Porous (K0.5Na0.5)0.94Li0.06NbO3-polydimethylsiloxane piezoelectric composites harvesting mechanical energy for efficient decomposition of dye wastewater.

Piezoelectricity as a physical property has received great attention due to its excellently functional applications, especially in piezoelectric catalysis and mechanical energy harvesting. To take full advantage of the functions of piezoelectric materials, (K0.5Na0.5)0.94Li0.06NbO3 (KNN6L) piezoelectric powders were compounded with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in this work. The developed KNN6L-PDMS porous piezoelectric composites with flexible and recyclable characteristics could achieve âˆ¼ 91% degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater under mechanical vibration, and the outstanding piezocatalytic activity was still maintained after repeated decomposition multiple times. Besides, the relationship between piezoelectric potential and piezocatalysis was validated by COMSOL simulations. The content of piezoelectric powders played a positive effect on the magnitude of piezoelectric potential generated by the KNN6L-PDMS porous composites. Moreover, the catalytic mechanism was found to be originated by generation of various reactive oxygen species (mainly •O2- and •OH) in water environment as a result of strong piezoelectric effect by the porous composites. The porous piezoelectric composites with flexible and recyclable characteristics exhibited excellent performance in piezoelectric catalysis which has promising applications in the field of environmental remediation.

Development and validation of a clinical risk model to predict the hospital mortality in ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Large variability in mortality exists in patients of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially those with invasive ventilation. The aim of this study was to develop a model to predict risk of in-hospital death in ventilated ARDS patients. METHODS: Ventilated patients with ARDS from two public databases (MIMIC-III and eICU-CRD) were randomly divided as training cohort and internal validation cohort. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and then Logistic regression was used to construct a predictive model with demographic, clinical, laboratory, comorbidities and ventilation variables ascertained at first 24 h of ICU admission and invasive ventilation. Our model was externally validated using data from another database (MIMIC-IV). RESULTS: A total of 1075 adult patients from MIMIC-III and eICU were randomly divided into training cohort (70%, n = 752) and internal validation cohort (30%, n = 323). 521 patients were included from MIMIC-IV. From 176 potential predictors, 9 independent predictive factors were included in the final model. Five variables were ascertained within the first 24 h of ICU admission, including age (OR, 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03), mean of respiratory rate (OR, 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01-1.08), the maximum of INR (OR, 1.14; 95% CI: 1.03-1.31) and alveolo-arterial oxygen difference (OR, 1.002; 95% CI: 1.001-1.003) and the minimum of RDW (OR, 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.27). And four variables were collected within the first 24 h of invasive ventilation: mean of temperature (OR, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.57-0.86), the maximum of lactate (OR, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.09-1.22), the minimum of blood urea nitrogen (OR, 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) and white blood cell counts (OR, 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06). Our model achieved good discrimination (AUC: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.73-0.80) in training cohort but the performance declined in internal (AUC: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.69-0.80) and external validation cohort (0.70, 95% CI: 0.65-0.74) and showed modest calibration. CONCLUSIONS: A risk score based on routinely collected variables at the start of admission to ICU and invasive ventilation can predict mortality of ventilated ARDS patients, with a moderate performance.

Transition-metal catalyzed oxidative spirocyclization of N-aryl alkynamides with methylarenes under microwave irradiation.

A practical synthetic route to construct a variety of 3-benzyl spiro[4,5]trienones was developed via transition-metal Cu/Ag-catalyzed oxidative ipso-annulation of activated alkynes with unactivated toluenes using TBPB as an oxidant under microwave irradiation. This method allows the formation of two carbon-carbon bonds and one carbon-oxygen bond in a single reaction through a sequence of C-H oxidative coupling, ipso-carbocyclization and dearomatization. The advantages of this protocol are its operational simplicity and broad substrate scope, and the ability to afford the desired products in moderate to good yields.

Whole-Genome Sequencing Elucidates the Epidemiology of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an Intensive Care Unit.

The nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is a frequent cause of healthcare-acquired infections, particularly in critically ill patients, and is of serious concern due to its potential for acquired multidrug resistance. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used to obtain a high-resolution view of relationships between isolates, which helps in controlling healthcare-acquired infections. Here, we conducted a retrospective study to identify epidemic situations and assess the percentage of transmission in intensive care units (ICUs). Multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR-AB) were continuously isolated from the lower respiratory tract of different patients (at the first isolation in our ICU). We performed WGS, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus-sequence typing (MLST) analyses to elucidate bacterial relatedness and to compare the performance of conventional methods with WGS for typing MDR-AB. From June 2017 to August 2018, A. baumannii complex strains were detected in 124 of 796 patients during their ICU stays, 103 of which were MDR-AB. Then we subjected 70 available MDR-AB strains to typing with WGS, PFGE, and MLST. Among the 70 A. baumannii isolates, 38 (54.29%) were isolated at admission, and 32(45.71%) were acquisition isolates. MLST identified 12 unique sequence types, a novel ST (ST2367) was founded. PFGE revealed 16 different pulsotypes. Finally, 38 genotypes and 23 transmissions were identified by WGS. Transmission was the main mode of MDR-AB acquisition in our ICU. Our results demonstrated that WGS was a discriminatory technique for epidemiological healthcare-infection studies. The technique should greatly benefit the identification of epidemic situations and controlling transmission events in the near future.

ACBD3 is up-regulated in gastric cancer and promotes cell cycle G1-to-S transition in an AKT-dependent manner.

It has been reported that ACBD3 is closely related to the malignant process of cells, but its role in gastric cancer has not been elucidated. This study aims to investigate the expression and function of ACBD3 in human gastric cancer. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were selected to analyze mRNA levels of ACBD3 in gastric cancer tissues and normal gastric epithelial tissues. qPCR and Western blot were conducted to detect the expression of ACBD3 in two normal gastric epithelial cell lines and five gastric cancer cell lines which were cultured in our laboratory. To exclude differences in individual background between different patients, we further detected the expression of ACBD3 in 8 pairs of malignant/non-malignant clinical gastric tissues. Through the establishment of stable cells, in vitro cell experiments and in vivo xenotransplantation models in mice, the role of ACBD3 in the proliferation of gastric cancer cells has been further explored. AKT inhibitors were used to deeply explore the molecular regulation mechanism of ACBD3. The results showed that the elevated ACBD3 in gastric cancer tissue were positively correlated with the clinical grade and prognosis of gastric cancer. In terms of molecular function, we found that ACBD3 can enhance the production and growth of gastric cancer cells. At the same time, the activation of AKT kinase played an important role in ACBD3's promotion of G1-to-S transition. The experiments generally indicate that ACBD3 is expected to become a potential diagnostic molecule or therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Photolysis of the BODIPY dye activated by pillar[5]arene.

Here, a pseudo[3]rotaxane comprising a fluorescent BODIPY derivative and pillar[5]arene was conveniently fabricated via host-guest complexation. Importantly, in this system, the efficient photodecomposition of the BODIPY derivative in the presence of pillar[5]arene was witnessed upon irradiation at 311 nm light, which was demonstrated via UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission, NMR and HR-MS spectroscopy techniques, but the only BODIPY dye in the absence of pillar[5]arene couldn't undergo photodegradation. We demonstrated that pillar[5]arene could act as an activator to trigger the photodegradation reaction of BODIPY derivatives via free radical reactions even without supramolecular interactions. The present results provide a new strategy for the efficient photolysis of organic dyes.

Mechanically Stretched Mesenchymal Stem Cells Can Reduce the Effects of LPS-Induced Injury on the Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelium Barrier.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may improve the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, few studies have investigated the effects of mechanically stretched -MSCs (MS-MSCs) in in vitro models of ARDS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of MS-MSCs on pulmonary microvascular endothelium barrier injuries induced by LPS. We introduced a cocultured model of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (EC) and MSC medium obtained from MSCs with or without mechanical stretch. We found that Wright-Giemsa staining revealed that MSC morphology changed significantly and cell plasma shrank separately after mechanical stretch. Cell proliferation of the MS-MSC groups was much lower than the untreated MSC group; expression of cell surface markers did not change significantly. Compared to the medium from untreated MSCs, inflammatory factors elevated statistically in the medium from MS-MSCs. Moreover, the paracellular permeability of endothelial cells treated with LPS was restored with a medium from MS-MSCs, while LPS-induced EC apoptosis decreased. In addition, protective effects on the remodeling of intercellular junctions were observed when compared to LPS-treated endothelial cells. These data demonstrated that the MS-MSC groups had potential therapeutic effects on the LPS-treated ECs; these results might be useful in the treatment of ARDS.

Excellent Capacitor-Varistor Properties in Lead-Free CaCu3Ti4O12-SrTiO3 System with a Wrinkle Structure via Interface Engineering.

Lead-free perovskite CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) dielectrics are extremely important candidates for capacitor-varistor dual-function materials. However, their overall success in applications is somewhat controlled by the longstanding issues such as relatively large dielectric loss and insufficiently high electric breakdown field. Herein, we report the success in the preparation of an optimized lead-free (1-x)CaCu3Ti4O12-xSrTiO3 (CCTO-STO) composite system with improved dielectric and nonlinear properties via interface engineering. Interestingly, looking closer at the grain boundaries using transmission electron microscopy, it is found that an obvious interface region with a transition layer of a wrinkled structure is formed between the CCTO matrix phase and STO dopant phase. Significantly, all the composite ceramic samples present high permittivity in the order of about 103 to 104, and the 0.9CCTO-0.1STO composite ceramic sample exhibits a lower dielectric loss of about 0.068 at room temperature and at 1 kHz. Excitingly, the optimized 0.9CCTO-0.1STO composite ceramic sample also exhibits a remarkably elevated breakdown field strength of about 14.03 kV/cm and a large nonlinear coefficient of about 16.11. The improvement in nonlinear properties with a high breakdown field strength and large nonlinear coefficient could be attributed to the interfacial effect in the composite structure, originating from the formation of the transition layer with a wrinkle structure at the interface between CCTO and STO phases. Such effects can result in great electrical heterogeneity caused by the higher resistance of the grain boundary and the enhanced potential barrier at the interface region. The new insights on the formation of the interfacial wrinkle structure near the phase boundaries of the CCTO-STO composite system and their effects on improvement of electrical properties can stimulate future research on lead-free CCTO-STO-based systems toward capacitor-varistor dual-function applications and may offer an effective way to design other lead-free dielectric materials as well.

Tunable dielectric polarization and breakdown behavior for high energy storage capability in P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)/PVDF polymer blended composite films.

Polymer dielectrics with high dielectric performances and superior discharge energy capability are highly desirable for advanced electrostatic capacitor applications. However, the paradoxical relationship between dielectric polarization and electric breakdown behavior generally hinder their further enhancement in energy storage performances. Herein, polymer blended composite films with high energy storage capability were successfully fabricated by blending together poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) terpolymer. The P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer has a high dielectric constant to provide a large electric displacement under an applied electric field far below its breakdown field, which is anticipated to modulate the dielectric polarization behavior of PVDF polymer when blended in different proportions. Consequently, the polymer blended composite film consisting of 20 wt% (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) terpolymer exhibits a high discharge energy density of 13.63 J cm-3 at an enhanced breakdown strength of 480 MV m-1. This obtained high discharge energy density is 84% higher than the pure PVDF film and 582% higher than a commercialized biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Large interfacial polarization and strong interaction of polymer chains between the PVDF polymer and P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer may contribute to the tunable dielectric constant and electric breakdown strength, thus promoting the energy storage capability. This work establishes a facile, but effective approach to achieve the high energy storage capability of PVDF polymer-based flexible composite films for capacitive energy storage applications.

Thermosensitive Liposomes Encapsulating Anti-Cancer Agent Lomustine, and Contrast Medium Iohexol, for Thermochemotherapy: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vivo Evaluation.

Thermosensitive liposome-based drug delivery systems (DDS) are powerful tools for site-specific delivery of chemotherapeutics, especially when combined with regional hyperthermia. The objective of this work was to develop a novel thermosensitive liposomal DDS loaded with lomustine, a chemotherapeutic compound, and iohexol, a contrast medium for visualization by CT. Thermosensitive compound liposomes (TSCLs) composed of DPPC were prepared by reverse-phase evaporation and investigated for encapsulation efficiency, temperature-sensitivity, release kinetics, and In Vivo pharmacokinetics. The size and zeta-potential of TSCLs ranged from 250 to 300 nm and -15 to -30 mV, respectively. At 41 °C, TSCLs were shown to release over 90% of iohexol and lomustine within 4 h. The in vitro release profiles of iohexol and lomustine at 41 °C conformed to first-order kinetics and Weibullmodel, respectively. Phase-transition did not occur after incorporation of cholesterol and soybean phospholipids. In Vivo evaluation performed with C6 glioma model rats proved the prolonged half-lives and improved bioavailability by liposomal encapsulation for both compounds under mild local hyperthermia. The TSCLs used in this study may offer a clinically promising mean of increasing efficacy and controlling toxicity.

Silver-catalyzed direct C-H oxidative carbamoylation of quinolines with oxamic acids.

A silver-catalyzed efficient and direct C-H carbamoylation of quinolines with oxamic acids to access carbamoylated quinolines has been developed through oxidative decarboxylation reaction. The reaction proceeds smoothly over a broad range of substrates with excellent functional group tolerance and excellent yields under mild conditions.

Transition-metal free C3-amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones using Selectfluor as a mild oxidant.

A practical and efficient synthetic route to construct a variety of 3-amidated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones was developed via transition-metal free direct oxidative amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with amidates using Selectfluor reagent as a mild oxidant. This protocol features mild reaction conditions, operational simplicity, broad substrate scope, and good to excellent yields.

Role of Plasma Calreticulin in the Prediction of Severity in Septic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Calreticulin has been identified to play a critical role in innate and adaptive immune responses. However, little is known about the role of calreticulin in sepsis with a characteristic of immune disorder. This study was aimed at investigating whether plasma calreticulin level increases in sepsis and its association with sepsis severity. METHODS: This retrospective analysis evaluated sepsis patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Healthy subjects were also included as controls. Plasma samples were collected from the patients within 48 h after ICU admission as well as the healthy subjects. Plasma calreticulin levels were measured via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In total, 127 sepsis patients and 40 healthy controls were included. Calreticulin was significantly increased in sepsis patients than in healthy controls. Furthermore, the level of plasma calreticulin was significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Patients with calreticulin levels > 343.5 pg/ml showed lower cumulative survival than those with levels < 343.5 pg/ml. CONCLUSION: Calreticulin level was positively correlated with the severity of sepsis. High calreticulin level indicated poor prognosis of sepsis patients.

Effect of Ceramic and Nylon Fiber Content on Composite Silica Sol Slurry Properties and Bending Strength of Investment Casting Shell.

In order to improve the performance of the investment casting shell, ceramic and nylon fiber was added to the silica sol slurry to study the effect of ceramic and nylon fiber on the liquidity of the silica sol slurry and the bending strength of the investment casting shell. Meanwhile, the fracture surface of shell sample was observed by SEM. The experiment results indicate that the movement viscosity of slurry increases with ceramic and nylon fiber content, increasing from 0 to 0.75 wt.%. The movement viscosity of ceramic fiber composite slurry is higher than nylon fiber composite slurry. The wet and high strength of shell firstly increases then decreases, with an increase of ceramic and nylon fiber content. When the ceramic and nylon fibers' contents are 0.6 wt.%, the maximum wet strengths are 3.56 MPa and 3.84 Mpa respectively, increasing by approximately 38% and 43%. Moreover, the high strength of shell achieves its highest value, 5.08 Mpa, when the ceramic fiber content is 0.6 wt.%; however, when the nylon fiber content was more than 0.3%, the high strength of the nylon fiber reinforced shell was decreased sharply. Therefore, an addition of ceramic and nylon fiber to silica sol slurry distinctly influences the wet and high strength of investment casting shell.

Fluorination-triggered tandem cyclization of styrene-type carboxylic acids to access 3-aryl isocoumarin derivatives under microwave irradiation.

A practical and straightforward synthetic route through a fluorination-triggered tandem cyclization of styrene-type carboxylic acids was developed to construct a variety of 4-fluoro-3-aryl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins and 3-arylisocoumarins under microwave irradiation. This novel protocol features mild reaction conditions and operational simplicity, with good yields.

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with acetonitrile: a highly efficient strategy toward 3-amidated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

A novel and convenient palladium-catalyzed direct oxidative amidation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with acetonitrile was developed to synthesize 3-amidated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones. A series of 3-acetamino quinoxalin-2(1H)-one derivatives were constructed with good to excellent yields. This methodology provided a practical approach to various 3-acetamino quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones from the readily available starting material acetonitrile.

Delineation of 3D dose-time-toxicity in human pulmonary epithelial Beas-2B cells induced by decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209).

Due to frequent detection in environment as well as in the human body, the adverse effects of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) have been extensively studied in the past few years. However, information regarding the inhalation toxicity of BDE209 to humans is currently limited. In this study, the cytotoxicity, cell damage, and inflammation markers including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in the Beas-2B cell line induced by BDE209 were measured using a central composite design. Results showed that as BDE209 concentrations (5-65 µg mL-1) and exposure time (6-30 h) were increased, cell viability sharply decreased from 99.7% to 29.7% and LDH activity increased from 0.1% to 13.1%. Furthermore, expression of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α transcripts were enhanced from 4.7 to 29.1 fold, 3.4-68.9 fold, and 2.8-47.0 fold, respectively, and the concentration of IL-6 and IL-8 proteins increased from 5.4 to 16.7 pg mL-1 and 71.0-550.0 pg mL-1, respectively. Results indicate that BDE209 exposure can inhibit cell viability, increase LDH leakage, and upregulate the transcript (mRNA) and protein levels of inflammatory markers of IL-6 and IL-8 in Beas-2B cells. Moreover, these effects were both dose- and time-dependent, and dose and time had a synergistic effect - enhancing toxicity when in combination. Cell density affected both LDH activity and IL-8 release but had little effect on cell activity and IL-6 release in the Beas-2B cells. In contrast, TNF-α protein was not detected but its mRNA expression level was upregulated. This study will provide a reference for human health risk assessment, especially for the toxic damage that BDE209 exposure can elicit in the respiratory tract.

Adjustable Photochromic Behavior of a Diarylethene-Based Bistable [3]Rotaxane.

An acid-base stimulus-responsive diarylethene-based bistable [3]rotaxane has been constructed through a threading-stoppering method, manifesting a reversible shuttling motion undergoing acid-base stimulation. In this system, two macrocycles can be driven to unfasten or restrict the photoswitchable framework by addition of the appropriate acid or base, revealing that photocyclization quantum yield of the [3]rotaxane in the "Near" state is superior to that in the "Far" state. These findings offer a new approach for directional improvement of photochromic performance and construction of molecular machine with a shuttling motion.

Room Temperature Chemoselective Deoxygenation of Aromatic Ketones and Aldehydes Promoted by a Tandem Pd/TiO2 + FeCl3 Catalyst.

A rapid and practical protocol for the chemoselective deoxygenation of various aromatic ketones and aldehydes was described, which used a tandem catalyst composed of heterogeneous Pd/TiO2 + homogeneous FeCl3 with the green hydrogen source, polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS). The developed catalytic system was robust and scalable, as exemplified by the deoxygenation of acetophenone, which was performed on a gram scale in an atmospheric environment utilizing only 0.4 mol % Pd/TiO2 + 10 mol % FeCl3 catalyst to give the corresponding ethylbenzene in 96% yield within 10 min at room temperature. Furthermore, the Pd/TiO2 catalyst was shown to be recyclable up to three times without an observable decrease in efficiency and it exhibited low metal leaching under the reaction conditions. Insights toward the reaction mechanism of Pd-catalyzed reductive deoxygenation for aromatic ketones and aldehydes were investigated through operando IR, NMR, and GC-MS techniques.

Cytomegalovirus infection and outcome in immunocompetent patients in the intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in immunocompetent patients in intensive care units (ICUs). However, whether CMV infection or CMV reactivation contributes to mortality of immunocompetent patients remains unclear. METHODS: A literature search was conducted for relevant studies published before May 30, 2016. Studies reporting on CMV infection in immunocompetent patients in ICUs and containing 2 × 2 tables on CMV results and all-cause mortality were included. RESULTS: Eighteen studies involving 2398 immunocompetent patients admitted to ICUs were included in the meta-analysis. The overall rate of CMV infection was 27% (95%CI 22-34%, I2 = 89%, n = 2398) and the CMV reactivation was 31% (95%CI 24-39%, I2 = 74%, n = 666). The odds ratio (OR) for all-cause mortality among patients with CMV infection, compared with those without infection, was 2.16 (95%CI 1.70-2.74, I2 = 10%, n = 2239). Moreover, upon exclusion of studies in which antiviral treatment was possibly or definitely provided to some patients, the association of mortality rate with CMV infection was also statistically significant (OR: 1.69, 95%CI 1.01-2.83, I2 = 37%, n = 912,). For CMV seropositive patients, the OR for mortality in patients with CMV reactivation as compared with patients without CMV reactivation was 1.72 (95%CI 1.04-2.85, I2 = 29%, n = 664). Patients with CMV infection required significantly longer mechanical ventilation (mean difference (MD): 9 days (95% CI 5-14, I2 = 81%, n = 875)) and longer duration of ICU stay (MD: 12 days (95% CI 7-17, I2 = 70%, n = 949)) than patients without CMV infection. When analysis was limited to detection in blood, CMV infection without antiviral drug treatment or reactivation was not significantly associated with higher mortality (OR: 1.69, 95%CI 0.81-3.54, I2 = 52%, n = 722; OR: 1.49, I2 = 63%, n = 469). CONCLUSION: Critically ill patients without immunosuppression admitted to ICUs show a high rate of CMV infection. CMV infection during the natural unaltered course or reactivation in critically ill patients is associated with increased mortality, but have no effect on mortality when CMV in blood. More studies are needed to clarify the impact of CMV infection on clinical outcomes in those patients.