surrounding fluid. The positional fluctuations of the trapped particle are recorded with a high-bandwidth photodetector. We compute the mean-square displacement, as well as the velocity autocorrelation function of the sphere, and compare it to the theory of Brownian motion including hydrodynamic memory effects. A careful measurement and analysis of the time scales characterizing the dynamics of the harmonically bound sphere fluctuating in a viscous medium directly yields all relevant parameters. Finally, we test the method for different optical trap strengths, with different bead sizes and in different fluids, and we find excellent agreement with the values provided by the manufacturers. The proposed approach overcomes the most commonly encountered limitations in precision when analyzing the power spectrum of position fluctuations in the region around the corner frequency. These low frequencies are usually prone to errors due to drift, limitations in the detection, and trap linearity as well as short acquisition times resulting in poor statistics. Furthermore, the strategy can be generalized to Brownian motion in more complex environments, provided the adequate theories are available.

Application of nickel zinc ferrite/graphene nanocomposite as a modifier for fabrication of a sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of omeprazole in real samples.

PubMed

Afkhami, Abbas; Bahiraei, Atousa; Madrakian, Tayyebeh

2017-06-01

In the present study, a simple and highly sensitive sensor for the determination of omeprazole based on nickel-zinc ferrite/graphene modified glassy carbon electrode is reported. The morphology and electro analytical performance of the fabricated sensor were characterized with X-ray diffraction spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and operation of the sensor. Results were compared with those achieved at the graphene modified glassy carbon electrode and bare glassy carbon electrode. Under the optimized experimental conditions, linear response was over the range of 0.03-100.0µmolL -1 . The lower detection limit was found to be 0.015µmolL -1 . The effect of different interferences on the anodic current response of OMZ was investigated. By measuring the concentrations of omeprazole in plasma and pharmaceutical samples, the practical application of the modified electrode was evaluated. This revealed that the nickel-zinc ferrite/graphene modified glassy carbon electrode shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of omeprazole with a very low detection limit, high sensitivity, and very good accuracy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Erbium-doped fiber ring laser with SMS modal interferometer for hydrogen sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ya-nan; Zhang, Lebin; Han, Bo; Peng, Huijie; Zhou, Tianmin; Lv, Ri-qing

2018-06-01

A hydrogen sensor based on erbium-doped fiber ring laser with modal interferometer is proposed. A single mode-multimode-single mode (SMS) modal interferometer structure coated with Pd/WO3 film is used as the sensing head, due to that it is easy to be fabricated and low cost. The sensing structure is inserted into an erbium-doped fiber ring laser in order to solve the problem of spectral confusion and improve the detection limit of the hydrogen sensor based on the SMS modal interferometer. The SMS sensing structure is acted as a fiber band-pass filter. When hydrogen concentration around the sensor is changed, it will induce the refractive index and strain variations of the Pd/WO3 film, and then shift the resonant spectrum of the SMS modal interferometer as well as the laser wavelength of the fiber ring laser. Therefore, the hydrogen concentration can be measured by monitoring the wavelength shift of the laser, which has high intensity and narrow full width half maximum. Experimental results demonstrate that the sensor has high sensitivity of 1.23 nm/%, low detection limit of 0.017%, good stability and excellent repeatability.

Medical and health physics management of a plutonium wound

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carbaugh, E.H.; Decker, W.A.; Swint, M.J.

1988-04-01

A puncture wound contaminated with plutonium and americium has provided an excellent case study for dealing with internal contamination. This case provides an opportunity to examine the effectiveness of diagnostic techniques, therapeutic techniques, dose assessment practices, and case management philosophy. The wound deposited 48 kBq of transuranic alpha activity in the right index finger. Minor surgery reduced the long-term wound burden to about 5.4 kBq. Chelation therapy with DTPA lasted 17 months and resulted in urinary excretion of about 7 kBq of the deposited activity. Therapy appears to have been effective in limiting early uptake and internal doses from thismore » wound. However, the possibility of slow future uptake from the wound exists. Thus, estimating long-term uptake and dose is difficult. In vivo measurements indicate that residual wound contamination is essentially constant. Within three weeks of the injury, an initial measurable liver burden was reduced by chelation therapy to below detectable limits, and no subsequent build-up has been observed. However, there is indication of a gradually increasing skeleton burden. The axillary lymph nodes have shown relatively constant, detectable activity. 8 refs., 3 figs.« less

Graphene oxide bonded fused-silica fiber for solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water.

PubMed

Xu, Lili; Feng, Juanjuan; Li, Jubai; Liu, Xia; Jiang, Shengxiang

2012-01-01

A novel chemically bonded graphene oxide/fused-silica fiber was prepared and applied in solid-phase microextraction of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water samples coupled with gas chromatography. It exhibited high extraction efficiency and excellent stability. Effects of extraction time, extraction temperature, ionic strength, stirring rate and desorption conditions were investigated and optimized in our work. Detection limits to the six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were less than 0.08 μg/L, and their calibration curves were all linear (R(2)≥0.9954) in the range from 0.05 to 200 μg/L. Single fiber repeatability and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility were less than 6.13 and 15.87%, respectively. This novel fiber was then utilized to analyze two real water samples from the Yellow River and local waterworks, and the recoveries of samples spiked at 1 and 10 μg/L ranged from 84.48 to 118.24%. Compared with other coating materials, this graphene oxide-coated fiber showed many advantages: wide linear range, low detection limit, and good stability in acid, alkali, organic solutions and at high temperature. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Construction of novel sensitive electrochemical sensor for electro-oxidation and determination of citalopram based on zinc oxide nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Ghaedi, Hamed; Afkhami, Abbas; Madrakian, Tayyebeh; Soltani-Felehgari, Farzaneh

2016-02-01

A new chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) was applied to the simple, rapid, highly selective and sensitive determination of citalopram in human serum and pharmaceutical preparations using adsorptive square wave voltammetry (ASWV). The ZnO nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified CPE (ZnO-MWCNT/CPE) electrode was prepared by incorporation of the ZnO nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in carbon paste electrode. The limit of detection and the linear range were found to be 0.005 and 0.012 to 1.54μmolL(-1) of citalopram, respectively. The effects of potentially interfering substances on the determination of this compound were investigated and found that the electrode is highly selective. The proposed CMCPE was used to the determination of citalopram in human serum, urine and pharmaceutical samples. This reveals that ZnO-MWCNT/CPE shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of citalopram in terms of very low detection limit, high sensitivity, very good repeatability and reproducibility over other methods reported in the literature. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Size-selective QD@MOF core-shell nanocomposites for the highly sensitive monitoring of oxidase activities.

PubMed

Wang, Ke; Li, Nan; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Zhiqi; Dang, Fuquan

2017-01-15

In this work, we proposed a novel and facile method to monitor oxidase activities based on size-selective fluorescent quantum dot (QD)@metal-organic framework (MOF) core-shell nanocomposites (CSNCPs). The CSNCPs were synthesized from ZIF-8 and CdTe QDs in aqueous solution in 40min at room temperature with stirring. The prepared CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs , which have excellent water dispersibility and stability, displays distinct fluorescence responses to hole scavengers of different molecular sizes (e.g., H 2 O 2 , substrate, and oxidase) due to the aperture limitation of the ZIF-8 shell. H 2 O 2 can efficiently quench the fluorescence of CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs over a linearity range of 1-100nM with a detection limit of 0.29nM, whereas large molecules such as substrate and oxidase have very little effect on its fluorescence. Therefore, the highly sensitive detection of oxidase activities was achieved by monitoring the fluorescence quenching of CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs by H 2 O 2 produced in the presence of substrate and oxidase, which is proportional to the oxidase activities. The linearity ranges of the uricase and glucose oxidase activity are 0.1-50U/L and 1-100U/L, respectively, and their detection limits are 0.024U/L and 0.26U/L, respectively. Therefore, the current QD@MOF CSNCPs based sensing system is a promising, widely applicable means of monitoring oxidase activities in biochemical research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grafting polyethylenimine with quinoline derivatives for targeted imaging of intracellular Zn(2+) and logic gate operations.

PubMed

Pan, Yi; Shi, Yupeng; Chen, Junying; Wong, Chap-Mo; Zhang, Heng; Li, Mei-Jin; Li, Cheuk-Wing; Yi, Changqing

2016-12-01

In this study, a highly sensitive and selective fluorescent Zn(2+) probe which exhibited excellent biocompatibility, water solubility, and cell-membrane permeability, was facilely synthesized in a single step by grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) with quinoline derivatives. The primary amino groups in the branched PEI can increase water solubility and cell permeability of the probe PEIQ, while quinoline derivatives can specifically recognize Zn(2+) and reduce the potential cytotoxicity of PEI. Basing on fluorescence off-on mechanism, PEIQ demonstrated excellent sensing capability towards Zn(2+) in absolute aqueous solution, where a high sensitivity with a detection limit as low as 38.1nM, and a high selectivity over competing metal ions and potential interfering amino acids, were achieved. Inspired by these results, elementary logic operations (YES, NOT and INHIBIT) have been constructed by employing PEIQ as the gate while Zn(2+) and EDTA as chemical inputs. Together with the low cytotoxicity and good cell-permeability, the practical application of PEIQ in living cell imaging was satisfactorily demonstrated, emphasizing its wide application in fundamental biology research. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sensitive quantification of coixol, a potent insulin secretagogue, in Scoparia dulcis extract using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry and UV detection.

PubMed

Ali, Arslan; Haq, Faraz Ul; Ul Arfeen, Qamar; Sharma, Khaga Raj; Adhikari, Achyut; Musharraf, Syed Ghulam

2017-10-01

Diabetes is a major global health problem which requires new studies for its prevention and control. Scoparia dulcis, a herbal product, is widely used for treatment of diabetes. Recent studies demonstrate coixol as a potent and nontoxic insulin secretagog from S. dulcis. This study focuses on developing two quantitative methods of coixol in S. dulcis methanol-based extracts. Quantification of coixol was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (method 1) and high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (method 2) with limits of detection of 0.26 and 11.6 pg/μL, respectively, and limits of quantification of 0.78 and 35.5 pg/μL, respectively. S. dulcis is rich in coixol content with values of 255.5 ± 2.1 mg/kg (method 1) and 220.4 ± 2.9 mg/kg (method 2). Excellent linearity with determination coefficients >0.999 was achieved for calibration curves from 10 to 7500 ng/mL (method 1) and from 175 to 7500 ng/mL (method 2). Good accuracy (bias < -8.6%) and precision (RSD < 8.5%) were obtained for both methods. Thus, they can be employed to analyze coixol in plant extracts and herbal formulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Real-time PCR probe optimization using design of experiments approach.

PubMed

Wadle, S; Lehnert, M; Rubenwolf, S; Zengerle, R; von Stetten, F

2016-03-01

Primer and probe sequence designs are among the most critical input factors in real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay optimization. In this study, we present the use of statistical design of experiments (DOE) approach as a general guideline for probe optimization and more specifically focus on design optimization of label-free hydrolysis probes that are designated as mediator probes (MPs), which are used in reverse transcription MP PCR (RT-MP PCR). The effect of three input factors on assay performance was investigated: distance between primer and mediator probe cleavage site; dimer stability of MP and target sequence (influenza B virus); and dimer stability of the mediator and universal reporter (UR). The results indicated that the latter dimer stability had the greatest influence on assay performance, with RT-MP PCR efficiency increased by up to 10% with changes to this input factor. With an optimal design configuration, a detection limit of 3-14 target copies/10 μl reaction could be achieved. This improved detection limit was confirmed for another UR design and for a second target sequence, human metapneumovirus, with 7-11 copies/10 μl reaction detected in an optimum case. The DOE approach for improving oligonucleotide designs for real-time PCR not only produces excellent results but may also reduce the number of experiments that need to be performed, thus reducing costs and experimental times.

Bioconjugation of zirconium uridine monophosphate: application to myoglobin direct electrochemistry.

PubMed

Qiao, Yuanbiao; Jian, Fangfang; Bai, Qian

2008-03-14

Porous nano-granule of zirconium uridine monophosphate, Zr(UMP)2.H2O is, for the first time, synthesized under mild experimental conditions and applied to the bioconjugation of myoglobin (Mb) to realize its direct electron transfer. UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopies prove that Mb in the Zr(UMP)2.H2O film maintains its secondary structure similar to the native state. The conjugation film of the Mb-Zr(UMP)2.H2O on the glassy carbon (GC) electrode gives a well-defined and quasi-reversible cyclic voltammogram, which reflects the direct electron transfer of the heme Fe III/Fe II couple of Mb. On the basis of the satisfying bioelectrocatalysis of the nano-conjugation of Mb and genetic substrate, a kind of mediator-free biosensor for H2O2 is developed. The linear range for H2O2 detection is estimated to be 3.92-180.14 microM. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and the detection limit based on the signal-to-noise ratio of 3 are found to be 196.1 microM and 1.52 microM, respectively. Both the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant and the detection limit herein are much lower than currently reported values from other Mb films. This kind of sensor possesses excellent stability, long-term life (more than 20 days) and good reproducibility.

Solid-phase extraction with the metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr) combined with direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry for the fast analysis of triazine herbicides.

PubMed

Li, Xianjiang; Xing, Jiawei; Chang, Cuilan; Wang, Xin; Bai, Yu; Yan, Xiuping; Liu, Huwei

2014-06-01

MIL-101(Cr) is an excellent metal-organic framework with high surface area and nanoscale cavities, making it promising in solid-phase extraction. Herein, we used MIL-101(Cr) as a solid-phase extraction packing material combined with fast detection of direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the analysis of triazine herbicides. After systematic optimization of the operation parameters, including the gas temperature of DART, the moving speed of the 1D platform, solvent for desorption, amount of MIL-101(Cr) extraction time, eluent volume and salt concentration, this method can realize the simultaneous detection of five kinds of triazine herbicides. The limits of detection were 0.1∼0.2 ng/mL and the linear ranges covered more than two orders of magnitude with the quantitation limits of 0.5∼1 ng/mL. Moreover, the developed method has been applied for the analysis of lake water samples and the recoveries for spiked analytes were in the range of 85∼110%. These results showed that solid-phase extraction with metal-organic frameworks is an efficient sample preparation approach for DART-MS analysis and could find more applications in environmental analysis. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly enhanced optical properties of indocyanine green/perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions for efficient lymph node mapping using near-infrared and magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Pan Kee; Jung, Juyeon; Chung, Bong Hyun

2014-03-01

The near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe has better tissue penetration and lower autofluorescence. Indocyanine green (ICG) is an NIR organic dye for extensive biological application, and it has been clinically approved for human medical imaging and diagnosis. However, application of this dye is limited by its numerous disadvantageous properties in aqueous solution, including its concentration-dependent aggregation, poor aqueous stability in vitro, and low quantum yield. Its use in molecular imaging probes is limited because it loses fluorescence after binding to nonspecific plasma proteins, leading to rapid elimination from the body with a half-life of 2 - 4 min. In this study, the multifunctional perfluorocarbon (PFC)/ICG nanoemulsions were investigated with the aim of overcoming these limitations. The PFC/ICG nanoemulsions as a new type of delivery vehicle for contrast agents have both NIR optical imaging and 19 F-MR imaging moieties. These nanoemulsions exhibited less aggregation, increased fluorescence intensity, long-term stability, and physicochemical stability against external light and temperature compared to free aqueous ICG. Also, the PFC/ICG bimodal nanoemulsions allow excellent detection of lymph nodes in vivo through NIR optical imaging and 19 F-MR imaging. This result showed the suitability of the proposed nanoemulsions for non-invasive lymph node mapping as they enable long-time detection of lymph nodes.

Resonant states in 13C and 16,17O at high excitation energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, M. R. D.; Borello-Lewin, T.; Miyake, H.; Duarte, J. L. M.; Rodrigues, C. L.; Horodynski-Matsushigue, L. B.; Ukita, G. M.; Cappuzzello, F.; Cavallaro, M.; Foti, A.; Agodi, C.; Cunsolo, A.; Carbone, D.; Bondi, M.; De Napoli, M.; Roeder, B. T.; Linares, R.; Lombardo, I.

2014-12-01

The 9Be(6Li,d)13C and 12,13C(6Li,d)16,17O reactions were measured at the São Paulo Pelletron-Enge-Spectrograph facility at 25.5 MeV incident energy. The nuclear emulsion detection technique was applied. Several narrow resonances were populated up to approximately 17 MeV of excitation energy. An excellent energy resolution was obtained: 40 keV for 13C and 15-30 keV for 16O. The upper limit for the resonance widths were determined. Recently, d-a angular correlations were measured at θd = 0° with incident energy of 25 MeV using the LNS Tandem-MAGNEX Spectrometer facility.

Reagentless D-sorbitol biosensor based on D-sorbitol dehydrogenase immobilized in a sol-gel carbon nanotubes-poly(methylene green) composite.

PubMed

Wang, Zhijie; Etienne, Mathieu; Urbanova, Veronika; Kohring, Gert-Wieland; Walcarius, Alain

2013-04-01

A reagentless D-sorbitol biosensor based on NAD-dependent D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (DSDH) immobilized in a sol-gel carbon nanotubes-poly(methylene green) composite has been developed. It was prepared by durably immobilizing the NAD(+) cofactor with DSDH in a sol-gel thin film on the surface of carbon nanotubes functionalized with poly(methylene green). This device enables selective determination of D-sorbitol at 0.2 V with a sensitivity of 8.7 μA mmol(-1) L cm(-2) and a detection limit of 0.11 mmol L(-1). Moreover, this biosensor has excellent operational stability upon continuous use in hydrodynamic conditions.

LBT observations of the HR8799 planetary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesa, D.; Arcidiacono, C.; Claudi, R. U.; Desidera, S.; Esposito, S.; Gratton, R.; Masciadri, E.

2013-09-01

We present here observations of the HR8799 planetary system performed in H and Ks band exploiting the AO system at the Large Binocular Telescope and the PISCES camera. Thanks to the excellent performence of the instrument we were able to detect for the first time the inner known planet of the system (HR8799) in the H band. Precise photometric and astrometric measures have been taken for all the four planets. Further, exploiting ours and previous astrometric results, we were able to put some limits on the planetary orbits of the four planets. The analysis of the dinamical stability of the system seems to show lower planetary masses than the ones adopted until now.

A novel surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on the PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform for horse IgG detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ning; Zhang, Di; Deng, Xinyu; Sun, Ying; Wang, Xinghua; Ma, Pinyi; Song, Daqian

2018-02-01

Herein we report a novel polydopamine-silver nanoparticle-polydopamine-gold (PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au) film based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for horse IgG detection. The PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform was built on Au-film via layer-by-layer self-assembly. Ag ion was reduced in situ to AgNPs in presence of PDA. The top PDA layer can prevent AgNPs from being oxidized and connect with antibody via Schiff alkali reaction directly. The morphology and thickness of the modified gold film were characterized using scanning electron microscope and Talystep. Experimental results show that the PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform is stable, regenerative and sensitive for horse IgG detection. The detection limit of horse IgG obtained with the present biosensor is 0.625 μg mL- 1, which is 2-fold and 4-fold lower than that obtained with biosensor based on PDA modified Au film and conventional biosensor based on MPA, respectively. Furthermore, when challenged to real serum samples, our sensor exhibited excellent specificity to horse IgG, suggesting its potential for industrial application.

Oligonucleotide-stabilized fluorescent silver nanoclusters for the specific and sensitive detection of biotin.

PubMed

Xiong, Xiaoli; Tang, Yan; Zhao, Jingjin; Zhao, Shulin

2016-02-21

A novel biotin fluorescent probe based on oligonucleotide-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) was synthesized by employing a biotinylated cytosine-rich sequence as a synthesized template. The fluorescence properties of the DNA-AgNCs are related to the modified position of the DNA. When biotin is linked to the middle thymine base of the DNA sequence, the DNA-AgNCs emit the strongest fluorescence. Moreover, the stability of the DNA-AgNCs was affected by avidin through biotin-avidin binding, quenching the fluorescence of the DNA-AgNCs. In contrast, if free biotin is further introduced into this system, the quenching is apparently weakened by competition, leading to the restoration of fluorescence. This phenomenon can be utilized for the detection of biotin. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence recovery is linearly proportional to the concentration of biotin in the range of 10 nM-1.0 μM with a detection limit of 6.0 nM. This DNA-AgNCs probe with excellent fluorescent properties is sensitive and selective for the detection of biotin and has been applied for the determination of biotin in wheat flour.

A chemiluminescence method to detect hydroquinone with water-soluble sulphonato-(salen)manganese(III) complex as catalyst.

PubMed

Zhang, Guangbin; Tang, Yuhai; Sun, Yang; Yu, Hua; Du, Wei; Fu, Qiang

2016-02-01

A water-soluble sulphonato-(salen)manganese(III) complex with excellent catalytic properties was synthesized and demonstrated to greatly enhance the chemiluminescence signal of the hydrogen peroxide - luminol reaction. Coupled with flow-injection technique, a simple and sensitive chemiluminescence method was first developed to detect hydroquinone based on the chemiluminescence system of the hydrogen peroxide-luminol-sulphonato-(salen)manganese(III) complex. Under optimal conditions, the assay exhibited a wide linear range from 0.1 to 10 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.05 ng mL(-1) for hydroquinone. The method was applied successfully to detect hydroquinone in tap-water and mineral-water, with a sampling frequency of 120 times per hour. The relative standard deviation for determination of hydroquinone was less than 5.6%, and the recoveries ranged from 96.8 to 103.0%. The ultraviolet spectra, chemiluminescence spectra, and the reaction kinetics for the peroxide-luminol-sulphonato-(salen)manganese(III) complex system were employed to study the possible chemiluminescence mechanism. The proposed chemiluminescence analysis technique is rapid and sensitive, with low cost, and could be easily extended and applied to other compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Silver-nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering wiper for the detection of dye adulteration of medicinal herbs.

PubMed

Li, Dan; Zhu, Qingxia; Lv, Diya; Zheng, Binxing; Liu, Yanhua; Chai, Yifeng; Lu, Feng

2015-08-01

By using a silver nanoparticle wiper as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate, a highly sensitive, convenient, and rapid platform for detecting dye adulteration of medicinal herbs was obtained. Commercially available filter paper was functionalized with silver nanoparticles to transform it into the flexible wiper. This device was found to collect dye molecules with unprecedented ease. Experiments were performed to optimize various factors such as the type of wiper used, the wetting reagent, and the wetting/wiping mode and time. Excellent wiper performance was observed in the detection of the simulated adulteration of samples with dyes at various concentrations. The limits of detection for nine dyes, including 10(-6) g/mL for malachite green, 10(-7) g/mL for Rhodamine 6G, and 5 × 10(-8) g/mL for methylene blue, were discerned. The results of this investigation show that this proposed method is potentially highly advantageous for field-based applications. Graphical Abstract Schematic diagram illustrating the fabrication of the paper-based SERS substrate, sample collection process on a herb and SERS examination with the portable Raman spectrometer.

Non-enzymatic detection of glucose in fruits using TiO2-Mn3O4 hybrid nano interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayanth Babu, K.; Sasya, Madhurantakam; Nesakumar, Noel; Shankar, Prabakaran; Gumpu, Manju Bhargavi; Ramachandra, Bhat Lakshmishri; Kulandaisamy, Arockia Jayalatha; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

2017-08-01

Consumption of fruits leads to increase in glucose level in blood for diabetic patients, which in turn leads to peripheral, vascular, ocular complications and cardiac diseases. In this context, a non-enzymatic hybrid glucose biosensor was fabricated for the first time to detect glucose by immobilizing titanium oxide-manganese oxide (TiO2-Mn3O4) nanocomposite and chitosan membrane on to the surface of Pt working electrode (Pt/TiO2-Mn3O4/chitosan). TiO2-Mn3O4 nanocomposite catalyzed the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone in the absence of glucose oxidase enzyme with high electron transfer rate, good biocompatibility and large surface coverage. Electrochemical measurements revealed the excellent sensing response of the developed biosensor towards glucose with a high sensitivity of 7.073 µA mM-1, linearity of 0.01-0.1 mM, low detection limit of 0.01 µM, reproducibility of 1.5% and stability of 98.8%. The electrochemical parameters estimated from the anodic process were subjected to linear regression models for the detection of unknown concentration of glucose in different fruit samples.

Integration of a highly ordered gold nanowires array with glucose oxidase for ultra-sensitive glucose detection.

PubMed

Cui, Jiewu; Adeloju, Samuel B; Wu, Yucheng

2014-01-27

A highly sensitive amperometric nanobiosensor has been developed by integration of glucose oxidase (GO(x)) with a gold nanowires array (AuNWA) by cross-linking with a mixture of glutaraldehyde (GLA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). An initial investigation of the morphology of the synthesized AuNWA by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM) revealed that the nanowires array was highly ordered with rough surface, and the electrochemical features of the AuNWA with/without modification were also investigated. The integrated AuNWA-BSA-GLA-GO(x) nanobiosensor with Nafion membrane gave a very high sensitivity of 298.2 μA cm(-2) mM(-1) for amperometric detection of glucose, while also achieving a low detection limit of 0.1 μM, and a wide linear range of 5-6000 μM. Furthermore, the nanobiosensor exhibited excellent anti-interference ability towards uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) with the aid of Nafion membrane, and the results obtained for the analysis of human blood serum indicated that the device is capable of glucose detection in real samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Signal-off Electrochemiluminescence Biosensor Based on Phi29 DNA Polymerase Mediated Strand Displacement Amplification for MicroRNA Detection.

PubMed

Chen, Anyi; Gui, Guo-Feng; Zhuo, Ying; Chai, Ya-Qin; Xiang, Yun; Yuan, Ruo

2015-06-16

A target induced cycling strand displacement amplification (SDA) mediated by phi29 DNA polymerase (phi29) was first investigated and applied in a signal-off electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for microRNA (miRNA) detection. Herein, the target miRNA triggered the phi29-mediated SDA which could produce amounts of single-stranded DNA (assistant probe) with accurate and comprehensive nucleotide sequence. Then, the assistant probe hybridized with the capture probe and the ferrocene-labeled probe (Fc-probe) to form a ternary "Y" structure for ECL signal quenching by ferrocene. Therefore, the ECL intensity would decrease with increasing concentration of the target miRNA, and the sensitivity of biosensor would be promoted on account of the efficient signal amplification of the target induced cycling reaction. Besides, a self-enhanced Ru(II) ECL system was designed to obtain a stable and strong initial signal to further improve the sensitivity. The ECL assay for miRNA-21 detection is developed with excellent sensitivity of a concentration variation from 10 aM to 1.0 pM and limit of detection down to 3.3 aM.

Development of highly sensitive and selective antibodies for the detection of the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) by bioisosteric replacement.

PubMed

Hesse, Almut; Biyikal, Mustafa; Rurack, Knut; Weller, Michael G

2016-02-01

An improved antibody against the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) was developed. The immunogen was designed by the concept of bioisosteric replacement, which led to an excellent polyclonal antibody with extreme selectivity and immunoassays of very good sensitivity. Compounds such as nitroglycerine, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, hexogen (RDX), 2,4,6-trinitroaniline, 1,3-dinitrobenzene, octogen (HMX), triacetone triperoxide, ammonium nitrate, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol and nitrobenzene were tested for potential cross-reactivity. The detection limit of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was determined to be around 0.5 µg/l. The dynamic range of the assay was found to be between 1 and 1000 µg/l, covering a concentration range of three decades. This work shows the successful application of the bioisosteric concept in immunochemistry by exchange of a nitroester to a carbonate diester. The antiserum might be used for the development of quick tests, biosensors, microtitration plate immunoassays, microarrays and other analytical methods for the highly sensitive detection of PETN, an explosive frequently used by terrorists, exploiting the extreme difficulty of its detection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Solid surface fluorescence immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen using PAMAM/CdTe@CdS QDs nanoclusters.

PubMed

Babamiri, Bahareh; Hallaj, Rahman; Salimi, Abdollah

2018-06-20

In the present study, we constructed an ultrasensitive solid surface fluorescence-immunosensor based on highly luminescent CdTe@CdS-PAMAM structures as nanoprobe for determination of HBsAg by monitoring fluorescence intensity. This strategy was achieved by using PAMAM as a signal amplifier; the PAMAM dendrimer with the many functional amine groups can amplify the fluorescence signal of QDs by covalent attachment of CdTe@CdS on PAMAM and hence, improve the sensitivity of the proposed method significantly. A sandwich type immunosensor was formed after the addition of HBsAg and the PAMAM-QD-Ab 2 , respectively. Under optimal conditions, the designed immunosensor demonstrates a good analytical performance for the HBsAg detection in an excellent linear range from 5 fg ml -1 to 0.15 ng ml -1 with the detection limit (LOD) of 0.6 fg ml -1 at a S/N ratio of 3. In addition, the analysis of human serum samples shows that the fluorescent immunoassay has the great potential for early diagnosis of hepatitis B and can be used for the detection of other tumor markers in clinical applications.

Microfluidic lab-on-a-foil for nucleic acid analysis based on isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA).

PubMed

Lutz, Sascha; Weber, Patrick; Focke, Max; Faltin, Bernd; Hoffmann, Jochen; Müller, Claas; Mark, Daniel; Roth, Günter; Munday, Peter; Armes, Niall; Piepenburg, Olaf; Zengerle, Roland; von Stetten, Felix

2010-04-07

For the first time we demonstrate a self-sufficient lab-on-a-foil system for the fully automated analysis of nucleic acids which is based on the recently available isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). The system consists of a novel, foil-based centrifugal microfluidic cartridge including prestored liquid and dry reagents, and a commercially available centrifugal analyzer for incubation at 37 degrees C and real-time fluorescence detection. The system was characterized with an assay for the detection of the antibiotic resistance gene mecA of Staphylococcus aureus. The limit of detection was <10 copies and time-to-result was <20 min. Microfluidic unit operations comprise storage and release of liquid reagents, reconstitution of lyophilized reagents, aliquoting the sample into < or = 30 independent reaction cavities, and mixing of reagents with the DNA samples. The foil-based cartridge was produced by blow-molding and sealed with a self-adhesive tape. The demonstrated system excels existing PCR based lab-on-a-chip platforms in terms of energy efficiency and time-to-result. Applications are suggested in the field of mobile point-of-care analysis, B-detection, or in combination with continuous monitoring systems.

Detection of Optically Faint GEO Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seitzer, P.; Lederer, S.; Barker, E.; Cowardin, H.; Abercromby, K.; Silha, J.; Burkhardt, A.

2014-01-01

There have been extensive optical surveys for debris at geosynchronous orbit (GEO) conducted with meter-class telescopes, such as those conducted with MODEST (the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope, a 0.6-m telescope located at Cerro Tololo in Chile), and the European Space Agency's 1.0-m space debris telescope (SDT) in the Canary Islands. These surveys have detection limits in the range of 18th or 19th magnitude, which corresponds to sizes larger than 10 cm assuming an albedo of 0.175. All of these surveys reveal a substantial population of objects fainter than R = 15th magnitude that are not in the public U.S. Satellite Catalog. To detect objects fainter than 20th magnitude (and presumably smaller than 10 cm) in the visible requires a larger telescope and excellent imaging conditions. This combination is available in Chile. NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office has begun collecting orbital debris observations with the 6.5-m (21.3-ft diameter) "Walter Baade" Magellan telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. The goal is to detect objects as faint as possible from a ground-based observatory and begin to understand the brightness distribution of GEO debris fainter than R = 20th magnitude.

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted dye-silica nanocomposites with high selectivity and sensitivity: Fluorescent imprinted sensor for rapid and efficient detection of τ-fluvalinate in vodka.

PubMed

Wang, Yunyun; Wang, Jixiang; Cheng, Rujia; Sun, Lin; Dai, Xiaohui; Yan, Yongsheng

2018-04-01

An imprinted fluorescent sensor was fabricated based on SiO 2 nanoparticles encapsulated with a molecularly imprinted polymer containing allyl fluorescein. High fluorine cypermethirin as template molecules, methyl methacrylate as functional monomer, and allyl fluorescein as optical materials synthesized a core-shell fluorescent molecular imprinted sensor, which showed a high and rapid sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of τ-fluvalinate. The sensor presented appreciable sensitivity with a limit of 13.251 nM, rapid detection that reached to equilibrium within 3 min, great linear relationship in the relevant concentration range from 0 to 150 nM, and excellent selectivity over structural analogues. In addition, the fluorescent sensor demonstrated desirable regeneration ability (eight cycling operations). The molecularly imprinted polymers ensured specificity, while the fluorescent dyes provided the stabile sensitivity. Finally, an effective application of the sensor was implemented by the detection of τ-fluvalinate in real samples from vodka. The molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor showed a promising potential in environmental monitoring and food safety. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ultrasensitive thrombin detection based on direct electrochemistry of highly loaded hemoglobin spheres-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles as labels and electrocatalysts.

PubMed

Wu, Yongmei; Xu, Wenju; Bai, Lijuan; Yuan, Yali; Yi, Huayu; Chai, Yaqin; Yuan, Ruo

2013-12-15

For the first time, a sandwich-type electrochemical method was proposed for ultrasensitive thrombin (TB) detection based on direct electrochemistry of highly loaded hemoglobin spheres-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs@Hb) as labels and electrocatalysts. The prepared PtNPs@Hb not only exhibited good biocompatibility, excellent electrocatalytic activity, but also presented redox activity of Hb. Thus, it was employed for the fabrication of aptasensor without any extraneous redox mediators, leading to a simple preparation process for the aptasensor. The high loading of Hb spheres as redox mediators could enhance the electrochemical signal. Importantly, the synergetic electrocatalytic behavior of Hb and PtNPs toward H2O2 reduction greatly amplified the electrochemical signal, resulting in the high sensitivity of aptasensor. Consequently, under optimal conditions, the designed aptasensor exhibited a lower detection limit of 0.05 pM and wide dynamic linear range from 0.15 pM to 40 nM for TB detection. Additionally, the proposed mediator-free and signal-amplified electrochemical aptasensor showed great potential in portable and cost-effective TB sensing devices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Real-time detection of mercury ions in water using a reduced graphene oxide/DNA field-effect transistor with assistance of a passivation layer

DOE PAGES

Chang, Jingbo; Zhou, Guihua; Gao, Xianfeng; ...

2015-08-01

Field-effect transistor (FET) sensors based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for detecting chemical species provide a number of distinct advantages, such as ultrasensitivity, label-free, and real-time response. However, without a passivation layer, channel materials directly exposed to an ionic solution could generate multiple signals from ionic conduction through the solution droplet, doping effect, and gating effect. Therefore, a method that provides a passivation layer on the surface of rGO without degrading device performance will significantly improve device sensitivity, in which the conductivity changes solely with the gating effect. In this work, we report rGO FET sensor devices with Hg 2+-dependentmore » DNA as a probe and the use of an Al 2O 3 layer to separate analytes from conducting channel materials. The device shows good electronic stability, excellent lower detection limit (1 nM), and high sensitivity for real-time detection of Hg 2+ in an underwater environment. Our work shows that optimization of an rGO FET structure can provide significant performance enhancement and profound fundamental understanding for the sensor mechanism.« less

Sensitive, label-free protein assay using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate-supported microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Xu, Yuanhong; Li, Jing; Wang, Erkang

2008-05-01

Based on the dimer-monomer equilibrium movement of the fluorescent dye Pyronin Y (PY), a rapid, simple, highly sensitive, label-free method for protein detection was developed by microchip electrophoresis with LIF detection. PY formed a nonfluorescent dimer induced by the premicellar aggregation of an anionic surfactant, SDS, however, the fluorescence intensity of the system increased dramatically when proteins such as BSA, bovine hemoglobin, cytochrome c, and trypsin were added to the solution due to the transition of dimer to fluorescent monomer. Furthermore, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMImBF4) instead of PBS was applied as running buffers in microchip electrophoresis. Due to the excellent properties of EMImBF4, not only nonspecific protein adsorption was more efficiently suppressed, but also approximately ten-fold higher fluorescence intensity enhancement was obtained than that using PBS. Under the optimal conditions, detection limits for BSA, bovine hemoglobin, cytochrome c, and trypsin were 1.00x10(-6), 2x10(-6), 7x10(-7), and 5x10(-7) mg/mL, respectively. Thus, without covalent modification of the protein, a protein assay method with high sensitivity was achieved on microchips.

A sensitive acetylcholinesterase biosensor based on gold nanorods modified electrode for detection of organophosphate pesticide.

PubMed

Lang, Qiaolin; Han, Lei; Hou, Chuantao; Wang, Fei; Liu, Aihua

2016-08-15

A sensitive amperometric acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor, based on gold nanorods (AuNRs), was developed for the detection of organophosphate pesticide. Compared with Au@Ag heterogeneous NRs, AuNRs exhibited excellent electrocatalytic properties, which can electrocatalytically oxidize thiocholine, the hydrolysate of acetylthiocholine chloride (ATCl) by AChE at +0.55V (vs. SCE). The AChE/AuNRs/GCE biosensor was fabricated on basis of the inhibition of AChE activity by organophosphate pesticide. The biosensor could detect paraoxon in the linear range from 1nM to 5μM and dimethoate in the linear range from 5nM to 1μM, respectively. The detection limits of paraoxon and dimethoate were 0.7nM and 3.9nM, which were lower than the reported AChE biosensor. The proposed biosensor could restore to over 95% of its original current, which demonstrated the good reactivation. Moreover, the biosensor can be applicable to real water sample measurement. Thus, the biosensor exhibited low applied potential, high sensitivity and good stability, providing a promising tool for analysis of pesticides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An aptamer-based biosensing platform for highly sensitive detection of platelet-derived growth factor via enzyme-mediated direct electrochemistry.

PubMed

Deng, Kun; Xiang, Yang; Zhang, Liqun; Chen, Qinghai; Fu, Weiling

2013-01-08

In this work, a new label-free electrochemical aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor) was constructed for detection of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) based on the direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOD). For this proposed aptasensor, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)-protected graphene-gold nanoparticles (P-Gra-GNPs) composite was firstly coated on electrode surface to form the interface with biocompatibility and huge surface area for the adsorption of GOD layer. Subsequently, gold nanoclusters (GNCs) were deposited on the surface of GOD to capture PDGF binding aptamer (PBA). Finally, GOD as a blocking reagent was employed to block the remaining active sites of the GNCs and avoid the nonspecific adsorption. With the direct electron transfer of double layer GOD membranes, the aptasensor showed excellent electrochemical response and the peak current decreased linearly with increasing logarithm of PDGF concentration from 0.005 nM to 60 nM with a relatively low limit of detection of 1.7 pM. The proposed aptasensor exhibited high specificity, good reproducibility and long-term stability, which provided a new promising technique for aptamer-based protein detection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implementation of a SPR immunosensor for the simultaneous detection of the 22K and 20K hGH isoforms in human serum samples.

PubMed

de Juan-Franco, Elena; Rodríguez-Frade, J M; Mellado, M; Lechuga, Laura M

2013-09-30

We have implemented a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) immunosensor based on a sandwich assay for the simultaneous detection of the two main hGH isoforms, of 22 kDa (22K) and 20 kDa (20K). An oriented-antibody sensor surface specific for both hormone isoforms was assembled by using the biotin-streptavidin system. The immunosensor functionality was checked for the direct detection of the 22K hGH isoform in buffer, which gave high specificity and reproducibility (intra and inter-assay mean coefficients of variation of 8.23% and 9% respectively). The selective determination of the 22K and 20K hGH isoforms in human serum samples in a single assay was possible by using two specific anti-hGH monoclonal antibodies. The detection limit for both hormone isoforms was 0.9 ng mL(-1) and the mean coefficient of variation was below 7.2%. The excellent reproducibility and sensitivity obtained indicate the high performance of this immunosensor for implementing an anti-doping test. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interferometric nanoporous anodic alumina photonic coatings for optical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuting; Santos, Abel; Wang, Ye; Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Changhai; Li, Junsheng; Losic, Dusan

2015-04-01

Herein, we present a systematic study on the development, optical optimization and sensing applicability of colored photonic coatings based on nanoporous anodic alumina films grown on aluminum substrates. These optical nanostructures, so-called distributed Bragg reflectors (NAA-DBRs), are fabricated by galvanostatic pulse anodization process, in which the current density is altered in a periodic manner in order to engineer the effective medium of the resulting photonic coatings. As-prepared NAA-DBR photonic coatings present brilliant interference colors on the surface of aluminum, which can be tuned at will within the UV-visible spectrum by means of the anodization profile. A broad library of NAA-DBR colors is produced by means of different anodization profiles. Then, the effective medium of these NAA-DBR photonic coatings is systematically assessed in terms of optical sensitivity, low limit of detection and linearity by reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) in order to optimize their nanoporous structure toward optical sensors with enhanced sensing performance. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of these photonic nanostructures as optical platforms by selectively detecting gold(iii) ions in aqueous solutions. The obtained results reveal that optimized NAA-DBR photonic coatings can achieve an outstanding sensing performance for gold(iii) ions, with a sensitivity of 22.16 nm μM-1, a low limit of detection of 0.156 μM (i.e. 30.7 ppb) and excellent linearity within the working range (0.9983).Herein, we present a systematic study on the development, optical optimization and sensing applicability of colored photonic coatings based on nanoporous anodic alumina films grown on aluminum substrates. These optical nanostructures, so-called distributed Bragg reflectors (NAA-DBRs), are fabricated by galvanostatic pulse anodization process, in which the current density is altered in a periodic manner in order to engineer the effective medium of the resulting photonic coatings. As-prepared NAA-DBR photonic coatings present brilliant interference colors on the surface of aluminum, which can be tuned at will within the UV-visible spectrum by means of the anodization profile. A broad library of NAA-DBR colors is produced by means of different anodization profiles. Then, the effective medium of these NAA-DBR photonic coatings is systematically assessed in terms of optical sensitivity, low limit of detection and linearity by reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) in order to optimize their nanoporous structure toward optical sensors with enhanced sensing performance. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of these photonic nanostructures as optical platforms by selectively detecting gold(iii) ions in aqueous solutions. The obtained results reveal that optimized NAA-DBR photonic coatings can achieve an outstanding sensing performance for gold(iii) ions, with a sensitivity of 22.16 nm μM-1, a low limit of detection of 0.156 μM (i.e. 30.7 ppb) and excellent linearity within the working range (0.9983). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The Supporting Information file provides further information about real-time monitoring of ΔOTeff with changes in the refractive index of the medium filling the nanopores, demonstration of visual red shift in a NAA-DBR sample after infiltration with isopropanol and calculations of linearity (R2) for each NAA-DBR coating. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00369e

External evaluation of the Dimension Vista 1500® intelligent lab system.

PubMed

Bruneel, Arnaud; Dehoux, Monique; Barnier, Anne; Boutten, Anne

2012-09-01

Dimension Vista® analyzer combines four technologies (photometry, nephelometry, V-LYTE® integrated multisensor potentiometry, and LOCI® chemiluminescence) into one high-throughput system. We assessed analytical performance of assays routinely performed in our emergency laboratory according to the VALTEC protocol, and practicability. Precision was good for most parameters. Analytical domain was large and suitable for undiluted analysis in most clinical settings encountered in our hospital. Data were comparable and correlated to our routine analyzers (Roche Modular DP®, Abbott AXSYM®, Siemens Dimension® RxL, and BN ProSpec®). Performance of nephelometric and LOCI modules was excellent. Functional sensitivity of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and cardiac troponin I were 0.165 mg/l and 0.03 ng/ml, respectively (coefficient of variation; CV < 10%). The influence of interfering substances (i.e., hemoglobin, bilirubin, or lipids) was moderate, and Dimension Vista® specifically alerted for interference according to HIL (hemolysis, icterus, lipemia) indices. Good instrument performance and full functionality (no reagent or sample carryover in the conditions evaluated, effective sample-volume detection, and clot detection) were confirmed. Simulated routine testing demonstrated excellent practicability, throughput, ease of use of software and security. Performance and practicability of Dimension Vista® are highly suitable for both routine and emergency use. Since no volume detection and thus no warning is available on limited sample racks, pediatric samples require special caution to the Siemens protocol to be analyzed in secured conditions. Our experience in routine practice is also discussed, i.e., the impact of daily workload, "manual" steps resulting from dilutions and pediatric samples, maintenances, flex hydration on instrument's performance on throughput and turnaround time. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Simultaneous quantitation of cytokeratin-19 fragment and carcinoembryonic antigen in human serum via quantum dot-doped nanoparticles.

PubMed

Chen, Zhenhua; Liang, Rongliang; Guo, Xinxin; Liang, Junyu; Deng, Qiaoting; Li, Min; An, Taixue; Liu, Tiancai; Wu, Yingsong

2017-05-15

A novel quantum dot-doped polystyrene nanoparticles-based lateral flow test strips (QPs-LFTS) system was developed to simultaneously detect a cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human serum to aid the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer. Quantum dot-doped carboxylate-functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles (QPs) were prepared and introduced as fluorescent reporters in QPs-LFTS. The detection was based on a sandwich immunoassay and performed on lateral flow test strips, with an assay time of 15min. The strips were read by a fluorescence strip reader to obtain the fluorescence peak heights of the test lines (H T ) and the control line (H C ). The ratio of H T /H C was used for quantitation. The QPs showed excellent photoproperties and good performance. Under optimal conditions, the QPs-LFTS system exhibited a wide linear range for CYFRA 21-1 (1.3-480ng/mL) and CEA (2.8-680ng/mL). The detection limits for CYFRA 21-1 and CEA were 0.16 and 0.35ng/mL, respectively. The recovery and reproducibility of the method were satisfactory. Furthermore, excellent correlations (n =120, R 2 =0.9862, P<0.0001 for CYFRA 21-1; n =70, R 2 =0.9509, P<0.0001 for CEA) were obtained between the QPs-LFTS and commercially available chemiluminescence immunoassay kits in clinical serum testing. The results indicate that this developed test system is highly efficient and is expected to be useful for early screening and prognosis evaluation for lung cancer patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance with variable-density spiral pulse sequences accurately detects coronary artery disease: initial clinical evaluation.

PubMed

Salerno, Michael; Taylor, Angela; Yang, Yang; Kuruvilla, Sujith; Ragosta, Michael; Meyer, Craig H; Kramer, Christopher M

2014-07-01

Adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging can be limited by motion-induced dark-rim artifacts, which may be mistaken for true perfusion abnormalities. A high-resolution variable-density spiral pulse sequence with a novel density compensation strategy has been shown to reduce dark-rim artifacts in first-pass perfusion imaging. We aimed to assess the clinical performance of adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance using this new perfusion sequence to detect obstructive coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging was performed during adenosine stress (140 μg/kg per minute) and at rest on a Siemens 1.5-T Avanto scanner in 41 subjects with chest pain scheduled for coronary angiography. Perfusion images were acquired during injection of 0.1 mmol/kg Gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentacetate at 3 short-axis locations using a saturation recovery interleaved variable-density spiral pulse sequence. Significant stenosis was defined as >50% by quantitative coronary angiography. Two blinded reviewers evaluated the perfusion images for the presence of adenosine-induced perfusion abnormalities and assessed image quality using a 5-point scale (1 [poor] to 5 [excellent]). The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease by quantitative coronary angiography was 68%. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 89%, 85%, and 88%, respectively, with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93% and 79%, respectively. The average image quality score was 4.4±0.7, with only 1 study with more than mild dark-rim artifacts. There was good inter-reader reliability with a κ statistic of 0.67. Spiral adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance results in high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease with excellent image quality and minimal dark-rim artifacts. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

A homogeneous and "off-on" fluorescence aptamer-based assay for chloramphenicol using vesicle quantum dot-gold colloid composite probes.

PubMed

Miao, Yang-Bao; Ren, Hong-Xia; Gan, Ning; Zhou, You; Cao, Yuting; Li, Tianhua; Chen, Yinji

2016-07-27

In this work, a novel homogeneous and signal "off-on" aptamer based fluorescence assay was successfully developed to detect chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in food based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The vesicle nanotracer was prepared through labeling single stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) on limposome-CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (SSB/L-QD) complexes. It was worth mentioning that the signal tracer (SSB/L-QD) with vesicle shape, which was fabricated being encapsulated with a number of quantum dots and SSB. The nanotracer has excellent signal amplification effects. The vesicle composite probe was formed by combining aptamer labeled nano-gold (Au-Apt) and SSB/L-QD. Which based on SSB's specific affinity towards aptamer. This probe can't emit fluoresce which is in "off" state because the signal from SSB/L-QD as donor can be quenched by the Au-aptas acceptor. When CAP was added in the composite probe solution, the aptamer on the Au-Apt can be preferentially bounded with CAP then release from the composite probe, which can turn the "off" signal of SSB/L-QD tracer into "on" state. The assay indicates excellent linear response to CAP from 0.001 nM to 10 nM and detection limit down to 0.3 pM. The vesicle probes with size of 88 nm have strong signal amplification. Because a larger number of QDs can be labeled inside the double phosphorus lipid membrane. Besides, it was employed to detect CAP residues in the milk samples with results being agreed well with those from ELISA, verifying its accuracy and reliability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA-encapsulated silver nanodots as ratiometric luminescent probes for hypochlorite detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Soonyoung; Choi, Sungmoon; Yu, Junhua

2014-03-01

DNA-encapsulated silver nanodots are noteworthy candidates for bio-imaging probes, thanks to their excellent photophysical properties. The spectral shift of silver nanodot emitters from red to blue shows excellent correlations with the concentration of reactive oxygen species, which makes it possible to develop new types of probes for reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl), given the outstanding stability of the blue in oxidizing environments. HOCl plays a role as a microbicide in immune systems but, on the other hand, is regarded as a disease contributor. Moreover, it is a common ingredient in household cleaners. There are still great demands to detect HOCl fluxes and their physiological pathways. We introduce a new ratiometric luminescence imaging method based on silver nanodots to sensitively detect hypochlorite. The factors that influence the accuracy of the detection are investigated. Its availability has also been demonstrated by detecting the active component in cleaners.

Green route for synthesis of multifunctional fluorescent carbon dots from Tulsi leaves and its application as Cr(VI) sensors, bio-imaging and patterning agents.

PubMed

Bhatt, Shreya; Bhatt, Madhuri; Kumar, Anshu; Vyas, Gaurav; Gajaria, Tejal; Paul, Parimal

2018-07-01

We report a one pot green strategy for the synthesis of carbon dots using tulsi leaves and their potential application in sensing of Cr(VI) selectively. The detection mechanism is based on the phenomenon called inner filter effect (IFE) and a good linear static quenching was observed in the range of 1.6 μM to 50 μM with a detection limit of 4.5 ppb. The reversible switching in fluorescence has been tested and a good recovery in fluorescence was observed up to three consecutive cycles upon addition of ascorbic acid as reducing agent. Also the low toxicity, high fluorescence and photostabilty of the CDs make them excellent imaging and patterning agent. The acid and alkali resistant property of these CDs makes it suitable for real sample analysis. The fluorescent CDs were applied for successful detection of Cr(VI) in water with spike-recoveries ranging from 93 to 99%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA nanosensor based on biocompatible graphene quantum dots and carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Qian, Zhao Sheng; Shan, Xiao Yue; Chai, Lu Jing; Ma, Juan Juan; Chen, Jian Rong; Feng, Hui

2014-10-15

An ultrasensitive nanosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between biocompatible graphene quantum dots and carbon nanotubes for DNA detection was reported. We take advantage of good biocompatibility and strong fluorescence of graphene quantum dots, base pairing specificity of DNA and unique fluorescence resonance energy transfer between graphene quantum dots and carbon nanotubes to achieve the analysis of low concentrations of DNA. Graphene quantum dots with high quantum yield up to 0.20 were prepared and served as the fluorophore of DNA probe. FRET process between graphene quantum dots-labeled probe and oxidized carbon nanotubes is easily achieved due to their efficient self-assembly through specific π-π interaction. This nanosensor can distinguish complementary and mismatched nucleic acid sequences with high sensitivity and good reproducibility. The detection method based on this nanosensor possesses a broad linear span of up to 133.0 nM and ultralow detection limit of 0.4 nM. The constructed nanosensor is expected to be highly biocompatible because of all its components with excellent biocompatibility. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-Pot Green Synthesis of Graphene Nanosheets Encapsulated Gold Nanoparticles for Sensitive and Selective Detection of Dopamine

PubMed Central

Thirumalraj, Balamurugan; Rajkumar, Chellakannu; Chen, Shen-Ming; Palanisamy, Selvakumar

2017-01-01

We report a simple new approach for green preparation of gallic acid supported reduced graphene oxide encapsulated gold nanoparticles (GA-RGO/AuNPs) via one-pot hydrothermal method. The as-prepared composites were successfully characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction techniques (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and elemental analysis. The GA-RGO/AuNPs modified electrode behaves as a hybrid electrode material for sensitive and selective detection of dopamine (DA) in presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). The GA-RGO/AuNPs modified electrode displays an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of DA and exhibits a wide linear response range over the DA concentrations from 0.01–100.3 μM with a detection limit (LOD) of 2.6 nM based on S/N = 3. In addition, the proposed sensor could be applied for the determination of DA in human serum and urine samples for practical analysis. PMID:28128225

Voltammetric determination of In3+ based on the bifunctionality of a multi-walled carbon nanotubes-nafion modified electrode.

PubMed

Li, Junhua; Zhang, Fuxing; Wang, Jianqiu; Xu, Zhifeng; Zeng, Rongying

2009-05-01

Due to the strong cation-exchange ability of Nafion and the excellent properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), a highly sensitive and mercury-free method of determining trace levels of In(3+) has been established based on the bifunctionality of a MWCNTs/Nafion modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The MWCNTs/Nafion modified GCE detects In(3+) in a 0.01 M HAc-NaAc buffer solution at pH 5.0 using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The experimental results suggest that a sensitive anodic stripping peak appears at -0.58 V on anodic stripping voltammograms, which can be used as an analytical signal for the determination of In(3+). A good linear relationship between the stripping peak currents and the In(3+) concentration is obtained, covering the concentration range from 5.0 x 10(-10) to 2.0 x 10(-7) M, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999; the detection limit is 1.0 x 10(-11) M. This proposed method has been applied to detect In(3+) as a new way.

Rapid Modified QuEChERS Method for Pesticides Detection in Honey by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography UV-visible

PubMed Central

Ceci, Edmondo; Montemurro, Nicola; Tantillo, Giuseppina; Di Pinto, Angela; Celano, Gaetano Vitale; Bozzo, Giancarlo

2014-01-01

The extensive use of pesticides in agriculture plays an important role in bees die-off and allows the presence of residues in hive products, particularly in honey. An accurate and reliable analytical method, based on QuEChERS extractive technique, has been developed for the quantitative determination by high-performance liquid chromatography UV-visible detector of 5 pesticides (Deltamethrin, Dimethoate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Chlorfenvinphos) in honey. The method, according to Commission Directive 2002/63/EC and Regulation 882/2004/EC, provided excellent results with respect to linearity (correlation coefficient up to 0.993), limits of detection and quantification (0.005 and 0.01 µg/mL for Dimethoate, Deltamethrin and Chlorfenvinphos; 0.02 and 0.05 µg/mL for Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid), recovery values (86.4 to 96.3%), precision and relative expanded uncertainty of a measurement, demonstrating the conformity of the this method with the European directives. The proposed method was applied to 23 samples of Apulian honey. None of the investigated pesticides was detected in these samples. PMID:27800334

Sensitive electrochemical detection of dopamine with a DNA/graphene bi-layer modified carbon ionic liquid electrode.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaofeng; You, Zheng; Sha, Hailiang; Cheng, Yong; Zhu, Huanhuan; Sun, Wei

2014-10-01

A DNA and graphene (GR) bi-layer modified carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) was fabricated by an electrodeposition method. GR nanosheets were electrodeposited on the surface of CILE at the potential of -1.3 V and then DNA was further deposited at the potential of +0.5 V on GR modified CILE. Electrochemical performances of the fabricated DNA/GR/CILE were carefully investigated. Then electrochemical behaviors of dopamine (DA) on the modified electrode were studied with the calculated electrochemical parameters. Under the optimized conditions, a linear relationship between the oxidation peak current and the concentration of DA was obtained in the range from 0.1 μmol/L to 1.0 mmol/L with a detection limit of 0.027 μmol/L (3σ). The modified electrode exhibited excellent reproducibility, repeatability, stability, validation and robustness for the electrochemical detection of DA. The proposed method was further applied to the DA injection solution and human urine samples determination with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-Pot Green Synthesis of Graphene Nanosheets Encapsulated Gold Nanoparticles for Sensitive and Selective Detection of Dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thirumalraj, Balamurugan; Rajkumar, Chellakannu; Chen, Shen-Ming; Palanisamy, Selvakumar

2017-01-01

We report a simple new approach for green preparation of gallic acid supported reduced graphene oxide encapsulated gold nanoparticles (GA-RGO/AuNPs) via one-pot hydrothermal method. The as-prepared composites were successfully characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction techniques (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and elemental analysis. The GA-RGO/AuNPs modified electrode behaves as a hybrid electrode material for sensitive and selective detection of dopamine (DA) in presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). The GA-RGO/AuNPs modified electrode displays an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of DA and exhibits a wide linear response range over the DA concentrations from 0.01-100.3 μM with a detection limit (LOD) of 2.6 nM based on S/N = 3. In addition, the proposed sensor could be applied for the determination of DA in human serum and urine samples for practical analysis.

Photonic Crystal Sensors Based on Porous Silicon

PubMed Central

Pacholski, Claudia

2013-01-01

Porous silicon has been established as an excellent sensing platform for the optical detection of hazardous chemicals and biomolecular interactions such as DNA hybridization, antigen/antibody binding, and enzymatic reactions. Its porous nature provides a high surface area within a small volume, which can be easily controlled by changing the pore sizes. As the porosity and consequently the refractive index of an etched porous silicon layer depends on the electrochemial etching conditions photonic crystals composed of multilayered porous silicon films with well-resolved and narrow optical reflectivity features can easily be obtained. The prominent optical response of the photonic crystal decreases the detection limit and therefore increases the sensitivity of porous silicon sensors in comparison to sensors utilizing Fabry-Pérot based optical transduction. Development of porous silicon photonic crystal sensors which allow for the detection of analytes by the naked eye using a simple color change or the fabrication of stacked porous silicon photonic crystals showing two distinct optical features which can be utilized for the discrimination of analytes emphasize its high application potential. PMID:23571671

Direct spectral analysis and determination of high content of carcinogenic bromine in bread using UV pulsed laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.

PubMed

Mehder, A O; Gondal, Mohammed A; Dastageer, Mohamed A; Habibullah, Yusuf B; Iqbal, Mohammed A; Oloore, Luqman E; Gondal, Bilal

2016-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied for the detection of carcinogenic elements like bromine in four representative brands of loaf bread samples and the measured bromine concentrations were 352, 157, 451, and 311 ppm, using Br I (827.2 nm) atomic transition line as the finger print atomic transition. Our LIBS system is equipped with a pulsed laser of wavelength 266 nm with energy 25 mJ pulse(-1), 8 ns pulse duration, 20 Hz repetition rate, and a gated ICCD camera. The LIBS system was calibrated with the standards of known concentrations in the sample (bread) matrix and such plot is linear in 20-500 ppm range. The capability of our system in terms of limit of detection and relative accuracy with respect to the standard inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) technique was evaluated and these values were 5.09 ppm and 0.01-0.05, respectively, which ensures the applicability of our system for Br trace level detection, and LIBS results are in excellent agreement with that of ICPMS results.

Tracking metal ions with polypyrrole thin films adhesively bonded to diazonium-modified flexible ITO electrodes.

PubMed

Lo, Momath; Diaw, Abdou K D; Gningue-Sall, Diariatou; Aaron, Jean-Jacques; Oturan, Mehmet A; Chehimi, Mohamed M

2018-05-09

Adhesively bonded polypyrrole thin films doped with benzene sulfonic acid (BSA) were electrodeposited on aminobenzenediazonium-modified flexible ITO electrodes and further employed for the detection of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ metal ions in aqueous medium. The aminophenyl (AP) adhesive layer was grafted to ITO by electroreduction of the in situ generated parent diazonium compound. Polypyrrole (PPy) thin films exhibited remarkable adhesion to aminophenyl (ITO-AP). The strongly adherent polypyrrole films exhibited excellent electroactivity in the doped state with BSA which itself served to chelate the metal ions in aqueous medium. The surface of the resulting, modified flexible electrode was characterized by XPS, SEM, and electrochemical methods. The ITO-AP-PPy electrodes were then used for the simultaneous detection of Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Pb 2+ by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The detection limits were 11.1, 8.95, and 0.99 nM for Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Pb 2+ , respectively. In addition, the modified electrodes displayed a good reproducibility, making them suitable for the determination of heavy metals in real wastewater samples.

Molecular imprinting ratiometric fluorescence sensor for highly selective and sensitive detection of phycocyanin.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoyan; Yu, Jialuo; Kang, Qi; Shen, Dazhong; Li, Jinhua; Chen, Lingxin

2016-03-15

A facile strategy was developed to prepare molecular imprinting ratiometric fluorescence sensor for highly selective and sensitive detection of phycocyanin (PC) based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), via a sol-gel polymerization process using nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) as fluorescent signal source. The ratio of two fluorescence peak emission intensities of NBD and PC was utilized to determine the concentration of PC, which could effectively reduce the background interference and fluctuation of diverse conditions. As a result, this sensor obtained high sensitivity with a low detection limit of 0.14 nM within 6 min, and excellent recognition specificity for PC over its analogues with a high imprinting factor of 9.1. Furthermore, the sensor attained high recoveries in the range of 93.8-110.2% at three spiking levels of PC, with precisions below 4.7% in seawater and lake water samples. The developed sensor strategy demonstrated simplicity, reliability, rapidity, high selectivity and high sensitivity, proving to be a feasible way to develop high efficient fluorescence sensors and thus potentially applicable for ultratrace analysis of complicated matrices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid detection of malachite green in fish based on CdTe quantum dots coated with molecularly imprinted silica.

PubMed

Wu, Le; Lin, Zheng-Zhong; Zhong, Hui-Ping; Peng, Ai-Hong; Chen, Xiao-Mei; Huang, Zhi-Yong

2017-08-15

A sensitive fluorescence sensor for the detection of malachite green (MG) was fabricated by grafting molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) onto the surface of CdTe quantum dots (QDs). The MIP-coated QDs were synthesized via a reverse microemulsion method using (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. The optimum molar ratio of MG, functional monomer and cross-linker was 1:3:10. The MIP-coated QDs exhibited uniform spheres with diameter around 49nm and excellent fluorescence emission at λ ex 370nm. A linear relationship with two segments between the relative fluorescence intensities and the MG concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 20μmol·L -1 could be obtained with a detection limit of 12μg·kg -1 . The fluorescent probe was successfully applied to the determination of MG in fish samples with the spiked recoveries ranging from 94.3% to 109.5% which were in accordance with those of the measurement by HPLC-UV. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Facile Electrochemical Preparation of Reduced Graphene Oxide@Polydopamine Composite: A Novel Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Amperometric Detection of Chlorpromazine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palanisamy, Selvakumar; Thirumalraj, Balamurugan; Chen, Shen-Ming; Wang, Yi-Ting; Velusamy, Vijayalakshmi; Ramaraj, Sayee Kannan

2016-09-01

We report a novel and sensitive amperometric sensor for chlorpromazine (CPZ) based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and polydopamine (PDA) composite modified glassy carbon electrode. The RGO@PDA composite was prepared by electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with PDA. The RGO@PDA composite modified electrode shows an excellent electro-oxidation behavior to CPZ when compared with other modified electrodes such as GO, RGO and GO@PDA. Amperometric i-t method was used for the determination of CPZ. Amperometry result shows that the RGO@PDA composite detects CPZ in a linear range from 0.03 to 967.6 μM. The sensor exhibits a low detection limit of 0.0018 μM with the analytical sensitivity of 3.63 ± 0.3 μAμM-1 cm-2. The RGO@PDA composite shows its high selectivity towards CPZ in the presence of potentially interfering drugs such as metronidazole, phenobarbital, chlorpheniramine maleate, pyridoxine and riboflavin. In addition, the fabricated RGO@PDA modified electrode showed an appropriate recovery towards CPZ in the pharmaceutical tablets.

Optical sensor for fluoride determination in tea sample based on evanescent-wave interaction and fiber-optic integration.

PubMed

Xiong, Yan; Wu, Jiayi; Wang, Qing; Xu, Jing; Fang, Shenwen; Chen, Jie; Duan, Ming

2017-11-01

In this work, a miniaturized optical sensor was developed for fluoride determination in tea samples to evaluate their specific risks of fluorosis for public health based on evanescent-wave interaction. The sensor design was integrated on the optical fiber by utilizing the evanescent wave produced on the fiber surface to react with sensing reagents. According to the absorption change at 575nm, fluoride could be determined by colorimetric method and evaluated by Beer's law. With improved performances of small detection volume (1.2μL), fast analysis (0.41min), wide linear range (0.01-1.4mgL -1 ), low detection limit (3.5μgL -1 , 3σ) and excellent repeatability (2.34%), the sensor has been applied to fluoride determination in six different tea samples. Conventional spectrophotometry and ion chromatography were employed to validate the sensor's accuracy and potential application. Furthermore, this sensor fabrication provided a miniaturized colorimetric detection platform for other hazardous species monitoring based on evanescent wave interaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid visual and spectrophotometric nitrite detection by cyclometalated ruthenium complex.

PubMed

Lo, Hoi-Shing; Lo, Ka-Wai; Yeung, Chi-Fung; Wong, Chun-Yuen

2017-10-16

Quantitative determination of nitrite ion (NO 2 - ) is of great importance in environmental and clinical investigations. A rapid visual and spectrophotometric assay for NO 2 - detection was developed based on a newly designed ruthenium complex, [Ru(npy)([9]aneS3)(CO)](ClO 4 ) (denoted as RuNPY; npy = 2-(1-naphthyl)pyridine, [9]aneS3 = 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane). This complex traps NO + produced in acidified NO 2 - solution, and yields observable color change within 1 min at room temperature. The assay features excellent dynamic range (1-840 μmol L -1 ) and high selectivity, and its limit of detection (0.39 μmol L -1 ) is also well below the guideline values for drinking water recommended by WHO and U.S. EPA. Practical use of this assay in tap water and human urine was successfully demonstrated. Overall, the rapidity and selectivity of this assay overcome the problems suffered by the commonly used modified Griess assays for nitrite determination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal growth of CuO nanoleaf structures, and their mercuric ion detection application.

PubMed

Ibupoto, Z H; Khun, K; Willander, M

2014-09-01

Mercury is the hazardous heavy metal ion for the environment and the human being therefore its determination is very important and herein we describe the development of mercury ion sensor on the CuO nanoleaf like nanostructures using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant as template for the growth by hydrothermal growth method. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction study has shown high density and good crystal quality of the fabricated CuO nanostructures respectively. The presented mercury ion sensor has detected the wide range of 1.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-1) M mercury ion concentrations with an acceptable Nernstian behaviour and a sensitivity of 30.1 ± 0.6 mV/decade. The proposed mercury ion sensor exhibited low detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-8) M and also a fast response time of less than 5 s. In addition, the presented mercury ion sensor has shown an excellent repeatability, reproducibility, stability and selectivity. Moreover, the mercury ion selective electrode based on CuO nanoleaves was tested as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration.

Electroactive Au@Ag nanoparticles driven electrochemical sensor for endogenous H2S detection.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuan; Yang, Yaxin; Cui, Linyan; Zheng, Fangjie; Song, Qijun

2018-05-26

In this work, a novel and facile electrochemical sensor is reported for the highly selective and sensitive detection of dissolved hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), attributing to the redox reaction between Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) and H 2 S. Electroactive Au@Ag NPs not only possess excellent conductivity, but exhibit great electrochemical reactivity at 0.26 V due to the electrochemical oxidation from Ag° to Ag + . In the presence of H 2 S, the Ag shell of Au@Ag NPs can be oxidized to Ag 2 S, resulting in the decrease of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) peak at 0.26 V. The electrochemical sensor exhibits a wide linear response range from 0.1 nM to 500 nM. The limit of detection (LOD) for H 2 S is as low as 0.04 nM. The developed sensor shows significant prospects in the study of pathological processes related to the mechanism of H 2 S production. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An enhanced sensing platform for ultrasensitive impedimetric detection of target genes based on ordered FePt nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Zong, Peisong; Zheng, Xiuwen; Wang, Libin

2013-04-15

We demonstrate a novel high-performance DNA hybridization biosensor with a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based nanocomposite membrane as the enhanced sensing platform. The platform was constructed by homogenously distributing ordered FePt nanoparticles (NPs) onto the CNTs matrix. The surface structure and electrochemical performance of the FePt/CNTs nanocomposite membrane were systematically investigated. Such a nanostructured composite membrane platform could combine with the advantages of FePt NPs and CNTs, greatly facilitate the electron-transfer process and the sensing behavior for DNA detection, leading to excellent sensitivity and selectivity. The complementary target genes from acute promyelocytic leukemia could be quantified in a wide range of 1.0×10⁻¹² mol/L to 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol/L using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the detection limit was 2.1×10⁻¹³ mol/L under the optimal conditions. In addition, the DNA electrochemical biosensor was highly selective to discriminate single-base or double-base mismatched sequences. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Molecular identification and detection of moon jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) based on partial sequencing of mitochondrial 16S rDNA and COI].

PubMed

Wang, Jian-Yan; Zhen, Yu; Wang, Guo-shan; Mi, Tie-Zhu; Yu, Zhi-gang

2013-03-01

Taking the moon jellyfish Aurelia sp. commonly found in our coastal sea areas as test object, its genome DNA was extracted, the partial sequences of mt-16S rDNA (650 bp) and mt-COI (709 bp) were PCR-amplified, and, after purification, cloning, and sequencing, the sequences obtained were BLASTn-analyzed. The sequences of greater difference with those of the other jellyfish were chosen, and eight specific primers for the mt-16S rDNA and mt-COI of Aurelia sp. were designed, respectively. The specificity test indicated that the primer AS3 for the mt-16S rDNA and the primer AC3 for the mt-COI were excellent in rapidly detecting the target jellyfish from Rhopilema esculentum, Nemopilema nomurai, Cyanea nozakii, Acromitus sp., and Aurelia sp., and thus, the techniques for the molecular identification and detection of moon jellyfish were preliminarily established, which could get rid of the limitations in classical morphological identification of Aurelia sp. , being able to find the Aurelia sp. in the samples more quickly and accurately.

Polyamidoamine dendrimers-capped carbon dots/Au nanocrystal nanocomposites and its application for electrochemical immunosensor.

PubMed

Gao, Qi; Han, Jingman; Ma, Zhanfang

2013-11-15

In this work, polyamidoamine dendrimers capped-carbon dots (PAMAM-CDs) were fabricated by one-step microwave assisted pyrolysis of citric acid (CA) and PAMAM, where the formation of CDs and the surface passivation were accomplished simultaneously. The obtained graphitic PAMAM-CDs, with abundant amine groups, were employed as reducing and capping agents for the formation of PAMAM-CDs/Au nanocrystal nanocomposites. The resulting nanocomposites exhibited excellent conductivity, stability and biocompatibility on the surface of electrode and were designed as an immobilized matrix for sensitive immunosensing of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The proposed immunosensor showed a wide linear detection range from 100 fg mL(-1) to 100 ng mL(-1). The detection limit for AFP was 0.025 pg mL(-1). Importantly, the immunosensor was evaluated for the analysis of clinical serum samples, obtaining a good correlation with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results indicated that the immunosensor provided a possible application for the detection of AFP in clinical diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous assembled nanocomplexes for ratiometric detection of highly reactive oxygen species in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Ju, Enguo; Liu, Zhen; Du, Yingda; Tao, Yu; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2014-06-24

Probes for detecting highly reactive oxygen species (hROS) are critical to both understanding the etiology of the disease and optimizing therapeutic interventions. However, problems such as low stability due to autoxidation and photobleaching and unsuitability for biological application in vitro and in vivo, as well as the high cost and complex procedure in synthesis and modification, largely limit their application. In this work, binary heterogeneous nanocomplexes (termed as C-dots-AuNC) constructed from gold clusters and carbon dots were reported. The fabrication takes full advantages of the inherent active groups on the surface of the nanoparticles to avoid tedious modification and chemical synthetic processes. Additionally, the assembly endowed C-dots-AuNC with improved performance such as the fluorescence enhancement of AuNCs and stability of C-dots to hROS. Moreover, the dual-emission property allows sensitive imaging and monitoring of the hROS signaling in living cells with high contrast. Importantly, with high physiological stability and excellent biocompatibility, C-dots-AuNC allows for the detection of hROS in the model of local ear inflammation.

Capacitive Pressure Sensor with High Sensitivity and Fast Response to Dynamic Interaction Based on Graphene and Porous Nylon Networks.

PubMed

He, Zhongfu; Chen, Wenjun; Liang, Binghao; Liu, Changyong; Yang, Leilei; Lu, Dongwei; Mo, Zichao; Zhu, Hai; Tang, Zikang; Gui, Xuchun

2018-04-18

Flexible pressure sensors are of great importance to be applied in artificial intelligence and wearable electronics. However, assembling a simple structure, high-performance capacitive pressure sensor, especially for monitoring the flow of liquids, is still a big challenge. Here, on the basis of a sandwich-like structure, we propose a facile capacitive pressure sensor optimized by a flexible, low-cost nylon netting, showing many merits including a high response sensitivity (0.33 kPa -1 ) in a low-pressure regime (<1 kPa), an ultralow detection limit as 3.3 Pa, excellent working stability after more than 1000 cycles, and synchronous monitoring for human pulses and clicks. More important, this sensor exhibits an ultrafast response speed (<20 ms), which enables its detection for the fast variations of a small applied pressure from the morphological changing processes of a droplet falling onto the sensor. Furthermore, a capacitive pressure sensor array is fabricated for demonstrating the ability to spatial pressure distribution. Our developed pressure sensors show great prospects in practical applications such as health monitoring, flexible tactile devices, and motion detection.

Gold nanoparticles modified electrode via simple electrografting of in situ generated mercaptophenyl diazonium cations for development of DNA electrochemical biosensor.

PubMed

Li, Feng; Feng, Yan; Dong, Pingjun; Yang, Limin; Tang, Bo

2011-01-15

A novel protocol for development of DNA electrochemical biosensor based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was proposed, which was carried out by the self-assembly of AuNPs on the mercaptophenyl film (MPF) via simple electrografting of in situ generated mercaptophenyl diazonium cations. The resulting MPF was covalently immobilized on GCE surface via C-C bond with high stability, which was desirable in fabrication of excellent performance biosensors. Probe DNA was self-assembled on AuNPs through the well-known Au-thiol binding. The recognition of fabricated DNA electrochemical biosensor toward complementary single-stranded DNA was determined by differential pulse voltammetry with the use of Co(phen)(3)(3+) as the electrochemical indicator. Taking advantage of amplification effects of AuNPs and stability of MPF, the developed biosensor could detect target DNA with the detection limit of 7.2×10(-11) M, which also exhibits good selectivity, stability and regeneration ability for DNA detection. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescent immunosensor based on graphene oxide coupled graphite-like carbon nitride and multiwalled carbon nanotubes-gold for the detection of diclofenac.

PubMed

Hu, Liuyi; Zheng, Jing; Zhao, Kang; Deng, Anping; Li, Jianguo

2018-03-15

In this study, a novel competition-type electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor for detecting diclofenac (DCF) was fabricated with graphene oxide coupled graphite-like carbon nitride (GO-g-C 3 N 4 ) as signal probe for the first time. The ECL intensity of carboxylated g-C 3 N 4 was significantly enhanced after being combined with graphene oxide (GO) which exhibited excellent charge-transport property. The sensing platform was constructed by multiwalled carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles (MWCNTs-AuNPs), which not only provided an effective matrix for immobilizing a large amount of coating antigen but also facilitated the electronic transmission rate to enhance the ECL intensity. Based on the synergistic effect of GO-g-C 3 N 4 and MWCNTs-AuNPs composite, the proposed sensor showed high sensitivity, good stability, and wide linearity for the detection of DCF in the range of 0.005-1000ngmL -1 with a detection limit of 1.7pgmL -1 . Furthermore, the developed immunoassay has been applied to real samples with satisfactory results. Therefore, this work provided a promising method for the detection of DCF and other small molecular compounds in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Partially reduced graphene oxide based FRET on fiber-optic interferometer for biochemical detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, B. C.; Wu, Y.; Yu, C. B.; He, J. R.; Rao, Y. J.; Gong, Y.; Fu, F.; Chen, Y. F.; Li, Y. R.

2016-03-01

Fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) with naturally exceptional selectivity is a powerful technique and widely used in chemical and biomedical analysis. However, it is still challenging for conventional FRET to perform as a high sensitivity compact sensor. Here we propose a novel ‘FRET on Fiber’ concept, in which a partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) film is deposited on a fiber-optic modal interferometer, acting as both the fluorescent quencher for the FRET and the sensitive cladding for optical phase measurement due to refractive index changes in biochemical detection. The target analytes induced fluorescence recovery with good selectivity and optical phase shift with high sensitivity are measured simultaneously. The functionalized prGO film coated on the fiber-optic interferometer shows high sensitivities for the detections of metal ion, dopamine and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), with detection limits of 1.2 nM, 1.3 μM and 1 pM, respectively. Such a prGO based ‘FRET on fiber’ configuration, bridging the FRET and the fiber-optic sensing technology, may serve as a platform for the realization of series of integrated ‘FRET on Fiber’ sensors for on-line environmental, chemical, and biomedical detection, with excellent compactness, high sensitivity, good selectivity and fast response

One-step synthesis of large-scale graphene film doped with gold nanoparticles at liquid-air interface for electrochemistry and Raman detection applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Panpan; Huang, Ying; Lu, Xin; Zhang, Siyu; Li, Jingfeng; Wei, Gang; Su, Zhiqiang

2014-07-29

We demonstrated a facile one-step synthesis strategy for the preparation of a large-scale reduced graphene oxide multilayered film doped with gold nanoparticles (RGO/AuNP film) and applied this film as functional nanomaterials for electrochemistry and Raman detection applications. The related applications of the fabricated RGO/AuNP film in electrochemical nonenzymatic H2O2 biosensor, electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection were investigated. Electrochemical data indicate that the H2O2 biosensor fabricated by RGO/AuNP film shows a wide linear range, low limitation of detection, high selectivity, and long-term stability. In addition, it was proved that the created RGO/AuNP film also exhibits excellent ORR electrochemical catalysis performance. The created RGO/AuNP film, when serving as SERS biodetection platform, presents outstanding performances in detecting 4-aminothiophenol with an enhancement factor of approximately 5.6 × 10(5) as well as 2-thiouracil sensing with a low concentration to 1 μM. It is expected that this facile strategy for fabricating large-scale graphene film doped with metallic nanoparticles will spark inspirations in preparing functional nanomaterials and further extend their applications in drug delivery, wastewater purification, and bioenergy.

Fluorescence detection of thrombin using autocatalytic strand displacement cycle reaction and a dual-aptamer DNA sandwich assay.

PubMed

Niu, Shuyan; Qu, Lijing; Zhang, Qing; Lin, Jiehua

2012-02-15

A sensitive and specific sandwich assay for the detection of thrombin is described. Two affiliative aptamers were used to increase the assay specificity through sandwich recognition. Recognition DNA loaded on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) partially hybridized with the initiator DNA, which was displaced by surviving DNA. After the initiator DNA was released into the solution, one hairpin structure was opened, which in turn opened another hairpin structure. The initiator DNA was displaced and released into the solution again by another hairpin structure because of the hybridized reaction. Then the released initiator DNA initiated another autocatalytic strand displacement reaction. A sophisticated network of three such duplex formation cycles was designed to amplify the fluorescence signal. Other proteins, such as bovine serum albumin and lysozyme, did not interfere with the detection of thrombin. This approach enables rapid and specific thrombin detection with reduced costs and minimized material consumption compared with traditional assay processes. The detection limit of thrombin was as low as 4.3 × 10⁻¹³ M based on the AuNP amplification and the autocatalytic strand displacement cycle reaction. This method could be used in biological samples with excellent selectivity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A highly selective electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polypyrrole-modified gold electrode for the determination of glyphosate in cucumber and tap water.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; She, Yongxin; Li, Tengfei; Zhao, Fengnian; Jin, Maojun; Guo, Yirong; Zheng, Lufei; Wang, Shanshan; Jin, Fen; Shao, Hua; Liu, Haijin; Wang, Jing

2017-12-01

An electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (MIPPy) was developed for selective and sensitive detection of the herbicide glyphosate (Gly) in cucumber and tap water samples. The sensor was prepared via synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers on a gold electrode in the presence of Gly as the template molecule and pyrrole as the functional monomer by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The sensor preparation conditions including the ratio of template to functional monomers, number of CV cycles in the electropolymerization process, the method of template removal, incubation time, and pH were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the DPV peak currents of hexacyanoferrate/hexacyanoferrite changed linearly with Gly concentration in the range from 5 to 800 ng mL -1 , with a detection limit of 0.27 ng mL -1 (S/N = 3). The sensor was used to detect the concentration of Gly in cucumber and tap water samples, with recoveries ranging from 72.70 to 98.96%. The proposed sensor showed excellent selectivity, good stability and reversibility, and could detect the Gly in real samples rapidly and sensitively. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the experimental procedure to detect Gly using the MIPPy electrode.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 Triggered Isothermal Amplification for Site-Specific Nucleic Acid Detection.

PubMed

Huang, Mengqi; Zhou, Xiaoming; Wang, Huiying; Xing, Da

2018-02-06

A novel CRISPR/Cas9 triggered isothermal exponential amplification reaction (CAS-EXPAR) strategy based on CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage and nicking endonuclease (NEase) mediated nucleic acids amplification was developed for rapid and site-specific nucleic acid detection. CAS-EXPAR was primed by the target DNA fragment produced by cleavage of CRISPR/Cas9, and the amplification reaction performed cyclically to generate a large number of DNA replicates which were detected using a real-time fluorescence monitoring method. This strategy that combines the advantages of CRISPR/Cas9 and exponential amplification showed high specificity as well as rapid amplification kinetics. Unlike conventional nucleic acids amplification reactions, CAS-EXPAR does not require exogenous primers, which often cause target-independent amplification. Instead, primers are first generated by Cas9/sgRNA directed site-specific cleavage of target and accumulated during the reaction. It was demonstrated this strategy gave a detection limit of 0.82 amol and showed excellent specificity in discriminating single-base mismatch. Moreover, the applicability of this method to detect DNA methylation and L. monocytogenes total RNA was also verified. Therefore, CAS-EXPAR may provide a new paradigm for efficient nucleic acid amplification and hold the potential for molecular diagnostic applications.

Amplified detection of cocaine based on strand-displacement polymerization and fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Huang, Jin; Chen, Yan; Yang, Liu; Zhu, Zhi; Zhu, Guizhi; Yang, Xiaohai; Wang, Kemin; Tan, Weihong

2011-10-15

Cocaine is one of the most abused drugs in the United States and is potentially dangerous when consumed in excess. Its detection is thus important in many areas in the fight against drug trafficking. We have developed an amplified detection method for cocaine based on a strand-displacement polymerization reaction using aptamer recognition. The system mainly consists of a hairpin probe with Cy5 labeled on its 3' end, a primer with FAM labeled on its 5' end, and polymerase. The aptamer sequence is integrated into the 5'-section of the hairpin probe. The primer is designed complementary to the 3' end of the hairpin probe, which is also part of the hairpin stem region. The cocaine induced reaction cycle generates product for detection and thus for signal amplification. The detection limit of this method is 200 nM in about 16 min and the specificity of this approach is excellent. We believe that this strategy will be useful for the development of analytical schemes for a variety of aptamers for small molecules, metal ions, and proteins. This simple scheme employing the strand-displacement polymerization reaction may find wide application in forensic analysis, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Partially reduced graphene oxide based FRET on fiber-optic interferometer for biochemical detection

PubMed Central

Yao, B. C.; Wu, Y.; Yu, C. B.; He, J. R.; Rao, Y. J.; Gong, Y.; Fu, F.; Chen, Y. F.; Li, Y. R.

2016-01-01

Fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) with naturally exceptional selectivity is a powerful technique and widely used in chemical and biomedical analysis. However, it is still challenging for conventional FRET to perform as a high sensitivity compact sensor. Here we propose a novel ‘FRET on Fiber’ concept, in which a partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) film is deposited on a fiber-optic modal interferometer, acting as both the fluorescent quencher for the FRET and the sensitive cladding for optical phase measurement due to refractive index changes in biochemical detection. The target analytes induced fluorescence recovery with good selectivity and optical phase shift with high sensitivity are measured simultaneously. The functionalized prGO film coated on the fiber-optic interferometer shows high sensitivities for the detections of metal ion, dopamine and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), with detection limits of 1.2 nM, 1.3 μM and 1 pM, respectively. Such a prGO based ‘FRET on fiber’ configuration, bridging the FRET and the fiber-optic sensing technology, may serve as a platform for the realization of series of integrated ‘FRET on Fiber’ sensors for on-line environmental, chemical, and biomedical detection, with excellent compactness, high sensitivity, good selectivity and fast response PMID:27010752

Fast determination of sugars in Coke and Diet Coke by miniaturized capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection.

PubMed

Chu, Qingcui; Fu, Liang; Guan, Yueqing; Ye, Jiannong

2005-02-01

The fast separation capability of a novel miniaturized capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CE-AD) system was demonstrated by determining sugar contents in Coke and diet Coke with an estimated separation efficiency of 60,000 TP/m. Factors influencing the separation and detection processes were examined and optimized. The end-capillary 300 microm Cu wire amperometric detector offers favorable signal-to-noise characteristics at a relatively low potential (+0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl) for detecting sugars. Three sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) have been separated within 330 s in a 8.5 cm length capillary at a separation voltage of 1000 V using a 50 mM NaOH running buffer (pH 12.7). Highly linear response is obtained for the above compounds over the range of 5.0 to 2.0 x 10(2) microg/mL with low detection limit, down to 0.8 microg/mL for glucose (S/N = 3). The injection-to-injection repeatability for analytes in peak current (RSD < 3.6%) and for migration times (RSD < 1.4%) was excellent. The new miniaturized CE-AD system should find a wide range of analytical applications involving assays of carbohydrates as an alternative to conventional CE and micro-CE.

Analytical validation of viral CNS Flow Chip kit for detection of acute meningitis and encephalitis.

PubMed

Pérez-Ruiz, Mercedes; Pedrosa-Corral, Irene; Sanbonmatsu-Gámez, Sara; Gómez-Camarasa, Cristina; Navarro-Marí, José María

2018-06-12

A new molecular assay (Viral CNS Flow Chip kit, Master Diagnóstica, Spain) has been developed for the detection of eight viruses causing acute meningitis and encephalitis, i.e. herpes simplex viruses 1-2, varicella zoster virus, human enterovirus, human parechovirus, Toscana virus, human cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus. The new assay is a multiplex one-step RT-PCR followed by automatic flow-through hybridization, colorimetric detection and image analysis. The limit of detection was 50 copies/reaction, and 10 copies/reaction for human enterovirus and the other seven viruses, respectively. The analytical validation was performed with nucleic acids extracted from 268 cerebrospinal fluid samples and the results were compared with routine molecular assays. An excellent coefficient of agreement was observed between V-CNS and routine assays [kappa index: 0.948 (95%CI: 0.928-0.968)]. The overall sensitivity and specificity was 95.9% (95%CI: 91.2-98.3%) and 99.9% (95%CI: 99.6-100%), respectively. Viral CNS Flow Chip kit is an efficient multiplex platform for the detection of the main viruses involved in acute meningitis and encephalitis. The inclusion of a TOSV genome target may improve the laboratory diagnosis of viral neurological infections in endemic areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity evaluation of rhodamine B hydrazide towards nitric oxide and its application for macrophage cells imaging.

PubMed

Wu, Chi-Ming; Chen, Yen-Hao; Dayananda, Kasala; Shiue, Tsun-Wei; Hung, Chen-Hsiung; Liaw, Wen-Feng; Chen, Po-Yu; Wang, Yun-Ming

2011-12-05

A colorless and non-fluorescent rhodamine derivative, rhodamine B hydrazide (RH), is applied to detect nitric oxide and form fluorescent rhodamine B (RB). The reaction mechanism of RH with NO is proposed in this study. The probe shows good stability over a broad pH range (pH>4). Furthermore, fluorescence intensity of RH displays an excellent linearity to the NO concentration and the detection limit is as low as 20 nM. A 1000-fold fluorescence turn-on from a dark background was observed. Moreover, the selectivity study indicated that the fluorescence intensity increasing in the presence of NO was significantly higher than those of other reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. In exogenously generated NO detection study, clear intracellular red fluorescence was observed in the presence of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP, a kind of NO releasing agent). In endogenously generated NO detection study, increasing incubation time of RH with lipopolysaccharied (LPS) pre-treated cells could obtain a highly fluorescent cell image. These cell imaging results demonstrated that RH can efficiently penetrate into Raw 264.7 cells and be used for detection of exogenously and endogenously generated nitric oxide. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An electrochemical biosensor for double-stranded Wnt7B gene detection based on enzymatic isothermal amplification.

PubMed

Li, Junlong; Chen, Zhongping; Xiang, Yu; Zhou, Lili; Wang, Ting; Zhang, Zhang; Sun, Kexin; Yin, Dan; Li, Yi; Xie, Guoming

2016-12-15

Wnt7B gene plays an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. While, the natural state of DNA is double stranded, which makes it difficult to be directly detected. Here, we develop an electrochemical biosensor method for Wnt7B gene detection without the need to denature the target. This method firstly used nicking enzyme for exploiting in the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Then, long single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was generated from the cutting site through polymerase extension reaction. Whereafter, the long ssDNA triggered a hairpin self-assembly recycling reaction, which gave rise to another isothermal amplification reaction. Last, short ssDNA was formed after the this amplification process, which could hybridize with the capture probe immobilized on Au electrode and result in signal variation. This method showed excellent analytical performance for dsDNA, of which the linear range was 2fM to 500pM and the detection limit was 1.6fM (S/N=3). It also showed an good results when applied to the real sample of Wnt7B gene detection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly sensitive electrochemiluminescent immunosensor based on gold nanoparticles-functionalized zinc oxide nanorod and poly(amidoamine)-graphene for detecting brombuterol.

PubMed

Zhu, Qing; Cai, Fudong; Zhang, Jing; Zhao, Kang; Deng, Anping; Li, Jianguo

2016-12-15

β-adrenergic agonists (β-agonists) recognized as a growth promoter will reflect the health of human. Sensitive detection of β-agonists in foodstuff is valuable for the health of animals and human. A novel ultrasensitive competition-type electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor was developed for detecting brombuterol (Brom) based on CdTe Quantum dot (QDs) and polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM, G2) modified graphene oxide (GO) (CdTe QDs-PAMAM-GO composite) as bioprobe for the first time. The surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was coated with AuNPs-ZnO NRs composite film as the platform, which facilitated the electronic transmission rate to enhance the ECL intensity and provide enough active sites for capturing antibody. The resulting ECL immunosensor enabled the real samples detection of Brom with a lower detection limit of 0.3pgmL(-1) (S/N=3) and a wider linear range from 0.001 to 500ngmL(-1). The proposed immunosensor coupled with the excellent advantages of CdTe QDs-PAMAM-GO and AuNPs-ZnO NRs composite displayed high sensitivity and long-term stability, and provided an approach for determining other important biomarkers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrochemical detection of alpha-fetoprotein based on ZnO inverse opals structure electrodes modified by Ag2S nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yandong; Liu, Dali; Yang, Yudan; Xu, Ru; Zhang, Tianxiang; Sheng, Kuang; Song, Hongwei

2016-01-01

In this work, a new photoelectrochemical biosensor based on Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) modified macroporous ZnO inverse opals structure (IOs) was developed for sensitive and rapid detection of alpha fetal protein (AFP). Small size and uniformly dispersed Ag2S NPs were prepared using the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption And Reaction (SILAR) method, which were adsorbed on ZnO IOs surface and frame work as matrix for immobilization of AFP. The composite structure of ZnO/Ag2S expanded the scope of light absorption to long wavelength, which can make full use of the light energy. Meanwhile, an effective matching of energy levels between the conduction bands of Ag2S and ZnO are beneficial to the photo-generated electrons transfer. The biosensors based on FTO (fluorine-doped tinoxide) ZnO/Ag2S electrode showed enough sensitivity and a wide linear range from 0.05 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 8 pg/mL for the detection of AFP. It also exhibited high reproducibility, specificity and stability. The proposed method was potentially attractive for achieving excellent photoelectrochemical biosensor for detection of other proteins. PMID:27922086

Luminescence resonance energy transfer-based nucleic acid hybridization assay on cellulose paper with upconverting phosphor as donors.

PubMed

Zhou, Feng; Noor, M Omair; Krull, Ulrich J

2014-03-04

A bioassay based on DNA hybridization on cellulose paper is a promising format for gene fragment detection that may be suited for in-field and rapid diagnostic applications. We demonstrate for the first time that luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) associated with upconverting phosphors (UCPs) can be used to develop a paper-based DNA hybridization assay with high sensitivity, selectivity and fast response. UCPs with strong green emission were synthesized and subsequently functionalized with streptavidin (UCP-strep). UCP-strep particles were immobilized on cellulose paper, and then biotinylated single-stranded oligonucleotide probes were conjugated onto the UCPs via streptavidin-biotin linkage. The UCPs served as donors that were LRET-paired with Cy3-labeled target DNA. Selective DNA hybridization enabled the proximity required for LRET-sensitized emission from Cy3, which was used as the detection signal. Hybridization was complete within 2 min, and the limit of detection of the method was 34 fmol, which is a significant improvement in comparison to an analogous fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay based on quantum dots. The assay exhibited excellent resistance to nonspecific adsorption of noncomplementary short/long DNA and protein. The selectivity of the assay was further evaluated by one base pair mismatched (1BPM) DNA detection, where a maximum signal ratio of 3.1:1 was achieved between fully complementary and 1BPM samples. This work represents a preliminary but significant step for the development of paper-based UCP-LRET nucleic acid hybridization assays, which offer potential for lowering the limit of detection of luminescent hybridization assays due to the negligible background signal associated with optical excitation by near-infrared (NIR) light.

Rapid detection of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid using a quenchbody assay.

PubMed

Zhao, Shitao; Dong, Jinhua; Jeong, Hee-Jin; Okumura, Koichi; Ueda, Hiroshi

2018-04-28

Contamination of the land and water by neonicotinoid insecticide residues is currently a severe environmental problem. However, the traditional methods for pesticide residue analysis are time consuming and laborious. To tackle this problem, here we describe a novel quenchbody (Q-body) immunoassay reagent that allows the rapid and sensitive detection of imidacloprid, one of the most frequently used neonicotinoid pesticides, in aqueous solution. A Q-body comprises an antibody Fab fragment that is site-specifically labeled with a fluorescent dye. The Fab fragment quenches the dye with its internal tryptophan residues via photoinduced electron transfer. The subsequent addition of imidacloprid stabilizes the antibody structure and displaces the quenched dye to the outside of the protein, resulting in increased fluorescence. The constructed Q-body assay exhibited a high dynamic range and a low limit of detection (10 ng mL -1 ), and the entire assay procedure could be completed in a few minutes. The assay showed a low cross-reactivity with possible interfering analogous compounds, indicating that it has a good selectivity. Hence, the developed Q-body assay has excellent potential as a universal technology for monitoring neonicotinoid residues in environmental and food samples. Graphical abstract A novel quenchbody (Q-body) immunoassay reagent that allows the rapid and sensitive detection of imidacloprid, one of the most frequently used neonicotinoid pesticides, in aqueous solution was developed. The addition of imidacloprid stabilizes the Q-body structure and displaces the quenched dye to the outside of the protein, resulting in increased fluorescence. The constructed Q-body assay exhibited a high dynamic range and a low limit of detection (10 ng mL -1 ), and completed in a few minutes.

Excitation mechanisms in 1 mJ picosecond laser induced low pressure He plasma and the resulting spectral quality enhancement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Idris, Nasrullah; Lahna, Kurnia; Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur

2015-06-14

We report in this paper the results of an experimental study on the spectral and dynamical characteristics of plasma emission induced by 1 mJ picoseconds (ps) Nd-YAG laser using spatially resolved imaging and time resolved measurement of the emission intensities of copper sample. This study has provided the experimental evidence concerning the dynamical characteristics of the excitation mechanisms in various stages of the plasma formation, which largely consolidate the basic scenarios of excitation processes commonly accepted so far. However, it is also clearly shown that the duration of the shock wave excitation process induced by ps laser pulses is muchmore » shorter than those observed in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy employing nanosecond laser at higher output energy. This allows the detection of atomic emission due exclusively to He assisted excitation in low pressure He plasma by proper gating of the detection time. Furthermore, the triplet excited state associated with He I 587.6 nm is shown to be the one most likely involved in the process responsible for the excellent spectral quality as evidenced by its application to spectrochemical analysis of a number of samples. The use of very low energy laser pulses also leads to minimal destructive effect marked by the resulted craters of merely about 10 μm diameter and only 10 nm deep. It is especially noteworthy that the excellent emission spectrum of deuterium detected from D-doped titanium sample is free of spectral interference from the undesirable ubiquitous water molecules without a precleaning procedure as applied previously and yielding an impressive detection limit of less than 10 μg/g. Finally, the result of this study also shows a promising application to depth profiling of impurity distribution in the sample investigated.« less

Validation of amino-acids measurement in dried blood spot by FIA-MS/MS for PKU management.

PubMed

Bruno, C; Dufour-Rainfray, D; Patin, F; Vourc'h, P; Guilloteau, D; Maillot, F; Labarthe, F; Tardieu, M; Andres, C R; Emond, P; Blasco, H

2016-09-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder leading to high concentrations of phenylalanine (Phe) and low concentrations of tyrosine (Tyr) in blood and brain that may be neurotoxic. This disease requires a regular monitoring of plasma Phe and Tyr as well as branched-chain amino-acids concentrations to adapt the Phe-restricted diet and other therapy that may be prescribed in PKU. We validated a Flow Injection Analysis tandem Mass Spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS) to replace the enzymatic method routinely used for neonatal screening in order to monitor in parallel to Phe, Tyr and branched-chain amino-acids not detected by the enzymatic method. We ascertained the performances of the method: linearity, detection and quantification limits, contamination index, accuracy. We cross validated the FIA-MS/MS and enzymatic methods and we evaluated our own reference ranges to monitor Phe, Tyr, Leu, Val on 59 dried blood spots of normal controls. We also evaluated Tyr, Leu and Val concentrations in PKU patients to detect some potential abnormalities, not evaluated by the enzymatic method. We developed a rapid method with excellent performances including precision and accuracy <15%. We noted an excellent correlation of Phe concentrations between FIA-MS/MS and enzymatic methods (p<0.0001) based on our database which are similar to references ranges published. We observed that 50% of PKU patients had lower concentrations of Tyr, Leu and/or Val that could not be detected by the enzymatic method. Based on laboratory accreditation recommendations, we validated a robust, rapid and reliable FIA-MS/MS method to monitor plasma Phe concentrations but also Tyr, Leu and Val concentrations, suitable for PKU management. We evaluated our own reference ranges of concentration for a routine application of this method. Copyright © 2016 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of flexible gold nanorods polymer metafilm via phase transfer method as SERS substrate for detecting food contaminants.

PubMed

Yang, Nan; You, Ting-Ting; Gao, Yu-Kun; Zhang, Chen-Meng; Yin, Penggang

2018-06-08

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used in detection of food safety due to the nondestructive examination property. Here, we reported a flexible SERS film based on polymer immobilized gold nanorods polymer metafilm. Polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene (SIS), a transparent and flexible along with excellent elasticity polymer was chosen as main support of gold nanorods. A simple phase transfer progress was adopted to mix the gold nanorods with polymer which can further used in most water-insoluble polymers. The SERS film performed satisfactorily while tested in a series of standard Raman probes like crystal violet (CV) and malachite green (MG). Moreover, the excellent reproducibility and elastic properties make the film promising substrates in practical detection. Hence, the MG detection on fish surface and trace thiram detection on orange pericarp were inspected with the detection result of 1 × 10-10 M and 1 × 10-6 M which below the demand of National standard of China, exactly matching the realistic application requirements.

Capillary moving-boundary isotachophoresis with electrospray ionization mass-spectrometric detection and hydrogen ion used as essential terminator: Methodology for sensitive analysis of hydroxyderivatives of s-triazine herbicides in waters.

PubMed

Malá, Zdena; Gebauer, Petr

2017-10-06

Capillary isotachophoresis (ITP) is an electrophoretic technique offering high sensitivity due to permanent stacking of the migrating analytes. Its combination with electrospray-ionization mass-spectrometric (ESI-MS) detection is limited by the narrow spectrum of ESI-compatible components but can be compensated by experienced system architecture. This work describes a methodology for sensitive analysis of hydroxyderivatives of s-triazine herbicides, based on implementation of the concepts of moving-boundary isotachophoresis and of H + as essential terminating component into cationic ITP with ESI-MS detection. Theoretical description of such kind of system is given and equations for zone-related boundary mobilities are derived, resulting in a much more general definition of the effective mobility of the terminating H + zone than used so far. Explicit equations allowing direct calculation for selected simple systems are derived. The presented theory allows prediction of stacking properties of particular systems and easy selection of suitable electrolyte setups. A simple ESI-compatible system composed of acetic acid and ammonium with H + and ammonium as a mixed terminator was selected for the analysis of 2-hydroxyatrazine and 2-hydroxyterbutylazine, degradation products of s-triazine herbicides. The proposed method was tested with direct injection without any sample pretreatment and provided excellent linearity and high sensitivity with limits of detection below 100ng/L (0.5nM). Example analyses of unspiked and spiked drinking and river water are shown. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.