Serum PYCARD may become a new diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this investigation is to analyze the levels and clinical relevance of serum PYCARD (Pyrin and CARD domain-containing protein, commonly known as ASC-apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain), interleukin-38 (IL-38), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in individuals afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Our study comprised 88 individuals diagnosed with RA who sought medical attention at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University during the period spanning November 2021 to June 2023, constituting the test group. Additionally, a control group of 88 individuals who underwent health assessments at the same hospital during the aforementioned timeframe was included for comparative purposes. The study involved the assessment of IL-38, IL-6, PYCARD, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels in both groups. The research aimed to explore the correlations and diagnostic efficacy of these markers, employing pertinent statistical analyses for comprehensive evaluation. RESULTS: The test group had higher expression levels of PYCARD, IL-6, and IL-38 than the control group (P < 0.05). Based on the correlation analysis, there was a strong relationship between PYCARD and IL-38 (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.97, 0.96, and 0.96 when using combinations of PYCARD and anti-CCP, IL-38 and anti-CCP, and IL-6 and anti-CCP for predicting RA, respectively. Importantly, all three of these pairs demonstrated superior AUC values compared to PYCARD, IL-38, IL-6, ESR, or anti-CCP used as standalone diagnostic indicators. CONCLUSION: PYCARD, IL-6, and IL-38 exhibit promising potential as novel diagnostic markers and may constitute valuable tools for supporting the diagnosis of RA.

GaOx@GaN Nanowire Arrays on Flexible Graphite Paper with Tunable Persistent Photoconductivity.

Flexible optoelectronic synaptic devices that functionally imitate the neural behavior with tunable optoelectronic characteristics are crucial to the development of advanced bioinspired neural networks. In this work, amorphous oxide-decorated GaN nanowire arrays (GaOx@GaN NWAs) are prepared on flexible graphite paper. A GaOx@GaN NWA-based flexible device has tunable persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and shows a conversible fast/slow decay process (SDP). Photoconductivity can be modulated by single or double light pulses with different illumination powers and biases. PPC gives rise to the high-performance SDP such as a long decay time of 2.3 × 105 s. The modulation mechanism is proposed and discussed. Our results reveal an innovative and efficient strategy to produce decorated NWAs on a flexible substrate with tunable optoelectronic properties and exhibit potential for flexible neuromorphic system applications.

Acetylene-expanded dendralene segments with exotopic phosphaalkene units.

Bis-TMS protected C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkene (A(2)PA) 1 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(2); Mes* = 2,4,6-tBu(3)Ph) has been used as a building block for the construction of butadiyne-expanded dendralene fragments in which phosphaalkenes feature as exotopic double bonds. Treatment of 1 with CuCl gives rise to a Cu(I) acetylide that is selectively formed at the acetylene trans to the Mes* group. The cis-TMS-acetylene engages in similar chemistry, albeit at higher temperatures and longer reaction times. The differentiation between the two acetylene termini of 1 allows for the controlled synthesis of the title compounds by a variety of different Cu- and Pd-catalyzed oxidative acetylene homo- and heterocoupling protocols. Crystallographic characterization of A(2)PA 1 and dimeric Mes*P=C(C≡CR(1))C(4)(R(2) C≡C)C=PMes* (3b, R(1) = R(2) = Ph; 6, R(1) = R(2) = TMS), and 10 (R(1) = R(2) = C≡CPh) verifies that the stereochemistry across the P=C bond is conserved during the coupling reactions, whereas spectroscopic evidence reveals cis/trans isomerization in an iodo-substituted A(2)PA intermediate 4 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(C≡CI). UV/Vis spectroscopic and electrochemical studies reveal that efficient π conjugation operates through the entire acetylenic phosphaalkene framework, even in the cross-conjugated dimeric structures. The P centers contribute considerably to the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds, thereby leading to smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps than in all-carbon-based congeners. Phenyl- and/or ethynylphenyl substituents at the A(2)PA framework influence the HOMO and LUMO to a varying degree depending on their relationship to the Mes* group, thus enabling a fine-tuning of the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds.

C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkenes in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

The reactivity of bis-TMS-substituted C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkene (A(2)PA) 1 in Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reactions has been examined. The selective and successive deprotection of the two silyl groups in 1 is enabled by the steric bulk of the Mes* group which renders the acetylene trans to Mes* more reactive and thereby facilitates selective and consecutive couplings with iodoarenes. In situ transformation of the TMS-protected acetylenes into Cu(i)acetylides is the key step in the synthetic sequence and enables the preparation of the first dimeric A(2)PA linked by a phenylene spacer. cis-trans Isomerization across the P[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond is triggered by a tertiary amine and exclusively observed in the case of nitrophenyl-substituted A(2)PAs. The introduced aryl groups are integral parts of the entire π-system as evidenced by spectroscopic and electrochemical studies.

Phosphaalkenes in pi-conjugation with acetylenic arenes.

Phosphaalkene inclusion at the periphery of acetylenic arenes results in decreased band gaps of the title compounds as verified by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The electronic coupling between two 1-phosphahex-1-ene-3,5-diyne units is mediated by all para-substituted arenes and increases from 4b to 4d.

Exploitation of an unprecedented silica-promoted acetylene-allene rearrangement for the preparation of C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkenes.

C,C-Diacetylenic phosphaalkenes have been obtained from a 1-chloro-3-ethynyl-1,2-allene which becomes accessible from a silica-promoted rearrangement of a 3-chloropenta-1,4-diyne; oxidative acetylene homo-coupling of the phosphadiethynyl-ethene is described for the first time and affords a dimeric, cross-conjugated product which features a largely decreased HOMO-LUMO gap compared to all-carbon-based reference compounds.

C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkenes as heavy diethynylethene analogues.

A series of C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkenes 1b-e has been prepared from 1-chloropenta-1,2-dien-4-ynes 6b-e in a reaction with Mes*PCl(2) (Mes* = 2,4,6-((t)Bu)(3)Ph) in the presence of LDA. Under identical conditions, isomeric butadiyne-substituted phosphaalkenes 2c-f can be obtained from 3-chloropenta-1,4-diynes 5c-f. The title compounds represent rare examples of diethynylethenes in which a constituting methylene has been replaced by a phosphorus center. The formation of both isomers can be rationalized by a common pathway that involves isomeric allenyllithium species. Spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical investigations show that the phosphorus heteroatoms are an intrinsic part of the compounds' pi-systems and lead to decreased HOMO-LUMO gaps compared to those in all-carbon-based reference compounds.

Kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols using thioamide modified 1-methyl-histidine methyl ester.

The low-molecular-weight and easily prepared N-thiobenzoyl 1-methyl-histidine methyl ester 3k was utilized to efficiently catalyze the kinetic resolution of racemic secondary alcohols. Comparison of the conformations of amide catalyst 3c and thioamide catalyst 3k was made to understand the origin of the improvement of the enantioselectivity by thioamide modification.

A simple method for epoxidation of olefins using sodium chlorite as an oxidant without a catalyst.

[Reaction: see text]. Sodium chlorite has been demonstrated to be capable of epoxidizing a variety of olefins at 55-65 degrees C (oil bath). Chlorine dioxide is believed to be the pivotal epoxidizing agent in the reaction on the basis of the mechanistic studies.