Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction of Anilines, α‑Oxoaldehydes, and α‑Angelicalactone for the Synthesis of Complex Pyrrolidones

A green and efficient three-component reaction of easily available anilines, α-oxoaldehydes, and α-angelicalactone was developed for the synthesis of highly functionalized pyrrolidones using dilute sulfuric acid as the catalyst. Products were obtained in good to high yields at room temperature and under solvent-free conditions. The reaction could also be performed on a multigram scale with the same efficiency

In Situ Investigation of Cathode and Local Biofilm Microenvironments Reveals Important Roles of OH^– and Oxygen Transport in Microbial Fuel Cells

Mass transport within a cathode, including OH^– transport and oxygen diffusion, is important for the performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, little is known regarding how mass transport profiles are associated with MFC performance and how they are affected by biofilm that inevitably forms on the cathode surface. In this study, the OH^– and oxygen profiles of a cathode biofilm were probed in situ in an MFC using microelectrodes. The pH of the catalyst layer interface increased from 7.0 ± 0.1 to 9.4 ± 0.3 in a buffered MFC with a bare cathode, which demonstrates significant accumulation of OH^– in the cathode region. Furthermore, the pH of the interface increased to 10.0 ± 0.3 in the presence of the local biofilm, which indicates that OH^– transport was severely blocked. As a result of the significant OH^– accumulation, the maximum power density of the MFC decreased from 1.8 ± 0.1 W/m² to 1.5 ± 0.08 W/m². In contrast, oxygen crossover, which was significant under low current flow conditions, was limited by the cathode biofilm. As a result of the blocked oxygen crossover, higher MFC coulombic efficiency (CE) was achieved in the presence of the cathode biofilm. These results indicate that enhanced OH^– transport and decreased oxygen crossover would be beneficial for high-performance MFC development

Comparison of the prevalence of types of chest injury among patients admitted to our hospital in the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes.

<p>*Based on the Pearson chi-squared test, continuity-corrected chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test.</p

Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Chest Injury Characteristics and Concurrent Injuries in Patients Admitted to Hospital in the Wenchuan and Lushan Earthquakes in Sichuan, China

<div><p>Background</p><p>The aim of this study was to compare retrospectively the characteristics of chest injuries and frequencies of other, concurrent injuries in patients after earthquakes of different seismic intensity.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We compared the cause, type, and body location of chest injuries as well as the frequencies of other, concurrent injuries in patients admitted to our hospital after the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes in Sichuan, China. We explored possible relationships between seismic intensity and the causes and types of injuries, and we assessed the ability of the Injury Severity Score, New Injury Severity Score, and Chest Injury Index to predict respiratory failure in chest injury patients.</p><p>Results</p><p>The incidence of chest injuries was 9.9% in the stronger Wenchuan earthquake and 22.2% in the less intensive Lushan earthquake. The most frequent cause of chest injuries in both earthquakes was being accidentally struck. Injuries due to falls were less prevalent in the stronger Wenchuan earthquake, while injuries due to burial were more prevalent. The distribution of types of chest injury did not vary significantly between the two earthquakes, with rib fractures and pulmonary contusions the most frequent types. Spinal and head injuries concurrent with chest injuries were more prevalent in the less violent Lushan earthquake. All three trauma scoring systems showed poor ability to predict respiratory failure in patients with earthquake-related chest injuries.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Previous studies may have underestimated the incidence of chest injury in violent earthquakes. The distributions of types of chest injury did not differ between these two earthquakes of different seismic intensity. Earthquake severity and interval between rescue and treatment may influence the prevalence and types of injuries that co-occur with the chest injury. Trauma evaluation scores on their own are inadequate predictors of respiratory failure in patients with earthquake-related chest injuries.</p></div

Relationships between seismic intensity and cause of injury in patients admitted to our hospital after the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes.

<p>*Based on the likelihood ratio of the chi-squared test.</p

Relationships between seismic intensity and the prevalence of types of chest injury in patients admitted to our hospital after the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes.

a<p>Some patients suffered from more than one type of chest injury and therefore appear multiple times in this table. One patient with diaphragmatic hernia, one with thoracic duct injury, two with mediastinal emphysema and one with mediatinal effusion were not included in the analysis.</p><p>*Based on the likelihood ratio chi-squared test.</p

Comparison of the causes of chest injury in patients admitted to our hospital in the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes.

a<p>Patients with injuries reflecting multiple causes were classified according to the cause of their principal injury.</p><p>*Based on the Pearson chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test.</p

Comparison of the ability of conventional injury severity scores to predict respiratory failure in patients admitted to our hospital from the Lushan earthquake.

<p>Abbreviations: AUC, area under the ROC curve; CII, chest injury index; ISS, injury severity score; NISS, new injury severity score; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval.</p>a<p>NISS vs. ISS, p = 0.880.</p>b<p>NISS vs. CII, p = 0.136.</p

Nanostructured Macroporous Bioanode Based on Polyaniline-Modified Natural Loofah Sponge for High-Performance Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology to recover electrical energy from different types of waste. However, the power density of MFCs for practical applications is limited by the anode performance, mainly resulting from low bacterial loading capacity and low extracellular electron transfer (EET) efficiency. In this study, an open three-dimensional (3D) structured electrode was fabricated using a natural loofah sponge as the precursor material. The loofah sponge was directly converted into a continuous 3D macroporous carbon material via a simple carbonization procedure. The loofah sponge carbon (LSC) was decorated with nitrogen-enriched carbon nanoparticles by cocarbonizing polyaniline-hybridized loofah sponges to improve their microscopic structures. The macroscale porous structure of the LSCs greatly increased the bacterial loading capacity. The microscale coating of carbon nanoparticles favored EET due to the enhanced interaction between the bacteria and the anode. By using a single-chamber MFC equipped with the fabricated anode, a power density of 1090 ± 72 mW m^–2 was achieved, which is much greater than that obtained by similarly sized traditional 3D anodes. This study introduces a promising method for the fabrication of high-performance anodes from low-cost, sustainable natural materials

Cost savings, quality-adjusted life year gains and life year gains made as a result of the avoiding future complications of new chronic HCV infections.

<p>PWID = people who inject drugs.</p