Inkjet printed LED based pH chemical sensor for gas sensing

Predictable behaviour is a critical factor when developing a sensor for potential deployment within a wireless sensor network (WSN). The work presented here details the fabrication and performance of an optical chemical sensor for gaseous acetic acid analysis, which was constructed using inkjet printed deposition of a colorimetric chemical sensor. The chemical sensor comprised a pH indicator dye (bromophenol blue), phase transfer salt tetrahexylammonium bromide and polymer ethyl cellulose dissolved in 1-butanol. A paired emitter-detector diode (PEDD) optical detector was employed to monitor responses of the colorimetric chemical sensor as it exhibits good sensitivity, low power consumption, is low cost, accurate and has excellent signal to noise ratios. The chemical sensor formulation was printed directly onto the surface the emitter LED, and the resulting chemical sensors characterised with respect to their layer thickness, response time and recovery time. The fabrication reproducibility of inkjet printed chemical sensors in comparison to drop casted chemical sensors was investigated. Colorimetric chemical sensors produced by inkjet printing, exhibited an improved reproducibility for the detection of gaseous acetic acid with a relative standard deviation of 5.5 % in comparison to 68.0 % calculated for drop casted sensors (n = 10). The stability of the chemical sensor was also investigated through both intra and inter-day studies

Absorbance based light emitting diode optical sensors and sensing devices

The ever increasing demand for in situ monitoring of health, environment and security has created a need for reliable, miniaturised sensing devices. To achieve this, appropriate analytical devices are required that possess operating characteristics of reliability, low power consumption, low cost, autonomous operation capability and compatibility with wireless communications systems. The use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources is one strategy, which has been successfully applied in chemical sensing. This paper summarises the development and advancement of LED based chemical sensors and sensing devices in terms of their configuration and application, with the focus on transmittance and reflectance absorptiometric measurements

Novel time-temperature and ‘consume-within’ indicator based on gas-diffusion

The novel time-temperature indicator label comprises an ammonia sensitive indicator layer film pressed onto a second film, comprising an ammonia-generating, adhesive layer. When separated the blue-coloured indicator film reverts back to its original (ammonia free) yellow form at a controllable, temperature dependant rate. The labels are easily made and stored

Amine-responsive bilayer films with improved illumination stability and electrochemical writing property for visual monitoring of meat spoilage

Amine-responsive bilayer films were developed by using agar (AG), anthocyanins (AN), gellan gum (GG) and TiO2 nanoparticles for visual monitoring of meat spoilage. The AG-AN layer worked as the sensing layer to volatile amines, while GG-TiO2 layer served as the light barrier layer and simultaneously the conducting layer to improve the illumination stability and electrochemical writing ability of the AG-AN layer, respectively. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra indicated the successful fabrication of bilayer films. Illumination experiments showed that the incorporation of TiO2 in the GG-TiO2 layer significantly improved the illumination stability of AN in the AG-AN layer. Meanwhile, electrochemical writing process could be easily conducted on the AG-AN layer in the presence of GG-TiO2 layer, indicating the feasibility of ink-free printing on bilayer biopolymer films. The AG-AN/GG-2%TiO2 film presented a limit of detection of 0.018 mM to trimethylamine (TMA), a typical basic gas generated during meat spoilage. Based on its good illumination stability and sensing ability to basic gases, the AG-AN/GG-2%TiO2 film exhibited rose red-to-green color changes along with the spoilage of pork and silver carp, indicating its great potential for monitoring meat spoilage in intelligent food packaging

Projection documentaire « Héritiers du Vietnam ». Questions à la Réalisatrice

De 1946 à 1955, de nombreux Martiniquais ont participé à la guerre d\u27Indochine aux côtés des Français de métropole. Pour une grande partie de ces Martiniquais, leur participation à cette guerre coloniale allait a posteriori être vécue comme honteuse. Arlette PACQUIT en sa qualité de Réalisatrice de « Héritiers du Vietnam », répond à des interrogations concernant ce documentaire

PRODUCTION AND PROPERTIES OF RECOMBINANT C3-TYPE PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE CARBOXYLASE FROM SORGHUM-VULGARE - IN-VITRO PHOSPHORYLATION BY LEAF AND ROOT PYRPC PROTEIN-SERINE KINASES

In this work, the C3-type form of Sorghum phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PyrPC) was produced in PyrPC-deficient strains of Escherichia coli transformed by a plasmid bearing the corresponding full-length cDNA (CPR1). The full-sized protein was purified to homogeneity by immunoaffinity chromatography. Some functional and regulatory properties were described; notably, the immunopurified PyrPC could be phosphorylated in reconstituted assay by 1) both a mammalian PKA and the PyrPC protein serine kinase purified from Sorghum leaves and 2) a novel protein kinase affinity-purified from Sorghum roots. In all cases phosphorylation was accompanied by a marked reduction in its malate sensitivity

Kinetic Analysis of the Non-Phosphorylated, \u3ci\u3eIn Vitro\u3c/i\u3e Phosphorylated, and Phosphorylation-Site-Mutant (Asp8) Forms of Intact Recombinant C\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase From Sorghum

Steady-state kinetic analyses were performed on the non-phosphorylated, in vitro phosphorylated and phosphorylation-site mutant (Ser8→Asp) forms of purified recombinant sorghum C4 phosphoenolpyruvate (P-pyruvate) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.3 1) containing an intact N-terminus. Significant differences in certain kinetic parameters were observed between these three enzyme forms when activity was assayed at a suboptimal but near-physiological pH (7.3), but not at optimal pH (8.0). Most notably, at pH 7.3 the apparent Ki/ for the negative allosteric effector l-malate was 0.17 mM, 1.2 mM and 0.45 mM while the apparent Ka for the positive allosteric effector glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) at 1mM P-pyruvate was 1.3 mM, 0.28 mM and 0.45 mM for the dephosphorylated, phosphorylated and mutant forms of the enzyme, respectively. These and related kinetic analyses at pH 7.3 show that phosphorylation of C4 P-pyruvate carboxylase near its N-terminus has a relatively minor effect on V and Km (total P-pyruvate) but has a dramatic effect on the extent of activation by Glc6P, type of inhibition by l-malate and, most especially, Ka (Glc6P) and Kiv (l-malate). Thus, regulatory phosphorylation profoundly influences the interactive allosteric properties of this cytosolic C4-photosynthesis enzyme