Background Accurate identification of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Parkinsonism-Plus syndrome (PPS), especially in the early stage of the disease, is very important. The purpose of this study was to investigate the discriminative spatial pattern of cerebral blood flow (CBF) between patients with PD and PPS. Methods Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion-weighted imaging was performed in 20 patients with PD (mean age 56.35 ± 7.56 years), 16 patients with PPS (mean age 59.62 ± 6.89 years), and 17 healthy controls (HCs, mean age 54.17 ± 6.58 years). Voxel-wise comparison of the CBF was performed among PD, PPS, and HC groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of CBF in discriminating between PD and PPS. The relationship between CBF and non-motor neuropsychological scores was assessed by correlation analysis. Results PD group showed a significantly decreased CBF in the right cerebelum_crus2, the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), the triangle inferior frontal gyrus (IFG_Tri), the left frontal medial orbital gyrus (FG_Med_Orb) and the left caudate nucleus (CN) compared with the HC group ( P < 0.05). Besides the above regions, the left supplementary motor area (SMA), the right thalamus had decreased CBF in the PPS group compared with the HC group ( P < 0.05). PPS group had lower CBF value in the left MFG, the left IFG_Tri, the left CN, the left SMA, and the right thalamus compared with the PD group ( P < 0.05). CBFs in left IFG_Tri, the left CN, the left SMA, and the right thalamus had moderate to high capacity in discriminating between PD and PPS patients (AUC 0.719–0.831). The CBF was positively correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores in PD patients, while positively correlated with the MMSE, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores in PPS patients ( P < 0.05). Conclusion PD and PPS patients have certain discriminative patterns of reduced CBFs, which can be used as a surrogate marker for differential diagnosis.

目的:总结双重病理(DP)所致颞叶癫痫(TLE)的边缘系统MRI影像学改变及特征.方法:对DP所致TLE 36例(左侧组20例,右侧组16例)与正常对照组(36例)进行多模态MR成像,分析两组边缘系统所在脑区T1WI灰质体积、指数化表观扩散系数(eADC)、脑血流量(CBF)差异,并进行统计学分析.结果:结构像及功能像均发现左侧、右侧TLE组边缘系统脑区与对照组差异具有统计学意义(FDR校正,P≤0.001),功能成像显示更广范围脑区分布,检出最明显异常为病侧海马及海马旁回、眶额皮质,其次为杏仁核、扣带回、内侧额上回,最后为额叶直回、丘脑,右侧组可累及对侧部分边缘系统脑区.结论:左、右侧DP所致TLE边缘系统损伤具有差异性,右侧组异常范围大于左侧.多模态MRI对边缘系统损伤评估具有重要价值.

Objective:To explore the rCBFmaxvalue for predicting glioma grading before operation and the relationship with MVD expression.Materials and Methods: 3D-ASL images from 50 patients with pathologically proven gliomas(high grade: n=20,low grade: n=30)were analyzed retrospectively.The mean maximum relative cerebral blood flow was obtained by the hot spot method.The MVD of surgical specimen were measured.The results were analyzed statistically.Results: The mean rCBFmax,and MVD of low grade gliomas(n=30)were 1.69±1.27,25.43±13.03,while the high grade gliomas(n=20)were 3.18±1.46,58.69±20.39,the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.01)and was positively correlated with the grade(r=0.620,0.698,P＜0.01).rCBFmaxwas positively correlated with MVD(r=0.723,P＜0.01).Conclusions: The rCBFmaxvalue is useful for predicting glioma grade before operation and is related to tumor microvessel density.The biologic behavior of glioma can be predicted to a certain extent.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of multimodal MRI for dual pathology (DP)in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).Methods The methods of voxel based morphometry (VBM)and voxel based analysis (VBA)had been employed to study the difference between 36 patients (20 cases left group and 16 cases right group)with TLE caused by DP and 36 healthy subjects on the grey matter (GM)volume,exponential apparent diffusion coefficient (eADC)and cerebral blood flow (CBF)value.The corresponding statistical study had also been conducted.Results There were significant statistical differences (FDR correction,P=0.001)between healthy subj ects and patients on the GM volume,eADC and CBF value.Those values decreased with diseased laterality and wider range in functional imaging.These overlaying abnormal brain regions were located in the temporal pole (superior temporal gyrus), temporal pole (middle temporal gyrus),middle temporal gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus,hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus which represented in all examination results.Conclusion The combined findings of multimodal MRI can improve the localization ability of seizure focus in TLE,which caused by DP,before surgery.

Objective To investigate the impact flat deformity of the cerebral cortex induced by congenital hydrocephalus on motor functioning and cognition.Methods Tomography was used to confirm the presence of flat cortex deformity in three congenital hydrocephalus patients ranging in age from 20 to 33.Their motor control,balance,cognition and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),the Berg balance scale (BBS),the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Speech dysfunction was judged on the basis of clinical communication.The patients were scanned using a 64-slice spiral CT and size-of-ventricle indices were calculated.Results All 3 patients underwent ventrideperitoneal shunt.Their FMA scores were 75.5,83 and 100,with BBS scores of 4,24 and 56,MMSE scores of 14,23 and 26,and the MBIs of 40,90 and 100.CT images showed obvious ventricle enlargement and a thinner cortex layer in all three,with the thinnest part 0.18 cm,0.22 cm and 0.57 cm.Their ventricle indexes were 303％,288％ and 192％,respectively.Conclusion Although there is no systematic rehabilitation therapy for such patients,their motor,cognition and speech functioning were good,indicating the great potential for plasticity of the human brain.

A classification method based on cortical features is proposed to automatically discriminate left temporal lobe epilepsy (LTLE)and right temporal lobe epilepsy(RTLE).Brain structural mag-netic resonance images from 21 LTLE patients,18 RTLE patients and 28 NCs (normal controls)are collected,and the morphological cortical features are extracted and analyzed.In order to reduce fea-tures dimensions,the recursive feature elimination(RFE)strategy is applied to determine salient fea-tures for classification.Then,support vector machine(SVM)is used to classify the three cohorts.The results show that the surface area is the best feature for classification,and the gray matter volume has also prominent capability in discrimination.The cortical thickness exhibits limited ability to differenti-ate LTLE patients from RTLE patients,and the mean curvature behaves relatively weakly to distin-guish RTLE patients from NCs.The dominant regions for classification are located in the temporal, the frontal and parietal lobe,especially in the left hemisphere.The effectiveness of cortical features for discrimination of three cohorts is proved,and the brain regions in left hemisphere of TLE patients are more vulnerable to injury.This work provides potential information to understand the pathogenic mechanism and progress,determine the focus and facilitate computer-aided diagnosis of TLE patients.

Uniform Cu-doped Bi2Te3 hexagonal nanoplates with widths of ∼200 nm and thicknesses of ∼20 nm were synthesized using a solvothermal method. According to the structural characterization and compositional analysis, the Cu2+ ions were found to substitute Bi3+ ions in the lattice. High-level Cu doping induces a lattice distortion and decreases the crystal lattice by 1.17% in the a axis and 2.38% in the c axis. A paramagnetic state is observed in these nanoplates from 2 to 295 K, which is a significant difference from their diamagnetic un-doped Bi2Te3.

We demonstrated a facile route for one-pot synthesis of visible light responsive nitrogen doped anatase TiO2 sheets with dominant {001} facets from TiN. The synthesized anatase TiO2 sheets show a strong and stable capability of generating photocatalysis active species of center dot OH radicals and hydrogen evolution from splitting water under visible light irradiation.

A new layer-structured rhombohedral In3Se4 crystal was synthesized by a facile and mild solvothermal method. Detailed structural and chemical characterizations using transmission electron microscopy, coupled with synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis and Rietveld refinement, indicate that In3Se4 crystallizes in a layered rhombohedral structure with lattice parameters of a = 3.964 +/- 0.002 angstrom and c = 39.59 +/- 0.02 angstrom, a space group of R (3) over barm, and with a layer composition of Se-In-Se-In-Se-In-Se. The theoretical modeling and experimental measurements indicate that the In3Se4 is a self-doped n-type semiconductor. This study not only enriches the understanding on crystallography of indium selenide crystals, but also paves a way in the search for new semiconducting compounds.

The thermal stability and oxidation of layer-structured rhombohedral In3Se4 nanostructures have been investigated. In-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a sealed system reveals that In3Se4 has good thermal stability up to 900 °C. In contrast, In3Se4 has lower thermal stability up to 550 or 200 °C when heated in an atmosphere flushed with Ar or in air, respectively. The degradation mechanism was determined to be the oxidation of In3Se4 by O2 in the heating environment. This research demonstrates how thermal processing conditions can influence the thermal stability of In3Se4, suggesting that appropriate heating environment for preserving its structural integrity is required.

New layer-structured rhombohedral In3Se4 hierarchical nanostructures, assembled by thin nanosheets with a thickness of similar to 20 nm, are controllably synthesized by an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ascorbic acid (AA) assisted solvothermal method in a solvent of deionized water (DIW) and ethylene glycol (EG). Detailed structural and chemical characterizations, using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement, reveal that the new In3Se4 phase crystallizes in a layered rhombohedral structure (space group: R (3) over barm) with lattice parameters of a = 3.962 +/- 0.001 angstrom and c = 39.59 +/- 0.01 angstrom and with layers consisting of Se-In-Se-In-Se-In-Se. Through systematic investigation, the key synthesis parameters, namely, the EDTA/In mole ratio, DIW/EG volume ratio, AA dosage, and reaction temperature, are found to play vital roles in the formation of such rhombohedral hierarchical nanostructures. The investigation of intermediate products shows that the In3Se4 hierarchical nanostructures are formed by the reaction between Se microspheres and In precursors. This study provides a key method to large-scale fabrication of such a new In3Se4 phase for potential applications.

The photochemistry of the water molecule has revealed a wealth of quantum phenomena, which arise from the involvement of several coupled electronic states with very different potential energy surfaces. Most recently, dissociation from single rotational levels of its C̃(1)B1 state near 124 nm has been attributed to a vibronically coupled decay via the lower Ã-state surface, despite a large vertical energy gap of 2.8 eV. Similar conclusions have been reached for subsequent experimental data for D2O. The present paper presents further experimental data for HOD and for both the H+OD(X) and D+OH(X) products. Unlike the cases for H2O and D2O, the vibrational populations for hydroxyl products do not follow a smooth distribution with v(OH∕OD). In particular, for OH there is a clear alternation in population for all the strong peaks, with odd v favoured over even v. These experimental data are analysed using new MRCI+Q calculations, which have been used to generate potential surfaces and associated non-adiabatic matrix elements for transition from the adiabatic C̃-state to lower unbound potential surfaces; and hence, to guide dynamical calculations using time-dependent wavepackets. It is concluded that although there is a minor contribution from the C̃→ à decay route, the major route follows C̃→ (1)A2 → Ã. This is mediated through two regions of near degeneracy of the elusive (1)A2 surface with C̃ for short bonds ca. 0.8 Å; and between (1)A2 and à with long bonds ≥2 Å, thereby bridging the vertical energy gap. The striking population alternation for the D+OH(X) products is attributed to dynamic symmetry breaking on the (1)A2 surface.

Novel T-shaped Bi2Te3–Te heteronanojunctions composed of a rhombohedral structured Bi2Te3 nanoplate and a trigonal structured Te nanorod were fabricated by a simple and facile solvothermal method. A unique crystallographic relationship of [2110]Bi2Te3//[2110]Te and [0001]Bi2Te3//[0001]Te has been observed for this epitaxial growth. Such epitaxial nature between Bi2Te3 nanoplates and Te nanorods is caused by their negligible lattice mismatches in the corresponding atomic planes. The interfaces between Bi2Te3 nanoplates and Te nanorods lead to a low thermal conductivity in these heteronanojunctions, so that a promising figure of merit (ZT) value is obtained (0.73 ± 0.04 at 320 K). This study provides a new method and opportunity to engineer heteronanojunctions for high-efficiency thermoelectric devices for power generation.

We propose a new mechanism for destabilizing Mg-H bonding by means of a combination of the size effect and MgH2-carbon scaffold interfacial bonding, and experimentally realize low temperature hydrogen release starting from 50 °C using an MgH2@CMK-3 nanoconfinement system (37.5 wt% MgH2 loading amount). Based on computational calculations, it is found that the charge transfer from MgH2 to the carbon scaffold plays a critical role in the significant reduction of thermodynamics of MgH2 dehydrogenation. Our results suggest how to explore an alternative route for the enhancement of nano-interfacial confinement to destabilize the Mg-H hydrogen storage system.

Objective To explore whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy( MRS),a newer radiographic technology,would be useful in the evaluation of the patients in persistent vegetative state. Methods 28 patients who were in the vegetative state before being treatment and 30 healthy volunteer both had proton MRS studies. NAA / Cr and Cho / Cr and NAA / Cho ratios were obtained for each patient in the dorsal thalamus and basal ganglia,and then statistical analysis was performed. Results There was significant difference between PVS group and the control group of MRS in Thalamus,basal ganglia visible damage zone( P < 0. 05). Also there was the same result in apparent normal zone( P < 0. 05). Differences in NAA / Cr,NAA / Cho ratio of hypothalamic and NAA / Cr ratio of basal ganglia were positively correlated with PVS efficacy score grading. Conclusion For attempting to predict PVS prognosis,MRS has a very good value and potential. The apparent normal zone of hypothalamus and NAA / Cr ratio may be a good choice of VOI and evaluation index.

Uniform trifold tellurium nanostructures have been synthesized through a facile and green solvothermal method. Their structural characteristics were investigated by using various electron microscopy techniques. The results showed that tellurium nanostructures are well-crystallized and grow along the [0001] direction. They have the hexagonal crystal structure and trifold morphology with a lateral dimension of less than 100 nm. Through detailed structural analysis of intermediate products and structural modeling, the formation mechanism of trifold tellurium nanostructures has been well illustrated; that is, the trifold Te nanostructures shared two {11 (2) over bar0} sidewalls of nanowire components with each other to reduce the entire system energy.

ZNF804A gene polymorphism rs1344706 has been suggested as the most compelling case of a candidate gene for schizophrenia by a genome-wide association study and several replication studies. The current study of 570 schizophrenia patients and 448 controls again found significantly different genotype frequencies of rs1344706 between patients and controls. More important, we found that this association was modulated by IQ, with a stronger association among individuals with relatively high IQ, which replicated results of Walters et al, 2010. We further examined whether this IQ-modulated association also existed between the SNP and the intermediate phenotypes (working memory and executive functions) of schizophrenia. Data were available from an N-back task (366 patients and 414 controls) and the attention network task (361 patients and 416 controls). We found that the SNP and IQ had significant interaction effects on the intermediate phenotypes for patients, but not for controls. The disease risk allele was associated with poorer cognitive function in patients with high IQ, but better cognitive function in patients with low IQ. Together, these results indicated that IQ may modulate the role of rs1344706 in the etiology of both schizophrenia and its cognitive impairments, and pointed to the necessity of considering general cognitive function as indexed by IQ in the future studies of genetic bases of schizophrenia.

Animal studies have strongly implicated a role of S100B in spatial ability and our recent study of humans found that S100B gene polymorphisms (rs9722, rs1051169, and rs2839357) were associated with schizophrenia patients' spatial ability (as assessed by a block design task and a mental rotation task). In this study, we explored the associations between these and three additional SNPs in S100B and prefrontal functions (working memory and executive control) among 434 schizophrenia patients and 412 healthy controls. Results showed that, for both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, two SNPs were significantly associated with prefrontal functions in the spatial domain (P value threshold was set at 0.014 after correcting for multiple comparisons), with the AA genotype of rs9722 and the GG genotype of rs2839357 linked to poorer performance. No SNP was associated with prefontal functions in the verbal domain (all Ps >0.05). These results extend our previous study and further confirm the important roles of the S100B gene in spatial abilities.

Objective To investigate the pathological basis of the magnetization transfer ratio(MTR) changes of rabbit's sciatic nerve after traction injury.Methods MR examination was performed before and 1 day,3 days,1,2,3,4,6,8 and 10 weeks after traction injury of sciatic nerve in 20 rabbits.The injured segment,the proximal and distal segments of the sciatic nerves were obtained for light microscopic and electric microscopic examination.Results After injury,the MTR values of sciatic nerve descended obviously in earlier stage,and then gradually rose later.After injury,the sciatic nerve mainly manifested inflammation reaction and degeneration,including myelin disaggregation and axon lost in the early stage,exhibited Schwann cell proliferation and nerve fiber regeneration in the later stage.Differences of MTR values were dependent on the site along the same injured nerve,with the most pronounced of MTR values descended observed in the most severely damaged portion of the injured nerve.Conclusion After traction injury of rabbit's sciatic nerve,the change of MTR can reflect the pathological change and the severity of injury,therefore can be regarded as assistant index for prognostic and therapeutic evaluation.

The field of thermoelectrics has long been recognized as a potentially transformative power generation technology and the field is now growing steadily due to their ability to convert heat directly into electricity and to develop cost-effective,pollution-free forms of energy conversion.Of various types of thermoelectric materials,nanostructured materials have shown the most promise for commercial use because of their extraordinary thermoelectric performances. This article aims to summarize the present progress of nanostructured thermoelectrics and intends to understand and explain the underpinnings of the innovative breakthroughs in the last decade or so.We believed that recent achievements will augur the possibility for thermoelectric power generation and cooling,and discuss several future directions which could lead to new exciting next generation of nanostructured thermoelectrics.