Photo-induced synthesis of ternary Pt/rGO/COF photocatalyst with Pt nanoparticles precisely anchored on rGO for efficient visible-light-driven H2 evolution.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been recognized as a new type of promising visible-light-driven photocatalysts for H2 evolution, while it still is a key point to facilitate the separation and transfer of photoinduced charges for further enhancing their activities. In this work, we fabricated a new type of ternary Pt/rGO/COF photocatalysts with Pt cocatalyst precisely anchored on rGO serving as electron collector for largely enhanced H2 evolution. A series of ternary hybrid materials were obtained via one-pot photoreduction of Pt4+ and GO under visible-light irradiation in a solution the same as photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction and simultaneous self-assembling of rGO/COF heterostructure. No need isolation, the synthetic system could be further used for photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction and the results show the H2 evolution rate of Pt/rGO(20%)/TpPa-1-COF hybrid material is 19.59 mmol·g-1·h-1, 6.51 times higher than that of Pt/TpPa-1-COF. The essential role of the exclusively distributed Pt nanoparticles on rGO to the high H2 evolution activity was confirmed by various comparisons of activity for the samples with diverse Pt distribution.

Two lichens differing in element concentrations have similar spatial patterns of element concentrations responding to road traffic and soil input.

Two epiphytic lichens (Xanthoria alfredii, XAa; X. ulophyllodes, XAu) and soil were sampled at three sites with varied distances to a road in a semiarid sandland in Inner Mongolia, China and analyzed for concentrations of 42 elements to assess the contribution of soil input and road traffic to lichen element burdens, and to compare element concentration differences between the two lichens. The study showed that multielement patterns, Fe:Ti and rare earth element ratios were similar between the lichen and soil samples. Enrichment factors (EFs) showed that ten elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, K, P, Pb, S, Sb, and Zn) were enriched in the lichens relative to the local soil. Concentrations of most elements were higher in XAu than in XAa regardless of sites, and increased with proximity to the road regardless of lichen species. These results suggested that lichen element compositions were highly affected by soil input and road traffic. The narrow-lobed sorediate species were more efficient in particulate entrapment than the broad-lobed nonsorediate species. XAa and XAu are good bioaccumulators for road pollution in desert and have similar spatial patterns of element concentrations for most elements as response to road traffic emissions and soil input.

Development of MOF-based heterostructures for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The construction of metal-organic framework (MOF) based heterostructures are a promising strategy to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities of MOFs. For the intrinsic porosity, inorganic-organic hybrid nature and structural tunability of MOFs, a wide variety of MOF-based heterostructured photocatalysts with improved hydrogen evolution activities have been fabricated. In this frontier article, we present the latest advances in MOF-based heterostructures for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The opportunities and challenges related to MOF-based heterostructured photocatalysts are also presented.

Continuous and Rapid Synthesis of UiO-67 by Electrochemical Methods for the Electrochemical Detection of Hydroquinone.

Continuous and rapid synthesis of UiO-67 under mild conditions has been achieved by electrochemical methods for the first time. In the reaction system, a zirconium sheet was utilized as electrodes and a metal source for the assembly of UiO-67. High-crystalline UiO-67 with a regular tetrahedral morphology of around 1 µm was obtained within 1.5 h under the optimized solvent composition, voltage, and temperature conditions. This electrochemical synthetic method of UiO-67 in our work overcomes the shortcomings of high temperature and pressure of a traditional solvothermal method, which proposes new ideas for the large-scale and rapid synthesis of UiO-67. The UiO-67 synthesized by an electrochemical method was prepared as a UiO-67-carbon paste electrode (CPE), which exhibited a linear response to hydroquinone (HQ) in the range of 5-300 µM with a detection limit of 3.6 × 10-9 M (S/N = 3), for the electrochemical detection of HQ. It was confirmed that UiO-67-CPE possessed excellent reusability and antiinterference ability for the detection of HQ, and its detection ability even did not change after standing for 3 months. We further tried to apply UiO-67-CPE to the practical determination of HQ in tap water and river water samples, and the results proved that the recovery rate is 97.9-104.7% in real samples.

Rational Design of MOF/COF Hybrid Materials for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution in the Presence of Sacrificial Electron Donors.

Crystalline and porous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) materials have attracted enormous attention in the field of photocatalytic H2 evolution due to their long-range order structures, large surface areas, outstanding visible light absorbance, and tunable band gaps. In this work, we successfully integrated two-dimensional (2D) COF with stable MOF. By covalently anchoring NH2 -UiO-66 onto the surface of TpPa-1-COF, a new type of MOF/COF hybrid materials with high surface area, porous framework, and high crystallinity was synthesized. The resulting hierarchical porous hybrid materials show efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution under visible light irradiation. Especially, NH2 -UiO-66/TpPa-1-COF (4:6) exhibits the maximum photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 23.41 mmol g-1 h-1 (with the TOF of 402.36 h-1 ), which is approximately 20 times higher than that of the parent TpPa-1-COF and the best performance photocatalyst for H2 evolution among various MOF- and COF-based photocatalysts.

[A dual-wavelength spectroscopic method for the low chemical oxygen demand determination].

The present paper reports a dual wavelength spectroscopic method for the determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of low content samples, based on the absorption measurement at 440 and 560 nm. Since the absorptivities of Cr3+ at these two wavelengths are the same, a net absorption from dichromate ions can be determined by subtracting the absorption at 560 nm (only contributed by Cr3+) from the absorption at 440 nm The results showed that the detection limit of quantification is 8.6 mg x L(-1) and the relative standard deviations are in the 2%-15% range for the low COD standard samples (< or = 100 mg x L(-1)) in this proposed method. Further more, the method does not require calibration based on the standard samples. The present method is simple, reliable, and accurate; it is suitable for the application in a mass testing for low COD samples.

[Lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion treated with Santong tuina therapy: a multi-central randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the difference in the efficacy on lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion (LIDP) between Santong tuina therapy and conventional tuina therapy. METHODS: Multi-central, random and controlled clinical trial was carried out. One hundred and twenty cases of LIDP were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each one. In observation group, Santong tuina therapy was used. In control group, conventional tuina therapy was adopted. The clinical efficacy was observed in two groups, and lumbar vertebral function was scaled before and after treatment in two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 95.0% (57/60) in observation group and was 96.7% (58/60) in control group, without significant statistical difference in comparison (P > 0.05). The cured and markedly effective rate was 81.7% (49/60) in observation group and was 63.3% (38/60) in control group, indicating significant statistical difference in comparison (P < 0.05). The self-comparison of lumbar vertebral function before and after treatment presented statistical significance in either observation group (12.25 +/- 3.15, 25.56 +/- 5.27) or control group (13.32 +/- 3.26, 20.46 +/- 4.25, both P < 0.05); additionally, there was significant difference in the comparison between groups after treatment (P < 0.05). The therapy adopted in observation group improved lumbar vertebral function much significantly. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of LIDP, Santong tuina therapy achieves much better clinical efficacy as compared with conventional tuina therapy.

[Systematic evaluation on treatment of sub-health with acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina in clinical researches].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina massage for treatment of sub-health. METHODS: A systematic evaluation on randomized controlled trial, quasi-randomized control trial or controlled clinical trial of treatment of sub-health with acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina was carried out according to the assessment methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. RESULTS: There are totally 9 articles and 937 subjects met the inclusion criteria and are included into the assessment system. The average quality of methodologies adopted is not so high, and with many limitations. Meta-analysis or descriptive analysis on the data collected: (1) General effect: Tuina massage therapy is better than auricular-point-pressing therapy; acupuncture is better than self health care; acupoint injection is better than intramuscular injection, Tuina is similar to Chinese herb. (2) Quality of life and pain score: Tuina is better than blank control. (3) Individual effect: the effect of Tuina massage on lassitude is better than acupuncture. (4) Effect on sleep quality index: Tuina massage is better than acupuncture. CONCLUSION: There are not enough evidences to approve that the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina massage on sub-health is better than that of other therapies. Therefore, more high quality randomized controlled trials with strict and scientific designation are necessary for obtaining more and better evidences.

[Randomized controlled trial on effect of Tuina for treatment of sub-health people of somatic pain].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of Tuina for treatment of somatic pain of sub-health. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind and blank parallel controlled trial was done. The experiment group was treated with Tuina and the control group lied down for rest, 45 minutes each time, twice each week for three weeks. RESULTS: Tuina treatment could improve more on sensory, affective, evaluation, pain rating index and extant pain intensity of the pain index, and score of subjective sensation of life quality and health status together with physiology and psychology field of life quality. CONCLUSION: Massage is an effective therapy for treatment of somatic pain of sub-health without adverse reactions and it should be generalized to application.

[Effects of different acupuncture treatment on mean blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery on the affected side and rehabilitation of hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of two different acupuncture treatment on cerebral blood flow velocity and early rehabilitation of hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction. METHODS: Eighty patients were randomly divided into an alternate acupuncture group (n = 40) and a routine acupuncture group (n = 40). Both of the groups were treated with routine neurology medicine and application of good limb position combined with acupuncture. The patients in the alternate acupuncture group were treated by opposing needling and non-opposing needling, i. e. acupuncture at acupoints on both the healthy and affected sides alternately, twice each day, respectively. The routine acupuncture group was treated by acupuncture at the affected side, once daily. Scores of Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS) were evaluated before and after treatment in the two groups, and the mean blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery (MCA) on the affected side was monitored during two different acupuncture treatment by using Transcranial Doppler (TCD). RESULTS: The cured and markedly effective rate was 65.0% in the alternate acupuncture group and 37.5% in the routine acupuncture group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). After treatment, the SSS score in the alternate acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.01). The mean blood flow velocity of MCA during two different acupuncture treatment was both decreased significantly (both P < 0.05) and the mean blood flow velocity of MCA before the last treatment was decreased significantly in the alternate acupuncture group than those in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of the alternate acupuncture program for hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction is superior to that of the routine acupuncture program. It is suggested that the mechanism of acupuncture in treating hemiparalysis caused by cerebral infarction is to dilate cerebral blood vessels and improve cerebral perfusion.

Velleratretraol, an unusual highly functionalized lactarane sesquiterpene from Lactarius vellereus.

An unusual highly functionalized lactarane sesquiterpene, named velleratretraol (1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the fruiting body of the mushroom Lactarius vellereus. Its structure was determined through spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The proposed assignment of the absolute configuration is based on computational results. It showed weak activity against HIV-1 cells with an effective concentration of 68.0 microg ml(-1) and a selectivity index of 2.0.