Quantum nonlinear effect in a dissipatively coupled optomechanical system.

A full-quantum approach is used to study the quantum nonlinear properties of a compound Michelson-Sagnac interferometer optomechanical system. By deriving the effective Hamiltonian, we find that the reduced system exhibits a Kerr nonlinear term with a complex coefficient, entirely induced by the dissipative and dispersive couplings. Unexpectedly, the nonlinearities resulting from the dissipative coupling possess non-Hermitian Hamiltonian-like properties preserving the quantum nature of the dispersive coupling beyond the traditional system dissipation. This protective mechanism allows the system to exhibit strong quantum nonlinear effects when the detuning (the compound cavity detuning Δc and the auxiliary cavity detuning Δe) and the tunneling coupling strength (J) of two cavities satisfy the relation J2 = ΔcΔe. Moreover, the additive effects of dispersive and dissipative couplings can produce strong anti-bunching effects, which exist in both strong and weak coupling conditions. Our work may provide a new way to study and produce strong quantum nonlinear effects in dissipatively coupled optomechanical systems.

Cry9A and Vip3A protein-induced transcriptional changes correspond to their synergistic damage to the midgut of Chilo suppressalis.

Cry and Vip3 proteins are both pore-forming toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis that show synergistic insecticidal activity against different insect pests. However, the synergistic effect of Cry and Vip3 proteins on the midgut in target insects is still unclear. In this study, faster and more serious damage was observed after treatment with both Cry9A and Vip3A proteins in the Chilo suppressalis midgut compared to single-protein treatment. Through RNA sequencing, midgut transcriptomic comparison was performed between dual- and single-protein treatments according to midgut injury. After 6 h, 609 differentially expressed genes were found with the combined Cry9A and Vip3A treatments, which was much more than that in the single treatment, corresponding to faster and more serious damage. These genes were mainly enriched in similar pathways, such as lipid metabolic, oxidation-reduction and carbohydrate metabolic process, peptide secretion and cell-cell adhesion; however, the number and expression level of differentially expressed genes are increased. For specific genes significantly regulated by induction of Cry9A and Vip3A, lipases, phospholipid scramblase, probable tape measure protein and arylsulfatase J were significantly downregulated after 6 h treatment. In addition, regular genes related to the activation and receptor binding of B. thuringiensis toxins were differentially regulated, such as ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 1 and serine protease. Validation with RT-qPCR showed agreement with the sequencing results. Overall, our results support that stronger and faster midgut responses at the cellular and transcriptional levels are induced by the synergistic toxicity of Cry9A and Vip3A in C. suppressalis.

Can white clover facilitate apple orchard residue composting?

Aiming to assess the efficiency of white clove (WC) as an alternative nitrogen source for composting and to facilitate the utilization of orchard waste, WC as compared with chicken manure (CM) was aerobically composted with apple tree leaves (ATL) in initial C/N ratios of 25(R25), 30(R30) and 35(R35). The results show that WC facilitated the rapid and harmless treatment of ATL with the compost temperature above 55°C for more than 3 days. After composting, for all final products, organic matter content was 69.9%-72.9%, electrical conductivity (EC) 1.48-2.31 ms cm-1, germination index (GI) more than 80% and C/N ratios less than 20. Among all treatments, the product from R30 was most nutrient-rich. Compared with CM, WC facilitated the harmless treatment of ATL and required less time for high quality compost production. It is concluded that WC is an excellent replacement for animal manure as a nitrogen source in field composting of orchard waste in areas with limited transportation. WC and ATL can produce high quality organic fertilizer and initial C/N ratio of 30 is recommended.

[Determination of 50 antibiotic residues in drone pupa powder by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method was established for the determination of 50 kinds of antibiotic residues (macrolides, quinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, nitroimidazoles, lincomycin and chloramphenicol) in drone pupa powder by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The samples were extracted with perchloric acid and lead acetate solution, and the protein was precipitated. The extraction solution was adjusted to pH 8 using dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, then the solution was purified by solid phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The target compounds in the drone pupa powder were determined quantitatively and quantitatively by using multiple reaction monitoring and positive ion or negative ion modes. The recoveries of the 50 antibiotics were in the range of 70.2%-118.3%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.8%-13.6%. The method is simple, selective, and can be suitable for the analysis and confirmation of veterinary drug residues in drone pupa powder.

Photoinactivation of Photosystem II in wild-type and chlorophyll b-less barley leaves: which mechanism dominates depends on experimental circumstances.

Action spectra of photoinactivation of Photosystem II (PS II) in wild-type and chlorophyll b-less barley leaf segments were obtained. Photoinactivation of PS II was monitored by the delivery of electrons from PS II to PS I following single-turnover flashes superimposed on continuous far-red light, the time course of photoinactivation yielding a rate coefficient k i. Susceptibility of PS II to photoinactivation was quantified as the ratio of k i to the moderate irradiance (I) of light at each selected wavelength. k i/I was very much higher in blue light than in red light. The experimental conditions permitted little excess light energy absorbed by chlorophyll (not utilized in photochemical conversion or dissipated in controlled photoprotection) that could lead to photoinactivation of PS II. Therefore, direct absorption of light by Mn in PS II, rather than by chlorophyll, was more likely to have initiated the much more severe photoinactivation in blue light than in red light. Mutant leaves were ca. 1.5-fold more susceptible to photoinactivation than the wild type. Neither the excess-energy mechanism nor the Mn mechanism can explain this difference. Instead, the much lower chlorophyll content of mutant leaves could have exerted an exacerbating effect, possibly partly due to less mutual shading of chloroplasts in the mutant leaves. In general, which mechanism dominates depends on the experimental conditions.

[Determination of streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin in pollens by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method was established for the determination of streptomycin (STR) and dihydrostreptomycin (DHS) in pollens based on high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The sample was extracted and cleaned-up by a C18 solid phase extraction cartridge. The separation was carried out on a Protemix WCX-NP5 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 5 microm) with a gradient elution using 5% (v/v) formic acid, 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate and methanol as mobile phases. The analysis of streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin was performed under electrospray positive ionization mode. The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and limits of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) for the both were 5 microg/kg and 10 microg/kg, respectively. Good linearities (r > 0.99) were achieved for the target compounds over the range of 10-200 microg/L. The recoveries at three spiked levels (10, 20, 50 microg/kg) in the blank matrices, such as pollen pini, corn pollen, camellia pollen, sunflower pollen, rape pollen and bee pollen, were from 76.8% to 100.3% with the relative standard deviations varied from 3.70% to 12.6%. The method is accurate, practical, and can be applied to most of the contaminated matrices. With this method, heptafluorobutyric acid is not required as mobile phase which is harmful to MS spectrometer.

Genetic diversity and symbiotic evolution of rhizobia from root nodules of Coronilla varia.

Ninety symbiotic rhizobial isolates from root nodules of Coronilla varia growing in the Shaanxi province of China were characterized. Combined with the results of RFLP patterns, six genotypes were defined among the rhizobial strains and they were divided into three genomic genera. These included Mesorhizobium sp., M. alhagi, M. amorphae, M. metallidurans/M. gobiense as the dominant group (86.7%), and Rhizobium yanglingense and Agrobacterium tumefaciens as the minor groups, according to analysis of the corresponding 16S rRNA, nodC and nifH genes. Five nodC types, which mainly grouped into the Mesorhizobium genus, were obtained from all the isolates examined, implying that nodC genes probably occurred from the native habitat through lateral transfer and long-term adaptation, finally evolving toward M. alhagi. Four different nifH types, displaying obvious differences compared to those of 16S rRNA and nodC, implied that possible lateral transfer of the symbiotic genes occurred between different genera. The association between soil components and the genetic diversity of the rhizobial population demonstrated that combined genotypes were positively correlated with the pH of soil samples.

[Determination of amoxicillin in honey by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method for the determination of amoxicillin in honey by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was established. The samples were dissolved by phosphate buffer and cleaned-up by solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. The analytes were determined by HPLC-MS/MS on a C18 column with methanol and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid solution as mobile phases with gradient elution. The analysis of amoxicillin was performed under selected reaction monitoring mode by selecting one parent ion and two daughter ions as qualitative ions and the most abundant daughter ion as quantitative ion. The external standard was used for quantitative analysis in this method. The calibration curve showed good linearity in the range of 2.0-100.0 microg/L with good precision and accuracy (r2 > 0.99). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 2.0 microg/kg and 5.0 microg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of amoxicillin in spiked honey ranged from 74.2% to 81.7% with the intra-day precisions (relative standard deviations, RSDs) from 2.8% to 7.8% and the inter-day precisions (RSDs) from 9.1% to 11.3%. This method is convenient and suitable for the determination of amoxicillin in honey.

Identification and characterization of the endophytic plant growth prompter Bacillus Cereus strain mq23 isolated from Sophora Alopecuroides root nodules

Endophytes MQ23 and MQ23R isolated from Sophora alopecuroides root nodules were characterized by observing their ability to promote plant growth and employing molecular analysis techniques. Results showed that MQ23 and MQ23R are potential N2-fixing endophytes and belong to the same species as Bacillus cereus. MQ23 was shown to be able to produce siderophores, IAA, and demonstrate certain antifungal activity to plant pathogenic fungi. Co-inoculation with MQ23+MQ23II showed a more significant effect than inoculation alone in vitro for most of positive actions suggesting they have a cooperative interaction. Results of plant inoculation with endophytes indicated that the growth indexes of co-inoculated MQ23+MQ23II were higher than those of inoculated alone (p<0.05) (the exception being for root fresh weight) when compared to negative control. There have been little of any studies of nonrhizobial putative endophytes with growth-promotion attributes in S. alopecuroides root nodules. This could be exploited as potential bio-inoculants and biocontrol agents in agriculture.

Identification and characterization of the endophytic plant growth prompter Bacillus Cereus strain mq23 isolated from Sophora Alopecuroides root nodules.

Endophytes MQ23 and MQ23R isolated from Sophora alopecuroides root nodules were characterized by observing their ability to promote plant growth and employing molecular analysis techniques. Results showed that MQ23 and MQ23R are potential N2-fixing endophytes and belong to the same species as Bacillus cereus. MQ23 was shown to be able to produce siderophores, IAA, and demonstrate certain antifungal activity to plant pathogenic fungi. Co-inoculation with MQ23+MQ23II showed a more significant effect than inoculation alone in vitro for most of positive actions suggesting they have a cooperative interaction. Results of plant inoculation with endophytes indicated that the growth indexes of co-inoculated MQ23+MQ23II were higher than those of inoculated alone (p<0.05) (the exception being for root fresh weight) when compared to negative control. There have been little of any studies of nonrhizobial putative endophytes with growth-promotion attributes in S. alopecuroides root nodules. This could be exploited as potential bio-inoculants and biocontrol agents in agriculture.

Diverse rhizobia associated with Sophora alopecuroides grown in different regions of Loess Plateau in China.

A total of seventy-five symbiotic bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of wild Sophora alopecuroides grown in different regions of China's Loess Plateau were characterized. Based on the combined RFLP patterns, thirty-five genotypes were defined among the rhizobia and they were classified into nine genomic species, including Mesorhizobium alhagi and M. gobiense as the main groups, as well as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, M. amorphae, Phyllobacterium trifolii, Rhizobium giardinii, R. indigoferae, Sinorhizobium fredii and S. meliloti as the minor groups according to the 16S rRNA and recA gene analyses. Five and three lineages of nodA and nifH were found, respectively, in these strains, implying that the symbiotic genes of the S. alopecuroides rhizobia had different origins or had divergently evolved. Results of correspondence analysis showed that there was a correlation between rhizobial genotypes and the geographic origins. Possible lateral transfer of the recA and 16S rRNA genes between the P. trifolii and A. tumefaciens strains, and that of symbiotic genes (nodA, nifH) between different genera, was shown by discrepancies of the phylogenetic relationships of the four gene loci. These results revealed diverse rhizobia associated with wild S. alopecuroides grown in different regions of China's Loess Plateau, and demonstrated for the first time the existence of symbiotic A. tumefaciens strains in root nodules of S. alopecuroides.

[Determination of clopidol residue in poultry products by liquid chromatography-electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry].

A method is presented for the determination of clopidol residue in poultry products by liquid chromatography-electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Clopidol residue was extracted with methanol and cleaned-up by n-hexane from different poultry products. The extract was cleaned-up by an LC-18 column and an ion exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) column. Quantification was achieved by matrix calibration. The recoveries of clopidol in poultry products were in the range from 55.38% to 132.44% at the four spiked levels, 2, 5, 10, and 20 microg/kg. The intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) and inter-day RSD were less than 9.54% and 15.27%, respectively. The linearity of the method was good from 1 microg/kg to 40 microg/kg. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5 microg/kg, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 2.0 microg/kg. The method is selective without interference and suitable for the determination and confirmation of clopidol residue in poultry products.

Characterization of copper-resistant agrobacterium isolated from legume nodule in mining tailings.

A copper-resistant bacteria CCNWSX2332 was isolated from root nodules of Lespedeza cuneata growing in a gold mining tailing region in northwest of China. The specific growth rate of the strain was 0.62 microh(-1) in the presence of 2.0 mM Cu(2+) in TY liquid media, and the maximum copper accumulation of whole cell reached 147.03 microM Cu(2+) per gram (dry weight) after 4 h incubation. A partial sequence of the copper resistance gene copA was amplified from the strain, and the phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence showed that CCNWSX2332 belonged to Agrobacterium, and it had 100% similarity with Agrobacterium tumefaciens type strain IAM13129(T).

[Determination of cyflufenamid residue in carrots by gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry].

A method was developed for the determination of cyflufenamid residue in carrots by solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-NCI/MS). Cyflufenamid residue was extracted with ethyl acetate from carrots. The extract was cleaned-up by an active carbon SPE column connected to a neutral alumina SPE column. The analysis was carried out by the GC-NCI/MS with selected ion monitoring mode. The recoveries of cyflufenamid in carrot samples were in the range from 74.9% to 94.6% at four spiked levels, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 mg/kg, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) were less than 9.7% for inter-days. The linearity of the method was good in the range from 10 to 1000 ng/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.001 mg/kg, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.005 mg/kg. The method is selective without interference and is suitable for the determination and confirmation of cyflufenamid residue in carrots.

Analysis of tetracycline residues in royal jelly by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A confirmatory method coupling liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed to determine the concentration of oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC) and doxycycline (DC), which make up the tetracycline (TC) groups present in royal jelly. Sample preparation included deproteination, control of pH, extraction and clean-up on a solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. The analyses were achieved by LC/MS/MS in selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM). The overall recovery of fortified royal jelly at the levels of 5.0, 10.0 and 40.0 microg/kg ranged from 62% to 115%, and the coefficients of variation ranged from 3.4% to 16.3% (n=6). The detection limits for TCs were under 1.0 microg/kg. The transformation between the TCs and its epimers (EpiTCs) was studied in standard solution and during the sample preparation process. This method can be used for the detection of tetracycline residues in royal jelly.

[Determination of acetanilide herbicide residues in tea by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques].

An analytical method of solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques was established for simultaneous determination of 12 acetanilide herbicide residues in tea-leaves. Herbicides were extracted from tea-leaf samples with ethyl acetate. The extract was cleaned-up on an active carbon SPE column connected to a Florisil SPE column. Analytical screening was determined by the technique of gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode with either electron impact ionization (EI) or negative chemical ionization (NCI). It is reliable and stable that the recoveries of all herbicides were in the range from 50% to 110% at three spiked levels, 10 microg/kg, 20 microg/kg and 40 microg/kg, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were no more than 10.9%. The two different ionization techniques are complementary as more ion fragmentation information can be obtained from the EI mode while more molecular ion information from the NCI mode. By comparison of the two techniques, the selectivity of NCI-SIM was much better than that of EI-SIM method. The sensitivities of the both techniques were high, the limit of quantitative (LOQ) for each herbicide was no more than 2.0 microg/kg, and the limit of detection (LOD) with NCI-SIM technique was much lower than that of EI-SIM when analyzing herbicides with several halogen atoms in the molecule.

[Determination of difenoconazole residue in foods by gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry].

A method is presented for the determination of difenoconazole residue in all kinds of foods by solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-MS/NCI). Difenoconazole residue was extracted with ethyl acetate from different samples, such as perilla leaves, carrots, spinach powder, rice, gram, jasmine flower tea, oolong tea, strawberries, sauce, bee honey, beef, chicken and eels, etc. The extracts were cleaned-up by active carbon SPE column connected to alumina neutral SPE column or Florisil SPE column only. Analytical screening was determined by the technique of GC-MS/NCI on selected ion monitoring mode. The recoveries of difenoconazole in most samples were in the range from 70% to 120% at three spiked levels, 0.01 mg/kg, 0.04 mg/kg and 0.10 mg/kg, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 9.5%. The linearity of the method is good from 0.02 to 1.00 mg/L, and limit of detection (LOD) was 0.000 5 or 0.001 mg/kg for different type samples. The method is selective without interference and is suitable for determination and conformation of difenoconazole residue in all kinds of foods.