Biomedical subjects

Alexej Jerschow

Publications and source records attributed to Alexej Jerschow.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Nuclear spin noise imaging.

NMR images were obtained from the proton spin noise signals of a water-containing phantom, which was placed in the highly tuned, low-noise resonant circuit of a cryogenically cooled NMR probe in the presence of systematically varied magnetic field gradients. The spatially resolved proton spin density was obtained from the raw signal by a modified projection-reconstruction protocol. Although spin noise imaging is inherently less sensitive than conventional magnetic resonance imaging, it affords an entirely noninvasive visualization of the interior of opaque objects or subjects. Thus, tomography becomes possible even when neither x-ray nor radio frequency radiation can be applied for technical or safety reasons.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Selective detection of ordered sodium signals via the central transition.

Given the correlation between the concentrations of ordered (23)Na and the onset of tissue disorders, the ability to select the signal from ordered (23)Na over that of free (23)Na is of particular importance and can greatly enhance the potential of (23)Na-MRI as a diagnostic tool. Here, we describe a simple method that selectively detects the central transition of ordered sodium while minimizing the signal from free sodium. Our method relies upon the influence of the quadrupolar interaction on nutation frequencies and may also benefit solid-state imaging experiments. Both a liquid crystalline environment and a cartilage sample are used to demonstrate a clean separation between anisotropic and isotropic regions in the experiments.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Insight into framework destruction in ultramarine pigments.

We report key evidence on the framework destruction in ultramarine pigments upon color fading. Experiments on faded pigments in a fresco painting environment reveal that the paramagnetic chromophores are set free via sodalite framework destruction and are subsequently degraded. Fading in acidic media produces similar results, although a larger number of beta-cages appear to be destroyed, and H2S is released. The findings are further supported by studies on natural and synthetic ultramarine pigments of various shades via solid-state resonance-Raman spectroscopy, colorimentry, and solid-state 29Si and 27Al NMR spectroscopy. NMR parameters are shown to correlate well with the intensities of Raman signals corresponding to the S3(-*) chromophores. A further correlation is established between the colorimetric parameters, L* (lightness) and C* (chroma), and the paramagnetic shift and paramagnetic linebroadening in NMR spectra for both 27Al and 29Si.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Behavior of ordered sodium in enzymatically depleted cartilage tissue.

The onset of cartilage tissue disorders can be characterized by a loss of proteoglycans (PGs) and diagnosed by contrast-enhanced proton ((1)H) MRI techniques, as well as sodium MRI. The behavior of sodium located in anisotropic environments, is examined as a function of cartilage degeneration. PGs are proteolytically depleted from the cartilage samples, which gives rise to a decrease of the ordered sodium content. More surprisingly, however, the residual quadrupolar couplings are shown to increase with increasing depletion levels. Since the residual quadrupolar couplings are intimately related to local order and anisotropic motion, measuring their distribution in cartilage may provide insight into the structural changes that occur within the tissue upon degradation. In this study relatively mild orientational dependence of the couplings was found. Little or no free sodium was observed in the cartilage specimens under study.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Frequency-selective quadrupolar MRI contrast.

A method for the selective detection of quadrupolar nuclei located in anisotropic environments is presented. The image contrast can be tuned to the degree of anisotropy in the sample by using frequency-swept pulsed. These methods are particularly useful in the field of sodium-MRI, where sodium signals from locally-ordered environments provide diagnostic information. In solid-state MRI, these methods could be useful for probing structural defects within the sample. We demonstrate here one-dimensional images, in which the pixel contrast indicates the presence or absence of quadrupolar coupling within a certain frequency range.

Anisotropy↗

PubMed2005

Separated quadrupolar field experiment.

We describe an NMR experiment that produces spectra correlating the first-order quadrupolar spectrum and the central transition spectrum of half-integer quadrupolar spins, allowing one to separate the quadrupolar parameters in overlapping spectra under both static and magic-angle-spinning conditions. Promising fields of applications include situations where the sample cannot easily be rotated, or where it cannot be rotated at the magic angle.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗

PubMed2005

MathNMR: spin and spatial tensor manipulations in Mathematica.

Spin and spatial tensor manipulations are frequently required to describe the theory of NMR experiments. A Mathematica package is presented here, which provides some of the most common functions for these calculations. Examples are the calculation of matrix representations of operators, commutators, projections, rotations, Redfield matrix elements, matrix decomposition into basis operators, change of basis, coherence filtering, and the manipulation of Hamiltonians. The calculations can be performed for any spin system, containing spins 1/2 and quadrupolar spins alike, subject to computational limitations. The package will be available from upon acceptance of the article.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗

PubMed2005

Selecting ordered environments in NMR of spin 3/2 nuclei via frequency-sweep pulses.

We demonstrate that frequency-swept pulses can be used for the selective and enhanced detection of quadrupolar nuclei located in anisotropic environments. The primary driving force for this technique development is the field of sodium-MRI, where sodium signals from locally ordered environments are known to be diagnostic of cartilage defects. We demonstrate here simple one-dimensional images of model systems, in which the signals from free sodium ions are suppressed, while ordered sodium is detected via the narrow central transition signal.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Calculation of coherence pathway selection and cogwheel cycles.

The selection of proper coherence pathways is a very important aspect of the design of NMR pulse sequences. This article describes a C++ program for the calculation of coherence pathway selection via phase cycles, including a module to calculate cogwheel cycles. Cogwheel phase cycles shorter than the original ones [M.H. Levitt et al., J. Magn. Reson. 155 (2002) 300] are derived and experimentally tested for the MQMAS experiment for 3/2 spins. Some other cogwheel cycles are derived for the MQNQMAS, the STMAS experiment, and a PFG diffusion pulse sequence. This program is publicly available through our website http://www.nyu.edu/projects/jerschow with additional documentation and examples.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Solid-state NMR spectroscopic methods in chemistry.

Over the last decades, NMR spectroscopy has grown into an indispensable tool for chemical analysis, structure determination, and the study of dynamics in organic, inorganic, and biological systems. It is commonly used for a wide range of applications from the characterization of synthetic products to the study of molecular structures of systems such as catalysts, polymers, and proteins. Although most NMR experiments are performed on liquid-state samples, solid-state NMR is rapidly emerging as a powerful method for the study of solid samples and materials. This Review outlines some of the developments of solid-state NMR spectroscopy, including techniques such as cross-polarization, magic-angle spinning, multiple-pulse sequences, homo- and heteronuclear decoupling and recoupling techniques, multiple-quantum spectroscopy, and dynamic angle spinning, as well as their applications to structure determination. Modern solid-state NMR spectroscopic techniques not only produce spectra with a resolution close to that of liquid-state spectra, but also capitalize on anisotropic interactions, which are often unavailable for liquid samples. With this background, the future of solid-state NMR spectroscopy in chemistry appears to be promising, indeed.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Investigations of low-amplitude radio frequency pulses at and away from rotary resonance conditions for I = 5/2 nuclei.

Additional experimental evidence of rotary resonance effects for multiple-quantum coherence conversion in a spin-5/2 system is presented. Two-dimensional plots of the relative efficiency of MQ excitation and conversion are given as a function of radio frequency (rf) amplitude and pulse width. Data are presented for the excitation of five-quantum coherence (5QC), as well as for 5QC to three-quantum coherence (3QC) conversion, 5QC to IQC (the central transition coherence) conversion, and 3QC to IQC conversion. A two-fold increase in the signal-to-noise ratio is achieved by substituting low amplitude rf pulses in place of hard rf pulses for 5QC excitation and 5QC to 3QC conversion in a mixed multiple-quantum magic angle spinning (MAS) (MMQMAS) experiment. The anisotropic line shape for the low-amplitude rf pulse version of the MMQMAS experiment was observed to be distorted from the MAS line shape. The cause and implications of the distortion are discussed.

Anisotropy↗