Assessing Diagnostic Performance Using the Transverse Plane Plus Coronal Plane Compared With the Transverse Plane Alone in Screening Automated Breast Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: The coronal plane is the unique display mode of automated breast (AB) ultrasound (US), which has valuable features of showing the entire breast anatomy and providing additional diagnostic value for breast lesions. However, whether adding the coronal plane could improve the diagnostic performance in screening breast cancer remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the value of adding the coronal plane in interpretation for AB US screening. METHODS: In this retrospective study, AB US images from 644 women (396 in the no-finding group, 143 with benign lesions, and 105 with malignant lesions) aged 40-70 years were collected between January 2016 and October 2020. Four novice radiologists (with 1-5 years of experience with breast US) and four experienced radiologists (with >5 years of experience with breast US) were assigned to read all AB US images in the transverse plane plus coronal plane (T + C planes) and transverse plane (T plane) alone in separate reading sessions. Diagnostic performance, lesion conspicuity, and reading time were compared using analysis of variance. RESULTS: The mean reading time of all radiologists was significantly shorter in the T + C planes reading mode than in the T plane alone (115 ± 32 vs 128 ± 31 s, respectively; P < .05), and cancers had a higher conspicuity (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-3.08; P = .04). No significant differences were noted in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) in the sensitivity (82% [95% CI, 74-89%] vs 81% [95% CI, 74-88%], respectively; P = .68) and specificity (68% [95% CI, 62-75%] vs 70% [95% CI, 64-75%], respectively; P = .39) when Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 was set as the threshold. There were also no significant differences in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) in the sensitivity (70% [95% CI, 64-76%] vs 69% [95% CI, 63-75%], respectively; P = .39) and specificity (91% [95% CI, 87-96%] vs 91% [95% CI, 88-95%], respectively; P = .90) when BI-RADS 4 was set as the threshold. In addition, the mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of all radiologists in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) were not significantly different (0.84 [95% CI, 0.79-0.89] vs 0.83 [95% CI, 0.78-0.89], respectively; P = .61). CONCLUSIONS: Adding a coronal plane in the AB US screening setting saved the reading time and improved the conspicuity of breast cancers but not the diagnostic performance.

[Effects of Different Colored Polycarbonate Plastics on Growth and Community Structure of Periphytic Algae].

Periphytic algae are important primary producers in water bodies, which play an important role in maintaining ecological function and water purification. Previous studies have shown that plastic is a good substrate for periphytic algae, and different plastic materials have different effects on the colonization of periphytic algae; however, there are few reports on the effects of plastic color on the growth of periphytic algae. In this study, polycarbonate plastic (PC) of various colors were used as the substrate to study the effects of different colors on the growth and community structure of periphytic algae by measuring the biomass, photosynthetic activity, and community composition. The results showed that the growth of periphytic algae was inhibited by the brown PC plastic, and the contents of chlorophyll a and dry weight in this group were significantly lower than those in other groups. Green PC plastic inhibited the photosynthetic activity of periphytic algae, and the actual photosynthetic efficiency (Yield) of the group was significantly lower than that of the other groups. The influence of PC plastic with different colors on periphytic algae occurred mainly in the early colonization/development stage but was not significant in the late community maturity stage. On day seven of the experiment, the community composition of periphytic algae was significantly different between the transparent PC plastic group and the green PC plastic group. By contrast, on days 25 and 40, there were no significant differences in the community structure of periphytic algae. In the early stage of the experiment, the dominant genus was Pseudoranea (Cyanophyta), and in the middle and mature stages, the dominant genus was Mougeotia (Chlorophyta). In this study, the effects of different colors of polycarbonate plastics on periphytic algae were investigated, which provided new insights for selecting suitable substrates for water pollution treatment by using periphyton biotechnology.

Carboxymethyl Chitosan/Tannic Acid Hydrogel with Antibacterial, Hemostasis, and Antioxidant Properties Promoting Skin Wound Repair.

Local causes of slow wound healing include infection and wound hemorrhage. Using sodium bicarbonate as a neutralizer, a variety of carboxymethyl chitosan-tannic acid (CMC-TA) composite hydrogels solidify through hydrogen bonding in this study. The best-performing hydrogel was synthesized by altering the concentration of TA and exhibited remarkable mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Following in vitro characterization tests, the CMC-TA hydrogel exhibited remarkable antibacterial and antioxidant properties, as well as quick hemostasis capabilities. In the in vivo wound healing study, the results showed that the CMC-TA hydrogel could relieve inflammation and promote the recovery of skin incision, re-epithelialization, and collagen deposition. Overall, this multifunctional hydrogel could be an ideal wound dressing for the clinical therapy of full-thickness wounds.

A PEG-CMC-THB-PRTM hydrogel with antibacterial and hemostatic properties for promoting wound healing.

The introduction of antibacterial and hemostatic hydrogels with good mechanical properties that display desirable impacts on wound healing process is still an unmet essential for clinical wound dressings. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel PEG-CMC-THB-PRTM was fabricated via a one-pot method combining carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde (THB), protamine (PRTM) and 4-arm polyethylene glycol aldehyde (PEG). The hydrogel was formed by the dynamic Schiff base reaction between amino groups of carboxymethyl chitosan and aldehyde groups of 4-arm polyethylene glycol aldehyde and exhibited excellent mechanical properties. The developed hydrogel also showed outstanding effects on anti-bacteria and hemostasis through the release of PRTM. Moreover, the hydrogel could promote extracellular matrix formation and wound closure in vivo, thereby accelerating the healing of skin wound. These results suggested that the multifunctional PEG-CMC-THB-PRTM hydrogel is a promising candidate for the clinical treatment of full-thickness wounds.

The esterified lentinan bilayer nanofibrous membrane for promoting wound healing.

Host reactions following implantation of biomaterials, especially the macrophages' responses could significantly affect the wound healing process. Therefore, it is meaningful to develop immunostimulatory active wound dressing to accelerate wound healing. In this study, lentinan (LNT) was esterified with different carboxylic acids, and the bilayer nanofibrous membrane (BilayerM) based on the esterified LNT was designed. BilayerM exhibited good water absorption, red blood cells (RBC), platelets, and fibronectin adhesion abilities. The ELISA results indicated that BilayerM stimulated macrophages to secrete pro-inflammatory and pro-regenerative cytokines. Moreover, cell migration results showed that BilayerM promoted the migration and proliferation of NIH3T3 and HUVECs. The wound healing efficacy studies demonstrated that BilayerM significantly accelerated the wound healing rate in a full-thickness skin defect model. Therefore, these results indicate that this bioactive dressing is a hopeful candidate for clinical treatment of cutaneous wounds.

LncRNA MEG3 activates CDH2 expression by recruitment of EP300 in valproic acid-induced autism spectrum disorder.

LncRNAs partake in the biological processes contributing to development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) on viability and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons from ASD rats. Rats with ASD were induced using valproic acid (VPA) with normal saline (NS) as control. We performed microarray analysis on hippocampal tissues of NS rats and ASD rats to screen the differentially expressed lncRNAs. MEG3 loss in rats alleviated the impairment of learning and memory abilities induced by VPA, and promoted neuronal viability and inhibited apoptosis. MEG3 could recruit the transcription factor E1A binding protein p300 (EP300) in the nucleus and promote the cadherin 2 (CDH2) expression. CDH2 depletion in rats ameliorated the impairment of learning and memory capacities in ASD rats. After upregulation of CDH2 in neurons with sh-MEG3, we found diminished viability and increased apoptosis in hippocampal neurons of ASD rats. Taken together, MEG3 supports activation of CDH2 via EP300, thus repressing the viability of hippocampal neurons. Therefore, MEG3 upregulation may be partially responsible for the pathogenesis of ASD.

Accuracy evaluation of combining gastroscopy, multi-slice spiral CT, Her-2, and tumor markers in gastric cancer staging diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of single gastroscopy, multi-slice spiral CT, HER-2 or tumor markers, and their combination in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 98 patients with gastric cancer were selected as the research subjects. All patients underwent preoperative gastroscopy, MSCT, and the expression levels of HER-2, CEA, CA199, CA724, and CA242 were detected. A control group of 98 normal adults was selected to compare the risk factors for gastric cancer and to analyze the data. RESULTS: There was statistical significance in the expression of the 5 markers in tumor size (P < 0.05), but no statistical significance in other clinical data (P > 0.05). The tumor marker CEA in gastric mucosal tissue of patients with gastric cancer had the highest positive detection rate for gastric cancer, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) compared with gastroscopy, MSCT and other markers. The combined diagnosis had higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy compared with the single diagnosis of gastric cancer staging, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with normal adults, patients with gastric cancer had statistically significant differences in diet, body mass index, and family genetic history (P < 0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in whether they had type A blood (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined diagnosis of gastroscopy, MSCT, immunohistochemical marker Her-2, and tumor markers CEA, CA199, CA724, and CA242 can more accurately determine the clinical staging and lesion invasion depth of patients with gastric cancer and can significantly improve the sensitivity of diagnosis.

Community-level and function response of photoautotrophic periphyton exposed to oxytetracycline hydrochloride.

Periphyton is considered important for removal of organic pollutants from water bodies, but knowledge of the impacts of antibiotics on the community structure and ecological function of waterbodies remains limited. In this study, the effects of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) on the communities of photoautotrophic epilithon and epipelon and its effect on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the water column were studied in a 12-day mesocosm experiment. The dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the epipelon and epilithon experiment showed similar patterns. The concentrations of total nitrogen, dissolved total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorus and dissolved total phosphorus in the water column increased rapidly during the initial days of exposure, after which a downward trend occurred. In the epilithon experiment, we found that the photosynthesis (Fv/Fm) and biomass of epilithon were significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated in the low concentration group. Contrarily, growth and photosynthesis (Fv/Fm) were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in the medium and high concentration group. We further found that the photosynthetic efficiency of photoautotrophic epilithon was negatively correlated with the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water column (P < 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the communities of epilithic algae in the control group and in the low concentration group were significantly (P < 0.05) different from that of the high concentration group during the initial 4 days. After 8 days' exposure, all groups tended to be similar, indicating that epilithon showed rapid adaptability and/or resilience. Similar results were found for the relative abundance of some epilithic algae. Our findings indicate that the biofilm system has strong tolerance and adaptability to OTC as it recovered fast after an initial suppression, thus showing the important role of periphyton in maintaining the dynamic balance of nutrients with other processes in aquatic ecosystems.

Value of Rehabilitation Training for Children with Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed and Analyzed by Computed Tomography Imaging Information Features under Deep Learning.

To analyze the brain CT imaging data of children with cerebral palsy (CP), deep learning-based electronic computed tomography (CT) imaging information characteristics were used, thereby providing help for the rehabilitation analysis of children with CP and comorbid epilepsy. The brain CT imaging data of 73 children with CP were collected, who were outpatients or inpatients in our hospital. The images were randomly divided into two groups. One group was the artificial intelligence image group, and hybrid segmentation network (HSN) model was employed to analyze brain images to help the treatment. The other group was the control group, and original images were used to help diagnosis and treatment. The deep learning-based HSN was used to segment the CT image of the head of patients and was compared with other CNN methods. It was found that HSN had the highest Dice score (DSC) among all models. After treatment, six cases in the artificial intelligence image group returned to normal (20.7%), and the artificial intelligence image group was significantly higher than the control group (X 2 = 335191, P < 0.001). The cerebral hemodynamic changes were obviously different in the two groups of children before and after treatment. The VP of the cerebral artery in the child was (139.68 ± 15.66) cm/s after treatment, which was significantly faster than (131.84 ± 15.93) cm/s before treatment, P < 0.05. To sum up, the deep learning model can effectively segment the CP area, which can measure and assist the diagnosis of future clinical cases of children with CP. It can also improve medical efficiency and accurately identify the patient's focus area, which had great application potential in helping to identify the rehabilitation training results of children with CP.

Genotypes and Phenotypes of MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome: New Cases and Novel Point Mutations.

Aim: MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome (MCHS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. We describe the clinical phenotypes and genotypes of seven patients with MCHS to enhance the understanding of clinical manifestations and genetic alterations associated with MCHS. Method: Seven patients (6 females and 1 male, aged between 2 years 5 months and 6 years) who had MEF2C mutations, and their parents underwent trio-based whole-exome sequencing; subsequently, their clinical features were assessed. A literature review of patients with MCHS was performed by searching the PubMed and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases. Results: Seven mutations were identified, of which six were unreported in the past; of the reported cases, five patients had de novo mutations but two had an undefined inheritance pattern. All patients presented delays in developmental milestones, severe intellectual disabilities and lack of speech. Six patients exhibited infantile hypotonia, five patients experienced stereotypic movements and were unable to walk, four patients exhibited poor eye contact indicative of autism and two showed poor performance. While six patients experienced seizure, five among them became seizure free after receiving anti-seizure medicine. Three patients showed a regression in their development, whereas the mothers of two patients exhibited mosaicism but were healthy without any abovementioned symptoms. Interpretation: Regression was not a common phenomenon but occurred in MCHS. The prognosis of MCHS patients with epilepsy was good, but most patients can achieve a seizure-free status. Healthy people may have low-level mosaicism and carry a pathogenic MEF2C mutation.

[Role of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in Distinguishing between Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules with Calcification].

Objective To explore the roles of conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules with calcification. Methods A total of 102 solid thyroid nodules with calcification in 76 patients were evaluated by conventional ultrasound alone and conventional ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound.The features obtained through conventional ultrasound alone and that combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound were scored,and the diagnostic performance of the two methods was analyzed based on the final pathological results. Results The distribution of microcalcification(P<0.0001),aspect ratio>1(P=0.039),unclear boundary(P=0.027),ring enhancement around nodules(P=0.000),and the degree(P=0.000)and uniformity(P=0.001)of enhancement for the non-calcified part were statistically different between benign and malignant nodules.Compared with conventional ultrasound alone,conventional ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound significantly improved the area under the curve(0.841 vs.0.701,P<0.001)and specificity(97.06% vs. 44.12%,P=0.007),without significant change in sensitivity(67.55% vs. 73.53%,P=0.727). Conclusions The combination with contrast-enhanced ultrasound can improve the performance of conventional ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid solid nodules with calcification.Eight malignant signs include solid,hypoechoic,microcalcification,aspect ratio,and blurred edges detected by conventional ultrasound,and non-circular enhancement around nodules,low enhancement and non-uniform enhancement of solid parts detected by contrast-enhanced ultrasound.A solid thyroid nodule with calcification presenting five or more malignant signs highly suggests malignancy.

[Toxicological Effects of Enrofloxacin and Its Removal by Freshwater Micro-Green Algae Dictyosphaerium sp.]

Enrofloxacin (ENR), a fluoroquinolones antibiotic, is widely used in the medical and aquaculture fields. Its residues in surface waters in China are high. However, few studies have evaluated both its toxicity to phytoplankton and the degradation or removal by microalgae. In this study, the growth, photosynthetic activity, and exopolysaccharides (EPS) of freshwater micro-green algae Dictyosphaerium sp. and the dynamics of ENR concentrations (0, 5, 25, 50, and 100 mg·L-1) were studied through an exposure experiment for 12 days. Results showed that the biomass and photosynthetic pigment content of Dictyosphaerium sp. increased with increasing exposure time in each treatment; however, it showed a significant inhibitory effect on the growth and pigment accumulation of Dictyosphaerium sp. compared with the control group (P<0.01). The LC50 of ENR to Dictyosphaerium sp. was (241.29±7.33) mg·L-1 after 96-h exposure, indicating that Dictyosphaerium sp. could adapt to the stress conditions of high concentration ENR. Meanwhile, when the concentration of enrofloxacin was<5 mg·L-1, it was found to promote the maximum photosynthetic rate (Fv/Fm) of Dictyosphaerium sp. On the contrary, when the concentration of enrofloxacin was>5 mg·L-1, photosynthetic inhibition was observed (P<0.01). The actual photosynthetic rate (Yield) and the maximum electron transfer rate (ETRmax) showed a trend of initially decreasing and then increasing in 12 days. It can gradually adapt to the stress conditions and recover certain photosynthetic activity after 6 days' exposure. In addition, ENR can also stimulate the EPS (RPS and CPS) release. At the end of the experiment, the removal rates of ENR in the four control groups (no algae addition groups) (5, 25, 50, and 100 mg·L-1ENR) were 7.27%, 5.56%, 5.30%, and 4.88%, respectively, while the removal rates of the treatment groups were 3.21, 3.01, 2.69, and 2.83 times of the no algae groups, indicating that Dictyosphaerium sp. had a significant promoting effect on the removal of ENR (P<0.01). Overall, our results can provide new insights for the understanding of the ecological toxicity of fluoroquinolone antibiotics to primary producers in the aquatic system and also provide new ideas for the ecological removal of antibiotic residues in water bodies and the biological resource utilization of freshwater microalgae.

Risk Factors Associated with Failure of Direct Cyclopexy in the Treatment of Small to Moderate Tramatic Cyclodialysis Clefts.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the risk factors associated with failure to correct hypotony using direct cyclopexy in patients with traumatic cyclodialysis cleft. METHODS: In a series of 116 patients with traumatic cyclodialysis who underwent direct cyclopexy at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from January 2008 to August 2018, the clinical correlation between the risk factors and failure of the operation were retrospectively studied, after adjusting for other potential confounders. RESULTS: The curative ratio after one procedure was 82.76%, whereas 20 (17.24%) eyes experienced treatment failure after the first surgery. The degree of anterior chamber angle closure was significantly wider in patients with a failed first surgery than in patients for whom one procedure was a success (p = .046). The risk of failure to achieve closure increased as the angle-closure exceeded 5 clock hour (odds ratio, 10.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-61.72; p = .010). An analysis of the recurrent position indicated that an angle closure exceeding 5 clock hour may impede accurate cleft location and is thus associated with an increased risk of failure to correct hypotony. CONCLUSION: Exceeding the threshold of 5 clock hour in anterior chamber angle closure may impede accurate cleft location and, thus, present a higher risk of failure to correct hypotony using direct cyclopexy. These patients may need injection of a viscoelastic agent into the anterior chamber by paracentesis to deepen the anterior chamber and to delineate the clefts using gonioscopy pre- or intraoperatively.

[Utilization and growth response of Chrysosporum ovalisporum to different phosphorus compounds]. / 卵孢金孢藻对不同磷化合物的利用及生长响应.

To explore the ability of bloom-forming cyanobacterium Chrysosporum ovalisporum to utilize different kinds of phosphorus compounds in the water column, we examined the growth response of C. ovalisporum in the laboratory by taking dipotassium hydrogen phosphate as the control and set different treatments of phosphorus substrates. The results showed that C. ovalisporum could utilize sodium tripolyphosphate and terasodium pyrophosphate decahydrate, with better utilization of sodium tripolyphosphate. After 15 days, it had the highest biomass and chlorophyll a concentrations under the treatment of sodium tripolyphosphate, with a value of (426.96±47.42) mg·L-1 and (1852.34±116.60) µg·L-1, respectively. Compared with the control, there was no significant difference in biomass of C. ovalisporum under both the (2-aminoethyl)-phosphonic acid and disodium ß-glycerol phosphate pentahydrate treatments. The change characteristics of dissolved inorganic phosphate were related to the alkaline phosphatase activity, indicating that C. ovalisporum was able to utilize these two organophosphorus compounds via enzyme hydrolysis. The concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate reached 0 mg·L-1 during the whole experiment when the C. ovalisporum were fed with glyphosate. Biomass, specific growth rate, chlorophyll a concentration and photosynthetic activity of algal cells were significantly lower than those of the control, indicating that C. ova-lisporum could not uptake phosphorus compounds in the glyphosate substrate and thus their growth being inhibited. Our results present new insights to understand the diffusion mechanism of C. ovalisporum into different aquatic ecosystems and had theoretical reference value for the prevention and control of new cyanobacterial blooms.

Identification of a novel allele, MICA*088N, in a Chinese Kazakh individual.

The novel MICA*088N allele has a single nucleotide mismatch in exon 4 compared to MICA*027.

[Characteristics of Phytoplankton Community and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in Different Regions of Yilong Lake, Yunnan Province, China].

Yilong Lake, a shallow, plateau lake, is the ninth largest water body in the Yunnan Province, China. In order to figure out the characteristics of phytoplankton communities in different regions of this lake, the phytoplankton and environmental factors in the west region, east region, and in a submerged macrophytes restoration demonstration region were monthly investigated and analyzed from August 2013 to July 2014. The results showed that the habitats in different regions were spatially heterogeneous. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), transparency (SD), turbidity (Turb.), and electrical conductivity (EC) had no significant differences between the demonstration region and the west region, but these two regions showed significant differences in comparison with the east region (P<0.05). The largest phytoplankton density was Cyanophyta and the dominant species in the three regions were different. Mersmopedia tenuissima had the highest dominance in the west region; Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Pseudanabaena limntica were the most dominant taxa in the east region; while Merismopedia tenuissima and Anabaenopsis sp. were dominant in the O. uminata restoration demonstration region. PCoA compared the ß diversity of phytoplankton communities in the three different regions based on the entire year investigations. It was found that the community structures of the west region and O. uminata restoration demonstration region were similar (P>0.05), but they were significantly different from the community from the east region (P<0.01). Redundant analysis (RDA) showed that TN, TP, BOD5, and SD were the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of phytoplankton community in Yilong Lake. In addition, NH4+-N, EC, permanganate index, and pH also have a certain effect on the phytoplankton community.

Characterization of a novel MICB variant in an individual from the Chinese Uyghur population, MICB*005:09, by cloning and sequencing.

A new allelic variant in MICB*005 lineage, MICB*005:09, has been identified in a male Uyghur individual recruited from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China by PCR-sequence-based typing (Sanger sequencing) and confirmed by cloning and sequencing. Aligned with MICB*005:03, this new allelic variant shows a synonymous T substitution at nucleotide position 8 in exon 2, corresponding to codon 3 (CAC→CAT) of the mature MICB mRNA transcript.

Correlation between CT features of adrenocortical and adrenal medullary tumors and expression of miR-96 in serum.

Correlation between CT features of adrenocortical and adrenal medullary tumors and the expression of miR-96 in serum were investigated. A total of 230 patients with adrenocortical tumors and 194 patients with adrenal medullary tumors were selected in Dongying People's Hospital from August 2013 to August 2017. The two groups of patients underwent CT examination, and the signs and symptoms were recorded. The expression of miR-96 in the serum of the two groups was detected by RT-PCR, and the correlation between the expression of serum miR-96 and CT features was analyzed. In patients with adrenocortical tumor, serum miR-96 expression levels were significantly higher in patients with tumor diameter ≥5 cm than those with tumor diameter <5 cm (p<0.001). In patients with adrenal medullary tumor, serum miR-96 expression levels were significantly higher in patients with tumor diameter ≥3 cm than those with tumor diameter <3 cm (p<0.001). In patients with adrenocortical or adrenal medullary tumor, serum miR-96 expression levels were significantly higher in patients with peripheral infiltration than those without peripheral infiltration (p<0.001), and serum miR-96 expression levels were also significantly higher in patients with distant metastasis than those without distant metastasis (p<0.001). Serum levels of miR-96 in patients with benign adrenocortical and adrenal medullary tumors were significantly lower than those with malignant tumors in the same group (p<0.001). miR-96 may have oncogenic functions in patients with adrenocortical or adrenal medullary tumors. Increased expression level of miR-96 may promote proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumors, and serum levels of miR-96 provide references for the diagnosis of adrenocortical and adrenal medullary tumors.

Furostanol and Spirostanol Saponins from Tribulus terrestris.

Twelve new steroidal saponins, including eleven furostanol saponins, terrestrinin J-T (1-11), and one spirostanol saponin, terrestrinin U (12), together with seven known steroidal saponins 13-19 were isolated from T. terrestris. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS, and comparisons with published data.

Three-Year Efficacy and Safety of a Silicone Oil-Filled Foldable-Capsular-Vitreous-Body in Three Cases of Severe Retinal Detachment.

PURPOSE: We previously designed a novel foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) to treat severe retinal detachment and evaluated its performance in a 1-year follow up study. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of a silicone oil (SO)-filled FCVB in a 3-year follow-up. METHODS: Standard three-port pars plana vitrectomy was performed, and the FCVB was triple folded and implanted in the vitreous cavity of three eyes. The SO then was injected into the capsule to support the retina. The eyes were examined using Goldmann applanation tonometry, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), noncontact specular microscopy, and ultrasound biomicroscopy over a 3-year implantation period. RESULTS: At the 3-year follow-up, retinal reattachment was achieved in all three cases, with steady intraocular pressure. The visual acuity showed slight fluctuations, and it was slightly increased compared to baseline. Optical coherence tomography revealed decreased retinal thickness and an altered retinal structure in the implanted eyes compared to the control eyes. No keratopathy, glaucoma, SO leakage, SO emulsification, or other apparent complications occurred during the observation period. CONCLUSION: The SO-filled FCVB was effective and safe as a vitreous substitute in three eyes over a 3-year observation period. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Silicone oil emulsification is a severe complication after retinal detachment surgery. On the basis of animal experiments, we investigated a new strategy and product, the FCVB, to overcome this complication. In this pilot study, FCVB limited SO emulsification and migration. This study could lay the foundation for a further multicenter clinical trial.