Aggregation-induced-emission red carbon dots for ratiometric sensing of norfloxacin and anti-counterfeiting.

The detection of trace antibiotic residues holds significant importance because it's related to food safety and human health. In this study, we developed a new high-yield red-emitting carbon dots (R-CDs) with aggregation-induced emission properties for ratiometric sensing of norfloxacin. R-CDs were prepared in 30 min using an economical and efficient microwave-assisted method with tartaric acid and o-phenylenediamine as precursors, achieving a high yield of 34.4 %. R-CDs showed concentration-dependent fluorescence and aggregation-induced-emission properties. A ratiometric fluorescent probe for detecting the norfloxacin was developed. In the range of 0-40 µM, the intensity ratio of two emission peaks (I445 nm/I395 nm) towards norfloxacin show good linear relationship with its concentrations and a low detection limit was obtained (36.78 nM). In addition, complex patterns were developed for anti-counterfeiting based on different emission phenomenon at different concentrations. In summary, this study designed a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe for detection of norfloxacin, which greatly shortens the detection time and improves efficiency compared with high-performance liquid chromatography and other methods. The study will promote the application of carbon dots in anti-counterfeiting and other related fields, laying the foundation for the preparation of low-cost photosensitive anti-counterfeiting materials.

Synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots by B/P doping and application for Co2+ and methylene blue detection.

During the synthesis of carbon dots, different heteroatom doping can change the fluorescence color and the emission wavelength when the same precursor is applied. In this study, we used o-phenylenediamine and L-lysine as raw materials, boric acid or phosphoric acid as different heteroatom dopants, and water as solvent to synthesize doped carbon dots through a simple microwave-assisted method. Finally, two kinds of doped carbon dots with different fluorescence colors under 365 nm UV light were obtained, of which the B-doped carbon dots (B-CDs) showed orange fluorescence, and the P-doped carbon dots (P-CDs) showed red fluorescence. Both carbon dots had satisfactory fluorescence quantum yields and can be used as fluorescence probes. Therefore, we investigated the detection performance of these two carbon dots when they were used as fluorescent probes. B-CDs can selectively detect Co2+ with a detection limit of 0.1102 µM, and at the same time, it can realize the naked eye detection of Co2+ in a certain concentration range. The P-CDs could sensitively detect methylene blue with a detection limit of 0.048 µM.

Neuroendocrine and neuroimmune mechanisms underlying comorbidity of pain and obesity.

Pain and obesity, as well as their associated impairments, are major health concerns. Understanding the relationship between the two is the focus of a growing body of research. However, early researches attribute increased mechanical stress from excessive weight as the main factor of obesity-related pain, which not only over-simplify the association, but also fail to explain some controversial outcomes arising from clinical investigations. This review focuses on neuroendocrine and neuroimmune modulators importantly involved in both pain and obesity, analyzing nociceptive and anti-nociceptive mechanisms based on neuroendocrine pathways including galanin, ghrelin, leptin and their interactions with other neuropeptides and hormone systems which have been reported to play roles in pain and obesity. Mechanisms of immune activities and metabolic alterations are also discussed, due to their intense interactions with neuroendocrine system and crucial roles in the development and maintenance of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. These findings have implications for health given rising rates of obesity and pain-related diagnoses, by providing novel weight-control and analgesic therapies targeted on specific pathways.