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To study diagnostic accuracy of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in differentiating malignant from benign compressed vertebrae. This study was done on 43 patients with compressed vertebrae on conventional magnetic resonance study that underwent DTI. The mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of malignant (n = 24) and benign (n = 19) compressed vertebrae were calculated by two readers. There was a significantly lower (P = 0.001) MD of both readers between malignant (0.74 ± 0.2 and 0.78 ± 0.2 × 10−3 mm2/s) and benign (1.67 + 0.3 and 1.63 ± 0.3 × 10−3 mm2/s) compressed vertebrae. The FA of malignant compressed vertebrae of both readers (0.55 ± 0.2 and 0.52 ± 0.1) was significantly higher (P = 0.001) than that of benign (0.26 ± 0.1 and 0.28 ± 0.1) compressed vertebrae. There was excellent inter-reader agreement between both readers using MD (K = 0.91) and FA (K = 0.86). The thresholds of MD and FA used for differentiating malignant from benign compressed vertebrae of both readers were 1.15 and 1.16 × 10−3 mm2/s and 0.37 and 0.34 with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98, 0.96, 0.93, and 0.92 and diagnostic accuracy of 95.3%, 88.4%, 90.1%, and 86.0% respectively. Combined MD and FA revealed AUC of 0.99 and 0.97 and diagnostic accuracy of 95.3% and 93.0% by both readers respectively. DTI is a non-invasive technique providing accurate imaging parameters that can be used for differentiating malignant from benign compressed vertebrae.

To investigate the incidence, mechanism, and risk factors of aortic regurgitation (AR) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by using echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).105 HCM patients, 52 hypertension (HTN) patients and 50 healthy controls (HC) were retrospectively recruited. HCM patients were divided into 38 with AR (HCMAR) subject and 67 without AR. The subaortic complex, D1 (the largest distance of the interventricular septum that protruded into the LVOT) and D3 (the LVOT effective width) were assessed and compared between the two groups of HCM patients.AR was more common in HCM than in HTN and HC (36 %, 17 %, and 10 %, respectively, P = 0.001). HCM patients with AR were older (58 ± 11 vs. 45 ± 16 years, P0.001) and had a higher incidence of hypertension (55 % vs. 33 %, P = 0.03). D1 was greater (13.5 ± 4.4 vs. 10.6 ± 4.0 mm, P = 0.001), and D3 was shorter in the HCMAR group (10.2 ± 5.3 vs. 13.7 ± 5.9 mm, P = 0.003). Anterior mitral leaflet length and left atrial diameter were greater in HCMAR group (all P0.05). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the independent risk factors of AR in HCM patients were LVOTO and age.This study demonstrated that AR is a common comorbidity of HCM, especially in patients with LVOTO. LVOTO and age were independent risk factors of AR in HCM patient.

Background: In elderly brains of demented patients, Alzheimer and Lewy body pathology (LBP) are frequently associated. Cortical microinfarcts (CoMIs) are more observed in Lewy body disease, even in the absence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The present neuropathological and 7.0-tesla MRI studies investigate whether CoMIs are also more frequent in mixed neurodegenerative dementia syndromes. Summary: Both examinations revealed that CoMIs are increased to different degrees in mixed dementia syndromes according to the severity of the LBP. They were mainly associated with a trend of older age and arterial hypertension in the patients with the most severe LBP. Messages: The increased number of CoMIs in mixed dementia syndromes with LBP is mainly due to the associated cerebrovascular pathology, even in the absence of CAA.

BaAg2Cu[VO4]2 contains Cu(II) S=1/2 ions on a distorted two-dimensional triangular lattice interconnected via non-magnetic [VO4] entities. DFT band structure calculations, quantum Monte-Carlo simulations, and high-field magnetization measurements show that the magnetism of this compound is determined by a superposition of ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) uniform spin-1/2 chains with nearest neighbor exchange couplings of J FM=−19 K and J AFM=9.5 K (A. Tsirlin, A. Möller, B. Lorenz, Y. Skourski, H. Rosner, Phys. Rev. B 85 (2012) 014401). Here we report the study of BaAg2Cu[VO4]2 by high-field/frequency electron spin resonance (HF-ESR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, which probe the local magnetic properties. In the HF-ESR measurements, we observe an anisotropic ESR spectrum typical for the Cu(II) ions and determine the g-tensor, g ||=2.38 and g ⊥=2.06. Moreover, we see a substantial change in the spectral shape of the ESR lines at low temperatures indicating the presence of short range magnetic correlations. The analysis of the low-temperature ESR spectra shows that its peculiar structure is due to the development of the anisotropic internal fields corresponding to FM and AFM correlations in the respective Cu spin chains. In the NMR spectra the signals from 51V nuclei in the two types of chains were identified. The analysis of the temperature evolution of these signals strongly supports the ESR findings on the occurrence of two types of Cu chains. Altogether, the HF-ESR and NMR results confirm theoretical predictions of the superposition of FM and AFM Cu(II) spin-1/2 chains in the studied material.

The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) is a novel diagnostic strategy to noninvasively assess the myocardial microvascular endothelial-dependent function using perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spleen perfusion is modulated by a complex combination of several mechanisms involving the autonomic nervous system and vasoactive mediators release. In this context, the effects of cold temperature on splenic blood flow (SBF) still need to be clarified. Ten healthy subjects were studied by MRI. MRI protocol included the acquisition of GRE T1-weighted sequence (“first pass perfusion”) during gadolinium administration (0.1mmol/kg of Gd-DOTA at flow of 3.0 ml/s), at rest and after CPT. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) and SBF were measured by applying Fermi function deconvolution, using the blood pool input function sampled from the left ventricle cavity. MBF and SBF values after performing CPT were significantly higher than rest values (SBF at rest: 0.65 ± 0.15 ml/min/g Vs. SBF after CPT: 0.90 ± 0.14 ml/min/g, p

Two nanocomposites containing CdS nanoparticles in polymeric matrices were studied using the photoluminescence (PL) and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) methods. Due to equal sizes of NPs in the composites (~5 nm) but different matrices – the oxygen-containing polymer PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and oxygen-free polymer PEI (polyethyleneimine) – differences of nanocomposites properties are predominantly caused by different interfacial conditions. ODMR spectra have revealed five types of centers related to the PL emission – four centers involved in radiative recombination and one center related to non-radiative recombination processes. The oxygen-related interfacial center in CdS/PVA (LK1-center) and sulfur vacancy center in CdS/PEI (Vs-center) were identified.

Background Studies suggest that right ventricular (RV) fibrosis is associated with RV remodeling and long-term outcomes in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Pre-operative hypoxia may increase expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1-alpha (HIF1α) and promote transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1)-mediated fibrosis. We hypothesized that there would be associations between: (1) RV fibrosis and RV function, (2) HIF1α variants and RV fibrosis, and (3) HIF1α variants and RV function among post-surgical TOF cases. Methods We retrospectively measured post-surgical fibrotic load (indexed volume and fibrotic score) from 237 TOF cases who had existing cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and indicators of RV remodeling (i.e., ejection fraction [RVEF] and end-diastolic volume indexed [RVEDVI]). Genetic data were available in 125 cases. Analyses were conducted using multivariable linear mixed-effects regression with a random intercept and multivariable generalized Poisson regression with a random intercept. Results Indexed fibrotic volume and fibrotic score significantly decreased RVEF by 1.6% (p = 0.04) and 0.9% (p = 0.03), respectively. Indexed fibrotic volume and score were not associated with RVEDVI. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, 6 of the 48 HIF1α polymorphisms (representing two unique signals) were associated with fibrotic score. None of the HIF1α polymorphisms were associated with indexed fibrotic volume, RVEDVI, or RVEF. Conclusion The association of some HIF1α polymorphisms and fibrotic score suggests that HIF1α may modulate the fibrotic response in TOF. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12968-019-0555-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:Given the high prevalence of patients with hip deformities and no ongoing hip dysfunction, understanding the anatomic factors predicting the symptomatic state is critical. One such variable is how the spinopelvic parameters (SPPs) may interplay with hip anatomic factors.Hypothesis/Purpose:SPPs and femoral- and acetabular-specific parameters may predict which patients will become symptomatic. The purpose was to determine which anatomic characteristics with specific cutoffs were associated with hip symptom development and how these parameters relate to each other.Study Design:Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.Methods:548 participants were designated either symptomatic patients (n = 176, scheduled for surgery with hip pain and/or functional limitation) or asymptomatic volunteers (n = 372, no pain) and underwent 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple femoral (α angle, Ω angle, neck angle, torsion), acetabular (version, coverage), and spinopelvic (pelvic tilt, sacral slope [SS], pelvic incidence) parameters were measured semiautomatically. Normative values, optimal differentiating thresholds, and a logistic regression analysis were computed.Results:Symptomatic patients had larger cam deformities (defined by increased Ω angle and α angle), smaller acetabular coverage, and larger pelvic incidence and SS angles compared with the asymptomatic volunteers. Discriminant receiver operating characteristic analysis confirmed that radial 2-o’clock α angle (threshold 58°-60°, sensitivity 75%-60%, specificity 80%-84%; area under the curve [AUC] = 0.831), Ω angle (threshold 43°, sensitivity 72%, specificity 70%; AUC = 0.830), acetabular inclination (threshold 6°, sensitivity 65%, specificity 70%; AUC = 0.709), and SS (threshold 44°, sensitivity 72%, specificity 75%; AUC = 0.801) ( P < .005) were the best parameters to classify participants. When parameters were entered into a logistic regression, significant positive predictors for the symptomatic patients were achieved for SS, acetabular inclination, Ω angle, and α angle at 2-o’clock, correctly classifying 85% of cases (model sensitivity 72%, specificity 91%; AUC = 0.919).Conclusion:Complex dynamic interplay exists between the hip and SPPs. A cam deformity, acetabular undercoverage, and increased SPP angles are predictive of a hip symptomatic state. SPPs were significant to discriminate between participants and were important in combination with other hip deformities. Symptomatic patients can be effectively differentiated from asymptomatic volunteers based on predictive anatomic factors.

Background Left atrial ( LA ) enlargement is a marker for increased risk of atrial fibrillation ( AF ). However, LA remodeling is a complex process that is poorly understood, and LA geometric remodeling may also be associated with the development of AF . We sought to determine whether LA spherical remodeling or its temporal change predict late AF recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation ( PVI ). Methods and Results Two hundred twenty‐seven consecutive patients scheduled for their first PVI for paroxysmal or persistent AF who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance before and within 6 months after PVI were retrospectively identified. The LA sphericity index was computed as the ratio of the measured LA maximum volume to the volume of a sphere with maximum LA length diameter. During mean follow‐up of 25 months, 88 patients (39%) experienced late recurrence of AF . Multivariable Cox regression analyses identified an increased pre‐ PVI LA sphericity index as an independent predictor of late AF recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.62, P =0.009). Patients in the highest LA sphericity index tertile were at highest risk of late recurrence (highest versus lowest: 59% versus 28%; P LA sphericity index to the LA minimum volume index and passive emptying fraction provided important incremental prognostic information for predicting late AF recurrence post PVI (categorical net reclassification improvement, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.16–0.69, P =0.001). Conclusions The assessment of pre‐ PVI LA geometric remodeling provides incremental prognostic information regarding late AF recurrence and may be useful to identify those for whom PVI has reduced success or for whom more aggressive ablation or medications may be useful.

This study examined the progression of left ventricular dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) or Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) to evaluate the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI). Ninety-eight cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies in 34 consecutive patients with DMD (n = 21) or BMD (n = 13) were retrospectively reviewed. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the extent of myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were semiautomatically quantified. During the study period, five patients had already been treated with ACEI at the first CMR; five were started on ACEI at LVEF ≥ 55% and 10 at LVEF

Background In addition to tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and right ventricular (RV) enlargement, patients with Ebstein anomaly are at risk for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and dyssynchrony. We studied the impact of the cone tricuspid valve reconstruction operation on LV size, function, and dyssynchrony. Methods All Ebstein anomaly patients who had both pre- and postoperative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies were retrospectively identified. From cine images, RV and LV volumes and ejection fractions (EF) were calculated, and LV circumferential and longitudinal strain were measured by feature tracking. To quantify LV dyssynchrony, temporal offsets (TOs) were computed among segmental circumferential strain versus time curves using cross-correlation analysis and patient-specific reference curves. An LV dyssynchrony index was calculated as the standard deviation of the TOs. Results Twenty patients (65% female) were included with a median age at cone operation of 16 years, and a median time between pre- and postoperative CMR of 2.8 years. Postoperatively, there was a decline in the TR fraction (56 ± 19% vs. 5 ± 4%, p

Introduction: Intractable hemifacial pain or twitching can be an incapacitating disorder caused by trigeminal neuralgia. The aetiologies for trigeminal neuralgia are numerous and the most frequent cause is a neurovascular compression. However, there are other less common aetiologies which need to be assessed. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with dedicated cranial nerve sequences remains the modality of choice in diagnosing and establishing a cause for this condition. Aim: This study aims in showing that all trigeminal neuralgias are not secondary to neurovascular compression and other unusual causes needs to be looked for and assessed during an MRI examination. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at the Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India (from September 2015 to August 2017). This study included 70 patients presenting with clinical symptoms of unilateral trigeminal neuralgia. The MRI was done using a 1.5 Tesla, Philips multiva system. A high resolution 3D T2 DRIVE or 3D bFFE cranial nerve sequences were performed in addition to the routine Magnetic Resonance (MR) sequences. Patients with known dental issues which could cause the pain, and patients with intracranial tumours were excluded from the study. Results: Out of the 70 patients, we found that the majority (53) had a neurovascular compression, which ranged from a simple indentation by a tortuous Superior Cerebellar Artery (SCA) to full blown vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia. Out of the remaining cases, six were found to be secondary to benign intracranial hypertension with prominent Meckel’s caves. There were two cases who had an unusual finding of “Trigeminal pontine sign”, which were post infective (postherpetic being the most probable cause). Conclusion: By tailoring the MRI protocol in present study, and based on the clinical presentation, we can conclude that in most cases of clinically diagnosed trigeminal neuralgia, it could be possible to demonstrate a probable cause and consequently aid the clinician for appropriate management, and to select only the deserving cases for microvascular decompression.

Malnutrition during brain development can cause serious problems that can be irreversible. Dysfunctional patterns of brain activity can be detected with functional MRI. We used BOLD functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate region differences of brain activity between control and malnourished rats. The food-competition method was applied to a rat model to induce malnutrition during lactation. A 7T magnet was used to detect changes of the BOLD signal associated with changes in brain activity caused by the trigeminal nerve stimulation in malnourished and control rats. Major neuronal activation was observed in malnourished rats in several brain regions, including cerebellum, somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Statistical analysis of the BOLD signals from various brain areas revealed significant differences in somatosensory cortex between the control and experimental groups, as well as a significant difference between the cerebellum and other structures in the experimental group. This study, particularly in malnourished rats, demonstrates increased BOLD activation in the cerebellum.

Three nCo,N-TiO2 nanocomposites (where cobalt concentration index n = 1, 5 and 10 wt %) were prepared and investigated by magnetic resonance spectroscopy at room temperature. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) lines of magnetic cobalt agglomerated nanoparticle were dominant in all registered spectra. The relaxation processes and magnetic anisotropy of the investigated spin system essentially depended on the concentration of cobalt ions. It is suggested that the samples contained two magnetic types of sublattices forming a strongly correlated spin system. It is suggested that the existence of strongly correlated magnetic system has an essential influence of the photocatalytic properties of the studied nanocomposites.

This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (CTQ2010-16122), the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (CTQ2012-35513-C02-02, CTQ2014-56833-R), and the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid (S2013/MIT-2841, Fotocarbon). Computer, storage, and other resources from the CTI (CSIC) are gratefully acknowledged. One of us (C. I. Nieto) is indebted to UNED for a predoctoral fellowship (FPI ‘Grupos de Investigacion’ UNED).

In wrist arthroscopy, the standard dorsal portals are the most commonly used. However, their placement can be associated with injuries to the neurovascular structures of the radiocarpal joint. The present study assessed and compared the distance of commonly used dorsal portals to radial and ulnar neurovascular structures. Forty patients (20 males, 20 females) were evaluated with T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) sequences. We measured the distance between 1-2 and 3-4 portals and radial vascular bundle and the nearest branch of the superficial branch of radial nerve (SBRN). We also measured the distance between 4 and 5, 6/U and 6/R and ulnar vascular bundle and the nearest branch of the dorsal ulnar nerve (DUN). The median age of patients was 39 years (95% IC 36.97-43.32 years). The 3-4 portal was farther away from the vascular structure than the 1-2 portal (P 0.0001), 4-5 portal (P = 0.008), 6/R (P 0.0001), and 6/U portals (P 0.0001). Moreover, the 3-4 portal was farther away from the nerve branch than the 1-2 portal (P 0.0001), 4-5 portal (P 0.0001), 6/R (P 0.0001), and 6/U portals (P 0.0001). No statistical significant differences were found between the two genders. The 3-4 and 4-5 portals are the farthest away from the neurovascular structures, and likely reduce the risk to damage these structures. On the other hand, the 1-2 and 6/U portals likely increase the risk of neurovascular damage, because of their proximity to neurovascular structures.Diagnostic study; Level III.

In 1950–1960 nuclear magnetic resonance was the most acceptable method of study of configuration of chemical structure of substances and reactive processes. In 1973 Lauterbach performed the first magnetic resonance study. Since 1983, the development of magnetic resonance equipment and its software later gave a possibility to the investigators to receive a high contrast image of 1 mm slice within several seconds.

The distribution and characteristics of water in the muscle of various commercially available Icelandic heavily salted Atlantic cod products were analyzed with proton magnetic resonance methods. The products varied in choice of catching method, in pre- or post-rigor processing, flattening or filleting cut, and pre-salting technique (brine injection with salt with/without polyphosphates, brining and pickling) and choice of brine-injection instruments.All products had heterogeneous water distributions, but the level of heterogeneity was dependent on the handling during processing. Brine injection led to salt-induced swelling, which effect remained after the kench dry salting step. Double brine injection induced needle traces in the muscle, even after kench salting. Relaxation time analysis indicated that pickle salted products had the highest degree of protein denaturation in the muscle amongst the analyzed pre-salting methods. The multi-parametric analysis indicated how powerful the MR methods are for process and product characterization and optimization.

Ferrocenylsilanes with various functions at silicon (chlorine, vinyl, ethynyl) were prepared and studied by multinuclear magnetic resonance methods (1H, 13C, 29Si NMR spectroscopy). The gasphase geometries of the silanes were optimized by calculations at the B3LYP=6-311+G(d,p) level of theory, and NMR parameters (chemical shifts δ13C, δ29Si, spin-spin coupling constants) were calculated at the same level of theory.

This study aimed at describing the anatomy of the zona orbicularis (ZO), based on magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and to assess the presence of synovial folds in relation to the ZO. A retrospective review was performed using consecutive hip and pelvic MRA and MRI examinations from our institution. We identified 25 normal scans of each variety. Patients were scanned in a neutral hip position and 3D FIESTA sequence images were included in a number of cases. Using electronic callipers, measurements were obtained of the ZO thickness and of the location of the ZO with respect of the femoral head and neck. On MRA, the ZO appeared as a horseshoe in 18/25 patients, being absent anteriorly. On MRI the ZO was less consistent and absent in 12/25 posteriorly, in 8/25 inferiorly and in 2/25 anteriorly. Where present, the ZO usually coincided with the boundary of femoral head sphericity and the narrowest point of the isthmus of the femoral neck. The medial synovial fold was identified in all MRA studies (25/25). The ZO of the hip is most consistently identified when the joint is distended and in approximately 75 % of cases appears as a horseshoe-shaped structure. Superiorly, the ZO is aligned perpendicular to the long axis of the femoral neck. The ZO twists from postero-lateral to antero-medial as it moves inferiorly. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the ZO functions as a ring that resists femoral head distraction and contributes to dynamic circulation of synovial fluid.

Antegrade end-diastolic flow in the main pulmonary artery with atrial contraction (ADF) is observed in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and is thought to represent restrictive right ventricular (RV) physiology. We sought to investigate the association of ADF with pulmonary

There is increasing evidence for a role of the amygdala in processing gaze direction and emotional relevance of faces. In this event-related functional magnetic resonance study we investigated amygdala responses while we orthogonally manipulated head direction, gaze direction and facial expression (angry, happy and neutral). This allowed us to investigate effects of stimulus ambiguity, low-level factors and non-emotional factors on amygdala activation. Averted vs direct gaze induced increased activation in the right dorsal amygdala regardless of facial expression and head orientation. Furthermore, valence effects were found in the ventral amygdala and strongly dependent on head orientation. We observed enhanced activation to angry and neutral vs happy faces for observer-directed faces in the left ventral amygdala while the averted head condition reversed this pattern resulting in increased activation to happy as compared to angry and neutral faces. These results suggest that gaze direction drives specifically dorsal amygdala activation regardless of facial expression, low-level perceptual factors or stimulus ambiguity. The role of the amygdala is thus not restricted to the detection of potential threat, but has a more general role in attention processes. Furthermore, valence effects are associated with activation of the ventral amygdala and strongly influenced by non-emotional factors.

BACKGROUND: Severity of thoracic aortic disease in Turner syndrome (TS) patients is currently described through measures of aorta size and geometry at discrete locations. The objective of this study is to develop an improved measurement tool that quantifies changes in size and geometry over time, continuously along the length of the thoracic aorta.METHODS: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scans for 15 TS patients [41 ± 9 years (mean age ± standard deviation (SD))] were acquired over a 10-year period and compared with ten healthy gender and age-matched controls. Three-dimensional aortic geometries were reconstructed, smoothed and clipped, which was followed by identification of centerlines and planes normal to the centerlines. Geometric variables, including maximum diameter and cross-sectional area, were evaluated continuously along the thoracic aorta. Distance maps were computed for TS and compared to the corresponding maps for controls, to highlight any asymmetry and dimensional differences between diseased and normal aortae. Furthermore, a registration scheme was proposed to estimate localized changes in aorta geometry between visits. The estimated maximum diameter from the continuous method was then compared with corresponding manual measurements at 7 discrete locations for each visit and for changes between visits.RESULTS: Manual measures at the seven positions and the corresponding continuous measurements of maximum diameter for all visits considered, correlated highly (R-value = 0.77, P CONCLUSIONS: An automated methodology is presented that enables rapid and precise three-dimensional measurement of thoracic aortic geometry, which can serve as an improved tool to define disease severity and monitor disease progression.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier - NCT01678274 . Registered - 08.30.2012.

The hypothalamus and its subdivisions are involved in many neuropsychiatric conditions such as affective disorders, schizophrenia, or narcolepsy, but parcellations of hypothalamic subnuclei have hitherto been feasible only with histological techniques in postmortem brains. In an attempt to map subdivisions of the hypothalamus in vivo, we analyzed the directionality information from high-resolution diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images of healthy volunteers. We acquired T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted scans in ten healthy subjects at 3 T. In the T1-weighted images, we manually delineated an individual mask of the hypothalamus in each subject and computed in the co-registered diffusion-weighted images the similarity of the principal diffusion direction for each pair of mask voxels. By clustering the similarity matrix into three regions with a k-means algorithm, we obtained an anatomically coherent arrangement of subdivisions across hemispheres and subjects. In each hypothalamus mask, we found an anterior region with dorsoventral principal diffusion direction, a posteromedial region with rostro-caudal direction, and a lateral region with mediolateral direction. A comparative analysis with microstructural hypothalamus parcellations from the literature reveals that each of these regions corresponds to a specific group of hypothalamic subnuclei as defined in postmortem brains. This is to our best knowledge the first in vivo study that attempts a delineation of hypothalamic subdivisions by clustering diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data. When applied in a larger sample of neuropsychiatric patients, a structural analysis of hypothalamic subnuclei should contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric conditions such as affective disorders.

PURPOSE A large number of abbreviations have been created for various special terms, and used in magnetic resonance (MR) study. However, the use of these abbreviations in the paper title has been restricted by the majority of societies and journals. In this study, we investigated the use of various abbreviations for special terms in MR study in order to clarify which abbreviation could be used in the paper title without spelling. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used two journals, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM) and Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (JMRI) published by the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), which has been considered to be the most advanced society for MR study in the world, as the reference standard for use of the abbreviations. RESULTS Except for some basic abbreviations and specific abbreviations that were used on a long-term basis, the majority of abbreviations were used in the paper title with its full spelling in order to ensure generality. CONCLUSION It is preferable that abbreviations not be used in the title of the or title of the paper.

We were delighted to read the article by Bohm et al1 addressing the potential deleterious impact of exercise on right ventricular (RV) function. This field definitely needs further study. The work was carried out by a renowned group. However, we were surprised by their conclusion “that the hypothesis of an exercise-induced ARVC needs to be questioned,”1 not only because the small study is underpowered but mainly because the conclusion is not supported by the findings. The authors summed up 4 criteria by which to test the hypothesis. The first concerned the ratio of left ventricular end-diastolic volume/right ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV/RVEDV). This test is indirect at best, only …

We agree with Heidbuchel and colleagues that our findings do not clearly refute the concept of exercise-induced right ventricular (RV) damage because no prospective longitudinal study has been performed so far. However, our finding of marked RV remodeling without functional RV impairment or scarring challenges the notion of an exercise-induced arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. First, we studied an exclusive cohort of world-class master endurance athletes with a training history of 29±8 years. Such athletes are not as easily available as ambitious recreational athletes, who would not demonstrate an extensive cardiac remodeling as our studied athletes. Our athletes demonstrated clear structural exercise-induced cardiac remodeling with a mild RV chamber size predominance of about 6% (left ventricular end-diastolic volume/right ventricular end-diastolic volume ratio

Aims Left ventricular papillary muscles (LVPM) can appear disproportionately hypertrophied, particularly in Fabry disease (FD) where storage appears detectable by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping. The aim of the study was to measure LVPM mass in heart diseases with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and to gain insight into the mechanisms of LVPM hypertrophy in FD. Methods and results Four hundred and seventy-eight cases were retrospectively recruited: 125 FD, 85 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 67 amyloid, 82 aortic stenosis (AS), 40 hypertension, 79 controls. LVPM contribution to LVM was manually contoured on CMR short axis cines. T1 values (septal, LVPM) were measured using ShMOLLI sequences in FD and controls. LVPM contribution to LVM was highest in LVH+ve FD and significantly increased compared to all other LVH+ve groups (FD 13 ± 3%, HCM 10 ± 3%, amyloid 8 ± 2%, AS 7 ± 3%, hypertension 7 ± 2%, controls 7 ± 1%; P < 0.001). LVH+ve HCM also had significantly increased LVPM. In LVH−ve cohorts, only FD had significantly increased LVPM (11 ± 3%; P < 0.001). In FD there was concordant septal and LVPM T1. LVH+ve FD: when septal T1 was low, LVPM T1 was low in 90%. LVH−ve FD: when septal T1 was normal, LVPM T1 was normal in 70% (indicating no detectable storage); when septal T1 was low, 75% had low LVPM T1 (indicating storage). LVPM hypertrophy was similar between the low and normal septal T1 groups (11 ± 3% vs. 10 ± 3%, P = 0.08). Conclusion Disproportionate hypertrophy of LVPMs in LVH+ve hearts occurred in FD and HCM. This phenomenon also occurred in LVH−ve FD. Low T1 was not always present in FD LVPM hypertrophy, implying additional mechanisms activating hypertrophy signalling pathways.

The goal of the study was analysis of the cerebral mechanisms of deliberate deception. The eventrelated functional magnetic resonance (ER fMRI) imaging technique was used to assess the changes in the functional brain activity by means of recording the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Twelve right-handed healthy volunteers aged 19–44 years participated in the study. The BOLD images were obtained during three experimental trials: deliberate deception, manipulative honest and control truthful trials (catch trials). The deliberate deception and manipulative honest actions were characterized by a BOLD signal increase in the anterior cingulate (Brodmann’s area (BA) 32), frontal (BAs 9/10, 6), and parietal (BA 40) cortices as compared with a truthful response. Comparison of the ER fMRI data with the results of earlier studies where event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded under similar conditions indicates the involvement of the brain mechanism of error detection in deliberate deception.

75 As NQR and high-field NMR experiments have been performed on Ge x As y Se 1− x − y glasses. Evolution of As bonding structure from arsenic sites with axially symmetric distribution of the electric field gradient (EFG) to highly asymmetric As surroundings has been revealed. Arsenic atoms form pyramidal structural units in Ge 2 As 2 Se 7 with no evidence of significant concentration of homopolar bonds. In Ge 2 As 2 Se 5 most of arsenic atoms form structural units with two As–As bonds per atom and asymmetric EFG distribution. Arsenic bondings become more complicated in Ge 0.33 As 0.12 Se 0.55 where all arsenic sites are highly distorted. The combination of NQR and NMR data provide valuable information on arsenic bonding dynamics in these glasses.