Ultrahigh electromechanical response from competing ferroic orders.

Materials with electromechanical coupling are essential for transducers and acoustic devices as reversible converters between mechanical and electrical energy. High electromechanical responses are typically found in materials with strong structural instabilities, conventionally achieved by two strategies-morphotropic phase boundaries and nanoscale structural heterogeneity. Here we demonstrate a different strategy to accomplish ultrahigh electromechanical response by inducing extreme structural instability from competing antiferroelectric and ferroelectric orders.

Iron and atherosclerosis: Lessons learned from rabbits relevant to human disease.

The role of iron in promoting atherosclerosis, and hence the cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other diseases that result from atherosclerosis, has been fiercely controversial. Many studies have been carried out on various rodent models of atherosclerosis, especially on apoE-knockout (apoE) mice, which develop atherosclerosis more readily than normal mice. These apoE mouse studies generally support a role for iron in atherosclerosis development, although there are conflicting results.

Quantifying nanodiamonds biodistribution in whole cells with correlative iono-nanoscopy.

Correlative imaging and quantification of intracellular nanoparticles with the underlying ultrastructure is crucial for understanding cell-nanoparticle interactions in biological research. However, correlative nanoscale imaging of whole cells still remains a daunting challenge. Here, we report a straightforward nanoscopic approach for whole-cell correlative imaging, by simultaneous ionoluminescence and ultrastructure mapping implemented with a highly focused beam of alpha particles.

Dosimetric uncertainties impact on cell survival curve with low energy proton.

There is an increasing number of radiobiological experiments being conducted with low energy protons (less than 5 MeV) for radiobiological studies due to availability of sub-millimetre focused beam. However, low energy proton has broad microdosimetric spectra which can introduce dosimetric uncertainty. In this work, we quantify the impact of this dosimetric uncertainties on the cell survival curve and how it affects the estimation of the alpha and beta parameters in the LQ formalism.

Myeloperoxidase is a potential molecular imaging and therapeutic target for the identification and stabilization of high-risk atherosclerotic plaque.

Aims: As the inflammatory enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) is abundant in ruptured human atherosclerotic plaques, we aimed to investigate the role of MPO as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for high-risk plaque.

Methods And Results: We employed the tandem stenosis model of atherosclerotic plaque instability in apolipoprotein E gene knockout (Apoe-/-) mice. To test the role of MPO, we used Mpo-/-Apoe-/- mice and the 2-thioxanthine MPO inhibitor AZM198.

Element-based prognostics of occupational pneumoconiosis using micro-proton-induced X-ray emission analysis.

Pneumoconiosis is an occupational disease accompanied by long-term lung impairment, for which prediction of prognosis is poorly understood because of the complexity of the inhaled particles. Micro-proton-induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE) analysis, which is advantageous for high-sensitivity, two-dimensional element mapping of lung tissues, was used to investigate element-based predictive factors of prognosis in Chinese patients with welder's and coal miner's pneumoconiosis. Chest radiographs and lung function tests showed that most of the coal miners deteriorated, whereas symptoms in some welders were alleviated after 5 yr, as determined by comparing percent vital capacity (%VC) and forced expiratory volume in the 1st second over forced vital capacity (FEV1.

High-resolution 3D imaging and quantification of gold nanoparticles in a whole cell using scanning transmission ion microscopy.

Increasing interest in the use of nanoparticles (NPs) to elucidate the function of nanometer-sized assemblies of macromolecules and organelles within cells, and to develop biomedical applications such as drug delivery, labeling, diagnostic sensing, and heat treatment of cancer cells has prompted investigations into novel techniques that can image NPs within whole cells and tissue at high resolution. Using fast ions focused to nanodimensions, we show that gold NPs (AuNPs) inside whole cells can be imaged at high resolution, and the precise location of the particles and the number of particles can be quantified. High-resolution density information of the cell can be generated using scanning transmission ion microscopy, enhanced contrast for AuNPs can be achieved using forward scattering transmission ion microscopy, and depth information can be generated from elastically backscattered ions (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry).

Does iron inhibit calcification during atherosclerosis?

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of atherosclerosis and even held responsible for plaque calcification. Transition metals such as iron aggravate oxidative stress. To understand the relation between calcium and iron in atherosclerotic lesions, a sensitive technique is required that is quantitatively accurate and avoids isolation of plaques or staining/fixing tissue, because these processes introduce contaminants and redistribute elements within the tissue.

Zinc supplementation prevents cardiomyocyte apoptosis and congenital heart defects in embryos of diabetic mice.

Oxidative stress induced by maternal diabetes plays an important role in the development of cardiac malformations. Zinc (Zn) supplementation of animals and humans has been shown to ameliorate oxidative stress induced by diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the role of Zn in the prevention of oxidative stress induced by diabetic cardiac embryopathy remains unknown.

Quantitative analysis of zinc in rat hippocampal mossy fibers by nuclear microscopy.

Zinc (Zn) is involved in regulating mental and motor functions of the brain. Previous approaches have determined Zn content in the brain using semi-quantitative histological methods. We present here an alternative approach to map and quantify Zn levels in the synapses from mossy fibers to CA3 region of the hippocampus.

Nuclear microscopy: a novel technique for quantitative imaging of gadolinium distribution within tissue sections.

All clinically-approved and many novel gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents used to enhance signal intensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are optically silent. To verify MRI results, a "gold standard" that can map and quantify Gd down to the parts per million (ppm) levels is required. Nuclear microscopy is a relatively new technique that has this capability and is composed of a combination of three ion beam techniques: scanning transmission ion microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and particle induced X-ray emission used in conjunction with a high energy proton microprobe.

A novel approach to the identification and quantitative elemental analysis of amyloid deposits--insights into the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

There is considerable interest in the role of metals such as iron, copper, and zinc in amyloid plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease. However to convincingly establish their presence in plaques in vivo, a sensitive technique is required that is both quantitatively accurate and avoids isolation of plaques or staining/fixing brain tissue, since these processes introduce contaminants and redistribute elements within the tissue. Combining the three ion beam techniques of scanning transmission ion microscopy, Rutherford back scattering spectrometry and particle induced X-ray emission in conjunction with a high energy (MeV) proton microprobe we have imaged plaques in freeze-dried unstained brain sections from CRND-8 mice, and simultaneously quantified iron, copper, and zinc.

WITHDRAWN: Measurement of beam focus quality in biomedical nuclear microscopy.

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Zinc supplementation inhibits lipid peroxidation and the development of atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

Developing atherosclerotic lesions in hypercholesterolemic rabbits are depleted in zinc, while iron accumulates. This study examined the influence of zinc supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis and used isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques to measure biomarkers of oxidative lipid damage in atherosclerotic rabbit aorta. Our previous method for F(2)-isoprostane measurement was adapted to include the quantitation of cholesterol oxidation products in the same sample.

Promotion of atherogenesis by copper or iron--which is more likely?

Iron levels increase in atherosclerotic lesions in cholesterol fed-rabbits and play a role in atherosclerosis. We investigated whether copper also rises. Male New Zealand White rabbits were fed high-cholesterol diets for 8 weeks.

Zinc supplementation decreases the development of atherosclerosis in rabbits.

Developing atherosclerotic plaques in cholesterol-fed rabbits are enriched in iron but depleted in zinc. In order to examine further the role of zinc, New Zealand White rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol 1% (w/w) diet with zinc (1 g/kg) supplementation for 8 weeks. After the 8-week period, the average atherosclerotic lesion cross-sectional areas in the aortas of the animals fed with the zinc supplement were significantly decreased (1.

Selenium and mercury are redistributed to the brain during viral infection in mice.

As part of the general host response to coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection, the concentration of essential and nonessential trace elements changes in different target organs of the infection. Essential (e.g.

The iron chelator desferrioxamine inhibits atherosclerotic lesion development and decreases lesion iron concentrations in the cholesterol-fed rabbit.

Several epidemiological studies have suggested that increased iron stores are associated with increased atherosclerotic events. In order to test the hypothesis that decreasing the vascular level of iron slows lesion growth, we examined the effects of the iron chelator Desferal (72 mg/kg/day, 5 days/week) on atherosclerosis and lesion iron content in cholesterol-fed New Zealand White rabbits. Rabbits were fed with a 1% w/w cholesterol diet for either 8 weeks (and for the last 5 weeks injected daily with Desferal) or 12 weeks (and for the last 9 weeks injected with Desferal).

A nuclear microscopic and histochemical study of iron concentrations and distribution in the midbrain of two age groups of monkeys unilaterally injected with MPTP.

The present study was carried out to elucidate the concentration and distribution of iron in the substantia nigra of two age groups of monkeys after experimental hemi-Parkinsonism induced by unilateral internal carotid injections of MPTP. Iron levels and distribution were detected using the nuclear microscope, which is able to provide structural and quantitative elemental analysis of biological tissue down to the parts per million (ppm) level of analytical sensitivity. Five weeks after unilateral lesioning with MPTP, we observed a 30-65% loss of neurons in the injected substantia nigra of each monkey, compared with the contralateral control 'non-lesioned' side.

Correlation of iron and zinc levels with lesion depth in newly formed atherosclerotic lesions.

Several studies have indicated a relationship between body iron content and cardiovascular disease, although other studies have not. There are also suggestions that zinc has an antioxidant and antiatherosclerotic effect. We have used Nuclear Microscopy, using the combination of Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) to map and quantify iron and zinc levels in newly formed atherosclerotic lesions.