New compression paddle for wire localization in mammography.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Current wire localization compression paddles provide a limited access window with no compression in this window. We describe a new compression paddle that addresses these issues and report on preliminary patient testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four mechanical engineering students collaborated with a medical physicist, a radiographer, and two radiologists. Several concept designs were developed, one of which used a mesh surface. This went on to prototype development. After phantom testing, internal review board approval, US Food and Drug Administration waiver for nonsignificant risk device, and Medicare Part A exemption were obtained, the device was used in 10 patients going to wire localization for medical indications. Informed consent was obtained and a range of breast size was included. Wires were positioned from superior, lateral, and medial approach. RESULTS: A total of 10 wires were successfully positioned in nine patients. The one technical failure was due to inadequate access to the axillary region because of the single prototype size. The grid system provided accurate localization of suspicious findings. The mesh was not visible in digital mammograms so there was no interference. CONCLUSION: The new paddle improves on currently available models. Advantages included lack of visual (on imaging) and technical interference from the compression mesh, and compression of the active window allowed localization of subtle findings. The large active area facilitated multiple wire placements within a single window. All localizations were easily performed on the initial image because of the large active window, obviating the need for acquisition of additional images and the associated additional radiation.

The vapor-phase phototransposition chemistry of pyridine: deuterium labeling studies.

The six isomeric trideuteriopyridines and the three isomeric tetradeuteriopyridines undergo phototransposition upon S0 --> S2 (pi, pi*) excitation in the vapor phase at 254 nm. On the basis of the products formed, the six trideuteriopyridine isomers can be divided into two triads. Similarly, the three isomeric tetradeuteriopyridines also constitute a triad. Irradiation of any one member of each triad results in the formation of the other two members of that triad. These isomerizations are consistent with a mechanism involving photocyclization, nitrogen migration around the five sides of the cyclopentenyl ring, and rearomatization.

Vapor-phase photochemistry of methyl- and cyanopyridines: deuterium labeling studies.

The three isomeric methylpyridines and the three isomeric cyanopyridines each constitute a photochemical triad. Irradition of each methylpyridine or each cyanopyridine in the vapor phase at 254 nm results in the formation of the other two isomers as primary photoproducts. Dideuteration of the 2-substituted or 3-substituted methyl or cyanopyridines expanded each triad to a pentad. Due to symmetry, 2,6-dideuteration of 4-methyl-or 4-cyanopyridine did not expand the triad. Trideuteration of 4-methylpyridine removed this symmetry and resulted in a photochemical pentad. These results are consistent with a mechanism involving 2,6-photocylization, migration of nitrogen around the five sides of the cyclopentenyl ring, and rearomatization. This mechanism exactly predicts the observed distribution of deuterium in the photoproducts.

Photochemistry of phenyl-substituted 1,2,4-thiadiazoles. 15N-labeling studies.

Irradiation of 5-phenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (6) resulted in the formation of benzonitrile (5), 3-phenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (4), phenyl- and diphenyl-1,3,5-triazines (7 and 8), and a trace quantity of diphenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (9). The formation of 4,5, 7, and 8 can be explained in terms of photoinduced electrocyclic ring closure resulting in the formation of an intermediate 4-phenyl-1,3-diaza-5-thiabicyclo[2.1.0]pentene. 15N-labeling experiments revealed that sulfur can undergo sigmatropic shifts around all four sides of the diazetine ring. Thus, irradiation of 6-4-15N led to the formation of 6-2-15N and an equimolar mixture of 4-2-15N and 4-4-15N. The thiabicyclo[2.1.0]pentene intermediate is also suggested to undergo sulfur elimination resulting in the formation of phenyldiazacyclobutadiene, which can undergo complete fragmentation to benzonitrile or [4+2] cycloaddition leading to unstable tricyclic adducts, the suggested precursors of the 1,3,5-triazine products 7 and 8. The observed 15N distribution in 7 and 8 is consistent with this mechanism. Irradiation of 4 led only to the formation of 5. 15N-labeling experiments show that 4 does not undergo electrocyclic ring closure but reacts exclusively by photofragmentation of the thiadiazole ring.

Photochemistry of Phenyl-Substituted 1-Methylpyrazoles.

Direct irradiation of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyrazole (2) in methanol results in regiospecific phototransposition to 1-methyl-4-phenylimidazole (4) and in photocleavage to (E)/(Z)-3-(N-methylamino)-2-phenylpropenenitrile (5) and (E)/(Z)-2-(N-methylamino)-1-phenylethenyl isocyanide (6). Deuterium labeling confirms that the phototransposition occurs via the P(4) permutation pathway. Separate experiments show that 5 and 6 undergo (Z) --> (E) isomerization and photocyclization to imidazole 4. Quantum yields for these reactions show that the sequence 2 --> 6 --> 4 is a major pathway for the P(4) phototransposition of 2 --> 4. Isocyanides were also detected as intermediates in the P(4) phototransposition of a variety of other pyrazoles confirming the generality of this pathway in pyrazole photochemistry. Direct irradiation of 1-methyl-5-phenylpyrazole (3) resulted in the formation of 1-methyl-5-phenylimidazole (7), 1-methyl-2-phenylimidazole (8), and 1-methyl-4-phenylimidazole (4). Deuterium labeling revealed that these products were formed by P(4), P(6), and P(7) permutation pathways, respectively. (E)/(Z)-3-(N-methylamino)-3-phenylpropenenitrile (9) and (E)/(Z)-2-(N-methylamino)-2-phenylethenyl isocyanide (10) photocleavage products were also formed in this reaction. Irradiation of 3 in furan solvent did not result in phototransposition but led to the formation of endo and exo adducts formed by Diels-Alder reaction of furan with 4-phenyl-5-methyl-1,5-diazabicyclo[2.1.0]pent-2-ene. This constitutes the first direct evidence for the formation of a 1,5-diazabicyclo[2.1.0]hex-2-ene from photolysis of a pyrazole and is consistent with the electrocyclic ring closure-heteroatom migration mechanism suggested for the P(6) and P(7) phototranspositions.