(1) Background: The aim of the research was to present and emphasize the importance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures by presenting case reports. (2) Materials and Methods: The sample of respondents included 7 patients (4 males and 3 females, 2 athletes and 5 non-athletes), aged 25 to 58 years, with AT injuries, who were examined and treated at the Institute for Treatment and Rehabilitation "Niška Banja", Niš, Serbia. Ankle examinations with MRI were conducted using the Esaote O-scan 0.3 T machine. The examinations were performed without the application of a paramagnetic contrast agent and without the use of anesthesia. Results: The MRI method's sensitivity and overall diagnostic accuracy were excellent, with 100% true positives. In our study, the method accurately detected the presence, location, and severity of AT injuries in all cases. MRI is an important and reliable method for detecting AT injuries, classifying them, monitoring the course of recovery, and assessing the effects of therapy. Conclusions: An unrecognized or delayed diagnosis of an AT injury can lead to chronic changes. Timely diagnosis (clinical examination, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging) and appropriate treatment (conservative or operative) enable patients to return to normal activities, including sports. Unfortunately, the use of MRI is limited by restricted access and the cost of the examination.

The aim of study was to investigate epidemiology aspects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during COVID-19 pandemic. The study comprised depersonalized residents of Tomsk and Tomsk Region (n = 1714). Invitations to take online survey were sent to 50,000 residents by target SMS with response rate of 1.2% (n = 727, Cohort 1). Cohort 2 comprised retrospective patients (n = 987) who underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI (CMR) in 2019-2022. Referrals, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, gender, age, past COVID-19, MRI study protocols, and MRI data were analyzed. 29% of respondents in cohort 1 received MRI examination within past two years; 26% of respondents considered MRI the most informative imaging modality for detecting COVID-19 pneumonia; 12% of respondents reported MRI unavailable. Proportion of CMR among MRI studies increased during COVID-19 pandemic, and maximum incidence of cardiac diseases detected by MRI was in 2021. Incidence of myocardial fibrosis increased from ~67% in 2019 to ~84% in 2022. The rate of outpatient MRI studies significantly increased in 2020, but returned to pre-pandemic level in 2021. COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for MRI and CMR. Patients with history of COVID-19 had persistent and newly occurring symptoms of myocardial damage suggesting chronic cardiac involvement requiring continuous follow-up.

Fast Field-Cycling (FFC) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is a powerful non-destructive magnetic resonance technique that enables, among other things, the investigation of slow molecular dynamics at low magnetic field intensities. FFC-NMR relaxometry measurements provide insight into molecular motion across various timescales within a single experiment. This study focuses on a \textit{model-free} approach, representing the NMRD profile $R_1$ as a linear combination of Lorentzian functions, thereby addressing the challenges of fitting data within an ill-conditioned linear least-squares framework. Tackling this problem, we present a comprehensive review and experimental validation of three regularization approaches to implement the model-free approach to analysing NMRD profiles. These include: (1) \nameUpe, utilizing locally adapted $L_2$ regularization; (2) \nameL, based on $L_1$ penalties; and (3) a hybrid approach combining locally adapted $L_2$ and global $L_1$ penalties. Each method's regularization parameters are determined automatically, according to the Balancing and Uniform Penalty principles. % Our contributions include the implementation and experimental validation of the \nameUpe{} and \nameUp{} algorithms, and the development of a "dispersion analysis" technique to assess the existence range of the estimated parameters. The objective of this work is to delineate the variance in fit quality and correlation time distribution yielded by each algorithm, thus broadening the set of software tools for the analysis of sample structures in FFC-NMR studies. The findings underline the efficacy and applicability of these algorithms in the analysis of NMRD profiles from samples representing different potential scenarios. 1

Fabry disease (FD) is a X-linked inheritable storage disease caused by deficiency of al-pha-galactosidase causing lysosomal overload of sphingolipids. FD cardiomyopathy is character-ized by left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and should be considered in differential diagnosis with all the other causes of LV hypertrophy. An early diagnosis of FD is very important because the enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) may change the fate of patients by blocking both cardiac and systemic involvement and improving prognosis. Diagnosis may be relatively easy in young patients with the typical signs ans symptoms of FD, but in male patients with late onset of disease and in females, diagnosis may be very challenging. Morphological and functional aspects are not specific for FD, which cannot be diagnosed or excluded by echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with tissue characterization capability, is the preferred technique for the differential diagnosis of LV hypertrophy. The finding of decreased myocardial T1 value in LV hypertrophy is very specific for FD. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is found in late stage of disease but it is useful to predict the cardiac response to ERT and to stratify the prognosis.

Synthesis of biocompatible and bioresorbable composite materials such as “polymer matrix-mineral constituent,” which stimulate the natural growth of living tissues and the restoration of damaged parts of the body, is one of the challenging problems in regenerative medicine and material science. Composite films of bioresorbable polymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were obtained. HA was synthesized in situ in a solution of polymer mixture. We applied electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches to study their properties. EPR in two frequency ranges allowed to derive spectroscopic parameters of the nitrogen-based light and radiation-induced paramagnetic centers in HA, PVP and PVP-HA with high accuracy. It was shown that PVP did not significantly affect the EPR spectral and relaxation parameters of the radiation-induced centers in HA. Magic angle spinning (MAS) 1H NMR shows the presence of two signals at 4.7 ppm and -2.15 ppm attributed to “free” water and hydroxyl groups, while the single line - to 31P. NMR relaxation measurements for 1H and 31P show that the relaxation decays are a multicomponent process that can be described by three components of the transverse relaxation times. The obtained results demonstrated that the applied magnetic resonance methods can be used for the control of quality of the synthesis of the PVP-HA composites and, potentially, for the development of analytical tools to follow the processes of the sample treatment, resorption, and degradation.

Background and objectivesː Physical examination is the predominant method for evaluating pelvic floor defects. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a radiological technique useful to identify the underlying defects of pelvic floor structures that require surgery. The primary aim was to find correspondence between the clinical and radiological staging of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) before and after vaginal surgery. A secondary endpoint was to investigate, through clinical and MRI findings if surgery influences continence mechanisms. Finally, we reported changes in the quality of life in women who underwent surgery for prolapse. Materials and methodsː Twenty-five women with prolapse stage ≥ 2 POP-Q were recruited in this prospective study. They underwent preoperative clinical examination, MRI at rest and under the Valsalva maneuver, and quality of life questionnaires. Three months after vaginal surgery they repeated clinical and radiological evaluation. Resultsː Twenty women completed the study. Both clinical and MRI evaluations showed an improvement in prolapse and symptoms after surgery. There were some discrepancies between clinical and radiological staging. MRI parameters did not show differences between pre and postoperative at rest; under the Valsalva maneuver instead, the measurements changed after surgery. Continence was not worsening by the widening of the vesicourethral angle. Patients reported improvement in quality of life. Conclusionsː MRI is an accurate and objective method to define the stage of prolapse but the clinical evaluation alone is sufficient to stage prolapse before surgery and evaluate the result at follow-up. It is an accurate method to visualize some pelvic structures that can be compromised because of pelvic organ prolapse. MRI showed that vaginal surgery doesn’t affect continence mechanisms.

NMR spin relaxation times have been an instrumental tool in deciphering the local en-vironment of ionic species, the various interactions they engender and the effect of these interactions on their dynamics in conducting media. Of particular importance has been their application in studying the wide range of electrolytes for energy storage, on which this chapter is based. Here we highlight some of the research carried out on electrolytes in recent years using NMR relaxometry techniques. Specifically, studies on liquid electro-lytes, such as ionic liquids and organic solvent; on semi-solid-state electrolytes, such as ionogels and polymer gels, and solid electrolytes such as glasses, glass ceramics and polymers. Although this chapter focuses on a small selection of materials, we believe they demonstrate the breadth of application and the invaluable nature of NMR relaxometry.

Amyloid-beta plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Aberrant amyloid-beta and tau accumulation induce neuroinflammation, cerebrovascular alterations, synaptic deficits, functional deficits, and neurodegeneration, leading to cognitive impairment. Animal models recapitulating the amyloid-beta pathology such as transgenic, knock-in mouse and rat models have facilitated the understanding of disease mechanisms and development of therapeutics targeting at amyloid-beta. There is a rapid advance in high-field MR in small animals. Versatile high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences such as diffusion tensor imaging, arterial spin labelling, resting-state functional MRI, anatomical MRI, MR spectroscopy as well as contrast agents have been developed for the applications in animal models. These tools have enabled high-resolution in vivo structural, functional, and molecular readouts with a whole brain field-of-view. MRI have been utilized to visualize non-invasively the amyloid-beta deposits, synaptic deficits, regional brain atrophy, impairment in white matter integrity, functional connectivity, cerebrovascular and glymphatic system in animal models of amyloidosis. Many of the readouts are translational in clinical MRI in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In this review, we summarize the recent advance of using MRI for visualizing the pathophysiology in amyloidosis animal model. We discuss the outstanding challenges in brain imaging using MRI in small animal and propose future outlook in visualizing amyloid-beta-related alterations in brain of animal models.

Our aim was to compare the inter-rater agreement of Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) regarding diagnosing adenomyosis and for various predefined imaging features of adenomyosis in the same set of women. MRIs were assessed by four experienced radiologists and 2D TVS videoclips and 3D ultrasound volumes were assessed by five experienced sonographers. Each rater subjectively evaluated the presence or absence of adenomyosis, assessed various imaging. Fleiss kappa (κ) was used to reflect inter-rater agreement for categorical data and the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to reflect the reliability of quantitative data. Agreement between raters for diagnosing adenomyosis was higher for TVS than for MRI (κ =0.42 vs.0.28). MRI had a higher inter-rater agreement in assessing wall asymmetry irregular Junctional Zone (JZ) presence of myometrial cysts, while TVU had a better agreement for globular shape. MRI showed a moderate-good reliability for measuring the JZ (ICC=0.57-0.82). For TVS, JZ was unmeasurable in > 50% of cases and the remaining cases had a low reliability (ICC=-0.31-0.08). We found that Inter-rater agreement for diagnosing adenomyosis was higher for TVS than for MRI, despite that MRI showed a higher inter-rater agreement in most specific features. Measurements of JZ in the coronal plane with 3D TVS were unreliable and thus unlikely to be useful for diagnosing adenomyosis.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) may be due to different causes, ranging from benign secondary forms to severe cardiomyopathies. Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) and ECG are the first level examination for LVH diagnosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) defines accurately LVH type, extent and severity. Objectives: to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of CMR in patients with TTE and/or ECG evidence of LVH. Methods: We performed CMR in 300 consecutive patients with echocardiographic and/or ECG signs of LVH. Results: Overall, 275 patients had TTE evidence of LVH with initial suspicion of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 132 (44%), cardiac amyloidosis in 41 (14%), hypertensive LVH in 48 (16%), aortic stenosis in 4 (1%), undetermined LVH in 50(16%). The initial echocardiographic diagnostic suspicion of LVH was confirmed in 172 patients (57.3%) and changed in 128 patients (42.7%, p<0.0001): the diagnosis of HCM increased from 44% to 71% of patients; hypertensive and undetermined LVH decreased significantly (respectively to 4% and 5%). CMR allowed a diagnosis in 41 out of 50 (82%) with undetermined LVH at TTE. CMR also identified HCM in 17 out of 25 patients with apparently normal echo but with ECG criteria for LVH. Finally, the reclassification of the diagnosis by CMR was associated with a change of survival risk of patients: after CMR reclassification no events occurred in patients with undetermined or hypertensive LVH. Conclusions: CMR changed echocardiographic suspicion in almost half of patients with LVH. In the subgroup of patient with abnormal ECG, CMR identified LVH (particularly HCM) in 80% of patients. This study highlights the indication of CMR to better characterize the type, extent and severity of LVH detected at echocardiography and suspected with ECG.

The fast and reliable processing of medical images is of paramount importance to adequately generate data to feed machine learning algorithms that can prevent and diagnose health issues. Here we benchmark different compressed sensing techniques applied to magnetic resonance imaging as a means to reduce the acquisition time spent in the collection of data and signals that form the image. We show that by using these techniques, it is possible to reduce the number of signals needed and, therefore, substantially decrease the time to acquire the measurements. To this end, we have considered and compared different algorithms: the Iterative Re-Weighted Least Squares, the Iterative Soft Thresholding Algorithm, the Iterative Hard Thresholding Algorithm, the Primal Dual Algorithm and the Log-Barrier Algorithm. We have implemented such algorithms in different analysis programs that have been used to perform the reconstruction of the images and found that the Iterative Soft Thresholding Algorithm gives the optimal results. We found that the images obtained with this algorithm have less quality than the original ones, but the quality is good enough to distinguish each body structure and detect any health problems.

The liver is a key node of whole-body nutrient and fuel metabolism and is also the principal site for detoxification of xenobiotic compounds. As such, hepatic metabolite concentrations and/or turnover rates inform the status of both hepatic and systemic metabolic diseases as well as the disposition of medications. As a tool to better understand liver metabolism in these settings, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers a non-invasive means of monitoring hepatic metabolic activity in real time both by direct observation of concentrations and dynamics of specific metabolites as well as by observation of their enrichment by stable isotope tracers. This review summarizes the applications and advances in human liver metabolic studies by in vivo MRS over the past 35 years and discusses future directions and opportunities that will be opened by the development of ultra-high field MR systems and by hyperpolarized stable isotope tracers.

Post-mortem cardiac magnetic resonance (PMCMR) is an emerging tool supporting forensic medicine for the identification of the causes of cardiac death, as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We proposed a new method of PMCMR to diagnose HCM despite myocardial rigor mortis. Methods: we performed CMR in 49 HCM patients, 30 non-HCM hypertrophy and 32 healthy controls. In cine images, rigor mortis was simulated by the analysis of the cardiac phase corresponding to the 25% of diastole. Left ventricular mass, mean and standard deviation (SD) of WT, maximal WT, minimal WT and their difference, were compared for the identification of HCM. These parameters were validated at PMCMR, evaluating 8 hearts with HCM, 10 with coronary artery disease and 10 with non-cardiac death. Results: The SD of WT with a cut-off of > 2.4 had the highest accuracy to identify HCM (AUC 0.95, 95%CI 0.89-0.98). This was particularly evident in female population of HCM (AUC=0.998), with 100% specificity (95%CI 85-100%) and 96% sensitivity (95%CI 79-99%). Using this parameter, at PMCMR all the 8 patients with HCM were correctly identified with no false positive. Conclusions: PMCMR allows to identify HCM as cause of sudden death using the SD of WT >2.4 as diagnostic parameter.

The relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has gained interest in recent years. Previous literature on the topic presents great heterogeneity, focusing especially on computed tomog-raphy imaging. Aim of the present study is to determine whether an increased volume of left atrial (LA) EAT evaluated at routine pre-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relates to AF recurrences after catheter ablation. 50 patients undergoing AF cryoballoon ablation and pre-procedural cardiac MRI allowing quantification of LA EAT were enrolled. In one patient segmentation of LA EAT could not be achieved. After a median follow-up of 16.0 months, AF recurrences occurred in 17 patients (34%). Absolute volume of EAT was not different in patients with and without AF recurrences (10.35 ml vs. 10.29 ml; p-value=0.963), whereas volume of EAT indexed on the LA (EATi) was lower, albeit non statistically significant, in patients free from arrhythmias (12.77% vs. 14.06%; p-value=0.467). Receiver operating characteristic curve testing the ability of EATi to predict AF recurrence after catheter ablation showed sub-optimal performance (AUC: 0.588). The finest identified cut-off of EATi was 10.65%, achieving a sensitivity of 0.5, a specificity of 0.82, a positive predictive value of 0.59 and a negative predictive value of 0.76. Patients with values of EATi lower than 10.65% showed greater survival free from arrhythmias than patients with values above this cut-off (84% vs. 48%; p-value=0.04). In conclusion, indexed LA EAT volume evaluated at cardiac MRI independently relates to arrhythmia recurrence after AF cryoballoon ablation.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques are widely used to identify pure substances and probe protein dynamics. Edible oil is a complex mixture composed of hydrocarbons, which have a wide range of molecular size distribution. In this research, low field NMR (LF-NMR) relaxation characteristic data of various sample oils were analyzed. We also suggest a new method for prediction size of edible oil molecules using LF-NMR relaxation time distributions. According to the relative molecular mass, carbon chain length, transverse relaxation time of different sample oils, combined with oil viscosity and other factors, the relationship between carbon chain length and transverse relaxation time rate was analyzed. Various oils and fats in the mixed fluid are displayed, reflecting the composition information of different oils. To study the correlation between the rotation correlation time and molecular information of oil molecules. The molecular composition of the resulting fluid determines its properties, such as viscosity and phase behavior. The results show that low-field NMR can obtain information on the composition, macromolecular aggregation, and molecular dynamics of complex fluids. Measurements of grease in the free fluid state show that the relaxation time can reflect the intrinsic properties of the fluid. It is shown that the composition characteristics and states of complex fluids can be measured by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance.

High-quality optical Fano resonances, which exist in a spherical dielectric microparticle in the spatial configurations of the "whispering-gallery modes" (WGMs) and recently are referred to as the “super-resonances”, possess extremal sensitivity not only to the micro-cavity size and shape but also to the optical properties of the particulate material. The increase in the power of light radiation coupling into a super-resonance can lead to the manifestation of strong optical nonlinearity of the resonator material due to the cubic nonlinearity (optical Kerr effect) and generation of free electron plasma in certain regions of the spherical microcavity. In fact, an optically linear medium of the resonance cavity transforms into a Drude-Kerr-type medium with a strong dependence on input laser intensity. With the help of the finite-elements numerical simulations, we theoretically analyze the transformations of the resonant contour for a number of high-quality WGMs excited in a lanthanum-glass microsphere exposed to an optical radiation of different intensity. We show that in a certain input intensity range, the competition of Kerr and plasma optical nonlinearities can stop and even reverse the Stokes shift of the super-resonance observed in a pure Kerr medium. Additionally, optical ionization and plasma generation within the mode volume significantly reduce the strength of the magnetic super-resonance and lead to its spoiling and frequency splitting.

The maturity of tomato fruit is normally characterized by external color and it is often difficult to know when fruit have achieved commercial maturity or become over-mature. The internal structure of tomato fruit change during development and this study investigates the utility of nondestructive measurement of tomato fruit structure as a function of maturity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The objective of this work is to use analysis of internal tomato fruit structural measurements to characterize maturity. Intact cherry tomato fruit were harvested at six different maturity stages. At each stage of maturity, the internal structure of the fruit was measured using a series of 2D magnetic resonance (MR) images. Qualitative and quantitative image analyses were performed to correlate internal fruit structure with maturity. Internal structural changes observed in the pericarp region of the tomato fruit are highly correlated with fruit maturity. MR image information combined with classical analysis techniques provides a more complete understanding of structure and physicochemical changes in tomato fruit during maturation. This study demonstrates that MRI is a useful analytical tool to characterize internal changes in agricultural produce as the produce matures. This technique can be applied to almost any agricultural produce to monitor internal physical changes due to external impact, maturity stage, variation in climate, storage time and condition or other factor impacting quality.

Defectively manufactured and deliberately damaged composite laminates fabricated with different continuous reinforcing fibres (respectively, carbon and glass) and polymer matrices (respectively, thermoset and thermoplastic) were inspected in magnetic resonance imaging equipment. Two pulse sequences were evaluated during non-destructive examination conducted in saline solution-immersed samples to simulate load-bearing orthopaedic implants permanently in contact with biofluids. The orientation, positioning, shape, and especially the size of translaminar and delamination fractures were determined according to stringent structural assessment criteria. The spatial distribution, shape, and contours of water-filled voids were sufficiently delineated to infer the amount of absorbed water if thinner image slices than this study were used. The surface texture of composite specimens featuring roughness, waviness, indentation, crushing, and scratches was outlined, with fortuitous artefacts not impairing the image quality and interpretation. Low electromagnetic shielding glass fibres delivered the highest, while electrically conductive carbon fibres produced the poorest quality images, particularly when blended with thermoplastic polymer, though reliable image interpretation was still attainable.

This paper aimed to describe an atlas of the head of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), applying advanced imaging techniques such as MRI. Furthermore, by combining the images acquired through these techniques with anatomical gross sections, we obtained an adequate description of the structures that form the CNS and associated structures of this species. This anatomical information could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for the clinical evaluation of different pathological processes in porcupines such as abscesses, skull malformations, fractures, and neoplasia.

Due to legal regulations, the rise of globalised (online) commerce and the need for public health protection, the analysis of spirits (alcoholic beverages &gt; 15 % vol) is a task with growing importance for governmental and commercial laboratories. In this article a newly developed method using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for the simultaneous determination of 15 substances relevant for the quality and authenticity assessment of spirits is described. The new method starts with a simple and rapid sample preparation and does not need an internal standard. For each sample a group of 1H-NMR spectra is recorded, among them a 2D spectrum for analyte identification and 1D spectra with suppression of solvent signals for quantification. Using the Pulse Length Based Concentration Determination (PULCON) method, concentrations are calculated from curve fits of the characteristic signals for each analyte. The optimisation of the spectra, their evaluation and the transfer of the results are done fully automatically. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, acetic acid, citric acid, formic acid, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, acetaldehyde, ethanol, methanol, n-propanol, isobutanol, isopentanol, 2-phenylethanol and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) can be quantified with an overall accuracy better than 8 %. This new NMR-based targeted quantification method enables the simultaneous and efficient quantification of relevant spirits ingredients in their typical concentration ranges in one process with good accuracy. It has proven to be a reliable method for all kinds of spirits in routine food control.

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are a group of myocardial disorders that are characterized by structural and functional abnormalities of the heart muscle. These abnormalities occur in the absence of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, valvular disease, and congenital heart disease. CMPs are an increasingly important topic in the field of cardiovascular diseases due to the complexity of their diagnosis and management. In 2023, the ESC guidelines on cardiomyopathies were first published, marking significant progress in the field. The growth of techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and genetics has been fueled by the development of multimodal imaging approaches. For the diagnosis of CMPs, a multimodal imaging approach, including CMR, is recommended. CMR has become the standard for non-invasive analysis of cardiac morphology and myocardial function. This document provides an overview of the role of CMR in CMPs, with a focus on tissue mapping. CMR enables the characterization of myocardial tissues and the assessment of cardiac functions. CMR sequences and techniques, such as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and parametric mapping, provide detailed information on tissue composition, fibrosis, edema, and myocardial perfusion. These techniques offer valuable insights for early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic guidance of CMPs. The use of quantitative CMR markers enables personalized treatment plans, improving overall patient outcomes. This review aims to serve as a guide for the use of these new tools in clinical practice.

qNMR is a valuable technique for metrological studies due to the uniformity of its signal response for all chemical species of an isotope of interest, which enables compound-independent calibration. However, protein quantification remained challenging as large molecules produce wide, low-intensity signals that reduce the already low sensitivity. Combining qNMR with the hydrolysis of protein samples into amino acids circumvents many of these issues and facilitates the use of NMR spectroscopy for absolute protein and peptide quantification.In this work, different conditions have been tested for quantifying aromatic amino acids and proteins. First, we examined the pH-based signal shifts in the aromatic region. The preferable pH depends on the selection of the amino acids for quantification and which internal standard substance should be used to avoid peak overlap. Several aromatic compounds, such as terephthalic acid, sulfoisophthalic acid, and benzene tricarboxylic acid, have been applied as internal standards. The quantification of amino acids from an amino acid standard, as well as from a certified reference material (bovine serum albumin), was performed. Using the first two suggested internal standards, recovery was ~ 97 % for histidine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine at a concentration of approximately 1 mM in solution. Acidic hydrolysis of a certified reference material (CRM) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and subsequent quantification of Phe and Tyr yielded recoveries of 98 ± 2 and 88 ± 4 %, respectively, at a protein concentration of 16 g/L or 250 µM.

A 9.4 T/400 MHz superconducting magnet with a warm bore of 60 mm is being designed. The 400 MHz NMR magnet is composed of 9 coaxial coils to generate a central field of 9.4 T. The magnetic field homogeneity is better than 4 ppm for 50 mm diameter spherical volume (DSV) and better than 1 ppb for 5 mm DSV. Three types of NbTi strands were used to reduce the cost of the superconducting materials. A preload with 80 MPa was exerted on the superconducting coils and over-banding with stainless steel was adopted to release the stress from the electromagnetic forces. The magnet will be operated in persistent mode with superconducting joints to reduce the field decay. The pulse tube cryocooler with a cooling capacity of 1 W at 4.2 K can be used to reduce the liquid helium evaporation and vibration during operation. The magnet will be equipped with Bi2223/AgAu HTS current leads to reduce the heat losses. In this paper, the design of the 9.4 T NMR superconducting coils, electromagnetic field calculations, and stress analysis of the superconducting coils were presented.

Edible oils have commercial and nutritional value due to the presence of essential fatty acids. They can be consumed fresh in the form of capsules known as nutraceuticals. The quality of such products is of interest to the consumer. In this context, this study describes a method based on high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopic analysis (FTIR), combined with statistical analyzes to differentiate different edible oils used as nutraceuticals in Brazil by fatty acid content. Through the analysis of 1H NMR spectra, the levels of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in edible oils were characterized and quantified. Statistical analysis of the data confirmed the real distinction between nutraceutical raw materials, with emphasis on ω-9, ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. The analytical approach presented also demonstrated potential to identify the origin (animal or vegetable) of edible oils used as nutraceuticals.

It is time-consuming for acquiring complete data by fully phase encoding in two orthogonal directions along with one frequency encoding direction. Undersampling in the 3D k-space is promising in accelerating such 3D MRI process. Though 3D undersampling can be conducted according to predefined probability density, the density based method is not optimal. Because of the large amount of 3D data and computational cost, it is challenging to perform data-driven and learning-based 3D undersampling and subsequent 3D reconstruction. To tackle this challenge, this paper proposes a deep neural network called EEUR-Net, realized by optimizing specific undersampling patterns for the fully-sampled 3D k-space data. Innovatively, our undersampling algorithm employs an end-to-end deep learning approach to optimize phase encoding patterns and uses a 3D U-Net for image reconstruction of undersampled data. Through end-to-end training, we obtain an optimized 3D undersampling pattern, which significantly enhances the quality of the reconstructed image under the same acceleration factor. A series of experiments on a knee MRI dataset demonstrated that, in comparison to standard random uniform, radial, Poisson and equispaced Cartesian undersampling schemes, our end-to-end learned undersampling pattern considerably improves the reconstruction quality of undersampled MRI images.

Background: We designed a prospective study of diagnostic accuracy which compared pelvic MRI and 3D-EAUS versus pelvic MRI alone in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative outcomes of patients with perianal fistulas. Methods: The sample size was 72 patients and was divided into two imaging groups. MRI alone was performed in the first group. Both MRI and 3D-EAUS were performed in a parallel fashion in the second group. Surgical exploration took place after two weeks and was the standard reference. Park’s classification, presence of a concomitant abscess or a secondary tract and location of the internal opening were recorded. All patients were re-evaluated for complete fistula healing and fecal incontinence six months postoperatively. All the collected data was subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Group MRI included 36 patients with 42 fistulas. Group MRI + 3D-EAUS included 36 patients with 46 fistulas. The adjusted sensitivity and negative predictive value were 1.00 for most fistula types in the group of combined imaging. The adjusted specificity improved on intersphincteric fistulas in the same group. The adjusted balanced accuracy improved on all fistula types, except for rectovaginal. The combination of imaging methods showed improved diagnostic accuracy only on the detection of a secondary tract. Healing rate at six months was 100%. Fecal incontinence at six months didn’t present a statistically significant difference between the two groups (Fisher's exact test p-value &gt; 0.9). Patients with complex perianal fistulas had a statistically significant higher probability to undergo a second surgery (x² test p-value=0.019). Conclusion: The combination of pelvic MRI and 3D-EAUS showed improved metrics of diagnostic accuracy and should be used in the preoperative evaluation of all patients with perianal fistulas, especially in those with complex type.

Background: As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to pose a threat to the entire world, it is critical to developing strategies for containing its spread. The purpose of this study was to assess the demographic characteristics, brain tomography characteristics, and diffusion magnetic resonance findings of COVID-19 positive individuals. Material and Method: Between January 1 and December 31, 2021, 317 patients over the age of 18 were admitted to the emergency department with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Three groups were formed based on clinical findings in patients, divided into light, medium, and severe, and four groups were formed based on radiological imaging findings. Results: The mean age of the 317 patients included in the study was 67.28±12.06 years, with a range of 28-91 years. The clinical classification of the patients was based on laboratory parameters and radiological imaging, not on their age or gender. Mild cases were classified as CO-RADS 0-4; moderate and severe cases were classified as CO-RADS 5-6 (p=0.001). While 60 (18.9%) of patients were followed outpatient, 144 (45.4%) were admitted to the hospital, 73 (23%) were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 40 (12.7%) died (p=0.001). Direct radiographs revealed bilateral involvement in 224 (70.7%) cases, peripheral involvement in 259 (81.7%) cases, and mid-lower lobe lung involvement in 194 (61.2%) cases (p=0.001). Brain tomography revealed infarction in 42 (13.2%) of the patients who were followed and hospitalized and hemorrhage in 22 (6.9%) of the patients. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffusion involvement in 68 (21.5%) of the cases (p=0.001). Conclusion: A standardized reporting system for COVID-19 data is required, and it must be simple to use, quick to understand, and focused on determining the risk of pneumonia. Additionally, the diagnostic role of radiological imaging, prognosis prediction, and severity scoring of lung involvement should be included.

Introduction: Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is a novel technique employed in breast cancer screening and detection. In this systematic review, we aim to compare the diagnostic performance of CESM with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the context of breast cancer diagnosis. Material and Method: We have searched for paper in Pubmed and Scopus from July 2023 to February 2024, finding 256 suitable papers according to our selection criteria (perspective or retrospective studies, women diagnosed with breast cancer, comparison of Contrast-enhanced Spectral Mammography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, sensitivity and specificity metrics provided). Every paper was then checked for quality using the QUADAS 2 assesement score. Sensibility, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV) and accuracy were recorded. Results: 15 studies were selected for analysis. CESM demonstrated comparable sensitivity to MRI, with values ranging from 36.4% to 100% for CESM and 0% to 100% for MRI. Specificity varied between the modalities, with CESM showing specificity ranges of 17% to 100% compared to 23% to 92.31% for MRI. Discussion and Conclusion: CESM has comparable diagnostic validity to MRI, and is a valuable tool in detecting breast cancer.

Risk stratification for malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death is a daunting task for physicians in daily practice. Multiparametric mapping sequences obtained via cardio-vascular magnetic resonance imaging can improve the risk for malignant ventricular arrhythmias by unveiling the presence of pathophysiological pro-arrhythmogenic processes. However, their employment in clinical practice is still restricted. The present review explores the current evidence supporting the association between mapping abnormalities and the risk of ventricular arrhyth-mias in several cardiovascular diseases. The key message is that further clinical studies are needed to test the additional value of mapping techniques beyond conventional cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for selecting patients eligible for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Pyridoxine is a versatile molecule that forms part of the family of B vitamins. It is used to treat and prevent vitamin B6 deficiency and certain type of metabolic disorders. Besides, pyridoxine molecule has been investigated as a suitable ligand toward metal ions. Nevertheless, the study of the magnetic properties of metal complexes containing lanthanide(III) ions and this biomolecule has been unexplored. We have synthesized and characterized a novel pyridoxine-based GdIII complex of formula [Gd(III)(pyr)2(H2O)4]Cl3 • 2 H2O (1) [pyr = pyridoxine]. 1 crystallizes in the triclinic system with space group Pī. In its crystal packing, the cationic [Gd(pyr)2(H2O)4]3+ entities are linked each other through H-bonding interactions involving non-coordinating water molecules and chloride anions. In addition, Hirshfeld surfaces of 1 were calculated to further investigate their intermolecular interactions in the crystal lattice. The study of the magnetic properties of 1 through ac magnetic susceptibility measurements reveals the occurrence of slow relaxation of magnetization in this mononuclear Gd(III) complex, this fact indicating an unusual single-ion magnet (SIM) behavior. We have also studied the relaxometric properties of 1, as a potential contrast agent for high-field MR imaging, from solutions of 1 prepared in physiological serum (0.0 - 3.2 mM range) and measured at 3 T on a clinical MR scanner. The relaxivity values obtained for 1 are larger than those of some commercial MR imaging contrast agents based on mononuclear Gd(III) systems

The Atlantic puffin is a medium-sized seabird with black and white plumage and orange feet. It is distributed mainly along the northern Atlantic Ocean and due, among other reasons, to human activities, it is in a threatened situation and classified as a vulnerable species according to the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In this study, we used a total of 20 carcasses of juvenile Atlantic puffins to perform anatomical cross sections and magnetic resonance images. Thus, an adequate description of the head was made, providing valuable information that could be helpful as a diagnostic tool for veterinary clinicians, who increasingly treat these birds in zoos, rehabilitation centers and even in the wild.

Abstract: Petrol is considered the most common fire accelerant. However, the identification and classification of petrol sources through the years has been proven to be a challenging field in the investigation of fire debris analysis. This research explored the possibility of identifying petrol sources by high field NMR methods accompanied by ML (Machine Learning). The automated identification and classification of petrol brands were achieved for first time based on the ML clas-sification model developed in this research. A hierarchical classification model was constructed using local classifiers to categorize neat or weathered petrol into its sources.

The resonance spectrum of surface resistance derivative in quasi-two dimensional layered organic conductors has been calculated numerically for the out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic field. Not all but some of the resonances in a given series of transitions are present in the spectra. They are observed at the positions corresponding to the maxima in the surface resistance derivative curve and are in a good agreement with previously calculated magnetic field resonance positions. For tilted magnetic fields, there are more resonances present in the spectrum than in the case of a non-tilted field. Apart from the resonances corresponding to the transitions between the adjacent surface states there also appear resonances involving the transitions between the more distant surface states. This is correlated with the specific topology of Fermi surface of the organic conductors. The presented calculations will allow correct interpretation of the experimental curves for the resonance spectrum, and also to obtain information on the surface properties of these materials for their possible implementation in fabrication of devices based on organic molecular conductors.

The clinical characterization of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions in the liver and differentiation from heterogeneous inflammatory or fibrotic background is important for early detection and treatment. Metabolic monitoring of hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled substrates has been suggested as a new avenue for diagnostic magnetic resonance. The metabolism of hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate was monitored in mouse precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) of aged MDR2-KO mice, which served as a model for heterogeneous liver and HCC that develops similarly to the human disease. The relative in-cell activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to alanine transaminase (ALT) were found to be 0.40 ± 0.06 (n = 3) in healthy livers (from healthy mice), 0.90 ± 0.27 (n = 3) in heterogeneously inflamed liver, and 1.84 ± 0.46 (n = 3) in HCC. Thus, the in-cell LDH/ALT activities ratio was found to correlate with the progression of the disease. The results suggest that the LDH/ALT activities ratio may be useful in the assessment of liver disease. Because the technology used here is translational to both small liver samples that may be obtained from image-guided biopsy (i.e., ex vivo investigation) and to the intact liver (i.e., in a non-invasive MRI scan), these results may provide a path for differentiating heterogeneous liver from HCC in human subjects.

Pore structure characterization and fractal analysis have great significance for understanding and evaluating tight limestone reservoirs. In this work, the pore structure of tight limestone is characterized combined with low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the fractal dimension of tight limestone pore structure is discussed based on LTNA and NMR data. The results indicate that the pores of tight limestone have H3 and H4 types, the pore size distribution (PSD) of H3 type is a wave distribution ranging from 2 to 10 nm, and the PSD of H4 type is a unimodal distribution ranging from 2 to 10 nm. The transverse relaxation time (T2) spectrum of tight limestone shows single peak (DF), double peak (SF) and three peak (TF), and the T2 spectrums for micropores, mesopores and macropores range from 0.1 to 10 ms, from 10 to 100 ms, and greater than 100 ms, respectively. The LTNA fractal dimension of tight limestone (DL) ranges between 2.4446 and 2.7688, with an average of 2.5729, and the NMR fractal dimensions of micropores (DNMR1), mesopores (DNMR2) and macropores (DNMR3) are distributed between 0.3744 to 1.1293, 2.4263 to 2.9395 and 2.6582 to 2.9989, respectively. Moreover, there is no correlation between fractal dimension and permeability and porosity, a negative correlation between DL and average pore radius, a positive correlation between DL and specific surface area, and a positive correlation between DNMR2 and DNMR3 and micropore content, while DNMR2 and DNMR3 are negatively correlated with the content of mesopores and macropores.

A reliable and practical renal-lipid quantification and imaging method is needed. Here, the feasibility of an accelerated MRSI method to map renal fat fractions (FF) at 3T and its repeatability were investigated. A 2D density-weighted concentric-ring-trajectory MRSI was used to accelerate acquiring 48×48 voxels (each of 0.25 ml spatial-resolution) without respiratory navigation implementations. The data was collected over 512 complex-FID timepoints with a 1250 Hz spectral bandwidth. The MRSI sequence was designed with a metabolite-cycling technique for lipid-water separation. The in vivo repeatability performance of the sequence was assessed by conducting a test-reposition-retest study within healthy subjects. The coefficient of variation (CV) in the estimated FF from the test-retest measurements showed a high degree of repeatability of the MRSI-FF (CV= 4.3 ±2.5%). Additionally, the matching level of spectral signature within the same anatomical region was also investigated, and their intrasubject repeatability was also high, with a small standard deviation (8.1 ±6.4%). The MRSI acquisition duration was ~3 minutes only. The proposed MRSI technique can be a reliable technique to quantify and map renal metabolites within a clinically acceptable scan time at 3T that supports the future application of this technique for the non-invasive characterization of heterogeneous renal diseases and tumors.

In this paper, a kind of single-walled carbon nanotube nonlinear model is developed, and the strongly nonlinear dynamic characteristics of such carbon nanotubes subjected to random magnetic field are studied. The nonlocal effect of microstructure is considered based on the theory of nonlocal elasticity. The natural frequency of the strongly nonlinear dynamic system is obtained by the energy function method, the drift coefficient and the diffusion coefficient are verified. The stationary probability density function of the system dynamic response is given and the fractal boundary of the safe basin is provided. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation show that stochastic resonance occurs when varying the random magnetic field intensity. The boundary of safe basin has fractal characteristics and the area of safe basin decreases when the intensity of the magnetic field permeability increases.

Background: We aimed to determine the splenic stiffness (SS) values in healthy individuals as measured by 3 Tesla magnetic resonance elastography (3T MRE) and to investigate the possible effects of parameters such as age, sex, spleen volume, diameter, and parenchyma thickness on SS.Methods: A total of 54 healthy volunteers were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants' age and sex information were recorded, in addition to spleen craniocaudal and anteroposterior diameter, cortical thickness, spleen volume, and SS, which were measured using 3T magnetic resonance imaging and MRE. Results: Twenty-nine male and 25 female subjects with a mean age of 54.78±15.40 years were included in the study. Mean cradiocaudal diameter was 10.46±1.16 cm, anteroposterior diameter was 9.88±1.29 cm, parenchyma thickness was 4.08±0.67 cm, SS was 3721.94±709.69 Pascal (Pa), and median spleen volume was 292.54 (239.40-311.00) cm³. A significant positive correlation was observed between age and SS (r=0.779, p<0.001). The SS values were not associated with sex, craniocaudal diameter, anteroposterior diameter, parenchymal thickness, or volume.Conclusion:Age should be considered when using SS in the diagnosis and staging of relevant diseases such as portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Our results should be confirmed by future studies using 3T MRE in larger populations.

Background: We aimed to determine the splenic stiffness (SS) values in healthy individuals as measured by 3 Tesla magnetic resonance elastography (3T MRE) and to investigate the possible effects of parameters such as age, sex, spleen volume, diameter, and parenchyma thickness on SS. Methods: A total of 54 healthy volunteers were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants' age and sex information were recorded, in addition to spleen craniocaudal and anteroposterior diameter, cortical thickness, spleen volume, and SS, which were measured using 3T magnetic resonance imaging and MRE. Results: Twenty-nine male and 25 female subjects with a mean age of 54.78±15.40 years were included in the study. Mean cradiocaudal diameter was 10.46±1.16 cm, anteroposterior diameter was 9.88±1.29 cm, parenchyma thickness was 4.08±0.67 cm, SS was 3721.94±709.69 Pascal (Pa), and median spleen volume was 292.54 (239.40-311.00) cm3. A significant positive correlation was observed between age and SS (r=0.779, p<0.001). The SS values were not associated with sex, craniocaudal diameter, anteroposterior diameter, parenchymal thickness, or volume Conclusion:Age should be considered when using SS in the diagnosis and staging of relevant diseases such as portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Our results should be confirmed by future studies using 3T MRE in larger populations.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to 1) analyze the disruption of intracardiac flow by flow components and kinetic energy (KE) parameters in single ventricle physiology patients and compare with controls; 2) investigate left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in terms of 4D flow parameters in repaired Fontan (rFontan) group; 3) compare intracardiac flow parameters in morphologic LV and RV rFontan patient groups. Methods: Twenty-five rFontan patients (age: 10±3, M/F: 15/10) and fourteen controls (age: 10±2, M/F: 8/6) were prospectively recruited. All underwent cine and 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) on 3.0T scanner. Cardiac function and inter-ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony were analyzed using cine images. From 4D flow CMR, ventricular flow components were assessed: direct flow, retained inflow, delayed ejection flow and residual volume. Global and regional blood flow KE parameters, normalized to end-diastolic volume (EDV) were analyzed for functional single ventricle (FSV). Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction was assessed on echocardiography guidelines. Results: In comparison of rFontan vs. controls, median FSV residual volume (28% vs. 23%, P= 0.034) were higher in rFontan; median FSV direct flow (32% vs. 40%, P=0.005) and delayed ejection flow (17% vs. 24%, P=0.024) were lower in rFontan. FSV KEiEDV parameters were all lower in rFontan (all P<0.05). No significant differences were observed for flow components and KE parameters between patients with and without inter-ventricular dyssynchrony. FSV direct flow (AUC=0.76, Sensitivity=86%, Specificity=70%) was an independent predictor of LV diastolic dysfunction. Residual volume and E-wave KEiEDV were significantly different between morphologic RV and morphologic LV patient group. Conclusions: The changed flow pattern and decreased KE may be hemodynamic disturbances and impaired ventricular filling in rFontan patients. Reduced direct flow is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Morphologic right ventricular subgroup is worse than morphologic left ventricular group in terms of the intracardiac hemodynamics.

Background: This study aimed to contribute to the standardization of elastography by comparing stiffness values obtained from ultrasound elastography (US-E) and magnetic resonance elastography (MR-E) of the testicular parenchyma in healthy subjects. Methods: A total of 22 healthy volunteers (44 testes) were included in this study. Of the 26 cases analyzed, four were excluded from the study due to the exclusion criteria. The testicular parenchyma of the included patients was evaluated using MR-E and Shear-Wave Ultrasound Elastography (SW-E) examinations. Pearson's correlation test was used to calculate the correlation between age and stiffness values, testicular volumes and stiffness values, and stiffness values from both examinations. Results: The mean US-E stiffness of the right testes was 5.560 ± 3.1 kPa and the mean US-E stiffness of the left testes was 5.361 ± 2.9 kPa. The mean MR-E stiffness of the right testes was 6960.11 ± 460 Pa and the mean MR-E stiffness of the left testes was 6560.19 ± 310 Pa. There was no significant correlation between US-E and MR-E stiffness values (p=0.096). There was also no significant statistical correlation between US-E and MR-E stiffness values and testicular volumes (p=0.17 and p=0.093). Conclusions: No statistical correlation was found between the stiffness values obtained by SW-E and those obtained by MR-E in the normal testicular parenchyma. Additionally, no conclusive relationship between stiffness levels, age, or testicular volume was discovered.

Monitoring coffee quality as a means of detecting and preventing economically motivated fraud is an important aspect of international commerce today. Therefore, there is a compelling need for rapid high throughput validated analytical techniques such as quantitative proton NMR spectroscopy for screening and authenticity testing. For this reason, we sought to validate an NMR spectroscopic method for routine screening of coffee for quality and authenticity. A factorial experimental design was used to investigate the influence of NMR device, extraction time and nature of coffee on the content of caffeine, 16-O-methylcafestol (OMC), kahweol, furfuryl alcohol and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in coffee. The method was successfully validated for specificity, selectivity, sensitivity and linearity of detector response. The proposed method produced satisfactory precision for all analytes in roasted coffee, except for kahweol in canephora (robusta) coffee. The proposed validated method may be used for routine screening of roasted coffee for quality and authenticity control, as its applicability was demonstrated during the recent OPSON VIII Europol-Interpol operation on coffee fraud control.

Chemical analysis of the organic components in beers has applications to quality control, authenticity and improvements to the flavor characteristics and brewing process. This study aims to show the complementary nature of two instrumental techniques which in combination can identify and quantify the majority of organic components in a beer sample. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was used to provide concentrations of twenty five different organic compounds including alcohols, organic acids, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Calorie content was also estimated for the samples. NMR data for ethanol concentrations were validated by comparison to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) method. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) was used to identify a range of volatile compounds such as alcohols, esters and hop derived aroma compounds. A simple and inexpensive conversion of a Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC FID) instrument to allow the use of Solid-Phase Microextraction was found to be useful for the quantification of volatile esters.

The potential of metallic lithium to become the anode material for next-generation batteries is hampered by significant challenges, chief among which is dendrite growth during battery charging. These dendritic structures not only impair battery performance but also pose safety risks. Among the non-destructive analytical techniques in battery research, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) stands out as a promising tool. However, the direct imaging of lithium by 7Li MRI is hindered by its low sensitivity and spatial resolution, making its use for of dendritic growth imaging very difficult. Instead, a recently introduced indirect imaging approach based on 1H MRI of the electrolyte was used in this study. This method was used for sequential 3D imaging to monitor the charging process of lithium metal symmetric cells in three different electrical circuits: single cell, four cells in parallel, four cells in series. The measured sequential images allowed measurement of dendrite growth in each cell using volumetric analysis. The growth results confirmed the theoretical expectation that growth across cells is uneven in a parallel circuit and even in a series circuit. The methods presented in this study can be applied also to many other dendrite-related issues in batteries.

Background: Appendicitis is a common cause of emergency department visits and appendectomies in the US, with 250,000 appendectomies performed annually. Current diagnostic methods, such as clinical findings, lead to inaccuracies and missed diagnoses, increasing morbidity and mortality. The only solution is surgery, but current hematological tests are not reliable and may lead to unnecessary surgery if the underlying etiology is self-limiting or requires medical treatment. This study explores the role of MRI as a diagnostic modality that can replace US/CT and supplement traditional clinical diagnostic signs while avoiding ionizing radiation and intravenous contrast medium. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to determine the accuracy of MRI as a diagnostic modality in diagnosing appendicitis, addressing concerns about diagnostic modalities and their adverse effects, and addressing the necessity and success of relevant interventions. Methods: Medical literature was comprehensively searched and reviewed without restrictions to particular study designs, or publication dates using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases for all relevant literature formulated in English. The extraction of necessary data proceeded after specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Meta Analysis was performed for 5206 patients, with 35 RCTs being selected. Analysis was done using the QualSyst tool, wherein two writers independently assessed the caliber of each study as well as the use of the Cochrane tool for bias risk apprehension. The statistical software packages RevMan (Review Manager, version 5.3), SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20), and Excel in Stata 14 were used to perform the statistical analyses along with other analytical software. Results: MRI had an overall sensitivity of over 95%, an overall specificity of 94.2% with a PPV of 0.875 in comparison to CT scan in the diagnosis and intervention regarding appendicitis. Conclusion: These findings strongly suggest that MRI is a reasonable alternative to CT for the diagnosis of appendicitis in hospitals with appropriate access to this technology for reasons about accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility as well as addressing safety concerns.

Background: Low-dose aspirin (LDA) is the backbone for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, though limited by gastric toxicity. This study was aimed to identify novel metabolites that could predict LDA-induced gastric toxicity using pharmacometabolomics. Methods: Pre-dosed urine samples were collected from male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were treated with either LDA (10 mg/kg) or 1% methylcellulose (10 ml/kg) per oral for 28 days. The rats' stomachs were examined for gastric toxicity using a stereomicroscope. The urine samples were analyzed using a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Metabolites were systematically identified by exploring established databases and multivariate analyses to identify the spectral pattern of metabolites related to LDA-induced gastric toxicity. Results: Treatment with LDA resulted in gastric toxicity in 20/32 rats (62.5%). The orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model displayed a goodness-of-fit (R2Y) value of 0.947, suggesting a near-perfect reproducibility, a goodness-of-prediction (Q2Y) of -0.185 with perfect sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (100%). Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) displayed was 1. The final OPLS-DA model had an R2Y value of 0.726 and Q2Y of 0.142 with sensitivity (100%), specificity (95.0%) and accuracy (96.9%). Citrate, hippurate, methylamine, trimethylamine N-oxide and alpha-keto-glutarate were identified as the possible metabolites implicated in the LDA-induced gastric toxicity. Conclusion: The study identified metabolic signatures that correlated with the development of a low dose Aspirin-induced gastric toxicity in rats. This pharmacometabolomic approach could further be validated to predict LDA-induced gastric toxicity in patients with coronary artery disease.

The paramagnetic gadolinium(III) ion is used as contrast agent in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to improve the lesion detection and characterization. It generates a signal by changing the relaxivity of protons from associated water molecules and creates a clearer physical distinction between the molecule and the surrounding tissues. New gadolinium-based contrast agents displaying larger relaxivity values and specifically targeted might provide higher resolution and better functional images. We have synthesized the gadolinium(III) complex of formula [Gd(thy)2(H2O)6](ClO4)3·2H2O (1) [thy = 5-methyl-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione or thymine], which is the first reported compound based on gadolinium and thymine nucleobase. 1 has been characterized through vis-IR, SEM-EDAX and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, and its magnetic and relaxometric properties have been investigated by means of SQUID magnetometer and MR imaging phantom studies, respectively. On the basis of its high relaxivity values, this gadolinium(III) complex can be considered a suitable candidate for contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Acrylamide is probably carcinogenic to humans (International Agency for Research on Cancer, group 2A) with major occurrence in heated, mainly carbohydrate-rich foods. For roasted coffee, a European Union benchmark level of 400 µg/kg acrylamide is of importance. Regularly, the acrylamide contents are controlled using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This reference method is reliable and precise but laborious because of the necessary sample clean-up procedure and instrument requirements. This research investigates the possibility of predicting the acrylamide content from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra that are already recorded for other purposes of coffee control. In the NMR spectrum acrylamide is not directly quantifiable, so that the aim was to establish a correlation between the reference value and the corresponding NMR spectrum by means of a partial least squares (PLS) regression. Therefore, 40 commercially available coffee samples with already available LC-MS/MS data and NMR spectra were used as calibration data. To test the accuracy and robustness of the model and its limitations, 50 coffee samples with extreme roasting degrees and blends were additionally prepared as test set. The PLS model shows an applicability for the varieties C. arabica and C. canephora, which were medium to very dark roasted using drum or infrared roasters. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is 79 µg/kg acrylamide (n=32). The PLS model is judged as suitable to predict the acrylamide values of commercially available coffee samples. On the other hand, very light roasts containing more than 1000 µg/kg acrylamide are currently not suitable for PLS prediction.

Atrophy quantification is fundamental for understanding brain development and diagnosing and monitoring brain diseases. FSL-SIENA is a well-known fully-automated method that has been widely used in brain magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, intensity variations arising during image acquisition that may compromise evaluation, analysis and even diagnosis. In this work, we study whether intensity standardisation can improve longitudinal atrophy quantification. We considered seven methods comprising z-score, fuzzy c-means, Gaussian mixture model, kernel density, histogram matching, white stripe, and removal of artificial voxel effects by linear regression (RAVEL). We used a total of 330 scans from two publicly-available datasets, ADNI and OASIS. In scan-rescan assessments, that measures robustness to subtle imaging variations, intensity standardisation did not compromise the robustness of FSL-SIENA significantly (p>0.1). In power analysis assessments, that measures the ability to discern between two groups of subjects, three methods led to consistent improvements in both datasets with respect to the original: fuzzy c-means, Gaussian mixture model, and kernel density estimation. Reduction in sample size using these three methods ranged from 17% to 95%. The performance of the other four methods was affected by spatial normalisation, skull stripping errors, presence of periventricular white matter hyperintensities, or tissue proportion variations over time. Our work evinces the relevance of appropriate intensity standardisation in longitudinal cerebral atrophy assessments using FSL-SIENA.

In this paper, a new axial-type magnetic gear with auxiliary flux-enhancing structure (AFS-AMG) is proposed. Compared to conventional AFS-AMG, it has the higher torque density and higher permanent magnet (PM) utilization factor. Firstly, the design rules and operating principles of proposed AFS-AMG are elaborated. Then, the mapping relation between the radial-type magnetic gears (RMGs) and AMGs are elucidated. Compared to its counterpart in RMGs, AFS-AMGs achieve small size. Then, the geometrical parameters of AFS-AMGs are optimized to obtain the better electromagnetic performances, where the torque density per volume and per PM volume is adopted as the evaluation standard. Finally, three different AMG topologies are constructed in finite element analysis (FEA) software for comparison. It is proven that the AFS-AMG has the largest torque density per volume and per PM volume.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between the internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), in particular the severity of disc displacement (DD), and the presence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in growing patients evaluated on magnetic resonance images (MRI). The study also investigated the relationship between the stages of DD severity and age. Methods: This cross-sectional study has been conducted on a pre-orthodontic population (8-16 years). The GJH was assessed with the Beighton test (cutoff ≥ 4) and the final sample of 56 patients was divided into two groups: a Study Group, 30 subjects with GJH, and a Control Group, 26 subjects without GJH. The disc position was evaluated on MRI and the severity of DD was classified in four stages. Pearson's χ2 Test was performed for the analysis of the statistical correlation. Results: A statistically significant relationship between GJH and disc position was found, in particular a disc displacement with reduction (DDwR) and DD severity. It also emerged a positive association between the severity of DD and age, that increased with increasing age. Conclusions: Growing patients with GJH have a higher risk of developing DD and with more severe stages. The risk of developing DD and the severity increases with increasing age.

In this multicenter, retrospective study we evaluated the added value of magnetic resonance dispersion imaging (MRDI) to standard multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for PCa detection. The study included 76 patients - 51 with clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), who underwent radical prostatectomy and had an mpMRI including dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI. Two radiologists performed three separate randomized scorings based on mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI. Radical prostatectomy histopathology was used as the reference standard. Imaging and histopathology were both scored according to the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System V2.0 sector map. Sensitivity and specificity for PCa detection were evaluated for mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI. Inter- and intra-observer variability for both radiologists were evaluated using Cohen’s Kappa. On a per patient level, sensitivity for csPCa for radiologist 1 (R1) for mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI were 0.94, 0.82 and 0.94, respectively. For the second radiologist (R2) these were 0.78, 0.94 and 0.96. R1 detected 4% additional csPCa cases using MRDI compared to mpMRI and R2 detected 20% extra csPCa cases using MRDI. Inter-observer agreement was significant only for MRDI (Cohen’s kappa = 0.4250, p=0.004). The results of this study show the potential of MRDI to improve interobserver variability and the detection of csPCa.

In this project, four of fibers Bragg gratings were fabricated by injecting different volumes of liquids (star line Glass Mechanix optical adhesive material, olive oil diluted with ethanol) into the hollow core fiber. The amplitude splitting interferometric technique with a high resolution specially designed translation stage was used for the fabrication process. The fabrication was done using ultraviolet laser operated at wavelength 405nm. The fabricated Bragg length of the four fibers is equal to 3.8 cm. The results presented fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with successful fabrication at 653.3 nm Bragg reflected wavelength.

Stroke is a major leading cause of chronic disability, often affecting patients’ motor and sensory functions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the most commonly used method of functional neuroimaging and allows the non-invasive study of brain activity. The time-dependent coactivation of different brain regions at rest is described as resting-state activation. As a non-invasive task-independent functional neuroimaging approach, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) may provide therapeutically useful information on both the focal vascular lesion and the connectivity-based reorganization and subsequent functional recovery in stroke patients. Considering the role of prompt and accurate prognosis in stroke survivors along with the potential of rs-fMRI in identifying patterns of neuroplasticity in different post-stroke phases, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest literature regarding the role of rs-fMRI in stroke prognosis in terms of motor and sensory outcome. Our comprehensive review suggests that with the advancement of MRI acquisition and data analysis methods, rs-fMRI emerges as a promising tool to study the motor and sensory outcome in stroke patients and evaluate the effect of different interventions.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is increasingly used to quantify and map the spatial distribution of blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage in neurodegenerative disease, including cerebral small vessel disease and dementia. However, the subtle nature of leakage and resulting small signal changes make quantification challenging. While simplified one-dimensional simulations have probed the impact of noise, scanner drift, and model assumptions, the impact of spatio-temporal effects such as gross motion, k-space sampling and motion artefacts on parametric leakage maps has been overlooked. Moreover, evidence on which to base the design of imaging protocols is lacking due to practical difficulties and the lack of a reference method. To address these problems, we present an open-source computational model of the DCE-MRI acquisition process for generating four-dimensional Digital Reference Objects (DROs), using a high-resolution brain atlas and incorporating realistic patient motion, extra-cerebral signals, noise and k-space sampling. Simulations using the DROs demonstrated a dominant influence of spatio-temporal effects on both the visual appearance of parameter maps and on measured tissue leakage rates. The computational model permits a greater understanding of the sensitivity and limitations of subtle BBB leakage measurement and provides a non-invasive means of testing and optimising imaging protocols for future studies.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors characterizing a decrease in LV global systolic function in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after revascularization using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based ischemic injury pattern and laboratory parameters sensu left ventricular global systolic function. A total of 109 STEMI patients were examined. The patients underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI with a 1.5 Tesla GE SIGNA Voyager (GE HealthCare, USA) on the 7th-10th days from the onset of the disease. According to cardiac MRI analysis, the patients were divided into the following groups with regard to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values: group 1 – patients with LVEF ≥50%; group 2 – patients with mildly reduced LVEF 40-49%; group 3 – patients with low LVEF <40%. A predominance of most parameters of the ischemic injury pattern was noted in patients with mildly reduced and low LVEF versus patient group with LVEF ≥50%. Some risk factors for a decrease in LVEF <50% systolic function in STEMI patients after revascularization were revealed: male gender; time from the onset of the anginal attack to revascularization; coronary artery status; several LV parameters; ischemic injury characteristics; natriuretic peptide and troponin I levels.

Purpose Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation has become one of the most important prognostic biomarkers in glioma management, indicating better treatment response and prognosis. IDH mutations confer neomorphic activity leading to the conversion of alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG) to 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical potential of proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in identifying IDH-mutant gliomas by detecting characteristic resonances of 2HG and its complex interplay with other clinically relevant metabolites. Materials and Methods Thirty-two patients with suspected infiltrative glioma underwent single-voxel (SVS, n=17) and/or single-slice multivoxel (1H-MRSI, n=15) proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) sequence with an optimized echo-time (97ms) on 3T-MRI. Spectroscopy data were analyzed using linear combination (LC) model. Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) values of <40% were considered acceptable for detecting 2HG and <20% for other metabolites. Immunohistochemical analyses for determining IDH mutational status were subsequently performed from resected tumor specimens, and findings were compared with the results from spectral data. Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared tests were performed to ascertain differences in metabolite levels between IDH-mutant and IDH-wild-type gliomas. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were also performed. Results Data from eight cases were excluded due to poor spectral quality or non-tumor-related etiology, and final data analyses were performed from 24 cases. Of these cases, 9/12 (75%) were correctly identified as IDH-mutant or IDH-wildtype gliomas by SVS and 10/12 (83%) by 1H-MRSI with an overall concordance rate of 79% (19/24). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values were 80%, 77%, 86%, and 70%, respectively. The metabolite 2HG was found to be significant in predicting IDH-mutant gliomas by Chi-squared test (p<0.01). The IDH-mutant gliomas also showed significantly higher NAA/Cr ratio (1.20 ± 0.09 versus 0.75 ± 0.12 p= 0.016) and lower Glx/Cr ratio (0.86±0.078 versus 1.88±0.66; p=0.029) than those with IDH wild-type gliomas. The areas under the ROC curves for NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr were 0.808 and 0.786, respectively. Conclusion 1H-MRS may be useful in detecting IDH mutational status in gliomas by detecting 2HG and characteristic patterns of other metabolite ratios (NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr). This has significant clinical implications for prognostication and response assessment to novel targeted therapies in gliomas.

Abstract: Accurately predicting a fetus's gestational age (GA) is of utmost importance in prenatal care. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can automatically predict GA using biometric measurements derived from fetal brain mag-netic resonance imaging (MRI). Additionally, we aimed to assess the significance of con-sidering different references when interpreting GA predictions. To achieve this, we obtained measurements such as Biparietal Diameter (BPD), Fron-to-occipital Diameter (FOD), and Head Circumference (HC) from a dataset comprising 52 normal fetal MRI cases with T2 Haste sequences from Rush University. Both manual and AI-based methods were utilized to acquire these measurements. We also employed three reference papers (Garel, Freq, and Bio) for comparison purposes. The results demonstrated a strong correlation between manual and AI measure-ments, indicating consistency between the two methods. The AI-based measurement of HC exhibited a higher correlation with actual values compared to BPD, FOD, and correct-ed BPD (BPDC). When comparing these measurements with GA in the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), the differences varied depending on the reference used. Specifically, the differences ranged from 0.47 to 2.17 weeks for BPD, 0.46 to 2.26 weeks for FOD, and 0.75 to 1.74 weeks for HC. Furthermore, the Pearson correlation coeffi-cient analysis revealed that all correlation coefficients between PACS records and GA pre-dictions using different references were greater than 0.97. In conclusion, the AI model based on fetal brain MRI accurately predicts GA by uti-lizing BPD, FOD, and HC measurements. The AI approach, which involves combining line segments to calculate fetal head circumference, offers improved accuracy and con-venience compared to manual estimation. This study underscores the potential of AI models in accurately estimating gestational age and highlights their utility in prenatal care. By integrating AI as a valuable tool in prenatal care, we can enhance the accuracy, ef-ficiency, and decision-making involved in assessing fetal development and monitoring pregnancies using MRI measurements.

We sought to compare native T1 mapping to conventional Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T2-STIR techniques in a cohort of consecutive patients undergoing cardiac MRI (CMR).. CMR was performed in 323 patients, 206 males (64%), mean age 54±8 years and in 27 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. At T2-STIR images myocardial hyperintensity suggesting edema was found in 41 patients (27%). LGE images were positive in 206 patients (64%). T1 mapping was abnormal in 171 (49%). In 206 patients (64%) a matching between LGE and native T1 was found. T1 was abnormal in 32 out of 41 (78%) with edema at T2-STIR. Overall, LGE and/or T2-STIR were abnormal in 209 patients, whereas native T1 in 154(52%). Conventional techniques and T1 mapping were concordant in 208 patients (64%). In 39 patients T1 mapping was positive despite negative conventional techniques (12%). T1 mapping was able in conditions with diffuse myocardial damage as cardiac amyloidosis, scleroderma and Fabry disease (additive role in 42%). On contrast, T1 mapping was less effective in cardiac disease with regional distribution of myocardial damage as myocardial infarction, HCM, myocarditis. In conclusion, conventional LGE/T2-STIR and T1 mapping are complementary techniques and should be used together in every CMR examination.

Pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) as the third most widely used pesticides, following organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides, which are of significant importance in the analysis and detection of vegetables. However, the current pretreatment technology for PYRs confronts challenges of difficult separation and low enrichment efficiency, resulting in a cumbersome and time-consuming pretreatment process with poor selectivity. Here, a simple and efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) strategy was developed to simultaneously purify and enrich five PYRs in vegetables, with the magnetic covalent organic framework nanomaterial COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 as an adsorbent. The COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 was prepared by a simple solvothermal conditions method, using Fe3O4 as magnetic core, benzidine and 3,3,5,5-tetraaldehyde biphenyl as two building units. COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 could effectively capture the targeted PYRs by virtue of its abundant π-electron system and hydroxyl groups. The impact of various experimental parameters on extraction efficiency was investigated to optimize the MSPE conditions, including adsorbent amount, extraction time, elution solvent type and elution time. Subsequently, method validation was conducted under the optimal conditions in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Within the range of 5.00–100 μg·kg-1 (1.00–100 μg·kg-1 for bifenthrin and 2.5–100 μg·kg-1 for fenpropathrin), the five PYRs exhibited a strong linear relationship, with determination coefficients ranging from 0.9990 to 0.9997. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.3–1.5 μg·kg-1, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.9–4.5 μg·kg-1. The recoveries were 80.2–116.7% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 7.0%. Finally, COF-SiO2@Fe3O4, NH2-SiO2@Fe3O4 and Fe3O4 were compared as MSPE adsorbents for PYRs. The results indicated that COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 was an efficient and rapid selective adsorbent for PYRs. This method holds promising prospects for the determination of PYRs in real samples.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH), of presumed vascular origin, are visible and quantifiable neuroradiological markers of brain parenchymal change. These changes may range from damage secondary to inflammation and other neurological conditions, through to healthy ageing. Fully automatic WMH quantification methods are promising, but still, traditional semi-automatic methods seem to be preferred in clinical research. We systematically reviewed the literature for fully automatic methods developed in the last five years, to assess what are considered state-of-the-art techniques, as well as trends in the analysis of WMH of presumed vascular origin. Method: We registered the systematic review protocol with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number - CRD42019132200. We conducted the search for fully automatic methods developed from 2015 to July 2020 on Medline, Science direct, IEE Explore, and Web of Science. We assessed risk of bias and applicability of the studies using QUADAS 2. Results: The search yielded 2327 papers after removing 104 duplicates. After screening titles, abstracts and full text, 37 were selected for detailed analysis. Of these, 16 proposed a supervised segmentation method, 10 proposed an unsupervised segmentation method, and 11 proposed a deep learning segmentation method. Average DSC values ranged from 0.538 to 0.91, being the highest value obtained from an unsupervised segmentation method. Only four studies validated their method in longitudinal samples, and eight performed an additional validation using clinical parameters. Only 8/37 studies made available their method in public repositories. Conclusions: We found no evidence that favours deep learning methods over the more established k-NN, linear regression and unsupervised methods in this task. Data and code availability, bias in study design and ground truth generation influence the wider validation and applicability of these methods in clinical research.

(1) Background: The diagnosis of lumbosacral radiculopathy involves anamnesis, assessment of sensitivity and strength, diagnostic imaging—usually magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—and electrodiagnostic testing (EDX), typically electromyography (EMG) and electroneurography (ENG). MRI evaluates the structures supporting the spinal cord, while EDX evaluates root functionality. The present study aimed to analyze the concordance of MRI and EDX findings in patients with clinically suspected radiculopathy. Additionally, we investigated the comparison between these two reference tests and various clinical variables and questionnaires. (2) Methods: We designed a prospective epidemiological study of consecutive cases with an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and double-blind nature following the STROBE guidelines, encompassing 142 patients with clinical suspicion of lumbosacral radiculopathy. (3) Results: Of the sample, 58.5% tested positive for radiculopathy using EDX as the reference test, while 45.8% tested positive using MRI. The comparison between MRI and EDX in the diagnosis of radiculopathy in patients with clinical suspicion was not significant; the overall agreement was 40.8%. Only the years with symptoms were comparatively significant between the positive and negative radiculopathy groups as determined by EDX. (4) Conclusion: The comparison between lumbar radiculopathy diagnoses in patients with clinically suspected pathology using MRI and EDX as diagnostic modalities did not yield statistically significant findings. MRI and EDX are complementary tests assessing different aspects in patients with suspected radiculopathy; degeneration of the structures supporting the spinal cord does not necessarily imply root dysfunction.

An association between subtle changes in T2 white matter hyper-intense signals (WMHS) de-tected in fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (fbMRI) and congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been established. The research aim of this study is to compare children with congenital CMV infection with neurodevelopment outcome and hearing deficit with and with-out WMHS in a prospective historic cohort of 58 fbMRIs. Of these, WMHS was detected in 21. The median infection week of the WMHS group was earlier than the normal fbMRI group (8 and 17 weeks of gestation respectively). The proportion of infants treated with valganciclovir in the WMHS group was distinctly higher. Hearing impairment was not significantly different be-tween the groups. VABS scores in all 4 domains were within normal range in both groups. The median score of the motor skills corrected for week of infection was better in the WMHS group. A multivariate analysis using week of infection interaction variable of WMHS and valganciclo-vir treatment showed better motor score outcomes in the valganciclovir treatment group despite earlier week of infection. WMHS was not associated with neurodevelopmental outcome and hearing deficit. In our cohort valganciclovir treatment may have a protective effect on fetuses with WMHS by improving neurodevelopment outcome.

Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, is a necessary and complex micronutrient for cows. During the transition period, vitamin E deficiency (VED) is among the highest prevalent micronutrient deficits in dairy cows. It may eventually result in oxidative stress and immunological malfunction, and it increases the risk of peripartum disorders. At present, detailed data on blood metabolites in VED cows are limited. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to examine the alterations in the serum metabolic profile of VED cows throughout the early postpartum period. Using comprehensive 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), the alterations in serum metabolic activities of VED cows were analyzed. In total, 28 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned according to serum α-tocopherol (α-Toc) concentrations into a normal (α-Toc ≥ 4 μg/mL, n = 14) and VED (α-Toc &lt; 3 μg/mL, n = 14) groups at 21 days postpartum, and their blood samples were collected for biochemical and 1H NMR analyses. A t-test on independent samples as well as multivariate statistics were used to assess the findings. In comparison with normal cows, VED cows showed significantly worse body condition scores, milk yield, and dry matter intake (p &lt; 0.05). Significantly higher levels of serum non-esterified fatty acids, aspartate aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein, and malonaldehyde were found in VED-affected cows, as well as lesser concentrations of serum albumin, high-density lipoprotein, and total antioxidant capacity in comparison with normal cows (p &lt; 0.01), while other vitamins and minerals concentrations showed no distinction between the groups (p &gt; 0.05). Furthermore, 24 upregulated serum metabolites were identified under VED conditions. The metabolomics pathway analysis of these metabolites demonstrated that a global metabolic response to VED in cows was represented by changes in 11 metabolic pathways, comprising energy, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism. These outcomes suggest that VED cows were more likely to experience a negative energy balance characterized by alterations of common systemic metabolic processes and develop oxidative stress, inflammation, and ultimately liver injury. This study provides the first evidence of metabolic changes in cows with VED.

Psychotic disorders occur as a result of pathobiochemical processes in the brain, which disrupt the central neurotransmission of molecules such as dopamine and glutamate. The dopamine hypothesis, adopted more than 2 decades ago, has repeatedly asserted its position as an etiopathogenetic substrate through the action of psychostimulants and neuroleptics on the mesolimbic and mesocortical systems, giving insight into the origin of positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms. On the other hand, cognitive impairments in schizophrenia remain not fully understood but are thought to be present during all stages of the disease, as well as in the prodromal the interictal and residual phases. Over the last decade, functional magnetic resonance imaging has focused on research of brain networks like the Default mode network, the Salience network and Central executive network, enabling a deeper understanding of cognitive deficits, as well as other phenomena such as disorganization of thought and behavior. The study of the nodes of these networks, such as the precuneus and insula, informs about their complex significant roles as structures responsible for important cognitive domains such as concentration, attention, ability to understand and reproduce information, as well as memory functions. It is suggested that the neurotransmission of dopamine and glutamate play a key role in these processes and their successful modulation in the correct brain regions through psychopharmacological and biomedical instrumental methods may lead to a significant reversal of conventional paradigms. Pharmaco-magnetic resonance imaging is a neuroimaging method that can provide the translation of scientific knowledge about the neural networks and the disruptions in and between different brain regions, into clinically applicable and effective therapeutic results in the management of severe psychotic disorders.

This study aimed to identify the utility of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map as a predictor of the intrahepatic response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to cisplatin-based hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). We retrospectively evaluated 113 consecutive patients with HCC who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MR imaging. The appropriate cutoff for the tumor-to-liver ADC ratio was determined to be 0.741. Of the 113 patients, 51 (45%) presented with a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio < 0.741. Evaluation of the intrahepatic treatment response after 2-3 cycles of HAIC in these 51 patients revealed that 20 patients (39%) experienced an objective response to HAIC. On the other hand, only 10 of the 62 patients with a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio ≥ 0.741 (16%) experienced an objective response. Thus, the objective response rate was significantly higher in patients with a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio < 0.741 than in those with a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio ≥ 0.741 (P = 0.006). Multivariate logistic regression analysis using parameters including perfusion alteration, percentage of a non-enhancing portion, and tumor-to-liver ADC ratio revealed that a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio < 0.741 (odds ratio 3.03; P = 0.015) is the sole predictor of an objective response to HAIC. Overall survival rates were significantly higher in patients with objective responses to HAIC than in those without objective responses (P = 0.001 by log-rank test). In conclusion, patients with unresectable HCC with a tumor-to-liver ADC ratio < 0.741 showed a favorable intrahepatic response to HAIC. Therefore, diffusion-weighted MR imaging can play a critical role as a predictor of response to cisplatin-based HAIC in unresectable HCC.

The state detection of power cable is very important to ensure the reliability of power supply. Traditional sensors are mostly based on electric field detection, the operation is complex, and its efficiency needs to be improved. This paper optimizes the design and development of the magnetic field detection sensor for AC power cables. Firstly, through the establishment of the magnetic field sensor model, it is determined that permalloy is the material of the magnetic core, the optimal aspect ratio of the magnetic core is 20, and the ratio of coil length to core length is 0.3. Secondly, the coil simulation model is established, and it is determined that the optimal number of turns of the coil is 11000 turns, the diameter of the enamelled copper wire is 0.08mm, and the equivalent magnetic field noise of the sensor is 0.06pT. Finally, the amplifying circuit based on negative magnetic flux feedback is designed and the sensor is assembled, and the experimental circuit is built for sensitivity test. the results show that the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensor is 327.6mV/μT. The sensor designed in this paper has the advantages of small size, high sensitivity, easy to carry and high reliability.

Background: Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a distinct cardiomyopathy characterized by the presence of a two-layer myocardium with prominent trabeculation and deep intertrabecular recesses. The diagnosis of LVNC can be challenging because the diagnostic criteria are not uniform. The aim of our study was to evaluate echocardiographic and CMR findings in a group of children with isolated LVNC. Methods: From February 2008 to July 2021, pediatric patients under 18 years of age at the time of diagnosis with echocardiographic evidence of isolated LVNC were prospectively enrolled. The patients underwent echocardiography and contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement to assess myocardial noncompaction, ventricular size, and function. Results: A total of 34 patients with a median age of 11.9 years were recruited. Patients were followed prospectively for a median of 5.1 years. Of the 31 patients who met Jenni’s criteria in echocardiography, CMR was performed in 27 (79%). Further comprehensive analysis was performed in the group of 25 patients who met the echocardiographic and CMR criteria for LVNC. In echocardiography, the median NC/C ratio in systole was 2.60 and in diastole 3.40. In 25 out of 27 children (93%), LVNC was confirmed by CMR according to Petersen’s criteria, with a median NC/C ratio of 3.27. Conclusions: 1) Echocardiography precisely identifies patients with LVNC. 2) Echocardiography is a good method for monitoring LV systolic function, but CMR is indicated for the precise assessment of LV remodeling and RV size and function as well as for the detection of myocardial fibrosis.

Pattern analysis of salivary metabolic profile has been proven accurate to discriminate generalized periodontitis (GP) patients from healthy individuals (HI) as disease modifies the salivary concentrations of specific metabolites. Due to the scarcity of data in the literature, the aim of this study was to determine whether non-surgical periodontal therapy (NST) could change salivary metabolomic profile in GP to one more similar to HI. Unstimulated whole saliva of 11 HI and 12 GP patients were obtained prior to and 3 months after NST. Metabolic profiling was performed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, followed by supervised multivariate statistical approach on entire saliva spectra and partial least square (PLS) discriminant analysis. In GP group, periodontal treatment improved all clinical parameters, but not all the diseased sites were eradicated. PLS revealed an accuracy of 100% in discriminating the metabolomic profile of each GP patient before and after NST. OPLS was able to discriminate the 3 groups of subjects with an accuracy of 85.6%. However the post-NST metabolic profile of GP patients could not be completely assimilated to that of HS. Although NST may produce significant changes in the metabolic profile, GP patients maintained a distinctive fingerprint compared to HI.

The carbonyl iron particles were dispersed in a polychloroprene rubber (CR) matrix under an external magnetic field for practical application as microwave absorption composites film. The film prepared under external magnetic field with a thickness of only 0.54 mm showed least reflection loss of -15.98 dB and the reflection loss value less than -10.0 dB over the frequency range of 11.4~14.8 GHz. In comparison with the microwave absorption properties of calculation by transmission line theory based on the tested relative complex permittivity and permeability and film prepared by general route without external magnetic field, the film made with external magnetic field exhibited more excellent microwave absorption properties, strongly depending on the increment of anisotropy and rearrangement of magnetic particles. The results indicated the composite film made under external magnetic field have excellent microwave absorption properties, which suggest that the composites thin film could be used as a thinner and lighter microwave absorber.

This is a report on a dynamic autonomous magnetic interaction which does not depend on polarities resulting in short ranged repulsion involving one or more inertial bodies and a new class of bound state based on this interaction. Both effects are new to the literature, found so far. Experimental results are generalized and reported qualitatively. Working principles of these effects are provided within classical mechanics and found consistent with observations and simulations. The effects are based on the interaction of a rigid and finite inertial body (an object having mass and moment of inertia) endowed with a magnetic moment with a cyclic inhomogeneous magnetic field which does not require to have a local minimum. Such a body having some DoF involved in driven harmonic motion by this interaction can experience a net force in the direction of the weak field regardless of its position and orientation or can find stable equilibrium with the field itself autonomously. The former is called polarity free magnetic repulsion and the latter magnetic bound state. Experiments show that a bound state can be obtained between two free bodies having magnetic dipole moment. Various schemes of trapping bodies having magnetic moments by rotating fields are realized as well as rotating bodies trapped by a static dipole field in presence of gravity. Also, a special case of bound state called bipolar bound state between free dipole bodies is investigated.

Background: Multifunctional nanoparticles are known for their wide range of biomedical applications. Controlling the magnetic properties of these nanoparticles is imperative for various applications, including therapeutic angiogenesis. The study was performed to evaluate the magnetic properties and their control mechanisms by the external magnetic field. Methods: A 100nm magnetic nanoparticle was placed in the magnetic field, and parametrically the magnet field strength and distance was evaluated. Various models of magnetic strength and disposition were evaluated. Magnetic flux density, force/weight, and magnetic gradient strength were the parameters evaluated in electromagnetic computational software. Results: The seven-coil method with three centrally placed coils as Halbach array, and each coil with a flux density of 7 Tesla, and with a coil dimension of 20cmx20cm (square model) of each coil showed a good magnetic strength and force/weight parameters in a distance of 15cm from the centrally placed coil. The particles were then evaluated for their motion characteristics in saline. It showed good displacement and acceleration properties. After that, the particles were theoretically assessed in a similar mathematical model after parametrically correcting the drag force. After application of high drag forces, the particles showed adequate motion characteristics. When the particle size was reduced further, the motion characteristics were preserved even with high drag forces. Conclusion: There is potential for a novel method of controlling multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles using high magnetic fields. Further studies are required to evaluate the motion characteristics of these particles in-vivo and invitro.

In the former mining district of La Carolina (southern Spain), waste materials were accumulated without first waterproofing the substrate. Additionally, these mining dams were abandoned without any type of restoration, conditions that present a significant risk of contaminating the surrounding soils and waters. Prior to carry out the necessary works for isolating these residues, morphological characterization of the contact with the base substrate is needed. For that purpose, in recent years, different indirect study techniques have been used, among which electrical to-mography stands out. In this work, a less common geophysical technique, magnetometry, both in its magnetic and gra-diometric modalities, is used as an alternative method to analyse the geometry and structure of a mining dam. The results obtained with this methodology are compared with the results provided by electrical techniques, as well as with direct data from mechanical surveys and aerial photo-graphs prior to waste deposition. The magnetic anomaly curves obtained with geometric models generated with the Mag2dc program were also analysed. This comparative study shows the use-fulness of magnetic prospecting in characterizing the base geometry of these mining structures and therefore the interest in its application to environmental characterization studies.

The pathology of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a disease characterized by papillary edema and increased intracranial pressure (IICP), is not yet understood; this disease significantly affects quality of life due to symptoms, including vision loss, headache, and pulsatile tinnitus. By contrast, superficial siderosis (SS), a disorder in which hemosiderin is deposited on the surface of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, potentially causes cerebellar ataxia or hearing loss. So far, no cases of IIH with infratentorial and supratentorial cortical SS have been reported. Herein, we report a case of a 31-year-old woman with obesity who developed this condition. The patient suddenly developed headache and dizziness, had difficulty walking, and subsequently became aware of diplopia. Fundus examination revealed bilateral optic nerve congestive papillae and right eye abducens disturbance. Head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed prominent SS on the cerebellar surface and cerebral cortex. Lumbar puncture revealed IICP of 32 cmH2O, consistent with the diagnostic criteria for IIH, and treatment with oral acetazolamide was started; subsequently, the intracranial pressure decreased to 20 cmH2O. Her abduction disorder disappeared, and the swelling of the optic papilla improved. She was now able return to her life as a teacher without any sequelae. SS is caused by persistent slight hemorrhage into the subarachnoid space. In this case, both infratentorial and supratentorial cortical superficial SS was observed. Although cases of IIH complicated by SS are rare, it should be kept in mind that a causal relationship between IIH and SS was inferred from our case. Our findings also suggest that cerebrospinal fluid dynamic analysis using MRI is effective in diagnosing IIH and in determining the efficacy of treatment.

We use earthquake ground motion modelling via Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) and numerical simulation of seismic waves to consider the effects of site amplification and basin resonance in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. While spectral accelerations at short periods are sensitive to near-surface conditions (i.e., Vs30), our results suggest that, for basins as deep as Jakarta’s, available GMPEs cannot be relied upon to accurately estimate the effect of basin depth on ground motions at long periods (>1 s). Amplitudes at such long periods are influenced by entrapment of seismic waves in the basin, resulting in longer duration of strong ground motion, and interference between incoming and reflected waves as well as focusing at basin edges may amplify seismic waves. In order to simulate such phenomena in detail, a basin model derived from a previous study is used as a computational domain for deterministic earthquake scenario modeling in a 2-dimensional cross-section. A M_w 9.0 megathrust, a M_w 6.5 crustal thrust and a M_w 7.0 instraslab earthquake are chosen as scenario events that pose credible threats to Jakarta, and the interactions with the basin of seismic waves generated by these events were simulated. The highest PGV amplifications are recorded at sites near the middle of the basin and near its southern edge, with maximum amplifications of PGV in the horizontal component of 200% for the crustal, 600% for the megathrust and 335% for the deep intraslab earthquake scenario, respectively. We find that the levels of ground motion response spectral acceleration fall below those of the 2012 Indonesian building Codes's design response spectrum for short periods (< 1 s), but closely approach or may even exceed these levels for longer periods.

Background. Rectal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a key test in advanced rectal cancer and in the preoperative staging of a lesion suitable for transanal endoscopic surgery (TES). MRI is not operator-dependent, but its results when determining anatomical landmarks are variable. Method. Observational study of inter-observer concordance regarding four diagnostic tests used to establish the anatomical characteristics of rectal lesions: colonoscopy, rectal ultrasound (EUS), rectal MRI, and intraoperative rigid rectoscopy (IRR) in patients scheduled for transanal endoscopic surgery (TES) with curative intent. This inter-observational study assessed the concordance between four expert radiologists regarding the topographic evaluation by means of rectal MRI of lesions under consideration for TES. Results. Fifty-five consecutive rectal tumors were studied. For most of the items, the correlation between IRR and colonoscopy or EUS was generally very good (intraclass correlation coefficient -ICC-)>0.75), although the correlation between MRI and IRR in relation to size by quadrants (ICC=0.092) and location by quadrants (ICC=0.292) was weak. The ICC for the other items obtained excellent correlations: Kappa index >0.80 for all items except for the distance from the peritoneal reflection to the anal verge, where it was merely good (IK=0.606). Conclusions. The anatomical description of rectal lesions that are candidates for TES provided by means of IRR, EUS, colonoscopy and MRI is reliable. The MRI is less reliable, but in the hands of expert radiologists, the anatomical study of rectal lesions is accurate and reproducible.

There is currently no unified explanation for the origin of Earth's magnetic field, planetary magnetic fields, stellar magnetic fields, and neutron star magnetic fields, and most importantly, none of these theories have been experimentally verified. This paper is based on a new unified theory of mechanics and its derived applications, which may provide a better explanation for the origin of magnetic fields in celestial bodies and can be experimentally tested to better answer the observed phenomena: (1) the greater the mass of the celestial body, the stronger the magnetic field; (2) the faster the rotation speed of the celestial body, the stronger the magnetic field; (3) the higher the density of the celestial body, the stronger the magnetic field produced.

Oscillons, fundamental to various physical domains, are examined in-depth in this paper. From Josephson junctions in superconducting circuits to classical and quantum field theories, oscillators reveal profound insights into diverse phenomena. The study primarily focuses on oscillons, distinctive field configurations with enduring localization, establishing intriguing connections with well-known models like the Sine-Gordon breather. Surprising parallels in the weak coupling limit illuminate the rich dynamics of oscillators. A semi-classical quantization method, discretizing the field into spatially homogeneous regions, exposes stability angles, providing insights into the quantum nature of oscillons. The application of this quantization framework to specific cases, including the Sine-Gordon breather, showcases its versatility. The results offer a comprehensive perspective on the quantization of oscillons, unraveling the intricate interplay between classical and quantum dynamics. In conclusion, this paper provides a profound exploration of quantum oscillators, unveiling novel connections and presenting a rigorous quantization framework. The gained insights contribute significantly to the broader understanding of oscillatory systems and their pivotal role in diverse physical phenomena.

Optical materials with a tunable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) are of a great interest for applications in photonics and optoelectronics. In the present study we explored the potential of generating the LSPR band with an ultra-broad range of over 1000 nm in gold nanoparticles (NPs) precipitated through the thermal treatment in ZnO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass. Using the optical absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the LSPR band's position and shape can be finely controlled by varying the thermal treatment route. Comprehensive methods including Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to study the glass structure, while computational approaches were used for the theoretical description of the absorption spectra. Obtained results allowed us to suggest a scenario responsible for such abnormal LSPR band broadening which includes possible interparticle plasmonic coupling effect taking place during the liquid-liquid phase separation of the heat-treated glass. The formation of gold NPs with an ultra-broad LSPR band in glasses holds promise for sensitizing rare earth ion luminescence for new photonics devices.

A single water pollution by dyes is a huge environmental problem; there is a necessity to produce new decolorization methods that are effective, cost-attractive, and suitable in industrial use. Magnetic chitosan polymers offer the advantage of easy separation from the dye solution. In this work, a Chitosan-Fe polymer was synthesized, characterized, and tested for removal of the azo dye Direct Red 83:1 from water. The polymer was characterized in terms of surface morphology (SEM), elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectrophotometry (IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and density functional theory (DFT). The reported results hint that 1 g and pH 7.0 were the best conditions to carry out both kinetic and isotherm models. To understand the adsorption behavior of Direct Red 83:1 onto the polymers, adsorption rate and maximum adsorption capacity were calculated using kinetic tests and isotherm curves respectively. The kinetic data and mechanism of the adsorption process were analyzed by three models and the equilibrium data by three adsorption isotherms. The results indicated that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2= 0.999) and fits the Temkin isotherm (R2= 0.946), indicating that the adsorption occurred on heterogeneous surfaces. The newly synthesized Chitosan-Fe polymer exhibited good adsorption properties and easy separation of cleaned water.

The bipartite entanglement is comprehensively investigated in the mononuclear molecular complex (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L], where HL denotes 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-nitrophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-oxide-1-oxyl and hfacH stands for hexafluoroacetylacetone. From the magnetic point of view, the molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] consists of an exchange-coupled spin-1 Ni2+ magnetic ion and a spin-12 nitronyl-nitroxide radical substituted nitrophenol. The nickel-radical molecular complex affords an experimental realization of a mixed spin-(12, 1) Heisenberg dimer with a strong antiferromagnetic exchange coupling J/kB= 505 K and two distinct g-factors gRad=2.005 and gNi=2.275. By adopting this set of magnetic parameters we demonstrate that the Zeeman splitting of a quantum ferrimagnetic ground-state doublet due to a weak magnetic field may substantially reinforce the strength of bipartite entanglement at low temperatures. The molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] maintains sufficiently strong thermal entanglement even at room temperature, vanishing only above 546 K. Specifically, the thermal entanglement in the nickel-radical molecular complex retains approximately 40% of the maximum value corresponding to perfectly entangled Bell states at room temperature, which implies that this magnetic compound provides suitable platform of a molecular qubit with potential implications for room-temperature quantum computation and quantum information processing.

Cyclotron resonance is found in nanosized local regions single crystal samples of yttrium-iron garnet. This resonance was observed in 8 mm microwave range at room temperature. This resonance manifests itself as in the form of free- electrons subsystem excitations, or in the form of mixed spin-electron modes. The existence of cyclotron resonance convincingly indicates the presence phenomenon of Phase Separation in yttrium-iron garnet single crystals.

In the study of relativistic jets one of the key open questions is their interaction with the environment on the microscopic level. Here, we study the initial evolution of both electron–proton (e^- - p⁺) and electron–positron (e^±) relativistic jets containing helical magnetic fields, focusing on their interaction with an ambient plasma. We have performed simulations of "global" jets containing helical magnetic fields in order to examine how helical magnetic fields affect kinetic instabilities such as the Weibel instability, the kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (kKHI) and the Mushroom instability (MI). In our initial simulation study these kinetic instabilities are suppressed and new types of instabilities can grow. In the e^- - p⁺ jet simulation recollimation-like instability occurs and jet electrons are strongly perturbed. In the e^± jet simulation a recollimation-like instability occurs at early times followed by a kinetic instability and the general structure is similar to a simulation without helical magnetic field. Simulations using much larger systems are required in order to thoroughly follow the evolution of global jets containing helical magnetic fields.

The mechanisms of natural oscillations and resonance are described, considering the peculiarities of the transformation of elastic and kinetic energy in the implementation of the law of conservation of energy in local and integral volumes of the body, using the concept of mechanics based on the concepts of space, time and energy. When describing the motion in the Lagrange form, the elastic deformation energy of the particles is determined by the quadratic invariant of the tensor, whose components are the partial derivatives of Euler variables with respect to Lagrange variables. The increment of the invariant due to elastic deformation is represented as the sum of two scalars, one of which depends on the average value of the relative lengths of the edges of the particles in the form of an infinitesimal parallelepiped, the second is equal to the standard deviation of these lengths from the average value. It is shown that each of the scalars can be represented in the form of two dimensionless kinematic parameters of elastic energy, which participate in different ways in the implementation of the law of conservation of energy. One part of the elastic energy passes into kinetic energy and participates in the implementation of the law of conservation of energy for the body as a whole, considering external forces. The second part is not converted into kinetic energy but changes the deformed state of the particles in accordance with the equations of motion while maintaining the same level of the part of the elastic energy of the particles used for this. The kinematic parameters differ from the volume density of the corresponding types of energy by a factor equal to the elastic modulus, which is directly proportional to the density and heat capacity of the material and inversely proportional to the volume compression coefficient. Transverse, torsional, and longitudinal vibrations are considered free and under resonance conditions. The mechanisms of transformation of forced vibrations into their own after the termination of external influences and resonance at the superposition of free and forced vibrations with the same or similar frequency are considered. The formation of a new free wave at each cycle with an increase in the amplitude, which occurs mainly due to internal energy sources, and not external forces, is justified.

Effective sports training should be attuned to the athlete's specific conditionings and characteristics. In motor learning research, two often neglected factors that influence this resonance are the learner's athletic background and the structural diversity of exercises (e.g., relative similarity). This study examines the effects of three learning approaches (i.e., contextual interference (CI), differential learning (DL), and free-play control condition (CO)) on the parallel learning of Handball (HB), Volleyball (VB), and Basketball (BB) skills, considering participants' prior sport backgrounds. Forty-five males (15 HB, 15 VB, and 15 BB players) with a mean age of 22±1.4 years and at least 6 years of experience in the mastered discipline voluntarily participated in this study. A pre-post-retention test design including a 6-week-intervention program was employed. In terms of short-term (pre-post) gain, only the DL- group significantly improved their performance in both non-mastered disciplines (p=0.03 for the BB free-throw and p=0.05 for the HB shooting tests), with a trend (ES=0.53) towards an improvement in the performance of the mastered VB underarm-pass skill. In terms of relatively permanent gains, the CI group significantly improved their performances from pre- to retention-test only in the non-mastered BB free-throw skill (p=0.018). In contrast, the DL group significantly improved their performance at retention compared to the pre-test in both non-mastered BB (p=0.004) and HB (p=0.003) skills, with a trend (ES=0.4) towards improvement in the mastered VB test. In both short, and relatively permanent terms, higher composite score gains were observed in DL compared to CI (p=0.001 and 0.002) and CO (p=0.001 and <0.0001). In conclusion, the present findings provide additional support for the potential advantages of the DL model over those of CI. These findings can serve as the basis for tailored training and intervention strategies and provide a new perspective for addressing various issues related to individual and situational learning.

In view of the problem that the output thrust of solenoid actuator is affected by various factors and is difficult to calculate in actual working conditions, this paper proposes a semi-analytical model constructed by magnetic field subdomain method with internal and external boundary conditions in cylindrical coordinate system for calculation, and the general solution equations of magnetic vector potential for each subdomain are derived and solved by MATLAB. Taking a push-pull electromagnet as an example, the finite element simulation and experimental comparative analysis are carried out. The correctness and applicable conditions of the subdomain method are illustrated by comparing the gradient plot of magnetic vector potential, inductance curve and electromagnetic force. By calculating the output thrust after considering the core gravity, spring force and electromagnetic force, it is shown that this method has the advantage of computational flexibility compared with the finite element method, and it is easier to write special algorithms according to various working conditions to calculate the important parameters in engineering applications.

In this manuscript we report new effects of resonance detuning on various dynamical parameters of a generic 3-wave system. Namely, for suitably chosen values of detuning the variation range of amplitudes can be significantly wider than for exact resonance. Moreover, the range of energy variation is not symmetric with respect to the sign of the detuning. Finally, the period of the energy oscillation exhibits non-monotonic dependency on the magnitude of detuning. These results have important theoretical implications where nonlinear resonance analysis is involved, such as geophysics, plasma physics, fluid dynamics. Numerous practical applications are envisageable e.g. in energy harvesting systems.

Based upon Maxwell's equations, it has long been established that oscillating electromagnetic (EM) fields incident upon a metal surface decay exponentially inside the conductor, leading to a virtual EM vacuum at sufficient depths. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilizes radiofrequency (r.f.) EM fields to produce images. Here we present the first visualization of a virtual EM vacuum inside a bulk metal strip by MRI, amongst several novel findings. We uncover unexpected MRI intensity patterns arising from two orthogonal pairs of faces of a metal strip, and derive formulae for their intensity ratios, revealing differing effective elemental volumes (voxels) underneath these faces. Further, we furnish chemical shift imaging (CSI) results that discriminate different faces (surfaces) of a metal block according to their distinct nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts, which holds much promise for monitoring surface chemical reactions noninvasively. Bulk metals are ubiquitous, and MRI is a premier noninvasive diagnostic tool. Combining the two, the emerging field of bulk metal MRI can be expected to grow in importance. The fundamental nature of results presented here may impact bulk metal MRI and CSI across many fields.

We report the strong coupling between plasmonic surface lattice resonances (SLRs) and photonic Fabry-Pérot (F-P) resonances in a microcavity embedded with two-dimensional periodic array of metal-insulator-metal nanopillars. For such a plasmonic-photonic system, we show that the SLR can be strongly coupled to the F-P resonances of both the odd- and even orders, and that the splitting energy reaches as high as 138 meV in the visible regime. We expect that this work will provide a new scheme for strong coupling between plasmonic and photonic modes.

The influence of post-processing conditions on the magnetic properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline microwires have been thoroughly analyzed, paying attention on the influence of magnetoelastic, induced and magnetocrystalline anisotropies on the hysteresis loops of Fe-, Ni- and Co-rich microwires. We showed that magnetic properties of glass-coated microwires can be tuned by the selection of appropriate chemical composition and geometry in as-prepared state or further considerably modified by appropriate post-processing, which consists of either annealing or glass-coated removal. Furthermore, stress-annealing or Joule heating can further effectively modify the magnetic properties of amorphous magnetic microwires owing to induced magnetic anisotropy. Devitrification of microwires can be useful for either magnetic softening or magnetic hardening of the microwires. Depending on the chemical composition of the metallic nucleus and on structural features (grain size, precipitating phases) nanocrystalline microwires can exhibit either soft magnetic properties or semi-hard magnetic properties. We demonstrated that the microwires with coercivities from 1 A/m to 40 kA/m can be prepared.

This contribution is an attempt to reconstruct the favorable atmosphere that prevailed in Lau-sanne in 1986-87 and provided the backdrop of our invention of two-dimensional ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (2D ICR-MS). To avoid a self-centered histoire d’ancien combattant, we shall try to emphasize the context, the contributions of key players within our nascent research group at UNIL and the established group of Tino Gäumann at EPFL, the role of external speakers, and the open atmosphere that was not yet polluted by bibliometrics, obsessive concern with im-pact factors, and top-down management of research. We shall also explain why the idea of 2D ICR-MS has been ignored for many years and still has a limited impact: different scientific cul-tures in the ICR and NMR communities, different concerns with fundamental vs. applied research, different status of theory and numerical simulations, different levels of commitment of instrument manufacturers, not to mention many theoretical problems that appear to be at least as challenging in ICR as in NMR.

The aim of this study is to solve the problems of complicated pretreatment and high analytical cost in the detection technology of trace drug toxicants in municipal wastewater. A high-performance magnetic sorbent was synthesized for enrichment of trace drug substances in wastewater to develop magnetic solid-phase extraction pretreatment combined with the acoustic ejection mass spectrometry (AEMS) analytical methods for the molecules in wastewater drug toxicants. The magnetic nanospheres was successfully prepared by magnetic nanoparticles modified with divinylbenzene and vinyl pyrrolidone.The results showed that the linear dynamic range of 17 drugs was 1-500 ng/L, the recovery was 43%-105%, the matrix effect was more than 67%, the limit of quantitative detection was 1-2 ng/L, and the detection time of each sample was 2.98s. It can be seen that the developed magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) method is a good solution to the problem of complicated pre-treatment and analytical cost in the detection of drugs in wastewater. The developed magnetic material and acoustic excitation coupled mass spectrometry analysis method can realize the low-cost, efficient enrichment and fast analysis of different kinds of drug molecules in urban sewage.

Lacunary polyoxometalates (POMs) are negatively charged metal−oxo clusters, formally obtained from plenary topologies via fragment removal. Owing to the fragment removal, the lacunary POMs archetypes are rich in nucleophilic terminal oxo ligands, making them suitable for post-synthetic coordination with various heterometals. Trilacunary heteropolytungstates (het-ero-POTs) based on bowl-shaped {W9O30} framework incorporating a central lone-pair containing {XO3} hetergroup (X = AsIII, SbIII, and BiIII) function as all-inorganic scaffolds that in the presence of d-block metal cations typically construct sandwich-like dimers of Hervé and/or Krebs. Herein we review the preparative approaches, compositional and magnetic versatility of the constructing Hervé and Krebs type dimers and discuss prospective use as POMtronics.

Faraday's Law of induction is often stated as "a change in magnetic flux causes an EMF"; or, more cautiously, "a change in magnetic flux is associated with an EMF"; It is as well that the more cautious form exists, because the first "causes" form can be shown to be incompatible with the usual expression for EMF. This is not, however, to deny the causality as reasonably inferred from experimental observation ­ it is the equation for Faraday's Law of induction which does not represent the claimed cause-and-effect relationship. Here we investigate a selection of different approaches, trying to see how an explicitly causal mathematical equation, which attempts to encapsulate the "a change in magnetic flux causes ..." idea, might arise.

Magnetic sensors are widely used in health management systems for turbomachinery, but their applications in the hot zone are limited due to the loss of magnetic properties by permanent magnets with increasing temperature. The paper presents and verifies models and design solutions aimed at improving the performance of an inductive sensor for measuring the motion of rotating objects operating at elevated temperatures (200-1000C), such as compressor and turbine blades. Physical, analog and mathematical models of the interaction of blades with the sensor were developed. A prototype of the sensor was made and its tests were carried out on the RK-4 rotor rig for the speed of 7000 rpm, in which the temperature of the sensor head was gradually increased to 1100C. The sensor signal level was compared to that of an identical sensor operating at room temperature. The heated sensor works continuously producing the output signal whose level does not change significantly. What is more, a set of six probes passed an initial engine test in an SO-3 turbojet. It was confirmed that the proposed design of the inductive sensor is suitable for blade health monitoring of the last stages of compressors, steam turbines as well as previous generation gas turbines operating below 1000C, even without a dedicated cooling system. In real-engine applications, sensor performance will depend on how the sensor is installed and the available heat dissipation capability

This review describes how resonance in amides is greatly affected upon substitution at nitrogen by two electronegative atoms. Nitrogen becomes strongly pyramidal and resonance stabilisation, evaluated computationally, can be reduced to as little as 50% that of N,N-dimethylacetamide. However, this occurs without significant twisting about the amide bond, which is borne out both experimentally and theoretically. In certain configurations, reduced resonance and pronounced anomeric effects between heteroatom substituents are instrumental in driving the HERON (Heteroatom Rearrangement On Nitrogen)^† reaction, in which the more electronegative atom migrates from nitrogen to the carbonyl carbon in concert with heterolysis of the amide bond, to generate acyl derivatives and heteroatom-substituted nitrenes. In other cases the anomeric effect facilitates S­_N1 and S_N2 reactivity at the amide nitrogen.

Magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance (MOSPR) based sensors are highly attractive as next generation biosensors. However, these sensors suffer from oxidation leading to degradation of performance, reproducibility of the sensor surface because of the difficulty of removing adsorbed materials, and degradation of sensor surface during surface cleaning, and these limit their applications. In this paper, I propose MOSPR-based biosensors with 0 to 15 nm thick inert polycarbonate laminate plastic as a protective layer and theoretically demonstrate the practicability of our approach in water-medium for three different probing samples: ethanol, propanol, and pentanol. I also investigate microstructure and magnetic properties. The chemical composition and layered information of the sensor are investigated using X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction analyses and these show distinct fcc-Au (111) phases, as dominated by the higher density of conduction electrons in Au as compared to Co. The magnetic characterization measured with the in-plane magnetic field to the sensor surface for both the as-deposited and annealed multilayers showed isotropic easy axis magnetization parallel to the multilayer interface at a saturating magnetic field of <100 Oe. The sensor showed a maximum sensitivity of 5.5 × 10⁴%/RIU for water-ethanol media and the highest detection level of 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ for water-pentanol media as the protective layer is increased from 0 to 15 nm.c

To clarify the relationships among critical temperature, critical magnetic field, and critical current density, this paper describes many-body interactions of quantum magnetic fluxes (i.e., vortices) and calculates pinning-related critical current density. All calculations are analytically derived, without numerical or fitting methods. Afteralculating a magnetic flux quantum mass, we theoretically obtain the critical temperature in a many-body interaction scenario (which can be handled by our established method). We also derive the critical magnetic field and inherent critical current density at each critical temperature. Finally, we determine the pinning-related critical current density with self-fields. The relationships between the critical magnetic field and critical temperature, inherent critical current density and critical temperature, and pinning critical current density and temperature were consistent with experimental observations. From the critical current density and critical magnetic field, we clarified the magnetic field transition. It appears that a magnetic flux quantum collapses when the lattice of magnetic flux quanta melts. Our results, combined with our previously published papers, provide a comprehensive understanding of the transition points in high-T_c cuprates.

Magneto-electrochemistry (MEC) is a unique paradigm in science, where electrochemical experiments are carried out as a function of an applied magnetic field, creating a new horizon of potential scientific and technological applications. Over the time, detailed understanding of this research domain was developed to identify and rationalize the possible effects exerted by a magnetic field on the various microscopic processes occurring in an electrochemical system, such as: electrolyte properties governed by charge-transfer process (electric conductivity, viscosity, and diffusivity), mass transfer, electrochemical kinetics and on the structure/quality of products formed either at the working electrode or in the electrochemical cell. Particularly, magnetic field controlled chiral architecture obtained from deposited metal, alloys and catalyst and their excellent enantio-recognition in experimental frame is highly appealing. Interestingly, Hall effect was also demonstrated in electrolytic medium via an impressive experimental technique which is being employed for further theoretical understanding in the field of magneto-electrochemical science. Later, a highly reproducible local temperature variation was observed in electrochemical electrolytes exposed to perpendicular magnetic and electric fields. However, until recent studies, none of the above mentioned reports considered the possibility of a spin-dependent related charge-transfer process. Recent experimental and theoretical studies reveal that electron’s transmission through chiral molecules is spin-selective and this effect has been referred to as chiral-induced spin-selectivity (CISS) effect. The CISS effect pave the way for the building up of a system characterized by a net magnetic moment exploiting the spin-filtering ability of chiral molecules. This interplay between chirality and magnetism may shed light on fundamental scientific aspects underlying the enantio-recognition and highly efficient electron-transfer that occurs in biological process.

We believe that a natural focus of the Physics Education Research community is on understanding and improving student learning in our physics courses. For this purpose, we are introducing smartphones in the physics laboratory. Current smartphones measure each component of the magnetic field, bearing in mind that any current perpendicular to a magnetic field produces a small potential difference, transversal to the said current, being this voltage easily measurable by Hall sensors. In this work, we have considered the magnetic field created by a linear quadrupole and we have studied its dependence on distance. Using an experimental procedure that is simple we have measured the magnetic field using the Hall sensor that most smartphones have, together with the corresponding app. The purpose of this work is to show that the laboratory is a powerful tool that increases significant learning under three conditions: 1) the practice must not be too sophisticated; 2) students must handle objects in the lab; and 3) the practice must be scientifically accurate, including the adjustments by minimum squares, and the following and necessary error calculation.