Paramagnetic salt and agarose recipes for phantoms with desired T1 and T2 values for low-field MRI.

Tissue-mimicking reference phantoms are indispensable for the development and optimization of magnetic resonance (MR) measurement sequences. Phantoms have greatest utility when they mimic the MR signals arising from tissue physiology; however, many of the properties underlying these signals, including tissue relaxation characteristics, can vary as a function of magnetic field strength. There has been renewed interest in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at field strengths less than 1 T, and phantoms developed for higher field strengths may not be physiologically relevant at these lower fields.

Enhancing Hospital Reimbursement Through a Pediatric Surgery Resident Orientation Program: A Focus on Accurate Diagnosis Code Documentation for Acute Appendicitis.

Background: The usage of specific ICD-10 diagnosis codes significantly influences hospital reimbursement compared to non-specific codes. This study hypothesized that a formal orientation program for pediatric surgery residents would enhance the selection of accurate and specific diagnosis codes for acute appendicitis such as K35.30 for "Acute appendicitis with localized peritonitis" rather than K35.

Linear Bloch-Siegert phase-encoded low-field MRI: RF coils, pulse sequence, and image reconstruction.

Conventional gradient systems have several weaknesses including high cost and bulk. As a step towards addressing these while providing new degrees of freedom for spatial encoding and system design in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a radio frequency (RF) gradient encoding system and pulse sequence for phase encoding using the Bloch-Siegert (BS) shift were developed. Optimized BS spatial encoding coils with bucking windings (counter-wound loops) were designed and constructed, along with compatible homogeneous imaging coils for excitation and signal reception.

A test of the loose-equilibrium concept with long-lived organisms: Evaluating temporal change in freshwater mussel assemblages.

The loose-equilibrium concept (LEC) predicts that ecological assemblages change transiently but return towards an earlier or average structure. The LEC framework can help determine whether assemblages vary within expected ranges or are permanently altered following environmental change. Long-lived, slow-growing animals typically respond slowly to environmental change, and their assemblage dynamics may respond over decades, which transcends most ecological studies.