Porous crystals are strategic materials with industrial applications within petrochemistry, catalysis, gas storage, and selective separation. Their unique properties are based on the molecular-scale porous character. However, a principal limitation of zeolites and similar oxide-based materials is the relatively small size of the pores, typically in the range of medium-sized molecules, limiting their use in pharmaceutical and fine chemical applications. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) provided a breakthrough in this respect. New MOFs appear at a high and an increasing pace, but the appearances of new, stable inorganic building bricks are rare. Here we present a new zirconium-based inorganic building brick that allows the synthesis of very high surface area MOFs with unprecedented stability. The high stability is based on the combination of strong Zr-O bonds and the ability of the inner Zr6-cluster to rearrange reversibly upon removal or addition of mu3-OH groups, without any changes in the connecting carboxylates. The weak thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability of most MOFs is probably the most important property that limits their use in large scale industrial applications. The Zr-MOFs presented in this work have the toughness needed for industrial applications; decomposition temperature above 500 degrees C and resistance to most chemicals, and they remain crystalline even after exposure to 10 tons/cm2 of external pressure.

Strong-field photoionization of argon dimers by a few-cycle laser pulse is investigated using electron–ion coincidence momentum spectroscopy. The momentum distribution of the photoelectrons exhibits interference due to the emission from the two atomic argon centres, in analogy with a Young's double-slit experiment. However, a simulation of the dimer photoelectron momentum spectrum based on the atomic spectrum supplemented with a theoretically derived interference term leads to distinct deviations from the experimental result. The deviations may have their origin in a complex electron dynamics during strong-field ionization of the Ar2 dimer.

Background The pathogenesis of PFAPA syndrome is unknown. According to Stojanov et al. cytokine profile in PFAPA syndrome suggests Th1 mediated inflammatory process resulting in continuous inflammation and reduced Th2 anti-inflammatory response. Interferon γ might be responsible for suppressing the production of IL-4 and IL10. Hung et al. showed suppressive effects of ketotifen on the expression of Th1 and Th2 related chemokines of human monocytes.

Results We identified 190 aPL-positive patients and randomly selected 100 patients for detailed evaluation. Sixty-two were girls and 38 boys with mean age at presentation 9.7 years. Twenty-seven (27%) patients had underlying systemic autoimmune disease (SLE 16, JIA 8). Sixty patients presented with one, 14 with two and 13 with three or more aPL-related clinical manifestations. Thromboses occurred in 10 (10%) patients and one patient had recurrent thrombosis. One or more non-thrombotic clinical manifestations were found in 77 (77%) patients including hematological disorders in 27 (thrombocytopenia 20, autoimmune hemolytic anemia 2), neurological disorders in 26 (migraine 15, seizures 3, chorea 2) and skin disorders in 22 patients (livedo reticularis 9, Raynaud's phenomenon 4). Seventeen infants born to mothers with aPL-positive autoimmune disease had positive aPL and 4 of them exhibited aPL-related clinical manifestations.

The aim of this study was to assess autoimmune response following annual influenza vaccination in apparently healthy adults, staff at a children's hospital. 92 healthy adult subjects were tested for autoantibodies including antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (anti-ENA), antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), namely anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2-GPI) and lupus anticoagulant (LA). Blood samples were taken from each participant before annual influenza vaccination, one month and six months after vaccination. Before influenza vaccination 26% of participants were positive for ANA, 1% for anti-ENA, 16% for aCL, 7% for aβ2-GPI and 2% for LA. One month after influenza vaccination 76% of participants showed no change in autoantibodies titres. Six months after influenza vaccination 74% of participants showed no change in autoantibodies titres. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of positive ANA, aCL, aβ2-GPI and LA before and 6 months after the vaccination. Five participants developed autoantibodies 6 months after the vaccination and one who was initially low positive for ANA became highly positive (1:320). Eleven participants had only transiently increased autoantibodies. Persistently positive or progressively increased levels of autoantibodies during 6 months' follow up were observed in 6 persons (7%). Our study showed a high percentage of positive autoantibody testing among healthy adult staff at a children's hospital. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of positive autoantibodies before and after influenza vaccination. However, our study clearly demonstrated induction of autoantibodies production in selected subjects.