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Converting cheap and abundant internal alkenes to value-added linear aldehydes is of great importance but not an addressed issue. In this paper, an integration of a Milstein-type Ru-PNN catalyst and our Rh-Tribi/Tetrabi catalyst was first demonstrated in highly improved isomerization linear selective hydroformylation of 2-, 3-, and 4-alkenes, yielding excellent linear selectivities and activities (linear selectivity improvements of 2.2-58%, up to 94.2-98.6%, and turnover numbers improvements of 61-335 TON, up to 385-851) compared to the Ru-PNN/Rh-Bisbi system.

Malaltia pulmonar obstructiva crònica; Corticosteroides; Olodaterol Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Corticosteroides; Olodaterol Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Corticosteroids; Olodaterol Introduction In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), treatment with long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) combination therapy significantly improves lung function versus LABA/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). To investigate whether LAMA/LABA could provide better clinical outcomes than LABA/ICS, this non-interventional database study assessed the risk of COPD exacerbations, pneumonia, and escalation to triple therapy in patients with COPD initiating maintenance therapy with tiotropium/olodaterol versus any LABA/ICS combination. Methods Administrative healthcare claims and laboratory results data from the US HealthCore Integrated Research DatabaseSM were evaluated for patients with COPD initiating tiotropium/olodaterol versus LABA/ICS treatment (January 2013–March 2019). Patients were aged at least 40 years with a diagnosis of COPD (but not asthma) at cohort entry. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used (as-treated analysis) to assess risk of COPD exacerbation, community-acquired pneumonia, and escalation to triple therapy, both individually and as a combined risk of any one of these events. Potential imbalance of confounding factors between cohorts was handled using fine stratification, reweighting, and trimming by exposure propensity score (high-dimensional); subgroup analyses were conducted on the basis of blood eosinophil levels and exacerbation history. Results The total population consisted of 61,985 patients (tiotropium/olodaterol n = 2684; LABA/ICS n = 59,301); after reweighting, the total was 42,953 patients (tiotropium/olodaterol n = 2600; LABA/ICS n = 40,353; mean age 65 years; female 54.5%). Patients treated with tiotropium/olodaterol versus LABA/ICS experienced a reduction in the risk of COPD exacerbations (adjusted hazard ratio 0.76 [95% confidence interval 0.68, 0.85]), pneumonia (0.74 [0.57, 0.97]), escalation to triple therapy (0.22 [0.19, 0.26]), and any one of these events (0.45 [0.41, 0.49]); the combined risk was similar irrespective of baseline eosinophils and exacerbation history. Conclusions In patients with COPD, tiotropium/olodaterol was associated with a lower risk of COPD exacerbations, pneumonia, and escalation to triple therapy versus LABA/ICS, both individually and in combination; the combined risk was reduced irrespective of baseline eosinophils or exacerbation history. Support for this project and the journal’s Open Access Fee were funded by Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. No Rapid Service Fee was received by the journal for the publication of this article.

Today’s mechatronic systems are becoming more and more complex as the development and design processes require collaboration across multiple engineering disciplines. The high complexity between loosely connected models results in a disconnect between these inter-disciplinary models, which may cause delays and costly rework in the long run. There is a need for an effective method to show the dependencies and risks across models for various stakeholder groups. Currently, the discussion about such methods is limited. This paper proposes and evaluates a user-friendly Decision Graph and Matrix Visualization method that combines network-based and matrix-based techniques to assist stakeholders in tracking dependencies and risks across models. The method is applied and demonstrated with a design and engineering case of a lab-scale production system, whose usability was tested formatively with experts.

Objective To investigate the incidence and predictors of dyspnea on exertion among subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods We investigated dyspnea on exertion using a prospective cohort, the Brigham RA Sequential Study (BRASS). Clinically significant dyspnea on exertion was defined as a score of ≥ 3 (unable to ambulate without breathlessness or worse) on the validated Medical Research Council (MRC) scale (range 0‐5). We analyzed subjects with MRC score < 3 at BRASS baseline and at ≥ 1 year of follow‐up. The MRC scale was administered annually. We determined the incidence rate (IR) of dyspnea on exertion. We used Cox regression to estimate the hazard ration (HR) for dyspnea on exertion occurring one year after potential predictors were assessed. Results We analyzed 829 subjects with RA and no clinically significant dyspnea on exertion during a mean follow‐up period of 3.0 years (SD 1.9). At baseline, mean age was 55.7 years (SD 13.6), 82.4% of subjects were female, and median RA duration was 8 years. During follow‐up, 112 subjects (13.5%) developed incident dyspnea on exertion during 2476 person‐years of follow‐up (incidence rate 45.2 per 1000 person‐years). Independent predictors of incident dyspnea on exertion were older age (HR 1.03 per year, 95% CI, 1.01‐1.04), female sex (HR 2.22, 95% CI, 1.14‐4.29), mild dyspnea (HR 2.62, 95% CI, 1.60‐4.28), and worsened Multi‐Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire score (HR 2.36 per unit, 95% CI, 1.54‐3.60). Methotrexate use, RA disease activity, and seropositivity were not associated with incident dyspnea on exertion after accounting for other dyspnea risk factors. Conclusion Dyspnea on exertion occurred commonly in patients with RA. Older women with impaired physical function were especially vulnerable to developing dyspnea on exertion.

In this study, we demonstrated a facile method to prepare a novel SnO

INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoantibodies were associated with abnormalities on pulmonary function tests (PFTs). METHODS: We studied RA serostatus and PFT abnormalities within a RA registry. RA serostatus was assessed by research assays for cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF). Outcomes were abnormalities on clinically-indicated PFTs, including restriction, obstruction, and diffusion abnormality. Logistic regression was used to obtain ORs and 95%CIs for the PFT abnormalities by RA serologic phenotypes independent of lifestyle and RA characteristics. RESULTS: Among 1,272 analyzed subjects, mean age was 56.3 years (SD 14.1), 82.2% were female, and 69.5% were seropositive. There were 100 subjects with abnormal PFTs. Compared to seronegativity, seropositivity was associated with increased odds of any PFT abnormality (multivariable OR 2.29, 95%CI 1.30-4.03). When analyzing type of PFT abnormality, seropositivity was also associated with restriction, obstruction, and diffusion abnormalities; multivariable ORs were 2.48 (95%CI 1.26-4.87), 3.12 (95%CI 1.28-7.61), and 2.30 (95%CI 1.09-4.83), respectively. When analyzing by CCP and RF status, the associations were stronger for RF+ than for CCP+ (any PFT abnormality: OR 1.99, 95%CI 1.21-3.27 for RF+ vs. RF−; OR 1.67, 95%CI 1.03-2.69 for CCP+ vs. CCP−) with a dose effect of higher RF titer increasing odds for each PFT abnormality (p for trend

SnO2/SnxMo1−xO3−x solid solution-based nanocomposites have been prepared via a two-step hydrothermal and following annealing processes. At a Sn/Mo molar ratio of 1:2 (the Sn/Mo = 1:2), a single-phase SnxMo1−xO3−x with ionic flake-like structure can be obtained; while, a SnO2/SnxMo1−xO3−x solid solution nanocomposite can be obtained at a Sn/Mo molar ratio of 1:1 (the Sn/Mo = 1:1), which combines with iconic sphere and flake-like structure. Then, electrochemical properties are systematically studied with pure SnO2 and pure MoO3 comparisons as anodes for LIBs. The after cycled Sn/Mo = 1:1 electrode could contain three phases of metallic Sn, MoO2 and an amorphous Sn-Mo oxides, which provide a general synergistic effect to enhance the surface charge contribution, reduce the charge transfer resistance and increase the reaction kinetics. Specifically, the Sn/Mo = 1:1 electrode exhibits a high initial coulombic efficiency of 73.5% with an excellent reversible lithium storage capacity of 735 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1 after 500 cycles, and a high-rate performance with a specific capacity of 337 mAh g−1 can be obtained at current density of 4 A g−1. This work could provide some inspirations to design solid solution-based nanocomposite with a general synergistic effect to enhance the electrochemical performance for lithium storage application.

In this study, we demonstrated a facile method to prepare a novel SnO2microporous rod with various microstructures by controlling NaOH molarities in precursor synthesis processes. Four different molarities of NaOH solution (0.005 M, 0.048 M, 0.12 M and 0.5 M) were used together with o-phthalic acid in Sn-MOF synthesis to determine the effect of ligand [o-C6H4CO222-] concentration on microstructure evolution. It was found that increasing NaOH molarity can effectively decrease the size of Sn-MOF rods. Then, the SnO2microporous rods were obtained by calcinating the as-prepared Sn-MOF as microstructures. Under an optimized experimental condition (NaOH molarity of 0.12 M), the SnO2rods shows a modest initial coulombic efficiency of 61.3% with a high reversible sodium storage capacity of 503 mAh g-1after 150 cycles at 50 mA g-1. Moreover, an impressive reversible sodium storage capacity of 206 mAh g-1can be obtained at long-term cycling performance (800 cycles at current density of 2 A g-1). Effects of morphologies to electrochemical performances have been further discussed in aspects of intrinsic resistance, pseudocapacitive contribution, surface area and porous structure and microstructural stability, and the enhanced electrochemical performance could be attributed to factors of enhanced pseudocapacitive charge contribution, optimized microstructures, and structural stability, which ensure the SnO2-0.12 M to have a good rate performance and cyclability. This nanoscale-engineering method adopted here could be a promising path to fabricate SnO2-based anodes with novel microstructures for sodium storage applications.

We investigated whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoantibodies were associated with abnormalities on pulmonary function tests (PFTs).We studied RA serostatus and PFT abnormalities within a RA registry. RA serostatus was assessed by research assays for cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF). Outcomes were abnormalities on clinically indicated PFTs, including restriction, obstruction, and diffusion abnormality. Logistic regression was used to obtain ORs and 95% CIs for the PFT abnormalities by RA serologic phenotypes independent of lifestyle and RA characteristics.Among 1272 analyzed subjects, mean age was 56.3 years (SD 14.1), 82.2% were female, and 69.5% were seropositive. There were 100 subjects with abnormal PFTs. Compared with seronegativity, seropositivity was associated with increased odds of any PFT abnormality (multivariable OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.30-4.03). When analyzing type of PFT abnormality, seropositivity was also associated with restriction, obstruction, and diffusion abnormalities; multivariable ORs were 2.48 (95% CI 1.26-4.87), 3.12 (95% CI 1.28-7.61), and 2.30 (95% CI 1.09-4.83), respectively. When analyzing by CCP and RF status, the associations were stronger for RF+ than for CCP+ (any PFT abnormality OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.21-3.27 for RF+ vs. RF-; OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.03-2.69 for CCP+ vs. CCP-) with a dose effect of higher RF titer increasing odds for each PFT abnormality (p for trend 0.05).Seropositive RA patients had two-fold increased risk for abnormalities on PFTs performed for clinical indications compared with seronegative RA. Patients with seropositive RA, particularly those with high-titer RF positivity, may be more likely to have obstructive and restrictive abnormalities, independent of smoking.Key points• Due to the known excess pulmonary morbidity/mortality in RA, we studied the relationship of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoantibodies with pulmonary function test (PFT) abnormalities using a large RA registry.• We evaluated whether presence and levels of cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) were associated with restriction, obstruction, and diffusion abnormalities on PFTs among 1272 subjects with RA.• Seropositivity was associated with two-fold increased risk for any PFT abnormality, independent of confounders including smoking. Higher titers of RF conferred greatest risk for all PFT outcomes: obstruction, restriction, and diffusion abnormality.• These results provide evidence that patients with RA should be closely monitored for pulmonary involvement, particularly those with high-titer RF seropositivity.

AIMS: To evaluate the prospective association between baseline and 9-year change in alcohol consumption and long-term risk of diabetes and whether these associations might be modified by sex and/or body mass index. METHODS: We conducted a prospective analysis of 12,042 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study participants without prevalent diabetes (55% women, 78% white, mean age 54 years). Alcohol consumption was assessed at visit 1 (1987–1989) and visit 4 (1996–1998). We used Cox models to estimate hazard ratios for diabetes risk by baseline drinking categories and change in alcohol consumption, stratified by sex and obesity status. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 21 years, there were 3,795 incident diabetes cases. Among women, consuming 8–14 drinks/week was associated with a significantly lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.75, 95%CI, 0.58–0.96) compared to current drinkers consuming ≤1 drink/week. Among men, consuming 8–14 drinks/week was associated with a borderline significant lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.84, 95%CI 0.70–1.00) and consuming >14 drinks/week was associated with a significantly lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.81, 95%CI 0.67–0.97) (p-for-sex interaction

Objective To evaluate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity and risk of RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). Methods We investigated disease activity and risk of RA-ILD using the Brigham RA Sequential Study (BRASS, 2003-2016). All patients were diagnosed as having RA according to accepted criteria. Disease Activity Scores in 28 joints (DAS28) and covariate data were measured prospectively at annual study visits. Diagnosis of RA-ILD was determined by review of images from clinically indicated chest computed tomography scans. We analyzed patients without RA-ILD at baseline. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for RA-ILD, using annually updated DAS28 data, with adjustment for known RA-ILD risk factors (age, sex, smoking status, RA duration, and serologic status). We performed alternative analyses that did not censor at the time of missing DAS28 data and included adjustment for use of methotrexate, use of glucocorticoids, presence of bone erosions, and presence of rheumatoid nodules. Results Among 1,419 participants, the mean ± SD age was 55.8 ± 14.2 years, and 68.6% were seropositive for either cyclic citrullinated peptide or rheumatoid factor. We identified 85 incident cases of RA-ILD during a mean ± SD follow-up duration of 8.9 ± 4.2 years per patient. The moderate/high disease activity group had a multivariable HR of 2.22 (95% CI 1.28-3.82) for RA-ILD compared to the remission/low disease activity group. Risk of RA-ILD increased across disease activity categories: multivariable HR 1.00 (reference) for remission, 1.41 (95% CI 0.61-3.28) for low disease activity, 2.08 (95% CI 1.06-4.05) for moderate disease activity, and 3.48 (95% CI 1.64-7.38) for high disease activity (P for trend = 0.001). For each unit increase in the DAS28, the risk of RA-ILD increased by 35% (95% CI 14-60%). Results were similar in analyses that included follow-up for missing DAS28 data and with adjustment for use of methotrexate, use of glucocorticoids, presence of bone erosions, or presence of rheumatoid nodules. Conclusion Active articular RA was associated with an increased risk of developing RA-ILD. These results suggest that decreasing systemic inflammation may alter the natural history of RA-ILD development.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) develop in up to 8% of men and 6% of women over a lifetime. Although they typically remain asymptomatic, rupture of an AAA carries high mortality. Smoking and hypertension have been identified as modifiable risk factors for developing an AAA. The role of diet, however, is yet unclear. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between adherence to a DASH-style dietary pattern and the risk of incident AAA in a large, community-based cohort of middle-aged adults. Methods: Dietary intake was assessed via a 66-item FFQ at two visits in 14,322 participants enrolled in the ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) without clinical AAA, incomplete dietary/covariate information or extreme energy intake at baseline. Adherence to a DASH-style dietary pattern was assessed using a previously developed dietary scoring index. Participants were followed for incident clinical AAAs using hospital discharge diagnoses, Medicare outpatient diagnoses, or death certificates through December 31, 2011. Cox proportional hazards models with covariate adjustment were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: During a median follow-up of 23 years, there were 539 incident AAA cases. Participants with a DASH diet score in the highest quintile had a 39% lower risk to develop AAAs than those in the lowest score quintile (HRQ5 vs. Q1: 0.61; 95% CI 0.45, 0.84; ptrend =0.004) after adjusting for sociodemographics, total caloric intake, smoking, physical activity, BMI, abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease. Higher intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and nuts and legumes was related to a decreased risk for AAA. Conclusions: Greater adherence to a DASH-style dietary pattern was found to be associated with lower incidence of AAA. Higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy as well as nuts and legumes may help to decrease the burden of AAA in U.S. adults.

Background: Moderate alcohol consumption has been reported to be associated with lower risk for diabetes with some studies showing a U-shaped association. Whether and how the association might differ by gender or obesity status is controversial. Objective: To evaluate the prospective association between alcohol consumption and the long-term risk of diabetes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Methods: A prospective analysis of 11,263 ARIC participants without prevalent diabetes (55% women, 81%white, mean age 54 years). Alcohol consumption was assessed at visit 1 (1987-1989). Participants were followed-up for incident diabetes defined by fasting glucose more than 126 mg/dL, non-fasting glucose more than 200 mg/dL, self-reported diagnosis of diabetes or use of diabetic medication. We used Cox models to estimate hazard ratios of diabetes risk by drinking categories in women and men, respectively. Results: During a median follow-up of 21 years, there were 3518 incident diabetes cases. In the fully adjusted model, compared to never drinkers, among women, 7-14 drinks/week was associated with a significantly lower risk of diabetes; whereas among men, 14-21 drinks/week was associated with a significantly lower risk ( Table ). There was a significant interaction between drinking categories and smoking status or between drinking categories and body mass index in women. Among women, a U-shaped association was mainly present among non-smokers, and significant decreasing risk is only found among normal-weight and overweight participants, but not obese participants. Conclusion: Low levels of alcohol intake (1-2 drinks per day for women and 2-3 drinks per day for men) are inversely associated with diabetes risk. The association is modified by smoking and body mass index in women.

BACKGROUND There is growing interest in fructosamine, glycated albumin, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) as alternative measures of hyperglycemia, particularly for use in settings where traditional measures (glucose and HbA1c) are problematic or where intermediate (2–4 weeks) glycemic control is of interest. However, reference intervals for these alternative biomarkers are not established. METHODS We measured fructosamine, glycated albumin, and 1,5-AG in a community-based sample of US black and white adults who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. We calculated reference intervals, evaluated demographic differences, and derived cutoffs aligned with current diagnostic cutpoints for HbA1c and fasting glucose. RESULTS In a healthy reference population of 1799 individuals (mean age, 55 years; 51% women; 15% black), the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles, respectively, were 194.8 and 258.0 μmol/L for fructosamine, 10.7% and 15.1% for glycated albumin, and 8.4 and 28.7 μg/mL for 1,5-AG. Distributions differed by race, sex, and body mass index. Equivalent concentrations of fructosamine and glycated albumin corresponding to an HbA1c of 6.5% (96.5 percentile) were 270.2 μmol/L and 15.6%, respectively. Equivalent concentrations of fructosamine and glycated albumin corresponding to a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL (93.9 percentile) were 261.7 μmol/L and 15.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The reference intervals for these biomarkers should inform their clinical use. Diagnostic cutpoint equivalents for fructosamine and glycated albumin could be useful to identify persons with hyperglycemia in settings where fasting glucose or HbA1c are not available or where the interpretation of these traditional measures is problematic.