Contrast-enhanced magnetisation transfer MRI in metastatic lesions of the brain

Our purpose was to compare prospectively the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced magnetisation transfer (MT) MRI and gradient-echo (GE) T1-weighted images in metastatic disease of the brain. We studied 52 patients with brain metastases, using conventional T1-weighted GE and MT spin-echo (SE) images after the same standard dose of gadolinium. Axial 5-mm reconstructions of GE data were compared with 5-mm MT images in the same plane. Metastases were counted independently by two neuroradiologists. In 12 patients (23%) MT imaging showed more metastases than GE images (P = 0.03). We detected 68 more metastases with the former technique.     

Constrained poststratification

Adjustment for covariates (or poststratification) is frequently used in the analysis of randomized clinical trials. The purpose of such analysis is mainly to eliminate some residual bias resulting from any imbalance between treatment groups for some important covariates. Usually, covariate effect is modeled with the data at hand. In this paper, we present a new method of poststratification ("constrained poststratification") which consists of estimating the prognostic significance of covariates in a large historical data base, transferring the model's coefficients into the (smaller) randomized trial data set, and estimating treatment effects conditional on this a priori information. In a simulated experiment, constrained poststratification allowed not only reduction of the bias but also enhancement of the efficiency of the estimation of treatment effect.     

New features of the Mott-Hubbard insulator gap of parent HTS compounds found by resonance Raman scattering and UV-excited ordinary Raman scattering

Optical absorption at the insulating gap in the parent phase of cuprate superconductors shows a broad exciton-like peak near 1.7 eV, followed by a gradual decrease in absorption persisting 1 eV above the gap. By using ultraviolet laser lines to excite Raman spectra, we have found a Raman peak 0.2 eV below the first absorption peak in insulating cuprates. The Raman peak is much narrower than the absorption peak and hasA _2g symmetry. We assign it to an exciton consisting of a hole transition from Cu to a linear combination of Cud _xy and nearest neighbor Op orbitals. We have also studied the resonance Raman profile for two-magnon Raman scattering in the same samples. We find a sharp resonance feature at about 2.7 eV, and little Raman intensity for photon energies at the 1.7 eV absorption peak. The state created at the peak must therefore be an inappropriate intermediate state for the double spin-flip Raman process.     

Andreev Bound-State Tunneling and ESR Spectroscopy of High-Temperature Superconductors and Observations of Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry

An emphasis on reliable materials growth and development of new fabrication techniques has allowed us to investigate the electronic structure of high-temperature superconductors by planar quasiparticle tunneling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The quasiparticle (QP) density of states (DoS) is investigated by tunneling into oriented thin films of Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) and single crystals of Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (BSCCO). Data are obtained as a function of crystallographic orientation, temperature, doping, damage, and applied magnetic field. These data demonstrate that the observed zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) is composed of Andreev bound states (ABS) which intrinsically form at a symmetry-breaking interface of an unconventional superconductor, for example, a (110)-surface of d-wave YBCO. Tunneling into doped or ion-damaged YBCO provides a measure of the QP scattering rate below T _c. An applied field causes Doppler shift of the ABS, arising from the scalar product between the QP velocity and the superfluid momentum, v _F·P _s, observed as a splitting in the ZBCP. Magnetic hysteresis of the splitting is consistent with the effects of strong vortex pinning near the interface. The directional field dependence shows that the ABS is highly anisotropic in its transport. These results, plus in-plane crystallographic orientational dependence on single-crystal BSCCO, demonstrate the d-wave symmetry of this superconductor. Below 8 K and in zero applied field, the ZBCP splits, indicating a transition into a superconducting state with spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry (BTRS). EPR experiments are used to detect directly the spontaneous formation of the magnetic moments in the BTRS state.     

Grounding effects of HV and MV underground cables associated withurban distribution substations

This paper derives a model for the evaluation of the performances of composite grounding systems of urban main distribution substations and associated power cable networks. The effects of the cables upon the dangerous voltages, transferred potentials and ground fault current distribution are encompassed including the conductive and magnetic coupling among grounding system elements, as well as the nonlinearity of cables sheaths impedances. An application example is presented, as are some experimental data