Systemic administration of IL-18 induces polyclonal IgE responses by causing NKT cells to express CD40 ligand and to produce IL-4. Administration of IL-33 also induces IgE response, although the mechanism underlying IgE response is unclear. Here, we compared the effects of IL-18 and IL-33 on bone marrow-derived mast cells and basophils as well as non-polarized and T(h)2-polarized CD4(+) T cells in vitro. Basophils, comprising IL-18Ralpha(+) cells (14.2%) and IL-33Ralpha(+) cells (34.6%), and mast cells, comprising IL-18Ralpha(+) cells (2.0%) and IL-33Ralpha(+) cells (95.6%), produce IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and chemokines (RANTES, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta and MCP-1), upon stimulation with IL-18 and/or IL-33 in the presence of IL-3. Only basophils strongly produce IL-4. Furthermore, compared with mast cells, basophils produce larger amounts of the above cytokines and chemokines in response to IL-33. Level of IL-33Rbeta-mRNA expression in basophils is higher than that in mast cells. Effect of IL-33 is dependent on ST2 binding, and its signal is transduced via MyD88 in vitro. We also found that IL-2 plus IL-18 or IL-33 alone stimulates non-polarized or T(h)2-polarized CD4(+) T cells to produce IL-4 and IL-13 or IL-5 and IL-13, respectively. We finally showed that administration of IL-33 into mice ST2/MyD88 dependently induces airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and goblet cell hyperplasia by induction of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in the lungs. Furthermore, same treatment of RAG-2(-/-) mice, lacking T and B cells, more strikingly induced AHR with marked goblet cell hyperplasia and eosinophilic infiltration in the lungs. Thus, IL-33 induces asthma-like symptom entirely independent of acquired immune system.

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The initial thermal decomposition of iron carbonyl (Fe(CO)(5)), followed by reduction of palladium acetylacetonate (Pd(acac)(2)) produced FePd nanoparticles (NPs) with an Fe(x)O(y)-rich core and a Pd-rich shell. The as-synthesized NPs were subsequently treated with (S)-2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthene ((S)-BINAP) as a chiral modifier, which provides them with the optical activity to show a negative Cotton effect in the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. Characterization by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), superconducting quantum interface device (SQUID) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements was performed. The FePd NPs modified with (S)-BINAP had a mean diameter of ca. 5.6 nm, and exhibited superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K with zero remanence and coercivity. The FePd-(S)-BINAP was shown to catalyze the asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with easy recovery from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnet. The designed architecture enabled the powerful combination of two functionalities, magnetism that responds to a magnetic field for easy recycling, as well as an optically active catalytic center that promotes the asymmetric coupling reaction.

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mesoporous silica (HMS)) involving superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, ordered mesoporous channels, and isolated and a tetrahedral Tioxide moiety has been developed via the coating of as-synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles with an amorphous silica layer followed by the sol-gel polymerization using tetraethyl orthosilicate, tetrapropyl orthotitanate, and a structure-directing reagent. The formation of a hexagonally packed mesoporous structure was confirmed by low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N 2 adsorption-desorption. Characterization by wide-angle XRD, Raman, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements demonstrated the encapsulation of the iron oxide nanoparticles having a mean diameter of ca. 9.0 nm within a silica matrix. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetization studies indicated that the Fe x O y @Ti-HMS exhibited superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K and a transition to ferrimagnetic at 5 K. Ti K-edge XAFS spectra confirmed that the Ti-oxide moiety was proven to exist in the isolated and tetrahedral form. The Fe x O y @Ti-HMS acted as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the liquid-phase selective oxidation reactions of organic compounds using hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as an oxidant. Recovery of the Fe x O y @Ti-HMS from the reaction mixture could be facilely attained by application of an external permanent magnet, and the spent catalyst could be recycled without any appreciable loss of its catalytic activity.

Three-dimensional simulation revealed three types of portal vein ramification of the RAS. Parenchyma-preserving hepatectomy based on the precise portal ramification may contribute to safe and curative hepatectomy in selected cases with liver neoplasm involving the RAS.