Thermal air-oxidized coating on Yb14−xRExMnSb11 ceramics

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A high sublimation rate of Yb14MnSb11 as a promising thermoelectric material at working temperatures is a critical factor for its space power...     

Design of monomeric units for rigid aromatic polymers

Structural Chemistry - The effect of structural inhomogeneities on the equilibrium flexibility of rigid-chain aromatic polymers containing complex condensed cycles in the main chain has been...     

Aerosol source (biomass,traffic and coal emission) apportionment in Lithuania using stable carbon and radiocarbon analysis*

In the present study, a combination of the stable carbon isotope ratio (¹³C/¹²C) with radiocarbon data (¹⁴C) allowed us to perform the aerosol source apportionment. Filter samples of PM₁ were collected during the warm and cold periods in rural and urban sites in Lithuania. The ¹⁴C/¹²C ratio of total carbon (TC) was measured using the single stage accelerator mass spectrometer quantifying of fossil and non-fossil derived aerosol emissions. The δ¹³C value was measured using an elemental analyser interfaced with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. We have found that the highest fraction of contemporary carbon (f_c?=?0.82) was measured during a warm period in a rural location. A higher fraction of fossil fuel-derived carbon was observed for air masses transported from highly industrialized Western European regions during both seasons. Isotope mass balance calculations revealed that the traffic emissions composed 15 and 25?% in rural and urban sites, respectively, and did not change during either season. Input from coal-derived aerosol particles was estimated to be 15?% at an urban site during the cold period. The combination of the stable carbon isotope ratio with the radiocarbon data allowed us to distinguish coal, liquid fossil fuel combustion, and non-fossil derived aerosol particle emissions.     

Identification of three-dimensional electric conductivity changes from time-lapse electromagnetic observations

We present a novel solution algorithm for 3D parameter identification based on low frequency electromagnetic data. With focus on large-scale applications such as monitoring of subsea oil production, CO₂ sequestration, and geothermal systems, the proposed solution algorithm is designed to meet challenges related to low parameter sensitivity, nonuniqueness of the inverse solutions, nonlinearity in the mapping from the data to the parameter space, and costly numerical simulations. Motivated by earlier investigations on the relation between sensitivity, nonlinearity and scale, the proposed solution approach is based on a reduced, composite parameter representation. Though a reduced representation restricts the solution space, flexibility with respect to which parameter functions that can be represented is obtained by facilitating the estimation of the structure and smoothness of the representation itself. Moreover, the resolution of the parameter function is detached from the computational grid and determined as part of the estimation. The performance of the proposed solution algorithm is illustrated through numerical examples for identification of underground electric conductivity changes from time-lapse electromagnetic observations.     

Differentiation between intra-axial metastatic tumor progression and radiation injury following fractionated radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery using MR spectroscopy, perfusion MR imaging or volume progression modeling

Objective

To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), perfusion MR imaging (MRP), or volume modeling in distinguishing tumor progression from radiation injury following radiotherapy for brain metastasis.

Methods

Twenty-six patients with 33 intra-axial metastatic lesions who underwent MRS (n=41) with or without MRP (n=32) after cranial irradiation were retrospectively studied. The final diagnosis was based on histopathology (n=4) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up with clinical correlation (n=29). Cho/Cr (choline/creatinine), Cho/NAA (choline/N-acetylaspartate), Cho/nCho (choline/contralateral normal brain choline) ratios were retrospectively calculated for the multi-voxel MRS. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative peak height (rPH) and percentage of signal-intensity recovery (PSR) were also retrospectively derived for the MRPs. Tumor volumes were determined using manual segmentation method and analyzed using different volume progression modeling. Different ratios or models were tested and plotted on the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), with their performances quantified as area under the ROC curve (AUC). MRI follow-up time was calculated from the date of initial radiotherapy until the last MRI or the last MRI before surgical diagnosis.

Results

Median MRI follow-up was 16 months (range: 2-33). Thirty percent of lesions (n=10) were determined to be radiation injury; 70% (n=23) were determined to be tumor progression. For the MRS, Cho/nCho had the best performance (AUC of 0.612), and Cho/nCho >1.2 had 33% sensitivity and 100% specificity in predicting tumor progression. For the MRP, rCBV had the best performance (AUC of 0.802), and rCBV >2 had 56% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The best volume model was percent increase (AUC of 0.891); 65% tumor volume increase had 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity.

Conclusion

Cho/nCho of MRS, rCBV of MRP, and percent increase of MRI volume modeling provide the best discrimination of intra-axial metastatic tumor progression from radiation injury for their respective modalities. Cho/nCho and rCBV appear to have high specificities but low sensitivities. In contrast, percent volume increase of 65% can be a highly sensitive and moderately specific predictor for tumor progression after radiotherapy. Future incorporation of 65% volume increase as a pretest selection criterion may compensate for the low sensitivities of MRS and MRP.     

Conformational rigidity and dielectric properties of polyimides

On the basis of two series of polyimides it was shown that the conformational rigidity and the presence of side voluminous substituents determine the packing of macromolecular chains in glassy state. The presence of hexafluoroisopropylidene groups leads to the increase of free volume of polymers due to the repulsion of such groups belonging to different macromolecular chains. The physical properties studied here, such as dielectric permittivity and electrets properties depend on the size of free volume. The normalized surface potential is determined by the mass fraction of fluorine content and by the conformational rigidity of those polymers.     

Synthesis of 2,4‐disubstituted 6‐phenyl‐7H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐d]‐pyrimidin‐7‐one 5‐oxides

A relatively short and efficient method for the utilization of 4,6‐dichloro‐2‐methylthio‐5‐nitropyrimidine ( 1 ) in the synthesis of the poly substituted pyrrolo[3,2‐d]pyrimidin‐7‐one 5‐oxides ( 6a ‐g) is reported. Some new 4‐substituted 6‐chloro‐2‐methylthio‐5‐nitropyrimidines ( 2a‐e ) were prepared by reaction of 4,6‐dichloro‐2‐methylthio‐5‐nitropyrimidine ( 1 ) with amines. 4‐Substituted 2‐methylthio‐5‐nitro‐6‐phenylethynylpyrimidines ( 3a‐e ), obtained from 4‐substituted 6‐chloro‐2‐methylthio‐5‐nitropyrimidines ( 2a‐e ) via palladium‐catalyzed Sonagashira coupling reaction with 1‐phenylacetylene, underwent smooth cyclization reaction in boiling 2‐propanol in the presence of catalytic amount of pyridine to give 4‐substituted 2‐methylthio‐6‐phenyl‐7H‐pyrrolo[3,2‐d]pyrimidin‐7‐one 5‐oxides ( 4a‐e ). The methylthio group of the latter compounds can be easily and selectively oxidized by m‐chloroperbenzoic acid and replaced with different amines.