Detection of human serum albumin using a rare-earth nanosheet fluorescent probe based on intensity and lifetime signals.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an important biomarker for early disease diagnosis. Therefore, the detection of HSA in biological samples is important. In this study, for the sensitive detection of HSA, a fluorescent probe based on Eu(III)-doped yttrium hydroxide nanosheets was designed and sensitized by α-thiophenformyl acetone trifluoride as an antenna.

Preparation and characterization of two novel osteoinductive fishbone-derived biphasic calcium phosphate bone graft substitutes.

Many studies have reported on the conversion of natural resources into xenografts with hydroxyapatite (HA) as major component, but the extraction of biphasic calcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP) from animal bones and transformation into bone graft substitutes are rarely reported. In this research, two kinds of fish bones were made into granular porous biphasic calcium phosphate bone graft substitutes with particle sizes between 500 to 1000 μm through a series of preparation procedures ( calcined at 900°C named Sa900 and calcined at 800°C named An800). The chemical composition was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Gd/Y Hydroxide Nanosheets as Highly Efficient T/T MRI Contrast Agents.

To develop highly efficient T/T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs), Gd/Y hydroxide nanosheets were synthesized by a simple exfoliation method from layer compounds using sodium polyacrylate (PAA) as a dispersant and stabilizer. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results revealed the excellent performance of monolayer nanosheets with thicknesses of up to 1.5 nm.

Tb(iii)-doped nanosheets as a fluorescent probe for the detection of dipicolinic acid.

A new fluorescent probe based on terbium(iii)-doped nanosheets was designed for detecting low-levels of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a biomarker of bacterial spores. The ability to detect ultra-low concentrations of DPA is therefore of great significance. First, Tb(iii)-doped ytterbium hydroxide nanosheets were obtained by mechanical exfoliation from layered rare-earth hydroxide (LRH) materials.

A selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for bilirubin in human serum based on europium(III) post-functionalized Zr(IV)-Based MOFs.

In the present study, a kind of Eu(III) post-functionalized Zr(IV)-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66(COOH), Zr-MOF: Eu) was synthesized and utilized as an independently luminescent probe for sensing bilirubin (BR) in human serum, a biomarker of jaundice hepatitis. It can be served as a turn-off fluorescent switch for BR because its red emission from Eu can be easily quenched by BR through a fluorescent resonant energy transfer (FRET) process between BR and its ligands, and as a result, BR is recognized successfully. Particularly, Zr-MOF: Eu has shown many appealing properties, such as high sensitivity, quick response (less than 1 min), broad response window (0-15 μM), and excellent selectivity.

Selective non-enzymatic total bilirubin detection in serum using europium complexes with different β-diketone-derived ligands as luminescence probes.

Three europium(III) complexes, Eu(ectfd) (Hectfd = 1-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-7-yl)-4,4,4-trifluorobutane-1,3-dione), Eu(tta) (Htta = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(thiophen-2-yl)-butane-1,3-dione), and Eu(dbt) (Hdbt = 2-(4',4',4'-trifluoro-1',3'-dioxobutyl)dibenzothiophene), were synthesized and employed to detect total bilirubin (BR) in blood-serum samples. UV-visible absorption and fluorescence (FL) spectroscopies were used to evaluate the selectivity of each europium (III) fluorescence probe to BR, which was shown to remarkably reduce the luminescence intensities of the europium(III) complexes at a wavelength of 612 nm. The luminescence intensity of each complex is linearly related to BR concentration.

Sensitive detection of free bilirubin in blood serum using β-diketone modified europium-doped yttrium oxide nanosheets as a luminescent sensor.

Free bilirubin, when present in excess in the human body, can cause a multitude of diseases and disorders and even be fatal; hence, detecting it is of paramount importance. Herein, we report a luminescence quenching-based non-enzymatic method for the convenient, reliable, and rapid detection of free bilirubin in blood serum samples using sensing films (nanosheets/PS, nanosheets-tta/PS, and nanosheets-dbt/PS) as luminescent sensors. The luminescence intensity of the sensing films is linearly related to the free bilirubin concentration.

Development of a New Robotic Ankle Rehabilitation Platform for Hemiplegic Patients after Stroke.

A large amount of hemiplegic survivors are suffering from motor impairment. Ankle rehabilitation exercises act an important role in recovering patients' walking ability after stroke. Currently, patients mainly perform ankle exercise to reobtain range of motion (ROM) and strength of the ankle joint under a therapist's assistance by manual operation.

Controlled synthesis of ZnS quantum dots and ZnS quantum flakes with graphene as a template.

Novel ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and ZnS quantum flakes (QFs) were successfully prepared with graphene nanosheets (GNs) as a special template, and two unique heterostructures of ZnS/GNs were also obtained. Due to the structure-directing template effect of GNs, the as-synthesized ZnS with different morphologies, dots or flakes, were uniformly distributed on the surface of GNs by controlling nucleation and growth. The two different heterostructures of ZnS/GNs exhibited obvious photovoltaic response, and ZnS/GN QFs-on-sheet heterostructures show higher photovoltage than that of ZnS/GN QDs-on-sheet.

Luminescence properties of cubic HfO2-Sc2O3:Eu3+ nano-powders.

The cubic nano-structured HfO2-Sc2O3:Eu3+ were successfully synthesized via a combustion process. Phase evolution of the synthesized powders was determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. Pure cubic phase of HfO2-Sc2O3 solid solution was obtained after being calcined at 800 degrees C for 2 h.