CMR left ventricular strains beyond global longitudinal strain in differentiating light-chain cardiac amyloidosis from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

BackgroundThe clinical value of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in the differential diagnosis of light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been previously reported. In this study, we analyzed the potential clinical value of the LV long-axis strain (LAS) to discriminate AL-CA from HCM. Furthermore, we analyzed the association between all the LV global strain parameters derived from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking and LAS in both the AL-CA and HCM patients to assess the differential diagnostic efficacies of these global peak systolic strains.Materials and methodsThus, this study enrolled 89 participants who underwent cardiac MRI (CMRI), consisting of 30 AL-CA patients, 30 HCM patients, and 29 healthy controls. The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the LV strain parameters including GLS, global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), and LAS were assessed in all the groups and compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic performances of the CMR strain parameters in discriminating AL-CA from HCM.ResultsThe intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the LV global strains and LAS were excellent (range of interclass correlation coefficients: 0.907–0.965). ROC curve analyses showed that the differential diagnostic performances of the global strains in discriminating AL-CA from HCM were good to excellent (GRS, AUC = 0.921; GCS, AUC = 0.914; GLS, AUC = 0.832). Furthermore, among all the strain parameters analyzed, LAS showed the highest diagnostic efficacy in differentiating between AL-CA and HCM (AUC = 0.962).ConclusionCMRI-derived strain parameters such as GLS, LAS, GRS, and GCS are promising diagnostic indicators that distinguish AL-CA from HCM with high accuracy. LAS showed the highest diagnostic accuracy among all the strain parameters

Flexible generation of structured terahertz fields via programmable exchange-biased spintronic emitters

Structured light, particularly in the terahertz frequency range, holds considerable potential for a diverse range of applications. However, the generation and control of structured terahertz radiation pose major challenges. In this work, we demonstrate a novel programmable spintronic emitter that can flexibly generate a variety of structured terahertz waves. This is achieved through the precise and high-resolution programming of the magnetization pattern on the emitter surface, utilizing laser-assisted local field cooling of an exchange-biased ferromagnetic heterostructure. Moreover, we outline a generic design strategy for realizing specific complex structured terahertz fields in the far field. Our device successfully demonstrates the generation of terahertz waves with diverse structured polarization states, including spatially separated circular polarizations, azimuthal or radial polarization states, and a full Poincare beam. This innovation opens a new avenue for designing and generating structured terahertz radiations, with potential applications in terahertz microscopy, communication, quantum information, and light-matter interactions

Solitary beam propagation in a nonlinear optical resonator enables high-efficiency pulse compression and mode self-cleaning

Generating intense ultrashort pulses with high-quality spatial modes is crucial for ultrafast and strong-field science. This can be accomplished by controlling propagation of femtosecond pulses under the influence of Kerr nonlinearity and achieving stable propagation with high intensity. In this work, we propose that the generation of spatial solitons in periodic layered Kerr media can provide an optimum condition for supercontinuum generation and pulse compression using multiple thin plates. With both the experimental and theoretical investigations, we successfully identify these solitary modes and reveal a universal relationship between the beam size and the critical nonlinear phase. Space-time coupling is shown to strongly influence the spectral, spatial and temporal profiles of femtosecond pulses. Taking advantage of the unique characters of these solitary modes, we demonstrate single-stage supercontinuum generation and compression of femtosecond pulses from initially 170 fs down to 22 fs with an efficiency ~90%. We also provide evidence of efficient mode self-cleaning which suggests rich spatial-temporal self-organization processes of laser beams in a nonlinear resonator

Nonrelativistic and nonmagnetic control of terahertz charge currents via electrical anisotropy in RuO2 and IrO2

Precise and ultrafast control over photo-induced charge currents across nanoscale interfaces could lead to important applications in energy harvesting, ultrafast electronics, and coherent terahertz sources. Recent studies have shown that several relativistic mechanisms, including inverse spin-Hall effect, inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect and inverse spin-orbit-torque effect, can convert longitudinally injected spin-polarized currents from magnetic materials to transverse charge currents, thereby harnessing these currents for terahertz generation. However, these mechanisms typically require external magnetic fields and suffer from low spin-polarization rates and low efficiencies of relativistic spin-to-charge conversion. In this work, we present a novel nonrelativistic and nonmagnetic mechanism that directly utilizes the photo-excited high-density charge currents across the interface. We demonstrate that the electrical anisotropy of conductive oxides RuO2 and IrO2 can effectively deflect injected charge currents to the transverse direction, resulting in efficient and broadband terahertz radiation. Importantly, this new mechanism has the potential to offer much higher conversion efficiency compared to previous methods, as conductive materials with large electrical anisotropy are readily available, whereas further increasing the spin-Hall angle of heavy-metal materials would be challenging. Our new findings offer exciting possibilities for directly utilizing these photo-excited high-density currents across metallic interfaces for ultrafast electronics and terahertz spectroscopy

Spatially homogeneous few-cycle compression of Yb lasers via all-solid-state free-space soliton management

The high power and variable repetition-rate of Yb femtosecond lasers makes them very attractive for ultrafast science. However, for capturing sub-200 fs dynamics, efficient, high-fidelity and high-stability pulse compression techniques are essential. Spectral broadening using an all-solid-state free-space geometry is particularly attractive, as it is simple, robust and low-cost. However, spatial and temporal losses caused by spatio-spectral inhomogeneities have been a major challenge to date, due to coupled space-time dynamics associated with unguided nonlinear propagation. In this work, we use all-solid-state free-space compressors to demonstrate compression of 170 fs pulses at a wavelength of 1030nm from a Yb:KGW laser to &sim;9.2 fs, with a highly spatially homogeneous mode. This is achieved by ensuring that the nonlinear beam propagation in periodic layered Kerr media occurs in spatial soliton modes, and by confining the nonlinear phase through each material layer to less than 1.0 rad. A remarkable spatio-spectral homogeneity of &sim;0.87 can be realized, which yields a high efficiency of &gt;50% for few-cycle compression. The universality of the method is demonstrated by implementing high-quality pulse compression under a wide range of laser conditions. The high spatiotemporal quality and the exceptional stability of the compressed pulses are further verified by high-harmonic generation. Our predictive method offers a compact and cost-effective solution for high-quality few-cycle-pulse generation from Yb femtosecond lasers, and will enable broad applications in ultrafast science and extreme nonlinear optics. &nbsp;</p

Cyclosporin A as a Potential Insecticide to Control the Asian Corn Borer <i>Ostrinia furnacalis</i> Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The long-term use of chemical insecticides has caused serious problems of insect resistance and environmental pollution; new insecticides are needed to solve this problem. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a polypeptide produced by many fungi, which is used to prevent or treat immune rejection during organ transplantation. However, little is known about the utility of CsA as an insecticide. Therefore, this study evaluated the insecticidal activity of CsA using Ostrinia furnacalis as a model. The results demonstrated that CsA was toxic to O. furnacalis with LC50 values of 113.02 μg/g and 198.70 μg/g for newly hatched neonates and newly molted third-instar larvae, respectively. Furthermore, CsA treatment had sublethal effects on the development of O. furnacalis, and significantly reduced the fecundity of adults; this suggests that CsA has great potential to suppress O. furnacalis populations. Further analysis revealed that CsA suppressed calcineurin activity in larvae. CsA had independent or synergistic toxic effects on O. furnacalis when combined with β-cypermethrin, indoxacarb, emamectin benzoate, azadirachtin, and the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac, which suggests that CsA can help prevent or manage resistance. Our study provides detailed information on the potential of CsA as an insecticide for controlling lepidopterans

Cyclosporin A as a Source for a Novel Insecticidal Product for Controlling <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, causes substantial annual agricultural production losses worldwide due to its resistance to many insecticides. Therefore, new insecticides are urgently needed to more effectively control FAW. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a secondary metabolite of fungi; little is known about its insecticidal activity, especially for the control of FAW. In this study, we demonstrate that CsA shows excellent insecticidal activity (LC50 = 9.69 μg/g) against FAW through significant suppression of calcineurin (CaN) activity, which is a new target for pest control. Combinations of CsA and indoxacarb, emamectin benzoate, or Vip3Aa showed independent or synergistic toxicity against FAW; however, the combination of CsA and chlorantraniliprole showed no toxicity. Sublethal doses of CsA led to decreases in FAW larval and pupal weight, pupation, emergence, mating rates, adult longevity, extended development of FAW larvae and pupae and the pre-oviposition period of adults, and increases in the proportion of pupal malformation. Importantly, CsA treatment reduced FAW ovarian size and female fecundity, which suggests that it has great potential to suppress FAW colony formation. Taken together, these results indicate that CsA has high potential as an insecticide for controlling FAW

Shaped Pd–Ni–Pt Core-Sandwich-Shell Nanoparticles: Influence of Ni Sandwich Layers on Catalytic Electrooxidations

Shape-controlled metal nanoparticles (NPs) interfacing Pt and nonprecious metals (M) are highly active energy conversion electrocatalysts; however, there are still few routes to shaped M–Pt core–shell NPs and fewer studies on the geometric effects of shape and strain on catalysis by such structures. Here, well-defined cubic multilayered Pd–Ni–Pt sandwich NPs are synthesized as a model platform to study the effects of the nonprecious metal below the shaped Pt surface. The combination of shaped Pd substrates and mild reduction conditions directs the Ni and Pt overgrowth in an oriented, layer-by-layer fashion. Exposing a majority of Pt(100) facets, the catalytic performance in formic acid and methanol electro-oxidations (FOR and MOR) is assessed for two different Ni layer thicknesses and two different particle sizes of the ternary sandwich NPs. The strain imparted to the Pt shell layer by the introduction of the Ni sandwich layer (Ni–Pt lattice mismatch of ∼11%) results in higher specific initial activities compared to core–shell Pd–Pt bimetallic NPs in alkaline MOR. The trends in activity are the same for FOR and MOR electrocatalysis in acidic electrolyte. However, restructuring in acidic conditions suggests a more complex catalytic behavior from changes in composition. Notably, we also show that cubic quaternary Au–Pd–Ni–Pt multishelled NPs, and Pd–Ni–Pt nanooctahedra can be generated by the method, the latter of which hold promise as potentially highly active oxygen reduction catalysts

Cyclosporin A acts as a novel insecticide against Cry1Ac-susceptible and -resistant Helicoverpa armigera

Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) is an economically important pest, which is difficult to manage due to its biological and ecological traits, and resistance to most insecticides. Alternative compounds for the sustainable management of H. armigera are needed. As a fungal metabolite, Cyclosporin A (CsA) has not been applied in agriculture pests. Here, CsA was evaluated as a propective insecticide for H. armigera. The results showed that CsA displayed high insecticidal activity against both Cry1Ac-susceptible and -resistant populations of H. armigera. Moreover, lower concentrations of CsA had clear effects, including significantly reduced pupal weight, pupation rate, emergence rate, ovary size, female fecundity and egg hatchability. Further study confirmed that CsA suppressed calcineurin activity and the subsequent expression of endogenous antimicrobial peptide genes (APMs), leading to impaired immunity, ultimately resulting in delayed development and increased mortality. Thus, CsA treatment could control the cotton bollworm population and even showed efficacy against those with Bt resistance. In addition, the morphological changes observed in insects fed CsA with lower concentrations provide insight into insect immunity, regulation of growth and development, regulation of body color, ovary development and sexual selection under external pressure. Overall, our study provides information on biological control potential of Cry1Ac-susceptible and -resistant populations of H. armigera to develop novel bioinsecticides