Morava K-Theories of p-Groups with Cyclic Maximal Subgroups and Other Related Groups

Let P be a non-Abelian finite p-group, p odd, with cyclic maximal subgroups, and let K(n)^*(–) denote the nth Morava K-theory at p. In this paper we determine the algebras K(n)^*(BP) and K(n)^*(BG) for all groups G with Sylow p-subgroups isomorphic to P, giving further evidence for the fact that Morava K-theory as an invariant of finite groups, is finer than ordinary modp cohomology. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 55N20, 55N22.     

Targeted Therapy of B7 Family Checkpoints as an Innovative Approach to Overcome Cancer Therapy Resistance: A Review from Chemotherapy to Immunotherapy

It is estimated that there were 18.1 million cancer cases worldwide in 2018, with about 9 million deaths. Proper diagnosis of cancer is essential for its effective treatment because each type of cancer requires a specific treatment procedure. Cancer therapy includes one or more approaches such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. In recent years, immunotherapy has received much attention and immune checkpoint molecules have been used to treat several cancers. These molecules are involved in regulating the activity of T lymphocytes. Accumulated evidence shows that targeting immune checkpoint regulators like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are significantly useful in treating cancers. According to studies, these molecules also have pivotal roles in the chemoresistance of cancer cells. Considering these findings, the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy can help to treat cancer with a more efficient approach. Among immune checkpoint molecules, the B7 family checkpoints have been studied in various cancer types such as breast cancer, myeloma, and lymphoma. In these cancers, they cause the cells to become resistant to the chemotherapeutic agents. Discovering the exact signaling pathways and selective targeting of these checkpoint molecules may provide a promising avenue to overcome cancer development and therapy resistance. Highlights: (1) The development of resistance to cancer chemotherapy or immunotherapy is the main obstacle to improving the outcome of these anti-cancer therapies. (2) Recent investigations have described the involvement of immune checkpoint molecules in the development of cancer therapy resistance. (3) In the present study, the molecular participation of the B7 immune checkpoint family in anticancer therapies has been highlighted. (4) Targeting these immune checkpoint molecules may be considered an efficient approach to overcoming this obstacle.     

Multivariate chemical mapping of pigments and binders in easel painting cross-sections by micro IR reflection spectroscopy

Paintings are composed of superimposed layers of inorganic and organic materials (pigments and binders). Knowledge of the stratigraphic sequence of these heterogeneous layers is fundamental for understanding the artist’s painting technique and for conservation issues. In this study, micro-IR mapping experiments in reflection mode have been carried out on cross-sections taken from simulations of ancient easel paintings. The objective was to locate both organic binders and inorganic pigments. Chemical maps have been re-constructed using the common approach based on the integration of specific infrared bands. However, owing to the complexity of painting materials, this approach is not always applicable when dealing with broad and superimposed spectral features and with reststrahlen or derivative-like bands resulting from acquisition in reflection mode. To overcome these limitations, principal-component analysis has been successfully used for the re-construction of the image, extracting the relevant information from the complex full spectral data sets and obtaining reliable chemical distributions of the stratigraphy materials. Different pigment–binder combinations have been evaluated in order to understand limitations and strengths of the approach. Finally, the method has been applied for stratigraphic characterization of a cross-section from a 17th century wooden sculpture identifying both the original paint layer and the several overpaintings constituting the complex stratigraphy.     

p-Hydroxybenzylierung von Carbanionen mit Chinonmethid-liefernden Verbindungen

p-Hydroxybenzylation of Carbanions with Quinonemethide Precursors. 3,5-Dialkylated 4-hydroxy-benzyl derivatives 4, 5 and 6 are useful starting materials for the p-hydroxybenzlation of carbanions derived from activated methylene compounds 7 . The reaction presumably proceeds through intermediate formation of quinonemethides 2 . The scope of the reaction is discussed.     

Proton spin-lattice relaxation time of hydrated gelatin

In this work we obtain a model to describe the relaxativity of water molecules, adsorbed on macromolecules, as a function of the concentration. Excellent agreement with experimental data was obtained. The model allows us to estimate the adsorption energy of water molecules on different sites of the macromolecules.     

Photoluminescence of “dark” excitons in CdMnTe quantum well, embedded in a microcavity

A diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) quantum well (QW) microcavity operating in the limit of the strong coupling regime is studied by magnetoptical experiments. The interest of DMS QW relies on the possibility to vary the excitonic resonance over a wide range of energies by applying an external magnetic field, typically about 30 meV for 5 T in our sample. In particular, the anticrossing between the QW exciton and the cavity mode can be tuned by the external field. We observe the anticrossing and formation of exciton polaritons in magneto-reflectivity experiments. In contrast, magneto-luminescence exhibits purely excitonic character. Under resonant excitation conditions an additional emission line is observed at the energy of the dark exciton. The creation of dark excitons is made possible due to heavy hole–light hole mixing in the QW. The emission at this energy could be due to a combined spin flip of an electron and a bright exciton recombination.     

Influence of the interface material layers and semiconductor energetic disorder on the open circuit voltage in polymer solar cells

Material layers at electrode/semiconductor interfaces are fundamental for the photovoltaic properties of polymer solar cells. The relationship between open‐circuit voltage ( V_OC ) and the work function ( φ ) of these interface layers is still a matter of debate. Simulations, together with experiments on over more than 20 cell architectures based on P3HT:PC₆₀BM, enabled us to analyze the physical dependence of V_OC on φ . In particular, when the work function of the contacts is well inside the gap we observe that performance depends strongly on even small variations of φ . On the other hand, when it approaches the energy levels of the semiconducting polymers, device operation becomes the most efficient and less sensitive to variations in φ . Furthermore, by varying the Gaussian density of states (DOS) of the active blend we were able to show that V_OC performance depends significantly also on the DOS. Our study based on the simultaneous variation of transport layers represents a promising method to optimize the design and performance of polymer solar cells. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 690–699