Relaxometric investigations addressing the determination of intracellular water lifetime: a novel tumour biomarker of general applicability

ABSTRACT

¹H Fast-Field Cycling NMR relaxometry is proposed as a powerful method to investigate tumour cell metabolism by measuring changes in cell water content and mobility across the cellular membrane. Measurements of intracellular water residence time in cultured cells were carried out by measuring T₁ at fixed field (0.2?T) after the addition of a paramagnetic Gd complex (Prohance) at different concentrations in the external medium. Investigations on tumour cells (mammary adenocarcinoma TS/A) grown in normo- or hypoxic conditions or suspended in ‘hypo-osmotic’ solutions allowed us to demonstrate that both hypoxic and hypo-osmotic conditions cause a marked increase in water mobility as assessed by the elongation of T₁. Conversely, the metabolic change caused by glutamine (an aminoacid essential for tumour growth) deprivation caused a water mobility decrease (shorter T₁). These findings suggest that T₁ measurements at low and variable magnetic field strengths, giving access to the assessment of intracellular water lifetime, can provide important information about tumour cell metabolism in real time and non-invasively.     

Single atoms transferring between a magneto-optical trap and a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap

Based on our work on single cesium atoms trapped in a large-magnetic-gradient vapour-cell magneto-optical trap (MOT), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is remarkably improved. Also a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap (FORT) formed by a strongly-focused 1064~nm single frequency Nd:YVO₄ laser beam is introduced. One cesium atom is prepared in the MOT, and then it can transfer successfully between the MOT and the FORT which is overlapped with the MOT. Utilizing the effective transfer, the lifetime of single atoms trapped in the FORT is measured to be 6.9± 0.3~s. Thus we provide a system where the atomic qubit can be coherently manipulated.     

Review of ultrafast spectroscopy studies of valley carrier dynamics in two-dimensional semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides

The two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenides provide new opportunities in future valley-based information processing and also provide an ideal platform to study excitonic effects. At the center of various device physics toward their possible electronic and optoelectronic applications is understanding the dynamical evolution of various manyparticle electronic states, especially exciton which dominates the optoelectronic response of TMDs, under the novel context of valley degree of freedom. Here, we provide a brief review of experimental advances in using helicity-resolved ultrafast spectroscopy, especially ultrafast pump–probe spectroscopy, to study the dynamical evolution of valley-related many-particle electronic states in semiconducting monolayer transitional metal dichalcogenides.     

Temperature-dependent photoluminescence of size-tunable ZnAgInSe quaternary quantum dots

Colloidal ZnAgInSe (ZAISe) quantum dots (QDs) with different particle sizes were obtained by accommodating the reaction time. In the previous research, photoluminescence (PL) of ZAISe QDs only could be tuned by changing the composition. In this work the size-tunable photoluminescence was observed successfully. The red shift in the photoluminescence spectra was caused by the quantum confinement effect. The time-resolved photoluminescence indicated that the luminescence mechanisms of the ZAISe QDs were contributed by three recombination processes. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent PL spectra were investigated. We verified the regular change of temperature-dependent PL intensity, peak energy, and the emission linewidth of broadening for ZAISe QDs. According to these fitting data, the activation energy (ΔE) of ZAISe QDs with different nanocrystal sizes was obtained and the stability of luminescence was discussed.     

涂布法制备碳纳米管场发射阴极及其性能的研究

碳纳米管（CNT）作为场发射阴极（FEC）具有很好的性能。报导了利用粉末状碳纳米管制作CNT－FEC的方法，包括涂布方法、纯化方法和表面处理方法。主要关心的FEC性能为电子发射均匀性、电流密度和寿命。     

含水量对Tb:SiO2光谱特性的影响

采用sol-gel法制备了稀土Tb3+掺杂的SiO2发光干凝胶,对样品微观结构和发光性能进行了表征,研究了含水量对样品荧光强弱,磷光特性,发光衰减等的影响。结果表明:当溶液中正硅酸乙酯、无水乙醇、蒸馏水配比为1∶4∶4时,650℃退火样品的发光最强,当配比为1∶4∶5时,750℃退火样品的发光最强,当配比为1∶4∶6时,850℃退火样品的发光最强。随着含水量的增加,经750℃退火处理的样品,发光强度先减弱后增强之后又减弱。可见,含水量和退火温度同时影响着Tb3+的发光,对发光强度的影响形成了一个竞争机制。通过测试磷光,初步得知基质中含有缺陷空位,含水量对磷光强度影响趋势与荧光的趋势一致。此外,含水量对发光衰减时间也有明显的影响。     

Dramatic transition between electric and magnetic rotations in 106Ag

The lifetimes for the states of magnetic dipole band in106Ag have been measured using the Doppler-shift attenuation method via the reaction of100Mo(11B,5n)106Ag at a beam energy of 60 MeV.The reduced transition strengths of the magnetic dipole band,the B(M1)/B(E2)ratios together with the signature of the level energy as a function of angular momentum for the positive parity states of106Ag show that a drastic change of excitation mode,that is,from electric rotation to magnetic rotation,occurs within one unit of spin at around Iπ=12+.Theoretical calculations based on the triaxial projected shell model consistently reproduce the experimental data and provide an explanation on the nature of observed phenomena such that the dynamical drift of the rotational axis suddenly from the principal axis to the tilted one,along the positive parity bands of106Ag.     

循环频移方法中射频信号的相位偏移对多载波稳定性及平坦度的影响(英文)

为了得到高性能的多载波光源,研究了射频信号中不同相位差对光多载波的影响.通过理论分析可得,随着相位差从90°降至0°,光多载波性能会逐渐变差,但是相位差偏与90°相差不大时,性能不会下降太多.实验中通过移相器改变相位差,使相位差为90°,45°,0°,得到循环前IQ调制器的输出光谱,并对比循环后光多载波性能.实验结果显示,相位差为90°时,循环前IQ调制器输出为较好的单边带光谱,循环后输出50条平坦稳定光多载波;相位差为45°时,光多载波质量变差;相位差为0°时,得不到光多载波.因此,射频信号相位差为90°时,光多载波的性能最佳,随着相位差变小,性能下降,但是相位差为45°时,产生的光多载波仍可应用于光通信.     

Theory study on the properties of thiadiazole polymer donors for organic solar cells

In this work, the properties of [1,2,5] thiadiazolo [3,4‐c] pyridine ‐alt‐cyclopenta [2,1‐b:3,4‐b′] dithiophene (PT‐CDT) and [1,2,5] thiadiazolo [3,4‐c] pyridine‐6‐carbonitrile‐alt‐cyclopenta [2,1‐b:3,4‐b′] dithiophene (PCNT‐CDT) as donors were investigated by means of Density Functional Theory. The electronic properties and optical absorption properties were discussed, and hole‐transfer properties of donors were studied by Marcus electron transfer theory. The results indicate that the linear structure of PCNT‐CDT and PT‐CDT is more stable than the spiral structure of PCNT‐CDT and PT‐CDT; the absorption peak in visible region of PCNT‐CDT is stronger and wider, and the absorption spectrum is more matchable to solar spectrum than PT‐CDT, while the maximum absorption wavelength of PCNT‐CDT has an obvious red shift; the two designed materials show strong intramolecular and intermolecular charge transfer properties; PCNT‐CDT owns a large open‐circuit voltage and low reorganization energy, as well as high hole mobility. Therefore, the newly designed PCNT‐CDT can be a potential donor material of organic solar cell. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of carrier scattering mechanisms in n-Cd1−xMgxSe single crystals using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

This paper presents results of investigations of carrier scattering mechanisms in n-Cd_1−xMg_xSe mixed crystals with magnesium content varying from x = 0 to x = 0.33. Experimental results obtained by means of the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Hall measurements are discussed in the frame of the Drude and the quantum theories. The character of the wavelength dependence of the optical absorption coefficient in investigated crystals was found to be of the type ∼λ^p, where 2 < p < 3.5. The p = 2 is expected from the Drude theory and the relaxation time approximation. The obtained experimental values of p parameter suggest that the optical phonon and impurity scattering mechanisms are dominating scattering mechanisms in these crystals. The calculated carrier concentration from optical absorption spectrum for a n-CdSe crystal is in a good agreement with this obtained from Hall measurement.