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Tier partitioning is one of the most critical stages in monolithic 3-D (M3D) integrated circuits (ICs) implementation flows. It transforms 2-D netlists into 3-D by performing tier assignment for each design instance, which directly impacts the power, performance, and area (PPA) metrics of final 3-D full-chip designs. However, the current state-of-the-art tier partitioning approach named bin-based min-cut algorithm has fundamental flaws that lead to severe drawbacks, such as timing degradation, 3-D routing overhead, and redundant monolithic intertier vias (MIVs) insertion. To overcome these issues, in this article, we propose TP-GNN, an unsupervised graph learning-based tier partitioning framework that utilizes graph neural networks (GNNs) and advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to perform tier partitioning. The proposed framework comprehends design- and technology-related parameters properly so that it is generalizable to various netlists and technologies. In addition, it can be integrated with any style of M3D design flows that require tier assignments of standard cells. In the experiments, we validate the proposed framework on seven industrial designs with two different fashions of M3D implementation flows: 1) partitioning-first (Snap3D) and 2) partitioning-last (Shrunk2D and Compact2D) flows. We demonstrate that our framework, TP-GNN, significantly improves the 3-D quality of results (QoR) across most testing designs in a large margin compared with the bin-based min-cut tier partitioning algorithm. Specifically, in OpenPiton, an RISC-V-based multicore system, we observe 27.4%, 7.7%, and 20.3% improvements in performance, wirelength, and energy-per-cycle, respectively. Finally, we perform a case study by applying the proposed framework to a heterogeneous M3D design flow, Pin3D, on a commercial CPU design and observe that TP-GNN reaches better partitioning solutions than the existing partitioning approaches for heterogeneous 3-D ICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern physical design flows highly depend on design space exploration to find the commercial tools’ clock tree synthesis (CTS) parameters that lead to optimized clock trees. However, such exploration is often time-consuming and computationally inefficient. In this article, we overcome this drawback by proposing a novel framework named GAN-CTS, which utilizes conditional generative adversarial network (GAN) to predict and optimize CTS outcomes. Our framework is built upon three sequential learning stages. First, to precisely characterize distinct designs, we leverage transfer learning to extract netlist features directly from placement images. Second, we perform regression learning using various methods to predict the target CTS outcomes and demonstrate that the proposed multitask learning approach achieves better accuracy than the meta-modeling method adopted by previous works. To fully benefit from the predictions made by our framework, we further quantitatively interpret the importance of each CTS input parameter subject to various design objectives through attribution-based learning. Finally, generative adversarial learning is leveraged to optimize the target clock metrics with the guidance provided by the pretrained regression model. To substantiate the generality of our framework, we perform validations on four unseen netlists that are not utilized in the training process. The experimental results conducted on real-world designs demonstrate that our framework: 1) achieves an average prediction error of 3%; 2) improves the commercial tool’s auto-generated clock tree by 20.7% in clock power, 21.5% in clock wirelength, 36.1% in the worst skew; and 3) reaches an F1-score of 0.93 in the classification task of determining successful and failed CTS runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its widespread distribution in the environment, bisphenol A (BPA) has become a global concern as an endocrine disruptor and a threat to human health through the food chain. Thus an efficient determination method is urgently needed for monitoring the levels of BPA. Herein, a novel electrochemical technique for the detection of BPA was performed by synchronous extraction and pre-concentration of BPA onto magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (BMMIP), with subsequent readout on a magneto-actuated glassy carbon electrode (MGCE) by differential pulse voltammetry. Compared to the current methods of BPA determination, this BMMIP-based electrochemical sensor (BMMIPs@MGCE) not only simplifies the sample handling procedures substantially, without filtration, centrifugation, or other complex operations, but also can be easily renewed by a controllable magnetic field. As a sensor component, the core–shell BMMIPs exhibited excellent binding capacity (Qe = 82.5 mg g−1), short adsorption equilibrium time (30 s), and outstanding selectivity (k′ = 7.239) towards BPA, as well as stability and recyclability. Importantly, the BMMIPs@MGCE sensor was successfully applied for the on-site monitoring and rapid detection of BPA in complicated real-world specimens, with good recoveries (81.31–119.77%) and a low limit of detection (0.133 μmol L−1). Therefore, the stable and low-cost BMMIPs@MGCE sensor provides a new approach for the rapid determination of BPA in the field of environmental control and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• InGaN LED arrays are used as optical transmitters in underwater optical communications. • The parallel-connected design of the constituent pixels is useful to avoid LED failure. • With increasing inactive pixel number, improved LED emission efficiency and the transmission performance were found. • Real-time transmissions of digital TV signals over a 100 cm water channel is shown to be feasible using proposed LED arrays. SU-8 planarized InGaN LED arrays are proposed for use as optical transmitters in underwater optical communications. In addition to alleviating current crowding effects, the parallel-connected design of the constituent pixels is useful to avoid LED failure. Experiments are conducted to investigate the impact of different numbers of emitting pixels on LED performance and system bandwidth of a data communication link passing through a water tank. Although a maximum light output power of 56.7 mW was obtained for LED arrays with all pixels available for light emission, LED arrays with 2 emitting pixels exhibit a high external quantum efficiency at a lower current (i.e., η ext = 8.9% @ 9 mA). In addition, the maximum 3-dB modulation bandwidth of optical links in the water tank increased from 18 to 30.3 MHz with the use of LED arrays, but the number of emitting pixels is reduced from 16 to 2. Such improvement also reflects an increased data transmission rate of 200 Mbit/s through the use of a 2-emitting-pixel LED array. Finally, real-time transmission of digital TV signals over a moderate distance (∼100 cm) in tap water is shown to be feasible even when modifying the number of the emitting pixels within the LED arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown with a thin GaN barrier and a gradually reduced well width in the multiple-quantum-well (MQW) regions close to n-GaN are proposed for use in underwater optical wireless communications. Experimentally, LED epiwafers grown by metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy were found to have comparable crystalline quality despite using a different epistructure design from InGaN MQWs. The modified MQWs facilitated hole transport to the deep quantum wells while preventing energetic electrons from accumulating at the topmost quantum wells close to p-GaN, thus improving the current-light output performance at high currents. In addition, relatively strong carrier localization in the proposed LEDs indicates more injected carriers within the modified MQWs can participate in radiative recombinations to contribute to light output. On the other hand, the available bandwidth of a line-of-sight LED-based optical link passing through a 100-cm-long water tank was found to be around 148.7 MHz using the proposed LED, which is $1.3\times $ higher than that obtained using normal LED. This type of optical link produces data transmission at rates in tap water exceeding 300 Mbit/s and enables real-time transmission of digital TV signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine (ATR) as a toxic herbicide has become one of the seriously environmental contaminants worldwide due to its long-term intensive use in crop production. This study identified novel methyltransferases (MTs) involved in detoxification and degradation of ATR residues in rice plants. From a subset of MTs differentially expressed in ATR-exposed rice, forty-four O -methyltransferase genes were investigated. Total activities were significantly enhanced by ATR in rice tissues. To prove detoxifying capacity of the MTs in rice plants, two rice O -MTs (LOC_Os04g09604 and LOC_Os11g15040) were selected and transformed into yeast cells ( Pichia pastoris X-33). The positive transformants accumulated less ATR and showed less toxicity. Using UPLC-TOF-MS/MS, ATR-degraded products in rice and yeast cells were characterized. A novel O -methylated-modified metabolite (atraton) and six other ATR-derivatives were detected. The topological interaction between LOC_Os04g09604 enzyme and its substrate was specially analyzed by homology modeling programs, which was well confirmed by the molecular docking analysis. The significance of the study is to provide a better understanding of mechanisms for the specific detoxification and degradation of ATR residues in rice growing in environmentally relevant ATR-contaminated soils and may hold a potential engineering perspective for generating ATR-resistant rice that helps to minimize ATR residues in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental evaluation of a directed line-of-sight visible light communication system based on phosphor-converted white resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLEDs) is presented. With a simple dielectric coating of the transistor outline-can-packaged InGaN LEDs, a $\lambda $ /4-thick Ta2O5/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector functioning as the top mirror of near-UV RCLEDs can be formed automatically without inducing a registration misalignment as in conventional photolithography. In addition, a passivation coating can also be created over the entire LED structure. As a result of the optical cavity effect, the completed RCLEDs exhibit improved output performance in terms of light output power, external quantum efficiency, and directionality. The resulting RCLEDs are more suitable for building a 200 Mb/s ON–OFF keying nonreturn-to-zero optical link for data transmission over a distance of 100 cm in free space. Finally, we show that real-time transmissions of digital TV signals can be accomplished using the proposed short-range ( $\sim 100$ cm) optical wireless link (data rate $\sim 150$ Mb/s) mainly consisting of a field-programmable gate array-based video encoder/decoder, an optical bandpass filter, and the phosphorescent white RCLEDs made by a simple process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, a new model based on the mixture of bounded Burr XII failure intensity and bounded intensity process is proposed to describe the failure intensity of minimally repaired systems with approximate bathtub behavior. The estimates of the model parameters are easily obtained using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The confidence intervals for the model parameters are also provided. Other existing models, such as superposed power law process, log-linear process-power law process, and bounded bathtub intensity process are used to compare with our proposed model. Through numerical examples, the results show that our proposed model performs well regarding the Akaike information criterion value and the mean of square errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoproturon (IPU) is a herbicide widely used to prevent weeds in cereal production. Due to its extensive use in agriculture, residues of IPU are often detected in soils and crops. Overload of IPU to crops is associated with human health risks. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an approach to mitigate its accumulation in crops. In this study, the IPU residues and its degradation products in wheat were characterized using ultra performance liquid chromatography-time of fight tandem-mass spectrometer/mass spectrometer (UPLC-TOF-MS/MS). Most detected IPU-derivatives were sugar-conjugated. Degradation and glycosylation of IPU-derivatives could be enhanced by applying salicylic acid (SA). While more sugar-conjugated IPU-derivatives were identified in wheat with SA application, lower levels of IPU were detected, indicating that SA is able to accelerate intracellular IPU catabolism. All structures of IPU-derivatives and sugar-conjugated products were characterized. Comparative data were provided with specific activities and gene expression of certain glucosyltransferases. A pathway with IPU degradation and glucosylation was discussed. Our work indicates that SA-accelerated degradation is practically useful for wheat crops growing in IPU-contaminated soils because such crops with SA application can potentially lower or minimize IPU accumulation in levels below the threshold for adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constant stress accelerated life testing has been implemented to obtain the useful lifetime of white organic light emitting displays (OLEDs) based on the lognormal distribution. However, other distributions such as Weibull and log-logistic may offer a better fit for failure time data at each stress level. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of a white OLED at each stress level will be estimated by the best fit statistical model. A response model based on an inverse power (exponential) law for all MTTFs under different stress levels is then used to predict the useful lifetime of a white OLED under normal conditions. In addition, the confidence interval of MTTF for a white OLED is provided. The results show that the MTTF of a white OLED is about 15,912 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibrational, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of the ε-O8 phase in the pressure range of 11.4–70 GPa were studied by the first-principle calculation method. The phonon dispersion curves have a tiny virtual frequency at 60 GPa, which indicates that ε-O8 is dynamically unstable at 60 GPa. However, the 3-BM EOS demonstrates that the unit cell is stable up to 70 GPa. It has been shown that ε-O8 remains ductile within the whole applied pressure range. Concurrently, we calculated the variation of the band gap of ε-O8 in the pressure range of 11.4–70 GPa. The results show that the band gap of ε-O8 decreases with increasing pressure. Notably, the band gap disappears within the range of 50–60 GPa, which reveals that the metallic phase transition occurs within this pressure range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The degradation-data-driven method is used to analyze the lifetime of HPWLEDs. [•] We present a bi-exponential model to improve the fit accuracy for the data. [•] The two-stage method provides the highest ability to explain variation. [•] A response model was used to predict the useful lifetime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lifetime failure data might have a bathtub-shaped failure rate. In this study, we propose a new model based on a mixture of bounded Burr XII distribution and 2-parameter Engelhardt-Bain process, to describe a failure process including a decreasing intensity phase, an increasing phase, and an accommodation phase for repairable systems. The estimates of the model parameters are easily obtained using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Through numerical example, the results show that our proposed model outperforms other existing models, such as superposed power law process and bounded bathtub intensity process with regard to Akaike Information Criterion value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rice (Oryza sativa) GTs belong to a super family possibly with hundreds of members. However, which GTs are involved in plant response to toxic chemicals is unknown. Here, we demonstrated 59 novel GT genes screened from our recent genome-wide sequencing datasets of rice crops exposed to atrazine (a herbicide persistent in ecosystems). Analysis of GT genes showed that most of the GTs contain functional domains typically found in proteins transferring glycosyl moieties to their target compounds. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that many GT genes from different families have diverse cis-elements necessary for response to biotic and environmental stresses. Experimental validation for the GTs was undertaken through a microarray, and 36 GT genes were significantly detected with an expression pattern similar to that from deep-sequencing datasets. Furthermore, 12 GT genes were randomly selected and confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Finally, the special activity of total GTs was determined in rice roots and shoots, with an increased activity under the atrazine exposure. This response was closely associated with atrazine absorption in the rice tissues. These results indicate that exposure to atrazine can trigger specific GT genes and enzyme activities in rice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Flexible supercapacitor is successfully fabricated using polyaniline nanowires/carbon cloth (PANI-NWs/CC) nanocomposite. High gravimetric capacitance of 1079Fg−1 at a specific energy of 100.9Whkg−1 and a specific power of 12.1kWkg−1 is obtained. Moreover, this approach also offers an exceptionally high area-normalized capacitance of 1.8Fcm−2. The diffusion length of protons within the PANI-NWs is estimated to be about 60nm by electrochemical impedance analysis, which indicates that the electrochemical performance of the electrode is not limited by the thickness of PANI-NWs. The electrochemical performance of PANI-NWS/CC remains without any deterioration, even when the cell is bent under high curvature. These results clearly present a cost-effective and simple method of fabrication of the nanostructured polymers with enormous potential in flexible energy storage device applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Antibiotics in ecosystems stimulate the emergence and development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, consequently posing tremendous health risks to wildlife species and humans. Laccase, a multicopper-containing oxidoreductase, is capable of nonspecifically catalyzing oxidization of multiple hazardous micropollutants, including antibiotics, with O2 as the terminal electron acceptor. Thus, laccase is recognized as a promising "green and sustainable biocatalyst" for the decontamination of antibiotics. Recently, great efforts have been made to design and exploit immobilized laccase to tackle antibiotics in the environment. In this review, the occurrence, fate, and ecological risks of antibiotics in environmental matrices are described. Moreover, the immobilized laccase-evoked removal of antibiotics, owing to immobilization technology reinforcing the stability and reusability of free laccase in bioremediation, is examined in details. In particular, advances in laccase-provoked transformation mechanisms (i.e. oxidative decomposition and radical polymerization) of antibiotics are highlighted, and a valuable guideline beneficial to large-scale practical applications is provided. Furthermore, evaluation of the intermediate products of antibiotics and their ecotoxicity in different laccase-enabled treatments is summarized. Finally, new directions for the application of laccase for effective antibiotic removal are envisaged, and several future directions to address the challenges are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunction bipolar light-emitting transistors (HBLETs) with a cleaved facet in the lateral direction for light emission are proposed for real-time optical wireless transmission. To prevent light shielding by the top metal electrodes, the light output power of the edge-emitting HBLETs exceeds that of those emitting from the top surface. Although the proposed HBLETs can generate spontaneous light emissions at λ ~965 nm, a reduced common-emitter current gain (β ~ 0.41) was found due to some of the minority carriers (electron) from the emitter being radiatively recombined within the In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As/GaAs multiple-quantum-well containing base layer. Results also show that a 300 Mbit/s optical link can be constructed using the proposed HBLET transmitter with a lateral emission geometry but its modulation bandwidth is as high as 237.5 MHz. The paper also describes the use of HBLET-based optical wireless communications to achieve real-time transmissions of digital TV signals over a distance of 100 cm in free space. • HBLETs are used as optical transmitter for optical wireless communications.. • The lateral emission geometry of HBLETs is useful to increase the light output power.. • Proposed HBLETs not only exhibit a high modulation bandwidth of 237.5 MHz but also enable 300 Mbit/s optical transmission.. • Real-time transmission of digital TV signals over a 1 m optical link is shown to be feasible using proposed HBLETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triclosan (TCS) is a kind of chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms. Due to its highly effective antimicrobial, TCS has been widely applied in personal−care products, which naturally poses a potential risk to the ecological system and human health since its release into water−ecological environment. Therefore, it urgently demands a selective, easily separated, recyclable, and low−cost adsorbent to remove the residues of TCS from aquatic environments. In this study, a novel magnetic molecularly imprinted nano−polymers (TMIPs) were prepared for selective adsorption and convenient collection of TCS in aquatic samples, based on a core−shell technique using TCS as template molecule and SiO 2 −coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles as the support substrate. The functional groups, particle size, morphology and magnetic property of TMIPs were characterized by Fourier−transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. The obtained TMIPs possessed excellent adsorption capacity (Q e = 53.12 mg g−1), speedy adsorption equilibrium time (2 min) and high selectivity (k' = 6.321) for TCS. Moreover, the pH−tolerance and stability tests manifested that the adsorption capacity of TMIPs for TCS was acid−resistance and could retain 94.2% of the maximum Q e after 5 times removal−regeneration cycles. The feature of magnetically susceptibility can simplify the procedures of sample handling in TCS determination, because the TMIPs of TCS are easy to be recycled from aquatic samples. As an application demonstration, the toxicity test in microalgae confirmed that a tiny amount of TMIPs could significantly eliminate the toxic effect of TCS on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii via the efficient binding with TCS. Image 1 • A kind of nano-polymers with magnetic property and excellent adsorption were prepared by core-shell technique. • The molecularly imprinted nano-materials (TMIPs) have specific binding with triclosan. • High recoveries in spiked aquatic samples proved that the TMIPs were feasible sample handling nanomaterials for rapid enrichment of triclosan. • TMIPs as magnetically recyclable sorbents were successfully applied in the efficient removal of triclosan from aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used the first-principles to study the structural, mechanical, electronic, optical properties and phonon of alkali earth-metal Ba dichalcogenide BaX 2 (X = O, S, Se and Te). First, our calculated lattice constants are in good agreement with the known experimental values. Secondly, the binding and formation energies, bulk modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, Debye temperature, sound velocity and phonon dispersion curves of BaX 2 compounds are given. Through basic physical property research, we found that the monoclinic structure of BaX 2 (C2/c) is very likely to exist. The modulation of elastic, electronic and optical properties of this system may be achievable. Furthermore, both elastic and optical properties indicate that BaX 2 is anisotropic. Finally, the electronic properties are studied by density of states and Mulliken population, indicating that all the compounds are mainly ionic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Isoproturon (IPU) is a pesticide used for protection of land crops from weed or pathogen attack. Recent survey shows that IPU has been detected as a contaminant in aquatic systems and may have negative impact on aquatic organisms. To understand the phytotoxicity and potential accumulation and degradation of IPU in algae, a comprehensive study was performed with the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Algae exposed to 5–50μgL−1 IPU for 3d displayed progressive inhibition of cell growth and reduced chlorophyll fluorescence. Time-course experiments with 25μgL−1 IPU for 6d showed similar growth responses. The 72h EC50 value for IPU was 43.25μgL−1, NOEC was 5μgL−1 and LOEC was 15μgL−1. Treatment with IPU induced oxidative stress. This was validated by a group of antioxidant enzymes, whose activities were promoted by IPU exposure. The up-regulation of several genes coding for the enzymes confirmed the observation. IPU was shown to be readily accumulated by C. reinhardtii. However, the alga showed a weak ability to degrade IPU accumulated in its cells, which was best presented at the lower concentration (5μgL−1) of IPU in the medium. The imbalance of accumulation and degradation of IPU may be the cause that resulted in the detrimental growth and cellular damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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 electrode. Concentrations of salicylic acid from 5 × 10−10to 5 × 10−5 mol L−1were determined showing that the developed sensor was suitable for the analysis of food. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A series of nonpolar antisolvents (chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, iodobenzene and toluene) were used to assist in the formation of smooth and crystalline CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin films by a one-step spin-coating method. The structural, optical and excitonic characteristics of the resultant CH 3 NH 3 PI 3 thin films were analyzed using an atomic-force microscope, X-ray diffractometer, absorbance spectrum, photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, time-resolved PL and temperature-dependent PL. The properties of the CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin films are dependent on the relative polarity and boiling point of the nonpolar antisolvents used in the washing treatment process. The interplay between nucleation (relative polarity) and crystal growth (boiling point) during the formation of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin films influences the short-circuit current density (J SC ) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the corresponding solar cells. The experimental results demonstrate that iodobenzene can be substituted for toluene as a more efficient antisolvent in the washing treatment process during the fabrication of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin films. In addition, it is predicted that the J SC and PCE can be further improved by increasing the crystallinity of the CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A disposable amperometric immunosensing strip was fabricated for rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The method uses an indirect sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay with double antibodies. Screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) were framed by commercial silver and carbon inks. For electrochemical characterization the carbon electrodes were coupled with the first E. coli O157:H7-specific antibody, E. coli O157:H7 intact cells and the second E. coli O157:H7-specific antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Hydrogen peroxide and ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (FeDC) were used as the substrate for HRP and mediator, respectively, at a potential +300mV vs. counter/reference electrode. The response current (RC) of the immunosensing strips could be amplified significantly by 13-nm diameter Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) attached to the working electrode. The results show that the combined effects of AuNPs and FeDC enhanced RC by 13.1-fold. The SPCE immunosensing strips were used to detect E. coli O157:H7 specifically. Concentrations of E. coli O157:H7 from 102 to 107 CFU/ml could be detected. The detection limit was approximately 6CFU/strip in PBS buffer and 50CFU/strip in milk. The SPCE modified with AuNPs and FeDC has the potential for further applications and provides the basis for incorporating the method into an integrated system for rapid pathogen detection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor was investigated for its application in C-reactive protein (CRP) detection. Piezoelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrates were used to study their frequency response characteristics in a SAW sensor with a CRP sensing area. After the fabrication of the SAW sensor, the immobilization process was performed for CRP/anti-CRP interaction. The CRP/anti-CRP interaction can be detected as mass variations in the sensing area. These mass variations may produce changes in the amplitude of sensor response. It was clearly observed that a CRP concentration of 0.1 μg/mL can be detected in the proposed SAW sensor. A good fitting linear relationship between the detected insertion loss (amplitude) and the concentrations of CRP from 0.1 μg/mL to 1 mg/mL was obtained. The detected shifts in the amplitude of insertion loss in SAW sensors for different CRP concentrations may be useful in the diagnosis of risk of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]