Dual-contrast photon-counting micro-CT using iodine and a novel bismuth-based contrast agent.

To characterize for the first timea novel bismuth-based nanoparticular contrast agent developed for preclinical applications. Then, to design and testa multi-contrast protocol for functional cardiac imaging using the new bismuth nanoparticles and a well-established iodine-based contrast agent.A micro-computed tomography scanner was assembled and equipped with a photon-counting detector.

Improving the reliability of the iron concentration quantification for iron oxide nanoparticle suspensions: a two-institutions study.

Most iron oxide nanoparticles applications, and in special biomedical applications, require the accurate determination of iron content as the determination of particle properties from measurements in dispersions is strongly dependent on it. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and spectrophotometry are two typical worldwide used analytical methods for iron concentration determination. In both techniques, precise determination of iron is not straightforward and nanoparticle digestion and dilution procedures are needed prior to analysis.

Amorphous layer around aragonite platelets in nacre.

We reveal that the aragonite CaCO3 platelets in nacre of Haliotis laevigata are covered with a continuous layer of disordered amorphous CaCO3 and that there is no protein interaction with this layer. This finding contradicts classical paradigms of biomineralization, e.g.