A robust t1 noise suppression method in NMR spectroscopy.

Artefacts in high-resolution multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, known as t1 noise, can significantly downgrade the spectral quality and remain a significant noise source, limiting the sensitivity of most two-dimensional NMR experiments. In addition to highly sensitive hardware and experimental designs, data post-processing is a relatively simple and cost-effective method for suppressing t1 noise. In this study, histograms and quantiles were used to obtain a robust estimation of noise level. We constructed a weighted matrix to suppress the t1 noise. The weighted matrix was calculated from the logistic functions, which were adaptively computed from the spectrum. The proposed method is robust and effective in both simulations and actual experiments. Further, it can maintain the quantitative relationship of the spectrogram and is suitable for various complex peak types.

SpinSPJ: a novel NMR scripting system to implement artificial intelligence and advanced applications.

BACKGROUND: Software for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers offer general functionality of instrument control and data processing; these applications are often developed with non-scripting languages. NMR users need to flexibly integrate rapidly developing NMR applications with emerging technologies. Scripting systems offer open environments for NMR users to write custom programs. However, existing scripting systems have limited capabilities for both extending the functionality of NMR software's non-script main program and using advanced native script libraries to support specialized application domains (e.g., biomacromolecules and metabolomics). Therefore, it is essential to design a novel scripting system to address both of these needs. RESULT: Here, a novel NMR scripting system named SpinSPJ is proposed. It works as a plug-in in the Java based NMR spectrometer software SpinStudioJ. In the scripting system, both Java based NMR methods and original CPython based libraries are supported. A module has been developed as a bridge to integrate the runtime environments of Java and CPython. The module works as an extension in the CPython environment and interacts with Java via the Java Native Interface. Leveraging this bridge, Java based instrument control and data processing methods of SpinStudioJ can be called with the CPython style. Compared with traditional scripting systems, SpinSPJ better supports both extending the non-script main program and implementing advanced NMR applications with a rich variety of script libraries. NMR researchers can easily call functions of instrument control and data processing as well as developing complex functionality (such as multivariate statistical analysis, deep learning, etc.) with CPython native libraries. CONCLUSION: SpinSPJ offers a user-friendly environment to implement custom functionality leveraging its powerful basic NMR and rich CPython libraries. NMR applications with emerging technologies can be easily integrated. The scripting system is free of charge and can be downloaded by visiting http://www.spinstudioj.net/spinspj .

Clinical Analysis of Interventional Therapy for Eight Cases of Extracranial ICA Aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the interventional therapy and clinical efficacy of extracranial ICA aneurysm. METHODS: The clinical data of eight patients with extracranial ICA aneurysm treated by interventional stent implantation from December 2014 to February 2018 in the Neurosurgery Department of the Third Hospital of Mianyang were analyzed. And this research was a retrospective analysis. All patients underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and were diagnosed with extracranial carotid artery aneurysm. These patients, therefore, were treated with interventional stent implantation. RESULTS: Interventional treatment was successfully conducted on all eight patients. In eight patients, the aneurysm cavity was not developed immediately after angiography, and in one case, the aneurysm cavity was developed with coil-assisted embolization. All the internal carotid arteries were well developed, with no complications such as intraoperative rupture, bleeding and thrombosis occur. Follow-up for three months to two years showed that the patients recovered well, the GOS score was 4 points for patients with cerebral infarction, and the rest reached five points. Follow-up CTA showed no signs of aneurysm recurrence or ICA restenosis. CONCLUSION: Interventional stent placement is a preferable and relatively safe method for the treatment of extracranial carotid artery aneurysm with less trauma and short operation time.

SpinStudioJ: A cross-platform NMR data acquisition and processing workbench based on a plug-in architecture.

Flexibility and extensibility are important issues in the design of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) software, as these determine the ability to integrate a variety of continuously evolving data acquisition and processing methods. Here, SpinStudioJ is introduced. It is an NMR data acquisition and processing workbench with a plug-in-based architecture. The workbench is based on Eclipse Rich Client Platform, which provides a plug-and-play runtime mechanism and rich graphical user interface functionality. New data acquisition methods and processing algorithms can be easily integrated into the SpinStudioJ workbench by defining extension points, without the need to redistribute existing modules. The software is independent of operating systems, as it leverages the cross-platform feature of the Java virtual machine.

3,5-Dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol ameliorates photoreceptor cell degeneration in Pde6brd10 mouse model.

INTRODUCTION: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) caused by the photoreceptor cell degeneration is currently incurable and leads to partial or complete blindness eventually. 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol (DM) is a novel compound isolated from the leaves of Micromelum integerrimum, with proliferative activities on NIH3T3 cells. This study was to investigate whether DM could mitigate retinal degeneration of rd10 mice, a well-characterized mouse model of RP. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Rd10 mice were treated with DM daily by intraperitoneal injection from postnatal day 12 (P12) to P26. Electroretinography (ERG) reflects the mass response of photoreceptor cells and was used to test the outer retinal function after DM treatment. Haematoxylin and Eosin staining was used to show the retinal morphology and evaluate the rod photoreceptor cell loss. TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptosis-positive cells. Inflammatory factors were measured by ELISA to show the inflammatory response. Real-time PCR and western blot were applied to measure the gene and protein change to explore the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: Results showed that DM significantly improved the retinal function by increasing the ERG amplitude, preserving the retinal morphology, reducing photoreceptor cell apoptosis, decreasing inflammatory response, and inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress in rd10 mice. CONCLUSION: This is the first time when the protective effects of DM against photoreceptor cell degeneration of rd10 mice have been demonstrated, providing scientific rationale to develop DM as a potential agent to treat RP.

Research progress of photoperiod regulated genes on flowering time in rice.

Rice flowering regulation is an extremely complex process, which is controlled by genetic factors and external environment. Photoperiodic regulatory pathway is pivotal to control flowering in rice, in which florigen genes Hd3a and RTF1 are at the core and they are regulated by upstream Hd1-dependent, Ehd1-dependent, as well as both Hd1- and Ehd1-independent pathways. The three pathways bring a variety of light signal information together to Hd3a and RTF1 for further integration, and then transmit the signals in the form of florigen to the downstream flowering related genes. In this review, we summarize the research progress of photoperiod regulated genes on flowering time in rice, including the photoreceptors and circadian rhythm genes, the florigens, its upstream, downstream and interacting genes. We hope to provide a reference for in-depth study of rice flowering regulation.

[Comparisons of risk factors for low birth weight between Han and Uygur full-term infants].

OBJECTRIVE: To compare the differences in risk factors for low birth weight (LBW) between Han and Uygur full-term infants and to provide a basis for the prevention of LBW in newborn infants. METHODS: Eighty-seven full-term LBW infants (38 Hans and 49 Uygurs) between March 2013 and June 2014 were selected as the case group, and 186 full-term normal birth weight infants (92 Hans and 94 Uygurs) were selected as the control group. A questionnaire survey was performed to investigate the related factors for LBW. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine the risk factors for LBW. RESULTS: The birth weights in Uyghur LBW infants were lower than in Han ones (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that drinking (OR=2.472, P=0.015) and smoking (OR=2.323, P=0.007) by the father, pregnancy complications (OR=14.377, P<0.001), and times of pregnancy (OR=2.995, P=0.001) were the risk factors for LBW in Han infants, while drinking by the father (OR=1.968, P=0.007), times of pregnancy (OR=1.953, P=0.005), pregnancy complications (OR=10.283, P=0.002), and poor indoor environment (OR=1.367, P=0.027) were the risk factors for LBW in Uyghur infants. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in physical growth between Han and Uygur LBW infants. Han and Uygur infants share the same traditional risk factors for LBW, such as father's harmful behaviors like drinking, times of pregnancy, and pregnancy complications, however, the indoor environment also plays a role in the occurrence of LBW in Uygur infants.

MicroRNA-34a induces apoptosis in the human glioma cell line, A172, through enhanced ROS production and NOX2 expression.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA is a type of non-coding small RNA involved in regulating genes and signaling pathways through incomplete complementation with target genes. Recent research supports key roles of miRNA in the formation and development of human glioma. METHODS: The relative quantity of miR-34a was initially determined in human glioma A172 cells and glioma tissues. Next, we analyzed the impact of miR-34a on A172 cell viability with the MTT assay. The effects of miR-34a overexpression on apoptosis were confirmed with flow cytometry and Hoechst staining experiments. We further defined the target genes of miR-34a using immunofluorescence and Western blot. RESULTS: MiR-34a expression was significantly reduced in human glioma A172 cells and glioma tissue, compared with normal glial cells and tissue samples. Our MTT data suggest that up-regulation of miR-34a inhibits cell viability while suppression of miR-34a enhances cell viability. Flow cytometry and Hoechst staining results revealed increased rates of apoptosis in A172 human glioma cells overexpressing miR-34a. Using immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses, we identified NOX2 as a target of miR-34a in A172 cells. CONCLUSION: MiR-34a serves as a tumor suppressor in human glioma mainly by decreasing NOX2 expression.

WGCNA reveals a biomarker for cancer-associated fibroblasts to predict prognosis in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are crucial components of the cervical cancer tumor microenvironment, playing a significant role in cervical cancer progression, treatment resistance, and immune evasion, but whether the expression of CAF-related genes can predict clinical outcomes in cervical cancer is still unknown. In this study, we sought to analyze genes associated with CAFs through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and to create a predictive model for CAFs in cervical cancer. METHODS: We acquired transcriptome sequencing data and clinical information on cervical cancer patients from the TCGA and GEO databases. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted to identify genes related to CAFs. We developed a prognostic model based on CAF genes in cervical cancer using LASSO Cox regression analysis. Single-cell sequencing data analysis and in vivo experiments for validation of hub genes in CAFs. RESULTS: A prognostic model for cervical cancer was developed based on CAF genes including COL4A1, LAMC1, RAMP3, POSTN, and SERPINF1. Cervical cancer patients were divided into low and high risk groups based on the optimal cutoff value. Patients in the high risk group had significantly worse prognosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing data revealed that hub genes in the CAFs risk model were expressed mainly in fibroblasts. The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results revealed a significant difference in the expression levels of COL4A1, LAMC1, POSTN, and SERPINF1 between the cancer group and the normal group (p < 0.05). Consistently, the results of the immunohistochemical tests exhibited notable variations in COL4A1, LAMC1, RAMP3, POSTN, and SERPINF1 expression between the cancer and normal groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The CAF risk model for cervical cancer constructed in this study can be used to predict prognosis, while the CAF hub genes can be utilized as crucial markers for cervical cancer prognosis.

A TGF-ß signaling-related lncRNA signature for prediction of glioma prognosis, immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy response.

AIMS: The dysregulation of TGF-ß signaling is a crucial pathophysiological process in tumorigenesis and progression. LncRNAs have diverse biological functions and are significant participants in the regulation of tumor signaling pathways. However, the clinical value of lncRNAs related to TGF-ß signaling in glioma is currently unclear. METHODS: Data on glioma's RNA-seq transcriptome, somatic mutation, DNA methylation data, and clinicopathological information were derived from the CGGA and TCGA databases. A prognostic lncRNA signature was constructed by Cox and LASSO regression analyses. TIMER2.0 database was utilized to deduce immune infiltration characteristics. "ELMER v.2" was used to reconstruct TF-methylation-gene regulatory network. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy response predictions were implemented by the TIDE algorithm and GDSC database, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the results and clarify the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA. RESULTS: In glioma, a TGF-ß signaling-related 15-lncRNA signature was constructed, including AC010173.1, HOXA-AS2, AC074286.1, AL592424.1, DRAIC, HOXC13-AS, AC007938.1, AC010729.1, AC013472.3, AC093895.1, AC131097.4, AL606970.4, HOXC-AS1, AGAP2-AS1, and AC002456.1. This signature proved to be a reliable prognostic tool, with high risk indicating an unfavorable prognosis and being linked to malignant clinicopathological and genomic mutation traits. Risk levels were associated with different immune infiltration landscapes, where high risk was indicative of high levels of macrophage infiltration. In addition, high risk also suggested better immunotherapy and chemotherapy response. cg05987823 was an important methylation site in glioma progression, and AP-1 transcription factor family participated in the regulation of signature lncRNA expression. AGAP2-AS1 knockdown in in vitro and in vivo experiments inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, as well as the growth of glioma, by downregulating the expression levels of NF-κB and ERK 1/2 in the TGF-ß signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: A prognostic lncRNA signature of TGF-ß signaling was established in glioma, which can be used for prognostic judgment, immune infiltration status inference, and immunotherapy response prediction. AGAP2-AS1 plays an important role in glioma progression.

Blockade of SOCE protects HT22 cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis.

Oxidative stress is an established event in the pathology of neurobiological diseases. Previous studies indicated that store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) has been involved in oxidative stress. The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of SOCE inhibition on neuronal oxidative stress injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in HT22 cells, a murine hippocampal neuronal model. H2O2 insult induced significant intracellular Ca(2+) overload, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell viability decrease. Inhibition of SOCE by pharmacological inhibitor and STIM1 RNAi significantly alleviated intracellular Ca(2+) overload, restored the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), decreased cytochrome C release and eventually inhibited H2O2-induced cell apoptosis. These findings suggest that SOCE inhibition exhibited neuroprotection against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 and SOCE might be a useful therapeutic target in neurobiological disorders.

Salvianolic acid B induces apoptosis in human glioma U87 cells through p38-mediated ROS generation.

Salvianolic acid B (SalB), the main water-soluble bioactive compounds isolated from the traditional Chinese medical herb Danshen, has been shown to exert anti-cancer effect in several cancer cell lines. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential anti-cancer effect of SalB in human glioma U87 cells. We found that treatment with SalB significantly decreased cell viability of U87 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SalB also enhanced the intracellular ROS generation and induced apoptotic cell death in U87 cells. Western blot analysis suggested that SalB increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and p53 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, blocking p38 activation by specific inhibitor SB203580 or p38 specific siRNA partly reversed the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects, and ROS production induced by SalB treatment. The anti-tumor activity of SalB in vivo was also demonstrated in U87 xenograft glioma model. All of these findings extended the anti-cancer effect of SalB in human glioma cell lines, and suggested that these inhibitory effects of SalB on U87 glioma cell growth might be associated with p38 activation mediated ROS generation. Thus, SalB might be concerned as an effective and safe natural anticancer agent for glioma prevention and treatment.

2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexabromophenyl ether (BDE-153) causes abnormal insulin secretion and disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism in mice.

BACKGROUND: Environmental polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure may be associated with diabetes and obesity. 2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153) is one of the most abundant and widely distributed homologs of PBDEs detected in humans. This study investigated the effects of BDE-153 on the expression of adipokines and glucose and lipid metabolism. METHODS: Adult male C57BL/6 mice were divided into five BDE-153 groups and one control group. After BDE-153 exposure for 4 weeks, the levels of biochemical indexes and the mRNA and protein expression levels of leptin, adiponectin, peroxisome proliferators activated receptors gamma (PPARγ), and AMPKα were measured. The histomorphological changes of liver and pancreas tissues were observed. RESULTS: After BDE-153 exposure, the weight of mice in the medium-high-dose group at different exposure times was lower than that in the control group ( p all <0.05), and the body weight decreased slightly with the increase of the dose of BDE-153. BDE-153 caused the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism in mice, the weight of liver and pancreas increased, lipid droplets accumulated in liver cells, and the positive rate of insulin staining increased in a dose-dependent manner. BDE-153 also interfered with the expression of PPARγ, AMPKα, and adipokines. The results of restrictive cubic splines (RCS) showed that there were a nonlinear dose-response relationship between the exposure dose of BDE-153 and the expression levels of PPARγ, AMPKα, and adipokines. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that BDE-153 may interfere with the expression of adipokines and the secretion of insulin by affecting the expression of PPARγ and AMPKα, which play a key role in glucose and lipid metabolism, leading to the occurrence of glucose and lipid metabolism disorder.

Homofermentative production of D-lactic acid from sucrose by a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli W, a sucrose-positive strain, was engineered for the homofermentative production of D-lactic acid through chromosomal deletion of the competing fermentative pathway genes (adhE, frdABCD, pta, pflB, aldA) and the repressor gene (cscR) of the sucrose operon, and metabolic evolution for improved anaerobic cell growth. The resulting strain, HBUT-D, efficiently fermented 100 g sucrose l(-1) into 85 g D-lactic acid l(-1) in 72-84 h in mineral salts medium with a volumetric productivity of ~1 g l(-1) h(-1), a product yield of 85 % and D-lactic acid optical purity of 98.3 %, and with a minor by-product of 4 g acetate l(-1). HBUT-D thus has great potential for production of D-lactic acid using an inexpensive substrate, such as sugar cane and/or beet molasses, which are primarily composed of sucrose.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals the resistance regulation mechanism and fungicidal activity of the fungicide phenamacril in Fusarium oxysporum.

Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) is an important species complex of soil-borne pathogenic fungi that cause vascular wilt diseases of agricultural crops and some opportunistic diseases of humans. The fungicide phenamacril has been extensively reported to have antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium fujikuroi. In this study, we found that the amino acid substitutions (V151A and S418T) in Type I myosin FoMyo5 cause natural low resistance to phenamacril in the plant pathogenic Fo isolates. Therefore, we compared the transcriptomes of two phenamacril-resistant Fo isolates FoII5, Fo1st and one phenamacril-sensitive isolate Fo3_a after 1 µg/mL phenamacril treatment. Among the 2728 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 14 DEGs involved in oxidation-reduction processes and MFS transporters, were significantly up-regulated in phenamacril-resistant isolates. On the other hand, 14 DEGs involved in ATP-dependent RNA helicase and ribosomal biogenesis related proteins, showed significantly down-regulated expression in both phenamacril-resistant and -sensitive isolates. These results indicated that phenamacril not only seriously affected the cytoskeletal protein binding and ATPase activity of sensitive isolate, but also suppressed ribosome biogenesis in all the isolates. Hence, this study helps us better understand resistance regulation mechanism and fungicidal activity of phenamacril and provide reference for the development of new fungicides to control Fo.

Decabromodiphenyl ether causes insulin resistance and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in mice.

BACKGROUND: Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is the most commonly used brominated flame retardant. Recently, BDE-209 has been suspected of being an environmental risk factor for metabolic diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance (IR), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. AIM: To investigate the effects of BDE-209 on IR and glucose and lipid metabolism in C57BL/6 mice. METHODS: Adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into high, medium-high, medium, medium-low, and low dose BDE-209 groups, and a control group (n = 6 per group), which received 1000, 800, 600, 450, 300, and 0 mg/kg BDE-209, respectively. After BDE-209 exposure for 60 d, the mice were fasted overnight, and then sacrificed to obtain tissues. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to detect serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to detect fasting serum insulin (FINS), leptin (LEP), and adiponectin (Adp) levels; a blood glucose meter was used to detect fasting blood glucose (FBG). Morphological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to determine the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels, respectively, of LEP, Adp, and peroxisome proliferators activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) in mouse liver and adipose tissues. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the weight of mice in each group after 45 and 60 d of exposure (P < 0.05). After 60 d of exposure, the weight of liver and adipose tissues in the exposure groups were greater than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The liver tissue structure was disordered and the liver tissues were accompanied by local inflammatory cell infiltration in the high, medium-high, and medium dose BDE-209 groups. The levels of FINS, insulin sensitivity index, Adp, and HDL-C were decreased in the BDE-209 group compared with the control group, as were the mRNA and protein levels of Adp in liver and adipose tissues (P < 0.05). Serum level of FBG and LEP were higher in the BDE-209 group than in controls. TC, TG, and LDL-C levels as well as the mRNA and protein expression of LEP and PPARγ in liver and adipose tissues were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Homeostatic assessment model of IR was higher in the medium and medium-low dose BDE-209 groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BDE-209 increases the body weight, fat and liver tissue weight, TC, TG, and LDL-C, reduces HDL-C, and causes IR in mice, which may be related to activating the PPARγ receptor.

Idiopathic Macular Hole: A Comprehensive Review of Its Pathogenesis and of Advanced Studies on Metamorphopsia.

Vitreous anteroposterior traction is an important factor that affects macular hole (MH) formation at the early stage, and vitreous tangential traction can lead to further hole expansion after hole formation. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of Müller cells for the pathogenesis of MH. Since the advent of MH treatment, success rates for MH closure have significantly improved, as has postoperative visual acuity. However, metamorphopsia, an initial and common symptom of MH, still exists. Metamorphopsia is significantly related to the deterioration of visual quality of life and can be used as an independent index to evaluate visual function before and after surgery. In MH patients, metamorphopsia has different manifestations representing different clinical implications. M-CHARTS, as a new means of inspection, can quantify the degrees of metamorphopsia, and with the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT), layer-by-layer scanning of the retinal structure has become possible. These methods enable detailed analysis of the connections between the degree of metamorphopsia and relevant OCT parameters. Preoperative OCT parameters can be used to evaluate the prognosis of the postoperative visual function of MH patients and are therefore of great significance in guiding the treatment of MH patients.

Preparation and characterization of calcium carbonate microspheres and their potential application as drug carriers.

The influence of lecithin from egg yolk (LE) on calcium carbonate (CaCO3) biomineralization was investigated. In the present study, spherical CaCO3 particles were synthesized via coprecipitation in the presence of LE. LE multilamellar liposomes were first tuned by sonication to provide better control over the nucleation of CaCO3. Subsequently, monodisperse microspheres ~2 µm in size were generated by controlling the aggregation and growth of CaCO3 under appropriate concentrations of LE. In contrast to unstable vaterite, the microspheres generated in aqueous solution remained stable for at least 10 days without transforming into calcite, due to the strong interaction between the LE and calcium ions. The microspheres as drug carriers of doxorubicin (DOX) were assessed and were observed to have a good encapsulation efficiency, sustained drug release without a burst release and notable pH sensitivity. In addition, in vivo tumor inhibition examination demonstrated that DOX­loaded CaCO3 microspheres formulation had more superior efficacy to significantly restrain tumor growth. These novel LE/CaCO3 hybrids may provide novel options for various biomedical applications.

A new gradient shimming method based on undistorted field map of B0 inhomogeneity.

Most existing gradient shimming methods for NMR spectrometers estimate field maps that resolve B0 inhomogeneity spatially from dual gradient-echo (GRE) images acquired at different echo times. However, the distortions induced by B0 inhomogeneity that always exists in the GRE images can result in estimated field maps that are distorted in both geometry and intensity, leading to inaccurate shimming. This work proposes a new gradient shimming method based on undistorted field map of B0 inhomogeneity obtained by a more accurate field map estimation technique. Compared to the traditional field map estimation method, this new method exploits both the positive and negative polarities of the frequency encoded gradients to eliminate the distortions caused by B0 inhomogeneity in the field map. Next, the corresponding automatic post-data procedure is introduced to obtain undistorted B0 field map based on knowledge of the invariant characteristics of the B0 inhomogeneity and the variant polarity of the encoded gradient. The experimental results on both simulated and real gradient shimming tests demonstrate the high performance of this new method.

Different Subjective and Objective Responses to Alcohol Among Heavy and Light Drinkers of Han and Uyghur Nationalities in China.

OBJECTIVE: Given the observed differences in alcohol consumption characteristics between the Han and Uyghur nationalities in clinical reports and in daily life, the subjective and objective responses to alcohol in heavy drinkers (HDs) and light drinkers (LDs) in the Han and Uyghur nationalities in China were compared. METHODS: A within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled human laboratory paradigm was performed. Each subject completed three experimental sessions in random order. Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule scales were administered, and heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and salivary cortisol levels were measured at predrink baseline and 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after the initial alcohol beverage consumption. RESULTS: Compared with LDs, HDs exhibited higher stimulation, positive affect, and lower sedation in both ethnicities. Han drinkers (both HDs and LDs) exhibited higher sedation and lower positive affect and stimulation than Uyghur drinkers after consumption of alcohol. Moreover, HDs exhibited more HR increase during the ascending limb of breath alcohol content (p < .05) and less cortisol level during the declining limb of breath alcohol content (p < .05). Both HDs and LDs exhibited decreased systolic and diastolic pressures for both high- and low-dose beverages (ps < .01). CONCLUSION: Compared with LDs, HDs exhibited more HR increase and lower salivary cortisol level after alcohol consumption. Han drinkers (both HDs and LDs) exhibited higher sedation and lower positive affect and stimulation after consumption of alcohol as compared with Uyghur drinkers. This modality of subjective and physiological responses to alcohol in the Han and Uyghur ethnicities is similar.