Development of a human-size magnetic particle imaging device for sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer

In this study, a novel human-size handheld magnetic particle imaging (MPI) system was developed for the high-precision detection of sentinel lymph nodes for breast cancer. The system consisted of a highly sensitive home-made MPI detection probe, a set of concentric coils pair for spatialization, a solenoid coil for uniform excitation at 8 [email protected] mT, and a full mirrored coil set positioned far away from the scanning area. The mirrored coils formed an extremely effective differential pickup structure which suppressed the system noise as high as 100 dB. The different combination of the inner and outer gradient current made the field free point (FFP) move in the Z direction with a uniform intensity of 0.54T/m, while the scanning in the XY direction was implemented mechanically. The third-harmonic signal of the Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) at the FFP was detected and then reconstructed synchronously with the current changes. Experiment results showed that the tomographic detection limit was 30 mm in the Z direction, and the sensitivity was about 10 μg Fe SPIONs at 40 mm distance with a spatial resolution of about 5 mm. In the rat experiment, 54 μg intramuscular injected SPIONs were detected successfully in the sentinel lymph node, in which the tracer content was about 1.2% total injected Fe. Additionally, the effective detection time window was confirmed from 4 to 6 min after injection. Relevant clinical ethics are already in the application process. Large mammalian SLNB MPI experiments and 3D preoperative SLNB imaging will be performed in the future

Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of “leaving no one behind”. Understanding today’s gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of populations. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016), we measured 37 of the 50 health-related SDG indicators over the period 1990–2016 for 188 countries, and then on the basis of these past trends, we projected indicators to 2030

A prediction model to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute type B aortic dissection

Abstract Background Acute type B aortic dissection (ABAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease. A practicable and effective prediction model to predict and evaluate the risk of in-hospital death for ABAD is required. The present study aimed to construct a prediction model to predict the risk of in-hospital death in ABAD patients. Methods A total of 715 patients with ABAD were recruited in the first affiliated hospital of Xinjiang medical university from April 2012 to May 2021. The information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of all subjects was collected. The logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and nomogram were applied to screen the appropriate predictors and to establish a prediction model for the risk of in-hospital mortality in ABAD. The receiver operator characteristic curve and calibration plot were applied to validate the performance of the prediction model. Results Of 53 (7.41%) subjects occurred in-hospital death in 715 ABAD patients. The variables including diastolic blood pressure (DBP), platelets, heart rate, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), procalcitonin, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were shown a significant difference between the in-hospital death group and the in-hospital survival group (all P  0.5, P < 0.05). The prediction model was shown a favorable discriminative ability (C index = 0.745) and demonstrated good consistency. Conclusions The novel prediction model combined with WBC, hemoglobin, LDH, procalcitonin, and LVEF, was a practicable and valuable tool to predict in-hospital deaths in ABAD patients

Research on slag-resistance of ZrN-SiAlON-SiC-C composite refractory in different atmospheres

The ZrN-SiAlON composite powder was synthesized using low-grade zircon and bauxite by carbothermal reduction nitridation at first and then ZrN-SiAlON-SiC-C composite refractory were fabricated with the ZrN-SiAlON powder, SiC particles, and a small amount of Si powder as raw materials and sucrose as the binder. The slag resistance of these composites in O-2, N-2 and Ar atmosphere was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersion spectra. The results show that the pores in the inside of ZrN-SiAlON-SiC-C composite refractory were enlarged in oxygen atmosphere due to oxidation, which leads to the decrease in slag resistance. In argon atmosphere, blast furnace slag destroyed the sintered body of zircon, corundum, and cristobalite with the formation of CaZrO3, then infiltrated into and filled the pores inside the refractory to form a dense layer, which hindered the further erosion of the blast furnace slag. In the reducing atmosphere, the interfacial energy of the gas-liquid phases became larger due to the reactions between blast furnace slag liquid and the gas, resulting in a larger wetting angle which prevented the erosion

Interfacial structure and photocatalytic degradation performance of graphene oxide bridged chitin-modified TiO2/carbon fiber composites

With the advancement of industrialization, developing efficient photocatalysts are needed to resolve the more serious water pollution problems. In this study, the chitin-modified and graphene oxide (GO) bridged TiO2/ carbon fibers (CGTC) were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal treatment. The CGTC80 (adding 80 mg GO) exhibited high adsorption and higher photodegradation ability than pure TiO2. The results shows that 50 ml of 50 mg L-1 RhB solution could be almost completely degraded (97%) in 60min. The racial trapping examination shows that the photogenerated holes (h+) is the may active species in the photocatalytic system. After 3 cycles degradation, the photocatalyst still has high photocatalytic performance (> 90%). Meanwhile, the high performance of CGTC for pollutants may due to the creation of more adsorption sites by dispersion of chitin and rapid conduction of electrons effected by GO. In general, this visible-light-driven chitin-modified graphene oxide bridged TiO2/CF catalyst exhibits significant potential in terms of stability and reproducibility for sewage treatment applications

Interfacial structure and photocatalytic degradation performance of graphene oxide bridged chitin-modified TiO2/carbon fiber composites

With the advancement of industrialization, developing efficient photocatalysts are needed to resolve the more serious water pollution problems. In this study, the chitin-modified and graphene oxide (GO) bridged TiO2/ carbon fibers (CGTC) were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal treatment. The CGTC80 (adding 80 mg GO) exhibited high adsorption and higher photodegradation ability than pure TiO2. The results shows that 50 ml of 50 mg L-1 RhB solution could be almost completely degraded (97%) in 60min. The racial trapping examination shows that the photogenerated holes (h+) is the may active species in the photocatalytic system. After 3 cycles degradation, the photocatalyst still has high photocatalytic performance (> 90%). Meanwhile, the high performance of CGTC for pollutants may due to the creation of more adsorption sites by dispersion of chitin and rapid conduction of electrons effected by GO. In general, this visible-light-driven chitin-modified graphene oxide bridged TiO2/CF catalyst exhibits significant potential in terms of stability and reproducibility for sewage treatment applications

4-Phenylbutyric Acid Induces Protection against Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats.

BACKGROUND:Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various pulmonary diseases via the activation of the unfolded protein response. However, the role of ER stress in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains unclear. The well-known chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) inhibits ER stress signaling. We hypothesized that known chemical chaperones, including 4-PBA, would inhibit the activation of ER stress and prevent and/or reverse PAH. METHODS AND RESULTS:Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: a normal control group (NORMAL group), a PAH group, and two PAH model plus 4-PBA treatment groups. The latter two groups included rats receiving 4-PBA by gavage each day as a preventive measure (the PRE group, with PBA starting on the day of PAH induction and continuing for 4 weeks) or as a reversal measure (the REV group, with PBA starting on the third week of PAH induction and continuing for 2 weeks). The PAH model was induced by intraperitoneally administering monocrotaline. The mean pulmonary artery pressure and mean right ventricular pressure were lower in the REV and PRE groups than in the NORMAL group. Furthermore, 4-PBA improved pulmonary arterial remodeling and suppressed the expression of ER stress indicators. CONCLUSION:Our findings indicate that PAH induces ER stress and provokes pulmonary arterial and right ventricular remodeling. Additionally, we show that attenuation of ER stress has the potential to be an effective therapeutic strategy for protecting pulmonary arteries