Sustainable Molecular Gelators: Beta-D-Glucoside Derived Structuring Agents and Their Material Application

Though molecular gelators may by synthesized and formulated into gels following a variety of methods, it should serve that the most valued methods may utilize renewable and waste resources and follow sustainable procedures. Molecular gelators are systems capable of structuring liquids into solid-like materials and they represent a class of surfactant and amphiphilic materials which posses the capability to be not only useful in their ability to form gels, but multifunctional in the ability to respond smartly to a variety of stimuli. Thus there is an interest in the development of sustainable molecular gelators capable of being applied to applications, which may have been previously linked to gels, or more interestingly those with which gels have not yet been applied. The use of naturally occurring starting materials in the form of renewable resources serves to inspire biomimetic species which allow for the simultaneous development of materials for applied research, while affording researchers the opportunity to study the importance of non-covalent intermolecular interaction and their roles in natural molecules. Deriving these gelators from the basic primary metabolites may help unveil the nature of these forces in their assembly, and most excitingly their function. In an effort to explore the functionality and utility of biobased gelled supramolecular systems, two gelators, one primarily structuring organic solvents, and the other a hydrogelator are discussed from a synthetic point of view and characterized for their non-covalent interactions. Enzymatic catalysis is performed to afford these species in high yields, allowing for the eventual potential commercialization of these gelators through benign means. In addition to the gelator characterization, the resultant composite gels are studied for their mechanical properties, but of most interest their ability to be defined as smart materials in their response to shear, heat and light. Lastly these materials are examined for their application to three different areas of current interest: healthful edible oil structuring, next-generation gelled fuels, and radiation sensing gels. This study should serve as a rigorous investigation not only in the sustainable development of functional value-added chemicals, but their formulation and processing into value-added materials

The pacing stress test: Thallium-201 myocardial imaging after atrial pacing. Diagnostic value in detecting coronary artery disease compared with exercise testing

Many patients suspected of having coronary artery disease are unable to undergo adequate exercise testing. An alternate stress, pacing tachycardia, has been shown to produce electrocardiographic changes that are as sensitive and specific as those observed during exercise testing. To compare thallium-201 imaging after atrial pacing stress with thallium imaging after exercise stress, 22 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization were studied with both standard exercise thallium imaging and pacing thallium imaging.Positive ischemic electrocardiographic changes (> 1 mm ST segment depression) were noted in 11 of 16 patients with coronary artery disease during exercise, and in 15 of the 16 patients during atrial pacing. One of six patients with normal or trivial coronary artery disease had a positive electrocardiogram with each test. Exercise thallium imaging was positive in 13 of 16 patients with coronary artery disease compared with 15 of 16 patients during atrial pacing. Three of six patients without coronary artery disease had a positive scan with exercise testing, and two of these same patients developed a positive scan with atrial pacing. Of those patients with coronary artery disease and an abnormal scan, 85% showed redistribution with exercise testing compared with 87% during atrial pacing. Segment by segment comparison of thallium imaging after either atrial pacing or exercise showed that there was a good correlation of the location and severity of the thallium defects (r = 0.83, p = 0.0001, Spearman rank correlation).It is concluded that the location and presence of both fixed and transient thallium defects after atrial pacing are closely correlated with the findings after exercise testing. Thus, atrial pacing may be used as a stress for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in patients unable to complete a satisfactory exercise test

Publisher Correction: Truncated FGFR2 is a clinically actionable oncogene in multiple cancers.

This paper was originally published under a standard Springer Nature license

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60-80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Accounting for the Transitions after Entrepreneurial Business Failure: An Emerging Market Perspective

This study builds on prior scholarly works on institutions and entrepreneurship by examining the process of transitions and institutional obstacles that force serial entrepreneurs’ shift to operate in the formal or informal sector after entrepreneurial business failures. Using insights from 32 serial entrepreneurs in Ghana, a framework was developed and utilized to explicate how the pull and push motivations for the transition into or persisting with formality or informality after business failure unfolds over time. Our analysis sheds light on the processes and effects of the motivations on the persistently high level of entrepreneurial activities in the informal sector for many emerging economies

Open-Access Life Cycle Assessments: ExceLCA for Undergraduate Scholars

The project was adapted from comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment methods used to analyze chemical and materials transformations including sourcing, reactions, formulations, use, disposal, remediation, and recycling. It serves to connect technical, economic, environmental and health assessments be collecting disparate metrics that can be used to analyze single chemical transformations typical in chemistry and chemical engineering research. Flexible assessments focus on material inventories, energy assessments, and other quantitation to highlight innovations compared to reported literature data, or indicate room for improvement in a given process. These methods may be tailored to specific projects or disciplines, and may be used to broaden the impact and help researchers and students determine what are the next steps after developing a new product, materials, or method. It serves to leverage freely available scientific and cost data, and introduce the user to data science concepts. The example used here is an investigation into the catalytic synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones comparing six different syntheses, five from the literature and one that was part of a summer undergraduate research project. More important than determining the ?best? synthesis, researchers often find after conducting the assessment that there are tradeoffs to the efficiency, economy, and environmental impacts of any given transformation. Here we can see that this technique can be used to not only investigate chemical products and processes but also be used as a tool to vet literature data. A blank template is included along with an analysis of Aspirin Synthesis experiments suitable for chemical educators evaluation of the ‘best’ lab for a teaching laboratory

Noxious Cue Sensitization In Schizophrenia.

Ph.D.PsychotherapyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/185845/2/6306952.pd