Pseudomonas donghuensis HYS 7-hydroxytropolone contributes to pathogenicity toward Caenorhabditis elegans and is influenced by pantothenic acid.

Pseudomonas donghuensis HYS, a bacterial strain identified from Donghu Lake, has tremendous toxicity toward Caenorhabditis elegans and is characterized by high 7-hydroxytropolone siderophore production. Here, the relationship between pathogenic siderophore production and pantothenic acid was evaluated. The pathogenicity of P. donghuensis HYS was illustrated using C. elegans as a host. Based on slow-killing assay findings, a 7-hydroxytropolone deficiency-causing mutation attenuated P. donghuensis HYS pathogenicity, which was restored by the addition of extracted 7-hydroxytropolone. Moreover, data from real-time qPCR analysis and characteristic absorption assays indicated that pantothenic acid deficiency repressed transcriptional levels of orf9, which further reduced 7-hydroxytropolone production. Furthermore, slow-killing assays indicated that panB and pantothenic acid affected the virulence of P. donghuensis. These results indicate that a 7-hydroxytropolone siderophore-producing strain is virulent toward C. elegans. Our findings demonstrate that pantothenic acid is associated with P. donghuensis siderophore production-related pathogenicity.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and variables associated with seropositivity in donkeys in eastern China.

Donkeys (Equus asinus) are widely distributed throughout China; they are used for their meat, as food, and certain donkey-derived items are also important for traditional Chinese medicinal purposes. However, only limited information is available on Toxoplasma gondii infection in donkeys in China, especially the eastern region, which is one of the largest production areas. Thus, the present study was conducted to detect specific anti-T. gondii antibodies using a commercially available indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) kit and to evaluate the risk factors that are associated with seroprevalence in the Shandong province of eastern China. A total of 213/1278 (17%) donkeys tested from Shandong province were positive for T. gondii antibodies. Statistical analysis revealed that gender and feeding habits of the animal are associated with T. gondii infection. These results provide information for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in donkeys, other animals, and humans in this region and elsewhere.

Seroprevalence of and risk factors for Neospora caninum infection in yaks (Bos grunniens) in China.

The aim of the present study was to detect the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in yaks in Gansu province, China. Serum samples from 974 white yaks and 610 black yaks were tested by a commercial competitive-inhibition ELISA for the detection of specific anti-N. caninum antibodies.; N. caninum antibodies were detected in 10.4% of yaks with higher prevalence in black (11.5% of 610) than white yak (8.6% of 974). Age, regions and sampling times were considered as risk factors associated with N. caninum infection. These results revealed the seroprevalence of N. caninum in white yaks for the first time in China.

Dual-template ordered mesoporous carbon/Fe2O3 nanowires as lithium-ion battery anodes.

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) are ideal host materials that can provide the desirable electrical conductivity and ion accessibility for high-capacity oxide electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To this end, however, it is imperative to establish the correlations among material morphology, pore structure and electrochemical performance. Here, we fabricate an ordered mesoporous carbon nanowire (OMCNW)/Fe2O3 composite utilizing a novel soft-hard dual-template approach. The structure and electrochemical performance of OMCNW/Fe2O3 were systematically compared with single-templated OMC/Fe2O3 and carbon nanowire/Fe2O3 composites. This dual-template strategy presents synergetic effects combining the advantages of both soft and hard single-template methods. The resulting OMCNW/Fe2O3 composite enables a high pore volume, high structural stability, enhanced electrical conductivity and Li(+) accessibility. These features collectively enable excellent electrochemical cyclability (1200 cycles) and a reversible Li(+) storage capacity as high as 819 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1). Our findings highlight the synergistic benefits of the dual-template approach to heterogeneous composites for high performance electrochemical energy storage materials.

Co-electrodeposition of RuO2-MnO2 nanowires and the contribution of RuO2 to the capacitance increase.

A wide range of metal oxides have been studied as pseudocapitors, with the goal of achieving higher power than traditional batteries and higher energy than traditional capacitors. However, most metal oxides have relatively low conductivity, and the few exceptions, like RuO2, are prohibitively expensive. Mixed metal oxides provided an opportunity to incorporate small amounts of expensive materials to enhance the performance of a less expensive, poorer performing material. Here, by homogeneously co-depositing a small amount of energy dense and conductive RuO2 into MnO2 nanowires, we demonstrate an improvement in specific capacitance. Importantly, we also demonstrate that this improvement is not primarily provided by redox activity of RuO2, but rather by improvement of the composite conductivity. A series of RuO2-MnO2 composite nanowires with different RuO2 loading percentages have been synthesized by performing co-electrodeposition in a porous alumina template. The structure of these RuO2-MnO2 nanowires is characterized by TEM and SEM. EDS mapping shows that RuO2 is well distributed in MnO2 matrix nanowires. The chemical constituents and the phase of these composite nanowires are confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy. The amount of RuO2 is controlled by varying the concentrations of RuCl3 and MnAc2 in the deposition solution. The precise masses of MnO2 and RuO2 are determined by ICP-AES elemental analysis. MnO2 nanowires with 6.70 wt% RuO2 demonstrate a specific capacitance of 302 F g(-1) at 20 mV s(-1), compared to 210 F g(-1) for pristine MnO2 nanowires. Investigation of the RuO2 loading amount effect was conducted by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and deconvolution of capacitances, using methods previously reported by both Dunn and Transsiti. The RuO2-MnO2 nanowires studied here demonstrate a simple, straighforward method to overcome the intrinsically poor conductivity of MnO2, and clarify the source of RuO2's contribution to the improved performance.

Seroprevalence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Toxoplasma gondii in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in China.

The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.

Seroprevalence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Toxoplasma gondii in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in China

The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.

Redox-exchange induced heterogeneous RuO2-conductive polymer nanowires.

A redox exchange mechanism between potassium perruthenate (KRuO4) and the functional groups of selected polymers is used here to induce RuO2 into and onto conductive polymer nanowires by simply soaking the polymer nanowire arrays in KRuO4 solution. Conductive polymer nanowire arrays of polypyrrole (PPY) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were studied in this work. SEM and TEM results show that the RuO2 material was distributed differently in the PPY and PEDOT nanowire matrices. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to confirm the dispersion and formation of RuO2 materials in these polymer nanowires. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge experiments were used to characterize their electrochemical performance. RuO2-polymer samples prepared with a 6 min soaking time in 10 mM KRuO4 solution show a high specific capacitance of 371 F g(-1) and 500 F g(-1) for PEDOT-based and PPY-based composite nanowires, respectively. This is attributed to the high exposure area of the conductive RuO2 and the good conductivity of the polymer matrix. This work demonstrates a simple method to synthesize heterogeneous polymer based-materials through the redox reaction between conductive polymers and high oxidation state transition metal oxide ions. Different heterogeneous nanocomposites were obtained depending on the polymer properties, and high energy storage performance of the metal oxides can be achieved within these heterogeneous nanostructures.

Natural cellulose fiber as substrate for supercapacitor.

Cellulose fibers with porous structure and electrolyte absorption properties are considered to be a good potential substrate for the deposition of energy material for energy storage devices. Unlike traditional substrates, such as gold or stainless steel, paper prepared from cellulose fibers in this study not only functions as a substrate with large surface area but also acts as an interior electrolyte reservoir, where electrolyte can be absorbed much in the cellulose fibers and is ready to diffuse into an energy storage material. We demonstrated the value of this internal electrolyte reservoir by comparing a series of hierarchical hybrid supercapacitor electrodes based on homemade cellulose paper or polyester textile integrated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by simple solution dip and electrodeposited with MnO2. Atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 onto the fiber surface was used to limit electrolyte absorption into the fibers for comparison. Configurations designed with different numbers of ion diffusion pathways were compared to show that cellulose fibers in paper can act as a good interior electrolyte reservoir and provide an effective pathway for ion transport facilitation. Further optimization using an additional CNT coating resulted in an electrode of paper/CNTs/MnO2/CNTs, which has dual ion diffusion and electron transfer pathways and demonstrated superior supercapacitive performance. This paper highlights the merits of the mesoporous cellulose fibers as substrates for supercapacitor electrodes, in which the water-swelling effect of the cellulose fibers can absorb electrolyte, and the mesoporous internal structure of the fibers can provide channels for ions to diffuse to the electrochemical energy storage materials.

Self-limiting electrodeposition of hierarchical MnO2 and M(OH)2/MnO2 nanofibril/nanowires: mechanism and supercapacitor properties.

Hierarchical nanostructures have generated great interest in the energy, materials, and chemical sciences due to the synergic properties of their composite architectures. Herein, a hierarchical MnO2 nanofibril/nanowire array is successfully synthesized. The structure consists of a conformal layer of MnO2 nanofibrils evenly distributed on the surface of the individual MnO2 nanowires. The synthetic mechanism of this hierarchical structure is characterized by electrochemical measurements, Raman spectroscopy, EELS, and electron microscopy. This material was then investigated at slow scan rates for its charge storage mechanisms in different solvents. In aqueous electrolyte, the nanofibrils show a capacitance almost purely dedicated to double-layer and surface adsorption processes, while in an acetonitrile electrolyte, the nanofibrils' capacitance comes mainly from a cation insertion process. This material was also tested at high scan rates in aqueous solution for its practical supercapacitor capabilities. The material shows a large capacitance of 298 F/g at 50 mV/s and 174 F/g at 250 mV/s. It also maintains 85.2% of its capacitance after 1000 cycles. The material also displays easily controllable parameters such as nanowire length, nanowire diameter, and amount of nanofibril material which is shown here to affect the capacitance dramatically.

(E)-1-Phenyl-3-[4-(trifluoro-meth-yl)phen-yl]prop-2-en-1-one.

In the title compound, C(16)H(11)F(3)O, the dihedral angle between the two rings is 48.8 (2)°. The crystal packing exhibits no classical inter-molecular inter-actions between the mol-ecules.

Di-µ-aqua-bis-{diaqua-[µ-4-({4-[bis-(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)amino]-6-chloro-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl}amino)-benzene-sulfonato]-sodium(I)}.

In the dinuclear title compound, [Na(2)(C(13)H(15)ClN(5)O(5)S)(2)(H(2)O)(6)](n), two Na(+) cations, disposed about a centre of inversion, are linked by two bridging water mol-ecules. The coordination geometry is based on an O(5) donor set defined by four water mol-ecules and a 4-amino-benzene-sulfonate O atom in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. In the crystal, significant O-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds lead to the formation of a three-dimensional architecture.

3-Nitro-2-phenyl-chroman.

In the title compound, C(15)H(13)NO(3), the dihedral angle between the two aromatic rings is 79.25 (16)°.

Diphenyl-methyl isothio-cyanate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(14)H(11)NS, contains two mol-ecules in which the dihedral angles between the phenyl rings are 77.23 (7) and 86.30 (7)°. No aromatic π-π stacking inter-actions are observed.

1-Bromo-2-[(E)-2-nitro-ethen-yl]benzene.

In the title compound, C(8)H(6)BrNO(2), the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzene ring and the nitro group is 22.99 (12)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers associated by pairs of short Br⋯O contacts [3.2319 (17) Å] occur.

MnO2/TiN heterogeneous nanostructure design for electrochemical energy storage.

MnO(2)/TiN nanotubes are fabricated using facile deposition techniques to maximize the surface area of the electroactive material for use in electrochemical capacitors. Atomic layer deposition is used to deposit conformal nanotubes within an anodic aluminium oxide template. After template removal, the inner and outer surfaces of the TiN nanotubes are exposed for electrochemical deposition of manganese oxide. Electron microscopy shows that the MnO(2) is deposited on both the inside and outside of TiN nanotubes, forming the MnO(2)/TiN nanotubes. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge curves are used to characterize the electrochemical properties of the MnO(2)/TiN nanotubes. Due to the close proximity of MnO(2) with the highly conductive TiN as well as the overall high surface area, the nanotubes show very high specific capacitance (662 F g(-1) reported at 45 A g(-1)) as a supercapacitor electrode material. The highly conductive and mechanically stable TiN greatly enhances the flow of electrons to the MnO(2) material, while the high aspect ratio nanostructure of TiN creates a large surface area for short diffusion paths for cations thus improving high power. Combining the favourable structural, electrical and energy properties of MnO(2) and TiN into one system allows for a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.

Diphenyl chloro-thio-phospho-nate.

The complete mol-ecule of the title compound, C(12)H(10)ClO(2)PS, is generated by crystallographic mirror symmetry, with the P, S and Cl atoms lying on the mirror plane. The resulting PO(2)SCl tetra-hedron is significantly distorted [O-P-O = 96.79 (9)°]. The crystal packing exhibits no directional inter-actions.