In situ source-template-interface reaction route to hollow ZrO(2) microspheres with mesoporous shells.

Hollow ZrO(2) microspheres with mesoporous shells have been synthesized by a novel hydrothermal reaction of zirconium oxychloride in the presence of urea, hydrochloric acid, and ethanol. The morphology and shell thickness of the hollow microspheres can be controlled by varying synthesis conditions. After calcination at high temperature, the morphologies of the hollow microspheres are essentially preserved. Pt catalyst supported on the hollow calcined ZrO(2) microspheres exhibits more excellent catalytic performance in CO oxidation than those on ZrO(2) powders derived from conventional precipitation methods.

Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 gene sequences of waterfowl parvoviruses from the Mainland of China revealed genetic diversity and recombination.

To determine the origin and evolution of goose parvovirus (GPV) and Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV) in the Mainland of China, phylogenetic and recombination analyses in the present study were performed on 32 complete VP1 gene sequences from China and other countries. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene, GPV strains studied here from Mainland China (PRC) could be divided into three genotypes, namely PRC-I, PRC-II and PRC-III. Genotype PRC-I is indigenous to Mainland China. Only one GPV strain from Northeast China was of Genotype PRC-II and was thought to be imported from Europe. Genotype PRC-III, which was the most isolated genotype during 1999-2012, is related to GPVs in Taiwan and has been the predominant pathogen responsible for recent Derzy's disease outbreaks in Mainland China. Current vaccine strains used in Mainland China belong to Genotype PRC-I that is evolutionary distant from Genotypes PRC-II and PRC-III. In comparison, MDPV strains herein from Mainland China are clustered in a single group which is closely related to Taiwanese MDPV strains, and the full-length sequences of the VP1 gene of China MDPVs are phylogenetic closely related to the VP1 sequence of a Hungarian MDPV strain. Moreover, We also found that homologous recombination within VP1 gene plays a role in generating genetic diversity in GPV evolution. The GPV GDFSh from Guangdong Province appears to be the evolutionary product of a recombination event between parental GPV strains GD and B, while the major parent B proved to be a reference strain for virulent European GPVs. Our findings provide valuable information on waterfowl parvoviral evolution in Mainland China.

Genetic characterization of a potentially novel goose parvovirus circulating in Muscovy duck flocks in Fujian Province, China.

We report a novel goose parvovirus (MDGPV/PT) isolated from an affected Muscovy duck in Fujian Province, China. In this study, the NS1 sequence analyses indicated a close genetic relationship between MDGPV/PT and Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV) strains, although MDGPV/DY, which was isolated from a Muscovy duck in 2006 in Sichuan Province, could be divided into GPV-related groups. Phylogenetic analysis showed that except for differences in the NS1 gene, MDGPV strains PT and DY are closely related to a parvovirus that infects domestic waterfowls. This is the first demonstration of recombination between goose and Muscovy duck parvoviruses in nature, and MDGPV/PT might have led to the generation of a novel waterfowl parvovirus strain circulating in Muscovy duck flocks in China.

[The isolation and identification of novel duck reovirus].

The virus strains were isolated from the liver and spleen of the dead young ducks characterized with symptoms of hemorrhagic-necrotic hepatitis. These isolates could cause the death of muscovy duck-embryo and chick-embryo. 1-day-old birds infected with these isolates had the same character with clinically dead birds and the virus could be isolated from artificially infected birds. These isolates could proliferate in MDEF and result in CPE. The virus could proliferate in the cytoplasm in order of crystals and arranged in the latlic-like. The viron was shown spherical, icosahedron, cubic symmetry, no-envelope, with double-layered capsid, about 70 nm in diameter by electron microscopy. The genome segments of the virus were consisted of L1-3, M1-3 and S1-4, which were similar to that of avian reovirus (ARV). Compared to 68.2%, 69.3% - 70.1%, respectively. The system evolution analysis showed that S3 gene coding sigmaB protein was placed in different branch of MDRV and ARV, indicating that S3 gene of the virus was different from ARV and MDRV. The main clinical symptoms and lesions of ducklings caused by the virus were different from the diseases caused by MDRV and ARV. It was concluded that the virus was a Novel duck reovirus belonging to Orthoreovirus genus of the Reoviridae family.

Synthesis of ZrO2 nanowires by ionic-liquid route.

Zirconia precursor nanowires were synthesized via the solvothermal reaction of zirconium tetra-n-propoxide Zr(OPr(n))(4) with ethylene glycol and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid at 160 degrees C. The as-synthesized nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric (TG-DSC) analysis, and infrared spectroscopy (IR), etc. The length of the as-synthesized nanowires reaches approximately 20 mum, and the width approximately 50 nm, giving an aspect ratio of a few hundreds. Upon calcination at elevated temperatures, the zirconia precursor nanowires transform from relative dense structure into highly porous ZrO(2) nanowires consisting of interconnected nanocrystallites; in addition the length of the nanowires is greatly reduced. Cyclic voltammetry measurement shows that the modification of the graphite electrode with the ZrO(2) nanowires greatly enhances sensitivity of the detection of vanadium, suggesting that ZrO(2) nanowires may find important applications in vanadium(V) determination using electroanalytical methods with chemically modified electrode technique.