Semi-wet growth and characterization of multi-functional nano-engineered mixed metal oxides for industrial application

This review paper covers the low temperature wet growth of nano-engineered particles of ZnO-based mixed metal oxides, their growth mechanism, and characterization using X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM and IR, UV–visible, and XPS spectral techniques. Main focus of this article is centered on low temperature semi-wet methods of synthesis that are suitable for large scale production of zinc oxide-based systems mixed with iron oxide, copper oxide, nickel oxide and cobalt oxide. These mixed metal oxides have broad industrial applications as catalyst, semiconductors, adsorbents, superconductors, electro-ceramics, and antifungal agents in addition to extensive applications in medicines. This paper discusses the low-cost and environment friendly synthesis of these mixed metal oxides, measurement of properties and applicability of these materials systems.     

Thresholding in correlation analyses of magnetic resonance functional neuroimaging

The definition of objective and effective thresholds in MRI of human brain function is a crucial step in the analysis of paradigm-related activations. This paper introduces a user-independent and robust procedure that calculates statistical parametric maps based on correlation coefficients. Thresholds are introduced as p values and defined with respect to the physiologic noise distribution of the individual maps. Experimental examples from the human visual and motor system rely on dynamic acquisitions of gradient-echo echo-planar images (2.0 T, TR = 2000 ms, 96 × 128 matrix) with blood oxygenation level-dependent contrast. The results demonstrate the disadvantages of thresholding with fixed correlation coefficients. In contrast, taking the individual noise into account allows for a derivation of p values and a reliable identification of highly significant activation centers. An adequate delineation of the spatial extent of activation may be achieved by adding directly neighboring pixels provided their correlation coefficients comply with a second lower p value threshold.     

Spherically symmetric inhomogeneous dust collapse in higher dimensional space-time and cosmic censorship hypothesis

We consider a collapsing spherically symmetric inhomogeneous dust cloud in higher dimensional space-time. We show that the central singularity of collapse can be a strong curvature or a weak curvature naked singularity depending on the initial density distribution.     

Synaptic depression and short-term habituation are located in the sensory part of the mammalian startle pathway

Background  

Short-term habituation of the startle response represents an elementary form of learning in mammals. The underlying mechanism is located within the primary startle pathway, presumably at sensory synapses on giant neurons in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC). Short trains of action potentials in sensory afferent fibers induce depression of synaptic responses in PnC giant neurons, a phenomenon that has been proposed to be the cellular correlate for short-term habituation. We address here the question whether both this synaptic depression and the short-term habituation of the startle response are localized at the presynaptic terminals of sensory afferents. If this is confirmed, it would imply that these processes take place prior to multimodal signal integration, rather than occurring at postsynaptic sites on PnC giant neurons that directly drive motor neurons.     

Reducing inhomogeneity artifacts in functional MRI of human brain activation-thin sections vs gradient compensation

We evaluated two methods for correcting inhomogeneity-induced signal losses in magnetic resonance gradient-echo imaging that either use gradient compensation or simply acquire thin sections. The strategies were tested in the human brain in terms of achievable quality of T2*-weighted images at the level of the hippocampus and of functional activation maps of the visual cortex. Experiments were performed at 2.0 T and based on single-shot echo-planar imaging at 2. 0 x 2.0 mm(2) resolution, 4 mm section thickness, and 2.0 s temporal resolution. Gradient compensation involved a sequential 16-step variation of the refocusing lobe of the slice-selection gradient (TR/TE = 125/53 ms, flip angle 15 degrees ), whereas thin sections divided the 4-mm target plane into either four 1-mm or eight 0.5-mm interleaved multislice acquisitions (TR/TE = 2000/54 ms, flip angle 70 degrees ). Both approaches were capable of alleviating the inhomogeneity problem for structures in the base of the brain. When compared to standard 4-mm EPI, functional mapping in the visual cortex was partially compromised because of a lower signal-to-noise ratio of inhomogeneity-corrected images by either method. Relative to each other, consistently better results were obtained with the use of contiguous thin sections, in particular for a thickness of 1 mm. Multislice acquisitions of thin sections require minimal technical adjustments.     

Estimation of trace elements in some medicinal plants used in anti‐cancer drugs by PIXE

A trace elemental analysis was carried out in various parts of 12 anticancer medicinal plants, using the PIXE (particle‐induced X‐ray emission) technique. A 3‐MeV proton beam was used to excite the samples, and spectra were recorded using a Si (Li) detector. Data analysis was done using the GUPIX software. The elements Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Sr were identified, and their concentrations estimated. The results of the present study provide justification for the usage of these medicinal plants in the development of anticancer drugs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advances in cardiac applications of subsecond flash MRI

Flow-suppressed, subsecond FLASH MR images of the normal human heart have been obtained from single cardiac cycles using a 2.0-T whole-body MRI/MRS system (Siemens Magnetom) equipped with conventional 10 mT m⁻¹ gradients. The present results demonstrate further technical improvements as compared to a previous report on the same subject (Magn. Reson. Med. 13:150–157; 1990). Measuring times of 139 msec and 209 msec were achieved by reducing the repetition time to TR = 4.36 msec (TE = 2.8 msec) and the spatial resolution to 32 × 128 or 48 × 128 measured data points, respectively. The flip angle was optimized to 12°. Spatial pre-saturation of 60 mm thick sections adjacent to the imaging plane resulted in a suppression of the blood signal and a clear delineation of the myocardium. Oblique rotation of the imaging slice provides convenient access to the anatomical long axis and short axis views of the heart. EKG-triggered images from separate heartbeats but at different cardiac phases demonstrate that the effective time resolution is considerably less than the actual imaging time.     

ECG-triggered arterial FLASH-MR flow measurement using an external standard

In ECG-triggered FLASH-MR images, the inflow of unsaturated spins into the imaging plane results in the reproducible delineation of time variant flow in the arterial system. With the additional acquisition of an external reference image upstream the arterial vessel under investigation, the quantification of flow is possible with the FLASH-MR sequence in one measurement. The method allows the rapid measurement of arterial flow at least in great vessels.