ChromInst: A single cell sequencing technique to accomplish pre-implantation comprehensive chromosomal screening overnight.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool getting into the field of clinical examination. Its preliminary application in pre-implantation comprehensive chromosomal screening (PCCS) of assisted reproduction (test-tube baby) has shown encouraging outcomes that improves the success rate of in vitro fertilization. However, the conventional NGS library construction is time consuming. In addition with the whole genome amplification (WGA) procedure in prior, makes the single cell NGS assay hardly be accomplished within an adequately short turnover time in supporting fresh embryo implantation. In this work, we established a concise single cell sequencing protocol, ChromInst, in which the single cell WGA and NGS library construction were integrated into a two-step PCR procedure of ~ 2.5hours reaction time. We then validated the feasibility of ChromInst for overnight PCCS assay by examining 14 voluntary donated embryo biopsy samples in a single sequencing run of Miseq with merely 13M reads production. The good compatibility of ChromInst with the restriction of Illumina sequencing technique along with the good library yield uniformity resulted superior data usage efficiency and reads distribution evenness that ensures precisely distinguish of 6 normal embryos from 8 abnormal one with variable chromosomal aneuploidy. The superior succinctness and effectiveness of this protocol permits its utilization in other time limited single cell NGS applications.

Intramolecular Aza-Piancatelli Rearrangement of Alkyl- or Arylamines Promoted by PPh3/Diethyl Azodicarboxylate.

A novel method for the construction of 1-azaspirocycles from 5-alkyl-/-arylamine furylcarbinols though intramolecular aza-Piancatelli rearrangement was developed. By using PPh3/diethyl azodicarboxylate instead of a Lewis acid, 1-azaspirocyclic compounds were obtained in good yields and the reaction temperature was reduced to room temperature. In addition, substrates with groups that are sensitive to high temperatures or Lewis acids are tolerated under these reaction conditions. This is the first method that is applicable not only to 5-(N-arylaminoalkyl)furylcarbinols with better yields but also to 5-(N-alkylaminoalkyl)furylcarbinols.

Lanthanide salen-type complexes exhibiting single ion magnet and photoluminescent properties.

Salen-type mononuclear lanthanide complexes with formula (Et3NH)[Ln(3-NO2-salen)2]·solvent (Ln = Eu (1Eu), Tb (2Tb), Dy (3Dy), Ho (4Ho), Er (5Er), Yb (6Yb); 3-NO2-salen(2-) = N,N'-bis(3-nitro-salicylaldehyde)ethylenediamine dianion) are reported. These compounds are isostructural in which two crystallographically distinct 3-NO2-salen(2-) act as tetradentate ligands encapsulating the lanthanide ions in a meridional mode forming the [LnN4O4] cores. Slow magnetization relaxation processes associated with single ion magnet (SIM) behaviors are observed in complexes 3Dy, 5Er and 6Yb with the Kramer ions but not in 2Tb and 4Ho with non-Kramer ions. Photoluminescence studies reveal that complexes 1Eu, 5Er and 6Yb exhibit characteristic lanthanide luminescence with sharp and well-separated emission bands. Complex 1Eu is of particular interest in which the organic ligand functioning as a powerful absorbing sensitizer apparently broadens the excitation range into 300-500 nm with the maximum of 460 nm.

Homochiral mononuclear Dy-Schiff base complexes showing field-induced double magnetic relaxation processes.

A pair of enantiopure mononuclear dysprosium/salen-type complexes (Et3NH)[Dy((R,R)/(S,S)-3-NO2salcy)2] (/), where 3-NO2salcyH2 represents N,N'-(1,2-cyclohexanediylethylene)bis(3-nitrosalicylideneiminato), are reported. The enantiomer contains two crystallographically independent dysprosium(iii) ions, each chelated by two enantiopure 3-NO2salcy(2-) ligands forming a [DyN4O4] core. Detailed magnetic studies on compound reveal a field-induced dual magnetic relaxation behavior, originating from single ion anisotropy and intermolecular interactions, respectively.

The O-P-O bridged Mn2(salen)2 chains showing coexistence of single chain magnet and metamagnet behaviour.

Three new chain compounds in which the Mn2(salen)2 dimers are bridged by O-P-O units are reported, namely, [Mn2(salen)2(C6H9PO3H)](ClO4) (1), [Mn2(salen)2(C6H5PO3H)](ClO4) (2) and [Mn2(salen)2(C6H5PHO2)](ClO4) (3). The phosphonate or phosphinate ligands adopt a syn-anti bidentate bridging mode in 1, while a syn-syn bidentate bridging mode in 2 and 3, thus leading to a difference in the Mn-O···O-Mn torsion angle over the O-P-O bridge. Compound 1 shows a paramagnetic behavior with dominant antiferromagnetic interactions. In compounds 2 and 3, the antiferromagnetic interactions through the O-P-O bridges are considerably stronger than those in 1. They display coexistence of single chain magnet (SCM) behaviour with a spin canted structure and metamagnetism at low temperature. The results demonstrate that the magnetic dynamics of the O-P-O bridged Mn2(salen)2 chains may be modulated by selecting suitable phosphonate or phosphinate ligands.

Effect of structural isomerism on magnetic dynamics: from single-molecule magnet to single-chain magnet.

This Paper reports the first examples of O-P-O bridged Mn2(salen)2 (salen = N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine) chain compounds, namely, [Mn2(salen)2(2-FC6H4PO3H)](ClO4)·1/2CH3OH (1) and [Mn2(salen)2(4-FC6H4PO3H)](ClO4) (2). The phosphonate ligands adopt a syn-anti bidentate bridging mode in 1 and a syn-syn bidentate bridging mode in 2, originated from the isomeric phosphonate ligands. The different bridging modes cause a significant change in the Mn-O···O-Mn torsion angle over the O-P-O bridge, which are 96.6 and 1.9° for 1 and 2, respectively. As a result, the antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange couplings mediated through the O-P-O pathway are extremely weak in 1, and the overall magnetic behaviors are dominated by the Mn2(salen)2 moieties. Single-molecule magnetic behavior is observed in 1. For compound 2, the AF interaction over the O-P-O bridge is much stronger. The coexistence of metamagnetism and single-chain magnetic behavior is observed for 2.

Activated anti-tumor immunity in cancer patients after high intensity focused ultrasound ablation.

T cell-mediated immune responses represent the main cellular antitumor immunity in cancer patients. Recent studies have shown that that both surgical procedure and radiation therapy could cause the functional suppression of lymphocyte-mediated cellular immunity. The purpose of current study is to evaluate whether high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) might change a systemic antitumor immunity, particularly T lymphocyte-mediated immunity in cancer patients. A total of 16 patients with solid malignancies were treated with HIFU. Among them, six patients had osteosarcoma (Enneking stage, II(B)4, III(B) 2), five had hepatocellular carcinoma (TNM stage, III 3, IV 2), and five had renal cell carcinoma (TNM stage, III 2, IV 3). Using flow cytometry technique, T lymphocyte and subset, B lymphocyte and natural killer cell (NK) in the peripheral blood were measured in these patients on the day before HIFU and 7 to 10 d after HIFU. The statistical significance of any observed difference is evaluated by Student's t-test. The results showed a significance increase in the population of CD4(+) lymphocytes (p < 0.01) and the ratio of CD4(+) /CD8(+) (p < 0.05) in the circulation of cancer patients after HIFU treatment. The abnormal levels of CD3(+) lymphocytes returned toward the normal range in two patients, CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in 3, CD19(+) lymphocytes in one and cytotoxic NK in one, respectively, in comparison to control values. It is concluded that HIFU could enhance a systemic antitumor cellular immunity in addition to local tumor destruction in patients with solid malignancies.