Improved spectral quality for 3D MR spectroscopic imaging using a high spatial resolution acquisition strategy

Spectral quality in (1)H MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of the brain is often significantly degraded in regions subject to local magnetic susceptibility variations, which results in broadened and distorted spectral lineshapes. In this report, a modified acquisition strategy for volumetric echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (3D EPSI) is presented that extends the region of the brain that can be observed. The data are sampled at higher spatial resolution, then corrected for local B(0) shifts and reconstructed such that the final spatial resolution matches that of 3D EPSI data acquired with the conventional lower spatial resolution. Comparison of in vivo data obtained at 1.5 T with these two acquisition schemes shows that the high spatial resolution acquisition provides considerable reduction of spectral linewidths in many problematic brain regions, though with a reduction in signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of approximately 1.4 to 1.6 for the matrix sizes used in this study. However, the effect of the increased noise was largely offset by the improved spectral quality, leading to an overall improvement of the metabolite image quality obtained using automated spectral analysis.     

Determination of blood longitudinal relaxation time (T1) at high magnetic field strengths

In this study, a circulation system was used to measure T(1) values of bovine blood under physiological conditions at field strengths of 4.7, 7 and 9.4 T. Results show that T(1) increases linearly with magnetic field B(0) and can be described with the equation T(1)=129 ms/T B(0)+1167 ms for magnetic field strengths between 1.5 and 9.4 T.     

Two-Dimensional Dynamic-Director C NMR of Liquid Crystals

A novel nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment for facilitating the resolution and assignment of liquid crystalline ¹³C NMR spectra is described. The method involves the motor-driven reorientation of the liquid crystalline director, in synchrony with the acquisition of a 2D chemical shift correlation spectrum. By monitoring in this fashion the ¹³C NMR evolution of spins in the liquid crystal at two different director orientations with respect to the magnetic field, the method distinguishes anisotropic from isotropic displacements and can be utilized for assigning the resonances and estimating local degrees of order. Of various potential pairs of angles suitable for such a correlation, the (0°, 90°) choice was found to be most convenient, as it avoids line broadening complications that may otherwise originate from heterogeneities of the oriented phase. The technique thus derived was employed in the analysis of a series of monomeric and polymeric liquid crystal systems.     

Considerations in applying 3D PRESS H-1 brain MRSI with an eight-channel phased-array coil at 3 T

The purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of a 3 T scanner and an eight-channel phased-array head coil for acquiring three-dimensional PRESS (Point REsolved Spectral Selection) proton (H-1) magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data from the brains of volunteers and patients with brain tumors relative to previous studies that used a 1.5 T scanner and a quadrature head coil. Issues that were of concern included differences in chemical shift artifacts, line broadening due to increased susceptibility at higher field strengths, changes in relaxation times and the increased complexity of the postprocessing software due to the need for combining signals from the multichannel data. Simulated and phantom spectra showed that very selective suppression pulses with a thickness of 40 mm and an overpress factor of at least 1.2 are needed to reduce chemical shift artifact and lipid contamination at higher field strengths. Spectral data from a phantom and those from six volunteers demonstrated that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the eight-channel coil was more than 50% higher than that in the quadrature head coil. For healthy volunteers and eight patients with brain tumors, the SNR at 3 T with the eight-channel coil was on average 1.5 times higher relative to the eight-channel coil at 1.5 T in voxels from normal-appearing brains. In combination with the effect of a higher field strength, the use of the eight-channel coil was able to provide an increase in the SNR of more than 2.33 times the corresponding acquisition at 1.5 T with a quadrature head coil. This is expected to be critical for clinical applications of MRSI in patients with brain tumors because it can be used to either decrease acquisition time or improve spatial resolution.     

T2* measurements in human brain at 1.5, 3 and 7 T

Measurements have been carried out in six subjects at magnetic fields of 1.5, 3 and 7 T, with the aim of characterizing the variation of T2* with field strength in human brain. Accurate measurement of T2* in the presence of macroscopic magnetic field inhomogeneity is problematic due to signal decay resulting from through-slice dephasing. The approach employed here allowed the signal decay due to through-slice dephasing to be characterized and removed from data, thus facilitating an accurate measurement of T2* even at ultrahigh field. Using double inversion recovery turbo spin-echo images for tissue classification, an analysis of T2* relaxation times in cortical grey matter and white matter was carried out, along with an evaluation of the variation of T2* with field strength in the caudate nucleus and putamen. The results show an approximately linear increase in relaxation rate R2* with field strength for all tissues, leading to a greater range of relaxation times across tissue types at 7 T that can be exploited in high-resolution T2*-weighted imaging.     

Solid state 33S NMR of inorganic sulfides

Solid state 33S NMR spectra of a variety of inorganic sulfides have been obtained at magnetic field strengths of 4.7 and 17.6T. Spectra acquired with magic angle spinning show considerable improvements in sensitivity and resolution when compared with static spectra. Multiple factors are considered when analyzing the spectral line widths, including; magnetic field inhomogeneity, dipolar coupling, chemical shift anisotropy, chemical shift dispersion (CSD), T(2) relaxation, and quadrupolar coupling. Quadrupolar coupling was expected to be the dominant line broadening mechanism. However, for most of the samples CSD was the prevailing line broadening mechanism. Thus, for many of the metal sulfides studied at a high magnetic field strength, the line widths were actually larger than those observed in the spectra at low field. This is atypical in solid state 33S NMR. Solid state 33S spin-lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation rates were measured for the first time and are discussed. This information will be useful in future efforts to use 33S NMR in the compositional and structural analysis of sulfur containing materials.     

Influence of low Co substitution on magnetoelastic properties of HoFe11Ti intermetallic compound

The thermal expansion and magnetostriction of HoFe_11−xCo_xTi (x=0, 0.3, 0.7 and 1) intermetallic compounds were measured, using the strain gauge method in the temperature range 77–590 K under applied magnetic fields up to 1.5 T. Results show that for samples with x=0 and 0.3, both linear thermal expansion and linear thermal expansion coefficient exhibit anomalies below the Curie temperature. Below room temperature, the spontaneous volume magnetostriction decreases with Co content. For all compounds studied, the anisotropic magnetostriction shows similar behaviour in the measured temperature range. The magnetostriction compensation occurs above room temperature in all samples. The volume magnetostriction shows a linear dependence on the applied field and by approaching the Curie temperature this trend changes to parastrictive behaviour. The results of the spontaneous magnetostriction are discussed based on the local magnetic moment model. The contribution of magnetostriction attributed to the magnetic sublattices R and T (Fe or Co) is discussed.     

Q-shear transformation for MQMAS and STMAS NMR spectra

The multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning (MQMAS) and satellite-transition magic-angle spinning (STMAS) experiments refocus second-order quadrupolar broadening of half-integer quadrupolar spins in the form of two-dimensional experiments. Isotropic shearing is usually applied along the indirect dimension of the 2D spectra such that an isotropic projection free of anisotropic quadrupolar broadening can be obtained. An alternative shear transformation by a factor equal to the coherence level (quantum number) selected during the evolution period is proposed. Such a transformation eliminates chemical shift along the indirect dimension leaving only the second-order quadrupolar-induced shift and anisotropic broadening, and is expected to be particularly useful for disordered systems. This transformation, dubbed Q-shearing, can help avoid aliasing problems due to large chemical shift ranges and spinning sidebands. It can also be used as an intermediate step to the isotropic representation for expanding the spectral window of rotor-synchronized experiments.     

Mossbauer, Raman and X-ray diffraction studies of superparamagnetic NiFe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method

Superparamagnetic nickel ferrite single phase nanoparticles with the average crystallite size of ∼9 nm have been synthesized at a low temperature (220 °C) by the sol-gel auto-combustion method. In the present study the as prepared powder was further calcined at different temperatures for 4 h, resulting in nanoparticles of larger size. The nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behavior and changes in cation distribution as revealed by the Mossbauer, Raman and X-ray diffraction studies. The Mossbauer spectra collected at 5 K and under 5 T applied magnetic field showed mixed spinel structure and canted spin order for the nanoparticles, whereas there is collinear spin order with inverse spinel structure for larger particles. The vibrational spectra of the nanoparticles showed a redshift and broadening in the Raman line shape due to confinement effects.     

Phased array 3D MR spectroscopic imaging of the brain at 7 T

Ultra-high-field 7 T magnetic resonance (MR) scanners offer the potential for greatly improved MR spectroscopic imaging due to increased sensitivity and spectral resolution. Prior 7 T human single-voxel MR Spectroscopy (MRS) studies have shown significant increases in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral resolution as compared to lower magnetic fields but have not demonstrated the increase in spatial resolution and multivoxel coverage possible with 7 T MR spectroscopic imaging. The goal of this study was to develop specialized radiofrequency (RF) pulses and sequences for three-dimensional (3D) MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) at 7 T to address the challenges of increased chemical shift misregistration, B1 power limitations, and increased spectral bandwidth. The new 7 T MRSI sequence was tested in volunteer studies and demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining high-SNR phased-array 3D MRSI from the human brain.     

The dc magnetic field,temperature and film thickness dependence of microwave surface resistance of YBCO and DyBCO thin films

We investigated the dc magnetic field and temperature dependences of the microwave surface resistance (R_s) of YBa₂Cu₃O_y (YBCO) and DyBa₂Cu₃O_y (DyBCO) superconducting thin films. The YBCO and DyBCO thin films, each with a thickness of 300, 500, or 700 nm, were deposited on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by the thermal co-evaporation method. The R_s was measured using the dielectric resonator method. A dc magnetic field of up to 5.0 T was applied parallel to the c-axis of the superconducting thin films. The results showed that the R_s value had almost the same temperature dependence at various thicknesses in a zero-external field. The R_s of the YBCO and DyBCO thin films increased with the applied dc magnetic field. The DyBCO thin films showed weaker magnetic field dependence of R_s than the YBCO thin films. The R_s ratio (defined as R_s(5 T)/R_s(0 T)) linearly increased with the film thickness. These results show that pinning strength decreased with an increasing film thickness.     

Region and volume dependencies in spectral line width assessed by 1H 2D MR chemical shift imaging in the monkey brain at 7 T

High magnetic fields increase the sensitivity and spectral dispersion in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In contrast, spectral peaks are broadened in vivo at higher field strength due to stronger susceptibility-induced effects. Strategies to minimize the spectral line width are therefore of critical importance. In the present study, ¹H 2D chemical shift imaging at short echo times was performed in the macaque monkey brain at 7 T. Large brain coverage was obtained at high spatial resolution with voxel sizes down to 50 μl being able to quantify up to nine metabolites in vivo with good reliability. Measured line widths of metabolites decreased from 14.2 to 7.6 Hz with voxel volumes of 3.14 ml to 50 μl (at increased spatial resolution). The line width distribution of the metabolites (7.6±1.6 Hz, ranging from 5.5 to 10 Hz) was considerably smaller compared to that of water (10.6±2.4 Hz) and was also smaller than reported in ¹H MRS at 7 T in the human brain. Our study showed that even in well-shimmed areas assumed to have minimal macroscopic susceptibility variations, spectral line widths are tissue-specific exhibiting considerable regional variation. Therefore, an overall improvement of a gross spectral line width — directly correlated with improved spectral quality — can only be achieved when voxel volumes are significantly reduced. Our line width optimization was sufficient to permit clear glutamate (Glu)–glutamine separation, yielding distinct Glu maps for brain areas including regions of greatly different Glu concentration (e.g., ventricles vs. surrounding tissue).     

Fast volumetric spatial-spectral MR imaging of hyperpolarized C-labeled compounds using multiple echo 3D bSSFP

Purpose

The goal of this work was to develop a fast 3D chemical shift imaging technique for the noninvasive measurement of hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled substrates and metabolic products at low concentration.

Materials and Methods

Multiple echo 3D balanced steady state magnetic resonance imaging (ME-3DbSSFP) was performed in vitro on a syringe containing hyperpolarized [1,3,3-2H3; 1-¹³C]2-hydroxyethylpropionate (HEP) adjacent to a ¹³C-enriched acetate phantom, and in vivo on a rat before and after intravenous injection of hyperpolarized HEP at 1.5 T. Chemical shift images of the hyperpolarized HEP were derived from the multiple echo data by Fourier transformation along the echoes on a voxel by voxel basis for each slice of the 3D data set.

Results

ME-3DbSSFP imaging was able to provide chemical shift images of hyperpolarized HEP in vitro, and in a rat with isotropic 7-mm spatial resolution, 93 Hz spectral resolution and 16-s temporal resolution for a period greater than 45 s.

Conclusion

Multiple echo 3D bSSFP imaging can provide chemical shift images of hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled compounds in vivo with relatively high spatial resolution and moderate spectral resolution. The increased signal-to-noise ratio of this 3D technique will enable the detection of hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled metabolites at lower concentrations as compared to a 2D technique.     

The effect of different temperature annealing on phase relation of LaFe11.5Si1.5 and the magnetocaloric effects of La0.8Ce0.2Fe11.5−xCoxSi1.5 alloys

The phase relation of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloys annealed at different high-temperature from 1223 K (5 h) to 1673 K (0.5 h) has been studied. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that large amount of 1:13 phase begins to form in the matrix alloy consisting of α-Fe and LaFeSi phases when the annealing temperature is 1423 K. In the temperature range from 1423  to 1523 K, α-Fe and LaFeSi phases rapidly decrease to form 1:13 phase, and LaFeSi phase is rarely observed in the XRD pattern of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloy annealed at 1523 K. With annealing temperature increasing from 1573  to 1673 K, the LaFeSi phase is detected again in the LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloy, and there is La₅Si₃ phase when the annealing temperature reaches 1673 K. There almost is no change in the XRD patterns of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloys annealed at 1523 K for 3-5 h. According to this result, the La_0.8Ce_0.2Fe_11.5−xCo_xSi_1.5 (0≤×≤0.7) alloys are annealed at 1523 K (3 h). The analysis of XRD patterns shows that La_0.8Ce_0.2Fe_11.5xCo_xSi_1.5 alloys consist of the NaZn₁₃-type main phase and α-Fe impurity phase. With the increase of Co content from x=0 to 0.7, the Curie temperature T_C increases from 180 to 266 K. Because the increase of Co content can weaken the itinerant electron metamagnetic transition, the order of the magnetic transition at T_C changes from first to second-order between x=0.3 and 0.5. Although the magnetic entropy change decreases from 34.9 to 6.8 J/kg K with increasing Co concentration at a low magnetic field of 0-2 T, the thermal and magnetic hysteresis loss reduces remarkably, which is very important for the magnetic refrigerant near room temperature.     

Transverse relaxation mechanisms in articular cartilage

Relaxation rates in the rotating frame (R1rho) and spin-spin relaxation rates (R2) were measured in articular cartilage at various orientations of cartilage layer to the static magnetic field (B0), at various spin locking field strengths and at two different static magnetic field strengths. It was found that R1rho in the deep radial zone depended on the orientation of specimens in the magnet and decreased with increasing the spin locking field strength. In contrast, R1rho values in the transitional zone were nearly independent of the specimen orientation and the spin locking field strength. Measurements of the same specimens at 2.95 and 7.05 T showed an increase of R1rho and most R2 values with increasing B0. The inverse B0 dependence of some R2 values was probably due to a multicomponent character of the transverse magnetization decay. The experiments revealed that the dominant T1rho and T2 relaxation mechanism at B0 < or = 3 T is a dipolar interaction due to slow anisotropic motion of water molecules in the collagen matrix. On average, the contribution of scalar relaxation due to rapid proton exchange in femoral head cartilage at 2.95 T is about 6% or less of the total R1rho at the spin locking field of 1000 Hz.     

Nuclear spin resonance of (129)Xe doped with O(2)

Spin-lattice relaxation of (129)Xe nuclei in solid natural xenon has been investigated in detail over a large range of paramagnetic O(2) impurity concentrations. Direct measurements of the ground state magnetic properties of the O(2) are difficult because the ESR (electron spin resonance) lines of O(2) are rather unstructured, but NMR measurements in the liquid helium temperature region (1.4-4 K) are very sensitive to the effective magnetic moments associated with the spin 1 Zeeman levels of the O(2) molecules and to the O(2) magnetic relaxation. From these measurements, the value of the D[Sz(2)-(1/3)S(2)] spin-Hamiltonian term of the triplet spin ground state of O(2) can be determined. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the measured paramagnetic O(2)-induced excess line width of the (129)Xe NMR signal agree well with the theoretical model with the spin-Hamiltonian D=0.19 meV (2.3 K), and with the reasonable assumption that the E[S(x)(2)-S(y)(2)] spin-Hamiltonian term is close to 0 meV. An anomalous temperature dependence between 1.4 K and 4.2K of the (129)Xe spin-lattice relaxation rate, T(1n)(-1)(T), is also accounted for by our model. Using an independent determination of the true O(2) concentration in the Xe-O(2) solid, the effective spin lattice relaxation time (which will be seen to be transition dependent) of the O(2) at 2.3 K and 0.96 T is determined to be approximately 1.4 x 10(-8)s. The experimental results, taken together with the relaxation model, suggest routes for bringing highly spin-polarized (129)Xe from the low temperature condensed phase to higher temperatures without excessive depolarization.     

Weak water absorption lines around 1.455 and 1.66 μm by CW-CRDS

The absorption spectra of water vapor near 1.455 and 1.66 μm have been recorded with a typical absorption sensitivity of 5 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm⁻¹ by using CW-cavity ring down spectroscopy. A series of 18 distributed feed-back (DFB) lasers was used as sources and allowed for the coverage of the 5911.0-5922.5, 5926-5941.8, 5957.0-6121.6, and 6745-7015.6 cm⁻¹ spectral regions. These regions extend to lower and higher energies our previous study of the water spectrum in the important 1.5 μm transparency window [P. Macko, D. Romanini, S.N. Mikhailenko, O.V. Naumenko, S. Kassi, A. Jenouvrier, Vl.G. Tyuterev, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 227 (2004) 90-108]. The line parameters were determined with the help of an interactive least squares multi-lines fitting program which uses a Voigt function as line profile. More than 1900 water lines with intensities ranging between 10⁻²⁸ and 5 × 10⁻²⁴ cm/molecule at 296 K were measured, about 690 of them being reported for the first time. The rovibrational assignment was performed on the basis of previously determined energy levels and of the results of the variational global calculations [H. Partridge, D.W. Schwenke, J. Chem. Phys. 106 (1997) 4618-4639]. The assignment results were validated by using the Ritz combination principle together with previously reported water transitions. Several new energy levels were determined for the H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁷O, and HD¹⁶O isotopologues. The retrieved line lists of the H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁷O, H₂¹⁸O, and HD¹⁶O isotopologues are compared with the available calculated and experimental (FTS) databases for water.     

Efficient compensation of low-frequency magnetic field disturbances in NMR with fluxgate sensors

A simple stabilization scheme of B(0) magnetic field fluctuations is described. The method is based on external measurements of time dependent magnetic field fluctuations by fluxgate sensors and generation of a compensating correction current in a coil mounted directly on an NMR magnet. It is shown that such an approach efficiently eliminates relatively slow magnetic field variations with frequency up to approximately 100 Hz. In combination with a standard (2)H field-frequency lock system, the method enables acquisition of reproducible lineshapes and dramatically improves overall performance of a high resolution NMR spectrometer. The presented solution might substitute for the internal lock system in these case where deuterium lock is not available.     

High-field high-speed MAS resolution enhancement in 1H NMR spectroscopy of solids

Resolution in ¹H NMR spectra of solids can be significantly enhanced with fast magic-angle spinning and high magnetic fields. A variable field and spinning speed study up to 25 T and 40 kHz shows that the homogeneous line broadening is inversely proportional to the product of magnetic field strength and spinning speed. The combination of high field and fast speed yields a ¹H linewidth approaching the intrinsic limit determined by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility. An analysis of the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility line broadening is presented.     

Air-broadening parameters in the ν3 band of NO2 using a multispectrum fitting technique

Air-broadened linewidths, pressure-induced shift coefficients and their temperature dependences were retrieved for over 1000 transitions in the ν₃ band of ¹⁴N¹⁶O₂ at 6 μm. In addition, precise line center positions and relative intensities were also determined. The results were obtained by fitting simultaneously 27 spectra recorded at high resolution (0.002-0.006 cm⁻¹) with two Fourier transform spectrometers and gas sample temperatures ranging from 206 to 298 K. It was necessary to modify the multispectrum fitting software to accommodate constraints on the retrieved parameters of closely spaced spin-split doublets in order to successfully determine their broadening and shift parameters. The variations of the widths, shifts and their temperature dependences with the quantum numbers were investigated. Subsets of the observed linewidths were reproduced to within 3% using an empirical smoothing function.