A rapid multi-parametric quantitative MR imaging method to assess Parkinson's disease: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: MULTIPLEX is a single-scan three-dimensional multi-parametric MRI technique that provides 1 mm isotropic T1-, T2*-, proton density- and susceptibility-weighted images and the corresponding quantitative maps. This study aimed to investigate its feasibility of clinical application in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: 27 PD patients and 23 healthy control (HC) were recruited and underwent a MULTIPLEX scanning. All image reconstruction and processing were automatically performed with in-house C + + programs on the Automatic Differentiation using Expression Template platform. According to the HybraPD atlas consisting of 12 human brain subcortical nuclei, the region-of-interest (ROI) based analysis was conducted to extract quantitative parameters, then identify PD-related abnormalities from the T1, T2* and proton density maps and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), by comparing patients and HCs. RESULTS: The ROI-based analysis revealed significantly decreased mean T1 values in substantia nigra pars compacta and habenular nuclei, mean T2* value in subthalamic nucleus and increased mean QSM value in subthalamic nucleus in PD patients, compared to HCs (all p values < 0.05 after FDR correction). The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed all these four quantitative parameters significantly contributed to PD diagnosis (all p values < 0.01 after FDR correction). Furthermore, the two quantitative parameters in subthalamic nucleus showed hemicerebral differences in regard to the clinically dominant side among PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: MULTIPLEX might be feasible for clinical application to assist in PD diagnosis and provide possible pathological information of PD patients' subcortical nucleus and dopaminergic midbrain regions.

Recycling solar-grade silicon from end-of-life photovoltaic modules by Al-Si solvent refining.

The development of the solar market has been fast in the past decades, and the number of photovoltaic module installations is large. The photovoltaic modules have a lifetime of about 25 years and need recovery after that. The aluminium-back surface field (Al-BSF) module is the first kind of large-scale installed module and will come to its end of life in the next few years. The recycling of silicon material in the Al-BSF module is investigated in this work. The components of the module are separated, and the silicon material in the module is collected and then purified by (aluminium-silicon) Al-Si solvent refining for reuse. It is found that Al-Si solvent refining removed key impurity elements, namely boron and phosphorus, in the collected silicon. Kinetics has a great effect on boron and phosphorus removal, and boron and phosphorus contents in purified silicon decrease with decreasing cooling rate. The boron and phosphorus contents in silicon are lowered to 0.28 and 0.03 ppmw, respectively, after two times of Al-Si solvent refining with the cooling rate of 5.55 * 10-4 K second-1, and it meets the requirement of solar-grade silicon.

In Situ/Operando Insights into the Stability and Degradation Mechanisms of Heterogeneous Electrocatalysts.

The further commercialization of renewable energy conversion and storage technologies requires heterogeneous electrocatalysts that meet the exacting durability target. Studies of the stability and degradation mechanisms of electrocatalysts are expected to provide important breakthroughs in stability issues. Accessible in situ/operando techniques performed under realistic reaction conditions are therefore urgently needed to reveal the nature of active center structures and establish links between the structural motifs in a catalyst and its stability properties. This review highlights recent research advances regarding in situ/operando techniques and improves the understanding of the stabilities of advanced heterogeneous electrocatalysts used in a diverse range of electrochemical reactions; it also proposes some degradation mechanisms. The review concludes by offering suggestions for future research.

Cerebral blood flow alterations in migraine patients with and without aura: An arterial spin labeling study.

BACKGROUND: Migraine aura is a transient, fully reversible visual, sensory, or other central nervous system symptom that classically precedes migraine headache. This study aimed to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations of migraine with aura patients (MwA) and without aura patients (MwoA) during inter-ictal periods, using arterial spin labeling (ASL). METHODS: We evaluated 88 migraine patients (32 MwA) and 44 healthy control subjects (HC) who underwent a three-dimensional pseudo-continuous ASL MRI scanning. Voxel-based comparison of normalized CBF was conducted between MwA and MwoA. The relationship between CBF variation and clinical scale assessment was further analyzed. The mean CBF values in brain regions showed significant differences were calculated and considered as imaging features. Based on these features, different machine learning-based models were established to differentiate MwA and MwoA under five-fold cross validation. The predictive ability of the optimal model was further tested in an independent sample of 30 migraine patients (10 MwA). RESULTS: In comparison to MwoA and HC, MwA exhibited higher CBF levels in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus and cerebellum, and lower CBF levels in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, thalamus and medioventral occipital cortex (all p values < 0.05). These variations were also significantly correlated with multiple clinical rating scales about headache severity, quality of life and emotion. On basis of these CBF features, the accuracies and areas under curve of the final model in the training and testing samples were 84.3% and 0.872, 83.3% and 0.860 in discriminating patients with and without aura, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, CBF abnormalities of MwA were identified in multiple brain regions, which might help better understand migraine-stroke connection mechanisms and may guide patient-specific decision-making.

Brain connectome-based imaging markers for identifiable signature of migraine with and without aura.

Background: Cortical spreading depression (CSD) has been considered the prominent theory for migraine with aura (MwA). However, it is also argued that CSD can exist in patients in a silent state, and not manifest as aura. Thus, the MwA classification based on aura may be questionable. This study aimed to capture whole-brain connectome-based imaging markers with identifiable signatures for MwA and migraine without aura (MwoA). Methods: A total of 88 migraine patients (32 MwA) and 49 healthy controls (HC) underwent a diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The whole-brain structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) analysis was employed to extract imaging features. The extracted features were subjected to an all-relevant feature selection process within cross-validation loops to pinpoint attributes demonstrating substantial efficacy for patient categorization. Based on the identified features, the predictive ability of the random forest classifiers constructed with the 88 migraine patients' sample was tested using an independent sample of 32 migraine patients (eight MwA). Results: Compared to MwoA and HC, MwA showed two reduced SC and six FC (five increased and one reduced) features [all P<0.01, after false discovery rate (FDR) correction], involving frontal areas, temporal areas, visual areas, amygdala, and thalamus. A total of four imaging features were significantly correlated with clinical rating scales in all patients (r=-0.38 to 0.47, P<0.01, after FDR correction). The predictive ability of the random forest classifiers achieved an accuracy of 78.1% in the external sample to identify MwA. Conclusions: The whole-brain connectivity features in our results may serve as connectome-based imaging markers for MwA identification. The alterations of SC and FC strength provide possible evidence in further understanding the heterogeneity and mechanism of MwA which may help for patient-specific decision-making.

Aberrant brain functional hubs and causal effective connectivity in menstrually-related and non-menstrually-related migraine without aura.

Background: Menstrual migraine without aura (MRM) is common in female migraineurs and is closely related to cerebral functional abnormalities. However, whether the whole brain networks and directional functional connectivity of MRM patients are altered remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to detect the alterations of resting-state functional networks and directional functional connectivity between MRM and non-menstrual migraine without aura (NMM) patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with degree centrality (DC) and Granger causality analysis (GCA) methods. Methods: In this retrospective and cross-sectional study, 45 MRM and 40 NMM patients (matched in age, gender, and years of education) were recruited in the study between May 2018 and June 2022. All participants had undergone resting-state fMRI scanning at the Neurology and Pain Outpatient Department of Nanjing First Hospital. Their brain functions were analyzed in terms of DC and GCA, with the significant threshold at voxel level P<0.01 and cluster level P<0.05, Gaussian random field corrected. Correlation analysis was adopted to assess the relationships between the fMRI results and clinical features (P<0.05, Bonferroni corrected). Results: Compared with those in the NMM group, MRM patients showed decreased DC in the right insula (T=-4.253). Using the right insula as the seed region, patients with MRM demonstrated enhanced effective connectivity from the right insula to the ipsilateral middle temporal gyrus (T=4.138) and contralateral superior temporal gyrus (T=3.523). Furthermore, the MRM group also showed decreased effective connectivity from several brain regions to the right insula, which included the right inferior occipital gyrus (T=-4.498), left middle frontal gyrus (T=-4.879), right precuneus (T=-4.644), and left inferior parietal gyrus (T=-4.113). The average Self-rating Anxiety Scale score of the MRM group was significantly higher than that of the NMM group [P=0.032, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.363-7.761]. In the MRM group, disease duration was negatively correlated with the mean value of DC in right insula (r=-0.428, P=0.01). Conclusions: The present research demonstrated that patients with MRM have disruption in insula resting-state functional networks. Disrupted networks contained regions associated with cognitive processes, emotional perception, and migraine attack in MRM patients. These results may improve our comprehension of the neuromechanism of menstrually-related migraine.

Enhanced Piezoelectricity of MAPbI3 by the Introduction of MXene and Its Utilization in Boosting High-Performance Photodetectors.

Recently, perovskite photodetectors (PDs) are risen to prominence due to substantial research interest. Beyond merely tweaking the composition of materials, a cutting-edge advancement lies in leveraging the innate piezoelectric polarization properties of perovskites themselves. Here, the investigation shows utilizing Ti3C2Tx, a typical MXene, as an intermediate layer for significantly boosting the piezoelectric property of MAPbI3 thin films. This improvement is primarily attributed to the enhanced polarization of the methylammonium (MA+) groups within MAPbI3, induced by the OH groups present in Ti3C2Tx. A flexible PD based on the MAPbI3/MXene heterostructure is then fabricated. The new device is sensitive to a wide range of wavelengths, displays greatly enhanced performance owing to the piezo-phototronic coupling. Moreover, the device is endowed with a greatly reduced response time, down to millisecond level, through the pyro-phototronic effect. The characterization shows applying a -1.2% compressive strain on the PD leads to a remarkable 102% increase in the common photocurrent, and a 76% increase in the pyro-phototronic current. The present work reveals how the emerging piezo-phototronic and pyro-phototronic effects can be employed to design high-performance flexible perovskite PDs.

Simulation Experiment Research of Mine Roadway Simulating Test Device with Adjustable Wind Velocity and Temperature and Humidity.

The design and development process of wind velocity sensors for mining has been a challenging task due to the complexity of a large number of field tests. To resolve this problem, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive test device for the design and development of high-precision wind velocities sensor for mining. Through a combination of experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a device that can simulate the mine roadway environment was developed. The device can control the temperature, humidity, and wind velocity parameters to fully replicate the mine roadway environment. It gives designers and developers of high-precision wind velocity sensors for mining a rational and scientific testing environment. In order to quantitatively define the uniformity of air flow in the mine highway section, the research introduced the non-uniformity determination method. The approach was expanded to assess the cross-sectional uniformity of temperature and humidity. The wind velocity within the machine can increase to 8.5 m/s by selecting the right kind of fan. The minimum wind velocity non-uniformity at this moment is 2.30%. The device's internal temperature can be raised to 38.23 °C and its humidity level can be increased to 95.09% by carefully crafting the rectifier orifice plate's structure. At this time, the lowest temperature non-uniformity is 2.22%, and the lowest humidity non-uniformity is 2.40%. The device's average wind velocity is 4.37 m/s, its average temperature is 37.7 °C, as well as its average humidity is 95%, per the emulate results. The device's non-uniformity in wind velocity, temperature, and humidity is 2.89%, 1.34%, and 2.23%, respectively. It is capable of simulating the mine roadway environment in its entirety.

Research on evolutionary game of environmental accounting information disclosure from the perspective of multi-agent.

In the past, China, like other developing countries in the world, pursued the goal of rapid economic development at the expense of ecology and ignored the issue of environmental protection. But in recent decades, as environmental problems have become increasingly prominent, developing countries have begun to explore ways to coordinate economy and ecological environment. As the largest developing country, China has been actively exploring ecological governance plans, putting forward the concept of green development, setting the goal of building a "beautiful China" and placing the construction of ecological civilization in the ontological status of social systems and national goals. In order to accelerate the green development process of enterprises in developing countries, based on the actual situation in China, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of environmental accounting information disclosure with enterprises, investors and media as the research objects, and analyzes the internal mechanism of environmental accounting information disclosure. The model finds that the equilibrium of the three parties is affected by multiple factors. Therefore, this study further uses system dynamics to explore the dynamic process of evolutionary games and the strategic choices among multiple agents, and explore the mechanism of three types of agents to promote environmental accounting information disclosure. The simulation results reveal that government incentives have a greater impact on guiding enterprises and the media to evolve in the direction of legal disclosure and participation in exposure strategies. In addition, the continuous reduction of the cumbersome degree of disclosure procedures and the difficulty of improving environmental performance can fundamentally promote companies to actively choose legal disclosure strategies, which will help improve the quality of environmental accounting information disclosure, boost investor confidence, and enhance government supervision.

Inhibition of lncRNA H19/miR-370-3p pathway mitigates neuronal apoptosis in an in vitro model of spinal cord injury (SCI).

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the most serious complication of spinal injury, often leading to severe dysfunction of the limbs below the injured segment. Conventional therapy approaches are becoming less and less effective, and gene therapy is a new research direction by now. METHODS: The Sprague-Dawley rats were haphazardly assigned to two groups, namely sham group and SCI model group, and lncRNA H19 and miR-370-3p levels were investigated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Correlation between lncRNA H19 and miR-370-3p was ascertained by luciferase report assay and RT-qPCR. After transfection with si-H19, miR-370-3p inhibitor, negative controls (NC), or both, primary spinal neurons were subjected to the simulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for inducing in vitro model of SCI. Cell viability, apoptotic rate, caspase-3 activity, Bax and Bcl-2 protein, ROS generation, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 protein, as well as IκBα and p65 phosphorylation ratio were evaluated adopting 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, ROS generation, and western blot assays, thereby searching for the specific action mechanism on LPS-induced spinal never injury. RESULTS: SCI resulted in lncRNA H19 higher expression and miR-370-3p lower expression. LPS simulation raised a series of cellular biological changes, such as decreased viability, promoted apoptosis, generated ROS, and released inflammatory factors. lncRNA H19 inhibition reversed above LPS-induced changes. Besides, as the downstream target of lncRNA H19, miR-370-3p was oppositely regulated by lncRNA H19. The above biological changes induced by lncRNA H19 inhibition were reversed by miR-370-3p upregulation. Moreover, lncRNA H19 inhibition could block NF-κB pathway through miR-370-3p upregulation. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of lncRNA H19/miR-370-3p mitigated spinal neuron apoptosis in an in vitro model of SCI. This provided the possibility for clinical use of gene therapy.

Study on Flow Field Characteristics of the 90° Rectangular Elbow in the Exhaust Hood of a Uniform Push⁻Pull Ventilation Device.

A uniform push⁻pull ventilation device can effectively improve indoor air quality (IAQ). The 90° rectangular elbow is an important part of the push⁻pull ventilation device. This paper analyzes the flow field characteristics of the 90° rectangular elbows under different working conditions. This was done by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation (Fluent). The flow lines, velocity and pressure distribution patterns of the elbow flow field are revealed in detail. The wind velocity non-uniformity and wind pressure non-uniformity of the 90° rectangular elbows with different coefficients of radius curvature R and rectangular section height h are also compared. The results show that when R ≥ 2.5 h, the wind flow traces inside the elbow are basically parallel lines. At the same time, the average wind velocity and the average wind pressure are stable. Also, the wind velocity non-uniformity and wind pressure non-uniformity decrease with the increase of R. Therefore, considering the space and material loss caused by an increase in radius of curvature, the elbow with R = 2.5 h can be used as the best design structure for the 90° rectangular elbow, which is of great significance for improving the control effect of dust and toxic pollutants in a uniform push⁻pull ventilation device.

Fabrication and characterization of a novel collagen-catechol hydrogel.

3,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde, a derivative of catechol and an agent with an extensive pharmacological and biological activities, was used to modify collagen and prepared hydrogels. The aldehyde group of 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde interacted with the ɛ-amino group of collagen, and then the catechol group of 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde was oxidized and self-polymerized. The chemical network formed due to the cross-linking bridges of polymerized catechol groups among collagen molecules, resulting in the transformation from solution to hydrogel. The results of the Fourier-transform infrared measurement indicated that the triple helix structure of collagen was integrated after cross-linking. The appearance of hydrogels changed from golden to dark brown with the increasing 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde dose. When the weight ratio of 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and collagen increased from 0 to 2:1, the thermal denaturation temperature of collagen increased from 40.2 to 77.6℃ while the elastic modulus of collagen increased from 13.6 to 1061.4 Pa. The addition of 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde also caused more compact morphologies and a dramatic enhancement in the enzymatic resistance of hydrogels. Moreover, the results of cell proliferation assay demonstrated the favorable biocompatibility of collagen hydrogels with 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. These promising data indicate that the novel hydrogels had significant potential for applications.