Ethnic disparities and temporal trends in health resource allocation: a retrospective decadal analysis in Sichuan, a multi-ethnic Province of Southwest China (2009-2019).

BACKGROUND: Research on health resource allocation trends in ethnic minority and impoverished areas in China is limited since the 2009 Medical Reform. This study aimed to investigate the variations and inequalities in health resource distribution among ethnic minority, poverty-stricken, and non-minority regions in Sichuan Province, a multi-ethnic province in Southwest China, from 2009 to 2019. METHODS: The numbers of beds, doctors and nurses were retrospectively sourced from the Sichuan Health Statistics Yearbook between 2009 and 2019. All the 181 counties in Sichuan Province were categorized into five groups: Yi, Zang, other ethnic minority, poverty-stricken, and non-minority county. The Theil index, adjusted for population size, was used to evaluate health resource allocation inequalities. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2019, the number of beds (Bedp1000), doctors (Docp1000), and nurses (Nurp1000) per 1000 individuals in ethnic minority and poverty-stricken counties consistently remained lower than non-minority counties. The growth rates of Bedp1000 in Yi (140%) and other ethnic minority counties (127%) were higher than in non-minority counties (121%), while the growth rates of Docp1000 in Yi (20%) and Zang (11%) counties were lower than non-minority counties (61%). Docp1000 in 33% and 50% of Yi and Zang ethnic counties decreased, respectively. Nurp1000 in Yi (240%) and other ethnic minority (316%) counties increased faster than non-minority counties (198%). The Theil index for beds and nurses declined, while the index for doctors increased. Key factors driving increases in bed allocation include preferential policies and economic development levels, while health practitioner income, economic development levels and geographical environment significantly influence doctor and nurse allocation. CONCLUSIONS: Preferential policies have been successful in increasing the number of beds in health facilities, but not healthcare workers, in ethnic minority regions. The ethnic disparities in doctor allocation increased in Sichuan Province. To increase the number of doctors and nurses in ethnic minority and poverty-stricken regions, particularly in Yi counties, more preferential policies and resources should be introduced.

Research Progress of Pyroptosis in Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Pyroptosis, known as one typical mode of programmed cell death, is generally characterized by the cleaved gasdermin family (GSDMs) forming pores in the cell membrane and inducing cell rupture, and the activation of aspartate-specific proteases (caspases) has also been found during this process. Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) is caused by the complication of diabetes in the kidney, and the most important kidney's function, Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), happens to drop to less than 90% of its usual and even lead to kidney failure in severe cases. The persistent inflammatory state induced by high blood glucose implies the key pathology of DKD, and growing evidence shows that pyroptosis serves as a significant contributor to this chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder. Currently, the expanded discovery of GSDMs, pyroptosis, and its association with innate immunity has been more attractive, and overwhelming research is needed to sort out the implication of pyroptosis in DKD pathology. In this review, we comb both classical studies and newly founds on pyroptosis, prick off the novel awakening of pyroptosis in DKD, and center on the significance of pyroptosis in DKD treatment, aiming to provide new research targets and treatment strategies on DKD.

Research Progress of Pyroptosis in Fatty Liver Disease.

Fatty liver disease (FLD) is a clinical and pathological syndrome characterized by excessive fat deposition and even steatosis in hepatocytes. It has been proven that liver inflammation induced by fat and its derivatives are involved in the pathogenesis of FLD, while the precise mechanism still remains poorly understood. Pyroptosis is programmed inflammatory cell death driving cell swelling and membrane rupture. Pyroptosis is initiated by the activation of inflammasomes and caspases, which further cleaves and activates various gasdermins, leading to pores forming on the cell membrane and the release of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18. Recent studies demonstrate that pyroptosis occurs in hepatocytes, and inhibiting pyroptosis could effectively reduce fat deposition in the liver and could ameliorate inflammation from FLD, attracting our prime focus on the role of pyroptosis in FLD. In this manuscript, we reviewed the current understanding of pyroptosis in FLD development, aiming to provide new insights and potential research targets for the clinical diagnosis and intervention of FLD.

Control over Selectivity in Alkene Hydrosilylation Catalyzed by Cobalt(III) Hydride Complexes.

Two new bisphosphine [PCP] pincer cobalt(III) hydrides, [(L1)Co(PMe3)(H)(Cl)] (L11, L1 = 2,6-((Ph2P)(Et)N)2C6H3) and [(L2)Co(PMe3)(H)(Cl)] (L21, L2 = 2,6-((iPr2P)(Et)N)2C6H3), as well as one new bissilylene [SiCSi] pincer cobalt(III) hydride, [(L3)Co(PMe3)(H)(Cl)] (L31, L3 = 1,3-((PhC(tBuN)2Si)(Et)N)2C6H3), were synthesized by reaction of the corresponding protic [PCP] or [SiCSi] pincer ligands L1H, L2H, and L3H with CoCl(PMe3)3. Despite the similarities in the ligand scaffolds, the three cobalt(III) hydrides show remarkably different performance as catalysts in alkene hydrosilylation. Among the PCP pincer complexes, L11 has higher catalytic activity than complex L21, and both catalysts afford anti-Markovnikov selectivity for both aliphatic and aromatic alkenes. In contrast, the catalytic activity for alkene hydrosilylation of silylene complex L31 is comparable to phosphine complex L11, but a dependence of regioselectivity on the substrates was observed: While aliphatic alkenes are converted in an anti-Markovnikov fashion, the hydrosilylation of aromatic alkenes affords Markovnikov products. The substrate scope was explored with 28 examples. Additional experiments were conducted to elucidate these mechanisms of hydrosilylation. The synthesis of cobalt(I) complex (L1)Co(PMe3)2 (L17) and its catalytic properties for alkene hydrosilylation allowed for the proposal of the mechanistic variations that occur in dependence of reaction conditions and substrates.

Selectivity Reverse of Hydrosilylation of Aryl Alkenes Realized by Pyridine N-Oxide with [PSiP] Pincer Cobalt(III) Hydride as Catalyst.

Six silyl cobalt(III) hydrides 1-6 with [PSiP] pincer ligands having different substituents at the P and Si atoms ([(2-Ph2PC6H4)2MeSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (1), [(2-Ph2PC6H4)2HSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (2), [(2-Ph2PC6H4)2PhSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (3), [(2-iPr2PC6H4)2HSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (4), [(2-iPr2PC6H4)2MeSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (5), and [(2-iPr2PC6H4)2PhSiCo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)] (6)) were synthesized through the reactions of the ligands (L1-L6) with CoCl(PMe3)3 via Si-H bond cleavage. Compounds 1-6 have catalytic activity for alkene hydrosilylation, and among them, complex 3 is the best catalyst with excellent anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity. A silyl dihydrido cobalt(III) complex 7 from the reaction of 3 with Ph2SiH2 was isolated, and its catalytic activity is equivalent to that of complex 3. Complex 7 and its derivatives 10-12 could also be obtained through the reactions of complexes 3, 1, 4, and 5 with NaBHEt3. The molecular structure of 7 was indirectly verified by the structures of 10-12. To our delight, the addition of pyridine N-oxide reversed the selectivity of the reaction, from anti-Markovnikov to Markovnikov addition. At the same time, the reaction temperature was reduced from 70 to 30 °C on the premise of high yield and excellent selectivity. However, this catalytic system is only applicable to aromatic alkenes. On the basis of the experimental information, two reaction mechanisms are proposed. The molecular structures of cobalt(III) complexes 3-6 and 10-12 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

The Effect of Substituents on the Formation of Silyl [PSiP] Pincer Cobalt(I) Complexes and Catalytic Application in Both Nitrogen Silylation and Alkene Hydrosilylation.

Four different [PSiP]-pincer ligands L1-L4 ((2-Ph2PC6H4)2SiHR (R = H (L1) and Ph (L2)) and (2-iPr2PC6H4)2SiHR' (R' = Ph (L3) and H (L4)) were used to investigate the effect of substituents at P and/or Si atom of the [PSiP] pincer ligands on the formation of silyl cobalt(I) complexes by the reactions with CoMe(PMe3)4 via Si-H cleavage. Two penta-coordinated silyl cobalt(I) complexes, (2-Ph2PC6H4)2HSiCo(PMe3)2 (1) and (2-Ph2PC6H4)2PhSiCo(PMe3)2 (2), were obtained from the reactions of L1 and L2 with CoMe(PMe3)4, respectively. Under similar reaction conditions, a tetra-coordinated cobalt(I) complex (2-iPr2PC6H4)2PhSiCo(PMe3) (3) was isolated from the interaction of L3 with CoMe(PMe3)4. It was found that, only in the case of ligand L4, silyl dinitrogen cobalt(I) complex 4, [(2-iPr2PC6H4)2HSiCo(N2)(PMe3)], was formed. Our results indicate that the increasing of electron cloud density at the Co center is beneficial for the formation of a dinitrogen cobalt complex because the large electron density at Co center leads to the enhancement of the π-backbonding from cobalt to the coordinated N2. It was found that silyl dinitrogen cobalt(I) complex 4 is an effective catalyst for catalytic transformation of dinitrogen into silylamine. Among these four silyl cobalt(I) complexes, complex 1 is the best catalyst for hydrosilylation of alkenes with excellent regioselectivity. For aromatic alkenes, catalyst 1 provided Markovnikov products, while for aliphatic alkenes, anti-Markovnikov products could be obtained. Both catalytic reaction mechanisms were proposed and discussed. The molecular structures of complexes 1-4 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Biochemical Evidence for a Nuclear Modifier Allele (A10S) in TRMU (Methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate-methyltransferase) Related to Mitochondrial tRNA Modification in the Phenotypic Manifestation of Deafness-associated 12S rRNA Mutation.

Nuclear modifier gene(s) was proposed to modulate the phenotypic expression of mitochondrial DNA mutation(s). Our previous investigations revealed that a nuclear modifier allele (A10S) in TRMU (methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate-methyltransferase) related to tRNA modification interacts with 12S rRNA 1555A→G mutation to cause deafness. The A10S mutation resided at a highly conserved residue of the N-terminal sequence. It was hypothesized that the A10S mutation altered the structure and function of TRMU, thereby causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we showed that the A10S mutation introduced the Ser10 dynamic electrostatic interaction with the Lys106 residue of helix 4 within the catalytic domain of TRMU. The Western blotting analysis displayed the reduced levels of TRMU in mutant cells carrying the A10S mutation. The thermal shift assay revealed the Tm value of mutant TRMU protein, lower than that of the wild-type counterpart. The A10S mutation caused marked decreases in 2-thiouridine modification of U34 of tRNALys, tRNAGlu and tRNAGln However, the A10S mutation mildly increased the aminoacylated efficiency of tRNAs. The altered 2-thiouridine modification worsened the impairment of mitochondrial translation associated with the m.1555A→G mutation. The defective translation resulted in the reduced activities of mitochondrial respiration chains. The respiratory deficiency caused the reduction of mitochondrial ATP production and elevated the production of reactive oxidative species. As a result, mutated TRMU worsened mitochondrial dysfunctions associated with m.1555A→G mutation, exceeding the threshold for expressing a deafness phenotype. Our findings provided new insights into the pathophysiology of maternally inherited deafness that was manifested by interaction between mtDNA mutation and nuclear modifier gene.

Functions of Wnt signaling pathway in hair cell differentiation and regeneration.

Wnt signaling pathway plays important roles in the development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Through their bindings with the Frizzled receptors, the Wnt ligands regulate a wide range of developmental processes, such as axis patterning, cell division, and cell fate specification. Wnt signaling plays vital roles in the development of inner ear of the mouse. In the early stages of inner ear development, Wnt signaling specifies the size of the placode and the formation of the otic vesicle. In later stages, Wnt signaling mediates hair cell specification and orients the stereociliary bundles in a uniform direction. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the roles of Wnt signaling in hair cell differentiation and regeneration, which may provide references and insights for investigators in the field.

Involvement of CmWRKY10 in Drought Tolerance of Chrysanthemum through the ABA-Signaling Pathway.

Drought is one of the important abiotic factors that adversely affects plant growth and production. The WRKY transcription factor plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development, as well as in the elevation of many abiotic stresses. Among three major groups of the WRKY family, the group IIe WRKY has been the least studied in floral crops. Here, we report functional aspects of group IIe WRKY member, i.e., CmWRKY10 in chrysanthemum involved in drought tolerance. The transactivation assay showed that CmWRKY10 had transcriptional activity in yeast cells and subcellular localization demonstrated that it was localized in nucleus. Our previous study showed that CmWRKY10 could be induced by drought in chrysanthemum. Moreover, the overexpression of CmWRKY10 in transgenic chrysanthemum plants improved tolerance to drought stress compared to wild-type (WT). High expression of DREB1A, DREB2A, CuZnSOD, NCED3A, and NCED3B transcripts in overexpressed plants provided strong evidence that drought tolerance mechanism was associated with abscisic acid (ABA) pathway. In addition, lower accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and higher enzymatic activity of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in CmWRKY10 overexpressed lines than that of WT demonstrates its role in drought tolerance. Together, these findings reveal that CmWRKY10 works as a positive regulator in drought stress by regulating stress-related genes.

Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling Analysis of Chrysanthemum Trihelix Transcription Factors.

Trihelix transcription factors are thought to feature a typical DNA-binding trihelix (helix-loop-helix-loop-helix) domain that binds specifically to the GT motif, a light-responsive DNA element. Members of the trihelix family are known to function in a number of processes in plants. Here, we characterize 20 trihelix family genes in the important ornamental plant chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium). Based on transcriptomic data, 20 distinct sequences distributed across four of five groups revealed by a phylogenetic tree were isolated and amplified. The phylogenetic analysis also identified four pairs of orthologous proteins shared by Arabidopsis and chrysanthemum and five pairs of paralogous proteins in chrysanthemum. Conserved motifs in the trihelix proteins shared by Arabidopsis and chrysanthemum were analyzed using MEME, and further bioinformatic analysis revealed that 16 CmTHs can be targeted by 20 miRNA families and that miR414 can target 9 CmTHs. qPCR results displayed that most chrysanthemum trihelix genes were highly expressed in inflorescences, while 20 CmTH genes were in response to phytohormone treatments and abiotic stresses. This work improves our understanding of the various functions of trihelix gene family members in response to hormonal stimuli and stress.

Identification of floral scent in chrysanthemum cultivars and wild relatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The objective of this study was to identify the major volatile compounds and their relative concentrations in flowers of different chrysanthemum cultivars and their wild relatives. The volatile organic components of fresh flowers were analyzed using a headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 193 volatile organic components were detected; the major scent components were monoterpenoids and oxygenated monoterpenoids, which accounted for 68.59%-99.93% of the total volatiles in all tested materials except for Chrysanthemum indicum collected from Huangshan, in which they accounted for only 37.45% of total volatiles. The major volatile compounds were camphor, α-pinene, chrysanthenone, safranal, myrcene, eucalyptol, 2,4,5,6,7,7ab-hexahydro-1H-indene, verbenone, ß-phellandrene and camphene. In a hierarchical cluster analysis, 39 accessions of Chrysanthemum and its relatives formed six clusters based on their floral volatile compounds. In a principal component analysis, only spider type flowers were located closely on the score plot. The results of this study provide a basis for breeding chrysanthemum cultivars which desirable floral scents.

A Review of Remediation Strategies for Diphenyl Ether Herbicide Contamination.

In agriculture, diphenyl ether herbicides are a broad-spectrum family of pesticides mainly used to control annual weeds in agriculture. Although diphenyl ether herbicides have a long-lasting effect in weed control, they can also be harmful to succeeding crops, as well as to the water and soil environment. Residual herbicides can also harm a large number of non-target organisms, leading to the death of pest predators and other beneficial organisms. Therefore, it is of great significance to control and remediate the contamination caused by diphenyl ether herbicide residues for the sake of environmental, nutritional, and biological safety. This review provides an overview of the techniques used for remediating diphenyl ether herbicide contamination, including biological, physical, and chemical remediation. Among these techniques, bioremediation, particularly microbial biodegradation technology, is extensively employed. The mechanisms and influencing factors of different remediation techniques in eliminating diphenyl ether herbicide contamination are discussed, together with a prospect for future development directions. This review serves as a scientific reference for the efficient remediation of residual contamination from diphenyl ether herbicides.

Effect of magnesium level before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation on outcome in acute leukemia.

This study assessed the effect of serum magnesium levels and their role in the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in acute leukemia. Fifty-four patients with acute leukemia who underwent allo-HSCT were divided into two groups according to their serum magnesium levels before transplantation. The results showed that serum magnesium level is an independent factor influencing the prognosis of patients undergoing allo-HSCT. Low magnesium levels were associated with inferior overall survival and event-free survival compared with the associations of high magnesium levels (HR = 0.149; (95% CI: 0.029-0.755 for overall survival; HR = 0.369; 95% CI: 0.144-0.949, p = 0.039 for event-free survival). The competing risk model showed that the cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease was significantly low in the high magnesium group (p = 0.028). In general, there is a correlation between high magnesium levels and superior outcomes, including less and milder acute graft-versus-host disease, which does not affect cyclosporine-A levels. These findings provide valuable information for identifying the risk of poor prognosis in patients preparing for transplantation.

UiO-66-NH2 Metal-Organic Framework for the Detection of Alzheimer's Biomarker Aß (1-42).

Neurodegenerative disorders pose a significant challenge to global healthcare, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being one of the most prevalent forms. Early and accurate detection of amyloid-ß (Aß) (1-42) monomers, a key biomarker of AD pathology, is crucial for effective diagnosis and intervention of the disease. Current gold standard detection techniques for Aß include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance. Although reliable, they are limited by their cost and time-consuming nature, thus restricting their point-of-care applicability. Here we present a sensitive and rapid colorimetric sensor for the detection of Aß (1-42) monomers within 5 min. This was achieved by harnessing the peroxidase-like activity of metal-loaded metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically UiO-66-NH2, coupled with the strong affinity of Aß (1-42) to the MOFs. Various metal-loaded MOFs were synthesized and investigated, and platinum-loaded UiO-66-NH2 was identified as the optimal candidate for our purpose. The Pt-loaded UiO-66-NH2 sensor demonstrated detection limits of 2.76 and 4.65 nM Aß (1-42) monomers in water and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively, with a linear range from 0.75 to 25 nM (R2 = 0.9712), outperforming traditional detection techniques in terms of both detection time and complexity. Moreover, the assay was specific toward Aß (1-42) monomers when evaluated against interfering compounds. The rapid and cost-effective sensor may help circumvent the limitations of conventional detection methods, thus providing a promising avenue for early AD diagnosis and facilitating improved clinical outcomes.

In-situ enrichment of ARGs and their carriers in soil by hydroxamate siderophore: A promising biocontrol approach for source reduction.

Pathogenic microorganisms with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pose a serious threat to public health and soil ecology. Although new drugs and available antibacterial materials can kill ARG carriers but accidentally kill beneficial microorganisms. Therefore, the rapid enrichment and separation of ARGs and their carriers from soil is becoming an important strategy for controlling the diffusion of ARGs. Hydroxamate siderophore (HDS) has gained widespread attentions for its involvement in trace element transfer among microorganisms in the soil environment, we thus explored an in-situ trapping-enrichment method for ARGs and their carriers via a small molecular HDS secreted by Pseudomonas fluorescens HMP01. In this study, we demonstrate that HDS significantly in-situ traps and enriches certain ARGs, including chloramphenicol, MLS, rifamycin, and tetracycline resistance genes in the soil environment. The enrichment efficiencies were 1473-fold, 38-fold, 17-fold, and 5-fold, respectively, higher than those in the control group. Specifically, the primary enriched ARGs were rpoB, mphL, catB2, and tetA(60), and Bacillus, Rhizobium, Rossellomorea, and Agrobacterium were hosts for these ARGs. This enrichment was caused by the upregulation of chemotaxis genes (e.g., cheW, cheC, and cheD) and rapid biofilm formation within the enriched bacterial population. Notably, representative ARGs such as cat, macB, and rpoB were significantly reduced by 36%, 85.7%, and 72%, respectively, in the paddy soil after HDS enrichment. Our research sheds light on the potential application of siderophore as a rapping agent for the eco-friendly reduction of ARGs and their carriers in soil environments.

Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in spinal dorsal horn contributes to the pain hypersensitivity induced by γ-aminobutyric acid type a receptor inhibition.

The fast inhibitory synaptic transmission mediated by the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA R) within spinal dorsal horn exerts a gating control over the synaptic conveyance of nociceptive information from the periphery to higher brain regions. Although a large body of evidence has demonstrated that the impairment of GABAergic inhibition alone is sufficient to elicit pain hypersensitivity in intact animals, the underlying mechanisms remain to be characterized. The present study shows that Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is an important signaling protein downstream of reduced GABAergic inhibition. We found that pharmacological removal of inhibition by intrathecal application of the GABAA R antagonist bicuculline significantly enhanced the autophosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr286 in spinal dorsal horn of mice. In addition to increased CaMKII activity, bicuculline also promoted CaMKII interaction with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-subtype glutamate receptors and induced the translocation of CaMKII from cytosolic compartments to the synaptosomal membrane fraction. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that the phosphorylation levels of NMDA receptor NR2B subunit at Ser1303 and of AMPA-subtype glutamate receptor GluR1 subunit at Ser831, two important CaMKII phosphorylation sites, were substantially enhanced after bicuculline application. Behavioral tests illustrated that intrathecal administration of the CaMKII inhibitor KN-93, NMDA receptor antagonist D-APV, or AMPA receptor antagonist GYKI 52466 effectively ameliorated the mechanical allodynia evoked by bicuculline. These data thus indicate that CaMKII signaling is critical for the reduced inhibition to evoke spinal sensitization.

Directivity Modeling and Simulation Analysis of a Novel Structure MEMS Piezoelectric Vector Hydrophone.

In this paper, a novel dual-mass MEMS piezoelectric vector hydrophone is proposed to eliminate the transverse effect and solve the problem of directivity offset in traditional single-mass MEMS piezoelectric vector hydrophones. The reason for the directional offset of the traditional single-mass cantilever MEMS piezoelectric vector hydrophone is explained theoretically for the first time, and the angle of the directional offset is predicted successfully. Both analytical and finite element methods are employed to analyze the single-mass and dual-mass cantilever MEMS piezoelectric vector hydrophone. The results show that the directivity of the dual-mass MEMS piezoelectric vector hydrophone has no deviation, the transverse effect is basically eliminated, and the directivity (maximum concave point depth) is significantly improved, so more accurate positioning can be obtained.

Reaching the cyclosporine a level target slowly in four weeks correlates with better prognosis for Chinese patients after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the impact of early cyclosporin A (CsA) initiation (day -5) on the risk of acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD) after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: Sixty-seven leukaemia patients who underwent allo-HSCT were investigated. The correlation between the CsA level in the first four weeks and the following indices was examined: GvHD, cumulative incidence (CI) of GvHD, CI of relapse at month 18, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) at month 18. RESULTS: A significant association between aGvHD and CsA level in the fourth week after allo-HSCT was observed, with the incidence of aGvHD in the fourth week in the lower level group being higher than that in the higher level group (p = 0.044). The CI of aGvHD was 30.1% and 9.8% at day +90 and 42.3% and 17.1% at day +180 in the lower level and higher level groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: For Chinese patients, early introduction and reaching the target CsA concentration within four weeks after allo-HSCT have a positive effect on preventing GvHD, especially in the fourth week after HSCT. Compared to the Western population, the target CsA concentration is lower and the time required to reach the target (within 4 weeks) is longer in the Chinese population (274.75 ng/mL).

Effects of silylene ligands on the performance of carbonyl hydrosilylation catalyzed by cobalt phosphine complexes.

In order to study the effects of silylene ligands on the catalytic activity of carbonyl hydrosilylation catalyzed by cobalt phosphine complexes, readily available model catalysts are required. In this contribution, a comparative study of the hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones catalyzed by tris(trimethylphosphine) cobalt chloride, CoCl(PMe3)3 (1), and bis(silylene) cobalt chloride, Co(LSi:)2(PMe3)2Cl (2, LSi: = {PhC(NtBu)2}SiCl), is presented. It was found that both complexes 1 and 2 are good catalysts for the hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones under mild conditions. This catalytic system has a broad substrate scope and selectivity for multi-functional substrates. Silylene complex 2 shows higher activity than complex 1, bearing phosphine ligands, for aldehydes, but conversely, for ketones, the activity of complex 1 is higher than that of complex 2. It is worth noting that in the process of mechanistic studies the intermediates (PMe3)3Co(H)(Cl)(PhH2Si) (3) and (LSi:)2(PMe3)Co(H)(Cl)(PhH2Si) (4) were isolated from the stoichiometric reactions of 1 and 2 with phenylsilane, respectively. Further experiments confirmed that complex 3 is a real intermediate. A possible catalytic mechanism for the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by 1 was proposed based on the experimental investigation and literature reports, and this mechanism was further supported by DFT studies. The bis(silylene) complex 4 showed complicated behavior in solution. A series of experiments were designed to study the catalytic mechanism for the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by complex 2. According to the experimental results, the hydrosilylation of aldehydes catalyzed by 1 proceeds via a different mechanism than that of the analogous reaction with complex 2 as the catalyst. In the case of ketones, complex 4 is a real intermediate, indicating that both 1 and 2 catalyze the reaction by the same mechanism. The molecular structures of 3 and 4 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Effect of different carbon sources on sulfate reduction and microbial community structure in bioelectrochemical systems.

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have rapidly developed into a promising technology to treat sulfate-rich wastewater that lacks electron donors. Hence, a better understanding of the effect on the microbial community structure caused by different sources in bioelectrochemical systems is required. This study sought to investigate the effect of different carbon sources (NaHCO3, ethanol, and acetate were employed as sole carbon source respectively) on the performance of sulfate-reducing biocathodes. The sulfate reduction efficiency enhanced by the bioelectrochemical systems was 8.09 - 11.57% higher than that of open-circuit reference experiments. Furthermore, the optimum carbon source was ethanol with a maximum sulfate reduction rate of 170 mg L-1 d-1 in the bioelectrochemical systems. The different carbon sources induced significant differences in sulfate reduction efficiency as demonstrated by the application of a micro-electrical field. Microbial community structure and network analysis revealed that all three kinds of carbon source systems enriched large proportions of sulfate-reducing bacteria and electroactive bacteria but were significantly distinct in composition. The dominant sulfate-reducing bacteria that use NaHCO3 and acetate as carbon sources were Desulfobacter and Desulfobulbus, whereas those that use ethanol as carbon source were Desulfomicrobium and Desulfovibrio. Our results suggest that ethanol is a more suitable carbon source for sulfate reduction in bioelectrochemical systems.