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Spirulina platensis showed specific sensitivity and remediation capability towards the emerging pollutant enrofloxacin.

Enrofloxacin is a widely used antibiotic targeting DNA gyrase and has become the commonly detected micropollutant in aquatic environments. Thus, the potential toxicity of enrofloxacin to

Background Wound healing is an essential physiological process in recovery after microsurgery. Objectives To further understand the functions of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), the roles of this factor were examined and its correlations with inflammation, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and ERK1/2 signaling pathway activation were analyzed. Material and methods Rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (RBMECs) were treated with interleukin (IL)-1β and used for the experiments. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the cell viability of RBMECs after treatment with IL-1β (1 ng/mL) and FGF21 or VEGFA overexpression, while changes in apoptosis were measured through flow cytometry. Migration was checked through the scratch test. FGF21 and VEGFA RNA expression was assessed using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), which was also used to examine RNA expression of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3. After IL-1β treatment and FGF21 overexpression, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and tumor growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) proteins level were observed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which was also applied to check the expression of ERK1/2 after overexpression of FGF21 and VEGFA. PD98059 (50 μM), an ERK1/2 inhibitor, was used to examine the roles of ERK1/2 in regulating cell viability and apoptosis. Results The IL-1β treatment significantly decreased the viability of RBMECs and TGF-β1, but promoted cell apoptosis and TNF-α expression. FGF21 was downregulated by IL-1β treatment but its overexpression enhanced the viability of RBMECs and TGF-β1 and ERK1/2 protein levels, and attenuated cell apoptosis and TNF-α. Upregulated TNF-α restrained cell viability and apoptosis of RBMECs after FGF21 overexpression, and its upregulation not only suppressed FGF21, but also VEGFA. Moreover, VEGFA suppression by TNF-α increased cell viability and ERK1/2 protein levels, and suppressed the apoptosis of RBMECs through its upregulation. However, PD98059 obstructed the functions of FGF21 and VEGFA. Conclusions FGF21 promoted the cell viability of RBMECs through upregulating TNF-α-mediated VEGFA and ERK1/2 signaling.

Background: The incidence of cerebral ischemia disease leading cause of death in human population worldwide. Treatment of cerebral ischemia remains a clinical challenge for researchers and mechanisms of cerebral ischemia remain unknown. During the cerebral ischemia, inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress plays an important role. The current investigation scrutinized the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory role of pterostilbene against cerebral ischemia in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rodent model and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods: The rats were divided into following groups viz., normal, sham, MCAO and MCAO + pterostilbene (25 mg/kg) group, respectively. The groups received the oral administration of pterostilbene for 30 days followed by MCAO induction. The neurological score, brain water content, infarct volume and Evan blue leakage were estimated. Hepatic, renal, heart, inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators were estimated.Results: Pterostilbene treatment significantly (p < 0.001) improved the body weight and suppressed the glucose level and brain weight. Pterostilbene significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the hepatic, renal and heart parameters. Pterostilbene significantly (p < 0.001) decreased the level of glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decreased the level of malonaldehyde (MDA), 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Pterostilbene significantly (p < 0.001) inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory parameters such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxidase synthase (iNOS) and prostaglandin (PGE2). Pterostilbene significantly (p < 0.001) down-regulated the level of metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP-2 and MMP-9. Pterostilbene suppressed the cellular swelling, cellular disintegration, macrophage infiltration, monocyte infiltration and polymorphonuclear leucocyte degranulation in the brain.Conclusion: In conclusion, Pterostilbene exhibited the neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia in rats via anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Three-dimensional observation of metal grains (MG) has a wide potential application serving the interdisciplinary community. It can be used for industrial applications and basic research to overcome the limitations of non-destructive testing methods, such as ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, and eddy current testing. This study proposes a method and its implementation algorithm to observe (MG) metal grains in three dimensions in a general laboratory environment equipped with a polishing machine and a metal microscope. An image was taken by a metal microscope while polishing the mounted object to be measured. Then, the metal grains (MGs) were reconstructed into three dimensions through local positioning, binarization, boundary extraction, (MG) selection, and stacking. The goal is to reconstruct the 3D MG in a virtual form that reflects the real shape of the MG. The usefulness of the proposed method was verified using the carbon steel (SA106) specimen.

Ammonia is a widely produced chemical that is the basis of most fertilisers. However, it is currently derived from fossil fuels and there is an urgent need to develop sustainable approaches to its production. Ammonia is also being considered as a renewable energy carrier, allowing efficient storage and transportation of renewables. For these reasons, the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is currently being intensely investigated as the basis for future mass production of ammonia from renewables. This Perspective critiques current steps and miss-steps towards this important goal in terms of experimental methodology and catalyst selection, proposing a protocol for rigorous experimentation. We discuss the issue of catalyst selectivity and the approaches to promoting the NRR over H2 production. Finally, we translate these mechanistic discussions, and the key metrics being pursued in the field, into the bigger picture of ammonia production by other sustainable processes, discussing benchmarks by which NRR progress can be assessed. The electrochemical reduction of nitrogen is being intensely investigated as the basis for future ammonia production. This Perspective critiques current steps and missteps towards this goal in terms of experimental methodology and catalyst selection, proposing a protocol for rigorous experimentation.

A formation model of O2˙− produced in TiO2 photocatalysis was established, and then a custom built continuous flow chemiluminescence (CFCL) system was used to confirm the model's reliability by monitoring the O2˙− formation process. This model may give deeper insights into O2˙− formation for TiO2 and other photocatalysts.

The electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) offers a direct pathway to produce NH3 from renewable energy. However, aqueous NRR suffers from both low Faradaic efficiency (FE) and low yield rate. The main reason is the more favored H+ reduction to H2 in aqueous electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a highly selective Ru/MoS2 NRR catalyst on which the MoS2 polymorphs can be controlled to suppress H+ reduction. A NRR FE as high as 17.6% and NH3 yield rate of 1.14 × 10–10 mol cm–2 s–1 are demonstrated at 50 °C. Theoretical evidence supports a hypothesis that the high NRR activity originates from the synergistic interplay between the Ru clusters as N2 binding sites and nearby isolated S-vacancies on the 2H-MoS2 as centers for hydrogenation; this supports formation of NH3 at the Ru/2H-MoS2 interface.

Chemiluminescence (CL) reactions usually take place in a severely restricted pH regime, thereby confining their application in media at different pH. In this paper, the CL behavior of tobacco-methanol extract (TME) was explored. Surprisingly, TME exhibited CL behavior upon mixing with Fe2+/H2O2, HRP/H2O2 and gold nanoparticles/H2O2 oxidation systems, i.e., in acidic, neutral and alkaline solution respectively. Addition of different reactive oxygen species scavengers verified that the hydroxyl radical ( OH) triggers TME CL reactions. Then, the CL behavior of TME was applied to determine OH in tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TCBQ)/H2O2 system in acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions. CL intensity correlated most strongly (R2 = 0.99) with TCBQ concentration, which was used as a means to indirectly denote OH concentration. This implies that OH could be determined by a TME CL method in a semi-quantitative way regardless of pH value. Therefore, the TME CL method may be a promising method for OH determination in various OH-generating systems.

Ammonia is of emerging interest as a liquefied, renewable-energy-sourced energy carrier for global use in the future. Electrochemical reduction of N2 (NRR) is widely recognised as an alternative to the traditional Haber–Bosch production process for ammonia. However, though the challenges of NRR experiments have become better understood, the reported rates are often too low to be convincing that reduction of the highly unreactive N2 molecule has actually been achieved. This perspective critically reassesses a wide range of the NRR reports, describes experimental case studies of potential origins of false-positives, and presents an updated, simplified experimental protocol dealing with the recently emerging issues., Discovering a sustainable route to ammonia as a fertiliser and as an energy carrier is critically important, but many recent reports on the electrochemical nitrogen reduction are false positives. Here the authors uncover the emerging experimental traps and detail protocols to reliably avoid them.

Quinclorac is a specific auxin herbicide with chloro-quinolinecarboxylic acid structure and has been widely recognized as the preferred option for controlling both broadleaf weed and barnyard grass. However, the extensive application of quinclorac has resulted in the evolution of resistant plants, the frequent detection in the environment, and the hazard to non-target organisms. Consequently, the aim of this review is to comprehensively summarize the recent investigations on quinclorac, so as to help promoting the further study for reasonably employing quinclorac and effectively controlling the related risks. In this review, the action mechanism of quinclorac was discussed based on the structure and property, suggesting the involvements of ethylene, phytohormone and even cyanide in sensitive plants. The evolved resistance might be related to auxin production, gene expression, translocation and metabolism. By establishing the reliable methods in previous studies, the quinclorac residue was widely detected and could cause the obvious toxicity such as physiological changes and oxidative stress. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of the remediation technique, which can be efficiently applied in practical engineering.

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is a syndrome of childhood movement and posture disorders. Clinical evidence is still limited and sometimes inconclusive about the benefits of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) for CP. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hUC-MSC transplantation concomitant with rehabilitation in patients with CP. Methods Eligible patients were allocated into the hUC-MSC group and control group. In addition to rehabilitation, the patients in the hUC-MSC group received four transfusions of hUC-MSCs intravenously, while the control group received a placebo. Adverse events (AEs) were collected for safety evaluation in the 12-month follow-up phase. Primary endpoints were assessed as activities of daily living (ADL), comprehensive function assessment (CFA), and gross motor function measure (GMFM) scales. In addition, cerebral metabolic activity was detected by 18F-FDG-PET/CT to explore the possible mechanism of the therapeutic effects. Primary endpoint data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS version 20.0. Results Forty patients were enrolled, and 1 patient withdrew informed consent. Therefore, 39 patients received treatments and completed the scheduled assessments. No significant difference was shown between the 2 groups in AE incidence. Additionally, significant improvements in ADL, CFA, and GMFM were observed in the hUC-MSC group compared with the control group. In addition, the standard uptake value of 18F-FDG was markedly increased in 3 out of 5 patients from the hUC-MSC group at 12 months after transplantation. Conclusions Our clinical data showed that hUC-MSC transplantation was safe and effective at improving the gross motor and comprehensive function of children with CP when combined with rehabilitation. Recovery of cerebral metabolic activity might play an essential role in the improvements in brain function in patients with CP. The therapeutic window, transfusion route, and dosage in our study were considerable for reference in clinical application. Trial registration Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR1800016554. Registered 08 June 2018—retrospectively registered. The public title was “Randomized trial of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for cerebral palsy.”

Ammonia is one of the most important feedstocks in the modern chemical industry. The mass production of ammonia was enabled by the Haber-Bosch process which is very energy-intensive. The electrochemical ammonia synthesis approach has emerged as a promising method as it allows the direct utilization of electricity generated by renewable energy systems (e.g., wind and solar). However, fundamentally, the reaction of nitrogen reduction to ammonia (NRR) is kinetically sluggish and suffers from poor selectivity due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that is more favorable under most conditions. Hence, this thesis is aimed at the development of novel catalysts and electrolyte systems to shift the balance of the reactions towards favoring NRR.

Imidacloprid is a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide worldwide, and has attracted great concerns due to its potential threat to human and environment. Much effort was thus spent on developing the effective way for removing imidacloprid from water, but might also produce various degradation products with unknown risks. The hypothesis was then proposed that permanganate oxidation was probably the appropriate tool for eliminating imidacloprid and its toxicity through selective oxidation of specific groups. To that end, we studied the kinetics of permanganate/imidacloprid reaction by considering the effects of pH (5.0–9.0), temperature (15–35 °C), ionization strength (0.05–0.20 M), typical anions (Cl−, Br−, I−) and humic acid. Based on the identified products from mass spectrometer, the main reaction pathway was found to be the hydroxylation of C–H bond at imidazole ring, leading to the decreased toxicity evaluated by ECOSAR program. Our results demonstrate that permanganate oxidation should be a very promising technique for controlling imidacloprid contamination by effective detoxification through highly selective partial oxidation. Moreover, this study has also paved the way toward applying permanganate oxidation for in situ chemical remediation of imidacloprid, though the corresponding standards need to be established in advance.

Renewable energy-driven ammonia electrosynthesis by N2 reduction reaction (NRR) at ambient conditions is vital for sustainability of both the global population and energy demand. However, NRR under ambient conditions to date has been plagued with a low yield rate and selectivity (

Heterogeneous catalytic reactions usually proceed at the surfaces of materials, where many intermediates, such as free radicals, usually were believed to be short-lived. Herein, surface long-lived superoxide radicals (O2˙−) were identified in UV-irradiated aqueous suspensions of TiO2 and other metal oxide nanoparticles using an online chemiluminescence system. From the decay dynamics process of O2˙−, a long-lived O2˙− radical was observed on anatase TiO2 at pH = 12. After separation of the photo-excited suspension via filtration, CL was detected from the particles but not the filtrate, thus confirming O2˙− surface adsorption. The unusual stability of O2˙− was also verified using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The lifetimes of the radicals were estimated on the different kinds of semiconductor surface according to the decay dynamics curves, and followed the order: TiO2 > ZnO > SnO2 > CeO2 > Fe2O3. Furthermore, the function of surface long-lived O2˙− in TiO2 suspensions with regards to photochemical conversion was investigated using NBT as a chemical model; it was found that half of the molecules were reduced by the surface-adsorbed O2˙−. The finding of surface-stabilized, long-lived superoxide radicals may have important implications in relation to the chemistry, biology and toxicology of these radicals.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are widely considered as alternative, sustainable, and cost-effective energy storage devices for large-scale energy storage applications. In this work, an easily fabricated sodium vanadium phosphate-carbon composite (NVP@C) cathode material shows a good rate capability, and long cycle life (89% capacity retention after 5000 cycles at a rate of 10C) with an ionic liquid electrolyte for room temperature sodium metal batteries. The electrochemical performance of a full-cell sodium ion battery with NVP@C and hard carbon electrodes was also investigated at room temperature with an ionic liquid electrolyte. The battery exhibited 368 W h kg(-1) energy density and 75% capacity retention after 100 cycles, outperforming the organic electrolyte-based devices.

The inhibitory effect of matrine (MA) was studied in combination with irinotecan (CPT-11) on proliferation of human colon carcinoma cell line HT29. We also explored the mechanism of cell apoptosis induction in HT29. HT29 cells were treated with different concentrations of MA and CPT-11 alone and in combination. The growth inhibition in HT29 cells was evaluated using MTT assay. Apoptosis was detected using AV-PI double staining flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect structural changes in cells. Topoisomerase (TOPO) I, Bax and Caspase-3 expression levels were evaluated using western blot analysis. MA and CPT-11 alone and in combination, inhibited the proliferation of HT29 cells, whereas the combination treatment exhibited higher inhibitory effect (P

For the characterization of chemical components contributing to the aroma of ginger, which could benefit the development of deep-processed ginger products, volatile extracts were isolated by a combination of direct solvent extraction-solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and static headspace analysis. Aroma-impact components were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry, and the most potent odorants were further screened by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and static headspace dilution analysis (SHDA). The AEDA results revealed that geranial, eucalyptol, β-linalool, and bornyl acetate were the most potent odorants, exhibiting the highest flavor dilution factor (FD factor) of 2187. SHDA indicated that the predominant headspace odorants were α-pinene and eucalyptol. In addition, odorants exhibiting a high FD factor in SHDA were estimated to be potent aroma contributors in AEDA. The predominant odorants were found to be monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, as along with their oxygenated derivatives, providing minty, lemon-like, herbal, and woody aromas. On the other hand, three highly volatile compounds detected by SHDA were not detected by AEDA, whereas 34 high-polarity, low-volatility compounds were identified only by AEDA, demonstrating the complementary natures of SHDA and AEDA and the necessity of utilizing both techniques to accurately characterize the aroma of ginger.

Activated carbon (AC) derived from the most common agricultural waste, corncob, has been synthesized through a simple chemical activation process. Furthermore, high energy density lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) were fabricated using corncob-derived AC as the cathode and commercially available Li4Ti5O12 as the anode. The optimized LIC achieves a maximum energy density of 79.6 W h kg−1 and is also capable of delivering high power density of 4 kW kg−1, which is much higher than that of similar constructions employing commercial AC as the cathode. In addition, the corncob-based LIC exhibits great cycle performance with 85.2% retention of the initial capacitance value after 2000 cycles. The present research offers a new approach for the development of high performance LICs employing carbonaceous electrodes of biomass precursors. These results make the corncob-derived activated carbon the most promising candidate for future energy storage applications.

This research proposes a nondestructive inspection system for inspecting and localizing corrosion and fatigue cracks around rivets in air-intake structures. The system uses 64 InSb Hall sensor elements arrayed at a high spatial interval of 0.52 mm. Rivet detection and damage detection algorithms will be proposed. Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve and Probability of detection (POD) will be carried out to evaluate the performance of the system and detection algorithms. Artificial corrosion around a rivet with a minimum volume of 11.02 mm3 could be detected with 90/95% POD and artificial fatigue crack with minimum length of 2.95 mm from rivet body.

A formation model of O

A two-step method with high-efficiency is developed to prepare nitrogen doped activated carbons (NACs) with high surface area and nitrogen content. Based on the method, series of NACs with similar surface area and pore texture but different nitrogen content and nitrogen group species are successfully prepared. The influence of nitrogen doping on electrochemical performance of carbon/sulfur composites cathode is studied deeply under the conditions of similar surface area and pore texture. It presents the directly experimental demonstration that both nitrogen content and nitrogen group species play crucial roles on electrochemical performance of carbon/sulfur composites cathode. NAC/sulfur composites show the much improved cycling performance, which is about 3.5 times as that of nitrogen free carbon. Improved electrochemical performance is due to synergistic effects between nitrogen content and effective nitrogen groups, which enables effective trapping of lithium polysulfides within carbon framework. Besides, it is found that oxygen groups exist in carbon materials obviously influence electrochemical performance of cathode, which could be ignored in most of studies. Based on above, it can be concluded that enhanced chemisorption to lithium polysulfides by functional groups modification is the effective route to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S battery.

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions is a promising alternative to the traditional energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process to produce NH3 . The challenge is to achieve a sufficient energy efficiency, yield rate, and selectivity to make the process practical. Here, we demonstrate that Ru nanoparticles (NPs) enable NRR in 0.01 m HCl aqueous solution at very high energy efficiency, that is, very low overpotentials. Remarkably, the NRR occurs at a potential close to or even above the H+ /H2 reversible potential, significantly enhancing the NRR selectivity versus the production of H2 . NH3 yield rates as high as ≈5.5 mg h-1 m-2 at 20 °C and 21.4 mg h-1 m-2 at 60 °C were achieved at a redox potential (E) of -100 mV versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), whereas a highest Faradaic efficiency (FE) of ≈5.4 % is achievable at E=+10 mV vs. RHE. This work demonstrates the potential use of Ru NPs as an efficient catalyst for NRR at ambient conditions. This ability to catalyze NRR at potentials near or above RHE is imperative in improving the NRR selectivity towards a practical process as well as rendering the H2 viable as byproduct. Density functional theory calculations of the mechanism suggest that the efficient NRR process occurring on these predominantly Ru (0 0 1) surfaces is catalyzed by a dissociative mechanism.

Heterogeneous catalytic reactions usually proceed at the surfaces of materials, where many intermediates, such as free radicals, usually were believed to be short-lived. Herein, surface long-lived superoxide radicals (O2˙-) were identified in UV-irradiated aqueous suspensions of TiO2 and other metal oxide nanoparticles using an online chemiluminescence system. From the decay dynamics process of O2˙-, a long-lived O2˙- radical was observed on anatase TiO2 at pH = 12. After separation of the photo-excited suspension via filtration, CL was detected from the particles but not the filtrate, thus confirming O2˙- surface adsorption. The unusual stability of O2˙- was also verified using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The lifetimes of the radicals were estimated on the different kinds of semiconductor surface according to the decay dynamics curves, and followed the order: TiO2ZnOSnO2CeO2Fe2O3. Furthermore, the function of surface long-lived O2˙- in TiO2 suspensions with regards to photochemical conversion was investigated using NBT as a chemical model; it was found that half of the molecules were reduced by the surface-adsorbed O2˙-. The finding of surface-stabilized, long-lived superoxide radicals may have important implications in relation to the chemistry, biology and toxicology of these radicals.

Photocatalytic degradation is a powerful technique for the decomposition of pollutants. However, toxic intermediates might be generated which have become a great concern recently. In the present work, a continuous flow chemiluminescence (CFCL) method was developed for dynamic monitoring of toxic intermediates generated in the photocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP). Among the main intermediates, tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TCBQ) and trichlorohydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (OH-TrCBQ) showed higher or similar toxicity to PCP. As both TCBQ and OH-TrCBQ can produce chemiluminescence (CL) in the presence of H2O2, a CFCL system was established for the dynamic tracking of the two toxic intermediates. A PCP/TiO2 suspension was irradiated in a photoreactor, pumped continuously into a detection cell, and mixed with H2O2 to produce CL. The time-dependent CL response displayed two distinctive peaks at pH 7, which were attributed to the generation of OH-TrCBQ and TCBQ, respectively, by comparing with their c...

Activated carbons (ACs) are successfully synthesized from corncob by a simple chemical activation methodology and demonstrated as novel, suitable electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). The as-prepared samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS, FT-IR and N2-sorption followed by further electrochemical characterization. All samples exhibit a high specific surface area, favorable pore size distribution combining good electrical conductivity and excellent capacitive performance. The optimal sample achieved not only high specific capacitance (401.6 F g−1 in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 328.4 F g−1 in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte at a current density of 0.5 A g−1), but also showed excellent cycling performance, with 100% and ∼91% retention over 10000 cycles at 5 A g−1 in the above mentioned electrolytes. Furthermore, the sample also displayed improved rate capability with discharge capacitance retention of ∼60% at 20 A g−1 in 0.5 M H2SO4 and ∼75% at 20 A g−1 in 6 M KOH. The results indicate surface functional groups associate with high surface area and appropriate microstructure affect the capacitive performance of corncob-based ACs significantly. Herein, ACs prepared from corncobs are presented as a promising substitute to conventional electrode materials for EDLCs.

A facile synthesis of SnO 2 /corncob-derived activated carbon (CAC) composite was proposed, and the CAC used here has high specific surface area (over 3000 m 2 /g) and ample oxygen-containing functional groups. The microstructures and morphology as well as electrochemical performance of the SnO 2 /CAC composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and relevant electrochemical characterization. The results show that the mass ratios of SnO 2 to CAC have a significant effect on the structures and properties of the composites. The sample with 34% SnO 2 delivered a capacity of 879.8 mAh/g in the first reversible cycle and maintained at 634.0 mAh/g (72.1% retention of the initial reversible capacity) after 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA/g. After 60 cycles at different specific currents from 200 to 2000 mA/g, the reversible specific capacity was still maintained at 632.8 mAh/g at a current density of 200 mA/g. These results indicate that SnO 2 /CAC can be a desirable alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries.

In this work, the morphologies and pore structures of a series of corncob-derived activated carbons and zeolite templated carbon with ultrahigh surface area were carefully investigated by SEM, HRTEM and N2-sorption characterization technologies. The high-pressure hydrogen uptake performance was analyzed using standard Pressure-Composition-Temperature apparatus in order to study the pore size effects on hydrogen uptake. These as-obtained porous carbons showed different characteristics of pore size distribution as well as specific surface area. The results indicate that the most effective pores for adsorbing hydrogen depended on the storage pressure. These ultramicropores (0.65–0.85 nm) could be the most effective pores on excess H2 uptake at 1 bar, however, micropores (0.85–2 nm) would play a more important role in excess H2 uptake at higher pressure at 77 K. At room temperature, pore size effects on H2 uptake capacity were very weak. Both specific surface area and total pore volume play more important roles than pore size for H2 uptake at room temperature, which was clearly different from that at 77 K. For applications in future, the corncob-derived activated carbons can be more available than zeolite templated carbons at 77 K. Element doping enhanced hydrogen uptake could be main research direction for improving H2 uptake capacity at room temperature.

Activated carbons derived from corncob (CACs) were prepared by pyrolysis carbonization and KOH activation. Through modifying activation conditions, samples with large pore volume and ultrahigh BET specific surface area could be obtained. The sample achieved the highest hydrogen uptake capacity of 5.80 wt% at 40 bar and −196 °C. The as-obtained samples were characterized by N 2 -sorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, thermogravimetric analysis was also employed to investigate the activation behavior of CACs. Detailed investigation on the activation parameters reveals that moderate activation temperature and heating rate are favorable for preparing CACs with high surface area, large pore volume and optimal pore size distribution. Meanwhile, the micropore volume between 0.65 nm and 0.85 nm along with BET surface area and total pore volume has great effects on hydrogen uptake capacities. The present results indicate that CACs are the most promising materials for hydrogen storage application.

Corncob-derived activated carbon (CAC) was prepared by potassium hydroxide activation. The Pt/Pd-doped CAC samples were prepared by two-step reduction method (ethylene glycol reduction plus hydrogen reduction). The as-obtained samples were characterized by N 2 -sorption, TEM and XRD. The results show the texture of CAC is varied after doping Pt/Pd. The Pd particles are easier to grow up than Pt particles on the surface of activated carbon. For containing Pt samples, the pore size distributions are different from original sample and Pd loaded sample. The hydrogen uptake results show excess hydrogen uptake capacity on the Pt/Pd-doped CAC samples are higher than pure CAC at 298 K, which should be attributed to hydrogen spillover effects. The 2.5%Pt and 2.5%Pd hybrid doped CAC sample shows the highest hydrogen uptake capacity (1.65 wt%) at 298 K and 180 bar, The particle size and distribution of Pt/Pd catalysts could play a crucial role on hydrogen uptake by spillover. The total hydrogen storage capacity analysis show that total H 2 storage capacities for all samples are similar, and spillover enhanced H 2 uptakes of metal-doped samples could not well support total H 2 storage capacity. The total pore volume of porous materials also is a key factor to affect total hydrogen storage capacity.

The aim was to study the features and clinical significance of cell apoptosis and proliferation of NK/T cell lymphoma. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and immunohistochemical Streptavidin-peroxidase method were used to study cell apoptosis and the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen in 25 NK/T cell lymphoma and 10 reactive lymphoid tissues. Apoptotic index (AI) and proliferative index (PI) averaged (1.92% ± 0.86%) and (41.48% ± 5.10%) respectively in the 25 NK/T cell lymphomas and (6.70% ± 1.89%) and (20.10% ± 2.77%) in the 10 reactive lymphoid tissues. Compared with reactive lymphoid tissues, AI was significantly reduced in NK/T cell lymphoma (t = 10.80, P < 0.01) while PI significantly increased (t = 12.39, P < 0.01). In addition, in NK/T cell lymphoma, AI and PI were positively related (r = 0.69, P < 0.01). In NK/T cell lymphoma, cell apoptosis is reduced while cell proliferation increased. The imbalance between cell apoptosis and cell proliferation is closely related to the development and progression of NK/T cell lymphoma.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is present on the surface of tumor cells where it stimulates adjacent fibroblasts to produce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We have analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics of EMMPRIN and MMP2 expression in normal brain tissue and pediatric gliomas and evaluated their prognostic value in diagnosing the latter. Immunochemistry analysis revealed EMMPRIN and MMP2 expression in cryo-sections of pediatric gliomas (45 samples) and normal brain tissue (20 samples). Both EMMPRIN and MMP2 were expressed in normal brain and glioma tissues with different levels of malignancy. The intensively positive expression rates of EMMPRIN (22/27) and MMP2 (21/27) in anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma tissues were significantly higher than those in normal brain and low-grade astrocytoma tissues (2/28 and ½8, respectively). Spearman analysis indicated that the expression level of EMMPRIN was significantly positively correlated with that of MMP2 (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). The positive expression of EMMPRIN and MMP2 was associated with higher grade gliomas. Patients with EMMPRIN+/MMP2+ expression had the lowest survival rate (p < 0.01). Based on these results, we conclude that EMMPRIN and MMP2 are expressed differently in normal brain and pediatric gliomas. The detection of their co-expression may facilitate the prediction of pediatric gliomas prognosis.

An efficient photocatalytic process involves two closely related steps: charge separation and the subsequent surface redox reaction. Herein, a ternary hybrid photocatalytic system was designed and fabricated by anchoring Cu(II) clusters onto a TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite. Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization revealed that both TiO2 nanoparticles and Cu(II) clusters were highly dispersed on a graphene sheet with intimate interfacial contact. Compared with pristine TiO2, the TiO2/RGO/Cu(II) composite yielded an almost 3-fold enhancement in the photodegradation rate toward phenol degradation under UV irradiation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra and electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the improved photocatalytic activity of this ternary system benefitted from the synergetic effect between RGO and Cu(II), which facilitates the interfacial charge transfer and simultaneously achieves in situ generation of H2O2 via two-electron reduction of O2. These results highlight the importance to harmonize the charge separation and surface reaction process in achieving high photocatalytic efficiency for practical application.