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Vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays (~8 μm long, ~110 nm wide) have been fabricated through anodic oxidation of Ti-metal sheet in fluoride-containing electrolyte. By changing the volume ratio of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in the electrolyte, TiO2 nanotube arrays with different tube-to-tube lateral spacing, i.e., closely packed, just separated, and fully separated, have been synthesized and applied as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Photovoltaic efficiency of 2.99 %, 3.34 %, and 3.44 % has been obtained for DSSCs based on the closely packed, just separated, and fully separated TiO2 nanotube arrays, respectively, illustrating the effect of tube-to-tube lateral spacing of TiO2 nanotube arrays on the performances of DSSCs. It is suggested that fully separated TiO2 nanotube arrays are beneficial to the conversion efficiency of DSSCs due to higher dye loading and faster electron transfer.

Nano-rice husk ashes were prepared by burning rice husk with a self-propagating method. The white carbon black with high purity was prepared by an alkali dissolving–acid reaction method from nano-husk ash. The super-hydrophobic SiO2 films were prepared by the sol–gel method using hexamethyldisilazane as a modifier. The effects of the pH and reaction time in the acid reaction process on the purity of the white carbon black, and the effect of the modifier on the hydrophobic property of SiO2 films were studied. The performances were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM, IR, and contact angle analyzer. The results showed that the purity of white carbon black reached 98.48 % when the NaOH solution with the rice husk ash was heated for 2 h at 90 °C, then the pH of the solution was adjusted by sulfuric acid to 3, and the acid reaction time was 2 h. The contact angle of SiO2 films was more than 160° when volume ratio of the modifier to silica–sodium hydroxide mixed solution was 0.15. The mechanism of the modifier on SiO2 surfaces is a graft copolymerization. The hydrophobic groups in the modifier replace the hydroxy groups on SiO2 surfaces and make SiO2 surfaces present super-hydrophobicity.

To investigate the pathogenesis of abnormal ossification of the hip ligament in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by comparing gene expression profiles of the hip ligament in patients with AS to those in normal persons using DNA microarray technology, we studied 18 patients with AS (case group) who underwent total hip arthroplasty in our department from March 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010 and compared them with 6 patients with femoral neck fracture (control group) who underwent total hip replacement. We screened the first five patients in each group with the HumanWG-6 v3.0 Expression BeadChip. Compared to the control group, 519 genes in the case group showed statistically significant differences. Among these, there were 238 upregulated genes and 196 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) classification showed that differential genes in the hip joint ligaments of patients with AS were involved in immunity, cell adhesion, membrane transport, sugar metabolism, polysaccharide synthesis and metabolism, and cell motility. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes classification showed that these differential genes were involved in B cell receptor signaling pathways, adherens junction, protein export, fructose and mannose metabolism, T cell receptor signaling pathways, keratin sulfate biosynthesis, N-glycan biosynthesis, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We tested 2 genes from the screened differential genes in 18 case patients and 6 control cases using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that the expression of the B4GALT3 gene in the case group was 15.32 times higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01), and the expression of the RBP5 gene in the case group was 4.09 times higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). This conformed to the microarray analysis. Our preliminary data suggest that differential gene expression in patients with AS includes the immune system, intracellular or extracellular signaling pathway, and bone matrix biosynthesis pathway, which might play important roles in hip joint ligament ossification.

Composite catalyst honeycombs without sintering were prepared via kneading, mulling, extrusion molding, and solidifying at room temperature with the magnesite oxychloride gels modified by nano-rice husk ash (RHA) as a solidifying agent. The effects of nano-RHA and composite water-resistant agents on the water resistance of magnesite materials were studied. The solidification of the modified magnesite gels on TiO2 catalyst honeycombs was analyzed. The experiments show that the proportional addition of nano-RHA markedly increases the water resistance of magnesite materials without reducing the bending strength, and the softening coefficient increases from 0.29 to 0.78. With further addiition of the complex water-resistant agents, the softening coefficient increases from 0.78 to 0.97. The optimal mass ratio of MgO in the solidifying agent to TiO2 is 4:1, and the bending strength of unsintered catalyst honeycombs is 11.46 MPa. The desulfurization rate and denitration rate of this composite catalyst honeycomb on simulation smoke was 97 and 65 %, respectively, in 3 h.

Two β-glucosidase/xylosidase genes, Rubg3A and Rubg3B, were cloned from yak rumen uncultured microorganisms by metagenome method and function-based screening. Recombinant RuBG3A and RuBG3B purified from Escherichia coli were characterized for enzymatic properties, and they exhibited activity against 4-nitrophenyl-β-D: -glucopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl-β-D: -xylopyranoside, suggesting bifunctional β-glucosidase/xylosidase activity. Chromatography analysis showed that they could effectively hydrolyze cellooligosaccharide substrates, indicating the facilitation in saccharification of cellulose. RuBG3A and RuBG3B can also increase the reducing sugar released in xylan hydrolysis to 218% and 169%, respectively, through synergism with xylanase, suggesting their application in hemicellulose saccharification. Molecular modeling and substrate docking showed that there should be one active center responsible for the bifunctional activity in each enzyme, since the active site pocket is substantially wide to allow the entry of both β-glucosidic or β-xylosidic substrates, which elucidated the structure-function relationship in substrate specificities. Therefore, the enzymatic properties, the participation in hydrolysis of cellooligosaccharides, and the synergism with xylanase make RuBG3A and RuBG3B very interesting candidates for saccharification of both cellulose and hemicellulose.

Background Medical disputes have become a serious issue in China. A crisis cannot usually be predicted and managed through a cost–benefit strategy; therefore, researchers believe that prevention is better than containment and post-crisis resolution. This study aimed to identify solutions to prevent medical disputes in surgical cases through early warning and intervention of potential cases. Methods A case–control study was conducted to identify early detection indicators of medical disputes in the surgical treatment of liver cancer through Delphi consultation and logistic regression on the basis of which interventions were undertaken to prevent potential cases. Results The dispute detection model was composed of patient age (P = 0.08), frequency of hospitalization (P = 0.003), length of hospital stay (P