We report the preparation of free-standing flexible conductive reduced graphene oxide/Nafion (RGON) hybrid films by a solution chemistry that utilizes self-assembly and directional convective-assembly. The hydrophobic backbone of Nafion provided well-defined integrated structures, on micro- and macroscales, for the construction of hybrid materials through self-assembly, while the hydrophilic sulfonate groups enabled highly stable dispersibility ( approximately 0.5 mg/mL) and long-term stability (2 months) for graphene. The geometrically interlocked morphology of RGON produced a high degree of mechanical integrity in the hybrid films, while the interpenetrating network constructed favorable conduction pathways for charge transport. Importantly, the synergistic electrochemical characteristics of RGON were attributed to high conductivity (1176 S/m), facilitated electron transfer (ET), and low interfacial resistance. Consequently, RGON films obtained the excellent figure of merit as electrochemical biosensing platforms for organophosphate (OP) detection, that is, a sensitivity of 10.7 nA/microM, detection limit of 1.37 x 10(-7) M, and response time of <3 s. In addition, the reliability of RGON biosensors was confirmed by a fatigue test of 100 bending cycles. The strategy described here provides insight into the fabrication of graphene and hybrid nanomaterials from a material perspective, as well as the design of biosensor platforms for practical device applications.

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OBJECTIVETo examine in obese young adults the influence of ethnicity and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) inflammation on hepatic fat fraction (HFF), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) deposition, insulin sensitivity (SI), β-cell function, and SAT gene expression.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSSAT biopsies were obtained from 36 obese young adults (20 Hispanics, 16 African Americans) to measure crown-like structures (CLS), reflecting SAT inflammation. SAT, VAT, and HFF were measured by magnetic resonance imaging, and SI and β-cell function (disposition index [DI]) were measured by intravenous glucose tolerance test. SAT gene expression was assessed using Illumina microarrays.RESULTSParticipants with CLS in SAT (n = 16) were similar to those without CLS in terms of ethnicity, sex, and total body fat. Individuals with CLS had greater VAT (3.7 ± 1.3 vs. 2.6 ± 1.6 L; P = 0.04), HFF (9.9 ± 7.3 vs. 5.8 ± 4.4%; P = 0.03), tumor necrosis factor-α (20.8 ± 4.8 vs. 16.2 ± 5.8 pg/mL; P = 0.01), fasting insulin (20.9 ± 10.6 vs. 9.7 ± 6.6 mU/mL; P < 0.001) and glucose (94.4 ± 9.3 vs. 86.8 ± 5.3 mg/dL; P = 0.005), and lower DI (1,559 ± 984 vs. 2,024 ± 829 ×10−4 min−1; P = 0.03). Individuals with CLS in SAT exhibited upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and monocyte antigen CD14 genes, as well as several other genes belonging to the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) stress pathway.CONCLUSIONSAdipose tissue inflammation was equally distributed between sexes and ethnicities. It was associated with partitioning of fat toward VAT and the liver and altered β-cell function, independent of total adiposity. Several genes belonging to the NF-κB stress pathway were upregulated, suggesting stimulation of proinflammatory mediators.