BACKGROUND MRI can be used to generate fat fraction (FF) and R2* data, which have been previously shown to characterize the plaque compositional features lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) in the carotid arteries (CAs).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/SP600125.html  Previously, these data were extracted from CA plaques using time-consuming manual analyses. PURPOSE To design and demonstrate a method for segmenting the CA and extracting data describing the composition of the vessel wall. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS 31 subjects from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCES T1 -weighted (T1 W) quadruple inversion recovery, contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA), and 4-point Dixon data were acquired at 3T. ASSESSMENT The vessel lumen of the CA was automatically segmented using support vector machines (SVM) with CE-MRA data, and the vessel wall region was subsequently delineated. Automatically generated segmentations were quantitatively measured and three observers visually compared the ournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.Typically developing (TD) infants adapt to the social world in part by shifting the focus of their processing resources to the relevant aspects of a visual scene. Any impairment in visual orienting may therefore constrain learning and development in domains such as language. However, although something is known about visual orienting in infants at risk of autism, very little is known about it in infants/toddlers with other neurodevelopmental disorders. This is partly because previous studies focused on older children and rarely compared the children to both chronological- and mental-age matched TD controls. Yet, if visual orienting is important for learning and development, then it is imperative to investigate it early in development and ascertain whether it relates to higher-level cognitive functions such as language. We used eye tracking technology to directly compare visual orienting in infants/toddlers with one of three neurodevelopmental disorders-Down syndrome (DS), fragile X syndrome (FXS), and Williams syndrome (WS)-matched on chronological- or mental-age to TD controls (~15 months). We also measured language ability using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. We found that the ability to disengage attention from a visual stimulus in order to shift it to another visual stimulus is related to language ability in infants/toddlers irrespective of group affiliation. We also found that, contrary to the literature, infants and toddlers with DS (but not WS) are slow at disengaging attention. Our data suggest that orienting attention constrains language development and is impaired in DS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.The aim of this study was to acquire the transient MRI signal of hyperpolarized tracers and their metabolites efficiently, for which specialized imaging sequences are required. In this work, a multi-echo balanced steady-state free precession (me-bSSFP) sequence with Iterative Decomposition with Echo Asymmetry and Least squares estimation (IDEAL) reconstruction was implemented on a clinical 3 T positron-emission tomography/MRI system for fast 2D and 3D metabolic imaging. Simulations were conducted to obtain signal-efficient sequence protocols for the metabolic imaging of hyperpolarized biomolecules. The sequence was applied in vitro and in vivo for probing the enzymatic exchange of hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate and [1-13 C]lactate. Chemical shift resolution was achieved using a least-square, iterative chemical species separation algorithm in the reconstruction. In vitro, metabolic conversion rate measurements from me-bSSFP were compared with NMR spectroscopy and free induction decay-chemical shift imaging (Fby John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Yield development of agricultural crops over time is not merely the result of genetic and agronomic factors, but also the outcome of a complex interaction between climatic and site-specific soil conditions. However, the influence of past climatic changes on yield trends remains unclear, particularly under consideration of different soil conditions. In this study, we determine the effects of single agro-meteorological factors on the evolution of German winter wheat yields between 1958 and 2015 from 298 published N-fertilization experiments. For this purpose, we separate climatic from genetic and agronomic yield effects using linear mixed effect models and estimate the climatic influence based on a coefficient of determination for these models. We found earlier occurrence of wheat growth stages, and shortened development phases except for the phase of stem elongation. Agro-meteorological factors are defined as climate covariates related to the growth of winter wheat. Our results indicate a general and strong efoing and expected climate change. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVE The relationship between physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QOL) relative to active treatment for prostate cancer (PCa) has been well-studied; however, little is known about this relationship during active surveillance (AS). Moreover, whether PA is associated with better emotional well-being (EWB) in men with low-risk PCa requires further investigation. Accordingly, we examined the association between self-reported PA and the average change in QOL and EWB over time during AS. METHODS A total of 630 men on AS were included in this retrospective, longitudinal study from AS initiation until AS discontinuation. Generalized estimated equations were used to determine the association between self-reported PA (independent variable) and QOL and EWB (dependent variables) over time, adjusting for participants' age. RESULTS QOL was higher over time in active ( β ^ (95%CI) = 1.14 (0.11, 2.16), P = .029) and highly active participants ( β ^ (95%CI) = 1.62 (0.58, 2.67), P = .002) compared to their inactive counterparts. Highly active participants had 55% greater odds of experiencing high EWB relative to inactive participants (OR (95%CI) = 1.55 (1.11, 2.16), P = .010). In men with low EWB at baseline (median = 3 months after diagnosis), the highest levels of PA (>1000 metabolic equivalent-minutes per week) were associated with high EWB over time (OR (95%CI) = 2.17 (1.06, 4.46), P = .034). CONCLUSIONS These data further support the importance of PA as a supportive care strategy for men on AS. Our findings suggest that engaging in higher volumes of PA post-diagnosis may be beneficial particularly for men exhibiting low emotional well-being early on during AS. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.