A three-dimensional study of endometrial microvessels in women using the contraceptive subdermal levonorgestrel implant system, norplant

Recent evidence points towards a substantial disturbance of the process of angiogenesis within the endometrium in women who are exposed continuously to low dose contraceptive progestogens. This results in the patchy appearance of abnormally small and abnormally large, thin-walled vessels in the superficial regions of exposed endometrium. Three-dimensional pictures were developed from digitised images of serial tissue sections of endometrium in which microvascular endothelial cells were labelled with antibodies to the endothelial cell surface antigen, CD34 and their basement membranes labelled with anti-Collagen IV antibodies. Microvessels from endometrium exposed to continuous low-dose levonorgestrel from a subdermal implant system (Norplant) displayed considerable variations in size and shape. No spiral arterioles were identified. Some microvessels showed considerable dilatation, distortion and variability in the presence of surrounding basement membrane components. Other endothelial structures included narrow, solid cords of endothelial cells, without basement membranes, which often connected with normal or abnormal vessels containing lumens. Some areas, especially deeper in the tissue, contained microvessels of normal size and shape surrounded by basement membrane. These images have revealed an overall picture of great variability in superficial endometrial vascular structures in some women using a low-dose levonorgestrel implant system which appears substantially different from that seen in normal endometrium.     

Studies of Fluorescence Immunosensor Using Eggshell Membrane as Immobilization Matrix

A novel immunosensor using eggshell membrane for determining the human immunoglobulin M (HIgM) in serum was developed. The immunosensor was fabricated by immobilizing goat anti-human IgM antibody on the eggshell membrane with glutaraldehyde. Based on the immunoreactions of goat anti-human IgM (primary antibody), HIgM (target antigen) and the goat anti-human IgM (secondary antibody), the sandwich complex were formed on the eggshell membrane and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling secondary antibody could be employed to detect the target antigen. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range for determining HIgM is 5-60 ng mL(-1) and the detection limit is 4.3 ng mL(-1), which are comparable with the results obtained by general immunonephelometric method. Meanwhile, this proposed sensor also exhibited remarkable storage stability, permeability and highly biocompatibility. The effects of temperature and pH value on eggshell membrane were investigated. Therefore, the proposed immunosensor, by using eggshell membrane as immobilization platform of antibody, offers an excellent fluorescence response to HIgM. The immunosesor provided a new alternative to determine antigens and other bioactive molecules.     

荧光光谱成像在生物芯片蛋白量化分析中的应用研究

采用荧光光谱成像并结合椭圆偏振技术研究了３-氨基３-乙氧基硅烷(APTES)修饰及其与戊二醛(APTES-Glu)共同修饰的两种不同表面上固定的羊抗人抗体活性和数量及其荧光免疫结合。研究结果表明：应用荧光光谱成像在APTES-Glu表面上检测到的FITC标记人血清蛋白分子的数量为APTES表面结合的2.8倍,而应用椭圆偏振技术在前者表面上检测到的FITC标记人血清蛋白分子的数量为后者表面上的2.2倍。这个结果说明：在荧光免疫检测中,荧光光谱成像完全可用于分析不同表面固定蛋白的免疫活性和半定量的检测。     

基于C#的二维核磁共振测井观测模式设计软件的开发

二维核磁共振测井观测模式是以获取特定地层信息为目标的数据采集方式，它直接决定着核磁共振谱仪对不同类型储层的适应性以及获取原始数据的可信度．本文从观测模式的组成元素以及工作机理出发，采用C#语言开发了一套具有可视化功能的二维核磁共振测井观测模式设计软件．该软件支持二维核磁共振测井以及核磁共振岩心分析仪的观测模式设计，同时提供了三种采集参数编辑方式、观测模式优化机制以及图形化显示等功能，实现了观测模式的灵活调整，解决了当前主流二维核磁共振测井观测模式中存在的采集参数固定、不宜灵活调整从而导致所采集的原始数据信噪比低下、储层中流体弛豫特性加载不完全等问题．此外，软件还提供了观测模式的采集参数信息以及采集时序信息的输出功能等．     

异硫氰酸荧光素标记抗体的固体基质室温磷光性质研究

研究了异硫氰酸荧光素（FITC）标记的羊抗人抗体（GAHAb-FITC)和兔抗羊抗体9RAGAb-FITC)，及其以三种免疫方式与人免疫球蛋白（IgG)反应所得免疫复合物在多种固体薄膜基质上发射室温磷光（RTP）的适宜条件及其光谱，强度和寿命等性质。研究发现，标记抗体及其免疫复合物保留了FITC优良的固体基质室温磷光性质，λ m0643em^(max)=525/650nm，其RTP强度与其浓度线性相关，并有很高的灵敏度，更为重要的是，免疫反应及其RTP检测能结合于同一基质，方便地相继完成，在聚酰胺膜（PM）上，以Pb(Ac)2为重原子微扰剂，稀释比为1：10（ψ）的GAHAb-FITC,RAGAb-FITC及其与人IgG形成的免疫复合物均能发射较强制 RTP信号并有较长的RTP寿命，本结果为建立相应的固体基质室温磷光免疫分析（SS-RTP-IA）新方法奠定了相应的实验基础。     

Excited-configuration metastable level lifetimes of Cl-like Mn IX and Fe X

Forbidden transitions from levels with 3P and 1D cores in excited configurations of Cl-like Mn IX and Fe X have been isolated using interference filters. The fluorescence decay lifetimes of ions orbiting in a Kingdon ion trap were measured. New relativistic configuration interaction calculations of relevant level lifetimes, to aid the analysis, based on B-spline basis sets, are also presented. Line identifications and experimental lifetimes are Mn IX ((4)D(7/2)-(4)F(9/2)):363(-3/+7) nm; tau(Mn IX3p(4)(3P)3d (4)F(9/2)) = 210+/-42 ms; tau(Fe X,3p(4)(3P)3d (4)F(9/2)) = 85.7+/-9.2 ms; tau(Fe X,3p(4)(3P)3d (4)F(7/2)) = 93+/-30 ms; and tau(Fe X, 3p(4)(1D)3d (2)G(9/2)) = 17.8+/-3.1 ms.     

Three-dimensional snow images by MR microscopy

MR microscopy technique was introduced to visualize and quantify the three-dimensional structure of snowpack. Since the NMR signal from the ice was week, we looked at the air space instead filling with dodecane or aniline doped with iron acetylacetonate. Four types of snow were tested: ice spheres, large rounded poly crystals, small rounded mono-crystals and depth hoar crystals. A specific specimen-cooling system was developed to keep the temperature below 0 degrees C. In the experiments 0.5 to 2 h were necessary to accumulate the signals enough to obtain a 3D micro-image; the image matrix 128(3), voxel size (200 microm)3 or 256(3) (120 microm)3. Comparison with the 2D data using the conventional section plane method was also carried out and MR microscopy is proved to be a very useful method to visualize the microstructure of snowpack.     

3D reconstruction of a carotid bifurcation from 2D transversal ultrasound images

Visualizing and analyzing the morphological structure of carotid bifurcations are important for understanding the etiology of carotid atherosclerosis, which is a major cause of stroke and transient ischemic attack. For delineation of vasculatures in the carotid artery, ultrasound examinations have been widely employed because of a noninvasive procedure without ionizing radiation. However, conventional 2D ultrasound imaging has technical limitations in observing the complicated 3D shapes and asymmetric vasodilation of bifurcations. This study aims to propose image-processing techniques for better 3D reconstruction of a carotid bifurcation in a rat by using 2D cross-sectional ultrasound images. A high-resolution ultrasound imaging system with a probe centered at 40 MHz was employed to obtain 2D transversal images. The lumen boundaries in each transverse ultrasound image were detected by using three different techniques; an ellipse-fitting, a correlation mapping to visualize the decorrelation of blood flow, and the ellipse-fitting on the correlation map. When the results are compared, the third technique provides relatively good boundary extraction. The incomplete boundaries of arterial lumen caused by acoustic artifacts are somewhat resolved by adopting the correlation mapping and the distortion in the boundary detection near the bifurcation apex was largely reduced by using the ellipse-fitting technique. The 3D lumen geometry of a carotid artery was obtained by volumetric rendering of several 2D slices. For the 3D vasodilatation of the carotid bifurcation, lumen geometries at the contraction and expansion states were simultaneously depicted at various view angles. The present 3D reconstruction methods would be useful for efficient extraction and construction of the 3D lumen geometries of carotid bifurcations from 2D ultrasound images.     

Visualization of microvessels by angiography using inverse‐Compton scattering X‐rays in animal models

The fundamental performance of microangiography has been evaluated using the S‐band linac‐based inverse‐Compton scattering X‐ray (iCSX) method to determine how many photons would be required to apply iCSX to human microangiography. ICSX is characterized by its quasi‐monochromatic nature and small focus size which are fundamental requirements for microangiography. However, the current iCSX source does not have sufficient flux for microangiography in clinical settings. It was determined whether S‐band compact linac‐based iCSX can visualize small vessels of excised animal organs, and the amount of X‐ray photons required for real time microangiography in clinical settings was estimated. The iCSX coupled with a high‐gain avalanche rushing amorphous photoconductor camera could visualize a resolution chart with only a single iCSX pulse of ～3 ps duration; the resolution was estimated to be ～500 µm. The iCSX coupled with an X‐ray cooled charge‐coupled device image sensor camera visualized seventh‐order vascular branches (80 µm in diameter) of a rabbit ear by accumulating the images for 5 and 30 min, corresponding to irradiation of 3000 and 18000 iCSX pulses, respectively. The S‐band linac‐based iCSX visualized microvessels by accumulating the images. An iCSX source with a photon number of 3.6 × 10³–5.4 × 10⁴ times greater than that used in this study may enable visualizing microvessels of human fingertips even in clinical settings.     

IgA免疫复合物微粒的共振散射光谱研究及其分析应用

在pH 6.2的Na₂HPO₄-柠檬酸缓冲溶液中及聚乙二醇4 000存在下,免疫球蛋白A(IgA)与羊抗人免疫球蛋白A通过库力引力、范德华力、氢键结合力、疏水等作用力发生特异性结合形成抗原-抗体免疫复合物微粒。激光散射法测得该微粒的平均粒径约为1 100 nm;而且该微粒在340,390,420,450,470,520 nm有6个共振散射峰。考察了pH值、不同分子量聚乙二醇、羊抗人IgA血清用量、温度及反应时间对共振散射光谱测定IgA的影响。在最佳实验条件下,IgA浓度在0.133～4.67 μg·mL-1范围内与340和470 nm处的共振散射强度均呈线性关系,其回归方程分别为ΔI_{340 nm}=18.61 c_IgA+3.19,ΔI_{470 nm}=18.57 c_IgA+6.51,相关系数分别为0.998 5和0.998 7,检出限分别为0.068和0.072 μg·mL-1。该法用于人血清IgA的测定,相对标准偏差在2.2％～4.2％,并与免疫比浊法测定结果作线性回归分析,其斜率、截距和相关系数分别为1.064,-0.213和0.929 9,结果令人满意。     

Deconvolution of compartmental water diffusion coefficients in yeast-cell suspensions using combined T(1) and diffusion measurements

An NMR method is presented for measuring compartment-specific water diffusion coefficient (D) values. It uses relaxography, employing an extracellular contrast reagent (CR) to distinguish intracellular (IC) and extracellular (EC) (1)H(2)O signals by differences in their respective longitudinal (T(1)) relaxation times. A diffusion-weighted inversion-recovery spin-echo (DW-IRSE) pulse sequence was used to acquire IR data sets with systematically and independently varying inversion time (TI) and diffusion-attenuation gradient amplitude (g) values. Implementation of the DW-IRSE technique was demonstrated and validated using yeast cells suspended in 3 mM Gd-DTPA(2-) with a wet/dry mass ratio of 3.25:1.0. Two-dimensional (2D) NMR data were acquired at 2.0 T and analyzed using numerical inverse Laplace transformation (2D- and sequential 1D-ILT) and sequential exponential fitting to yield T(1) and water D values. All three methods gave substantial agreement. Exponential fitting, deemed the most accurate and time efficient, yielded T(1):D (relative contribution) values of 304 ms:0.023x10(-5) cm(2)/s (47%) and 65 ms:1.24x10(-5) cm(2)/s (53%) for the IC and EC components, respectively. The compartment-specific D values derived from direct biexponential fitting of diffusion-attenuation data were also in good agreement. Extension of the DW-IRSE method to in vivo models should provide valuable insights into compartment-specific water D changes in response to injury or disease. (c) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).     

Analysis of spontaneous activity in neuronal cultures through recurrence plots: impact of varying connectivity

We analyzed spontaneous activity of cortical neuronal networks in vitro using recurrence plots (RPs). Our data encompasses fluorescence traces of average network activity from two experimental explorations, namely the development of connections during the maturation of the network and the gradual weakening of connections through chemical action. The dynamical richness of the networks in these connectivity-evolving scenarios was examined through recurrence quantification analysis. Measures such as determinism and laminarity were used to portray the degree of uniformity and periodicity of the spontaneous activity patterns. The analysis shows that RPs are a powerful tool to visualize and interpret neuronal networks dynamics, and pinpoint its hallmarks.     

Observing three-dimensional human microvascular and myogenic architecture using conventional fluorescence microscopy

Microangiography and vascular casting have previously been used to demonstrate the three-dimensional architecture of human uterine microvasculature. However, a limitation of these perfusion-dependent techniques is the difficulty in identifying surrounding tissue components. We have previously shown that it is possible to visualise microvascular networks on the cut surfaces of fresh tissue specimens by diffusive labelling of vascular endothelium with fluorescently conjugated UEA-1 lectin. Unlike perfusion methods that are limited to accessible vascular networks, diffusive fluorescence labelling (DFL) allows additional visualisation of extravascular cellular components, such as smooth muscle. Following UEA-1 DFL, smooth muscle-myosin and -actin were then visualised by immunolocalisation on the acetone-fixed tissue pieces. This allowed clear three-dimensional distinction between the vascular and muscle architecture of the myometrium and endometrium. This method can also be applied for studying the relative distribution of microvascular and muscle architecture in leiomyomas (fibroids). The techniques described in this methodological study provide a simple way of directly examining the uterine vasculature in three dimensions using conventional microscopy, while also distinguishing myometrial from endometrial parts of the network.     

一种检测痕量IgG的免疫纳米银共振散射光谱探针

以柠檬酸三钠作还原剂,采用微波高压合成法制备了粒径约为20 nm的银纳米微粒。在pH 9.0条件下,用银纳米微粒标记羊抗人IgG制备了IgG的免疫纳米银探针(AgGIgG)。在pH为6.0的磷酸盐缓冲溶液及聚乙二醇(PEG)-6000和KCl存在下,IgG与AgGIgG发生免疫反应,裸露的银纳米颗粒在KCl和PEG-6000的作用下发生了聚集,导致体系在485 nm处的共振散射峰增强。考察了pH值、AgGIgG、PEG和KCl浓度,温育温度和时间及共存物质的影响。在最佳条件下,IgG浓度c_IgG在4.0～480 ng·mL-1范围内与485 nm处的共振散射光强度增加值ΔI_{485 nm}呈线性关系,回归方程为ΔI_{485 nm}=76.8c_IgG+4.7,方法检出限为2.4 ng·mL-1 IgG 。该法用于定量分析血清IgG,简便快速,本法结果与免疫比浊法结果一致。     

Development and testing of a CW-EPR apparatus for imaging of short-lifetime nitroxyl radicals in mouse head

This article describes a method for reducing the acquisition time in three-dimensional (3D) continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) imaging. To visualize nitroxyl spin probes, which have a short lifetime in living organisms, the acquisition time for a data set of spectral projections should be shorter than the lifetime of the spin probes. To decrease the total time required for data acquisition, the duration of magnetic field scanning was reduced to 0.5 s. Moreover, the number of projections was decreased by using the concept of a uniform distribution. To demonstrate this faster data acquisition, two kinds of nitroxyl radicals with different decay rates were measured in mice. 3D EPR imaging of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-d₁₇-1-¹⁵N-1-oxyl in mouse head was successfully carried out. 3D EPR imaging of nitroxyl spin probes with a half-life of a few minutes was achieved for the first time in live animals.     

Complete characterization of molecular dynamics in ultrashort laser fields

Reaction Microscope-based, complete, and time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging of vibrating and dissociating D(2)(+) molecules with femtosecond time-resolution allowed us to perform an internuclear distance (R-)dependent Fourier analysis of the corresponding wave packets. Calculations demonstrate that the obtained two-dimensional R-dependent frequency spectra enable the complete characterization of the wave packet dynamics and directly visualize the field-modified molecular potential curves in intense, ultrashort laser pulses.     

Synthetic signal injection using inductive coupling

The limited bandwidths of volume selective RF pulses in localized in vivo MRS experiments introduce spatial artifacts that complicate spectral quantification of J-coupled metabolites. These effects are commonly referred to as a spatial interference or "four compartment" artifacts and are more pronounced at higher field strengths. The main focus of this study is to develop a generalized approach to numerical simulations that combines full density matrix calculations with 3D localization to investigate the spatial artifacts and to provide accurate prior knowledge for spectral fitting. Full density matrix calculations with 3D localization using experimental pulses were carried out for PRESS (TE=20, 70 ms), STEAM (TE=20, 70 ms) and LASER (TE=70 ms) pulse sequences and compared to non-localized simulations and to phantom solution data at 4 T. Additional simulations at 1.5 and 7 T were carried out for STEAM and PRESS (TE=20 ms). Four brain metabolites that represented a range from weak to strong J-coupling networks were included in the simulations (lactate, N-acetylaspartate, glutamate and myo-inositol). For longer TE, full 3D localization was necessary to achieve agreement between the simulations and phantom solution spectra for the majority of cases in all pulse sequence simulations. For short echo time (TE=20 ms), ideal pulses without localizing gradients gave results that were in agreement with phantom results at 4 T for STEAM, but not for PRESS (TE=20). Numerical simulations that incorporate volume localization using experimental RF pulses are shown to be a powerful tool for generation of accurate metabolic basis sets for spectral fitting and for optimization of experimental parameters.     

Assessment of mitral regurgitation by magnetic resonance imaging

To evaluate the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detection and quantification of mitral regurgitation, 26 pts. with echocardiographically or angiographically documented mitral regurgitation were examined using a 0.5 Tesla superconducting magnet. In each patient a multislice-multiphase study in a sagittal-coronal double angulated projection (four-chamber view equivalent) was performed to assess left and right ventricular volumes, ejection fraction and regurgitant fraction. Additionally a blood flow sensitive cine-study (fast field echo: FFE) was done to visualize direction and area of regurgitant jet. MRI data were compared with quantitative and qualitative assessment of mitral regurgitation by angiography, 2D echocardiography, Doppler sonography and color flow mapping. Using the FFE mode MRI was able to detect the regurgitant jet as a typical signal loss within the left atrium in all patients. The ratio of regurgitant jet area/left atrium area as determined by MRI showed a correlation with a comparable ratio from color Doppler sonography of R = 0.87 (p < 0.001). There was also good agreement in semiquantitative grading of mitral regurgitation between MRI and angiography (R = 0.77, p < 0.001). The determination of left and right ventricular stroke volume allowed the calculation of the regurgitant fraction, which showed a correlation with invasively determined regurgitation fraction of R = 0.84 (p < 0.001). These data provide additional information that MRI may be useful as a noninvasive technique to detect and quantify mitral regurgitation.     

On the convergence of zero-point vibrational corrections to nuclear shieldings and shielding anisotropies towards the complete basis set limit in water

ABSTRACT

The method and basis set dependence of zero-point vibrational corrections (ZPVCs) to nuclear magnetic resonance shielding constants and anisotropies has been investigated using water as a test system. A systematic comparison has been made using the Hartree–Fock, second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD), coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples corrections (CCSD(T)) and Kohn–Sham density functional theory with the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional methods in combination with the second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) approach for the vibrational corrections. As basis sets, the correlation consistent basis sets cc-pVXZ, aug-cc-pVXZ, cc-pCVXZ and aug-cc-pCVXZ with X = D, T, Q, 5, 6 and the polarisation consistent basis sets aug-pc-n and aug-pcS-n with n = 1, 2, 3, 4 were employed. Our results show that basis set convergence of the vibrational corrections is not monotonic and that very large basis sets are needed before a reasonable extrapolation to the basis set limit can be performed. Furthermore, our results suggest that coupled cluster methods and a decent basis set are required before the error of the electronic structure approach is lower than the inherent error of the VPT2 approximation.