Simultaneous detection of resolved glutamate, glutamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid at 4 T

A new approach is introduced to simultaneously detect resolved glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using a standard STEAM localization pulse sequence with the optimized sequence timing parameters. This approach exploits the dependence of the STEAM spectra of the strongly coupled spin systems of Glu, Gln, and GABA on the echo time TE and the mixing time TM at 4 T to find an optimized sequence parameter set, i.e., {TE, TM}, where the outer-wings of the Glu C4 multiplet resonances around 2.35 ppm, the Gln C4 multiplet resonances around 2.45 ppm, and the GABA C2 multiplet resonance around 2.28 ppm are significantly suppressed and the three resonances become virtual singlets simultaneously and thus resolved. Spectral simulation and optimization were conducted to find the optimized sequence parameters, and phantom and in vivo experiments (on normal human brains, one patient with traumatic brain injury, and one patient with brain tumor) were carried out for verification. The results have demonstrated that the Gln, Glu, and GABA signals at 2.2-2.5 ppm can be well resolved using a standard STEAM sequence with the optimized sequence timing parameters around {82 ms,48 ms} at 4 T, while the other main metabolites, such as N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (tCho), and creatine (tCr), are still preserved in the same spectrum. The technique can be easily implemented and should prove to be a useful tool for the basic and clinical studies associated with metabolism of Glu, Gln, and/or GABA.     

基于STEAM理念的高中化学创新实验研究——四氧化三铁磁流体的制备和性质探究

介绍了基于STEAM理念下让学生制备和表征四氧化三铁磁流体的化学实验探究。采用化学共沉淀法制备了磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒。在外加磁场下磁流体能出现明显凸起。本实验简单、安全、现象明显、试剂用量小、适宜于学生独立实验操作。本研究旨在通过设置科学问题,让学生体验整个科研过程,培养学生的创造力。     

STEAM教育跨学科思维评价研究——基于化学师范生的实证分析

跨学科思维是个体在解决复杂问题时,基于学科知识间的内在联系寻找问题解决方案的思维方式。基于SOLO分类理论和STEM教育的“融合斜面”构建跨学科思维评价框架,采用NVivo12分析软件依据“STEAM金字塔结构框架”对93位化学师范生的STEAM项目的任务分解资料进行编码和统计,分析化学师范生跨学科思维发展水平。以期为进一步寻求化学师范生跨学科思维高水平发展的策略提供参考。     

Artifact-free black-blood cine cardiac imaging in a single breath-hold

Fast imaging using the STimulated Echo Acquisition Mode (STEAM) sequence can produce cine images of the heart with black-blood contrast. Nevertheless, correction of deformation-related artifacts is required in order to maintain myocardial signal throughout the cardiac cycle. Recent work by our group has eliminated this artifact by combining two STEAM sequences acquired with two different demodulation gradients. Unfortunately, these two STEAM sequences were acquired on two separate breath-holds; thus, scan time doubled. In this work, we present a technique to reduce the total scan time by one half, without sacrificing image quality. The technique is based on interleaving two demodulations within one acquisition in order to obtain quality cine images of the heart in a single breath-hold. The technique was tested on animal models and human subjects, and the impact of interleaved acquisition on image quality was studied using quantitative and qualitative measures.     

Moving toward shared realities through empathy in mathematical modeling: An ecological systems theory approach

The mathematics education community has routinely called for mathematics tasks to be connected to the real world. However, accomplishing this in ways that are relevant to students’ lived experiences can be challenging. Meanwhile, mathematical modeling has gained traction as a way for students to learn mathematics through real-world connections. In an open problem to the mathematics education community, this paper explores connections between the mathematical modeling and the nature of what is considered relevant to students. The role of empathy is discussed as a proposed component for consideration within mathematical modeling so that students can further relate to real-world contexts as examined through the lens of Ecological Systems Theory. This is contextualized through a classroom-tested example entitled “Tiny Homes as a Solution to Homelessness” followed by implications and conclusions as they relate to mathematics education.     

MRI定域二维谱

定域谱和二维谱技术都是NMR的重要研究手段.定域二维谱,就是将二者结合,同时具有空间信息和二维谱的诸多优点.本文利用STEAM脉冲序列加以改造,完成了三维空间定域的二维¹H-¹H NOESY实验.     

MR-visible water content in human brain: A proton MRS study

In vivo measurement of metabolite concentrations in the human brain by means of proton-MRS contributes significantly to the clinical evaluation of patients with diseases of the brain. The fully relaxed water signal has been proposed as an internal standard for calibration of the MRS measurements. The major drawbacks are the necesity to make the assumptions that the water concentration in the brain and that all tissue water is MR-visible. A number of in vivo measurements were carried out to estimate the concentration of MR-visible water in the brain of healthy volunteers divided into four age groups: newborn (0–23 days), adolescents (10–15 yr), adults (22–28 yr), and elderly people (60–74 yr). The examinations were carried out using a Siemens Helicon SP 63/84 MR-scanner operating at 1.5 T. Except for the newborn, four regions were studied in each subject using stimulated echo (STEAM) sequences without water suppression. In vitro measurements on a standard phantom were used for calibration. The calculated water concentrations ranged between 35.8 and 39.6 (mean 36.9) mol·[kg wet weight]⁻¹ in the three groups, whereas it was 51.5 mol·[kg wet weight]⁻¹ in the newborn, p<.01. The observed water concentration of neither the four regions nor of the three oldest age groups were significantly different. Comparisons between the water concentrations measured and those expected based on estimation of the content of grey and white matter in the region of interest from T₁-weighted images and biochemical data published, suggest that only a small fraction (<5%) of the tissue water may be MR-invisible. The study of healthy volunteers thus shows that errors introduced by using the unsaturated water signal for calibration are less than 10%, which is comparable to expected errors when other calibration procedures are used under similar measurement conditions.     

Development of elementary teachers' science,technology, engineering,arts, and mathematics planning practices

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand elementary teachers' planning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum during a two-year professional development experience. This research was guided by the following question: What planning practices developed or changed during a professional development experience? Analysis of 25 teachers' planning documents indicated growth in the following areas: (a) tighter alignment to fewer standards, (b) more meaningful integration and broader definitions of arts and technology, and (c) increased use of formative assessment but persistent difficulties in summatively assessing the multiple disciplines of STEAM. The growth in teachers' STEAM instruction from the beginning to the end of this two-year professional development was important in building our understanding of what constitutes sound design of STEAM inquiries.     

Optimization of residual water signal removal by HLSVD on simulated short echo time proton MR spectra of the human brain

Suppression of the residual water signal from proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectra recorded in human brain is a prerequisite to an accurate quantification of cerebral metabolites. Several postacquisition methods of residual water signal suppression have been reported but none of them provide a complete elimination of the residual water signal, thereby preventing reliable quantification of brain metabolites. In the present study, the elimination of the residual water signal by the Hankel Lanczos singular value decomposition method has been evaluated and optimized to provide fast automated processing of spectra. Model free induction decays, reproducing the proton signal acquired in human brain localized MR spectroscopy at short echo times (e.g., 20 ms), have been generated. The optimal parameters in terms of number of components and dimension of the Hankel data matrix allowing complete elimination of the residual water signal are reported.