Enhanced Rate Capability of Ion‐Accessible Ti3C2Tx‐NbN Hybrid Electrodes

Although 2D Ti₃C₂T_x is a good candidate for supercapacitors, the restacking of nanosheets hinders the ion transport significantly at high scan rates, especially under practical mass loading (>10 mg cm^?2) and thickness (tens of microns). Here, Ti₃C₂T_x‐NbN hybrid film is designed by self‐assembling Ti₃C₂T_x with 2D arrays of NbN nanocrystals. Working as an interlayer spacer of Ti₃C₂T_x, NbN facilitates the ion penetration through its 2D porous structure; even at extremely high scan rates. The hybrid film shows a thickness‐independent rate performance (almost the same rate capabilities from 2 to 20 000 mV s^?1) for 3 and 50 µm thick electrodes. Even a 109 µm thick Ti₃C₂T_x‐NbN electrode shows a better rate performance than 25 µm thick pure Ti₃C₂T_x electrodes. This method may pave a way to controlling ion transport in electrodes composed of 2D conductive materials, which have potential applications in high‐rate energy storage and beyond.     

Tetraenol, a novel sesquiterpenoid from the relict plant Tetraena mongolica in China

A novel furansesquiterpenoid, tetraenol, was isolated from a relict shrub plant, Tetraena mongolica, collected from the northern desert of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.     

Ammonium Removal by the Oxygen-Limited Autotrophic Nitrification-Denitrification System

The present lab-scale research reveals the potential of implementation of an oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification-denitrification (OLAND) system with normal nitrifying sludge as the biocatalyst for the removal of nitrogen from nitrogen-rich wastewater in one step. In a sequential batch reactor, synthetic wastewater containing 1 g of NH₄⁺-N liter⁻¹ and minerals was treated. Oxygen supply to the reactor was double-controlled with a pH controller and a timer. At a volumetric loading rate (B_v) of 0.13 g of NH₄⁺-N liter⁻¹ day⁻¹, about 22% of the fed NH₄⁺-N was converted to NO₂⁻-N or NO₃⁻-N, 38% remained as NH₄⁺-N, and the other 40% was removed mainly as N₂. The specific removal rate of nitrogen was on the order of 50 mg of N liter⁻¹ day⁻¹, corresponding to 16 mg of N g of volatile suspended solids⁻¹ day⁻¹. The microorganisms which catalyzed the OLAND process are assumed to be normal nitrifiers dominated by ammonium oxidizers. The loss of nitrogen in the OLAND system is presumed to occur via the oxidation of NH₄⁺ to N₂ with NO₂⁻ as the electron acceptor. Hydroxylamine stimulated the removal of NH₄⁺ and NO₂⁻. Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) or an HAO-related enzyme might be responsible for the loss of nitrogen.     

迟眼蕈蚊抗菌肽BhSGAMP-1-S在大肠杆菌中的优化表达及其活性分析(英文)

【目的】BhSGAMP-1 是迟眼蕈蚊唾液腺抗菌肽,为了能够更好的了解其分子特性,我们将其表达、纯化并进行了活性测定。【方法】依据大肠杆菌稀有密码子设计并合成了抗菌肽基因 BhSGAMP-1-S,以 pMAL-c2X 作为表达载体在大肠杆菌 TB1 中进行融合表达,融合蛋白通过麦芽糖亲和层析柱进行纯化,获得的融合蛋白经肠激酶切割后,混合物通过分子筛凝胶层析和反相高效液相色谱来获得单体重组抗菌肽 BhSGAMP-1-S,对获得的抗菌肽进行活性测定。【结果】在最优的表达条件下融合蛋白以可溶的形式表达,100 mL 诱导菌液经多步纯化后可得 0. 38 mg 的重组抗菌肽 BhSGAMP-1-S,抑菌活性测定表明所获得的抗菌肽对部分测试革兰氏阳性细菌、革兰氏阴性细菌和真菌有较强的抑菌活性。【结论】本研究第一次成功的在大肠杆菌中诱导表达了修饰合成的抗菌肽 BhSGAMP-1-S,纯化后的抗菌肽具有很好的抑菌活性,这为进一步研究和应用奠定了基础。     

Activation of bestrophin Cl- channels is regulated by C-terminal domains

Bestrophins (VMD2, VMD2L1, VMD2L2, and VMD2L3) are a new family of anion channels. The mechanisms of their regulation are not yet well understood. Recently, we found that a domain (amino acids 356-364) in the C terminus of mouse VMD2L3 (mBest3) inhibited channel activity when it was expressed in HEK293 cells (Qu, Z., Cui, Y., and Hartzell, H. C. (2006) FEBS Lett. 580, 2141-2214). Here we show that this auto-inhibitory (AI) domain in mBest3 and human (h)Best3 is composed of seven critical residues, (356)IPSFLGS(362). Replacement of any residue (except Pro(357)) in the domain with alanine activated Cl(-) currents. Substitution of Pro(357) with other amino acids, especially phenylalanine, did activate currents. Membrane biotinylation demonstrated that nonfunctional mBest3 protein was trafficked to the plasma membrane, implying that the AI domain inhibited channel gating but not trafficking. mBest3-F359A and hBest3-G361A mutations induced outwardly rectifying currents, suggesting that the AI domain is associated with the channel pore or gating mechanism. Supporting this suggestion, the mBest3 AI domain was demonstrated to be located within a membrane-associated region. When the wild-type mBest3 C terminus (amino acids 292-669) was expressed in HEK293 cells, the protein was located mainly in the particulate fraction, but it became soluble when a sequence containing the AI domain was deleted (Delta353-404). There is an AI domain ((357)QPSFQGS(363)) in mouse VMD2L1 (mBest2) as well, but its inhibitory effect is competed by a downstream facilitatory sequence (amino acids 405-454). These results suggest that an auto-inhibitory mechanism in C termini may be universal among bestrophins investigated in the study.     

旱地农田不同耕作系统的能量/碳平衡

摘要：加强农田土壤保持耕作管理,科学认识和调控农田耕作系统能流碳流,提高农业生态系统固碳减排能力,对于减缓农业对全球温室效应的贡献具有重要意义。本研究以北方半湿润偏旱区山西寿阳旱作春玉米土壤保持耕作试验研究为基础,利用田间定位观测数据、辅助能投入参数,土壤呼吸田间原位测定,以及农业生态系统能量/碳平衡分析及碳循环过程模拟方法,综合分析和比较不同耕作（CT传统、RT少耕和NT免耕）系统能量/碳平衡及能-碳关联影响。与CT比较,采用RT和NT措施下工业能耗CO2-C损失降低约4%—12%（相当11—35 kg CO2-C?hm-2?a-1）。在RT和NT系统下耗能系数可降低约6%—10%,能量生产效率可提高约7%—12%。2006—2007年由田间原位测定土壤呼吸CO2-C释放通量估算,在玉米休闲期（尤其是秋耕处理后）,NT条件下土壤呼吸速率一般为最低（NT NT（2005380）>CT（1987375）。不同耕作下的玉米籽粒产量与生育期土壤呼吸通量趋势基本吻合,如2006-2007年玉米产量（kg?hm-2?a-1）平均为,RT（5614268）>NT（5533564）>CT（5487278）。玉米籽粒产量与生育期土壤呼吸通量之间呈密切相关（R2=0.88）。本研究结果得出,RT和NT对农田耕作系统的影响呈碳汇效应,且一般为NT >RT;而CT处理表现为碳源。RT和NT通过增加土壤碳投入是维持和提高土壤有机碳的有效途径。