Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular Longitudinal Function and Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy Concomitant With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 3.0 T Cardiac MR Study.

BACKGROUND: Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is known to result in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, myocardial fibrosis, and ischemic/nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (ICM/NIDCM). However, less is known about the prognostic value of T2DM on LV longitudinal function and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) assessed with cardiac MRI in ICM/NIDCM patients. PURPOSE: To measure LV longitudinal function and myocardial scar in ICM/NIDCM patients with T2DM and to determine their prognostic values. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective cohort. POPULATION: Two hundred thirty-five ICM/NIDCM patients (158 with T2DM and 77 without T2DM). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3T; steady-state free precession cine; phase-sensitive inversion recovery segmented gradient echo LGE sequences. ASSESSMENT: Global peak longitudinal systolic strain rate (GLPSSR) was evaluated to LV longitudinal function with feature tracking. The predictive value of GLPSSR was determined with ROC curve. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured. The primary adverse cardiovascular endpoint was follow up every 3 months. STATISTICAL TESTS: Mann-Whitney U test or student's t-test; Intra and inter-observer variabilities; Kaplan-Meier method; Cox proportional hazards analysis (threshold = 5%). RESULTS: ICM/NIDCM patients with T2DM exhibited significantly lower absolute value of GLPSSR (0.39 ± 0.14 vs. 0.49 ± 0.18) and higher proportion of LGE positive (+) despite similar LV ejection fraction, compared to without T2DM. LV GLPSSR was able to predict primary endpoint (AUC 0.73) and optimal cutoff point was 0.4. ICM/NIDCM patients with T2DM (GLPSSR < 0.4) had more markedly impaired survival. Importantly, this group (GLPSSR < 0.4, HbA1c ≥ 7.8%, or LGE (+)) exhibited the worst survival. In multivariate analysis, GLPSSR, HbA1c, and LGE (+) significantly predicted primary adverse cardiovascular endpoint in overall ICM/NIDCM and ICM/NIDCM patients with T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM has an additive deleterious effect on LV longitudinal function and myocardial fibrosis in ICM/NIDCM patients. Combining GLPSSR, HbA1c, and LGE could be promising markers in predicting outcomes in ICM/NIDCM patients with T2DM. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: 5.

The effect of education expenditure on air pollution: Evidence from China.

Education expenditure is essential in mitigating air pollution, but the relationship between education expenditure and air pollution lacks in-depth discussion. Utilizing data at the county level in China during 2007-2021, this study estimates the effect of education expenditure from local governments on air pollution. Our findings demonstrate that education expenditure significantly and negatively affects air pollution, which remains robust after addressing endogeneity. The mechanism analysis presents that education expenditure reduces air pollution through the composition, technique, and income effects. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of education expenditure exhibits marked regional heterogeneity. Specifically, the role of education expenditure is significant in strong regulation, key, eastern, and central regions. By considering interaction terms, we identify the moderating effects of human capital, economic development, infrastructure construction, and public service for education expenditure. The cost-benefit analysis emphasizes that education expenditure improves social welfare. Our findings can inspire local governments to place more emphasis on air quality and public education expenditure.

Pollutant removal in an experimental bioretention cell situated in a northern Chinese sponge city.

To assess the viability and effectiveness of bioretention cell in enhancing rainwater resource utilization within sponge cities, this study employs field monitoring, laboratory testing, and statistical analysis to evaluate the water purification capabilities of bioretention cell. Findings indicate a marked purification impact on surface runoff, with removal efficiencies of 59.81% for suspended solids (SS), 39.01% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 37.53% for ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and 30.49% for total phosphorus (TP). The treated water largely complies with rainwater reuse guidelines and tertiary sewage discharge standards. Notably, while previous research in China has emphasized water volume control in sponge city infrastructures, less attention has been given to the qualitative aspects and field-based evaluations. This research not only fills that gap but also offers valuable insights and practical implications for bioretention cell integration into sponge city development. Moreover, the methodology and outcomes of this study serve as a benchmark for future sponge city project assessments, offering guidance to relevant authorities.

TIPE2 deficiency prolongs mouse heart allograft survival by facilitating immature DCs-induced Treg generation.

It has been reported that deletion of tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 like 2 (TNFAIP8L2, TIPE2) facilitates the activation of T-cell receptors. However, the role of TIPE2 in T-cell-mediated acute transplant rejection remains unclear. To illustrate the underlying cellular mechanisms, we transplanted BALB/c hearts into C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) or C57BL/6 mice deficient for TIPE2 (TIPE2-/-) and found that TIPE2-/- recipient mice showed significantly prolonged survival of heart allografts and suppressed maturation of CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs), which largely abolished the activation and proliferation of alloreactive T cells and their cytotoxic activity. TIPE2-/- DCs increased CD4+CD25+Foxp3+CD127- regulatory T cells (Tregs)generation, likely by inhibiting DCs maturation and CD80 and CD86 expression. Administration of anti-CD25 abolished the allograft survival induced by TIPE2 deficiency. Moreover, TIPE2 deficiency increased IL-10 production in T cells and in recipient serum and allografts. Mechanistic studies revealed that TIPE2-/- restrained the maturation of DCs via inhibition of PI3K/AKT phosphorylation during alloantigen stimulation. Taken together, TIPE2 deficiency in recipient mice inhibited acute rejection by increasing Tregs generated by immature DCs. Thus, TIPE2 could be a therapeutic target for suppressing rejection in organ transplantation.

Quantification of Early Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis Through 7.0 T Cardiac Magnetic Resonance T1 Mapping in a Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus Mouse Model.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse myocardial interstitial fibrosis (DMIF) is a key factor for heart failure (HF) in diabetic cardiomyopathy. MRI T1-mapping technique can quantitatively evaluate DMIF. PURPOSE: To evaluate of early DMIF in a type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) mouse model through 7.0 T MRI T1 mapping. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. ANIMAL MODEL: A total of 50 8-week-old C57Bl/6J male mice were divided into control (n = 20) and T1DM (n = 30) groups. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 7.0 T small animal MRI; gradient echo Look-Locker inversion recovery T1-mapping sequence; cine MRI. Scans were acquired in control and T1DM mice every 4 weeks until 24 weeks. ASSESSMENT: End-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), left ventricle (LV) mass, fractional shortening (FS), and E/A ratio. They were evaluated through echocardiography and cine MRI. The extracellular volume fraction (ECV) was calculated. Sirius Red staining was performed and calculated collagen volume fraction (CVF). STATISTICAL TESTS: Differences in ECV and CVF between two groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The correlation between ECV and CVF was assessed using Pearson's correlations. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, a progressive decrease in FS, EF, and E/A ratio was observed in the T1DM group. Both ECV and CVF values gradually increased during diabetes progression. A significant increase in ECV and CVF values was observed at 12 weeks (ECV: 32.5% ± 1.6% vs. 28.1% ± 1.8%; CVF: 6.9% ± 1.8% vs. 3.3% ± 1.1%). ECV showed a strong correlation with CVF (r = 0.856). DATA CONCLUSION: ECV is an accurate and feasible imaging marker that can be used to quantitatively assess DMIF changes over time in T1DM mice. ECV has potential to accurately detect DMIF in the early stage and may be a useful imaging tool to assess the need for early intervention in T1DM mice. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Synergistic and efficient degradation of acid red 73 by UV/O3/PDS: Kinetic studies, free radical contributions and degradation pathways.

Acid red 73 (AR73) is a representative dye pollutant that poses a threat to the environment and human health. Effectively removing this type of pollutant by conventional processes is difficult. However, this study found that compared with UV/PDS, UV/O3, and PDS/O3, UV/O3/PDS composite system had the highest degradation effect on AR73. The degradation efficiency in the composite system reached 97.61% within 30 min, and the synergistic coefficients in the composite system were all greater than 1. In the UV/O3/PDS system, ·OH was the main free radical that mainly degrades AR73. The increase of PDS dosage promoted the degradation of AR73, but the increase of O3 dosage was difficult to greatly improve the degradation of AR73 effect. The kinetic model of the apparent reaction rate was determined. The UV/O3/PDS system can efficiently degrade AR73 in a wide range of substrate concentrations and pH levels, and at the same time showed good adaptability to various concentrations of anions (Cl-, CO32-, SO32-, and C2O42-). Under raw water quality, the degradation effect of AR73 was still as high as approximately 90%. The theoretical attack site was obtained by DFT calculation, and the possible degradation pathway of AR73 was proposed based on the GC-MS spectrum and UV-Vis absorption spectrum. The attack of -NN- by ·OH, SO4-, and O3 was proposed to be the main possible degradation pathway for AR73. Therefore, this study further improves the understanding of the UV/O3/PDS system and shows the potential applicability of this system in the treatment of dye wastewater.

Non-destructive state detection for quantum logic spectroscopy of molecular ions.

Precision laser spectroscopy of cold and trapped molecular ions is a powerful tool in fundamental physics--used, for example, in determining fundamental constants, testing for their possible variation in the laboratory, and searching for a possible electric dipole moment of the electron. However, the absence of cycling transitions in molecules poses a challenge for direct laser cooling of the ions, and for controlling and detecting their quantum states. Previously used state-detection techniques based on photodissociation or chemical reactions are destructive and therefore inefficient, restricting the achievable resolution in laser spectroscopy. Here, we experimentally demonstrate non-destructive detection of the quantum state of a single trapped molecular ion through its strong Coulomb coupling to a well controlled, co-trapped atomic ion. An algorithm based on a state-dependent optical dipole force changes the internal state of the atom according to the internal state of the molecule. We show that individual quantum states in the molecular ion can be distinguished by the strength of their coupling to the optical dipole force. We also observe quantum jumps (induced by black-body radiation) between rotational states of a single molecular ion. Using the detuning dependence of the state-detection signal, we implement a variant of quantum logic spectroscopy of a molecular resonance. Our state-detection technique is relevant to a wide range of molecular ions, and could be applied to state-controlled quantum chemistry and to spectroscopic investigations of molecules that serve as probes for interstellar clouds.

Mechanism and efficiency of photocatalytic triclosan degradation by TiO2/BiFeO3 nanomaterials.

Hierarchical porous TiO2 photocatalytic nanomaterials were fabricated by impregnation and calcination using a peanut shell biotemplate, and TiO2/BiFeO3 composite nanomaterials with different doping amounts were fabricated using hydrothermal synthesis. The micromorphology, structure, element composition and valence state of the photocatalyst were analyzed using a series of characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), BET surface area (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse reflectance (UV-vis), fluorescence spectroscopy (PL) and other technological means. Finally, the degradation mechanism and efficiency of BiFeO3 composite photocatalyst on the target pollutant triclosan were analyzed using a xenon lamp to simulate sunlight. The results showed that TiO2/BiFeO3 catalyst fabricated using a peanut shell biotemplate has a specific surface area of 153.64 m2/g, a band gap of 1.92 eV, and forms heterostructures. The optimum doping amount of TiO2/BiFeO3 catalyst was 1 mol/mol, and the degradation rate was 81.2%. The main active substances degraded were ·O2-and ·OH. The degradation process measured is consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.

[Improving college students sub-threshold depression by music neurofeedback].

Sub-threshold depression refers to a psychological sub-health state that fails to meet the diagnostic criteria for depression. Appropriate intervention can improve the state and reduce the risks of disease development. In this paper, we focus on music neurofeedback stimulation improving emotional state of sub-threshold depression college students.Twenty-four college students with sub-threshold depression participated in the experiment, 16 of whom were members of the experimental group. Decompression music based on spectrum classification was applied to 16 experimental group participants for 10 min/d music neural feedback stimulation with a period of 14 days, and no stimulation was applied to 8 control group participants. Three feature parameters of electroencephalogram (EEG) relative power, sample entropy and complexity were extracted for analysis. The results showed that the relative power of αã€ß and θ rhythm increased, while δ rhythm decreased after the stimulation of musical nerofeedback in the experimental group. The sample entropy and complexity were significantly increased after the stimulation, and the differences of these parameters pre and post stimulation were statistically significant ( P < 0.05), while the differences of all feature parameters in the control group were not statistically significant. In the experimental group, the scores of self-rating depression scale(SDS) decreased after the stimulation of musical nerofeedback, indicating that the depression was improved. The result of this study showed that music neurofeedback stimulation can improve sub-threshold depression and may provides an effective new way for college students to self-regulation of emotion.

Inverse engineering of shortcut pulses for high fidelity initialization on qubits closely spaced in frequency.

High-fidelity qubit initialization is of significance for efficient error correction in fault tolerant quantum algorithms. Combining two best worlds, speed and robustness, to achieve high-fidelity state preparation and manipulation is challenging in quantum systems, where qubits are closely spaced in frequency. Motivated by the concept of shortcut to adiabaticity, we theoretically propose the shortcut pulses via inverse engineering and further optimize the pulses with respect to systematic errors in frequency detuning and Rabi frequency. Such protocol, relevant to frequency selectivity, is applied to rare-earth ions qubit system, where the excitation of frequency-neighboring qubits should be prevented as well. Furthermore, comparison with adiabatic complex hyperbolic secant pulses shows that these dedicated initialization pulses can reduce the time that ions spend in the excited state by a factor of 6, which is important in coherence time limited systems to approach an error rate manageable by quantum error correction. The approach may also be applicable to superconducting qubits, and any other systems where qubits are addressed in frequency.

[Study on the improvement of brain cognitive function status by mind-control game training].

This study uses mind-control game training to intervene in patients with mild cognitive impairment to improve their cognitive function. In this study, electroencephalogram (EEG) data of 40 participants were collected before and after two training sessions. The continuous complexity of EEG signals was analyzed to assess the status of cognitive function and explore the effect of mind-control game training on the improvement of cognitive function. The results showed that after two training sessions, the continuous complexity of EEG signal of the subject increased (0.012 44 ± 0.000 29, P < 0.05) and amplitude of curve fluctuation decreased gradually, indicating that with increase of training times, the continuous complexity increased significantly, the cognitive function of brain improved significantly and state was stable. The results of this paper may show that mind-control game training can improve the status of the brain cognitive function, which may provide support and help for the future intervention of cognitive dysfunction.

[Weighted multiple multiscale entropy and its application in electroencephalography analysis of autism assessment].

In this paper, a feature extraction algorithm of weighted multiple multiscale entropy is proposed to solve the problem of information loss which is caused in the multiscale process of traditional multiscale entropy. Algorithm constructs the multiple data sequences from large to small on each scale. Then, considering the different contribution degrees of multiple data sequences to the entropy of the scale, the proportion of each sequence in the scale sequence is calculated by combining the correlation between the data sequences, so as to reconstruct the sample entropy of each scale. Compared with the traditional multiscale entropy the feature extraction algorithm based on weighted multiple multiscale entropy not only overcomes the problem of information loss, but also fully considers the correlation of sequences and the contribution to total entropy. It reduces the fluctuation between scales, and digs out the details of electroencephalography (EEG). Based on this algorithm, the EEG characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children are analyzed, and the classification accuracy of the algorithm is increased by 23.0%, 10.4% and 6.4% as compared with the EEG extraction algorithm of sample entropy, traditional multiscale entropy and multiple multiscale entropy based on the delay value method, respectively. Based on this algorithm, the 19 channel EEG signals of ASD children and healthy children were analyzed. The results showed that the entropy of healthy children was slightly higher than that of the ASD children except the FP2 channel, and the numerical differences of F3, F7, F8, C3 and P3 channels were statistically significant ( P<0.05). By classifying the weighted multiple multiscale entropy of each brain region, we found that the accuracy of the anterior temporal lobe (F7, F8) was the highest. It indicated that the anterior temporal lobe can be used as a sensitive brain area for assessing the brain function of ASD children.

Biocompatibility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Nanoprobes Improved by Transformable Gadolinium Oxide Nanocoils.

To design functional nanomaterials for biomedical applications, the challenge for scientists is to gain further understanding of their unique toxicological properties. Nonspecific adhesion of proteins and endocytosis are considered to be the major biotoxic sources of imaging nanoprobes. Here, we fabricated ultrathin gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanocoils with a low Young's modulus, which provides transformable properties in solution. The spatial configurational freedom of ultrathin nanocoils induces the steric repulsion to the nonspecific adsorption of proteins that, in turn, suppresses cellular uptake and thus improves their biocompatibility. The larger number of exposed surface gadolinium atoms of the ultrathin nanocoils provided enhanced T1 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast with high signal activation. Such nanocontrast agents were applied to in vivo MR bioimaging to achieve prolonged circulation lifetime. The improved biocompatibility by transformable Gd2O3 nanocoils could open up a new perspective toward the design and construction of various nano-biomedicines in the future.

[Research on electroencephalogram emotion recognition based on the feature fusion algorithm of auto regressive model and wavelet packet entropy].

Focused on the world-wide issue of improving the accuracy of emotion recognition, this paper proposes an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal feature extraction algorithm based on wavelet packet energy entropy and auto-regressive (AR) model. The auto-regressive process can be approached to EEG signal as much as possible, and provide a wealth of spectral information with few parameters. The wavelet packet entropy reflects the spectral energy distribution of the signal in each frequency band. Combination of them gives a better reflect of the energy characteristics of EEG signals. Feature extraction and fusion are implemented based on kernel principal component analysis. Six emotional states from a public multimodal database for emotion analysis using physiological signals (DEAP) are recognized. The results show that the recognition accuracy of the proposed algorithm is more than 90%, and the highest recognition accuracy is 99.33%. It indicates that this algorithm can extract the feature of EEG emotion well, and it is a kind of effective emotion feature extraction algorithm, providing support to emotion recognition.

Recent progress of particle electrode materials in three-dimensional electrode reactor: synthesis strategy and electrocatalytic applications.

With the complete promotion of a green, low-carbon, safe, and efficient economic system as well as energy system, the promotion of clean governance technology in the field of environmental governance becomes increasingly vital. Because of its low energy consumption, great efficiency, and lack of secondary pollutants, three-dimensional (3D) electrode technology is acknowledged as an environmentally beneficial and sustainable way to managing clean surroundings. The particle electrode is an essential feature of the 3D electrode reactor. This study provides an in-depth examination of the most current advancements in 3D electrode technology. The significance of 3D electrode technology is emphasized, with an emphasis on its use in a variety of sectors. Furthermore, the particle electrode synthesis approach and mechanism are summarized, providing vital insights into the actual implementation of this technology. Furthermore, by a metrological examination of the research literature in this sector, the paper expounds on the potential and obstacles in the development and popularization of future technology.

A new attempt to remove toluene using nickel-iron bimetallic particle electrode reactor.

A new attempt of removing toluene waste gas using a three-dimensional electrode reaction device with nickel-iron bimetallic particle electrode is presented in this paper. The particle electrode was prepared by a simple liquid phase reduction method. Through bimetal modification, the particle electrode mass transfer rate is increased to 1.29 times, and the degradation efficiency of the reactor is increased by nearly 40%, which makes it possible to remove toluene waste gas by other electrochemical methods in addition to plasma method. The removal efficiency of the particle electrode can be stabilized at more than 80% after 5 cycles (50 h). At the same time, the relationship between independent working parameters and dependent variables is analyzed using the central composite design, and the operating parameters are optimized. Based on this study, the removal mechanism and possible degradation pathway of toluene were investigated. This study provides a supplement to the possibility and theoretical basis of new technology application for electrocatalytic oxidation removal of VOCs.

Research status of volatile organic compound (VOC) removal technology and prospect of new strategies: a review.

As an important component of air pollution, the efficient removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the most important challenges in the world. VOCs are harmful to the environment and human health. This review systematically introduced the main VOC control technologies and research hotspots in recent years, and expanded the description of electrocatalytic oxidation technology and bimetallic catalytic removal technology. Based on a three-dimensional electrode reactor, the theoretical design of a VOC removal control technology using bimetallic three-dimensional particle electrode electrocatalytic oxidation was proposed for the first time. The future research focus of this method was analyzed, and the importance of in-depth exploration of the catalytic performance of particle electrodes and the system reaction mechanism was emphasized. This review provides a new idea for using clean and efficient methods to remove VOCs.

Degradation of ciprofloxacin by persulfate activated by Fe(III)-doped BiOCl composite photocatalyst.

Fe-BOC-X photocatalyst was successfully prepared by solvothermal method. The photocatalytic activity of Fe-BOC-X was determined by ciprofloxacin (CIP), a typical fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Under sunlight irradiation, all Fe-BOC-X showed better CIP removal performance than original BiOCl. In comparison, the photocatalyst with iron content of 50 wt% (Fe-BOC-3) has excellent structural stability and the best adsorption photodegradation efficiency. The removal rate of CIP (10 mg/L) by Fe-BOC-3 (0.6 g/L) reached 81.4% within 90 min. At the same time, the effects of photocatalyst dosage, pH, persulfate, persulfate concentration, and combinations of different systems (PS, Fe-BOC-3, Vis/PS, Vis/Fe-BOC-3, Fe-BOC-3/PS, and Vis/Fe-BOC-3/PS) on the reaction were systematically discussed. In reactive species trapping experiments, electron spin resonance (ESR) signals revealed that the photogenerated holes (h+), hydroxyl radical (•OH), sulfate radical (•SO4-), and superoxide radical (•O2-) played an important role in CIP degradation; hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and sulfate radicals (•SO4-) play a major role. Various characterization methods have demonstrated that Fe-BOC-X has larger specific surface area and pore volume than original BiOCl. UV-vis DRS indicate that Fe-BOC-X has wider visible light absorption and faster photocarrier transfer and provides abundant surface oxygen absorption sites for effective molecular oxygen activation. Accordingly, a large number of active species were produced and participated in the photocatalytic process, thus effectively promoting the degradation of ciprofloxacin. Based on HPLC-MS analysis, two possible decomposition pathways of CIP were finally proposed. The main degradation pathways of CIP are mainly due to the high electron density of piperazine ring in CIP molecule, which is mainly attacked by various free radicals. The main reactions include piperazine ring opening, decarbonylation, decarboxylation, and fluorine substitution. This study can better open up a new way for the design of visible light driven photocatalyst and provide more ideas for the removal of CIP in water environment.