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PubMed2006

Optimizing detection of tissue anisotropy by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching.

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) has been widely used to measure fluid flow and diffusion in gels and tissues. It has not been widely used in detection of tissue anisotropy. This may be due to a lack of applicable theory, or due to inherent limitations of the method. We discuss theoretical aspects of the relationship between anisotropy of tissue structure and anisotropy of diffusion coefficients, with special regard to the size of the tracer molecule used. We derive a semi-mechanistic formula relating the fiber volume fraction and ratio of fiber and tracer molecule diameters to the expected anisotropy of the diffusion coefficients. This formula and others are tested on simulated random walks through random simulated and natural media. We determine bounds on the applicability of FRAP for detection of tissue anisotropy, and suggest minimum tracer sizes for detection of anisotropy in tissues of different composition (fiber volume fraction and fiber diameter). We find that it will be easier to detect anisotropy in monodisperse materials than in polydisperse materials. To detect mild anisotropy in a tissue, such as cartilage, which has a low fiber fraction would require a tracer molecule so large that it would be difficult to deliver to the tissue. We conclude that FRAP can be used to detect tissue anisotropy when the tracer molecule is sufficiently large relative to the fiber diameter, volume fraction, and degree of polydispersivity, and when the anisotropy is sufficiently pronounced.

Anisotropy↗
PubMed1999

Quantitative diffusion-tensor anisotropy brain MR imaging: normative human data and anatomic analysis.

PURPOSE: To obtain normative human cerebral data and evaluate the anatomic information in quantitative diffusion anisotropy magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative diffusion anisotropy MR images were obtained in 13 healthy adults by using single-shot echo-planar MR imaging and a combination of tetrahedral and orthogonal gradient encoding (whole-brain coverage in about 1 minute). White matter (WM) anatomy was assessed at visual inspection, and values were measured in various brain regions. Different anisotropy measures, including total anisotropy (A sigma), were compared on the basis of information content, rotational invariance, and susceptibility to noise. Partial volume and noise effects were simulated. RESULTS: Anisotropy MR images depicted WM features not typically seen on conventional MR images (e.g., external capsule, thalamic substructures, basal ganglia, occipital WM, thickness of the internal capsule). Statistically significant anisotropy differences occurred across brain regions, which were reproducible within and across subjects. A sigma was highest in commissural WM and progressively lower in projection and association WM. This order paralleled that of known resistance to spread of vasogenic edema, which suggested that anisotropy may be sensitive to WM histologic structure. Gray matter (GM) A sigma data were consistent with zero anisotropy, and partial volume WM-GM effects were approximately linear. A sigma image quality could be effectively improved by means of averaging. CONCLUSION: Quantitative diffusion anisotropy images can be obtained rapidly and demonstrate subtle WM anatomy. Different histologic types of WM have significant and reproducible anisotropy differences.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Diffusion anisotropy of the internal capsule and the corona radiata in association with stroke and tumors as measured by diffusion-weighted MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion-weighted MR images have enabled measurement of directionality of diffusion (anisotropy) in white matter. To investigate differences in the anisotropy for various types of pathologic findings and the association between the anisotropy of tracts and neurologic dysfunction, we compared the anisotropy of the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the corona radiata between patients with stroke and those with tumors and between patients with and without hemiparesis. METHODS: Thirty-three patients consisting of 11 with tumors and 22 with ischemic disease (16 acute infarction, four old infarction, and two transient ischemic attack) and nine control patients were studied with a 1.5-T MR imager. Diffusion-weighted images were obtained with diffusion gradients applied in three orthogonal directions. The diffusion anisotropy measurements were obtained from regions of interests defined within the internal capsule and the corona radiata. RESULTS: The diffusion anisotropy was significantly reduced in all internal capsules and coronae radiata involved by infarcts, tumors, and peritumoral edema compared with that of the control patients (P <.0001). This reduction was most prominent in the tracts involved by tumors (P <.05). The anisotropy of the internal capsules and coronae radiata was significantly decreased in cases with moderate-to-severe hemiparesis as compared with those with no or mild hemiparesis (P <.0001). Diffusion anisotropy tended to be also reduced in normal-appearing internal capsules and coronae radiata that were remote from the involved segment of the corticospinal tract. CONCLUSION: The degree of impaired diffusion anisotropy may vary in different pathologic conditions and correlate with neurologic dysfunction. The measurement of diffusion anisotropy may provide additional information relating to neurologic function and transneuronal effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Torsional motion of eosin-labeled F-actin as detected in the time-resolved anisotropy decay of the probe in the sub-millisecond time range.

The internal motion of F-actin in the time range from 10(-6) to 10(-3) second has been explored by measuring the transient absorption anisotropy of eosin-labeled F-actin using laser flash photolysis. The transient absorption anisotropy of eosin-F-actin at 20 degrees C has a component that decays in the submicrosecond time scale to an anisotropy of about 0.3. This anisotropy then decays with a relaxation time of about 450 microseconds to a residual anisotropy of about 0.1 after 2 ms. When the concentration of eosin-F-actin was varied in the range from 7 to 28 microM, the transient absorption anisotropy curves obtained were almost indistinguishable from each other. These results show that the anisotropy decay arises from internal motion of eosin-F-actin. Analysis of the transient absorption anisotropy curves indicates that the internal motion detected by the decay in anisotropy is primarily a twisting of actin protomers in the F-actin helix; bending of the actin filament makes a minor contribution only to the measured decay. The torsional rigidity calculated from the transient absorption anisotropy is 0.2 X 10(-17) dyn cm2 at 20 degrees C, which is about an order of magnitude smaller than the flexural rigidity determined from previous studies. Thus, we conclude that F-actin is more flexible in twisting than in bending. The calculated root-mean-square fluctuation of the torsional angle between adjacent actin protomers in the actin helix is about 4 degrees at 20 degrees C. We also found that the torsional rigidity is approximately constant in the temperature range from 5 to approximately 35 degrees C, and that the binding of phalloidin does not appreciably affect the torsional motion of F-actin.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

Human acute cerebral ischemia: detection of changes in water diffusion anisotropy by using MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To (a) determine the optimal choice of a scalar metric of anisotropy and (b) determine by means of magnetic resonance imaging if changes in diffusion anisotropy occurred in acute human ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The full diffusion tensor over the entire brain was measured. To optimize the choice of a scalar anisotropy metric, the performances of scalar indices in simulated models and in a healthy volunteer were analyzed. The anisotropy, trace apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor in lesions and contralateral normal brain were compared in 50 patients with stroke. RESULTS: Changes in anisotropy in patients were quantified by using fractional anisotropy because it provided the best performance in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio as a function of signal-to-noise ratio in simulations. The anisotropy of ischemic white matter decreased (P = .01). Changes in anisotropy in ischemic gray matter were not significant (P = .63). The trace ADC decreased for ischemic gray matter and white matter (P < .001). The first and second eigenvalues decreased in both ischemic gray and ischemic white matter (P < .001). The third eigenvalue decreased in ischemic gray (P = .001) and white matter (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Gray matter is mildly anisotropic in normal and early ischemic states. However, early white matter ischemia is associated with not only changes in trace ADC values but also significant changes in the anisotropy, or shape, of the water self-diffusion tensor.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Effect of the elastic constant anisotropy on disclination interaction in the nematic polymers.

In this work, disclination interaction behavior in relation to Frank elastic constant anisotropy in nematics has been studied. A large number of (+(1/2), -(1/2)) disclination pairs are revealed by spontaneous band texture in a semiflexible copolyester. The pairs show no preferential relative orientation, with the intervening fields showing intermediate patterns. A two-dimensional tensor lattice model considering unequal elastic constants is applied to simulate the interaction behavior and patterns of disclination pairs in the presence of elastic anisotropy. Scaling laws for disclination density rho(t) as a function of time step t with different elastic anisotropy are obtained as t(-nu). The value of the exponent nu decreases as elastic anisotropy is increased. Obviously, elastic anisotropy slows the texture coarsening. The simulations also show that angular forces arise in the presence of elastic anisotropy and change the patterns of pairs during the texture coarsening. When disclination density is considerably decreased, some +(1/2) disclinations start to rotate to the energetically favored patterns depending on the sign of the elastic anisotropy. As a result of the disclination rotation, the distribution of patterns of pairs continues to change during the annihilation. However, disclination pairs are influenced not only by elastic anisotropy but also by disclination interaction during the whole annihilation. Therefore, in a real system, the dependence of pairs on elastic anisotropy is not as strong as the theoretical prediction for an isolated pair, and the full pattern range of disclination pairs can be observed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Changes in the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine attached to the specific thiol of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase throughout the catalytic cycle.

Cys674 of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase was selectively labeled with N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine without a loss of the catalytic activity, and the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of this label and its total fluorescence intensity were followed throughout the catalytic cycle. At 25 degrees C, the anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity increased by 2.1 and 9.4%, respectively, upon Ca2+ binding to the high affinity sites. Upon subsequent ATP binding to the catalytic site, the anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity decreased by 6.8 and 23.9%, respectively. These drops likely occurred in the enzyme.ATP complex. The extents of changes upon additions of Ca2+ and ATP in the anisotropy, but not in the total fluorescence intensity, were greatly reduced by lowering the temperature. Slight drops in the anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity occurred upon conversion of phosphoenzyme (EP) from the ADP-sensitive form to the ADP-insensitive form. The anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity returned to the initial level when EP was hydrolyzed. Mg2+-dependent Pi-induced drops in the anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity occurred coincidently with EP formation from Pi. These demonstrate that the ATP-induced drops in the anisotropy and the total fluorescence intensity are predominant throughout the catalytic cycle. Most probably, the changes in the anisotropy are due to changes in the rotational diffusion of the label. These findings indicate that ATP binding to the catalytic site induces a relaxed conformation in the microenvironment of the label bound to Cys674.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2005

Anisotropy changes in post-menopausal osteoporosis: characterization by a new index applied to trabecular bone radiographic images.

Bone intrinsic strength is conditioned by several factors, including material property and trabecular micro-architecture. Bone mineral density (BMD) is a good surrogate for material property. Architectural anisotropy is of special interest in mechanics-architecture relations and characterizes the degree of directional organization of a material. We have developed anisotropy indices from the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on bone radiographs. We have validated these indices in a cross-sectional uni-center case-control study including 39 postmenopausal women with vertebral fracture and 70 age-matched control cases. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. A fractal analysis of texture was performed on calcaneus radiographs at three regions of interest (ROIs), and the result was expressed as the H parameter (fractal dimension =H-2). The anisotropy evaluation was based on the FFT spectrum of these three ROIs extracted on calcaneus radiographs. On the FFT spectrum, we have measured the spreading angle of the longitudinal trabeculae called the dispersion longitudinal index (DLI) and the spreading angle of the transversal trabeculae called the dispersion transversal index (DTI). From the measured parameters, an anisotropy index was derived, and the degree of anisotropy (DA) calculated with DLI and DTI. We have compared the results from the vertebral fracture cases and control cases. The best distinction was obtained for the largest ROI located in the great tuberosity of the calcaneus for all parameters ( P <10(-4)).( )The DA parameter showed a higher value in vertebral fracture cases (1.746+/-0.169) than in control cases (1.548+/-0.136); P <10(-4), and the difference persisted after removal of the subjects with hormonal replacement therapy. The analysis of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) has shown the best results with DA and Hmean: areas under curves (AUCs) respectively of 0.765 and 0.683, while AUCs associated to LS-BMD and FN-BMD were 0.614 and 0.591 lower, respectively. We determined the odds ratios (OR) by uni- and multivariate analysis. Crude ORs were respectively 3.91 (95% CI: 2.22-6.87) and 3.08 (95% CI: 1.72-5.52) for DA and Hmean. Crude ORs were respectively 1.71 (95% CI: 1.15-2.56) and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.05-2.31) for LS-BMD and FN-BMD. All ORs were statistically significant, and those associated to Hmean and anisotropy indices were higher than those of BMD measurements. From a multivariate analysis including anisotropy indices, Hmean, age and FN-BMD, the remaining significant ORs were respectively 6.33 (95% CI: 2.80-14.30) and 3.08 (95% CI: 1.48-6.37) for DA and Hmean. These data have shown that anisotropy indices on calcaneus radiographs can distinguish vertebral fracture cases from control cases. This analysis provides complementary information concerning the BMD and fractal parameter. These data suggest that we can improve the fracture risk evaluation by adding information related to the directional organization of trabecular bone derived from the FFT spectrum on conventional radiographic images.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

The development of structural and mechanical anisotropy in fibroblast populated collagen gels.

An in vitro model system was developed to study structure-function relationships and the development of structural and mechanical anisotropy in collagenous tissues. Fibroblast-populated collagen gels were constrained either biaxially or uniaxially. Gel remodeling, biaxial mechanical properties, and collagen orientation were determined after 72 h of culture. Collagen gels contracted spontaneously in the unconstrained direction, uniaxial mechanical constraints produced structural anisotropy, and this structural anisotropy was associated with mechanical anisotropy. Cardiac and tendon fibroblasts were compared to test the hypothesis that tendon fibroblasts should generate greater anisotropy in vitro. However, no differences were seen in either structure or mechanics of collagen gels populated with these two cell types, or between fibroblast populated gels and acellular gels. This study demonstrates our ability to control and measure the development of structural and mechanical anisotropy due to imposed mechanical constraints in a fibroblast-populated collagen gel model system. While imposed constraints were required for the development of anisotropy in this system, active remodeling of the gel by fibroblasts was not. This model system will provide a basis for investigating structure-function relationships in engineered constructs and for studying mechanisms underlying the development of anisotropy in collagenous tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Diffusion anisotropy of the cervical cord is strictly associated with disability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with severe cervical cord damage due to degeneration of the corticospinal tracts and loss of lower motor neurones. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT MRI) allows the measurement of quantities reflecting the size (such as mean diffusivity) and orientation (such as fractional anisotropy) of water-filled spaces in biological tissues. METHODS: Mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy histograms from the cervical cord of patients with ALS were obtained to: (1) quantify the extent of tissue damage in this critical central nervous system region; and (2) investigate the magnitude of the correlation of cervical cord DT MRI metrics with patients' disability and tissue damage along the brain portion of the corticospinal tracts. Cervical cord and brain DT MRI scans were obtained from 28 patients with ALS and 20 age-matched and sex-matched controls. Cord mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy histograms were produced and the cord cross-sectional area was measured. Average mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy along the brain portion of the corticospinal tracts were also measured. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients with ALS had significantly lower mean fractional anisotropy (p = 0.002) and cord cross-sectional area (p<0.001). Mean diffusivity histogram-derived metrics did not differ between the two groups. A strong correlation was found between mean cord fractional anisotropy and the ALS Functional Rating Score (r = 0.74, p<0.001). Mean cord and brain fractional anisotropy values correlated moderately (r = 0.37, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cord DT MRI in patients with ALS allows the extent of cord damage to be graded. The conventional and DT MRI changes found are compatible with the presence of neuroaxonal loss and reactive gliosis, with a heterogeneous distribution of the pathological process between the brain and the cord. The correlation found between cord fractional anisotropy and disability suggests that DT MRI may be a useful adjunctive tool to monitor the evolution of ALS.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Single and multiple desipramine exposures of cultured cells. Changes in cellular anisotropy and in lipid composition of whole cells and of plasma membranes.

Effects of the antidepressant drug desipramine (DMI) on fluorescence anisotropy were studied in living cultured human fibroblasts, rat brain astrocytes and rat ROC-1 hybridoma cells (oligodendrocytes x C6). Fluorescence anisotropy, a measure for fluidity, was measured by means of a fluorescence polarization technique using a set of n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acids as markers. Apparent fluorescence anisotropies were determined in cells following single or multiple dose exposures to 5 microM DMI at 37 degrees and compared to control cells. In all three cell types single doses of DMI led to significant decreases in anisotropies of the deeper layers (12-AS) of the membranes only, suggesting increases in fluidity. Repeated exposures to 5 microM DMI led to cell specific, significant changes in anisotropies of the superficial membrane layers, as determined by 2-AP, 6-, 7- and 9-AS. The resulting anisotropy values of the three different cell types became more alike than prior to DMI exposure. Alterations in anisotropies were accompanied with changes in the phospholipid patterns of whole cells and isolated plasma membrane vesicles. The changes of PC/PE ratios were consistent with changes observed in fluorescence anisotropies. Such alterations may be individual regulatory responses of the cells to the chronic presence of the drug within the membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Ionic effects on the rotational dynamics of cross-bridges in myosin filaments, measured by triplet absorption anisotropy.

We have measured the rotational motion of myosin heads in synthetic thick filaments at 4 degrees C in the time range from 10(-7) to 10(-4) seconds, by measuring transient absorption anisotropy of an eosin probe attached to a reactive sulfhydryl on the myosin head. Under conditions that result in monomeric myosin (500 mM ionic strength), the anisotropy decay is independent of pH in the range from 7.0 to 8.2 and [Mg2+] in the range from 0.1 to 10 mM; the anisotropy decays bi-exponentially with correlation times of 0.4 and 2 microseconds to a constant value of 0.016. Under more physiological conditions (115 mM ionic strength), resulting in filament formation, the anisotropy decay is sensitive to both pH and [Mg2+]. The anisotropy at pH 8.2 and 0.1 mM-Mg2+ decays with correlation times of 0.5 and 3.8 microseconds to a constant limiting anisotropy of 0.038. When the [Mg2+] is increased to 10 mM, the correlation times are 0.6 and 5.7 microseconds and the limiting anisotropy value is 0.055. Identical changes in the anisotropy decay are caused by an increase in [H+] to pH 7.0, in the presence of 0.1 mM-Mg2+. Increasing the total ionic strength to 187 mM decreases the amplitude of the cation effects. These results provide direct evidence that the rotational dynamics of myosin heads in thick filaments are influenced by physiological concentrations of cations. The results are qualitatively consistent with the proposal that these and other ionic conditions regulate transitions between "spread" and "compact" cross-bridge conformations, but the quantitative results indicate that cross-bridges undergo large-amplitude microsecond rotations even under conditions where the compact state should predominate.

Eosine Yellowish-(YS)↗
PubMed1994

Resolution of multiphasic reactions by the combination of fluorescence total-intensity and anisotropy stopped-flow kinetic experiments.

Multiphasic kinetics are often observed in stopped-flow investigations. To characterize further these kinetic phases, we have developed a methodology whereby fluorescence total intensity and anisotropy stopped-flow data can be combined in a single analysis. Fluorescence total intensity and anisotropy are highly interrelated and contain two very complementary forms of information. Total-intensity changes are useful in determining changes in populations with differing quantum yields, whereas anisotropy changes contain additional contributions caused by the rotational dynamics of the species. For cases in which the fluorescence quantum yield increases, the observed rate of anisotropy change will be more rapid than the total-intensity change, whereas in cases in which the total intensity decreases, the observed change in anisotropy will lag behind. In all cases, with quantum yield changes the stopped-flow anisotropy signals cannot be fit with models consisting of exponentials. Case studies examining these effects are described for the protein folding/refolding transitions of Staphylococcal nuclease and phosphoglycerate kinase. A multiphasic DNA exonuclease reaction using bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase is also examined. In all of these cases, combined analysis of both data types revealed insights into reaction mechanism, which could not be obtained by either data type in isolation. Quantum yields and steady-state anisotropies associated with transiently populated intermediate species can be resolved. The data analysis methodologies described allow characterization of multiphasic reactions in terms of internally consistent kinetic rates, quantum yields, and steady-state anisotropies.

Bacteriophage T4↗
PubMed2005

Direct and indirect monitoring of peptide-silica interactions using time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy.

The present work extends the application of time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy (TRFA) of a cationic probe rhodamine 6G (R6G) in aqueous Ludox to in situ monitoring of peptide adsorption onto the silica particles. Steady-state anisotropy and TRFA of R6G in Ludox sols were measured to characterize the extent of the ionic binding of the probe to silica particles in the presence of varying levels of tripeptides of varying charge, including Lys-Trp-Lys (KWK), N-acetylated Lys-Trp-Lys (Ac-KWK), Glu-Trp-Glu (EWE), and N-acetylated Glu-Trp-Glu (Ac-EWE). The results were compared to those obtained by direct observation of peptide adsorption using the steady-state anisotropy of the intrinsic tryptophan residue. Ionic binding of the peptides to Ludox particles produced an increase in the steady-state Trp anisotropy that was dependent on the number of cationic groups present, but the limiting anisotropy values were relatively low, indicating significant rotational freedom of the indole residue in the adsorbed peptides. On the other hand, R6G showed significant decreases in anisotropy in the presence of cationic peptides, consistent with the cationic peptides blocking the adsorption of the dye to the silica surface. Thus, R6G is able to indirectly report on the binding of peptides to Ludox particles. It was noteworthy that, while there were similar trends in the data obtained from steady-state anisotropy and TRFA studies of R6G, the use of steady-state anisotropy to assess binding of peptides overestimated the degree of peptide adsorption relative to the value obtained by TRFA. The study shows that the competitive binding method can be used to assess the binding of various biologically relevant compounds onto silica surfaces and demonstrates the potential of TRFA for probing peptide-silica and protein-silica interactions.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2004

A method for the estimation of pore anisotropy in porous solids.

In this work a method for the estimation of pore anisotropy, b, in porous solids is suggested. The methodology is based on the pore size distribution and the surface area distribution, both calculated from trivial N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The materials used for testing the method were six MCM-Alx solids in which the ordered pore structure (for x = 0) was gradually destroyed by the introduction of Al atoms (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, 50) into the solids. Additionally, four silicas having random porosity were examined, in which the surface of the parent material SiO2 (pure silica) was gradually functionalized with organosilicate groups of various lengths (triple bond Si-H, triple bond Si-CH2OH, triple bond Si-(CH2)3OH) in order to block a variable amount of pores. As pore anisotropy, the ratio bi = Li/Di is defined where Li and Di are the length and the diameter of each group of pores i filled at a particular partial pressure (Pi/P0). The ratio of the surface area Si over the pore volume Vi, at each particular pressure (Pi/P0), is then expressed as Si3/Vi2 = 16 pi Nibi = 16 pi lambdai, where Nibi is the number of pores having anisotropy bi which are filled at each pressure (Pi/P0) and lambdai is the total anisotropy of all the pores Ni belonging to the group i of pores. Then plot of lambdai vs (Pi/P0) provides a clear picture of the variation of the total pore anisotropy lambdai as the partial pressure (Pi/P0) increases. For the functionalized silicas there appears a continuous drop of lambdai as partial pressure (Pi/P0) increases, a fact indicating that both Ni) and bi are continuously diminished. In contrast, for the MCM-Alx materials a sudden kink of lambdai appears at the partial pressure where the well-defined mesopores are filled up, a fact indicating that at this point Ni and/or bi is large. The kink disappears as the ordered porosity is destroyed by increasing the x doping in MCM-Alx. The pore anisotropy bi of each group i of pores is then estimated using the expression (Si3/Vi2) = 8 pi NiriSi and plotting log(lambdai) vs log ri. From those plots, the values of si can be found and therefore the values of bi = 0.5riSi are next defined. In the MCM-Alx materials the maximum pore anisotropy b is very high (bi approximately 250) for x = 0. Then as mesoporosity is destroyed by increasing x, the maximum b values drop gradually to b approximately 11 (x = 5), b approximately 8 (x = 10), and b approximately 3 (x = 15). For x = 20 and x = 50, the maximum b obtains values equal to unity. The same phenomena, although less profound, are also observed for the functionalized silicas, where the anisotropy b is altered by the process of functionalization and from bi approximately 0.5 for the nonfunctionalized or bi approximately 0.9 for the solid functionalized with Si-H groups drops to b = 0.3 and b = 0.2 for the solid functionalized with triple bond Si-(CH2)OH and triple bond Si-(CH2)3OH, respectively. A correlation factor F is suggested in cases where the pore model departs from the cylindrical geometry.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Global azimuthal seismic anisotropy and the unique plate-motion deformation of Australia.

Differences in the thickness of the high-velocity lid underlying continents as imaged by seismic tomography, have fuelled a long debate on the origin of the 'roots' of continents. Some of these differences may be reconciled by observations of radial anisotropy between 250 and 300 km depth, with horizontally polarized shear waves travelling faster than vertically polarized ones. This azimuthally averaged anisotropy could arise from present-day deformation at the base of the plate, as has been found for shallower depths beneath ocean basins. Such deformation would also produce significant azimuthal variation, owing to the preferred alignment of highly anisotropic minerals. Here we report global observations of surface-wave azimuthal anisotropy, which indicate that only the continental portion of the Australian plate displays significant azimuthal anisotropy and strong correlation with present-day plate motion in the depth range 175-300 km. Beneath other continents, azimuthal anisotropy is only weakly correlated with plate motion and its depth location is similar to that found beneath oceans. We infer that the fast-moving Australian plate contains the only continental region with a sufficiently large deformation at its base to be transformed into azimuthal anisotropy. Simple shear leading to anisotropy with a plunging axis of symmetry may explain the smaller azimuthal anisotropy beneath other continents.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluorescence anisotropy as an index of fetal lung maturation in vitro.

Fluorescence techniques have been used to assess the viscosity of surfactant-containing fluids in vivo and have been successfully employed clinically as indices of lung maturity. However, fluorescence measurements have not been previously used as indicators of fetal lung maturation in an in vitro system. Lung explants derived from 19-, 20-, and 21-day fetal rats were cultured in F-12 medium for 24-72 h. Tissue homogenates and culture medium were eluted on Sephacryl S-300 columns, a diphenylhexatriene (DPH) probe was added to each fraction, and fluorescence anisotropy and intensity were measured after excitation at 357 nm and emission at 435 nm. Elution fractions containing the major fluorescence peak were demonstrated to correspond to the phosphatidylcholine-containing fraction and were shown to contain lamellar bodies. Fluorescence anisotropy of tissue homogenates obtained from 19-day lung explants decreased after 72 h in culture, suggesting lower microviscosity of the surfactant-containing fractions. Assessment of culture media collected at 24-h intervals revealed significant decreases in anisotropy by 48 h for the 19-day explants, and by 24 h for the 20- and 21-day explants. Anisotropy of the final (48-72 h) culture media aliquots was significantly lower for 21-day explants (0.144 +/- 0.004, SE), than for 20-day (0.172 +/- 0.013) or 19-day explants (0.197 +/- 0.008), p < .005. Anisotropy of culture medium tended to be lower than anisotropy of corresponding tissue homogenates, suggesting that viscosity of recently secreted surfactant may be different from viscosity of surfactant within lamellar bodies in type II cells. Relative fluorescence intensity of tissue homogenates also increased with time in culture. These results indicate that fluorescence anisotropy can be used to assess the viscosity of surfactant in vitro and serve as another index of fetal lung maturation in in vitro systems. Estimation of the microviscosity of the surfactant phospholipid bilayer using anisotropy measurements may provide additional insight into such roles of surfactant function as adsorption and spreading.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Mineral anisotropy in mineralized tissues is similar among species and mineral growth occurs independently of collagen orientation in rats: results from acoustic velocity measurements.

It has been reported that the mineral crystals in long bones have their c-axis aligned with the bone axis, presumably because collagen fibrils in bone also align with the bone axis. However, the predominant collagen orientation in bone often does not appear to be aligned with the mineral crystals, especially in rat primary bone. We hypothesized that mineral orientation in bone is not necessarily related to collagen orientation. An acoustic microscope was used to measure elastic constants of mineralized tissues from rat, cow, monkey, and human bone, and mineralized turkey leg tendon (MTLT). Measurements were made before and after demineralization with 10% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or decollagenization with 7% sodium hypochlorite. The elastic anisotropy ratio (AR) was defined as the ratio of the elastic coefficient in the longitudinal direction to the elastic coefficient in the transverse direction. Anisotropy ratios of mineralized tissues were not affected by formalin fixation or plastic embedding. An evaluation of tissues from the different species showed that the AR after decollagenization was not significantly different (p > 0.4, analysis of variance) among the groups, while AR after demineralization varied from 1.04 (rat bone) to 1.51 (MTLT). There was no correlation between AR after demineralization and AR after decollagenization (r = 0.13, p = 0.5). This showed that the elastic anisotropy of collagen is more variable than mineral anisotropy in bone and MTLT. Another experiment showed that mineralization of turkey leg tendon changes the elasticity of the collagen matrix, making it less anisotropic. A final, prospective experiment was performed in which tibiae of rats were subjected to mechanical loading for 16 weeks. After 12 days, new periosteal woven bone was observed on the tibiae and, after 16 weeks, this new bone was consolidated and mineralized. Mineral in the newly formed woven bone was virtually isotropic (AR = 1.07) after 12 days of loading, then became more anisotropic (AR = 1.52) after 16 weeks of mechanical loading, as the mineral density of the new bone increased. This increase in anisotropy of bone mineral occurred even though the collagen matrix was woven and had no measureable fibril orientation. We conclude that (1) collagen anisotropy and mineral anisotropy are not necessarily correlated in mineralized tissues, (2) mineralization can affect the collagen matrix elasticity of mineralized tissues, and (3) an organized mineral structure can form in the absence of an organized collagen matrix.

Acoustics↗