The Structures of Gd(III) Chelates Conjugated at the Periphery of 3-(1’-Hexyloxy)ethyl-3-devinylpyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) Have a Significant Impact on the Imaging and Therapy of Cancer

3-(1’-Hexyloxyethyl)-3-devinyl-pyropheophorbide-a (HPPH or Photochlor), a tumor-avid chlorophyll-a derivative currently undergoing human clinical trials, was conjugated at various peripheral positions (position-17 or 20) of HPPH with either Gd(III)-aminobenzyl-DTPA (Gd(III) DTPA) or Gd(III)-aminoethylamido-DOTA (Gd(III) DOTA). The corresponding conjugates were evaluated for in vitro PDT efficacy, T₁, T₂ relaxivities, in vivo fluorescence, and MR imaging under similar treatment parameters. Among these analogs, the water-soluble Gd(III)-aminoethylamido-DOTA linked at position-17 of HPPH, i. e., HPPH-17-Gd(III) DOTA, demonstrated strong potential for tumor imaging by both MR and fluorescence, while maintaining the PDT efficacy in BALB/c mice bearing Colon-26 tumors (7/10 mice were tumor free on day 60). In contrast to Gd(III) DTPA (Magnevist) and Gd(III) DOTA (Dotarem), the HPPH-Gd(III) DOTA retains in the tumor for a long period of time (24 to 48 h) and provides an option of fluorescence-guided cancer therapy. Thus, a single agent can be used for cancer-imaging and therapy. However, further detailed pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicological studies of the conjugate are required before initiating Phase I human clinical trials.     

A Pyropheophorbide Analogue Containing a Fused Methoxy Cyclohexenone Ring System Shows Promising Cancer-Imaging Ability

Herein we report the synthesis, photophysical properties, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy of methyl 3-(1′-m-iodobenzyloxy)ethyl-3-devinyl-verdin 4 (with or without the ¹²⁴I isotope). The PET imaging ability and ex vivo biodistribution of [¹²⁴I] 4 were compared with the well-studied methyl [3-(¹²⁴1′-m-iodobenzyloxy)ethyl]-3-devinyl-pyropheophorbide-a methyl ester (PET-ONCO or [¹²⁴I] 2 ) and [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) in BALB/c mice bearing colon-26 tumors. Whole-body PET images of [¹²⁴I] 4 containing a fused methoxy cyclohexenone ring system showed excellent tumor contrast with time (72>48>24 h post-injection). Ex vivo biodistribution results indicate that relative to the current clinical standard [¹⁸F]FDG and [¹²⁴I] 2 in 2 % ethanol formulation, [¹²⁴I] 4 , at the same radioactive dose (25 μCi per mouse), showed higher tumor uptake at 24 h post-injection and longer tumor retention. In biological environments, compound 4 showed lower fluorescence and lower singlet oxygen yield than 2 , which is possibly due to higher aggregation caused by the presence of a fused cyclohexenone ring system, resulting in limited in vitro/in vivo PDT efficacy. Therefore, the chlorophyll-a analogue [¹²⁴I] 4 provides easy access to a novel PET imaging agent (with no skin phototoxicity) to image cancer types—brain, renal carcinomas, pancreas—in which [¹⁸F]FDG shows limitations.     

Interface reactions between rutile coatings and molten aluminium or AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy

Rutile coatings deposited on corundum substrates are considered as promising functional elements improving the efficiency of the filtration of oxide inclusions out of aluminium melts. This contribution describes the reactions between rutile and two kinds of the aluminium melts and discusses the consequences of these reactions for the filtration process. It was found that the contact of rutile coatings with molten aluminium leads to the formation of a corundum layer at the solid/liquid interface. The exposure of the rutile coatings to molten AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy produces an interface layer of MgTiO₃. The interface layers possess defined orientation relationship to rutile which is characteristic for locally heteroepitaxial growth. The density functional theory calculations revealed that the TiO₂/α-Al₂O₃ and TiO₂/MgTiO₃ interfaces with the orientation relationships observed experimentally have low interface energies. The mechanisms of the interface layer formation and the impact of these layers on the degradation of the rutile coatings are discussed.     

Selection of metal hydrides-based thermal energy storage: Energy storage efficiency and density targets

Thermo-chemical energy storage based on metal hydrides has gained tremendous interest in solar heat storage applications such as concentrated solar power systems (CSP) and parabolic troughs. In such systems, two metal hydride beds are connected and operating in an alternative way as energy storage or hydrogen storage. However, the selection of metal hydrides is essential for a smooth operation of these CSP systems in terms of energy storage efficiency and density. In this study, thermal energy storage systems using metal hydrides are modeled and analyzed in detail using first law of thermodynamics. For these purpose, four conventional metal hydrides are selected namely LaNi₅, Mg, Mg₂Ni and Mg₂FeH₆. The comparison of performance is made in terms of volumetric energy storage and energy storage efficiency. The effects of operating conditions (temperature, hydrogen pressure and heat transfer fluid mass flow rates) and reactor design on the aforementioned performance metrics are studied and discussed in detail. The preliminary results showed that Mg-based hydrides store energy ranging from 1.3 to 2.4 GJ m^?3 while the energy storage can be as low as 30% due to their slow intrinsic kinetics. On the other hand, coupling Mg-based hydrides with LaNi₅ allow us to recover heat at a useful temperature above 330 K with low energy density ca.500 MJ m^?3 provided suitable operating conditions are selected. The results of this study will be helpful to screen out all potentially viable hydrides materials for heat storage applications.     

Controllable Broadband Absorption in the Mixed Phase of Metamagnets

Materials with broad absorption bands are highly desirable for electromagnetic filtering and processing applications, especially if the absorption can be externally controlled. Here, a new class of broadband‐absorption materials is introduced. Namely, layered metamagnets exhibit an electromagnetic excitation continuum in the magnetic‐field‐induced mixed ferro‐ and anti­ferromagnetic phase. Employing a series of complementary experimental techniques involving neutron scattering, muon spin relaxation, specific heat, ac and dc magnetization measurements, and electron magnetic resonance, a detailed magnetic phase diagram of Cu₃Bi(SeO₃)₂O₂Br is determined and it is found that the excitations in the mixed phase extend over at least ten decades of frequency. The results, which reveal a new dynamical aspect of the mixed phase in metamagnets, open up a novel approach to controllable microwave filtering.     

Analytical study of steady-state compressible flow of perfect gas with constant heat flux and friction in constant area ducts

Exact analytical solutions of one-dimensional gas dynamics are intensively applied in engineering practice as a tool in modelling and simulating the piping systems that utilize a compressible medium as their working fluids. Well-known exact analytical solutions for simple types of flows, i.e. for flow processes in which only a single effect is taken into account (e.g. such limiting cases of flows as isentropic, adiabatic or isothermal), are classics of modern one-dimensional gas dynamics theory formed in the first half of last century. At present, gas dynamics does not possess an exact analytical solution for more than a single factor bringing about changes in fluid properties. In this paper the possibility of obtaining general and particular solutions of a non-linear ordinary differential equation (ODE) system describing one-dimensional steady-state flow of compressible ideal gas in constant area ducts with a constant heat flux and friction factor is discussed. It shows that ODE system variables can be separated, and integrals can be taken in terms of elementary functions. Since an analytical solution is the most important result of the paper, its detailed derivation is presented. The mathematical properties of the solution are analyzed in order to calculate this type of compressible flow. For the purpose of this analysis, the functions of the solution and duct performance characteristics of the flow model are demonstrated for various flows and heat flux values, as well as distributions of flow parameters along the duct for both subsonic and supersonic flows. The thermodynamic constraints of the solution are also studied. The analytical solution formulas obtained in this paper may serve as a definition of heat flux and friction factor in ducts from a viewpoint of one-dimensional gas dynamics.     

Cycling stability of RNi5 (R = La,La+Ce) hydrides during the operation of metal hydride hydrogen compressor

This work presents results of the experimental studies (XRD, SEM, PCT) of hydride forming intermetallides used in the first (LaNi₅) and the second (La_0.5Ce_0.5Ni₅) stages of industrial-scale metal hydride hydrogen compressor providing H₂ compression from 3.5 to 150 atm with the productivity about 10 Nm³/h. During the operation, both materials underwent 18,180 hydrogenation/dehydrogenation (h/d) cycles which included H₂ absorption at the pressure of 3.5 atm (LaNi₅) and 35–38 atm (La_0.5Ce_0.5Ni₅) at T = 15–20 °C followed by H₂ desorption at the pressure of 35–38 atm (LaNi₅) and 150 atm (La_0.5Ce_0.5Ni₅) at T = 150–160 °C. It was found that the observed ～30% drop of the productivity of the compressor by the end of its operation is associated with a degradation of the first stage hydride material (LaNi₅) under conditions specified above. The cycling resulted in the appearance of Ni and LaH_2+x phases in addition to the parent intermetallide. In turn, the cycled LaNi₅ exhibited more than 20% lower hydrogen storage capacity than the alloy at the beginning of the cycling; the cycling was also found to result in a noticeable sloping of initially flat plateau. Conversely, the degradation effects in La_0.5Ce_0.5Ni₅ were found to be much less pronounced, in spite of the higher operating H₂ pressures. The observed effect was associated with the decrease of thermodynamic driving force (TDF) of AB₅ disproportionation in H₂ when substituting La with Ce.     

The role of grain size in static and cyclic deformation behaviour of a laser reversion annealed metastable austenitic steel

Different grain sizes were created in a metastable 17Cr‐7Mn‐7Ni steel by martensite‐to‐austenite reversion at different temperatures using a laser beam. Two fully reverted material states obtained at 990°C and 780°C exhibited average grain sizes of 7.7 and 2.7 μm, respectively. The third microstructure (610°C) consisted of grains at different stages of recrystallization and deformed austenite. A hot‐pressed, coarse‐grained counterpart was studied for reference. The yield and tensile strengths increased with refined grain size, maintaining reasonable elongation except for the heterogeneous microstructure. Total strain‐controlled fatigue tests revealed increasing initial stress amplitudes but decreasing cyclic hardening and fatigue‐induced α′‐martensite formation with decreasing grain size. Fatigue life was slightly improved for the 2.7‐μm grain size. Contrary, the heterogeneous microstructure yielded an inferior lifetime, especially at high strain amplitudes. Examinations of the cyclically deformed microstructure showed that the characteristic deformation band structure was less pronounced in refined grains.     

137Cs in the fungal compartment of Swedish forest soils

The (137)Cs activities in soil profiles and in the mycelia of four ectomycorrhizal fungi were studied in a Swedish forest in an attempt to understand the mechanisms governing the transfer and retention of (137)Cs in forest soil. The biomass of four species of fungi was determined and estimated to be 16 g m(-2) in a peat soil and 47-189 g m(-2) in non-peat soil to the depth of 10 cm. The vertical distribution was rather homogeneous for two species (Tylospora spp. and Piloderma fallax) and very superficial for Hydnellum peckii. Most of the (137)Cs activity in mycelium of non-peat soils was found in the upper 5 cm. Transfer factors were quite high even for those species producing resupinate sporocarps. In the peat soil only approximately 0.3% of the total (137)Cs inventory in soil was found in the fungal mycelium. The corresponding values for non-peat soil were 1.3, 1.8 and 1.9%.     

Investigation of Ionospheric Electron Density Change During Two Partial Solar Eclipses and Its Comparison with Predictions of NeQuick 2 and IRI-2016 Models

Wireless Personal Communications - In the present study, the results obtained by incoherent scatter radar (ISR) and empirical models (NeQuick2 and IRI-2016) of the variations in mid-latitude...