Pectic Galactan Polysaccharide-Based Gene Delivery System for Targeting Neuroinflammation

Treating neuroinflammation-related injuries and disorders through manipulation of neuroinflammation functions is being heralded as a new therapeutic strategy. In this study, a novel pectic galactan (PG) polysaccharide based gene therapy approach is developed for targeting reactive gliosis in neuroinflammation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a cell protein with a high affinity to β-galactoside sugars and is highly expressed in reactive gliosis. Since PG carries galactans, it can target reactive gliosis via specific carbohydrate interaction between galactan and Gal-3 on the cell membrane, and therefore can be utilized as a carrier for delivering genes to these cells. The carrier is synthesized by modifying quaternary ammonium groups on the PG. The resulting quaternized PG (QPG) is found to form complexes with plasmid DNA with a mean diameter of 100 nm and have the characteristics required for targeted gene therapy. The complexes efficiently condense large amounts of plasmid per particle and successfully bind to Gal-3. The in vivo study shows that the complexes are biocompatible and safe for administration and can selectively transfect reactive glial cells of an induced cortical lesion. The results confirm that this PG-based delivery system is a promising platform for targeting Gal-3 overexpressing neuroinflammation cells for treating neuroinflammation-related injuries and neurodegenerative diseases.     

LiNbO3 optical waveguides formed in a new proton source

Proton-exchanged planar waveguides have been fabricated on Z-cut and X-cut lithium niobate crystals by using a new proton source formed by a mixture of benzoic and adipic acids. Waveguide index profiles and optical characteristics have been obtained at different values of the adipic-benzoic acid concentration ratio. The samples have been structurally characterized by Raman and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy and double-crystal X-ray diffraction. Good quality samples have been fabricated by using 30 mol% ratio dilution, showing very low scattering levels (<0.1 dB/cm), relatively high electrooptic coefficient (r₃₃=0.88 pm/V), and low relative percentage of interstitial protons (26%). The main factor limiting the waveguide optical properties is the substitutional-interstitial proton ratio, which can be easily controlled to produce good quality waveguides. A demonstration of the repeatability of the exchange process in the acid mixture is also provided     

Proton-exchanged LiNbO/sub 3/ optical waveguides using stearic acid

Proton-exchanged optical waveguides have been fabricated in z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ using a new proton source: stearic acid. These waveguides were characterized optically and were found to exhibit a step index profile with Delta n=0.118 measured at 0.633 mu m. The propagation losses were typically around 1.5 dB/cm, and the diffusion constant and the activation energy for the proton-exchange process were measured to be 5*10/sup 6/ mu m/sup 2//h and 69 kJ/mol, respectively.<>     

Proton-exchange optical waveguides in Z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ using toluic acid

Proton-exchanged planar waveguides were demonstrated in Z-cut LiNBO/sub 3/ using toluic acid as a new organic proton source. These waveguides exhibit a propagation loss of around 1 dB/cm, and a step refractive index profile with an index increase of 0.124 measured at 0.663 mu m. The diffusion rate was found to be lower than those obtained using the popular benzoic and phosphoric acids.<>     

New design and realization techniques for a class of perfect reconstruction two-channel FIR filterbanks and wavelets bases

This paper proposes two new methods for designing a class of two-channel perfect reconstruction (PR) finite impulse response (FIR) filterbanks (FBs) and wavelets with K-regularity of high order and studies its multiplier-less implementation. It is based on the two-channel structural PR FB proposed by Phoong et al (1995). The basic principle is to represent the K-regularity condition as a set of linear equality constraints in the design variables so that the least square and minimax design problems can be solved, respectively, as a quadratic programming problem with linear equality constraints (QPLC) and a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem. We also demonstrate that it is always possible to realize such FBs with sum-of-powers-of-two (SOPOT) coefficients while preserving the regularity constraints using Bernstein polynomials. However, this implementation usually requires long coefficient wordlength and another direct-form implementation, which can realize multiplier-less wavelets with K-regularity condition up to fifth order, is proposed. Several design examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

The Stability of Rare Earth-Iron-Nitrides Sm_2(Fe,M)_(17)N_y,Permanent Magnets

The effects of the partial substitution of element M(M=Cr,V,Mn,x=0.05;Zr,Ga,x=0.017;Si,x=0.15;Co,x=0.10)for Fe in samarium-iron-nitride Sm_2(Fe_(1-x)M_x)_(17)N_y compounds on their stabilitiesand Curie temperatures have been studied.It is found that Co,Ga can raise the Curie temperature of thecompounds.The initial decomposition temperatures cannot be raised significantly by all the studied elementsexcept Co.The result contradicts the formation enthalpy consideration.The final decomposition tempera-tures can be raised by all of the substitution elements.The effects of atmospheres on their decomposition be-havior were also studied.The results show that oxidation is the major reason for magnetic deterioration ofthe powder heated in air.Compared with nitrogen atmosphere,argon or vacuum helps to delay the decompo-sition of the compounds.     

X-Ray, Micro-Raman, Optical Absorption/Emission Studies of ErNbO4 Grown by Vapor Transport Equilibration

Vapor transport equilibration (VTE) treatments were performed on a Y-cut bulk Er (1.6 mol%)-doped congruent LiNbO₃ crystal and an X-cut pure congruent crystal, on one surface of which a 40 nm-thick film of erbium metal was coated before the VTE treatment. Scanning electron microscope, powder or single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized infrared absorption/emission of Er³⁺ as well as micro-Raman spectroscopy were used to study the two VTE crystals. The results are discussed in comparison with a corresponding as-grown bulk Er-doped crystal, calcined ErNbO₄ powder, and a locally Er-doped congruent LiNbO₃ crystal prepared by using the standard Er-diffusion technique. The experimental results show that the VTE treatment induces the formation of micrometer-sized ErNbO₄ precipitates with the crystallographic morphology of a flat polyhedron not only on the surfaces of both crystals but also in the bulk of the homogeneously Er-doped one. The optical absorption and emission studies show that the formation of the precipitates results in substantial spectral changes in both the 0.98 and 1.5 μm regions. The micro-Raman studies allow to resolve four additional Raman peaks around 800 cm⁻¹ in the E(TO) spectra of the two VTE crystals. These additional Raman peaks are associated with the characteristic vibrations with respect to the NbO₄³⁻ group. Characteristic XRD, optical absorption, and emission and Raman peaks for identifying the ErNbO₄ phase are proposed. Finally, the formation mechanism and light-scattering effect of the precipitates are discussed.     

AutoRELAX: automatically RELAXing a goal model to address uncertainty

Dynamically adaptive systems (DAS) must cope with system and environmental conditions that may not have been fully understood or anticipated during development. RELAX is a fuzzy logic-based specification language for identifying and assessing sources of environmental uncertainty, thereby making DAS requirements more tolerant of unanticipated conditions. This paper presents AutoRELAX, an approach that automatically generates RELAXed goal models to address environmental uncertainty. Specifically, AutoRELAX identifies goals to RELAX, which RELAX operators to apply, and the shape of the fuzzy logic function that establishes the goal satisfaction criteria. AutoRELAX generates different solutions by making tradeoffs between minimizing the number of RELAXed goals and maximizing delivered functionality by reducing the number of adaptations triggered by minor and adverse environmental conditions. In a recent extension, AutoRELAX uses a stepwise adaptation of weights to balance these two competing concerns and thereby further improve the utility of AutoRELAX. We apply it to two industry-based applications involving network management and a robotic controller, respectively.     

Numerical solutions of unsteady flows with low inlet Mach numbers

This study deals with a numerical solution of a 2D unsteady flow of a compressible viscous fluid in a channel for low inlet airflow velocity. The unsteadiness of the flow is caused by a prescribed periodic motion of a part of the channel wall with large amplitudes, nearly closing the channel during oscillations. The channel is a simplified model of the glottal space in the human vocal tract and the flow can represent a model of airflow coming from the trachea, through the glottal region with periodically vibrating vocal folds, and to the human vocal tract.