Vanadium doped FeP nanoflower with optimized electronic structure for efficient hydrogen evolution.

Reasonable design of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst from the perspective of electronic structure is a vital way to optimize the catalytic activity. Mono-metallic iron-based phosphates have been shown to be active toward HER, but their performance remains unsatisfactory despite their abundant reserves and low preparation cost. Here, guided by the d-band center and band structure theories, V-doped FeP nanoflower grown directly on iron foam are constructed. Combining the density functional theory (DFT) simulations with physical characterizations reveal that the enhanced HER activity is mainly attributed to the lowed d-band central position, increased water dissociation capacity, decreased hydrogen formation energy barrier and reduced charge transfer impedance. As a HER catalyst in 1 M KOH, the obtained V-FeP shows low overpotentials of ∼149, ∼246 and ∼290 mV to deliver the current densities of 100, 500 and 1000 mA cm-2 with at least 24 h. When coupled with other highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst (NiFe-LDH/IF), the NiFe-LDH/IF(+) || V-FeP/IF(-) pair also performs a low cell voltage and over 100-h stability at high current density of 1000 mA cm-2, which endows it a large potential in the practical electrolytic water industry. Our work may provide a reference for the enhancement of inert and low-cost HER-active iron phosphide.

Efficacy and safety of domestic leuprorelin in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty: a multicenter, randomized, parallel, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In central precocious puberty (CPP), the pulse secretion and release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) are increased due to early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, resulting in developmental abnormalities with gonadal development and appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. The CPP without organic disease is known as idiopathic CPP (ICPP). The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of domestic leuprorelin (GnRH analog) in girls with ICPP. METHODS: A total of 236 girls with ICPP diagnosed from April 2012 to January 2014 were selected and were randomized into two groups. One hundred fifty-seven girls in the test group were treated with domestic leuprorelin acetate, 79 girls in the control group were treated with imported leuprorelin acetate. They all were treated and observed for 6 months. After 6-month treatment, the percentage of children with peak luteinizing hormone (LH) ≤3.3 U/L, the percentage of children with peak LH/peak follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio <0.6, the improvements of secondary sexual characteristics, gonadal development and sex hormone levels, the change of growth rate of bone age (BA) and growth velocity, and drug adverse effects between two groups were compared. RESULTS: After the treatment, the percentage of children with a suppressed LH response to GnRH, defined as a peak LH ≤3.3 U/L, at 6 months in test and control groups were 96.80% and 96.20%, respectively, and the percentage of children with peak LH/FSH ratio ≤0.6 at 6 months in test and control groups were 93.60% and 93.70%, respectively. The sizes of breast, uterus and ovary of children and the levels of estradiol (E 2 ) were significantly reduced, and the growth rate of BA was also reduced. All the differences between pre- and post-treatment in each group were statistically significant (P < 0. 05), but the differences of the parameters between two groups were not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Domestic leuprorelin is effective and safe in the treatment of Chinese girls with ICPP. Its effectiveness and safety are comparable with imported leuprorelin.

[Removal of chrysoidine from water by functionalized mesoporous material SBA-16].

A series of functionalized SBA-16 were synthesized and subsequently oxidized into sulfonic functionalized mesoporous silica mixing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (TMMPS), with triblock copolymers pluronic (F127) and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTMABr) served as the mixing template by combination of hydrothermal and co-condensation method. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas sorption and SEM. The results show that the resulting functional materials belong to mesoporous materials when n(TEOS): n(TMMPS) is 3-8. The removal of Chrysoidine from water reaches the highest by functionalized mesoporous material when n(TEOS): n(TMMPS) is 7. Compared with different pH values, when the pH value ranges from 4-5 the adsorption reaches the highest.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in background surface soils from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China: occurrence, sources, and inventory.

PURPOSES: Very few data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were available in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed and urbanized region in China. In this study, Chongming Island, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River, was selected as background area to investigate the occurrence, sources, and inventory of PBDEs. METHODS: Forty-two PBDE congeners were determined in surface soils from farmland, woodland, grassland, tideland, and road collected in Chongming Island. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of Sigma26PBDE (not including BDE-209) and BDE-209 in soils were 0.76 and 12 ng/g dry weight, respectively. BDE-209 contributed more than 90% of the total of 27 frequently detected BDE congeners, followed by BDE-99 and BDE-47. Weak correlations were found between total organic carbon content and PBDE congeners concentrations in surface soils. PBDE levels varied with land use. Farmland and woodland soils contained higher Sigma26PBDE concentrations. BDE-209 levels were the highest in road soils. The mass inventories of PBDEs in soils of Chongming Island were estimated at 3.1 and 310 kg for Sigma26PBDEs and BDE-209, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PBDE levels in Chongming Island were similar to those in European background soils, suggesting minimum influence of pollutants from the YRD via air, and wastewater inputs or few PBDE products were used herein. From the standpoint of eco-inland, more studies are needed to explore the reasons of PBDE difference by land use and to assess people intake PBDEs via agriculture products consumption in this region.

[Combined bio-process for treatment of municipal wastewater containing Cu2+].

A combined bioprocess consisting of biosorption section with P. putida 5-x cell as biosorbent followed by a SBR is developed to treat Cu2+ containing municipal wastewater. The optimal preparing technique of P. putida 5-x cell as biosorbent is studied. Under the optimal condition, adsorption capacity of the P. putida 5-x cell to Cu2+ reached 87.3 mg x g(-1). The performance of the combined bioprocess for treating Cu2+ containing wastewater is assessed. The experimental results indicate that after treatment by the biosorption section, the Cu2+ concentration in wastewater reduced to the level that did not inhibit COD removal efficiency of subsequent SBR activated sludge process, although it still affectes the COD adsorption capacity of activated sludge. In terms of COD removal, the biosorption section is efficient for reducing Cu2+ concentration to provide biodegradable wastewater for subsequent SBR activated sludge process.

[The study of adsorption of L-aspartic acid on silver sol by surface-enhanced Raman scattering].

The adsorption state and the characteristics of L-aspartic acid adsorbed on silver sol were studied by the Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) method. Strong Raman signals were detected in the experiments. The results suggested that L-aspartic acid adsorbed on the silver surfaces through carboxyl and nitrogen atoms since the signals were mainly due to the carboxyl and the nitrogen of the molecule of L-aspartic acid. The adsorption of carboxyl on the silver surfaces is chemical adsorption, which is based on the mechanism of charge-transfer, while the adsorption of nitrogen on the silver surfaces is physical type, which is due to the electromagnetic mechanism. The intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering of L-aspartic acid adsorbed on silver surface was also analyzed, and it was found that the intensity of surface-enhance Raman scattering will change with different concentrations of L-aspartic acid adsorbed on the silver surfaces. The intensity will reach the top value when the concentration of L-aspartic acid was 10(-3) mol x L(-1). When the concentration of L-aspartic acid decreased to 10(-4) mol x L(-1), the intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering became a little weaker than that with 10(-3) mol x L(-1). With further decrease in the concentration of L-aspartic acid, the intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering also decreased gradually. When the concentration of L-aspartic acid decreased to 10(-6) mol x L(-1), the intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering was very low. The above study will be helpful to the further study of peptide and other complex biological systems.