Effect of ovariectomy on contrast agent diffusion into lumbar intervertebral disc: a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI study in female rats

Purpose

The purpose was to study the effect of estrogen deficiency on contrast agent diffusion into intervertebral disc in a rat model.

Materials and Methods

Seven-month-old female Sprague–Dawley rats were used. Fourteen rats had ovariectomy, and nine rats had sham surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of sagittal midsection of lumbar spine was performed with a 1.5-T magnet. Dynamic MRI was performed after a bolus injection of Gd-DOTA (0.3 mmol/kg) through tail vein. Eight hundred images were acquired at 0.6 s per acquisition. Regions of interests were drawn over three discs per rat. Maximum enhancement (E_max) and enhancement slope (E_slope) were evaluated. MRI was carried out at baseline and 8 weeks postsurgery.

Result

All disc enhancements demonstrated an initial fast wash-in phase followed by a second slower wash-in phase. For initial wash-in phase, E¹_max and E¹_slope of all rats remained unchanged at the two time points. For second wash-in phase, E²_max and E²_slope of control rats remained unchanged, while with ovariectomized rats, E²_max showed reduction at 8 weeks (4.5%±5.6%) compared to baseline (10.3%±6.3%, P=.037), and E²_slope was lower at 8 weeks (0.015±0.017) than the baseline (0.029±0.022), although it was not statistically significant (P=.101).

Conclusion

Ovariectomy induced detectable decrease in second wash-in phase of contrast agent into lumbar disc.     

Thermodynamic and physical properties of FeAl and Fe3Al: an atomistic study by EAM simulation

With this work we present a newly developed potential for the Fe–Al system, which is based on the analytical embedded atom method (EAM) with long range atomic interactions. The potential yields for the two most relevant phases B2-FeAl and D0₃-Fe₃Al lattice constants, elastic constants, as well as bulk and point defect formation enthalpies, which are in good agreement with experimental and other theoretical data. In addition, the phonon dispersions for B2-FeAl and D0₃-Fe₃Al show a good agreement with available experiments. The calculated lattice constants and formation enthalpy for disordered Fe–Al alloys are in good agreement with experimental data or other theoretical calculations. This indicates that the present EAM potentials of Fe–Al system is suitable for atomistic simulations of structural and kinetic properties for the Fe–Al system.     

Ni13Pr3B2电子结构和磁性能第一性原理研

考虑电子自旋极化作用,本研究基于第一性原理的全电子投影缀加平面波赝势法理论,采用局域自旋密度近似LSDA,对Ni13Pr3B2金属间化合物进行结构优化,计算体系晶格常数,电子结构和磁性能。结果表明,Ni13 Pr 3B2为带隙很小的金属导体。LSDA近似下体系原子间存在复杂作用类型,Pr原子与近邻Ni、B原子以离子键作用为主,Ni原子与近邻Ni原子间表现共价作用情形。体系存在Pr -Ni铁磁耦合,总磁矩约2.80212μB,主要由Pr原子磁矩提供,自旋极化引起体系Pr-4f、Ni-3p、Pr-5p电子自旋劈裂为体系表现磁性的根本原因。     

Particle size dependence of relaxivity for silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

We investigate the particle size dependence of the relaxivity of hydrogen protons in an aqueous solution of iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles coated in silica for biocompatibility. The T₁ and T₂ relaxation times for various concentrations of silica-coated nanoparticles were determined by a magnetic resonance scanner. We find that the relaxivity increased linearly with increasing particle size. The T₂ relaxivity (R₂) is more than 50 times larger than the T₁ relaxivity (R₁) for the nanoparticle contrast agent, which reflects the fact that the T₂ relaxation is mainly influenced by outer sphere processes. The high R₂/R₁ ratio demonstrates that silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles may serve as a T₂ contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging with high efficacy.     

Tb2Fe15.5Cr1.5化合物的本征磁致伸缩

通过x射线衍射及磁测量手段研究了Tb2 Fe1 5 5Cr1 5化合物的热膨胀性质及本征磁致伸缩性质 .研究结果表明Tb2 Fe1 5 5Cr1 5化合物在 2 93— 6 72K的温度范围内具有六角相的Th2 Ni1 7型结构 .在 4 32— 5 2 2K的温度范围内具有负热膨胀性质 ,其平均热膨胀系数 α =- 1 5 7× 10 - 5 K .对本征磁致伸缩的研究结果表明Tb2 Fe1 5 5Cr1 5化合物中存在着较强的各向异性的本征磁致伸缩 ,2 93K时其本征体磁致伸缩约为 8. 4× 10 - 3,晶格畸变主要发生在c轴方向上 .磁测量研究结果表明Tb2 Fe1 5 5Cr1 5化合物的居里温度约为 4 94K ,比其母合金Tb2 Fe1 7高约 80K .     

斜孔气膜冷却数值模拟分析

本文通过数值模拟分析圆柱孔和扩散孔的单斜孔气膜冷却特性,考察复合角、孔型和吹风比对流场和气膜冷却效果的影响。结果表明,复合角的引入使气膜侧向分布更宽,但冷却效果沿主流方向衰减更快。适中吹风比得到的气膜能更有效的保护壁面。在相同吹风比和复合角条件下,扩散孔的气膜冷却效率比圆柱孔更好,且冷却更为均匀持久。     

纳米ZnO的表面化学修饰及其分析表征

采用水溶性羟丙基甲基纤维素HPMC对无机纳米ZnO粒子进行物理吸附处理 ,获得了核为无机纳米ZnO ,外壳为水溶性高分子HPMC的粒子。然后在其上进行了甲基丙烯酸甲酯的接枝聚合。采用红外光谱、差热分析的方法对复合粒子进行了表征 ,并采用透射电镜观察了粒子的形貌。红外光谱表明在纳米ZnO的表面吸附了HPMC并接枝了PMMA ,差热分析表明HPMC ,HPMC g PMMA和ZnO/HPMC g PMMA的热稳定性逐渐提高 ,透射电镜观察表明 ,在纳米ZnO的表面粘附了一层聚合物 ,成功地实现了纳米粒子的表面修饰。     

几种含氮芳烃化合物EL材料的量子化学研究

采用量子化学半经验方法PM3对几种含氮芳烃电致发光材料(EL)的性质进 行了理论研究,对化合物FL-7,作了构象分析,找到了能量最低的构象。对各化合物优化后 的构型作振动分析,均未出现虚频率,在此基础上,采用CIS方法计算电子光谱,并给出了4 种化合物FL-4,FL-7,FL-10,FL-12的荧光光谱。所有计算结果与实验值基本吻合     

ZnCdSe-ZnSe组合超晶格的受激发射

77K下首次观测到了来自ZnCdSe-ZnSe组合超晶格的受激发射过程。在组合超晶格中由于载流子转移过程的存在,受激发射出现在具有宽阱的超晶格中。     

热迁移对Cu/Sn/Cu焊点液-固界面Cu6Sn5生长动力学的影响

电子封装技术中, 微互连焊点在一定温度梯度下将发生金属原子的热迁移现象, 显著影响界面金属间化合物的生长和基体金属的溶解行为. 采用Cu/Sn/Cu焊点在250℃和280℃下进行等温时效和热台回流, 对比研究了热迁移对液-固界面Cu₆Sn₅生长动力学的影响. 等温时效条件下, 界面Cu₆Sn₅生长服从抛物线规律, 由体扩散控制. 温度梯度作用下, 焊点冷、热端界面Cu₆Sn₅表现出非对称性生长, 冷端界面Cu₆Sn₅生长受到促进并服从直线规律, 由反应控制, 而热端界面Cu₆Sn₅生长受到抑制并服从抛物线规律, 由晶界扩散控制. 热端Cu 基体溶解到液态Sn中的Cu原子在温度梯度作用下不断向冷端热迁移, 为冷端界面Cu₆Sn₅的快速生长提供Cu 原子通量. 计算获得250℃和280℃下Cu原子在液态Sn中的摩尔传递热Q^*分别为14.11和14.44 kJ/mol, 热迁移驱动力F_L分别为1.62×10^-19和1.70×10^-19 N.