Trujillokirkegaard9162

The highly efficient detection of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium), a common foodborne bacterial, is important for the safety assurance of leafy vegetables. In this study, a fluorescent sensor (FMNCs-Apt), based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles and aptamer-modified carbon quantum dots, was developed for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of S. typhimurium in lettuce. First, carbon quantum dots were covalently bonded to the surface of prepared Fe3O4@chitosan to form magnetic fluorescence composite nanoparticles (FMNCs). read more Then, the aptamers of S. typhimurium were covalently linked to the surface (and named FMNCs-Apt). Fluorescence intensity of the FMNCs-Apt probes decreased as they aggregated on the surface of the bacteria, and the aggregation was separated using a magnet. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence change values of the solution showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Salmonella (103-106 CFU mL-1). The detection limit of the method is 100 CFU mL-1 and 138 CFU mL-1 in fresh-cut vegetable washing solution and lettuce sample, respectively. Accordingly, this developed fluorescent probe became a highly sensitive and efficient sensor for the rapid detection of S. typhimurium in lettuce.Growth factors (GFs) have been well known for their therapeutic effects on wound healing. Due to their vulnerable biostability, biomaterial carriers are usually used to deliver GFs to maintain their bioactivity. Among the carriers, PEG hydrogels are the most widely applied. But the uncontrolled release of GFs and their immunogenicity dramatically retard the application of PEG hydrogels as carriers of GFs. Herein, FGF2 loaded zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) hydrogels were developed, and it was revealed that these hydrogels were more effective in delivering FGF2 for wound healing than were PEG hydrogels. In vitro studies demonstrated that SBMA hydrogels could successfully prolong the release of FGF2, which effectively maintained the bioactivity of FGF2. Further in vivo investigation showed that SBMA hydrogels could efficiently accelerate wound regeneration by promoting granulation tissue formation, collagen deposition, cell proliferation and migration, reepithelialization and angiogenesis. All results validated that SBMA hydrogels were promising substituents of PEG hydrogels for delivering FGF2 for wound regeneration.Ablation geometry significantly affects the plasma parameters and the consequent spectroscopic observations in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Nevertheless, plasmas induced by laser ablation under inclined incidence angles are studied to a significantly lesser extent compared to plasmas induced by standard orthogonal ablation. However, inclined ablation is prominent in stand-off applications, such as the Curiosity Mars rover, where the orthogonality of the ablation laser pulse cannot be always secured. Thus, in this work, we characterize non-orthogonal ablation plasmas by applying plasma imaging, tomography, and spectral measurements. We confirm earlier observations according to which non-orthogonal ablation leads to a laser-induced plasma that consists of two distinct parts one expanding primarily along the incident laser pulse and one expanding along the normal of the sample surface. Moreover, we confirm that the former emits mainly continuum radiation, while the latter emits mainly sample-specific characteristic radiation. We further investigate and compare the homogeneity of the plasmas and report that inclined ablation affects principally the ionic emissivity of laser-induced plasmas. Overall, our results imply that the decreased fluence resulting from inclined angle ablation and the resulting inhomogeneities of the plasmas must be considered for quantitative LIBS employing non-orthogonal ablation.A great deal of effort has been expended to develop accurate means of determining the properties of synthetic polymers using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Many studies have focused on the importance of sample pre-treatment to obtain accurate analysis results. This review discusses the history of synthetic polymer characterization and highlights several applications of MALDI-TOF MS that recognize the importance of pre-treatment technologies. The subject area is of significance in the field of analytical chemistry, especially for users of the MALDI technique. Since the 2000s, many such technologies have been developed that feature improved methods and conditions, including solvent-free systems. In addition, the recent diversification of matrix types and the development of carbon-based matrix materials are described herein together with the current status and future directions of MALDI-TOF MS hardware and software development. We provide a summary of processes used for obtaining the best analytical results with synthetic polymeric materials using MALDI-TOF MS.The mercury ions in waste water have threatened public health and environmental protection. In this sense, novel materials with outstanding performances for removal of Hg2+ are imperative. Herein, we demonstrate a thiol-functionalized zirconium metal-organic cage (MOC-(SH)2) with excellent dispersion displays ideal properties for Hg2+ capture. MOC-(SH)2 exhibits the ability of removing Hg2+ in aqueous solutions with a capacity of 335.9 mgHg2+/gMOC-(SH)2, which surpasses that of classical Zr-based metal-organic framework Uio-66-(SH)2 by 1.89 folds. The higher loading capacity of MOC-(SH)2 is probably owing to the excellent dispersion of the discrete cage, which makes the accessibility of binding sites (thiol) easier. Additionally, 99.6% of Hg2+ can be effectively captured by MOC-(SH)2 with the concentration decreased from 5 to 0.02 ppm reaching the permissible limit for Hg2+, outperforming the performance of Uio-66-(SH)2. The excellent absorption property of MOC-(SH)2 is also achieved in terms of superior selectivity under the presence of competitive metal ions. Meanwhile, the regenerated MOC-(SH)2 can be reused without apparent loss of Hg2+ loading capacity. UV-vis absorption spectra, IR spectra and emission spectra further verified the strong chemical affinity between Hg2+ and the thiol of MOC-(SH)2. The study lays the groundwork for using Zr-MOCs in the removal of toxic metal ions and environmental sustainability.