Asymmetry Ratio Research Articles

Torque Onset Angle of the Knee Extensor as a Predictor of Walking Related Balance in Stroke Patients.

To investigate the relationship between the torque onset angle (TOA) of the isokinetic test for knee extensors in the paretic side and walking related balance in subacute stroke patients. We retrospectively reviewed patients with first-ever strokes who have had at least two isokinetic tests within 6 months of onset. 102 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. The characteristics of walking related balance were measured with the Berg Balance Scale sub-score (sBBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10-m Walk Test (10MWT) and Functional Independence Measure sub-score (sFIM). The second isokinetic test values of the knee extensor such as peak torque, peak torque to weight ratio, hamstring/quadriceps ratio, TOA, torque stop angle, torque at 30 degrees, and peak torque asymmetry ratio between paretic and non-paretic limb were also taken into account. Pearson's correlation, simple regression and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the correlation between TOA and walking related balance. TOA of the knee extensor of the paretic limb showed significant correlations with BBS, sBBS, TUG, 10MWT, and sFIM according to Pearson's correlation analysis. TOA also had moderate to good correlations with walking related balance parameters in partial correlation analysis. In multiple regression analysis, TOA of the paretic knee extensor was significantly associated with walking related balance parameters. This study demonstrated that TOA of the paretic knee extensor is a predictable parameter of walking related balance. Moreover, we suggest that the ability to recruit muscle quickly is important in walking related balance.

Tailored auto-combustion synthesis and optical and structural characterization of TiO2:Dy3+(1–11 mol%) nanostructures for wLED and latent finger print applications

Un-doped and dysprosium (Dy3+) doped (1–11 mol%) titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by low temperature solution combustion route. The structural, morphological and nanostructural characterization of NPs were performed by powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, respectively. Rarely found rutile to anatase phase transition was observed by Dy3+ doping in TiO2 NPs using PXRD. The energy gap (Eg) of un-doped and Dy3+ doped TiO2 NPs were estimated by diffused reflectance spectra (DRS) between 2.92 and 3.07 eV. The active vibrational Raman modes of pure TiO2 were observed at 141, 446 and 608 cm−1. The mode alleged at 229 cm−1 indicates the rutile phase of TiO2 caused by second order effect. Studies of CIE and CCT confirmed that the NPs may be used in wLED applications. A rise of asymmetry ratio from 1.326 to 1.3453 with dopant concentration was observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The optimized TiO2:Dy3+ (9 mol%) nanostructures were used for the visualization of latent finger prints (LFPs) on porous and non-porous surfaces from level I to level III of ridge features.

A Modified Strong Tracking Adaptive Kalman Filter for Precision Clock Synchronization System

In order to reduce the clock offset caused by network delay jitter, network asymmetry, clock drift and clock frequency difference in the clock synchronization process of IEEE1588, a modified Strong Tracking Adaptive Kalman Filter (MSTAKF) algorithm was proposed. The Kalman filter model established by the algorithm is based on clock offset, network delay, frequency deviation and asymmetry ratio. The filter includes the modified strong tracking algorithm based on fuzzy logic and hypothesis test proposed in this paper, which can effectively eliminate the influence of outliers, and finally make the model tracking effect better. In addition, the modified Sage‐Husa algorithm based on Cholesky decomposition is also included, which makes the measurement noise more stable and ensures the positivity of the measurement noise covariance. The experimental results show that the proposed MSTAKF is smoother than Karman filter (KF), Sage‐Husa adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) and strong tracking Sage‐Husa adaptive Kalman filter (STAKF). Compared with these filter algorithms after testing in the LAN environment, the precision improvement and accuracy rate are significantly improved. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Chirp-Evoked VEMPs: A Test-Retest Reliability Study.

To determine the test-retest reliability of cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (c&oVEMP) evoked by 500 Hz narrowband (NB) CE-Chirp and broadband (BB) CE-Chirp stimuli. Twenty healthy participants (10 female) were tested twice on the same day to determine the within-session reliability and 1 week later to determine the between-session reliability. The latency, amplitude, and asymmetry ratio of c&oVEMPs elicited by 95 dB nHL air-conducted (AC) 500 Hz NB CE-Chirp and BB CE-Chirp were recorded bilaterally. A moderate to good between-session reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values ranging from 0.52 to 0.82 was observed for cVEMP latency, amplitude, and asymmetry ratio evoked by 500 Hz NB CE-Chirp, as well as for the BB CE-Chirp cVEMP amplitude (ICC of 0.70 and 0.84). In contrast, an overall poor reliability ICC values between 0.30 and 0.42 for cVEMP latency and asymmetry ratio were observed for BB CE-Chirp. For the oVEMP, overall poor between-session reliability for all response parameters evoked by the 500 Hz NB CE-Chirp and the BB CE-Chirp was observed. The 500 Hz NB CE-Chirp was more reliable than the BB CE-Chirp in terms of cVEMP latency, amplitude, and asymmetry ratio. Further investigation using the standard electrode montage is necessary to assess the test-retest reliability of the chirp-evoked oVEMP.

Effectiveness of the sternocleidomastoid muscle contraction asymmetry and filter: cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential.

This study aimed to determine the precautions that can be taken to increase the reliability of the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials test without being affected by the asymmetry of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the issues that should be considered in the interpretation of vestibular evoked myogenic potential results if these precautions are not taken. Individuals with sternocleidomastoid muscle activity of less than 30 μV in cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing and an asymmetry ratio of more than 0.35 were excluded. In our study, individuals were divided into different groups according to sternocleidomastoid muscle asymetry. A total of 53 individuals were included in the study. Intergroup comparisons were made to determine the effect of electromyogram scaling and filter use on amplitude asymmetry ratio according to sternocleidomastoid muscle asymmetry. Keeping the sternocleidomastoid muscle asymmetry not exceeding 10 μV maximises the reliability of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials. As a result of our study, it can be concluded that in clinical applications the asymmetry should not exceed 20 μV.

Low handgrip strength with or without asymmetry is associated with elevated all-cause mortality risk in older Chinese males.

This study aimed to examine the link between handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry and mortality risk among older Chinese adults. These analyses were conducted using data from adults aged 60 years and older from the 2011-2013 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, using baseline participant data collected in 2011. Proxy-reported information was used to assess the mortality outcomes of the participants over a 2-year follow-up. The highest recorded HGS values for each hand were used to compute the HGS asymmetry ratio (non-dominant HGS/dominant HGS) and HGS weakness (Male<26 kg, Female<16 kg). Covariate-adjusted Cox models were employed to gauge the relationship between abnormal HGS and mortality risk. Overall, 5083 adults were enrolled in this study, of whom 50.15% (2549/5083) were male. The proportions of low HGS alone, HGS asymmetry alone, and asymmetric and low HGS were 6.43%, 30.95%, and 9.22%, respectively, in males, and 4.81%, 35.87%, and 9.55%, respectively, in females. A total of 96 and 78 deaths were recorded for male (3.77%) and female (3.08%) participants, respectively, over the 2-year follow-up period. Significant differences in mortality were observed between the different HGS groups for both sexes. An adjusted Cox regression analysis model confirmed that only low HGS (P = 0.047, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.949, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.008-3.768) and low HGS with asymmetry (P = 0.007, HR = 2.152, 95% CI: 1.231-3.764) were significantly associated with mortality risk in older males. The results revealed that low HGS with or without asymmetry was associated with a higher risk of death over a 2-year follow-up interval in older Chinese males. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 692-699.

Reinforcing Synaptic Plasticity of Defect-Tolerant States in Alloyed 2D Artificial Transistors.

While two-dimensional (2D) materials possess the desirable future of neuromorphic computing platforms, unstable charging and de-trapping processes, which are inherited from uncontrollable states, such as the interface trap between nanocrystals and dielectric layers, can deteriorate the synaptic plasticity in field-effect transistors. Here, we report a facile and effective strategy to promote artificial synaptic devices by providing physical doping in 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide nanomaterials. Our experiments demonstrate that the introduction of niobium (Nb) into 2D WSe2 nanomaterials produces charge trap levels in the band gap and retards the decay of the trapped charges, thereby accelerating the artificial synaptic plasticity by encouraging improved short-/long-term plasticity, increased multilevel states, lower power consumption, and better symmetry and asymmetry ratios. Density functional theory calculations also proved that the addition of Nb to 2D WSe2 generates defect tolerance levels, thereby governing the charging and de-trapping mechanisms of the synaptic devices. Physically doped electronic synapses are expected to be a promising strategy for the development of bioinspired artificial electronic devices.

Analysis of some [formula omitted] decay modes beyond the standard model

The experimental results from BaBar, Belle, and LHCb direct us to look for various new physics scenarios beyond the standard model. The observed b-physics anomalies in the b→cτ−ν¯τ transitions motivate the study of decays with similar quark-level transitions. In this work, we focus on these transitions, particularly examining the semileptonic b-baryon Ωb→Ωc(⁎)τ−ν¯τ and Ξb′→Ξc′(⁎)τ−ν¯τ decay modes. We take into account the general effective Hamiltonian for b→cℓν¯ℓ transitions which incorporates new physics contributions into the standard model. We explore the q2-dependency of different observables, such as the differential branching fraction, ratio of branching fractions, forward-backward asymmetry, convexity parameter, and longitudinal polarization of the charged lepton, related to these decay processes in the standard model and beyond.

Influence of the wettability dividing line on bubble growth and detachment behavior in a von Kármán swirling flow field

The contact-angle (CA) hysteresis generated by the difference between the advancing and receding CAs of a droplet on an inclined surface generates an adhesion force that can hold the droplet on the surface. Similarly, the CA hysteresis generated by a wettability dividing line (WDL) between the superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic regions can improve the anti-shear stability of bubbles in water, with a maximum range of more than 150° for the difference between the advancing and receding CAs. Based on this mechanism, the influence of a WDL on the growth and detachment behavior of bubbles at different Reynolds numbers (Re) in a von Kármán swirling flow field was experimentally studied. The results show that the WDL significantly improves the anti-shear stability of bubbles when compared to uniform superhydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. Furthermore, the detachment volume and maximum contact width decrease with increasing Re, while the tilt angle and asymmetry ratio increase significantly. The fluctuation amplitudes of these parameters gradually increase with rising Re. Based on variations in these parameters, bubbles' growth behavior can be classified into three modes: stabilization, transition, and oscillation. Additionally, the constraint mechanism of a WDL on a bubble was analyzed based on variations in the CA hysteresis generated by the WDL and the maximum contact width. Finally, the detachment dynamics of bubbles in the three modes were analyzed based on a force–balance model.

Development of a synthetic biosensor for chemical exchange MRI utilizing in silico optimized peptides.

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has been identified as a novel alternative to classical diagnostic imaging. Over the last several decades, many studies have been conducted to determine possible CEST agents, such as endogenously expressed compounds or proteins, that can be utilized to produce contrast with minimally invasive procedures and reduced or non-existent levels of toxicity. In recent years there has been an increased interest in the generation of genetically engineered CEST contrast agents, typically based on existing proteins with CEST contrast or modified to produce CEST contrast. We have developed an in silico method for the evolution of peptide sequences to optimize CEST contrast and showed that these peptides could be combined to create de novo biosensors for CEST MRI. A single protein, superCESTide, was designed to be 198 amino acids. SuperCESTide was expressed in E. coli and purified with size exclusion chromatography. The magnetic transfer ratio asymmetry generated by superCESTide was comparable to levels seen in previous CEST reporters, such as protamine sulfate (salmon protamine) and human protamine. These data show that novel peptides with sequences optimized in silico for CEST contrast that utilize a more comprehensive range of amino acids can still produce contrast when assembled into protein units expressed in complex living environments.

Preoperative low handgrip strength (HGS) with HGS asymmetry is associated with adverse outcomes among older adults with gastric cancer

IntroductionThis study aimed to explore the associations of low hand grip strength (HGS), HGS asymmetry, their combinations, and frailty on hospital readmissions, total complications, and prolonged length of stay (PLOS) among older adults with gastric cancer. Materials and MethodsThis study included 342 patients with gastric cancer aged ≥60 years who were scheduled to undergo radical surgery. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was used to collect information on frailty. HGS was measured twice for each hand using an electronic handgrip dynamometer. The highest HGS readings on each hand were used for calculating the HGS asymmetry ratio: non-dominant HGS (kg)/dominant HGS (kg). The Fine and Gray proportional subdistribution hazard model and the logistic regression model were used for the analyses, with covariates adjusted. ResultsLow HGS (subdistribution hazard ratios [SHR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–3.93, P = 0.036) and low HGS with HGS asymmetry (SHR = 3.95, 95% CI = 1.50–10.36, P = 0.005) were significantly associated with hospital readmissions. Frailty was associated with total complications (odds ratio [OR] = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.61–5.13, P < 0.001) and PLOS (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.19–3.29, P < 0.001). Low HGS, HGS asymmetry, and their combinations were not significantly associated with total complications and PLOS. DiscussionPreoperative low HGS and low HGS with HGS asymmetry were associated with hospital readmissions, while frailty was associated with total complications and PLOS among older adults with gastric cancer. In the future, more rigorously designed studies are needed to verify our results further to improve preoperative clinical assessment and frailty evaluation among older adults with gastric cancer.

Three-heat-reservoir thermal Brownian heat transformer and its performance limits

Waste heat recovery has great value in energy saving and decreasing environmental pollution. A three-heat-reservoir (THR) heat transformer can raise waste heat to a higher temperature for recovering and reusing easily. At present, the research on THR heat transformer is mainly focusing on macro field. This paper extends the THR heat transformer cycle to micro field, and models a THR thermal Brownian heat transformer. The model is a combined cycle of a thermal Brownian heat pump driven by a thermal Brownian engine. According to non-equilibrium thermodynamics, the analytical expressions for heating load and coefficient of performance (COP) are derived. The coupling relation of the combined cycle is obtained by solving the heat balance equation, and the operating mechanism of the new cycle is explained. The external load, barrier height, potential asymmetry and temperature ratio effects on system performances are studied, and the maximum heating load and corresponding COP are given. The optimal operating range and performance limits are obtained. Results show that the THR thermal Brownian heat transformer can raise the “heat” to a higher temperature. The heating load can reach peak value by modulating the design parameters carefully. The system operates in a quasi-static state and the heating load is zero when COP increases to its upper bound, and the system is reversible at this time. The new model proposed in this paper can guide the design of actual device, and the performance limit can guide the performance optimization of the actual device.

Asymmetric Loss Functions for Noise-Tolerant Learning: Theory and Applications.

Supervised deep learning has achieved tremendous success in many computer vision tasks, which however is prone to overfit noisy labels. To mitigate the undesirable influence of noisy labels, robust loss functions offer a feasible approach to achieve noise-tolerant learning. In this work, we systematically study the problem of noise-tolerant learning with respect to both classification and regression. Specifically, we propose a new class of loss function, namely asymmetric loss functions (ALFs), which are tailored to satisfy the Bayes-optimal condition and thus are robust to noisy labels. For classification, we investigate general theoretical properties of ALFs on categorical noisy labels, and introduce the asymmetry ratio to measure the asymmetry of a loss function. We extend several commonly-used loss functions, and establish the necessary and sufficient conditions to make them asymmetric and thus noise-tolerant. For regression, we extend the concept of noise-tolerant learning for image restoration with continuous noisy labels. We theoretically prove that lp loss ( ) is noise-tolerant for targets with the additive white Gaussian noise. For targets with general noise, we introduce two losses as surrogates of l0 loss that seeks the mode when clean pixels keep dominant. Experimental results demonstrate that ALFs can achieve better or comparative performance compared with the state-of-the-arts.

A Landmark-free Approach for Surface Asymmetry Detection and Profile Drawings from Bilaterally Symmetrical Geometry

Bilaterally symmetrical objects represent a large and important proportion of archaeological artifacts and biological objects. The identification of the plane of symmetry plays a vital role in quantifying surface asymmetry and producing profile drawings in archaeology and anthropology. The correct recognition of symmetry provides evidence to allow experts to restore damaged artifacts, assess consistency in artifact manufacture, and examine morphological variability in human development. With the increasing availability of archaeological and anthropological three-dimensional (3D) meshes, landmark-based and landmark-free morphometric methods for detecting planes of symmetry have both been proposed. However, the landmark-based approach requires manual identification of landmark locations, and hence they are time-consuming and prone to error. Additionally, the landmark-independent morphometric method is influenced by missing data. This study presents an effective landmark-free approach to approximate the best-fitted plane of symmetry from nearly bilaterally symmetrical objects by means of finding the plane with the minimum geometric differences between the original and mirrored meshes. Subsequently, a global and regional method is carried out to quantify surface asymmetry, reducing the effect of the size and orientation of 3D meshes on gross asymmetry detection. Finally, profile drawings are produced by computing the intersections of the plane of symmetry and 3D meshes. Both synthetic and real objects are used to evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Our results show the approximated plane of symmetry generated by the proposed method is consistent with that determined by anatomical landmarks, and no significant differences in asymmetry ratio representing the degree of gross asymmetry are found between the landmark-based and proposed methods. These results demonstrate that the proposed method provides a suitable plane of symmetry from a bilaterally symmetrical object with small geometric distortion or simple missing geometry, thereby speeding up asymmetry detection and profile drawings.

Evolution of the Limpopo River Basin in Botswana based on morphometric and morphotectonic features from selected rivers using GIS techniques

ABSTRACT This study used morphometric techniques to generate new information describing the evolution and hydrogeological behaviour of the Limpopo River Basin in Botswana, based on the analysis of drainage surface features, form, and size. Drainage basins provide basic information on their evolution, which, when quantified, yield information on the interaction between tectonics, climatic, and surface processes. Drainage networks were extracted from the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (90 m × 90 m), and subsequently, morphometry indices were computed using ArcGIS 10.5. Drainage network extraction was performed using the Arc Hydro extension in ArcGIS 10.5. ArcGIS 10.5 image processing technique was used to extract lineaments and create rose diagrams. The results showed that the Limpopo sub-basins in Botswana were drained by fourth- and fifth-order streams, with a total drainage area of 107, 871 km2. Additionally, the basin asymmetry and mean bifurcation ratios showed tilting in the sub-basins, suggesting tectonic instability and structural control in a low – to-moderate active tectonic zone. The sub-basins also had a coarse texture, indicating a high infiltration capacity. These results are essential for planning and managing watershed systems, flood risk assessment, and potential groundwater assessment for the different sub-basins of the Limpopo River Basin in Botswana.

Ratiometric mechanoluminescence in single Pr3+ activated LiGa5 O8.

Mechanoluminescence (ML) materials have potential applications in information storage, anti-counterfeiting, and stress sensing. Conventional stress sensing based on absolute ML intensity is prone to significant mistakes owing to the unpredictability of measurement surroundings. However, implementing a ratiometric ML sensing technique may considerably ameliorate this issue. In this study, a single activator doped gallate material (LiGa5 O8 :Pr3+ ) is proposed to determine the relationship between the ML intensity and the change in local positional symmetry that occurs when the material is subjected to stress. The sensing reliability of the ML intensity ratio under different factors (Force; Content; Thickness; Materials) is systematically analyzed, where the factor that has the greatest effect on the proportional ML is the concentration, with the ML intensity asymmetry ratio decreasing from 1.868 to 1.30 varying concentration at constant stress. The color-resolved visualization of stress sensing is further realized, which opens a new path for a ratiometric ML-based strategy to improve the reliability of stress sensing.

Bloch simulator-driven deep recurrent neural network for magnetization transfer contrast MR fingerprinting and CEST imaging.

To develop a unified deep-learning framework by combining an ultrafast Bloch simulator and a semisolid macromolecular magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) MR fingerprinting (MRF) reconstruction for estimation of MTC effects. The Bloch simulator and MRF reconstruction architectures were designed with recurrent neural networks and convolutional neural networks, evaluated with numerical phantoms with known ground truths and cross-linked bovine serum albumin phantoms, and demonstrated in the brain of healthy volunteers at 3 T. In addition, the inherent magnetization-transfer ratio asymmetry effect was evaluated in MTC-MRF, CEST, and relayed nuclear Overhauser enhancement imaging. A test-retest study was performed to evaluate the repeatability of MTC parameters, CEST, and relayed nuclear Overhauser enhancement signals estimated by the unified deep-learning framework. Compared with a conventional Bloch simulation, the deep Bloch simulator for generation of the MTC-MRF dictionary or a training data set reduced the computation time by 181-fold, without compromising MRF profile accuracy. The recurrent neural network-based MRF reconstruction outperformed existing methods in terms of reconstruction accuracy and noise robustness. Using the proposed MTC-MRF framework for tissue-parameter quantification, the test-retest study showed a high degree of repeatability in which the coefficients of variance were less than 7% for all tissue parameters. Bloch simulator-driven, deep-learning MTC-MRF can provide robust and repeatable multiple-tissue parameter quantification in a clinically feasible scan time on a 3T scanner.

Chemical Shift-Encoded Sequence (IDEAL-IQ) and Amide Proton Transfer (APT) MRI for Prediction of Histopathological Factors of Rectal Cancer.

To investigate whether parameters from IDEAL-IQ/amide proton transfer MRI (APTWI) could help predict histopathological factors of rectal cancer. Preoperative IDEAL-IQ and APTWI sequences of 67 patients with rectal cancer were retrospectively analyzed. The intra-tumoral proton density fat fraction (PDFF), R2* and magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym (3.5 ppm)) were measured according to the histopathological factors of rectal cancer. The relationship between MR parameters and histopathological factors were analyzed, along with diagnostic performance of MR parameters. PDFF, R2* and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were statistically different between T1+T2/T3+T4 stages, non-metastatic/metastatic lymph nodes, lower/higher tumor grade and negative/positive status of MRF and EMVI (p < 0.001 for PDFF, p = 0.000-0.015 for R2* and p = 0.000-0.006 for MTRasym (3.5 ppm)). There were positive correlations between the above parameters and the histopathological features of rectal cancer (r = 0.464-0.723 for PDFF (p < 0.001), 0.299-0.651 for R2* (p = 0.000-0.014), and 0.337-0.667 for MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (p = 0.000-0.005)). MTRasym (3.5 ppm) correlated moderately and mildly with PDFF (r = 0.563, p < 0.001) and R2* (r = 0.335, p = 0.006), respectively. PDFF provided a significantly higher diagnostic ability than MTRasym (3.5 ppm) for distinguishing metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes (z = 2.407, p = 0.0161). No significant differences were found in MR parameters for distinguishing other histopathological features (p > 0.05). IDEAL-IQ and APTWI were associated with histopathological factors of rectal cancer, and might serve as non-invasive biomarkers for characterizing rectal cancer.

Dopaminergic Dysfunction Is More Symmetric in Dementia with Lewy Bodies Compared to Parkinson's Disease.

The α-syn Origin site and Connectome model (SOC) proposes that α-synucleinopathies can be divided into two categories: the asymmetrical brain-first, and more symmetrical body-first Lewy body disease. We have hypothesized that most patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) belong to the body-first subtype, whereas patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) more often belong to the brain-first subtype. To compare asymmetry of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction in DLB and PD patients using [18F]-FE-PE2I positron emission tomography (PET). We analyzed [18F]-FE-PE2I PET data from 29 DLB patients and 76 PD patients who were identified retrospectively during a 5-year period at Dept. of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital. Additionally, imaging data from 34 healthy controls was used for age-correction and visual comparison. PD patients showed significantly more asymmetry in specific binding ratios between the most and least affected putamen (p < 0.0001) and caudate (p = 0.003) compared to DLB patients. PD patients also had more severe degeneration in the putamen compared to the caudate in comparison to DLB patients (p < 0.0001) who had a more universal pattern of striatal degeneration. Patients with DLB show significantly more symmetric striatal degeneration on average compared to PD patients. These results support the hypothesis that DLB patients may be more likely to conform to the body-first subtype characterized by a symmetrical spread of pathology, whereas PD patients may be more likely to conform to the brain-first subtype with more lateralized initial propagation of pathology.

Single Tb3+ ion doped ratiometric mechanoluminescence for tunable stress visualization

When a material is stimulated by external stress, the mechanical energy may be converted into light energy calling mechanoluminescent (ML). The unique excitation method makes it promising for a wide range of applications in the field of stress sensing. However, traditional stress sensing methods based on absolute ML intensity have limitations in unpredictable and complex measurement environment. To address this topic, a ratiometric ML intensity-based stress sensing method has been proposed, which significantly improves the reliability and stability of sensing results. In this paper, a single Tb3+ ion-doped garnet ML compound is designed. The variation of defect concentration in the material was induced by changing the dopant concentration and the local crystal field intensity. Ratiometric ML stress sensing was achieved through external mechanical stimuli, which causes a change in local positional symmetry. The linear relationship between the luminescence intensity asymmetry ratio and stress was investigated, and the excellent stability and reliability of the ML material were demonstrated under multiple stress cycles. The single-activator ratiometric ML intensity strategy presented in this study provides a new approach for improving stress sensing accuracy, which represents an essential step for the application of ML materials in stress sensing.