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.     

Delta and singular delta locus for one‐dimensional systems of conservation laws

This work gives a condition for existence of singular and delta shock wave solutions to Riemann problem for 2×2 systems of conservation laws. For a fixed left‐hand side value of Riemann data, the condition obtained in the paper describes a set of possible right‐hand side values. The procedure is similar to the standard one of finding the Hugoniot locus. Fluxes of the considered systems are globally Lipschitz with respect to one of the dependent variables. The association in a Colombeau‐type algebra is used as a solution concept. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.     

Acoustic characterization and prediction for fan-duct-plenum-room integrations

This paper investigates mutual influence of duct and room acoustics in the whole fan-duct-plenum-room integrations. Applying the parametric design language of finite element software ANSYS (APDL), dimensional and positional influence on system acoustics has been studied. Models with different room dimensions, duct lengths, duct cross-sections, duct locations, duct discharges and duct elbow were constructed, and their characteristics were compared qualitatively. Results show that small rooms, short ducts, large duct cross-sections and bell mouth duct discharges help to increase room sound pressure levels (SPLs); SPLs in ducts and plenums are sensitive to duct dimensions and duct discharge types but insensitive to duct locations and room dimensions; duct elbows have relatively indistinct acoustic influence in each component. Based on the calculation results, a semi-experimental method was proposed for simply and approximately evaluating indoor acoustic spectra of fan-duct-plenum-room integrations, then an example was used to demonstrate the prediction process. Finally, by adopting several ideal models, sound field constitutions, duct and room wall admittances and duct end reflection were explored quantitatively. This study may give a detailed understanding of fan-duct-plenum-room acoustics for researchers, also it might provide a new, simple and approximate prediction method for professionals to evaluate and improve fan-ducted acoustics.     

用玻色子组态混合和玻色子表面δ相互作用研究核谱

用玻色子组态混合波函数和玻色子表面δ相互作用研究了三玻色子核⁴⁶Ti和⁵⁴Cr的sdgIBMI的能谱和E2跃迁概率,理论计算结果令人满意,比sdIBMI能拟合出更多的能级和E2跃迁概率,而且它们的误差更小. 说明g玻色子在振动区也起着重要的作用,同时进一步证明了这种玻色子组态混合模型是成功的.     

The Laplace transform on time scales revisited

In this work, we reexamine the time scale Laplace transform as defined by Bohner and Peterson [M. Bohner, A. Peterson, Dynamic Equations on Time Scales: An Introduction with Applications, Birkhäuser, Boston, 2001; M. Bohner, A. Peterson, Laplace transform and Z-transform: Unification and extension, Methods Appl. Anal. 9 (1) (2002) 155-162]. In particular, we give conditions on the class of functions which have a transform, develop an inversion formula for the transform, and further, we provide a convolution for the transform. The notion of convolution leads to considering its algebraic structure—in particular the existence of an identity element—motivating the development of the Dirac delta functional on time scales. Applications and examples of these concepts are given.     

An unknotting theorem for delta and sharp edge‐homotopy

Two spatial embeddings of a graph are said to be delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if they are transformed into each other by self delta (resp. sharp) moves and ambient isotopies. We show that any two spatial embeddings of a graph are delta (resp. sharp) edge‐homotopic if and only if the graph does not contain a subgraph which is homeomorphic to the theta graph or the disjoint union of two 1‐spheres, or equivalently G is homeomorphic to a bouquet. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electrochemical characteristics of Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9|La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ + Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 half-cell

The analysis of the medium temperature half-cell Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9|70 wt% La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3- (LSCO) + 30 wt % Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 (CGO) has been made by electrochemical impedance, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The shape of complex impedance plots depends on temperature and cathodic polarisation of the electrode. Nyquist (Z, Z-) plots were fitted by equivalent circuit taking into account the electrolyte properties (at very high frequencies), charge transfer process at grain boundaries (at high frequencies), and medium and low frequency O₂ reduction process at the cathode surface and inside the porous cathode material. Two different time constants have been obtained for the cathode process, i.e. for electroreduction of oxygen. It was found that the addition of CGO into the cathode material (LSCO) only somewhat decreases the surface catalytic activity but the noticeably higher low-frequency resistance (i.e. mainly diffusion-like mass transfer resistance R_D) values at lower temperatures have been calculated. It was found that the mainly bulk diffusion-limited process at T773 K deviates toward the kinetically mixed process (diffusion + charge transfer) with increasing temperature.     

Evaluation of the sputtering rate variation in SIMS ultra‐shallow depth profiling using multiple short‐period delta layers

We have developed multiple short‐period delta layers as a reference material for SIMS ultra‐shallow depth profiling. Boron nitride delta layers and silicon spacer layers were sputter‐deposited alternately, with a silicon spacer thickness of 1–5 nm. These delta‐doped layers were used to measure the sputtering rate change in the initial stage of oxygen ion bombardment. A significant variation of sputtering rate was observed in the initial 3 nm or less. The sputtering rate in the initial 3 nm was estimated to be about four times larger than the steady‐state value for 1000 eV oxygen ions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ab initio SCF investigation of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in δ-aminopentanoic acid

The potential energy surface of the neutral form of-aminopentanoic acid was investigated by means of ab initio 4-31G SCF calculations. Four symmetry unique local minima are stabilized by an intramolecular O-H NH₂ hydrogen bond. The geometries, energies, and wave numbers of these conformers are reported. The hydrogen bond is discussed with respect to all reactions of these conformers and in comparison with the homologues glycine,-alanine, and-aminobutyric acid and also with the bimolecular adducts between formic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid, on the one hand, and ammonia, methylamine, and ethylamine, on the other hand.     

Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of 4-Substituted 3-Cyano-6,6-dimethyl-5,6-dihydro-2-pyranones

The respective 4-(arylvinyl)lactones and compounds of the Michael adduct type were synthesized by the condensation of substituted benzaldehydes with 3-cyano-4,6,6-trimethyl-5,6-dihydro-2-pyranone in the presence of catalytic amounts of sodium hydroxide. It was shown by the semiempirical AM1 method that the indicated products can be formed through one and the same intermediate compound. Some of the synthesized phenylvinyl-5,6-dihydro-2-pyranones have a cytotoxic effect, and this corresponds to the prognosis of the OREX expert system.