After a brief review on electro-optical (EO) polymers, the recent development of EO dendrimers is summarized. Both single-and multiple-dendron-modified nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores in the guest±host polymer systems showed a very significant enhancement of poling efficiency (up to a three-fold increase) due to the minimization of intermolecular electrostatic interactions among large dipole moment chromophores through the dendritic effect. Moreover, multiple NLO chromophore building blocks can also be placed into a dendrimer to construct a precise molecular architecture with a predetermined chemical composition. The site-isolation effect, through the encapsulation of NLO moieties with dendrons, can greatly enhance the performance of EO materials. A very large EO coefficient (r 33 = 60 pm/V at 1.55 lm) and high temporal stability (85 C for more than 1000 h) were achieved in a NLO dendrimer (see Figure) through the double-end functionalization of a three-dimensional phenyl-tetracyanobutadienyl (Ph-TCBD)-containing NLO chromophore with thermally crosslinkable trifluorovinylether-containing dendrons.
Highly efficient blue-, green-, and red-emitting polymer LEDs can be fabricated using holetransporting layers based on triarylaminescontaining perfluorocyclobutanes (PFCBs). Energy level studies suggest that ITO can inject holes into the PFCB-based materials efficiently. Moreover, the materials are rather hydrophobic, which could lead to LED devices with much better stabilities against moistureinduced degradation. The Figure The mobility of monolayer-coated gold nanowires on surfaces depends on the nature of the electrostatic interactions between the particles and the surface. Patterned surfaces (see Figure) are selectively derivatized using a mixture of attractive and repulsive interactions, and nanowire bundles are assembled in the lithographically defined wells of appropriate size.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) exerts pleiotropic effects on macrophages and is required for self-renewal but the mechanisms responsible are unknown. Using GM-CSF receptor-beta-chain deficient mice, we show GM-CSF is critical for mitochondrial turnover, functions, and integrity. GM-CSF signaling is essential for fatty acid beta-oxidation and markedly increased tricarboxylic acid cycle activity, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production. GM-CSF also regulated cytosolic pathways including glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and amino acid synthesis. We conclude that GM-CSF regulates macrophages in part through a critical role in maintaining mitochondria, which are necessary for cellular metabolism as well as proliferation and self-renewal.
Gout is the most common and progressive arthritic condition. Its severity is assumed to have implications for the humanistic and economic burden of the illness. The objective of this study is to examine the burden of gout between patients with and without tophi using electronic health records (EHR). METHODS: The Humedica EHR database was searched starting on January 1, 2008 through February 28, 2013 for patients having an initial gout diagnosis (ICD-9 274.xx) and a confirmatory gout diagnosis at least 30 days later. Deidentified patients with enrollment from 6-months pre/12-months post initial gout diagnosis and at least one serum uric acid (SUA) level were included in the study. Patients (n= 933) with a diagnosis of tophaceous gout (274.03, 274.81, and 274.82) during the 12-months postindex period were compared to all other gout (non-tophaceous) patients (n= 45,512). Demographic characteristics and comorbidities, SUA levels, and use of colchicine for acute flares during the 12-months post-index period were compared using chisquare tests. RESULTS: Gout patients with tophi were more likely to be female (p< 0.01) and have uncontrolled (SUA= 6-8) or severely uncontrolled (SUA = > 10) SUA (p< 0.0001) than patients without tophi. Colchicine use was higher in patients with tophi (p< .0001). There were significantly higher levels of cardiovascular comorbidities in the gout patients with tophi vs those without: hypertension (p< 0.05), myocardial infarction (p< 0.01), atherosclerosis (p< 0.0001), dyslipidemia (p< 0.0001), peripheral arterial disease (p< 0.0001), congestive heart failure (p< 0.0001), chronic heart disease (p< 0.0001), cardiomyopathy(p< 0.0001), ischemic and valvular heart disease (p< 0.0001) and left ventricular hypertrophy (p< 0.001). Gout patients with tophi had higher levels of chronic kidney disease, Stages 3-5, (p< 0.0001), osteoarthritis (p< 0.0001), rheumatoid arthritis (p< 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Gout patients with tophi had significantly greater burden of disease and greater frequency of comorbidities than those without. Preventing the development of tophi may reduce comorbidities and frequency of colchicine use and warrants further investigation.
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