Who may not benefit from continuous renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury?

This study aimed to identify factors that may predict early kidney recovery (less than 48 hours) or early death (within 48 hours) after initiating continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. This is a multicenter retrospective observational study of 14 Japanese Intensive care units (ICUs) in 12 tertiary hospitals. Consecutive adult patients with severe AKI requiring CRRT admitted to the participating ICUs in 2010 (n = 343) were included. Patient characteristics, variables at CRRT initiation, settings, and outcomes were collected. Patients were grouped into early kidney recovery group (CRRT discontinuation within 48 hours after initiation, n = 52), early death group (death within 48 hours after CRRT initiation, n = 52), and the rest as the control group (n = 239). The mean duration of CRRT in the early kidney recovery group and early death group was 1.3 and 0.9 days, respectively. In multivariable regression analysis, in comparison with the control group, urine output (mL/h) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.03), duration between ICU admission to CRRT initiation (days) (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43–0.87), and the sepsis‐related organ failure assessment score (OR: 0.87, 95% CI; 0.78–0.96) were related to early kidney recovery. Serum lactate (mmol/L) (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11–1.28), albumin (g/dL) (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28–0.92), vasopressor use (OR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.37–12.16), and neurological disease (OR: 9.64, 96% CI: 1.22–92.95) were related to early death. Identifying AKI patients who do not benefit from CRRT and differentiating such patients from the study cohort may allow previous and future studies to effectively evaluate the indication and role of CRRT.     

Lithiation and delithiation of silicon oxycarbide single particles with a unique microstructure

Single particles (11 and 13 μm diameter) of a silicon oxycarbide (Si-O-C) glass were electrochemically analyzed using a microelectrode technique. A micromanipulator-guided nickel-plated rhodium-platinum microfilament (25 μm diameter, 13 wt % rhodium) was used to maintain electrical contact to a single Si-O-C glass particle in an organic solution containing 1 mol dm(-3) LiClO(4). The cyclic voltammograms of a single Si-O-C glass particle (11 μm diameter) featured a characteristic sharp peak at ca. 0.1 V vs Li/Li(+), along with a broad peak and a shoulder, in the anodic reaction. This result indicates that there are several electrochemically active sites for lithium storage in the single Si-O-C glass particle. The first lithiation and delithiation capacities of a single Si-O-C glass particle (13 μm diameter) were 1.67 nA h and 1.12 nA h, respectively, at 5 nA (4C rate) in the potential range 0.01-2.5 V vs Li/Li(+), leading to a Coulombic efficiency of 67%. These results are in good agreement with those observed in typical porous composite electrodes. The 13 μm diameter particle gives 75% of the full-delithiation capacity even at 100 nA (80C rate), demonstrating that its intrinsic delithiation rate capability is suitable for practical purposes. Assuming that the Tafel equation is applicable to the delithiation of the single Si-O-C glass particle, the charge-transfer resistance tended to increase as lithium was released.     

The chemoselective one-step alkylation and isolation of thiophosphorylated cdk2 substrates in the presence of native cysteine

The elucidation of signalling pathways relies heavily upon the identification of protein kinase substrates. Recent investigations have demonstrated the efficacy of chemical genetics using ATP analogues and modified protein kinases for specific substrate labelling. Here we combine N(6) -(cyclohexyl)ATPγS with an analogue-sensitive cdk2 variant to thiophosphorylate its substrates and demonstrate a pH-dependent, chemoselective, one-step alkylation to facilitate the detection or isolation of thiophosphorylated peptides.     

Asian Mussel Watch Program: contamination status of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and organochlorines in coastal waters of Asian countries

Mussel samples were used in this study to measure the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorines (OCs) in the coastal waters of Asian countries like Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. PBDEs were detected in all the samples analyzed, and the concentrations ranged from 0.66 to 440 ng/g lipid wt. Apparently higher concentrations of PBDEs were found in mussels from the coastal waters of Korea, Hong Kong, China, and the Philippines, which suggests that significant sources of these chemicals exist in and around this region. With regard to the composition of PBDE congeners, BDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-100 were the dominant congeners in most of the samples. Among the OCs analyzed, concentrations of DDTs were the highest followed by PCBs > CHLs > HCHs > HCB. Total concentrations of DDTs, PCBs, CHLs, and HCHs in mussel samples ranged from 21 to 58 000, 3.8 to 2000, 0.93 to 900, and 0.90 to 230 ng/g lipid wt., respectively. High levels of DDTs were found in mussels from Hong Kong, Vietnam, and China; PCBs were found in Japan, Hong Kong, and industrialized/urbanized locations in Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India; CHLs were found in Japan and Hong Kong; HCHs were found in India and China. These countries seem to play a role as probable emission sources of corresponding contaminants in Asia and, in turn, may influence their global distribution.     

Anodic Oxidation of Unsaturated Aliphatic Ethers in aqueous electrolytes

2,5-dihydrofuran 1 was galvanostatically oxidized in aqueous electrolytes on Pt and PbO₂ anodes at current densities of 10 to 50 mA cm⁻². Under acidic conditions maleic dialdehyde 2 was obtained on both electrodes with a current efficiency (c.e) of up to 50%. In the alkaline region (pH 10) 4-hydroxy crotonic aldehyde 3 (Pt) or 2,5-dihydrofuranone 4 (PbO₂) become the main products with c.e.'s of 29% and 27%, respectively, depending on the anode material. The influence of pH and of the anode material are discussed in detail. 2,3-dihydrofuran 7 , vinyl ethyl ether 8 and for comparison, furan 9 were studied in addition.