[Radionuclide Methods in the Assessment of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity].

PURPOSE: To compare diagnostic efficacy of multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan and Tc-99m MIBI gated SPECT for evaluation and forecast of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included into this study 80 patients (72 women and 8 men, mean age 43 ± 4.2 years) with malignant tumors without overt pathology of the cardiovascular system. These patients received doxorubicin (50 mg/m2 per course) based cytostatic therapy. All patients were studied either by MUGA (n = 40) or 99MTc MIBI gated SPECT (n = 40) before initiation of chemotherapy 1 hour after first administration of doxorubicin and after the 4th course. RESULTS: After administration of 50 mg/m2 of doxorubicin 14 patients according to MUGA scan and 16 patients according to 99mTc MIBI gated SPECT had significant (≥ 10%) reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Significant inhibition of systolic function in these patients remained after the 4th course of treatment. Individual analysis of the MUGA and 99mTc MIBI gated SPECT data registered after the fourth course (achievement of total doxorubicin dose of 200 mg/m2) showed that ≥ 10% LVEF reduction in response to the first dose of doxorubicin could predict the development of cumulative cardiotoxicity. CONCLUSION: MUGA scan and 99mTc MIBI gated SPECT can be applied with equal effectiveness for assessment of acute and chronic anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in patients with malignant tumors. LVEF reduction ≥ 10% in response to the first dose of doxorubicin appeared to be a predictor of development of chronic cardiotoxicity.

How Atomic Steps Modify Diffusion and Inter-adsorbate Forces: Empirical Evidence from Hopping Dynamics in Na/Cu(115).

We followed the collective atomic-scale motion of Na atoms on a vicinal Cu(115) surface within a time scale of pico- to nanoseconds using helium spin echo spectroscopy. The well-defined stepped structure of Cu(115) allows us to study the effect that atomic steps have on the adsorption properties, the rate for motion parallel and perpendicular to the step edge, and the interaction between the Na atoms. With the support of a molecular dynamics simulation we show that the Na atoms perform strongly anisotropic 1D hopping motion parallel to the step edges. Furthermore, we observe that the spatial and temporal correlations between the Na atoms that lead to collective motion are also anisotropic, suggesting the steps efficiently screen the lateral interaction between Na atoms residing on different terraces.

Poisoning and non-poisoning oxygen on Cu(410).

We have investigated ethene and oxygen co-adsorption on Cu(410) by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. We find that these two species compete for the adsorption sites and that pre-exposure to oxygen affects ethene adsorption more or less strongly depending on oxygen coverage and the kind of occupied sites. The c(2 × 2) O overlayer is inert with respect to ethene adsorption, while when some oxygen is removed by thermally induced subsurface incorporation, ethene chemisorption is restored. The latter species also adsorbs on the disordered oxygen phase formed when O(2) is dosed at low crystal temperature. Contrary to the bare surface case, most of the ethene ends up in a π-bonded configuration. Dehydrogenation occurs, too, albeit as a minority channel. The so-produced carbon reacts already at low temperature with adsorbed oxygen to yield carbon monoxide, which desorbs around 190 K.

Highly proton-ordered water structures on oxygen precovered Ru{0001}.

We present helium scattering measurements of a water ad-layer grown on a O(2 × 1)/Ru(0001) surface. The adsorbed water layer results in a well ordered helium diffraction pattern with systematic extinctions of diffraction spots due to glide line symmetries. The data reflects a well-defined surface structure that maintains proton order even at surprisingly high temperatures of 140 K. The diffraction data we measure is consistent with a structure recently derived from STM measurements performed at 6 K. Comparison with recent DFT calculation is in partial agreement, suggesting that these calculations might be underestimating the contribution of relative water molecule orientations to the binding energy.

(S)-glutamic acid on Ag(100): self-assembly in the nonzwitterionic form.

The fundamental understanding of adsorption and self-organization of biological molecules at surfaces is of greatest importance for a huge variety of possible applications, ranging from molecular electronics to the study of biocompatible materials, hygiene, and biofouling. In spite of that, the characterization of the interactions of organic molecules of biological interest with surfaces is far from being complete. In the present paper we report on a combined microscopic (scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)) and spectroscopic (X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy) study of glutamic acid (Glu) adsorption and self-assembly on Ag(100) at different temperature. STM allows one to determine the structures of the Glu layers, for which empirical models are proposed, while photoemission spectra exclude adsorption in the zwitterionic form, which is the most common especially for weakly interacting substrates.

A magnetically focused molecular beam of ortho-water.

Like dihydrogen, water exists as two spin isomers, ortho and para, with the nuclear magnetic moments of the hydrogen atoms either parallel or antiparallel. The ratio of the two spin isomers and their physical properties play an important role in a wide variety of research fields, ranging from astrophysics to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Unlike ortho and para H(2), however, the two water isomers remain challenging to separate, and as a consequence, very little is currently known about their different physical properties. Here, we report the formation of a magnetically focused molecular beam of ortho-water. The beam we formed also had a particular spin projection. Thus, in the presence of holding magnetic fields, the water molecules are hyperpolarized, laying the foundation for ultrasensitive NMR experiments in the future.

[Restoration of the menstrual and generative functions in genital endometriosis after treatment with various types of synthetic progestins]. / Vosstanovlenie menstrual'noi i generativnoi funktsii u bol'nykh genital'nym éndometriozom posle lecheniia razlichnymi vidami sinteticheskikh progestinov.

PIP: The results of therapeutic use of synthetic progestins (infecundin, bisecurin, Nonovion) in 353 patients with endometriosis are presented. Restoration of the menstrual function was achieved in 75.3 percent and of childbearing in 22.6 percent of the patients. An individual approach to the choice of a type and dose of synthetic progestins depending upon the patient's age, duration of the disease, type of endometriosis, and hormonal background is recommended.^ieng