All Zn1−x Er x O (x=0.04, 0.05, and 0.17) films deposited on glass substrates by radio-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering exhibit the mixture of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases at room temperature. The estimated magnetic moment per Er ion decreases with the increase of Er concentration. The temperature dependence of the magnetization indicates that there is no intermetallic ErZn buried in the films. The ferromagnetism is attributed to the Er ions substitution for Zn2+ in ZnO lattices, and it can be interpreted by the bound-magnetic-polaron model.

Purpose

This study aimed to quantitatively investigate two main magnetization transfer effects at low B1: the nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) and amide proton transfer in the human brain at 7 T.

Methods

The magnetization transfer effects in the human brain were characterized using a four-pool proton model, which consisted of bulk water, macromolecules, an amide group of mobile proteins and peptides, and NOE-related protons resonating upfield. The pool sizes, exchange rates, and relaxation times of these proton pools were investigated quantitatively by fitting, and the net signals of amide proton transfer and NOE were simulated based on the fitted parameters.

Results

The results showed that the four-pool model fitted the experimental data quite well, and the NOE effects in human brain at 7 T had a broad spectrum distribution. The NOE effects peaked at a B1 of ∼ 1-1.4 μT and were significantly stronger in the white matter than in the gray matter, corresponding to a pool-size ratio ∼ 2:1. As the amide proton transfer effect was relatively small compared with the NOE effects, magnetization transfer asymmetry analysis yielded an NOE-dominated contrast in the healthy human brain in this range of B1.

Conclusion

These findings are important to identify the source of NOE effects and to quantify amide proton transfer effects in human brain at 7 T.

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in most developed countries. This work summarizes state-of-the-art, and possible future, diagnostic and evaluation approaches in multiple stages of CVD, including (i) visualization of sub-clinical disease processes, (ii) acute stroke theranostics, and (iii) characterization of post-stroke recovery mechanisms. Underlying pathophysiology as it relates to large vessel steno-occlusive disease and the impact of this macrovascular disease on tissue-level viability, hemodynamics (cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and mean transit time), and metabolism (cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption and pH) are also discussed in the context of emerging neuroimaging protocols with sensitivity to these factors. The overall purpose is to highlight advancements in stroke care and diagnostics and to provide a general overview of emerging research topics that have potential for reducing morbidity in multiple areas of CVD.