Amine-assisted solubilization of unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine for film deposition purposes

Typical zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc) exhibit poor solubility in common solvents and, hence, are processed into thin films mostly from the vapor phase. The present work discloses how these limitations can be effectively overcome. Specifically, highly concentrated molecular solutions of unsubstituted ZnPc are prepared by combining a weakly structured ZnPc polymorph with binary liquid systems composed of a π-accepting solvent and a simple nitrogenous base, such as ammonia or tertiary aliphatic amine. The amine-assisted solubilization of ZnPc is rationalized by quantitative analysis of optical spectra and electrostatic potential maps of the dye molecule. A volatile aminoalcohol is proposed in order to rationally modify the habit of ZnPc crystallites and concurrently to produce uniform deposition of the crystallites by drop-casting the dye solutions onto a glass substrate. Finally, a versatile algorithm for wet-processed ZnPc films is declared.

Wet-processing of unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine into polycrystalline films is mastered.     

Clinical picture and treatment of diplopia

A total of 203 patients with stable binocular diplopia were observed. Examinations included coordimetry, analysis of double images, and investigation of the doubling field in the gaze field. All examinations were performed using an original method with a serial computer. The treatment included therapy of the underlying disease, choice of correcting prisms, exercises aimed at extension of separate vision field, and operation on the oculomotor muscles. Three main forms of diplopia were distinguished: 1) muscular; 2) sensory; and 3) mixed. The first form includes diplopias in paresis of n.III and n.IV, n.VI, late development of convergent squint, orbital injuries, endocrine ophthalmopathy, and myasthenia. The second form includes diplopias developing after delayed operations for convergent squint, and the third form are diplopias after operations for detachment of the retina and implantation of intraocular lenses. The treatment led to complete neutralization of doubling in 18.7% cases, neutralization in the main part of the gaze field in 53.7%, the same with prism correction in 12.8% cases; in 14.8% patients adaptation to diplopia was attained after suppression of the second image. Diplopia in late squint is prognostically the most favorable, and the following conditions are listed in the order of more or less good prognosis: paresis of n.VI, n.IV, orbital injuries, endocrine ophthalmopathy, and artiphakia. The least favorable prognoses are for patients after delayed operation for squint and detachment of the retina. A new operation, plastic repair of the external m. rectus, was used in 96 patients with pareses of n.VI; no compensation was attained in only 2 patients.     

Inhibitory effects of serotonin and sodium ascorbate on the oxidative aggregation of lipoproteins

Milk lipoproteins (MLPs) are structurally and biochemically similar to blood lipoproteins, which allow the former to be used as model objects for studying the properties of the latter. The results of turbidimetric measurements showed a change in the light scattering from MLP suspensions upon contact with Fe3+ ions in the free from or in chelate complexes with o-phenanthroline and EDTA. No such effect was observed for Fe2+ ions. The effect of Cu2+ ions (in microscopic amounts) was similar to that of Fe3+, while Ca2+ and Mg2+ produce no effect. It was found that 1,1-azabicyclohexanecarbonitrile-2-methylpropionamidine dihydrochloride (an azoinitiator capable of spontaneous decomposition with the formation of peroxide radicals in an oxygen containing-medium) introduced into an MLP suspension produces the same effect as Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions. Study of the particle size distribution in a microcapillary by the method of impedance measurements showed that a change in the light scattering from the suspension is caused by the MLP aggregation. The action of aggregation factors upon the MLPs led to their oxidation, as indicated by accumulation of the TBA-active products. The ability of copper ions to oxidize MLPs agrees with the data reported on the copper-ion-induced oxidation of blood lipoproteins, which was observed in studying a relationship between this oxidation and clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. Thus, pronounced oxidation of both milk an blood lipoproteins in the presence of microscopic amounts of copper ions is indicative of a similarity of these processes. The process of lipoprotein aggregation induced by various oxidizing agents is inhibited by sodium ascorbate and serotonin. At the same time, beta-naphthol (an antioxidant soluble in lipids) does not affect the aggregation process. It is suggested that the oxidative aggregation of lipoproteins mag be related to the problem of atherogenesis and thrombogenesis.     

Complementation of Myc-dependent cell proliferation by cDNA expression library screening

The targeted knockout of the c-myc gene from rat fibroblasts leads to a stable defect in cell proliferation. We used complex cDNA libraries expressed from retroviral vectors and an efficient sorting procedure to rapidly select for cDNAs that can restore the growth rate of c-myc deficient cells. All of the biologically active cDNAs contained either c-myc or N-myc, suggesting that no other cellular genes can effectively bypass the requirement for c-myc in fibroblast proliferation. This approach provides a powerful screening method for cell cycle changes in genetically defined systems.     

Reduced sensitivity to ketamine and pentobarbital in mice lacking the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor GluRepsilon1 subunit

Ketamine is an IV anesthetic with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-blocking properties. However, it is still unclear whether ketamine's general anesthetic actions are mediated primarily via blockade of NMDAR. Functional NMDARs are composed by the assembly of a GluRzeta1 (NR1) subunit with GluRepsilon (GluRepsilon1-4; NR2A-D) subunits, which confer unique properties on native NMDARs. We hypothesized that animals deficient in GluRepsilon1, an abundant and ubiquitously postnatally expressed NMDAR subunit, might be resistant to the effects of ketamine. Here, we evaluated a righting reflex to determine the general anesthetic/hypnotic potency of ketamine administered intraperitoneally to GluRepsilon1 knockout mice and compared these results with those for wild-type mice. Mutant mice were more resistant to ketamine than control mice. Unexpectedly, mutant mice were also more resistant to pentobarbital, which is thought not to interact with NMDAR at clinically relevant concentrations. Although these data in no way eliminate the possibility of the involvement of the NMDAR GluRepsilon1 subunit in mediation of ketamine anesthesia/hypnosis, they suggest the difficulties with interpretation of altered anesthetic sensitivity in knockout animal models.     

Simultaneous operations during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Simultant laparoscopic operations were performed in 1993-2003 yrs period in 321 patients, including 287--using laparoscopic and 34--the combined (laparoscopic and open) access. Concurrent diseases were diagnosed preoperatively in 219 (68.2%) of patients and were disclosed while doing intraoperative revision--in 102 (31.8%). The simultant operations performance, as a rule, enhanced mildly the total duration of a basic stage, did not influence the duration of postoperative period and the patients rehabilitation essentially, as well as for frequency of the intra--and postoperative complications occurrence. The authors consider that it is expedient to perform laparoscopic intervention simultaneously for concurrent surgical diseases of abdominal cavity.