Kaplan—Meier time-to-event curves for lochia duration in puerpera according to treatment with low-intensity focused ultrasound or sham device.

Kaplan—Meier time-to-event curves for lochia duration in puerpera according to treatment with low-intensity focused ultrasound or sham device.</p

Results of the generalized estimating equation for interaction effect test.

Results of the generalized estimating equation for interaction effect test.</p

Unadjusted association between LIFUS vs Sham in the overall patients.

Unadjusted association between LIFUS vs Sham in the overall patients.</p

Flow of the puerpera through the study of LIFUS.

BackgroundShort-term poor uterine involution manifests as uterine contraction weakness. This is one of the important causes of postpartum hemorrhage, posing a serious threat to the mother’s life and safety. The study aims to investigate whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS) can effectively shorten lochia duration, alleviate postpartum complications, and accelerate uterine involution compared with the sham treatment.MethodsA multicenter, concealed, randomized, blinded, and sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted across three medical centers involving 176 subjects, utilizing a parallel group design. Enrollment occurred between October 2019 and September 2020, with a 42-day follow-up period. Participants meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria based on normal prenatal examinations were randomly divided into the LIFUS group or the sham operation group via computer-generated randomization. Patients in the LIFUS group received usual care with the LIFUS protocol, wherein a LIFUS signal was transmitted to the uterine site through coupling gel, or sham treatment, where no low-intensity ultrasound signal output was emitted. The primary outcome, lochia duration, was assessed via weekly telephonic follow-ups post-discharge. The involution of the uterus, measured by uterine fundus height, served as the secondary outcome.ResultsAmong the 256 subjects screened for eligibility, 176 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the LIFUS group (n = 88) or the Sham group (n = 88). Data on the height of the uterine fundus were obtained from all the patients, with 696 out of 704 measurements (99%) successfully recorded. Overall, a statistically significant difference was noted in time to lochia termination (hazard ratio: 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82–3.85; P P ConclusionsThis study found that LIFUS treatment can promote uterine involution and abbreviate the duration of postpartum lochia. Ultrasound emerges as a safe and effective intervention, poised to address further clinical inquiries in the domain of postpartum rehabilitation.</div

Clinical trial protocol of ultrasound postpartum rehabilitation therapy instrument.

Clinical trial protocol of ultrasound postpartum rehabilitation therapy instrument.</p

Lochia duration of vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section.

Lochia duration of vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section.</p

Synergistic Effects of Intrinsic Cation Disorder and Electron-Deficient Substitution on Ion and Electron Conductivity in La_1–<i>x</i>Sr_<i>x</i>Co_0.5Mn_0.5O_3−δ (<i>x</i> = 0, 0.5, and 0.75)

The effects of intrinsic cation disorder and electron-deficient substitution for La_1–<i>x</i>Sr_<i>x</i>Co_0.5Mn_0.5O_3−δ (LSCM, <i>x</i> = 0, 0.5, and 0.75) on oxygen vacancy formation, and their influence on the electrochemical properties, were revealed through a combination of computer simulation and experimental study. First-principles calculations were first performed and found that the tendency of the oxygen vacancy formation energy was Mn³⁺-O*-Mn⁴⁺ < Co²⁺-O*-Co³⁺ < Co²⁺-O*-Mn⁴⁺, meaning that antisite defects not only facilitate the formation of oxygen vacancy but introduce the mixed-valent transition-metal pairs for high electrical conductivity. Detailed partial density of states (PDOS) analysis for Mn on Co sites (Mn_Co) and Co on Mn sites (Co_Mn) indicate that Co²⁺ is prone to being Co³⁺ while Mn⁴⁺ is prone to being Mn³⁺ when they are on antisites, respectively. Also it was found that the holes introduced by Sr tend to enter the Co sublattice for <i>x</i> = 0.5 and then the O sublattice when <i>x</i> = 0.75, which further promotes oxygen vacancy formation, and these results are confirmed by both the calculated PDOS results and charge-density difference. On the basis of microscopic predictions, we intentionally synthesized a series of pure LSCM compounds and carried out comprehensive characterization. The crystal structures and their stability were characterized via powder X-ray Rietveld refinements and in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy testified to the mixed oxidation states of Co²⁺/Co³⁺ and Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺. The thermal expansion coefficients were found to match the Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_2−δ electrolyte well. The electrical conductivities were about 41.4, 140.5, and 204.2 S cm^–1 at doping levels of <i>x</i> = 0, 0.5, and 0.75, and the corresponding impedances were 0.041, 0.027, and 0.022 Ω cm² at 850 °C, respectively. All of the measured results testify that Sr-doped LaCo_0.5Mn_0.5O₃ compounds are promising cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Fundus descent height of vaginal delivery vs cesarean section.

Fundus descent height of vaginal delivery vs cesarean section.</p

Baseline puerperal characteristics among patients receiving LIFUS and Sham groups.

Baseline puerperal characteristics among patients receiving LIFUS and Sham groups.</p

CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a randomised trail*.

CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a randomised trail*.</p