Compton scattering spectrum as a source of information of normal and neoplastic breast tissues' composition

In this work we measured X-ray scatter spectra from normal and neoplastic breast tissues using photon energy of 17.44 key and a scattering angle of 90 degrees, in order to study the shape (FWHM) of the Compton peaks. The obtained results for FWHM were discussed in terms of composition and histological characteristics of each tissue type. The statistical analysis shows that the distribution of FWHM of normal adipose breast tissue clearly differs from all other investigated tissues. Comparison between experimental values of FWHM and effective atomic number revealed a strong correlation between them, showing that the FWHM values can be used to provide information about elemental composition of the tissues. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IDENTIFICATION OF ETHANOLIC WOOD EXTRACTS USING ELECTRONIC ABSORPTION SPECTRUM AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS

IDENTIFICATION OF ETHANOLIC WOOD EXTRACTS USING ELECTRONIC ABSORPTION SPECTRUM AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS. The application of multivariate analysis to spectrophotometric (UV) data was explored for distinguishing extracts of cachaca woods commonly used in the manufacture of casks for aging cachacas (oak, cabretiva-parda, jatoba, amendoim and canela-sassafras). Absorbances close to 280 nm were more strongly correlated with oak and jatoba woods, whereas absorbances near 230 nm were more correlated with canela-sassafras and cabretiva-parda. A comparison between the spectrophotometric model and the model based on chromatographic (HPLC-DAD) data was carried out. The spectrophotometric model better explained the variance data (PC1 + PC2 = 91%) exhibiting potential as a routine method for checking aged spirits.

New Isomers in the Full Seniority Scheme of Neutron-Rich Lead Isotopes: The Role of Effective Three-Body Forces

The neutron-rich lead isotopes, up to Pb-216, have been studied for the first time, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. The observed isomeric states exhibit electromagnetic transition strengths which deviate from state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. It is shown that their complete description demands the introduction of effective three-body interactions and two-body transition operators in the conventional neutron valence space beyond Pb-208.

Discovery and cross-section measurement of neutron-rich isotopes in the element range from neodymium to platinum with the FRS

Using the high-resolution performance of the fragment separator FRS at GSI we have discovered 60 new neutron-rich isotopes in the atomic number range of 60 <= Z <= 78. The new isotopes were unambiguously identified in reactions with a U-238 beam impinging on a Be target at 1 GeV/nucleon. The production cross-section for the new isotopes have been measured down to the pico-barn level and compared with predictions of different model calculations. For elements above hafnium fragmentation is the dominant reaction mechanism which creates the new isotopes, whereas fission plays a dominant role for the production of the new isotopes up to thulium. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Boron uptake in normal melanocytes and melanoma cells and boron biodistribution study in mice bearing B16F10 melanoma for boron neutron capture therapy

Information on B-10 distribution in normal tissues is crucial to any further development of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The goal of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo boron biodistribution in B16F10 murine melanoma and normal tissues as a model for human melanoma treatment by a simple and rapid colorimetric method, which was validated by HR-ICP-MS. The B16F10 melanoma cell line showed higher melanin content than human melanocytes, demonstrating a greater potential for boronophenylalanine uptake. The melanocytes showed a moderate viability decrease in the first few minutes after BNCT application, stabilizing after 75 min, whereas the B16F10 melanoma showed the greatest intracellular boron concentration at 150 min after application, indicating a different boron uptake of melanoma cells compared to normal melanocytes. Moreover, at this time, the increase in boron uptake in melanoma cells was approximately 1.6 times higher than that in normal melanocytes. The B-10 concentration in the blood of mice bearing B16F10 melanoma increased until 90 min after BNCT application and then decreased after 120 min, and remained low until the 240th minute. On the other hand, the B-10 concentration in tumors was increased from 90 min and maximal at 150 min after application, thus confirming the in vitro results. Therefore, the present in vitro and in vivo study of B-10 uptake in normal and tumor cells revealed important data that could enable BNCT to be possibly used as a treatment for melanoma, a chemoresistant cancer associated with high mortality.

Effect of Solvent-Induced Coil to Helix Conformational Change on the Two-Photon Absorption Spectrum of Poly(3,6-phenanthrene)

This paper investigates the effect of solvent-induced conformational changes of poly(3,6-phenanthrene) on their two-photon absorption (2PA). Such effect was studied employing the wavelength-tunable femtosecond Z-scan technique and modeled using the sum-over-essential states approach. We observed a strong reduction of the 2PA cross-section when the sample was prepared in hexane (poor solvent) in comparison to chloroform (good solvent), which is related to the conformation adopted by the polymer in each case. In chloroform it adopts a random coil conformation, as opposed to the one-handed helix conformation in hexane. Our results pointed out that the coil to helix conformation change decreases the degree of molecular planarity of the polymer pi-conjugated backbone, which is primarily responsible for their optical nonlinearity, contributing to diminishing the effective transition dipole moments and, consequently, the 2PA cross-section. Moreover, by studying the nonlinear response with different light polarization, we showed that, although the solvent-induced conformational change does not alter the molecular symmetry of the polymer, it modifies considerably the direction of the transition dipole moments between the excited states.

Analog of the susceptibility spectrum for levitation forces between a superconductor and a permanent magnet

We report on the measurements of both vertical and lateral levitation forces between a permanent magnet NdFeB and a polycrystalline YBa4Cu6O7-delta superconductor. The analysis of the obtained results revealed an interesting correlation between the behavior of the forces in the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled regimes, resembling the structure of the so-called susceptibility spectrum chi ''(chi'). Such force-force diagrams can be useful for identifying flux distribution structure inside a superconducting material. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4743006]

Spectrum of cognitive impairment in neurocysticercosis Differences according to disease phase

Objectives: Cognitive decline related to neurocysticercosis (NC) remains poorly characterized and underdiagnosed. In a cross-sectional study with a prospective phase, we evaluated cognitive decline in patients with strictly calcified form (C-NC), the epidemiologically largest subgroup of NC, and investigated whether there is a spectrum of cognitive abnormalities in the disease. Methods: Forty treatment-naive patients with C-NC aged 37.6 +/- 11.3 years and fulfilling criteria for definitive C-NC were submitted to a comprehensive cognitive and functional evaluation and were compared with 40 patients with active NC (A-NC) and 40 healthy controls (HC) matched for age and education. Patients with dementia were reassessed after 24 months. Results: Patients with C-NC presented 9.4 +/- 3.1 altered test scores out of the 30 from the cognitive battery when compared to HC. No patient with C-NC had dementia and 10 patients (25%) presented cognitive impairment-no dementia (CIND). The A-NC group had 5 patients (12.5%) with dementia and 11 patients (27.5%) with CIND. On follow-up, 3 out of 5 patients with A-NC with dementia previously still presented cystic lesions with scolex on MRI and still had dementia. One patient died and the remaining patient no longer fulfilled criteria for either dementia or CIND, presenting exclusively calcified lesions on neuroimaging. Conclusions: Independently of its phase, NC leads to a spectrum of cognitive abnormalities, ranging from impairment in a single domain, to CIND and, occasionally, to dementia. These findings are more conspicuous during active vesicular phase and less prominent in calcified stages. Neurology (R) 2012; 78: 861-866

Di-electron spectrum at mid-rapidity in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report on the mid-rapidity mass spectrum of di-electrons and cross sections of pseudoscalar and vector mesons via e(+) e(-) decays, from root s = 200 GeV p + p collisions, measured by the large-acceptance experiment STAR at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The ratio of the di-electron continuum to the combinatorial background is larger than 10% over the entire mass range. Simulations of di-electrons from light-meson decays and heavy-flavor decays (charmonium and open charm correlation) are found to describe the data. The extracted omega -> e(+) e(-) invariant yields are consistent with previous measurements. The mid-rapidity yields (dN/dy) of phi and J/psi are extracted through their di-electron decay channels and are consistent with the previous measurements of phi -> K+ K- and J/psi -> e(+) e(-). Our results suggest a new upper limit of the branching ratio of the eta -> e(+) e(-) of 1.7 x 10(-5) at the 90% confidence level.

The spectrum of high-energy cosmic rays measured with KASCADE-Grande

The energy spectrum of cosmic rays between 10(16) eV and 10(18) eV, derived from measurements of the shower size (total number of charged particles) and the total muon number of extensive air showers by the KASCADE-Grande experiment, is described. The resulting all-particle energy spectrum exhibits strong hints for a hardening of the spectrum at approximately 2 . 10(16) eV and a significant steepening at approximate to 8 . 10(16) eV. These observations challenge the view that the spectrum is a single power law between knee and ankle. Possible scenarios generating such features are discussed in terms of astrophysical processes that may explain the transition region from galactic to extragalactic origin of cosmic rays. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expanding the Clinical and Genetic Spectrum of Human CD40L Deficiency: The Occurrence of Paracoccidioidomycosis and Other Unusual Infections in Brazilian Patients

CD40 ligand (CD40L) deficiency or X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome (X-HIGM) is a well-described primary immunodeficiency in which Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is a common clinical feature. We have identified an unusual high incidence of fungal infections and other not yet described infections in a cohort of 11 X-HIGM patients from nine unrelated Brazilian families. Among these, we describe the first case of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in X-HIGM. The molecular genetic analysis of CD40L was performed by gene sequencing and evaluation of CD40L protein expression. Nine of these 11 patients (82%) had fungal infections. These included fungal species common to CD40L deficiency (P. jiroveci and Candida albicans) as well as Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. One patient presented with PCM at age 11 years and is now doing well at 18 years of age. Additionally, one patient presented with a simultaneous infection with Klebsiella and Acinetobacter, and one with condyloma caused by human papilloma virus. Molecular analysis revealed four previously described CD40L mutations, two novel missense mutations (c.433 T>G and c.476 G>C) resulting in the absence of CD40L protein expression by activated CD4(+) cells and one novel insertion (c.484_485insAA) within the TNFH domain leading to a frame shift and premature stop codon. These observations demonstrated that the susceptibility to fungal infections in X-HIGM extends beyond those typically associated with X-HIGM (P. jiroveci and C. albicans) and that these patients need to be monitored for those pathogens.

Origin of the heavy elements in HD 140283 Measurement of europium abundance

Context. HD 140283 is a nearby (V = 7.7) subgiant metal-poor star, extensively analysed in the literature. Although many spectra have been obtained for this star, none showed a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio high enough to enable a very accurate derivation of abundances from weak lines. Aims. The detection of europium proves that the neutron-capture elements in this star originate in the r-process, and not in the s-process, as recently claimed in the literature. Methods. Based on the OSMARCS 1D LTE atmospheric model and with a consistent approach based on the spectrum synthesis code Turbospectrum, we measured the europium lines at 4129 angstrom and 4205 angstrom, taking into account the hyperfine structure of the transitions. The spectrum, obtained with a long exposure time of seven hours at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), has a resolving power of 81 000 and a S/N ratio of 800 at 4100 angstrom. Results. We were able to determine the abundance A(Eu) = -2.35 +/- 0.07 dex, compatible with the value predicted for the europium from the r-process. The abundance ratio [Eu/Ba] = +0.58 +/- 0.15 dex agrees with the trend observed in metal-poor stars and is also compatible with a strong r-process contribution to the origin of the neutron-capture elements in HD 140283.

First measurement of beta decay half-lives in neutron-rich Tl and Bi isotopes

Neutron-rich isotopes around lead, beyond N = 126, have been studied exploiting the fragmentation of an uranium primary beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. For the first time beta-decay half-lives of Bi-219 and Tl-211,Tl-212,Tl-213 isotopes have been derived. The half-lives have been extracted using a numerical simulation developed for experiments in high-background conditions. Comparison with state of the art models used in r-process calculations is given, showing a systematic underestimation of the experimental values, at variance from close-lying nuclei. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The expanded spectrum of neuromyelitis optica - evidences for a new definition

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) has been traditionally described as the association of recurrent or bilateral optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). Identification of aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG) has deeply changed the concept of NMO. A spectrum of NMO disorders (NMOSD) has been formulated comprising conditions which include both AQP4-IgG seropositivity and one of the index events of the disease (recurrent or bilateral optic neuritis and LETM). Most NMO patients harbor asymptomatic brain MRI lesions, some of them considered as typical of NMO. Some patients with aquaporin-4 autoimmunity present brainstem, hypothalamic or encephalopathy symptoms either preceding an index event or occurring isolatedly with no evidence of optic nerve or spinal involvement. On the opposite way, other patients have optic neuritis or LETM in association with typical lesions of NMO on brain MRI and yet are AQP4-IgG seronegative. An expanded spectrum of NMO disorders is proposed to include these cases.

Measurement of the Cross Section for Electromagnetic Dissociation with Neutron Emission in Pb-Pb Collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

The first measurement of neutron emission in electromagnetic dissociation of Pb-208 nuclei at the LHC is presented. The measurement is performed using the neutron zero degree calorimeters of the ALICE experiment, which detect neutral particles close to beam rapidity. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV with neutron emission are sigma(singleEMD) = 187.4 +/- 0.2(stat)(-11.2)(+13.2) (syst) b and sigma(mutualEMD) = 5. 7 +/- 0.1(stat) +/- 0.4(syst) b, respectively. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.252302