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Cephalosporin antibiotics, a group of widely prescribed antibiotics, are frequently detected in wastewater effluent and in the natural aquatic environment. Materials have been sought to effectively degrade the antibiotics. In this study, a novel high-iron clay was prepared with potassium ferrate and montmorillonite via a strong alkaline in-situ synthesis method. Degradation of cefazolin sodium (CFZ) by this novel Fe (VI)-clay was investigated. The optimal conditions for the degradation of CFZ were determined using a single factor experiment and response surface optimization method. We found that 89.84 % removal efficiency was obtained in 137 min when pH value was 5.16 and Fe (VI)-clay dosage was 0.79 g/100mL. The CFZ degradation mechanism was studied by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) in combination with spectroscopic and mass spectroscopic analysis. The spectroscopic characteristics of the products at different stages showed that the oxidation decomposition reaction occurred during the degradation of CFZ by Fe(VI) -clay. Further, DFT calculation combined with GC-MS results showed that the degradation pathways of CFZ by the Fe (VI)-clay was mainly the cleavage of β-lactam, thiadiazole, tetrazole and dihydrothiazine rings.

As a type of thermal structure ceramic, vanadium nitride (VN) ceramics are widely used in harsh conditions, such as high temperatures, variable temperatures, or oxidizing atmospheres. However, high...

Herein a semi-aliphatic diamine 4,4′-(cyclohexylmethylene)bis(2-methylaniline) (CHMBMA) with a pendant cyclohexyl and two ortho-substituted methyl groups is synthesized from o-toluidine and cyclohexanecarbaldehyde by Mannich and rearrangement reactions. Then CHMBMA is polycondensed with five commercial aromatic dianhydrides by the high-temperature one-step method with the thermal imidization to produce a series of polyimides (PIs, PI-H(1–5)). The weight-averaged molecular weights ( M ws) of PI-H(1–5) are in the range from 9.08 × 104 to 27.48 × 104 g mol−1 with the polydispersity indices (PDI) from 3.29 to 6.13 by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurement. They are soluble in common organic solvents (such as THF, CHCl3 etc.) and can form transparent, tough films with light-color (Thickness: 20–26 μm) by the solution-casting method. The light transmittance of them is above 80% in the visible range from 400 to 760 nm. They exhibit excellent mechanical properties with tensile strength from 72.2 to 97.06 MPa and tensile modulus from 0.9 to 1.9 GPa. Furthermore, they also display low water absorption rates (5%) in the range from 466 to 480°C under N2 atmosphere and high glass transition temperatures ( T gs ≥ 319°C). As comparison, we also synthesize these PIs (PI-L(1–5)) by the low-temperature two-step method with the chemical imidization. The M ws of PI-L(1–5) are lower than those of PI-H(1–5), but the film color of PI-L(1–5) is relatively lighter than the corresponding one of PI-H(1–5). In summary, the introduction of cyclohexyl and ortho-substituted methyl groups into the backbone can improve the solubility of PIs and the transparency of their corresponding films without reducing their T gs.

Background:Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO, EC 1.3.3.4) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and heme, also the target of different types of herbicides. Thiazole compounds shown excellent biological activity, can be designed by using active groups docking for new PPO inhibitors.Objective:The objective of this study was to synthsize a series of aryl thiazole compounds as PPO inhibitors.Methods:In this study, a series of aryl thiazole compounds derivatives 11a-l were obtained from 2- chloro-5-nitrobenzoic acid as the starting material via esterification, Iron powder reduction, diazotization, Hantzsch reaction and final acylation. All synthesized compounds have been tested for their herbicidal activities as a PPO inhibitors.Results:The Petri dish test indicated that all compounds exhibited good herbicidal activities at 200 mg/L using culture dish. And the post-emergence tests showed that at 150g.ai/ha on weed stem leaf spray treatment, some of the title compounds exhibited 80% inhibition rate against the dicotyledonou weeds Amaranthus retroflexus and Eclipta prostrate.Conclusion:Good activity was noted for some compounds that compounds 11a, 11b, 11c, 11g, 11h had 80% inhibition on stems and leaves of Amaranthus retroflexus at 150g.ai/ha.

The effective removal of heavy metals and soluble microbial products from wastewater is crucial for ensuring a safe environment and good quality human health. The present work investigated the potential of eggshell (ES) waste as an adsorbent for removing heavy metals and soluble microbial products. ES was firstly used to capture heavy metal ions, and the eggshell–metal (ES-M) complex was then applied to remove soluble microbial products (e.g., proteins) from aqueous solution. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was selected as a model protein-based contaminant. The equilibrium and kinetic characteristics of soluble protein removed by ES were evaluated in batch mode involving parameters such as metal ions (Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+), operating temperatures (277–323 K), and particle size of ES (100–700 µm). The isotherm curves were well-fitted by Langmuir–Freundlich model. As the temperature increased from 277 to 323 K, the maximum binding capacity for BSA increased from 25.22 to 34.28 (mg BSA/g ES-Zn). The negative values of ΔG° indicated the spontaneous nature of the protein adsorption, while the kinetic of protein adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model. ES functionalized with heavy metal ions acted as an effective pseudo-chelating adsorbent for the removal of soluble protein from wastewater. Chelates of Zn–BSA found on the ES complexes were found to be highly stable, indicating a minimal possibility of secondary pollution caused by these Zn- and BSA-containing ES complexes. The ES-Zn complex can be potentially used as an adsorbent for removing soluble microbial products in wastewater prior to the membrane filtration.

Calcium phosphate based biomaterials have been widely studied in biomedical areas. Herein, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanospheres and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanorods were separately prepared and used for coating tantalum (Ta) scaffolds with a polymer of polylactide (PLA). We have found that different crystal phases of calcium phosphate coated on Ta scaffolds displayed different effects on the surface morphologies, mineralization and bovine serum albumin (BSA) release. The ACP-PLA and HA-PLA coated on Ta scaffold were more favorable for in vitro mineralization than bare and PLA coated Ta scaffolds, and resulted in a highly hydrophilic surfaces. Meanwhile, the osteoblast-like cells (MG63) showed favorable properties of adhesion and spreading on both ACP-PLA and HA-PLA coated Ta scaffolds. The ACP-PLA and HA-PLA coated Ta scaffolds showed a high biocompatibility and potential applications for in vivo bone defect repair.

Eight novel pyridyl–oxazole carboxamides were evaluated against fungi and displayed good fungicidal activities against Botrytis cinereal and Rhizoctonia solani. Preliminary bioassay results indicated that at 100 mg/L, compounds 6a–6e, 6g and 6h exhibited 100% fungicidal activities against Botrytis cinerea, and the compound 6b to Rhizoctonia solani at 100%. Then, the zebrafish embryo acute toxicity test was performed to assess the toxicity of 6b and 6c. A series of malformations appeared, when the zebrafish embryos were exposed to 6b and 6c, such as delayed yolk sac resorption, significant shortening of body length, pericardial edema, bending spine, lack of melanin, heart hemorrhage, head hemorrhage, delayed swim sac development, yolk malformation and head malformation. In addition, the acute toxicity of 6b to zebrafish embryo is 4.878 mg/L, and 6c is 6.257 mg/L.

Purpose: Early application of protease inhibitors through the intestinal lumen could increase survival following experimental shock by blocking the pancreatic digestive enzymes. Hence, it was hypothesized that two-route injection (intraintestinal + intravenous) of ulinastatin (UTI), a broad-spectrum protease inhibitor, could better alleviate intestinal injury than single-route injection (either intravenous or intraintestinal). Methods: A sepsis model induced by lipopolysaccharide on rats was established. The rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham, sepsis, UTI intravenous injection (Uiv), UTI intraintestinal injection (Uii), and UTI intraintestinal + intravenous injection (Uii + Uiv) groups. The mucosal barrier function, enzyme-blocking effect, levels of systemic inflammatory cytokines, and 5-day survival rate were compared among groups. The small intestinal villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and two components of mucosal barrier (E-cadherin and mucin-2) were measured to evaluate the mucosal barrier function. The levels of trypsin and neutrophil elastase (NE) in the intestine, serum, and vital organs were measured to determine the enzyme-blocking effect. Results: Compared with the single-route injection group (Uiv or Uii), the two-route injection (Uii + Uiv) group displayed: (1) significantly higher levels of VH, VH/CD, E-cadherin, and mucin-2; (2) decreased trypsin and NE levels in intestine, plasma, and vital organs; (3) reduced systemic inflammatory cytokine levels; and (4) improved survival of septic rats. Conclusion: Two-route UTI injection was superior to single-route injection in terms of alleviating intestinal injury, which might be explained by extensive blockade of proteases through different ways. Keywords: Sepsis, Ulinastatin, Intestines, Trypsin, Elastase

Background Hepatic dysfunction and coagulopathy are common in acute dengue illness. We analyzed the trajectories of the above parameters in the survivors and fatal patients in the outbreak in Tainan, 2015. Methods A retrospective study was conducted using data from a tertiary hospital between January and December 2015. Multilevel modeling (MLM) was used to identify the changes in aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelet counts from Day 0 to Day 7 of the onset of dengue infection. The machine-learning algorithm was used by purity measure assumption to calculate the accuracy of serum transaminases and coagulation variables to discriminate between the fatal and survival groups. Results There were 4,069 dengue patients, of which 0.9% died in one week after illness onset (i.e., early mortality). Case fatality rate was the highest for those aged ≥70 years. Both AST and ALT values of the fatal group were significantly higher than those of the survivor group from Day 3 (AST median, 624 U/L vs. 60 U/L, p < 0.001; ALT median, 116 U/L vs. 29 U/L, p = 0.01) of illness onset and peaked on Day 6 (AST median, 9805 U/L vs. 90 U/L, p < 0.001; ALT median, 1504 U/L vs. 49 U/L, p < 0.001). AST ≥ 203 U/L, ALT ≥ 55 U/L, AST2/ALT criteria ≥337.35, or AST/platelet count ratio index (APRI) ≥ 19.18 on Day 3 of dengue infection had a high true positive rate, 90%, 78%, 100%, or 100%, respectively, of early mortality. The platelet counts of the fatal group declined significantly than those of the survivor group since Day 3 of illness onset (median, 19 x103/μl vs. 91 x103/μl, p < 0.01), and aPTT values of the fatal group significantly prolonged longer since Day 5 (median, 68.7 seconds vs. 40.1 seconds, p < 0.001). Conclusions AST, ALT, and platelet counts should be monitored closely from Day 0 to Day 3 of dengue infection, and aPTT be followed up on Day 5 of infection to identify the individuals at risk for early mortality., Author summary Dengue fever (DF) is currently one of the most severe public health problems. Clinical presentations of dengue are diverse and non-specific, often with unpredictable clinical progression and outcome. Hepatic dysfunction and abnormal coagulation factors are common in acute dengue illness, reflected by abnormal alanine aminotransferase (AST), aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelet counts. However, there is no information available about the monitoring frequency required, which could help identify those dengue patients who are likely to die, especially during epidemic outbreaks with limited healthcare resources. We examined all the laboratory-confirmed dengue patients who admitted to the major tertiary hospital in Tainan during the 2015 dengue outbreak, and the different trajectories of hepatic function and coagulation factors between survivors and rapidly fatal dengue patients were analyzed. Although there were no differences in AST, ALT, aPTT, and platelet counts between the survivor and fatal groups on the day DF symptoms first appeared, the differences increased from the early stages of infection and became more prominent during the early stages of the illness. The necessity of monitoring the AST, ALT, aPTT, and platelet count frequently during the febrile phase is emphasized by this study.

A series of polyimides (PIs) containing a bulky side group of m-trifluoromethyl phenyl was synthesized via a high-temperature one-step polycondensation of 4-[3′,5′-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,3-phenylenediamine (2) and various aromatic dianhydrides. The weight-averaged molecular weights (Mw) of the resulting PIs are between 3.92 and 8.36 × 104 g mol−1 with the Mw/Mn of 1.77–2.09. They are soluble in common organic solvents and easily processed into flexible films by the blade coating of PI solution. At room temperature, the dielectric constants (k) of these PI films are lower than 3.04 at 1 MHz and 2.87 at 10 GHz, especially the k of 2-6FDA film is low to 2.66 at 1 MHz and 2.38 at 10 GHz. The breakdown strength of the resulting PI films (thickness: 10 ± 1 μm) is in the range from 461 to 523 kV mm−1. Meanwhile, these PI films also show good thermal stability (5 wt% weight-loss temperature in the range of 521–571 °C under N2; glass transition temperatures of 266–307 °C) and mechanical properties (tensile strength of 70.8–103.3 MPa, tensile modulus of 1.3–2.2 GPa, elongation at break of 9.1–10.8%). The average transmittance of these PI films (around 20 μm) is above 80% in the visible light region (400–760 nm). Such attractive comprehensive properties make these PIs as potential candidates for application in microelectronics industry.

Here a dual-functional spectroscopic probe was developed based on novel gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) for highly selective and sensitive detection of heavy metal ions targeting copper ions (Cu2+) and mercury ions (Hg2+). Small sized Au NCs (3.9 nm) with highly orange emitting fluorescent were synthesized via an one-pot reaction by using citrate-stabilized stannous ions (Sn(II)-citrate) as reducing and capping agent. The dual spectroscopic probe was conceived in such a way to utilize both the fluorescence (FL) quenched by Cu2+ and resonance light scattering (RLS) enhanced by Hg2+. Two different ions in the corresponding discrete spectral response appeared completely independent of each other by different mechanism. The intensity of fluorescence decreasing at 575 nm in FL spectra and the scattering increasing at 520 nm in RLS spectra, show linear relationships with Cu2+ and Hg2+ ion concentrations in the ranges of 0.5–70 and 0.25–10 μmol L−1, respectively. The detection limits are as low as 0.38 μmol L−1 and 0.05 μmol L−1 for Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions, respectively. Furthermore, these Au NCs could be readily applied to Cu2+ and Hg2+ detection in environmental water samples, indicating it is promising to serve as a convenient, dual-functional, and label-free probe for related ions monitoring.

The use of silk protein as a biomaterial has been studied for decades. In this study, silk fibroin (SF)/hyaluronic acid (HA) blend scaffolds were prepared by freeze-drying technique. The structure and properties of the blend scaffolds were examined and analyzed. The results demonstrated that the secondary structures of the SF/HA scaffolds were mainly amorphous and β-sheet structures. The pore radius and porosity of the scaffolds decreased with a decrease in the freezing temperature decrease and an increase in the HA ratio. The pore radius and porosity were regulated from 32.22 μm to 290.76 μm and from 74.1 % to 91.15 %, respectively. In vitro, the SF/HA scaffolds could support the fibroblast cell adhesion and proliferation and showed good cytocompatibility. In vivo, the SF/HA scaffolds were implanted into the dorsum of Sprague Dawley rats to evaluate their bioactivity for dermal tissue reconstruction. The vascular-like structures appeared more rapidly in SF/HA scaffolds than that in the PVA group, and a new dermal layer was formed, as determined by histological analysis. The SF/HA porous scaffolds have promise as a dermal substitute.

We investigated the impact of serum cholesterol levels on 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke in dialysis patients.From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we identified 46,770 ischemic stroke cases, including 1101 dialysis patients and 45,669 nondialysis patients from 2006 to 2013.Overall, the 30-day mortality was 1.46-fold greater in the dialysis group than in the nondialysis group (1.75 versus 1.20 per 1000 person-days). The mortality rates were 1.64, .62, 2.82, and 2.23 per 1000 person-days in dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of 120 mg/dL, 120-159 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively. Compared to dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of 120-159 mg/dL, the corresponding adjusted hazard ratios of mortality were 4.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-17.4), 8.06 (95% CI = 2.02-32.2), and 6.89 (95% CI = 1.59-29.8) for those with cholesterol levels of 120 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively.Dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of ≥160 mg/dL or 120 mg/dL on admission are at an elevated hazard of 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke.

Aqueous polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries are attractive for scalable energy storage due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their energy efficiency and power density are usually limited by poor electrochemical kinetics of the redox reactions of polysulfide/iodide ions on graphite electrodes, which has become the main obstacle for their practical applications. Here, CoS2/CoS heterojunction nanoparticles with uneven charge distribution, which are synthesized in situ on graphite felt by a one-step solvothermal process, can significantly boost electrocatalytic activities of I−/I3− and S2−/Sx2− redox reactions by improving absorptivity of charged ions and promoting charge transfer. The polysulfide/iodide flow battery with the graphene felt-CoS2/CoS heterojunction can deliver a high energy efficiency of 84.5% at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, a power density of 86.2 mW cm−2 and a stable energy efficiency retention of 96% after approximately 1000 h of continuous operation., Polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries are promising due to low cost and high-solubility components, but are limited by energy efficiency and power density. Here the authors fabricate heterojunction electrocatalysts to achieve improved performance in a polysulfide/iodide redox flow battery.

BACKGROUND Rotator cuff injury is the most common cause of shoulder disability, and although the repair technique has improved, the rate of rotator cuff reduction after repair is still high. The fibrocartilage region, which appears to be histologically inserted, cannot be regenerated. In recent years, studies have reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have enhanced cartilage regeneration in the tendon and bone interface after rotator cuff repair, which has become a hot topic of research. MATERIAL AND METHODS Two mesenchymal stem cell types, SMSC (synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cells) and BMSC (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells) were intervened using kartogenin (KGN). The cytotoxicity was evaluated and the proliferation of the 2 cells was observed. Four commonly used cartilage phenotype genes were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the cartilage differentiation of MSCs induced by KGN was explored. The bidirectional regulation of the expression of BMP-7 and the downstream gene Smad5 was observed by constructing a lentiviral overexpression vector containing the target gene BMP-7. To explore whether BMP-7/Smad5 pathway activation promotes differentiation of SMSCs into chondrocytes. RESULTS KGN can induce the selective differentiation of endogenous MSCs into chondrocytes by activating the BMP-7/Smad5 pathway, which promotes the regeneration of interfacial cartilage, and improves the quality of tendon healing of the tendon after rotator cuff repair. CONCLUSIONS This study found a new biological intervention method to promote the effect of tendon on bone healing after rotator cuff repair.

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme during the production of melanins in plants and animals. A class of novel N-aryl-N'-substituted phenylthiourea derivatives (3a-i, 6a-k) were designed, synthesized and their inhibitory effects on the diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase were evaluated. The results showed some 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2-[[(phenylamino)thioxomethyl]amino]-benzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylic acid derivatives (3a-i) exhibited moderate inhibitory potency on diphenolase activity of tyrosinase. When the scaffold of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylic acid was replaced with 2-(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio acetic acid, the inhibitory activity of compounds (6a-k) against tyrosinase was improved obviously; especially, the inhibitory activity of compound 6h (IC50=6.13 μM) is significantly higher than kojic acid (IC50=33.3 μM). Moreover, the analysis on inhibition mechanism revealed that compound 6h might plays the role as a noncompetitive inhibitor.

To synthesize antibacterial polyurethane (PU) films, a novel chain extender, bis(3-pyridinemethanol) silver (BPDS), and a PU prepolymer were also synthesized through coordination and covalent reactions. The effects of incorporating different amounts of BPDS were investigated by characterizing the BPDS/PU films using various instruments: FTIR, TGA, DSC, DMA, XRD, EDX, universal testing machine, contact angle goniometer, and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PALS). With a higher BPDS content, the glass transition temperature, final degradation temperature, and Young's modulus were all enhanced; however, the tensile strength and elongation at break were both reduced. PALS analysis revealed that the more rigid and randomly packed structure of the BPDS/PU films at a higher BPDS content was characterized by a broader free volume size distribution that consisted largely of much smaller free volume holes. Quantitative tests with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli indicated excellent antibacterial properties, suggesting that the PU films could be used repeatedly.

New carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by a microwave method using m-trihydroxybenzene and dilute sulphuric acid as raw materials. The as-prepared CDs exhibited excellent water solubility and photoluminesence properties. The optimum excitation and emission wavelengths of the new CDs were at 365 nm and 465 nm, respectively. The fluorescence of the new CDs experienced remarkable changes in the presence of Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer solution with different pH values under 4°C after reacting for 70 min. In addition, a linear relationship between the logarithm of the relative fluorescence intensity ratio [lg(IF /IFo )] of CDs and the pH values of the sensing system ranging 1.81-5.72 was obtained, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9933. Thus, a sensitive and simple method to detect the pH value of solution was developed. Furthermore, the analytical application of detecting the concentration of acetic acid in vinegar was investigated. The detection values were found similar to the reference values, fully demonstrating a good linear relationship between the logarithm of the relative fluorescence intensity ratio of the CDs and the pH value of the system. Hence, the method could be used to detect the concentration of acetic acid in vinegar.

Co 3+ substituted lithium rich cathode material 0.5Li 2 MnO 3 ·0.5LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 2 , Li(Li 0.3 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.5 Co 0.1 )O 2 , was prepared at strictly controlled pH level realized by a carefully designed feeding system. The as prepared cathode material showed lamellar morphology with clearly shown edges. Less cation mixing and higher hexagonal ordering were observed indicating intact layered structure and good electrochemical performances. The first charge delivered a total capacity of ca. 328 mAh g −1 and the subsequent discharge sent a capacity of 238 mAh g −1 back. Except for the initial several cycles, the fading of the discharge capacity was limited. A discharge capacity of 166 mAh g −1 was still reserved after 50 cycles. The rate performance was also improved. The last cycle of each current density, namely 0.1 C, 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C and 2 C, delivered a capacity of ca. 226 mAh g −1 , ca. 191 mAh g −1 , ca. 160 mAh g −1 , ca. 135 mAh g −1 and ca. 110 mAh g −1 , respectively. When the current density was back to 0.1 C, ca. 80% of the initial discharge capacity, nearly 200 mAh g −1 , was regained.

Two kinds of iron fluorides, FeF3·0.33H2O and β-FeF3∙3H2O, have been synthesized by different chemical routes using Fe(NO3)3·9H2O and NH4F as precursors and investigated as cathode materials for secondary lithium batteries. β-FeF3·3H2O was obtained via a mechano-chemical process and FeF3·0.33H2O was obtained by a precipitation reaction from ethanol solution. To further improve their electrochemical properties, a ball milling process with carbon has been used to form composites. The fluorides were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The results showed that the as-prepared β-FeF3·3H2O/C exhibited better rate performance and cycling stability. It exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 199.6 mA h g−1 at a current density of 20 mA g−1 in a voltage range of 1.8–4.5 V and still reserved a discharge capacity of about 146.5 mA h g−1 after 10 cycles. Only a capacity loss of 15 mA h g−1 and 7 mA h g−1 was observed when the current density was at 40 mA g−1 and 80 mA g−1, respectively.

Cathode material 0.5Li 2 MnO 3 ·0.5LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 2 is successfully synthesized by citrate acid assisted sol–gel method and shows pretty good electro-chemical performance. To elucidate the electro-chemical reactions and charge carrier transportation kinetics in the charge–discharge process, series of electro-chemical impedance spectra for the first and the second charge process are measured on multiple given state of charges. The rapid augmentation of resistance to electronic conduction and ionic conduction within the voltage range 4.45–4.6 V where the removal of Li 2 O from Li 2 MnO 3 component takes place gives us more evidence about the complicated “structurally integrated” feature of this material. The relatively large span of the arc responsible for electronic conduction and the extremely large Mn 3+ related charge transfer resistance at the beginning of the second charging indicate that after one complete charge–discharge cycle, Li 2 MnO 3 and LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 2 domains still reserve its original structure and will keep its structure for the followed cycles.

Nitinol alloy occluders are widely used in the transcatheter intervention treatment of congenital heart diseases like patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). However, nitinol alloy contains high levels of nickel, which can lead to toxic effects in the immune and hematopoietic systems if released in sufficient quantities. A new type of single-rivet occluder coated with nano-film has been developed to limit the release of nickel. In total, 23 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=12) with the new nano-film single-rivet occluders or the control group (n=11) with the traditional occluders. One case in the control group was lost to follow-up. The remaining 22 cases were followed up at 24 h, 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the procedure. There were no statistically significant differences in routine blood test, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, and troponin between the experimental and control groups. Serum nickel concentration in both two groups increased at 24 h after the procedure, peaked at 1 month, and returned to preoperative levels at 6 months. Serum nickel levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the control group at 24 h, 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months after the procedure. These data suggested that the nano-film coating effectively prevented nickel release from the new occluders, and therefore has a preferable safety profile.

Time-dependent elementary polarizations of FeF3·3H2O/C cathode material were quantitatively investigated in dc polarization in order to determine the key factors that comprise the total polarization. The measurement of electrochemical impedance spectrum at a given state of charge and the subsequent least square fitting of its equivalent circuit allow the calculation of elementary contributions of individual kinetic step to the total polarization. The profiles of the calculations were well consistent with those of experiments based on the same states of charge, and the elementary contributions could be differentiated successfully which reveal that the solid-state diffusion process makes the largest contribution to the total polarization after 2.5 s discharge beginning with open-circuit voltage (OCV) level 3.5 V. The results may be helpful for the design of batteries of better performance with FeF3 cathode.

EM enrichment culture liquid was immobilized on nano-silica carrier to form microbial nano ball, so as to investigate the reaction kinetics of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) by microbial nano ball. The results showed that first order reaction kinetics model could describe NH4+-N removal by different diameter microbial nano-silica balls well. And the microbe could keep higher biological activity between 0-72h. Reaction kinetic equations of NH4+-N were: (1) when diameter was 10mm, (0-48h), (48-72h); (2) when diameter was 20mm, (0-48h), (48-72h); (3) (0-48h), (48-72h).

Magnetic mesoporous solid acid, SO3H-MCM-41@NiFe2O4, was prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption, and hysteresis loop. Under optimized reaction conditions, three-component condensation of aromatic aldehydes with 2-naphthol and benzamides gave corresponding 1-amidoalkyl-2-naphthols in satisfactory to excellent yields. Catalyst could be recovered by magnetic separation and reused for new runs without significant decrease in activity.

A new cathode material for lithium ion battery FeF3 · 0.33H2O/C was synthesized successfully by a simple one-step chemico-mechanical method. It showed a noticeable initial discharge capacity of 233.9 mAh g−1 and corresponding charge capacity of 186.4 mAh g−1. A reversible capacity of ca.157.4 mAh g−1 at 20 mA g−1 can be obtained after 50 charge/discharge cycles. To elucidate the lithium ion transportation in the cathode material, the methods of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) were applied to obtain the lithium diffusion coefficients of the material. Within the voltage level of 2.05–3.18 V, the method of EIS showed that \( {D}_{{\mathrm{Li}}^{+}} \) varied in the range of 1.2 × 10−13 ~ 3.6 × 10−14 cm2 s−1 with a maximum of 1.2 × 10−13 cm2 s−1 at 2.5 V. The method of GITT gave a result of 8.1 × 10−14 ~ 1.2 × 10−15 cm2 s−1. The way and the range of the variation for lithium ion diffusion coefficients measured by the GITT method show close similarity with those obtained by the EIS method. Besides, they both reached their maximum at a voltage level of 2.5 V.

Nanometer-sized FeF3·0.33H2O/acetylene black composite has been synthesized by one step chemico-mechanical ball-milling process using Fe (NO3)3∙9H2O and NH4F as precursors and investigated as cathode materials for secondary lithium batteries. The obtained FeF3·0.33H2O/C composite was described in terms of structure, morphology, and electro-chemical performance. The composite exhibited a noticeable capacity of 233.9 mAh g−1 at a current density of 20 mA g−1 within potential range 1.8–4.5 V and good rate capability. These results showed that FeF3·0.33H2O/C nano-composite prepared from an easily scalable chemico-mechanical ball-milling process was of great industrial interest.

An experiment was performed to study the influence of polymer binders on the physical properties, and stability against a simulated rainfall, of a slope consisting of engineering spoil. Results showed that low polymer binder concentrations (≤500 g/m3) could enhance the air permeability and moisture -retaining capacity of the engineering spoil; however, adding more polymer binder made the hardness of the engineering spoil increase and then decline. With the increase of polymer binder concentrations, the surface (0–5 cm) permeability of the engineering spoil decreased but the permeability of the lower layers (5–10 cm) increased. Polymer binders might reduce runoff and sediment, but the effect becomes weaker with the increase of rainfall. The results of this study have significance for engineering practices. Further experiments are needed to study the effects of binders under other conditions, such as natural rainfall, different slopes, different rock types, different degrees and spoil weathering and different added material, and the chemical interaction between soil and polymer binders.

There are many herbal teas that are found in nature that may be effective at treating the symptoms and also shortening the duration of viral infections. When combating viral infections, T lymphocytes are an indispensable part of human acquired immunity. However, studies on the use of natural products in stimulating lymphocyte-mediated interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production are very limited. In this study, we found that acteoside, a natural phenylpropanoid glycoside from Kuding Tea, enhanced IFN-γ production in mouse lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner, particularly in the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets of T lymphocytes. To this end, we suggest that the antiviral activity of acteoside was highly correlated to its inducing ability of IFN-γ production. Mechanistically, the activation of T-bet enhanced the promoter of IFN-γ and subsequently resulted in an increased IFN-γ production in T cells. Collectively, we have found a natural product with the capacity to selectively enhance mouse T cell IFN-γ production. Given the role of IFN-γ in the immune system, further studies to clarify the role of acteoside in inducing IFN-γ and prevention of viral infection are needed.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots are introduced as a novel substrate suitable for enzyme immobilization in electrochemical detection metods. Nitrogen-doped carbon dots are easily synthesised from polyacrylamide in just one step. With the help of the amino group on chitosan, glucose oxidase is immobilized on nitrogen-doped carbon dots-modified carbon glassy electrodes by amino-carboxyl reactions. The nitrogen-induced charge delocalization at nitrogen-doped carbon dots can enhance the electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of O2. The specific amino-carboxyl reaction provides strong and stable immobilization of GOx on electrodes. The developed biosensor responds efficiently to the presence of glucose in serum samples over the concentration range from 1 to 12 mM with a detection limit of 0.25 mM. This novel biosensor has good reproducibility and stability, and is highly selective for glucose determination under physiological conditions. These results indicate that N-doped quantum dots represent a novel candidate material for the construction of electrochemical biosensors.

In this research, a water borne intumescent fire retardant varnish based on phosphate resin acid (PRA) cold cured amino resin was synthesized. Infrared (IR) spectrum proved that PRA was from 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDE) and epoxy resin E-51 (E-51) via the reaction between epoxy group and P O H of phosphate ester acid of N-butyl alcohol (BA) and pentaerythritol (PT). The introduction of BDE and E-51 improved water resistance and flexibility of painted film. The fire retardancy test demonstrated that a higher phosphorus content is beneficial to the intrinsic fire retardancy of painted films, but the high quality char formation is another key of fire retardancy of painted films. The TG and DTA proved: E-51 and PT are true carbon source that is beneficial to form a high quality charred layer, but their high combustion heat is detrimental to the intrinsic fire retardancy of painted film material. BDE is beneficial to increase the intrinsic fire retardancy of painted film material, but detrimental to form a high quality charred layer. The conclusion also is showed directly by the scanning emission microscopy (SEM). To achieve high performance painted film, all the components need to be balanced perfectly.

La2Ti2O7 ceramic samples were prepared via conventional solid-state reaction route. The dielectric properties of La2Ti2O7 were investigated as functions of temperature (113–1073 K) and frequency (100 Hz–1 MHz). Our results revealed that La2Ti2O7 ceramics exhibit intrinsic dielectric response with a dielectric constant of ∼57 in the temperature range below 250 K. Three thermally activated dielectric relaxations were observed when the temperature higher than 250 K. The low-temperature relaxations R1 with the activation energy of 0.38 eV is found to be a polaron relaxation results from hopping holes. The high-temperature relaxations R2 and R3 are related to the conduction progress associated with the singly and doubly ionized oxygen vacancies, respectively.

Two new gingerol derivatives, [8]-gingesulfonic acid (1) and [10]-gingesulfonic acid (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, along with nine known gingerol derivatives, [6]- gingesulfonic acid (3), 1-dehydro-[6]-gingerdione (4), 1-dehydro-[8]-gingerdione (5), 1-dehydro- [10]-gingerdione (6), [6]-gingerdione (7), [10]-gingerdione (8), [6]-gingerol (9), methyl [6]-gingerdiol (10), and 6-hydroxyl-[6]-shogaol (11). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence and comparisons with literature data.

Ag-loaded titania nanotubes were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The titania nanotubes were found to be in the anatase phase after calcination. The length of the synthesized titania nanotubes was about 200 nm, the average outer diameter was 7-8 nm, the inner diameter was 5-6 nm and the specific surface area was found to be 371 m 2 ·g - 1 . With Ag loading the silver atoms did not enter the lattices of the nanotubes but dispersed over the nanotube surface. Ag-loading had no effect on the nanostructure and the crystal phase of the TiO2 nanotubes. The Ag-loaded titania nanotubes showed obvious visible light absorption and enhanced visible photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photodegradation of a Rhodamine B aqueous solution under visible light. Compared with Ag-loaded P25 and pure titania nanotubes the Ag-loaded titania nanotubes enhanced the photoactivity and reached the maximum activity at aAg/Ti molar ratio of0.5%. (Article)

A spiropyran derivative, which is a well-known photochromic molecule, is attached noncovalently to graphene via a specially designed perylenediimide adsorption anchor group. To explore the feasibil...

The model compounds of androgenic steroid-bismetalloporphyrins 3a—3d and androgenic monometalloporphyrins 2a—2d have been synthesized. Catalytic study in two-phase condition on epoxidation of styrene under the catalysis of model catalysts shows that the catalytic performances of steroid-bismetalloporphyrin is superior to steroid-metalloporphyrin and the corresponding simple metalloporphyrin. The excellent catalytic property of steriod-bismetalloporphyrin can be rationalized as the hydrophobic action of steroid framework and the cooperative action of two metalloporphyrins in catalysis.

The first hyperpolarizabilities of a series of novel azulenic-barbituric acid chromophores have been studied by using 12 excitation wavelengths, ranging from 900 to 1907 nm. The dispersion relation of the first hyperpolarizabilities of chromophors holds the same tendency as the experimental results. In addition. the static first hyperpolarizability β0 of molecules was calculated by means of the Sum-Over-States (SOS) expression and the two-level formula respectively. The results show that these molecules possess large static fast hyperpolarizabilities and the β0 value increases as the donor or acceptor strength enhances; the distorted degree of molecules has also an important influence on the β0 value.

In this paper the catalytic performance of the calix [6]arene-bis-metalloporphyrins in the epoxidation of styrene was studied. The influence of phase transfer catalyst, pH value, buffer a-gent, substrate concentration, substituent on the benzene ring of porphyrin, and the central metal ion, etc., on the reaction rates were investigated meticulously. The results showed that the calix [6] arene-bismetalloporphyrins had a much higher catalytic activity than that of the corresponding metalloporphyrins.

A monomer of diarylfluorene containing triphenylamine and dialkylfluorene groups at the 9-position and its copolymers, TPAFF-co-F and TPAFF-co-P, were successfully synthesized by a Suzuki cross-coupling polycondensation to obtain stable and highly efficient blue light-emitting polymers.The dialkylfluorenes on the polyfluorene chain served as an antioxidant function as well as a shielding effect.Triphenylamine groups are favorable for hole-injection at the ITO/emitting-layer interface.The combination impart good thermal, morphological and spectral stabilities.Annealing experiments for 24 h in air at 200 ℃ show that the sequence of green indexes (Igreen/Iblue) decreases as follows:poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (1.07)TPAFF-co-F(0.65) TPAFF-co-P (0.47).These results indicate that dialkylfluorene plays a role in the antioxidant function.Devices were fabricated with the following configuration:ITO/PEDOT:PSS(40 nm)/TPAFF-co-F or TPAFF-co-P(80 nm)/Ba(4 nm)/Al (120 nm).Preliminary results confirmed that they have stable electroluminescent spectra with Commission Internationale d′Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.22, 0.24) at a current density of 547 mA·cm-2 for TPAFF-co-F and a CIE of (0.24, 0.26) for TPAFF-co-P with a maximum current efficiency of 0.712 cd·A-1.

The as-sintered sinter skin of WC–11 wt% Co–0.71 wt% Cr 3 C 2 –0.06 wt% La 2 O 3 cemented carbide was observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. It was unexpectedly discovered that lanthanum which was added in the form of oxide could migrate directionally from the alloy to the sinter skin during the sintering process. As a result, La 2 O 2 S and LaCoO 3 phases were formed in situ on the sinter skin. It is significant that both phases are characterized with layered-structure related self-lubricating function and high melting point. Noteworthily, La 2 O 2 S grains preferentially grew up along a group of parallel faces with orientation index [0 0 1] in the WC + β matrix. It was revealed that the alloy had a diffusion-resulted dual structure (i.e., core and skin structure), i.e., WC + β + η three-phase structure in the inner part and WC + β + La 2 O 2 S + LaCoO 3 four-phase structure on the sinter skin. Cr 3 C 2 with carbon-donation ability and the impurity elements from the sintering atmosphere with much bigger electronegative parameters than lanthanum are thought to be the driving force behind the directional migration.

Through the adsorption experiment for CO at different temperatures and different pressures, we get a result showing that, at a normal temperature, adsorption isotherms of CO in coal seams is part of class Iadsorption isotherm. The CO adsorption quantity can be calculated by the Langmuir equation. Diffusion mode of gas in coal seam is determined by the index Kn, which determines the magnitude of coal hole diameter and average free moving distance of molecules. According to the calculation value of Kn, it is confirmed that diffusion modes of CO in coal seams are mainly Knudsen style and transition type diffusion. The samples of coal are mainly in the bituminous coal of low metamorphic grade, and the coal hole structure is mainly pore and transition hole. Therefore, in the coal seams, the proliferation transition model of proliferation of CO is mainly the Knudsen proliferation.

To evaluate the protective effects of dark soy sauce (DSS) against acrylamide (ACR)-induced neurotoxicity in rats, 60 adult Sprague Dawley female rats were given DSS (0.5 ml/kg body weight/day) before, after, and during ACR treatment (10 mg/kg body weight/day) for 8 weeks in total. Treatment only with ACR resulted in a significant increase in lipid peroxidation level, lactate dehydrogenase, and serum creatine kinase activity, but a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase activity in brain homogenate. Moreover, serum serotonin, corticosterone, 3, 5, 3'-triiodothyronine, and L-thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, estradiol, progesterone, and plasma adrenaline decreased significantly in ACR rats. Treatment with DSS before, during, and after ACR treatment partially antagonized the effects induced by ACR. In conclusion, DSS exhibited a protective action against ACR-induced oxidative stress and biochemical perturbations in rats; and treatment with DSS during ACR exposure was more effective than after or before ACR treatment.

The solvent extractable organic compounds (SEOC), including n-alkanes, polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and dicarboxylic acids in PM2.5 during the 2007 Chinese Spring Festival in Beijing, were measured via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determining the characteristics and sources of these organic pollutants. The concentrations of total n-alkanes, PAHs, and organic acids before Chinese Spring Festival Eve (1025.5, 95.9, and 543.3 ng/m3, respectively) were higher than those after (536.6, 58.9, and 331.8 ng/m3, respectively). n-Aalkanes and PAHs had much higher concentration in nighttime than those in daytime because of high relative humidity and low wind speed during the night. Combustion of coal and exhaust emission were major sources of n-alkanes. It could be concluded by the characteristic ratios that the primary source of PAHs in fine particles was the combustion of coal, but the combustion of gasoline was in the next place. The ratios of C18:0/C16 indicated the contribution of vehicular emissions to the fatty acids. Dicarboxylic and aromatic acids were abundant in daytime than in nighttime because these acids were secondary organic acid and the photochemical degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons was the main source.

It is believed that the mechanisms of aging or longevity are multifactorial. We selected four major postnatal factors to verify the mechanisms of longevity and aging. Type B behavior is strongly associated with longevity. The frequency of Type B behavior pattern (55.5 vs. 26.6%) was significantly higher while Type A behavior pattern (2.4 vs. 5.9%) was much lower in the longevity group compared with those in the elderly group (P0.01). The decline of arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) might relate to the aging process which was supported by two facts: (1) low PaO2 might lead to high frequency of chromosomal aberrations, the frequency of chromosomal aberrations was 1.22+/-0.53%, 0.57+/-0.23% and 0.23+/-0.22% in PaO275, 75-84 oror = 85 mmHg groups respectively (P0.025); (2) the lower the PaO2, the more serious the retina arteriosclerosis. Five mean contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes were 626+/-39, 583+/-56, 556+/-43, 547+/-49 and 557+/-40 microg/gHb in different age groups. No significant differences were found in the longevity group as compared with those in 40-89 years old age groups (P0.05), but a significantly lower level was found in the middle rather than the young age group (P0.05). The studies of thixotropy show that micro-blood-flow state also sustains a better condition in the longevity group. We consider Type B behavior pattern, a higher PaO2, a better micro-blood-flow and a higher level of SOD of erythrocytes may be beneficial for longevity.

When the reaction conditions are deliberately controlled by the pH, two different polynuclear manganese complexes, (Δ, Λ)-{Mn3(phen)2 (CH3COO)6} (1) and [Mn(phen)Cl2]n (2) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), have been synthesized from the same raw materials. The structural analyses show that 1 has a structure formed by neutral chiral linear trinuclear molecules, while 2 has a structure consisting of one-dimensional infinite chains. A study of the temperature dependent magnetic susceptibilities reveal that 1 is an antiferromagnetically coupled trimer molecule while 2 shows ferromagnetic interactions within the chain.

We have demonstrated a novel blue-violet emitting mechanoluminscent(ML) material with calcium aluminosilicate(CaAl2Si2O8:Eu2+). The ML was clearly visible to the naked eye in the atmosphere and showed a similar spectrum to photoluminescence with a peak at 430nm. In order to enhance the ML intensity, various rare earth ions were selected as co-dopants including La, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. It was found that the intensity of ML was strongly dependent on the kinds of the codoped rare earth ion, especially the co-doping of Ho3+ was found to greatly enhance the ML intensity. From the results of thermoluminescence(ThL) measurements, the enhancement of the ML intensity was closely related with the filled trap concentration and trap depth.