Monitoring the infection process of Rhizopus stolonifer on strawberry fruit during storage using films based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone and plant extracts.

Different formulations based on nanoparticles of chitosan-plant extracts were evaluated to detect the infection process from the earliest stage of the fungus Rhizopus stolonifer on strawberry fruit during storage. Chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (Ch/PVA) and chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ch/PVP) films enriched with nanoparticles (NPs) of chitosan blended with plant extracts were prepared. They were placed inside a plastic package containing inoculated fruits and stored at 25 °C for 72 h. The thickness values of the films were in the range of 0.10 to 0.25 mm. All samples showed a maximum absorbance peak of about 300-320 nm; however, the Ch/PVP films enriched with NPs of chitosan and 10% of radish extract had an evident decrease in the optical absorbance as the fungal infection progressed. Additionally, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, the cross-section and surface morphology of films were not modified during storage, and the growth of R. stolonifer was evident after 48 h. Therefore, the Ch/PVP films enriched with chitosan NPs blended with 10% radish extract could be a reliable indicator of this fungus's growth.

Antibody-coupled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as efficient tools for labeling intracellular proteins.

Smart biomaterials for active targeting are a novel way for biosensing, gene and drug delivery, and bioimaging. The functional additives are chosen according to the material carrier characteristics, i.e. the functional mercapto acids of different lengths. In order to identify the target tissue, cell, organ or molecule, the biomaterial must be equipped with a recognizing molecule on its surface. In most cases, semiconductor o metal materials are employed in bioimaging and biosensing applications; in gene and drug delivery area, it is useful to employ porous nanoparticles as carriers. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles have been proved efficiently in drug delivery. In this work we established a new protocol to obtain smart hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with 3-mercaptopropionic acid and anti-Actin molecules in order to localize actin molecules in cells.

Using a floating-gate MOS transistor as a transducer in a MEMS gas sensing system.

Floating-gate MOS transistors have been widely used in diverse analog and digital applications. One of these is as a charge sensitive device in sensors for pH measurement in solutions or using gates with metals like Pd or Pt for hydrogen sensing. Efforts are being made to monolithically integrate sensors together with controlling and signal processing electronics using standard technologies. This can be achieved with the demonstrated compatibility between available CMOS technology and MEMS technology. In this paper an in-depth analysis is done regarding the reliability of floating-gate MOS transistors when charge produced by a chemical reaction between metallic oxide thin films with either reducing or oxidizing gases is present. These chemical reactions need temperatures around 200 °C or higher to take place, so thermal insulation of the sensing area must be assured for appropriate operation of the electronics at room temperature. The operation principle of the proposal here presented is confirmed by connecting the gate of a conventional MOS transistor in series with a Fe(2)O(3) layer. It is shown that an electrochemical potential is present on the ferrite layer when reacting with propane.