CXCL4/CXCR3 axis regulates cardiac fibrosis by activating TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling in mouse viral myocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Severe myocarditis is often accompanied by cardiac fibrosis, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. CXCL4 is a chemokine that has been reported to have pro-inflammatory and profibrotic functions. The exact role of CXCL4 in cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. METHODS: Viral myocarditis (VMC) models were induced by intraperitoneal injection of Coxsackie B Type 3 (CVB3). In vivo, CVB3 (100 TCID50) and CVB3-AMG487 (CVB3: 100 TCID50; AMG487: 5 mg/kg) combination were administered in the VMC and VMC+AMG487 groups, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, severity score, Masson staining, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to measure myocardial morphology in VMC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were performed to quantify inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL4). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) levels were analyzed by commercial kits. CXCL4, CXCR3B, α-SMA, TGF-ß1, Collagen I, and Collagen III were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: In vivo, CVB3-AMG487 reduced cardiac injury, α-SMA, Collagen I and Collagen III levels, and collagen deposition in VMC+AMG487 group. Additionally, compared with VMC group, VMC+AMG group decreased the levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α). In vitro, CXCL4/CXCR3B axis activation TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway promote mice cardiac fibroblasts differentiation. CONCLUSION: CXCL4 acts as a profibrotic factor in TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway-induced cardiac fibroblast activation and ECM synthesis, and eventually progresses to cardiac fibrosis. Therefore, our findings revealed the role of CXCL4 in VMC and unveiled its underlying mechanism. CXCL4 appears to be a potential target for the treatment of VMC.

Drynaria Naringin alleviated mechanical stress deficiency-caused bone loss deterioration via Rspo1/Lgr4-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic condition distinguished by the degradation of bone microstructure and mechanical characteristics. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been employed in China for the treatment of various illnesses. Naringin, an ingredient found in Drynariae TCM, is known to have a significant impact on bone metabolism. For this research, we studied the precise potential effect of Drynaria Naringin on protecting against bone loss caused by stress deficiency. In this study, a tail-suspension (TS) test was performed to establish a mouse model with hind leg bone loss. Some mice received subcutaneous injections of Drynaria Naringin for 30 d. Trabecular bone microarchitecture was evaluated using micro-computed tomography analysis and bone histological analysis. Bone formation and resorption markers were quantified in blood samples from mice or in the supernatant of MC3T3-E1 cells by ELISA analysis, Western blotting, and PCR. Immunofluorescence was utilized to visualize the location of ß-catenin. Additionally, siRNA was employed to knockdown-specific genes in the cells. Our findings highlight the efficacy of Drynaria Naringin in protecting against the deterioration of bone loss and promoting bone formation and Rspo1 expression in a mouse model following the TS test. Specifically, in vitro experiments also indicated that Drynaria Naringin may promote osteogenesis through the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway. Moreover, our results suggest that Drynaria Naringin upregulates the expression of Rspo1/Lgr4, leading to the promotion of osteogenesis via the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway. Therefore, Drynaria Naringin holds potential as a therapeutic medication for osteoporosis. Drynaria Naringin alleviates bone loss deterioration caused by mechanical stress deficiency through the Rspo1/Lgr4-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway.

Continuous renal replacement therapy with oXiris® in patients with hematologically malignant septic shock: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate from septic shock in patients with hematological malignancies (HMs) remains significantly higher than that in patients without HMs. A longer resuscitation time would definitely be harmful because of the irreversibly immunocompromised status of the patients. Shortening the resuscitation time through continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with oXiris® would be an attractive strategy in managing such patients. AIM: To explore the effects of CRRT and oXiris® in shortening the resuscitation time and modifying the host response by reducing inflammation mediator levels. METHODS: Forty-five patients with HM were diagnosed with septic shock and underwent CRRT between 2018 and 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the hemofilter used for CRRT (oXiris® group, n = 26; M150 group, n = 19). We compared the number of days of negative and total fluid balance after 7 d of CRRT between the groups. The heart rate, norepinephrine dose, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and blood lactic acid levels at different time points in the two groups were also compared. Blood levels of inflammatory mediators in the 26 patients in the oXiris® group were measured to further infer the possible mechanism. RESULTS: The average total fluid balance after 7 d of CRRT in the oXiris® group was significantly lower than that of patients in the M150 hemofilter group. The SOFA scores of patients after CRRT with oXiris® therapy were significantly lower than those before treatment on day 1 (d1), d3 and d7 after CRRT; these parameters were also significantly lower than those of the control group on d7. The lac level after oXiris® therapy was significantly lower than that before treatment on d3 and d7 after CRRT. There were no significant differences in the above parameters between the two groups at the other time points. In the oXiris® group, procalcitonin levels decreased on d7, whereas interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor levels decreased significantly on d3 and d7 after treatment. CONCLUSION: CRRT with oXiris® hemofilter may improve hemodynamics by reducing inflammatory mediators and playing a role in shortening the resuscitation period and decreasing total fluid balance in the resuscitation phases.

Textbook outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with sarcopenia: A multicenter analysis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sarcopenia on textbook outcome (TO) after hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between sarcopenia and TO, to clarify its long and short-term prognostic value, and to develop a nomogram model based on sarcopenia and TO for survival prediction. METHODS: Patients who underwent HCC resection between January 2012 and March 2017 in three large hospitals in Fujian were retrospectively recruited and divided into sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups based on skeletal muscle index (SMI) values. TO was defined as no 30-day morality, no 30-day readmission, negative margins, no prolonged hospital stay, and no major complications. Multivariate regression was used to screen for clinical factors associated with TO. Nomograms of overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after hepatectomy for HCC were developed. RESULTS: A total of 1172 patients were included in the study. The TO rates were 28.74% (121/421 patients) in the sarcopenia group and 43.4% (326/751 patients) in the non-sarcopenia group. The results showed that sarcopenia was an independent predictor of TO (p < 0.001), TO was an independent predictor of perioperative treatment-related sarcopenia (PTRS)(p = 0.002), and TO was an independent predictor of OS and RFS (p < 0.001). Nomogram models based on sarcopenia and TO were generated and accurately predicted OS and RFS at 1, 3, and 5 years. CONCLUSION: Both sarcopenia and TO are independent predictors of OS and RFS after HCC resection. Sarcopenia was an independent predictor of TO. Sarcopenia influenced long-term survival by affecting short-term postoperative outcomes.

Knockout of cryptochrome 1 disturbs the locomotor circadian rhythm and development of Plutella xylostella.

Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) functions as a light-responsive photoreceptor, which is crucial for circadian rhythms. The identity and function of CRY1 in Plutella xylostella remain unknown. In this study, cry1 was cloned and identified in P. xylostella. Then, a cry1-knockout strain (Cry1-KO) of P. xylostella with a 2-bp deletion was established from the strain Geneva 88 (G88) using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. No daily temporal oscillation of cry1 was observed in G88 and Cry1-KO, and cry1 mean daily transcription of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88. Both G88 and Cry1-KO demonstrated rhythmic locomotion under the light/dark condition with Cry1-KO being more active than G88 in the daytime, whereas Cry1-KO completely lost rhythmicity under constant darkness. The developmental period of pre-adult of Cry1-KO was longer than that of G88; the lifespan of the Cry1-KO male adult was shorter than that of G88; the fecundity of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88; and Cry1-KO showed lower intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproduction rate (R0 ), finite increase rate (λ), and longer mean generation time (T) than G88. Our results indicate that cry1 is involved in the regulation of locomotor circadian rhythm and development in P. xylostella, providing a potential target gene for controlling the pest and a basis for further investigation on circadian rhythms in lepidopterans.

Optimization of a laparoscopic procedure for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma based on the concept of "waiting time": a preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: Clinicians increasingly perform laparoscopic surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, this surgery can be difficult in patients with advanced-stage ICC because of the complicated procedures and difficulty in achieving high-quality results. We compared the effects of a three-step optimized procedure with a traditional procedure for patients with advanced-stage ICC. METHODS: Forty-two patients with advanced-stage ICC who received optimized laparoscopic hemihepatectomy with lymph node dissection (LND, optimized group) and 84 propensity score-matched patients who received traditional laparoscopic hemihepatectomy plus LND (traditional group) were analyzed. Surgical quality, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared. RESULTS: The optimized group had a lower surgical bleeding score (P = 0.038) and a higher surgeon satisfaction score (P = 0.001). Blood loss during hepatectomy was less in the optimized group (190 vs. 295 mL, P < 0.001). The optimized group had more harvested LNs (12.0 vs. 8.0, P < 0.001) and more positive LNs (8.0 vs. 5.0, P < 0.001), and a similar rate of adequate LND (88.1% vs. 77.4%, P = 0.149). The optimized group had longer median DFS (9.0 vs. 7.0 months, P = 0.018) and median OS (15.0 vs. 13.0 months, P = 0.046). In addition, the optimized group also had a shorter total operation time (P = 0.001), shorter liver resection time (P = 0.001), shorter LND time (P < 0.001), shorter hospital stay (P < 0.001), and lower incidence of total morbidities (14.3% vs. 36.9%, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Our optimization of a three-step laparoscopic procedure for advanced ICC was feasible, improved the quality of liver resection and LND, prolonged survival, and led to better intraoperative and postoperative outcomes.

Modeling Full-Field Transient Flexural Waves on Damaged Plates with Arbitrary Excitations Using Temporal Vibration Characteristics.

We propose an efficient semi-analytical method capable of modeling the propagation of flexural waves on cracked plate structures with any forms of excitations, based on the same group of vibration characteristics and validated by a non-contact scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) system. The proposed modeling method is based on the superposition of the vibrational normal modes of the detected structure, which can be applied to analyze long-time and full-field transient wave propagations. By connecting the vibration-based transient model to a power flow analysis technique, we further analyze the transient waves on a cracked plate subjected to different excitation sources and show the influence of the damage event on the path of the propagating waves. The experimental results indicate that the proposed semi-analytical method can model the flexural waves, and through that, the crack information can be revealed.

Early improvement as a predictor of final remission in patients with treatment-resistant depression receiving electroconvulsive therapy with ketofol anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether early symptom improvement can predict eventual remission following electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with ketamine plus propofol (ketofol) anesthesia in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). METHODS: Thirty Han Chinese subjects suffering from TRD were administered ketofol anesthesia during ECT. Remission was defined as a score of ≤7 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to identify the number of ECT sessions (i.e., 1, 2, 3, or 4 ECT sessions) that had the best discriminative capacity for eventual remission. The best definition of early improvement to predict final remission was determined by using the Youden index. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients with TRD, 16 (53.3%) and 30 (100%) were classified as remitters and responders, respectively. A 45% reduction in the HAMD-17 score after 3 ECT sessions was the optimum definition of early improvement in the prediction of eventual remission, with relatively good sensitivity (88%) and specificity (93%). Patients with than without early improvement had a greater possibility of achieving favorable ECT outcomes. CONCLUSION: Final remission of TRD following ECT with ketofol anesthesia appeared to be predicted by early improvement, as indicated by a 45% reduction in HAMD-17 score after 3 ECT sessions.

Association of VEGF With Antianhedonic Effects of Repeated-Dose Intravenous Ketamine in Treatment-Refractory Depression.

Objectives: To first explore the role of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in ketamine's antianhedonic effects, focusing on Chinese patients with treatment-refractory depression (TRD). Methods: Seventy-eight patients with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD) were treated with six ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg). Levels of anhedonia were measured using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) anhedonia item at baseline, day 13 and 26. Plasma VEGF concentrations were examined at the same time points as the MADRS. Results: Despite a significant reduction in anhedonia symptoms in individuals with treatment-refractory MDD (n = 59) or BD (n = 19) after they received repeated-dose ketamine infusions (p < 0.05), no significant changes in plasma VEGF concentrations were found at day 13 when compared to baseline (p > 0.05). The alteration of plasma VEGF concentrations did not differ between antianhedonic responders and non-responders at days 13 and 26 (all ps > 0.05). Additionally, no significant correlations were observed between the antianhedonic response to ketamine and plasma VEGF concentrations (all ps > 0.05). Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that the antianhedonic effects of ketamine are not mediated by VEGF.

Comparison of the impact of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F and Methotrexate treatment on radiological progression in active rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year follow up of a randomized, non-blinded, controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) has been shown to be more effective than MTX monotherapy in controlling the manifestations in subjects with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a 6-month period. The long-term impact of these therapies on disease activity and radiographic progression in RA has not been examined. METHODS: Patients with DMARD-naïve RA enrolled in the "Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the Treatment of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis" (TRIFRA) study were randomly allocated into three arms with TwHF or MTX or the two in combination. Clinical indexes and radiographic data at baseline and year 2 was collected and compared using an intent-to-treat (ITT) and a per-protocol (PP) analysis. Two radiologists blinded to the treatment scored the images independently. RESULTS: Of 207 subjects 109 completed the 2-year follow up. The number of subjects withdrawing from the study and the number adhering to the initial regimens were similar among the three groups (p > = 0.05). In the ITT analysis, proportions of patients reaching American College of Rheumatology 50% (ACR50) response criteria were 46.4%, 58.0% and 50.7% in the MTX, TwHF and MTX + TwHF groups (TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p = 0.004). Similar patterns were found in ACR20, ACR70, Clinical Disease Activity Index good responses, European League Against Rheumatism good response, remission rate and low disease activity rate at year 2. The results of the PP analysis agreed with those in the ITT analysis. The changes in total Sharp scores and joint erosion and joint space narrowing during the 2 years were associated with changes in disease activity measured by the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score and were comparable among the three groups (p > 0.05). Adverse events were similar in the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: During the 2-year therapy period, TwHF monotherapy was not inferior to MTX monotherapy in controlling disease activity and retarding radiological progression in patients with active RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This is a follow-up study. Original trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01613079 . Registered on 4 June 2012.

Paclitaxel inhibits selenoprotein S expression and attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress.

The primary effect of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response or unfolded protein response (UPR) is to reduce the load of unfolded protein and promote survival. However, prolonged and severe ER stress leads to tissue injury and serious diseases. Thus, it is important to identify drugs that can attenuate ER stress for the treatment of diseases. Natural products continue to provide lead compounds for drug discovery and front­line pharmacotherapy for people worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that selenoprotein S (SelS) is a sensitive and ideal maker of ER stress. In the present study, a firefly luciferase reporter driven by the SelS gene promoter was used to screen for natural compounds capable of attenuating ER stress. From this, paclitaxel (PTX) was identified to efficiently inhibit the promoter activity of the SelS gene, and further results revealed that PTX significantly inhibited the tunicamycin­induced upregulation of SelS at the mRNA and protein levels in HepG2 and HEK293T cells. In addition, PTX was able to efficiently inhibit the expression of the ER stress marker, glucose­regulated protein 78, in ER stress, indicating that PTX may reverse ER stress. Taken together, these results suggest that PTX is able to inhibit SelS expression during ER stress and attenuate ER stress.

[Telomere length and telomerase mutations in peripheral blood leukocytes of children with chronic aplastic anemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change in telomere length and TERC and TERT mutations in peripheral blood leukocytes of children with chronic aplastic anemia (CAA). METHODS: Sixty-nine children with CAA were divided into untreated group (n=24) who did not receive immunosuppressive therapy (IST), response group (n=36) who showed response to IST, and non-response group (n=9) who showed no response to IST; another 35 healthy children matched for age and sex were selected as the control group. The telomere-to-single copy gene (T/S) ratio in peripheral blood leukocytes was measured by real-time PCR in all groups. PCR was performed to detect TERC and TERT mutations in all children with CAA. RESULTS: The untreated and non-response groups had significantly lower T/S ratios than the control and response groups (P<0.01), whereas there was no significant difference in T/S ratio between the response and control groups (P>0.05). TERC and TERT mutations were not found in all children with CAA. CONCLUSIONS: The change in telomere length in children with CAA may be related to the development and progression of disease. Telomere length measurement may be used as a prognostic indicator in children with CAA.

4-Di-phenyl-phosphanyl-8-methyl-1,5-naphthyridine.

In the title compound, C21H17N2P, the dihedral angles between the 1,5-naphthyridine ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.005 Å) and the phenyl rings are 89.18 (8) and 77.39 (8)°. The phenyl rings are almost perpendicular, making a dihedral angle of 88.12 (8)°. The only possible inter-molecular inter-action is a very weak aromatic π-π stacking inter-action [centroid-centroid separation = 3.898 (2) Å].

[Expression of telomerase activity and its related genes in the marrow hemopoietic stem cells of children with aplastic anemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of telomerase RNA component (hTERC) and the telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) with telomerase activity in the marrow hemopoietic stem cells of children with aplastic anemia (AA). METHODS: Fifty-two children with chronic AA, 13 children with acute AA and 21 normal controls were enrolled in the study. Telomerase activity and the expression of mRNA of hTERT and hTERC were detected by Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) with silver staining and real-time Q-PCR respectively. RESULTS: Levels of telomerase activity in both the chronic and acute AA groups were higher than in the control group (P<0.01). The AA groups had significantly higher expression of hTERT mRNA than the control group (P<0.01). The chronic AA group had higher expression of hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity than the acute AA group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of hTERC mRNA among the three groups (P=0.812). There was a significant correlation between the expression of hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity (r=0.660, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of telomerase activity may be involved in the pathophysiology and development of AA, and hTERT plays a crucial role in expression of telomerase activity.

WWOX induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation of human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721.

AIM: To investigate the effects of the WWOX gene on the human hepatic carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721. METHODS: Full-length WWOX cDNA was amplified from normal human liver tissues. Full-length cDNA was subcloned into pEGFP-N1, a eukaryotic expression vector. After introduction of the WWOX gene into cancer cells using liposomes, the WWOX protein level in the cells was detected through Western blotting. Cell growth rates were assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and colony formation assays. Cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. The phosphorylated protein kinase B (AKT) and activated fragments of caspase-9 and caspase-3 were examined by Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: WWOX significantly inhibited cell proliferation, as evaluated by the MTT and colony formation assays. Cells transfected with WWOX showed significantly higher apoptosis ratios when compared with cells transfected with a mock plasmid, and overexpression of WWOX delayed cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase, as measured by flow cytometry. An increase in apoptosis was also indicated by a remarkable activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and a dephosphorylation of AKT (Thr308 and Ser473) measured with Western blotting analysis. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of WWOX induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation of the human hepatic carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721.

Synovial fluid omentin-1 levels are inversely correlated with radiographic severity of knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate omentin-1 levels in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to investigate their correlation with radiographic disease severity. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-seven patients with OA and 65 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The radiographic disease severity of OA was assessed by the Kellgren- Lawrence (KL) grading system. The omentin-1 levels in serum and SF were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in serum omentin-1 levels between patients with OA and healthy controls (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in serum omentin-1 levels among patients with OA with different KL grades (P>0.05). However, SF omentin-1 levels decreased significantly as the KL grades increased (KL grade 4 < KL grade 3 < KL grade 2; all P<0.01) in the patients with OA. Furthermore, SF omentin-1 levels were negatively correlated with KL grades (r=-0.643; P<0.001). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that there was still a negative correlation between the SF omentin-1 levels and the KL grades after adjusting for confounding factors (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Synovial fluid omentin-1 levels showed an independent and negative correlation with radiographic severity of the disease in patients with knee OA. Omentin-1 in SF might serve as a potential biomarker for reflecting the degenerative process of primary knee OA.

[Correlation between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between Chlamydia pneumonia (Cpn) infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: 82 patients with acute exacerbation COPD (AE-COPD) or stabilized COPD patients at outpatient visits, in the People's Hospital of Jiangyin city from Aug. 2010 to May 2012, together with 46 cases having stationary phase COPD and 38 healthy volunteers as control group, were involved in this study. Patients were bled 2 ml, on the next day of hospitalization while patients at emergency room were bled 2 ml immediately, but bled again on the 15(th) day. Serum was separated through cryopreservation and the Cpn antibodies (IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies) were detected, under micro-immunofluorescence. RESULTS: In terms of IgG in the three groups, the positive rates did not show significant differences (P > 0.05) but the GMT of the IgG in the AE-COPD group was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in the control group. IgA positive rate among the three groups; AE-COPD appeared the highest. There was no significant difference between the AE-COPD group and stationary phase COPD group (P > 0.05), however, there were significant differences between the AE-COPD group, the stationary phase COPD group and the control group (P < 0.01). In terms of GMT of IgA in the three groups, there was significant difference between the AE-COPD group and stationary phase COPD group (P > 0.05), but with significant difference between the AE-COPD group and the control group (P > 0.01). There was significant difference between stationary phase COPD group and the control group (P > 0.05). When comparing both the rates of acute infection and chronic infection on the AE-COPD groups with the control group, there appeared significant differences (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). When comparing the acute and chronic infection between the stationary phase COPD group and the control group, the rate of acute infection did not show significant difference (P > 0.05) while the chronic infection rate appear to have had significant difference (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Cpn infection seemed to be closely related to the development of COPD.

Capture and activation of aerial CO2 by carbamoylation of L-threonine in a Ag(I) supramolecular framework.

An ultrasonic reaction of Ag(2)O, 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy) and (2S, 3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (L-Thr) gives an unexpected Ag(I) supramolecular framework, {[Ag(3)(bipy)(3)(cahba)]·HCO(3)·10H(2)O}(n) (1), in which the (2S, 3R)-3-(carboxyamino)-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (H(2)cahba) is a carbamate derivative of L-Thr, obtained via in situ transformation of amino group of L-Thr into carbamate by means of CO(2) uptake.

Stepwise assembly of two 3d-4d heterometallic coordination polymers based on a hexanuclear silver(I) metalloligand.

Two novel 3d-4d heterometallic coordination polymers {[Cu(3)(bipy)(3)(H(2)O)(5)][Ag(6)(mna)(6)]·11.5H(2)O}(n) (1) and {[Zn(3)(eda)(3)(H(2)O)(4)][Ag(6)(mna)(6)]·8H(2)O}(n) (2) were synthesized based on a hexanuclear silver(I) metalloligand by a three-step synthetic method (bipy = 2, 2'-bipyridine, eda = ethylenediamine and H(2)mna = 2-mercaptonicotinic acid). The photoluminescence behaviors of 1 and 2 were also discussed.