Super-Sensitive Protonation Behavior of Trifluoroethoxy-Substituted Phthalocyanines and Their Application to Solvent Discrimination.

The super-sensitive protonation behavior of trifluoroethoxy-substituted phthalocyanines (TFEO-Pcs) was carefully studied using UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as computational calculations. The practical utility of TFEO-Pcs in sensor technology was demonstrated by identifying chloroform samples from different commercial sources.

Trifluoroethoxy-Coated Subphthalocyanines Attract Small Arenes in Their π-Concave Cavity.

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Prof. Norio Shibata based at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan. The cover picture shows the crystal structures of trifluoroethoxy-substituted subphthalocyanines which form crystalline clathrates with one small aromatic molecule, such as toluene or benzene, in their concave cavity.

Trifluoroethoxy-Coated Subphthalocyanines Attract Small Arenes in Their π-Concave Cavity.

X-ray crystallographic analyses of a series of trifluoroethoxy-substituted subphthalocyanines disclosed that a molecule of toluene is clasped at the center of the molecular concave cavity. Twelve trifluoroethoxy substituents, which flexibly surround the toluene molecule to hold it on the 14 π-electron-conjugated surface of the subphthalocyanines, can also catch a molecule of benzene. In contrast, a nonsubstituted subphthalocyanine does not show the same phenomena, and two subphthalocyanine units are required to maintain a small aromatic compound in their concave cavity.

Synthesis and application of trifluoroethoxy-substituted phthalocyanines and subphthalocyanines.

Phthalocyanines and subphthalocyanines are attracting attention as functional dyes that are applicable to organic solar cells, photodynamic therapy, organic electronic devices, and other applications. However, phthalocyanines are generally difficult to handle due to their strong ability to aggregate, so this property must be controlled for further applications of phthalocyanines. On the other hand, trifluoroethoxy-substituted phthalocyanines are known to suppress aggregation due to repulsion of the trifluoroethoxy group.

Synthesis of chiral (tetrazolyl)methyl-containing acrylates via silicon-induced organocatalytic kinetic resolution of Morita-Baylis-Hillman fluorides.

Reported herein is a new approach for the asymmetric installation of a (tetrazolyl)methyl group via Si/F activation using organocatalytic kinetic resolution of racemic MBH-fluorides.

Synthesis of Phthalocyanines with a Pentafluorosulfanyl Substituent at Peripheral Positions.

The pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) group is more electronegative, lipophilic and sterically bulky relative to the well-explored trifluoromethyl (CF3) group. As such, the SF5 group could offer access to pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and optoelectronic materials with novel properties. Here, the first synthesis of phthalocyanines (Pcs), a class of compounds used as dyes and with potential as photodynamic therapeutics, with a SF5 group directly attached on their peripheral positions is disclosed.

Design, synthesis and optical properties of unsymmetrical subphthalocyanine trimer connected by phloroglucinol via axial positions.

An unsymmetrical subphthalocyanine trimer consisting of three different subphthalocyanine units was synthesized. Its optical and physical properties were investigated by UV/Vis, fluorescence spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and computations. Energy transfer from the non-substituted subphthalocyanine unit to the perfluorinated subphthalocyanine unit via a trifluoroethoxy substituted unit is suggested.

Synthesis and optical properties of subphthalocyanine homo- and heterodimers axially connected via a hydroquinone linker.

Axially linked trifluoroethoxy (TFEO)-coated subphthalocyanine (SubPc) homo- and heterodimers were synthesized by two different axial ligand substitution methods. TFEO-SubPc homodimers were obtained directly from TFEO-SubPc boron chloride with o-, m-, and p-hydroquinones, while TFEO-SubPc heterodimers were synthesized via stepwise construction using a combination of the TFEO method and Torres' triflate method. The optical properties of the dimers obtained were investigated using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrometry.

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy ameliorates acute graft-versus-host disease by a mechanism involving in vivo expansion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy (NB-UVB) is a therapeutic alternative for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation-related skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The beneficial effects of this intervention may be induced by direct irradiation of inflammatory cells in the skin; however, the putative involvement of indirect effects on systemic immunity has not been elucidated. To address this issue, 11 acute skin GVHD patients refractory to standard corticosteroid treatment and with no gut/liver involvement were treated with NB-UVB irradiation.

A phthalocyanine-subphthalocyanine heterodinuclear dimer: comparison of spectroscopic properties with those of homodinuclear dimers of constituting units.

A phthalocyanine-subphthalocyanine heterodinuclear dimer has been disclosed for the first time with its unique flat-bowl-shaped structure revealed by X-ray crystallography. Its spectroscopic properties were compared with those of homodinuclear dimers of constituting units, as well as those of constituting monomeric units.

Prediction of outcomes in MCI with (123)I-IMP-CBF SPECT: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

Objective: The multicenter prospective cohort study (Japan Cooperative SPECT Study on Assessment of Mild Impairment of Cognitive Function: J-COSMIC) aimed to examine the value of (123)I-N-isopropyl-4-iodoamphetamine cerebral blood flow (IMP-CBF) SPECT in regards to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Three hundred and nineteen patients with amnestic MCI at 41 participating institutions each underwent clinical and neuropsychological examinations and (123)I-IMP-CBF SPECT at baseline. Subjects were followed up periodically for 3 years, and progression to dementia was evaluated.

A multicenter brain perfusion SPECT study evaluating idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus on neurological improvement.

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the specific cerebral blood flow (CBF) pattern in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and a predictive value for shunt responsiveness in a multicenter study (Study of Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus on Neurological Improvement: SINPHONI).

Methods: Eighty-four iNPH patients underwent shunt operations using MRI selection criteria from the SINPHONI and were subjected to CBF single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The perfusion patterns on SPECT were classified: anterior-dominant CBF reduction type (A type), posterior-dominant CBF reduction type (P type), and mixed or diffuse CBF reduction type (M type).

A Case of Cystic Basal Cell Carcinoma Which Shows a Homogenous Blue/Black Area under Dermatoscopy.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin tumor and contains several different histopathological types. Here, we report a case of cystic basal cell carcinoma, which is relatively rare and might be clinically misdiagnosed. A dermatoscopic examination of the case revealed a homogenous blue/black area usually not seen in BCC.

[A case of subacute myelitis with anti-aquaporin 4 antibody after thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: review of autoimmune diseases after thymectomy].

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis (MG) and Basedow's disease who seven years after thymectomy developed subacute myelitis, a limited form of neuromyelitis optica (NMO). The patient presented with a centrally located long spinal cord lesion (LCL) on cervical cord MRI, anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody in serum, and HLA DPB1*0501. Brain MRI showed no specific findings of classic multiple sclerosis (MS).

Evidence of a threshold-effect for 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline liver carcinogenicity in F344/DuCrj rats.

To estimate potential human risk of exposure to a food-derived, genotoxic hepatocarcinogen, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), a 2-year carcinogenicity test was conducted using male F344 rats administered MeIQx-containing diet at doses of 0 (control), 0.001, 1, and 100 ppm. The lowest dose 0.

Cerebral white matter damage in frontotemporal dementia assessed by diffusion tensor tractography.

Introduction: We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study white matter integrity in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Methods: The subjects comprised 20 patients (9 men, 11 women) with FTD and 17 age-matched healthy controls (9 men, 8 women). Based on the data obtained from DTI, we performed tractography of the major cerebral pathways, including the pyramidal tracts, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral arcuate fasciculi (AF), inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILF) and uncinate fasciculi (UF).

Regional cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease: comparison between short and long-term donepezil therapy.

Objective: Treatment with donepezil improves cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) when compared to a placebo-controlled group. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of AD patients in short-term and long-term treatment with donepezil.

Methods: rCBF was measured by N-isopropyl-p-123I-iodoamphetamine (IMP) autoradiography method.

Microbleeds in Alzheimer disease are more related to cerebral amyloid angiopathy than cerebrovascular disease.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is one of the cardinal pathological features in the vascular components of Alzheimer's disease (AD). CAA itself results in disrupted microvasculature, mainly in the cerebral cortex, eventually leading to a brain cortical or subcortical hemorrhage in a population of elderly people, but clinically overt brain hemorrhages are not so frequent in AD patients. Here we assessed 50 AD patients and 26 controls to detect latent brain hemorrhages with gradient-echo T(2)*-weighted images, a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging technique to detect hemosiderin components in the brain.

Efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies: preliminary findings from an open-label study.

The objectives of the present study were first to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical trial of 5 mg/day donepezil in patients with mild to moderate dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and second, to obtain preliminary data of possible intervention effects. Twelve patients with probable DLB were evaluated at weeks 4, 8, and 12 using modified Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) with an extra domain to additionally evaluate fluctuation in cognitive functions (NPI-11); the Japanese version of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-J cog); and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The NPI-11 scores were significantly improved at weeks 8 and 12 compared with baseline.

High sensitivity of fatty liver Shionogi (FLS) mice to diethylnitrosamine hepatocarcinogenesis: comparison to C3H and C57 mice.

The fatty liver Shionogi (FLS) mouse is a new inbred strain that spontaneously develops fatty liver with infiltration of mononuclear cells. Moreover, this mouse is known to frequently develop spontaneous hepatic cancers. Recently, human non-alcholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been focused of attention regarding hepatocellular carcinoma.

Differences in susceptibility to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine-induced urinary bladder carcinogenesis between SD/gShi rats with spontaneous hypospermatogenesis and SD/cShi rats with spontaneous hydronephrosis.

Differences in susceptibility to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN)-induced urinary bladder carcinogenesis between two substrains of male Sprague-Dawley rats were examined. One substrain was SD/gShi, which has spontaneous hypospermatogenesis, and the other was SD/cShi, which is a sister strain of SD/gShi, and has normal testis but spontaneous hydronephrosis. SD/gShi rats had a lower incidence of urinary bladder tumors and had lower 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling indices in the urinary bladder epithelium than SD/cShi rats when BBN was given.

Do white matter changes have clinical significance in Alzheimer's disease?

Background: Although white matter changes visible with MRI are generally considered to result from ischemia, it has become clear that these changes also appear in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their significance in AD is unknown.

Objective: We evaluated the clinical significance of white matter changes in AD.