Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Magnetic Susceptibility Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance IMAGING*

Abstract

The technique used to recognise information in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is based on electromagnetic fields. A linearly varying field (around 10^?2 Tesla per meter) is added to a strong homogeneous magnetic field (order of magnitude of approximately one Tesla). When these fields are disturbed by the presence of a paramagnetic material, in the sample for instance, the resulting image is usually distorted, these distortions being termed artifacts. Our goal is to present a method, assuming the field disturbances are known, to construct the resulting images. A mathematical model of the MRI process is developed. The way the images are distorted in intensity and shape is explained and an algorithm to simulate magnetic susceptibility artifacts is deduced.     

Stress-Based Plaque Vulnerability Index and Assessment for Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques Using Patient-Specific Vessel Material Properties

Cardiovascular diseases are closely linked to atherosclerotic plaque development and rupture. Assessment of plaque vulnerability is of fundamental significance to cardiovascular research and disease diagnosis, prevention, treatment and management. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) data of carotid atherosclerotic plaques from 8 patients (5 male, 3 female; age: 62-83, mean=71) were acquired at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle by the Vascular Imaging Laboratory (VIL) with written informed consent obtained. Patient-specific vessel material properties were quantified using Cine MRI data for modeling use. 3D thin-layer models were used to obtain plaque stress and strain for plaque assessment. A stress-based plaque vulnerability index (SPVI) was proposed to combine mechanical analysis, plaque morphology and composition for more complete carotid plaque vulnerability assessment. The five intervals (unit: kPa) [0, 46.8), [46.8, 80), [80, 92), [92, 103), and [103, +∞) from in vivo material models were used for SPVI values of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The optimized agreement rate was 85.19%. The use of patient-specific material properties in plaque models could potentially improve the accuracy of model stress/strain calculations. SPVI has the potential to improve the current image-based screening and plaque vulnerability assessment schemes.     

CT与MRI对肝硬化背景下小肝癌检出率的比较

目的:分析比较CT与MR对肝硬化背景下小肝癌检出情况,探究CT与MR在肝硬化背景下小肝癌的诊断价值。方法:选择2010年6月~2015年6月期间,我院收治确诊为肝硬化背景下小肝癌患者91例为研究对象,病理及临床相关方法确诊102个病灶,其中小肝癌69个和微小肝癌33个,患者均在不同时期或序列下行多排螺旋CT与MRI检查,分析比较两者对小肝癌和微小肝癌的检出率。结果:多排螺旋CT检查发现肝癌小病灶91个,其中66个小肝癌,25个微小肝癌;MRI检查发现95个病灶,小肝癌67个,微小肝癌28个;69个小肝癌病灶,检出率最高的为CT动脉期(92.75%)与LAVA动脉期(92.75%),检出率最低的为CT平扫(76.81%);33个微小肝癌病灶,检出率最高为LAVA动脉期(75.76%),检出率最低的为LAVA平衡期(36.36%);CT平扫、门静脉期、动脉期、平衡期、MRI-IN-PHASE、LAVA平衡期、LAVA平扫对小肝癌的检出率显著高于对微小肝癌的检出率(P0.05);CT对小肝癌的检出率显著高于微小肝癌的检出率(P0.05),MRI对小肝癌与微小肝癌的检出率无显著差异(P0.05);MRI与CT对小肝癌的检出率不存在差异(P0.05),但MRI对微小肝癌的检出率显著高于CT(P0.05)。结论:MRI-LAVA的动脉期序列对小肝癌病灶与微小肝癌病灶的检出率最高;CT与MRI在对小肝癌的检出率不存在差异,但MRI对微小肝癌的检出具有更明显的优势。     

Comparison of intervertebral disc displacements measured under applied loading with MRI at 3.0 T and 9.4 T

The purpose of this study was to compare displacement behavior of cyclically loaded cadaveric human intervertebral discs as measured noninvasively on a clinical 3.0 T and a research 9.4 T MRI system. Intervertebral discs were cyclically compressed at physiologically relevant levels with the same MRI-compatible loading device in the clinical and research systems. Displacement-encoded imaging was synchronized to cyclic loading to measure displacements under applied loading with MRI (dualMRI). Displacements from the two systems were compared individually using linear regression and, across all specimens, using Bland–Altman analysis. In-plane displacement patterns measured at 3.0 T and 9.4 T were qualitatively comparable and well correlated. Bland–Altman analyses showed that over 90% of displacement values within the intervertebral disc regions of interest lay within the limits of agreement. Measurement of displacement using dualMRI using a 3.0 T clinical system is comparable to that of a 9.4 T research system. Additional refinements of software, technique implementation, and image processing have potential to improve agreement between different MRI systems. Despite differences in MRI systems in this initial implementation, this work demonstrates that dualMRI can be reliably implemented at multiple magnetic field strengths, permitting translation of dualMRI for a variety of applications in the study of tissue and biomaterial biomechanics.     

MRI metrics at the epicenter of spinal cord injury are correlated with the stepping process in rhesus monkeys

Clinical evaluations of long-term outcomes in the early-stage spinal cord injury (SCI) focus on macroscopic motor performance and are limited in their prognostic precision. This study was designed to investigate the sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indexes to the data-driven gait process after SCI. Ten adult female rhesus monkeys were subjected to thoracic SCI. Kinematics-based gait examinations were performed at 1 (early stage) and 12 (chronic stage) months post-SCI. The proportion of stepping (PS) and gait stability (GS) were calculated as the outcome measures. MRI metrics, which were derived from structural imaging (spinal cord cross-sectional area, SCA) and diffusion tensor imaging (fractional anisotropy, FA; axial diffusivity, λ_//), were acquired in the early stage and compared with functional outcomes by using correlation analysis and stepwise multivariable linear regression. Residual tissue SCA at the injury epicenter and residual tissue FA/remote normal-like tissue FA were correlated with the early-stage PS and GS. The extent of lesion site λ_///residual tissue λ_// in the early stage after SCI was correlated with the chronic-stage GS. The ratios of lesion site λ_// to residual tissue λ_// and early-stage GS were predictive of the improvement in the PS at follow-up. Similarly, the ratios of lesion site λ_// to residual tissue λ_// and early-stage PS best predicted chronic GS recovery. Our findings demonstrate the predictive power of MRI combined with the early data-driven gait indexes for long-term outcomes. Such an approach may help clinicians to predict functional recovery accurately.     

Technologic advances in the imaging of ovarian morphology and their roles in ascertaining follicular growth and development in the rhesus monkey

Imaging follicular development has advanced notably from the invasive—laparotomy—to the relatively noninvasive—laparoscopy (making frequent observations over a single cycle possible)—to totally noninvasive approaches such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Now we can identify the dominant preovulatory follicle (DF) in macaques by day 6 of the menstrual cycle via laparoscopy and by day 6–8 via ultrasonography. MRI scans are remarkably correlated with histologic specimens. We obtained axial, coronal, and sagittal ovarian images with MRI software. Moreover, we are discerning structure/function relationships in ovarian estrogen-receptor systems using X-ray autoradiography and immunocytochemistry. We have localized the estrogen receptor in functional corpus luteum (CL) with ³H-estradiol and in germinal epithelium and granulosa cells with monoclonal antibody to the receptor. We believe that by using a combination of the aforementioned techniques, we will be able to investigate more fully the processes of recruitment and selection of ovarian follicles.     

MRI and biochemical investigation of the temporomandibular joint of juvenile pigs after sagittal advancement of the mandibulae

Orthodontic treatment leads to changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The extent and manner of alterations are not yet clarified completely. The non-invasive diagnostic methods do not provide any precise data about the extent of alterations. The aim of the present investigation was to analyse the TMJ cartilage after orthodontic treatment with non-invasive and invasive methods.

For the present investigation, twelve 10-week-old pigs including six control animals were used. Treatment was carried out with build-ups on the molars for sagittal advancement of the mandibulae. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and determination of the Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ content were carried out 4 weeks after implantation of the build-ups. Tissue samples for ion determination were taken from the posterior area of the TMJ (condyle and fossa). During condylar growth a significant increase in cartilage volume and decrease of Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ content was observed. The newly formed tissue had a water content of 80–90%. On MR images of animals with build-ups this area was visible as a bright zone with increased signal intensity.

The determined stress potential of the condylar cartilage was reduced as a result of less functional stress in the posterior area accompanied by water intake. The newly formed cartilage matrix contained significantly less Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺, and cannot be defined as permanently stable cartilage.     

MRI在甲状腺肿瘤的肿块定位和良恶性判断中的应用研究

目的:总结甲状腺肿瘤的核磁共振成像(MRI)影像学表现,评价MRI在甲状腺肿瘤的肿块定位及良恶性判断中的应用价值。方法:选取我院外科收治的经MRI诊断为甲状腺癌的患者60例,总结所有患者的影像学资料,并将其与诊断金标准(病理学检查结果)相比较,分析MRI检查诊断累及组织和鉴别良恶性甲状腺肿瘤的准确率等。结果:MRI影像学结果清晰可见甲状腺肿瘤的部位、形态、密度、边界及是否有钙化等重要征象;MRI对良恶性肿瘤诊断准确性为95.0%。MRI对肿瘤累积膜外脂肪、肿瘤的淋巴结以及肿瘤的食管转移均有较高的准确性、敏感性与特异性。结论:MRI影像学检查清晰可见甲状腺肿瘤的部位、形态、密度、边界及是否有钙化等重要征象,对临床上甲状腺肿瘤的肿块定位及良恶性鉴别诊断具有重要的参考意义。     

Sensitivity of MRI signal distribution within the intervertebral disc to image segmentation and data normalisation

There is a lack of early biomarkers of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Thus, the authors developed the analysis of magnetic resonance signal intensity distribution (AMRSID) method to analyse the 3D distribution of the T2-weighted MR signal intensity within the IVD using normalised histograms, weighted centres and volume ratios. The objective was to assess the sensitivity of the AMRSID method to the segmentation process and data normalisation. Repetition of the semi-automatic segmentation by the same operator did not influence the quality of the contour or our new MR distribution parameters whereas the skills of the operator influenced only the MR distribution parameters, and the instructions given prior to the segmentation influenced both the quality of the contour and the MR distribution parameters. Bone normalisation produces an index that jointly highlights IVD and bone health, whereas cerebrospinal fluid normalisation only suppresses the effect of the acquisition gain. This robust AMRSID method has the potential to improve the diagnostic with earlier biomarkers and the prognosis of evolution.     

磁共振成像技术在毛竹幼竹显微结构和水分含量表征中的应用

竹子节部对竹秆的中空结构以及竹秆快速高生长起着关键作用,研究竹子解剖结构有助于认识竹子生长机制。本研究利用核磁共振成像(MRI)无创、高分辨率和准确的技术优势,对毛竹幼竹去笋箨梢部进行横切面高精度核磁共振成像扫描,使用MATLAB软件对 MRI进行灰度值采集,分析节部、近节部和节间水分分布差异。结果表明: 无数维管束在毛竹幼竹节隔以及近节隔内腔反复扭曲和水平转动,组成了一个错综复杂和高度连接的网络结构,通过分轴向载荷来保护重要组织免受机械应力,同时实现水分和营养物质的横向运输,这是毛竹在短时间内快速完成高生长的重要基础。MRI信号值(亮度值)表明,幼竹维管束的水分含量远远高于周围的基本组织。节间平均水分含量和像素点间含水量标准差显著高于节部,近节部居中。MRI技术可以在未来竹子解剖学和生理生化学研究中发挥作用。     

Artifact quantification of venous stents in the MRI environment: Differences between braided and laser-cut designs

PurposeTo quantify B₀- and B₁-induced imaging artifacts of braided venous stents and to compare the artifacts to a set of laser-cut stents used in venous interventions.MethodsThree prototypes of braided venous stents with different geometries were tested in vitro. B₀ field distortion maps were measured via the frequency shift $\mathrm{\Delta }f$ using multi-echo imaging. B₁ distortions were quantified using the double angle method. The relative amplitudes $B_1^{\mathit{rel}}$ were calculated to compare the intraluminal alteration of B₁. Measurements were repeated with the stents in three different orientations: parallel, diagonal and orthogonal to B₀.ResultsAt 1.5 T, the braided stents induced a maximum frequency shift of $\left|\mathrm{\Delta }f\left(\mathit{x}\right)\right|<100\mathrm{H}\mathrm{z}$. Signal voids were limited to a distance of 2 mm to the stent walls at an echo time of 3 ms. No substantial difference in the B₀ field distortions was seen between laser-cut and braided venous stents. $B_1^{\mathit{rel}}$ maps showed strongly varying distortion patterns in the braided stents with the mean intraluminal $B_1^{\mathit{rel}}$ ranging from $\left(63\pm 18\right)\%$ in prototype 1 to $\left(98\pm 38\right)\%$ in prototype 2. Compared to laser-cut stents the braided stents showed a 5 to 9 times higher coefficient of variation of the intraluminal $B_1^{\mathit{rel}}$.ConclusionBraided venous stent prototypes allow for MR imaging of the intraluminal area without substantial signal voids due to B₀-induced artifacts. Whereas B₁ is attenuated homogeneously in laser-cut stents, the B₁ distortion in braided stents is more inhomogeneous and shows areas with enhanced amplitude. This could potentially be used in braided stent designs for intraluminal signal amplification.     

In vivo assessment of nodularin-induced hepatotoxicity in the rat using magnetic resonance techniques (MRI, MRS and EPR oximetry)

Acute nodularin-induced hepatotoxicity was assessed in vivo, in rats using magnetic resonance (MR) techniques, including MR imaging (MRI), MR spectroscopy (MRS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry. Nodularin is a cyclic hepatotoxin isolated from the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena. Three hours following the intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of nodularin (LD50), a region of 'damage', characterized by an increase in signal intensity, was observed proximal to the porta hepatis (PH) region in T2-weighted MR images of rat liver. Image analysis of these regions of apparent 'damage' indicated a statistically significant increase in signal intensity around the PH region following nodularin administration, in comparison with controls and regions peripheral to the PH region. An increase in signal intensity was also observed proximal to the PH region in water chemical shift selective images (CSSI) of nodularin-treated rat livers, indicating that the increased signal observed by MRI is an oedematous response to the toxin. Microscopic assessment (histology and electron microscopy) and serum liver enzyme function tests (aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate ALT (AST)) confirmed the nodularin-induced tissue injury observed by MRI. In vivo and in vitro MRS was used to detect alterations in metabolites, such as lipids, Glu+Gln, and choline, during the hepatotoxic response (2-3 h post-exposure). Biochemical assessment of perchloric acid extracts of nodularin-treated rat livers were used to confirm the MRS results. In vivo EPR oximetry was used to monitor decreasing hepatic pO2 (approximately 2-fold from controls) 2-3 h following nodularin exposure. In vivo MR techniques (MRI, MRS and EPR oximetry) are able to highlight effects that may not have been evident in single end point studies, and are ideal methods to follow tissue injury progression in longitudinally, increasing the power of a study through repeated measures, and decreasing the number of animals to perform a similar study using histological or biochemical techniques.     

组织学与核磁共振检测大鼠癫痫源性早期脑损伤的跨半球扩布特征

侵性强直电刺激(60Hz,2s)大鼠右侧背海马(hippocampus,DHPC)CAl基树突区,1次/d,连续刺激10d。分别在施加强直电刺激的第2、4、6、8或10d时进行核磁共振成像检测(T2 weighted magnetic resonamce image T2-WI),并对鼠脑进行组织学切片鉴定。结果表明,早期慢性癫痫源性脑损伤的病理性形态特征主要包括：(1)T2-WI检测侧脑室(lateral ventricle,LV)区域信号增强、组织学检测LV扩大和双侧对称性脉络膜丛病理性增生,后两者并非完全平行呈现。(2)组织学切片显示双侧LV扩大面积与T2-WI信号增强区域面积的脑区分布近似。与空白对照组大鼠相比,电刺激2、4、6、8和10d后,T2-WI信号增强区域面积显著增大(P=0．0259;P＝0．0184;P=0．0184;P＝0．0404;P＝0．0259)以及组织学鉴定LV面积增大(P＝0．0210;P＝0．01;P＝0．0100;P=0．0152).(3)定侧分析显示,T2-WI信号增强以及T2-WI信号增强区域面积和组织学鉴定LV面积扩大,在慢性刺激6d时均以植入电极的对侧为主;第10d时均以同侧为主。三项观察结果的一致性证实了癫痫源性早期脑损伤的跨半球动态扩布特征。     

Comparative studies with EPR and MRI on the in vivo tissue redox status estimation using redox-sensitive nitroxyl probes: influence of the choice of the region of interest

In vivo decay rates of a nitroxyl contrast agent were estimated by a MR redox imaging (MRRI) technique and compared with the decay rates obtained by the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPRS) and imaging (EPRI). MRRI is a dynamic imaging technique employing T₁-weighted pulse sequence, which can visualise a nitroxyl-induced enhancement of signal intensity by T₁-weighted contrast. EPR techniques can directly measure the paramagnetic nitroxyl radical. Both the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tumour-bearing and normal legs of a female C3H mouse were scanned by T₁-weighted SPGR sequence at 4.7 T with the nitroxyl radical, carbamoyl-proxyl (CmP), as the contrast agent. Similarly, the time course of CmP in normal muscle and tumour tissues was obtained using a 700-MHz EPR spectrometer with a surface coil. The time course imaging of CmP was also performed by 300?MHz CW EPR imager. EPRS and EPRI gave slower decay rates of CmP compared to the MRRI. Relatively slow decay rate at peripheral region of the tumour tissues, which was found in the image obtained by MRRI, may contribute to the slower decay rates observed by EPRS and/or the EPRI measurements. To reliably determine the tissue redox status from the reduction rates of nitroxyls such as CmP, heterogenic structure in the tumour tissue must be considered. The high spatial and temporal resolution of T₁-weighted MRI and the T₁-enhancing capabilities of nitroxyls support the use of this method to map tissue redox status which can be a useful biomarker to guide appropriate treatments based on the tumour microenvironment.     

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Most of the choices we make have uncertain consequences. In some cases the probabilities for different possible outcomes are precisely known, a condition termed "risky". In other cases when probabilities cannot be estimated, this is a condition described as "ambiguous". While most people are averse to both risk and ambiguity^1,2, the degree of those aversions vary substantially across individuals, such that the subjective value of the same risky or ambiguous option can be very different for different individuals. We combine functional MRI (fMRI) with an experimental economics-based method³ to assess the neural representation of the subjective values of risky and ambiguous options⁴. This technique can be now used to study these neural representations in different populations, such as different age groups and different patient populations.In our experiment, subjects make consequential choices between two alternatives while their neural activation is tracked using fMRI. On each trial subjects choose between lotteries that vary in their monetary amount and in either the probability of winning that amount or the ambiguity level associated with winning. Our parametric design allows us to use each individual''s choice behavior to estimate their attitudes towards risk and ambiguity, and thus to estimate the subjective values that each option held for them. Another important feature of the design is that the outcome of the chosen lottery is not revealed during the experiment, so that no learning can take place, and thus the ambiguous options remain ambiguous and risk attitudes are stable. Instead, at the end of the scanning session one or few trials are randomly selected and played for real money. Since subjects do not know beforehand which trials will be selected, they must treat each and every trial as if it and it alone was the one trial on which they will be paid. This design ensures that we can estimate the true subjective value of each option to each subject. We then look for areas in the brain whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of risky options and for areas whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of ambiguous options.     

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of the first reported case of an inv dup (4p)(p15.1-pter) with a concomitant 4q35.1-qter deletion and normal parents

Inverted duplications associated with terminal deletions are complex anomalies described in an increasing of chromosome ends. We report on the cytogenetic characterization of the first de novo inv dup del(4) with partial 4p duplication and 4q deletion in a girl with clinical signs consistent with “recombinant 4 syndrome”. This abnormality was suspected by banding, but high-resolution molecular cytogenetic investigations allowed us to define the breakpoints of the rearrangement. The terminal duplicated region extending from 4p15.1 to the telomere was estimated to be 29.27 Mb, while the size of the terminal deletion was 3.114 Mb in the 4q35.1 region. Until now, 10 patients with duplicated 4p14-p15 and deleted 4q35 chromosome 4 have been described. In all cases the abnormal chromosome 4 was derived from a pericentric inversion inherited from one of the parents. In conclusion, we have identified the first case of inv dup del(4) with normal parents suggesting that, often, terminal duplications or terminal deletions mask complex rearrangements.     

Cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 inhibits hepatitis C virus at the initial phase of infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects 2–3% of the global population. Approximately one-quarter of acute infections cause chronic hepatitis that leads to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. The major obstacle of current research is the extremely narrow host tropism of HCV. A single HCV strain can replicate in the Huh7 human hepatoma cell line. Huh7 cells can be adapted under selective pressure in vitro to identify host factors that influence viral replication. Here, we extended this strategy to the in vivo condition and generated a series of cell lines by multiple rounds of adaptation in immunocompromised mice. Adaptation increased the cellular resistance to HCV infection. Microarray analyses revealed that the expression levels of several genes were associated with HCV resistance. Notably, up-regulation of the mRNA encoding cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3), a glycoprotein with unknown function that is secreted from multiple exocrine glands, was correlated with HCV resistance. The presence of CRISP3 in the culture medium limited HCV replication at the early phase of infection.     

A Dual Tracer PET-MRI Protocol for the Quantitative Measure of Regional Brain Energy Substrates Uptake in the Rat

We present a method for comparing the uptake of the brain''s two key energy substrates: glucose and ketones (acetoacetate [AcAc] in this case) in the rat. The developed method is a small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) protocol, in which ¹¹C-AcAc and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) are injected sequentially in each animal. This dual tracer PET acquisition is possible because of the short half-life of ¹¹C (20.4 min). The rats also undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition seven days before the PET protocol. Prior to image analysis, PET and MRI images are coregistered to allow the measurement of regional cerebral uptake (cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum). A quantitative measure of ¹¹C-AcAc and ¹⁸F-FDG brain uptake (cerebral metabolic rate; μmol/100 g/min) is determined by kinetic modeling using the image-derived input function (IDIF) method. Our new dual tracer PET protocol is robust and flexible; the two tracers used can be replaced by different radiotracers to evaluate other processes in the brain. Moreover, our protocol is applicable to the study of brain fuel supply in multiple conditions such as normal aging and neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s diseases.     

MRS glucose mapping and PET joining forces: re‐evaluation of the lumped constant in the rat brain under isoflurane anaesthesia

Although numerous positron emission tomography (PET) studies with ¹⁸F‐fluoro‐deoxyglucose (FDG) have reported quantitative results on cerebral glucose kinetics and consumption, there is a large variation between the absolute values found in the literature. One of the underlying causes is the inconsistent use of the lumped constants (LCs), the derivation of which is often based on multiple assumptions that render absolute numbers imprecise and errors hard to quantify. We combined a kinetic FDG‐PET study with magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of glucose dynamics in Sprague–Dawley rats to obtain a more comprehensive view of brain glucose kinetics and determine a reliable value for the LC under isoflurane anaesthesia. Maps of T_max/CMR_glc derived from MRSI data and T_max determined from PET kinetic modelling allowed to obtain an LC‐independent CMR_glc. The LC was estimated to range from 0.33 ± 0.07 in retrosplenial cortex to 0.44 ± 0.05 in hippocampus, yielding CMR_glc between 62 ± 14 and 54 ± 11 μmol/min/100 g, respectively. These newly determined LCs for four distinct areas in the rat brain under isoflurane anaesthesia provide means of comparing the growing amount of FDG‐PET data available from translational studies.