104 research outputs found
Strong Enhancement of Superconducting Correlation in a Two-Component Fermion Gas
We study high-density electron-hole (e-h) systems with the electron density
slightly larger than the hole density. We find a new superconducting phase, in
which the excess electrons form Cooper pairs moving in an e-h BCS phase. The
coexistence of the e-h and e-e orders is possible because e and h have opposite
charges, whereas analogous phases are impossible in the case of two fermion
species that have the same charge or are neutral. Most strikingly, the e-h
order enhances the superconducting e-h order parameter by more than one order
of magnitude as compared with that given by the BCS formula, for the same value
of the effective e-e attractive potential \lambda^{ee}. This new phase should
be observable in an e-h system created by photoexcitation in doped
semiconductors at low temperatures.Comment: 5 pages including 5 PostScript figure
Wigner Crystallization of a two dimensional electron gas in a magnetic field: single electrons versus electron pairs at the lattice sites
The ground state energy and the lowest excitations of a two dimensional
Wigner crystal in a perpendicular magnetic field with one and two electrons per
cell is investigated. In case of two electrons per lattice site, the
interaction of the electrons {\em within} each cell is taken into account
exactly (including exchange and correlation effects), and the interaction {\em
between} the cells is in second order (dipole) van der Waals approximation. No
further approximations are made, in particular Landau level mixing and {\em
in}complete spin polarization are accounted for. Therefore, our calculation
comprises a, roughly speaking, complementary description of the bubble phase
(in the special case of one and two electrons per bubble), which was proposed
by Koulakov, Fogler and Shklovskii on the basis of a Hartree Fock calculation.
The phase diagram shows that in GaAs the paired phase is energetically more
favorable than the single electron phase for, roughly speaking, filling factor
larger than 0.3 and density parameter smaller than 19 effective Bohr
radii (for a more precise statement see Fig.s 4 and 5). If we start within the
paired phase and increase magnetic field or decrease density, the pairs first
undergo some singlet- triplet transitions before they break.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
Unpaired and spin-singlet paired states of a two-dimensional electron gas in a perpendicular magnetic field
We present a variational study of both unpaired and spin-singlet paired
states induced in a two-dimensional electron gas at low density by a
perpendicular magnetic field. It is based on an improved circular-cell
approximation which leads to a number of closed analytical results. The
ground-state energy of the Wigner crystal containing a single electron per cell
in the lowest Landau level is obtained as a function of the filling factor
: the results are in good agreement with those of earlier approaches and
predict for the upper filling factor at which the
solid-liquid transition occurs. A novel localized state of spin-singlet
electron pairs is examined and found to be a competitor of the unpaired state
for filling factor . The corresponding phase boundary is quantitatively
displayed in the magnetic field-electron density plane.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B on 7th April 2001. to
appear in Phys. Rev.
Role of phason-defects on the conductance of a 1-d quasicrystal
We have studied the influence of a particular kind of phason-defect on the
Landauer resistance of a Fibonacci chain. Depending on parameters, we sometimes
find the resistance to decrease upon introduction of defect or temperature, a
behavior that also appears in real quasicrystalline materials. We demonstrate
essential differences between a standard tight-binding model and a full
continuous model. In the continuous case, we study the conductance in relation
to the underlying chaotic map and its invariant. Close to conducting points,
where the invariant vanishes, and in the majority of cases studied, the
resistance is found to decrease upon introduction of a defect. Subtle
interference effects between a sudden phason-change in the structure and the
phase of the wavefunction are also found, and these give rise to resistive
behaviors that produce exceedingly simple and regular patterns.Comment: 12 pages, special macros jnl.tex,reforder.tex, eqnorder.tex. arXiv
admin note: original tex thoroughly broken, figures missing. Modified so that
tex compiles, original renamed .tex.orig in source
Bond and charge density waves in the isotropic interacting two-dimensional quarter-filled band and the insulating state proximate to organic superconductivity
We report two surprising results regarding the nature of the spatial broken
symmetries in the two-dimensional (2D), quarter-filled band with strong
electron-electron interactions. First, in direct contradiction to the
predictions of one-electron theory, we find a coexisting ``bond-order and
charge density wave'' (BCDW) insulating ground state in the 2D rectangular
lattice for all anisotropies, including the isotropic limit. Second, we find
that the BCDW further coexists with a spin-density wave (SDW) in the range of
large anisotropy. Further, in contrast to the interacting half-filled band, in
the interacting quarter-filled band there are two transitions: first, a similar
singlet-to-AFM/SDW transition for large anisotropy and second, an
AFM/SDW-to-singlet transition at smaller anisotropy. We discuss how these
theoretical results apply to the insulating states that are proximate to the
superconducting states of 2:1 cationic charge-transfer solids (CTS).
An important consequence of this work is the suggestion that organic
superconductivity is related to the proximate Coulomb-induced BCDW, with the
SDW that coexists for large anisotropies being also a consequence of the BCDW,
rather than the driver of superconductivity.Comment: 29 pages, 18 eps figures. Revised with new appendices; to appear in
Phys. Rev. B 62, Nov 15, 200
MR imaging of therapy-induced changes of bone marrow
MR imaging of bone marrow infiltration by hematologic malignancies provides non-invasive assays of bone marrow cellularity and vascularity to supplement the information provided by bone marrow biopsies. This article will review the MR imaging findings of bone marrow infiltration by hematologic malignancies with special focus on treatment effects. MR imaging findings of the bone marrow after radiation therapy and chemotherapy will be described. In addition, changes in bone marrow microcirculation and metabolism after anti-angiogenesis treatment will be reviewed. Finally, new specific imaging techniques for the depiction of regulatory events that control blood vessel growth and cell proliferation will be discussed. Future developments are directed to yield comprehensive information about bone marrow structure, function and microenvironment
Recommendations for acquisition, interpretation and reporting of whole body low dose CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a report of the IMWG Bone Working Group
Whole Body Low Dose CT (WBLDCT) has important advantages as a first-line imaging modality for bone disease assessment in patients with plasma cell disorders and has been included in the 2014 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) definition. Nevertheless, standardization guidelines for the optimal use of WBLDCT in MM patients are still lacking, preventing its more widespread use, both in daily practice and clinical trials. The aim of this report by the Bone Group of the IMWG is to provide practical recommendations for the acquisition, interpretation and reporting of WBLDCT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders
A Novel Metal-Based Imaging Probe for Targeted Dual-Modality SPECT/MR Imaging of Angiogenesis
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with well-integrated multimodality imaging properties have generated increasing research interest in the past decade, especially when it comes to the targeted imaging of tumors. Bevacizumab (BCZM) on the other hand is a well-known and widely applied monoclonal antibody recognizing VEGF-A, which is overexpressed in angiogenesis. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to develop a dual-modality nanoplatform for in vivo targeted single photon computed emission tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of tumor vascularization. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been coated with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), for consequent functionalization with the monoclonal antibody BCZM radiolabeled with 99mTc, via well-developed surface engineering. The IONPs were characterized based on their size distribution, hydrodynamic diameter and magnetic properties. In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed that our nanoconstruct does not cause toxic effects in normal and cancer cells. Fe3O4-DMSA-SMCC-BCZM-99mTc were successfully prepared at high radiochemical purity (>92%) and their stability in human serum and in PBS were demonstrated. In vitro cell binding studies showed the ability of the Fe3O4-DMSA-SMCC-BCZM-99mTc to bind to the VEGF-165 isoform overexpressed on M-165 tumor cells. The ex vivo biodistribution studies in M165 tumor-bearing SCID mice showed high uptake in liver, spleen, kidney and lungs. The Fe3O4-DMSA-SMCC-BCZM-99mTc demonstrated quick tumor accumulation starting at 8.9 ± 1.88%ID/g at 2 h p.i., slightly increasing at 4 h p.i. (16.21 ± 2.56%ID/g) and then decreasing at 24 h p.i. (6.01 ± 1.69%ID/g). The tumor-to-blood ratio reached a maximum at 24 h p.i. (~7), which is also the case for the tumor-to-muscle ratio (~18). Initial pilot imaging studies on an experimental gamma-camera and a clinical MR camera prove our hypothesis and demonstrate the potential of Fe3O4-DMSA-SMCC-BCZM-99mTc for targeted dual-modality imaging. Our findings indicate that Fe3O4-DMSA-SMCC-BCZM-99mTc IONPs could serve as an important diagnostic tool for biomedical imaging as well as a promising candidate for future theranostic applications in cancer
Prognostic factors in solitary plasmacytoma of the bone: a multicenter Rare Cancer Network study
BACKGROUND: Solitary plasmacytoma (SP) of the bone is a rare plasma-cell neoplasm. There are no conclusive data in the literature on the optimal radiation therapy (RT) dose in SP. Therefore, in this large retrospective study, we wanted to assess the outcome, prognostic factors, and the optimal RT dose in patients with SP. METHODS: Data from 206 patients with bone SP without evidence of multiple myeloma (MM) were collected. Histopathological diagnosis was obtained for all patients. The majority (n = 169) of the patients received RT alone; 32 chemotherapy and RT, and 5 surgery. Median follow-up was 54 months (7–245). RESULTS: Five-year overall survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and local control was 70%, 46%, and 88%; respectively. Median time to MM development was 21 months (2–135) with a 5-year probability of 51%. In multivariate analyses, favorable factors were younger age and tumor size < 5 cm for survival; younger age for DFS; anatomic localization (vertebra vs. other) for local control. Older age was the only predictor for MM. There was no dose-response relationship for doses 30 Gy or higher, even for larger tumors. CONCLUSION: Younger patients, especially those with vertebral localization have the best outcome when treated with moderate-dose RT. Progression to MM remains the main problem. Further investigation should focus on adjuvant chemotherapy and/or novel therapeutic agents
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