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Graphite anode materials are widely used in commercial lithium-ion batteries; however, the long electron/ion transportation path restricted its high energy storage. In this experiment, we designed a copper/graphite composite with a dual three-dimensional (3D) continuous porous structure combining used nonsolvent-induced phase separation and heat treatment, in which a large amount of graphite is embedded in the 3D porous copper/carbon architecture. In the novel structure, not only the electron and Li+ transmission performances are improved, but also the space of current collector is fully utilized. Meanwhile, carbonized polyacrylonitrile network stabilizes the interface between graphite and copper matrix. The obtained copper/graphite composite anode has an initial discharge capacity of 524.6 mAh·g−1, a holding capacity of 350 mAh·g−1 and excellent cycle stability (299.3 mAh·g−1 after 180 cycles at 0.1C rate), exhibiting good electrochemical performance. The experimental results show that the mass loading of the copper/graphite composite electrode material is about 4.39 mg·cm−2. We also envisage replacing graphite with other high-capacity active materials to fill the current collector, which can provide a reference for the future development of next-generation advanced electrodes.

Sulfate radical (SO4·-)-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) attract increasing attention in the control of micropollutants. However, SO4·- can react with other chemicals present in water and result in undesired oxidation by-products (OBPs) generation. The formation and degradation mechanisms of CX3R-type OBPs during cobalt catalyzed peroxymonosulfate (Co2+/PMS) oxidation were investigated. In the formation of CX3R-type OBPs, both Co3+ and SO4·- could convert chloride to free chlorine that then reacted with natural organic matter, leading to the formation of CX3R-type OBPs. The concentrations of trichloromethane, chloral hydrate, dichloroacetonitrile, dichloroacetamide and trichloroacetamide after 15 min reaction were 9.8, 3.9, 1.2, 5.9 and 22.3 nM, respectively. Compared to SO4·-, Co3+ played a more significant role in the CX3R-type OBP formation and calculated toxicity values of CX3R-type OBPs. CX3R-type OBPs could not only be formed but also be degraded at the same time during Co2+/PMS oxidation. As for the degradation of CX3R-type OBPs, both Co3+ and SO4·- could transform CX3R-type OBPs to chloride. Compared to Co3+, SO4·- played a more important role in the degradation of CX3R-type OBPs and the conversion from chloride to final by-product chlorate. The adverse effects that results from Co3+ need more attention in SO4·--based AOPs application.

To study the component and gene expressions of apoptosome in the mitochondrial-associated apoptotic pathway, cytochrome c and Apaf-1 were identified in the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, collected from Fuzhou, China. The full-length cDNA of cytochrome c comprised 873 bp, including a 327 bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 108 amino acids. Two full-length cDNAs of Apaf-1, Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b, were identified. Apaf-1a shared the same region of 5'-UTR (5'-untranslated region) (172 bp) and ORF (4,647 bp) of cDNA, but was 73 bp longer than Apaf-1b in the region of 3'-UTR of the cDNA. The ORF of Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b encoded a putative protein of 1,548 amino acids and shared 100% identity. No significant up-regulation of cytochrome c mRNA expression was found in both the chlorpyrifos-resistant (RR) and chlorpyrifos-susceptible (SS) DBM. Compared with the control (at 25°C for 3 h), mRNA transcript levels of Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b increased with the increase of temperature and were significantly higher at 37, 42, 47 and 50°C than at 25 and 33.5°C in RR DBM. However, the extent of up-regulation expression of Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b in SS DBM was slight under heat stress except at 42°C. In general, significantly higher increase in the mRNA transcript level of Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b was found in RR DBM than in SS DBM. It has been suggested that significantly higher expression of caspase-7 and lower biological fitness occurs in RR DBM under heat stress, a suggestion confirmed in our previous publications, and a result which might be associated with their higher up-regulation expression of Apaf-1a and Apaf-1b.

To observe the therapeutic effects of arthroscopic treatment for recurrent patellar dislocation by anatomical reconstruction of medial patellarfemoral ligament.From June 2009 to December 2014, 25 patients with recurrent patellar dislocation were treated with anatomical reconstruction of medial patellarfemoral ligament surgery under arthroscopy. There were 10 males and 15 females, with an average age of 18.4 years old (ranged, 15 to 25 years old ). There were 15 patients who had a medical history of sports injury, 7 patients had a chronic impairment history, and the other 3 patients had the symptoms without obvious predisposing causes. Fourteen patients had injuries on the right knee and 11 patients had injuries on the left knee. All the patients suffered from patellar dislocation 3 to 10 times. After operation, the exercise of knee joint were performed postoperatively. The knee range of motion, Lysholm score, Kujala score, Insall criteria, Patellar apprehension test and patellar grinding test were observed to evaluate the clinical effects.All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 12 to 48 months, with an average of 24.8 months. After surgery, all the wounds were healed excellent and there were no complications like surgical incision infection or patellar redislocation. The ranges of motion was increased from preoperative (105.40±5.93)° to postoperative(122.60±5.42)°. At the latest follow-up, the Lysholm scores were increased from preoperative 64.12±7.49 to postoperative 91.44±5.53, the Kujala scores were increased from preoperative 57.88±5.10 to postoperative 92.44±2.69. According to the Insall criteria, 19 patients got an excellent result, 5 good and 1 fair.It has a satisfactory clinical therapeutic effect on anatomical reconstruction of medial patellarfemoral ligament under arthroscopy for the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation. It is helpful for the relief of clinical symptoms and improvement of knee joint function.

The hormetic effects of ionic liquids (ILs) were paid more ecological attentions. However, the time-dependent hormetic effects of ILs and their mixtures remained to be studied. In this paper, the time-dependent toxicities of five single ILs, 1-ethyl-, 1-butyl-, 1-hexyl-, 1-octyl-, and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorides (named as [C 2 mim]Cl, [C 4 mim]Cl, [C 6 mim]Cl, [C 8 mim]Cl, and [C 12 mim]Cl, respectively), and their five-component mixtures to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 were determined at five exposure time points. For single ILs, [C 2 mim]Cl displayed significant hormetic effects at 2, 4, 8, and 12 h; and [C 4 mim]Cl exhibited significant hormetic effects at 4, 8 and 12 h; while [C 6 mim]Cl, [C 8 mim]Cl and [C 12 mim]Cl have not significant hormetic effects. At the same time point, the longer the side chain is, the larger the inhibition at high concentration is, and the less the stimulation at low concentration is. Meanwhile, the maximum stimulation effects were found between 4 and 8 h. All six IL mixtures designed by uniform design ray showed significant hormetic effects at 8 and 12 h. By means of the variable selection and modeling method based on the prediction (VSMP), it was found that the higher the concentration of [C 2 mim]Cl is, the stronger the mixture hormetic effect is and the higher the concentration of [C 12 mim]Cl is, the weaker the hormetic effect is.

Recent toxicity studies on ionic liquids (ILs) are challenging their postulation as green solvents. Previous reports on mixtures containing ILs make it urgent to reveal the responsible components for the toxicity interactions. For that purpose, eight ILs, four consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([emim]) and the others of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([bmim]), were selected as mixture components. The concentrations of eight ILs in mixtures were set up by the uniform design. The inhibition toxicities of single ILs and mixtures to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 were determined by microplate toxicity analysis. Combined toxicity was evaluated by the difference between the effects observed and predicted by the concentration addition model. Using the variable selection and modeling method based on the prediction (VSMP), it was found that the antagonism/synergism induced by the mixtures of eight ILs was related to [emim]BF(4)/[emim]CF(3)SO(3). To further illustrate the toxicity interactions, eight ILs were split into two mixture groups, one containing four [emim]-based ILs and the other four [bmim]-based ILs. The [emim]-group exhibited synergism while [bmim]-group resulted in antagonism. It was interesting that both the synergism and antagonism well related to the concentration ratio of ILs with BF(4)(-). When ILs with BF(4)(-) were deleted from corresponding mixtures, the toxicity interactions (synergism/antagonism) disappeared.