Biochemical Characterization of Soluble Acid and Alkaline Invertases from Shoots of Etiolated Pea Seedlings

Soluble invertase was purified from pea （Pisum sativum L.） by sequential procedures entailing ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose column, Con-A- and Green 19-Sepharose affinity columns, hydroxyapatite column, ultra-filtration, and Sephacryl 300 gel filtration. The purified soluble acid （SAC） and alkaline （SALK） invertases had a pH optimum of 5.3 and 7.3, respectively. The temperature optimum of two invertases was 37 ℃. The effects of various concentrations of Tris-HCI, HgCI2, and CuSO4 on the activities of the two purified enzymes were examined. Tris-HCI and HgCI2 did not affect SAC activity, whereas 10 mM Tris-HCI and 0.05 mM HgCI2 inhibited SALK activity by about 50%. SAC and SALK were inhibited by 4.8 mM and 0.6 mM CuSO4 by 50%, respectively. The enzymes display typical hyperbolic saturation kinetics for sucrose hydrolysis. The Kms of SAC and SALK were determined to be 1.8 and 38.6 mM, respectively. The molecular masses of SAC shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting were 22 kDa and 45 kDa. The molecular mass of SALK was 30 kDa. Iso-electric points of the SAC and SALK were estimated to be about pH 7.0 and pH 5.7, respectively.

Effects of tributyltin (TBT) on enzyme activity and oxidative stress in hepatopancreas and hemolymph of small abalone,Haliotis diversicolor supertexta

We investigated the effect of tributyltin (TBT) exposure on the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity levels of the superoxide dismutase (SOD),catalase (CAT),and acid and alkaline phosphatase (ACP and AKP) enzymes in the small abalone,Haliotis diversicolor supertexta.We collected samples of the hepatopancreas and hemolymph 2,6,24,48,96,and 192 h after exposure to 0.35 μg (Sn)/L TBT.In the hepatopancreas,ACP activity was significantly higher in animals exposed to TBT 2,24,and 96 h post-exposure compared with the control animals.AKP activity was also higher after 2 h,but SOD and CAT activity was unchanged.The concentration of MDA in the hemolymph was significantly higher than the control animals 2 and 6 h post-exposure.In the hemolymph of animals exposed to TBT,ACP activity was significantly lower than in the control animals 192 h post-exposure,whereas AKP activity was significantly lower 2 and 192 h post-exposure.Hemolymph SOD activity and levels of MDA were significantly lower than in the control animals 24 h after exposure but significantly higher after 96 h.Our results demonstrate that exposure to TBT cause rapid changes in ACP and AKP activity as well as altering the concentration of MDA in the hepatopancreas and hemolymph.SOD and CAT do not appear to be involved in the detoxification of TBT in the hepatopancreas of small abalone.

Exploration progress of the Paleogene in Jiyang Depression,Bohai Bay Basin

With increased exploration in the faulted basins of eastern China,petroleum exploration in this region has been challenged by unclear remaining petroleum resources distribution,complex reservoir and hydrocarbon enrichment patterns,and lacking of suitable exploration techniques.Aiming at resolving these problems,studies on source rocks,reservoirs,hydrocarbon accumulation and geophysical prospection were carried out by laboratory analysis,reservoir anatomy,and seismic analysis.A highlyefficient hydrocarbon generation/expulsion model of source rocks in saline environment was established,which aided in the discovery of a new set of source rocks in the Jiyang Depression.This study also reveals the formation process of high-quality reservoir by alternating acid and alkaline fluids during deposition and diagenesis,and pattern of secondary pores development in deep clastic rocks.Through the fine anatomy of the oil reservoirs,an orderly distribution pattern of the oil reservoirs is established,and the potential exploration targets in the undrilled area are identified.In addition,single-point highdensity seismic acquisition and high-resolution imaging technologies are developed,enabling fine and efficient exploration in areas with high exploration maturity.The research result plays a leading and demonstrative role in the fine and efficient exploration of faulted basins in eastern China.

Experimental investigation on concrete overlaid with textile reinforced mortar:Influences of mix,temperature,and chemical exposure

Textile reinforced mortar is widely used as an overlay for the repair,rehabilitation,and retrofitting of concrete structures.Recently,textile reinforced concrete has been identified as a suitable lining material for improving the durability of existing concrete structures.In this study,we developed a textile-reinforced mortar mix using river sand and evaluated the different characteristics of the textile-reinforced mortar under various exposure conditions.Studies were carried out in two phases.In the first phase,the pullout strength,temperature resistance,water absorption,and compressive and bending strength values of three different textile-reinforced mortar mixes with a single type of textile reinforcement were investigated.In the second phase,the chemical resistance of the mix that showed the best performance in the abovementioned tests was examined for use as an overlay for a concrete substrate.Investigations were performed on three different thicknesses of the textile reinforced mortar overlaid on concrete specimens that were subjected to acidic and alkaline environments.The flexural responses and degradations of the textile reinforced mortar overlaid specimens were examined by performing bending tests.The experimental findings indicated the feasibility of using textile reinforced mortar as an overlay for durable concrete construction practices.

Cobalt tungsten phosphide with tunable W-doping as highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

It has been of interest in seeking electrocatalysts that could exercise equally high-efficient and durable hydrogen evolution upon nonselective electrolytes in both acidic and alkaline environments. Herein, we report a facile strategy to fabricate cobalt tungsten phosphides (CoxW2−xP2/C) hollow polyhedrons with tunable composition based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) template method. By the deliberate control of W doping, the synthesized catalyst with the composition of Co0.9W1.1P2/C is found to be able to achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm^(−2) at overpotentials of 35 and 54 mV in acidic and alkaline media, respectively. This combined electrochemical property stands atop the state-of-the-art electrocatalyst counterparts. To unveil the peculiar behavior of the structure, density functional theory (DFT) calculation was implemented and reveals that the surface W-doping facilitates the optimization of hydrogen absorption free energy (ΔGH*) as well as the thermodynamic and kinetics barriers for water dissociation, which is coupled with the hollow structure of Co-W phosphides, leading to the prominent HER catalytic performance.