Synthesis, characterization and photoconductive properties of optically active methacrylic polymers bearing side-chain 9-phenylcarbazole moieties

The synthesis of two novel optically active monomers containing 9-phenylcarbazole moieties, such as (S)-(+)-2-methacryloyloxy-N-[4-(9-carbazolyl)phenyl]succinimide [(S)-(+)-MCPS] and (S)-(+)-3-methacryloyloxy-N-[4-(9-carbazolyl)phenyl]pyrrolidine [(S)-(+)-MCPP], is described. Each monomer has been radically homopolymerized to afford the corresponding optically active polymeric derivatives, which have been fully characterized. Their spectroscopic, thermal and photoconductive properties were compared to those of the new achiral homopolymer poly[N-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl)-N-[4-(9-carbazolyl)phenyl]ethylamine] {poly[MCPE]}, devised as an optically inactive macromolecular model compound, as well as to analogue polymeric derivatives containing side-chain optically active carbazolyl moieties. The chiroptical properties of the chiral polymers are quantitatively higher than in the corresponding monomers. Owing to the substantially stereoirregular structure of the main chain, this suggests that the overall optical activity is mainly due to conformational dissymmetry of the macromolecules. Spectroscopic evidence suggests the presence in all polymeric derivatives of dipole-dipole interactions between the 9-phenylcarbazolyl chromophores, occurring as a consequence of their anchorage to the polymer backbone, which favours their aggregation and justifies their high decomposition temperatures.     

Effect of dietary lipids on the lipid composition and phospholipid deacylating enzyme activities of rat heart

Rats were fed lard-enriched (17%) or corn oil-enriched (17%) diets and were compared with rats fed a low fat (4.5%) diet. Cardiac protein, DNA, phospholipid (PL) and fatty acid (FA) compositions were analyzed. Neutral phospholipase A, lysophospholipase and creatine kinase activities in the membrane and cytosolic compartments were also investigated. No significant modification of cardiac protein, DNA nor PL was observed among the three groups. Some alterations appeared in the FA composition. A lard-enriched diet induced a significant increase of 22∶5n−3 and 22∶6n−3 in heart phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), whereas a linoleic acid-rich diet induced a specific increase of 22∶4n−6 and 22∶5n−6 in these two major PL. Compared to rats fed the low fat diet, membrane-associated phospholipase A activity, measured by endogenous hydrolysis of membrane PC and PE, showed a significant increase (+45%) for both PL in rats fed corn oil. However, the activity of membrane-associated phospholipases, measured with exogenous [1-¹⁴C]dioleoyl PC, was not different among the three groups of rats. Cytoplasmic activity was decreased in rats fed corn oil, and lysophospholipase and creatine phosphate kinase activities were not significantly affected by diet. FA modification of the long chain n−6 FA induced by corn oil may be responsible for the observed increase in phospholipase activity. Physiological implications are suggested in terms of membrane degradation and prostaglandin production. Presented in part at the International Symposium on Lipid Metabolism in the Normoxic and Ischemic Heart, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, September 1986.     

A Hybrid Machine Learning and Network Analysis Approach Reveals Two Parkinson’s Disease Subtypes from 115 RNA-Seq Post-Mortem Brain Samples

Precision medicine emphasizes fine-grained diagnostics, taking individual variability into account to enhance treatment effectiveness. Parkinson’s disease (PD) heterogeneity among individuals proves the existence of disease subtypes, so subgrouping patients is vital for better understanding disease mechanisms and designing precise treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify PD subtypes using RNA-Seq data in a combined pipeline including unsupervised machine learning, bioinformatics, and network analysis. Two hundred and ten post mortem brain RNA-Seq samples from PD (n = 115) and normal controls (NCs, n = 95) were obtained with systematic data retrieval following PRISMA statements and a fully data-driven clustering pipeline was performed to identify PD subtypes. Bioinformatics and network analyses were performed to characterize the disease mechanisms of the identified PD subtypes and to identify target genes for drug repurposing. Two PD clusters were identified and 42 DEGs were found (p adjusted ≤ 0.01). PD clusters had significantly different gene network structures (p < 0.0001) and phenotype-specific disease mechanisms, highlighting the differential involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulating adult neurogenesis. NEUROD1 was identified as a key regulator of gene networks and ISX9 and PD98059 were identified as NEUROD1-interacting compounds with disease-modifying potential, reducing the effects of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This hybrid data analysis approach could enable precision medicine applications by providing insights for the identification and characterization of pathological subtypes. This workflow has proven useful on PD brain RNA-Seq, but its application to other neurodegenerative diseases is encouraged.     

Infants' responses to their mothers' expressions of joy and sadness.

On separate visits to the laboratory, 36 nine-month-old infants (18 boys and 18 girls) watched their mothers express joy or sadness, facially and vocally, during a 2-min emotion-induction period. After the induction period, mothers continued to express joy or sadness while their infants played with four sets of toys. Infant emotion expressions were analyzed using the Max (Izard, 1979a) and Affex (Izard, Dougherty, & Hembree, 1983) coding systems, and infant play behavior was coded with a system developed by Belsky and Most (1981). The amount of time that the infants looked at their mothers was also measured. Findings were generally consistent with differential emotions theory (Izard, 1979b). The infants expressed more joy and looked longer at their mothers during the joy condition and they showed more sadness, anger, and gaze aversion during the sadness condition. The infants engaged in more play behavior in the joy condition than in the sadness condition. Regression analyses revealed several significant relations between infants' gaze behavior, emotion expressions, and play behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heat distortion temperature modification of rigid PVC and chlorinated PVC: A method to produce low smoke compositions

The use of a new low smoke, heat distortion temperature modifier for rigid PVC and chlorinated PVC is discussed. This material, CN-1427, is a tetrabromobisphenol A carbonate oligomer which is compatible with vinyl compositions. The carbonate oligomer can be compounded into PVC resin to improve heat distortion temperature of PVC and CPVC by 20–30°C. Unlike conventional HDT modifiers, brominated carbonate oligomers do not increase smoke evolution during flammability testing. Thus, using carbonate oligomer technology, it is possible to achieve low smoke, Class I (ASTM E-84) and V-O flammability (UL-94) performance. Vinyl compositions, modified with the carbonate oligomer described in this work, can be utilized as an alternative to expensive engineering thermoplastics. This paper reports recent studies on the use of carbonate oligomers as heat distortion temperature modifiers for low smoke vinyl applications. Formulation information addressing flammability and physical property performance is presented in detail.