A comparison of vegetable leaves and replicated biomimetic surfaces on the binding of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes

Biofouling in the food industry is a huge issue, and one possible way to reduce surface fouling is to understand how naturally cleaning surfaces based on biomimetic designs influence bacterial binding. Four self-cleaning leaves (Tenderheart cabbage, Cauliflower, White cabbage and Leek) were analysed for their surface properties and artificial re-plicates were produced. The leaves and surfaces were subjected to attachment, adhesion and retention assays using Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. For the attachment assays, the lowest cell numbers occurred on the least hydrophobic and smooth surfaces but were higher than the flat control surface, regardless of the strain. Following the ad-hesion assays, using L. monocytogenes, the Tenderheart and Cauliflower biomimetic re-plicated leaves resulted in significantly lowered cell adhesion. Following the retention assays, White cabbage demonstrated lower cell retention for both types of bacteria on the biomimetic replicated surface compared to the flat control surface. The biomimetic sur-faces were also more efficient at avoiding bacterial retention than natural leaves, with reductions of about 1 and 2 Log in L. monocytogenes and E. coli retention, respectively, on most of the produced surfaces. Although the surfaces were promising in reducing bac-terial binding, the results suggested that different experimental assays exerted different influences on the conclusions. This work demonstrated that consideration needs to be given to the environmental factors where the surface is to be used and that bacterial species influence the propensity of biofouling on a surface. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creative-commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

ESD Behavior of RF Switches and Importance of System Efficient ESD Design

RF Switches Are Typically Used in the RF Front-End of Portable Devices Such as Antenna or Matching Tuners to Improve the RF Link Performance. They Are Usually the First Active Devices after the Antenna and Are Vulnerable to Primary or Secondary ESD Discharges to the Antennas. This Paper Investigates the ESD Behavior of One of the High Frequency Switches Used in the RF-Front-End of Portable Devices and Expresses the Importance of the ESD Pulse that Passes through the Switch and Reaches the Next Stage in the RF Path, Possibly Damaging the Next Stage

The Voltammetric Detection of Cadaverine Using a Diamine Oxidase and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Functionalised Electrochemical Biosensor

Cadaverine is a biomolecule of major healthcare importance in periodontal disease; however, current detection methods remain inefficient. The development of an enzyme biosensor for the detection of cadaverine may provide a cheap, rapid, point-of-care alternative to traditional measurement techniques. This work developed a screen-printed biosensor (SPE) with a diamine oxidase (DAO) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) functionalised electrode which enabled the detection of cadaverine via cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The MWCNTs were functionalised with DAO using carbodiimide crosslinking with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), followed by direct covalent conjugation of the enzyme to amide bonds. Cyclic voltammetry results demonstrated a pair of distinct redox peaks for cadaverine with the C-MWCNT/DAO/EDC-NHS/GA SPE and no redox peaks using unmodified SPEs. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to isolate the cadaverine oxidation peak and a linear concentration dependence was identified in the range of 3–150 µg/mL. The limit of detection of cadaverine using the C-MWCNT/DAO/EDC-NHS/GA SPE was 0.8 μg/mL, and the biosensor was also found to be effective when tested in artificial saliva which was used as a proof-of-concept model to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of this device. Thus, the development of a MWCNT based enzymatic biosensor for the voltammetric detection of cadaverine which was also active in the presence of artificial saliva was presented in this study

Theory of current-induced spin polarization in an electron gas

We derive the Bloch equations for the spin dynamics of a two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. For the latter we consider both the intrinsic mechanisms of structure inversion asymmetry (Rashba) and bulk inversion asymmetry (Dresselhaus), and the extrinsic ones arising from the scattering from impurities. The derivation is based on the SU(2) gauge-field formulation of the Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling. Our main result is the identification of a spin-generation torque arising from Elliot-Yafet scattering, which opposes a similar term arising from Dyakonov-Perel relaxation. Such a torque, which to the best of our knowledge has gone unnoticed so far, is of basic nature, i.e., should be effective whenever Elliott-Yafet processes are present in a system with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, irrespective of further specific details. The spin-generation torque contributes to the current-induced spin polarization (CISP), also known as inverse spin-galvanic or Edelstein effect. As a result, the behavior of the CISP turns out to be more complex than one would surmise from consideration of the internal Rashba-Dresselhaus fields alone. In particular, the symmetry of the current-induced spin polarization does not necessarily coincide with that of the internal Rashba-Dresselhaus field, and an out-of-plane component of the CISP is generally predicted, as observed in recent experiments. We also discuss the extension to the three-dimensional electron gas, which may be relevant for the interpretation of experiments in thin films

A comparison of vegetable leaves and replicated biomimetic surfaces on the binding of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes

Biofouling in the food industry is a huge issue, and one possible way to reduce surface fouling is to understand how naturally cleaning surfaces based on biomimetic designs influence bacterial binding. Four self-cleaning leaves (Tenderheart cabbage, Cauliflower, White cabbage and Leek) were analysed for their surface properties and artificial replicates were produced. The leaves and surfaces were subjected to attachment, adhesion and retention assays using Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. For the attachment assays, the lowest cell numbers occurred on the least hydrophobic and smooth surfaces but were higher than the flat control surface, regardless of the strain. Following the adhesion assays, using L. monocytogenes, the Tenderheart and Cauliflower biomimetic replicated leaves resulted in significantly lowered cell adhesion. Following the retention assays, White cabbage demonstrated lower cell retention for both types of bacteria on the biomimetic replicated surface compared to the flat control surface. The biomimetic surfaces were also more efficient at avoiding bacterial retention than natural leaves, with reductions of about 1 and 2 Log in L. monocytogenes and E. coli retention, respectively, on most of the produced surfaces. Although the surfaces were promising in reducing bacterial binding, the results suggested that different experimental assays exerted different influences on the conclusions. This work demonstrated that consideration needs to be given to the environmental factors where the surface is to be used and that bacterial species influence the propensity of biofouling on a surface

Use of spherical particles to understand conidial attachment to surfaces using atomic force microscopy

Binding of particles and spores to surfaces is a natural phenomenon which is a prerequisite for biofilm formation. Perpendicular force measurements were carried out using atomic force microscopy cantilevers modified with a polystyrene or glass sphere. The attachment of the spheres was tested against glass, PVAc, p(γ-MPSco-MMA), p(γ-MPS-co-LMA), PMMAsc, and silicon surfaces. The polystyrene spheres demonstrated less varied force and strength of attachment measurement to the surfaces than the glass spheres. The force of attachment of the polystyrene spheres was also influenced by mobility of the co-polymer surfaces. Surface wettability did not affect the force of polystyrene or glass sphere attachment. The force measurements of the non-biological spheres were similar to those seen in biological systems with fungal conidia, and this was due to their size, shape, and binding energies. The use of non-biological systems may present an insight into understanding the fundamentals of more complex biological processes

Diamine Oxidase-Conjugated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes to Facilitate Electrode Surface Homogeneity

Carbon nanomaterials have gained significant interest over recent years in the field of electrochemistry, and they may be limited in their use due to issues with their difficulty in dispersion. Enzymes are prime components for detecting biological molecules and enabling electrochemical interactions, but they may also enhance multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) dispersion. This study evaluated a MWCNT and diamine oxidase enzyme (DAO)-functionalised screen-printed electrode (SPE) to demonstrate improved methods of MWCNT functionalisation and dispersion. MWCNT morphology and dispersion was determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Carboxyl groups were introduced onto the MWCNT surfaces using acid etching. MWCNT functionalisation was carried out using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), followed by DAO conjugation and glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking. Modified C-MWNCT/EDC-NHS/DAO/GA was drop cast onto SPEs. Modified and unmodified electrodes after MWCNT functionalisation were characterised using optical profilometry (roughness), water contact angle measurements (wettability), Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) (vibrational modes and elemental composition, respectively). The results demonstrated that the addition of the DAO improved MWCNT homogenous dispersion and the solution demonstrated enhanced stability which remained over two days. Drop casting of C-MWCNT/EDC-NHS/DAO/GA onto carbon screen-printed electrodes increased the surface roughness and wettability. UV-Vis, SEM, Raman and EDX analysis determined the presence of carboxylated MWCNT variants from their non-carboxylated counterparts. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated an efficient electron transfer rate process and a diffusion-controlled redox process. The modification of such electrodes may be utilised for the development of biosensors which could be utilised to support a range of healthcare related fields

The Voltammetric Detection of Cadaverine Using a Diamine Oxidase and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Functionalised Electrochemical Biosensor

Cadaverine is a biomolecule of major healthcare importance in periodontal disease; however, current detection methods remain inefficient. The development of an enzyme biosensor for the detection of cadaverine may provide a cheap, rapid, point-of-care alternative to traditional measurement techniques. This work developed a screen-printed biosensor (SPE) with a diamine oxidase (DAO) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) functionalised electrode which enabled the detection of cadaverine via cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The MWCNTs were functionalised with DAO using carbodiimide crosslinking with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), followed by direct covalent conjugation of the enzyme to amide bonds. Cyclic voltammetry results demonstrated a pair of distinct redox peaks for cadaverine with the C-MWCNT/DAO/EDC-NHS/GA SPE and no redox peaks using unmodified SPEs. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to isolate the cadaverine oxidation peak and a linear concentration dependence was identified in the range of 3–150 µg/mL. The limit of detection of cadaverine using the C-MWCNT/DAO/EDC-NHS/GA SPE was 0.8 μg/mL, and the biosensor was also found to be effective when tested in artificial saliva which was used as a proof-of-concept model to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of this device. Thus, the development of a MWCNT based enzymatic biosensor for the voltammetric detection of cadaverine which was also active in the presence of artificial saliva was presented in this study

Recent trends in non-invasive neural recording based brain-to-brain synchrony analysis on multidisciplinary human interactions for understanding brain dynamics: a systematic review

The study of brain-to-brain synchrony has a burgeoning application in the brain-computer interface (BCI) research, offering valuable insights into the neural underpinnings of interacting human brains using numerous neural recording technologies. The area allows exploring the commonality of brain dynamics by evaluating the neural synchronization among a group of people performing a specified task. The growing number of publications on brain-to-brain synchrony inspired the authors to conduct a systematic review using the PRISMA protocol so that future researchers can get a comprehensive understanding of the paradigms, methodologies, translational algorithms, and challenges in the area of brain-to-brain synchrony research. This review has gone through a systematic search with a specified search string and selected some articles based on pre-specified eligibility criteria. The findings from the review revealed that most of the articles have followed the social psychology paradigm, while 36% of the selected studies have an application in cognitive neuroscience. The most applied approach to determine neural connectivity is a coherence measure utilizing phase-locking value (PLV) in the EEG studies, followed by wavelet transform coherence (WTC) in all of the fNIRS studies. While most of the experiments have control experiments as a part of their setup, a small number implemented algorithmic control, and only one study had interventional or a stimulus-induced control experiment to limit spurious synchronization. Hence, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this systematic review solely contributes to critically evaluating the scopes and technological advances of brain-to-brain synchrony to allow this discipline to produce more effective research outcomes in the remote future