scholarly journals Characterization of the decay process of Scots pine caused by Coniophora puteana using NMR and MRI

Holzforschung ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 1021-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami Hiltunen ◽  
Arttu Mankinen ◽  
Muhammad Asadullah Javed ◽  
Susanna Ahola ◽  
Martti Venäläinen ◽  
...  

AbstractWood decay is an economically significant process, as it is one of the major causes of wood deterioration in buildings. In this study, the decay process of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) samples caused by cellar fungus (Coniophora puteana) was followed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. Altogether, 30 wood sample pieces were exposed to fungus for 10 weeks. Based on the decrease of the dry mass, the samples were categorized into three classes: decomposed (mass decrease 50–70%), slightly decomposed (10–50%), and nondecomposed (<10%). MRI made it possible to identify the active regions of fungus inside the wood samples based on the signal of free water brought by the fungus and arisen from the decomposition of wood carbohydrates. MRI implies that free water is not only created by the decay process, but fungal hyphae also transports a significant amount of water into the sample. Two-dimensional 1H T1-T2 relaxation correlation NMR measurements provided detailed information about the changes in the microstructure of wood due to fungal decomposition. Overall, this study paves the way for noninvasive NMR and MRI detection of fungal decay at early stages as well as the related structural changes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1445-1449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xenofon Baraliakos ◽  
Florian Hoffmann ◽  
Xiaohu Deng ◽  
Yan-Yan Wang ◽  
Feng Huang ◽  
...  

Objective.The volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique can visualize erosive cartilage defects in peripheral joints. We evaluated the ability of VIBE to detect erosions in sacroiliac joints (SIJ) of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) compared to the established T1-weighted MRI sequence and computed tomography (CT).Methods.MRI (T1-weighted and VIBE) and CT scans of SIJ of 109 patients with axSpA were evaluated by 2 blinded readers based on SIJ quadrants (SQ). Erosions were defined according to Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS) definitions. Scores were recorded if readers were in agreement.Results.Erosions were less frequently detected by CT (153 SQ) than by T1-weighted MRI (182 SQ; p = 0.008) and VIBE-MRI (199 SQ; p < 0.001 vs CT and p = 0.031 vs T1-weighted MRI). Taking CT as the gold standard, the sensitivity of VIBE-MRI (71.2%) was higher than that for T1-weighted MRI (63.4%), with similar specificity (87.3% vs 88%, respectively). In linear regression analysis, younger age was significantly associated with occurrence of erosions independently in VIBE-MRI (β = 0.384, p < 0.001) and T1-weighted MRI (β = 0.369, p < 0.001) compared to CT.Conclusion.The VIBE-MRI sequence was more sensitive than T1-weighted MRI in identifying erosive damage in the SIJ, especially in younger patients. This might be due to the ability of VIBE-MRI to identify structural changes in the cartilage that have not yet extended to the underlying bone, where CT seems to be superior.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannan Chen ◽  
Hongjing Dong ◽  
Jingkun Li ◽  
Lanping Guo ◽  
Xiao Wang

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata) is a prominent traditional herb and its dry tuber is officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. To ensure the quality of dried G. elata, the establishment of a nondestructive and convenient method to monitor the drying process is necessary. In this study, a nondestructive low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method was introduced to monitor the drying process of G. elata. Three water states (bound, immobilized, and free) in G. elata samples were investigated through multiexponential fitting and inversion of the NMR data. The variation and distribution of the three water states during drying were monitored by LF-NMR, and the spatial distribution of water and internal structural changes were analyzed by MRI. Linear analysis of the moisture content, L* (lightness), b* (yellowness), and NMR parameters showed good correlations among them. Furthermore, partial least squares regression (PLSR) model analysis, which takes into account all NMR parameters, also showed good correlations among these parameters. All results showed that LF-NMR was feasible and convenient for monitoring moisture content. Therefore, LF-NMR and MRI could be used to monitor the moisture content nondestructively in the drying process of Chinese traditional herbs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1088-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marloes van Onna ◽  
Astrid van Tubergen ◽  
Désirée M. van der Heijde ◽  
Anne Grethe Jurik ◽  
Robert Landewé

Objective.To assess whether bone marrow edema (BME) detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sacroiliac joints (MRI-SIJ) is associated with development of structural changes on both MRI and pelvic radiographs in patients with early inflammatory back pain (IBP).Methods.Patients with IBP ≤ 2 years were followed for 2 years with annual MRI-SIJ. MRI were scored for BME and structural changes (erosions and fatty lesions). Pelvic radiographs were graded according to the modified New York (mNY) criteria. With generalized estimated equation analysis, a time trend in the structural change scores was investigated.Results.Sixty-eight patients [38% male; mean (SD) age 34.9 (10.3) yrs] were included. During the 2-year followup, pelvic radiograph grading remained constant. On MRI, the number of erosions per patient increased significantly (mean score 2.5 at baseline and 3.5 at 2-yr followup; p = 0.05). A trend was found for an increase in the number of fatty lesions per patient (mean score 5.4 at baseline and 8.5 at 2-yr followup; p = 0.06). Overall, BME was associated with the development of fatty lesions (right SIJ: OR 3.13, 95% CI 1.06–9.20; left SIJ: OR 22.13, 95% CI 1.27–384.50), preferentially in quadrants showing resolution of BME. In contrast, BME (or the resolution thereof) was not associated with the development of erosions.Conclusion.BME at baseline, especially when it disappears over time, results in the development of fatty lesions, but an association with erosions could not be demonstrated.


HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 887-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miklos Faust ◽  
Dehua Liu ◽  
Merle M. Millard ◽  
G.W. Stutte

Intact apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) buds were examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI did not excite water in unchilled apple buds and could not image it. When chilling was satisfied, images were produced. We interpret this difference to mean that water is in bound and/or structured form in dormant apple leaf buds before the chilling requirement is satisfied. Conversion of bound to free water occurred equally in the low-chilling-requirement cultivar Anna and the high-chillingrequirement cultivar Northern Spy only after 600 and 4000 hours of chilling, respectively. It appears that processes involved in satisfying chilling requirement are also converting water in buds from bound to free form. Absence of free water in dormant buds during the winter signifies endodormancy, whereas when the water is in free form, buds are ecodormant. Thidiazuron, a dormancy-breaking agent, applied to partially chilled buds is instrumental in converting water to the free form within 24 hours. Summer-dormant buds contain free water, and they could be classified only as paradormant. Based on proton profiles, ecodormant and paradormant buds cannot be distinguished but endodormant buds can be readily identified.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengmei Gai ◽  
Zhonghui Zhang ◽  
Yufeng Zou ◽  
Dengyong Liu

AbstractThe challenges of food adulteration such as illegal production of water-injected meat remain serious in many areas of the world. This study investigated the feasibility of using LF-NMR and MRI to identify water-injected pork. Longissimus dorsi muscles were injected with 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 % and 25 % content of deionized water, respectively. The CPMG decay curves of water-injected pork decayed slower than that of the normal. The peak area proportion of immobilized water of water-injected pork decreased while relaxation time and peak area proportion of free water increased significantly (p < 0.05). The first two principal components (PCs) of PCA accounted for 54.54 % and 32.06 % of the observed variance, respectively. Based on the two PCs, the water-injected pork could be differentiated from the normal. Furthermore, the accumulation location of the injected-water in pork could be visualized by MRI. Therefore, LF-NMR combined with MRI offers an effective method for the detection of water-injected pork.


2018 ◽  

The brain undergoes structural changes as it develops over childhood, but whether abnormal structural changes are associated with emerging depressive symptoms in adolescence is unknown. Now, a longitudinal study that enrolled 205 participants aged 8-25 years without signs of depression has used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor these brain changes over adolescence.


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