[Clinical characteristics of 11 patients with Vibrio vulnificus infection and the establishment of a rapid diagnosis procedure for this disease]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with Vibrio vulnificus infection, share diagnosis and treatment experience, and establish a rapid diagnosis procedure for this disease. Methods: This study was a retrospective case series study. From January 2009 to November 2022, 11 patients with Vibrio vulnificus infection who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns and Wound Repair of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University. The gender, age, time of onset of illness, time of admission, time of diagnosis, route of infection, underlying diseases, affected limbs, clinical manifestations and signs on admission, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine, procalcitonin, albumin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and blood sodium levels on admission, culture results and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) results of pathogenic bacteria and the Vibrio vulnificus drug susceptibility test results during hospitalization, treatment methods, length of hospital stay, and outcomes of all patients were recorded. Comparative analysis was conducted on the admission time and diagnosis time of patients with and without a history of exposure to seawater/marine products, as well as the fatality ratio and amputation of limbs/digits ratio of patients with and without early adequate antibiotic treatment. For the survived patients with hand involvement, the hand function was assessed using Brunnstrom staging at the last follow-up. Based on patients' clinical characteristics and treatment conditions, a rapid diagnosis procedure for Vibrio vulnificus infection was established. Results: There were 7 males and 4 females among the patients, aged (56±17) years. Most of the patients developed symptoms in summer and autumn. The admission time was 3.00 (1.00, 4.00) d after the onset of illness, and the diagnosis time was 4.00 (2.00, 8.00) d after the onset of illness. There were 7 and 4 patients with and without a history of contact with seawater/marine products, respectively, and the admission time of these two types of patients was similar (P>0.05). The diagnosis time of patients with a history of contact with seawater/marine products was 2.00 (2.00, 5.00) d after the onset of illness, which was significantly shorter than 9.00 (4.25, 13.00) d after the onset of illness for patients without a history of contact with seawater/marine products (Z=-2.01, P<0.05). Totally 10 patients had underlying diseases. The affected limbs were right-hand in 8 cases, left-hand in 1 case, and lower limb in 2 cases. On admission, a total of 9 patients had fever; 11 patients had pain at the infected site, and redness and swelling of the affected limb, and 9 patients each had ecchymosis/necrosis and blisters/blood blisters; 6 patients suffered from shock, and 2 patients developed multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. On admission, there were 8 patients with abnormal white blood cell count, hemoglobin, and albumin levels, 10 patients with abnormal CRP, procalcitonin, and NT-proBNP levels, 5 patients with abnormal creatinine and blood sodium levels, and fewer patients with abnormal platelet count, ALT, and AST levels. During hospitalization, 4 of the 11 wound tissue/exudation samples had positive pathogenic bacterial culture results, and the result reporting time was 5.00 (5.00, 5.00) d; 4 of the 9 blood specimens had positive pathogenic bacterial culture results, and the result reporting time was 3.50 (1.25, 5.00) d; the mNGS results of 7 wound tissue/exudation or blood samples were all positive, and the result reporting time was 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) d. The three strains of Vibrio vulnificus detected were sensitive to 10 commonly used clinical antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and amikacin, etc. A total of 10 patients received surgical treatment, 4 of whom had amputation of limbs/digits; all patients received anti-infection treatment. The length of hospital stay of 11 patients was (26±11) d, of whom 9 patients were cured and 2 patients died. Compared with that of the 6 patients who did not receive early adequate antibiotic treatment, the 5 patients who received early adequate antibiotic treatment had no significant changes in the fatality ratio or amputation of limbs/digits ratio (P>0.05). In 3 months to 2 years after surgery, the hand function of 8 patients was assessed, with results showing 4 cases of disabled hands, 2 cases of incompletely disabled hands, and 2 cases of recovered hands. When a patient had clinical symptoms of limb redness and swelling and a history of contact with seawater/marine products or a pre-examination triage RiCH score of Vibrio vulnificus sepsis ≥1, the etiological testing should be initiated immediately to quickly diagnose Vibrio vulnificus infection. Conclusions: Vibrio vulnificus infection occurs most frequently in summer and autumn, with clinical manifestations and laboratory test results showing obvious infection characteristics, and may be accompanied by damage to multiple organ functions. Both the fatality and disability ratios are high and have a great impact on the function of the affected limbs. Early diagnosis is difficult and treatment is easily delayed, but mNGS could facilitate rapid detection. For patients with red and swollen limbs accompanied by a history of contact with seawater/marine products or with a pre-examination triage RiCH score of Vibrio vulnificus sepsis ≥1, the etiological testing should be initiated immediately to quickly diagnose Vibrio vulnificus infection.

High-Performance Li-Organic Batteries Based on Conjugated and Nonconjugated Schiff-Base Polymer Anode Materials

In recent years, organic materials have been increasingly studied as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their remarkable advantages, including abundant raw materials, low prices, diverse structures, and high theoretical capacity. In this paper, three types of aromatic Schiff-base polymer materials have been synthesized and examined as anode materials in LIBs. Among them, the polymer [C6H4N = CHC6H4CH=N]n (TTD-PDA) has a continuous conjugated backbone (label as conjugated polymer), while polymers [(CH2)2N=CHC6H4CH=N]n (TTD-EDA) and [C6H4N=CH(CH2)3CH=N]n (GA-PDA) have discontinuous conjugated back-bones (label as nonconjugated polymer). The organic anodes based on TTD-PDA, TTD-EDA, and GA-PDA for LIBs are discovered to represent high reversible specific capacities of 651, 492, and 416 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 as well as satisfactory rate capabilities with high capacities of 210, 90, and 178 mAh g-1 and 105, 57, and 122 mAh g-1 at current densities of 2 and 10 A g-1, indicating that these Schiff-base polymers are all promising anode materials for LIBs, which broadens the design of organic anode materials with high specific capacity, superior rate performance, and stable cycling stability.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Patients with Lung Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a rarely high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung with features of both small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. We aim to construct a prognostic nomogram combined with the clinical features and treatment options to predict disease-specific survival (DSS), meanwhile, evaluating the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in LCNEC by subgroup analysis.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 713 patients diagnosed with LCNEC from the US National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry between 2010 and 2016. Cox proportional hazards analysis was conducted to choose the significant predictors of DSS. External validation was performed using 77 patients with LCNEC in the West China Hospital Sichuan University between 2010 and 2018, subgroup analysis was carried out for the whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and PCI population. The predictive accuracy and discriminative capability were estimated by the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The clinical applicability of the nomogram was verified through the decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

Six independent risk factors for DSS were identified and integrated into the nomogram. The nomogram achieved good C- indexes of 0.803 and 0.767 in the training and validation group respectively. Moreover, the calibration curves of both cohorts for the probability of survival showed good agreement between prediction by nomogram and actual observation in 1-, 3- and 5-year DSS. The ROC curves demonstrated the prediction accuracy of the established nomogram (all AUC>0.8). DCA confirmed the better potential clinical practicality of the nomogram in the prediction of LCNEC survival than AJCC staging. A risk classification system was built which could perfectly classify LCNEC patients into high- and low-risk groups(p<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that WBRT did not bring survival benefits, PCI appeared to have survival benefits in LCNEC patients without brain metastases (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The prognostic nomogram developed in this study has certain prognostic value and clinical practicality for LCNEC patients. PCI might be investigated as a means of improving prognosis.

A sensitive ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for visual and wearable mercury (II) recognition in river prawn and water samples

A novel ratiometric fluorescent probe p-RPT was prepared with triphenylamine and a rhodamine derivative. The probe displays high sensitivity and selectivity for Hg²⁺, which was applied in real water sample detection and biologic cell imaging. Hydrogel-coated paper sensors were fabricated with p-RPT, which displayed fluorescent colour change upon Hg²⁺ ion contact with a detection limit of 1.2 × 10^-8 M (∼10 ppb). In addition, flexible fluorescent p-RPT gloves were developed for visible and wearable Hg²⁺ detection and applied to detect mercury (II) in river prawn samples. In summary, the p-RPT probe not only shows great potential in mercury (II) detection for food and water, but also provides a new perspective for wearable sensing apparatus.

Defect pyrochlore-type Mott-Schottky photocatalysts for enhanced ammonia synthesis at low pressure

The ambient ammonia synthesis coupled with distributed green hydrogen production technology can provide promising solutions for low-carbon NH3 production and H2 storage. Herein, we reported Ru-loaded defective pyrochlore K2Ta2O6-x with remarkable visible-light absorption and a very low work function, enabling effective visible-light-driven ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2 at low pressure down to 0.2 atm. The photocatalytic rate was 2.8 times higher than that of the best previously reported photocatalyst and the photo-thermal rate at 425K was similar to that of Ru-loaded black TiO2 at 633K. Compared to perovskite-type KTaO3-x with the same composition, the pyrochlore exhibited a 3.7-fold increase in intrinsic activity due to a higher photoexcited charge separation efficiency and a higher conduction band position. The interfacial Schottky barrier and spontaneous electron transfer between K2Ta2O6-x and Ru further improve photoexcited charge separation and accumulate energetic electrons to facilitate N2 activation.

Zirconium Complexes with Bulkier Amine Bis(phenolate) Ligands and Their Catalytic Properties for Ethylene (Co)polymerization

A series of new zirconium complexes bearing bulkier amine bis(phenolate) tetradentate ligands, Me₂NCH₂CH₂N{CH₂(2-O-3-R-5-^tBu-C₆H₂)}₂ZrCl₂ [R = CPhMe₂ (1); CMePh₂ (2); CPh₃ (3); Ph (4); 3,5-Me₂C₆H₃ (5); 3,5-^tBu₂C₆H₃ (6); 4-^tBuC₆H₄ (7)], were synthesized and characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR, and elemental analyses. The molecular structures of complexes 1 and 3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The X-ray crystallography analysis reveals that these complexes display a slightly distorted octahedral geometry around their metal centers. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), dry-MAO, MAO/butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), or AlⁱBu₃/CPh₃B(C₆F₅)₄, these zirconium complexes exhibit high catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization [up to 1.07 × 10⁷ g PE (mol Zr)^-1 h^-1] and ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization [up to 2.78 × 10⁷ g polymer (mol Zr)^-1 h^-1], affording (co)polymers with moderate to high molecular weights and good comonomer incorporations. The zirconium complexes with bulkier R groups show higher catalytic activities and longer lifetimes and produce polymers with higher molecular weights, while the zirconium complexes with aryls as R groups demonstrate relatively good comonomer incorporation ability for the copolymerization reactions. These catalytic systems also show moderate catalytic activities for the polymerization reactions of propylene, 1-hexene, and 1-decene. Upon activation with MAO, the zirconium complexes also show moderate catalytic activities for the copolymerization reaction of ethylene with 3-buten-1-ol (treated with 1 equiv of AlⁱBu₃), affording copolymers with the incorporation of 3-buten-1-ol up to 1.05%.

High-Efficiency Arbitrary Quantum Operation on a High-Dimensional Quantum System

The ability to manipulate quantum systems lies at the heart of the development of quantum technology. The ultimate goal of quantum control is to realize arbitrary quantum operations (AQUOs) for all possible open quantum system dynamics. However, the demanding extra physical resources impose great obstacles. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a universal approach of AQUO on a photonic qudit with the minimum physical resource of a two-level ancilla and a log_{2}d-scale circuit depth for a d-dimensional system. The AQUO is then applied in a quantum trajectory simulation for quantum subspace stabilization and quantum Zeno dynamics, as well as incoherent manipulation and generalized measurements of the qudit. Therefore, the demonstrated AQUO for complete quantum control would play an indispensable role in quantum information science.

Light-Induced Nonoxidative Coupling of Methane Using Stable Solid Solutions

Achieving efficient and direct conversion of methane under mild conditions is of great significance for innovations in the chemical industry. However, the efficiency and lifetime of most catalysts remain too far from practical requirements, since it is difficult to break the first C-H bond of methane as well as to suppress the following complete dehydrogenation (or overoxidation) and the resulting carbonaceous deposition (or CO₂ ). Here, we report that wurtzite GaN:ZnO solid solutions exhibit unique and unprecedented photocatalytic performances for the nonoxidative coupling of methane at room temperature, exclusively generating ethane with nearly stoichiometric H₂ . High conversion rate (>330 μmol g^-1  h^-1 ), long-term stability (>70 h), and superior coke-resistance were achieved. At 293 K, the methane conversion exceeds 7 %, comparable to the equilibrium conversion of thermal catalysis at 910 K. Mechanistic studies revealed that the N-Zn_Ga -O_N units and the absence of acid sites on the surface played crucial roles in reactivity and coke resistance, respectively.

Experimental Simulation of Open Quantum System Dynamics via Trotterization

Digital quantum simulators provide a diversified tool for solving the evolution of quantum systems with complicated Hamiltonians and hold great potential for a wide range of applications. Although much attention is paid to the unitary evolution of closed quantum systems, dissipation and noise are vital in understanding the dynamics of practical quantum systems. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a digital simulation of an open quantum system in a controllable Markovian environment with the assistance of a single ancillary qubit. By Trotterizing the quantum Liouvillians, the continuous evolution of an open quantum system is effectively realized, and its application in error mitigation is demonstrated by adjusting the simulated noise intensities. High-order Trotter for open quantum dynamics is also experimentally investigated and shows higher accuracy. Our results represent a significant step toward hardware-efficient simulation of open quantum systems and error mitigation in quantum algorithms in noisy intermediate-scale quantum systems.

Manipulating Complex Hybrid Entanglement and Testing Multipartite Bell Inequalities in a Superconducting Circuit

Quantum correlations in observables of multiple systems not only are of fundamental interest, but also play a key role in quantum information processing. As a signature of these correlations, the violation of Bell inequalities has not been demonstrated with multipartite hybrid entanglement involving both continuous and discrete variables. Here we create a five-partite entangled state with three superconducting transmon qubits and two photonic qubits, each encoded in the mesoscopic field of a microwave cavity. We reveal the quantum correlations among these distinct elements by joint Wigner tomography of the two cavity fields conditional on the detection of the qubits and by test of a five-partite Bell inequality. The measured Bell signal is 8.381±0.038, surpassing the bound of 8 for a four-partite entanglement imposed by quantum correlations by 10 standard deviations, demonstrating the genuine five-partite entanglement in a hybrid quantum system.

High glucose promotes prostate cancer cells apoptosis via Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influences of high glucose on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cancer cells and analyze its possible mechanism of action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP was divided into control group, mannitol group, and high glucose group. Then, the proliferation in each group was detected via methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Hoechst staining assay was performed to determine the apoptosis level in each group. Western blotting was employed to measure the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) proteins. The cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was measured through 2,7-dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to detect the content of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and inflammatory factors.

RESULTS

High glucose significantly promoted the proliferation of prostate cancer cells LNCaP (p<0.01) and increased the apoptosis level of cells (p<0.01). In high glucose group, the expression level of Caspase-3 protein was overtly increased (p<0.01), while that of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) was significantly decreased (p<0.01). High glucose group had clearly increased the content of ROS (p<0.01), LDH (p<0.01), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.01), but decreased the content of IL-10 (p<0.01). High glucose notably lowered the protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and γ-GCS in the cells (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

High glucose represses the activation of the Nrf2/anti-oxidation response element (ARE) signaling pathway in prostate cancer cells and increases the content of ROS, IL-6, and the expression of apoptotic proteins in the cells, thus promoting the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells.

Targeted regulation of miR-195 on MAP2K1 for suppressing ADM drug resistance in prostate cancer cells

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Targeted regulation of miR-195 on MAP2K1 for suppressing ADM drug resistance in prostate cancer cells, by J.-Y. Zhang, Y.-N. Li, X. Mu, Z.-L. Pan, W.-B. Liu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2018; 22 (24): 8599-8608-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201812_16623-PMID: 30575899" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/16623.

Demonstration of Controlled-Phase Gates between Two Error-Correctable Photonic Qubits

To realize fault-tolerant quantum computing, it is necessary to store quantum information in logical qubits with error correction functions, realized by distributing a logical state among multiple physical qubits or by encoding it in the Hilbert space of a high-dimensional system. Quantum gate operations between these error-correctable logical qubits, which are essential for implementation of any practical quantum computational task, have not been experimentally demonstrated yet. Here we demonstrate a geometric method for realizing controlled-phase gates between two logical qubits encoded in photonic fields stored in cavities. The gates are realized by dispersively coupling an ancillary superconducting qubit to these cavities and driving it to make a cyclic evolution depending on the joint photonic state of the cavities, which produces a conditional geometric phase. We first realize phase gates for photonic qubits with the logical basis states encoded in two quasiorthogonal coherent states, which have important implications for continuous-variable-based quantum computation. Then we use this geometric method to implement a controlled-phase gate between two binomially encoded logical qubits, which have an error-correctable function.

Half-sandwich rare-earth metal complexes bearing a C5Me4-C6H4-o-CH2NMe2 ligand: synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties for isoprene, 1-hexene and MMA polymerization

A new ortho-dimethylaminomethylphenyl-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl ligand C₅Me₄H-C₆H₄-o-CH₂NMe₂ (HL) and a series of rare-earth metal complexes bearing this ligand were synthesized. Of these complexes, two binuclear alkyl complexes [(C₅Me₄-C₆H₄-o-CH₂N(Me)CH₂-μ)Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)]₂ (Ln = Sc (1a) and Y (1b)) were obtained from the alkane elimination reaction of the free ligand with Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂, followed by an intramolecular C-H activation process of a NMe group in the ligand with a CH₂SiMe₃ group, two binuclear dichloro complexes (C₅Me₄-C₆H₄-o-CH₂NMe₂)₂Y₂Cl₄[LiCl(THF)₂] (2a) and [(C₅Me₄-C₆H₄-o-CH₂NMe₂)LuCl(μ-Cl)]₂ (2b) were synthesized by the reaction of anhydrous yttrium or lutetium trichloride with the lithium salt of the ligand LiL, and the binuclear bis(borohydrido) complexes [(C₅Me₄-C₆H₄-o-CH₂NMe₂)Ln(μ-BH₄)BH₄]₂ (Ln = Sm (3a) and Nd (3b)) were synthesized by the reaction of Ln(BH₄)₃(THF)₃ (Ln = Sm and Nd) with the lithium salt of the ligand. The molecular structures of all complexes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Upon activation with AlR₃/Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄, MAO or MMAO, the binuclear alkyl complexes 1a and 1b show good catalytic activity for isoprene cis-1,4 enriched regioselective polymerization and moderate catalytic activity for 1-hexene polymerization. Complexes 3a and 3b were studied as catalysts for methyl methacrylate polymerization reaction under different conditions and were found to show moderate to high catalytic activity.

Targeted regulation of miR-195 on MAP2K1 for suppressing ADM drug resistance in prostate cancer cells

OBJECTIVE

Extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) signaling pathway participates in cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis. MAPK kinase 1 (MAP2K1) activates the ERK/MAPK pathway. The down-regulation of miR-195 is correlated with the onset and drug resistance of prostate cancer. Bioinformatics analysis identified complementary binding sites between miR-195 and MAP2K1. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-195 on the proliferation, apoptosis and adriamycin (ADM) resistance of prostate cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed targeted regulation between miR-195 and MAP2K1. ADM resistant cell line DU145/ADM and PC-3/ADM were generated for comparing the miR-195 and MAP2K1 expression. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity was quantified. Cultured cells were treated with miR-195 mimic, followed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used for MAP2K1 expression. Western blot measured MAP2K1, ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) expression, and flow cytometry quantified cell apoptosis, followed by EdU staining for cell proliferation.

RESULTS

Targeted regulation existed between miR-195 and MAP2K1 mRNA. Drug-resistant cells had lower miR-195 than parental cells, whilst MAP2K1 expression was higher. Under ADM treatment with IC50 concentration, drug resistant cells showed lower apoptosis. The transfection of miR-195 decreased MAP2K1 expression and p-ERK1/2, elevated cell apoptosis and suppressed EdU positive rate or cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

The down-regulation of miR-195 is correlated with ADM resistance of prostate cancer cells. The over-expression of miR-195 weakens cancer cell proliferation, facilitates cell apoptosis and decreases ADM resistance via targeted inhibition on MAP2K1 expression and ERK/MAPK signal pathway.

Purely Organic Phosphorescence Emitter-Based Efficient Electroluminescence Devices

A pure organic molecule 2,6-di(phenothiazinyl)naphthalene (DPTZN) with room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) features was developed. Remarkably, a triazine-benzimidazole-based molecule TRZ-BIM can significantly improve the RTP efficiency of DPTZN in DPTZN:TRZ-BIM blend films. The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 10 wt % DPTZN:TRZ-BIM blend film is 38%. The RTP property of DPTZN:TRZ-BIM blend films was characterized by steady, time-resolved, and temperature-dependent emission spectra. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with 10 wt % DPTZN:TRZ-BIM blend film as the emitting layer showed a high maximum external quantum efficiency of 11.5%, current efficiency of 33.8 cd A^-1, and power efficiency of 32.6 lm W^-1. Herein, we have developed an efficient approach to achieve precious-metal-free organic films that can be employed to fabricate high-performance phosphorescence OLEDs.

P924Prognostic significance of moderate primary mitral regurgitation and atrial fibrillation

Background

Severe primary mitral regurgitation [degenerativeMR (DMR)] is associated with poor outcome, including cardiac death and admission due to worsening heart failure. Whereas little information is available regarding the characteristics of moderate DMR and their impact on prognostic outcome.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognosis and its determinant in patients with moderate DMR.

Methods

From 13,700 consecutive patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography. We selected moderate DMR but without other underlying cardiac diseases. Characteristics and event free rate as compared with age- and gender-matched patients with none to mild MR.

Results

Of a total of our cohort, 185 (1%) patients had moderate DMR, and we compared with 185 age- and gender-matched patients with none to mild MR. During the follow-up period of 1372±655 days, 30 patients (8%) met the composite endpoint defined as cardiac death and admission due to worsening heart failure. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed patients with moderate DMR was significantly associated with a poor outcome compared to patients with none to mild MR (log-ranktest P<0.0001). Cox proportional hazard ratio revealed thatmoderate MR and atrial fibrillation (AF) were the independent predictors of the composite endpoint.

Prgnostic outcome: AF and moderate DMR

Conclusions

Patients withmoderate DMR and concomitant AF had a significant poor outcome. An activesurveillance and some intervention for AF and moderate MR may be required.

Titanium and zirconium complexes bearing new tridentate [OSO] bisphenolato-based ligands: synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties for alkene polymerization

A number of new sulfur-bridged tridentate [OSO] bisphenolato-based ligand precursors S(2-CH2-4-tBu-6-R-C6H2OH)2 [R = CMe3 (H2L1), CMe2Ph (H2L2), CMePh2 (H2L3), CPh3 (H2L4), and C(p-Tol)3 (H2L5)] were synthesized by reactions of Na2S·9H2O with 2 eq. of the corresponding 2-(bromomethyl)-4-(tert-butyl)-6-R-phenol. Their neutral titanium complexes [S(2-CH2-4-tBu-6-R-C6H2O)2]TiCl2 [R = CMe3 (1), CMe2Ph (2), CMePh2 (3), CPh3 (4), and C(p-Tol)3 (5)] were synthesized in high yields by direct HCl-elimination reactions of TiCl4 with the corresponding ligand precursors in toluene. Ionic titanium complexes [NHEt3][S(2-CH2-4-tBu-6-R-C6H2O)2TiCl3] [R = CMe3 (6), CMePh2 (7)] and [NH2Et2][S(2-CH2-4-tBu-6-R-C6H2O)2TiCl3] [R = CMe3 (8) and CMePh2 (9)] were obtained in high yields from the reactions of TiCl4 with the corresponding ligand precursors in the presence of 2 eq. of triethylamine or diethylamine. Neutral zirconium complexes [S(2-CH2-4-tBu-6-R-C6H2O)2]ZrCl2(THF) [R = CMe2Ph (10·THF), and CMePh2 (11·THF)] were synthesized by reactions of ZrCl4 with 1 eq. of the dilithium salt of the corresponding ligand precursors Li2L in THF. The new titanium and zirconium complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, IR and elemental analyses. The molecular structures of complexes 4, 6 and 10·THF were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The X-ray crystallography analysis reveals that titanium complex 4 has a five-coordinating environment surrounding the central metal atom, while the titanium complex 6 and the THF-solvated zirconium complex 10·THF possess a six-coordinating pseudo-octahedral environment around the central metal atom. Upon activation with MAO or AliBu3/Ph3CB(C6F5)4, all these titanium and zirconium complexes exhibit moderate to high catalytic activities for ethylene polymerization and ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization with moderate to high comonomer incorporation, and the ionic titanium complexes 6, 7, 8 and 9 show lower catalytic activity than their corresponding neutral complexes under similar conditions.

Constrained Geometry Nitrogen-Functionalised Diphenylcyclopentadienyl Chromium (III) Complex: Synthesis, Structure and Catalytic Properties for Ethylene Polymerisation

A bidentate ligand 1-[2-( N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)]-3, 4-biphenylcyclopentadiene 1, as well as its corresponding constrained geometry chromium complex dichloro-η5-[1-(2- N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienyl] chromium (III) 2 have been synthesised and characterised. When activated with Al( iBu)3 and Ph3C[B(C6F5)4], complex 2 exhibits reasonable catalytic activity for ethylene polymerisation, producing polyethylenes with moderate molecular weights and melting points. The effects of polymerisation temperature, ethylene pressure, B/Cr and Al/Cr ratios on catalytic activity were studied.

Synthesis and characterization of chromium complexes 2-Me4CpC6H4CH2(R)NHCrCl2 and their catalytic properties in ethylene homo- and co-polymerization

A series of new half-sandwich secondary amine-coordinated dichlorochromium complexes chelated by 2-(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)benzylamine ligands, 2-Me4CpC6H4CH2(R)NHCrCl2 [R = iPr (1), Cy (2), Ph (3), 4-MePh (4), 2,6-Me2Ph (5), 2,6-Et2Ph (6)], have been synthesized from the reactions of CrCl3(THF)3 with the dilithium salts of the corresponding ligands in THF, followed by the addition of 1/2 eq. of H2O to the reaction mixtures. The isolated yields of the chromium complexes were found to increase with the increase in the amount of H2O introduced and reach the highest values (66-76%) when 1/2 eq. of H2O is added. Attempts to isolate the 2-(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)benzylamidochromium complexes, 2-Me4CpC6H4CH2(R)NCrCl, were not successful. The new dichlorochromium complexes were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, EPR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy and elemental analyses, and the molecular structures of complexes 1, 5 and 6 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that these chromium complexes possess a three-legged piano-stool geometry with the amine N atom in a mitered six-membered chelating ring and the two chloride atoms as the legs. Upon activation with AlR3 and Ph3CB(C6F5)4, complexes 1-6 exhibit reasonable catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with 1-hexene, producing polyethylenes with moderate to high molecular weights and poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene)s with moderate comonomer incorporation which are typical linear low-density polyethylenes (LLDPE). Complex 4 was found to show higher catalytic activity for ethylene homo- and co-polymerization than other complexes under similar conditions, while complex 3 produced poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene)s with the highest comonomer incorporation.

Mechanochromic luminescence based on a phthalonitrile-bridging salophen zinc(ii) complex

Here, we showcase the impressive stimuli-responsive properties of a luminescent zinc(ii)–salophen complex CN-Zn, highlighting a reversible mechanochromic property.

Utility of arterial spin labelling MRI for discriminating atypical high-grade glioma from primary central nervous system lymphoma

AIM

To evaluate the ability of arterial spin labelling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) from atypical high-grade glioma (HGG), as well as exploring the underlying pathological mechanisms.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Twenty-three patients with PCNSL and 17 patients with atypical HGG who underwent ASL-MRI were identified retrospectively. Absolute cerebral blood flow (aCBF) and normalised cerebral blood flow (nCBF) values were obtained, and were compared between PCNSL and atypical HGG using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The performance in discriminating between PCNSL and atypical HGG was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristics analysis and area-under-the-curve (AUC) values for aCBF and nCBF. The correlation between microvessel density (MVD) and aCBF was determined by Spearman's correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Atypical HGG demonstrated significantly higher aCBF, nCBF, and MVD values than PCNSL (p<0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of discriminating PCNSL from atypical HGG showed AUC=0.877 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.735-0.959) for aCBF, and AUC=0.836 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.685-0.934) for nCBF. There was a moderate positive correlation between aCBF values of region of interest (ROI >30 mm²) in the enhanced area and MVD values (rho=0.579, p=0.0001), and a strong positive correlation between aCBF values MVD based on "point-to-point biopsy" (rho=0.83, p=0.0029). Interobserver agreements for aCBF and nCBF were excellent (ICC >0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

ASL perfusion MRI is a useful imaging technique for the discrimination between atypical HGG and PCNSL, which may be determined by the difference of MVD between them.

Single-Loop Realization of Arbitrary Nonadiabatic Holonomic Single-Qubit Quantum Gates in a Superconducting Circuit

Geometric phases are noise resilient, and thus provide a robust way towards high-fidelity quantum manipulation. Here we experimentally demonstrate arbitrary nonadiabatic holonomic single-qubit quantum gates for both a superconducting transmon qubit and a microwave cavity in a single-loop way. In both cases, an auxiliary state is utilized, and two resonant microwave drives are simultaneously applied with well-controlled but varying amplitudes and phases for the arbitrariness of the gate. The resulting gates on the transmon qubit achieve a fidelity of 0.996 characterized by randomized benchmarking and the ones on the cavity show an averaged fidelity of 0.978 based on a full quantum process tomography. In principle, a nontrivial two-qubit holonomic gate between the qubit and the cavity can also be realized based on our presented experimental scheme. Our experiment thus paves the way towards practical nonadiabatic holonomic quantum manipulation with both qubits and cavities in a superconducting circuit.

High Expression of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells in Chinese Primary Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Tissues

Purpose

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) has been reported to be involved in the development of various types of cancer including adenocarcinoma of the breast. This research was the first to investigate NFAT protein expression in primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues from Chinese patients.

Methods

NFAT protein expression was determined in 130 surgically resected primary NSCLC and matched normal tissues by immunohistochemical analysis. The association between NFAT expression and clinical categorical variables was further analyzed with the SPSS software.

Results

We found that NFAT expression was much higher in 85 tumor tissues (65.4%) and lower in 45 tumor tissues (34.6%) compared with the matched normal tissues. Further statistical analysis by the chi-square test showed that high expression of NFAT proteins was significantly associated with tumor differentiation (p=0.045), invasion (p=0.031), histology (p<0.0001), tumor size (p=0.038) and cigarette smoking history (p=0.024). However, there was no correlation between the expression of NFAT proteins and pTNM classification, and no difference in 5-year survival rate between patients with high or low expression of NFAT proteins. Multivariate logistic regression analysis for the correlation between NFAT protein expression levels and various characteristics showed a significant association with histology (p=0.008, OR=0.273).

Conclusion

Our results revealed that high NFAT expression was present in Chinese NSCLCs and that NFAT expression might be involved in the process of human lung cancer development.

Nitrogen Photofixation over III-Nitride Nanowires Assisted by Ruthenium Clusters of Low Atomicity

In many heterogeneous catalysts, the interaction of supported metal species with a matrix can alter the electronic and morphological properties of the metal and manipulate its catalytic properties. III-nitride semiconductors have a unique ability to stabilize ultra-small ruthenium (Ru) clusters (ca. 0.8 nm) at a high loading density up to 5 wt %. n-Type III-nitride nanowires decorated with Ru sub-nanoclusters offer controlled surface charge properties and exhibit superior UV- and visible-light photocatalytic activity for ammonia synthesis at ambient temperature. A metal/semiconductor interfacial Schottky junction with a 0.94 eV barrier height can greatly facilitate photogenerated electron transfer from III-nitrides to Ru, rendering Ru an electron sink that promotes N≡N bond cleavage, and thereby achieving low-temperature ammonia synthesis.

Evaluation of ompA and pgtE genes in determining pathogenicity in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a major causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans. This important food-borne pathogen also colonises the intestinal tracts of poultry and can spread systemically, especially in chickens. To identify the S. Enteritidis virulence genes involved in infection and colonisation of chickens, chromosomal deletion mutants of the ompA and pgtE genes, which encode essential components of omptins, were constructed. There were no significant differences between the wild-type and ompA and pgtE mutants in a series of in vitro assays, including an intracellular survival assay, survival in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken serum, and in vitro competition assays. In contrast, in vivo competition assays revealed that ompA and pgtE mutants underwent attenuated growth in liver, cardiac blood, spleen, lung, and kidney compared to a wild-type strain (CVCC3378). When tested in SPF chickens, ompA or pgtE gene inactivation substantially reduced organ colonisation and delayed systemic infection compared with the wild-type strain. Colonisation was restored in S. Enteritidis mutants by reintroduction of the whole ompA or pgtE gene with the native promoters. The results of this study demonstrate that ompA and pgtE play an important role in the pathogenesis of S. Enteritidis and its ability to infect chickens.

Photo-induced iodination of aryl halides under very mild conditions

Aryl iodides are important precursors in synthetic chemistry that form carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Most methods use transition-metal catalysts, which need to be scrupulously removed before the compounds can be used in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries, where only parts-per-million levels of transition metals are allowed. The aromatic Finkelstein iodination reaction is a powerful method of preparing valuable aryl iodides from cheap but less reactive aryl bromides and chlorides. This protocol describes a transition metal-free method for a photo-induced aromatic Finkelstein iodination reaction that is performed at room temperature (20 °C). With common aromatic bromides and sodium iodide (NaI) as the starting materials, as well as a catalytic amount of I₂ as an additive, the corresponding aromatic iodides can be synthesized in yields ranging from 56 to 93% under UV light irradiation in the absence of any metal catalysts. Various functional groups such as nitrile, ester and amino can be tolerated, which will facilitate the further functionalization of the aromatic iodides. The procedure normally requires 38-40 h to complete.

Twist-Bend Stage in the Relaxation of Sheared Chiral Nematic Suspensions of Cellulose Nanocrystals

Aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), prepared from natural cellulose by sulfuric acid hydrolysis, form stable chiral nematic suspensions above a critical CNC concentration. The chiral nematic organization may be preserved in films prepared from the suspensions by evaporation. However, shrinkage, gelation, and shear during film formation impair the optical properties of the dry film. In this article, we report an unusual behavior for a sample in which gelation occurred before the sample reached iridescent pitch values. In attempting to decouple changes in texture due to evaporation from those due to shear relaxation effects for this sample, we observed a transitory nematic-like texture that was induced by shear during the preparation of the sample for polarized light microscopy. We propose that the transition between chiral nematic and nematic structures involves a twist-bend-like intermediate and not an untwisting of the chiral nematic phase.

Endogenous Retroelements and the Host Innate Immune Sensors

The ability to distinguish between self and nonself is the fundamental basis of the immune system in all organisms. The conceptual distinction between self and nonself, however, breaks down when it comes to endogenous retroviruses and other retroelements. While some retroelements retain the virus-like features including the capacity to replicate and reinvade the host genome, most have become inactive through mutations or host epigenetic silencing. And yet, accumulating evidence suggests that endogenous retroelements, both active and inactive, play important roles not only in pathogenesis of immune disorders, but also in proper functioning of the immune system. This review discusses the recent development in our understanding of the interaction between retroelements and the host innate immune system. In particular, it focuses on the impact of retroelement transcripts on the viral RNA sensors such as Toll-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, protein kinase R, and the inflammasomes.

Comprehensive analysis of TEM methods for LiFePO4/FePO4 phase mapping: spectroscopic techniques (EFTEM, STEM-EELS) and STEM diffraction techniques (ACOM-TEM)

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used intensively in investigating battery materials, e.g. to obtain phase maps of partially (dis)charged (lithium) iron phosphate (LFP/FP), which is one of the most promising cathode material for next generation lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Due to the weak interaction between Li atoms and fast electrons, mapping of the Li distribution is not straightforward. In this work, we revisited the issue of TEM measurements of Li distribution maps for LFP/FP. Different TEM techniques, including spectroscopic techniques (energy filtered (EF)TEM in the energy range from low-loss to core-loss) and a STEM diffraction technique (automated crystal orientation mapping (ACOM)), were applied to map the lithiation of the same location in the same sample. This enabled a direct comparison of the results. The maps obtained by all methods showed excellent agreement with each other. Because of the strong difference in the imaging mechanisms, it proves the reliability of both the spectroscopic and STEM diffraction phase mapping. A comprehensive comparison of all methods is given in terms of information content, dose level, acquisition time and signal quality. The latter three are crucial for the design of in-situ experiments with beam sensitive Li-ion battery materials. Furthermore, we demonstrated the power of STEM diffraction (ACOM-STEM) providing additional crystallographic information, which can be analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of the LFP/FP interface properties such as statistical information on phase boundary orientation and misorientation between domains.

Chiral Nematic Structure of Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions and Films; Polarized Light and Atomic Force Microscopy

Cellulosic liquid crystalline solutions and suspensions form chiral nematic phases that show a rich variety of optical textures in the liquid crystalline state. These ordered structures may be preserved in solid films prepared by evaporation of solvent or suspending medium. Film formation from aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) was investigated by polarized light microscopy, optical profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An attempt is made to interpret qualitatively the observed textures in terms of the orientation of the cellulose nanocrystals in the suspensions and films, and the changes in orientation caused by the evaporative process. Mass transfer within the evaporating droplet resulted in the formation of raised rings whose magnitude depended on the degree of pinning of the receding contact line. AFM of dry films at short length scales showed a radial orientation of the CNC at the free surface of the film, along with a radial height variation with a period of approximately P/2, ascribed to the anisotropic shrinkage of the chiral nematic structure.

Photo-induced Metal-Catalyst-Free Aromatic Finkelstein Reaction

The facile iodination of aromatic compounds under mild conditions is a great challenge for both organic and medicinal chemistry. Particularly, the synthesis of functionalized aryl iodides by light has long been considered impossible due to their photo-lability, which actually makes aryl iodides popular starting materials in many photo-substitution reactions. Herein, a photo-induced halogen exchange in aryl or vinyl halides has been discovered for the first time. A broad scope of aryl iodides can be prepared in high yields at room temperature under exceptionally mild conditions without any metal or photo-redox catalysts. The presence of a catalytic amount of elemental iodine could promote the reaction significantly.

Association of fat-mass and obesity-associated gene FTO rs9939609 polymorphism with the risk of obesity among children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the association of fat-mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 polymorphism with obesity among children and adolescents.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Springer, and Google scholar to identify eligible studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for four models: co-dominant model (AA vs. TT, AT vs. TT), dominant model (AA + AT vs. TT), recessive model (AA vs. AT + TT), and allelic model (A vs. T). Subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity (Caucasian, others) and participants (children, children and adolescents) were assessed under allelic model. The heterogeneity and publication bias were examined.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included 12 eligible studies consisting 5,000 cases and 9,853 controls. The results revealed that FTO rs9939609 polymorphism was significantly associated with the increased risk of obesity in co-dominant model (AA vs. TT: OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.47-2.48, p < 0.01; AT vs. TT: OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.38, p = 0.03), dominant model (AA + AT vs. TT: OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.35-1.59, p < 0.01), recessive model (AA vs. AT + TT: OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.47-2.17, p < 0.01), and allelic model (A vs. T: OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.22-1.58, p < 0.01). Similar results were obtained for the subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity and participants under allelic model.

CONCLUSIONS

FTO rs9939609 polymorphism is associated with the increased risk of obesity among children and adolescents, especially the homozygous carriers.

Formation of chiral nematic films from cellulose nanocrystal suspensions is a two-stage process

The evaporation of aqueous suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) gives iridescent chiral nematic films with reflection colors at visible wavelengths. A key problem is controlling the chiral nematic pitch, P, and hence the reflection colors of CNC films. By adding D-(+)-glucose to the suspension, we show that the change in P during evaporation occurs in two distinct stages. The first stage is the decrease in P as the concentration of CNC in the chiral nematic suspension increases due to evaporation; the addition of glucose causes a decrease in P at this stage. In a second stage, a concentration of CNC is reached where the formation of ordered gels and glasses prevents further major changes in P. The addition of glucose lowers the CNC concentration at which this occurs, leading to an increase in P and hence an overall shift to the red end of the spectrum in the final film.

A novel microbead-based microfluidic device for rapid bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing

Effective treatment of infectious diseases depends on the ability to rapidly identify the infecting bacteria and the use of sensitive antibiotics. The currently used identification assays usually take more than 72 h to perform and have a low sensitivity. Herein, we present a microbead-based microfluidic platform that is highly sensitive and rapid for bacterial detection and antibiotic sensitivity testing. The platform includes four units, one of which is used for bacterial identification and the other three are used for susceptibility testing. Our results showed that Escherichia coli O157 at a cell density range of 10(1)-10(5) CFU/μL could be detected within 30 min. Additionally, the effects of three antibiotics on E. coli O157 were evaluated within 4-8 h. Overall, this integrated microbead-based microdevice provides a sensitive, rapid, reliable, and highly effective platform for the identification of bacteria, as well as antibiotic sensitivity testing.