Background
Infection is a significant risk factor that impacts for perioperative morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation (LTx) patients and is difficult to evaluate quantitatively in the ...early posttransplantation period. Thus, a biomarker to assess the risk of infection and the prognosis of the recipient is highly desirable.
Methods
A total of 128 consecutive patients with end‐stage liver diseases undergoing LTx between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were screened retrospectively. Graft preservation fluid and blood samples were collected for culture, and other perioperative laboratory examination results were recorded, for assessment of infection status.
Results
After a follow‐up period of 30 days, the survival rate among the 128 LTx recipients was 94.5%. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the logarithmically transformed neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR = 3.548, 95% CI: ; p = .041) on post‐LTx day 1 and graft preservation fluid culture positivity (HR = 12.032, 95% CI: ; p = .006) were independent predictive factors for early prognosis after LTx.
Conclusions
Positive graft preservation fluid culture and the logarithmically transformed NLR on post‐LTx day 1 were independent predictive factors for early prognosis after LTx. The logarithmically transformed NLR could provide an earlier indication than culture results in clinical practice.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were prepared by a simple approach.•The ZnO/CQDs heterostructure showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity.•The electronic interaction between ZnO and CQDs is believed ...formation.
Zinc oxide (ZnO)/carbon quantum dots (CQDs) heterostructure has been prepared via a sol–gel approach combined with a spin-coating processing and the CQDs obtained by a simple method. The samples are characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and photocurrent–voltage curves, and the photocatalytic property of this heterostructure has also been investigated by using Rhodamine B as a test substance. The results revealed that some kind of electronic interaction between ZnO and CQDs is formed. This interaction contributes to both the improvement of charge separation and the reduction of charge recombination, and thereby enhances the photocatalytic property. The degree of photocatalytic activity enhancement strongly depends on the layers of CQDs coating on the surface of ZnO layer. The heterostructure with 4 layers of CQDs shows the highest photocatalytic activity, which is about 3 times as that of pristine ZnO.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Excess Bi was added to 0.7Bi1+xFeO3-0.3BaTiO3 (B1+xF-0.3BT; x = 0.00–0.05) ceramics to compensate for the volatilization of Bi2O3 during sintering. The domain structure and the domain switching of ...the B1+xF-0.3BT ceramics were systematically studied by the characterization of electrical properties and the use of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD patterns showed that the phase structure of all of the ceramics was in the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), consisting of rhombohedral and pseudocubic phases. Appropriate compensation with Bi content can promote domain switching due to the precise control of MPB, which plays a vital role in obtaining high piezoelectric properties. Therefore, the outstanding piezoelectric properties of d33 = 214 pC/N, TC = 528 °C, kp = 0.325 and Sp-p = 0.375% were obtained in B1.02F-0.3BT ceramics, the properties of which are superior to those obtained in previously reported studies of BF-BT based ceramics. The present investigation of the compensating Bi content will inspire further research to develop BF-BT based ceramics suitable for practical use.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
BiFeO
3
–BaTiO
3
(BF–BT) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have high piezoelectricity and high Curie temperature (
T
C
), but the mixed-valence Fe ions and Bi
3+
volatilization would promote the ...formation of Bi
25
FeO
40
/Bi
2
Fe
4
O
9
and oxygen vacancy, which greatly degrade the insulation properties required for polarization. In this study, it was found that the modification of BiAlO
3
(BA) in BF–BT ceramics could effectively solve these problems, reducing the leakage current to 1 × 10
−9
A·cm
−2
and transiting the space charge-limited conduction to ohmic conduction. Because of the enhanced insulation properties and appropriate rhombohedral-pseudocubic phase ratio (
C
R
/
C
PC
), BF–BT–
x
BA ceramics in an optimized composition obtain enhanced piezoelectric performance: piezoelectric charge coefficient (
d
33
) = 196 pC·N
−1
, planar electromechanical coupling coefficient (
k
p
) = 31.1%,
T
C
= 487 °C and depolarization temperature (
T
d
) = 250 °C; unipolar strain (
S
uni
) = 0.17% and piezoelectric strain coefficient (
d
33
*
) = 335 pm·V
−1
at 100 °C. Especially,
d
33
exceeds 283 pC·N
−1
at 233 °C and
d
33
*
is 335 pm·V
−1
at 100 °C, showing an excellent high-temperature piezoelectricity and high depolarization temperature. The results are attributed to the domain structure of rhombohedral-pseudocubic phase coexistence and its high-temperature switching behavior. This work provides a feasible and effective approach to improve the high temperature piezoelectric properties of BF–BT–
x
BA ceramics, making them more suitable for high temperature applications.
Graphical abstract
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
•Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles modified ZnO films were prepared by a chemical method.•The alloy modified ZnO films exhibited higher photocatalytic activity.•The enhanced activity is related to the ...process of photocatalytic reaction.
Au–Ag alloy modified ZnO nanocomposite films have been prepared by sol–gel and spin-coating method. A visible-light absorption ability in the region of 450–550nm due to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Au–Ag alloy was attained in the nanocomposite films along with a quasilinear relationship between the wavelength of the plasmon bands and Ag/Au precursor’s molar ratio. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite films for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation under UV-light irradiation is enhanced by alloy-modification, which is related to the process of photocatalytic reaction as confirmed by the TOC results. The enhancement degree of photocatalytic activity strongly depends on the Ag/Au molar ratio, among which the Ag0.1Au0.2/ZnO photocatalyst provided the highest photocatalytic activity that is more than 2 times higher than the pristine ZnO photocatalyst as fabricated and tested under the same conditions.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Phosphonates are the main components in the global phosphorus redox cycle. Little is known about phosphonate metabolism in freshwater ecosystems, although rapid consumption of phosphonates has been ...observed frequently. Cyanobacteria are often the dominant primary producers in freshwaters; yet, only a few strains of cyanobacteria encode phosphonate-degrading (C-P lyase) gene clusters. The phycosphere is defined as the microenvironment in which extensive phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria interactions occur. It has been demonstrated that phytoplankton may recruit phycospheric bacteria based on their own needs. Therefore, the establishment of a phycospheric community rich in phosphonate-degrading-bacteria likely facilitates cyanobacterial proliferation, especially in waters with scarce phosphorus. We characterized the distribution of heterotrophic phosphonate-degrading bacteria in field Microcystis bloom samples and in laboratory cyanobacteria "phycospheres" by qPCR and metagenomic analyses. The role of phosphonate-degrading phycospheric bacteria in cyanobacterial proliferation was determined through coculturing of heterotrophic bacteria with an axenic Microcystis aeruginosa strain and by metatranscriptomic analysis using field Microcystis aggregate samples.
Abundant bacteria that carry C-P lyase clusters were identified in plankton samples from freshwater Lakes Dianchi and Taihu during Microcystis bloom periods. Metagenomic analysis of 162 non-axenic laboratory strains of cyanobacteria (consortia cultures containing heterotrophic bacteria) showed that 20% (128/647) of high-quality bins from eighty of these consortia encode intact C-P lyase clusters, with an abundance ranging up to nearly 13%. Phycospheric bacterial phosphonate catabolism genes were expressed continually across bloom seasons, as demonstrated through metatranscriptomic analysis using sixteen field Microcystis aggregate samples. Coculturing experiments revealed that although Microcystis cultures did not catabolize methylphosphonate when axenic, they demonstrated sustained growth when cocultured with phosphonate-utilizing phycospheric bacteria in medium containing methylphosphonate as the sole source of phosphorus.
The recruitment of heterotrophic phosphonate-degrading phycospheric bacteria by cyanobacteria is a hedge against phosphorus scarcity by facilitating phosphonate availability. Cyanobacterial consortia are likely primary contributors to aquatic phosphonate mineralization, thereby facilitating sustained cyanobacterial growth, and even bloom maintenance, in phosphate-deficient waters. Video Abstract.
•Phosphonate using capability is widely distributed among filamentous cyanobacteria.•3.2% of published cyanobacterial genomes possess phosphonate biosynthesis genes.•Phosphonate using is a strategy ...of these strains against phosphorus deficiency.•Methane is produced through cyanobacterial methylphosphonate lysis.•Oxic methane production by cyanobacteria may contribute to atmospheric methane.
Aquatic ecosystems comprise almost half of total global methane emissions. Recent evidence indicates that a few strains of cyanobacteria, the predominant primary producers in bodies of water, can produce methane under oxic conditions with methylphosphonate serving as substrate. In this work, we have screened the published 2 568 cyanobacterial genomes for genetic elements encoding phosphonate-metabolizing enzymes. We show that phosphonate degradation (phn) gene clusters are widely distributed in filamentous cyanobacteria, including several bloom-forming genera. Algal growth experiments revealed that methylphosphonate is an alternative phosphorous source for four of five tested strains carrying phn clusters, and can sustain cellular metabolic homeostasis of strains under phosphorus stress. Liberation of methane by cyanobacteria in the presence of methylphosphonate occurred mostly during the light period of a 12 h/12 h diurnal cycle and was suppressed in the presence of orthophosphate, features that are consistent with observations in natural aquatic systems under oxic conditions. The results presented here demonstrate a genetic basis for ubiquitous methane emission via cyanobacterial methylphosphonate mineralization, while contributing to the phosphorus redox cycle.
Display omitted .
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic pathway participates in various physiological processes as well as in the development of malignancies. We analyzed genomic alterations in AA metabolic enzymes in ...the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) prostate cancer (PCa) dataset and found that the gene encoding soluble epoxide hydrolase (EPHX2) is frequently deleted in PCa. EPHX2 mRNA and protein expression in PCa was examined in multiple datasets by differential gene expression analysis and in a tissue microarray by immunohistochemistry. The expression data were analyzed in conjunction with clinicopathological variables. Both the mRNA and protein expression levels of EPHX2 were significantly decreased in tumors compared with normal prostate tissues and were inversely correlated with the Gleason grade and disease-free survival time. Furthermore, EPHX2 mRNA expression was significantly decreased in metastatic and recurrent PCa compared with localized and primary PCa, respectively. In addition, EPHX2 protein expression correlated negatively with Ki67 expression. In conclusion, EPHX2 deregulation is significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics of PCa progression and may serve as a prognostic marker for PCa.
A series of solid solution of (1−
x
)BiFeO
3
–
x
BaTiO
3
(abbreviated as BFO–
x
BT at 0.24 ≤
x
≤ 0.34) were prepared to reveal the relation between phase structure and multiferroic properties. A ...morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) separating
R
phase and
T
one was detected in BFO–
x
BT system at 0.26 ≤
x
≤ 0.34. Due to
R
and
T
two
-
phase coexistence, high piezoelectric properties of
d
33
= 191 pC/N and
k
p
= 34.68%, as well as excellent ferroelectric properties of 2
P
r
= 56.13 μm/cm
2
and 2
E
C
= 75.35 kV/cm were achieved in the BFO–
x
BT ceramics at
x
= 0.30. Moreover, a low leakage current density (
J
) of 1.01 × 10
−6
–3.18 × 10
−6
A/cm
2
at an applied electric field of 30 kV/cm and a weak ferromagnetism with remanent magnetization
M
r
of 0.014–0.054 emu/g and coercive fields
H
c
of 946–2340 Oe were detected in BFO–
x
BT ceramics at 0.24 ≤
x
≤ 0.34, suggesting that the BFO–BT ceramics have promising prospects in magnetoelectric functional components.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Akirin is an essential nuclear protein involved in the regulation of NF-κB signaling pathway. In most invertebrates, Akirin regulates NF-κB-related Imd and Toll pathways, however, in
, it only ...controls the Imd pathway, whereas its role in NF-κB signaling pathway in other insect species is unclear. In the present study, we used white-backed planthopper
as a model to investigate the functional activity of Akirin in insects. The sequence of
cDNA was extracted from transcriptome database of
; it contained a 585 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative protein of 194 amino acids.
Akirin (SfAkirin) had a molecular weight of about 21.69 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.66 and included a nuclear localization signal (NLS) of five amino acid residues at the N-terminal region. Evolutionary analysis showed that SfAkirin was evolutionary closer to Akirins of such relatively distant species as crustaceans than to those of some insect orders like Diptera and Hymenoptera. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that the
gene was expressed in all examined tissues, with the highest expression levels detected in the testis, followed by the ovary, whereas the lowest expression was found in the head. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that
mRNA was strongly induced in response to injection of heat-inactivated
and
, whereas
silencing by RNA interference significantly reduced the expression of NF-κB dependent transcription factors
and
after
and
challenge, respectively. Our results suggest that SfAkirin may control the immune response of
against bacterial infection via both Imd and Toll signaling pathways.
PDF
