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Synthetic materials and heterostructures obtained by the controlled stacking of exfoliated monolayers are emerging as attractive functional materials owing to their highly tunable properties. We present a detailed scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy study of single layer MoS$_2$-on-gold heterostructures as a function of twist angle. We find that their electronic properties are determined by the hybridization of the constituent layers and are modulated at the moir\'e period. The hybridization depends on the layer alignment and the modulation amplitude vanishes with increasing twist angle. We explain our observations in terms of a hybridization between the nearest sulfur and gold atoms, which becomes spatially more homogeneous and weaker as the moir\'e periodicity decreases with increasing twist angle, unveiling the possibility of tunable hybridization of electronic states via twist angle engineering.

Low magnetic field scanning tunneling spectroscopy of individual Abrikosov vortices in heavily overdoped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+��}$ unveils a clear d-wave electronic structure of the vortex core, with a zero-bias conductance peak at the vortex center that splits with increasing distance from the core. We show that previously reported unconventional electronic structures, including the low energy checkerboard charge order in the vortex halo and the absence of a zero-bias conductance peak at the vortex center, are direct consequences of short inter-vortex distance and consequent vortex-vortex interactions prevailing in earlier experiments., Main text : 5 pages, 4 figures Supplemental material : 3 pages, 2 figures

Additional file 4: Table S2. Primers used for qPCR analysis.

Additional file 3: Table S1. HBMEC Patient characteristics.

Pomalidomide is a distinct oral IMiD immunomodulatory agent with direct antimyeloma, stromal-support inhibitory, and immunomodulatory effects. The pivotal, multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 trial MM-003 compared pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone in 455 patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma after failure of bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment. Initial results demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival with an acceptable tolerability profile for pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone. This secondary analysis describes patient outcomes by treatment history and depth of response. Pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone significantly prolonged progression-free survival and favored overall survival vs high-dose dexamethasone for all subgroups analyzed, regardless of prior treatments or refractory status. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that no variable relating to either the number (≤ or > 3) or type of prior treatment was a significant predictor of progression-free survival or overall survival. No cross-resistance with prior lenalidomide or thalidomide treatment was observed. Patients achieving a minimal response or better to pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone treatment experienced a survival benefit, which was even higher in those achieving at least a partial response (17.2 and 19.9 months, respectively, as compared with 7.5 months for patients with less than minimal response). These data suggest that pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone should be considered a standard of care in patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma regardless of prior treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01311687; EudraCT: 2010-019820-30. ispartof: Haematologica vol:100 issue:10 pages:1334-9 ispartof: location:Italy status: published

We report a detailed study of the microscopic effects of Cu intercalation on the charge density wave (CDW) in 1\textit{T}-Cu$_x$TiSe$_2$. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) reveal a unique, Cu driven spatial texturing of the charge ordered phase, with the appearance of energy dependent CDW patches and sharp $\pi$-phase shift domain walls ($\pi$DWs). The energy and doping dependencies of the patchwork are directly linked to the inhomogeneous potential landscape due to the Cu intercalants. They imply a CDW gap with unusual features, including a large amplitude, the opening below the Fermi level and a shift to higher binding energy with electron doping. Unlike the patchwork, the $\pi$DWs occur independently of the intercalated Cu distribution. They remain atomically sharp throughout the investigated phase diagram and occur both in superconducting and non-superconducting specimen. These results provide unique atomic-scale insight on the CDW ground state, questioning the existence of incommensurate CDW domain walls and contributing to understand its formation mechanism and interplay with superconductivity.

To celebrate the International Year of Crystallography among the general public, a consortium of chemists, physicists and crystallographers of the University of Geneva organised in Spring 2014 an incentive crystal growth contest for Geneva scholars aged 4 to 19. Starting from a kit containing a salt and user instructions, classes had to prepare a crystal that met specific criteria according to their category of age. The composition of the salt – potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) – was only disclosed to the participants during the final Awards Ceremony. This contest positively exceeded our expectations with almost 100 participating classes (ca. 1800 participants) and 54 specimens received over all categories.

The observation by scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) of Abrikosov vortex cores in the high-temperature superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-��}$ (Y123) has revealed a robust pair of electron-hole symmetric states at finite subgap energy. Their interpretation remains an open question because theory predicts a different signature in the vortex cores, characterised by a strong zero-bias conductance peak. We present STS data on very homogeneous Y123 at 0.4 K revealing that the subgap features do not belong to vortices: they are actually observed everywhere along the surface with high spatial and energy reproducibility, even in the absence of magnetic field. Detailed analysis and modelling show that these states remain unpaired in the superconducting phase and belong to an incoherent channel which contributes to the tunnelling signal in parallel with the superconducting density of states., Final version with supplementary material

To celebrate the International Year of Crystallography among the general public a consortium of chemists physicists and crystallographers of the University of Geneva organised in Spring 2014 an incentive crystal growth contest for Geneva scholars aged 4 to 19. Starting from a kit containing a salt and user instructions classes had to prepare a crystal that met specific criteria according to their category of age. The composition of the salt – potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) – was only disclosed to the participants during the final Awards Ceremony. This contest positively exceeded our expectations with almost 100 participating classes (ca. 1800 participants) and 54 specimens received over all categories.

Ziel der in dieser Arbeit zur stochastischen Analyse experimenteller Daten verwendeten sog. Markowanalyse ist es, aus gegebenen Daten Rückschlüsse über den den Daten zugrunde liegenden stochastischen Prozess zu ziehen ohne physikalische Annahmen über das betrachtete System machen zu müssen. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird die Anwendung dieser Methode in der Turbulenzforschung erläutert, insbesondere auf das Problem der Intermittenz, dem unerwartet häufigen Auftreten sehr grosser Geschwindigkeitsfluktuationen auf sehr kleinen Längenskalen. Die anhand eines exemplarisch ausgewählten Datensatzes ausführlich diskutierte Methode beschreibt diesen Effekt korrekt. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit befasst sich mit der Analyse hochfrequenter Wechselkursdaten (US-Dollar/DM). Auch hier findet sich das Phänomen überproportional häufiger starker Kursschwankungen auf sehr kleinen Zeitskalen. Der Vergleich zwischen den stochastischen Prozessen für Wechselkursmärkte und turbulente Daten eröffnet interessante Analogien.

The availability of drugs such as thalidomide, bortezomib and lenalidomide changed the landscape in myeloma treatment and has extended the median survival up to 10 years with a substantial improvement in quality of life. This development prompted a Swiss expert panel to re-evaluate the current status and formulate updated clinical recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of plasma cell myeloma. These recommendations should help clinicians in their decision making to achieve the best outcome based on currently available data.

Purpose: Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a serine protease that has emerged as a promising target for cancer therapy, either by direct abrogation of its proinvasive activity or by specific targeting of FAP-expressing cells with cytotoxic immunoconjugates. We aimed to select novel human–mouse cross-reactive antibodies and to test suitability for tumor therapy as radioimmunoconjugates in a preclinical model. Experimental Design: Human Fab fragments that bind to human and murine FAP were selected from an antibody phage library. Two candidates (ESC11 and ESC14) were engineered into fully human IgG1 antibodies and further characterized. We investigated the intracellular trafficking of ESC11 and ESC14 in live cells by confocal microscopy and analyzed the biodistribution and therapeutic effects of anti-FAP antibodies labeled with the β-emitting radionuclide 177Lu in a melanoma xenograft nude mouse model. Results were compared with vF19, a humanized variant of an anti-FAP antibody that has been previously used in clinical trials. Results: The two antibodies bound selectively to both human and mouse FAP, with affinities in the low nanomolar range. Binding to FAP-expressing melanoma cells resulted in rapid internalization of FAP-antibody complexes. 177Lu-labeled ESC11 specifically accumulated in melanoma xenografts in vivo, with a higher tumor uptake than ESC14 and vF19. Radioimmunotherapy with 8 MBq 177Lu-labeled anti-FAP antibodies delayed growth of established tumors, whereas 177Lu-ESC11 extended mouse survival more pronounced than 177Lu-ESC14 and 177Lu-vF19. Conclusion: Our results show the potential of ESC11 and ESC14 as potent radioimmunoconjugates or antibody–drug conjugates for diagnostic and therapeutic use in patients with FAP-expressing tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 18(22); 6208–18. ©2012 AACR.