Isomaltulose Exhibits Prebiotic Activity,and Modulates Gut Microbiota,the Production of Short Chain Fatty Acids,and Secondary Bile Acids in Rats

In vitro experiments have indicated prebiotic activity of isomaltulose, which stimulates the growth of probiotics and the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, the absence of in vivo trials undermines these results. This study aims to investigate the effect of isomaltulose on composition and functionality of gut microbiota in rats. Twelve Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups: the IsoMTL group was given free access to water containing 10% isomaltulose (w/w), and the control group was treated with normal water for five weeks. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing showed that ingestion of isomaltulose increased the abundances of beneficial microbiota, such as Faecalibacterium and Phascolarctobacterium, and decreased levels of pathogens, including Shuttleworthia. Bacterial functional prediction showed that isomaltulose affected gut microbial functionalities, including secondary bile acid biosynthesis. Targeted metabolomics demonstrated that isomaltulose supplementation enhanced cholic acid concentration, and reduced levels of lithocholic acid, deoxycholic acid, dehydrocholic acid, and hyodeoxycholic acid. Moreover, the concentrations of propionate and butyrate were elevated in the rats administered with isomaltulose. This work suggests that isomaltulose modulates gut microbiota and the production of SCFAs and secondary bile acids in rats, which provides a scientific basis on the use of isomaltulose as a prebiotic.     

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.     

Molecularly engineered graphene surfaces for sensing applications: A review

Graphene is scientifically and commercially important because of its unique molecular structure which is monoatomic in thickness, rigorously two-dimensional and highly conjugated. Consequently, graphene exhibits exceptional electrical, optical, thermal and mechanical properties. Herein, we critically discuss the surface modification of graphene, the specific advantages that graphene-based materials can provide over other materials in sensor research and their related chemical and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, we describe the latest developments in the use of these materials for sensing technology, including chemical sensors and biosensors and their applications in security, environmental safety and diseases detection and diagnosis.     

Double-ion imprinted polymer @magnetic nanoparticles modified screen printed carbon electrode for simultaneous analysis of cerium and gadolinium ions

A typical, reproducible, and rugged screen printed carbon electrode, modified with dual-ion imprinted beads, was fabricated employing the “surface grafting from” approach. For this, the acyl chloride functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were first immobilized and chemically attached with a typical functional monomer (but-2-enedioic acid bis-[(2-amino-ethyl)-amide]) on the electrode surface. This was subsequently subjected to the thermal polymerization in the presence of template ions (Ce(IV) and Gd(III)), cross-linker (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), initiator (AIBN), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The modified sensor was used for the simultaneous analysis of both template ions in aqueous, blood serum, and waste-water samples, using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry which revealed two oxidation peaks for respective templates with resolution as much as 950 mV, without any cross reactivity, interferences and false-positives. The detection limits realized by the proposed sensor, under optimized conditions, were found to be as low as 0.07 ng mL⁻¹ for Ce(IV) and 0.19 ng mL⁻¹ for Gd(III) (S/N = 3) that could eventually be helpful for lanthanide estimation at stringent levels.     

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

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.     

Simple,Rapid and Sensitive Electrochemical Method for the Determination of the Triketone Herbicide Sulcotrione in River Water Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode

We report a novel, simple, rapid and sensitive electrochemical method for the determination of sulcotrione, a member of the relatively new class of triketone herbicides, using differential pulse voltammetry on a glassy carbon electrode. Its electrochemical behavior including influences of electrolyte composition, pH and scan rate was studied to select optimal experimental parameters for its determination. In Britton? Robinson buffer at pH 3 sulcotrione provided a well‐defined reduction peak at ?0.84 V (vs. Ag/AgCl electrode), with good repeatability (relative standard deviation of 2.3 % for 8 measurements at 10 µM concentration level). With optimized parameters differential pulse voltammetry rendered two linear concentration ranges from 0.2 to 2 µM and from 2 to 50 µM with a detection limit of 0.05 µM. The proposed procedure was successfully applied to the determination of sulcotrione in spiked river water samples with satisfactory recoveries (93–109 %). The developed method may represent a simple, rapid and sensitive alternative to highly toxic mercury electrodes and chromatographic methods.     

Detection of p53 Gene by Using Genomagnetic Assay Combined with Carbon Nanotube Modified Disposable Sensor Technology

Electrochemical monitoring of DNA hybridization related to p53 gene sequence was investigated using genomagnetic assay combined with single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) modified pencil graphite electrodes (PGEs). The hybridization was performed either at magnetic beads (MB) surface or in solution. The enhanced guanine signal was obtained using SWCNT‐PGEs compared to one obtained by unmodified PGEs. The selectivity of genomagnetic assay was tested under optimum conditions. The DLs were calculated as 0.88 µM and 0.11 µM for hybridization performed at MB surface and solution, respectively. This selective, practical and cost effective genomagnetic assay combined with SWCNT‐PGEs is reported herein for the first time.     

Two-dimensional stability problem for two interacting short fibers in a composite: In-line arrangement

A solution is found to a plane problem for a composite material reinforced with two in-line fibers and subjected to longitudinal compression. The problem formulation is based on the piecewise-homogeneous model and the three-dimensional theory of stability. The dependence of the critical strain and buckling mode on the distance between the fibers is studied for various mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the composite components.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 40, No. 9, pp. 65–74, September 2004.     

冲击加载条件下材料之间摩擦系数的确定

尝试利用自制分离式霍普金森压剪装置对聚氨酯泡沫塑料、硅橡胶和MDF水泥材料与铝合金在冲击加载条件下的摩擦系数进行测试.结果表明:在冲击加载条件下,聚氨酯泡沫塑料、硅橡胶和MDF水泥与铝杆之间的摩擦系数与材料的性质关系不大,其摩擦系数测试结果存在一定的分散性,摩擦曲线出现抖动,且与加载条件有关,摩擦系数比通常意义下所得到的摩擦系数小;不同加载条件对所测试材料与铝压杆之间的摩擦系数数值影响不大,只是曲线的走势稍有不同.在冲击加载条件下硬质聚氨酯泡沫塑料与铝杆之间的静摩擦系数为0.29,动摩擦系数为0.25;硅橡胶与铝杆之间的静摩擦系数为0.285,动摩擦系数为0.24;MDF水泥与铝合金杆之间的静摩擦系数为0.28～0.29,动摩擦系数约0.23.     

Motion of a system of seismic sources over ice on a body of water under the action of a pulse

The vertical motion of a system of two identical seismic sources and a spring truck tractor on ice under the action of a shock pulse from the seismic sources is studied to estimate the strength of ice. It is shown that during the pulse time, the interaction of the masses of the seismic sources and the tractor is small and the compressibility effect of the liquid can be ignored. Calculations show that for the seismic sources, the dynamic load far exceeds the static load and for the tractor, the static load is maximal. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 147–155, March–April, 2007.