Durable Nano-Flower Structured Foam Coupled with Electrically-Driven in Situ Aeration Enable High-Flux Oil/Water Emulsion Separation with Dynamic Antifouling Ability.

The conventional membranes used for separating oil/water emulsions are typically limited by the properties of the membrane materials and the impact of membrane fouling, making continuous long-term usage unachievable. In this study, a filtering electrode with synchronous self-cleaning functionality is devised, exhibiting notable antifouling ability and an extended operational lifespan, suitable for the continuous separation of oil/water emulsions. Compared with the original Ti foam, the in situ growth of NiTi-LDH (Layered double hydroxide) nano-flowers endows the modified Ti foam (NiTi-LDH/TF) with exceptional superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity. Driven by gravity, a rejection rate of over 99% is achieved for various emulsions containing oil content ranging from 1% to 50%, as well as oil/seawater emulsions. The flux recovery rate exceeds 90% after one hundred cycles and a 4-h filtration period. The enhanced separation performance is realized through the "gas bridge" effect during in situ aeration and electrochemical anodic oxidation. The internal aeration within the membrane pores contributes to the removal of oil foulants. This study underscores the potential of coupling foam metal filtration materials with electrochemical technology, providing a paradigm for the exploration of novel oil/water separation membranes.

Image-Guided Thermal Ablation for Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: A Multicenter Experience.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of image-guided thermal ablation in patients with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective investigation of 18 patients (43.9 years [SD ± 14.8]; 6 men) who underwent image-guided thermal ablation for HEHE between January 2013 and February 2023. A total of 31 ablation sessions (24 involving microwave ablation and 7 involving radiofrequency ablation) were evaluated. The rates of technical success, adverse events, and outcomes were assessed. The Kaplan‒Meier method was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. The risk factors affecting PFS were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: The technical success rate was 93.5% (29/31). No major adverse events occurred. Local tumor progression occurred after 2 sessions (6.5%, 2/31), and intrahepatic distant metastasis occurred after 16 sessions (51.6%, 16/31). During the medium follow-up time of 37.2 months (range, 3-117 months), the OS and PFS rates were 87.6% and 62.2%, respectively, at 1 year; 75.5% and 37.4%, respectively, at 3 years; and 75.5% and 37.4%, respectively, at 5 years. The median OS and PFS were 90.5 months (95% CI: 68.1-112.8) and 23.8 months (95% CI: 15.4-32.2), respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, a larger tumor size (P = .026) was associated with shorter PFS. CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided thermal ablation is a feasible and safe treatment option for patients with HEHE that resulted in local tumor control and a favorable long-term prognosis.

He-Ne laser irradiation ameliorates cadmium toxicity in wheat by modulating cadmium accumulation, nutrient uptake and antioxidant defense system.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most hazardous heavy metals that negatively affect the growth and yield of wheat. He-Ne laser irradiation is known to ameliorate cadmium (Cd) stress in wheat. However, the underlying mechanism of He-Ne laser irradiation on protecting wheat against Cd stress is not well recognized. In present study, Cd-treated wheat showed significant reduction in growth, root morphology and total chlorophyll content, but notably increase of Cd accumulation in both roots and shoots. However, He-Ne laser irradiation dramatically reduced concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and increased total chlorophyll content and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in roots of wheat plants under Cd stress. Further, He-Ne laser irradiation significantly upregulated the transcripts of TaGR (glutathione reductase) and TaGST (glutathione-S-transferase) genes along with the increased activities of GR and GST and glutathione (GSH) concentration in roots of wheat seedlings under Cd stress. In addition, He-Ne laser irradiation enhanced the uptake of mineral elements (N, P, Mg, Fe, Zn and Cu), and significantly decreased Cd uptake and transport mainly through down-regulating the expressions of Cd transport genes (TaHMA2 and TaHMA3) in roots of wheat seedlings under Cd stress. Overall, these findings suggested that He-Ne laser irradiation alleviated the adverse effects of Cd on wheat growth by enhancing antioxidant defense system, improving mineral nutrient status, and decreasing the Cd uptake and transport. This study provides new insights into the roles of He-Ne laser irradiation in the amelioration of Cd stress in wheat and indicates the potential application of this irradiation in crop breeding and growth under Cd stress conditions.

The Correlation between Targeted Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging and Tumor Neovascularization of Ovarian Cancer Xenografts in Nude Mice.

In order to explore the correlation between targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and tumor neovascularization of ovarian cancer xenografts in nude mice, a total of 49 nude mice were selected and randomly divided into 1-week group, 2-week group, 3-week group, 4-week group, 5-week group, 6-week group, and 7-week group according to their ovarian cancer xenografts' growth time, with 7 ovarian cancer xenografts in each group. After preparing antibody-carrying targeted contrast agent, each group of xenografts performed normal and targeted contrast ultrasound examinations to obtain peak intensity, time to peak, and other imaging parameters; then, those ovarian cancer xenografts were sacrificed for pathological analysis: the neovascular density and antibody expression of the cancer xenografts at different stages were observed and counted, and the correlation between targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters and tumor neovascular densities of the ovarian cancer xenografts was analyzed. The results show that the peak intensities of targeted contrast ultrasound imaging are greater than that of ordinary ultrasound imaging in the 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-week groups with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05); the time to peak of targeted contrast ultrasound imaging is shorter than that of ordinary ultrasound imaging in the 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-week groups with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05); there is a positive correlation between the peak intensities of targeted contrast ultrasound imaging and tumor neovascular densities of the ovarian cancer xenografts in the 2-, 3-, and 4-week group (r 2 = 0.645, r 3 = 0.668, and r 4 = 0.693, P < 0.05); there is a negative correlation between the time to peak of targeted contrast ultrasound imaging and tumor neovascular densities of the ovarian cancer xenografts in the 2-, 3-, and 4-week groups (r 2 = -0.669, r 3 = -0.692, and r 4 = -0.704, P < 0.05). Therefore, the targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging parameters have a certain correlation with tumor neovascular density of ovarian cancer xenografts in nude mice and this correlation is more significant in the early stage of ovarian cancer; hence, targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging may provide a new method, new idea, and new basis for the diagnosis of early ovarian cancer.

Melt-Processed Poly(Ether Ether Ketone)/Carbon Nanotubes/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermomechanical Properties.

The agglomeration problem of nanofillers, for instance, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) matrix, is still a challenging assignment due to the intrinsic inert nature of PEEK to organic solvents. In this work, organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) was introduced as a second filler for improving the dispersion of CNTs in the PEEK matrix and enhancing the mechanical properties, as well as reducing the cost of the materials. The nanocomposites were fabricated through melt-mixing PEEK with CNTs/MMT hybrids, which were prepared in advance by mixing CNTs with MMT in water. The introduction of MMT improved the dispersion stability of CNTs, as characterized by sedimentation and zeta potential. The CNTs/MMT hybrids were maintained in PEEK nanocomposites as demonstrated by the transmission electron microscope. The mechanical and thermomechanical measurements revealed that CNTs together with MMT had a strong reinforcement effect on the PEEK matrix, especially at high temperature, although it had a negative effect on the toughness. A maximum increase of 48.1% was achieved in storage modulus of PEEK nanocomposites with 0.5 wt% CNTs and 2 wt% MMT at 240 °C, compared to that of neat PEEK. The differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that CNTs accelerated the crystallization of the PEEK matrix while a further addition of MMT played an opposite role. The nucleation activity of the fillers was also evaluated by the Dobreva method.

Value of Transvaginal Two-Dimensional Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Diagnosing Atypical Ovarian Corpus Luteum Hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of transvaginal two-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (2D-CEUS) in the diagnosis of atypical ovarian corpus luteum hematoma (AT-OCLH). METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 53 consecutive patients with suspected AT-OCLH, and the diagnostic results by transvaginal 2D-CEUS were statistically compared with the gold standard. The gold standard results were confirmed by surgical pathology or long-term follow-up. RESULTS: The characteristic perfusion patterns of AT-OCLH in 2D-CEUS showed no contrast agent perfusion within the tumor mass, and the capsule wall showed rapid, annular, high enhancement perfusion; perfusion patterns could be classified into type Ia and type IIa. AT-OCLH can be distinguished from ovarian tumors based on perfusion characteristics and perfusion pattern type, which can be diagnosed based on the significantly stronger cystic wall perfusion intensity, earlier arrival time, and thicker cystic wall than nonluteal cystic foci (P<0.05). The sensitivity of 2D-CEUS for diagnosing AT-OCLH was 95.7%, with a specificity of 96.6%. A 2D-CEUS scoring system for AT-OCLH was established. Lesions with scores >17.5 were diagnosed as AT-OCLH. CONCLUSION: 2D-CEUS is an effective method for diagnosing AT-OCLH.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate induces apoptosis in lung cancer A549 cells through reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrion-dependent pathway.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a widespread environmental contaminant that is detected in the lung of mammals. The mechanisms underlying PFOS-induced lung cytotoxicity remain unclear. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of PFOS on human lung cancer A549 cells and its possible molecular mechanism. A549 cells were treated with PFOS (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 µm) and the cellular apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential as well as intracellular reactive oxygen species were determined. In this study, PFOS induced a dose-dependent increase in A549 cell toxicity via an apoptosis pathway as characterized by increased percentage of sub-G1, activation of caspase-3 and -9, and increased ratio of Bax/bcl-2 mRNA expression. In addition, there was obvious oxidative stress, represented by decreased glutathione level, increased malondialdehyde level and superoxide dismutase activity. N-Acetylcysteine, as an antioxidant that is a direct reactive oxygen species scavenger, can effectively block PFOS-induced reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial membrane potential loss and cell apoptosis. These data indicate that PFOS induces apoptosis in A549 cells through a reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction pathway mechanism.

Transplantation of induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improves the cardiac function of rabbits with dilated cardiomyopathy via upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) have shown promise in repairing injured myocardium. However, few studies have explored the potential of BMMSC transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study we aimed to examine whether BMMSC transplantation improves the cardiac function of dilated cardiomyopathy and investigate the underlying mechanism. We established a DCM model in rabbit, then transplanted BMMSCs induced by 5-azacytidine into the rabbit, and determined the left ventricular pressure and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors. Immunohistochemistry, ultrastructural and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis proved that 5-azacytidine induced the differentiation of BMMSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Upon transplantation of the induced BMMSCs into a DCM model, significantly higher maximum rates of rise and decline (±dp/dt) of left ventricular pressure and left ventricular systolic pressure, as well as much lower left ventricular diastolic pressure, were observed compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After four weeks, deposition of collagen fibers in the myocardium of transplantation group was reduced, accompanied by increased expression of VEGF and its receptors as detected by RT-PCR. Taken together, our results suggest that BMMSC transplantation could alleviate DCM through angiogenesis via the upregulation of VEGF and its receptors.