Search

In order to explore the interaction between the expression of ZnT3 (Zinc Transporter 3) mRNA (Messenger Ribonucleic Acid) and the concentration of elemental zinc in mouse brain, zinc distribution in brain was determined by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) technique and a ZnT3 mRNA expression in tissue was examined by the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.The results show that the zinc concentration is not evenly distributed in brain slices. Its concentrations in cerebral cortex and hippocampus are nearly 5-10 times higher than those in other positions. A corresponding relation is that ZnT3 mRNA in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and testis has higher abundant degree, but it is not examined out in other tissues. Furthermore, the results promote that ZnT3 facilitates the accumulation of zinc in synaptic vesicles and may play an important role in structuring of vesicular zinc pool.

A magneto-optical chip of Fe-(Co6Ag94) granular films was fabricated by using of combinatorial Fe ions implanting into co-sputtered Co6Ag94 films and 16 units with different Fe content were prepared via binary masking scheme. The structures and surface morphologies of as-prepared and annealed Fe-Co6Ag94 films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy respectively. It reveals that the Co, Fe and FeCo granules precipitate, grow and then form nanoparticles embedded in the Ag matrix during annealing. In addition, the measurement of the magneto-optic polar Kerr effect shows that Kerr rotation increases with increasing Fe content, which contributes to the magnetic moment. Precipitation and growth of the magnetic granules during annealing also increase the Kerr rotation due to the size effects. Further, Mossbauer study confirms that the formation of granules with certain size plays a principal role in the enhancement of magneto-optic polar Kerr effect. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In order to evaluate the evolution of contamination we collected river water and sediment samples in the every spring season since 1998. The elemental analysis of water and sediment samples was performed by PIXE using the 3X2 MeV NEC Tandem accelerator at the Taipei Institute of Physics. The characterization of alpha- and beta-radioactive levels for water and sediment samples was performed by a BH1216, low background radioactivity instrument at the Shanghai Institute of Nuclear Research. The PIXE results showed that the elemental contents of Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb in river water gradually decreased with the rising tide. At high tide, their concentrations were minimum and then increased toward the ebb tide. The analysis also demonstrated that the radioactivity of water samples had been gradually decreasing year by year. It was found that the decreasing rate of alpha-radioactivity was a little quicker than that of beta-radioactivity. Further aspects of environmental data evaluation and assessment are also discussed.

This note deals with the scanning of femoral head slices from both normal and osteoporosis subjects using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) microprobe technique. The sample preparation and experimental apparatus are described in detail. The quantitative computerized tomography (QCT) of elemental distribution, such as Ca, P, K, Fe, Zn, Sr and Pb in bone slice tissue including cartilage, substantial compact and substantial spongy, is investigated. Combined with the correlation between P, K, Zn, Sr and Ca, the loss way of minerals and the physiological functions of some metal elements in bone are also discussed.

The influence of ?-irradiation on properties of METGLAS 2605S2 and FC3-1 Fe78B13Si9 has been investigated by M?issbauer spectroscopy and bending test. The ductility and orientation of magnetization were changed by ?-irradiation. They probably correlated with the change of microscopic free volume and release of stress in the ribbon, respectively.

This paper deals with the osteoporosis model of New Zealand rabbits in order to study the function of inorganic elements for women patients with osteoporosis. The thirty cases of iliac crest are collected and determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA). The results show that the fluorine concentrations in the experimental group are higher than those in control group and the magnesium concentrations are significantly lower (P

The speciation of iron in atmospheric particulate matter (APM) was investigated by EXAFS. APM samples with different particle sizes and from different sampling sites were collected in Shanghai, China. The chemical components of iron in the samples were calculated by the regression analysis of their EXAFS spectra. The results show that the iron in all samples mainly consists of Fe2O3, Fe3O4 and Fe2(SO4)3, however, their proportions are different in different samples.

Refractive-index (phase-contrast) radiology was able to detect lung tumors less than 1 mm in live mice. Significant micromorphology differences were observed in the microradiographs between normal, inflamed, and lung cancer tissues. This was made possible by the high phase contrast and by the fast image taking that reduces the motion blur. The detection of cancer and inflammation areas by phase contrast microradiology and microtomography was validated by bioluminescence and histopathological analysis. The smallest tumor detected is less than 1 mm3 with accuracy better than 1 × 10−3 mm3. This level of performance is currently suitable for animal studies, while further developments are required for clinical application. Refereed/Peer-reviewed