Tomographic reconstruction using tilted Laue analyser-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging.

Analyser-based phase-contrast imaging (ABPCI) is a highly sensitive phase-contrast imaging method that produces high-contrast images of weakly absorbing materials. However, it is only sensitive to phase gradient components lying in the diffraction plane of the analyser crystal [i.e. in one dimension (1-D)]. In order to accurately account for and measure phase effects produced by the wavefield-sample interaction, ABPCI and other 1-D phase-sensitive methods must achieve 2-D phase gradient sensitivity. An inclined geometry method was applied to a Laue geometry setup for X-ray ABPCI through rotation of the detector and object about the optical axis. This allowed this traditionally 1-D phase-sensitive phase-contrast method to possess 2-D phase gradient sensitivity. Tomographic datasets were acquired over 360° of a multi-material phantom with the detector and sample tilted by 8°. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index were reconstructed for the phantom.

Advancement of magma fragmentation by inhomogeneous bubble distribution.

Decompression times reported in previous studies suggest that thoroughly brittle fragmentation is unlikely in actual explosive volcanic eruptions. What occurs in practice is brittle-like fragmentation, which is defined as the solid-like fracture of a material whose bulk rheological properties are close to those of a fluid. Through laboratory experiments and numerical simulation, the link between the inhomogeneous structure of bubbles and the development of cracks that may lead to brittle-like fragmentation was clearly demonstrated here. A rapid decompression test was conducted to simulate the fragmentation of a specimen whose pore morphology was revealed by X-ray microtomography. The dynamic response during decompression was observed by high-speed photography. Large variation was observed in the responses of the specimens even among specimens with equal bulk rheological properties. The stress fields of the specimens under decompression computed by finite element analysis shows that the presence of satellite bubbles beneath a large bubble induced the stress concentration. On the basis of the obtained results, a new mechanism for brittle-like fragmentation is proposed. In the proposed scenario, the second nucleation of bubbles near the fragmentation surface is an essential process for the advancement of fragmentation in an upward magma flow in a volcanic conduit.

Analysis system of submicron particle tracks in the fine-grained nuclear emulsion by a combination of hard x-ray and optical microscopy.

Analyses of nuclear emulsion detectors that can detect and identify charged particles or radiation as tracks have typically utilized optical microscope systems because the targets have lengths from several µm to more than 1000 µm. For recent new nuclear emulsion detectors that can detect tracks of submicron length or less, the current readout systems are insufficient due to their poor resolution. In this study, we developed a new system and method using an optical microscope system for rough candidate selection and the hard X-ray microscope system at SPring-8 for high-precision analysis with a resolution of better than 70 nm resolution. Furthermore, we demonstrated the analysis of submicron-length tracks with a matching efficiency of more than 99% and position accuracy of better than 5 µm. This system is now running semi-automatically.

Sagittal focusing of synchrotron radiation X-rays using a winged crystal.

A Si(111) winged crystal has been designed to minimize anticlastic bending and improve sagittal focusing efficiency. The crystal was thin with wide stiffening wings. The length-to-width ratio of the crystal was optimized by finite element analysis, and the optimal value was larger than the `golden value'. The analysis showed that the slope error owing to anticlastic bending is less than the Darwin width. The X-rays were focused two-dimensionally using the crystal and a tangentially bent mirror. The observed profiles of the focal spot agreed well with the results of a ray-tracing calculation in the energy range from 8 to 17.5 keV. X-ray diffraction measurements with a high signal-to-noise ratio using this focusing system were demonstrated for a small protein crystal.

Oligomeric peroxiredoxin-I is an essential intermediate for p53 to activate MST1 kinase and apoptosis.

Mammalian Ste20-like kinase-1 (MST1) kinase mediates H2O2-induced cell death by anticancer drugs such as cisplatin in a p53-dependent manner. However, the mechanism underlying MST1 activation by H2O2 remains unknown. Here we show that peroxiredoxin-I (PRX-I) is an essential intermediate in H2O2-induced MST1 activation and cisplatin-induced cell death through p53. Cell stimulation with H2O2 resulted in PRX-I oxidation to form homo-oligomers and interaction with MST1, leading to MST1 autophosphorylation and augmentation of kinase activity. In addition, RNA interference knockdown experiments indicated that endogenous PRX-I is required for H2O2-induced MST1 activation. Live-cell imaging showed H2O2 generation by cisplatin treatment, which likewise caused PRX-I oligomer formation, MST1 activation and cell death. Cisplatin-induced PRX-I oligomer formation was not observed in embryonic fibroblasts obtained from p53-knockout mice, confirming the importance of p53. Indeed, ectopic expression of p53 induced PRX-I oligomer formation and cell death, both of which were cancelled by the antioxidant NAC. Moreover, we succeeded in reconstituting H2O2-induced MST1 activation in vitro, using purified PRX-I and MST1 proteins. Collectively, our results show a novel PRX-I function to cause cell death in response to high levels of oxidative stress by activating MST1, which underlies the p53-dependent cytotoxicity caused by anticancer agents.

Comparison of lens- and fiber-coupled CCD detectors for X-ray computed tomography.

X-ray imaging detectors with an identical phosphor and a CCD chip but employing lens- and fiber-coupling between them have been compared. These are designed for X-ray imaging experiments, especially computed tomography, at the medium-length beamline at the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. It was found that the transmittance of light to the CCD is about four times higher in the fiber-coupled detector. The uniformity of response in the lens-coupled detector has a global shading of up to 40%, while pixel-to-pixel variation owing to a chicken-wire pattern was dominant in the fiber-coupled detector. Apart from the higher transmittance, the fiber-coupled detector has a few characteristics that require attention when it is used for computed tomography, which are browning of the fiber, discontinuity in the image, image distortion, and dark spots in the chicken-wire pattern. Thus, it is most suitable for high-speed tomography of samples that tend to deform, for example biological and soft materials.

Assessment of the use of a diffuser in propagation-based x-ray phase contrast imaging.

A rotating random-phase-screen diffuser is sometimes employed on synchrotron x-ray imaging beamlines to ameliorate field-of-view inhomogeneities due to electron-beam instabilities and beamline optics phase artifacts. The ideal result is a broader, more uniformly illuminated beam intensity for cleaner coherent x-ray images. The spinning diffuser may be modeled as an ensemble of transversely random thin phase screens, with the resulting set of intensity maps over the detector plane being incoherently averaged over the ensemble. Whilst the coherence width associated with the source is unaffected by the diffuser, the magnitude of the complex degree of second-order coherence may be significantly reduced [K. S. Morgan, S. C. Irvine, Y. Suzuki, K. Uesugi, A. Takeuchi, D. M. Paganin, and K. K. W. Siu, Opt. Commun. 283, 216 (2010)]. Through use of a computational model and experimental data obtained on x-ray beamline BL20XU at SPring-8, Japan, we investigate the effects of such a diffuser on the quality of Fresnel diffraction fringes in propagation-based x-ray phase contrast imaging. We show that careful choice of diffuser characteristics such as thickness and fiber size, together with appropriate placement of the diffuser, can result in the ideal scenario of negligible reduction in fringe contrast whilst the desired diffusing properties are retained.

2D and 3D X-ray phase retrieval of multi-material objects using a single defocus distance.

A method of tomographic phase retrieval is developed for multi-material objects whose components each has a distinct complex refractive index. The phase-retrieval algorithm, based on the Transport-of-Intensity equation, utilizes propagation-based X-ray phase contrast images acquired at a single defocus distance for each tomographic projection. The method requires a priori knowledge of the complex refractive index for each material present in the sample, together with the total projected thickness of the object at each orientation. The requirement of only a single defocus distance per projection simplifies the experimental setup and imposes no additional dose compared to conventional tomography. The algorithm was implemented using phase contrast data acquired at the SPring-8 Synchrotron facility in Japan. The three-dimensional (3D) complex refractive index distribution of a multi-material test object was quantitatively reconstructed using a single X-ray phase-contrast image per projection. The technique is robust in the presence of noise, compared to conventional absorption based tomography.

Deterministic retrieval of complex Green's functions using hard X rays.

A massively parallel deterministic method is described for reconstructing shift-invariant complex Green's functions. As a first experimental implementation, we use a single phase contrast x-ray image to reconstruct the complex Green's function associated with Bragg reflection from a thick perfect crystal. The reconstruction is in excellent agreement with a classic prediction of dynamical diffraction theory.

Dynamic measures of regional lung air volume using phase contrast x-ray imaging.

Phase contrast x-ray imaging can provide detailed images of lung morphology with sufficient spatial resolution to observe the terminal airways (alveoli). We demonstrate that quantitative functional and anatomical imaging of lung ventilation can be achieved in vivo using two-dimensional phase contrast x-ray images with high contrast and spatial resolution (<100 microm) in near real time. Changes in lung air volume as small as 25 microL were calculated from the images of term and preterm rabbit pup lungs (n = 28) using a single-image phase retrieval algorithm. Comparisons with plethysmography and computed tomography showed that the technique provided an accurate and robust method of measuring total lung air volumes. Furthermore, regional ventilation was measured by partitioning the phase contrast images, which revealed differences in aeration for different ventilation strategies.

Phase contrast X-ray imaging for the non-invasive detection of airway surfaces and lumen characteristics in mouse models of airway disease.

We seek to establish non-invasive imaging able to detect and measure aspects of the biology and physiology of surface fluids present on airways, in order to develop novel outcome measures able to validate the success of proposed genetic or pharmaceutical therapies for cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease. Reduction of the thin airway surface liquid (ASL) is thought to be a central pathophysiological process in CF, causing reduced mucociliary clearance that supports ongoing infection and destruction of lung and airways. Current outcome measures in animal models, or humans, are insensitive to the small changes in ASL depth that ought to accompany successful airway therapies. Using phase contrast X-ray imaging (PCXI), we have directly examined the airway surfaces in the nasal airways and tracheas of anaesthetised mice, currently to a resolution of approximately 2 microm. We have also achieved high resolution three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the small airways in mice using phase-contrast enhanced computed tomography (PC-CT) to elucidate the structure-function relationships produced by airway disease. As the resolution of these techniques improves they may permit non-invasive monitoring of changes in ASL depth with therapeutic intervention, and the use of 3D airway and imaging in monitoring of lung health and disease. Phase contrast imaging of airway surfaces has promise for diagnostic and monitoring options in animal models of CF, and the potential for future human airway imaging methodologies is also apparent.

High-resolution visualization of tumours in rabbit lung using refraction contrast X-ray imaging.

Contrast enhancement by refraction was used to visualize tumours in the rabbit lung. VX2 tumour cells were intravenously injected into a rabbit. After 14 days the rabbit was euthanized and the lungs were imaged. Refraction-enhanced X-ray images were obtained with a sample-to-detector distance of 2.65-6m. The beamline BL20B2 at the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility was used for the experiment, with a monochromatic X-ray beam with an energy of 33.2 keV. In the case of projection images, it was found that refraction did not help visualization of small tumours: the nodules did not show up with sharply defined edges. In tomography, tumours with a size of 1-10mm were clearly visualized, together with blood vessels with a diameter down to 0.4mm. These results show that refraction-enhanced imaging may be useful in human lung tomography to find small tumours.

Biphasic change and disuse-mediated regression of canal network structure in cortical bone of growing rats.

The canal network in cortical bone is an indispensable basis of bone vascularity, and its structure changes according to bone growth. Using monochromatic synchrotron radiation microCT (SRmicroCT), we evaluated the structural change of the canal network in growing rat tibiae and the response of this network to disuse. Tibiae were harvested from both hindlimbs of 9- and 14-week-old male Wistar rats subjected to unilateral sciatic neurectomy (SN) at 6 weeks of age (W9, n=8; W14, n=8) and from intact hindlimbs of 6-week-old rats (W6, n=8). Images of distal diaphyseal segments were reconstructed by SRmicroCT with a voxel size of 5.83 mum and then translated into local mineral densities using a calibrated relation between linear absorption coefficients and the concentration of K(2)HPO(4) solution. The canal network was segmented by simple thresholding at a bone mineral density of 0.82 g.cm(-3) and its structural properties were determined. In intact hindlimbs, the canal network showed a biphasic change with growth, as represented by increases followed by decreases in canal volume fraction (Ca.vol.f), the density of canals running longitudinally (Ca.num.d), and the density of canal connections (Ca.con.d): Ca.vol.f=2.2, 3.1, and 1.8%, Ca.num.d=77, 98, and 70 mm(-2), and Ca.con.d=18, 41, and 21 mm(-3) in W6, W9, and W14, respectively. In SN hindlimbs, bone growth deceleration was accompanied by a 16% smaller Ca.vol.f and a 22% smaller Ca.con.d in W9 and a 27% smaller Ca.vol.f, a 12% smaller Ca.num.d, and a 39% smaller Ca.con.d in W14 than those in intact hindlimbs. Furthermore, the canal branching structure became more treelike in SN hindlimbs. The effect of SN on the canal network appeared mainly in the periosteal sector of the anteriolateral cortex in W9 and spread throughout the cortex in W14. These findings will lead to a better understanding of microcirculation in cortical bone growth.

The rubble-pile asteroid Itokawa as observed by Hayabusa.

During the interval from September through early December 2005, the Hayabusa spacecraft was in close proximity to near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa, and a variety of data were taken on its shape, mass, and surface topography as well as its mineralogic and elemental abundances. The asteroid's orthogonal axes are 535, 294, and 209 meters, the mass is 3.51 x 10(10) kilograms, and the estimated bulk density is 1.9 +/- 0.13 grams per cubic centimeter. The correspondence between the smooth areas on the surface (Muses Sea and Sagamihara) and the gravitationally low regions suggests mass movement and an effective resurfacing process by impact jolting. Itokawa is considered to be a rubble-pile body because of its low bulk density, high porosity, boulder-rich appearance, and shape. The existence of very large boulders and pillars suggests an early collisional breakup of a preexisting parent asteroid followed by a re-agglomeration into a rubble-pile object.

Refraction-enhanced tomography of mouse and rabbit lungs.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of edge enhancement by refraction in computed tomography, images of a cross section of a euthanized mouse thorax were recorded at low (20 keV) and high (72 keV) x-ray energies at a spatial resolution of about 40 microm. Compared with the images obtained with the detector at 30 cm from an object, when the object was located at 113 cm from the detector, the contrast between tissues and air was improved at both energies. The improvement was more pronounced at 72 keV where the absorption contrast was weaker. This effect was due to refraction at the surfaces of alveolar membranes and small airways which creates areas with apparently high and low linear attenuation coefficients within tissues. The edge enhancement by refraction was also effective in images of a euthanized rabbit thorax at x-ray energies of 40 and 70 keV at a spatial resolution of about 0.15 mm. These results raise the possibility that the refraction contrast may be utilized to obtain a high-resolution tomographic image of human lung and bone with low dose.

Phase contrast X-ray imaging of mice and rabbit lungs: a comparative study.

The significant degree of X-ray phase contrast created by air-tissue interfaces, coupled with the poor radiographic contrast of conventional chest radiographs, makes the inflated lung an ideal candidate for investigating the potential diagnostic improvement afforded by phase contrast X-ray imaging. In small animals these methods highlight the lung airways and lobe boundaries and reveal the lung tissue as a speckled intensity pattern not seen in other soft tissues. We have compared analyser-based and propagation-based phase contrast imaging modalities, together with conventional radiographic imaging, to ascertain which technique shows the greatest image enhancement for various lung sizes. The conventional radiographic image of a mouse was obtained on a Siemens Nova 3000 mammography system, whilst phase contrast images of mice and rabbit chests were acquired at the medical imaging beamline (20B2) at the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation research facility in Japan. For mice aged 1 day, 1 week and 1 month old it was determined that analyser-based imaging showed the greatest overall image contrast, however, for an adult rabbit both techniques yielded excellent contrast. The success of these methods in creating high quality images for rabbit lungs raises the possibility of improving human lung imaging using phase contrast techniques.

Dynamic imaging of the lungs using x-ray phase contrast.

High quality real-time imaging of lungs in vivo presents considerable challenges. We demonstrate here that phase contrast x-ray imaging is capable of dynamically imaging the lungs. It retains many of the advantages of simple x-ray imaging, whilst also being able to map weakly absorbing soft tissues based on refractive index differences. Preliminary results reported herein show that this novel imaging technique can identify and locate airway liquid and allows lung aeration in newborn rabbit pups to be dynamically visualized.

On the origin of speckle in x-ray phase contrast images of lung tissue.

Phase contrast x-ray imaging of small animal lungs reveals a speckled intensity pattern not seen in other tissues, making the lungs highly visible in comparison to other organs. Although bearing a superficial resemblance to alveoli, the cause of this speckle has not been established. With a view to determining the mechanism for the formation of speckle, this paper details the results of propagation-based phase contrast experiments performed on mice lungs, together with packed glass microspheres used to emulate lung tissue. These experimental studies are compared to numerical simulations, based on wave propagation techniques. We find that speckle arises from focusing effects, with multiple alveoli acting as aberrated compound refractive lenses. Both experiments and modelling suggest that this speckle-formation phenomenon may lead to better screening methods for human lungs than conventional radiography.

Improved O3/H2O2 oxidation process for wastewater reclamation.

A continuous two step O3/H2O2 oxidation system, in which the waste gas from the former reactor was reused in the latter step with an ejector, was established for the purpose of wastewater reclamation in electronics industries. ORP monitor was combined into the system to obtain the optimum ratio of H2O2 to O3 by automatically adjusting the dosage of H2O2, and ion exchange resin was used for removing organic acids formed during oxidation. The effectiveness of the O3/H2O2 oxidation system for TOC removal was investigated under various conditions by using IPA, DMSO, and NMP as model substances. The optimum H2O2/O3 for oxidizing IPA was in a range above 0.15, and it increased with the increase of O3 dose. A sudden drop of ORP from ca. 800 mV to a little more than 200 mV was observed when H2O2/O3 was approaching the optimum point from the lower end. An ORP between 250 mV and 300 mV or 800 mV and 900 mV was proper for H2O2/O3 control. The treatability of the model substances was in an order of IPA << DMSO < NMP, being consistent with the magnitude of the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (epsilon HOMO). The two step treatment system developed in this study was found to be more efficient than the conventional single step system. With the help of H2O2 dosing control and two step treatment using waste O3, the system could save about 40% O3 in comparison with the conventional O3/H2O2 oxidation process.

Malignant pheochromocytoma lacking clinical features of catecholamine excess until the late stage.

A malignant pheochromocytoma is described in a 71-year-old man. Osseous metastases became manifest 12 years after successful removal of the primary tumor which originated in paraganglionic tissue near the right adrenal gland. Although the patient had no symptoms of catecholamine excess initially, hypertension, tachycardia and excessive sweating appeared several months before his death, concomitantly with a sharp increase in noradrenaline secretion due to an accelerated growth of metastatic tumors. Since there is no histologic criterion of malignancy in this neoplasm, it would be prudent to consider every case of pheochromocytoma as potentially malignant and to follow-up carefully for a long time after removal of the primary tumor.