Comparison of fast field-cycling magnetic resonance imaging methods and future perspectives

ABSTRACT

Fast field-cycling (FFC) nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry is a well-established method to determine the relaxation rates as a function of magnetic field strength. This so-called nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion gives insight into the underlying molecular dynamics of a wide range of complex systems and has gained interest especially in the characterisation of biological tissues and diseases. The combination of FFC techniques with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a high potential for new types of image contrast more specific to pathological molecular dynamics. This article reviews the progress in FFC-MRI over the last decade and gives an overview of the hardware systems currently in operation. We discuss limitations and error correction strategies specific to FFC-MRI such as field stability and homogeneity, signal-to-noise ratio, eddy currents and acquisition time. We also report potential applications with impact in biology and medicine. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future applications in transferring the underlying molecular dynamics into novel types of image contrast by exploiting the dispersive properties of biological tissue or MRI contrast agents.     

Multilevel a posteriori error analysis for reaction–convection–diffusion problems

We present a new approach to the a posteriori error analysis of stable Galerkin approximations of reaction–convection–diffusion problems. It relies upon a non-standard variational formulation of the exact problem, based on the anisotropic wavelet decomposition of the equation residual into convection-dominated scales and diffusion-dominated scales. The associated norm, which is stronger than the standard energy norm, provides a robust (i.e., uniform in the convection limit) control over the streamline derivative of the solution. We propose an upper estimator and a lower estimator of the error, in this norm, between the exact solution and any finite dimensional approximation of it. We investigate the behaviour of such estimators, both theoretically and through numerical experiments. As an output of our analysis, we find that the lower estimator is quantitatively accurate and robust.     

Delta and singular delta locus for one‐dimensional systems of conservation laws

This work gives a condition for existence of singular and delta shock wave solutions to Riemann problem for 2×2 systems of conservation laws. For a fixed left‐hand side value of Riemann data, the condition obtained in the paper describes a set of possible right‐hand side values. The procedure is similar to the standard one of finding the Hugoniot locus. Fluxes of the considered systems are globally Lipschitz with respect to one of the dependent variables. The association in a Colombeau‐type algebra is used as a solution concept. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.     

Nonparametric estimation and adaptive control in a class of finite Markov decision chains

We consider a class of Markov decision processes withfinite state and action spaces which, essentially, is determined by the following condition: The state space isirreducible under the action of any stationary policy. However, except by this restriction, the transition law iscompletely unknown to the controller. In this context, we find a set of policies under which thefrequency estimators of the transition law are strongly consistent and then, this result is applied to constructadaptive asymptotically discount-optimal policies.Dedicated to Professor Truman O. Lewis, on the occasion of his sixtieth birthdayThis research was supported in part by the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) under Grant TWAS RG MP 898-152, and in part by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) under Grant A128CCOEO550 (MT-2).     

用玻色子组态混合和玻色子表面δ相互作用研究核谱

用玻色子组态混合波函数和玻色子表面δ相互作用研究了三玻色子核⁴⁶Ti和⁵⁴Cr的sdgIBMI的能谱和E2跃迁概率,理论计算结果令人满意,比sdIBMI能拟合出更多的能级和E2跃迁概率,而且它们的误差更小. 说明g玻色子在振动区也起着重要的作用,同时进一步证明了这种玻色子组态混合模型是成功的.     

The Laplace transform on time scales revisited

In this work, we reexamine the time scale Laplace transform as defined by Bohner and Peterson [M. Bohner, A. Peterson, Dynamic Equations on Time Scales: An Introduction with Applications, Birkhäuser, Boston, 2001; M. Bohner, A. Peterson, Laplace transform and Z-transform: Unification and extension, Methods Appl. Anal. 9 (1) (2002) 155-162]. In particular, we give conditions on the class of functions which have a transform, develop an inversion formula for the transform, and further, we provide a convolution for the transform. The notion of convolution leads to considering its algebraic structure—in particular the existence of an identity element—motivating the development of the Dirac delta functional on time scales. Applications and examples of these concepts are given.     

An unknotting theorem for delta and sharp edge‐homotopy

Two spatial embeddings of a graph are said to be delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if they are transformed into each other by self delta (resp. sharp) moves and ambient isotopies. We show that any two spatial embeddings of a graph are delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if and only if the graph does not contain a subgraph which is homeomorphic to the theta graph or the disjoint union of two 1‐spheres, or equivalently G is homeomorphic to a bouquet. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

响应变量随机缺失下的半参变系数模型的均值估计

在响应变量随机缺失时,研究了半参数变系数模型响应变量均值的借补估计.首先利用完整个体估计模型中的参数与非参数部分,然后再用借补方法与加权借补方法估计响应变量的均值.最后求出了估计的渐近偏差与渐近方差,研究了所得到的估计的渐近性质,并进行模拟比较.     

条件泛函及其导数非参数估计的强一致收敛速度

研究了条件泛函及其导数的非参数估计,对随机与固定设计的条件泛函,分别利用核估计和非参数加权估计,在核函数及权函数满足一定条件下,证明了估计一致强收敛于待估函数的速度可达到最优。从而进一步推广和发展了Hrdle,etal.(1988)、Severini,etal.(1992)的许多结果。     

Optimizing in the class of Fuller modified limited information maximum likelihood estimators

A general class of Fuller modified maximum likelihood estimators are considered. It is shown that this class possesses finite moments. Asymptotic bias and asymptotic mean squared error are derived using small-σ expansions. A simulation study is carried out to compare different estimators in this class with standard estimators.