Carbon-coated nickel phosphide enhances efficiently electron transfer of cadmium sulfide for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

The capacitance of a co-catalyst can be likened to a "double-edged sword". Α co-catalysts with high capacitance can store photoexcited electrons, thereby facilitating charge separation within the host catalyst. However, this property simultaneously restricts electron release. Both effects are enhanced with an increasing capacitance value, implying that excessively high capacitance can significantly hinder the photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production reaction. Herein, we have designed a metal-organic framework (MOF) -derived carbon-coated nickel phosphide (C-Ni5P4) as the co-catalyst of cadmium sulfide (CdS). When C-Ni5P4 and CdS are closely interconnected, electrons spontaneously migrate from CdS to C-Ni5P4 under irradiation due to the higher work function (WF) of C-Ni5P4 compared to CdS. Most importantly, although the WF of C-Ni5P4 is 0.1 eV lower than that of Ni5P4, its specific capacitance (1.2 mF/cm2) is also lower than that of Ni5P4 (1.3 mF/cm2). This difference dramatically promotes electron release. Thereby exerting a strong positive effect on capacitance catalysis. Therefore, 7% C-Ni5P4/CdS exhibits exceptional cyclic stability and has a remarkably high activity level of 12283 µmol/h/g and 3.8 times as many as 3.0 %Ni5P4/CdS. This study provides a theoretical basis for the advancement of photocatalysts with high efficiency in H2 production and is expected to be applied in other fields of photocatalysis.

Extraction, structure and antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides from morels (Morchella spp.): A review.

Morels (Morchella spp.), which are cultivated only in a few regions of the world, are edible mushrooms known for their various properties including antioxidation, immune regulation, antiinflammation, and antitumor effects. Polysaccharides from Morchella are principally responsible for its antioxidant activity. This paper reviews the extraction, purification, structural analysis and antioxidant activity of Morchella polysaccharides (MPs), providing updated research progress. Meanwhile, the structural-property relationships of MPs were further discussed. In addition, based on in vitro and in vivo studies, the major factors responsible for the antioxidant activity of MPs were summarized including scavenging free radicals, reduction capacity, inhibitory lipid peroxidation activity, regulating the signal transduction pathway, reducing the production of ROS and NO, etc. Finally, we hope that our research can provide a reference for further research and development of MPs.

In Situ Ceramization of Nanoscale Interface Enables Aerogel with Thermal Protection at 1950 °C.

Conventional carbon fiber felt-reinforced aerogel composites are often used as lightweight thermal protection systems (TPSs) for aerospace craft. However, due to their poor oxidation resistance, they have gradually failed to handle increasingly harsh thermal environments. In this work, a nanoscale composite coating interface of SiC-ZrC ceramic precursor is first constructed on the fiber surface. Subsequently, using the coated fiber felt as a three-dimensional skeleton and through polymerization-induced phase separation, an aerogel composite with excellent thermal protection in extreme thermal environments is prepared. Owing to the in situ ceramization of this nanoscale interface at ultrahigh temperatures, the back temperature of the 12 mm thick aerogel is only 147 °C after exposure to an oxyacetylene flame at 1950 °C for 70 s. Meanwhile, the central region of the aerogel recedes by only 7%. Not only does this work provide a way to enhance aerogels by constructing a self-ceramizable nanoscale interface it is also expected that the developed aerogel composite can be applied in the ultrahigh-temperature thermal protection of future aerospace craft.

Association of tirofiban treatment with outcomes following endovascular therapy in cardioembolic stroke: insights from the RESCUE BT randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The efficacy and safety of tirofiban in endovascular therapy for cardioembolic ischemic stroke patients remain controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the role of intravenous tirofiban before endovascular therapy in cardioembolic stroke. METHODS: This post hoc analysis utilized data from the RESCUE BT (Endovascular Treatment With versus Without Tirofiban for Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke) trial, which was an investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were randomized to receive either tirofiban or a placebo in a 1:1 ratio before undergoing endovascular therapy. The study included patients aged 18 years or older, presenting with occlusion of the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery (MCA) M1/M2 within 24 h of the last known well time, and with a stroke etiology of cardioembolism. The primary efficacy outcome was global disability at 90 days, assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The safety outcome included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h and mortality within 90 days. RESULTS: A total of 406 cardioembolic stroke patients were included in this study, with 212 assigned to the tirofiban group and 194 assigned to the placebo group. Tirofiban treatment did not correlate with a favorable shift towards a lower 90-day mRS score (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% CI 0.64-1.3; p = 0.617). However, the tirofiban group had a significantly higher risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h (adjusted OR, 3.26; 95% CI 1.4-7.57; p = 0.006) compared to the placebo group. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for mortality within 90 days was 1.48 (95% CI 0.88-2.52; p = 0.143). CONCLUSIONS: Tirofiban treatment was not associated with a lower level of disability and increased the incidence of sICH after endovascular therapy in cardioembolic stroke patients.

The Stability, Rheological Properties and Interfacial Properties of Oil-in-Water (O/W) Emulsions Prepared from Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Cold Plasma-Treated Chickpea Protein Isolate and Myofibrillar Protein Complexes.

In order to increase the development and utilization of chickpea protein isolate (CPI) and improve the stability of myofibrillar protein (MP) emulsions, the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-modified CPI on the emulsifying properties of MP was investigated. Three different O/W emulsions were prepared using MP, MP + CPI complex, or MP + DBD-treated CPI complex as the emulsifier. Compared with the emulsion prepared from MP, the emulsifying activity index and stability of DBD-treated CPI and MP complex (MP + CPIDBD) were increased (p < 0.05) from 55.17 m2/g to 74.99 m2/g and 66.31% to 99.87%, respectively. MP + CPIDBD produced more stable emulsions with the lowest Turbiscan stability index (TSI) values for a given 3600 s. At shear rates from 0 to 1000-1, MP + CPIDBD-stabilized emulsions had higher viscosities, which helped to reduce the chance of aggregation between oil droplets. The optical microscope and particle size distribution of emulsions showed that MP + CPIDBD emulsions had the lowest droplet size (d4,3) and exhibited more uniform distribution. MP + CPIDBD emulsions had lower interfacial tension. DBD pretreatment increased the adsorbed protein content in the emulsion stabilized by MP + CPIDBD as compared to the MP + CPI complex and promoted the adsorption of CPI by higher ratios of adsorbed proteins as indicated by its intensity in SDS-PAGE. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the emulsion prepared from MP + CPIDBD had smaller particle size and more uniform dispersion. Therefore, using DBD-modified CPI could enhance the stability of MP emulsions.

Bioinspired Microadhesives with Greatly Enhanced Reversible Adhesion Fabricated by Synthesized Silicone Elastomer with Increasing Phenyl Contents.

We present a facile chemical method for fabricating bioinspired microadhesives with significant improved reversible adhesion strength. Four kinds of polysiloxane with gradient varying phenyl contents were synthesized and used to fabricate microadhesives. The chemical structures and mechanical properties, as well as surface properties of the four microadhesives, were confirmed and characterized by ATR-FTIR, DSC, XPS, low-field NMR, tensile tests, and SEM, respectively. The macroadhesion test results revealed that phenyl contents showed remarkable and positive impacts on the macroadhesion performance of microadhesives. The pull-off adhesion strength of microadhesives with 90% phenyl content (0.851 N/cm2) was nearly 300% higher than that of pure PDMS (0.309 N/cm2). The macroadhesion mechanism analysis demonstrates that a larger bulk energy dissipation caused by massive π-π interaction, as well as the hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals forces at the interface synergistically resulted in a significant enhancement of the adhesion performance. Our results demonstrate the remarkable impact of chemical structures on the adhesion of microadhesives, and it is conducive to the further improvement of adhesion properties of bioinspired microadhesives.

Heterogeneous kinetics of the OH-initiated degradation of fenthion and parathion.

Fenthion and parathion are two representative kinds of organophosphorus pesticides and widely used in agriculture. They are directly or indirectly released into the atmosphere by spraying or volatilization processes. However, their heterogeneous reactivity toward OH radicals has not yet been well understood. Therefore, this work investigated the heterogeneous kinetics of the OH-initiated degradation of surface-bound fenthion and parathion using a flow reactor. The results showed that OH radicals played an important role in the atmospheric degradation of fenthion and parathion. Their average rate constants were (7.20 ± 0.77) × 10-12 and (10.40 ± 0.60) × 10-12 cm3/(mol· sec) at a relative humidity (RH) and temperature of 35% and 20 °C, respectively, suggesting that they have relatively short lifetimes in the atmosphere. In addition, a negative RH dependence and a positive temperature dependence of the rate constants were observed. The Arrhenius expressions of fenthion and parathion were k2 = (1.34 ± 0.48) × 10-9exp[-(1432.59 ± 105.29)/T] and k2 = (1.96 ± 1.38) × 10-9exp[-(1619.98 ± 222.02)/T], respectively, and their overall activation energy was estimated to be (11.88 ± 0.87) and (13.48 ± 1.83) kJ/mol. The experimental results will update the kinetic data of fenthion and parathion in the atmosphere and be helpful to further understand their atmospheric transportation processes.

Improving the Ablation Properties of Liquid Silicone Rubber Composites by Incorporating Hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphonitrile.

The ablative properties of epoxy-modified vinyl silicone rubber (EMVSR) composites containing hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphonitrile (HPCTP) have been systematically studied. The strength of the ablation char layer was greatly enhanced with the addition of HPCTP, which induced the formation of a more complete, denser, and thicker char during oxyacetylene ablation tests. Moreover, the HPCTP-containing EMVSR composites demonstrated lower thermal conductivity and pyrolysis rate when compared with those without HPTCP. At the same time, the thermal insulation properties of HPCTP-filled composites were improved under low heat flow ablation scenarios. The reduction of graphitic carbon content, the formation of phosphate-like crystals as well as the increase of SiC content contributed to strengthening the char layer, which was critical for improving the ablation properties. The optimum char layer strength and thermal insulation properties were achieved when the content of HPCTP was 15 phr, whereas an optimum ablation resistance was achieved at 25 phr HPCTP. This suggests that HPCTP-modified EMVSR composites can be used for thermal protection purposes, especially in the fields of aerospace and aeronautics.

Insight into the whole characteristics of (Pd/WP)/CdS for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The (noble metal/non-noble metal)/semiconductor are efficient and attractive ternary photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. To deeply understand the advantages of ternary photocatalysts, the physicochemical characteristics of both the whole ternary photocatalysts and each part of that must be revealed. Herein, we design (Pd/WP) as a co-catalyst loaded on CdS to form ternary photocatalysts (Pd/WP)/CdS. The (0.05%Pd/4%WP)/CdS exhibits a high hydrogen evolution activity of 18.0 mmol/h/g, which is 1.5 times of WP/CdS, 2.2 times of Pd/CdS, and 6.4 times of pure CdS. Additionally, photoelectrochemical tests demonstrate that (Pd/WP)/CdS has appropriate capacitance, excellent conductivity and strong catalytic ability, which can inhibit the recombination of photo-excited carries and boost hydrogen evolution. Especially, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) tests show that the conduction band (CB) position of (Pd/WP)/CdS can be regulated successfully through synergistic effect of Pd, WP, and CdS. This study not only reveals the physicochemical properties of ternary photocatalysts from a holistic perspective, but also provides a pathway for hydrogen evolution of scientific and economic interest.

A humidity-resistant bio-inspired microfibrillar adhesive fabricated using a phenyl-rich polysiloxane elastomer for reliable skin patches.

Steady adhesion under varying humidity conditions is fundamentally challenging due to the barrier of interfacial water molecules. Here, we demonstrate a humidity-resistant gecko-inspired microfibrillar adhesive fabricated by using a specific phenyl-rich polysiloxane. In contrast with the great decline of macroadhesion with increasing humidity for the typical polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfibrillar adhesives, strong macroadhesion of a microfibrillar adhesive fabricated using synthetic phenyl-rich polysiloxane maintains adhesion well across a wide relative humidity range (1% to 95%). Moreover, the pull-off strength is increased by 500% compared to that of phenyl-absent PDMS microfibrillar adhesives at extremely high humidity. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the synergistic interplay of strong interfacial hydrophobicity leading to dry contact and bulk energy dissipation through massive aromatic π-π interactions contributes greatly to the reliable and strong humidity macroadhesion. The present results provide a better understanding of humidity macroadhesion as well as application potential for microfibrillar adhesives, which are proven to be reliable skin adhesive patches for long-term health-care that have to be exposed to varying humidity conditions of the skin surface.

Improving the Heat and Ablation Resistance of Silicone Rubber Composites by Incorporating Hollow Microspheres.

For thermal protection materials (TPMs) which are used to protect space vehicles from extreme thermomechanical environments, the thermal conductivity of the original material and the char layer that has formed during ablation plays a significant role in determining the ablation performance. In order to investigate this, in this study, we introduced glass hollow microspheres (GHMs), phenolic hollow microspheres (PHMs), and acrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate copolymer hollow microspheres (AMHMs) into silicone rubber (SR), and the ablation performance of these composites was systematically studied. The thermogravimetric results showed that the residue yield of the SR composites was increased with the incorporation of the hollow microspheres. Compared to the SR composites without the hollow microspheres, the residue weight values under 800 °C (R800) of the SR composites with the 30 parts of fumed silica per hundred of the SR (phr) addition of GHMs, PHMs, and AMHMs were increased from 10.11% to 21.70%, 18.31%, and 20.83%, respectively. The ablation tests showed that the addition of the AMHMs enhanced the ablation performance of the SR composites because the linear ablation rates and the backplane temperature were clearly decreased when compared to the SR composites without the hollow microspheres. This work provides an effective and potential method for preparing thermal protection materials with an improved ablation performance.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Natural Products on Cerebral Ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia with high mortality and morbidity still requires the effectiveness of medical treatments. A growing number of investigations have shown strong links between inflammation and cerebral ischemia. Natural medicine's treatment methods of cerebral ischemic illness have amassed a wealth of treatment experience and theoretical knowledge. This review summarized recent progress on the disease inflammatory pathways as well as 26 representative natural products that have been routinely utilized to treat cerebral ischemic injury. These natural products have exerted anti-inflammatory effects in cerebral ischemia based on their inflammatory mechanisms, including their inflammatory gene expression patterns and their related different cell types, and the roles of inflammatory mediators in ischemic injury. Overall, the combination of the potential therapeutic interventions of natural products with the inflammatory mechanisms will make them be applicable for cerebral ischemic patients in the future.

Impacts of Drought on Maize and Soybean Production in Northeast China During the Past Five Decades.

Climate change has a distinct impact on agriculture in China, particularly in the northeast, a key agriculture area sensitive to extreme hydroclimate events. Using monthly climate and agriculture data, the influence of drought on maize and soybean yields-two of the main crops in the region-in northeast China since 1961 to 2017 were investigated. The results showed that the temperature in the growing season increased by 1.0 °C from the period 1998-2017 to the period 1961-1980, while the annual precipitation decreased slightly. However, precipitation trends varied throughout the growing season (May-September), increasing slightly in May and June, but decreasing in July, August and September, associated with the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon. Consequently, the annual and growing season drought frequency increased by 15%, and 25%, respectively, in the period 1998-2017 relative to the period 1961-1980. The highest drought frequency (55%) was observed in September. At the same time, the drought intensity during the growing season increased by 7.8%. The increasing frequency and intensity of drought had negative influences on the two crops. During moderate drought years in the period 1961-2017, 3.2% and 10.4% of the provincial maize and soybean yields were lost, respectively. However, during more severe drought years, losses doubled for soybean (21.8%), but increased more than four-fold for maize (14.0%). Moreover, in comparison to the period 1961-1980, a higher proportion of the yields were lost in the period 1998-2017, particularly for maize, which increased by 15% (increase for soybean was 2.4%). This change largely depends on increasing droughts in August and September, when both crops are in their filling stages. The impact of drought on maize and soybean production was different during different growth stages, where a strong relationship was noted between drought and yield loss of soybean in its filling stage. Given the sensitivity of maize and soybean yields in northeast China to drought, and the observed production trends, climate change will likely have significant negative impacts on productivity in the future.

Agricultural Adaptation to Global Warming in the Tibetan Plateau.

The Tibetan plateau is one of the most sensitive areas in China and has been significantly affected by global warming. From 1961 to 2017, the annual air temperature increased by 0.32 °C/decade over the Tibetan Plateau, which is the highest in the whole of China. Furthermore, this is a trend that is projected to continue by 0.30 °C/decade from 2018 to 2050 due to global warming using the Regional Climate Model version 4 (RegCM4). The increased temperature trend in recent decades has been highest in winter, which has been positive for the safe dormancy of winter wheat. In order to investigate agricultural adaptation to climate change in the Tibetan plateau, we used the World Food Studies (WOFOST) cropping systems model and weather data from the regional climate model RegCM4, to simulate winter wheat production in Guide county between 2018 and 2050. The simulated winter wheat potential yields amounted to 6698.3 kg/ha from 2018 to 2050, which showed the wheat yields would increase by 81%, if winter wheat was planted instead of spring wheat in the Tibetan Plateau with the correct amount of irrigation water. These results indicate that there are not only risks to crop yields from climate change, but also potential benefits. Global warming introduced the possibility to plant winter wheat instead of spring wheat over the Tibetan Plateau. These findings are very important for farmers and government agencies dealing with agricultural adaptation in a warmer climate.

The influence of excess precipitation on winter wheat under climate change in China from 1961 to 2017.

Winter wheat is one of China's most important staple food crops, and its growth and productivity are influenced by climate. Given its importance, we investigated the influence of excess precipitation under recent climate change on winter wheat in east-central China during 1961-2017. Although annual precipitation in the studied region decreased slightly, it increased during the winter wheat flowering and maturity period (May to June). Concurrently, the number of late growing season sunshine hours decreased. Our results showed that about 44% of the years with excess precipitation and less than normal radiation (16 years) were associated with decreasing winter wheat yields. Furthermore, during most years, precipitation of 50% above normal resulted in large decreases in winter wheat production in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, some of the wetter parts of the studied region. These results indicated that the grain yield variability of winter wheat was mainly influenced by excess precipitation in May, where precipitation could explain 70%-78% of yield variability in the wet parts. Moreover, excess precipitation can induce Fusarium head blight as well as wheat sprouting of pre-harvest, both affecting the grain quality of winter wheat. Projected increases in precipitation throughout the 21st century in the studied region, warrants further studies of how to maintain the winter wheat production in a changing climate.

Distributing coil elements in three dimensions enhances parallel transmission multiband RF performance: A simulation study in the human brain at 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: We explore the advantages of using a double-ring radiofrequency (RF) array and slice orientation to design parallel transmission (pTx) multiband (MB) pulses for simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging with whole-brain coverage at 7 Tesla (T). METHODS: A double-ring head array with 16 elements split evenly in two rings stacked in the z-direction was modeled and compared with two single-ring arrays consisting of 8 or 16 elements. The array performance was evaluated by designing band-specific pTx MB pulses with local specific absorption rate (SAR) control. The impact of slice orientations was also investigated. RESULTS: The double-ring array consistently and significantly outperformed the other two single-ring arrays, with peak local SAR reduced by up to 40% at a fixed excitation error of 0.024. For all three arrays, exciting sagittal or coronal slices yielded better RF performance than exciting axial or oblique slices. CONCLUSIONS: A double-ring RF array can be used to drastically improve SAR versus excitation fidelity tradeoff for pTx MB pulse design for brain imaging at 7 T; therefore, it is preferable against single-ring RF array designs when pursuing various biomedical applications of pTx SMS imaging. In comparing the stripline arrays, coronal and sagittal slices are more advantageous than axial and oblique slices for pTx MB pulses. Magn Reson Med 75:2464-2472, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and evaluation of a multichannel endorectal RF coil for prostate MRI at 7T in combination with an external surface array.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a sterilizable multichannel endorectal coil (ERC) for use in combination with an external surface array (ESA) for high-resolution anatomical and functional studies of the prostate at 7T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A two-loop ERC (ERC-2L) and a microstrip-loop ERC (ERC-ML) were compared at 7T in terms of transmit and receive performance. The best-performing ERC was evaluated alone and in combination with the ESA through 1) simulations on both phantom and an anatomically correct numerical human model to assess B1+ transmit and specific absorption rate (SAR) efficiencies, and 2) phantom experiments to calculate B1+ transmit efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Phantom studies were also performed to look at heating when using the ERC as a transmitter and for comparing the new coil against a single-channel balloon-type ERC (ERC-b). High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions were performed on a single healthy subject using the two-channel ERC combined with the ESA. RESULTS: Compared to the ERC-ML, the ERC-2L demonstrated 20% higher SAR efficiency and higher SNR 3 cm from the coil. The presence of a tuned and detuned ERC-2L did not alter the peak local SAR of the ESA alone; however, the detuned ERC-2L had 45% less peak local SAR around the rectum compared to the tuned ERC-2L. The receive-only version of the ERC-2L improved the SNR 4.7-fold and 1.3-fold compared to the ESA and ERC-b, respectively. In combination with the ESA, the ERC-2L supported in-plane voxel-size of 0.36 × 0.36 mm(2) in T2 -weighted anatomic imaging. CONCLUSION: The reusable ERC-2L combined with an ESA offers a high SNR imaging platform for translational studies of the prostate at 7T. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;43:1279-1287.

[Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of IRF6 rs642961 and nonsysdromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between polymorphism of interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene rs642961 locus and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL ± P). METHODS: There were 88 NSCL ± P nuclear families and 116 healthy people as control recruited from Chinese northern area. The polymorphism of IRF6 rs642961 locus was detected by tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (tetra-primer ARMS-PCR). Case-control analysis, transmission-disequilibrium test (TDT), haplotype-based haplotype relative risk analysis (HHRR) and family-based association test (FBAT) were carried out. RESULT: There was significant difference in rs642961 of IRF6 locus between the NSCL P group and control group, whether in children or parents (P < 0.05). The odds ratio (OR) of AG and AA versus GG is above one, and its 95% confidence interval did not include 1 in offspring, father and mother group, which meant genetic variant of rs642961 of IRF6 could increase the risk of occurrence of NSCL ± P. The allele transmission disequilibrium for rs642961 of IRF6 variant in NSCL ± P families was found by TDT analysis (P < 0.05). HHRR calculation also showed that there was association between the genetic variant and the occurrence of NSCL ± P (P < 0.05). While FBAT test showed that there was relationship between the genetic variant and the occurrence of NSCL ± P in addictive model. CONCLUSION: Polymorphism IRF6 gene locus is associated with NSCL ± P in northern Chinese population.

Comparison of RF body coils for MRI at 3 T: a simulation study using parallel transmission on various anatomical targets.

The performance of multichannel transmit coil layouts and parallel transmission (pTx) RF pulse design was evaluated with respect to transmit B1 (B1 (+)) homogeneity and specific absorption rate (SAR) at 3 T for a whole body coil. Five specific coils were modeled and compared: a 32-rung birdcage body coil (driven either in a fixed quadrature mode or a two-channel transmit mode), two single-ring stripline arrays (with either 8 or 16 elements), and two multi-ring stripline arrays (with two or three identical rings, stacked in the z axis and each comprising eight azimuthally distributed elements). Three anatomical targets were considered, each defined by a 3D volume representative of a meaningful region of interest (ROI) in routine clinical applications. For a given anatomical target, global or local SAR controlled pTx pulses were designed to homogenize RF excitation within the ROI. At the B1 (+) homogeneity achieved by the quadrature driven birdcage design, pTx pulses with multichannel transmit coils achieved up to about eightfold reduction in local and global SAR. When used for imaging head and cervical spine or imaging thoracic spine, the double-ring array outperformed all coils, including the single-ring arrays. While the advantage of the double-ring array became much less pronounced for pelvic imaging, with a substantially larger ROI, the pTx approach still provided significant gains over the quadrature birdcage coil. For all design scenarios, using the three-ring array did not necessarily improve the RF performance. Our results suggest that pTx pulses with multichannel transmit coils can reduce local and global SAR substantially for body coils while attaining improved B1 (+) homogeneity, particularly for a "z-stacked" double-ring design with coil elements arranged on two transaxial rings.