Voltammetric Label‐free Immunosensors for the Diagnosis of Cystic Echinococcosis

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatid disease is a parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Early serodiagnosis and continuous monitoring of the disease is very important for medical treatment. Here, we report the detecting of both echinococcus antigen and antibody for the diagnosis of hydatid disease using square wave voltammetry (SWV)‐based immunosensors. The gold electrodes were functionalized using cysteamine/phenylene diisothiocyanate linkers and used for the immunosensors fabrication. The hydatid antigen and antibody immunosensors were constructed by the immobilization of either purified rabbit polyclonal antibody or recombinant antigen B (AgB), respectively on the functionalized gold electrodes surfaces. The detection in both cases was achieved by following the change in the SWV reduction peak current of the ferro/ferricyanide redox couple upon antibody or antigen binding. These immunosensors enabled the detection of echinococcus antigen and antibody within a concentration range of 1 pg.mL^?1 to 1 μg.mL^?1 with detection limits of 0.4 pg.mL^?1 and 0.3 pg.mL^?1, respectively. A preliminary application of the developed immunosensor was performed in spiked serum sample showing good recovery percentages ranging from 102 to 110 % for both hydatid antibody and antigen detection. This easy‐to‐use, sensitive, and low cost quantitative method holds great promise for the early diagnosis of hydatid disease and thus, better managements and treatment outcomes.     

An experimental study of fuel injection strategies in CAI gasoline engine

Combustion of gasoline in a direct injection controlled auto-ignition (CAI) single-cylinder research engine was studied. CAI operation was achieved with the use of the negative valve overlap (NVO) technique and internal exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR). Experiments were performed at single injection and split injection, where some amount of fuel was injected close to top dead centre (TDC) during NVO interval, and the second injection was applied with variable timing. Additionally, combustion at variable fuel-rail pressure was examined.Investigation showed that at fuel injection into recompressed exhaust fuel reforming took place. This process was identified via an analysis of the exhaust-fuel mixture composition after NVO interval. It was found that at single fuel injection in NVO phase, its advance determined the heat release rate and auto-ignition timing, and had a strong influence on NO_X emission. However, a delay of single injection to intake stroke resulted in deterioration of cycle-to-cycle variability. Application of split injection showed benefits of this strategy versus single injection. Examinations of different fuel mass split ratios and variable second injection timing resulted in further optimisation of mixture formation. At equal share of the fuel mass injected in the first injection during NVO and in the second injection at the beginning of compression, the lowest emission level and cyclic variability improvement were observed.     

An effusion-evaporation model for image edge detection

A novel quasi-physical edge detection model is presented. The model, referred to as the effusion-evaporation model (EEM), is inspired by the natural phenomenon that the water effusing from the ground evaporates in the sunshine and leaves a wire like water stain on the ground surface, which reflects the physiognomy of the terrain. Based on the simulation of water effusing and evaporating, an EEM regards the complement of gradient magnitude image as a three-dimensional terrain, and the concave regions, which contain the residual water in the evolution final state, are used to determine the edges. Subjective and objective comparisons are performed on the proposed algorithm and two conventional edge detectors, namely Canny and LoG. The comparison results show that the proposed method outperforms Canny and LoG detectors for the real images and the standard test images with Gaussian noise.     

Hybrid magnetic field formulation based on the losses separation method for modified dynamic inverse Jiles-Atherton model

Dynamic formulation based on the losses separation method in conducting media for the inverse Jiles-Atherton model is proposed. This formulation is based on the concept of the Hybrid Magnetic Field model (HMF). The HMF consists of the modification of the effective field by introducing two counter-fields associated, respectively, with the eddy current and excess losses. Such a formulation is characterized by seven parameters with five parameters issued from the quasi-static Jiles-Atherton model. Thus, two new parameters related to these fields are added to that defined in the quasi-static model. The identification of these new parameters is based on the measurements of the volumetric energy density. To validate this formulation, measurements are carried out on grain non-oriented Fe-Si 3% electrical sheets.     

Determination of glutathione in single HepG2 cells by capillary electrophoresis with reduced graphene oxide modified microelectrode

Determination of intracellular bioactive species will afford beneficial information related to cell metabolism, signal transduction, cell function, and disease treatment. In this study, the electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified carbon fiber microdisk electrode (ER‐GOME) was used as a detector of CZE‐electrochemical detection and developed to detect glutathione (GSH). The electrocatalytic activity of the modified microelectrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry. Under optimized experimental conditions, the concentration linear range of GSH was from 1 to 60 μM. When the S/N ratio was 3, the concentration detection limit was 1 μM. Compared with the unmodified carbon fiber microdisk electrode, the sensitivity was enhanced more than five times. With the use of this method, the average contents of GSH in single HepG2 cells were found to be 7.13 ± 1.11 fmol (n = 10). Compared with gold/mercury amalgam microelectrode, which was usually used in determining GSH, the electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified carbon fiber microdisk electrode was friendly to environment for free mercury. Furthermore, there were several merits of the novel electrochemical detector coupled with CE, such as comparative repeatability, easy fabrication, and high sensitivity, hold great potential for the single‐cell assay.     

FRET based selective and ratiometric ‘naked-eye’ detection of CN in aqueous solution on fluorescein–Zn–naphthalene ensemble platform

We have developed a FRET-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for the detection of CN⁻ using a fluorescein–Zn–naphthalene ensemble (NFH·Zn²⁺). The sensing mechanism was ascribed by displacement approach. The chemosensor exhibits high selectivity and sensibility for CN⁻. The speculation was supported by fluorescence emission spectra, UV–vis spectrum, ¹H NMR titration experiments, and mass spectra. The interconversion of probe NFH and NFH·Zn²⁺ via the complexation/decomplexation by the modulation of Zn²⁺/CN⁻ mimics INHIBIT gate. In addition, it also shows an excellent performance in ‘dip stick’ method.     

两种Taqman探针的制备及荧光检测性能比较

采用固相合成法,分别合成FAM/TAMRA和FAM/BHQ2双荧光标记的Taqman探针,得到的粗产物分别采用乙醇沉淀法、离子对反相色谱法、凝胶过滤柱脱盐法纯化.采用实时荧光PCR法,分别从感染的南瓜果实中检测到黄瓜绿斑驳花叶病毒(CGMMV),扩增曲线表明采用该实验条件制备的探针检测性能良好.在相同荧光PCR反应体系...     

恒电流电解-BCO分光光度法测定纯铜中铜含量不确定度的评定

对采用恒电流电解-BC0分光光度法测定纯铜中铜含量的不确定度进行了评定.对测量重复性、电解重量法、光度法等影响测量结果的不确定度分量进行了分析和量化.当纯铜中铜的质量分数为99.93%时,扩展不确定度为0.01%,k=2.     

Dopamine Sensor Based on a Composite of Silver Nanoparticles Implemented in the Electroactive Matrix of Calixarenes

A sensitive electrochemical sensor based on a composite containing silver nanoparticles and a redox active thiacalixarene with catechol fragments in the substituents at the lower rim has been developed and used for dopamine detection. The electrochemical investigation of thiacalixarene in homogeneous solution and on the electrode interface showed the reversible character of the redox conversion of catechol fragments and its involvement in the chemical reduction of silver which resulted in formation of uniform nanoparticles of 4–6 nm in diameter. The use of such a material for electrode modification made it possible to record a high amplitude cathodic signal at ?700 mV that was proportional to the dopamine concentration within 1 nM–1 µM. (limit of detection 0.5 nM).     

Modeling of Current Distribution on Smooth and Columnar Platinum Structures

Studying the growth and stability of anisotropic or isotropic disordered surfaces in electrodeposition is of importance in catalytic electrochemistry. In some cases, the metallic nature of the electrode defines the topography and roughness, which are also controlled by the experimental time and applied external potential. Because of the experimental restrictions in conventional electrochemical techniques and ex situ electron microscopies, a theoretical model of the surface geometry could aid in understanding the electrodeposition process and current distributions. In spite of applying a complex theory such as dynamic scaling method or perturbation theories, the resolution of mixed mass‐/charge‐transfer equations (tertiary distribution) for the electrodeposition process would give reliable information. One of the main problems with this type of distribution is the mathematics when solving the spatial n‐dimensional differential equations. Use of a primary current distribution is proposed here to simplify the differential equations; however it limits wide application of the first assumption. Distributions of concentration profile, current density, and electrode potential are presented here as a function of the distance normal to the surface for the cases of smooth and rough platinum growth. In the particular case of columnar surfaces, cycloid curves are used to model the electrode, from which the concentration profile is presented in a parameterized form after solving a first‐type curvilinear integral. The concentration contour results in a combination of a trigonometric inverse function and a linear distribution leading to a negative concavity curve. The calculation of the current density and electrode potential contours also show trigonometric shapes exhibiting forbidden imaginary values only at the minimal values of the trochoid curve.