Improved depiction of small anatomic structures in MR images using Gaussian-weighted spirals and zero-filled interpolation

Partial-volume artifacts reduce the contrast and continuity of small structures in magnetic resonance images. Zero-filled interpolation (ZFI) has been known for some time as a useful technique to reduce partial-volume artifacts and improve the appearance of small structures and edges. However, its use is limited by the fact that ZFI can exacerbate image artifacts. For example, it can exacerbate Gibbs ringing, also known as the truncation artifact, which manifests itself as spurious ringing around sharp edges. Currently, the most common technique to address this problem is post-acquisition filtering, which causes blurring in the image. Using ZFI in conjunction with a variable-density sampling method designed to reduce ringing is proposed as a possible solution to this problem. This approach is demonstrated with a Gaussian-weighted spiral and is compared to conventional spiral sampling both with and without the application of a filter used to reduce ringing. The two spiral sampling techniques are compared using simulations, phantom images, and in vivo brain images. The Gaussian-weighted spiral demonstrates reduced ringing without the loss of spatial resolution commonly associated with post-acquisition filtering. Additionally, this sampling technique is shown to work well in conjunction with ZFI to reduce partial-volume artifacts without the apparent increase in Gibbs ringing usually associated with zero-filled reconstruction. This approach will be most useful for imaging techniques such as MR angiography which are known to be sensitive to partial-volume effects, as well as when imaging anatomic regions associated with more severe Gibbs ringing.     

Completion by Derived Double Centralizer

Let A be a commutative ring, and let $\mathfrak{a}$ be a weakly proregular ideal in A. (If A is noetherian then any ideal in it is weakly proregular.) Suppose M is a compact generator of the category of cohomologically $\mathfrak{a}$ -torsion complexes. We prove that the derived double centralizer of M is isomorphic to the $\mathfrak{a}$ -adic completion of A. The proof relies on the MGM equivalence from Porta et al. (Algebr Represent Theor, 2013) and on derived Morita equivalence. Our result extends earlier work of Dwyer et al. (Adv Math 200:357–402, 2006) and Efimov (2010).     

Whole‐Genome Sequencing of a Single Viral Species from a Highly Heterogeneous Sample

Metagenomic studies suggest that only a small fraction of the viruses that exist in nature have been identified and studied. Characterization of unknown viral genomes is hindered by the many genomes populating any virus sample. A new method is reported that integrates drop‐based microfluidics and computational analysis to enable the purification of any single viral species from a complex mixed virus sample and the retrieval of complete genome sequences. By using this platform, the genome sequence of a 5243 bp dsDNA virus that was spiked into wastewater was retrieved with greater than 96 % sequence coverage and more than 99.8 % sequence identity. This method holds great potential for virus discovery since it allows enrichment and sequencing of previously undescribed viruses as well as known viruses.     

Antibacterial and antifungal LDPE films for active packaging

Active antimicrobial packaging is a promising form of active packaging that can kill or inhibit microorganism growth in order to maintain product quality and safety. One of the most common approaches is based on the release of volatile antimicrobial agents from the packaging material such as essential oils. Due to their highly volatile nature, the challenge is to preserve the essential oils during the high‐temperature melt processing of the polymer, while maintaining high antimicrobial activity for a desired shelf life. This study suggests a new approach in order to achieve this goal. Antimicrobial active films are developed based on low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), organo‐modified montmorillonite clays (MMT) and carvacrol (used as an essential oil model). In order to minimize carvacrol loss throughout the polymer compounding, a pre‐compounding step is developed in which clay/carvacrol hybrids are produced. The hybrids exhibit a significant increase in the d‐spacing of clay and enhanced thermal stability. The resulting LDPE/(clay/carvacrol) films exhibit superior and prolonged antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua, while polymer compounded with pure carvacrol loses the antibacterial properties within days. The films also present an excellent antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata, used as a model plant pathogenic fungus. Furthermore, infrared spectroscopy analysis of the LDPE/(clay/carvacrol) system displayed significantly higher carvacrol content in the film as well as a slower out‐diffusion of the carvacrol molecules in comparison to LDPE/carvacrol films. Thus, these new films have a high potential for antimicrobial food packaging applications due to their long‐lasting and broad‐spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Autoinductive exponential signal amplification: a diagnostic probe for direct detection of fluoride

A new example of an exponential signal amplification strategy for the direct detection of fluoride is demonstrated. The amplification occurred through reaction of fluoride with a responsive chromogenic probe. The probe activity is based on a unique dendritic chain reaction that generates a fluoride anion, which is the analyte of interest, during the disassembly pathway of the dendritic probe. This autoinductive amplification mechanism may be applied for detection of other analytes by coupling activity of a modified probe with that of the fluoride amplifier.     

Theory of non-adiabatic cranking and nuclear collective motion

The cranking model is extended to the case of a general non-adiabatic motion. The time-dependent many-body Schrödinger equation is solved, where the time dependence of the collective motion is determined by the classical Lagrange equations of motion. The Lagrangian is obtained from the expectation value of the energy. In the case of one collective degree of freedom the condition that the expectation value of the energy is constant in time is sufficient to determine the collective motion. An iteration procedure is applied, of which the zeroth order is shown to be the common cranking formula. In an alternative approach the energy conservation is expressed in differential form. This leads in the case of one collective degree of freedom to a set of coupled, non-linear first-order differential equations in time for the expansion coefficients of the many-body wave function and for the collective variable. As an illustrative example we solve the case of two coupled linear harmonic oscillators.     

Effect of solid surface on the formation of thin confined lubricating film of water with micro-content of oil

The formation of confined film between two contacting surfaces is significant for evaluating the lubricating ability of liquid. A micro-content of oil in water was experimentally demonstrated to be significantly effective to the film formation of water, which was much thicker than predicted by elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory. The effect of solid surface characteristics on the liquid film confined in a nanogap has been investigated. The film forming performances of such films were presented. The work of adhesion between two different phases was calculated, and the competitive wetting behaviours of water and oil on different solid surfaces were employed to understand the film formation mechanism.     

X-Band Pulsed ENDOR Study ofFe-Substituted Sodalite— The Effect of the Zero-Field Splitting

X-band (∼9.3 GHz) pulsed ENDOR measurements were carried out on⁵⁷Fe-substituted sodalite (FeSOD) which contains only one type of Fe(III) (S=) located at a framework site. The ENDOR spectrum recorded atg= 2 shows three doublets corresponding to the sixM_Smanifolds. The assignment of these signals was confirmed by hyperfine-selective and triple ENDOR experiments. The components of each of the doublets had different intensities, reflecting the different populations of the EPR energy levels at the measurement temperature, 1.8 K. ENDOR spectra were recorded at magnetic fields within the EPR powder pattern, and the field dependence observed showed an anisotropic behavior, unexpected from the isotropic character of the⁵⁷Fe(III) hyperfine coupling. This dependence was attributed to the high-order effects of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) interaction on the ENDOR frequencies. Three different theoretical approaches were used to account for the dependence of the ENDOR spectrum on the ZFS interaction. The first involves the exact diagonalization of the total spin Hamiltonian, the second uses third-order perturbation approximations, and the third employs an effective nuclear Hamiltonian for each of theM_Smanifolds. The simulations showed that the ENDOR signals of theM_S= ±5/2 (ν_±5/2) manifold are the least sensitive to the magnitude of the ZFS parameterDand are therefore the most appropriate for the determination ofa_iso. It is shown that at X band anda_isovalues of about 30 MHz, the perturbation approach is valid up toDvalues of 500 MHz if all three doublets are concerned. However, if only the ν_±5/2doublet is considered, then this approach is valid forD< 1000 MHz. The third approach was found inappropriate fora_isovalues of ∼30 MHz. Using the method of exact diagonalization together with orientation selectivity, the trends observed in the experimental spectra could be reproduced. The ENDOR spectra of the⁵⁷Fe-substituted zeolites ZSM5, L, and mazzite showed broad and ill-defined peaks since the ZFS of Fe(III) in these zeolites is significantly larger than that of FeSOD. Because this broadening is a high-order effect, it can be significantly reduced at higher spectrometer frequencies.     

Quasi 3D imaging of DNA-gold nanoparticle tetrahedral structures

Verification by imaging of the structure of 3D DNA constructs, both bare and conjugated to metal nanoparticles, is challenging. We demonstrate here two transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based methods to distinguish between fully formed tetrahedra, synthesized from DNA conjugated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) at their vertices, and structures which are only partially formed. When deposited on a surface, fully formed tetrahedra are expected to retain their 3D pyramidal structure, while partially formed structures are expected to form a 2D structure. The first method by which 3D and 2D structures were distinguished was imaging them at different defocusing values. While for 2D structures all the four GNPs acquire Fresnel fringes at the same defocusing value, for 3D structures at least one particle is at a different plane with respect to the others, and so it acquires Fresnel fringes at a different defocusing value. The second method we show is imaging of the structures at different angles. While a single TEM image gives only a 2D projection of the structure, by combining information achieved from imaging at several tilting angles one may verify the structural construct.