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Background Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FA) play and important role in neural development and other metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The knowledge about the in vivo content and distribution of n-3 FA in human body tissues is not well established and the standard quantification of FA is invasive and costly. Purpose To detect omega-3 (n-3 CH3 ) and non-omega-3 (CH3 ) methyl group resonance lines with echo times up to 1200 msec, in oils, for the assessment of n-3 FA content, and the n-3 FA fraction in adipose tissue in vivo. Study type Prospective technical development. Population Three oils with different n-3 FA content and 24 healthy subjects. Field strength/sequence Single-voxel MR spectroscopy (SVS) with a point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) sequence with an echo time (TE) of 1000 msec at 7 T. Assessment Knowledge about the J-coupling evolution of both CH3 resonances was used for the optimal detection of the n-3 CH3 resonance line at a TE of 1000 msec. The accuracy of the method in oils and in vivo was validated from a biopsy sample with gas chromatography analysis. Statistical tests SVS data were compared to gas chromatography with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results T2 relaxation times in oils were assessed as follows: CH2 , 65 ± 22 msec; CH3 , 325 ± 7 msec; and n-3 CH3 , 628 ± 34 msec. The n-3 FA fractions from oil phantom experiments (n = 3) were in agreement with chromatography analysis and the comparison of in vivo obtained data with the results of chromatography analysis (n = 5) yielded a significant correlation (P = 0.029). Data conclusion PRESS with ultralong-TE can detect and quantify the n-3 CH3 signal in vivo at 7 T. Level of evidence 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:71-82.

This JACC Scientific Expert Panel provides consensus recommendations for an update of the cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) diagnostic criteria for myocardial inflammation in patients with suspected acute or active myocardial inflammation (Lake Louise Criteria) that include options to use parametric mapping techniques. While each parameter may indicate myocardial inflammation, the authors propose that CMR provides strong evidence for myocardial inflammation, with increasing specificity, if the CMR scan demonstrates the combination of myocardial edema with other CMR markers of inflammatory myocardial injury. This is based on at least one T2-based criterion (global or regional increase of myocardial T2 relaxation time or an increased signal intensity in T2-weighted CMR images), with at least one T1-based criterion (increased myocardial T1, extracellular volume, or late gadolinium enhancement). While having both a positive T2-based marker and a T1-based marker will increase specificity for diagnosing acute myocardial inflammation, having only one (i.e., T2-based OR T1-based) marker may still support a diagnosis of acute myocardial inflammation in an appropriate clinical scenario, albeit with less specificity. The update is expected to improve the diagnostic accuracy of CMR further in detecting myocardial inflammation.

The objective of our study was to use a T2 mapping sequence performed at 3 T to investigate changes in the composition and microstructure of the cartilage and menisci of the pediatric knee joint during maturation.This retrospective study was performed of MRI examinations of 76 pediatric knees without internal derangement in 72 subjects (29 boys [mean age, 12.5 years] and 43 girls [mean age, 13.0 years]) who were evaluated with a sagittal T2 mapping sequence. T2 relaxation time values were quantitatively measured in eight cartilage subregions and in the medial and lateral menisci. Wilcoxon rank sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the relationship between cartilage and meniscus T2 relaxation time values and sex and skeletal maturation, respectively. A multivariate linear regression model was used to investigate the independent association between cartilage T2 relaxation time values and age, weight, and body mass index (BMI [weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters]).There were no significant sex differences (p = 0.26-0.91) in T2 relaxation time values for cartilage or meniscus. T2 relaxation time values in each individual cartilage subregion significantly decreased (p0.001) with progressive maturation. T2 relaxation time values in the lateral meniscus significantly increased (p = 0.001) with maturation, whereas T2 relaxation time values in the medial meniscus did not significantly change (p = 0.82). There was a significant association (p0.001) between cartilage T2 relaxation time values and age independent of weight and BMI, but no significant association between cartilage T2 relaxation time values and weight (p = 0.06) and BMI (p = 0.20) independent of age.Cartilage T2 relaxation time values significantly decreased in all cartilage subregions and meniscus T2 relaxation time values significantly increased in the lateral meniscus during maturation. These changes in T2 relaxation time values reflect age-related changes in tissue composition and microstructure.

BACKGROUND Our group has previously demonstrated in vivo annulus fibrosus repair in animal models using an acellular, riboflavin crosslinked, high-density collagen (HDC) gel. OBJECTIVE To assess if seeding allogenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into this gel yields improved histological and radiographic benefits in an in vivo sheep model of annular injury. METHODS Fifteen lumbar intervertebral discs (IVDs) were randomized into 4 groups: intact, injury only, injury + acellular gel treatment, or injury + MSC-seeded gel treatment. Sheep were sacrificed at 6 wk. Disc height index (DHI), Pfirrmann grade, nucleus pulposus area, and T2 relaxation time (T2-RT) were calculated for each IVD and standardized to healthy controls from the same sheep. Quantitative histological assessment was also performed using the Han scoring system. RESULTS All treated IVDs retained gel plugs on gross assessment and there were no adverse perioperative complications. The MSC-seeded gel treatment group demonstrated statistically significant improvement over other experimental groups in DHI (P = .002), Pfirrmann grade (P

The applications of polymeric sponges are varied, ranging from cleaning and filtration to medical applications. The specific properties of polymeric foams, such as pore size and connectivity, are dependent on their constituent materials and production methods. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) offer complementary information about the structure and properties of porous media. In this study, we employed MRI, in combination with µCT, to characterize the structure of polymeric open-cell foam, and to determine how it changes upon compression, µCT was used to identify the morphology of the pores within sponge plugs, extracted from polyurethane open-cell sponges. MRI T2 relaxation maps and bulk T2 relaxation times measurements were performed for 7° dH water contained within the same polyurethane foams used for µCT. Magnetic resonance and µCT measurements were conducted on both uncompressed and 60% compressed sponge plugs. Compression was achieved using a graduated sample holder with plunger. A relationship between the average T2 relaxation time and maximum opening was observed, where smaller maximum openings were found to have a shorter T2 relaxation times. It was also found that upon compression, the average maximum opening of pores decreased. Average pore size ranges of 375–632 ± 1 µm, for uncompressed plugs, and 301–473 ± 1 µm, for compressed plugs, were observed. By determining maximum opening values and T2 relaxation times, it was observed that the pore structure varies between sponges within the same production batch, as well as even with a single sponge.

PurposeTo demonstrate that quantitative multicomponent T2 relaxation can be more sensitive than conventional FLAIR imaging for detecting cerebral tissue abnormalities.MethodsSix patients affected by lower-grade non-enhancing gliomas underwent T2 relaxation and FLAIR imaging before a radiation treatment by proton therapy (PT) and were examined at follow-up. The T2 decay signal obtained by a thirty-two-echo sequence was decomposed into three main components, attributing to each component a different T2 range: water trapped in the lipid bilayer membrane of myelin, intra/extracellular water and cerebrospinal fluid. The T2 quantitative map of the intra/extracellular water was compared with FLAIR images.ResultsBefore PT, in five patients a mismatch was observed between the intra/extracellular water T2 map and FLAIR images, with peri-tumoral areas of high T2 that typically extended outside the area of abnormal FLAIR hyper-intensity. Such mismatch regions evolved into two different types of patterns. The first type, observed in three patients, was a reduced extension of the abnormal regions on T2 map with respect to FLAIR images (T2 decrease pattern). The second type, observed in two patients, was the appearance of new areas of abnormal hyper-intensity on FLAIR images matching the anomalous T2 map extension (FLAIR increase pattern), that was considered as asymptomatic radiation induced damage.ConclusionOur preliminarily results suggest that quantitative T2 mapping of the intra/extracellular water component was more sensitive than conventional FLAIR imaging to subtle cerebral tissue abnormalities, deserving to be further investigated in future clinical studies.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Preterm birth interferes with regular brain development. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of prematurity on the physical tissue properties of the neonatal brain stem using a quantitative MR imaging approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 55 neonates (extremely preterm [n = 30]

Purpose Relaxation times are a valuable asset when determining spectral assignments. In this study, apparent T2 relaxation times ( T 2 app ) of downfield peaks are reported in the human brain at 9.4 T and are used to guide spectral assignments of some downfield metabolite peaks. Methods Echo time series of downfield metabolite spectra were acquired at 9.4 T using a metabolite-cycled semi-LASER sequence. Metabolite spectral fitting was performed using LCModel V6.3-1L while fitting a pH sweep to estimate the pH of the homocarnosine (hCs) imidazole ring. T 2 app were calculated by fitting the resulting relative amplitudes of the peaks to a mono-exponential decay across the TE series. Furthermore, estimated tissue concentrations of molecules were calculated using the relaxation times and internal water as a reference. Results T 2 app of downfield metabolites are reported within a range from 16 to 32 ms except for homocarnosine with T 2 app of 50 ms. Correcting T 2 app for exchange rates ( T 2 c o r r ) resulted in relaxation times between 20 and 33 ms. The estimated pH values based on hCs imidazole range from 7.07 to 7.12 between subjects. Furthermore, analyzing the linewidths of the downfield peaks and their T 2 app contribution led to possible peak assignments. Conclusion T 2 app relaxation times were longer for the assigned metabolite peaks compared to the unassigned peaks. Tissue pH estimation in vivo with proton MRS and simultaneous quantification of amide protons at 8.30 ± 0.15 ppm is likely possible. Based on concentration, linewidth, and exchange rates measurements, tentative peak assignments are discussed for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), and urea.

Objectives: To develop a joint k-TE reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct the T2-weighted (T2W) images and T2 map simultaneously., Materials and Methods: The joint k-TE reconstruction model was formulated as an optimization problem subject to a self-consistency condition of the exponential decay relationship between the T2W images and T2 map. The objective function included a data fidelity term enforcing the agreement between the solution and the measured k-space data, together with a spatial regularization term on image properties of the T2W images. The optimization problem was solved using Alternating-Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). We tested the joint k-TE method in phantom data and healthy volunteer scans with fully-sampled and under-sampled k-space lines. Image quality of the reconstructed T2W images and T2 map, and the accuracy of T2 measurements derived by the joint k- TE and the conventional signal fitting method were compared., Results: The proposed method improved image quality with reduced noise and less artifacts on both T2W images and T2 map, and increased measurement consistency in T2 relaxation time measurements compared with the conventional method in all data sets., Conclusions: The proposed reconstruction method outperformed the conventional magnitude image-based signal fitting method in image quality and stability of quantitative T2 measurements.

The traditional approach for measuring myelin-associated water with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses multi-echo T2 relaxation data to calculate the myelin water fraction (MWF). A fundamentally different approach, abbreviated “mcDESPOT”, uses a more efficient steady-state acquisition to generate an equivalent metric (fM). Although previous studies have demonstrated inherent instability and bias in the complex mcDESPOT analysis procedure, fM has often been used as a surrogate for MWF. We produced and compared multivariate atlases of MWF and fM in healthy human brain and cervical spinal cord (available online) and compared their ability to detect multiple sclerosis pathology. A significant bias was found in all regions (p –5), albeit reversed for spinal cord (fM-MWF = − 3.4%) compared to brain (+ 6.2%). MWF and fM followed an approximately linear relationship for regions with MWF ~ 10%, the relationship broke down and fM no longer increased in tandem with MWF. For multiple sclerosis patients, MWF and fM Z score maps showed overlapping areas of low Z score and similar trends between patients and brain regions, although those of fM generally had greater spatial extent and magnitude of severity. These results will guide future choice of myelin-sensitive quantitative MRI and improve interpretation of studies using either myelin imaging approach.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is generally used to obtain information about the characterization of body tissues in MRI scanning. The variation of parameters, such as repetition time (TR) and echo time (TE), will produce different image results. The previous study has discussed the effect of variation of TR values on MRI images, while TE is one of the parameters that have an essential role in the formation of MRI images. This study will discuss the effect of variation of TE on MRI images. The samples were made of agarose gel with a concentration of 0.5% to 5% and distilled water. Samples were scanned using MRI 1.5 Tesla and data were processed using image processing software. From data processing, signal intensity was used to obtain T2 relaxation time and signal-to-noise ratio. The agarose concentration and TE variation affect signal intensity from each sample. The signal intensity and SNR decrease with increasing TE values. The agarose of lower concentration gives the hyperintensity image and yields higher T2 relaxation time.

Multicomponent T2-mapping using a gradient and spin-echo (GraSE) acquisition has become standard for myelin water imaging at 3T. Higher magnetic field strengths promise SNR benefits but face specific absorption rate limits and shortened T2 times. This study investigates compartmental T2 times in vivo and addresses advantages and challenges of multi-component T2-mapping at 7T. We acquired 3D multi-echo GraSE data in seven healthy adults at 7T, with three subjects scanned also at 3T. Stimulated echoes arising from B+1 inhomogeneities were accounted for by the extended phase graph (EPG) algorithm. We used the computed T2 distributions to determine T2 times that identify different water pools and assessed signal-to-noise and fit-to-noise characteristics of the signal estimation. We compared short T2 fractions and T2 properties of the intermediate water pool at 3T and 7T. Flip angle mapping confirmed that EPG accurately determined the larger inhomogeneity at 7T. Multi-component T2 analysis demonstrated shortened T2 times at 7T compared to 3T. Fit-to-noise and signal-to-noise ratios were improved at 7T but depended on B1 homogeneity. Lowering the shortest T2 to 8 ms and adjusting the T2 threshold that separates different water compartments to 20 ms, yielded short T2 fractions at 7T that conformed to 3T data. Short T2 fractions in myelin-rich white matter regions were lower at 7T than at 3T, and higher in iron-rich structures. Adjusting the T2 compartment boundaries was required due to the shorter T2 relaxation times at 7T. Shorter echo spacing would better sample the fast decaying signal but would increase peripheral nerve stimulation. We used a multi-echo 3D-GraSE sequence to characterize the multi-exponential T2 decay at 7T. We adapted T2 parameters for evaluation of the short T2 fraction. Obtained 7T multicomponent T2-maps were in good agreement with 3T data., Comment: reformatted submitted version: 6 pages, 5 figures, 2 supplements

The aim of the present investigation was to replicate a study published by Demangeat in 2010 in the Journal of Molecular Liquids. We measured 20 MHz longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) proton relaxation of H2O in highly diluted silica-lactose (Sil/Lac) solutions in 0.15 M LiCl in water (Sil/Lac C6–C24, range 10−7 M–10−47 M). The samples were prepared by repetitive succussion and centesimal dilution under rigorously controlled laboratory conditions. Lactose solutions in 0.15 M LiCl in water (Lac C6–C24) were identically and simultaneously treated, as controls. Neither for lactose (Lac) nor for Sil/Lac solutions did T1 and T2 relaxation parameters show a significant correlation with increasing dilution level. A cross-correlation analysis of T1 and T2 revealed a significant negative correlation for both Sil/Lac and LiCl samples, which changed to positive after placing the tubes for 10 min in boiling water. These results diverge from those obtained in the study of Demangeat. In our investigation, the process of potentisation (repetitive succussion and dilution) seems to be responsible for the modifications of proton relaxation times, irrespective of the presence of silica. We hypothesise that succussion intensity during dilution is a crucial factor that needs to be investigated in more detail in future investigations.

This study tested for longitudinal changes in femoral cartilage T2 relaxation time and thickness in fast-progressing medial femorotibial osteoarthritis (OA). From the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) database, nineteen knees fulfilled the inclusion criteria, which included medial femorotibial OA and sequential progression from Kellgren–Lawrence grade (KL) 1 to KL2 to KL3 within five years. Median T2 value and mean thickness were calculated for six condylar volumes of interest (VOIs, medial/lateral anterior, central, posterior) and six sub-VOIs (medial/lateral anterior external, central, internal). T2 value and thickness changes between severity timepoints were tested using repeated statistics. T2 values increased between KL1 and KL2 and between KL1 and KL3 in the medial compartment (p ≤ 0.02), whereas both increases and decreases were observed between the same timepoints in the lateral compartment (p ≤ 0.02). Cartilage thickness decreased in VOI/subVOIs of the medial compartment from KL1 to KL2 and KL3 (p ≤ 0.014). Cartilage T2 value and thickness changes varied spatially over the femoral condyles. While all T2 changes occurred in the early radiographic stages of OA, thickness changes occurred primarily in the later stages. These data therefore support the use of T2 relaxation time analyses in methods of detecting disease-related change during early OA, a valuable period for therapeutic interventions.

BackgroundDiabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is associated with loss of muscle strength. MRI including diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) may enable detection of muscle abnormalities related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and DPN.PurposeTo assess skeletal muscle abnormalities in participants with DM2 with or without DPN by using MRI.Materials and MethodsThis prospective cross-sectional study included participants with DM2 and DPN (DPN positive), participants with DM2 without DPN (DPN negative), and healthy control (HC) participants enrolled between August 2017 and June 2018. Muscle strength at the knee and ankle was determined with isokinetic dynamometry. MRI of the lower extremities included the Dixon sequence, multicomponent T2 mapping, and DTI calculated fat fractions (FFs), T2 relaxation of muscle (T2water), fractional anisotropy (FA), and diffusivity (mean, axial, and radial). One-way analysis of variance and Tukey honestly significant difference were applied for comparison between groups, and multivariate regression models were used for association between MRI parameters, nerve conduction, strength, and body mass index (BMI).ResultsTwenty participants with DPN (mean age, 65 years ± 9 [standard deviation]; 70% men; mean BMI, 34 kg/m2 ± 5), 20 participants without DPN (mean age, 64 years ± 9; 55% men; mean BMI, 30 kg/m2 ± 6), and 20 HC participants (mean age, 61 years ± 10; 55% men; mean BMI, 27 kg/m2 ± 5) were enrolled in this study. Muscle strength adjusted for age, sex, and BMI was lower in participants with DPN than in DPN-negative and HC participants in the upper and lower leg (plantar flexors [PF], 62% vs 78% vs 89%; P < .001; knee extensors [KE], 73% vs 95% vs 93%; P < .001). FF was higher in leg muscle groups of participants with DPN than in DPN-negative and HC participants (PF, 20% vs 10% vs 8%; P < .001; KE, 13% vs 8% vs 6%; P < .001). T2water was prolonged in leg muscle groups of participants with DPN when compared with HC participants (PF, 33 msec vs 31 msec; P < .001; KE, 32 msec vs 31 msec; P = .002) and in the lower leg when compared with participants without DPN (PF, 33 msec vs 32 msec; P = .03). In multivariate regression models, strength was associated with FA (b = -0.0004), T2water (b = -0.03 msec), and FF (b = -0.1%) at thigh level (P < .001). Furthermore, FA (b = -0.007), T2water (b = -0.53 msec), and FF (b = -4.0%) were associated with nerve conduction at calf level (P < .001).ConclusionMRI of leg muscle groups revealed fat accumulation, differences in water composition, and structural changes in participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and neuropathy. Abnormalities were most pronounced in the plantar flexors.© RSNA, 2020Online supplemental material is available for this article.See also the editorial by Sneag and Tan in this issue.

The anisotropy of brain white matter microstructure manifests itself in orientational-dependence of various MRI contrasts, and can result in significant quantification biases if ignored. Understanding the origins of this orientation-dependence could enhance the interpretation of MRI signal changes in development, ageing and disease and ultimately improve clinical diagnosis. Using a novel experimental setup, this work studies the contributions of the intra- and extra-axonal water to the orientation-dependence of one of the most clinically-studied parameters, apparent transverse relaxation T2. Specifically, a tiltable receive coil is interfaced with an ultra-strong gradient MRI scanner to acquire multidimensional MRI data with an unprecedented range of acquisition parameters. Using this setup, compartmental T2 can be disentangled based on differences in diffusional-anisotropy, and its orientation-dependence further elucidated by re-orienting the head with respect to the main magnetic field B→0. A dependence of (compartmental) T2 on the fibre orientation w.r.t. B→0 was observed, and further quantified using characteristic representations for susceptibility- and magic angle effects. Across white matter, anisotropy effects were dominated by the extra-axonal water signal, while the intra-axonal water signal decay varied less with fibre-orientation. Moreover, the results suggest that the stronger extra-axonal T2 orientation-dependence is dominated by magnetic susceptibility effects (presumably from the myelin sheath) while the weaker intra-axonal T2 orientation-dependence may be driven by a combination of microstructural effects. Even though the current design of the tiltable coil only offers a modest range of angles, the results demonstrate an overall effect of tilt and serve as a proof-of-concept motivating further hardware development to facilitate experiments that explore orientational anisotropy. These observations have the potential to lead to white matter microstructural models with increased compartmental sensitivity to disease, and can have direct consequences for longitudinal and group-wise T2- and diffusion-MRI data analysis, where the effect of head-orientation in the scanner is commonly ignored.

Background Articular cartilage structure and chondrocyte health are sensitive and reliant on dynamic joint loading during activities. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the association between measures of individual and cumulative knee joint loading with T2 relaxation times in the knee cartilage of young individuals without knee injury. Methods Twelve participants (17–30 years old) without history of knee injury or surgery completed MRI, physical activity (PA), and biomechanical gait testing. T2 relaxation times were calculated in the cartilage within the patella and lateral and medial compartments. Accelerometry was used to measure mean daily step counts, minutes of PA, and % sedentary time over 7 days. Vertical ground reaction force, external knee joint moments and peak knee flexion angle were measured during stance phase of gait using three-dimensional motion capture. Cumulative knee joint loading was calculated as daily step count by external knee joint moment impulse. The relationship between measures of knee joint loading and T2 relaxation times was assessed using Pearson correlations. Results Higher T2 relaxation times in the femoral and tibial cartilage were consistently correlated to greater body mass, daily step counts, moderate and vigorous PA, and peak knee joint moments (r = 0.10–0.84). Greater cumulative knee flexion and adduction loading was associated with higher T2 relaxation times in the femoral and tibial cartilage (r = 0.16–0.65). Conclusion Preliminary findings suggest that individual loading factors and cumulative knee joint loading are associated with higher T2 relaxation times in the articular cartilage of young, healthy knees.

Introduction: While cardiac tumors are rare, their identification and differentiation has wide clinical implications. Recent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parametric mapping techniques allow for quantitative tissue characterization. Our aim was to examine the range of values encountered in cardiac myxomas in correlation to histological measurements.Methods and Results: Nine patients with histologically proven cardiac myxomas were included. CMR (1.5 Tesla, Philips) including parametric mapping was performed in all patients pre-operatively. All data are reported as mean ± standard deviation. Compared to myocardium, cardiac myxomas demonstrated higher native T1 relaxation times (1,554 ± 192 ms vs. 1,017 ± 58 ms, p < 0.001), ECV (46.9 ± 13.0% vs. 27.1 ± 2.6%, p = 0.001), and T2 relaxation times (209 ± 120 ms vs. 52 ± 3 ms, p = 0.008). Areas with LGE showed higher ECV than areas without (54.3 ± 17.8% vs. 32.7 ± 18.6%, p = 0.042), with differences in native T1 relaxation times (1,644 ± 217 ms vs. 1,482 ± 351 ms, p = 0.291) and T2 relaxation times (356 ± 236 ms vs. 129 ± 68 ms, p = 0.155) not reaching statistical significance.Conclusions: Parametric CMR showed elevated native T1 and T2 relaxation times and ECV values in cardiac myxomas compared to normal myocardium, reflecting an increased interstitial space and fluid content. This might help in the differentiation of cardiac myxomas from other tumor entities.

In clinical practice, a thickening solution is frequently used to allow easy swallowing of tablets by patients suffering from dysphagia. This study investigated the effect of the thickening solution on tablet disintegration. Model tablets containing different disintegrants were prepared and their disintegration times (DTs) measured using standard methods. We also performed an additional disintegration test on the model tablets after immersing them for 1 min in thickening solution containing xanthan gum (XTG-SOL) ("modified disintegration test"). The DTs of the test tablets were substantially prolonged by immersion in XTG-SOL. Furthermore, the effect of the XTG-SOL on the DTs differed depending on the type of disintegrant contained in the tablets. To investigate in more detail this prolongation of tablet disintegration, we examined the contribution of tablet properties to their DTs. The properties analyzed included contact angle, T2 relaxation time, wetting time, and water absorption ratio. The contributions of these properties to the DTs were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. This analysis clarified that the tablet properties affecting DTs changed after immersion in XTG-SOL: wetting time significantly affected the DTs measured in the normal disintegration test, while T2 was crucial for the DTs of tablets immersed in XTG-SOL. These findings provide valuable information for design of tablet formulations, and for clinical medication management for older patients with dysphagia.

High quality tissue-mimicking phantoms (TMPs) have a critical role in the preclinical testing of emerging modalities for diagnosis and therapy. TMPs capable of accurately mimicking real tissue in Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) applications should be fabricated with precise T1 and T2 relaxation times. Given the current popularity of the MRgFUS technology, we herein performed a systematic review on the MR relaxation properties of different phantoms types. Polyacrylamide (PAA) and agar based phantoms were proven capable of accurately replicating critical thermal, acoustical, and MR relaxation properties of various body tissues. Although gelatin phantoms were also proven factional in this regard, they lack the capacity to withstand ablation temperatures, and thus, are only recommended for hyperthermia applications. Other gelling agents identified in the literature are Poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), silicone, and TX-150/ TX-151; however, their efficacy in thermal studies is yet to be established. PAA gels are favorable in that they offer optical transparency enabling direct visualization of coagulative lesions. On the other hand, agar phantoms have lower preparation costs and were proven very promising for use with the MRgFUS technology, without the toxicity issues related to the preparation and storage of PAA materials. Remarkably, agar turned out to be the prominent modifier of the T2 relaxation time even for phantoms containing other types of gelling agents instead of agar. This review could be useful in manufacturing realistic MRgFUS phantoms while simultaneously indicating an opportunity for further research in the field with a particular focus on the MR behavior of agar-based TMPs.

Direct measurement of the liquid-solid mass transfer coefficient in packed beds is achieved using T 2 - T 2 relaxation exchange NMR. This method directly probes molecular exchange between intra- and inter-pellet fluid, rather than requiring a net flux between phases as in conventional methods. Mass transfer coefficients measured using the NMR method are compared with literature values and two widely used correlations. For Reynolds number, Re , less than 0.2, the mass transfer coefficients measured using NMR show excellent agreement with the correlations over the flow conditions for which they were developed. The approach also enables the quantification of mass transfer in the limit of, and at, zero flow. At Re = 0, the Sherwood number in packed beds with voidage of 0.41 determined by NMR is found to approach 9, in good agreement with previously reported results, but significantly greater than that predicted by extrapolating well-known correlations beyond their range of validity to Re = 0.

Purpose Moving to ultra‐high fields (≥7 T), the inhomogeneity of both RF (B 1) and static (B 0) magnetic fields increases, which further motivates us to design a realistic head‐shaped phantom, especially for spectroscopic imaging. Such phantoms provide images similar to the human brain and serve as a reliable tool for developing and examining methods in MRI. This study aims to develop and characterize a realistic head‐shaped phantom filled with brain‐mimicking metabolites for MRS and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in a 7 T MRI scanner. Methods A 3D head‐shaped container with three sections—mimicking brain, muscle and precranial lipid—was constructed. The phantom was designed to provide robustness to heating, mechanical damage and leakage, with easy refilling. The head’s shape and the agarose mixture were optimized to provide B 0 and B 1 distributions and T 1/T 2 relaxation values similar to those of human brain. Eight brain‐tissue‐mimicking metabolites were included for spectroscopy. The phantom was evaluated for localized spectroscopy, fast spectroscopic imaging and fat suppression. Results The B 0 and B 1 maps showed distribution similar to that of human brain, with increased B 0 inhomogeneity near the nasal and ear areas and reduced B 1 in the temporal lobe and brain stem regions, as expected in vivo. The metabolites’ concentrations were verified by single‐voxel spectroscopy, showing an average deviation of 11%. Fast spectroscopic imaging and imaging with fat suppression were demonstrated. Conclusion A 3D head‐shaped phantom for human brain imaging and spectroscopic imaging in 7 T MRI was demonstrated, making it a realistic phantom for methodology development at 7 T., A realistic head‐shaped phantom with brain‐mimicking metabolites was developed and characterized for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging in a 7T MRI scanner. The phantom was designed to improve robustness to heating, mechanical damage and leakage, with handy refilling. The B0 and B1 maps showed similar to human brain distribution. The metabolites’ concentrations were verified by single voxel spectroscopy, showing an average deviation of 11% and fast spectroscopic imaging was demonstrated.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:13:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-04-01 Background: Neurodegeneration is a complex cellular process linked to prompt changes in myelin integrity and gradual neuron loss. Current imaging techniques offer estimations of myelin volumes in lesions/remyelinated areas but are limited to detect subtle injury. Purpose: To investigate whether measurements detected by a signal hierarchically isolated as a function of time-to-echo (SHIFT) MRI technique can determine changes in myelin integrity and fiber axolemma. Study Type: Prospective animal model. Animal Model: Surgically demyelinated spinal cord (SC) injury model in rodents (n = 6). Field Strength/Sequence: Gradient-echo spin-echo at 3T. Assessment: Multicompartment T2 relaxations were computed by SHIFT MRI in 75-microns-resolution images of the SC injury penumbra region 2 weeks post-trauma. G-ratio and axolemma delamination were assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in intact and injured samples. SC myelinated nerve fraction was computed by SHIFT MRI prospectively and assessed histologically. Statistical Tests: Relations between SHIFT-isolated T2-components and TEM measurements were studied using linear regression and t-tests. Pearson's correlation and significance were computed to determine the SHIFT's sensitivity to detect myelinated fibers ratio in gray matter. Regularized least-squares-based ranking analysis was employed to determine SHIFT MRI's ability to discern intact and injured myelinated nerves. Results: Biexponential signals isolated by SHIFT MRI for intact vs. lesion penumbra exhibited changes in T2, shifting from intermediate components (25 ± 2 msec) to long (43 ± 11 msec) in white matter, and similarly in gray matter regions-of-interest (31 ± 2 to 46 ± 16 msec). These changes correlated highly with TEM g-ratio and axon delamination measurements (P < 0.05). Changes in short T2 components were observed but not statistically significant (8.5 ± 0.5 to 7 ± 3 msec, P = 0.445, and 4.0 ± 0.9 to 7 ± 3 msec, P = 0.075, respectively). SHIFT MRI's ability to detect myelinated fibers within gray matter was confirmed (P < 0.001). Data Conclusion: Changes detected by SHIFT MRI are associated with abnormal intermembrane spaces formed upon mild injury, directly correlated with early neuro integrity loss. Level of Evidence 1. Technical Efficacy Stage 2. Center for Neuroregneration Department of Neurosurgery Houston Methodist Research Institute Houston Methodist Hospital Department of Biological Physics Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP Division of Arts and Sciences NYU Shanghai NYU-ECNU Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at NYU Shanghai Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology New York University Department of Biological Physics Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP

We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to quantify N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentrations and apparent spin-spin (T2) relaxation times, which also include diffusion attenuations, in first episode and chronic psychosis patients compared to matched healthy controls. 104 patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders and 50 matched controls were scanned at 4 Tesla. 1H MRS data were collected at four echo times (TE = 30, 90, 150 and 200 ms) using PRESS. NAA concentrations referenced to water and apparent T2 relaxation times of NAA and water were calculated. At TE = 30 ms, NAA concentration without T2 correction was significantly lower in chronic psychosis patients compared to age-matched healthy controls (p = 0.013, N = 61 and 26, respectively) but normal in first episode patients compared to matched controls (N = 43 and 24, respectively). After T2 correction, no significant differences remained between the groups. While diffusion attenuation was not independently accounted for, these findings indicate that T2 relaxation makes a major impact on NAA concentration measures in psychotic disorders. Thus, it may be neuronal microenvironment indexed by NAA and water T2 relaxation times and not neuronal integrity indexed by NAA concentration that underlies the widely reported NAA concentration reductions in psychotic disorders.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, causing joint pain and functional disability in millions of people worldwide. OA is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage and involves the whole joint including articular cartilage, meniscus, subchondral bone and synovium. Despite great success in modern medicine, there is still no effective treatment to prevent or cure OA. This is largely due to the absence of a reliable and sensitive biomarker that is able to identify early OA and follow up the disease progression. Early diagnosis of OA can lead the way to appropriate interventions that can potentially avoid the onset or progression of OA. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) has been indirectly associated with the compositional changes and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage and meniscus. In addition to T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements, rotating frame of reference (RFR) relaxation parameters were found to be sensitive to the degenerative changes in articular cartilage and meniscus. The RFR parameters involve spin-locking irradiation, which can be modified to provide multiple relaxation methods such as continuous-wave T1ρ (CWT1ρ), adiabatic T1ρ (AdT1ρ), adiabatic T2ρ (AdT2ρ) and relaxation along a fictitious field (TRAFF). The aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential of qMRI parameters (T1, T2, CWT1ρ, AdT1ρ, AdT2ρ, TRAFF) for the assessment of structural and compositional changes in articular cartilage in a rabbit model of early OA and an equine model of post-traumatic OA. Biomechanical properties and histology were used as references. Moreover, the clinical feasibility of AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ for the evaluation of structural changes in meniscus was studied in human OA. Compared to other qMRI parameters, T1, CWT1ρ and AdT1ρ were more sensitive to the degenerative cartilage changes in both the rabbit model of early OA and the equine model of post-traumatic OA. The parameters were highly associated with cartilage tissue properties. Furthermore, AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ detected meniscus tissue alterations associated with meniscal tear and full-thickness cartilage lesions in human OA. These findings indicate the potential of T1, CWT1ρ and AdT1ρ mapping for the evaluation of early OA changes in articular cartilage, and clinical feasibility of AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ for the assessment of meniscus. Tiivistelmä Nivelrikko on yleisin nivelten sairaus, joka aiheuttaa huomattavaa kipua ja liikkumisvaikeuksia miljoonille ihmisille ympäri maailmaa. Nivelrikossa nivelrusto ohenee, mutta sairaus vaikuttaa koko niveleen ja kaikkiin sen kudoksiin, nivelrustoon, nivelkierukoihin, rustonalaiseen luuhun ja nivelkapseliin. Huolimatta nykylääketieteen saavutuksista, nivelrikkoa parantavaa tai estävää hoitoa ei ole olemassa. Merkittävä syy tehokkaiden hoitojen puuttumiseen on luotettavien ja herkkien nivelrikon diagnosointimenetelmien puute. Tällaisilla menetelmillä voitaisiin tunnistaa varhaisvaiheen nivelrikko ja seurata luotettavasti sen etenemistä. Varhainen diagnoosi mahdollistaisi paremmin nivelrikon etenemisen ennaltaehkäisyn, ja sitä kautta sen hidastamisen tai jopa pysäyttämisen kokonaan. Kvantitatiivisen magneettikuvauksen avulla voidaan epäsuorasti havainnoida muutoksia nivelruston ja nivelkierukoiden rakenteellisissa sekä toiminnallisissa ominaisuuksissa. T1- ja T2-relaksaatioaikamittausten ohella niin kutsuttujen pyörivän koordinaatiston relaksaatioparametrien on havaittu olevan herkkiä nivelruston ja nivelkierukoiden degeneratiivisille muutoksille. Pyörivän koordinaatiston parametrien mittauksessa käytettyä spin-lukko-pulssia voidaan muuttaa ja siten tuottaa erilaisia kontrasteja, kuten jatkuvan aallon T1ρ (CW-T1ρ), adiabaattinen T1ρ (AdT1ρ), adiabaattinen T2ρ (AdT2ρ) ja fiktiivisen kentän relaksaatio (TRAFF). Väitöskirjatyön tavoitteena oli selvittää kvantitatiivisten magneettikuvausparametrien (T1, T2, CWT1ρ, AdT1ρ, AdT2ρ ja TRAFF) potentiaalia kanin varhaisen nivelrikon ja ponin traumaperäisen nivelrikon tautimalleissa. Nivelruston biomekaanisia ominaisuuksia ja histologiaa käytettiin verrokkimenetelminä. Väitöskirjatyössä selvitettiin AdT 1ρ:n ja AdT2ρ:n kliinistä soveltuvuutta nivelkierukan rakenteellisten ominaisuuksien arviointiin ihmisillä. Muihin magneettikuvausparametreihin verrattuna T1, CWT1ρ sekä AdT1ρ olivat herkimpiä degeneratiivisille muutoksille kanin ja ponin tautimalleissa. Nivelkierukassa AdT1ρ ja AdT2ρ havaitsivat kudosmuutoksia, jotka liittyivät nivelkierukan repeämiseen ja nivelrustovaurioihin ihmisen nivelrikossa. Väitöskirjatyön havainnot osoittavat, että T1, CWT1ρ sekä AdT1ρ ovat potentiaalisia menetelmiä varhaisen nivelrikon aiheuttamien rustomuutosten havaitsemiseen sekä AdT1ρ ja AdT2ρ kliinisesti soveltuvia nivelkierukan arviointiin.

The tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove (TT–TG) distance is a radiographic measurement that is used to quantify malalignment of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) in cross-sectional imaging. There is an ongoing debate about the impact of the TT–TG-distance on lateral patellar instability and the initiating of cartilage degeneration. In this prospective study, the association of T2* relaxation times and TT–TG distances in professional soccer players was analyzed. 36 knees of 18 professional soccer players (age: 21 ± 2.8 years) were evaluated. Participants underwent knee MRI at 3 T. For qualitative image analysis, fat-saturated 2D PD-weighted Fast Spin Echo (FSE) and T1-weighted FSE sequences were used. For quantitative analysis, T2* measurements in 3D data acquisitions were performed. In a qualitative analysis there was no structural cartilage damage and no abnormalities of the patellar and trochlea shape. The highest T2* values (26.7 ± 5.9 ms) were observed in the central compartment of the patella. The mean TT–TG distance was 10 ± 4 mm (range 3–20 mm). There was no significant correlation between TT–TG distance and T2* relaxation times in all three compartments of the retropatellar cartilage. Our study shows that so long as patellar and trochlear morphology is normal, TT–TG distance alone does not affect the tissue structure of the retropatellar cartilage in professional soccer players.

Tendon geometry and tissue properties are important determinants of tendon function and injury risk and are altered in response to ageing, disease, and physical activity levels. The purpose of this study was to compare free Achilles tendon geometry and mechanical properties between trained elite/sub-elite middle-distance runners and a healthy control group. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure free Achilles tendon volume, length, average cross-sectional area (CSA), regional CSA, moment arm, and T2* relaxation time at rest, while freehand three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) was used to quantify free Achilles tendon mechanical stiffness, Young’s modulus, and length normalised mechanical stiffness. The free Achilles tendon in trained runners was significantly shorter and the average and regional CSA (distal end) were significantly larger compared to the control group. Mechanical stiffness of the free Achilles tendon was also significantly higher in trained runners compared to controls, which was explained by the group differences in tendon CSA and length. T2* relaxation time was significantly longer in trained middle-distance runners when compared to healthy controls. There was no relationship between T2* relaxation time and Young’s modulus. The longer T2* relaxation time in trained runners may be indicative of accumulated damage, disorganised collagen, and increased water content in the free Achilles tendon. A short free Achilles tendon with large CSA and higher mechanical stiffness may enable trained runners to rapidly transfer high muscle forces and possibly reduce the risk of tendon damage from mechanical fatigue.

Purpose To compare multiple quantitative parameters from breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the synthetic MRI sequence included for discrimination of molecular subtypes of invasive breast cancer. Materials and methods Between March 2019 and September 2020, two hundred breast cancer patients underwent preoperative breast multiparametric MRI examinations including synthetic MRI, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE)-MRI sequences. MRI morphological features, T1 and T2 relaxation times (T1, T2) and proton density (PD) values from synthetic MRI, Ktrans, Kep, and Ve from DCE-MRI, mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from DWI and tumor volume were measured. Quantitative parameters were compared according to molecular markers and subtypes. Logistic regression were performed to find the related MRI parameters and establish combined parameters. The comparison between single and combined quantitative parameters by using DeLong tests. Results T1, T2 values were significantly higher in hormone receptor (HR)- negative and Ki67 > 14% tumors (p 14% tumors (p 14% tumors (p Conclusions MRI quantitative parameters could help distinguish molecular markers and subtypes. The emerging synthetic MRI parameters - T1 values were associated with the TN subtype, and combined parameters with added T2 values might improve the discrimination of the luminal A subtype. Application of synthetic MRI can enrich quantitative descriptors from breast MRI.

Japanese individuals have a unique culture of soaking in a bathtub, and forensic pathologists have experienced fatal cases due to drowning. However, T1 and T2 relaxation times of a drowning lung are poorly documented. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between drowning water temperature and T1 and T2 relaxation times of drowning lung tissues at 9.4 T MRI (Bruker, BioSpec94/20USR). The mice used as animal drowning models were directly submerged in freshwater. Water temperature was set to 8 °C–10 °C (cold), 20 °C–22 °C (normal), 30 °C, and 45 °C. The regions of interest (ROIs) on the axial section of the third slice were set at the central and peripheral areas of each—the left and the right—lung. T1 relaxation times measured immediately after death differed by the presence or absence of soaking water, except in case of cold water temperature. In the drowning groups, T1 relaxation time showed a linear dependency on water temperature. By contrast, T2 relaxation time was almost constant regardless of the presence of drowning under the same temperature condition; when compared in the lung areas of the same individuals, the times were uniformly reduced in drowning models. To minimize the effects of hypostasis and decomposition, we performed measurements immediately after death and were able to determine the noticeable difference in drowning water temperature. These results may be useful for qualitative assessments of a drowning lung and may serve as a basis when imaging the human body during forensic autopsy cases.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used for disease diagnosis because it can noninvasively obtain anatomical details of various diseases through accurate contrast between soft tissues. Over one-third of MRI examinations are performed with the assistance of contrast agents. Traditional contrast agents typically display an unchanging signal, thus exhibiting relatively low sensitivity and poor specificity. Currently, advances in stimulus-responsive contrast agents which can alter the relaxation signal in response to a specific change in their surrounding environment provide new opportunities to overcome such limitation. The signal changes based on stimulus also reflects the physiological and pathological conditions of the site of interests. In this review, how to design stimulus-responsive nanoparticle MRI contrast agents from the perspective of theory and surface design is comprehensively discussed. Key structural features including size, clusters, shell features, and surface properties are used for tuning the T1 and T2 relaxation properties. The reversible or non-reversible signal changes highlight the contrast agents have undergone structural changes based on certain stimulus, as an indication for disease diagnosis or therapeutic efficacy.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based relaxometry is widely used in various fields of research because of its advantages such as simple sample preparation, easy handling, and relatively low cost compared with metabolomics approaches. However, there have been no reports on the application of the T2 relaxation curves in metabolomics studies involving the evaluation of metabolic mixtures, such as geographical origin determination and feature extraction by pattern recognition and data mining. In this study, we describe a data mining method for relaxometric data (i.e., relaxometric learning). This method is based on a machine learning algorithm supported by the analytical framework optimized for the relaxation curve analyses. In the analytical framework, we incorporated a variable optimization approach and bootstrap resampling-based matrixing to enhance the classification performance and balance the sample size between groups, respectively. The relaxometric learning enabled the extraction of features related to the physical properties of fish muscle and the determination of the geographical origin of the fish by improving the classification performance. Our results suggest that relaxometric learning is a powerful and versatile alternative to conventional metabolomics approaches for evaluating fleshiness of chemical mixtures in food and for other biological and chemical research requiring a nondestructive, cost-effective, and time-saving method.

Differential diagnosis of the most common tremor syndromes – essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) is burdened with high error rate. However, diagnostic MRI biomarkers applicable in this clinically highly relevant scenario remain an unfulfilled objective. The presented study was designed in search for possible candidate MRI protocols relevant for differential diagnostic process in tremor syndromes.10 non-advanced tremor-dominant PD patients meeting diagnostic criteria for clinically established PD, 12 isolated ET patients and 16 healthy controls were enrolled into this study. The study focused on relaxation MRI protocols – T1, T2, adiabatic T1ρ and adiabatic T2ρ due to their relatively low post-processing requirements enabling implementation into routine clinical practice. Compared to ET, PD patients had significantly longer T2 relaxation times in striata with dominant findings in the putamen contralateral to the clinically more affected body side. This difference was driven by alterations in the PD group as confirmed in the complementary comparison with healthy controls. According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis, this region provided a reasonable sensitivity of 0.91 and specificity of 0.89 in the differential diagnosis of PD and ET. In PD patients, we further found prolonged T1ρ in the substantia nigra compared to ET and healthy controls, and shorter T2 and T2ρ in the cerebellum compared to healthy controls. T2 relaxation time in the putamen contralateral to the clinically more affected body side is a plausible candidate diagnostic marker for the differentiation of PD and ET.