This article presents recent advancements in the development of flexible piezoresistive strain sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–polymer composites, with particular attention to their electromechanical properties. Various fabrication approaches and material preparation of CNTs–polymer composites with improved piezoresistive performance are introduced. Moreover, the article presents the working principle of the piezoresistive sensors in terms of the tunneling effect and disconnection-reconnection mechanism. The sensing performances of recently reported applications are studied. This work also reveals that the CNTs–polymer composites have great potential for flexible, skin-mountable, and wearable electronics applications. Finally, possible challenges for the future developments of CNTs–polymer composites are discussed.

With the growing concern of the international community about the negative spillover effects of SOEs on trade, reaching a consensus among different stakeholders has become increasingly urgent. This paper argues that strengthening a redefined competition policy is a feasible alternative, or at least a complementary option to the existing trade framework. The reasons are as follows: (a) surrounding SOEs is not only trade-related, but also competition-related; (b) the existing SOE disciplines have defects when it comes to dealing with competition distortion effects; and (c) characteristics of competition policy make it easier to reach a “maximum common divisor” among all parties. Accordingly, competition policy needs to be redefined and pursued from an international and domestic level. It is necessary to strengthen the fundamental position of competition policy in China by integrating it into SOE reform measures, advancing the implementation of the Fair Competition Review System, and promoting the construction of the competitive neutrality system.

Since the late 1980s, information communication and technology (ICT) have reshaped the landscape of the tourism industry (Buhalis & Law, 2008). Thanks to the Web 2.0 technology, tourism practitioners have never been this close to their customers over social media platforms. According to Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), social media refers to “a group of Internet-based applications which build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content” (p. 61). In line with this definition, electronic social networks, user-generated content aggregators, as well as location-based applications are all typical social media platforms, across which enable customers to create, edit, and share content. The increasingly growing social media platforms have greatly facilitated implementations of customer engagement strategies for organizations. As a psychological state, customer engagement is featured by interactive customer experiences with an organization, which encourage psychological, emotional, and physical investment a customer has in the organization (Harrigan, Evers, Miles, & Daly, 2017). In the tourism and hospitality context, customer engagement strategies are as critical in strengthening customer loyalty, trust, and brand evaluations (So, King, & Sparks, 2016). Useful insights have been gained relating to conceptualization and measurement scale of customer engagement, organizational and cultural obstacles to consumer engagement within hotel organizations (Chathoth et al., 2014), customer engagement in a social media context alongside the process of recognition (Cabiddu et al., 2014). Underlying the practical and theoretical significance of customer engagement lies the subjective nature of views on the social media platforms. Goh, Heng, and Lin (2014) recognized that engagement in social media brand communities positively lead to enhanced purchase expenditures through embedded information and persuasion. Quantitively, the persuasive effect of user generated information is at least 22 times more than that of marketer’s in terms of marginal effect. Although previous research has examined consequences of consumer engagement, there has been less attention paid to its causes. Meanwhile, as far as Brodie et al. (2011) were concerned, the persistency of consumer-brand engagement is contingent on an assessment of tangible and intangible costs against possible benefits such as product news and offers. Therefore, identification of these benefits can offer supplementary insights into current literature of consumer engagement. The current study utilizes the self-determination theory to uncover how engagement in social media activities is facilitated by consumers’ intrinsic motivators and what psychological benefits can consumer obtain from such engagement, as either psychological state or process (Brodie et al., 2011). Research subjects in this study are Chinese social media users. According to eMarketer’s (2017) estimated that more than 80 percent of Internet users in China (i.e., around 626 million people) accessed social networks regularly in 2017. The importance of tapping this massive market can never be overestimated.

The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, is one of the most serious pest insects of rice plants.Buprofezin has been used to control SBPH for more than a decade, however, the occurrence of buprofezin resistant SBPHwas reported recently. To develop an alternative pest control an alternative pest control strategy, RNA-seq of buprofezin-treatedSBPH was performed to screen the insecticidal target genes for RNA interference (RNAi). Six genes were selected fordsRNA synthesis, and applied to SBPH to assess the insecticidal efficacy. Two and three of those dsRNAs showed moderatedand substantial insecticidal activity up to 60% of mortality in one week, respectively. These results demonstrated the potentialof gene screening strategy for the development of RNAi-based pest management program.

Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the serious plant pathogenic viruses for rice transmitted by small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodalphax striatellus. RNA interference (RNAi) was recently suggested as a promising strategy for controlling insect pests, including those that serve as important vectors for plant pathogens. To disturb transmission of the RSV in SBPH using RNAi pathway, we chose nine genes highly expressed in RSV-viruliferous SBPH by transcriptome sequencing. These SBPH-derived dsRNAs were applied to the insects indirectly through xylem of rice leaves by irrigation. qPCR result demonstrated that five out of nine SBPH-derived dsRNAs successfully reduced the replication of RSV in viruliferous SBPH in dose-dependent manner, suggesting that these five dsRNAs could suppress replication of RSV and provide a new tool for RSV control strategy.

The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, is one of the most serious pest insects of rice plants because it can transmit the rice stripe virus (RSV) which often causes significant reduction of yield in the field. Buprofezine is an effective insect growth regular (IGR) pesticide to control planthoppers, however, since the use of buprofezine for more than a decade, it has caused a certain resistance of SBPH. To survey the responses of SBPH to buprofezine, we exposed 4th instar SBPH to 200 ppm buprofezine by dipping method, and extracted total RNA for RNA-seq by Illumina platform. The quality filtered raw reads of cDNA obtained from experimental and control SBPH were subjected to Bowtie2 followed by eXpress computer program to compare the differential gene expression which will be important information for pest control methods using RNAi.

On January 16, 2016, AIIB declared its opening for business. Ever since its announcement by Chinese leaders in 2013, AIIB has been warmly embraced by most countries of the world. But still, neither the US nor Japan have become the AIIB members. Both of them take a rather cautious approach, viewing AIIB more as a challenge to the existing international financial order. By comparison, this paper finds that each country casts similar doubts. The US places its focal point more on ‘China-led’ rather than ‘new MDB.’ Japan focuses more on ‘new MDB’ instead of ‘China-led,’ meanwhile considering how to cope with the dilemma between the US and China. Orienting itself towards a more balanced international economic order, this paper attempts to seek a kind of positive cooperation based on the coordination of tri-lateral interests, thus suggesting the US and Japan to join AIIB as an external supervisor and internal member respectively.

So far, eight rounds of China-Japan-Korea FTA negotiations have been conducted. From 2015 on, the negotiations are expected to make great progress. Accordingly, CJK FTA has drawn increasing attention of scholars from multidimensionality. Still, there lacks concerns over the possible arrangement of each specific issue under such framework. Building on prior scholarship, this paper attempts to view such fragmented debate from the perspective of building a new international economic order. It suggests a developing track for CJK FTA to consider in designing its details: WTO→CJK FTA→RCEP(OBOR)→TPP→A New Multilateral Order. Only by so viewing can the important trilateral FTA play an appropriate role in future regional and global governance, so as to obtain the Asian voice in restructuring the international rules. Based on that, this paper further exemplifies a possible stepping stone regarding regional antidumping regimes and proposes adopting the WTO ADA Plus in CJK FTA. Such a proposal would become a crucial ‘blueprint’ for restructuring the multilateral ADA mechanism.

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) are insecticides that disrupt the normal development of target insects by inducing symptoms such as premature molting or supernumerary larval stages. Juvenile hormone systems become the targets of two types of IGRs: the Juvenile Hormone Agonists (JHAs) and Juvenile Hormone Antagonists (JHANs). Pyriproxyfen is one of the chemical compounds widely used as JHA to control many kinds of insects while Kanakugiol is a plant-extracted compound which acts as JHAN. The small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus, is one of the most serious pest insects of rice plants because it can transmit the rice stripe virus which often causes significant reduction of yield in the field. In order to analyze the differential gene expressions of L. striatellus upon JHA and JHAN treatment by using next generation sequencing technique, we sprayed Pyriproxyfen and Kanakugiol on 4th instar nymphs of L. striatellus respectively, and extracted total RNA for RNA-seq. The quality-filtered Illumina sequence reads of the control, JHA, and JHAN treated samples were mapped to the reference gene sequences by using the Bowtie2 software. Then the results of mapping by Bowtie2 were analyzed by eXpress software to quantity the differential gene expression.

Crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal proteins, Cry proteins, produced by Bacill us thuringiensis (Bt) have been generally used used to control insect pests. In this st udy, through the 3D structure prediction and accompanying mutagenesis study for the Mod-Cry1Ac, 7 and 16 amino acid residues from domain I and II, respectively, responsible for its insecticidal activity against larvae of Plutella xylostella, Spodopt era exigua and Ostrinia furnacalis were identified. To construct novel cry genes wi th enhanced insecticidal activity, we randomly mutated these 24 amino acid sequen ces by in vitro muti site-directed mutagenesis, resulting in totally 34 mutant cry gen es. For further characterization, these mutant cry genes were expressed as a fusion protein with polyhedrin using baculovirus expression system. SDS-PAGE analysis of the recombinant polyhedra revealed that expressed Cry proteins was occluded in to polyhedra and activated stably to 65 kDa by trypsin. When the insecticidal activit ies of these mutant Cry proteins against to larvae of P. xylostella, S. exigua, and O. furnacalis were assayed, they showed higher or similar insecticidal activity compar ed to those of Cry1Ac and Cry1C. Especially, among them Mutant-N16 showed th e highest insecticidal activity against to both of P. xylostella, S. exigua and Ostrinia furnacalis. Therefore, Mutant-N16 is estimated to have the potential for the efficac ious bioagent.

The Chinese outbound travel market has been one of the fastest-growing international markets for destinations, with Chinese tourist arrivals grown from 10 million to 83 million from 2000 to 2012 and their expenditures abroad reaching US102 billion in 2012 to position China as the world’s largest tourism source market in spending (CTA, 2012; UNWTO, 2013). Investigations into how Chinese tourists behave in comparison to their Western counterparts will have tremendous potential for developing insights into tourism literature, especially if previously developed Western theoretical models can interpret Chinese tourist behaviour. Practically, a better understanding of the Chinese outbound tourism phenomenon benefits destinations, which seek to effectively promote economic and social development associated with the ever-growing Chinese outbound market. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic, quantitative review of 118 articles published in 15 top tourism and hospitality journals between 2000 and 2012 to determine the status of research on Chinese outbound tourism. This study adopted a hybrid design that incorporated the characteristics of both the narrative and systematic quantitative review methods. The review outlines current achievements and future directions for Chinese outbound tourism research, and is pertinent to both theory building and professional practice. Based on Weaver and Lawton’s (2009) model of multi-disciplinary linkages, the 118 articles were classified into: psychology (38 articles), marketing (33), business management (16), economics (6), history (4), sociology (3), political science (1), and others (17). Credit shall be given to research efforts manifested in several areas such as travel motivation, expectations, travel barriers, destination image and preference, market segmentation and business management issues. However, much of existing literature focuses on one specific domain of sustainability – economic, reflecting an initial excitement about the development potential of this market, promoting it as an ideal source for economic growth at the destinations. The majority of studies are within the positivistic/post-positivistic paradigm. Few studies take a platform beyond advocacy to dialectically evaluate Chinese outbound tourism phenomena and impacts. In general, these studies applied existing theories to the Chinese market but fall short of making a significant breakthrough beyond the widely adopted Western models. As such, knowledge generated is to some extent fragmented and context-confined. Long-term strategic development requires recognition of the complexity and reality of the Chinese outbound tourism phenomenon as well as a need for sustainable and responsible development. In response, research needs to move toward the sustainable, knowledge-based and ethics platforms that adopt a holistic view of tourism as an integrated and interdependent system.

The debate on whether antidumping law should be integrated into competition law is a relatively new but very significant one. Building on prior scholarship, this paper attempts to contribute to the debate by reexamining the fundamental justification of antidumping law. An exploration into the economic theories of dumping and the evolution of antidumping law indicates that the current antidumping system neither serves the broad goal of preventing ‘unfair trade’ nor functions as a ‘quasi-safeguard’ mechanism. The only rationale for antidumping law is that it deals with international predatory dumping. Modern competition rules target the same predatory conduct but they are more meticulous than antidumping law and are less susceptible to protectionist abuse. In light of this, the paper advocates the substitution of antidumping law by competition law. To achieve this, the paper suggests a gradual approach. Substitution could first be achieved in bilateral and regional trade areas before being implemented at the level of WTO.

Plasmids are crucial for determining the pathogenicity and host range of organisms of the Bacillus thuringiensis strains. In this research, a novel serogroup of B. thuringiensis serovar mogi (H3a3b3d), which showed mosquitocidal activity against Anopheles sinensis and Culex pipiens pallens, was isolated from fallen leaves in Mungyeong city, Republic of Korea. In contrast to the complicated plasmid profiles of B. thuringiensis H3 serotype strains, the B. thuringiensis serovar mogi contained two megaplasmids (> 30 MDa) on which the toxin genes were occasionally located. Sequence analysis using 454-pyrosequencing revealed that there are 7 putative cry genes, cry19Bb1, cry73Aa, cry40orf2, cry20Bb1, cry27Ab1, cry56Ba1 and cry39orf2, distributed on the two different megaplasmids, respectively. These cry genes were cloned to the Escherichia coli-B. thuringiensis shuttle vector, pHT1K under the control of its own promoter and p1KSD, which is a recombinant expression vector containing cyt1Aa promoter combined with the STAB-SD sequence, and then introduced into an acrystalliferous B. thuringiensis Cry-B strain for further molecular characterization. To investigate the role of these genes in crystal production, the expression profiles of these toxin genes were analyzed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) from the wild type strain. These results clearly indicate that the cry39orf2 was the dominant ingredient in the crystal. This novel 3a3b3d type strain, B. thuringiensis serovar mogi, could be used as a good resource for studying unknown mosquitocidal cry genes.

ORF78 (ac78) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a baculovirus core gene of unknown function. To determine the role of ac78 in baculovirus life cycle, an ac78-deleted mutant AcMNPV, Ac78KO, was constructed. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that ac78 is a late gene in the viral life cycle. After transfection into Spodoptera frugiperda cells, Ac78KO produced a single-cell infection phenotype indicating that no infectious budded viruses (BVs) were produced. The defection in BV production was also confirmed by both viral titration and Western blot. However, viral DNA replication is unaffected. Analysis of BV and occlusion derived virus (ODV) revealed that AC78 is associated with both forms of the virions and is a structural protein located to viral envelope. Electron microscopy showed that ac78 also plays an important role in embedding of ODV into occlusion body. This study therefore demonstrates that AC78 is a late virion associated protein and is essential for the viral life cycle.

ORF11 (ac11) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved gene of unknown function. To determine the role of ac11 in baculovirus life cycle, an ac11-knockout mutant AcMNPV, Ac11KO, was constructed. qPCR analysis revealed that ac11 is an early gene in the life cycle. After transfection into Spodoptera frugiperda cells, Ac11KO produced a single cell infection phenotype indicating that no infectious budded viruses (BVs) were produced. The defection in BV production was confirmed by both viral titration and Western blot. However, viral DNA replication is unaffected. Electron microscopy showed that ac11 is required for nucleocapsids envelopment to form ODV and their subsequent embedding into OB. This study therefore demonstrates that ac11 is an early gene which is essential for the viral life cycle.

Crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal proteins, Cry proteins, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been generally used to control insect pests. In this study, through the 3D structure prediction and accompanying mutagenesis study for the Mod-Cry1Ac, 7 and 16 amino acid residues from domain I and II, respectively, responsible for its insecticidal activity against larvae of Spodoptera exigua and Ostrinia furnacalis were identified. To construct novel cry genes with enhanced insecticidal activity, we randomly mutated these 23 amino acid sequences by in vitro muti site-directed mutagenesis, resulting in totally 24 mutant cry genes. For further characterization, these mutant cry genes were expressed as a fusion protein with polyhedrin using baculovirus expression system. SDS-PAGE analysis of the recombinant polyhedra revealed that expressed Cry proteins was occluded into polyhedra and activated stably to 65 kDa by trypsin. When the insecticidal activities of these mutant Cry proteins against to larvae of P. xylostella and S. exigua were assayed, they showed higher or similar insecticidal activity compared to those of Cry1Ac and Cry1C. Especially, among them Mutant-N16 showed the highest insecticidal activity against to both of P. xylostella and S. exigua. Therefore, Mutant-N16 is considered to have the potential for the efficacious biological insecticide.

Among hemipteran insects which is the most important insect vector of plant viruses, small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus, transmits the rice stripe virus (RSV) causing rice stripe disease. For effective control of RSV, it is important to understand interaction between RSV and L. striatellus. Therefore, in this study, expressed sequence tag (EST) databases were generated based on 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing for comparative transcriptome analysis between nonviruliferous and RSV-viruliferous L. striatellus. By comparing the two EST libraries, we showed that 108 host genes were significantly up-regulated and 28 host genes were significantly down-regulated in viruliferous insects. Interestingly, genes encoding ribosomal proteins were mainly up-regulated in viruliferous L. striatellus, whereas genes related to translation were concentrated in the downregulated cohort. These RSV-dependently regulated genes may have important function in the behavior of planthopper or the transmission of RSV.

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar mogi of a novel serogroup (H3a3b3d), which showed mosquitocidal activity against Anopheles sinensis and Culex pipiens pallens, was isolated from fallen leaves in Mungyeong city, Republic of Korea. In contrast to the complicated plasmid profiles of B. thuringiensis H3 serotype strains, the B. thuringiensis serovar mogi contained only megaplasmid (> 30 MDa) on which the toxin genes were occasionally located. Sequence analysis using 454-pyrosequencing revealed that the megaplasmid harbored at least seven putative cry genes, showing about 84%, 75%, 73%, 58%, 84%, 39% and 75% similarities in amino acid sequences with Cry27Aa, Cry19Ba, Cry20-like, Cry56Aa, Cry39ORF2, Cry8Ba and Cry40ORF2, respectively. These cry genes were cloned to the Escherichia coli-B. thuringiensis shuttle vector, pHT1K, and then introduced into an acrystalliferous B. thuringiensis Cry-B strain for further molecular characterization. To investigate the role of these genes in crystal production, the expression profiles of these toxin genes were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qrtPCR) from the wild type strain as well as transformant strains. The results clearly indicate that the cry39orf2 was the dominant ingredient in the crystal. This novel 3a3b3d type strain, B. thuringiensis serovar mogi, could be used as a good resource for studying unknown mosquitocidal cry genes.