Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation and nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 1 mutation in the Sotos syndrome with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Sotos syndrome is characterized by overgrowth features and is caused by alterations in the nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 1 gene.Attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is considered a neurodevelopment and psychiatric disorder in childhood.Genetic characteristics and clinical presentation could play an important role in the diagnosis of Sotos syndrome and ADHD.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)has been used to assess medical images in Sotos syndrome and ADHD.The images process is considered to display in MRI while wavelet fusion has been used to integrate distinct images for achieving more complete information in single image in this editorial.In the future,genetic mechanisms and artificial intelligence related to medical images could be used in the clinical diagnosis of Sotos syndrome and ADHD.

Advancement in utilization of magnetic resonance imaging and biomarkers in the understanding of schizophrenia

Historically,psychiatric diagnoses have been made based on patient’s reported symptoms applying the criteria from diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.The utilization of neuroimaging or biomarkers to make the diagnosis and manage psychiatric disorders remains a distant goal.There have been several studies that examine brain imaging in psychiatric disorders,but more work is needed to elucidate the complexities of the human brain.In this editorial,we examine two articles by Xu et al and Stoyanov et al,that show developments in the direction of using neuroimaging to examine the brains of people with schizo-phrenia and depression.Xu et al used magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brain structure of patients with schizophrenia,in addition to examining neurotransmitter levels as biomarkers.Stoyanov et al used functional magnetic resonance imaging to look at modulation of different neural circuits by diagnostic-specific scales in patients with schizophrenia and depression.These two studies provide crucial evidence in advancing our understanding of the brain in prevalent psychiatric disorders.

Temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries on magnetic resonance imaging

Moderate to severe perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy occurs in~1 to 3/1000 live births in high-income countries and is associated with a significant risk of death or neurodevelopmental disability.Detailed assessment is important to help identify highrisk infants,to help families,and to support appropriate interventions.A wide range of monitoring tools is available to assess changes over time,including urine and blood biomarkers,neurological examination,and electroencephalography.At present,magnetic resonance imaging is unique as although it is expensive and not suited to monitoring the early evolution of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy by a week of life it can provide direct insight into the anatomical changes in the brain after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and so offers strong prognostic information on the long-term outcome after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.This review investigated the temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries,with a particular emphasis on exploring the correlation between the prognostic implications of magnetic resonance imaging scans in the first week of life and their relationship to long-term outcome prediction,particularly for infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia.A comprehensive literature search,from 2016 to 2024,identified 20 pertinent articles.This review highlights that while the optimal timing of magnetic resonance imaging scans is not clear,overall,it suggests that magnetic resonance imaging within the first week of life provides strong prognostic accuracy.Many challenges limit the timing consistency,particularly the need for intensive care and clinical monitoring.Conversely,although most reports examined the prognostic value of scans taken between 4 and 10 days after birth,there is evidence from small numbers of cases that,at times,brain injury may continue to evolve for weeks after birth.This suggests that in the future it will be important to explore a wider range of times after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy to fully understand the optimal timing for predicting long-term outcomes.

Estimation of unfrozen water content of saturated sandstones using nuclear magnetic resonance, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and ultrasonic tests

The unfrozenwater content(UWC)is a crucial parameter that affects the strength and thermal properties of rocks in relation to engineering construction and geological disasters in cold regions.In this study,three different methods were employed to test and estimate the UWC of saturated sandstones,including nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and ultrasonic methods.The NMR method enabled the direct measurement of the UWC of sandstones using the free induction decay(FID).The MIP method was used to analyze the pore structures of sandstones,with the UWC subsequently calculated based on pore ice crystallization.Therefore,the MIP test constituted an indirect measurement method.Furthermore,a correlation was established between the P-wave velocity and the UWC of these sandstones based on the mixture theory,which could be employed to estimate the UWC as an empirical method.All methods demonstrated that the UWC initially exhibited a rapid decrease from 0C to5C and then generally became constant beyond20C.However,these test methods had different characteristics.The NMR method was used to directly and accurately calculate the UWC in the laboratory.However,the cost and complexity of NMR equipment have precluded its use in the field.The UWC can be effectively estimated by the MIP test,but the estimation accuracy is influenced by the ice crystallization process and the pore size distribution.The P-wave velocity has been demonstrated to be a straightforward and practical empirical parameter and was utilized to estimate the UWC based on the mixture theory.This method may be more suitable in the field.All methods confirmed the existence of a hysteresis phenomenon in the freezing-thawing process.The average hysteresis coefficient was approximately 0.538,thus validating the GibbseThomson equation.This study not only presents alternative methodologies for estimating the UWC of saturated sandstones but also contribute to our understanding of the freezing-thawing process of pore water.

Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on the time-varying law of oil viscosity and wettability in high-multiple waterflooding sandstone cores

A simulated oil viscosity prediction model is established according to the relationship between simulated oil viscosity and geometric mean value of T2spectrum,and the time-varying law of simulated oil viscosity in porous media is quantitatively characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)experiments of high multiple waterflooding.A new NMR wettability index formula is derived based on NMR relaxation theory to quantitatively characterize the time-varying law of rock wettability during waterflooding combined with high-multiple waterflooding experiment in sandstone cores.The remaining oil viscosity in the core is positively correlated with the displacing water multiple.The remaining oil viscosity increases rapidly when the displacing water multiple is low,and increases slowly when the displacing water multiple is high.The variation of remaining oil viscosity is related to the reservoir heterogeneity.The stronger the reservoir homogeneity,the higher the content of heavy components in the remaining oil and the higher the viscosity.The reservoir wettability changes after water injection:the oil-wet reservoir changes into water-wet reservoir,while the water-wet reservoir becomes more hydrophilic;the degree of change enhances with the increase of displacing water multiple.There is a high correlation between the time-varying oil viscosity and the time-varying wettability,and the change of oil viscosity cannot be ignored.The NMR wettability index calculated by considering the change of oil viscosity is more consistent with the tested Amott(spontaneous imbibition)wettability index,which agrees more with the time-varying law of reservoir wettability.

Low-energy spin dynamics in a Kitaev material Na_(3)Ni_(2)BiO_(6) investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance

We perform ^(23)Na nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and magnetization measurements on an S=1,quasi-2D honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet Na_(3)Ni_(2)BiO_(6).A large positive Curie-Weiss constant of 22.9 K is observed.The NMR spectra at low fields are consistent with a zigzag magnetic order,indicating a large easy-axis anisotropy.With the field applied along the c*axis,the NMR spectra confirm the existence of a 1/3-magnetization plateau phase between 5.1 T and 7.1 T.The transition from the zigzag order to the 1/3-magnetization plateau phase is also found to be a first-order type.A monotonic decrease of the spin gap is revealed in the 1/3-magnetization plateau phase,which reaches zero at a quantum critical field H_(C)≈8.35 T before entering the fully polarized phase.These data suggest the existence of exchange frustration in the system along with strong ferromagnetic interactions,hosting the possibility for Kitaev physics.Besides,well below the ordered phase,the 1/T_(1) at high fields shows either a level off or an enhancement upon cooling below 3 K,which suggests the existence of low-energy fluctuations.

Shale primary porosimetry based on 2D nuclear magnetic resonance of T_(1)-T_(2)

Porosity,a key parameter in assessing the physical properties of shale reservoirs and the reserves,is of great significance to the selection and evaluation of shale sweet spots.There are many methods at present to characterize shale porosity,most of which are aimed at post-core cleaning shale,such as those involving helium and saturated fluid(namely liquid-involved porosimetry).However,due to the low efficiency of shale core cleaning and the possible damage to pore structure during the core cleaning process,it's hard to guarantee the accuracy of porosity measurement.In this regard,we resort to the two-dimensional(2D)nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)technology of T1-T2 in characterizing the primary shale porosity with samples taken from pressure coring in the 4th member of Shahejie Formation(Sha 4 Member)in well Fanxie 184 in the Jiyang Depression.Moreover,comparative experiments of shale porosity measurement by three methods,namely the simultaneous distillation extraction(SDE),helium and fluid measurement,are carried out simultaneously.The results show that the values obtained by SDE,gas and liquid measurement are similar,which are about 0.6 times of 2D NMR porosimetry.Core cleaning efficiency tends to seriously affect the results involving gas and liquid.In addition,the core cleaning treatment is bound to change the shale pore structure,and this is especially true in clay which tends to swell;consequently,porosity results are to be distorted by gas and liquid methods.It is thereby recommended to utilize the 2D NMR technology to characterize the primary total porosity of shale samples without core cleaning.The effective porosity of samples from pressure coring is determined by T2 cutoff value of around 0.3 ms.

Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Some Protoilludane Sesquiterpenoid Aromatic Esters from Armillaria mellea (Vahl.ex Fr.) Quel.

The carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of seventeen protoilludane ses- quiterpenoid aromatic esters from the artificially cultured mycelium of Armillaria mellea (Vahl.ex Fr.) Quel.have been analysed and assigned.All the ^(11)CNMR signals of the model compounds melleolide 5 and compounds 8,10,11,13,14,15,and 16 can be assigned on the basis of the multiplicity of the sig- nals in the off-resonance decoupled spectra or INEPT spectra.^(11)C-~1H COSY and long-range ^(13)C-~1H COSY.The assignments of the ^(13)CNMR spectra of other protoilludane sesquiterpenoid aromatic esters were completed by comparison with the model compounds as well as the electronic effects of substi- tuted group on the molecules.The present results indicate that ^(11)CNMR spectroscopy provides an ef- fective method for characterizing the protoilludane sesquiterpenoid aromatic esters.

Staging liver fibrosis with various diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging models

BACKGROUND Diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)has been developed to stage liver fibrosis.However,its diagnostic performance is inconsistent among studies.Therefore,it is worth studying the diagnostic value of various diffusion models for liver fibrosis in one cohort.AIM To evaluate the clinical potential of six diffusion-weighted models in liver fibrosis staging and compare their diagnostic performances.METHODS This prospective study enrolled 59 patients suspected of liver disease and scheduled for liver biopsy and 17 healthy participants.All participants underwent multi-b value DWI.The main DWI-derived parameters included Mono-apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)from mono-exponential DWI,intravoxel incoherent motion model-derived true diffusion coefficient(IVIM-D),diffusion kurtosis imaging-derived apparent diffusivity(DKI-MD),stretched exponential model-derived distributed diffusion coefficient(SEM-DDC),fractional order calculus(FROC)model-derived diffusion coefficient(FROC-D)and FROC model-derived microstructural quantity(FROC-μ),and continuous-time random-walk(CTRW)model-derived anomalous diffusion coefficient(CTRW-D)and CTRW model-derived temporal diffusion heterogeneity index(CTRW-α).The correlations between DWI-derived parameters and fibrosis stages and the parameters’diagnostic efficacy in detecting significant fibrosis(SF)were assessed and compared.RESULTS CTRW-D(r=-0.356),CTRW-α(r=-0.297),DKI-MD(r=-0.297),FROC-D(r=-0.350),FROC-μ(r=-0.321),IVIM-D(r=-0.251),Mono-ADC(r=-0.362),and SEM-DDC(r=-0.263)were significantly correlated with fibrosis stages.The areas under the ROC curves(AUCs)of the combined index of the six models for distinguishing SF(0.697-0.747)were higher than each of the parameters alone(0.524-0.719).The DWI models’ability to detect SF was similar.The combined index of CTRW model parameters had the highest AUC(0.747).CONCLUSION The DWI models were similarly valuable in distinguishing SF in patients with liver disease.The combined index of CTRW parameters had the highest AUC.

Preoperative prediction of perineural invasion of rectal cancer based on a magnetic resonance imaging radiomics model:A dual-center study

BACKGROUND Perineural invasion(PNI)has been used as an important pathological indicator and independent prognostic factor for patients with rectal cancer(RC).Preoperative prediction of PNI status is helpful for individualized treatment of RC.Recently,several radiomics studies have been used to predict the PNI status in RC,demonstrating a good predictive effect,but the results lacked generalizability.The preoperative prediction of PNI status is still challenging and needs further study.AIM To establish and validate an optimal radiomics model for predicting PNI status preoperatively in RC patients.METHODS This retrospective study enrolled 244 postoperative patients with pathologically confirmed RC from two independent centers.The patients underwent preoperative high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)between May 2019 and August 2022.Quantitative radiomics features were extracted and selected from oblique axial T2-weighted imaging(T2WI)and contrast-enhanced T1WI(T1CE)sequences.The radiomics signatures were constructed using logistic regression analysis and the predictive potential of various sequences was compared(T2WI,T1CE and T2WI+T1CE fusion sequences).A clinical-radiomics(CR)model was established by combining the radiomics features and clinical risk factors.The internal and external validation groups were used to validate the proposed models.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),DeLong test,net reclassification improvement(NRI),integrated discrimination improvement(IDI),calibration curve,and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the model performance.RESULTS Among the radiomics models,the T2WI+T1CE fusion sequences model showed the best predictive performance,in the training and internal validation groups,the AUCs of the fusion sequence model were 0.839[95%confidence interval(CI):0.757-0.921]and 0.787(95%CI:0.650-0.923),which were higher than those of the T2WI and T1CE sequence models.The CR model constructed by combining clinical risk factors had the best predictive performance.In the training and internal and external validation groups,the AUCs of the CR model were 0.889(95%CI:0.824-0.954),0.889(95%CI:0.803-0.976)and 0.894(95%CI:0.814-0.974).Delong test,NRI,and IDI showed that the CR model had significant differences from other models(P<0.05).Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement,and DCA revealed significant benefits of the CR model.CONCLUSION The CR model based on preoperative MRI radiomics features and clinical risk factors can preoperatively predict the PNI status of RC noninvasively,which facilitates individualized treatment of RC patients.

Current status of magnetic resonance imaging radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma:A quantitative review with Radiomics Quality Score

BACKGROUND Radiomics is a promising tool that may increase the value of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)for different tasks related to the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,its implementation in clinical practice is still far,with many issues related to the methodological quality of radiomic studies.AIM To systematically review the current status of MRI radiomic studies concerning HCC using the Radiomics Quality Score(RQS).METHODS A systematic literature search of PubMed,Google Scholar,and Web of Science databases was performed to identify original articles focusing on the use of MRI radiomics for HCC management published between 2017 and 2023.The methodological quality of radiomic studies was assessed using the RQS tool.Spearman’s correlation(ρ)analysis was performed to explore if RQS was correlated with journal metrics and characteristics of the studies.The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS One hundred and twenty-seven articles were included,of which 43 focused on HCC prognosis,39 on prediction of pathological findings,16 on prediction of the expression of molecular markers outcomes,18 had a diagnostic purpose,and 11 had multiple purposes.The mean RQS was 8±6.22,and the corresponding percentage was 24.15%±15.25%(ranging from 0.0% to 58.33%).RQS was positively correlated with journal impact factor(IF;ρ=0.36,P=2.98×10^(-5)),5-years IF(ρ=0.33,P=1.56×10^(-4)),number of patients included in the study(ρ=0.51,P<9.37×10^(-10))and number of radiomics features extracted in the study(ρ=0.59,P<4.59×10^(-13)),and time of publication(ρ=-0.23,P<0.0072).CONCLUSION Although MRI radiomics in HCC represents a promising tool to develop adequate personalized treatment as a noninvasive approach in HCC patients,our study revealed that studies in this field still lack the quality required to allow its introduction into clinical practice.

Effect of slurry conditioning on flocculant-aided filtration of coal tailings studied by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray micro-tomography

The present work aimed to study the effect of slurry conditioning on flocculant-aided filtration of coal tailings by the analysis of filtration kinetics and filter cake structure.Laboratory filtration tests of the coal tailings showed that both the shear rate and agitation time have significant effects on filtration rate and cake moisture.Moderate agitation at the shear rate of 92 s^-1 was favorable for fast filtration,but high cake moisture was encountered.The low-field 1H nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)measurements of the filter cake showed that the slurry conditioning has a significant effect on the residual water in large pores and a negligible effect on the residual water in small pores.The X-ray micro-tomography(XRM)measurements indicated that the filter cake formed at the shear rate of 92 s^-1 has more macro-pores and higher porosity than that formed at the shear rate of 53 s1,hence more residual water was entrapped in filter cake.The slurry conditioning in the presence of flocculant will change the structure of filter cake and affect the filtration performance.There was a paradox between fast filtration rate and low filter cake moisture.The findings enable better understanding of the effect of slurry conditioning on flocculant-aided filtration of coal tailings.

Evolution of distribution and content of water in cement paste by low field nuclear magnetic resonance

The low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as a nondestructive and noninvasive technique, was employed to investigate the water distribution and content in cement paste with different water-to-cement ratio (w/c ratio) during early and later hydration stages. From the water distribution spectrum deduced from relaxation time distribution in paste, it is suggested that the water fills in the capillary pores at initial period, and then diffuses to the mesopores and gel pores in hydration products with the hydration proceeding. The decrease of peak area in water distribution spectrum reflects the transformation from physically bound water to chemically bound water. In addition, based on the connection between relaxation time and pore size, the relative content changes of water in various states and constrained in different types of pores were also measured. The results demonstrate that it is influenced by the formation of pore system and the original water-to-cement ratio in the paste. Consequently, the relative content of capillary water is dropped to less than 2% in the paste with low w/c ratio of 0.3 when being hydrated for 1 d, while the contents are still 16% and 36% in the pastes with w/c ratios of 0.4 and 0.5, respectively.

High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed based on changes in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia(PanIN)exhibits no mass and is not detected by any examination modalities.However,it can be diagnosed by pancreatic juice cytology from indirect findings.Most previous cases were diagnosed based on findings of a focal stricture of the main pancreatic duct(MPD)and caudal MPD dilatation and subsequent pancreatic juice cytology using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).We experienced a case of high-grade PanIN with an unclear MPD over a 20-mm range,but without caudal MPD dilatation on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP).CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old female patient underwent computed tomography for a follow-up of uterine cancer post-excision,which revealed pancreatic cysts.MRCP revealed an unclear MPD of the pancreatic body at a 20-mm length without caudal MPD dilatation.Thus,course observation was performed.After 24 mo,MRCP revealed an increased caudal MPD caliber and a larger pancreatic cyst.We performed ERCP and detected atypical cells suspected of adenocarcinoma by serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytology examination.We performed a distal pancreatectomy and obtained a histopathological diagnosis of high-grade PanIN.Pancreatic parenchyma invasion was not observed,and curative resection was achieved.CONCLUSION High-grade Pan-IN may cause MPD narrowing in a long range without caudal MPD dilatation.

7.0T nuclear magnetic resonance evaluation of the amyloid beta(1–40) animal model of Alzheimer's disease: comparison of cytology verification

3.0T magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging brain function in Alzheimer＇s disease. However, is a commonly used method in the research ot the role of 7.0T high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in brain function of Alzheimer＇s disease remains unclear. In this study, 7.0T magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that in the hippocampus of Alzheimer＇s disease rats, the N-acetylaspartate wave crest was reduced, and the creatine and choline wave crest was elevated. This finding was further supported by hematoxylin-eosin staining, which showed a loss of hippocampal neurons and more glial cells. Moreover, electron microscopy showed neuronal shrinkage and mitochondrial rupture, and scanning electron microscopy revealed small size hippocampal synaptic vesicles, incomplete synaptic structure, and reduced number. Overall, the results revealed that 7.0T high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy detected the lesions and functional changes in hippocampal neurons of Alzheimer＇s disease rats in vivo, allowing the possibility for assessing the success rate and grading of the amyloid beta （1-40） animal model of Alzheimer＇s disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging of extraocular rectus muscles abnormalities in acute acquired concomitant esotropia

AIM:To investigate the difference of medial rectus(MR)and lateral rectus(LR)between acute acquired concomitant esotropia(AACE)and the healthy controls(HCs)detected by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).METHODS:A case-control study.Eighteen subjects with AACE and eighteen HCs were enrolled.MRI scanning data were conducted in target-controlled central gaze with a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance scanner.Extraocular muscles(EOMs)were scanned in contiguous image planes 2-mm thick spanning the EOM origins to the globe equator.To form posterior partial volumes(PPVs),the LR and MR cross-sections in the image planes 8,10,12,and 14 mm posterior to the globe were summed and multiplied by the 2-mm slice thickness.The data were classified according to the right eye,left eye,dominant eye,and non-dominant eye,and the differences in mean cross-sectional area,maximum cross-sectional area,and PPVs of the MR and LR muscle in the AACE group and HCs group were compared under the above classifications respectively.RESULTS:There were no significant differences between the two groups of demographic characteristics.The mean cross-sectional area of the LR muscle was significantly greater in the AACE group than that in the HCs group in the non-dominant eyes(P=0.028).The maximum cross-sectional area of the LR muscle both in the dominant and non-dominant eye of the AACE group was significantly greater than the HCs group(P=0.009,P=0.016).For the dominant eye,the PPVs of the LR muscle were significantly greater in the AACE than that in the HCs group(P=0.013),but not in the MR muscle(P=0.698).CONCLUSION:The size and volume of muscles dominant eyes of AACE subjects change significantly to overcome binocular diplopia.The LR muscle become larger to compensate for the enhanced convergence in the AACE.

Investigation of reinforcement of the modified carbon black from wasted tires by nuclear magnetic resonance

Pyrolysis has the potential of transforming waste into recyclable products. Pyrolytic carbon black (PCB) is one of the most important products from the pyrolysis of used tires. Techniques for surface modifications of PCB have been developed. One of the most significant applications for modified PCB is to reinforce the rubber matrix to obtain high added values. The transverse relaxation and the chain dynamics of vulcanized rubber networks with PCB and modified PCB were studied and compared with those of the commercial carbon blacks using selective 1H transverse relaxation (T2) experiments and dipolar correlation effect (DCE) experiments on the stimulated echo. Demineralization and coupling agent modification not only intensified the interactions between the modified PCB and the neighboring polyisoprene chains, but also increased the chemical cross-link density of the vulcanized rubber with modified PCB. The mechanical testing of the rubbers with different kinds of carbon blacks showed that the maximum strain of the rubber with modified PCB was improved greatly. The mechanical testing results confirmed the conclusion obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). PCB modified by the demineralization and NDZ-105 titanate coupling agent could be used to replace the commercial semi-reinforcing carbon black.

Multifractal characteristics of shale and tight sandstone pore structures with nitrogen adsorption and nuclear magnetic resonance

Based on the experiments of nitrogen gas adsorption(N_2 GA) and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),the multifractal characteristics of pore structures in shale and tight s andstone from the Chang 7 member of Trias sic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin,NW China,are investigated.The multifractal spectra obtained from N2 GA and NMR are analyzed with pore throat structure parameters.The results show that the pore size distributions obtained from N2 GA and NMR are different,and the obtained multifractal characteristics vary from each other.The specific surface and total pore volume obtained by N2 GA experiment have correlations with multifractal characteristics.For the core samples with the similar specific surface,the value of the deviation of multifractal spectra Rd increases with the increase in the proportion of large pores.When the proportion of macropores is small,the Rd value will increase with the increase in specific surface.The multifractal characteristics of pore structures are influenced by specific surface area,average pore size and adsorption volume measured from N2 GA experiment.The multifractal characteristic parameters of tight sandstone measured from NMR spectra are larger than those of shale,which may be caused by the differences in pore size distribution and porosity of shale and tight sandstone.

Urinary nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of a Bangladeshi cohort with hepatitis-B hepatocellular carcinoma: A biomarker corroboration study

AIM: To establish if a distinct urinary metabolic profile could be identified in Bangladeshi hepatitis-B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients compared to cirrhosis patients and controls.METHODS: Urine samples from 42 Bangladeshi patients with HCC (39 patients with hepatitis-B HCC), 47 with cirrhosis on a background of hepatitis B, 46 with chronic hepatitis B, and seven ethnically-matched healthy controls were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A full dietary and medication history was recorded for each subject. The urinary NMR data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) techniques. Differences in relative signal levels of the most discriminatory metabolites identified by PCA and OPLS-DA were compared between subject groups using an independent samples Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test with all pairwise multiple comparisons. Within the patient subgroups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare metabolite levels depending on hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) status and treatment with anti-viral therapy. A Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment was applied to acquire the level of significance for multiple testing, with a declared level of statistical significance of P &#x0003c; 0.05.RESULTS: There were significant differences in age (P &#x0003c; 0.001), weight (P &#x0003c; 0.001), and body mass index (P &#x0003c; 0.001) across the four clinical subgroups. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was significantly higher in the HCC group compared to controls (P &#x0003c; 0.001); serum &#x003b1;-fetoprotein was generally markedly elevated in HCC compared to controls; and serum creatinine levels were significantly reduced in the HCC group compared to the cirrhosis group (P = 0.004). A three-factor PCA scores plot showed clustering of the urinary NMR spectra from the four subgroups. Metabolites that contributed to the discrimination between the subgroups included acetate, creatine, creatinine, dimethyamine (DMA), formate, glycine, hippurate, and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). A comparison of relative metabolite levels confirmed that carnitine was significantly increased in HCC; and creatinine, hippurate, and TMAO were significantly reduced in HCC compared to the other subgroups. HBeAg negative patients showed a significant increase in creatinine (P = 0.001) compared to HBeAg positive patients in the chronic hepatitis B subgroup, whilst HBeAg negative patients showed a significant decrease in DMA (P = 0.004) in the cirrhosis subgroup compared to HBeAg positive patients. There were no differences in metabolite levels in HCC patients who did or did not receive antiviral treatment.CONCLUSION: Urinary NMR changes in Bangladeshi HCC were identified, corroborating previous findings from Egypt and West Africa. These findings could form the basis for the development of a cost-effective HCC dipstick screening test.

Microstructure evolution of loess under multiple collapsibility based on nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy

In recent years, the acceleration of urbanization in loess areas has prompted frequent dismantling and reconstruction of old urban areas. Demolition and reconstruction of buildings involve multiple collapses of the foundation. To study microstructure evolution of loess under multiple collapsibility, this paper selects undisturbed loess samples from Guyuan, Northwest China for multiple compression tests. Using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) imaging and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) as auxiliary methods, a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses was used to study the microstructure of loess samples before and after various number of collapses under different pressures. Results show that the loess does undergo multiple collapse under 200 kPa pressure. Pore is an important reason for loess collapse. The initial collapse comes primarily from the compression of macropores and mesopores, and the second collapse comes primarily from mesopore compression. The compression process of loess can be roughly divided into two stages. First, under the action of dissolution and compression, the relative displacement of soil particles occurs. Macropores and mesopores are destroyed first, generating small pores. Second, with increasing pressure and times of collapses, pore compression gradually transforms into small pore compression. During the first collapse, particle aggregates disintegrate due to water and pressure. However, with increasing times of collapses, the contact relationship between particles gradually changes from the point contact to face contact. Loess particles tend to gradually become rounded. The study of the microstructure provides the possibility to further reveal the mechanism of multiple collapsibility of loess.