Highly efficient NHC-iridium-catalyzed β-methylation of alcohols with methanol at low catalyst loadings

The methylation of alcohols is of great importance since a broad number of bioactive and pharmaceutical alcohols contain methyl groups. Here, a highly efficient β-methylation of primary and secondary alcohols with methanol has been achieved by using bis-N-heterocyclic carbene iridium (bis-NHC-Ir) complexes. Broad substrate scope and up to quantitative yields were achieved at low catalyst loadings with only hydrogen and water as by-products. The protocol was readily extended to the β-alkylation of alcohols with several primary alcohols. Control experiments, along with DFT calculations and crystallographic studies, revealed that the ligand effect is critical to their excellent catalytic performance, shedding light on more challenging Guerbet reactions with simple alcohols

Frequency and Clinical Impact of Serious Adverse Events on Post-Stroke Recovery with NeuroAiD (MLC601) versus Placebo: The CHInese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke Recovery Study

10.1159/000506070Cerebrovascular Diseases492192–19

CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of pulmonary malignancies: Results in 69 cases

Abstract Background Microwave ablation (MWA) has attracted a worldwide attention gradually in treating inoperable pulmonary malignancies. However, in the lung tissues treated with MWA recurrence of tumor may still occur and few data in large patient groups till now were reported about the safety or effectiveness of microwave ablation in treating primary lung cancer and metastatic pulmonary malignancies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical curative effect (local control, survival data) MWA and its safety as well. Methods From 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2008, retrospective analyses, 69 patients underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous MWA of pulmonary malignancies. All patients were deemed medically inoperable. The correlation of tumor sizes and local progression after ablation was analyzed and the survival rates within 3 years post surgery were compared between non-small-cell lung cancer and pulmonary metastases groups also. Results Pneumothorax was the most frequent complication and occurred in 24.64% patients after ablation. Neither needle track implantation was found nor did patient death occur in these patients within 30 days. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 66.7%, 44.9% and 24.6%, respectively. The overall survival rates for NSCLC patients in 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were 75.0%, 54.2%, and 29.2%, respectively. The overall survival rates for pulmonary metastatic tumor patients in 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were 47.6%, 23.8%, and 14.3%, respectively. The recurrence-free survival rates for NSCLC patients in 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were 72.9%, 50.0%, and 27.1%, respectively. The mortality rates for pulmonary metastatic tumor patients in 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were 47.6%, 19.0%, and 14.3%, respectively. Conclusions Percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy was one safe and effective method and could be beneficial for the improvement of inoperable pulmonary malignancies treatment effect.</p

Emergency Department Management of Sepsis Patients: A Randomized, Goal-Oriented, Noninvasive Sepsis Trial

10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.09.010ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE673367-378United State

Impact of selective immune-cell depletion on growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in a whole-blood bactericidal activity (WBA) assay

10.1371/journal.pone.0216616PLOS ONE14

Techniques and timings for cleft palate surgery: a randomised controlled trial

**Background**: There is a lack of reliable information on outcomes following cleft surgery. Options for timing and choice of primary cleft surgery have not been compared in randomised trials. **Methods**: Non-syndromic infants, aged six months, with isolated cleft of the secondary palate without associated lip deformity, were included in this prospective randomised trial to one of four options: Veau-Wardill-Kilner palatoplasty at six months of age (VWK06) or 12 months of age (VWK12), or two-flap palatoplasty with intra-velar veloplasty at six months of age (2F-IVV06) or 12 months of age (2F-IVV12). Outcome measures are early and late postoperative complications, velopharyngeal inadequacy symptoms, nasality, articulation and presence of otitis media at three years of age. **Results**: Of the 76 infants included in the trial, 90.8 per cent received surgery: VWK06 (n = 18), VWK12 (n = 16), 2F-IVV06 (n = 18) and 2F-IVV12 (n = 17). Early postoperative complications occurred in two VWK infants (6.1%) and three 2F-IVV infants (8.8%)—a difference of -2.8 per cent. With surgery planned at six months of age (T06) and 12 months of age (T12) respectively, there were three VWK infants (8.6%) and two 2F-IVV infants (6.3%)—a difference of +2.3 per cent. At age three, speech assessments were conducted for 62 (84%) children. Velopharyngeal inadequacy symptoms were detected in 4/30 VWK children (13.3%) and 3/30 2F-IVV children (10.0%)—a difference of 3.3. With T06 and T12, there were three VWK infants (9.4%) and four 2F-IVV infants (14.3%)—a difference -4.9%. Otitis media was documented in 40/61 of children (65.6%), hyper- and/or hyponasality in 27/61 of children (44%) and articulation errors in 53/60 of children (88%). **Conclusion**: Post-surgical complication rates appear low, and differ little, between VWK and 2F-IVV. At three years, there were no demonstrable differences in velopharyngeal inadequacy symptoms, nasality, articulation and otitis media between the two surgical techniques at two different times