Predictive value of ultrasound diagnosis of aberrant right subclavian artery with non-recurrent laryngeal nerve.

Introduction: This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of color Doppler ultrasound for the diagnosis of aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) with a co-occurring non-recurrent right laryngeal nerve (NRLN). Material and methods: In the present study, 58 patients with ARSA (ARSA group) and 1,280 patients without ARSA (controls) were diagnosed by ultrasonography. In addition, 32 patients with ARSA (ARSA operation group) and controls underwent thyroidectomy with surgical exploration with or without NRLN. Then, the incidence of NRLN was analyzed. The right common carotid artery (RCCA) and right subclavian artery (RSA) trends were observed by ultrasound, and classified into two types: RCCA and RSA originating from the innominate artery (IA) (type I), and IA could not be detected (type II). Results: A total of 32 cases of NRLN were found in the ARSA operation group, but no case was found in controls, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0006). The difference in the constituent ratio of type I and type II was statistically significant between the ARSA group and controls (p = 0.0002). That is, the IA could not be detected in the ARSA group, which was accompanied by the RCCA that originated from the aortic arch, while the IA was detected in most patients in the control group at the level of the sternoclavicular joints. Conclusions: Aberrant right subclavian artery can be rapidly detected by ultrasonography. Aberrant right subclavian artery occurs when the RCCA originates from the aortic arch during detection. Patients with ARSA sometimes have co-occurring NRLN. Hence, vigilance in protecting the NRLN is needed during an operation.

In situ generated 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylate and oxalate ligands leading to a Eu-MOF for selective capture of C2H2 from C2H2/CO2.

The separation of C2H2/CO2 mixtures is a very important but highly challenging task due to their comparable physical natures and relative sizes. Herein, we report a europium-based 3D microporous MOF with a 4-connected two-nodal net with {4·53·62}2{42·62·82} topology, {[Eu2(pzdc)(ox)2(H2O)4]·5H2O}n (1) (H2pzdc = 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid, H2ox = oxalic acid), prepared by a hydrothermal method involving in situ generation of 2,5-pyrazinedicarboxylate and oxalate ligands. Two different temperatures were utilized to create two porous materials (1a and 1b) with channels of 4.8 × 5.4 Å and 4.1 × 6.3 Å, and 4.8 × 5.4 and 4.6 × 8.7 Å2, respectively. 1b shows a superior ability to selectively capture C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 as compared with 1a. At 1 bar and 298 K, 1b takes up 4.10 mmol g-1 C2H2 and 1.84 mmol g-1 CO2, respectively. In addition, at 298 K and 1 bar, 1b has a high selectivity for C2H2 over CO2, with an IAST selectivity of 12.7 while the value for 1a is 3.2. The separation of C2H2/CO2 with 1b also exhibits good reusability.

Ultrasound-based radiomics-clinical nomogram for noninvasive prediction of residual cancer burden grading in breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess the predictive value of an ultrasound-based radiomics-clinical nomogram for grading residual cancer burden (RCB) in breast cancer patients. METHODS: This retrospective study of breast cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy (NAC) and ultrasound scanning between November 2020 and July 2023. First, a radiomics model was established based on ultrasound images. Subsequently, multivariate LR (logistic regression) analysis incorporating both radiomic scores and clinical factors was performed to construct a nomogram. Finally, Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) were employed to evaluate and validate the diagnostic accuracy and effectiveness of the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 1122 patients were included in this study. Among them, 427 patients exhibited a favorable response to NAC chemotherapy, while 695 patients demonstrated a poor response to NAC therapy. The radiomics model achieved an AUC value of 0.84 in the training cohort and 0.83 in the validation cohort. The ultrasound-based radiomics-clinical nomogram achieved an AUC value of 0.90 in the training cohort and 0.91 in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-based radiomics-clinical nomogram can accurately predict the effectiveness of NAC therapy by predicting RCB grading in breast cancer patients.

Application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosis and grading of bladder urothelial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To explore the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the diagnosis and grading of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC). METHODS: The results of a two-dimensional ultrasound, color Doppler ultrasound and CEUS, were analyzed in 173 bladder lesion cases. The ultrasound and surgical pathology results were compared, and their diagnostic efficacy was analyzed. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between BUC and benign lesions in terms of color blood flow distribution intensity and CEUS enhancement intensity (both P < 0.05). The area under the time-intensity curve (AUC), rising slope, and peak intensity of BUC were significantly higher than those of benign lesions (all P < 0.05). The H/T (height H / basal width T)value of 0.63 was the critical value for distinguishing high- and low-grade BUC, had a diagnostic sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 60.0%. CONCLUSION: The combination of CEUS and TIC can help improve the diagnostic accuracy of BUC. There is a statistically significant difference between high- and low-grade BUC in contrast enhancement intensity (P < 0.05); The decrease of H/T value indicates the possible increase of the BUC grade.