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Yu Yu,* Ligang Ding,* Yu Deng,* Hao Huang, Sijing Cheng, Chi Cai, Min Gu, Xuhua Chen, Xiaohui Ning, Hongxia Niu, Wei Hua Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wei Hua, Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of China, Email drhuaweifw@sina.comBackground: The joint association of atrial fibrillation (AF) and statin therapy with adverse outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has not been fully investigated so far. The purpose of this study was to explore the independent and joint association of AF and statin therapy with adverse outcomes.Methods: Study patients were divided into four groups according to AF status and statin use: Non-AF/Statin, Non-AF/Non-Statin, AF/Statin, and AF/Non-Statin. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the independent and joint association of AF and statin therapy with poor prognosis.Results: Among 685 CRT patients, there were 180 deaths (26.5%) and 198 HF hospitalization (29.6%) during the 14 years of follow-up. AF was associated with a 46% increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03– 2.07) and a 59% increased risk of HF hospitalization (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16– 2.20) than those without AF. However, statin therapy failed to improve the prognosis. In the joint analysis, compared with the Non-AF/Statin group, the AF/Non-Statin group suffered a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04– 2.93) and HF hospitalization (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08– 2.86). Furthermore, adding AF to the traditional risk factor model significantly improved the predictive value for death (C-statistic from 0.654 to 0.691) and HF (C-statistic from 0.613 to 0.675).Conclusion: AF was associated with poor prognosis, and statin use failed to improve the prognosis. Further analysis showed that statin therapy is ineffective in improving prognosis and fails to attenuate the adverse effects of AF.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: atrial fibrillation, cardiac resynchronization therapy, joint association, prognosis, statin therapy

The production of silver nanoparticles, reduction of graphene oxide and the creation of 3D frameworks are accomplished synchronously. The produced Ag/3D rGO composites exhibit excellent properties for the electrochemical detection of H2O2.

A unique method is developed to synthesize Sn nanomaterials. Through an oxidation–reduction treatment, Sn particles are refined from the submicron (300 nm) to nanoscale (88 nm). With a series of ex...

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a kind of low-cost and promising material for water splitting to produce hydrogen (p-type Cu2O) and oxygen (n-type Cu2O). However, the reason of conductivity transforming from p-type to n-type for Cu2O films during potentiostatic deposition is waiting to be revealed. In this work, a novel electrochemical technology, differential potentiostatic deposition (DPD), is developed by coupling a 3-electrode setup with a resistor connected in series with the counter electrode circuit through a potentiostat. By this approach, deposition current density is adjusted in a short period to simulate different stages in a traditional potentiostatic deposition (TPD). The result shows that semiconducting conductivity of Cu2O film changes from p-type to n-type with time during a long-term TPD in basic CuSO4 solution. Employing the DPD method, conductivity of Cu2O film transforms from p-type to n-type with current density decreasing. Through characterizing thickness, composition and photoelectrochemical performance of Cu2O films, the mechanism of semiconducting conductivity transformation for Cu2O films is proposed. Besides, the results indicate that the DPD is an effective method to tune the conductivity of metal oxide photoelectrodes for water splitting.

The Ca–Pb electrode couple is considered to be one of the least expensive (∼36 $/(kW h)) among various optional materials for liquid–metal batteries (LMBs). The electrochemical properties of Ca–Pb alloy in a Ca∣LiCl–NaCl–CaCl2∣Pb cell were investigated in this paper. The electrode potential maintained a linear relationship in the current density range of 50–200 mA cm-2, which indicates that the alloying and dealloying processes of Ca with Pb attained rapid charge transfer and mass transport in the interface between the liquid electrode and electrolyte. The Ca–Pb electrode exhibited remarkable properties with a high discharge voltage of 0.6 V, a small self-discharge current density ( 98.84%). The postmortem analysis showed that intermetallics CaPb3 and CaPb were uniformly distributed in the electrode with different molar fractions of Ca, which indicates that the nucleation of solid intermetallics did not hinder the diffusion of Ca in the electrode. This investigation on Ca–Pb electrode sheds light on the further research and the design of electrodes for Ca-based LMBs.

The aim of this study was to assess pacing and electrophysiological parameters, as well as short-term outcomes, among patients undergoing left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) or His bundle pacing (HBP).There are limited data directly comparing different conduction system pacing modalities.Consecutive patients undergoing de novo conduction system pacing for bradycardia indications were evaluated. Procedural and fluoroscopic times and pacing characteristics were compared between groups at implantation and at 3-month follow-up.This study included 251 subjects. HBP was successful in 109 (87.2%) of 125 patients, compared with 115 (91.3%) of 126 for LBBP. The mean procedure time (78 ± 36 min vs. 54 ± 24 min, p 0.001) and fluoroscopy duration (12 ± 5 min vs. 5 ± 2.8 min, p 0.001) were significantly longer for HBP compared with LBBP. The paced QRS duration (113.7 ± 24.4 ms vs. 114.1 ± 11.2 ms) were similar between groups (p = 0.87). Capture threshold was significantly lower (1.3 ± 0.6 V/1.0 ms vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 V/0.4 ms, p 0.001), whereas R-wave amplitude was significantly higher (2.8 ± 3.0 mV vs. 12.5 ± 9.0 mV, p 0.001) with LBBP compared with HBP at implantation. During follow-up, a capture threshold3.0 V occurred in 8 HBP patients versus 0 LBBP patients (p = 0.003).LBBP has similar paced QRS durations and success rates, but shorter procedure and fluoroscopy durations, as well as better pacing parameters compared with HBP. Further prospective study is needed to compare long-term outcomes, safety, and pacing stability with these 2 conduction system pacing modalities.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3.0 T is becoming more common, but there is a lack of sufficient evidence on the safety of a 3.0 T scan in patients with pacemakers. This study aimed to investigate the safety and practical concerns of 3.0 T scans for patients with MR-conditional pacemakers. Twenty consecutive patients were enrolled. A standardized protocol was developed by cardiologists, pacemaker engineers, and radiologists. Pacemaker interrogation was performed immediately before and after the scan. Scan-related adverse events were documented, and imaging quality was graded as level 1 to 4 by radiologists. Twenty-three MRI scans of different body regions (brain = 13, lumbar spine = 4, cervical spine = 2, and heart = 4) were performed, and the average time of a scan was 25 ± 11 min. No significant changes in sensing amplitude (atrial 3.1 ± 1.1 mV vs. 2.9 ± 1.2 mV, P = 0.71; ventricular 9.3 ± 3.5 mV vs. 10.2 ± 3.4 mV, P = 0.46), lead impedances (atrial 647 ± 146 Ω vs. 627 ± 151 Ω, P = 0.7; ventricular: 780 ± 247 Ω vs.711 ± 226 Ω, P = 0.36), or pacing threshold (atrial 0.6 ± 0.2 V/0.4 ms vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 V/0.4 ms, P = 0.71; ventricular 0.7 ± 0.3 V/0.4 ms vs. 0.7 ± 0.2 V/0.4 ms, P = 0.85) were observed pre- and postscan. No adverse events were detected. Image quality review showed grade 1 quality in 16 patients and grade 2 quality in 4 patients with artifacts of pulse generators and leads in cardiac MRI scan and no impact on diagnostic value. Our initial data indicated that 3.0 T scanning might be feasible under a standardized protocol with good diagnostic imaging quality irrespective of body region in patients with MR-conditional pacemakers.

AIM To assess the electrocardiogram patterns of paced QRS narrowing after successful left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) and echocardiographic measurements in patients with bradycardia and bundle branch block (BBB). METHODS We prospectively enrolled 55 consecutive bradycardia patients with BBB and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40% who had attempted LBBAP. Successful LBBAP was defined as paced QRS morphology of a right BBB (RBBB) pattern in lead V1 and a recording of abruptly shortened and then constant stimulus to peak left ventricular activation time with high and low output. Pacing characteristics and echocardiographic measurements were evaluated perioperatively and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS The success rate of LBBAP was 83.6% in patients with BBB, and median cumulative X-ray dose-area product was 100.5 µGym2 (60.0, 179.3). LBBAP was successful in 19 of 26 patients with left BBB (LBBB) (73.1%) and in 27 of 29 patients with RBBB (93.1%). The QRS duration (QRSd) was significantly shortened in patients with LBBB (QRSd 169.4 ± 22.6 to 119.6 ± 9.5 ms), and five forms of QRSd narrowing were observed in patients with RBBB with the mean QRSd shortened from 143.1 ± 16.6 ms to 119.5 ± 11.7 ms. The thresholds for narrowing of QRSd were higher in RBBB than LBBB (1.74 ± 0.36 V/0.4 ms vs 0.79 ± 0.17 V/0.4 ms, P

Liver-stage Plasmodium in humans is an early stage of malarial infection. Decoquinate (DQ) has a potent multistage antimalarial activity. However, it is practically water insoluble. In this study, the hot-melt extrusion (HME) approach was employed to prepare solid dispersions of DQ to improve oral bioavailability. The DQ dispersions were homogeneous in an aqueous suspension that contained most DQ (>90%) in the aqueous phase. Soluplus, a solubilizer, was found compatible with DQ in forming nanoparticle formulations during the HME process. Another excipient HPMC AS-126 was also proven to be suitable for making DQ nanoparticles through HME. Particle size and antimalarial activity of HME DQ suspensions remained almost unchanged after storage at 4°C for over a year. HME DQ was highly effective at inhibiting Plasmodium infection in vitro at both the liver stage and blood stage. HME DQ at 3 mg/kg by oral administration effectively prevented Plasmodium infection in mice inoculated with Plasmodium berghei sporozoites. Orally administered HME DQ at 2,000 mg/kg to mice showed no obvious adverse effects. HME DQ at 20 mg/kg orally administered to rats displayed characteristic distributions of DQ in the blood with most DQ in the blood cells, revealing the permeability of HME DQ into the cells in relation to its antimalarial activity. The DQ dispersions may be further developed as an oral formulation targeting Plasmodium infection at the liver stage.

Due to their compactness, storage/supply flexibility, modularity and factory manufacturability, batteries are excellent candidates for large scale energy storage applications. However, the widespread application of most batteries hitherto developed is hindered by their high cost. Here, an intermediate temperature molten salt battery is developed that emphatically resolves this issue by using all earth-abundant and cheap elements. Operated at 170 °C, the cell comprises of an Fe metal anode, NaCl saturated NaAlCl4 electrolyte and an AlCl4− intercalated graphite cathode in the fully charged state. It has a capacity retention of 85% after nearly 10,000 cycles. After characterizing the anode, it was determined that the high reversibility of the Fe to FeCl2 solid state transformation are responsible for the absence of dendritic growth on such a metal anode. Different electrode capacity matching strategies are discussed in the context of ensuring safe operation during overcharging. Finally, the overall material cost of the Fe/Graphite cell is estimated to be 33.9 $ kWh−1, which can potentially meet the demands of the commercial energy storage market.

LiFePO4 is a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its excellent rate capability and superior safety. However, its relatively low energy density makes the research efforts tow...

Background Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP), a new pacing approach, lacks adequate evaluation. Objective To assess the feasibility, safety, and acute effect of permanent LBBAP in patients with atrioventricular block (AVB). Methods A total of 33 AVB patients with indications for ventricular pacing were recruited. Electrocardiograms, pacing parameters, echocardiographic measurements, and complications associated with LBBAP were evaluated perioperatively and at 3-month follow-up. Successful LBBAP was defined as a paced QRS morphology of right bundle branch block pattern in lead V1 and QRS duration (QRSd) less than 130 ms. Results LBBAP was successfully performed in 90.9% (30/33) of patients (mean age: 55.1 ± 18.5 years; 66.7% male). The mean capture threshold was similar during the procedure (0.76 ± 0.26 V at 0.4 ms) and at the 3-month follow-up (0.64 ± 0.20 V at 0.4 ms). The paced QRSd was 112.8 ± 10.9 ms during the procedure and 116.8 ± 10.4 ms at the 3-month follow-up. Baseline left or right bundle branch block was corrected (intrinsic QRSd 153.3 ± 27.8 ms vs paced QRSd 122.2 ± 9.9 ms) with a success rate of 68.7% (11/16). One ventricular septal lead perforation occurred soon after the procedure with characteristics of pacing failure, and lead revision was successful. Cardiac function and left ventricular synchronization by 2-dimensional echocardiographic strain imaging at the 3-month follow-up slightly improved compared with that at baseline. Conclusions Permanent LBBAP yielded a stable threshold, a narrow QRSd, and preserved left ventricular synchrony with few complications. Our preliminary results indicate that LBBAP holds promise as an attractive physiological pacing strategy for AVB.

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is an attractive material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production or photovoltaic application, because of its appropriate band gap, low material cost and non-toxic. In this paper, Cu2O films were obtained by comproportionation in acid cupric sulfate solutions with varying concentrations of potassium nitrate. Photoelectrochemical and electrochemical experiments, such as zero-bias photocurrent responses, voltammograms, and Mott-Schottky measurements, show that the Cu2O films grown in low (≤0.75 mol dm–3) and high (≥1.00 mol dm–3) nitrate ion concentrations presented n-type and p-type conductivity, respectively. Open circuit potential and polarization behavior were monitored to investigate the mechanism of modulating conductivity type. Nitrate ions consume protons in the plating solution during comproportionation with different concentrations of nitrate ions creating different pH at the Cu2O/solution interface. This gradient leads to the transformation of Cu2O films conductivity changing from n-type to p-type with increasing the concentration of nitrate ions in the plating solution. This method could be used to fabricate homojunction electrode on metal substrate for PEC hydrogen production or photoelectric application.

Photothermal therapy had great potential in being a new approach of tumour ablation due to their high selectivity and low side effect. However, the shallow penetration depth of near-infrared (NIR) irradiation resulted in the limited curative effect. Herein, a novel nanomedicine was developed based on the indocyanine green-loaded vanadium oxide nanocomposites (VO2-ICG) for pH-activated NIR luminescence imaging-guided enhanced photothermal tumour ablation. In acidic tumour microenvironment, the VO2 NPs were decomposed and released VO2+, which could not only inhibit the function of 60 kDa heat shock protein (HSP60), but also generate hydroxyl radical ( OH) by catalysing intratumoral H2O2. Furthermore, the ICG was also released in the decomposition process of VO2 NPs, allowing the pH-activated NIR luminescence imaging and photothermal therapy. The inhibition of HSP60 down-regulated the heat tolerance of cells and the generation of OH up-regulated the intracellular oxidative stress, which enhanced the photothermal therapeutic efficiency. Our work demonstrated a promised method to enhance photothermal therapeutic effect, highlighting the importance of HSP inhibition and OH generation in promoting cell apoptosis under mild hyperthermia.

Background Ventricular arrhythmia is a leading cause of cardiac death among patients with post‐infarction left ventricular aneurysm (PI‐LVA). The effect of coronary revascularization in PI‐LVA patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmia remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the impact of revascularization therapy on clinical outcomes in these patients. Methods A total of 238 PI‐LVA patients were enrolled, and 59 patients were presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). Patients were classified into 4 groups by treatment strategies (medical or revascularization) and the presence of VT/VF: group 1 (n = 57): VT/VF− and revascularization−; group 2 (n = 122): VT/VF− and revascularization+; group 3 (n = 34): VT/VF+ and revascularization+; and group 4 (n = 25): VT/VF+ and revascularization‐. The clinical outcomes were compared, and the primary endpoint was cardiac death or heart transplantation. Results Patients were followed up for 45 ± 16 months, and 41 patients (17.2%) reached the primary endpoint. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that in VT/VF− patients, revascularization associated with higher cardiac survival compared with medical therapy (log‐rank p = .002), but in VT/VF+ patients, revascularization did not predict better cardiac outcome (log‐rank p = .901). Cox regression analysis revealed PET‐EF (HR 4.41, 95% CI: 1.72–11.36, p = .002) and moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (HR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.02–5.30, p = .046) as independent predictors of adverse cardiac outcome in patients with VT/VF. Conclusion PI‐LVA patients with VT/VF are at high risk of adverse cardiac outcome, and coronary revascularization does not mitigate this risk, although revascularization was associated with higher cardiac survival in PI‐LVA patients without VT/VF.

Iron oxide, a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries, has a high theoretical specific capacity but exhibits poor cycling performance and rate capability. To resolve these issues, 150 nm sized carbon coated, hollow Fe3O4 nanoellipsoids are designed in this study. Owing to the relatively high utilization ratio of Fe3O4 and the buffer provided by the carbon layer, this composite has enhanced lithium ion storage properties and long cycle life. From half-cell measurements, the capacity is found to be in excess of 400 mAh g−1 even after 1000 cycles at 5 A g−1. And then, a facile and practical strategy is used to gain a relatively high compressed density (∼1.87 g cm−3), so the volumetric capacity of the Fe3O4@C electrode can be further enhanced by subjecting it to compression. In the full cell test, the Fe3O4@C electrode has a specific capacity of 400 mAh g−1 and volumetric capacity of 749 mAh cm−3 after 100 cycles. The improvement in cycling stability can be attributed to minimal volume expansion and the stability of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, over the nanoparticles. Finally, the evolution of solid-electrolyte interphase layer is indirectly monitored and the progressive loss of active lithium is quantitatively measured.

The conductivity type of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films is tuned by controlling the deposition potential of an electrochemical process in an acid cupric acetate solution containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. The morphology and chemical composition of the deposited Cu2O films are studied by SEM, XRD and XPS. The change of the conductivity type of Cu2O films is further studied through zero-bias photocurrent and Mott-Schottky measurements. The results indicate that the Cu2O films behave as n-type semiconductors when the overpotentials are low (potentials higher than −0.05 V) and p-type semiconductors when the overpotentials are high (potentials lower than −0.10 V). The transformation of conductivity from n-type to p-type comes from the competition reactions between forming Cu2O and forming metallic Cu from Cu2+. When the potential is lower than −0.10 V, most of Cu2+ are consumed by the growth of metallic Cu at the film/solution interface, so that the Cu2+ provided to grow Cu2O film are insufficient and copper vacancies form in the film, leading to the p-type conductivity.

Although a comparatively robust method, immobilized protein-based techniques have displayed limited precision and inconsistent results due to a lack of strategy for the accurate selection of drug adsorption models on the protein surface. We generated the adsorption data of three drugs on immobilized beta-2-adrenoceptor (β2-AR) by frontal affinity chromatography–mass spectrometry (FAC-MS) and site-specific competitive FAC-MS. Using adsorption energy distribution (AED) calculations, we achieved the best adsorption models for the binding of salbutamol, terbutaline, and pseudoephedrine to immobilized β2-AR. The Langmuir model proved to be desirable for describing the adsorptions of salbutamol and terbutaline on immobilized β2-AR, while the bi-Langmuir model was favorable to characterize the adsorption of pseudoephedrine on the receptor. Relying on the accurate determination of association constants, we presented an efficient approach for β2-AR ligand screening based on the loss of breakthrough time of an indi...

Li-Bi based liquid metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted interest due to their potential for solving grid scale energy storage problems. In this study, the feasibility of replacing the bismuth cathode with a bismuth-antimony alloy cathode in lithium based LMBs is investigated. The influence of the Bi:Sb ratio on voltage characteristics is evaluated via the constant current discharge method and electrochemical titration. On observing the cross section of the electrode at various stages of discharge, it is determined that both Sb and Bi form solid intermetallics with Li on the cathode. Additionally, the addition of Bi not only reduces the melting temperature of the Bi:Sb intermetallic but also actively contributes to the electrode capacity. Thereafter, a Li|LiCl-LiF|Sb-Bi liquid metal battery with 3 A h nameplate capacity, assembled and cycled at 1 C rate, is found to possess a stable capacity for over 160 cycles. The overall performance of this battery is discussed in the context of cost effectiveness, energy and coulombic efficiencies.

SnOx exhibits a much larger theoretical capacity compared to graphite as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the cycling stability and initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of SnOx based electrodes need to be improved. In this study, by coating carbon on a dried SnOx electrode film using one-step chemical vapor deposition, a SnOx#C composite is obtained, wherein ∼70 nm sized SnOx nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed and embedded in a carbon matrix. Owing to its relatively small electrochemical surface area and mechanical robustness, the ICE is largely improved from ∼40% to >65%. Besides, a Li-matched full cell with 36% excess LiCoO2 cathode material can run stably for more than 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1, delivering a gravimetric and a volumetric capacity of 456 mA h g−1 and 644 mA h cm−3, respectively, which are superior to graphite. The lithiation/delithiation process of SnOx#C observed using an in situ transmission electron microscope technique reveals that the embedded structure expands by only ∼5%. Besides, the thickness increment of the electrode film after 100 cycles is measured to be 32%, which is much smaller than the acceptable 50% in the LIB industry, illustrating the good stability of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) skeleton.

Fe3O4 with high capacity and low cost has been a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the intrinsic issues from the severe volume change of Fe3O4 during cycling and its inferior electronic conductivity result in poor capacity retention. Herein, carbon-coated Fe3O4 nanorings (R-Fe3O4@C) were fabricated by a facile method. The hollow nanorings with a small size below 80 nm are designed to mitigate the severe volume expansion of Fe3O4 upon cycles, whereas the amorphous carbon layer with a thickness of 12 nm is created to induce the fast electronic transfer. Benefiting from the unique carbon-coated nanostructure, R-Fe3O4@C exhibits superior electrochemical behaviors in both LIBs and SIBs. As an anode of LIBs, it delivers a high capacity of 1003.4 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 over 100 cycles, and of 421.2 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 over 800 cycles. Being an anode for SIBs, it shows a considerable capacity of 365.1 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 200 cycles, and of 160.3 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 300 cycles. Our work achieves the remarkable electrochemical properties of R-Fe3O4@C via the facile fabrication in which relatively low-cost ingredients are used.

A disposable sandwich-type electrochemical sensor for selective detection of glucose was established. The primary receptor, 3-aminophenylboronic acid was grafted covalently onto the surface of screen-printed carbon electrodes through an in situ-generated diazo-reaction. Glucose was first captured by boronic acid group on the electrode, followed by captureing an electroactive ferroceneboronic acid (FcBA) as the secondary receptor to form bidentate glucose-boronic complex. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was applied to characterize the construction of sandwich-type disposable sensor. In the sandwich assay, current response of captured FcBA on the electrode was dependent on the concentration of glucose. The sandwich assay showed higher selectivity for glucose than that for fructose, mannose, galactose and other electroactive interferences including uric acid, ascorbic acid and dopamine, and exhibited a dynamic concentration range of glucose from 0.5 to 20.0 mmol L−1. The disposable sensor demonstrated a good reproducibility with 2.2 % relative standard deviation (RSD). In addition, the disposable glucose sensor was used in detection of the trace glucose in the clinical urine samples.

Herein, a novel strategy for electrochemical detection of NADH was developed. The electrode was modified by 3-aminophenylboronic acid functionalized multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and then phenazine methosulfate (PMS) acting as shuttle mediators was stably absorbed on the MWCNTs through π–π stacking. The enrichment of NADH on the surface of the modified electrode was achieved through boronate affinity between boronic acid and NADH containing cis-diol group. PMS absorbed on the MWCNTs promoted the electron transfer between NADH and the electrode surface at − 0.10 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) with a good sensitivity of 161 μA mmol L − 1 cm − 2 and a detection limit of 0.16 μmol L − 1 (S/N = 3) in amperometric response. The proposed electrochemical sensors displayed a wide linear response from 0.5 μmol L − 1 to 1.0 mmol L − 1 NADH with a fast response time of less than 3 s, and allowed the selective detection in the presence of ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine and glucose. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor was applied to the determination of NADH in human serum. The present method was promising for development of dehydrogenase-based biosensors.

Background Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP), lacks adequate evaluation for AVB. Purpose We aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and acute clinical outcomes of permanent LBBAP in patients with AVB. Methods We retrospectively recruited AVB patients with indication for ventricular pacing who had underwent LBBAP from May to Sep. 2018. ECG characteristics, pacing parameters, echocardiographic parameters and adverse events were evaluated during follow-up. Successful LBBAP was defined as the paced QRS morphology of RBBB pattern and QRSd less than 130ms. Results A total of 33 patients were involved in this study (mean age: 55.1±18.5 years; 66.7% male, 48.4% with bundle branch block,BBB). LBBAP was successfully performed in 90.9% (30/33) of all patients. The mean capture threshold of LBBAP was 0.76±0.26 V/0.4 ms during the procedure and 0.64±0.20 V/0.4ms at 3-month follow-up. The paced QRSd was 112.8±10.9 ms during the procedure and 116.8±10.4ms at 3-month follow-up. Baseline left or right BBB was corrected by LBBAP (153.3±27.8 ms vs. 122.2±9.9 ms) with a success rate of 68.7% (11/16). One ventricular septal lead perforation occurred soon after the procedure and LBBAP was successfully repeated by lead revision. Cardiac function and left ventricular synchronization at three-month follow-up presented slightly improvement as compared with baseline. Table 1. Complications and changes in pacing parameters within 3 months after LBBAP Pacing parameters LBBAP (N=30) During the procedure Before discharge 3-month follow up Sensing amplitude, mV 14.4±5.1 15.8±11.7 14.6±4.6 Pacing threshold@0.4ms, V 0.76±0.26 0.59±0.16 0.64±0.20 Pacing impedance, Ω 691.7±133.8 588.0±79.3 554.7±93.7 Paced QRSd at 3.0V@0.4 ms output, ms 112.8±10.9 114.4±14.2 116.8±10.4 VP, % NA NA 79.4±24.6 Complications, n (%) 1 (3.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) Infection, n (%) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) Septal perforation, n (%) 1 (3.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) Dislodgement, n (%) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) QRSd, QRS duration; VP, ventricular pacing percentage. Figure 1. Characteristics of LBBAP Conclusion Permanent LBBAP yielded stable threshold, narrow QRSd and preserved left ventricle synchrony with few complications. Our preliminary results indicate that LBBAP holds promise as an attractive physiological pacing strategy for AVB.

In this paper, a cysteine-functionalized zwitterionic stationary phase (Cys-silica) was prepared based on the “thiol-ene” click chemistry between cysteine and vinyl-functionalized silica, and was further modified with bromoethane, 1-bromooctane and 1-bromooctadecane, respectively, to obtain a series of quaternary ammoniation-functionalized stationary phases (Cys-silica-Cn, n = 2, 8 and 18). These zwitterionic stationary phases were regarded as reversed-phase/ion-exchange (RP/IEC) mixed-mode chromatography (MMC) stationary phases for protein separation. The retention behaviors of proteins on these zwitterionic stationary phases were carefully investigated. The results indicated that the retentions of acidic and basic proteins on these zwitterinonic stationary phases were significantly influenced by the acetonitrile and salt concentrations, pH of mobile phase as well as the hydrophobicity of the ligand. The separation selectivity of proteins on these zwitterionic stationary phases strongly depended on the pH value of mobile phase. The baseline separation of 6 kinds of basic proteins can be achieved at pH 8.0 using Cys-silica-C2 or Cys-silica-C8 column, and 5 kinds of acidic proteins can also be separated completely at pH 4.0 with Cys-silica-C2 column. Moreover, owing to the quaternary ammoniation-functionalization on Cys-silica by using appropriately hydrophobic bromoalkanes, the selectivity and separation efficiency of proteins can be enhanced greatly. As a result, the acidic and basic proteins can be separated completely step by step from the complex sample by adjusting pH of mobile phase using a single Cys-silica-C2 column, which illustrates that the cysteine-functionalized zwitterionic stationary phase has a great potential for protein separation.

Minor-adjustment of the retention of peptides, induced by varying the mobile phase flow-rate (MPF-R), is a new dynamic separation method for simultaneously and rapidly identifying and improving the selectivity of hidden and overlapping peptide peaks. It can also-stabilize the reverse elution order of some pair-peaks under gradient elution in reverse phase liquid chromatography. The retention characteristics of peptides under gradient elution in RPLC was firstly found to be dominated by two variables of the steady region (SR) and migration region (MR). The changes in peptide retention induced by varying the MPF-R can be attributed to changes in the rate of bond breaking of multiple molecular interactions of peptides from the SR and of the mass transfer of peptides from the stationary phase to the mobile phase in the MR. The two dynamic variables were also found to independently depend on the type of peptide. Desirable results were obtained using six standard oligopeptides and a real sample of trypsin-digested lysozyme. It is expected that the quality control of peptide drugs, high dispersion of peptide peaks in peptide mapping and “bottom-up MS” in proteomics will be improved by this method, even enabling peptide purification on a preparative scale in industry.

Chestnut-like SnO 2 and SnO 2 /C nanocomposites with hierarchical structures are synthesized by hydrothermally oxidizing Sn nanoparticles in glucose solution. Structural characterizations using SEM and TEM reveal that the SnO 2 nanoparticles are composed of numerous, randomly arranged SnO 2 nanosheets with hollow cores. Owing to the short electron and ion diffusion distances and transformation strain accommodation mechanism of this structure the new SnO 2 /C nanocomposites exhibit enhanced lithium ion storage properties with a capacity of ~930 mAh g −1 and capacity retention of about 96% after 100 cycles at 0.1 C. An in situ TEM study of the electrochemically driven lithiation/delithiation of SnO 2 /C nanocomposites reveals that their enhanced cycling stability is mainly facilitated by the limited volume expansion and excellent mechanical robustness of the hollow chestnuts.

An electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing method for highly sensitive discrimination of DNA hydroxymethylation and assay of the β-glucosyltransferase (β-GT) activity was developed. The ECL biosensing electrode was fabricated by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)/Nafion film, and then, tris(2, 2'-ripyridine) dichlororuthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)3(2+)) was electrostatically adsorbed into the AuNPs/Nafion film, finally, the hydroxymethylated double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA)-tagged with ferrocene was self-assembled onto the surface of the AuNPs. When β-GT and uridine diphosphoglucose (UDP-Glu) were introduced, the hydroxymethylcytosine residues within 5'-CCGG-3' of ds-DNA on the biosensing electrode were glucosylated. After the glucosylated biosensing electrode was treated by MspI endonuclease, the unglucosylated hydroxymethylcytosine was cleaved, leading to the quencher leaving the electrode, resulting in an increased ECL signal. For the ECL biosensing method, it showed an extremely low detection limit of 0.04 U/mL for β-GT, and offered a good discrimination toward cytosine, 5-methylcytosine, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. This work demonstrates that the combination of the enzyme-linkage reactions with the highly sensitive ECL method is a promising strategy for the discrimination of DNA hydroxymethylation, assay of the activity of β-GT, and evaluation of the capability of inhibitors for the β-GT.

LiMnxFe1-xPO4(0.5≤x≤1) has been regarded as a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its competitive energy density and excellent thermal stability, yet its rate capability and capacity retention during long cycles remain to be further improved. Herein, a hybrid layer composed of Li3VO4 (LVO) and carbon was designed and successfully coated on LiMn0.5Fe0.5PO4 (LMFP) nanorods via a wet ball-milling method combined with the heat treatment. This layer performs as not only a protector to maintain the structural integrity of LMFP but also a conductor to induce the fast transport of both Li-ions and electrons. LMFP modified with the hybrid layer of carbon and 3 wt% LVO (LMFP/C-3LVO) exhibits super long cycling stability over 1000 cycles at 5 C, with considerable capacity retention of 91.5%. Even at a high rate of 10 C, LMFP/C-3LVO can also deliver a substantial discharge capacity of 125 mAh•g−1. The favorable kinetics of the modified composite were confirmed in detail by EIS and GITT measurement. When paired with the modified Li4Ti5O12/C anode, LMFP/C-3LVO shows a stabilized discharge capacity of 107 mAh•g−1 over 120 cycles at 1 C. Our strategy on ionic/electronic dual-conductive hybrid layer provides a guideline on the synthesis and modification of high-performance cathode materials.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) provides a novel sight for non-invasive tumor ablation, which, however, is still limited by low converting efficiency and short life-time of produced singlet oxygen. In this work, a bioresponsive lanthanide-based nanomedicine, FeOOH-coated and toluidine blue (TB)-loaded NaLuF4:Yb,Er,Tm@NaLuF4, is constructed for tumor microenvironment-activated photodynamic therapy with triple-collaborative enhancing strategy. In response to intratumoral reducibility and acidity, coated FeOOH decomposes, eliminating reduced glutathione (GSH) and up-regulating intratumoral oxidative stress to enhance PDT. Besides, Fe2+ is also released from this redox process, which can improve intratumoral dissolved O2 for PDT by catalytic decomposition of H2O2. Lastly, quenched upconversion luminescence of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles also recovers, which allows more efficient energy transfer to TB and hence improves PDT efficiency. By the above triple-collaborative strategy, highly efficient photodynamic tumor ablation is performed in vivo. This work proposes a rigorous method to elevate photodynamic therapeutic efficiency.

Objectives To investigate the long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with previous ischemic stroke. Background Ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD) are leading causes of death that often coexist with each other. With the increased use of PCI in high-risk patients with CAD, the association between prior ischemic stroke and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events in patients with CAD undergoing PCI has been a topic of interest. Methods We enrolled 10,300 consecutive patients who had undergone PCI from January 2013 to December 2013 and classified them into the prior ischemic stroke group (n = 1,106) and no prior ischemic stroke group (n = 9,194). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) during follow-up. The secondary endpoints included each component of the primary endpoint and stent thrombosis (ST). Results Overall, 10.7% patients had a history of ischemic stroke. At a median 29-month follow-up, MACCEs following PCI occurred with 2-year incidences of 15.4% in the prior ischemic stroke group and 11.7% in the no prior ischemic stroke group. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that prior ischemic stroke was independently associated with a higher risk of MACCEs (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.294; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.100-1.522; P = 0.002), recurrent stroke (adjusted HR = 2.463; 95% CI: 1.729-3.507; P = 0.000), and ST (adjusted HR = 1.787; 95% CI: 1.075-2.971; P = 0.025). A high residual syntax score and low renal function were independent risk factors for MACCEs. Conclusions Increased concern and active treatment strategies are needed in patients undergoing PCI who have a history of ischemic stroke.

In this study, the sodiation and desodiation processes of MoS2 were characterized by using an in situ TEM technique. The structural evolution of MoS2 and its performance in a coin-type cell are recognized. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism of MoS2 as anode for Na ion batteries.

In this work, an in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of the electrochemically driven sodiation and desodiation of a CuO nanowire (NW) was performed. Upon sodiation, Na ions first reacted with CuO, yielding a mixture of Cu, Cu2O, and Na2O, and then some Cu2O was subsequently reduced into nanocrystal Cu. The final sodiation product was nanocrystalline Cu mixed with Na2O and Cu2O. Upon extraction of Na+, the nanocrystalline Cu first oxidized into Cu2O and finally transformed back to nanocrystalline CuO. The volume of the CuO NW was found to expand markedly during the first sodiation, but the morphology of the NW remained unchanged during the following cycles. The mechanism by which high-performance CuO NW anodes are used for rechargeable Na ion batteries was analyzed by carrying out an in situ TEM technique based on our results, and this study may be beneficial for designing the optimal structure of the CuO anode, improving its cycle performance, and making CuO more feasible for Na ion batteries.

Background We investigated the prevalence of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) in Post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm (PI-LVA) patients and analyze clinical outcomes in patients presenting with VT/VF. Methods 575 PI-LVA patients were enrolled and investigated by logistic regression analysis. Patients with VT/VF were followed up, the composite primary endpoint was cardiac death and appropriate ICD/external shocks. Results The incidence of sustained VT/VF was 11%. Logistical regression analysis showed male gender, enlarged LV end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and higher NYHA class were correlated with VT/VF development. During follow up of 46 ± 15 months, 19 out of 62(31%) patients reached study end point. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that enlarged LVEDD and moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (MR) were independently predictive of clinical outcome. Conclusions Male gender, enlarged LVEDD and higher NYHA class associated with risk of sustained VT/VF in PI-LVA patients. Among VT/VF positive patients, enlarged LVEDD and moderate/severe MR independently predicted poor clinical prognosis.

Summary The photoelectrochemical (PEC) stability of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is improved by using the p-type Cu2O films containing metallic copper inclusions, which are electrodeposited by controlling the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the plating solutions. The deposited Cu2O films change from n-type to p-type semiconductor with the increase of sodium dodecyl sulfate concentration to 1.70 mM. The PEC stabilities of p-type Cu2O films reach 99.23% without bias and 86.34% with bias, which are significantly higher than the n-type Cu2O films or the pure p-type Cu2O without copper inclusions. The crystal structure, morphology, and composition of the Cu2O films are characterized, and the effect of Cu inclusions on the PEC stability is interpreted through the energy band diagrams. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing method for the determination of DNA methyltransferase activity is developed by the quenching of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium ECL by ferrocene, and it is demonstrated that the ECL biosensing method measures DNA adenine methylation methyltransferase over a dynamic concentration range (0.1 U mL(-1)-100 U mL(-1)) with an extremely low detection limit of 0.03 U mL(-1), using gold nanoparticles and a quenching ECL signal produced by a chemical quencher such as ferrocene.