A 15-crown-5-ether-based supramolecular hydrogel with selection ability for potassium cations via gelation and colour change.

We developed a novel supramolecular hydrogelator possessing a benzo-15-crown-5 (B15C5) moiety. The hydrogelator can detect colourless potassium cations (K+) via easily readable gelation and colour change arising from a change in the molecular assembling ability through host-guest interactions between B15C5 and K+, which afford a B15C5/K+/B15C5 sandwich complex.

Factors influencing home discharge of hospitalized oldest-old patients (≥90 years): A retrospective quantitative case-control study.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify factors that could predict the discharge destination of oldest-old patients (patients aged ≥90 years). Information on the nutritional status, activities of daily living (ADL), nursing care needs based on nursing need degree (NND), rehabilitation therapy, and discharge destination was obtained from the medical records of 90 oldest-old patients aged ≥90 years admitted to our hospital, excluding orthopedic inpatients and short-term (≤5 days) inpatients. Of these, 64 were discharged home while 4 died during hospitalization. More than half had moderately low total lymphocyte count (<1200/µL). Home discharge was correlated with living with someone else and little need for assistance during eating and getting/standing-up at admission. The cutoff value for ability for basic movement scale (ABMS) at admission for home discharge was 18 points. Nutritional management and early mobilization are important aspects of clinical management of the oldest-olds.

Design and validation of a method for evaluating medical device cleanliness by recovering and quantifying residual proteins on stainless plates.

We recently reported a method for recovering and quantifying residual proteins bound to surfaces of various medical instruments via thermal coagulation under neutral pH and room temperature. The method effectively recovered and solubilised coagulated proteins at high temperatures in dry and humid conditions, with a protein recovery rate of > 90%. This study validated the previous method by comparing residual protein recovery from test samples using a conventional extraction solution (1% SDS, [pH 11.0]) and proposed solution (1% SDS, 10 mM TCEP, and 10 mM HEPES [pH 7.0]). To mimic soiled medical equipment, pseudo-blood-contaminated stainless steel plates were prepared. Residual protein was recovered using conventional and proposed solutions under varying temperature and humidity conditions. Quantitative protein recovery limits were determined at nine facilities. Compared with the conventional solution, the proposed solution recovered proteins more effectively from samples processed at temperatures > 60 °C. However, low recovery rates were observed for samples processed at 95 °C, possibly owing to differences in protein adhesion due to sample and plate-surface properties. Our findings present a method for quantifying residual proteins on medical instruments exposed to high temperatures during use or disinfection. Further studies should standardise test soiling conditions, materials, and solutions to evaluate cleaning methods.

Solution State-Like Reactivity of a Flexible Crystalline Werner-Type Metal Complex.

Flexible crystalline solids exhibit unique properties in response to external stimuli like heat and light. However, challenges exist in developing crystalline solids that have similar degrees of flexibility as in solution. Herein, we report the preparation of the new flexible crystalline metal complex [Cd(CF3SO3)2(4-spy)4] (4-spy=4-styrylpyridine), which contains photoreactive 4-spy ligand. Unlike traditional solids, this metal complex displays solution state-like [2+2] photocycloaddition reactivity. Specifically, UV irradiation of the crystalline material leads to formation of the same diverse array of dimers and cis isomer that are generated by photoreaction in the solution state. In addition, the photoresponsive flexibility of the solid leads to a photosalient effect and photo-induced formation of pores. The origin of the solution state-like photoreactivity of the solid is related to properties of the Cd(II) cation and fluorinated CF3SO3 anion, and the multi-orientational arrangement of the 4-spy ligands.

Proton Conduction in Chiral Molecular Assemblies of Azolium-Camphorsulfonate Salts.

Chiral molecular assemblies have attracted considerable attention because of their interesting physical properties, such as spin-selective electron transport. Cation-anion salts of three azolium cations, imidazolium (HIm+), triazolium (HTrz+), and thiazolium (HThz+), in combination with a chiral camphorsulfonate (1S-CS-) and their racemic compounds (rac-CS-) were prepared and compared in terms of phase transitions, crystal structures, dynamics of constituent molecules, dielectric responses, and proton conductivities. The cation-anion crystals containing HIm+ showed no significant difference in proton conductivity between the homochiral and racemic crystals, whereas the HTrz+-containing crystals showed higher proton conductivity and lower activation energy in the homochiral form than in the racemic form. A two-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network consisting of HTrz+ and -SO3- groups and similar in-plane rotational motion was observed in both crystals; however, the HTrz+ cation in the homochiral crystal exhibited the rotational motion modulated with translational motion, whereas the HTrz+ cation in the racemic crystal exhibited almost steady in-plane rotational motion. The different motional degrees of freedom were confirmed by crystal structure analyses and temperature- and frequency-dependent dielectric constants. In contrast, steady in-plane rotational motion with the thermally activated fluctuating motion of CS- was observed both in homochiral and racemic crystals containing HIm+, which averaged the motional space of protons resulting in similar dielectric responses and proton conductivities. The control of motional degrees of freedom in homochiral crystals affects the proton conductivity and is useful for the design of molecular proton conductors.

Tadpole-Like Polar Molecule Encapsulated in a Two-in-One Supramolecular Cage: Molecular Motion, Phase Transition and Ferroelectricity.

Molecule-inclusive closed cage compounds present a unique platform for molecular motion in an isolated environment. This study showcases the incorporation of a tadpole-like polar molecule (1-propyl-1H-imidazole, PIm) into a supramolecular cage formed by duad semicage p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene. The ferroelectric phase transition as well as the cage-confined motion of encapsulated PIm was studied in detail. The unusual quadrastable state of the PIm in the paraelectric phase allows for the modulation of dipolar polarization over a broad temperature/frequency range. This compound represents the first example of a clathrate molecular ferroelectric featuring a molecule-inclusive supramolecular cage, and it also contributes to the understanding of cage-confined molecular dynamics.

Unlocking single molecule magnetism: a supramolecular strategy for isolating neutral MnIII salen-type dimer in crystalline environments.

In [Mn(5-MeOsalen)(Cl)]2(dibenzo[24]crown-8), dibenzo[24]crown-8 formed a supramolecule via multi-point interactions with the [Mn(5-MeOsalen)(Cl)] dimer. The dimer was magnetically isolated with ST = 4 and weak interdimer magnetic interactions. The crystal exhibited single-molecule magnet behaviour with an anisotropic barrier of 26(1) K, which is the highest among the Mn-salen series reported to date.

Geometry-Induced Oligomerization of Fluorine-Substituted Phenylazothiazole Photoswitches.

Photoswitches are molecules that can absorb light of specific wavelengths and undergo a reversible transformation between their trans and cis isomeric forms. In phenylazo photoswitches, it is common for the less stable cis (Z) isomer to convert back to the more stable trans (E) isomer either through photochemical or thermal means. In this research, we designed new derivatives of phenylazothiazole (PAT) photoswitches, PAT-Fn, which feature fluorine substituents on their phenyl component. These derivatives can reversibly isomerize under visible light exposure with the enrichment of E and Z isomers at photostationary state (PSS). Surprisingly, we observed an unconventional phenomenon when these PAT-Fn (n≧2) photoswitches were in their cis isomeric state in the absence of light. Instead of the anticipated transformation from cis to trans isomer, these compounds converted to an oligomeric compound. Our detailed experimental investigation and theoretical calculations, indicated the crucial role of fluorine substituents and the distinctive geometric arrangement of the cis isomer in driving the unexpected oligomerization process originating from the cis isomeric state.

Selective Gas Sensing under a Mixed Gas Flow with a One-Dimensional Copper Coordination Polymer.

Structural changes of the coordination polymer associated with gas adsorption (gate opening-type adsorption) can be linked to bulk physical properties such as magnetism, electrical conductivity, and dielectric properties. To enable real-space sensing applications, it is imperative to have a system where the selective adsorption of mixed gases can be correlated with physical properties. In this report, we demonstrate that a crystalline sample of one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer exhibits selective CO2 adsorption while simultaneously displaying dielectric switching behavior in a mixed N2/CO2 gas environment. In the crystal of {[Cu2(2-TPA)4(pz)]·CH3CN}n (1·CH3CN), where 2-TPA and pz are 2-thiophencarboxylate and pyrazine, respectively, paddle wheel-type units of [Cu2(2-TPA)4] are bridged by pz, forming a 1D chain structure. One of the two crystallographically independent 2-TPA units was interacted with the pz moiety of the adjacent 1D chain by π···π interactions, forming a two-dimensional (2D) layer parallel to the ab plane. Activated 1 shows selective CO2 adsorption by a gate opening-type adsorption mechanism, indicating that the CO2 adsorption process is accompanied by a structural change. The change in the real part of dielectric permittivity (ε') under the mixed N2/CO2 gas flow is a result of the selective CO2 adsorption, which was supported by the enthalpy changes (ΔH) associated with CO2 adsorption in two methods: CO2 adsorption isotherms and temperature-dependent measurements of ε' under a mixed N2/CO2 gas flow. The calculated ΔH values were found to be in good agreement across both methods. The CO2 ratio in the mixed N2/CO2 gas flow increased, and the switching ratio of ε' (Δε') also increased. Notably, Δε' exhibited a marked increase beyond the pressure required for gate opening adsorption.

Phenylazothiazoles as Visible-Light Photoswitches.

A novel class of photoswitches based on a phenylazothiazole scaffold that undergoes reversible isomerization under visible-light irradiation is reported. The photoswitch, which comprises a thiazole heteroaryl segment directly connected to a phenyl azo chromophore, has very different spectral characteristics, such as a redshifted absorption maximum wavelength and well-separated absorption bands of the trans and cis isomers, than conventional azobenzene and other heteroaryl azo compounds. Substituents at the ortho and para positions of the phenyl ring of the photoswitch resulted in a further shift to longer wavelengths up to 525 nm at the absorption maximum with a small thermal stability compensation. These photoswitches showed excellent photostationary distributions of the trans and cis isomers, thermal half-lives of up to 7.2 h, and excellent reductant stability. The X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that the trans isomers exhibited a planar geometry and the cis isomers exhibited a T-shaped orthogonal geometry. Detailed ab initio calculations further demonstrated the plausible electronic transitions and isomerization energy barriers, which were consistent with the experimental observations. The fundamental design principles elucidated in this study will aid in the development of a wide variety of visible-light photoswitches for photopharmacological applications.

Composite with a Glassy Nonporous Coordination Polymer Enhances Gas Adsorption Selectivity.

A glass-crystal composite (g-NCP/PCP), comprising a glassy nonporous coordination polymer (g-NCP) and a crystalline porous coordination polymer (PCP)/metal-organic framework, was synthesized by using a melt-quenched method. Compared to that of the PCP itself, g-NCP/PCP has an enhanced gas adsorption selectivity. The results should stimulate further studies of the chemistry of g-NCP/PCP glass-crystal composites.

Interleukin-34 cancels anti-tumor immunity by PARP inhibitor.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1)-associated ovarian cancer patients have been treated with A poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, extending the progression-free survival; however, they finally acquire therapeutic resistance. Interleukin (IL)-34 has been reported as a poor prognostic factor in several cancers, including ovarian cancer, and it contributes to the therapeutic resistance of chemotherapies. IL-34 may affect the therapeutic effect of PARP inhibitor through the regulation of tumor microenvironment (TME). METHODS: In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set was used to evaluate the prognosis of IL-34 and human ovarian serous carcinoma. We also used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology in a mouse model to evaluate the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in the presence or absence of IL-34. RESULTS: We found that IL34 was an independent poor prognostic factor in ovarian serous carcinoma, and its high expression significantly shortens overall survival. Furthermore, in BRCA1-associated ovarian cancer, PARP inhibitor therapy contributes to anti-tumor immunity via the XCR1+ DC-CD8+ T cell axis, however, it is canceled by the presence of IL-34. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that tumor-derived IL-34 benefits tumors by creating an immunosuppressive TME and conferring PARP inhibitor therapeutic resistance. Thus, we showed the pathological effect of IL-34 and the need for it as a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.

A Proton Conductive Porous Framework of an 18-Crown-6-Ether Derivative Networked by Rigid Hydrogen Bonding Modules.

A rigid hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) was constructed from a C3 -symmetric hexatopic carboxylic acid with a hydrophilic 18-crown-6-ether (18C6) component. Despite the flexible macrocyclic structure with many conformations, the derivative with three 4,4'-dicarboxy-o-terphenyl moieties in the periphery yielded a rigid layered porous framework through directional intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Interestingly, the HOF possesses 1D channels with bottleneck composed of 18C6 rings. The HOF shows proton conductivity (1.12×10-7  S cm-1 ) through Grotthuss mechanism (Ea =0.27 eV) under 98 %RH. The present unique water channel structure provides an inspiration to create molecular porous materials.

Fluoride-bridged dinuclear dysprosium complex showing single-molecule magnetic behavior: supramolecular approach to isolate magnetic molecules.

Using Na-encapsulated benzo[18]crown-6 (Na)(B18C6) as a counter cation, we successfully magnetically isolated a fluoride-bridging Dy dinuclear complex {[(PW11O39)Dy(H2O)2]2F} (Dy2POM) with lacunary Keggin ligands. (Na)(B18C6) formed two types of tetramers through C-H⋯O, π⋯π and C-H⋯π interactions, and each tetramer aligned in one dimension along the c-axis to form two types of channels. One channel was partially penetrated by a supramolecular cation from the ±a-axis direction, dividing the channel in the form of a "bamboo node". Dy2POM was spatially divided by this "bamboo node," which magnetically isolated one portion from the other. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility indicated a weak ferromagnetic interaction between the Dy ions bridged by fluoride. Dy2POM exhibited the magnetic relaxation characteristics of a single-molecule magnet, including the dependence of AC magnetic susceptibility on temperature and frequency. Magnetic relaxation can be described by the combination of thermally active Orbach and temperature-independent quantum tunneling processes. The application of a static magnetic field effectively suppressed the relaxation due to quantum tunneling.

Inorganic Chain Mediated Excitonic Properties in One-Dimensional Lead Halide Hybrid Perovskites.

Semiconductors that emit intrinsic white light are considered next-generation lighting sources. Herein, the broadband emission of one-dimensional (1D) lead halide perovskites, TMAPbBr3-xIx (x = 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 3; TMA+ = tetramethylammonium), is systematically investigated. Lattice distortion causes the conversion of dark excitons to bright self-trapped excitons. Owing to its strongly localized exciton recombination and high absorption probability, TMAPbBr3 is the most viable in this family. A delocalized hole increases the nonradiative recombination rate of excitons in TMAPbBr3-xIx alloys. In 1D TMAPbBr3-xIx perovskites, the vibration mode of the Pb-X bond stretching of the PbX6 octahedra contributes more to the effect on exciton-phonon coupling than the mode of the X-Pb-X angle bending. Pb-X bond stretching and spontaneous polarization can tune exciton binding energy. This systematic study of excitonic behavior in 1D compounds relates the nature of ground states to the unknown excited states and provides the rational design of materials with stable and efficient broadband emission.

Solvent dependence of crystal structure and dielectric relaxation in ferromagnetic [MnCr(oxalate)3]- salt.

[MnCr(oxalate)3]- possesses a two-dimensional ferromagnetic network that is an ideal system for the construction of multifunctional molecular materials based on ferromagnetism. This is because additional functions, such as ferroelectricity, can be hybridised by incorporating functional cations between the layers. However, the majority of [MnCr(oxalate)3]- networks readily incorporate solvent molecules upon crystallisation, and it is sometimes difficult to measure the crystal physical properties because of the collapse associated with desolvation. Upon desolvation, the polar crystal (CBA+)([18]crown-6)[MnCr(oxalate)3]-(CH3OH) (1·CH3OH) (CBA+ = 4-carboxybutan-1-aminium) underwent a crystal-to-crystal transformation to form (CBA+)([18]crown-6)[MnCr(oxalate)3]-, 1. Furthermore, this change was accompanied by hydrogen bond reorganisation in the (CBA+)([18]crown-6) supramolecular assembly. Both crystals exhibited ferromagnetic ordering at approximately 5 K. In crystal 1, a "merry-go-round" motion of [18]crown-6 was observed, with an activation energy of 41.41 kJ mol-1, which resulted in dielectric relaxation. This crystal-to-crystal structural transformation provides a strategy for designing multifunctional hybrid materials, in which an additional function arises from molecular motion.

Geometrically Mismatched Hydrogen-bonded Framework Composed of Tetratopic Carboxylic Acid.

Porous organic frameworks possessing interactive free sites in the pore have attracted much attention due to their potential to show the site-originated specific functionalities. Herein, we demonstrate that such a framework could be constructed using a concept of geometrically mismatched frameworks composed of phenanthroline-based tetratopic carboxylic acid CP-Phen. Simple recrystallization of CP-Phen yielded a solvent included porous framework CP-Phen-1, in which three of four carboxy groups form hydrogen-bonded dimer to form a ladder-shaped framework, while the remained one does not participate in framework formation due to geometrical mismatch and interacts with solvent molecules through weak hydrogen-bonding. This result implies that our proposed strategy is effective to provide free interactive sites in porous frameworks. Although CP-Phen-1 undergoes two-step structural transformation presumably accompanied by hydrogen-bond rearrangements upon loss of solvent molecules, the activate framework shows good thermal stability up to 360 °C and selective CO2 adsorption.

A new screening test for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus using bimanual coordination: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) comprises the triad of gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. However, motor abnormalities involving the upper extremities in iNPH patients have few quantitative studies. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to quantitatively assess bimanual tapping tasks in iNPH patients and to compare with the control groups. METHODS: The subjects were divided into three groups: iNPH patients, older healthy group, and younger healthy group. The tasks were three synchronization finger-to-thumb tapping tasks with the auditory stimuli specified at 1 Hz by metronome: unilateral, bimanual simultaneous, and bimanual alternate. Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the outcomes of the three errors (absolute error: AE, variable error: VE, and constant error: CE) for tapping cycles. RESULTS: In the iNPH group, the absolute and variable errors increased in bimanual alternate tapping task with statistical significance (AE: p < 0.05 and VE: p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in errors between the older and young healthy groups (AE: p = 0.62, CE: p = 1.00 and VE: p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: We could quantitatively evaluate the bimanual coordination on iNPH patients using the bimanual alternate tapping task, potentially useful for evaluating patients unable to walk.

Mechanical Force Induced Formation of Extrinsic Micropores in Coordination Polymers.

Mechanical force can be employed not only to efficiently synthesize new materials under environmentally friendly conditions but also to change the macroscopic and microscopic properties of materials. Although coordination polymers (CPs) are attractive functional materials because they possess high structural designability and diversity, mechanical force-induced structural and functional changes of CPs are challenging issues. In this study, two one-dimensional CPs, one a densely packed nonporous CP [Cu2(bza)4(pyr)] (1) and the other a porous CP [Cu2(1-nap)4(pyr)] (2) (bza = benzoate, 1-nap = 1-naphthoate and pyr = pyrimidine), were subjected to ball-milling to assess the effect of mechanical force on their porosities. Ball mill treatments were found to induce an amorphization and cause a 30 fold enhancement of the CO2 adsorption amount at 195 K and P/P0 ∼ 1 for 1 and a slightly decreased CO2 adsorption amount for 2. The results of thorough characterization studies suggest that the formation of extrinsic micropores in addition to extrinsic mesopores/macropores between particles takes place by ball milling.

Dipole fluctuation and structural phase transition in hydrogen-bonding molecular assemblies of mononuclear CuII complexes with polar fluorobenzoate ligands.

A series of mononuclear CuII complexes, [CuII(4-FBA)2(py)2(H2O)] (1), [CuII(3-FBA)2(py)2(H2O)] (2), and [CuII(3,4-F2BA)2(py)2(H2O)] (3), where 4-FBA = 4-fluorobenzoate, 3-FBA = 3-fluorobenzoate, 3,4-F2BA = 3,4-difluorobenzoate, and py = pyridine, respectively, was synthesized and the complexes crystallographically identified. All the CuII complex crystals share a one-dimensional O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding chain substructure, although the mutual alignment of fluorinated benzoate (FxBA) ligands exhibits subtle differences among the various compounds, i.e., FxBA ligands align in an antiparallel fashion in crystals 1 and 3, while 3-FBA ligands in crystal 2 are interdigitated with a tilt along the a axis. Reversible phase transitions were found upon heating at 170.7, 171.3, and 267.5 K for crystals 1, 2, and 3, respectively; all crystals showed approximately 3% expansion and shrinkage of the intermolecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond distances associated with the thermally activated orientational fluctuations of the FxBA ligands in crystals 1 and 3. The increase in dielectric constant with increasing temperature, at 240 K, activated molecular fluctuation in the 3,4-F2BA ligands in crystal 3. Heat capacity measurements indicated that both the expansion and shrinkage of hydrogen bonds, and the molecular fluctuation in 3,4-F2BA ligands, contributed to phase transition, and the latter caused dipole fluctuation, resulting in a dielectric anomaly in crystal 3.