Environmental attitudes of Chinese students in higher education institutions

This study investigates the influence of environmental attitudes of Chinese students in higher education institutions (HEIs). It included 988 students at ten higher education institutions and administered an “environmental attitudes inventory" questionnaire to investigate gender, grade level of study, institution level, parental educational background, scholarships, annual household income, students' leadership experience and the extent to which variables such as participation in environment-related courses affect students' attitudes towards the environment. Furthermore, the study relied on descriptive and analytical methods. The results show significant differences in grade, school level and parents' educational backgrounds on students' environmental attitudes. In contrast, gender, scholarship, annual family income and student leader experience related to the environment did not appear as significant factors. This paper suggests that education policymakers incorporate these influences into a vision of environmental educational reform to inform the remedial actions needed by higher education institutions

Application of thiabendazole/bentonites hybrids as efficient antibacterial agent against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

Clay minerals are commonly used in agriculture, light industry, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other fields because it has adsorption and cation exchange properties. In this work, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a modifier and thiabendazole (TBZ) as intercalation agent to prepare composite, and their potential use as antibacterial agent was evaluated. Thiabendazole is a kind of antiparasitic drug which began to be used abroad in the early 60’s. But soon after, it was discovered that it had a strong anti-fungal effect on many molds that affect vegetables, fruits, nuts and other crops. At present, it has been widely used in prevention and control abroad. Unmodified bentonite, modified bentonite and intercalated bentonite were characterized by x ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and the antimicrobial properties of the compounds was investigated by Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and Kirby-Bauer disc agar diffusion method. Among the three compounds, the ratio of modified bentonite to thiabenazole was 5:1 showed the highest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . In the final, there are some figures about the SEM of E. coli and S. aureus that can indicate antibacterial of the antibacterial agent

Cellulose Nanocrystal-based Liquid Crystal Structures and the Unique Optical Characteristics of Cellulose Nanocrystal Films

Liquid crystals (LC) have been found to have many unique characteristics during the last few decades. The liquid crystal phase is ubiquitous in the biological world, as well as in cellulose and its derivatives. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which can obtain the chiral LC phase in aqueous suspension, have been attracting much attention. The unique size and properties of CNC, such as their light weight, special optical properties, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, etc., have made them widely applicable in diverse fields. This brief literature review introduces the relationship between the LC phase and CNC. Advantages of CNC as a liquid crystal forming material and the preparation of CNC are discussed. The left-handed cholesteric phase structure and the corresponding unique optical properties of CNC-based LC are described in detail. The CNC-based LC aqueous suspension and three stages of forming LC phase are also described. Then, the main reasons accounting for the brittleness and non-uniformity of pristine CNC-based LC are summarized, as well as ways to overcome these problems. Finally, some optical applications of CNC-based LC films in anti-counterfeiting, colorimetric sensors, and composite devices are considered

Investigation into the flux distribution of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum using principal component analysis

Central carbon metabolism is the main source of energy required by organisms and it provides precursors for other in vivo metabolic processes. The flux flowing through the pathways involved in central carbon metabolism characterizes its biological function and genetic readout between species or environments. In recent years, using a 13C tracer technique, researchers have measured the flux of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum under a variety of nutritional and environmental changes or genetic modifications. However, there is no integrated and comparative analysis of these measured flux values. In this study, the flux values of central carbon metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum that were obtained in other recent studies were consolidated. A preliminary examination of the distribution characteristics of flux values in each metabolic pathway was conducted and the regression relationship between different fluxes was investigated. The principal components of the flux vector were further extracted and aggregated based on the components, and the general features of flux distribution of central carbon metabolism as well as the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the flux distribution were determined. This study provides a foundation for further investigation into the flux distribution and regulation characteristics of central carbon metabolism

Tailored ionic liquid for metal-free carbons toward oxygen reduction reaction

Carbon catalysts have been widely used for various electrochemical reactions including oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and their catalytic activities are significantly dependent on carbon precursors. Ionic liquids (ILs) are promising precursors of heteroatom-doped carbon electrocatalysts for ORR. Herein, we demonstrated that an IL tailored with π-π conjugated interaction introduced by a π-electron enriched aromatic ring can offer a carbon material with improved ORR activity