[Transabdominal-transvaginal ultrasound cervical length sequential screening to predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnancy women with low risk of preterm birth].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of predicting the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnancy women with low risk of preterm birth by transabdominal-transvaginal ultrasound cervical length sequential screening in the second trimester. Methods: This prospective longitudinal cohort study included singleton pregnant women at 11-13+6 gestational weeks who were admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2023 to September 2023. Transabdominal and transvaginal cervical lengths were measured during the mid-trimester fetal ultrasound scan at 18-24 weeks, and pregnancy outcomes were obtained after delivery. A short cervix was defined as a transvaginal cervical length of ≤25 mm, and the outcomes were defined as spontaneous preterm birth occurs between 20 and 36+6 weeks and extremely preterm birth before 32 weeks. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the effectiveness of predicting spontaneous preterm birth by transabdominal and transvaginal cervix length, as well as the effectiveness of predicting short cervix by transabdominal cervical length. The relationship between transabdominal and transvaginal cervical length was evaluated using a scatter plot. Results: A total of 562 cases were included in this study, comprising 33 cases of spontaneous preterm birth (7 cases occurring before 32 weeks) and 529 cases of term birth. (1) Compared to the term birth group, transabdominal cervical length (median: 37.6 vs 33.2 mm; Z=-3.838, P<0.001) and transvaginal cervical length (median: 34.0 vs 29.9 mm, Z=-3.030, P=0.002) in the spontaneous preterm birth group were significantly shorter. (2) The areas under the ROC curve for predicting spontaneous preterm birth by transabdominal and transvaginal cervical length were 0.699 (95%CI: 0.588-0.809) and 0.657 (95%CI: 0.540-0.774), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of transvaginal cervical length Conclusions: In singleton pregnancy women with low risk of preterm birth, transabdominal-transvaginal cervical length sequential screening can reduce unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds by approximately 41% without missing the diagnosis of pregnant women with a short cervix. This method also enhances the effectiveness of transvaginal cervical length to spontaneous preterm birth.

[Determination of 8 N-nitrosamines in the workplace air by GC-MS/MS method].

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of eight N-nitrosamines (N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomethylmethylamine, N-nitrosodibutylamine, N-nitrosopropylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine, N-nitrosodianiline and N-nitrosopiperidine) in the air of workplace by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) . Methods: From January to August 2023, eight N-nitrosamines in the air of workplace were collected by ThermoSorb/N column, eluted with 4 ml methanol-dichloromethane (1∶1 volume ratio), separated by VF-624 ms capillary column, detected by multiple reaction monitoring mode and quantified by external standard method. The detection limit and precision of the method were also analyzed. Results: The linear range of the method for the determination of eight N-nitrosamines was 1.0-20.0 µg/L, the correlation coefficient was 0.9993-0.9999, the detection limit was 0.051-0.132 µg/L, and the minimum quantitative concentration was 0.030-0.078 µg/m(3) (calculated by collecting 22.5 L of air sample and eluting with 4.0 ml stripping liquid). The within-run precisions were 2.05%-6.89% and the between-run precisions were 2.41%-8.26%. The desorption rates were 67.20%-102.60%. The sample can be kept at least 7 days at 4 ℃. Conclusion: GC-MS/MS method for the determination of eight N-nitrosamines in workplace air has high sensitivity and good precision, and can accurately determine the content of eight N-nitrosamines in workplace air.

[Effects of retinopathy on visual function in type 2 diabetes mellitus].

Objective: To study the influence of the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on the visual function of patients with type 2 diabetes, to provide scientific basis for the early prevention and control of DR. Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study, recruiting already-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients in four community health service centers in Guizhou Province between February and September 2022. Employing the Chinese version of the Visual Function Index-14 (VF-14), assess the participants' near vision, visual adaptation, subjective visual perception, and stereo vision, with higher scores indicating poorer visual function. Categorize the severity of each eye's damage into no diabetic retinopathy (DR), mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and use a 5-level DR grading system to evaluate the overall severity of diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. Employing linear regression analysis to investigate the linear relationship between DR and visual function index. Local weighted regression evaluates the nonlinear relationship between the DR composite score and the scores of visual function, with a steeper slope indicating poorer visual function for that level. Results: A total of 542 patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated, including 244 (45.02%) males, 298 (54.98%) females, and 162 (29.89%) patients with DR. After adjusting for confounders, compared with those without DR, patients with binocular DR Had overall scores (ß=0.136, P=0.003), near vision (ß=0.163, P<0.001), visual adaptation (ß=0.092, P=0.042), subjective vision (ß=0.120, P=0.009) and stereo vision (ß=0.094, P=0.044) were higher than those without DR. There were no differences in visual functions between DR And monocular DR. The local weighted regression curve showed that near vision (slope: 23.78) and overall score (slope: 58.37) increased sharply from mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes. Visual adaptation (slope: 5.37, 7.72), subjective vision (slope: 6.53, 7.93), stereovision (slope: 0.74, 0.91) increased slowly in mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes and in moderate to severe NPDR/PDR in both eyes. Conclusion: Binocular DR is associated with impaired visual function, but there is no difference between monocular DR And non-DR visual function. The early damage of DR To visual function is mainly manifested in near vision. In the prevention and control of DR, more attention should be paid to visual function, especially the change of near vision, and retinal damage should not be assessed solely by visual status.

[Clinical efficacy of one-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion for the treatment of cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of one-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion for the treatment of cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 23 patients with cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis treated with one-stage anterior approach debridement and bone graft fusion was performed in the Department of Spinal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to January 2020. There were 14 males and 9 females,aged (51.9±12.8) years (range:26 to 82 years). Preoperatively, 14 patients had neurological deficits, classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale as follows: grade A in 1 case, grade B in 1 case, grade C in 5 cases, and grade D in 7 cases. All patients underwent the one-stage anterior debridement and fusion procedure. The surgical time, blood loss, hospital stay, fusion time, and surgical complications were documented. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the neck disability index (NDI), and the ASIA impairment scale. Preoperative and postoperative data were compared using paired sample t tests, repeated measures analysis of variance, and generalized estimating equations. Results: All the 23 patients underwent the operative procedures successfully. The operation time was (102.8±19.8) minutes (range:60 to 140 minutes), blood loss was (84.4±40.2) ml (range:30 to 160 ml), and the length of hospital stay was (17.4±6.0) days (range:10 to 30 days). Blood cultures were positive for the causative pathogen in 14 cases (60.8% positivity rate), while 9 cases had negative results. Irrigation fluid cultures yielded the causative pathogen in 19 cases (82.6% positivity rate), with 4 cases negative. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up duration of (19.0±5.9) months (range:12 to 36 months). At the final follow-up, VAS improved from (5.9±1.1) points preoperatively to (0.8±0.3) points; NDI improved from (38.3±6.0)% preoperatively to (9.3±3.0)%, with statistically significant differences (both P<0.01). All patients experienced improvement in neurological function, with the exception of one patient in grade C and two in grade D, all other patients recovered to grade E. The C2-7 Cobb angle and the affected segment Cobb angle were corrected. white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels returned to normal. All patients achieved bony fusion, with a fusion time of (8.9±1.9) months (range:6 to 12 months). Two diabetic patients developed postoperative incision infection; no other surgery-related complications occurred in the remaining patients. Conclusion: One-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion can correct kyphosis, restore normal alignment, and improve neurological function in the treatment of single and double segment cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis, representing a viable treatment option for cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Data acquisition system for a newly-built hard x-ray/soft gamma-ray spectrometer imaging system on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak.

A portable hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray spectrometer imaging system (HXS) has been constructed to gather physical information about fast electrons confined in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The system is installed on the low field side of the mid-plane and provides a viewing field tangential to the toroidal field. The system utilizes a two-dimensional Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) semiconductor detector with 128 channels, and a data acquisition (DAQ) system has been designed for it. The DAQ system features a highly integrated signal processing system with the capability of high-speed processing and digital transmission of signals from 128 channels. In addition, a related DAQ software has been developed using a modular design approach, facilitating tasks such as data reception, storage, and preliminary processing. HXS, which has been applied during the recent EAST campaign, directly obtains the digital energy spectrum of incident photons. The DAQ system is described in detail in this paper. The hardware components and energy calibration have also been described. Experimental data have been successfully obtained and briefly discussed. More physical research will be reported in future publications.

Variations in water use efficiency and carbon and nitrogen concentrations in red heart Chinese fir.

Temperature can significantly (P < 0.05) affect plant growth by modifying water use strategies, which are determined by intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi). Red Heart Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is one of the most important ecological and economic plantation species in China. However, the C. lanceolata water use strategy in response to increased temperatures and uneven temporal distribution of precipitation during the growing season is rarely reported. In a 7-year-old C. lanceolata plantation, differences in WUEi and C and N concentrations in different organs were analysed by anova, and the δ13C stable isotope, C, and N concentrations in stems determined at different tree heights. Stepwise regression and variance inflation factor were used to remove autocorrelated factors, and structural equation modelling was then used to explore relationships between WUEi and climate and biological factors. WUEi differed significantly between leaf and branch at different standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indices (SPEI). WUEi and N concentration decreased with age. The highest WUEi in branches and leaves were 92.7 and 88.4 µmol·mol-1 in 2020 (SPEI = 0.00), respectively. δ13C increased with relative tree height but N concentration and C/N ratio were not affected. Air temperatures has increased in between 2014 and 2020. WUEi and N concentration decreased with increasing branch and leaf age, but C concentration increased. SPEI significantly positively affected WUEi (P < 0.05), and WUEi was significantly negatively related to C concentration, which is consistent with the trade-off between C and water.

[Effect of preoperative immune checkpoint inhibitors on reducing residual lymph node metastases in patients with gastric cancer: a retrospective study].

Objective: To investigate the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reducing residual lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: The cohort of this retrospective study comprised patients from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University who had undergone systemic treatment prior to gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and had achieved Grade 1 primary tumor regression (TRG1) from January 2014 to December 2023. After exclusion of patients who had undergone preoperative radiotherapy, data of 58 patients (Nanfang Hospital: 46; First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University: 12) were analyzed. These patients were allocated to preoperative chemotherapy (Chemotherapy group, N=36 cases) and preoperative immunotherapy plus chemotherapy groups (Immunotherapy group, N=22 cases). There were no significant differences between these groups in sex, age, body mass index, diabetes, tumor location, pathological type, Lauren classification, tumor differentiation, pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, mismatch repair protein status, number of preoperative treatment cycles, or duration of preoperative treatment (all P>0.05). The primary outcome measure was postoperative lymph node downstaging. Secondary outcomes included postoperative depth of invasion by tumor, number of lymph nodes examined, and factors affecting residual lymph node metastasis status. Results: Lymph node downstaging was achieved significantly more often in the Immunotherapy group than the Chemotherapy group (pN0: 90.9% [20/22] vs. 61.1% [22/36]; pN1: 4.5% [1/22] vs. 36.1% [13/36]; pN2: 4.5% [1/22) vs. 0; pN3: 0 vs. 2.8% [1/36], Z=-2.315, P=0.021). There were no significant difference between the two groups in number of lymph nodes examined (40.5±16.3 vs. 40.8±17.5, t=0.076, P=0.940) or postoperative depth of invasion by primary tumor (pT1a: 50.0% [11/22] vs. 30.6% [11/36]; pT1b: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 19.4% [7/36]; pT2: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 13.9% [5/36]; pT3: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 25.0% [9/36]; pT4a: 9.1% [2/22] vs. 11.1% [4/36], Z=-1.331, P=0.183). Univariate analysis revealed that both preoperative treatment regimens were associated with residual lymph node metastasis status in patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (χ2=6.070, P=0.014). Multivariate analysis incorporated the following factors: pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, number of preoperative treatment cycles, and preoperative treatment duration. We found that a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy administered preoperatively was an independent protective factor for reducing residual lymph node metastases in study patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (OR=0.147, 95%CI: 0.026-0.828, P=0.030). Conclusion: Compared with preoperative chemotherapy alone, a combination of preoperative immunotherapy and chemotherapy achieved greater reduction of residual lymph node metastases in the study patients who achieved TRG1 tumor regression in their primary lesions.

[Comparison of the effects of child-centered playful companionship and pharmacological sedation in alleviating preoperative anxiety in preschool children].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of child-centered playful companionship and sedative medication in alleviating preoperative anxiety in preschool children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 3 825 preschool children (3-6 years) who underwent elective surgery at Shanghai Children's Medical Center from April 2021 to March 2022. The children were divided into three groups based on the preoperative anxiolytic intervention: child-centered playful companionship group (n=2 198), pharmacological sedation group (n=1 281), and no intervention group (n=346). The pharmacological sedation group received intranasal dexmedetomidine at 2 µg/kg or oral midazolam syrup at 0.5 mg/kg. The child-centered playful companionship group received care from certified preoperative sedation nurses using a child-centered playful nursing model. The no intervention group did not receive any anti-anxiety measures due to various subjective and objective reasons. Preoperative separation anxiety scores (PSAS), sedation medication usage, and Ramsay sedation scores were recorded for all children. The primary outcome was the success rate of separation based on PSAS scores across different anxiolytic intervention groups, while the secondary outcome was the Ramsay sedation score. Results: The child-centered playful companionship group included 1 462 boys and 736 girls, with a median age [M (Q1, Q3)]of 59 (49, 69) months. The pharmacological sedation group included 824 boys and 457 girls, with a median age of 52 (42, 61) months; and the no intervention group included 212 boys and 134 girls, with a median age of 57 (48, 69) months. The success rate of separation in the child-centered playful companionship group was 95.6% (2 102/2 198), and in the pharmacological sedation group was 93.8% (1 202/1 281), both significantly higher than the 43.6% (151/346) of the no intervention group (all P<0.05). Among the 1 281 children in the pharmacological sedation group, 785 received oral midazolam and 496 received intranasal dexmedetomidine. Compared to the intranasal dexmedetomidine group, the oral midazolam group was younger, had a lower body weight and a higher proportion of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class Ⅲ (all P<0.05). The success rate of separation was 93.4% (733/785) in the oral midazolam group and 94.6% (469/496) in the intranasal dexmedetomidine group, with no statistically significant difference (P=0.392). The Ramsay sedation score was 2 (2, 2) in the intranasal dexmedetomidine group, better than the 2 (2, 2) of the oral midazolam group (P=0.024). Conclusion: Both child-centered playful companionship and pharmacological sedation effectively alleviate preoperative anxiety in preschool children.

Minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy vs. anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the treatment of patients with single-level unilateral cervical radiculopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to observe the clinical efficacy and safety of minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy (MI-PCF) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the treatment of single-level unilateral cervical radiculopathy (SLUCR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 81 patients with SLUCR in two hospitals from February 2020 to February 2022, including the MI-PCF group (n=40) and the ACDF group (n=41). The differences in neck and shoulder pain, visual analog score (VAS), upper limb radiating pain (VAS), and neck disability index (NDI) were compared. Operative time, intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay, and complications were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The degree of neck and shoulder pain relief at 1 day postoperatively was better in the ACDF group than in the MI-PCF group (p<0.05), while there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of neck and shoulder pain relief at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively, (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in the relief of upper limb radiating pain and the decrease of NDI scores between the two groups at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery (p>0.05). The patients in MI-PCF group had shorter operative time, less bleeding, and shorter hospital stay, which were statistically different (p<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the complication rate between the two groups, (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical efficacy and safety of MI-PCF and ACDF in the treatment of SLUCR are satisfactory, meanwhile, MI-PCF has shorter operative time, less bleeding and shorter hospital stay than ACDF, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Retraction Note: Study on the expression and mechanism of inflammatory factors in the brain of rats with cerebral vasospasm.

The article "Study on the expression and mechanism of inflammatory factors in the brain of rats with cerebral vasospasm" by Q. Huang, G. Wang, Y.-L. Hu, J.-X. Liu, J. Yang, S. Wang, H.-B. Zhang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (12): 2887-2894 - PMID: 28682429 has been retracted by the Editor in Chief. Following some concerns raised on PubPeer (link: https://pubpeer.com/publications/48E37B385D83F1B09741B2B06B39C3), the Editor in Chief has started an investigation to assess the validity of the results as well as possible figure manipulation. The authors have been informed about the journal's investigation but remained unresponsive and have not provided the study's raw data. The journal's investigation uncovered a duplication between Figure 2A and Figure 1D with a previously published article (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096212). Additionally, duplications were identified between panels b, c, d, f, g, and h of Figure 3A and Figure 6B, C, D, F, G, and H, respectively, of the same previously published article (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096212). Consequently, the Editor in Chief mistrusts the results presented and has decided to retract the article. This article has been retracted. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/12948.

[Association between intraoperative hypothermia and outcomes in neonatal patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery].

Objective: To investigate the impact of intraoperative hypothermia on postoperative outcome in neonatal patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Methods: The data of 1 008 neonates undergoing non-cardiac surgery in Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2020 to October 2022 were retrospectively collected,which included 558 males and 450 females, with a midian age [M (Q1, Q3)] of 6 (2, 14) days. Neonates were divided into 4 groups according to whether hypothermia (below 36 ℃) occurred and the lowest body temperature during the surgery: normal temperature group (n=246), mild hypothermia group (the lowest temperature ranged 35.0-35.9 ℃, n=434), moderate hypothermia group (the lowest temperature ranged 34.0-34.9 ℃, n=232) and severe hypothermia group (the lowest temperature<34 ℃, n=96). The primary outcome was the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia. The four groups' difference of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative mortality within 30 days, postoperative pulmonary complications, postoperative hemorrhage/blood transfusion and acidosis were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between intraoperative hypothermia and prolonged postoperative hospital stay (>14 d), 30 d-mortality and other complications. Results: In the 1 008 neonatal patients, 762 (75.6%) cases suffered intraoperative hypothermia, among which the incidence of mild, moderate and severe hypothermia was 43.1% (434/1008), 23.0% (232/1008) and 9.5% (96/1008), respectively. The postoperative hospital stay in normal, mild, moderate and severe hypothermia groups was 9.0 (5.8, 18.0), 12.0 (7.0, 21.0), 17.0 (10.0, 34.5) and 31.5 (12.5, 55.8) days. The mortality rate with 30 days after surgery was 2.9% (7/246), 4.4% (19/434), 6.9% (16/232) and 14.7% (14/96), the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was 31.7%(78/246), 39.9%(173/434), 44.8%(104/232) and 67.4%(64/96), the rate of postoperative hemorrhage/blood transfusion was 19.9%(49/246), 32.3%(140/434), 49.1%(114/232) and 79.0%(75/96), and the incidence of acidosis was 26.8%(66/246), 35.7%(155/434), 44.4%(103/232) and 46.3%(44/96), respectively. All differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). According to the adjusted logistic regression analysis, compared with the normal body temperature group, severe hypothermia was associated with prolonged postoperative hospital stay (OR=1.962, 95%CI: 1.063-3.619) and postoperative pulmonary complications (OR=2.020, 95%CI: 1.149-3.553). The mild, moderate and severe hypothermia group could increase the risk of postoperative blood/transfusion rate (mild: OR=1.690, 95%CI: 1.080-2.644; Moderate: OR=2.382, 95%CI: 1.444-3.927; Severe: OR=8.334, 95%CI: 3.123-8.929). The mild and moderate hypothermia could raise the risk of acidosis (mild: OR=1.458, 95%CI: 1.009-2.107; Moderate: OR=1.949, 95%CI: 1.279-2.972). Conclusion: Intraoperative hypothermia can prolong the postoperative hospital stay, and increase the risk of postoperative mortality, postoperative pulmonary complications, postoperative hemorrhage/transfusion, and acidosis.

Diabetes and long duration leading to speech-, low/mid-, and high- frequency hearing loss: current evidence from the China National Health Survey 2023.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of diabetes, duration of diabetes, and blood glucose on speech-, low/mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 2821 participants aged 20-87 years in the China National Health Survey were included. Diabetes was defined as valid fasting blood glucose (FBG) of ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, a self-reported history of diabetes or the use of anti-diabetic medications. Speech-(500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz), low/mid- (500, 1000 and 2000 Hz), and high-frequency (4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) hearing loss was defined as pure tone average of responding frequencies > 20 dB HL in the better ear, respectively. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, for speech-, low/mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss, compared with no diabetes, those with diabetes (OR[95%CI]: 1.44 [1.12, 1.86], 1.23 [0.94, 1.61], and 1.75 [1.28, 2.41], respectively) and with diabetes for > 5 years duration (OR[95%CI]: 1.63 [1.09, 2.42], and 1.63 [1.12, 2.36], 2.15 [1.25, 3.70], respectively) were at higher risk. High FBG level was associated with a higher risk of speech-, low/ mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss. And there were stronger associations between HL and diabetes, longer duration and higher in "healthier population" (no hypertension, no dyslipidemia and younger age). CONCLUSION: Diabetes, longer duration, and higher FBG level were independently associated with hearing loss for speech-, low/mid- and high-frequency hearing loss, particularly in higher frequency and "healthier population". Paying more attention to hearing loss in those populations could lower the burden of hearing loss.

Muscular MRI and magnetic resonance neurography in spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by the degeneration of the α-motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. SMA is clinically characterized by progressive and symmetrical muscle weakness and muscle atrophy and ends up with systemic multisystem abnormalities. Quantitative MRI (qMRI) has the advantages of non-invasiveness, objective sensitivity, and high reproducibility, and has important clinical value in evaluating the severity of neuromuscular diseases and monitoring the efficacy of treatment. This article summarizes the clinical use of muscular MRI and magnetic resonance neurography in assessing the progress of SMA.

Biocontrol of strawberry Botrytis gray mold and prolong the fruit shelf-life by fumigant Trichoderma spp.

Objectives To screen high active volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-producing Trichoderma isolates against strawberry gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea, and to explore their antagonistic mode of action against the pathogen. VOCs produced by nine Trichoderma isolates (Trichoderma atroviride T1 and T3; Trichoderma harzianum T2, T4 and T5; T6, T7, T8 and T9 identified as Trichoderma asperellum in this work) significantly inhibited the mycelial growth (13.9-63.0% reduction) and conidial germination (17.6-96.3% reduction) of B. cinerea, the highest inhibition percentage belonged to VOCs of T7; in a closed space, VOCs of T7 shared 76.9% and 100% biocontrol efficacy against gray mold on strawberry fruits and detached leaves, respectively, prolonged the fruit shelf-life by 3 days in presence of B. cinerea, completely protected the leaves from B. cinerea infecting; volatile metabolites of T7 damaged the cell membrane permeability and integrity of B. cinerea, thereby inhibiting the mycelial growth and conidial germination. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the VOCs contain 23 potential compounds, and the majority of these compounds were categorised as alkenes, alcohols, and esters, including PEA and 6PP, which have been reported as substances produced by Trichoderma spp. T. asperellum T7 showed high biofumigant activity against mycelial growth especially conidial germination of B. cinerea and thus protected strawberry fruits and leaves from gray mold, which acted by damaging the pathogen's plasma membrane and resulting in cytoplasm leakage, was a potential biofumigant for controlling pre- and post-harvest strawberry gray mold.