Green interfacial synthesis of two-dimensional poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) nanosheets as a promising electrode for high performance electrochemical capacitors

National Natural Science Foundation of China [51202004]; Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province [KJ2013A051]; CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion [2014001]2D poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) nanosheets were first designed and tailored as intriguing pseudo-capacitive electrode for advanced supercapacitors via green interfacial synthetic strategy, and yielded large specific capacitance (SC) and remarkable SC retention at high rates in 1 M HCl electrolyte

Template-engaged synthesis of uniform mesoporous hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres towards high-performance electrochemical capacitors

National Natural Science Foundation of China [51202004]; Nature Science Foundation of Anhui Province [KJ2013A051]An efficient template-engaged synthetic strategy, where silica spheres were applied as hard templates, was developed to synthesize hierarchical mesoporous hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres assembled entirely from ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness of a few nanometers. The as-prepared mesoporous hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres are very uniform in size, mesoporous in textual property, and structurally robust benefiting from the in situ template removal. The morphologies of the hollow submicrospherical architecture can be tuned easily by varying the concentrations of Ni2+, Co2+, and the precipitant. When evaluated as an appealing electroactive material for electrochemical capacitors (ECs), the as-fabricated hierarchical hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres delivered a specific capacitance (SC) of 678 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1), and even kept it as high as 540 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1). Additionally, a desirable cycling stability of 13% SC degradation over 3500 continuous cycles at a current density of 10 A g(-1) is observed, suggesting their promising application in advanced ECs

Polymer-assisted synthesis of a 3D hierarchical porous network-like spinel NiCo2O4 framework towards high-performance electrochemical capacitors

National Natural Science Foundation of China [51202004, 21173120]; Nature Science Foundation of Anhui Province [KJ2013A051]; Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China [20060287026]; Nature Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [BK2011030]; Foundation of Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Shandong University), Ministry of Education [201201]We have developed a facile yet scalable polymer-assisted chemical solution route to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous network-like NiCo2O4 framework for advanced electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The unique interconnected hierarchical porous framework is constructed by nanosized spinel NiCo2O4 building blocks of 20-30 nm size, thus, a 3D continuous electron transport expressway, convenient electrolyte penetration-diffusion and large electrode-electrolyte interface are obtained simultaneously. The combination of these appealing structural features in the striking network-like NiCo2O4 framework results in a drastically enhanced kinetic behavior, large specific capacitance (SC) and a remarkable cycling stability at high rates. The unique network-like NiCo2O4 electrode features a SC of 587 F g(-1) at 2 A g(-1), and can deliver up to 518 F g(-1) at a large current density of 16 A g(-1). Also, a SC deterioration of similar to 6% of the maximum SC is evident after continuous 3500 charge-discharge cycles at varying current densities, ranging from 2 to 16 A g(-1). Furthermore, the synthetic strategy presented here can be easily extended to fabricate other binary complex metal oxides and/or ternary metal oxides with a controlled composition and porous structure, which may be promising candidates for high-performance ECs, and even advanced Li-ion batteries

Facile synthesis of Co2P2O7 nanorods as a promising pseudocapacitive material towards high-performance electrochemical capacitors

National Natural Science Foundation of China [51202004]; Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province [KJ2013A051]In the present work, we developed an efficient one-step template-free strategy to fabricate intriguing one-dimensional (1D) Co2P2O7 nanorods (NRs) at room temperature, and utilized the unique monoclinic Co2P2O7 NRs as an excellent electrode material for high-performance pseudocapacitors using 3 M KOH as an electrolyte. Strikingly, the as-synthesized 1D Co2P2O7 NR electrode delivered a specific capacitance (SC) of 483 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), and even at 402 F g(-1) a high current loading of 10 A g(-1). And the SC retention of similar to 90% over continuous 3000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 6 A g(-1) confirmed its stable long-term cycling ability at high current density. More significantly, the underlying electrochemical energy-storage mechanism of the Co2P2O7 NR electrode in alkaline KOH aqueous solution was tentatively proposed. And the appealing strategy was proposed for future exploration and development of other low-cost pseudocapacitive materials for next-generation ECs

Alleviation of seeding chlorosis by plant growth regulators in drip-irrigated rice

Drip irrigation can produce high rice yields with significant water savings; therefore, it extends rapidly in water-scarce northern China. However, drip-irrigated rice seedlings often exhibit Fe chlorosis. The objective of this field experiment was thus to determine the ability of plant growth regulators to alleviate chlorosis in drip-irrigated rice seedlings. The study compared three plant growth regulators (1-naphthylacetic acid, NAA; sodium nitrophenolate, CSN; and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate, DA-6) applied in two ways (seed-soaking and drip-application). The results showed that CSN increased root oxidation activity by 37% in the seed-soaking treatment and by 45% in the soil-application treatment. Seed soaking with NAA, CSN, and DA-6 increased the active Fe content in leaves by 8.8%, 17.5%, and 11.4%, respectively, compared with untreated seedlings. Iron absorption and SPAD values were both greater in the soil-application plots than in the seed-soaking plots. Among the plant growth regulators, CSN resulted in the highest yield (2.2% greater than untreated rice in the seed-soaking treatment and 12.8% greater than untreated rice in the soil-application treatment). In conclusion, CSN significantly improved root Fe uptake at the seedling stage and reduced chlorosis in drip-irrigated rice. Therefore, CSN drip application can be recommended for alleviating rice chlorosis in practical use

Polystyrene microplastics induce microbial dysbiosis and dysfunction in surrounding seawater

Microplastics are ubiquitously present in the environment, accumulate in aquaculture water, and cause toxicological effects on aquatic organisms. Besides, microplastics provide ecological niches for microorganisms in aquatic environments. However, the effects of microplastics on microbial balance and function in surrounding water are still unclear, especially for aquaculture water. Therefore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to uncover polystyrene microplastics (PS)-induced microbial dysbiosis in surrounding seawater cultivating marine medaka (Oryzias melastigmas) and to screen related potential bacterial biomarkers. We found that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in each group, accounting for more than 95% of the total abundance, and that 26 bacterial taxa belonging to Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were significantly altered in surrounding seawater after 10- and 200-µm PS exposure. Functional analysis revelated that photosynthesis, carbon metabolism (such as carbon fixation, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism), amino acid metabolism, lipid synthesis, and nucleotide metabolism were decreased, while environmental stress responses, such as xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, were increased in surrounding seawater microbiota after separate 10- and 200-µm PS exposure. Pathway analysis and correlation networks demonstrated that changes in relative abundances of bacterial taxa belonging to Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were highly correlated with those in the liver metabolism of marine medaka. Subsequently, 8 bacterial taxa were discovered to be able to be used separately as the potential biomarker for assessing the surrounding seawater microbial dysbiosis and metabolic responses of marine medaka, with a diagnostic accuracy of 100.0%. This study provides novel insights into toxicological effects of microplastics on microbial dysbiosis and function in surrounding water and ecosystems, and suggests potential roles of biomarkers involved in surrounding microbial dysbiosis in assessing microplastic ecotoxicology, microbial dysbiosis, and the health status of organisms at higher trophic levels

Template-engaged synthesis of uniform mesoporous hollow NiCo 2O4 sub-microspheres towards high-performance electrochemical capacitors

An efficient template-engaged synthetic strategy, where silica spheres were applied as hard templates, was developed to synthesize hierarchical mesoporous hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres assembled entirely from ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness of a few nanometers. The as-prepared mesoporous hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres are very uniform in size, mesoporous in textual property, and structurally robust benefiting from the in situ template removal. The morphologies of the hollow sub-microspherical architecture can be tuned easily by varying the concentrations of Ni2+, Co2+, and the precipitant. When evaluated as an appealing electroactive material for electrochemical capacitors (ECs), the as-fabricated hierarchical hollow NiCo2O4 sub-microspheres delivered a specific capacitance (SC) of 678 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, and even kept it as high as 540 F g-1 at 10 A g-1. Additionally, a desirable cycling stability of 13% SC degradation over 3500 continuous cycles at a current density of 10 A g-1 is observed, suggesting their promising application in advanced ECs. ? 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Diastereoisomer- and Enantiomer-Specific Accumulation, Depuration, and Bioisomerization of Hexabromocyclododecanes in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>)

In this study, zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) were exposed to two dietary concentrations of individual HBCD diastereoisomers (α-, β-, and γ-HBCD) for 42 days, followed by clean food for 21 days, to examine bioaccumulation, depuration, and enantiomer fractions (EFs) of HBCD diastereoisomers and to test the bioisomerization of HBCDs in fish. The depuration of α-, β-, and γ-HBCD in zebrafish followed the first-order process. Bioaccumulation parameters of the three diastereoisomers differed between low and high dose, suggesting that the bioaccumulation of them is concentration dependent. Calculated assimilation efficiencies (AEs), biomagnification factors (BMFs), and half-lives (<i>t</i>_1/2) of α-HBCD were the highest among the three diastereoisomers. Furthermore, the study showed that zebrafish could biotransform γ-HBCD to α-HBCD. The highest AE, BMF, and <i>t</i>_1/2 of α-HBCD and bioisomerization of γ-HBCD to α-HBCD could explain why α-HBCD appears to be dominant in biota samples. The EFs for α- and γ-HBCD in zebrafish estimated at different times of bioaccumulation and depuration were all significantly greater than those in corresponding food (<i>P</i> < <i>0.05</i>), indicating selective enrichment of (+) α-enantiomer and (+) γ-enantiomer relative to (−) α-enantiomer and (−) γ-enantiomer, respectively

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of estrogenic compounds for three source water types in Ningbo City, China

This study evaluated the occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of nine estrogenic compounds found in 29 source water sites in Ningbo City, China. They included 21 reservoirs, five river sites and three wells. The nine estrogenic compounds included estrone (El), 4-n-nonylphenol (NP), 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), diethylstilbestrol (DES), estriol (E3), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 4-toctylphenol (OP), 1713-estradio1-17-valerate (EV), and bisphenol A (BPA). Generally, most of these estrogenic compounds were not detected in samples. Among estrogens detected, we found high concentrations of BPA up to mu g/L levels while NP had the highest detection frequency of all estrogens in all samples. Samples taken from rivers had a higher detection frequency of estrogenic compounds than samples taken from reservoirs and wells. According to risk quotient (RQ) calculations for aquatic organisms living in source water contaminated by estrogenic compounds, the Fenghua and Yao rivers were at high risk. Results from this study can provide insight into selecting appropriate source water based on the accurate identification of compound and/or element contamination through the coupled analysis of their distribution and risk assessment

Clinical characteristics of 199 discharged patients with COVID-19 in Fujian Province: A multicenter retrospective study between January 22nd and February 27th, 2020.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly spread throughout the country and the world since first broke out in Wuhan, China. The outbreak that started from January 22, 2020, in Fujian Province has been controlled as the number of indigenous cases has not increased since March. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in Fujian Province, China.MethodsIn this retrospective, multicenter study, we collected and analyzed the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data of all cases confirmed by nucleic acid tests in five designated hospitals in Fujian Province between January 22 and February 27, 2020. All patients were followed up until discharge. COVID-19 severity was classified as mild, moderate, severe, or critical.ResultsOf 199 discharged patients with COVID-19, 105 patients were male, with a median age of 46.3 years, and 17 patients were severe, and 5 patients were critical on admission. Hypertension and diabetes were the most common comorbidities. The symptoms at illness onset were mainly fever (76.4%), cough (60.8%), and myalgia or fatigue (27.6%). A total of 96.5% of patients had abnormal imaging findings on chest computed tomography. Lymphopenia (37.2%) and hypoxemia (13.6%) were observed. Acute respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure occurred in 9 patients (4.5%) and 8 patients (4.0%) respectively. One patient died and the others were cured and discharged with the median hospital stay of 19 days. Old age was negatively correlated with lymphocyte count (r = - 0.296, p ConclusionsPatients in Fujian Province were mostly nonsevere cases with mild or moderate symptoms, and had a lower mortality than patients in Wuhan (4.3%-15%). Older age, hypertension, diabetes, and lymphopenia were risk factors for severity of COVID-19