Optical-Optical Double Resonance, Laser Induced Fluorescence, and Revision of the Signs of the Spin-Spin Constants of the Boron Carbide (BC) Free Radical

The cold boroncarbide free radical (BC X  4Σ−) has been produced in a pulsed discharge free jet expansion using a precursor mixture of trimethylborane in high pressure argon. High resolution laser induced fluorescencespectra have been obtained for the B  4Σ−–X  4Σ− and E  4Π–X  4Σ− band systems of both 11BC and 10BC. An optical-optical double resonance (OODR) scheme was implemented to study the finer details of both band systems. This involved pumping a single rotational level of the B state with one laser and then recording the various allowed transitions from the intermediate B state to the final E state with a second laser by monitoring the subsequent E–X ultraviolet fluorescence. In this fashion, we were able to prove unambiguously that, contrary to previous studies, the spin-spin constant λ is negative in the ground state and positive in the B  4Σ−excited state. It has been shown that λ″ \u3c 0 is in fact expected based on a semiempirical second order perturbation theory calculation of the magnitude of the spin-spin constant. The OODR spectra have also been used to validate our assignments of the complex and badly overlapped E 4Π–X  4Σ− 0-0 and 1-0 bands of 11BC. The E–X 0-0 band of 10BC was found to be severely perturbed. The ground state main electron configuration is …3σ24σ25σ11π22π0 and the derived bond lengths show that there is a 0.03 Å contraction in the B state, due to the promotion of an electron from the 4σ antibonding orbital to the 5σ bonding orbital. In contrast, the bond length elongates by 0.15 Å in the E state, a result of promoting an electron from the 5σ bonding orbital to the 2π antibonding orbitals

THE ELECTRONIC SPECTRUM AND MOLECULAR GEOMETRY OF THE JET-COOLED STIBINO (SbH2) FREE RADICAL

The jet-cooled stibino (SbH$_{2}$) free radical has been detected for the first time. This highly reactive species was produced in an electric discharge through a precursor mixture of stibine (SbH$_{3}$) diluted in high pressure argon. Stibine was synthesized by the low-temperature reduction of SbCl$_{3}$ with LiAlH$_{4}$ and stored and handled at -85 $^{o}$C to avoid decomposition. Low-resolution LIF scans revealed a single band of SbH$_{2}$ with complex rotational structure in the 514.9 - 511.0 nm region. We find that the fluorescence lifetimes of the rotational transitions in this band are very short, of the order of 50-75 ns, suggesting an upper state dissociative process. The spectrum is assigned to the \~{A}$^{2}$A$_{1}$ - \~{X}$^{2}$B$_{1}$ electronic transition by analogy with the known spectra of NH$_{2}$, PH$_{2}$ and AsH$_{2}$ and in accord with a recent high level \textit{ab initio} study. Emission spectra obtained after laser excitation of single rotational lines in the 0-0 band show a ground state bending frequency of approx. 820 \wn , consistent with theoretical predictions. The rotationally resolved spectrum of the 0-0 band, which spans some 150 \wn , was recorded at a resolution of 0.08 \wn and analyzed in detail. The spectrum is complicated by large spin splittings and Sb hyperfine effects. The molecular constants were used to determine the geometry of SbH$_{2}$ in both states

BH\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Revisited: New, Extensive Measurements of Laser-Induced Fluorescence Transitions and \u3cem\u3eAb Initio\u3c/em\u3e Calculations of Near-Spectroscopic Accuracy

The spectroscopy of gas phase BH2 has not been explored experimentally since the pioneering study of Herzberg and Johns in 1967. In the present work, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectra of the Ã2B1(Πu)-X̃2A1 band system of 11BH2, 10BH2, 11BD2, and 10BD2 have been observed for the first time. The free radicals were synthesized by an electric discharge through a precursor mixture of 0.5% diborane (B2H6 or B2D6) in high pressure argon at the exit of a pulsed valve. A total of 67 LIF bands have been measured and rotationally analyzed, 62 of them previously unobserved. These include transitions to a wide variety of excited state bending levels, to several stretch-bend combination levels, and to three ground state levels which gain intensity through Renner-Teller coupling to nearby excited state levels. As an aid to vibronic assignment of the spectra, very high level hybrid ab initio potential energy surfaces were built starting from the coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples (CCSD(T))/aug-cc-pV5Z level of theory for this seven-electron system. In an effort to obtain the highest possible accuracy, the potentials were corrected for core correlation, extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, electron correlation beyond CCSD(T), and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer effects. The spin-rovibronic states of the various isotopologues of BH2 were calculated for energies up to 22 000 cm-1 above the X̃ (000) level without any empirical adjustment of the potentials or fitting to experimental data. The agreement with the new LIF data is excellent, approaching near-spectroscopic accuracy (a few cm-1) and has allowed us to understand the complicated spin-rovibronic energy level structure even in the region of strong Renner-Teller resonances

A Case of 48, XYY, +21

A 3 month-old boy with a karyotype of 48, XYY, + 21 is reported. The patient had the typical features of Down syndrome and normal male genitalia. Analysis of Q- and R-banded chromosome heteromorphisms of the patient and the parents showed that two of the three chromosomes 21 in the patient originated as a result of failure of the paternal second meiotic division. Therefore both additional chromosomes in the patient resulted from nondisjunction at paternal meiosis II

Recruitment of CD16+ monocytes into synovial tissues is mediated by fractalkine and CX3CR1 in rheumatoid arthritis patients

CD16+ monocytes, identified as a minor population of monocytes in human peripheral blood, have been implicated in several inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fractalkine (FKN, CX3CL1), a member of the CX3 C subfamily, is induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines, while a receptor for FKN, CX3CR1, is capable of mediating both leukocyte migration and firm adhesion. Here, we investigated the role of FKN and CX3CR1 in activation of CD16+ monocytes and their recruitment into synovial tissues in RA patients. High levels of soluble FKN were detected in the synovial fluid and sera of RA patients. Circulating CD16+ monocytes showed a higher level of CX3CR1 expression than CD16- monocytes in both RA patients and healthy subjects. High level expression of CX3CR1 was also seen in CD16+ monocytes localized to the lining layer in RA synovial tissue. In the in vitro culture experiments, IL-10 induced CX3CR1 expression on the surface of monocytes, and TNFalpha induced membrane-bound FKN as well as soluble FKN expression in synovial fibroblasts. Moreover, soluble FKN was capable of inducing IL-1beta and IL-6 by activated monocytes. These results suggest that FKN might preferentially mediate migration and recruitment of CD16+ monocytes, and might contribute to synovial tissue inflammation.</p

Resistance to IL-10 inhibition of interferon gamma production and expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 in CD4(+ )T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

IL-10 has been shown to block the antigen-specific T-cell cytokine response by inhibiting the CD28 signaling pathway. We found that peripheral blood CD4(+ )T cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were able to produce greater amounts of interferon gamma after CD3 and CD28 costimulation in the presence of 1 ng/ml IL-10 than were normal control CD4(+ )T cells, although their surface expression of the type 1 IL-10 receptor was increased. The phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 was sustained in both blood and synovial tissue CD4(+ )T cells of RA, but it was not augmented by the presence of 1 ng/ml IL-10. Sera from RA patients induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 phosphorylation in normal CD4(+ )T cells, which was mostly abolished by neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody. Preincubation of normal CD4(+ )T cells with IL-6 reduced IL-10-mediated inhibition of interferon gamma production. Blood CD4(+ )T cells from RA patients contained higher levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 but lower levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 mRNA compared with control CD4(+ )T cells, as determined by real-time PCR. These results indicate that RA CD4(+ )T cells become resistant to the immunosuppressive effect of IL-10 before migration into synovial tissue, and this impaired IL-10 signaling may be associated with sustained signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 induction

Deletion of Mir223 Exacerbates Lupus Nephritis by Targeting S1pr1 in Fas(lpr/lpr) Mice

Objective: The micro RNAs (miRNAs) and their target mRNAs are differentially expressed in various immune-mediated cells. Here, we investigated the role of Mir223 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1pr1) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods: We analyzed miRNA and mRNA profiling data of CD4+ splenic T cells derived from MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J mice. We performed 3′ untranslated region (UTR) luciferase reporter gene assay using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We generated the B6-Mir223−/−Faslpr/lpr mice and the lupus phenotypes were analyzed. Results: In CD4+ splenic T cells, we identified upregulation of miR-223-3p and downregulation of the possible target, S1pr1 by RNA sequencing of MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J mice. The transfection with miR-223-3p mimic significantly suppressed a luciferase activity in HUVEC treated with a Lentivirus vector containing 3′ UTR of S1pr1. The mRNA levels of S1pr1 were significantly decreased after miR-223-3p overexpression. In B6-Mir223−/−Faslpr/lpr mice, the proportion of CD3+ T cells, CD3+CD4-CD8− cells, B cells, plasma cells, and S1PR1+CD4+ T cells in the spleen was significantly increased compared with that in B6-Mir223+/+Faslpr/lpr mice by flow cytometry. B6-Mir223−/−Faslpr/lpr mice demonstrated the elevation of glomerular and renal vascular scores associated with enhanced intraglomerular infiltration of S1PR1+CD4+ T cells. Conclusion: Unexpectedly, the deletion of Mir223 exacerbated the lupus phenotypes associated with increased population of S1PR1+CD4+ T in spleen and the enhanced infiltration of S1PR1+CD4+ T cells in inflamed kidney tissues, suggesting compensatory role of Mir223 in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis

Induction of tumour necrosis factor receptor-expressing macrophages by interleukin-10 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor in rheumatoid arthritis

Despite its potent ability to inhibit proinflammatory cytokine synthesis, interleukin (IL)-10 has a marginal clinical effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Recent evidence suggests that IL-10 induces monocyte/macrophage maturation in cooperation with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In the present study, we found that the inducible subunit of the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R), type 1 IL-10R (IL-10R1), was expressed at higher levels on monocytes in RA than in healthy controls, in association with disease activity, while their expression of both type 1 and 2 tumour necrosis factor receptors (TNFR1/2) was not increased. The expression of IL-10R1 but not IL-10R2 was augmented on monocytes cultured in the presence of RA synovial tissue (ST) cell culture supernatants. Cell surface expression of TNFR1/2 expression on monocytes was induced by IL-10, and more efficiently in combination with M-CSF. Two-color immunofluorescence labeling of RA ST samples showed an intensive coexpression of IL-10R1, TNFR1/2, and M-CSF receptor in CD68(+ )lining macrophages. Adhered monocytes, after 3-day preincubation with IL-10 and M-CSF, could produce more IL-1β and IL-6 in response to TNF-α in the presence of dibutyryl cAMP, as compared with the cells preincubated with or without IL-10 or M-CSF alone. Microarray analysis of gene expression revealed that IL-10 activated various genes essential for macrophage functions, including other members of the TNFR superfamily, receptors for chemokines and growth factors, Toll-like receptors, and TNFR-associated signaling molecules. These results suggest that IL-10 may contribute to the inflammatory process by facilitating monocyte differentiation into TNF-α-responsive macrophages in the presence of M-CSF in RA

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy oflaser-ablated copper atoms

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectra of laser-ablated copper atoms entrainedin a supersonic free jet expansion are reported. Depending on the ionization scheme employed, andthe conditions under which the copper atoms are produced, very different spectra are produced, whichare discussed. In some circumstances, high proportions of metastable atoms survive the ablation andexpansion process and are clearly seen in the spectra. The spectroscopic transitions for the observedlines are identified, and it is noted that some caution is merited in the assumption that only ground statecopper atoms are present following laser ablation