Engineered microalgae for photo-sonodynamic synergistic therapy in breast cancer treatment.

Dynamic therapies such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) have potential in cancer treatment. Microalgae have attracted increasing attention because of their high active mobility, flexibility in terms of functionality, and good biocompatibility. In this study, surface-engineered microalgae Chlorella vulgaris (Chl) modified with metal‒organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles (denoted Chl-MOF) are successfully developed for synergistic photo-sonodynamic therapy and immunotherapy.

Ultrasound-based Radiomics Analysis for Assessing Risk Factors Associated With Early Recurrence Following Surgical Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the value of ultrasound-based radiomics analysis for early recurrence after surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: This retrospective study included 127 patients who underwent primary surgical resection for HCC between October 2019 and November 2021. The patients were subsequently divided into training and validation sets (7:3 ratio).

Risk Factors for Early Recurrence After Radical Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Preoperative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Clinical Features.

Objectives: To investigate risk factors for the early recurrence (ER) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radical resection based on preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and clinical features to provide guidance for clinical treatment.

Methods: The retrospective analysis selected 130 HCC patients who underwent radical tumor resection from October 2019 to November 2021. All patients underwent preoperative routine ultrasound examination and CEUS, and the pathology was confirmed as HCC after surgery.

[Transrectal ultrasonography of intravesical prostatic protrusion and the detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer].

Objective: To investigate the value of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (CsPCa) in patients with intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data on 128 patients undergoing TRUS-guided prostate biopsy in the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command and Jiangsu Province Hospital from January 2019 to December 2022. We measured the size of and graded IPP, compared the clinicopathological and ultrasonographic features of the patients in the CsPCa group (Gleason score ≥7) and those in the control group (Gleason score <7), and analyzed the correlation of the IPP grades with the detection rate of CsPCa by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Comparing Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound to contrast-enhanced CT and MRI for differentially diagnosing renal lesions: a prospective multicenter study.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced (CE) ultrasound using Sonazoid (SNZ-CEUS) by comparing with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for differentiating benign and malignant renal masses.

Materials And Methods: 306 consecutive patients (from 7 centers) with renal masses (40 benign tumors, 266 malignant tumors) diagnosed by both SNZ-CEUS, CE-CT or CE-MRI were enrolled between September 2020 and February 2021. The examinations were performed within 7 days, but the sequence was not fixed.

Ultrasound-based Radiomics for Predicting Metastasis in the Lymph Nodes Posterior to the Right Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Dissection of the lymph nodes posterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (LN-prRLNs) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains controversial.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the capability of ultrasonography (US)-based radiomics for presurgical prediction of metastasis in LN-prRLNs in PTC.

Methods: Patients were retrospectively enrolled and pathologically confirmed as LN-prRLN metastasis with PTC after surgery.

Comparative analysis of the molecular response characteristics in Platycodon grandiflorus irradiated with heavy ion beams and X-rays.

The response of plants to radiation is an essential topic in both space plant cultivation and mutation breeding by radiation. In this study, heavy ion beams (HIB) generated by the ground accelerator and X-rays (XR) were used as models of high linear energy transfer (LET) and low LET radiation to study the molecular response mechanism of Platycodon grandiflorus (P. grandiflorus) seedlings after irradiation.

Multi-generation study of heavy ion beam-induced mutations and agronomic trait variations to accelerate rice breeding.

Heavy ion beam (HIB) is an effective physical mutagen that has been widely used in plant mutational breeding. Systemic knowledge of the effects caused by different HIB doses at developmental and genomic levels will facilitate efficient breeding for crops. Here we examined the effects of HIB systematically.

Preoperative US Integrated Random Forest Model for Predicting Delphian Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Delphian lymph node (DLN) has been considered to be a gate that predicts widespread lymph node involvement, higher recurrence and mortality rates of head and neck cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a preoperative ultrasonography integrated machine learning prediction model to predict Delphian lymph node metastasis (DLNM) in patients with diagnosed papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods: Ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic variables of PTC patients from 2014 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.

Stiffness-Transformable Nanoplatforms Responsive to the Tumor Microenvironment for Enhanced Tumor Therapeutic Efficacy.

Herein, we report, for the first time, a unique stiffness-transformable manganese oxide hybridized mesoporous organosilica nanoplatform (MMON) for enhancing tumor therapeutic efficacy. The prepared MMONs had a quasi-spherical morphology and were completely transformed into soft bowl-like nanocapsules in the simulated tumor microenvironment through the breakage of Mn-O bonds, which decreased their Young's modulus from 165.7 to 84.

Subchorionic Hematoma Volume Measured by Virtual Organ Computer-Aided Analysis in the Prediction of First-Trimester Pregnancy Outcome.

This study aimed to assess the association of subchorionic hematoma (SCH) size measured by virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) with the first-trimester pregnancy outcome. A total of 139 first-trimester pregnancies from 6 to 12 weeks of gestational age with SCH were included. The circumference, area, and volume of the SCH (Cs, As, and 3DVs) and gestational sac (Cg, Ag, and 3DVg) were automatically calculated by VOCAL.

[Value of nomogram based on the ultrasonographic features of prostatic calcification and varicocele and serological indicators in differential diagnosis of prostate cancer].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic performance of the nomogram based on the transabdominal ultrasonographic features of prostatic calcification and varicocele (VC) and serological indicators in differentiating PCa with BPH from simple BPH.

Methods: This retrospective study included 108 cases of PCa with BPH and 317 cases of simple BPH, all pathologically confirmed after surgery from January 2014 to December 2021. Using t test or χ2/Fisher test, we compared the clinicopathologic data, transabdominal ultrasonographic features of prostatic calcification, VC severity and serological indicators between the two groups of patients.

Flexible CuS-embedded human serum albumin hollow nanocapsules with peroxidase-like activity for synergistic sonodynamic and photothermal cancer therapy.

Nanoparticle flexibility is an important parameter in determining cell uptake and tumor accumulation, thus modulating therapeutic efficiency in cancer treatment. Herein, we successfully prepared CuS-embedded human serum albumin hollow nanocapsules (denoted CuS/HSA) by a hard-core-assisted layer-by-layer coating approach. This approach afforded CuS/HSA hollow nanocapsules with controllable shell thickness, tunable flexibility, uniform size (272.

Ultrasound Assisted a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR)γ Agonist-Loaded Nanoparticle-Microbubble Complex to Attenuate Renal Interstitial Fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate the antifibrotic effect of the combination of a PPARγ agonist-loaded nanoparticle-microbubble complex with ultrasound (US) exposure on renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF).

Materials And Methods: Polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles were used to load PPARγ agonist (rosiglitazone, RSG) and prepare PLGA-RSG nanoparticles (PLNPs-RSG); then, a novel complex between PLNPs-RSG and SonoVue microbubbles (MBs) (PLNPs-RSG-MBs) was prepared. The size distribution, zeta potentials, RSG-loading capacity and entrapment efficiency were measured, and the release of RSG was assessed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer.

Disulfiram-gold-nanorod integrate for effective tumor targeting and photothermal-chemical synergistic therapy.

Herein, we successfully constructed a combination therapeutic nanoplatform with high tumor targeting for cancer treatment by integrating gold nanorods with disulfiram (denoted Au-DSF). The Au-DSF integrates possess a uniform length (70 nm), excellent photothermal conversion ability and a high DSF loading content (23.2%), and the loaded DSFs show glutathione-, acid-, and laser-responsive release properties.

Smart Bacterial Magnetic Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeting Magnetic Resonance Imaging of HER2-Positive Breast Cancers.

Supersensitive magnetic resonance (MR) imaging requires contrast with extremely high r values. However, synthesized magnetic nanoparticles generally have a relatively low r relaxivity. Magnetosomes with high saturation magnetization and good biocompatibility have shown potential values as MR imaging contrast agents.

Tumor Acidic Microenvironment Targeted Drug Delivery Based on pHLIP-Modified Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles.

Enhancing the tumor-targeting delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs is important yet challenging for improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing the side effects. Here, we first construct a drug delivery system for targeting tumor acidic microenvironment by modification of pH (low) insertion peptide (pHLIP) on mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONs). The MONs has thioether-bridged framework, uniform diameter (60 nm), good biocompatibility, and high doxorubicin (DOX) loading capacity (334 mg/g).

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiating benign from malignant solid small renal masses: comparison with contrast-enhanced CT.

Purpose: The study aimed to compare the diagnostic efficiency of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with that of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in the evaluation of benign and malignant small renal masses (SRMs) (<4 cm) confirmed by pathology.

Methods: A total of 118 patients with 118 renal masses smaller than 4 cm diagnosed by both CEUS and CECT were enrolled in this study, including 25 benign lesions and 93 malignant lesions. All lesions were confirmed by histopathologic diagnosis after surgical resection.

GABA and GABA receptors alterations in the primary visual cortex of concave lens-induced myopic model.

Until recently most researches on myopia mechanisms have mainly been focused on the eye ball and few investigations were explored on the upper visual pathway, such as the visual cortex. The roles of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the retinal and in the upper visual pathway are inter-correlated. As the retinal glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA, and the mRNA levels of GABA receptors increased during the concave lens induced myopia formation, however, whether GABA alterations also occurred in the visual cortex during the concave lens induction is still unknown.

Short Hairpin RNA Knockdown of Connective Tissue Growth Factor by Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction Improves Renal Fibrosis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction transfer of interfering RNA against connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the kidney would ameliorate renal fibrosis in vivo. A short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting CTGF was cloned into a tool plasmid and loaded onto the surface of a cationic microbubble product. A unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model in mice was used to evaluate the effect of CTGF knockdown.

Three-Dimensional Assessment of Automated Breast Volume Scanner Compared with Handheld Ultrasound in Pre-Operative Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinomas: A Pilot Study of 51 Cases.

The aim of the work described here was to compare the accuracy of conventional handheld ultrasound (HHUS) with that of an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) in 3-D assessment of pre-operative invasive ductal carcinomas. HHUS and ABVS were used in 51 patients to obtain the largest tumor diameter, tumor volume and tumor surface area. The volumetric measurement was also obtained from ABVS data with medical software.