Photodegradable formulatins of DDT.

The incorporation of diphenylamine and diethylaniline in commercial DDT-WDP formulations sprayed on Phaseolus aureus and Tabernaemontana coronaria revealed that both these chemicals enhanced the initial rate of loss of DDT. Both these sensitizers exhibited no immediate adverse effect on the storage stability, pH, sieve requirement and colour of the formulations and introduced no phytotoxicity. Diphenylamine addition, however, had some adverse effects on the suspensibility.     

Therapeutic silencing of an endogenous gene by systemic administration of modified siRNAs

RNA interference (RNAi) holds considerable promise as a therapeutic approach to silence disease-causing genes, particularly those that encode so-called 'non-druggable' targets that are not amenable to conventional therapeutics such as small molecules, proteins, or monoclonal antibodies. The main obstacle to achieving in vivo gene silencing by RNAi technologies is delivery. Here we show that chemically modified short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can silence an endogenous gene encoding apolipoprotein B (apoB) after intravenous injection in mice. Administration of chemically modified siRNAs resulted in silencing of the apoB messenger RNA in liver and jejunum, decreased plasma levels of apoB protein, and reduced total cholesterol. We also show that these siRNAs can silence human apoB in a transgenic mouse model. In our in vivo study, the mechanism of action for the siRNAs was proven to occur through RNAi-mediated mRNA degradation, and we determined that cleavage of the apoB mRNA occurred specifically at the predicted site. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of siRNAs for the treatment of disease.     

Activator-assisted electroless deposition of copper nanostructured films

This paper showed simple and effective synthesis of copper nanoparticles within controlled diameter using direct electroless deposition on glass substrates, following the sensitization and activation steps. Electroless-deposited metals, such as Cu, Co, Ni, and Ag, and their alloys had many advantages in micro- and nanotechnologies. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of copper deposits were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The structural data was further analyzed using the Rietveld refinement program. Structural studies reveal that the deposited copper prefers a (111) orientation. AFM studies suggest the deposited materials form compact, uniform, and nanocrystalline phases with a high tendency to self-organize. The data show that the particle size can be controlled by controlling the activator concentration. The absorption spectra of the as-deposited copper nanoparticles reveal that the plasmonic peak broadens and exhibits a blue shift with decreasing particle size.     

Mutant P450 oxidoreductase causes disordered steroidogenesis with and without Antley-Bixler syndrome

Deficient activities of multiple steroidogenic enzymes have been reported without and with Antley-Bixler syndrome (ABS), but mutations of corresponding cytochrome P450 enzymes have not been found. We identified mutations in POR, encoding P450 oxidoreductase, the obligate electron donor for these enzymes, in a woman with amenorrhea and three children with ABS, even though knock-out of POR is embryonically lethal in mice. Mutations of POR also affect drug-metabolizing P450 enzymes, explaining the association of ABS with maternal fluconazole ingestion.     

Influence of particle size and temperature on the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to establish the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with particle sizes that varied from 28.6 to 5.8 nm. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical coprecipitation method. The particle sizes were calculated accord-ing to the Scherrer formula using X-ray diffraction （XRD） peaks, and the particle size distribution curves were constructed by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） images. The dielectric permittivity and loss tangents of the samples were determined in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 300 to 10 K. Both the dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent were found to decrease with increasing frequency and decreasing temperature. For the smallest CoFe2O4 nanoparticle size, the dielectric per-mittivity and loss tangent exhibited their highest and lowest values, respectively. This behavior is very useful for materials used in devices that operate in the microwave or radio frequency ranges.     

Modulation of an RNA-binding protein by abscisic-acid-activated protein kinase

Protein kinases are involved in stress signalling in both plant and animal systems. The hormone abscisic acid mediates the responses of plants to stresses such as drought, salinity and cold. Abscisic-acid-activated protein kinase (AAPK -- found in guard cells, which control stomatal pores -- has been shown to regulate plasma membrane ion channels. Here we show that AAPK-interacting protein 1 (AKIP1), with sequence homology to heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding protein A/B, is a substrate of AAPK. AAPK-dependent phosphorylation is required for the interaction of AKIP1 with messenger RNA that encodes dehydrin, a protein implicated in cell protection under stress conditions. AAPK and AKIP1 are present in the guard-cell nucleus, and in vivo treatment of such cells with abscisic acid enhances the partitioning of AKIP1 into subnuclear foci which are reminiscent of nuclear speckles. These results show that phosphorylation-regulated RNA target discrimination by heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding proteins may be a general phenomenon in eukaryotes, and implicate a plant hormone in the regulation of protein dynamics during rapid subnuclear reorganization.