N′-(4-Fluoro­benzyl­idene)acetohydrazide

The title compound, C9H9FN2O, was prepared by the reaction of 4-fluoro­benzophenone and acethydrazide. In the mol­ecule, all non-H atoms are essentially coplanar [r.m.s. deviation = 0.065 (2) Å]. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked into centrosymmetric dimers by pairs of inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

Proteomic analysis of swine serum following highly virulent classical swine fever virus infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) belongs to the genus <it>Pestivirus </it>within the family <it>Flaviviridae</it>. Virulent strains of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) cause severe disease in pigs characterized by immunosuppression, thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation, which causes significant economic losses to the pig industry worldwide.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To reveal proteomic changes in swine serum during the acute stage of lethal CSFV infection, 5 of 10 pigs were inoculated with the virulent CSFV Shimen strain, the remainder serving as uninfected controls. A serum sample was taken at 3 days post-infection from each swine, at a stage when there were no clinical symptoms other than increased rectal temperatures (≥40°C). The samples were treated to remove serum albumin and immunoglobulin (IgG), and then subjected to two-dimension differential gel electrophoresis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Quantitative intensity analysis revealed 17 protein spots showing at least 1.5-fold quantitative alteration in expression. Ten spots were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF MS or LTQ MS. Expression of 4 proteins was increased and 6 decreased in CSFV-infected pigs. Functions of these proteins included blood coagulation, anti-inflammatory activity and angiogenesis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These proteins with altered expression may have important implications in the pathogenesis of classical swine fever and provide a clue for identification of biomarkers for classical swine fever early diagnosis.</p

(3S,12R,20S,24R)-20,24-Ep­oxy­dammarane-3,12,25-triol

In the title mol­ecule, C30H52O4, the three six-membered rings are in chair conformations, the cyclo­pentane ring is in an envelope form and the tetra­hydro­furan ring has a conformation inter­mediate between half-chair and sofa. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into helical chains along [100]. Two intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are also present. One C atom of the tetrahydrofuran ring and its attached H atoms are equally disordered over two sets of sites

A unified framework of transformations based on the Jordan-Wigner transformation

Quantum simulation of chemical Hamiltonians enables the efficient calculation of chemical properties. Mapping is one of the essential steps in simulating fermionic systems on quantum computers. In this work, a unified framework of transformations mapping fermionic systems to qubit systems is presented, and many existing transformations, such as Jordan-Wigner, Bravyi-Kitaev, and parity transformations, are included in this framework. Based on this framework, the Multilayer Segmented Parity (MSP) transformation is proposed. The MSP transformation is a general mapping with an adjustable parameter vector, which can be viewed as a generalization of the above-mentioned mappings. Furthermore, the MSP transformation can adjust flexibly when dealing with different systems. Applying these mappings to the electronic structure Hamiltonians of various molecules, the MSP transformation is found to perform better on the number of Pauli operators and gates needed in the circuit of Hamiltonian simulation. The MSP transformation will reduce the qubit gate requirement for Hamiltonian simulation on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices,and it will provide a much wider choice of mappings for researchers

High serum cortisol level is associated with increased risk of delirium after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a prospective cohort study

Introduction: The pathophysiology of postoperative delirium remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum cortisol level and occurrence of early postoperative delirium in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: A total of 243 patients undergoing elective CABG surgery were enrolled. Patients were examined twice daily during the first five postoperative days and postoperative delirium was diagnosed by using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). Blood samples were obtained between 7 a. m. and 8 a. m. on the first postoperative day and serum cortisol concentrations were then measured. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors of postoperative delirium. Results: Postoperative delirium occurred in 50.6% (123 of 243) of patients. High serum cortisol level was significantly associated with increased risk of postoperative delirium (OR 3.091, 95% CI 1.763-5.418, P &lt; 0.001). Other independent risk factors of postoperative delirium included increasing age (OR 1.111, 95% CI 1.065-1.159, P &lt; 0.001), history of diabetes mellitus (OR 1.905, 95% CI 1.001-3.622, P = 0.049), prolonged duration of surgery (OR 1.360, 95% CI 1.010-1.831, P = 0.043), and occurrence of complications within the first day after surgery (OR 2.485, 95% CI 1.184-5.214, P = 0.016). Patients who developed postoperative delirium had a higher incidence of postoperative complications and a prolonged duration of postoperative ICU and hospital stay. Conclusions: Delirium was a common complication after CABG surgery. High serum cortisol level was associated with increased risk of postoperative delirium. Patients who developed delirium had outcomes worse than those who did not.Critical Care MedicineSCI(E)PubMed28ARTICLE6R2381

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Organogermanium Sesquioxides As Antitumor Agents

Five new organogermanium sesquioxides have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra. All the compounds were tested for antitumor activities against KB, HCT, and Bel cells in vitro. Compound 5 (γ-thiocarbamido propyl germanium sesquioxide) showed excellent antitumor activity, and its inhibition yield to KB, HCT, and Bel cells was 92.9%, 84.9%, and 70.9%, respectively. A rapid method was described for the labeling compound 5 with 99mTc, and the optimum labeling conditions were investigated. The labeling yield is above 90% in pH 7.0, 20°C, reaction time greater than 10 minutes, 1 mg of compound 5, and 0.075∼0.1 mg of SnCl2. The biodistribution of 99mTc labeled compound 5 in nude mice bearing human colonic xenografts was studied. The result showed that the tumor uptakes were 0.73, 0.97, 0.87, and 0.62 ID%/g at 1-hour, 3-hour, 6-hour, and 20-hour postinjection, respectively. T/NT (the uptake ratio for per gram of tumor over normal tissues) was 18.3 for tumor versus brain and 5.81 for tumor versus muscle at 20-hour postinjection. The tumor clearance was slow. The results showed that compound 5 may be developed to be a suitable cancer therapeutic agent

Gap Anisotropy in Iron-Based Superconductors: A Point-Contact Andreev Reflection Study of BaFe2−x_{2-x}Nix_{x}As2_2 Single Crystals

We report a systematic investigation on c-axis point-contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) in BaFe$_{2-x}$Ni$_x$As$_2$ superconducting single crystals from underdoped to overdoped regions (0.075 $\leq x\leq 0.15$). At optimal doping ($x=0.1$) the PCAR spectrum feature the structures of two superconducting gap and electron-boson coupling mode. In the $s\pm$ scenario, quantitative analysis using a generalized Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) formalism with two gaps: one isotropic and another angle dependent, suggest a nodeless state in strong-coupling limit with gap minima on the Fermi surfaces. Upon crossing above the optimal doping ($x > 0.1$), the PCAR spectrum show an in-gap sharp narrow peak at low bias, in contrast to the case of underdoped samples ($x < 0.1$), signaling the onset of deepened gap minima or nodes in the superconducting gap. This result provides evidence of the modulation of the gap amplitude with doping concentration, consistent with the calculations for the orbital dependent pair interaction mediated by the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Reversibly tuning the insulating and superconducting state in KxFe2-ySe2 crystals by post-annealing

Since the discovery of superconductivity at 26 K in oxy-pnictide LaFeAsO1-xFx, enormous interests have been stimulated in the field of condensed matter physics and material sciences. Among the many kind of structures in the iron pnictide superconductors, FeSe with the PbO structure has received special attention since there is not poisonous pnictogen element in chemical composition and its structure is the simplest one. However, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) in iron chalcogenide compounds is not enhanced as high as other iron pnictide superconductors under ambient pressure until the superconductivity at above 30 K in potassium intercalated iron selenide KxFe2-ySe2 was discovered. The insulating and the superconducting state are both observed in KxFe2-ySe2 with different stoichiometries and some groups have tuned the system from insulating to superconducting state by varying the ratio of starting materials[10, 11]. The recent data from neutron scattering suggest that the superconductivity may be built upon an ordered state of Fe vacancies as well as the antiferromagnetic state with a very strong ordered magnetic moment 3.4 B. Here we show that the superconductivity can actually be tuned on a single sample directly from an insulating state by post-annealing and fast quenching. Upon waiting for some days at room temperatures, the superconductivity will disappear and the resistivity exhibits an insulating behavior again. The spatial distribution of the compositions of the as-grown sample and the post-annealed-quenched one was analyzed by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrum (EDXS) and found to be very close to each other. Therefore it is tempting to conclude that the superconductivity is achieved when the Fe-vacancies are in a random (disordered) state. Once they arrange in an ordered state by relaxation or slow cooling, the system turns out to be an insulator.Comment: 12 pages,5 figure

Analysis of the influencing factors of interface operation in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery

AIM: To discuss the influencing factors of interface operation in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery(FLACS). METHODS: From March 2016 to October 2017, 44 patients(44 eyes)were enrolled in this study who had adverse cases occurred in interface operation in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery. A questionnaire survey was conducted to find out the relevant factors. RESULTS: The patient's emotion, comfort and external environment can influence the process and safety of interface operation in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery. The positive detection rate of patients with state anxiety was 73%, with mild and moderate status anxiety, among which there was no statistical difference between male and female state(P>0.05). The patient's comfort level was 89% and the satisfaction rate was 96%. CONCLUSION: The emotional, comfort, and environmental factors of patients in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery may affect the process and safety of interface operations, effective nursing and management measures can be implemented to improve patient surgical coordination and comfort, and reduce intraoperative complications