Anti-Solvent-Free Fabrication of Stable FA0.9Cs0.1PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency Exceeding 24.0% through a Naphthalene-Based Passivator.

The anti-solvent-free fabrication of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) holds immense significance for the transition from laboratory-scale to large-scale commercial applications. However, the device performance is severely hindered by the increased occurrence of surface defects resulting from the lack of control over nucleation and crystallization of perovskite using anti-solvent methods. In this study, 2-(naphthalen-2-yl)ethylamine hydriodide (NEAI) is employed as the surface passivator for perovskite films without using any anti-solvent. Naphthalene demonstrates strong π-π conjugation, which aids in the efficient extraction of charge carriers. Additionally, the naphthalene-ring moieties form a tight attachment to the perovskite surface. After NEAI treatment, FA and I vacancies are selectively occupied by NEA+ and I- in NEAI respectively, thus effectively passivating the surface defects and isolating the surface from moisture. Ultimately, the optimized NEAI-treated device achieves a promising power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.19% (with a certified efficiency of 23.94%), featuring a high fill factor of 83.53%. It stands out as one of the reported high PCEs achieved for PSCs using the spin-coating technique without the need for any anti-solvent so far. Furthermore, the NEAI-treated device can maintain ≈87% of its initial PCE after 2000 h in ambient air with a relative humidity of 30% ± 5%.

Biosynthesis of 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic Acid through a One-Step Whole-Cell Catalysis.

10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) is an important component of royal jelly, known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, blood pressure-lowering, and antiradiation effects. Currently, 10-HDA biosynthesis is limited by the substrate selectivity of acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, which restricts the technique to a two-step process. This study aimed to develop an efficient and simplified method for synthesizing 10-HDA. In this study, ACOX from Candida tropicalis 1798, which catalyzes 10-hydroxydecanoyl coenzyme A desaturation for 10-HDA synthesis, was isolated and heterologously coexpressed with FadE, Macs, YdiI, and CYP in Escherichia coli/SK after knocking out FadB, FadJ, and FadR genes. The engineered E. coli/AKS strain achieved a 49.8% conversion of decanoic acid to 10-HDA. CYP expression was improved through ultraviolet mutagenesis and high-throughput screening, increased substrate conversion to 75.6%, and the synthesis of 10-HDA was increased to 0.628 g/L in 10 h. This is the highest conversion rate and product concentration achieved in the shortest time to date. This study provides a simple and efficient method for 10-HDA biosynthesis and offers an effective method for developing strains with high product yields.

Synergistic Improvement of Dielectric and Thermal Conductivity Properties for Polymers Filled with Multifunctional Modified Nanowires.

Dielectric composites are widely used in power electronics, power systems, aerospace, and other fields due to their extremely high power density. However, if their energy density can be further increased, the application range will be greatly improved. Improving the dielectric constant of composites is one of the most effective ways to increase the energy density. In this study, a preparation method for copper calcium titanate nanowires (CCTO-NWs) with adjustable aspect ratio was investigated. Upon incorporation of these CCTO-NWs into the polymer matrix, the nanocomposites exhibit a significantly higher dielectric constant and a lower dielectric loss. In addition, a thin layer of Al2O3 with excellent thermal conductivity is coated on the surface of the CCTO-NWs to form a core-shell structure nanowire CCTO-NW@Al2O3. The introduction of the thermal conductive layer of Al2O3 not only creates a continuous heat transfer path within the dielectric composite, increasing the thermal conductivity of the composite from 0.11 W/(m·K) of pure HIPS to 1.12 W/(m·K), but also serves as a buffer layer between HIPS and CCTO-NWs, effectively alleviating the electric field distortion caused by the large difference in the dielectric constant between them, thereby optimizing the dielectric properties of the composite and reducing the dielectric permeability threshold from 30 to 20 vol %. This work provides an effective strategy for synergistically improving the dielectric constant and thermal conductivity of dielectric composites while also taking into account the good flexibility of polymer/ceramic nanocomposites.

Beyond Fear: Unveiling the Relationship Between Fear of Childbirth and Pharmacological Pain Relief.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological analgesia is the dominant method for pain relief in labor. Fear of childbirth (FOC) may significantly affect women's preferences for and usage of pharmacological analgesia. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FOC in late pregnancy and preferences for, as well as actual use of, pharmacological analgesia among nulliparous and multiparous women, accounting for confounding factors. METHODS: A total of 1,300 women participated in the study, completing questionnaires assessing preferences for pharmacological analgesia, FOC, perception of labor pain, social support, coping styles, and demographic variables. The actual use of pharmacological analgesia was followed up. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that women with moderate to severe FOC had a stronger preference for pharmacological analgesia compared to those with none to mild FOC. However, multivariate analysis showed no direct association between FOC and actual usage of pharmacological analgesia. Instead, a stronger preference for pharmacological analgesia increased the likelihood of its actual usage during labor. CONCLUSIONS: Our study underscores the effect of FOC on preferences for pharmacological analgesia and its potential influence on actual usage during labor. Healthcare providers should consider women's FOC and preferences when evaluating pain management options. Targeted interventions focusing on promoting non-pharmacological techniques should be implemented to optimize labor pain management for women, particularly nulliparous women.

Clinical Manifestations of Subjective Sleep Disorders in Chinese Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Their Relationship with Dopaminergic Drugs.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep disorders are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and significantly impact quality of life. Herein, we surveyed the incidence and severity of sleep disorders in Chinese PD patients and observed their relationship with dopaminergic drugs. METHODS: We collected the demographic and disease information of 232 PD patients. The incidence and severity of sleep disorders were surveyed with the Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) Chinese version. Data on dopaminergic drug intake were collected and converted to levodopa equivalent doses (LED). RESULTS: The average total score of PDSS in 232 patients was 119.3 ± 19.7. There was a significant difference in PDSS scores between groups classified by the Hoehn-Yahr (H&Y) stage, but not between the groups classified by the type of dopaminergic drugs. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the LED of dopaminergic drugs taken before bedtime (p < 0.00), LED of dopaminergic drugs taken over a 24-h period (p < 0.00), and scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) (p = 0.01) were determinants of PDSS. CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders in PD patients may be multifactorial. High dosage of dopaminergic drugs taken prior to sleep, daily total high dosage of dopaminergic drugs, and depression exert negative effects on subjective sleep. The timing and dosage of dopaminergic drugs taken before bedtime should be considered in PD management.

Advances in CRISPR/Cas9-based research related to soybean [Glycine max (Linn.) Merr] molecular breeding.

Soybean [Glycine max (Linn.) Merr] is a source of plant-based proteins and an essential oilseed crop and industrial raw material. The increase in the demand for soybeans due to societal changes has coincided with the increase in the breeding of soybean varieties with enhanced traits. Earlier gene editing technologies involved zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases, but the third-generation gene editing technology uses clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9). The rapid development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has made it one of the most effective, straightforward, affordable, and user-friendly technologies for targeted gene editing. This review summarizes the application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in soybean molecular breeding. More specifically, it provides an overview of the genes that have been targeted, the type of editing that occurs, the mechanism of action, and the efficiency of gene editing. Furthermore, suggestions for enhancing and accelerating the molecular breeding of novel soybean varieties with ideal traits (e.g., high yield, high quality, and durable disease resistance) are included.

Organizational display rules in nursing: Impacts on caring behaviors and emotional exhaustion through emotional labor.

AIM: To examine the impact of display rules on nurses' caring behaviors and emotional exhaustion and the mediating role of emotional labor (surface/deep acting). BACKGROUND: Hospitals often implement emotional display rules for nurses with the expectation of performance benefits. However, these rules may have an impact on nurses' caring behaviors and emotional exhaustion. METHODS: This cross-sectional correlational study included a sample of 746 nurses from five hospitals and used the STROBE checklist. Relationships between display rules, emotional labor, caring behaviors, and emotional exhaustion were analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Display rules did not directly affect caring behaviors or emotional exhaustion. Emotional labor mediated the relationships. Display rules were associated more with surface acting. Deep acting increased caring behaviors and reduced emotional exhaustion; surface acting had the opposite effect. CONCLUSIONS: Findings challenge the assumption that display rules effectively promote caring behaviors. Display rules lead to emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. Reducing display rules, emotional labor, and surface acting while supporting deep acting may alleviate emotional exhaustion. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nurse managers should review the nature and implementation of emotional display rules and explore ways to reduce emotional labor, encourage deep acting, mitigate the negative impact of surface acting, and ultimately improve nursing caring behaviors.

Analysis of LncRNA43234-Associated ceRNA Network Reveals Oil Metabolism in Soybean.

Soybean [Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.] is an important oil crop. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a variety of functions in plants. However, their function in the soybean oil synthesis pathway is yet to be uncovered. Here, the lncRNA43234 gene related to soybean oil synthesis was screened, and the full-length cDNA sequence of the lncRNA was obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Overexpression of lncRNA43234 increased the content of crude protein in seeds, decreased the content of oleic acid, and affected the content of alanine and arginine in free amino acids. RNA interference of the lncRNA43234 gene decreased the crude protein content in seeds. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that lncRNA43234 influenced the expression of XM_014775786.1 associated with phosphatidylinositol metabolism by acting as a decoy for miRNA10420, thereby affecting the content of soybean oil. Our results provide insights into how lncRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA regulatory networks are involved in soybean oil synthesis.

Highly Efficient 2D/3D Mixed-Dimensional Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbI2.5Br0.5 Perovskite Solar Cells Prepared by Methanol/Isopropanol Treatment.

All-inorganic perovskite solar cells are attractive photovoltaic devices because of their excellent optoelectronic performance and thermal stability. Unfortunately, the currently used efficient inorganic perovskite materials can spontaneously transform into undesirable phases without light-absorption properties. Studies have been carried out to stabilize all-inorganic perovskite by mixing low-dimensional perovskite. Compared with organic two-dimensional (2D) perovskite, inorganic 2D Cs2PbI2Cl2 shows superior thermal stability. Our group has successfully fabricated 2D/3D mixed-dimensional Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbI2.5Br0.5 films with increasing phase stability. The high boiling point of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) makes it a preferred solvent in the preparation of Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbI2.5Br0.5 inorganic perovskite. When the perovskite films are prepared by the one-step solution method, it is difficult to evaporate the residual solvent molecules from the prefabricated films, resulting in films with rough surface morphology and high defect density. This study used the rapid precipitation method to control the formation of perovskite by treating it with methanol/isopropanol (MT/IPA) mixed solvent to produce densely packed, smooth, and high-crystallized perovskite films. The bulk defects and the carrier transport barrier of the interface were effectively reduced, which decreased the recombination of the carriers in the device. As a result, this effectively improved photoelectric performance. Through treatment with MT/IPA, the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells prepared in the N2 atmosphere increased from 13.44% to 14.10%, and the PCE of the device prepared in the air increased from 3.52% to 8.91%.

Strategies and Methods for Improving the Efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing in Plant Molecular Breeding.

Following recent developments and refinement, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has become increasingly mature and is being widely used for crop improvement. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 enables the generation of transgene-free genome-edited plants in a short period and has the advantages of simplicity, high efficiency, high specificity, and low production costs, which greatly facilitate the study of gene functions. In plant molecular breeding, the gene-editing efficiency of the CRISPR-Cas9 system has proven to be a key step in influencing the effectiveness of molecular breeding, with improvements in gene-editing efficiency recently becoming a focus of reported scientific research. This review details strategies and methods for improving the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in plant molecular breeding, including Cas9 variant enzyme engineering, the effect of multiple promoter driven Cas9, and gRNA efficient optimization and expression strategies. It also briefly introduces the optimization strategies of the CRISPR/Cas12a system and the application of BE and PE precision editing. These strategies are beneficial for the further development and optimization of gene editing systems in the field of plant molecular breeding.

A 0D Additive for Flexible All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells to Go Beyond 60 000 Flexible Cycles.

All-inorganic cesium lead halide flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) exhibit superior thermal stability compared to their organic-inorganic hybrid counterparts. However, their flexibility and efficiency are still below-par for practical viability. Herein, a design using a 0D Cs4 Pb(IBr)6 additive to transform tensile stress into compressive stress in the perovskite film, effectively preventing expansion of cracks for significantly improved mechanical durability, is reported. It is found that not only is improved flexibility obtained, but also the cell efficiency is increased for the all-inorganic flexible 3D CsPbI3- x Brx solar cells. The CsPbI2.81 Br0.19 f-PSC retains over 97% of its initial efficiency even after 60 000 flexing cycles at a curvature radius of 5 mm (R = 5 mm). Simultaneously, 0D Cs4 Pb(IBr)6 enhances the crystallinity of the CsPbI2.81 Br0.19 film and passivates the defects along the grain boundaries, effectively improving the photovoltaic performance of the all-inorganic f-PSCs. The highest power-conversion efficiency obtained is 14.25% with a short-circuit current density of 18.47 mA cm-2 , open-circuit voltage of 1.09 V, and fill factor of 70.67%. This strategy paves the way for further improvement of the mechanical durability of all-inorganic f-PSCs.

Effects of Different Gene Editing Modes of CRISPR/Cas9 on Soybean Fatty Acid Anabolic Metabolism Based on GmFAD2 Family.

Δ12-fatty acid dehydrogenase (FAD2) is the essential enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of linoleic acid from oleic acid. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology has been an essential tool for molecular breeding in soybeans. To evaluate the most suitable type of gene editing in soybean fatty acid synthesis metabolism, this study selected five crucial enzyme genes of the soybean FAD2 gene family-GmFAD2-1A, GmFAD2-1B, GmFAD2-2A, GmFAD2-2B, and GmFAD2-2C-and created a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated single gene editing vector system. The results of Sanger sequencing showed that 72 transformed plants positive for T1 generation were obtained using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, of which 43 were correctly edited plants, with the highest editing efficiency of 88% for GmFAD2-2A. The phenotypic analysis revealed that the oleic acid content of the progeny of GmFAD2-1A gene-edited plants had a higher increase of 91.49% when compared to the control JN18, and the rest of the gene-edited plants in order were GmFAD2-2A, GmFAD2-1B, GmFAD2-2C, and GmFAD2-2B. The analysis of gene editing type has indicated that base deletions greater than 2bp were the predominant editing type in all editing events. This study provides ideas for the optimization of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and the development of new tools for precise base editing in the future.

Retinal Structure Abnormalities in Parkinson's Disease and Atypical Parkinsonism.

We investigated retinal structure changes in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and controls, and explored the value of this method in differential diagnosis. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used to measure peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, and macular thickness and volume. PSP patients showed higher temporal pRNFL thickness than PD and MSA patients. Peripapillary RNFL thickness could be used for discriminating PSP from MSA and PD. PD and MSA patients showed retinal thinning in the foveal center circle and nasal inner sectors compared to controls. Macular thickness and volume could be used for discriminating MSA from PD. There were negative correlations between disease duration and OCT parameters in PD, MSA, and PSP, independent of age, sex ratio, and the side of the eye. PD and atypical parkinsonism correlate with specific patterns of retina alterations. OCT could be a biomarker for differential diagnosis and progression evaluation of parkinsonian syndrome.

MADS-Box Subfamily Gene GmAP3 from Glycine max Regulates Early Flowering and Flower Development.

AP3 has been studied and is reported to affect structural changes in floral organs in various plants. However, the function of the soybean AP3 genes in flower development is unknown. Here, the full-length cDNA sequence of GmAP3 was obtained by RACE and it was verified that it belongs to the MADS-box subfamily by a bioinformatics analysis. The expression of GmAP3 is closely related to the expression of essential enzyme genes related to flower development. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated that GmAP3 interacts with AP1 to determine the identity of flower organ development. A follow-up analysis showed that overexpression of the GmAP3 gene advanced flowering time and resulted in changes in floral organ morphology. The average flowering time of overexpressed soybean and tobacco plants was 6-8 days earlier than that of wild-type plants, and the average flowering time of gene-edited soybean and tobacco plants was 6-11 days later than that of wild-type plants. In conclusion, GmAP3 may directly or indirectly affect the flower development of soybean. The results of this study lay the foundation for further research on the biological functions of MADS transcriptional factors in soybeans.

Validation of the EKFC equation for glomerular filtration rate estimation and comparison with the Asian-modified CKD-EPI equation in Chinese chronic kidney disease patients in an external study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine whether new European Kidney Function Consortium (EKFC) equation is more applicable than Asian-modified CKD-EPI equation in clinical practice, having a higher accuracy in estimating GFR in our external CKD population. METHODS: We calculated estimated GFREKFC and GFRCKD-EPI independently using the EKFC and Asian-modified CKD-EPI formulas, respectively. The clinical diagnostic performance of the two equations was assessed and compared by median bias, precision, accuracy (P30) and so on, using 99mTc-DTPA dual plasma sample clearance method as a reference method for GFR measurement (mGFR). The equation that met the following targets was superior: (1) median bias within ± 3 mL/min/1.73 m2; (2) P30 > 75%; and (3) better precision and 95% limits of agreement in Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Totally, 160 CKD patients were recruited in our external cohort. GFREKFC was highly related to mGFR, with a regression equation of GFREKFC=mGFR × 0.87 + 5.27. Compared with the Asian-modified CKD-EPI equation, EKFC equation demonstrated a wider median bias (-1.64 vs. 0.84 mL/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.01) that was within 3 mL/min/1.73 m2 and not clinically meaningful. Furthermore, the precision (12.69 vs. 12.72 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.42), 95% limits of agreement in Bland-Altman analysis (42.4 vs. 44.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) and incorrect reclassification index of the two target equations were almost identical. Although, EKFC equation had a slightly better P30 (80.0% vs. 74.4%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The overall performance of EKFC equation is acceptable. There is no clinically meaningful difference in the performance of the Asian-modified CKD-EPI and EKFC equations within the limits imposed by the small sample size.

Water-Soluble Single-Benzene Chromophores: Excited State Dynamics and Fluorescence Detection.

Two water-soluble single-benzene-based chromophores, 2,5-di(azetidine-1-yl)-tereph- thalic acid (DAPA) and its disodium carboxylate (DAP-Na), were conveniently obtained. Both chromophores preserved moderate quantum yields in a wide range of polar and protonic solvents. Spectroscopic studies demonstrated that DAPA exhibited red luminescence as well as large Stokes shift (>200 nm) in aqueous solutions. Femtosecond transient absorption spectra illustrated quadrupolar DAPA usually involved the formation of an intramolecular charge transfer state. Its Frank−Condon state could be rapidly relaxed to a slight symmetry-breaking state upon light excitation following the solvent relaxation, then the slight charge separation may occur and the charge localization became partially asymmetrical in polar environments. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results were supported well with the experimental measurements. Unique pH-dependent fluorescent properties endows the two chromophores with rapid, highly selective, and sensitive responses to the amino acids in aqueous media. In detail, DAPA served as a fluorescence turn-on probe with a detection limit (DL) of 0.50 µM for Arg and with that of 0.41 µM for Lys. In contrast, DAP-Na featured bright green luminescence and showed fluorescence turn-off responses to Asp and Glu with the DLs of 0.12 µM and 0.16 µM, respectively. Meanwhile, these two simple-structure probes exhibited strong anti-interference ability towards other natural amino acids and realized visual identification of specific analytes. The present work helps to understand the photophysic−structure relationship of these kinds of compounds and render their fluorescent detection applications.

Clinical application and comparison of serum lipoprotein (a) particle concentration and mass concentration in stroke patients and healthy adults: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Serum Lp(a) is routinely detected by mass concentration in clinical laboratory, but the results of which cannot be standardized. On the other hand, particle concentration detection has gained increasing popularity and facilitated the standardization of Lp(a) testing in clinical practice. This study aimed to compare the Lp(a) mass concentration and particle concentration between patients with stroke and healthy controls. METHODS: The participants admitted in the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2021 and October 2021 were assigned to hemorrhagic stroke, cerebral infarction and healthy control group. Serum Lp(a) particle and mass concentration were detected by using the Shenzhen Mindray BS-2000I and Beckman AU5821 detection system, respectively. The primary study endpoint was the difference between Lp(a) mass concentration and particle concentration among the 3 groups. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in age and gender among the 3 groups. Serum Lp(a) mass concentration [227.7 (113.1-447.1) mg/L vs. 117.1 (59.8-210.7) mg/L, P=0.001] and particle concentration [30.1 (12.9-72.3) nmol/L vs. 13.5 (6.8-29.9) nmol/L, P=0.001] in the cerebral infarction group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of Lp(a) mass concentration and particle concentration for the diagnosis of cerebral infarction were 0.67 and 0.66, respectively, and the cut-off value was 181.1 mg/L and 15.6 nmol/L, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of the two parameters for the diagnosis of cerebral infarction (Z=0.88, P=0.38). The conversion factors for the two concentrations were not significantly different between gender nor age subgroups, and decreased as mass concentrations increased. Compared with healthy control group, the positive rate of Lp(a) mass concentration (37.8% vs. 17.5%, P<0.01) and the positive rate of particle concentration (24.4% vs. 10.8%, P=0.005) were significantly increased in the cerebral infarction group. CONCLUSIONS: The particle concentration detection of Lp(a) has significant clinical relevance in patients with ischemic stroke. The mass concentration test results may overestimate the actual serum Lp(a) content in stroke patients.

Dual-state efficient chromophore with pH-responsive and solvatofluorochromic properties based on an asymmetric single benzene framework.

We present a unique single-benzene-based chromophore with asymmetric structure that emits efficient luminescence in both solid and solution states and shows solvatofluorochromism, large Stokes shift (154-219 nm) and an extraordinary wide range of solvent compatibility. The asymmetric structural feature endows this chromophore with significant ratiometric pH-dependent fluorescence for accurate and fast pH sensing over a pH range from 4.0 to 8.2, which could be applied for visual identification of different brands of drinking water. It may find broad applications in environmental sensing and pH-associated physiological processes.

Correlation between depression and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the distribution of Parkinson's disease questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) scores in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with or without depression, and to analyze the factors that influence the quality of life of PD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 300 PD patients were enrolled. Patients' general information and the results of assessments including UPDRS, H-Y, HAMD, HAMA, ADL and PDQ-39 were collected. They were divided into depression group and non-depression group according to HAMD score. The relationship between PD-related depression and quality of life and the factors that influence the quality of life of PD patients were analyzed based on PDQ-39 score. RESULTS: 111 patients with depression (37.0 %) and 189 patients without depression (63.0 %) were enrolled. The scores of PDQ-39 summary index (PDQ-39 SI) in the depression group were significantly higher than those in the non-depression group in all domains (P < 0.05). Patients in the depression group had a longer disease duration (6.89 ± 4.70 vs. 5.52 ± 4.12, P < 0.038), a higher UPDRS-III score (30.1 ± 13.55 vs. 25.2 ± 11.73, P < 0.001), and a higher H-Y stage level (2.41 ± 0.853 vs. 2.13 ± 0.707, P < 0.001), compared with patients in the non-depression group. All factors including age, disease duration, UPDRS-III, H-Y stage, HAMD score and HAMA score, may independently affected PDQ-39SI in PD patients, among which HAMD had the greatest effect. HAMD and HAMA were correlated with PDQ-39 in its all eight domains. CONCLUSION: PD patients with psychological problems such as anxiety and depression may lead to a significant decline in the quality of life of patients in all domains.

Hydrogen atom transfer in the oxidation of alkylbenzenesulfonates by ferrate(VI) in aqueous solutions.

Ferrate(vi), [FeO4]2-, is a very powerful oxidant that can oxidize a wide variety of inorganic and organic compounds. However, the mechanisms of many of these oxidation reactions have not been studied in detail. In this work, we have investigated the kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of 4-alkylbenzenesulfonates by ferrate in aqueous solutions at pH 7.45-9.63 by UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The reactions are first order with respect to both [ferrate] and [4-alkylbenzenesulfonate]. The second-order rate constants for the oxidation of 4-isopropylbenzenesulfonate by ferrate at 25 °C and I = 0.3 M are found to be (5.86 ± 0.08) × 10-1 M-1 s-1 and (4.11 ± 1.50) × 10-3 M-1 s-1 for [Fe(O)3(OH)]- and [FeO4]2-, respectively, indicating that [Fe(O)3(OH)]- is two orders of magnitude more reactive than [FeO4]2- and is the predominant oxidant in neutral and slightly alkaline solutions. This is further supported by the effect of the ionic strength on the rate constant. No solvent kinetic isotope effect (KIE) was found but a moderate primary KIE = 1.6 ± 0.1 was observed in the oxidation of 4-ethylbenzenesulfonate and 4-ethylbenzenesulfonate-d9. Alkyl radicals were trapped by CBrCl3 in the oxidation of alkylarenes by ferrate. Combined with DFT calculations, a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanism was proposed for the reactions between [Fe(O)3(OH)]- and 4-alkylbenzenesulfonates.