The value of the '7E' instructional model in the teaching of nursing students in nursing clinical probation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of 7E instructional model in the teaching of nursing students in nursing clinical probation. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-nine nursing undergraduates of the class of 2018 who were on probation in our hospital from November 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the control group by convenience sampling, and the traditional teaching model was adopted; an additional 171 nursing undergraduates of the class of 2019 who were on clinical probation in the same hospital from November 2021 to June 2022 were selected as the experimental group, and the 7E instructional model was adopted, including elicit, engagement, exploration, explain, elaborate, evaluate and extend. RESULTS: After the intervention, the experimental group was higher than the control group in theoretical knowledge scores (59.47 ± 4.51 VS 54.11 ± 8.46), practical skills scores (19.62 ± 1.36 VS 19.14 ± 1.24) and total course scores (90.13 ± 2.98 VS 84.67 ± 4.47); total scores of learning motivation (30.57 ± 5.24 VS 29.41 ± 4.77), learning cooperation ability (20.35 ± 4.41 VS 19.02 ± 4.25), information literacy (23.14 ± 4.36 VS 21.12 ± 3.95) and self-regulated learning ability (114.00 ± 19.72 VS 109.07 ± 18.61); total scores of viewpoint acquisition (43.58 ± 5.21 VS 42.16 ± 5.10), emotional care (33.41 ± 4.54 VS 32.09 ± 4.47), transposition thinking (13.04 ± 2.97 VS 11.56 ± 2.43) and empathy ability (89.03 ± 13.87 VS 85.81 ± 13.55); and total scores of positive attitudes toward communication skills (55.39 ± 7.03 VS 51.54 ± 6.54), with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 7E instructional model contributes to improved course grades, self-regulated learning and empathy, and positive attitudes toward communication skills among nursing students in their nursing clinical probation.

Construction and application of procedural pathways combined with information management in nursing staff skills training system.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application effect of procedural pathways combined with information management in the construction of nursing staff skills training system. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study with a control group and an experimental group. A total of 300 newly admitted nurses or nurses who required training within three years of admission were selected as the experimental group, and 267 nurses who were trained in the same hospital during the same period in 2020 were selected as the control group. The experimental group received skills training using a system that combines procedural pathways with information management, while the control group received traditional teaching mode. The outcome measures included theoretical score, operation score, nurse competency, patient satisfaction, and nursing-related adverse events. The data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, and rank-sum test. RESULTS: The experimental group had higher scores in theoretical assessment, skills assessment, nurse competency, and patient satisfaction, and lower incidence of nursing-related adverse events than the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The strategy of procedural pathways combined with information management provides a new perspective and method for nursing operation skills training, effectively improves clinical nursing quality and ensures patient safety.

Revealing the Electrocatalytic Self-Assembly Route from Building Blocks into Giant Mo-Blue Clusters.

The assembly of single-core molybdate into hundreds of cores of giant molybdenum blue (Mo-blue) clusters has remained a long-standing unresolved scientific puzzle. To reveal this fascinating self-assembly behavior, we demonstrate an aqueous flowing in-operando Raman characterization system to capture the building blocks' evolution from the "black box" reaction process. We successfully visualized the sequential transformation of Na2MoO4 into Mo7O246- ({Mo7}), high nuclear Mo36O1128- ({Mo36}) cluster, and finally polymerization product of [H6K2Mo3O12(SO4)]n ({Mo3(SO4)}n) during the H2SO4 acidification. Notably, the facile conversion of {Mo3(SO4)}n back to the {Mo36} cluster by simple dilution is also discovered. Furthermore, we identified {Mo36} and {Mo3(SO4)}n as exclusive precursors responsible for driving the electrochemical self-assembly of {Mo154} and {Mo102}, respectively. The study also unravels a pivotal intermediate, the pentagonal reduced state fragment [H18MoVI4MoVO24]-, originating from {Mo36}, which catalyzes the autocatalytic self-assembly of {Mo154} with electron and proton injection during electrochemical processes. Concurrently, {Mo3(SO4)}n serves as the indispensable precursor for {Mo102} formation, generating sulfation pentagon building blocks of [H2Na2O2(H4MoVMoVI4O16SO4)4]4- that facilitate the consecutive assembly of giant {Mo102} sphere clusters. As a result, a complete elucidation of the assembly pathway of giant Mo-blue clusters derived from single-core molybdate was obtained, and H+/e- redox couple is revealed to play a critical role in catalyzing the deassembly of the precursor, leading to the formation of thermodynamically stable intermediates essential for further self-assembly of reduced state giant clusters.

Deaminative defluoroalkylation of α-trifluoromethylalkenes enabled by photoredox catalysis.

Herein, we disclose a new photoredox-catalysed strategy to access gem-difluoroallylarenes from α-trifluoromethylalkenes with sterically hindered primary amines via C-N and C-F bond activation. This deaminative and defluorinative allylation is generally compatible with diverse functional groups and sterically hindered α-3° and 2° primary amines.

Semisynthesis, biological activities, and mechanism studies of Mannich base analogues of magnolol/honokiol as potential α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Magnolol and honokiol, derived from a Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils, are a class of natural biphenolic lignans. Currently, the discovery of new α-glucosidase inhibitors from natural analogues is of interest. Here, four series of thirty new Mannich base analogues of magnolol/honokiol were prepared and evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among these Mannich base analogues of magnolol/honokiol, 3k and 3l exhibited more potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase than the reference drug acarbose, and their IC50 values were 14.94 ± 0.17 µM and 13.78 ± 1.42 µM, respectively. Some interesting structure-activity relationships (SARs) were also analyzed. The enzyme inhibition kinetics indicated that 3k and 3l were noncompetitive inhibitors. This result was in agreement with molecular docking studies, where the binding sites of 3k and 3l to α-glucosidase were different from that of the competitive inhibitor acarbose to α-glucosidase. Moverover, compounds 3k and 3l exhibited low toxicity to normal cells (LO2). Thus, analogues 3k and 3l could be deeply developed for the discovery of natural products based antidiabetic candidates.

Wells-Dawson Arsenotungstate Porous Derivatives for Electrochemical Supercapacitor Electrodes and Electrocatalytically Active Materials.

Two Wells-Dawson arsenotungstate coordination polymers, [{CuII(bim)2}3(As2W18O62)] (1) and [(CuI10pz10Cl4)(As2W18O62)] (bim = 2,2'-biimidazole; pz = pyrazine), have been assembled via a hydrothermal method and fully characterized. Compound 1 exhibits a 2,6-connected two-dimensional hybrid layer based on asymmetrically modified {As2W18} anions and {Cu(bim)2} linkers, which is extended to a three-dimensional network with a special interlayer structure and a one-dimensional tunnel. Compound 2 is a host-guest framework that consists of a Cu-pz-Cl network with 20-member square rings, 16-member irregular rings, and embedded eight-node {As2W18} guest molecules. Compounds 1 and 2 show uncommon specific capacitance (834.8 and 960.1 F g-1, respectively, at a current density of 2.4 A g-1), enduring cycling stability (capacitance retention rates of 89.3% and 91.9%, respectively, after 5000 cycles), and good electrical conductivity, which are superior to those of the unmodified zero-dimensional Dawson arsenotungstate compound and most reported electrode materials in terms of their stable structure, special layer spacing, and orderly channels. Moreover, the title compounds exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for oxidizing ascorbic acid and reducing nitrite.

Cu/Ag Complex Modified Keggin-Type Coordination Polymers for Improved Electrochemical Capacitance, Dual-Function Electrocatalysis, and Sensing Performance.

Different metal-organic units were introduced into the {PMo12} polyoxometalate (POM) system to yield three porous coordination polymers with distinct characteristics, {Cu(pra)2}[{Cu(pra)2}3{PMo11VIMoVO40}] (1), [{Ag5(pz)6(H2O)0.5Cl}{PMo11VIMoVO40}] (2), and [{Cu3(bpz)5(H2O)}{PMo12O40}] (3) (pra = pyrazole; pz = pyrazine; bpz = benzopyrazine), via an in situ hydrothermal method. In comparison with the maternal Keggin cluster and most reported POM electrode materials, compounds 1-3 exhibit larger specific capacitances (672.2, 782.1, and 765.2 F g-1 at a current density of 2.4 A g-1, respectively), superior cyclic stability (91.5%, 89.3%, and 87.8% of cycle efficiency after 5000 cycles, respectively), and boosted conductivity, which may be attributed to the introduction of metal-organic units. The result indicates that metal-organic units can effectively enhance the capacitance performance of POMs. This may be due to the fact that they provide additional redox centers, induce the formation of stable porous structures, and improve ion/electron transfer efficiency. Compounds 1-3 present excellent electrocatalytic activity in reducing peroxide (H2O2) and oxidizing ascorbic acid (AA). In addition, compound 2 shows an outstanding sensing performance detection of AA and H2O2.

Puccinia triticina pathotypes THTT and THTS display complex transcript profiles on wheat cultivar Thatcher.

BACKGROUND: Wheat leaf rust is an important disease worldwide. Understanding the pathogenic molecular mechanism of Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt) and the inconstant toxic region is critical for managing the disease. The present study aimed to analyze the pathogenic divergence between Pt isolates. RESULTS: Total RNA was extracted from the wheat cultivar Thatcher infected by two Pt isolates, Tc361_1 (THTT) and Tc284_2 (THTS), at 144 h post inoculation (hpi). The mRNA was then sequenced, and a total of 2784 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected. Forty-five genes were specifically expressed in THTT; these genes included transcription initiation factors and genes with transmembrane transporter activity and other genes. Twenty-six genes were specifically expressed in THTS, including genes with GTPase activity, ABC transporters and other genes. Fifty-four differentially expressed candidate effectors were screened from the two isolates. Two candidate effectors were chosen and validated on tobacco, and the results showed that they could inhibit necrosis induced by BAX. qRT-PCR of 12 significant DEGs was carried out to validate that the results are similar to those of RNA-seq at 144 hpi, to show the expression levels of these DEGs in the early stage and to elucidate the differences in expression between the two Pt pathotypes. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study showed that although the two pathotypes of THTT and THTS contribute similar virulence to wheat, there are a large number of genes participate in the interaction with the susceptible wheat cultivar Thatcher, and revealed the pathogenicity of rust is very complicated.

Multinuclear Transition Metal Sandwich-Type Polytungstate Derivatives for Enhanced Electrochemical Energy Storage and Bifunctional Electrocatalysis Performances.

Different transition metal (TM) units are introduced into a trivacant Keggin cluster to form three sandwich polytungstate derivatives, (H2en)[{K(H2O)0.5}2{K2(H2O)3}{Ni(H2O)(en)2}2{Ni4(H2O)2(PW9O34)2}] (1), [Cu6(Himi)6{AsIIIW9O33}2]·5H2O (2), and (H2btp)4[FeIII2FeII2(H2O)2(AsW9 O34)2]·4H2O (3) (en = ethanediamine; imi = imidazole; btp = 1,3-bis(1, 2, 4-triazol-1-yl) propane). Compound 1 is a 2,3,8-connected 3D network with {43}2{46·66·83·612·8}{6}2 topology based on bisupported tetra-Ni sandwich phosphotungstate and two kinds of potassium connection units. Compound 2 is a dense 12-connected 3D supramolecular network with {324·436·56} topology based on hexa-Cu(imi) sandwiched arsenotungstate. Compound 3 represents the first mixed valence tetra-Fe substituted sandwich arsenotungstate assembly. Compounds 1-3 show enhanced supercapacitor performance (618.2, 603.4, and 504.6 F·g-1 at a current density of 2.4 A·g-1 with 91.5%, 89.3%, and 87.8% of cycle efficiency after 5000 cycles, respectively) compared to their maternal polyoxometalates (POMs) and most reported POM-based electrode materials, which suggests that the introduction of multinuclear TM into vacant POMs is an effective method to improve the energy storage performance of POMs. In addition, compounds 1 and 3 exhibit dual-functional electrocatalytic behaviors in the reduction of iodate and the oxidation of dopamine for introduction of {Ni4} and {Fe4} units.

Analysis of the characteristics of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: A clinical-based study in China.

OBJECTIVE: Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a common cause of chronic dizziness, but only a few studies have reported its clinical characteristics, and no related research has been performed in China. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of PPPD for the first time in China. DESIGN: Data was collected from all patients during standard clinical practice, and further to evaluate the characteristics of PPPD comparing with the control group. STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 43 patients diagnosed with PPPD were selected as the study group for analysis. RESULTS: Women were significantly more represented in the study group than men, and in the majority of cases the age of onset was in middle-age, and sleep quality was clearly decreased compared with controls, with more statistically significantly higher levels of anxiety. Personality analysis identified that neuroticism was significantly higher than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample we showed that PPPD was more represented in female patients, the age of onset was 40-60 years old, the majority of patients had sleep disorders, anxiety was the main mood disorder to be identified, and personality analysis found that neurotic personality may be the risk factor for developing PPPD. Further large scale studies are suggested in China.

Using a Mixed-Method Approach to Explore the Factors Influencing the Family Resilience of Stroke Survivors in China.

Background: Stroke is a critical public health issue in China that necessitates a closer examination of family resilience (defined here as the collective capacity of individuals, families and communities to effectively navigate challenges, recover from adverse events and foster positive adaptation). Amid rising stroke incidence, this study addresses the dearth of research on family resilience among stroke survivors in China, aiming to assess its level, identify influencing factors and establish coping strategies for family caregivers. Methods: This mixed-methods research employed a sequential explanatory design. Questionnaires were distributed to 258 stroke survivors and their family members at outpatient follow-up visits. In the first stage (ie the quantitative research stage), the research tools for data collection included a general demographic sociological data questionnaire, the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale, the Caregiver Burden Scale, the Family Functioning Scale and the Social Support Rating Scale. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS 26.0 software, utilising descriptive statistics for summarising sociodemographic characteristics and conducting analyses, such as independent-sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis. The second stage (ie the qualitative research stage) involved complementing and validating the data, developing a quantitative-qualitative interview framework and selecting participants for interviews. Colaizzi's seven-step analysis was applied to analyse interview data. In the third stage, the quantitative and qualitative research results were integrated, and a comprehensive analysis was performed to obtain an accurate conclusion. Results: A total of 242 families responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 93.8%). In total, the mean age of stroke survivors was 61.86 ± 8.76 years old, and 69.8% were male. The quantitative results showed that the FRAS mean score was (185.33 ± 24.78), which was above the medium level. The multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that family function was the strongest influencing factor on family resilience (ß = 0.948, p < 0.01). The qualitative analysis revealed four themes of family adaptation experience: loss of independence and certainty, facing threats and challenges, seeking family advantage resources and adopting coping strategies. Conclusion: This hybrid study sheds light on the adaptation process of the families of stroke survivors, revealing family function as the primary influencer of resilience. Recognising that eliminating risk factors is challenging, our suggestion is for clinical practitioners to emphasise family strengths and implement resilience-oriented interventions. Focusing on enhancing coping abilities and fostering adaptation within families can aid in the rehabilitation process, promoting the well-being and growth of both the family unit and individual members, while alleviating caregiver burden.

The effects of music therapy on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inconsistent findings concerning the effects of music therapy on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been reported. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effects of music therapy on patients with COPD. METHODS: Database search was conducted in Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data, and VIP databases, from database inception to June 2024. Two researchers independently reviewed and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the Version 2 of the Cochrane tool. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the overall quality. Review Manager (v 5.4) software was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Eleven studies with 947 patients were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were observed in favor of music therapy for quality of life (SMD = 0.92, 95% CI [0.39, 1.46]) and exercise endurance (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI [0.05, 1.49]). Meanwhile, the results of subgroup analyses indicated that passive music therapy had significant effects on quality of life (SMD = -0.83, 95% CI [-1.23, -0.44]), anxiety (SMD = -0.67, 95% CI [-1.11, -0.24]) and exercise endurance (SMD = 1.54, 95% CI [0.55, 2.54]). When intervention duration was more than 3 months, music therapy could significantly improve quality of life (SMD = -1.32, 95% CI [-2.17, -0.47]), reduce depression (SMD = -3.94, 95% CI [-5.20, -2.67]) and increase exercise endurance (SMD = 0.96, 95% CI [0.41, 1.51]). CONCLUSION: Music therapy is effective for quality of life and exercise endurance of patients with COPD; however, its impact on dyspnea, anxiety, and depression is still uncertain. More high-quality randomized control trials are warranted to confirm these conclusions.

Discovery of membrane-targeting amphiphilic honokiol derivatives containing an oxazolethione moiety to combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as a major pathogen causing infections in hospitals and the community, and there is an urgent need for the development of novel antibacterials to combat MRSA infections. Herein, a series of amphiphilic honokiol derivatives containing an oxazolethione moiety were prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial and hemolytic activities. The screened optimal derivative, I3, exhibited potent in vitro antibacterial activity against S. aureus and clinical MRSA isolates with MIC values of 2-4 µg/mL, which was superior to vancomycin in terms of its rapid bactericidal properties and was less susceptible to the development of resistance. The SARs analysis indicated that amphiphilic honokiol derivatives with fluorine substituents had better antibacterial activity than those with chlorine and bromine substituents. In vitro and in vivo toxicity studies revealed that I3 has relatively low toxicity. In a MRSA-infected mouse skin abscess model, I3 (5 mg/kg) effectively killed MRSA at the infected site and attenuated the inflammation effects, comparable to vancomycin. In a MRSA-infected mouse sepsis model, I3 (12 mg/kg) was found to significantly reduce the bacterial load in infected mice and increase survival of infected mice. Mechanistic studies indicated that I3 has membrane targeting properties and can interact with phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) of MRSA cell membranes, thereby disrupting MRSA cell membranes, further inducing the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein and DNA leakage to achieve rapid bactericidal effects. Finally, we hope that I3 is a potential candidate molecule for the development of antibiotics to conquer superbacteria-related infections.

Effect of auricular acupressure on sleep quality in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sleep disturbance is a very common problem among breast cancer patients, and auricular acupressure is a non-pharmacologic intervention to improve the sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupressure to improve sleep quality in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Overall, 8 electronic databases in English and Chinese were systematically searched from inception to August 12, 2023 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The risk of bias was assessed by version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0). RESULTS: A total of 16 studies with 1199 participants were included. The synthesized results showed that compared with the control group, auricular acupressure had a significant effect on improving the effective rate of sleep quality improvement in patients with breast cancer (risk ratio [RR] 1.56, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.14 to 2.14; P < 0.001), and that significantly reduced the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score (mean difference [MD] -3.47, 95 % CI -4.37 to -2.58; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of effective rate and PSQI score showed similar significant effects. Additionally, the improvement of sleep quality was better when auricular acupressure was performed by nurses using Vaccaria seeds. Furthermore, the optimal intervention program was performed 1-2 times a day, 3-5 min each time, and lasted for 2-4 weeks. CONCLUSION: Auricular acupressure may effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with breast cancer. However, more rigorously designed, large-sample, multi-center RCTs are required to further validate the results.

Membrane-Targeting Amphiphilic Honokiol Derivatives Containing an Oxazole Moiety as Potential Antibacterials against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are becoming increasingly serious, making the development of novel antimicrobials urgent. Here, we synthesized some amphiphilic honokiol derivatives bearing an oxazole moiety and investigated their antibacterial and hemolytic activities. Bioactivity evaluation showed that E17 possessed significant in vitro antibacterial activity against S. aureus and MRSA, along with low hemolytic activity. Moreover, E17 exhibited rapid bactericidal properties and was not susceptible to resistance. Mechanistic studies indicated that E17 interacts with phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin of bacterial cell membranes, leading to changes in cell membrane permeability and polarization, increased intracellular ROS, and leakage of DNA and proteins, thus accelerating bacterial death. Transcriptome analysis further demonstrated that E17 has membrane-targeting effects, affecting the expression of genes related to cell membranes and ABC transporter proteins. Notably, in vivo activity showed that E17 has prominent anti-MRSA efficacy, comparable to vancomycin, and is expected to be a new anti-MRSA drug candidate.

Insights into the self-assembly of giant polyoxomolybdates from building blocks to supramolecular structures.

Giant polyoxomolybdates are a special class of polyoxometalate clusters which can bridge the gap between small molecule clusters and large polymeric entities. Besides, giant polyoxomolybdates also show interesting applications in catalysis, biochemistry, photovoltaic and electronic devices, and other fields. Revealing the evolution route of the reducing species into the final cluster structure and also their further hierarchical self-assembly behaviour is undoubtedly fascinating, aiming to guide the design and synthesis. Herein, we reviewed the self-assembly mechanism study of giant polyoxomolybdate clusters, and the exploration of a new structure and new synthesis methodology is also summarized. Finally, we emphasize the importance of in-operando characterization in revealing the self-assembly mechanism of giant polyoxomolybdates, and especially for the further reconstruction of intermediates into the designable synthesis of new structures.

Discovery of Amphiphilic Xanthohumol Derivatives as Membrane-Targeting Antimicrobials against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are increasing worldwide, and with limited clinically available antibiotics, it is urgent to develop new antimicrobials to combat these MDR bacteria. Here, a class of novel amphiphilic xanthohumol derivatives were prepared using a building-block approach. Bioactivity assays showed that the molecule IV15 not only exhibited a remarkable antibacterial effect against clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates (MICs: 1-2 µg/mL) but also had the advantages of rapid bactericidal properties, low toxicity, good plasma stability, and not readily inducing bacterial resistance. Mechanistic studies indicated that IV15 has good membrane-targeting ability and can bind to phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin in bacterial membranes, thus disrupting the bacterial cell membranes and causing increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and leakage of proteins and DNA, eventually resulting in bacterial death. Notably, IV15 exhibited remarkable in vivo anti-MRSA efficacy, superior to vancomycin, making it a potential candidate to combat MRSA infections.

Energy effective utilization of circulating fluidized bed fly ash to prepare silicon-aluminum composite aerogel and gypsum.

To reduce the cost of Si-Al aerogels preparation, circulating fluidized bed fly ash (CFA) was developed to be as the alternative to synthetic precursors. High energy consumption of alkali-melting and secondary wastes production were the major challenges. Here, a technique characterized by effective energy consumption and non-secondary waste was developed to convert CFA into Si-Al aerogel. The process consists two stages, preparation of Si-Al sol by sintering of CFA and Na2CO3 followed by sulfuric acid leaching, and synthesis of Si-Al aerogel by so-gel with trimethyl chlorosilane modification and ambient pressure drying. The optimization results of proportion and sintering temperature showed that the optimal temperature of sintering of Na2CO3 and CFA with the mass ratio of 0.7 was 750 °C, 100 °C lower than that of most other waste aluminosilicate materials. CaSO4·0.5H2O which meet building gypsum requirement was obtained by specifying the drying temperature of acid-leached residue at 126 °C for 2 h. The modification procedure was explored to obtain Si-Al aerogel with a large specific surface area of 857 m2/g and hydrophobic angle of 139.3°. Thermal and mechanical properties tests indicated that the Si-Al aerogels and gypsum produced from CFA exhibited promising thermal insulation and the potential application in construction.

Preparation and Biological Evaluation of Novel Osthole-Derived N-Benzoylthioureas as Insecticide Candidates.

To discover novel natural-product-based insecticide candidates, herein, a variety of osthole-derived N-benzoylthioureas were synthesized and assessed for their insecticidal activities against three insect pests. An insecticidal assay showed that most of the target osthole-derived N-benzoylthioureas displayed a more potent and broad-spectrum insecticidal effect than the parent osthole after the introduction of N-benzoylthioureas on the C-3' position of osthole. Compound B24 displayed the most potent growth inhibitory (GI) effect on Mythimna separata Walker, with a final corrected mortality rate of 82.1% when treated with a concentration of 1 mg/mL, which was 1.64- and 1.53-fold higher in comparison to osthole and the botanical insecticide toosendanin, respectively. Compounds B22, B23, and B25 displayed a more promising aphicidal effect on Myzus persicae Sulzer, and their LD50 values were 0.015, 0.017, and 0.019 µg/larvae, respectively, superior to the commercially available insecticide rotenone (0.024 µg/larvae). Derivatives B19, B20, B23, and B25 displayed more potent larvicidal activity against Plutella xylostella Linnaeus, with LC50 values of 0.22, 0.26, 0.15, and 0.30 mg/mL, respectively, exceeding that of rotenone (0.37 mg/mL). Furthermore, both compounds B19 and B23 against P. xylostella were found to be more effective than rotenone in a control efficacy assay under greenhouse conditions. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) suggested that osthole-derived N-benzoylthioureas are more active in most cases when the R group is an electron-withdrawing group than when it is an electron-donating group, especially for halogenated groups. Additionally, the potent compounds B19 and B23 possessed good selectivity and were less toxic to non-target organisms. This study suggests that these osthole-derived N-benzoylthioureas could be further studied in depth as eco-friendly natural product pesticides in crop protection.

Combination therapy of hydrogel and stem cells for diabetic wound healing.

Diabetic wounds (DWs) are a common complication of diabetes mellitus; DWs have a low cure rate and likely recurrence, thus affecting the quality of patients' lives. As traditional therapy cannot effectively improve DW closure, DW has become a severe clinical medical problem worldwide. Unlike routine wound healing, DW is difficult to heal because of its chronically arrested inflammatory phase. Although mesenchymal stem cells and their secreted cytokines can alleviate oxidative stress and stimulate angiogenesis in wounds, thereby promoting wound healing, the biological activity of mesenchymal stem cells is compromised by direct injection, which hinders their therapeutic effect. Hydro-gels form a three-dimensional network that mimics the extracellular matrix, which can provide shelter for stem cells in the inflammatory microenvironment with reactive oxygen species in DW, and maintains the survival and viability of stem cells. This review summarizes the mechanisms and applications of stem cells and hydrogels in treating DW; additionally, it focuses on the different applications of therapy combining hydrogel and stem cells for DW treatment.