MARS spectral molecular imaging of lamb tissue: data collection and image analysis

Spectral molecular imaging is a new imaging technique able to discriminate and quantify different components of tissue simultaneously at high spatial and high energy resolution. Our MARS scanner is an x-ray based small animal CT system designed to be used in the diagnostic energy range (20 to 140 keV). In this paper, we demonstrate the use of the MARS scanner, equipped with the Medipix3RX spectroscopic photon-processing detector, to discriminate fat, calcium, and water in tissue. We present data collected from a sample of lamb meat including bone as an illustrative example of human tissue imaging. The data is analyzed using our 3D Algebraic Reconstruction Algorithm (MARS-ART) and by material decomposition based on a constrained linear least squares algorithm. The results presented here clearly show the quantification of lipid-like, water-like and bone-like components of tissue. However, it is also clear to us that better algorithms could extract more information of clinical interest from our data. Because we are one of the first to present data from multi-energy photon-processing small animal CT systems, we make the raw, partial and fully processed data available with the intention that others can analyze it using their familiar routines. The raw, partially processed and fully processed data of lamb tissue along with the phantom calibration data can be found at [http://hdl.handle.net/10092/8531].Comment: 11 pages, 6 fig

Molecular Imaging of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in an Ex-Vivo Mouse Model Using Spectral Photon-Counting Computed Tomography and Micro-CT

Assessment of disease burden and drug efficacy is achieved preclinically using high resolution micro computed tomography (CT). However, micro-CT is not applicable to clinical human imaging due to operating at high dose. In addition, the technology differences between micro-CT and standard clinical CT prevent direct translation of preclinical applications. The current proof-of-concept study presents spectral photon-counting CT as a clinically translatable, molecular imaging tool by assessing contrast uptake in an ex-vivo mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Iodine, a common contrast used in clinical CT imaging, was introduced into a murine model of TB. The excised mouse lungs were imaged using a standard micro-CT subsystem (SuperArgus) and the contrast enhanced TB lesions quantified. The same lungs were imaged using a spectral photoncounting CT system (MARS small-bore scanner). Iodine and soft tissues (water and lipid) were materially separated, and iodine uptake quantified. The volume of the TB infection quantified by spectral CT and micro-CT was found to be 2.96 mm(3) and 2.83 mm(3), respectively. This proof-of-concept study showed that spectral photon-counting CT could be used as a predictive preclinical imaging tool for the purpose of facilitating drug discovery and development. Also, as this imaging modality is available for human trials, all applications are translatable to human imaging. In conclusion, spectral photon-counting CT could accelerate a deeper understanding of infectious lung diseases using targeted pharmaceuticals and intrinsic markers, and ultimately improve the efficacy of therapies by measuring drug delivery and response to treatment in animal models and later in humans

Features of heart rate variability in young people, associated with body weight

The aim of the research was to study the characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV) criteria to detect early vegetative imbalance in young people with overweight and obesity. From 163 students with an average age of 22,2 years were conducted to study the quality of life, аnthropometry, bioimpedance test, HRV at 10-minute intervals. In the normal range of integral indicator HRV - tension index (TI) - with rising TI grew sympathetic activation and decreased the overall HRV and parasympathetic activity. Young people with increased visceral fat recorded higher values in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and TI. The level of visceral fat has determinating effect on the sympatho-vagal balance, modulation which reliably reflects indicator HRV - TI

Preventive potential of bioimpedancmetria and heart rate variability methods in ambulatory practice

The article describes the use of techniques bioimpedancmetria and heart rate variability (HRV) among young people to identify early functional changes in the composition of the composite body and the vegetative regulation of heart rhythm associated with physical activity (PA), body weight and stress. Determined a high prevalence of low PA (45,2%), overweight and obesity (41,0%). The level of visceral fat is an early indicator of overweight and obesity, low PA, high levels of stress and increased sympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system

Spectral CT data acquisition with Medipix3.1

This paper describes the acquisition of spectral CT images using the Medipix3.1 in spectroscopic mode, in which the chip combines 2 ×2 pixel clusters to increase the number of energy thresholds and counters from 2 to 8. During preliminary measurements, it was observed that the temperature, DAC and equalisation stability of the Medipix3.1 outperformed the Medipix3.0, while maintaining similar imaging quality. In this paper, the Medipix3.1 chips were assembled in a quad (2×2) layout, with the four ASICs bump-bonded to a silicon semiconductor doped as an np-junction diode. To demonstrate the biological imaging quality that is possible with the Medipix3.1,an image of a mouse injected with gold nano-particle contrast agent was obtained. CT acquisition in spectroscopic mode was enabled and examined by imaging a customised phantom containing multiple contrast agents and biological materials. These acquisitions showed a limitation of imaging performance depending on the counter used. Despite this, identification of multiple materials in the phantom was demonstrated using an in-house material decomposition algorithm. Furthermore,gold nano-particles were separated from biological tissues and bones within the mouse by means of image rendering

Anomalous Hall effect in polycrystalline Mnx Si1_x (x = 0:5) films with the self-organized distribution of crystallites over their shapes and sizes

International audienc

Anomalous Hall effect in polycrystalline Mnx Si1_x (x = 0:5) films with the self-organized distribution of crystallites over their shapes and sizes

International audienc

Ferromagnetism of MnxSi1-x(x ∼ 0.5) films grown in the shadow geometry by pulsed laser deposition method

The results of a comprehensive study of magnetic, magneto-transport and structural properties of nonstoichiometric MnxSi1-x (x ≈ 0.51-0.52) films grown by the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique onto Al2O3(0001) single crystal substrates at T = 340°C are present. A highlight of used PLD method is the non-conventional (“shadow”) geometry with Kr as a scattering gas during the sample growth. It is found that the films exhibit high-temperature (HT) ferromagnetism (FM) with the Curie temperature TC ∼ 370 K accompanied by positive sign anomalous Hall effect (AHE); they also reveal the polycrystalline structure with unusual distribution of grains in size and shape. It is established that HT FM order is originated from the bottom interfacial self-organizing nanocrystalline layer. The upper layer adopted columnar structure with the lateral grain size ≥50 nm, possesses low temperature (LT) type of FM order with Tc ≈ 46 K and contributes essentially to the magnetization at T ≤ 50 K. Under these conditions, AHE changes its sign from positive to negative at T ≤ 30K. We attribute observed properties to the synergy of distribution of MnxSi1-x crystallites in size and shape as well as peculiarities of defect-induced FM order in shadow geometry grown polycrystalline MnxSi1-x (x ∼ 0.5) films