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Biomedical subjects

A Zettl

Publications and source records attributed to A Zettl.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Rotational actuators based on carbon nanotubes.

Nanostructures are of great interest not only for their basic scientific richness, but also because they have the potential to revolutionize critical technologies. The miniaturization of electronic devices over the past century has profoundly affected human communication, computation, manufacturing and transportation systems. True molecular-scale electronic devices are now emerging that set the stage for future integrated nanoelectronics. Recently, there have been dramatic parallel advances in the miniaturization of mechanical and electromechanical devices. Commercial microelectromechanical systems now reach the submillimetre to micrometre size scale, and there is intense interest in the creation of next-generation synthetic nanometre-scale electromechanical systems. We report on the construction and successful operation of a fully synthetic nanoscale electromechanical actuator incorporating a rotatable metal plate, with a multi-walled carbon nanotube serving as the key motion-enabling element.

Journal Article↗

Packing C60 in boron nitride nanotubes.

We have created insulated C60 nanowire by packing C60 molecules into the interior of insulating boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). For small-diameter BNNTs, the wire consists of a linear chain of C60 molecules.With increasing BNNT inner diameter, unusual C60 stacking configurations are obtained (including helical, hollow core, and incommensurate) that are unknown for bulk or thin-film forms of C60.C60 in BNNTs thus presents a model system for studying the properties of dimensionally constrained "silo" crystal structures. For the linear-chain case, we have fused the C60 molecules to form a single-walled carbon nanotube inside the insulating BNNT.

Journal Article↗

What is CD4+CD56+ malignancy and how should it be treated?

CD4+CD56+ malignancy is a rare neoplasm with a typical clinical pattern, an aggressive course and high early relapse rate despite good initial response to chemotherapy. In this review, the impact of different therapeutic approaches on clinical outcome has been studied. We evaluated 91 published cases and our own six patients in terms of clinical features, immunophenotype/cytogenetics and treatment outcome. Treatment was divided into four groups: (A) chemotherapy less intensive than CHOP; (B) CHOP and CHOP-like regimens; (C) therapy for acute leukemia; (D) allogeneic/autologous stem cell transplantation. The median overall survival was only 13 months for all patients. Patients with skin-restricted disease showed no difference in the overall survival from patients with advanced disease (17 and 12 months, respectively). Age >/=60 years was a negative prognostic factor. Age-adjusted analysis revealed improved survival after high-dose chemo/radiotherapy followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation when performed in first complete remission. This therapeutic approach should be recommended for eligible patients with CD4+CD56+ malignancy. For older patients the best treatment option is still unknown.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of B-cell lymphoma using tissue microarrays identifies particular phenotypic profiles of B-cell lymphomas.

AIMS: To validate the applicability of tissue microarray (TM) in immunohistochemical profiling of B-cell lymphoma and to identify particular phenotypic profiles of B-cell neoplasms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-two diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBL), 54 follicular lymphomas (FL) and 74 mantle cell lymphomas (MCL) were arrayed. Immunohistochemical stains of TM were compared with immunostains of conventional, formalin-fixed and frozen material sections. Concordant staining results were obtained in more than 88% of cases for CD20, CD3, CD5, CD10, CD23, Bcl-2, IgD, secretory differentiation, p53 and p21 expression. Prognostically relevant hot-spot expression of Ki67 yielded concordant results in 71%. Applying TM for characterization of p27KIP1 expression, both typical and blastoid MCL only rarely showed p27KIP1 expression (9% and 15%), whereas 32% of nodal DLBL were p27KIP1-positive, irrespective of high proliferative activity. Among 22 B-cell lymphomas investigated genetically, a p53 + p21- immunophenotype in >20% of tumour cells correlated with p53 locus deletion. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphoma TM allows for immunohistochemical profiling of human B-cell lymphoma with a comparable accuracy to immunohistochemical studies performed on conventional tissue sections. Nodal DLBLs showed significantly more frequent expression of IgD and p27KIP1 than extranodal DLBL. MCL and DLBL frequently showed aberrant p27KIP1 expression. A p53 + p21- immunophenotype in >20% of tumour cells in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma correlates with p53 gene deletion.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Electron holography of field-emitting carbon nanotubes.

Electron holography performed in situ inside a high resolution transmission electron microscope has been used to determine the magnitude and spatial distribution of the electric field surrounding individual field-emitting carbon nanotubes. The electric field (and hence the associated field emission current) is concentrated precisely at the tips of the nanotubes and not at other nanotube defects such as sidewall imperfections. The electric field magnitude and distribution are stable in time, even in cases where the nanotube field emission current exhibits extensive temporal fluctuations.

Journal Article↗

[Myelosarcoma of the proximal jejunum. A rare primary condition of acute myelogenous leukemia].

Myelosarcoma (chloroma) is a rare primary condition in patients with either a myelodysplastic syndrome, or an acute or chronic leukemia. It is an extramedullary neoplasm which does not commonly present with changes in peripheral blood or bone marrow. The rarity and histomorphological similarity to malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma renders the diagnosis notoriously difficult. Due to its coincidental or secondary manifestation followed by myelogenous leukemia, this tumor needs to be seen as a primary systemic disease. We present a 40 year old man with myelosarcoma of the jejunum and discuss this entity and its therapeutic options.

Adult↗

New vortex-matter size effect observed in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta).

The vortex-matter 3D to 2D phase transition is studied in micron-sized Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta) single crystals using local Hall magnetization measurements. At a given temperature, the second magnetization peak, the signature of a possible 3D--2D vortex phase transition, disappears for samples smaller than a critical length. We suggest that this critical length should be equated with the 2D vortex lattice ab-plane correlation length R(2D)(c). The magnitude and temperature dependence of R(2D)(c) agree well with Larkin-Ovchinnikov collective pinning theory.

Journal Article↗

Thymic epithelial tumors can develop along two different pathogenetic pathways.

To investigate genetic abnormalities associated with the development of thymic epithelial tumors, we performed microsatellite analysis of 26 thymomas belonging to three different World Health Organization types (A, B3, and C) using 48 repeats. The most frequent aberration seen was loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the region 6q23.3-25.3 detected in 11 tumors (45.8% of informative cases). Further consistent LOHs were detected in regions 3p22-24.2, 3p14.2 (FHIT gene locus), 5q21 (APC), 6p21, 6q21-22.1, 7p21-22, 8q11.21-23, 13q14 (RB), and 17p13.1 (p53). Microsatellite instability was extremely rare, occurring in one type B3 thymoma only, although, at 12.5% of the analyzed loci. Comparing the allelotypes of the analyzed thymomas, we were able to identify two pathogenetic pathways these tumors develop along, characterized by the 6q23.3-25.3 and 5q21 LOHs, respectively. The APC aberration on 5q21 showed significant associations with LOH in the 3p22-24.2, 13q14, and 17p13.1 regions. Interestingly, type A thymomas presented with consistent LOH in the region 6q23.3-25.5 only, they did not reveal any aberrations in the APC, RB, and p53 gene loci or regions 3p22-24.2 and 8q11.21-23. The absence of these aberrations might be the reason for the well-known benign behavior of type A thymomas as compared to types B3 and C tumors.

Adult↗

Development of a Nanoindenter for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy.

In situ transmission electron microscopy is an established experimental technique that permits direct observation of the dynamics and mechanisms of dislocation motion and deformation behavior. In this article, we detail the development of a novel specimen goniometer that allows real-time observations of the mechanical response of materials to indentation loads. The technology of the scanning tunneling microscope is adopted to allow nanometer-scale positioning of a sharp, conductive diamond tip onto the edge of an electron-transparent sample. This allows application of loads to nanometer-scale material volumes coupled with simultaneous imaging of the material's response. The emphasis in this report is qualitative and technique oriented, with particular attention given to sample geometry and other technical requirements. Examples of the deformation of aluminum and titanium carbide as well as the fracture of silicon will be presented.

Journal Article↗

Pathology of lymphoma progression.

Reflecting the stepwise process of oncogenesis, lymphomas may cumulatively develop a more aggressive phenotype during the course of disease, a process referred to as lymphoma progression. Although morphological, clinical and biological aspects of lymphoma progression do not always overlap, changes in lymphoma morphology frequently indicate alterations in the clinical and biological behaviour of the disease. Indolent and aggressive lymphomas in disease progression can either be clonally related or represent clonally unrelated neoplasms. We propose to use the term 'lymphoma progression' in a biological sense denoting only clonal development of and within a lymphoma entity. The term 'composite lymphoma' should be used as a merely descriptive morphological designation for different lymphoma entities in one individual irrespective of clonal relationship. Many types of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's lymphomas are reported to secondarily develop in lymphoma progression. Genetic changes associated with lymphoma progression frequently abrogate the differentiating effects of alterations occurring in indolent lymphomas, leading to increased cell proliferation. Within different lymphoma entities, high-risk disease variants mimicking lymphoma progression exist.

Apoptosis↗

Is the intrinsic thermoelectric power of carbon nanotubes positive?

The thermoelectric power (TEP) of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is extremely sensitive to gas exposure history. Samples exposed to air or oxygen have an always positive TEP, suggestive of holelike carriers. However, at fixed temperature the TEP crosses zero and becomes progressively more negative as the SWNTs are stripped of oxygen. The time constant for oxygen adsorption/desorption is strongly temperature dependent and ranges from seconds to many days, leading to apparently "variable" TEP for a given sample at a given temperature. The saturated TEP can be accounted for within a model of strong oxygen doping of the semiconducting nanotubes.

Journal Article↗

Low-friction nanoscale linear bearing realized from multiwall carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate the controlled and reversible telescopic extension of multiwall carbon nanotubes, thus realizing ultralow-friction nanoscale linear bearings and constant-force nanosprings. Measurements performed in situ on individual custom-engineered nanotubes inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope demonstrated the anticipated van der Waals energy-based retraction force and enabled us to place quantitative limits on the static and dynamic interwall frictional forces between nested nanotubes. Repeated extension and retraction of telescoping nanotube segments revealed no wear or fatigue on the atomic scale. Hence, these nanotubes may constitute near perfect, wear-free surfaces.

Journal Article↗

Scanned probe microscopy of electronic transport in carbon nanotubes.

We use electrostatic force microscopy and scanned gate microscopy to probe the conducting properties of carbon nanotubes at room temperature. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are shown to be diffusive conductors, while metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes are ballistic conductors over micron lengths. Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes are shown to have a series of large barriers to conduction along their length. These measurements are also used to probe the contact resistance and locate breaks in carbon nanotube circuits.

Journal Article↗

Crossed nanotube junctions

Junctions consisting of two crossed single-walled carbon nanotubes were fabricated with electrical contacts at each end of each nanotube. The individual nanotubes were identified as metallic (M) or semiconducting (S), based on their two-terminal conductances; MM, MS, and SS four-terminal devices were studied. The MM and SS junctions had high conductances, on the order of 0.1 e(2)/h (where e is the electron charge and h is Planck's constant). For an MS junction, the semiconducting nanotube was depleted at the junction by the metallic nanotube, forming a rectifying Schottky barrier. We used two- and three-terminal experiments to fully characterize this junction.

Journal Article↗

Extreme oxygen sensitivity of electronic properties of carbon nanotubes

The electronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes are shown here to be extremely sensitive to the chemical environment. Exposure to air or oxygen dramatically influences the nanotubes' electrical resistance, thermoelectric power, and local density of states, as determined by transport measurements and scanning tunneling spectroscopy. These electronic parameters can be reversibly "tuned" by surprisingly small concentrations of adsorbed gases, and an apparently semiconducting nanotube can be converted into an apparent metal through such exposure. These results, although demonstrating that nanotubes could find use as sensitive chemical gas sensors, likewise indicate that many supposedly intrinsic properties measured on as-prepared nanotubes may be severely compromised by extrinsic air exposure effects.

Journal Article↗

Genetic aberrations common in gastric high-grade large B-cell lymphoma.

Genetic aberrations associated with the development of extranodal high-grade large B-cell lymphoma originating in the stomach have not been fully identified yet. We analyzed 31 such lymphomas using 73 microsatellite markers for allelic imbalance and microsatellite instability. The highest frequency (42%) of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was found on the long arm of chromosome 6. We identified 2 LOH hot spots on 6q21-22.1 and 6q23.3-25, flanked by markers D6S246-D6S261 and D6S310-D6S441, respectively, containing putative tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). These 6q aberrations were found to be the sole allelic imbalance in 1 patient only; they were mostly accompanied by additional abnormalities. Several known TSGs, namely, the APC, p15/p16, p53, and DCC genes, were found to suffer frequent LOH during lymphomagenesis. LOH was also detected in regions containing putative TSGs on 7q and 13q14. Frequent amplification of genomic material was found in the 2p, 3q27 at the BCL-6 gene locus, 6p, 7q, 11q23-24 at the MLL gene locus, and 18q regions. Analysis of the pattern of occurrence of these aberrations revealed an association of the amplification of the MLL gene region with LOH at the p53 locus (P =.02). Only low frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) was detected in these lymphomas and MSI incidence increased with age (P =.01). Karyotypic instability thus plays the main role in the development of gastric high-grade large B-cell lymphoma. Common genetic aberrations responsible for lymphomagenesis are deletions of 6q, loss of p53, and amplification of the 3q27 and the MLL gene regions. (Blood. 2000;95:1180-1187)

Age Factors↗