PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Organic nanoparticles, more lethal to tumors

Carbon-based nanoparticles could be used to sensitize cancerous tumors to proton radiotherapy and induce more focused destruction of cancer cells, a new study shows

2015-05-18
(Press-News.org) Radiotherapy used in cancer treatment is a promising treatment method, albeit rather indiscriminate. Indeed, it affects neighbouring healthy tissues and tumours alike. Researchers have thus been exploring the possibilities of using various radio-sensitizers; these nanoscale entities focus the destructive effects of radiotherapy more specifically on tumour cells. In a study published in EPJ D, physicists have now shown that the production of low-energy electrons by radio-sensitizers made of carbon nanostructures hinges on a key physical mechanism referred to as plasmons - collective excitations of so-called valence electrons; a phenomenon already documented in rare metal sensitizers. This reseach was conducted by Alexey Verkhovtsev, affiliated with the MBN Research Center in Frankfurt, Germany and A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute in St Petersburg, Russia and an international team.

Nanoparticle radio-sensitizers are nanoscale compounds, typically composed of rare metals such as coated gold, platinum, or gadolinium. Alternatives sensitizers could be made of carbon-based nanostructures, such as fullerenes or nanotubes, provided they are biocompatible and non-toxic. Previous studies have revealed that gold and platinum nanoparticles produce a large number of electrons via the plasmon excitation mechanism. In the case of a carbon nanoparticle, this phenomenon yields electrons with higher energy than pure metals, thus inducing greater biological damage.

In this study, the authors analysed the spectra of secondary electrons emitted from a carbon nanoparticle composed of fullerite, a crystalline form of C60 fullerene, irradiated by an ion beam consisting of fast protons. They quantified the electron yield in a broad kinetic energy range, using several different theoretical and numerical approaches. They found that a medium with an embedded carbon nanoparticle results in a number of low-energy electrons several times higher than that emitted by pure water. This may lead to the development of novel types of sensitizers composed of metallic and carbon-based parts.

INFORMATION:

Reference: Alexey Verkhovtsev, Sally McKinnon, Pablo de Vera, Eugene Surdutovich, Susanna Guatelli, Andrei V. Korol, Anatoly Rosenfeld, and Andrey V. Solov'yov (2015), Comparative analysis of the secondary electron yield from carbon nanoparticles and pure water medium, Eur. Phys. J. D 69: 116, DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2015-50908-y



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New options for spintronic devices: Switching magnetism between 1 and 0 with low voltage near room temperature

New options for spintronic devices: Switching magnetism between 1 and 0 with low voltage near room temperature
2015-05-18
This news release is available in German. Scientists from Paris and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have been able to switch ferromagnetic domains on and off with low voltage in a structure made of two different ferroic materials. The switching works slightly above room temperature. Their results, which are published online in Scientific Reports, might inspire future applications in low-power spintronics, for instance for fast and efficient data storage. Information can be written as a sequence of bit digits, i.e. "0" and "1". Materials which display ferromagnetism ...

Researchers quantify proportion of different genetic mutations in individual bowel cancers

2015-05-18
Bowel cancer is often driven by mutations in one of several different genes, and a patient can have a cancer with a different genetic make-up to another patient's cancer. Identifying the molecular alterations involved in each patient's cancer enables doctors to choose drugs that best target specific alterations. However, it is also becoming clear that while some cancers may be driven by a single gene mutation, individual tumours are often composed of groups of cancer cells, with each group having different molecular alterations from the others. This is known as intra-tumour ...

Scientists discover bacterial cause behind fatal heart complications

2015-05-18
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen and is known to be associated with increased risk of fatal heart complications including heart failure and heart attacks. As Streptococcus pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen that does not infect the heart, however, this association with heart problems has puzzled clinicians and researchers, particularly as even prompt use of antibiotics does not provide any protection from cardiac complications. A multidisciplinary research team, led by Professor Aras Kadioglu and Professor Cheng-Hock Toh at the University of Liverpool, ...

I knew it was you by the sound of your (whale) voice

I knew it was you by the sound of your (whale) voice
2015-05-18
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18, 2015 -- Human beings have unique voices -- from the deep, resonating bass of James Earl Jones to the raspy melodies sung by Broadway star Carol Channing -- and we routinely recognize individuals based solely on the way they sound, for example over the telephone, on a music CD or in an animated film. The same theory that explains individual differences in human speech has recently been applied to other members of the animal kingdom, including dogs and deer. Now researchers from Syracuse University in New York are working to understand whether ...

Seals threaten Scottish cod stock recovery

2015-05-18
Predatory seals are constraining the recovery of cod stocks in Scottish West coast waters, research led at the University of Strathclyde suggests. Losses of cod, through fishing and natural causes, have remained high for many years and have caused long-term decline in the stock - in some years, fishing removed around 50% of the total weight of the stock. The study found that, although fishing has now halved, predation by seals has rapidly increased to compensate, eating up more than 40% of the total stock. Seals have, historically, been anecdotally blamed for the reduction ...

Key strategies can boost donations at crowdfunding sites, Stanford experts say

2015-05-18
Stanford computer scientists have shown how crowdfunding websites can use data science to boost cash value of donations. Their research confirms, among other findings, the importance of a timely thank you. It's common courtesy to say thanks when receiving a gift, and common sense to think that givers might be generous again if they felt good about their prior gift. Now Stanford computer scientists have shown how crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and DonorsChoose.org can use data science to apply these folk wisdoms systematically, and on a large scale, to greatly ...

Substance abuse risk not greater in those using medical marijuana with prescribed opioids

2015-05-18
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Among people who use medical cannabis for chronic pain, those who also take prescription pain medications are not at increased risk for serious alcohol and other drug involvement, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Although medical cannabis is being used increasingly often as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain, in many patients it is being used in conjunction with opioids. This use has raised concerns that the combination could increase the risk of patients using substances such as alcohol and ...

Shift work can affect your health

2015-05-18
New York, NY, May 18 2015 -- Shiftwork is an occupational health risk of growing significance because it is becoming more common and because of its potential influence on health outcomes, possibly increasing health differences between workers of higher vs lower socioeconomic status. A new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health determined that employees who work shifts outside of a 9-to-5 schedule are more likely to be overweight and experience sleep problems, and possibly more likely to develop metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, ...

Study validates effectiveness of genomic test for lung cancer detection

2015-05-18
(Boston) -- A new test co-developed by a Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researcher will allow patients suspected of having lung cancer to be subjected to fewer and less-invasive tests to determine if they have the disease. "We are seeing an increase in the number of lesions suspicious for lung cancer found on chest imaging of current and former smokers. In the past, these patients have been subjected to invasive tests when traditional bronchoscopy tests prove inconclusive. Today's announcement provides physicians and patients with an additional piece of scientifically ...

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology: Depression and diabetes series media alert

2015-05-18
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal is pleased to announce that the following Series of papers on depression and diabetes will be published on Monday 18 May to coincide with the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The Series is accompanied by another Series of papers on Diabetes and psychotic disorders, available in the latest issue of The Lancet Psychiatry. Constructs of depression and distress in diabetes: time for an appraisal [Embargo: 6:30pm [New York time] Sunday 17 May, 2015] The link between depression and diabetes: the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] Organic nanoparticles, more lethal to tumors
Carbon-based nanoparticles could be used to sensitize cancerous tumors to proton radiotherapy and induce more focused destruction of cancer cells, a new study shows