Chemical and dynamical speciation of mobile ions in the glassy fast ionic conductor Ag2S+B2S3+SiS2: A 109Ag nuclear magnetic resonance study

109Ag NMR in the highly conductive glass 0.525Ag2S+0.475(0.5B2S3+0.5SiS2) was investigated from 230 to 433 K. The 109Ag NMR spectra reveal for the first time three well resolved lines corresponding to three kinds of chemically speciated Ag ions in sites with different chemical shifts in a macroscopically homogeneous glass. This chemical speciation of Ag ions is discussed in relation to the microstructure of the glass. As the temperature is increased, the three lines that originate from three different species of ions are narrowed, but these lines exist independently up to 433 K, the highest temperature measured. Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates (NSLR’s), 1/T1, were also measured. Two relaxation processes were found; one is associated with two of the chemically speciated Ag ions and the other is associated with the other Ag ions. The two different NSLR’s gradually approach a common value as the temperature is increased, and finally exhibit a common relaxation rate at and above 373 K. From the results of the NMR spectra and of the NSLR’s, which observe the ion dynamics on different time scales, it is concluded that the silver ions move fast within separate clusters of similar chemical environments (≫kHz), but exchange among the three different clusters at relatively slow rates (⩽100 Hz) above 373 K. From the time the ions reside at any one site, the mean free path of the ions is estimated

Therapeutic Benefits of Tocilizumab Vary in Different Organs of a Patient with AA Amyloidosis

Systemic reactive AA amyloidosis is a life-threatening complication of chronic inflammatory diseases. Anti-interleukin-6 receptor, tocilizumab (TCZ), has been shown to improve clinical symptoms of patients with AA amyloidosis, accompanied with regression of the amyloid deposition. We report a case of AA amyloidosis evaluated by histology of multiple organs before and after TCZ treatment. A woman in her 60s with rheumatoid arthritis was referred to our hospital because of cardiac and renal dysfunction. A gastric and renal biopsy revealed the deposition of AA amyloid, and echocardiography revealed concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Her estimated glomerular filtration rate was decreased to 8.6 mL/min/1.73 m2, and B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid A protein were significantly elevated. TCZ treatments markedly decreased her serum amyloid A protein and C-reactive protein levels, but hemodialysis was required 1 year later. Endoscopic gastric rebiopsy 3 years after initiation of TCZ treatments revealed the regression of amyloid deposition and echocardiography revealed improvement of her left ventricular hypertrophy. However, a renal rebiopsy revealed that the amyloid deposition had not regressed. In conclusion, these observations suggest that the therapeutic effects of TCZ can vary among organs in patients with AA amyloidosis

Environmental activities on glass in Japan

In general, glass has been recognized as an environmentally friendly material. However, the production of glass requires a lot of heat energy, and the raw materials also emit CO2 at the melting process. In fact, commercial glasses are not easy to recycle. In glass industry of Japan, various efforts have been made so far to reduce the environmental impact of glass. In this paper, not only glass manufacturing technologies but also glass recycling technologies were reviewed, and the future glass production technologies to achieve carbon neutrality were also introduced

Chemical and dynamical speciation of mobile ions in the glassy fast ionic conductor Ag2S+B2S3+SiS2: A 109Ag nuclear magnetic resonance study

109Ag NMR in the highly conductive glass 0.525Ag2S+0.475(0.5B2S3+0.5SiS2) was investigated from 230 to 433 K. The 109Ag NMR spectra reveal for the first time three well resolved lines corresponding to three kinds of chemically speciated Ag ions in sites with different chemical shifts in a macroscopically homogeneous glass. This chemical speciation of Ag ions is discussed in relation to the microstructure of the glass. As the temperature is increased, the three lines that originate from three different species of ions are narrowed, but these lines exist independently up to 433 K, the highest temperature measured. Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates (NSLR’s), 1/T1, were also measured. Two relaxation processes were found; one is associated with two of the chemically speciated Ag ions and the other is associated with the other Ag ions. The two different NSLR’s gradually approach a common value as the temperature is increased, and finally exhibit a common relaxation rate at and above 373 K. From the results of the NMR spectra and of the NSLR’s, which observe the ion dynamics on different time scales, it is concluded that the silver ions move fast within separate clusters of similar chemical environments (≫kHz), but exchange among the three different clusters at relatively slow rates (⩽100 Hz) above 373 K. From the time the ions reside at any one site, the mean free path of the ions is estimated.This article is from Physical Review B 63 (2000): 024303, doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.63.024303.</p