Biofunctionalized silver and gold nanoparticles as potential curative agents

In this study, the bark of an important medicinal plant, Indigofera aspalathoides is utilized as a bioreductant for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The formation of nanoparticles was monitored, and the reaction parameters were optimized by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The attachment of biocomponents as stabilizer was proved employing Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) studies. Through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the morphology was found to be predominantly spherical and a mixture of triangle and hexagon in the case of AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively. The crystallite size of AgNPs and AuNPs was affirmed through X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies using Sherrer formula as 22.03 and 47.70 nm, respectively. DPPH method was adopted to analyse the free‐radical quenching ability, and the AgNPs, AuNPs and extract showed inhibition of 76%, 89% and 59% at a concentration of 200 μg ml^?1, and the corresponding IC₅₀ values were 86.49, 55.20 and 149.19 μg ml^?1. The binding of nanoparticles to calf‐thymus DNA (CT‐DNA) was through groove and the high binding constants (8.49 × 10⁶ M^?1 and 2.34 × 10⁷ M^?1 for AgNPs and AuNPs) point out the potential of these nanoparticles as curative drugs. The MTT assay showed that AgNPs were 100% toxic, and the low IC₅₀ value suggests that this can be used in the medicinal field as a safe drug.     

Polymorphism of Supramolecular Charge-Transfer Complex Composed of 10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl and p-benzoquinone

Charge-transfer (CT) complexes were prepared using racemic (rac)-10,10′-dihydroxy-9,9′-biphenanthryl, which has a large and highly π-conjugated phenanthrene ring, as the electron donor and p-benzoquinone as the electron acceptor. This CT system showed a polymorphism.     

A fourth-order divergence-free method for MHD flows

This paper extends our previous third-order method [S. Li, High order central scheme on overlapping cells for magneto-hydrodynamic flows with and without constrained transport method, J. Comput. Phys. 227 (2008) 7368–7393] to the fourth-order. Central finite-volume schemes on overlapping grid are used for both the volume-averaged variables and the face-averaged magnetic field. The magnetic field at the cell boundaries falls within the dual grid and is naturally continuous so that our method eliminates the instability triggered by the discontinuity in the normal component of the magnetic field. Our fourth-order scheme has much smaller numerical dissipation than the third-order scheme. The divergence-free condition of the magnetic field is preserved by our fourth-order divergence-free reconstruction and the constrained transport method. Numerical examples show that the divergence-free condition is essential to the accuracy of the method when a limiter is used in the reconstruction. The high-order, low-dissipation, and divergence-free properties of this method make it an ideal tool for direct magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence simulations.     

Degenerate Critical States for Polydisperse Polymer Solutions

If, in a spinodal point, the rank of the stability matrix is less than the order of this matrix minus one, then Gibbs′ determinant criterion for the critical state loses its importance since it is fulfilled automatically by the spinodal condition. In this paper a generalized critical state criterion is established for such degenerate cases in polydisperse polymer solutions.     

孤立性肺结节的CT形态学特征结合GSI模式的诊断学研究

本研究探讨CT联合能谱成像(GSI)模式诊断孤立性肺结节的临床价值。选取经肺穿刺活检或手术病理学证实的肺孤立性结节患者110例(110个肺结节),对患者的CT平扫、GSI平扫资料进行分析。根据病理学结果分为良性组(炎性结节、非典型腺瘤样增生)41例、恶性组(肺癌小结节)69例,对比两组患者的肺小结节形态学特征综合评分、动静脉期的能谱曲线斜率、40 keV CT值、标准化碘浓度(NIC)的差异。结果显示,恶性组患者的毛刺征和棘突征、分叶征、血管集束征、胸膜凹陷征、支气管征、病灶内钙化、病灶强化值及孤立性肺结节形态学特征总分均高于良性组(P<0.05);恶性组患者的动脉期、静脉期的能谱曲线斜率、40 keV CT值、NIC均低于良性组(P<0.05)。肺部孤立性恶性结节的形态学特征与肺部良性结节差异显著,恶性结节的能谱曲线斜率、40 keV CT值、NIC值与良性结节差异明显。因此,综合分析结节的形态学特征及GSI参数对其良恶性诊断具有重要意义。     

CTA联合CTP在预测急性脑梗死预后中的价值

本研究探讨CT血管成像(CTA)联合CT灌注成像(CTP)在预测急性脑梗死预后的价值。选取急性脑梗死患者102例,分为预后良好组和不良组,分析预后良好和不良患者ASPECTS、CTP参数差异。预后不良患者CTA图像ASPECTS评分<3分明显高于预后良好患者(P<0.05);预后不良患者病灶处脑血容量(CBV)和脑血流量(CBF)明显低于预后良好患者(P<0.05),达峰时间(TTP)和平均通过时间(MTT)明显高于预后良好患者(P<0.05);ASPECTS评分联合CBV、CBF及MTT预测预后不良的ROC曲线下面积为0.895(P<0.05),灵敏性和特异性分别为90.00%和84.10%。CTA联合CTP预测急性脑梗死患者预后有一定应用价值。     

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 用基于X射线的CT无损检测技术进行岩石损伤检测是岩石损伤力学的重要 研究方向之一. 首先介绍X射线CT设备的发展状况、检测原理和技术指标，回顾了CT 技术在岩石损伤检测中的应用进展，其次给出了现有的CT分析方法， 提出了统计频率分析法；然后评价了各种基于CT均值的损伤变量；最后指出岩石CT技术目 前存在的问题，并预测了未来的发展方向.     

血清C 反应蛋白在预测非创伤性急腹症的CT表现的价值

目的 探讨C 反应蛋白（CRP）急性期快速上升能否可靠预测非创伤性急腹症的CT 检查阳性表现。方法 收集CRP 检测后24h内行腹盆、腔CT扫描的非创伤性急腹症患者121 例,其中男57例,女64例,平均年龄57岁。近期手术、已知恶性肿瘤、炎症性肠病除外。CT表现由2 位放射科医师阅片并一致后进行分类。结果 CRP 正常CT 检查阳性16 人,阴性15 人,随着CRP 升高,CT 检查阳性率也随着升高,灵敏度下降,特异度增高,似然比也随之增高,当CRP 在130mg/L 水平以上时,其灵敏度与特异度分别为31.4%、90.9%,阳性似然比为3.14。结论 CRP阴性的非创伤性急腹症患者,不能除外CT 检查,随着血清CRP 水平升高,CT检查阳性率及阳性似然比也随之升高。     

Photocytotoxic and anaerobic DNA cleavage activity of binuclear 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid cobalt(II) complexes having phenanthroline bases

Dicobalt(II) complexes [{(B)Co^II}₂(μ-dtdp)₂] (1–3) of 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (dtdp) and phenanthroline bases (B), viz. 1,10-phenanthroline (phen in 1), dipyrido[3,2-d:2′,3′-f]quinoxaline (dpq in 2) and dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine (dppz in 3), have been prepared, characterized and their photo-induced anaerobic DNA cleavage activity studied. The elemental analysis and mass spectral data suggest binuclear formulation of the complexes. The redox inactive complexes have magnetically non-interacting dicobalt(II) core showing magnetic moment of ∼3.9 μ_B per cobalt(II) center. The complexes show good binding propensity to calf thymus DNA giving K_b values within 4.3 × 10⁵–4.0 × 10⁶ M⁻¹. Thermal melting and viscosity data predict DNA groove binding and/or partial intercalative nature of the complexes. The complexes show significant anaerobic DNA cleavage activity in green light under argon atmosphere possibly involving radical species generated from the disulfide moiety in a type-I pathway. The DNA cleavage reaction under aerobic medium in green light is found to involve hydroxyl radical species. The dppz complex 3 exhibits significant photocytotoxicity in HeLa cervical cancer cells with an IC₅₀ value of 2.3 μM in UV-A light of 365 nm, while it is essentially non-toxic in dark giving an IC₅₀ value of >200 μM. A significant reduction of the dark toxicity of the organic dppz base (IC₅₀ = 8.3 μM in dark) is observed on binding to the cobalt(II) center while essentially retaining its photocytotoxicity in UV-A light (IC₅₀ = 0.4 μM).     

Whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging vs. FDG-PET for the detection of non-small-cell lung cancer. How do they measure up?

Objective

To compare the diagnostic efficacy of whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging (WB-DWI) and [18F] fluoro-2-D-glucose PET/CT(FDG-PET/CT)for assessment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Materials and Methods

A group of 56 patients (21 female, 35 male; 35–76 years) with NSCLC proved by pathologic examination or follow-up imaging findings was set as reference standards, and all patients underwent both WB-DWI at 1.5T (MAGNETOM Avanto) and PET/CT (Biograph 16). For WB-DWI, a free breathing diffusion-weighted single-shot spin-echo epi-sequence in five-stations (head-neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis-thigh) was used. Each station-series contained 30 contiguous axial slices. Imaging parameters: FOV 360×360 mm, matrix size 128×80. B-values: 0 and 1000 s/mm² applied along x, y and z, 5 averages, acquisition time: 2.23 min/series, total: 11.55 min. The efficacy of WB-DWI and PET/CT were determined in a blinded reading by two radiologists and two nuclear medicine physicians using pathology and size change during follow up exams as the reference standard.

Results

Primary tumors (n=56 patients) were correctly detected in 56 (100%) patients by both PET/CT and WB-DWI. Ninety-six lymph nodes metastases were determined with pathologic and follow-up examinations. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) being for lymph node metastases: 91%, 90%, 90%, 96%, 80% with WB-DWI and 98%, 97%, 97%, 99%, 93% with PET-CT, other metastases: 90%, 95%, 92%, 97%, 83% with WB-DWI and 98%, 100%, 98%, 100%, 95% with PET-CT). Differences in the accuracy of lymph node metastasis detection between PET/CT and WB-DWI (P=.031) were significant. The differences were not statistically significant for detection of other metastases.

Conclusions

WB-DWI is a feasible clinical technique for the assessment of NSCLC, lymph nodes and metastastic spread with high sensitivity and accuracy, but it was limited in the evaluation of neck lymph node metastases and small metastastic lung nodules.