Immune Evasion by Yersinia enterocolitica: Differential Targeting of Dendritic Cell Subpopulations In Vivo

CD4+ T cells are essential for the control of Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) infection in mice. Ye can inhibit dendritic cell (DC) antigen uptake and degradation, maturation and subsequently T-cell activation in vitro. Here we investigated the effects of Ye infection on splenic DCs and T-cell proliferation in an experimental mouse infection model. We found that OVA-specific CD4+ T cells had a reduced potential to proliferate when stimulated with OVA after infection with Ye compared to control mice. Additionally, proliferation of OVA-specific CD4+ T cells was markedly reduced when cultured with splenic CD8α+ DCs from Ye infected mice in the presence of OVA. In contrast, T-cell proliferation was not impaired in cultures with CD4+ or CD4−CD8α− DCs isolated from Ye infected mice. However, OVA uptake and degradation as well as cytokine production were impaired in CD8α+ DCs, but not in CD4+ and CD4−CD8α− DCs after Ye infection. Pathogenicity factors (Yops) from Ye were most frequently injected into CD8α+ DCs, resulting in less MHC class II and CD86 expression than on non-injected CD8α+ DCs. Three days post infection with Ye the number of splenic CD8α+ and CD4+ DCs was reduced by 50% and 90%, respectively. The decreased number of DC subsets, which was dependent on TLR4 and TRIF signaling, was the result of a faster proliferation and suppressed de novo DC generation. Together, we show that Ye infection negatively regulates the stimulatory capacity of some but not all splenic DC subpopulations in vivo. This leads to differential antigen uptake and degradation, cytokine production, cell loss, and cell death rates in various DC subpopulations. The data suggest that these effects might be caused directly by injection of Yops into DCs and indirectly by affecting the homeostasis of CD4+ and CD8α+ DCs. These events may contribute to reduced T-cell proliferation and immune evasion of Ye

Magnetic ordering in Gd5Ir2Bi and Gd5Ir2Sb

155Gd Mössbauer spectroscopy and neutron powder diffraction have been used to study magnetic ordering in Gd5Ir2Bi and Gd5Ir2Sb. Despite the hyperfine fields (Bhf) at the two Gd sites differing by more than a factor of two for both compounds, the moments derived from neutron diffraction are essentially equal in Gd5Ir2Bi. This implies an unusual departure from the commonly assumed scaling between B h f G d and μGd. Neutron powder diffraction shows that Gd5Ir2Bi is a c-axis ferromagnet at 3.6 K. We find no evidence for a FM → AF transition

Experience Applying the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) Indicated Five Questions Should Be Addressed in the Planning Phase from a Statistical Point of View

The Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) were proposed in 2011 to support transparent and accurate reporting. These studies may be conducted with the primary aim of estimating reliability and/or agreement itself, but are more often than not part of larger diagnostic accuracy studies, clinical trials, or epidemiological studies. As such, the study design may be compromised in terms of practicability issues, preventing the collection of sufficient results. We presented an example from a consultancy with a difficult mission and discussed five questions that concern the very nature of such a study (agreement vs. reliability; intra- vs. interrater), the rater population, explanatory factors in a multivariable model, and the statistical analysis strategy. Discussion of such basic methodological and statistical questions must take place before an investigation is started in order to ensure adequate data collection, to predict possible complications in the study, to plan sufficient statistical analyses, and to request timely assistance from an experienced statistician. GRRAS and its accompanying checklist of 15 items proved to be most helpful. Hopefully, our commentary will help improve the planning of agreement and reliability studies, which, in turn, will then be more focused, more appropriate, and more easily reported using GRRAS

Linear infinite cadmium chains in CaAu4Cd2 and other intermetallics with YbMo2Al4-type structure

International audienceNew YbMo2Al4-type cadmium compounds CaAu4Cd2, SrAu4Cd2, and EuAu4Cd2 were synthesized from the elements in sealed tantalum tubes. The structures of CaAu4Cd2 (I4/mmm, a = 710.7(1), c = 550.2(3) pm, wR2 = 0.026, 168 F 2 values, 10 variables) and EuAu4.80Cd1.20 (a = 716.6(1), c = 545.9(1) pm, wR2 = 0.024, 167 F 2 values, 11 variables) were refined from X-ray single-crystal diffractometry data. The gold and cadmium atoms show different substructures: Au4 squares (279 pm Au-Au in CaAu4Cd2) and cadmium chains (275 pm Cd-Cd in CaAu4Cd2). EuAu4Cd2 forms a solid solution EuAu4+x Cd2−x up to x ≈ 1, where almost every other cadmium atom within the chains is substituted by gold. Chemical bonding analyses on CaAu4Cd2 shows almost complete charge transfer from calcium to the [Au4Cd2] network. Bader charge analysis classifies CaAu4Cd2 as an auride. EuAu4Cd2 shows Curie-Weiss behavior above 25 K with an experimental magnetic moment of 7.86 μB/Eu atom, near to the free ion value of 7.94 μB for Eu2+ and orders ferromagnetically at T C = 16.3(5) K. 151Eu Mössbauer spectra show a single signal at an isomer shift of about −10 mm/s, compatible with divalent europium. At 5 K, and therefore clearly below T C, magnetic hyperfine splitting is observed

Dichotomy between palladium(II)-tin(II) and palladium(0)-tin(IV) in complexes of a Sn,As-based chelate ligand.

A dinuclear Pd-Sn bonded complex is reported, in which the interaction of the formally tin(II)-based ligand, [2-MeBrSnC6F4AsPh 2]-, with palladium appears to be best described as PdI-SnIII or Pd0-SnIV

The gallium intermetallics REPdGa3 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) with SrPdGa3-type structure

The gallium-rich intermetallic phases REPdGa3 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) were obtained by arc-melting of the elements and subsequent annealing for crystal growth. The samples were studied by X-ray diffraction on powders and single crystals. The structures of three crystals were refined from X-ray diffractometer data: SrPdGa3 type, Cmcm, a = 634.3(1), b = 1027.2(1), c = 593.5(1) pm, wR = 0.0621, 380 F2 values, 20 variables for CePd0.80(4)Ga3.20(4), a = 635.9(1), b = 1027.5(1), c = 592.0(1) pm, wR = 0.1035, 457 F2 values, 19 variables for CePdGa3, and a = 640.7(1), b = 1038.2(1), c = 593.7(1) pm, wR = 0.0854, 489 F2 values, 19 variables for EuPdGa3. The REPdGa3 gallides are orthorhombic superstructure variants of the aristotype ThCr2Si2. The palladium and gallium atoms build up polyanionic [PdGa3]δ− networks with Pd–Ga and Ga–Ga distances of 248–254 and 266–297pm, respectively, in EuPdGa3. The rare earth atoms fill cavities within the polyanionic networks. They are coordinated by five palladium and twelve gallium atoms. Taking CePdGa3 as an illustrative representative, the band structure calculations show largely dispersive itinerant s, p bands and little dispersive d (Pd) and f (Ce) bands, the latter crossing the Fermi level at large magnitude leading to magnetic instability in a spin-degenerate state and a subsequent antiferromagnetic ground state with a small moment of ±0.36 μB on Ce. The bonding characteristics indicate a prevailing Ce–Ga bonding versus Pd–Ga and Ce–Pd. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and 151Eu Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements point to stable trivalent lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium, but divalent europium. SmPdGa3 shows intermediate valence. Antiferromagnetic ordering occurs at TN = 5.1(5), 7.0(5), 6.3(5), 11.9(5), and 23.0(5) for RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu, respectively

The gallium intermetallics REPdGa3 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) with SrPdGa3-type structure

The gallium-rich intermetallic phases REPdGa3 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) were obtained by arc-melting of the elements and subsequent annealing for crystal growth. The samples were studied by X-ray diffraction on powders and single crystals. The structures of three crystals were refined from X-ray diffractometer data: SrPdGa3 type, Cmcm, a = 634.3(1), b = 1027.2(1), c = 593.5(1) pm, wR = 0.0621, 380 F2 values, 20 variables for CePd0.80(4)Ga3.20(4), a = 635.9(1), b = 1027.5(1), c = 592.0(1) pm, wR = 0.1035, 457 F2 values, 19 variables for CePdGa3, and a = 640.7(1), b = 1038.2(1), c = 593.7(1) pm, wR = 0.0854, 489 F2 values, 19 variables for EuPdGa3. The REPdGa3 gallides are orthorhombic superstructure variants of the aristotype ThCr2Si2. The palladium and gallium atoms build up polyanionic [PdGa3]δ− networks with Pd–Ga and Ga–Ga distances of 248–254 and 266–297pm, respectively, in EuPdGa3. The rare earth atoms fill cavities within the polyanionic networks. They are coordinated by five palladium and twelve gallium atoms. Taking CePdGa3 as an illustrative representative, the band structure calculations show largely dispersive itinerant s, p bands and little dispersive d (Pd) and f (Ce) bands, the latter crossing the Fermi level at large magnitude leading to magnetic instability in a spin-degenerate state and a subsequent antiferromagnetic ground state with a small moment of ±0.36 μB on Ce. The bonding characteristics indicate a prevailing Ce–Ga bonding versus Pd–Ga and Ce–Pd. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and 151Eu Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements point to stable trivalent lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium, but divalent europium. SmPdGa3 shows intermediate valence. Antiferromagnetic ordering occurs at TN = 5.1(5), 7.0(5), 6.3(5), 11.9(5), and 23.0(5) for RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu, respectively