Sidelobe suppression of spectral response in holographic optical filter

In order to suppress sidelobes of holographic filter’s spectral response we propose to use weighting of grating intensity distribution along light propagation. This can be realized in photorefractive material (for example in LiNbO₃:Fe) by using spatial selective decaying of conventional uniform grating by illumination of light through some transparent mask. Experimental results show that it is able to obtain 8 dB improvement of sidelobe level compared to uniform grating. But it is accompanied by 1.7 times expansion of main lobe and two times decrease of diffraction efficiency.     

Tame Automorphisms of Elementary Free Groups

We prove that the automorphism group of a finitely generated fully residually free group is tame.     

An NMR-Based Approach to the Measurement of High Log K HL Values at Low Ionic Strength. 31P NMR Study of 1,2-Diaminoethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetra(methylenephosphonic Acid) Protonation Equilibrium at pH > 12

A sequential NMR based approach is proposed for measurements of high log K values at low ionic strength. [³¹P] NMR technique is used to determine the protonation constants of 1,2-diaminoethane-N,N,N,N-tetra(methylenephosphonic acid) (EDTPH, H₈L) at 25°C in 0.1 mol-dm^–3 KNO₃ and at 37°C in 0.15 mol-dm^–3 NaCl at pH 11–14. For equilibrium L + H HL log K are found to be 13.3 (0.1) and 12.9 (0.1), respectively.     

Comparative study of photodynamic properties of 13,15-N-cycloimide derivatives of chlorin p6

Comparative study of 13,15-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)]cycloimide chlorin p6 (2), 13,15-(N-acetoxy)cycloimide chlorin p6 (3), 13,15-(N-hydroxy)cycloimide chlorin p6 methyl ester (4) and 13,15-(N-methoxy)cycloimide chlorin p6 methyl ester (5) together with the previously investigated 13,15-[N-(3-hydroxypropyl)]cycloimide chlorin p6 (1) was performed. The dependence of the key photodynamic properties of 1-5 on the introduced substituents was analyzed. The photoinduced cell-killing activity of 4 is 100- and 280-fold higher than that of chlorin p6 and Photogem, respectively, as estimated on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The activity is reduced eight times in the order 4 > 5 > 1 > 2 > 3. The intracellular accumulation of 1-5 occurs in cytoplasm in a monomeric form bound to the lipids of cellular membranes. This form of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is characterized by the high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation, which depends on the introduced substituents, 0.66, 0.59, 0.35, 0.51 and 0.73, respectively. The photostability is two-fold less for 1 and four-fold less for 2, 3 and 5 than for 4. The rates of cellular uptake and efflux of 1-5 vary widely, thus providing the way to optimize the pharmacological properties of the photosensitizer (PS) using the respective substituents. Modifying the substituents, 1-5 were targeted to different cellular organelles. The enhanced accumulation in the Golgi apparatus and mitochondria complemented with diffuse staining of intracellular membranous structures is a property of 1-4. Compound 5 accumulates selectively in the lipid droplets and stains weakly perinuclear structures. Temperature-sensitive mechanisms of transport are responsible for the 1-4 uptake. Diffusion can play a role in the internalization of 5 but not of 1-4. Endocytosis via caveolae, clathrin-dependent and adenosine triphosphate-dependent pathways are not noticeably involved in the 1-5 internalization. Independently from their intracellular localization 1, 4 and 5 are highly efficient near-IR PS, which induce predominantly an apoptotic type of cell death under conditions providing ca 50% level of phototoxicity and necrosis at the 100% level of phototoxicity.     

Comparison of photodynamic efficacy of tetraarylporphyrin pegylated or encapsulated in liposomes: In vitro studies

Two photosensitizing systems: (1) tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (p-THPP) encapsulated in sterically stabilized liposomes (SSL) and (2) p-THPP functionalized by covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (p-THPP–PEG₂₀₀₀) were studied in vitro. The dark and photo cytotoxicity of these systems were evaluated on two cell lines: HCT 116, a human colorectal carcinoma cell line, and DU 145, a prostate cancer cell line and compared with these determined for free p-THPP. It was demonstrated that both encapsulation in liposomes as well as attachment of PEG chain result in pronounced reduction of the dark cytotoxicity of the parent porphyrin. The liposomal formulation showed higher than p-THPP–PEG₂₀₀₀ photocytotoxicity towards both cell lines used in the studies.     

Billion-fold acceleration of the methanolysis of paraoxon promoted by La(OTf)3 in methanol

The methanolysis of the insecticide paraoxon (2) was investigated in methanol solution containing varying [La(OTf)(3)] (OTf = (-)OS(O)(2)CF(3)) as a function of at 25 degrees C. Plots of the pseudo-first-order rate constants (k(obs)) for methanolysis as a function of [La(OTf)(3)](total) were obtained under buffered conditions from 5.15 to 10.97, and the slopes of the linear parts of these were used to determine the second-order rate constants (k(2)(obs)) for the La(3+)-catalyzed methanolysis of 2. Detailed analysis of the potentiometric titration data of La(OTf)(3) in methanol through fits to a multicomponent equilibrium mixture of dimers of general stoichiometry La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)n, where n assumes values of 1-5, gives the equilibrium distribution of each as a function of. These data, when fit to a second expression describing k(2)(obs) in terms of a linear combination of individual rate constants k(2)(2:1), k(2)(2:2).k(2)(2:)n for the dimers, allow one to describe the overall catalytic profile in terms of the individual contributions. The most catalytically important species are the three dimers La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)1, La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)2, and La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)3. The catalysis of the methanolysis of 2 is spectacular: a 2 x 10(-3) M solution of [La(3+)](total), at neutral, affords a 10(9)-fold acceleration relative to the base reaction (t(1/2) approximately 20 s at 8.2) with excellent turnover. A mechanism of the catalyzed reaction involving the La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)2 species is proposed.