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.     

Graded cellular bases for Temperley–Lieb algebras of type A and B

We show that the Temperley–Lieb algebra of type A and the blob algebra (also known as the Temperley–Lieb algebra of type B) at roots of unity are \(\mathbb{Z}\) -graded algebras. We moreover show that they are graded cellular algebras, thus making their cell modules, or standard modules, graded modules for the algebras.     

Random matrices with complex Gaussian entries

In this paper we give new and purely analytical proofs of a number of classical results on the asymptotic behavior of large random matrices of complex Wigner type (the GUE-case) or of complex Wishart type: Wigner's semi-circle law, the Harer-Zagier recursion formula, the Marchenko-Pastur law, the Geman-Silverstein results on the largest and smallest eigenvalues and other related results. Our approach is based on the derivation of explicit formulae for the moment generating functions for random matrices of the two considered types.     

Semi-quantitative time resolved LIBS measurements

Received: 2 February 1996/Accepted: 20 January 1997     

Establishing norms for age-related changes in proton T1 of human brain tissue in vivo

The goal of this study was to determine the expected normal range of variation in spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁) of brain tissue in vivo, as a function of age. A previously validated precise and accurate inversion recovery method was used to map T₁ transversely, at the level of the basal ganglia, in a study population of 115 healthy subjects (ages 4 to 72; 57 male and 58 female). Least-squares regression analysis shows that T₁ varied as a function of age in pulvinar nucleus (R² = 56%), anterior thalamus (R² = 51%), caudate (R² = 50%), frontal white matter (R² = 47%), optic radiation (R² = 39%), putamen (R² = 36%), genu (R² = 22%), occipital white matter (R² = 20%) (all p < 0.0001), and cortical gray matter (R² = 53%) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in T₁ between men and women. T₁ declines throughout adolescence and early adulthood, to achieve a minimum value in the fourth to sixth decade of life, then T₁ begins to increase. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging provides evidence that brain tissue continues to change throughout the lifespan among healthy subjects with no neurologic deficits. Age-related changes follow a strikingly different schedule in different brain tissues; white matter tracts tend to reach a minimum T₁ value, and to increase again, sooner than do gray matter tracts. Such normative data may prove useful for the early detection of brain pathology in patients.     

Decoupling of magnetically interacting crystallites of goethite

The magnetic properties of synthetic goethite, precipitated from a SiO₂-containing Fe(III) solution, have been studied. The Mössbauer spectra show the coexistence of a quadrupole doublet and a magnetically split component in a large temperature range. The area ratio of these two components depends strongly on temperature, indicating a normal superparamagnetic behaviour of isolated crystallites. This is in contrast to the behaviour normally exhibited by pure samples of microcrystalline goethite, in which strong magnetic interactions among the crystallites lead to a superferromagnetic behaviour. The results show that the magnetic interactions among the crystallites are drastically diminished when amorphous SiO₂ separates the goethite crystallites.     

Dipole-Guided Electron Capture Causes Abnormal Dissociations of Phosphorylated Pentapeptides

Electron transfer and capture mass spectra of a series of doubly charged ions that were phosphorylated pentapeptides of a tryptic type (pS,A,A,A,R) showed conspicuous differences in dissociations of charge-reduced ions. Electron transfer from both gaseous cesium atoms at 100 keV kinetic energies and fluoranthene anion radicals in an ion trap resulted in the loss of a hydrogen atom, ammonia, and backbone cleavages forming complete series of sequence z ions. Elimination of phosphoric acid was negligible. In contrast, capture of low-energy electrons by doubly charged ions in a Penning ion trap induced loss of a hydrogen atom followed by elimination of phosphoric acid as the dominant dissociation channel. Backbone dissociations of charge-reduced ions also occurred but were accompanied by extensive fragmentation of the primary products. z-Ions that were terminated with a deaminated phosphoserine radical competitively eliminated phosphoric acid and H₂PO₄ radicals. A mechanism is proposed for this novel dissociation on the basis of a computational analysis of reaction pathways and transition states. Electronic structure theory calculations in combination with extensive molecular dynamics mapping of the potential energy surface provided structures for the precursor phosphopeptide dications. Electron attachment produces a multitude of low lying electronic states in charge-reduced ions that determine their reactivity in backbone dissociations and H- atom loss. The predominant loss of H atoms in ECD is explained by a distortion of the Rydberg orbital space by the strong dipolar field of the peptide dication framework. The dipolar field steers the incoming electron to preferentially attach to the positively charged arginine side chain to form guanidinium radicals and trigger their dissociations.     

Characterization of barley leaf tissue using direct and indirect desorption electrospray ionization imaging mass spectrometry

Chemical profiling of barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves was demonstrated using direct and indirect desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging mass spectrometry. Direct DESI analysis of the untreated leaves was not possible despite a significant content of hydroxynitrile glucosides known to reside in the epidermis of the leaves. Instead, the epidermis was stripped off the leaves, thus allowing direct DESI imaging to be performed on the back of the epidermis. Furthermore, indirect DESI imaging was performed by making imprints in porous Teflon of the intact leaves as well as of the stripped epidermis. The DESI images reveal accumulation of hydroxynitrile glucosides in the leaf epidermis, homogeneously distributed throughout the surface. The indirect DESI approach enables relative quantitation, confirming variations of hydroxynitrile glucosides content in primary leaves of three different cultivars of barley seedlings. The study presents an example of how to overcome the morphological barriers from the plant surface and perform rapid and repeatable DESI imaging. In addition, a comparison is made of direct and indirect DESI imaging, contributing to the characterization of the recently developed method of indirect DESI imaging of plant material via porous Teflon imprints.