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.     

Magnetic bubble refraction and quasibreathers in inhomogeneous antiferromagnets

We study the dynamics of magnetic bubble solitons in a two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnetic spin lattice in the case where the exchange integral J(x, y) is position dependent. In the near-continuum regime, this system is described by the relativistic O(3) sigma model on a space-time with a spatially inhomogeneous metric determined by J. We use the geodesic approximation to describe the low-energy soliton dynamics in this system: the n-soliton motion is approximated by geodesic motion in the moduli space M _n of static n-solitons equipped with the L ² metric γ. We obtain explicit formulas for γ for various natural choices of J(x, y). Based on these, we show that single soliton trajectories are refracted with J⁻¹ being analogous to the refractive index and that this refraction effect allows constructing simple bubble lenses and bubble guides. We consider the case where J has a disk inhomogeneity (with the value J ₊ outside a disk and J ₋ < J ₊ inside) in detail. We argue that for sufficiently large J ₊/J ₋, this type of antiferromagnet supports approximate quasibreathers: two or more coincident bubbles confined within the disk spin internally while their shape oscillates with a generically incommensurate period. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 152, No. 1, pp. 191–208, July, 2007.     

Water-assisted self-assembly of harmonic single and triple helices in a polymeric coordination complex

A novel two-dimensional coordination polymer containing infinite, coherently pitched single and triple helical motifs is formed by the self-assembly of Cd2+, succinate, water and a bipyridyl ligand.     

Direct optical emission spectroscopy of liquid analytes using an electrolyte as a cathode discharge source (ELCAD) integrated on a micro-fluidic chip

Atomic emission detection of metallic species in aqueous solutions has been performed using a miniaturised plasma created within a planar, glass micro-fluidic chip. Detection was achieved using an Electrolyte as a Cathode Discharge source (ELCAD) in which the sample solution itself is used as the cathode for the discharge. To realise the ELCAD technique within a micro-fluidic device, a parallel liquid-gas flow was set up in a micro-channel and a glow discharge ignited between the flowing liquid sample surface and a metal wire anode. The detection of copper and sodium was achieved, using atmospheric pressure air as a carrier gas, by observation of atomic emission lines of copper at 324 nm, 327 nm, 511 nm, 515 nm and 522 nm and an atomic emission line of sodium at 589 nm using a commercially available miniaturised spectrometer. A total electrical power of less than 70 mW was required to sustain the discharge. A semi-quantitative, absolute detection limit of 17 nmol s(-1) was obtained for sodium with a sample flow rate of 100 microL min(-1) and an integration time of 100 ms in air at atmospheric pressure. The volume required for such detection is approximately 170 nL. Further analysis was performed with an Echelle spectrometer using both argon and air as a carrier gas. The geometry and flow rates used demonstrate the feasibility of integrating such micro-plasmas into other micro-fluidic devices, such as miniaturised CE devices, as a method of detection. The potential for using such micro-plasmas within highly portable miniaturised systems and mu-TAS devices is presented and discussed.     

Reactive intermediates in asymmetric cross-coupling catalysed by palladium P-N chelates

The palladium dibromide complexes of (S,R)-(1,1′-bis-diphenylphosphino)-2-ferrocencylthyldimethylamine and (S,R)-(1-diphenylphosphino)-2-ferrocenylethyldimethylamine have been reduced with dilithiocyclooctatetraene to form the corresponding Pd⁰ cyclooctatetraene complexes. Their reactions with E-4-methoxy-2′-bromophenylethene, and then benzylmagnesium chloride at −60 to −30°C, provide information on the structure of intermediates in asymmetric cross-coupling.     

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy of water-in-oil microemulsions: an application in specific characterisation of droplets containing biomolecules

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has been successfully used to characterise water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions. The investigated systems were stabilised by sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl sulphosuccinate (AOT) and the measured diffusion times have been related to the radii of the aggregated species, which for some systems, were separately determined by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We demonstrate that FCS is capable of measuring hydrodynamic radii of microemulsions rapidly and at surfactant concentrations lower than previously reported for other techniques. FCS was also used to specifically interrogate microemulsion droplets containing a fluorescently-labelled biomolecule, specifically phalloidin, a peptide fungal toxin from Amanita phalloides, and the enzyme -chymotrypsin (-CT). The microemulsion droplets are only marginally increased in size if a small peptide (phalloidin) is included in the water phase, whereas the droplet size is significantly increased when a larger protein (-CT) is included.     

New tetra-aryl and bi-aryl porphyrins bearing 5,15-related fluorenyl pendants: the influence of arylation on fluorescence

The new tetra-aryl trans-A₂B₂-porphyrin with two fluoren-2-yl and two phenyl groups at the meso-positions has been synthesized and characterized, together with the analogous bi-aryl trans-A₂-porphyrin incorporating only the fluorenyl groups. The photophysical properties of these new compounds in solution are reported. The two additional phenyl groups in the A₂B₂ porphyrin stabilize the first excited singlet state by approximately 500 cm⁻¹ compared to the A₂ system, as revealed by the red-shift of the absorption Q bands and of the fluorescence emission bands. Both compounds display enhanced emission quantum yields compared to tetraphenylporphyrin: the augmentation is higher for the tetra-aryl than for the bi-aryl system, although not as high as for tetrafluorenylporphyrin. Fluorescence lifetime measurements of the series of four compounds suggest that the trends can be interpreted in terms of the larger influence of fluorenyl over phenyl groups in increasing the fluorescence radiative rate constant of the porphyrin, k_f.     

THE INTERACTIONS OF PYRENYLMETHYL TRIBUTYLPHOSPHONIUM BROMIDE WITH SINGLE STRAND POLYNUCLEOTIDES

The binding of the water soluble derivative of pyrene, pyrenylmethyl tri-n-butylphosphonium bromide (PMTP), to single strand polynucleotides has been characterised by changes in the absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, the fluorescence lifetime and the time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy of PMTP. For polyguanylic acid at low ionic strength, there are two modes of binding; external ionic binding and intercalation between the bases. The former results in PMTP excimer formation and the latter involves a charge-transfer complex between PMTP and guanine bases. Polyadenylic acid and polyinosinic acid show only external binding and poly[C] exhibits an interaction which is a combination of external binding and partial intercalation. Single strand DNA binds PMTP by intercalation and external binding at low ionic strength. In the presence of 0.2 M sodium chloride, only binding by intercalation between the bases occurs for poly[G]. Single strand DNA bound PMPT by partial intercalation, as well as full intercalation between the bases, but polyadenylic acid, polycytidylic acid and polyinosinic acid showed no significant binding in the presence of 0.2 M sodium chloride. The differences in the binding of PMTP are attributed to variations in the rigidity and form the structures of single strand polynucleotides adopt in solution. A full analysis of the binding isotherms has been made using methods based on Scatchard plots and the McGhee and von Hippel approach, which are critically compared.     

Studies on the [2,3]-Stevens rearrangement of aziridinium ions

The aziridinium ylide generated by the intramolecular reaction of a metal carbenoid tethered to a vinylaziridine undergoes [2,3]-Stevens rearrangement to furnish the indolizidine skeleton. It is essential that the correct nitrogen invertomer is used or a competing [1,5]-hydrogen shift predominates. During the preparation of a second system a `one-pot' acylation-[3,3]-Claisen rearrangement was observed, delivering a seven-membered lactam.