An adeno-associated viral vector transduces the rat hypothalamus and amygdala more efficient than a lentiviral vector

Background  

This study compared the transduction efficiencies of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, which was pseudotyped with an AAV1 capsid and encoded the green fluorescent protein (GFP), with a lentiviral (LV) vector, which was pseudotyped with a VSV-G envelop and encoded the discosoma red fluorescent protein (dsRed), to investigate which viral vector transduced the lateral hypothalamus or the amygdala more efficiently. The LV-dsRed and AAV1-GFP vector were mixed and injected into the lateral hypothalamus or into the amygdala of adult rats. The titers that were injected were 1 × 10⁸ or 1 × 10⁹ genomic copies of AAV1-GFP and 1 × 10⁵ transducing units of LV-dsRed.     

Implications of Shield’s inverse deformation theorem for compressible finite elasticity

Some properties of the Shield transformation on elastic strain energy functions are established. It is reflexive, it preserves objectivity and material symmetry for isotropic materials, and it also preserves infinitesimal strain response, ellipticity and Hadamard stability, and the Baker–Ericksen condition. Two new classes of strain energies for compressible isotropic materials are introduced, one of them being the image under the Shield transformation of the class of harmonic strain energies. In view of Shield’s Inverse Deformation Theorem, these new classes of strain energies will allow solution in closed form of a variety of problems in finite elastostatics.     

Embedding a graph-like continuum in a surface

Graph-like continua provide a very natural setting for generalizing finite graphs to infinite, compact structures. For example, the Freudenthal compactification of a locally finite graph, exploited by Diestel and his students in their study of the cycle space of an infinite graph, is an example of a graph-like continuum. Generalizing earlier works in special cases, the authors, along with Christian, have proved MacLane’s and Whitney’s characterizations of planarity for graph-like continua (Electron. J. Combin. 17 (2010)). In this work, we consider embeddings of graph-like continua in compact surfaces and show that: (i) every edge is in an open disc that meets the graph-like continuum precisely in that edge; (ii) there are natural analogues of face boundary walks; (iii) there is a graph-like continuum triangulating the same surface and containing as a sub-graphlike continuum the original embedded graph-like continuum; (iv) the face boundaries generate a subspace of the cycle space; and (v) the quotient of the cycle space by the boundary cycles is the homology of the surface. These all generalize results known for embeddings of finite graphs.     

Transport of sulphur dioxide in polymers

Summary Studies were made of the permeation, solution, and diffusion of sulphur dioxide in polyethylene, polyamide (Nylon 11), and polycarbonate at 25 °C and at pressures up to one atmosphere. The steady-state permeability coefficients of sulphur dioxide in all three polymers were pressure-dependent, and the effect of pressure on the solution and diffusion processes, which together govern the overall permeation process, account for the observed relations. Solution and diffusion in the two glassy polymers, polyamide and polycarbonate, were strongly pressure-dependent whereas in polyethylene diffusion was pressure-dependent but solution obeyed Henrys law. The vapour pressure isotherms of the glassy polymers obeyed a modified Langmuir expression suggesting that two concurrent sorption mechanisms were operative, the filling of microvoids within the polymer structures and ordinary Henrys law solution. Kinetic sorption-desorption studies showed that diffusion was “Fickian” in polyethylene and polyamide over the entire pressure range. It was also “Fickian” in polycarbonate at pressures up to approximately 25 cm Hg, but “non-Fickian” at higher levels. For each polymer, diffusion coefficients were determined by steady-state permeation and transient sorption-desorption methods, and the separate methods gave similar values.

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Zusammenfassung Permeation, L?sung und Diffusion von Schwefeldioxid in Poly?thylen, Polyamid (Nylon 11) und Polycarbonat wurden bei 25 °C und Drucken bis zu einer Atmosph?re untersucht. Die station?ren Permeationskoeffizienten von Schwefeldioxid waren in allen drei Polymeren druckabh?ngig, und es erwies sich der Einflu? des Druckes auf die den Permeationsvorgang bestimmenden L?sungs- und Diffusionsvorg?nge als verantwortlich für die beobachteten Beziehungen. L?sung und Diffusion in den beiden glasigen Polymeren, Polyamid und Polycarbonat zeigen eine starke Druckabh?ngigkeit, w?hrend die Diffusion im Poly?thylen zwar druckabh?ngig war, der L?sungsvorgang jedoch dem Henryschen Gesetz gehorcht. Die Dampfdruckisothermen der glasigen Polymeren gehorchen einem modifizierten Langmuirschen Ausdruck, womit sie andeuten, da? zwei Sorptionsmechanismen gleichzeitig wirksam sind: die Auffüllung der Mikrohohlr?ume im Inneren des Polymergefüges und eine normale Henrysche L?sung. Kinetische Sorptions-Desorptionsuntersuchungen haben gezeigt, da? es sich bei Poly?thylen und Polyamid im ganzen Druckbereich um eine Ficksche Diffusion handelt. Das gleiche gilt für Polycarbonat bei Drucken bis zu etwa 25 cm Hg, jedoch nicht für h?here Drucke. Für jedes Polymer wurden die Diffusionskoeffizienten mit Hilfe von station?ren Permeationsund nichtstation?ren Sorptions- und Desorptionsverfahren ermittelt, wobei die Verfahren ?hnliche Werte ergaben.

     

Nonlinear first sound response of liquid helium at 1, 3 and 10 MHz

The first sound response of liquid helium at 1, 3 and 10 MHz is studied using piezoelectric ceramic transducers. Above specific threshold displacement amplitudes, subharmonic frequencies ($\text{?}{}_0\text{2}$, $\text{?}{}_0\text{3}$,…) and ultraharmonic frequencies ($\text{3?}{}_0\text{2}$, $\text{5?}{}_0\text{2}$,…) appear in the response spectrum. The magnitude of the threshold displacement amplitudes for the production of subharmonics suggests that vapor microbubble oscillation appears not to be the primary generation mechanism.     

Effect of pigment concentration on NMR relaxometry in acrylic paints

Acrylic emulsion paint is among the most common media employed by 20th century artists. Since early acrylic paintings have begun to require the attention of conservators, scientists are working to characterize the properties of these paints to facilitate conservation efforts. In this study, we report an investigation of the physical and chemical properties of acrylic emulsion paints using single-sided NMR in conjunction with gloss measurements and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry. Combining the data from these techniques gives insight into pigment-base interactions and the acrylic curing process, showing that as pigment concentration is increased in paints, the amount of acrylic base adsorbed to pigment particles increases, resulting in films with differing relaxation times. This research both emphasizes and contextualizes the utility of NMR relaxometry in studying cultural heritage objects and prompts further study into the effects of pigment concentration on the curing and conservation of paint films.     

Electrochemical Characterisation of Polypyrrole Doped with p‐Sulfonatocalix[4]arene

Polypyrrole (PPy) films doped with macrocyclic calixarene anions are attractive materials for the development of selective sensor materials and membrane systems as the incorporation of the macrocycles can confer specific recognition sites within the polymer matrix. However, unlike many other PPy films a calixarene‐doped system is more complicated as calixarenes are themselves electroactive. Here we present results on the electroactivity, impedance properties and morphology of polypyrrole doped with p‐sulfonatocalix[4]arene. The calixarene in the polymer was found to be irreversibly oxidised at potentials greater than 0.500 V vs. SCE and reacted to form a new redox active species that was trapped within the polymer matrix. The results from the impedance and EQCM studies indicated that the calixarene was permanently trapped within the polymer matrix and the polymer acted as a cation exchange material. In addition, the data acquired from the EQCM experiments showed that while the material displayed simple cation exchange properties at high scan rates, at lower scan rates the transport of neutral species was also observed. Overall, our findings indicate that the PPy‐C4S system is suitable for use as a stable conducting polymer doped with an immobile anion within the potential window of ?0.800 V to 0.500 V vs. SCE.