MR fingerprinting ASL: Sequence characterization and comparison with dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI

MR Fingerprinting (MRF)‐based Arterial‐Spin‐Labeling (ASL) has the potential to measure multiple parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), bolus arrival time (BAT), and tissue T₁ in a single scan. However, the previous reports have only demonstrated a proof‐of‐principle of the technique but have not examined the performance of the sequence in the context of key imaging parameters. Furthermore, there has not been a study to directly compare the technique to clinically used perfusion method of dynamic‐susceptibility‐contrast (DSC) MRI. The present report consists of two studies. In the first study (N = 8), we examined the dependence of MRF‐ASL sequence on TR time pattern. Ten different TR patterns with a range of temporal characteristics were examined by both simulations and experiments. The results revealed that there was a significance dependence of the sequence performance on TR pattern (p < 0.001), although there was not a single pattern that provided dramatically improvements. Among the TR patterns tested, a sinusoidal pattern with a period of 125 TRs provided an overall best estimation in terms of spatial consistency. These experimental observations were consistent with those of numerical simulations. In the second study (N = 8), we compared MRF‐ASL results with those of DSC MRI. It was found that MRF‐ASL and DSC MRI provided highly comparable maps of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and bolus‐arrival‐time (BAT), with spatial correlation coefficients of 0.79 and 0.91, respectively. However, in terms of quantitative values, BAT obtained with MRF‐ASL was considerably lower than that from DSC (p < 0.001), presumably because of the differences in tracer characteristics in terms of diffusible versus intravascular tracers. Test–retest assessment of MRF‐ASL MRI revealed that the spatial correlations of parametric maps were 0.997, 0.962, 0.746 and 0.863 for B₁⁺, T₁, CBF, and BAT, respectively. MRF‐ASL is a promising technique for assessing multiple perfusion parameters simultaneously without contrast agent.     

Cardiac cine magnetic resonance fingerprinting for combined ejection fraction,T1 and T2 quantification

This study introduces a technique called cine magnetic resonance fingerprinting (cine‐MRF) for simultaneous T₁, T₂ and ejection fraction (EF) quantification. Data acquired with a free‐running MRF sequence are retrospectively sorted into different cardiac phases using an external electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. A low‐rank reconstruction with a finite difference sparsity constraint along the cardiac motion dimension yields images resolved by cardiac phase. To improve SNR and precision in the parameter maps, these images are nonrigidly registered to the same phase and matched to a dictionary to generate T₁ and T₂ maps. Cine images for computing left ventricular volumes and EF are also derived from the same data. Cine‐MRF was tested in simulations using a numerical relaxation phantom. Phantom and in vivo scans of 19 subjects were performed at 3 T during a 10.9 seconds breath‐hold with an in‐plane resolution of 1.6 x 1.6 mm² and 24 cardiac phases. Left ventricular EF values obtained with cine‐MRF agreed with the conventional cine images (mean bias ?1.0%). Average myocardial T₁ times in diastole/systole were 1398/1391 ms with cine‐MRF, 1394/1378 ms with ECG‐triggered cardiac MRF (cMRF) and 1234/1212 ms with MOLLI; and T₂ values were 30.7/30.3 ms with cine‐MRF, 32.6/32.9 ms with ECG‐triggered cMRF and 37.6/41.0 ms with T₂‐prepared FLASH. Cine‐MRF and ECG‐triggered cMRF relaxation times were in good agreement. Cine‐MRF T₁ values were significantly longer than MOLLI, and cine‐MRF T₂ values were significantly shorter than T₂‐prepared FLASH. In summary, cine‐MRF can potentially streamline cardiac MRI exams by combining left ventricle functional assessment and T₁‐T₂ mapping into one time‐efficient acquisition.     

基于指纹图谱和多指标定量测定的苗药红禾麻质量控制研究

目的建立合理的苗药红禾麻Laporteabulbifera质量控制方法。方法采用高效液相色谱建立以指纹图谱为特征的多指标定性定量控制方法,对红禾麻12批次的药材进行质量控制,运用指纹图谱相似度评价系统对所测定的指纹图谱进行评价。结果建立了同时测定红禾麻药材中10个成分(新绿原酸、绿原酸、隐绿原酸、芦丁、异槲皮苷、木犀草苷、山柰酚-3-O-芸香糖苷、槲皮苷、表没食子儿茶素、表儿茶素)的多指标质量控制方法,该方法的线性关系、精密度、重复性和稳定性良好,加样回收率为95.89%～98.62%、RSD3%。同时测定了12批次红禾麻药材的指纹图谱并建立了共有模式,标定共有峰20个,12批次红禾麻药材指纹图谱相似度为0.805～0.931。结论所建立的基于指纹图谱和多指标含量测定的红禾麻质量控制方法,灵敏度高、准确度好、稳定可靠,为控制和评价红禾麻药材的内在质量提供科学依据。     

人工牛黄薄层指纹图谱多元图像分析及化学计量学研究

建立了人工牛黄薄层指纹图谱,对其图像进行数字化和化学计量学研究。首先采用以环己烷-乙酸乙酯-乙酸-甲醇(2∶7∶1∶2)为展开剂,10%硫酸乙醇溶液为显色剂,105℃加热至斑点清晰,并在366 nm下采集数码图像。然后将该图像转换成为灰度图像,得到指纹图谱的灰度曲线图多元数据,并采用主成分分析法对多元数据进行分析。结果表明薄层指纹图谱可表征不同生产企业生产的人工牛黄,并且分析得到图谱上表征来源的特征区域。该方法简便,快速,适合用于不同来源的人工牛黄质量差异的评价。     

变形链球菌在日托儿童口腔中水平传播的初探

目的 通过对日托儿童口腔中变形链球菌（S.mutans）水平传播的研究，为儿童龋的早期预防提供新思路。方法 选择32名3～4岁日托儿童，根据是否患龋分为有龋组和无龋组。用无菌牙签采集牙面菌斑，MSB琼脂培养，微量生化反应鉴定分离S.mutans菌落，纯培养后提取基因组DNA，用AP-PCR检测其基因多态性，对来自不同个体的具有相似AP-PCR扩增图谱的菌株再进行DNA指纹分析。结果 32名受检儿童中，变形链球菌的检出率为78.1%；有龋组和无龋组的变形链球菌检出率分别为100%和69.6%。在检出变形链球菌的25名儿童中，携带有2种及以上基因型的儿童占88%；有龋组为88.9%，无龋组为87.5%，OR值为1.143，二者之间的差异无统计学意义。DNA指纹分析表明，有2种基因型变形链球菌分别在2名儿童口腔中重复检出。结论 变形链球菌在日托儿童中可能存在水平传播，但其基因型检出数目与龋的发生关系不明显。     

基于ISSR标记的麻花艽遗传多样性分析

目的探讨秦艽基原植物之一麻花艽Gentiana straminea的遗传多样性,并构建DNA指纹谱。方法在其自然分布区广泛取样,共涉及西藏、青海、甘肃及四川等地28个居群83份样本,应用ISSR分子标记技术,POPGEN软件分析遗传信息参数,NTSYS软件构建亲缘关系UPGMA聚类图。结果从100条引物中筛出7条多态性好、条带清晰的引物用于ISSR分析。共检测到95个条带,其中多态性条带88个,多态性条带百分率(PPL)为92.63%;麻花艽居群间的期望杂合度(H_e)为0.288 2,多样性信息指数(I_m)为0.437 1,种群间基因分化系数(G_(st))为0.678 3,基因流(N_m)为0.237 1,遗传距离为0.074 3~0.490 0。UPGMA树将麻花艽居群主要分为2大支。结论麻花艽种群遗传多样性水平较高,居群间遗传多样性水平高于居群内;其遗传变异主要存在于居群间;遗传特性与地理分布具有一定相关性。该工作可为麻花艽品种鉴定、物种就地保护、探讨环境等因素对于遗传分化的影响及药材道地性研究提供基础资料。     

Simultaneous multislice cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting using low rank reconstruction

This study introduces a technique for simultaneous multislice (SMS) cardiac magnetic resonance fingerprinting (cMRF), which improves the slice coverage when quantifying myocardial T_1, T₂, and M₀. The single‐slice cMRF pulse sequence was modified to use multiband (MB) RF pulses for SMS imaging. Different RF phase schedules were used to excite each slice, similar to POMP or CAIPIRINHA, which imparts tissues with a distinguishable and slice‐specific magnetization evolution over time. Because of the high net acceleration factor (R = 48 in plane combined with the slice acceleration), images were first reconstructed with a low rank technique before matching data to a dictionary of signal timecourses generated by a Bloch equation simulation. The proposed method was tested in simulations with a numerical relaxation phantom. Phantom and in vivo cardiac scans of 10 healthy volunteers were also performed at 3 T. With single‐slice acquisitions, the mean relaxation times obtained using the low rank cMRF reconstruction agree with reference values. The low rank method improves the precision in T₁ and T₂ for both single‐slice and SMS cMRF, and it enables the acquisition of maps with fewer artifacts when using SMS cMRF at higher MB factors. With this technique, in vivo cardiac maps were acquired from three slices simultaneously during a breathhold lasting 16 heartbeats. SMS cMRF improves the efficiency and slice coverage of myocardial T₁ and T₂ mapping compared with both single‐slice cMRF and conventional cardiac mapping sequences. Thus, this technique is a first step toward whole‐heart simultaneous T₁ and T₂ quantification with cMRF.