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Because of the complex structure and inherent inert chemical activity of lignin, it is still challenging to depolymerize lignin to obtain valuable chemicals efficiently. Here, we present an FeCl 3 -promoted photocatalytic depolymerization strategy to realize the C α -C β oxidative cleavage of lignin model compounds at room temperature. The method generates benzoic acid and phenol compounds in high yields. In addition, the method is effective for the depolymerization of organosolv lignin by cleavage of the products of C α -C β bonds and affords the corresponding products. This strategy provides a method of using an economical photocatalyst to depolymerize lignin and provides a reference for the industrial depolymerization of lignin.

(1) Background: Rapid on-site testing is an effective method for the detection of Escherichia coli O157: H7 ( E. coli O157: H7 ) in food ingredients and the environment. (2) Methods: In this study, we developed colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and immunochromatographic test strips (ICTs) for the rapid and visual detection of E. coli O157: H7 . This study designed new specific LAMP primers for E. coli O157: H7 virulence island genes. After the LAMP amplification, the double-stranded DNA target sequence labeled with digoxin and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) at both ends was bound to the anti-digoxin antibody on the gold nanoparticles. Subsequently, it was further bound to the anti-FITC antibody at the T line of the ICTs, forming a positive test result. Hydroxynaphthyl blue dye was directly added to the LAMP amplification product. A blue color indicated positive results, while a purple color indicated negative results. (3) Results: Two visualization methods showed high specificity for the target strains. The visualization tests had sensitivities of 5.7 CFU mL -1 , and the detection limit of the Escherichia coli O157: H7 in artificially contaminated milk samples was 5.7 × 10 2 CFU mL -1 , which was consistent with the results of the standard method (LAMP-electrophoresis method) used in commercial inspection. (4) Conclusions: Both methods could be useful in remote and under-resourced areas.

A series of 4-thio/seleno-cyanated pyrazoles was conveniently synthesized from 4-unsubstituted pyrazoles using NH 4 SCN/KSeCN as thio/selenocyanogen sources and PhICl 2 as the hypervalent iodine oxidant. This metal-free approach was postulated to involve the in situ generation of reactive thio/selenocyanogen chloride (Cl-SCN/SeCN) from the reaction of PhICl 2 and NH 4 SCN/KSeCN, followed by an electrophilic thio/selenocyanation of the pyrazole skeleton., (Copyright © 2024, Wu et al.)

Background: Ozone pollution is associated with cardiovascular disease mortality, and there is a high correlation between different pollutants. This study aimed to assess the association between ozone and cardiovascular disease deaths and the resulting disease burden in Nanjing, China., Methods: A total of 151,609 deaths from cardiovascular disease were included in Nanjing, China from 2013 to 2021. Daily data on meteorological and air pollution were collected to apply a generalized additional model with multiple pollutants to perform exposure-response analyses, stratification analysis, and evaluation of excess deaths using various standards., Results: In the multi-pollutant model, an increase of 10 μg/m 3 in O 3 was significantly associated with a 0.81% (95%CI: 0.49, 1.12%) increase in cardiovascular disease deaths in lag05. The correlation weakened in both the single-pollutant model and two-pollutant models, but remained more pronounced in females, the older group, and during warm seasons. From 2013 to 2021, the number of excess deaths attributed to ozone exposure in cardiovascular disease continued to rise with an increase in ozone concentration in Nanjing. If the ozone concentration were to be reduced to the WHO standard and the minimum level, the number of deaths would decrease by 1,736 and 10,882, respectively., Conclusion: The risk of death and excess deaths from cardiovascular disease due to ozone exposure increases with higher ozone concentration. Reducing ozone concentration to meet WHO standards or lower can provide greater cardiovascular disease health benefits., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sun, Gong, Wei, Zhang, Ge and Xiong.)

The application of the DMSO/SOCl 2 system enabled the intramolecular cyclization/chlorination of N,N-disubstituted 2-alkynylanilines, leading to the synthesis of a series of 3-chloroindoles with moderate to good yields. Differing from the previously reported interrupted Pummerer reaction featuring the introduction of SMe moiety, the current approach adopted an alternative pathway that realized the incorporation of chlorine atom to the indole skeleton via a desulfonylative chlorocyclization process.

Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to treat schizophrenia, but they can have negative effects on lipid metabolism, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, reduced life expectancy, and difficulties with treatment adherence. The specific mechanisms by which antipsychotics disrupt lipid metabolism are not well understood. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are important transcriptional factors that regulate lipid metabolism. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 ( PCSK9 ), a gene regulated by SREBPs, plays a critical role in controlling levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and has become a focus of research on lipid-lowering drugs. Recent studies have shown that antipsychotic drugs can affect lipid metabolism through the SREBP/PCSK9 pathway. A deep understanding of the mechanism for this pathway in antipsychotic drug-related metabolic abnormalities will promote the prevention of lipid metabolism disorders in patients with schizophrenia and the development and application of new drugs.

The reaction of 2-alkenylanilines with SOCl2 in DMSO was found to selectively afford 3-unsubstituted indoles and 3-methylthioindoles. This switchable approach was found to be temperature-dependent: at room temperature, the reaction afforded 3-unsubstituted indoles through intramolecular cyclization and elimination; while at higher temperature, the reaction gave 3-methylthioindoles via further electrophilic methylthiolation.

An exclusive thiophene-fused polycyclic π-conjugated 2-arylbenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3- d ]thiazole skeleton was constructed via a one-pot CuCl-mediated three-component reaction, using 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetonitrile and aromatic aldehydes as substrates and elemental sulfur as sulfur source in the presence of K 2 CO 3 and 1,10-phen in DMSO. A plausible reaction mechanism was proposed, which involved formation of benzo[ b ]thiophen-2-amines through cyclization of 2-bromophenyl acetonitrile and sulfur, and subsequent intramolecular condensation/dehydrogenation with aromatic aldehydes.

The reaction of o -nitroiodobenzene and m CPBA in acetic acid was found to afford a novel hypervalent iodine compound, in the structure of which both iodine(iii) and iodine(v) moieties coexist. The nitro groups at the ortho phenyl positions were found to be crucial in stabilizing this uncommon structure. This novel hypervalent iodine(iii/v) oxidant is proved to be effective in realizing the synthesis of 2-unsubstitued 2 H -azirines via intramolecular oxidative azirination, which could not be efficiently achieved by the existing known hypervalent iodine reagents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The present study retrospectively examined 24 cases of pathologically confirmed synovial sarcoma and analyzed the clinical presentation and imaging findings in order to explore the imaging features of synovial sarcoma. The majority of the lesions were large (>5 cm; 88%), rounded or lobulated, relatively well-defined tumor masses in the extremities near the joints or deeply located. On computed tomography (CT) scans, the lesions demonstrated intensity signals similar to those of muscle. Six cases exhibited punctate calcification in the periphery of the tumor. On T1-weighted images, the largest lesions of >5 cm, were usually heterogeneous, with a signal intensity similar to or slightly higher than that of muscle. On T2-weighted images, heterogeneous high-intensity or slightly high-intensity signals were observed, with 12 cases exhibiting a high signal consistent with hemorrhage and 12 presenting signals that indicated internal septations. Contrast-enhanced scanning revealed heterogeneous enhancement in the majority of the lesions and no enhancement in areas of cystic necrosis or internal septations. Synovial sarcoma has specific imaging features, and comprehensive analysis of CT and magnetic resonance imaging can improve the accuracy of the pre-operative diagnosis.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to establish noninvasive diagnostic models for liver fibrosis and assess their predictive accuracy (AC)., Methods: A total of 349 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were evaluated, who underwent liver biopsy and pathologic examination at Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University. Patients were subdivided in disease-immune tolerant (n = 125) and immune reactive HBeAg positive (n = 224) groups. Diagnostic models were based on independent markers of liver fibrosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to set cutoff values and determine the diagnostic value of the models., Results: Wang I and Wang II models were constructed using independent disease markers. Wang I model cutoff values ≤ 1.75 and > 5.84 were used to identify patients in the immune tolerant phase with or without significant fibrosis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for this model was 0.866 (95% CI, 0.790, 0.942) and an AC of 92.0% was obtained. Wang II model cutoff values ≤ 3.79 and > 7.06 were used to identify immune reactive HBeAg-positive patients with or without significant fibrosis. AUC was 0.872 (95% CI, 0.824, 0.920), with an AC of 88.0%., Conclusions: Both Wang models enabled noninvasive liver fibrosis assessment with reliable predictive power and reproducibility for diagnosis of fibrosis in immune tolerant and immune reactive HBeAg-positive patients. With further development, these models may provide a clinical alternative to liver biopsy.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) increasingly becomes a common factor affecting the quality of life of aging men. Its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated. Ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was employed to detect the changes of serum metabolites in normal mice, benign prostatic hyperplasia model mice and BPH model mice with finasteride intervention. The serum metabolite profiles of the three groups of mice were analyzed. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for group differentiation and biomarker selection. The results showed good distinction among the three groups of mice serum metabolite spectra. Three potential biomarkers, 1-hexadecanoyl-SN-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine and (Z)-13-docosenamide, were discovered and identified. They all indicated the occurrence of benign prostatic hypertrophy is closely related to the disorders of lipid metabolism. Coinpared with the control group, the contents of the first two substances were significantly increased in the serum of BPH model mice, and significantly decreased after intervened by finasteride. The contents of (Z)-13-docosenamide decreased significantly in the serum of model group, and increased after intervened by finasteride. Compared with the control group, the contents of three biomarkers in finasteride group did not recover completely and had significant differences. This study is conductive to open new avenues of diagnosis and medical treatment for BPH.

Objective: To evaluate the renal function of 298 liver cirrhosis cases among the patient population of Beijing Ditan Hospital., Methods: The medical database of Beijing Ditan Hospital was retrospectively searched for patients with liver cirrhosis (compensated and decompensated). Patients were excluded from the study according to the presence of concomitant serious diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and malignancies.The consistency of renal insufficiency was evaluated by the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or serum creatinine (SCr) level, which were applied to the simplified modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation.The renal function was compared between groups stratified according to compensated/decompensated status, sex, and age.The factors affecting renal insufficiency were screened.Measurement data were compared using the t-test and count data were compared using the chi-square test.Multiple sets of data were compared using analysis of variance.Correlations were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the confounding variables were controlled with the Mantel-Haenszel method., Results: A total of 298 hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis were included in the study, among which 41 had compensated cirrhosis and 257 had decompensated cirrhosis.Twenty patients (6.7%) with renal insufficiency were identified by SCr measurement and 62 patients (20.8%) were identified by eGFR, and the number identified was significantly different between the two groups (x2=42.00, P less than 0.05).Fifty-six (21.8%) patients had decompensated cirrhosis and 6 (14.6%) patients had decompensated cirrhosis with renal dysfunction; the eGFR levels for these two groups were (117.75 +/- 32.60) ml/min/(1.73 m2)-1 and (112.72 +/- 24.01) ml/min/(1.73 m2) respectively and the difference was not statistically significant (P more than 0.05).The incidence of renal dysfunction among female patients was 22.7% (17/75), and the incidence among male patients was 20.2% (45/223); the eGFR levels for these two groups were (110.07 +/- 26.60) ml/min/(1.73 m2)1 and (112.49 +/- 33.05) ml/min/(l.73 m2) respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P more than 0.05).The rate of renal dysfunction among patients aged 20 to 40 years-old, more than 40 to 60 years-old, and more than 60 years years-old was 5.7% (4/70), 22.5% (40/178), and 36.0%(18/50) respectively; the eGFR values for these two groups were (123.43 +/- 24.42) ml min/(l.73 m2), (111.18+/- 33.57) ml/min/(1.73 m2), and (98.20 +/- 27.04) ml/min/(1.73 m2), and the differences were not statistically significant (P less than 0.05).After stratification of the study population by age, the patient sex and the cirrhosis stage were not significantly different (P more than 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age as a risk factor of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and renal dysfunction (P less than 0.05)., Conclusion: The simplified MDRD equation can help clinicians determine whether patients have kidney injury.Development of renal dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis is not associated with patient sex and cirrhosis stage, but is precisely correlated with patient age.

Safety of water was for a long time and still is one of the most pressing needs for many countries and different communities. Despite the fact that there are potentially many methods to evaluate water safety, finding a simple, rapid, versatile, and inexpensive method for detection of toxins in everyday items is still a great challenge. In this study, we extend the concept of composites, impregnated porous fibrous materials, such as fabrics and papers, by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), toward very simple but high-performance biosensors. They utilize the strong dependence of electrical conductivity through nanotubes percolation network on the width of nanotube-nanotube tunneling gap and can potentially satisfy all the requirements outlined above for the routine toxin monitoring. An antibody to the microcystin-LR (MC-LR), one of the common culprits in mass poisonings, was dispersed together with SWNTs. This dispersion was used to dip-coat the paper rendering it conductive. The change in conductivity of the paper was used to sense the MC-LR in the water rapidly and accurately. The method has the linear detection range up to 10 nmol/L and nonlinear detection up to 40 nmol/L. The limit of detection was found to be 0.6 nmol/L (0.6 ng/mL), which satisfies the strictest World Health Organization standard for MC-LR content in drinking water (1 ng/mL) and is comparable to the detection limit of the traditional ELISA method of MC-LR detection, while drastically reducing the time of analysis by more than an order of magnitude, which is one of the major hurdles in practical applications. Similar technology of sensor preparation can also be used for a variety of other rapid environmental sensors.