Transition Metal Free Monoclinic Eu8In17.33S34 and Its Anisotropic Photoelectronic Responses.

Novel Eu8In17.33S34 (1) is obtained by a solid state reaction and its structure features three parallel slabs of [In9.33S18]∞, [Eu8]∞, and [In8S16]∞, together with defects in specific lattice sites. It is the first monoclinic ternary M8- mIn18- n Q34 ( M = Pb, Sn, Eu; Q = S, Se) phase member, and the modulation from the ultralong In-S bond and lattice site with strong antibonding effect results in the unique structure feature. Its single crystals show anisotropic conductivity and photoconductivity.

Synthesis, in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of novel pyrimidine-benzimidazol combinations.

A series of novel 4-substituted-2-{[(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl] thio}-6-methylpyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against four human cancer cell lines and inhibitory activities against five type culture strains in vitro. Some of synthetic pyrimidine-benzimidazol combinations showed good inhibitory activities against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, especially compounds 7b and 7c. Compounds 7a and 7d exhibited enhanced activities against MGC-803 in vitro, when compared to 5-Fu.

Cotton gene expression profiles in resistant Gossypium hirsutum cv. Zhongzhimian KV1 responding to Verticillium dahliae strain V991 infection.

Verticillium wilt of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is a widespread and destructive disease that is caused by the soil-borne fungus pathogen Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae). To study the molecular mechanism in wilt tolerance, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and dot blot techniques were used to identify the specifically expressed genes in a superior wilt-resistant cotton cultivar (G. hirsutum cv. Zhongzhimian KV1) after inoculation with pathogen. cDNAs from the root tissues of Zhongzhimian KV1 inoculated with V. dahliae strain V991 or water mock were used to construct the libraries that contain 4800 clones. Based on the results from dot blot analysis, 147 clones were clearly induced by V. dahliae and selected from the SSH libraries for sequencing. A total of 92 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated non-redundant expressed sequences tags (ESTs) were identified as disease responsive genes and classified into 9 functional groups. Two important clues regarding wilt-resistant G. hirsutum were obtained from this study. One was Bet v 1 family; the other was UbI gene family that may play an important role in the defense reaction against Verticillium wilt. The result from real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that these genes were activated quickly and transiently after inoculation with V. dahliae.

Efficacy and economic benefits of a modified Valsalva maneuver in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND: A modified Valsalva maneuver (VM) has been suggested to be superior to the standard VM for conversion of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and economic benefits of a modified VM in Chinese patients. METHODS: Patients with PSVT admitted to our center between October 2017 and September 2019 were randomly assigned to the modified and standard VM groups. Conversion via VM was performed up to three times. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of PSVT conversion to sinus rhythm. The secondary outcomes included the incidence of adverse events, economic cost during the visit, and the degree of patient acceptance of the treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 361 patients were enrolled, with 180 allocated to the modified VM group and 181 to the standard VM group. Baseline characteristics were well matched in the groups. Overall, the modified VM group had higher success rates of PSVT conversion after single (47.78% vs 15.38%, P < 0.001) and multiple (62.22% vs 19.78%, P < 0.001) VM sessions. No significant differences in the incidences of adverse events and rates of patient acceptance were detected between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Moreover, the economic cost of the clinic visit was significantly lower for the modified VM group than for the standard VM group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The modified VM may confer both therapeutic and economic benefits as compared with the standard VM for conversion of PSVT.