Gold-catalyzed dehydrogenative cycloisomerization of 1,4-Enyne Esters to 3,5-Disubstituted Phenol derivatives

A method to prepare synthetically important 3,5-disubstituted phenol derivatives that relies on the sequential gold(I)-catalyzed dehydrogenative cycloisomerization of 1,4-enyne esters in the presence of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) or N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) is described. The synthetic versatility of the methodology was exemplified by a gram-scale reaction of one example, the ease to realize subsequent functional transformations of an adduct, and the application of the method to the synthesis of the bioactive molecule LUF5771

Temperature Estimation of SiC Power Devices Using High Frequency Chirp Signals

Silicon carbide devices have become increasingly popular in electric vehicles, predominantly due to their fast-switching speeds, which allow for the construction of smaller power converters. Temperature sensitive electrical parameters (TSEPs) can be used to determine the junction temperature, just like silicon-based power switches. This paper presents a new technique to estimate the junction temperature of a single-chip silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). During off-state operation, high-frequency chirp signals below the resonance frequency of the gate-source impedance are injected into the gate of a discrete SiC device. The gate-source voltage frequency response is captured and then processed using the fast Fourier transform. The data is then accumulated and displayed over the chirp frequency spectrum. Results show a linear relationship between the processed gate-source voltage and the junction temperature. The effectiveness of the proposed TSEPs is demonstrated in a laboratory scenario, where chirp signals are injected in a stand-alone biased discrete SiC module, and in an in-field scenario, where the TSEP concept is applied to a MOSFET operating in a DC/DC converter

High‐Efficiency Graphene‐Oxide/Silicon Solar Cells with an Organic‐Passivated Interface

A breakthrough in graphene-oxide/silicon heterojunction solar cells is presented in which edge-oxidized graphene and an in-plane charge transfer dopant (Nafion) are combined to form a high-quality passivating contact scheme. A graphene oxide (GO):Nafion ink is developed and an advanced back-junction GO:Nafion/n-Si solar cell with a high-power conversion efficiency (18.8%) and large area (5.5 cm2) is reported. This scalable solution-based processing technique has the potential to enable low-cost carbon/silicon heterojunction photovoltaic devices

Identification of PDCD1 as a potential biomarker in acute rejection after kidney transplantation via comprehensive bioinformatic analysis

BackgroundAcute rejection is a determinant of prognosis following kidney transplantation. It is essential to search for novel noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.MethodsGene microarray data was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) expression profile database and the intersected differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was calculated. We conducted the DEGs with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Distribution of immune cell infiltration was calculated by CIBERSORT. A hub gene marker was identified by intersecting the rejection-related genes from WGCNA and a selected KEGG pathway—T cell receptor signaling pathway (hsa04660), and building a protein-protein interaction network using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. We performed flow-cytometry analysis to validate the hub gene.ResultsA total of 1450 integrated DEGs were obtained from five datasets (GSE1563, GSE174020, GSE98320, GSE36059, GSE25902). The GO, KEGG and immune infiltration analysis results showed that AR was mainly associated with T cell activation and various T-cell related pathways. Other immune cells, such as B cells, Macrophage and Dendritic cells were also associated with the progress. After utilizing the WGCNA and PPI network, PDCD1 was identified as the hub gene. The flow-cytometry analysis demonstrated that both in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, PD1+CD57-, an exhausted T cell phenotype, were downregulated in the acute rejection whole blood samples.ConclusionsOur study illustrated that PDCD1 may be a candidate diagnostic biomarker for acute kidney transplant rejection via integrative bioinformatic analysis

Modified nusinersen intrathecal injection method: inclusion of a septal needle-free closed infusion connector

ObjectiveNusinersen, an extremely expensive biologic drug (around 100,000 US$ per dose) that needs to be administered intrathecally, is approved for the treatment of 5q-spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Because of the low muscle tone of the back muscles of pediatric SMA patients, especially type 1 SMA patients, the safe, effective, and fast execution of sheath injection is needed. Therefore, a modified intrathecal injection method was developed accordingly. This paper aims to describe the applicability and safety of this modified method.MethodsThe modified intrathecal injection method (MIIM) mainly includes a septal needle-free closed infusion connector between the lumbar puncture needle and the syringe, besides the procedures of routine lumbar puncture. Its applicability and safety were evaluated through clinical observation.ResultsA total of 92 children with SMA have successfully received nusinersen treatment at our hospital using the modified method since 2019 without obvious adverse events related to the modified injection method. Based on the clinical feedback of operators, the advantages of the modified method include successfully injecting the total dose of nusinersen with constant injection rate and a more stable fixation of the puncture needle, as well as making the operator more relaxed. However, compared with the routine method, the procedure of the modified method has additional steps.ConclusionThe modified intrathecal injection method is an effective and safe method to inject nusinersen when weighing the pros and cons, and it may also be used for administering intrathecal injections of other expensive medicines or for patients with other strict requirements for intrathecal injection

How CEO hubris affects corporate social (Ir)responsibility

Grounded in the upper echelons perspective and stakeholder theory, this study establishes a link between CEO hubris and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We first develop the theoretical argument that CEO hubris is negatively related to a firm’s socially responsible activities but positively related to its socially irresponsible activities. We then explore the boundary conditions of hubris effects and how these relationships are moderated by resource dependence mechanisms. With a longitudinal dataset of S&P 1500 index firms for the period 2001-2010, we find that the relationship between CEO hubris and CSR is weakened when the firm depends more on stakeholders for resources, such as when its internal resource endowments are diminished as indicated by firm size and slack, and when the external market becomes more uncertain and competitive. The implications of our findings for upper echelons theory and the CSR research are discussed.Accepted versio

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activities of Novel Pyrazole Oxime Compounds Containing a Substituted Pyridyl Moiety

In this paper, in order to find novel biologically active pyrazole oximes, a series of pyrazole oxime compounds bearing a substituted pyridyl unit were prepared. Bioassays showed that some target compounds were found to have good acaricidal activity against Tetranychus cinnabarinus at a concentration of 500 μg/mL, compound 9q especially displayed potent acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus when the concentration was reduced to 100 μg/mL. Interestingly, most target compounds possessed excellent insecticidal activities against Oriental armyworm at 500 μg/mL. Moreover, some compounds were active against Aphis medicaginis and Nilaparvata lugens at 500 μg/mL. Additionally, compounds 9b, 9g, 9l, 9p, 9q, 9r, 9s, 9t, 9u, and 9v displayed significant antiproliferative activities against HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 1.53–17.27 μM, better than that of the control 5-fluorouracil (IC50 = 35.67 μM)

Design, Synthesis and Bioactivities of Novel 1,4-Pentadien-3-one Derivatives Containing a Substituted Pyrazolyl Moiety

In this study, in order to find novel biologically active penta-1,4-dien-3-one derivatives, a series of penta-1,4-dien-3-one compounds containing a substituted pyrazole subunit were designed and synthesized. Their structures were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. The preliminary bioassays displayed that most of the title compounds showed significant antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cell lines. Especially, compounds 7a–m, o, r, s, u, w, y and z were active against HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 0.10–5.05 μM, which were superior to that of the contrast sorafenib (IC50 = 16.20 μM)