Preclinical evaluation of 188 Re-HYNIC-PSMA as a novel therapeutic agent

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - In this study, optimized preparation, quality control, cell assessments and biostribution of 188Re-HYNIC-PSMA in normal rats and tumor bearing...     

Analysis of trichroic infrared absorption in solids. III. Phase I poly(vinylidene fluride)

Trichroic infrared absorption has been measured for oriented phase I poly(vinylidene fluoride). In addition to intensity differences, frequency shifts in the plane transverse to the draw direction are apparent. Shifts up to 10 cm^?1 in one-way drawn phase I are found for the CF₂ stretching vibration (880 cm^?1) between the direction normal to the film surface (thickness direction) and the remaining directions. Annealing the highly oriented films produces no major changes in the unique three-dimensional structure. A model based on crystal defect structures is proposed to explain the unusual frequency shift behavior in the phase I PVDF. Possible conformations and a mechanism of formation of the defects are discussed.     

Monitoring of malolactic fermentation in wine using an electrochemical bienzymatic biosensor for l-lactate with long term stability

l-lactic acid is monitored during malolactic fermentation process of wine and its evolution is strongly related with the quality of the final product. The analysis of l-lactic acid is carried out off-line in a laboratory. Therefore, there is a clear demand for analytical tools that enabled real-time monitoring of this process in field and biosensors have positioned as a feasible alternative in this regard. The development of an amperometric biosensor for l-lactate determination showing long-term stability is reported in this work. The biosensor architecture includes a thin-film gold electrochemical transducer selectively modified with an enzymatic membrane, based on a three-dimensional matrix of polypyrrole (PPy) entrapping lactate oxidase (LOX) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzymes. The experimental conditions of the biosensor fabrication regarding the pyrrole polymerization and the enzymes entrapment are optimized. The biosensor response to l-lactate is linear in a concentration range of 1 × 10⁻⁶–1 × 10⁻⁴ M, with a detection limit of 5.2 × 10⁻⁷ M and a sensitivity of – (13500 ± 600) μA M⁻¹ cm⁻². The biosensor shows an excellent working stability, retaining more than 90% of its original sensitivity after 40 days. This is the determining factor that allowed for the application of this biosensor to monitor the malolactic fermentation of three red wines, showing a good agreement with the standard colorimetric method.     

Epitaxial thin films of (Bi0.9La0.1)2NiMnO6 obtained by pulsed laser deposition

Bulk Bi₂NiMnO₆ has been shown to be ferromagnetic and ferroelectric. Here, we report a systematic study of the influence of the deposition conditions on the growth of (Bi_0.9La_0.1)₂NiMnO₆ thin films onto (0 0 1) SrTiO₃ substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Oxygen pressure and substrate temperature have been varied from 0.3 to 0.6 mbar and 600 to 660 °C, respectively. Whereas it is found that single-phase and epitaxial films can be obtained in a relatively broad oxygen pressure range, the temperature window, centred on 620 °C, is extremely narrow. Films of low roughness, about 1 unit cell, have been obtained. It is found that the magnetisation of the films, which are ferromagnetic with Curie temperatures about 100 K, is lower than the expected theoretical value, which might be attributed to an incomplete Ni-O-Mn long-range ordering.     

On a generalized basis for solving the one dimensional transport equation: Theory

The most general basis for approximating the transport equation has been studied. The application of the Gram–Schmidt procedure has been shown to unify the complete class of functions (polynomial type or non-polynomial type), applicable to this equation. The completeness of the series of functions is proved. A generalized version of the Fick's law is introduced. It is shown that the spectrum of the transport equation obtained by this method agrees with the conventional methods of obtaining the spectrum.     

Flammability and morphology of HDPE/clay nanocomposites

High-density polyethylene/modified bentonite clay/polar compatibilizer nanocomposites were prepared through the melt intercalation process. The clay was organophilizated using different percentages of quaternary ammonium salt 100, 125, and 150 % based cation exchange capacity of the clay. The nanocomposites were prepared in a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder and then specimens were injection molded. For the evaluation of flammability of the test system was used for burning in the horizontal position according to the norm (Underwriters Laboratories, UL94HB) and to the method of cone calorimeter. The thermal behavior of nanocomposites was evaluated by thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction techniques, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphology and analyze the degree of expansion of the clays prepared and the degree of exfoliation of nanocomposites. It was observed that the percentage of ammonium salt and the compatibilizer polar influence on the final properties of the systems and consequently improving the thermal stability and reducing the flammability of the matrix.     

Magnetization reversal by electric-field decoupling of magnetic and ferroelectric domain walls in multiferroic-based heterostructures

We demonstrate that the magnetization of a ferromagnet in contact with an antiferromagnetic multiferroic (LuMnO(3)) can be speedily reversed by electric-field pulsing, and the sign of the magnetic exchange bias can switch and recover isothermally. As LuMnO(3) is not ferroelastic, our data conclusively show that this switching is not mediated by strain effects but is a unique electric-field driven decoupling of the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domain walls. Their distinct dynamics are essential for the observed magnetic switching.     

Analysis of trichroic infrared absorption in solids. I. Description of methods

Infrared absorption by polymeric solids is generally anisotropic due to orientational effects induced by industrial processing and fabrication. The isotropic-equivalent or structure-factor spectrum of a sample can be computed from the absorbances along the three principal axes of the absorption ellipsoid. Experimentally, this is accomplished by a tilting procedure which has been computer interfaced for precise angular control. The technique is applied to poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The effects of refractive index dispersion, fringe distortion, reflection, and birefringence are evaluated in terms of the thickness direction calculation. Error spectra based on sample symmetry are generated, and the limits of accuracy of the tilting technique are established.     

Improving organic light-emitting diode performance with patterned structures

The influence nano- and micro- structures on light extraction and carrier injection characteristics in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is examined. The results demonstrate device enhancement from two distinctive patterning scales: embedded microstructure arrays for improved light extraction and imprinted nanostructures for carrier injection enhancement. Further, based on these results, a two-level imprinting stamp is designed which simultaneously produces a micron-sized pattern for facilitating light extraction and a nanometer-sized pattern to improve carrier injection. Additionally, this scalable patterning technology circumvents imprinting misalignment while preserving its compatibility with rollto- roll technology.     

Enhanced luminance of organic light-emitting diodes with metal nanoparticle electron injection layer

Improvement of the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was achieved by implementing Magnesium-Nickel nanoparticles at the cathode–organic interface using pulsed laser deposition technique. The small geometry of Mg-Ni nanoparticles acts to enhance the localized electric field around them, thus increasing electron injection through tunneling, from the cathode to the organic layer. Improved current and luminance characteristics were demonstrated for both small molecule and polymer-based OLEDs when the nanoparticle layer was incorporated.