The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of quantitative shear wave velocity (SWV) measurement on acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for differentiation ...between benign and malignant thyroid nodules using meta-analysis. The databases of PubMed and the Web of Science were searched. Studies published in English on assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of ARFI elastography for the differentiation of thyroid nodules were collected. The quantitative measurement of ARFI elastography was evaluated by SWV (m/s). Meta-Disc Version 1.4 software was used to describe and calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and summary receiver operating characteristic curves. We analyzed a total of 13 studies, which included 1,854 thyroid nodules (including 1,339 benign nodules and 515 malignant nodules) from 1,641 patients. The summary sensitivity and specificity for differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules by SWV were 0.81 (95% confidence interval CI: 0.77-0.84) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81-0.86), respectively. The pooled positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.21 (95% CI: 3.56-7.62) and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.17-0.32), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 27.53 (95% CI: 14.58-52.01), and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.91 (Q* = 0.84). In conclusion, SWV measurement on ARFI elastography has high sensitivity and specificity for differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules and can be used in combination with conventional ultrasound.
Due to the diversity of ship-radiated noise (SRN), audio segmentation is an essential procedure in the ship statuses/categories identification. However, the existing segmentation methods are not ...suitable for the SRN because of the lack of prior knowledge. In this paper, by a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test on the ordinal pattern distribution (OPD), we proposed a segmentation criterion and introduce it into single change-point detection (SCPD) and multiple change-points detection (MCPD) for SRN. The proposed method is free from the acoustic feature extraction and the corresponding probability distribution estimation. In addition, according to the sequential structure of ordinal patterns, the OPD is efficiently estimated on a series of analysis windows. By comparison with the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) based segmentation method, we evaluate the performance of the proposed method on both synthetic signals and real-world SRN. The segmentation results on synthetic signals show that the proposed method estimates the number and location of the change-points more accurately. The classification results on real-world SRN show that our method obtains more distinguishable segments, which verifies its effectiveness in SRN segmentation.
The aim of the study described here was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant solid ...hypo-echoic thyroid nodules (SHTNs) on ultrasound. In this retrospective study, 183 histologically proven SHTNs in 159 patients were enrolled. Conventional US, as well as Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) and Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ) of ARFI elastography, was performed on each nodule. The VTI features of SHTNs were divided into six grades, where higher grades represent harder tissue. VTQ was expressed as shear wave velocity, where higher shear wave velocity values indicate stiffer tissue. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Youden index for ultrasound and ARFI were assessed. The 183 pathologically proven SHTNs included 117 benign and 66 malignant lesions. Nodules classified as VTI grades IV to VI were more frequently malignant (49/66, 74.2%) than benign (10/117, 8.5%) (p < 0.001). The mean shear wave velocity of VTQ for malignant SHTNs (mean ± standard deviation, 4.65 ± 2.68 m/s; range, 1.36-9 m/s) was significantly higher than that for benign SHTNs (2.34 ± 0.85 m/s, 0-5.7 m/s) (p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Youden index were 27.3%-84.8%, 13.7%-89.7%, 39.3%-69.4%, 35.7%-60%, 61.5%-78.5%, and -0.015 to 0.37 for ultrasound; 68.2%, 76.9%, 73.8%, 62.5%, 81.1% and 0.451 for VTQ; and 74.2%, 91.5%, 85.2%, 83.1%, 86.3% and 0.657 for VTI, respectively. ARFI elastography performed at a superior level, compared with conventional ultrasound, in the differential diagnosis between malignant and benign SHTNs. The diagnostic performance of VTI is higher than that of VTQ.
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•An efficient method was established for the purification of bisabolocurcumin ether.•Bisabolocurcumin ether contents varied among different Curcuma species and geographic ...regions.•Turmeric from Thailand had the highest content of the four compounds analyzed.•Bisabolocurcumin ether and three curcuminoids inhibited nitric oxide production.
The terpene-conjugated curcuminoid bisabolocurcumin ether (BCE) is a newly identified bioactive curcuminoid, but its abundance in different Curcuma species is unknown. We developed an efficient MCI-gel-based method to purify BCE from C. longa, and established BCE fragmentation pathways under ESI-MS/MS. The abundances of BCE curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin determined in C. longa rhizomes from Thailand, Indonesia, and China, C. longa roots from China, and C. phaeocaulis rhizomes from China. The abundance of the four compounds varied significantly, not only among different Curcuma species and cultivation regions, but also among different parts of the same species. BCEs were only detected in C. longa from Thailand and China, and in C. longa roots. C. longa from Thailand showed the highest abundance of curcuminoid average 85.07 mg/g and BCE average 0.64 mg/g. Moreover, BCE and three curcuminoids showed anti-inflammatory potential, as evidenced by the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide in macrophages.
pv. campestris is the causative agent of black rot disease in crucifer plants. This Gram-negative bacterium utilizes the type III secretion system (T3SS), encoded by the
gene cluster, to aid in its ...resistance to host defenses and the ability to cause disease. The T3SS injects a set of proteins known as effectors into host cells that come into contact with the bacterium. The T3SS is essential for the virulence and hypersensitive response (HR) of
pv. campestris, making it a potential target for disease control strategies. Using a unique and straightforward high-throughput screening method, we examined a large collection of diverse small molecules for their potential to modulate the T3SS without affecting the growth of
pv. campestris. Screening of 13,129 different compounds identified 10 small molecules that had a significant inhibitory influence on T3SS. Moreover, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assays demonstrated that all 10 compounds repress the expression of the
genes. Interestingly, the effect of these small molecules on
genes may be through the HpaS and ColS sensor kinase proteins that are key to the regulation of the T3SS
Five of the compounds were also capable of inhibiting
pv. campestris virulence in a Chinese radish leaf-clipping assay. Furthermore, seven of the small molecules significantly weakened the HR in nonhost pepper plants challenged with
pv. campestris. Taken together, these small molecules may provide potential tool compounds for the further development of antivirulence agents that could be used in disease control of the plant pathogen
pv. campestris.
The bacterium
pv. campestris is known to cause black rot disease in many socioeconomically important vegetable crops worldwide. The management and control of black rot disease have been tackled with chemical and host resistance methods with variable success. This has motivated the development of alternative methods for preventing this disease. Here, we identify a set of novel small molecules capable of inhibiting
pv. campestris virulence, which may represent leading compounds for the further development of antivirulence agents that could be used in the control of black rot disease.
In the clinic, vitiligo is characterized by two stages: Stable and progressive. The pathogenesis of vitiligo is still not clear. Here, we identified serum markers of vitiligo by screening for ...differentially expressed proteins in patients with vitiligo compared to healthy individuals. Serum samples were collected from patients with vitiligo (n=10 for both the stable and progressive stages) and healthy individuals (n=10). Two‑dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by matrix‑assisted laser desorption/ionization time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry and western blotting were used to validate the differential expression of the proteins in the serum (n=20 each, at both stages for patients and healthy individuals). A total of 48 differentially expressed proteins were identified by gel image analysis. There were 28 differentially expressed proteins in patients with progressive vitiligo (PV) and 13 differentially expressed proteins in patients with stable vitiligo (SV) compared with that in healthy individuals. Additionally, 7 differentially expressed proteins were identified in patients with PV compared with those in patients with SV. The western blotting results showed that Peroxiredoxin‑6, apolipoprotein L1, apolipoprotein E and mannose‑binding protein were differentially expressed in patients with different stages of vitiligo. Our results showed that change serum levels of several proteins might be useful as biomarkers or in understanding the pathogenesis of vitiligo.
Atg4 is a unique cysteine protease responsible for the cleavage of the carboxyl terminus of Atg8 during the formation of autophagosomes in yeast. Here we report that MoAtg4, an Atg4 homologue in ...Magnaporthe oryzae, controls cell differentiation and pathogenicity by interacting with MoAtg8, an autophagic protein essential for autophagic cell death and pathogenicty. Yeast complementation assay revealed that MoATG4 can fuctionally complemented the defects of the yeast ATG4 deletion mutant. The direct interaction between MoAtg4 and MoAtg8 was detected in both yeast two hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. We also specify a cysteine residue, Cys206, as the active residue within MoAtg4 for the cleavage of MoAtg8 in vitro. Expression pattern analysis revealed that MoATG4 gene is expressed throughout growth and development by M. oryzae and can be induced by starvation and MoAtg4 protein localized in the cytoplasm of M. oryzae. Deletion of MoATG4 in M. oryzae caused significant reduction of aerial hyphae, conidiation, perithecia formation, and delay of conidial germination and appressorium formation. Furthermore, as a result of lower turgor pressure of the appressorium, the ∆Moatg4 mutant lost its ability to penetrate rice and barley. The developmental and pathogenic phenotypes were recovered by re-introduction of an intact copy of MoATG4 into the mutant, suggesting that MoATG4 is indispensable in the development of M. oryzae and essential to pathogenicity of this fungus.
Purpose. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ARFI imaging in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules <1 cm. Materials and Methods. 173 pathologically proven thyroid nodules ...(77 benign, 96 malignant) in 157 patients were included in this study. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound (US) and ARFI imaging in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). The independent risk factors for predicting PTMC were evaluated. Results. The mean SWV value of benign and malignant thyroid nodules were 2.57 ± 0.79 m/s (range: 0.90–4.92 m/s) and 3.88 ± 2.24 m/s (range: 1.49–9.00 m/s) ( P = 0.000 ). Az for VTI elastography score was higher than that for hypoechoic, absence of halo sign, and type III vascularity ( P < 0.05 ). The optimal cut-offs for VTI elastography score and SWV were score 4 and 3.10 m/s. Gender, hypoechoic, taller than wide, VTI elastography score ≥ 4, and SWV > 3.10 m/s had been found to be independent risk factors for predicting PTMC. Conclusion. ARFI elastography can provide elasticity information of PTMC quantitatively (VTQ) and directly reflects the overall elastic properties (VTI). Gender, hypoechogenicity, taller than wide, VTI elastography score ≥ 4, and SWV > 3.10 m/s are independent risk factors for predicting PTMC. ARFI elastography seems to be a new tool for the diagnosis of PTMC.
Rationale
Opioid receptors are implicated in the regulation of motivation and emotion. However, animal studies show that activation of κ opioid receptor produces contrasting mood-altering effects in ...models of anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, and consequently, the role of κ receptor in mood control remains unsettled. The effect of κ/μ opioid combination in emotion regulation was unexplored.
Objectives
The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of (-)-3-N-ethylaminothiazolo 5,4-b-N-cyclopropylmethylmorphinan hydrochloride (ATPM-ET), a novel κ agonist and μ partial agonist, in regulating emotional responses.
Methods
The emotional responses of ATPM-ET were detected in the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). Selective κ antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) and μ antagonist β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA) were applied to determine the type of receptor involved. The conditioned place aversion model was used to evaluate the effects on aversive emotion.
Results
In the EPM and OFT, ATPM-ET (1 and 2 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly increased the time spent in the open arm and in the central area, respectively. In the FST and TST, ATPM-ET (0.5 and 1 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly reduced the duration of immobility. These effects were prevented by nor-BNI (10 mg/kg, i.p., −24 h), but not by β-FNA (10 and20 mg/kg, i.p., −24 h) pretreatment. At the dose of 2 mg/kg, ATPM-ET did not induce conditioned place aversion.
Conclusions
ATPM-ET, at doses from 0.5 to 2 mg/kg, produced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects without inducing aversive emotion. These effects were more closely mediated by activation of κ receptor than μ receptor.
Increasing data shows miR-29a is a key regulator of oncogenic processes. It is significantly down-regulated in some kind of human tumors and possibly functionally linked to cellular proliferation, ...survival and migration. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we report miR-29a is significantly under-expressed in gastric cancer compared to the healthy donor. The microvessel density is negatively related to miR-29a expression in gastric cancer tissues. The ectopic expression of miR-29a significantly inhibits proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, western blot combined with the luciferase reporter assays demonstrate that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is direct target of miR-29a. This is the first time miR-29a was found to suppress the tumor microvessel density in gastric cancer by targeting VEGF-A. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-29a is a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer. Restoration of miR-29a in gastric cancer may be a promising therapeutic approach.
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