Magnetoelectric (ME) nanoparticles (MENs) intrinsically couple magnetic and electric fields. Using them as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensitive nanoprobes adds another dimension for NMR detection of biological cells based on the cell type and corresponding particle association with the cell. Based on ME property, for the first time we show that MENs can distinguish different cancer cells among themselves as well as from their normal counterparts. The core-shell nanoparticles are 30 nm in size and were not superparamagnetic. Due to presence of the ME effect, these nanoparticles can significantly enhance the electric field configuration on the cell membrane which serves as a signature characteristic depending on the cancer cell type and progression stage. This was clearly observed by a significant change in the NMR absorption spectra of cells incubated with MENs. In contrast, conventional cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) did not show any change in the NMR absorption spectra. We conclude that different membrane properties of cells which result in distinct MEN organization and the minimization of electrical energy due to particle binding to the cells contribute to the NMR signal. The nanoprobe based NMR spectroscopy has the potential to enable rapid screening of cancers and impact next-generation cancer diagnostic exams.

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this bu den estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, ABSTRACTAn YBCO coated conductor with a zipper pattern striation is investigated by scanning laser microscopy (SLM). The distribution of transport current deduced from the VTSLM images shows that striations act as artificial barriers forcing the current to flow around them. Current sharing and redistribution are observed at the zipper area. We find the major dissipation mechanism in the sample in the superconducting state to be the current crowding at bottleneck areas. The bottleneck seems to be caused by the disabled filaments at and around the zipper area. Some filaments show the dissipation away from the zipper area. In general, we find that the lower J. areas have lower Tc and high EiVm, which we consider as a sign of the current crowding. For the first time, we have demonstrated that there is a high temperature signature of the lower J e (high dissipation) area and VTSLM can detect the signature. SUBJECT TERMSCritical current density, the distribution of transport current, YBCO coated conductor, zipper striations SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION NUMBER OF PAGES 1019a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON (monitor) Paul N. Barnes Index Terms-Critical current density, the distribution of transport current, YBCO coated conductor, zipper striations.

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Recently discovered multiferroic nanoparticles (MFNs) known as magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENs) promise to revolutionize next-generation biomedical diagnostic techniques and enable rapid and cost-effective screening of lethal diseases. Due to the quantum-mechanically caused intrinsic magnetoelectric (ME) effect, these nanoparticles display strongly coupled magnetic and electric moments and thus provide a unique pathway to monitor and optionally control intrinsic characteristics of bio organisms via application of external magnetic fields. Due to the ME effect, when placed in the microenvironment of a biomolecular sample, MENs' magnetic properties change to reflect the molecular nature of the sample. Such an unprecedented intrinsic connection to cells and microorganism's intrinsic characteristics can pave a way to a new diagnostic paradigm. A novel concept of portable biomolecular screening device based on continuous wave nuclear magnetic resonance is being studied to identify microorganisms like bacteria, virus and cancer cell lines. For the first time, MENs have been used to modify NMR spectra and thus enable identification of different cancer cell lines from each other as well as from vii their normal counterparts at the sub-cellular level. This approach can be used for both in vitro and in vivo diagnostics. In addition, blood samples of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) patients with severe heart and lung conditions were used to study the activity of MENs with prothrombin, the clotting factor of the blood. MENs has significant interaction with prothrombin. MENS can be used for diagnostics of several diseases associated with blood and cancer and it may be used as a therapeutic agent. The experiment proved that the MENs are safe and nontoxic carriers of therapeutic drugs. viii