PVP Treatment Induced Gradient Oxygen Doping in In2S3 Nanosheet to Boost Solar Water Oxidation of WO3 Nanoarray Photoanode

The photoelectrochemical performance of the WO₃ photoanode is limited by the severe charge recombination in the bulk phase and at the WO₃/electrolyte interface. Herein, In₂S₃ nanosheets are integrated onto the surface of the WO₃ nanowall array photoanode, followed by a facile polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution treatment. The PVP treatment results in sulfur vacancies and a gradient oxygen doping into In₂S₃ from surface to interior, which induces the formation of a gradient energy band distribution. The gradient band structured In₂S₃ and type II band alignment at the WO₃/In₂S₃ interface simultaneously create a channel that favors photogenerated electrons to migrate from the surface to the conductive substrate, thereby suppressing bulk carrier recombination. Meanwhile, the sulfur vacancies and oxygen doping contribute to increased charge carrier concentration, prolonged carrier lifetime, more active sites, and small interfacial transfer impedance. As a consequence, the PVP treated WO₃/In₂S₃ heterostructure photoanode exhibits a significantly enhanced photocurrent of 1.61 mA cm^?2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and negative onset potential of 0.02 V versus RHE.     

Human Monoclonal Antibodies: On the Menu of Targeted Therapeutics Against COVID-19

Virologica Sinica - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reminiscent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, has been a tragic disaster to people all over the world. As...     

Long-Term Existence of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 Patients: Host Immunity,Viral Virulence,and Transmissibility

Virologica Sinica - COVID-19 patients can recover with a median SARS-CoV-2 clearance of 20 days post initial symptoms (PIS). However, we observed some COVID-19 patients with existing...     

盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼在骨科手术中的应用效果及对呼吸功能的影响

本研究考察了盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼(观察组,n=68)和丙泊酚联合瑞芬太尼(对照组,n=68)在我院136例骨科手术患者中的应用效果,应用警觉/镇静观察评分(OAA/S)评价患者用药前(T0)、用药10 min后(T1)、用药20 min后(T2)、用药30 min后(T3)和清醒后(T4)的镇静效果,并比较了两组患者在不同时间点的呼吸频率(RR)、血氧饱和度(SpO2)、心率(HR)和平均动脉压(MAP)。研究结果显示,两组患者在T0、T1和T4时间点的OAA/S评分无统计学差异(p>0.05),观察组在T2和T3时间点的OAA/S评分明显小于对照组(p<0.05)。两组患者在T0、T1和T4时间点的RR无统计学差异(p>0.05),观察组在T2和T3时间点时的RR明显大于对照组(p<0.05)。观察组在T2时间点时的SpO2明显大于对照组(p<0.05)。两组患者的SpO2在其他时间段时无明显差异(p>0.05)。两组患者的HR和MAP均未表现出明显差异(p>0.05)。观察组的不良反应发生率为2.94%,明显高于对照组的11.76%(p=0.049)。本研究结论初步表明,与丙泊酚联合瑞芬太尼相比,盐酸右美托咪定联合瑞芬太尼在骨科手术中具有更好的镇静效果,可有效保障患者的呼吸功能,具有良好的血流动力学稳定性和安全性。     

Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the unique Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from eastern Asia

Saxifraga L. is the largest genus in Saxifragaceae and a characteristic component of the herbaceous flora of the temperate and alpine mountains in the Northern Hemisphere. Section Irregulares is a small group of 15–20 species, representing one of the early‐diverged lineages in the genus characterized with unique zygomorphic flowers. We used both nuclear internal transcribed spacer and chloroplast DNA regions (psbA‐trnH, trnL‐F, and matK) to reconstruct its species relationships, estimate divergence times, and infer its historical biogeography. Our phylogenetic results corroborate the monophyly of sect. Irregulares and its sister relationship to sect. Heterisia from North America. The section was well resolved into two lineages corresponding to their morphological features and biogeographic distributions. One represents ser. Stoloniferae including S. stolonifera Curtis and S. nipponica Makino with long‐creeping stolons/rhizomes and small petals with spots and the other comprises the remaining taxa (ser. Rufescentes) which lack long‐creeping rhizomes. Spots on leaves (abaxially spotted vs. abaxially without spots) and spots on petals (without spots vs. with spots) are inferred to be phylogenetically informative within ser. Rufescentes. Divergence time estimates and ancestral area analysis suggested a western North American origin of sect. Irregulares with migration into East Asia by way of the Bering land bridge in the Middle Oligocene. The development of drying and desertification belt in the late Miocene could have played an important role in the subsequent restriction and separation of the north and south lineages within eastern Asia.     

Two Phytophthora parasitica cysteine protease genes,PpCys44 and PpCys45, trigger cell death in various Nicotiana spp. and act as virulence factors

Proteases secreted by pathogens have been shown to be important virulence factors modifying plant immunity, and cysteine proteases have been demonstrated to participate in different pathosystems. However, the virulence functions of the cysteine proteases secreted by Phytophthora parasitica are poorly understood. Using a publicly available genome database, we identified 80 cysteine proteases in P. parasitica, 21 of which were shown to be secreted. Most of the secreted cysteine proteases are conserved among different P. parasitica strains and are induced during infection. The secreted cysteine protease proteins PpCys44/45 (proteases with identical protein sequences) and PpCys69 triggered cell death on the leaves of different Nicotiana spp. A truncated mutant of PpCys44/45 lacking a signal peptide failed to trigger cell death, suggesting that PpCys44/45 functions in the apoplastic space. Analysis of three catalytic site mutants showed that the enzyme activity of PpCys44/45 is required for its ability to trigger cell death. A virus-induced gene silencing assay showed that PpCys44/45 does not induce cell death on NPK1 (Nicotiana Protein Kinase 1)-silenced Nicotiana benthamiana plants, indicating that the cell death phenotype triggered by PpCys44/45 is dependent on NPK1. PpCys44- and PpCys45-deficient double mutants showed decreased virulence, suggesting that PpCys44 and PpCys45 positively promote pathogen virulence during infection. PpCys44 and PpCys45 are important virulence factors of P. parasitica and trigger NPK1-dependent cell death in various Nicotiana spp.