Assessment of pulmonary artery stiffness using velocity-encoding magnetic resonance imaging: evaluation of techniques

The loss of pulmonary artery (PA) compliance has significant pathophysiological effect on the right ventricle. Noninvasive and reliable assessment of PA wall stiffness would be an essential determiner of right heart load and a clinically useful factor to assess cardiovascular risk. Two MRI techniques have been proposed for assessing PA stiffness by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV): transit time (TT) and flow area (QA). However, no data are available that compares the two techniques and evaluates their performance, especially over a wide range of PWV values or at 3.0-T, which is the purpose of the present study. Thirty-three patients with different heart conditions were imaged using optimized high-temporal resolution and high-spatial resolution velocity-encoding MRI sequences. Statistical analysis was conducted to study intermethod, interobserver and intraobserver variabilities. The PWV measurements using TT and QA techniques showed good agreement (P>0.1). The Bland-Altman analysis showed negligible differences between the two methods (mean±S.D.=0.11±0.35 m/s, correlation coefficient r=0.94). The repeated measurements showed low interobserver and intraobserver variabilities, although the S.D. of the differences was larger in the QA technique. The mean±S.D. of the TT/QA measurement differences were −0.05±0.2/0.0±0.36 m/s and 0.02±0.26/0.02±0.39 m/s for the interobserver and intraobserver differences, respectively. In conclusion, each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. The two techniques result in similar measurements, although the QA method is more subjective due to its dependency on operator intervention.     

New practical tools for the implementation and use of ultrafast 2D NMR experiments

Ultrafast (UF) 2D NMR is a very promising methodology enabling the acquisition of 2D spectra in a single scan. In the last few years, the analytical performance of UF 2D NMR has been highly increased, consequently maximizing its range of applications. However, its implementation and use by non‐specialists are far from being straightforward, because of the specific acquisition and processing procedures and parameters characterizing UF NMR. To make this methodology implementable and applicable by non‐specialists, we developed a simple routine capable of translating conventional parameters (spectral widths and transmitter frequencies) into specific UF parameters (gradient and chirp pulse parameters). This macro was subsequently implemented in a Web page, which is available for external users. Although the algorithm was designed for two widely used 2D experiments, COSY and HSQC, it can easily be extended to any other pulse sequence. The robustness of this routine was verified successfully on a variety of small molecules. We believe that this tool will eliminate much of the technical difficulties related to UF 2D NMR and will make the technique accessible to a wider audience of organic and analytical chemists. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mutual Diffusion Driven NMR: a new approach for the analysis of mixtures by spatially resolved NMR spectroscopy

We introduce a new approach for resolving the NMR spectra of mixtures that relies on the mutual diffusion of dissolved species when a concentration gradient is established within the NMR tube. This is achieved by cooling down a biphasic mixture of triethylamine and deuterated water below its mixing temperature, where a single phase is expected. Until equilibrium is reached, a gradient of concentration, from ‘pure’ triethylamine to ‘pure’ water, establishes within the tube. The amount of time required to reach this equilibrium is controlled by the mutual diffusion coefficient of both species. Moreover, a gradient of concentration exists for each additional compound dissolved in this system, related to the partition coefficient for that compound in the original biphasic state. Using slice selective experiments, it was possible to measure these concentration gradients and use them to separate signals from all the present species. We show the results acquired for a mixture composed of n‐octanol, methanol, acetonitrile and benzene and compare them with those obtained by pulse field gradient NMR. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

光源编码的白光散斑剪切干涉计量术

本文提出了一种用非相干光源照明进行剪切干涉计量的方法—光源编码的白光散斑剪切干涉计量术.它采用光栅对光源进行编码以提高空间相干性,使物体的两个剪切像的波面部分相干叠加,以实现剪切干涉.     

液晶空间光调制器在阿达玛变换光谱仪中的应用研究——快速精确的解码方法

研究了液晶空间光调制器(LC-SLM)作为固定不动的编码模板应用于阿达玛变换光谱仪(HTS),提出了快速精确的解码方法,给出了由液晶空间光调制器编码模板所带来的均方根信噪比的改善.     

基于Zernike多项式的波前传感器的光子受限的研究

应用基于Zernike多项式的波前探测和重构方法2,利用蒙特卡罗法,可求出探测器在不同的光子数下,其探测精度的变化。文章还给出了由不同的探测器组成的传感器,探测星等的变化情况。     

光电跟踪系统轴角编码与数字显示

介绍一种光电跟踪系统所采用的轴角编码与数字显示器。分析跟踪型轴角编码器的基本原理，探讨并提出了提高分辨率的具体方法，保证系统测角精度并可进行数字显示。     

Quantum Bayesian computation

Quantum Bayesian computation is an emerging field that levers the computational gains available from quantum computers. They promise to provide an exponential speed-up in Bayesian computation. Our article adds to the literature in three ways. First, we describe how quantum von Neumann measurement provides quantum versions of popular machine learning algorithms such as Markov chain Monte Carlo and deep learning that are fundamental to Bayesian learning. Second, we describe quantum data encoding methods needed to implement quantum machine learning including the counterparts to traditional feature extraction and kernel embeddings methods. Third, we show how quantum algorithms naturally calculate Bayesian quantities of interest such as posterior distributions and marginal likelihoods. Our goal then is to show how quantum algorithms solve statistical machine learning problems. On the theoretical side, we provide quantum versions of high dimensional regression, Gaussian processes and stochastic gradient descent. On the empirical side, we apply a quantum FFT algorithm to Chicago house price data. Finally, we conclude with directions for future research.     

Photolithographic Encoding of Metal Complexes

A platform technology for the creation of spatially resolved surfaces encoded with a monolayer consisting of different metal complexes was developed. The concept entails the light‐triggered activation of a self‐ assembled monolayer (SAM) of UV‐labile anchors, that is, phenacylsulfides, and the subsequent cycloaddition of selected diene‐functionalized metal complexes at defined areas on the surface. The synthesis and characterization of the metal complexes for the UV‐light assisted anchoring on the surface and a detailed study of a short‐chain oligomer model system in solution confirm the high efficiency of the photoreaction. The hybrid materials obtained by this concept can potentially be utilized for the design of highly valuable catalytic or (opto‐)electronic devices.     

具有遗传性疾病和性状的遗传位点分析

随着信息技术的进步和发展,现代生物学越来越多地将这些技术用于大规模生物数据的收集、分析、挖掘等过程.大量计算机技术,特别是统计方法被用来进行复杂疾病的分析.大量研究表明,人体的许多表型性状差异以及对药物和疾病的易感性等都可能与某些位点相关联,或和包含有多个位点的基因相关联.因此,定位与性状或疾病相关联的位点在染色体或基因中的位置,能帮助研究人员了解性状和一些疾病的遗传机理,也能使人们对致病位点加以干预,防止一些遗传病的发生.利用随机森林方法、Bootstrap重抽样、logistic回归等大数据分析方法,意在解决优化生物学位点关联性分析中单一致病位点识别、多位点相互作用和多性状位点关联性分析等子问题.