Differential inhibition of postnatal brain,spinal cord and body growth by a growth hormone antagonist

Background  

Growth hormone (GH) plays an incompletely understood role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we use transgenic mice expressing a growth hormone antagonist (GHA) to explore the role of GH in regulating postnatal brain, spinal cord and body growth into adulthood. The GHA transgene encodes a protein that inhibits the binding of GH to its receptor, specifically antagonizing the trophic effects of endogenous GH.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.     

Using FTIR spectroscopy to detect sericin on historic silk

Silks represent some of the most precious ancient and historic textile artefacts in collections worldwide.Their optimum preservation demands an appreciation of their characteristics.One important concern,especially with regard to ancient Chinese silks,is whether the fabrics have been degummed.Silks with remnant sericin gum coating the fibroin fibres would require different conservation protocol.In previous research on aged silks,the presence of sericin has been inferred from amino acid analysis of hydrolysa...     

Iron-catalyzed Doyle-Kirmse reaction of allyl sulfides with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane

[formula: see text] Iron salts efficiently catalyze the Doyle-Kirmse reaction of allyl sulfides with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane and ethyl diazoacetate in dichloroethane at 83 degrees C. Competitive dimerization is less of a problem with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane than with ethyl diazoacetate. Good results are obtained using only 1.5 equiv of (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane, even without slow addition. Phosphine ligands affect the kinetics, but not the diastereoselectivity. Dppe and BINAP lead to higher yields than dppp, but no enantioselection was detected with R-(+)-BINAP.     

Solvatochromic properties of long alkyl chain π* indicators: comparison of N,N‐dialkyl‐4‐nitroanilines and alkyl 4‐nitrophenyl ethers

Hydrophobic forms of the N,N‐dialkyl‐4‐nitroaniline (DNAP) (p‐O₂NC₆H₄NR₂) ( 1a–f ) and alkyl‐4‐nitrophenyl ether (p‐O₂NC₆H₄OR) ( 2a–c ) solvatochromic π* indicators have been characterized and compared with respect to: (a) solvatochromic bandshape, (b) sensitivity expressed as ?s , ( / d π * ), and (c) trends in ? s with increasing length of alkyl chain(s) on the probe molecule. ? Octyl 4‐nitrophenyl ether (p‐O₂NC₆H₄OC₈H₁₇) ( 2b ) and ? decyl 4‐nitrophenyl ether (p‐O₂N C₆H₄ OC₁₀H₂₁) ( 2c ) were synthesized and their solvatochromic UV/Vis absorption bands were found to maintain a Gausso‐Lorentzian bandshape for the indicators in non‐polar and alkyl substituted aromatic solvents, for example, hexane(s) and mesitylene. Corresponding absorption bands for 1a–f display increasing deviation from a Gausso‐Lorentzian shape in the same solvents as the alkyl chains on the indicator are increased in length all the way to C₁₀ and C₁₂, for example, N,N‐didecyl‐4‐nitroaniline (p‐O₂NC₆H₄N (C₁₀H₂₁)₂) and N,N‐didodecyl‐4‐nitroaniline (p‐O₂NC₆H₄N (C₁₂H₂₅)₂) ( 1d–f ). A plot of ? s versus C_n follows a 1st order decay for the DNAP indicators but is linear for the alkyl 4‐nitrophenyl ethers. A discussion of how the long alkyl chains on the two types of indicators affect the orientation and overlap of n and π * orbitals, and resulting solvatochromic bands is presented. For DNAP, overextending the alkyl chains to obtain greater hydrophobic character may cause the alkane component to dominate solute‐solvation processes at the expense of the probe's fundamental solvatochromic character. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Active coherent beam combining of diode lasers

We have demonstrated active coherent beam combination (CBC) of up to 218 semiconductor amplifiers with 38.5?W cw output using up to eleven one-dimensional 21-element individually addressable diode amplifier arrays operating at 960?nm. The amplifier array elements are slab-coupled-optical-waveguide semiconductor amplifiers (SCOWAs) set up in a master-oscillator-power-amplifier configuration. Diffractive optical elements divide the master-oscillator beam to seed multiple arrays of SCOWAs. A SCOWA was phase actuated by adjusting the drive current to each element and controlled using a stochastic-parallel-gradient-descent (SPGD) algorithm for the active CBC. The SPGD is a hill-climbing algorithm that maximizes on-axis intensity in the far field, providing phase locking without needing a reference beam.     

Triptycene-like behaviour of tertiary 9,10-dihydro-9-amthrols

Secondary alcohols in the 9,10-dihydro-9-anthrol series frequently undergo acid-catalyzed elimination and substitution reactions more rapidly than do corresponding tertiary alcohols - a phenomenon attributed to predominant existence of the tertiary alcohols in triptycene-like conformations with the hydroxy groups in pseudoequatorial positions.