Effect of Air Oxidation on Texture, Surface Properties and Dye Adsorption of Wood-Derived Porous Carbon Materials.

Hierarchical porous carbon materials made from cork were fabricated using a facile and green method combined with air activation, without any templates and chemical agents. The influence of air activation on the texture and other surface characteristics of the carbon materials were evaluated by various characterization techniques. Results indicate that air oxidation can effectively improve the surface area and the hierarchical porous structure of carbon materials, as well as increase the number of oxygen-containing functional groups on the carbon surface. The specific surface area and the pore volume of the carbon material activated by air at 450 °C (C800-M450) can reach 580 m2/g and 0.379 cm3/g, respectively. These values are considerably higher than those for the non-activated material (C800, 376 m2/g, 0.201 cm3/g). The contents of the functional groups (C-O, C=O and O-H) increased with rising activation temperature. After air activation, the adsorption capacity of the carbon materials for methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) was increased from 7.7 and 6.4 mg/g for C800 to 312.5 and 97.1 mg/g for C800-M450, respectively. The excellent dye removal of the materials suggests that the porous carbon obtained from biomass can be potentially used for wastewater treatment.

Preliminary study of Cell Wall Structure and its Mechanical Properties of C3H and HCT RNAi Transgenic Poplar Sapling.

This research focused on the cell wall structure and its mechanical properties of down-regulated Coumaroyl shikimate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) transgenic poplar and down-regulated hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) transgenic poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosa cv '84 k'). The wood samples with respect to microstructure, the longitudinal elastic modulus (MOE) and hardness of wood fiber secondary cell wall were investigated. The results show that the lignin contents in the two transgenic poplar woods were lower than non-modified wood. The C3H transgenic poplar and HCT transgenic poplar have more than 18.5% and 16.1% cellulose crystalline regions than non-modified poplar respectively. The diameter of the fiber cell and the vessel element of transgenic poplars are smaller. Double radial vessel cell wall thicknesses of both transgenic poplars were smaller than non-modified poplar. Cell wall ratios for the transgenic poplar were higher than non-modified poplar and cell wall density was significantly lower in both C3H and HCT transgenic poplar. The cell wall MOEs of C3H and HCT transgenic poplar was 5.8% and 7.0% higher than non-modified poplar. HCT can be more effective than C3H to modify the trees by considerably increasing mechanical properties of the cell wall.

Association between mild parkinsonian signs and mortality in an elderly male cohort in China.

Our study aimed to examine the predictive role of mild parkinsonian signs (MPS) on mortality in an elderly male cohort. From January 2004, 1759 retired male military officers in Nanjing, China, underwent detailed clinical evaluations, which included assessments of MPS using an abbreviated Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale at baseline. Data on deaths attributed to any cause were collected over a 4-year period of follow-up visits. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the effect of MPS and chronic diseases on mortality. Of the 1759 participants, 278 (15.8%) had MPS at baseline. The participants with MPS and those without did not differ significantly with respect to the prevalence of chronic illness. The multivariate-adjusted relative risk of death (risk ratio, RR) for MPS was 1.77. After adjustment for the other MPS domains and chronic illnesses, only axial function abnormality was associated with an increased risk of death (RR 2.07). The presence of MPS in elderly subjects at baseline is a significant predictor of risk, even after adjustment for chronic illness.

[Characteristics of erectile dysfunction in old males with lacunar infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of erectile dysfunction (ED) in old males with lacunar infarction. METHODS: A total of 38 old patients ages from 60 to 70 years were involved. The questionnaire of international index of erectile function 5 (IIEF -5) was used to determine the status and severity of ED. According to the focus of infarction on MRI, the patients were divided into two groups, Group I with lacunar infarction and minor neurological deficits, and Group II with none. The total IIEF-5 scores were compared between the two groups and repeatedly evaluated six months after discharge. RESULTS: According to the total scores of IIEF-5, the prevalence of ED in Group II (95%) was higher, and the incidence of severe ED was significantly increased (60.0% vs. 44.4%, P < 0.05) as compared with Group II. In both the two groups, severe ED was more often seen in diabetic patients. At six months after discharge, the total scores of IIEF-5 were significantly increased (11.2 +/- 3.2 vs. 15.6 +/- 2.2, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ED is significantly increased in old males with lacunar infarction, and it is more severe in diabetic patients. Post-stroke rehabilitation care helps to improve ED.