To evaluate the performance of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) in magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound (MRI-TRUS) fusion prostate biopsy for the detection of clinically significant ...prostate cancer (csPCa). We prospectively enrolled 164 patients with at least one Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) ≥ 3 lesions who underwent MRI-TRUS fusion prostate biopsy. Of the PSA-derived biomarkers, the PHI had the best performance in predicting csPCa (AUC 0.792, CI 0.707-0.877) in patients with PI-RADS 4/5 lesions. Furthermore, the predictive power of PHI was even higher in the patients with PI-RADS 3 lesions (AUC 0.884, CI 0.792-0.976). To minimize missing csPCa, we used a PHI cutoff of 27 and 7.4% of patients with PI-RADS 4/5 lesions could have avoided a biopsy. At this level, 2.0% of cases with csPCa would have been missed, with sensitivity and NPV rates of 98.0% and 87.5%, respectively. However, the subgroup of PI-RADS 3 was too small to define the optimal PHI cutoff. PHI was the best PSA-derived biomarker to predict csPCa in MRI-TRUS fusion prostate biopsies in men with PI-RADS ≥ 3 lesions, especially for the patients with PI-RADS 3 lesions who gained the most value.
A new technique to achieve both good isolation and dual band-notched functions for ultrawideband (UWB) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antennas was developed. The proposed antenna consists of ...the radiation patch connected through a via with the strip placed beneath the patch. The strip not only provides another coupling path, but also serves as the impedance transformer, resulting in good isolation (S 21 <; -15 dB) and dual band rejection at WiMAX (3.4-3.7 GHz) and WLAN (5.15-5.35 and 5.725-5.825 GHz) over the UWB system operation (3.1-10.6 GHz). Without decoupling element or resonator, which is often placed between the antennas to acquire good isolation or band rejection, the proposed UWB MIMO antenna requires an individual antenna element size of only 11.2 12 mm 2 (0.12λ 0 ×0.11λ 0 )and overall MIMO antenna size of 30 40 mm 2 (0.31λ 0 ×0.41λ 0 ). The edge-to-edge separation between antennas is , and separation between feeds is 0.175λ 0 at 3.1 GHz. Detailed investigations of the parameters were performed, and the experimental results agree closely with the simulation results, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed method.
Liver disorders are a major health concern. Saikosaponin-d (SSd) is an effective active ingredient extracted from
, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ...properties. However, its hepatoprotective properties and underlying mechanisms are unknown. We investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of SSd treatment for thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury and high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in male C57BL/6 mice. The SSd group showed significantly higher food intake, body weight, and hepatic antioxidative enzymes (catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) and lower hepatic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) compared with controls, as well as reduced expression of inflammation-related genes (nuclear factor kappa B (
) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (
)) messenger RNA (mRNA). In NAFLD mice, SSd reduced serum ALT, AST, triglycerides, fatty acid-binding protein 4 (
) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (
) mRNA, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress-related proteins (phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α subunit (p-eIF2α), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). SSd has a hepatoprotective effect in liver injury by suppressing inflammatory responses and acting as an antioxidant.
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•Eleven pesticides and their metabolites were analyzed in urine of endometriosis cohorts.•Six pesticides/metabolites had a detection frequency ≥95% in urine.•Odds ratios for ...endometriosis diagnosis were significant for IMPY and TCPY.•Exposure to diazinon and chlorpyrifos may be associated with endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a hormone-responsive gynecologic disease, signifying its connotations across a woman’s life span. Previous studies suggested that endocrine disrupting chemicals were risk factors for endometriosis. Nevertheless, little is known on exposure to organophosphate, pyrethroid and phenoxy acid pesticides on endometriosis diagnosis. In this study, we determined the concentrations of 11 pesticides, metabolites of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, and phenoxy herbicides, in urine collected from 619 reproductive-age women in Utah and California, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The association of urinary concentrations of pesticides with an increase in the odds of endometriosis diagnosis was examined in 594 women who underwent laparoscopy/laparotomy (operative cohort: n = 471) or pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (population cohort: n = 123), during 2007–2009. 2-Isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY), malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA), para-nitrophenol (PNP), 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were detected in ≥95% of the urine samples analyzed. Urinary concentrations of IMPY, MDA, PNP, 3-PBA and 2,4-D tended to be higher in younger, non-Hispanic black, nulliparous and less affluent women. IMPY was the most dominant compound in urine followed by PNP and TCPY. When women in the 4th quartile of IMPY and the 2nd quartile of TCPY concentrations (μg/g creatinine) were compared with women in the 1st quartile, the odds ratios (ORs) for diagnosis of endometriosis increased significantly in unadjusted models (IMPY OR = 1.89, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 1.12–3.20; TCPY OR = 1.65, 95% Cl = 1.02–2.69) for the operative (n = 471) and entire data set (n = 594), respectively. Our results suggest that exposure to elevated concentrations of diazinon (the parent compound of IMPY) and chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl (parent compounds of TCPY) may be associated with endometriosis.
Abstract
The zero echo time (ZTE) technique has improved the detection of lung nodules in PET/MRI but respiratory motion remains a challenge in lung scan. We investigated the feasibility and ...performance of fractionated deep-inspiration breath-hold (FDIBH) three-dimensional (3D) ZTE FDG PET/MRI for assessing lung nodules in patients with proved malignancy. Sixty patients who had undergone ZTE FDG PET/MRI and chest CT within a three-day interval were retrospectively included. Lung nodules less than 2 mm were excluded for analysis. Two physicians checked the adequacy of FDIBH ZTE and compared the lung nodule detection rates of FDIBH 3D ZTE and free-breathing (FB) four-dimensional (4D) ZTE, with chest CT as the reference standard. FDIBH resolved the effect of respiratory motion in 49 patients. The mean number and size of the pulmonary nodules identified in CT were 15 ± 31.3 per patient and 5.9 ± 4.6 mm in diameter. The overall nodule detection rate was 71% for FDIBH 3D ZTE and 70% for FB 4D ZTE (
p
= 0.73). FDIBH 3D ZTE significantly outperformed FB 4DZTE in detecting lung base nodules (72% and 68%;
p
= 0.03), especially for detecting those less than 6 mm (61% and 55%;
p
= 0.03). High inter-rater reliability for FDIBH 3D ZTE and FB 4D ZTE (k = 0.9 and 0.92) was noted. In conclusion, the capability of FDIBH 3D ZTE in respiratory motion resolution was limited with a technical failure rate of 18%. However, it could provide full expansion of the lung in a shorter scan time which enabled better detection of nodules (< 6 mm) in basal lungs, compared to FB 4D ZTE.
Summary
Ictal respiratory dysfunction occurs in patients with epilepsy and may contribute to sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Fluoxetine reverses respiratory arrest in a mouse model of ...epilepsy, suggesting that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may reduce ictal respiratory dysfunction. Video–electroencephalography (EEG) and pulse oximetry data from 496 seizures in 73 consecutive patients with partial epilepsy was reviewed, including 87 seizures in 16 patients taking SSRIs (SSRI+) and 409 seizures in 57 patients not taking SSRIs (SSRI−). The proportion of ictal‐related oxygen desaturation <85% with partial seizures without secondary convulsions in SSRI+ patients was reduced relative to SSRI− patients (p = 0.011). There was no statistically significant difference in ictal oxygen desaturation for secondarily generalized convulsions. SSRIs are associated with reduced likelihood of ictal oxygen desaturation in patients with partial seizures.
Liver disorders have been recognized as one major health concern. Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from the brown seaweed Fucus serratus, has previously been reported as an ...anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. However, the discovery and validation of its hepatoprotective properties and elucidation of its mechanisms of action are still unknown. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect and possible modes of action of a treatment of fucoidan against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury in male C57BL/6 mice by serum biochemical and histological analyses. The mouse model for liver damage was developed by the administration of TAA thrice a week for six weeks. The mice with TAA-induced liver injury were orally administered fucoidan once a day for 42 days. The treated mice showed significantly higher body weights; food intakes; hepatic antioxidative enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)); and a lower serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Additionally, a reduced hepatic IL-6 level and a decreased expression of inflammatory-related genes, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA was observed. These results demonstrated that fucoidan had a hepatoprotective effect on liver injury through the suppression of the inflammatory responses and acting as an antioxidant. In addition, here, we validated the use of fucoidan against liver disorders with supporting molecular data.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide, and chemoresistance often leads to poor patient outcomes. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of synthetic ...diphenyl disulfide (DPDS) in breast cancer cell lines. DPDS inhibited cellular proliferation and viability in a dose‐dependent manner and reduced colony formation, an index of clonogenicity. Annexin‐V and 7‐AAD double staining showed that DPDS could induce the apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Western blotting of the expression of Bax p21 and its cleaved form p18 suggested the activation of p18 Bax‐induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the increased expression of the autophagy marker LC3B‐II indicated autophagic lysosome accumulation induced by DPDS. Our findings suggest that DPDS has potential as a candidate for treating breast cancer, and further modifications and optimizations are warranted.
Species identification of sharks under catch or trade regulations is important for law enforcement and species conservation. Rapid detection of Convention on the International Trade in Endangered ...Species (CITES)‐listed species is needed for on‐site screening.
Species‐specific primers were designed to target three mitochondrial genes (ND2, COI, and CytB) in both the simplex and multiplex loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus), the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus), and the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), respectively. Another primer set designed to target S. lewini was used for detection‐limit testing of the LAMP assay.
The refined direct multiplex LAMP was used to detect the three CITES‐listed shark species and omitted the lengthy DNA extraction process. A homogenizer was used to release the DNA from the shark tissues, and a simplex or multiplex LAMP reaction was conducted for 30 min in an incubator at 65°C using species‐specific primer sets.
Positive LAMP reactions showed a colour change from pink to yellow, whereas negative reactions showed no colour change. Multiplex LAMP assays were performed using 84 samples, which successfully identified the target and non‐target species and provided a fast (<1 h), simple, and reliable method to distinguish three CITES‐listed shark species from the other non‐target species, for either fresh or dry fin products.
Results of this study and the method developed will play a critical role in assisting fishery agencies and customs officials in identifying the illegal catch and trade of CITES‐listed shark species.
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