Decrease in langerhans cells and increase in lymph node dendritic cells following chronic exposure of mice to suberythemal doses of solar simulated radiation

Exposure of certain strains of mice to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) causes suppression of some innate and adaptive immune responses. One such consequence of acute UVB exposure is a reduction in the number of Langerhans cells (LC) in the epidermis and an increase in dendritic cells (DC) in lymph nodes draining the irradiated skin sites. Exposure to chronic UVB irradiation also has effects on the immune system, but it is unknown what effects are caused by repeated doses of solar simulated radiation (SSR). Consequently, the main aims of the present study were to determine whether repeated exposure to low doses of SSR would lead to similar changes in these cell populations and whether chronic doses of SSR activate a protective photoadaptation mechanism. Groups of C3H/HeN mice were irradiated daily with 3.7 J/cm(2) SSR from Cleo Natural lamps for 2, 10, 20, 30 or 60 days. Further groups of mice received an additional dose of 7.4 J/cm(2) SSR on days 2, 10, 30 or 60 to test for photoadaptation. The numbers of LC in the epidermis and DC in the lymph nodes draining irradiated skin sites were counted 24 h after the final irradiation. With the exception of mice irradiated for only 2 days, LC were significantly reduced throughout the chronic irradiation protocol, and no recovery occurred. DC numbers were significantly increased in the draining lymph nodes of mice irradiated for 20 days and 60 days.     

Solvothermal synthesis and structure of a new selenium-rich selenophosphate K(3)PSe(4).2Se(6)

The compound K(3)PSe(4).2Se(6) was synthesized at 110 degrees C via solventothermal techniques from binary starting materials and Se in acetonitrile. The compound crystallizes in the space group Fd macro 3 of the cubic system with eight formula units in a cell with a dimension of a = 16.415(2) A at T = 193 K. The structure contains an unusual intermixing of ionic and uncharged species. The selenophosphate tetrahedral trianions PSe(4)(3-) are surrounded by potassium cations; other potassium cations in the structure are coordinated to 12 selenium atoms from four Se(6) rings in a tetrahedral arrangement. There are no short contacts between adjacent selenium rings. Heating the same reaction mixture to 160 degrees C results in the formation of only needles of trigonal selenium.     

Dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic tropic acid ethyl ester and its derivatives

The dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic mixtures of tropic acid ethyl ester under substrate racemizing conditions was studied using lipase PS with a ruthenium catalyst. Isopropenyl acetate was used as an acyl donor, since it was found to be compatible with both catalysts; this resulted in an efficient dynamic kinetic resolution. With this process, a variety of racemic tropic acid ethyl esters were transformed to optically active acetoxy-2-arylpropionic acid ethyl esters with 60-88% yields and 53-92% ee.     

FREQUENCY OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION-INDUCED MUTATION AT THE hprt LOCUS IN REPAIR-PROFICIENT MURINE FIBROBLASTS TRANSFECTED WITH THE denV GENE OF BACTERIOPHAGE T4

Abstract— Thc frequency of spontaneous and ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced mutation at the hprt locus was determined in control and denV-transfected, repair-proficient murine fibroblasts. Control cells removed an average of 25% of pyrimidine dimers induced by exposure to 150 J/m²UVR from an FS40 sunlamp within 24 h; under the same conditions of induction and repair, denV-transfected cells removed an average of 71% of pyrimidine dimers. Control cells were somewhat more resistant than denV-transfected cells to killing by UVR. The average frequency of spontancous mutation at the hprt locus for control and denV-transfected cells was 3 and 15 6-thioguanine (6-TG)-resistant colonies per 10⁶ surviving cells, respectively; there was no statistically significant difference between control and dcnV-transfected cells. However, after exposure to 75 or 150 J/m² UVR, denV-transfected cells had a significantly lower frequency of mutation to 6-TG resistance. After exposure to a fluence of 75 J/m², the average frequency of UVR-induced mutation at the hprt locus was 166 mutant colonies per lo^h surviving cells for control cells and 92 mutant colonies for denV-transfectcd cells; after 150 J/m², control cells had 205 6-TG-resistant colonies per 10⁶ cells, while dmV-transfected cclls had 61 mutant colonies. These results demonstrate that UVR-induced pyrimidine dimers are mutagenic photoproducts in mammalian cells.     

Insulator–metal transition in Nd0.8Na0.2Mn(1−x)CoxO3 perovskites

The electric and magnetic properties of the perovskites Nd_0.8Na_0.2Mn_(1−x)Co_xO₃ (0x0.2) prepared by the usual ceramic procedure were investigated. The insulator-to-metal-like (IM) transition, closely related to a ferromagnetic arrangement, was revealed for the composition of x=0.04 and a similar tendency was detected for x=0. The insulating behavior persists down to low temperatures for higher contents of cobalt ions in spite of the transition to the bulk ferromagnetism. The properties are interpreted in terms of the steric distortion, tilting of the Mn(Co)O₆ octahedra and the double-exchange interactions of the type Mn³⁺–O²⁻–Mn⁴⁺and Mn^3.5+δ–O²⁻–Co²⁺, respectively. Presence of antiferromagnetic domains in the ferromagnetic matrix for the most of cobalt-substituted samples is supposed.     

Solution and solid-state structure of the anion [Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)](2-)

Addition of the carbene 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) to a toluene solution of Ag[closo-CB(11)H(12)] results in the formation of the complex [(IMes)(2)Ag](2)[Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)], the anionic component of which contains two silver(I) centers bridged by two carboranes in addition to one terminally bound carborane on each metal, in the solid-state. Comparison of the observed (11)B[(1)H] NMR chemical shifts of [(IMes)(2)Ag](2)[Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)] or Ag[closo-CB(11)H(12)] with [NBu(4)][closo-CB(11)H(12)] in CD(2)Cl(2) demonstrates that the silver ion interacts significantly with the cage in solution. Theoretical investigations using the ab initio/GIAO/NMR method of [closo-CB(11)H(12)](-) and Na[closo-CB(11)H(12)] as model geometries for the silver salts support experimental evidence for these Ag...[BH] interactions in solution.     

The two-photon excitation cross section of 6MAP, a fluorescent adenine analogue

6MAP is a fluorescent analogue of adenine that undergoes Watson-Crick base pairing and base stacking in double-stranded DNA. The one-photon absorption spectrum of 6MAP is characterized by a maximum around 330 nm with moderate quantum yield fluorescence centered at about 420 nm. To take advantage of this probe for confocal and single-molecule microscopy, it would be advantageous to be able to excite the analogue via two photons. We report the first determination of the two-photon excitation cross section and spectrum for 6MAP from 614 to 700 nm. The power dependence of the fluorescence indicates that emission results from the absorption of two photons. The one-photon and two-photon emission line shapes are identical within experimental error. A study of the concentration dependence of the fluorescence yield for one-photon excitation shows no measurable quenching up to about 5 microM. The maximum in the two-photon excitation spectrum gives a two-photon cross section, delta(TPE), of 3.4 +/- 0.1 Goeppert-Mayer (G.M.) at 659 nm, which correlates well with the one-photon absorption maximum. This compares quite favorably with cross sections of various naturally fluorescent biological molecules such as flavins and nicotiamide. In addition, we have also obtained the two-photon-induced fluorescence emission spectrum of quinine sulfate. It is approximately the same as that for one-photon excitation, suggesting that two-photon excitation of quinine sulfate may be used for calibration purposes.     

On the lower Markov spectrum

C. Hightower found two infinite sequences of gaps in the Markov spectrum, ( _n , _n ) and ( _n , _n ) with _n and _n both Markov elements, converging to . This paper exhibits Markov elements _n ^* and _n ^* such that, for alln 1, ( _n ^* , _n ) and ( _{n n} ^* ) are gaps in the Markov spectrum. Other results include showing that, for alln 1, _n is completely isolated, while the other endpoints of the gaps are limit points in the Markov spectrum.