Efficient cardiac diffusion tensor MRI by three-dimensional reconstruction of solenoidal tensor fields

Tensor tomography is being investigated as a technique for reconstruction of in vivo diffusion tensor fields that can potentially be used to reduce the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements. Specifically, assessments are being made of the reconstruction of cardiac diffusion tensor fields from 3D Radon planar projections using a filtered backprojection algorithm in order to specify the helical fiber structure of myocardial tissue. Helmholtz type decomposition is proposed for 3D second order tensor fields. Using this decomposition a Fourier projection theorem is formulated in terms of the solenoidal and irrotational components of the tensor field. From the Fourier projection theorem, two sets of Radon directional measurements, one that reconstructs the solenoidal component and one that reconstructs the irrotational component of the tensor field, are prescribed. Based on these observations filtered backprojection reconstruction formulae are given for the reconstruction of a 3D second order tensor field and its solenoidal and irrotational components from Radon projection measurements. Computer simulations demonstrate the validity of the mathematical formulations and demonstrate that a realistic model of the helical fiber structure of the myocardial tissue specifies a diffusion tensor field for which the first principal vector (the vector associated with the maximum eigenvalue) of the solenoidal component accurately approximates the first principal vector of the diffusion tensor. A priori knowledge of this allows the orientation of the myocardial fiber structure to be specified utilizing one half of the number of MRI measurements of a normal diffusion tensor field study.     

Vortex Counter-Current Chromatography: Performance of a New Preparative Column

A new preparative column for the vortex counter-current chromatograph was fabricated by making many (966) cylindrical separation units to a high-density polyethylene disk and then threading them with 6–40 taps. The resulting column had a total capacity of 364 mL. The performance of this vortex column was examined with three different two-phase solvent systems each using a set of suitable test samples: hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–0.1 M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v) for the separation of DNP-amino acids; 1-butanol–acetic acid–water (4:1:5, v/v) for the separation of dipeptides; and hexane–acetonitrile–water (20:15:2, v/v) for the separation of Sudan dyes. Most of the separations show high partition efficiency of over a thousand theoretical plates, as expected based on the results previously obtained in preliminary separations with a small column. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that further improvement of the partition efficiency can be obtained by the modifying column configuration.

     

Biological evaluation of novel selenazole‐based compounds as potential thioredoxin reductase inhibitors

Recently, thioredoxin reductase as a target for treatment of tumors has attracted the attention of scientists. 1,2‐[Bis(1,2‐benzisoselenazolone‐3(2 H)‐ketone)]ethane (ethaselen, BBSKE, PCT: CN02/00412), designed and synthesized previously, is an effective thioredoxin reductase inhibitor; presently it is in phase II clinical trials, targeting gastric cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. To seek more novel and effective anticancer drugs, we have developed many selenazole‐based compounds. Evaluation of the thioredoxin reductase inhibitory effect and investigation of the mechanism of anticancer drugs require abundant thioredoxin reductase, but since commercial thioredoxin reductase is expensive its use is often limited. Therefore, the preparation of thioredoxin reductase is necessary. Base on the above investigation, in this work we have prepared thioredoxin reductase and evaluated selenazole‐based compounds, and found that 44 compounds have high inhibitory effect on thioredoxin reductase with IC₅₀ < 10 µ m , of which 16 compounds have IC₅₀ values below 1 µ m . This is helpful in investigating and elucidating the mechanism of this kind of compound. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High power 1.3414 μm Nd:YAP cw laser

The eigen-oscillation mode of the Nd:YAP cw laser has been analysed. The influence of thermal effects arising from the pumping process on the output character of the 1.3414 μm Nd:YAP cw laser has been discussed. The crack problem of the reflective film at a 1.34 μm dielectric mirror has been solved. Based on the aforementioned work, we have been able to achieve an 82.8 W laser output at 1.3414 μm with a nearly polarized beam from a 5.8 mm diameter by 111 mm Nd:YAP rod. The overall efficiency and the slope efficiency are 1.15% and 2.02% respectively, and the fluctuation of the output power at 62 W is less than 1% during continuous operation for 45 min.     

HL—1M装置ICRH天线设计及最佳耦合研究

本文对HL-1M装置离子回旋共振加热(ICRH)天线设计及最佳耦合研究所采用的数值计算公式进行了推导。对天线耦合有重要作用的特征电阻R、特征电感L和特征电容C进行了数值计算。讨论了天线几何尺寸,等离子体参数对ICRH的影响,比较了3维和2维数值计算的结果,从中得到了HL-1M条件下最佳功率耦合的天线几何参数和设计的指导原则。     

C60在几种溶剂中紫外吸光度的负热效应

所采用的变温光谱差减方法是将待测试样分成两份 ,一份作为参比试样 ,恒定在某一温度 (参比温度 )下 ,另一份作为待测样品 ,选定另一待观测温度 ,在一定的波长范围内 ,用岛津UV 2 4 0型紫外 可见双光束分光光度计扫描 ,获得紫外吸收温差光谱 (UVSDT)。选择不同的温度差 ,测得温差光谱随温差的变化。观测了C60 分子在乙醇、环己烷、正己烷、异丙醇等几种有机溶剂中吸光度随温度的变化。观测结果发现C60 溶液的吸光度变化存在显著的负温度效应。C60 的UV吸收光谱峰随试样温度升高而降低 ,UV吸收温差光谱 (U VSDT)为负峰 ,UVSDT峰强随温差增大而负向增大。说明C60 的结构对温度有较强的依赖关系。这种依赖关系与π π 电子跃迁类型密切相关。实时现场测量C60 溶液的吸光度随温度变化规律 ,对分离、纯化、分析富勒烯 ,认识C60 特性、研究以溶剂为媒介的化学反应机理 ,以及提高测量的准确度和重现性等 ,均有一定的理论意义和实用价值     

Remote substituent effects on homolytic Fe?C bond energies of p‐G‐C6H4CH2Fe(CO)2(η5‐C5H5) and p‐G‐C6H4(H)(CN)CFe(CO)2(η5‐C5H5) studied by Hartree–Fock and density functional theory methods

In general, both stoichiometric and catalytic reactions of organometallic complexes involve breaking and forming metal–ligand bonds. Therefore, an evaluation of the thermodynamics of such reactions requires the knowledge of metal–ligand bond energies (BDEs). The homolytic Fe? C bond dissociation energies [i.e., ΔH_homo(Fe? C)s] of 12 para‐substituted benzyldicarbonyl(η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl)iron, p‐G‐C₆H₄CH₂Fp [1,G = NO₂, CN, COMe, CO₂Me, CF₃, Br, Cl, F, H, Me, MeO, NMe₂; Fp = (η⁵‐C₅H₅)(CO)₂Fe] and 12 para‐substituted α‐cyanobenzyldicarbonyl (η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl)iron, p‐G‐PANFp [2,PAN = C₆H₄CH(CN)] were studied using Hartree–Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) methods with large basis sets. The results show that BP86 and TPSSTPSS can provide the best price/performance ratio and more accurate predictions in the study of ΔH_homo(Fe? C)s. The B3LYP method satisfactorily predicts the α and remote substituent effects on ΔH_homo(Fe? C)s [ΔΔH_homo(Fe? C)s]. The fair correlations [r = 0.97 (g, 1), 0.99(g, 2)] of ΔΔH_homo(Fe? C)s of series 1 and 2 with the substituent σ constants imply that the para substituent effects on ΔH_homo(Fe? C)s originate mainly from polar effects, but those on radical stability originate from both spin delocalization and polar effects. The molecule stabilization effects (MEs) causes that not only the magnitude of ΔΔH_homo(Fe? C)s(1) varies significantly but also the direction changes from S‐pattern to O‐pattern. ΔΔH_homo(Fe? C)s(2) were found to conform to the Capto‐dative Principle. The detailed knowledge of the factors that determine the Fp? C bond strengths would greatly aid in understanding reactivity patterns in many processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of molecular images as defined by Raman spectra between normal mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity

Raman spectroscopy has been effectively applied to clinically differentiate normal and cancerous mucosal tissues. Micro‐Raman spectroscopy provides a tool to better understand the molecular basis for the Raman clinical signal. The objective of the current study was to utilize micro‐Raman spectroscopy to define the molecular/spectral differences between normal and abnormal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in oral mucosa (in vitro). Understanding this may help in identifying unique spectra or may be useful for in vivo application of this technology. Micro‐Raman (confocal) spectroscopy was used to obtain molecular images of normal and SCC cells of human oral mucosa. Four fresh flashed‐frozen tumor and four matched normal tongue specimens were studied. The spectra covered a wavenumber range from 300 to 4000 cm⁻¹ with a spectral resolution of 8 cm⁻¹ and a spatial resolution of 1.0 µm. The cells were located within thin sections of tongue mucosa biopsies. The excitation wavelength of 515 nm was used. We were able to obtain Raman images with rich information about the spectroscopic and structural features within the cytoplasm, cell membrane, and cell nuclei. Significant spectral differences were observed between the Raman images of normal and malignant squamous cells. The heterogeneity of tumor cells within the abnormal tissue was also demonstrated. Spectral differences demonstrated between both tissue types have provided important information regarding the origins of specific signals within the cells of each tissue type. In our search for specific spectral biomarkers, we believe that a cell surface protein, greatly upregulated in SCC cells, was discovered at 1583 cm⁻¹. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.