The development of efficient and stable transition bimetallic chalcogenides to replace precious metal electrocatalysts for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains an ongoing challenge. Here, a bimetallic NiFe selenide catalyst synthesized by facile selenization of NiFe Prussian blue analogue (PBA) metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticle precursors is reported for efficient OER in alkaline solutions. Through two-step electrodeposition and post-thermal pyrolytic selenization, mixed NiFe selenide supported by carbon fiber paper (NiFe-Se/CFP) can be facilely prepared. A low overpotential of 281 mV is required by the NiFe-Se/CFP electrode to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm–2; additionally, an accelerated electron-transfer kinetics is obtained with a Tafel slope of 40.93 mV dec–1 in 1 M KOH solution. The electrocatalytic current density shows negligible loss during 20 h continuous electrolysis, suggesting good stability during long-term alkaline OER. Using the MOF precursor and establishing an in situ phase transformation endow mixed NiFe selenide with highly active surface catalytic sites and high electrical conductivity for efficient water oxidation.

Finding a suitable reference gene is the key for qRT-PCR analysis. However, none of the reference gene discovered thus far can be utilized universally under various biotic and abiotic experimental conditions. In this study, we further examine the stability of candidate reference genes under a single abiotic factor, insecticide treatment. After being exposed to eight commercially available insecticides, which belong to five different classes, the expression profiles of eight housekeeping genes in the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, one of the most invasive and destructive pests in the world, were investigated using qRT-PCR analysis. In summary, elongation factor 1α (EF1α), α-tubulin (TUB1α) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were identified as the most stable reference genes under the insecticide treatment. The initial assessment of candidate reference genes was further validated with the expression of two target genes, a P450 (Cyp6cm1) and a glutathione S-transferase (GST). However, ranking of reference genes varied substantially among intra- and inter-classes of insecticides. These combined data strongly suggested the necessity of conducting custom reference gene selection designed for each and every experimental condition, even when examining the same abiotic or biotic factor.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious female malignancies worldwide. Despite intensive efforts being made to overcome ovarian cancer, there still remain limited optional treatments for this disease. Nobiletin, a prospective food-derived phytochemical extracted from citrus fruits, has recently been reported to suppress ovarian cancer cells, but the role of pyroptosis in ovarian carcinoma with nobiletin still remains unknown. In this study, we aim to explore the effect of nobiletin on ovarian carcinoma and further expound the underlying mechanisms of nobiletin-induced ovarian cancer cell death. Our results showed that nobiletin could significantly inhibit cell proliferation, induce DNA damage, and also lead to apoptosis by increasing the cleaved poly (ADPribose) polymerase (PARP) level of human ovarian cancer cells (HOCCs) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we revealed that nobiletin decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and autophagy of HOCCs, contributing to gasdermin D-/gasdermin E-mediated pyroptosis. Taken together, nobiletin as a functional food ingredient represents a promising new anti-ovarian cancer candidate that could induce apoptosis and trigger ROS-mediated pyroptosis through regulating autophagy in ovarian cancer cells.

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Monochamus alternatus Hope is the main vector in China of the Pine Wilt Disease caused by the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Although chemical control is traditionally used to prevent pine wilt disease, new strategies based in biological control are promising ways for the management of the disease. However, there is no deep sequence analysis of Monochamus alternatus Hope that describes the transcriptome and no information is available about gene function of this insect vector. We used next generation sequencing technology to sequence the whole fourth instar larva transcriptome of Monochamus alternatus Hope and successfully built a Monochamus alternatus Hope transcriptome database. In total, 105,612 unigenes were assigned for Gene Ontology (GO) terms, information for 16,730 classified unigenes was obtained in the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, and 13,024 unigenes matched with 224 predicted pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG). In addition, genes related to putative insecticide resistance-related genes, RNAi, the Bt receptor, intestinal digestive enzymes, possible future insect control targets and immune-related molecules are described. This study provides valuable basic information that can be used as a gateway to develop new molecular tools for Monochamus alternatus Hope control strategies.

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