Adjuvant Treatment with Yupingfeng Formula for Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the immunomodulating function of Yupingfeng Formula (YPFF) in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs). The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI and WanFang databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing with and without YPFF for RRTIs in children. Twelve trials with 1236 patients were identified. Adjuvant treatment with YPFF significantly increased serum levels of IgA (weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.33 mg/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20 to 0.45), IgG (WMD 1.36 mg/mL; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.65), IgM (WMD 0.16 mg/mL; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.31), and CD3(+) T-lymphocytes (WMD 10.16%; 95% CI 4.62 to 15.69) but not CD4(+) T-lymphocytes (WMD 3.16%; 95% CI -0.27 to 6.59) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes (WMD -0.84%; 95% CI -2.50 to 0.81). YPFF also reduced the frequency of RRTIs (WMD -3.80 times; 95% CI -4.86 to -2.74) and increased total effective rates of symptom improvement (risk ratio: 1.44; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.75). Adjuvant treatment with YPFF could improve total clinical effective rate and decrease the frequency of respiratory tract infections in children with RRTIs. The beneficial effects of YPFF may be correlated to its immunomodulating action. More well-designed trials with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate its efficacy and safety. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Four quadruple metal-metal bonds lined up: linear nonachromium(II) metal string complexes.

Through a new pyrazine-modulated penta-pyridyl-tetraamine ligand, H(4)N(9)-mpz, linear nonachromium(II) complexes with four quadruple metal-metal bonds were successfully obtained, and their structure, magnetic and electrochemistry properties were studied.

Solvent-annealing-induced self-organization of poly(3-hexylthiophene), a high-performance electrochromic material.

We have systematically studied the self-organization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), an electrochromic material, upon control of the solvent evaporation rate. We characterized these polymer films using atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Well-ordered P3HT structures were developed after solvent annealing; these highly crystalline structures exhibited enhanced electrochromic contrast and reduced resistance within the film, leading to larger coloration efficiencies and faster switching times. The optical contrast (Delta%T), coloration efficiency, and switching time of the P3HT films increased from 54.2%, 182.6 cm(2) C(-1), and 5.3 s, respectively, prior to solvent annealing to 64.8%, 293.5 cm(2) C(-1), and 3.2 s, respectively, after application of the solvent-annealing conditions.

First stable reduced form of [Co(5)](+10): fine tuning of linear pentacobalt(ii) complexes containing delocalized metal-metal bonds through ligand modification.

Pentacobalt EMACs [Co(5)(mu(5)-dpzpda)(4)X(2)] (X = Cl(-) (), NCS(-) ()) with fine-tuning of the supporting ligand based on the tripyridyldiamine ligand, N,N'-di(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridine-2,6-diamine (H(2)dpzpda), and their reduced form (Ph(4)P)[Co(5)(mu(5)-dpzpda)(4)X(2)] (X = Cl(-) (), NCS(-) ()) were first synthesized and structurally characterized. The structures of showed direct Co-Co bonds with Co-Co distances in the range 2.2385(7)-2.2888(15) A, and valence electrons delocalized through the whole metal chain with distances of longer than 9.06 A. The distances of the inner Co-Co bonds and the Co-axial ligands became longer after reduction, whereas no significant change was observed in the distances of the outer Co-Co bonds and Co-N (supporting ligand) bonds, which was consistent with the MO analysis. Electrochemical studies on both and showed one reversible oxidation and one reversible reduction at E(1/2) = +0.82 and -0.05 V for , and at E(1/2) = +0.89 and +0.02 V for , respectively. The redox reactions of the thiocyanate complex happened at higher potentials than the chloride complex . A magnetism study of revealed anomalous magnetic behaviour similar to that of heptacobalt EMACs, and a deviation from the Curie-Weiss law was observed. The chi(M)T value at 300 K is 0.84 and 1.16 emu K mol(-1) for and , respectively, suggesting spin-equilibrium or a spin-admixture between doublet and quartet states arising from the Boltzmann distribution over different energy levels. Similar results were obtained for and , showing intermediate chi(M)T values between a diamagnetic and a triplet state of 0.15-0.96 emu K mol(-1) in the temperature range 5-300 K. The structural and magnetic results were interpreted through an EHMO study.

New versatile ligand family, pyrazine-modulated oligo-alpha-pyridylamino ligands, from coordination polymer to extended metal atom chains.

Here we designed and synthesized a new ligand, di(2-pyrazyl)amine (Hdpza) (1) and studied its coordination modes and the corresponding complexes with Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cr(II). Hdpza is an analogue of the well-studied di(2-pyridyl)amine (Hdpa) ligand, which was used to generate the first extended metal atom chain. Three types of coordination modes were found: anti-anti style which resulted in a mononuclear compound [Cu(Hdpza)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (2); anti-syn which was observed in a complex for the first time and resulted in a 2-D coordination polymer [Co(mu(2)-Hdpza)(2)(NCS)(2)] (3); and syn-syn type which was observed in extended metal atom chains [Ni(3)(mu(3)-dpza)(4)Cl(2)] (4), [Ni(3)(mu(3)-dpza)(4)(NCS)(2)] (5) and [Cr(3)(mu(3)-dpza)(4)Cl(2)] (6). Weak antiferromagnetic coupling via Hdpza was observed in 3, whereas magnetic studies on extended metal atom chains 4 and 5 revealed that the interaction parameter was more than -200 cm(-1). Electrochemistry showed that the extended metal atom chains 4-6 are much more stable to oxidation than the Hdpa complexes, and are able to undergo reduction.