Quantitative and qualitative assessment of articular cartilage in the goat knee with magnetization transfer imaging

We investigated the role of collagen in the magnetization transfer (MT) effect in contrast to other macromolecules. By means of phantoms made of collagen, chondroitin sulfate (CS) and albumin, MR parameters have been optimized in order to reduce the acquisition time and improve the sensitivity, as well as to minimize the contributions from CS and albumin to the MT induced signal attenuation. The same method was used to study cartilage ex vivo (bovine articular and nasal cartilage plugs) and in vivo (goat knee femoral chondyle). In phantom samples, the MT signal attenuation depended on the collagen concentration while contributions from the other macromolecules were found to be minimal. In average, analysis of MT images revealed a 25%, 35% and 30% signal attenuation in 10% w/v type I collagen gels, cartilage plugs, and cartilage from the weight-bearing areas of the goat knee, respectively. Biochemical data revealed that treatment of cartilage plugs with bacterial collagenase led to collagen depletion and correspondingly to a decrease of the MT response. In contrast, trypsin-induced proteoglycan loss in cartilage plugs did not alter the MT effect. A significant correlation was observed between the collagen content in these plugs and their respective MT ratios and the rate constant k for the exchange process bound versus free water. Finally, data obtained from in vivo MT measurement of the goat knee demonstrated that intra-articular injection of papain might not only cause degradation of proteoglycans but also a change in collagen integrity in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that in vivo measurement of MT ratios gives quantitative and qualitative information on the collagen status and may be applied for the routine evaluation of normal and abnormal articular cartilage.     

Study of 19Na at SPIRAL

The excitation function for the elastic-scattering reaction p( ¹⁸Ne, p) ¹⁸Ne was measured with the first radioactive beam from the SPIRAL facility at the GANIL laboratory and with a solid cryogenic hydrogen target. Several broad resonances have been observed, corresponding to new excited states in the unbound nucleus ¹⁹Na. In addition, two-proton emission events have been identified and are discussed.     

First observation of the decay B --> J/psistraight phiK

We present the first observation of the decay B-->J/psistraight phiK. Using 9.6x10(6) B&Bmacr; meson pairs collected with the CLEO detector, we have observed ten fully reconstructed B-->J/psistraight phiK candidates, whereas the estimated background is 0.5+/-0.2 event. We obtain a branching fraction of B(B-->J/psistraight phiK) = (8. 8(+3.5)(-3.0)[stat]+/-1.3[syst])x10(-5). This is the first observed B meson decay requiring the creation of an additional s&smacr; quark pair.     

Quantum graviton creation in a model universe

Quantization in the spatially inhomogeneous, anisotropic, Gowdy three-torus solution of Einstein's equations leads to the production of gravitons from empty space. The creation of pairs of gravitons occurs only in wave modes with wavelength exceeding the horizon size at an initial time. The final number of created gravitons in any mode is proportional to the number of causally unconnected regions at the initial time over the wavelength of that mode. At large times, graviton number is well defined since the solution is in WKB form. The creation process produces the anisotropic collisionless radiation identical to that discussed by Doroshkevich, Zel'dovich, and Novikov which characterizes the large time classical solution. Near the singularity, the model behaves like an empty Bianchi Type I universe at each point in space (local Kasner). The canonical methods of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner yield a reduced Hamiltonian from which the classical equations of motion are obtained. The quantization of the rapidly varying gravitational field component resembles the procedures used by Parker or Zel'dovich et al. to study particle creation in curved spacetime.     

Investigations of phase relations in the system CaO?Na2O?K2O?P2O5

The lattice constants of the compound Ca₂NaK(PO₄)₂ have been studied at room temperature using an X-ray powder diffractometer and also in the temperature range from 20 up to 1000 °C by Guinier-Lenné-technology. A hexagonal lattice with the parameters a₀ = 5.4367 Å and c₀ = 7.3125 Å and a cell volume of 187.18 ų has been determined for the high temperature phase, existing from 670 °C upward. At temperatures below 670 °C a superlattice structure is formed by tripling the axis a, a ′, and c so that it results in a hexagonal superlattice structure cell with the lattice constants of a₀ = 16.311 Å and c₀ = 21.939 Å and a cell volume of 5054 ų.     

Nitrogen-Broadening Parameters for Atmospheric Spectra Modelling of the ν3 Band of SF6

The infrared absorption of the ν₃ band region of SF_6, at temperatures spanning the 130 to 297 K range, has been reexamined using improved instrumentation with one goal: to estimate the broadening of parameters by nitrogen gas. These parameters are compared to previous literature predictions and an extended set of IR cross-sections is proposed and compared to other existing datasets.