scholarly journals Aptamer-Conjugated Polydiacetylene Colorimetric Paper Chip for the Detection of Bacillus thuringiensis Spores

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 3124
Author(s):  
Chaoge Zhou ◽  
Taeyeong You ◽  
Huisoo Jang ◽  
Hyunil Ryu ◽  
Eun-Seon Lee ◽  
...  

A colorimetric polydiacetylene (PDA) paper strip sensor that can specifically recognize Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) HD-73 spores is described in this work. The target-specific aptamer was combined with PDA, and the aptamer-conjugated PDA vesicles were then coated on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) paper strips by a simple solvent evaporation method. The PDA-aptamer paper strips can be used to detect the target without any pre-treatment. Using the paper strip, the presence of BT spores is directly observable by the naked eye based on the unique blue-to-red color transition of the PDA. Quantitative studies using the paper strip were also carried out by analyzing the color transitions of the PDA. The specificity of this PDA sensor was verified with a high concentration of Escherichia coli, and no discernable change was observed. The observable color change in the paper strip occurs in less than 1 h, and the limit of detection is 3 × 107 CFU/mL, much below the level harmful to humans. The PDA-based paper sensor, developed in this work, does not require a separate power or detection device, making the sensor strip highly transportable and suitable for spore analysis anytime and anywhere. Moreover, this paper sensor platform is easily fabricated, can be adapted to other targets, is highly portable, and is highly specific for the detection of BT spores.

Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Michal Šídlo ◽  
Přemysl Lubal ◽  
Pavel Anzenbacher

The halide anions are essential for supporting life. Therefore, halide anion analyses are of paramount importance. For this reason, we have performed both qualitative and quantitative ana- lyses of halides (chloride, bromide, iodide) using the Tl(III) complex of azodye, 4-(2-pyridylazo)re- sorcinol (PAR), a potential new chemical reagent/sensor that utilizes the substitution reaction whereas the Tl(III)PAR complex reacts with a halide to yield a more stable thallium(III)-halide while releasing the PAR ligand in a process accompanied by color change of the solution. The experimental conditions (e.g., pH, ratio metal ion-to-ligand ratio, etc.) for the substitution reaction between the metal complex and a halide were optimized to achieve increased sensitivity and a lower limit of detection (chloride 7 mM, bromide 0.15 mM, iodide 0.05 mM). It is demonstrated that this single chemosensor can, due to release of colored PAR ligand and the associated analyte-specific changes in the UV/VIS spectra, be employed for a multicomponent analysis of mixtures of anions (chloride + bromide, chloride + iodide, bromide + iodide). The spectrophotometric data evaluated by artificial neural networks (ANNs) enable distinguishing among the halides and to determine halide species concentrations in a mixture. The Tl(III)-PAR complex was also used to construct sensor arrays utilizing a standard 96-well plate format where the output was recorded at several wavelengths (up to 7) using a conventional plate reader. It is shown that the data obtained using a digital scanner employing only three different input channels may also be successfully used for a subsequent ANN analysis. The results of all approaches utilized for data evaluation were similar. To increase the practical utility of the chemosensor, we have developed a test paper strip indicator useful for routine naked-eye visual determination of halides. This test can also be used for halide anion determination in solutions using densitometer. The methodology described in this paper can be used for a simple, inexpensive, and fast routine analysis both in a laboratory as well as in a field setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubhangi J. Mane-Gavade ◽  
Sandip R. Sabale ◽  
Xiao-Ying Yu ◽  
Gurunath H. Nikam ◽  
Bhaskar V. Tamhankar

Introduction: Herein we report the green synthesis and characterization of silverreduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (Ag-rGO) using Acacia nilotica gum for the first time. Experimental: We demonstrate the Hg2+ ions sensing ability of the Ag-rGO nanocomposites form aqueous medium. The developed colorimetric sensor method is simple, fast and selective for the detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous media in presence of other associated ions. A significant color change was noticed with naked eye upon Hg2+ addition. The color change was not observed for cations including Sr2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Ba2+ and Mn2+indicating that only Hg2+ shows a strong interaction with Ag-rGO nanocomposites. Under the most suitable condition, the calibration plot (A0-A) against concentration of Hg2+ was linear in the range of 0.1-1.0 ppm with a correlation coefficient (R2) value 0.9998. Results & Conclusion The concentration of Hg2+ was quantitatively determined with the Limit of Detection (LOD) of 0.85 ppm. Also, this method shows excellent selectivity towards Hg2+ over nine other cations tested. Moreover, the method offers a new cost effective, rapid and simple approach for the detection of Hg2+ in water samples.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1252
Author(s):  
Hideo Yoshida ◽  
Tatsuru Nishikawa ◽  
Shoko Hikosaka ◽  
Eiji Goto

In Japan, red perilla leaves are used in the food and coloring industries, as well as in crude medicine. Perilla leaves contain a high concentration of phytochemicals such as perillaldehyde (PA) and rosmarinic acid (RA). The effects of UV-B radiation intensity (0.05–0.2 W m−2, UV-BBE: 0.041–0.083 W m−2), duration (3 or 6 h), and irradiation method (continuous or intermittent) for artificial nocturnal lighting using UV-B fluorescent lamps were evaluated on growth, flowering, and leaf phytochemical concentration in greenhouse-grown perilla. Under continuous UV-B irradiation at 0.1 W m−2 for 3 or 6 h, leaf color changed from red to green and leaf fresh weight decreased, compared with the control treatment. No leaf color change was observed under the 3-h treatment with UV-B radiation at 0.05 W m−2, wherein leaf fresh weight was similar to that of the control. Furthermore, RA concentration under continuous UV-B irradiation at 0.05 W m−2 for 3 h increased two-fold compared to that under control treatment, while PA concentration was not affected by UV-B irradiation. Thus, our data showed that continuous UV-B irradiation at 0.05 W m−2 for 3 h could effectively produce RA-rich perilla leaves without reducing in phenotypic quality or productivity. However, a 6-h intermittent illumination inhibited flowering without altering phytochemical concentration.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Manjing Lu ◽  
Jiaqi Wang ◽  
Yuzhong Wang ◽  
Zhengguang He

Chemical synthetic pharmaceutical wastewater has characteristics of high concentration, high toxicity and poor biodegradability, so it is difficult to directly biodegrade. We used acid modified attapulgite (ATP) supported Fe-Mn-Cu polymetallic oxide as catalyst for multi-phase Fenton-like ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (photo-Fenton) treatment with actual chemical synthetic pharmaceutical wastewater as the treatment object. The results showed that at the initial pH of 2.0, light distance of 20 cm, and catalyst dosage and hydrogen peroxide concentration of 10.0 g/L and 0.5 mol/L respectively, the COD removal rate of wastewater reached 65% and BOD5/COD increased to 0.387 when the reaction lasted for 180 min. The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated that Fenton-like reaction with Fe-Mn-Cu@ATP had good catalytic potential and significant synergistic effect, and could remove almost all heterocycle compounds well. 3D-EEM (3D electron microscope) fluorescence spectra showed that the fluorescence intensity decreased significantly during catalytic degradation, and the UV humus-like and fulvic acid were effectively removed. The degradation efficiency of the nanocomposite only decreased by 5.8% after repeated use for 6 cycles. It seems appropriate to use this process as a pre-treatment for actual pharmaceutical wastewater to facilitate further biological treatment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 441 ◽  
pp. 640-644
Author(s):  
Ke Jie Fu ◽  
Li Sheng Yang ◽  
Chang Sheng Feng ◽  
Liang Chen

A detecting method for toxic flame retardant finishing agent tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) -phosphate (TRIS for short) in textiles was studied. In the method, an acetonitrile ultrasound-assisted extraction process was included in sample pre-treatment, and HPLC/DAD was used in the separation and identification of extractives. After that, the conditions of pre-treatment and chromatograph were optimized. The results showed that the limit of detection (LOD) by this method (S/N10) is 1.0 mg/kg, its recovery ranged from 78.1% to 98.4%, and RSD of the precision test is 3.2%, of which all met the requirements for routine testing.


2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Craggs ◽  
L. Golding ◽  
S. Clearwater ◽  
L. Susarla ◽  
W. Donovan

Chironomid midge larvae are a valuable component of wastewater stabilisation pond (WSP) ecology. However, in high numbers, adult midge swarms can be a nuisance to near-by urban areas. Improving WSP treatment by incorporating aerobic or maturation ponds or by the addition of pre-treatment to reduce organic loading also increases the availability of aerobic sediment (midge larva habitat) in the pond system and the potential for midge nuisance problems. The efficacy of Maldison, an organophosphate traditionally used to control midge larvae in New Zealand WSPs, was compared to Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), Methoprene, Pyriproxyfen and Diflubenzuron which are all more specific to insects and have fewer adverse environmental effects. Initial laboratory trials established the concentration of each compound required to achieve 95% control of the midge population. During 21-day small-scale trials within the WSP, Bti, Diflubenzuron and Maldison reduced live larvae numbers substantially (80–89%) compared to controls and adult midge emergence was markedly reduced by all compounds (72–96%). Large-scale trials with Bti (Vectobac® WG) powder (1000 μg/L) only caused a slight reduction in midge larvae numbers compared to controls and had little effect on adult emergence, however, Methoprene (Prolink XRG granules) (50 μgAI/L) reduced midge adult emergence by ∼80% over 25 days and has been used successfully to control several midge nuisance outbreaks.


Author(s):  
Gabrielle Nunes da Silva ◽  
Letícia Delduque Alves ◽  
Isabella Escobar dos Santos ◽  
Daniele Maia Bila ◽  
Alfredo Akira Ohnuma Júnior ◽  
...  

This study evaluates the rainwater harvesting system to determine the chemical quality of the water and allocate it for use. Samples were collected in the city of Rio de Janeiro at the points of Direct Precipitation (DP), First Flush (FF) and Reservoir (RR). The methodology involved carrying out an analysis of Ca, Cd, Cu, Na, Ni, Fe, K, Mg, Pb, Zn, conductivity, turbidity, pH and chloride. The R language was used for the principal component analysis, Pearson coefficient correlation, hierarchical cluster analysis, Tukey test and boxplot. The results show that when there is no interference from the catchment surface (DP), the rainwater has a low concentration of metals, although the first millimeters of rain have a concentration above what is permissible in the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health (Ordinance n° 05/2017). The disposal system (FF) reduced the concentration of pollutants in the RR, but not enough to comply with legislation. It was noted that Ca, K and Na are the main metals found in rainwater. During the dry period, there were significant correlations between the physico-chemical and meteorological parameters. The high concentration of metals in the wet period suggests that rain assists the cleaning of the atmosphere and that most metals are present in the form of aerosols or fine particles suspended in the air. The findings reveal significant indications of acid rain and pre-treatment is recommended to ensure rainwater can be used safely for more mundane purposes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 2123-2131
Author(s):  
Alagan Jeevika ◽  
Dhesingh Ravi Shankaran

A simple, low-cost and highly selective nanosensor was developed for naked-eye detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) based on Eosin/silver nanocubes (Eosin/AgNCbs). Silver nanocubes (AgNCbs) were synthesized by polyol assisted chemical method. HR-TEM result shows the formed AgNCbs have a mean diameter of 84±0.005 nM (diagonally measured) and edge length of 55±0.01 nM. XRD result confirms that the AgNCbs are single crystalline in nature with a phase structure of face centered cubic (FCC) of silver. On interaction of Hg2+, AgNCbs exhibits a color change from gray to black up to 16.67 μM of Hg2+ owed to the formation of solid like bimetallic complex of Ag/Hg amalgam. The selectivity of AgNCbs was evaluated with several other toxic metal ions including, Mg2+, Ba2+, Ca4+, Pb2+, Cd4+, Zn2+, Co2+, Cu2+, K+ and Ni2+ and found good selectivity towards Hg2+. The sensitivity of the AgNCbs sensor system was tuned by using Eosin as a co-staining agent. The Eosin/AgNCbs showed a limit of detection of 60±0.050 nM with the color change from orange to purple. The results suggests that the Eosin/AgNCbs nanosensor exhibits good selectivity, sensitivity, repeatability and rapid response, which could be explored for real-time detection of Hg2+ in environmental and biological samples.


Membranes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Gregorio ◽  
Nuria García ◽  
Pilar Tiemblo

Solid electrolytes for Li transport have been prepared by melt-compounding in one single step. Electrolytes are composed of polyvinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene (PVDF–HFP) with PYR13TFSI on its own or with varying concentration of LiTFSI. While the extrusion of PVDF–HFP with PYR13TFSI is possible up to relatively high liquid fractions, the compatibility of PVDF–HFP with LiTFSI/PYR13TFSI solutions is much lower. An organo-modified sepiolite with D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS-S) can be used to enhance the compatibility of these blends and allows to prepare homogeneous PYR13TFSI/LiTFSI/PVDF–HFP electrolytes with controlled microphase separations by melt-compounding. The structure and morphology of the electrolytes has been studied by FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), SEM, and AFM. Their mechanical properties have been studied by classical strain–stress experiments. Finally, ionic conductivity has been studied in the −50 to 90 °C temperature range and in diffusivity at 25 °C by PFG-NMR. These electrolytes prove to have a microphase-separated morphology and ionic conductivity which depends mainly on their composition, and a mechanical behavior typical of common thermoplastic polymers, which makes them very easy to handle. Then, in this solvent-free and scalable fashion, it is possible to prepare electrolytes like those prepared by solvent casting, but in few minutes instead of several hours or days, without solvent evaporation steps, and with ionic conductivities, which are very similar for the same compositions, above 0.1 mS·cm−1 at 25 °C. In addition, some of the electrolytes have been prepared with high concentration of Li ion, what has allowed the anion exchange Li transport mechanism to contribute significantly to the overall Li diffusivity, making DLi become similar and even clearly greater than DTFSI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1501-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beili Wang ◽  
Shengchao Wu ◽  
Fei Huang ◽  
Minna Shen ◽  
Huiqin Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Evaluating the tumor RAS/BRAF status is important for treatment selection and prognosis assessment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Correction of artifacts from library preparation and sequencing is essential for accurately analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) mutations. Here, we assessed the analytical and clinical performance of a novel amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay, Firefly™, which employs a concatemer-based error correction strategy. Methods Firefly assay targeting KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA was evaluated using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) reference standards and cfDNA samples from 184 mCRC patients. Plasma results were compared to the mutation status determined by ARMS-based PCR from matched tissue. Samples with a mutation abundance below the limit of detection (LOD) were retested again by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) or NGS. Results The Firefly assay demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity with a 98.89% detection rate at an allele frequency (AF) of 0.2% for 20 ng cfDNA. Generally, 40.76% and 48.37% of the patients were reported to be positive by NGS of plasma cfDNA and ARMS of FFPE tissue, respectively. The concordance rate between the two platforms was 80.11%. In the pre-treatment cohort, the concordance rate between plasma and tissue was 93.33%, based on the 17 common exons that Firefly™ and ARMS genotyped, and the positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) for KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA were 100% and 99.60%, respectively. Conclusions Total plasma cfDNA detected by Firefly offers a viable complement for mutation profiling in CRC patients, given the high agreement with matched tumor samples. Together, these data demonstrate that Firefly could be routinely applied for clinical applications in mCRC patients.


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