A Review on the Visible Light Active Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications

Development of visible light active (VLA) titania photocatalysts Fujishima and Honda (1972) demonstrated the potential of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) semiconductor mate-rials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a photo-electrochemical cell. Their work triggered the development of semiconductor photocatalysis for a wide range of environmental and energy applica-tions. One of the most significant scientific and commercial advances to date has been the development of visible light active (VLA) TiO2 photocatalytic materials. In this review, a background on TiO2 struc-ture, properties and electronic properties in photocatalysis is presented. The development of different strategies to modify TiO2 for the utilization of visible light, including non metal and/or metal doping, dye sensitization and coupling semiconductors are discussed. Emphasis is given to the origin of visible light absorption and the reactive oxygen species generated, deduced by physicochemical and photo-electrochemical methods. Various applications of VLA TiO2, in terms of environmental remediation and in particular water treatment, disinfection and air purification, are illustrated. Comprehensive studies on the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants of emerging concern, including endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cyanotoxins and volatile organic compounds, with VLA TiO2 are discussed and compared to conventional UV-activated TiO2 nanomaterials. Recent advances in bac-terial disinfection using VLA TiO2 are also reviewed. Issues concerning test protocols for real visible light activity and photocatalytic efficiencies with different light sources have been highlighted

The Influence of Body Mass Index on Clinical Interpretation of Established and Novel Biomarkers in Acute Heart Failure

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is a known confounder for natriuretic peptides, but its influence on other biomarkers is less well described. We investigated whether BMI interacts with biomarkers’ association with prognosis in patients with acute heart failure (AHF).Methods and Results: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), galectin-3, serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL), and urine NGAL were measured serially in patients with AHF during hospitalization in the AKINESIS (Acute Kidney Injury Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin Evaluation of Symptomatic Heart Failure) study. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the association of biomarkers and their interaction with BMI for 30-day, 90-day and 1-year composite outcomes of death or HF readmission. Among 866 patients, 21.2%, 29.7% and 46.8% had normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2) or obese (≥ 30 kg/m2) BMIs on admission, respectively. Admission values of BNP and hs-cTnI were negatively associated with BMI, whereas galectin-3 and sNGAL were positively associated with BMI. Admission BNP and hs-cTnI levels were associated with the composite outcome within 30 days, 90 days and 1 year. Only BNP had a significant interaction with BMI. When BNP was analyzed by BMI category, its association with the composite outcome attenuated at higher BMIs and was no longer significant in obese individuals. Findings were similar when evaluated by the last-measured biomarkers and BMIs.Conclusions: In patients with AHF, only BNP had a significant interaction with BMI for the outcomes, with its association attenuating as BMI increased; hs-cTnI was prognostic, regardless of BMI.</p

Resistance training in humans and mechanical overload in rodents do not elevate muscle protein lactylation

Although several reports have hypothesized that exercise may increase skeletal muscle protein lactylation, empirical evidence in humans is lacking. Thus, we adopted a multifaceted approach to examine if acute and subchronic resistance training (RT) altered skeletal muscle protein lactylation levels. In mice, we also sought to examine if surgical ablation-induced plantaris hypertrophy coincided with increases in muscle protein lactylation. To examine acute responses, participants’ blood lactate concentrations were assessed before, during, and after eight sets of an exhaustive lower body RT bout (n = 10 trained college-aged men). Vastus lateralis biopsies were also taken before, 3-h post, and 6-h post-exercise to assess muscle protein lactylation. To identify training responses, another cohort of trained college-aged men (n = 14) partook in 6 weeks of lower-body RT (3x/week) and biopsies were obtained before and following the intervention. Five-month-old C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 10 days of plantaris overload (OV, n = 8) or served as age-matched sham surgery controls (Sham, n = 8). Although acute resistance training significantly increased blood lactate responses ~7.2- fold (p \u3c 0.001), cytoplasmic and nuclear protein lactylation levels were not significantly altered at the post-exercise time points, and no putative lactylation-dependent mRNA was altered following exercise. Six weeks of RT did not alter cytoplasmic protein lactylation (p = 0.800) despite significantly increasing VL muscle size (+3.5%, p=0.037), and again, no putative lactylation-dependent mRNA was significantly affected by training. Plantaris muscles were larger in OV versus Sham mice (+43.7%, p \u3c 0.001). However, cytoplasmic protein lactylation was similar between groups (p = 0.369), and nuclear protein lactylation was significantly lower in OV versus Sham mice (p \u3c 0.001). The current null findings, along with other recent null findings in the literature, challenge the thesis that lactate has an appreciable role in promoting skeletal muscle hypertrophy

Short-term prognostic implications of serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in acute heart failure:findings from the AKINESIS study

AIMS: Kidney impairment has been associated with worse outcomes in acute heart failure (AHF), although recent studies challenge this association. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a novel biomarker of kidney tubular injury. Its prognostic role in AHF has not been evaluated in large cohorts. The present study aimed to determine if serum NGAL (sNGAL) or urine NGAL (uNGAL) is superior to creatinine for predicting short-term outcomes in AHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was conducted in an international, multicentre, prospective cohort consisting of 927 patients with AHF. Admission and peak values of sNGAL, uNGAL and uNGAL/urine creatinine (uCr) ratio were compared to admission and peak serum creatinine (sCr). The composite endpoints were death, initiation of renal replacement therapy, heart failure (HF) readmission and any emergent HF-related outpatient visit within 30 and 60 days, respectively. The mean age of the cohort was 69 years and 62% were male. The median length of stay was 6 days. The composite endpoint occurred in 106 patients and 154 patients within 30 and 60 days, respectively. Serum NGAL was more predictive than uNGAL and the uNGAL/uCr ratio but was not superior to sCr (area under the curve [AUC]; admission sNGAL 0.61 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-0.67] and 0.59 [95% CI 0.54-0.65], peak sNGAL 0.60 [95% CI 0.54-0.66] and 0.57 [95% CI 0.52-0.63], admission sCr 0.60 [95% CI 0.54-0.64] and 0.59 [95% CI 0.53-0.64] [area under the curve: admission sNGAL 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-0.67, and 0.59, 95% CI 0.54-0.65; peak sNGAL: 0.60, 95% CI 0.54-0.66, and 0.57, 95% CI 0.52-0.63; admission sCr: 0.60, 95% CI 0.54-0.64, and 0.59, 95% CI 0.53-0.64, at 30 and 60 days, respectively], peak sCr 0.61 [95% CI 0.55-0.67] and 0.59 [95% CI 0.54-0.64] at 30 and 60 days, respectively). NGAL was not predictive of the composite endpoint in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Serum NGAL outperformed uNGAL but neither was superior to admission or peak sCr for predicting adverse events

Potential Utility of Cardiorenal Biomarkers for Prediction and Prognostication of Worsening Renal Function in Acute Heart Failure

Background: Multiple different pathophysiologic processes can contribute to worsening renal function (WRF) in acute heart failure. Methods and Results: We retrospectively analyzed 787 patients with acute heart failure for the relationship between changes in serum creatinine and biomarkers including brain natriuretic peptide, high sensitivity cardiac troponin I, galectin 3, serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. WRF was defined as an increase of greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/dL or 50% in creatinine within first 5 days of hospitalization. WRF was observed in 25% of patients. Changes in biomarkers and creatinine were poorly correlated (r < 0.21) and no biomarker predicted WRF better than creatinine. In the multivariable Cox analysis, brain natriuretic peptide and high sensitivity cardiac troponin I, but not WRF, were significantly associated with the 1-year composite of death or heart failure hospitali-zation. WRF with an increasing urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin predicted an increased risk of heart failure hospitalization. Conclusions: Biomarkers were not able to predict WRF better than creatinine. The 1-year outcomes were associated with biomarkers of cardiac stress and injury but not with WRF, whereas a kidney injury bio-marker may prognosticate WRF for heart failure hospitalization

Decongestion, kidney injury and prognosis in patients with acute heart failure

Background: In patients with acute heart failure (AHF), the development of worsening renal function with appropriate decongestion is thought to be a benign functional change and not associated with poor prognosis. We investigated whether the benefit of decongestion outweighs the risk of concurrent kidney tubular damage and leads to better outcomes.& nbsp;Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from the AKINESIS study, which enrolled AHF patients requiring intravenous diuretic therapy. Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were serially measured during the hospitalization. Decongestion was defined as >= 30% BNP decrease at discharge compared to admission. Univariable and multivariable Cox models were assessed for oneyear mortality.& nbsp;Results: Among 736 patients, 53% had >= 30% BNP decrease at discharge. Levels of uNGAL and BNP at each collection time point had positive but weak correlations (r = 30% BNP decrease was a significant predictor after multivariable adjustment.& nbsp;Conclusions: Among AHF patients treated with diuretic therapy, decongestion was generally not associated with kidney tubular damage assessed by uNGAL. Kidney tubular damage with adequate decongestion does not impact outcomes; however, kidney injury without adequate decongestion is associated with a worse prognosis

Relation of Decongestion and Time to Diuretics to Biomarker Changes and Outcomes in Acute Heart Failure

Prompt treatment may mitigate the adverse effects of congestion in the early phase of heart failure (HF) hospitalization, which may lead to improved outcomes. We analyzed 814 acute HF patients for the relationships between time to first intravenous loop diuretics, changes in biomarkers of congestion and multiorgan dysfunction, and 1-year composite end point of death or HF hospitalization. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hscTnI), urine and serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and galectin 3 were measured at hospital admission, hospital day 1, 2, 3 and discharge. Time to diuretics was not correlated with the timing of decongestion defined as BNP decrease >= 30% compared with admission. Earlier BNP decreases but not time to diuretics were associated with earlier and greater decreases in hscTnI and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and lower incidence of the composite end point. After adjustment for confounders, only no BNP decrease at discharge was significantly associated with mortality but not the composite end point (p = 0.006 and p = 0.062, respectively). In conclusion, earlier time to decongestion but not the time to diuretics was associated with better biomarker trajectories. Residual congestion at discharge rather than the timing of decongestion predicted a worse prognosis. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc

Search for High-energy Neutrinos from Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817 with ANTARES, IceCube, and the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observatories recently discovered gravitational waves from a binary neutron star inspiral. A short gamma-ray burst (GRB) that followed the merger of this binary was also recorded by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (Fermi-GBM), and the Anti-Coincidence Shield for the Spectrometer for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), indicating particle acceleration by the source. The precise location of the event was determined by optical detections of emission following the merger. We searched for high-energy neutrinos from the merger in the GeV-EeV energy range using the Antares, IceCube, and Pierre Auger Observatories. No neutrinos directionally coincident with the source were detected within ± 500 s around the merger time. Additionally, no MeV neutrino burst signal was detected coincident with the merger. We further carried out an extended search in the direction of the source for high-energy neutrinos within the 14 day period following the merger, but found no evidence of emission. We used these results to probe dissipation mechanisms in relativistic outflows driven by the binary neutron star merger. The non-detection is consistent with model predictions of short GRBs observed at a large off-axis angle

Gravitational Waves and Gamma-Rays from a Binary Neutron Star Merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A

On 2017 August 17, the gravitational-wave event GW170817 was observed by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, and the gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 170817A was observed independently by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, and the Anti-Coincidence Shield for the Spectrometer for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory. The probability of the near-simultaneous temporal and spatial observation of GRB 170817A and GW170817 occurring by chance is 5.0 × 10 -8 . We therefore confirm binary neutron star mergers as a progenitor of short GRBs. The association of GW170817 and GRB 170817A provides new insight into fundamental physics and the origin of short GRBs. We use the observed time delay of (+1.74±0.05)between GRB 170817A and GW170817 to: (i) constrain the difference between the speed of gravity and the speed of light to be between -3 × 10 -15 and +7 × 10 -16 times the speed of light, (ii) place new bounds on the violation of Lorentz invariance, (iii) present a new test of the equivalence principle by constraining the Shapiro delay between gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. We also use the time delay to constrain the size and bulk Lorentz factor of the region emitting the gamma-rays. GRB 170817A is the closest short GRB with a known distance, but is between 2 and 6 orders of magnitude less energetic than other bursts with measured redshift. A new generation of gamma-ray detectors, and subthreshold searches in existing detectors, will be essential to detect similar short bursts at greater distances. Finally, we predict a joint detection rate for the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors of 0.1-1.4 per year during the 2018-2019 observing run and 0.3-1.7 per year at design sensitivity

Resistance training in humans and mechanical overload in rodents do not elevate muscle protein lactylation

Although several reports have hypothesized that exercise may increase skeletal muscle protein lactylation, empirical evidence in humans is lacking. Thus, we adopted a multi-faceted approach to examine if acute and subchronic resistance training (RT) altered skeletal muscle protein lactylation levels. In mice, we also sought to examine if surgical ablation-induced plantaris hypertrophy coincided with increases in muscle protein lactylation. To examine acute responses, participants’ blood lactate concentrations were assessed before, during, and after eight sets of an exhaustive lower body RT bout (n = 10 trained college-aged men). Vastus lateralis biopsies were also taken before, 3-h post, and 6-h post-exercise to assess muscle protein lactylation. To identify training responses, another cohort of trained college-aged men (n = 14) partook in 6 weeks of lower-body RT (3x/week) and biopsies were obtained before and following the intervention. Five-month-old C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 10 days of plantaris overload (OV, n = 8) or served as age-matched sham surgery controls (Sham, n = 8). Although acute resistance training significantly increased blood lactate responses ∼7.2-fold (p &lt; 0.001), cytoplasmic and nuclear protein lactylation levels were not significantly altered at the post-exercise time points, and no putative lactylation-dependent mRNA was altered following exercise. Six weeks of RT did not alter cytoplasmic protein lactylation (p = 0.800) despite significantly increasing VL muscle size (+3.5%, p = 0.037), and again, no putative lactylation-dependent mRNA was significantly affected by training. Plantaris muscles were larger in OV versus Sham mice (+43.7%, p &lt; 0.001). However, cytoplasmic protein lactylation was similar between groups (p = 0.369), and nuclear protein lactylation was significantly lower in OV versus Sham mice (p &lt; 0.001). The current null findings, along with other recent null findings in the literature, challenge the thesis that lactate has an appreciable role in promoting skeletal muscle hypertrophy