“
“Salmonella enterica Gallinarum (SG) causes fowl typhoid (FT), a septicemic disease in avian species. We constructed deletion mutants lacking the stress sigma factor RpoS, the nitric oxide (NO)-detoxifying flavohemoglobin PFTα mouse Hmp, and the SsrA/SsrB regulator to confirm the functions of these factors in SG. All gene products were fully functional in wild-type (WT) SG whereas mutants harboring single mutations or a combination of rpoS,hmp, and

ssrAB mutations showed hypersusceptibility to H2O2, loss of NO metabolism, and absence of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 expression, respectively. Atriple-deletion mutant, SG Delta 3 (SG Delta rpoS Delta hmp Delta ssrAB), was evaluated for attenuated virulence and protection efficacy in two-week-old Lohmann layer chickens. The SG Delta 3 mutant did not cause any mortality after inoculation with either 1 x 10(6) or 1 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria. Significantly lower numbers of salmonellae were recovered from the liver and spleen of chickens inoculated with the SG Delta 3 mutant compared to chickens inoculated with WT SG. Vaccination with the SG Delta 3 mutant conferred complete protection against challenge with virulent SG on the chickens comparable

to the group vaccinated with a conventional vaccine see more strain, SG9R. Overall, these results indicate that SG Delta 3 could be a promising candidate for a live Salmonella vaccine against FT.”
“The present study examined the antihyperalgesic effect of a specific inhibitor of Glycogen

Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3), AR-A014418, on the partial ligation of the sciatic nerve (PSNL), a neuropathic pain model in mice and investigated some mechanisms of action. AR-A014418 (0.01-1 mg/kg) administered by intraperitoneal route (i.p.) inhibited mechanical hyperalgesia. This action started 30 min after i.p. administration and remained significant up to 2 h. When administered daily for Sotrastaurin chemical structure 5 days, AR-A014418 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia caused by PSNL. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment with AR-A014418 (0.3 mg/kg) also significantly inhibited cold hyperalgesia induced by PSNL. Pre-administration of PCPA (100 mg/kg, i.p., inhibitor of serotonin synthesis) and AMPT (100 mg/kg, i.p., inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase), but not L-arginine (600 mg/kg, i.p., a nitric oxide precursor), significantly reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia elicited by AR-A014418. Furthermore, the administration of AR-A014418 significantly prevented the increase of TNF-alpha (inhibition of 76 +/- 8%) and IL-1 beta (inhibition of 62 +/- 10%), but did not alter lumbar spinal cord IL1-ra and IL-10 levels. Finally, intraperitoneal administration of AR-A014418 did not affect locomotor activity in the open-field test.

Here, we demonstrated that the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is required to slow the progression of cone death during disease and that constitutive activation of mTORC1 in cones is sufficient to maintain cone function and promote long-term cone survival. Activation of mTORC1 in cones

enhanced glucose uptake, retention, and utilization, leading to increased levels of the key metabolite NADPH. Moreover, cone death was delayed in the absence of the NADPH-sensitive cell death protease caspase 2, supporting the contribution of reduced NADPH find more in promoting cone death. Constitutive activation of mTORC1 preserved cones in 2 mouse models of RP, suggesting that the secondary loss of cones is caused mainly by metabolic deficits and is independent of a specific rod-associated mutation. Together, the results of this study address a longstanding question in the field and suggest that activating mTORC1 in cones has therapeutic potential to prolong vision in RP.”
“New infrared bands of the linear carbon chain radical CCH are reported:

(X) over tilde (0 14(0) 0)(2) Sigma(+) – (X) over tilde (0 0(0) 0)(2)Sigma(+), recorded with a near-infrared diode laser spectrometer, and (A) over tilde (0 1 0)(2)2 Delta- (X) over tilde (0 1(1) 0)(2)Pi, (A) over tilde (0 2 0)(3)2 Phi- (X) over URMC-099 mouse tilde (0 2(2) 0)(2)Delta and (A) over tilde (0 3 0)(4)2 Gamma- (X) over tilde (0 3(3) 0)(2)Phi, recorded in emission with a Fourier transform spectrometer. All of the upper levels in the transitions appear to be strongly affected by interactions with other levels. The data demonstrate the excellence of calculations by Tarroni and Carter (2003), which determine the upper www.selleckchem.com/products/Neratinib(HKI-272).html state level positions, spin orbit splitting A, and rotational parameter B to a remarkable

level of accuracy, considering the very complex nature of the interactions between the (X) over tilde (2)Sigma(+)and (A) over tilde (2)Pi electronic states in the regions spanned by the observed levels. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.”
“The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that exquisitely regulates protein metabolism in skeletal muscle. mTOR integrates input from amino acids, growth factors, and intracellular cues to make or break muscle protein. mTOR accomplishes this task by stimulating the phosphorylation of substrates that control protein translation while simultaneously inhibiting proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation. In a metabolic twist of fate, sepsis induces muscle atrophy in part by the aberrant regulation of mTOR. In this review, we track the steps of normal mTOR signaling in muscle and examine where they go astray in sepsis and inflammation.”
“The statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) were proven to be effective antilipid agents against cardiovascular disease.

Thirty-two PR evaluation studies

were appraised by two independent reviewers using the pilot MMAT. Among these, 11(34%) involved nurses as researchers or research partners. Appraisal time was measured to assess efficiency. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by calculating a kappa statistic based on dichotomized responses for each criterion. An appraisal score was determined for each study, which allowed the calculation of an overall intra-class correlation.\n\nResults: On average, it took DMXAA ic50 14 min to appraise a study (excluding the initial reading of articles). Agreement between reviewers was moderate to perfect with regards to MMAT criteria, and substantial with respect to the overall quality score of appraised studies.\n\nConclusion: The MMAT is unique, thus the reliability of the pilot MMAT is promising, and encourages further development. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Chalcones are flavonoid precursors that recently have been found to disrupt mitochondrial

function and induce apoptosis in Arabidopsis radicles. However, whether they are potentially useful for weed control as selective herbicides depends on whether they are phytotoxic for important weeds and are not toxic for crops. This work determines the phytotoxicity Selleck SNX-5422 of chalcone for the germination and early development of a variety of crop species and associated weeds. Also, the phytotoxic potential was investigated in chalcone-watered or sprayed adult plants of Arabidopsis, a common model in phytotoxicity assays. Chalcone was detrimental mainly to the germination of Plantago lanceolata and Lactuca sativa and to the early root growth of Amaranthus retroflexus, Echinochloa crus-galli, and P. lanceolata, and likewise detrimental to the development selleck compound of adult Arabidopsis. The morphology and physiology of adult Arabidopsis plants watered or sprayed with chalcone confirmed that this metabolite is also phytotoxic for adult plants and showed that the mechanism of its action on plant metabolism depends

on whether it is administered by spraying or watering. These results support the role of chalcone as a plant growth regulator and its potential use in weed management in the field.”
“Liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas are major health problems of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To date, rare model has reproduced liver fibrosis associated with long-term HBV infection which in turn has hindered both the understanding of HBV biology and the development of new treatment options. Here, using adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) mediated delivery of a 1.2-kb HBV genome, we successfully generated a chronic HBV infectious mouse model that presents the associated liver fibrosis observed following human infection. After AAV8/HBV1.2 vector administration, mice demonstrated effective HBV replication and transcription which resulted in HBV antigen expression and viremia over 6 months.

p53 expression was not observed any specimen. PTEN expression was observed in 18 of 19 cases. DNA sequence analysis did not reveal mutations in exons 59 of PTEN in the immunohistochemically PTEN-negative case. In accordance with our previous reports, we found that observation of concomitant CD26-positive and PTEN-negative status in cases of follicular adenoma suggests a state close to follicular carcinoma or progression

to cancer, thus warranting careful follow-up. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Models-mathematical frameworks that facilitate BI-D1870 research buy estimation of the consequences of health care decisions-have become essential tools for health technology assessment. Evolution of the methods since the first ISPOR Modeling Task Force reported in 2003 has led to a new Task Force, jointly convened with the Society for Medical Decision Making, and this series of seven articles presents the updated recommendations for best practices in conceptualizing models; implementing state-transition approaches, discrete event simulations, PHA-848125 mw or dynamic transmission models; and dealing with uncertainty and validating and reporting

models transparently. This overview article introduces the work of the Task Force, provides all the recommendations, and discusses some quandaries that require further elucidation. The audience for these articles includes those who build models, stakeholders who utilize their results, and, indeed, anyone concerned with the use of models to support decision making.”
“Purpose of review\n\nTo describe the contemporary techniques used for septal saddle nose and, based on these, present our approaches for correction of a spectrum of deformity severities.\n\nRecent findings\n\nA review of different techniques currently in practice. These reflect greater emphasis on nasal structural framework repair rather than disguise and the use of autografts rather than allografts.\n\nSummary\n\nWe present our classification of septal saddle deformity, demonstrating Bucladesine molecular weight that this condition requires a flexible surgical approach with different techniques required depending

on the extent of the defect.”
“Dextran, a neutral bacterial polysaccharide, was chemically modified by the attachment of n-alkyl chains (hydroxy-2 n-dodecyl) through the formation of ether linkages. The extent of hydrophobic modification was high enough to ensure good solubility of the resulting polymer in organic solvents like chloroform. Furthermore, this polymer was shown to lower interfacial tension between water and dichloromethane with similar effect as to a usual oil-soluble molecular surfactant (Span 80). Submicronic water-in-chloroform emulsions were prepared using the modified dextran as the sole stabilizer with volume fractions of disperse phase up to 30%. The initial average droplet size and storage stability of inverse emulsions was discussed as a function of polymer concentration and volume fraction of disperse phase.

“
“The Chemistry Transport Model REM-Calgrid (RCG) has been improved by implementing an enhanced description

of aqueous-phase chemistry and wet deposition processes Epigenetics inhibitor including droplet pH. A sensitivity study on cloud and rain droplet pH has been performed to investigate its impact on model sulphate production and gas wet scavenging. Air concentrations and wet deposition fluxes of the model sensitivity runs have been analysed and compared to observations. It was found that droplet pH variation within atmospheric ranges affects modelled air concentrations and wet deposition fluxes significantly. Applying a droplet pH of 5.5 for July 2005, mean sulphate air concentrations increased by up to 10% compared to using a droplet pH of 5 while SO2 domain wet deposition sum increased by 110%. Moreover, model results using modelled droplet pH for January and

July 2005 have been compared to model results applying a constant pH of 5 and to observations. The comparison to observations has shown that using a variable droplet pH improves the model performance concerning air concentrations and wet deposition fluxes of the investigated sulphur and nitrogen compounds. For SOx wet deposition fluxes the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) decreased by 16% for July 2005 when using a variable droplet pH instead Belinostat of a constant pH of 5. Concerning sulphate and SO2 air concentrations the RMSE was reduced by 8% and 16% for July 2005, respectively. The results have revealed that PI3K inhibitor applying a variable droplet pH is preferable to using a constant pH leading to better consistency concerning air concentrations and wet deposition fluxes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Behavioral symptoms accompanying dementia are associated with increased health

care costs, reduced quality of life and daily functioning, heightened family caregiver burden, and nursing home placement. Standard care typically involves pharmacologic agents, but these are, at best, modestly effective, carry serious risks, including mortality, and do not address behavioral symptoms families consider most distressful and which may prompt nursing home placement. Given dementia’s devastating effects and the absence of an imminent cure, the Veterans Administration has supported the development and testing of new approaches to manage challenging behaviors at home.\n\nMethods/Design: The Tailored Activity Program – Veterans Administration is a Phase III efficacy trial designed to reduce behavioral symptoms in Veterans with dementia living with their caregivers in the community. The study uses a randomized two-group parallel design with 160 diverse Veterans and caregivers. The experimental group receives a transformative patient-centric intervention designed to reduce the burden of behavioral symptoms in Veterans with dementia.

We found that mammary epithelial cells exposed to soy diet exhibited a lower percentage of CD29(hi)CD24(+)Lin(-) population, decreased ability to form mammospheres in culture, lower mammary outgrowth potential when transplanted into cleared fat pads, and reduced appearance of tumor-initiating CD29(hi)Thy1(+)CD24(+) cells, than in those

of control diet-fed mice. Diet had no comparable influence on the percentage of the CD29(lo)CD24(+)Lin(-) population. Global gene expression profiling of the CD29(hi)CD24(+) subpopulation revealed markedly altered expression of genes important to inflammation, cytokine and chemokine signaling, and proliferation. Soy-fed relative to casein-fed mice showed lower mammary Selleckchem DMXAA tumor incidence, shorter tumor latency, and reduced systemic levels of estradiol 17-beta, progesterone and interleukin-6. Our results provide evidence for the functional impact of diet on specific

epithelial subpopulations that may relate to breast cancer risk and suggest that diet-regulated cues can be further explored for breast cancer risk assessment and prevention. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“The Sox proteins play critical roles during the development of animals, including sex determination and central nervous system development. In this study, the SoxB2 gene was cloned from a mollusk, the Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri), and characterized with respect to phylogeny and tissue distribution. The full-length cDNA and genomic DNA sequences of C. FDA approved Drug Library purchase farreri SoxB2 (Cf SoxB2) were obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and genome walking, respectively, using a partial cDNA fragment from the highly conserved DNA-binding domain, i.e., the High Mobility Group (HMG) box. The full-length cDNA sequence of Cf SoxB2 was 2 048 bp and encoded 268 amino acids protein. The genomic sequence was 5 551 bp in length with only one exon. Several conserved elements, such as the TATA-box, GC-box, CAAT-box, GATA-box, and Sox/sry-sex/testis-determining and related HMG box factors, were found in the promoter region. Furthermore, real-time quantitative reverse transcription

PCR assays were carried out to assess the mRNA expression of Cf A-1331852 solubility dmso SoxB2 in different tissues. SoxB2 was highly expressed in the mantle, moderately in the digestive gland and gill, and weakly expressed in the gonad, kidney and adductor muscle. In male and female gonads at different developmental stages of reproduction, the expression levels of Cf SoxB2 were similar. Considering the specific expression and roles of SoxB2 in other animals, in particular vertebrates, and the fact that there are many pallial nerves in the mantle, cerebral ganglia in the digestive gland and gill nerves in gill, we propose a possible essential role in nervous tissue function for SoxB2 in C. farreri”
“Background\n\nThe Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK) has been promoted since July 2008.

Adverse events were reported in 36%, 40%, and 39% of evolocumab-, ezetimibe-, and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common adverse events in evolocumab-treated patients were back pain, arthralgia, headache, muscle spasms, and pain in extremity (all smaller than 2%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this 12-week trial conducted among patients with primary hypercholesterolemia

and mixed dyslipidemia, evolocumab added to moderate-or high-intensity statin therapy resulted in additional LDL-C lowering. Further studies are needed to evaluate the longer-term clinical outcomes and safety of this approach for LDL-C lowering.”
“Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) JQ-EZ-05 purchase JPH203 is one of the most important economic crops worldwide, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is the most dangerous disease that affects its yield greatly. Lipid transfer

protein (LTP) has broad-spectrum anti-bacterial and fungal activities. In this study, B. napus was transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring the plasmid-containing LTP gene to study its possible capability of increasing plant’s resistance. First, we optimized the petiole genetic transformation system by adjusting the days of explants, bacterial concentrations, ratio of hormones, and cultivating condition. Second, we obtained 8 positive plants by PGR analysis of T0 generation. The PGR results of T-1 generation were positive, indicating that the LTP gene had been integrated into B. napus. Third, T-1 transgenic plants inoculated by detached leaves with mycelia of S. sclerotiorum showed better disease resistance than non-transformants. Oxalic acid belongs to secondary metabolites of S. sclerotiorum, and several studies have demonstrated that the resistance of rapeseed to oxalic acid is significantly Bafilomycin A1 cost consistent

with its resistance to S. sclerotiorum. The result from the seed germination assay showed that when T-1 seeds were exposed to oxalic acid stress, their germination rate was evidently higher than that of non-transformant seeds. In addition, we measured some physiological changes in T-1 plants and control plants under oxalic acid stress. The results showed that T-1 transgenic plants had lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content, higher super oxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) activities than non-transformants, whereas disease resistance was related to low MDA content and high SOD and POD activities.”
“Therapeutic plasma is a current product; French guidelines were reviewed in 2012. Connections between more or less closed countries are frequent, during relief disasters as well as in war settings. This is associated with the increasing use of plasma in the management of casualties.

Lowess curves were fit to biomarker levels in cancer patients and control subjects separately to summarize mean levels over time. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted, and area-under-the curve (AUC) statistics were computed to summarize the discrimination ability of these biomarkers by time before diagnosis.\n\nSmoothed mean concentrations of CA125, HE4,

and mesothelin (but not of B7-H4, DcR3, and spondin-2) began to increase (visually) in cancer patients relative to control subjects approximately 3 years before diagnosis but reached detectable elevations only within the final year before C59 diagnosis. In descriptive receiver operating characteristic analyses, the discriminatory power of these biomarkers was limited (AUC statistics range = 0.56-0.75) but showed increasing accuracy with time approaching

diagnosis (eg, AUC statistics for CA125 were 0.57, 0.68, and 0.74 for >= 4, 2-4, and < 2 years before diagnosis, respectively).\n\nSerum concentrations of CA125, HE4, and mesothelin may provide evidence of ovarian cancer 3 years before clinical diagnosis, but the likely lead time associated with these markers appears to be less than 1 year.”
“EEG recordings made during concurrent fMRI are confounded by the pulse artefact (PA), which although smaller than the gradient artefact is often more problematic because of its variability over multiple cardiac cycles. A better understanding of the PA is needed in order to generate improved methods for LY294002 order reducing its effect in EEG-fMRI experiments. Here we performed a study aimed at identifying the relative contributions of three DMH1 mouse putative sources of the PA (cardiac-pulse-driven head rotation, the Hall effect due to pulsatile blood flow and pulse-driven expansion of the scalp) to its amplitude and variability. EEG recordings were made from 6 subjects lying in a 3 T scanner. Accelerometers were fixed on the forehead and temple to monitor head motion. A bite-bar and vacuum cushion were

used to restrain the head, thus greatly attenuating the contribution of cardiac-driven head rotation to the PA, while an insulating layer placed between the head and the EEG electrodes was used to eliminate the Hall voltage contribution. Using the root mean square (RMS) amplitude of the PA averaged over leads and time as a measure of the PA amplitude, we found that head restraint and insulating layer reduced the PA by 61% and 42%, respectively, when compared with the PA induced with the subject relaxed, indicating that cardiac-pulse-driven head rotation is the dominant source of the PA. With both the insulating layer and head restraint in place, the PA was reduced in RMS amplitude by 78% compared with the relaxed condition, the remaining PA contribution resulting from scalp expansion or residual head motion.

Methods AMs, obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from 88 volunteers with stable-to-moderate COPD, were incubated with respiratory pathogens (NTHI, Moraxella catarrhalis (MC), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) and TLR ligands lipopolysaccharide, Pam(3)Cys) and elicited IL-8 and TNF-alpha were measured by microsphere flow cytometry. NF-kappa B nuclear translocation was measured by colorimetric assay. AM TLR2 and TLR4 expression was determined by immunolabeling and quantitation of mean fluorescent indices. Participants were monitored prospectively for occurrence of COPD exacerbations for 1 year following bronchoscopy. Non-parametric

analyses were used to compare exacerbation-prone and non-exacerbation-prone individuals. Results 29 subjects had PXD101 cost at least one exacerbation in the follow-up period (exacerbation-prone) and 59 remained exacerbation-free (non-exacerbation-prone). AMs of exacerbation-prone COPD donors were more refractory to cytokine induction by NTHI (p=0.02), MC (p=0.045) and SP (p=0.046), and to TLR2 (p=0.07) and TLR4 (p=0.028) ligands, and had diminished NF-kappa B nuclear activation, compared with non-exacerbationprone counterparts. AMs of exacerbation-prone subjects were more refractory to TLR2 upregulation by MC and SP (p=0.04 each). Conclusions Our results support a paradigm of impaired innate MLN4924 ic50 responses of COPD AMs to respiratory pathogens,

mediated by impaired TLR responses, underlying a propensity for exacerbations in COPD.”
“The range and demand for clinical genetic services will continue to grow, and now is an idea I time to assess current service quality. Based on the previous work of quality professional organizations such as the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) which is now known as The Joint Commission (TJC), an independent group

of genetic and healthcare quality professionals (InheritQual) drafted and defined a list of potential quality indicators for clinical genetics. Perspectives on the appropriateness and the practicality of each indicator were surveyed and analyzed. Buparlisib mouse The Quality Special Interest Group of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) chartered the survey results. After measuring the degree of consensus, an expert panel was selected to review the quality indicators based on practicality and applicability. This expert panel comprised of members of the ACMG Quality Sig workgroup met for final consensus and developed a methodology to pilot these indicators. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.”
“Latinas have lower quality of life than Caucasian cancer survivors but we know little about factors associated with quality of life in this growing population. Bilingual staff conducted interviews with a national cross-sectional sample of 264 Latina breast cancer survivors. Quality of life was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B).

12) in mice. The unsynapsed 8 and 12 trivalent was associated with the XY body during early and mid-pachynema in heterozygous Rb (8.12) carriers, suggesting possible AZD6094 silencing of pericentromeric genes, such as the Dnmt3a gene. In wild-type mice, DNMT3A protein showed a dramatic accumulation in the nucleus during the mid-pachytene stage and

distinct association with the XY body. In translocation carriers, DNMT3A was less abundant in a proportion of pachytene spermatocytes that also had unsynapsed pericentromeric regions of chromosomes 8 and 12. The same mice had incomplete methylation of the imprinted H19 differentially methylated region (DMR) in sperm. We propose that impaired H19 imprint establishment results from lack of synapsis in chromosomes 8 and 12 probably through transient silencing of a chromosome 8 or 12 gene during pachynema. Furthermore, our findings support the notion that imprint establishment at the H19 locus extends into pachynema.”
“A new feather mite genus and species Afroproterothrix marginata n. gen., n. sp. is described from the western black-headed oriole, Oriolus brachyrhynchus Swainson, 1837 (Passeriformes: Oriolidae), in Cameroon. The new genus belongs to the Proterothrix generic group and is most similar to the genus Nanopterodectes Mironov, 2009

by the loss of idiosomal setae d2, f2 and by having solenidia s1 and ?3 on legs I subequal in length. The genus Afroproterothrix differs from Nanopterodectes by the following combination of features: in both sexes, idiosomal setae c1 and trochanteral setae sRIII GS-7977 research buy are absent, idiosomal setae e2 are present, the humeral shields on dorsal surface of the hysterosoma are not developed; in males, the opisthosomal lobes are

poorly developed, the branches of the genital arch are well developed; in females, the hysteronotal shield is not divided into anterior and lobar parts. Brief comments on the systematics of the subfamily Pterodectinae are given.”
“Purpose: This study develops a method to obtain optimal estimates of absolute magnetization phase from multiple-coil MRI data. Theory and Methods: The element-specific phases of a multi-element JNK-IN-8 inhibitor receiver coil array are accounted for by using the phase of a real or virtual reference coil that is sensitive over the entire imaged volume. The virtual-reference coil is generated as a weighted combination of measurements from all receiver coils. The phase-corrected multiple coil complex images are combined using the inverse covariance matrix. These methods are tested on images of an agar phantom, an in vivo breast, and an anesthetized rabbit obtained using combinations of four, nine, and three receiver channels, respectively. Results: The four-and three-channel acquisitions require formation of a virtual-reference receiver coil while one channel of the nine-channel receive array has a sensitivity profile covering the entire imaged volume.