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To evaluate the feasibility of short whole-body bone scan acquisition times using a novel gamma camera with cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) semiconductor detectors. We retrospectively enrolled 78 consecutive patients with prostate cancer who underwent bone scintigraphy using a whole-body gamma camera with CZT detectors. After acquisition of list-mode data with 180 s per bed position, anterior and posterior whole-body images were reconstructed using the first 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the list-mode data. Two experienced nuclear medicine physicians interpreted the images, and interrater agreement and the diagnostic value of the images were determined. Quantitative artificial neural network (ANN) values, bone scan indexes (BSI) and hotspot numbers (HsN) were also calculated by automated diagnostic software. Excellent interrater reliabilities of the visual assessments were obtained for the 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% images (κ = 0.88, 0.88, 0.88 and 0.88, respectively). The 5% images also showed high diagnostic value (sensitivity 0.94, specificity 0.84 and accuracy 0.86). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between the 100% images and the reduced acquisition time images were evaluated in quantitative analyses, and excellent correlations were observed for ANN value in the 75% images (ICC 0.77), for BSI in all the reduced acquisition time images (75%, 50%, 25%, 10% and 5%; ICC 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, 0.96 and 0.75, respectively), and for HsN in the 75%, 50%, 25% and 10% images (ICC 0.99, 0.99, 0.98 and 0.90, respectively). Whole-body gamma cameras with CZT detectors have the potential to reduce image acquisition times and the dose of radioisotope injected for bone scans.

The structures and morphologies of Al-rich Al–Au alloy nanoparticles thermally oxidized under gaseous oxygen mixtures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy while varying the temperature and oxygen exposure conditions. The exposure of alloy nanoparticles to oxygen at room temperature formed amorphous alumina coatings that protected unoxidized core metals against further oxidation up to approximately 1000 °C. Above this temperature, Au–γ-Al2O3 Janus nanoparticles were generated as a result of complete oxidation. In contrast, the direct oxidation of preheated alloy nanoparticles without oxide coatings enabled complete oxidation to proceed at temperatures as low as 575 °C. Under lower oxygen pressures, direct oxidation resulted in the formation of Au–γ-Al2O3 Janus NPs with worm-like morphologies, suggesting anisotropic oxide growth via interfacial oxidation. In a similar manner, Pt–γ-Al2O3 Janus NPs were generated by the direct oxidation of Al–Pt alloy NPs.

Organic semiconductors are attracting increasing interest as flexible thermoelectric materials owing to material abundance, easy processing and low thermal conductivity. Although progress in p-type polymers and composites has been reported, their n-type counterpart has fallen behind owing to difficulties in n-type doping of organic semiconductors. Here, we present an approach to synthesize n-type flexible thermoelectric materials through a facile electrochemical intercalation method, fabricating a hybrid superlattice of alternating inorganic TiS2 monolayers and organic cations. Electrons were externally injected into the inorganic layers and then stabilized by organic cations, providing n-type carriers for current and energy transport. An electrical conductivity of 790 S cm(-1) and a power factor of 0.45 mW m(-1) K(-2) were obtained for a hybrid superlattice of TiS2/[(hexylammonium)x(H2O)y(DMSO)z], with an in-plane lattice thermal conductivity of 0.12 ± 0.03 W m(-1) K(-1), which is two orders of magnitude smaller than the thermal conductivities of the single-layer and bulk TiS2. High power factor and low thermal conductivity contributed to a thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, of 0.28 at 373 K, which might find application in wearable electronics.

Transmission electron microscopy was employed to elucidate the morphologies and structures of thermally oxidized gas-phase Al nanoparticles (mean diameter of 10 ± 3 nm) obtained at various temperatures and oxygen pressures. Exposure of the nanoparticles to oxygen at room temperature followed by heating to high temperatures initially generated an amorphous Al2O3 film on the particles that protected the core from further oxidation up to ~1000 °C. However, these particles were completely oxidized to γ-Al2O3 above ~1000 °C. In contrast, exposing bare, preheated Al nanoparticles to oxygen led to direct oxidation to γ-Al2O3 at temperatures as low as ~575 °C. The direct oxidation of Al nanoparticles at 900 °C under low oxygen pressures resulted in the growth of worm-shaped γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles, suggesting anisotropic oxide growth via interfacial oxidation.

Monodispersed CoPt alloy nanoparticles were synthesized by a pulsed laser ablation (PLA) technique coupled with a low-pressure operating differential mobility analyzer (LP-DMA). The CoPt alloy nanoparticles were generated by laser ablating a solid Co–Pt target. In CoPt alloy nanoparticles synthesized from a target with a Co composition of 75 at%, the nanoparticle surfaces were covered by an oxide layer and exhibited a core-shell structure. In contrast, no shell was observed in particles generated from a target with a Co:Pt ratio of 50:50 at%. According to an EDX analysis, the compositions of the individual nanoparticles were almost the same as that of the target material. Finally, the magnetic hysteresis loops of the CoPt alloy nanoparticles exhibited ferromagnetism.

A systematic method for 13C labeling of the glycan of immunoglobulin G for NMR study has been developed. A mouse immunoglobulin of subclass IgG2b has been used for the experiment. On the basis of chemical shift and linewidth data, it has been concluded that (1) the mobility of the carbohydrate chain in IgG2b is comparable to that of the backbone polypeptide chain with the exception of the galactose residue at the nonreducing end of the Man alpha 1-3 branch, which is extremely mobile and (2) agalactosylation does not induce any significant change in the mobility. The results obtained indicate that even in the agalactosyl from the glycans are buried in the protein. Biological significance of the NMR results obtained is also briefly discussed.

This paper presents a method for fabricating size-selected nickel nanoparticles coated with oxide shells (shell thickness of about 2 nm). The size of the generated particles was controlled by a low-pressure differential mobility analyzer. The total mass of the deposited particles was estimated on the basis of their measured electric current. A high-resolution transmission electron microscope was used to observe the morphologies of the particles. We successfully synthesized a series of monodispersed (geometric standard deviation

A novel approach to the enzyme model for the synthesis of peptides has been established by using multi-functionalized chiral crown ethers as hosts. The new strategy consists of three key steps as follows. (1) Guest assembly: the host having one free thiol and one thioester with N-protected α-amino acid or peptide proceeds via rapid intra-complex thiolysis of α-amino acid ester salts to form the dithioester, and assembles two guests. (2) Amide formation: the intramolecular aminolysis occurs between the bound guests to form the amide bond. (3) Peptide chain elongation: as the thiol reactive group is regenerated, the above two reactions are repeated to elongate the peptide chain. In the present paper, we describe the multiple chiral recognition that could be achieved by the chiral crown ether in both the intra-complex thiolysis and the intramolecular aminolysis. For explanation of the chiral recognition, we propose a likely structure for the intermediate of the aminolysis.