Time-resolved EPR and ODMR studies on the lowest excited triplet states of α-silyl and α-germyl ketones

Sublevel properties of the lowest excited triplet (T¹) nπ* states of α-silyl and α-germyl ketones were examined by means of ODMR, time-resolved EPR and optical spectroscopy. The EPR parameters, D, E and g, population ratios, and triplet lifetimes were obtained. The D value and the triplet lifetime varied among the molecules. In contrast the E value and population ratio remains nearly the same. These properties together with their solvent dependence and emission properties are interpreted in terms of spin-orbit couplings between T₁ (nπ*) and higher S₁ (nπ*), T₂ (ππ*) and S₂ (ππ*) states. An origin of the remarkable red-shifts of ^1,3 (π*) are discussed based on a model of delocalized n, π and π* electrons over the Si and Ge atoms. This model is also consistent with all the triplet properties obtained.     

Transcutaneous application of carbon dioxide improves contractures after immobilization of rat knee joint

Objective: Joint contractures are a major complication following joint immobilization. However, no fully effective treatment has yet been found. Recently, carbon dioxide (CO₂) therapy was developed and verified this therapeutic application in various disorders. We aimed to verify the efficacy of transcutaneous CO₂ therapy for immobilization-induced joint contracture. Method: Twenty-two Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: caged control, those untreated after joint immobilization, and those treated after joint immobilization. The rats were treated with CO₂ for 20 min once a daily either during immobilization, (prevention) or during remobilization after immobilization (treatment). Knee extension motion was measured with a goniometer, and the muscular and articular factors responsible for contractures were calculated. We evaluated muscle fibrosis, fibrosis-related genes (collagen Type 1α1 and TGF-β1) in muscles, synovial intima''s length, and fibrosis-related proteins (Type I collagen and TGF-β1) in the joint capsules. Results: CO₂ therapy for prevention and treatment improved the knee extension motion. Muscular and articular factors decreased in rats of the treatment group. The muscular fibrosis of treated rats decreased in the treatment group. Although CO₂ therapy did not repress the increased expression of collagen Type 1α1, the therapy decreased the expression of TGF-β1 in the treatment group. CO₂ therapy for treatment improved the shortening of the synovial membrane after immobilization and decreased the immunolabeling of TGF-β1 in the joint capsules. Conclusions: CO₂ therapy may prevent and treat contractures after joint immobilization, and appears to be more effective as a treatment strategy for the deterioration of contractures during remobilization.     

REPRESENTATIONS OF AFFINE SUPERALGEBRAS AND MOCK THETA FUNCTIONS

We show that the normalized supercharacters of principal admissible modules over the affine Lie superalgebra $ {{\widehat{{s\ell}}}_{2|1 }} $ (resp. $ {{\widehat{{ps\ell}}}_{2|2 }} $ ) can be modified, using Zwegers’ real analytic corrections, to form a modular (resp. S-) invariant family of functions. Applying the quantum Hamiltonian reduction, this leads to a new family of positive energy modules over the N?=?2 (resp.N?=?4) superconformal algebras with central charge 3(1???(2?m?+?2)/M), where m ∈ ?_≥0, M ∈ ?_≥2, gcd(2?m?+?2, M)?=?1 if m?>?0 (resp. 6 (m/M???1), where m ∈ ?_≥1, M ∈ ?_≥2, gcd(2?m, M)?=?1 if m?>?1), whose modified characters and supercharacters form a modular invariant family.