Engineering the wettability of surfaces with hydrophobic organics has myriad applications in heterogeneous catalysis and the large-scale chemical industry; however, the mechanisms behind may surpass ...the proverbial hydrophobic kinetic benefits. Herein, the well-studied In2O3 methanol synthesis photocatalyst has been used as an archetype platform for a hydrophobic treatment to enhance its performance. With this strategy, the modified samples facilitated the tuning of a wide range of methanol production rates and selectivity, which were optimized at 1436 μmol gcat-1 h-1 and 61%, respectively. Based on in situ DRIFTS and temperature-programmed desorption-mass spectrometry, the surface-decorated alkylsilane coating on In2O3 not only kinetically enhanced the methanol synthesis by repelling the produced polar molecules but also donated surface active H to facilitate the subsequent hydrogenation reaction. Such a wettability design strategy seems to have universal applicability, judged by its success with other CO2 hydrogenation catalysts, including Fe2O3, CeO2, ZrO2, and Co3O4. Based on the discovered kinetic and mechanistic benefits, the enhanced hydrogenation ability enabled by hydrophobic alkyl groups unleashes the potential of the surface organic chemistry modification strategy for other important catalytic hydrogenation reactions.
Oxytropiols A-J, ten undescribed guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids, and the mycotoxin swainsonine (SW) were isolated from the locoweed endophytic fungus Alternaria oxytropis. The chemical structures of ...these sesquiterpenoids were elucidated on the basis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR data including 1H, 13C, HSQC, 1H-1H COSY, HMBC, and NOESY spectra, and the absolute configurations of these compounds were determined using a modified Mosher's method and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. A possible biosynthetic pathway of these guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids is discussed, and proposed that post-modification oxidative enzymes might form these highly polyhydroxylated structures. Compound 1 displayed biological effects on the root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, and SW displayed cytotoxicity against A549 and HeLa cancer cell lines.
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•Only a toxic alkaloid swainsonine was isolated from the endophytic fungus Alternaria oxytropis.•Ten new sesquiterpenoids oxytropiols A-J were isolated from the desert plant endophytic fungus A. oxytropis.•Structural elucidation, biological evaluation and possible biosynthesis of these undescribed compounds were presented.
Data on the epidemiology of invasive candidiasis (IC) and the antifungal susceptibility of
isolates in China are still limited. Here we report on surveillance for IC from the China Hospital Invasive ...Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) study. Sixty-five tertiary hospitals collected 8,829
isolates from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2014. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry supplemented by ribosomal DNA sequencing was used to define the species, and the fluconazole and voriconazole susceptibilities were determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute disk diffusion method. A total of 32
species were identified.
was the most common species (44.9%), followed by the
complex (20.0%),
(17.2%), and the
complex (10.8%), with other species comprising <3% of isolates. However, in candidemia, the proportion of cases caused by
was only 32.3%.
and
complex isolates were susceptible to fluconazole and voriconazole (<6% resistance), while fluconazole and azole cross-resistance rates were high in
(13.3% and 12.9%, respectively),
complex (18.7% and 14%, respectively), and uncommon
species (44.1% and 10.3%, respectively) isolates. Moreover, from years 1 to 5 of the study, there was a significant increase in the rates of resistance to fluconazole among
complex isolates (12.2% to 24.0%) and to both fluconazole (5.7% to 21.0%) and voriconazole (5.7% to 21.4%) among
isolates (
< 0.01 for all comparisons). Geographic variations in the causative species and susceptibilities were noted. Our findings indicate that antifungal resistance has become noteworthy in China, and enhanced surveillance is warranted.
Objective The purpose of our study was to investigate alterations of white matter integrity in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods We performed ...diffusion tensor imaging with a 3T MRI scanner on 45 patients with major depression and 45 healthy controls matched for age, sex and education. Using a voxel-based analysis, we measured the fractional anisotropy (FA), and we investigated the differences between the patient and control groups. We examined the correlations between the microstructure abnormalities of white matter and symptom severity, age of illness onset and cumulative illness duration, respectively. Results We found a significant decrease in FA in the left hemisphere, including the anterior limb of the internal capsule and the inferior parietal portion of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, in patients with MDD compared with healthy controls. Diffusion tensor imaging measures in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule were negatively related to the severity of depressive symptoms, even after we controlled for age and sex. Conclusion Our findings provide new evidence of microstructural changes of white matter in non–late-onset adult depression. Our results complement those observed in late-life depression and support the hypothesis that the disruption of cortical– subcortical circuit integrity may be involved in the etiology of major depressive disorder.
Background
Cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury (CSA‐AKI) is a common complication with a poor prognosis. In order to identify modifiable perioperative risk factors for AKI, which existing ...risk scores are insufficient to predict, a dynamic clinical risk score to allow clinicians to estimate the risk of CSA‐AKI from preoperative to early postoperative periods is needed.
Methods and Results
A total of 7233 cardiac surgery patients in our institution from January 2010 to April 2013 were enrolled prospectively and distributed into 2 cohorts. Among the derivation cohort, logistic regression was used to analyze CSA‐AKI risk factors preoperatively, on the day of ICU admittance and 24 hours after ICU admittance. Sex, age, valve surgery combined with coronary artery bypass grafting, preoperative NYHA score >2, previous cardiac surgery, preoperative kidney (without renal replacement therapy) disease, intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass application, intraoperative erythrocyte transfusions, and postoperative low cardiac output syndrome were identified to be associated with CSA‐AKI. Among the other 1152 patients who served as a validation cohort, the point scoring of risk factor combinations led to area under receiver operator characteristics curves (AUROC) values for CSA‐AKI prediction of 0.74 (preoperative), 0.75 (on the day of ICU admission), and 0.82 (postoperative), and Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness‐of‐fit tests revealed a good agreement of expected and observed CSA‐AKI rates.
Conclusions
The first dynamic predictive score system, with Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI definition, was developed and predictive efficiency for CSA‐AKI was validated in cardiac surgery patients.
In this study, we applied a composite index of neutrophil-lymphocyte * platelet ratio (NLPR), and explore the significance of the dynamics of perioperative NLPR in predicting cardiac ...surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI).
During July 1
st
and December 31
th
2019, participants were prospectively derived from the 'Zhongshan Cardiovascular Surgery Cohort'. NLPR was determined using neutrophil counts, lymphocyte and platelet count at the two-time points. Dose-response relationship analyses were applied to delineate the non-linear odds ratio (OR) of CSA-AKI in different NLPR levels. Then NLPRs were integrated into the generalized estimating equation (GEE) to predict the risk of AKI.
Of 2449 patients receiving cardiovascular surgery, 838 (34.2%) cases developed CSA-AKI with stage 1 (n = 658, 26.9%), stage 2-3 (n = 180, 7.3%). Compared with non-AKI patients, both preoperative and postoperative NLPR were higher in AKI patients (1.10.8, 1.8 vs. 0.90.7,1.4, p < 0.001; 12.47.5, 20.0 vs. 10.16.4,16.7, p < 0.001). Such an effect was a 'J'-shaped relationship: CSA-AKI's risk was relatively flat until 1.0 of preoperative NLPR and increased rapidly afterward, with an odds ratio of 1.13 (1.06-1.19) per 1 unit. Similarly, patients whose postoperative NLPR value >11.0 were more likely to develop AKI with an OR of 1.02. Integrating the dynamic NLPRs into the GEE model, we found that the AUC was 0.806(95% CI 0.793-0.819), which was significantly higher than the AUC without NLPR (0.799, p < 0.001).
Dynamics of perioperative NPLR is a promising marker for predicting acute kidney injury. It will facilitate AKI risk management and allow clinicians to intervene early so as to reverse renal damage.
Aims
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
is required for B acquisition in
Brassica napus
(
B. napus
) under low B stress. This study aimed to reveal the B regulatory mechanism of
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
and its physiological roles ...in B translocation from roots to shoots and B distribution in shoots.
Methods
Transgenic
Arabidopsis
plants expressing GUS (β-glucuronidase) under different promoters were generated and the mRNA, and GUS activity was quantitatively measured. The in-situ PCR and immunohistochemistry in
B. napus
were performed to investigate
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
expression pattern and localization. Furthermore, assays of B transport and distribution in wild type
B. napus
and
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
RNAi lines were carried out to elucidate its physiological roles.
Results
Results showed that
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
mRNA abundance is negatively correlated with B availability, which was mediated by the 29 nt sequence in the 5′ terminal region of 5’-UTR. Besides, the 5’-UTR simultaneously regulates protein expression level, most probably depending on the translation efficiency. BnaC4.BOR1;1c mainly localizes on the plasma membrane of vascular bundle cells in roots and shoots with a polar localization manner that is probably beneficial to B xylem loading in roots and B unloading from xylem to phloem in vascular bundle of shoots. Short-term
10
B uptake analysis demonstrates that
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
preferentially distributes B to developing leaves and flowers under B deficiency.
Conclusion
This study reveals combined regulatory action of mRNA abundance and translation efficiency mediated by the 5’-UTR in
BnaC4.BOR1;1c
in response to B availability and its physiological role in preferential B acquisition in developing tissues of
B. napus
.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac surgery is common and associated with poor patient outcomes. Early risk assessment for development of AKI remains a challenge. The combination of urinary ...tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) has been shown to be an excellent predictor of AKI following cardiac surgery, but reported studies are for predominately non-Asian populations.
Adult patients were prospectively enrolled at Zhongshan hospital in Shanghai, China. The primary analysis was prediction of AKI and stage 2-3 AKI by TIMP-2*IGFBP7 measured 4 h after postoperative ICU admission assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Kinetics of TIMP-2*IGFBP7 following ICU admission were also examined.
We prospectively enrolled 57 cardiac surgery patients, of which 20 (35%) developed AKI and 6 (11%) developed stage 2-3 AKI. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of TIMP-2*IGFBP7 at 4 h after ICU admission was 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-0.91) for development of AKI and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.69-0.96) for development of stage 2-3 AKI. Urinary TIMP-2*IGFBP7 values at 4 h after ICU admission were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in patients who developed AKI than in patients who did not develop AKI (mean (standard error) of 1.08 (0.34) (ng/mL)
/1000 and 0.29 (0.05) (ng/mL)
/1000, respectively). The time-profile of TIMP-2*IGFBP7 suggests the markers started to elevate by the time of ICU admission in patients who developed AKI and either decreased or remained flat in patients without AKI.
The combination of urinary TIMP-2 and IGFBP7 4 h after postoperative ICU admission identifies patients at risk for developing AKI, not just stage 2-3 AKI following cardiac surgery.
Coinfection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the most significant risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). The immune responses of the lung are essential to restrict the growth of ...Mycobacterium tuberculosis and avoid the emergence of the disease. Nevertheless, there is still limited knowledge about the local immune response in people with HIV-1-TB coinfection.
We employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 9 individuals with HIV-1-TB coinfection and 10 with pulmonary TB.
A total of 19 058 cells were grouped into 4 major cell types: myeloid cells, T/natural killer (NK) cells, B cells, and epithelial cells. The myeloid cells and T/NK cells were further divided into 10 and 11 subsets, respectively. The proportions of dendritic cell subsets, CD4+ T cells, and NK cells were lower in the HIV-1-TB coinfection group compared to the TB group, while the frequency of CD8+ T cells was higher. Additionally, we identified numerous differentially expressed genes between the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets between the 2 groups.
HIV-1 infection not only affects the abundance of immune cells in the lungs but also alters their functions in patients with pulmonary TB.
The aim of the study was to explore associations between elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery (CS-AKI).
Preoperative, ...intraoperative and postoperative data of 10,274 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, including demographic data, were prospectively collected from January 2009 to December 2014. Propensity score matching was used on the basis of clinical characteristics and preoperative variables. An elevated RDW was defined as the difference between RDW 24 h after cardiac surgery and the latest RDW before cardiac surgery.
A total of 10,274 patients were included in the unmatched cohort, and 3146 patients in the propensity-matched cohort. In the unmatched cohort, the overall CS-AKI incidence was 32.8% (n = 3365) with a hospital mortality of 5.5% (n = 185). In the propensity-matched cohort, the elevated RDW in AKI patients was higher than in patients without AKI (0.3% (0.0%, 0.7%) vs 0.5% (0.1, 1.1%), P < 0.001) and the elevated RDW incidences were 0.4% (0.1%, 0.9%), 0.6% (0.2%, 1.1%) and 1.1% (0.3%, 2.1%) in stage 1, 2 and 3 AKI patients (P < 0.001). Among propensity-matched patients with CS-AKI, the level of elevated RDW in non-survivors was higher than in survivors 1.2% (0.5%, 2.3%) vs 0.5% (0.1%, 1.0%), P < 0.001 and a 0.1% increase in elevated RDW was associated with a 0.24% higher risk of within-hospital mortality in patients with CS-AKI. Estimating the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) showed that an elevated RDW had moderate discriminative power for AKI development (AUC = 0.605, 95% CI, 0.586-0.625; P < 0.001) and hospital mortality (AUC = 0.716, 95% CI, 0.640-0.764; P < 0.001) in the propensity-matched cohort.
An elevated RDW might be an independent prognostic factor for the severity and poor prognosis of CS-AKI.
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