Three new red neutral and ionic iridium(III) complexes based on the same main ligand and auxiliary ligand but with different counterions for solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes

Three new neutral and ionic phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes were successfully prepared using 1-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)isoquinoline as the main ligand, while the auxiliary ligand was 2-(2-1H-imidazolyl)pyridine. Three complexes (Ir1, Ir2, Ir3) showed red emission, peaking at 610, 609, and 615 nm, respectively, and they exhibited good solubility and excellent photophysical properties in different solvents, which is suitable to prepare organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by solution method. Among the three OLEDs prepared by iridium(III) complexes using the solution method, the device based on Ir2 possessed better electroluminescent properties, and its maximum brightness, current efficiency (CE), power efficiency (PE), and the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) were 507.2 cd m⁻², 0.14 cd A⁻¹, 0.06 lm W⁻¹, and 0.14%. respectively, proving that the three complexes have a certain of potential for OLEDs applications and are expected to expand the applications of iridium(III) complexes for OLEDs.     

抗虫辣椒叶片对斜纹夜蛾幼虫相关生理生化指标的影响

为明确朝天椒(品种：BLTY2)叶片饲喂的斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura幼虫生长发育受到抑制的关键原因,本研究以人工饲料及牛角椒（品种：FXBX）叶片饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫为对照,通过比较3种食料饲喂后斜纹夜蛾幼虫相关生理生化指标的变化,分析BLTY 2辣椒叶片饲喂所致的斜纹夜蛾幼虫生长发育异常的原因。结果表明,朝天椒辣椒叶片饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫生长发育速率滞后于牛角椒辣椒叶片及人工饲料饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫,且每头幼虫的发育时长均显著延长（P<0.05）。饲喂后第1天、第3天、第4天、第5天、第6天和第7天,饲喂BLTY 2辣椒叶片的斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内保幼激素（JH）含量均显著高于其他2种食料饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫（P<0.05）。饲喂后第3天、第4天、第5天和第7天,饲喂BLTY 2辣椒叶片的斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内蜕皮激素（Ecd）含量均显著高于其他2种食料饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫（P<0.05）。3种食料饲喂后斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内的几丁质酶（CHT）活性变化差异较大,而2种辣椒叶片饲喂后斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内的组织蛋白酶（CTS）活性变化趋势相似,且不同于人工饲料饲喂的斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内的CTS活性变化趋势。由此可见,BLTY 2辣椒主要干扰斜纹夜蛾幼虫体内JH与Ecd的含量抑制其生长发育。本研究结果可为筛选具有抗虫活性的植物次生代谢物质奠定基础。     

The structural dynamics of full-length divisome transmembrane proteins FtsQ,FtsB, and FtsL in FtsQBL complex formation

FtsQBL is a transmembrane protein complex in the divisome of Escherichia coli that plays a critical role in regulating cell division. Although extensive efforts have been made to investigate the interactions between the three involved proteins, FtsQ, FtsB, and FtsL, the detailed interaction mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, we used hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to investigate these full-length proteins and their complexes. We also dissected the structural dynamic changes and the related binding interfaces within the complexes. Our data revealed that FtsB and FtsL interact at both the periplasmic and transmembrane regions to form a stable complex. Furthermore, the periplasmic region of FtsB underwent significant conformational changes. With the help of computational modeling, our results suggest that FtsBL complexation may bring the respective constriction control domains (CCDs) in close proximity. We show that when FtsBL adopts a coiled-coil structure, the CCDs are fixed at a vertical position relative to the membrane surface; thus, this conformational change may be essential for FtsBL’s interaction with other divisome proteins. In the FtsQBL complex, intriguingly, we show only FtsB interacts with FtsQ at its C-terminal region, which stiffens a large area of the β-domain of FtsQ. Consistent with this, we found the connection between the α- and β-domains in FtsQ is also strengthened in the complex. Overall, the present study provides important experimental evidence detailing the local interactions between the full-length FtsB, FtsL, and FtsQ protein, as well as valuable insights into the roles of FtsQBL complexation in regulating divisome activity.     

Detection and Quantification of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum Race 1 in Plants and Soil by Real-time PCR

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) is the most serious soil-borne disease in the world and has become the main limiting factor of watermelon production. Reliable and quick detection and quantification of Fon are essential in the early stages of infection for control of watermelon Fusarium wilt. Traditional detection and identification tests are laborious and cannot efficiently quantify Fon isolates. In this work, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay has been described to accurately identify and quantify Fon in watermelon plants and soil. The FONRT-18 specific primer set which was designed based on identified specific sequence amplified a specific 172 bp band from Fon and no amplification from the other formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum tested. The detection limits with primers were 1.26 pg/μl genomic DNA of Fon, 0.2 pg/ng total plant DNA in inoculated plant, and 50 conidia/g soil. The PCR assay could also evaluate the relationships between the disease index and Fon DNA quantity in watermelon plants and soil. The assay was further used to estimate the Fon content in soil after disinfection with CaCN₂. The real-time PCR method is rapid, accurate and reliable for monitoring and quantification analysis of Fon in watermelon plants and soil. It can be applied to the study of disease diagnosis, plant-pathogen interactions, and effective management.     

Effects of fish oil on lymphocyte proliferation,cytokine production and intracellular signalling in weanling pigs

It has been widely documented that fish oil attenuates inflammatory responses partially via down-regulation of T-lymphocyte function. To determine the anti-inflammatory role of fish oil in weanling pigs, we investigated the effects of fish oil and its functional constituents on peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production and subsequent intracellular signalling in inflammatory-challenged weanling pigs and in in vitro cultured lymphocytes. Fish oil (7%) or corn oil (7%) was supplemented to 72 crossbred pigs (7.6 ± 0.3 kg BW and 28 ± 3 days of age) in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment that included an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge (challenged or not challenged). On day 14 and 28 of the experiment, 200 μg/kg BW of LPS or an equivalent amount of sterile saline was administered to the pigs by intraperitoneal injection. Blood samples were collected on days 15 and 29 to determine peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. The results showed that inflammatory challenge decreased average daily gain (P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (P < 0.05) during days 15 - 28. Fish oil supplementation had no effect on growth performance. Inflammatory challenge increased lymphocyte proliferative response to concanavalin A (Con A) (P < 0.05) following each challenge. Fish oil tended to suppress (P < 0.1) the proliferation following the first challenge. Similarly, fish oil tended to reduce IL-1β production (P < 0.1) following the second challenge and IL-2 (P < 0.1) production following the first challenge in both challenged and unchallenged pigs compared with corn oil. In parallel in vitro experiments, peripheral blood lymphocytes of weanling pigs were incubated with various concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or linoleic acid (LA) (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 μg/ml). EPA, DHA and high levels of LA predominantly suppressed IL-1β (P < 0.05), IL-2 (P < 0.05) production and subsequent lymphocyte proliferation (P < 0.05). Low levels of LA increased (P < 0.05) IL-2 production. Compared with LA, EPA resulted in a stronger inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation (P < 0.05) and IL-2 (P < 0.01), and DHA resulted in a stronger inhibition of IL-1β (P < 0.05) and IL-2 (P < 0.01). To elucidate the mechanism(s) by which fish oil and its functional constituents suppressed lymphocyte function, the kinetics of intracellular [Ca^{2 +}]_i and protein kinase C activity were determined in in vitro experiments. EPA, DHA and LA exerted very similar dose-dependent stimulatory effects on intracellular Ca^{2 +}. EPA and DHA inhibited protein kinase C activity (P < 0.05), while LA had no significant effect (P > 0.05). These results suggest that fish oil and its functional constituents (EPA and DHA) exerted an anti-inflammatory effect by down-regulation of lymphocyte activation in weanling pigs, possibly by manipulation of intracellular signalling.     

三峡大老岭山地常绿落叶阔叶混交林林隙干扰研究 I．林隙基本特征

为探讨我国亚热带山地常绿落叶阔叶混交林的林隙干扰特征,对三峡大老岭地区这一植被类型进行调查,分析了植被中林隙的数量、类型及成因;林隙形成木（GM）的类型、数量、物种构成和径级结构,以及林隙和GM的多尺度空间格局特征。结果表明1）林隙密度为11.7个*hm-2;冠林隙和扩展林隙分别占森林面积的11.09%和27.06%。平均每个林窗的形成木为4.5株;单株GM形成的林隙只占17.46%,其中翻倒木集群性最强。对林隙形成的贡献大小次序是翻倒木>折干>枯立>折枝。2）林隙成因方面冬雪和春、秋冻雨的影响最大;病害影响其次;树木间的牵连和撞击扩大了林隙的范围;陡峭的地形增大林隙形成的机率;干旱的影响很小。3）68种GM主要是森林建群种;常绿树种形成林隙的平均机率高于落叶种。4）GM的胸径结构表明本地森林林隙干扰十分频繁。     

农药对土壤微生物的生态效应

大量有关农药对土壤微生物生态效应的研究表明,虽然有些农药对土壤微生物及其活性会产生抑制或促进作用,但这种作用一般是短暂的;按推荐浓度正常使用农药通常不会影响土壤微生物的各种生化过程和活性,对土壤的物质循环和土壤肥力也没有不利影响;但大多数土壤薰蒸剂和杀真菌剂能改变土壤微生物平衡,它们对土壤微生物的作用强于杀虫剂和除草剂;长期使用农药不致使土壤微生物数量和活性发生明显变化,这应部分归功于土壤微生物对农药的降解或转化．     

重组人白细胞介素6的制备

我们采用本院基础医学研究所组建的ＩＬ-６工程菌Ｅ．ｃｏｉｌＤＨ５ａ（ｐＢＶ-ｈｌＬ－６）,在选定的培养基及ｐＨ值下,采用３０升发酵罐进一步观察了工程菌的生长和ｒＩＬ－６的表达,确定了发酵工艺条件。在此条件下连续进行了三批次的培养试验。结果表明,工程首的生长密度达到２．５１±０．０２ｇ［干重］／Ｌ［发酵液］,ｒＩＬ-６产率为１８２．４±２．０ｍｇ／ｇ［干重］。ｒＩＬ-６以包涵体形式表达于大肠杆菌细胞中,破菌后选用非离子型去垢剂或尿素等变性剂提取包涵体中的杂蛋白,可使ｒＩＬ-６的纯度达到７０．１±１．３％,收率为７１．９±１．９％。洗涤后的包涵体,经过凝胶柱纯化和复性,ｒＩＬ-６纯度达到９５％以上,柱纯化的收率为７２．３±０．９％;采用依赖ＩＬ-６,小鼠杂交瘤细胞系７ＴＤ１及ＭＴＴ比色法测定生物活性,ｒＩＬ-６比活性达２×１０８Ｕ／ｍｇ。     

Gut microbiome helps honeybee (Apis mellifera) resist the stress of toxic nectar plant (Bidens pilosa) exposure: Evidence for survival and immunity

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) ingestion of toxic nectar plants can threaten their health and survival. However, little is known about how to help honeybees mitigate the effects of toxic nectar plant poisoning. We exposed honeybees to different concentrations of Bidens pilosa flower extracts and found that B. pilosa exposure significantly reduced honeybee survival in a dose-dependent manner. By measuring changes in detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and the gut microbiome, we found that superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly activated with increasing concentrations of B. pilosa and that different concentrations of B. pilosa exposure changed the structure of the honeybee gut microbiome, causing a significant reduction in the abundance of Bartonella (p < 0.001) and an increase in Lactobacillus. Importantly, by using Germ-Free bees, we found that colonization by the gut microbes Bartonella apis and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (original classification as Lactobacillus kunkeei) significantly increased the resistance of honeybees to B. pilosa and significantly upregulated bee-associated immune genes. These results suggest that honeybee detoxification systems possess a level of resistance to the toxic nectar plant B. pilosa and that the gut microbes B. apis and A. kunkeei may augment resistance to B. pilosa stress by improving host immunity.     

质膜H~＋－ATP酶在玉米叶片渗透调节中的作用

干早胁迫下,玉米幼叶生长部位质膜Ｈ＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性显著上升,游离脯氨酸、可溶性糖和无机离子亦同时在玉米叶片生长部位大量积累,二者之间呈明显的正相关．质膜Ｈ＋－ＡＴＰ酶的专一性抑制剂Ｎａ３ＶＯ４在干旱胁迫下强烈抑制游离脯氨酸的积累,说明ＰＭＨ＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ参与了玉米叶片的渗透调节过程．