Orientation dependent far-infrared terahertz absorptions in single crystal pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THZ-TDS) has been used to measure the absorption spectra in the range 7-100 cm(-1) (0.2-3 THz) of single crystal pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Absorption was measured in transmission mode as a function of incident polarization with the incident and transmitted wave vectors oriented along the crystallographic directions [100], <10(a/c)(2)>, and <110>. Samples were rotated with respect to the incident polarization while absorption was measured at both 300 and 20 K. Comparatively minor differences were observed among the three orientations. Two broad absorptions at 72 and >90 cm(-1), and several weaker absorptions at 36, 55, 80, and 82 cm(-1), have been observed at cryogenic temperatures.     

Visible light-driven CO2 reduction by enzyme coupled CdS nanocrystals

Assemblies of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase molecules with CdS nanocrystals show fast CO(2) reduction driven by visible light. Activity is strongly influenced by size and shape of nanocrystals, and by the nature of the electron donor.     

Spectra of Random Hermitian Matrices with a Small-Rank External Source: The Supercritical and Subcritical Regimes

Random Hermitian matrices with a source term arise, for instance, in the study of non-intersecting Brownian walkers and sample covariance matrices. We consider the case when the n×n external source matrix has two distinct real eigenvalues: a with multiplicity r and zero with multiplicity n?r. The source is small in the sense that r is finite or $r=\mathcal{O}(n^{\gamma})$ , for 0<γ<1. For a Gaussian potential, Péché (Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 134:127–173, 2006) showed that for |a| sufficiently small (the subcritical regime) the external source has no leading-order effect on the eigenvalues, while for |a| sufficiently large (the supercritical regime) r eigenvalues exit the bulk of the spectrum and behave as the eigenvalues of the r×r Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE). We establish the universality of these results for a general class of analytic potentials in the supercritical and subcritical regimes.     

Chapter 4:algebraic sets,polynomials, and other functions

Let T be a linear operator on the vector space V ofn×n matrices over a field F. We discuss two types of problems in this chapter. First, what can we say about T if we assume that T maps a given algebraic set such as the special linear group into itself? Second, let p(x) be a polynomial function (such as det) on V into F. What can we say about T if Tpreserves p(x), i.e. p(T(X)) = p(X) for all X in V?     

Far-field approximation for a point-excited anisotropic plate

An analytic approximation is derived for the far-field response of a generally anisotropic plate to a time-harmonic point force acting normal to the plate. This approximation quantifies the directivity of the flexural wave field that propagates away from the force, which is expected to be useful in the design and testing of anisotropic plates. Derivation of the approximation begins with a two-dimensional Fourier transform of the flexural equation of motion. Inversion to the spatial domain is accomplished by contour integration over the radial component of wave number followed by an application of the method of stationary phase to integration over the circumferential component of wave number. The resulting approximation resembles that of an isotropic plate but involves wave numbers, wave amplitudes, and phases that depend on propagation angle. Numerical results for a plate comprised of bonded layers of a graphite-epoxy material illustrate the accuracy of the method compared to a numerical simulation based on discrete Fourier analysis. Three configurations are analyzed in which the relative angles of the layers are varied. In all cases, the agreement is quite good when the distance between force and observation point is greater than a few wavelengths.     

Electronic effects in the length distribution of atom chains

Gold deposited on Si(553) leads to self-assembly of atomic chains, which are broken into finite segments by defects. Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to investigate the distribution of chain lengths and the correlation between defects separating the chains. The length distribution reveals oscillations that indicate changes in the cohesive energy as a function of chain length. We present a possible interpretation in terms of the electronic scattering vectors at the Fermi surface of the surface states. The pairwise correlation function between defects shows long-range correlations that extend beyond nearest-neighbor defects, indicating coupling between chains.     

Three-Dimensional Aggregated Spheroid Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using a 96-Pillar/Well Plate

A common method of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures is embedding single cells in Matrigel. Separated cells in Matrigel migrate or grow to form spheroids but lack cell-to-cell interaction, which causes difficulty or delay in forming mature spheroids. To address this issue, we proposed a 3D aggregated spheroid model (ASM) to create large single spheroids by aggregating cells in Matrigel attached to the surface of 96-pillar plates. Before gelling the Matrigel, we placed the pillar inserts into blank wells where gravity allowed the cells to gather at the curved end. In a drug screening assay, the ASM with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines showed higher drug resistance compared to both a conventional spheroid model (CSM) and a two-dimensional (2D) cell culture model. With protein expression, cytokine activation, and penetration analysis, the ASM showed higher expression of cancer markers associated with proliferation (p-AKT, p-Erk), tight junction formation (Fibronectin, ZO-1, Occludin), and epithelial cell identity (E-cadherin) in HCC cells. Furthermore, cytokine factors were increased, which were associated with immune cell recruitment/activation (MIF-3α), extracellular matrix regulation (TIMP-2), cancer interaction (IL-8, TGF-β2), and angiogenesis regulation (VEGF-A). Compared to CSM, the ASM also showed limited drug penetration in doxorubicin, which appears in tissues in vivo. Thus, the proposed ASM better recapitulated the tumor microenvironment and can provide for more instructive data during in vitro drug screening assays of tumor cells and improved prediction of efficacious drugs in HCC patients.     

Copper‐64‐Alloyed Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Imaging: Improved Radiolabel Stability and Diagnostic Accuracy

Gold nanoparticles, especially positron‐emitter‐ labeled gold nanostructures, have gained steadily increasing attention in biomedical applications. Of the radionuclides used for nanoparticle positron emission tomography imaging, radiometals such as ⁶⁴Cu have been widely employed. Currently, radiolabeling through macrocyclic chelators is the most commonly used strategy. However, the radiolabel stability may be a limiting factor for further translational research. We report the integration of ⁶⁴Cu into the structures of gold nanoparticles. With this approach, the specific radioactivity of the alloyed gold nanoparticles could be freely and precisely controlled by the addition of the precursor ⁶⁴CuCl₂ to afford sensitive detection. The direct incorporation of ⁶⁴Cu into the lattice of the gold nanoparticle structure ensured the radiolabel stability for accurate localization in vivo. The superior pharmacokinetic and positron emission tomography imaging capabilities demonstrate high passive tumor targeting and contrast ratios in a mouse breast cancer model, as well as the great potential of this unique alloyed nanostructure for preclinical and translational imaging.     

Application of tomographic techniques to an investigation of elemental distributions following neutron irradiations

The use of tomographic image reconstruction techniques for the creation of three-dimensional images of the distribution of activity in solid samples has been examined. The aim has been to determine whether the method offers a finish to neutron activation procedures wich is capable of providing detailed position-sensitive information. Investigations with a phantom have shown that good images can be produced, even with relatively low-cost equipment.