Emil Johansson

Hydrogen uptake and optical properties of sputtered Mg–Ni thin films

The hydrogen uptake and distribution in wedged Mg–Ni films, with composition ranging from Mg0.85Ni0.15 to Mg0.55Ni0.45, were investigated. Upon hydrogen loading at 298 K these films undergo a transition from a mirror-like metallic to a semiconducting transparent state. After exposure to a hydrogen pressure of 1 bar, the samples exhibit large variation in optical appearance, ranging from a pale yellowish (Mg rich side) to a brownish shade (Ni rich side). The change in the effective optical band gap Egeff as a function of sample composition and hydrogen concentration was determined; it showed changes from 3.6 eV in the Ni poor domain to 2.4 eV in the Ni rich domain. Composition analysis using the 15N nuclear resonance method showed close to homogeneous hydrogen distribution throughout the film and close to linear increase in the hydrogen uptake with increasing Mg content. The thermal stability of the films is limited; annealing above 393 K results in significant redistribution of the constituents. Mg is enriched at the surface, reacting with Pd and thereby degrading the capping layer through the formation of Mg6Pd and MgO, as determined by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering studies. This redistribution results in a severe decrease of the hydrogen uptake rate, as monitored by in situ resistivity measurements.

Growth and hydrogen uptake of Mg-Y thin films

Wedged Mg–Y films with compositions ranging from pure Mg to Mg0.83Y0.17 were grown by dc-magnetron sputtering and hydrogenated. Mg1−xYx forms a substitutional alloy, ranging from 0 to at least 17at.% in thin films. The c lattice parameter of the film containing 17at.% of yttrium is determined to be approximatively 1% larger than in pure Mg. Upon exposure to 1bar of hydrogen at 300K, the samples switch from shiny metals to colorless semiconductor. Different characteristic hydrogen depth distributions are found for different Y concentrations. At low yttrium contents, a large concentration gradient is observed, with the highest hydrogen concentration close to the Pd∕Mg1−xYx interface. For yttrium concentrations larger than 7at.%, the obtained hydrogen distribution is almost independent of depth. The optical band gap is determined to be 3.6eV, for all the Y concentrations. The optical transmission is found to decrease for increasing Y content, which is associated with an incomplete hydride formation in the films.

Whole-Body Imaging of Tissue-specific Insulin Sensitivity and Body Composition by Using an Integrated PET/MR System: A Feasibility Study

Purpose To develop, evaluate, and demonstrate the feasibility of a whole-body protocol for simultaneous assessment of tissue-specific insulin-mediated fluorine 18 (18F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) influx rates, tissue depots, and whole-body insulin sensitivity (referred to as the M value). Materials and Methods An integrated positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system combined with hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HEC) was used. Dynamic whole-body PET imaging was used to determine the insulin-mediated 18F-FDG tissue influx rate (Ki) in the whole-body region by using the Patlak method. M value was determined with the HEC method at PET imaging. Tissue depots were quantified by using water-fat separated MR imaging and manual segmentations. Feasibility of the imaging protocol was demonstrated by using five healthy control participants and five patients with type 2 diabetes. Associations between M value and Ki were studied in multiple tissues by using the Pearson correlation. Results Positive correlations were found between M value and Ki in multiple tissues: the gluteus muscle (r = 0.875; P = .001), thigh muscle (r = 0.903; P , .001), calf muscle (r = 0.825; P = .003), and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (r = 0.820; P = .004). A negative correlation was found in the brain (r = 20.798; P = .006). The MR imaging-based method for quantification of tissue depots was feasible for determining adipose tissue volumes and fat fractions. Conclusion This PET/MR imaging protocol may be feasible for simultaneous assessment of tissue-specific insulin-mediated 18F-FDG influx rates, tissue depots, and M value.

Altered Glucose Uptake in Muscle, Visceral Adipose Tissue, and Brain Predict Whole-Body Insulin Resistance and may Contribute to the Development of Type 2 Diabetes: A Combined PET/MR Study

We assessed glucose uptake in different tissues in type 2 diabetes (T2D), prediabetes, and control subjects to elucidate its impact in the development of whole-body insulin resistance and T2D. Thirteen T2D, 12 prediabetes, and 10 control subjects, matched for age and BMI, underwent OGTT and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) biopsies. Integrated whole-body 18F-FDG PET and MRI were performed during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp to asses glucose uptake rate (MRglu) in several tissues. MRglu in skeletal muscle, SAT, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and liver was significantly reduced in T2D subjects and correlated positively with M-values (r=0.884, r=0.574, r=0.707 and r=0.403, respectively). Brain MRglu was significantly higher in T2D and prediabetes subjects and had a significant inverse correlation with M-values (r=-0.616). Myocardial MRglu did not differ between groups and did not correlate with the M-values. A multivariate model including skeletal muscle, brain and VAT MRglu best predicted the M-values (adjusted r2=0.85). In addition, SAT MRglu correlated with SAT glucose uptake ex vivo (r=0.491). In different stages of the development of T2D, glucose uptake during hyperinsulinemia is elevated in the brain in parallel with an impairment in peripheral organs. Impaired glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and VAT together with elevated glucose uptake in brain were independently associated with whole-body insulin resistance, and these tissue-specific alterations may contribute to T2D development.