Background
The purpose of this study was to evaluate diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and functional MRI (diffusion and MR spectroscopy) using ...the latest MRI breast imaging reporting and data system (MRI-BIRADS) descriptors and non-BIRADS items for differentiation of mucinous breast carcinomas from fibroadenomas.
Methods
We included 19 cases of mucinous breast carcinoma and 37 cases of fibroadenoma. DCE-MRI, Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) and multi-voxel MR spectroscopy (MRS) were done, MRI-BIRADS (5th edition) analysis of the lesions was performed, and histopathological examination of all cases was done.
Results
According to univariate analysis, mucinous carcinoma was frequently detected in older age-group (COR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1–1.7 and
p
value < 0.001) and had more frequent irregular borders and non-circumscribed margins than fibroadenoma (COR = 11.6, 95% CI = 2–66.4 and
p
value = 0.002). All mucinous carcinoma had high T2 signal. Fibroadenomas had more frequent homogenous enhancement than mucinous carcinoma; none of the fibroadenomas had rim enhancement nor enhancing internal septations; mucinous carcinoma had more frequent rim enhancement and (
n
= 6,
p
value < 0.001) and enhancing internal septations (
n
= 7,
p
value < 0.001). Fibroadenoma had frequent dark non-enhancing internal septations than mucinous carcinoma (
p
value < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, mucinous carcinoma had significant combination of being common in older age, larger in size, with irregular shape, and non-circumscribed margins. On ADC map and MRS, mucinous carcinoma had higher ADC values and higher CHO.SNR than fibroadenoma. The mean ADC value of mucinous carcinoma was 1.3 ± 0.1 × 10
−3
mm
2
/s, which was significantly higher than that of fibroadenoma (1.1 ± 0.1 × 10
−3
mm
2
/s), with
p
= 0.002. Also, the mean CHO.SNR was significantly higher in mucinous carcinoma (3.1 ± 0.8) than fibroadenoma (0.8 ± 0.5) with
p
value < 0.001. According to our results, the presence of type 3 (washout curve), dark internal septations, non-circumscribed margins and irregular shape of the lesion showed the highest sensitivity and accuracy for differentiation of mucinous carcinomas and fibroadenomas (100, 78.6%), (89.4, 82%), (86.5, 80.3%) and (81, 71.4%), respectively.
Conclusion
The combined use of DCE-MRI, DW-MRI and MRS with breast MRI-BIRADS descriptors and non-BIRADS items increases the diagnostic accuracy for differentiation of mucinous carcinomas from fibroadenomas.
This paper reported a pioneering 5G multiband microstrip line fed patch antenna for IoT,
wireless power transfer (WPT) and data transmission. The proposed antenna is accomplished using a triple ...L-arms patch antenna responsible for the multiband response. A diamond-shaped ground slot is added to control and increase the bandwidth of the resonant frequency. The antenna is designed to resonate at 10, 13, 17 and 26 GHz with 10 dB impedance bandwidths of 0.67, 0.8, 2.45 and 4.3 GHz respectively. The proposed antenna is fabricated using microstrip technology with total area of 16.5x16.5 mm2. The 5G multiband antenna has sufficient realized gain of 4.95, 5.72, 4.94 and 7.077 dB
respectively. The antenna is designed and simulated using the CST Microwave Studio Suite (Computer Simulation Technology). Measurements show good agreement with simulations in all frequencies of operation.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Barley is a very important crop worldwide and has good impact in preserving food security. The impacts of 10 mM proline and 0.5 mM salicylic acid were evaluated on water stressed barley plants ...(Hordeum vulgare L. Giza126). Salicylic acid and proline treatments led to increased stem length, plant dry weights, chlorophyll concentration, relative water content, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and grain yield under drought stress. Nevertheless, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage (EL), superoxide (O2·−), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) significantly decreased in treated barley plants with proline and salicylic acid in both growing seasons as compared with drought treatment only, which caused significant decrease in stem length, plant dry weights, chlorophyll concentration, activity of antioxidant enzymes, as well as biological and grain yield. These results demonstrated the importance of salicylic acid and proline as tolerance inducers of drought stress in barley plants.
Oral propranolol has become the treatment of choice of infantile hemangiomas (IH)s. However, the safety of systemic propranolol is questioned. Topical therapy with 1% propranolol has been reported to ...be safe and effective. Intralesional (IL) administration may possibly allow safe delivery of higher drug dosages.
To assess the efficacy and safety of two locally administered routes of propranolol (topical and IL), in comparison with its systemic oral use in the treatment of IHs.
45 patients with IHs were randomly divided into 3 groups, A, B and C (n = 15 in each), receiving oral propranolol, 2 mg/kg/day, topical propranolol 1% ointment twice daily, IL propranolol, 1 mg of propranolol hydrochloride in 1 ml of injection once weekly, respectively. Follow up was done for 6 months after treatment was stopped.
Excellent response was achieved in 9 patients in group A (60%), 3 in group B (20%) and 2 in group C (13.3%), (P value : 0.04). As regards safety, all 3 modalities proved safe with no major side effects apart from 1 patient in group A and 3 in group C who dropped out due to pain or inconvenience of therapy.
Further work is needed to establish clear guidelines and reach best formulations. Nevertheless, in properly selected patients with IHs, we recommend the usage of oral propranolol. Topically administered propranolol could be considered in patients at risk of potential side effects from oral administration. As IL application did not offer any more benefits, it could not be recommended.
Avian influenza (AI) viruses pose a risk to the worldwide poultry industry, and the H9N2 AI virus has a profound immunosuppressive effect. The utilization of natural substances as immunostimulants is ...part of a global initiative to control AI viruses. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to examine if varying doses of the cyanobacterium Spirulina extract combined with the H9N2 vaccine would produce a greater immunological response. Thus, a total of 150 specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were allocated into six groups, 25 birds each, as follow: G1, G2, and G6 were supplemented with 200, 400, and 400 mg Spirulina extract/kg feed, respectively, whilst the feed in G3, G4, and G5 were not supplemented with Spirulina extract. At 21 days old, only the chickens in G1, G2, and G3 were vaccinated with the H9N2 AI vaccine. After four weeks post-vaccination, the chickens in G1, G2, G3, G4, and G6 were challenged with H9N2 AI Egyptian strain. The challenged virus was selected from a recent circulating Egyptian strain during 2022, and it was related to A/quail/Hong Kong/G1/97-like virus lineage and clustered with sub-lineage EGY-2. It had a high identity percentage of 92.6% with the A/chicken/Iran/av1221/1998 (Boehringer Ingelheim) vaccine. The results of reverse transcriptase real-time- polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) revealed that no shedding of the virus was reported only in G1, G2, G3, and G5. However, chickens in Group 6 that were not vaccinated but were fed 400 mg of Spirulina extract/kg of feed only reduced but did not prevent virus shedding, as was the case in G1, and G2. The supplementation of Spirulina extract in low (200 mg/kg of feed) and high (400 mg/kg of feed) concentration with the birds vaccinated with H9N2 AI vaccine (G1 and G2) induced prominent immuno-stimulatory effect in a dose dependent manner where it strongly enhanced the phagocytic percent of broilers' peripheral blood monocytes, phagocytic index, and lysozyme at all days post vaccination (dpv) and days post challenge (dpc) compared to other groups with significant differences at 21st dpv, 28th dpv, 7th dpc,and 14th dpc, respectively. The supplementation with Spirulina extract in G1 and G2 induced the highest hemagglutination inhibition antibody titer in a dose-dependent manner at all time intervals. The antibody titer post-vaccination was significantly increased in G1 and G2 at 14th, and 21st dpv, respectively in comparison with G3. Furthermore, G1 and G2 showed higher significant antibody titers at 7th and 14th dpc, respectively compared to G3, G4 and G6. Furthermore, Spirulina extract (200 and 400 mg/kg feed) in G1 and G2 showed anti-inflammatory effect by downregulating nitric oxide levels at all times post-challenge with a significant difference at 3-7 days post-challenge compared to other groups, with improved histopathological alterations in the trachea, lung, kidney, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius. In conclusion, vaccination in conjunction with either dose of Spirulina extract (G1, and G2) prevents viral shedding, increases the immune response, and reduces inflammation and histopathological change caused by H9N2 AI infection in dose dependent manner. We recommend the use of 400 mg Spirulina extract/kg feed as a natural immunostimulant in conjunction with the H9N2 vaccine to achieve the highest possible level of protection against H9N2 AI infection.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Addition of different growth factors to the medium used in autologous melanocyte‐keratinocyte transplantation procedure (MKTP) was reported in the literature. The aim of the current study was ...comparison of response to MKTP in segmental vitiligo (SV) with and without adding growth factors to the suspension medium. Eighteen cases with SV were randomly divided into two groups. In group A: Ham F12 medium was used for suspension and in group B: 5 ng/mL recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and 25 mg/500 mL 3′5′ cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were added to the medium. All cases received NB‐UVB twice weekly for 24 weeks. The area of vitiligo lesions was measured before and after therapy by point‐counting technique and complications were recorded. Excellent response (90%‐100% repigmentation) occurred in 5/9 cases (56%) in group A and 7/9 cases (78%) in group B (with growth factors). A significant decrease in the area of treated lesions before and after therapy was found in both groups A and B (P = .0012 and .0004, respectively), however, a higher percentage of reduction in area of vitiligo was seen in group B cases (70% in group A vs 90% in group B; P value: .028). Marginal halo was seen in five cases in group A and six in group B. In conclusion addition of bFGF and cAMP to MKTP medium improved the results of the procedure. It could be considered if economically feasible.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Recently, multiple culprits—in addition to melanocytes—have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Among those factors are fibroblasts. However, their exact role has not been clearly ...elucidated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible role played by fibroblasts in vitiligo via studying the expression Tenascin C and DKK1 in acral versus non-acral vitiligo lesions. This case–control study included 19 non-segmental vitiligo patients and ten controls. All patients were subjected to thorough clinical evaluation. Both Tenascin C and DKK1 were measured in lesional and peri-lesional skin of acral and non-acral lesions using ELISA technique. The measured levels of Tenascin C and DKK1 were significantly higher in the vitiligo group when compared to controls in all assessed sites (
P
< 0.05). Tenascin C was found to be significantly higher in lesional areas compared to peri-lesional ones only in the acral sites. DKK1 was significantly higher in lesional areas in all assessed sites (
P
< 0.05). The current work suggests a malfunction of fibroblasts in vitiligo, through demonstrating significant up-regulation of two melanogenesis inhibitory products (Tenascin C and DKK1) in patients compared to controls. Larger scale studies are warranted to detect the possible implications of such findings on vitiligo treatment.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Surgical treatment of vitiligo lesions over the fingers has poor outcome. In this intra‐patient comparative study, 12 patients with stable non‐segmental vitiligo (NSV) affecting the middle three ...fingers of one hand were included. Three variations were used in treatment of finger vitiligo lesions: minipuch grafting, melanocytes keratinocyte transplantation procedure (MKTP) preceded by cryoblebbing or full CO2 laser resurfacing of the recipient site. Liquid nitrogen was used to create blebs in one finger 24 hours before therapy. On the following day, the second finger was treated by minipunch grafting and the third finger was resurfaced by CO2 laser. A suspension was prepared and 0.1 mL was injected into each cryobleb. It was also applied to the resurfaced skin. All patients underwent topical PUVA therapy and were followed‐up for 12 months. Ten cases with 52 lesions completed the follow‐up period. About 4/18 lesions treated by cryoblebbing followed by MKTP showed ≥75% repigmentation while only 1/17 lesions treated by laser resurfacing + MKTP and 1/17 lesions treated by minipunch grafting showed 30% and 10% repigmentation, respectively. No complications occurred in MKTP treated lesions. Cryoblebbing of the recipient site seems to improve the outcome of MKTP in lesions over the fingers in stable NSV.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
