An Antibacterial and Anti-Oxidative Hydrogel Dressing for Promoting Diabetic Wound Healing and Real-Time Monitoring Wound pH Conditions with a NIR Fluorescent Imaging System.

The design and synthesis of multifunctional chitosan hydrogels based on polymerized ionic liquid and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (PIL-CS) is a promising strategy, which not only prevents the transition from acute to chronic wounds, but also provides prompt measures regarding microenvironmental alterations in chronic wounds. PIL-CS hydrogel can real-time visualize wound pH through in vivo NIR fluorescent imaging and also feature the pH-responsive sustained drug release, such as antioxidant, to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to boost diabetic wound healing. PIL-CS hydrogel is specific, sensitive, stable, and reversible in response to pH changes at the wound site.

A monolithic copolymer prepared from N-(4-vinyl)-benzyl iminodiacetic acid, divinylbenzene and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide for preconcentration of cadmium(II) and cobalt(II) from biological samples prior to their determination by ICP-MS.

A capillary monolith consisting of poly[N-(4-vinyl)-benzyl iminodiacetic acid-co-divinylbenzene-co-N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide), referred to as poly(VBIDA-DVB-Bis), has been prepared. It is shown to be an efficient sorbent for the enrichment of Co(II) and Cd(II). The two ions are completely retained by the monolith in the pH range from 4.

Dietary yeast influences ethanol sedation in Drosophila via serotonergic neuron function.

Abuse of alcohol is a major clinical problem with far-reaching health consequences. Understanding the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to alcohol-related behaviors is a potential gateway for developing novel therapeutic approaches for patients that abuse the drug. To this end, we have used Drosophila melanogaster as a model to investigate the effect of diet, an environmental factor, on ethanol sedation.

Quantitative Determining of Ultra-Trace Aluminum Ion in Environmental Samples by Liquid Phase Microextraction Assisted Anodic Stripping Voltammetry.

Direct detecting of trace amount Al(III) in aqueous solution by stripping voltammetry is often frustrated by its irreversible reduction, resided at −1.75 V (vs. Ag/AgCl reference), which is in a proximal potential of proton reduction.

Comparative study of the interactions between bisphenol analogues and serum albumins by electrospray mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Rationale: Bisphenol A and its alternatives are widely used in common consumer products and are known as environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals. Five bisphenol analogues, namely, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA), 4,4'-sulfonyldiphenol (BPS), bisphenol A (BPA) and 4,4'-hexafluoroisopropylidenediphenol (BPAF), were selected to study their interactions with serum albumins, aiming at a better understanding of the toxicological mechanisms of bisphenol compounds.

Methods: The interactions between human and bovine serum albumins (HSA and BSA) with these five compounds were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).

Constructing a novel carbon nitride/polyaniline/ZnO ternary heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic performance using exfoliated carbon nitride nanosheets as supports.

Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is an emerging photocatalyst with promising prospect, but presently it still falls short on photocatalytic efficiency and photoresponsive range. We herein constructed a novel ternary heterostructure by hybridization of conducting polymer and semiconductor with CN. The exfoliated two dimension CN nanosheets (CN-NSs) are superior to bulk CN as both catalysts and supporting materials.

4-Amino-1-(3-mercapto-propyl)-pyridine hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid functionalized gold nanoparticles for IgG immunosensing enhancement.

A novel ionic liquid, 4-amino-1-(3-mercapto-propyl)-pyridine hexafluorophosphate (AMPPH), was successfully synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, AMPPH was used as a functional monomer to fabricate AMPPH-modified gold nanoparticles (AMPPH-AuNPs) via a one-pot synthesis method. The as-prepared AMPPH-AuNPs were confirmed with transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Quantitation of dopamine, serotonin and adenosine content in a tissue punch from a brain slice using capillary electrophoresis with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry detection.

Methods to determine neurochemical concentrations in small samples of tissue are needed to map interactions among neurotransmitters. In particular, correlating physiological measurements of neurotransmitter release and the tissue content in a small region would be valuable. HPLC is the standard method for tissue content analysis but it requires microliter samples and the detector often varies by the class of compound being quantified; thus detecting molecules from different classes can be difficult.

Sensitive amperometric biosensor for phenolic compounds based on graphene-silk peptide/tyrosinase composite nanointerface.

New graphene-silk peptide (Gr-SP) nanosheets were prepared and successfully fabricated with tyrosinase (Tyr) as a novel biosensor for the determination of phenolic compounds. The Gr-SP nanosheets were fully characterized with transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/Vis and FTIR spectra. The developed biosensors were also characterized with scanning electronic microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Centrifuge microextraction coupled with sweeping-MEKC to analyze trace steroid hormones in urine samples.

A novel method that combines two concentration techniques, off-line centrifuge microextraction (CME) and on-line sweeping, is used to determine trace steroids in urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The CME-sweeping-MEKC is a promising technique, which has a variety of merits such as high sensitivity, rapid operation, minimal cost, and high sample throughput capability. Using CME-sweeping, over a 500-fold increase in sensitivity could be obtained as compared with the normal hydrodynamic injection without sample stacking.

Analysis of biogenic amines in a single Drosophila larva brain by capillary electrophoresis with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry detection.

Drosophila, the fruit fly, is a common model organism in biology; however, quantifying neurotransmitters in Drosophila is challenging because of the small size of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we develop neurotransmitter quantification by capillary electrophoresis with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (CE-FSCV) detection, which allows peak identification by both migration time and the cyclic voltammogram, in contrast to traditional amperometric detection which provides no chemical identification. Tissue content of biogenic amine neurotransmitters was determined in a single CNS dissected from a Drosophila larva.

Solid-phase microextraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis to determine ephedrine derivatives in water and urine using a sol-gel derived butyl methacrylate/silicone fiber.

A sensitive method for determination of ephedrine derivatives using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a novel fiber followed by capillary electrophoresis has been developed. The co-poly(butyl methacrylate/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil) (BMA/OH-TSO) was used as stationary phases with the aid of gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-570) as bridge in SPME using sol-gel-coating method and cross-linking technology. It has high extraction efficiency for ephedrine derivatives in comparison with commercial poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(acrylate)-coated fiber.

Pressure-assisted field-amplified sample injection with reverse migrating micelles for analyzing trace steroids in MEKC.

This paper describes a novel method that applies pressure-assisted field-amplified sample injection with reverse migrating micelles (PA-FASI-RMM) for the online concentration of neutral analytes in MEKC with a low-pH BGE. After injection of a plug of water into the separation capillary, negative voltage and positive pressure were simultaneously applied to initialize PA-FASI-RMM injection. The hydrodynamic flow generated by the positive pressure compensated the reverse EOF in the water plug and allowed the water plug to remain in the capillary during FASI with reverse migrating micelles (FASI-RMM) to obtain a much longer injection time than usual, which improved stacking efficiency greatly.

Centrifuge microextraction coupled with on-line back-extraction field-amplified sample injection method for the determination of trace ephedrine derivatives in the urine and serum.

Although sample stacking has enjoyed some degree of success in electrophoretic separation techniques, there is still a major problem with complex matrix sample as it suffers tremendously from sample matrix effects. A novel method that combines two concentration techniques, centrifuge microextraction (CME) and on-line back-extraction field-amplified sample injection (OLBE-FASI), is used to determine trace ephedrine derivatives in urine and serum by capillary zone electrophoresis. The CME, integrating the sample cleanup and preconcentration into a single step, is a promising sample preparation method for biological samples.

On-line back-extraction field-amplified sample injection method for directly analyzing cocaine and thebaine in the extractants by solvent microextraction.

This paper describes a novel method that applies on-line back-extraction field-amplified sample injection (OLBE-FASI) to the extractants by solvent microextraction (SME) in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). To our knowledge, it provides the first report that the water-immiscible solvent samples were directly analyzed by CZE. The water-immiscible solvent sample, sealed with a water plug in the sample vial, was used for direct electroinjection.

Preparation and application of the sol-gel-derived acrylate/silicone co-polymer coatings for headspace solid-phase microextraction of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide in soil.

Three types of novel acrylate/silicone co-polymer coatings, including co-poly(methyl acrylate/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil) (MA/OH-TSO), co-poly(methyl methacrylate/OH-TSO) (MMA/OH-TSO) and co-poly(butyl methacrylate/OH-TSO) (BMA/OH-TSO), were prepared for the first time by sol-gel method and cross-linking technology and subsequently applied to headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), a surrogate of mustard, in soil. The underlying mechanisms of the coating process were discussed and confirmed by IR spectra. The selectivity of the three types of sol-gel-derived acrylate/silicone coated fibers was studied, and the BMA/OH-TSO coated fibers exhibited the highest extraction ability to CEES.