Continuous wave MRI of heterogeneous materials

A prototype continuous wave MRI system operating at 7T has been used successfully to study a variety of heterogeneous materials exhibiting T2 relaxation values ranging from 10 micros to 50 ms. Two-dimensional images of a poly(methly methacrylate) (PMMA) resolution phantom (T2=38 micros) exhibited a spatial resolution of approximately 1mm at a magnetic field gradient strength of 200 mT/m. The technique was used to study the hydration, drying, and subsequent water penetration properties of cement samples made from ordinary Portland cement, and revealed inhomogeneities arising from the cure conditions. Sandstone samples from an oil reservoir in the North Sea were also studied; structure within these materials, arising from the sedimentary bed layering in the reservoir, was found to have an effect on their water transport properties. A section from a confectionery bar (T2* approximately 50-60 ms) was also imaged, and its internal structure could be clearly discerned.     

Translational diffusion of water in compacted clay systems

The translational diffusion of water in compacted clays at a high hydration level has been investigated by quasielastic neutron scattering at a time-of-flight spectrometer FOCUS (SINQ). Four compacted clays with systematic structural differences have been studied: Na-montmorillonite, Na-illite, kaolinite and pyrophyllite. The QENS experiments were performed using two different incident wavelengths in order to access a larger Q range and verify the data analysis. The translational diffusion coefficient for water in Na-montmorillonite and Na-illite are lower than those for bulk water, whereas the preliminary results for kaolinite and pyrophyllite show larger diffusion coefficient.     

MRI profiles over very wide concentration ranges: Application to swelling of a bentonite clay

In MRI investigation of soils, clays, and rocks, mainly mobile water is detected, similarly to that in biological and medical samples. However, the spin relaxation properties of water in these materials and/or low water concentration may make it difficult to use standard MRI approaches. Despite these limitations, one can combine MRI techniques developed for solid and liquid states and use independent information on relaxation properties of water, interacting with the material of interest, to obtain true images of both water and material content. We present procedures for obtaining such true density maps and demonstrate their use for studying the swelling of bentonite clay by water. A constant time imaging protocol provides 1D mapping of the clay distribution in regions with clay concentration above 10 vol%. T₁ relaxation time imaging is employed to monitor the clay content down to 10⁻³ vol%. Data provided by those two approaches are in good agreement in the overlapping range of concentrations. Covering five orders of magnitude of clay concentration, swelling of sodium-exchanged bentonite clays from pre-compacted pellets into a gel phase is followed in detail.     

The monitoring of water and water vapour diffusion into clay by impedance spectroscopy

The diffusion of water vapour into Bayard montmorillonite and the diffusion/flow of liquid water into Friedland clay were examined with impedance spectroscopy as a first step towards the development of an impedance based sensor system for the in situ monitoring of clay-based barriers for waste containment. By impedance measurements the diffusion of water vapour into clay and the leaching of liquid water through clay barriers can be monitored time-dependently and parameters can be derived from the data that can be used to predict the speed of diffusion/flow through the barrier. Paper presented at the 6th Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Cetraro, Calabria, Italy, Sept. 12–19, 1999.     

The molecular aggregation of pyronin Y in natural bentonite clay suspension

The molecular aggregation and spectroscopic properties of Pyronin Y (PyY) in the suspension containing natural bentonite clay were studied using molecular absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. Interaction between the clay particles and the cationic dye compounds in aqueous solution resulted in significant changes in spectral properties of PyY compared to its molecular behavior in deionized water at the same concentration. These changes were due to the formation of dimer and aggregate of PyY in the clay suspension as well as the presence of the dye monomer. The H-type aggregates of PyY in the clay suspension were identified by the observation of a blue-shifted absorption band of the dye compared to that of its monomer. In spite of diluted dye concentrations, the H-aggregate of PyY in the clay suspension was formed. The intensive aggregation in the clay suspension attributed to the localized high dye concentration on the negatively charged clay surfaces. Adsorption sites of PyY on the clay particles were discussed by deconvulated absorption and excitation spectra. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies revealed that the fluorescence intensity of PyY in the clay suspension is decreased by H-aggregates drastically. Moreover, the presence of H-aggregates in the clay suspension resulted in the decrease of fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of PyY compared to those in deionized water.     

Sorption and diffusion behaviours of strontium in sodium-type bentonite bed

Sorption and diffusion of Sr were examined using a typical Japanese bentonite. The experimental results showed that Sr sorption on the bentonite had linear relationship between the equilibrium Sr concentration and Sr sorption amount, i.e., Henry’s type of sorption, in wide initial Sr concentration from 1.1×10⁻⁹ to 1.1×10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ at pH 10. The Sr sorption also indicated pH dependence in pH range between 2 and 12. Sorption modelling calculation indicated that cation-exchange reactions contributed to Sr sorption in the pH range studied and a surface complexation reaction was predominant above pH 8. Diffusion of Sr in loosely compacted bentonite bed was described by pore and surface diffusion and surface complexation of Sr. Chemical-transport calculations reproduce the diffusion data at pH 5 using the cation-exchange parameters obtained in the analysis of the batch sorption experiment.     

Sorption and diffusion behaviours of strontium in sodium-type bentonite bed

Sorption and diffusion of Sr were examined using a typical Japanese bentonite. The experimental results showed that Sr sorption on the bentonite had linear relationship between the equilibrium Sr concentration and Sr sorption amount, i.e., Henry’s type of sorption, in wide initial Sr concentration from 1.1 × 10^?9 to 1.1 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 at pH 10. The Sr sorption also indicated pH dependence in pH range between 2 and 12. Sorption modelling calculation indicated that cation-exchange reactions contributed to Sr sorption in the pH range studied and a surface complexation reaction was predominant above pH 8. Diffusion of Sr in loosely compacted bentonite bed was described by pore and surface diffusion and surface complexation of Sr. Chemical-transport calculations reproduce the diffusion data at pH 5 using the cation-exchange parameters obtained in the analysis of the batch sorption experiment.     

A novel chaotic image encryption algorithm based on water wave motion and water drop diffusion models

This paper will put forward a novel chaotic image encryption algorithm with confusion–diffusion architecture. First of all, secret keys will be processed by key generator before they can really be used in the encryption scheme, and in this stage this paper associates plain image with secret keys; Secondly, by imitating the trajectory of water wave movement, encryption algorithm will do scrambling operations to the image. Thirdly, this paper combines water drop motion and dynamic look up table to realize diffusion operations. For an 8 bits pixel, this algorithm will just dispose the higher 4 bits, which is because the higher 4 bits contain the vast majority of information of the image. At last, the experiment results and security analysis show that this proposed algorithm has a desirable encryption effect. Its key space is large enough, it is sensitive to keys and plain image, its encryption speed is fast and it can resist cryptanalysis such as brute attack, differential attack, etc.     

Molecular dynamics study of water molecule diffusion in oil-paper insulation materials

Moisture is an important factor that influences the safe operation of transformers. In this study, molecular dynamics was employed to investigate the diffusion behavior of water molecules in the oil-paper insulation materials of transformers. Two oil-cellulose models were built. In the first model, water molecules were initially distributed in oil, and in the second model, water molecules were distributed in cellulose. The non-bonding energies of interaction between water molecules and oil, and between water molecules and cellulose, were calculated by the Dreiding force field. The interaction energy was found to play a dominant role in influencing the equilibrium distribution of water molecules. The radial direction functions of water molecules toward oil and cellulose indicate that the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and cellulose are sufficiently strong to withstand the operating temperature of the transformer. Mean-square displacement analysis of water molecules diffusion suggests that water molecules initially distributed in oil showed anisotropic diffusion; they tended to diffuse toward cellulose. Water molecules initially distributed in cellulose diffused isotropically. This study provides a theoretical contribution for improvements in online monitoring of water in transformers, and for subsequent research on new insulation materials.     

A comparative study of acquisition schemes for diffusion tensor imaging using MRI

This study has investigated the effects of the selection of the diffusion-weighted (DW) gradient directions on the precision of a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) experiment. The theoretical analysis provided a quantitative framework in which the noise performance of DTI schemes could be assessed objectively and for the development of novel DTI schemes, which employ multiple DW gradient directions. This generic framework was first applied to the examination of two commonly used DTI schemes, which employed 6 DW gradient directions and hitherto were used indiscriminately under the sole condition of noncollinearity. It was then used to design and assess a novel 12-DW-gradient-direction DTI protocol, which employed the same total number of DW acquisitions as the two conventional schemes (12). This theoretical investigation was then corroborated using rigorous simulation and DTI experiments on both an isotropic phantom and a healthy human brain. Both the theoretical and the experimental analysis demonstrated that the two conventional schemes showed a significantly different noise performance and that use of the new multiple-DW-gradient-direction scheme clearly improved the precision of the DTI measurements.     

Mapping the intracellular fraction of water by varying the gradient pulse length in q-space diffusion MRI

Finite gradient pulse lengths are traditionally considered a nuisance in q-space diffusion NMR and MRI, since the simple Fourier relation between the acquired signal and the displacement probability is invalidated. Increasing the value of the pulse length leads to an apparently smaller value of the estimated compartment size. We propose that q-space data at different gradient pulse lengths, but with the same effective diffusion time, can be used to identify and quantify components with free or restricted diffusion from multiexponential echo decay curves obtained on cellular systems. The method is demonstrated with experiments on excised human brain white matter and a series of model systems with well-defined free, restricted, and combined free and restricted diffusion behavior. Time-resolved diffusion MRI experiments are used to map the spatial distribution of the intracellular fraction in a yeast cell suspension during sedimentation, and observe the disappearance of this fraction after a heat treatment.     

Continuous symmetries of three-dimensional diffusion equations

Lie transformation groups are given which leave the three-dimensional linear diffusion equation invariant, with and without chemical reactions. We show how similarity solutions and conserved currents can be obtained with the help of these groups. We apply these methods to nonlinear three-dimensional diffusion equations which can be exactly linearized by nonlinear transformations.     

Assessment of pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity in children: An MRI pilot study

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of measuring pulmonary artery (PA) pulse wave velocity (PWV) in children breathing ambient air and 12% oxygen.

Methods

Velocity-encoded phase-contrast MR images of the PA were acquired in 15 children, aged 9–12 years, without evidence of cardiac or pulmonary diseases. PWV was derived as the ratio of flow to area changes during early systole. Each child was scanned twice, in air and after at least 20 minutes into inspiratory hypoxic challenge. Intra-observer and inter-observer variability and repeatability were also compared.

Results

PA PWV, which was successfully measured in all subjects, increased from 1.31 ± 0.32 m/s in air to 1.61 ± 0.58 m/s under hypoxic challenge (p = 0.03). Intra- and inter-observer coefficients of variations were 9.0% and 15.6% respectively. Good correlation within and between observers of r = 0.92 and r = 0.72 respectively was noted for PA PWV measurements. Mean (95% limit of agreement) intra- and inter-observer agreement on Bland–Altman analysis were − 0.02 m/s (− 0.41–0.38 m/s) and -0.28 m/s (− 1.06–0.49 m/s).

Conclusion

PA PWV measurement in children using velocity-encoded MRI is feasible, reproducible and sufficiently sensitive to detect differences in PA compliance between normoxia and hypoxia. This technique can be used to detect early changes of PA compliance and monitor PAH in children.     

Rogue wave observation in a water wave tank

The conventional definition of rogue waves in the ocean is that their heights, from crest to trough, are more than about twice the significant wave height, which is the average wave height of the largest one-third of nearby waves. When modeling deep water waves using the nonlinear Schr?dinger equation, the most likely candidate satisfying this criterion is the so-called Peregrine solution. It is localized in both space and time, thus describing a unique wave event. Until now, experiments specifically designed for observation of breather states in the evolution of deep water waves have never been made in this double limit. In the present work, we present the first experimental results with observations of the Peregrine soliton in a water wave tank.     

MRI study of Fickian, case II and anomalous diffusion of solvents into hydroxypropylmethylcellulose

Magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate the diffusion and swelling processes of a hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) matrix. Polymer in the form of a cylinder was hydrated in a water solvent with pH 2, 7, and 12 at 37 °C and monitored at equal intervals on a Bruker Avance 300 MHz spectrometer. The spatially resolved spin-spin relaxation times and spin densities together with the change in the dimension of the glass core of the polymer were determined for the HPMC tablets as a function of hydration times. FromT ₂ parameters, the solvent molecule mobility within the gel layer of the HPMC was estimated. All studied parameters allow the determination of the diffusion of the solvent into the HPMC matrix as Fickian diffusion for alkaline solvents, case II for acidic solvent, and anomalous diffusion for neutral solvent.     

Use of diffusion wave spectroscopy in diagnostics of blood

The method of diffusion-wave spectroscopy based on the analysis of fragments of temporal autocorrelation functions or power spectra of intensity fluctuations of scattered coherent laser radiation is considered as applied to noninvasive in vitro diagnostics of blood. The results of experiments on noninvasive diagnostics of blood in vitro are interpreted within the framework of the theory of diffusion wave spectroscopy. The proposed method can be recommended for laboratory and clinical investigations of formed blood elements. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 515–519, July–August, 2000.     

Continuous wave photonic crystal laser in ultraviolet range

It is shown that photonic band-gap (PBG) structures have great potential for the development of widely tunable continues wave and/or mode-locked ultrashort-pulse all-solid-stale lasers in UV and optical ranges. The basic idea is to decrease the laser threshold via inhibition of radiative decay of an upper laser level by embedding an active medium into spatial structure having PBG at the frequency of laser transition. This technique provides favorable conditions for coherent suppression of the excited state absorption crucial for short-wavelength solid-state lasing. It also resolves the laser gain dilemma, providing combination of high emission cross-section and large population inversion. Different designs of 2D and 3D photonic crystal laser are proposed.     

Absence of wave packet diffusion in disordered nonlinear systems

We study the spreading of an initially localized wave packet in two nonlinear chains (discrete nonlinear Schr?dinger and quartic Klein-Gordon) with disorder. Previous studies suggest that there are many initial conditions such that the second moment of the norm and energy density distributions diverges with time. We find that the participation number of a wave packet does not diverge simultaneously. We prove this result analytically for norm-conserving models and strong enough nonlinearity. After long times we find a distribution of nondecaying yet interacting normal modes. The Fourier spectrum shows quasiperiodic dynamics. Assuming this result holds for any initially localized wave packet, we rule out the possibility of slow energy diffusion. The dynamical state could approach a quasiperiodic solution (Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser torus) in the long time limit.     

Effects of random subject rotation on optimised diffusion gradient sampling schemes in diffusion tensor MRI

The choice of the number (N) and orientation of diffusion sampling gradients required to measure accurately the water diffusion tensor remains contentious. Monte Carlo studies have suggested that between 20 and 30 uniformly distributed sampling orientations are required to provide robust estimates of water diffusions parameters. These simulations have not, however, taken into account what effect random subject motion, specifically rotation, might have on optimised gradient schemes, a problem which is especially relevant to clinical diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI). Here this question is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations of icosahedral sampling schemes and in vivo data. These polyhedra-based schemes, which have the advantage that large N can be created from optimised subsets of smaller N, appear to be ideal for the study of restless subjects since if scanning needs to be prematurely terminated it should be possible to identify a subset of images that have been acquired with a near optimised sampling scheme. The simulations and in vivo data show that as N increases, the rotational variance of fractional anisotropy (FA) estimates becomes progressively less dependent on the magnitude of subject rotation (), while higher FA values are progressively underestimated as increases. These data indicate that for large subject rotations the B-matrix should be recalculated to provide accurate diffusion anisotropy information.