Intravascular photoacoustic imaging of lipid in atherosclerotic plaques in the presence of luminal blood

Intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging can characterize atherosclerotic plaque composition on the basis of the optical absorption contrast between different tissue types. Given the high optical absorption of lipid at 1720 nm wavelength, an atherosclerotic rabbit aorta was imaged at this wavelength ex vivo using an integrated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and IVPA imaging catheter in the presence of luminal blood. Strong optical absorption of lipid combined with low background signal from other tissues provides a high-contrast, depth-resolved IVPA image of lipid. The ability to image lipid at a single wavelength without removing luminal blood suggests that in vivo detection of lipid in atherosclerotic plaques using combined IVUS/IVPA imaging is possible.     

Visualization and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Plaques by Micro-MRI at 4.7 T In Vivo and 11.7 T Ex Vivo

The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of using micro-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize and characterize atherosclerotic plaques of mouse models. Twenty five apolipoprotein E-knockout mice were fed atherogenic diet, which enabled creation of aortic atherosclerotic plaques. Aortic plaques were examined in vivo by 4.7 T MRI and then characterized ex vivo by 11.7 T three-dimensional MRI. MR images were correlated with subsequent histological confirmation. In vivo 4.7-T MRI demonstrated unevenly thickened aortic walls due to formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Ex vivo 11.7-T MRI enabled not only to acquire full volume-rendered images of the entire vessels but also to characterize plaque components (such as lipid cores and fibrous caps) at any level and any projection, which were confirmed by histological correlation. Micro-MRI provides an excellent imaging tool for basic science to investigate atherosclerosis in small animal models, which may become a supplement to histopathology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.     

Behavior of Atherosclerotic Plaque Components After in Vitro Angioplasty and Atherectomy Studied by High Field MR Imaging

Aims: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we developed in vitro models to image the response of fatty, fibrous, and calcified plaques to in vitro models of angioplasty and atherectomy, and tested the resistance of collagenous cap and lipid core to radial compression. Methods and Results: We studied the effects of balloon compression on 10 fibrous plaques with a complete collagenous cap (group A), 6 fatty plaques without cap (group B), and 5 calcified plaques (group C). Atherectomy was performed on nine other fibrous lesions (group D). In group A, fibrous cap, lipid core, and plaque did not change after radial compression despite a decrease in luminal obstruction due to medial stretching. In group B, a reduction of plaque (−30%) and lipid core (−35%) were observed. Compression dissected calcified plaques at the shoulder level. In group D, atherectomy reduced collagenous cap by 54%, and plaque by 35%. Conclusions: In these models, MRI shows 1) the high resistance of collagenous caps to radial compression, 2) a stretching effect of compression on disease-free walls, enlarging lumen in case of fibrous plaque, but a reduction and redistribution of lipid cores in case of fatty plaques, 3) the rupture of calcified arteries at the plaque shoulder, and 4) the reduction of fibrous components by atherectomy but not by angioplasty. By characterizing plaque composition, MRI may allow a predictable response of atherosclerotic arteries to interventional procedures.     

Arterial culprit plaque characteristics revealed by magnetic resonance Vessel Wall imaging in patients with single or multiple infarcts

PurposeTo investigate characteristics of intra- and extracranial arterial culprit plaques between patients with single infarct and multiple-infarcts by a head-neck combined high resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HR-MRVWI).Materials and methodsForty-three patients with recent ischemic stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis were enrolled. The head-neck combined HR-MRVWI was performed in all patients both pre- and post-contrast administration. Based on diffusion weighted imaging findings, patients were divided into single-infarction and multiple-infarction groups. For patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke, they were also divided into perforating artery infarction (PAI) and non-PAI groups. Patient demographics, number and location of culprit plaques, artery stenosis percentage, intraplaque hemorrhage, and plaque enhancement were evaluated and compared between single-infarction and multiple-infarction groups, as well as between PAI and non-PAI groups.ResultsA total of 83 culprit plaques were identified. The artery stenosis degree was more severe and plaque enhancement more prominent in multiple-infarction group than in single-infarction group. Patients with multiple infarcts also had more culprit plaques per patient than those with single infarct, which contributed to the occurrence of multiple infarcts. For comparison of PAI and non-PAI groups, a higher artery stenosis percentage was observed in non-PAI group, and patients with non-PAI had more culprit plaques per patient, which contributed to a variety of infarct manifestations.ConclusionA higher stenosis grade and higher number of culprit plaques seem to be associated with a higher number of cerebral infarcts in patients with large artery atherosclerosis.     

激光诱导荧光光谱识别动脉粥样硬化斑块的研究

采用氩离子激光为激发光源,分别研究了离体正常动脉壁、动脉粥样硬化斑块和血液等的激光诱导荧光光谱.结果表明,正常动脉壁样品组的荧光光谱强度最大值明显高于动脉粥样硬化斑块样品组;斑块的荧光光谱在516 nm处存在一个小波谷,而正常动脉组织的荧光光谱则无此波谷;斑块组织在598 nm处与578 nm处的荧光强度比值R(I₅₉₈ nm/I₅₇₈ nm)远低于正常动脉壁的比值;血红蛋白含量是引起粥样斑块与正常动脉壁的R(I₅₉₈ nm/I₅₇₈ nm)值不同的主要原因.     

Vascular tissue characterisation with IVUS elastography

Knowledge about the mechanical properties of the vessel wall and plaque is important for guiding intravascular interventional procedures and detection of plaque vulnerability. Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques is associated with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris. In a plaque with a lipid core, the stress due to the arterial pulsation will be concentrated in the cap and a thin cap may be unable to bear this stress. In this study, the potential of intravascular elastography to characterise fibrous, fibro-fatty and fatty tissue based on their mechanical properties was investigated. Using a custom-made set-up, intravascular echograms and elastograms of excised human femoral arteries were determined. High frequency r.f. data (30 MHz) were acquired using an intravascular catheter. The tissue was compressed using intravascular pressures of 80 and 100 mmHg. The cross-sections of interest were marked with a needle for matching with histology. Using cross-correlation estimation of gated echosignals, elastograms (images of the local strain) were determined. After the intravascular experiments, the specimens were fixed in formaldehyde and processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were stained with picrosirius red and alpha-actin to counterstain collagen and smooth muscle cells (SMC), respectively. Results of vessel cross-sections with fibrous and fatty plaque regions will be presented. The elastograms of these specimens show that the strain in fatty tissue is higher than the strain in fibrous material. In conclusion, these in vitro experiments on human femoral arteries indicate the potential of intravascular elastography to characterise different plaque components.     

Atherosclerotic plaque characterization by spatial and temporal speckle pattern analysis

Improved methods are needed to identify the vulnerable coronary plaques responsible for acute myocardial infraction or sudden cardiac death. We describe a method for characterizing the structure and biomechanical properties of atherosclerotic plaques based on speckle pattern fluctuations. Near-field speckle images were acquired from five human aortic specimens ex vivo. The speckle decorrelation time constant varied significantly for vulnerable aortic plaques (tau=40 ms) versus stable plaques (tau=400 ms) and normal aorta (tau=500 ms) . These initial results indicate that different atherosclerotic plaque types may be distinguished by analysis of temporal and spatial speckle pattern fluctuations.     

Intravascular photoacoustic imaging of human coronary atherosclerosis

We demonstrate intravascular photoacoustic imaging of human coronary atherosclerotic plaque. The data was obtained from two fresh human coronary arteries ex vivo, showing different stages of disease. A 1.25?mm diameter intravascular imaging catheter was built, comprising an angle-polished optical fiber adjacent to a 30?MHz ultrasound transducer. Specific photoacoustic imaging of lipid content, a key factor in vulnerable plaques that may lead to myocardial infarction, is achieved by spectroscopic imaging at different wavelengths between 1180 and 1230?nm. Simultaneous imaging with intravascular ultrasound was performed.     

Intravascular ultrasound elastography: an overview

The composition and morphology of the atherosclerotic lesion are currently considered more important determinants of acute coronary ischemic syndromes than the degree of stenosis. When a lesion is unstable, it may rupture and cause an acute thrombotic reaction. A rupture prone plaque contains a large lipid pool covered by a thin fibrous cap. The stress in the cap increased with decreasing thickness. Additionally, it may be weakened by macrophage infiltration. Intravascular ultrasound elastography might be an ideal technique to assess the presence of lipid pools and identify high stress regions. Elastography is a technique to assess local mechanical properties of tissue. The underlying principle is that the deformation of tissue by a mechanical excitation is a function of its mechanical properties. The deformation of the tissue is determined using ultrasound. For intravascular purposes, the intraluminal pressure is used as the excitation force. The radial strain in the tissue is obtained by cross-correlation techniques on the radio frequency (rf) signal. The strain is colour-coded and plotted as a complimentary image to the IVUS echogram. Elastography was validated in vitro using diseased human coronary and femoral arteries. After the ultrasound experiments, the specimens were processed for routine histology to counterstain collagen, smooth-muscle cells, and macrophage activity. Regions were segmented in the elastograms based on their strain values. Next, the dominant plaque type (fibrous, fibro-fatty or fatty) was defined by observers blinded to the elastographic result. These experiments demonstrate that the strain in the three plaque types is different (Kruskall-Wallis p < 0.001). Especially between fibrous and fatty tissue, a highly significant difference (Wilcoxon p < 0.001) was found. In vivo, the technique is validated in an atherosclerotic Yucatan mini-pig animal model. High-resolution echo frames (30 frames per second) were acquired near end-diastole. In this phase of the pressure cycle, catheter motion was minimal. Frames with a pressure difference of approx. 5 mm Hg were taken to determine the elastograms. This in vivo validation study in Yucatan mini-pigs revealed higher strain values in fatty material (ANOVA p < 0.001). All cross-sections with a fatty plaque were identified with the elastogram by the presence of high strain values. Additionally, data are acquired in patients referred for Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty with the same set-up as tested in the animal study. Ultrasound data of soft, fibrous, calcified and stented plaques are acquired near end-diastole. The elastogram of soft plaques. as identified from the deformation during the pressure cycle, reveals strain values of 1% with increased strain up to 2% at the shoulders of the plaque. Calcified material, as identified from the echogram, shows low strain values of 0-0.2%. The elastogram of stented plaques reveals very low strain values, except for two regions: these are between the stent struts and at the shoulders of the plaque. In conclusion, intravascular elastography appears to be a unique tool to determine local mechanical properties in atherosclerotic lesions to identify fibrous and fatty tissue. Experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of this technique to be applied in vivo.     

R717双蒸发温度回路三级混流制冷系统的研究设计

基于降低初投资、节约能源、与环境友好及符合国情的原则,从制冷剂选用和制冷系统构成两个方面,探究"超低温"冷库制冷系统的设计方案和适用技术路线,完成了以天然工质氨为制冷剂,双蒸发温度回路三级混流制冷系统的可行性研究及其关键设备的开发设计,并以此建造了具有-30℃和-60℃库温,库容分别为30吨和200吨双冷间的"超低温"实验冷库。试运行半年,完全达到设计要求,已通过山东省科技厅专家组技术鉴定。     

Improvement of hydrophilic properties of electrospun polyamide-imide fibrous mats by atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment

Polyamide-imide (PAI) fibrous mats were fabricated through electrospinning and further treated with atmospheric-pressure plasma. The surface characteristics of the PAI fibrous mats were examined to determine the effect of plasma treatment on the hydrophilic properties. FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact-angle analysis indicated that the hydrophilicity of the PAI fibrous mats increased upon the introduction of hydrophilic groups by plasma treatment. The concentration of functional groups, including oxygen, and the surface roughness of the PAI fibrous mats increased with increasing treatment time. The optimum plasma treatment time for surface modification of the PAI fibrous mats under atmospheric pressure was 120 s.     

In vivo attenuation and equivalent scatterer size parameters for atherosclerotic carotid plaque: Preliminary results

We have previously reported on the equivalent scatterer size, attenuation coefficient, and axial strain properties of atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo. Since plaque structure and composition may be damaged during a carotid endarterectomy procedure, characterization of in vivo properties of atherosclerotic plaque is essential. The relatively shallow depth of the carotid artery and plaque enables non-invasive evaluation of carotid plaque utilizing high frequency linear-array transducers. We investigate the ability of the attenuation coefficient and equivalent scatterer size parameters to differentiate between calcified, and lipidic plaque tissue. Softer plaques especially lipid rich and those with a thin fibrous cap are more prone to rupture and can be classified as unstable or vulnerable plaque. Preliminary results were obtained from 10 human patients whose carotid artery was scanned in vivo to evaluate atherosclerotic plaque prior to a carotid endarterectomy procedure. Our results indicate that the equivalent scatterer size obtained using Faran’s scattering theory for calcified regions are in the 120–180 μm range while softer regions have larger equivalent scatterer size distribution in the 280–470 μm range. The attenuation coefficient for calcified regions as expected is significantly higher than that for softer regions. In the frequency bandwidth ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 MHz, the attenuation coefficient for calcified regions lies between 1.4 and 2.5 dB/cm/MHz, while that for softer regions lies between 0.3 and 1.3 dB/cm/MHz.     

Selective ablation of atherosclerotic lesions with less thermal damage by controlling the pulse structure of a quantum cascade laser in the 5.7-µm wavelength range

Cholesteryl esters are the main components of atherosclerotic plaques, and they have an absorption peak at the wavelength of 5.75 µm. To realize less-invasive ablation of the atherosclerotic plaques using a quasi-continuous wave (quasi-CW) quantum cascade laser (QCL), the thermal effects on normal vessels must be reduced. In this study, we attempted to reduce the thermal effects by controlling the pulse structure. The irradiation effects on rabbit atherosclerotic aortas using macro pulse irradiation (irradiation of pulses at intervals) and conventional quasi-CW irradiation were compared. The macro pulse width and the macro pulse interval were determined based on the thermal relaxation time of atherosclerotic and normal aortas in the oscillation wavelength of the QCL. The ablation depth increased and the coagulation width decreased using macro pulse irradiation. Moreover, difference in ablation depth between the atherosclerotic and normal rabbit aortas using macro pulse irradiation was confirmed. Therefore, the QCL in the 5.7-µm wavelength range with controlling the pulse structure was effective for less-invasive laser angioplasty.     

Capacitance imaging for the discrimination of lipid region in atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo using polypyrrole-coated multi-walled carbon nanotube multi-electrode array

We have developed a capacitance imaging technique using polypyrrole (PPy)-coated multi walled carbon nanotube multi electrode array (PPy-MWCNT-MEA) for the discrimination of lipid region in atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo. The lipid region in the atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo, derived from apolipoprotein-E receptor-deficient mice, exhibits higher capacitance than does the lipid-free region. This consequently allows the capacitance imaging of the lipid region. The results from this research are consistent with an earlier study, which reported that a relatively high capacitance was measured from free fatty acid-treated adipocyte cells. Compared to the titanium nitride multi electrode array, the PPy-MWCNT-MEA yields better capacitance imaging of the lipid region, which can be ascribed to the improved contact between the PPy-MWCNTs and the atherosclerotic plaque ex vivo.     

激光诱导间质热疗的深低温流体冷却方法

为防止激光诱导间质内热疗治疗肿瘤时激光光纤加热段周围组织的炭化,本文提出了一种采用深低温流体对激光光纤及其临近组织进行降温冷却的方法.为验证该方法的可行性,本文对采用该方法后激光间质内热疗过程中组织的传热问题进行了深入的数值研究.结果表明,深低温流体冷却方法可避免局部高温对组织的炭化,并显著扩展有效加热范围,从而对肿瘤实施高效的热凝固.     

凯氏定氮仪-分光光度法测定鹅肠中甲醛

建立鹅肠中甲醛测定的新方法,采用凯氏定氮蒸馏装置代替蒸汽蒸馏装置从鹅肠中提取甲醛,并对水浴温度和时间进行改进。新建立的方法RSD为2.36%—4.23%,加标回收率为92.7%—102.3%,具有良好的线性范围,R~2=0.9999。方法精密度好,准确度高,适用于鹅肠中甲醛的测定。     

Clinical 3.0 T Magnetic Resonance Scanner to Be Used for Imaging of Mouse Atherosclerotic Lesions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool for non-invasive identification and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques in both basic science and clinical practice. To date, the reported studies on in vivo vascular MRI of small animals, such as mice and rats, are mainly performed on high-field micro-MR scanners, which are not always available in many academic institutions and basic research units. This study aimed to explore the possibility of generating high-resolution MR images of the atherosclerotic aortic walls/plaques of mice using a clinical 3.0 T MR scanner with a dedicated solenoid mouse coil. An atherosclerotic mouse model was first generated by feeding 8 ApoE⁻/⁻ mice an atherogenic diet. MR images of the ascending aortas of these mice were then achieved using a three-dimensional black-blood turbo spin-echo sequence (repetition time TR = 4 heart echo time TE = 10 ms). The MRI displayed a clear view of the aortic lumens and the atherosclerotic lesions, which correlated significantly well with subsequent histological confirmations (linear regression analysis, r = 0.73, P = 0.04). This study demonstrated that a clinical 3.0 T MR scanner can be used for high-resolution imaging of mouse atherosclerotic lesions to some extent.     

Temperature dependence of activation volume on Cu content of ultra-low carbon steel

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the yield stress, effective stress and activation volume on the Cu content in steel was assessed using polycrystalline ultra-low carbon steels with 0.5, 1 and 2 mass% Cu added. A small hump was seen in the effective stress–temperature curve for ultra-low carbon steel, which has also been reported for high-purity single-crystal iron. The effective stress was found to decrease with increasing the Cu content. The activation volume was found to be linearly related to the temperature at low temperatures for all types of specimens considered. The activation volume was found to increase abruptly at a certain temperature, which increased with increasing the Cu content. The change in the relationship of the activation volume to temperature is discussed in this paper with respect to the thermally activated process of dislocation glide from the Peierls mechanism to the interaction between dislocations and solute Cu atoms.     

Photoassociative ionization of Na inside a storage ring

Motivated by recent interest in low dimensional arrays of atoms, we experimentally investigated the way cold collisional processes are affected by the geometry of the considered atomic sample. More specifically, we studied the case of photoassociative ionization (PAI) both in a storage ring where collision is more unidirectional in character and in a trap with clear undefinition of collision axis. First, creating a ring shaped trap (atomotron) we investigated two-color PAI dependence with intensity and polarization of a probing laser. The intensity dependence of the PAI rate was also measured in a magneto-optical trap presenting equivalent temperature and density conditions. Indeed, the results show that in the ring trap, the value of the PAI rate constant is much lower and does not show evidences of saturation, unlike in the case of the 3D-MOT. Cold atomic collisions in storage ring may represent new possibilities for study.