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Background Contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) can be used preoperatively for evaluating muscle invasion in bladder cancer, which is important for determining appropriate treatment. However, diagnostic criteria for assessing this at CEUS have not been standardized. Purpose To develop and validate a CEUS Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) for evaluating muscle invasion in bladder cancer. Materials and Methods This single-center prospective study consecutively enrolled patients with suspected bladder cancer. Participants underwent transabdominal or intracavity CEUS between July 2021 and May 2023. Participants were divided into a training set and a validation set at a 2:1 ratio based on the chronologic order of enrollment. The training set was used to identify major imaging features to include in CEUS VI-RADS, and the likelihood of muscle invasion per category was determined using a pathologic reference standard. The optimal VI-RADS category cutoff for muscle invasion was determined with use of the maximum Youden index. The validation set was assessed by novice and expert readers and used to validate the diagnostic performance and interreader agreement of the developed system. Results Overall, 126 participants (median age, 64 years [IQR, 57-71 years]; 107 male) and 67 participants (median age, 64 years [IQR, 56-69 years]; 49 male) were included in the training and validation set, respectively. In the training set, the optimal CEUS VI-RADS category cutoff for muscle invasion was VI-RADS 4 or higher (Youden index, 0.77). In the validation set, CEUS VI-RADS achieved good performance for both novice and expert readers (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.80 [95% CI: 0.70, 0.90] vs 0.88 [95% CI: 0.80, 0.97]; P = .09). The interreader agreement regarding the evaluation of CEUS VI-RADS category was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.85) for novice readers, 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79, 0.92) for expert readers, and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.84) for all readers. Conclusion The developed CEUS VI-RADS showed good performance and interreader agreement for the assessment of muscle invasion in bladder cancer. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry no. ChiCTR2100049435 © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Morrell in this issue.

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The biological behavior of flusulfinam, a potential commercial chiral herbicide for rice, has not been well explored. Herein, the uptake of chiral flusulfinam by rice and its transport, degradation, and subcellular distribution in rice (Oryza sativa L.) were investigated. The enantiomeric fraction (EF) in roots was 0.54 during 0 d to 7 d in hydroponic laboratory conditions. The bioconcentration factor of flusulfinam enantiomers was 2.1, suggesting an absence of observed enantioselectivity in the absorption process. Notably, the EF in the shoots decreased to 0.35 on the 7th day. The translocation factors of R- and S-flusulfinam were 0.12 and 0.27, respectively, indicating a preferential transfer of the S-flusulfinam from the root to the shoot. Flusulfinam was identified in the root after spraying. The translocation factors of R- and S-flusulfinam were consistently similar, signifying the capacity for downward movement without enantioselectivity. Interestingly, the degradation half-lives of R- and S-flusulfinam in the total plant were 5.50 and 5.06 d (p < 0.05), respectively, supporting the preferential degradation of S-flusulfinam throughout the total plant. Flusulfinam primarily entered the roots via the apoplastic pathway and was subsequently transported within the plant through aquaporins and ion channels. The subcellular distribution experiment revealed the predominant accumulation of flusulfinam enantiomers in soluble components (84%) with no enantioselectivity in these processes. There was upregulation lipid transfer protein-2 and carboxylesterases15 genes, which could explain the preferential transport and degradation of S-flusulfinam. This study is important in assessing the environmental risk associated with flusulfinam and ensuring food safety.

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BACKGROUND: Dengue, caused by the dengue virus (Orthoflavivirus dengue, encompassing DENV types 1-4), is a member of the Flaviviridae family. The symptoms of dengue range from subclinical or mild manifestations to potentially fatal complications. The management of severe dengue is exceptionally challenging due to the absence of effective antiviral medications. In this context, natural products, whether in the form of pure compounds or standardized plant extracts, have emerged as a promising source for the development of novel antiviral therapeutics. Hernandonine, an oxoaporphine alkaloid found in Hernandia nymphaeifolia (C. Presl) Kubitzki. serves both as a metabolite and an inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase. PURPOSE: This study investigated the ability of hernandonine to inhibit DENV infection and explored its potential mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN: To assess the in vitro anti-DENV activity, cells or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cerebral organoids were exposed to hernandonine before or after infection with DENV. Along with hernandonine, the endocytosis modulators, genistein, wortmannin, Methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (MßCD) and lovastatin, were used in the assays. METHODS: The DENV infectivity and virion production in cells or cerebral organoids treated with compounds were determined. Various methods, including cell and cerebral organoids imaging, protein and gene detection were conducted to explore their antiviral mechanisms. RESULTS: The results revealed notable antiviral properties of hernandonine, particularly in inhibiting DENV during the early stages of infection. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated that, akin to genistein, wortmannin, methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (MßCD), and lovastatin, hernandonine exerted an influence on cholesterol-rich lipid rafts. It also restrained the pseudopodial movement ability of cells, potentially through the downregulation of cytoskeleton and endocytosis regulatory genes or protein expression. Moreover, hernandonine's virucidal activity was demonstrated. Hernandonine's inhibition of DENV infection was further validated in a disease-relevant iPSC-derived cerebral organoids model, a novel DENV-2 infection system worthy of further application. CONCLUSION: This study evidenced the potential of hernandonine as a novel candidate in the fight against DENV infection.

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Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of picornavirus, can enter into host cell via macropinocytosis. Although it is known that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play a crucial role in FMDV macropinocytic entry, the specific RTK responsible for regulating this process and the intricacies of RTK-mediated downstream signaling remain to be elucidated. Here, we conducted a screening of RTK inhibitors to assess their efficacy against FMDV. Our findings revealed that two compounds specifically targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) significantly disrupted FMDV entry. Furthermore, additional evaluation through gene knockdown and overexpression confirmed the promotion effect of FGFR1 and FLT3 on FMDV entry. Interestingly, we discovered that the increasement of FMDV entry facilitated by FGFR1 and FLT3 can be ascribed to increased macropinocytic uptake. Additionally, in-depth mechanistic study demonstrated that FGFR1 interacts with FMDV VP3 and undergoes phosphorylation during FMDV entry. Furthermore, the FGFR1 inhibitor inhibited FMDV-induced activation of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) on Thr212 and Thr423 sites. Consistent with these findings, the ectopic expression of FGFR1 resulted in a concomitant increase in phosphorylation level of PAK1 on Thr212 and Thr423 sites. Taken together, our findings represent the initial exploration of FGFR1's involvement in FMDV macropinocytic entry, providing novel insights with potential implications for the development of antiviral strategies.

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In this research, a foam three-dimensional (3D) printing method using digital light processing (DLP) technology was developed to fabricate 3D-printed porous structures. To address the challenges in preparing DLP precursor foam fluid, we designed a specialized foaming device. This device enables the precursor solution to be blended with air, resulting in a stable foam precursor with an adjustable air/liquid fraction and suitable fluidity, crucially enhancing the gas-liquid contact time for the printing process. By manipulation of fluid flow rates, cycle counts, and gas/liquid ratios, one can easily prepare uniform foams with precise control over the pore size and porosity. To avoid significant volume reduction during ultraviolet (UV) curing, nanoparticle fillers were introduced into the network to prevent collapse of the foam structure. Furthermore, the inclusion of an UV absorber enhanced the quality of the printing process by addressing the limitations associated with particle scattering and reflection. The DLP process can readily fabricate intricate structures, featuring a planar resolution below 30 µm and a printing accuracy of less than 1%. Several examples were also demonstrated to highlight the advantages of this technology and its ability to directly print custom foam structures, thereby saving time and material resources.

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Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic complication that results in visual impairment and relevant retinal diseases. Current therapeutic strategies on DR primarily focus on antiangiogenic therapies, which particularly target vascular endothelial growth factor and its related signaling transduction. However, these therapies still have limitations due to the intricate pathogenesis of DR. Emerging studies have shown that premature senescence of endothelial cells (ECs) in a hyperglycemic environment is involved in the disease process of DR and plays multiple roles at different stages. Moreover, these surprising discoveries have driven the development of senotherapeutics and strategies targeting senescent endothelial cells (SECs), which present challenging but promising prospects in DR treatment. In this review, we focus on the inducers and mechanisms of EC senescence in the pathogenesis of DR and summarize the current research advances in the development of senotherapeutics and strategies that target SECs for DR treatment. Herein, we highlight the role played by key factors at different stages of EC senescence, which will be critical for facilitating the development of future innovative treatment strategies that target the different stages of senescence in DR.

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BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a higher risk of falls compared to those without T2DM, which may lead to disability and a lower quality of life. While, limited prospective studies have quantified the associations in southern China. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study to quantify the associations between T2DM and falls and investigate the risk factors of falls among community-dwelling elderly people in Guangzhou, China. METHODS: The population-based study included 8800 residents aged 65 and over in 11 counties of Guangzhou at baseline in 2020 and then prospectively followed up through 2022. Of 6169 participants had complete follow-up and were included in the present study. A fall event was identified by self-reported. The Cox regression was applied to quantify the associations between T2DM and falls, and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to the factors associated with falls among participants. RESULTS: The median follow-up time for participants was 2.42 years. During the follow-up period, the incidence of falls among all participants was 21.96%. After adjusting for covariates in Cox regression models, T2DM remained a significant risk factor for falls, with HR of 1.781 (95% CI: 1.600-1.983) in the unadjusted covariates model and 1.757 (1.577-1.957) in the adjusted covariates model. Female (1.286, 1.136-1.457), older age (≥ 80: 1.448, 1.214-1.729), single marital status (1.239, 1.039-1.477), lower education level (primary school and below: 1.619, 1.004-1.361), hypertension (1.149, 1.026-1.286) and stroke (1.619, 1.176-2.228) were associated with a higher risk of falls, whereas everyday physical exercise (0.793, 0.686-0.918) was associated with a lower risk of falls. CONCLUSION: Falls are common, with risks between T2DM and falls quantified and several factors investigated in the longitudinal cohort study among community-dwelling elderly people in Guangzhou, China. Targeted action on the risk factors may reduce the burden of falls in elderly people with T2DM in the future.

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BACKGROUP: The pathogenesis of shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) is still unclear, and its questionable causal relationship with rotator cuff (RC) injury has led to confusion in treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the bidirectional causal relationship between SIS and RC injury. METHODS: SIS and RC injury datasets downloaded from the IEU Open GWAS project and GWAS catalog databases. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, Weighted median, and Weighted mode were used in this Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Cochran's Q test, leave-one-out, and funnel plot method were used to evaluate heterogeneity between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). MR-Egger regression was used to test the horizontal pleiotropy of this study. RESULTS: The IVW method (OR = 1.189, P = 0.0059) suggest the putative causal effect of RC injury on SIS. The results of MR Egger method (OR = 1.236, P = 0.2013), weighted median method (OR = 1.097, P = 0.2428) and weighted mode method (OR = 1.013, P = 0.930) showed no statistically significant (OR = 1.069071, P = 0.6173). Heterogeneity test and horizontal pleiotropy analysis suggested that there was no significant heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy in the results of this MR analysis. The reverse MR analysis showed heterogeneity, and the conclusion needs to be further explored. CONCLUSIONS: The results of MR analysis support that RC injury may be causally associated with SIS.

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Saliva biopsy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been developed in our latest study, indicating the application of oral sampling in NPC detection. Further exploration of the potential for self-sampling from the oral cavity is necessary. A total of 907 various samples from oral cavity, including saliva (n = 262), oropharyngeal swabs (n = 250), oral swabs (n = 210), and mouthwash (n = 185), were collected. Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) DNA methylation at the 12,420 bp CpG site in EBV genome from the repeat-copy W promoter (Wp) region and at the 11,029 bp CpG site in the single-copy C promoter (Cp) region were simultaneously detected in these samples. A significant increase in EBV methylation, no matter at Wp or Cp region, was found in all types of samples from NPC patients. However, EBV DNA methylation in saliva and oropharyngeal swab showed a better diagnostic performance in detecting NPC. The combination of these two sample types and two markers could help to improve the detection of NPC. Our study further explored the optimal self-sampling methods and detection target in the detection of NPC and may facilitate the application of EBV DNA methylation detection in a home-based large-scale screening of NPC.

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BACKGROUND: Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric syncope since the publication of the "2018 Chinese Pediatric Cardiology Society (CPCS) guideline for diagnosis and treatment of syncope in children and adolescents" ("2018 Edition Guidelines"). Therefore, we have revised and updated it to assist pediatricians in effectively managing children with syncope. DATA SOURCES: According to the "2018 Edition Guidelines", the expert groups collected clinical evidence, evaluated preliminary recommendations, and then organized open-ended discussions to form the recommendations. This guideline was developed by reviewing the literature and studies in databases including PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, China Biomedical Database, and Chinese Journal Full-text Database up to April 2024. Search terms included "syncope", "children", "adolescents", "diagnosis", and "treatment." RESULTS: The guidelines were based on the latest global research progress and were evidence-based. The classification of syncope etiology, diagnostic procedures, postural tests, such as the active standing test, head-up tilt test, and active sitting test, clinical diagnosis, and individualized treatment for neurally mediated syncope in pediatric population were included. CONCLUSIONS: The guidelines were updated based on the latest literature. The concepts of sitting tachycardia syndrome and sitting hypertension were introduced and the comorbidities of neurally mediated syncope were emphasized. Some biomarkers used for individualized treatment were underlined. Specific suggestions were put forward for non-pharmacological therapies as well as the follow-up process. The new guidelines will provide comprehensive guidance and reference for the diagnosis and treatment of neurally mediated syncope in children and adolescents.

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Newcastle Disease (ND) and Infectious Bronchitis (IB) are two significant diseases that pose threats to the poultry industry, caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), respectively. Currently, the control and prevention of these diseases primarily rely on vaccination. However, commercial ND and IB vaccines face challenges such as poor cross-protection of inactivated IBV strains and interference from live vaccines when used together, leading to immunization failures. Previously, we reported the successful rescue of a recombinant NDV expressing multiple epitopes of IBV, named rNDV-IBV-T/B, which showed promising immunoprotective efficacy against both NDV and IBV. This study focuses on the biosafety of the genetically modified recombinant vaccine candidate rNDV-IBV-T/B. Immunization was performed on day-old chicks, ducklings, goslings, and ICR mice. Observations were recorded on clinical symptoms, body weight changes, and post-mortem examination of organs, as well as histopathological preparations of tissue samples. The results indicated that the rNDV-IBV-T/B vaccine candidate had no adverse effects on the growth of targeted animals (chickens) and non-target species (ducks, geese) as well as in mammals (mice). Additionally, histopathological slides confirmed that the vaccine is safe for all tested species. Further studies evaluated the potential of rNDV-IBV-T/B to spread horizontally and vertically post-immunization, and its environmental safety. The findings revealed that the vaccine candidate lacks the capability for both horizontal and vertical transmission and does not survive in the environment. In conclusion, the rNDV-IBV-T/B strain is safe and holds potential as a new chimeric live vaccine for ND and IB.

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INTRODUCTION: Long head of biceps brachii tendinopathy, a frequent source of anterior shoulder pain, may lead to discomfort and diminished function. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of dry needling and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were randomized into dry needling and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation groups and assessed before treatment, 8 and 15 days after treatment using a visual analogue scale, shoulder pain and disability index, pressure pain threshold, tissue hardness, and biceps peritendinous effusion. RESULTS: Both treatments significantly reduced the visual analogue scale in immediate (p < 0.001), short-term (p < 0.01), and medium-term effects (p < 0.01). Dry needling outperformed transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the pain (p < 0.01) and disability (p < 0.03) subscales of the shoulder pain and disability index in the short-term and medium-term effects, respectively. Pressure pain threshold increased after both treatments but didn't last beyond 8 days. Neither treatment showed any improvements in tissue hardness of the long head of biceps brachii muscle. Notably, only the dry needling group significantly reduced biceps peritendinous effusion in both short-term and medium-term effects (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Dry needling showed non-inferior results to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in reducing pain and disability and demonstrated even superior results in reducing biceps peritendinous effusion (see Graphical Abstract). TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Institutional Review Board of the China Medical University Hospital (CMUH107-REC2-101) approved this study, and it was registered with Identifier NCT03639454 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Both dry needling and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effectively reduced pain in the long head of biceps brachii tendinopathy.Dry needling outperformed transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in short-term and medium-term pain and disability relief, respectively.Dry needling demonstrated superior results in reducing biceps peritendinous effusion compared to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

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The objective of this study was to examine the utility of the acceleration index observed in an electrocardiogram (ECG) for the prediction of the effectiveness of orthostatic training in pediatric patients diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). This investigation focused on children diagnosed with POTS and undergoing orthostatic training at the Department of Pediatrics of Peking University First Hospital from January 2012 to October 2022. Specifically, patients hospitalized from January 2012 to December 2019 were included in the training set (54 cases), while those hospitalized from January 2020 to October 2022 were included in the external validation set (37 cases). All children received a 3-month orthostatic training, and the baseline symptom score (SS) was calculated in agreement with the pretreatment orthostatic intolerance symptom frequency. Additionally, we determined post-treatment SS during follow-up via telephone after the 3-month treatment. Children with a decrease in post-treatment SS by ≥ 50% of the baseline were considered as responders; otherwise, they were considered as non-responders. Demographic data (age, sex, and body mass index), hemodynamic parameters (supine blood pressure, time to achieve a positive standing test, maximum increase in heart rate during the standing test, maximal heart rate reached during the standing test, and blood pressure at the point of maximal heart rate during the standing test), and electrocardiographic parameters (RR interval in the supine position, shortest RR interval in the upright position, and acceleration index) were collected from all the children prior to treatment. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were conducted to investigate factors associated with the efficacy of orthostatic training. The predictive value of these indicators for the therapeutic effectiveness of orthostatic training in children with POTS was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the indicators were validated using the validation set. Among the 54 children in the training set, 28 responded to orthostatic training, and 26 were nonresponsive. Compared with the non-responders, the responders demonstrated a significant reduction in acceleration index (P < 0.01). The ROC curve for the predictive value of the acceleration index exhibited an area under the curve = 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.685-0.926). With the acceleration index threshold < 27.93%, the sensitivity and specificity in the prediction of orthostatic training efficacy among children with POTS were 85.7% and 69.2%, respectively. The external validation results demonstrated that using acceleration index < 27.93% as the threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of predicting orthostatic training efficacy among children with POTS were 89.5%, 77.8%, and 83.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Electrocardiographic acceleration index can be used to predict the effectiveness of orthostatic training in treating children with POTS. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic orthostatic intolerance involving multiple mechanisms. Autonomic dysfunction is one of the main mechanisms of POTS in children and could be treated with orthostatic training. • In order to improve the efficacy of orthostatic training in children with POTS, it is particularly important to identify the patients with autonomic dysfunction as the main mechanism before the treatment. WHAT IS NEW: • We found acceleration index of the electrocardiogram (ECG) can be used as a satisfactory index to predict the efficacy of orthostatic training in the treatment of POTS in children. • Using the acceleration index to predict the efficacy of orthostatic training on POTS in children is easy to be popularized in hospitals at all levels because it is non-invasive, convenient, and not expensive.

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OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis is widely regarded as a typical aged-related disease caused by impaired bone remodeling. This research was designed to explore the protective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on senile osteoporosis in a rat model and investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Three-month-old rats were randomly selected as the youth group, and 24-month-old rats were randomly assigned to the elderly and EA groups. Rats in the EA group received 30 min of EA at bilateral SP10, ST36, K13 and GB34 daily, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Bone mineral density (BMD), microstructure of the bone tissue, bone turnover biomarkers and expression level of autophagy-related proteins were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the elderly group, EA treatment significantly increased BMD of the femur and ameliorated the microstructure. EA treatment increased trabecular bone volume ratio (= bone volume / total volume [BV/TV]) and trabecular number (Tb.N) and decreased trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) in senile osteoporosis rats. Compared with the elderly group, the serum N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX1) level in the EA group was lower, and the serum procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) concentration was higher. In addition, the expression of Beclin 1, microtubule-associated protein I light chain 3 (LC3B) and P62 was inhibited in the senile osteoporosis rats after EA treatment. CONCLUSIONS: EA can effectively alleviate aging-related bone loss and improve the microstructure of bone tissue in senile osteoporosis rats, and the regulation of autophagy might be one of the important mechanisms.

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BACKGROUND: Flusulfinam, a novel chiral herbicide, effectively controls Echinochloa crusgalli and Digitaria sanguinalis in paddy fields, indicating significant potential for practical agricultural applications. However, limited information is available on flusulfinam from a chiral perspective. A comprehensive evaluation of the enantiomeric levels of flusulfinam was performed. RESULTS: Two enantiomers, R-(+)- and S-(-)-flusulfinam, were separately eluted using a Chiralcel OX-RH column. The bioactivity of R-flusulfinam against the two was 1.4-3.1 fold that of Rac-flusulfinam against two weed species. R-flusulfinam toxicity to Danio rerio larvae and Selenastrum capricornutumwere was 0.8- and 3.0-fold higher than Rac-flusulfinam, respectively. Degradation experiments were conducted using soil samples from four Chinese provinces. The findings indicated that S-flusulfinam (half-life T1/2 = 40.8 days) exhibits preferential degradation than R-flusulfinam (T1/2 = 46.2-57.8 days) in the soils of three provinces. Under anaerobic conditions, soil from Anhui exhibited preferential degradation of R-flusulfinam (T1/2 = 46.2 days) over S-flusulfinam (T1/2 = 63 days). Furthermore, two hydrolysis products of flusulfinam (M299 and M100) are proposed for the first time. CONCLUSION: The enantioselective bioactivity, toxicity and degradation of flusulfinam were investigated. Our findings indicate that R-flusulfinam is an extremely effective and low-toxicity enantiomer for the tested species. The soil degradation test indicated that the degradation of flusulfinam was accelerated by higher organic matter content and lower soil pH. Furthermore, microbial communities may play a crucial role in driving the enantioselective degradation processes. This study lays the groundwork for the systematic evaluation of flusulfinam from an enantiomeric perspective. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

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Previous studies examining the flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) in back muscles through trunk forward flexion tests have yielded inconsistent findings, primarily due to variations in leg posture control. This study aimed to explore the influence of leg posture control and individual flexibility on FRP in back and low limb muscles. Thirty-two male participants, evenly distributed into high- and low-flexibility groups, were recruited. Activities of the erector spinae, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles, alongside the lumbosacral angle (LSA), were recorded as participants executed trunk flexion from 0° to 90° in 15° increments, enabling an analysis of FRP and its correlation with the investigated variables. The findings highlighted significant effects of all examined factors on the measured responses. At a trunk flexion angle of 60°, the influence of leg posture and flexibility on erector spinae activities was particularly pronounced. Participants with limited flexibility exhibited the most prominent FRP under constrained leg posture, while those with greater flexibility and unconstrained leg posture displayed the least FRP, indicated by their relatively larger LSAs. Under constrained leg posture conditions, participants experienced an approximate 1/3 to 1/2 increase in gastrocnemius activity throughout trunk flexion from 30° to 90°, while biceps femoris activity remained relatively constant. Using an inappropriate leg posture during back muscle FRP assessments can overestimate FRP. These findings offer guidance for designing future FRP research protocols.

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BACKGROUND: Focal liver lesions (FLLs) are a common form of liver disease, and identifying accurate pathological types is required to guide treatment and evaluate prognosis. PURPOSE: To compare and analyze the application effect of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and conventional ultrasound (US) in the clinical diagnosis of focal liver lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 682 patients with space-occupying liver lesions admitted to our hospital between December 2015 and August 2021. Of these, 280 underwent CEUS-guided biopsies and 402 underwent conventional US biopsies, with the results of each biopsy subsequently compared between the two groups. The success rate and accuracy of the biopsies and their relationship with different pathological features were also analyzed. RESULTS: The success rate, sensitivity, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the CEUS group were significantly higher than those of the US group (P < 0.05). Lesion size accuracy in the CEUS group was significantly higher than that in the US group (89.29% vs. 40.55%; P < 0.05). Lesion type accuracy in the CEUS group was significantly higher than that in the US group (86.49% vs. 43.59%), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis indicated that malignant lesions, lesions ≥5 cm, and lesions ≤1 cm were independent factors affecting the success rate of the puncture procedure (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of lesion size and type in the CEUS group were higher than those in the US group.

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This study explores the reduction of carbamates (CAs) and pyrethroids (PYs) - commonly used pesticides - in lettuce using various immersion solutions and ultrasonic processing. It also examines the role of machine learning and molecular docking in understanding the mechanisms of pesticide reduction. The results revealed that the highest reduction of both CAs and PYs exceeded 80 % on lettuce leaves. In most samples, the reduction increased with the power of ultrasonic processing and processing time. The results of machine learning models (XGBoost and SHAP) showed that during the immersion cleaning of CAs and PYs, as well as during both immersion cleaning and ultrasonic processing of CAs + PYs, the reduction was most influenced by the initial pesticide levels and immersion time. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of lettuce's wax layer identified 24 compounds, including fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and triterpenoids. Despite the absence of active sites, the lipophilic nature of long-chain aliphatic compounds aids in pesticide binding, while triterpenoids form strong hydrogen bonds with pesticides, indicating a robust adsorption on the lettuce surface. This study aims to offer insights into the efficient removal of chemical pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables, addressing critical concerns for food safety and human health.

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Cellular sphingolipids have vital roles in human virus replication and spread as they are exploited by viruses for cell entry, membrane fusion, genome replication, assembly, budding, and propagation. Intracellular sphingolipid biosynthesis triggers conformational changes in viral receptors and facilitates endosomal escape. However, our current understanding of how sphingolipids precisely regulate viral replication is limited, and further research is required to comprehensively understand the relationships between viral replication and endogenous sphingolipid species. Emerging evidence now suggests that targeting and manipulating sphingolipid metabolism enzymes in host cells is a promising strategy to effectively combat viral infections. Additionally, serum sphingolipid species and concentrations could function as potential serum biomarkers to help monitor viral infection status in different patients. In this work, we comprehensively review the literature to clarify how viruses exploit host sphingolipid metabolism to accommodate viral replication and disrupt host innate immune responses. We also provide valuable insights on the development and use of antiviral drugs in this area.

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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is detected in nearly 100% of nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and EBV-based biomarkers are used for NPC screening in endemic regions. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) against EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) and viral capsid antigen (VCA), and recently identified anti-BNLF2b antibodies have been shown to be the most effective screening tool; however, the screening efficacy still needs to be improved. This study developed a multiplex serological assay by testing IgA and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against representative EBV antigens that are highly transcribed in NPC and/or function crucially in viral reactivation, including BALFs, BNLF2a/b, LF1, LF2, and Zta (BZLF1). Among them, BNLF2b-IgG had the best performance distinguishing NPC patients from controls (area under the curve: 0.951, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.913-0.990). Antibodies to lytic antigens BALF2 and VCA were significantly higher in advanced-stage than in early-stage tumors; in contrast, antibodies to latent protein EBNA1 and early lytic antigen BNLF2b were not correlated with tumor progression. Accordingly, a novel strategy combining EBNA1-IgA and BNLF2b-IgG was proposed and validated improving the integrated discrimination by 15.8% (95% CI: 9.8%-21.7%, p < .0001) compared with the two-antibody method. Furthermore, we found EBV antibody profile in patients was more complicated compared with that in healthy carriers, in which stronger correlations between antibodies against different phases of antigens were observed. Overall, our serological assay indicated that aberrant latent infection of EBV in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells was probably a key step in NPC initiation, while more lytic protein expression might be involved in NPC progression.