Fabrication of the Optical Fiber GABA Sensor Based on the NADP+ -Functionalized Quantum Dots.

A novel quantum dots (QDs)-based optical fiber biosensor has been developed to detect gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) directly, via QD fluorescence quenching and recovery. QDs were immobilized on the surface of an optical-fiber through the EDC/Sulfo-NHS coupling reaction. The QDs were functionalized by 3-aminophenyl boronic acid and then by NADP+. The fluorescence of the NADP+ -functionalized QDs was quenched by electron transfer from QDs to NADP+. However, by the metabolic conversion of GABA to succinic acid by GABase, NADP+ was reduced to NADPH, which hindered the electron transfer. As a result, the fluorescence of the QDs could recover. The recovery rate of the fluorescence intensity of QDs depended on the concentration of GABA. This shows the possibility of detection of low concentrations of GABA via measurement of the fluorescence intensity.

Graphene Oxide-Assisted Liquid Phase Exfoliation of Graphite into Graphene for Highly Conductive Film and Electromechanical Sensors.

Here, we report a new method to prepare graphene from graphite by the liquid phase exfoliation process with sonication using graphene oxide (GO) as a dispersant. It was found that GO nanosheets act a as surfactant to the mediated exfoliation of graphite into a GO-adsorbed graphene complex in the aqueous solution, from which graphene was separated by an additional process. The preparation of isolated graphene from a single to a few layers is routinely achieved with an exfoliation yield of up to higher than 40% from the initial graphite material. The prepared graphene sheets showed a high quality (C/O ∼ 21.5), low defect (ID/IG ∼ 0.12), and high conductivity (6.2 × 10(4) S/m). Moreover, the large lateral size ranging from 5 to 10 µm of graphene, which is believed to be due to the shielding effect of GO avoiding damage under ultrasonic jets and cavitation formed by the sonication process. The thin graphene film prepared by the spray-coating technique showed a sheet resistance of 668 Ω/sq with a transmittance of 80% at 550 nm after annealing at 350 °C for 3 h. The transparent electrode was even greater with the resistance only 66.02 Ω when graphene is deposited on an interdigitated electrode (1 mm gap). Finally, a flexible sensor based on a graphene spray-coating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is demonstrated showing excellent performance working under human touch pressure (<10 kPa). The graphene prepared by this method has some distinct properties showing it as a promising material for applications in electronics including thin film coatings, transparent electrodes, wearable electronics, human monitoring sensors, and RFID tags.

Identification of potential biomarkers for diazinon exposure to Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) using annealing control primers.

A new differential display-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on annealing control primers was used to screen and identify potential biomarkers from differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in medaka exposed to sub-lethal concentration of diazinon (100 ppb). Among the differentially expressed genes identified, the majority were in functional categories of protein biosynthesis, transport and metabolism according to the gene ontology classification. The differential expression of ribosomal protein genes was quantified by real time PCR. The genes encoding ribosomal proteins including L3 and S17 were selected as potential biomarkers for diazinon exposure in medaka fish.