The efficient extraction of analytes from complex and severe environments is significant for promoting the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique to actual applications. In this paper, a proof-of-concept strategy is proposed for the rapid detection of pesticide residues by utilizing the flexible, transparent, and adhesive properties of commercial tapes and SERS performance of AlO-coated silver nanorod (AgNR@AlO) arrays. The function of tapes is to rapidly transfer the analytes from the actual surface to the SERS substrate. The novel "tape-wrapped SERS (T-SERS)" approach was constructed by a simple "paste, peel off, and paste again" procedure. The easily obtained but clearly distinguished SERS signals allow us to quickly determine the constituents of complex surfaces, such as tetramethylthiuram disulfide and thiabendazole pesticides from fruits and vegetables, which may be practically applied to food safety, environmental monitoring, and industrial production process controlling.
Ag nanorods coated with an ultrathin HfO shell (Ag NRs@HfO) were prepared for the synthesis of a versatile, robust, and easily recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. This substrate maximizes the high melting point of the HfO shell and thus ensures the excellent plasmonic efficiency of Ag NRs. Therefore, it possesses extraordinary thermal stability and SERS activity, which could act as a reusable and cost-effective SERS detector. After SERS detection, the regeneration of Ag NRs@HfO was achieved by annealing the substrate within several seconds. This procedure led to the thermal release of adsorbed molecules and resulted in a refreshed substrate for subsequent measurements. The composite substrate maintained its SERS efficiency well during multiple "detection-heating" cycles, hence demonstrating the stability and recyclability of Ag NRs@HfO. Furthermore, in addition to revealing the feasibility of SERS sensing in liquids, Ag NRs@HfO also provided continuous real-time monitoring of vapor-phase samples at ultralow concentrations. This work provides a robust and renewable SERS sensor with advantages of high sensitivity, stability, cost effectiveness, and easy operation, which can be implemented for both aqueous and gaseous analyte detection and is thus an intriguing candidate for practical applications in environmental, industrial, and homeland security sensing fields.
MeOTf-induced carboannulation of arylnitriles and aromatic alkynes for synthesis of indenones under metal-free conditions has been described. When ortho-substituted benzonitriles were used, indeno[1,2-c]isoquinolines were formed.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a major public health problem and is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, little is known about its environmental determinants. This study aimed to investigate whether inadequate living conditions are associated with IPV victimization in women in SSA. We analyzed cross-sectional data for 102,714 women in 25 SSA countries obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Logistic regression was used to estimate the country-specific effects of inadequate living conditions (housing with at least one of four characteristics of unimproved water, unimproved sanitation, insufficient space, and unfinished materials) on multiple forms of IPV. Random effects meta-analysis was used to combined the country-specific estimates. We found an association between inadequate living conditions and a higher likelihood of experiencing any (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.23, p = 0.012), sexual (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.34, p = 0.008), emotional (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.23, p = 0.023), and physical (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28, p = 0.010) IPV. The associations were stronger for rural and less-educated women. These findings suggest that future research to establish a causal link between living conditions and IPV and to elucidate the underlying pathways is crucial to design IPV interventions in SSA.
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