Molecular characterization of a rare Rh phenotype Dc-from the Indian subcontinent.

Unusual Rh phenotypes such as Rhnull, D-- and Dc- etc. are rarely encountered in routine blood bank testing. The Rhnull phenotype is characterized by the absence of all Rh antigens, D-- phenotype does not express any RhCcEe antigens whereas Dc- phenotype individual lacks expression of antithetical E /e antigens. These individuals may produce multiple Rh antibodies against missing antigens. An old woman (B RhD positive) from Bangladesh with end-stage renal disease developed severe anaemia. Cross-matching with ABO and RhD compatible blood units showed +3 agglutination reaction. Detailed immunohaematological investigations showed a lack of C, E and e antigens, thus identifying the rare Rh variant as Dc-. Antibodies against C and e antigens were also detected in the patient's serum. PCR-SSP confirmed the absence of the molecular region defining the C, E and e antigens. Copy number analysis by QMPSF revealed the homozygous state of (RHCE-D(4-9)-CE) allele at the RHCE gene locus. This is the first report of the rare Dc- variant individual from the Indian subcontinent.

Physical and chemical behaviour of Nabali Mohassan single-cultivar olive oil during prolonged storage.

BACKGROUND: The effect of storage time on the fluorescence emission intensity and physico-chemical properties of olive oil from the Palestinian cultivar Nabali Mohassan was investigated. Olive oil samples stored up to 7 years were obtained from different olive orchards in Palestine, where prolonged storage is still in use. RESULTS: As a result of oxidation, all fluorescent minor compounds (tocopherols, chlorophylls, pheophytins and phenolic compounds) of olive oil significantly decreased as the storage time increased, whereas viscosity increased (P < 0.05). Until 1 year of storage, the physico-chemical properties of olive oil samples were within the limits of both Palestinian and European quality standards, and minor compounds, although affected by a marked decrease compared to freshly produced oil, were still detectable. After 5 years, a 90% decrease of the fluorescence attributed to tocopherols occurred and, after 7 years, phenolics reached a loss of 90%. CONCLUSION: The analysis of fluorescence, together with other physical measures, was demonstrated to be a useful tool for monitoring oil aging. This is the first report on fluorescent minor compounds of oils obtained from Nabali Mohassan olive cultivar. A better knowledge of this single-cultivar oil could enhance the adoption of the best practices by producers, improving the whole production chain. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Insights into the pressure-dependent physical properties of cubic Ca3MF3 (M = As and Sb): First-principles calculations.

Here, first-principles calculations have been employed to make a comparative study on structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of new Ca3MF3 (M = As and Sb) photovoltaic compounds under pressure. The findings disclose that these two systems possess a direct band gap, showcasing a large tunable range under pressure, effectively encompassing the visible light spectrum. Adjusting various levels of hydrostatic pressure has effectively tuned both the band alignment and the effective masses of electrons and holes. Both compounds were initially identified as brittle materials at 0 GPa pressure; however, as the pressure increases, they transform, becoming highly anisotropic and ductile. Due to the material's mechanical robustness and enhanced ductility, as evidenced by its stress-induced mechanical properties, the Ca3MF3 (M = As and Sb) material shows potential for use in solar energy applications. Furthermore, as the influence of external pressure increases, the absorption edge seems to move slightly towards lower energy region. Optical properties show that the materials studied might be used from several optoelectronic devices in the visible and ultraviolet range area. Our findings show that pressure considerably influences the physicochemical properties of Ca3MF3 (M = As and Sb) compounds, which is a promising feature that can be useful for optoelectronic and photonic applications, for instance, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and solar cells.

Ab Initio Investigation of the Structural, Elastic, Dynamic, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of Cubic Perovskite CeCrO3.

We presented the results of various aspects related to structural, elastic, electronic, dynamic, and magnetic parameters of cubic perovskite CeCrO3 by means of the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) approach. The calculation of the unit cell volume against the total energy curve confirms that CeCrO3 exhibits higher energetic stability in the ferromagnetic (FM) order. Calculated structural aspects at equilibrium demonstrate excellent similarity to present information, lending credibility to our results. Moreover, monocrystalline elastic constants have been analyzed numerically. These constants provide insights into several related properties, including elastic anisotropy, mechanical stability, and several polycrystalline elastic aspects. Furthermore, the phonon dispersion curves obtained from our calculations reveal the existence of soft modes, which suggests the potential metastability of CeCrO3. Through an analysis of the energy band dispersions, the half-metallic nature of this material is confirmed, such as Eg = 3.00 and 3.13 eV for the HM state within generalized gradient approximations Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA-PBE) and Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) calculations, respectively, as well as the FM total magnetic moment of 4.000 µB. Partial density of states (PDOS) aided in identifying the electronic states that contribute to the energy bands. Finally, the computed total magnetic moment aligns fit the theoretical findings available in the literature.

Fludarabine-based conditioning chemotherapy for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acquired severe aplastic anemia.

Thirty-eight patients who met the diagnostic criteria for severe aplastic anemia underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The median patient age was 20 years (range, 14-36 years). Twenty-four patients were treatment-naïve, 11 had failed one or more previous courses of immunosuppressive therapy, and 3 had failed a previous HSCT. The conditioning regimen included fludarabine 30 mg/m(2)/day for 3 days (days -9, -8, and -7) and cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg/day for 4 days (days -5, -4, -3, and -2). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine and short-course methotrexate. All patients underwent transplantation with unmanipulated bone marrow as the stem cell source. The median total nucleated cell (TNC) dose was 2.43 × 10(8)/kg (range, 0.60-6.7 × 10(8)/ kg). The conditioning regimen was well tolerated, with minimal treatment-related mortality. Engraftment was observed in all patients after transplantation; the median time to engraftment of neutrophils and platelets was 18 and 23 days, respectively. Twenty-five of the 27 patients with available chimeric studies at day 180 maintained donor chimerism. Acute GVHD grade ≥II was diagnosed in 4 patients (11%). Extensive chronic GVHD was observed in 8 patients (25%) who survived beyond day +100, at a median observation time of 43 months. Graft rejection with relapse of aplais was observed in one patient. The overall survival (OS) for the whole group was 79%. A trend toward improved OS was observed in the treatment-naïve patients (83% vs 71%), but this was statistically insignificant (P = .384). The fludarabine-based conditioning regimen used in this study with relatively young cohort of patients was well tolerated, with a low rate of rejection and treatment outcomes comparable to those seen in other, more intense and potentially more toxic conditioning regimens. Our results await validation in a larger study, optimally in a randomized controlled manner.

Structural, Elastic, Electronic and Optical Properties of SrTMO3 (TM = Rh, Zr) Compounds: Insights from FP-LAPW Study.

The structural, mechanical, electronic and optical properties of SrTMO3 (TM = Rh, Zr) compounds are investigated by using first principle calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The exchange-correlation potential was treated with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the structural properties. Moreover, the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) approximation was also employed for the electronic properties. The calculated lattice constants are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results. The elastic constants and their derived moduli reveal that SrRhO3 is ductile and SrZrO3 is brittle in nature. The band structure and the density of states calculations with mBJ-GGA predict a metallic nature for SrRhO3 and an insulating behavior for SrZrO3. The optical properties reveal that both SrRhO3 and SrZrO3 are suitable as wave reflectance compounds in the whole spectrum for SrRhO3 and in the far ultraviolet region (FUV) for SrZrO3.

Enhancement of lytic activity of leukemic cells by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes generated against a WT1 peptide analogue.

The Wilms tumor antigen 1 (WT1) antigen is over-expressed in human leukemias, making it an attractive target for immunotherapy. Most WT1-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTLs) described so far displayed low avidity, limiting its function. To improve the immunogenicity of CTL epitopes, we replaced the first-amino-acid of two known immunogenic WT1-peptides (126 and 187) with a tyrosine. This modification enhances 126Y analogue-binding ability, triggers significant number of IFN-gamma-producing T cells (P = 0.0003), induces CTL that cross-react with the wild-type peptide, exerts a significant lytic activity against peptide-loaded-targets (P = 0.0006) and HLA-A0201-matched-leukemic cells (P = 0.0014). These data support peptide modification as a feasible approach for the development of a leukemia-vaccine.