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As a biological macromolecule, silk fibroin (SF) has great application potential in anticoagulant. However, its complex molecular structure leads to its poor solubility, which limits the application of SF. In this study, a novel SF film with strong anticoagulant properties was fabricated through the synergistic effect of LiBr deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and UV-light irradiation. Under the optimum conditions, the plasma recalcification time of SF film was 182 s, the hemolysis rate was 3.93%, and the dynamic coagulation time remained at a high level up to 60 min. The synergistic effect of UV-light and DES can promote the enhancement of hydrophilicity and the decrease of surface roughness of SF films, and thus the anticoagulant properties of the films were enhanced. The structure change, wettability, and roughness of SF films were characterized by XRD, FTIR, contact angle, and AFM. In the meantime, the wavelength of the UV-light and the irradiation time have an effect on the anticoagulant properties of the SF films. Furthermore, the improvement of the anticoagulant properties of SF films exhibits good universality for different LiBr DESs. The study provides a new direction for the preparation of strong anticoagulation SF films, as well as its application in life sciences.

Abstract Background Inappropriate use of antibiotics in children is common in many countries. The purpose of the study was to explore patterns of antibiotic prescribing in children’s outpatient clinics in primary care institutions in a province of southwest China. Methods We obtained electronic prescription data from 75 primary care institutions in Guizhou province in 2020. The classification of incorrect spectrum of antibiotics, unnecessary use and combined use of antibiotics was based on the Guiding Principle of Clinical Use of Antibiotics (2015, China) and guidelines from the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Potential risk factors for inappropriate use of antibiotics were identified using bivariate analyses. The generalized estimation equation was used to identify independent predictors of inappropriate use of antibiotics. Results A total of 158,267 antibiotic prescriptions were retrieved. Acute upper respiratory tract infections were the most common diseases, accounting for 74.9% of all prescriptions. The main antibiotic group used was penicillins (63.7%), followed by cephalosporins (18.8%). Of 137,284 visits, 18.3% of antibiotic prescriptions were appropriate and the percentage of unnecessary use, incorrect spectrum of antibiotics and combined use of antibiotics was 76.9, 2.4 and 2.4%, respectively. Physicians with lower professional titles and more than 40 years of work duration were relatively more likely to prescribe inappropriate antibiotics. Conclusion The inappropriate use of antibiotics in children is still prominent in primary care institutions of southwest China. The education and training of physicians and caregivers in these institutions should be strengthened.

BackgroundInappropriate use of glucocorticoids in primary care institutions is serious. It not only causes economic burden, but leads to many adverse reactions. The purpose of this study is to explore systemic glucocorticoid prescription pattern and factors of inappropriate use in primary care institutions.MethodsThis is a retrospective study. Systemic glucocorticoids prescribed in 58 primary care institutions in Guizhou province of Southwest China in 2020 were selected from the Health Information System. All prescriptions were classified as appropriate or inappropriate use. Inappropriate use was classified into the following two categories: (a) Inappropriate indications; (b) Inappropriate selection of glucocorticoids. Multivariate analysis was used to explore the factors associated with inappropriate use of systemic glucocorticoids.ResultsA total of 63,315 glucocorticoid prescriptions were included in the analysis. Diseases of the respiratory system (60.8%) and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (23.1%) were the most common indications for use. Injections (89.8%) predominated and dexamethasone (86.5%) was the most prescribed glucocorticoid. 68.2% of all prescriptions were inappropriate. Compared to physicians with a college degree, physicians with a junior college (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08–1.17) and technical secondary education (OR: 1.12, 95% CI:1.05–1.19) were more likely to prescribe glucocorticoids inappropriately as were attending physicians (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01–1.25) and resident physicians (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.15–1.48) compared to associate chief physicians. The risk of inappropriate glucocorticoid use was highest in patients 65 years of age and older (OR: 6.00, 95% CI: 5.62–6.40). In contrast, prescriptions given by injection were more likely to be used inappropriately than those given orally (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.41–0.46).ConclusionInappropriate use of systemic glucocorticoids without appropriate indications was extremely prominent in primary care institutions of Guizhou Province, especially in diseases of the respiratory system and among the elderly. The risk of inappropriate glucocorticoid use was highest in patients 65 years of age and older. It is important to note that physicians younger than 33, with more than 40 years of service, and attending or residents were more likely to inappropriately prescribe glucocorticoids.

Abstract Background Propionic acid as a very valuable chemical is in high demand, and it is industrially produced via the oxo-synthesis of ethylene or ethyl alcohol and via the oxidation of propionaldehyde with oxygen. It is urgent to discover a new preparation method for propionic acid via a green route. Recyclable amino-acid-based organic–inorganic heteropolyoxometalates were first used to high-efficiently catalyse the selective oxidation of 1-propanol to propionic acid with H2O2 as an oxidant. Result A series of amino-acid-based heteropoly catalysts using different types of amino acids and heteropoly acids were synthesized, and the experimental results showed proline-based heteropolyphosphatotungstate (ProH)3[PW12O40] exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the selective catalytic oxidation of 1-propanol to propionic acid owing to its high capacity as an oxygen transfer agent and suitable acidity. Under optimized reaction conditions, the conversion of 1-propanol and the selectivity of propionic acid reached 88% and 75%, respectively. Over four cycles, the conversion remained at >80%, and the selectivity was >60%. (ProH)3[PW12O40] was also used to catalyse the oxidations of 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, and benzyl alcohol. All the reactions had high conversions, with the corresponding acids being the primary oxidation product. Conclusions Proline-based heteropolyoxometalate (ProH)3[PW12O40] has been successfully used to catalyse the selective oxidation of primary alcohols to the corresponding carboxylic acids with H2O2 as the oxidant. The new developed catalytic oxidation system is mild, high-efficient, and reliable. This study provides a potential green route for the preparation propionic acid.

Interface modification and bulk doping are two major strategies to improve the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Dipolar molecules are highly favored due to their unique dipolarity. This review discusses the basic concepts and characteristics of dipoles. In addition, the role of dipoles in PSCs and the corresponding conventional characterization methods for dipoles are introduced. Then, we systematically summarize the latest progress in achieving efficient and stable PSCs in dipole materials at several key interfaces. Finally, we look forward to the future application directions of dipole molecules in PSCs, aiming at providing deep insight and inspiration for developing efficient and stable PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puccinia triticina (Pt), as the causal agent of wheat leaf rust, employs a plethora of effector proteins to modulate wheat immunity for successful colonization. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Pt effector-mediated wheat susceptibility remains largely unexplored. In this study, an effector Pt_21 was identified to interact with the apoplast-localized wheat thaumatin-like protein TaTLP1 using a yeast two-hybrid assay and the Pt_21-TaTLP1 interaction was characterized. The interaction between Pt_21 and TaTLP1 was validated by in vivo co-immunoprecipitation assay. A TaTLP1 variant, TaTLP1C71A, that was identified by the site-directed mutagenesis failed to interact with Pt_21. Pt_21 was able to suppress Bax-mediated cell death in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana and inhibit TaTLP1-mediated antifungal activity. Furthermore, infiltration of recombinant protein Pt_21 into leaves of transgenic wheat line overexpressing TaTLP1 enhanced the disease development of leaf rust compared to that in wild-type leaves. These findings demonstrate that Pt_21 suppresses host defense response by directly targeting wheat TaTLP1 and inhibiting its antifungal activity, which broadens our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Pt effector-mediated susceptibility in wheat.

A series of post-crosslinked resins were synthesized from macroporous chloromethylated styrenedivinylbenzene copolymer by controlling post-crosslinked reaction conditions. Adsorption study towards aniline showed that the three resins, ST-DVB-WH5, ST-DVB-WH6, and ST-DVB-WH7, prepared at different temperatures, and which had nearly identical static adsorption capacity, displayed great disparity in kinetic behavior. The rate constant of ST-DVB-WH7 by the pseudo-first-order model was 1.50 and 1.19 times higher than that of ST-DVB-WH5 and ST-DVB-ST-DVB-WH6. Further analysis of the diffusion model showed that the three resins exhibited different diffusion rates due to the difference in oxygen content and pore structure of each resin. The results showed that the adsorption capacity was mainly decided by the pore volume within 1.14 and 3.42 nm and the adsorption rate was mainly decided by the oxygen content of the resin. In addition, as the best synthetic resin for aniline adsorption, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of ST-DVB-WH7 was 1.57 times and 1.44 times higher than that of H-103 and NKA-II, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene glycol (PEG), as a suitable tool to improve enzyme stability, such as monomethoxyl-polyethylene glycol aldehyde (mPEG-ALD) and monomethoxyl-polyethylene glycol succinimide (mPEG-SPA), has been appended at the ε-amino group of lysine or the N-terminal α-amino acid residue of commercial cellulase. The modified cellulases thus obtained are designated as Cell-ALD and Cell-SPA, respectively. The stabilities and activities of these modified cellulases have been studied in the ionic liquid [C2OHmim][OAc]. Cell-ALD showed excellent stability and activity in [C2OHmim][OAc], such as the activity of Cell-ALD 5k (molecular weight of ALD is 5000), which can reach above 80% of its original value after remaining in [C2OHmim][OAc] for 24 h, and outstanding performance in the hydrolysis of natural cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-doped spherical mesoporous carbon catalysts (Ni/C n ) were prepared via one-pot hydrothermal carbonization of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with nickel acetate as the Ni source. This exhibited a high conversion rate for p-nitrophenol (PNP) hydrogenation to p-aminophenol (PAP). The obtained catalysts contained 0.87–6.84 wt% nickel content that primarily consisted of metallic nickel, with a small amount of nickel oxide. The Ni additive could be beneficial in the formation of the mesoporous structure. The results showed that as the Ni content increased, the mesoporous percentage increased. The doped Ni was monodispersed particles added into the carbon skeleton with an average particle size of 23.6 nm. They were surrounded by ordered striped carbon that exhibited a graphite-like structure. The catalytic hydrogenation reaction took place at normal temperatures and pressure exhibited high catalytic activity. The degradation rate of PNP reached 99.7% when 0.30 g of the Ni/C0.2-900 catalysts was used for a reaction time of 40 min, with corresponding apparent rates constant of 1.68 × 10−3 S−1, apparent activation energy of only 43.25 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a series of hypercrosslinked resins (CH series) was prepared in systematically designed conditions for the adsorption of nitroaromatics from aqueous solution. The newly synthesized CH-10 possesses a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area up to 1,329.3 m²/g which is larger than that of the widely used hypercrosslinked resin H-103 and it exhibits great advantage over H-103 when subjected to nitrobenzene at low concentrations. The adsorption capacity of CH-10 for nitrobenzene is 1.4 times as much as that of H-103 at the concentration of 100 mg/L. Kinetic study by film diffusion model and intra-particle diffusion model revealed that its distinctive mesoporous structure within pore diameters between 2 and 6 nm played significant role in the mass transfer at low concentrations, and these unique mesopores also resulted in better adsorption capacity, which was confirmed by adsorption thermodynamics study. Moreover, the CH series displayed a good affinity to a wide scope of nitroaromatics and exhibited excellent dynamic adsorption and desorption properties in fixed bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm with strong tensile strength is a topic item in the area of tissue engineering, medicine engineering, and so forth. Here we introduced an alkyl chitosan film with strong tensile strength and its possibility for an absorbable anticoagulation material in vivo was tested in the series of blood test, such as dynamic coagulation time, plasma recalcification time and hemolysis. Alkyl chitosan film was a better biomaterial than traditional chitosan film in the anticoagulation, tissue compatibility and cell compatibility. The unique trait of alkyl chitosan film may be for its greater contact angle and hydrophobicity ability to reduce the adsorption capacity for the blood component and the activity of fibrinolytic enzymes, enhance the antibacterial capacity than chitosan film. Moreover, none of chitosan film or butyl chitosan film exhibited quick inflammation or other disadvantage and degraded quickly by implanted test. Therefore, Alkyl chitosan film is of prospective properties as an implantable, absorbable agent for tissue heals, and this material need further research. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3034-3041, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from sucrose was investigated in the presence of the Brönsted-Lewis acidic ionic liquids (ILs). It was concluded that IL 1-(3-sulfonic acid)-propyl-3- methylimidazole chlorochrominate [HO3S-(CH2)3-mim]Cl-CrCl3 (molar fraction of CrCl3 x = 0.55) had a good catalytic performance with 78.8% yield of HMF. The acid type of IL played a significant role in the reaction. Lewis acid site acted more effectively than its Brönsted counterpart and a synergetic effect of Brönsted and Lewis acid sites enhanced the IL catalytic performance. The reusability of IL was good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), which are defined as pathogenesis-related protein family 5 (PR5) members, are common plant proteins involved in defense responses and confer antifungal activity against many plant pathogens. Our earlier studies have reported that the TaTLP1 gene was isolated from wheat and proved to be involved in wheat defense in response to leaf rust attack. The present study aims to identify the interacting proteins of TaTLP1 and characterize the role of the interaction between wheat and Puccinia triticina (Pt). Pull-down experiments designed to isolate the molecular target of TaTLP1 in tobacco resulted in the identification of TaPR1, a pathogenesis-related protein of family 1, and the interaction between TaTLP1 and TaPR1 was confirmed by yeast two-hybrid experiments (Y2H), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). In vitro, TaTLP1 and TaPR1 together increased antifungal activity against Pt. In vivo, the disease resistance phenotype, histological observations of fungal growth and host responses, and accumulation of H2O2 in TaTLP1-TaPR1 in co-silenced plants indicated that co-silencing significantly enhanced wheat susceptibility compared to single knockdown TaTLP1 or TaPR1 plants. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly reduced in co-silenced plants compared to controls during Pt infection, which suggested that the TaTLP1-TaPR1 interaction positively modulates wheat resistance to Pt in an ROS-dependent manner. Our findings provide new insights for understanding the roles of two different PRs, TaTLP1 and TaPR1, in wheat resistance to leaf rust.

Abstract  The pure silica mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41 was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Pd/Si-MCM-41 was prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation of pure silica MCM-41 with PdCl2 as precursor. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy measurements. The formation of Pd particles reduced the crystalline character of Si-MCM-41, but the structure of Si-MCM-41 framework was retained. The designed Pd/Si-MCM-41 mesoporous material was used as catalysts for hydrogenation of rosin, and showed excellent catalytic performance. Such outstanding catalytic performance should be attributed to the proper size of Pd particles and its high dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mesoporous molecular sieve Zr-MCM-41 was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Zr-MCM-41 material was impregnated using sulfuric acid to prepare SO/Zr-MCM-41. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, FT-1R,N2 adsorption/desorption and NH3-TPD analysis technique. The results indicated that SO/Zr-MCM-41 was of better mesoporous structure, long range ordering and crystallites, and that SOexisted in the skeleton of Zr-MCM-41 and enhanced its acidity. SO/Zr-MCM-41 were firstly used as catalyst in the esterification of terpineol. The catalytic results were compared with those obtained by using sulfuric acid (33%), HY, HZSM-5 and SO/ZrO2 as catalysts. It was showed that SO/Zr-MCM-41 were not only of better catalytic activity and selectivity, but also of better regenerable performance. The effects of synthesis methods of catalysts and Si/Zr mole ratio on catalytic properties were also studied. In addition, AlCl3 was supported on the synthesized mesoporous molecular sieves to get composite catalysts that were firstly used to catalyze the polymerization of a-pinene. It was showed that the catalytic result of thecomposite catalystwas better than that AlCl3 alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Porous palladium nanostructures were prepared on a copper sheet previously fixed over the plasma high-temperature area by H2+He arc plasma method. However, dispersed palladium nanoparticles with diameters in 5090nm were obtained on the inner wall of vacuum chamber. SEM, TEM, EDXA, XRD and BET were employed to characterize the palladium porous materials. SEM images show that porous palladium nanostructures are composed of spherical particles with diameters of 353nm. This special structure with large surface to volume ratio can be recycled easily for application in the field of catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bifunctional catalysts containing both acidic and basic sites were synthesized. • The acid and base coexist bifunctional catalyst overcomes the shortcomings of the acidic catalysts and the basic catalysts. • SBA-15@MgO@Zn was used to catalytic pyrolysis of waste cooking oils (WCO). • The obtained biofuels were of high quality. • SBA-15@MgO@Zn is of high stability. The high value usage of waste biomass-based resources is highly demanded. Here we synthesized an acid and base based on SBA-15 bifunctional catalyst, SBA-15@MgO@Zn, for the catalytic pyrolysis of waste cooking oils (WCO) into hydrocarbon rich biofuel with deoxygenation. First, C C bond broke at Lewis acid sites to form hydrocarbons and short-chain fatty acids, and then these short-chain fatty acids deoxidized at the basic sites to form hydrocarbon compounds. Therefore, the acid and base coexist bifunctional catalyst overcomes not only the shortcomings for the acidic catalysts that easily produce coke, but also for the basic catalysts that induces saponification during the catalytic pyrolysis of high acid value WCO. At the same time, this kind of high efficient catalyst makes deoxidation in the process of the pyrolysis, which not only improves the quality of biofuel, but also simplifies the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials with controllable morphologies were prepared via a soft template method using chitosan as the carbon and nitrogen source and F127 or ionic liquid as the template. The performance of the materials as electrodes and adsorbents for carbon dioxide removal were evaluated. Carbon spheres (CSs) with developed micropore structures were obtained without a template, whereas a tubular structure (CSF) containing mesopores with long-range order was obtained using F127. Layered carbon (CSI) containing micro-/mesopores with short- and long-range order was obtained using an ionic liquid. The samples exhibited graphite-like structure and the soft template increased the graphitization degree. Nitrogen existed mainly in the form of pyridine and pyridone groups in CSs and CSF and as pyridine, pyridone, and quaternary groups in CSI. The specific capacitances of CSs, CSF, and CSI were 144, 161, and 178 F g−1, respectively, at a current density of 1.0 A g−1 in 1 M sulfuric acid. The carbon dioxide adsorption capacities of CSs, CSF, and CSI were 142, 73, and 115 mg g−1, respectively; CSs displayed the highest value because of its developed micro- and ultramicroporous structure. Our results indicated that these carbon materials with various morphologies can be used as both electrodes and adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based composite materials with tunable, ordered mesoporous structures were prepared via the hydrothermal carbonization/soft-template method, with nickel nitrate as the doping source, straw as the carbon source, and F127 as the soft template. By adjusting the additive amounts of Ni and F127, the mesoporous structure was controllable, and results were obtained that varied from an irregular stripe-like hexagonal, a regular stripe-like hexagonal, mixed hexagonal and cubic, to cubic. With a specific surface area in the range of 339–963 m2 g−1, the percentage of mesoporous structures increased from 39.6% to 58.3%. Ni doped into the carbon skeletons existed in the form of metallic Ni and nickel oxide. Increased amounts of nickel nitrate for doping as well as F127 is beneficial for the generation of metallic Ni during the preparation process. The average particle diameter of Ni decreased when the Ni-doped content was increased, and all the average particle sizes were less than 10 nm after F127 was added. The Nim/CSFn catalyst demonstrated high catalytic activity when used for the hydrogenation reaction of p-nitrophenol (PNP) to p-aminophenol (PAP). The conversion of PNP reached 98.79%, and the selectivity for PAP reached 89.6% for Ni2.0/CSF1.5, with a corresponding apparent rate constant of 1.56 × 10−3 S−1, apparent activation energy of 41.86 kJ mol−1, and with the added benefit that the catalyst could be separated and recycled by applying an external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]