Highly Stable and Rapid Switching Electrochromic Thin Films Based on Metal-Organic Frameworks with Redox-Active Triphenylamine Ligands.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), known for their tailorable porous structures and large specific surface areas, are appealing for electrochromic applications as their abundant pores may greatly benefit the charge transport required for electrochromic switching. Herein, for the first time, a simple, scalable, and cost-effective electrochemical deposition method for fabrication of high-performance and durable MOFs-based electrochromic films with redox-active ligands was developed. The fabricated film can achieve rapid switching speed (both coloration and bleaching time <5 s) because the inherent cavities of the MOFs greatly facilitate ion insertion and extraction. In addition, the film constructed with optimized parameters shows a high optical contrast of 65%@700 nm and can be stably switched for 1000 cycles with <5% contrast attenuation, which is by far the best cycling performance for MOFs-based electrochromic materials ever reported. Furthermore, our method enables the scalable preparation of large-area MOFs-based electrochromic thin films without using large high-pressure reaction vessels, and the as-prepared film in this work could be switched well between colored and bleached states. This new method, therefore, opens up a new avenue to broaden the use of MOFs-based thin films for electrochromic applications.

Unmedicated patients with schizophrenia in economically underdeveloped areas of China.

OBJECTIVES: Untreated schizophrenia commonly leads to poor prognosis. The medication treatment rate of schizophrenia patients in economically underdeveloped areas of China has not been well-studied. This study aimed to examine the pattern of unmedicated schizophrenia patients in economically underdeveloped rural and urban areas of China. METHOD: A total of 4240 schizophrenia patients in Lanzhou (1720 rural and 2520 urban patients) registered in the community mental-health service system in Lanzhou, Gansu province were included. Their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics including medication treatment status were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of unmedicated schizophrenia patients was 22.5% (n = 953) in the whole sample, with 32.3% (556/1720) in rural and 15.8% (397/2520) in urban patients (X2=161.1, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that unmedicated schizophrenia patients in rural area were more likely to be older (OR=1.02, 95%CI: 1.01-1.03), male (OR=1.35, 95%CI: 1.07-1.71), unmarried (OR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.55-0.91), and have lower educational level (OR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.24-0.65), longer illness duration (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.00-1.02) and less frequent admissions (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.38-0.54). In contrast, unmedicated patients in urban area were more likely to be older (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.00-1.02), unmarried (OR=0.77, 95%CI: 0.61-0.98), employed (OR=2.38, 95%CI: 1.87-3.04), and have lower educational level (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.37-0.65), better financial status (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.48-0.76) and less frequent admissions (OR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.75-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of unmedicated schizophrenia patients is high in economically underdeveloped areas of China, particularly in rural areas. Effective policies and measures should be implemented urgently to improve the treatment rate in this population.

Association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: The association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with T2DM to investigate the relationship of HDL-C with microalbuminuria. METHODS: A total of 524 participants with T2DM were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into four groups according to serum HDL-C quartile. A nonparametric test was employed to assess the relationships across quartiles with clinical parameters and demographics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was further performed. RESULTS: Of the 524 patients, 138 (26.3%) were found to have microalbuminuria by urinary albumin excretion rate determination. Serum HDL-C levels in microalbuminuria group were significantly lower than those in non-microalbuminuria group (1.04 (0.90-1.21) vs. 1.10 (0.94-1.31) mmol/L, P = 0.002). The nonparametric test for trend showed that the prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly reduced for subjects of the fourth quartile of HDL-C compared to the first to third quartile (13.5% vs. 33.1%, 28.6%, 29.4%, P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that subjects within the highest quartile of HDL-C had lower odds of microalbuminuria than those within the lowest quartile of HDL-C (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.15-0.52, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of serum HDL-C were associated with decreased rates of microalbuminuria in T2DM patients.

Response-guided treatment of cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B patients: multicenter prospective study.

AIM: To observe the effect of response-guided add-on therapy with adefovir (ADV) and lamivudine (LAM) in cirrhotic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with CHB and cirrhosis were divided into three arms according to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level after 24 wk LAM monotherapy: Arm A (complete response, HBV DNA ≤ 60 IU/mL, n = 49), Arm B (partial response, HBV DNA: 60-2000 IU/mL, n = 31) and Arm C (inadequate response, HBV DNA > 2000 IU/mL, n = 20). ADV was added to LAM at week 48 in Arms A and B, but at week 24 in Arm C. Virological response, YMDD mutations, biochemical response, and liver function were evaluated. RESULTS: Comparison of the three arms demonstrated that early complete virologic response at week 24 was associated with maintained viral suppression (undetectable rate of HBV DNA at week 144 was 95.96%, 66.67% and 35.29%, respectively, P = 0.000) and reduced YMDD mutations (mutation rate at week 144 was 0%, 3.23% and 15%, respectively, P = 0.015) after 144 wk treatment. For patients who failed to achieve complete virological response at week 24, switching to combination therapy further decreased HBV DNA level by 1 log10 IU/mL. All three arms obtained biochemical benefits including decline of alanine aminotransferase and elevation of albumin. In patients who developed HBV DNA breakthrough for YMDD mutations, ADV add-on therapy did not induce further multiple drug resistance to LAM or ADV. CONCLUSION: Optimized response-guided add-on therapy of ADV and LAM maintains long-term suppression of HBV DNA and improves liver function in CHB patients with compensated liver cirrhosis.

[Comparative analysis of the efficacies of entecavir capsules and lamivudine in chronic hepatitis B patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy profile of entecavir capsule (ETV) as a chronic hepatitis B therapy, as compared to lamivudine (LAM). METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel group evaluation of ETV, 232 subjects were administered a 96-week course of 0.5 mg/day ETV or 100 mg/day LAM. PCR measurement of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was conducted throughout the treatment course to determine achievement of complete virologic response (CVR; defined as less than 500 copies/ml of HBV DNA) or experience of virology rebound ( more than 500 copies/ml of HBV DNA after achievement of CVR). RESULTS: After week-48 of treatment, the ETV group showed a higher CVR rate (90.3% vs. LAM: 59.4%) and lower virology rebound rate (1.9% vs. LAM: 13.9%). After week-96 of treatment, the ETV group continued to have a higher CVR rate (86.0% vs. LAM: 71.4%), and virology rebound was experienced by significantly less subjects in the ETV group (1.2% vs. LAM: 11.9%, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: ETV therapy can quickly and continuously suppress HBV replication in chronic hepatitis B patients, and has a lower resistance rate than LAM. Compared to LAM, ETV may be a superior long-term treatment choice for chronic hepatitis B.