Motion of methanol adsorbed in porous coordination polymer with paramagnetic metal ions

Molecular motions of methanol adsorbed in 1D nanochannels of pillared-layer coordination polymer with paramagnetic metal ions have been studied by (2)H NMR together with X-ray crystallography.

Direct observation of charge transfer in double-perovskite-like RbMn[Fe(CN)6]

The charge density distribution has been determined for a transition metal cyanide, RbMn[Fe(CN)(6)], by means of the maximum entropy-Rietveld method combined with the highly angularly resolved synchrotron radiation x-ray powder diffraction at SPring-8 BL02B2. We directly observed a charge transfer from the Mn site to the Fe site in the low-temperature phase. On the basis of a local density approximation calculation, we discuss the origin for the anisotropic bonding electron distribution around the Mn3+ ion in the low-temperature phase.

Quantum Chemical Study on the Configurations of Encapsulated Metal Ions and the Molecular Vibration Modes in Endohedral Dimetallofullerene La2@C80

The configuration of La ions of La(2)@C(80) in the [80]fullerene cage was investigated by use of quantum chemical calculations. We found that the D(3)(d)() configuration is the global minimum in total energy, being more stable by 1.9 kcal/mol than the D(2)(h)() configuration, which has been considered to be the most stable. The potential energy surface calculation clarified that La ions travel between 10 equivalent D(3)(d)() positions through D(2)(h)() positions and consequently form pentagonal dodecahedral trajectory, which is in good agreement with the previous synchrotron radiation structural study. The experimental and theoretical investigation of the Raman spectrum revealed that the symmetry of molecular vibration is dramatically reduced simply by encapsulation of two La ions, and resulting vibrational modes were successfully assigned. The Raman peak at 163 cm(-)(1) was interpreted as the in-phase synchronously coupled mode of the [80]fullerene cage elongation and the La-La stretching, rather than a conventional and naive assignment as a metal-to-cage vibration mode.

Coexistence of micrometastatic melanoma cells and sarcoid granulomas in all regional lymph nodes in a patient with acral melanoma

A 68-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis presented with acral lentiginous melanoma (Breslow's tumour thickness, 2.6 mm; Clark's level IV) on her right heel. She underwent surgery for excision of the primary tumour and sentinel lymph node biopsy. The two sentinel lymph nodes revealed numerous sarcoidal granulomas and small nests of metastatic melanoma cells in the subcapuslar lesions. She subsequently underwent ilio-inguinal lymph node dissection. Surprisingly, all of the nine dissected nodes were mostly replaced by sarcoidal granulomas and contained melanoma micrometastases.

Charge ordering and spin frustration in AlV2-x CrxO4

The relationship between charge and spin degrees of freedom in a geometrically frustrated system, AlV2-xCrxO4 spinel, is investigated. Upon Cr doping, the charge-ordered phase of AlV2O4 is rapidly suppressed and a charge-disordered phase grows up instead. It is found that the magnetic ground state is a spin-glass state dominated by geometrical frustration for both phases, but larger spin entropy remains down to low temperatures in the charge-ordered phase, possibly owing to its two-dimensional character.

Highly conducting crystals based on single-component gold complexes with extended-TTF dithiolate ligands

Highly conducting crystals based on single-component gold complexes with extended-TTF dithiolate ligands [Au(dmdt)(2)](0+) (1) and [Au(tmdt)(2)](0+) (2) were prepared (dmdt = dimethyltetrathiafulvalenedithiolate and tmdt = trimethylenetetrathiafulvalenedithiolate). On the basis of the synchrotron radiation powder diffraction data, the MEM electron density of 2 was successfully obtained. The conductivities of compacted powder samples of 1 and 2 at room temperature were 12 and 15 S cm(-1), respectively. Pauli-like susceptibility of 1 suggested the system to be essentially metallic at least above 50 K, while 2 showed a magnetic transition around 100 K without loss of its high conductivity.

Formation of a one-dimensional array of oxygen in a microporous metal-organic solid

We report the direct observation of dioxygen molecules physisorbed in the nanochannels of a microporous copper coordination polymer by the MEM (maximum entropy method)/Rietveld method, using in situ high-resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction measurements. The obtained MEM electron density revealed that van der Waals dimers of physisorbed O2 locate in the middle of nanochannels and form a one-dimensional ladder structure aligned to the host channel structure. The observed O-O stretching Raman band and magnetic susceptibilities are characteristic of the confined O2 molecules in one-dimensional nanochannels of CPL-1 (coordination polymer 1 with pillared layer structure).

Epstein-Barr virus-associated T-cell lymphoma: a case of eyelid swelling and intramuscular infiltration mimicking dermatomyositis

Association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been noted in various types of cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders. We report a 57-year-old Japanese woman with T-cell lymphoma mimicking dermatomyositis that was associated with chronic active EBV infection. She presented with low-grade fever, bilateral erythematous swellings on the eyelids, and necrotic papules on the face. Serum creatine kinase levels were elevated and a diffuse reticular shadow was detected in both lung fields. The infiltrate of atypical lymphocytes found in skin and muscle, which contained EBV-encoded small nuclear RNA-1 and EBV, was also detected in the CD4+ peripheral blood cells. Treatment with prednisolone resolved her lesions with no relapse for 3 years, after which there was a recurrence in her left lung. Combination chemotherapy was not effective against the lung lesion and she died with multiple organ failure 2 months after the recurrence.

Exertion of the suppressive effects of IFN-gamma on experimental immune mediated blepharoconjunctivitis in Brown Norway rats during the induction phase but not the effector phase

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) knockout mice exhibit severe allergic conjunctivitis (AC), indicating that IFN-gamma regulates the development of AC. The authors examined whether this inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma is exerted during the induction or effector phase of experimental AC.

METHODS

Experimental immune mediated blepharoconjunctivitis (EC) was induced in Brown Norway (BN) rats, using ovalbumin (OVA) as the antigen. To investigate the role of IFN-gamma in the induction phase, EC was induced by active immunisation and IFN-gamma (10 micro g/time, total 70 micro g), or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as a control, was injected intraperitoneally every other day from the day of immunisation. The rats were challenged with OVA eye drops 13 days after immunisation, and 24 hours later, the eyes were harvested for histology. To examine the effects of IFN-gamma in the effector phase, OVA specific T cells were transferred into syngeneic rats and IFN-gamma (10 micro g/time, total 50 micro g) or PBS was injected each day after the transfer until induction of EC 4 days later with an OVA challenge. To investigate the role of endogenous IFN-gamma during the effector phase, an anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody (3 mg/time) was injected on days 3 and 4.

RESULTS

Injection of IFN-gamma into actively immunised rats suppressed eosinophilic infiltration but not infiltration of mononuclear cells. In contrast, neither IFN-gamma nor anti-IFN-gamma affected EC in passively immunised rats.

CONCLUSION

IFN-gamma is a suppressive cytokine for the development of EC and exerts this suppressive effect during the induction phase.

Pentagonal-dodecahedral la2 charge density in [80-ih ]fullerene: la2 @c80

A double shell of Platonic solids: A trajectory that connects the six-membered rings of Ih -C80 is followed by the two La atoms of La2 @C80 according to maximum entropy/Rietveld analysis of the synchrotron powder-diffraction data. The result is a pentagonal-dodecahedral charge-density distribution for La2 (brown in the picture) inside the icosahedral C80 cage (green).

Melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) as a serum marker for early detection of post-surgical relapse in melanoma patients: comparison with 5-S-cysteinyldopa

One of the principal applications of tumour markers is the early detection of recurrent disease in the follow-up of patients. In the study described here, we compared the usefulness of two serum markers for melanoma, 5-S-cysteinyldopa (5-S-CD) and melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), in the monitoring of postsurgical melanoma patients. A total of 154 serum samples taken from 45 melanoma patients, who underwent surgery of the primary tumour and were under periodical follow-up for 13 to 180 months, were analysed. Serum MIA measurements were performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and 5-S-CD levels were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In 72 serum samples taken from a group of 31 non-progressive patients with a median follow-up of 48.5 months, false positive rates of both markers were equally low, being 6.9% (five out of 72) for 5-S-CD and 8.3% (six out of 72) for MIA. In contrast, the sensitivity of MIA at the time point of the first clinical relapse in 14 progressive patients was significantly greater than that of 5-S-CD (0.64 [nine out of 14] versus 0.21 [three out of 14]; P < 0.05). Furthermore, seven patients showed abnormal serum MIA values 4-53 months prior to the clinical detection of metastasis, and the elevated levels were often noted on multiple occasions. These results show that MIA was superior to 5-S-CD in monitoring melanoma patients under periodical follow-up after the primary surgery. Repeated elevation of serum MIA levels may predict the presence of clinically undetectable occult metastases, which warrants further prospective investigations to assess the prognostic significance of serum MIA levels in postsurgical melanoma patients.

Evaluation of 5-S-cysteinyldopa as a marker of melanoma progression: 10 years' experience

5-S-Cysteinyldopa (5-S-CD) has been used as a biochemical marker of melanoma progression. In this study, we measured serum levels of 5-S-CD in 2648 samples taken from 218 patients in order to evaluate the usefulness of this parameter in following melanoma progression and prognosis. 5-S-CD levels were significantly elevated above the upper limit of the normal range (10 nmol/l) in stage IV melanoma patients. The sensitivity of elevated serum 5-S-CD levels in detecting distant metastasis was 73%, while the specificity was 98% and the positive predictive value 94%. The sensitivity was improved to 77% when cases of amelanotic melanoma were excluded. Patients without metastases had elevated 5-S-CD values in 5% of the 1480 serum samples. Changes in serum 5-S-CD levels were followed during disease progression until the end stage in 49 patients. In 33% of the patients, elevation of serum 5-S-CD levels preceded clinical detection of visceral metastases, and in 37% elevation of 5-S-CD levels occurred at the same time as visceral metastasis. Patients with elevated 5-S-CD levels before or after surgical treatment had significantly shorter survival times than those with normal levels. These results show that the level of 5-S-CD in the serum is a sensitive and specific marker in predicting distant metastases. Elevated serum levels of 5-S-CD, before or after surgical treatment, is associated with a poor prognosis.