In Operando Identification of In Situ Formed Metalloid Zinc Active Sites for Highly Efficient Electrocatalyzed Carbon Dioxide Reduction.

Electrochemical CO -to-CO conversion provides a possible way to address problems associated with the greenhouse effect; however, developing low-cost electrocatalysts to mediate high-efficiency CO reduction remains a challenge on account of the limited understanding of the nature of the real active sites. Herein, we reveal the Zn metalloid sites as the real active sites of stable nonstoichiometric ZnO structure derived from Zn P O through operando X-ray absorption fine structure analysis in conjunction with evolutionary-algorithm-based global optimization. Furthermore, theoretical and experimental results demonstrated that Zn metalloid active sites could facilitate the activation of CO and the hydrogenation of *CO , thus accelerating the CO -to-CO conversion.

Bioactive diterpenes from Callicarpa longissima.

Investigation of the leaves and twigs of Callicarpa longissima resulted in the isolation of four new compounds (1-4), callilongisins A-D, and five known compounds, ursolic acid, 3-oxoanticopalic acid, (E)-6β-hydroxylabda-8(17),13-dien-15-oic acid, 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, and artemetin. Compounds 1-3 are 3,4-seco-abietane-type diterpenoids, and compound 4 is an analogue of a labdenoic-type diterpene. The structure of compound 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Control design for signal transduction networks.

Signal transduction networks of biological systems are highly complex. How to mathematically describe a signal transduction network by systematic approaches to further develop an appropriate and effective control strategy is attractive to control engineers. In this paper, the synergism and saturation system (S-systems) representations are used to describe signal transduction networks and a control design idea is presented.

[Electrophysiology of two human hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide-gated potassium channels expressed in HEK293 cells].

Objective: To express the human HCN2 and HCN4 genes in HEK293 cells and investigate the electrophysiology of the expressed channel protein.

Methods: cDNA encoding human HCN2 or HCN4 gene was ligated into a shuttle vector pAdTrack-CMV. Homologous recombination was performed in Escherichia coli of the line BJ5183.

[Transfecting rat heart with human pacemaker gene in vivo to create a biological pacemaker].

Objective: To test the ability and safety of injecting the hHCN gene into the ventricle of intact rats to create a novel biological pacemaker and to explore the duration of the hHCN over-expression in vivo.

Methods: Adenoviral constructs incorporating hHCN4 and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were subepicardially injected into the rats' left ventricular wall in situ (n = 10). Control group was injected with adenoviral constructs of GFP alone (n = 10).

[Electrophysiological effects of hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated channel 4 overexpression in neonatal cardiomyocytes mediated by recombinant adenovirus].

Objective: To explore the electrophysiological effects of hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated channel 4 (HCN4) overexpression in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes mediated by recombinant adenovirus.

Methods: Ventricular cardiomyocytes were obtained from 20 neonatal rats. Recombinant adenovirus carrying HCN4 gene, AdHCN4, a dominant isoform of hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated cation channel gene in cardiac transduction system, was constructed and used to transfect the neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes.