In2S3 nanoparticles coupled to In-MOF nanorods: The structural and electronic modulation for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B.

Enhancing photocatalytic performance via electronic modulation have attracted much attention for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic pollutant. In this study, a new hetero-structured system is raised, which comprises In2S3 coupled to In-MOF and operates as an efficient photocatalyst for RhB degradation. The formation of hetero-structure and occurred electron modulation of In2S3/In-MOF hybrid was confirmed by relevant characterizations. Surprisingly, the In2S3/In-MOF hybrid represented enhanced photocatalytic ability over In-MOF. The photocatalysis of Rhodamine B in presence of In2S3/In-MOF hybrid has achieved 92.2 % degradation.

Cobalt(II) coordination polymer exhibiting single-ion-magnet-type field-induced slow relaxation behavior.

A one-dimensional cobalt(II) coordination polymer, [Co(btm)2(SCN)2·H2O]n [btm = bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methane], was synthesized and magnetically characterized. The isolated slightly distorted octahedral Co(II) ion displays field-induced slow relaxation with a big positive axial and a negative rhombic magnetic anisotropy (D = 93.9 cm(-1) and E = -10.5 cm(-1)), and the anisotropy energy barrier is 45.4 K.

Characteristics of fish community structure and environmental driving factors in Taihu Lake during the first year of fishing ban.

Taihu Lake has officially implemented the full fishing ban policy since October 1, 2020. We investigated fish community of Taihu Lake in the four seasons of 2020. A total of 42 fish species were collected, belonging to 6 orders, 7 families, and 33 genera. The first five dominant species ranked by the index of relative importance were Coilia nasus, Toxabramis swinhonis, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, and Salangichthys tangkahkeii. The number of C. nasus accounted for 85.1% of the total number of catches. According to the distributional characteristics of cyanobacterial blooms and aquatic plants, Taihu Lake could be divided into the northern, central, and eastern regions. There was no significant difference in catch per unit effort (CPUE) among different lake regions, but Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index in the eastern region was greater than in the other two regions. The CPUE, Shannon diversity index, and Pielou evenness index were significantly different among the four seasons, with the lowest CPUE in autumn and higher diversity in autumn and winter than in spring and summer. Electrical conductivity, water depth, chloride, and transparency were the main environmental factors driving the seasonal variations of fish community in Taihu Lake, while electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, and transparency were key variables driving the spatial patterns. The results could be used as the baseline data for fish community studies in Taihu Lake after the fishing ban.

[The epidemiological features of blast injury of lungs caused by gas explosion].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical epidemiological features. of blast injury of lungs caused by gas explosion. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 132 cases of blast injury of lungs caused by gas explosion injuries in our hospital from 1990 to 2010 were made, including the information of lung injury, associated injuries, treatment and mortality. RESULTS: 56 patients were conscious on admission, during 1 ∼ 5 days, 30 patients got cough, hemoptysis and other pulmonary symptoms, 7 patients had hemothorax, 11 cases combined with pneumothorax, 86 cases of patients with burns, 96 cases with pulmonary aspiration compound injury, 41 cases with abdominal organs blast injuries, 76 cases with pulmonary infection, 31 cases with shock, Seven patients died of respiratory failure, two patients died of respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Blast injury of lung featured with serious internal injuries, combined with many injuries, The incidence of compound injury was high, and it was difficult to diagnose. Chest X-ray were varied. The mortality was high, and the predominant causes of death were respiratory failure, shock, sepsis. Most patients with blast injury of lung need tracheotomy and mechanical ventilation. Timely tracheotomy, mechanical ventilation were the major prognostic measures.

MicroRNA-214 promotes myogenic differentiation by facilitating exit from mitosis via down-regulation of proto-oncogene N-ras.

Vertebrate muscle differentiation is coordinated by an intricate network of transcription factors requiring proliferating myogenic precursors to withdraw irreversibly from the cell cycle. Recent studies have implicated a large number of microRNAs exerting another layer of control in many aspects of muscle differentiation. By annealing to short recognition sequences in the 3'-untranslated region, microRNAs attenuate target gene expression through translation repression or mRNA degradation. Here, we show that miR-214 promotes myogenic differentiation in mouse C2C12 myoblasts at a step preceding the induction of p21 and myogenin. Blocking miR-214 function with a 2'-O-methylated double-stranded inhibitor maintained C2C12 cells in the active cell cycle, thereby inhibiting the myogenic differentiation. By global gene expression profiling, we identified the proto-oncogene N-ras as one of miR-214 targets. Furthermore, manipulating the N-Ras level with small interfering RNA or adenovirus-mediated forced expression either augmented or attenuated the effect of miR-214, respectively. Thus, our data uncovered a novel microRNA-mediated mechanism that controls myogenic differentiation.

Biogeography and speciation patterns of the golden orb spider genus Nephila (Araneae: Nephilidae) in Asia.

The molecular phylogeny of the globally distributed golden orb spider genus Nephila (Nephilidae) was reconstructed to infer its speciation history, with a focus on SE Asian/W Pacific species. Five Asian, two Australian, four African, and one American species were included in the phylogenetic analyses. Other species in Nephilidae, Araneidae, and Tetragnathidae were included to assess their relationships with the genus Nephila, and one species from Uloboridae was used as the outgroup. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed from one nuclear (18S) and two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) markers. Our molecular phylogeny shows that the widely distributed Asian/Australian species, N. pilipes, and an African species, N. constricta, form a clade that is sister to all other Nephila species. Nested in this Nephila clade are one clade with tropical and subtropical/temperate Asian/Australian species, and the other containing African and American species. The estimated divergence times suggest that diversification events within Nephila occurred during mid-Miocene to Pliocene (16 Mya-2 Mya), and these time periods were characterized by cyclic global warming/cooling events. According to Dispersal and Vicariance Analysis (DIVA), the ancestral range of the Asian/Australian clade was tropical Asia, and the ancestral range of the genus Nephila was either tropical Asia or Africa. We conclude that the speciation of the Asian/Australian Nephila species was driven by Neogene global cyclic climate changes. However, further population level studies comparing diversification patterns of sister species are needed to determine the mode of speciation of these species.

Revision of the coelotine spider genus Himalcoelotes Wang, 2002 (Araneae: Amaurobiidae) from Tibet, China.

Four species of the coelotine spider genus Himalcoelotes Wang, 2002 endemic to the Himalayas were studied: H. gyirongensis ( Hu and Li, 1987 ); H. tortuous sp. nov.; H. xizangensis ( Hu, 1992 ); and H. zhamensis sp. nov. The male of H. xizangensis is here described for the first time. A key to all 13 Himalcoelotes species is given. Twelve Himalcoelotes species are divided into two species groups. The species-group placement of H. aequoreus Wang, 2002 is uncertain.

True lateral eye numbers for extant buthids: a new discovery on an old character.

This study reports the results of a re-analysis of the number of lateral eyes in extant buthids. Specimens studied were confined mostly to those from China and the adjacent areas. 353 specimens belonging to 20 species (subspecies) and 8 genera were rechecked and found to have 5 pairs of lateral eyes contrary to earlier published works which reported the presence of 3 pairs of lateral eyes only. Combined with reported examples collected through reference investigation including 63 species from 16 genera, our study here shows a total of 79 species from 21 genera of scorpions spanning Asia and Africa had 5 pairs of lateral eyes. Reasons for not observing the presence of the extra lateral eyes are discussed and new protocols for examining specimens including using UV light are proposed to aid lateral eye recognition. Besides, a majority of genera in Buthidae are suggested to be in "Five-eye" model and a re-examination of all previously published taxonomic studies of buthid species is highly recommended.

Study on the quality of recombinant proteins using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry.

AIM:To study the possibility of matrix-assisted laser esorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for controlling the quality of recombinant proteins.METHODS:By using MALDI-TOF MS, the molecular weights and purity of recombinant bioactive proteins were analyzed.RESULTS:The molecular weights and purity were obtained in nine recombinant bioactive proteins, including interleukin 2,tumor necrosis factor alpha, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, interferon alpha2b, interferon alpha1, erythropoietin, calmodulin and its fragment, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase were obtained. MALDI-TOF MS was also used to assay specific proteins in the mixtures and to characterize the erythropoietin tryptic digests.CONCLUSION:The results showed that MALDI-TOF MS can be employed for the effective quality control of recombinant proteins.