Evaluating pediatric ureteropelvic junction obstruction:Dynamic magnetic resonance urography vs renal scintigraphy 99mtechnetium mercaptoacetyltriglycine

BACKGROUND Ureteropelvic junction obstruction(UPJO)is a common congenital urinary tract disorder in children.It can be diagnosed as early as in utero due to the presence of hydronephrosis or later in life due to symptomatic occurrence.AIM To evaluate the discrepancy between dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance urography(dMRU)and scintigraphy 99m-technetium mercaptoacetyltriglycine(MAG-3)for the functional evaluation of UPJO.METHODS Between 2016 and 2020,126 patients with UPJO underwent surgery at Robert DebréHospital.Of these,83 received a prenatal diagnosis,and 43 were diagnosed during childhood.Four of the 126 patients underwent surgery based on the clinical situation and postnatal ultrasound findings without undergoing functional imaging evaluation.Split renal function was evaluated preoperatively using scintigraphy MAG-3(n=28),dMRU(n=53),or both(n=40).In this study,we included patients who underwent surgery for UPJO and scintigraphy MAG-3+dMRU but excluded those who underwent only scintigraphy MAG-3 or dMRU.The patients were divided into groups A(<10%discrepancy)and B(>10%discrepancy).We examined the discrepancy in split renal function between the two modalities and investigated the possible risk factors.RESULTS The split renal function between the two kidneys was compared in 40 patients(28 boys and 12 girls)using scintigraphy MAG-3 and dMRU.Differential renal function,as determined using both modalities,showed a difference of<10%in 31 children and>10%in 9 children.Calculation of the relative renal function using dMRU revealed an excellent correlation coefficient with renal scintigraphy MAG-3 for both kidneys.CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that dMRU is equivalent to scintigraphy MAG-3 for evaluating split renal function in patients with UPJO.

High frequency magnetic properties of ferromagnetic thin films and magnetization dynamics of coherent precession

We focus on the ferromagnetic thin films and review progress in understanding the magnetization dynamic of coherent precession, its application in seeking better high frequency magnetic properties for magnetic materials at GHz frequency, as well as new approaches to these materials＇ characterization. High frequency magnetic properties of magnetic materials determined by the magnetization dynamics of coherent precession are described by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gitbert equation. However, the complexity of the equation results in a lack of analytically universal information between the high frequency magnetic properties and the magnetization dynamics of coherent precession. Consequently, searching for magnetic materials with higher permeability at higher working frequency is still done case by case.

Discrimination of Metastatic from Non-metastatic Mesorectal Lymph Nodes in Rectal Cancer Using Quantitative Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Preoperative detection of lymph nodes（LNs） metastasis is always highly challenging for radiologists nowadays. The utility of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging（QDCE-MRI） in identifying LNs metastasis is not well understood. In the present study, 59 patients with histologically proven rectal carcinoma underwent preoperative QDCE-MRI. The short axis diameter ratio, long axis diameter ratio, short-to-long axis diameter ratio and QDEC-MRI parameters（Ktrans, Kep, fPV and Ve） values were compared between the non-metastatic（n=44） and metastatic（n=35） LNs groups based on pathological examination. Compared with the non-metastatic group, the metastatic group exhibited significantly higher short axis diameter（7.558±0.668 mm vs. 5.427±0.285 mm）, Ktrans（0.483±0.198 min-1 vs. 0.218±0.116 min^-1） and Ve（0.399±0.118 vs. 0.203±0.096） values（all P〈0.05）. The short-to-long axis diameter ratio, long axis diameter ratio, Kep and fPV values did not show significant differences between the two groups. In conclusion, our results showed that for LNs larger than 5 mm in rectal cancer, there are distinctive differences in the Ktrans and Ve values between the metastatic and non-metastatic LNs, suggesting that QDCE-MRI may be potentially helpful in identifying LNs status.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer: A review of current methods and applications

In many areas of oncology, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI) has proven to be a clinically useful, non-invasive functional imaging technique to quantify tumor vasculature and tumor perfusion characteristics. Tumor angiogenesis is an essential process for tumor growth, proliferation, and metastasis. Malignant lesions demonstrate rapid extravasation of contrast from the intravascular space to the capillary bed due to leaky capillaries associated with tumor neovascularity. DCE-MRI has the potential to provide information regarding blood flow, areas of hypoperfusion, and variations in endothelial permeability and microvessel density to aid treatment selection, enable frequent monitoring during treatment and assess response to targeted therapy following treatment. This review will discuss the current status of DCE-MRI in cancer imaging, with a focus on its use in imaging prostate malignancies as well as weaknesses that limit its widespread clinical use. The latest techniques for quantification of DCE-MRI parameters will be reviewed and compared.

Prediction of radiosensitivity in primary central nervous system germ cell tumors using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Objective： To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging（DCEMRI） for predicting tumor response to radiotherapy in patients with suspected primary central nervous system（CNS） germ cell tumors（GCTs）.Methods： DCE-MRI parameters of 35 patients with suspected primary CNS GCTs were obtained prior to diagnostic radiation, using the Tofts and Kermode model. Radiosensitivity was determined in tumors diagnosed 2 weeks after radiation by observing changes in tumor size and markers as a response to MRI. Taking radiosensitivity as the gold standard, the cut-off value of DCE-MRI parameters was measured by receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve. Diagnostic accuracy of DCE-MRI parameters for predicting radiosensitivity was evaluated by ROC curve.Results： A significant elevation in transfer constant（K^trans） and extravascular extracellular space（Ve）（P=0.000）, as well as a significant reduction in rate constant（Kep）（P=0.000） was observed in tumors. K^trans, relative K^trans, and relative Kep of the responsive group were significantly higher than non-responsive groups. No significant difference was found in Kep, Ve, and relative Ve between the two groups. Relative K^trans showed the best diagnostic value in predicting radiosensitivity with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 91.7%, positive predictive value（PPV） of 95.8%, and negative predictive value（NPV） of 100%.Conclusions： Relative K^trans appeared promising in predicting tumor response to radiation therapy（RT）. It is implied that DCE-MRI pre-treatment is a requisite step in diagnostic procedures and a novel and reliable approach to guide clinical choice of RT.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI versus ^(18)F-FDG PET/CT: Which is better in differentiation between malignant and benign solitary pulmonary nodules?

Objective： To prospectively compare the discriminative capacity of dynamic contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging（DCE-MRI） with that of^18F-fluorodeoxyglucose（^18F-FDG） positron emission tomography/computed tomography（PET/CT） in the differentiation of malignant and benign solitary pulmonary nodules（SPNs）.Methods： Forty-nine patients with SPNs were included in this prospective study. Thirty-two of the patients had malignant SPNs, while the other 17 had benign SPNs. All these patients underwent DCE-MRI and ^18F-FDG PET/CT examinations. The quantitative MRI pharmacokinetic parameters, including the trans-endothelial transfer constant（K^trans）, redistribution rate constant（Kep）, and fractional volume（Ve）, were calculated using the Extended-Tofts Linear two-compartment model. The ^18F-FDG PET/CT parameter, maximum standardized uptake value（SUV（max））, was also measured. Spearman＇s correlations were calculated between the MRI pharmacokinetic parameters and the SUV（max） of each SPN. These parameters were statistically compared between the malignant and benign nodules. Receiver operating characteristic（ROC） analyses were used to compare the diagnostic capability between the DCE-MRI and ^18F-FDG PET/CT indexes.Results： Positive correlations were found between K^trans and SUV（max）, and between K（ep） and SUV（max）（P〈0.05）.There were significant differences between the malignant and benign nodules in terms of the K^trans, K（ep） and SUV（max） values（P〈0.05）. The areas under the ROC curve（AUC） of K^trans） K（ep） and SUV（max） between the malignant and benign nodules were 0.909, 0.838 and 0.759, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity in differentiating malignant from benign SPNs were 90.6% and 82.4% for K^trans; 87.5% and 76.5% for K（ep）; and 75.0% and 70.6%for SUV（max）, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of K^trans and K（ep） were higher than those of SUV（max）, but there was no significant difference between them（P〉0.05）.Conclusions： DCE-MRI can be used to differentiate between benign and malignant SPNs and has the advantage of being radiation free.

Antiferromagnetic spin dynamics in exchanged-coupled Fe/GdFeO_(3) heterostructure

We investigate the ultrafast spin dynamics of an antiferromagnet in a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet heterostructure Fe/GdFeO_(3) via an all-optical method.After laser irradiation,the terahertz spin precession is hard to be excited in a bare GdFeO_(3) without spin reorientation phase but efficiently in Fe/GdFeO_(3).Both quasi-ferromagnetic and impurity modes,as well as a phonon mode,are observed.We attribute it to the optical modification of interfacial exchange coupling between Fe and GdFeO3.Moreover,the excitation efficiency of dynamics can be modified significantly via the pump laser influence.Our results elucidate that the interfacial exchange coupling is a feasible stimulation to efficiently excite terahertz spin dynamics in antiferromagnets.It will expand the exploration of terahertz spin dynamics for antiferromagnet-based opto-spintronic devices.

Dynamic Analysis of Axial Magnetic Forces for DVD Spindle Motors

The axial magnetic force, induced by the complicated flux linkage distribution from rotor magnet and stator slotted, is constructed by different relative heights and calculated by 3D finite element method (FEM) to analyze the dynamic characteristics for a DVD spindle motor. The axial magnetic force is designed to provide an axial stiffness, and govern the natural frequency of the dynamic performance. According to the simulation results and experimental measurements, the dynamic behaviors are significantly improved with a variation of relative height of rotor magnet and stator slotted on a DVD spindle motor.

Conformational dynamics in GPCR signaling by NMR

G-protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)mediate a wide range of cellular responses to various ligands or stimuli,and are the most important drug targets associated with human diseases.While major advances in GPCR structural biology have greatly deepened our understanding of its activation mechanism,the highly complex changes in the structural dynamics of GPCRs during activation remain underdetermined and their links to physiological functions largely unknown.Solution nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy is an essential technique that allows the characterization of protein structural dynamics at atomic level,and has been applied in the studies of GPCR structural-function relationship in the past decade.Herein,we summarize a few specific studies in which solution NMR methods were employed and provided novel insights into questions difficult to be addressed by other methods.

Dynamic Comparison of the Two Models to Enhance the Application Value of MRI in Cervical Cancer Case Classification

Objective:To explore the application of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI)with Extended Tofts Linear(ETL)model and extended tofts(ET)model in pathological grading of cervical cancer.Method:Retrospective analysis was performed on 31 cases of patients admitted to Shaoxing People's Hospital from January 2016 to October 2019 who were pathologically confirmed to have cervical cancer.They underwent preoperative multistage pelvic DCE-MRI examination.Extended Tofts Linear and Extended Tofts hemodynamic model of cervical cancer were calculated separately,and the quantitative perfusion parameters including transport capacity constant(K^(trans)),the rate constant(K_(ep)),blood vessels,extracellular clearance volume fraction(V_(e)),blood vessels,and clearance volume fraction(V_(p)).According to the postoperative pathologic stage can be divided into low,medium and high differentiate cervical cancer group,the difference contrast of three groups of cervical cancer perfusion parameter were analyzed.The parameters with statistical significance were screened out,and the ROC curves for the differentiation of cervical cancer with different degrees were drawn.Result:The diagnostic efficacy of the quantitative parameters obtained by the two models in the pathological grading of cervical cancer was compared.The Ktrans values of the Exte Nded Tofts Linear model highly differentiated(0.518±0.180)min^(-1),poorly differentiated(1.032±0.408)min^(-1)and the Extended Tofts model highly differentiated(0.525±0.283)min^(-1),poorly differentiated(1.487±0.991)min^(-1)were significantly different between the highly differentiated and poorly differentiated groups(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in Kep,Ve and Vp between high and low differentiated cervical cancer groups(all P>0.05).There were no significant differences in Ktrans,Kep,Ve and Vp between the two models(all P>0.05).The AUC of Ktrans in the Exte Nded Tofts Linear model was greater than that of Ktrans in the Extended Tofts model for the identification of highly and poorly differentiated cervical cancers.Joint diagnosis:Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the joint diagnostic probability values of Ktrans of the Extended Tofts Linear and Extended Tofts models,and the results showed that the AUC of the two models was greater than that of the single model.Conclusion:The Ktrans obtained by the Extended Tofts Linear model and the Extended Tofts DCE-MRI model had certain value for the pathological grading of high and low differentiated cervical cancer,and the overall efficacy of the former was better than the latter.Meanwhile,the differential value of the two models combined for the pathological grading of cervical cancer was better than that of the single model perfusion parameter,and the differential diagnosis sensitivity and specificity of the two models combined with Ktrans were the highest.

RC-Circuit-Like Dynamic Characteristic of the Magnetic Domain Wall in Flat Ferromagnetic Nanowires

We investigate the dynamic behavior of the magnetic domain wall under perpendicular magnetic field pulses in fiat ferromagnetic nanowires using micromagnetic simulations. It is found that the perpendicular magnetic field pulse can trigger the magnetic domain wall motion, where all the field torques axe kept on the plane of nanowire strip. The speed of magnetic domain walls faster than several hundreds of meters per second is predicted without the Walker breakdown for the perpendicular magnetic driving field stronger than 200mT. Interestingly, the dynamic behavior of the moving magnetic domain wall driven by perpendicular magnetic field pulses is explained by charging- and discharging-like behaviors of an electrical RC-circuit model, where the charging and the discharging of magnetic charges on the nanowire planes are considered. The concept of the RC-model-like dynamic characteristic of the magnetic domain wall might be promising for the applications in spintronic functional devices based on the magnetic domain wall motion.

Dynamic magnetic behavior of the mixed spin (2, 5/2) Ising system with antiferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interactions on a bilayer square lattice

Using the mean-field theory and Glauber-type stochastic dynamics, we study the dynamic magnetic properties of the mixed spin （2, 5/2） Ising system for the antiferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic （AFM/AFM） interactions on the bilayer square lattice under a time varying （sinusoidal） magnetic field. The time dependence of average magnetizations and the thermal variation of the dynamic magnetizations are examined to calculate the dynamic phase diagrams. The dynamic phase diagrams are presented in the reduced temperature and magnetic field amplitude plane and the effects of interlayer coupling interaction on the critical behavior of the system are investigated. We also investigate the influence of the frequency and find that the system displays richer dynamic critical behavior for higher values of frequency than that of the lower values of it. We perform a comparison with the ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic （FM/FM） and AFM/FM interactions in order to see the effects of AFM/AFM interaction and observe that the system displays richer and more interesting dynamic critical behaviors for the AFM/AFM interaction than those for the FM/FM and AFM/FM interactions.

Local Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation in the Carotids Using Dynamic MR Sequences

The current study presents a new protocol for local pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement using dynamic MR sequences, which have a high temporal resolution (TR < 6 ms). MR images were obtained at two positions along the common carotid artery, separated by a distance of 5 cm. In each phase of a MR series, carotid region was automatically extracted and then its area distension waveform could be obtained. Sixteen volunteers with no symptoms of cardiovascular diseases were studied. For local PWV estimation, three delay estimation principles were tested and produced the following values: intersecting tangents method (M1): 4.72 ± 1.40 m/s, second derivative method (M2): 4.94 ± 1.68 m/s and cross-correlation method (M3): 5.03 ± 1.17 m/s. The cross-correlation method showed a relative high reliability as its least standard deviation.

Dynamic torque response analysis of IPMSM in flux weakening region for HEV applications

An over-modulation based vector control strategy for interior permanent magnet synchronous machine（ IPMSM） is proposed and investigated. The strategy increases the reference flux weakening voltage to improve efficiency in flux weakening region of IPMSMwith the same dynamic torque response performance in standard SV Mtechnique. The relationship between dynamic torque performance and the reference flux weakening voltage is also discussed. In order to achieve fast and smooth shift process,the torque response must be less than 20 ms in the parallel hybrid electric vehicle（ HEV）,according to this,modeling and experimental studies were carried out. The results show that the proposed strategy can achieve the same dynamic and steady state torque performance with higher reference flux weakening voltage,which means higher efficiency.

Two monofluoride-bridged Dy~Ⅲdimers with different magnetization dynamics

As a monoatomic bridge,fluoride ion can transmit efficient magnetic interaction between lanthanide ions but its effect on tuning the magnetization dynamics has not been well understood.Herein,two monofluoride-bridged dinuclear dysprosium complexes[Dy_(2)F(bbpen)_(2)(Et OH)_(2)]Br·Et OH(1)and[Dy_(2)F(bbppy)_(2)]Br·2Et OH(2)with Dy-F-Dy angles of~178°and their diamagnetic-ion diluted analogues 1'and 2'were synthesized.Magnetic studies reveal that 1 and 1'barely show any magnetization dynamics,but 2 and 2'exhibit strong magnetization dynamics.Systematical experimental analysis combined with ab initio calculations reveals that the different magnetization dynamics between 1 and 2 mainly originate from the effect of magnetic anisotropy by terminal ligand and bridging group of the chelating ligand,and the fluoride bridge can effectively suppress the quantum tunneling of the magnetization and turn on Orbach process in 2.

Role of pulmonary perfusion magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension:A review

Among five types of pulmonary hypertension,chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension(CTEPH)is the only curable form,but prompt and accurate diagnosis can be challenging.Computed tomography and nuclear medicine-based techniques are standard imaging modalities to non-invasively diagnose CTEPH,however these are limited by radiation exposure,subjective qualitative bias,and lack of cardiac functional assessment.This review aims to assess the methodology,diagnostic accuracy of pulmonary perfusion imaging in the current literature and discuss its advantages,limitations and future research scope.

Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging of the liver

Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies quantify the microcirculatory status of liver parenchyma and liver lesions, and can be used for the detection of liver metastases, assessing the effectiveness of antiangiogenic therapy, evaluating tumor viability after anticancer therapy or ablation, and diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and its severity. In this review, we discuss the basic concepts of perfusion MRI using tracer kinetic modeling, the common kinetic models applied for analyses, the MR scanning techniques, methods of data processing, and evidence that supports its use from published clinical and research studies. Technical standardization and further studies will help to establish and validate perfusion MRI as a clinical imaging modality.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of alpha-fetoprotein-negative small hepatic lesions

Objective： We examined 103 cases over the last five years and discussed diagnosis and treatment of alpha- fetoprotein （AFP）-negative small hepatic lesions. Background： Small hepatic lesions （less than 2 cm in diameter） usually have no typical imaging characteristics and therefore are difficult to diagnose, especially when AFP tests provide a negative result. Methods： A total of 103 patients with AFP-negative small hepatic lesions from January 2003 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Differential diagnosis was performed by digital subtraction angiography （DSA）, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging （DCE-MRI）, contrast-enhanced ultrasound （CEUS）, or positron emission tomography-computed tomography （PET-CT） based on the multiplicity of lesions. Ninety-four patients with suspected cancers underwent partial hepatectomy. Clinical data were collected from hospital records and follow-up questionnaires. Results： Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） diagnostic sensitivity of DSA, DCE-MRI, CEUS and PET-CT was 88.2%, 93.9%, 88.9% and 88.9%, respectively. The surgery-related complication rate was 6.4%. Prognosis was good, with 1- and 3-year survival rates of 98.8% and 76.1%, respectively. Conclusions： DSA, DCE-MRI, CEUS and PET-CT are valuable for diagnosis of small hepatic lesions. Partial hepatectomy is a preferred surgical procedure. Surgery for small liver cancers usually has little risk and good prognosis, therefore it can be actively applied in suspected HCC cases.

Diagnostic Value of Quantitative Parameters of DCE-MRI in Endometrial Carcinoma and Its Correlation with Clinicopathological Factors

In the study,108 patients with endometrial cancer were selected as the observation group,and 105 patients with benign endometrial lesions were selected as the control group.After DCE-MRI examination,it was found that the volume transfer constant(K^(trans)),rate constant(K_(e))and extracellular space volume ratio(V_(e))in the observation group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The area under curve(AUC)of combined K^(trans),K_(e) and V_(e) values in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer was 0.841.The values of K^(trans),K_(e )and V_(e) were positively correlated with the clinical stage and the degree of muscular invasion,but negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation(P<0.05).The results of the study suggested that DCE-MRI quantitative parameters have a certain value in the differential diagnosis of endometrial cancer,which helped to further distinguish the degree of muscular invasion,clinical stage,and differentiation of endometrial cancer patients.

Bioactive superparamagnetic iron oxide-gold nanoparticles regulated by a dynamic magnetic field induce neuronal Ca^(2+)influx and differentiation

Treating neurodegenerative diseases,e.g.,Alzheimer’s Disease,remains a significant challenge due to the limited neuroregeneration rate in the brain.The objective of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that external magnetic field(MF)stimulation of nerve growth factor functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide-gold(NGF-SPIO-Au)nanoparticles(NPs)can induce Ca^(2+)influx,membrane depolarization,and enhance neuron differentiation with dynamic MF(DMF)outperforming static MF(SMF)regulation.We showed the that total intracellular Ca^(2+)influx of PC-12 cells was improved by 300%and 535%by the stimulation of DMF(1 Hz,0.5 T,30min)with NGF-SPIO-Au NPs compared to DMF alone and SMF with NGF-SPIO-Au NPs,respectively,which was attributed to successive membrane depolarization.Cellular uptake performed with the application of sodium azide proved that DMF enhanced cellular uptake of NGF-SPIO-Au NPs via endocytosis.In addition,DMF upregulated both the neural differentiation marker(β3-tubulin)and the cell adhesive molecule(integrin-β1)with the existence of NGF-SPIO-Au NPs,while SMF did not show these effects.The results imply that noninvasive DMF-stimulated NPs can regulate intracellular Ca^(2+)influx and enhance neuron differentiation and neuroregeneration rate.