Pore-Networked Gels: Permanently Porous Ionic Liquid Gels with Linked Metal-Organic Polyhedra Networks

Porous liquids (PLs) are attractive materials because of their capability to combine the intrinsic porosity of microporous solids and the processability of liquids. Most of the studies focus on the synthesis of PLs with not only high porosity but also low viscosity by considering their transportation in industrial plants. However, a gap exists between PLs and solid adsorbents for some practical cases, where the liquid characteristics and mechanical stability without leakage are simultaneously required. Here, we fill in this gap by demonstrating a new concept of pore-networked gels, in which the solvent phase is trapped by molecular networks with accessible porosity. To achieve this, we fabricate a linked metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) gel, followed by exchanging the solvent phase with a bulky liquid such as ionic liquids (ILs); the dimethylformamide solvent trapped inside the as-synthesized gel is replaced by the target IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, which in turn cannot enter MOP pores due to their larger molecular size. The remaining volatile solvents in the MOP cavities can then be removed by thermal activation, endowing the obtained IL gel (Gel_IL) with accessible microporosity. The CO₂ capacities of the gels are greatly enhanced compared to the neat IL. The exchange with the IL also exerts a positive influence on the final gel performances such as mechanical properties and low volatility. Besides ILs, various functional liquids are shown to be amenable to this strategy to fabricate pore-networked gels with accessible porosity, demonstrating their potential use in the field of gas adsorption or separation.

Discrimination of mild cognitive impairment based on involuntary changes caused in voice elements

In this study, the technique associated with the capturing involuntary changes in voice elements caused by diseases is applied to diagnose them and a voice index is proposed to discriminate mild cognitive impairments. The participants in this study included 399 elderly people aged 65 years or older living in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The participants were categorized into healthy and mild cognitive impairment groups based on clinical evaluation. It was hypothesized that as dementia progressed, task performance would become more challenging, and the effects on vocal cords and prosody would change significantly. In the study, voice samples of the participants were recorded while they were engaged in mental calculational tasks and during the reading of the results of the calculations written on paper. The change in prosody during the calculation from that during reading was expressed based on the difference in the acoustics. Principal component analysis was used to aggregate groups of voice features with similar characteristics of feature differences into several principal components. These principal components were combined with logistic regression analysis to propose a voice index to discriminate different mild cognitive impairment types. Discrimination accuracies of 90% and 65% were obtained for discriminations using the proposed index on the training and verification data (obtained from a population different from the training data), respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that the proposed index may be utilized as a means for discriminating mild cognitive impairments.

Estimating Depressive Symptom Class from Voice

Voice-based depression detection methods have been studied worldwide as an objective and easy method to detect depression. Conventional studies estimate the presence or severity of depression. However, an estimation of symptoms is a necessary technique not only to treat depression, but also to relieve patients' distress. Hence, we studied a method for clustering symptoms from HAM-D scores of depressed patients and by estimating patients in different symptom groups based on acoustic features of their speech. We could separate different symptom groups with an accuracy of 79%. The results suggest that voice from speech can estimate the symptoms associated with depression.

Detection of Major Depressive Disorder Based on a Combination of Voice Features: An Exploratory Approach

In general, it is common knowledge that people's feelings are reflected in their voice and facial expressions. This research work focuses on developing techniques for diagnosing depression based on acoustic properties of the voice. In this study, we developed a composite index of vocal acoustic properties that can be used for depression detection. Voice recordings were collected from patients undergoing outpatient treatment for major depressive disorder at a hospital or clinic following a physician's diagnosis. Numerous features were extracted from the collected audio data using openSMILE software. Furthermore, qualitatively similar features were combined using principal component analysis. The resulting components were incorporated as parameters in a logistic regression based classifier, which achieved a diagnostic accuracy of ~90% on the training set and ~80% on the test set. Lastly, the proposed metric could serve as a new measure for evaluation of major depressive disorder.

Glucose as a Protein-Condensing Cellular Solute

The present study reports a surprising protein-condensing effect of glucose, prompted by our accidental observation during chemical library screening under a high-glucose condition. We noticed "glucosing-out" of certain compounds, in which physiological concentrations of glucose induced compound aggregation. Adapting the "glucosing-out" concept to proteins, our proteomic analysis identified three cellular proteins (calmodulin, rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 40, and polyubiquitin-C) that displayed robust glucose-dependent precipitation. One of these proteins, calmodulin, formed glucose-dependent condensates that control cellular glycogenolysis in hepatic cells. Our findings suggest that glucose is a heretofore underappreciated driver of protein phase separation that may have profound effects on cellular homeostasis.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with IgG-κ paraproteinemia presenting as a hepatic bulky mass

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) usually involves bone marrow (BM) and sometimes lymph nodes and spleen. LPL presenting as a hepatic mass lesion is extremely rare, with only one case reported in the English literature. A 70-year-old Japanese female presented to us with a right hypochondriac mass with tenderness. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 14 cm-sized bulky hepatic mass. Laboratory findings showed a normal white blood cell count of 4.1×10⁹/L with 4% plasmacytoid lymphocytes; normocytic anemia, Hb 9.4 g/dL; high soluble IL-2 receptor level, 2,290 U/mL; and elevated IgG, 10,306 mg/dL. Furthermore, IgG-κ monoclonal protein was detected. ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT revealed abnormal uptake in the liver mass; left supraclavicular, parasternal, abdominal, and left inguinal lymph nodes; and bilateral lung bases. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no bone lesions. BM aspiration and liver biopsy showed predominant infiltration of small lymphocytes admixed with plasmacytoid lymphocytes and plasma cells. In the liver specimen, lymphoepithelial lesions were not observed. The small lymphocytes were positive for CD20, CD79a, and bcl-2, and negative for CD5, CD10, cyclin D1, and IRTA1; plasma cells in BM were positive for CD19, CD45, IgG, and κ-chain, and negative for CD20, and CD56. MYD88 L265P mutation, reported in approximately 40% of non-IgM LPL cases, was not detected in the liver specimen and BM cells. The frequency is lower than that of typical IgM LPL. These findings led us to a diagnosis of LPL with IgG-κ paraproteinemia. The patient underwent four courses of R-CHOP and two courses of Bendamustine-R. Partial remission was achieved.

Performance Evaluation of a Voice-Based Depression Assessment System Considering the Number and Type of Input Utterances

It is empirically known that mood changes affect facial expressions and voices. In this study, the authors have focused on the voice to develop a method for estimating depression in individuals from their voices. A short input voice is ideal for applying the proposed method to a wide range of applications. Therefore, we evaluated this method using multiple input utterances while assuming a unit utterance input. The experimental results revealed that depressive states could be estimated with sufficient accuracy using the smallest number of utterances when positive utterances were included in three to four input utterances.

Effect of Micropores of a Porous Coordination Polymer on the Product Selectivity in RuII Complex-catalyzed CO2 Reduction

To develop an efficient CO2 reduction catalyst, hybridizing a molecular catalyst and a porous coordination polymer (PCP) is a promising strategy because it can combine both advantages of the precise reactivity control of the former and the CO2 adsorption property of the latter. Although several PCP hybrid catalysts have been reported to date, the CO2 sorption behavior and the CO2 reduction reactivity have been investigated separately, and the CO2 enrichment during the catalysis is still unclear. We report CO2 photoreduction under different temperatures and pressures using a PCP-RuII complex hybrid catalyst. The product selectivity (CO or HCOOH) varied depending on the reaction conditions. The altered selectivity could be interpreted in terms of the CO2 capture in the micropores of a PCP.

Clinical outcomes of orthogonal plating to treat radial and ulnar fractures in toy-breed dogs

OBJECTIVES

To describe the results of orthogonal plating (OP) as a treatment for fractures of the radius and ulna in toy-breed dogs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The medical records (June 2011 to April 2019) of toy-breeds in which the OP technique using non-locking cuttable plates was employed to treat radial and ulnar fractures were reviewed. The inclusion criteria included a bodyweight of 3.5 kg or less, fracture of the diaphysis of the radius and ulna of one or both forelimbs, and the availability of follow-up radiographs. Revision surgeries were also included.

RESULTS

Fifteen limbs that underwent initial fracture repair and five that underwent revision surgery met the inclusion criteria. The radial and ulnar fractures healed in 19 limbs at the final follow-up. Synostosis of the radius and ulna at the fracture sites was observed in one limb. Re-fracture after cranial plate removal was observed in one case. All dogs exhibited successful return of normal limb function at the final clinical and radiographic follow-up (mean, 104.7 ± 67.1 days; median, 79.5 days; range: 35 to 248 days). Long-term follow-up data obtained via telephone interviews to owners or referring veterinarians were available for 15 cases and confirmed maintenance of normal limb function in all dogs (mean, 32.5 ± 17.6 months; median, 26 months; range: 11 to 69 months).

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

OP allowed the successful open reduction of radial and ulnar fractures, facilitating bone union in both the radius and ulna and a return to normal limb function in a series of toy-breed dogs.

Evaluation of emotional arousal level and depression severity using voice-derived sound pressure change acceleration

In this research, we propose a new index of emotional arousal level using sound pressure change acceleration, called the emotional arousal level voice index (EALVI), and investigate the relationship between this index and depression severity. First, EALVI values were calculated from various speech recordings in the interactive emotional dyadic motion capture database, and the correlation with the emotional arousal level of each voice was examined. The resulting correlation coefficient was 0.52 (n = 10,039, p < 2.2 × 10-16). We collected a total of 178 datasets comprising 10 speech phrases and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score of outpatients with major depression at the Ginza Taimei Clinic (GTC) and the National Defense Medical College (NDMC) Hospital. The correlation coefficients between the EALVI and HAM-D scores were - 0.33 (n = 88, p = 1.8 × 10-3) and - 0.43 (n = 90, p = 2.2 × 10-5) at the GTC and NDMC, respectively. Next, the dataset was divided into "no depression" (HAM-D < 8) and "depression" groups (HAM-D ≥ 8) according to the HAM-D score. The number of patients in the "no depression" and "depression" groups were 10 and 78 in the GTC data, and 65 and 25 in the NDMC data, respectively. There was a significant difference in the mean EALVI values between the two groups in both the GTC and NDMC data (p = 8.9 × 10-3, Cliff's delta = 0.51 and p = 1.6 × 10-3; Cliff's delta = 0.43, respectively). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve when discriminating both groups by EALVI was 0.76 in GTC data and 0.72 in NDMC data. Indirectly, the data suggest that there is some relationship between emotional arousal level and depression severity.

Effects of long- and short-term experiences on stress during identification works of dead bodies: Rapid stress level measurement using voice

OBJECTIVE

The mental health issues of personnel dealing with the deceased at times of disasters is a problem and techniques are needed that allow for real-time, easy-to-use stress checks. We have studied techniques for measuring mental state using voice analysis which has the benefit of being non-invasive, easy-to-use, and can be performed in real-time. For this study, we used voice measurement to determine the stress experienced during body identification training workshops for dentists. We studied whether or not stress levels were affected by having previous experience with body identification either in actual disaster settings or during training.

DESIGN

Since participants training using actual dead bodies in particular are expected to suffer higher stress exposure, we also assessed their mental state pre- and post-training using actual dead bodies.

RESULTS

The results confirmed marked differences in the mental state between before and after training in participants without any actual experience, between participants who engaged in training using manikins before actual dead bodies and participants who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that, in body identification training, the level of stress when coming into contact with dead bodies varies depending on participants' experience and the training sequence. Moreover, it is believed that voice-based stress assessment can be conducted in the limited time during training sessions and that it can be usefully implemented in actual disaster response settings.

Evaluation of the Severity of Major Depression Using a Voice Index for Emotional Arousal

Recently, the relationship between emotional arousal and depression has been studied. Focusing on this relationship, we first developed an arousal level voice index (ALVI) to measure arousal levels using the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture database. Then, we calculated ALVI from the voices of depressed patients from two hospitals (Ginza Taimei Clinic (H1) and National Defense Medical College hospital (H2)) and compared them with the severity of depression as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Depending on the HAM-D score, the datasets were classified into a no depression (HAM-D < 8) and a depression group (HAM-D ≥ 8) for each hospital. A comparison of the mean ALVI between the groups was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a significant difference at the level of 10% (p = 0.094) at H1 and 1% (p = 0.0038) at H2 was determined. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic was 0.66 when categorizing between the two groups for H1, and the AUC for H2 was 0.70. The relationship between arousal level and depression severity was indirectly suggested via the ALVI.

Effectiveness of a Voice-Based Mental Health Evaluation System for Mobile Devices: Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

We developed a system for monitoring mental health using voice data from daily phone calls, termed Mind Monitoring System (MIMOSYS), by implementing a method for estimating mental health status from voice data.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of this system for detecting depressive states and monitoring stress-induced mental changes.

METHODS

We opened our system to the public in the form of a prospective study in which data were collected over 2 years from a large, unspecified sample of users. We used these data to analyze the relationships between the rate of continued use, the men-to-women ratio, and existing psychological tests for this system over the study duration. Moreover, we analyzed changes in mental data over time under stress from particular life events.

RESULTS

The system had a high rate of continued use. Voice indicators showed that women have more depressive tendencies than men, matching the rate of depression in Japan. The system's voice indicators and the scores on classical psychological tests were correlated. We confirmed deteriorating mental health for users in areas affected by major earthquakes in Japan around the time of the earthquakes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that although this system is insufficient for detecting depression, it may be effective for monitoring changes in mental health due to stress. The greatest feature of our system is mental health monitoring, which is most effectively accomplished by performing long-term time-series analysis of the acquired data considering the user's life events. Such a system can improve the implementation of patient interventions by evaluating objective data along with life events.

Bilateral Adrenal Hemorrhage in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome during Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease

We present the case of a 56-year-old man with an upper respiratory infection followed by fatigue, hypotension, and hyponatremia. Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage was confirmed, based on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The patient had previously undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and had been diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) during the development of chronic graft-versus-host disease. A prompt diagnosis and steroid replacement, in addition to anticoagulant therapy, resulted in a favorable outcome. Once the diagnosis of APS has been confirmed, which might be the sign of bilateral adrenal hemorrhage, the initial manifestations of adrenal insufficiency should never be overlooked.

Difference in voice analysis result by pre- and post- processing of telephone line

The purpose of this study is to verify the impact of a deterioration of the sound quality of voice by a telephone line on estimating Vitality as the extent of depressive tendency based on voice analysis using MIMOSYS. First, the voices of about 1,000 people recorded using a recorder were prepared. Next, each voice was coded and resampled in preparation for transmission over a phone line. Vitalities obtained by analyzing the voices before and after these processes were compared. The results showed high correlation between the Vitality after coding and Vitality before coding, revealing that using a telephone would be an effective way to obtain voices.

Impact of inadequate initial antimicrobial therapy on mortality in patients with bacteraemic cholangitis: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Acute cholangitis is a common cause of bacteraemia resulting in severe sepsis or septic shock. The impact of the appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy on short-term mortality in bacteraemic cholangitis has not been well investigated.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with bacteraemic cholangitis at two large tertiary care centres in Tokyo, Japan between 2009 and 2015. We determined the factors associated with 30-day all-cause mortality from the date of drawing the first positive blood culture, using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 573 patients with bacteraemic cholangitis (median age, 77 years; male, 58.3%). The 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 6.6% (38/573). Inadequate initial antimicrobial therapy occurred in 133 (23.2%) patients. Factors associated with 30-day all-cause mortality included the Charlson co-morbidity index score >3 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.12; 95% CI 1.18-14.38), jaundice (total bilirubin >2.5 mg/dL) (aOR 3.39; 95% CI 1.46-7.89), septic shock within 48 h of the first positive blood culture (aOR 3.34; 95% CI 1.42-7.89), biliary obstruction due to hepatobiliary malignancy (aOR 8.00; 95% CI 2.92-21.97), and inadequate initial antimicrobial therapy (aOR 2.78; 95% CI 1.27-6.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Inadequate initial antimicrobial therapy was an important, modifiable determinant of survival.

Measurement of psychological state changes at low dopamine transporter occupancy following a clinical dose of mazindol

RATIONALE

The beneficial effects of psychostimulant drugs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders occur because they increase the extracellular dopamine concentration by inhibiting re-uptake of extracellular dopamine at dopamine transporters. However, the psychological effects at low dopamine transporter occupancy have not been well demonstrated.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychological effects, dopamine transporter occupancy, and dopamine release induced by a single oral administration of a clinical dose of mazindol.

METHODS

Ten healthy male volunteers were orally administered a placebo and a clinical dose of mazindol (1.5 mg) on separate days. The psychological effects of mazindol were assessed using a visual analogue scale to detect alterations in the state of consciousness. The amount of blockade of dopamine transporters was assessed using positron emission tomography with [¹⁸F]FE-PE2I and extracellular dopamine release was measured as the amount of change in [¹¹C]raclopride binding.

RESULTS

Following administration of a clinical dose of mazindol, the dopamine transporters were blocked by 24-25 %, and the binding potential of [¹¹C]raclopride was reduced by 2.8-4.6 %. The differences of a score measuring derealisation and depersonalization associated with a positive basic mood were significantly correlated with the change in the [¹¹C]raclopride binding in the limbic striatum.

CONCLUSIONS

A subtle alteration in the state of consciousness was detected with a correlation to the changes in the [¹¹C]raclopride binding, which implies that a subtle alteration in extracellular dopamine concentration in the limbic striatum by a small amount of dopamine transporter occupancy can affect the state of consciousness. TRIAL REGISTRATION HTTPS://UPLOAD.UMIN.AC.JP/CGI-OPEN-BIN/CTR_E/CTR_VIEW.CGI?RECPTNO=R000009703 : UMIN000008232.

Cytological features of solid variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a fine needle aspiration cytology study of 18 cases

OBJECTIVE

Solid variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (SV-PTC) are rare, and there have been few reports describing the cytological findings of such variants.

METHODS

The cytological features of cellular specimens aspirated from 18 histologically confirmed SV-PTC cases were evaluated, retrospectively.

RESULTS

Solid and small papillary clusters were observed in 14 (77.8%) and 13 (72.2%) cases, respectively. The incidences of large papillary clusters (11.1%) and sheet-like arrangements (11.1%) were low. Nuclear features were consistent with conventional PTC. The background was clean, and there were no colloid materials, foamy histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells, psammoma bodies, or necrotic materials.

CONCLUSIONS

Solid clusters and small papillary clusters in conjunction with a clean background are diagnostic clues that indicate SV-PTC cytologically. It is thought that small papillary clusters reflect the micropapillary growth pattern seen within the lumen of middle-sized follicular structures. The presence of nuclear findings typical of conventional PTC and the absence of mitotic figures and necrotic materials are important for distinguishing SV-PTC from poorly differentiated carcinoma.

Calreticulin mutation does not contribute to disease progression in essential thrombocythemia by inhibiting phagocytosis

Somatic mutations of calreticulin (CALR) have been observed in many cases of essential thrombocythemia (ET) or primary myelofibrosis that harbor non-mutated Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). CALR mainly localizes within the endoplasmic reticulum lumen, but a small fraction of the total CALR pool is distributed over the cell surface. Cell surface CALR is known to transduce prophagocytic "eat me" signals to macrophages and acts as one of the important regulators for macrophage engulfment. In this study, we attempted to clarify whether mutant CALR may affect the threshold for macrophage engulfment and play an integral role in the pathogenesis of CALR-mutated ET. First, we compared the surface expression levels of CALR on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and mature blood cells in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms and found that the surface expression of mutant CALR did not change. Next, we compared the threshold for macrophage phagocytosis of each HSPC fraction and mature blood cells and found no significant change in the efficiency of macrophage engulfment. Our data suggest that CALR mutation does not affect sensitivity to phagocytosis by macrophages. Finally, we analyzed the phosphorylation statuses of molecules downstream of JAK2 at each HSPC level in patients with ET and found that CALR mutations activated the JAK-STAT pathway in a manner similar to that associated with JAK2 mutations. These results indicate that mutant CALR causes myeloproliferation because of the activation of JAK-STAT pathway and not by the inhibition of phagocytosis, which is similar to the myeloproliferation caused by JAK2 V617F mutation.

Dementia with Lewy bodies can be well-differentiated from Alzheimer's disease by measurement of brain acetylcholinesterase activity-a [11C]MP4A PET study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the diagnostic performance of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity measurement using N-[(11) C]-methyl-4-piperidyl acetate (MP4A) and PET in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

Participants were 14 DLB patients, 25 AD patients and 18 age-matched healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent PET scans and MP4A to measure regional brain AChE activity. We performed anatomical standardization of each brain image, and k3 values, an index of AChE activity, in each voxel were estimated by nonlinear least squares analysis. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were identified on parametric k3 images in frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital cortices, and in anterior and posterior cingulate gyri (ACG and PCG). In each VOI, the differential diagnostic performance between AD and DLB of k3 values was assessed by area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver-operating characteristic. Voxel-based statistical analyses were also performed.

RESULTS

Mean cortical AChE activities in AD patients (-8.2% compared with normal mean) and DLB patients (-27.8%) were lower than HCs (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). There was a significant difference in mean cortical AChE activities between AD and DLB patients (p < 0.001). All regional brain AChE activities of defined VOIs except ACG were able to well discriminate DLB from AD, and notably performance was the most significant in PCG (AUC = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.965-1.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Brain cholinergic deficit is consistently prominent in DLB compared with AD. PET measurement of brain AChE activity may be useful for the differential diagnosis between DLB and AD.

The effect of the menstrual cycle and water ingestion on physiological responses during prolonged exercise at moderate intensity under hot conditions

AIM

Reproductive hormones are likely to be involved in thermoregulation through body fluid dynamics. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the menstrual cycle and water ingestion on physiological responses to prolonged exercise at moderate intensity under hot conditions.

METHODS

Eight healthy young women with regular menstrual cycles performed cycling exercise for 90 min at 50% VO2peak intensity during the low progesterone (LP) level phase and high progesterone (HP) level phase, with or without water ingestion, under hot conditions (30°C, 50% relative humidity). For the water ingestion trials, subjects ingested water equivalent to the loss in body weight that occurred in the earlier non-ingestion trial. For all four trials, rectal temperature, cardiorespiratory responses, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured.

RESULTS

Throughout the 90-min exercise period, rectal temperatures during HP were higher than during LP by an average of 0.4°C in the non-ingestion trial (P < 0.01) and 0.2°C in the water ingestion trial (P < 0.05). During exercise, water ingestion affected the changes in rectal temperature and heat rate (HR) during HP, but it did not exert these effects during LP. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between estradiol levels and rectal temperature during LP.

CONCLUSION

During prolonged exercise at moderate intensity under hot conditions, water ingestion is likely to be useful for suppressing the associated increase in body temperature and HR, particularly during HP, whereas estradiol appears to be useful for suppressing the increase in rectal temperature during LP.

Dependence of crystal size on the catalytic performance of a porous coordination polymer

Submicrosized MOF-76(Yb) exhibits a higher catalytic performance for esterification than microsized MOF-76(Yb).

Two solvent-dependent porous coordination polymers with –OH decorated ligands: unusual non-crystallographic net and fsh topology

The variable architectures of two new porous coordination polymers, controlled by solvent system, exhibit a structural progression from an unusual non-crystallographic net to a (4,6)-connected framework with fsh topology.

Effects of toluene, acrolein and vinyl chloride on motor activity of Drosophila melanogaster

The data generated by current high-throughput assays for chemical toxicity require information to link effects at molecular targets to adverse outcomes in whole animals. In addition, more efficient methods for testing volatile chemicals are needed. Here we begin to address these issues by determining the utility of measuring behavioral responses of Drosophila melanogaster to airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a potential model system for discovering adverse outcome pathways and as a method to test for toxicity. In these experiments, we measured motor activity in male and female flies to determine concentration-effect functions for three VOCs that differ in their mode of action: toluene, a narcotic; acrolein, an irritant; and vinyl chloride, a hepatocarcinogen. These experiments were conducted in Flyland, an outbred population of flies derived from 40 lines of the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel (DGRP) (Mackay et al., 2012), in preparation for subsequent experiments with individual lines of the DGRP. Systematic, concentration-related changes in activity were observed with toluene, but not with acrolein; high concentrations of vinyl chloride reduced activity by a small amount. Despite higher activity levels in males than in females under control conditions, the sexes were equally sensitive to toluene. Transient increases in activity at the onset and offset of exposure to toluene and vinyl chloride suggested that the flies detected changes in air quality at concentrations that did not persistently suppress activity. The effects and potency of toluene are consistent with those observed in rodents. The lack of clear concentration-related changes in response to acrolein and vinyl chloride shows limitations of this method is for screening toxicity attributed to VOCs. This abstract does not reflect U.S. EPA policy.