“…However, a z-spectrum is highly subject to interference from direct water saturation and magnetization transfer (MT), which are usually more substantial than CEST dips. Researchers have proposed several methods for removing the background signals in CEST through pulse sequences (e.g., chemical exchange rotational transfer (CERT) [ 9 , 10 , 11 ] and variable delay multi-pulse (VDMP) [ 12 , 13 ]) or numerical methods (asymmetric MT [ 1 , 6 , 7 , 14 , 15 ], extrapolated semisolid magnetization transfer reference (EMR) [ 15 , 16 ], and deconvolutions with one or multiple Lorentzian functions [ 2 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]). These procedures are crucial for small CEST signals [ 17 ], such as the relayed nuclear Overhauser effect at −1.6 ppm, that is, rNOE(−1.6) [ 9 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”