Exploration of the polymorphic solid-state landscape of an amide-linked organic cage using computation and automation.

Organic cages can possess complex, functionalised cavities that make them promising candidates for synthetic enzyme mimics. Conformationally flexible, chemically robust structures are needed for adaptable guest binding and catalysis, but rapidly exchanging systems are difficult to resolve in solution. Here, we use low-cost calculations and high-throughput crystallisation to identify accessible conformers of a recently reported organic cage by 'locking' them in the solid state. The conformers exhibit varying distances between the internal carboxylic acid groups, suggesting adaptability for binding a wide array of target guest molecules.

Hemoglobin function in stored blood.

Serial oxygen dissociation curves were performed on blood units preserved in acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD), ACD-adenine, and ACD-adenine-inosine. Dividing blood from a single donor into two or more bags allowed direct comparison between preservatives. During the 1st wk of storage in ACD, a progressive increase in oxygen affinity was observed. Thereafter, little further change was noted. Oxygen affinity increased even more rapidly during initial storage in ACD-adenine. However, with the inclusion of inosine as a preservative, oxygen affinity remained unaltered during the first 2 wk. Increases in oxygen affinity correlated well with falling levels of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) during storage. No significant changes in glutathione, reduced form (GSH), or A3 (A(I)) hemoglobin levels were noted during the first 3 wk of storage. No significant accumulation of ferrihemoglobin was detected. When blood stored 20 days in ACD or ACD-adenine was incubated with inosine for 60 min at 37 degrees C, 2,3-DPG and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were resynthesized, and oxygen affinity was decreased. The distribution of 2,3-DPG in fresh and stored red cells appeared to influence experimental values for Hill's n, a measure of heme-heme interaction.

The myeloid immune signature of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis-induced murine colon tumorigenesis.

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), a human commensal and candidate pathogen in colorectal cancer (CRC), is a potent initiator of interleukin-17 (IL-17)-dependent colon tumorigenesis in MinApc+/- mice. We examined the role of IL-17 and ETBF on the differentiation of myeloid cells into myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages, which are known to promote tumorigenesis. The myeloid compartment associated with ETBF-induced colon tumorigenesis in Min mice was defined using flow cytometry and gene expression profiling. Cell-sorted immature myeloid cells were functionally assayed for inhibition of T-cell proliferation and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression to delineate MDSC populations. A comparison of ETBF infection with that of other oncogenic bacteria (Fusobacterium nucleatum or pks+Escherichia coli) revealed a specific, ETBF-associated colonic immune infiltrate. ETBF-triggered colon tumorigenesis is associated with an IL-17-driven myeloid signature characterized by subversion of steady-state myelopoiesis in favor of the generation of protumoral monocytic-MDSCs (MO-MDSCs). Combined action of the B. fragilis enterotoxin BFT and IL-17 on colonic epithelial cells promoted the differentiation of MO-MDSCs, which selectively upregulated Arg1 and Nos2, produced NO, and suppressed T-cell proliferation. Evidence of a pathogenic inflammatory signature in humans colonized with ETBF may allow for the identification of populations at risk for developing colon cancer.

Giving patients bad news.

Giving patients bad news involves the physician discussing the situation with the recipient and selected family members. Interview factors include knowledge of the medical facts and awareness of the patient and family dynamics. These can be altered as medical information is gained during the course of the illness, as well as a better understanding of the patient and the socio-cultural expectations. Despite the inevitability of death, no satisfactory uniform approach has been developed, because the interaction must be modulated into a sympathetic and humane interaction between medical provider and recipient.