Diffuse color patterning using blended electrochromic polymers for proof‐of‐concept adaptive camouflage plaques

A study using three different pairs of electrochromic polymers (ECPs) synthesized onto plaques by means of a modified vapor phase polymerization (VPP) technique is presented. Restriction of the respective polymerization times, allowed both faster and slower polymerizing monomers to be controlled, and produced blended plaques with visually diffuse interfaces. The ECPs within the blended plaques retain their individual electrochromic behavior and when encapsulated into an electrochromic device, show outstanding optical switching performance with little degradation evident over 10,000 cycles, coupled with a switching time of the order of 1 second. Blends also allow multiple diffuse color changes within an electrochromic device, due to the difference in oxidation potentials of the individual ECPs, making them candidates for adaptive camouflage use. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42158.     

Design of Trehalose-Based Amide/Sulfonamide C-type Lectin Receptor Signaling Compounds

Mincle agonists have been shown to induce inflammatory cytokine production, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and promote the development of a Th1/Th17 immune response that might be crucial to development of effective vaccination against pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As an expansion of our previous work, a library of 6,6′-amide and sulfonamide α,α-d -trehalose compounds with various substituents on the aromatic ring was synthesized efficiently in good to excellent yields. These compounds were evaluated for their ability to activate the human C-type lectin receptor Mincle by the induction of cytokines from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these novel trehalose diamides and sulfonamides revealed that aryl amide-linked trehalose compounds demonstrated improved activity and relatively high potency cytokine production compared to the Mincle ligand trehalose dibehenate adjuvant (TDB) and the natural ligand trehalose dimycolate (TDM) inducing dose-dependent and human-Mincle-specific stimulation in a HEK reporter cell line.     

Study of the effect of BDMA catalyst in the epoxy novolac curing process by isothermal DSC

Epoxy novolac/anhydride cure kinetics has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry under isothermal conditions. The system used in this study was an epoxy novolac resin (DEN431), with nadic methyl anhydride as hardener and benzyldimethylamine as accelerator. Kinetic parameters including the reaction order, activation energy and kinetic rate constants, were investigated. The cure reaction was described with the catalyst concentration, and a normalized kinetic model developed for it. It is shown that the cure reaction is dependent on the cure temperature and catalyst concentration, and that it proceeds through an autocatalytic kinetic mechanism. The curing kinetic constants and the cure activation energies were obtained using the Arrhenius kinetic model. A suggested kinetic model with a diffusion term was successfully used to describe and predict the cure kinetics of epoxy novolac resin compositions as a function of the catalyst content and temperature. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Formulation of a ceramic ink for a wide-array drop-on-demand ink-jet printer

This paper describes the methodology for simulating a reprographic ink with a ceramic ink based on a commercially available zirconia powder for direct ceramic ink-jet printing. Of over-riding importance was matching viscosity and this was tested systematically by using a mineral oil–hexane binary system. Of secondary importance was adjustment of the pressure defect behind the nozzle to compensate for small differences in surface tension. The inks tested in the wide array print-head were based on low electrical conductivity liquids to avoid damage to the electroding system. The organic binder for the zirconia ink was paraffin wax and the dispersant was a hydroxystearic acid based polyester.     

Continuous-wave quantum yields of various cobalamins are influenced by competition between geminate recombination and cage escape

Quantum yields of photolysis of the cobalt-carbon bond for three cobalamin compounds were measured with a continuous-wave laser at 442 nm under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Aerobically, the initial homolysis product, Co(II) cobalamin, is trapped by oxygen to form aquocobalamin. Use of an excess of the radical trapping reagent 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl, under anaerobic conditions, scavenges the carbon radical and allows detection of the cobalt(II) photoproduct. Quantum yields measured under anaerobic conditions for 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (phi (Co-C alpha),442 = 0.20 +/- 0.03) and methylcobalamin (phi (Co-C alpha),442 = 0.35 +/- 0.03) are in agreement with the values obtained under aerobic conditions (phi (Co-C alpha),442 = 0.19 +/- 0.04 and phi (Co-C alpha),442 = 0.36 +/- 0.04, respectively). Additionally, the quantum yield values for 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin and its base-off derivative (phi (Co-C alpha),442 = 0.045 +/- 0.015) match those obtained on a nanosecond time scale [Chen, E., & Chance, M. R. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 12987-12994]. A comparison of quantum yields obtained anaerobically for 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin in H2O versus ethylene glycol shows a 4-fold decrease for the former cobalamin and no change for the latter. These quantum yields are evaluated in terms of time-independent radical separation distances.     

Spontaneous rise of fetal platelet counts despite increasing anti-HPA-5b antibodies

A 47-year-old woman with seronegative polyarthritis, diarrhea, and photosensitivity dermatitis was found to have Crohn's disease and pellagra. The presence of high values of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid in the urine began the exhaustive investigations and finally enterotomy. No mass lesion was found. Argyrophilic cells were not increased in areas of inflamed intestinal mucosa or the normal mucosa. The disagreement between biochemical and histologic findings was attributed to sampling error. Antiinflammatory treatment for Crohn's disease was given and the gastrointestinal and articular symptoms improved, excretion of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid returned to normal and there was no relapse of pellagra. Pellagra as a complication of Crohn's disease has been described in 4 cases; malnutrition and intestinal malabsorption were the proposed mechanisms for the niacin deficiency and pellagra of those patients. In the current case, the pathogenesis of pellagra may be accounted to wastage of tryptophan by an increased pool of intestinal argyrophilic cells, suggested by increased urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid.     

Improved atrial function in bicaval versus standard orthotopic techniques in cardiac transplantation

Atrial geometry is preserved in the bicaval technique of cardiac transplantation. Using Doppler echocardiography, we investigated the impact of this technique on preservation of atrial function and found that echocardiographic indexes of atrial function are improved in bicaval cardiac transplants versus the standard orthotopic transplants.     

Recurrent gains of 1q, 8 and 12 in the Ewing family of tumours by comparative genomic hybridization

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to detect copy number changes of DNA sequences in the Ewing family of tumours (ET). We analysed 20 samples from 17 patients. Fifteen tumours (75%) showed copy number changes. Gains of DNA sequences were much more frequent than losses, the majority of the gains affecting whole chromosomes or whole chromosome arms. Recurrent findings included copy number increases for chromosomes 8 (seven out of 20 samples; 35%), 1q (five samples; 25%) and 12 (five samples; 25%). The minimal common regions of these gains were the whole chromosomes 8 and 12, and 1q21-22. High-level amplifications affected 8q13-24, 1q and 1q21-22, each once. Southern blot analysis of the specimen with high-level amplification at 1q21-22 showed an amplification of FLG and SPRR3, both mapped to this region. All cases with a gain of chromosome 12 simultaneously showed a gain of chromosome 8. Comparison of CGH findings with cytogenetic analysis of the same tumours and previous cytogenetic reports of ET showed, in general, concordant results. In conclusion, our findings confirm that secondary changes, which may have prognostic significance in ET, are trisomy 8, trisomy 12 and a gain of DNA sequences in 1q.