Effect of interferon-β1α therapy on multiple sclerosis based on gadolinium-enhancing or active T2 magnetic resonance imaging outcomes: a meta-analysis

<p><b>Objectives:</b> Interferon-beta1alpha (IFN-β1α) is widely used to modify the course of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, many patients have relapses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a predictor of IFN-β1α treatment efficacy in patients with MS.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify eligible studies. Manual searches were also conducted. All eligible trials included MS patients who received IFN-β1α based on gadolinium-enhancing or active T2 MRI lesions for determination of relapse rates.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Of 499 identified studies, we included 10 trials reporting data on 6,037 MS patients. IFN-β1α therapy significantly reduced the risk of relapse (RR: 0.87; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.76–0.99; <i>p</i> = 0.032). Furthermore, baseline median T2 lesion volume was found to be related to IFN-β1α therapy and relapse (<i>p</i> = 0.018). Subgroup analysis suggested that IFN-β1α therapy was associated with reduced risk of relapse (RR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.71–0.94; <i>p</i> = 0.005 versus placebo). However, there was no significant difference in the risk of relapse compared to treatment with low dose IFN-β1α (RR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.80–1.08; <i>p</i> = 0.337) or glatiramer acetate (RR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.77–1.14; <i>p</i> = 0.506). Finally, IFN-β1α therapy significantly increased the risk of injection-site disorders, influenza-like syndrome, and alanine transferase elevation.</p> <p><b>Discussion:</b> Effects of IFN-β1α therapy are associated with a statistically significant impact on baseline median T2 lesion volume. However, the safety outcomes are significantly worse in patients who receive IFN-β1α therapy.</p

Additional file 1 of High prevalence of ST5-SCCmec II-t311 clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bloodstream infections in East China

Supplementary material 1

DFT and TD-DFT Study on the Electronic Structures and Phosphorescent Properties of a Series of Heteroleptic Iridium(III) Complexes

The electronic structures and phosphorescent properties of a series of heteroleptic iridium­(III) complexes (mpmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>1</b>; mpmi = 1-(4-tolyl)-3-methylimidazolium, dmpypz = 3,5-dimethyl-2-(pyrazol-3-yl)­pyridine), (bpmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>2</b>; bpmi = 1-biphenyl-4-yl-3-methylimidazole), (dfmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>3</b>; dfmi = 1-(2,6-difluorobiphenyl)-3-methylimidazole), (mtmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>4</b>; mtmi = 1-methyl-3-(4′-(trifluoromethyl)­biphenyl-4-yl)­imidazole), (fmmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>5</b>; fmmi = 1-(fluoren-2-yl)-3-methylimidazole), and (mhmi)₂Ir­(dmpypz) (<b>6</b>; mhmi = 1-methyl-3-phenanthren-2-ylimidazole) have been investigated by using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. The influence of different substituent groups and π-conjugation degrees on the optical and electronic properties of Ir­(III) complexes was also explored by introducing phenyl, fluorophenyl, (trifluoromethyl)­phenyl, and rigid construction on the phenylimidazole moiety of a cyclometalated ligand (C^∧C) in complex <b>1</b>. The calculated results show that the lowest energy absorption wavelengths of complexes <b>1</b>–<b>6</b> are 387, 380, 378, 375, 391, and 384 nm, respectively. The introduction of different substituent groups leads to different degrees of red shift for complexes <b>2</b>–<b>6</b> in emission spectra in comparison with that of complex <b>1</b>. It is believed that the highest triplet metal to ligand charge transfer ³MLCT (%) contribution, smallest Δ<i>E</i>_S₁–T₁ and higher μ_S₁ values, and larger ³MC–³MLCT energy gap for <b>3</b> ensure its higher quantum yield in comparison with that of other complexes