On-surface synthesis of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) molecular wires via in situ formation of carbon-carbon triple bond.

The carbon-carbon triple bond (-C≡C-) is an elementary constituent for the construction of conjugated molecular wires and carbon allotropes such as carbyne and graphyne. Here we describe a general approach to in situ synthesize -C≡C- bond on Cu(111) surface via homo-coupling of the trichloromethyl groups, enabling the fabrication of individual and arrays of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) molecular wires. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a delocalized electronic state extending along these molecular wires, whose structure is unraveled by atomically resolved images of scanning tunneling microscopy and noncontact atomic force microscopy.

Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are associated with HBV replication, liver damage and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to explore the potential role of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the pathogenic process of chronic hepatitis B.

Methodology: A total of 380 patients with chronic hepatitis B were included in this study. All patients received the concentrations of serum hs-CRP, Hepatitis B sero-markers, serum HBV-DNA loads, liver function parameters and liver stiffness were measured, and in which 172 patients undertaken liver biopsy and immunohistochemistry analysis.