Analysis of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Waveguides and Antennas in the Infrared and the Visible Regimes

The propagation of azimuthally symmetric guided waves in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was analyzed theoretically in the mid-infrared and the visible regimes. The MWCNTs were modeled as ensembles of concentric, cylindrical, conducting shells. Slightly attenuated guided waves and antenna resonances due to the edge effect exist for not-too-thick MWCNTs in the far- and mid-infrared regimes. Interband transitions hinder the propagation of guided waves and have a deleterious effect on the performance of a finite-length MWCNT as an antenna. Propagation of surface-plasmon waves along an MWCNT with a gold core was also analyzed. In the near-infrared and the visible regimes, the shells behave effectively as lossy dielectrics suppressing surface-plasmon-wave propagation along the gold core.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

ВЛИЯНИЕ МЕЗЕНХИМАЛЬНЫХ СТВОЛОВЫХ КЛЕТОК КОСТНОГО МОЗГА НА РАЗВИТИЕ ПОСТТРАНСПЛАНТАЦИОННЫХ ИЗМЕНЕНИЙ В ПОЧКЕ

Aim: to study of infl uence of various doses of autologous BM MSCs on the development of chronic transplant nephropathy in a decentralized kidney using kidney autotransplantation model (KAT).Materials and methods. Five groups of experiments were performed on 105 Wistar rats. The model of kidney autotransplantation by means of surgical decentralization (denervation – delymphatization) and infl ammation induction with kidney antigen and Freund’s adjuvant was created in groups I, II and III. Group I served as a decentralization control (control 1). In groups II and III autologous BM MSCs were injected intravenously once 35–40 days after surgery – a high dose in group II: 3.0–5.0×106 cells; a low dose in group III: 0.3–0.5×106 cells; group IV served as intact control; group V served as intact control with the injection of the same dose of BM MSCs as in group II. Kidney excretory functions (diuresis, creatinine, urea, protein in blood and urine, sodium excretion) and morphology were examined during months 3, 5 and 7–10.Results. In all five groups over the study duration nitrogen excretion was not disrupted. High doses of BM MSCs after KAT modeling resulted after month 3 in pronounced proteinuria in all rats (3–3.5 times more than in group I) and gradually decreased diuresis; histologically severe focal cell infiltration and the accumulation of protein masses in lumina of glomeruli and tubules were observed. By month 10 glomerular and tubulointerstitial focal sclerosis was developed. Low doses of BM MSCs after KAT modeling led to gradual decrease of proteinuria after month 3 reaching the initial values by months 5 and 7 of observation; histologically rare foci of cellular infiltration around glomeruli were observed.Conclusion. A single application of low doses of BM MSCs is capable of protective desensitizing infl uence on the tissue of decentralized kidney and can prolong the duration of kidney function without signs of pronounced damage, while under the same conditions high doses of autologous BM MSCs lead to accelerated development of severe chronic transplant nephropathy.Цель исследования: на модели аутотрансплантации почки (АТП) изучить влияние различных доз аутологичных МСК КМ на развитие хронической трансплантационной нефропатии в децентрализованной почке.Материалы и методы. На 105 крысах породы Вистар выполнено 5 групп экспериментов. В I, II и III группах была создана модель аутотрансплантации единственной почки путем ее хирургической децентрализации (денервация – делимфатизация) и индукции воспаления почечным аутоантигеном и адъювантом Фрейнда. I группа служила контролем децентрализации (контроль 1). Во II и III группах через 35–40 суток после операции внутривенно однократно вводили аутологичные МСК КМ: во II группе – высокую дозу (3,0–5,0×106 клеток), а в III группе – низкую дозу (0,3–0,5×106 клеток). IV группа – интактный контроль; V группа – интактный контроль + МСК КМ в той же дозе, как во II группе. В течение 3, 5 и 7–10 месяцев контролировали выделительную функцию почек (диурез, креатинин, мочевина, белок в крови и моче, экскреция натрия) и их морфологическое состояние.Результаты. Во всех 5 группах животных в исследуемых сроках эксперимента азотовыделительная функция почек не была нарушенной. При введении высоких доз МСК КМ после моделирования АТП, начиная с 3 мес., у всех крыс наблюдали резко выраженную протеинурию (в 3–3,5 раза больше, чем в I группе) и постепенное снижение диуреза; гистологически определялась выраженная очаговая клеточная инфильтрация, скопление белковых масс в просвете клубочков и канальцев. К 10-му месяцу развивался очаговый тубулоинтерстициальный склероз и склероз клубочков. При введении низких доз МСК КМ после моделирования АТП, начиная с 3 мес., протеинурия постепенно снижалась, достигая исходных значений к 5 и 7 мес. наблюдения; гистологически выявлялись редкие очаги клеточной инфильтрации вокруг клубочков.Заключение. Малые дозы МСК КМ при однократном применении способны оказать защитное десенсибилизирующее воздействие на ткань децентрализованной почки и пролонгировать сроки нормального функционирования почки без признаков выраженной деструкции, тогда как при тех же условиях высокие дозы аутологичных МСК КМ приводят к ускоренному развитию симптомов хронической трансплантационной нефропатии

НАРУШЕНИЕ МАКРОМОЛЕКУЛЯРНОЙ СТРУКТУРЫ КАРДИОМИОЦИТОВ АЛЛОТРАНСПЛАНТАТА СЕРДЦА КАК ПРИЗНАК ХРОНИЧЕСКОГО ОТТОРЖЕНИЯ

Chronic rejection, especially cardiac allograft vasculopathy, is a major limiting factor for long-term transplant survival. This process affects not only the blood vessels, but also cardiomyocytes. However, there are extremely few reports on the evaluation of their macromolecular structure state. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structural proteins of cardiomyocytes (actin, myosin, troponin I, titin, desmin, vinculin) of heart allografts in different periods after the operation (from 6 days to 15 years). Major changes of macromolecular structure were revealed in late period after transplantation (6 months – 15 years). The contribution of humoral immune response in the process of chronic cardiac allograft rejection was observed: in eight of twelve recipients episodes of acute humoral rejection had been repeatedly registered; disorders of the expression of 5 proteins out of 6 characterized were found in recipients with recurrent and persistent antibody-mediated rejection. Хроническое отторжение, и прежде всего болезнь коронарных артерий, является основным лимитирую- щим фактором длительной функции аллотрансплантата сердца. Данный процесс затрагивает не только со- суды, изменениям также подвержены и кардиомиоциты. Однако сообщений, касающихся оценки состоя- ния их макромолекулярной структуры, крайне мало. Целью нашей работы явилось исследование состояния структурных белков кардиомиоцитов (актин, миозин, тропонин I, титин, десмин, винкулин) аллотрансплан- тата сердца в разные периоды после операции (от 6 дней до 15 лет). Основные изменения макромолекуляр- ной структуры выявлены в подгруппе позднего периода (6 мес.–15 лет). Продемонстрирован вклад гумо- рального звена иммунного ответа в процесс хронического отторжения аллотрансплантата сердца: у восьми из двенадцати реципиентов данной подгруппы неоднократно регистрировали эпизоды острого антитело- опосредованного отторжения; нарушения экспрессии пяти белков из шести охарактеризованных были об- наружены у реципиентов с возвратным и персистирующим антителоопосредованным отторжением.

Solvent Effect on the Thermal Performance of Cholesteric Liquid-Crystals

WOS: A1995TD33600001Spectral distributions of selective reflection from liquid crystal layers were investigated as a function of the dipole moment of the chlorinated hydrocarbon molecules used as solvent in casting the film. It was found that the use of non-polar solvents such as CCl4 does not affect the interactions between liquid crystal molecules. As the polarity of the solvent increases, the rotation of the helical arrays are hindered with a resultant decrease in the sensitivity. The solvent molecules remain as an impurity with very low concentrations in liquid crystal films. Their effect is not as great as the effect of an L.C. additive. Yet even at these low concentrations they may change the sensitivity as much as 100%

INFLUENCE OF BONE MARROW MSCs ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSTTRANSPLANT CHANGES IN KIDNES

Aim: to study of infl uence of various doses of autologous BM MSCs on the development of chronic transplant nephropathy in a decentralized kidney using kidney autotransplantation model (KAT).Materials and methods. Five groups of experiments were performed on 105 Wistar rats. The model of kidney autotransplantation by means of surgical decentralization (denervation – delymphatization) and infl ammation induction with kidney antigen and Freund’s adjuvant was created in groups I, II and III. Group I served as a decentralization control (control 1). In groups II and III autologous BM MSCs were injected intravenously once 35–40 days after surgery – a high dose in group II: 3.0–5.0×106 cells; a low dose in group III: 0.3–0.5×106 cells; group IV served as intact control; group V served as intact control with the injection of the same dose of BM MSCs as in group II. Kidney excretory functions (diuresis, creatinine, urea, protein in blood and urine, sodium excretion) and morphology were examined during months 3, 5 and 7–10.Results. In all five groups over the study duration nitrogen excretion was not disrupted. High doses of BM MSCs after KAT modeling resulted after month 3 in pronounced proteinuria in all rats (3–3.5 times more than in group I) and gradually decreased diuresis; histologically severe focal cell infiltration and the accumulation of protein masses in lumina of glomeruli and tubules were observed. By month 10 glomerular and tubulointerstitial focal sclerosis was developed. Low doses of BM MSCs after KAT modeling led to gradual decrease of proteinuria after month 3 reaching the initial values by months 5 and 7 of observation; histologically rare foci of cellular infiltration around glomeruli were observed.Conclusion. A single application of low doses of BM MSCs is capable of protective desensitizing infl uence on the tissue of decentralized kidney and can prolong the duration of kidney function without signs of pronounced damage, while under the same conditions high doses of autologous BM MSCs lead to accelerated development of severe chronic transplant nephropathy

Novel Indolocarbazole Derivative 12-(α-L-arabinopyranosyl)indolo[2,3-a]pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazole-5,7-dione Is a Preferred c-Myc Guanine Quadruplex Ligand

The indolocarbazole derivative 12-(α-L-arabinopyranosyl)indolo[2,3-a]pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazole-5,7-dione (AIC) has demonstrated a high potency (at nanomolar to submicromolar concentrations) towards the NCI panel of human tumor cell lines and transplanted tumors. Intercalation into the DNA double helix has been identified as an important prerequisite for AIC cytotoxicity. In this study, we provide evidence for preferential binding to the G-quadruplex derived from the c-Myc oncogene promoter (Pu18 d(AG3TG4)2; G-c-Myc). The association constant for AIC:G-c-Myc complex was ~100 times and 10 times greater than the respective values for the complexes AIC:c-Myc duplex and AIC:telomeric d(TTAGGG)4 G-quadruplex. The concentrations at which AIC formed complexes with G-c-Myc were close to those that attenuated the steady-state level of the c-Myc mRNA in the human HCT116 colon carcinoma cell line. We suggest that preferential binding of AIC to G-c-Myc rather than to the c-Myc duplex might favor the quadruplex formation in the cells, thereby contributing to downregulation of the c-Myc expression by AIC

Experimental and theoretical investigation of radiative decay rates of metastable levels in LaII

An experimental and theoretical investigation of lifetimes of metastable levels in La II has been performed. The experimentally obtained results using the laser probing of a stored ion beam were tau=5.2+/-0.2 s for the a(1)G(4) and tau=2.1+/-0.3 s for the b(1)D(2) levels. Within the error bars, the results are in good agreement with the relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations including core polarization

DISTURBANCE OF THE CARDIOMYOCYTE’S MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURE IN HEART ALLOGRAFTS AS A SIGN OF CHRONIC REJECTION

Chronic rejection, especially cardiac allograft vasculopathy, is a major limiting factor for long-term transplant survival. This process affects not only the blood vessels, but also cardiomyocytes. However, there are extremely few reports on the evaluation of their macromolecular structure state. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structural proteins of cardiomyocytes (actin, myosin, troponin I, titin, desmin, vinculin) of heart allografts in different periods after the operation (from 6 days to 15 years). Major changes of macromolecular structure were revealed in late period after transplantation (6 months – 15 years). The contribution of humoral immune response in the process of chronic cardiac allograft rejection was observed: in eight of twelve recipients episodes of acute humoral rejection had been repeatedly registered; disorders of the expression of 5 proteins out of 6 characterized were found in recipients with recurrent and persistent antibody-mediated rejection