Free Energy and Solvation Structure Analysis for Adsorption of Aromatic Molecules at Pt(111)/Water Interface by 3D-RISM Theory

The free energy change of aromatic molecules adsorbed at a Pt(111)/water interface was analyzed using the three-dimensional reference interaction site model (3D-RISM) theory with density functional theory (DFT), compared with the reported experimental data. The changes in the solvation structure induced by molecular adsorption were discussed

ESTIMATION OF RUNNING INJURY RISKS USING WEARABLE SENSORS

This research estimates running pattern characteristics that relate to running injury risks quantitatively and simply from a real-environment running motion. Wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors are used to provide a simple measurement of the running patterns in a real environment. We then measure an experimental running motion in detail in the laboratory using both large-scale devices and wearable sensors, and build correlational models between the conventional parameters related to running injury risks and parameters from wearable sensors. These correlational models realize a quantitative and simple estimation of running pattern characteristics related to running injury risks from a real-environment running motion. Our models estimate that fatigue, grounding style, pronation, and grounding impact have a high correlation with injury risk by the conventional methods. A feedback of these parameters and shoe selection based on these information would contribute to a reduction of running injuries

CXCL13-producing CD4⁺ T cells accumulate in the early phase of tertiary lymphoid structures in ovarian cancer

卵巣がんにおける新たな免疫の仕組みを発見 --三次リンパ様構造の形成メカニズムと予後への影響を解明--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-05.Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are transient ectopic lymphoid aggregates whose formation might be caused by chronic inflammation states, such as cancer. However, how TLSs are induced in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and how they affect patient survival are not well understood. We investigated TLS distribution in relation to tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and related gene expression in high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) specimens. CXCL13 gene expression correlated with TLS presence and the infiltration of T cells and B cells, and was a favorable prognostic factor for HGSC patients. Coexistence of CD8⁺ T cells and B-cell lineages in the TME significantly improved the prognosis of HGSC and was correlated with the presence of TLSs. CXCL13 expression was predominantly coincident with CD4⁺ T cells in TLSs and CD8⁺ T cells in TILs, and shifted from CD4⁺ T cells to CD21⁺ follicular dendritic cells as TLS matured. In a mouse ovarian cancer model, recombinant CXCL13 induced TLSs and enhanced survival by the infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells. These results suggest that TLS formation was associated with CXCL13-producing CD4⁺ T cells and that TLSs facilitated the coordinated antitumor response of cellular and humoral immunity in ovarian cancer

Tertiary lymphoid structures are associated with favorable survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer

Immunotherapy has experienced remarkable growth recently. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and B cells may play a key role in the immune response and have a survival benefit in some solid tumors, but there have been no reports about their role in endometrial cancer (EC). We investigated the clinicopathological and pathobiological characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in EC. Patients with EC at Kyoto University Hospital during 2006–2011 were retrospectively included. In 104 patients with EC who met study inclusion criteria, 81 (77.9%) had TLSs, which consisted of areas rich in CD20⁺ B cells, CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, and CD38⁺ plasma cells. The absence of TLS was independently associated with tumor progression (HR, 0.154; 95% CI, 0.044–0.536; P = 0.003). Patients with TLSs that included CD23⁺ germinal centers had better PFS. All tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were counted in the intratumor site. The number of CD20⁺ B cells was significantly larger in patients with TLSs than in those without TLS (P < 0.001). CD20⁺ B cells numbers were positively correlated with other TLSs. The larger number of CD20⁺ B cell was associated with better PFS (P = 0.015). TLSs and B cell infiltration into tumors are associated with favorable survival outcomes in patients with EC. They may represent an active immune reaction of the TME in endometrial cancer

Complementary evaluation of structure stability of perovskite oxides using bond-valence and density-functional-theory calculations

Estimation of structure stability is an essential issue in materials design and synthesis. Global instability index (GII) based on bond-valence method is applied as a simple indication, while density functional theory calculation is adopted for accurate evaluation of formation energy. We compare the GII and total energy of typical ABO3-type perovskite oxides and rationalize their relationship, proposing that the criteria for empirically unstable structures (GII > 0.2 valence unit) correspond to the difference in total energy of 50–200 meV per formula unit

Covalency Competition in the Quadruple Perovskite CdCu₃Fe₄O₁₂

Cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) are similar to calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in size, whereas the Cd²⁺ ions tend to form covalent bonds with the neighboring anions because of the high electronegativity. The covalent Cd–O bonds affect other metal–oxygen bonds, inducing drastic changes in crystal structures and electronic states. Herein, we demonstrate high-pressure synthesis, crystal structure, and properties of a new quadruple perovskite CdCu₃Fe₄O₁₂. This compound exhibits an electronic phase transition accompanying a charge disproportionation of Fe ions without charge ordering below ∼200 K, unlike charge-disproportionation transition with rock-salt-type charge ordering for CaCu₃Fe₄O₁₂. First-principle calculations and Mössbauer spectroscopy display that covalent Cd–O bonds effectively suppress the Fe–O bond covalency, resulting in an electronic state different from that of CaCu₃Fe₄O₁₂. This finding proposes covalency competition among constituent metal ions dominating electronic states of complex metal oxides