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A two-step resonance energy transfer (RET)-based fluorescence/electrochemiluminescence (FL/ECL) biosensor was developed for ratiometric measurement and annihilation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Using coupled dual-recognition-triggered target conversion with the catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) technique, the monitoring of S. aureus was obtained at the single-cell level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a toxin produced by the metabolism of Fusarium oxysporum, which can cause serious effects on the nervous, respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems of humans or animals; it is known as one of the highly toxic epidemic contaminants. Herein, we report the visual inspection of FB1 using bipolar electrodes (BPEs) with an array-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) platform. The sensor consists of a PDMS cover and a glass substrate containing an array of 10 ITO electrodes. A specific sensing interface was constructed on the cathode of the BPE, which could modulate the ECL reactions that occurred at the anode of BPEs. To amplify the ECL signal, methylene blue (MB)-encapsulated Zr-MOFs (MB@Zr-MOFs) were synthesized and immobilized on the cathode of the BPE, which could amplify the ECL signal at the anode. By coupling the cyclic amplification effect of the DNA walker and nicking endonuclease (Nb.BbvCI), the biosensor can realize the visual measurement of FB1 in the range of 5 × 10−5~0.5 ng/mL. In addition, the developed biosensor was used to monitor the concentration of FB1 in maize and peanut samples. The recoveries were in the range of 99.2%~110.6%, which demonstrated the good accuracy of the designed BPE-ECL biosensor for FB1 assay in food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and efficient detection of mycotoxins is of great significance in the field of food safety. In this review, several traditional and commercial detection methods are introduced, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), test strips, etc. Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensors have the advantages of high sensitivity and specificity. The use of ECL biosensors for mycotoxins detection has attracted great attention. According to the recognition mechanisms, ECL biosensors are mainly divided into antibody-based, aptamer-based, and molecular imprinting techniques. In this review, we focus on the recent effects towards the designation of diverse ECL biosensors in mycotoxins assay, mainly including their amplification strategies and working mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Voltage-gated inward Ca 2+ currents (ICa) are triggered by cell depolarization and commonly produce transient increases in the cytoplasmic free Ca 2+ concentration. The Ca V 1.2 distal C-terminus is susceptible to proteolytic cleavage, which yields a truncated Ca V 1.2 subunit and a cleaved C-terminal fragment (CCt or DCT). Stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) has a capacity for differentiation into the odontoblastic-like cells in vitro and dentin forming in vivo, which makes SCAPs advantages in tissue engineering and regenerative endodontic. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Ca V 1.2 and its distal C-terminal fragment in the odontoblastic differentiation of rat SCAPs (stem cells from the apical papilla)., Design: In this study, we generated stable Ca V 1.2 knockdown and DCT over-expressed rSCAPs using short hairpin RNA and DCT gene containing Lentivirus vectors, respectively. The transfected apical papilla cells were induced to differentiate into the odontoblast-like cells, and the expression of markers for odontoblastic differentiation were analyzed by alizarin red staining, Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blot analysis., Results: The knockdown of Ca V 1.2 and excess expression of DCT both suppressed the expression of DSPP, ALP in mRNA level and the formation of calcium nodules., Conclusions: Our results suggest that Ca V 1.2 and DCT play important roles in the differentiation of rSCAPs, DCT might act as a transcription factor and regulate the differentiation of rSCAPs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To evaluate the effects of cold light bleaching on the color stability of four restorations using a thermocycling stain challenge. 160 specimens (10 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) were fabricated from 4 composite resins (Gradia Direct-A, Z350XT, Premisa, and Précis) and divided into 4 subgroups. Color was assessed according to the CIEL*a*b* color scale at baseline, after the first cycle of bleaching, after thermocycling stain challenges, and after the second cycle of bleaching. Mean values were compared using three-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparisons of the mean values were performed using the Tukey-Kramer test. All groups showed significant color changes after stain challenge, the color change was more significant in Gradia Direct and Z350XT than in Premisa and Précis. After the second cycle of bleaching, color mostly recovered to its original values. The color stability of Gradia Direct and Z350XT was inferior to that of Premisa and Précis. The discoloration of composite resin materials can be partly removed after cold light bleaching.