• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2001

Purpose : The water exchange rate between bulk water and bound water is an important parameter in deciding the efficiency of paramagnetic contrast agents. In this study, we evaluated the water exchange rates of various Gd-chelates using oxygen-17 NMR technique. Material and Methods : The samples (Gd-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA, Gd-DOTA, Gd-EOB-DTPA) were prepared by mixing 5% $^{17}O-enriched$ water (Isotech, USA). The pH of the samples was adjusted to physiological value [pH=7.0] by buffer solution. The variable temperature $^{17}O-NMR$ measurements were performed using Bruker-600 (14.1 T, 81.3 MHz) spectrometer. Bruker VT-1000 temperature control units were used to stabilize the temperature. The $^{17}O$ spin-spin relaxation times (T2) were measured using Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG)I pulse sequence with 24 echo trains. The variable temperature T2 relaxation data were then fitted into Solomon-Bloembergen equations using least square fit algorithm to estimate the water exchange times. Results : From the measured $^{17}O-NMR$ relaxation rates, the determined water exchange rates at 300K are $0.42{\;}{\mu}s$ for Gd-DTPA, $1.99{\;}{\mu}s$ for Gd-DTPA-BMA, $0.27{\;}{\mu}s$ for Gd-DOTA, and $0.11{\;}{\mu}s$ for Gd-EOB-DTPA. The Gd-DTPA-BMA showed slowest exchange whereas Gd-EOB-DTPA had fastest water exchange rate. In addition, it was found that the water exchange rates (${\tau}_m$) of all samples had exponential temperature dependence with different decay constant. Conclusion : $^{17}O-NMR$ relaxation rate measurements, when combined with variable temperature technique, provide a solid tool for studying water exchange rate, which is very important in investigating the detailed mechanism of relaxation enhancement effect of the paramagnetic contrast agents.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2000

Purpose: To determine the electronic spin relaxation times, $T_{le}$, of three commercially available Gd-chelated MR contrast agents, Gd-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA and Gd-DOTA, using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance(EPR) technique. Material and Methods: The paramagnetic MR contrast agents, Gd-DTFA(Magnevist) , Gd-DTFA-BMA(OMNISCAN) and Gd-DOTA(Dotarem), were used for this study, The EPR spectra of these contrast agents, which were prepared 2:1 methanol/water solution, were obtained at low temperatures, from $-160^{\circ}C~20^{\circ}C$. The glassy-state EPR spectra for these contrast agents were then fitted by the simulation spectra generated with different zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters by a computer simulation program 'GEN', which generates the EPR powder spectrum using a given ZFS in $3{\times}3$ tensor. Finally, the spin relaxation times of the contrast agents were then determined from the $T_{2e}$, D, and E values of the best simulation spectra using the McLachlan's theory of average relaxation rate. Results: The electronic transverse spin relaxation times, $T_{2e}'s$, of Gd-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA and Gd-DOTA were 0.113ns, 0.147ns and 1.81ns respectively. The g-values were 1.9737, 1.9735 and 1.9830 and the electronic spin relaxation times, $T_{1e}'s$, were 18.70ns, 33.40ns and $1.66{\mu}s$, respectively. Conclusion: The results of these studies reconfirm that the paramagnetic MR contrast agents with larger ZFS parameters should have shorter $T_{1e}'s$. Among three contrast agents used for this study, Gd-DOTA chelated with cyclic ligand structure shows better electronic property then the others with linear structure. Thus, it is concluded that the exact determination of ZFS parameters is the important factor in evaluating relaxation enhancement effect of the agents and in developing new contrast agents.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 2002

Purpose : To demonstrate that the relaxographic method provides additional information such as the distribution of relaxation times and water content which are poentially applicable to clinical medicine. Materials and Methods : First, the computer simulation was performed with the generated relaxation data to verify the accuracy and reliabilility of the relaxographic method (CONTINI). Secondly, in or der to see how well the CONTIN quantifies and resolves the two different ${T_1}$ environments, we calculated the oil to water peak area ratios and identified peak positions of ${T_1}-distribution$ curve of the phantom solutions, which consist of four centrifugal tubes (10 ml) filled with the compounds of 0, 10, 20, 30% of corn oil and distilled water, using CONTIN. Finally, inversion recovery MR images for a volunteer are acquired for each TI ranged from 40 to 1160 msec with TR/TE=2200/20 msec. From the 3 different ROIs (GM, WM, CSF), CONTIN analysis was performed to obtain the ${T_1}$-distribution curves, which gave peak positions and peak area of each ROI location. Results : The simulation result shows that the errors of peak positions were less in the higher peak (centered ${T_1}=600$ msec) than in the lower peak (centered ${T_1}=150$ msec) for all SNR but the errors of peak areas were larger in the higher peak than in the lower peak. The CONTIN analysis of the measured relaxation data of phantoms revealed two peaks between 20 and 60 msec and between 500 and 700 msec. The analysis gives the peak area ratio as oil 10%: oil 20%: oil 30% = 1:1.3:1.9, which is different from the exact ratio, 1:2:3. For human brain, in ROI 3 (CSF), only one component of -distributions was observed whereas in ROI 1(GM) and in ROI 2 (WM) we observed two components of ${T_1}-distribution$. For the WM and CSF there was great agreement between the observed ${T_1}-relaxation$ times and the reported values. Conclusion : we demonstrated that the relaxographic method provided additional information such as the distribution of relaxation times and water content, which were not available in the routine relaxometry and ${T_1}/{T_2}$ mapping techniques. In addition, these additional information provided by relaxographic analysis may have clinical importance.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Purpose : $T_2{^*}$ relaxation time which includes susceptibility information represents unique feature of tissue. The objective of this study was to investigate $T_2{^*}$ relaxation times of the normal glandular tissue and fat of breast using a 3T MRI system. Materials and Methods: Seven-echo MR Images were acquired from 52 female subjects (age $49{\pm}12 $years; range, 25 to 75) using a three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo sequence. Echo times were between 2.28 ms to 25.72 ms in 3.91 ms steps. Voxel-based $T_2{^*}$ relaxation times and $R_2{^*}$ relaxation rate maps were calculated by using the linear curve fitting for each subject. The 3D regions-of-interest (ROI) of the normal glandular tissue and fat were drawn on the longest echo-time image to obtain $T_2{^*}$ and $R_2{^*}$ values. Mean values of those parameters were calculated over all subjects. Results: The 3D ROI sizes were $4818{\pm}4679$ voxels and $1455{\pm}785$ voxels for the normal glandular tissue and fat, respectively. The mean $T_2{^*}$ values were $22.40{\pm}5.61ms$ and $36.36{\pm}8.77ms$ for normal glandular tissue and fat, respectively. The mean $R_2{^*}$ values were $0.0524{\pm}0.0134/ms$ and $0.0297{\pm}0.0069/ms$ for the normal glandular tissue and fat, respectively. Conclusion: $T_2{^*}$ and $R_2{^*}$ values were measured from human breast tissues. $T_2{^*}$ of the normal glandular tissue was shorter than that of fat. Measurement of $T_2{^*}$ relaxation time could be important to understand susceptibility effects in the breast cancer and the normal tissue.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.259-263
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• 2008

An effect of low-temperature long-term thermal degradation on a degree of crystallinity of a low density polyethylene (LDPE) was investigated by using $^1H$ solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR). Firstly, the long-term thermal treatment makes a color of LDPE from white to pale yellow which is indicative of thermal oxidation. Secondly, it makes the $^{1}H$ NMR spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times ($T_1$) to be long. Lastly, the degree of crystallinity of the semicrystalline aged-LDPE also decreases with thermal treatment. Above all, the $T_1$ increase is envisaged to be due to either a decrease of the amorphous regions governing overall spin-lattice relaxation mechanism in LDPEs or a dynamically restricted motion of specific molecular motions by intermolecular hydrogen bonding or crosslinking. However, since the decrease of crystallinity implies an increase of amorphous regions by the thermal treatment, the former case is contrast to our results. Accordingly, we concluded that the latter effect is responsible for the $T_1$ increase.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1332-1340
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a new three-dimensional (3D) MR fingerprinting (MRF) technique for the prostate gland by conducting phantom and clinical studies. Materials and Methods: The new 3D MRF technique used in this study enables quick data acquisition and has a high resolution. For the phantom study, the MRF T1 and T2 values in an in-house phantom were compared with those of goldstandard mapping methods using linear regression analysis. For the clinical study, we evaluated 90 patients who underwent prostate imaging with MRF for suspected prostate cancer between September 2019 and February 2020. The mean T1 and T2 values were compared in the peripheral zone, transition zone, and focal lesions using paired t tests. The differences in the T1 and T2 values according to cancer aggressiveness were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance. Results: In the phantom study, the MRF T1 and T2 values showed a perfect correlation with the gold-standard T1 and T2 values (R > 0.99). In the clinical study, the T1 and T2 values in the peripheral zone were significantly higher than those in the transitional zone (p < 0.001, both). The T1 and T2 values in prostate cancer were significantly lower than those in the peripheral and transitional zones. The higher the grade of cancer, the lower the T2 values. Conclusion: The T1 and T2 values obtained from the 3D MRF showed a perfect correlation with the gold standard values in the phantom study. Differences in the T1 and T2 values among the different zones of the prostate gland were identified using 3D MRF in patients.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2008

The magnetic and other physical characteristics of $Mn_xSi_{1-x}Te$ have been investigated by electron magnetic resonance (EMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other experiments. $Mn_xSi_{1-x}Te$ is found to have corundum structure for manganese contents up to 10% and also to be ferromagnetic for temperatures below 80 K. While ferromagnetic resonance signal coexists with the usual paramagnetic resonance signal, invariance of the g-factor inferred from the electron paramagnetic resonance signals throughout all temperature ranges clearly confirms that the manganese ions are in the electronic 3d5 state. The temperature dependence of EMR line-width is the same as other diluted magnetic semiconductors. From the EMR signals relaxation times $T_2$ and $T_1$ of $Mn_xSi_{1-x}Te$ compounds are estimated to be about $4.4{\times}10^{-10}s$ and $9.3{\times}10^{-8}s$ respectively and are found to vary slightly with temperature or composition change. Exchange narrowing of the EMR line-width becomes dominant for the sample in which the substitution ratio, x = 30%. For one sample, in which x = 0.5%, spin glass-like behavior is indicated by EMR signals for temperatures lower than 60 K. This behavior may authentic for samples within a certain range of x.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.613-618
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• 2003

The magnetic heating effect of $SiO_2$coated $ \Upsilon-Fe_2$$O_3$nanocomposite particle due to magnetic relaxational loss of superparamagnetic regime was investigated by measuring the generated heat from nanocomposite particles in alternative applied magnetic fields. The commercial $ \Upsilon-Fe_2$$O_3$nanoparticles were coated by SiO$_2$in water solution with TEOS and the synthesized nanocomposite powders and its magnetic properties were characterized and compared with the raw$ \Upsilon-Fe_2$$O_3$nanoparticles. The 10∼30 nm sized $ \Upsilon-Fe_2$$O_3$. nanoparticles were coated by 5 nm thickness of amorphous $SiO_2$film. The nanocomposite particle has very low Mr and Hc value showing superparamagnetic behavior The magnetic heating effect of nanocomposite particle on surface coating phase of $SiO_2$was discussed in terms of superparamagnetic behaviors of each particles, and their potential for hyperthermia application was evaluated.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.61-63
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• 2010

We used $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study the phase transitions and molecular dynamics in a characteristic ferroelectric liquid crystal with a carbon number n = 7, S-2-methylbutyl 4-n-heptyloxybiphenyl-4'-carboxylate (C7). The results were compared with those of our recent work on S-2-methylbutyl 4-n-octanoyloxybiphenyl-4'-carboxylate (C8), with a carbon number n = 8. While the recrystallization and isotropic phase transitions exhibited a first-order nature in the $^1H$ NMR spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation measurements, a second-order nature was shown at the Sm-A - Sm-$C^*$ liquid crystalline phase transition. A soft-mode anomaly arising from the tilt angle amplitude fluctuation of the director, of which only a hint had been noticed in the C8 system, was manifested in the C7 system at this transition.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.98-105
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• 2015

Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary musculoskeletal disorder caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common, and progresses relatively faster than other muscular dystrophies. It is characterized by progressive myofiber degeneration, muscle weakness and ultimately ambulatory loss. Since it is an X-linked recessive inheritance, DMD is mostly expressed in males and rarely expressed or less severe in females. The most effective measurement tool for DMD is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allows non-invasive examination of longitudinal measurement. It can detect progressive decline of skeletal muscle size by measuring a maximal cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle. Additionally, other techniques in MRI, like $T_2$-weighted imaging, assess muscle damage, including inflammation, by detecting changes in $T_2$ relaxation time. Current MRI techniques even allow quantification of metabolic differences between affected and non-affected muscles in DMD. There is no current cure, but physical therapist can improve their quality of life by maintaining muscle strength and function, especially if treatment (and other forms of medical intervention) begins in the early stages of the disease.