Strontium doping in mullite-type bismuth aluminate: A vacancy investigation using neutrons, photons and electrons

We report on strontium doped dibismuth-nonaoxoaluminate(III) produced at 1023 K. Partial substitution of bismuth by strontium in the structure yields oxygen vacancies for charge balance. Introducing oxygen vacancies rearranged the associated Al2O7 double-tetrahedra forming “Al3O10” tri-clusters which were identified by multi-quantum 27Al MAS NMR. Both STEM-EDX and XPS showed homogeneous distribution of strontium in the bulk and on the surface, respectively. Moreover, XPS confirms the valence state of bismuth after doping. The orientations of bismuth 6s2 lone electron pairs were calculated using DFT methods. The amount of strontium in the crystal structure was further confirmed from the decomposition product SrAl12O19 formed during the temperature-dependent X-ray powder diffraction. The structural proof was carried out by refining the structure of (Bi0.94Sr0.06)2Al4O8.94 from powder neutron and X-ray diffraction data. Rietveld refinements clearly showed the under occupation of one oxygen site and the shift of two aluminum atoms from the double-tetrahedra to two tri-cluster sites

Isolated versus Condensed Anion Structure IV: An NQR Study and X-ray Structure Analysis of [H3N(CH2)3NH3]CdI4 * 2H2O, [H3CNH2(CH2)3NH3]CdBr4, [(CH3)4N]2CdBr 4, and [(CH3)3S]2CdBr4*

The phase I of [H3N(CH2)3NH3]CdI4 • 2H2O (1) crystallizes with isolated [CdI4]2-tetrahedra; monoclinic, C2/c, Z = 8, a = 1702.6(3), b= 1459.3(3), c= 1555.5(3) pm, and ß= 120.32(3)° at 299 K. (1) shows a first-order phase transition at T1↔II = 245 K. The eight 127I(v1) NQR lines in phase II change discontinuously into four lines in phase I. The transition entropy from DSC measurements, ∆S = 5.0 J K1- mol-1 , shows that this transition is probably due to order-disorder of cations. [H3CNH2(CH2)3NH3]CdBr4 (2) crystallizes with isolated [CdBr4]2- tetrahedra; orthorhombic P212121, Z = 4,a= 1447.8(5), b = 1280.3 (4), c = 709.7(3) pm at 299 K. (2) shows four 81Br NQR lines between II and around 325 K, above which temperature the lines disappear. [(CH3)4N]2CdBr4 (3) shows a second-order phase transition at T1↔II = 271 K. Three of four 81Br NQR lines in phase II disappear below this transition point, the other line can be observed up to 315 K. The transition entropy, ∆S = 9.01 J KT-1 mol-1 , indicates that the transition is an order-disorder type of the cations. [(CH3)3S]2CdBr4 (4) shows a first-order type phase transition at T1↔II = 304 K. The four lines spectrum of 81Br NQR is observed in phase II and disappears above the transition point. The transition entropy, ∆S = 46.8 J K- 1 mol-1 is abnormally large. The role of the hydrogen bond and the bridging power between the halogen and cadmium atoms upon the formation of the condensed anion structure is discussed

Corrigendum to "The German severe asthma patient: Baseline characteristics of patients in the German Severe Asthma Registry, and relationship with exacerbations and control" [Respir. Med. 195 (2022) 106793]

Korn S, Milger K, Skowasch D, et al. Corrigendum to "The German severe asthma patient: Baseline characteristics of patients in the German Severe Asthma Registry, and relationship with exacerbations and control" [Respir. Med. 195 (2022) 106793]. Respiratory Medicine . 2022;196: 106827

The German severe asthma patient: Baseline characteristics of patients in the German Severe Asthma Registry, and relationship with exacerbations and control

Korn S, Milger K, Skowasch D, et al. The German severe asthma patient: Baseline characteristics of patients in the German Severe Asthma Registry, and relationship with exacerbations and control. Respiratory Medicine . 2022;195: 106793.INTRODUCTION: The German Asthma Net Severe Asthma Registry is collecting long-term data from a large cohort of patients aged ≥6 years with severe asthma. This manuscript presents their baseline characteristics, and identifies relationships with exacerbations and/or poor asthma control.; METHODS: The registry is collecting routine clinical parameters including: demographics and medical history; disease characteristics (Asthma Control Questionnaire [ACQ]-5, forced expiratory volume in 1s [FEV1]); exacerbations; and biomarkers (eosinophils, immunoglobulin E [IgE], fractional exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO]).; RESULTS: These analyses include data from 2011 patients at 72 sites (91.9% adult). Children (6-17 years) were more likely to be male, whereas more adults were female (males: children/adults 62%/41%). Most were receiving inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2-agonist combinations (78%/81%); 38.0% of adults were receiving systemic steroids. Asthma control was suboptimal in both groups: 21.5%/13.3% were controlled; 10.4%/49.1% were symptomatic; 33.1%/37.2% received emergency asthma treatment in the previous year. Median blood eosinophil (400/238cells/muL) and IgE levels (494/186 IU/mL) were higher in children; FeNO was lower (19/35ppb). Patients with ≥2 exacerbations in the previous year had lower FEV1 (absolute and % predicted) and IgE, and higher ACQ-5, FeNO and blood eosinophil levels (all p<0.05). There was a weak, negative correlation between ACQ-5 and FEV1% predicted in adults (p<0.001).; CONCLUSIONS: These analyses characterise the typical German patient with severe asthma, and provide information on their overall care. Their planned long-term follow-up will assess whether asthma control can be optimised, how best to do so, and most importantly how such optimisation can benefit patients. Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Management of suspected and confirmed COVID‐19 (SARS‐CoV‐2) vaccine hypersensitivity

BACKGROUND: Systemic allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. In this study we assessed the management and outcome of suspected SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine hypersensitivity. METHODS: Totally, 334 individuals underwent an allergy work up regarding SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination (group A: 115 individuals suspected to be at increased risk for vaccine‐related reactions before vaccination and group B: 219 patients with reactions after COVID vaccination). The large majority of the SPT/IDT with the vaccines were negative; however, we identified in 14.1% (n = 47) a possible sensitization to the SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine and/or its ingredients defined as one positive skin test. Of the 219 individuals (group B) who experienced symptoms suspicious for a hypersensitivity reaction after vaccination, 214 were reported after the first vaccination with a mRNA vaccine (157 mRNA (Comirnaty®, 38 Spikevax®) and 18 with a vector vaccine (Vaxzevria®), 5 cases were after the second vaccination. RESULTS: The symptom profile in group B was as follows: skin symptoms occurred in 115 cases (n = 59 angioedema, n = 50 generalized urticaria and n = 23 erythema/flush. Seventy individuals had cardiovascular, 53 respiratory and 17 gastrointestinal symptoms. Of the overall 334 individuals, 78 patients tolerated (re)‐vaccination (out of skin test positive/negative 7/19 from group A and 17/35 from group B). CONCLUSION: Proven IgE‐mediated hypersensitivity to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines is extremely rare and not increased in comparison with reported hypersensitivity to other vaccines. The value of skin tests is unclear and nonspecific reactions, in particular when intradermal testing is applied, should be considered