Electrochemical oxidative decarboxylative of α-oxocarboxylic acids towards the synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones.

A mild and environmentally electrochemical method for the synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones has been developed through anodic oxidation decarboxylative of α-oxocarboxylic acids. The present reaction was efficiently conducted by using simple and cheap NH4I as the N-source and electrolyte in an undivided cell. The desired products, quinazolines and quinazolinones, were isolated in high yield under chemical oxidant free conditions.

Solution Processable CrN Thin Films: Thickness-Dependent Electrical Transport Properties.

Thickness is a very important parameter with which to control the microstructures, along with physical properties in transition-metal nitride thin films. In work presented here, CrN films with different thicknesses (from 26 to 130 nm) were grown by chemical solution deposition. The films are pure phase and polycrystalline. Thickness dependence of microstructures and electrical transport behavior were studied. With the increase of films thickness, grain size and nitrogen content are increased, while resistivity, zero-field sensitivity and magnetoresistance are decreased. In the temperature range of 5-350 K, all samples exhibited semiconductor-like properties with dρ/dT < 0. For the range above and below the Néel temperature, the resistivity can be fitted by the thermal activation model and the two-dimensional weak localization (2D-WL) model, respectively. The ultra-low magnetoresistance at a low temperature under high magnetic fields with a large zero-field sensitivity was observed in the CrN thin films. The zero-field sensitivity can be effectively tuned to 10-2 K-1 at 5 K with a magnetoresistance of less than 1% at 2 K under 14 T by reasonably controlling the thickness.

Self-Assembly of CdS/CdIn2S4 Heterostructure with Enhanced Photocascade Synthesis of Schiff Base Compounds in an Aromatic Alcohols and Nitrobenzene System with Visible Light.

A series of novel CdS/CdIn2S4 composite materials were prepared via a one-pot solvothermal process. The as-obtained photocatalysts were characterized by several techniques and the photocatalytic properties of CdS/CdIn2S4 photocatalysts were studied by photocascade synthesis of Schiff base compounds in a photocatalytic reaction system of aromatic alcohols and nitrobenzene irradiated with visible light. The results reveal that the resulting CdS/CdIn2S4 heterostructure samples show outstanding photocatalytic activities toward the photocascade production of Schiff base compounds in an aromatic alcohols and nitrobenzene reaction system irradiated with visible light. An optimized 50.0% CdS/CdIn2S4 heterostructure sample shows the highest Schiff base yield of 42.0% irradiated with visible light for 4 h, which is approximately 19.1 and 1.54 times higher than those of sole CdS and CdIn2S4 samples, respectively. The fabrication of heterogeneous structure improves the spatial separation and migration of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, thus contributing to the enhancement of photocatalytic properties. We foresee that this finding can offer a strategy to develop heterostructure composites for efficient synthesis of organics by photocatalysis under mild conditions.

Challenges in diagnosing community-acquired carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii enterogenic sepsis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Community-acquired (CA) carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii (CSAB) enterogenic sepsis is very rare but has a high mortality. Although CA A. baumannii bloodstream infections have been known to develop from respiratory tract, urinary tract, and intravenous device-related infections, CA A. baumannii bloodstream infections from the gastrointestinal tract have not yet been reported. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 73-year-old male with the chief presentation of gastrointestinal symptoms was initially diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis and showed poor clinical response to empirical antibiotic therapy. DIAGNOSES: The diagnosis of CSAB enterogenic sepsis was established based on results of blood culture, elevated serum procalcitonin level, and specific hemodynamic changes related to septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: The patient initially received empirical antibiotic treatment (cefodizime 2.0 q12 hours plus moxifloxacin 0.4 qd); then, treatment was changed to the conventional dose of carbapenem (imipenem 0.5 q6 hour). OUTCOMES: Finally, CSAB was eliminated from the bloodstream, and the patient was discharged. LESSONS: Although severe, CA CSAB enterogenic sepsis is often misdiagnosed because of its clinical rarity. Early diagnosis and appropriate initial empirical antibiotic therapy are crucial for treating such cases.

Ulinastatin inhibits apoptosis induced by serum deprivation in mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exhibited great potential in the therapy of cardiovascular disease. However, the application of MSCs is hampered by apoptosis, which reduces the number of cells in the host cardiac microenvironment. Ulinastatin (UTI), a broad­spectrum protease inhibitor that can be purified from human urine, has attracted attention for its protective effects through its immunomodulatory and anti­inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of UTI on serum deprivation­induced apoptosis of MSCs and investigate its molecular mechanisms. Cell viability was determined by the MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometric analysis with Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. The protein levels of cleaved caspase­3, B­cell lymphoma­2 (Bcl­2) family proteins, total­Akt and phospho­Akt were evaluated by western blot. The results of the present study demonstrated that UTI exhibited a protective effect in serum deprived MSCs, as indicated by increased cell viability, and a reduction in the rate of apoptosis and caspase­3 activation. In addition, treatment with UTI significantly decreased the expression levels of Bcl­2, Bcl­extra large and Bcl­associated X protein. Furthermore, activation of the Akt signaling pathway was involved in the UTI­induced anti­apoptotic effects. The present findings indicated that UTI is able to promote the survival of MSCs under serum deprivation conditions. The present study may be helpful in improving the therapeutic efficacy of MSC transplantation used to cure chronic ischemic heart disease.

[Risk factors analysis of renal replacement therapy after liver transplantation and prognosis effect of initial treatment time].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk factors of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients after liver transplantation, and to investigate the prognosis effect of initial RRT treatment time. METHODS: Clinical data of 132 recipients undergoing organ donation for cardiac death (DCD) allograft orthotopic liver transplantation admitted to Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital and Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Eastern Hospital from July 2014 to July 2018 was retrospectively analyzed. AKI was defined and staged by the criteria of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline in the first 7 days. According to the implementation of RRT, the patients were divided into non-RRT group and RRT group. The differences in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), model for end-stage liver disease with serum sodium (MELD-Na) score, serum creatinine (SCr), and intraoperative norepinephrine (NE) dose, blood loss, fluid infusion, anhepatic phase time, duration of operation between two groups were compared. The statistically significant risk factors of AKI found by univariate analysis were selected and analyzed to find independent risk factors of RRT in AKI patients after liver transplantation with multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the test efficiency of all risk factors of RRT implementation. According to the implementation of RRT on KDIGO stage-2, all the patients on KDIGO stage-2 and stage-3 were divided into early group (initial RRT on KDIGO stage-2) and delayed group (including self-improvement without RRT on KDIGO stage-2 and initial RRT on KDIGO stage-3). The duration of mechanical ventilation, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, AKI duration, incidence of catheter related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) and 28-day mortality were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: All 132 receptors were enrolled in the final analysis, and 77 patients developed AKI, accounting for 58.3%, among which 52 cases were in RRT group (67.5%) and 25 were in non-RRT group (32.5%). As shown by univariate analysis, the MELD-Na score (21.6±4.4 vs. 18.0±4.3), intraoperative NE dose (µg×kg-1×h-1: 7.5±1.2 vs. 5.2±1.7), blood loss [mL: 3 000 (2 200, 4 000) vs. 2 600 (1 800, 3 200)], fluid infusion [mL: 6 400 (4 500, 7 800) vs. 5 600 (4 200, 6 800)], and anhepatic period (minutes: 65.6±4.5 vs. 63.0±5.0) were significantly increased in RRT group as compared with those in non-RRT group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in gender, age, BMI, SCr before operation or the duration of operation. It was shown by multivariate Logistic regression analysis that MELD-Na score before operation [odds ratio (OR) = 1.398, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.062-1.841, P = 0.017], intraoperative NE dose (OR = 4.724, 95%CI = 2.036-10.961, P = 0.000) and fluid infusion (OR = 1.002, 95%CI = 1.001-1.004, P = 0.010) were independent risk factors of RRT implementation in AKI patients after liver transplantation. It was shown by ROC curve analysis that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MELD-Na score, NE dose and fluid infusion for predicting the implementation of RRT in AKI patients after liver transplantation was 0.719, 0.867, and 0.670, respectively, which suggesting that NE dose had moderate predictive value, but MELD-Na score and fluid infusion had low predicative value. When the optimal cut-off value of NE dose was 6.5 µg×kg-1×h-1, the sensitivity was 84.6% and the specificity was 80.0%. The 28-day mortality was both 0 in early group (n = 25) and delayed group (n = 39). Compared with the early group, the duration of mechanical ventilation (hours: 41.0±1.0 vs. 35.8±6.7) and the length of ICU stay (hours: 98.8±6.6 vs. 94.2±7.3) were significantly increased in delayed group (both P < 0.05), there was no significant difference in AKI duration (days: 11.8±4.2 vs. 10.6±4.9) or the incidence of CRBSI [5.1% (2/39) vs. 4.0% (1/25), both P > 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: MELD-Na score, intraoperative NE dose and fluid infusion were the independent risk factors of RRT implementation in AKI patients after liver transplantation. NE dose had moderate predictive value, but MELD-Na score and fluid infusion had low predicative value. Initial RRT on KDIGO stage-2 could reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of ICU stay.

A convenient sol-gel approach to the preparation of nano-porous silica coatings with very low refractive indices.

Silica coatings with refractive indices as low as 1.10 were prepared via a one-step base-catalysed sol-gel process using methyltriethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane as co-precursors. No expensive equipment was required and the method did not require etching or high-temperature calcination.