Brain glucose metabolism is associated with hormone level in Cushing's disease: A voxel-based study using FDG-PET

AbstractChronic exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids can exert a neurotoxic effect in patients, possibly manifesting as molecular imaging alterations in patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between brain metabolism and elevated hormone level using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. We retrospectively enrolled 92 consecutive patients with confirmed diagnosis of Cushing's disease. A voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate the association between cerebral 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and serum cortisol level. Relatively impaired metabolism of specific brain regions correlated with serum cortisol level was found. Specifically, notable correlations were found in the hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellum, regions considered to be involved in the regulation and central action of glucocorticoids. Moreover, some hormone-associated regions were found in the frontal and occipital cortex, possibly mediating the cognitive changes seen in Cushing's disease. Our findings link patterns of perturbed brain metabolism relates to individual hormone level, thus presenting a substrate for cognitive disturbances seen in Cushing's disease patients, as well as in other conditions with abnormal cortisol levels

Efficient Parallel Split Learning over Resource-constrained Wireless Edge Networks

The increasingly deeper neural networks hinder the democratization of privacy-enhancing distributed learning, such as federated learning (FL), to resource-constrained devices. To overcome this challenge, in this paper, we advocate the integration of edge computing paradigm and parallel split learning (PSL), allowing multiple client devices to offload substantial training workloads to an edge server via layer-wise model split. By observing that existing PSL schemes incur excessive training latency and large volume of data transmissions, we propose an innovative PSL framework, namely, efficient parallel split learning (EPSL), to accelerate model training. To be specific, EPSL parallelizes client-side model training and reduces the dimension of local gradients for back propagation (BP) via last-layer gradient aggregation, leading to a significant reduction in server-side training and communication latency. Moreover, by considering the heterogeneous channel conditions and computing capabilities at client devices, we jointly optimize subchannel allocation, power control, and cut layer selection to minimize the per-round latency. Simulation results show that the proposed EPSL framework significantly decreases the training latency needed to achieve a target accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art benchmarks, and the tailored resource management and layer split strategy can considerably reduce latency than the counterpart without optimization.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Modified Palygorskite-Reinforced Rigid Polyurethane Foam Nanocomposites

Integration of nanoclay minerals into rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) is a cost-effective solution to enhance foam’s performance via environmental protection technology. In this work, palygorskite/RPUFs nanocomposites (Pal/RPUFNs) with excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability were prepared via a one-step method, using 4,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and polyether polyol as the starting materials, coupled with Pal modified by silane coupling agent KH570. The effects of the modified Pal on the mechanics, morphology, and thermal properties of the nanocomposites were studied systematically. When the content of the modified Pal was 8 wt% of polyether polyol, the elastic modulus and compressive strength of the Pal/RPUFNs were increased by ca. 131% and 97%, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy images indicated that the addition of the modified Pal significantly decreased the cell diameter of the Pal/RPUFNs. The results of thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetry analyses revealed that the addition of the modified Pal increased the thermal weight loss central temperature of the Pal/RPUFNs, showing better thermal stability in comparison with the pure RPUFs. A self-made evaluation device was used to estimate the thermal insulation ability of the Pal/RPUFNs. It was found that the small cell size and uniform cellular structure were keys to improving the thermal insulation performance of the RPUFs. The prepared Pal/RPUFNs are expected to have great potential in the field of building insulation.Applied Science, Faculty ofNon UBCChemical and Biological Engineering, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearche

Sepiolite-Supported WS₂ Nanosheets for Synergistically Promoting Photocatalytic Rhodamine B Degradation

Pristine tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheets are extremely prone to agglomeration, leading to blocked active sites and the decrease of catalytic activity. In this work, highly dispersed WS2 nanosheets were fabricated via a one-step in situ solvothermal method, using sepiolite nanofibers as a functional carrier. The ammonium tetrathiotungstate was adopted as W and S precursors, and N,N-dimethylformamide could provide a neutral reaction environment. The electron microscope analysis revealed that the WS2 nanosheets were stacked compactly in the shape of irregular plates, while they were uniformly grown on the surface of sepiolite nanofibers. Meanwhile, the BET measurement confirmed that the as-prepared composite has a larger specific surface area and is more mesoporous than the pure WS2. Due to the improved dispersion of WS2 and the synergistic effect between WS2 and the mesoporous sepiolite mineral which significantly facilitated the mass transport, the WS2/sepiolite composite exhibited ca. 2.6 times the photocatalytic efficiency of the pure WS2 for rhodamine B degradation. This work provides a potential method for low-cost batch preparation of high-quality 2D materials via assembling on natural materials

Cost-Effective Preparation of Gold Tailing-Based Aerogels for Efficient Adsorption of Copper Ions from Wastewater

Water pollution caused by heavy metal ions has attracted worldwide attention. In this work, gold tailings were used as raw materials and the sol–gel method combined with the atmospheric pressure drying method were used to achieve the low-cost preparation of a silica aerogel. (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na), and chitosan were used to modify the silica aerogel, which was then used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of copper ions in wastewater. The adsorbent type, adsorption time, copper ion concentration, and pH value were investigated as variables to explore the best adsorption conditions. The adsorption mechanism was also elaborated on. The crystal structure, surface morphology, surface functional groups, chemical composition, and specific surface area of the aerogels and the modified aerogels were characterized by various physiochemical characterizations such as XRD, SEM, FT-IR, XRF, and BET. The results showed that the prepared silica aerogel contained 91.1% SiO2, mainly amorphous SiO2, and amino and carboxyl groups. Other functional groups were successfully grafted onto the silica aerogels. The original silica aerogels and modified silica aerogels had a large specific surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter. When copper ions were adsorbed by the chitosan-modified silica aerogels, the adsorption capacity of the copper ions was the highest (33.51 mg/g) under the conditions of a copper ion concentration of 100 mg/L, a pH value of 7, and an adsorption time of 2 h. The adsorption of Cu2+ was mainly due to the ion exchange and electrostatic gravity

Cost-Effective Preparation of Gold Tailing-Based Aerogels for Efficient Adsorption of Copper Ions from Wastewater

Water pollution caused by heavy metal ions has attracted worldwide attention. In this work, gold tailings were used as raw materials and the sol–gel method combined with the atmospheric pressure drying method were used to achieve the low-cost preparation of a silica aerogel. (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na), and chitosan were used to modify the silica aerogel, which was then used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of copper ions in wastewater. The adsorbent type, adsorption time, copper ion concentration, and pH value were investigated as variables to explore the best adsorption conditions. The adsorption mechanism was also elaborated on. The crystal structure, surface morphology, surface functional groups, chemical composition, and specific surface area of the aerogels and the modified aerogels were characterized by various physiochemical characterizations such as XRD, SEM, FT-IR, XRF, and BET. The results showed that the prepared silica aerogel contained 91.1% SiO2, mainly amorphous SiO2, and amino and carboxyl groups. Other functional groups were successfully grafted onto the silica aerogels. The original silica aerogels and modified silica aerogels had a large specific surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter. When copper ions were adsorbed by the chitosan-modified silica aerogels, the adsorption capacity of the copper ions was the highest (33.51 mg/g) under the conditions of a copper ion concentration of 100 mg/L, a pH value of 7, and an adsorption time of 2 h. The adsorption of Cu2+ was mainly due to the ion exchange and electrostatic gravity

Synthesis of Fe2+ Substituted High-Performance LiMn1−xFexPO4/C (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries via Sol-Gel Processes

A series of carbon-coated LiMn1−xFexPO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) materials are successfully constructed using glucose as carbon sources via sol-gel processes. The morphology of the synthesized material particles are more regular and particle sizes are more homogeneous. The carbon-coated LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 material obtains the discharge specific capacity of 152.5 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 C rate and its discharge specific capacity reaches 95.7 mAh·g−1 at 5 C rate. Iron doping offers a viable way to improve the electronic conductivity and lattice defects of materials, as well as improving transmission kinetics, thereby improving the rate performance and cycle performance of materials, which is an effective method to promote the electrical properties

Voxel-based comparison of brain glucose metabolism between patients with Cushing's disease and healthy subjects

Cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms are common in patients with Cushing's disease (CD) owing to elevated levels of glucocorticoids. Molecular neuroimaging methods may help to detect changes in the brain of patients with CD. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of brain metabolism and its association with serum cortisol level in CD. We compared brain metabolism, as measured using [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET), between 92 patients with CD and 118 normal subjects on a voxel-wise basis. Pearson correlation was performed to evaluate the association between cerebral FDG uptake and serum cortisol level in patients with CD. We demonstrated that certain brain regions in patients with CD showed significantly increased FDG uptake, including the basal ganglia, anteromedial temporal lobe, thalamus, precentral cortex, and cerebellum. The clusters that demonstrated significantly decreased uptake were mainly located in the medial and lateral frontal cortex, superior and inferior parietal lobule, medial occipital cortex, and insular cortex. The metabolic rate of the majority of these regions was found to be significantly correlated with the serum cortisol level. Our findings may help to explain the underlying mechanisms of cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms in patients exposed to excessive glucocorticoids and evaluate the efficacy of treatments during follow-up. Keywords: Cushing's disease, Positron emission tomography, Cortisol, Voxel-based analysi

Preparation of nanobubbles carrying androgen receptor siRNA and their inhibitory effects on androgen-independent prostate cancer when combined with ultrasonic irradiation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate nanobubbles carrying androgen receptor (AR) siRNA and their in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects, when combined with ultrasonic irradiation, on androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nanobubbles carrying AR siRNA were prepared using poly-L-lysine and electrostatic adsorption methods. Using C4-2 cell activity as a testing index, the optimal irradiation parameters (including the nanobubble number/cell number ratio, mechanical index [MI], and irradiation time) were determined and used for transfection of three human prostate cancer cell lines (C4-2, LNCaP, and PC-3 cells). The AR expression levels were investigated with RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Additionally, the effects of the nanobubbles and control microbubbles named SonoVue were assessed via imaging in a C4-2 xenograft model. Finally, the growth and AR expression of seven groups of tumor tissues were assessed using the C4-2 xenograft mouse model. RESULTS: The nanobubbles had an average diameter of 609.5±15.6 nm and could effectively bind to AR siRNA. Under the optimized conditions of a nanobubble number/cell number ratio of 100∶1, an MI of 1.2, and an irradiation time of 2 min, the highest transfection rates in C4-2, LNCaP, and PC-3 cells were 67.4%, 74.0%, and 63.96%, respectively. In the C4-2 and LNCaP cells, treatment with these binding nanobubbles plus ultrasonic irradiation significantly inhibited cell growth and resulted in the suppression of AR mRNA and protein expression. Additionally, contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed that the nanobubbles achieved stronger signals than the SonoVue control in the central hypovascular area of the tumors. Finally, the anti-tumor effect of these nanobubbles plus ultrasonic irradiation was most significant in the xenograft tumor model compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: Nanobubbles carrying AR siRNA could be potentially used as gene vectors in combination with ultrasonic irradiation for the treatment of AIPC