A near-infrared-emitting CdTe/CdS core/shell quantum dots (QDs)-based photoluminescence (PL) sensor was designed and applied for highly selective and sensitive detection of Cd(2+). This sensor was based on a PL "OFF-ON" mode. First, the addition of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) led to remarked PL quenching of QDs. Second, PL of APDC ...

We previously reported a colorimetric assay method for Co(2+) based on the thioglycolic acid (TGA) functionalized hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) modified Au NPs. However, the detection limit of 3×10(-7)M was still higher than that of the sanitary standard for drinking water (6.8×10(-8)M). In addition, the interactions between the modifier ...

The main aim of this work was to analyse the diversity of wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from spontaneous fermentations of grapes collected from heroic vine-growing area. A first screening based on several technological traits was used to select 39 strains among 132 isolates. By using three molecular typing techniques (evaluation ...

A new protocol using zincon-immobilized silica-coated magnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (Zincon-Si-MNPs) as solid-phase extraction (SPE) medium has been developed for the separation and preconcentration of trace lead in water. Various parameters such as pH, extraction time, concentration and volume of eluent, sample volume, and influence of co-existing ions have been investigated ...

A microemulsion enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of luminol-H(2)O(2) was studied with the flow-injection (FI) technique. The results revealed that the microemulsion composed with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), n-butanol, n-heptane and water greatly enhanced the ECL especially in acidic medium. The ECL emission increased for 20 to 2 times in this microemulsion medium ...

Deep Raman spectroscopy has been utilized for the standoff detection of concealed chemical threat agents from a distance of 15m under real life background illumination conditions. By using combined time and space resolved measurements, various explosive precursors hidden in opaque plastic containers were identified non-invasively. Our results confirm that combined ...

Fluorine was determined via the rotational molecular absorption line of aluminum mono fluoride (AlF) generated in C(2)H(2)/N(2)O flame at 227.4613nm using a high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (HR-CS-FAAS). The effects of AlF wavelength, burner height, fuel rate (C(2)H(2)/N(2)O) and amount of Al on the accuracy, precision and sensitivity ...

Prevalence of enterococci and antibiotic resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis was analyzed in 126 French cheeses from retail stores. Forty-four percent of pasteurized or thermised-milk cheeses, and up to 92% of raw-milk cheeses contained detectable enterococci. A total of 337 antibiotic resistant enterococci were isolated in 29% and 60% of ...

The advantages and shortcomings of focused microwave-induced combustion (FMIC) for digestion of plant samples were studied. The effects of sample mass, absorbing solution, oxygen gas flow-rate, and time of reflux step on recoveries of major, minor and trace metals were systematically evaluated. Afterwards, Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, ...

The two main goals of the analytical method described herein were to (1) use principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering (HCA) and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) to determine the feedstock source of blends of biodiesel and conventional diesel (feedstocks were two sources of soy, two strains of jatropha, and a local ...

We report here the preparation of high-magnetization Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2)@TiO(2) nanoparticles for solid phase extraction of trace amounts of Cd(II), Cr(III), Mn(II) and Cu(II) from environmental waters. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The high-magnetization nanoparticles carrying the target metals could be easily ...

In this contribution, bovine serum albumin stabilized gold nanoclusters as novel fluorescent probes were successfully utilized for the detection of ciprofloxacin for the first time. Our prepared gold nanoclusters exhibited strong emission with peak maximum at 635nm. Cu(2+) was employed to quench the strong fluorescence of the gold nanoclusters, whereas ...

We sought to characterize patient factors and regional variations associated with vitamin K antagonist (VKA) use in patients with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in areas outside the United States and Europe. The ADHERE-International registry enrolled patients with decompensated HF from 10 Asia Pacific and Latin American countries ...

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L., Asteraceae) is a perennial crop traditionally consumed as a vegetable in the Mediterranean countries and rich in nutraceutically and pharmaceutically active compounds, including phenolic and terpenoid compounds. Its bitter taste is caused by its high content of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs), such as cynaropicrin. ...

Rice and most staple cereals contain low iron (Fe) levels, most of which is lost during grain processing. Populations with monotonous diets consisting mainly of cereals are especially prone to Fe deficiency, which affects about two billion people. Supplementation or food fortification programs have not always been successful. Crop Fe ...

Tetraspanins represent a four-transmembrane protein superfamily with a conserved structure and amino acid residues that are present in mammals, insects, fungi and plants. Tetraspanins interact with each other or with other membrane proteins to form tetraspanin-enriched microdomains that play important roles in development, pathogenesis and immune responses via facilitating cell-cell ...

Daqu is a traditional fermentation starter that is used for Chinese liquor production. Although partly mechanized, its manufacturing process has remained traditional. We investigated the microbial diversity of Fen-Daqu, a starter for light-flavour liquor, using combined culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (PCR-DGGE). A total of 190 microbial strains, comprising 109 bacteria ...

Three unique NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) cDNAs have been isolated from a Nothapodytes foetida cDNA library and characterized. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NfCPR1 is a class I isoform, whereas NfCPR2 and NfCPR3 are class II isoforms. Both NfCPR1 and NfCPR2 transcripts were detected in all examined organs of N. foetida, ...

Using a full factorial design the optimization of experimental conditions of enhanced chemiluminescence reaction (ECR) catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP-C) in the presence of 3-(10'-phenothiazinyl)propane-1-sulfonate (SPTZ) and 4-morpholinopyridine (MORP) as enhancers was performed. The effect of concentrations of SPTZ, hydrogen peroxide, MORP, luminol, and Tris on a ratio of peroxidase-catalyzed ...

We reported a simple and reusable fluorescent sensor for heme proteins based on the electrospun nanofibrous membrane doped with a fluorescent conjugated polymer P. The sensor showed favorable fluorescence sensing performance towards the heme proteins, including hemoglobin (Hb), myoglobin (Mb) and cytochrome c (Cyt c). The surface wettability and sensing ...

A simple, reliable and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and its metabolite caffeic acid (CA) in dog plasma was developed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The sample pretreatment generally involved protein precipitation treatment (PPT) and direct dilution. CAPE and CA were ...

Lactic acid bacteria play an important role in traditional fermented foods consumed in different countries. Study of their taxonomic structure and diversity is necessary for starter culture selection, improved safety and nutritional enhancement. To achieve these objectives, microbial genomic typing methods were used to study genetic differences of autochthonous bacteria ...

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) are both used to evaluate arterial stiffness. The aim of the present study is to determine whether baPWV or CAVI is superior as a marker of arterial stiffness in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Of 194 patients, 59 patients had been ...

Ultrapure water produced by a water purification system is one of the most essential and widely used reagents in laboratories. However, its quality is usually the least well-characterized and often overlooked. Here we investigate the contamination of ultrapure water by bisphenol A (BPA) leached from a polysulfone (PS) ultrafilter in ...

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between alfacalcidol therapy and the outcomes of chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. We collected demographic and clinical baseline data from 190 prevalent HD patients in a regional Japanese cohort. A 5-year survival analysis was performed according to whether the patients were ...

A sensor system for the automatic, in-line, determination of chlorite ion is reported. Electroanalytical measurements were performed in electrolyte-free liquids by using an electrochemical probe (EC), which enables in-line detection in high-resistance media such as disinfected water. Cyclic voltammetry scan rate studies suggest that the current arising from the oxidation ...

Myoglobin plays an important role in rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The present study investigates myoglobin-induced apoptosis in HK-2 cells (human renal proximal tubule cells) to discover some of the mechanisms involved in rhabdomyolysis related AKI. Metmyoglobin is reduced to ferrous myoglobin by ...

Pediocin PA-1 is an antimicrobial peptide produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that has been sufficiently well characterised to be used in food industry as a biopreservative. Sulphur dioxide is the traditional antimicrobial agent used during the winemaking process to control bacterial growth and wine spoilage. In this study, we ...

The aims of this study were: (i) to analyze the perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in patients with dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease and (ii) to reveal perioperative management problems that are unique to these patients. Between June 2004 and June 2011, laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was ...

An automated pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method followed by Power Prep™ clean-up was developed for organochlorinated pesticide (OCP) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis in environmental marine samples of fish, squid, bivalves, shells, octopus and shrimp. OCPs and PCBs were simultaneously determined in a single chromatographic run using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-negative ...

The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) coated quartz wool (MWNTs/QW) prepared by dynamic layer-by-layer self-assembly was used as solid-phase extraction (SPE) absorbent for on-line separation and preconcentration of lysozyme in egg white. The coating procedures were performed continuously in a flow system operated by a set of sequential injection devices. The ...

Enteric viruses are important agents of foodborne diseases. Due to their low infectious doses and low concentrations in food samples, an efficient and rapid virus concentration method is required for routine control. Because of the absence of a reliable cell culture method for most of the enteric viruses involved in ...

This study aimed to clarify the relationship between blood pressure (BP, mm Hg) measured by patients in the morning at home and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is a strong predictor for morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). We recorded self-measured morning ...

A simple solid phase extraction system based on the applying the nickel-aluminum layered double hydroxide (Ni-Al LDH) as a nano-sorbent was developed for the speciation analysis of chromium and manganese by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The method is based on the fact that Cr(VI) and Mn(VII) oxyanions could be ...

Oenococcus oeni is a lactic acid bacterium of economic interest used in winemaking. This bacterium is the preferred species for malolactic fermentation (MLF) due its adaptability to the chemically harsh wine environment. MLF enhances the organoleptic properties and ensures deacidification of wines. The aim of this work was the transcriptional ...

The importance of tracking outbreaks of foodborne illness and the emergence of new virulent subtypes of foodborne pathogens have created the need for rapid and reliable sub-typing methods for Escherichia coli O157:H7. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was used for sub-typing 30 strains of E. coli ...

Novel ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) based on amino acids have been developed. l-Tryptophan and l-tyrosine, which are amino acids, are employed as ionophores for solvent polymeric membrane electrodes. The proposed ISEs show rapid Nernstian responses for the Cu(2+) ion over the concentration ranges of 3.0×10(-4)-1.0×10(-1)M. These ISEs exhibit comparatively good selectivity ...

The purpose of this work was to estimate the prevalence and concentration of Listeria monocytogenes in minced pork meat by the application of a Bayesian modeling approach. Samples (n = 100) collected from local markets were tested for L. monocytogenes using in parallel the PALCAM, ALOA and RAPID'L.mono selective media. Presence of the ...

A novel biocompatible nanocomposite prepared by Mg(2)Al-Cl layered double hydroxide (LDH) and ionic liquid (IL) 1-carboxyl-methyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate was used as the matrix for the immobilization of myoglobin (Mb). The IL-LDH-Mb composite was characterized by UV-vis adsorption spectroscopy and the results indicated that Mb retained its native structure in the IL-LDH ...

A heterogeneous immunoassay for monensin determination in milk samples using a tracer formed by anti-monensin antibodies bound to nile blue (NB)-doped silica nanoparticles (NPs), 96-well microplates as solid supports and long-wavelength fluorescence measurements is described for the first time. The assay relies on the competition of the monensin present in ...

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacterium commonly considered to be responsible for antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal diseases, ranging from diarrhea of varying severity to pseudomembranous colitis. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of C. difficile in marine edible bivalve molluscs, which, as filter feeding organisms, are able to accumulate ...

A series of the polymers imprinted with diphenylamine (DPA) and respective non imprinted polymers were synthesized using precipitation polymerization. Synthesized polymers were characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy with Total Attenuated Reflectance (FTIR-ATR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and equilibrium batch re-binding experiments. Influence of the synthesis conditions, namely monomer/template ratio ...

Two conventional Zn(II) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane electrodes have been prepared and characterized. They were based on dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DBC) as a neutral carrier, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as a plasticizer, and potassium tetrakis (p-chlorophenyl) borate, KTpClPB or the halogen-free ionic liquid, tetraoctylammonium dodecylbenzene sulfonate [TOA][DBS] as an additive. The use of ...

A stability-indicating capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was validated for the analysis of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) using leuprorelin acetate (LA), as internal standard (IS). A fused-silica capillary (75μm i.d.; effective length, 72cm) was used at 25°C; the applied voltage was 12kV. The background electrolyte solution consisted of 50mM di-sodium ...

Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in food are considered anti-nutritional factors. This study elucidated the role of α-galactosidase (α-Gal), levansucrase, and sucrose phosphorylase for conversion of RFOs by lactobacilli. Quantification of gene expression by reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR revealed that expression of levansucrase and sucrose phosphorylase by Lactobacillus reuteri is increased more ...

A new and simple cold vapor generation technique utilizing microwave irradiation coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry is developed for the speciation analysis of mercury in biological and geological samples. In the presence of formic acid, inorganic mercury (Hg(2+)) and total mercury (both Hg(2+) and methylmercury (MeHg)) can be converted to ...

The influence of different Purge Times on the effectiveness of Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) of volatile oil components from cypress plant matrix (Cupressus sempervirens) was investigated, applying solvents of diverse extraction efficiencies. The obtained results show the decrease of the mass yields of essential oil components as a result of ...

Although the basic science behind current methods for studying biopharmaceutical drug stability has not changed significantly, the techniques available for predicting stability have evolved over the years. This paper therefore describes and discusses various options of data analysis for accelerated degradation studies of peptide and protein drugs based on the ...

1,8-Dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ) can form an inclusion complex with β-cyclodextrin(β-CD) in aqueous media, which can be employed to solubilize and stabilize the DHAQ in water. With the assistance of ammonia, the supramolecular DHAQ-β-CD complex showed a selective chromogenic behavior toward Cu(2+) ions by changing the color of the solution from citrus ...

A united method for speciation analysis of Se (IV) and Se (VI) in environmental water samples was developed using nano-sized TiO(2) colloid as adsorbent and hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) as determination means. When the pH values of bulk solution were between 6.0 and 7.0, successful adsorption onto 1mL ...