对一种蓝色染料影象的象质评价

本文对黑白胶片经过特殊的蓝色成象工艺加工后形成的影象的质量进行了客观评价。结果表明,用蓝色成象工艺,感光度、特性曲线直线部分的斜率γ、最大密度及调制传递函数在低空间频率的响应等,均较黑白影象有不同程度的改善和提高;分辨率基本相同;粒度有些增高;调制传递函数的高频响应变坏。这种成象工艺用于对空间频率上限要求不高的一些成象体系,如X射线照象是有利的。这与临床诊断的主观评价的结果一致。     

Diagnosis of the profile of the heavy-ion microbeam and estimation of the aiming accuracy of the single-ion-hit with using CR-39

The aiming accuracy of the single-ion-hit method has been studied by the measurement of etch-pit patterns on a CR-39 film irradiated with a heavy-ion microbeam. It becomes clear that the aiming accuracy is determined to be the size of the core-part of the microbeam, which is almost twice as large as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) beam size measured by the conventional secondary electron image method.     

MALDI-MS imaging of features smaller than the size of the laser beam

The feasibility of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) imaging of features smaller than the laser beam size has been demonstrated. The method involves the complete ablation of the MALDI matrix coating the sample at each sample position and moving the sample target a distance less than the diameter of the laser beam before repeating the process. In the limit of complete sample ablation, acquiring signal from adjacent positions spaced by distances smaller than the sample probe enhances image resolution as the measured analyte signal only arises from the overlap of the laser beam size and the non-ablated sample surface. Image acquisition of features smaller than the laser beam size has been demonstrated with peptide standards deposited on electron microscopy calibration grids and with neuropeptides originating from single cells. The presented MS imaging technique enables approximately 25 microm imaging spatial resolution using commercial MALDI mass spectrometers having irregular laser beam sizes of several hundred micron diameters. With appropriate sampling, the size of the laser beam is not a strict barrier to the attainable MALDI-MS imaging resolution.     

SPECT images using a multislice fan beam collimator

Several methods to improve the image resolution of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) occur to us. It is one method to use multislice fan beam collimators which have the parallel collimation along the cephalic-caudul axis of a patient and the conversing collimation within planes parpendicular to that axis. It is impossible to obtain corrective image when we used the algorithm which is commonly used for reconstruction of SPECT images. We proposed a reconstruction algorithm for multislice fan beam collimator in this paper. An interpolation method developed for fan beam type X-ray CT was modified to reconstruct images from SPECT with multislice fan beam collimator. This algorithm was confirmed by means of computer simulation studies. Beside improving the system resolution by effectively reducing the intrinsic resolution of the cameras, this collimator also increases the system sensitivity by utilizing a large fraction of the crystal area. We have thought that to use multislice fan beam collimator is beneficial for SPECT images.     

Estimation of the volumetric water content in chrysanthemum tissues

Summary A method of estimating water in a neutron image was developed for cold neutron radiography, where the scanning method was applied to the plant sample at a beam port. The spectrum of the cold neutron beam as well as the effective cross section of water was determined to estimate the water thickness in chrysanthemum tissues. The resolution and contrast of the cold neutron radiography were sufficient for the estimation of the water thickness of fine veins in the chrysanthemum leaves. However, volumetric water content was overestimated when the sample shapes were cylindrical. This phenomenon can be explained by the reduction of the effect of neutron scattering from the sample when it is cylindrical.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method using ultraviolet detection for measuring metrifonate and dichlorvos levels in human plasma.

We report high-performance liquid chromatographic methods using ultraviolet detection, developed for the first time in our laboratory with sensitivity to detect clinically significant concentrations of metrifonate (MTF), an experimental drug for Alzheimer disease, and its active anticholinesterase metabolite, dichlorvos (DDVP). The determination limit of the method for MTF and DDVP was 1 microgram/ml and 40 ng/ml, respectively. Stability of MTF and DDVP at various temperatures in water, buffered solutions and in human plasma were also studied.     

Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D⁻ ion beam. In the preliminary experiment using one ion source, a D⁻ ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D⁻ beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I_D⁻ < 1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a prototype accelerator and a 1 MV, 1 A test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) were constructed. Up to now, an H⁻ ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator.     

锥束X-CT系统四椭圆法获取全几何参数的研究

锥束CT具有成像质量高、低辐射、操作简单等优点,近几年得到迅速发展。锥束CT几何参数的精确获取是得到高质量图像的关键因素。针对FDK算法要求的条件以及现有的几何参数获取方法,本文提出了一种基于四椭圆快速获取全参数的方法。首先介绍了锥束CT中的关键参数,然后提出了四椭圆全参数获取原理并设计出通用标定模体。本标定模体可用于任何锥角不同的锥束CT系统。通过标定模体在空间的几何关系获取系统中所有几何参数。最后针对该方法进行了实验论证,结果表明,本方法获取的几何参数精度高。综上所述,可证实该算法具有一定的工程实用价值。     

Thin dielectric film thickness determination by advanced transmission electron microscopy.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) has been used as the ultimate method of thickness measurement for thin films. The appearance of phase contrast interference patterns in HR-TEM images has long been confused as the appearance of a crystal lattice by nonspecialists. Relatively easy to interpret crystal lattice images are now directly observed with the introduction of annular dark-field detectors for scanning TEM (STEM). With the recent development of reliable lattice image processing software that creates crystal structure images from phase contrast data, HR-TEM can also provide crystal lattice images. The resolution of both methods has been steadily improved reaching now into the sub-Angstrom region. Improvements in electron lens and image analysis software are increasing the spatial resolution of both methods. Optimum resolution for STEM requires that the probe beam be highly localized. In STEM, beam localization is enhanced by selection of the correct aperture. When STEM measurement is done using a highly localized probe beam, HR-TEM and STEM measurement of the thickness of silicon oxynitride films agree within experimental error. In this article, the optimum conditions for HR-TEM and STEM measurement are discussed along with a method for repeatable film thickness determination. The impact of sample thickness is also discussed. The key result in this article is the proposal of a reproducible method for film thickness determination.     

Direct Measurement of Electron Beam Scattering in the Low Vacuum SEM

The beam-gas interactions in the low-vacuum SEM is investigated through experimental and simulation approaches. An original experimental way to characterise the skirting is proposed. We obtained directly image distribution of the primary electron beam and the scattered electrons in the low-vacuum SEM. The experimental results are compared to the electron beam profile obtained with Monte-Carlo simulation.     

有机光导液晶光阀(透射式)及其性能的研究

本文报道用聚乙烯咔唑-2,4,7三硝基芴酮电荷转移复合物作光导层,与向列型及胆甾向列型混合液晶组成的夹心池结构制成的扭曲场效应、相变存储效应及动态存储效应三种直流透射式光阀及其性能的研究结果。制得的光阀均有明显开关效应。此外,还详细研究了扭曲场效应液晶光阀的阈值电压、对比度及上升时间与写入光功率的依赖关系。用白光写入,He-Ne激光读出,在扭曲场效应光阀上可实现非相干光-相干光转换,得到图象。用MTF法测得的光阀分辨率为34lps/mm。     

Image reversal for direct electron beam patterning of protein coated surfaces

Electron beam lithography (EBL) is used to create surfaces with protein patterns, which are characterized by immunofluorescence and atomic force microscopies. Both negative and positive image processes are realized by electron beam irradiation of proteins absorbed on a silicon surface, where image reversal is achieved by selectively binding a second species of protein to the electron beam exposed areas on the first protein layer. Biofunctionality at the cellular level was established by culturing cortical cells on patterned lines of fibronectin adsorbed on a bovine serum albumin background for 7 days in culture.     

碳膜的制备及其在纳米颗粒观察中的应用

阐述了透射电镜中碳膜的制备方法，并讨论了影响碳膜质量的因素，用这种碳膜支持纳米颗粒在透射电镜下观察，碳膜在电子束的长时间照射下，不姓变形和起皱图象清晰衬底均匀。     

Investigation into Molecular Diffusion in Hydrogels Using the Refractive Index Method

An in‐situ refractive index method is applied to study the diffusion process of sucrose in hydrogels. Diffusion was monitored by recording the refraction of a laser beam when passing through a triangular hydrogel cell. The distribution of refractive index changes was obtained from the deviated distance of the linear beam and converted to the distribution of concentration. By employing Fick's second law, the diffusion behavior was investigated and the diffusion coefficient was obtained.

Schematic picture of the refractive index equipment to study the diffusion process.     

Direct Microfabrication of Topographical and Chemical Cues for the Guided Growth of Neural Cell Networks on Polyamidoamine Hydrogels

Cell patterning is an important tool for organizing cells in surfaces and to reproduce in a simple way the tissue hierarchy and complexity of pluri‐cellular life. The control of cell growth, proliferation and differentiation on solid surfaces is consequently important for prosthetics, biosensors, cell‐based arrays, stem cell therapy and cell‐based drug discovery concepts. We present a new electron beam lithography method for the direct and simultaneous fabrication of sub‐micron topographical and chemical patterns, on a biocompatible and biodegradable PAA hydrogel. The localized e‐beam modification of a hydrogel surface makes the pattern able to adsorb proteins in contrast with the anti‐fouling surface. By also exploiting the selective attachment, growth and differentiation of PC12 cells, we fabricated a neural network of single cells connected by neuritis extending along microchannels. E‐beam microlithography on PAA hydrogels opens up the opportunity of producing multifunctional microdevices incorporating complex topographies, allowing precise control of the growth and organization of individual cells.

     

Searching ultimate nanometrology for AlOx thickness in magnetic tunnel junction by analytical electron microscopy and X-ray reflectometry.

Practical analyses of the structures of ultrathin multilayers in tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) and Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) devices have been a challenging task because layers are very thin, just 1-2 nm thick. Particularly, the thinness (approximately 1 nm) and chemical properties of the AlOx barrier layer are critical to its magnetic tunneling property. We focused on evaluating the current TEM analytical methods by measuring the thickness and composition of an AlOx layer using several TEM instruments, that is, a round robin test, and cross-checked the thickness results with an X-ray reflectometry (XRR) method. The thickness measured by using HRTEM, HAADF-STEM, and zero-loss images was 1.1 nm, which agreed with the results from the XRR method. On the other hand, TEM-EELS measurements showed 1.8 nm for an oxygen 2D-EELS image and 3.0 nm for an oxygen spatially resolved EELS image, whereas the STEM-EDS line profile showed 2.5 nm in thickness. However, after improving the TEM-EELS measurements by acquiring time-resolved images, the measured thickness of the AlOx layer was improved from 1.8 nm to 1.4 nm for the oxygen 2D-EELS image and from 3.0 nm to 2.0 nm for the spatially resolved EELS image, respectively. Also the observed thickness from the EDS line profile was improved to 1.4 nm after more careful optimization of the experimental parameters. We found that EELS and EDS of one-dimensional line scans or two-dimensional elemental mapping gave a larger AlOx thickness even though much care was taken. The reasons for larger measured values can be found from several factors such as sample drift, beam damage, probe size, beam delocalization, and multiple scattering for the EDS images, and chromatic aberration, diffraction limit due to the aperture, delocalization, alignment between layered direction in samples, and energy dispersion direction in the EELS instrument for EELS images. In the case of STEM-EDS mapping with focused nanoprobes, it is always necessary to reduce beam damage and sample drift while trying to maintain the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio as high as possible. Also we confirmed that the time-resolved TEM-EELS acquisition technique improves S/N ratios of elemental maps without blurring the images.     

Three-dimensional characterization of pigment dispersion in dried paint films using focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy

The combination of integrated focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) serial sectioning and imaging techniques with image analysis provided quantitative characterization of three-dimensional (3D) pigment dispersion in dried paint films. The focused ion beam in a FIB-SEM dual beam system enables great control in slicing paints, and the sectioning process can be synchronized with SEM imaging providing high quality serial cross-section images for 3D reconstruction. Application of Euclidean distance map and ultimate eroded points image analysis methods can provide quantitative characterization of 3D particle distribution. It is concluded that 3D measurement of binder distribution in paints is effective to characterize the order of pigment dispersion in dried paint films.     

PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY WITH PHOTOFRIN II INDUCES PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH IN CARCINOMA CELL LINES

Abstract The mode of cell death following photodynamic therapy was investigated from the perspective of programmed cell death or apoptosis. Human prostate carcinoma cells (PC3), human non-small cell lung carcinoma (H322a) and rat mammary carcinoma (MTF7) were treated by photodynamic therapy. An examination of extracted cellular DNA by gel electrophoresis showed the characteristic DNA ladder indicative of internucleosomal cleavage of DNA during apoptosis. The magnitude of the response and the photodynamic therapy dosage required to induce DNA fragmentation were different in PC3 and MTF7. The MTF7 cells responded with rapid apoptosis at the dose of light and drug that yielded 50% cell death (LD₅₀). In contrast, PC3 showed only marginal response at the LD₅₀ but had a marked response at the LD₈₅. Thus, apoptosis did not ensue as quickly in PC3 as in MTF7. The H322a cells were killed by photodynamic therapy but failed to exhibit any apoptotic response. The results also suggested that apoptosis in these cell lines has a minor requirement for de novo protein synthesis and no requirement for de novo RNA synthesis. This study indicates that although apoptosis can occur during photodynamic therapy-induced cell death, this response is not universal for all cancer cell lines.     

Particle size determination using TEM: a discussion of image acquisition and analysis for the novice microscopist

As nanoparticle synthesis capabilities advance, there is an increasing need for reliable nanoparticle size distribution analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to directly image nanoparticles at scales approaching a single atom. However, the advantage gained by being able to "see" these nanoparticles comes with several tradeoffs that must be addressed and balanced. For effective nanoparticle characterization, the proper selection of imaging type (bright vs dark field), magnification, and analysis method (manual vs automated) is critical. These decisions control the measurement resolution, the contrast between the particle and background, the number of particles in each image, the subsequent analysis efficiency, and the proper determination of the particle-background boundary and affect the significance of electron beam damage to the sample. In this work, the relationship between the critical decisions required for TEM analysis of small nanoparticles and the statistical effects of these factors on the resulting size distribution is presented.