Synergistic effects of ozonation pretreatment and trace phosphate on water quality health risk and microbial stability in simulated drinking water distribution systems.

The proliferation and chlorine resistance of pathogenic bacteria in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) pose a serious threat to human health. In this study, the synergistic effects of ozonation pretreatment and trace phosphate on water quality health risk and microbial stability were investigated in the small-scale DWDSs simulated by biofilms annular reactors with cast iron coupons. The results indicated that ozonation of drinking water containing trace phosphate was equivalent to increasing microbial carbon and phosphorus sources, further leading to the rapid proliferation of opportunistic pathogens (OPs) in subsequent DWDSs.

Advancements in the Treatment of Atherosclerosis: From Conventional Therapies to Cutting-Edge Innovations.

Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, driven by a complex interplay of lipid dysregulation, inflammation, and vascular pathology. Despite advancements in understanding the multifactorial nature of atherosclerosis and improvements in clinical management, existing therapies often fall short in reversing the disease, focusing instead on symptom alleviation and risk reduction. This review highlights recent strides in identifying genetic markers, elucidating inflammatory pathways, and understanding environmental contributors to atherosclerosis.

Dynamic changes of radiological and radiomics patterns based on MRI in viable hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization.

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) change patterns of viable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) following the initial transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of HCC patients' initial TACE from February 2015 to October 2022 across three centers and a clinical trial (NCT03113955) was conducted. The viability of residual HCCs at one and six months after TACE was evaluated using the LI-RADS Treatment Response Algorithm (LR-TRA) v2024.

Case report: Imaging of adrenal adenomatoid tumors: reports of two cases and review of literature.

Adenomatoid tumors (ATs) are uncommon, benign tumors of mesothelial origin, most frequently found in the genital tracts of both sexes. Extragenital localization sites, such as adrenal glands, are extremely rare. Since patients with adrenal ATs have no obvious clinical symptoms, imaging examination has become important evidence for diagnosis.

Joint Association of Combined Healthy Lifestyle Factors and Hearing Loss With Cognitive Impairment in China.

Background: Hearing loss and lifestyle factors have been associated with cognitive impairment. We aimed to explore the joint association of combined healthy lifestyle factors and hearing loss with cognitive impairment, which has been scarcely studied.

Methods: This baseline study used data from the CHOICE-Cohort study (Chinese Hearing Solution for Improvement of Cognition in Elders).

Association between fibrinogen and white matter lesions and cerebral atrophy in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Inflammation is a potential mechanism underlying the development of white matter lesions (WMLs) and cerebral atrophy. We aimed to investigate the relationship of fibrinogen levels with WMLs and cerebral atrophy in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: A total of 701 AIS patients were enrolled.

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes on Mechanical Strength, Damage Process, and Microstructure of Lithium Tailing Backfilling.

In this study, common multiwalled and carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to the cemented lithium tailings backfill (CLTB). The effects of CNTs on the mechanical properties, hydration products, damage process, and microstructure of CLTB specimens were studied by uniaxial compression (UCS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results show that the addition of CNTs effectively increased the compressive strength compared with the blank control group.

Bimetallic Sulfide SbS/FeS Heterostructure Anchored in a Carbon Skeleton for Fast and Stable Sodium Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a promising substitute for lithium batteries due to their abundant resources and low cost. Metal sulfides are regarded as highly attractive anode materials due to their superior mechanical stability and high theoretical specific capacity. Guided by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, 3D porous network shaped SbS/FeS composite materials with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through a simple solvothermal and calcination method, which is predicted to facilitate favorable Na ion diffusion, is synthesized.

Associations between Earlobe Creases and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Small Vessel Disease Markers in a Chinese Cohort of Patients with Ischemic Stroke.

Introduction: The association between earlobe crease (ELC) and cerebral small vessel disease, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and brain atrophy, is unclear, especially in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Here, we aimed to investigate the association between ELC and WMHs as well as brain atrophy among AIS patients.

Methods: A total of 730 AIS patients from China were enrolled.

Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI nomogram model to differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma and focal nodular hyperplasia both showing iso- or hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase.

Background: To develop and validate a nomogram model based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI for differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) showing iso- or hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase (HBP).

Methods: A total of 75 patients with 49 HCCs and 26 FNHs randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 52: 34 HCC; 18 FNH) and an internal validation cohort (n = 23: 15 HCC; 8 FNH). A total of 37 patients (n = 37: 25 HCC; 12 FNH) acted as an external test cohort.

Combinations of Clinical Factors, CT Signs, and Radiomics for Differentiating High-Density Areas after Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Clinically, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a common complication. This study aimed to investigate the value of clinical factors, CT signs, and radiomics in the differential diagnosis of high-density areas (HDAs) in the brain after MT in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO).

Materials And Methods: A total of 156 eligible patients with AIS-LVO in Center I from December 2015 to June 2023 were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into training ( = 109) and internal validation ( = 47) sets at a ratio of 7:3.

Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties and Theoretical Models for Recycled Fine and Coarse Aggregate Concrete with Steel Fibers.

With diminishing natural aggregate resources and increasing environmental protection efforts, the use of recycled fine aggregate is a more sustainable approach, although challenges persist in achieving comparable mechanical properties. Exploration into the incorporation of steel fibers with recycled aggregate has led to the development of steel-fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete. This study investigates the shrinkage performance and compressive constitutive relationship of steel fiber recycled concrete with different steel fibers and recycled aggregate dosages.

Implementation of an Automated Antibiotic Time-out at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs can optimize antimicrobial use and have been federally mandated in all hospitals. However, best stewardship practices in immunocompromised patients with cancer are not well established.

Methods: An antimicrobial time out, in the form of an email, was sent to physicians caring for hospitalized patients reaching 5 days of therapy for targeted antimicrobials (daptomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, vancomycin, imipenem/cilastatin, meropenem) in a comprehensive cancer center.

Signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase contrast-enhanced MRI: an imaging biomarker for survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: To evaluate signal enhancement ratio (SER) for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with quantitative histopathological analysis (QHA) as the reference standard.

Methods: This retrospective study included 277 PDAC patients who underwent multi-phase contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI and whole-slide imaging (WSI) from three centers (2015-2021). SER is defined as (SI - SI)/(SI - SI), where SI, SI and SI represent the signal intensity of the tumor in pre-contrast, early-, and late post-contrast images, respectively.

A Combined Method of Seismic Monitoring and Transient Electromagnetic Detection for the Evaluation of Hydraulic Fracturing Effect in Coal Burst Prevention.

In order to mitigate the risk of roof-dominated coal burst in underground coal mining, horizontal long borehole staged hydraulic fracturing technology has been prevailingly employed to facilitate the weakening treatment of the hard roof in advance. Such weakening effect, however, can hardly be evaluated, which leads to a lack of a basis in which to design the schemes and parameters of hydraulic fracturing. In this study, a combined underground-ground integrated microseismic monitoring and transient electromagnetic detection method was utilized to carry out simultaneous evaluations of the seismic responses to each staged fracturing and the apparent resistivity changes before and after all finished fracturing.

A Case report: Synovial sarcoma of the mediastinum in an 18-year-old teenager.

Synovial sarcomas (SSs) are a rare group of malignant tumors originating from pluripotential mesenchymal cells, which commonly occur as the primary tumor in the soft tissues near the articular surface, tendons, and articular synovium. Herein, we report a rare case of mediastinal SS in an 18-year-old teenager who initially presented with cough as the primary symptom. In this case, plain chest CT and contrast-enhanced CT clearly revealed the lesion presenting as a round-like and uneven density mass in the mediastinum with heterogeneous enhancement, which compressed the trachea and invaded the adjacent vessels.

Development of a radiomics-based model to predict occult liver metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a multicenter study.

Background: Undetectable occult liver metastases block the long-term survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study aimed to develop a radiomics-based model to predict occult liver metastases and assess its prognostic capacity for survival.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent surgical resection and were pathologically proven with PDAC were recruited retrospectively from five tertiary hospitals between January 2015 and December 2020.

Nomogram Based on Dual-Layer Spectral Detector CTA Parameter for the Prediction of Infarct Core in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

(1) Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is time-sensitive. The accurate identification of the infarct core and penumbra areas in AIS patients is an important basis for formulating treatment plans, and is the key to dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography angiography (DLCTA), a safer and more accurate diagnostic method for AIS that will replace computed tomography perfusion (CTP) in the future. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the value of DLCTA in differentiating infarct core from penumbra in patients with AIS to establish a nomogram combined with spectral computed tomography (CT) parameters for predicting the infarct core and performing multi-angle evaluation.

Synergistic effects of trace sulfadiazine and corrosion scales on disinfection by-product formation in bulk water of cast iron pipe.

The effects of trace sulfadiazine (SDZ) and cast-iron corrosion scales on the disinfection by-product (DBP) formation in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) were investigated. The results show that under the synergistic effect of trace SDZ (10 μg/L) and magnetite (FeO), higher DBP concentration occurred in the bulk water with the transmission and distribution of the drinking water. Microbial metabolism-related substances, one of the important DBP precursors, increased under the SDZ/FeO condition.

The image quality and diagnostic performance of CT perfusion-derived CT angiography versus that of conventional CT angiography.

Background: The combination of computed tomography angiography (CTA) and computed tomography perfusion (CTP) evaluation of cerebral perfusion status and vascular conditions can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infarction, ischemia, and vascular occlusion in stroke patients, as well as a comprehensive assessment of cerebral edema, collateral circulation, and blood perfusion in the lesion area. However, the consequent radiation safety and contrast agent nephropathy have aroused increasing concern. The purpose of this study was to assess the image quality and diagnostic accuracy of CTA images derived from CTP data, and to explore the feasibility of replacing conventional CTA.

Exploring atherosclerosis imaging with contrast-enhanced MRI using PEGylated ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles.

Plaque rupture is a critical concern due to its potential for severe outcomes such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction, underscoring the urgency of noninvasive early diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has gained prominence in plaque imaging, leveraging its noninvasiveness, high spatial resolution, and lack of ionizing radiation. Ultrasmall iron oxides, when modified with polyethylene glycol, exhibit prolonged blood circulation and passive targeting toward plaque sites, rendering them conducive for MRI.

Effect of micropollutants on disinfection byproducts and antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water in the process of biological activated carbon treatment.

The biofilm stress response of biological activated carbon (BAC) was investigated under prolonged exposure to sulfadiazine and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, simulating complex emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) that are mainly involved in the formation of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Under trace complex EOCs condition (2 µg/L), N-DBP precursors and abundance of ARGs increased significantly in BAC effluent. The total formation potential of haloacetonitriles (HANs) and halonitromethanes (HNMs) was 751.

Piezoelectric ceramic sensor-based structural health monitoring of diagonally braced H-shaped steel structures.

In this study, we propose a piezoelectric ceramic sensor-based health monitoring method to monitor the stress state of diagonally braced H-shaped steel structures. Loading experiments were carried out on diagonally braced H-shaped steel under different working conditions. Subsequently, the amplitude and energy of piezoelectric signals under these two working conditions were compared and analyzed, and finite element analysis was performed using ABAQUS software to verify the results.