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<title>Magnetic_Resonance_Imaging RSS : Gourt</title>
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<dc:rights>Copyright 2007, Gourt.com</dc:rights>
<dc:date>2009-07-04T18:06+54:00
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<dc:publisher>rtruog@gourt.com</dc:publisher>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?tmpl=NoSidebarfile&#x26;db=PubMed&#x26;cmd=Retrieve&#x26;list_uids=19574009&#x26;dopt=Abstract">
<title>Unwrapping magnetic resonance phase maps with Chebyshev polynomials.</title>
<link>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?tmpl=NoSidebarfile&#x26;db=PubMed&#x26;cmd=Retrieve&#x26;list_uids=19574009&#x26;dopt=Abstract</link>
<description><![CDATA[
	
        Unwrapping magnetic resonance phase maps with Chebyshev polynomials.
        Magn Reson Imaging. 2009 Jun 30;
        Authors:  Langley J, Zhao Q
        A phase-unwrapping algorithm, based on the method of moments, is introduced in this work. The proposed algorithm expands the phase map in terms of a two-dimensional Chebyshev series. The expansion coefficients are calculated by exploiting the orthogonality of Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind. The performance of the proposed phase-unwrapping algorithm is tested on a synthetic phase map and experimental phase maps of a uniform phantom, a human brain and a mouse torso, all acquired from 3-T magnetic resonance (MR) scanners. To impose additional burdens on the algorithm, we introduced magnetic field inhomogeneities to the phantom and human brain data by an external gradient coil. The proposed phase-unwrapping algorithm is found to perform well on the phantom data set in a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment and on the synthetic data set. The proposed algorithm is also found to perform well in in vivo data sets of the human brain and mouse torso. Results obtained from the in vivo MR data sets show that the proposed algorithm produced unwrapped phase maps that are nearly identical to those produced by a widely used phase-unwrapping algorithm, PRELUDE 2D in the fMRI Software Library.
        PMID: 19574009 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22074">
<title>Reliable two-dimensional phase unwrapping method using region growing and local linear estimation</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22074</link>
<description><![CDATA[In MRI, phase maps can provide useful information about parameters such as field inhomogeneity, velocity of blood flow, and the chemical shift between water and fat. As phase is defined in the (-[pi],[pi]] range, however, phase wraps often occur, which complicates image analysis and interpretation. This work presents a two-dimensional phase unwrapping algorithm that uses quality-guided region growing and local linear estimation. The quality map employs the variance of the second-order partial derivatives of the phase as the quality criterion. Phase information from unwrapped neighboring pixels is used to predict the correct phase of the current pixel using a linear regression method. The algorithm was tested on both simulated and real data, and is shown to successfully unwrap phase images that are corrupted by noise and have rapidly changing phase. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22072">
<title>Radio frequency heating at 9.4T (400.2 MHz): In vivo thermoregulatory temperature response in swine</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22072</link>
<description><![CDATA[In vivo thermoregulatory temperature response to radio frequency (RF) heating at 9.4T was studied by measuring temperatures in nine anesthetized swine. Temperatures were measured in the scalp, brain, and rectum. The RF energy was deposited using a four-loop head coil tuned to 400.2 MHz. Sham RF was delivered to three swine to understand the thermal effects of anesthesia (animal weight = 54.16 kg, SD = 3.08 kg). Continuous wave (CW) RF energy was delivered to the other six animals for 2.5-3.4 h (animal weight = 74.01 ± 26.0 kg, heating duration = 3.05 ± 0.29 h). The whole-head specific absorption rate (SAR) varied between 2.71 W/kg and 3.20 W/kg (SAR = 2.93 ± 0.18 W/kg). Anesthesia caused the brain and rectal temperatures to drop linearly. Altered thermoregulatory response was detected by comparing the difference in the temperature slopes before and after the RF delivery from zero. RF heating statistically significantly altered the rate of cooling down of the animal. The temperature slope changes correlated well with the RF energy per unit head weight and heating duration, and the maximum rectal temperature change during heating in heated animals. The temperature slope changes did not correlate well to the whole-head average SARs. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22053">
<title>Assessment of magnetization transfer effects in myocardial tissue using balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine MRI</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22053</link>
<description><![CDATA[Magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) by means of MRI exploits the mobility of water molecules in tissue and offers an alternative contrast mechanism beyond the more commonly used mechanisms based on relaxation times. A cardiac MTI method was implemented on a commercially available 1.5 T MR imager. It is based on the acquisition of two sets of cardiac-triggered cine balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) images with different levels of RF power deposition. Reduction of RF power was achieved by lengthening the RF excitation pulses of a cine bSSFP sequence from 0.24 ms to 1.7 ms, while keeping the flip angle constant. Normal volunteers and patients with acute myocardial infarcts were imaged in short and long axis views. Normal myocardium showed an MT ratio (MTR) of 33.0 ± 3.3%. In acute myocardial infarct, MTR was reduced to 24.5 ± 9.2% (P < 0.04), most likely caused by an increase in water content due to edema. The method thus allows detection of acute myocardial infarct without the administration of contrast agents. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22048">
<title>Evaluation of a rapid, multiphase MRE sequence in a heart-simulating phantom</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22048</link>
<description><![CDATA[The aims of this study were to validate stiffness estimates of a phantom undergoing cyclic deformation obtained using a multiphase magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) imaging sequence by comparison with those obtained using a single-phase MRE sequence and to quantify the stability of the multiphase-derived stiffness estimates as a function of deformation frequency and imaging parameters. A spherical rubber shell of 10 cm diameter and 1 cm thickness was connected to a computerized flow pump to produce cyclic pressure variations within the phantom. The phantom was imaged at cyclic pressures between 18-72 bpm using single-phase and multiphase MRE acquisitions. The shear stiffness of the phantom was resolved using a spherical shell wave inversion algorithm. Shear stiffness was averaged over the slice of interest and plotted against pressure within the phantom. A linear correlation was observed between stiffness and pressure. Good correlation (R2 = 0.98) was observed between the stiffness estimates obtained using the standard single-phase and the multiphase pulse sequences. Stiffness estimates obtained using multiphase MRE were stable when the fraction of the deformation period required for acquisition of a single image was not greater than 42%. The results demonstrate the potential of multiphase MRE technique for imaging dynamic organs, such as the heart. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22038">
<title>In vivo MR elastography of the prostate gland using a transurethral actuator</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22038</link>
<description><![CDATA[Conventional approaches for MR elastography (MRE) using surface drivers have difficulty achieving sufficient shear wave propagation in the prostate gland due to attenuation. In this study we evaluate the feasibility of generating shear wave propagation in the prostate gland using a transurethral device. A novel transurethral actuator design is proposed, and the performance of this device was evaluated in gelatin phantoms and in a canine prostate gland. All MRI was performed on a 1.5T MR imager using a conventional gradient-echo MRE sequence. A piezoceramic actuator was used to vibrate the transurethral device along its length. Shear wave propagation was measured transverse and parallel to the rod at frequencies between 100 and 250 Hz in phantoms and in the prostate gland. The shear wave propagation was cylindrical, and uniform along the entire length of the rod in the gel experiments. The feasibility of transurethral MRE was demonstrated in vivo in a canine model, and shear wave propagation was observed in the prostate gland as well as along the rod. These experiments demonstrate the technical feasibility of transurethral MRE in vivo. Further development of this technique is warranted. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22030">
<title>Magnetic resonance imaging-guided adoptive cellular immunotherapy of central nervous system tumors with a T1 contrast agent</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22030</link>
<description><![CDATA[Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most effective antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and are used in a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches. Adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI) of cancer using DCs has attracted much interest due to their capacity to promote immunity in prophylactic and therapeutic protocols. As one approach, DCs are injected into patients or tumor-bearing animals, to trigger specific antitumor immunity. In that framework, several approaches to DC delivery have been reported, including direct intratumoral injection; this has yielded positive but variable results. The underlying reasons for this have not been fully determined, but major hypotheses include technical difficulties in delivering cells into tumors and tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Image-guided ACI offers the potential to establish that DCs are efficiently delivered to the tumor site, which might eliminate some of the variability. Therefore, we developed highly sensitive methods for monitoring the injection or trafficking of DCs into tumors using a clinically approved formulation of a gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, Gd(III)-HP-DO3A (ProHanceTM). We determined the labeling efficiency of DCs with this formulation; that labeling DCs with this agent did not inhibit expression of surface markers important for antigen presentation and activation of naive T cells; that their capacity to interact with natural killer (NK) cells was not reduced; and that their migration was not diminished. Further, we determined that ProHanceTM-labeled DCs can be effectively imaged in vivo in established central nervous system tumors. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22058">
<title>A respiratory self-gating technique with 3D-translation compensation for free-breathing whole-heart coronary MRA</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22058</link>
<description><![CDATA[Respiratory motion remains a major challenge for robust coronary MR angiography (MRA). Diaphragmatic navigator (NAV) suffers from indirect measurement of heart position. Respiratory self-gating (RSG) approaches improve motion detection only in the head-feet direction, leaving motion in the other two dimensions unaccounted for. The purpose of this study was to extend conventional RSG (1D RSG) to RSG capable of 3D motion detection (3D RSG) by acquiring additional RSG projections with transverse-motion-encoding gradients. Simulation and volunteer studies were conducted to validate the effectiveness of this new method. Preliminary comparison was performed between coronary artery images reconstructed from the same datasets using different motion correction methods. Our simulation illustrates that a proper motion-encoding gradient and derivation method enable accurate 3D motion detection. Results from whole-heart coronary MRA show that 3D RSG can further reduce motion artifacts as compared to NAV and 1D RSG and enables use of larger gating windows for faster coronary imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22034">
<title>Incidental magnetization transfer contrast by fat saturation preparation pulses in multislice look-locker echo planar imaging</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22034</link>
<description><![CDATA[In this study, it is demonstrated that fat saturation (FS) preparation (prep) pulses generate incidental magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) in multislice Look-Locker (LL) imaging. It is shown that frequency-selective FS prep pulses can invoke MTC through the exchange between free and motion-restricted protons. Simulation reveals that the fractional signal loss by these MTC effects is more severe for smaller flip angles (FAs), shorter repetition times (TRs), and greater number of slices (SN). These incidental MTC effects result in a signal attenuation at a steady state (up to 30%) and a T1 measurement bias (up to 20%) when using inversion recovery (IR) LL echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequences. Furthermore, it is shown that water-selective MRI using binomial pulses has the potential to minimize the signal attenuation and provide unbiased T1 measurement without fat artifacts in MR images. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22032">
<title>Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the brain in moving subjects: Application to in-utero fetal and ex-utero studies</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22032</link>
<description><![CDATA[We present a methodology to achieve 3D high-resolution diffusion tensor image reconstruction of the brain in moving subjects. The source data is diffusion-sensitized single-shot echo-planar images. After continuous scanning to acquire a repeated series of parallel slices with 15 diffusion directions, image registration is used to realign the images to correct for subject motion. Once aligned, the diffusion images are treated as irregularly-sampled data where each voxel is associated with an appropriately rotated diffusion direction. This data is used to estimate the diffusion tensor on a regular grid. The method has been tested on data acquired at 1.5T from adults who deliberately moved and from eight fetuses imaged in utero. Maps of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were reliably produced in all cases and promising performance was achieved for fractional anisotropy maps. Results from normal fetal brains were found to be consistent with published data from premature infants of similar gestational age. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22047">
<title>Breathhold multiecho fast spin-echo pulse sequence for accurate R2 measurement in the heart and liver</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22047</link>
<description><![CDATA[Measurement of proton transverse relaxation rates (R2) is a generally useful means for quantitative characterization of pathological changes in tissue with a variety of clinical applications. The most widely used R2 measurement method is the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence but its relatively long scan time requires respiratory gating for chest or body MRI, rendering this approach impractical for comprehensive assessment within a clinically-acceptable examination time. The purpose of our study was to develop a breathhold multiecho fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence for accurate measurement of R2 in the liver and heart. Phantom experiments and studies of subjects in vivo were performed to compare the FSE data with the corresponding even-echo CPMG data. For pooled data, the R2 measurements were strongly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.99) and in excellent agreement (mean difference [CPMG - FSE] = 0.10 s-1; 95% limits of agreement were 1.98 and -1.78 s-1) between the two pulse sequences. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22036">
<title>Rapid estimation of cartilage T2 based on double echo at steady state (DESS) with 3 Tesla</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22036</link>
<description><![CDATA[The double-echo-steady-state (DESS) sequence generates two signal echoes that are characterized by a different contrast behavior. Based on these two contrasts, the underlying T2 can be calculated. For a flip-angle of 90°, the calculated T2 becomes independent of T1, but with very low signal-to-noise ratio. In the present study, the estimation of cartilage T2, based on DESS with a reduced flip-angle, was investigated, with the goal of optimizing SNR, and simultaneously minimizing the error in T2. This approach was validated in phantoms and on volunteers. T2 estimations based on DESS at different flip-angles were compared with standard multiecho, spin-echo T2. Furthermore, DESS-T2 estimations were used in a volunteer and in an initial study on patients after cartilage repair of the knee. A flip-angle of 33° was the best compromise for the combination of DESS-T2 mapping and morphological imaging. For this flip angle, the Pearson correlation was 0.993 in the phantom study ([sim]20% relative difference between SE-T2 and DESS-T2); and varied between 0.429 and 0.514 in the volunteer study. Measurements in patients showed comparable results for both techniques with regard to zonal assessment. This DESS-T2 approach represents an opportunity to combine morphological and quantitative cartilage MRI in a rapid one-step examination. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22079">
<title>In vivo detection of serine in the human brain by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) at 7 Tesla</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22079</link>
<description><![CDATA[A single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) filtering strategy for in vivo detection of serine (Ser) in human brain at 7T is proposed. Spectral difference of coupled resonances arising from different subecho times of triple refocusing at a constant total echo time (TE) was utilized to detect the Ser multiplet and cancel the overlapping creatine (Cr) 3.92-ppm singlet via difference editing. Dependence of the Ser signal on subecho times was investigated using density-matrix simulation incorporating the slice-selective radio frequency (RF) pulses. The simulation indicated that the difference-edited Ser CH2 multiplet at [sim]3.96 ppm is maximized with (TE1, TE2, TE3) = (54, 78, 78) and (36, 152, 22) ms. The edited Ser peak amplitude was estimated, with both numerical and phantom analyses of the performance, as 83% with respect to 90° acquisition for a localized volume, ignoring relaxation effects. From the area ratio of the edited Ser and unedited Cr 3.03-ppm peaks, assuming identical T1 and T2 between Ser and Cr, the Ser-to-Cr concentration ratio for the frontal cortex of healthy adults was estimated to be 0.8 ± 0.2 (mean ± SD; N = 6). Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22076">
<title>Prospective head-movement correction for high-resolution MRI using an in-bore optical tracking system</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22076</link>
<description><![CDATA[In MRI of the human brain, subject motion is a major cause of magnetic resonance image quality degradation. To compensate for the effects of head motion during data acquisition, an in-bore optical motion tracking system is proposed. The system comprises two MR-compatible infrared cameras that are fixed on a holder right above and in front of the head coil. The resulting close proximity of the cameras to the object allows precise tracking of its movement. During image acquisition, the MRI scanner uses this tracking information to prospectively compensate for head motion by adjusting the gradient field direction and radio frequency (RF) phases and frequencies. Experiments performed on subjects demonstrate robust system performance with translation and rotation accuracies of 0.1 mm and 0.15°, respectively. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22071">
<title>Manganese-guided cellular MRI of human embryonic stem cell and human bone marrow stromal cell viability</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22071</link>
<description><![CDATA[This study investigated the ability of MnCl2 as a cellular MRI contrast agent to determine the in vitro viability of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC). Basic MRI parameters including T1 and T2 values of MnCl2-labeled hESC and hBMSC were measured and viability signal of manganese (Mn2+)-labeled cells was validated. Furthermore, the biological activity of Ca2+-channels was modulated utilizing both Ca2+-channel agonist and antagonist to evaluate concomitant signal changes. Metabolic effects of MnCl2-labeling were also assessed using assays for cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. Finally, in vivo Mn2+-guided MRI of the transplanted hESC was successfully achieved and validated by bioluminescence imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22064">
<title>Visualization of seminiferous tubules in rat testes in normal and diseased conditions by high-resolution MRI</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22064</link>
<description><![CDATA[Rat seminiferous tubules were visualized for the first time using high-spatial-resolution MRI and their MRI features were investigated under normal and various kinds of pathological conditions. All testes images were obtained at 4.7 T with a dedicated quadrature surface coil. T2- and T2*-weighted images with in-plane resolution of 66 × 66 [mu]m2 demonstrated numerous tubular structures with low-signal-intensity walls and high-signal-intensity lumens tightly packed throughout the entire testicle. The tubular structures were attributed to the seminiferous tubules in the histological specimens. In testicular ischemia, T2*-weighted images demonstrated prominent low-signal-intensity bands along the radiate veins and normal-appearing seminiferous tubules. As the ischemic condition persisted, the contour of the seminiferous tubules became less visible on both T2- and T2*-weighted images, reflecting the disorganization of the seminiferous epithelia and severe interstitial edema. Changes in the images of testes treated with glycerol or diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic estrogen hormone, were also investigated. In the chronic spermatogenic impairment caused by these substances, extensive shrinkage of the seminiferous tubules was demonstrated. High-resolution MRI aids in noninvasive evaluation of seminiferous tubules, and therefore has potential as a diagnostic test for human testes. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22050">
<title>Experimental determination of human peripheral nerve stimulation thresholds in a 3-axis planar gradient system</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22050</link>
<description><![CDATA[In MRI, strong, rapidly switched gradient fields are desirable because they can be used to reduce imaging time, obtain images with better resolution, or improve image signal-to-noise ratios. Improvements in gradient strength can be made by either increasing the gradient amplifier strength or by enhancing gradient efficiency. Unfortunately, many MRI pulse sequences, in combination with high-performance amplifiers and existing gradient hardware, can cause peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). This makes improvements in gradient amplifiers ineffective at increasing safely usable gradient strength. Customized gradient coils are one way to achieve significant improvements in gradient performance. One specific gradient configuration, a planar gradient system, promises improved gradient strength and switching time for cardiac imaging. The PNS thresholds for planar gradients were characterized through human stimulation experiments on all three gradient axes. The specialized gradient was shown to have significantly higher stimulation thresholds than traditional cylindrical designs (y-axis SRmin = 210 ± 18 mT/m/ms and [Delta]Gmin = 133 ± 13 mT/m; x-axis SRmin = 222 ± 24 mT/m/ms and [Delta]Gmin = 147 ± 17 mT/m; z-axis SRmin = 252 ± 26 mT/m/ms and [Delta]Gmin = 218 ± 26 mT/m). This system could be operated at gradient strengths 2 to 3 times higher than cylindrical configurations without causing stimulation. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21997">
<title>Profile order and time-dependent artifacts in contrast-enhanced coronary MR angiography at 3T: Origin and prevention</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21997</link>
<description><![CDATA[To enhance the clinical value of coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), high-relaxivity contrast agents have recently been used at 3T. Here we examine a uniform bilateral shadowing artifact observed along the coronary arteries in MRA images collected using such a contrast agent. Simulations were performed to characterize this artifact, including its origin, to determine how best to mitigate this effect, and to optimize a data acquisition/injection scheme. An intraluminal contrast agent concentration model was used to simulate various acquisition strategies with two profile orders for a slow-infusion of a high-relaxivity contrast agent. Filtering effects from temporally variable weighting in k-space are prominent when a centric, radial (CR) profile order is applied during contrast infusion, resulting in decreased signal enhancement and underestimation of vessel width, while both pre- and postinfusion steady-state acquisitions result in overestimation of the vessel width. Acquisition during the brief postinfusion steady-state produces the greatest signal enhancement and minimizes k-space filtering artifacts. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21981">
<title>Accuracy and precision of MR blood oximetry based on the long paramagnetic cylinder approximation of large vessels</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21981</link>
<description><![CDATA[An accurate noninvasive method to measure the hemoglobin oxygen saturation (%HbO2) of deep-lying vessels without catheterization would have many clinical applications. Quantitative MRI may be the only imaging modality that can address this difficult and important problem. MR susceptometry-based oximetry for measuring blood oxygen saturation in large vessels models the vessel as a long paramagnetic cylinder immersed in an external field. The intravascular magnetic susceptibility relative to surrounding muscle tissue is a function of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and can be quantified with a field-mapping pulse sequence. In this work, the method's accuracy and precision was investigated theoretically on the basis of an analytical expression for the arbitrarily oriented cylinder, as well as experimentally in phantoms and in vivo in the femoral artery and vein at 3T field strength. Errors resulting from vessel tilt, noncircularity of vessel cross-section, and induced magnetic field gradients were evaluated and methods for correction were designed and implemented. Hemoglobin saturation was measured at successive vessel segments, differing in geometry, such as eccentricity and vessel tilt, but constant blood oxygen saturation levels, as a means to evaluate measurement consistency. The average standard error and coefficient of variation of measurements in phantoms were <2% with tilt correction alone, in agreement with theory, suggesting that high accuracy and reproducibility can be achieved while ignoring noncircularity for tilt angles up to about 30°. In vivo, repeated measurements of %HbO2 in the femoral vessels yielded a coefficient of variation of less than 5%. In conclusion, the data suggest that %HbO2 can be measured reproducibly in vivo in large vessels of the peripheral circulation on the basis of the paramagnetic cylinder approximation of the incremental field. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22054">
<title>Myocardial T2* mapping free of distortion using susceptibility-weighted fast spin-echo imaging: A feasibility study at 1.5 T and 3.0 T</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22054</link>
<description><![CDATA[This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying free-breathing, cardiac-gated, susceptibility-weighted fast spin-echo imaging together with black blood preparation and navigator-gated respiratory motion compensation for anatomically accurate T2* mapping of the heart. First, T2* maps are presented for oil phantoms without and with respiratory motion emulation (T2* = (22.1 ± 1.7) ms at 1.5 T and T2* = (22.65 ± 0.89) ms at 3.0 T). T2* relaxometry of a ferrofluid revealed relaxivities of R2* = (477.9 ± 17) mM-1s-1 and R2* = (449.6 ± 13) mM-1s-1 for UFLARE and multiecho gradient-echo imaging at 1.5 T. For inferoseptal myocardial regions mean T2* values of 29.9 ± 6.6 ms (1.5 T) and 22.3 ± 4.8 ms (3.0 T) were estimated. For posterior myocardial areas close to the vena cava T2*-values of 24.0 ± 6.4 ms (1.5 T) and 15.4 ± 1.8 ms (3.0 T) were observed. The merits and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed and its implications for cardiac and vascular T2*-mapping are considered. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22044">
<title>In vivo 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human brain on a clinical 3 T scanner using [2-13C]glucose infusion and low-power stochastic decoupling</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22044</link>
<description><![CDATA[This study presents the detection of [2-13C]glucose metabolism in the carboxylic/amide region in the human brain, and demonstrates that the cerebral metabolism of [2-13C]glucose can be studied in human subjects in the presence of severe hardware constraints of widely available 3 T clinical scanners and with low-power stochastic decoupling. In the carboxylic/amide region of human brain, the primary products of 13C label incorporation from [2-13C]glucose into glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, [gamma]-aminobutyric acid, and N-acetylaspartate were detected. Unlike the commonly used alkanyl region where lipid signals spread over a broad frequency range, the carboxylic carbon signal of lipids was found to be confined to a narrow range centered at 172.5 ppm and present no spectral interference in the absence of lipid suppression. Comparison using phantoms shows that stochastic decoupling is far superior to the commonly used WALTZ sequence at very low decoupling power at 3 T. It was found that glutamine C1 and C5 can be decoupled using stochastic decoupling at 2.2 W, although glutamine protons span a frequency range of [ap]700 Hz. Detailed specific absorption rate analysis was also performed using finite difference time domain numerical simulation. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22040">
<title>Correlative dynamic contrast MRI and microscopic assessments of tumor vascularity in RIP-tag2 transgenic mice</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22040</link>
<description><![CDATA[The purpose of this study was to define the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to estimate the vascular density and leakiness of spontaneous islet cell tumors in RIP-Tag2 transgenic mice. Dynamic T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) imaging at 2.0 T was performed in 17 RIP-Tag2 mice using a prototype blood pool macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM), albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35. Kinetic analysis of the dynamic enhancement responses based on a two-compartment model was used to estimate fractional plasma volume (fPV) and the coefficient of endothelial permeability (KPS) for each tumor. The MRI estimate of fPV was correlated on a tumor-by-tumor basis with corresponding microscopic measurements of vascular density. The fPV assays by MMCM-enhanced imaging ranged from 2.4%-14.1% of tissue volume. Individual tumor fPV values correlated significantly (r = 0.79, P < 0.001) with the corresponding microscopic estimates of vascularity consisting of the combined area densities of lectin-perfused microvessels plus erythrocyte-stained blood lakes. A biotinylated derivative of the albumin-based MMCM confirmed extravasation of the contrast agent from some tumor blood vessels and accumulation in 25% of blood lakes. The KPS values ranged from 0 (no detectable leak) to 0.356 mL/min/100 cm3. Dynamic MMCM-enhanced MRI is feasible in RIP-Tag2 pancreatic tumors, yielding estimates of vascular permeability and microscopically validated measurements of vascular richness. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22039">
<title>Absolute temperature MR imaging with thulium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (TmDOTMA-)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22039</link>
<description><![CDATA[MR thermometry based on the water 1H signal provides high temporal and spatial resolution, but it has low temperature sensitivity ([sim]0.01 ppm/°C) and requires monitoring of another weaker signal for absolute temperature measurements. The use of the paramagnetic lanthanide complex, thulium 1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclo-dodecane-1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraac- etate (TmDOTMA-), which is [sim]60 times more sensitive to temperature than the water 1H signal, is advanced to image absolute temperatures in vivo using water signal as a reference. The temperature imaging technique was developed using gradient echo and asymmetric spin echo imaging sequences on 9.4 Tesla (T) horizontal and vertical MR scanners. A comparison of regional temperatures measured with TmDOTMA- and fiber-optic probes showed that the accuracy of imaging temperature is <0.3°C. The temperature imaging technique was found to be insensitive to inhomogeneities in the main magnetic field. The feasibility of imaging temperature of intact rats at [sim]1.4 mmol/kg dose with [sim]1-mm spatial resolution in only 3 min is demonstrated. TmDOTMA- should prove useful for imaging absolute temperatures in deep-seated organs in numerous biomedical applications. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22027">
<title>On the dual contrast enhancement mechanism in frequency-selective inversion-recovery magnetic resonance angiography (IRON-MRA)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22027</link>
<description><![CDATA[The susceptibility of blood changes after administration of a paramagnetic contrast agent that shortens T1. Concomitantly, the resonance frequency of the blood vessels shifts in a geometry-dependent way. This frequency change may be exploited for incremental contrast generation by applying a frequency-selective saturation prepulse prior to the imaging sequence. The dual origin of vascular enhancement depending first on off-resonance and second on T1 lowering was investigated in vitro, together with the geometry dependence of the signal at 3T. First results obtained in an in vivo rabbit model are presented. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22021">
<title>Hybrid of opposite-contrast MR angiography (HOP-MRA) combining time-of-flight and flow-sensitive black-blood contrasts</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22021</link>
<description><![CDATA[For the purpose of visualizing low-flow as well as high-flow blood vessels without using contrast agents, we propose a new technique called a hybrid of opposite-contrast MR angiography (HOP-MRA). HOP-MRA is a combination of standard time-of-flight (TOF) using a full first-order velocity-compensation for white-blood (WB) and flow-sensitive black-blood (FSBB) techniques, which use motion-probing gradients to introduce intravoxel flow dephasing. A dual-echo three-dimensional gradient echo sequence was used to reduce both imaging time and misregistration. HOP-MRA images were obtained using a simple-weighted subtraction (SWS) or a frequency-weighted subtraction (FWS) applying different spatial filtering for WB and BB images. We then assessed the relationships among the contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) of the blood-to-background signals for those three images. In both volunteer and clinical brain studies, low-flow vessels were well visualized and the background signal was well suppressed by HOP-MRA compared with standard TOF- or BB-MRA. The FWS was better than the SWS when whole-maximum intensity projection was performed on a larger volume including with different types of tissue. The proposed HOP-MRA was proven to visualize low-flow to high-flow vessels and, therefore, demonstrates excellent potential to become a clinically useful technique, especially for visualizing collateral vessels which is difficult with standard TOF-MRA. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22020">
<title>Comparison of 1H blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and 19F MRI to investigate tumor oxygenation</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22020</link>
<description><![CDATA[Fluorine-19 [19F] MRI oximetry and 1H blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI were used to investigate tumor oxygenation in rat breast 13762NF carcinomas, and correlations between the techniques were examined. A range of tissue oxygen partial pressure (pO2) values was found in the nine tumors while the anesthetized rats breathed air, with individual tumor pO2 ranging from a mean of 1 to 36 torr and hypoxic fraction (HF10) ( 0.7, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that BOLD MRI provides information about tumor oxygenation and may be useful to predict pO2 changes accompanying interventions. Significantly, the magnitude of the BOLD response appears to be predictive for residual tumor HFs. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22019">
<title>Robust correction of spike noise: Application to diffusion tensor imaging</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22019</link>
<description><![CDATA[Echo-planar imaging (EPI) -based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is particularly prone to spike noise. However, existing spike noise correction methods are impractical for corrupted DTI data because the methods correct the complex MRI signal, which is not usually stored on clinical MRI systems. The present work describes a novel Outlier Detection De-spiking technique (ODD) that consists of three steps: detection, localization, and correction. Using automated outlier detection schemes, ODD exploits the data redundancy available in DTI data sets that are acquired with a minimum of six different diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) with similar signal and noise properties. A mathematical formulation, describing the effects of spike noise on magnitude images, yields appropriate measures for an outlier detection scheme used for spike detection while a normalization-dependent outlier detection scheme is used for spike localization. ODD performs accurately on diverse DTI data sets corrupted by spike noise and can be used for automated control of DTI data quality. ODD can also be extended to other MRI applications with data redundancy, such as dynamic imaging and functional MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22015">
<title>Mouse lumbar and cervical spinal cord blood flow measurements by arterial spin labeling: Sensitivity optimization and first application</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22015</link>
<description><![CDATA[In spinal cord injuries (SCI), tissue edema and consequent ischemia play an important role in neuronal damage. The assessment of quantitative spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) would be very valuable to help in understanding SCI pathophysiology. SCBF has previously been measured in animals with invasive techniques such as hydrogen clearance or labeled microspheres. A recent preliminary study also demonstrated the feasibility of assessing cervical SCBF by MRI with arterial spin labeling (ASL). However, due to bulk motion and field inhomogeneities, the feasibility of perfusion MRI at lower levels of the SC (thoracic, lumbar) remained an open question. In the present study, absolute SCBF measurements were carried out at both the cervical C3 and lumbar L1 levels of mouse SC using an adapted presaturated flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (presat-FAIR) ASL technique at 11.75T. Quantitative SCBF maps (resolution of 133 × 133 [mu]m2) showed significantly lower gray matter (GM) perfusion values at the L1 level as compared to the C3 level (6% and 11% for the ventral and dorsal horns and 8% for total GM). The presat-FAIR technique was then successfully applied to a mouse model of hemisection performed at the L1 level, illustrating the potential of ASL to help in SC pathology characterization. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22013">
<title>Robust estimation of spatially variable noise fields</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22013</link>
<description><![CDATA[Consideration of spatially variable noise fields is becoming increasingly necessary in MRI given recent innovations in artifact identification and statistically driven image processing. Fast imaging methods enable study of difficult anatomical targets and improve image quality but also increase the spatial variability in the noise field. Traditional analysis techniques have either assumed that the noise is constant across the field of view (or region of interest) or have relied on separate MRI acquisitions to measure the noise field. These methods are either inappropriate for many modern scanning protocols or are overly time-consuming for already lengthy scanning sessions. We propose a new, general framework for estimating spatially variable noise fields from related, but independent MR scans that we call noise field equivalent scans. These heuristic analyses enable robust noise field estimation in the presence of artifacts. Generalization of noise estimators based on uniform regions, difference images, and maximum likelihood are presented and compared with the estimators derived from the proposed framework. Simulations of diffusion tensor imaging and T2-relaxometry demonstrate a 10-fold reduction in mean squared error in noise field estimation, and these improvements are shown to be robust to artifact contamination. In vivo studies show that spatially variable noise fields can be readily estimated with typical data acquired at 1.5T. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22010">
<title>Cerebral activation by fasting induces lactate accumulation in the hypothalamus</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22010</link>
<description><![CDATA[Carbon-13 (13C) high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) spectroscopy was used to investigate the neuroglial coupling mechanisms underlying appetite regulation in the brain of C57BL/6J mice metabolizing [1-13C]glucose. Control fed or overnight fasted mice received [1-13C]glucose (20 [mu]mol/g intraperitoneally [i.p.]), 15 min prior to brain fixation by focused microwaves. The hypothalamic region was dissected from the rest of the brain and 13C HR-MAS spectra were obtained from both biopsies. Fasting resulted in a significant increase in hypothalamic [3-13C]lactate and [2-13C][gamma]-aminobutyric acid (GABA) relative to the remaining brain. Administration of the orexigenic peptide ghrelin (0.3 nmol/g i.p.) did not increase hypothalamic [3-13C]lactate or [2-13C]GABA, suggesting that ghrelin signaling is not sufficient to elicit all the metabolic consequences of hypothalamic activation by fasting. Our results indicate that the hypothalamic regulation of appetite involves, in addition to the well-known neuropeptide signaling, increased neuroglial lactate shuttling and augmented GABA concentrations. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22009">
<title>Fast functional brain imaging using constrained reconstruction based on regularization using arbitrary projections</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22009</link>
<description><![CDATA[This work describes a novel method for highly undersampled projection imaging using constrained reconstruction by Tikhonov-Phillips regularization and its application for high temporal resolution functional MRI (fMRI) at a repetition time of 80 ms. The high-resolution reference image used as in vivo coil sensitivity is acquired in a separate acquisition using otherwise identical parameters. Activation studies using a standard checkerboard activation paradigm demonstrate the inherent high sensitivity afforded by the possibility to separate activation-related effects from "physiological noise.". In this first proof-of-principle of the constrained reconstruction based on regularization using arbitrary projections (COBRA) technique, experiments are performed in a single-slice mode, which allows for a comparison with fast single-slice echo-planar imaging (EPI) at equal temporal resolution. The COBRA method can be extended to three-dimensional (3D) encoding without severe penalty in temporal performance. Analysis of the global signal change demonstrates the excellent reproducibility of COBRA compared to standard EPI. Activation analysis is considerably improved by the possibility to remove electrocardiogram (ECG)-related and breathing-related signal fluctuations by physiological correction of each individual breathing and ECG cycle, respectively. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22001">
<title>Toward true 3D visualization of active catheters using compressed sensing</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22001</link>
<description><![CDATA[A crucial requirement in MR-guided interventions is the visualization of catheter devices in real time. However, true 3D visualization of the full length of catheters has hitherto been impossible given scan time constraints. Compressed sensing (CS) has recently been proposed as a method to accelerate MR imaging of sparse objects. Images acquired with active interventional devices exhibit a high CNR and are inherently sparse, therefore rendering CS ideally suited for accelerating data acquisition. A framework for true visualization of active catheters in 3D is proposed employing CS to gain high undersampling factors making real-time applications feasible. Constraints are introduced taking into account prior knowledge of catheter geometry and catheter motion over time to improve and accelerate image reconstruction. The potential of the method is demonstrated using computer simulations and phantom experiments and in vivo feasibility is demonstrated in a pig experiment. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21998">
<title>In vivo measurement of ethanol metabolism in the rat liver using magnetic resonance spectroscopy of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21998</link>
<description><![CDATA[[1-13C]Pyruvate is a readily polarizable substrate that has been the subject of numerous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of in vivo metabolism. In this work 13C-MRS of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate was used to interrogate a metabolic pathway involved in neither aerobic nor anaerobic metabolism. In particular, ethanol consumption leads to altered liver metabolism, which when excessive is associated with adverse medical conditions including fatty liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cancer. Here we present a method for noninvasively monitoring this important process in vivo. Following the bolus injection of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate, we demonstrate a significantly increased rat liver lactate production rate with the coadministration of ethanol (P = 0.0016 unpaired t-test). The affect is attributable to increased liver nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) associated with ethanol metabolism in combination with NADH's role as a coenzyme in pyruvate-to-lactate conversion. Beyond studies of liver metabolism, this novel in vivo assay of changes in NADH levels makes hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate a potentially viable substrate for studying the multiple in vivo metabolic pathways that use NADH (or NAD+) as a coenzyme, thus broadening the range of applications that have been discussed in the literature to date. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21992">
<title>Automatic quality assessment in structural brain magnetic resonance imaging</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21992</link>
<description><![CDATA[MRI has evolved into an important diagnostic technique in medical imaging. However, reliability of the derived diagnosis can be degraded by artifacts, which challenge both radiologists and automatic computer-aided diagnosis. This work proposes a fully-automatic method for measuring image quality of three-dimensional (3D) structural MRI. Quality measures are derived by analyzing the air background of magnitude images and are capable of detecting image degradation from several sources, including bulk motion, residual magnetization from incomplete spoiling, blurring, and ghosting. The method has been validated on 749 3D T1-weighted 1.5T and 3T head scans acquired at 36 Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study sites operating with various software and hardware combinations. Results are compared against qualitative grades assigned by the ADNI quality control center (taken as the reference standard). The derived quality indices are independent of the MRI system used and agree with the reference standard quality ratings with high sensitivity and specificity (>85%). The proposed procedures for quality assessment could be of great value for both research and routine clinical imaging. It could greatly improve workflow through its ability to rule out the need for a repeat scan while the patient is still in the magnet bore. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21980">
<title>Direct saturation MRI: Theory and application to imaging brain iron</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21980</link>
<description><![CDATA[When applying RF saturation to tissue, MRI signal reductions occur due to magnetization transfer (MT) and direct saturation (DS) effects on water protons. It is shown that the direct effects, often considered a nuisance, can be used to distinguish gray matter (GM) regions with different iron content. DS effects were selected by reducing the magnitude and duration of RF irradiation to minimize confounding MT effects. Contrary to MT saturation spectra, direct water saturation spectra are characterized by a symmetric Lorentzian-shaped frequency dependence that can be described by an exact analytical solution of the Bloch equations. The effect of increased transverse relaxation, e.g., due to the presence of iron, will broaden this saturation spectrum. As a first application, DS ratio (DSR) images were acquired to visualize GM structures in the human brain. Similar to T2*-weighted images, the quality of DSR images was affected by local field inhomogeneity, but this could be easily corrected for by centering the saturation spectrum on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The results show that, contrary to commonly used T2*-weighted and absolute R2 images, the DSR images visualize all GM structures, including cortex. A direct correlation between DSR and iron content was confirmed for these structures. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22060">
<title>Quantitative spectroscopic imaging with in situ measurements of tissue water T1, T2, and density</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22060</link>
<description><![CDATA[The use of tissue water as a concentration standard in proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the brain requires that the water proton signal be adjusted for relaxation and partial volume effects. While single voxel 1H-MRS studies have often included measurements of water proton T1, T2, and density based on additional 1H-MRS acquisitions (e.g., at multiple echo or repetition times), this approach is not practical for 1H-MRS imaging (1H-MRSI). In this report we demonstrate a method for using in situ measurements of water T1, T2, and density to calculate metabolite concentrations from 1H-MRSI data. The relaxation and density data are coregistered with the 1H-MRSI data and provide detailed information on the water signal appropriate to the individual subject and tissue region. We present data from both healthy subjects and a subject with brain lesions, underscoring the importance of water parameter measurements on a subject-by-subject and voxel-by-voxel basis. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22065">
<title>In vivo lactate signal enhancement using binomial spectral-selective pulses in selective MQ coherence (SS-SelMQC) spectroscopy</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22065</link>
<description><![CDATA[Tumor vasculature and tissue oxygen pressure can influence tumor growth, metastases, and patient survival. Elevated levels of lactate may be observed during the process of aggressive tumor development accompanied by angiogenesis (the evolution of the microenvironment). The noninvasive MR detection of lactate in tumor tissues as a potential biomarker is difficult due to the presence of co-resonating lipids that are present at high concentrations. Methods were previously reported for lactate editing using the SELective Multiple Quantum Coherence (SelMQC) method. Here we report a sequence "SS-SelMQC," Spectral-Selective SelMQC, which is a modified version of SelMQC using binomial pulses. Binomial pulses were employed in this editing sequence for frequency excitation or inversion of selective lactate resonances. Lactate detection has been demonstrated using SS-SelMQC, both in vitro (30 mM lactate/H2O doped with 25 [mu]M Gd-DTPA) and in vivo (Dunning R3337-AT prostate tumors), and compared to similar measurements made with SelMQC. Lactate areas were measured from nonlocalized spectra, one-dimensional (1D) localized spectra, and two-dimensional chemical shift images (CSI) of the localized slice. In data from whole phantoms, the modified pulse sequence yielded enhancement of the lactate signal of 2.4 ± 0.40 times compared to SelMQC. Similar in vivo lactate signal enhancement of 2.3 ± 0.24 times was observed in 1D slice-localized experiment. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22057">
<title>Assessment of 31P relaxation times in the human calf muscle: A comparison between 3 T and 7 T in vivo</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22057</link>
<description><![CDATA[Phosphorus (31P) T1 and T2 relaxation times in the resting human calf muscle were assessed by interleaved, surface coil localized inversion recovery and frequency-selective spin-echo at 3 and 7 T. The obtained T1 (mean ± SD) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 3 to 7 T for phosphomonoesters (PME) (8.1 ± 1.7 s to 3.1 ± 0.9 s), phosphodiesters (PDE) (8.6 ± 1.2 s to 6.0 ± 1.1 s), phosphocreatine (PCr) (6.7 ± 0.4 s to 4.0 ± 0.2 s), [gamma]-NTP (nucleotide triphosphate) (5.5 ± 0.4 s to 3.3 ± 0.2 s), [alpha]-NTP (3.4 ± 0.3 s to 1.8 ± 0.1 s), and [beta]-NTP (3.9 ± 0.4 s to 1.8 ± 0.1 s), but not for inorganic phosphate (Pi) (6.9 ± 0.6 s to 6.3 ± 1.0 s). The decrease in T2 was significant for Pi (153 ± 9 ms to 109 ± 17 ms), PDE (414 ± 128 ms to 314 ± 35 ms), PCr (354 ± 16 ms to 217 ± 14 ms), and [gamma]-NTP (61.9 ± 8.6 ms to 29.0 ± 3.3 ms). This decrease in T1 with increasing field strength of up to 62% can be explained by the increasing influence of chemical shift anisotropy on relaxation mechanisms and may allow shorter measurements at higher field strengths or up to 62% additional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time. The fully relaxed SNR increased by +96%, while the linewidth increased from 6.5 ± 1.2 Hz to 11.2 ± 1.9 Hz or +72%. At 7 T 31P-MRS in the human calf muscle offers more than twice as much SNR per unit time in reduced measurement time compared to 3 T. This will facilitate in vivo 31P-MRS of the human muscle at 7 T. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22082">
<title>Prospective real-time correction for arbitrary head motion using active markers</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22082</link>
<description><![CDATA[Patient motion during an MRI exam can result in major degradation of image quality, and is of increasing concern due to the aging population and its associated diseases. This work presents a general strategy for real-time, intraimage compensation of rigid-body motion that is compatible with multiple imaging sequences. Image quality improvements are established for structural brain MRI acquired during volunteer motion. A headband integrated with three active markers is secured to the forehead. Prospective correction is achieved by interleaving a rapid track-and-update module into the imaging sequence. For every repetition of this module, a short tracking pulse-sequence remeasures the marker positions; during head motion, the rigid-body transformation that realigns the markers to their initial positions is fed back to adaptively update the image-plane - maintaining it at a fixed orientation relative to the head - before the next imaging segment of k-space is acquired. In cases of extreme motion, corrupted lines of k-space are rejected and reacquired with the updated geometry. High-precision tracking measurements (0.01 mm) and corrections are accomplished in a temporal resolution (37 ms) suitable for real-time application. The correction package requires minimal additional hardware and is fully integrated into the standard user interface, promoting transferability to clinical practice. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22025">
<title>Quantification of pulmonary blood flow (PBF): Validation of perfusion MRI and nonlinear contrast agent (CA) dose correction with H215O positron emission tomography (PET)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22025</link>
<description><![CDATA[Validation of quantification of pulmonary blood flow (PBF) with dynamic, contrast-enhanced MRI is still missing. A possible reason certainly lies in difficulties based on the nonlinear dependence of signal intensity (SI) from contrast agent (CA) concentration. Both aspects were addressed in this study. Nine healthy pigs were examined by first-pass perfusion MRI using gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and H215O positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Calculations of hemodynamic parameters were based on a one-compartment model (MR) and a two-compartment model (PET). Simulations showed a significant error when assuming a linear relation between MR SI and CA dose in the arterial input function (AIF), even at low doses of 0.025 mmol/kg body weight (BW). To correct for nonlinearity, a calibration curve was calculated on the basis of the signal equation. The required accuracy of equation parameters (like longitudinal relaxation time) was evaluated. Error analysis estimates <5% over-/underestimation of the corrected SI. Comparison of PET and MR flow values yielded a significant correlation (P < 0.001) in dorsal regions where signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was sufficient. Changes in PBF due to the correction method were significant (P < 0.001) and resulted in a better agreement: mean values (standard deviation) in units of ml/min/100 ml lung tissue were 59 (15) for PET, 112 (28) for uncorrected MRI, and 80 (21) for corrected MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22062">
<title>Quantifying endogenous glucose production and contributing source fluxes from a single 2H NMR spectrum</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22062</link>
<description><![CDATA[Endogenous glucose production (EGP), gluconeogenic and glycogenolytic fluxes by analysis of a single 2H-NMR spectrum is demonstrated with 6-hr and 24-hr fasted rats. Animals were administered [1-2H, 1-13C]glucose, a novel tracer of glucose turnover, and 2H2O. Plasma glucose enrichment from both tracers was quantified by 2H-NMR analysis of monoacetone glucose. The 6-hr fasted group (n = 7) had EGP rates of 95.6 ± 13.3 [mu]mol/kg/min, where 56.2 ± 7.9 [mu]mol/kg/min were derived from PEP; 12.1 ± 2.1 [mu]mol/kg/min from glycerol, and 32.1 ± 4.9 [mu]mol/kg/min from glycogen. The 24-hr fasted group (n = 7) had significantly lower EGP rates (52.8 ± 7.2 [mu]mol/kg/min, P = 0.004 vs. 6 hr) mediated by a significantly reduced contribution from glycogen (4.7 ± 5.9 [mu]mol/kg/min, P = 0.02 vs. 6 hr) while PEP and glycerol contributions were not significantly different (39.5 ± 3.9 and 8.5 ± 1.2 [mu]mol/kg/min, respectively). These estimates agree with previous assays of EGP fluxes in fasted rats obtained by multinuclear NMR analyses of plasma glucose enrichment from 2H2O and 13C-glucose tracers. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22051">
<title>Phase contrast ultrashort TE: A more reliable technique for measurement of high-velocity turbulent stenotic jets</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22051</link>
<description><![CDATA[Accurate measurement of peak velocity is critical to the assessment of patients with stenotic valvular disease. Conventional phase contrast (PC) methods for imaging high-velocity jets in aortic stenosis are susceptible to intravoxel dephasing signal loss, which can result in unreliable measurements. The most effective method for reducing intravoxel dephasing is to shorten the echo time (TE); however, the amount that TE can be shortened in conventional sequences is limited. A new sequence incorporating velocity-dependent slice excitation and ultrashort TE (UTE) centric radial readout trajectories is proposed that reduces TE from 2.85 to 0.65 ms. In a high-velocity stenotic jet phantom, a conventional sequence had >5% flow error at a flow rate of only 400 mL/s (velocity >358 cm/s), whereas the PC-UTE showed excellent agreement (<5% error) at much higher flow rates (1080 mL/s, 965 cm/s). In vivo feasibility studies demonstrated that by measuring velocity over a shorter time the PC-UTE approach is more robust to intravoxel dephasing signal loss. It also has less inherent higher-order motion encoding. This sequence therefore demonstrates potential as a more robust method for measuring peak velocity and flow in high-velocity turbulent stenotic jets. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22033">
<title>A simulation environment for diffusion weighted MR experiments in complex media</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22033</link>
<description><![CDATA[Simulations of diffusion in neural tissues have traditionally been limited to analytical solutions, to grid-based solvers, or to small-scale Monte Carlo simulations. None of these approaches has had the capability to simulate realistic complex neural tissues on the scale of even a single voxel of reasonable (i.e., clinical) size. An approach is described that combines a Monte Carlo Brownian dynamics simulator capable of simulating diffusion in arbitrarily complex polygonal geometries with a signal integrator flexible enough to handle a variety of pulse sequences. Taken together, this package provides a complete and general simulation environment for diffusion MRI experiments. The simulator is validated against analytical solutions for unbounded diffusion and diffusion between parallel plates. Further results are shown for aligned fibers, varying packing density and permeability, and for crossing straight fibers. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22003">
<title>Quantifying spatial heterogeneity in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI parameter maps</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22003</link>
<description><![CDATA[Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is becoming a standard tool for imaging-based trials of anti-vascular/angiogenic agents in cancer. So far, however, biomarkers derived from DCE-MRI parameter maps have largely neglected the fact that the maps have spatial structure and instead focussed on distributional summary statistics. Such statistics - e.g., biomarkers based on median values - neglect the spatial arrangement of parameters, which may carry important diagnostic and prognostic information. This article describes two types of heterogeneity biomarker that are sensitive to both parameter values and their spatial arrangement. Methods based on Rényi fractal dimensions and geometrical properties are developed, both of which attempt to describe the complexity of DCE-MRI parameter maps. Experiments using simulated data show that the proposed biomarkers are sensitive to changes that distribution-based summary statistics cannot detect and demonstrate that heterogeneity biomarkers could be applied in the drug trial setting. An experiment using 23 DCE-MRI parameter maps of gliomas - a class of tumour that is graded on the basis of heterogeneity - shows that the proposed heterogeneity biomarkers are able to differentiate between low- and high-grade tumours. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22037">
<title>In vivo differentiation of two vessel wall layers in lower extremity peripheral vein bypass grafts: Application of high-resolution inner-volume black blood 3D FSE</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22037</link>
<description><![CDATA[Lower extremity peripheral vein bypass grafts (LE-PVBG) imaged with high-resolution black blood three-dimensional (3D) inner-volume (IV) fast spin echo (FSE) MRI at 1.5 Tesla possess a two-layer appearance in T1W images while only the inner layer appears visible in the corresponding T2W images. This study quantifies this difference in six patients imaged 6 months after implantation, and attributes the difference to the T2 relaxation rates of vessel wall tissues measured ex vivo in two specimens with histologic correlation. The visual observation of two LE-PVBG vessel wall components imaged in vivo is confirmed to be significant (P < 0.0001), with a mean vessel wall area difference of 6.8 ± 2.7 mm2 between contrasts, and a ratio of T1W to T2W vessel wall area of 1.67 ± 0.28. The difference is attributed to a significantly (P < 0.0001) shorter T2 relaxation in the adventitia (T2 = 52.6 ± 3.5 ms) compared with the neointima/media (T2 = 174.7 ± 12.1 ms). Notably, adventitial tissue exhibits biexponential T2 signal decay (P < 0.0001 vs monoexponential). Our results suggest that high-resolution black blood 3D IV-FSE can be useful for studying the biology of bypass graft wall maturation and pathophysiology in vivo, by enabling independent visualization of the relative remodeling of the neointima/media and adventitia. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22061">
<title>Contamination of single-voxel multiple quantum filters by external water signals arising from intermolecular multiple quantum coherences</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22061</link>
<description><![CDATA[Multiple-quantum filtered pulse sequences simplify overlapping metabolite spectra by the elimination of peaks from uncoupled spin species, most notably from methyl groups and water, and the minimization of unwanted coupled-spin peaks. However, it is shown in this study that a significant contaminant water signal can pass through this family of filters in the form of intermolecular multiple-quantum coherences. An imaging evaluation of a single-voxel multiple quantum filter experiment confirms that the water contamination is excited from outside of the voxel of interest, thus having an increased potential for broad spectral contamination. Phantom and in vivo experiments at 3.0 T are used to illustrate, first, significant water contamination of a single-voxel double quantum filter experiment optimized for the observation of glutamate, and second, the elimination of the unwanted water signal with conventional phase cycling and optimized filter gradient orientations. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22024">
<title>High resolution diffusion-weighted imaging using readout-segmented echo-planar imaging, parallel imaging and a two-dimensional navigator-based reacquisition</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22024</link>
<description><![CDATA[Single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) is well established as the method of choice for clinical, diffusion-weighted imaging with MRI because of its low sensitivity to the motion-induced phase errors that occur during diffusion sensitization of the MR signal. However, the method is prone to artifacts due to susceptibility changes at tissue interfaces and has a limited spatial resolution. The introduction of parallel imaging techniques, such as GRAPPA (GeneRalized Autocalibrating Partially Parallel Acquisitions), has reduced these problems, but there are still significant limitations, particularly at higher field strengths, such as 3 Tesla (T), which are increasingly being used for routine clinical imaging. This study describes how the combination of readout-segmented EPI and parallel imaging can be used to address these issues by generating high-resolution, diffusion-weighted images at 1.5T and 3T with a significant reduction in susceptibility artifact compared with the single-shot case. The technique uses data from a 2D navigator acquisition to perform a nonlinear phase correction and to control the real-time reacquisition of unusable data that cannot be corrected. Measurements on healthy volunteers demonstrate that this approach provides a robust correction for motion-induced phase artifact and allows scan times that are suitable for routine clinical application. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22056">
<title>Interleaved spiral-in/out with application to functional MRI (fMRI)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22056</link>
<description><![CDATA[The conventional spiral-in/out trajectory samples k-space sufficiently in the spiral-in path and sufficiently in the spiral-out path to enable creation of separate images. We propose an "interleaved spiral-in/out" trajectory comprising a spiral-in path that gathers one half of the k-space data, and a complimentary spiral-out path that gathers the other half. The readout duration is thereby reduced by approximately half, offering two distinct advantages: reduction of signal dropout due to susceptibility-induced field gradients (at the expense of signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]), and the ability to achieve higher spatial resolution when the readout duration is identical to the conventional method. Two reconstruction methods are described; both involve temporal filtering to remove aliasing artifacts. Empirically, interleaved spiral-in/out images are free from false activation resulting from signal pileup around the air/tissue interface, which is common in the conventional spiral-out method. Comparisons with conventional methods using a hyperoxia stimulus reveal greater frontal-orbital activation volumes but a slight reduction of overall activation in other brain regions. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22008">
<title>Characterization of response to radiation mediated gene therapy by means of multimodality imaging</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22008</link>
<description><![CDATA[Imaging techniques are under development to facilitate early analysis of spatial patterns of tumor response to combined radiation and antivascular gene therapy. A genetically modified, replication defective adenoviral vector (Ad.EGR-TNF[alpha]), injected intratumorally, mediates infected cells to express tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF[alpha]), which is increased after exposure to radiation. The goal of this study was to characterize an image based "signature" for response to this combined radiation and gene therapy in mice with human prostate xenografts. This study is part of an imaged guided therapy project where such a signature would be useful in guiding subsequent treatments. Changes in the tumor micro-environment were assessed using MRI registered with electron paramagnetic resonance imaging which provides images of tissue oxygenation. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was used to assess tissue perfusion. When compared with null vector (control) treatment, the ratio of contrast agent (Gd-DTPA-BMA) washout rate to uptake rate was lower (P = 0.001) after treatment, suggesting a more balanced perfusion. Concomitantly, oxygenation significantly increased in the treated animals and decreased or did not change in the control animals (P < 0.025). This is the first report of minimally invasive, quantitative, absolute oxygen measurements correlated with tissue perfusion in vivo. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21956">
<title>Magnetic resonance elastography in the liver at 3 Tesla using a second harmonic approach</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.21956</link>
<description><![CDATA[Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) using mechanical stimulation has demonstrated diagnostic value and clinical promise in breast, liver, and kidney at 1.5 Tesla (T). However, MRE at 1.5T suffers from long imaging times and would benefit from greater signal-to-noise for more robust postprocessing. We present an MRE sequence modified for liver imaging at 3.0T. To avoid artifacts in the phase images, the sequence maintains a short TE by using a second harmonic approach, including stronger motion encoding gradients, shorter radio frequency pulses and an echo-planar readout. Scan time was decreased by a factor of [sim]2 relative to 1.5T by using an EPI readout and a higher density sampling of the phase waveform was used to calculate shear stiffness and viscosity. Localized (small region of interest) and global (whole-liver region of interest) measurements in normal healthy subjects compared very favorably with previously published results at 1.5T. There was no significant difference between global and localized measures. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22023">
<title>Inversion recovery with embedded self-calibration (IRES)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22023</link>
<description><![CDATA[With self-calibrated parallel acquisition, the calibration data used to characterize coil response are acquired within the actual, parallel scan. Although this eliminates the need for a separate calibration scan, it reduces the net acceleration factor of the parallel scan. Furthermore, this reduction gets worse at higher accelerations. A method is described for three-dimensional inversion recovery gradient-echo imaging in which calibration is incorporated into the sequence but with no loss of net acceleration. This is done by acquiring the calibration data using very small ([le]4°) tip angle acquisitions during the delay interval after acquisition of the accelerated imaging data. The technique is studied at 3 Tesla with simulation, phantom, and in vivo experiments using both image-space-based and k-space-based parallel reconstruction methods. At nominal acceleration factors of 3 and 4, the newly described inversion recovery with embedded self-calibration (IRES) method can retain effective acceleration with comparable SNR and contrast to standard self-calibration. At a net two-dimensional acceleration factor of 4, IRES can achieve higher SNR than standard self-calibration having a nominal acceleration factor of 6 but the same acquisition time. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22017">
<title>Motion artifact correction in free-breathing abdominal MRI using overlapping partial samples to recover image deformations</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22017</link>
<description><![CDATA[This article presents a method to reconstruct liver MRI data acquired continuously during free breathing, without any external sensor or navigator measurements. When the deformations associated with k-space data are known, generalized matrix inversion reconstruction has been shown to be effective in reducing the ghosting and blurring artifacts of motion. This article describes a novel method to obtain these nonrigid deformations. A breathing model is built from a fast dynamic series: low spatial resolution images are registered and their deformations parameterized by overall superior-inferior displacement. The correct deformation for each subset of the subsequent imaging data is then found by comparing a few lines of k-space with the equivalent lines from a deformed reference image while varying the deformation over the model parameter. This procedure is known as image deformation recovery using overlapping partial samples (iDROPS). Simulations using 10 rapid dynamic studies from volunteers showed the average error in iDROPS-derived deformations within the liver to be 1.43 mm. A further four volunteers were imaged at higher spatial resolution. The complete reconstruction process using data from throughout several breathing cycles was shown to reduce blurring and ghosting in the liver. Retrospective respiratory gating was also demonstrated using the iDROPS parameterization. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22026">
<title>Cerebral venography using fluid-suppressed STARFIRE</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22026</link>
<description><![CDATA[Fluid-suppressed STARFIRE (Signal Targeting Alternative Radiofrequency and Flow-Independent Relaxation Enhancement) is a noncontrast method for flow-independent MR venography (MRV). It uses magnitude subtraction of two inversion recovery-prepared segmented three-dimensional (3D) balanced steady-state free precession acquisitions to obtain isotropic cerebral venograms in which both fat and cerebrospinal fluid signals are suppressed. Unlike two-dimensional time-of-flight (2D TOF) MRV, it is insensitive to the flow velocity of the cerebral veins. The method provided excellent depiction of the dural venous sinuses and cortical veins on maximum intensity projection images. Fluid-suppressed STARFIRE and 2D TOF were compared with contrast-enhanced 3D MRV as the reference standard in seven healthy subjects at 1.5 Tesla. Fluid-suppressed STARFIRE compared favorably to 2D TOF on both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Contrast-enhanced MRV provided the highest vein-background relative contrast and best demonstrated the straight sinus, whereas STARFIRE depicted the most venous branches. Further investigation will be required to determine the accuracy for cerebral venous thrombosis. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22007">
<title>Ultrashort TE imaging with off-resonance saturation contrast (UTE-OSC)</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22007</link>
<description><![CDATA[Short T2 species such as the Achilles tendon and cortical bone cannot be imaged with conventional MR sequences. They have a much broader absorption lineshape than long T2 species, therefore they are more sensitive to an appropriately placed off-resonance irradiation. In this work, a technique termed ultrashort TE (UTE) with off-resonance saturation contrast (UTE-OSC) is proposed to image short T2 species. A high power saturation pulse was placed +1 to +2 kHz off the water peak to preferentially saturate signals from short T2 species, leaving long T2 water and fat signals largely unaffected. The subtraction of UTE images with and without an off-resonance saturation pulse effectively suppresses long T2 water and fat signals, creating high contrast for short T2 species. The UTE-OSC technique was validated on a phantom, and applied to bone samples and healthy volunteers on a clinical 3T scanner. High-contrast images of the Achilles tendon and cortical bone were generated with a high contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the order of 12 to 20 between short T2 and long T2 species within a total scan time of 4 to 10 min. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22012">
<title>Temporally constrained reconstruction applied to MRI temperature data</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22012</link>
<description><![CDATA[The monitoring of thermal ablation procedures would benefit from an acceleration in the rate at which MRI temperature maps are acquired. Constrained reconstruction techniques have been shown to be capable of generating high quality images using only a fraction of the k-space data. Here, we present a temporally constrained reconstruction (TCR) algorithm applied to proton resonance frequency shift (PRF) data. The algorithm generates images from undersampled data by iteratively minimizing a cost function. The unique challenges of using an iterative constrained reconstruction technique to generate real-time images were addressed. For a set of eight heating experiments on ex vivo porcine tissue, a maximum reduction factor of 4 was achieved while keeping the root mean square error (RMSE) of the temperature below 0.5°C. For a set of three heating experiments on in vivo canine muscle tissue, the maximum reduction factor achieved was 3 while keeping the temperature RMSE below 1.0°C. At these reduction factors, the TCR algorithm underpredicted the thermal dose by an average of 6% for the ex vivo data and 28% for the in vivo data. Compared with sliding window and low resolution reconstructions, the RMSE of the TCR algorithm was significantly lower (P < 0.05 in all cases). Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22018">
<title>Quantitative analysis of first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI using a patlak plot method and blood saturation correction</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22018</link>
<description><![CDATA[The objectives of this study were to develop a method for quantifying myocardial K1 and blood flow (MBF) with minimal operator interaction by using a Patlak plot method and to compare the MBF obtained by perfusion MRI with that from coronary sinus blood flow in the resting state. A method that can correct for the nonlinearity of the blood time-signal intensity curve on perfusion MR images was developed. Myocardial perfusion MR images were acquired with a saturation-recovery balanced turbo field-echo sequence in 10 patients. Coronary sinus blood flow was determined by phase-contrast cine MRI, and the average MBF was calculated as coronary sinus blood flow divided by left ventricular (LV) mass obtained by cine MRI. Patlak plot analysis was performed using the saturation-corrected blood time-signal intensity curve as an input function and the regional myocardial time-signal intensity curve as an output function. The mean MBF obtained by perfusion MRI was 86 ± 25 ml/min/100 g, showing good agreement with MBF calculated from coronary sinus blood flow (89 ± 30 ml/min/100 g, r = 0.74). The mean coefficient of variation for measuring regional MBF in 16 LV myocardial segments was 0.11. The current method using Patlak plot permits quantification of MBF with operator interaction limited to tracing the LV wall contours, registration, and time delays. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22016">
<title>Characterization and correction of system delays and eddy currents for MR imaging with ultrashort echo-time and time-varying gradients</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22016</link>
<description><![CDATA[Reconstruction of high-quality MR images requires precise knowledge of the dynamic gradient magnetic fields used to perform spatial encoding. System delays and eddy currents can perturb the gradient fields in both time and space and significantly degrade the image quality for acquisitions with an ultrashort echo time or with rapidly varying readout gradient waveforms. A technique for simultaneously characterizing and correcting the system delay and linear- and zero-order eddy currents of an MR system is proposed. A single set of calibration scans were used to compute a set of system constants that describe the effects of system delays and eddy currents to enable accurate reconstruction of data collected before uncorrected eddy currents have decayed. The ability of the proposed technique to reproducibly characterize small fixed delays (<50 [mu]s) and short-time constant (<1 ms) eddy currents is demonstrated. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22014">
<title>Robust estimation of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in heterogeneous solid tumors</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22014</link>
<description><![CDATA[The least-squares algorithm is known to bias apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values estimated from magnitude MR data, although this effect is commonly assumed to be negligible. In this study the effect of this bias on tumor ADC estimates was evaluated in vivo and was shown to introduce a consistent and significant underestimation of ADC, relative to those given by a robust maximum likelihood approach (on average, a 23.4 ± 12% underestimation). Monte Carlo simulations revealed that the magnitude of the bias increased with ADC and decreasing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In vivo, this resulted in a much-reduced ability to resolve necrotic regions from surrounding viable tumor tissue compared with a maximum likelihood approach. This has significant implications for the evaluation of diffusion MR data in vivo, in particular in heterogeneous tumor tissue, when evaluating bi- and multiexponential tumor diffusion models for the modeling of data acquired with larger b-values (b > 1000 s/mm2) and for data with modest SNR. Use of a robust approach to modeling magnitude MR data from tumors is therefore recommended over the least-squares approach when evaluating data from heterogeneous tumors. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22011">
<title>Relaxation effects of ferucarbotran-labeled mesenchymal stem cells at 1.5T and 3T: Discrimination of viable from lysed cells</title>
<link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fmrm.22011</link>
<description><![CDATA[Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were labeled with Ferucarbotran by simple incubation and cultured for up to 14 d. Iron content was determined by spectrometry and the intracellular localization of the contrast agent uptake was studied by electron and confocal microscopy. At various time points after labeling, ranging from 1 to 14 d, samples with viable or lysed labeled hMSCs, as well as nonlabeled controls, underwent MRI. Spin-echo (SE) and gradient-echo (GE) sequences with multiple TRs and TEs were used at 1.5T and 3T on a clinical scanner. Spectrometry showed an initial iron oxide uptake of 7.08 pg per cell. Microscopy studies revealed lysosomal compartmentalization. Contrast agent effects of hMSCs were persistent for up to 14 d after labeling. A marked difference in the T2 effect of compartmentalized iron oxides compared to free iron oxides was found on T2-weighted sequences, but not on T*2-weighted sequences. The observed differences may be explained by the loss of compartmentalization of iron oxide particles, the uniformity of distribution, and the subsequent increase in dephasing of protons on SE images. These results show that viable cells with compartmentalized iron oxides may - in principle - be distinguished from lysed cells or released iron oxides. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/702w1vv7r233n027/">
<title>Echo-dephased steady state free precession</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/702w1vv7r233n027/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Objective&nbsp;&nbsp;To introduce a novel positive contrast method for passive localization and visualization of paramagnetic susceptibility markers.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;The novel approach is based on an echo-dephased steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence. Gradients dephase any signal
 by ±π at the centered echo-time (TE =&nbsp;TR/2) and induce a total dephasing of ±2π per pixel within TR. This ensures that background
 tissues do not contribute to signal formation and thus appear dark. However, within the close vicinity of the paramagnetic
 marker, local gradient fields compensate for the intrinsic dephasing to form an echo. Conceptual issues of gradient compensation
 and its visualization characteristics are analyzed. The feasibility of the proposed technique for MR-guided intravascular
 interventions is demonstrated using flow phantom.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Echo-dephased SSFP is able to localize and visualize paramagnetic marker with excellent suppression of the background signals.
 The flow phantom experiments concluded that reliable tracking of the interventional guidewire is feasible using echo-dephased
 SSFP.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;With newly introduced echo-dephased SSFP approach, accurate and reliable visualization of paramagnetic interventional device
 is feasible.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0173-3Authors
		Sunil Patil, University of Basel Hospital Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Medical Radiology Petersgraben 4 4031 Basel SwitzerlandOliver Bieri, University of Basel Hospital Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Medical Radiology Petersgraben 4 4031 Basel SwitzerlandKlaus Scheffler, University of Basel Hospital Division of Radiological Physics, Department of Medical Radiology Petersgraben 4 4031 Basel Switzerland
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4656r3022058743/">
<title>Monitoring the survival of islet transplants by MRI using a novel technique for their automated detection and quantification</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4656r3022058743/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a clinical need to be able to assess graft loss of transplanted pancreatic islets (PI) non-invasively with clear-cut
 quantification of islet survival. We tracked transplanted PI in diabetic mice during the early post-transplant period by magnetic
 resonance imaging (MRI) and quantified the islet loss using automatic segmentation technique.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Magnetically labeled islet iso-, allo- and xenografts were injected into the right liver lobes. Animals underwent MRI scanning
 during 14 days after PI transplantation. MR images were processed using custom-made software, which automatically detects
 hypointense regions representing PI. It is based on morphological top-hat and bottom-hat transforms.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Manually and automatically detected areas, corresponding to PI, differed by 4% in phantoms. Signal loss regions due to PI
 decreased comparably in all groups during the first week post transplant. Throughout the second week post-transplant, the
 signal loss area continued in a steep decline in case of allografts and xenografts, whereas the decline in case of isografts
 slowed down.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Automatic segmentation allows for the more reproducible, objective assessment of transplanted PI. Quantification confirms
 the assumption that a significant number of islets are destroyed in the first week following transplantation irrespective
 of allografts, xenografts or isografts.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0172-4Authors
		Daniel Jirak, Robarts Research Institute Imaging Research Laboratories London ON N6A 5K8 CanadaJan Kriz, Robarts Research Institute Imaging Research Laboratories London ON N6A 5K8 CanadaMichal Strzelecki, Technical University of Lodz Institute of Electronics Lodz PolandJiabi Yang, Robarts Research Institute Transplantation Group London ON CanadaCraig Hasilo, Robarts Research Institute Transplantation Group London ON CanadaDavid J. White, Robarts Research Institute Transplantation Group London ON CanadaPaula J. Foster, Robarts Research Institute Imaging Research Laboratories London ON N6A 5K8 Canada
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/9l57472rx3607275/">
<title>Detection and quantification of d-glucuronic acid in human bile using 1H NMR spectroscopy: relevance to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/9l57472rx3607275/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Objective&nbsp;&nbsp;There are no specific biomarkers available for the definitive diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Analysis of d-glucuronic acid (GlcUA) in bile could be valuable in this regard.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Bile samples obtained from patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 4), chronic pancreatitis (n = 3) and control patients with biliary obstruction (n = 10) were analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. GlcUA was quantified from the peak area of the α-1CH signal (at 5.24&nbsp;ppm) obtained by deconvolution.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;GlcUA was detected in human bile by one-dimensional 1H NMR and two-dimensional 1H–1H COSY and TOCSY experiments. Quantification of GlcUA was achieved by measuring the peak area of the α-1CH signal using CPMG experiment, and the quantities of GlcUA were calibrated to account for the attenuation due to T
 2 relaxation. GlcUA was observed at elevated levels in bile samples obtained from pancreatic cancer patients, whereas it was
 either absent or found in negligible amounts in control and chronic pancreatitis patients. The reason for the presence of
 elevated levels of GlcUA could be the hydrolysis of biliary bilirubin diglucuronide by β-glucuronidase, released excessively from pancreatic tissue during the course of malignancy.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Analysis of d-glucuronic acid in bile could be valuable in the detection of pancreatic cancer, and detecting GlcUA by in vivo 1H MRS has the potential to help in the non-invasive diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Given that only four cancer patients have
 been studied so far, the new biomarker is regarded as a preliminary finding, but one that warrants further investigation.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0171-5Authors
		Tedros Bezabeh, National Research Council Institute for Biodiagnostics 435 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg MB R3B 1Y6 CanadaOmkar B. Ijare, National Research Council Institute for Biodiagnostics 435 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg MB R3B 1Y6 CanadaNils Albiin, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet Division of Radiology Stockholm SwedenUrban Arnelo, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet Division of Surgery Stockholm SwedenBo Lindberg, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet Division of Radiology Stockholm SwedenIan C. P. Smith, National Research Council Institute for Biodiagnostics 435 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg MB R3B 1Y6 Canada
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/t455842k3h132313/">
<title>Extraction of the first bolus passage in dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion measurements</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/t455842k3h132313/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;The processing of dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion measurements requires an extraction of the first bolus passage
 of the injected contrast agent. State-of-the-art methods employ the fit of a gamma variate function to the measured data.
 The use of a gamma variate function is motivated by its shape similarity to the expected relaxation rate time-course during
 the first bolus passage. However, the quality of this result is strongly influenced by the amount of overlap of the first
 and second bolus passage. In this work we present an alternative, data-driven method for the extraction of the first bolus
 passage from a measured relaxation time-course.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;By using prior knowledge of the injection function, the measured time-courses can be transformed to time-courses that would
 occur at a shorter injection duration where the two bolus passages have less overlap. This time-course is found by Tikhonov
 regularized deconvolution of the measured time-courses with an injection function that bases on the measurement protocol.
 A minimum search yields the cut-off point at which the first bolus can be extrapolated to zero. The gamma variate fit is performed
 using Powells algorithm. The proposed approach is compared to the gamma variate fit approach using simulations and an exemplary
 dataset from one healthy volunteer.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;The new method performs comparably stable as the gamma variate function fit approach in simulations. Both methods are superior
 to a simple exponential extrapolation approach. Applied to volunteer data, the new method performs much faster than the gamma
 variate fit approach. The results obtained from both methods correspond well.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;The new method offers a conceptual understanding of the first bolus passage and yields similar results to the gamma variate
 function fit approach but performs much faster.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0170-6Authors
		Peter Gall, University Medical Center Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Hugstetterstrasse 55 79106 Freiburg GermanyIrina Mader, University Medical Center Freiburg Department of Neuroradiology Breisacher Strasse 64 79106 Freiburg GermanyValerij G. Kiselev, University Medical Center Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Hugstetterstrasse 55 79106 Freiburg Germany
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/g3208q031773h306/">
<title>Fast multiecho balanced SSFP metabolite mapping of 1H and hyperpolarized 13C compounds</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/g3208q031773h306/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;To investigate the feasibility of multiecho balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP)-based fast chemical shift mapping
 hyperpolarized 13C metabolites. The overall goal was to reduce total imaging time and to increase spatial resolution compared to common chemical
 shift imaging (CSI).
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;A multiecho bSSFP sequence in combination with an iterative reconstruction algorithm was implemented. 1H experiments were performed on phantoms and on a human volunteer in order to investigate the feasibility of the method on
 a system with metabolite maps that are known beforehand. 13C experiments were performed in vivo on pigs, where CSI images were acquired also for comparison.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Chemical shift images of three and four distinct 1H resonance frequencies as well as chemical shift images of up to five hyperpolarized 13C metabolites were successfully obtained.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Fast metabolite mapping based on multiecho balanced SSFP in combination with an iterative reconstruction approach could successfully
 separate several 1H resonances and hyperpolarized 13C metabolites.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0169-zAuthors
		Jochen Leupold, University Hospital Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Freiburg GermanySven Månsson, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital Medical Radiation Physics and Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö Malmö SwedenJ. Stefan Petersson, GE Healthcare Helsingborg SwedenJürgen Hennig, University Hospital Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Freiburg GermanyOliver Wieben, University of Wisconsin-Madison Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) 1111 Highland Ave. Madison WI 53705-2275 USA
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/d15734v644n1538q/">
<title>Voxel-based reproducibility of T2 relaxation time in patellar cartilage at 1.5 T with a new validated 3D rigid registration algorithm</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/d15734v644n1538q/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;T2 relaxation time is a promising MRI parameter for the early diagnosis and follow-up of osteoarthritis. Assessing the evolution
 of osteoarthritis needs exact comparison of datasets acquired at different times and knowledge of the T2 reproducibility.
 The aims of this work were to establish a method for voxel-wise comparison of T2 datasets and to assess voxel-based T2 reproducibility
 in healthy patellar cartilage.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;A new rigid 3D-registration algorithm was developed. The precision of the registration algorithm was calculated with numerical
 simulations and in vitro measurements. In vivo T2 reproducibility was assessed in six volunteers measured at seven different
 times. The voxel-based reproducibility was characterized with the coefficient of variation (CV) of T2, and its regional variations
 were analyzed.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;The registration algorithm showed an average registration precision lower than 25% of the voxel size. In vivo voxel-based
 T2 reproducibility exhibited a median CV of 10.1%. Reproducibility showed significant regional differences. Largest CVs (15.4%)
 were found near the articular surface. The central regions showed the lowest CVs (7.2%) and the lateral regions intermediate
 CVs (11.2%).
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Using a rigid 3D-registration algorithm provides voxel-based T2 reproducibility errors comparable to former, 2D region-based
 approaches, thus opening the possibility of voxel-based monitoring of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0168-0Authors
		José G. Raya, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Josef Lissner Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Marchioninistr. 15 81377 Munich GermanyAnnie Horng, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Munich GermanyOlaf Dietrich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Josef Lissner Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Marchioninistr. 15 81377 Munich GermanyJürgen Weber, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Josef Lissner Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Marchioninistr. 15 81377 Munich GermanyJulia Dinges, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München Institut für Röntgendiagnostik Munich GermanyElisabeth Mützel, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Department of Forensic Medicine Munich GermanyMaximilian F. Reiser, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Josef Lissner Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Marchioninistr. 15 81377 Munich GermanyChristian Glaser, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Department of Clinical Radiology, Großhadern Munich Germany
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/y16054151084n601/">
<title>Design of internal MRI coils using ultimate intrinsic SNR</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/y16054151084n601/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;Internal MRI coils have important applications in diagnostic and interventional studies. Since they can be placed very close
 to the region of interest in the body, they are favored over external coils in applications where high-resolution images are
 required. In this paper it is demonstrated that ultimate intrinsic SNR (UISNR) and the optimum coil sensitivity solutions
 can be used to make new coil designs with higher intrinsic SNR.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;In this study, UISNR, which is the maximum attainable value of the intrinsic SNR, is used as a measure of performance and
 as a design criterion. As an example, a novel endorectal MRI coil is designed. The design is tested with phantom and patient
 studies.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;An endorectal coil is built to demonstrate the effectiveness of the design strategy. ISNR of the endorectal coil approximates
 the UISNR to 72%.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;An internal coil design method that takes advantage of the UISNR and optimum coil sensitivity calculations was presented.
 This method can also be used to design better internal MRI coils for different applications.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0167-1Authors
		Yiğitcan Eryaman, Bilkent University Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 06800 Ankara TurkeyYusuf Öner, Gazi University Department of Radiology Ankara TurkeyErgin Atalar, Bilkent University Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 06800 Ankara Turkey
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/m35741r1661m4180/">
<title>Metabolic changes in the rat brain after a photochemical lesion treated by stem cell transplantation assessed by 1H MRS</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/m35741r1661m4180/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;Metabolite changes in an experimental lesion in the rat cortex and in the contralateral hemisphere after the intravenous administration
 of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were assessed by proton MR spectroscopy to verify the impact of the cell treatment on the
 brain tissue.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Wistar rats with a photochemical cortical lesion and transplanted MSCs or sham transplanted rats were examined. Proton spectra
 were obtained from the lesion and from the contralateral cortex.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a gradual recovery of the damaged tissue; however, we found no significant differences
 in metabolite concentrations in the lesioned hemisphere between treated and untreated animals. Higher concentrations of glutamate
 and N-acetyl aspartate were found in the contralateral hemisphere in cell-treated animals compared to untreated ones. Lesioned
 animals showed neurogenesis in the contralateral hemisphere; the number of newly generated cells in stem cell-treated animals
 was 50% higher than those observed in untreated animals.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;No direct impact of cell transplantation was observed in the lesion. However, changes in the contralateral hemisphere suggest
 that the transplanted MSCs might stimulate repair processes and plasticity resulting in the generation of newborn cells, which
 might enable the faster adoption of the damaged tissue’s function by healthy tissue.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0166-2Authors
		Vít Herynek, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine MR-Unit, Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Vídeňská 1958/9 140 21 Prague Czech RepublicKateřina Růžičková, Charles University Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Second Medical Faculty V Úvalu 84 150 06 Prague Czech RepublicPavla Jendelová, Charles University Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Second Medical Faculty V Úvalu 84 150 06 Prague Czech RepublicEva Syková, Charles University Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Second Medical Faculty V Úvalu 84 150 06 Prague Czech RepublicMilan Hájek, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine MR-Unit, Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Vídeňská 1958/9 140 21 Prague Czech Republic
	

	
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]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/5715w5pp609w73x5/">
<title>Long-term reproducibility of phantom signal intensities in nonuniformity corrected STIR-MRI examinations of skeletal muscle</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/5715w5pp609w73x5/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;Nerve regeneration could be monitored by comparing MRI image intensities in time, as denervated muscles display increased
 signal intensity in STIR sequences. In this study long-term reproducibility of STIR image intensity was assessed under clinical
 conditions and the required image intensity nonuniformity correction was improved by using phantom scans obtained at multiple
 positions.
 
 
 
 Methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Three-dimensional image intensity nonuniformity was investigated in phantom scans. Next, over a three-year period, 190 clinical
 STIR hand scans were obtained using a standardized acquisition protocol, and corrected for intensity nonuniformity by using
 the results of phantom scanning. The results of correction with 1, 3, and 11 phantom scans were compared. The image intensities
 in calibration tubes close to the hands were measured every time to determine the reproducibility of our method.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;With calibration, the reproducibility of STIR image intensity improved from 7.8 to 6.4%. Image intensity nonuniformity correction
 with 11 phantom scans gave significantly better results than correction with 1 or 3 scans.
 
 
 
 Conclusions&nbsp;&nbsp;The image intensities in clinical STIR images acquired at different times can be compared directly, provided that the acquisition
 protocol is standardized and that nonuniformity correction is applied. Nonuniformity correction is preferably based on multiple
 phantom scans.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0165-3Authors
		Alain R. Viddeleer, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology Hanzeplein 1 9700 RB Groningen The NetherlandsPaul E. Sijens, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology Hanzeplein 1 9700 RB Groningen The NetherlandsPeter M. A. van Ooijen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology Hanzeplein 1 9700 RB Groningen The NetherlandsPaul D. L. Kuypers, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Rotterdam The NetherlandsSteven E. R. Hovius, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Rotterdam The NetherlandsMatthijs Oudkerk, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Radiology Hanzeplein 1 9700 RB Groningen The Netherlands
	

	
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]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/c77351680n32p455/">
<title>An efficient automated z-shim based method to correct through-slice signal loss in EPI at 3T</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/c77351680n32p455/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;To develop an efficient, automated method to correct through-slice signal loss in gradient-echo EPI at 3T.
 
 
 
 Material and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;The optimal choice of two z-shim values for signal recovery was determined from simulations and experiments. The specific
 required z-shim values are determined using a rapid calibration method that combines information about the slice profile with
 a sparse set of measurements. The proposed correction method was implemented for a language fMRI study which suffers from
 signal loss near the auditory canals, and tested on 12 volunteers.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Using a square root sum of squares combination of two z-shim values full signal restoration (to within 2% of the correct value)
 was achieved in 96% of all correctable brain pixels for 3&nbsp;mm slices, and partial correction in pixels outside this range.
 In all subjects, language processing activation was recovered in the inferior and lateral areas of the left temporal lobe
 which was not detectable with conventional fMRI.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;The careful choice of two z-shim values by the proposed method achieves through-slice signal loss correction for the majority
 of pixels in the brain for 3&nbsp;mm slices at 3T.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0164-4Authors
		Helen Marshall, Imperial College London Robert Steiner MRI Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, Hammersmith Hospital London UKJoseph V. Hajnal, Imperial College London Robert Steiner MRI Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, Hammersmith Hospital London UKJane E. Warren, Imperial College London Department of Sensorimotor Systems, Hammersmith Hospital London UKRichard J. Wise, Imperial College London Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hammersmith Hospital London UKDavid J. Larkman, Imperial College London Robert Steiner MRI Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, Hammersmith Hospital London UK
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/bnr78tnxv3648433/">
<title>MRI of human hair</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/bnr78tnxv3648433/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp;Hair care for humans is a major world industry with specialised tools, chemicals and techniques. Studying the effect of hair
 care products has become a considerable field of research, and besides mechanical and optical testing numerous advanced analytical
 techniques have been employed in this area. In the present work, another means of studying the properties of hair is added
 by demonstrating the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human hair.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Established dedicated nuclear magnetic resonance microscopy hardware (solenoidal radiofrequency microcoils and planar field
 gradients) and methods (constant time imaging) were adapted to the specific needs of hair MRI.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Images were produced at a spatial resolution high enough to resolve the inner structure of the hair, showing contrast between
 cortex and medulla. Quantitative evaluation of a scan series with different echo times provided a 

T2*
 value of 2.6&nbsp;ms for the cortex and a water content of about 90% for hairs saturated with water.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;The demonstration of the feasibility of hair MRI potentially adds a new tool to the large variety of analytical methods used
 nowadays in the development of hair care products.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-009-0163-5Authors
		Eveline Mattle, University and ETH Zurich Institute of Biomedical Engineering Gloriastrasse 35 8001 Zurich SwitzerlandMarkus Weiger, Bruker Biospin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Faellanden SwitzerlandDaniel Schmidig, Bruker Biospin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Faellanden SwitzerlandPeter Boesiger, University and ETH Zurich Institute of Biomedical Engineering Gloriastrasse 35 8001 Zurich SwitzerlandMichael Fey, Bruker Biospin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Faellanden Switzerland
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/v6030462433005mr/">
<title>Magnetic resonance spin-labeling perfusion imaging of synovitis in inflammatory arthritis at 3.0&#xA0;T</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/v6030462433005mr/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Objective&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging of synovitis in inflammatory
 joint diseases on a clinical 3.0&nbsp;T whole-body scanner.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Fifteen patients (geometric mean 47&nbsp;years, range 8–69&nbsp;years) with different types of inflammatory arthritis of the finger
 or wrist joints participated in the study. In addition to conventional spin-echo and dynamic contrast-enhanced FLASH3D sequences,
 a novel spin-labeling technique (FAIR-TrueFISP) for quantitative assessment of tissue perfusion was applied. Perfusion maps
 were calculated pixel-wise by means of the extended Bloch equations.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Perfusion maps showed good image quality with clear visualization of hyperaemia in synovitis. The computed perfusion maps
 corresponded best to subtraction images of the dynamic series from 30 to 60&nbsp;s after contrast-medium injection. The quantitative
 perfusion values of synovitis showed a good correlation with the disease activity. Perfusion values for inflamed synovium
 in phase of high activity were up to 230&nbsp;ml/100&nbsp;g tissue/min.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;The proposed modality allows for the assessment of disease activity in arthritis without the application of contrast-medium
 offering a new tool for therapy monitoring. As the technique provides quantitative information on hyperaemia, it potentially
 offers new insights in the pathophysiology of arthritic diseases.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0162-yAuthors
		Andreas Boss, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Section of Experimental Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3 72076 Tübingen GermanyPetros Martirosian, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Section of Experimental Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3 72076 Tübingen GermanyJan Fritz, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Tübingen GermanyIna Kötter, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Department of Internal Medicine II (Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pulmology) Tübingen GermanyJörg C. Henes, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Department of Internal Medicine II (Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pulmology) Tübingen GermanyClaus D. Claussen, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Tübingen GermanyFritz Schick, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Section of Experimental Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3 72076 Tübingen GermanyMarius Horger, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Tübingen Germany
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
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</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/q13t484x88t72260/">
<title>In vivo comparison of atherosclerotic plaque progression with vessel wall strain and blood flow velocity in apoE&#x2212;/&#x2212; mice with MR microscopy at 17.6 T</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/q13t484x88t72260/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;At present, in vivo plaque characterization in mice by MRI is typically limited to the visualization of vascular lesions with
 no accompanying analysis of vessel wall function. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of atherosclerotic plaque
 development on the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the aortic vessel wall in a pre-clinical murine model of
 atherosclerosis.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Groups of apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE−/−) and C57BL/6J control mice fed a high-fat diet were monitored over a 12-week time period by high-field MRI. Multi-Slice-Multi-Spin-Echo
 and Phase-Contrast MRI sequences were employed to track changes to aortic vessel wall area, blood flow velocity and distensibility.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;After 6- and 12-weeks, significant changes in vessel wall area and circumferential strain were detected in the apoE−/− mice relative to the control animals. Blood flow velocity and intravascular lumen remained unchanged in both groups, findings
 that are in agreement with the theory of positive remodeling of the ascending aorta during plaque progression.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;This study has demonstrated the application of high-field MRI for characterizing the temporal progression of morphological
 and mechanical changes to murine aortic vasculature associated with atherosclerotic lesion development.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0160-0Authors
		Volker Herold, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyJeremy Wellen, Discovery Translational Medicine, Wyeth Research Collegeville PA 19426 USAChristian H. Ziener, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyThomas Weber, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyKarl-Heinz Hiller, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyPeter Nordbeck, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Medizinische Universitätsklinik Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2 97080 Würzburg GermanyEberhard Rommel, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyAxel Haase, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanyWolfgang R. Bauer, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Medizinische Universitätsklinik Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2 97080 Würzburg GermanyPeter M. Jakob, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5 Am Hubland 97074 Würzburg GermanySusanta K. Sarkar, GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Development, Oncology R&D Collegeville PA 19426 USA
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/m6th576n4t823221/">
<title>Monitoring kidney and renal cyst volumes applying MR approaches on a rapamycin treated mouse model of ADPKD</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/m6th576n4t823221/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim of our study was to determine total cystic volume in a mouse model of PKD using MR imaging to monitor therapeutic
 effects in vivo.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;We imaged eight female pcy-mice in two groups: four belonged to an untreated control group and four were treated with the anticystic agent rapamycin,
 which has proven to be effective in reducing cystogenesis in animal models. The mice were imaged using a 9.4&nbsp;Tesla animal
 scanner. MRI measurements were taken at six time points during the therapy. Total renal volumes and total cyst volumes were
 calculated using a thresholding approach.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;During the course of the treatment, the total cyst volume increased significantly faster than the total renal volume in the
 untreated group, indicating that growth of the total renal volume in the untreated group was primarily due to the growth of
 the cysts, rather than the parenchyma. The measured total renal volume in the control (placebo) group was significantly higher
 than the volume in the treated group.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Using MRI, we were able to monitor the cystic volume in a mouse model of PKD to assess the therapeutic effect of anticystic
 treatment.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0158-7Authors
		Wilfried Reichardt, University Hospital Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Personalhaus 4, Hugstetter Strasse 55 79106 Freiburg GermanyDaniel Romaker, University Hospital Freiburg Renal Division Freiburg GermanyAnne Becker, University Hospital Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Personalhaus 4, Hugstetter Strasse 55 79106 Freiburg GermanyMartin Buechert, University Hospital Freiburg Magnetic Resonance Development and Application Center Freiburg GermanyGerd Walz, University Hospital Freiburg Renal Division Freiburg GermanyDominik von Elverfeldt, University Hospital Freiburg Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics Personalhaus 4, Hugstetter Strasse 55 79106 Freiburg Germany
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/d44525h69n3858w1/">
<title>Imaging E-selectin expression following traumatic brain injury in the rat using a targeted USPIO contrast agent</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/d44525h69n3858w1/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim of this work was to map E-selectin expression in a traumatic brain injury model using a newly-designed MR contrast
 agent. Iron cores, responsible for susceptibility effects and therefore used as T2* contrast agents, need to be coated in
 order to be stabilized and need to be targeted to be useful.
 
 
 
 Methods&nbsp;&nbsp;We have designed a molecule coating composed, at one end, of bisphosphonate to ensure anchorage of the coating on the iron
 core and, at the other end, of Fukuda’s defined heptapeptide known to target selectin binding sites.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;The synthesized nanoparticles were able to non-invasively target the traumatic brain lesion, inducing a specific T2* decrease
 of about 25% up to at least 70&nbsp;min post-injection of the targeted contrast agent.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0161-zAuthors
		Catherine Chapon, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FranceFlorence Franconi, Université d’Angers Service Commun d’Analyses Spectroscopiques Angers FranceFranck Lacoeuille, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FranceFrançois Hindré, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FrancePatrick Saulnier, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FranceJean-Pierre Benoit, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FranceJean-Jacques Le Jeune, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers FranceLaurent Lemaire, INSERM U 646, Ingénierie de la Vectorisation Particulaire 10, rue André Boquel 49100 Angers France
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/7363160566633627/">
<title>A novel continuous arterial spin labeling approach for CBF measurement in rats with reduced labeling time and optimized signal-to-noise ratio efficiency</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/7363160566633627/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Objective&nbsp;&nbsp;To develop a continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) perfusion imaging method for cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement in
 rats with reduced spin-labeling length and optimized signal-to-noise ratio (SNR
 f
  ) per unit time.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;In the proposed method, the longitudinal magnetization of brain tissue water in the imaging slice is prepared into a proper
 state before spin-labeling, and a post-tagging delay is employed after spin-labeling. The method was implemented on a 4.7&nbsp;T
 small animal scanner. Numerical simulations and in vivo experiments were used to evaluate the performance of the method proposed.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;With the proposed method, absolute CBF could be measured accurately from normal rat with a spin-labeling pulse as short as
 400&nbsp;ms, and yet employing the same formula as that used in the conventional CASL perfusion imaging method for calculation.
 The method also showed improved SNR
 f
  per unit time over the conventional CASL perfusion imaging method and the pulsed arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging
 method FAIR.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Compared to the conventional CASL perfusion imaging method, the proposed method would be advantageous for CBF measurement
 in small animals having short vascular transit time in terms of SNR
 f
  per unit time and other benefits brought by shortened spin-labeling pulse.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0157-8Authors
		Yuguang Meng, Chinese Academy of Sciences State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics 30# Xiaohongshan 430071 Wuhan Hubei People’s Republic of ChinaHao Lei, Chinese Academy of Sciences State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics 30# Xiaohongshan 430071 Wuhan Hubei People’s Republic of China
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 2 / April, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/m1v8227217340806/">
<title>PASADENA hyperpolarization of 13C biomolecules: equipment design and installation</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/m1v8227217340806/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;The PASADENA method has achieved hyperpolarization of 16–20% (exceeding 40,000-fold signal enhancement at 4.7 T), in liquid
 samples of biological molecules relevant to in vivo MRI and MRS. However, there exists no commercial apparatus to perform
 this experiment conveniently and reproducibly on the routine basis necessary for translation of PASADENA to questions of biomedical
 importance. The present paper describes equipment designed for rapid production of six to eight liquid samples per hour with
 high reproducibility of hyperpolarization.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Drawing on an earlier, but unpublished, prototype, we provide diagrams of a delivery circuit, a laminar-flow reaction chamber
 within a low field NMR contained in a compact, movable housing. Assembly instructions are provided from which a computer driven,
 semi-automated PASADENA polarizer can be constructed.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Together with an available parahydrogen generator, the polarizer, which can be operated by a single investigator, completes
 one cycle of hyperpolarization each 52 s. Evidence of efficacy is presented. In contrast to competing, commercially available
 devices for dynamic nuclear polarization which characteristically require 90&nbsp;min per cycle, PASADENA provides a low-cost alternative
 for high throughput.
 
 
 
 Conclusions&nbsp;&nbsp;This equipment is suited to investigators who have an established small animal NMR and wish to explore the potential of heteronuclear
 (13
 C and 15
 N) MRI, MRS, which harnesses the enormous sensitivity gain offered by hyperpolarization.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0155-xAuthors
		Jan-Bernd Hövener, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAEduard Y. Chekmenev, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAKent C. Harris, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAWilliam H. Perman, Saint Louis University School of Medicine Department of Radiology St. Louis MO 63110-0250 USALarry W. Robertson, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USABrian D. Ross, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAPratip Bhattacharya, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USA
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 2 / April, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/v7t044174qlw431w/">
<title>Quality assurance of PASADENA hyperpolarization for 13C biomolecules</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/v7t044174qlw431w/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Object&nbsp;&nbsp;Define MR quality assurance procedures for maximal PASADENA hyperpolarization of a biological 13C molecular imaging reagent.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;An automated PASADENA polarizer and a parahydrogen generator were installed. 13C enriched hydroxyethyl acrylate, 1-13C, 2,3,3-d3 (HEA), was converted to hyperpolarized hydroxyethyl propionate, 1-13C, 2,3,3-d3 (HEP) and fumaric acid, 1-13C, 2,3-d2 (FUM) to hyperpolarized succinic acid, 1-13C, 2,3-d2 (SUC), by reaction with parahydrogen and norbornadiene rhodium catalyst. Incremental optimization of successive steps in
 PASADENA was implemented. MR spectra and in vivo images of hyperpolarized 13C imaging agents were acquired at 1.5 and 4.7 T.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Application of quality assurance (QA) criteria resulted in incremental optimization of the individual steps in PASADENA implementation.
 Optimal hyperpolarization of HEP of P&nbsp;=&nbsp;20% was achieved by calibration of the NMR unit of the polarizer (B
 0 field strength&nbsp;±&nbsp;0.002 mT). Mean hyperpolarization of SUC, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;[15.3&nbsp;±&nbsp;1.9]% (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;16) in D
 2O, and P&nbsp;=&nbsp;[12.8&nbsp;±&nbsp;3.1]% (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;12) in H
 2O, was achieved every 5–8&nbsp;min (range 13–20%). An in vivo 13C succinate image of a rat was produced.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;PASADENA spin hyperpolarization of SUC to 15.3% in average was demonstrated (37,400 fold signal enhancement at 4.7 T). The
 biological fate of 13C succinate, a normally occurring cellular intermediate, might be monitored with enhanced sensitivity.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0154-yAuthors
		Jan-Bernd Hövener, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAEduard Y. Chekmenev, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAKent C. Harris, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAWilliam H. Perman, Saint Louis University School of Medicine Department of Radiology St. Louis MO 63110-0250 USAThao T. Tran, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USABrian D. Ross, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USAPratip Bhattacharya, Huntington Medical Research Institutes Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory Pasadena CA 91105 USA
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 2 / April, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/c02806u303682358/">
<title>How background noise shifts eigenvectors and increases eigenvalues in DTI</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/c02806u303682358/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Indroduction&nbsp;&nbsp;The signal-to-noise ratio of in vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is usually very limited, especially if high resolution
 data is acquired. In a variety of settings, the signal of diffusion weighted images can drop below the background noise level
 yielding an underestimated diffusion constant. In this work, we report two new artefacts in DTI that are important in this
 regime.
 
 
 
 Methods&nbsp;&nbsp;Both artifacts are described analytically and numerically and are demonstrated in DTI phantoms and in subjects in vivo.
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;First, eigenvectors are systematically shifted towards distinct ‘attractive’ orientations of the gradient scheme. Second,
 certain eigenvalues can be overestimated due to the underestimation of the measured diffusion, which can result in the misordering
 of eigenvalues
 
 
 
 Discussion&nbsp;&nbsp;We show that these effects are relevant for current clinical settings of DTI.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0159-6Authors
		Frederik Bernd Laun, German Cancer Research Center Medical Physics in Radiology Heidelberg GermanyLothar Rudi Schad, Universität Heidelberg Lehrstuhl für Computerunterstützte Klinische Medizin, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim Mannheim GermanyJan Klein, MeVis Research Bremen GermanyBram Stieltjes, German Cancer Research Center Medical Physics in Radiology Heidelberg Germany
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 22
	
		Journal Issue Volume 22, Number 3 / June, 2009
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.springerlink.com/content/cj14802x2347080h/">
<title>High resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy for metabolic assessment of cancer presence and Gleason score in human prostate needle biopsies</title>
<link>http://www.springerlink.com/content/cj14802x2347080h/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abstract
 Objectives&nbsp;&nbsp;Histopathology of prostate needle biopsies (PNBs) is an important part in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment evaluation
 of prostate cancer. The determination of metabolite levels in the same biopsies may have additional clinical value. Here,
 we demonstrate the use of non-destructive high resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) proton NMR Spectroscopy for the assessment
 of metabolic profiles of prostate tissue in PNBs as commonly obtained in standard clinical practice.
 
 
 
 Materials and methods&nbsp;&nbsp;PNBs that were taken routinely from 48 patients suspected of having prostate cancer were subjected to HRMAS proton NMR spectroscopy.
 Subsequent histopathology of the same biopsies classified the tissue either as cancer (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;10) or benign (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;30).
 
 
 
 Results&nbsp;&nbsp;Some practical aspects of this assessment were evaluated, such as typical spectral contamination caused by the PNB procedure.
 Significant metabolic differences were found between malignant and benign tissue using a small set of ratio’s involving signals
 of choline compounds, citrate and lactate. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between choline, total choline,
 and citrate over creatine signal ratios and the Gleason scores of tumor in PNBs and of tumor in the whole prostate.
 
 
 
 Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;This preliminary study indicates that HRMAS NMR of routinely obtained PNBs can provide detailed metabolic information of intact
 prostate tissue with clinical relevance.
 
 
 
	Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10334-008-0156-9Authors
		Jack J. A. van Asten, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Radiology Nijmegen The NetherlandsVincent Cuijpers, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Pathology Nijmegen The NetherlandsChristina Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Pathology Nijmegen The NetherlandsClaudia Soede-Huijbregts, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Radiology Nijmegen The NetherlandsJ. Alfred Witjes, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Urology Nijmegen The NetherlandsAlbert Verhofstad, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Pathology Nijmegen The NetherlandsArend Heerschap, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Department of Radiology Nijmegen The Netherlands
	

	
		Journal Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and MedicineOnline ISSN 1352-8661Print ISSN 0968-5243
	
		Journal Volume Volume 21
	
		Journal Issue Volume 21, Number 6 / November, 2008
	
]]></description>
</item>

</rdf:RDF>