Electrochemical Biosensors for Cancer Biomarkers Detection: Recent Advances and Challenges

Biomarkers are described as characteristics that provide information about biological conditions whether normal or pathological. Detection of biomarkers at the earliest stage of the cancer is of utmost importance for clinical diagnosis. Electrochemical biosensors allow detecting the low levels of specific analytes in blood, urine or saliva and providing a sensitive approach for direct measurement for cancer biomarker detection. Moreover, the integration of electrochemical devices with nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, gold and magnetic particles offer amplification and multiplexing capabilities for simultaneous measurements of cancer biomarkers very sensitively. This review summarizes the recent developments of electrochemical biosensors systems for the detection of cancer biomarkers with emphasis on voltammetric, amperometric and impedimetric biosensors. A special attention is paid to aptamers and miRNAs that are very promising for the ultra‐sensitive and specific cancer biomarker detection.     

Maximum temperature analysis in a Li-ion battery pack cooled by different fluids

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The use of Li-ion battery in electric vehicles is becoming extensive in the modern-day world owing to their high energy density and longer life. But...     

Negative refractions by triangular lattice sonic crystals in partial band gaps

This study numerically demonstrates the effects of partial band gaps on the negative refraction properties of sonic crystal. The partial band gap appearing at the second band edge leads to the efficient transmissions of scattered wave envelopes in the transverse directions inside triangular lattice sonic crystal, and therefore enhances the refraction property of sonic crystal. Numerical simulation results indicate a diagonal guidance of coupled scattered wave envelopes inside crystal structure at the partial band gap frequencies and then output waves are restored in the vicinity of the output interface of sonic crystal by combining phase coherent scattered waves according to Huygens' principles. This mechanism leads to two operations for wavefront engineering: one is spatial wavefront shifting operation and the other is convex–concave wavefront inversion operation. The effects of this mechanism on the negative refraction and wave focalization are investigated by using the finite difference time domain(FDTD) simulations. This study contributes to a better understanding of negative refraction and wave focusing mechanisms at the band edge frequencies, and shows the applications of the slab corner beam splitting and SC-air multilayer acoustic system.     

Underwater current distribution induced by spark discharge on a water surface

Discharge current distributions generated underwater by spark discharges from the atmosphere to free water surfaces with conductivities in the range 0.07–10.0 S/m were investigated using a laboratory-scale electrode system consists of a discharge electrode and nine underwater grounding electrodes. Discharge emission on the water surface, which shows significant change with slight increase in conductivity, affects the current distribution in the water. The electric potential of the water surface also changes significantly with slight increase in conductivity. Results of numerical calculations of the underwater discharge current based on the water surface potential agree with the experimental results.     

Comparison of relative INAA and k0-INAA using proficiency test materials at ITU TRIGA Mark II research reactor

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Proficiency testing is an important way of evaluating the analytical method used in the laboratory. In recent years, neutron activation analysis...     

Immobilization of β-galactosidase on Polystyrene Microspheres Attached L-Alanine

This study investigated the properties of immobilized β-galactosidase on polymeric beads having Schiff base. Polystyrene microspheres attached L-Alanine (FMPS-Ala) was synthesized from (4-formyl-3-methoxyphenoxymethyl)polystyrene (FMPS) and L-alanine by condensation. A coordinasyon polymer involving Ni²⁺(FMPS-Ala-Ni) was produced with the template method and characterized. β-galactosidase was immobilized onto the (FMPS), (FMPS-Ala) and (FMPS-Ala-Ni) complexes via covalent bonds. The Km/Vmax values were calculated as 0.343 mM/0.0259 mM min^?1for free β-galactosidase and 0.104 mM/0.0126 mM min^?1, 0.0617 mM/0.0417 mM min^?1and 0.210 mM/0.0287 mM min^?1for β-galactosidase immobilized to the (FMPS), (FMPS-Ala) and (FMPS-Ala-Ni) supports, respectively. The storage stability of (FMPS-Ala-Ni) was determined to be higher than that of the (FMPS) and (FMPS-Ala) polymers.     

Preconcentration and electroanalysis of silver at pt electrode modified with poly(2-aminothiazole)

Conducting poly(2-aminothiazole) (PAT) films were electrodeposited on a platinum disc electrode surface by constant potential electrolysis of 2-aminothiazole (AT) for the stripping voltammetric determination of Ag(I). Ag(I) was preconcentrated on the polymer matrix by dipping the modified Pt electrode (PAT-Pt electrode) into Ag(I)(aq) solution. Effects of the film thickness, reduction potential, pH, preconcentration time, Ag(I) concentration and the interference of some other metal ions on the oxidation peak current of silver were studied. Cu(II) interference observed to be significant for the stripping voltammetric determination of Ag(I). The detection limit was calculated on the basis of signal to noise ratio of 3 as 2 × 10^?7 mol L^?1.     

Preparation of Anatase Hollow TiO2 Spheres and Their Photocatalytic Activity in the Photodegradation of Chlorpyrifos

Hollow anatase titania (TiO₂) spheres were synthesized using fructose and tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄, TBT) as the precursors via the conventional hard template method. The morphological, structural and thermal properties of the products were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA), Brunauer? Emmett? Teller (BET) surface area analysis and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet visible (DR UV? Vis) spectroscopy. XRD revealed that the hollow TiO₂ prepared was in the anatase phase and the BET surface area measured was about 22 m² g^?1. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized hollow anatase TiO₂ in the photodecomposition of chlorpyrifos was 18.67 % higher than that obtained using commercial TiO₂.