Quantitative and qualitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiating benign and malignant superficial enlarged lymph nodes.

Background: In many clinical situations, it is critical to exclude or identify abnormally lymph nodes (LNs). The nature of superficial abnormally LNs is closely related to the stage, treatment, and prognosis of the disease. Ultrasound (US) is an important method for examining superficial LNs due to its cheap and safe characteristics.

A Comparative Study on the Performance and Microstructure of 304NG Stainless Steel in Underwater and Air Laser Welding.

In order to facilitate the application of underwater laser welding technology in in situ repairs of nuclear power plants, this study conducted comparative experiments between local dry underwater laser welding and laser welding in air on 304NG nitrogen-controlled stainless steel. The aim was to explore its microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in underwater environments. It was found that, near the fusion line of laser welding in air, columnar dendrites gradually evolved into cellular dendrites toward the weld center, eventually disappearing, resulting in a skeletal ferrite and serrated austenite structure.

Association between Abortion and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Premature Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study from the UK Biobank.

Concerns have been raised about the increasing prevalence of both spontaneous and induced abortions worldwide, yet their effect on premature mortality remains poorly understood. We aimed to examine the associations between abortion and all-cause and cause-specific premature mortality, and the potential effect modification by maternal characteristics. Women aged 39 to 71 years at baseline (2006 to 2010) with prior pregnancies were derived from the UK Biobank and categorized as no abortion history, spontaneous abortion alone, induced abortion alone, and both spontaneous and induced abortions.

Application of ultrasonic-enhanced active seed crystals in the removal of sodium oxalate from alumina refinery waste liquor.

When organic matter, especially sodium oxalate (NaCO), accumulates to a certain extent, it will seriously affect the alumina production process in the refinery and therefore urgently needs to be removed. This work attempts to illuminate the benefits of ultrasonic intensification of the crystallization process of NaCO, taking the alumina refinery waste liquor, i.e.

Simulation of Nanofiltration Mass Transfer for Magnesium and Lithium Separation in Salt Lakes.

A mass transfer model to predict the transport processes of magnesium and lithium ions through porous media in salt lakes has been proposed, which is a combination of the extended Nernst-Planck equation and Donnan effect, accounting for ion diffusion, electromigration, and convection within membrane pores. First, the morphological structure, thickness, surface roughness, and hydrophilicity of the membrane were characterized as fixed parameters, indicating that the surface of the nanofiltration membrane is smooth with low roughness and strong hydrophilicity, resulting in a lower desalination rate but higher water flux. Subsequently, numerical calculations based on the model were conducted to establish a reasonable transport equation for predicting the concentration and retention rate of the main magnesium and lithium ions.

Association of Paternal Age Alone and Combined with Maternal Age with Perinatal Outcomes: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study in China.

Maternal and paternal age at birth is increasing globally. Maternal age may affect perinatal outcomes, but the effect of paternal age and its joint effect with maternal age are not well established. This prospective, multicenter, cohort analysis used data from the University Hospital Advanced Age Pregnant Cohort Study in China from 2016 to 2021, to investigate the separate association of paternal age and joint association of paternal and maternal age with adverse perinatal outcomes.

Association of maternal age with adverse pregnancy outcomes: A prospective multicenter cohort study in China.

Background: Although maternal age might affect pregnancy outcomes, it remains unclear whether this relationship is linear or curvilinear and if it differs between nulliparous and multiparous women. We aimed to characterize the relationship between maternal age and risks of pregnancy outcomes in a diverse sample of Chinese singleton pregnant women and to evaluate whether the relationship varied by parity.

Methods: We based this prospective multicenter cohort study on data from 18 495 singleton pregnant women who participated in the University Hospital Advanced Age Pregnant Cohort Study, conducted in eight Chinese public hospitals from 2016 to 2021.

Combining ozone and ultrasound technology to remove S in Bayer liquor.

High content sulfur (S) in Bayer liquor can increase alkali consumption, accelerate equipment corrosion, especially seriously affect alumina production. The removal of S in Bayer liquor is studied using ultrasonic enhanced ozone method, which significantly improves the removal efficiency. Results indicate that the best removal efficiency of 93.

Comparison of the Mg-Li Separation of Different Nanofiltration Membranes.

Nanofiltration application for the separation of Mg-Li from salt-lake brines was attempted in the present work. Four different nanofiltration membranes identified in the manuscript as DL, DK, NF-270, and NF-90 were used to treat salt brine with a magnesium to lithium ratio (MLR) of 61, additionally contaminated by the other ions such as Na, K, Ca, etc. The effect of the dilution factor, operating pressure, circulation rate, and feed pH were assessed to identify the optimal operating conditions for each membrane based on the retention efficiency of each ion.

Microreactor-based micro/nanomaterials: fabrication, advances, and outlook.

Micro/nanomaterials are widely used in optoelectronics, environmental materials, bioimaging, agricultural industries, and drug delivery owing to their marvelous features, such as quantum tunneling, size, surface and boundary, and Coulomb blockade effects. Recently, microreactor technology has opened up broad prospects for green and sustainable chemical synthesis as a powerful tool for process intensification and microscale manipulation. This review focuses on recent progress in the microreactor synthesis of micro/nanomaterials.

Genomic alterations of cerebrospinal fluid cell-free DNA in leptomeningeal metastases of gastric cancer.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) were rare in gastric cancer (GC), and GC patients with LM (GCLM) generally suffer from poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the clinical utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was underinvestigated in GCLM.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 15 GCLM patients, and all patients had paired primary tumor tissue samples and post-LM CSF samples while 5 patients also had post-LM plasma samples.

Hospital variations in caesarean delivery rates: An analysis of national data in China, 2016-2020.

Background: The impact of China's use of caesarean delivery on global public health has been a long-term concern. The number of private hospitals is increasing in China and likely driving up caesarean delivery rates, yet specifics remain unknown. We aimed to investigate variations in caesarean delivery rates across and within hospital types in China.

Evaluation of Cesarean Rates for Term, Singleton, Live Vertex Deliveries in China in 2020 Among Women With No Prior Cesarean Delivery.

Importance: Substantial regional variation in cesarean delivery rates has been reported in China, but there is a lack of reports on hospital-level variation in these rates among low-risk deliveries.

Objectives: To evaluate hospital variation in cesarean rates in China for term, singleton, live vertex deliveries among women with no prior cesarean delivery and to estimate contributions of individual and hospital factors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide cross-sectional study used data from maternal patient discharge records collected by the Hospital Quality Monitoring System in China from January 1 to December 31, 2020.

Effective removal of organics from Bayer liquor through combined sonolysis and ozonation: Kinetics and mechanism.

The presence of organic compounds in the waste liquor is of serious environmental concern that has plagued the development of alumina industry (Bayer Process). The present work attempts to develop a green and efficient process for removal of organics utilizing combined effect of sonolysis and ozonation (US/O). The effects of reaction duration, ozone concentration and ultrasonic power are assessed for sonolysis (US), ozonation (O) and combination of sonolysis and ozonation (US/O).

Identifying the Impacts of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation Cover Changes: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Basin, China.

The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is a useful indicator to characterize vegetation development and land use which can effectively monitor changes in ecological environments. As an important area for ecological balance and safety in China, understanding the dynamic changes in land cover and vegetation of the Yangtze River Basin would be crucial in developing effective policies and strategies to protect its natural environment while promoting sustainable growth. Based on MODIS-NDVI data and meteorological data from 2000 to 2019, the temporal and spatial distribution of vegetation coverage in the Yangtze River Basin during the past 20 years were characterized, and the impacts of human activities and climate change were quantitatively evaluated.

Ultrasonic-assisted ozone degradation of organic pollutants in industrial sulfuric acid.

In this work, a combination of ozone (O) and ultrasound (US) has been firstly used to decolorize black concentrated sulfuric acid with high organic content. The effect of different reaction factors on the transparency, extent of decolorization, HSO mass fraction, and organic pollutants removal is studied. In addition, the systematic interaction between ultrasound and ozone on the decolorization process is reviewed through comparative experiments of O, US and US/O.

Screening of key genes associated with m6A methylation in diabetic nephropathy patients by CIBERSORT and weighted gene coexpression network analysis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes. Due to its complex pathogenesis, there is no effective treatment. M6A is a newly discovered epigenetic mechanism that may be involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Case Report: Four Cases of Cortical/Brainstem Encephalitis Positive for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Immunoglobulin G.

Aim: Despite a significant improvement in the number of studies on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-immunoglobulin G (IgG)-associated disorder (MOGAD) over the past few years, MOG-IgG-associated cortical/brainstem encephalitis remains a relatively uncommon and less-reported presentation among the MOGAD spectrum. This study aimed to report the clinical course, imaging features, and therapeutic response of MOG-IgG-associated cortical/brainstem encephalitis.

Methods: Data of four patients who suffered from cortical encephalitis with epileptic seizures and/or brainstem encephalitis during the course of the disease were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Anxiety faintly and depression remarkably correlate with recurrence in acute ischemic stroke patients: A study with 3-year longitude evaluation and follow-up.

Clinical value of anxiety and depression in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is rarely studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore longitudinal changes of anxiety and depression, as well as their correlation with recurrence in AIS.A total of 120 AIS patients and 120 controls were enrolled in the study.

Identification of key genes associated with sepsis patients infected by staphylococcus aureus through weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

The prevention and treatment of staphylococcus aureus septicemia is one of the thorniest problems in modern medicine. However, as the underlying pathogenesis of sepsis is still unclear, there is currently no golden standard for clinical diagnosis. In this study, we used GSE33341 dataset for differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis and screened out 857 differentially expressed genes associated with staphylococcus aureus infection.

Spatiotemporal distribution of human brucellosis in Inner Mongolia, China, in 2010-2015, and influencing factors.

Human brucellosis is caused by Brucella species and remains a major burden in both human and domesticated animal populations, especially in Inner Mongolia, China. The aims of this study were to analyze the spatiotemporal trends in human brucellosis in Inner Mongolia during 2010 to 2015, to explore the factors affecting the incidence of brucellosis. The results showed that the annual incidence was 29.