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Cyfluthrin is widely used in the field of sanitary pest control by its wide insecticidal spectrum, high efficiency and low toxicity, low residue, and good biodegradability. But, as a double-edged sword, a large amount of cyfluthrin remains are still in the environment. The residual cyfluthrin is absorbed into the food chain through vegetation and then poses a risk to soil organisms and human health. Several studies have suggested that cyfluthrin is one of the main factors causing testicular damage, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we established in vivo and in vitro models of testicular injury in rats and GC-2 cells exposed to cyfluthrin to explore whether stimulator of interferon genes (STING) gene mediates the regulation of AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K autophagy pathway, which lays a foundation for further study of the mechanism of testicular injury induced by cyfluthrin. The results showed that the activity of super oxide dismutase in testis decreased and the activity of malonic dialdehyde increased with the increase of concentration in vivo and in vitro. At the same time, the levels of mitochondrial damage and inflammation in the testis also increased, which further activated autophagy. In this process, the increased level of inflammation is related to the increased expression of STING gene, and AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K autophagy pathway is also involved. To sum up, cyfluthrin has certain reproductive toxicity, and long-term exposure can induce testicular cell damage. STING gene can participate in cyfluthrin-induced testicular injury through AMPK/mTOR/P70S6K autophagy pathway.

Terbuthylazine (TBA), ametryn (AME), and atrazine (ATZ) are triazine family herbicides. They are dominantly used in the field of cereal crops like wheat and maize for prevention of upland from annual gramineous and broad-leaved weeds, with attributes of weed efficiency broad spectrum and good market performance. Salicylic acid (SA) is a kind of natural plant growth regulator existing widely in the plant kingdom and participating in many physiological and defense processes. In this study, the effects of SA on the detoxification and degradation of herbicides TBA, AME, and ATZ in maize were investigated. When maize plants were exposed to 6 mg kg–1 of the triazine herbicides, the growth and chlorophyll concentration were reduced, while the membrane permeability increased. After maize was sprayed with 5 mg kg–1 SA, the herbicide-induced phytotoxicity was significantly assuaged, with the increased content of chlorophyll and decreased cellular damage in plants. Activities of several biomarker enzymes such as SOD, POD, and GST were repressed in the presence of SA. The concentration of the triazine herbicides in maize and the soil determined by high-performance liquid chromatography was drastically reduced by spraying SA. Using LC/Q-TOF-MS/MS, six metabolites and nine conjugates of AME in maize and soil were characterized. The relative contents of AME metabolites and conjugates in maize with SA were higher than those without SA. These results suggest that SA is able to promote the detoxification and decay of these triazine herbicides in maize and soil.

A flexible and printable temperature sensor was proposed for a fast detection of temperature measurements. A hybrid composite of zinc oxide (ZnO) and a conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonicacid) (PEDOT:PSS) was utilized as the temperature-sensing layer. An interdigitated electrodes structure based on silver (Ag) ink was used to electrically connect the composite through a facile drop-casting technique. A standout aspect of this work is the presentation of ZnO/PEDOT:PSS as a temperature-sensing layer. The PEDOT:PSS flakes were connected by hydrothermally prepared ZnO nanorods, which increased the composite sheets’ electrical conductivity. The linearity, sensitivity, stability and dynamic response of the flexible sensor were examined from a temperature of 29 °C–60 °C. The sensor has high sensitivity of 1.06% °C−1 with response and recovery times of 5 s and 12.7 s, respectively. This work clearly demonstrates the potential of ZnO/PEDOT:PSS composite for flexible temperature sensor and adds to the rapidly expanding field of personalized mobile healthcare.

This manuscript described a comprehensive study on a pesticide degradation factor OsBR6ox that promoted the degradation of pesticides atrazine (ATZ) and acetochlor (ACT) in rice tissues and grains through an epigenetic mechanism. OsBR6ox was transcriptionally induced under ATZ and ACT stress. Genetic disruption of OsBR6ox increased rice sensitivity and led to more accumulation of ATZ and ACT, whereas transgenic rice overexpressing OsBR6ox lines (OEs) showed opposite effects with improved growth and lower ATZ and ACT accumulation in various tissues, including grains. OsBR6ox-mediated detoxification of ATZ and ACT was associated with the increased abundance of brassinolide (one of the brassinosteroids, BRs), a plant growth regulator for stress responses. Some Phase I-II reaction protein genes for pesticide detoxification such as genes encoding laccase, O-methyltransferase and glycosyltransferases were transcriptionally upregulated in OE lines under ATZ and ACT stress. HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis revealed an enhanced ATZ/ATC metabolism in OE plants, which removed 1.21-1.49 fold ATZ and 1.31-1.44 fold ACT from the growth medium but accumulated only 83.1-87.1 % (shoot) and 71.7-84.1 % (root) of ATZ and 69.4-83.4 % of ACT of the wild-type. Importantly, an ATZ-responsive demethylated region in the upstream of OsBR6ox was detected. Such an epigenetic modification marker was responsible for the increased OsBR6ox expression and consequent detoxification of ATZ/ACT in rice and environment. Overall, this work uncovered a new model showing that plants utilize two mechanisms to co-regulate the detoxification and metabolism of pesticides in rice and provided a new approach for building up cleaner crops and eliminating residual pesticides in environments.

Atrazine (ATZ) is an agricultural pesticide for controlling field weeds. ATZ accumulates in many crops, posing high risks to crop production and food safety. Characterizing one of the novel rice MT genes named

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is one of the most effective drugs for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and induces the degradation of chimeric oncoprotein PML/RARα (P/R) and APL cell differentiation. Recent evidence has suggested that P/R fusion protein degradation by arsenic occurs through two steps, namely, rapid solubility change/shift of the P/R fusion protein following arsenic treatment (i.e., transfer of P/R protein from the soluble fraction to the insoluble pellet fraction), and subsequent degradation of these insoluble proteins. However, there is little information regarding the reversibility of arsenic induced P/R fusion protein solubility change as well as protein degradation in the insoluble fraction after removing arsenic. In this study, we used APL cell line NB4 or P/R and PML over-expressed 293T cells as well as HeLa cells to reveal the solubility change of P/R and PML by arsenic exposure, and further determined the fate of these insoluble proteins after the removal of arsenic. Here, for the first time, we found that arsenic induced P/R or PML protein solubility change is an irreversible process. Once arsenic induces a P/R or PML protein solubility change, these insoluble proteins could be degraded by the proteasomal pathway even without continuous arsenic treatment. However, PML and P/R proteins can be newly synthesized after the removal of arsenic, suggesting that great caution should be taken in the clinical therapy of APL patients before ending arsenic treatment.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on radio frequency-microelectromechanical systems (RF-MEMS) switches, which are expected to be extensively integrated into 5G infrastructures. The specifications of the RF-MEMS switch in use case and scenario for 5G have been summarized in part 2 and followed by the study of the state-of-the-art RF-MEMS switches in part 3. Both metal-contact and capacitive RF-MEMS switches, which have been developed and fabricated within the last two decades, are studied and tabled. In order to meet with the specification requirements of 5G scenario, the performance and characteristics of the RF-MEMS switches should be enhanced, such as acceptable RF performance, low actuation voltage, good reliability, short switching time, multiband topology, and on-chip integration and packaging. Different techniques for the improvement of the RF-MEMS switches' properties, for instance low spring constant, large actuation area, diverse actuation methods, push-pull mechanism, modified driving voltage waveform, inductive compensation, and so on, have been thoroughly investigated, classified, and summarized in part 4, which serves as the main contribution of the review. The findings from this review can be beneficial for further RF-MEMS switches' design and improvement. The upgraded RF-MEMS switches are capable of satisfying the growing need of cutting edge performance for 5G or high-performance applications.

This study identified the effect of salicylic acid on degradation of isoproturon in Arabidopsis. Three T-DNA insertion mutant lines pal1- 1, pal1- 2, and eps1- 1 defective in salicylic acid synthesis were tested, which showed higher isoproturon accumulation and a toxic symptom in the mutants. When treated with 5 mg/L salicylic acid, these lines displayed a lower level of isoproturon and showed an attenuated toxic symptom. An RNA-sequencing study identified 2651 (1421 up and 1230 down) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in eps1- 1 and 2211 (1556 up and 655 down) in pal1- 2 mutant plants (2.0 fold change, p0.05). Some of the DEGs covered Phase I-III reaction components, like glycosyltransferases (GTs) and ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCs). Using ultra performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-tandem-mass spectrometer/mass spectrometer (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS), 13 Phase I and four Phase II metabolites were characterized. Of these, two metabolites 1-OH-isopropyl-benzene-O-glucoside and 4-isopropylphenol-S-2-methylbutanoyl-serine, have been identified and reported for the first time.

The PML/RARα fusion protein is the oncogenic driver in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Although most APL cases are cured by PML/RARα-targeting therapy, relapse and resistance can occur due to drug-resistant mutations. Here we report that thermal stress destabilizes the PML/RARα protein, including clinically identified drug-resistant mutants. AML1/ETO and TEL/AML1 oncofusions show similar heat shock susceptibility. Mechanistically, mild hyperthermia stimulates aggregation of PML/RARα in complex with nuclear receptor corepressors leading to ubiquitin-mediated degradation via the SIAH2 E3 ligase. Hyperthermia and arsenic therapy destabilize PML/RARα via distinct mechanisms and are synergistic in primary patient samples and in vivo, including three refractory APL cases. Collectively, our results suggest that by taking advantage of a biophysical vulnerability of PML/RARα, thermal therapy may improve prognosis in drug-resistant or otherwise refractory APL. These findings serve as a paradigm for therapeutic targeting of fusion oncoprotein–associated cancers by hyperthermia. Significance: Hyperthermia destabilizes oncofusion proteins including PML/RARα and acts synergistically with standard arsenic therapy in relapsed and refractory APL. The results open up the possibility that heat shock sensitivity may be an easily targetable vulnerability of oncofusion-driven cancers. See related commentary by Wu et al., p. 300.

Mesoporous silica is widely used because of its unique and excellent properties, especially it can be used as a drug carrier and gene carrier in the biomedical field. After the mesoporous silica is put into clinical use, it is more likely to be exposed in human body. Therefore, the effect of mesoporous silica on human body cannot be ignored. The injury of vascular endothelial cells is a prerequisite for the occurrence of many cardiovascular diseases. As a drug and gene carrier, mesoporous silica increases its contact with vascular endothelial cells, so its toxic effect on cardiovascular system cannot be ignored. In this study, amino (NH2 ) and carboxyl (COOH) were modified on mesoporous silica SBA-15 by post-grafting. The results showed that it still maintained the one-dimensional hexagonal mesoporous structure of SBA-15 and had typical mesoporous structure. Then human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were infected with SBA-15, NH2 -SBA-15, and COOH-SBA-15. The results showed that the functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15 had cytotoxicity to HUVECs and damaged the cell membrane, but compared with the unmodified mesoporous silica SBA-15 the cytotoxicity of functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15 was lower and the toxicity of carboxyl modified group was the lowest. By comparing the cell inhibition rate and the expression level of lactate dehydrogenate and reactive oxygen species induced by the three materials, oxidative damage and cell membrane damage may be two mechanisms of cytotoxicity. Mesoporous silica SBA-15 has an effect on cardiovascular system by inducing the high expression of nitric oxide, intercellular adhesive molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesive molecule-1 in HUVECs. In summary, our results show that mesoporous silica is toxic to vascular endothelial cells.

Developing a biotechnical system with rapid degradation of pesticide is critical for reducing environmental, food security and health risks. Here, we investigated a novel epigenetic mechanism responsible for the degradation of the pesticide atrazine (ATZ) in rice crops mediated by the key component CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1a (OsCOI1a) in the jasmonate-signaling pathway. OsCOI1a protein was localized to the nucleus and strongly induced by ATZ exposure. Overexpression of OsCOI1a (OE) significantly conferred resistance to ATZ toxicity, leading to the improved growth and reduced ATZ accumulation (particularly in grains) in rice crops. HPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis revealed increased ATZ-degraded products in the OE plants, suggesting the occurrence of vigorous ATZ catabolism. Bisulfite-sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that ATZ exposure drastically reduced DNA methylation at CpG context and histone H3K9me2 marks in the upstream of OsCOI1a. The causal relationships between the DNA demethylation (hypomethylatioin), OsCOI1a expression and subsequent detoxification and degradation of ATZ in rice and environment were well established by several lines of biological, genetic and chemical evidence. Our work uncovered a novel regulatory mechanism implicated in the defense linked to the epigenetic modification and jasmonate signaling pathway. It also provided a modus operandi that can be used for metabolic engineering of rice to minimize amounts of ATZ in the crop and environment.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the assessment results of the Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016 (CNBS-R2016) between young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and global developmental delay (GDD, without ASD) and to explore whether CNBS-R2016 could be helpful to early identification of ASD. METHODS: A total of 260 ASD and 371 GDD children aged 18-30 months were enrolled to finish the assessment of CNBS-R2016. The development quotients (DQs) of the five domains of CNBS-R2016 including gross motor, fine motor, adaptability, language and social behavior were compared between the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of the autism-predicted domain in identifying ASD and GDD. RESULTS: The DQs of all the five domains in the ASD group were lower than those in the GDD group (P < 0.05). The language DQ and total DQ of the ASD group had a negative correlation with the score of the autism-predicted domain (r(s)=-0.566, -0.552 respectively, P < 0.01). When the cut-off value of the autism-predicted domain was 10.5, the largest area under the ROC curve was 0.835, and the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of ASD were 0.750 and 0.798 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The development of ASD children aged 18-30 months is worse than that of GDD children. CNBS-R2016 may be helpful to distinguish ASD from children with developmental delay.

Atrazine residue in soil is one of the serious environmental problems and continues to risk ecosystem and human health. To address the environmental behaviors and dissipation of atrazine and better manage the application of atrazine in reality, we comprehensively investigated the adsorption and desorption, migration ability, and vanishing of atrazine in three distinct soils in China including Jiangxi (JX, pH 5.45, TOC 0.54%), Nanjing (NJ, pH 6.15, TOC 2.13%), and Yancheng (YC, pH 8.60, TOC 0.58%) soils. The atrazine adsorptive capacity to the soils was arranged in the order of NJ > YC > JX. The leaching assay with profiles of the soils showed strong migration, suggesting it had a high bioavailability to weeds and potential for underground water contamination. We further investigated the effects of environmental factors such as soil moisture, microbial activity and photolysis on atrazine degradation and showed that the degradation of atrazine in the soil mainly underwent the abiotic process, most likely through hydrolysis and photolysis-mediated mechanisms, and to less extend through soil microbial catabolism. Using HRLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and by comparing the measured and theoretical m/z values and fragmentation data, ten metabolites comprising eight degraded products and two conjugates were characterized. Atrazine existing in the soils and sprayed coordinately blocked the growth of three common weeds, which prompted us to use the minimal atrazine in practice to control the waste of the pesticide and its impact on the environment. Overall, our work provided an insight into the mechanisms for the degradation of atrazine residues in the soils and contributed to the environmental risk assessment of the pesticide and management in its application control in the crop rotation and safe production.

This paper presents a novel design, optimization and analysis of capacitive radio frequency (RF) micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The design incorporates a novel membrane and beams' structure with two short high-impedance transmission-line (T-line) sections added on either side of the switch (namely T-match switch) to improve its RF performance, while maintaining low-actuation voltage. The short high-impedance T-line section has narrower width and higher impedance than the coplanar waveguide (CPW)'s signal line, behaves as series inductor to compensate the switch's up-state capacitance and provides excellent matching at the design frequency. This high-impedance T-line section was designed, simulated and optimized using finite-element-modelling (FEM) tool of electromagnetic (EM) simulator of AWR Design EnvironmentTM. The optimized T-line section's width and length is 10 µm and 70 µm, respectively. The RF-MEMS switch is actuated by electrostatic force with low-actuation voltage of 2.9 V, has maximum von Mises stress of 13.208 MPa which is less than aluminium's yield stress and can be operated in robust conditions. Compared to the normal capacitive RF-MEMS switch, this T-match capacitive RF-MEMS switch with two sections of optimized high-impedance T line has improved the performance of return loss and insertion loss, at switch-on state, by 45.83% and 55.35%, respectively; while at the switch-off state, the isolation is increased by 24.05%; only the switch-off return loss is degraded by 11.7% but the value (ź 0.5519 dB) is still located in the range of design specifications. The RF-MEMS switch's actuation time was simulated to be ~ 27 µs with amplitude of 5 V up-step voltage.

Atrazine (ATZ) residue in farmland is one of the environmental contaminants seriously affecting crop production and food safety. Understanding the regulatory mechanism for ATZ metabolism and degradation in plants is important to help reduce ATZ potential toxicity to both plants and human health. Here, we report our newly developed engineered rice overexpressing a novel Phase II metabolic enzyme glycosyltransfearse1 (ARGT1) responsible for transformation of ATZ residues in rice. Our results showed that transformed lines, when exposed to environmentally realistic ATZ concentration (0.2-0.8 mg/L), displayed significantly high tolerance, with 8-27% biomass and 36-56% chlorophyll content higher, but 37-69% plasma membrane injury lower than untransformed lines. Such results were well confirmed by ARGT1 expression in Arabidopsis. ARGT1-transformed rice took up 1.6-2.7 fold ATZ from its growth medium compared to its wild type (WT) and accumulated ATZ 10%-43% less than that of WT. A long-term study also showed that ATZ in the grains of ARGT1-transformed rice was reduced by 30-40% compared to WT. The ATZ-degraded products were characterized by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS. More ATZ metabolites and conjugates accumulated in ARGT1-transformed rice than in WT. Eight ATZ metabolites for Phase I reaction and 10 conjugates for Phase II reaction in rice were identified, with three ATZ-glycosylated conjugates that have never been reported before. These results indicate that ARGT1 expression can facilitate uptake of ATZ from environment and metabolism in rice plants.

Salicylic acid is a phytohormone, playing crucial roles in signal transduction, crop growth, and development, and defense to environmental challenges. In this study, a highly selective electrochemical sensor was designed and used to determine salicylic acid using molecularly imprinted polymers for recognition. The electrochemical sensor was fabricated via stepwise modification of gold nanoparticle–graphene–chitosan and molecularly imprinted polymers on a glassy carbon electrode. With electrochemical deposition, a gold nanoparticle–graphene–chitosan film was deposited on the glassy carbon electrode and enhanced the sensitivity. Molecularly imprinted polymers with adsorbed template salicylic acid were added to the surface of the modified electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the modified electrodes. Salicylic acid in wheat was quantified by the sensor using the molecularly imprinted polymer/gold nanoparticle–graphene–chitosan/glassy carbon...

Ametryn is a selective herbicide belonging to the triazine family and widely used for killing annual grasses or weeds in China and other parts of the world. However, reports on its environmental risk assessment with regard to soil and crop contamination are limited. In this study, accumulation of ametryn in wheat, maize, ryegrass and alfalfa crops along with ametryn residues in the soil planted with the plants were comparatively investigated. Soil enzyme activities and low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs), as well as antioxidant and degradation enzyme activities in plant tissues were measured. The maximum accumulation of ametryn was found in shoots and roots of wheat and alfalfa. Ryegrass had the maximum ametryn translocation factor (TF) from roots to shoots, with more than three times over the other crops. The ametryn residue in ryegrass-planted soil was much lower than that in soil planted with others. The residual content of ametryn in crop-planted soils was ordered as rhizosphere soil

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that contributes to human diseases such as pediatric cancer and cardiovascular dysfunction. Epigenetic modification caused by Cd exposure is the major factor in etiology of environmentally-relevant diseases. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanism for Cd uptake and accumulation in food crops, particularly those growing in Cd-contaminated environments, is largely unknown. This study investigated uncharacterized regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of global DNA hypomethylation at CG sites that are associated with gene expression for Cd detoxification and accumulation in the food crop rice. Mutation of the CG maintenance enzyme OsMET1 confers rice tolerance to Cd exposure. Genome-wide analysis of OsMET1 loss of function mutant Osmet1 and its wild type shows numerous loci differentially methylated and upregulated genes for Cd detoxification, transport and accumulation. We functionally identified a new locus for a putative cadmium tolerance factor (here termed as OsCTF) and demonstrated that Cd-induced DNA demethylation is the drive of OsCTF expression. The 3'-UTR of OsCTF is the primary site of DNA and histone (H3K9me2) demethylation, which is associated with higher levels of OsCTF transcripts detected in the Osmet1 and Ossdg714 mutant lines. Mutation of OsCTF in rice led to hypersensitivity to Cd and the Osctf line accumulated more Cd, whereas transfer of OsCTF back to the Osctf mutant completely restored the normal phenotype. Our work unveiled an important epigenetic mechanism and will help develop breeding crops that contribute to food security and better human health.

Antimony (Sb) belongs to the same group as arsenic (As) in the periodic table, and both share similar characteristics. However, Sb2O3 (SbIII) has no methylation capacity, unlike arsenic trioxide (As2O3). In the present study, we determined the effect of SbIII on NB4 cells and found that antimony could induce PML-RARα fusion protein degradation, reorganization of PML-NBs, and NB4 cell differentiation with low cytotoxicity. On the other hand, zinc finger motifs in PML protein are considered to be a key target binding site for arsenic-induced PML-RARα protein degradation. Interestingly, antimony and arsenic lost their ability to degrade PML-RARα fusion protein in NB4 cells following pretreatment with phenanthroline (i.e., chelator of zinc ions), indicating that the integrity of zinc finger motifs in PML-RARα fusion protein is a fundamental condition for inducing the protein's degradation by antimony and arsenic. Moreover, we found that SbIII could not induce mutant PML (e.g., A126V and L218P) solubility change and degradation, similar to As2O3. In contrast, we found that the organic antimony compound phenylstibine oxide (PSO) could induce mutant PML protein degradation. In conclusion, our results indicate that SbIII might also be a promising agent to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia, in the same manner as As2O3.

Accumulating pesticide (and herbicide) residues in soils have become a serious environmental problem. This study focused on identifying the removal of two widely used pesticides, isoproturon (IPU) and acetochlor (ACT), by a genetically developed paddy (or rice) plant overexpressing an uncharacterized glycosyltransferase (IRGT1). IRGT1 conferred plant resistance to isoproturon-acetochlor, which was manifested by attenuated cellular injury and alleviated toxicity of rice under isoproturon-acetochlor stress. A short-term study showed that IRGT1-transformed lines removed 33.3-48.3% of isoproturon and 39.8-53.5% of acetochlor from the growth medium, with only 59.5-72.1 and 58.9-70.4% of the isoproturon and acetochlor remaining in the plants compared with the levels in untransformed rice. This phenotype was confirmed by IRGT1-expression in yeast ( Pichia pastoris) which grew better and contained less isoproturon-acetochlor than the control cells. A long-term study showed that isoproturon-acetochlor concentrations at all developmental stages were significantly lower in the transformed rice, which contain only 59.3-69.2% (isoproturon) and 51.7-57.4% (acetochlor) of the levels in wild type. In contrast, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis revealed that more isoproturon-acetochlor metabolites were detected in the transformed rice. Sixteen metabolites of isoproturon and 19 metabolites of acetochlor were characterized in rice for Phase I reactions, and 9 isoproturon and 13 acetochlor conjugates were characterized for Phase II reactions in rice; of these, 7 isoproturon and 6 acetochlor metabolites and conjugates were reported in plants for the first time.

A novel and highly sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing system was designed and developed for individual detection of different organophosphorous pesticides (OPs) in food samples. Bimetallic Pt-Au nanoparticles were electrodeposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)-modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) to increase the surface area of electrode and ECL signals of luminol. Biocomposites of enzymes from acetylcholinesterase and choline oxidase (AChE and ChOx) were immobilized onto the electrode surface to produce massive hydrogen peroxides (H2O2), thus amplifying ECL signals. Based on the dual-amplification effects of nanoparticles and H2O2 produced by enzymatic reactions, the proposed biosensor exhibits highly sensitivity. The proposed biosensing approach was then used for detecting OPs by inhibition of OPs on AChE. Under optimized experimental conditions, the ECL intensity decreased accordingly with the increase in concentration of OPs, and the inhibition rates of OPs were proportional to their concentrations in the range of 0.1-50nmolL(-1) for malathion, methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos, with detection limit of 0.16nmolL(-1), 0.09nmolL(-1) and 0.08nmolL(-1), respectively. The linearity range of the biosensor for pesticide dufulin varied from 50 to 500nmolL(-1), with the detection limit of 29.7nmolL(-1). The resulting biosensor was further validated by assessment of OPs residues in cabbage, which showed a fine applicability for the detection of OPs in the realistic sample.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17, t(15;17), resulting in the expression of PML-RARα fusion protein, which disrupts the normal PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) to micro-speckled pattern, leading to loss of their original functions. Moreover, reformation of PML-NBs in APL by arsenic is considered as one of the important step for APL treatment. Leptomycin B (LMB), a nuclear export inhibitor, is commonly used to inhibit the proteins exporting from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In the present study, we found that LMB could induce the reformation of PML-NBs in leukemia NB4 cells as well as in APL blast cells from the patients, implying that nuclear shuttle proteins might be involved in the reformation of PML-NBs. Herein, we further found that LMB totally lost the ability to induce PML-NBs reformation when the endogenous PML gene was knocked out, indicating that endogenous PML protein is probably involved in the reformation of PML-NBs. More interestingly, among all PML isoforms (i.e., seven isoforms), reformation of PML-NBs was only observed when co-transfection of PML-RARα with PML-I after LMB treatment. Similarly, deletion of nuclear export signal (NES) of PML-I could also reform PML-NBs, suggesting that the protein level of endogenous PML-I in nucleus is important for the reformation of PML-NBs that interfered by PML-RARα fusion protein. Additionally, LMB has synergistic effect with iAsIII on enhancing PML-RARα fusion protein degradation, and it might provide new insight into APL treatment at clinical level in the near future.

Jasmonic acid (JA) [or methyl-jasmonic acid (MeJA)] is one of the important regulators of plant growth, development, and defense with respect to environmental stresses, but how JA is involved in mediation of pesticide accumulation and degradation in plants is largely unknown. This study investigated the contribution of MeJA to detoxification and degradation of isoproturon (IPU) residues in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Wheat plants were exposed to 4 mg of isoproturon kg–1 (environmentally realistic concentration). The level of growth and chlorophyll concentration were reduced, while the electrolyte permeability in plants was enhanced. When plants were sprayed with 0.1 μM MeJA, the phytotoxicity induced by isoproturon was significantly assuaged, which was manifested by an increased chlorophyll concentration and a reduced level of cellular damage in wheat. Activities of several stress marker enzymes with isoproturon were repressed in the presence of MeJA. We measured accumulation of isoproturon in wheat and it...

This paper presents the design, optimization and simulation of a radio frequency (RF) micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The capacitive RF-MEMS switch is electrostatically actuated. The structure contains a coplanar waveguide, a big suspended membrane, four folded beams to support the membrane and four straight beams to provide the bias voltage. The switch is designed in standard 0.35 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor process and has a very low pull-in voltage of 3.04 V. Taguchi method and weighted principal component analysis is employed to optimize the geometric parameters of the beams, in order to obtain a low spring constant, low pull-in voltage, and a robust design. The optimized parameters were obtained as w = 2.5 µm, L1 = 30 µm, L2 = 30 µm and L3 = 65 µm. The mechanical and electrical behaviours of the RF-MEMS switch were simulated by the finite element modeling in software of COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3® and IntelliSuite v8.7®. RF performance of the switch was obtained by simulation results, which are insertion loss of ?5.65 dB and isolation of ?24.38 dB at 40 GHz.

There is a paradox experienced by manufacturing firms attempting to servitize that their substantial investment in adding services to the existing product portfolio does not bring expected higher returns. The purposes of this paper are to gain more understanding as to the servitization status in Zhejiang Province of China and the influence of servitization on business performance of manufacturers. We conduct a regression analysis based on 134 listed manufacturing firms in 12 sectors in Zhejiang Province of China in 2012. Our results show that there is a significant positive relationship between servitization and business performance for manufacturing firms in Zhejiang; a U-shape relationship between servitization and profit per capita of firms is identified. In addition, the strategy of servitization is more suitable for larger firms and the effect of servitization in boosting business performance becomes more prominent once servitization has grown beyond certain threshold.

Several multi-cell improvement methods for solving existing problems of conventional T-shaped concrete-filled steel tubular (T-CFST) columns and for determining steel׳s optimal distributions for increasing the strength and ductility of the columns are presented. An experimental study with eight multi-cell T-shaped concrete-filled steel tubular (MT-CFST) columns and one conventional T-CFST column under low frequency cyclic loading was conducted. Effects of the multi-cell layout and the concrete strength on the hysteretic behavior of the specimens were investigated. Experimental results showed that the lateral load-displacement hysteretic curves of the columns were generally saturated with a slight pinching effect. Owing to the asymmetry of the T-shaped cross section, the hysteretic behavior of the composite columns is asymmetrical in different loading directions. The improved MT-CFST columns showed better seismic behavior due to high load bearing capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity. Furthermore, the non-linear finite element analysis was performed to simulate the hysteretic behavior of the specimens and the numerical results agreed well with the test results. In conclusion, with an increasing axial load ratio, the ultimate lateral load in the pushing direction gradually decreases and is reached earlier, whereas the ultimate lateral load in the pulling direction increases slightly under low axial ratio and decreases under high axial load ratio.

A low-voltage low-loss K-band 3-bit MEMS switched-line phase shifter is presented in this work. The phase shifter is constructed by novel shunt capacitive RF-MEMS switches and coplanar waveguide lines on a high-resistivity silicon substrate. A low-voltage RF-MEMS switch (pull-in voltage = 3.04V) is employed and exhibits good RF characteristics by using T-match technique where its insertion loss and isolation is −0.1291dB and −28.75dB, respectively at frequency of 20GHz. The 3-bit MEMS phase shifter is assembled by three single-bit units (namely, 45°-bit, 90°-bit and 180°-bit) of switched-line structures; the average phase error and average insertion loss is 0.2445° and −2.447dB, respectively, at 20GHz; its return loss is better than 10dB at a wideband frequency range of up to 20GHz. The whole design area is 6mm∗4mm.

Propazine is a s-triazine herbicide widely used for controlling weeds for crop production. Its persistence and contamination in environment nagatively affect crop growth and food safety. Elimination of propazine residues in the environment is critical for safe crop production. This study identified a microbial community able to degrade propazine in a farmland soil. About 94% of the applied propazine was degraded within 11 days of incubation when soil was treated with 10 mg kg−1 propazine as the initial concentration. The process was accompanied by increased microbial biomass and activities of soil enzymes. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed multiple bacterial strains in the community as well as dynamic change of the composition of microbial community with a reduced microbial diversity (H′ from 3.325 to 2.78). Tracking the transcript level of degradative genes AtzB, AtzC and TrzN showed that these genes were induced by propazine and played important roles in the degradation process. The activities of catalase, dehydrogenase and phenol oxidase were stimulated by propazine exposure. Five degradation products (hydroxyl-, methylated-, dimeric-propazine, ammeline and ammelide) were characterized by UPLC-MS2, revealing a biodegradation of propazine in soil. Several novel methylated and dimeric products of propazine were characterized in thepropazine-exposed soil. These data help understand the pathway, detailed mechanism and efficiency of propazine biodegradation in soil under realistic field condition.

Prometryn has been used in crop (e.g., corn and sorghum) field to prevent growth of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds for many years. As a moderately persistent herbicide in soil, prometryn may exert detrimental effects on environmental safety and crop production. The present study assessed the photodegradation of prometryn residues in soil by exploring a variety of factors such as soil moisture, temperature, and light exposure that potentially affect prometryn photodegradation. The dissipation rate of prometryn during a 14-day period of study was more than 90% under 15 (low pressure), 100, and 300 W (medium pressure) UV light exposure. The half-life of prometryn decay under UV light (53.5–116.4 h) was far less than that under xenon light (1131.6 h) and dark (3138.7 h) conditions. When the soil moisture (clay loam) was 60% of the field moisture capacity, it was most effective for prometryn photodegradation. The prometryn photodegradation on soil with 60% moisture level was increased with temperature and prometryn concentrations. The theoretical optimization scheme for eliminating prometryn in soil was recommended. The degraded products of prometryn under UV light and darkness were characterized using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a linear ion trap-orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer (UPLC-LTQ-orbitrap-MS/MS) and showed that prometryn decay in soil was through hydroxylation, dealkylation, and dethiomethylation pathways.

Purpose – This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the influencing factors on knowledge transfer through meta-analysis with an emphasis on the influence of cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The approach involved the evaluation and analysis of 69 published empirical studies and the categorization of these studies into two groups based on different cultural contexts as described by Hofstede. A meta-analytic approach was then employed to provide a comparative analysis of the categorized studies. Findings – The results of the meta-analysis of the influencing factors of knowledge transfer are consistent with the results obtained in most previous studies, indicating a maturation of research in this area. Influencing factors such as knowledge ambiguity, tie strength, trust, and common cognition are shown to impact knowledge transfer in different cultural contexts, particularly with regard to the individualism-low power distance and collectivism-high power distance dimensions defined by Hofstede. Research limitations/implications – This analysis was limited to the correlation between the influencing factors and the general performance in knowledge transfer and did not specifically address more detailed dimensions such as efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, this analysis was restricted to the cultural contexts of only two cultural dimensions. However, the review of this broad range of studies provided sufficient data to allow an in-depth analysis of related influencing factors and helped to illustrate and exemplify the influencing mechanisms of culture on knowledge transfer. Practical implications – The results presented in this paper can help managers working in cross-cultural environments to understand the key influencing factors that affect knowledge transfer in the workplace. By understanding these factors, managers can more effectively implement methods and procedures that improve cross-cultural knowledge transfer in the work environment. Originality/value – This paper provides a detailed insight into the influencing factors found between two distinctive cultural contexts and offers a fresh analysis of influencing factors with regard to knowledge transfer in a cross-cultural environment.

Mode of tax policy since the implementation of the Shanghai free trade zone established based on replicable features, combined with the Heilongjiang economic and trade development is particularly urgent requirement to build regional free trade zone border, by analogy analysis, judgment and reasoning methods, analysis of Heilongjiang Province trade development problems and cause, tax policy and the characteristics of Shanghai FTA are reviewed. And from the trade environment demand, trade location adaptability, economic development of domestic power and related policy supporting mechanism sound level, demonstrates the feasibility of Heilongjiang province Shanghai FTA copy tax policy.

Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) due to adenovirus infection is a low frequency event but often causes severe outcome. This study was undertaken to uncover the clinical and epidemiological features of adenovirus infection in children.Hospitalized children with ALRI were analyzed through continuous monitoring from 2006 to 2012. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were examined by direct immunofluorescence to detect respiratory agents including respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, influenza virus types A/B, parainfluenza virus types 1/2/3. Chlamydia pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia trachomatis were determined by real-time PCR. A retrospective analysis was made of 479 patients with positive infection of adenovirus.The positive detection rate of adenovirus was 0.63% in patients with ALRI. The incidence rate of adenovirus-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection peaked at the second six months of life. The morbidity was much higher in winter, spring and summer than in autumn. Patients with pneumonia accounted for 73.90% of the patients. More than one-third of the patients developed severe pneumonia, whereas no death was found. Features of severe adenovirus-associated lower respiratory tract infection included persistent high fever with serious infective symptoms, and hepatic dysfunction was one of the most common complications. Mixed infection of atypical pathogens was common (18.58%) in this study.Adenovirus is a critical pathogen that can cause severe respiratory infections even in immunocompetent children. Coinfection of adenovirus with atypical pathogens is common. Antibiotic treatment with azithromycin or erythromycin is necessary in patients with mixed infection of atypical pathogens.

Strict procedures for prevention and control of audit risk is one of the most effective measures, so the research on design of audit risk control standardization program has very great practical application value. Combined with the research needs, the CPA practices respectively utilize means of summarizing method, for example, analysis method and enumeration method. The CPA practice also revealing the audit risk and audit report risk associated with different basis, combining with the traditional audit risk model. The specific content concludes the report of audit risk and then designs including audit reports preparation, audit draft, final review report to track a feedback of visit to the control standard operating requirements, and then puts forward the independent auditing standards. The auditing standards should be added to the proposal of audit report program.