THE MICROVASCULAR EFFECTS OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY: EVIDENCE FOR A POSSIBLE ROLE OF CYCLOOXYGENASE PRODUCTS

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of malignant tumours may involve the interruption of tumor and peritumor microcirculation. We have studied the effect of light activation of the photosensitizing drug dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) on rat subcutaneous arterioles and the modulation of these effects by cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA). Animals received DHE 48 h prior to light activation and additionally either indomethacin, ASA or saline 3 h prior to treatment. Light activation (630 nm, 60 J/cm2) resulted in a significant reduction to 62 +/- 2% SEM of initial blood flow. This effect was inhibited by ASA (98 +/- 8% SEM) and indomethacin (87 +/- 8% SEM). Results from the administration of various doses of both compounds indicate that this inhibition is dose related. The data presented here show that PDT causes a significant reduction in blood flow in normal arterioles and that this effect was inhibited by ASA and indomethacin indicating that prostaglandins or thromboxane A2 may play an important role in the microvascular response to PDT.     

Time decay for nonlinear wave equations in two space dimensions

The Cauchy Problem for the equation u_tt–u+|u|^p–1u=0 (x², t>0, >1) is studied. Smooth Cauchy data is prescribed, and no smallness condition is imposed. For >5, it is shown that the maximum amplitude of such a wave decays at the expected rate t^–1/2 as t. For 1+8<5, the maximum amplitude still decays, but at a slower rate. These results are then used to demonstrate the existence of the scattering operator when >_o, where _o is the root of the cubic equation ³-2²-7-8=0; thus _o4.15.Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow     

En route to coordination chemistry under confined conditions in a porous capsule: Pr3+ with different coordination shells

The highly charged nanocontainer capsule of the type [pentagon]12[linker]30 identical with [(Mo)Mo5O21(H2O)6]12[Mo2O4(SO4)]30 with 20 nanosized pores and channels allows the entrance of cations like Pr3+: the latter are positioned at two different sites and have two different coordination shells, corresponding to a coordination chemistry under confined conditions; a fascinating aspect is that capsule encapsulated water shells fixed by hydrogen bonds act formally as polydentate ligands.     

Critical Points in a Crystal and Procrystal

The critical points in the model electron density distributions of LiF, NaF, NaCl, and MgO crystals, constructed from accurate X-ray diffraction data, are determined. For LiF and MgO they are compared with those obtained from a Hartree–Fock electron density calculation. Both experiment and theory show the same type of critical points on the bond lines. The topological features in areas between structural units, where the electron density is low and near-uniform, turn out to be model dependent and cannot be established well with the data available. Topological analysis of procrystals (hypothetical systems consisting of spherical atoms or ions placed on the same sites as atoms in real crystal) show that (3, –1) critical points, usually connected with bonding interaction, are observed on interatomic lines in these nonbonded systems as well.     

N‐Benzyl­tetra­hydro­pyrido‐anellated thio­phene derivatives: new anti­cholinesterases

The title compounds, tert‐butyl 6‐benzyl‐2‐(3,3‐diethyl­ureido)‐4,5,6,7‐tetra­hydro­thieno[2,3‐c]pyridine‐3‐carboxyl­ate, C₂₄H₃₃N₃O₃S, (I), 7‐benzyl‐2‐diethyl­amino‐5,6,7,8‐tetra­hydro‐3‐oxa‐9‐thia‐1,7‐diaza­fluoren‐4‐one, C₂₀H₂₃N₃O₂S, (II), and N‐(7‐benzyl‐4‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetra­hydro‐4H‐3,9‐dithia‐1,7‐diaza­fluoren‐2‐yl)benzamide, C₂₃H₁₉N₃O₂S₂, (III), form monoclinic crystal systems. In (I) and (II), the mol­ecules are linked into a three‐dimensional framework by weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O=C hydrogen bonds, whereas in (III) stronger inter­molecular N—H⋯O=C inter­actions are observed. The conformation of (I) is further stabilized by an intra­molecular N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond, which effects the planarity of the ureido­thio­phene­carboxyl­ate moiety.     

European Synchrotron Users Unified

The landscape of synchrotron radiation facilities in Europe is diverse. In addition to the flagship ESRF, several national facilities exist or came into operation recently. In contrast to ESRF, which is financed for use by member countries, access of foreign users to national facilities is not easy. Even if their proposals pass the review process, they can only perform the experiments if funding is allocated to cover not only travel expenses, board and lodging of the experimenters, but also some compensation for the facility's operational costs; this is because national facilities are primarily funded for the home-country's users at that nation's costs.