A review of the current use of magnetic resonance imaging in pregnancy and safety implications for the fetus

This paper presents an overview of the application of and risks of exposure to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in pregnancy. It reviews the risks to the fetus by considering the hazards in terms of the three main components of an MRI system. These are the static magnetic field, the time-varying magnetic gradient fields and the pulsed radio frequency fields. The hazards discussed are biological effects, miscarriage, heating effects and acoustic noise exposure. This paper also presents a survey of MRI sites within the United Kingdom to ascertain the extent of MRI usage in pregnancy. To validate the situation of MRI in pregnancy a survey was sent to 352 MR units throughout the United Kingdom. The questions were grouped to assess (a) maternal MRI diagnosis (b) fetal MRI and (c) work practices for pregnant MRI staff. The results showed that 91% of sites were imaging pregnant women in need of diagnosis in the second and third trimester. This paper highlights that MRI can add information for fetal central nervous system abnormalities identified by ultrasound screening, however within the UK direct fetal imaging was only performed in 8% of sites. This paper indicates the need for research to be undertaken for specific MRI clinical conditions. It also advises that risk assessment for pregnant staff working in MRI is performed, and that there is a clear need for further research into the effects of MRI in pregnancy as there is a need for clear authoritive advice.     

Anion-directed supramolecular assembly of cobalt(II)-fluconazole coordination polymers: Structural diversity, fluorescent and magnetic properties

Six fluconazole-bridged cobalt(II) coordination polymers, namely [Co(HFlu)₂(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂ (1), [Co(HFlu)₂(H₂O)(AcO)](AcO)·2C₂H₅OH (2), [Co(HFlu)₂Cl₂]·2C₂H₅OH (3), [Co₃(Flu)₂(acac)₄]·C₂H₅OH (4), [Co(HFlu)₂(malo)(H₂O)]·3H₂O (5), and [Co(HFlu)₂(fum)(H₂O)₂]·H₂O (6) (HFlu = 2-(2′,4′-difluorophenyl)-1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-propan-2-ol, AcOH = acetate acid, Hacac = acetylacetonate, H₂malo = malonate acid, H₂fum = fumaric acid), have been synthesized and structurally characterized, and the thermal, fluorescent and magnetic properties investigated. The crystal structures display the one-dimensional cationic double-bridged chain consisting of 20-membered macrocycles to be parallel in 1 and perpendicular in 2. The structure of 3 consists of two-dimensional neutral rhombic grid in bc plane with (4,4) topology and alternative P/M helices intersecting at the Co sites along b direction. Complex 4 shows one-dimensional polymeric chain, in which binuclear Co₂(Flu)₂(acac)₂ units act as bridging blocks to link Co(acac)₂ nodes through triazolyl nitrogen atoms. The structure of 5 shows dimeric 20-membered macrometallacyclic motif. Complex 6 shows HFlu-bridged one-dimensional chain, which is stabilized by hydrogen-bonding interactions to produce alternative hydrophobic and hydrophilic architecture. Complexes 1-3 and 5-6 exhibit the similar electronic absorption and fluorescent spectra as those of HFlu, while complex 4 shows a fluorescent quenching phenomenon. Fluorescence titration of HFlu suggests that the fluorescent intensities at the maximal emission decrease upon the addition of Co(acac)₂. The variable-temperature magnetic measurement of 4 reveals weak ferromagnetic interaction combined with the spin-orbit coupling effect in the 1-D Co(II) chain.     

汉字字形认知研究的刺激源设计及在fMRI研究中的应用

目的:评估汉字字形刺激源在汉字认知fMRI研究中的有效性,并对参与汉字处理的脑皮层区域进行定位及初步的量化分析。方法:选择母语为汉语、经利手测试后为右利手且裸眼视力正常(大于等于1．0)的在校大学生10例(男6例,女4例)作为被试。试验任务采用组块设计,将汉字(非字、假字、真字)投射到屏幕上,受试者接受汉字字形图片的视觉刺激,按非字-假字-真字-非字-假字-真字顺序呈现,共6个block。数据处理及统计分析采用国际通用的AFNI软件。结果:左额叶上、中、下回(包括Broca's area)、左中央前回(BA6)、左顶上小叶及顶下小叶(包括缘上回及角回)及双侧枕叶、楔前叶显著激活;左颞叶梭状回(BA37)、右额下回及双侧颞中、上回及扣带回显著激活,左大脑半球的激活体积明显大于右侧大脑半球。结论:本研究设计的汉字字形刺激源结合功能磁共振成像技术可以对汉字处理的相关大脑皮层区域进行定位,为研究人脑加工处理汉字的神经机制提供了一种有效的无创性影像学方法,并应用fMRI技术进一步证实其优势半球为左半球,且需要多种脑区共同参与完成。本试验模式可望成为一种对语言障碍病人进行脑功能检查的有效手段,从而为指导临床治疗和评价预后提供更丰富的信息。     

Mechanically Induced Calcium Movements in Astrocytes, Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells and C6 Glioma Cells

Forces applied to resting primary astrocytes, bovine aortic endothelial cells and C6 glioma cells with collagen-coated magnetite particles produce a fast transient change of intracellular Ca²⁺. It peaks in the micromolar range as measured by Fura-2. This mechanical response adapts within seconds so that repeated stimulation causes smaller responses requiring >10 min for recovery. When cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ is high after treating with ATP, cyclopiazonic acid and thapsigargin, stimulation causes a transient decrease in Ca²⁺. In these three cell types, no influx of ions is required for Ca²⁺ elevation showing the response is not caused by activation of plasmalemmal mechanosensitive channels. Approximately half the cells tested showed similar behavior, while the other half, such as fibroblasts, required extracellular Ca²⁺. The Ca²⁺ response is not temperature sensitive suggesting the possible involvement of intracellular mechanosensitive channels. We tested a number of second messenger reagents and were only able to block the response in BAECs, but not C6 glioma cells, with Xestospongin C, a blocker of IP₃-activated channels. Despite the lack of a causal involvement of plasmalemmal mechanosensitive channels, mechanical stimulation immediately activates a persistent Mn²⁺ influx pathway. This Mn²⁺ pathway may be mechanosensitive channels, Ca²⁺-activated cation channels or depletion-activated Ca²⁺ channels. Received: 7 July 1999/Revised: 12 November 1999     

Transition metal complexes with pyrazole based ligands, part 18: new binuclear Cu(I), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes with 3,5-dimethyl-1-thiocarboxamide pyrazole: synthesis, structural and magnetic studies

Three new binuclear metal complexes of the formulas (L = 3,5-dimethyl-1-thiocarboxamide pyrazole) have been synthesized and characterized by chemical analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, solution conductivity, solid state magnetic measurements and X-ray single crystal and variable temperature powder diffraction. Complex 1 forms doubly chloro-bridged dimers, with Cu(II) in distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination with the apical positions occupied by chlorine atoms. Magnetic measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II) centres in the dimer, with the singlet-triplet exchange parameter of J = −19.40 cm⁻¹. Complex 2 forms doubly sulfur-bridged dimers, with Cu(I) in distorted tetrahedral coordination with apical positions occupied by bromine atoms. Complex 3 is a cobalt analogue of 1. It contains dinuclear units formed by five-coordinate high-spin Co(II) in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal environment. The magnetisation of 3 shows no significant departure from Curie-Weiss behaviour between room temperature and 5 K. All crystal structures are stabilized by two-dimensional hydrogen bonding networks between the carboxamide nitrogen donors and the terminal halide acceptors.     

Molecular structure and intra- and intermolecular magnetic interactions in chloro-bridged copper(II) dimers

Magnetic interactions in binuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu₂(apyhist)₂Cl₂](ClO₄)₂ (1) and [Cu₂(2-pyhist)₂Cl₂](ClO₄)₂ (2) with tridentate diimine ligands and chloro-bridged groups (where apyhist=(4-imidazolyl)ethylene-2-amino-1-ethylpyridine and 2-pyhist=(4-imidazolyl)ethylene-2-aminomethylpyridine) were studied with the aim of better elucidating magneto-structural correlations in such species, both in solution and in solid state. X-ray analyses revealed that chloro-bridged ligands keep the copper(II) ion coordinated to adjacent unit, at Cu-Cl distances of 2.271 and 2.737 Å, and a Cu-Cl-Cu angle of 87.46° in compound 1. Each Cu^II atom is also coordinated to three N atoms from the imine ligand, in a distorted tetragonal pyramidal environment. Magnetic measurements carried out in temperatures from 0.8 to 290 K and in magnetic field up to 170 kOe indicated that besides the intramolecular magnetic coupling between the copper centers [J/k=−(1.93±0.05) K] further interactions between adjacent dimers [J^′z/k=−(1.3±0.1) K] should be taken into account. Similar results were observed for compound 2, for which [J/k=−(4.27±0.05) K] and [J^′z/k=−(3.7±0.1) K]. In solution, the interconversion of the dimer 1 and the related monomer species [Cu(apyhist)(H₂O)₂] (ClO₄)₂ (3) monitored by EPR spectra, was verified to be very dependent on the solvent.     

The ApoCorrect assay: a novel, rapid method to determine the biological functionality of radiolabeled and fluorescent Annexin A5

N-[4-(3)H]Benzoylglycylglycylglycine ([(3)H]BzG(3)) was tested as a probe for detecting hydroxyl radicals (*OH). Aerated solutions of l-ascorbate generated *OH, which oxidized [(3)H]BzG(3), yielding hydrophilic (probably hydroxylated) derivatives plus tritiated water. The (3)H(2)O was separated from organic products and remaining [(3)H]BzG(3) on Dowex-1. (3)H(2)O production was much greater with *OH than with other reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g., H(2)O(2), superoxide). The slight (3)H(2)O production in the presence of H(2)O(2) or superoxide was blocked by *OH scavengers (e.g., glycerol, mannitol, butan-1-ol) that do not scavenge H(2)O(2) or superoxide. This indicates that (3)H(2)O production was caused by *OH and that other ROS only generated any (3)H(2)O by forming traces of *OH. Doses of *OH that caused detectable nonenzymic polysaccharide scission also caused (3)H(2)O production, indicating that [(3)H]BzG(3) is a sensitive *OH probe in studies of polymer scission. The ability of scavengers and chelators to protect against ascorbate-mediated polysaccharide scission paralleled their ability to inhibit concurrent (3)H(2)O production, indicating that both processes were due to *OH. Thus, [(3)H]BzG(3) is a simple, specific, sensitive, and robust probe for detecting *OH production in vitro. It may have applications for in vivo detection of extracellular *OH in arthritic joints and of apoplastic *OH in plant cell walls.     

Distending stress of the cytoskeleton is a key determinant of cell rheological behavior

One fundamental question in cell biology is what determines rheological properties of living cells. If the cytoskeletal distending stress is a key determinant of cell rheology, then modulating this stress by cell stretching should have a major effect on cell rheological properties. If not, then other mechanisms must play a major role. We developed a stretchable cell culture device that could rapidly stretch cells and thus generate passive mechanical stress within the cytoskeleton. This device was placed inside a magnetic cytometry system to measure the effect of stretching on rheological properties of cultured human airway smooth muscle cells. A gradual increase in cell distension caused a systematic increase in cell dynamic stiffness in a manner which was consistent with earlier observations where the active component of the distending stress was modulated pharmacologically. These findings provide strong evidence that the cytoskeletal distending stress is a key determinant of cell rheological properties.     

Expansion of the neocerebellum in Hominoidea

Technological and conceptual breakthroughs have led to more serious consideration of the cerebellum as an essential element in cognition. Recent studies show the lateral cerebellum, seat of the neocerebellum, to be most active in cognitive tasks. An examination of the relative volumes of the cerebellar hemispheres in anthropoids would reveal whether some groups show greater neocerebellar development through hemispheric expansion beyond expected allometry, implying a greater contribution of the lateral hemispheres to cognition.This study expands the existing data on primate brain and brain part volumes by incorporating data from both magnetic resonance scans and histological sections for a total sample size of 97 specimens, including 42 apes, 14 humans and 41 monkeys. The resulting volumes of whole brain, cerebellum, vermis, and hemisphere enable a reliable linear regression contrast between hominoids and monkeys, and demonstrate a striking increase in the lateral cerebellum in hominoids.The uniformity of the grade shift suggests that this increase took place in the common ancestor to the hominoids. The importance of the neocerebellum in visual-spatial skills, planning of complex movements, procedural learning, attention switching, and sensory discrimination in manipulation would facilitate the adaptation of these early hominoids to frugivory and suspensory feeding.     

Solution Structure of an Antifreeze Protein CfAFP-501 from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Choristoneura fumiferana</Emphasis>

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are widely employed by various organisms as part of their overwintering survival strategy. AFPs have the unique ability to suppress the freezing point of aqueous solution and inhibit ice recrystallization through binding to the ice seed crystals and restricting their growth. The solution structure of CfAFP-501 from spruce budworm has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. Our result demonstrates that CfAFP-501 retains its rigid and highly regular structure in solution. Overall, the solution structure is similar to the crystal structure except the N- and C-terminal regions. NMR spin-relaxation experiments further indicate the overall rigidity of the protein and identify a collection of residues with greater flexibilities. Furthermore, Pro91 shows a cis conformation in solution instead of the trans conformation determined in the crystal structure.Structural data have been deposited at PDB (1Z2F) and Chemical shift data at BMRB (bmrb 6111).