Longitudinal gradient coil optimization in the presence of transient eddy currents.

The switching of magnetic field gradient coils in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) inevitably induces transient eddy currents in conducting system components, such as the cryostat vessel. These secondary currents degrade the spatial and temporal performance of the gradient coils, and compensation methods are commonly employed to correct for these distortions. This theoretical study shows that by incorporating the eddy currents into the coil optimization process, it is possible to modify a gradient coil design so that the fields created by the coil and the eddy currents combine together to generate a spatially homogeneous gradient that follows the input pulse. Shielded and unshielded longitudinal gradient coils are used to exemplify this novel approach. To assist in the evaluation of transient eddy currents induced within a realistic cryostat vessel, a low-frequency finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method using the total-field scattered-field (TFSF) scheme was performed. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for optimizing longitudinal gradient fields while taking into account the spatial and temporal behavior of the eddy currents.     

Correction of frequency and phase variations induced by eddy currents in localized spectroscopy with multiple echo times.

As a consequence of the time-varying magnetic field induced by eddy currents, frequency drifting occurs when the sampling window of localized spectroscopy continuously shifts. The frequency drifting and the concomitant phase variations can severely affect spectroscopy results when data are acquired with multiple echo times (TEs), such as in the measurement of glutamate (Glu) concentration using the TE-averaged method. Specifically, the averaged spectra are further broadened and distorted in the presence of residual eddy currents, and editing of the coupled spins of Glu C4 protons is affected, resulting in errors in the measured relative intensity ratio. Postacquisition correction using unsuppressed water as reference can effectively minimize this detrimental effect, as manifested by the significantly enhanced signal intensity. Also, it is demonstrated that the methyl signals of creatine (Cr) at 3.0 ppm and choline (Cho) at 3.2 ppm can be used as internal references in finding frequency and phase disparities between different TEs.     

Working‐correlation‐structure identification in generalized estimating equations

Selecting an appropriate working correlation structure is pertinent to clustered data analysis using generalized estimating equations (GEE) because an inappropriate choice will lead to inefficient parameter estimation. We investigate the well‐known criterion of QIC for selecting a working correlation structure, and have found that performance of the QIC is deteriorated by a term that is theoretically independent of the correlation structures but has to be estimated with an error. This leads us to propose a correlation information criterion (CIC) that substantially improves the QIC performance. Extensive simulation studies indicate that the CIC has remarkable improvement in selecting the correct correlation structures. We also illustrate our findings using a data set from the Madras Longitudinal Schizophrenia Study. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

增龄过程中心脏径限的变化及其影响因素

为探讨年龄增长及伴随的一些生理性变化对心脏径限的影响,对300余例20—81岁(平均46±16岁)的正常成人进行了超声心动图研究。多元逐步回归及协方差分析表明,左室壁厚度随年龄俱增,而左室舒张未期内径变化不大;室间隔/左室后壁厚度比值亦渐有增长,反映了室间隔的随龄增长稍快于左室后壁,故在增龄过程中,左室流出道稍有缩小;左房、主动脉根部和右室内径均有随年龄而增长的变化。二尖瓣舒张期 EF 斜率随年龄增长渐有下降,可能反映了左室顺应性的降低及二尖瓣弹性的减退。此外,一些心脏测值有性别差异,不少径限尚与体格大小或血压水平有相关关系。对于不同年龄组间心脏径限差异的原因,以及心脏径限彼此间的关系进行了分析和讨论,认为在临床上评价心脏径限正常与否和异常程度时,应考虑年龄、性别、体格大小、血压等因素的影响。     

View ordering for magnetization prepared steady state free precession acquisition: application in contrast-enhanced MR angiography.

Magnetization prepared segmented acquisition requires a view order that maximizes signal contrast during the acquisition of the central portion of k-space. Steady state free precession (SSFP) acquisition further requires a view order that minimizes changes in phase-encoding gradients from one repetition to the next in order to minimize eddy current artifacts. In this article, optimal view ordering schemes satisfying these two requirements are formulated and applied to inversion prepared 3D SSFP contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA). Experiments on phantoms and pigs demonstrated improved background suppression and reduced image artifacts.     

大型Tokamak装置中环向场超导线圈的传热研究

分析了HT-7U超导Tokamak核聚变装置中环向场超导线圈上的涡流损耗热产生的机理和迫流式超临界氦对流换热等过程，特别针对等离子体快速破裂时，极短时间内在环向场磁体中所产生的较大的涡流损耗而引起的焦耳热，对环向场线圈盒与超导磁体之间的热传递过程加以研究。本文采用国际上通用的有限元分析软件ANSYS5.7进行计算，计算所得的结果较为乐观。     

Simultaneous genetic analysis of longitudinal means and covariance structure in the simplex model using twin data

A longitudinal model based on the simplex model is presented to analyze simultaneously means and covariance structure using univariate longitudinal twin data. The objective of the model is to decompose the mean trend into components which can be attributed to those genetic and environmental factors which give rise to phenotypic individual differences and a component of unknown constitution which does not involve individual differences. Illustrations are given using simulated data and repeatedly measured weight obtained in a sample of 82 female twin pairs on six occasions.     

Urothelial eddies in papillary urothelial neoplasms: a distinct morphologic pattern with low risk for progression

We encountered an undescribed histologic feature of papillary urothelial neoplasms: “urothelial eddy”, which was histologically reminiscent of squamous eddy of irritated follicular keratosis of the skin. A review of 756 patients with transurethral resection of bladder tumor revealed 10 patients (1.3%) of papillary urothelial neoplasms with urothelial eddies. All cases were male with a median age of 65 years. Urothelial eddies were characterized by small ovoid nests of ovoid to spindle cells arranged in an onion-skin pattern with fine cytoplasmic processes within wide intercellular space. The cytoplasmic processes mimicked intercellular bridges but ultrastructurally were cytoplasmic microvillous projections. They were of papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential in seven patients and low-grade urothelial carcinoma in three patients. Nine patients presented as non-invasive tumor and one patient showed microinvasion within papillary stalks. Six patients showed an inverted growth pattern. Their immunoprofile was more similar to that of conventional urothelial carcinoma rather than squamous cell carcinoma: high expressions of GATA3, S100P, uroplakin III, and cytokeratin 7; and low expressions of high molecular weight cytokeratin and p53. The Ki-67 labeling index was low (mean and median values, 2% each). During the follow-up period (mean, 88.7 months), four patients, including the microinvasive patient, showed recurrence with the same grade and stage but neither progressed into muscle-invasive tumor nor caused death. Our results suggest that urothelial eddy is a rare aberrant histology of papillary urothelial neoplasms with indolent behavior and should be discriminated from squamous differentiation of urothelial carcinoma, which has a poor prognosis.     

Mixed General Linear Model Analysis of Quantitative Electroencephalographic (qEEG) Data

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a mixed general linear analysis of the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG). The modeling is similar to regression, which builds a regression or ‘best-fit’ model for the data structure but, in addition, provides for correlations between observations. A mixed linear model states that data consists of two parts: fixed effects and random effects. Fixed effects determine the expected values of the observations, while random effects account for the stochastic deviations from these expected values both between and within individuals. Since errors are independent between subjects, the deviations from the expected values may also be modeled using a repeated measures approach. The term ‘repeated measures’ in this model refers to data with multiple observations from one specific source. It is reasonable to assume that these observations from the same source are correlated, even if only slightly, in some measurable way. Consequently, statistical analysis of repeated measures data gives a more accurate prediction capability when the issue of covariation between these measures is addressed.

With mixed model methodology now available (e.g., the mixed procedure [Mixed PROC] of the SAS® system), the covariance structure can be incorporated into the statistical model. Disregarding potential random effects not specific to single individuals and absorbing potential within-subject random effects into the covariance matrix allows one to work with a simplified model.

The use of a mixed procedure and its method of modeling the data structure appear to provide an accurate and objective method of analysis resulting in quantifiable equations for testing predictions. Essentially, this method allows the physiological pattern of each individual in the study, not related to any other variable, to be represented and accounted for in the model. Several comparative examples will be used to highlight the information that can be hidden in data structures depending on the type of statistical analysis used.