Microbial Motility at the Bottom of North America: Digital Holographic Microscopy and Genomic Motility Signatures in Badwater Spring, Death Valley National Park.

Motility is widely distributed across the tree of life and can be recognized by microscopy regardless of phylogenetic affiliation, biochemical composition, or mechanism. Microscopy has thus been proposed as a potential tool for detection of biosignatures for extraterrestrial life; however, traditional light microscopy is poorly suited for this purpose, as it requires sample preparation, involves fragile moving parts, and has a limited volume of view. In this study, we deployed a field-portable digital holographic microscope (DHM) to explore microbial motility in Badwater Spring, a saline spring in Death Valley National Park, and complemented DHM imaging with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics.

AAPM Task Group Report 272: Comprehensive acceptance testing and evaluation of fluoroscopy imaging systems.

Modern fluoroscopes used for image guidance have become quite complex. Adding to this complexity are the many regulatory and accreditation requirements that must be fulfilled during acceptance testing of a new unit. Further, some of these acceptance tests have pass/fail criteria, whereas others do not, making acceptance testing a subjective and time-consuming task.

Automated phantom analysis for gamma cameras and SPECT: A methodology for use in a clinical setting.

Purpose: We introduce an automated, quantitative image analysis package for gamma camera and single photon emission computed tomography quality control. Our focus was to produce consistent methods that are feasible in clinical settings and use standard phantoms.

Methods: Four gamma cameras were used to acquire planar images of four-quadrant bar phantoms and projection views of an American College of Radiology (ACR) phantom as part of a standard gamma camera quality control program.

Signal and contrast to noise ratio evaluation of fluoroscopic loops for interventional fluoroscope quality control.

Modern fluoroscopes pose a challenge for the clinical physicist for annual testing and continued upkeep. These fluoroscopes are critical to providing care to patients for complex interventions, and continue to evolve in automated image quality adjustments. Few tools in software or hardware currently exist to assist the physicist or technologist in gauging fluoroscope constancy or readiness for procedures.

Enhanced Antimicrobial Effects of Decellularized Extracellular Matrix (CorMatrix) with Added Vancomycin and Gentamicin for Device Implant Protection.

Background: The incidence of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections has risen significantly over the past years. Although several devices are currently available to decrease the incidence of infection, most are made from nonviable synthetic material and are more prone to infection than vascularized tissue.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the resistance to infection of the CorMatrix CanGaroo (CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Roswell, GA, USA), a CIED envelope made of decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrated in different antibiotic solutions.

High-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced MR breast imaging with sweep imaging with Fourier transformation: a pilot study.

Purpose: To report the results of sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnostic breast imaging.

Materials And Methods: Informed consent was obtained from all participants under one of two institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant protocols. Twelve female patients (age range, 19-54 years; mean age, 41.

Automated tuning of an eight-channel cardiac transceive array at 7 tesla using piezoelectric actuators.

Purpose: Ultra-high field (UHF) MR scanning in the body requires novel coil designs due to B1 field inhomogeneities. In the transverse electromagnetic field (TEM) design, maximum B1 transmit power can only be achieved if each individual transmit element is tuned and matched for different coil loads, which requires a considerable amount of valuable scanner time.

Methods: An integrated system for autotuning a multichannel parallel transmit (pTx) cardiac TEM array was devised, using piezoelectric actuators, power monitoring equipment and control software.

Gap cycling for SWIFT.

Purpose: SWIFT (SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transformation) is a non-Cartesian MRI method with unique features and capabilities. In SWIFT, radiofrequency (RF) excitation and reception are performed nearly simultaneously, by rapidly switching between transmit and receive during a frequency-swept RF pulse. Because both the transmitted pulse and data acquisition are simultaneously amplitude-modulated in SWIFT (in contrast to continuous RF excitation and uninterrupted data acquisition in more familiar MRI sequences), crosstalk between different frequency bands occurs in the data.

Human cardiac 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 Tesla.

Purpose: Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) affords unique insight into cardiac energetics but has a low intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in humans. Theory predicts an increased (31)P-MRS SNR at 7T, offering exciting possibilities to better investigate cardiac metabolism. We therefore compare the performance of human cardiac (31)P-MRS at 7T to 3T, and measure T1s for (31)P metabolites at 7T.

Stepped impedance resonators for high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Multi-element volume radio-frequency (RF) coils are an integral aspect of the growing field of high-field magnetic resonance imaging. In these systems, a popular volume coil of choice has become the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transceiver coil consisting of microstrip resonators. In this paper, to further advance this design approach, a new microstrip resonator strategy in which the transmission line is segmented into alternating impedance sections, referred to as stepped impedance resonators (SIRs), is investigated.

Inversion recovery at 7 T in the human myocardium: measurement of T(1), inversion efficiency and B(1) (+).

At clinical MRI field strengths (1.5 and 3 T), quantitative maps of the longitudinal relaxation time T1 of the myocardium reveal diseased tissue without requiring contrast agents. Cardiac T1 maps can be measured by Look-Locker inversion recovery sequences such as ShMOLLI at 1.

Performance of external and internal coil configurations for prostate investigations at 7 T.

Three different coil configurations were evaluated through simulation and experimentally to determine safe operating limits and evaluate subject size-dependent performance for prostate imaging at 7 T. The coils included a transceiver endorectal coil (trERC), a 16-channel transceiver external surface array (trESA) and a trESA combined with a receive-only ERC (trESA+roERC). Although the transmit B(1) (B 1+) homogeneity was far superior for the trESA, the maximum achievable B 1+ is subject size dependent and limited by transmit chain losses and amplifier performance.

A 32-channel lattice transmission line array for parallel transmit and receive MRI at 7 tesla.

Transmit and receive RF coil arrays have proven to be particularly beneficial for ultra-high-field MR. Transmit coil arrays enable such techniques as B(1) (+) shimming to substantially improve transmit B(1) homogeneity compared to conventional volume coil designs, and receive coil arrays offer enhanced parallel imaging performance and SNR. Concentric coil arrangements hold promise for developing transceiver arrays incorporating large numbers of coil elements.

Whole-body imaging at 7T: preliminary results.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of whole-body imaging at 7T. To achieve this objective, new technology and methods were developed. Radio frequency (RF) field distribution and specific absorption rate (SAR) were first explored through numerical modeling.

Multinuclear NMR investigation of probe construction materials at 9.4T.

This work investigates probe construction materials for their signal contribution to ultrashort echo time spectroscopy and imaging. (1)H, (13)C, and (31)P spectra were obtained at a field strength of 9.4 T for 16 materials considered for use in probe and holder design and construction.

Local B1+ shimming for prostate imaging with transceiver arrays at 7T based on subject-dependent transmit phase measurements.

High-quality prostate images were obtained with transceiver arrays at 7T after performing subject-dependent local transmit B(1) (B(1) (+)) shimming to minimize B(1) (+) losses resulting from destructive interferences. B(1) (+) shimming was performed by altering the input phase of individual RF channels based on relative B(1) (+) phase maps rapidly obtained in vivo for each channel of an eight-element stripline coil. The relative transmit phases needed to maximize B(1) (+) coherence within a limited region around the prostate greatly differed from those dictated by coil geometry and were highly subject-dependent.

A geometrically adjustable 16-channel transmit/receive transmission line array for improved RF efficiency and parallel imaging performance at 7 Tesla.

A novel geometrically adjustable transceiver array system is presented. A key feature of the geometrically adjustable array was the introduction of decoupling capacitors that allow for automatic change in capacitance dependent on neighboring resonant element distance. The 16-element head array version of such an adjustable coil based on transmission line technology was compared to fixed geometry transmission line arrays (TLAs) of various sizes at 7T.

Radiofrequency heating at 9.4T: in vivo temperature measurement results in swine.

In vivo temperatures were correlated to the whole head average specific absorption rate (SAR(avg)) at 9.4T using 12 anesthetized swine (mean animal weight = 52 kg, standard deviation = 6.7 kg).

9.4T human MRI: preliminary results.

This work reports the preliminary results of the first human images at the new high-field benchmark of 9.4T. A 65-cm-diameter bore magnet was used together with an asymmetric 40-cm-diameter head gradient and shim set.

Transmit and receive transmission line arrays for 7 Tesla parallel imaging.

Transceive array coils, capable of RF transmission and independent signal reception, were developed for parallel, 1H imaging applications in the human head at 7 T (300 MHz). The coils combine the advantages of high-frequency properties of transmission lines with classic MR coil design. Because of the short wavelength at the 1H frequency at 300 MHz, these coils were straightforward to build and decouple.

Effects of urinary macromolecules on hydroxyapatite crystal formation.

Particle size analysis was combined with titration data obtained in constant-composition, hydroxyapatite (HA)-seeded, crystal growth assays. With addition of large amounts of HA (250 microg), titration rates were linear, new crystal formation was minimal, and aggregation effects could be detected. With addition of small amounts of HA (62.