Changes in intratumor heterogeneity in blood perfusion in intradermal human melanoma xenografts during tumor growth assessed by DCE-MRI

The purpose of this study was to use dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to search for systematic intratumor heterogeneity in blood perfusion in human melanoma xenografts growing intradermally in BALB/c-nu/nu mice. Six xenografted tumors of an amelanotic human melanoma line (A-07) were included in the study. DCE-MRI was performed daily for 5 days by using spoiled-gradient recalled sequences. Tumor images of E.F (E is initial extraction fraction and F is perfusion) were produced by subjecting DCE-MRI data to Kety analysis. E.F was used as a measure of tumor blood perfusion, since comparative studies have shown that E.F is closely related to blood perfusion in A-07 tumors. The E.F images indicated that the intratumor heterogeneity in blood perfusion was similar in all investigated tumors. The blood perfusion was low in the center of the tumors and increased toward the tumor periphery in the dorsal and ventral direction by a factor of 3-4, but not in the lateral and medial direction. The magnitude of the heterogeneity increased by a factor of approximately 2 during tumor growth. In conclusion, intradermal human melanoma xenografts show significant systematic intratumor heterogeneity in blood perfusion.     

Dynamical coulomb blockade of multiple Andreev reflections

We analyze the dynamical Coulomb blockade of multiple Andreev reflections (MAR) in a superconducting quantum point contact coupled to a macroscopic impedance. We find that at very low transmission the blockade scales as n2 with n = Int(2delta/eV), where V is the bias voltage and delta is the superconducting gap, as it would correspond to the occurrence of shots of charge ne. For higher transmission the blockade is reduced because of both the Pauli principle and the elastic renormalization of the MAR probability, and for certain voltage regions it may even become an anti-blockade; i.e., the current is enhanced due to the coupling with the electromagnetic environment.     

Identification of transverse spin currents in noncollinear magnetic structures

In this Letter we construct a spinor transport theory and derive the equations of motion for the distribution functions for currents in noncollinear magnetic multilayers. We find the length scale which characterizes the transverse spin current is of the order of 3 nm for a ferromagnetic 3d transition metal such as Co; this alters one's prediction of the spin torque generated for free magnetic layers less than 3 nm. In the limit of large exchange splitting we reproduce the results previously found for spin currents across noncollinear multilayers inasmuch as there are no transverse spin currents in the layers themselves in this limit.     

Optical investigations of the effect of gradual substitution NH<Subscript>4</Subscript> → Cs on the ferroelastic phase transition in a CsLiSO<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal

Crystals of Cs_x(NH₄)_1?xLiSO₄ (0.39≤x≤1.0) solid solutions are grown and investigated using polarized light microscopy and measurements of the birefringence in the temperature range 100–530 K. The (x-T) phase diagram of the Cs_x(NH₄)_1?xLiSO₄ solid solutions is constructed. It is demonstrated that, upon substitution of ammonium for cesium in the CsLiSO₄ crystal, the phase transition temperature gradually increases to such a degree that the ferroelastic phase can exist at room temperature. The triple point of intersection of the Pmcn, P2₁cn, and P112₁/n phase boundaries is determined. It is established that the introduction of ammonium in small amounts has an unusually strong effect on the refractive properties and character of the ferroelastic phase transition in the CsLiSO₄ crystal.     

Versatile and facile synthesis of diverse semisynthetic tetracycline derivatives via Pd-catalyzed reactions

A diverse collection of tetracycline derivatives has been synthesized utilizing Heck, Suzuki, and other palladium-coupling reactions via tetracycline arenediazonium and iodoarene salts. Large numbers of tetracyclines are now possible via these reactions, including numerous upper periphery derivatives of doxycycline, minocycline, sancycline, and methacycline modified at positions C7, C9, and C6-C13 on the tetracycline naphthacene ring. Application of palladium-coupling reactions to the tetracyclines has yielded new tetracycline classes with differing structural attributes, greatly increasing the structural diversity of this family of antibiotics, one of the last of the early antibiotic families to be expanded by organic and medicinal chemistry.     

Fluorimetric and conductometric study of water—n-octane—sodium dodecyl sulfate—n-pentanol microemulsions

The influence of the water concentration in the water—n-octane—sodium dodecyl sulfate—n-pentanol microemulsions on the polarity index I ₁/I ₃, the efficiency of formation of the fluorescent probe (pyrene) excimers I _ex/I _m, and the conductivity of the system in a wide interval of water—oil ratios was studied. Analysis of changes in the polarity index shows that in all types of the microemulsions pyrene is solubilized in the hydrophobic part of the water—oil interface between the surfactant hydrocarbon radicals. Depending on the water—oil ratio, the site of its localization changes, and the effective permittivity of the medium _eff varies from 5 to 11. Variations of the conductivity and polarity index allow one to observe three structures in the mucroemulsion, viz., water—oil, bicontinual region, and oil—water. Variation of the I _ex/I _m ratio reveals only the transition from the water—oil microemulsion to the oil—water microemulsion.     

Simultaneous multicolor image formation with a single diffractive optical element

A design for a novel diffractive optical element (DOE) that can reconstruct three different intensity patterns when it is illuminated by three different wavelengths is presented. If the chosen wavelengths are red, green, and blue, full-color reconstruction capability is obtained. Reconstruction is achieved in the near field (Fresnel domain). Computer simulation results as well as experimental evidence are presented, proving the capabilities of this novel DOE design procedure.     

Optimal synthesis of three-dimensional complex amplitude distributions

The synthesis of three-dimensional (3-D) light distributions is important for many applications. For example, in scanning applications it is preferable that the scanning beam preserve its characteristics over a large distance to yield elongated scanning range. It is evident that any 3-D light distribution must satisfy the wave equation or, in second-order approximation, the Fresnel diffraction formula. Thus many desirable 3-D light distributions may not be realizable. We propose a single optical element (OE) that synthesizes a physical beam within a certain 3-D region. The OE provides the optimal physical beam in comparison with a desired one in the sense of minimal mean-square error.     

Polarization-optical and X-ray diffraction investigations on the symmetry of distorted phases of ammonium cryolite (NH4)3 ScF6

Single-crystal plates of different sections of the (NH₄)₃ScF₆ crystal have been investigated by polarization-optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction over a wide temperature range, including the temperatures of two known phase transitions and the third transition found recently. It is established that the symmetry of 5 phases changes in the following sequence: $\begin{gathered} O_h^5 - Fm3m(Z = 4) \leftrightarrow C_{2h}^5 - {{P12_1 } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{P12_1 } {n1}}} \right. \kern-0em} {n1}}(Z = 2) \leftrightarrow C_{2h}^3 - {{I12} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{I12} {m1}}} \right. \kern-0em} {m1}} \\ (Z = 16) \leftrightarrow C_i^1 - I\bar 1(Z = 16) \\ \end{gathered} $ .     

Kinetic effects in manganites La1 − x Ag y MnO3 (y ≤ x)

We have measured the resistivity, magnetoresistance, and thermopower of ceramic manganite samples La_{1 ? x} Ag _y MnO₃ (y ≤ x) doped with silver as functions of temperature (4.2–350 K) and magnetic field (up to 26 kOe). A metal-insulator phase transition is observed in all investigated samples at temperatures close to room temperature. The behavior of the resistivity and thermopower in the high-temperature paramagnetic region is interpreted using the concept of small radius polaron; the activation energy decreases with increasing doping level. The resistivity in the low-temperature ferromagnetic region is approximated by the expression ρ_FM(T) = ρ₀ + AT ² + BT ^4.5 presuming the existence of electron-electron and electron-magnon interactions. A resistivity minimum and a strong magnetoresistive effect are observed at low temperatures. The latter effect is associated with scattering of charge carriers at grain boundaries, which are antiferromagnetically ordered relative to one another. The temperature dependence of thermopower in the magnetically ordered phase is described in the framework of a model taking into account the drag of charge carriers by magnons.