NMR analysis of Nile Blue (C I Basic Blue 12) and Thionine (C I 52000) in solution

The dyes Nile Blue (C I Basic Blue 12) and Thionine (C I 52000) were examined in both ionic and neutral forms in different solvents using NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy to firmly establish the structures of the molecules and to assess the nature and extent of their aggregation H-1 and C-13 NMR assignments and chemical shift data were used together with nuclear Overhauser effect information to propose a self-assembly structure These data were supplemented with variable temperature dilution and diffusion-based experimental results using H-1 NMR spectroscopy thereby enabling extended aggregate structures to be assessed in terms of the relative strength of self-association and the extent to which extended aggregates could form (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Optimisation of drive pulse configuration for a Ni-like Sn X-ray laser at 12 nm

The current saturated operation of X-ray lasers at wavelengths > 15 nm requires at least kilojoule drive energy, which is only available at the largest laser installations in the world, Using a specially designed drive pulse configuration, saturated operation of a Ni-like Sn X-ray laser at 12 nm has been achieved with only 75 J drive energy, An efficiency as high as 9 x 10(6) in converting laser energy from the 1 eV optical spectral range to the 100 eV soft X-ray range has been reached, This paves the way for applications of saturated X-ray lasers at 12 nm at many other smaller laboratories. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Intravenous tolerance effectively overcomes enhanced pro-inflammatory responses and EAE severity in the absence of IL-12 receptor signaling

Intravenous (i.v.) administration of autoantigen effectively induces Ag-specific tolerance against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We and others have shown enhanced EAE severity in mice lacking IL-12 or its receptor, strongly suggesting an immunoregulatory effect of IL-12 signaling. To examine the role of IL-12 responsiveness in autoantigen-induced tolerance in EAE, we administered autoantigen i.v. in two distinct treatment regimes to wildtype and IL-12Rβ2(-/-) mice, immunized to develop EAE. Administration at the induction phase suppressed EAE in wildtype and IL-12Rβ2(-/-) mice however the effect was somewhat less potent in the absence of IL-12Rβ2. Expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-2, was inhibited in wild-type tolerized mice but less so in IL-12Rβ2(-/-) mice. I.v. antigen was also effective in suppressing disease in both genotypes when given during the clinical phase of disease with similar CNS inflammation, demyelination and peripheral inflammatory cytokine profiles observed in both genotypes. There was however a mild impact of a lack of IL-12 signaling on Treg induction during tolerance induction compared to WT mice in this treatment regime. These findings show that the enhanced severity of EAE that occurs in the absence of IL-12 signaling can be effectively overcome by i.v. autoantigen, indicating that this therapeutic effect is not primarily mediated by IL-12 and that i.v. tolerance could be a powerful approach in suppressing severe and aggressive MS.