Phosphate-Induced Reaction to Prepare Coal-Based P-Doped Hard Carbon with a Hierarchical Porous Structure for Improved Sodium-Ion Storage.

The use of coal as a precursor for producing hard carbon is favored due to its abundance, low cost, and high carbon yield. To further optimize the sodium storage performance of hard carbon, the introduction of heteroatoms has been shown to be an effective approach. However, the inert structure in coal limits the development of heteroatom-doped coal-based hard carbon. Herein, coal-based P-doped hard carbon was synthesized using Ca3(PO4)2 to achieve homogeneous phosphorus doping and inhibit carbon microcrystal development during high-temperature carbonization. This involved a carbon dissolution reaction where Ca3(PO4)2 reacted with SiO2 and carbon in coal to form phosphorus and CO. The resulting hierarchical porous structure allowed for rapid diffusion of Na+ and resulted in a high reversible capacity of 200 mAh g-1 when used as an anode material for Na+ storage. Compared to unpretreated coal-based hard carbon, the P-doped hard carbon displayed a larger initial coulombic efficiency (64%) and proportion of plateau capacity (47%), whereas the unpretreated carbon only exhibited an initial coulombic efficiency of 43.1% and a proportion of plateau capacity of 29.8%. This work provides a green, scalable approach for effective microcrystalline regulation of hard carbon from low-cost and highly aromatic precursors.

Molecular Characteristics of Jimusaer Shale Oil from Xinjiang, China.

Increasing attention is currently obtained by the exploitation and utilization of unconventional energy sources globally. Jimusaer shale oil (JSO) was prepared by dry distillation from oil shale in Jimusaer, Xinjiang, China. Using n-heptane and toluene as solvents, saturate (SA), aromatic (AR), resin (RE), and asphaltene (AS) samples were produced from JSO. Samples were subsequently analyzed by elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), infrared analysis (FT-IR), high-performance gel chromatography (GPC), and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR). In terms of basic properties, element content, classification of combustible minerals, and refining performance, JSO, which has a high H/C value, low carbon residue yield, low metal content, and excellent refining-processing performance, is considered a high-quality shale oil compared with the shale oil produced in other areas. The refining performance of JSO is even comparable with petroleum. According to column chromatography, the contents of SA, AR, RE, and AS in JSO are 54.32, 18.86, 25.81, and 1.01%, respectively. The results of FT-IR and NMR (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR) demonstrated that the chain alkane or aromatic cycloalkyl substituents of SA, AR, and RE decrease sequentially, while the number of aromatic rings and cycloalkane rings and the degree of condensation increase sequentially. These results indicate that the chain alkanes with a small number of cycloalkanes are the main component of SA. The AR and RE contain more thick-ring aromatic hydrocarbons. According to GPC, the molecular weight (M n) of JSO is 845 g·mol-1, and those of SA, AR, and RE are 702, 1107, and 2218 g·mol-1, respectively. The estimated molecular formulas (M af) of JSO, SA, AR, and RE, which were calculated based on the combined results of GPC and EA, are C57.91H115.60O1.38N0.79S0.04, C48.02H101.79O0.69N0.85S0.03, C76.96H137.16O1.08N1.87S0.09, and C156.24H247.75O1.46N4.42S0.32.

An outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae caused by a macrolide-resistant isolate in a nursery school in China.

Eighteen out of 45 children were reported to have a respiratory illness during an outbreak at a temporary dormitory in a nursery school in China in 2011. To study the outbreak and to determine the risk factors for infection, an epidemiological investigation was performed. A standardized questionnaire was completed for a total of 45 children with the help of their guardians and parents. In addition, acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples and throat swabs from the children were taken for laboratory diagnosis. The diagnosis of a Mycoplasma-like illness was based on the following clinical criteria. The criteria were onset of illness after 31 May 2011, characterized by a cough, fever(>37.5 °C), or at least 3 of the following symptoms: fever, sore throat, cough or expectoration, and runny or stuffy nose. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), determination of MICs, and sequencing were performed to determine the genotype, antibiotic resistance, and sequence polymorphisms of the isolated strains, respectively. The paired sera revealed that 15 patients were infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Epidemiology confirmed that this was a point source outbreak, characterized by a short incubation period, a high secondary attack rate, and a long period of hospitalization. PCR-RFLP analysis revealed that the 12 isolated strains of M. pneumoniae shared the same subtype P1 gene, and 23S rRNA sequence analysis showed that these strains harbored two macrolide-resistant gene-related point mutations at position 2063 and 2617. In this outbreak, the major risk factor was the distance between the bed of the first patient and the beds of close contacts (beds less than three meters apart). The strains isolated in this study were found to harbor two point mutations conferring macrolide resistance, indicating the importance of pathogen and drug resistance surveillance systems.

[Culture of transgenic Glycyrrhiza uralensis hairy root with licorice squalene synthase (SQS) gene].

A squalene synthase gene cloned (GuSQS1, accession number in GenBank database: AM182329) from Glycyrrhiza uralensis was transferred into G. uralensis via Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4 for investigating biosynthesis pathway and enhancing synthesis of glycyrrhizic acid (GA). Hypocotyl explants from G. uralensis were infected with A. rhizogenes A4 containing GuSQS1 gene to induce the hairy roots. The hairy root lines established were selected in medium containing 0.8 mg x L(-1) phosphinothricin (PPT) and analyzed by PCR and southern blotting. The transgenic hairy roots were cultured in liquid MS medium. GA contents in transgenic hairy roots were detected by HPLC. Results showed that maximal GA content in transgenic hairy root lines was 3.6 times as high as in wild type hairy roots.

Enhanced flavonoid production in hairy root cultures of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch by combining the over-expression of chalcone isomerase gene with the elicitation treatment.

Economically important compounds, such as licorice flavonoids, are present in insufficient amounts in the hairy roots. To overcome this problem, we took the transgenic approach combined with the elicitation technique to increase the flavonoid production. The Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch cDNA encoding chalcone isomerase gene (chi) was over-expressed in hairy roots of G. uralensis Fisch mediated by the disarmed Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4. Stable genetic transformation was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The transgenic and wild cultures were subsequently elicited with PEG8000 (2%) alone, yeast extract (YE) (0.1%) alone, or both of them, and then the total flavonoids were extracted and measured. The results showed that over a culture period of 3 weeks, the wild-type hairy roots, the untreated transgenic hairy roots, and the double-treated transgenic hairy roots accumulated 0.842, 1.394, and 2.838 (g/100 g DW) of total flavonoids, respectively. Moreover, the enhanced accumulation of flavonoids were correlated with the elevated level of chi transcripts and CHI activity, confirming the key role of chi in the flavonoids synthesis. This research demonstrated that the combination of the metabolic engineering and PEG8000-YE elicitation treatment was an effective strategy to increase the flavonoids production in hairy roots of G. uralensis Fisch.

Peripheral blood monocytes from patients with HBV related decompensated liver cirrhosis can differentiate into functional hepatocytes.

Peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) have the potential to differentiate into various progenitor cells. Here we have investigated the differentiation potential of PBMCs derived from patients with HBV related decompensated liver cirrhosis into hepatocyte-like cells. In our clinical trial, the PBMCs from 2 patients were mobilized by the recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor, followed by leukapheresis and transplantation of PBMCs. PBMCs, induced by recombinant human hepatocyte growth factors, were identified by the expression of hepatocyte markers and specific biological functions with biochemical assays in vitro. Patients showed a lasting clinical amelioration for more than one year after transplantation, and hepatocyte-like cells were identified by expressing liver specific genes, synthesizing albumin, urea, aspirate transaminase, and glycogen, which were all similar to the human normal hepatic cell line QZG. Our results clearly demonstrated that mobilized PBMCs from patients with HBV related decompensated liver cirrhosis could differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like cells, indicating the possibility of autologous cell transplantation for treating patients with HBV related decompensated liver cirrhosis.