Preparation of periodic mesoporous organosilica with large mesopores using silica colloidal crystals as templates.

Organosiloxane-based mesoporous materials with periodically ordered pores (periodic mesoporous organosilica, PMO) have many applications due to their various organic functions, high surface areas, and large pore volumes. Conventional methods using surfactant templates (soft templates) are limited in terms of the diversity of organosilane precursors and precise control over the pore size in a relatively large mesopore region (10-50 nm). This paper demonstrates the preparation of PMOs with precisely controlled pore sizes (>10 nm in diameter) and various organosiloxane frameworks, using colloidal crystals of monodisperse silica nanospheres as a template.

Synthesis of Polycyclic and Cage Siloxanes by Hydrolysis and Intramolecular Condensation of Alkoxysilylated Cyclosiloxanes.

The controlled synthesis of oligosiloxanes with well-defined structures is important for the bottom-up design of siloxane-based nanomaterials. This work reports the synthesis of various polycyclic and cage siloxanes by the hydrolysis and intramolecular condensation of monocyclic tetra- and hexasiloxanes functionalized with various alkoxysilyl groups. An investigation of monoalkoxysilylated cyclosiloxanes revealed that intramolecular condensation occurred preferentially between adjacent alkoxysilyl groups to form new tetrasiloxane rings.

Changes in brain metabolites related to stress resilience: Metabolomic analysis of the hippocampus in a rat model of depression.

The ability to cope successfully with stress is known as 'resilience', and those with resilience are not prone to developing depression. One preclinical animal model for depression is the chronic mild stress (CMS) model. There are CMS-resilient (do not manifest anhedonia) and CMS-susceptible (manifest anhedonia) rats.

Asian origin and rapid global spread of the destructive dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans.

The dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans (Basidiomycota) is the most damaging destroyer of wood construction materials in temperate regions. While being a widespread aggressive indoor biodeterioration agent, it is only found in a few natural environments. The geographical source of spread and colonization by this fungus in human environments is thus somewhat of an enigma.