Whole Body Screening Using High-Temperature Superconducting MR Volume Resonators: Mice Studies

High temperature superconducting (HTS) surface resonators have been used as a low loss RF receiver resonator for improving magnetic resonance imaging image quality. However, the application of HTS surface resonators is significantly limited by their filling factor. To maximize the filling factor, it is desirable to have the RF resonator wrapped around the sample so that more nuclear magnetic dipoles can contribute to the signal. In this study, a whole new Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu2O3 (Bi-2223) superconducting saddle resonator (width of 5 cm and length of 8 cm) was designed for the magnetic resonance image of a mouse's whole body in Bruker 3 T MRI system. The experiment was conducted with a professionally-made copper saddle resonator and a Bi-2223 saddle resonator to show the difference. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with the HTS saddle resonator at 77 K was 2.1 and 2 folds higher than that of the copper saddle resonator at 300 K for a phantom and an in-vivo mice whole body imaging. Testing results were in accordance with predicted ones, and the difference between the predicted SNR gains and measured SNR gains were 2.4%∼2.7%. In summary, with this HTS saddle system, a mouse's whole body can be imaged in one scan and could reach a high SNR due to a 2 folds SNR gain over the professionally-made prototype of copper saddle resonator at 300 K. The use of HTS saddle resonator not only improves SNR but also enables a mouse's whole body screen in one scan

Sheep Updates 2006 - part 4

This session covers seven papers from different authors: MANAGEMENT 1. Wool and meat traits in Merino flocks in different regions, K.G. Geenty, A.A. Swan, A.J. Smith, J.L. Smith, Sheep CRC and CSIRO Livestock Industries, Armidale 2. Fat score or Condition score? - It all depends on what you want to do! Chris Oldham, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 3. Sheep worm control - the latest for Western Australia, RG Woodgate, RA Love, E Dobbe, HM Hoult, J Pearson, S Hill, A van Burgel and RB Besier, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia PASTURES 4. Rethinking pasture production - STEPS to greater productivity with perennials, R. Warburton, Farmer, Mobrup, WA, L. Mathwin, Farmer Kojonup WA, D. Rogers, E. Crossley, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 5. Sheep Returnes from Saltland Pastures, Allan Herbert, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 6. Pasture legumes and grasses from saline land, Phil Nichols, Tony Albertsen, Darryl McClements, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, & Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity MERINO INNOVATION DAY 7. Towards \u27clean, green and ethical\u27 sheep production, Graeme Martin, Penny Hawken, Carolina Viñoles, Beth Paganoni and Dominique Blache, School of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australi

When learning becomes a fetish: the pledge, turn and prestige of magic tricks

It is our contention that the process of higher education could be read as a commodity and in both Marxian and Freudian assumptions, a fetish. Instrumental in this discussion are; Marx’s theorising of the commodity fetish (1867) that deceives by conflating the distinction between use and exchange value, and Freud’s (1927) re-visiting of his theory of fetishism, where he considers the fetish in the context of dealing with separation and loss in everyday life. This paper highlights how the consequence of fetishised behaviour has led to violent outcomes, such as the policy decision to introduce a ‘Teaching Excellence Framework’ (TEF). We argue that the TEF may bring about the death of learning in HE and diminish the role of academic staff. Nevertheless, influenced by Winnicott, Cixous and Biesta, we offer a more hopeful ‘Teaching that is Good Enough Framework’

Identification of Cellular Infiltrates during Early Stages of Brain Inflammation with Magnetic Resonance Microscopy

A comprehensive view of brain inflammation during the pathogenesis of autoimmune encephalomyelitis can be achieved with the aid of high resolution non-invasive imaging techniques such as microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (μMRI). In this study we demonstrate the benefits of cryogenically-cooled RF coils to produce μMRI in vivo, with sufficient detail to reveal brain pathology in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. We could visualize inflammatory infiltrates in detail within various regions of the brain, already at an early phase of EAE. Importantly, this pathology could be seen clearly even without the use of contrast agents, and showed excellent correspondence with conventional histology. The cryogenically-cooled coil enabled the acquisition of high resolution images within short scan times: an important practical consideration in conducting animal experiments. The detail of the cellular infiltrates visualized by in vivo μMRI allows the opportunity to follow neuroinflammatory processes even during the early stages of disease progression. Thus μMRI will not only complement conventional histological examination but will also enable longitudinal studies on the kinetics and dynamics of immune cell infiltration

Synchronous diversification of Sulawesi's iconic artiodactyls driven by recent geological events

The high degree of endemism on Sulawesi has previously been suggested to have vicariant origins, dating back to 40 Ma. Recent studies, however, suggest that much of Sulawesi's fauna assembled over the last 15 Myr. Here, we test the hypothesis that more recent uplift of previously submerged portions of land on Sulawesi promoted diversification and that much of its faunal assemblage is much younger than the island itself. To do so, we combined palaeogeographical reconstructions with genetic and morphometric datasets derived from Sulawesi's three largest mammals: the babirusa, anoa and Sulawesi warty pig. Our results indicate that although these species most likely colonized the area that is now Sulawesi at different times (14 Ma to 2-3 Ma), they experienced an almost synchronous expansion from the central part of the island. Geological reconstructions indicate that this area was above sea level for most of the last 4 Myr, unlike most parts of the island. We conclude that emergence of land on Sulawesi (approx. 1-2 Myr) may have allowed species to expand synchronously. Altogether, our results indicate that the establishment of the highly endemic faunal assemblage on Sulawesi was driven by geological events over the last few million years

Quantitative In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Using Synthetic Signal Injection

Accurate conversion of magnetic resonance spectra to quantitative units of concentration generally requires compensation for differences in coil loading conditions, the gains of the various receiver amplifiers, and rescaling that occurs during post-processing manipulations. This can be efficiently achieved by injecting a precalibrated, artificial reference signal, or pseudo-signal into the data. We have previously demonstrated, using in vitro measurements, that robust pseudo-signal injection can be accomplished using a second coil, called the injector coil, properly designed and oriented so that it couples inductively with the receive coil used to acquire the data. In this work, we acquired nonlocalized phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements from resting human tibialis anterior muscles and used pseudo-signal injection to calculate the Pi, PCr, and ATP concentrations. We compared these results to parallel estimates of concentrations obtained using the more established phantom replacement method. Our results demonstrate that pseudo-signal injection using inductive coupling provides a robust calibration factor that is immune to coil loading conditions and suitable for use in human measurements. Having benefits in terms of ease of use and quantitative accuracy, this method is feasible for clinical use. The protocol we describe could be readily translated for use in patients with mitochondrial disease, where sensitive assessment of metabolite content could improve diagnosis and treatment

Facilitators and barriers to engaging in expressive writing among health and social care professionals

Healthcare workers in the UK report high levels of burnout and poor wellbeing, and interventions are urgently needed to address this issue. Expressive writing, whereby individuals write about emotionally laden thoughts or experiences, is an effective intervention for reducing stress and enhancing wellbeing, and is a potential candidate for use with healthcare workers. However, it is crucial that the preferences of healthcare workers are taken into account in the design of future trials in this area, and that perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging with expressive writing activities are considered. Therefore, the present study aimed to seek healthcare workers’ views on expressive writing activities for enhancing wellbeing. We informed 11 UK-based health and social care professionals about current research into the potential wellbeing benefits of expressive writing activities and conducted 1:1 semi-structured interviews to determine their preferences, perceived facilitators and barriers to engaging routinely with expressive writing. Data were analysed using deductive, reflective thematic analysis, with the coding framework informed by the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) Model. Key findings, from the perspective of future trial design, were that participants preferred the three good things (writing down three good things that have happened during the day), written benefit finding (writing about positive emotions, thoughts, feelings and life changes in relation to an unfavourable experience) and gratitude letter (writing a letter of appreciation to someone who has never been properly thanked) activities. Participants expressed preferences for simple, brief activities that could be easily embedded into a daily routine. However, it was clear that support from managers, researchers or friends and family would be needed to promote engagement with the activities. Most notably, participants expressed a preference for flexibility in terms of how, when and where they write

In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy: basic methodology and clinical applications

The clinical use of in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been limited for a long time, mainly due to its low sensitivity. However, with the advent of clinical MR systems with higher magnetic field strengths such as 3 Tesla, the development of better coils, and the design of optimized radio-frequency pulses, sensitivity has been considerably improved. Therefore, in vivo MRS has become a technique that is routinely used more and more in the clinic. In this review, the basic methodology of in vivo MRS is described—mainly focused on 1H MRS of the brain—with attention to hardware requirements, patient safety, acquisition methods, data post-processing, and quantification. Furthermore, examples of clinical applications of in vivo brain MRS in two interesting fields are described. First, together with a description of the major resonances present in brain MR spectra, several examples are presented of deviations from the normal spectral pattern associated with inborn errors of metabolism. Second, through examples of MR spectra of brain tumors, it is shown that MRS can play an important role in oncology