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This paper analyzes Coca-Cola’s sustainability status and efforts based on three models: the Triple Bottom Line, the Phrase Model and Carroll’s Pyramid. Sustainability is a globally common concern, and Coca-Cola is actively involved by integrating sustainability into its corporate strategy. This paper lists and analyzes various ways Coca-Cola has contributed to sustainability, both inside and outside the company. These examples are related to employees, economic, environmental, legal, ethical, and philanthropic aspects. Based on a comprehensive sustainability analysis of Coca-Cola using the three models, the paper concludes that Coca-Cola primarily meets the requirements of the Triple Bottom Line and Carroll’s CSR Pyramid model for corporate sustainability. The company is currently in the second wave of the Phrase Model and is gradually working towards the third wave.

Background Ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA), and nitrite (NO2−) are essential biomarkers for human metabolism and can be used to indicate some chronic diseases and metabolic disorders, including scurvy, Parkinson’s disease, hyperuricemia, and kidney disease. Objective A multifunctional electrochemical sensor that can integrate the detection of these species was constructed using nanoporous gold (NPG) as a recognition element to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Methods The electrochemical performance of the multifunctional electrochemical sensor was investigated toward AA, DA, UA, and NO2− in citrate buffer solution (CBS, 100 mM, pH 4.0) and human serum using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods. Results In the quaternary mixture detection, the resulting NPG/GCE electrode displayed four independent oxidation peaks with wide peak separations. Further, the NPG/GCE electrode showed good linear responses with the sensitivities of 32, 1103, 71, and 147 μA/mM/cm2 and the detection limits of 1.58, 0.17, 0.37, and 0.36 μM for AA, DA UA, and NO2−, respectively. Additionally, the NPG/GCE electrode exhibited great anti-interference and was successfully applied in human serum samples. Conclusions These results indicate that the NPG/GCE electrode can simultaneously and selectively detect AA, DA, UA, and NO2−, which has the potential for application and diagnosis in the screening and diagnosis of chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. Highlights A multianalyte electrochemical sensor was fabricated for human metabolites detection. The sensor displayed good performance in the simultaneous detection of AA, DA, UA, and NO2− and applied to human serum samples.

The β4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 (B4GALNT3) transfers GalNAc in a β1,4-linkage to GlcNAc forming the LacdiNAc (LDN) determinant on oligosaccharides. The LacdiNAc-binding adhesin (LabA) has been suggested to mediate attachment of Helicobacter pylori to the gastric mucosa via binding to the LDN determinant. The O-glycan core chain specificity of B4GALNT3 is poorly defined. We investigated the specificity of B4GALNT3 on GlcNAc residues carried by O-glycan core 2, core 3 and extended core 1 precursors using transient transfection of CHO-K1 cells and a mucin-type immunoglobulin fusion protein as reporter protein. Binding of the LabA-positive H. pylori J99 and 26695 strains to mucin fusion proteins carrying the LDN determinant on different O-glycan core chains and human gastric mucins with and without LDN was assessed in a microtiter well-based binding assay, while the binding of 125I-LDN–BSA to various clinical H. pylori isolates was assessed in solution. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and western blotting confirmed the requirement of a terminal GlcNAc for B4GALNT3 activity. B4GALNT3 added a β1,4-linked GalNAc to GlcNAc irrespective of whether the latter was carried by a core 2, core 3 or extended core 1 chain. No LDN-mediated adhesion of H. pylori strains 26 695 and J99 to LDN determinants on gastric mucins or a mucin-type fusion protein carrying core 2, 3 and extended core 1 O-glycans were detected in a microtiter well-based adhesion assay and no binding of a 125I-labelled LDN–BSA neoglycoconjugate to clinical H. pylori isolates was identified.

The extensive use of pesticides such as methyl parathion (MP) and carbendazim (CBM) has posed serious risks to human health due to their high toxicity, coexistence, and persistence in the environment. Therefore, it is very urgent to develop a multipesticide detection platform to realize the simultaneous detection of many kinds of pesticides. Here, nanoporous gold (NPG) with unique structural and functional properties was selected as a recognition element to construct an electrochemical sensor. This is the first time that NPG, as an active electrocatalyst, achieved the simultaneous electrochemical detection of MP and CBM, with a large peak potential separation of 0.70 V. For the detection of MP and CBM, good linear responses were observed in large concentration ranges of 0.5–150 μΜ for MP and 3.0–120 μΜ for CBM, with high sensitivities of 186.53 μA mM−1 cm−2 for MP and 484.51 μA mM−1 cm−2 for CBM, as well as low detection limits of 0.02 μM for MP and 0.24 μM for CBM. Additionally, the NPG/GCE electrode presented strong specificity, selectivity, and anti-interference capability in the simultaneous detection of MP and CBM. The environmental water sample analysis was also achieved with satisfactory results, which made the NPG/GCE electrode a reliable method for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of MP and CBM.

A highly sensitive whole cell based electrochemical biosensor was developed for catechol detection in this study. The carE gene of Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2–5 encoding catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O), a key enzyme in the biodegradation of aromatic compound, was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (E. coli BL21). Compared to Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2–5, the recombinant E. coli BL21 over-expressed C23O exhibited higher catalytic activity towards catechol. Moreover, the whole cells provided a better environment for C23O to maintain its catalytic activity and stability compared with crude enzyme. The distinctive features of the recombinant E. coli BL21 over-expressed C23O made it an ideal bio-recognition element for the fabrication of a microbial biosensor. Additionally, nanoporous gold (NPG) with unique properties of structure and function was selected as a support to immobilized the recombinant E. coli BL21 over-expressed C23O. Based on the synergistic effect of C23O and NPG, the E. coli BL21-C23O/NPG/GCE bioelectrode showed a good linear response for catechol detection ranging from 1 μM to 500 μM with a high sensitivity of 332.24 μA mM−1 cm−2 and a low detection limit of 0.24 μM. Besides, the E. coli BL21-C23O/NPG/GCE bioelectrode exhibited strong anti-interference and good stability. For the detection of catechol in wastewater samples, the concentrations detected by the E. coli BL21-C23O/NPG/GCE bioelectrode were in good agreement with the standard concentrations that added in the wastewater samples, which make the E. coli BL21-C23O/NPG/GCE bioelectrode an ideal tool for reliable catechol detection.

Environmental pollution caused by sulfide compounds has become a major problem for public health. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore a sensitive, selective, and simple sulfide detection method for environmental monitoring and protection. Here, a novel microbial biosensor was developed using recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 (E. coli BL21) expressing sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) for sulfide detection. As an important enzyme involved in the initial step of sulfide metabolism, SQR oxidizes sulfides to polysulfides and transfers electrons to the electron transport chain. Nanoporous gold (NPG) with its unique properties was selected for recombinant E. coli BL21 cells immobilization, and then glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified by the resulting E. coli/NPG biocomposites to construct an E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode. Due to the catalytic oxidation properties of NPG for sulfide, the electrochemical reaction of the E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode is attributed to the co-catalysis of SQR and NPG. For sulfide detection, the E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode showed a good linear response ranging from 50μM to 5mM, with a high sensitivity of 18.35μAmM-1cm-2 and a low detection limit of 2.55μM. The anti-interference ability of the E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode is better than that of enzyme-based inhibitive biosensors. Further, the E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode was successfully applied to the detection of sulfide in wastewater. These unique properties potentially make the E. coli/NPG/GCE bioelectrode an excellent choice for reliable sulfide detection.

6 p.-5 fig.-2 tab., Glycan-lectin recognition is assumed to elicit its broad range of (patho)physiological functions via a combination of specific contact formation with generation of complexes of distinct signal-triggering topology on biomembranes. Faced with the challenge to understand why evolution has led to three particular modes of modular architecture for adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins in vertebrates, here we introduce protein engineering to enable design switches. The impact of changes is measured in assays on cell growth and on bridging fully synthetic nanovesicles (glycodendrimersomes) with a chemically programmable surface. Using the example of homodimeric galectin-1 and monomeric galectin-3, the mutual design conversion caused qualitative differences, i.e., from bridging effector to antagonist/from antagonist to growth inhibitor and vice versa. In addition to attaining proof-of-principle evidence for the hypothesis that chimera-type galectin-3 design makes functional antagonism possible, we underscore the value of versatile surface programming with a derivative of the pan-galectin ligand lactose. Aggregation assays with N,N′-diacetyllactosamine establishing a parasite-like surface signature revealed marked selectivity among the family of galectins and bridging potency of homodimers. These findings provide fundamental insights into design-functionality relationships of galectins. Moreover, our strategy generates the tools to identify biofunctional lattice formation on biomembranes and galectin-reagents with therapeutic potential. © 2019 National Academy of Sciences., Financial support from NSF Grants DMR-1066116, DMR-1720530, and DMR-1807127 (to V.P.), the P. Roy Vagelos Chair at the University of Pennsylvania (V.P.), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation(V.P.), NSF Grant DMR-1120901 (toM.L.K. and V.P.), NIH National Cancer Institute Grant R21-CA178754 (to M.C.), a China Scholarship Council PhD scholarship (to H.M.), Science Foundation Ireland Grant 13/IA/1959 (S.O.), and Spanish Grant BFU2016-77835R (to A.R.) is gratefully acknowledged.

Vitamin B2 (VB2) and vitamin B6 (VB6) as important vitamins for human health are mainly produced by industrial microorganism fermentation. Due to the complexity of fermentation system, there is a lack of an efficient, rapid, and convenient detection method in the fermentation production of these two vitamins. In this study, a multianalyte electrochemical electrode based on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by nanoporous gold (NPG) film was developed. This is the first time that NPG realized the electrochemical detection of VB2 and VB6 in complex fermentation analysis. Under optimized conditions, the NPG-modified electrode exhibited good performance in VB2 and VB6 detection using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Two linear responses in wide concentration ranges for VB2 from 5 to 250 μM and for VB6 from 40 to 1000 μM were obtained with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 μM and 0.4 μM as well as the high sensitivities of 178.02 μA mM−1 cm−2 and 43.14 μA mM−1 cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the detection of VB2 and VB6 in fermentation media was successfully achieved using the NPG-modified electrode with high sensitivity and strong anti-interference ability. Additionally, the NPG-modified electrode has a long life because of the metal characteristics of NPG. These above characteristics conformed that the multianalyte electrochemical electrode can realize the simultaneous detection of multiple substances such as substrates and products in a complex biosystem.

This study explored the effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2-5, an important environmentally microorganism in carbazole biodegradation process. Microbial cell/Fe3O4 nanoparticles biocomposite was constructed by assembling Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto the surface of Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2-5 cells. With the increase in Fe3O4 nanoparticles concentration, moderate deterioration in carbazole biodegradation was observed for microbial cell/Fe3O4 nanoparticles biocomposites. A concentration-dependent decrease in Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2-5 viability caused by Fe3O4 nanoparticles was observed. Zeta potential measurements suggested that electrostatic repulsion between microbial cell and Fe3O4 nanoparticles reduced nanotoxicity at low Fe3O4 nanoparticles concentration. The morphology characterization showed the small size of Fe3O4 nanoparticle made it possible to penetrate Sphingobium yanoikuyae XLDN2-5 cell membrane. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species increases, membrane damage, and DNA damage should be responsible for the antibacterial mechanism of Fe3O4 nanoparticles at high concentration. This study presented essential knowledge for better understanding of Fe3O4 nanoparticles behavior in the environment, and helping to promote safer and more effective application of nanomaterials in nanotechnology-based environmental bioremediation.

In order to explore the insert characteristics in merging-area on urban road under non-free flow, this paper analyzed the change of traffic flow and the insert behavior of the ramp vehicles based on the observed data of typical sections. Then an inserting-probability model applied to non-free flow is established. Based on the gap acceptance theory, this model combined waiting time model with the game theory model and well explained the observed data. This model lays a foundation for the calculation of the capacity of merging-area under non-free flow. It is also has guiding significance for the development of congestion of urban road and traffic organization. In addition, it has an inspiration to the optimization of existing simulation model.

The luminescent film materials sensitive to external stimuli are important to develop new types of optical sensors and switches. Herein we report organic–inorganic hybrid ultrathin films (UTFs) with reversible luminescence response to nitroaromatic explosive compounds by the use of layer-by-layer assembly of optical brightener BBU and Mg–Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets. UV-Visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy showed an orderly growth of the BBU/LDH films upon increasing the number of deposition cycle. XRD, AFM and SEM measurements indicated that the films feature periodic layered structure with a period of ca. 2 nm as well as uniform surface morphology. The BBU/LDH UTFs exhibit well-defined one/two-photon polarized photoemission with the anisotropy as high as 0.38. Moreover, the UTFs show a fast, selective and reversible luminescence response to different nitroaromatic explosives with the most significant luminescent red-shift occurring for picric acid; in addition, by combining suitable luminescent building blocks, the films can also be extended to other dual-color luminescence systems, which exhibit changes in both luminescence intensity and ratiometric fluorescence upon interaction with explosives, enlightening that these films can serve as new types of selective solid luminescent sensors towards nitroaromatic compounds.