Development and characterization of a magnetic bead-quantum dot nanoparticles based assay capable of Escherichia coli O157:H7 quantification

The development and characterization of a magnetic bead (MB)-quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles based assay capable of quantifying pathogenic bacteria is presented here. The MB-QD assay operates by having a capturing probe DNA selectively linked to the signaling probe DNA via the target genomic DNA (gDNA) during DNA hybridization. The signaling probe DNA is labeled with fluorescent QD₅₆₅ which serves as a reporter. The capturing probe DNA is conjugated simultaneously to a MB and another QD₆₅₅, which serve as a carrier and an internal standard, respectively. Successfully captured target gDNA is separated using a magnetic field and is quantified via a spectrofluorometer. The use of QDs (i.e., QD₅₆₅/QD₆₅₅) as both a fluorescence label and an internal standard increased the sensitivity of the assay. The passivation effect and the molar ratio between QD and DNA were optimized. The MB-QD assay demonstrated a detection limit of 890 zeptomolar (i.e., 10⁻²¹ mol L⁻¹) concentration for the linear single stranded DNA (ssDNA). It also demonstrated a detection limit of 87 gene copies for double stranded DNA (dsDNA) eaeA gene extracted from pure Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 culture. Its corresponding dynamic range, sensitivity, and selectivity were also presented. Finally, the bacterial gDNA of E. coli O157:H7 was used to highlight the MB-QD assay's ability to detect below the minimum infective dose (i.e., 100 organisms) of E. coli O157:H7 in water environment.     

水中空气隔层衰减冲击波性能研究

 根据鱼雷对舰船毁伤的特点,建立了多介质水下爆炸数值模型,提出了交界面处理及广义光滑长度计算方法,编制了多介质水下爆炸计算程序,并对水下爆炸空气隔层衰减冲击波的性能进行了定量分析。结果表明：无论是接触爆炸还是非接触爆炸,空气隔层均可有效衰减冲击波,并且接触爆炸中空气隔层衰减冲击波的效果更好,最大可使冲击压力峰值降低约55%;空气隔层厚度与爆炸厚度之比为1时便可达到较好的衰减冲击波效果,继续增加空气隔层厚度对衰减冲击波效果影响不大。研究结果可为舰船结构防护及防雷舱的结构设计提供参考。     

A sensitive, rapid ferricyanide-mediated toxicity bioassay developed using Escherichia coli

A need for rapid toxicity techniques has seen recent research into developing new microbiological assays and characterising their toxicity responses using a range of substances. A microbiological bioassay that determines changes in ferricyanide-mediated respiration for toxicity measurement (FM-TOX) shows particular promise. The development and optimisation of an improved FM-TOX method, incorporating novel features, is described using Escherichia coli as the biocatalyst. Omission of an exogenous carbon source, used in previously described FM-TOX assays, substantially improves the assay sensitivity. In addition, the development of a two-step procedure (toxicant exposure followed by determination of microbial respiratory activity) was found to enhance the inhibition of E. coli by 3,5-dichlorophenol and four other toxicants, compared to single-step procedures. Other assay parameters, such as the ferricyanide concentration, exposure times and optical density of the biocatalyst were also optimised, sometimes based on practical aspects. Toxicity tests were carried out using the adopted technique on both organic and inorganic toxicants, with classic sigmoid-shaped dose-response curves observed, as well as some non-standard responses. IC₅₀ data is presented for a number of common toxicants. The optimised assay provides a good foundation for further toxicity testing using E. coli, as well as the potential for expanding the technique to utilise other bacteria with complementary toxicity responses, thereby allowing use of the assay in a range of applications.     

Graphic Data Analysis and Complex Formation Curves as Modelling and Optimization Tools in Potentiometric and Voltammetric Speciation Studies of a Pb?(TAPSO)x?(OH)y System

The formation of complex species between lead and TAPSO, a commercialized biological buffer, was evidenced and discussed. Formation constants of Pb? (TAPSO)_x? (OH)_y system have been studied by direct current polarography and by glass electrode potentiometry at fixed total–ligand and total–metal concentration ratio and varied pH, at 25.0 °C and ionic strength set to 0.1 M KNO₃. The graphic analysis revealed to be a very powerful tool in the prediction and refinement operations of Pb–(TAPSO)_x? (OH)_y system. The proposed final model for this system is: PbL, PbL₂, PbL₂(OH) and PbL₂(OH)₂, with stability constants values, as log β, of 3.7±0.1, 6.6±0.1, 12.9±0.1 and 17.8±0.1, respectively.     

Statistical Multiplexing of Homogeneous Fractional Brownian Streams

In this paper, the statistical multiplexing of independent fractional Brownian traffic streams with the same Hurst value 0.5<H<1 is studied. The buffer overflow probabilities based on steady-state and transient queue length tail distributions are used respectively as the common performance criterion. Under general conditions, the minimal buffer allocation to the merged traffic is identified in either case so that strictly positive bandwidth savings are realized. Impact of the common H value on multiplexing gains is investigated. The analytical results are applicable in data network engineering problems, where ATM is deployed as the transport network carrying long-range dependent data traffic.     

Effect of plasma-activated water and buffer solution combined with ultrasound on fungicide degradation and quality of cherry tomato during storage

The purpose of this study was to examine plasma-activated buffer solution (PABS) and plasma-activated water (PAW) combined with ultrasonication (U) treatment on the reduction of chlorothalonil fungicide and the quality of tomato fruits during storage. To obtain PAW and PABS, an atmospheric air plasma jet was used to treat buffer solution and deionized water at different treatment times (5 and 10 min). For combined treatments, fruits were submerged in PAW and PABS, then sonicated for 15 min, and individual treatment without sonication. As per the results, the maximum chlorothalonil reduction of 89.29% was detected in PAW-U₁₀, followed by 85.43% in PABS. At the end of the storage period, the maximum reduction of 97.25% was recorded in PAW-U₁₀, followed by 93.14% in PABS-U₁₀. PAW, PABS, and both combined with ultrasound did not significantly affect the overall tomato fruit quality in the storage period. Our results revealed that PAW combined with sonication had a significant impact on post-harvest agrochemical degradation and retention of tomato quality than PABS. Conclusively, the integrated hurdle technologies effectively reduce agrochemical residues, which helps to lower health hazards and foodborne illnesses.     

DYNAMIC SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF CAPTURE AND BUFFER SYSTEM BASED ON CLAW-TYPE DOCKING MECHANISM

现有在轨服务的对接机构由于其尺寸大、结构复杂、对接目标单一等局限性因素,无法很好地为后续我国探月工程任务提供有力支撑,且受限于运载能力,对接机构的轻量化也是必不可少的一项环节.为研究可服务于未来月球空间站以及载人登月等高轨道任务的对接机构,设计了一种新型抱爪式对接机构,其采用异体同构周边式构型,可以实现主/被动飞行器之间的互换.利用 V 型槽与爪钩等结构部件实现飞行器对接过程中的捕获以 及能量消耗功能,从而实现两飞行器之间的稳固联接.该对接机构具备尺寸小、重量轻、结构简单、功能易实现等优势. 对其捕获缓冲系统进行了动力学分析,计算了缓冲元器件的参数对其捕获性能的影响,在 ADAMS 完成了数字虚拟样机的建立,结合实际两种典型的对接初始条件工况进行了仿真研究.研究结果表明,两种工况下的对接过程能量消耗满足设计要求,能够以较小的 V 型槽的碰撞力完成捕获,结果证明了捕获缓冲系统的可行性以及该构型对接机构具备较好实现任务的能力.     

高g值冲击下存储测试电路模块缓冲保护研究

为了采用弹载存储测试技术记录弹体高速侵彻硬目标过程中的加速度—时间曲线,必须对存储测试电路模块进行缓冲保护。本文利用非线性缓冲理论、技术,选择较理想的缓冲材料,设计出缓冲器件-泡沫铝试件,进行了静态压缩,得到应力-应变曲线,采用LS-DYNA模拟了空气炮冲击实验中泡沫铝试件的缓冲效果,并对应用于某型号弹侵彻混凝土靶的存储测试电路模块进行了缓冲保护,提高了数据的捕获率和电路模块的重复使用次数。通过试验证明了所设计缓冲器件对电路模块具有保护效果。     

Interactions of DNA with graphene and sensing applications of graphene field-effect transistor devices: A review

Graphene field-effect transistors (GFET) have emerged as powerful detection platforms enabled by the advent of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) production of the unique atomically thin 2D material on a large scale. DNA aptamers, short target-specific oligonucleotides, are excellent sensor moieties for GFETs due to their strong affinity to graphene, relatively short chain-length, selectivity, and a high degree of analyte variability. However, the interaction between DNA and graphene is not fully understood, leading to questions about the structure of surface-bound DNA, including the morphology of DNA nanostructures and the nature of the electronic response seen from analyte binding. This review critically evaluates recent insights into the nature of the DNA graphene interaction and its affect on sensor viability for DNA, small molecules, and proteins with respect to previously established sensing methods. We first discuss the sorption of DNA to graphene to introduce the interactions and forces acting in DNA based GFET devices and how these forces can potentially affect the performance of increasingly popular DNA aptamers and even future DNA nanostructures as sensor substrates. Next, we discuss the novel use of GFETs to detect DNA and the underlying electronic phenomena that are typically used as benchmarks for characterizing the analyte response of these devices. Finally, we address the use of DNA aptamers to increase the selectivity of GFET sensors for small molecules and proteins and compare them with other, state of the art, detection methods.