Rapid Field-Cycling MRI using Fast Spin-Echo

The author acknowledges funding from the EPSRC through the Centre for Doctoral Training in Integrated Magnetic Resonance.Non peer reviewedPublisher PD

Coping with a childhood brain tumour: A qualitative analysis of parents’ experiences

Pre-existing research on the stress reactions of caregivers of children with brain tumours was reviewed. Four overarching stress reactions were notably present for parents: burden from adjusting to changes in routine, burnout from fatigue and emotional exhaustion, residual stress from diagnosis and treatment, and future-oriented uncertainty. There is evidence to suggest that psychosocial implications for parents are a concern and that they require support from professionals long into the survival period. As part of the empirical research, ten parents of paediatric brain tumour survivors were retrospectively interviewed about their experiences of coping from diagnosis through to the survival period. Interviews were transcribed and four domains were devised from a thematic analysis: Focusing on the here-and-now in which parents concerned themselves with taking one day at a time rather than thinking about what may arise later; Overcoming helplessness reflected the desire to provide care-giving duties; Different needs met across the system included emotional bonding with other parents on the ward, whilst wanting family to offer respite; Finding a new normal featured in the survival period when parents reflected on new values for the family. Coping mechanisms were seen as a process, changing dependant on the time period. The literature review and empirical study are rounded off by a critical appraisal of the research process, which focuses on the clinical utility of working qualitatively with a paediatric brain tumour population, a discussion of homogeneity versus heterogeneity when sampling, and an appraisal of thematic analysis

Deuteron-equivalent and phase-equivalent interactions within light nuclei

Background: Phase-equivalent transformations (PETs) are well-known in quantum scattering and inverse scattering theory. PETs do not affect scattering phase shifts and bound state energies of two-body system but are conventionally supposed to modify two-body bound state observables such as the rms radius and electromagnetic moments. Purpose: In order to preserve all bound state observables, we propose a new particular case of PETs, a deuteron-equivalent transformation (DET-PET), which leaves unchanged not only scattering phase shifts and bound state (deuteron) binding energy but also the bound state wave function. Methods: The construction of DET-PET is discussed; equations defining the simplest DET-PETs are derived. We apply these simplest DET-PETs to the JISP16 $NN$ interaction and use the transformed $NN$ interactions in calculations of $^3$H and $^4$He binding energies in the No-core Full Configuration (NCFC) approach based on extrapolations of the No-core Shell Model (NCSM) basis space results to the infinite basis space. Results: We demonstrate the DET-PET modification of the $np$ scattering wave functions and study the DET-PET manifestation in the binding energies of $^3$H and $^4$He nuclei and their correlation (Tjon line). Conclusions: It is shown that some DET-PETs generate modifications of the central component while the others modify the tensor component of the $NN$ interaction. DET-PETs are able to modify significantly the $np$ scattering wave functions and hence the off-shell properties of the $NN$ interaction. DET-PETs give rise to significant changes in the binding energies of $^3$H (in the range of approximately 1.5 MeV) and $^4$He (in the range of more than 9 MeV) and are able to modify the correlation patterns of binding energies of these nuclei

Simple algorithm for the correction of MRI image artefacts due to random phase fluctuations

Grant support: This work was supported by EPSRC [grant numbers EP/E036775/1, EP/K020293/1] and received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant agreement No 668119, project “IDentIFY”]Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Phase structures of strong coupling lattice QCD with overlap fermions at finite temperature and chemical potential

We perform the first study of lattice QCD with overlap fermions at finite temperature $T$ and chemical potential $\mu$. We start from the Taylor expanded overlap fermion action, and derive in the strong coupling limit the effective free energy by mean field approximation. On the ($\mu,T$) plane and in the chiral limit, there is a tricritical point, separating the second order chiral phase transition line at small $\mu$ and large $T$, and first order chiral phase transition line at large $\mu$ and small $T$

Fast field-cycling NMR of cartilage : a way toward molecular imaging

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Rapid Fast Field-Cycling Imaging using the Keyhole Technique

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Accelerated Field-Cycling MRI using Keyhole Imaging

Abstract 614Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Detection of tissue remodelling by Fast Field-Cycling methods

Abstract 57Peer reviewedPublisher PD