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Objective: To investigate the age-related growth variation in prostatic parameters by transrectal ultrasound with a simultaneous evaluation of the transitional zone measurements in different prostate volumes.Methods: A retrospective study of 2001 subjects derived from the outpatient clinic at our institution (Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital in Shanghai) who were diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis was reviewed. All subjects were evaluated by the International Prostatic Symptom Score and transrectal ultrasound of the prostate. Statistical analysis was conducted between prostatic parameters and age.Results: The prostate volume, index, length, and width of transitional zone were the parameters most closely associated with increasing age. Notably, the transitional zone measurements showed a significant difference among individuals greater than 50 years old. Moreover, the fastest increasing rate of prostatic parameters was found to be between the ages of 50 and 69. Additionally, we also discovered that the difference between transitional zone parameters and different prostate volumes varies along with increasing age.Conclusion: These results suggest that transitional zone growth is the main contributor to total prostate growth, especially at the ages of 50-69, which may elucidate the higher incidence of the lower urinary tract symptoms from BPH. In view of the increasing rate of transitional zone and the level of total prostate volume, further research is needed to identify the underlying mechanism for such differences in prostate growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the combined diagnostic strategy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) in the precise differential diagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) and urothelium carcinoma of the renal pelvis (UCRP) with other small renal tumors (SRTs) ＜3 cm in size. The elastography self-corrected CEUS (ESC) mode was established to perform the quantitative differential diagnosis of SRTs (<3 cm). The kidney shear wave velocity (SWV) value recorded by ARFI showed substantial variability in patients with CCRCC (high elasticity value) and UCRP (low elasticity value) compared with other renal masses, thus providing critical self-correction information for the ultrasound differential diagnosis of SRTs. In this work, the ESC observations and the corresponding ESC criteria show a remarkable 94.6% accuracy in reference to the gold standards, thus allowing the quantitative, early triple distinction of CCRCC with UCRP and other SRTs in patients with suspicious SRTs. This ARFI self-corrected CEUS diagnostic strategy is far beyond a screening method and may have the potential to identify a window of therapeutic opportunity in which emerging therapies might be applied to patients with CCRCC and UCRP, reducing overtreatment and medical costs. In our study, a new rapid and non-invasive elastography self-corrected CEUS (ESC) ultrasound imaging mode was developed, which was useful in the triple distinction of CCRCC, UCRP, and other SRTs with 94.6% accuracy. ESC is a promising method in the differential diagnosis of SRTs with accuracy and practicability far beyond a single screening model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Porous g-C 3 N 4 was prepared by a facile bacteria-motivated liquid etching method. • The pore structure of g-C 3 N 4 was significantly optimized by bacterial etching. • The porous structure may facilitate the transfer of carriers. • The porous g-C 3 N 4 performs well in photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Abstract Porous graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) was successfully synthesized by a simple bacterial etching method. Compared with bulk g-C 3 N 4 , the specific surface area of the porous g-C 3 N 4 increased from 14.48 to 75.22 m2/g, and its photocatalytic activity was significantly enhanced by a factor of 2.49 for photocatalytic H 2 evolution. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to the enlarged specific surface area, remarkably narrowed band gap (2.28 eV) and fast electron transportation benefit from the porous structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical looping combustion (CLC) of coal has attracted signification attention due to low CO 2 and NO x emissions. In this paper, the lignite CLC and hematite used as an oxygen carrier (OC) were investigated. The thermodynamic behavior of NH 3 /HCN (NO x precursors) and Fe 2 O 3 (the main component of hematite) were analyzed. Under different OC masses, the release characteristics of NH 3 and HCN with temperature were studied using TG-MS. Using a fixed bed reactor, the nitrogen trade-off in the fuel reactor was investigated as a function of OC mass, changing reaction temperature, carrier gas flow rate, and type of OC (modified by K/Na/Ca/Ni/Cu/Mn). Increasing the OC to lignite mass ratio led to a decrease of NH 3 and HCN release. The release of HCN increased with the increasing temperature, while NH 3 release decreased. An increased gas flow rate increased the emission of NH 3 and HCN. Additionally, modifying the OC with Ni and Cu improved the oxidation performance and significantly reduced the emission of NH 3 and HCN. To sum up, NH 3 and HCN emission were lowest when the OC mass, temperature, and carrier gas flow rate were 10 g, 900 °C, and 50 mL/min, respectively, and OC-Ni or OC-Cu was the OC. • NH 3 and HCN release during lignite chemical looping combustion are studied. • NH 3 and HCN are more likely oxidized to N 2 by hematite. • High oxygen carrier mass and low flow rate can decrease the release of NH 3 and HCN. • Ni and Cu these two metal ions can further reduce the release of NH 3 and HCN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]