Search

Background: The flap closed-incisions healing after 3D-printed prosthesis implantation in Chronic Osteomyelitis with Soft Tissue Defects (COSTD) is critical. This study aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in promoting flap closed-incisions healing. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data was performed, including baseline, surgical and hospitalization information. The efficacy of NPWT was assessed by comparing the ASEPSIS scores, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADLS), and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), as well as the major postoperative complications. Results: The study included 20 patients, 13 received conventional dressing (Control group) and 7 received NPWT treatment (NPWT group). These two groups exhibited a notable disparity in the distribution of ASEPSIS scores, and the median scores were 24 in Control group and 9 in NPWT group (p = 0.001). Eight patients in the Control group experienced major incisional complications, including 7 cases of exudation, 3 cases of infection, 2 cases of non-healing, and 1 case of dehiscence, while none were observed in the NPWT group (p = 0.015). The VAS, ADLS, and LEFS scores were significantly improved in the NPWT group compared to the Control group (p = 0.003, 0.017, and 0.043, respectively). Conclusions: The study findings suggest that NPWT applied to the healing process of flap closed-incisions after 3D prosthesis implantation in patients with COSTD can reduce the occurrence of postoperative major complications and promote the recovery of lower limb function and daily activities, which should be recommended for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel binary MIL/ZIF hybrid adsorbents were successfully prepared for the first time. • The MIL/ZIF adsorbents can remove several antibiotics from wastewater efficiently. • The MIL/ZIF adsorbents can be applied to actual wastewater with high renewability. • A feasible adsorption mechanism was proposed for the removal of antibiotics. Environmental pollution by emerging contaminants has become an urgent problem. Herein, novel binary metal–organic framework hybrids were constructed from Materials of Institute Lavoisier-53(Fe) (MIL-53(Fe)) and zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for the first time. A battery of characterizations were employed to determine the MIL/ZIF hybrids' properties and morphology. Furthermore, the MIL/ZIF towards toxic antibiotics (tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin) were studied to explore their adsorption abilities. The present work disclosed that the obtained MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 possessed an eminent specific surface area with an admirable removal efficiency of tetracycline (97.4%), ciprofloxacin (97.1%) and ofloxacin (92.4%), respectively. The tetracycline adsorption process conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and this process was more compatible with the Langmuir isotherm model with the highest adsorption capacity of 215.0 mg g−1. Moreover, the process of removing tetracycline was proved to be spontaneous and exothermic by the thermodynamic results. Furthermore, the MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 towards tetracycline exhibited significant regeneration ability. The effects of pH, dosage, interfering ions and oscillation frequency on tetracycline adsorption capacity and removal efficiency were also investigated. The primary factors contributing to the decent adsorption ability between MIL-53(Fe)/ZIF-8 = 2:3 and tetracycline included electrostatic, π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding and weak coordination interactions. Additionally, we also investigated the adsorption ability in real wastewater. Thus, the proposed binary metal–organic framework hybrid materials can be deemed a promising adsorbent in wastewater purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the role of GLI1 on skin proliferation and neovascularization during skin expansion in mice. We constructed GLI1‐cre/R26‐Tdtomato and GLI1‐cre/R26‐mtmg gene‐tagged skin expansion mouse models. Using a two‐photon in vivo imaging instrument to observe the changes in the number and distribution of GLI1(+) cells during the expansion process and to clarify the spatial relationship between GLI1(+) cells and blood vessels during the expansion process. In vitro proliferation assays were performed to further validate the effects of SHH (sonic hedgehog) and its downstream component GLI1 on cell proliferation viability. Finally, qRT‐PCR was used to verify the changes in proliferation, angiogenesis‐related factors, SHH signalling pathway‐related factors, and the role of GLI1 cells in the process of skin expansion in mice. The number of GLI1(+) cells increased during dilation and were attached to the outer membrane of the vessel. The epidermis was thickened and the dermis thinned after the dilated skin was taken, while the epidermal thickening was suppressed and the dermis became thinner after the GLI1 cells were inhibited. The non‐inhibited group showed a significant increase in PCNA positivity with prolonged dilation compared to the GANT61(GLI specificity inhibitor) inhibited group; CD31 immunofluorescence showed a significant increase in the number of dilated skin vessels and a significant decrease in the number of vessels after treatment with GANT61 inhibitor. In vitro proliferation results showed that SHH signalling activator significantly increased the proliferation viability of GLI1(+) hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells, while GNAT61 significantly inhibited the proliferation viability of GLI1(+) hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells. GLI1 is necessary for proliferation and neovascularization in expansion skin of mice through activation of the SHH signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herdsmen's access to credit funds plays an important supporting role in promoting the modern economic development of pastoral areas and broadening the channels for herders to increase their income. This paper studies the credit behavior of herdsmen from the perspective of emotional and psychological state identification to analyze the current credit behavior of herdsmen. Firstly, the internal mechanism of herdsmen's credit and emotional and psychological identification research content are analyzed. Secondly, a scheme of emotional and psychological state identification is proposed, and a corresponding survey of herdsmen is carried out according to the scheme. Finally, the Probit and Heckman models are introduced to analyze the credit behavior of herdsmen. The results show that herdsmen with high emotional and psychological scores strongly demand credit. They are likely to have access to credit and have a high level of credit. Herdsmen with low scores of emotional and psychological characteristics have low or no apparent demand for credit, and their credit availability is also low. The herdsmen with high emotional and psychological characteristics have a 71% higher probability of generating credit demand than herdsmen with low openness. Their likelihood of obtaining credit is also 33.47% higher than herdsmen with low emotional and psychological characteristics. They also have easy access to higher loan amounts. The results provide a reference for related research and analysis of herdsman's credit behavior and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wound healing problem is one of the main complications after correction of chest wall deformity. Orthopedic flap tissue repair technique has a clear significance in non‐healing wound and defect wound and provides a new choice for poor wound healing after orthopedic surgery of chest wall deformity. Objective: To investigate, the application value of modified local rotary flap and latissimus dorsi myocutcutaneous flap in the treatment of poor wound healing after orthodontic treatment of chest wall deformity. Method: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who admitted to our department from August 2012 to November 2019 due to non‐healing incision after surgery for thoracic deformity. Skin flap was selected according to the size of the wound surface, and the effect of skin flap repair was observed. The clinical data of the included patients were recorded, and the preoperative and postoperative wound conditions were evaluated. Results: This study included 13 patients with chest wall deformity who received plastic surgery tissue using flap technique for wound repair, 11 cases used modified local rotation skin flap, and 2 cases used modified latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap. The mean age of the 13 patients was 18.54 ± 4.14 years old, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 17.02 ± 2.16 kg/m2, and the mean preoperative nonunion time of the incision was 64.77 ± 93.01 days. Five patients had positive bacteria culture on the wound surface, including 3 cases of Staphylococcus aureus, 1 case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 1 case of Staphylococcus epidermidis. All the 13 patients achieved primary grade A healing. Conclusion: The modified local rotary flap and latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap have a significant effect on the postoperative correction of chest wall deformity, which can ensure wound healing while retaining the orthopedic plate to the maximum extent to ensure the effect of the correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: Long-level spinal fusion for degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS)seeks to eliminate spinal motion in an attempt to alleviate pain, improve deformity, and reduce disability. However, this surgery considerably impairs the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) due to the resulting stiffness. The lumbar stiffness disability index (LSDI) is a validated measure of the effect of lumbar stiffness on functional activity, but this index might not be fully applicable to the elderly Chinese population given several specific lifestyle characteristics.Purpose: To evaluate lumbar stiffness in patients with DLS after long-level fusion by Chinese-LSDI (C-LSDI).Study Design: A retrospective study.Patient Sample: A total of 129 DLS patients who underwent long-level (≧4 levels) fusion surgery with at least one-year follow-up from June 2009 to September 2017 were retrospectively included.Outcome Measures: The C-LSDI was designed by modifying LSDI and Korean-LSDI (K-LSDI) based on elderly Chinese lifestyles and the internal consistency and retest repeatability of the patient-reported outcome questionnaire in the measurement of the impact of lumbar stiffness on functional abilities was assessed.Methods: The radiographic parameters including Cobb angle, apical vertebral translation (AVT), coronal vertical axis (CVA), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK), pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), and PI-LL, and clinical symptoms including visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and low extremity pain; Oswestry disability index (ODI), Japanese Orthopedic Association-29 (JOA-29), Scoliosis Research Society⁃22 (SRS-22), 36⁃Item short form survey (SF-36), physical component scores (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS) were measured preoperatively and at the last follow-up.Results: Compared with LSDI and K-LSDI, the C-LSDI demonstrated higher internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.902) and retest reliability (Internal consistency coefficients, ICC=0.904) in the elderly Chinese population. All patients showed increased lumbar stiffness and significant improvement in pain and deformity postoperatively. Regarding items, such as performing personal hygiene after toileting and getting out of a car, people reported more inconvenience with increasingly fixed levels.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the C-LSDI questionnaire was a reliable and valid instrument for assessing functional limitations due to lumbar stiffness among elderly Chinese patients with DLS after long-level fusion. Although the effects of stiffness did trend toward greater impacts among patients who underwent longer fusions, most patients were satisfied with trade-offs of function and pain relief in exchange for perceived increases in lumbar stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid loss of firmness of 'France' prune after harvest limits the commercial potential of the fruit. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the potential mechanism by which near-freezing temperature (NFT) maintains fruit quality and delays the softening of 'France' prune. We found NFT maintained higher fruit firmness (91.34 %), delayed the decomposition of cellulose (53.87 %) and hemicellulose (41.41 %), and inhibited the activity of softening-related enzymes compared with the control group. RNA-sequencing data showed that 4984 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the control group (CK30)-vs-NFT group (B30) comparison. These DEGs are mainly involved in plant hormone signal transduction, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, galactose metabolism, and the pentose-glucuronate interconversion pathway. By screening and identifying DEGs, we found that the PG, PME, CEL, ACS, PER, UGT, and transcription factor (TF) genes (NAC089 , ERF026 , and NAC083) may be involved in the softening of 'France' prune. In conclusion, NFT delays the softening of 'France' prune likely by regulating the expression of related genes and metabolic pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of NFT-mediated delay of 'France' prune fruit softening. [Display omitted] • NFT delayed the softening of postharvest 'France' prune fruit. • NFT maintained higher polysaccharide content and lower degrading enzyme activity. • NFT downregulated differentially expressed genes related to cell wall metabolism. • Postharvest fruit softening was related to plant hormone biosynthesis. • Transcription factor genes (NAC089 , ERF026 , and NAC083) regulate fruit softening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in vascular endothelial function, blood coagulation and cardiac function indexes after the implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker in patients with bradycardia were investigated. A total of 53 healthy people and 117 patients with bradycardia in Jining First People's Hospital from January 2015 to August 2017 were selected. Factor VIII: coagulation (FVIII:C), von Willebr and factor (vWF), antithrombin activity (AT:A), D-dimmer (D-D), thrombomodulin (TM), tissue factor (TF), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) in the non-pacemaker group and the pacemaker group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05), in which FVIII:C, vWF, D-D, TM, TF and LVESV were significantly higher than those in the control group, while LVEFs were significantly lower than that in the control group. After the implantation of a pacemaker, the FVIII:C, vWF, fibrinogen (FIB), D-D, TF and LVESV in patients were significantly higher than those before implantation (P<0.05), while the LVEF was significantly lower than that before implantation (P<0.05). In addition, in different pacemaker groups, there were no significant differences in blood coagulation and vascular endothelial indexes, but differences in cardiac function levels were obvious, in which LVEF in dual-chamber (DDD) pacemaker group was significantly higher than that in ventricular inhibited (VVI) pacemaker group, and LVESV in the former was significantly lower than that in the latter (P<0.05). Finally, here was no significant difference in the quality of life of patients implanted with different pacemakers (P>0.05), but the quality of life of patients in the DDD pacemaker group was better than that of patients in the VVI group. Therefore, implanting pacemakers in patients with bradycardia affects vascular endothelial function, blood coagulation, and cardiac function indexes in patients, and complications become less after the implantation of DDD pacemakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression has been well established as an independent predictor of mortality and cardiac morbidity rates in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Evidence has shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms located in pre-microRNA (miRNA) or mature miRNA may modify various biological processes and affect the process of carcinogenesis, and the downregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) can induce depression. It has been shown that NOS1 is the target gene of miR-146a, and that the rs2910164 G/C polymorphism can downregulate the expression of miR-146a. In the present study, computational analysis was used to identify the target of miR-146a, and a luciferase reporter assay system was used to validate NOS1 as a target gene of miR-146a. In addition, U251 cells were treated with miR-146a mimics/inhibitors to verify the negative regulatory association between miR-146a and NOS1. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blot analysis were used to estimate the mRNA expression of NOS1 and the expression of miR-146a. The results showed that the ‘seed sequence’ was located within the 3′-untranslated region of NOS1 by searching an online miRNA database (www.mirdb.org), and the luciferase reporter assay confirmed that NOS1 was a direct target gene of miR-146a. It was also found that the mRNA and protein expression levels of NOS1 in U251 cells treated with miR-146a mimics and NOS1 small interfering RNA were substantially downregulated, compared with cells treated with the scramble control. The cells treated with miR-146a inhibitors showed increased expression of NOS1. In addition, the presence of a minor allele of the rs2910164 polymorphism was significantly associated with risk of depression in patients with CAD. Taken together, the findings indicated a decreased risk of depression in the patients with CAD who were carriers of the miR-146a rs2910164 C allele, and this association may be attributed to its ability to compromise the expression of miR-146a, and thereby increase the expression of its target gene, NOS1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial interfacial layer is developed to suppress the dendrite formation and the parasitic reactions between Li metal anode and electrolyte by the rational molecular design of a metal–organic framework material rich in fluorine (UiO-66(F)). The symmetric cell with the optimized interfacial layer achieves excellent cycling performance over 2200 h at 0.2 mA cm−2. [Display omitted] • A metal–organic framework material rich in fluorine was rationally molecular designed. • An artificial interfacial layer is developed to suppress the dendrite formation and the parasitic reactions. • The symmetric cell with the interfacial layer achieves excellent cyclability over 2200 h at 0.2 mA cm−2. Unstable electrolyte/electrode interface and uncontrolled Li dendrite growth hinder the large-scale commercial application of Li metal batteries. In this work, an artificial interfacial layer is developed to suppress the dendrite formation and the parasitic reactions between Li metal anode and electrolyte by the rational molecular design of a metal–organic framework material rich in fluorine (UiO-66(F)). The intrinsic nanochannels in UiO-66(F) promote the decomposition of lithium salts and limit the movement of anions. Moreover, the in situ formed LiF inhibits the Li dendrite growth. The composite electrolyte with the UiO-66(F) interfacial layer exhibits a wide electrochemical window (5.13 V vs Li/Li+), high ionic conductivity (4.9 × 10-4 S cm−1), and ionic transference number (0.51) at room temperature. XPS results demonstrate that the in situ formed solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) is attributed to the active F groups in UiO-66(F). The symmetric cell with the optimized interfacial layer achieves excellent cycling performance over 2200 h at 0.2 mA cm−2. In addition, the assembled full cell LiFePO 4 ||Li also exhibits a capacity retention rate of 90.71 % after 960 cycles at 0.5 C. Even at higher rate of 2 C, it still exhibits a high discharge capacity of 139.6 mAh g−1. This molecular design strategy for interfacial layer show great promise for practical applications of Li metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To delay 'France' prune fruit softening during storage, the effects of near-freezing temperature storage (NFTS; −1.5 ∼ −1 °C) on cell wall polysaccharides, cell-wall-modifying enzyme activities, cell-wall-modifying genes, and tissue ultrastructure of 'France' prune fruit were determined. The results showed that NFTS kept a higher fruit firmness (70.9%) compared to the control group (22.6%) at the end of storage. Besides, after 12-day storage, NFTS suppressed the activities of cell-wall-modifying enzymes, the expression of key cell-wall-modifying genes, the dissolution of chelate-soluble pectin (53.1%), Na 2 CO 3 -soluble pectin (114.6%), cellulose (81.3%), and hemicellulose (95.2%), and ethylene production (19.7%), and maintained lower water-soluble pectin (38.2%) and lignin contents (16.0%), compared to the control group. Ultrastructural observation showed that NFTS could delay the disassembly of pectin components and protect cell wall structure. In conclusion, NFTS can effectively inhibit fruit softening and maintain fruit quality. • Near freezing temperature storage (NFTS) inhibited 'France' prune fruit softening. • NFTS maintained higher CSP, NSP, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents of fruit. • NFTS suppressed the activities of PG, PME, Cx, β-GAL, and α-ARF. • NFTS down-regulated the expression of cell wall degrading enzyme-related genes. • NFTS maintained cell wall integrity of 'France' prune fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the hydrangea-shaped Bi 2 WO 6 /ZIF-8 (BWOZ) visible light photocatalysts have been prepared via a facile synthetic strategy for the first time. The constructed BWOZ composites were systematically studied by a series of characterization techniques. The SEM results manifested the octahedral ZIF-8 coated the flower-like Bi 2 WO 6 uniformly and the composition of BWOZ composites had been confirmed by XPS measurement. And the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by eliminating methylene blue with the help of visible light. The results showed that 7%-BWOZ (7.0 wt% Bi 2 WO 6) exhibited better photodegradation capability than pure Bi 2 WO 6 and ZIF-8. Compared with Bi 2 WO 6 , the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by 7%-BWOZ could reach 85.7%. In addition, the pseudo-first-order kinetic constant of 7%-BWOZ was 23.00 and 1.61 times that of pristine Bi 2 WO 6 and ZIF-8, respectively. The improved photocatalytic ability of BWOZ systems may be due to the construction of heterojunctions between Bi 2 WO 6 and ZIF-8, which resulted in the rapid separation of photogenerated carriers. Additionally, the specific surface area of the formed BWOZ system was also improved in comparison with the flower-shaped Bi 2 WO 6 , and thus more active sites could be provided to contact with methylene blue molecules, thereby achieving better removal capacity. Moreover, trapping experiments and electron spin resonance results further illustrated that the coexistence of multiple free radicals realized efficient degradation of methylene blue. More importantly, the photocatalytic property of the 7%-BWOZ composite remained even after three cycles. Furthermore, a feasible photodegradation mechanism was also explored in depth. [Display omitted] • A novel photocatalyst of Bi 2 WO 6 /ZIF-8 was fabricated via a facile synthetic strategy. • The Bi 2 WO 6 /ZIF-8 can photodegrade methylene blue (MB) from wastewater efficiently. • The Bi 2 WO 6 /ZIF-8 can be applied in actual wastewater and possessed high renewability. • A convincible photocatalytic mechanism for removing MB by Bi 2 WO 6 /ZIF-8 was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses arrest the host cell cycle and using multiple functions of host cells is an important approach for their replication. Baculovirus arrests infected insect cells at both the late S and G2/M phase, but the strategy employed by baculovirus is not clearly understood. Our research suggests that the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) could arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase to promote virus replication, and also that the viral protein LEF-11 could inhibit host cell proliferation and arrest the cell cycle by inhibiting the cell cycle checkpoint proteins BmCyclinB and BmCDK1. Furthermore, we found that LEF-11 interacts with BmIMPI to regulate cell proliferation, but not by direct interaction with BmCyclinB or BmCDK1. In addition, our findings showed that BmIMPI was important and necessary for LEF-11 induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Moreover, BmIMPI was found to interact with BmCyclinB and BmCDK1, and down-regulate the expression of BmCyclinB and BmCDK1 to compromise the cell cycle and cell proliferation. Taken together, the data presented demonstrated that baculovirus LEF-11 regulates BmIMPI to inhibit host cell proliferation and provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms employed by viruses to induce cell cycle arrest. • Baculovirus LEF-11 hijacks BmIMPI and induces cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. • BmIMPI is a necessary host factor for LEF-11-induced cell cycle arrest. • Baculovirus LEF-11 depletes the BmCyclinB/CDK1 protein for viral replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-alumina fly ash (HAFA) is one of the categories of industrial solid wastes and the extraction of aluminum from HAFA could offer an alternative to the commercially available aluminum salts to prepare advanced materials such as Al-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). In the present work, eco-MIL-53(Al) has been successfully fabricated through a one-pot method by reacting the HAFA or sintered product (obtained by alkaline fusion activation treatment of HAFA) with terephthalic acid, respectively. Furthermore, their adsorption properties for the dye molecules in wastewater were investigated. In addition, the sintering conditions and decomposition rates of HAFA were explored. Experimental results manifested that the mixture of HAFA and Na 2 CO 3 was sintered at 890 °C for 90 min, the ash-alkali ratio was 1:0.6, and the optimal decomposition rate could reach 97.75%. The obtained eco-MIL-53(Al) could maintain a stable skeleton up to 500 °C. The scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that the MIL-53(Al) grew into columnar crystals from the surface of the raw material, and the addition of HCl in the synthesis process was beneficial to the formation of larger grains. Particularly, the SINTER-MIL had excellent adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB). The maximum adsorption amount of MB was calculated to be 28.80 mg g–1 at room temperature, and its adsorption removal rate could reach 79.53% at equilibrium adsorption. The MB adsorption onto the obtained samples conformed to the pseudo-second-order model and the Freundlich model, respectively. Therefore, the employment of sustainable aluminum sources such as HAFA to prepare MOFs has certain significance for economical aspects and environmental protection. [Display omitted] • High-alumina fly ash was used as sustainable aluminum sources to synthesize eco-MOFs. • The activation and the synthesis conditions were optimized systematically. • The adsorption properties of the obtained eco-MIL-53(Al) were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study,N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), propyl acrylic acid (PAAC), and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-undecylenic acid) acrylamide were introduced to synthesize PNIPAAm-based nanogels (NG). The morphology of NG particles was characterizedviatransmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanogels exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 34°C and a temperature-induced drug releasein vitro. After conjugation of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)–containing peptide (GRGDS), the cellular uptake of doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded nanogel by HeLa cells had been greatly enhanced. The Dox molecules in endocytosed nanogels could be released efficiently at 37°C and subsequently kill tumor cells, suggesting that the nanogel has great potential for targeting delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a promising modality for cancers, but the interaction between them and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), the common adjuvant drugs for cancer treatment, has not been understood. Here, the interactions between PPIs and RC48ADC, a novel HER2-targeting ADC, were quantified in vitro. CCK-8 assay showed that RC48ADC displayed a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of SK-BR-3, NCI-N87 and SK-OV-3 cells with the IC 50 values of 4.91 ± 1.15 ng/mL, 14.54 ± 0.85 ng/mL and 11.28 ± 0.68 ng/mL respectively. PPIs alone had no significant anti-tumor effect in the dose range of 1.37–1000 ng/mL. When used together, PPIs inhibited the anti-tumor activity of RC48ADC in a dose-dependent manner. And 1000 ng/mL (~Cmax) PPIs significantly recovered RC48ADC-inhibited cell proliferation by (32.85 ± 2.81) % (p < 0.05). However, cimetidine, a non-PPIs gastric acid secretion inhibitor, had no significant inhibitory effect on RC48ADC. Furthermore, omeprazole, rather than cimetidine, significantly reduced the activity of vacuolar H+-ATPase and Cathepsin B compared with the control cells. These results, if confirmed in vivo , indicate that PPIs are antagonists of RC48ADC, even all ADCs, appearing to be due to inhibition of vacuolar H+-ATPase activity. Moreover, cimetidine combined with ADCs instead of PPIs can prevent an adverse drug interaction. • Approximately 20% of cancer patients are treated with PPIs. • PPIs affect the side effect and efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs via V-ATPase. • V-ATPase maintains the acid environment of lysosome (pH 4.5–5). • Lysosome is the key site for ADCs to achieve anti-tumor action. • PPIs inhibited ADCs activity via inhibiting V-ATPase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of qualitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in discrimination of adnexal masses which were undetermined by conventional ultrasound (US). A total of 120 patients underwent transabdominal CEUS. The initial enhancement time and intensity compared with the uterine myometrium, contrast agent distribution patterns and dynamic changes of enhancement were assessed. The sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy (ACC) and Youden’s index were calculated for contrast variables. The gold standard was the histological diagnosis. There were 48 malignant tumors and 72 benign tumors. The enhancement features of malignant masses were different from benign ones. Earlier or simultaneous enhancement with inhomogeneous enhancement yielded the highest capability in differential diagnosis, and Sen, Spe, PPV, NPV, ACC, Youden’s index was 89.6%, 97.2%, 93.2%, 95.6%, 93.3%, and 0.88, respectively. The qualitative evaluation of CEUS is useful in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses where conventional US is indeterminate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 composites were fabricated via a one-pot solvothermal process. • The MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 = 1:2 showed boosted adsorption performance for tetracycline. • The MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 = 1:2 also displayed photocatalytic capability for tetracycline. • The synergism and active species (•O 2 − and •OH) enhanced the elimination ability. • A possible mechanism for tetracycline degradation by MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 was proposed. Novel semiconductor–MOFs composites based on TiO 2 and MIL-53(Fe) were constructed using a facile one-pot solvothermal process and acted as effective visible-light responsive adsorptive photocatalysts for the removal of tetracycline (TC). The resultant MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 composites were characterized by comprehensive analyses, ESR, and photoelectrochemical measurements. Experimental results showed that the synthesized MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 composites possessed enhanced adsorption and excellent photocatalytic activity for TC solution under visible light irradiation. Among all the composites, the MIL-53(Fe)@TiO 2 = 1:2 exhibited optimal removal performance compared with pristine MIL-53(Fe) and TiO 2. The results of UV–vis DRS verified the visible light absorption range of the prepared composite was improved, and the results of the Nyquist plot illustrated that the transfer ability of photo-generated charge carriers was boosted. More importantly, the ESR results showed that the •O 2 − and •OH active species played a crucial role in photocatalytic reactions. The enhanced photocatalytic ability was due to not only the fabrication of the n-n type heterojunction photocatalysts, which could provide more active species, but also the synergy between MIL-53(Fe) and TiO 2 in the composites. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed to elucidate the reason for the photocatalytic performance enhancement. Our findings may open up a new field for Fe-MOF and semiconductor composite materials in removing TC in visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients are undergoing surgery to relieve the prominent dorsocervical fat pad because of their esthetic needs. Objective: To determine their clinical needs, it is necessary to research the clinic, radiography, and anatomy of dorsocervical fat pad. Methods: The occipital fat thickness, dorsal fat thickness, and the length, width, and thickness of the dorsocervical fat were measured through MRI imaging. Body projection position were recorded. The correlation between the body mass index and dorsocervical hump was analyzed. Anatomical and histological studies of cadavers with a dorsocervical hump were performed. The liposuction for dorsocervical fat pad was introduced and patients were followed up. Results: In measurement, the MRI imaging of 109 patients were evaluated. The average length, width, and thickness of the dorsocervical fat pad were 114.47, 89.24, and 23.46 mm, respectively, and it is commonly located from the 3rd cervical vertebra to the 3rd thoracic vertebra. The average dorsocervical ratio was 151%. 43.1% patients had a dorsocervical hump. Based on the protrusion degree, the dorsocervical fat pad was classified into three types. The dorsocervical hump severity had a low correlation with obesity. In anatomy, 4 cadavers were dissected. The histological staining indicated that two layers of fat pad constituted a dorsocervical fat pad. As for treatment, 34 patients underwent liposuction to improve the dorsocervical contour, all of them reported satisfactory outcome. Conclusions: The histological manifestations and morphological measurement of dorsocervical fat pad is researched. Besides, liposuction was applied in 34 patients with dorsocervical hump, and had received satisfied outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The principals and bases of PDI supramolecular photocatalysts were summarized and discussed. • Recent progresses in PDI–based supramolecular photocatalysts were comprehensively and critically reviewed. • Prospects for PDI–based photocatalysts were proposed. Perylene diimide (PDI) organic materials and their derivatives are currently one of the best n–type organic semiconductors. In recent years, PDI supramolecular photocatalysts have been reported to be able to independently complete the entire photocatalytic process from light absorption, carrier separation to catalytic reaction, which attracts many researchers' attention. However, its practical applications are still faced with huge challenges such as slow transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes, fast recombination of the above photogenerated carriers, low catalytic activity and poor stability. In order to address these problems, many scholars have carried out a lot of studies. Herein, we will present an up-to-date review on using PDI supramolecular photocatalysts as the main catalyst and corresponding investigations on improving its photocatalytic performance via monomer molecular design of PDI, building π-π composite system, semiconductor heterojunction, precious metal deposition, carbon material coupling, designing PDI polymer and synergy with other methods, etc., and summarize the current existing questions, and make a prospect for the future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational and efficient use of cropland is a crucial way to stabilize the balance between food supply and demand, ensure sustainable agricultural development, and guarantee national food security. However, there has been a tendency for non-grain planting of cultivated land in recent years. Investigating the driving factors of farmers' non-grain planting in hilly and mountainous areas is meaningful. This study extended the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by introducing the variable of risk-carrying capacity, and the results supported that the integrative model was more efficient in explaining non-grain production behavior. Farmers' risk-carrying capacity and subjective norm were the most critical determinants of their planting behavioral intention. Besides, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control mediated the paths of risk-carrying capacity to farmers' non-grain crops growing intention. Most importantly, there were differences in the behavior mechanism of farmers of different ages and working statuses. These findings provided a clear evidence understanding of farmers' non-grain planting behavior and could help program planners design policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MOF – silica composites for advanced applications have been reviewed. • The fabrication strategies classified into three categories are presented. • The main applications in adsorption, catalysis, energy, and others are discussed. • Conclusions and perspectives for MOF – silica composites are proposed. The fabrication of novel porous materials remains of great interest because of their intriguing architectures, various properties, and promising applications. As typical porous materials with high crystallinity, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted continuous attention to the scientific community. However, poor stability and monotonous pore structures hinder their practical and/or advanced applications. To address these concerns, many researchers have devoted themselves to the topics of hierarchical structures and composites by the combination of different components. The present review focuses on the recent advances in MOF–silica composites, where the silica materials can be porous or nonporous. It first provides the fundamentals of porous materials, including zeolites, mesoporous silica, and MOFs, and then shifts to the fabrication of MOF–silica composites. In the following sections, the emphasis of the discussion is placed on the applications of MOF–silica composites, such as adsorption, catalysis, drug release, extraction, magnetism, and sensing. Furthermore, the applications of MOF–silica composites-derived carbon materials are also reviewed and discussed in detail. Finally, it summarizes the achievements of MOF–silica composites and gives an outlook on future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel SnO2 QDs (quantum dots)/PDI heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully constructed by a simple in‐situ compounded method and exhibited highly enhanced photocatalytic performance and long‐term stability under visible light irradiation. The results of ISI‐XPS and AFM‐KPFM revealed that the effective photo‐generated electrons transferred from PDI supramolecular nanorods to closely attached to SnO2 QDs, which was driven by a giant built‐in electric field across this hetero‐interface, thus highly improved the migration and separation of photo‐generated carriers. Importantly, we have proved for the first time that the formation of heterojunction can effectively hinder the generation of PDI anion radicals (PDI.−), thereby realized improved photocatalytic stability of PDI supramolecular aggregates by reducing the dissociation of PDI supramolecular caused by electrostatic repulsion interaction between PDI.− units. Furthermore, the established high structure and morphology stability also supported its excellent photocatalytic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A variety of matrix metalloproteinases play an important role in the migration and invasion of prostate cancer. • Epigenetic modification plays an important role in prostate cancer. • Interaction between epigenetic modification and matrix metalloproteinases. • New strategies for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common tumors affecting men all over the world. PCa has brought a huge health burden to men around the world, especially for elderly men, but its pathogenesis is unclear. In prostate cancer, epigenetic inheritance plays an important role in the development, progression, and metastasis of the disease. An important role in cancer invasion and metastasis is played by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc-dependent proteases that break down extracellular matrix. We review two important forms of epigenetic modification and the role of matrix metalloproteinases in tumor regulation, both of which may be of significant value as novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring. The author considers that both mechanisms have promising therapeutic applications for therapeutic agent research in prostate cancer, but that efforts should be made to mitigate or eliminate the side effects of drug therapy in order to maximize quality of life of patients. The understanding of epigenetic modification, MMPs, and their inhibitors in the functional regulation of prostate cancer is gradually advancing, it will provide a new technical means for the prevention of prostate cancer, early diagnosis, androgen-independent prostate cancer treatment, and drug research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polymer methylacrylic acid high -- carbon ester with α -- hydroxy structure is synthesized by using methylacrylic acid, higher alcohol, 2-- hydroxyethyl methacrylate, et al. The characterization and freeze-- point effect is studied. The results show that cold filter plugging points (CFPP) of cotton biodiesel and 0# diesel produced from Lanzhou Refinery are reduced by 5 °C respectively when the adding amount is 0. 1% and 0. 05%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Cas12a, a new member of the CRISPR family, has been found to have both DNase and RNase activities, have a simple structure, and a single promoter can simultaneously initiate multiple crRNAs, making the CRISPR/Cas12a editing system more advantageous in terms of structure and mechanism of action. Our team has successfully constructed Cas12a system that can be used in silkworm. Cas12a can be used to edit the multiple target sites. In production, a lot of factors can affect the production of silk industry. In order to make the silkworm resistant to the virus, using gene editing technology to knock out key genes for replication and proliferation in the Bombyx mori nuclearpolyhedrosisvirus (BmNPV) genome. Multiple sites on the BmNPV genome were selected as the target sites. We constructed the multi-sites expression vector of gie1-M (361 bp, 597 bp, 927 bp of ie-1) that edited multiple sites of BmNPV ie-1. The effects of multi-sites editing system on the proliferation and replication of the virus after the BmNPV genome was knocked out were examined. The results show that compared with CRISPR/FnCas12a single-site editing (gie1), multi-sites editing (gie1-M) can knock out the BmNPV genome more effectively and have a higher inhibitory effect on virus replication and proliferation. This system can provide a new direction for the breeding of silkworm resistant materials, and it can also lay a good technical platform for the identification and research of biological gene function. • Construction of CRISPR/Cas12a multiple sites for single gene knockout vector. • CRISPR/FnCas12a multi-sites editing system can knock out the BmNPV genome. • CRISPR/FnCas12a-mediated multi-sites editing system can inhibit BmNPV proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pelvic floor myofascial pain is one of the pelvic floor dysfunction diseases disturbing women after delivery. There is a lack of objective standardization for the diagnosis of pelvic floor myofascial pain due to the various symptoms and the dependence on the palpating evaluation. Ultrasound imaging has the advantages of safety, simplicity, economy and high resolution, which makes it an ideal tool for the assistant diagnosis of pelvic floor myofascial pain and evaluation after treatment. Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study including women accepting evaluation of pelvic floor function at 6 weeks to 1 year postpartum. They were divided into pelvic floor myofascial pain group and normal control group. A BCL 10–5 biplane transducer was applied to observed their puborectalis. The length, minimum width, area, deficiency, deficiency length, deficiency width, deficiency area, rate of deficiency area, local thickening,angle between the tendinous arch of levator ani muscle and puborectalis of corresponding puborectalis in different groups were observed and measured. Results: A total of 220 postpartum women participated in the study, with 77 in the pelvic floor myofascial pain group and 143 in the normal control group. The Intraclass correlation coefficient value was over 0.750, and Kappa ranged from 0.600 to 0.800. puborectalis deficiency (adjusted odds ratio = 11.625, 95% confidence interval = 4.557–29.658) and focal thickening (adjusted odds ratio = 16.891, 95% confidence interval = 1.819–156.805) were significantly associated with higher odds of having postpartum pelvic floor myofascial pain. Grayscale or the angle between the arch tendineus levator ani and puborectalis measurements on the pain side tended to be smaller than on the non-pain side in patients with unilateral puborectalis or iliococcygeus pain (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that transvaginal ultrasound was a potentially efficient technique for evaluating postpartum pelvic floor myofascial pain due to its ability to assess various sonographic characteristics of the levator ani muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the issue of antibiotic pollution in water bodies has been increasingly capturing people's attention. The use of high-performance adsorbents for removing antibiotics from water is an effective solution. In this study, NH 2 -MIL-53(Fe) and triazine-containing Tp-TTA were successfully combined to produce a novel MOF/COF composite named NMF/TT, capable of effectively adsorbing and removing antibiotics. Various characterization techniques were employed to determine the properties and morphology of NMF/TT, and the adsorption performance for four representative antibiotics (tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin) was investigated. Results indicated that NMF/TT-90 exhibited the optimal adsorption quantity, significantly enhancing the adsorption quantity compared to the pure components. The adsorption processes of the four antibiotics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. Among them, NMF/TT-90 demonstrated the highest adsorption quantity for tetracycline, with a maximum adsorption quantity of 118.48 mg g−1, and also exhibited an adsorption quantity of 55.93 mg g−1 for ciprofloxacin. Thermodynamic results confirmed the spontaneous nature of the adsorption processes for tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. NMF/TT-90 showed the strongest adsorption quantity for tetracycline at pH 7. Furthermore, the effects of adsorbent dosage, interfering ions, real water samples, and the regenerability of the adsorbent were investigated. The high adsorption quantity of the adsorbent is attributed to the π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and coordination between NMF/TT-90 and antibiotic molecules, as well as the possible defect effects during the composite formation process. [Display omitted] • New MOF/COF hybrid adsorbents (NMF/TT) were fabricated for the first time. • The NMF/TT adsorbents can efficiently adsorb and remove a variety of antibiotics. • The NMF/TT adsorbents exhibited good anti-anion interference ability. • The potential adsorption mechanisms of antibiotics by NMF/TT were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: Transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) is an effective tool for evaluating the integrity of the levator ani muscle (LAM). Several operating steps are required to obtain the standard multi-slice image of the LAM, which is experience dependent and time consuming. This study was aimed at evaluating the feasibility and reproducibility of the built-in software, Smart-pelvic™, in reconstructing standard tomographic images of LAM from 3D/4D TPUS volumes. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital, enrolling women who underwent TPUS. Tomographic images of the LAM were automatically reconstructed by Smart-pelvicTM and rated by two experienced observers as standard or nonstandard. The anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator hiatus was also measured on the mid-sagittal plane of the automatically and manually reconstructed images. The APD measurements of each approach were compared using Bland–Altman plots, and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. Meanwhile, the time taken for the reconstruction process of both methods was also recorded. Results: The ultrasound volume of a total of 104 patients were included in this study. Using Smart-pelvicTM, the overall success rate of the tomographic image reconstruction was 98%. Regarding measurements of APD, the ICC between the automatic and manual reconstruction methods was 0.99 (0.98, 0.99). The average time taken for reconstruction per case was 2.65 ± 0.52 s and 22.08 ± 3.45 s, respectively. Conclusions: Using Smart-pelvicTM to reconstruct tomographic images of LAM is feasible, and it can promote TPUS by reducing operator dependence and improving examination efficiency in a clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work described here was to evaluate the feasibility of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2)-targeted microbubble (MB VEGFR2)-based ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) for visualizing microvessels in cervical cancer. Hela cells were used to establish subcutaneous cervical cancer models. SMI and MB VEGFR2 -based USMI were performed, and the results were compared with intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) in four groups based on tumor diameter (<3 mm, 3–5 mm, 5–7 mm and ≥7 mm). The vascularization index (VI, %) was evaluated for SMI, and the normalized intensity difference (NID) for USMI. Tumors with diameters ranging from 3 to 5 mm had the highest VI (39.07 ± 1.58) in SMI, and VI significantly decreased with increasing tumor size (all p values <0.001). The strongest signal intensity was observed in very early tumors (d < 3 mm: 43.80 ± 3.58%) after MB VEGFR2 administration; the NID gradually decreased with increasing diameter of tumors (all p values = 0.007). However, no significant differences were observed in NID after administration of non-targeted (control) microbubbles (MB Con) (all p values = 0.125). MB VEGFR2 -based USMI had the strongest correlation with MVD in displaying microvessels of cervical cancer compared with SMI and MB Con (R 2 = 0.78 vs. R 2 = 0.40 and R 2 = 0.38). These findings validate the superiority and accuracy of MB VEGFR2 -based USMI for microvessel imaging and monitoring of angiogenesis in cervical cancer compared with SMI and MB Con. Nonetheless, SMI remains an alternative to microvessel imaging when ultrasonic contrast agent use is contraindicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing ubiquitous fluoride pollution in aquatic environments and ever-increasing discharge of coal fly ashes, this study aims to in situ synthesize a kind of Al-based metal–organic framework eco-material (eco-MOF) using high-alumina fly ash as metal raw material, and apply the obtained adsorbent to efficiently adsorb fluoride in water. The synthesized eco-MIL-53(Al) exhibits excellent thermal stability, showcasing a consistent morphology of fine columnar crystals and possessing a high specific surface area (353 ​m2·g−1). Moreover, the adsorption isotherm demonstrates a strong agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model, indicative of a maximum uptake quantity of 160 ​mg·g−1 ​at 318 ​K. In addition, fluoride adsorption experiments demonstrate that an increased dosage enhances the adsorption efficiency, the higher water pH value diminishes the removal efficiency, and the impact of coexisting anions is minimal. Also, the adsorption capacity is augmented with increasing temperature at high initial fluoride concentrations, but shows negligible variation at low initial fluoride concentrations. It is worth noting that the desiliconization filtrate can be applied to synthesize ZSM-5 zeolite, realizing the total utilization of fly ash. The present work provides a novel platform that would serve as a mutually beneficial reference for managing the environmental risks of fluoride and waste resource utilization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vulnerable road users (VRUs), being small and exhibiting random movements, increase the difficulty of object detection of the autonomous emergency braking system for vulnerable road users AEBS-VRUs, with their behaviors highly random. To overcome existing problems of AEBS-VRU object detection, an enhanced YOLOv5 algorithm is proposed. While the Complete Intersection over Union-Loss (CIoU-Loss) and Distance Intersection over Union-Non-Maximum Suppression (DIoU-NMS) are fused to improve the model's convergent speed, the algorithm also incorporates a minor object detection layer to increase the performance of VRU detection. A dataset for complex AEBS-VRUS scenarios is established based on existing datasets such as Caltech, nuScenes, and Penn-Fudan, and the model is trained using migration learning based on the PyTorch framework. A number of comparative experiments using models such as YOLOv6, YOLOv7, YOLOv8 and YOLOx are carried out. The results of the comparative evaluation show that the proposed improved YOLO5 algorithm has the best overall performance in terms of efficiency, accuracy and timeliness of target detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the predictive performance and reproducibility of Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) system in evaluating adnexal masses between sonologists with varying levels of expertise. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study conducted between May 2019 and May 2020, which included 147 adnexal mases with pathological results. Four sonologists with varying experiences independently assigned an O-RADS US category to each adnexal mass twice. The intra- and inter-observer agreement was assessed using weighted kappa values. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) were assessed for each sonologist. Results: Of the 147 adnexal mases, 115 (78.2%) lesions were benign and 32 (21.8%) lesions were malignant. Considering O-RADS > 3 as a predictor for adnexal malignancy, the predictive accuracies of the four sonologists were excellent, with AUCs ranging from 0.831 to 0.926. The predictive accuracies of O-RADS US by experienced sonologists were significantly higher compared to inexperienced sonologists (all P values < 0.005). The O-RADS US presented high sensitivity and NPV value for each sonologist. With regard to the reproducibility of O-RADS, the intra- and inter-observer agreement among experienced sonologists performed better than inexperienced sonologists. Conclusion: O-RADS showed difference in the predictive accuracy and reproducibility in the evaluation of adnexal masses among sonologists with different levels of expertise. Training is required for inexperienced sonologists before the generalization of O-RADS classification system in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have caught tremendous attention as next-generation energy storage systems because of their high theoretical energy density. Nevertheless, the inferior cycle stability of Li-S batteries, mainly caused by the polysulfides migration, constrains their practical application. Herein, a honeycomb-like N, P dual-doped carbon (HNPC) modified separator is adopted to restrain the shuttle effect. Particularly, the comparative experiments to systematically explore the reaction mechanisms between HNPC and polysulfides are performed. The results reveal that HNPC coated separator can effectively immobilize the polysulfides via forming strong N-Li and P-S bonds without sacrificing lithium ions diffusion. As results, the Li-S battery employing the HNPC coated separator exhibits the high initial specific capacity of 1387 mA h g −1 and can retain good capacity of 930 mA h g −1 after 200 cycles at 0.2C, as well as outstanding long-term cycle durability even at high current density of 1.0C with only 0.06% capacity attenuation per cycle for over 900cycles. Moreover, stable and high areal capacity (>3 mA h cm −2 ) is also achieved under high sulfur areal loading conditions (4 mg cm −2 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current diagnostic methods of microinvasive cervical cancer lesions are imaging diagnosis and pathological evaluation. Pathological evaluation is invasive and imaging approaches are of extremely low diagnostic performance. There is a paucity of effective and noninvasive imaging approaches for these extremely early cervical cancer during clinical practice. In recent years, ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) targeted microbubble (MBVEGFR2) has been reported to improve the early diagnosis rates of breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ), pancreatic cancer and hepatic micrometastases. Herein, we aimed to assess the feasibility of MBVEGFR2-based USMI in extremely early cervical cancer detection to provide an accurate imaging modality for microinvasive cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage IA1 and IA2). Results: We found MBVEGFR2-based USMI could successfully distinguish extremely early lesions in diameter < 3 mm from surrounding normal tissues (all P < 0.05), and the sensitivity gradually decreased along with increasing tumor diameter. Moreover, normalized intensity difference (NID) values showed a good linear correlation with microvessel density (MVD) (R2 = 0.75). In addition, all tumors could not be identified from surrounding muscles in subtracted ultrasound images when mice were administered MBCon. Conclusions: Overall, MBVEGFR2-based USMI has huge potential for clinical application for the early detection of microinvasive cervical cancer (FIGO Stage IA1 and IA2), providing the foothold for future studies on the imaging screening of this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether incorporating qualitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can increase the accuracy of adnexal lesion assessments with Ovarian–Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound category 4 or 5. Retrospective analysis of patients with adnexal masses who underwent conventional ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations between January and August of 2020. The study investigators reviewed and analyzed the morphological features of each mass before categorizing the US images independently according to the O-RADS system published by the American College of Radiology. In the CEUS analysis, the initial time and intensity of enhancement involving the wall and/or septation of the mass were compared with the uterine myometrium. Internal components of each mass were observed for signs of enhancement. The sensitivity, specificity, and Youden's index were calculated as the contrast variables and O-RADS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the best cutoff value was higher than O-RADS 4. When information on the extent of enhancement was applied to selectively upgrade O-RADS category 4 and selectively downgrade O-RADS category 5, the overall sensitivity increased to 90.2%, while the level of specificity (91.3%) remained the same. Incorporating additional information from CEUS with respect to the extent of enhancement helped to improve the sensitivity of O-RADS category 4 and 5 masses without loss of specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-stroke depression exacerbates neurologic deficits and quality of life. Depression after ischemic stroke is known to some extent. However, depression after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is relatively unknown. Increasing evidence shows that exposure to an enriched environment (EE) after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury has neuroprotective effects in animal models, but its impact after ICH is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of EE on long-term functional outcomes in mice subjected to collagenase-induced striatal ICH. Mice were subjected to ICH with the standard environment (SE) or ICH with EE for 6 h/day (8:00 am–2:00 pm). Depressive, anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive tests were evaluated on day 28 with the sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, forced swim test, light-dark transition experiment, morris water maze, and novel object recognition test. Exposure to EE improved neurologic function, attenuated depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, and promoted spatial learning and memory. These changes were associated with increased expression of transcription factor Nrf2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inhibited glutaminase activity in the perihematomal tissue. However, EE did not change the above behavioral outcomes in Nrf2−/− mice on day 28. Furthermore, exposure to EE did not increase BDNF expression compared to exposure to SE in Nrf2−/− mice on day 28 after ICH. These findings indicate that EE improves long-term outcomes in sensorimotor, emotional, and cognitive behavior after ICH and that the underlying mechanism involves the Nrf2/BDNF/glutaminase pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An activatable fluorescence monitoring platform based on a novel Maillard reaction product from d -glucose and L-arginine was prepared through a facile one-pot approach and applied for simultaneous detection of d -isoascorbic acid and tartaric acid. In this work, the new Maillard reaction product GLA was first obtained, and its fluorescence intensity can be effectively quenched by KMnO 4 , resulting from a new complex (GLA-KMnO 4 ) formation between GLA and KMnO 4 . Upon addition of d -isoascorbic acid or tartaric acid, an enhanced fluorescence was observed under the optimumed experimental conditions, indicating a stimuli-responsive fluorescence turn on platform for d -isoascorbic acid or tartaric acid can be developed. The corresponding experimental results showed that this turn on fluorescence sensing platform has a high sensitivity for d -isoascorbic acid or tartaric acid, because the detection limits were 5.9 μM and 21.5 μM, respectively. Additionally, this proposed sensing platform was applied to simultaneously detection of d -isoascorbic acid and tartaric acid in real tap water samples with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the most promising chemistries in secondary energy storage field owing to their high energy density. However, the poor electrochemical performance mainly associated with the polysulfides shuttle has greatly hampered their practical application. Herein, a simple acetylene black (AB)-CoS 2 coated separator is first designed to suppress the migration of polysulfides. The AB-CoS 2 modified separator can not only efficiently capture the polysulfides by forming strong chemical bonding but also guarantee the rapid lithium ions diffusion. Moreover, the AB-CoS 2 coating could serve as an upper current collector to accelerate electron transport for reinforcing the utilization of sulfur and ensuring the reactivation of the trapped active material. Consequently, the Li-S cell using AB-CoS 2 modified separator shows a long-term cycling stability with an extremely low decay rate (0.09% per cycle) up to 450 cycles at a high rate of 2 C (3350 mA g −1 ). It also exhibits excellent rate capabilities, which maintains a capacity of 475 mAh g −1 even at 4.0 C rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Drug resistance is a major bottleneck in clinical cancer therapy. • GSE analysis revealed crucially trastuzumab-resistant signaling pathways. • Combing the clinical data and the gene expression matrix. • Hub genes in trastuzumab-resistance in gastric cancer. Monoclonal antibodies, as the targeted therapeutic strategies, provide huge clinical benefits for tumor patients. However, after undergoing several times treatment, patients developed drug resistance which is a major bottleneck in clinical cancer therapy. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential molecular mechanism of trastuzumab-resistant and cancer progression, and identify valuable diagnosis biomarkers for gastric cancer. Gene expression profiles and RNA-sequencing dataset of gastric cancer were acquired from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, respectively. The Differently expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by R programing language, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were adopted separately to analyze the function and pathway of DEGs. Subsequently, Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting (STRING) and Cytoscape was performed to establish the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and to screen hub genes. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic values of the hub genes. Integrated analysis of TCGA-STAD (Stomach adenocarcinoma) and GEO databases identified 310 common DEGs. GSEA, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed several crucial enriched oncological signatures and trastuzumab-resistant signaling pathways, which may help to explain the potential modulating mechanisms of trastuzumab-resistant. Based on the PPI network, 10 hub genes were screened and five genes (GNGT1, KRT7, KRT16, SOX9, TIMP1) were identified with good performance in the diagnosis of gastric cancer by ROC analysis. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test suggested that upregulation of KRT16 was correlated with overall survival in gastric cancer. Overall, our study identified five hub genes that may play a critical role in promoting trastuzumab-resistant in gastric cancer, and would be a promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the human consumption of coal is increasingly growing and coal-based solid wastes are discharged in large quantities, the resource utilization of coal-based solid wastes has been paid more attention. In the present work, for the first time, the coal gasification fine slag is subjected to prepare ZSM-5 zeolites with ultra-low n (SiO 2)/ n (Al 2 O 3) ratios (less than 20) and hierarchical pore structures. The increase in the concentration of the alkaline extract leads to the decrease of the crystallinity, the irregularity of the microscopic morphology, and the decrease of the specific surface area, resulting in the in-situ generation of mesopores within ZSM-5. Moreover, adsorption experiments demonstrate that ZSM-5-2M exhibits the best methylene blue adsorption performance at the pH of 9 with a removal rate of up to 82.07%, and it also has good adsorption performance in simulated real water samples. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of ZSM-5-2M on the malachite green, Rhodamine B, Congo red, and methyl orange has been investigated and it is found to be very effective for the adsorption of cationic dyes, and its adsorption performance for methylene blue and malachite green is reduced in the presence of anions. [Display omitted] • Hierarchical porous ZSM-5 zeolites were synthesized from coal gasification fine slag. • The obtained ZSM-5 zeolites possessed ultra-low silica-to-alumina ratios. • The morphology and textural properties can be tuned by varying alkaline conditions. • The maximum adsorption efficiency of MB by obtained ZSM-5 reached 82.07%. • The obtained ZSM-5 showcased selective adsorption performance for dyes in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: Translabial ultrasound is currently regarded as one of the most promising modalities in the evaluation of female pelvic organ prolapse. However, abnormal bladder descent on pelvic floor ultrasound has not been established among Chinese women. This study aimed to establish optimal cutoffs for defining bladder prolapse among Chinese women using translabial ultrasound. Methods: In this prospective multicenter study, 674 women with symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction and/or pelvic floor dysfunction were finally included and underwent interview, Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) examinations and 4D translabial ultrasound. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) statistic was used to assess accuracy and define the optimal cutoffs. Results: The mean patient age was 42.6 (range, 19–82) years. Multivariable analysis showed that both POP-Q assessment and translabial ultrasound findings for anterior compartment were significantly associated with prolapse symptoms. The ROC statistics suggested an optimal cutoff value of 10 mm below the symphysis pubis of bladder position on Valsalva for predicting prolapse symptoms, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73. Compared to translabial ultrasound, POP-Q stage showed similar accuracy for predicting prolapse symptoms (AUC: 0.74; P = 0.79), with an optimal cutoff of POP-Q stage ≥ 2. Conclusions: This study proposed that the descent of the bladder to ≥ 10 mm below the symphysis pubis on Valsalva should be proposed as an optimal cutoff value for defining abnormal bladder prolapse on translabial ultrasound among the Chinese population. These cutoff values are nearly identical to those previously established in mainly Caucasian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the feasibility and reliability of a composite AI model for the diagnosis of levator ani muscle (LAM) avulsion of tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI). Methods: Ultrasonic images of the pelvic floor from a total of 304 patients taken from January 2018 to October 2020 were included. All patients included underwent standardized interviews and transperineal ultrasound (TPUS). Transfer-learning and ensemble-learning methods were adopted to develop the proposed model on the basis of three classic convolutional neural networks (CNN). Confusion matrix (CM) and the ROC statistic were used to assess the effectiveness of the proposed model. Gradient-weighted class activation mappings (Grad-CAMs) were used to help enhance the interpretability of the proposed model. Results: Of the 304 patients included, 208 were in the derivation cohort (108 LAM avulsion and 100 normal) and 96 (39 LAM avulsion and 57 normal) were in the validation cohort. The proposed model in LAM avulsion diagnosis outperformed other models and a junior clinician in both the test set of derivation cohort and the validation cohort, with accuracies of 0.95 and 0.81, and AUCs of 0.98 and 0.86, respectively. According to the heatmap of Grad-CAMs, the proposed model mainly localizes areas between the pubic symphysis and the bilateral insertion point of LAM when making a diagnosis, which is exactly the region of interest in clinical practice. Conclusion: The proposed model using ultrasonic images of the pelvic floor may be a promising tool in assisting the diagnosis of LAM avulsion in clinical practice. Key Points: • First AI–assisted model for levator ani muscle avulsion diagnosis • Diagnosis accuracy of less-experienced clinicians could be improved using the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Midfacial hypoplasia is a common maxillofacial deformity in patients with cleft lip and palate, which requires surgical treatment. However, trans-sutural distraction osteogenesis (TSDO) remains some disadvantages, including difficulty in accurate location of surgical path, prolonged operation time, and excess surgical bleeding. This study aimed to evaluate the application of an optical surgical navigation system (OSNS) developed for TSDO. Six consecutive patients with midfacial hypoplasia who required TSDO were included in the study. Preoperatively, a head computed tomography was performed, and the data were imported into Mimics software (version: 20.0.0.691, Materialise Inc, Belgium) to design a three-dimensional simulation of the surgical approach. TSDO was performed with the use of OSNS. The accuracy and results of the procedure were initially evaluated by comparing the preoperative and postoperative periods. The patients included five boys and one girl, with an average age of 10 years; five with postoperative cleft lip and palate, and one without combined cleft lip and palate. The surgical procedure was successful, with a postoperative follow-up of 4–5 months. All patients demonstrated good treatment results without complications. In conclusioin, OSNS-assisted TSDO can noninvasively correct midfacial dysplasia, improve surgical precision, reduce bleeding and obtain better clinical results. OSNS can guide the TSDO safely and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to compare the performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in staging surgically treated early-stage cervical cancer. Methods: Patients with surgically treated cervical carcinoma confirmed by post-operative pathological findings were included between December 2016 and December 2018. All included patients underwent both CEUS and MRI examinations before the surgery. Post-operative pathology was used as the gold standard. The κ values were calculated to assess the agreements of CEUS and MRI in staging cervical carcinoma in comparison with post-operative pathology. Results: Complete data were available for 39 patients. CEUS showed great inter-observer reproducibility in tumor measurement [Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) 0.831] and moderate inter-observer reproducibility in the evaluation of vaginal infiltration and parametrial invasion (Cohen's κ 0.692 and 0.624). Tumor size was comparable as measured by CEUS and MRI (ICC 0.769). Both CEUS and MRI presented good concordance with post-operative pathology in staging cervical cancer (weighted κ 0.732 and 0.761). Conclusion: CEUS was comparable to MRI in staging surgically treated cervical cancer and might be considered in the pre-treatment work-up for cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of ultrasonic evaluation of a progressive yoga exercise program on reducing the inter-recti distance (IRD) among women in the early postpartum period. Postpartum women (n = 116), free of obstetric complications and in recovery following vaginal delivery between weeks 1 and 12, were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to the control and yoga exercise group in the pre- and post-intervention design. The control group received no treatment, while the yoga exercise group participated in a guided 12-week progressive yoga exercise program started at postpartum week 1. The IRD was examined using high-frequency ultrasound at postpartum weeks 6 and 12. The results showed that the supraumbilical, umbilical, and subumbilical IRD were significantly decreased in the yoga exercise group after the 12-week progressive yoga exercise intervention compared with the first (week 6) and second (week 12) measurements. The differences in IRD at supraumbilical, umbilical, and subumbilical intervals between weeks 6 and 12 significantly increased in the yoga exercise group. Progressive yoga exercises are effective program that reduce IRD among women in the early postpartum period through ultrasound evaluation. In conclusion, women should advocate combined yoga exercise in the early postpartum days following a supervised program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of the study was to develop artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms using 2D transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) static images to simplify the clinical process of diagnosing stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in practice. Methods: The study involved 400 patients in total, including 265 SUI patients and 135 non-SUI patients who underwent a routine clinical evaluation process by urologists and TPUS. They were classified into different groups based on the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) to assess the impact of inconvenience on patients' lives. Four AI models were developed by 2D TPUS images: Model A (a single-mode model based on Valsalva maneuver images to classify G-0, G-1, and G-2); Model B (a dual-mode model based on Valsalva maneuver and resting state images to classify G-0, G-1, and G-2); Model C (a single-mode model based on Valsalva maneuver images to classify G-2 and G-01); Model D (a dual-mode model based on Valsalva maneuver and resting state images to classify G-2 and G-01). The performance of the four models was evaluated by confusion matrices and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The dual-mode model based on the Valsalva maneuver and resting-state images (Model D) had a higher accuracy of 86.3% and an AUC of 0.922, which was significantly higher than the AUCs of the other three models: 0.771, 0.862, and 0.827. Conclusions: The AI algorithm using 2D TPUS static images of the Valsalva maneuver and resting state may be a promising tool in the diagnosis of SUI patients in to relieve clinical processes in practice given its ease of use in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An energy-efficient method that improved spun-yarn properties was previously reported, however, the improvements differed as the varying contact-shaped strands passed through the static rod and self-adjustable disk contact surfaces. Thus, models of three strand-contacting shapes were built: straight, convexing-up, and concaving-down. Then, the influence of the strand-contact shapes on the spun-yarn properties was theoretically analyzed, while spinning with a static rod and self-adjustable disk contact surfaces. The conducted experiments disclosed that the yarn hairiness was significantly reduced for all three models of the strand-contact shapes, with rod and disk surfaces in the yarn-formation zone. The spun-yarn tenacity was slightly enhanced only for the strands passing through the convexing-up and concaving-down contact shapes. The experimental results were consistent with the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.Materials and methods: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.Results: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.Conclusion: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.Clinical relevance statement: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.Key Points: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07).Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US.The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.• The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation.• The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US.• The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the lumbar muscle conditions on the incidence of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) after long-level correction and instrumentation surgery for degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up.Methods: Eighty-four DLS patients undergoing long instrumented fusion surgery (≥ 5 vertebrae) were retrospectively studied. According to the occurrence of PJK at the final follow-up, patients were divided into the PJK group and the Non-PJK group. Patient characteristics, surgical variables and radiographic parameters were analyzed statistically. The lumbar muscularity (cross-sectional area of muscle-disc ratio × 100) and fatty degeneration (signal intensity of muscle-subcutaneous fat ratio × 100) were evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging .Results: The prevalence of PJK was 20.24%. Gender, age at surgery, body mass index, uppermost instrumented vertebrae level, fusions extending to the sacrum, and levels fused were not significantly different between the groups. Lower bone mineral density, smaller functional cross-sectional area (FCSA) of paraspinal extensor muscles (PSE), higher lean muscle-fat index and total muscle-fat index of PSE, greater preoperative thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK), smaller preoperative sacral slope (SS), larger preoperative sagittal vertical axis were identified in PJK group. Logistic regression analysis showed that osteoporosis, preoperative TLK > 15°, SS > 24°, FCSA of PSE > 138.75, and total muscle-fat index of PSE > 4.08 were independently associated with PJK. The final follow-up VAS score for back pain was higher, and SRS-22 subcategories of pain, function, self-image, and total score were significantly lower in the PJK group.Conclusion: Osteoporosis, lower lumbar muscularity and higher fatty degeneration, preoperative greater TLK and smaller SS were found to be strongly associated with the presence of PJK in DLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]