Gain of Imaging Fidelity by Employing a Higher Number of Independent Transmit Channels Together with Slice-Selective Radio-Frequency (RF) Shimming at 7T

Dielectric resonance effects and radio-frequency (RF) power deposition have become challenging issues for magnetic resonance imaging at ultrahigh-field (UHF) strengths. The use of transmit (Tx) coil arrays with independently-driven RF sources using a parallel transmission system is a promising method for alleviating the resulting RF inhomogeneities. In this study, the effect on homogeneity and RF-power when employing a higher number of transmit channels with multi-slice acquisition in vivo at high field strength (7T) is scrutinized. An 8-channel head coil array was driven to emulate circular polarized (CP) and 2-, 4-, and 8-channel independent transmit configurations at 7T. Static RF shimming was employed on human subjects in order to homogenize the B1+ field in the excited volume. Slice-selective and global RF shimming methods were applied with CP and 2-, 4-, and 8-channel transmit channel configurations. RF shimming was performed from CP to 2-, 4-, and 8-channel Tx configurations globally and slice-selectively. Systematic improvement in B1+ homogeneity and/or reduction in RF-power were observed. RF shimming in the human brain with 8-channel transmit and slice-selective shimming yields an increase in B1+ homogeneity of 43% and/or reduces RF-power by 68% when compared with CP global RF shimming at 7T

Synthesis and Characterization of Edible Films from Garlic(Allium sativum) Husk Components

Garlic husks are waste biomass and unutilized sources of essential compounds like lignin, pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignocellulose and dietary fibre. Pectin was extracted from garlic husk using ammonium oxalate solution. Lignin is a complex biopolymer consisting of p-coumaryl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, and coniferyl alcohol. Lignin was extracted from garlic husk using alkali pulping method; the sample was subjected to 10% (w/w) NaOH solution in a pressurized condition at high temperature. The extracted lignin was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Transmittance ratios in FTIR Spectra of extracted lignin were similar to those of the commercial lignin. The edible film was prepared by solution casting method where the film was casted from the solution of pectin and lignin. The physical and chemical properties of the film like moisture content, color, solubility of the film, antimicrobial activity, water vapour transmission rate, pectin and lignin were characterized. The lowest water vapour permeability of the film is 17.48 ± 0.12 g/h m2. Whiteness index and 'L' value of film decreased from film 1 to film 4. An inhibition zone was formed against the Bacillus cereus proving the antimicrobial activity of the lignin extracted from garlic husk

Deep sequencing of the small RNA transcriptome of normal and malignant human B cells identifies hundreds of novel microRNAs

A role for microRNA (miRNA) has been recognized in nearly every biologic system examined thus far. A complete delineation of their role must be preceded by the identification of all miRNAs present in any system. We elucidated the complete small RNA transcriptome of normal and malignant B cells through deep sequencing of 31 normal and malignant human B-cell samples that comprise the spectrum of B-cell differentiation and common malignant phenotypes. We identified the expression of 333 known miRNAs, which is more than twice the number previously recognized in any tissue type. We further identified the expression of 286 candidate novel miRNAs in normal and malignant B cells. These miRNAs were validated at a high rate (92%) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and we demonstrated their application in the distinction of clinically relevant subgroups of lymphoma. We further demonstrated that a novel miRNA cluster, previously annotated as a hypothetical gene LOC100130622, contains 6 novel miRNAs that regulate the transforming growth factor-β pathway. Thus, our work suggests that more than a third of the miRNAs present in most cellular types are currently unknown and that these miRNAs may regulate important cellular functions