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Fast inversion recovery T1 contrast and chemical shift contrast in high-resolution snapshot FLASH MR images.

Fast MR imaging attracts the interest of both clinicians and physicists because new diagnostic information arises with reduced artifacts due to short investigational times. With the acceleration of the Snapshot FLASH MR sequence, the measurement of high-resolution images with 256 x 256 matrix is reported, together with contrasting prepulses that are applied to attain contrast in combination with higher in-plane resolution. Measuring times are in the range of a second. For whole-body imaging, a TR = 5.2 msec and a TE = 2.6 msec could be attained measuring omit 256 x 256 matrix images. Artifact-free images demonstrating T1 contrast and contrast from chemical shift are performed on moving organs (heart, intestine) in different experiments. These applications can easily be performed in a couple of minutes for clinical use. Especially in the lung, short TE and high resolution result in a new imaging quality of pulmonary and mediastinal vessels.

Abdomen↗

Fast 19F-NMR imaging in vivo using FLASH-MRI.

The goal of this study was the development of a method that allows the acquisition of chemical shift selective 19F NMR images within a short measuring time. A train of small tip angle frequency selective pulses, each followed by a dephasing gradient of random strength, was used as a presaturation experiment for the suppression of the unwanted chemical shift components. Imaging was performed after presaturation using a SNAPSHOT-FLASH experiment. The acquisition time for a 64 x 128 image including the presaturation experiment amounted to only 470 ms. The sequence was applied in a 4.7 Tesla magnet to perform a longitudinal pharmacological study on the clearance of perfluoroocytlbromide (PFOB) in the liver and spleen of rats.

Animals↗

Fast T2-mapping with snapshot flash imaging.

It has been shown recently that quantitative T2-maps may be measured by acquisition of a series of at least eight T2-weighted SNAPSHOT FLASH images. These measurements require a relaxation delay of 10-15 s after each T2-weighted image for the complete relaxation of the spin system. This results in long measuring times. The method presented in this paper allows a considerable reduction of the measuring time by combining the T2-sequence with a fast T1-measurement. Quantitative T1- and T2-maps may be acquired simultaneously in less than 30 s. The method was tested in a phantom experiment. In an in vivo application, relaxation times of different tissues in the abdomen of a rat were measured.

Abdomen↗

Preservation of single-flash visual evoked potentials at very low cerebral oxygen delivery in preterm infants.

Single-flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded in 32 preterm infants (mean gestational age: 29 weeks) during extreme physiologic conditions within the first day of life. The VEP configuration was normal in all patients at the onset of the investigation. Hypoxic episodes (PaO2 less than 3 kPa) caused rapid and consistent attenuation of the VEP mostly with an instantaneous recovery after normalization of PaO2. In contrast, VEP amplitude and latency were unaffected during episodes with low cerebral blood flow (4.5 ml/100 gm/min) and correspondingly low oxygen delivery to the brain (1 ml/100 gm/min), severe hypocapnia (PaCO2 1.6 kPa), and severe arterial hypotension (MABP 10 mm Hg), provided that the arterial oxygen tension was greater than 5 kPa. Absence of N1 was observed soon after the development of severe intracranial hemorrhage; however, this abnormality was short in duration. We conclude that the neurons generating VEPs are supported sufficiently during extreme physiologic episodes, except during severe hypoxia. The recovery time may be proportional to the cerebral insult.

Carbon Dioxide↗

Alterations in flash evoked potentials (FEPs) in rats produced by 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN).

3,3'-Iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) is a neurotoxicant that produces changes in flash evoked potentials (FEPs) 18 weeks after treatment. We examined dose- and time-related effects of IDPN on FEPs at earlier time points than previously studied (52). Adult male Long-Evans rats were given IDPN (0, 100, 200, 400 mg/kg/day x 3 days, i.p.) and FEPs were recorded 14 days later. IDPN (400 mg/kg/day) decreased the amplitudes of some of the "early" and "middle" FEP peaks (n30 and N56), and increased the latencies of some early peaks (P21 and P46). A separate group of rats was treated with IDPN (0 or 400 mg/kg/day x 3 days, i.p.) and FEPs were recorded 1, 3, 7, 14, and 35 days later. The latencies of of all portions of FEPs were increased by IDPN, with maximal changes occurring at 7 and/or 14 days. The amplitude of the middle portions of FEPs (peaks N56, P63, N70, P90) were altered as early as day 3, and some changes were observed up to day 14. In contrast, the "late" portion of FEPs (peak N160) was affected at later times (days 14 and 35). Corneal opacities were noted on days 3 and 7, but were largely reversible by day 14. In the time-course study, IDPN decreased colonic temperature on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. The present results suggest that IDPN alters both the early FEP peaks related to the initial afferent sensory volley, and cortical processing associated with the middle and later portions of FEPs.

Animals↗

Characterization of the reactive intermediates in laser flash photolysis of adenine, adenosine and dAMP using acetone as photosensitizer.

Transient absorption spectra of adenine, adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate (dAMP) arising from 248 nm laser flash photolysis using acetone as a photosensitizer have been observed. The intermediates recorded are assigned to the excited triplet states and dehydrogenated radicals of adenine and its nucleoside and nucleotide. The excited triplet states of adenine and its derivatives are produced via triplet-triplet excitation transfer and observed for the first time, while the dehydrogenated radicals stemming from the interaction of triplet acetone with adenine and its derivatives via electron transfer through a five-member-ring electron donor-acceptor intermediate. The site of dehydrogenation is suggested to be the hydrogen atom on C(8) of the adenine moiety. Moreover, three sets of kinetic parameters of the triplet decay have been determined. The rate constants of the unimolecular decay (k0), the triplet quenching by the ground state (ksq) and by the triplet quencher Mn2+ (kq) are 1.1 x 10(5), 7.9 x 10(4), 3.7 x 10(4) s-1, 6.9 x 10(8), 8.3 x 10(8), 3.6 x 10(8) dm3 mol-1 s-1 and 4.2 x 10(8), 3.5 x 10(8), 6.0 x 10(8) dm3 mol-1 s-1 respectively for adenine, adenosine and dAMP.

Acetone↗

Structure-function relationships of Ca spark activity in normal and failing cardiac myocytes as revealed by flash photography.

We describe the two-dimensional imaging of excitation-induced Ca gradients in isolated myocytes under physiological conditions, using a novel method of flash photography of fluo-3 fluorescence. This method is useful for showing the spatial distribution and reproducibility of rapidly triggered Ca release events, and their relationship to underlying structures. In normal rat myocytes, Ca sparks were evident 6ms after stimulation emerging from around t-tubules, as judged by co-localization with di-8-ANEPPS staining. Gaps in the spark pattern coincided with gaps in di-8-ANEPPS staining. Vacuolar fluo-3 uptake, previously identified as lysosomal, was prominent in some of the gaps, suggesting possible areas of t-tubule turnover. In normal dog myocytes, the beat-to-beat variance of Ca sparks was very low, t-tubular voids were small, and Ca gradients resolved rapidly. In myocytes from dogs with failure induced by rapid pacing, a reduced Ca transient was observed associated with increased areas that were void of sparks and t-tubules, and a greater beat-to-beat spark variance. These abnormalities resulted in a non-uniform spatial distribution of sparks, leading to Ca gradients across the cell that persisted for longer times after stimulation. Such Ca gradients could cause heterogeneous contraction and contribute to contractile failure.

Animals↗

Spatially confined diffusion of calcium in dendrites of hippocampal neurons revealed by flash photolysis of caged calcium.

The extent of diffusion of a locally evoked calcium surge in dendrites of cultured hippocampal neurons was studied by flash photolysis of caged EGTA. Cells were transfected with pDsRed for visualization, preincubated with caged NP-EGTA (AM) and Fluo-4 (AM) at room temperature and imaged in a PASCAL confocal microscope. Pulses of UV laser light within an active sphere of about 1 micro m(2) produced a rise of Fluo-4 fluorescence transients in dendrites which peaked at 1 ms and decayed exponentially with a fast (8-10 ms) time constant. A slower decay component was uncovered following incubation with thapsigargin. Lateral diffusion of [Ca(2+)]i did not vary significantly among different size dendrites being symmetric and reaching about 3-3.5 micro mm at a diffusion rate of 0.8 micro mm/ms on both sides of the photolysis center. Fluo-4 was also replaced by the membrane-bound Fluo-NOMO (AM) or by the 'heavy' Calcium Green dextran (CGd) loaded through a patch pipette. Similar rates of diffusion were found in these cases, indicating that the diffusion is not of the dye complexed to calcium but of genuine free calcium ions. Interestingly, presence of a dendritic spine at the focus of photolysis significantly reduced [Ca(2+)]i spread while the focal transient remained unaffected. Finally, [Ca(2+)]i diffused about twice as far from the photolysis sphere in glass tubes of a similar diameter to that of a dendrite, indicating that intrinsic calcium uptake mechanisms in the dendrite determine the diffusion of calcium away from its original site of rise.

Aniline Compounds↗

Determination of ergosterol as an indicator of fungal biomass in various samples using non-discriminating flash pyrolysis.

Ergosterol is the major sterol constituent of most fungi. Since it is present in negligible amounts in higher plants, it can be used as a chemical marker for the presence of fungal contamination. A number of different ergosterol assays have been developed for the quantification of fungi in various samples. The paper presents the development of a new method for ergosterol detection based on the combination of non-discriminating flash pyrolysis with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The design of the non-discriminating Py-GC/MS systems assures efficient transfer of high-molecular-weight pyrolysis products to the GC column for separation, followed by analyte detection by MS. The method was tested on different types of samples, including baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), moldy bread, indoor dust, and a leaf infected with powdery mildew. Ergosterol was detected in all these samples at levels ranging from approximately 4 mg/g for the baker's yeast to approximately 6 microg/g for household dust. The main benefits of non-discriminating pyrolysis over other techniques include elimination of the need for sample preparation, small sample size required and short analysis time.

Biomass↗

Laser flash photolysis and time-resolved fluorescence measurements of the aggregation number of SDS-biopolymer complexes.

Aqueous solutions of 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, NaCMC, and 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose, HEC, and variable concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, were studied by the intensities ratio of pyrene fluorescence bands (I/III and monomer/excimer) and conductance measurements to determine the critical aggregation concentration, cac, and the degree of micellar dissociation, alpha, respectively. The cac of these systems is close to 2-4 x 10(-3)M and values of alpha are consistent with the formation of SDS micelles adsorbed cooperatively to the polymer backbone. Laser flash photolysis (LFP) and time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) techniques were employed to determine the micellar aggregation number, N, using the probes flavone and pyrene, respectively. The obtained N for HEC/SDS and NaCMC/SDS were 48 and 68, respectively. The presence of the counterions at the NaCMC backbone is the main factor responsible for this number. Besides, the transient spectra of flavone and present in 0.5% HEC or NaCMC with and in absence of SDS are discussed. Flavone triplet state exit rate constant from the biopolymer/SDS complexes showed that these systems are completely different from a pure SDS micelle.

Biopolymers↗

Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance breath-hold FLASH imaging in the diagnosis and staging of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 2% of all reported cancers. Its apparent incidence is increasing due to the more widespread use of cross-sectional imaging and as a result, tumours are being detected at an earlier stage. It is hoped that this improvement in early detection will result in a significant increase in survival rates. Radiological diagnosis and staging have a critical role in triaging patients' -treatment. Although computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound are well established in the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma, magnetic resonance (MR) techniques are still rapidly developing. In our institution breath-hold three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium-enhanced fast low-angled single shot (FLASH) spoiled gradient-echo sequence imaging has become an integral part of staging for renal cell carcinoma. In this article, we review our experience of the use of this emerging technique in the diagnosis and staging of renal cancer.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗

Analysis of the kinetics of CO binding to neuronal nitric oxide synthase by flash photolysis: dual effects of substrates, inhibitors, and tetrahydrobiopterin.

The effects of substrates, inhibitors and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) on CO rebinding to the isolated heme-bound oxygenase domain (nNOSox) of neuronal nitric oxide synthase were examined by laser flash photolysis. The rate constant of CO recombination with substrate and inhibitor-free nNOSox in the absence of H4B was 1.0 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The addition of H4B led to a marked decrease in the rate to 0.59 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). Interestingly, the substrates, L-Arg and N-hydroxy-L-Arg (NHA), altered CO binding behavior in that the binding rate was modified to CO concentration-independent, both with and without H4B. In the absence of H4B, agmatine, NG-monomethyl-L-Arg (NMMA) and NG-nitro-L-Arg methyl ester (NAME) decreased the CO concentration-dependent rate constants of rebinding by half (0.43 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for the NMMA-bound complex), whereas N6-(l-iminoethyl)-L-Lys (NIL) and 7-nitro-1H-indazole (7-NI) increased the rate constants by more than 70% (up to 2.1 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for the NIL-bound complex). In the presence of H4B, the binding rate was independent of CO concentration for the agmatine-bound complex. The differential effects of the inhibitors on the CO concentration-dependent rate constants were significantly diminished for the H4B-bound system. Interestingly, these variable effects of inhibitors on the CO binding rate were more pronounced in the absence of H4B. Accordingly, we suggest that H4B significantly influences CO binding by altering the CO access channel, and further reduces the divergent effects of different inhibitors.

Animals↗

Evaluating the entrainment of the alpha rhythm during stroboscopic flash stimulation by means of coherence analysis.

Two major conflicting hypotheses propose that alpha rhythm activity should be either the output of a linear filter having a white noise as input or reflect the output of a nonlinear oscillator. External stimulation can be employed to test for nonlinearity in alpha genesis, since an entrainment of such rhythmic activity (shift in the alpha peak) could only be explained by nonlinear relationships. Flash photic stimulation has been used to investigate such entrainment. Nevertheless, only entrainments due to the second harmonic of the stimulation could be suitably measured. Aiming at overcoming this limitation, a coherence-based technique is proposed for evaluating the strength of responses due to rhythmic stimulation. It was applied to the occipital EEG derivations of 12 normal subjects during stroboscopic stimulation. Entrainment of alpha rhythm by the second harmonic of the stimulation occurred in 75% of the subjects, whilst no spectral shifts were observed for the remained that exhibited broadband alpha peak at rest. However, stimulating with fundamental frequency close to that peak led to entrainment in all subjects. These differences in the degree of synchronization due to stimulation at the first and second harmonics should reflect complex nonlinear mechanisms in alpha genesis.

Adolescent↗

Maximum Likelihood Integration of rapid flashes and beeps.

Maximum likelihood models of multisensory integration are theoretically attractive because the goals and assumptions of sensory information processing are explicitly stated in such optimal models. When subjects perceive stimuli categorically, as opposed to on a continuous scale, Maximum Likelihood Integration (MLI) can occur before or after categorization-early or late. We introduce early MLI and apply it to the audiovisual perception of rapid beeps and flashes. We compare it to late MLI and show that early MLI is a better fitting and more parsimonious model. We also show that early MLI is better able to account for the effects of information reliability, modality appropriateness and intermodal attention which affect multisensory perception.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Isoflurane disrupts anterio-posterior phase synchronization of flash-induced field potentials in the rat.

Consciousness presumes a set of integrated functions such as sensory processing, attention, and interpretation, and may depend upon both local and long-range phase synchronization of neuronal activity in cerebral cortex. Here we investigated whether volatile anesthetic isoflurane at concentrations that produce loss of consciousness (LOC) disrupts long-range anterio-posterior and local anterior synchronization of neuronal activity in the rat. In six rats, deep electrodes were chronically implanted in the primary visual cortex (V1) and in two areas of the motor cortex (M1 and M2) for recording of intracortical event-related potentials (ERP). Thirty discrete flashes were presented at random interstimulus intervals of 15-45 s, and ERPs were recorded at stepwise increasing isoflurane concentrations of 0-1.1%. Neuronal synchronization was estimated using wavelet coherence computed from the ERP data band-pass filtered at 5-50 Hz. We found that (1) in the waking state, long-range anterio-posterior coherence in 5-25 Hz and 25-50 Hz frequency bands was significantly higher than local anterior coherence; (2) anterio-posterior coherence in both 5-25 Hz and 26-50 Hz bands was significantly reduced by isoflurane in a concentration-dependent manner; (3) local anterior coherence was not affected by isoflurane at any of the concentrations studied. These findings suggest that a disruption of long-range anterio-posterior rather than local anterior synchronization of neuronal activity precedes the anesthetic-induced loss of consciousness.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗

Nicotine alters flash-evoked potentials in Long-Evans rats.

This experiment examined the effects of nicotine on flash-evoked potentials (FEPs) recorded from both the visual cortex (VC) and the superior colliculus (SC) of chronically implanted male Long-Evans rats. FEPs were recorded at 5, 20, 40, and 60 min following subcutaneous injections of saline, and of 0.4, 0.7, and 1.0 mg/kg nicotine on separate days. In the VC, the amplitude of components N(39), N(53), N(67), and P(88) increased, while the amplitude of components N(30) and P(235) decreased following nicotine administration. P(22), P(47), and N(153) were unchanged. In the SC, components P(27), N(48), and N(53) were reduced in amplitude, while P(37) and N(57) were unaffected by nicotine. Many peak latencies in the VC and SC were increased by nicotine, often at all three doses. However, effects of nicotine on FEPs were both dose- and time-dependent. When body temperature was recorded 65 min after drug administration, significant hypothermia was found with both the 0.7- and 1.0-mg/kg nicotine doses. The 1.0-mg/kg dose of nicotine resulted in a significant increase in movement during the recording sessions, but not in subsequent open-field observations. The results demonstrate that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a differential role in the production/modulation of the various components of FEPs.

Animals↗

Nicotine-ethanol interactions in flash-evoked potentials and behavior of Long-Evans rats.

Although nicotine and ethanol are often used together, little is known about their combined effects on visual system electrophysiology. This experiment examined the separate and combined effects of nicotine and ethanol on flash-evoked potentials (FEPs) recorded from both the visual cortex (VC) and superior colliculus (SC) of chronically implanted male Long-Evans rats. There were four treatment conditions administered on separate days: either saline or ethanol (2.0 g/kg, i.p.) was given 10 min before either saline or nicotine (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.). FEPs were recorded at 5, 20, and 40 min following the second injection. In the VC, ethanol significantly decreased the amplitude of most components, but increased P46. Peaks P22 and N53 were unchanged. Nicotine enhanced most component amplitudes, but decreased N29 and P234, while P22 and N139 were unchanged. In the SC, ethanol depressed the amplitude of all components studied. In contrast, nicotine significantly depressed only P27 and N48. Latencies of most components in both structures were increased by ethanol, nicotine, and the combination treatment, although a nicotine-induced enhancement of the effects of ethanol on latencies was not typically observed. Each drug treatment also produced significant hypothermia, with the combination treatment resulting in the greatest hypothermia. Ethanol, either alone or in combination with nicotine, significantly reduced body movements during the FEP recording sessions. In subsequent open-field observations, ethanol, but not nicotine, significantly increased the number of squares crossed, while the combination treatment produced the greatest increase in movement. Nicotine significantly increased rearing behavior, but both ethanol and the combination treatment eliminated rearings. Overall, data suggesting that nicotine can counteract some of the effects of ethanol was demonstrated in varying degrees in the amplitude of VC components N39, P46, N53, N65, and P88, the latency of VC component N53, the amplitude of SC component N59, and the latency of SC components N48 and N54. In contrast, a nicotine-induced enhancement of the effects of ethanol was found for only the latency of VC components N39, P88, and P234, body temperature, and open-field ambulation.

Animals↗