Fluorinated Nonporous Adaptive Cages for the Efficient Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid from Aqueous Source Phases.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulate in water resources and pose serious environmental and health threats due to their nonbiodegradable nature and long environmental persistence times. Strategies for the efficient removal of PFAS from contaminated water are needed to address this concern. Here, we report a fluorinated nonporous adaptive crystalline cage (F-Cage 2) that exploits electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and F-F interactions to achieve the efficient removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from aqueous source phases. F-Cage 2 exhibits a high second-order kobs value of approximately 441,000 g mg-1 h-1 for PFOA and a maximum PFOA adsorption capacity of 45 mg g-1. F-Cage 2 can decrease PFOA concentrations from 1500 to 6 ng L-1 through three rounds of flow-through purification, conducted at a flow rate of 40 mL h-1. Elimination of PFOA from PFOA-loaded F-Cage 2 is readily achieved by rinsing with a mixture of MeOH and saturated NaCl. Heating at 80 °C under vacuum then makes F-Cage 2 ready for reuse, as demonstrated across five successive uptake and release cycles. This work thus highlights the potential utility of suitably designed nonporous adaptive crystals as platforms for PFAS remediation.

Phenylboronic Acid Functionalized Calix[4]pyrrole-Based Solid-State Supramolecular Electrolyte.

Solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) suffer from the low ionic conductivity and poor capability of suppressing lithium (Li) dendrites, which limits their utility in the preparation of all solid-state Li-metal batteries (LMBs). It is reported here a flexible solid supramolecular electrolyte that incorporates a new anion capture agent, namely a phenylboronic acid functionalized calix[4]pyrrole (C4P), into a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrix. The resulting solid-state supramolecular electrolyte demonstrates high ionic conductivity (1.9 × 10-3  S cm-1 at 60 °C) and a high Li+ transference number ( t Li + ${t}_{{\mathrm{Li}}^{\mathrm{ + }}}$  = 0.70). Furthermore, the assembled Li|C4P-PEO-LiTFSI|LiFePO4 cell allows for stable cycling over 1200 cycles at 1 C at 60 °C, as well as good rate performance. The favorable performance of the C4P-PEO-LiTFSI SPE leads to suggest it can prove useful in the creation of high energy density solid-state LMBs.

Sex differences in the association between D-dimer and the incidence of acute kidney injury in patients admitted with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a retrospective observational study.

Identifying the predictors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains important. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of D-dimer levels for the incidence of AKI in such a population, with particular attention paid to sex differences. A total of 2668 patients with STEMI who underwent PPCI were retrospectively included in this study and divided into quartiles according to their plasma D-dimer levels upon admission (Q1: < 0.36; Q2: 0.36-0.67; Q3: 0.68-1.17; Q4: > 1.17 mg/L). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of AKI during hospitalization. AKI was observed in 503 (18.8%) patients. The mean age of the patients was 63.0 ± 13.2 years, 2155 (80.8%) of whom were men. Multivariate analysis indicated that higher D-dimer levels were associated with a significantly increased risk of AKI (Q4 vs. Q1: OR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.11-2.23; P = 0.011). However, the prognostic effect of D-dimer was only observed in male patients (Q4 vs. Q1: OR: 2.07; 95% CI 1.37-3.13; P < 0.001), not in female patients (Q4 vs. Q1: OR: 0.72; 95% CI 0.37-1.41; P = 0.342) (P for interaction = 0.003). We demonstrated a notable sex difference in the association between D-dimer level upon admission and AKI in a large STEMI patient sample. A higher D-dimer level was associated with an increased risk of AKI in male patients but not in female patients.

The interaction between hyperuricemia and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol increases the risk of 1-year post-discharge all-cause mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hyperuricemia is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but little is known on whether the association between hyperuricemia and poor outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is modified by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). This study aimed to investigate the effect of the interaction between hyperuricemia and LDL-c on the risk of 1-year post-discharge all-cause mortality in STEMI patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1396 STEMI patients were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between hyperuricemia and 1-year all-cause mortality in the overall population and subgroups stratified based on LDL-c levels (<3.0 mmol/L or ≥3.0 mmol/L). Multivariate analysis indicated that hyperuricemia was associated with 1-year mortality (HR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.30-5.47; p = 0.008). However, the prognostic effect of hyperuricemia was only observed in patients with LDL-c level ≥3.0 mmol/L (HR: 12.90; 95% CI: 2.98-55.77; p < 0.001), but not in those with LDL-c level <3.0 mmol/L (HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.30-2.79, p = 0.875). The interaction between hyperuricemia and LDL-c levels had a significant effect on 1-year mortality. CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia was associated with increased 1-year post-discharge mortality in patients with LDL-c level≥ 3.0 mmol/L, but not in those with LDL-c level< 3.0 mmol/L.

Lactate level and lactate clearance for acute kidney injury prediction among patients admitted with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Hyperlactatemia is a prognostic marker among patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the predictive value of lactate and the dynamic change associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) among patients with STEMI, remain poorly understood. We aimed to compare single lactate values at admission (Lacadm) and 12 h after admission (Lac12h) with lactate clearance (LC) 12 h after admission for AKI prediction in patients with STEMI. Methods: A total of 1,784 patients with STEMI were included. The study endpoint was AKI occurrence during hospitalization. The predictive value of lactate levels measured at admission and 12 h after admission and LC for AKI prediction was determined using multivariate logistic regression analyses and compared with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Overall, AKI was observed in 353 (19.8%) patients. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, Lacadm ≥ 4.3 mmol/L (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.01-2.30), Lac12h ≥ 2.1 mmol/L (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.36-2.42), and LC ≥ -7.5% (OR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.30-0.53) were the independent predictive factors for AKI after adjusting for confounders. ROC curve analysis results revealed that Lac12h (0.639; 95% CI: 0.616-0.661) exhibited a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) than those of Lacadm (0.551; 95% CI: 0.527-0.574) and LC (0.593; 95% CI: 0.570-0.616) in the prediction of AKI. LC (△AUC = 0.037, p < 0.001) and Lac12h (△AUC = 0.017, p = 0.029) enhanced the discrimination capacity of Mehran Risk Score (MRS) for AKI among patients undergoing emergency coronary angiography. Conclusion: Lac12h is more effective for AKI prediction among patients with STEMI than Lacadm and LC. Furthermore, Lac12h and LC enhance the prediction capacity of MRS for AKI among patients after emergency coronary angiography.

Calix[4]pyrrole-Based Azo-Bridged Porous Organic Polymer for Bromine Capture.

The toxicity, corrosiveness, and volatility of elemental bromine presents challenges for its safe storage and transportation. Purification from other halogens is also difficult. Here, we report an easy-to-prepare calix[4]pyrrole-based azo-bridged porous organic polymer (C4P-POP) that supports efficient bromine capture. C4P-POP was found to capture bromine as a vapor and from a cyclohexane source phase with maximum uptake capacities of 3.6 and 3.4 g·g-1, respectively. Flow-through adsorption experiments revealed that C4P-POP removes 80% of the bromine from a 4.0 mM cyclohexane solution at a flow rate of 45 mL·h-1. C4P-POP also allowed the selective capture of bromine from a 1:1 mixture of bromine and iodine in cyclohexane.

Left Bundle Branch Pacing Postatrioventricular Junction Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Propensity Score Matching With His Bundle Pacing.

BACKGROUND: Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has emerged as a promising pacing modality to preserve physiological left ventricular activation; however, prospective data evaluating its long-term safety and efficacy in pacemaker-dependent patients following atrioventricular junction (AVJ) ablation are lacking. This study aimed to examine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of LBBP in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure (HF) after AVJ ablation and compare LBBP with His bundle pacing (HBP) through a propensity score (PS) matching analysis. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients with atrial fibrillation and HF referred for AVJ ablation and LBBP between July 2017 and December 2019. The control group was patients selected from HBP implants performed from 2012 to 2019 using PS matching with a 1:1 ratio. RESULTS: A total of 99 patients were enrolled in the study. The LBBP implant success rate was 100%. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved from baseline 30.3±4.9 to 1-year 47.3±14.5 in HF patients with reduced ejection fraction and from baseline 56.3±12.1 to 1-year 62.3±9.1 in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (both P<0.001), and left ventricular ejection fraction in both groups remained stable for up to 3 years of follow-up. A threshold increase >2 V at 0.5 ms occurred in only one patient. Of 176 (81.9%) of 215 patients who received permanent HBP post-AVJ ablation, 86 were matched to the LBBP group by 1:1 PS (propensity score matched His bundle pacing, N=86; propensity score matched left bundle branch pacing, N=86). No significant differences in echocardiographic or clinical outcomes were observed between the 2 groups (P>0.05), whereas lower thresholds, greater sensed R-wave amplitudes, and fewer complications were observed in the propensity score matched left bundle branch pacing group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: LBBP is feasible, safe, and effective in patients with atrial fibrillation and HF post-AVJ ablation and has similar clinical benefits, a higher implant success rate, better pacing parameters, and fewer complications compared with HBP.

Interaction between Hyperuricemia and Admission Lactate Increases the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication associated with adverse outcomes among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This is conflicting information about the relationship between hyperuricemia and AKI in STEMI. This work aimed to investigate the effect of the interaction between hyperuricemia and lactate on the risk of AKI. METHODS: We analyzed 2,008 consecutive STEMI patients between January 2014 and January 2019. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid level >7 mg/dL for males and >6 mg/dL for females. AKI was defined based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Logistic regression models were applied to establish the relationship between hyperuricemia and AKI in the overall population and subgroups stratified as per lactate levels at admission (≤2.2 mmol/L or >2.2 mmol/L). RESULTS: In total, we included 1,887 STEMI patients. Multivariate analysis showed that hyperuricemia is associated with the risk of AKI (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.01-1.77; p = 0.045). Nonetheless, the predictive effect of hyperuricemia was only observed in patients with lactate level >2.2 mmol/L (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.36-3.10; p < 0.001), but not in those with lactate level ≤2.2 mmol/L (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.56-1.32; p = 0.493). The interaction between hyperuricemia and lactate levels demonstrated a significant effect on AKI. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, hyperuricemia increases the risk of AKI in STEMI patients with lactate levels> 2.2 mmol/L, but not in those with lactate levels ≤2.2 mmol/L.

Reversible Iodine Capture by Nonporous Adaptive Crystals of a Bipyridine Cage.

The ability to capture radioactive iodine species is crucial for nuclear accident preparedness and nuclear waste treatment; however, it remains a challenge. Here we report a new readily obtainable nitrogen-rich nonporous cage (BPy-Cage) based on bipyridine building blocks that supports iodine capture. This cage is able to capture not only volatile iodine in vapor form but also iodine dissolved in various organic solvents or aqueous media with an iodine uptake capacity of up to 3.23 g g-1. The iodine within the cage (I2@BPy-Cage) can be released quickly upon immersing the bound solid form in DMF, allowing for control over acylation reactions. The cage solids reported here could be reused several times without substantial loss in their iodine capture performance. The effectiveness of the present system is ascribed to its ability to support strong iodine-bipyridine nitrogen lone pair interactions.

5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-carboxyl phenyl) porphyrin-functionalized urchin-like CuCo2O4 as an excellent artificial nanozyme for determination of dopamine.

Urchin-like peroxidase mimics 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-carboxyl phenyl) porphyrin-functionalized CuCo2O4 nanospheres (Por-CuCo2O4) has been fabricated as an excellent visual biosensor. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been employed to characterize the composition, morphologies, and elemental analysis of the as-synthesized Por-CuCo2O4. The catalytic activity of Por-CuCo2O4 was evaluated by the chromogenic substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with the aid of H2O2, which exhibited a visual blue change with an absorption maximum at 652 nm for only 10 s. The peroxidase-like behaviors of Por-CuCo2O4 conformed to the Michaelis-Menten equation. Electrochemistry, radical scavenger, and fluorescence probe experiments verified that electron transfer, •O2- radicals, and holes (h+) are the important factors during the catalytic oxidation of TMB. Based on the inhibition of dopamine (DA) on TMB oxidation, the Por-CuCo2O4-based colorimetric biosensor has been successfully constructed for sensitive determination of DA witha detection limit (LOD) of 0.94 µΜ. In addition, colorimetry was validated to detect DA in serum samples with high sensitivity and good selectivity. 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-carboxyl phenyl) porphyrin-functionalized urchin-like CuCo2O4 (Por-CuCo2O4) with excellent peroxidase activity, ascribed to the synergistic effect between •O2- radicals and holes (h+). A fast colorimetric sensor on the basis of Por-CuCo2O4 has been constructed to quantitatively determine dopamine concentration in human serums.

Magnetic Flower-like Fe-Doped CoO Nanocomposites with Dual Enzyme-like Activities for Facile and Sensitive Determination of H2O2 and Dopamine.

Herein, a new series of magnetic Fe-doped CoO nanocomposites (Fe-CoO NCs) with dual enzyme-like activities (peroxidase and oxidase) were successfully synthesized. The molar ratio of Fe3+/Co2+ salts during the solvothermal process determined the morphology and catalytic activity of the NCs. Among them, the flower-like 0.15Fe-CoO NCs showed high peroxidase-mimicking activity over a wider pH range of 4-5 and a temperature range of 30-50 °C. Such nanozymes were applied for constructing a facile and sensitive colorimetric sensor to detect H2O2 and dopamine (DA) in the linear ranges of 6-20 and 2-10 µM with limits of detection (LODs) of 4.40 and 1.99 µM, respectively. The excellent magnetic separation performance and successful DA detection in human urine samples validated the promising application of CoO-based nanozymes in medical diagnosis. The superior catalytic behaviors of 0.15Fe-CoO NCs could be ascribed to the high surface area, open mesoporous structure, increased surface active species, and the facile redox of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Co3+/Co2+. Based on the results of the fluorescent probe and radical trapping tests, the possible mechanism that Fe doping promoted the decomposition of H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radical (•OH) and superoxide radical (•O2-) was proposed.

Hg2+ Significantly Enhancing the Peroxidase-Like Activity of H2TCPP/ZnS/CoS Nanoperoxidases by Inducing the Formation of Surface-Cation Defects and Application for the Sensitive and Selective Detection of Hg2+ in the Environment.

Exploring excellent peroxidase mimics with enhanced peroxidase-like activity is important to the construction of a fast, low-cost, and convenient colorimetric sensing platform for heavy ions. In this work, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (H2TCPP) was first used to modify ZnS/CoS and make it show better peroxidase-like activity. The metal-cation vacancies generated by Hg2+ contacting H2TCPP/ZnS/CoS further stimulate the catalytic activity. It is reported that the addition of Hg2+ usually causes a decrease of the peroxidase-like activity of metal sulfides. Oppositely, in our work, Hg2+ can trigger the colorimetric signal amplification because of lots of metal-cation vacancies generated on the surface of the nanocomposites (bimetallic sulfides). The peroxidase-like activity of ZnS/CoS was evaluated by virtue of the chromogenic substrate 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) from colorless to blue in 3 min. The enhanced catalytic activity of H2TCPP/ZnS/CoS was attributed to lots of active sites from the metal-cation defects on the surface of H2TCPP/ZnS/CoS as well as the synergistic effect of porphyrin molecules and ZnS/CoS. The adsorption behavior of H2O2 on the H2TCPP/ZnS/CoS surface with defects was studied by density functional theory calculation. Thus, a colorimetric sensing platform based on Hg2+ trigger signal amplification has been successfully constructed, which can be used to sensitively and selectively determine Hg2+ in environmental samples.

Organic-Inorganic Composite Nanorods as an Excellent Mimicking Peroxidases for Colorimetric Detection and Evaluation of Antioxidant.

N,N'-Dicarboxy methyl perylene diimide-coated CeO2 nanorods (PDI/CeO2 NR) were synthesized via an ultrasonic-assisted method. PDI/CeO2 exhibits the superb mimic peroxidase functions confirmed by the catalyzed oxidation of TMB by hydrogen peroxide in less than 60 s along with color transformation from colorless to blue. The catalytic mechanism was confirmed to be an electronic transfer mechanism by fluorescence experiment. Thus, a visual colorimetric sensor was constructed for hydrogen peroxide detection with a low detection limit (LOD = 2.23 µM). Comparing the inhibition effects of l-cysteine (Cys), ascorbic acid (AA) and glutathione (GSH) on the catalytic oxidation of TMB, it can be found that they possessed different types of inhibition on the oxidation of TMB by H2O2 using PDI/CeO2, and AA has better antioxidant effect, followed by Cys and GSH. On the basis of the excellent antioxidant effect of AA, a low-cost colorimetric sensor was also used to detect AA, and a lower LOD value (0.68 µM) was obtained in the linear range of 5.0-30 µM.

Nontyphoidal salmonella infection in children with acute gastroenteritis: prevalence, serotypes, and antimicrobial resistance in Shanghai, China.

Information about nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection in children is limited in mainland China. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance patterns of NTS infection in children in Shanghai. All cases with probable bacterial diarrhea were enrolled from the enteric clinic of a tertiary pediatric hospital between July 2010 and December 2011. Salmonella isolation, serotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were conducted by the microbiological laboratory. NTS were recovered from 316 (17.2%) of 1833 cases with isolation rate exceeding Campylobacter (7.1%) and Shigella (5.7%). NTS infection was prevalent year-round with a seasonal peak during summer and autumn. The median age of children with NTS gastroenteritis was 18 months. Fever and blood-in-stool were reported in 52.5% and 42.7% of cases, respectively. Salmonella Enteritidis (38.9%) and Salmonella Typhimurium (29.7%) were the most common serovars. Antimicrobial susceptibility showed 60.5% of isolates resistant to ≥1 clinically important antibiotics. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and the third-generation cephalosporins was detected in 5.5% and 7.1%-11.7% of isolates, respectively. NTS is a major enteropathogen responsible for bacterial gastroenteritis in children in Shanghai. Resistance to the current first-line antibiotics is of concern. Ongoing surveillance for NTS infection and antibiotic resistance is needed to control this pathogen in Shanghai.