Relevance of the acid–base approach in prediction of adhesion properties in two‐component injection moulding

We demonstrate the use of innovative wetting method in prediction of the adhesion properties of biobased polymers for two‐component injection moulding, taking into account the acid–base surface properties of joined materials. The measurements were carried out in accordance with modified Berger method by calculation of the difference in shortened acidity parameter ΔD_short between hard and soft component. Correlation factors up to 0.99 were observed between ΔD_short and peel force. In comparison to results obtained by conventional wetting methods, high potential for the selection of components with high interface adhesion and for prediction of the functionality by the acid–base approach was demonstrated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43048.     

Syntheses of 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-c]pteridines. Potential substrates for xanthine oxidase

A synthetic route for the preparation of 9-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-c]pteridines 8 is described. Their reactivities towards xanthine oxidase from Arthrobacter M-4 are determined and compared with the pteridine derivatives 6-phenylpteridin-4[3H]-thione 5, 6-phenyl-4-thiomethylpteridine 6, 4-hydrazino-6-phenylpteridine 7, 3-N-methyl-6-phenylpteridin-4[3H]-thione 19, 4-amino-6-phenylpteridine 22 and 1-N-methyl-6-phenylpteridin-4[1H]-one 24, in order to inspect a possible influence of pyrimidine ring substitution pattern on their interaction with the bacterial enzyme. It has been suggested that a planar structure of the pteridine moiety and the substituents could be an important factor that so far has been overlooked when considering the enzyme activity. Some literature data are also discussed in view of revision of structure assignment of the compounds 12, 14, and 17. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Discovery of a Potent,CNS‐Penetrant Orexin Receptor Antagonist Based on an N,N‐Disubstituted‐1,4‐diazepane Scaffold that Promotes Sleep in Rats

Silent Night : Antagonism of the orexin (or hypocretin) system has recently been identified as a novel mechanism for the treatment of insomnia. Herein, we describe discovery of a dual (OX₁R/OX₂R) orexin receptor antagonist featuring a 1,4‐diazepane central constraint that blocks orexin signaling in vivo. In telemetry‐implanted rats, oral administration of this antagonist produced a decrease in wakefulness, while increasing REM and non‐REM sleep.

     

Coating the inner walls of metal tubes with carbon films by physical vapor deposition at low temperature

Tubes are often required to exhibit better performance in corrosion and wear behavior than the material the tube is made of can offer. The situation can be improved when the tube is coated with a protective film. This can be achieved by sputter coating with an ion beam. A sputter target is located inside the tube. Energetic ions are accelerated into the tube and impinge onto the target. Thus, material is sputtered from the target onto the inner walls of the tube. Two apparatus for coating tubes of different lengths and diameters are described. Aluminum and stainless steel tubes were coated with amorphous carbon films. Results on adhesion, corrosion performance in aqueous media and thickness uniformity are shown.     

Elimination of pharmaceuticals from wastewater by submerged nanofiltration plate modules

Most conventional wastewater treatment plants hardly remove micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals. Here the ability of a submerged nanofiltration flat sheet module to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater is analyzed. The nanofiltration membrane was used at the relatively low pressure of only 0.7 bar; at such low pressure, the membrane does not retain salts to a great extent. This is advantageous in wastewater treatment because no salt concentrate is produced. Carbamazepine was retained only slightly by the nanofiltration membranes, whereas diclofenac was retained by approximately 65%.     

The National Cancer Data Base report on the relationship of race and national origin to the histology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

This study was undertaken to clarify several aspects of morphological and taxonomic characters of Physaloptera bispiculata Vaz and Pereira, 1935, a parasite of the water rat, Nectomys squamipes. The cephalic structures (including lips, papillae, teeth, amphids, and porous areas) and details of the posterior end of male and female adult worms were examined by scanning electron microscopy, leading to the addition of new taxonomic characters for this species. We consider P. bispiculata a valid species, based on a comparative analysis of the specific characters for P. bispiculata and P. getula Seurat, 1917, including the morphology and morphometry of body structures as well as number and disposition of caudal papillae of the males.     

Cutting edge: novel RNA ligands able to bind CD4 antigen and inhibit CD4+ T lymphocyte function

The value of high affinity-specific reagents in immunology is exemplified by the use of mAbs. Recent in vitro selection methods suggested that oligonucleotides may provide a useful alternative, especially where Abs have been insufficient thus far. We used a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure to derive high affinity oligonucleotide ligands (aptamers) recognizing CD4. These RNase-resistant aptamers bound with high affinity and specificity as demonstrated using BIAcore (Stevenage, U.K.) technology. They also bound native CD4 on rat lymphocytes and specifically interfered with labeling by high affinity mAbs. All aptamers recognized the same binding site in the CDR2-like region in domain 1 of CD4. The applicability of these aptamers for immunologic studies was clearly demonstrated by their ability to block a fully allogeneic MLR in a CD4-specific manner. The high affinity and stability of aptamers point to their value in the analysis and functional manipulation of the immune system.