Syntheses and luminescent properties of a series of new lanthanide azelates

A series of new lanthanide azelates [Ln(aze)(Haze)(H2O)]·H2O {Ln = La (1a), Ce (1b), Pr (1c); H2aze = azelaic acid}, [Ln2(aze)3(phen)2]·H2O [Ln = Nd (2a), Er (2b); phen = 1,10-phenanthroline], [Sm(aze)(Haze)(phen)]·2H2O (3), [Gd(aze)(phen)2]·ClO4 (4) and (Hphen)[Tb2(aze)2(phen)4]·3ClO4 (5) were hydrothermally prepared and structurally characterized.1a-c are isostructural and show 3-D framework based on 1-D infinite [Ln-O-Ln]n chain. 2a-b exhibit sql layer, while 3 displays 1-D chain, where phen ligands locate at both sides of the chain. The Ln3+ ions of 4 and 5 are connected by aze2− into two different types of rare cationic 1-D chains. The luminescent investigations show that both 2a and 2b exhibit interesting NIR luminescence and 5 displays a good potentiality as a luminescent sensor targeted for Fe3+ ion. Of particular interest, lanthanide azelates have not been to date documented, while this work presents the only examples of lanthanide azelates exhibiting luminescent properties. The magnetic properties of some lanthanide azelates were also investigated.publishe

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Sport Anxiety Scale-2

IntroductionThe Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) is a validated measure of sports trait anxiety, with promising psychometric properties. However, its cross-cultural applicability in Chinese samples remains unexplored. Thus, the primary objectives of this study were twofold: to translate the SAS-2 into Chinese and assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version.MethodsIn Study 1, we initiated the translation of the SAS-2 into Chinese. This assessment involved bilingual Chinese students proficient in both English and Chinese. Additionally, we conducted a cross-linguistic measurement invariance analysis. In Study 2, we delved into the psychometric properties of the Chinese SAS-2 using a sample of Chinese student athletes. This examination encompassed an evaluation of its factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and measurement invariance across genders.ResultsOur findings in Study 1 indicated no significant differences in item scores between the Chinese SAS-2 and the English version, and measurement invariance across languages. In Study 2, we uncovered that the Chinese SAS-2 and its factors exhibited excellent reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.80. Confirmatory factor analyses upheld the original three-factor model, demonstrating acceptable model fit indices (CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08). Furthermore, all three factors of the Chinese SAS-2 displayed significant and positive correlations with athlete burnout and State-Trait anxiety. Additionally, this study elucidated the mediating role of Concentration Disruption (Somatic anxiety and Concentration Disruption) in the relationship between the Trait (State) anxiety, and athlete burnout. Moreover, we identified measurement invariance of the Chinese version of the SAS-2 across genders. Finally, female college athletes exhibited significantly higher scores in somatic anxiety and worry compared to their male counterparts.DiscussionIn sum, our findings affirm that the Chinese version of the SAS-2 demonstrates robust reliability and correlates effectively with related criteria, thus validating its suitability for use in a Chinese context

On the robustness of EEG tensor completion methods

During the acquisition of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, data may be missing or corrupted by noise and artifacts. To reconstruct the incomplete data, EEG signals are firstly converted into a three-order tensor (multi-dimensional data) of shape time × channel × trial. Then, the missing data can be efficiently recovered by applying a tensor completion method (TCM). However, there is not a unique way to organize channels and trials in a tensor, and different numbers of channels are available depending on the EEG setting used, which may affect the quality of the tensor completion results. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the robustness of EEG completion methods with several designed parameters such as the ordering of channels and trials, the number of channels, and the amount of missing data. In this work, the results of completing missing data by several TCMs were compared. To emulate different scenarios of missing data, three different patterns of missing data were designed. Firstly, the amount of missing data on completion effects was analyzed, including the time lengths of missing data and the number of channels or trials affected by missing data. Secondly, the numerical stability of the completion methods was analyzed by shuffling the indices along channels or trials in the EEG data tensor. Finally, the way that the number of electrodes of EEG tensors influences completion effects was assessed by changing the number of channels. Among all the applied TCMs, the simultaneous tensor decomposition and completion (STDC) method achieves the best performance in providing stable results when the amount of missing data or the electrode number of EEG tensors is changed. In other words, STDC proves to be an excellent choice of TCM, since permutations of trials or channels have almost no influence on the complete results. The STDC method can efficiently complete the missing EEG signals. The designed simulations can be regarded as a procedure to validate whether or not a completion method is useful enough to complete EEG signals.Fil: Duan, Feng. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Jia, Hao. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Zhang, Zhiwen. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Feng, Fan. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Tan, Ying. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Dai, Yang Yang. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Cichocki, Andrzej. Skolkowo Institute of Science and Technology; Rusia. Hangzhou Dianzi University; China. Polish Academy of Sciences; Polonia. Nicolaus Copernicus University; PoloniaFil: Zhenglu, Yang. Nankai University; ChinaFil: Caiafa, César Federico. Nankai University; China. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Zhe, Sun. Nankai University; China. Riken. Information Systems and Cybersecurity; JapónFil: Solé Casals, Jordi. Nankai University; China. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos. Universidad Central de Cataluña; Españ

Multi-Modality Imaging of Atheromatous Plaques in Peripheral Arterial Disease: Integrating Molecular and Imaging Markers

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common and debilitating condition characterized by the narrowing of the limb arteries, primarily due to atherosclerosis. Non-invasive multi-modality imaging approaches using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear imaging have emerged as valuable tools for assessing PAD atheromatous plaques and vessel walls. This review provides an overview of these different imaging techniques, their advantages, limitations, and recent advancements. In addition, this review highlights the importance of molecular markers, including those related to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, in PAD pathophysiology. The potential of integrating molecular and imaging markers for an improved understanding of PAD is also discussed. Despite the promise of this integrative approach, there remain several challenges, including technical limitations in imaging modalities and the need for novel molecular marker discovery and validation. Addressing these challenges and embracing future directions in the field will be essential for maximizing the potential of molecular and imaging markers for improving PAD patient outcomes