Radical Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate with Styrene in Several Solvents

Radical copolymerization of styrene (M₁) with methyl methacrylate has been carried out in several solvents. The monomer reactivity ratio (r) was affected by the solvent. The values of log 1/r, Q₂, and e₂ were found to increase with the decreases of the V _C[dbnd]O and v _n[dbnd]c stretcning frequencies determined in the corresponding solvents.     

Carbohydrate recognition of symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine derivatives

Carbohydrate recognition of some bioactive symmetrical tripodal receptor type tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) derivatives was investigated. In calorimetric experiments, the highest binding constant (Ka) of compound C (C₃₅H₄₉N₅O₄S) with methyl α-d-mannopyranoside was Ka = 858 M^?1 with 1:1 stoichiometry. Formation of hydrogen bonds in binding between symmetrical tripodal receptor type compound C and sugars was suggested by the large negative values of ?H° (=?34 to ?511 kJ mol^?1). In a comparison of each set of α- and β-anomers of some monosaccharides (methyl α/β-d-galactopyranoside, methyl α/β-d-glucopyranoside, and methyl α/β-l-fucopyranoside), compound C showed that the binding constant of β-anomer was larger than that of the corresponding α-anomer, indicating higher β-anomer selectivity. The calculated energy-minimized structure of the complex of compound C with guest methyl α-d-mannopyranoside is also presented. The experimental results obtained from this work indicated that symmetrical tripodal receptor type TAEA derivative C has a lectin-like carbohydrate recognition property.     

Disrupted cortical connectivity theory as an explanatory model for autism spectrum disorders

Recent findings of neurological functioning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) point to altered brain connectivity as a key feature of its pathophysiology. The cortical underconnectivity theory of ASD (Just et al., 2004) provides an integrated framework for addressing these new findings. This theory suggests that weaker functional connections among brain areas in those with ASD hamper their ability to accomplish complex cognitive and social tasks successfully. We will discuss this theory, but will modify the term underconnectivity to ‘disrupted cortical connectivity’ to capture patterns of both under- and over-connectivity in the brain. In this paper, we will review the existing literature on ASD to marshal supporting evidence for hypotheses formulated on the disrupted cortical connectivity theory. These hypotheses are: 1) underconnectivity in ASD is manifested mainly in long-distance cortical as well as subcortical connections rather than in short-distance cortical connections; 2) underconnectivity in ASD is manifested only in complex cognitive and social functions and not in low-level sensory and perceptual tasks; 3) functional underconnectivity in ASD may be the result of underlying anatomical abnormalities, such as problems in the integrity of white matter; 4) the ASD brain adapts to underconnectivity through compensatory strategies such as overconnectivity mainly in frontal and in posterior brain areas. This may be manifested as deficits in tasks that require frontal–parietal integration. While overconnectivity can be tested by examining the cortical minicolumn organization, long-distance underconnectivity can be tested by cognitively demanding tasks; and 5) functional underconnectivity in brain areas in ASD will be seen not only during complex tasks but also during task-free resting states. We will also discuss some empirical predictions that can be tested in future studies, such as: 1) how disrupted connectivity relates to cognitive impairments in skills such as Theory-of-Mind, cognitive flexibility, and information processing; and 2) how connection abnormalities relate to, and may determine, behavioral symptoms hallmarked by the triad of Impairments in ASD. Furthermore, we will relate the disrupted cortical connectivity model to existing cognitive and neural models of ASD.     

Synthesis and langmuir‐blodgett (LB) film properties of functional α,ω‐diamine amphiphilic materials

We have investigated the synthesis and ultrathin film forming properties of α,ω‐diamine derivatives. The amphiphiles were synthesized as precursors to the formation of ionene polymers. Two materials were investigated: oligothiophene and azobenzene functional groups. These type of materials are of great interest for the preparation of ultrathin film layers with applications for photochemical regulation of liquid crystal (LC) orientation, optical storage media, and electroluminescent displays. Azobenzene and its derivatives are well known photochemical systems exhibiting the reversible cis‐trans photoisomerization. Conjugated oligothiophene derivatives, exhibit interesting optical and electronic properties for applications such as light emitting diodes (LED)s, Schottky diodes, and thin film field‐effect transistors (TFT). The two amphiphiles behaved very differently as Langmuir monolayers and LB films. Dye aggregation was observed with the azobenzene derivatives compared with the oligothiophenes.     

Poly[(cis‐3‐(ethanesulfonyloxy)‐2‐pinanyl methacrylate)‐co‐(tert‐butyl methacrylate)] as an acid‐amplifying photoresist

Synthesis and characteristics of novel copolymers bearing both acid amplifier and acid‐sensitive units are described. The acid amplifier units in the polymer side chains were acidolytically transformed to sulfonic acid residues, leading to the deprotection of the acid‐labile tert‐butyl ester side chains introduced as a comonomer unit. The copolymer was 3.2 times more sensitive than poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate) in the presence of a photoacid generator and, therefore, provides practical applicability for photoimaging.