Enhancement of smectic C mesophase stability by using branched alkyl chains in the auxiliary ligands of luminescent Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes.

International audienceA novel series of Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes based on cyclometallated imine ligands and N-benzoylthiourea (BTU) derivatives as auxiliary ligands has been prepared and their liquid crystalline properties as well as photophysical properties have been investigated. The crystal structure of one cyclometallated Pt(II) complex with N-(p-F-phenyl)-N'-benzoylthiourea as a co-ligand has been solved. The liquid crystalline properties have been investigated by a combination of DSC, POM and variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction. These new metallomesogens display either a monotropic SmC phase or both SmA and SmC phases, depending on the number of alkoxy groups attached to the imine ligand, alkyl chain length or the use of branched alkoxy terminal groups. We found that the introduction of branched alkoxy terminal groups lead to lower transition temperatures and stabilization of the SmC phase in both the Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes. While the Pd(II) complexes display no emission, the Pt(II) complexes show good emission properties in solution, in the solid state and as a PMMA film at room temperature, and their investigation is reported

C-Reactive Protein in Heart Failure

Background— The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in heart failure is not well studied. We assessed the prognostic value of CRP in patients randomized in Val-HeFT (Valsartan Heart Failure Trial) and studied changes in CRP that were associated with valsartan. Methods and Results— Characteristics of patients with baseline CRP levels above and below the median value were compared. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the relationship of CRP to mortality and morbidity. Interactions were tested to determine whether differences in CRP changes from baseline to 4 and 12 months between groups randomly assigned to valsartan or placebo depended on baseline ACE inhibitor use. Median plasma CRP was 3.23 mg/L (interquartile range 1.42 to 7.56 mg/L), which is higher than in the general population. Patients with CRP above the median had features of more severe heart failure than those with CRP levels below the median. The cumulative likelihood of death and first morbid event increased with increasing quartile of CRP. Relative to the lowest CRP quartile, the risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.9) and first morbid event (hazard ratio 1.53, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.84) was increased in the highest CRP quartile in multivariable models. CRP added incremental prognostic information to that provided by brain natriuretic peptide alone. CRP did not change significantly over time in the placebo group; however, after 12 months, valsartan was associated with a decrease in CRP in patients not receiving ACE inhibitors but not in those receiving ACE inhibitors at 12 months. Conclusions— CRP is increased in heart failure. Higher levels are associated with features of more severe heart failure and are independently associated with mortality and morbidity. The ability of treatments to reduce CRP levels and the prognostic importance of reducing CRP require further study

Sunflower genotypes with high tolerance to drought and extreme temperatures, having good resistance to some specific diseases

Sunflower is considered to be moderately resistant to drought, but in hot conditions, the plants suffer reduction in fertility, yield performance and quality of products. In literature there are mentioned some adoptive mechanisms of plants to drought: escape, avoidance and tolerance, as well as their genetic variability. For sunflower it is very important to increase the cold resistance in early development stages, at stage of germination, emergence and the stage of 2-3 leaves, in order to facilitate an early sowing. Wild Helianthus species are a very valuable source of resistance in increasing drought resistance as well as resistance to low temperatures in sunflower. Some of our best elite lines have been introduced in a process of improvement of resistance to drought, using recurrent selection. Also it has been transfered some genes for controling the attack of some important pathogenes. In this process of selection, we obtained inbred lines (CMS and pollen fertility restorer lines) having very good tolerance to drought as well as resistance to low temperatures

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Into the Night-Side of Societies: Theorizing Contemporary American Conspiracy Theories

This paper analyzes contemporary American conspiracy theories in a radically new light with the goal of arriving at a functional definition of ‘conspiracy theory' with which to begin to analyze conspiracy narratives and movements founded on such assumptions. Though the previous (admittedly scant) scholarship on the topic has largely failed to arrive at an adequate understanding of conspiracy theories, it does serve to provide us with several important questions with which to address the topic. What causes and how can we characterize the "dualistic thinking" of conspiracy theories observed by Hofstadler? What is the relation between social crisis and the proliferation of conspiracist narratives? What does it mean for something to exist—how can we gauge truth in the context of conspiratorial utterances? What are we to make of Vankin's paranoid conclusions centering around the increased economic and political regimentation and surveillance of contemporary life? Finally, how can we arrive at a better understanding of conspiracy theory that does not itself fall in to one of the three traditional pitfalls of those reviewing the subject: 1) a radical refutation of all conspiratorial narratives and a conservative endorsement of all the conventions and dominant discourses of the status quo, 2) an arduous and practically impossible evaluation of every single conspiracy theory that aims at systematically proving individual theories true or false, and 3) a radical refutation of all the conventions and dominant discourses of the status quo and an anti-establishmentarian endorsement of all conspiracy theories

Carriage of Multidrug Resistance Staphylococci in Shelter Dogs in Timisoara, Romania

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus species, which pose risks for public health, by evaluating skin samples collected from dogs in an animal shelter in Timisoara. Skin samples were taken from 78 dogs, which were either clinically healthy or suffering from dermatological conditions. Staphylococcus spp. was isolated and recognized based on conventional methods based on colony appearance, microscopic morphology, sugar fermentation, and coagulase activity. Following biochemical analysis, Staphylococcus isolates were subject to PCR tests to detect sa-f and sa-r genes to confirm the isolates to genus level. The typical colonies were identified to species level using biochemical methods, namely the VITEK®2 ID-GP64 identification card (bioMerieux, France). The phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiling was performed using the VITEK®2 AST GP Gram-positive specific bacteria card (bioMerieux, France). Forty-three samples were confirmed as positive for Staphylococcus spp. Staphylococcus isolates were classified into the following categories: S. aureus, S. pseudintermedius, S. intermedius, S. epidermitis, S. haemolyticus, and S. hyicus. Eight (18.60%, 8/43) out of all the samples harbored the mecA gene, highlighting the distribution among isolated staphylococcal species: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (4/43, 9.30%), Staphylococcus intermedius (1/43, 2.32%) and Staphylococcus aureus (3/43, 9.30%), respectively. The phenomenon of resistance was present, to the following antimicrobial agents: erythromycin (38/43, 88.37%), benzylpenicillin, kanamycin, and tetracycline with 37 strains (37/43, 86.04%), gentamycin (30/43, 69.76%), chloramphenicol (29/43, 67.44%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (27/43, 62.79%), ampicillin (26/43, 60,46%), rifampicin (25/43, 58,13%), imipenem (14/43, 32,55%), nitrofurantoin (11/43, 25.58%), oxacillin (8/43, 18.60%), vancomycin (4/43, 9.30%) and clindamycin (3/43, 6.97%), respectively. The presence of multidrug-resistant zoonotic staphylococci in clinically healthy dogs and dogs with skin lesions is an animal health and human health concern

CuWO₄ with CuO and Cu(OH)₂ Native Surface Layers for H₂S Detection under in-Field Conditions

The paper presents the possibility of detecting low H2S concentrations using CuWO4. The applicative challenge was to obtain sensitivity, selectivity, short response time, and full recovery at a low operating temperature under in-field atmosphere, which means variable relative humidity (%RH). Three different chemical synthesis routes were used for obtaining the samples labeled as: CuW1, CuW2, and CuW3. The materials have been fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). While CuWO4 is the common main phase with triclinic symmetry, different native layers of CuO and Cu(OH)2 have been identified on top of the surfaces. The differences induced into their structural, morphological, and surface chemistry revealed different degrees of surface hydroxylation. Knowing the poisonous effect of H2S, the sensing properties evaluation allowed the CuW2 selection based on its specific surface recovery upon gas exposure. Simultaneous electrical resistance and work function measurements confirmed the weak influence of moisture over the sensing properties of CuW2, due to the pronounced Cu(OH)2 native surface layer, as shown by XPS investigations. Moreover, the experimental results obtained at 150 °C highlight the linear sensor signal for CuW2 in the range of 1 to 10 ppm H2S concentrations and a pronounced selectivity towards CO, CH4, NH3, SO2, and NO2. Therefore, the applicative potential deserves to be noted. The study has been completed by a theoretical approach aiming to link the experimental findings with the CuW2 intrinsic properties