MRI-monitored cryosurgery in the rabbit brain

The inability to observe the transient, irregular shape of the frozen region that develops during cryosurgery has inhibited the application of this surgical technique to the treatment of tumors in the brain and deep in visceral organs. We used proton NMR spin-echo and spoiled gradient-echo imaging to monitor the development of frozen lesions during cryosurgery in the rabbit brain and the resulting postervosurgical changes up to 4 hr after freezing. Spoiled gradient-echo images (TE = 14 ms; TR = 50 ms) were acquired during freezing and thawing at a rate of 15 s/slice. Although the frozen region itself is invisible in MR images, its presence is distinguished easily from the surrounding unfrozen soft tissue because of the large contrast difference between frozen and unfrozen regions. T₂-weighted spin-echo images (TE = 100 ms, TR = 2 s) obtained after thawing suggest that edema forms first at the margin of the region that was frozen (cryolesion) and then moves into the region's core. Histological examination showed complete necrosis in the cryolesion and a sharp transition to undamaged tissue at the margin of the lesion and its image. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage was investigated using gadolinium-DTPA. The region of edema in the T₂-weighted spin-echo images was coincident with the area of BBB damage in the Gd-DTPA-enhanced T₁-weighted spin-echo images (TE = 33 ms, TR = 400 ms) and both were distinguishable as areas of high signal relative to the surrounding normal tissue. The results of these experiments indicate that MR can both effectively monitor the cryosurgical freezing and thawing cycle and characterize the postcryosurgical changes in tissue during follow-up.     

Application of power ultrasound in freezing and thawing Processes: Effect on process efficiency and product quality

Freezing is one of the most efficient preservation approaches applied to food products and thawing is the reverse process of freezing. However, traditional freezing / thawing methods have low process efficiency. The application of ultrasound is a potential supplementary technique to improve the performance of both freezing and thawing processes of foods. Application of power ultrasound is able to better maintain the microstructure, reduce drip loss, decrease color and texture changes and retain some natural nutrients of foods during freezing. Meanwhile, quality improvement is also observed in food items thawed by ultrasound-assisted thawing methods. The fundamentals and the influences of ultrasound on the freezing and thawing processes of foods are demonstrated in this review article, from the aspects of efficiency enhancement and quality improvement.     

Architecture of baked breads depicted by a magnetic resonance imaging

The architecture of baked breads made of fresh dough and frozen dough was depicted by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pieces of bread (16 mm cubic cakes) were soaked in organic solvents containing various concentrations of heavy metals (Cu(2+), Co(2+) and Fe(3+)) and images of the grain structure of the breads were obtained. Of the organic solvents tested, acetone was preferable because of its single peak that prevents chemical shift effects on images, the retention of the bread structure, and the solubility of heavy metals. The heavy metals, especially Fe(3+), shortened the overly long relaxation times of acetone to practical lengths for imaging and stained the materials to provide high contrasts. The images obtained in acetone with 8 mM Fe(3+) were suitable for analyzing crumb grain structures. The bread of fresh dough showed a uniform distribution of pores of various sizes made of thin gluten sheets, whereas the pores in the bread of frozen dough were less, prominently large, non-uniformly distributed, and made of thick gluten sheets.     

Ultrasound freeze-thawing style pretreatment to improve the efficiency of the vacuum freeze-drying of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) and the quality characteristics of the dried product

Vacuum freeze-drying is a new and high technology on agricultural product dehydrating dry, but it faces the high cost problem caused by high energy consumption. This study investigated the effect of ultrasound (US), freeze-thawing (including the freeze-air thawing (AT), freeze-water thawing (WT), freeze-ultrasound thawing (UST), and freeze-air ultrasound thawing (AT + US)) pretreatments on the vacuum freeze-drying efficiency and the quality of dried okra. The results indicated that the application of ultrasound and different freeze-thawing pretreatments reduced the drying time by 25.0%–62.50% and the total energy consumption was 24.28%–62.35% less. The AT pretreatment reduced the time by of okra slices by 62.50% and the total energy consumption was 62.35% less. The significant decrease in drying time was due to a change in the microstructure caused by pretreatment. Besides, the okra pretreated with the US retained most of the quality characteristics (flavor, color, hardness, and frangibility) among all methods, while, AT + US had the most changeable characteristics in quality, which is deprecated in our study. The okra pretreated with the US and AT, separately, had the best dry matter content loss (9.008%, 5.602%), lower chlorophyll degradation (5.05%, 5.44% less), and higher contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and pectin, with strong antioxidant capacity, compared to other methods. The pretreatments did not have a large effect on the functional groups and the structure of pectin, but slightly affected the viscosity. It can be concluded that AT and US pretreatment methods are better than others.     

New ultrasonic assisted technology of freezing,cooling and thawing in solid food processing: A review

Solid foods include fish, shrimp, shellfish, and other aquatic products, fruits, and vegetables. These products are commonly used for food freezing, cooling, and thawing. However, traditional freezing, cooling, and thawing of solid food technologies have limitations in quality, such as protein denaturation and water loss in food. Ultrasound-assisted technology has become a useful method in solid food processing due to improved preservation quality of solid food. This paper comprehensively reviews the mechanism and application of ultrasonic in solid food processing technology. Although the application of ultrasound-assisted ultrasound in solid food processing is relatively comprehensive, the energy saving of food cold processing is essential for practical application. This paper analyzes the optimization of ultrasonic in solid food processing, including orthogonal/multi-frequency technology and the combination of ultrasonic and other technologies, which provides new ideas for freezing, cooling, and thawing of solid food processing.     

Development of a temperature-variable magnetic resonance imaging system using a 1.0T yokeless permanent magnet

A temperature variable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system has been developed using a 1.0 T permanent magnet. A permanent magnet, gradient coils, radiofrequency coil, and shim coil were installed in a temperature variable thermostatic bath. First, the variation in the magnetic field inhomogeneity with temperature was measured. The inhomogeneity has a specific spatial symmetry, which scales linearly with temperature, and a single-channel shim coil was designed to compensate for the inhomogeneity. The inhomogeneity was drastically reduced by shimming over a wide range of temperature from −5 °C to 45 °C. MR images of an okra pod acquired at different temperatures demonstrated the high potential of the system for visualizing thermally sensitive properties.     

MRI of blood volume with MS 325 in experimental choroidal melanoma

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows quantitative blood volume imaging in vivo at high tissue resolution. The purpose is to apply this technique for untreated and hyperthermia-treated experimental choroidal melanoma. MS 325 was used as new intravascular albumin-bound gadolinium-based contrast agent. Pigmented choroidal melanomas were established in albino rabbits. MRI was performed in 7 untreated eyes and 7 eyes treated with a Neodymium:Yttrium-Lanthanum-Fluoride-laser at 1047 nm. 3D-spoiled gradient echo pulse sequences were used to acquire T' weighted axial images. First, a set of images was collected without contrast agent. MS 325 was then injected i.v. and images were obtained within 12 min after injection. Signal intensities were measured within tumor, ciliary body, choroid, and iris and relative signal intensities were determined for these tissues in relation to vitreous. In untreated tumors, the relative signal intensity was higher after injection of MS 325 (5.61+0.70) than without MS 325 (2.90+0.33; p = 0.0002). In contrast, the relative signal intensity of treated tumors did not differ significantly before and after MS 325 (6.19+1.59 and 6.13+1.64). Histopathological sections indicated vascular occlusion in treated tumors. All other studied tissues of untreated and treated eyes showed a significant increase of relative signal intensities in the presence of MS 325. An animal model for the research on contrast agents in MRI is presented. Blood volume measurement with MS 325 was adapted for experimental choroidal melanomas. Reduced change of relative signal intensity indicates compromised blood volume after vascular occlusion in hyperthermia-treated melanoma. Further studies are needed to investigate whether this technique allows the evaluation of tumor viability following treatments.     

Temperature determination in the frozen region during cryosurgery of rabbit liver using MR image analysis

Cryosurgery currently is being used clinically to treat tumors in internal organs such as the liver and prostate. Although performed at present under ultrasound monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guidance of these procedures not only permits monitoring of the frozen region during cryosurgery but also makes it possible to determine the temperature distribution in the frozen region, which is not possible using ultrasound monitoring. A good estimate of the region of destruction in the tissue can be obtained from correlating the temperature distribution and the time course of the freezing with the image of the frozen region. Unfortunately, MR pulse sequence-based temperature determination techniques such as diffusion, relazation time, and chemical shift cannot be used for measuring the temperature in the frozen region because the T₂ of the frozen region is so short that there is effectively no RF signal from the frozen region. This paper describes a numerical technique for determining the two dimensional temperature distribution in the frozen region during MR image-guided cryosurgery of normal liver in rabbits. The technique involves solving the energy equation numerically in the frozen region to determine the temperature distribution there. The boundary conditions needed to solve the equation are determined from MR images of the frozen tissue during cryosurgery and from the measured temperature of the cryoprobe. The calculated temperature in the frozen region is then correlated with the damaged region (cryolesion) determined from post mortem histologic evaluation.     

Magnesium enrichment and distribution in plants

Food products enriched with stable isotopes are used in nutrition to study the metabolic fate of nutrients in humans. This study reports on the labeling of green beans, white beans, soybeans and wheat with a stable isotope of magnesium (25Mg) obtained in greenhouse conditions for further studies on magnesium bioavailability. Soybean and green bean are the most efficient plant species to obtain large amounts of edible parts rapidly with a minimum loss of labeled Mg in other parts of the plants. The results obtained showed that a relatively high percentage of the magnesium found in seeds (grains/beans) can come from the redistribution of magnesium previously accumulated in other organs.     

Study on the quality and myofibrillar protein structure of chicken breasts during thawing of ultrasound-assisted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW)

The effects of air thawing (AT), water thawing (WT), slightly acidic electrolyzed water (ET), ultrasound-assisted water thawing (WUT) and ultrasound-assisted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (EUT) on the quality and myofibrillar protein (MP) structure of chicken breasts were investigated. The results showed that WUT and EUT could significantly improve the thawing rate compared with AT, WT, and ET groups. The EUT group not only had lower thawing loss, but also their immobilized and free water contents were similar to fresh sample according to the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) results. The EUT treatment had no adverse effect on the primary structure of the protein. The secondary and tertiary structures of MP were more stable in the EUT group according to Raman and fluorescence spectra. The muscle fibers microstructure from EUT group was neater and more compact compared with other thawing methods. Therefore, EUT treatment could be considered as a novel potential thawing method in the food industry.     

火焰原子吸收光谱法测定芋头中10种金属元素

采用干法分解样品,应用火焰原子吸收光谱法测定了芋头中K、Ca、Mg、Cu、Zn、Fe、Mn、Cd、Cr、Pb金属元素的含量.研究了测定不同元素的仪器最佳工作条件,并做了方法的准确性和精密度考察.结果表明,芋头中含有丰富的K、Ca、Mg、Cu、Zn、Fe、Mn,Cr及有害元素Pb未检出,Cd含量符合食品卫生标准.该法加标...     

Encoding Textual Information in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The data of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies include not only grayscale images, but also textual information associated with them —personal data about the patient, parameters of scanning and data processing, etc. This information is stored separately from graphic images. Therefore, the possibility for its correction and loss cannot be excluded. In this paper, the method of generation of marker information on diagnostic images is described. The marker information, as a textual analogue, is entered on the image during an MRI scan and becomes an integral part of the diagnostic material along with the images of anatomical structures. The method is realized by using the selective radiofrequency presaturation of non-scanable slices oriented perpendicularly to the scanned slices. It leads to the formation of bands of reduced signal in the areas of intersections of these slices on images. In this case, the band thicknesses are equal to the thicknesses of non-scanable slices. Different combinations of these bands (marker lines) are formed directly on images and can contain information about MRI studies. This information is determined not only by positions and angle orientations of bands, but also by their thickness, total brightness and brightness distribution in the transverse direction of these bands. The examples of introducing and positioning the marker information in conventional MRI studies are presented.     

Magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of inflammatory lesions in muscular and soft tissues: an experimental infection model induced by Candida albicans

We have developed an experimental model to monitor inflammatory lesions in muscle and soft-tissues during the different stages of the disease by means of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI of mice legs infected with Candida albicans was performed by standard two-dimensional spin echo and fast spin echo (RARE) using customized coils. The MRI findings were compared with pathologic examinations at the initial acute and established acute inflammatory stages, which provided accurate and detailed information on the evolution of the processes involved. The yeast caused inflammation within the first hours post-inoculation, appearing on T2-weighted images as an inhomogeneous mass with increased signal intensity. The presence of fungal hyphae was observed as hypointense signal areas in both T2 and T1 weighted images, with histologic confirmation. Areas of decreased signal intensity on T2 weighted images were apparent on the last experimental day and were attributed to the granulation tissue located within the capsule surrounding the abscess. The close correlation found between MRI and histopathology suggests that MRI is an ideal radiologic technique for monitoring the clinical and therapeutic follow-up of fungal infections in muscle and soft tissues.     

Effects of multi-frequency ultrasound on the freezing rates,quality properties and structural characteristics of cultured large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

This research evaluated the effects of multi-frequency ultrasound assisted freezing (UAF) on the freezing rate, structural characteristics, and quality properties of cultured large yellow croaker. The freezing effects with triple ultrasound-assisted freezing (TUF) at 20, 28 and 40 kHz under 175 W was more obvious than that of single ultrasound-assisted freezing (SUF) at 20 kHz and dual ultrasound-assisted freezing (DUF) at 20 and 28 kHz. The results showed that UAF significantly increased the freezing rate and better preserved the quality of frozen large yellow croaker samples. Specifically, the quality parameters of the TUF-treated samples were closer to those of the fresh samples, with greater texture characteristics, a larger water holding capacity (lower thawing loss and cooking loss), lower K values and lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values. Light microscopy observation images revealed that the ice crystals formed by TUF were fine and evenly distributed, resulting in less damage to the frozen large yellow croaker samples. Therefore, multi-frequency UAF could improve the quality properties of the large yellow croaker samples.     

1.5 T下高介电材料几何结构对发射场影响的仿真研究

近年来研究发现,在高场及超高场磁共振成像(MRI)中,高介电材料在提高磁共振射频线圈性能,以及增强图像信噪比方面具有极大的应用潜力．当前高介电材料研究主要集中于其对磁共振图像信噪比的改善,但对于高介电材料几何结构,以及其对发射场分布均匀度影响的研究不多．本研究利用电磁仿真的方法定量分析了1.5T下,高介电材料几何结构对水模感兴趣区内发射效率均值和发射场B₁⁺均匀度的影响．结果表明,高介电材料的几何结构对B₁⁺均匀度会产生较大影响;比较了不同几何结构的高介电衬垫之后发现,加入四等分圆筒状高介电衬垫后,感兴趣区内发射效率提升最高,同时B₁⁺均匀度也保持良好．该结果对高介电材料应用于MRI具有重要的参考价值．     

Magnetic resonance imaging of soft-tissue tumors: Comparison with computed tomography

Twenty-seven patients with soft-tissue tumors were examined with a Picker 0.15-tesla resistive magnet and by computed tomography (CT). In all but one patient, MRI was better than or equal to CT in defining the anatomic extent of the tumor. We could determine whether major vascular structures were engulfed by the tumor in 80% of the MRI examinations but only in 62% of the CT scans. MRI and CT were equally effective in determining the presence or absence of bony invasion. The MRI images of all the tumors showed increased signal intensity relative to normal muscle when spin-echo (SE) sulse sequences with long repeat times were used (SE: echo time [TE], 60 ms; repetition time [TR], 2,000 ms). When T1 weighted pulse sequences were used (SE: TE, 30 ms; TR, 500 ms or inversion recovery: inversion time, 500 ms; TE, 40 ms; TR, 2,000 ms) the malignant tumors showed decreased signal intensity compared to normal muscle. Only lipomas showed high signal intensity on both T1 and T2 weighted pulse sequences.     

大鼠眼球的高场磁共振成像研究

该文旨在研究微型磁共振（MRI）对大鼠眼球的成像效果和应用. 通过对10只SD大鼠的20只眼球进行7.0 T MRI检查,应用常规T1WI和T2WI序列高分辨率扫描;观察MRI图像上大鼠眼球的结构,并比较MRI测量与组织学显微镜下测量视网膜厚度结果. 磁共振扫描清楚地显示了所有受试大鼠眼球的主要结构,包括角膜、晶状体、玻璃体、视网膜、巩膜、虹膜、睫状体、视神经. 球壁结构磁共振图像层次与组织学结构层次有良好对应性; 磁共振视网膜厚度测量值与显微镜下视网膜厚度测量数据进行配对 t 检验,P＞0.05,二者无显著差异. 由此得出的结论是小动物MRI可以对大鼠眼球细微解剖结构进行无创性的成像,为我们提供了一个研究大鼠眼科疾病模型的形态学及功能变化的手段.      

Appearance of poststenotic jets in MRI: dependence on flow velocity and on imaging parameters

A flow model was used to study the appearance of poststenotic jets in MRI. Jets in CuSO4-doped water and bovine blood were imaged by spin-echo (SE) and fast-field-echo (FFE) pulse sequences at different degrees of stenosis and various flow rates. On flow-compensated FFE images, the jets were characterized by signal void if the mean flow velocity within the stenosis exceeded a limit, which was independent of the degree of the stenosis and the type of the fluid. On SE images and on FFE images without flow compensation, signal void occurred at significantly lower flow velocity. The extension of the poststenotic signal void on flow-compensated FFE images was increased by either reduction of the pixel diameter or by prolongation of the echo time. However, it was independent of the orientation of the imaging plane relative to the direction of flow. The results have an impact on attempts to use signal void for the assessment of turbulent jets with MRI.     

近红外高光谱成像技术用于转基因大豆快速无损鉴别研究

以近红外高光谱成像技术,结合化学计量学方法,研究了转基因大豆的快速、无损检测方法。实验以3种不同非转基因亲本(HC6, JACK, TL1)及其转基因大豆作为研究对象。采用高光谱成像系统采集874~1 734 nm波长范围的256个波段范围的高光谱图像,提取大豆的光谱信息,剔除明显噪声部分后,采用Moving Average(MA)平滑预处理的941~1 646 nm范围光谱数据进行分析。采用偏最小二乘判别分析算法(partial least squares-discriminant analysis, PLS-DA),对3种非转基因亲本大豆建立模型进行判别分析,其相应的建模集和预测集的判别正确率分别为97.50%和100%,100%和100%,96.25%和92.50%,结果表明,高光谱成像技术可用于非转基因大豆的识别。对非转基因亲本及其转基因大豆进行判别分析,基于全谱,3种的建模集和预测集的判别正确率分别为99.17%和99.17%,87.19%和81.25%,99.17%和98.33%;以x-loading weights提取非转基因亲本及其转基因大豆判别分析的特征波长并建立PLS-DA模型,3种的建模集和预测集的判别正确率分别为72.50%和80%,80.63%和79.38%,85%和85%,该结果表明非转基因亲本与转基因品种的判别分析是可行的,特征波长的选择也可用于非转基因亲本与转基因品种的判别分析。研究表明采用近红外高光谱成像技术对非转基因大豆、非转基因亲本及其转基因大豆进行鉴别是可行的,为转基因大豆的快速无损准确鉴别提供了一种新方法。     

Fast and quiet MRI using a swept radiofrequency

A novel fast and quiet method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is introduced which creates new opportunities for imaging in medicine and materials science. The method is called SWIFT, sweep imaging with Fourier transformation. In SWIFT, time-domain signals are acquired in a time-shared manner during a swept radiofrequency excitation of the nuclear spins. With negligible time between excitation and signal acquisition, new possibilities exist for imaging objects consisting of spins with extremely fast transverse relaxation rates, such as macromolecules, semi-solids, and quadrupolar nuclei. The field gradient used for spatial-encoding is not pulsed on and off, but rather is stepped in orientation in an incremental manner, which results in low acoustic noise. This unique acquisition method is expected to be relatively insensitive to sample motion, which is important for imaging live objects. Additionally, the frequency-swept excitation distributes the signal energy in time and thus dynamic range requirements for proper signal digitization are reduced compared with conventional MRI. For demonstration, images of a plastic object and cortical bone are shown.