Comparative Effectiveness of Two Models of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Detection of Post-Void Residual Urine during Acute Ischemic Stroke: Preliminary Findings of Real-World Clinical Application.

We conducted a comparative study of two models of point-of-care ultrasound devices for measuring post-void residual urine (PVRU). We prospectively enrolled 55 stroke inpatients who underwent both real-time B-mode ultrasound (Device A) and automated three-dimensional (3D) scanning ultrasound (Device B), with a total of 108 measurements. The median PVRU volume of Device B was 40 mL larger than that of Device A. The PVRU difference between the devices was positively and linearly correlated with PVRU. The correlation of PVRU volume between the devices was strong, but the agreement level was only moderate. Measurement deviations were observed in 43 (40%) and 11 (10%) measurements with Device B and Device A, respectively. The PVRU volume was low in spherical bladder shapes but sequentially increased in triangular, undefined, ellipsoid, and cuboid bladder shapes. Further comparison of 60 sets of PVRU without measurement deviations revealed higher agreements between the devices at correction coefficients of 0.52, 0.66, and 0.81 for PVRU volumes of <100, 100-200, and >200 mL, respectively. The automated 3D scanning ultrasound is more convenient for learning and scanning, but it exhibits larger measurement deviations. Real-time B-mode ultrasound accurately visualizes the urinary bladder but tends to underestimate the urinary bladder when the PVRU volume is large. Hence, real-time B-mode ultrasound with automated PVRU-based adjustment of calculation formulas may be a better solution for estimating bladder volume.

Photophysical properties and singlet oxygen generation of meso-iodinated free-base corroles.

In order to study the effect of meso-iodination of free-base corroles on their photophysical character, we designed and synthesized a series of free-base corrole derivatives F10-OH (iodine-free), F10-OH-I (mono-iodo) and F10-OH-2I (di-iodo), with different substitution patterns at the meso-position as candidates for photodynamic therapy (PDT). We employed several optical spectroscopic techniques, including time-resolved spectroscopy from a femtosecond to microsecond and singlet oxygen luminescence to study the properties of excited singlet and triplet states, as well as the singlet oxygen quantum yields. The sub-picosecond internal conversion, ∼1 ps intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution, tens of ps vibrational cooling, are similar across the three corroles. The addition of one (F10-OH-I) and two iodine (F10-OH-2I) atoms to the remote aryl ring of triarylcorroles induces a 4.6-fold and 6.2-fold decrease in fluorescence quantum yields Φ fl and a 2.2-fold and 4.9-fold increase in the time constant of intersystem crossing k ISC. In addition, a slight increase in intersystem crossing quantum yields Φ T was also observed from F10-OH to F10-OH-2I. It means the intersystem crossing is improved by the iodination, from F10-OH to F10-OH-2I, because of the heavy atom effect. However, the sample F10-OH-I, instead of F10-OH-2I, shows the highest singlet oxygen quantum yield Φ Δ.