The evolutionary paths of clinical psychology studies in the United States: A bibliometrics illustration of 69k publications.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to uncover the hot topics and development trends in clinical psychology research in the United States. METHOD: Utilizing bibliometric analysis, we examined clinical psychology papers published in the United States from 2010 to 2022 in the Web of Science database, employing citation analysis, content analysis, author analysis, and journal analysis. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed a significant increase in clinical psychology research, notably catalyzed by the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. This surge was particularly evident in studies addressing mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors, as well as psychological trauma related to issues like family conflict, elder abuse, and collective trauma. Furthermore, there was a distinct shift towards studying diverse populations, including gender and racial minorities, mothers, and adolescents. Therapeutic approaches, such as mindfulness-based practices and AI-assisted technologies, also gained prominence. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first large-scale bibliometric analysis in the field of clinical psychology in the United States. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of studying psychological issues linked to major events. Also, researchers are increasingly focusing on minority groups. This trend, along with the use of new technologies like big data and artificial intelligence, guides future research in clinical psychology. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The works in this review suggest that the changing landscape of clinical psychology, especially post-COVID-19. The increased research post-pandemic emphasizes addressing psychological trauma arising from societal issues like family conflicts, elder abuse, and collective trauma. A positive shift towards inclusivity is evident in research, focusing on diverse groups like gender minorities, racial minorities, mothers, and adolescents. Additionally, the amplified focus on mental disorders like PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors during the pandemic stresses the need for tailored interventions and support systems. Exploring innovative methods such as mindfulness-based practices and AI-assisted technologies showcases the field's adaptability in mental health interventions.

Structural and interfacial properties of acetylated Millettia speciosa Champ polysaccharide and stability evaluation of the resultant O/W emulsion containing ß-carotene.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acetylation modification on the structural, interfacial and emulsifying properties of Millettia speciosa Champ polysaccharide (MSCP). Besides, the influence of acetylation modification on the encapsulation properties of polysaccharide-based emulsion was also explored. Results indicated that modification resulted in a prominent reduction in molecular weight of MSCP and the interfacial layer thickness formed by acetylated MSCP (AC-MSCP) was also decreased, but the adsorption rate and ability of AC-MSCP to reduce interfacial tension were improved. AC-MSCP formulated emulsion possessed smaller droplet size (6.8 µm) and exhibited better physical stability under stressful conditions. The chemical stability of ß-carotene was also profoundly enhanced by AC-MSCP fabricated emulsion. Moreover, AC-MSCP improved lipids digestion extent, thus facilitating the formation of micelle and increasing bioaccessibility of ß-carotene. This study provided insights for rational modification of polysaccharide-based emulsifier and designing delivery system for chemically labile hydrophobic bioactive components.

Novel Multitarget ACE Inhibitory Peptides from Bovine Colostrum Immunoglobulin G: Cellular Transport, Efficacy in Regulating Endothelial Dysfunction, and Network Pharmacology Studies.

In this study, we used traditional laboratory methods, bioinformatics, and cellular models to screen novel ACE inhibitory (ACEI) peptides with strong ACEI activity, moderate absorption rates, and multiple targets from bovine colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG). The purified fraction of the compound proteinase hydrolysate of IgG showed good ACEI activity. After nano-UPLC-MS/MS identification and in silico analysis, eight peptides were synthesized and verified. Among them, SFYPDY, TSFYPDY, FSWF, WYQQVPGSGL, and GVHTFP were identified as ACEI peptides, as they exhibited strong ACEI activity (with IC50 values of 104.7, 80.0, 121.2, 39.8, and 86.3 µM, respectively). They displayed good stability in an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion assay. In a Caco-2 monolayer model, SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL exhibited better absorption rates and lower IC50 values than the other peptides and were thereby identified as novel ACEI peptides. Subsequently, in a H2O2-induced endothelial dysfunction (ED) model based on HUVECs, SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL regulated ED by reducing apoptosis and ROS accumulation while upregulating NOS3 mRNA expression. Network pharmacology analysis and RT-qPCR confirmed that they regulated multiple targets. Overall, our results suggest that SFYPDY, FSWF, and WYQQVPGSGL can serve as novel multitarget ACEI peptides.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE) features for characterizing serous microcystic adenomas (SMAs): In comparison to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs).

Objectives: Serous microcystic adenoma (SMA), a primary benign pancreatic tumor which can be clinically followed-up instead of undergoing surgery, are sometimes mis-distinguished as pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) in regular preoperative imaging examinations. This study aimed to analyze preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE) features of SMAs in comparison to pNETs. Material and methods: In this retrospective study, patients with imaging-diagnosed pancreatic lesions were screened between October 2020 to October 2022 (ethical approval No. B2020-309R). Performing by a Siemens Sequoia (Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA, USA) equipped with a 5C-1 curved array transducer (3.0-4.5 MHz), CEUS examination was conducted to observe the microvascular perfusion patterns of pancreatic lesions in arterial phase, venous/late phases (VLP) using SonoVue® (Bracco Imaging Spa, Milan, Italy) as the contrast agent. Virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification (VTIQ) - SWE was used to measure the shear wave velocity (SWV, m/s) value to represent the quantitative stiffness of pancreatic lesions. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze potential ultrasound and clinical features in discriminating SMAs and pNETs. Results: Finally, 30 SMA and 40 pNET patients were included. All pancreatic lesions were pathologically proven via biopsy or surgery. During the arterial phase of CEUS, most SMAs and pNETs showed iso- or hyperenhancement (29/30, 97 % and 31/40, 78 %), with a specific early honeycomb enhancement pattern appeared in 14/30 (47 %) SMA lesions. During the VLP, while most of the SMA lesions remained iso- or hyperenhancement (25/30, 83 %), nearly half of the pNET lesions revealed an attenuated hypoenhancement (17/40, 43 %). The proportion of hypoenhancement pattern during the VLP of CEUS differed significantly between SMAs and pNETs (P = 0.021). The measured SWV value of SMAs was significantly higher than pNETs (2.04 ± 0.70 m/s versus 1.42 ± 0.44 m/s, P = 0.002). Taking a SWV value > 1.83 m/s as a cutoff in differentiating SMAs and pNETs, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.825, with sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio (+) of 85.71 %, 72.73 % and 3.143, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that SWV value (m/s) of the pancreatic lesion was an independent variable in discriminating SMA and pNET. Conclusion: By comprehensively evaluating CEUS patterns and SWE features, SMA and pNET may be well differentiated before the operation. While SMA typically presents as harder lesion in VTIQ-SWE, exhibiting a specific honeycomb hyperenhancement pattern during the arterial phase of CEUS, pNET is characterized by relative softness, occasionally displaying a wash-out pattern during the VLP of CEUS.

Diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of community-acquired bacterial meningitis in children from 2019 to 2020: a multicenter retrospective study.

Community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The epidemiology of CABM is regional and highly dynamic. To clarify the diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of children with CABM in this region, and pay attention to the disease burden, so as to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of CABM. By retrospective case analysis, the clinical data of 918 CABM cases in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province from January, 2019 to December, 2020 were collected. The etiological diagnosis rate of CABM in children was 23.1%, the annual incidence rate 4.42-6.15/100,000, the annual mortality rate 0.06-0.09/100,000,the cure and improvement rate 94.4%, and the case fatality rate 1.4%. The total incidence of neuroimaging abnormalities was 20.6%. The median length of stay for CABM children was 20(16) days, with an average cost of 21,531(24,835) yuan. In addition, the incidence rate was decreased with age. Escherichia coli(E.coli) and group B Streptococcus agalactiae(GBS) were the principal pathogens in CABM infant<3 months(43.3%, 34.1%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae(S. pneumoniae) was the most common pathogen in children ≥ 3 months(33.9%). In conclusion, the annual incidence and mortality of CABM in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province are at intermediate and low level. The distribution of CABM incidence and pathogen spectrum are different in age; the incidence of abnormal neuroimaging is high; and the economic burden is heavy.

Preoperative ultrasound radiomics for predicting clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of the radiomics model based on preoperative B-mode ultrasound (BMUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE) for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF). METHODS: Patients who were scheduled to undergo pancreatectomy were prospectively enrolled and received ultrasound assessment within one week before surgery. The risk factors of POPF (grades B and grades C) were analyzed. Preoperative BMUS images, SWE values of pancreatic lesions and surrounding parenchyma were used to build preoperative prediction radiomics models. Radiomic signatures were extracted and constructed using a minimal Redundancy Maximal Relevance (mRMR) algorithm and an L1 penalized logistic regression. A combined model was built using multivariate regression which incorporated radiomics signatures and clinical data. RESULTS: From January 2020 to November 2021, a total of 147 patients (85 distal pancreatectomies and 62 pancreaticoduodenectomies) were enrolled. During the three-week follow-up after pancreatectomy, the incidence rates of grade B/C POPF were 28.6% (42/147). Radiomic signatures constructed from BMUS of pancreas parenchymal regions (panRS) achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.75, accuracy of 68.7%, sensitivity of 85.7 %, and specificity of 61.9 % in preoperative noninvasive prediction of CR-POPF. The AUC of the radiomics model increased to 0.81 when panRS was used for the prediction of CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics model based on ultrasound images was potentially useful for predicting CR-POPF. Patients with high-risk factors should be closely monitored when postoperation.

Iron-incorporated metal-organic frameworks for oxidative cleavage of trans-anethole to p-anisaldehyde.

An iron-incorporated Zn-MOF catalyst Zn-bpydc·Fe was fabricated for the oxidative cleavage of trans-anethole to p-anisaldehyde under facile conditions, under 1 atm of O2. The Fe coordinated bipyridine serves as the catalytically active center inside the structural skeleton of Zn-MOFs. This work affords a new avenue for the mild oxidation of olefins.

Application of Femoral Nerve Block in Treating Great Saphenous Vein Insufficiency by Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation Combined with Punctate Stripping.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block (FNB) in treating great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency by endovenous radiofrequency ablation (EVRA) combined with punctate stripping (PS). METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study. A total of 135 patients were divided into Group A (59 patients) and Group B (76 patients). All patients received tumescent anesthesia during the operation, and group A received an additional ultrasound-guided FNB before the procedure. Intraoperative and postoperative pain score, the volume of tumescent anesthesia solution (TAS), and other indicators were compared in two groups. RESULTS: Group A had a significantly lower intraoperative pain visual analog scale than group B (2.7 ± 1.2 vs 5.2 ± 1.5, P < 0.001). The volume of TAS in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (198 ± 26.6 ml vs 338 ± 34.7 ml, P < 0.001). Postoperative muscle strength of group A was significantly decreased compared with group B (54.2% vs 3.90%, P < 0.001); no patient had severe limitation of active movements in both groups, and all motor blocks recovered within 24 h. The incidence of skin ecchymosis in group A was lower than that in group B (18.6% vs 46.1%, P = 0.001). The operation duration of the two groups had no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided FNB in treating GSV insufficiency by EVRA combined with PS significantly relieved intraoperative pain and reduced the dosage of TAS and the incidence of skin ecchymosis without increasing the complications of anesthesia or any other surgical complications.

Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents boosting co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars from corncob and the related kinetic mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Xylo-oligomers are a kind of high value-added products in biomass fractionation. Although there are several chemical methods to obtain xylo-oligomers from biomass, the reports about the deep eutectic solvents (DESs)-mediated co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars and the related kinetic mechanism are limited. RESULTS: In this work, glycolic acid-based DESs were used to obtain xylo-oligomers from corncob. The highest xylo-oligomers yield of 65.9% was achieved at 120 °C for 20 min, of which the functional xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs, DP 2-5) accounted for up to 31.8%. Meanwhile, the enzymatic digestion of cellulose and xylan in residues reached 81.0% and 95.5%, respectively. Moreover, the addition of metal inorganic salts significantly accelerated the hydrolysis of xylan and even the degradation of xylo-oligomers in DES, thus resulting in higher selectivity of xylan removal. AlCl3 showed the strongest synergistic effect with DES on accelerating the processes, while FeCl2 is best one for xylo-oligomers accumulation, affording the highest xylo-oligomers yield of 66.1% for only 10 min. Furthermore, the kinetic study indicates that the 'potential hydrolysis degree' model could well describe the xylan hydrolysis processes and glycolic acid/lactic acid (3:1) is a promising solvent for xylo-oligomers production, in particular, it worked well with FeCl2 for the excellent accumulation of xylo-oligomers. CONCLUSIONS: Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents can be successfully applied in corncob fractionation with excellent xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars yields on mild conditions, and the large amount of xylo-oligosaccharides accumulation could be achieved by specific process controlling. The strategies established here can be useful for developing high-valued products from biomass.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: prediction of tumor grades by radiomics models based on ultrasound images.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether the radiomics analysis based on B-mode ultrasound (BMUS) images could predict histopathological tumor grades in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). METHODS: A total of 64 patients with surgery and histopathologically confirmed pNETs were retrospectively included (34 male and 30 female, mean age 52.4 ± 12.2 years). Patients were divided into training cohort (n = 44) and validation cohort (n = 20). All pNETs were classified into Grade 1 (G1), Grade 2 (G2), and Grade 3 (G3) tumors based on the Ki-67 proliferation index and the mitotic activity according to WHO 2017 criteria. Maximum relevance minimum redundancy, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used for feature selection. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the model performance. RESULTS: Finally, 18 G1 pNETs, 35 G2 pNETs, and 11 G3 pNETs patients were included. The radiomic score derived from BMUS images to predict G2/G3 from G1 displayed a good performance with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.844 in the training cohort, and 0.833 in the testing cohort. The radiomic score achieved an accuracy of 81.8% in the training cohort and 80.0% in the testing cohort, a sensitivity of 0.750 and 0.786, a specificity of 0.833 and 0.833 in the training/testing cohorts. Clinical benefit of the score also exhibited superior usefulness of the radiomic score, as shown by the decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomic data constructed from BMUS images have the potential for predicting histopathological tumor grades in patients with pNETs. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The radiomic model constructed from BMUS images has the potential for predicting histopathological tumor grades and Ki-67 proliferation indexes in patients with pNETs.

Application of ultrasound shear wave elastography in pre-operative and quantitative prediction of clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula after pancreatectomy: a prospective study for the investigation of risk evaluation model.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to modify recognized clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) risk evaluation models with quantitative ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) values and identified clinical parameters to improve the objectivity and reliability of the prediction. METHODS: Two prospective, successive cohorts were initially designed for the establishment of CR-POPF risk evaluation model and the internal validation. Patients who scheduled to receive pancreatectomy were enrolled. Virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification (VTIQ)-SWE was used to quantify pancreatic stiffness. CR-POPF was diagnosed according to 2016 International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula standard. Recognized peri-operative risk factors of CR-POPF were analyzed, and the independent variables selected from multivariate logistic regression were used to build the prediction model. RESULTS: Finally, the CR-POPF risk evaluation model was built in a group of 143 patients (cohort 1). CR-POPF occurred in 52/143 (36%) patients. Constructed from SWE values and other identified clinical parameters, the model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.866, with sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio of 71.2%, 80.2%, and 3.597 in predicting CR-POPF. Decision curve of modified model revealed a better clinical benefit compared to the previous clinical prediction models. The models were then examined via internal validation in a separate collection of 72 patients (cohort 2). CONCLUSIONS: Risk evaluation model based on SWE and clinical parameters is a potential non-invasive way to pre-operatively, objectively predict CR-POPF after pancreatectomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Our modified model based on ultrasound shear wave elastography may provide an easy access in pre-operative and quantitative evaluating the risk of CR-POPF following pancreatectomy and improve the objectivity and reliability of the prediction compared to previous clinical models. KEY POINTS: • Modified prediction model based on ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) provides an easy access for clinicians to pre-operatively, objectively evaluate the risk of clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) following pancreatectomy. • Prospective study with validation showed that the modified model provides better diagnostic efficacy and clinical benefits compared to previous clinical models in predicting CR-POPF. • Peri-operative management of CR-POPF high-risk patients becomes more possible.

Millettia speciosa Champ cellulose-based hydrogel as a novel delivery system for Lactobacillus paracasei: Its relationship to structure, encapsulation and controlled release.

We report for the first time the usage of Millettia speciosa Champ cellulose (MSCC) and carboxymethylcellulose (MSCCMC) for the fabrication of 3D-network hydrogel as delivery system for probiotics. The structural features, swelling behavior and pH-responsiveness of MSCC-MSCCMC hydrogels and their encapsulation and controlled-release behavior for Lactobacillus paracasei BY2 (L. paracasei BY2) were mainly studied. Structural analyses demonstrated that MSCC-MSCCMC hydrogels with porous and network structures were successfully synthesized through the crosslinking of -OH groups between MSCC and MSCCMC molecules. An increasing concentration of MSCCMC significantly improved the pH-responsiveness and swelling ability of the MSCC-MSCCMC hydrogel toward neutral solvent. Besides, the encapsulation efficiency (50.38-88.91 %) and release (42.88-92.86 %) of L. paracasei BY2 were positively correlated with the concentration of MSCCMC. The higher the encapsulation efficiency was, the higher the release in the target intestine. However, due to the existence of bile salts, controlled-release behavior decreased the survivor rate and physiological state (degrading cholesterol) of encapsulating L. paracasei BY2. Even so, the number of viable cells encapsulated by hydrogels still reached the minimum effective concentration in the target intestine. This study provides an available reference for the practical application of hydrogels fabricated from the cellulose of the Millettia speciosa Champ plant for probiotic delivery.

1,4-α-Glucosidase from Fusarium solani for Controllable Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Multifunctional Applications.

In the study, monodispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with an average diameter of 9.57 nm were efficiently and controllably biosynthesized by a reductase from Fusarium solani DO7 only in the presence of ß-NADPH and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The reductase responsible for AgNP formation in F. solani DO7 was further confirmed as 1,4-α-glucosidase. Meanwhile, based on the debate on the antibacterial mechanism of AgNPs, this study elucidated in further depth that antibacterial action of AgNPs was achieved by absorbing to the cell membrane and destabilizing the membrane, leading to cell death. Moreover, AgNPs could accelerate the catalytic reaction of 4-nitroaniline, and 86.9% of 4-nitroaniline was converted to p-phenylene diamine in only 20 min by AgNPs of controllable size and morphology. Our study highlights a simple, green, and cost-effective process for biosynthesizing AgNPs with uniform sizes and excellent antibacterial activity and catalytic reduction of 4-nitroaniline.

Efficient extraction, excellent activity, and microencapsulation of flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaves extracted by deep eutectic solvent.

A deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride (ChCl)-urea) was chosen to extract flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaves (FMOL), the condition of extraction was tailor-made, under the optimal extraction conditions (material-to-liquid ratio of 1:60 g/mL, extraction time of 80 min, extraction temperature of 80 °C), the highest extraction efficiency reached 63.2 ± 0.3 mg R/g DW, and nine flavonoids were identified. Then, the biological activities including antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, and anti-tumor activities were systematically studied. FMOL was superior to positive drugs in terms of antioxidant activity. As to DPPH investigation, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 64.1 ± 0.7 and 176.1 ± 2.0 µg/mL; for the ABTS, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 9.5 ± 0.3 and 38.2 ± 1.2 µg/mL, the FRAP value of FMOL and Vc were 15.5 ± 0.6 and 10.2 ± 0.4 mg TE/g, and ORAC value of FMOL and Vc were 4687.2 ± 102.8 and 3881.6 ± 98.6 µmol TE/g. The bacteriostatic (MICs were ≤ 1.25 mg/mL) activities of FMOL were much better than propyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Meanwhile, FMOL had comparable inhibitory activity with genistein on tumor cells, IC50 was 307.8 µg/mL, and could effectively induce apoptosis in HCT116. Microcapsules were prepared with xylose-modified soybean protein isolate and gelatin as wall materials; after that, the intestinal release of modified FMOL microcapsules was 86 times of free FMOL. Therefore, this study confirmed that FMOL extracted with ChCl/urea has rich bioactive components, and microencapsulated FMOL has potential application in food industry. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13399-023-03877-8.

Purification, structural elucidation and biological activities of exopolysaccharide produced by the endophytic Penicillium javanicum from Millettia speciosa Champ.

An acid polysaccharide, named HP, was produced by endophytic Penicillium javanicum MSC-R1 isolated from southern medicine Millettia speciosa Champ. The molecular weight of HP was 37.8 kDa and consisted of Ara f, Galр, Glcр, Manр, and GlcрA with a molar ratio of 1.09: 3.47: 68.48: 16.59: 8.85. The glycosidic linkage of HP was proven to be →3, 4)-α-D-Glcр-(1→6)-α-D-Manр-(1→, →3, 4)-α-D-Glcр-(1→4)-α-D-Glcр-(1→, →3), →6)-α-D-Manр-(1→4)-α-D-Glcр-(1→, →3), ß-D-Galр-(1→3)-α-D-Glcр-(1→, →4), →5)-α-L-Ara f -(1→3)-α-D-Glcр-(1→, →4), →6)-α-D-Manр-(1→4)-α-D-GlcAр-(1→ and →4)-α-D-GlcAр-(1→4)-α-D-Glcр-(1→, →3). Additionally, 250 µg/mL of HP possessed nontoxicity to RAW 264.7 cells and exhibited anti-inflammation activity. HP could significantly restrain the amount of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and NO release in RAW264.7, which property is possibly associated with its abundant glucosidic linkage. These results indicated that HP could be regarded as a ponderable ingredient for the health-beneficial functional foods.

Prediction of Pathological Grades of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Based on Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Quantitative Analysis.

Objective: To investigate whether the dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) analysis and quantitative parameters could be helpful for predicting histopathologic grades of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). Methods: This retrospective study conducted a comprehensive review of the CEUS database between March 2017 and November 2021 in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Ultrasound examinations were performed by an ACUSON Sequioa unit equipped with a 3.5 MHz 6C−1 convex array transducer, and an ACUSON OXANA2 unit equipped with a 3.5 MHz 5C−1 convex array transducer. SonoVue® (Bracco Inc., Milan, Italy) was used for all CEUS examinations. Time intensity curves (TICs) and quantitative parameters of DCE-US were created by Vuebox® software (Bracco, Italy). Inclusion criteria were: patients with histopathologically proved pNETs, patients who underwent pancreatic B-mode ultrasounds (BMUS) and CEUS scans one week before surgery or biopsy and had DCE-US imaging documented for more than 2 min, patients with solid or predominantly solid lesions and patients with definite diagnosis of histopathological grades of pNETs. Based on their prognosis, patients were categorized into two groups: pNETs G1/G2 group and pNETs G3/pNECs group. Results: A total of 42 patients who underwent surgery (n = 38) or biopsy (n = 4) and had histopathologically confirmed pNETs were included. According to the WHO 2019 criteria, all pNETs were classified into grade 1 (G1, n = 10), grade 2 (G2, n = 21), or grade 3 (G3)/pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (pNECs) (n = 11), based on the Ki−67 proliferation index and the mitotic activity. The majority of the TICs (27/31) of pNETs G1/G2 were above or equal to those of pancreatic parenchyma in the arterial phase, but most (7/11) pNETs G3/pNECs had TICs below those of pancreatic parenchyma from arterial phase to late phase (p < 0.05). Among all the CEUS quantitative parameters of DCE-US, values of relative rise time (rPE), relative mean transit time (rmTT) and relative area under the curve (rAUC) were significantly higher in pNETs G1/G2 group than those in pNETs G3/pNECs group (p < 0.05). Taking an rPE below 1.09 as the optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for prediction of pNETs G3/pNECs from G1/G2 were 90.91% [58.70% to 99.80%], 67.64% [48.61% to 83.32%] and 85.78% [74.14% to 97.42%], respectively. Taking rAUC below 0.855 as the optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for prediction of pNETs G3/pNECs from G1/G2 were 90.91% [66.26% to 99.53%], 83.87% [67.37% to 92.91%] and 94.72% [88.30% to 100.00%], respectively. Conclusions: Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound analysis might be helpful for predicting the pathological grades of pNETs. Among all quantitative parameters, rPE, rmTT and rAUC are potentially useful parameters for predicting G3/pNECs with aggressive behavior.

Extraction and characterization of a functional protein from Millettia speciosa Champ. leaf.

Natural plant-derived protein with excellent bioactivities has attracted much attention so a functional protein with molecular weight of 15.2 kDa was extracted from Millettia speciosa Champ. leaf for the first time. Under the pH of 12.0, solid-liquid ratio of 1:40 (w/v), extraction time of 2.0 h, and extraction temperature of 50 °C, the highest extracting efficiency (79.25 ± 0.78%) of the Millettia speciosa Champ. leaf protein (MLP) was achieved. The main structure of MLP contained ß-fold and ß-corner by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Circular dichroism (CD) spectra analysis. Additionally, MLP was predominant with glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and leucine, which could be considered as a high quality natural protein. MLP showed great water holding capacity (WHC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), as well as emulsifying and foaming properties. Simultaneously, MLP exhibited considerable antioxidant activity. These results suggested that MLP could be utilised as a promising ingredient of functional foods.

Regulation of Hepatocellular Cholesterol Metabolism By Lactobacillus Paracasei BY2 and Its Embedding Delivery.

In this study, five strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with excellent cholesterol-lowering ability were screened from fermented foods. The gastrointestinal stress resistance, intestinal adhesion, and bacteriostasis abilities were evaluated to obtain the best LAB. And then, high-cholesterol HepG2 cell model was further prepared to explore the cholesterol-lowering mechanism of the LAB. Finally, pH-sensitive hydrogel prepared by Millettia speciosa Champ. carboxymethyl cellulose and Millettia speciosa Champ. cellulose was first applied to the microencapsulation of LAB. As a result, Lactobacillus paracasei BY2 (LP-BY2) exhibited higher cholesterol-lowering activity, intestinal adhesion, and bacteriostasis abilities compared with other LAB. Furthermore, it was found that LP-BY2 could reduce the cholesterol level by regulating the expression of key genes that involved in cholesterol synthesis (HMGCR and SREBP-2), uptake (LDLR), and outflow (LXR-α, ABCA1, ABCG5, ABCG8, and CYP7A1) in liver. At the same time, microencapsulation significantly enhanced the survival rate and cholesterol-lowering ability of LP-BY2 after gastrointestinal digestion. This study will provide an available reference for the application of Lactobacillus in prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Double-Cavity Modulation of Exciton Polaritons in CsPbBr3 Microwire.

The lead halide perovskite has become a promising candidate for the study of exciton polaritons due to their excellent optical properties. Here, both experimental and simulated results confirm the existence of two kinds of Fabry-Pérot microcavities in a single CsPbBr3 microwire with an isosceles right triangle cross section, and we experimentally demonstrate that confined photons in a straight and a folded Fabry-Pérot microcavity are strongly coupled with excitons to form exciton polaritons. Furthermore, we reveal the polarization characteristic and double-cavity modulation of exciton polaritons emission by polarization-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results not only prove that the modulation of exciton polaritons emission can occur in this simple double-cavity system but also provide a possibility to develop related polariton devices.