Multifunctionality of silver closo-boranes

Silver compounds share a rich history in technical applications including photography, catalysis, photocatalysis, cloud seeding and as antimicrobial agents. Here we present a class of silver compounds (Ag2B10H10 and Ag2B12H12) that are semiconductors with a bandgap at 2.3?eV in the green visible light spectrum. The silver boranes have extremely high ion conductivity and dynamic-anion facilitated Ag(+) migration is suggested based on the structural model. The ion conductivity is enhanced more than two orders of magnitude at room temperature (up to 3.2?mS?cm(-1)) by substitution with AgI to form new compounds. Furthermore, the closo-boranes show extremely fast silver nano-filament growth when excited by electrons during transmission electron microscope investigations. Ag nano-filaments can also be reabsorbed back into Ag2B12H12. These interesting properties demonstrate the multifunctionality of silver closo-boranes and open up avenues in a wide range of fields including photocatalysis, solid state ionics and nano-wire production

Multicentre phase II study of gemcitabine and cisplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a notoriously chemoresistant tumour. However, a recent single institution study showed an impressive activity of gemcitabine and cisplatin. Our aim is to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of a gemcitabine and cisplatin combination in selected and chemo-naive patients with histologically proven malignant pleural mesothelioma. Method: Gemcitabine 1250 mg m−2 was administered on day 1 and day 8 and cisplatin 80 mg m−2 was administered on day 1 in a 3-week cycle with a maximum of six cycles. Response and toxicity evaluations were performed according to WHO and NCIC-CTC criteria. Pathology and radiology were centrally reviewed. Results show that in 25 evaluable patients, four PR were observed (ORR 16%, 95% CI 1–31%). Responses of seven patients were unevaluable. No unexpected toxicity occurred. Time to progression was 6 months (5–7 months) with a median survival from registration of 9.6 months (95% CI 8–12 months). In conclusion this trial excludes with 90% power a response rate of greater than 30% in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma using a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin at the proposed dose and schedule

Angiogenesis is an independent prognostic factor in malignant mesothelioma

Angiogenesis is essential for tumour growth beyond 1 to 2 mm in diameter. The clinical relevance of angiogenesis, as assessed by microvessel density (MVD), is unclear in malignant mesothelioma (MM). Immunohistochemistry was performed on 104 archival, paraffin-embedded, surgically resected MM samples with an anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody, using the Streptavidin–biotin complex immunoperoxidase technique. 93 cases were suitable for microvessel quantification. MVD was obtained from 3 intratumoural hotspots, using a Chalkley eyepiece graticule at × 250 power. MVD was correlated with survival by Kaplan–Meier and log-rank analysis. A stepwise, multivariate Cox model was used to compare MVD with known prognostic factors and the EORTC and CALGB prognostic scoring systems. Overall median survival from the date of diagnosis was 5.0 months. Increasing MVD was a poor prognostic factor in univariate analysis (P = 0.02). Independent indicators of poor prognosis in multivariate analysis were non-epithelial cell type (P = 0.002), performance status > 0 (P = 0.003) and increasing MVD (P = 0.01). In multivariate Cox analysis, MVD contributed independently to the EORTC (P = 0.006), but not to the CALGB (P = 0.1), prognostic groups. Angiogenesis, as assessed by MVD, is a poor prognostic factor in MM, independent of other clinicopathological variables and the EORTC prognostic scoring system. Further work is required to assess the prognostic importance of angiogenic regulatory factors in this disease. http://www.bjcancer.com © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign  http://www.bjcancer.co

STM-induced light emission from thin films of perylene derivatives on the HOPG and Au substrates

We have investigated the emission properties of N,N'-diheptyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide thin films by the tunneling-electron-induced light emission technique. A fluorescence peak with vibronic progressions with large Stokes shifts was observed on both highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and Au substrates, indicating that the emission was derived from the isolated-molecule-like film condition with sufficient π-π interaction of the perylene rings of perylenetetracarboxylic diimide molecules. The upconversion emission mechanism of the tunneling-electron-induced emission was discussed in terms of inelastic tunneling including multiexcitation processes. The wavelength-selective enhanced emission due to a localized tip-induced surface plasmon on the Au substrate was also obtained

Prognostication and monitoring of mesothelioma using biomarkers:a systematic review

Background: Radiological markers of treatment response and prognostication in malignant pleural mesothelioma have limitations due to the morphology of the disease. Serum or pleural fluid biomarkers that could act as an adjunct to radiological assessment would be of significant value. The aim of this review was to collate and summarise the literature relating to this topic. Methods: A systematic review was performed on the databases Pubmed and EMBASE to identify relevant studies. Two independent researchers read the abstracts and used the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool to assess the quality of the evidence. Results: Forty-five studies were identified from the current literature. Twenty studies investigated the role of serum soluble mesothelin with majority suggesting that it has variable utility as a baseline test but when measured serially correlates with treatment response and prognosis. Several studies demonstrated that serum osteopontin correlated with survival at baseline. Other biomarkers have shown prognostic utility in individual studies but are yet to be reproduced in large cohort studies. Conclusions: From the available literature no serum or pleural fluid biomarker was identified that could be recommended currently for routine clinical practice. However, a falling serum soluble mesothelin might correlate with treatment response and improved survival

Preoperative TNM classification of gastric carcinoma by endosonography in comparison with the pathological TNM system: a prospective study of 72 cases

Prospectively, 72 patients with a gastric carcinoma were studied endosonographically before surgery. The results were correlated with those obtained with the histology of resected specimens according to the new (1987) TNM classification. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was accurate in assessing the extent and depth of tumor infiltration. Early gastric carcinoma could readily be distinguished from advanced carcinoma. The overall accuracy of EUS was 84.7%. Occasionally, overstaging and understaging occurred. Stenosis was a factor limiting accurate staging. EUS was reasonably accurate in the assessment of lymph node metastasis. The overall accuracy was 81.0%. In non-metastatic lymph nodes, however, the accuracy was only 50%. Difficulties occurred in distinguishing granulomatous lymph nodes and small micrometastatic lymph node involvement. EUS was not accurate in diagnosing distant metastasis, due to the limited depth of penetration of ultrasound. Technical improvements such as a reduction in the diameter of the echoprobe, and the use of the biopsy channel for EUS-guided cytological puncture will further enhance the accuracy of EU

Enhanced ductility in high performance polyamides due to strain-induced phase transitions

Copolymerizing poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide-co-isophthalamide) (PA6TI) with 40 wt% polyamide 66 (PA66) results in only minor decreases in modulus and yield stress owing to isomorphous substitution of PA6TI units by PA66 units in the PA6TI a phase, so that crystallinity is maintained in the resulting PA6TI-66 terpolymer. However, the ductility also significantly increases. This is attributed to a deformation-induced transformation of the PA6TI a phase to a disordered form of the PA66 a phase, where PA6TI units constitute defects and the chains adopt extended conformations. This phase is argued to be favored in initially amorphous PA66-rich regions and hence stabilizes interlamellar micro-necks that develop during yielding. By contrast, segregation of isophthaloyl units to the amorphous regions in PA6TI hinders strain-induced crystallization, leading to failure at significantly lower strains. Brittleness may therefore be a generic problem when comonomers are used to facilitate processing, but one that may be overcome through proper microstructural control.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft