Construction of an ultra-small hydrazone-linked covalent organic polymer for selective fluorescent detection of ferric ion in aqueous solution.

A novel ultra-small hydrazone-linked covalent organic polymer (UHCOP) was synthesized based on the Schiff-base reaction between 2,4,6-trihydroxy-1,3,5-benzenetricarbaldehyde and 1,4-benzenedicarbohydrazide at room temperature and utilized as a sensitive fluorescent sensor for rapid (<2 min) and selective detection of Fe3+ in aqueous solution. The prepared UHCOP displayed ultra-small size with the diameter of 7.98 ± 0.97 nm and gave a stable fluorescent emission at 510 nm. UHCOP exhibited good sensitivity and highly selectivity towards Fe3+. The coordination interaction between UHCOP and Fe3+ resulted in the obviously aggregation-caused quenching response of UHCOP. The linear range was from 5.0 µM to 1.4 mM (R2 = 0.999) with the detection limit of 2.5 µM. Finally, UHCOP has been successfully applied in the detection of Fe3+ in real water samples, proving the fabricated UHCOP is promising as a sensitive fluorescent sensor for selective detection of Fe3+ in aqueous solution.

Evaluation of GeneXpert vanA/vanB in the early diagnosis of vancomycin-resistant enterococci infection.

PURPOSE: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci infection is a worrying worldwide clinical problem. To evaluate the accuracy of GeneXpert vanA/vanB in the diagnosis of VRE, we conducted a systematic review in the study. METHODS: Experimental data were extracted from publications until May 03 2021 related to the diagnostic accuracy of GeneXpert vanA/vanB for VRE in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. The accuracy of GeneXpert vanA/vanB for VRE was evaluated using summary receiver to operate characteristic curve, pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio. RESULTS: 8 publications were divided into 3 groups according to two golden standard references, vanA and vanB group, vanA group, vanB group, including 6 researches, 5 researches and 5 researches, respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of group vanA and vanB were 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93-0.98) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.88-0.91) respectively. The DOR was 440.77 (95% CI, 37.92-5123.55). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of group vanA were 0.86 (95% CI, 0.81-0.90) and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99-0.99) respectively, and those of group vanB were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.63-0.97) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.80-0.83) respectively. CONCLUSION: GeneXpert vanA/vanB can diagnose VRE with high-accuracy and shows greater accuracy in diagnosing vanA.

Insight into the positive effect of porous hierarchy in S/C cathodes on the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries.

Hierarchically porous carbon-supported sulfur material is widely used as a cathode for Li-S batteries because its large surface area and rich porous system provide high sulfur loading, resulting in high specific capacity with stable charge/discharge cycling performance. However, limited attention has been paid to whether the structure of hierarchical porous system affects the final electrochemical performance of Li-S/C batteries. Herein, we present hierarchically structured carbon (WSAC) with varied amounts of mesopores and micropores as a sulfur container for Li-S batteries. It is found that the relationship between electrochemical performance and percentage of microporous volume obeys a volcano distribution, which indicates that the volume percentage of microporous in the meso-microporous structure could be suitably tuned to achieve the desired electrochemical performance. Such S/hierarchically meso-microporous carbon (i.e., WSAC-8) with moderate microporous volume percentage (68.3%) shows high initial specific capacity (1375 mA h g-1) and stable charge/discharge performance (942.6 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.5C). In particular, WSAC-8 also presented superior capacity behavior at high rate capability, with final capacity as high as 800.1 and 758.7 mA h g-1 for 1C and 2C, respectively.

Self-assembly, crystal structures, and properties of metal-2-sulfoterephthalate frameworks based on [M4(µ3-OH)2]6+ clusters (M = Co, Mn, Zn and Cd).

Hydro- and solvo-thermal reactions of d-block metal ions (Mn(2+), Co(2+), Zn(2+) and Cd(2+)) with monosodium 2-sulfoterephthalate (NaH(2)stp) form six 3D coordination polymers featuring cluster core [M(4)(µ(3)-OH)(2)](6+) in common: [M(2)(µ(3)-OH)(stp)(H(2)O)] (M = Co (1), Mn (2) and Zn (3)), [Zn(2)(µ(3)-OH)(stp)(H(2)O)(2)] (4), [Zn(4)(µ(3)-OH)(2)(stp)(2)(bpy)(2)(H(2)O)]·3.5H(2)O (5) and [Cd(2)(µ(3)-OH)(stp) (bpp)(2)]·H(2)O (6) (stp = 2-sulfoterephthalate, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine and bpp = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane). All these coordination polymers were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and elemental analysis. Complexes 1-3 are isostructural coordination polymers with 3D frameworks based on the chair-like [Zn(4)(µ(3)-OH)(2)](6+) core and the quintuple helixes. In complex 4, there exist double helixes in the 3D framework based on the chair-like cluster cores. Complex 5 possesses a 2-fold interpenetration structure constructed from boat-like cluster core and the bridging ligands stp and bpy. For complex 6, the chair-like cluster cores and stp ligands form a 2D (4,4) network which is further pillared by bpp linkers to a 3D architecture. Magnetic studies indicate that complex 1 exhibits magnetic ordering below 4.9 K with spin canting, and complex 2 shows weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the Mn(II) ions with g = 2.02, J(wb) = -2.88 cm(-1), J(bb) = -0.37 cm(-1). The fluorescence studies show that the emissions of complexes 3-6 are attributed to the ligand π-π* transition.

Characterization of flavonoids in the extract of Sophora flavescens Ait. by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detector and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A method coupling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detector (DAD) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) was established for the separation and characterization of flavonoids in Sophora flavescens Ait. Based on the chromatographic separation of most flavonoids present in S. flavescens Ait., a total of 24 flavonoids were identified. Fourteen compounds were unambiguously identified comparing experimental data for retention time (t(R)), UV and MS spectra with those of the authentic compounds: 3',7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-isoflavone (13), trifolirhizin (14), kurarinol (18), formononetin (19), 7,4'-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-(gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl)-flavanone (22), maackiain (21), isoxanthohumol (23), kuraridine (26), kuraridinol (27), sophoraflavanone G (30), xanthohumol (31), isokurarinone (33), kurarinone (35) and kushenol D (38), and additional 10 compounds were tentatively identified as kushenol O (10), trifolirhizin-6''-malonate (15), sophoraisoflavanone A (20), norkurarinol/kosamol Q (24), kushenol I/N (25), kushenol C (28), 2'-methoxykurarinone (29), kosamol R (32), kushecarpin A (34) and kushenol A (37) by comparing experimental data for UV and MS spectra with those of literature. Furthermore, fragmentation pathways in positive ions mode of 24 flavonoid compounds of types of flavanone, flavanonol, flavonol, chalcone, isoflavone, isoflavanone and ptercocarpane were summarized. Some common features, such as CH(3)., H(2)O, CO, CO(2), C(3)O(2) and C(2)H(2)O losses, together with Retro-Diels-Alder fragmentations were observed in the prenylated flavonoids in S. flavescens Ait. The loss of the lanandulyl chain was their characteristic fragmentation, which might help deducing the structure of unknown flavonoid compounds. The present study provided an approach to rapidly characterize bioactive constituents in S. flavescens Ait.