Visualization of focused proton beam dose distribution by atomic force microscopy using blended polymer films based on polyacrylic acid.

A simple and sensitive sub-micrometer scale method for visualization of the dose distribution of a focused proton beam (FPB) was developed, taking advantage of the formation of a bulky crosslinked structure induced by FPB irradiation of a common polymer and cross-linker, polyacrylic acid-N, N'-methylene bisacrylamide, blend film surface. The irradiated part of the film swelled as a peak, and the height of swelling increased with increasing FPB fluence. The film was used as a proton beam-sensitive polymer film by analysis of the irradiated film surface using atomic force microscopy.

In-air microparticle induced X-ray emission analysis of particles in interstitial pneumonia lung tissue obtained by transbronchial biopsy.

Interstitial pneumonia develops in association with inhaled particles. In-air microparticle induced X-ray emission (in-air micro) analysis was previously employed to assess the spatial distribution and content of particles in surgical lung biopsy specimens. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of in-air micro-analysis for transbronchial lung biopsy specimens in patients with or without occupational exposure.

Elemental analysis of lung tissue particles and intracellular iron content of alveolar macrophages in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Background: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease occurred by idiopathic (autoimmune) or secondary to particle inhalation. The in-air microparticle induced X-ray emission (in-air micro-PIXE) system performs elemental analysis of materials by irradiation with a proton microbeam, and allows visualization of the spatial distribution and quantitation of various elements with very low background noise. The aim of this study was to assess the secondary PAP due to inhalation of harmful particles by employing in-air micro-PIXE analysis for particles and intracellular iron in parafin-embedded lung tissue specimens obtained from a PAP patient comparing with normal lung tissue from a non-PAP patient.

Observation of strong correlation between quasimonoenergetic electron beam generation by laser wakefield and laser guiding inside a preplasma cavity.

We use a one-shot measurement technique to study effects of laser prepulses on the electron laser wakefield acceleration driven by relativistically intense laser pulses (lambda=790 nm, 11 TW, 37 fs) in dense helium gas jets. A quasimonoenergetic electron bunch with an energy peak approximately 11.5 MeV[DeltaE/E approximately 10% (FWHM)] and with a narrow-cone angle (0.