Synthesis of Main‐Chain Liquid‐Crystalline Polyesters Containing Diphenyl Mesogens by Chemo‐Enzymatic Route †

Main‐chain thermotropic liquid‐crystalline polyesters containing rigid biphenyl mesogens and flexible spacers were synthesized by chemo‐enzymatic route. The enzyme‐catalyzed polymerization showed high regio‐ and chemo‐ selectivity, and is environmentally friendly. The resulting polyesters were characterized with ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized light optical microscopy (POM).     

Fabrication of Gold Nano‐Structures with Azopolymer Templates

Fabrication of gold nano‐patterns has been demonstrated employing surface relief structures created on films of an azobenzene‐functionalized polymer as templates. The surface relief templates were photoinscribed on the azopolymer films in one‐step with two laser beams. Thin layers of gold were over‐coated on the polymer templates by thermal evaporation. Gold lines of a few hundred nanometer width were successfully fabricated by pyrolyzing the azobenzene polymer. Sub‐micron gold dots were also created. The resulting gold structures exhibited the same periodicity as the polymer templates.     

Enhancement of naringenin solution concentration by solid dispersion in cellulose derivative matrices

Naringenin (Nar) is an important bioactive flavonoid with poor organic solubility and oral bioavailability. It is highly promising for treatment of conditions including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hepatitis C infection. Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) of Nar is an appealing way to enhance its solubility, and carboxylated cellulose esters are attractive polymers for this purpose because of their ability to stabilize drugs against crystallization in both solid and solution phases, while restricting drug release to the pH of the small intestine (ca. 6.8). We demonstrate that ASDs of Nar can be formed using such carboxylated cellulose derivatives as cellulose acetate adipate propionate (CAAdP), carboxymethylcellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS). We compare Nar solution concentrations and release profiles from these cellulosic ASDs to those from pure crystalline Nar, and to Nar ASD in poly(vinylpyrrolidinone) (PVP). We show that all polymers in this study form ASDs with Nar, that the PVP ASDs release Nar at both gastric (1.2) and small intestine (6.8) pH, and that the cellulosic polymers release Nar selectively at neutral pH. Solution concentrations of Nar are significantly enhanced from these ASDs. These preliminary studies indicate that HPMCAS, CAAdP, and CMCAB are practical ASD polymers for Nar due to their ability to generate and stabilize high solution concentrations, and their pH-triggered drug release.     

Zeolites with Continuously Tuneable Porosity

Zeolites are important materials whose utility in industry depends on the nature of their porous structure. Control over microporosity is therefore a vitally important target. Unfortunately, traditional methods for controlling porosity, in particular the use of organic structure‐directing agents, are relatively coarse and provide almost no opportunity to tune the porosity as required. Here we show how zeolites with a continuously tuneable surface area and micropore volume over a wide range can be prepared. This means that a particular surface area or micropore volume can be precisely tuned. The range of porosity we can target covers the whole range of useful zeolite porosity: from small pores consisting of 8‐rings all the way to extra‐large pores consisting of 14‐rings.     

Fluorescence detection of surface-bound intermediates produced from UV photoreactivity of alkylsiloxane SAMs

Detection and quantification of submonolayer coverage surface species is not trivial. We have developed a novel method sensitive to surface-bound chemical functional groups as low as 10(11) molecules/cm(2) by specific covalent attachment of fluorescent chromophores. This enables the intermediates of the UV photochemistry of alkylsiloxane self-assembled monolayers to be identified.     

Computer-aided quantification of focal cartilage lesions of osteoarthritic knee using MRI

Noninvasive assessment of articular cartilage using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has gained popularity in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that affects 20 million Americans. Focal cartilage lesions, a defect found in roughly 19% of the OA population, currently can only be evaluated with confidence using minimally invasive arthroscopy. This article presents a computer-aided procedure using MRI to quantify focal cartilage lesions and aims to support clinical practices of diagnosis and monitoring of lesion progress. Upon a local minima search for identifying focal lesions, the proposed gradient peak method outlines lesion boundaries and then generates morphological properties, such as lesion volume and lesion area. The procedure was evaluated using simulated and in vivo data. First, a simulated lesion was created and analyzed, and the results were compared with the exact solutions. Second, an in vivo evaluation was carried out on seven human knees in which nine focal lesions were identified and quantified. Three of the subjects had follow-up analyses, at either 1 or 2 years. Finally, in an attempt to characterize local biochemical changes underlying focal lesions, MR-derived T2 values of defective cartilage within the lesion boundaries were examined and compared with the values of adjacent cartilage compartments.     

Auditory backward recognition masking in children with a specific language impairment and children with a specific reading disability

The auditory backward recognition masking (ABRM) and intensity discrimination (ID) thresholds of children with a specific language impairment and poor reading (SLI-poor readers), children with an SLI and average reading (SLI-average readers), children with a specific reading disability and average spoken language skills (SRD-average language), and children with normal spoken and written language (controls) were estimated with "child-friendly" psychophysical tasks. The pattern of ABRM and ID scores suggests that a subset of children with concomitant oral language and reading impairments has poor ABRM thresholds, and that a subgroup of children with an SLI or SRD has poorer ID thresholds than controls. The latter result warns against using rapid auditory processing tasks that do not actively control for auditory discrimination ability. Further, some unusually poor ABRM scores and ID scores question the validity of extreme scores produced by children on psychophysical tasks. Finally, the poor oral language scores of many of the children who had impaired reading highlight the need to test the oral language skills of SRD samples to ascertain how homogeneous and specifically disabled they really are.     

Cardinal Functions on Initial Chain Algebras on Pseudotrees

Initial chain algebras on pseudotrees generalize the notion of an interval algebra on a linear order. Many relationships which hold between the various cardinal functions on interval algebras also hold for initial chain algebras. In particular, for initial chain algebras on pseudotrees, depth equals tightness, spread equals hereditary Lindelöf degree, irredundance equals the cardinality of the algebra, and incomparability equals hereditary cofinality. For interval algebras, Rubin showed that any subalgebra of regular uncountable cardinality contains either a chain of size or a pairwise incomparable family of size . This result holds for initial chain algebras as well.     

‘Morphs’ (MRFs): metal-reversible folding domains for differential IgG binding

BACKGROUND: Selective recognition and binding of IgG molecules is the basis for a host of immunological and affinity purification techniques. Capture of an IgG in these procedures relies chiefly on its interaction with one of a variety of reengineered bacterial receptors which bind to the Fc region of IgG molecules with very high affinity. While this interaction is extremely efficient in trapping IgG molecules, the tight interaction between the binding partners often requires denaturing conditions for disruption of the complex, which can adversely affect the yield of purified IgG and also limit the lifetime of the receptor matrix. An effective receptor/IgG binding system which could be modulated by less extreme conditions is of considerable general interest. RESULTS: We describe the properties of a series of modified Fc receptor domains which are competent to bind IgG with high affinity but which can be reversibly unfolded upon addition of modest amounts of transition metal ions. Data are presented demonstrating loss of the secondary structural content of the domains as a function of increasing metal concentration, with a concomitant decrease in IgG binding affinity. Variants of the Fc receptor differing at a single amino acid position display increased sensitivity to metal-induced unfolding, while retaining comparable IgG binding ability in the absence of metal. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction of this series of Fc receptors with metal ions abolishes IgG binding, but removal of metal ions allows refolding of the domains with restoration of the IgG binding function. Examples of the utility and potential applications of these metal-modulated IgG binding domains are discussed.