The combination of two imaging modalities in a single agent has received increasing attention during the last few years, since its synergistic action guarantees both accurate and timely diagnosis. For this reason, dual-modality contrast agents (DMCAs), such as radiolabeled iron oxide (namely Fe3O4) nanoparticles, constitute a powerful tool in diagnostic applications. In this respect, here we focus on the synthesis of a potential single photon emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (SPECT/MRI) DMCA, which consists of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, surface functionalized with 2,3-dicarboxypropane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (DPD) and radiolabeled with Tc-99m, [Tc-99m]Tc-DPD-Fe3O4. The in vitro stability results showed that this DMCA is highly stable after 24 h of incubation in phosphate buffer saline (similar to 92.3% intact), while it is adequately stable after 24 h of incubation with human serum (similar to 67.3% intact). Subsequently, [Tc-99m]Tc-DPD-Fe3O4 DMCA was evaluated in vivo in mice models through standard biodistribution studies, MR imaging and gamma-camera imaging. All techniques provided consistent results, clearly evidencing noticeable liver uptake. Our work documents that [Tc-99m]Tc-DPD-Fe3O4 has all the necessary characteristics to be a potential DMCA.

The vortex matter properties of a Ba1-xKxFe2As2 single crystal (T-c = 38.2 K) were studied, by employing both isofield and isothermal ac-susceptibility measurements, chi(n)(f, H-0) = chi(n)' (f, H-0) - i chi(n)'' (f, H-0), in a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes of the applied ac magnetic field. The irreversibility line (H-irr(T, theta)), formally defined by the onset of the third harmonic, is recorded for both H parallel to c-axis and H parallel to ab-plane. It can be reproduced from the empirical equation, H-irr(T) = H-0(1 - T/T-c)(n), with n(c) = n(ab) = 1.24 and mu H-0(0)c = 210 Tesla, torro mu H-0(0)ab = 540 Tesla. The isofield measurements of the first harmonic revealed a narrow diamagnetic peak, related to a local peak of the critical current below the irreversibility line for both H parallel to c-axis and H parallel to ab-plane. The local peak for mu H-0 < 0.2 Tesla is transformed to a sudden drop before it completely disappears. Detailed ac-susceptibility measurements were conducted for frequencies ranging within f = 0.1 10 kHz. From these data, the pinning potential, U, is deduced both as function of temperature and dc magnetic field. These results revealed that the ac response of vortex matter exhibits three distinct dynamic behaviors. By employing a model proposed by Mikitik and Brandt (2001 Phys. Rev. B 64 184514), that is based on a Lindemann type criterion and the collective pinning theory, we reproduced the experimentally recorded vortex matter phase diagram by taking into account both thermal fluctuations and random point disorder. To this effect, we adopted a delta T-c, pinning mechanism, c(L) = 0.25, D-0/c(L) = 1.1-1.5 and a Ginzburg number Gi = 10(-3).