Environmental Settings Research Articles

Effect of E-Servicescape on Emotional Response and Revisit Intention in an Internet Shopping Mall

This study aims to explore the effect of the e-servicescape on the emotional response and revisit intention of customers in an internet shopping mall (ISM) environment. The literature was reviewed on the e-servicescape, emotional response, and revisit intention in an internet shopping mall. A relevant model and hypothesis were established. For the empirical study, a survey form was developed and conducted on 150 customers with experience using a certain ISM. Reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed using SPSS 27.0 and Amos 26.0 software, and the causal relationships were identified through structural equation modeling (SEM). Study results and implications were discussed and suggested. Among the factors of the e-servicescape in an ISM, aesthetics and surrounding elements did not have a significant effect on emotional responses, and spatial functionality showed a positive effect on emotional responses. Aesthetics had a weak negative effect on revisit intention. Surrounding elements and spatial functionality had no significant effect on revisit intention. The emotional response had a positive effect on revisit intention. This study identified the importance of the e-servicescape in the ISM environment and especially emphasized the importance of spatial functionality on the emotional response and aesthetics on revisit intention. This study presented several suggestions and implications to corporate managers regarding the development and management of the future ISM environment and other similar business settings.

Investigation of the impact of widely used pesticides on conjugative transfer of multidrug resistance plasmids

Plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer has emerged as a major driver accounting for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In addition to the use of antimicrobial agents, there is growing evidence that non-antibiotic factors also play an important role. Pesticides are widely used to protect crops against vectors of diseases, and are indispensable agents in agricultural production, whereas the impact of pesticide pollution on the transmission of antimicrobial resistance remains poorly understood. Here we reveal that the pesticides at environmentally relevant concentrations, especially cyromazine (Cyr) and kresoxim-methyl (Kre), greatly facilitate the conjugative transfer of antibiotic-resistance plasmids carrying clinically important ARGs. Mechanistic studies indicate that Cyr and Kre treatments trigger reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and SOS response, increase membrane permeability, upregulate bacterial proton motive force (PMF) and promote ATP supply. Further non-targeted metabolomics and biochemical analysis demonstrate that the addition of Cyr and Kre accelerates tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and electron transport chain (ETC), thereby activating bacterial energy metabolism. In the constructed soil model, we prove that two pesticides contribute to the dissemination of resistance plasmids in the soil microbiota. 16S rRNA sequencing analyses indicate that pesticides alter transconjugant microbial communities, and enable more opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas and Enterobacter, to acquire the multidrug resistance plasmids. Collectively, our work indicates the potential risk in accelerating the spread of antimicrobial resistance owing to pesticide pollution, highlighting the importance of continuous surveillance of pesticide residues in complex environmental settings.

A metagenomics-based approach to decipher the resistome and mobilome of two seahorse species, Hippocampus barbouri and Hippocampus comes

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in seahorses (Hippocampus barbouri and Hippocampus comes) and their surrounding environment. MethodsA combination of shotgun metagenomics and bioinformatics was used to investigate the resistome of both seahorse species. ResultsThe analyses demonstrated a higher abundance of ARGs in seahorse-associated microbiomes, particularly in skin and gut samples, compared to those from water and sediment. Interestingly, genes conferring multidrug resistance (e.g., acrB, acrF, cpxA, msbA, and oqxB) were highly prevalent in all samples, especially in skin and gut samples. High levels of genes conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones (e.g., mfd and emrB), β-lactam (e.g., blaCMY-71, blaOXA-55, and penA), aminocoumarin (e.g., mdtB and mdtC), and peptide antibiotics (arnA, pmrE, and rosA) were also observed in skin and gut samples. An enrichment of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) was also observed in the analysed samples, highlighting their potential role in facilitating the acquisition and spread of ARGs. In fact, the abundance of mobilisation (MOB) relaxases (e.g., MOBF, MOBP, MOBT, and MOBV) in gut and skin samples suggests a high potential for conjugation events. ConclusionsThe occurrence of ARGs and MGEs in seahorses and the surrounding environment raises concerns about their transmission to humans, either through direct contact or the consumption of contaminated seafood. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first comprehensive analysis of ARGs in seahorse-associated microbiomes, and its results emphasise the need for monitoring and controlling the spread of ARGs in environmental settings.

Arsenate adsorption, desorption, and re-adsorption on Fe–Mn binary oxides: Impact of co-existing ions

Fe–Mn binary oxides have demonstrated impressive arsenate removal efficiencies as adsorbents. However, their interaction with co-existing ions can lead to arsenate desorption, complicating the remediation process. The dynamics of both desorption and subsequent readsorption of arsenate on these oxides under the influence of various ions remain largely unexplored. This study illuminates these processes through a detailed six-month batch experiment, examining the behavior of arsenate in the presence of both single and multiple competing ions. Our findings demonstrate varied desorption impacts by different ions. Notably, the desorption effects induced by bicarbonate (HCO3−) and phosphate (PO43−) were the most significant, with maximum desorption rates reaching 21.8 % and 20.8 %, respectively. Following desorption, As(V) exhibited varying re-adsorption rates; notably, As(V) desorbed by HCO3− and PO43− achieved nearly complete re-adsorption at rates of 100 % and 97.8 % respectively after 150 days. The dynamics altered substantially in the presence of multiple ions. Specifically, the co-presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ significantly reduced the desorption of As(V) by HCO3−, with maximum desorption rates decreasing to 0 % and 2.9 %, respectively. Moreover, the inclusion of silicate (SiO32−) in the system markedly enhanced the re-adsorption of As(V), surpassing rates observed in the presence of HCO3− alone. In contrast, when PO43−and HCO3− were present together, almost no re-adsorption of As(V) occurred, leading to a higher final desorption rate of 27.4 %. These results highlight the complex and significant role that specific ions and their combinations play in the desorption and re-adsorption of As(V) on Fe–Mn binary oxide surfaces. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the types and interactions of co-existing ions in environmental settings when utilizing Fe–Mn binary oxides for efficient arsenic removal.

Neural correlates of static and dynamic social decision-making in real-time sibling interactions.

In traditional game theory tasks, social decision-making is centered on the prediction of the intentions (i.e., mentalizing) of strangers or manipulated responses. In contrast, real-life scenarios often involve familiar individuals in dynamic environments. Further research is needed to explore neural correlates of social decision-making with changes in the available information and environmental settings. This study collected fMRI hyperscanning data (N = 100, 46 same-sex pairs were analyzed) to investigate sibling pairs engaging in an iterated Chicken Game task within a competitive context, including two decision-making phases. In the static phase, participants chose between turning (cooperate) and continuing (defect) in a fixed time window. Participants could estimate the probability of different events based on their priors (previous outcomes and representation of other's intentions) and report their decision plan. The dynamic phase mirrored real-world interactions in which information is continuously changing (replicated within a virtual environment). Individuals had to simultaneously update their beliefs, monitor the actions of the other, and adjust their decisions. Our findings revealed substantial choice consistency between the two phases and evidence for shared neural correlates in mentalizing-related brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction (TPJ), and precuneus. Specific neural correlates were associated with each phase; increased activation of areas associated with action planning and outcome evaluation were found in the static compared with the dynamic phase. Using the opposite contrast, dynamic decision-making showed higher activation in regions related to predicting and monitoring other's actions, including the anterior cingulate cortex and insula. Cooperation (turning), compared with defection (continuing), showed increased activation in mentalizing-related regions only in the static phase, while defection, relative to cooperation, exhibited higher activation in areas associated with conflict monitoring and risk processing in the dynamic phase. Men were less cooperative and had greater TPJ activation. Sibling competitive relationship did not predict competitive behavior but showed a tendency to predict brain activity during dynamic decision-making. Only individual brain activation results are included here, and no interbrain analyses are reported. These neural correlates emphasize the significance of considering varying levels of information available and environmental settings when delving into the intricacies of mentalizing during social decision-making among familiar individuals.

Investigating the synergistic effect of RuO2 nanoparticle-decorated V2O5 nanoflakes for sensitive detection of 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrotoluene

The dinitroaromatic compounds 2,4-Dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) and 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) are prevalent contaminants in various water sources due to their extensive use in explosive synthesis and other industrial applications. The highly toxic and carcinogenic nature of these compounds poses significant risks to human health and environment, making the development of facile, rapid, cost-effective, and selective detection methods crucial. This research presents the one-step hydrothermal synthesis of RuO2 nanoparticle-decorated V2O5 nanoflakes to fabricate an electrochemical sensor for the detection of 2,4-DNP and 2,4-DNT. The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, HRTEM, and XPS techniques. The electrochemical behavior of 2,4-DNP and 2,4-DNT was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Under optimized conditions, 2,4-DNP and 2,4-DNT exhibited two reduction peaks corresponding to the nitro-functional groups on the aromatic ring. Notably, the 7 wt% RuO2 in V2O5 nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (RV7/GCE) demonstrated the lowest detection limits of 1.07 nM and 1.01 nM within the linear dynamic range (LDR) of 5.0 nM–35.0 µM for 2,4-DNP, and 2,4-DNT, respectively. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited excellent reusability and reproducibility, delivering consistent results for both laboratory-controlled and real-world samples. This advancement offers efficient detection and monitoring of these hazardous compounds in environmental and industrial settings.

Experiment and path optimization on Large-Space Multi-Area crowd evacuation

Abstract In large spaces where there are multiple evacuation zones, the flow patterns during evacuation are intricate, leading to congestion in emergency scenarios, and affecting evacuation efficiency. To address this, we proposed an optimization method for crowd evacuation paths in large-space multi-area environment settings under fire scenarios by utilizing multi-agent simulation. Using Pathfinder software, disorganized evacuation simulations are conducted within expansive multi-zonal settings to pinpoint areas with inadequate evacuation capabilities. Subsequent evacuation experiments are performed for verification, facilitating adjustments to agent-based model parameters for evacuees in fire scenarios, and carrying out organized evacuation simulations. Through meticulous simulation analysis, we aim to optimize the most efficient evacuation paths under organized responses in large-space multi-area settings. Results indicate that in emergency conditions due to fire, the evacuation speeds reach 1.8 m/s, and significant reductions in total evacuation time are achieved through simulation optimization, with the time required for the slowest individuals to evacuate decreasing from 240.32 s to 209.32 s. Furthermore, the flow rate per second at congested exits diminishes from 2.01 persons/s to 1.39 persons/s, highlighting the efficacy of the proposed path optimization method.

Investigations on the surface disinfection efficacy of far-UVC 222nm germicidal irradiance device in a controlled environment and field test.

The Covid 19 pandemic has significantly affected the health, economy, and social impact of humanity. The continuous mutations of the virus variants have accelerated the demand for scientific research on disinfection techniques for a safer indoor environment. Among all the available surface disinfection techniques, ultraviolet germicidal irradiance at 254nm wavelength has been proven for its disinfection efficacy; however, its usage is limited to unoccupied conditions due to the risk of ultraviolet exposure. This study investigated the efficacy of far-UVC-222nm experimentally in both controlled environment and field setting. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Mycobacterium smegmatis were employed for surface disinfection in both the laboratory and a meeting room. Total plate count was used to determine the disinfection efficacy by a 20W unfiltered far-UVC lamp. At 1.1 µW/cm2 far-UVC irradiation, a 1-log10 reduction of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Mycobacterium smegmatis contamination on tabletop can be achieved by 31.3min and 101.8min of far-UVC irradiation, respectively. Other pathogens of interest such as Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Legionella pneumophila, SARS-CoV-2, and the Measles virus were also referred and compared in this study. This study carefully examined how far-UVC irradiation performs effectively for surface disinfection in a real meeting room setting. The results offer useful recommendations for alternatives to upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiance for continuous disinfection within the ultraviolet threshold limit value, with the goal of preventing the spread of any diseases in the future.

Humidity Effects on Cs0.17FA0.83Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3 Thin Films for Carbon-based Perovskite Solar Cells

Org anic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have captivated the attention of researchers worldwide due to their remarkable potential for low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells. However, the reliance on controlled environments, such as dry boxes, poses a significant barrier for smaller laboratories wishing to participate in perovskite research. In this study, we investigate the influence of ambient humidity of Cs0.17FA0.83Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3 during the film formation process. Our experiments involved the fabrication of perovskite films using spin-coating techniques under different controlled humidity conditions with identical precursor preparation. The results revealed a significant decrease in film thickness under higher humidity, accompanied by a noticeable alteration in perovskite grain morphology, suggesting a complex interplay between humidity and grain formation. Furthermore, the photovoltaic performance of device with perovskite film formed in different humidity was measured. Surprisingly, despite the challenges posed by high humidity during fabrication, the solar cell efficiency only moderately decreased from 13.17% to 9.55% in average, indicating a remarkable potential of the Cs0.17FA0.83Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3 perovskite formula under adverse ambient conditions. These findings hint at the feasibility of their application in real-world, ambient air conditions, paving the way for their integration into diverse environmental settings, enabling a wider research community to engage in the exciting realm of perovskite solar cell technology.

The Effect of Sentence Structure Training on the Progress of Chinese Children with Autism in English Grammar Acquisition

This research proposal aim to examine grammatical training on children with ASD and its impact on their language ability and communication skills. Data will be collected by an experiment in a real-life classroom environment setting. Experimental group and control group are set to compare the impact of sentence structure training to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on their grammatical acquisition and English language development. A pre-test includes 20 grammatical questions will be given to the students before the beginning of the experiment in order to assess the baseline of students grammar ability. A post-test includes anther 20 grammatical questions which has same difficulty but different questions will be used at the end of the training period which aims to examine the result of the sentence training sessions. The data collection will be used to evaluate how and to what extent sentence structure training on the progress of Chinese children with Autism in their English grammar acquisition. The result of this research proposal is expected to provide information to the further language development of special groups of children.

Development of a multiple-biomarker approach using the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis for marine pollution monitoring: a case study in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Pollutants often exist as mixtures in environmental settings, creating a challenge in selecting the most effective combination of biomarkers for routine monitoring. This study was conducted seasonally in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, to compare the responses of nine biomarkers in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis with respect to its tissue levels of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Multivariate statistical techniques were utilised to determine the single best predictor and optimal subset of biomarkers in P. viridis for each of the four scenarios: representing overall biomarker responses in the dry season, and wet season, as well as correlating tissue levels of mixed pollutants in the dry season, and wet season. Our findings recommend lysosomal destabilisation, and the nucleic acid ratio of RNA to DNA, as the core biomarkers in P. viridis for marine pollution monitoring. The non-specificity of these biomarkers allows effective identification of pollution hotspots and guides further detailed assessment.

Analysis of numerical simulations and semi-empirical models on distribution characteristics of wind-driven rain on low-rise building facades

Wind-driven rain (WDR) is a significant contributor to indoor moisture in buildings, directly impacting the thermal and moisture performance of facades. Previous research on WDR in China focused on a limited number of low-rise pilot buildings, whose materials, shapes, and environmental settings are not entirely representative of typical applications. Aim to improve the accuracy of WDR predictions on low-rise building facades, there is a need for assessing different WDR calculation methods under various rain events. The paper presented high-resolution WDR measurements from a low-rise concrete building in Chongqing to investigate the distribution of WDR on building facades under local meteorological conditions. The study compared the performance of numerical simulations and two semi-empirical models with different meteorological data averaging techniques. The results indicated that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using the Eulerian multiphase (EM) model more closely matched the actual catch ratio across various locations and the WDR amount across the facade, with errors ranging between 10%-25 % and 2%–23 %, respectively. Furthermore, the ISO model with weighted averaging (WA) technique outperformed others in estimating catch ratios at various locations and the WDR amount across the facade, particularly when estimating the midline catch ratio. When considering both cumuliform and stratiform rainfall, the arithmetic averaging (AA) technique was a viable method for the ASHRAE model to forecast WDR. The ISO model's predictions corresponded to 54%–81 % of the field measurements, while the ASHRAE model's estimates varied more widely, ranging from 33 % to 229 % of the measured values.

A paradigm for the contextual safety assessment of agricultural microbes: a closer look at Klebsiella variicola

Adopting a risk assessment paradigm that is contextualized and strain-specific will be critical to enabling the continued development and safe use of microbes, particularly bacteria, in numerous industries and applications. An overly simplistic approach of labeling bacterial species as either harmful or beneficial is ill-suited for the complexities of their interactions with hosts and other microbes, where the lines between friend, foe, and innocent bystander are often unclear. Many such nuanced relationships have been described in human microbiome studies, illustrating the inherent challenges of defining bacterial safety. Any effective risk assessment framework must take into account bacterial niche and environment, fitness, host health, route and extent of exposure, and strain characterization. Klebsiella variicola, a diazotrophic soil bacterium isolated around the world, has been the subject of increasing interest on both environmental and clinical fronts, and has been used commercially as a biofertilizer on millions of farm acres. Here we review its population structure, relevance in clinical and environmental settings, and use as a biofertilizer in light of the risk assessment framework described.

Effects of recirculation and air change per hour on COVID-19 transmission in indoor settings: A CFD study with varying HVAC parameters

COVID-19 has already claimed over 7 million lives and has infected over 775 million people globally [1]. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, spreads primarily through droplets from infected people's airways, rendering Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems critical in controlling infection risk levels in the indoor environment. To understand the dynamics of exhaled droplets and aerosols and the percentage of particles that are inhaled, escaped, recirculated, or trapped on different surfaces for a variety of environmental settings, we have presented our findings from the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling to investigate the impact of changing HVAC parameters in this paper. When combined with the spatial and temporal distribution of droplets, this method can be used to assess the potential risk and strengthen resilience. This finding demonstrates the viability and usefulness of CFD for modeling the distribution and dynamics of droplets and aerosols in confined environments. Our study demonstrates that raising the Air Change per Hour (ACH) from 2 to 8 reduces the risk of particle inhalation by nearly 70 %. Additionally, limiting the amount of air recirculation or increasing the amount of fresh air helps to reduce the number of airborne particles in an indoor space. To reduce the potential for respiratory droplet-related transmission and to provide relevant recommendations to the appropriate authority, the same computational approach could be applied to a wide range of ventilated indoor environments such as public buses, restaurants, exhibitions, and theaters.

The Analysis of Fruit Carving, an Art Qualified Culinary by The Student of Culinary Art Study Program

This research is a qualitative research aim to analysis fruit carving, with participant observation and literature study. The research method was participant observation means researchers immerse themselves in the natural environment or social setting of the participants to do, observe and document behaviors, interactions, and cultural practices. The exploration of fruit carving through participatory observation in qualitative research unveils a unique blend of artistic expression, cultural tradition, health awareness, sustainability, and educational significance. This amalgamation renders fruit carving a multifaceted and enriching area of study, offering novel insights into its diverse dimensions. This approach is particularly useful for studying social dynamics and cultural phenomena. The result was fruit carving's uniques lie in its strength, such as widespread popularity, art and cultural heritage. Fruit carving weaknesses include price instability and dependency on high-quality fruit carving. Opportunities for business growth include creating variations and marketing to culinary tourists, while threats include intense competition and uncertainty in raw material supply. Overall, leveraging its strengths while addressing weaknesses and seizing opportunities will be crucial for the success of fruit carving existence in the future.

Influence of environmental settings, including vegetation, on speciation of the redox-sensitive elements in the sediments of monomictic Lake Kinneret

AbstractThe redox conditions in the littoral limnic sediments may be affected by the penetration of plant roots which provide channels for oxygen transport into the sediment while decomposition of the dead roots results in consumption of oxygen. The goal of this work was to study the impact of environmental parameters including penetration of roots of Cyperus articulatus L. into the sediments on cycling of the redox-sensitive elements in Lake Kinneret. We measured roots content, porosity, and chemical parameters including pH, sulfur, iron and manganese speciation in the sediments from the shore, littoral and sublittoral zones with and without vegetation. Our results show that at ≥ 12 m water depth, the upper 10 cm of the sediments are affected by the active sulfur cycling with concentrations of hydrogen sulfide > 70 μM near the sediment–water interface. Speciation of sulfur, iron, and manganese in the upper 10 cm of littoral sediments, which are covered by < 20 cm of water, are affected by their permeability and, to a lesser extent, by roots penetration. In the case when sediments are not covered by water, oxygen penetration to the sediments by desiccation is an additional important control of the redox zonation in the surface sediments. In the shore sediments, despite relatively high concentrations of sulfate in the pore-waters, sulfur cycling may be described as “cryptic” as expressed by very low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in the pore-waters. This is most likely a result of its fast reoxidation by the abundant highly reactive Fe(III) and Mn(IV) phases.

Geochemistry of fluoride mobilization in the hard-rock aquifers of central India: Implication for fluoride-safe drinking water supply

Globally, groundwater contamination by fluoride (F−) is a threat to the safe drinking water supply. Nevertheless, our understanding of the geochemical processes of F− mobilization to the groundwater by linking groundwater and aquifer material chemistry is limited. We therefore characterized that in the hard-rock aquifers of Central India, an area that has not been investigated thoroughly despite the known severity of the problem. Exploratory drilling of boreholes (n = 45) and lithostratigraphic modeling identified weathered basalt, vesicular basalt, fractured basalt, sandstone of Lameta, and fractured granite as major aquifers in the study area. The groundwater contamination by F− (concentration >1.5 mg/L) mainly occurred at depths >35 m bgl (at elevations <500 m amsl) of the fractured basalt and fractured granite aquifers, while samples collected from the shallow basalt, sandstone of Lameta, and shallow granite were mostly safe. The F− contamination of groundwater was primarily governed by the chemical evolution of groundwater along the flow path. Solute mass balance in groundwater, in conjunction with the mineralogical characterization of the aquifer materials, suggests that weathering of silicate and carbonate minerals was the dominant form of mineral dissolution in aquifers, which consumed dissolved CO2 along the flow path and resulted in an alkaline pH (>8) in groundwater of the deeper aquifers. The mobilization of F− in the groundwater could primarily be attributed to the ion exchange between OH− in water and structural F− in fluorapatite and F-bearing mica/amphibole. By assessing water quality and aquifer properties, this study suggests that primarily, the sandstone of Lameta and weathered and vesicular basalts can be targeted for F-safe drinking water supply in the study area. Targeting shallow aquifers can be an option for F-safe drinking water supply in other affected areas with similar geological and environmental settings.

Magnetic beads-based nanozyme for portable colorimetric biosensing of Helicobacter pylori

Cancer continues to be a significant global health issue with one in six deaths linked to the disease despite advancements in cancer detection and treatment. Recently, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was identified as a risk factor for cancer development. This gram-negative bacterium is associated with gastric conditions, including stomach cancer. Although the exact transmission methods of this bacterium are still unclear, studies suggest that waterborne transmission is possible. This study focuses on the development of a colorimetric nanomaterial-based paper biosensor for specific H. pylori detection using H. pylori extracellular proteases as biomarkers. The biosensor utilizes a unique substrate labeled with magnetic nanobeads and bound to a gold sensing platform. The biosensor's limit of detection (LOD) of 100 CFU/mL, selectivity, stability, and ability to detect H. pylori in clinical specimens were evaluated, demonstrating promising results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. In comparison to traditional methods, this biosensor offers advantages in simplicity and ease of use, making it appropriate for on-site detection in both environmental and clinical settings.

Does built environment and natural leisure settings with bodies of water improve human psychological and physiological health?

Does built environment and natural leisure settings with bodies of water improve human psychological and physiological health?

A cell-free fluorescence biosensor based on allosteric transcription factor NalC for detection of pentachlorophenol.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was once used as a pesticide, germicide, and preservative due to its stable properties and resistance to degradation. This study aimed to design a biosensor for the quantitative and prompt detection of capable of PCP. A cell-free fluorescence biosensor was developed while employing NalC, an allosteric Transcription Factor responsive to PCP and In Vitro Transcription. By adding a DNA template and PCP and employing Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay while monitoring the dynamic fluorescence changes in RNA, this study offers evidence of NalC's potential applicability in sensor systems developed for the specific detection of PCP. The biosensor showed the capability for the quantitative detection of PCP, with a Limit of Detection (LOD) of 0.21μM. Following the addition of Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification, the fluorescence intensity of RNA revealed an excellent linear relationship with the concentration of PCP, showing a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9595. The final LOD was determined to be 0.002μM. This study has successfully translated the determination of PCP into a fluorescent RNA output, thereby presenting a novel approach for detecting PCP within environmental settings.