Volume Shrinkage Research Articles

Significance of radiation therapy in the myxoid round-cell liposarcoma treatment regimen.

Because myxoid liposarcomas are more radiosensitive than other soft tissue sarcomas, there have been several reports of 50Gy preoperative radiation therapy combined with surgery, but the wound complication rate is reportedly high. We have performed preoperative irradiation at a reduced dose of 40Gy and definitive radiation therapy for unresectable cases. This study aimed to report the tumor reduction rate and oncological results with a reduced dose of preoperative irradiation and the outcome of definitive irradiation for unresectable cases. Forty-one patients with myxoid liposarcoma treated in our institution between 2002 and 2021 were included. We examined the tumor volume shrinkage rate with preoperative radiation, compared complications and oncological outcomes between preoperative radiation and surgery-only cases, and investigated the prognosis and tumor shrinkage of definitive radiation cases. The total dose irradiated was 40Gy except in two cases. The mean tumor volume reduction rate was 52.0%. A decreased dose of preoperative radiation did not worsen clinical outcomes with fewer complications. The total dose of definitive radiation was approximately 60Gy. The mean tumor volume reduction rate was 55.0%. The tumor shrinkage maintenance rate was 100% in a median follow-up period of 50.5months. Preoperative radiation therapy for myxoid liposarcoma near vital organs is a good approach because even with a reduced dose of 40Gy, significant tumor reduction and excellent results were achieved. Definitive radiation therapy is the recommended treatment for older patients with serious comorbidities or inoperable patients.

Stronger Coupling of Quantum Dots in Hole Transport Layer Through Intermediate Ligand Exchange to Enhance the Efficiency of PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

Nowadays, the extensively used lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dot (QD) hole transport layer (HTL) relies on layer-by-layer method to replace long chain oleic acid (OA) ligands with short 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) ligands for preparation. However, the inevitable significant volume shrinkage caused by this traditional method will result in undesired cracks and disordered QD arrangement in the film, along with adverse increased defect density and inhomogeneous energy landscape. To solve the problem, a novel method for EDT passivated PbS QD (PbS-EDT) HTL preparation using small-sized benzoic acid (BA) as intermediate ligands is proposed in this work. BA is substituted for OA ligands in solution followed by ligand exchange with EDT layer by layer. With the new method, smoother PbS-EDT films with more ordered and closer QD packing are gained. It is demonstrated stronger coupling between QDs and reduced defects in the QD HTL owing to the intermediate BA ligand exchange. As a result, the suppressed nonradiative recombination and enhanced carrier mobility are achieved, contributing to ≈20% growth in short circuit current density (Jsc) and a 23.4% higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.2%. This work provides a general framework for layer-by-layer QD film manufacturing optimization.

Morphological, Thermal, Physicomechanical and Optical Properties of Crosslinked Poly (Ester-Urethane-Acrylate): Effect of Added Methyl Methacrylate

Poly (ester-urethane-acrylate) (PEUA) macromonomer was prepared by reacting two moles of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with one mole of bis (1,4-butanediol ortho-phthalate) (BPE), followed by end-capping with two moles of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) catalyst. Thereafter, different ratios of methyl-methacrylate (MMA) were added to the PEUA macromonomer to prepare crosslinked PEUA/MMA sheets. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were employed to investigate the structure, optical transparency and thermal properties of the crosslinked sheets. The effect of MMA on the polymerization shrinkage and abrasive wear properties of PEUA and their copolymers were also studied. The polymerization shrinkage study showed that PEUA copolymer containing 40 wt% MMA had a more rigid microstructure with improved volume shrinkage and abrasive wear properties as compared with the other compositions of PEUA copolymers with MMA loadings of 80, 60 and 20%. The improvement was attributed to the better miscibility and compatibility of 40 wt% MMA with the PEUA as revealed by DSC, heat deflection temperature (HDT) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies.

Bifunctional D-A type conjugated polymer based on triarylamine-containing oxazole[5,4-d]oxazole/thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole exhibiting electrofluorochromism and reversible electrochromism

Bredereck oxazole synthesis was utilized to create a series of novel D-A polymers based on the triphenylamine (TPA) derivative, 4,4′-Diformyltriphenylamine (DPA), 4,4′-((4-bromophenyl)azanediyl)dibenzaldehyde (BPA), and oxamide/dithiooxamide. The obtained novel polymers exhibited impressive solution processabilities and excellent thermal stabilities. In the entire processes of electrochemical oxidation, these polymer films exhibited excellent electrochromic (EC) performances, high optical contrasts (49.6–52.8 %), high coloration efficiencies (362–451 cm2·C−1), and excellent cycling stabilities (18.6–33.9 % decay) with a cycle time of 20 s. By applying voltage, electrofluorochromic (EFC) performance can also be adjusted. Furthermore, these polymers showed fluorescence (PL) in solvents and solvatochromic effects in absorption. The outcome was indicative of the addition of oxazole[5,4-d]oxazoles (OzOz) and thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazoles (TzTz), whose highly conjugate rigid planar structures can significantly increase molecule stabilities and minimizing volume shrinking during charge transfer. In addition, due to introducing bromine atoms, the p-π conjugations enhanced the conjugation degrees of the molecules, which facilitated the electron transfers. Experimental results show that these improvement schemes will pave a way for obtaining multi-function optoelectronic devices with long-term cyclic stabilities.

Effects of steel slag on the properties and microstructure of magnesium oxysulfate cement prepared by magnesium desulfurization byproducts

The magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) cement has problems of short setting time, poor water resistance, and volume instability. This paper investigates the potential of steel slag (SS) to modify the properties and microstructure of the MOS cement prepared by magnesium desulfurization byproducts (MDBs). The results showed that SS delayed the setting time, restrained the volume shrinkage, and improved the water resistance of the MOS cement. The hydration products of the MOS cement were the fibrous 318 phase (3 Mg(OH)2•MgSO4•8H2O), lamellar Mg(OH)2, and MgCO3. The addition of SS increased the pH and decreased the overall hydration reaction rate and the amount of Mg(OH)2 in the MOS cement. SS reacted with Mg(OH)2 at the late stage to form an amorphous M–S–H gel, which increased the gel pore volume and the density of the cement. In conclusion, SS enhanced the application potential of MOS cement, through improving its macroscopic properties.

Fan-out panel-level package warpage and reliability analyses considering the fabrication process

With the continuous advancement of IC packaging technology, 3D and 2.5D packaging systems have emerged as the prevailing trends. The advantages of large area and high I/O density have made fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) been considered as one of the best package types for 3D and 2.5D packaging applications. The discussions about FOPLP have been popular recently. Warpage and reliability of FOPLP are the main concerns of packaging engineers. However, it was found that warpage and reliability of FOPLP are strongly related to the fabrication process but not many research works have been published. Thus, reliability analysis procedure considering the residual stress of fabrication process was proposed in this paper to observe warpage and stress distribution during fabrication process. Then, this research procedure facilitates subsequent fatigue life calculations and predicts reliability of the package.First, the thermal stresses and warpage of the redistribution layer-first (RDL-first) process were conducted for an entire panel. Next, warpage and thermal stress analyses were conducted for a strip encapsulated with an epoxy molding compound (EMC) during compression molding. Then, a reliability analysis was conducted with an IC unit and incorporated the consideration of the residual stress induced during the fabrication processes.The compression molding analysis utilized the pressure–volume–temperature–cure (P–V–T–C) model to account for both the volume shrinkage caused by a thermal mismatch and the chemical shrinkage. Furthermore, dual shift factor model was used to model the viscoelastic behavior of EMC in this study during PMC analysis effectively.An observation of the stress distribution for an IC unit revealed that the maximum stress position was at the solder ball near the periphery, with a stress value of 147.309 MPa. The fatigue life calculated using the modified Coffin–Manson fatigue model was 417 cycles.

Shape memory polyimide/carbon nanotube composite aerogels with physical and chemical crosslinking architectures for thermal insulating applications

The development of lightweight smart materials with exceptional shape memory and thermal insulation properties is highly important in the aerospace industry. The reported shape memory polymer aerogels (SMPAs) are restricted to harsh environments because of their poor high-temperature resistance and large volume shrinkage at elevated temperatures. Herein, shape memory polyimide (PI) composite aerogels with superior thermal insulation were fabricated by combining molecularly designed PI chains with amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes (NH2-CNTs) through freezing gelation and subsequent thermal imidization. Because shape memory behavior was thermally triggered, the thermal conductivity associated with the shape memory mechanisms of the aerogels was comprehensively explored. The presence of CNTs promoted heat transfer in the aerogel skeleton, facilitating the shape recovery response. Benefiting from chemical-crosslinked and physical-crosslinked structures, the fabricated PI composite aerogels demonstrated desirable thermo-mechanical properties, exceptional shape memory and superior thermal insulation performance. This study may provide guidelines for designing shape memory PI composite aerogels for harsh environment applications in aerospace engineering.

Coupled hydro‐mechanical pore‐scale modeling of biopore‐coated clods for upscaling soil shrinkage and hydraulic properties

AbstractEarthworms and plant roots are vital for macropore formation and stabilization. The organo‐mineral coating of biopore surfaces also regulates macropore‐matrix mass exchange during preferential flow. The influence of finer‐textured burrow coatings on macroscopic soil properties during shrinkage could potentially be assessed by upscaling pore‐scale hydraulic and mechanical simulations. The aim was to investigate the influence of micro parameters (particle size, stiffness, and bond strength) on macro parameters (i.e., shrinkage curve and soil hydraulic properties). Drainage experiments and simulations were carried out using biopore‐coated clod‐size samples compared to those without coating. Simulations were performed using a two‐phase pore‐scale finite volume coupled with discrete element model (DEM‐2PFV). The structural dynamics was characterized by analyzing the pore volume and soil shrinkage curve obtained from numerically determined data. The soil hydraulic parameters were described using uni‐ and bimodal van Genuchten (vG) functions. The drainage simulations revealed hydro‐mechanical dynamics characterized by Braudeau‐shrinkage curve subdomains: The matrix‐only samples, with lower particle bond strength, exhibited relatively higher shrinkage. The coated samples, with higher particle stiffness and bond strength, displayed greater hydro‐mechanical stability. The numerically determined initial value of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was about 70 times larger for matrix‐only samples than for coated samples. As expected, for the nonrigid soil structures, constant Ks, α, and n values for bimodal vG model resulted in prediction errors. Upscaling DEM‐2PFV pore‐scale model outcomes quantifies micro‐coating effects on macro hydro‐mechanics. This yields void ratio‐based soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions, advancing macroscopic soil hydraulic models and enhancing structured soil flow and transport descriptions.

A prospective study on the effect of tumor shrinkage on exit fluence gamma pass rate in high precision radiotherapy and influence of phantom setup error in patient-specific quality assurance.

Objective parameters for decision on adaptive radiotherapy depend on patient, tumor and treatment related factors. Present study reports geometric uncertainties occurring during high precision radiotherapy, beam fluence analysis and serial exit dose measurement as a patient-specific tool for adaptive radiotherapy. Serial exit dose fluence of 24 patients (at baseline and mid-treatment) undergoing IMRT/VMAT treatment were measured. Baseline and midtreatment exit dose evaluation was done using gafchromic films in predefined region of interest. Difference of volume of GTV at baseline (from simulation CT scan) and midtreatment CBCT scan was calculated (ΔGTV). Population based systematic errors (mm) were 4.15, 2.26, 0.88 and random errors (mm) were 2.56, 3.69, and 2.03 in mediolateral (ML), craniocaudal (CC) and anteroposterior (AP) directions respectively. Gamma pass rate reduced with incremental shift. For a 5 mm shift, maximum deviation was found in anteroposterior axis (22.16 ± 7.50) and lowest in mediolateral axis (12.85 ± 4.95). On serial measurement of exit dose fluence, tumor shrinkage significantly influenced gamma pass rate. The mean gamma pass rate was significantly different between groups with 50% shrinkage of tumor volume (86.36 vs 96.24, P = 0.008, on multivariate analysis P = 0.026). Rapid fall of gamma pass rate was observed for set up error of ≥3 mm. Serial measurement of exit dose fluence by radiochromic film is a feasible method of exit dose comparison in IMRT/VMAT, where EPID dosimetry is not available with linear accelerator configuration. Our study suggests that there is a significant difference between gamma pass rates of baseline and mid treatment exit dose fluence with greater than 50% tumor shrinkage.

Optimized treatment parameter by computer simulation for high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of uterine adenomyosis: Short-term and long-term results.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of using optimized parameters obtained by computer simulation for ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of uterine adenomyosis in comparison with conventional parameters. We retrospectively assessed a single-institution, prospective study that was registered at Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) of Republic of Korea (KCT0003586). Sixty-six female participants (median age: 44 years) with focal uterine adenomyosis were prospectively enrolled. All participants were treated with a HIFU system by using treatment parameters either for treating uterine fibroids (Group A, first 20 participants) or obtained via computer simulation (Group B, later 46 participants). To assess the treatment efficacy of HIFU, qualitative indices, including the clinically effective dysmenorrhea improvement index (DII), were evaluated up to 3 years after treatment, whereas quantitative indices, such as the nonperfused volume ratio and adenomyosis volume shrinkage ratio (AVSR), on MRI were evaluated up to 3 months after treatment. Quantitative/qualitative indices were compared between Groups A and B by using generalized linear mixed effect model. A safety assessment was also performed. Results showed that clinically effective DII was more frequently observed in Group B than in Group A (odds ratio, 3.69; P = 0.025), and AVSR were higher in Group B than in Group A (least-squares means, 21.61; P = 0.001). However, two participants in Group B developed skin burns at the buttock and sciatic nerve pain and required treatment. In conclusion, parameters obtained by computer simulation were more effective than the conventional parameters for treating uterine adenomyosis by using HIFU in terms of clinically effective DII and AVSR. However, care should be taken because of the risk of adverse events.

On the cogent formulation of an elastomeric silicone ink material for direct ink write (DIW) 3D printing

AbstractAdhesives and sealants show fine rheology with good physical and mechanical properties as viscous pastes, a possible starting point for developing direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing ink. However, many commercial adhesives and sealants take days or weeks to cure fully. DIW 3D‐printed parts made directly from these sealants are not designed for a scalable manufacturing process and high‐volume production. Moreover, most of these adhesives and sealants have volume shrinkage during cure. A systematic understanding of formulation methods and design principles for an elastomeric silicone DIW ink can overcome these issues. This study presents the cogent formulation development of a 3D printable thermoset elastomer silicone that gels and cures isotropically in minutes, reducing cycle time for rapid ink development with no shrinkage during cure. More specifically, we outline the principles of raw material selection of a formulation to achieve excellent rheology, printability, synchronized working, and gel time fitting requirements closer to scalable manufacturing. The reaction kinetics and their corresponding 3D‐printed structural properties are also described. Interest in future work is toward a rational DIW 3D printing ink material development protocol and use of machine learning (ML).Highlights Formulation method flexibility and design principle of DIW ink. Raw material selection principle to achieve optimal rheology for DIW printing. Ink gel kinetics for large‐scale DIW manufacturing. Hydrosilylation conversion over time at different ambient temperatures. Structural properties of DIW 3D printed parts.

SYNTHESIS OF MULTICOMPONENT ZRO<SUB>2</SUB>:WO<SUB>3</SUB>:AL<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>:MGO

In this work, the phase composition and microstructure of multicomponent ZrO2:WO3:Al2O3:MgO ceramics were studied depending on the concentration of the components. The dependences between the concentration of elements in the initial charge and the phase composition, volume shrinkage, density and microstructure of synthesized samples are determined. It was found by Raman spectroscopy that the addition of an Al2O3:MgO mixture to the initial ZrO2:WO3 matrix does not lead to the formation of a ZrO2:WO3:Al2O3:MgO solid solution. With an increase in the content of Al2O3:MgO, there is an increase in volumetric shrinkage and density, which may be associated with the formation of the liquid phase of the WO3:Al2O3 system at a temperature of 1450 °C and, as a result, more efficient migration of pores and defects to the surface. The analysis of the SEM images of the cross sections of the obtained samples showed that all samples have a developed morphology with different grain shapes.

An adaptive anisotropic bilateral filtering method for mesh data in scale space

Three-dimensional mesh data of parts, such as blades and engine bodies, have been widely used in industrial fields. Due to the different kinds of noise during mesh acquisition and the machining deficiency of parts, the mesh quality tends to be insufficient for subsequent operations. Therefore, mesh denoising is a necessary and critical procedure to improve mesh quality. Existing methods commonly apply geometry features smoothing, which may also create unexpected results, such as volume shrinkage and blurring of sharp edges. This paper proposed an adaptive anisotropic bilateral filtering method for mesh data in scale space. Firstly, the mesh is decomposed into a smooth base with low frequency and a height vector field with high frequency based on scale space theory. The denoising of the vertex spatial field is transformed into the denoising of the height vector field, aiming to only consider high-frequency information. Secondly, the bilateral filter scheme with the anisotropic Gaussian kernel is proposed to denoise the height vector field, removing noise mixed with features. The parameters in the bilateral filter scheme are chosen adaptively by maximizing the designed probability density function. The mean square angular error of the proposed method is less than 0.15 rad, which is superior to the general-purpose algorithms, for instance, Laplacian filtering, bilateral mesh filtering and bilateral normal filtering algorithm.

Construction of fluorinated hyperbranched polyaryletherketone-based UV-cured films with low dielectric and enhanced mechanical properties

The incorporation of hyperbranched structure into the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) is a crucial method for achieving a low dielectric constant (Dk), and the inclusion of crosslinked structure effectively reduces the dielectric loss (Df). This approach is of great significance in the development of high-quality communication at high frequencies. However, it is still a significant challenge for maintaining its mechanical properties and reducing Dk and Df due to the poor film-forming properties and low ductility of hyperbranched polymers. In this study, we synthesized a novel acrylate-based fluorinated hyperbranched photosensitive polyaryletherketone (hb-P6FAEK-Ace) as a prepolymer with various bifunctional aliphatic active and 4-acryloyl morpholine as the reactive solvent. Upon UV irradiation, cured films were obtained. This method significantly improved the mechanical properties of the hyperbranched UV-cured resin, with the tensile strength of CF-DCDDA of 83.2 MPa and the elongation at break of 7.61%. Additionally, the five prepared photosensitive resins exhibited excellent rheological properties (from 71.6 mPa s to 134.7 mPa s at 100 °C), rapid curing rates (within tens of seconds), and minimal volume shrinkage (<7%). Meanwhile, the Dk of CF-DCDDA was measured to be 2.87, with a Df of 0.0126 at the frequency of 20 GHz. This low dielectric expression for the crosslinked cured films could be ascribed to the confinement of electronic polarization caused by the crosslinked and hyperbranched structures. This work provides a simple, green, and promising strategy for enhancing the dielectric and mechanical properties of hb-PAEK.

Abstract 6709: P329G-Engager: A novel universal antibody-based adaptor platform for cancer immunotherapy

Abstract Bispecific immune cell engagers are showing promise in cancer immunotherapy. To achieve optimal efficacy, there is a growing need for patient personalization, tackling intra-tumor heterogeneity, and simplified combination therapies. Here, we present a novel modular anti-P329G adaptor platform aiming to address these issues, which is based on the recognition of the P329G mutation in the Fc portion of a targeting adaptor antibody. This P329G mutation can serve to recruit different anti-P329G effector cell engagers, including innate cell engagers, T cell engagers, costimulators or immunocytokines. Specifically, upon identifying patient-specific tumor surface targets, the primary antigen-binding IgG1 antibodies bearing Fc-silencing P329G LALA mutations are applied. Subsequently, based on the tumor’s immune profile, the best-suited anti-tumoral effector cell type is chosen for recruitment and activation. Based on this information, the secondary antibody recognizing the P329G mutation is chosen from an array of effector cell engagers with different modes of action: P329G-T cell bispecifics (P329G-TCB), ADCC-competent P329G innate cell engagers (P329G-ICE), P329G costimulatory molecules (P329G-CD28/4-1BBL) or P329G immunocytokines (P329G-IL2v). In vitro assays showed all P329G modalities inducing anti-tumoral and/or immunomodulatory cell activity. Anti-tumoral efficacy of secondary antibodies was observed only in presence of tumor-targeted P329G adaptors, while no effect was observed in their absence. The readouts consisted of tumor killing quantification, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation, cytokine release and cytokine receptor signaling. As a proof of concept study in vivo, an experiment in MKN-45 (CEACAM5+)-bearing humanized mice was performed, using an anti-CEACAM5 P329G-IgG adaptor and a P329G-TCB. Both tumor volume shrinkage and T cell infiltration into the tumor confirmed anti-tumoral efficacy of the platform, as compared to a conventional CEACAM5-targeted TCB. Neither the individual P329G IgG nor the individual P329G-TCB induced anti-tumoral efficacy, validating the requirement for primary and secondary antibody binding for T cell engaging activity. These results provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that the universal P329G engager platform can be used as an efficacious cancer treatment. Ultimately, this modular approach may enable off-the-shelf personalization via combination of patient-specific antibodies and universal effector cell engagers based on the patient’s tumor target and immune profile. Citation Format: Marlena Surowka, Idil Hutter-Karakoc, Diana Darowski, Christina Claus, Claudia Ferrara Koller, Anne Freimoser-Grundschober, Thomas Hofer, Andrzej Sobieniecki, Denis Assisi, Stephane Leclair, Ekkehard Moessner, Pablo Umaña, Maria Amann, Christian Klein. P329G-Engager: A novel universal antibody-based adaptor platform for cancer immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6709.

Volume compensating materials after vapor phase infiltration: effect of different butyl isomers of polymer side-chains on high process temperature durability

Vapor phase infiltration is a facile process that adds metallic features to organic polymer patterns. Generally, volume expansion in typical polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is observed after metal infiltration, which limits the application of this technique in nanofabrication processes. In this study, poly(sec-butyl methacrylate) P(sBuMA) and poly(iso-butyl methacrylate) P(iBuMA) with leaving groups were selected as alternatives for PMMA and poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) P(tBuMA), and their aluminum (Al) infiltration behaviors were investigated. Notably, Al species infiltrated into P(sBuMA) and P(iBuMA) at 200 °C, whereas no Al infiltration was observed at 100 °C. Volume shrinkage was observed for both polymers after infiltration. This shows that the volume change in the base material after metal infiltration can be minimized by combining a conventional volume-expanding polymer, such as PMMA, with volume-shrinking polymers with high process temperature durability.

Effect of different retention doses of ultrasound-guided polidocanol chemical ablation for benign cystic-solid thyroid nodules

ObjectiveTo assess the influence of varying retention doses of ultrasound-guided polidocanol chemical ablation for benign cystic-solid thyroid nodules. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted from December 2019 to January 2022, including 78 patients with benign cystic-solid thyroid nodules, of which 31 received polidocanol chemical ablation alone, 23 received polidocanol chemical plus thermal ablation, and 24 received open surgery. Patients who received polidocanol chemical ablation were assigned into groups based on the retention dose of polidocanol: 0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, and 50 %. Follow-ups were done at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The volume of the nodules, postoperative complications, and recurrence of the nodules were examined before treatment and during follow-up visits. ResultsTotal operation time and intraoperative bleeding volume for patients who received ablation were substantially lower than those for patients who received open surgery (P < 0.001). Among patients in the polidocanol chemical ablation group, volume shrinkage rate of thyroid nodules in the 10 % retention dose group was significantly lower than that in the 0 % retention dose group at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.05). The 30 % retention dose group had the highest nodule shrinkage rate (98.46 ± 1.55 %) at 12 months postoperatively, which was significantly higher than that in the 50 % retention dose group (P < 0.05). Among patients in the polidocanol chemical and thermal ablation group, the volume shrinkage rate of thyroid nodules in the 10 % and 30 % retention dose groups at 1 month postoperatively was significantly lower than that in the 0 % retention dose group (P < 0.05). Although volume shrinkage rate in the 20 % retention dose group after thermal ablation was higher than that in the 0 % retention dose group, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In terms of adverse reactions, the incidence of hoarseness and coughing was higher in the open surgery group than in the polidocanol chemical ablation and polidocanol chemical and thermal ablation groups, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). ConclusionChemical ablation with polidocanol was safe and effective for therapy of benign cystic-solid thyroid nodules, and the optimal retention dose may be between 20 % and 30 %. Patients with poor efficacy from chemical ablation alone can receive safe and effective treatment through thermal ablation.

Flexible biopolymer-assisted 3D printed bioceramics scaffold with high shape adaptability

Bioceramics are widely used in bone tissue engineering, yet the inherent high brittleness and low ductility of the ceramics lead to poor machinability, which restricts their clinical applications. Here, a flexible and processable 3D printed bioceramic scaffold with high ceramic content (66.7 %) and shape fidelity (volume shrinkage rate < 5 %) was developed by freeze-thaw cycles, which was assisted by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and silk fibroin (SF). The hydrogen bonding between PVA imparted printability to the ceramic ink and enabled the subsequent formation of flexible scaffolds, which can be twisted, bend and cut to match bone defects. After adding SF, the printability of the inks and hydrophilicity of the scaffolds were enhanced, owing to the interactions between PVA and SF. Further, combined with the formation of β-sheet in SF, the scaffolds exhibited superior mechanical strength and excellent thermal stability, and can fully recover at 35 % compressive strain, which was breaking through the brittleness bottleneck of conventional ceramic scaffolds. Moreover, in vitro experiments showed excellent mineralization ability, osteogenic and angiogenic activities of the scaffolds, demonstrating its potential in bone regeneration. This initial study offers a promising personalized material for bone repair that can be used rapidly during surgery.

Effect of dehydration and pulsed light treatment on decontamination of minced onions: Microbial safety and physicochemical properties.

Microbial contamination of dehydrated onion products is a challenge to the industry. The study focused on opting for a suitable drying condition for minced onion and exploring the decontamination efficacy of pulsed light (PL) treatment conditions for the dehydrated product. The minced onions were hot air dried at 55-75°C for 280min. The drying condition selected was 195min at 75°C with a final water activity of 0.5 and moisture content of 7% (wet basis [w.b.]). The weight losses, browning indexes (BI), shrinkage volumes (%), and thiosulfinate content were considered. The dehydrated product was exposed to PL treatment corresponding to an effective fluence range of 0.007-0.731 J/cm2. A fluence of 0.444 J/cm2 (1.8kV for 150 s) achieved 5.00, 3.14, 2.96, and 2.98 log reduction in total plate count, yeast and mold count, Bacillus cereus 10876, and Escherichia coli ATCC 43888, respectively. The PL-treated sample (0.444 J/cm2) produced a microbially safe product with no significant difference in the moisture contents (%w.b.) and water activity (aw) from the untreated dehydrated sample. Further, a 30.9% increase in the BI and a 4.25% depletion in thiosulfinate content were observed after PL treatment. An optimum drying combination (75°C for 195min) of minced onion followed by decontamination using pulsed light treatment at 0.444 J/cm2 fluence satisfies the microbial safety and quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Dehydrated minced onion can be used for dishes requiring low water content and short cooking time. It is helpful during shortages, high price fluctuations, and famines.

Unraveling the modified mechanism of ruthenium substitution on Na3V2(PO4)3 with superior rate capability and ultralong cyclic performance

Na3V2(PO4)3(NVP) is an ideal cathode material for sodium ion battery due to its stable three-dimensional frame structure and high operating voltage. However, the low intrinsic conductivity and serious structural collapse limit its further application. In this work, a simultaneous optimized Na3V1.96Ru0.04(PO4)3/C@CNTs cathode material is synthesized by a simple sol–gel method. Specifically, the ionic radius of Ru3+ is slightly larger than that of V3+ (0.68 Å vs 0.64 Å), which not only ensures the feasibility of Ru3+ replacing V3+ site, but also appropriately expands the migration channel of sodium ions in NVP and stabilizes the structure, effectively improving the diffusion efficiency of sodium ions. Moreover, CNTs construct a three-dimensional conductive network between the grains, reducing the impedance at the interface and effectively improving the electronic conductivity. Ex-situ XRD analysis at different SOC were performed to determine the change in the crystal structure of Ru3+doped Na3V2(PO4)3, and the refinement results simultaneously demonstrate the relatively low volume shrinkage value of less than 3 % during the de-intercalation process, further verifying the stabilized crystal construction after Ru3+ substitution. Furthermore, the ex-situ XRD/SEM/CV/EIS after cycling indicate the significantly improved kinetic characteristics and enhanced structural stability. Notably, the modified Na3V1.96Ru0.04(PO4)3/C@CNTs reveals superior rate capability and ultralong cyclic performance. It submits high capacities of 82.3/80.9 mAh g−1 at 80/120C and maintains 71.3/59.6 mAh g−1 after 14800/6250 cycles, indicating excellent retention ratios of 86.6 % and 73.6 %, respectively. This work provides a multi-modification strategy for the realization of high-performance cathode materials, which can be widely applied in the optimization of various materials.