Quinpramine Ameliorates Rat Experimental Autoimmune Neuritis and Redistributes MHC Class II Molecules

Activation of inflammatory cells is central to the pathogenesis of autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the peripheral nervous system. The novel chimeric compound quinpramine—generated from imipramine and quinacrine—redistributes cholesterol rich membrane domains to intracellular compartments. We studied the immunological and clinical effects of quinpramine in myelin homogenate induced Lewis rat experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a model system for acute human inflammatory neuropathies, such as the Guillain-Barré syndrome. EAN animals develop paresis of all limbs due to autoimmune inflammation of peripheral nerves. Quinpramine treatment ameliorated clinical disease severity of EAN and infiltration of macrophages into peripheral nerves. It reduced expression of MHC class II molecules on antigen presenting cells and antigen specific T cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Quinpramine exerted its anti-proliferatory effect on antigen presenting cells, but not on responder T cells. Our data suggest that quinpramine represents a candidate pharmaceutical for inflammatory neuropathies

Pressure-induced liquid-liquid transition in a family of ionic materials

Liquid−liquid transition (LLT) between two disordered phases of single-component material remains one of the most intriguing physical phenomena. Here, we report a first-order LLT in a series of ionic liquids containing trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cation [P666,14]+ and anions of different sizes and shapes, providing an insight into the structure-property relationships governing LLT. In addition to calorimetric proof of LLT, we report that ion dynamics exhibit anomalous behavior during the LLT, i.e., the conductivity relaxation times (τσ) are dramatically elongated, and their distribution becomes broader. This peculiar behavior is induced by isobaric cooling and isothermal compression, with the τσ(TLL,PLL) constant for a given system. The latter observation proves that LLT, in analogy to liquid-glass transition, has an isochronal character. Finally, the magnitude of discontinuity in a specific volume at LLT was estimated using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation

The synthesis of deuteriated tri-tert-butyl phosphine

The synthesis of deuteriated tri‐tert‐butyl phosphine is reported. This synthesis is an adaptation of the known procedure for tri‐tert‐butyl phosphine via a Grignard intermediate

Liquid structure of ionic liquids with [NTf₂]⁻ anions, derived from neutron scattering

The liquid structure of three common ionic liquids (ILs) was investigated by neutron scattering for the first time. The ILs were based on the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion, abbreviated in the literature as [NTf2]− or [TFSI]−, and on the following cations: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C2mim]+; 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C10mim]+; and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium, [P666,14]+. Comparative analysis of the three ILs confirmed increased size of nonpolar nanodomains with increasing bulk of alkyl chains. It also sheds light on the cation–anion interactions, providing experimental insight into strength, directionality, and angle of hydrogen bonds between protons on the imidazolium ring, as well as H–C–P protons in [P666,14]+, to oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the [NTf2]−. The new Dissolve data analysis package enabled, for the first time, the analysis of neutron scattering data of ILs with long alkyl chains, in particular, of [P666,14][NTf2]. Results generated with Dissolve were validated by comparing outputs from three different models, starting from three different sets of cation charges, for each of the three ILs, which gave convergent outcomes. Finally, a modified method for the synthesis of perdeuterated [P666,14][NTf2] has been reported, with the aim of reporting a complete set of synthetic and data processing approaches, laying robust foundations that enable the study of the phosphonium ILs family by neutron scattering.<br/

A Nano-Imprinted Plastic Laser

<p>Prevalence of a) insulin and b) oral antidiabetic medicine prescribing in women with a delivery, between 2004 and 2010, during each of the 3-month time periods.</p

Percentage of pregnancies where the woman received her first prescription for an antidiabetic medicine during the second or third trimester of pregnancy (as an indication of pharmacologically treated gestational diabetes) by region and calendar year.

<p>Percentage of pregnancies where the woman received her first prescription for an antidiabetic medicine during the second or third trimester of pregnancy (as an indication of pharmacologically treated gestational diabetes) by region and calendar year.</p