Effects of whole grains on glycemic control: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Whole grains have recently been promoted as beneficial to diabetes prevention. However, the evidence for the glycemic benefits of whole grains seems to conflict between the cohort studies and randomized control trials (RCTs). To fill the research gap, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effects of whole grains on diabetes prevention and to inform recommendations. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Clarivate Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until March 2024. We used the risk ratio (RR) of type 2 diabetes to represent the clinical outcomes for cohort studies, while the biomarkers, including fasting blood glucose and insulin, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR, were utilized to show outcomes for RCTs. Dose-response relationships between whole grain intakes and outcomes were tested with random effects meta-regression models and restricted cubic splines models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021281639. RESULTS: Ten prospective cohort studies and 37 RCTs were included. Cohort studies suggested a 50 g/day whole grain intake reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes (RR = 0.761, 95% CI: 0.700 to 0.828, I2 = 72.39%, P < 0.001) and indicated a monotonic inverse relationship between whole grains and type 2 diabetes rate. In RCTs, whole grains significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (Mean difference (MD) = -0.103 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.178 to -0.028; I2 = 72.99%, P < 0.01) and had modest effects on HbA1C (MD = -0.662 mmol/mol (-0.06%), 95% CI: -1.335 to 0.010; I2 = 64.55%, P = 0.05) and HOMA-IR (MD = -0.164, 95% CI: -0.342 to 0.013; I2 = 33.38%, P = 0.07). The intake of whole grains and FBG, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR were significantly dose-dependent. The restricted spline curves remained flat up to 150 g/day and decreased afterward. Subgroup analysis showed that interventions with multiple whole-grain types were more effective than those with a single type. CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that a daily intake of more than 150 g of whole grain ingredients is recommended as a population approach for diabetes prevention.

Self-supplying Cu2+ and H2O2 synergistically enhancing disulfiram-mediated melanoma chemotherapy.

Disulfiram (DSF) can target and kill cancer cells by disrupting cellular degradation of extruded proteins and has therefore received particular attention for its tumor chemotherapeutic potential. However, the uncontrollable Cu2+/DSF ratio reduces the efficacy of DSF-mediated chemotherapy. Herein, self-supplying Cu2+ and oxidative stress synergistically enhanced DSF-mediated chemotherapy is proposed for melanoma-based on PVP-coated CuO2 nanodots (CPNDs). Once ingested, DSF is broken down to diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC), which is delivered into a tumor via the circulation. Under the acidic tumor microenvironment, CPNDs produce sufficient Cu2+ and H2O2. DTC readily chelates Cu2+ ions to generate CuET, which shows antitumor efficacy. CuET-mediated chemotherapy can be enhanced by H2O2. Sufficient Cu2+ generation can guarantee the maximum efficacy of DSF-mediated chemotherapy. Furthermore, released Cu2+ can be reduced to Cu+ by glutathione (GSH) and O2- in tumor cells, and Cu+ can react with H2O2 to generate toxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) via a Fenton-like reaction, promoting the efficacy of CuET. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that employing CPNDs instead of Cu2+ ions could enhance DSF-mediated melanoma chemotherapy, providing a simple but efficient strategy for achieving chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Magnetically actuated sonodynamic nanorobot collectives for potentiated ovarian cancer therapy.

Ovarian cancer presents a substantial challenge due to its high mortality and recurrence rates among gynecological tumors. Existing clinical chemotherapy treatments are notably limited by drug resistance and systemic toxic side effects caused by off target drugs. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising approach in cancer treatment, motivating researchers to explore synergistic combinations with other therapies for enhanced efficacy. In this study, we developed magnetic sonodynamic nanorobot (Fe3O4@SiO2-Ce6, FSC) by applying a SiO2 coating onto Fe3O4 nanoparticle, followed by coupling with the sonosensitizer Ce6. The magnetic FSC nanorobot collectives could gather at fixed point and actively move to target site regulated by magnetic field. In vitro experiments revealed that the magnetic FSC nanorobot collectives enabled directional navigation to the tumor cell area under guidance. Furthermore, under low-intensity ultrasonic stimulation, FSC nanorobot collectives mediated sonodynamic therapy exhibited remarkable anti-tumor performance. These findings suggest that magnetically actuated sonodynamic nanorobot collectives hold promising potential for application in target cancer therapy.

Promoting collateral formation in type 2 diabetes mellitus using ultra-small nanodots with autophagy activation and ROS scavenging.

BACKGROUND: Impaired collateral formation is a major factor contributing to poor prognosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the current pharmacological treatments for improving collateral formation remain unsatisfactory. The induction of endothelial autophagy and the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) represent potential therapeutic targets for enhancing endothelial angiogenesis and facilitating collateral formation. This study investigates the potential of molybdenum disulfide nanodots (MoS2 NDs) for enhancing collateral formation and improving prognosis. RESULTS: Our study shows that MoS2 NDs significantly enhance collateral formation in ischemic tissues of diabetic mice, improving effective blood resupply. Additionally, MoS2 NDs boost the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells under high glucose/hypoxia conditions in vitro. Mechanistically, the beneficial effects of MoS2 NDs on collateral formation not only depend on their known scavenging properties of ROS (H2O2, •O2-, and •OH) but also primarily involve a molecular pathway, cAMP/PKA-NR4A2, which promotes autophagy and contributes to mitigating damage in diabetic endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study investigated the specific mechanism by which MoS2 NDs mediated autophagy activation and highlighted the synergy between autophagy activation and antioxidation, thus suggesting that an economic and biocompatible nano-agent with dual therapeutic functions is highly preferable for promoting collateral formation in a diabetic context, thus, highlighting their therapeutic potential.

Breaking Physical Barrier of Fibrotic Breast Cancer for Photodynamic Immunotherapy by Remodeling Tumor Extracellular Matrix and Reprogramming Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) assist in breast cancer (BRCA) invasion and immune resistance by overproduction of extracellular matrix (ECM). Herein, we develop FPC@S, a photodynamic immunomodulator that targets the ECM, to improve the photodynamic immunotherapy for fibrotic BRCA. FPC@S combines a tumor ECM-targeting peptide, a photosensitizer (protoporphyrin IX) and an antifibrotic drug (SIS3). After anchoring to the ECM, FPC@S causes ECM remodeling and BRCA cell death by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ. Interestingly, the ROS-mediated ECM remodeling can normalize the tumor blood vessel to improve hypoxia and in turn facilitate more ROS production. Besides, upon the acidic tumor microenvironment, FPC@S will release SIS3 for reprograming CAFs to reduce their activity but not kill them, thus inhibiting fibrosis while preventing BRCA metastasis. The natural physical barrier formed by the dense ECM is consequently eliminated in fibrotic BRCA, allowing the drugs and immune cells to penetrate deep into tumors and have better efficacy. Furthermore, FPC@S can stimulate the immune system and effectively suppress primary, distant and metastatic tumors by combining with immune checkpoint blockade therapy. This study provides different insights for the development of fibrotic tumor targeted delivery systems and exploration of synergistic immunotherapeutic mechanisms against aggressive BRCA.

1-Selector 1-Memristor Configuration with Multifunctional a-IGZO Memristive Devices Fabricated at Room Temperature.

Serving as neuromorphic hardware accelerators, memristors play a crucial role in large-scale neuromorphic computing. Herein, two-terminal memristors utilizing amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) are fabricated through room-temperature sputtering. The electrical characteristics of these memristors are effectively modulated by varying the oxygen flow during the deposition process. The optimized a-IGZO memristor, fabricated under 3 sccm oxygen flow, presents a 5 × 103 ratio between its high- and low-resistance states, which can be maintained over 1 × 104 s with minimal degradation. Meanwhile, desirable properties such as electroforming-free and self-compliance, crucial for low-energy consumption, are also obtained in the a-IGZO memristor. Moreover, analog conductance switching is observed, demonstrating an interface-type behavior, as evidenced by its device-size-dependent performance. The coexistence of negative differential resistance with analog switching is attributed to the migration of oxygen vacancies and the trapping/detrapping of charges. Furthermore, the device demonstrates optical storage capabilities by exploiting the optical properties of a-IGZO, which can stably operate for up to 50 sweep cycles. Various synaptic functions have been demonstrated, including paired-pulse facilitation and spike-timing-dependent plasticity. These functionalities contribute to a simulated recognition accuracy of 90% for handwritten digits. Importantly, a one-selector one-memristor (1S1M) architecture is successfully constructed at room temperature by integrating a-IGZO memristor on a TaOx-based selector. This architecture exhibits a 107 on/off ratio, demonstrating its potential to suppress sneak currents among adjacent units in a memristor crossbar.

Lactic acid responsive sequential production of hydrogen peroxide and consumption of glutathione for enhanced ferroptosis tumor therapy.

Ferroptosis is characterized by the lethal accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS), which has great potential for tumor therapy. However, developing new ferroptosis-inducing strategies by combining nanomaterials with small molecule inducers is important. In this study, an enzyme-gated biodegradable natural-product delivery system based on lactate oxidase (LOD)-gated biodegradable iridium (Ir)-doped hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMONs) loaded with honokiol (HNK) (HNK@Ir-HMONs-LOD, HIHL) is designed to enhance ferroptosis in colon tumor therapy. After reaching the tumor microenvironment, the outer LOD dissociates and releases the HNK to induce ferroptosis. Moreover, the released dopant Ir4+ and disulfide-bridged organosilica frameworks deplete intracellular glutathione (GSH), which is followed by GSH-mediated Ir(IV)/Ir(III) conversion. This leads to the repression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity and decomposition of intratumoral hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hydroxyl radicals (•OH) by Ir3+-mediated Fenton-like reactions. Moreover, LOD efficiently depletes lactic acid to facilitate the generation of H2O2 and boost the Fenton reaction, which in turn enhances ROS generation. With the synergistic effects of these cascade reactions and the release of HNK, notable ferroptosis efficacy was observed both in vitro and in vivo. This combination of natural product-induced and lactic acid-responsive sequential production of H2O2 as well as the consumption of glutathione may provide a new paradigm for achieving effective ferroptosis-based cancer therapy.

Super-resolution imaging of urethral vasculature in healthy pre- and post-menopausal females.

Previous studies have postulated that the urethral vasculature (UV) might play an important role in urinary continence for women. The goal of this research was to compare the UV in pre- and post-menopausal women using a super-resolution ultrasound imaging method called Super Ultrasound for Greater Accuracy and Resolution (SUGAR). We found that post-menopausal women exhibited decreased UV parameters such as fractal dimension, vessel proportion, and mean blood vessel diameter than pre-menopausal women. We also discriminated the vascular pattern in several layers of the urethra and its surrounding in vivo, including the urethral mucosa and submucosa, urethral muscle, and anterior vaginal wall. Besides, the statistical analysis of the vasculature pattern showed that most of the UV parameters peaked at mid-urethra. Ultimately, the UV parameters exhibited a tendency of first increasing, then reducing, and finally decreasing with age.

Bone age assessment based on three-dimensional ultrasound and artificial intelligence compared with paediatrician-read radiographic bone age: protocol for a prospective, diagnostic accuracy study.

INTRODUCTION: Radiographic bone age (BA) assessment is widely used to evaluate children's growth disorders and predict their future height. Moreover, children are more sensitive and vulnerable to X-ray radiation exposure than adults. The purpose of this study is to develop a new, safer, radiation-free BA assessment method for children by using three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and artificial intelligence (AI), and to test the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of this method. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a prospective, observational study. All participants will be recruited through Paediatric Growth and Development Clinic. All participants will receive left hand 3D-US and X-ray examination at the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital on the same day, all images will be recorded. These image related data will be collected and randomly divided into training set (80% of all) and test set (20% of all). The training set will be used to establish a cascade network of 3D-US skeletal image segmentation and BA prediction model to achieve end-to-end prediction of image to BA. The test set will be used to evaluate the accuracy of AI BA model of 3D-US. We have developed a new ultrasonic scanning device, which can be proposed to automatic 3D-US scanning of hands. AI algorithms, such as convolutional neural network, will be used to identify and segment the skeletal structures in the hand 3D-US images. We will achieve automatic segmentation of hand skeletal 3D-US images, establish BA prediction model of 3D-US, and test the accuracy of the prediction model. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Ethics Committee of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital approved this study. The approval number is 2022-019. A written informed consent will be obtained from their parent or guardian of each participant. Final results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200057236.

Cardiac-specific deletion of BRG1 ameliorates ventricular arrhythmia in mice with myocardial infarction.

Malignant ventricular arrhythmia (VA) after myocardial infarction (MI) is mainly caused by myocardial electrophysiological remodeling. Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) is an ATPase catalytic subunit that belongs to a family of chromatin remodeling complexes called Switch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable Chromatin (SWI/SNF). BRG1 has been reported as a molecular chaperone, interacting with various transcription factors or proteins to regulate transcription in cardiac diseases. In this study, we investigated the potential role of BRG1 in ion channel remodeling and VA after ischemic infarction. Myocardial infarction (MI) mice were established by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, and electrocardiogram (ECG) was monitored. Epicardial conduction of MI mouse heart was characterized in Langendorff-perfused hearts using epicardial optical voltage mapping. Patch-clamping analysis was conducted in single ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from the mice. We showed that BRG1 expression in the border zone was progressively increased in the first week following MI. Cardiac-specific deletion of BRG1 by tail vein injection of AAV9-BRG1-shRNA significantly ameliorated susceptibility to electrical-induced VA and shortened QTc intervals in MI mice. BRG1 knockdown significantly enhanced conduction velocity (CV) and reversed the prolonged action potential duration in MI mouse heart. Moreover, BRG1 knockdown improved the decreased densities of Na+ current (INa) and transient outward potassium current (Ito), as well as the expression of Nav1.5 and Kv4.3 in the border zone of MI mouse hearts and in hypoxia-treated neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes. We revealed that MI increased the binding among BRG1, T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) and ß-catenin, forming a transcription complex, which suppressed the transcription activity of SCN5A and KCND3, thereby influencing the incidence of VA post-MI.

Classification of breast lesions in ultrasound images using deep convolutional neural networks: transfer learning versus automatic architecture design.

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have demonstrated promising performance in classifying breast lesions in 2D ultrasound (US) images. Exiting approaches typically use pre-trained models based on architectures designed for natural images with transfer learning. Fewer attempts have been made to design customized architectures specifically for this purpose. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation on transfer learning based solutions and automatically designed networks, analyzing the accuracy and robustness of different recognition models in three folds. First, we develop six different DCNN models (BNet, GNet, SqNet, DsNet, RsNet, IncReNet) based on transfer learning. Second, we adapt the Bayesian optimization method to optimize a CNN network (BONet) for classifying breast lesions. A retrospective dataset of 3034 US images collected from various hospitals is then used for evaluation. Extensive tests show that the BONet outperforms other models, exhibiting higher accuracy (83.33%), lower generalization gap (1.85%), shorter training time (66 min), and less model complexity (approximately 0.5 million weight parameters). We also compare the diagnostic performance of all models against that by three experienced radiologists. Finally, we explore the use of saliency maps to explain the classification decisions made by different models. Our investigation shows that saliency maps can assist in comprehending the classification decisions.

Dual-Functional Laser-Guided Magnetic Nanorobot Collectives against Gravity for On-Demand Thermo-Chemotherapy of Peritoneal Metastasis.

Combining hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cytoreductive surgery is the main treatment modality for peritoneal metastatic (PM) carcinoma despite the off-target effects of chemotherapy drugs and the ineluctable side effects of total abdominal heating. Herein, a laser-integrated magnetic actuation system that actively delivers doxorubicin (DOX)-grafted magnetic nanorobot collectives to the tumor site in model mice for local hyperthermia and chemotherapy is reported. With intraluminal movements controlled by a torque-force hybrid magnetic field, these magnetic nanorobots gather at a fixed point coinciding with the position of the localization laser, moving upward against gravity over a long distance and targeting tumor sites under ultrasound imaging guidance. Because aggregation enhances the photothermal effect, controlled local DOX release is achieved under near-infrared laser irradiation. The targeted on-demand photothermal therapy of multiple PM carcinomas while minimizing off-target tissue damage is demonstrated. Additionally, a localization/treatment dual-functional laser-integrated magnetic actuation system is developed and validated in vivo, offering a potentially clinically feasible drug delivery strategy for targeting PM and other intraluminal tumors.

Pitfalls and strategies of Sonazoid enhanced ultrasonography in differentiating metastatic and benign hepatic lesions.

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to clarify pitfalls and find strategies for the detecting and diagnosing hyperechoic liver metastases (LMs) using Sonazoid-contrast enhanced ultrasonography (Sonazoid-CEUS). METHODS: This study was a prospective self-controlled study. Patients with hepatic lesions suspected as LMs or benign lesions were included in the study. Baseline ultrasonography (BUS) and Sonazoid-CEUS were performed on every patient. Characteristics of LMs and benign nodules were compared by chi-square test and fisher test. Factors influenced the CEUS were demonstrated by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: 54 patients were included in this study. CEUS found additional 75 LMs from 19 patients in Kupffer phase. We found hyperechoic focal liver lesions and deep seated in liver are main confounding factors in CEUS diagnosis. Sensitivity would be improved from 16.67% to 78.57%, negative predictive value (NPV) would be improved from 28.57% to 76.92% and accuracy would be improved from 37.5% to 87.50% when using rapid "wash-in" and "wash-out" as main diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperechoic LMs especially deeply seated ones are usually not shown typical "black hole" sign in Kupffer phase. Quickly "wash-in and wash out" shows high accuracy in diagnosing malignant nodules. We highly recommend CEUS as a routing exam to detect and diagnose LMs.

Erratum: CXCL12-mediated monocyte transmigration into brain perivascular space leads to neuroinflammation and memory deficit in neuropathic pain: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.44364.].

Maximum intensity projection based on high frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the differentiation of breast tumors.

Objective: We explored the role of maximum intensity projection (MIP) based on high frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (H-CEUS) for the differentiation of breast tumors. Methods: MIP imaging was performed in patients with breast tumors who underwent H-CEUS examinations. The microvasculature morphology of breast tumors was assessed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MIP. Results: Forty-three breast tumors were finally analyzed, consisting of 19 benign and 24 malignant tumors. For the ≤30-s and >30-s phases, dot-, line-, or branch-like patterns were significantly more common in benign tumors. A tree-like pattern was only present in the benign tumors. A crab claw-like pattern was significantly more common in the malignant tumors. Among the tumors with crab claw-like patterns, three cases of malignant tumors had multiple parallel small spiculated vessels. There were significant differences in the microvasculature morphology for the ≤30-s and >30-s phases between the benign and malignant tumors (all p < 0.001). The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the ≤30-s phase were all higher than those of the >30-s phase for the classification of breast tumors. Conclusion: MIP based on H-CEUS can be used for the differentiation of breast tumors, and the ≤30-s phase had a better diagnostic value. Multiple parallel small spiculated vessels were a new finding, which could provide new insight for the subsequent study of breast tumors.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of serplulimab in combination with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy compared to cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in China.

Background: This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of serplulimab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in treating advanced/metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) within the Chinese health care system. Methods: A partitioned survival model based on ASTRUM-007 trial patient characteristics was developed. Efficacy, safety, and medical/economic data were obtained from the trial and real-world clinical practice. Costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for both treatment strategies. Sensitivity, subgroup, and scenario analyses were performed to assess the uncertainty impact. Results: Serplulimab combined with chemotherapy yielded an ICER of US$ 53,538.27/QALY. Deterministic sensitivity analysis identified patient survival and serplulimab price as influential parameters. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed a 47.33% probability of cost-effectiveness at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of US$ 53,541/QALY and 0.05% at three times China's GDP per capita. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression combined positive score (CPS) ⩾10 had a lower hazard ratio (0.59) and ICER (US$ 29,935.23/QALY), with a 95.36% probability of cost-effectiveness. Scenario analysis demonstrated that the drug donation discount policy significantly increased the likelihood of cost-effective serplulimab-chemotherapy combinations in Jiangsu, Fujian, and Guangdong at 99.99%, 99.90%, and 94.16%, respectively. Conclusion: Compared to chemotherapy alone, serplulimab combined with chemotherapy is currently not a cost-effective first-line treatment for advanced/metastatic ESCC in China. However, as serplulimab plus chemotherapy regimens evolve and price competition among programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors intensifies, this combination may become a cost-effective treatment option.

Assessing Serplulimab's Value in Treating Advanced Esophageal Cancer in China In China, esophageal cancer patients often need chemotherapy due to late diagnosis. Serplulimab, an expensive new treatment, is not cost-effective when combined with chemotherapy for most patients. However, for specific patient groups with a PD-L1 expression CPS ⩾ 10, it is both effective and affordable. This finding helps health care leaders create better pricing strategies.

The role of BRG1 in epigenetic regulation of cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases have been closely linked to abnormal epigenetic regulation. In the context of epigenetic regulation, BRG1, a pivotal SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzyme, emerges as a key epigenetic regulator with significant impact on the development and progression of cardiovascular disorders. From the perspective of epigenetic regulation of cardiovascular diseases, BRG1 emerges as a pivotal SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzyme, functioning as a key epigenetic regulator. It exerts substantial influence on the development and progression of cardiovascular disorders by exerting precise control over gene expression and protein levels. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of BRG1's epigenetic regulatory role in cardiovascular disease is essential for unraveling its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. This paper summarizes and discusses the function of BRG1 in the epigenetic regulation of cardiovascular diseases.

Facile Preparation of Durable and Eco-Friendly Superhydrophobic Filter with Self-Healing Ability for Efficient Oil/Water Separation.

The superhydrophobic feature is highly desirable for oil/water separation (OWS) operation to achieve excellent separation efficiency. However, using hazardous materials in fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces is always the main concern. Herein, superhydrophobic filters were prepared via an eco-friendly approach by anchoring silica particles (SiO2) onto the cotton fabric surface, followed by surface coating using natural material-myristic acid via a dip coating method. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used in the synthesis of SiO2 particles from the silica sol. In addition, the impact of the drying temperature on the wettability of the superhydrophobic filter was investigated. Moreover, the pristine cotton fabric and as-prepared superhydrophobic cotton filters were characterised based on Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and contact angle (CA) measurement. The superhydrophobic cotton filter was used to perform OWS using an oil-water mixture containing either chloroform, hexane, toluene, xylene or dichloroethane. The separation efficiency of the OWS using the superhydrophobic filter was as high as 99.9%. Moreover, the superhydrophobic fabric filter also demonstrated excellent durability, chemical stability, self-healing ability and reusability.

Ultrasonographic study of female perineal body and its supportive function on pelvic floor.

Objectives: The study aimed to observe, measure the size and elastic value of perineal body (PB) and assess its association with levator hiatus. Methods: Datasets were acquired in 45 nulliparous, 66 POP women and 70 postpartum women using ultrasound. The PB was measured in depth, height, and Young's modulus. The datasets were compared to assess whether there are some differences in the morphology, dimension and elastography modulus of PB among women. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the association between the morphology measurements (ΔValsalva-rest[v-r]), tissue mechanical properties (ΔValsalva-rest[v-r]) of the PB and levator hiatus area (ΔValsalva-rest[v-r]) to preliminarily explore whether PB can influence levator hiatus. Results: Four representative manifestations of PB were presented in our study. Nulliparous women had smaller diameters and bigger Young's modulus while postpartum women had bigger diameters and smaller Young's modulus. POP and postpartum women had bigger levator hiatal distensibility and PB extensibility. There was no statistical association between PB measurements and levator hiatal area. Conclusion: It is feasible to observe the morphology of PB and assess the dimension and elastography modulus by high-frequency ultrasound. The manifestations and measurements of PB are influenced by parity and long-term increased abdominal pressure. Our study preliminarily shows that PB has little effect on levator hiatus area.