Intermediates Adsorption Engineering of CO2 Electroreduction Reaction in Highly Selective Heterostructure Cu‐Based Electrocatalysts for CO Production

The challenge in the artificial CO₂ reduction to fuel is achieving high selective electrocatalysts. Here, a highly selective Cu₂O/CuO heterostructure electrocatalyst is developed for CO₂ electroreduction. The Cu₂O/CuO nanowires modified by Ni nanoparticles exhibit superior catalytic performance with high faradic efficiency (95% for CO). Theoretical and experimental analyses show that the hybridization of Cu₂O/CuO nanowires and Ni nanoparticles can not only adjust the d‐band center of electrocatalysts to enhance the intrinsic catalytic activity but also improve the adsorption of COOH* intermediates and suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction to promote the CO conversion efficiency during CO₂ reduction reaction. An in situ Raman spectroscopic study further confirms the existence of COOH* species and the engineering intermediates adsorption. This work offers new insights for facile designing of nonprecious transition metal compound heterostructure for CO₂ reduction reaction through adjusting the reaction pathway.     

Multi-species okadaic acid contamination and human poisoning during a massive bloom of Dinophysis acuminata complex in southern Brazil

On June 2016, a major bloom of Dinophysis acuminata complex was noticed over the coast of Paraná State (PR), southern Brazil, an area unprotected by any official monitoring program. Here we report the results of an extensive sampling effort that ultimately led PR authorities to issue the first State shellfish-harvesting ban due to multi-species okadaic acid (OA) contamination. During its peak, the bloom covered an area of 201 km² (∼2.0–3.5 × 54.0 km), attaining unprecedentedly high cell densities along the shallow (<15 m) continental shelf (mean 2.2 × 10⁵, maximum 2.1 × 10⁶ cells L⁻¹) and adjacent sandy beaches (mean 2.8 × 10⁵, maximum 5.2 × 10⁶ cells L⁻¹). Only OA was detected in suspension (max. 188 ng L⁻¹). Toxin levels measured in bivalves were several times greater than the regulatory limit of 160 ng g⁻¹, reaching up to 3600 ng g⁻¹ in Crassostrea gasar, by far the highest OA concentrations ever reported in oysters worldwide, 7700 ng g⁻¹ in brown mussels, Perna perna, and lower levels in clams, Anomalocardia brasiliana, and mangrove mussels, Mytella spp. Nine cases of human intoxication were officially reported and five people were hospitalized with typical symptoms of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning linked to the consumption of contaminated bivalves. All bivalves quickly converted most of the OA into its esterified form, DTX-3, and eliminated the toxins only a few weeks following the bloom, with C. gasar being the slowest-detoxifying species. Lower OA levels were accumulated in zooplankton, gastropods and several novel toxin vectors, including benthic organisms such as sand dollars Mellita quinquiesperforata and the ghost-shrimp Callichirus major, which may act as a good indicator of the presence of toxins in sandy beaches, and pelagic fish species that can serve as potential alternative sources of OA to humans (Chaetodipterus faber and Mugil liza). Monitoring toxin contamination in seafood other than bivalves is thus recommended to ensure comprehensive human health protection during massive Dinophysis blooms. Additionally, since OA was also present at low concentrations in the liver of Guiana dolphins Sotalia guianensis and penguins Spheniscus magellanicus, exposure to biotoxins should be considered in conservation actions involving threatened and near-threatened marine organisms in this region.     

In‐Cell NMR Spectroscopy of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

This review summarizes the results of in‐cell Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, NMR, spectroscopic investigations of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic intrinsically disordered proteins, IDPs: α‐synuclein, prokaryotic ubiquitin‐like protein, Pup, tubulin‐related neuronal protein, Tau, phenylalanyl‐glycyl‐repeat‐rich nucleoporins, FG Nups, and the negative regulator of flagellin synthesis, FlgM. The results show that the cellular behavior of IDPs may differ significantly from that observed in the test tube.     

Rapid and comprehensive evaluation of microalgal fatty acids via untargeted gas chromatography and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Due to their high triacylglyceride content, microalgae are intensively investigated for bio‐economy and food applications. However, lipid analysis is a laborious task incorporating extraction, transesterification and typically gas chromatographic measurement. Co‐elution induces a significant risk of fatty acid misidentification and thus, additional purification steps like thin layer chromatography are needed. Contrary to database matching approaches, solely targeted analysis is facilitated as compound identification is driven by matching retention times or indices with standard substances. In this context, a rapid workflow for the analysis of algal fatty acids is presented. In‐situ transesterification was used to simplify sample preparation and conditions were optimized towards fast processing. If results are needed at the very day of sampling, direct processing without a preceding drying step is feasible to obtain a rough estimate about the occurrence of the major compounds. Coupling gas chromatography and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry enables untargeted analysis. Unknown compounds may be identified by structural reconstruction of their respective fragmentation patterns and by database matching to routinely avoid mismatches by co‐elution of disturbing agents. The developed workflow was successfully applied to derive the exact stereochemistry of all fatty acids from Chlorella vulgaris and a systematic shift depending on physiological state of the cells was confirmed.     

重症监护病房长期机械通气患者撤机困难的原因及死亡影响因素分析

目的:探讨重症监护病房(ICU)长期机械通气患者撤机困难的原因及撤机死亡的影响因素。方法:对2015年6月至2018年10月我院收治的80例长期机械通气患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析,按照患者撤机结果分为撤机成功组52例和撤机困难组28例,根据患者存活情况分为存活组59例和死亡组21例。比较各组临床资料,分析撤机困难的原因及撤机死亡的影响因素。结果:撤机困难组年龄、心功能不全比例、多器官功能障碍(MODS)比例、呼吸机相关肺炎(VAP)比例、肝功能不全比例、肾功能不全比例、血尿素氮显著高于撤机成功组,机械通气时间、气管切开时间显著长于撤机成功组,血清白蛋白显著低于撤机成功组(P0.05)。死亡组年龄、合并糖尿病比例、心功能不全比例、MODS比例、VAP比例、肝功能不全比例、肾功能不全比例、血尿素氮显著高于存活组,机械通气时间、气管切开时间显著长于存活组,血清白蛋白显著低于存活组(P0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示:年龄、合并糖尿病、MODS、VAP、机械通气时间、气管切开时间、血清白蛋白是ICU长期机械通气患者撤机死亡的影响因素(P0.05)。结论:患者治疗期间发生脏器功能不全或器官功能衰竭、机械通气时间较长、气管切开时间较长、营养状态较差是长期机械通气患者撤机困难的主要原因,年龄、合并糖尿病、MODS、VAP、机械通气时间、气管切开时间、血清白蛋白是ICU长期机械通气患者撤机死亡的影响因素。     

光照和温度对红花槭限制生长保存的影响

该文主要探讨了光照时间、光照强度、温度及昼夜温差等保存条件对卓越红花槭(Acer rubrum cv. ‘Somerset’)限制生长保存的影响。结果表明, 在为期182天的保存过程中, 离体材料前期以分化生长为主, 后期以营养生长为主, 并呈现一定的低温适应性。温度对离体材料生长的影响达极显著水平(P<0.01); 光照时间和光照强度影响持久, 二者交互作用达显著水平(P<0.05); 昼夜温差对平均出芽数和生根率都有显著影响。研究表明, 保存效果最好的条件是T3 (25°C, 12小时光照, 62.50 μmol·m ^-2·s ^-1)和T7 (25°C, 12小时光照, 31.25 μmol·m ^-2·s ^-1)处理组, 但最佳保存条件的选择标准并不唯一, 其核心是保证种质材料的分化能力。     

Design and synthesis of a new fluorescent probe for cascade detection of Zn2+ and H2PO4− in water and targeted imaging of living cells

Design and synthesis of new fluorescence probes with good water‐solubility is of great importance to better understanding the significant role of ions which are related to biology and the environment. As important ions, zinc ion (Zn²⁺) and dihydrogen phosphate ion (H₂PO₄^?) display essential roles in living systems, and quantitative detection of these ions in water is still a challenge. In order to consider the significant role of the galactose moiety in the design of a water‐soluble fluorescence sensor, herein, we have developed a novel probe, Gal‐AQTF, for the cascade detection of Zn²⁺ and H₂PO₄^? with excellent selectivity in water. Through the introduction of the galactose moiety onto the sensor AQTF, which has been reported earlier by us, the water‐solubility, cell compatibility and targeting ability were enhanced. Gal‐AQTF has been successfully applied in the imaging of the living cells of HepG2 and A549, and illustrated good selectivity for the HepG2 cells which overly express the asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor.