Cleaving arene rings for acyclic alkenylnitrile synthesis.

Synthetic chemistry is built around the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. However, the development of methods for selective carbon-carbon bond cleavage is a largely unmet challenge1-6. Such methods will have promising applications in synthesis, coal liquefaction, petroleum cracking, polymer degradation and biomass conversion. For example, aromatic rings are ubiquitous skeletal features in inert chemical feedstocks, but are inert to many reaction conditions owing to their aromaticity and low polarity. Over the past century, only a few methods under harsh conditions have achieved direct arene-ring modifications involving the cleavage of inert aromatic carbon-carbon bonds7,8, and arene-ring-cleavage reactions using stoichiometric transition-metal complexes or enzymes in bacteria are still limited9-11. Here we report a copper-catalysed selective arene-ring-opening reaction strategy. Our aerobic oxidative copper catalyst converts anilines, arylboronic acids, aryl azides, aryl halides, aryl triflates, aryl trimethylsiloxanes, aryl hydroxamic acids and aryl diazonium salts into alkenyl nitriles through selective carbon-carbon bond cleavage of arene rings. This chemistry was applied to the modification of polycyclic aromatics and the preparation of industrially important hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid derivatives. Several examples of the late-stage modification of complex molecules and fused ring compounds further support the potential broad utility of this methodology.

Genomic analyses of wild argali, domestic sheep, and their hybrids provide insights into chromosome evolution, phenotypic variation, and germplasm innovation.

Understanding the genetic mechanisms of phenotypic variation in hybrids between domestic animals and their wild relatives may aid germplasm innovation. Here, we report the high-quality genome assemblies of a male Pamir argali (O ammon polii, 2n = 56), a female Tibetan sheep (O aries, 2n = 54), and a male hybrid of Pamir argali and domestic sheep, and the high-throughput sequencing of 425 ovine animals, including the hybrids of argali and domestic sheep. We detected genomic synteny between Chromosome 2 of sheep and two acrocentric chromosomes of argali. We revealed consistent satellite repeats around the chromosome breakpoints, which could have resulted in chromosome fusion. We observed many more hybrids with karyotype 2n = 54 than with 2n = 55, which could be explained by the selfish centromeres, the possible decreased rate of normal/balanced sperm, and the increased incidence of early pregnancy loss in the aneuploid ewes or rams. We identified genes and variants associated with important morphological and production traits (e.g., body weight, cannon circumference, hip height, and tail length) that show significant variations. We revealed a strong selective signature at the mutation (c.334C > A, p.G112W) in TBXT and confirmed its association with tail length among sheep populations of wide geographic and genetic origins. We produced an intercross population of 110 F2 offspring with varied number of vertebrae and validated the causal mutation by whole-genome association analysis. We verified its function using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. Our results provide insights into chromosomal speciation and phenotypic evolution and a foundation of genetic variants for the breeding of sheep and other animals.

Protein phosphatase 1 regulates core PCP signaling.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling polarizes epithelial cells within the plane of an epithelium. Core PCP signaling components adopt asymmetric subcellular localizations within cells to both polarize and coordinate polarity between cells. Achieving subcellular asymmetry requires additional effectors, including some mediating post-translational modifications of core components. Identification of such proteins is challenging due to pleiotropy. We used mass spectrometry-based proximity labeling proteomics to identify such regulators in the Drosophila wing. We identified the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase1, Pp1-87B, and show that it regulates core protein polarization. Pp1-87B interacts with the core protein Van Gogh and at least one serine/threonine kinase, Dco/CKIε, that is known to regulate PCP. Pp1-87B modulates Van Gogh subcellular localization and directs its dephosphorylation in vivo. PNUTS, a Pp1 regulatory subunit, also modulates PCP. While the direct substrate(s) of Pp1-87B in control of PCP is not known, our data support the model that cycling between phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of one or more core PCP components may regulate acquisition of asymmetry. Finally, our screen serves as a resource for identifying additional regulators of PCP signaling.

Turbulence-resistant free space optical communication via chaotic block-matching and 3D filtering.

In this paper, we propose a chaotic block-matching and three-dimensional (C-BM3D) filtering algorithm to remove the noise and enhance the security in the turbulent channel of free space optical (FSO) communication. We experimentally demonstrate the performance of C-BM3D by comparing it with chaotic non-local means filtering (C-NLM), chaotic Gaussian filtering and chaotic Median filtering based on Log-normal and Gamma-Gamma turbulence models. The results show that the peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNRs) of C-BM3D in the weak turbulence under Log-normal and Gamma-Gamma models are up to 96.2956 and 93.2853, respectively. The C-BM3D also achieves superior image similarity in Log-normal turbulent channel, with its structural similarity index measures (SSIMs) nearly equal to 1. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of C-BM3D ranks the highest, and its bit error rate (BER) improves by at least 15 dB compared to that of the other three algorithms. The experimental results indicate that the C-BM3D can be a good candidate for the next generation of FSO communication in security and turbulence resistance.

Two-stage look-up-table-based 16QAM vector millimeter-wave signal generation and reception.

We propose a two-stage look-up table (LUT) scheme for a photonic 16 quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) millimeter-wave (MMW) communication system. The first-stage LUT is used at the transmitter, which can eliminate complex computational processes and adaptively adjust the precoded amplitude values to achieve optimal performance without being affected by half-wave voltage variations. We have completed a signal transmission below the hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10-3 at the baud rate of 2/4 GBaud for weak turbulence and 2 GBaud for medium turbulence free-space optics (FSO) channel transmission. The second-stage LUT is used for post-compensation at the receiver as a nonlinear scheme that records the average pattern-related distortion of the channel and mitigates transmission impairment through nonlinear post-compensation. With the help of the second-stage LUT, the sensitivity of the optical receiver is improved by 0.15 dB at a baud rate of 2 GBaud for medium turbulence FSO channel transmission. As the baud rate increases to 4 GBaud, the system's bit error ratio (BER) can reach the soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold of 4.2 × 10-2 only after applying the second-stage LUT.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation versus surgery for solitary T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma in the danger triangle.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the safety and efficiency of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection (SR) for thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) in the danger triangle area. METHODS: The clinical data of 298 patients who underwent either percutaneous RFA or SR for PTC in the thyroid danger triangle at our hospital between January 2018 and April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity score matching is employed to regulate for confounding factors. All patients undergoing ablation were treated using a strategy that combined sufficient paratracheal fluid isolation with a low-power, short electrode. Disease progression was analyzed in patients with T1N0M0 PTC (T1a and T1b) employed in Kaplan‒Meier curves. Treatment parameters and the rates of local recurrence, distant metastasis, and complications are recorded and compared. RESULTS: Of 182 eligible patients who were included, 91 were in the RFA (age 44.84 ± 13.19; 71 females; 77 T1a) and 91 were in the SR (age 47.36 ± 11.05; 68 females; 69 T1a). The average treatment time, length of hospital stays, blood loss volume, and scar length are substantially less in the RFA than in the SR. Major complications as well as postoperative permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and postoperative transient parathyroid dysfunction occurred only in the SR, with a substantial distinction between the two groups (p < 0.05). There is no substantial distinction in the disease progression between RFA and SR treatment of T1N0M0 PTC. CONCLUSION: RFA is as effective as surgery for PTC in the danger triangle area in the short term, with faster recovery and fewer complications. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Radiofrequency ablation has a clinical efficacy comparable to surgery in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the danger triangle area in the short term with the advantages of faster recovery and fewer complications when compared with surgery. KEY POINTS: Use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the thyroid danger triangle is still controversial. RFA and surgery groups showed no difference in disease progressions, and no major complications occurred with RFA. Radiofrequency ablation offers a new option for papillary thyroid carcinoma patients in the danger triangle.

Stable Mg Single-Atom Solid Base Catalysts Anchored on Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon.

Solid base catalysts are widely used in the chemical industry owing to their advantages of environmental friendliness and easy separation. However, their application is limited by basic site aggregation and poor stability. In this study, we report the preparation of magnesium (Mg) single-atom catalysts with high activity and stability by a sublimation-trapping strategy. The Mg net was sublimated as Mg vapor at 620 °C, subsequently transported through argon, and finally trapped on the defects of nitrogen-doped carbon derived from metal-organic framework ZIF-8, producing Mg1/NC. Because of the atomically dispersed Mg sites, the obtained Mg1/NC exhibits high catalytic activity and stability for Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with malononitrile, which is a typical base-catalyzed reaction. The Mg1/NC catalyst achieves a high efficiency with a turnover frequency of 49.6 h-1, which is much better than that of the traditional counterpart MgO/NC (7.7 h-1). In particular, the activity of Mg1/NC shows no decrease after five catalytic cycles, while that of MgO/NC declines due to the instability of basic sites.

Construction of Nickel Single Atoms by Using the Inherent Confined Space in Template-Occupied Mesoporous Silica.

Due to their maximum atomic use of metal sites, single-atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit excellent catalytic activity in a variety of reactions. Although many techniques have been reported for the production of SACs, the construction of single atoms through a convenient strategy is still challenging. Here, we provide a facile method to prepare nickel SACs by utilizing the inherent confined space between the template and silica walls in template-occupied mesoporous silica KIT-6 (TOK). After the introduction of nickel-containing precursors into the inherent confined space of the TOK by solid-phase grinding, Ni SACs can be produced promptly during calcination. Single Ni atoms create a covalent Ni-O-Si structure in the TOK, as indicated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental data. This synthetic approach is easy to scale up, and 10 g of sample can be effortlessly synthesized using ball milling. The resultant Ni SACs were applied to the oxygen evolution reaction and exhibited higher catalytic activity and stability than the comparative sample synthesized in the absence of confined space.

Radiofrequency ablation for solitary T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma in the danger triangle area: a preliminary analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for solitary T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the danger triangle area. METHODS: 94 participants (mean age 44.45 ± 13.08; 73 females) with solitary T1N0M0 PTC in the danger triangle area who underwent percutaneous RFA at the hospital from January 2018 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Key ablation procedures included sufficient paratracheal fluid isolation, low-power, and short active tip (5 mm working electrode). Tumor size changes at different time points after RFA, technical success rates, tumor disappearance, disease progression, and complications were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography revealed that complete tumor ablation was performed with a 100% success rate in these patients. Post-ablation, the maximum diameter and volume of the ablation zone increased at the first and third month (p < 0.001), followed by a gradual decrease in size, without significant difference by the 6th month. The tumor disappearance rate was 76.59% (72/94), with higher rates in the T1a group compared to the T1b group (80% [64/80] VS57.1% [8/14], p < 0.001). There were no local recurrences. The incidence of new lesions and LNM was 3.2% (3/94), limited to the T1a subgroup. Further ablation was successfully applied to all new lesions and LMN. Mild voice changes were the only complication, with a rate of 3.2% (3/94), resolved within 4 months after RFA. CONCLUSIONS: Sufficient paratracheal fluid isolation combined with a low-power, short active tip radiofrequency ablation strategy is a safe and effective method for treating solitary T1N0M0 PTC in the danger triangle area.

The 'danger triangle' area comprises the dorsal edge of the thyroid gland, the lateral tracheal wall, and the anterior edge of the esophageal wall. When PTC tumors are present within the danger triangle, there is only limited space available for ablation. Furthermore, the proximity of the tumor with the esophagus, trachea, and thyroid capsule can complicate technical treatment success, potentially increasing the chance of local tumor recurrence and nerve injury. Therefore, the most effective approach for managing PTC lesions within the danger triangle remains undetermined. The goal of this study was to clarify the viability of ultrasound-guided RFA as a means of managing solitary T1N0M0 PTC tumors within the danger triangle area, providing a foundation for future clinical decision-making efforts.

A Catalytic Method to Activate Nitromethane by the Cooperation of Homo- and Heterogeneous Catalysis.

The achievement of directly activating and utilizing bulk small molecules has remained a longstanding objective in the field of chemical synthesis. The present work reports a catalytic activation method for bulk chemical nitromethane (MeNO2 ). This method combines homogeneous Lewis acid with recyclable heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysis, featuring practicality, sustainability, and low cost, thus solving the inherent drawbacks of previous Nef processes where stoichiometric reductants or activators were required. By combining the advantages of both homo- and heterogeneous catalysts, this chemistry may not only offer new opportunities for the further development of MeNO2 as a nitrogen source for organic synthesis, but also promote the catalysis design in synthetic chemistry.

Macroscopic Helical Assembly of One-Dimensional Coordination Polymers: Helicity Inversion Triggered by Solvent Isomerism.

Assembling macroscopic helices with controllable chirality and understanding their formation mechanism are highly desirable but challenging tasks for artificial systems, especially coordination polymers. Here, we utilize solvents as an effective tool to induce the formation of macroscopic helices of chiral coordination polymers (CPs) and manipulate their helical sense. We chose the Ni/R-,S-BrpempH2 system with a one-dimensional tubular structure, where R-,S-BrpempH2 stands for R-,S-(1-(4-bromophenyl)ethylaminomethylphosphonic acid). The morphology of the self-assemblies can be controlled by varying the cosolvent in water, resulting in the formation of twisted ribbons of R-,S-Ni(Brpemp)(H2O)·H2O (R-,S-2T) in pure H2O; needle-like crystals of R-,S-Ni(Brpemp)(H2O)2·1/3CH3CN (R-,S-1C) in 20 vol % CH3CN/H2O; nanofibers of R-,S-Ni(Brpemp)(H2O)·H2O (R-,S-3F) in 20-40 vol % methanol/H2O or ethanol/H2O; and superhelices of R-,S-Ni(Brpemp)(H2O)·H2O (R-,S-4H or 5H) in 40 vol % propanol/H2O. Interestingly, the helicity of the superhelix can be controlled by using a propanol isomer in water. For the Ni/R-BrpempH2 system, a left-handed superhelix of R-4H(M) was obtained in 40 vol % NPA/H2O, while a right-handed superhelix of R-5H(P) was isolated in 40 vol % IPA/H2O. These results were rationalized by theoretical calculations. Adsorption studies revealed the chiral recognition behavior of these compounds. This work may contribute to the development of chiral CPs with a macroscopic helical morphology and interesting functionalities.

Microwave ablation versus laparoscopic resection as first-line therapy for solitary 3-5-cm HCC.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The study objective was to compare the effectiveness of microwave ablation (MWA) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) on solitary 3-5-cm HCC over time. APPROACH AND RESULTS: From 2008 to 2019, 1289 patients from 12 hospitals were enrolled in this retrospective study. Diagnosis of all lesions were based on histopathology. Propensity score matching was used to balance all baseline variables between the two groups in 2008-2019 (n = 335 in each group) and 2014-2019 (n = 257 in each group) cohorts, respectively. For cohort 2008-2019, during a median follow-up of 35.8 months, there were no differences in overall survival (OS) between MWA and LLR (HR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.65-1.19, p = 0.420), and MWA was inferior to LLR regarding disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05-1.75, p = 0.017). For cohort 2014-2019, there was comparable OS (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.56-1.30, p = 0.460) and approached statistical significance for DFS (HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.98-1.82, p = 0.071) between MWA and LLR. Subgroup analyses showed comparable OS in 3.1-4.0-cm HCCs (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.53-1.47, p = 0.630) and 4.1-5.0-cm HCCs (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.37-1.60, p = 0.483) between two modalities. For both cohorts, MWA shared comparable major complications (both p > 0.05), shorter hospitalization, and lower cost to LLR (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: MWA might be a first-line alternative to LLR for solitary 3-5-cm HCC in selected patients with technical advances, especially for patients unsuitable for LLR.

Hybrid digital-analog FSO fronthaul system with channel-adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth.

With the arrival of the 5th generation mobile network, the number of user devices is increasing exponentially, and thus it is necessary to expand the capacity of transmission systems. In order to further improve the system spectral efficiency on the basis of existing mobile fronthaul devices, we propose a hybrid digital-analog fronthaul transmission system with adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth, which can dynamically change the position of inserted analog bandwidth based on the state information of free space optical (FSO) channel. We consider the effects of atmospheric attenuation and turbulence on the FSO channel and derive an analytical expression for the maximum analog signal bandwidth that can be inserted into the first null of the digital signal spectrum to meet BER requirement of 3.8 × 10-3. Through a comprehensive simulation, it is verified that the analog bandwidth is obtained by this expression can exactly represent the lower bound of the simulation results under weak turbulence condition. The obtained results show that the maximum insertable analog bandwidth beyond the spectral null of the digital signal can reach 10% of the digital signal bandwidth, even in the FSO link with a transmission distance of 0.5 km and attenuation factor of 8 dB/km.

Secure turbulence-resistant coherent free-space optical communications via chaotic region-optimized probabilistic constellation shaping.

We propose a chaotic region-optimized probabilistic constellation shaping (CRPCS) scheme to enhance the security and the resistance to turbulence for free-space optical (FSO) communications. For this approach, a four-dimensional hyperchaotic system generates a pseudorandom sequence to rotate and encrypt the constellation. Constellation distribution of short pseudorandom sequences behaves as the law of a non-uniform character. Grouping long pseudorandom sequences and counting the characteristics of constellation distribution can realize probabilistic constellation shaping with low and fixed redundant information. We demonstrate a 56 Gbyte/s coherent FSO communication system based on log-normal and Gamma-Gamma turbulence models with a key space of 1075. The results show that the optical receiver sensitivity is improved by 0.3-1.1 dB, and the transmission distance is also improved by 3.2%-7.0% in different shaping cases.

X-Ray Triggered Coordination-Bond Breakage in Dysprosium-Organic Framework and its Impact on Magnetic Properties.

Photosensitive lanthanide-based single-molecule magnets (Ln-SMM) are very attractive for their potential applications in information storage, switching, and sensors. However, the light-driven structural transformation in Ln-SMMs hardly changes the coordination number of the lanthanide ion. Herein, for the first time it is reported that X-ray (λ=0.71073 Å) irradiation can break the coordination bond of Dy-OH2 in the three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework Dy2 (amp2 H2 )3 (H2 O)6 ⋅ 4H2 O (MDAF-5), in which the {Dy2 (OPO)2 } dimers are cross-linked by dianthracene-phosphonate ligands. The structural transformation proceeds in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SC-SC) fashion, forming the new phase Dy2 (amp2 H2 )3 (H2 O)4 ⋅ 4H2 O (MDAF-5-X). The phase transition is accompanied by a significant change in magnetic properties due to the alteration in coordination geometry of the DyIII ion from a distorted pentagonal bipyramid in MDAF-5 to a distorted octahedron in MDAF-5-X.

Endosomal Wnt signaling proteins control microtubule nucleation in dendrites.

Dendrite microtubules are polarized with minus-end-out orientation in Drosophila neurons. Nucleation sites concentrate at dendrite branch points, but how they localize is not known. Using Drosophila, we found that canonical Wnt signaling proteins regulate localization of the core nucleation protein γTubulin (γTub). Reduction of frizzleds (fz), arrow (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein [LRP] 5/6), dishevelled (dsh), casein kinase Iγ, G proteins, and Axin reduced γTub-green fluorescent protein (GFP) at branch points, and two functional readouts of dendritic nucleation confirmed a role for Wnt signaling proteins. Both dsh and Axin localized to branch points, with dsh upstream of Axin. Moreover, tethering Axin to mitochondria was sufficient to recruit ectopic γTub-GFP and increase microtubule dynamics in dendrites. At dendrite branch points, Axin and dsh colocalized with early endosomal marker Rab5, and new microtubule growth initiated at puncta marked with fz, dsh, Axin, and Rab5. We propose that in dendrites, canonical Wnt signaling proteins are housed on early endosomes and recruit nucleation sites to branch points.

Enhancing the Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Europium Coordination Polymers by Doping a Chromophore Ligand into Superhelices.

Lanthanide-based molecular materials showing efficient circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity with a high quantum yield are attractive due to their potential applications in data storage, optical sensors, and 3D displays. Herein we present an innovative method to achieve enhanced CPL activity and a high quantum yield by doping a chromophore ligand into a coordination polymer superhelix. A series of homochiral europium(III) phosphonates with a helical morphology were prepared with the molecular formula S-, R-[Eu(cyampH)3-3n(nempH)3n]·3H2O (S/R-Eu-n, n = 0-5%). The doping of chromophore ligand S- or R-nempH2 into superhelices of S/R-Eu-0% not only turned on the CPL activity with the dissymmetry factor |glum| on the order of 10-3 but also increased the quantum yield by about 14-fold. This work may shed light on the development of efficient CPL-active lanthanide-based coordination polymers for applications.

Characteristics of theory of mind impairment and its relationship with clinical symptoms and neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a mental disorder that can cause severe disability, including impairment of social cognition, which is considered a core feature of SCZ, and the Theory of Mind (ToM) is a core component of social cognition. Although many studies have confirmed the presence of ToM impairment in patients with SCZ, its characteristics in terms of different orders (first-order and second-order) and components remain unclear, and no studies have investigated the independent correlations between such impairment and clinical symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of ToM impairment in patients with SCZ. METHODS: This study included 30 patients with SCZ and 30 healthy controls who were matched for age, sex, and level of education. The clinical symptoms of the patients with SCZ were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), and the neurocognitive ability of the subjects was evaluated using the Trail Making Test, Symbol Coding Test, and Digit Span Test. The degree of ToM impairment of the subjects at different stages (first- and second-order) and for individual components was evaluated using the Yoni task. Latent profile analysis and network analysis were conducted to identify and analyze the potential ToM performance types, and independent correlations were assessed between ToM impairment and clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The patients with SCZ exhibited significant first-order and second-order impairment (P < 0.05), and the second-order affective ToM component was mainly reflected by complex affective states (P = 0.003). The latent profile analysis revealed that ToM impairments in patients with SCZ could be classified into groups with complete, second-order, and comprehensive defects, whereas it was impossible to classify patients according to differences in the cognitive and affective ToM components. The Network analysis demonstrated that the cognitive component of ToM was associated with positive symptoms, whereas the affective ToM component was associated with negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: Patients with SCZ exhibited differences in order levels and ToM impairments, as well as different defect types. In addition, cognitive and affective ToM components may be related to different psychotic symptoms; therefore, understanding these differences could promote the rehabilitation of patients with SCZ.

The Application Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Assessing the Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Lauromacrogol Injections in Cesarean Scar Pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in ultrasound-guided lauromacrogol injections in patients with cesarean scar pregnancies (CSP). METHODS: A total of 31 patients diagnosed with CSP, who underwent an ultrasound-guided lauromacrogol injection + curettage in our hospital between February 2019 and December 2020 and had a complete recovery confirmed by a postoperative ultrasound review and serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) assay, were enrolled as the study subjects. According to the volume of intraoperative blood loss and the duration of postoperative vaginal bleeding, the patients were divided into two groups, with 19 in the significantly effective group (Group A) and 12 in the effective group (Group B). The recorded clinical data, including age, duration of amenorrhea, number of pregnancies, number of deliveries, time since last cesarean delivery, number of cesarean deliveries, and preoperative serum ß-hCG levels, were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological indicators in CEUS before the lauromacrogol injection, as well as immediately and 12-24 hours after the injection, were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In Group A, the post-injection CEUS showed no enhancement, single strip enhancement, and sparse punctate enhancement, while in Group B, it showed a more irregular ring and local patch enhancement. In addition, the number of cases where the CEUS showed no enhancement 12-24 hours after the injection was more than that of the immediate CEUS after the injection. In Group A, four (21.1%) cases showed a single strip-like blood flow on the immediate postoperative CEUS, four (21.1%) cases showed a sparsely dotted blood flow on the immediate postoperative CEUS, and three cases turned into no enhancement 12-24 hours after the injection. A total of four cases in Group B showed that the contrast enhancement range 12-24 hours after the injection was reduced compared with that of the immediate contrast after the injection. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can guide the location selection of the lauromacrogol injection in patients with CSP, and its postoperative morphological indicators can adequately predict the therapeutic effect after curettage and guide clinical management.

Fabrication of MIL-101(Cr)/silver nanocomposites as SERS substrate for sensitive determination of malachite green and crystal violet in tilapia.

Nanocomposites with multiple functions have attracted much attention in designing novel SERS substrates. In this report, the enrichment ability of MIL-101(Cr) and the local surface plasma resonance (LSPR) of silver nanoparticles are combined to fabricate a SERS substrate denoted as MIL-101-MA@Ag, which can simultaneously produce high-density and uniformly distributed hot spots. Moreover, the enrichment ability of MIL-101(Cr) can further improve the sensitivity by concentrating and transferring the analytes in the vicinity of hot spots. Under optimal conditions, MIL-101-MA@Ag showed good SERS activity for malachite green (MG) and crystal violet (CV), with detection limits as low as 9.5×10-11 M and 9.2×10-12 M at 1616 cm-1, respectively. The prepared substrate has been successfully applied to detect MG and CV in tilapia, the recovery rate of fish tissue extract was 86.4~102%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 8.9~15%. The results demonstrate that MOF-based nanocomposites are expected to be useful SERS substrates and have a universal applicability for the detection of other hazardous molecules.