Regional specificity of MRI contrast parameter changes in normal ageing revealed by voxel-based quantification (VBQ).

Normal ageing is associated with characteristic changes in brain microstructure. Although in vivo neuroimaging captures spatial and temporal patterns of age-related changes of anatomy at the macroscopic scale, our knowledge of the underlying (patho)physiological processes at cellular and molecular levels is still limited. The aim of this study is to explore brain tissue properties in normal ageing using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alongside conventional morphological assessment. Using a whole-brain approach in a cohort of 26 adults, aged 18-85years, we performed voxel-based morphometric (VBM) analysis and voxel-based quantification (VBQ) of diffusion tensor, magnetization transfer (MT), R1, and R2* relaxation parameters. We found age-related reductions in cortical and subcortical grey matter volume paralleled by changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), MT and R2*. The latter were regionally specific depending on their differential sensitivity to microscopic tissue properties. VBQ of white matter revealed distinct anatomical patterns of age-related change in microstructure. Widespread and profound reduction in MT contrasted with local FA decreases paralleled by MD increases. R1 reductions and R2* increases were observed to a smaller extent in overlapping occipito-parietal white matter regions. We interpret our findings, based on current biophysical models, as a fingerprint of age-dependent brain atrophy and underlying microstructural changes in myelin, iron deposits and water. The VBQ approach we present allows for systematic unbiased exploration of the interaction between imaging parameters and extends current methods for detection of neurodegenerative processes in the brain. The demonstrated parameter-specific distribution patterns offer insights into age-related brain structure changes in vivo and provide essential baseline data for studying disease against a background of healthy ageing.

Oscillatory magnetic tweezers based on ferromagnetic beads and simple coaxial coils

We report the design and validation of simple magnetic tweezers for oscillating ferromagnetic beads in the piconewton and nanometer scales. The system is based on a single pair of coaxial coils operating in two sequential modes: permanent magnetization of the beads through a large and brief pulse of magnetic field and generation of magnetic gradients to produce uniaxial oscillatory forces. By using this two step method, the magnetic moment of the beads remains constant during measurements. Therefore, the applied force can be computed and varies linearly with the driving signal. No feedback control is required to produce well defined force oscillations over a wide bandwidth. The design of the coils was optimized to obtain high magnetic fields (280 mT) and gradients (2 T/m) with high homogeneity (5% variation) within the sample. The magnetic tweezers were implemented in an inverted optical microscope with a videomicroscopy-based multiparticle tracking system. The apparatus was validated with 4.5 ¿m magnetite beads obtaining forces up to ~2 pN and subnanometer resolution. The applicability of the device includes microrheology of biopolymer and cell cytoplasm, molecular mechanics, and mechanotransduction in living cells.

Dispersão de amostras de latossolo vermelho eutroférrico influenciadas por pré-tratamento para oxidação da matéria orgânica e pelo tipo de agitação mecânica

A dispersão de amostras de Latossolos oxídicos pode ser mais difícil devido a microagregados de alta estabilidade, que nem sempre são totalmente desfeitos pela dispersão química e mecânica. A combinação de métodos químicos e mecânicos associados ao pré-tratamento da amostra é importante para se obter completa dispersão das partículas do solo e mantê-la estável durante toda a marcha analítica. Diante do exposto, objetivou-se avaliar a eficiência da dispersão mecânica (agitação lenta com agitador orbital de mesa - 30 rpm por 16 h, na presença de abrasivo, e agitação rápida com agitadores do tipo coqueteleira - 1.200 rpm por 20 min) e química com NaOH 1N, associada ao pré-tratamento para eliminação da matéria orgânica, independentemente de seu teor na amostra de solo na realização da análise granulométrica utilizada como método de rotina. Para as análises, foram coletadas com trado holandês, em uma área de Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico, 50 amostras de forma inteiramente casualizada, nas profundidades de 0-0,20 e de 1,15-1,25 m; cada amostra representou uma repetição. Foi possível concluir que: sempre ocorreu maior dispersão das amostras analisadas quando se fez o pré-tratamento para oxidação da MO; o processo de agitação lenta, em relação ao de agitação rápida, é sempre mais eficiente na dispersão das amostras de solo; e o tratamento que utilizou pré-tratamento para eliminação da MO e dispersão mecânica com agitação lenta por 16 h e 30 g de areia grossa como abrasivo foi mais eficiente na dispersão das amostras estudadas, tanto para as amostras coletadas entre 0 e 0,20 m como para as coletadas na profundidade de 1,15-1,25 m.

Skew deviation [Skew deviation]

BACKGROUND: Skew deviation is a vertical ocular misalignment of prenuclear origin. Although well described in the literature, it is still probably underdiagnosed. Natural history of skew deviation is not well described in the literature. PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentations, etiologies and follow-up of skew deviation. METHODS: Retrospective study of 29 patients diagnosed with skew deviation between 1993 and 1996. RESULTS: The commonest cause was cerebrovascular accident (12/29) and the commonest localisation was mesencephalic (9/29). Other causes included surgery (7/29), tumor (4/29), trauma (3/29), degeneration (3/29), inflammatory (2/29), increased intracranial pressure (1/29). Other localisations included cerebellum (5/29), ponto-mesencephalic (3/29), and medulla (2/29). Vertical diplopia was always accompanied by other neuro-ophthalmologic abnormalities. 69.2% (18/26) patients were totally asymptomatic after 7.5 months. 30.8% (8/26) were still symptomatic (diplopia). One patient required surgery, three patients were relieved with prisms, one patient needed monocular occlusion. One patient died during follow-up and precise data were lacking in two symptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: Skew deviation is not so rare, 10% of the cases referred to us for diplopia in 3 years. The diagnosis of skew deviation should be entertained when vertical diplopia cannot be explained by pathology of extraocular muscles, peripheral or central cranial nerve III or IV palsies, myasthenia, or orbital pathology. Prognosis for recovery in patients with skew deviation is good. 70% will recover, after a median time of 7.5 months. Surgery should be postponed at least for 12 months.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in chemically disordered FePd-FeV(100) alloy thin films

We find that the use of V(100) buffer layers on MgO(001) substrates for the epitaxy of FePd binary alloys yields to the formation at intermediate and high deposition temperatures of a FePd¿FeV mixed phase due to strong V diffusion accompanied by a loss of layer continuity and strong increase of its mosaic spread. Contrary to what is usually found in this kind of systems, these mixed phase structures exhibit perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) which is not correlated with the presence of chemical order, almost totally absent in all the fabricated structures, even at deposition temperatures where it is usually obtained with other buffer layers. Thus the observed PMA can be ascribed to the V interdiffusion and the formation of a FeV alloy, being the global sample saturation magnetization also reduced.

Structural and functional characterization of (110)-oriented epitaxial La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 electrodes and SrTiO3 tunnel barriers

La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 (LCMO) films have been deposited on (110)-oriented SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy reveal that the (110) LCMO films are epitaxial and anisotropically in-plane strained, with higher relaxation along the [1¿10] direction than along the [001] direction; x-ray absorption spectroscopy data signaled the existence of a single intermediate Mn3+/4+ 3d-state at the film surface. Their magnetic properties are compared to those of (001) LCMO films grown simultaneously on (001) STO substrates It is found that (110) LCMO films present a higher Curie temperature (TC) and a weaker decay of magnetization when approaching TC than their (001) LCMO counterparts. These improved films have been subsequently covered by nanometric STO layers. Conducting atomic-force experiments have shown that STO layers, as thin as 0.8 nm, grown on top of the (110) LCMO electrode, display good insulating properties. We will show that the electric conductance across (110) STO layers, exponentially depending on the barrier thickness, is tunnel-like. The barrier height in STO (110) is found to be similar to that of STO (001). These results show that the (110) LCMO electrodes can be better electrodes than (001) LCMO for magnetic tunnel junctions, and that (110) STO are suitable insulating barriers.

Effects of SrTiO3 capping in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 electrodes of different orientations

We report on the study of the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of SrTiO3 capped La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 electrodes grown on (001) and (110) SrTiO3 substrates. Magnetic properties of the (001) and (110) capped electrodes evolve differently when the capping layer thickness increases, revealing a reduction of the saturation magnetization for the (001) ones. Electronic properties are studied combining 55Mn nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). NMR experiments highlight that electronic phase separation in the (001) electrodes is enhanced by the presence of the SrTiO3 capping layer and XPS measurements show that the electronic state of interfacial Mn ions from (001) electrode is more sensitive to the capping layer.

Cationic Diffusion in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 Thin Films Grown on LaAlO3 (001) Substrates.

Microstructural features of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 layers of various thicknesses grown on top of 001 LaAlO3 substrates are studied by using transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Films are of high microstructural quality but exhibit some structural relaxation and mosaicity both when increasing thickness or after annealing processes. The existence of a cationic segregation process of La atoms toward free surface has been detected, as well as a Mn oxidation state variation through layer thickness. La diffusion would lead to a Mn valence change and, in turn, to reduced magnetization.

Strain-induced stabilization of new magnetic spinel structures in epitaxial oxide heterostructures.

We report here on the growth of NiFe2O4 epitaxial thin films of different thickness (3 nm ¿ t ¿ 32 nm) on single crystalline substrates having spinel (MgAl2O4) or perovskite (SrTiO3) structure. Ultrathin films, grown on any of those substrates, display a huge enhancement of the saturation magnetization: we will show that partial cationic inversion may account for this enhancement, although we will argue that suppression of antiparallel collinear spin alignment due to size-effects cannot be excluded. Besides, for thicker films, the magnetization of films on MAO is found to be similar to that of bulk ferrite; in contrast, the magnetization of films on STO is substantially lower than bulk. We discuss on the possible mechanisms leading to this remarkable difference of magnetization.

Transfer insensitive labeling technique (TILT): application to multislice functional perfusion imaging.

Cerebral blood flow can be studied in a multislice mode with a recently proposed perfusion sequence using inversion of water spins as an endogenous tracer without magnetization transfer artifacts. The magnetization transfer insensitive labeling technique (TILT) has been used for mapping blood flow changes at a microvascular level under motor activation in a multislice mode. In TILT, perfusion mapping is achieved by subtraction of a perfusion-sensitized image from a control image. Perfusion weighting is accomplished by proximal blood labeling using two 90 degrees radiofrequency excitation pulses. For control preparation the labeling pulses are modified such that they have no net effect on blood water magnetization. The percentage of blood flow change, as well as its spatial extent, has been studied in single and multislice modes with varying delays between labeling and imaging. The average perfusion signal change due to activation was 36.9 +/- 9.1% in the single-slice experiments and 38.1 +/- 7.9% in the multislice experiments. The volume of activated brain areas amounted to 1.51 +/- 0.95 cm3 in the contralateral primary motor (M1) area, 0.90 +/- 0.72 cc in the ipsilateral M1 area, 1.27 +/- 0.39 cm3 in the contralateral and 1.42 +/- 0.75 cm3 in the ipsilateral premotor areas, and 0.71 +/- 0.19 cm3 in the supplementary motor area.

Nitrogen incorporation effects in Fe(001) thin films

Nitrogen incorporates into Fe thin films during reactively sputtered TiN capping layer deposition. The influence that this nitrogen incorporation has both on the structure and magnetic properties is discussed for a series of Fe~001! thin films grown at different temperatures. A higher nitrogen content is accompanied by distortion in the Fe lattice and by reduction in the Fe magnetization saturation as well as in the effective anisotropy constant, K. The reduction of K brings as a consequence lowering in the coercive field with respect to equivalent Fe films with no nitrogen present.

Avalanches in a fluctuationless first-order phase transition in a random-bond Ising model

We study the behavior of the random-bond Ising model at zero temperature by numerical simulations for a variable amount of disorder. The model is an example of systems exhibiting a fluctuationless first-order phase transition similar to some field-induced phase transitions in ferromagnetic systems and the martensitic phase transition appearing in a number of metallic alloys. We focus on the study of the hysteresis cycles appearing when the external field is swept from positive to negative values. By using a finite-size scaling hypothesis, we analyze the disorder-induced phase transition between the phase exhibiting a discontinuity in the hysteresis cycle and the phase with the continuous hysteresis cycle. Critical exponents characterizing the transition are obtained. We also analyze the size and duration distributions of the magnetization jumps (avalanches).

Current-density-functional approach to large quantum dots in intense magnetic fields

Within current-density-functional theory, we have studied a quantum dot made of 210 electrons confined in a disk geometry. The ground state of this large dot exhibits some features as a function of the magnetic field (Beta) that can be attributed in a clear way to the formation of compressible and incompressible states of the system. The orbital and spin angular momenta, the total energy, ionization and electron chemical potentials of the ground state, as well as the frequencies of far-infrared edge modes are calculated as a function of Beta, and compared with available experimental and theoretical results.

Transverse dipole spin modes in quantum dots

We have carried out a systematic analysis of the transverse dipole spin response of a large-size quantum dot within time-dependent current density functional theory. Results for magnetic fields corresponding to integer filling factors are reported, as well as a comparison with the longitudinal dipole spin response. As in the two-dimensional electron gas, the spin response at high-spin magnetization is dominated by a low-energy transverse mode.

Dissipation in quasistatically driven disordered systems

This work presents an analysis of hysteresis and dissipation in quasistatically driven disordered systems. The study is based on the random field Ising model with fluctuationless dynamics. It enables us to sort out the fraction of the energy input by the driving field stored in the system and the fraction dissipated in every step of the transformation. The dissipation is directly related to the occurrence of avalanches, and does not scale with the size of Barkhausen magnetization jumps. In addition, the change in magnetic field between avalanches provides a measure of the energy barriers between consecutive metastable states