Remote manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles using magnetic field gradient to promote cancer cell death

The manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using an external magnetic field, has been successfully demonstrated in various biomedical applications. Some have utilised this non-invasive external stimulus and there is an potential to build on this platform. The focus of this study is to understand the manipulation of MNPs by a time-varying static magnetic field and how, at different frequencies and displacement, this can alter cellular function. Here we explore, using numerical modeling, the physical mechanism which underlies this process, and we discuss potential improvements for its use in biomedical applications. From our data and other related studies, we infer that such phenomenon largely depends on the magnetic field gradient, magnetic susceptibility and size of the MNPs, magnet array oscillating frequency, viscosity of the medium surrounding MNPs, and distance between the magnetic field source and MNPs. Additionally, we demonstrate cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells in vitro induced by MNPs exposed to a magnetic field gradient and oscillating at various frequencies and displacement amplitudes. Even though this technique reliably produces MNP endocytosis and/or cytotoxicity, a better understanding is required to develop this system for precision manipulation of MNPs, ex vivo

Radiation pions in two-nucleon effective field theory

For interactions involving two or more nucleons it is useful to divide pions into three classes: potential, radiation, and soft. The momentum threshold for the production of radiation pions is $Q_r = \sqrt{M_N m_\pi}$. We show that radiation pions can be included systematically with a power counting in $Q_r$. The leading order radiation pion graphs which contribute to NN scattering are evaluated in the PDS and OS renormalization schemes and are found to give a small contribution. The power counting for soft pion contributions is also discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figs, journal versio

The British economy [March 1988]

Growth in the British economy continues at a high rate. To date there is little evidence that the collapse of share prices in October has had much effect on consumer demand or on business confidence. The expected decline in the UK growth rate during 1988 is likely to prevent any occurence of the symptoms of overheating which were evident before the events of last October. Further significant deterioration in the balance of payments is to be expected this year. The size of the deterioration and the extent of downward pressure on the exchange rate will in part depend on the degree to which the economy can contain incipient cost inflationary pressures

The world economy [March 1988]

The outlook for the world economy is, on balance, probably more favourable than when we last reported in November: a further significant deterioration in equity prices has been avoided and business confidence appears to be holding up well. World economic growth will be lower in 1988 than would have been the case but there appears a good chance that recession can be avoided. The key to future exchange rate stability and the maintenance of business confidence in the world economy rests on the progress being made in the US, Japan and West Germany in introducing domestic macro-economic policies to remove the continuing financial imbalances. West Germany's weakening resolve in this connection is a major cause for concern

The British economy [November 1987]

The British economy continues to grow strongly at a rate in excess of other major industrial countries. However, future prospects have been considerably clouded following the dramatic collapse of share prices in the world's major financial centres. The outlook for 1988 and beyond is likely to be heavily influenced by developments elsewhere in the world economy

The Scottish economy [August 1984]

Throughout much of the last two years the official view has been that the Scottish recession was less severe than that experienced in the United Kingdom as a whole. Indeed, the Secretary of State has proclaimed to a variety of audiences, including the House of Commons, that Scotland was, and still is , leading the country out of recession. This diagnosis has not met with universal approval, as it appears to be founded primarily on the growth of the Scottish electronics sector and on the smaller proportionate rise in unemployment which has occurred in Scotland than in Britain as a whole. This latter fact is not particularly surprising as the pre-recession level of unemployment in Scotland was markedly above that of the rest of Britain

Outlook and appraisal [March 1988]

Both the short-term and medium-term prospects for the Scottish economy are favourable. To date there is little evidence that the upheavals in the equity and currency markets during the final quarter of last year have had a harmful effect on Scottish firms

The world economy [November 1987]

Recent events have been dominated by a major collapse of share prices in the world's stock markets followed by instability in the foreign exchange markets and a significant downward movement in the exchange value of the dollar. By the end of the first week of November, the stock markets in London, Frankfurt, New York and Tokyo had fallen by 32 30 25% and 15 respectively, since the middle of October. Uncertainty about the attempts to cut the US Budget deficit, the course of the dollar and the future of the Louvre accord on exchange rate stabilisation , continued to have a depressing effect on share prices. While the depressing effects on trade and growth in the world economy of a once-and-for-all fall in share prices of this magnitude should be limited and not of recessionary proportions, continued uncertainty could seriously damage business confidence making a major recession more likel