Subdominant H60 antigen-specific CD8 T-cell response precedes dominant H4 antigen-specific response during the initial phase of allogenic skin graft rejection

In allogeneic transplantation, including the B6 anti-BALB.B settings, H60 and H4 are two representative dominant minor histocompatibility antigens that induce strong CD8 T-cell responses. With different distribution patterns, H60 expression is restricted to hematopoietic cells, whereas H4 is ubiquitously expressed. H60-specific CD8 T-cell response has been known to be dominant in most cases of B6 anti-BALB.B allo-responses, except in the case of skin transplantation. To understand the mechanism underlying the subdominance of H60 during allogeneic skin transplantation, we investigated the dynamics of the H60-specific CD8 T cells in B6 mice transplanted with allogeneic BALB.B tail skin. Unexpectedly, longitudinal bioluminescence imaging and flow cytometric analyses revealed that H60-specific CD8 T cells were not always subdominant to H4-specific cells but instead showed a brief dominance before the H4 response became predominant. H60-specific CD8 T cells could expand in the draining lymph node and migrate to the BALB.B allografts, indicating their active participation in the anti-BALB.B allo-response. Enhancing the frequencies of H60-reactive CD8 T cells prior to skin transplantation reversed the immune hierarchy between H60 and H4. Additionally, H60 became predominant when antigen presentation was limited to the direct pathway. However, when antigen presentation was restricted to the indirect pathway, the expansion of H60-specific CD8 T cells was limited, whereas H4-specific CD8 T cells expanded significantly, suggesting that the temporary immunodominance and eventual subdominance of H60 could be due to their reliance on the direct antigen presentation pathway. These results enhance our understanding of the immunodominance phenomenon following allogeneic tissue transplantation.     

Ratiometric Detection of microRNA Using Hybridization Chain Reaction and Fluorogenic Silver Nanoclusters

miRNA (miR)-155 is a potential biomarker for breast cancers. We aimed at developing a nanosensor for miR-155 detection by integrating hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). HCR serves as an enzyme-free and isothermal amplification method, whereas AgNCs provide a built-in fluorogenic detection probe that could simplify the downstream analysis. The two components were integrated by adding a nucleation sequence of AgNCs to the hairpin of HCR. The working principle was based on the influence of microenvironment towards the hosted AgNCs, whereby unfolding of hairpin upon HCR has manipulated the distance between the hosted AgNCs and cytosine-rich toehold region of hairpin. As such, the dominant emission of AgNCs changed from red to yellow in the absence and presence of miR-155, enabling a ratiometric measurement of miR with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor is 1.13 fM in buffered solution. We have also tested the assay in diluted serum samples, with comparable LOD of 1.58 fM obtained. This shows the great promise of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor for clinical application.     

Polymer nanoparticles with a sensitive CO2‐responsive hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles with a sensitive CO₂‐responsive hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface that confers controlled dispersion and aggregation in water were prepared by emulsion polymerization at 50 °C under CO₂ bubbling using amphiphilic diblock copolymers of 2‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and N‐isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) as an emulsifier. The amphiphilicity of the hydrophobic–hydrophilic diblock copolymer at 50 °C was triggered by CO₂ bubbling in water and enabled the copolymer to serve as an emulsifier. The resulting PMMA nanoparticles were spherical, approximately 100 nm in diameter and exhibited sensitive CO₂/N₂‐responsive dispersion/aggregation in water. Using copolymers with a longer PNIPAAm block length as an emulsifier resulted in smaller particles. A higher concentration of copolymer emulsifier led to particles with a stickier surface. Given its simple preparation and reversible CO₂‐triggered amphiphilic behavior, this newly developed block copolymer emulsifier offers a highly efficient route toward the fabrication of sensitive CO₂‐stimuli responsive polymeric nanoparticle dispersions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2149–2156     

The Combinatorics of Laguerre,Charlier, and Hermite Polynomials

This paper describes several combinatorial models for Laguerre, Charlier, and Hermite polynomials, and uses them to prove combinatorially some classical formulas. The so-called “Italian limit formula” (from Laguerre to Hermite), the Appel identity for Hermite polynomials, and the two Sheffer identities for Laguerre and Charlier polynomials are proved. We also give bijective proofs of the three-term recurrences. These three families form the bottom triangle in R. Askey's chart classifying hypergeometric orthogonal polynomials.     

Wavelength and power monitoring of DWDM systems using scanning F–P filter calibrated with a F–P laser

A novel technique to overcome the long-term drift and hysteresis of a scanning Fabry–Perot filter was developed and applied to wavelength and power monitoring of DWDM system. By using the comb peaks generated by a temperature-stabilized, near threshold-biased Fabry–Perot diode laser as wavelength reference for the scanning Fabry–Perot filter, wavelength and power measurement accuracy of better than ±10 pm and 0.2 dB, respectively, were achieved.     

Roles of rhenium diimine complexes as metal‐ion probes and photosensitizers in functional polyurethanes

Polyurethanes incorporated with rhenium diimine complexes were synthesized. The polymers exhibited interesting morphologies and solution properties. Results from gel permeation chromatography suggested the formation of polymer aggregates in solutions. The polymers could act as probes for metal ions. The addition of metal ions to polymer solutions led to significant changes in the electronic absorption properties of the polymer solutions. This was attributed to the interactions between the polyether moieties and metal ions. The metal complexes could also act as efficient photosensitizers. After doping with charge‐transport viologens, the photoconductivity of the polymers was greatly enhanced. The experimental quantum efficiency was simulated with Onsager's theory. The thermalization distances and the primary yields were typically 12–14 Å and 10^?3, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1708–1715, 2003     

Generation of highly stable amidate anion in anionic polymerization of 3‐(triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate

To study living anionic polymerization, 3‐(triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate (TEtSPI) monomer was synthesized by hydrosilylation of allylamine with triethylsilane and treatment of the resulting amine with triphosgene. The polymerization of TEtSPI was performed with sodium naphthalenide (Na‐Naph) as an initiator and in the absence and presence of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBPh₄) as an additive in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ?78 and at ?98 °C. A highly stabilized amidate anion for living polymerization of isocyanates was generated for the first time with the combined effect of the bulky substituent and the shielding action of the additive NaBPh₄, extending the living character at least up to 120 min at ?98 °C. Even the anion could exist at ?78 °C for 10 min. A block copolymer, poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate)‐b‐poly[(3‐triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate]‐b‐poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate), was synthesized with quantitative yields and controlled molecular weights via living anionic polymerization in THF at ?78 °C for TEtSPI and ?98 °C for n‐hexyl isocyanate, respectively, with Na‐Naph with three times of NaBPh₄ as a common ion salt. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 933–940, 2004     

A boundary element method for the calculation of noise barrier insertion loss in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

Atmospheric turbulence is an important factor that limits the amount of attenuation a barrier can provide in the outdoor environment. It is therefore important to develop a reliable method to predict its effect on barrier performance. The boundary element method (BEM) has been shown to be a very effective technique for predicting barrier insertion loss in the absence of turbulence. This paper develops a simple and efficient modification of the BEM formulation to predict the insertion loss of a barrier in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. The modification is based on two alternative methods: (1) random realisations of log-amplitude and phase fluctuations of boundary sources and (2) de-correlation of source coherence using the mutual coherence function (MCF). An investigation into the behaviours of these two methods is carried out and simplified forms of the methods developed. Some systematic differences between the predictions from the methods are found. When incorporated into the BEM formulation, the method of random realisations and the method of MCF de-correlation provide predictions that agree well with predictions by the parabolic equation method and by the scattering cross-section method on a variety of thin barrier configurations.     

Temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry studies on the origin of double melting peaks in isothermally melt‐crystallized poly(L‐lactic acid)

In this work, the melting behaviors of nonisothermally and isothermally melt‐crystallized poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) from the melt were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). The isothermal melt crystallizations of PLLA at a temperature in the range of 100–110 °C for 120 min or at 110 °C for a time in the range of 10–180 min appeared to exhibit double melting peaks in the DSC heating curves of 10 °C/min. TMDSC analysis revealed that the melting–recrystallization mechanism dominated the formation of the double melting peaks in PLLA samples following melt crystallizations at 110 °C for a shorter time (≤30 min) or at a lower temperature (100, 103, or 105 °C) for 120 min, whereas the double lamellar thickness model dominated the formation of the double melting peaks in those PLLA samples crystallized at a higher temperature (108 or 110 °C) for 120 min or at 110 °C for a longer time (≥45 min). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 466–474, 2007     

Bipyridinophane‐containing conjugated polymers modulated with an intramolecular aromatic C?H/π interaction

Bipyridinophane–fluorene conjugated copolymers have been synthesized via Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions from 5,8‐dibromo‐2,11‐dithia[3]paracyclo[3](4,4′)‐2,2′‐bipyridinophane and suitable fluorene precursors. Poly[2,7‐(9,9‐dihexylfluorene)‐co‐alt‐5,8‐(2,11‐dithia[3]paracyclo[3](4,4′)‐2,2′‐bipyridinophane)] ( P7 ) exhibits large absorption and emission redshifts of 20 and 34 nm, respectively, with respect to its planar reference polymer Poly[2,7‐(9,9‐dihexylfluorene)‐co‐alt‐1,4‐(2,5‐dimethylbenzene)] ( P11 ), which bears the same polymer backbone as P7 . These spectral shifts originate from intramolecular aromatic C? H/π interactions, which are evidenced by ultraviolet–visible and ¹H NMR spectra as well as X‐ray single‐crystal structural analysis. However, the effect of the intramolecular aromatic C? H/π interactions on the spectral shift in poly[9,9‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐yleneethynylene‐co‐alt‐5,8‐(2,11‐dithia[3]paracyclo[3](4,4′)‐2,2′‐bipyridinophane)] ( P10 ) is much weaker. Most interestingly, the quenching behaviors of these two conjugated polymers are largely dependent on the polymer backbone. For example, the fluorescence of P7 is efficiently quenched by Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ag⁺ ions. In contrast, only Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions can partially quench the fluorescence of P10 , but much less efficiently than the fluorescence of P7 . The static Stern–Volmer quenching constants of Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions toward P7 are of the order of 10⁶ M^?1, being 1300, 2500, and 37,300 times larger than those of P10 , respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4154–4164, 2006