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Vacuum-deposited diacetylene films were grown quasi-epitaxially on different types of polymer substrates. Photopolymerization allowed the fabrication of oriented polydiacetylene (PDA) films from the monomer films. The PDA films obtained onrubbed polyethylene tetrephthalate surfaces exhibited good optical characteristics. The PDA films featured a dichroic ratio of more than 100:1, making them suitable for use in optical waveguide applications.

Third-order harmonic generation has been measured on highly oriented polydiacetylene (PDA) films prepared by the vacuum deposition method. Experimental values of the third-order electric susceptibility χ(3) measured for pumping laser polarized parallel to the polymer chain show a sharp three-photon resonance to the 1Bu exciton in PDA. Potential usefulness of these highly oriented PDA evaporated films in nonlinear optical applications is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulation by myelin lipids is essential to fast action potential conductivity: changes in their quality or amount can cause several neurologic disorders. Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is one such disorder, which is caused by mutations in the fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH3A2. To date, the molecular mechanism underlying SLS pathology has remained unknown. In this study, we found that Aldh3a2 is expressed in oligodendrocytes and neurons in the mouse brain, and neurons of Aldh3a2 knockout (KO) mice exhibited impaired metabolism of the long-chain base, a component of sphingolipids. Aldh3a2 KO mice showed several abnormalities corresponding to SLS symptoms in behavioral tests, including increased paw slips on a balance beam and light-induced anxiety. In their brain tissue, 2-hydroxygalactosylceramide, an important lipid for myelin function and maintenance, was reduced by the inactivation of fatty acid 2-hydroxylase. Our findings provide important new insights into the molecular mechanisms responsible for neural pathogenesis caused by lipid metabolism abnormalities.-Kanetake, T., Sassa, T., Nojiri, K., Sawai, M., Hattori, S., Miyakawa, T., Kitamura, T., Kihara, A. Neural symptoms in a gene knockout mouse model of Sjögren-Larsson syndrome are associated with a decrease in 2-hydroxygalactosylceramide.

The fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) ALDH3A2 is the causative gene of Sjögren Larsson syndrome (SLS). To date, the molecular mechanism underlying the symptoms characterizing SLS has been poorly understood. Using Aldh3a2(-/-) mice, we found here that Aldh3a2 was the major FALDH active in undifferentiated keratinocytes. Long-chain base metabolism was greatly impaired in Aldh3a2(-/-) keratinocytes. Phenotypically, the intercellular spaces were widened in the basal layer of the Aldh3a2(-/-) epidermis due to hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. Furthermore, oxidative stress-induced genes were up-regulated in Aldh3a2(-/-) keratinocytes. Upon keratinocyte differentiation, the activity of another FALDH, Aldh3b2, surpassed that of Aldh3a2 As a result, Aldh3a2(-/-) mice were indistinguishable from wild-type mice in terms of their whole epidermis FALDH activity, and their skin barrier function was uncompromised under normal conditions. However, perturbation of the stratum corneum caused increased transepidermal water loss and delayed barrier recovery in Aldh3a2(-/-) mice. In conclusion, Aldh3a2(-/-) mice replicated some aspects of SLS symptoms, especially at the basal layer of the epidermis. Our results suggest that hyperproliferation of keratinocytes via oxidative stress responses may partly contribute to the ichthyosis symptoms of SLS., (© 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Stereoselective oxidative cyclization of 1,5-dienes with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by [Os(III)(OH)(H2O)(L-N4Me2)](PF6)2 (1: L-N4Me2 = N,N'-dimethyl-2,11-diaza-[3,3](2,6)pyridinophane) is explored. 1,5-Dienes involving geraniol derivatives are converted to the corresponding tetrahydrofurans in modest to high yields. The products exclusively have the cis-conformation with respect to the substituents at the 2- and 5-positions of the tetrahydrofuran ring. The products also have a syn-conformation with respect to the furan oxygen atom and the hydroxyl groups. Mechanistic studies including a direct reaction of the oxo-hydroxo-osmium(V) complex, 2, with a dihydroxylated geraniol derivative are performed.

Plasters containing methyl salicylate with and without l-menthol and dl-camphor were prepared and topically applied on hairless mouse skin to investigate the effects of l-menthol and dl-camphor on the skin penetration and hydrolysis of methyl salicylate in the skin. The in vitro hydrolysis of methyl salicylate was also investigated using the skin homogenate. It was found that l-menthol with dl-camphor enhanced the skin penetration of methyl salicylate, and they inhibited both the in vivo and in vitro hydrolysis of methyl salicylate to salicylic acid.