Efficient Homojunction/Heterojunction Photocatalyst via Integrating CsPbBr3 Quantum Dot Homojunction with TiO2 for Degradation of Organic Dyes.

A novel TiO2-CsPbBr3(Q) photocatalyst is proposed and rationally constructed, where CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) of various sizes inside mesopore TiO2 (M-TiO2) are integrated. These perovskite QDs, generated in situ within M-TiO2, establish a type-II homojunction. Interestingly, a Z-scheme heterojunction is simultaneously formed at the interface between CsPbBr3 and TiO2. Due to the coexistence of the type-II homojunction and the Z-scheme heterojunction, photogenerated electrons are effectively transferred from TiO2 to CsPbBr3, thereby suppressing carrier recombination and thus enhancing the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). Compared with pure CsPbBr3 and TiO2, TiO2-CsPbBr3(Q) shows significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance for RhB degradation. The degradation efficiency of RhB in the presence of the TiO2-CsPbBr3(Q) attains 97.7% in 5 min under light illumination, representing the highest efficiency observed among photocatalysts based on TiO2. This study will facilitate the development of superior semiconductor catalysts for photocatalytic applications.

High-Efficiency Blue-Emitting Mn-Ligand passivated CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets.

Perovskite nanoplatelets (NPLs), as a promising material to achieve pure blue emission, have attracted significant attention in high gamut displays. However, the high surface-to-volume ratio and the loosely connected ligands of NPLs make them susceptible to degradation from light, air and heat. As a result, NPLs often exhibit low photoluminescence (PL) intensity and instability. Here, an Mn-ligand passivation strategy is proposed, in which Mn-doped DMAPbBr3 is used as a precursor. During the perovskite transformation, Mn2+ ions migrate from the lattice of DMAPbBr3 to the surface of CsPbBr3 NPLs, which have strong binding forces with ligands. The final products Mn-CsPbBr3 (M-CPB) NPLs are then acquired by the ligand-induced ripening growth process, which not only exhibit pure blue emission with narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM), but also possess near-unity PL quantum yields (QYs). Besides, M-CPB NPLs show excellent stability due to the strong Mn-ligand passivation layer. Based on the new growth mechanism discovery, the reaction time can be shortened to several minutes by heating. The innovative growth model proposed in this work will provide a paradigm for designing and optimizing future synthesis schemes.

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing-Based Analysis of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in Response to Sirex noctilio Venom.

Sirex noctilio is a major international quarantine pest that recently emerged in northeast China to specifically invade conifers. During female oviposition, venom is injected into the host together with its symbiotic fungus to alter the normal Pinus physiology and weaken or even kill the tree. In China, the Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica), an important wind-proof and sand-fixing species, is the unique host of S. noctilio. To explore the interplay between S. noctilio venom and Mongolian pine, we performed a transcriptome comparative analysis of a 10-year-old Mongolian pine after wounding and inoculation with S. noctilio venom. The analysis was performed at 12 h, 24 h and 72 h. PacBio ISO-seq was used and integrated with RNA-seq to construct an accurate full-length transcriptomic database. We obtained 52,963 high-precision unigenes, consisting of 48,654 (91.86%) unigenes that were BLASTed to known sequences in the public database and 4309 unigenes without any annotation information, which were presumed to be new genes. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) increased with the treatment time, and the DEGs were most abundant at 72 h. A total of 706 inoculation-specific DEGs (475 upregulated and 231 downregulated) and 387 wounding-specific DEGs (183 upregulated and 204 downregulated) were identified compared with the control. Under venom stress, we identified 6 DEGs associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 20 resistance genes in Mongolian pine. Overall, 52 transcription factors (TFs) were found under venom stress, 45 of which belonged to the AP2/ERF TF family and were upregulated. A total of 13 genes related to the photosystem, 3 genes related photo-regulation, and 9 TFs were identified under wounding stress. In conclusion, several novel putative genes were found in Mongolian pine by PacBio ISO seq. Meanwhile, we also identified various genes that were resistant to S. noctilio venom, such as GAPDH, GPX, CAT, FL2, CERK1, and HSP83A, etc.

Proteo-Transcriptomic Characterization of Sirex nitobei (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) Venom.

The wood-boring woodwasp Sirex nitobei is a native pest in Asia, infecting and weakening the host trees in numerous ecological and commercial coniferous forest plantations. In China, hosts of S. nitobei are diverse, so the pest has spread to several provinces of China, resulting in considerable economic and ecological damage. During female oviposition, S. nitobei venom along with arthrospores of the symbiotic fungus Amylostereum areolatum or A. chaetica is injected into host trees, and the combination of these two biological factors causes the death of xylem host trees. The presence of venom alone causes only the yellowing and wilting of needles. In this study, we constructed the venom gland transcriptome of S. nitobei for the first time and a total of 15,036 unigenes were acquired. From the unigenes, 11,560 ORFs were identified and 537 encoding protein sequences with signal peptides at the N-terminus. Then, we used the venomics approach to characterize the venom composition of female S. nitobei and predicted 1095 proteins by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. We focused on seven proteins that were both highly expressed in the venom gland transcriptome and predicted in the crude venom proteome. These seven proteins are laccase-2, laccase-3, a protein belonging to the Kazal family, chitooligosaccharidolytic ß-N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, icarapin-like protein, and waprin-Thr1-like protein. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we also proved that the genes related to these seven proteins are specifically expressed in the venom glands. Finally, we revealed the functional role of S. nitobei venom in the physiological response of host trees. It can not only promote the colonization of symbiotic fungus but contribute to the development of eggs and larvae. This study provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of the woodwasp-pine interaction.

Abdominal aortic calcification is not superior over other vascular calcification in predicting mortality in hemodialysis patients: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) guidelines recommend that a lateral abdominal radiograph should be performed to assess vascular calcification (VC) in dialysis patients. However, abdominal aortic calcification is a prevalent finding, and it remains unclear whether other anatomical areas of VC can predict mortality more accurately. METHODS: A total of 217 maintenance hemodialysis patients were enrolled at the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between July 2010 and March 2011. Radiographs of the abdomen, pelvis and hands were evaluated by a radiologist to evaluate the presence of VC. The correlation between different areas of VC and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality was analyzed using univariate and multivariate models. RESULTS: The prevalence of VC was 70.0% (152 patients), and most had abdominal aortic calcification (90.1%). During 26 ± 7 months of follow-up, 37 patients died. The VC score was independently associated with patient mortality. VC observed on abdominal radiographs (abdominal aortic calcification) was associated with all-cause mortality in models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors (HR, 4.69; 95%CI, 1.60-13.69) and dialysis factors (HR, 3.38; 95%CI, 1.18-9.69). VC in the pelvis or hands was associated with all-cause mortality in the model adjusted for dialysis factors. When three combinations of VC in different radiographs were included in models, the presence of abdominal VC was only significantly associated with all-cause mortality in the integrated model. VC in the abdomen and pelvis was associated with all-cause mortality in the model adjusted for cardiovascular factors and the integrated model, but neither was significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality. VC in all radiographs was significantly associated with a more than 6-fold risk of all-cause mortality and a more than 5-fold risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to patients without VC. CONCLUSIONS: VC in different arteries as shown on radiographs is associated with different levels of risk for mortality. The lateral abdominal radiograph may not be superior to other radiographs for predicting patient outcomes. Further research is needed to elucidate the effects of difference burdens of VC on patient outcomes.