In Vivo Mapping of Vascular Inflammation Using Multimodal Imaging

Plaque vulnerability to rupture has emerged as a critical correlate to risk of adverse coronary events but there is as yet no clinical method to assess plaque stability in vivo. In the search to identify biomarkers of vulnerable plaques an association has been found between macrophages and plaque stability--the density and pattern of macrophage localization in lesions is indicative of probability to rupture. In very unstable plaques, macrophages are found in high densities and concentrated in the plaque shoulders. Therefore, the ability to map macrophages in plaques could allow noninvasive assessment of plaque stability. We use a multimodality imaging approach to noninvasively map the distribution of macrophages in vivo. The use of multiple modalities allows us to combine the complementary strengths of each modality to better visualize features of interest. Our combined use of Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) allows high sensitivity PET screening to identify putative lesions in a whole body view, and high resolution MRI for detailed mapping of biomarker expression in the lesions.Macromolecular and nanoparticle contrast agents targeted to macrophages were developed and tested in three different mouse and rat models of atherosclerosis in which inflamed vascular plaques form spontaneously and/or are induced by injury. For multimodal detection, the probes were designed to contain gadolinium (T1 MRI) or iron oxide (T2 MRI), and Cu-64 (PET). PET imaging was utilized to identify regions of macrophage accumulation; these regions were further probed by MRI to visualize macrophage distribution at high resolution. In both PET and MR images the probes enhanced contrast at sites of vascular inflammation, but not in normal vessel walls. MRI was able to identify discrete sites of inflammation that were blurred together at the low resolution of PET. Macrophage content in the lesions was confirmed by histology.The multimodal imaging approach allowed high-sensitivity and high-resolution mapping of biomarker distribution and may lead to a clinical method to predict plaque probability to rupture

Conductive photo-activated porphyrin-ZnO nanostructured gas sensor array

Chemoresistors working at room temperature are attractive for low-consumption integrated sensors. Previous studies show that this feature can be obtained with photoconductive porphyrins-coated ZnO nanostructures. Furthermore, variations of the porphyrin molecular structure alter both the chemical sensitivity and the photoconductivity, and can be used to define the sensor characteristics. Based on these assumptions, we investigated the properties of an array of four sensors made of a layer of ZnO nanoparticles coated with porphyrins with the same molecular framework but different metal atoms. The array was tested with five volatile organic compounds (VOCs), each measured at different concentrations. Results confirm that the features of individual porphyrins influence the sensor behavior, and the differences among sensors are enough to enable the discrimination of volatile compounds disregarding their concentration. © 2017 by the authors; Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

• ROTHSCHILD ET AL. Recent Trends in Optical Lithography Recent Trends in Optical Lithography

■ The fast-paced evolution of optical lithography has been a key enabler in the dramatic size reduction of semiconductor devices and circuits over the last three decades. Various methods have been devised to pattern at dimensions smaller than the wavelength used in the process. In addition, the patterning wavelength itself has been reduced and will continue to decrease in the future. As a result, it is expected that optical lithography will remain the technology of choice in lithography for at least another decade. Lincoln Laboratory has played a seminal role in the progress of optical lithography; it pioneered 193-nm lithography, which is used in advanced production, and 157-nm lithography, which is under active development. Lincoln Laboratory also initiated exploration of liquidimmersion lithography and studied the feasibility of 121-nm lithography. Many of the challenges related to practical implementation of short-wavelength optical lithography are materials-related, including engineering of new materials, improving on existing materials, and optimizing their photochemistry. This article examines the technical issues facing optical lithography and Lincoln Laboratory’s contributions toward their resolution. Optical lithography, the technology of patterning, has enabled semiconductor devices to progressively shrink since the inception of integrated circuits more than three decades ago. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the trend of miniaturization continued unabated and even accelerated. Current semiconductor devices are being mass produced with 130-nm dense features; by 2007 these devices will have 65-nm dense features. Optical lithography has been, and will remain for the foreseeable future, the critical technology that makes this trend possible. (To learn the fundamentals of optical lithography, see the sidebar entitled “Optical Lithograph

How pain affect real life of children and adults with achondroplasia: a systematic review

The clinical features of achondroplasia can cause acute self-limited pain that can develop into chronic pain. Pain causes a low quality of life, in terms of physical, emotional, social, and school functioning in both adult and children with achondroplasia. We conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to describe prevalence, assessment tools, causes and management strategies of pain in this rare disease. We found that shoulder and knee pain is typically referred during infancy, while knee pain is generally referred around 5-6 years of age. The prevalence of general pain in adolescence can be as high as 90%. Chronic pain in the achondroplasia population increases with age, with up to 70% of adults reporting general pain and back pain. Recognizing the multiple determinants of acute and chronic pain in patients with achondroplasia may enable physicians to better understand and manage this burden, particularly with the advent of new drugs that may modify some of the known features of achondroplasia