Dual‐Functional N Dopants in Edges and Basal Plane of MoS2 Nanosheets Toward Efficient and Durable Hydrogen Evolution

Herein, the authors explicitly reveal the dual‐functions of N dopants in molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) catalyst through a combined experimental and first‐principles approach. The authors achieve an economical, ecofriendly, and most efficient MoS₂‐based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst of N‐doped MoS₂ nanosheets, exhibiting an onset overpotential of 35 mV, an overpotential of 121 mV at 100 mA cm^?2 and a Tafel slope of 41 mV dec^?1. The dual‐functions of N dopants are (1) activating the HER catalytic activity of MoS₂ S‐edge and (2) enhancing the conductivity of MoS₂ basal plane to promote rapid charge transfer. Comprehensive electrochemical measurements prove that both the amount of active HER sites and the conductivity of N‐doped MoS₂ increase as a result of doping N. Systematic first‐principles calculations identify the active HER sites in N‐doped MoS₂ edges and also illustrate the conducting charges spreading over N‐doped basal plane induced by strong Mo 3d –S 2p –N 2p hybridizations at Fermi level. The experimental and theoretical research on the efficient HER catalysis of N‐doped MoS₂ nanosheets possesses great potential for future sustainable hydrogen production via water electrolysis and will stimulate further development on nonmetal‐doped MoS₂ systems to bring about novel high‐performance HER catalysts.     

An in vitro propagation protocol of two submerged macrophytes for lake revegetation in east China

Thirty-six programs have been set up to revegetate the degraded lake wetlands in east China since 2002. Most projects however faced deficiency of submerged macrophyte propagules. To solve the problem, alternative seedling sources must be found besides traditional field collection. This paper deals with an in vitro propagation protocol for two popularly used submerged macrophytes, Myriophyllum spicatum L. and Potamogeton crispus L. Full strength Murashige and Skoog-based liquid media (MS) plus 3% sucrose in addition to 0–2.0 mg l⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0–1.0 mg l⁻¹ indoleacetic acid (IAA) were tried for shoot regeneration. Meanwhile, full, half or quarter strength MS in addition to 0, 0.1 or 0.2 mg l⁻¹ naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) were tested for root induction, respectively. Results indicated that both species had the ability of regeneration from stem fragments in MS without further regulators. However, the addition of 2.0 mg l⁻¹ BA with 0.2 or 1.0 mg l⁻¹ IAA in MS drastically stimulated the regeneration efficiency of M. spicatum, while the addition of 2.0 mg l⁻¹ BA with 0.2 or 0.5 mg l⁻¹ IAA in MS significantly stimulated that of P. crispus. For root induction, full strength MS in combination with 0.1or 0.2 mg l⁻¹ NAA was preferred by M. spicatum, and the same MS without or with 0.1 mg l⁻¹ NAA was preferred by P. crispus. Seedlings of each species produced from tissue culture room had a 100% survival rate on clay, sandy loam or their mixture (1:1) in an artificial pond, and phenotypic plasticity was exhibited when the nutrient levels varied among the three types of sediments. This acclimation of seedlings helped develop the shoot and root systems, which ensured seedling quality and facilitated the transplantation. Our study has established an effective protocol to produce high quality seedlings for lake revegetation programs at a larger scale. Since the two species we tested represent different regeneration performances in nature but shared similar in vitro propagation conditions, this study has indicated a potentially wide use of the common media for preparing seedlings of other submerged macrophytes.     

Pentachlorophenol treatment in vivo elevates point mutation rate in zebrafish p53 gene

Pentachlorophenol (PCP), a probable human carcinogen, has been heavily used as an aseptic and a biocide throughout the world, and is widely present in the environment. Recent survey in Germany revealed that the average PCP amount in the urine of general German populations was 1.04 microg/L while the peak concentration could reach up to 19.1 microg/L. PCP was reported to cause DNA damage, but whether it can be involved in inducing point mutations in genome is unknown. To determine the genotoxicity of PCP on vertebrate, we first performed acute toxicity test on zebrafish for the effect of PCP exposure. The LC50 values of zebrafish exposed to PCP at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h were determined to be 0.196, 0.130, 0.130 and 0.130 mg/L, respectively. We then treated zebrafish with PCP for 10 days at 0 (control), 0.5, 5 and 50 microg/L, respectively, to determine whether PCP could be involved in inducing point mutations. Employing denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and DNA sequencing, we demonstrated that exposure of PCP to zebrafish at a concentration as low as 5 microg/L for 10 days elevates point mutation rate in p53 gene in liver cells. This is the first direct evidence revealing that PCP can elevate point mutation rate in the vertebrate genomes. The result implies PCP might be involved in carcinogenesis by elevating point mutation rate in the somatic genomes.     

不同营养状态下金鱼藻的生理响应

通过静态模拟实验,比较研究了不同营养水平(中营养、富营养、重富营养和Hoagland植物培养液)下培养的金鱼藻(Ceratophyllum demersum)的蛋白质、叶绿素含量,过氧化物酶(POD)及超氧化物酶(SOD)活性变化.研究发现,总N、总P的变化会影响金鱼藻的生物合成,当水环境总氮浓度低于1 mg·L^-1,总磷浓度低于0.1 mg·L^-1时,金鱼藻茎叶的叶绿素合成较低,其茎蛋白含量迅速下降.金鱼藻在富营养水平(1 mg TN·L^-1,0.1 mg TP·L^-1)下抗氧化防御酶活跃,POD、SOD活性增高.研究表明,金鱼藻较适应于富营养水环境,水体营养盐继续增加对金鱼藻有胁迫作用,过高营养盐浓度(重富营养和Hoagland 培养液)影响金鱼藻的抗逆能力.     

Identification of a Comprehensive Spectrum of Genetic Factors for Hereditary Breast Cancer in a Chinese Population by Next-Generation Sequencing

The genetic etiology of hereditary breast cancer has not been fully elucidated. Although germline mutations of high-penetrance genes such as BRCA1/2 are implicated in development of hereditary breast cancers, at least half of all breast cancer families are not linked to these genes. To identify a comprehensive spectrum of genetic factors for hereditary breast cancer in a Chinese population, we performed an analysis of germline mutations in 2,165 coding exons of 152 genes associated with hereditary cancer using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 99 breast cancer patients from families of cancer patients regardless of cancer types. Forty-two deleterious germline mutations were identified in 21 genes of 34 patients, including 18 (18.2%) BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, 3 (3%) TP53 mutations, 5 (5.1%) DNA mismatch repair gene mutations, 1 (1%) CDH1 mutation, 6 (6.1%) Fanconi anemia pathway gene mutations, and 9 (9.1%) mutations in other genes. Of seven patients who carried mutations in more than one gene, 4 were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, and their average onset age was much younger than patients with only BRCA1/2 mutations. Almost all identified high-penetrance gene mutations in those families fulfill the typical phenotypes of hereditary cancer syndromes listed in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, except two TP53 and three mismatch repair gene mutations. Furthermore, functional studies of MSH3 germline mutations confirmed the association between MSH3 mutation and tumorigenesis, and segregation analysis suggested antagonism between BRCA1 and MSH3. We also identified a lot of low-penetrance gene mutations. Although the clinical significance of those newly identified low-penetrance gene mutations has not been fully appreciated yet, these new findings do provide valuable epidemiological information for the future studies. Together, these findings highlight the importance of genetic testing based on NCCN guidelines and a multi-gene analysis using NGS may be a supplement to traditional genetic counseling.     

PCR-DGGE技术用于湖泊沉积物中微生物群落结构多样性研究

采用PCR-DGGE分子指纹图谱技术比较南京市玄武湖、奠愁湖和太湖不同位置的表层沉积物微生物群落结构,研究结果表明,三湖泊沉积物微生物的16SrDNA的PCR扩增结果约为626bp,为16S rDNA V3～V5区特异性片段。玄武湖和莫愁湖表层沉积物中大约有20种优势菌群,且同一湖泊不同采样点DGGE图谱的差异性不大,细菌群落结构具有较高的相似性,而太湖样品DGGE条带的数目和位置表现出明显差异,且不同采样点图谱的差异性较大。三湖泊除具有特征性的微生物种属外,还分布约5个相同的细菌种群,可能与沉积物的理化性质和水生植被的影响相关。对DGGE图谱中7条主带进行回收、扩增和测序,结果显示其优势菌群具有不同的序列组成,其中5个序列与Genebank中已登录的细菌种群的同源性≥99％,2个序列的同源性为96％和93％,其中2个相似的细菌类群目前尚未获得纯培养。     

中药抗白念珠菌研究新进展

以白念珠菌为主的真菌感染近年来呈上升态势,氟康唑等一线抗真菌药物因长期应用导致耐药菌株不断出现,中药在抗真菌感染方面具有独特的优势。本课题组在多项国家与省级课题资助下,对中药的体内外抗真菌作用及机制进行了较系统深入的研究,现结合课题组自身与国内外在中药抗真菌感染领域的最新研究成果,对中药抗真菌(主要是白念珠菌)近5年的研究进展进行综述。