Influence of band structure effects on domain-wall resistance in diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors

Intrinsic domain-wall resistance (DWR) in (Ga,Mn)As is studied theoretically and compared to experimental results. The recently developed model of spin transport in diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors [Van Dorpe et al., Phys. Rev. B 72, 205322 (2005)] is employed. The model combines the disorder-free Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism with the tight-binding description of the host band structure. The obtained results show how much the spherical 4x4 kp model [Nguyen, Shchelushkin, and Brataas, cond-mat/0601436] overestimates DWR in the adiabatic limit, and reveal the dependence of DWR on the magnetization profile and crystallographic orientation of the wall.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B - Rapid Com

Rodent models of neuroinflammation for Alzheimer\u27s disease

Alzheimer\u27s disease remains incurable, and the failures of current disease-modifying strategies for Alzheimer\u27s disease could be attributed to a lack of in vivo models that recapitulate the underlying etiology of late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease. The etiology of late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease is not based on mutations related to amyloid-beta (A beta) or tau production which are currently the basis of in vivo models of Alzheimer\u27s disease. It has recently been suggested that mechanisms like chronic neuroinflammation may occur prior to amyloid-beta and tau pathologies in late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of rodent models of neuroinflammation in late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease. Our search criteria were based on characteristics of an idealistic disease model that should recapitulate causes, symptoms, and lesions in a chronological order similar to the actual disease. Therefore, a model based on the inflammation hypothesis of late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease should include the following features: (i) primary chronic neuroinflammation, (ii) manifestations of memory and cognitive impairment, and (iii) late development of tau and A beta pathologies. The following models fit the pre-defined criteria: lipopolysaccharide-and PolyI:C-induced models of immune challenge; streptozotocin-, okadaic acid-, and colchicine neurotoxin-induced neuroinflammation models, as well as interleukin-1 beta, anti-nerve growth factor and p25 transgenic models. Among these models, streptozotocin, PolyI:C-induced, and p25 neuroinflammation models are compatible with the inflammation hypothesis of Alzheimer\u27s disease

Evaluation of radiological and clinical efficacy of ^{90}Y-DOTATATE} therapy in patients with progressive metastatic midgut neuroendocrine carcinomas

Background: To evaluate the radiological and clinical therapeutic effectiveness of ^{90}Y-octreotate [DOTATATE] inpatients with progressive somatostatin receptor-positive midgut neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEPNETs). Material/Methods: The study group: 34 patients, with histological proven extensive non-resectable and progressive midgut GEP-NETs. Radionuclide therapy (^{90}Y-DOTATATE) was given i.v. with a mean activity per administration 3,82 GBq. Initial clinical tumor responses were assessed 6-7 weeks after therapy completion and then once 3-monthly. The objective tumor response was classified according to the RECIST, initially between 4-6 months and then after each of the 6 months interval. Results: At 6 months after treatment completion, radiological tumor response was observed in 6 subjects with PR (19%), 25 presented SD (78%) and single had PD (3%). Overall clinical response to therapy at 6 months follow-up was observed in 23 patients (68%), SD in 5 patients (15%) and PD in 6 (18%). A year after therapy radiological tumour response was seen in 11 patients (44%), SD had 12 subjects (44%) and DP was noted in 2 patients. Two years after completed therapy PR was seen in 6 patients (33%), SD in additional 11 subjects (61%), single patient had PD. Clinical response to treatment in terms of PR and SD were noted in 22 patients (88%) after 1 year and in 14 patients (87%) after 2 years. Median PFS was 20 months, while the median OS was 23 months. In the 6 patients with clinical PD within initial 6 months the median PFS was 6 months and OS 11 months, while in those with SD or PR PFS was 22 months and OS 26 months (P<0.05). Conclusions: Therapy with ^{90}Y-DOTATATE} is effective in terms of clinical response, however the radiological response measured by the RECIST criteria underestimates benefits of this type of therapy in patients with progressive somatostatin receptor-positive midgut neuroendocrine carcinomas

TRÓJWYMIAROWA WIZUALIZACJA STRUKTUR PRZEPŁYWÓW DWUFAZOWYCH PRZY UŻYCIU ELEKTRYCZNEJ TOMOGRAFII POJEMNOŚCIOWEJ – ALGORYTMY I OPROGRAMOWANIE

This paper presents the software for comprehensive processing and visualization of 2D and 3D electrical tomography data. The system name as TomoKIS Studio has been developed in the frame of DENIDIA international research project and has been improved in the frame of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education Project no 4664/B/T02/2010/38. This software is worldwide unique because it simultaneously integrates the process of tomographic data acquisition, numerical FEM modeling and tomographic images reconstruction. The software can be adapted to specific industrial applications, particularly to monitoring and diagnosis of two-phase flows. The software architecture is composed of independent modules. Their combination offers calibration, configuration and full-duplex communication with any tomographic acquisition system with known and open communication protocol. The other major features are: online data acquisition and processing, online and offline 2D/3D images linear and nonlinear reconstruction and visualization as well as raw data and tomograms processing. Another important ability is 2D/3D ECT sensor construction using FEM modeling. The presented software is supported with the multi-core GPU technology and parallel computing using Nvidia CUDA technology.W artykule autorzy przedstawiają środowisko komputerowe do kompleksowego przetwarzania i wizualizacji tomograficznych danych pomiarowych. Oprogramowanie &nbsp;TomoKIS Studio powstało w Instytucie Informatyki Stosowanej PŁ w ramach projektu DENIDIA i zostało rozwinięte w&nbsp;ramach projektu MNiSW nr 4664/B/T02/2010/38. Zbudowane oprogramowanie jest unikalne w skali światowej, gdyż integruje w sobie proces pozyskiwania danych pomiarowych, modelowanie numeryczne oraz proces konstruowania obrazów tomograficznych, z możliwością adaptacji dla różnych aplikacji przemysłowych, w szczególności dla potrzeb monitorowania i diagnostyki przepływów dwufazowych gaz-ciecz. Architektura aplikacji oparta jest na zestawie niezależnych modułów, które pozwalają na w pełni dwukierunkową komunikacją, konfigurację oraz kalibrację dowolnego urządzenia tomografii elektrycznej z otwartym protokołem pomiarowym, akwizycję i przetwarzanie danych pomiarowych on-line, liniową oraz nieliniową rekonstrukcję obrazów 2D i 3D w czasie rzeczywistym, a także wizualizację surowych danych pomiarowych i tomogramów. Istotnym elementem systemu jest moduł numerycznego modelowania czujników pojemnościowych wykorzystujący metodę elementów skończonych, oparty na autorskich algorytmach generowania siatek MES komputerowych modeli czujników pojemnościowych. Architektura prezentowanego systemu została zaprojektowana przy użyciu obliczeń równoległych na procesorach graficznych, z wykorzystaniem technologii Nvidia CUDA

Key role of MIF-related neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that promotes the production of other immune mediators. MIF is produced by most cell types in the brain including microglia, astrocytes and neurons. Enhanced expression of MIF might contribute to the persistent activation of glial, chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Here, we investigated the effect of MIF on inflammatory markers and spatial learning in a mouse model of sporadic AD and on tau pathology in AD patients. We examined the effects of MIF deficiency and pharmacological MIF inhibition in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, quantitative PCR and ELISA were used to assess cytokine production of STZ-treated glial cells. In vivo, C57BL/6 mice were subjected to intracerebroventricular streptozotocin injection (3 mg/kg, ICV-STZ). Neuroinflammation and contextual learning performance were assessed using quantitative PCR and fear conditioning, respectively. Pharmacological MIF inhibition was achieved with intraperitoneal injections of ISO-1 (daily, IP, 20 mg/kg in 5% DMSO in 0.9% NaCl) for 4 weeks following ICV-STZ injection. The findings from ISO-1 treated mice were confirmed in MIF knockout C57BL/6. To assess the role of MIF in human AD, cerebrospinal fluid levels of MIF and hyperphosphorylated tau were measured using ELISA. Administration ICV-STZ resulted in hippocampal dependent cognitive impairment. MIF inhibition with ISO-1 significantly improved the STZ-induced impairment in contextual memory performance, indicating MIF-related inflammation as a major contributor to ICV-STZ-induced memory deficits. Furthermore, inhibition of the MIF resulted in reduced cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. In human subjects with AD at early clinical stages, cerebrospinal fluid levels of MIF were increased in comparison with age-matched controls, and correlated with biomarkers of tau hyper-phosphorylation and neuronal injury hinting at MIF levels as a potential biomarker for early-stage AD. The present study indicates the key role of MIF in controlling the chronic cytokine release in neuroinflammation related to tau hyperphosphorylation, neurodegeneration, and clinical manifestations of AD, suggesting the potential of MIF inhibition as therapeutic strategy to slow down neurodegeneration and clinical disease progression

Structural and electronic properties of Pb1-xCdxTe and Pb1-xMnxTe ternary alloys

A systematic theoretical study of two PbTe-based ternary alloys, Pb1-xCdxTe and Pb1-xMnxTe, is reported. First, using ab initio methods we study the stability of the crystal structure of CdTe - PbTe solid solutions, to predict the composition for which rock-salt structure of PbTe changes into zinc-blende structure of CdTe. The dependence of the lattice parameter on Cd (Mn) content x in the mixed crystals is studied by the same methods. The obtained decrease of the lattice constant with x agrees with what is observed in both alloys. The band structures of PbTe-based ternary compounds are calculated within a tight-binding approach. To describe correctly the constituent materials new tight-binding parameterizations for PbTe and MnTe bulk crystals as well as a tight-binding description of rock-salt CdTe are proposed. For both studied ternary alloys, the calculated band gap in the L point increases with x, in qualitative agreement with photoluminescence measurements in the infrared. The results show also that in p-type Pb1-xCdxTe and Pb1-xMnxTe mixed crystals an enhancement of thermoelectrical power can be expected.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of mouse and human microglia at single-cell resolution

Microglia have critical roles not only in neural development and homeostasis, but also in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases of the central nervous system(1-4). These highly diverse and specialized functions may be executed by subsets of microglia that already exist in situ, or by specific subsets of microglia that develop from a homogeneous pool of cells on demand. However, little is known about the presence of spatially and temporally restricted subclasses of microglia in the central nervous system during development or disease. Here we combine massively parallel single-cell analysis, single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization, advanced immunohistochemistry and computational modelling to comprehensively characterize subclasses of microglia in multiple regions of the central nervous system during development and disease. Single-cell analysis of tissues of the central nervous system during homeostasis in mice revealed specific time- and region-dependent subtypes of microglia. Demyelinating and neurodegenerative diseases evoked context-dependent subtypes of microglia with distinct molecular hallmarks and diverse cellular kinetics. Corresponding clusters of microglia were also identified in healthy human brains, and the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis. Our data provide insights into the endogenous immune system of the central nervous system during development, homeostasis and disease, and may also provide new targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory pathologies

Определение некоторых пуриновых алкалоидов в чае, кофе и какао методом ВЭЖХ

АЛКАЛОИДЫХРОМАТОГРАФИЯ ЖИДКОСТНАЯЧАЙКОФЕКАКА

Electronic and optical spectra in a diluted magnetic semiconductor multilayer

The effects of random distribution of magnetic impurities with concentration $x$ in a semiconductor alloy multilayer at a paramagnetic temperature are investigated by means of coherent potential approximation and tight-binding model. The change in the electronic states and the optical absorption spectrum with $x$ is calculated for weak and strong exchange interactions between carrier spins and localized spin moments on magnetic ions. We find that the density of states and optical absorption are strongly layer-dependent due to the quantum size effects. The electronic and optical spectra are broadened due to the spin fluctuations of magnetic ions and in the case of strong exchange interaction, an energy gap appears in both spectra. Furthermore, the interior layers show higher contribution in the optical absorption of the system. The results can be helpful for magneto-optical devices at a paramagnetic temperature.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure