Greatly attenuated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in aquaporin-4 knockout mice

Background  

The involvement of astrocyte water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system has been suggested following the identification of AQP4 autoantibodies in neuromyelitis optica, an inflammatory demyelinating disease.     

Spatial characterization of the transversal structure of rotationally symmetric pulsed beams

A simple analytical model is proposed to describe the transversal spatial structure of a tridimensional rotationally symmetric pulsed beam. The spatial behaviour of the pulse amplitude is shown to be linked to its (measurable) second- and higher-order intensity moments, namely, beam width, quality parameter and kurtosis. As an illustrative experimental example, this model has been applied to high-quality TEA CO2 laser pulses. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Differences Between Consecutive Primes

Let p_n be the nth prime. Then this paper is concerned with provingthe following result on the distribution of consecutive primes. The exponent of x in this theorem improves on the work of Heath-Brownwho proved (1) with exponent . Under the Riemann hypothesisone can prove (1) with exponent .The proof of the theorem startswith the Heath-Brown–Linnik identity which leads to aformula giving the number of primes in an interval in termsof coefficients of certain Dirichlet series. I then estimatethe coefficients by using, among other things, the informationwhich can be gained from Montgomery's mean value theorem andHuxley's version of the Hal' asz lemma. Furthermore, by usingfamiliar sieve arguments I am able to discard some of the coefficientsallowing us to gain an improvement over the previous resultof Heath-Brown. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11N05.     

Self-assembly of C(3)(h) and C(s) symmetric keto-enamine forms of tris(N-salicyl-ideneanilines) into columnar phases: a new family of discotic liquid crystals

A new class of discotic liquid crystals derived from tris(N-salicylideneanilines) existing exclusively in their C3h and Cs keto-enamine tautomeric forms is reported. These compounds self-assemble to form columnar liquid crystalline phases with a small core-core separation as evidenced by X-ray diffraction studies.     

Tris(N-salicylideneanilines) [TSANs] exhibiting a room temperature columnar mesophase: synthesis and characterization

Tris(N-salicylideneaniline) derivatives with peripheral branched alkyl chains, existing in their C_3h and C_s symmetric keto-enamine tautomeric forms, synthesized by condensing alkoxyanilines with 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol, display a technologically important columnar liquid crystal phase over a wide thermal interval (∼160 °C) well below and above room temperature, as established by optical and calorimetric studies.     

Guest-responsive covalent frameworks by the cross-linking of liquid-crystalline salts: tuning of lattice flexibility by the design of polymerizable units

Cross-linked polymers prepared by the in-situ polymerization of liquid-crystalline salts were found to work as solid-state hosts with a flexible framework. As a component of such hosts, four kinds of polymerizable amphiphilic carboxylic acids bearing alkyl chains with acryloyloxy (A), dienyl (D), and/or nonreactive (N) chain ends (monomeric carboxylic acids; M(AAA), M(ANA), M(DDD), and M(DND)) were used. The carboxylic acids were mixed with an equimolar amount of a template unit, (1R,2S)-norephedrine (guest amine; G(RS)), to form the corresponding salts. Every salt exhibited a rectangular columnar LC phase at room temperature, which was successfully polymerized by (60)Co γ-ray-induced polymerization without serious structural disordering to afford the salt of cross-linked carboxylic acid (polymeric carboxylic acid; P(AAA), P(ANA), P(DDD), and P(DND)) with G(RS) . Owing to the noncovalency of the interactions between the polymer framework P and the template G(RS), the cross-linked polymers could reversibly release and capture a meaningful amount of G(RS). In response to the desorption and adsorption of G(RS), the cross-linked polymers dramatically switched their nanoscale structural order. A systematic comparison of the polymers revealed that the choice of polymerizable groups has a significant influence on the properties of the resultant polymer frameworks as solid-state hosts. Among these polymers, P(DDD) was found to be an excellent solid-state host, in terms of guest-releasing/capturing ability, guest-recognition ability, durability to repetitive usage, and unique structural switching mode.     

Bay‐Annulated Perylene Tetraesters: A New Class of Discotic Liquid Crystals

Selenium‐annulated perylene tetraesters that stabilize the hexagonal columnar phase have been synthesized and characterized, and their thermal and photophysical behavior has been determined. The mesophase range decreased with an increase in chain length. A comparative account of the structure–property relationships of this series of compounds with respect to parent perylene tetraesters, N‐ and S‐annulated perylene tetraesters, in terms of their thermal, photophysical and electrochemical behavior is provided. The bay‐annulation of perylene tetraesters is a good option to modify the thermal and photophysical properties of perylene derivatives and it can provide a new avenue for the synthesis of several technologically important self‐assembling perylene derivatives.     

Quantum superarrivals and information transfer through a time-varying boundary

The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is solved numerically for the case of a Gaussian wave packet incident on a time-varying potential barrier. The time evolving reflection and transmission probabilities of the wave packet are computed for several different time-dependent boundary conditions obtained by reducing or increasing the height of the potential barrier. We show that in the case when the barrier height is reduced to zero, a time interval is found during which the reflection probability is larger (superarrivals) compared to the unperturbed case. We further show that the transmission probability exhibits superarrivals when the barrier is raised from zero to a finite value of its height. Superarrivals could be understood by ascribing the features of a real physical field to the Schrödinger wave function which acts as a carrier through which a disturbance, resulting from the boundary condition being perturbed, prpagates from the barrier to the detectors measuring reflected and transmitted probabilities. The speed of propagation of this effect depends upon the rate of reducing or raising the barrier height, thus suggesting an application for secure information transfer using superarrivals.