Simultaneous acquisition of perfusion and permeability from corrected relaxation rates with dynamic susceptibility contrast dual gradient echo

This study compared two methods, corrected (separation of T(1) and T(2)* effects) and uncorrected, in order to determine the suitability of the perfusion and permeability measures through Delta R(2)* and Delta R(1) analyses. A dynamic susceptibility contrast dual gradient echo (DSC-DGE) was used to image the fixed phantoms and flow phantoms (Sephadex perfusion phantoms and dialyzer phantom for the permeability measurements). The results confirmed that the corrected relaxation rate was linearly proportional to gadolinium-diethyltriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) concentration, whereas the uncorrected relaxation rate did not in the fixed phantom and simulation experiments. For the perfusion measurements, it was found that the correction process was necessary not only for the Delta R(1) time curve but also for the Delta R(2)* time curve analyses. Perfusion could not be measured without correcting the Delta R(2)* time curve. The water volume, which was expressed as the perfusion amount, was found to be closer to the theoretical value when using the corrected Delta R(1) curve in the calculations. However, this may occur in the low concentration of Gd-DTPA in tissue used in this study. For the permeability measurements based on the two-compartment model, the permeability factor (k(ev); e = extravascular, v = vascular) from the outside to the inside of the hollow fibers was greater in the corrected Delta R(1) method than in the uncorrected Delta R(1) method. The differences between the corrected and the uncorrected Delta R(1) values were confirmed by the simulation experiments. In conclusion, this study proposes that the correction for the relaxation rates, Delta R(2)* and Delta R(1), is indispensable in making accurate perfusion and permeability measurements, and that DSC-DGE is a useful method for obtaining information on perfusion and permeability, simultaneously.     

Tuning of particle morphology and pore properties in mesoporous silicas with multiple organic functional groups

A synthetic method has been developed that can control both multifunctionalization and morphology of the mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid materials by introducing different molar ratios of organoalkoxysilane precursors to a base-catalyzed co-condensation of silicate.     

Reversible switching of high-speed air-liquid two-phase flows using electrowetting-assisted flow-pattern change

This work is the first demonstration of electrical modulation of surface energy to reversibly switch dynamic high-speed gas-liquid two-phase microfluidic flow patterns. Manipulation of dynamic two-phase systems with continuous high-speed flows is complex and interesting due to the multiple types of forces that need to be considered. Here, distinct stable flow patterns are formed through a multipronged approach: both surface tension forces generated by surface chemistry modulation as well as viscous and inertial forces produced by fluid flows are employed. The novel fluidic actuation mechanism provides insights into better understanding microscale two-phase flow dynamics and offers new opportunities for the development of two-phase biochemical microsystems that are mechanically simple and operational at high speeds.     

New tetrahydrofuran-type sesquilignans of Saururus chinensis root

Three new tetrahydrofuran-type sesquilignans, called saucerneol A, saucerneol B and saucerneol C were isolated from the underground parts of Saururus chinensis (Saururaceae), together with known lignans, di-O-methyltetrahydrofuriguaiacin B, machilin D and machilin D 4-methyl ether. Their structures were established from several spectral data.     

Asymptotic properties of the massive scalar field in the external Schwarzschild spacetime

The asymptotic properties of the solution to the Klein–Gordon equation will be studied in the Schwarzschild spacetime background. The results are based on the global Sobolev-type inequalities and the generalized energy estimates.     

Long distance laser ultrasonic propagation imaging system for damage visualization

Wind turbine blade failure is the most prominent and common type of damage occurring in operating wind turbine systems. Conventional nondestructive testing systems are not available for in situ wind turbine blades. We propose a portable long distance ultrasonic propagation imaging (LUPI) system that uses a laser beam targeting and scanning system to excite, from a long distance, acoustic emission sensors installed in the blade. An examination of the beam collimation effect using geometric parameters of a commercial 2 MW wind turbine provided Lamb wave amplitude increases of 41.5 and 23.1 dB at a distance of 40 m for symmetrical and asymmetrical modes, respectively, in a 2 mm-thick stainless steel plate. With this improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, a feasibility study of damage detection was conducted with a 5 mm-thick composite leading edge specimen. To develop a reliable damage evaluation system, the excitation/sensing technology and the associated damage visualization algorithm are equally important. Hence, our results provide a new platform based on anomalous wave propagation imaging (AWPI) methods with adjacent wave subtraction, reference wave subtraction, reference image subtraction, and the variable time window amplitude mapping method. The advantages and disadvantages of AWPI algorithms are reported in terms of reference data requirements, signal-to-noise ratios, and damage evaluation accuracy. The compactness and portability of the proposed UPI system are also important for in-field applications at wind farms.     

Globally generated vector bundles of rank 2 on a smooth quadric threefold

We investigate the existence of globally generated vector bundles of rank 2 with _c1≤3$c_1\le 3$ on a smooth quadric threefold and determine their Chern classes. As an automatic consequence, every rank 2 globally generated vector bundle on Q$Q$ with _c1=3$c_1=3$ is an odd instanton up to twist.