New Kochen-Specker sets in four dimensions

We show that all possible 388 4-dim Kochen-Specker (KS) (vector) sets (of yes-no questions) with 18 through 23 vectors and 844 sets with 24 vectors all with component values from {−1,0,1} can be obtained by stripping vectors off a single system provided by Peres 20 years ago. In addition to them, we have found a number of other KS sets with 22 through 24 vectors. We present the algorithms we used and features we found, such as, for instance, that Peres' 24-24 KS set has altogether six critical KS subsets.     

Synthesis of 2‐formyl‐1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes

Synthesis of a novel heterocyclic class of compounds, 1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes [1] ( 6a‐c and 7a‐c ), derived from dibenzo[b,f]oxepin, its 8‐chloro analogue and dibenzo[b,f]thiepin, respectively, is described. Aldol condensation of the starting ketones 4a‐c with (dimethyl‐hydrazono)‐acetaldehyde affords hydrazonoethylidene derivatives 5a‐c , which on reduction with sodium dithionite and subsequent cyclization provide the target tetracyclic 1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes 6a‐c . Regiospecific formylation of 6a‐c with Vilsmeier reagent leads to 2‐formyl derivatives 7a‐c . A series of derivatives 6a‐c and 7a‐c was tested for antiinflammatory activity as potential inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) production in vitro.     

Enhancement of laser cancer treatment by a chitosan-derived immunoadjuvant

A chitosan derivative, glycated chitosan (GC), has been used as an immunostimulant for cancer treatment in laser immunotherapy. The function of GC is to enhance the host immune response after direct cancer cell destruction by a selective laser photothermal interaction. To further test its effects, laser immunotherapy was extended to include several different adjuvants for immunological stimulation and to include photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a different tumor-destruction mechanism. Complete Freund (CF) adjuvant, incomplete Freund (IF) adjuvant and Corynebacterium parvum (CP) were selected for treatment of metastatic mammary tumors in rats, in combination with a selective photothermal interaction. The solution of the immunoadjuvants admixed with indocyanine green (ICG), a light-absorbing dye, was injected directly into the tumors, followed by noninvasive irradiation of an 805 nm laser. Combined with PDT, in the treatment of tumors in mice, GC was administered peritumorally immediately after laser irradiation. The survivals of treated animals were compared with untreated control animals. In the treatment of rat tumors, CF, IF and CP raised the cure rates from 0% to 18%, 7% and 9%, respectively. In comparison, GC resulted in a 29% long-term survival. In the treatment of EMT6 mammary sarcoma in mice, GC of 0.5% and 1.5% concentrations increased the cure rates of Photofrin-based PDT treatment from 38% to 63% and 75%, respectively. In the treatment of Line 1 lung adenocarcinoma in mice, a 1.67% GC solution enabled a noncurative meso-substituted tetra(meta-hydroxy-phenyl)chlorin-based PDT to cure 37% of the tumor-bearing mice. The experimental results of this study confirmed our previous studies, showing that immunoadjuvants played an active role in laser-related cancer treatment and that GC significantly enhanced the efficacy of laser cancer treatment.     

Exploitation of Immune Response-eliciting Properties of Hypocrellin Photosensitizer SL052-based Photodynamic Therapy for Eradication of Malignant Tumors

A diaminophenyl derivative of hypocrellin B (SL052) has been developed as a photosensitizer for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of solid tumors. Testing SL052-PDT on mouse carcinoma and fibrosarcoma models revealed a typical response seen with clinically established photosensitizers featuring initial rapid tumor ablation with ensuing recurrence at rates dependent on photosensitizer/light doses. Elevated numbers of immune cells were found in lymph nodes draining SCCVII mouse squamous cell carcinomas treated by SL052-PDT (in particular T cells), and the accumulation of degranulating cytotoxic T cells was detected at the tumor-treated site. This indicates that a significant contribution to tumor cures is elicited by an antitumor adaptive immune response. Two different immunotherapy agents, γ-interferon and antibody blocking inhibitory FcγRIIB receptor, were both found to be highly effective in potentiating the curative effect of SL052-PDT with SCCVII tumors. Combining SL052-PDT with FcγRIIB-blocking antibody treatment caused a further increase in the number of cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes and in degranulating CD8⁺ cells, suggesting the amplification of the immune response induced by PDT. Vaccines consisting of SCCVII cells treated with SL052-PDT in vitro were effective in reducing growth of established subcutaneous SCCVII tumors. In conclusion, PDT mediated by SL052 is suitable to be integrated with various immunotherapy protocols.     

Acid-base and electrochemical properties of manganese meso(ortho- and meta-N-ethylpyridyl)porphyrins: potentiometric, spectrophotometric and spectroelectrochemical study of protolytic and redox equilibria

The difference in electrostatics and reduction potentials between manganese ortho-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin (MnTE-2-PyP) and manganese meta-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-3-yl)porphyrin (MnTE-3-PyP) is a challenging topic, particularly because of the high likelihood for their clinical development. Hence, a detailed study of the protolytic and electrochemical speciation of Mn(II-IV)TE-2-PyP and Mn(II-IV)TE-3-PyP in a broad pH range has been performed using the combined spectrophotometric and potentiometric methods. The results reveal that in aqueous solutions within the pH range ～2-13 the following species exist: (H(2)O)Mn(II)TE-m-PyP(4+), (HO)Mn(II)TE-m-PyP(3+), (H(2)O)(2)Mn(III)TE-m-PyP(5+), (HO)(H(2)O)Mn(III)TE-m-PyP(4+), (O)(H(2)O)Mn(III)TE-m-PyP(3+), (O)(H(2)O)Mn(IV)TE-m-PyP(4+) and (O)(HO)Mn(IV)TE-m-PyP(3+) (m = 2, 3). All the protolytic equilibrium constants that include the accessible species as well as the thermodynamic parameters for each particular protolytic equilibrium have been determined. The corresponding formal reduction potentials related to the reduction of the above species and the thermodynamic parameters describing the accessible reduction couples were calculated as well.     

Zeta potential and surface free energy changes of solid-supported phospholipid (DPPC) layers caused by the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2)

Stability and wetting properties changes of systems formed of phospholipid DPPC (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) layers covering silica particles or glass slides due to the phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) action were determined by zeta potential measurements and the surface free energy evaluation, respectively. The comparison of the zeta potential and surface free energy, which was evaluated from advancing and receding contact angles via applying models of interfacial interactions, i.e. van Oss et al. (LWAB) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH), was found to be helpful for better understanding the mechanism of PLA₂ action on the lipid layers, what is discussed in the paper.     

Characterization of the diffusion path in micro- and meso-porous materials from ZLC analysis

It has been demonstrated that the main diffusion paths of micro- and meso-porous UL-zeolites could be characterized from the Zero Length Column (ZLC) desorption curves with an appropriate theoretical analysis (Malekian et al., in Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 46:5067, 2007). The present work extends this method to study the ZLC desorption data of n-heptane/cumene/mesitylene in three mesoporous SBA-15 samples, 1-methylnaphthalene in MCM-48, cumene in SBA-16 and toluene/cumene in a microporous one-dimensional boron SSZ-42. The investigation results revealed that the structure of SBA-15, MCM-48 and SBA-16 behaved approximately as three-dimensional (isotropic) diffusion system, while SSZ-42 behaved as one-dimensional (anisotropic) diffusion systems. The diffusion path did not change within the measured temperature range, and by using different sorbate molecules. This work confirmed that this effective and relatively inexpensive method can be used as an additional tool for the characterization of porous materials.     

Asymmetry of Outer space

We study the asymmetry of the Lipschitz metric d on Outer space. We introduce an (asymmetric) Finsler norm \({\|\cdot\|^L}\) that induces d. There is an Out(F _n )-invariant “potential” Ψ defined on Outer space such that when \({\|\cdot\|^L}\) is corrected by dΨ, the resulting norm is quasi-symmetric. As an application, we give new proofs of two theorems of Handel-Mosher, that d is quasi-symmetric when restricted to a thick part of Outer space, and that there is a uniform bound, depending only on the rank, on the ratio of logs of growth rates of any irreducible \({f\in Out(F_n)}\) and its inverse.     

Synthesis and structure of bis- and tris-ferrocene containing N-methylimide foldamers

The synthesis and conformational analysis of dimer Fc–CO–NMe–CO–Fc (5) and trimer Fc–CO–NMe–CO–Fn–CO–NMe–CO–Fc (6) have been described. It has been shown by means of spectroscopic studies, X-ray crystallography, and molecular modeling, that these molecules are dominated by cis–cis conformation. Furthermore, we recognized for the first time, that such type of organometallics possess elements of chiral helicity. Their crystal lattices are characterized by π–π and CH–π intermolecular interactions (5) and by CH?OC intermolecular hydrogen bonds (6). We believe that foldamers 5/6 are stabilized by the special type of aromatic π–π interactions between the closer cyclopentadienyl rings of the juxtaposed ferrocene units.