Cowpea Nodules Harbor Non-rhizobial Bacterial Communities that Are Shaped by Soil Type Rather than Plant Genotype

Science.gov (United States)

Leite, Jakson; Fischer, Doreen; Rouws, Luc F. M.; Fernandes-Júnior, Paulo I.; Hofmann, Andreas; Kublik, Susanne; Schloter, Michael; Xavier, Gustavo R.; Radl, Viviane

2017-01-01

Many studies have been pointing to a high diversity of bacteria associated to legume root nodules. Even though most of these bacteria do not form nodules with legumes themselves, it was shown that they might enter infection threads when co-inoculated with rhizobial strains. The aim of this work was to describe the diversity of bacterial communities associated with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) root nodules using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, regarding the factors plant genotype and soil type. As expected, Bradyrhizobium was the most abundant genus of the detected genera. Furthermore, we found a high bacterial diversity associated to cowpea nodules; OTUs related to the genera Enterobacter, Chryseobacterium, Sphingobacterium, and unclassified Enterobacteriacea were the most abundant. The presence of these groups was significantly influenced by the soil type and, to a lesser extent, plant genotype. Interestingly, OTUs assigned to Chryseobacterium were highly abundant, particularly in samples obtained from an Ultisol soil. We confirmed their presence in root nodules and assessed their diversity using a target isolation approach. Though their functional role still needs to be addressed, we postulate that Chryseobacterium strains might help cowpea plant to cope with salt stress in semi-arid regions. PMID:28163711

Radiology reports for incidental thyroid nodules on CT and MRI: high variability across subspecialties.

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, A T; Sosa, J A; Tanpitukpongse, T P; Choudhury, K R; Gupta, R T; Hoang, J K

2015-02-01

Variability in radiologists' reporting styles and recommendations for incidental thyroid nodules can lead to confusion among clinicians and may contribute to inconsistent patient care. Our aim was to describe reporting practices of radiologists for incidental thyroid nodules seen on CT and MR imaging and to determine factors that influence reporting styles. This is a retrospective study of patients with incidental thyroid nodules reported on CT and MR imaging between January and December 2011, identified by text search for "thyroid nodule" in all CT and MR imaging reports. The studies included CT and MR imaging scans of the neck, spine, and chest. Radiology reports were divided into those that mentioned the incidental thyroid nodules only in the "Findings" section versus those that reported the incidental thyroid nodules in the "Impression" section as well, because this latter reporting style gives more emphasis to the finding. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify radiologist, patient, and nodule characteristics that influenced reporting styles. Three hundred seventy-five patients met the criterion of having incidental thyroid nodules. One hundred thirty-eight (37%) patients had incidental thyroid nodules reported in the "Impression" section. On multivariate analysis, only radiologists' divisions and nodule size were associated with reporting in "Impression." Chest radiologists and neuroradiologists were more likely to report incidental thyroid nodules in the "Impression" section than their abdominal imaging colleagues, and larger incidental thyroid nodules were more likely to be reported in "Impression" (P ≤ .03). Seventy-three percent of patients with incidental thyroid nodules of ≥20 mm were reported in the "Impression" section, but higher variability in reporting was seen for incidental thyroid nodules measuring 10-14 mm and 15-19 mm, which were reported in "Impression" for 61% and 50% of patients, respectively. Reporting

Role of Duplex Power Doppler Ultrasound in Differentiation between Malignant and Benign Thyroid Nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Algin, Oktay; Algin, Efnan; Gokalp, Gokhan; Ocakog, Gokhan; Erdog an, Cuneyt; Saraydaroglu, Ozlem; Ercan Tuncel, Prof

2010-01-01

To evaluate the usage of duplex power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) for the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. We prospectively examined 77 thyroid nodules in 60 patients undergoing ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Each nodule was described according to size, inner structure, borders, parenchymal echogenicity, peripheral halo formation, and the presence of calcification (Bmode ultrasound findings). Vascularity as determined by PDUS imaging was defined as non-vascular, peripheral, central, or of mixed type. For each nodule, the pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI) values were obtained. Results of FNAB and surgical pathological examination (if available) were used as a proof of final diagnosis to categorize all nodules as benign or malignant. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to establish cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity values associated with RI-PI values. A significant relationship was observed between malignancy and irregular margins, microcalcifications, and hypoechogenicity on ultrasound examination (p 0.05). The central, peripheral, and mean RI-PI values were higher in malignant nodules when compared to the other cytologies (p < 0.05). Vascularity is not a useful parameter for distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules. However, RI and PI values are useful in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules

46 CFR 42.09-5 - All vessels-division into types.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false All vessels-division into types. 42.09-5 Section 42.09-5... BY SEA Load Line Assignments and Surveys-General Requirements § 42.09-5 All vessels—division into types. (a) For the purposes of this part, each vessel to which this part applies is either a Type “A” or...

Ultrasound assistance in differentiating malignant thyroid nodules from benign ones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahir, S.T.; Sefidrokh, S.; Heidari, F.; Vakili, M.; Ghaneei, A.

2017-01-01

The search is ongoing for simple, effective ways to identify and differentiate thyroid nodules in order to avoid invasive procedures. This study aims to perform an ultrasound assessment of clinically suspected patients with malignant nodules, to perform a fine needle biopsy on them, and to compare the results obtained. Methods: In total, 135 patients with thyroid nodules suspected to be malignant in the ultrasound underwent ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsies. The patients' gender, age, ultrasound views (echogenicity, shape, and calcification type), nodule size, number of nodules, and needle biopsy results were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Of the 135 patients, 117 (86.7 percent) were female and 18 (13.3 percent) were male. In terms of age, 67 (49.16 percent) were younger than 40 and the rest were older. According to the Chi-square test, a significant relationship was found between the type of nodule and calcification found in the ultrasound views (p=0.001). The nodule type was not significantly related to gender (p=0.563) or to the number of nodules (p=0.128); however, there was a significant relationship between nodule size and type (p=0.001). Ultrasound specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for differentiating benign from malignant nodules were 93.2 percent, 93.8 percent, 81.1 percent, 98 percent, and 93.3 percent, respectively. Conclusions: Ultrasound views (comet tail artefact and linear echogenic foci) were better predictors of benign nodules than of malignant ones, while round, echogenic foci, brighter and larger than typical micro-calcifications without any visible echoes and multiple punctuate round echogenic foci were better predicted malignancy. (author)

cell- and tissue-specific transcriptome analyses of Medicago truncatula root nodules.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Limpens

Full Text Available Legumes have the unique ability to host nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria as symbiosomes inside root nodule cells. To get insight into this key process, which forms the heart of the endosymbiosis, we isolated specific cells/tissues at different stages of symbiosome formation from nodules of the model legume Medicago truncatula using laser-capture microdissection. Next, we determined their associated expression profiles using Affymetrix Medicago GeneChips. Cells were collected from the nodule infection zone divided into a distal (where symbiosome formation and division occur and proximal region (where symbiosomes are mainly differentiating, as well as infected cells from the fixation zone containing mature nitrogen fixing symbiosomes. As non-infected cells/tissue we included nodule meristem cells and uninfected cells from the fixation zone. Here, we present a comprehensive gene expression map of an indeterminate Medicago nodule and selected genes that show specific enriched expression in the different cells or tissues. Validation of the obtained expression profiles, by comparison to published gene expression profiles and experimental verification, indicates that the data can be used as digital "in situ". This digital "in situ" offers a genome-wide insight into genes specifically associated with subsequent stages of symbiosome and nodule cell development, and can serve to guide future functional studies.

[Bacterial efflux pumps - their role in antibiotic resistance and potential inhibitors].

Science.gov (United States)

Hricová, Kristýna; Kolář, Milan

2014-12-01

Efflux pumps capable of actively draining antibiotic agents from bacterial cells may be considered one of potential mechanisms of the development of antimicrobial resistance. The most important group of efflux pumps capable of removing several types of antibiotics include RND (resistance - nodulation - division) pumps. These are three proteins that cross the bacterial cell wall, allowing direct expulsion of the agent out from the bacterial cell. The most investigated efflux pumps are the AcrAB-TolC system in Escherichia coli and the MexAB-OprM system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, efflux pumps are able to export other than antibacterial agents such as disinfectants, thus decreasing their effectiveness. One potential approach to inactivation of an efflux pump is to use the so-called efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs). Potential inhibitors tested in vitro involve, for example, phenylalanyl-arginyl-b-naphthylamide (PAbN), carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) or agents of the phenothiazine class.

Fast-neutron activation analysis of manganese nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaelis, W.; Fanger, H.U.; Mueller, A.; Pepelnik, R.

1976-01-01

The present paper describes the development of a new nuclear method that allows rapid determinations of the most relevant metals Ni and Cu without sample treatment, thus being particularly suited for quasi-continuous elemental analyses in mining and processing. The measurement is based on fast-neutron activation using Cockcroft-Walton generators, sealed neutron tubes or, possibly, (α,n)-type natural sources. Fast-neutron activation of manganese nodules is dominated by the (n,p)-reactions on Si, Al, Fe; the (n,α)-reaction on Mn and the (n,2n)-reaction on Cu. By choosing appropriate irradiation and cooling periods gamma-ray activities with comparatively simple spectral distributions are induced. From these spectra the Mn/Fe ratio in the nodules can be determined without the elaborate procedures usually required in absolute methods for eliminating systematic errors from fluctuations in sample and/or irradiation parameters. It is connected with the absolute Ni and Cu contents via well-known geochemical correlations which according to a lot of statistical data apply to quite different deposits and nodule types in the Pacific. Using these correlations the determination of the most important metals reduces to the evaluation of a peak area ratio. Measurements of the neutron flux distribution and the apparent sample density are unnecessary. The simple structure of the spectra allows the application of detectors with modest energy resolution, e.g. scintillation counters which can be manufactured as ruggedized crystal assemblies with great resistance to thermal and mechanical shock. The method is described in detail and possible interference, in particular from thermal and epithermal neutrons, are discussed. (orig.) [de

Bean nodulation patterns in soils of different texture at Morogoro ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thus, nodulation success by the inoculum was total in the clay but only dismal in the sandy soil. The unexpected discrepancy between inoculum success on the one hand and nodulation plus plant growth response on the other, is discussed. Keywords: Bean nodulation, ELISA typing of nodules, phaseolus vulgaris

Thyroid nodule classification using ultrasound elastography via linear discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Si; Kim, Eung-Hun; Dighe, Manjiri; Kim, Yongmin

2011-05-01

The non-surgical diagnosis of thyroid nodules is currently made via a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. It is estimated that somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000 thyroid FNA biopsies are performed in the United States annually. However, a large percentage (approximately 70%) of these biopsies turn out to be benign. Since the aggressive FNA management of thyroid nodules is costly, quantitative risk assessment and stratification of a nodule's malignancy is of value in triage and more appropriate healthcare resources utilization. In this paper, we introduce a new method for classifying the thyroid nodules based on the ultrasound (US) elastography features. Unlike approaches to assess the stiffness of a thyroid nodule by visually inspecting the pseudo-color pattern in the strain image, we use a classification algorithm to stratify the nodule by using the power spectrum of strain rate waveform extracted from the US elastography image sequence. Pulsation from the carotid artery was used to compress the thyroid nodules. Ultrasound data previously acquired from 98 thyroid nodules were used in this retrospective study to evaluate our classification algorithm. A classifier was developed based on the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and used to differentiate the thyroid nodules into two types: (I) no FNA (observation-only) and (II) FNA. Using our method, 62 nodules were classified as type I, all of which were benign, while 36 nodules were classified as Type-II, 16 malignant and 20 benign, resulting in a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 75.6% in detecting malignant thyroid nodules. This indicates that our triage method based on US elastography has the potential to substantially reduce the number of FNA biopsies (63.3%) by detecting benign nodules and managing them via follow-up observations rather than an FNA biopsy. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Environmental determinants of type 1 diabetes: a role for overweight and insulin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Sadia T; Srinivasan, Shubha; Craig, Maria E

2014-11-01

Rates of type 1 diabetes are rising globally, with a decreasing proportion of high-risk genotypes and twin concordance rates below 50%. Therefore, environmental factors such as viruses, nutrition and overweight have been examined as putative aetiological agents. The accelerator hypothesis proposes that overweight and insulin resistance are central to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and may explain, in part, the rise in type 1 diabetes incidence. The temporal rise in body mass index at type 1 diabetes onset and the observation that pre-diabetic children are heavier and more insulin resistant than their peers suggests convergence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes phenotypes. The influence of insulin resistance may begin in utero, although the aetiological role of birthweight in type 1 diabetes remains unclear. Further research to elucidate the role of these modifiable risk factors in today's obesogenic environment may provide future potential for diabetes prevention. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Towards automatic pulmonary nodule management in lung cancer screening with deep learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciompi, Francesco; Chung, Kaman; van Riel, Sarah J; Setio, Arnaud Arindra Adiyoso; Gerke, Paul K; Jacobs, Colin; Scholten, Ernst Th; Schaefer-Prokop, Cornelia; Wille, Mathilde M W; Marchianò, Alfonso; Pastorino, Ugo; Prokop, Mathias; van Ginneken, Bram

2017-04-19

The introduction of lung cancer screening programs will produce an unprecedented amount of chest CT scans in the near future, which radiologists will have to read in order to decide on a patient follow-up strategy. According to the current guidelines, the workup of screen-detected nodules strongly relies on nodule size and nodule type. In this paper, we present a deep learning system based on multi-stream multi-scale convolutional networks, which automatically classifies all nodule types relevant for nodule workup. The system processes raw CT data containing a nodule without the need for any additional information such as nodule segmentation or nodule size and learns a representation of 3D data by analyzing an arbitrary number of 2D views of a given nodule. The deep learning system was trained with data from the Italian MILD screening trial and validated on an independent set of data from the Danish DLCST screening trial. We analyze the advantage of processing nodules at multiple scales with a multi-stream convolutional network architecture, and we show that the proposed deep learning system achieves performance at classifying nodule type that surpasses the one of classical machine learning approaches and is within the inter-observer variability among four experienced human observers.

[Thyroid nodule].

Science.gov (United States)

Clerc, Jérôme

2005-01-31

The thyroid nodule is a frequent, most often benign, chronic, multifocal and slowly progressive disease. The first line strategy is to diagnose cancerous nodules (thyroid nodules is controversial since the prognosis of thyroid cancer is excellent for lesions measuring less than 20 mm. Though imaging accuracy is quite limited in assessing the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, both ultrasounds (US) and thyroid scan are helpful to enhance nodular identification (>30%), to sort the nodules relevant for cytological sampling and to optimize the follow-up, the major source of health costs. Suspicious and non contributive FNAs must have a control FNA within 6 months. Nodules with a non suspicious FNA (>85%) require long term follow-up. This follow-up is mainly morphological. New or evolutive nodules, as assessed by palpation or US, will require iterative FNAs or should be considered for surgery. In patients with hyperfunctioning nodules on the scan (10 to 20%), a yearly evaluation of the TSH level is sufficient. These nodules account either for autonomously functioning ones, which slowly develop towards thyrotoxicosis, or for hyperplastic nodules frequently disclosing a lymphocytic thyroiditis. Morbidity due to thyroid autonomy is still underestimated especially in aging patients with TSH levels thyroid nodule is suggested.

Bacterial Community Shift Drives Antibiotic Resistance Promotion during Drinking Water Chlorination.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Shuyu; Shi, Peng; Hu, Qing; Li, Bing; Zhang, Tong; Zhang, Xu-Xiang

2015-10-20

For comprehensive insights into the effects of chlorination, a widely used disinfection technology, on bacterial community and antibiotic resistome in drinking water, this study applied high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic approaches to investigate the changing patterns of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacterial community in a drinking water treatment and distribution system. At genus level, chlorination could effectively remove Methylophilus, Methylotenera, Limnobacter, and Polynucleobacter, while increase the relative abundance of Pseudomonas, Acidovorax, Sphingomonas, Pleomonas, and Undibacterium in the drinking water. A total of 151 ARGs within 15 types were detectable in the drinking water, and chlorination evidently increased their total relative abundance while reduced their diversity in the opportunistic bacteria (p < 0.05). Residual chlorine was identified as the key contributing factor driving the bacterial community shift and resistome alteration. As the dominant persistent ARGs in the treatment and distribution system, multidrug resistance genes (mainly encoding resistance-nodulation-cell division transportation system) and bacitracin resistance gene bacA were mainly carried by chlorine-resistant bacteria Pseudomonas and Acidovorax, which mainly contributed to the ARGs abundance increase. The strong correlation between bacterial community shift and antibiotic resistome alteration observed in this study may shed new light on the mechanism behind the chlorination effects on antibiotic resistance.

On the computed tomographic diagnosis of pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higashi, Yuuichirou

1988-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) was used to examine 53 pulmonary nodules which were considered not definitely calcified on plain radiographs or conventional tomograms. An average CT number was calculate for each lesion. For the primary lung cancers, the average CT number was 36 HU with a standard deviation of 6.6 HU, while the benign lesions had the mean CT number of 69 HU, with a standard deviation of 42.8 HU. The mean CT number separating lung malignancies from benign lesions was 78.8 HU. To evaluate the attenuation values within each nodule, iso-CT value map was obtained by using Siemens therapy planning system, MEVAPLAN. Nodules were classified into five categories, Type I to V. All of three nodules classified as Type IV were benign. Iso-CT value map was effective in establishing the benignancy of nodules. The quantitative computed tomographic analysis of pulmonary nodules was evaluated by dual-energy CT. Dual-energy CT has the potential to eliminate the effect of spectral hardening by use of monoenergic images derived from dual-kV data and to separate high CT numbers due to calcium from those due to high density organic material. (author)

Nodules size: An important factor in nodule mining?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Valsangkar, A.B.

A study of about 850 different sized nodules from 234 sites in the Central Indian Basin (CIB) showed a clear inverse relationship between size and grade of nodules. Among the different sized nodules, only the small (less than 2 cm) and medium (2...

Thyroid nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenney, J.F.

1975-01-01

A palpable mass or nodule may represent any one of a large and diverse group of conditions that involve the thyroid. Whether the patient is euthyroid, hypothyroid, or hyperthyroid can be assessed, and the cause of hypofunction or hyperfunction can usually be determined. Scintiscanning provides important information on the anatomic structure of thyroid nodules. A hot nodule should be ablated by either radioiodine or surgery. A warm nodule usually responds to suppression therapy; if regression does not occur, the problem should be reevaluated. A cold nodule should be surgically excised, as microscopic study of such a lesion is mandatory

Nodule-Enriched GRETCHEN HAGEN 3 Enzymes Have Distinct Substrate Specificities and Are Important for Proper Soybean Nodule Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Damodaran

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Legume root nodules develop as a result of a symbiotic relationship between the plant and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria in soil. Auxin activity is detected in different cell types at different stages of nodule development; as well as an enhanced sensitivity to auxin inhibits, which could affect nodule development. While some transport and signaling mechanisms that achieve precise spatiotemporal auxin output are known, the role of auxin metabolism during nodule development is unclear. Using a soybean root lateral organ transcriptome data set, we identified distinct nodule enrichment of three genes encoding auxin-deactivating GRETCHEN HAGEN 3 (GH3 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA amido transferase enzymes: GmGH3-11/12, GmGH3-14 and GmGH3-15. In vitro enzymatic assays showed that each of these GH3 proteins preferred IAA and aspartate as acyl and amino acid substrates, respectively. GmGH3-15 showed a broad substrate preference, especially with different forms of auxin. Promoter:GUS expression analysis indicated that GmGH3-14 acts primarily in the root epidermis and the nodule primordium where as GmGH3-15 might act in the vasculature. Silencing the expression of these GH3 genes in soybean composite plants led to altered nodule numbers, maturity, and size. Our results indicate that these GH3s are needed for proper nodule maturation in soybean, but the precise mechanism by which they regulate nodule development remains to be explained.

Buried nodules from the central Indian Ocean basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Pattan, J.N.; Parthiban, G.

. Of these, 13 buried nodules are from two sediment cores in siliceous ooze and seven from two sediment cores in a red clay area. The morphology, size, surface texture and chemical composition of buried nodules from two different sediment type have been...

Nodulation outer proteins: double-edged swords of symbiotic rhizobia.

Science.gov (United States)

Staehelin, Christian; Krishnan, Hari B

2015-09-15

Rhizobia are nitrogen-fixing bacteria that establish a nodule symbiosis with legumes. Nodule formation depends on signals and surface determinants produced by both symbiotic partners. Among them, rhizobial Nops (nodulation outer proteins) play a crucial symbiotic role in many strain-host combinations. Nops are defined as proteins secreted via a rhizobial T3SS (type III secretion system). Functional T3SSs have been characterized in many rhizobial strains. Nops have been identified using various genetic, biochemical, proteomic, genomic and experimental approaches. Certain Nops represent extracellular components of the T3SS, which are visible in electron micrographs as bacterial surface appendages called T3 (type III) pili. Other Nops are T3 effector proteins that can be translocated into plant cells. Rhizobial T3 effectors manipulate cellular processes in host cells to suppress plant defence responses against rhizobia and to promote symbiosis-related processes. Accordingly, mutant strains deficient in synthesis or secretion of T3 effectors show reduced symbiotic properties on certain host plants. On the other hand, direct or indirect recognition of T3 effectors by plant cells expressing specific R (resistance) proteins can result in effector triggered defence responses that negatively affect rhizobial infection. Hence Nops are double-edged swords that may promote establishment of symbiosis with one legume (symbiotic factors) and impair symbiotic processes when bacteria are inoculated on another legume species (asymbiotic factors). In the present review, we provide an overview of our current understanding of Nops. We summarize their symbiotic effects, their biochemical properties and their possible modes of action. Finally, we discuss future perspectives in the field of T3 effector research. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

Persistent pulmonary subsolid nodules: model-based iterative reconstruction for nodule classification and measurement variability on low-dose CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyungjin; Park, Chang Min; Kim, Seong Ho; Lee, Sang Min; Park, Sang Joon; Lee, Kyung Hee; Goo, Jin Mo

2014-11-01

To compare the pulmonary subsolid nodule (SSN) classification agreement and measurement variability between filtered back projection (FBP) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR). Low-dose CTs were reconstructed using FBP and MBIR for 47 patients with 47 SSNs. Two readers independently classified SSNs into pure or part-solid ground-glass nodules, and measured the size of the whole nodule and solid portion twice on both reconstruction algorithms. Nodule classification agreement was analyzed using Cohen's kappa and compared between reconstruction algorithms using McNemar's test. Measurement variability was investigated using Bland-Altman analysis and compared with the paired t-test. Cohen's kappa for inter-reader SSN classification agreement was 0.541-0.662 on FBP and 0.778-0.866 on MBIR. Between the two readers, nodule classification was consistent in 79.8 % (75/94) with FBP and 91.5 % (86/94) with MBIR (p = 0.027). Inter-reader measurement variability range was -5.0-2.1 mm on FBP and -3.3-1.8 mm on MBIR for whole nodule size, and was -6.5-0.9 mm on FBP and -5.5-1.5 mm on MBIR for solid portion size. Inter-reader measurement differences were significantly smaller on MBIR (p = 0.027, whole nodule; p = 0.011, solid portion). MBIR significantly improved SSN classification agreement and reduced measurement variability of both whole nodules and solid portions between readers. • Low-dose CT using MBIR algorithm improves reproducibility in the classification of SSNs. • MBIR would enable more confident clinical planning according to the SSN type. • Reduced measurement variability on MBIR allows earlier detection of potentially malignant nodules.

Automated lung nodule classification following automated nodule detection on CT: A serial approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armato, Samuel G. III; Altman, Michael B.; Wilkie, Joel; Sone, Shusuke; Li, Feng; Doi, Kunio; Roy, Arunabha S.

2003-01-01

We have evaluated the performance of an automated classifier applied to the task of differentiating malignant and benign lung nodules in low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) scans acquired as part of a lung cancer screening program. The nodules classified in this manner were initially identified by our automated lung nodule detection method, so that the output of automated lung nodule detection was used as input to automated lung nodule classification. This study begins to narrow the distinction between the 'detection task' and the 'classification task'. Automated lung nodule detection is based on two- and three-dimensional analyses of the CT image data. Gray-level-thresholding techniques are used to identify initial lung nodule candidates, for which morphological and gray-level features are computed. A rule-based approach is applied to reduce the number of nodule candidates that correspond to non-nodules, and the features of remaining candidates are merged through linear discriminant analysis to obtain final detection results. Automated lung nodule classification merges the features of the lung nodule candidates identified by the detection algorithm that correspond to actual nodules through another linear discriminant classifier to distinguish between malignant and benign nodules. The automated classification method was applied to the computerized detection results obtained from a database of 393 low-dose thoracic CT scans containing 470 confirmed lung nodules (69 malignant and 401 benign nodules). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the ability of the classifier to differentiate between nodule candidates that correspond to malignant nodules and nodule candidates that correspond to benign lesions. The area under the ROC curve for this classification task attained a value of 0.79 during a leave-one-out evaluation

Transcription reprogramming during root nodule development in Medicago truncatula.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Moreau

Full Text Available Many genes which are associated with root nodule development and activity in the model legume Medicago truncatula have been described. However information on precise stages of activation of these genes and their corresponding transcriptional regulators is often lacking. Whether these regulators are shared with other plant developmental programs also remains an open question. Here detailed microarray analyses have been used to study the transcriptome of root nodules induced by either wild type or mutant strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti. In this way we have defined eight major activation patterns in nodules and identified associated potential regulatory genes. We have shown that transcription reprogramming during consecutive stages of nodule differentiation occurs in four major phases, respectively associated with (i early signalling events and/or bacterial infection; plant cell differentiation that is either (ii independent or (iii dependent on bacteroid differentiation; (iv nitrogen fixation. Differential expression of several genes involved in cytokinin biosynthesis was observed in early symbiotic nodule zones, suggesting that cytokinin levels are actively controlled in this region. Taking advantage of databases recently developed for M. truncatula, we identified a small subset of gene expression regulators that were exclusively or predominantly expressed in nodules, whereas most other regulators were also activated under other conditions, and notably in response to abiotic or biotic stresses. We found evidence suggesting the activation of the jasmonate pathway in both wild type and mutant nodules, thus raising questions about the role of jasmonate during nodule development. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR was used to analyse the expression of a series of nodule regulator and marker genes at early symbiotic stages in roots and allowed us to distinguish several early stages of gene expression activation or repression.

Differential roles of RND efflux pumps in antimicrobial drug resistance of sessile and planktonic Burkholderia cenocepacia cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Buroni, Silvia; Matthijs, Nele; Spadaro, Francesca; Van Acker, Heleen; Scoffone, Viola C; Pasca, Maria Rosalia; Riccardi, Giovanna; Coenye, Tom

2014-12-01

Burkholderia cenocepacia is notorious for causing respiratory tract infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Infections with this organism are particularly difficult to treat due to its high level of intrinsic resistance to most antibiotics. Multidrug resistance in B. cenocepacia can be ascribed to different mechanisms, including the activity of efflux pumps and biofilm formation. In the present study, the effects of deletion of the 16 operons encoding resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux pumps in B. cenocepacia strain J2315 were investigated by determining the MICs of various antibiotics and by investigating the antibiofilm effect of these antibiotics. Finally, the expression levels of selected RND genes in treated and untreated cultures were investigated using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Our data indicate that the RND-3 and RND-4 efflux pumps are important for resistance to various antimicrobial drugs (including tobramycin and ciprofloxacin) in planktonic B. cenocepacia J2315 populations, while the RND-3, RND-8, and RND-9 efflux systems protect biofilm-grown cells against tobramycin. The RND-8 and RND-9 efflux pumps are not involved in ciprofloxacin resistance. Results from the RT-qPCR experiments on the wild-type strain B. cenocepacia J2315 suggest that there is little regulation at the level of mRNA expression for these efflux pumps under the conditions tested. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Lotus japonicus nodulation requires two GRAS-domain regulators, NSP1 and NSP2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heckmann, Anne Birgitte Lau; Lombardo, Fabien; Miwa, Hiroki

A nodulation-defective mutant of Lotus japonicus does not initiate nodule cortical cell division in response to Mesorhizobium loti, but induces root hair deformation, Nod factor-induced calcium spiking, and mycorrhization. We have shown that this mutant has a premature stop in the NSP1 (Nodulation...... Signalling Pathway 1) gene (Ljnsp1-1) resulting in loss of the C-terminal 23 amino acids (aa) and we recently identified another mutant in NSP1 (Ljnsp1-2) with a truncated protein of 341 aa. Additionally, we have sequenced and isolated a mutant in LjNSP2 (Ljnsp2-3) that has a premature stop codon showing...

Root and Nodulation Phenotypes of the Ethylene-Insensitive Sickle Mutant of Medicago truncatula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOKO PRAYITNO

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The sickle (skl mutant of the model legume Medicago truncatula is an ethylene-sensitive mutant that have a ten-fold increase in nodule numbers. The nodulation and root phenotypes of the skl mutant were investigated and further characterised. The skl mutant had longer roots than the wild type, but when inoculated with Sinorhizobium, its root length was reduced to the level of wild type. Furthermore, lateral root numbers in uninoculated skl were similar to those in uninoculated wild type. However, when the root tips were decapitated, fewer lateral roots formed in skl than in wild type. Nodule numbers of the skl mutant were significantly reduced by low nitrate concentration (2.5 mM. These results suggest that skl mutant has alterations in both root and nodule development.

Antibiotic resistance in Burkholderia species.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Katherine A; Schweizer, Herbert P

2016-09-01

The genus Burkholderia comprises metabolically diverse and adaptable Gram-negative bacteria, which thrive in often adversarial environments. A few members of the genus are prominent opportunistic pathogens. These include Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei of the B. pseudomallei complex, which cause glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Burkholderia cenocepacia, Burkholderia multivorans, and Burkholderia vietnamiensis belong to the Burkholderia cepacia complex and affect mostly cystic fibrosis patients. Infections caused by these bacteria are difficult to treat because of significant antibiotic resistance. The first line of defense against antimicrobials in Burkholderia species is the outer membrane penetration barrier. Most Burkholderia contain a modified lipopolysaccharide that causes intrinsic polymyxin resistance. Contributing to reduced drug penetration are restrictive porin proteins. Efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation cell division family are major players in Burkholderia multidrug resistance. Third and fourth generation β-lactam antibiotics are seminal for treatment of Burkholderia infections, but therapeutic efficacy is compromised by expression of several β-lactamases and ceftazidime target mutations. Altered DNA gyrase and dihydrofolate reductase targets cause fluoroquinolone and trimethoprim resistance, respectively. Although antibiotic resistance hampers therapy of Burkholderia infections, the characterization of resistance mechanisms lags behind other non-enteric Gram-negative pathogens, especially ESKAPE bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current status of fine needle aspiration for thyroid nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogilvie, Jennifer B; Piatigorsky, Eli J; Clark, Orlo H

2006-01-01

When not to perform fine needle aspiration of a thyroid nodule In summary, FNA of thyroid nodules has become one of the most useful, safe, and accurate tools in the diagnosis of thyroid pathology. Thyroid nodules that should be considered for FNA include any firm, palpable, solitary nodule or nodule associated with worrisome clinical features (rapid growth, attachment to adjacent tissues, new hoarseness, or palpable lymphadenopathy). FNA should also be performed on nodules with suspicious ultrasonographic features (microcalcifications, rounded shape, predominantly solid composition); dominant or atypical nodules in multinodular goiter; complex or recurrent cystic nodules; or any nodule associated with palpable or ultrasonographically abnormal cervical lymph nodes. Finally, FNA should be performed on any abnormal-appearing or palpable cervical lymph nodes. The management of thyroid nodules based on FNA findings is summarized in Table 2. It can be argued that in certain circumstances the results of thyroid FNA do not change the surgical management of a thyroid nodule, and thus preoperative FNA may be unnecessary. These cases include solitary nodules in patients who have a strong family history of thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia type II, or radiation to the head and neck. These patients when they have thyroid nodules have at least a 40% risk for thyroid cancer and frequent multifocal or bilateral disease and should undergo total thyroidectomy with or without central neck lymph node dissection. Patients who have multinodular goiter and compressive symptoms, patients who have Graves disease and a thyroid nodule, or patients who have large (greater than 4 cm) or symptomatic unilateral thyroid nodules could also be considered for total thyroidectomy or lobectomy as indicated without preoperative FNA. Finally, patients who have a solitary hyperfunctioning nodule on radioiodine scan and a suppressed TSH have an extremely low incidence of malignancy and may be

Computer-aided detection of pulmonary nodules: influence of nodule characteristics on detection performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marten, K.; Engelke, C.; Seyfarth, T.; Grillhoesl, A.; Obenauer, S.; Rummeny, E.J.

2005-01-01

AIM: To evaluate prospectively the influence of pulmonary nodule characteristics on detection performances of a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tool and experienced chest radiologists using multislice CT (MSCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCT scans of 20 consecutive patients were evaluated by a CAD system and two independent chest radiologists for presence of pulmonary nodules. Nodule size, position, margin, matrix characteristics, vascular and pleural attachments and reader confidence were recorded and data compared with an independent standard of reference. Statistical analysis for predictors influencing nodule detection or reader performance included chi-squared, retrograde stepwise conditional logistic regression with odds ratios and nodule detection proportion estimates (DPE), and ROC analysis. RESULTS: For 135 nodules, detection rates for CAD and readers were 76.3, 52.6 and 52.6%, respectively; false-positive rates were 0.55, 0.25 and 0.15 per examination, respectively. In consensus with CAD the reader detection rate increased to 93.3%, and the false-positive rate dropped to 0.1/scan. DPEs for nodules ≤5 mm were significantly higher for ICAD than for the readers (p<0.05). Absence of vascular attachment was the only significant predictor of nodule detection by CAD (p=0.0006-0.008). There were no predictors of nodule detection for reader consensus with CAD. In contrast, vascular attachment predicted nodule detection by the readers (p=0.0001-0.003). Reader sensitivity was higher for nodules with vascular attachment than for unattached nodules (sensitivities 0.768 and 0.369; 95% confidence intervals=0.651-0.861 and 0.253-0.498, respectively). CONCLUSION: CAD increases nodule detection rates, decreases false-positive rates and compensates for deficient reader performance in detection of smallest lesions and of nodules without vascular attachment

Vocal nodules in a colombian teachers group with dysphonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Felipe Alvarado Díaz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study determined the prevalence of vocal nodules associated with dysphonia in teachers aged from 35 to 65 years, taking into consideration both individual and occupational variables. Methodology: Descriptive study that included the information contained in 262 medical records of teachers diagnosed with dysphonia in occupational health consultations at the institutions that provide health services in Bogotá, Colombia from March 2009 to March 2012. The presence of laryngeal nodules was based on the findings of a nasofibrolaryngoscopy procedure. Results: Nodules were found in 67 teachers, which corresponded to a rate of 25.5%, being apparently (highest observed rates associated primarily with the following variables: females, ages from 45 to 54 years, bilateral nodules, and teaching position (preschool and physical education. Of the teachers with nodules, 76.1% had fewer than five doctor's appointments, and 75% had more than 90 days of sick leave. Conclusion: A high percentage of teachers have vocal nodules associated with dysphonia. This may be apparently related to different variables such as sex, type of nodule, area and teaching position. Was observed only a statistically significant association among presence of nodules and age (p=0.018. In addition this disorder generates a large number of incapacities and employee absenteeism.

A Structural and Histochemical Study of Actinorhizal Nodules of Casuarina equisetifolia Linn.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Athar

2001-03-01

Full Text Available Casuarina equisetifolia Linn. is an introduced actinorhizal plant grown as roadside ornamental tree and as forest plantation in Pakistan. Actinorhizal nodules are formed on the roots of C. equisetifolia as a response to infection by Frankia. Structure of C. equisetifolia nodules is described using histochemical methods to elucidate the nature of micro-symbiont within the nodules. C. equisetifolia nodules were similar to a root in general anatomical structure and resembled with Myrica-type nodules. The nodule consisted of a distinct periderm enclosing the cortex. The cortex showed patches of infected cells interspersed among uninfected ones. Inside the cortex there was a stele bounded by an endodermis, which contained tannins. The phloem-xylem relationship was amphicribral. A poorly defined meristem was also observed. Apart from simple nodules, dichotomously branched and coralloid nodules were also observed. The stele in simple and branched nodules reached up to the tip of the nodules. The micro-symbiont was observed in the nodule tissues in hyphal form only. The histochemical tests revealed absence of vacuoles and starch grains, and presence of tannins and lignin.

Microbial Community Analysis of Field-Grown Soybeans with Different Nodulation Phenotypes▿

OpenAIRE

Ikeda, Seishi; Rallos, Lynn Esther E.; Okubo, Takashi; Eda, Shima; Inaba, Shoko; Mitsui, Hisayuki; Minamisawa, Kiwamu

2008-01-01

Microorganisms associated with the stems and roots of nonnodulated (Nod−), wild-type nodulated (Nod+), and hypernodulated (Nod++) soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merril] were analyzed by ribosomal intergenic transcribed spacer analysis (RISA) and automated RISA (ARISA). RISA of stem samples detected no bands specific to the nodulation phenotype, whereas RISA of root samples revealed differential bands for the nodulation phenotypes. Pseudomonas fluorescens was exclusively associated with Nod+ soybe...

Plasmids in Gram negatives: molecular typing of resistance plasmids.

Science.gov (United States)

Carattoli, Alessandra

2011-12-01

A plasmid is defined as a double stranded, circular DNA molecule capable of autonomous replication. By definition, plasmids do not carry genes essential for the growth of host cells under non-stressed conditions but they have systems which guarantee their autonomous replication also controlling the copy number and ensuring stable inheritance during cell division. Most of the plasmids confer positively selectable phenotypes by the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Plasmids evolve as an integral part of the bacterial genome, providing resistance genes that can be easily exchanged among bacteria of different origin and source by conjugation. A multidisciplinary approach is currently applied to study the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistance in clinically relevant bacterial pathogens and the established surveillance can be implemented by replicon typing of plasmids. Particular plasmid families are more frequently detected among Enterobacteriaceae and play a major role in the diffusion of specific resistance genes. For instance, IncFII, IncA/C, IncL/M, IncN and IncI1 plasmids carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes and acquired AmpC genes are currently considered to be "epidemic resistance plasmids", being worldwide detected in Enterobacteriaceae of different origin and sources. The recognition of successful plasmids is an essential first step to design intervention strategies preventing their spread. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Correlation study of multislice spiral CT and pathology in relationship between solitary pulmonary nodule and bronchus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiang Jinwei; Ye Xuanguang; Zhou Kangrong; Jiang Yaping; Wang Qun; Xu Songtao; Tan Lijie

2003-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relationship between solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) and bronchus and its value in predicting the nature of nodule. Methods: Continuous volume targeted scans of 0.5 mm collimation were prospectively performed with multislice spiral CT (MSCT) and reconstructed images of MPR, CPR, and SSD in workstation in 75 patients of SPN with ≤3 cm in diameter were acquired. The emphasis was paid on the manifestation of the shapes and patterns of SPN with related bronchi. The results were correlated with macroscopic and microscopic specimens. Results: (1) The SPN-bronchus relationship was shown very clearly in all patients by the designed protocol. CT demonstrated the relations between SPN and bronchus in 44 (86.3%) malignant and 16 (66.7%) benign nodules. There was no statistically significant difference (P=0.065). (2) Five types of SPN-bronchus relationship were identified with MSCT. Type I: bronchus was obstructed abruptly by the SPN, type II: bronchus penetrated into SPN with tapered narrow and interruption, type III: bronchus lumen shown within SPN was patent and intact, type IV: bronchus ran at the periphery of SPN with intact lumen, and type V: bronchus was displaced, compressed, and narrowed by SPN. (3) With respect to the nature of SPN, malignant nodule most commonly showed type I, secondly type IV, and rarely type V. Benign nodule most often showed type V, secondly type I, and no type II. With respect to the pattern, type I, II, and IV patterns were more commonly seen in malignant nodule, whereas type V pattern was seen frequently in benign nodule. Type III pattern was slightly more common in benign cases. Conclusion: Spiral targeted scan of ultra-thin section with MSCT and followed by MPR, CPR, and SSD reconstruction can greatly improve the manifestation of the bronchioles and accurately demonstrate the patterns of SPN-bronchus relationship. Varied patterns are corresponding to certain nodule and reflect definite pathologic changes

Investigation of pion-treated human skin nodules for therapeutic gain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kligerman, M.M.; Sala, J.M.; Wilson, S.; Yuhas, J.M.

1978-01-01

A patient with multiple metastatic tumor nodules in the skin, from a primary breast carcinoma, was treated with graded doses of pions and x rays to establish skin tolerance. She was followed up for 346 days, permitting observation of time to regrowth of the tumor nodules. All 16 of these had disappeared after treatment, without significant correlation with type of radiation or dose, or with nodule size. However, time to regrowth depended both on the type and the dose of radiation. Earlier, relative biological effectiveness (RBE), was established at 1.42 for acute skin injury. Using this RBE to normalize doses of pions and x rays causing equivalent acute skin injury, and plotting those doses vs time to regrowth of tumor nodules, yielded a therapeutic gain (37.5%) in favor of pions. No late skin or subcutaneous tissue changes were seen, and no qualitative difference between pions and x rays in late skin effects was observed

Digital tomosynthesis for evaluating metastatic lung nodules: nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung Hee; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Sang Min; Park, Chang Min; Bahn, Young Eun; Kim, Hyungjin; Song, Yong Sub; Hwang, Eui Jin

2015-01-01

To evaluate nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times for digital tomosynthesis (DT). We included 80 patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) and DT before pulmonary metastasectomy. One experienced chest radiologist annotated all visible nodules on thin-section CT scans using computer-aided detection software. Two radiologists used CT as the reference standard and retrospectively graded the visibility of nodules on DT. Nodule detection performance was evaluated in four sessions of 20 cases each by six readers. After each session, readers were unblinded to the DT images by revealing the true-positive markings and were instructed to self-analyze their own misreads. Receiver-operating-characteristic curves were determined. Among 414 nodules on CT, 53.3% (221/414) were visible on DT. The main reason for not seeing a nodule on DT was small size (93.3%, ≤ 5 mm). DT revealed a substantial number of malignant nodules (84.1%, 143/170). The proportion of malignant nodules among visible nodules on DT was significantly higher (64.7%, 143/221) than that on CT (41.1%, 170/414) (p 0.8, and the average detection rate for malignant nodules was 85% (210/246). The inter-session analysis of the AUC showed no significant differences among the readers, and the detection rate for malignant nodules did not differ across sessions. A slight improvement in reading times was observed. Most malignant nodules > 5 mm were visible on DT. As nodule detection performance was high from the initial session, DT may be readily applicable for radiology residents and board-certified radiologists.

Interstitial laser photocoagulation for benign thyroid nodules: time to treat large nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Amabile, Gerardo; Rotondi, Mario; Pirali, Barbara; Dionisio, Rosa; Agozzino, Lucio; Lanza, Michele; Buonanno, Luciano; Di Filippo, Bruno; Fonte, Rodolfo; Chiovato, Luca

2011-09-01

Interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP) is a new therapeutic option for the ablation of non-functioning and hyper-functioning benign thyroid nodules. Amelioration of the ablation procedure currently allows treating large nodules. Aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of ILP, performed according to a modified protocol of ablation, in patients with large functioning and non-functioning thyroid nodules and to identify the best parameters for predicting successful outcome in hyperthyroid patients. Fifty-one patients with non-functioning thyroid nodules (group 1) and 26 patients with hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (group 2) were enrolled. All patients had a nodular volume ≥40 ml. Patients were addressed to 1-3 cycles of ILP. A cycle consisted of three ILP sessions, each lasting 5-10 minutes repeated at an interval of 1 month. After each cycle of ILP patients underwent thyroid evaluation. A nodule volume reduction, expressed as percentage of the basal volume, significantly occurred in both groups (F = 190.4; P nodule volume; (iii) total amount of energy delivered expressed in Joule. ROC curves identified the percentage of volume reduction as the best parameter predicting a normalized serum TSH (area under the curve 0.962; P thyroid nodules, both in terms of nodule size reduction and cure of hyperthyroidism (87% of cured patients after the last ILP cycle). ILP should not be limited to patients refusing or being ineligible for surgery and/or radioiodine. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Digital tomosynthesis for evaluating metastatic lung nodules: Nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Hee; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Sang Min; Park, Chang Min; Bahn, Young Eun; Kim, Hyung Jin; Song, Yong Sub; Hwang, Eui Jin

2015-01-01

To evaluate nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times for digital tomosynthesis (DT). We included 80 patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) and DT before pulmonary metastasectomy. One experienced chest radiologist annotated all visible nodules on thin-section CT scans using computer-aided detection software. Two radiologists used CT as the reference standard and retrospectively graded the visibility of nodules on DT. Nodule detection performance was evaluated in four sessions of 20 cases each by six readers. After each session, readers were unblinded to the DT images by revealing the true-positive markings and were instructed to self-analyze their own misreads. Receiver-operating-characteristic curves were determined. Among 414 nodules on CT, 53.3% (221/414) were visible on DT. The main reason for not seeing a nodule on DT was small size (93.3%, < or = 5 mm). DT revealed a substantial number of malignant nodules (84.1%, 143/170). The proportion of malignant nodules among visible nodules on DT was significantly higher (64.7%, 143/221) than that on CT (41.1%, 170/414) (p < 0.001). Area under the curve (AUC) values at the initial session were > 0.8, and the average detection rate for malignant nodules was 85% (210/246). The inter-session analysis of the AUC showed no significant differences among the readers, and the detection rate for malignant nodules did not differ across sessions. A slight improvement in reading times was observed. Most malignant nodules > 5 mm were visible on DT. As nodule detection performance was high from the initial session, DT may be readily applicable for radiology residents and board-certified radiologists.

Digital tomosynthesis for evaluating metastatic lung nodules: Nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Hee; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Sang Min; Park, Chang Min; Bahn, Young Eun; Kim, Hyung Jin; Song, Yong Sub; Hwang, Eui Jin [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-15

To evaluate nodule visibility, learning curves, and reading times for digital tomosynthesis (DT). We included 80 patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) and DT before pulmonary metastasectomy. One experienced chest radiologist annotated all visible nodules on thin-section CT scans using computer-aided detection software. Two radiologists used CT as the reference standard and retrospectively graded the visibility of nodules on DT. Nodule detection performance was evaluated in four sessions of 20 cases each by six readers. After each session, readers were unblinded to the DT images by revealing the true-positive markings and were instructed to self-analyze their own misreads. Receiver-operating-characteristic curves were determined. Among 414 nodules on CT, 53.3% (221/414) were visible on DT. The main reason for not seeing a nodule on DT was small size (93.3%, < or = 5 mm). DT revealed a substantial number of malignant nodules (84.1%, 143/170). The proportion of malignant nodules among visible nodules on DT was significantly higher (64.7%, 143/221) than that on CT (41.1%, 170/414) (p < 0.001). Area under the curve (AUC) values at the initial session were > 0.8, and the average detection rate for malignant nodules was 85% (210/246). The inter-session analysis of the AUC showed no significant differences among the readers, and the detection rate for malignant nodules did not differ across sessions. A slight improvement in reading times was observed. Most malignant nodules > 5 mm were visible on DT. As nodule detection performance was high from the initial session, DT may be readily applicable for radiology residents and board-certified radiologists.

Classification and inter-element relationships of ferromanganese nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jauhari, P.

hydrogenous enrichment, type A nodules having a ratio 5 are early diagenetic type, and in between these two is the mixed type AB nodules, having Mn/Fe ratio between 2.5 to 5 and formed by the influence of both processes. Variations of Ni, Cu and Co with Mn/Fe...

Role of baseline nodule density and changes in density and nodule features in the discrimination between benign and malignant solid indeterminate pulmonary nodules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xu, D.M.; van Klaveren, R.J.; de Bock, G.H.; Leusveld, A.L.M.; Dorrius, M.D.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, Y.; de Koning, H.J.; Scholten, E.T.; Verschakelen, J.; Prokop, M.; Oudkerk, M.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate whether baseline nodule density or changes in density or nodule features could be used to discriminate between benign and malignant solid indeterminate nodules. Materials and methods: Solid indeterminate nodules between 50 and 500 mm(3) (4.6-9.8 mm) were assessed

Hypervascular hyperplastic nodules appearing in chronic alcoholic liver disease: benign intrahepatic nodules mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Won Kyu; Chang, Jay Chun; Kim, Jae Woon

2006-01-01

Hypervascular hyperplastic nodules in those patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease and who are hepatitis B and C negative have recently been reported on. The purpose of this study was to correlate the radiologic and pathologic findings with the clinical significance of these hypervascular hyperplastic nodules in chronic alcoholic liver disease. The study included eight hypervascular nodules of seven patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease, and these patients abused alcohol for more than 20 years. Eight hypervascular nodules were seen on the arterial phase of dynamic CT scans, but the possibility of HCC was excluded pathologically (n=4) or clinically. The radiologic and pathologic findings, and the changes of these nodules on follow up CT scans were retrospectively analyzed. All nodules showed good enhancement on the arterial phase. The tissue equilibrium phase of the dynamic CT scans showed isodensity in seven patients and low density in one patient. Ultrasound scans revealed hypoechoic findings for three nodules, isoechoic findings for two nodules, hyperechoic findings for one nodules, and two nodules were not detected. Angiograms (n=6) showed late incremental tumor staining, and all the nodules were well seen on the sinusoidal phase. CT during hepatic angiography (n=4) showed well stained tumor. CT during arterial portography (n=4) showed no defect in three nodules and nodular defect in on nodule. The MR images (n=3) showed low signal intensity in two nodules and iso-signal intensity in one nodule on T2WI. Five of six cases for which follow up CT scans were performed showed decrease in size and one was disappeared. Radiologically, it is often difficult to differentiate the hypervascular hyperplastic nodules seen in the chronic alcoholic liver disease from hepatocellular carcinoma, and histological confirmation is needed for excluded hepatocellular carcinoma. However, late tumor staining during the sinusoidal phase without any blood supply by feeding

Hypervascular hyperplastic nodules appearing in chronic alcoholic liver disease: benign intrahepatic nodules mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Won Kyu; Chang, Jay Chun; Kim, Jae Woon [College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2006-02-15

Hypervascular hyperplastic nodules in those patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease and who are hepatitis B and C negative have recently been reported on. The purpose of this study was to correlate the radiologic and pathologic findings with the clinical significance of these hypervascular hyperplastic nodules in chronic alcoholic liver disease. The study included eight hypervascular nodules of seven patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease, and these patients abused alcohol for more than 20 years. Eight hypervascular nodules were seen on the arterial phase of dynamic CT scans, but the possibility of HCC was excluded pathologically (n=4) or clinically. The radiologic and pathologic findings, and the changes of these nodules on follow up CT scans were retrospectively analyzed. All nodules showed good enhancement on the arterial phase. The tissue equilibrium phase of the dynamic CT scans showed isodensity in seven patients and low density in one patient. Ultrasound scans revealed hypoechoic findings for three nodules, isoechoic findings for two nodules, hyperechoic findings for one nodules, and two nodules were not detected. Angiograms (n=6) showed late incremental tumor staining, and all the nodules were well seen on the sinusoidal phase. CT during hepatic angiography (n=4) showed well stained tumor. CT during arterial portography (n=4) showed no defect in three nodules and nodular defect in on nodule. The MR images (n=3) showed low signal intensity in two nodules and iso-signal intensity in one nodule on T2WI. Five of six cases for which follow up CT scans were performed showed decrease in size and one was disappeared. Radiologically, it is often difficult to differentiate the hypervascular hyperplastic nodules seen in the chronic alcoholic liver disease from hepatocellular carcinoma, and histological confirmation is needed for excluded hepatocellular carcinoma. However, late tumor staining during the sinusoidal phase without any blood supply by feeding

Benign thyroid nodule unresponsive to radiofrequency ablation treated with laser ablation: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Oddo, Silvia; Balestra, Margherita; Vera, Lara; Giusti, Massimo

2018-05-11

Radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation are safe and effective techniques for reducing thyroid nodule volume, neck symptoms, and cosmetic complaints. Therapeutic success is defined as a nodule reduction > 50% between 6 and 12 months after the procedure, but a percentage of nodules inexplicably do not respond to thermal ablation. We describe the case of a young Caucasian woman with a solid benign thyroid nodule who refused surgery and who had undergone radiofrequency ablation in 2013. The nodule did not respond in terms of either volume reduction or improvement in neck symptoms. After 2 years, given the patient's continued refusal of thyroidectomy, we proposed laser ablation. The nodule displayed a significant volume reduction (- 50% from radiofrequency ablation baseline volume, - 57% from laser ablation baseline), and the patient reported a significant improvement in neck symptoms (from 6/10 to 1/10 on a visual analogue scale). We conjecture that some benign thyroid nodules may be intrinsically resistant to necrosis when one specific ablation technique is used, but may respond to another technique. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of the effect of performing a different percutaneous ablation technique in a nodule that does not respond to radiofrequency ablation.

Search for Nodulation and Nodule Development-related cystatin genes in the genome of Soybean (Glycine max

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songli Yuan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nodulation, nodule development and senescence directly affects nitrogen fixation efficiency, and previous studies have shown that inhibition of some cysteine proteases delay nodule senescence, so their nature inhibitors, cystatin genes, are very important in nodulation, nodule development and senescence. Although several cystatins are actively transcribed in soybean nodules, their exact roles and functional diversities in legume have not been well explored in genome-wide survey studies. In this report, we performed a genome-wide survey of cystatin family genes to explore their relationship to nodulation and nodule development in soybean and identified 20 cystatin genes that encode peptides with 97~245 amino acid residues, different isoelectric points (pI and structure characteristics, and various putative plant regulatory elements in 3000 bp putative promoter fragments upstream of the 20 soybean cystatins in response to different abiotic/biotic stresses, hormone signals and symbiosis signals. The expression profiles of these cystatin genes in soybean symbiosis with rhizobium strain Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain 113-2 revealed that 7 cystatin family genes play different roles in nodulation as well as nodule development and senescence. However, these genes were not root nodule symbiosis (RNS - specific and did not encode special clade cystatin protein with structures related to nodulation and nodule development. Besides, only two of these soybean cystatins were not upregulated in symbiosis after ABA treatment. The functional analysis showed that a candidate gene Glyma.15G227500 (GmCYS16 was likely to play a positive role in soybean nodulation. Besides, evolutionary relationships analysis divided the cystatin genes from Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana tabacum, rice, barley and four legume plants into three groups. Interestingly, Group A cystatins are special in legume plants, but only include one of the above-mentioned 7 cystatin genes related to

Computed tomography of pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakata, Hajime; Honda, Hiroshi; Nakayama, Chikashi; Kimoto, Tatsuya; Nakayama, Takashi

1983-01-01

We have evaluated the value of computed tomography (CT) in distinguishing benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. CT was performed on 30 cases of solitary pulmonary nodules consisting of 17 primary lung cancers, 3 metastatic tumors and 10 benign nodules. The CT number was calculated for each lesion. Three benign nodules showed CT numbers well above the range of malignant nodules, and only in one of them was calcification visible on conventional tomography. In 6 benign nodules, the CT numbers overlapped those of malignant lesion and could not be differentiated. Thus the measurement of CT number can be useful to confirm the benign nature of certain nodules when calcification is unclear or not visible on conventional tomography. As for the morphological observation of the nodule, CT was not superior to conventional tomography and its value seems to be limited. (author)

Undercooling, nodule count and carbides in thin walled ductile cast iron

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Karl Martin; Tiedje, Niels Skat

2008-01-01

Ductile cast iron has been cast in plate thicknesses between 2 to 8 mm. The temperature has been measured during the solidification and the graphite nodule count and size distribution together with the type and amount of carbides have been analysed afterwards. Low nodule count gives higher...

Micromonospora is a normal occupant of actinorhizal nodules

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Supplementary table 1. Number of isolates per nodule. Nodule Colonies Average Nodule Colonies Average. AV1 Nodule 1 2 13 EEM Nodule 1 17 9.4. Nodule 2 O Nodule 2 13. Nodule 3 2 Nodule 3 9. AV2 Nodule 1 19 16.1 Nodule 4 7. Nodule 2 25 Nodule 5 18. Nodule 3 38 Nodule 6 4. AV4 Nodule 1 8 14.0 Nodule 7 12.

Thallium 201 thyroid scan: differential diagnosis of benign and malignant nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jong Sub; Kim, Byong Geun; Park, Byung Ran; Kim, Se Jong; Ko, Kang Seok; Kim, Min Joong; Ji, Joo Yun

1995-01-01

To evaluate useful findings and diagnostic value of TI-201 thyroid scan in differentiating benign from malignant nodules. We studied 77 cold thyroid nodules proven histologically(27 malignant and 50 benign). Early (5-15 min) and delayed images(3-5 hours) were obtained after intravenous injection of thallium 201. In these nodules, we retrospectively analyzed the degree of TI-201 uptake in early and delayed images, histopathologic type, size, and presence or absence of cystic change in the sonograms of 22 malignant nodules. Useful finding for diagnosis of malignant nodules was strong uptake of TI-201 in early and delayed images(specificity: 98%, sensitivity: 63%, positive predictive value: 94.4%). Useful finding for benign nodules was no uptake of TI-201 in delayed image(specificity: 88.9%, sensitivity: 68%, positive predictive value: 91.9%). The accuracy of TI-201 thyroid scan in differentiating benign from malignant nodules was 66.2%. The nodules with strong TI-201 uptake in early image and low TI-201 uptake in delayed image were malignant in 29.4%. Cystic changes were found in 40% of malignant nodules with atypical TI-201 uptake. TI-201 thyroid scan showed high specificity in follicular neoplasm and adenomatous goiter in which differentiation of benignancy and malignancy is difficult with only cytologic examination. We consider that TI-201 thyroid scan is valuable in differentiating benign from malignant nodules and when combined with fine needle aspiration and ultrasound examination, it will enable more accurate differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules

The yield of adequate and conclusive fine-needle aspiration results in thyroid nodules is uniform across functional and goiter types.

Science.gov (United States)

Liel, Y

1999-01-01

Relatively little is known about the cytological characteristics of hyperfunctioning (hot) thyroid nodules. Concern has been expressed that fine-needle aspiration (FNA) identifies hot nodules as follicular tumors or indeterminate, and as a consequence patients could be unnecessarily referred for surgery. Between 1979 and 1996, thyroid FNA was performed on 829 patients. Result of thyroid scan was available in 326; 69 (21%) patients had hot, and 257 (79%) had warm or cold thyroid nodules. Nodules in each of these major groups were divided into 2 subgroups: clinically solitary nodules and dominant nodules in multinodular goiters (MNG). The frequencies of adequate versus inadequate FNA samples, and of conclusive versus indeterminate FNA results were determined separately for each of the groups and subgroups. In addition, patients with hot nodules and overt hyperthyroidism were identified and evaluated separately. Bivariate analyses were performed for the frequency of adequate versus inadequate smears and conclusive versus indeterminate results between hot, toxic, and cold-warm nodules, and between solitary nodules and MNG. The frequency of adequate aspirations and conclusive results in the various groups and subgroups was found to be statistically indistinguishable. In conclusion, the yield of adequate samples and the rate of conclusive results of FNA in thyroid nodules is similar, irrespective of the functional state or of goiter presentation. Hot thyroid nodules do not seem to produce an increase in the rate of inadequate or indeterminate FNA results, and therefore, do not affect the overall performance of thyroid FNA.

Root nodule symbiosis in Lotus japonicus drives the establishment of distinctive rhizosphere, root, and nodule bacterial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zgadzaj, Rafal; Garrido-Oter, Ruben; Jensen, Dorthe Bodker; Koprivova, Anna; Schulze-Lefert, Paul; Radutoiu, Simona

2016-12-06

Lotus japonicus has been used for decades as a model legume to study the establishment of binary symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia that trigger root nodule organogenesis for bacterial accommodation. Using community profiling of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we reveal that in Lotus, distinctive nodule- and root-inhabiting communities are established by parallel, rather than consecutive, selection of bacteria from the rhizosphere and root compartments. Comparative analyses of wild-type (WT) and symbiotic mutants in Nod factor receptor5 (nfr5), Nodule inception (nin) and Lotus histidine kinase1 (lhk1) genes identified a previously unsuspected role of the nodulation pathway in the establishment of different bacterial assemblages in the root and rhizosphere. We found that the loss of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis dramatically alters community structure in the latter two compartments, affecting at least 14 bacterial orders. The differential plant growth phenotypes seen between WT and the symbiotic mutants in nonsupplemented soil were retained under nitrogen-supplemented conditions that blocked the formation of functional nodules in WT, whereas the symbiosis-impaired mutants maintain an altered community structure in the nitrogen-supplemented soil. This finding provides strong evidence that the root-associated community shift in the symbiotic mutants is a direct consequence of the disabled symbiosis pathway rather than an indirect effect resulting from abolished symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our findings imply a role of the legume host in selecting a broad taxonomic range of root-associated bacteria that, in addition to rhizobia, likely contribute to plant growth and ecological performance.

A comparative genomics screen identifies a Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 sodM-like gene strongly expressed within host plant nodules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Queiroux Clothilde

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We have used the genomic data in the Integrated Microbial Genomes system of the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute to make predictions about rhizobial open reading frames that play a role in nodulation of host plants. The genomic data was screened by searching for ORFs conserved in α-proteobacterial rhizobia, but not conserved in closely-related non-nitrogen-fixing α-proteobacteria. Results Using this approach, we identified many genes known to be involved in nodulation or nitrogen fixation, as well as several new candidate genes. We knocked out selected new genes and assayed for the presence of nodulation phenotypes and/or nodule-specific expression. One of these genes, SMc00911, is strongly expressed by bacterial cells within host plant nodules, but is expressed minimally by free-living bacterial cells. A strain carrying an insertion mutation in SMc00911 is not defective in the symbiosis with host plants, but in contrast to expectations, this mutant strain is able to out-compete the S. meliloti 1021 wild type strain for nodule occupancy in co-inoculation experiments. The SMc00911 ORF is predicted to encode a “SodM-like” (superoxide dismutase-like protein containing a rhodanese sulfurtransferase domain at the N-terminus and a chromate-resistance superfamily domain at the C-terminus. Several other ORFs (SMb20360, SMc01562, SMc01266, SMc03964, and the SMc01424-22 operon identified in the screen are expressed at a moderate level by bacteria within nodules, but not by free-living bacteria. Conclusions Based on the analysis of ORFs identified in this study, we conclude that this comparative genomics approach can identify rhizobial genes involved in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with host plants, although none of the newly identified genes were found to be essential for this process.

Solitary pulmonary nodule

Science.gov (United States)

... Adenocarcinoma - chest x-ray Pulmonary nodule - front view chest x-ray Pulmonary nodule, solitary - CT scan Respiratory system References Gotway MB, Panse PM, Gruden JF, Elicker BM. Thoracic radiology: noninvasive diagnostic imaging. In: Broaddus VC, Mason RJ, ...

Isolation and characterization of the heavy metal resistant bacteria CCNWRS33-2 isolated from root nodule of Lespedeza cuneata in gold mine tailings in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Gehong; Fan Lianmei; Zhu Wenfei; Fu Yunyun; Yu Jianfu; Tang Ming

2009-01-01

A total of 108 strains of bacteria were isolated from root nodules of wild legumes growing in gold mine tailings in northwest of China and were tested for heavy metal resistance. The results showed that the bacterial strain CCNWRS33-2 isolated from Lespedeza cuneata was highly resistant to copper, cadmium, lead and zinc. The strain had a relatively high mean specific growth rate under each heavy metal stress test and exhibited a high degree of bioaccumulation ability. The partial sequence of the copper resistance gene copA was amplified from the strain and a sequence comparison with our Cu-resistant PCR fragment showed a high homology with Cu-resistant genes from other bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that CCNWRS33-2 belongs to the Rhizobium-Agrobacterium branch and it had 98.9% similarity to Agrobactrium tumefaciens LMG196

Isolation and characterization of the heavy metal resistant bacteria CCNWRS33-2 isolated from root nodule of Lespedeza cuneata in gold mine tailings in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei Gehong [College of Life Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling Shaanxi 712100 (China)], E-mail: weigehong@yahoo.com.cn; Fan Lianmei; Zhu Wenfei; Fu Yunyun; Yu Jianfu; Tang Ming [College of Life Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A and F University, Yangling Shaanxi 712100 (China)

2009-02-15

A total of 108 strains of bacteria were isolated from root nodules of wild legumes growing in gold mine tailings in northwest of China and were tested for heavy metal resistance. The results showed that the bacterial strain CCNWRS33-2 isolated from Lespedeza cuneata was highly resistant to copper, cadmium, lead and zinc. The strain had a relatively high mean specific growth rate under each heavy metal stress test and exhibited a high degree of bioaccumulation ability. The partial sequence of the copper resistance gene copA was amplified from the strain and a sequence comparison with our Cu-resistant PCR fragment showed a high homology with Cu-resistant genes from other bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that CCNWRS33-2 belongs to the Rhizobium-Agrobacterium branch and it had 98.9% similarity to Agrobactrium tumefaciens LMG196.

Lotus japonicus nodulation requires two GRAS domain regulators, one of which is functionally conserved in a non-legume

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heckmann, Anne Birgitte Lau; Lombardo, Fabien; Miwa, Hiroki

2006-01-01

A new nodulation-defective mutant of Lotus japonicus does not initiate nodule cortical cell division in response to Mesorhizobium loti, but induces root hair deformation, Nod factor-induced calcium spiking, and mycorrhization. This phenotype, together with mapping data, suggested that the mutation...... could be in the ortholog of the Medicago truncatula NSP1 gene (MtNSP1). The sequence of the orthologous gene (LjNSP1) in the L. japonicus mutant (Ljnsp1-1) revealed a mutation causing a premature stop resulting in loss of the C-terminal 23 amino acids. We also sequenced the NSP2 gene from L. japonicus...

Products of Dark CO2 Fixation in Pea Root Nodules Support Bacteroid Metabolism 1

Science.gov (United States)

Rosendahl, Lis; Vance, Carroll P.; Pedersen, Walther B.

1990-01-01

Products of the nodule cytosol in vivo dark [14C]CO2 fixation were detected in the plant cytosol as well as in the bacteroids of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv “Bodil”) nodules. The distribution of the metabolites of the dark CO2 fixation products was compared in effective (fix+) nodules infected by a wild-type Rhizobium leguminosarum (MNF 300), and ineffective (fix−) nodules of the R. leguminosarum mutant MNF 3080. The latter has a defect in the dicarboxylic acid transport system of the bacterial membrane. The 14C incorporation from [14C]CO2 was about threefold greater in the wild-type nodules than in the mutant nodules. Similarly, in wild-type nodules the in vitro phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity was substantially greater than that of the mutant. Almost 90% of the 14C label in the cytosol was found in organic acids in both symbioses. Malate comprised about half of the total cytosol organic acid content on a molar basis, and more than 70% of the cytosol radioactivity in the organic acid fraction was detected in malate in both symbioses. Most of the remaining 14C was contained in the amino acid fraction of the cytosol in both symbioses. More than 70% of the 14C label found in the amino acids of the cytosol was incorporated in aspartate, which on a molar basis comprised only about 1% of the total amino acid pool in the cytosol. The extensive 14C labeling of malate and aspartate from nodule dark [14C]CO2 fixation is consistent with the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxlase in nodule dark CO2 fixation. Bacteroids from the effective wild-type symbiosis accumulated sevenfold more 14C than did the dicarboxylic acid transport defective bacteroids. The bacteroids of the effective MNF 300 symbiosis contained the largest proportion of the incorporated 14C in the organic acids, whereas ineffective MNF 3080 bacteroids mainly contained 14C in the amino acid fraction. In both symbioses a larger proportion of the bacteroid 14C label was detected in malate and aspartate

Cowpea Nodules Harbor Non-rhizobial Bacterial Communities that Are Shaped by Soil Type Rather than Plant Genotype

OpenAIRE

Leite, Jakson; Fischer, Doreen; Rouws, Luc F. M.; Fernandes-J?nior, Paulo I.; Hofmann, Andreas; Kublik, Susanne; Schloter, Michael; Xavier, Gustavo R.; Radl, Viviane

2017-01-01

Many studies have been pointing to a high diversity of bacteria associated to legume root nodules. Even though most of these bacteria do not form nodules with legumes themselves, it was shown that they might enter infection threads when co-inoculated with rhizobial strains. The aim of this work was to describe the diversity of bacterial communities associated with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) root nodules using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, regarding the factors plant genotype and ...

Can Lung Nodules Be Cancerous?

Science.gov (United States)

... lung nodules be cancerous? Answers from Eric J. Olson, M.D. Yes, lung nodules can be cancerous, ... to determine if it's cancerous. With Eric J. Olson, M.D. AskMayoExpert. Pulmonary nodules. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo ...

Massive training artificial neural network (MTANN) for reduction of false positives in computerized detection of lung nodules in low-dose computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Kenji; Armato, Samuel G. III; Li, Feng; Sone, Shusuke; Doi, Kunio

2003-01-01

In this study, we investigated a pattern-recognition technique based on an artificial neural network (ANN), which is called a massive training artificial neural network (MTANN), for reduction of false positives in computerized detection of lung nodules in low-dose computed tomography (CT) images. The MTANN consists of a modified multilayer ANN, which is capable of operating on image data directly. The MTANN is trained by use of a large number of subregions extracted from input images together with the teacher images containing the distribution for the 'likelihood of being a nodule'. The output image is obtained by scanning an input image with the MTANN. The distinction between a nodule and a non-nodule is made by use of a score which is defined from the output image of the trained MTANN. In order to eliminate various types of non-nodules, we extended the capability of a single MTANN, and developed a multiple MTANN (Multi-MTANN). The Multi-MTANN consists of plural MTANNs that are arranged in parallel. Each MTANN is trained by using the same nodules, but with a different type of non-nodule. Each MTANN acts as an expert for a specific type of non-nodule, e.g., five different MTANNs were trained to distinguish nodules from various-sized vessels; four other MTANNs were applied to eliminate some other opacities. The outputs of the MTANNs were combined by using the logical AND operation such that each of the trained MTANNs eliminated none of the nodules, but removed the specific type of non-nodule with which the MTANN was trained, and thus removed various types of non-nodules. The Multi-MTANN consisting of nine MTANNs was trained with 10 typical nodules and 10 non-nodules representing each of nine different non-nodule types (90 training non-nodules overall) in a training set. The trained Multi-MTANN was applied to the reduction of false positives reported by our current computerized scheme for lung nodule detection based on a database of 63 low-dose CT scans (1765

Clinical significance of vagus nerve variation in radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Eun Ju; Baek, Jung Hwan; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Shong, Young Kee; Kim, Jae Kyun

2011-01-01

To evaluate the types and incidence of vagus nerve variations and to assess factors related to the vulnerability of vagus nerves during the radiofrequency (RF) ablation of thyroid nodules. Bilateral vagus nerves of 304 consecutive patients who underwent ultrasound of the neck were assessed. Two radiologists evaluated vagus nerve type (types 1-4; lateral/anterior/medial/posterior), the shortest distance between the thyroid gland and vagus nerve, and thyroid contour. Vagus nerve vulnerability was defined as a vagus nerve located within 2 mm of the thyroid gland through the ex vivo experiments, and factors associated with vulnerability were assessed. We were unable to find one vagus nerve. Of the 607 vagus nerves, 467 (76.9%) were type 1, 128 (21.1%) were type 2, 10 (1.6%) were type 3, and 2 (0.3%) were type 4, with 81 (13.3%) being vulnerable. Univariate analysis showed that sex, location, thyroid contour and type were significantly associated with vagus nerve vulnerability. Multivariate analysis showed that bulging contour caused by thyroid nodules (P = 0.001), vagus nerve types 2/4 (P < 0.001) and type 3 (P < 0.001) were independent predictors. The operator should pay attention to anatomical variations and the resulting vagus nerve injury during RF ablation of bulging thyroid nodules. (orig.)

Management of Pulmonary Nodules

OpenAIRE

Arvin Aryan

2010-01-01

Pulmonary nodule characterization is currently being redefined as new clinical, radiological and pathological data are reported, necessitating a reevaluation of the clinical management."nIn approach to an incidentally detected pulmonary nodule, we should consider that there are different risk situations, different lesion morphologies, and different sizes with various management options."nIn this session we will review the different risk situations for patients with pulmonary nodules...

Microbial community analysis of field-grown soybeans with different nodulation phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Seishi; Rallos, Lynn Esther E; Okubo, Takashi; Eda, Shima; Inaba, Shoko; Mitsui, Hisayuki; Minamisawa, Kiwamu

2008-09-01

Microorganisms associated with the stems and roots of nonnodulated (Nod(-)), wild-type nodulated (Nod(+)), and hypernodulated (Nod(++)) soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merril] were analyzed by ribosomal intergenic transcribed spacer analysis (RISA) and automated RISA (ARISA). RISA of stem samples detected no bands specific to the nodulation phenotype, whereas RISA of root samples revealed differential bands for the nodulation phenotypes. Pseudomonas fluorescens was exclusively associated with Nod(+) soybean roots. Fusarium solani was stably associated with nodulated (Nod(+) and Nod(++)) roots and less abundant in Nod(-) soybeans, whereas the abundance of basidiomycetes was just the opposite. The phylogenetic analyses suggested that these basidiomycetous fungi might represent a root-associated group in the Auriculariales. Principal-component analysis of the ARISA results showed that there was no clear relationship between nodulation phenotype and bacterial community structure in the stem. In contrast, both the bacterial and fungal community structures in the roots were related to nodulation phenotype. The principal-component analysis further suggested that bacterial community structure in roots could be classified into three groups according to the nodulation phenotype (Nod(-), Nod(+), or Nod(++)). The analysis of root samples indicated that the microbial community in Nod(-) soybeans was more similar to that in Nod(++) soybeans than to that in Nod(+) soybeans.

Microbial Community Analysis of Field-Grown Soybeans with Different Nodulation Phenotypes▿

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Seishi; Rallos, Lynn Esther E.; Okubo, Takashi; Eda, Shima; Inaba, Shoko; Mitsui, Hisayuki; Minamisawa, Kiwamu

2008-01-01

Microorganisms associated with the stems and roots of nonnodulated (Nod−), wild-type nodulated (Nod+), and hypernodulated (Nod++) soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merril] were analyzed by ribosomal intergenic transcribed spacer analysis (RISA) and automated RISA (ARISA). RISA of stem samples detected no bands specific to the nodulation phenotype, whereas RISA of root samples revealed differential bands for the nodulation phenotypes. Pseudomonas fluorescens was exclusively associated with Nod+ soybean roots. Fusarium solani was stably associated with nodulated (Nod+ and Nod++) roots and less abundant in Nod− soybeans, whereas the abundance of basidiomycetes was just the opposite. The phylogenetic analyses suggested that these basidiomycetous fungi might represent a root-associated group in the Auriculariales. Principal-component analysis of the ARISA results showed that there was no clear relationship between nodulation phenotype and bacterial community structure in the stem. In contrast, both the bacterial and fungal community structures in the roots were related to nodulation phenotype. The principal-component analysis further suggested that bacterial community structure in roots could be classified into three groups according to the nodulation phenotype (Nod−, Nod+, or Nod++). The analysis of root samples indicated that the microbial community in Nod− soybeans was more similar to that in Nod++ soybeans than to that in Nod+ soybeans. PMID:18658280

Thyroid nodules in the population living around semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Possible implications for dose-response relationships study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhumadilov, Z.

2006-01-01

The risk of radiation-induced nodules is higher than the risk for radiation-induced cancer. Risk factors and specific modifiers of the dose-response relationship may vary among different populations and not be well recognized. Many thyroid studies have considered thyroid nodularity itself, but not specific morphological types of thyroid nodules. There are many specific types of thyroid nodules which follow a morphological classification of thyroid lesions, including some congenital and tumor-like conditions. Modern equipment and technique can help us to identify particular specific types of thyroid nodules. In this study we report some results of a clinically applicable approach to materials derived from three studies. From 1999 through 2002, we have screened 571 current residents from 4 exposed and 1 control village near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site area, who were of similar ages (<20) at the time of major radiation fallout events at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS). Prevalent nodules were identified by ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration biopsy, cytopathology results. Analysis of ultrasound images and cytopathology of thyroid lesions among exposed and non-exposed population allowed us to distinguish some interesting ultrasound features for specific types of thyroid nodules. We believe that it would be interesting and possibly more informative for thyroid dosimetry studies to consider specific morphological types of thyroid nodules. We need more detailed research to clarify the feasibility of applying these findings for study of the dose-response relationship. (author)

Lightning Talks 2015: Theoretical Division

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shlachter, Jack S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-11-25

This document is a compilation of slides from a number of student presentations given to LANL Theoretical Division members. The subjects cover the range of activities of the Division, including plasma physics, environmental issues, materials research, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and computational methods.

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of subsolid nodules: Evaluation of a commercial CAD system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benzakoun, Joseph; Bommart, Sébastien; Coste, Joël; Chassagnon, Guillaume; Lederlin, Mathieu; Boussouar, Samia

2016-01-01

Highlights: • CAD sensitivity is still limited for automated detection of subsolid nodules. • CAD detection rate is higher for part-solid than for pure ground-glass nodules. • Part-solid nodule detection is not better for nodules with larger solid component. - Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the performance of a commercially available CAD system for automated detection and measurement of subsolid nodules. Materials and methods: The CAD system was tested on 50 pure ground-glass and 50 part-solid nodules (median diameter: 17 mm) previously found on standard-dose CT scans in 100 different patients. True nodule detection and the total number of CAD marks were evaluated at different sensitivity settings. The influence of nodule and CT acquisition characteristics was analyzed with logistic regression. Software and manually measured diameters were compared with Spearman and Bland-Altman methods. Results: With sensitivity adjusted for 3-mm nodule detection, 50/100 (50%) subsolid nodules were detected, at the average cost of 17 CAD marks per CT. These figures were respectively 26/100 (26%) and 2 at the 5-mm setting. At the highest sensitivity setting (2-mm nodule detection), the average number of CAD marks per CT was 41 but the nodule detection rate only increased to 54%. Part–solid nodules were better detected than pure ground glass nodules: 36/50 (72%) versus 14/50 (28%) at the 3-mm setting (p < 0.0001), with no influence of the solid component size. Except for the type (i.e. part solid or pure ground glass), no other nodule characteristic influenced the detection rate. High-quality segmentation was obtained for 79 nodules, which for automated measurements correlated well with manual measurements (rho = 0.90[0.84–0.93]). All part-solid nodules had software-measured attenuation values above −671 Hounsfield units (HU). Conclusion: The detection rate of subsolid nodules by this CAD system was insufficient, but high-quality segmentation was obtained in 79% of

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of subsolid nodules: Evaluation of a commercial CAD system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benzakoun, Joseph, E-mail: benzakoun.joseph@gmail.com [Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, 1 parvis Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris (France); Université Paris Descartes, 12 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris (France); Bommart, Sébastien, E-mail: s-bommart@chu-montpellier.fr [CHU de Montpellier, 191 avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34000 Montpellier (France); INSERM U 1046, 371 avenue du Doyen G. Giraud, 34000 Montpellier (France); Coste, Joël, E-mail: joel.coste@htd.aphp.fr [Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, 1 parvis Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris (France); Université Paris Descartes, 12 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris (France); Chassagnon, Guillaume, E-mail: gchassagnon@gmail.com [Université Paris Descartes, 12 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris (France); Hôpital Cochin, Radiologie, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris (France); Lederlin, Mathieu, E-mail: mathieu.lederlin@chu-rennes.fr [CHU de Rennes, Radiologie, 2 Rue Henri le Guilloux, 35000 Rennes (France); Université de Rennes 1, 9 Rue Jean Macé, 35000 Rennes (France); Boussouar, Samia, E-mail: samiaboussouar@gmail.com [Université Paris Descartes, 12 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris (France); Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 Rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris (France); and others

2016-10-15

Highlights: • CAD sensitivity is still limited for automated detection of subsolid nodules. • CAD detection rate is higher for part-solid than for pure ground-glass nodules. • Part-solid nodule detection is not better for nodules with larger solid component. - Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the performance of a commercially available CAD system for automated detection and measurement of subsolid nodules. Materials and methods: The CAD system was tested on 50 pure ground-glass and 50 part-solid nodules (median diameter: 17 mm) previously found on standard-dose CT scans in 100 different patients. True nodule detection and the total number of CAD marks were evaluated at different sensitivity settings. The influence of nodule and CT acquisition characteristics was analyzed with logistic regression. Software and manually measured diameters were compared with Spearman and Bland-Altman methods. Results: With sensitivity adjusted for 3-mm nodule detection, 50/100 (50%) subsolid nodules were detected, at the average cost of 17 CAD marks per CT. These figures were respectively 26/100 (26%) and 2 at the 5-mm setting. At the highest sensitivity setting (2-mm nodule detection), the average number of CAD marks per CT was 41 but the nodule detection rate only increased to 54%. Part–solid nodules were better detected than pure ground glass nodules: 36/50 (72%) versus 14/50 (28%) at the 3-mm setting (p < 0.0001), with no influence of the solid component size. Except for the type (i.e. part solid or pure ground glass), no other nodule characteristic influenced the detection rate. High-quality segmentation was obtained for 79 nodules, which for automated measurements correlated well with manual measurements (rho = 0.90[0.84–0.93]). All part-solid nodules had software-measured attenuation values above −671 Hounsfield units (HU). Conclusion: The detection rate of subsolid nodules by this CAD system was insufficient, but high-quality segmentation was obtained in 79% of

Dichromatic and monochromatic laser radiation effects on antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and division rate of Pantoea agglomerans

Science.gov (United States)

Thomé, A. M. C.; Souza, B. P.; Mendes, J. P. M.; Cardoso, A. F. R.; Soares, L. C.; Trajano, E. T. L.; Fonseca, A. S.

2018-06-01

Since infection is a common cause of delayed wound healing, it is important to understand the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in bacterial mechanisms. In this study we evaluated the effects of LLLT on antibiotic resistance, division rate, and biofilm formation of Pantoea agglomerans. P. agglomerans samples were isolated from human pressure injuries in humans and cultures were exposed to low-level monochromatic and simultaneous dichromatic laser radiation to study the susceptibility of an antimicrobial to ampicillin and piperacillin  +  tazobactam, quantification of areas of bacterial colonies, and biofilm formation of bacterial cells. Fluence, wavelength, and emission mode were used in the therapeutic protocols for wound healing. The data showed no changes in the areas of the colonies, but dichromatic laser radiation decreased biofilm formation, while a monochromatic red laser at low dose increased biofilm formation and infrared at high dose decreased antibiotic resistance to ampicillin. LLLT modulates antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of P. agglomerans, but these depend on the laser irradiation parameters, since dichromatic laser radiation induces biological effects that differ from those induced by monochromatic laser radiation. Thus, simultaneous dichromatic low-level red and infrared lasers could be a new option for the treatment of infected wounds, reducing biofilm formation, without altering antibiotic resistance and the division rate of P. agglomerans cultures.

Diversity of bacteria that nodulate Prosopis juliflora in the eastern area of Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Benata, Hanane; Mohammed, Ourarhi; Noureddine, Boukhatem; Abdelbasset, Berrichi; Abdelmoumen, Hanaa; Muresu, Rosella; Squartini, Andrea; El Idrissi, Mustapha Missbah

2008-10-01

A total of 274 bacterial strains were isolated from the root nodules of Prosopis juliflora, growing in two arid soils of the eastern area of Morocco. A physiological plate screening allowed the selection of 15 strains that could tolerate NaCl concentrations between 175 and 500 mM. These were compared with 15 strains chosen from among the ones which did not tolerate high salinity. The diversity of strains was first assessed by rep-PCR amplification fingerprinting using BOXA1R and ERIC primers. An analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S rDNA gene digestion profiles using five endonucleases indicated the presence of different lineages among the taxa associated with P. juliflora nodules in the soils studied. Nucleotide sequencing of the small subunit rRNA gene and BLAST analysis showed that P. juliflora could host at least six bacterial species in this region and that the identity of those associated with high salt tolerance was clearly distinct from that of the salt-sensitive ones. Among the former, the first type displayed 99% similarity with different members of the genus Sinorhizobium, the second 97% similarity with species within the genus Rhizobium, while the third ribosomal type had 100% homology to Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Within the salt-sensitive isolates the prevailing type observed showed 98% similarity with Rhizobium multihospitium and R. tropici, a second type had 98% similarity to R. giardinii, and a further case displayed 97% colinearity with the Ensifer group including E. maghrebium and E. xericitae. All of the thirty strains encompassing these types re-nodulated P. juliflora in microbiologically controlled conditions and all of them were shown to possess a copy of the nodC gene. This is the first report detecting the betaproteobacterial genus Achromobacter as nodule-forming species for legumes. The observed variability in symbiont species and the abundance of nodulation-proficient strains is in line with the observation that the plant always appears to

Compositional changes of surface sediments and variability of manganese nodules in the Peru Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Marchig, Vesna; von Stackelberg, Ulrich; Hufnagel, Heinz; Durn, Goran

Two types of manganese nodules were observed in the Peru Basin: large botryoidal nodules in basins and small ellipsoidal nodules on slope positions. The sediment in areas with large botryoidal nodules contains a thinner and weaker oxidation zone than the sediment under small ellipsoidal nodules, indicating that diagenetic processes in the sediment, which supply manganese nodules with metals for their growth, are stronger in sediments on which large botryoidal nodules grow. Organic matter, which activates remobilization of metals, occurs mostly in the form of refractory lipidic compounds in the inner capsule of radiolaria. This material needs bacterial degradation to act as a reducing agent. Easily oxidizable organic components could not be found in the sediments. Other changes in sediment composition do not have a link to manganese nodule growth. Biogenous components (radiolarians, organogenic barite and apatite) increase towards the equatorial high-productivity zone. Authigenous clay minerals (nontronite as well as montmorillonite with high Fe +3 incorporation on positions of ochtaedral Al) increase with distance from the continent. The assessment of environmental impacts will have to take into account the regional differences in sediment composition and the small-scale variability of manganese nodules.

Comparison of muscle-to-nodule and parenchyma-to-nodule strain ratios in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules: Which one should we use?

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Aydin, Ramazan, E-mail: raydin1984@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, Samsun Education and Research Hospital, Samsun (Turkey); Elmali, Muzaffer, E-mail: muzafel@yahoo.com.tr [Department of Radiology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun (Turkey); Polat, Ahmet Veysel, E-mail: veyselp@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun (Turkey); Danaci, Murat, E-mail: danacim55@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun (Turkey); Akpolat, Ilkser, E-mail: ilkserakpolat@yahoo.com [Department of Pathology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun (Turkey)

2014-03-15

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of muscle-to-nodule strain ratio (MNSR) in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules and to see if there was a difference between MNSR and parenchyma-to-nodule strain ratios (PNSR) in diagnosis. Methods: A total of 106 consecutive patients (88 women and 18 men; age range 19–79 years) with thyroid nodules were prospectively examined using ultrasound and sonoelastography before the fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The mean MNSR and PNSR were calculated for each nodule and the elasticity score was determined according to four-point scoring system. Results: According to the four-point scoring system, 44 of the 83 benign nodules had a score of one or two while 22 of the 23 malignant nodules had a score of three or four (p < 0.001). Using ROC analysis, the best cutoff point for MNSR 1.85 and for PNSR 3.14 was calculated. The sensitivity and specificity for the MNSR were 95.6%, 92.8%, respectively; for the PNSR were 95.6%, 93.4%, respectively, when the best cutoff points were used (p < 0.001). The κ value for the PNSR and MNSR methods was 0.87, which indicated an almost perfect agreement (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Sonoelastography has a high diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. There was no significant difference between MNSR and PNSR in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Therefore, we think that MNSR could safely be used in situations where PNSR could not be used.

Compact-Morphology-based poly-metallic Nodule Delineation.

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Schoening, Timm; Jones, Daniel O B; Greinert, Jens

2017-10-17

Poly-metallic nodules are a marine resource considered for deep sea mining. Assessing nodule abundance is of interest for mining companies and to monitor potential environmental impact. Optical seafloor imaging allows quantifying poly-metallic nodule abundance at spatial scales from centimetres to square kilometres. Towed cameras and diving robots acquire high-resolution imagery that allow detecting individual nodules and measure their sizes. Spatial abundance statistics can be computed from these size measurements, providing e.g. seafloor coverage in percent and the nodule size distribution. Detecting nodules requires segmentation of nodule pixels from pixels showing sediment background. Semi-supervised pattern recognition has been proposed to automate this task. Existing nodule segmentation algorithms employ machine learning that trains a classifier to segment the nodules in a high-dimensional feature space. Here, a rapid nodule segmentation algorithm is presented. It omits computation-intense feature-based classification and employs image processing only. It exploits a nodule compactness heuristic to delineate individual nodules. Complex machine learning methods are avoided to keep the algorithm simple and fast. The algorithm has successfully been applied to different image datasets. These data sets were acquired by different cameras, camera platforms and in varying illumination conditions. Their successful analysis shows the broad applicability of the proposed method.

Differential Regulation of the Nodulation Zone by Silver Ions, L--(2-Amino-Ethoxyvinyl-Glycine, and the skl Mutation in Medicago truncatula

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JOKO PRAYITNO

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Nodule formation in Rhizobium-legume symbiosis is negatively regulated by ethylene. Ethylene inhibitors such as L--(2-amino-ethoxyvinyl-glycine (AVG and silver ions (Ag+, the ethylene-insensitive sickle mutant, and transgenic plants were used to study ethylene-mediated responses in nodulation. The mode of action of ethylene inhibitors AVG and Ag+, and the skl mutation occur at different steps in ethylene biosynthesis and perception. Their effects on root growth and nodulation phenotypes, in particular nodule distribution along the primary root, were compared in this study. Ag+ and AVG treatments showed similar root growth responses to skl mutant. However, nodule distribution in the hypernodulating skl mutant is different from that of wild-type plants grown on either AVG or Ag+. AVG increased nodule numbers and widened the nodulation zone, while the skl mutant had an increased number of nodules within the susceptible zone of nodulation. Ag+ reduced nodule numbers, restricted the nodulation zone, and restored the nodulation phenotype of skl to that of the wild type.

Ras mutations are rare in solitary cold and toxic thyroid nodules.

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Krohn, K; Reske, A; Ackermann, F; Müller, A; Paschke, R

2001-08-01

Activation of ras proto-oncogenes as a result of point mutations is detectable in a significant percentage of most types of tumour. Similar to neoplasms of other organs, mutations of all three ras genes can be found in thyroid tumours. H-, K- and N-ras mutations have been detected in up to 20% of follicular adenomas and adenomatous nodules which were not functionally characterized. This raises the question as to whether ras mutations are specific for hypofunctional nodules and TSH receptor mutations for hyperfunctioning nodules. To investigate ras and TSH receptor mutations with respect to functional differentiation we studied 41 scintigraphically cold nodules and 47 toxic thyroid nodules. To address the likelihood of a somatic mutation we also studied the clonal origin of these tumours. Genomic DNA was extracted from nodular and surrounding tissue. Mutational hot spots in exons 1 and 2 of the H- and K-ras gene were PCR amplified and sequenced using big dye terminator chemistry. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to verify sequencing results for the H-ras gene and to analyse the N-ras gene because its greater sensitivity in detecting somatic mutations. Clonality of nodular thyroid tissue was evaluated using X-Chromosome inactivation based on PCR amplification of the human androgen receptor locus. Monoclonal origin was detectable in 14 of 23 informative samples from cold thyroid nodules. In toxic thyroid nodules the frequency of clonal tissue was 20 in 30 informative cases. Only one point mutation could be found in the N-ras gene codon 61 (Gly to Arg) in a cold adenomatous nodule which was monoclonal. In toxic thyroid nodules no ras mutation was detectable. Our study suggests that ras mutations are rare in solitary cold and toxic thyroid nodules and that the frequent monoclonal origin of these tumours implies somatic mutations in genes other than H-, K- and N-ras.

Local pulmonary structure classification for computer-aided nodule detection

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Bahlmann, Claus; Li, Xianlin; Okada, Kazunori

2006-03-01

We propose a new method of classifying the local structure types, such as nodules, vessels, and junctions, in thoracic CT scans. This classification is important in the context of computer aided detection (CAD) of lung nodules. The proposed method can be used as a post-process component of any lung CAD system. In such a scenario, the classification results provide an effective means of removing false positives caused by vessels and junctions thus improving overall performance. As main advantage, the proposed solution transforms the complex problem of classifying various 3D topological structures into much simpler 2D data clustering problem, to which more generic and flexible solutions are available in literature, and which is better suited for visualization. Given a nodule candidate, first, our solution robustly fits an anisotropic Gaussian to the data. The resulting Gaussian center and spread parameters are used to affine-normalize the data domain so as to warp the fitted anisotropic ellipsoid into a fixed-size isotropic sphere. We propose an automatic method to extract a 3D spherical manifold, containing the appropriate bounding surface of the target structure. Scale selection is performed by a data driven entropy minimization approach. The manifold is analyzed for high intensity clusters, corresponding to protruding structures. Techniques involve EMclustering with automatic mode number estimation, directional statistics, and hierarchical clustering with a modified Bhattacharyya distance. The estimated number of high intensity clusters explicitly determines the type of pulmonary structures: nodule (0), attached nodule (1), vessel (2), junction (>3). We show accurate classification results for selected examples in thoracic CT scans. This local procedure is more flexible and efficient than current state of the art and will help to improve the accuracy of general lung CAD systems.

Emplacement of Xenolith Nodules in the Kaupulehu Lava Flow, Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii

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Guest, J. E.; Spudis, P. D.; Greeley, R.; Taylor, G. J.; Baloga, S. M.

1995-01-01

The basaltic Kaupulehu 1800-1801 lava flow of Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii contains abundant ultramafic xenoliths. Many of these xenoliths occur as bedded layers of semi-rounded nodules, each thinly coated with a veneer (typically 1 mm thick) of lava. The nodule beds are analogous to cobble deposits of fluvial sedimentary systems. Although several mechanisms have been proposed for the formation of the nodule beds, it was found that, at more than one locality, the nodule beds are overbank levee deposits. The geological occurrence of the nodules, certain diagnostic aspects of the flow morphology and consideration of the inferred emplacement process indicate that the Kaupulehu flow had an exceptionally low viscosity on eruption and that the flow of the lava stream was extremely rapid, with flow velocities of at least 10 m/s (more than 40 km/h. This flow is the youngest on Hualalai Volcano and future eruptions of a similar type would pose considerable hazard to life as well as property.

Malign mural nodules associated with serous ovarian tumor of borderline malignancy: a case report and literature review.

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Gungor, Tayfun; Altinkaya, S Ozlem; Akbay, Serap; Bilge, Umit; Mollamahmutoglu, Leyla

2010-03-01

Cystic tumors of ovary, whether benign, borderline, or malignant may be associated with mural nodule of various types, including sarcomas, sarcoma-like mural nodules (SLMN), and foci of anaplastic carcinoma. Cases of serous borderline ovarian tumor with mural nodules of mixed type are very rare. A 54-year-old woman referred with abdominal swelling. Imaging studies revealed a huge mass localized in pelvis and lower abdomen and grade 1-2 left renal hydronephrosis. Preoperative Ca-125 was 798 U/ml. In exploratory laparotomy there was a 16 cm mass adherent to lateral abdominal wall and intestines. Adhesiolysis and de-bulking surgery were performed including bilateral pelvic, para-aortic lymphadenectomy, appendectomy and omentectomy. Left ureter was found to be dilated because of the infiltration of distal part by the tumor, so distal ureteral resection and neoureterocystostomy were performed. Final pathology revealed borderline serous ovarian tumor with mural nodules which were consisted of SLMNs, multiple and sharply demarcated from the adjacent tumor, and sarcomatous nodules showing infiltrative appearance in metastatic regions. Mural nodules showed a positive reaction for vimentin and SMA but were negative for cytokeratin and also necrosis, hemorrhage, and 10-15 mitoses in 10 high power fields were noted. She had postoperative chemotherapy and follow-up is going on without metastases in her first year. The existence of sarcomatous nodules combined with the SLMN necessitates a careful histologic analysis for treatment and the determination of prognosis. However, too few cases of mixed type mural nodules have been published to warrant a conclusion regarding their prognosis.

Thyroid Nodule Imaging. Status and Limitations.

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Durre Sabih

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Thyroid nodules are common, occurring in almost two-thirds of some populations; among these only about 7% are malignant. The most important question with any new discovered thyroid nodule is, “is this malignant?” The main arbiter of malignancy or benignity remains fine needle aspiration and the mainstay of treatment surgery. But given the resources involved, doing an FNAC or surgery in every discovered nodule would be prohibitive to impossible. The clinician must decide which nodule to investigate and which to watch in the hope that this will never turn out to be malignant. FNACs are used basically to decide which nodule to operate upon (or more importantly which to not operate upon and clinical and imaging features are used to decide which nodule to investigate by FNAC and which to leave alone. This paper describes the various imaging options for looking at thyroid nodules and briefly discusses the advantages and disadvantages with each.

Management of an incidentally discovered pulmonary nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beigelman-Aubry, Catherine; Hill, Catherine; Grenier, Philippe A.

2007-01-01

The incidental finding of a pulmonary nodule on computed tomography (CT) is becoming an increasingly frequent event. The discovery of such a nodule should evoke the possibility of a small bronchogenic carcinoma, for which excision is indicated without delay. However, invasive diagnostic procedures should be avoided in the case of a benign lesion. The objectives of this review article are: (1) to analyze the CT criteria defining benign nodules, nodules of high suspicion of malignancy and indeterminate nodules, (2) to analyze the diagnostic performances and limitations of complementary investigations requested to characterize indeterminate lung nodules, (3) to review the criteria permitting to assess the probability of malignancy of indeterminate nodules and (4) to report on the new guidelines provided by the Fleischner Society for the management of small indeterminate pulmonary nodules, according to their prior probability of malignancy. (orig.)

A Legume TOR Protein Kinase Regulates Rhizobium Symbiosis and Is Essential for Infection and Nodule Development.

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Nanjareddy, Kalpana; Blanco, Lourdes; Arthikala, Manoj-Kumar; Alvarado-Affantranger, Xóchitl; Quinto, Carmen; Sánchez, Federico; Lara, Miguel

2016-11-01

The target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase regulates metabolism, growth, and life span in yeast, animals, and plants in coordination with nutrient status and environmental conditions. The nutrient-dependent nature of TOR functionality makes this kinase a putative regulator of symbiotic associations involving nutrient acquisition. However, TOR's role in these processes remains to be understood. Here, we uncovered the role of TOR during the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)-Rhizobium tropici (Rhizobium) symbiotic interaction. TOR was expressed in all tested bean tissues, with higher transcript levels in the root meristems and senesced nodules. We showed TOR promoter expression along the progressing infection thread and in the infected cells of mature nodules. Posttranscriptional gene silencing of TOR using RNA interference (RNAi) showed that this gene is involved in lateral root elongation and root cell organization and also alters the density, size, and number of root hairs. The suppression of TOR transcripts also affected infection thread progression and associated cortical cell divisions, resulting in a drastic reduction of nodule numbers. TOR-RNAi resulted in reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and altered CyclinD1 and CyclinD3 expression, which are crucial factors for infection thread progression and nodule organogenesis. Enhanced expression of TOR-regulated ATG genes in TOR-RNAi roots suggested that TOR plays a role in the recognition of Rhizobium as a symbiont. Together, these data suggest that TOR plays a vital role in the establishment of root nodule symbiosis in the common bean. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Hashimoto thyroiditis: Part 2, sonographic analysis of benign and malignant nodules in patients with diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis.

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Anderson, Lauren; Middleton, William D; Teefey, Sharlene A; Reading, Carl C; Langer, Jill E; Desser, Terry; Szabunio, Margaret M; Mandel, Susan J; Hildebolt, Charles F; Cronan, John J

2010-07-01

The purpose of this article is to compare sonographic features of benign and malignant nodules in patients with diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis. As part of an ongoing multiinstitutional study, patients who underwent ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration of one or more thyroid nodules were analyzed for a variety of predetermined sonographic features. Patients with a sonographic appearance consistent with diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis and with coexisting nodules that could be confirmed to be benign or malignant by fine-needle aspiration or surgical pathologic analysis were included in the study. Among nodules within diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis, 84% (69/82) were benign (35 nodular Hashimoto thyroiditis, 32 nodular hyperplasia, and two follicular adenoma), and 16% (13/82) were malignant (12 papillary carcinoma and one lymphoma). Malignant nodules were more likely to be solid and hypoechoic (62% vs 19%). All types of calcifications were more prevalent among malignant nodules, including microcalcifications (39% vs 0%), nonspecific tiny bright reflectors (39% vs 6%), macrocalcifications (15% vs 3%), and eggshell (15% vs 2%). Benign nodules were more likely to be hyperechoic (46% vs 9%), to have a halo (39% vs 15%), and to lack calcifications (88% vs 23%). Benign nodules more often had ill-defined margins (36% vs 8%). Sonographic features of benign and malignant nodules within diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis are generally similar to the features typical of benign and malignant nodules in the general population. If calcifications of any type are added to the list of malignant sonographic features, the decision to biopsy a nodule in patients with diffuse Hashimoto thyroiditis can be based on recommendations that have been published previously.

A new design concept for nodule mining system

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Janakiraman, G.; Venkatesan, R.; Rajaraman, V.S.

An overview is presented on the hazards associated with various types of equipment to be used for the commercial mining of nodules from the seabed. The design of a suitable mining collector and the various options available are discussed. A novel...

Efflux Pump-mediated Drug Resistance in Burkholderia

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Nicole L Podnecky

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Several members of the genus Burkholderia are prominent pathogens. Infections caused by these bacteria are difficult to treat because of significant antibiotic resistance. Virtually all Burkholderia species are also resistant to polymyxin, prohibiting use of drugs like colistin that are available for treatment of infections caused by most other drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Despite clinical significance and antibiotic resistance of Burkholderia species, characterization of efflux pumps lags behind other non-enteric Gram-negative pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although efflux pumps have been described in several Burkholderia species, they have been best studied in B. cenocepacia and B. pseudomallei. As in other non-enteric Gram-negatives, efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation cell division (RND family are the clinically most significant efflux systems in these two species. Several efflux pumps were described in B. cenocepacia, which when expressed confer resistance to clinically significant antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines. Three RND pumps have been characterized in B. pseudomallei, two of which confer either intrinsic or acquired resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, trimethoprim, and in some instances trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole. Several strains of the host-adapted B. mallei, a clone of B. pseudomallei, lack AmrAB-OprA and are therefore aminoglycoside and macrolide susceptible. B. thailandensis is closely related to B. pseudomallei, but non-pathogenic to humans. Its pump repertoire and ensuing drug resistance profile parallels that of B. pseudomallei. An efflux pump in B. vietnamiensis plays a significant role in acquired aminoglycoside resistance. Summarily, efflux pumps are significant players in Burkholderia drug resistance.

Correlation between pairing initiation sites, recombination nodules and meiotic recombination in Sordaria macrospora.

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Zickler, D; Moreau, P J; Huynh, A D; Slezec, A M

1992-09-01

The decrease of meiotic exchanges (crossing over and conversion) in two mutants of Sordaria macrospora correlated strongly with a reduction of chiasmata and of both types of "recombination nodules." Serial section reconstruction electron microscopy was used to compare the synapsis pattern of meiotic prophase I in wild type and mutants. First, synapsis occurred but the number of synaptonemal complex initiation sites was reduced in both mutants. Second, this reduction was accompanied by, or resulted in, modifications of the pattern of synapsis. Genetic and synaptonemal complex maps were compared in three regions along one chromosome arm divided into well marked intervals. Reciprocal exchange frequencies and number of recombination nodules correlated in wild type in the three analyzed intervals, but disparity was found between the location of recombination nodules and exchanges in the mutants. Despite the twofold exchange decrease, sections of the genome such as the short arm of chromosome 2 and telomere regions were sheltered from nodule decrease and from pairing modifications. This indicated a certain amount of diversity in the control of these features and suggested that exchange frequency was dependent not only on the amount of effective pairing but also on the localization of the pairing sites, as revealed by the synaptonemal complex progression in the mutants.

Ultralow dose CT for pulmonary nodule detection with chest X-ray equivalent dose - a prospective intra-individual comparative study

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Messerli, Michael [University Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Kluckert, Thomas; Knitel, Meinhard; Desbiolles, Lotus; Bauer, Ralf W.; Wildermuth, Simon [Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Waelti, Stephan [Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Gallen (Switzerland); University of Montreal, Department of Radiology, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Rengier, Fabian [University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Warschkow, Rene [Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Department of Surgery, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Alkadhi, Hatem [University Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Leschka, Sebastian [Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Gallen (Switzerland); University Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-08-15

To prospectively evaluate the accuracy of ultralow radiation dose CT of the chest with tin filtration at 100 kV for pulmonary nodule detection. 202 consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated chest CT (standard dose, 1.8 ± 0.7 mSv) were prospectively included and additionally scanned with an ultralow dose protocol (0.13 ± 0.01 mSv). Standard dose CT was read in consensus by two board-certified radiologists to determine the presence of lung nodules and served as standard of reference (SOR). Two radiologists assessed the presence of lung nodules and their locations on ultralow dose CT. Sensitivity and specificity of the ultralow dose protocol was compared against the SOR, including subgroup analyses of different nodule sizes and types. A mixed effects logistic regression was used to test for independent predictors for sensitivity of pulmonary nodule detection. 425 nodules (mean diameter 3.7 ± 2.9 mm) were found on SOR. Overall sensitivity for nodule detection by ultralow dose CT was 91%. In multivariate analysis, nodule type, size and patients BMI were independent predictors for sensitivity (p < 0.001). Ultralow dose chest CT at 100 kV with spectral shaping enables a high sensitivity for the detection of pulmonary nodules at exposure levels comparable to plain film chest X-ray. (orig.)

Genetics Home Reference: type A insulin resistance syndrome

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... Conditions Type A insulin resistance syndrome Type A insulin resistance syndrome Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Type A insulin resistance syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by severe ...

A Legume TOR Protein Kinase Regulates Rhizobium Symbiosis and Is Essential for Infection and Nodule Development1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Lourdes; Quinto, Carmen

2016-01-01

The target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase regulates metabolism, growth, and life span in yeast, animals, and plants in coordination with nutrient status and environmental conditions. The nutrient-dependent nature of TOR functionality makes this kinase a putative regulator of symbiotic associations involving nutrient acquisition. However, TOR’s role in these processes remains to be understood. Here, we uncovered the role of TOR during the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)-Rhizobium tropici (Rhizobium) symbiotic interaction. TOR was expressed in all tested bean tissues, with higher transcript levels in the root meristems and senesced nodules. We showed TOR promoter expression along the progressing infection thread and in the infected cells of mature nodules. Posttranscriptional gene silencing of TOR using RNA interference (RNAi) showed that this gene is involved in lateral root elongation and root cell organization and also alters the density, size, and number of root hairs. The suppression of TOR transcripts also affected infection thread progression and associated cortical cell divisions, resulting in a drastic reduction of nodule numbers. TOR-RNAi resulted in reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and altered CyclinD1 and CyclinD3 expression, which are crucial factors for infection thread progression and nodule organogenesis. Enhanced expression of TOR-regulated ATG genes in TOR-RNAi roots suggested that TOR plays a role in the recognition of Rhizobium as a symbiont. Together, these data suggest that TOR plays a vital role in the establishment of root nodule symbiosis in the common bean. PMID:27698253

Relation between nodule size and 18F-FDG-PET SUV for malignant and benign pulmonary nodules.

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Shao Yiping

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The most common semiquantitative method of evaluation of pulmonary lesions using 18F-FDG PET is FDG standardized uptake value (SUV. An SUV cutoff of 2.5 or greater has been used to differentiate between benign and malignant nodules. The goal of our study was to investigate the correlation between the size of pulmonary nodules and the SUV for benign as well as for malignant nodules. Methods Retrospectively, 173 patients were selected from 420 referrals for evaluation of pulmonary lesions. All patients selected had a positive CT and PET scans and histopathology biopsy. A linear regression equation was fitted to a scatter plot of size and SUVmax for malignant and benign nodules together. A dot diagram was created to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy using an SUVmax cutoff of 2.5. Results The linear regression equations and (R2s as well as the trendlines for malignant and benign nodules demonstrated that the slope of the regression line is greater for malignant than for benign nodules. Twenty-eight nodules of group one (≤ 1.0 cm are plotted in a dot diagram using an SUVmax cutoff of 2.5. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated to be 85%, 36% and 54% respectively. Similarly, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for an SUVmax cutoff of 2.5 and found to be 91%, 47%, and 79% respectively for group 2 (1.1–2.0 cm; 94%, 23%, and 76%, respectively for group 3 (2.1–3.0 cm; and 100%, 17%, and 82%,, respectively for group 4 (> 3.0 cm. The previous results of the dot diagram indicating that the sensitivity and the accuracy of the test using an SUVmax cutoff of 2.5 are increased with an increase in the diameter of pulmonary nodules. Conclusion The slope of the regression line is greater for malignant than for benign nodules. Although, the SUVmax cutoff of 2.5 is a useful tool in the evaluation of large pulmonary nodules (> 1.0 cm, it has no or minimal value in the evaluation of small

Benign pulmonary nodule. Morphological features and contrast enhancement evaluated with contiguous thin-section CT

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Matsuo, Hisayasu; Murata, Kiyoshi; Takahashi, Masashi; Morita, Rikushi [Shiga Univ. of Medical Science, Otsu (Japan)

1998-10-01

The morphological changes in 54 benign lung nodules, including 8 histologically proven nodules of tuberculoma, 10 of focal organizing pneumonia (FOP), 1 of lung abscess and 35 other benign nodules, were evaluated with contiguous thin-section (3 mm) CT. In addition, incremental dynamic studies were carried out in 25 of these nodules. The three-dimensional shapes of the nodules were found to be quite varied and were classified into four types: round mass (n=18), polygonal mass with concave or straight margins (n=20), oval or band-like mass extending along the bronchovascular bundle (n=7), and oval mass attached to the pleura with broad contact (n=9). Forty-two (78%) of the 54 nodules were located along the bronchovascular bundle. The maximum increments in CT values over 20 HU were observed after contrast enhancement in 18 (72%) of the 25 benign nodules, among which all tuberculomas showed little or no contrast enhancement. The number of small vessels quantified microscopically in the center of the nodules were minimal in tuberculomas with little enhancement and plentiful in lesions of FOP and abscess which showed marked enhancement. Our results suggest that the differentiation between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules is not possible simply on the basis of the degree of contrast enhancement. Therefore, morphological features and the anatomical relation to the bronchovascular bundles should also be taken into consideration in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. (author)

Benign pulmonary nodule. Morphological features and contrast enhancement evaluated with contiguous thin-section CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Hisayasu; Murata, Kiyoshi; Takahashi, Masashi; Morita, Rikushi

1998-01-01

The morphological changes in 54 benign lung nodules, including 8 histologically proven nodules of tuberculoma, 10 of focal organizing pneumonia (FOP), 1 of lung abscess and 35 other benign nodules, were evaluated with contiguous thin-section (3 mm) CT. In addition, incremental dynamic studies were carried out in 25 of these nodules. The three-dimensional shapes of the nodules were found to be quite varied and were classified into four types: round mass (n=18), polygonal mass with concave or straight margins (n=20), oval or band-like mass extending along the bronchovascular bundle (n=7), and oval mass attached to the pleura with broad contact (n=9). Forty-two (78%) of the 54 nodules were located along the bronchovascular bundle. The maximum increments in CT values over 20 HU were observed after contrast enhancement in 18 (72%) of the 25 benign nodules, among which all tuberculomas showed little or no contrast enhancement. The number of small vessels quantified microscopically in the center of the nodules were minimal in tuberculomas with little enhancement and plentiful in lesions of FOP and abscess which showed marked enhancement. Our results suggest that the differentiation between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules is not possible simply on the basis of the degree of contrast enhancement. Therefore, morphological features and the anatomical relation to the bronchovascular bundles should also be taken into consideration in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. (author)

Performance of computer-aided detection of pulmonary nodules in low-dose CT: comparison with double reading by nodule volume

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Zhao, Yingru; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Wang, Ying; Ooijen, Peter M.A. van; Oudkerk, Matthijs [University of Groningen/University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Medical Imaging - North East Netherlands, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 30.001, Groningen (Netherlands); Bock, Geertruida H. de [University of Groningen/University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, P.O. Box 30.001, Groningen (Netherlands); Klaveren, Rob J. van [Lievensberg Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, P.O. Box 135, Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands); Bogoni, Luca [CAD Group, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (United States); Jong, Pim A. de; Mali, Willem P. [University of Utrecht, Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2012-10-15

To evaluate performance of computer-aided detection (CAD) beyond double reading for pulmonary nodules on low-dose computed tomography (CT) by nodule volume. A total of 400 low-dose chest CT examinations were randomly selected from the NELSON lung cancer screening trial. CTs were evaluated by two independent readers and processed by CAD. A total of 1,667 findings marked by readers and/or CAD were evaluated by a consensus panel of expert chest radiologists. Performance was evaluated by calculating sensitivity of pulmonary nodule detection and number of false positives, by nodule characteristics and volume. According to the screening protocol, 90.9 % of the findings could be excluded from further evaluation, 49.2 % being small nodules (less than 50 mm{sup 3}). Excluding small nodules reduced false-positive detections by CAD from 3.7 to 1.9 per examination. Of 151 findings that needed further evaluation, 33 (21.9 %) were detected by CAD only, one of them being diagnosed as lung cancer the following year. The sensitivity of nodule detection was 78.1 % for double reading and 96.7 % for CAD. A total of 69.7 % of nodules undetected by readers were attached nodules of which 78.3 % were vessel-attached. CAD is valuable in lung cancer screening to improve sensitivity of pulmonary nodule detection beyond double reading, at a low false-positive rate when excluding small nodules. circle Computer-aided detection (CAD) has known advantages for computed tomography (CT). (orig.)

Performance of computer-aided detection of pulmonary nodules in low-dose CT: comparison with double reading by nodule volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yingru; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Wang, Ying; Ooijen, Peter M.A. van; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Bock, Geertruida H. de; Klaveren, Rob J. van; Bogoni, Luca; Jong, Pim A. de; Mali, Willem P.

2012-01-01

To evaluate performance of computer-aided detection (CAD) beyond double reading for pulmonary nodules on low-dose computed tomography (CT) by nodule volume. A total of 400 low-dose chest CT examinations were randomly selected from the NELSON lung cancer screening trial. CTs were evaluated by two independent readers and processed by CAD. A total of 1,667 findings marked by readers and/or CAD were evaluated by a consensus panel of expert chest radiologists. Performance was evaluated by calculating sensitivity of pulmonary nodule detection and number of false positives, by nodule characteristics and volume. According to the screening protocol, 90.9 % of the findings could be excluded from further evaluation, 49.2 % being small nodules (less than 50 mm 3 ). Excluding small nodules reduced false-positive detections by CAD from 3.7 to 1.9 per examination. Of 151 findings that needed further evaluation, 33 (21.9 %) were detected by CAD only, one of them being diagnosed as lung cancer the following year. The sensitivity of nodule detection was 78.1 % for double reading and 96.7 % for CAD. A total of 69.7 % of nodules undetected by readers were attached nodules of which 78.3 % were vessel-attached. CAD is valuable in lung cancer screening to improve sensitivity of pulmonary nodule detection beyond double reading, at a low false-positive rate when excluding small nodules. circle Computer-aided detection (CAD) has known advantages for computed tomography (CT). (orig.)

The computer tomography application of LUNG CARE to detect pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minnoso Arabi, Yaysel; Ugarte Moreno, Dayana; Jordan Gonzalez, Jose

2011-01-01

The pulmonary nodule multiple or unique is frequently a casual finding and it is one of lung's cancer presentation. It's known that cancer is one of the first causes of death in our country and pulmonary tumor has become in a major sanitary problem. Methods. A descriptive prospective was carried out to detect pulmonary nodules in Medical Surgical Research Center. Patients were seen in General Medicine Consultation, in the period of time between January and December 2009. An inquiry was applied to every patients and a computer tomography scan with LUNG CARE program was performed to them. LUNG CARE program is used to early diagnosis and study of pulmonary nodule (mass). The data were analyzed with statistic packet SPSS version 13.0, for Windows. The data were summarized by means of stockings, deviations standard and percent, according to the variable type. For the comparison of the detection of nodules according to technical imagenology the test Chi -square was used at a level of significance of 0,05

Intelligent Recognition of Lung Nodule Combining Rule-based and C-SVM Classifiers

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Bin Li

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Computer-aided detection(CAD system for lung nodules plays the important role in the diagnosis of lung cancer. In this paper, an improved intelligent recognition method of lung nodule in HRCT combing rule-based and cost-sensitive support vector machine(C-SVM classifiers is proposed for detecting both solid nodules and ground-glass opacity(GGO nodules(part solid and nonsolid. This method consists of several steps. Firstly, segmentation of regions of interest(ROIs, including pulmonary parenchyma and lung nodule candidates, is a difficult task. On one side, the presence of noise lowers the visibility of low-contrast objects. On the other side, different types of nodules, including small nodules, nodules connecting to vasculature or other structures, part-solid or nonsolid nodules, are complex, noisy, weak edge or difficult to define the boundary. In order to overcome the difficulties of obvious boundary-leak and slow evolvement speed problem in segmentatioin of weak edge, an overall segmentation method is proposed, they are: the lung parenchyma is extracted based on threshold and morphologic segmentation method; the image denoising and enhancing is realized by nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering(NADF method; candidate pulmonary nodules are segmented by the improved C-V level set method, in which the segmentation result of EM-based fuzzy threshold method is used as the initial contour of active contour model and a constrained energy term is added into the PDE of level set function. Then, lung nodules are classified by using the intelligent classifiers combining rules and C-SVM. Rule-based classification is first used to remove easily dismissible nonnodule objects, then C-SVM classification are used to further classify nodule candidates and reduce the number of false positive(FP objects. In order to increase the efficiency of SVM, an improved training method is used to train SVM, which uses the grid search method to search the optimal

Intelligent Recognition of Lung Nodule Combining Rule-based and C-SVM Classifiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Li

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Computer-aided detection(CAD system for lung nodules plays the important role in the diagnosis of lung cancer. In this paper, an improved intelligent recognition method of lung nodule in HRCT combing rule-based and costsensitive support vector machine(C-SVM classifiers is proposed for detecting both solid nodules and ground-glass opacity(GGO nodules(part solid and nonsolid. This method consists of several steps. Firstly, segmentation of regions of interest(ROIs, including pulmonary parenchyma and lung nodule candidates, is a difficult task. On one side, the presence of noise lowers the visibility of low-contrast objects. On the other side, different types of nodules, including small nodules, nodules connecting to vasculature or other structures, part-solid or nonsolid nodules, are complex, noisy, weak edge or difficult to define the boundary. In order to overcome the difficulties of obvious boundary-leak and slow evolvement speed problem in segmentatioin of weak edge, an overall segmentation method is proposed, they are: the lung parenchyma is extracted based on threshold and morphologic segmentation method; the image denoising and enhancing is realized by nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering(NADF method;candidate pulmonary nodules are segmented by the improved C-V level set method, in which the segmentation result of EM-based fuzzy threshold method is used as the initial contour of active contour model and a constrained energy term is added into the PDE of level set function. Then, lung nodules are classified by using the intelligent classifiers combining rules and C-SVM. Rule-based classification is first used to remove easily dismissible nonnodule objects, then C-SVM classification are used to further classify nodule candidates and reduce the number of false positive(FP objects. In order to increase the efficiency of SVM, an improved training method is used to train SVM, which uses the grid search method to search the optimal parameters

Accumulation and localization of extensin protein in apoplast of pea root nodule under aluminum stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Sujkowska-Rybkowska, Marzena; Borucki, Wojciech

2014-12-01

Cell wall components such as hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs, extensins) have been proposed to be involved in aluminum (Al) resistance mechanisms in plants. We have characterized the distribution of extensin in pea (Pisum sativum L.) root nodules apoplast under short (for 2 and 24h) Al stress. Monoclonal antibodie LM1 have been used to locate extensin protein epitope by immunofluorescence and immunogold labeling. The nodules were shown to respond to Al stress by thickening of plant and infection thread (IT) walls and disturbances in threads growth and bacteria endocytosis. Immunoblot results indicated the presence of a 17-kDa band specific for LM1. Irrespective of the time of Al stress, extensin content increased in root nodules. Further observation utilizing fluorescence and transmission electron microscope showed that LM1 epitope was localized in walls and intercellular spaces of nodule cortex tissues and in the infection threads matrix. Al stress in nodules appears to be associated with higher extensin accumulation in matrix of enlarged thick-walled ITs. In addition to ITs, thickened walls and intercellular spaces of nodule cortex were also associated with intense extensin accumulation. These data suggest that Al-induced extensin accumulation in plant cell walls and ITs matrix may have influence on the process of IT growth and tissue and cell colonization by Rhizobium bacteria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and management of solitary pulmonary nodules.

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Jeong, Yeon Joo; Lee, Kyung Soo; Kwon, O Jung

2008-12-01

The advent of computed tomography (CT) screening with or without the help of computer-aided detection systems has increased the detection rate of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), including that of early peripheral lung cancer. Helical dynamic (HD)CT, providing the information on morphologic and hemodynamic characteristics with high specificity and reasonably high accuracy, can be used for the initial assessment of SPNs. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT is more sensitive at detecting malignancy than HDCT. Therefore, PET/CT may be selectively performed to characterize SPNs when HDCT gives an inconclusive diagnosis. Serial volume measurements are currently the most reliable methods for the tissue characterization of subcentimeter nodules. When malignant nodule is highly suspected for subcentimeter nodules, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery nodule removal after nodule localization using the pulmonary nodule-marker system may be performed for diagnosis and treatment.

[Nodulation competitiveness of nodule bacteria: Genetic control and adaptive significance].

Science.gov (United States)

Onishchuk, O P; Vorobyov, N I; Provorov, N A

2017-01-01

The most recent data on the system of cmp (competitiveness) genes that determine the nodulation competitiveness of rhizobial strains, i.e., the ability to compete for nodule formation in leguminous plants, is analyzed. Three genetic approaches for the construction of economically valuable strains of rhizobia are proposed: the amplification of positive regulators of competitiveness, the inactivation of the negative regulators of this trait, and the introduction of efficient competitiveness factors into strains capable of active nitrogen fixation.

Comparison of the nodule vs. root transcriptome of the actinorhizal plant Datisca glomerata: actinorhizal nodules contain a specific class of defensins.

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Irina V Demina

Full Text Available Actinorhizal root nodule symbioses are very diverse, and the symbiosis of Datisca glomerata has previously been shown to have many unusual aspects. In order to gain molecular information on the infection mechanism, nodule development and nodule metabolism, we compared the transcriptomes of D. glomerata roots and nodules. Root and nodule libraries representing the 3'-ends of cDNAs were subjected to high-throughput parallel 454 sequencing. To identify the corresponding genes and to improve the assembly, Illumina sequencing of the nodule transcriptome was performed as well. The evaluation revealed 406 differentially regulated genes, 295 of which (72.7% could be assigned a function based on homology. Analysis of the nodule transcriptome showed that genes encoding components of the common symbiosis signaling pathway were present in nodules of D. glomerata, which in combination with the previously established function of SymRK in D. glomerata nodulation suggests that this pathway is also active in actinorhizal Cucurbitales. Furthermore, comparison of the D. glomerata nodule transcriptome with nodule transcriptomes from actinorhizal Fagales revealed a new subgroup of nodule-specific defensins that might play a role specific to actinorhizal symbioses. The D. glomerata members of this defensin subgroup contain an acidic C-terminal domain that was never found in plant defensins before.

Efficacy of thyroid ultrasound elastography in differential diagnosis of small thyroid nodules

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Dighe, Manjiri, E-mail: dighe@u.washington.edu [Department of Radiology, Box 357115, 1959 NE Pacific Street, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Luo, Si [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, William H. Foege Building, N510B, 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195-5061 (United States); Cuevas, Carlos, E-mail: cuevas@u.washington.edu [Department of Radiology, Box 357115, 1959 NE Pacific Street, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Kim, Yongmin, E-mail: ykim@u.washington.edu [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Box 355061, Seattle, WA 98195-5061 (United States)

2013-06-15

Objective: To explore the efficacy of thyroid ultrasound (US) elastography in differential diagnosis of small thyroid nodules. Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and all patients provided written informed consent. Thirty-five patients with 38 small thyroid nodules as seen on transverse ultrasound image formed our study population. An US examination and a separate thyroid elastography examination with pulsation from the carotid artery used as the compression source were performed before fine-needle aspiration. Baseband US data were acquired for off-line elastography processing, where a semi-quantitative index for each nodule was calculated. The Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric rank sum test was used to assess equality of population means among the different types of thyroid nodules. Maximum likelihood estimation of the curve parameters for a binomial receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed. Results: Elasticity contrast index calculated with elastography was effective in distinguishing between small papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTMC, n = 8) and other lesions (n = 30) in small thyroid nodules (p = 0.0036). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosing PTMCs was 0.812 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.653–0.920. The cut-off value of ECI of 3.6 led to a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 60% for detecting PTMCs. Conclusion: Noninvasive evaluation of small thyroid nodules is possible using thyroid US elastography with in vivo compression to pick out the most suspicious thyroid nodules for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and avoid FNA in benign nodules.

Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, K; Konno, M; Sato, T; Matsuura, N

1980-10-01

We studied two cases of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules in children. A 9-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl had thyroid masses in otherwise nonpalpable thyroid glands. Scintiscan showed hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. The former patient had elevated values for T4 and T3, and plasma thyrotropin (TSH) level failed to respond to stimulation with thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), whereas the latter patient had normal values for T4, and T3 and plasma TSH response to TRH was normal. After the surgical removal of nodules, scintiscan exhibited radioactivity in the contralateral lobe of the thyroid gland in the former and in the ectopic thyroid tissue in the latter. Results of microscopic examinations of thyroid nodules were consistent with adenomatous goiter.

CopM is a novel copper-binding protein involved in copper resistance in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

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Giner-Lamia, Joaquín; López-Maury, Luis; Florencio, Francisco J

2015-01-01

Copper resistance system in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 comprises two operons, copMRS and copBAC, which are expressed in response to copper in the media. copBAC codes for a heavy-metal efflux–resistance nodulation and division (HME-RND) system, while copMRS codes for a protein of unknown function, CopM, and a two-component system CopRS, which controls the expression of these two operons. Here, we report that CopM is a periplasmic protein able to bind Cu(I) with high affinity (KD ∼3 × 10−16). Mutants lacking copM showed a sensitive copper phenotype similar to mutants affected in copB, but lower than mutants of the two-component system CopRS, suggesting that CopBAC and CopM constitute two independent resistance mechanisms. Moreover, constitutive expression of copM is able to partially suppress the copper sensitivity of the copR mutant strain, pointing out that CopM per se is able to confer copper resistance. Furthermore, constitutive expression of copM was able to reduce total cellular copper content of the copR mutant to the levels determined in the wild-type (WT) strain. Finally, CopM was localized not only in the periplasm but also in the extracellular space, suggesting that CopM can also prevent copper accumulation probably by direct copper binding outside the cell. PMID:25545960

Root nodule structure in Chamaecytisus podolicus

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Monika Skawińska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available By means of microscopic analyses, it was shown that root nodules formed by Chamaecytisus podolicus exhibited all structural features typical for indeterminate nodules of temperate genistean shrubs: (i apical nodule meristem composed of infected and non-infected domains, (ii parenchymatous bacteroid-containing tissue with infected cells only resulting from mitotic activity of infected meristematic cells, (iii absence of infection threads, and (iv convoluted bacteroids singly enclosed in a symbiosome membrane. For the first time, it was shown that the nodule meristem is organized into longitudinal files of sister cells.

Detection of pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanzulli, A.; Zanello, A.; DelMaschio, M.; Paesano, P.; Panizza, P.; DelMaschio, A.

1989-01-01

The authors have prospectively studied 203 pulmonary nodules in 91 patients, selected by CT (gold standard), with both subtraction digital radiography (SDR) and conventional plain film. Subtracted images were obtained by using copper filter inserted between two photostimulable imaging plates. Five radiologists randomly analyzed all conventional and subtracted images. The authors calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for both conventional radiography and SDR. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were calculated by plotting the number of nodules detected with different degrees of confidence. SDR detected 12% more nodules than conventional radiography. ROC curves demonstrated that the level of confidence was better for SDR (P <.05)

Evaluation of computer aided volumetry for simulated small pulmonary nodules on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do, Kyung Hyun; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Kyung Won; Im, Jung Gi; Chung, Myung Jin

2004-01-01

To determine the accuracy of automated computer aided volumetry for simulated small pulmonary nodules at computed tomography using various types of phantoms Three sets of synthetic nodules (small, calcified and those adjacent to vessels) were studied. The volume of the nodules in each set was already known, and using multi-slice CT, volumetric data for each nodule was acquired from the three-dimensional reconstructed image. The volume was calculated by applying three different threshold values using Rapidia software (3D-Med, Seoul, Korea). Relative errors in the measured volume of synthetic pulmonary nodules were 17.3, 2.9, and 11.5% at -200, -400, and -600 HU, respectively, and there was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -400 HU (r=0.96, p<0.001). For calcified nodules, relative errors in measured volume were 10.9, 5.3, and 16.5% at -200, -400, and -600 HU, respectively, and there was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -400 HU (r=1.03, p<0.001). In cases involving synthetic nodules adjacent to vessels, relative errors were 4.6, 16.3, and 31.2% at -200, -400, and -600 HU, respectively. There was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -200 HU (r=1.1, p<0.001). Using computer-aided volumetry, the measured volumes of synthetic nodules correlated closely with their true volume. Measured volumes were the same at each threshold level, regardless of window setting

Evaluation of computer aided volumetry for simulated small pulmonary nodules on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Kyung Won; Im, Jung Gi; Do, Kyung Hyun; Chung, Myung Jin

2004-01-01

To determine the accuracy of automated computer aided volumetry for simulated small pulmonary nodules at computed tomography using various types of phantoms. Three sets of synthetic nodules (small, calcified and those adjacent to vessels) were studied. The volume of the nodules in each set was already known, and using multi-slice CT, volumetric data for each nodule was acquired from the three-dimensional reconstructed image. The volume was calculated by applying three different threshold values using Rapidia software (3D-Med, Seoul, Korea). Relative errors in the measured volume of synthetic pulmonary nodules were 17.3, 2.9, and 11.5% at -200, -400, and --600 HU, respectively, and there was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -400 HU (r=0.96, p<0.001). For calcified nodules, relative errors in measured volume were 10.9, 5.3, and 16.5% at -200, -400, and -600 HU, respectively, and there was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -400 HU (r=1.03, p<0.001). In cases involving synthetic nodules adjacent to vessels, relative errors were 4.6, 16.3, and 31.2 % at -200, -400, and -600 HU, respectively. There was good correlation between true volume and measured volume at -200 HU (r=1.1, p<0.001). Using computer-aided volumetry, the measured volumes of synthetic nodules correlated closely with their true volume. Measured volumes were the same at each threshold level, regardless of window setting

Soft computing approach to 3D lung nodule segmentation in CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Badura, P; Pietka, E

2014-10-01

This paper presents a novel, multilevel approach to the segmentation of various types of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography studies. It is based on two branches of computational intelligence: the fuzzy connectedness (FC) and the evolutionary computation. First, the image and auxiliary data are prepared for the 3D FC analysis during the first stage of an algorithm - the masks generation. Its main goal is to process some specific types of nodules connected to the pleura or vessels. It consists of some basic image processing operations as well as dedicated routines for the specific cases of nodules. The evolutionary computation is performed on the image and seed points in order to shorten the FC analysis and improve its accuracy. After the FC application, the remaining vessels are removed during the postprocessing stage. The method has been validated using the first dataset of studies acquired and described by the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and by its latest release - the LIDC-IDRI (Image Database Resource Initiative) database. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules by integrated PET/CT: improved accuracy by FDG uptake pattern and CT findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joon Young Choi; Kyung Soo Lee; O Jung Kwon; Young Mog Shim; Kyung-Han Lee; Yong Choi; Yearn Seong Choe; Byung-Tae Kim

2004-01-01

Objective: FDG PET is useful to differentiate malignancy from benign lesions in the evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). However, FDG PET showed false positive results in benign inflammatory lesions such as tuberculosis and organizing pneumonia. Furthermore, malignant tumors such as adenocarcinoma (AC) with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) type had lower FDG uptake than other cell types of non-small cell lung cancer. We investigated whether FDG uptake pattern and image findings of CT for attenuation correction could improve accuracy for evaluating SPNs over SUV in integrated PET/CT imaging using FDG. Methods: Forty patients (M:F = 23:17, mean age 58.2±9.4 yrs) with non-calcified SPNs (diameter on CT 30 mm, no significant mediastinal node enlargement, no atelectasis) were included. All subjects underwent integrated PET/CT imaging using FDG. One nuclear medicine physician and 1 chest radiologist interpreted the PET and non-contrast CT images for attenuation correction, respectively. On PET images, maximum SUV of SPN was acquired, and FDG uptake pattern was categorized as diffusely increased or heterogeneously increased with upper threshold of window setting adjusted to maximum SUV of each nodule. A radiologist interpreted SPNs as benign or malignant based on CT images with lung and mediastinai window settings blinded to PET findings. Results: On pathological exam, 30 SPNs were confirmed to be malignant (11 AC with non-BAC type, 8 AC with BAC type, 8 squamous cell carcinoma, 1 adenosquamous cell carcinoma, 1 neuroendocrine carcinoma, 1 large cell carcinoma), and 10 were benign (4 tuberculosis, 3 organizing pneumonia, 2 sclerosing pneumocytoma, 1 non-specific inflammation). All 5 nodules with max SUV 7.0 except one with tuberculoma had malignancy. When only nodules with diffusely increased uptake were considered malignant in indeterminate group with max SUV of 4.0 to 7.0, PET could diagnose 5 of 9 malignant nodules with one false positive nodule. In 6 of

Pulmonary nodule registration in serial CT scans based on rib anatomy and nodule template matching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jiazheng; Sahiner, Berkman; Chan, H.-P.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Zhou, C.; Cascade, Philip N.; Bogot, Naama; Kazerooni, Ella A.; Wu, Y.-T.; Wei, J.

2007-01-01

An automated method is being developed in order to identify corresponding nodules in serial thoracic CT scans for interval change analysis. The method uses the rib centerlines as the reference for initial nodule registration. A spatially adaptive rib segmentation method first locates the regions where the ribs join the spine, which define the starting locations for rib tracking. Each rib is tracked and locally segmented by expectation-maximization. The ribs are automatically labeled, and the centerlines are estimated using skeletonization. For a given nodule in the source scan, the closest three ribs are identified. A three-dimensional (3D) rigid affine transformation guided by simplex optimization aligns the centerlines of each of the three rib pairs in the source and target CT volumes. Automatically defined control points along the centerlines of the three ribs in the source scan and the registered ribs in the target scan are used to guide an initial registration using a second 3D rigid affine transformation. A search volume of interest (VOI) is then located in the target scan. Nodule candidate locations within the search VOI are identified as regions with high Hessian responses. The initial registration is refined by searching for the maximum cross-correlation between the nodule template from the source scan and the candidate locations. The method was evaluated on 48 CT scans from 20 patients. Experienced radiologists identified 101 pairs of corresponding nodules. Three metrics were used for performance evaluation. The first metric was the Euclidean distance between the nodule centers identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, the second metric was a volume overlap measure between the nodule VOIs identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, and the third metric was the hit rate, which measures the fraction of nodules whose centroid computed by the computer registration in the target scan falls within the VOI identified by the

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of thyroid nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozgeyik, Zulkif; Coskun, Sonay; Ogur, Erkin; Dagli, A.F.; Ozkan, Yusuf; Sahpaz, Fatih

2009-01-01

The purpose of our study was to determine the diagnostic role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differentiating of malignant and benign thyroid nodules by using fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology criteria as a reference standard. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the normal-looking thyroid parenchyma were also evaluated both in normal patients and in patients with nodules. Between March 2007 and February 2008, 76 consecutive patients with ultrasound-diagnosed thyroid nodules and 20 healthy subjects underwent diffusion-weighted MR imaging by using single-shot spin echo, echo planar imaging. A total of 93 nodules were included in the study using the following b factors 100, 200, and 300 mm 2 /s. ADC values of thyroid nodules and normal area in all subjects were calculated and compared using suitable statistical analysis. Mean ADC values for malignant and benign nodules were 0.96±0.65 x 10 -3 and 3.06±0.71 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s. for b-300 factor, 0.56±0.43 x 10 -3 and 1.80±0.60 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s for b-200, and 0.30±0.20 x 10 -3 and 1.15±0.43 x 10 -3 mm 2 /s, for b-300, respectively. Mean ADC values of malignant nodules were lower than benign nodules. There were significant differences in ADC values between benign and malignant nodules. ADC values among normal-appearing thyroid parenchyma of patients and normal-appearing thyroid parenchyma of healthy subjects were insignificant at all b factors. Benign nodules have higher ADC values than malignant ones. DWI may be helpful in differentiating malign and benign thyroid nodules. (orig.)

Genetic pathway in acquisition and loss of vancomycin resistance in a methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strain of clonal type USA300.

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Susana Gardete

2012-02-01

Full Text Available An isolate of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA clone USA300 with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (SG-R (i.e, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus, VISA and its susceptible "parental" strain (SG-S were recovered from a patient at the end and at the beginning of an unsuccessful vancomycin therapy. The VISA phenotype was unstable in vitro generating a susceptible revertant strain (SG-rev. The availability of these 3 isogenic strains allowed us to explore genetic correlates of antibiotic resistance as it emerged in vivo. Compared to the susceptible isolate, both the VISA and revertant strains carried the same point mutations in yycH, vraG, yvqF and lspA genes and a substantial deletion within an intergenic region. The revertant strain carried a single additional frameshift mutation in vraS which is part of two component regulatory system VraSR. VISA isolate SG-R showed complex alterations in phenotype: decreased susceptibility to other antibiotics, slow autolysis, abnormal cell division and increased thickness of cell wall. There was also altered expression of 239 genes including down-regulation of major virulence determinants. All phenotypic properties and gene expression profile returned to parental levels in the revertant strain. Introduction of wild type yvqF on a multicopy plasmid into the VISA strain caused loss of resistance along with loss of all the associated phenotypic changes. Introduction of the wild type vraSR into the revertant strain caused recovery of VISA type resistance. The yvqF/vraSR operon seems to function as an on/off switch: mutation in yvqF in strain SG-R turns on the vraSR system, which leads to increase in vancomycin resistance and down-regulation of virulence determinants. Mutation in vraS in the revertant strain turns off this regulatory system accompanied by loss of resistance and normal expression of virulence genes. Down-regulation of virulence genes may provide VISA strains with a "stealth

Management of thyroid nodules in children and adolescents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersinga, Wilmar M.

2007-01-01

Thyroid nodules in childhood and adolescence are less prevalent but more often malignant than in adulthood. Malignant nodules are predominantly papillary cancers; benign nodules are mostly solid colloid nodules/adenomas, but can be cystic or due lymphocytic thyroiditis. Previous neck irradiation

Noninvasive Characterization of Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules Detected on Chest High-Resolution Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

Current Status ANALYZE Nodule Segmentation CANARY -PLUS ANALYZE AVW Surface Extraction In-house monolithic software ADMesh Surface Repair MATLAB...a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE October 2016 2. REPORT TYPE Annual 3...we are currently developing a multivariate radiologic prediction model (radiologic model) using a population of benign and malignant lung nodules

US Diagnosis for Thyroid Nodules with an Indeterminate Cytology

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Ha, Jong Geun; Kim, Dong Wook [Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Tae Woo [Saegyaero Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2011-09-15

We wanted to assess the diagnostic efficacy of thyroid ultrasound (US) for evaluating thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. Among 1865 nodules in 1278 patients who received a prospective US diagnosis of their thyroid nodule(s) and who subsequently underwent US-guided fine-needle aspiration, 130 nodules with indeterminate cytology were enrolled in the study. Each thyroid nodule was prospectively classified by a single radiologist into 1 of 5 diagnostic categories: 'benign', 'probably benign', 'indeterminate', 'suspicious for malignancy' and 'malignant.' The solid nodules were classified using all 5 categories and the partially cystic nodules classified using 4 categories ('indeterminate' was omitted). We calculated the diagnostic efficacy of thyroid US by comparing the US diagnoses with the pathology results. Of 130 nodules with indeterminate cytology (130/1865, 7.0%), 62 nodules were surgically removed. Nineteen nodules were assigned to the indeterminate category on US. The malignantly rate of the US-indeterminate category was 56.5% (35/62). The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were 81.0%, 81.8%, 81.0%, 81.8% and 81.4%, respectively, when US-indeterminate nodules were excluded. There was no significant difference of diagnostic efficacy when these nodules were reclassified as malignant, but there was a significant difference of diagnostic efficacy when these nodules were reclassified as benign. Our US classification may be a feasible method for managing thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology

Resistance to organic hydroperoxides requires ohr and ohrR genes in Sinorhizobium meliloti

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Dufour Virginie

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sinorhizobium meliloti is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that elicits nodules on roots of host plants Medicago sativa. During nodule formation bacteria have to withstand oxygen radicals produced by the plant. Resistance to H2O2 and superoxides has been extensively studied in S. meliloti. In contrast resistance to organic peroxides has not been investigated while S. meliloti genome encodes putative organic peroxidases. Organic peroxides are produced by plants and are highly toxic. The resistance to these oxygen radicals has been studied in various bacteria but never in plant nodulating bacteria. Results In this study we report the characterisation of organic hydroperoxide resistance gene ohr and its regulator ohrR in S. meliloti. The inactivation of ohr affects resistance to cumene and ter-butyl hydroperoxides but not to hydrogen peroxide or menadione in vitro. The expression of ohr and ohrR genes is specifically induced by organic peroxides. OhrR binds to the intergenic region between the divergent genes ohr and ohrR. Two binding sites were characterised. Binding to the operator is prevented by OhrR oxidation that promotes OhrR dimerisation. The inactivation of ohr did not affect symbiosis and nitrogen fixation, suggesting that redundant enzymatic activity exists in this strain. Both ohr and ohrR are expressed in nodules suggesting that they play a role during nitrogen fixation. Conclusions This report demonstrates the significant role Ohr and OhrR proteins play in bacterial stress resistance against organic peroxides in S. meliloti. The ohr and ohrR genes are expressed in nodule-inhabiting bacteroids suggesting a role during nodulation.

Persistent pulmonary subsolid nodules: model-based iterative reconstruction for nodule classification and measurement variability on low-dose CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyungjin; Kim, Seong Ho; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Kyung Hee; Park, Chang Min; Park, Sang Joon; Goo, Jin Mo

2014-01-01

To compare the pulmonary subsolid nodule (SSN) classification agreement and measurement variability between filtered back projection (FBP) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR). Low-dose CTs were reconstructed using FBP and MBIR for 47 patients with 47 SSNs. Two readers independently classified SSNs into pure or part-solid ground-glass nodules, and measured the size of the whole nodule and solid portion twice on both reconstruction algorithms. Nodule classification agreement was analyzed using Cohen's kappa and compared between reconstruction algorithms using McNemar's test. Measurement variability was investigated using Bland-Altman analysis and compared with the paired t-test. Cohen's kappa for inter-reader SSN classification agreement was 0.541-0.662 on FBP and 0.778-0.866 on MBIR. Between the two readers, nodule classification was consistent in 79.8 % (75/94) with FBP and 91.5 % (86/94) with MBIR (p = 0.027). Inter-reader measurement variability range was -5.0-2.1 mm on FBP and -3.3-1.8 mm on MBIR for whole nodule size, and was -6.5-0.9 mm on FBP and -5.5-1.5 mm on MBIR for solid portion size. Inter-reader measurement differences were significantly smaller on MBIR (p = 0.027, whole nodule; p = 0.011, solid portion). MBIR significantly improved SSN classification agreement and reduced measurement variability of both whole nodules and solid portions between readers. (orig.)

Nitrogen assimilation in soybean nodules, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohyama, Takuji; Kumazawa, Kikuo

1980-01-01

In order to elucidate the pathways to assimilate the ammonia produced by N 2 -fixation in soybean nodules, 15 N-labeled compounds were administered to intact nodules or nodule slices pretreated with various inhibitors of nitrogen assimilation. After exposure to 15 N 2 , 15 N-incorporation into various nitrogenous compounds was investigated in attached nodules injected with methionine sulfoximine (MSX) or azaserine (AS). MSX treatment increased the 15 N content of ammonia more than 6 times, however, depressed 15 N content of most of amides and amino acids. AS treatment enhanced 15 N content of amido-N of glutamine as well as ammonia, but decreased amino-N of glutamine and most of amino acids. Experiments with nodule slices pretreated with MSX or AS solution and then fed with 15 N-labeled ammonia or amido- 15 N of glutamine showed the same trends. Aminooxyacetate inhibited nitrogen flow from glutamic acid to other amino acids. These results strongly indicate that the ammonia produced by N 2 -fixation is assimilated by GS/GOGAT system to glutamic acid and then transaminated to various amino acids in situ. 15 N-incorporation patterns in nodule slices fed with 15 N-labeled ammonia, hydroxylamine, nitrite were similar, but nitrate seemed to be reduced in a definite compartment and assimilated similarly as in intact nodules fed with 15 N 2 (author)

Hyperthyroidism, hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule, and thyroid cancer in a young female: a rare and unusual coexistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernán-Martínez, José; Uzcategui, María; Corder, Eric; Castillo, Manuel; Sostre, Samuel; Alicea, Luz

2010-03-01

The prevalence of concomitant thyroid carcinoma with Grave's disease has been reported to range from 0 to 10%. Many controversies exist in the literature regarding the diagnostic workup and management in these types of patients. We are reporting a case of a 31 year old woman who had Graves' disease, a palpable thyroid nodule, and results from a thyroid scan revealed a "hot" nodule. Interestingly, an ultrasound guided FNA of the "hot" nodule showed papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Finally, a total thyroidectomy showed multilobar tumor involvement. The diagnostic tools employed to establish the proper management strategy for this patient were based on data in the literature that is full of discrepancies. The fact that Grave's disease occurs concomitantly with thyroid cancer, specifically the papillary type, is an indisputably rare combination. One rare feature on our clinical case was the reported malignancy of a papillary carcinoma within a "hot" nodule which usually is much less that 1%. Many studies describe an increasing incidence of Grave's disease patients with concomitant papillary thyroid carcinoma. One possible explanation for these findings could be improvements in medical technology of screening tools. We propose that, thyroid ultrasonography should be integrated in the diagnostic workup in patients presenting with Graves' disease, especially in those presenting with palpable nodules. Fine needle biopsy should not be restricted to cold nodules.

Detection of pulmonary nodules on lung X-ray images. Studies on multi-resolutional filter and energy subtraction images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Akira; Sato, Yoshinobu; Kido, Shoji; Tamura, Shinichi

1999-01-01

The purpose of this work is to prove the effectiveness of an energy subtraction image for the detection of pulmonary nodules and the effectiveness of multi-resolutional filter on an energy subtraction image to detect pulmonary nodules. Also we study influential factors to the accuracy of detection of pulmonary nodules from viewpoints of types of images, types of digital filters and types of evaluation methods. As one type of images, we select an energy subtraction image, which removes bones such as ribs from the conventional X-ray image by utilizing the difference of X-ray absorption ratios at different energy between bones and soft tissue. Ribs and vessels are major causes of CAD errors in detection of pulmonary nodules and many researches have tried to solve this problem. So we select conventional X-ray images and energy subtraction X-ray images as types of images, and at the same time select ∇ 2 G (Laplacian of Guassian) filter, Min-DD (Minimum Directional Difference) filter and our multi-resolutional filter as types of digital filters. Also we select two evaluation methods and prove the effectiveness of an energy subtraction image, the effectiveness of Min-DD filter on a conventional X-ray image and the effectiveness of multi-resolutional filter on an energy subtraction image. (author)

Subsolid pulmonary nodules: imaging evaluation and strategic management.

Science.gov (United States)

Godoy, Myrna C B; Sabloff, Bradley; Naidich, David P

2012-07-01

Given the higher rate of malignancy of subsolid pulmonary nodules and the considerably lower growth rate of ground-glass nodules (GGNs), dedicated standardized guidelines for management of these nodules have been proposed, including long-term low-dose computed tomography (CT) follow-up (≥3 years). Physicians must be familiar with the strategic management of subsolid pulmonary nodules, and should be able to identify imaging features that suggest invasive adenocarcinoma requiring a more aggressive management. Low-dose CT screening studies for early detection of lung cancer have increased our knowledge of pulmonary nodules, and in particular our understanding of the strong although imperfect correlation of the subsolid pulmonary nodules, including pure GGNs and part-solid nodules, with the spectrum of preinvasive to invasive lung adenocarcinoma. Serial CT imaging has shown stepwise progression in a subset of these nodules, characterized by increase in size and density of pure GGNs and development of a solid component, the latter usually indicating invasive adenocarcinoma. There is close correlation between the CT features of subsolid nodules (SSNs) and the spectrum of lung adenocarcinoma. Standardized guidelines are suggested for management of SSNs.

Improved pulmonary nodule classification utilizing quantitative lung parenchyma features.

Science.gov (United States)

Dilger, Samantha K N; Uthoff, Johanna; Judisch, Alexandra; Hammond, Emily; Mott, Sarah L; Smith, Brian J; Newell, John D; Hoffman, Eric A; Sieren, Jessica C

2015-10-01

Current computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) models for determining pulmonary nodule malignancy characterize nodule shape, density, and border in computed tomography (CT) data. Analyzing the lung parenchyma surrounding the nodule has been minimally explored. We hypothesize that improved nodule classification is achievable by including features quantified from the surrounding lung tissue. To explore this hypothesis, we have developed expanded quantitative CT feature extraction techniques, including volumetric Laws texture energy measures for the parenchyma and nodule, border descriptors using ray-casting and rubber-band straightening, histogram features characterizing densities, and global lung measurements. Using stepwise forward selection and leave-one-case-out cross-validation, a neural network was used for classification. When applied to 50 nodules (22 malignant and 28 benign) from high-resolution CT scans, 52 features (8 nodule, 39 parenchymal, and 5 global) were statistically significant. Nodule-only features yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.918 (including nodule size) and 0.872 (excluding nodule size). Performance was improved through inclusion of parenchymal (0.938) and global features (0.932). These results show a trend toward increased performance when the parenchyma is included, coupled with the large number of significant parenchymal features that support our hypothesis: the pulmonary parenchyma is influenced differentially by malignant versus benign nodules, assisting CAD-based nodule characterizations.

Some new aspects of the pea (Pisum sativum L. root nodule ultrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Borucki

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Unequal cell divisions were observed in the meristem of pea root nodule. Since after such divisions only the bigger cells become infected then those divisions play a significant role in the formation of the three-dimensional structure of the bacteroidal tissue. In the infected cells of the young ineffective bacteroidal tissue the first host reaction to the incompatibility of the symbiotic system is the RER membranes aggregation. In effective symbiosis RER membranes form permanent sites of contact with the peribacteroidal membranes thus connecting all the symbiosoms in the cell. Possibly that ensures the synchronisation of the differentiation processes of the bacteroids and/or their simultaneous degeneration. The presence of membraneous structures in the form of rings is a characteristic feature of effective bacteroids. It is postulated that the structures are directly connected with nitrogen assimilation. Structures X and Y which are present in the bacteroids of the effective and ineffective symbiosis may be connected with the adaptation of bacterial cells to lowered oxygen pressure in bacteroidal tissue and their transformation (structures X into bacteroids. The presence of the cytoplasm (or cytoplasmatic remnants of the infected cells was observed in the intercellular spaces. It is sugested that it is a way, so far unknown, of the gas diffusion regulation in bacteroidal tissue.

Partially Cystic Thyroid Nodules: Ultrasound Findings of Malignancy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jang Mi; Choi, Yoon Jung; Kwag, Hyon Joo [Dept. of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

To seek for the ultrasound (US) findings of partially cystic thyroid nodules that are associated with malignancy. We reviewed the US characteristics of 22 surgically confirmed partially cystic papillary carcinomas, and compared them with those of 80 benign partially cystic nodules. The review cases were selected in a random order from a total of 1029 partially cystic nodules that were diagnosed with an US-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy over a period of 8 years (June 2003 to October 2010) at our institution. In partially cystic thyroid nodules, a taller-than-wide shape (100%, p<0.001) and spiculated or microlobulated margin (58.3%, p 0.003) were significantly associated with malignancy. In terms of internal solid portion of the nodule, eccentric configuration (68.0%, p<0.001), non-smooth margin (81.3%, p<0.001), hypoechogenecity (30.0%, p<0.042), and microcalcification (89.5%, p<0.001) were more frequently demonstrated in malignant nodules than benign ones. In partially cystic thyroid nodules, understanding the characteristics of US findings is important to make a precise diagnosis of malignant nodules.

Prevalence of the B Type Raf Kinase V600E Mutation in Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules: Correlation with Ultrasonographic and Pathologic Features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chae Hyun; Choi, Yoon Jung; Choi, Seon Hyeong; Rho, Myong Ho Kook Shin Ho; Chung, Eun Chul [Dept. of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chae, Seoung Wan; Kim, Dong Hoon; Sohn, Jin Hee [Dept. of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Ji Sup [Dept. of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

To study the prevalence of B type Raf kinase (BRAF) mutations, and to evaluate the ultrasonographic and clinicopathological features associated with thyroid cytology of indeterminate nodules. We assessed the presence or absence of BRAF mutation in 44 specimens from patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules according to two consecutive preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology procedures. In 9 specimens, the test for BRAF mutation was not possible due to scant cellularity. DNA was extracted from the atypical cells and then analyzed for the BRAF V600E mutation by pyrosequencing. The ultrasonographic and clinicopathological features of the patients were characterized according to their mutation status. The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 17 (48.6%) of 35 patients with indeterminate cytology results and in 17 (54.8%) of the 31 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Twenty two of 35 cytologically indeterminate nodules had calcifications, and among them 14 cases were proven to be positive for BRAF V600E mutations. Extrathyroid extension was significantly more frequent in the presence of the BRAF V600E mutation (p = 0.027), while tumor size, lympho-vascular invasion, or lymph node metastasis were not associated with the mutation. Screening for BRAF V600E mutations in conjunction with cytology may increase the diagnostic accuracy for PTC with indeterminate cytology results.

Prevalence of the B Type Raf Kinase V600E Mutation in Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules: Correlation with Ultrasonographic and Pathologic Features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chae Hyun; Choi, Yoon Jung; Choi, Seon Hyeong; Rho, Myong Ho Kook Shin Ho; Chung, Eun Chul; Chae, Seoung Wan; Kim, Dong Hoon; Sohn, Jin Hee; Yun, Ji Sup

2012-01-01

To study the prevalence of B type Raf kinase (BRAF) mutations, and to evaluate the ultrasonographic and clinicopathological features associated with thyroid cytology of indeterminate nodules. We assessed the presence or absence of BRAF mutation in 44 specimens from patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules according to two consecutive preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology procedures. In 9 specimens, the test for BRAF mutation was not possible due to scant cellularity. DNA was extracted from the atypical cells and then analyzed for the BRAF V600E mutation by pyrosequencing. The ultrasonographic and clinicopathological features of the patients were characterized according to their mutation status. The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 17 (48.6%) of 35 patients with indeterminate cytology results and in 17 (54.8%) of the 31 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Twenty two of 35 cytologically indeterminate nodules had calcifications, and among them 14 cases were proven to be positive for BRAF V600E mutations. Extrathyroid extension was significantly more frequent in the presence of the BRAF V600E mutation (p = 0.027), while tumor size, lympho-vascular invasion, or lymph node metastasis were not associated with the mutation. Screening for BRAF V600E mutations in conjunction with cytology may increase the diagnostic accuracy for PTC with indeterminate cytology results.

Stationary infinitely divisible processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barndorff-Nielsen, Ole E.

Several recent strands of work has led to the consideration of various types of continuous time stationary and infinitely divisible processes. A review of these types, with some new results, is presented.......Several recent strands of work has led to the consideration of various types of continuous time stationary and infinitely divisible processes. A review of these types, with some new results, is presented....

Ultrasound stratification of the FDG-avid thyroid nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beech, P.; Lavender, I.; Jong, I.; Soo, G.; Ramdave, S.; Chong, A.; Nandurkar, D.

2016-01-01

Aim: To determine whether the malignancy risk in an 2-["1"8F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid thyroid nodule can be stratified according to the presence or absence of suspicious ultrasound features and thereby identify which nodules require further cytological assessment. Materials and methods: A retrospective review of FDG-positron-emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography (CT) studies with FDG-avid thyroid nodules (defined as FDG uptake greater than blood pool) that were further assessed with ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration cytology or surgery was performed. FDG-avid thyroid nodules were classified as having either suspicious ultrasound features (marked hypo-echogenicity, irregular margins, microcalcifications, marked hypervascularity, or nodules that were taller than they were wide) or no suspicious ultrasound features and these findings were correlated with the subsequent cytological results. Results: Forty-eight FDG-avid thyroid nodules were assessed. On cytological assessment five nodules were malignant (10.4%), nine were indeterminate (18.75%), and 34 were benign (70.8%). On ultrasound, 24 (50%) had no suspicious features and 24 (50%) had one or more suspicious features. Of the nodules with no suspicious features, 22 (91.6%) were benign, two (8.3%) were indeterminate, and none were malignant. Of the nodules with suspicious features, five (20.8%) were malignant, seven (29.1%) were indeterminate, and 12 (50%) were benign. The absence of suspicious ultrasound features demonstrated a strong association with benign cytology (p=0.009). Out of the suspicious sonographic features, marked hypoechoic appearance (p=0.02), irregular margins (p=0.009), and taller than wide morphology (p=0.04) were statistically most significantly associated with malignancy. Conclusion: The rate of malignancy in FDG-avid thyroid nodules is low in the absence of specific suspicious ultrasound features. The SUV values are non-discriminatory to differentiate

Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Multiple Thyroid Nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ji Dae; Bae, Il Hun; Lee, Seung Young; Han, Gi Seok; Cha, Sang Hun; Kim, Sung Jin; Park, Kil Sun; Koong, Sung Soo; Lee, Ok Jun

2006-01-01

To standardize the number of nodules which necessitates ultrasound-guided, fine-needle, aspiration biopsy in patients who have multiple thyroid nodules with the same sonographic characteristics as each other. From February, 2002 to March, 2004, among patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound-guided, fine-needle, aspiration biopsy, 545 nodules of 203 patients were found in sonography with more than two thyroid nodules. Each thyroid gland nodule was classified on a score from 0 to 2 points on the basis of the following 5 characteristics: internal content, margin, echogenicity, shape and calcification in sonography. When the score of all characteristics was the same, by deciding on nodules with the same sonographic characteristics and with the score of at least one characteristic being different, we divided the nodules with different sonographic characteristics in a patient. By methods such as given in the preceding descriptions, patients with multiple thyroid nodules were separated into two groups: one in which all nodules had the same sonographic characteristics and another in which nodules have at least one different sonographic characteristic. Then, each pathologic result was searched for the same case and different case in each patient group. Among the 203 patients who were diagnosed with multiple thyroid nodules in ultrasonography, 79 patients (38.9%) had nodules with the same ultrasonographic characteristics and 124 patients (61.1%) had nodules with at least one different ultrasonographic characteristic. All 79 patient's nodules with the same ultrasonographic characteristics in each patient showed the same pathologic result in all cases (100.0%) and there was no case showing a different pathologic result. Otherwise, among the 124 patient's nodules with different ultrasonographic characteristics, each patient showed the same pathologic result in 111 (89.5%) and different pathologic result in 13 (10.5%). In patients who have multiple thyroid nodules

Analysis of nodule meristem persistence and ENOD40 functioning in Medicago truncatula nodule formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wan Xi,

2007-01-01

Medicago root nodules are formed as a result of the interaction of the plant with the soil-borne bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Several plant genes are induced during nodule formation and MtENOD40 is one of the earliest genes activated. The precise function as well as the molecule

Sister mary joseph′s nodule: A case of umbilical cutaneous metastasis with signet ring cell histology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zadeh Valid

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The metastasis of a visceral malignancy to the umbilicus is known as "Sister Mary Joseph′s nodule". It is a rare clinical sign indicating advanced, metastasizing intraabdominal cancer. We report a 50-year-old man who developed metastatic skin cancer in the form of semicircular indurated plaque on top of which was a firm mobile rounded nodule at the umbilical area. Histopathological examination demonstrated diastase-resistant periodic acid-Schiff and mucicarmine positive signet ring cells, suggesting gastric carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining showed that these cells were positive for cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen, suggesting epithelial origin.

Monitoring Cu nodule formation using Ni marker layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lafouresse, M.C., E-mail: mlafouresse@gmail.co [Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540 (Japan); Fukunaka, Y. [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, Shinjuku Ku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); ISS Science Project Office, JAXA, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Matsuoka, T. [Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540 (Japan); Schwarzacher, W. [H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom)

2011-04-30

Highlights: {yields} Ni marker layers to monitor electrodeposited Cu nodule morphological evolution. {yields} The edges of the nodules trace out a straight line. {yields} Difference in growth between spheres and hemispheres. {yields} Nodule on nodule growth at high overpotential. {yields} No dramatic effect of the diffusion layer thickness on the film morphology. - Abstract: We have used Ni marker layers to study the evolution of the characteristic spheroidal nodule morphology in electrodeposited Cu films. Ultrathin Ni layers were electrodeposited in-between Cu layers, and cross sections prepared by electrochemical polishing. During growth of a typical spheroidal feature, the edge (i.e. where there is a discontinuity in the surface slope) traces out a straight line in the cross-sectional image. At high overpotential, the cross-sections show nodule-on-nodule growth, giving rise to the well known cauliflower morphology. Rotating disk electrode studies reveal that, surprisingly, the absolute diffusion layer thickness does not appear to play a major role in the development of spheres.

Monitoring Cu nodule formation using Ni marker layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafouresse, M.C.; Fukunaka, Y.; Matsuoka, T.; Schwarzacher, W.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Ni marker layers to monitor electrodeposited Cu nodule morphological evolution. → The edges of the nodules trace out a straight line. → Difference in growth between spheres and hemispheres. → Nodule on nodule growth at high overpotential. → No dramatic effect of the diffusion layer thickness on the film morphology. - Abstract: We have used Ni marker layers to study the evolution of the characteristic spheroidal nodule morphology in electrodeposited Cu films. Ultrathin Ni layers were electrodeposited in-between Cu layers, and cross sections prepared by electrochemical polishing. During growth of a typical spheroidal feature, the edge (i.e. where there is a discontinuity in the surface slope) traces out a straight line in the cross-sectional image. At high overpotential, the cross-sections show nodule-on-nodule growth, giving rise to the well known cauliflower morphology. Rotating disk electrode studies reveal that, surprisingly, the absolute diffusion layer thickness does not appear to play a major role in the development of spheres.

Flavonoids and Auxin Transport Inhibitors Rescue Symbiotic Nodulation in the Medicago truncatula Cytokinin Perception Mutant cre1

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Jason Liang Pin; Hassan, Samira; Truong, Thy T.; Hocart, Charles H.; Laffont, Carole; Frugier, Florian; Mathesius, Ulrike

2015-01-01

Initiation of symbiotic nodules in legumes requires cytokinin signaling, but its mechanism of action is largely unknown. Here, we tested whether the failure to initiate nodules in the Medicago truncatula cytokinin perception mutant cre1 (cytokinin response1) is due to its altered ability to regulate auxin transport, auxin accumulation, and induction of flavonoids. We found that in the cre1 mutant, symbiotic rhizobia cannot locally alter acro- and basipetal auxin transport during nodule initiation and that these mutants show reduced auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) accumulation and auxin responses compared with the wild type. Quantification of flavonoids, which can act as endogenous auxin transport inhibitors, showed a deficiency in the induction of free naringenin, isoliquiritigenin, quercetin, and hesperetin in cre1 roots compared with wild-type roots 24 h after inoculation with rhizobia. Coinoculation of roots with rhizobia and the flavonoids naringenin, isoliquiritigenin, and kaempferol, or with the synthetic auxin transport inhibitor 2,3,5,-triiodobenzoic acid, rescued nodulation efficiency in cre1 mutants and allowed auxin transport control in response to rhizobia. Our results suggest that CRE1-dependent cytokinin signaling leads to nodule initiation through the regulation of flavonoid accumulation required for local alteration of polar auxin transport and subsequent auxin accumulation in cortical cells during the early stages of nodulation. PMID:26253705

Host range, symbiotic effectiveness and nodulation competitiveness ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ERIC-PCR DNA fingerprinting patterns were used to identify the isolates occupying nodules. All the isolates nodulated cowpea, groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) and mungbean (Vigna radiata), but only AII-2-1, AII-3-4 and BIII-2-2 nodulated soybean (Glycine max). Apart from cowpea where all the isolates were effective, there ...

South African Papilionoid Legumes Are Nodulated by Diverse Burkholderia with Unique Nodulation and Nitrogen-Fixation Loci

Science.gov (United States)

Beukes, Chrizelle W.; Venter, Stephanus N.; Law, Ian J.; Phalane, Francina L.; Steenkamp, Emma T.

2013-01-01

The root-nodule bacteria of legumes endemic to the Cape Floristic Region are largely understudied, even though recent reports suggest the occurrence of nodulating Burkholderia species unique to the region. In this study, we considered the diversity and evolution of nodulating Burkholderia associated with the endemic papilionoid tribes Hypocalypteae and Podalyrieae. We identified distinct groups from verified rhizobial isolates by phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA and recA housekeeping gene regions. In order to gain insight into the evolution of the nodulation and diazotrophy of these rhizobia we analysed the genes encoding NifH and NodA. The majority of these 69 isolates appeared to be unique, potentially representing novel species. Evidence of horizontal gene transfer determining the symbiotic ability of these Cape Floristic Region isolates indicate evolutionary origins distinct from those of nodulating Burkholderia from elsewhere in the world. Overall, our findings suggest that Burkholderia species associated with fynbos legumes are highly diverse and their symbiotic abilities have unique ancestries. It is therefore possible that the evolution of these bacteria is closely linked to the diversification and establishment of legumes characteristic of the Cape Floristic Region. PMID:23874611

Qualitative elastography can replace thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration in patients with soft thyroid nodules. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nell, Sjoerd; Kist, Jakob W. [Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Debray, Thomas P.A. [Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care Utrecht (Netherlands); Keizer, Bart de [Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Oostenbrugge, Timotheus J. van; Borel Rinkes, Inne H.M. [Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Valk, Gerlof D. [Department of Endocrinology, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Vriens, Menno R., E-mail: mvriens@umcutrecht.nl [Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands)

2015-04-15

Context: Only a minority of thyroid nodules is malignant; nevertheless, many invasive diagnostic procedures are performed to distinguish between benign and malignant nodules. Qualitative ultrasound elastography is a non-invasive technique to evaluate thyroid nodules. Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of qualitative elastography in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules in patients referred for fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Data sources: A systematic literature search (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library) was performed. Study selection: Included studies reported thyroid nodule elastography color scores and the related cytologic or histologic findings in patients with a thyroid nodule referred for FNA. Data extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted study data and assessed study quality. Pooled sensitivities and specificities of different populations were calculated using a bivariate Bayesian framework. Data Synthesis: Twenty studies including thyroid nodules were analyzed. Pooled results of elastography indicate a summary sensitivity of 85% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79–90%) and specificity of 80% (95% CI, 73–86%). The respective pooled negative predictive and positive predictive values were 97% (95% CI, 94–98%) and 40% (95% CI, 34–48%). The pretest probability of a benign nodule was 82%. Only 3.7% of the false-negative nodules was a follicular thyroid carcinoma. A pooled negative predictive value of 99% (95% CI, 97–100%) was found when only complete soft nodules (Asteria elastography 1) were classified as benign, which included 14% of the studied population. Conclusions: Elastography has a fair specificity and sensitivity for diagnostic accuracy. Its major strength entails the detection of benignity, especially when only completely soft nodules are qualified as benign. The outcomes of our analysis show that FNA could safely be omitted in patients referred for analysis of their thyroid nodule when elastography shows it

The MicroRNA390/TAS3 Pathway Mediates Symbiotic Nodulation and Lateral Root Growth1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Bustos-Sanmamed, Pilar; Mysore, Kirankumar S.

2017-01-01

Legume roots form two types of postembryonic organs, lateral roots and symbiotic nodules. Nodule formation is the result of the interaction of legumes with rhizobia and requires the mitotic activation and differentiation of root cells as well as an independent, but coordinated, program that allows infection by rhizobia. MicroRNA390 (miR390) is an evolutionarily conserved microRNA that targets the Trans-Acting Short Interference RNA3 (TAS3) transcript. Cleavage of TAS3 by ARGONAUTE7 results in the production of trans-acting small interference RNAs, which target mRNAs encoding AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR2 (ARF2), ARF3, and ARF4. Here, we show that activation of the miR390/TAS3 regulatory module by overexpression of miR390 in Medicago truncatula promotes lateral root growth but prevents nodule organogenesis, rhizobial infection, and the induction of two key nodulation genes, Nodulation Signaling Pathway1 (NSP1) and NSP2. Accordingly, inactivation of the miR390/TAS3 module, either by expression of a miR390 target mimicry construct or mutations in ARGONAUTE7, enhances nodulation and rhizobial infection, alters the spatial distribution of the nodules, and increases the percentage of nodules with multiple meristems. Our results revealed a key role of the miR390/TAS3 pathway in legumes as a modulator of lateral root organs, playing opposite roles in lateral root and nodule development. PMID:28663332

Isolate pulmonary nodule. CT-guided biopsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruneton, J.N.; Ettore, F.; Rogopoulos, A.; Geoffray, A.; Balu-Maestro, C.; Le Houcq, M.

1989-01-01

Transparietal CT-guided biopsy location can be successfully performed for isolate pulmonary nodules, defined as lesions with a maximal diameter of 3 cm, without any other parenchymal or mediastinal abnormality. A 21 G needle has been used according to an identical protocole in 64 cases (10 benign, 54 malignant). The biopsy was successful in 77.7% of the malignant cases. In relation to the diameter of the nodules, biopsy was successful in 66.7% of the nodules smaller than 2 cm and in 76% of the nodules ranging from 2 to 3 cm. The complications observed were rare (1 case of pneumothorax requiring drainage, 9 cases of pneumothorax without clinical signs and simply followed up, 4 cases of minor hemoptysis requiring no treatment and 5 cases of hematomas smaller than 5 cm on CT) [fr

Pulmonary nodule: new concepts of an Old Problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diederich, S.; Wormanns, D.

2003-01-01

In the past, a pulmonary nodule was considered malignant until proven otherwise, usually histologically, which frequently required invasive diagnostic procedures. The nodule was mostly detected on conventional chest radiographs and usually larger than 10 mm. Recently, modern (multi-slice) helical CT detects an increasing number of very small (≤ 10 mm) nodules, which are benign in > 95%. Consequently, the exclusion of malignancy demands different diagnostic procedures, which should be predominantly non-invasive. This article presents the current data as well as imaging techniques for the determination of the nature of pulmonary nodules and suggests concepts for the diagnostic approach to small pulmonary nodules. (orig.) [de

Management of a solitary thyroid nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, R.S.

1999-01-01

Solitary nodule in the thyroid is a common clinical entity. A careful clinical assessment is the crucial first step in deciding the modality of treatment. The only worthwhile investigation is FNAC. Other investigations are done merely for the sake of a complete academic work up and can usually be dispensed with in most of the cases. Not every solitary nodule requires surgery. The optimum surgery for a solitary nodule is a total lobectomy. The specimen should be subjected to histological examination before recommending further treatment

Impact of overexpression of cytosolic isoform of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase on soybean nodulation and nodule metabolome

Science.gov (United States)

Nitrogen-fixing nodules, which are also major sites of sulfur assimilation, contribute significantly to the sulfur needs of the whole soybean plants. Nodules are the predominant sites for cysteine accumulation and the activity of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS; also known as O-acetylserine(thio...

Thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic results on repeat fine-needle aspiration biopsy: which nodules should be considered for repeat biopsy or surgery rather than follow-up?

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Eun, Na Lae; Chang, Hang Seok; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong Ah; Youk, Ji Hyun; Son, Eun Jun [Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Mi Ri [Dept. of Radiology, Dongjak Kyunghee Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ah Young [Dept. of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Hee Jung [Dept. of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

The goal of this study was to assess the clinicopathologic and ultrasonographic features of thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic results on repeat ultrasonography (US)-guided fineneedle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) according to size and the number of suspicious findings and to determine the proper management of nodules with consecutive nondiagnostic results. This retrospective study included 297 nodules with nondiagnostic results on repeat FNAB that were evaluated by US over the course of at least 12 months of follow-up, a follow-up biopsy, or an operation. We compared clinical and US variables between benign and malignant nodules in thyroid nodules with repeat nondiagnostic results. The comparison of benign and malignant nodules with repeat nondiagnostic results revealed that age, marked hypoechogenicity, irregular or microlobulated margins, microcalcifications, and nonparallel shape were significantly associated with malignancy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis in malignant nodules revealed that microcalcifications and irregular or microlobulated margins were independently associated with malignancy. Among them, only irregular or microlobulated margins were independently significant as a predictor of malignancy in repeatedly nondiagnostic nodules measuring >10 mm. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the best cutoff value for the “number of suspicious findings” between benign and malignant nodules was three in nodules of all sizes, three in nodules measuring ≤10 mm, and two in nodules measuring >10 mm. Irregular or microlobulated margins may be the most frequent US features in repeatedly nondiagnostic nodules >10 mm. The presence of “two or more suspicious findings” can be used as the cutoff for distinguishing benign and malignant nodules.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus as a disorder of galanin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Penghua; Shi, Mingyi; Zhu, Yan; Bo, Ping; Zhang, Zhenwen

2016-01-01

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus with its high morbidity and mortality becomes an important health problem. The multifactorial etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus is relative to many gene and molecule alterations, and increased insulin resistance. Besides these, however, there are still other predisposing and risk factors accounting for type 2 diabetes mellitus not to be identified and recognized. Emerging evidence indicated that defects in galanin function played a crucial role in development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Galanin homeostasis is tightly relative to insulin resistance and is regulated by blood glucose. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinism, enhanced plasma galanin levels and decreased galanin receptor activities are some of the characters of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The discrepancy between high insulin level and low glucose handling is named as insulin resistance. Similarly, the discrepancy between high galanin level and low glucose handling may be denominated as galanin resistance too. In this review, the characteristic milestones of type 2 diabetes mellitus were condensed as two analogical conceptual models, obesity-hyper-insulin-insulin resistance-type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity-hyper-galanin-galanin resistance-type 2 diabetes mellitus. Both galanin resistance and insulin resistance are correlative with each other. Conceptualizing the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus as a disorder of galanin resistance may inspire a new concept to deepen our knowledge about pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, eventually leading to novel preventive and therapeutic interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Segmentation of nodules on chest computed tomography for growth assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullally, William; Betke, Margrit; Wang Jingbin; Ko, Jane P.

2004-01-01

Several segmentation methods to evaluate growth of small isolated pulmonary nodules on chest computed tomography (CT) are presented. The segmentation methods are based on adaptively thresholding attenuation levels and use measures of nodule shape. The segmentation methods were first tested on a realistic chest phantom to evaluate their performance with respect to specific nodule characteristics. The segmentation methods were also tested on sequential CT scans of patients. The methods' estimation of nodule growth were compared to the volume change calculated by a chest radiologist. The best method segmented nodules on average 43% smaller or larger than the actual nodule when errors were computed across all nodule variations on the phantom. Some methods achieved smaller errors when examined with respect to certain nodule properties. In particular, on the phantom individual methods segmented solid nodules to within 23% of their actual size and nodules with 60.7 mm3 volumes to within 14%. On the clinical data, none of the methods examined showed a statistically significant difference in growth estimation from the radiologist

Nodulation-dependent communities of culturable bacterial endophytes from stems of field-grown soybeans.

Science.gov (United States)

Okubo, Takashi; Ikeda, Seishi; Kaneko, Takakazu; Eda, Shima; Mitsui, Hisayuki; Sato, Shusei; Tabata, Satoshi; Minamisawa, Kiwamu

2009-01-01

Endophytic bacteria (247 isolates) were randomly isolated from surface-sterilized stems of non-nodulated (Nod(-)), wild-type nodulated (Nod(+)), and hypernodulated (Nod(++)) soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr) on three agar media (R2A, nutrient agar, and potato dextrose agar). Their diversity was compared on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The phylogenetic composition depended on the soybean nodulation phenotype, although diversity indexes were not correlated with nodulation phenotype. The most abundant phylum throughout soybean lines tested was Proteobacteria (58-79%). Gammaproteobacteria was the dominant class (21-72%) with a group of Pseudomonas sp. significantly abundant in Nod(+) soybeans. A high abundance of Alphaproteobacteria was observed in Nod(-) soybeans, which was explained by the increase in bacterial isolates of the families Rhizobiaceae and Sphingomonadaceae. A far greater abundance of Firmicutes was observed in Nod(-) and Nod(++) mutant soybeans than in Nod(+) soybeans. An impact of culture media on the diversity of isolated endophytic bacteria was also observed: The highest diversity indexes were obtained on the R2A medium, which enabled us to access Alphaproteobacteria and other phyla more frequently. The above results indicated that the extent of nodulation changes the phylogenetic composition of culturable bacterial endophytes in soybean stems.

Division Quilts: A Measurement Model

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Sarah S.; Lupton, Tina M.; Richardson, Kerri

2015-01-01

As teachers seek activities to assist students in understanding division as more than just the algorithm, they find many examples of division as fair sharing. However, teachers have few activities to engage students in a quotative (measurement) model of division. Efraim Fischbein and his colleagues (1985) defined two types of whole-number…

Uranium in Pacific deep-sea sediments and manganese nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunzendorf, H.; Plueger, W.L.; Friedrich, G.H.

1983-01-01

A total of 1344 manganese nodules and 187 pelagic sediments from 9 areas in the North and the South Pacific were analyzed for U by the delayed-neutron counting technique. A strong positive correlation between U and Fe in nodules and sediments suggests a co-precipitative removal from sea water into the Fe-rich (ferromanganese mineral phase MnO 2 . Enrichment of U and Fe in nodules from the northwestern slopes of two submarine hills (U between 6 and 9 ppm) in the equatorial nodule belt is thought to be caused by directional bottom water flow creating elevated oxygenized conditions in areas opposed to the flow. Economically important nodule deposits from the nodule belt and the Peru Basin have generally low U contents, between 3 and 5 ppm. Insignificant resources of U of about 4 x 10 5 in the Pacific manganese nodules are estimated. (orig.)

Grain legume cultivars derived from induced mutations, and mutations affecting nodulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatia, C.R.; Maluszynski, M.; Nichterlein, K.; Zanten, L. van

2001-01-01

Two hundred and sixty-five grain legume cultivars developed using induced mutations have been released in 32 countries. A maximum number of cultivars have been released in soybean (58), followed by common bean (50), groundnut (44), pea (32) and mungbean (14). Gamma or x-ray exposures of seeds led to the direct development of 111 cultivars, while neutron and chemical mutagen treatments resulted in 8 and 36 cultivars respectively. One hundred and three cultivars have been developed using mutants in cross breeding. Attempts have been made to estimate the successful dose range for gamma and x-rays, defined as the dose range, which led to the development, registration and release of a maximum number of mutant cultivars. Exposures to seeds ranging between 100-200 Gy in all grain legumes, except faba bean, resulted in 49 out of 111 cultivars being developed as direct mutants. Successful doses reported for faba bean are lower than 100 Gy. Modified crop plant characters are listed. Besides the development of new cultivars, a large number of induced mutants that show altered nodulation pattern have been isolated in grain legumes. Such mutants have made a significant contribution in basic studies on host-symbiont interactions and towards cloning of plant genes related to symbiosis and nitrogen fixation. Their exploitation in breeding programs for enhancing nitrogen fixation is just beginning. Available information on nodulation mutants in grain legume crops is summarised. Mainly, four types of nodulation mutants have been isolated. They show either: no nodulation (nod -), few nodules (nod +/-), ineffective nodulation (Fix-), hypernodulation (nod ++) or hypernodulation even in the presence of otherwise inhibitory nitrate levels (nts). Hypernodulating and nts mutants are of great interest. A soybean cultivar incorporating nts trait has been released in Australia. (author)

Vasculature surrounding a nodule: A novel lung cancer biomarker.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohua; Leader, Joseph K; Wang, Renwei; Wilson, David; Herman, James; Yuan, Jian-Min; Pu, Jiantao

2017-12-01

To investigate whether the vessels surrounding a nodule depicted on non-contrast, low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can discriminate benign and malignant screen detected nodules. We collected a dataset consisting of LDCT scans acquired on 100 subjects from the Pittsburgh Lung Screening study (PLuSS). Fifty subjects were diagnosed with lung cancer and 50 subjects had suspicious nodules later proven benign. For the lung cancer cases, the location of the malignant nodule in the LDCT scans was known; while for the benign cases, the largest nodule in the LDCT scan was used in the analysis. A computer algorithm was developed to identify surrounding vessels and quantify the number and volume of vessels that were connected or near the nodule. A nonparametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed based on a single nodule per subject to assess the discriminability of the surrounding vessels to provide a lung cancer diagnosis. Odds ratio (OR) were computed to determine the probability of a nodule being lung cancer based on the vessel features. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for vessel count and vessel volume were 0.722 (95% CI=0.616-0.811, plung cancer group 9.7 (±9.6) compared to the non-lung cancer group 4.0 (±4.3) CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results showed that malignant nodules are often surrounded by more vessels compared to benign nodules, suggesting that the surrounding vessel characteristics could serve as lung cancer biomarker for indeterminate nodules detected during LDCT lung cancer screening using only the information collected during the initial visit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proton MR spectroscopy in solitary pulmonary nodules: a preliminary study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Chunshan; Xiao Xiangsheng; Li Huimin; Liu Shiyuan; Li Chengzhou; Li Shenjiang

2005-01-01

Objective: To study the characteristics and the regularities of the metabolites in solitary pulmonary nodules with proton MR spectroscopy, and to investigate the clinical value of MR spectroscopy in differentiating benign from malignant pulmonary nodules. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with solitary pulmonary nodules underwent routine MRI and single-voxel MR spectroscopy using Siemens Vision 1.5 T MR system. MR spectroscopy characteristics and parameters of the metabolites were observed and recorded. Ten pathologic specimens were examined with single-voxel MR spectroscopy. The MR spectroscopy results of the pathologic specimens were compared with those of the solitary pulmonary nodules in vivo. Results: The Cho peak (2.86 ± 1.89) of the malignant nodules was higher than that of the inflammatory (0.87 ± 0.74), tuberculous nodules (0.97 ± 1.09), and hamartoma (0.42 ± 0.53) (P 0.05). Conclusion: MR spectroscopy is reliable in evaluating pulmonary nodules in vivo. The Cho peak, Cho/Cr, and Lac peak of the malignant nodules were higher than those of inflammatory, tuberculous nodules, and hamartoma. MR spectroscopy is helpful in differentiating benign from malignant pulmonary nodules. (authors)

TIRADS for sonographic assessment of hypofunctioning and indifferent thyroid nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Schenke, Simone; Rink, T; Zimny, M

2015-01-01

To test the feasibility of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting And Data System (TIRADS) according to Horvath and Kwak for the assessment of thyroid nodules. Retrospective analysis of patients with thyroid nodules applying the following inclusion criteria: B-mode-ultrasound, surgery and histological results. Thyroid nodules were classified as TIRADS 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 4C, 5 and 6. A total of 172 patients were included (133 women, 48 ± 13 years, 39 men, 49 ± 11 years) with 222 thyroid nodules (24.9 ± 11.5 mm). Final histological diagnosis revealed 203 benign nodules (91%) and 19 malignant nodules (9%; 18 papillary thyroid carcinoma, PTC, and one medullary thyroid carcinoma, MTC). One hundred and sixty thyroid nodules were hypofunctioning in 99mTc-pertechnetate-scintigraphy, 14 nodules were hyperfunctioning and 46 nodules were classified as indifferent. In two cases with small carcinoma nodules (39%) were not clearly classifiable, including 3 carcinoma (4.1%). According to Kwak, the prevalence of malignancy was 6.9% in TIRADS 2, 0% in 3, 2% in 4A, 4.1% in 4B, 23.1% in 4C, and 100% in 5 and 6, respectively. Notably, in the subgroup of hot nodules, 11 (79%) were graded as TIRADS 4A or higher, and thus advisable for fine-needle aspiration biopsy in both TIRADS. The TIRADS described by Horvath is not practicable due to numerous unclassifiable nodules. The revised TIRADS published by Kwak is feasible and suitable to assess the prevalence of malignancy, but it cannot replace scintigraphic imaging. Fine-needle-biopsy is not necessary in nodules categorized as (K)TIRADS 3, 4A and 5.

[Nodules on localized scleroderma or morphea].

Science.gov (United States)

Bayle, P; Bazex, J; Marguery, M-C; Lamant, L

2005-02-01

Localized scleroderma or morphea usually appears as flat or depressed lesions. We report 3 cases of morphea with atypical appearance, alternating pigmented and depigmented patches with nodules or sclerous bands, occurring in adult men. The occurrence of nodular elements on generalized or localized scleroderma, although rare, was first reported in the literature by Addisson in 1884. These nodules usually appear during evolution. These scleroderma are then described as being keloidal or nodular. We report 3 cases of nodules on localized scleroderma which appeared at the beginning of the dermatosis and where the scleroderma had a similar unusual irregularly pigmented appearance.

Evaluation of thyroid nodules by 123I thyroid scintigraphy and computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurihara, Yoshiko; Imanishi, Yoshimasa; Ehara, Norishige

1991-01-01

We have already reported that computed tomography (CT) could be used to quantify iodine concentration in the thyroid. Correlation between CT value and iodine concentration in thyroid tissues was represented by the following formula (n=31, r=0.96): iodine concentration=(CT value-65)/104 (mg/g). In this study, we evaluated thyroid nodules by 123 I thyroid scintigraphy and histograms of CT values in the nodules. Radioiodine accumulation and the histograms on CT of the thyroid nodules were correlated with the histopathology of 35 thyroid nodules (22 benign nodules, 13 malignant nodules) of 27 patients. Results showed no definite correlation between radioiodine accumulation in the thyroid nodule and the pattern on CT reflecting iodine concentration in the nodule. Some nodules with little radioiodine accumulation had considerable iodine concentration. Benign thyroid nodules tended to have lower iodine concentration than malignant nodules. Fifteen (94%) of 16 nodules showing only minimal iodine concentration were benign. We conclude that the function and/or differentiation of tumor cells in the thyroid nodule must be evaluated not only radioiodine accumulation in the nodule but also by iodine concentration in the nodule and that thyroid nodules with only minimal iodine concentration are most likely benign. (author)

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for benign nodules of the thyroid gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baek, Jung Hwan; Jeong, Hyun Jo; Kim, Yoon Suk; Kwak, Min Sook; Chang, Sun Hee; Rhim, Hyun Chul

2005-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using ultrasound guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the benign nodules of the thyroid gland. We studied 148 patients with benign thyroid nodules (200 total nodules) that were confirmed histopathologically, and we performed ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation. The radiofrequency ablation was done 1 to 5 times per one nodule, and follow-up ultrasonography was performed one to nineteen months after the ablation procedures. The physical changes and the decrease of volume of the nodules were evaluated, and the complications related to radiofrequency ablation were observed. The mean initial nodule volume was 0.01-95.61 ml (mean; 6.83 ± SD of 10.63 ml) and the nodule volume after radiofrequency ablation was decreased to 0.00-46.56 ml (mean; 1.83 ± SD of 4.69 ml). The mean volume reduction rate was 73.2%. Reduction of more than 50% was noted in 90% of all cases. For 180 nodules (90%), the decrease was 50% or more, in 20 nodules (10%), the decrease was 49% or less. On gray-scale ultrasonogram obtained after ablation, the echogenicity of the nodules changed to darker, and on the doppler-sonogram, the vascular flow within the nodules disappeared in all cases. Most patients complained pain during or right after the procedure, but the pain was transient and subsided after medication. Two patients developed hoarseness that was improved in 1 week and 2 months, respectively. Sonoguided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation can be one of the treatments for benign nodules of the thyroid gland

The thyroid nodule. Thyrotropin and peripheral thyroid hormones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimny, M.

2008-01-01

Thyrotropin, free triodothyronine and thyroxine represent the standard serological parameters for the diagnostic work-up of the thyroid but only a minority of thyroid nodules present with subclinical or overt thyroid disorders. Besides a review of the regulation and principle of function of thyroid hormones as well as the effects of subclinical or overt hyperthyroidism, the significant role of these parameters beyond the assessment of hyperthyroidism in thyroid nodules is discussed. There is evidence that the level of thyrotropin within the normal range is predictive for the relevance of autonomous functioning nodules and the risk of malignancy of non-functioning thyroid nodules. Furthermore, the ratio of triodothyronine and thyroxine indicates the etiology of hyperthyroidism. Thyrotropin represents the main parameter to determine the adequate dose of thyroid hormone therapy of thyroid nodules. (orig.)

Relationship between morphology and composition of manganese nodules from the Central Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jauhari, P.

Lyspherotdal EUIpsotdal Tabular a Other forms ,o" ~4 ............. ' ....... \\[l \\[T~ s-s J ~ r-r '~~'~l' .... ~' : U ........ I 2 l ScaLe - I : 5tO00,O00 3 7'~" 8'o" as" c Fig.2. The distribution of size (long axis) (A), shape (B) and surface texture (C... reported by Calvert and Price (1984). Meylan (1974) and Raab and Meylan (1977) have also established a correlation between nodule type and chemical composition. Heye (1975) attrib- uted the different shapes of nodules to the supply of metals from...

Use of Volumetry for Lung Nodule Management: Theory and Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Devaraj, Anand; van Ginneken, Bram; Nair, Arjun; Baldwin, David

2017-09-01

A consistent feature of many lung nodule management guidelines is the recommendation to evaluate nodule size by using diameter measurements and electronic calipers. Traditionally, the use of nodule volumetry applications has primarily been reserved for certain lung cancer screening trials rather than clinical practice. However, even before the first nodule management guidelines were published more than a decade ago, research has been ongoing into the use of nodule volumetry as a means of measuring nodule size, and this research has accelerated in recent years. This article aims to provide radiologists with an up-to-date review of the most recent literature on volumetry and volume doubling times in lung nodule management, outlining their benefits and drawbacks. A brief technical review of typical volumetry applications is also provided. © RSNA, 2017.

Fate of pulmonary nodules detected by computer-aided diagnosis and physician review on the computed tomography simulation images for hepatocellular carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyo Jung; Kim, Jin Sung; Park, Hee Chul; Oh, Dong Ryul

2014-01-01

To investigate the frequency and clinical significance of detected incidental lung nodules found on computed tomography (CT) simulation images for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) and a physician review. Sixty-seven treatment-naive HCC patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiotherapy (RT) were included for the study. Portal phase of simulation CT images was used for CAD analysis and a physician review for lung nodule detection. For automated nodule detection, a commercially available CAD system was used. To assess the performance of lung nodule detection for lung metastasis, the sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. Forty-six patients had incidental nodules detected by CAD with a total of 109 nodules. Only 20 (18.3%) nodules were considered to be significant nodules by a physician review. The number of significant nodules detected by both of CAD or a physician review was 24 in 9 patients. Lung metastases developed in 11 of 46 patients who had any type of nodule. The sensitivities were 58.3% and 100% based on patient number and on the number of nodules, respectively. The NPVs were 91.4% and 100%, respectively. And the PPVs were 77.8% and 91.7%, respectively. Incidental detection of metastatic nodules was not an uncommon event. From our study, CAD could be applied to CT simulation images allowing for an increase in detection of metastatic nodules.

System for automatic detection of lung nodules exhibiting growth

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Carol L.; Shen, Hong; Odry, Benjamin L.; Ko, Jane P.; Naidich, David P.

2004-05-01

Lung nodules that exhibit growth over time are considered highly suspicious for malignancy. We present a completely automated system for detection of growing lung nodules, using initial and follow-up multi-slice CT studies. The system begins with automatic detection of lung nodules in the later CT study, generating a preliminary list of candidate nodules. Next an automatic system for registering locations in two studies matches each candidate in the later study to its corresponding position in the earlier study. Then a method for automatic segmentation of lung nodules is applied to each candidate and its matching location, and the computed volumes are compared. The output of the system is a list of nodule candidates that are new or have exhibited volumetric growth since the previous scan. In a preliminary test of 10 patients examined by two radiologists, the automatic system identified 18 candidates as growing nodules. 7 (39%) of these corresponded to validated nodules or other focal abnormalities that exhibited growth. 4 of the 7 true detections had not been identified by either of the radiologists during their initial examinations of the studies. This technique represents a powerful method of surveillance that may reduce the probability of missing subtle or early malignant disease.

Evaluation of diffuse thyroid diseases and thyroid nodules by CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Kyoko; Imanishi, Yoshimasa; Nakaji, Shunsuke; Shinagawa, Toshihito

2007-01-01

Imanishi et al. have previously reported that the changes in CT values reveal not only the change in iodine concentration in thyroid follicles, but also represent secondary changes in follicular content and follicular cells and/or interstitial structures. Thus, we performed thyroid CT without contrast material in 138 controls, 417 cases with diffuse thyroid diseases, and 279 cases with thyroid nodules, and evaluated the CT images based on the relation between the change in CT values and pathological changes. In 89% of the controls and 43% of patients with diffuse thyroid diseases, the thyroid CT revealed diffuse high density. In contrast, the 94% of thyroids that demonstrated diffuse low density were from patients with diffuse thyroid diseases. Eighty-four percent of malignant nodules and 64% of benign nodules had inhomogeneous densities, and only 26% of benign thyroid nodules had homogeneous density. However, 71% of nodules that showed high and low densities with regular and clear borders, and 82% of nodules that showed papillary proliferation in a cyst pattern were benign. Although only 58% of nodules with calcification were malignant, 66% of nodules with calcification in the central portion, and 86% of nodules with calcification of a disseminated and convergent pattern in distribution were malignant. Sixty-two percent of thyroids that surrounded nodules had chronic thyroiditis, hypoplasia and/or adenomatous goiter. Thus, unclear borders between a nodule and the surrounding thyroid tissue did not increase the possibility of malignancy. However, the unclear and/or lobulated border between a nodule and extra thyroid tissue increased the possibility of malignancy. We concluded that thyroid CT without contrast material is useful for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases. (author)

Graphite nodule count and size distribution in thin-walled ductile cast iron

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Karl Martin; Tiedje, Niels Skat

2008-01-01

Graphite nodule count and size distribution have been analysed in thin walled ductile cast iron. The 2D nodule counts have been converted into 3D nodule count by using Finite Difference Method (FDM). Particles having a diameter smaller than 5 µm should be neglected in the nodule count as these ar......Graphite nodule count and size distribution have been analysed in thin walled ductile cast iron. The 2D nodule counts have been converted into 3D nodule count by using Finite Difference Method (FDM). Particles having a diameter smaller than 5 µm should be neglected in the nodule count...... as these are inclusions and micro porosities that do not influence the solidification morphology. If there are many small graphite nodules as in thin walled castings only 3D nodule count calculated by FDM will give reliable results. 2D nodule count and 3D nodule count calculated by simple equations will give too low...

Laryngeal ultrasound and pediatric vocal fold nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Ongkasuwan, Julina; Devore, Danielle; Hollas, Sarah; Jones, Jeremy; Tran, Brandon

2017-03-01

The term vocal fold nodules refers to bilateral thickening of the membranous folds with minimal impairment of the vibratory properties of the mucosa. Nodules are thought to be related to repetitive mechanical stress, associated with voice use patterns. Diagnosis is typically made in the office via either rigid or flexible laryngeal stroboscopy. Depending on the individual child, obtaining an optimal view of the larynx can be difficult if not impossible. Recent advances in high-frequency ultrasonography allows for transcervical examination of laryngeal structures. The goal of this project was to determine if laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) can be used to identify vocal fold nodules in dysphonic children. Prospective case-control study in which the patient acted as his or her own control. Forty-six pediatric patients were recruited for participation in this study; the mean age was 4.8 years. Twenty-three did not have any vocal fold lesions and 23 had a diagnosis of vocal fold nodules on laryngeal stroboscopy. Recorded LUSs were reviewed by two pediatric radiologists who were blinded to the nodule status. There was substantial inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.89) between the two radiologists regarding the presence of nodules. There was also substantial agreement (κ = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.72-1) between LUS and laryngeal stroboscopy. Sensitivity of LUS was 100% (95% CI: 85%-100%) and specificity was 87% (95% CI: 66%-97%). LUS can be used to identify vocal fold nodules in children with substantial agreement with laryngeal stroboscopy. 3b Laryngoscope, 127:676-678, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Sonographically guided fine-needle biopsy of thyroid nodules: the effects of nodule characteristics, sampling technique, and needle size on the adequacy of cytological material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degirmenci, B.; Haktanir, A.; Albayrak, R.; Acar, M.; Sahin, D.A.; Sahin, O.; Yucel, A.; Caliskan, G.

2007-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the effects of sonographic characteristics of thyroid nodules, the diameter of needle used for sampling, and sampling technique on obtaining sufficient cytological material (SCM). Materials and methods: We performed sonography-guided fine-needle biopsy (FNB) in 232 solid thyroid nodules. Size-, echogenicity, vascularity, and localization of all nodules were evaluated by Doppler sonography before the biopsy. Needles of size 20, 22, and 24 G were used for biopsy. The biopsy specimen was acquired using two different methods after localisation. In first method, the needle tip was advanced into the nodule in various positions using a to-and-fro motion whilst in the nodule, along with concurrent aspiration. In the second method, the needle was advanced vigorously using a to-and-fro motion within the nodule whilst being rotated on its axis (capillary-action technique). Results: The mean nodule size was 2.1 ± 1.3 cm (range 0.4-7.2 cm). SCM was acquired from 154 (66.4%) nodules by sonography-guided FNB. In 78 (33.6%) nodules, SCM could not be collected. There was no significant difference between nodules with different echogenicity and vascularity for SCM. Regarding the needle size, the lowest rate of SCM was obtained using 20 G needles (56.6%) and the highest rate of adequate material was obtained using 24 G needles (82.5%; p = 0.001). The SCM rate was 76.9% with the capillary-action technique versus 49.4% with the aspiration technique (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Selecting finer needles (24-25 G) for sonography-guided FNB of thyroid nodules and using the capillary-action technique decreased the rate of inadequate material in cytological examination

Autonomous nodule of the thyroid: correlation of patient age, nodule size, and functional status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, M.; Shenkman, L.; Hollander, C.S.

1975-01-01

In light of new techniques for measuring circulating thyroid hormones and for studying the thyroid gland, we present our experience with 35 patients with solitary autonomous nodules of the thyroid to define more precisely the clinical course of patients with this disorder. The patients ranged in age from 19 to 80 years and 31 of the 35 were female. Younger patients were generally euthyroid and sought attention because of a thyroid mass; virtually all older patients were hyperthyroid. Eighteen had obvious clinical features of hyperthyroidism and 5 over age 70 had apathetic hyperthyroidism; all 5 of the elderly and 13 of the 18 under age 70 had elevated thyroxine (T 4 ) and triiodothyronine (T 3 ) levels. Isolated elevation of T 3 and elevated basal metabolic rate were observed in 5 previously untreated clinically hyperthyroid young patients. In each of these, thyroid uptake of 131 I was not suppressible with exogenous T 3 and BMR was elevated in those tested. Two elderly patients, who had previously been treated for conventional hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine, had T 3 toxicosis when hyperthyroidism recurred. There was a strong positive correlation between the age of the patient, the size of the nodule and the thyroid functional state. The mean area of the nodules projected on 131 I rectilinear scan for euthyroid patients was 5.1 cm 2 . The mean area of the nodules in hyperthyroid subjects was significantly higher, 13.4 cm 2 in patients with T 3 toxicosis and 19.3 cm 2 in subjects with conventional hyperthyroidism. Progression from a euthyroid state to hyperthyroidism was observed in four patients. One of these became thyrotoxic within days after an injection of iodinated contrast medium. Spontaneous resolution of nodules occurred in two patients

LEPTIN RESISTANCE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. M. Oleshchuk

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Leptin is one of adipocyte-secreted hormones. It signals to the brain and other tissues about the status of body energy reserves. Circulating leptin levels are directly proportional to the amount of the body fat. Leptin concentration increases when surfeit and decreases during fasting. Obese patients are hyperleptinemic compared with thin persons and they are tolerant to the central hypothalamic effects of leptin. The reduced sensitivity toward exogenous and endogenous leptin is commonly referred to as leptin resistance. Alterations in the signaling of the long isoform of the leptin receptor play the crucial role in leptin resistance. Surfeit may induce leptin resistance and other metabolic sequelae of obesity. Leptin insensitivity and insulin resistance play a major role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Metformin remains the preferred first-line pharmacologic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It reduces hepatic glucose production, increases glucose uptake in peripheral tissue and can lead to weight loss. Metformin decreases both insulin and leptin concentration, restores the sensitivity to these hormones. But some studies have shown poor relationship between metformin action and leptin level. And the mechanism of metformin action on leptin resistance remains unclear. Thus, these issues should be studied as well as polymorphisms in genes encoding metformin action.

Development of a clinical decision model for thyroid nodules

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Eberhardt John

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Thyroid nodules represent a common problem brought to medical attention. Four to seven percent of the United States adult population (10–18 million people has a palpable thyroid nodule, however the majority (>95% of thyroid nodules are benign. While, fine needle aspiration remains the most cost effective and accurate diagnostic tool for thyroid nodules in current practice, over 20% of patients undergoing FNA of a thyroid nodule have indeterminate cytology (follicular neoplasm with associated malignancy risk prevalence of 20–30%. These patients require thyroid lobectomy/isthmusectomy purely for the purpose of attaining a definitive diagnosis. Given that the majority (70–80% of these patients have benign surgical pathology, thyroidectomy in these patients is conducted principally with diagnostic intent. Clinical models predictive of malignancy risk are needed to support treatment decisions in patients with thyroid nodules in order to reduce morbidity associated with unnecessary diagnostic surgery. Methods Data were analyzed from a completed prospective cohort trial conducted over a 4-year period involving 216 patients with thyroid nodules undergoing ultrasound (US, electrical impedance scanning (EIS and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA prior to thyroidectomy. A Bayesian model was designed to predict malignancy in thyroid nodules based on multivariate dependence relationships between independent covariates. Ten-fold cross-validation was performed to estimate classifier error wherein the data set was randomized into ten separate and unique train and test sets consisting of a training set (90% of records and a test set (10% of records. A receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC curve of these predictions and area under the curve (AUC were calculated to determine model robustness for predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules. Results Thyroid nodule size, FNA cytology, US and EIS characteristics were highly predictive of

Sonographic features of thyroid nodules that may help distinguish clinically atypical subacute thyroiditis from thyroid malignancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fu-shun; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yan; Xu, Ming; Liang, Jin-yu; Zheng, Yan-ling; Xie, Xiao-yan; Li, Xiao-xi

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate sonographic features for distinguishing clinically atypical subacute thyroiditis from malignant thyroid nodules. A total of 165 hypoechoic thyroid nodules without calcification in 135 patients with histologic diagnosis were included in this study. These nodules were classified into 2 groups: a thyroiditis group (55 nodules in 36 patients) and a malignancy group (110 nodules in 99 patients). The sonographic features of the groups were retrospectively reviewed. No significant differences were detected for the variables of marked echogenicity, a taller-than-wide shape, and mixed vascularity. However, a poorly defined margin was detected more frequently in the thyroiditis group than the malignancy group (P thyroiditis, with sensitivity and specificity of 87.3% and 80.9%, respectively. Centripetal reduction echogenicity was observed exclusively in the thyroiditis group, with high specificity (100%) but low sensitivity (21.8%) for atypical subacute thyroiditis diagnosis. All of the thyroiditis nodules with a positive color signal showed noninternal vascularity (negative predictive value, 100%). There is a considerable overlap between the sonographic features of atypical subacute thyroiditis and thyroid malignancy. However, the margin, echogenicity, and vascularity type are helpful indicators for differential diagnosis of atypical subacute thyroiditis. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Root developmental programs shape the Medicago truncatula nodule meristem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franssen, H.; Xiao, T.T.; Kulikova, O.; Wan, X.; Bisseling, T.; Scheres, B.; Heidstra, R.

2015-01-01

Nodules on the roots of legume plants host nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria. Several lines of evidence indicate that nodules are evolutionarily related to roots. We determined whether developmental control of the Medicago truncatula nodule meristem bears resemblance to that in root meristems

VATS intraoperative tattooing to facilitate solitary pulmonary nodule resection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boutros Cherif

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS has become routine and widely accepted for the removal of solitary pulmonary nodules of unknown etiology. Thoracosopic techniques continue to evolve with better instruments, robotic applications, and increased patient acceptance and awareness. Several techniques have been described to localize peripheral pulmonary nodules, including pre-operative CT-guided tattooing with methylene blue, CT scan guided spiral/hook wire placement, and transthoracic ultrasound. As pulmonary surgeons well know, the lung and visceral pleura may appear featureless on top of a pulmonary nodule. Case description This paper presents a rapid, direct and inexpensive approach to peripheral lung lesion resection by marking the lung parenchyma on top of the nodule using direct methylene blue injection. Methods In two patients with peripherally located lung nodules (n = 3 scheduled for VATS, we used direct methylene blue injection for intraoperative localization of the pulmonary nodule. Our technique was the following: After finger palpation of the lung, a spinal 25 gauge needle was inserted through an existing port and 0.1 ml of methylene blue was used to tattoo the pleura perpendicular to the localized nodule. The methylene blue tattoo immediately marks the lung surface over the nodule. The surgeon avoids repeated finger palpation, while lining up stapler, graspers and camera, because of the visible tattoo. Our technique eliminates regrasping and repalpating the lung once again to identify a non marked lesion. Results Three lung nodules were resected in two patients. Once each lesion was palpated it was marked, and the area was resected with security of accurate localization. All lung nodules were resected in totality with normal lung parenchymal margins. Our technique added about one minute to the operative time. The two patients were discharged home on the second postoperative day, with no morbidity. Conclusion

Long-term follow-up sonography of benign cystic thyroid nodules after a percutaneous ethanol injection: the incidence of malignancy-mimicking nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji Sung; Kim, Dong Wook; Eun, Choong Ki; Choi, Seok Jin; Rho, Myung Ho

2008-01-01

To evaluate the incidence of malignancy-mimicking sclerosed thyroid nodules, from long-term follow-up ultrasonography (US) after an US-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI). We examined 86 benign cystic thyroid nodules from 80 patients. The nodules were classified into two groups based on whether an aspiration (Group A, n = 26) or non-aspiration (Group B, n 60) of infused ethanol was performed. The final follow-up US over 12 months was performed in all patients. Of the 86 nodules, the cystic portion of 82 (95.3%) cases, from 76 patients, completely disappeared subsequent to the first follow-up US (Group A, n = 24, Group B, n = 58) (Chi-square test, ρ > 0.05). Moreover, 46 sclerosed thyroid nodules showed two or more of the 'five sonographic criteria' upon a follow-up US (Group A, n = 13, 50.0%, Group B, n = 32, 53.3%). A higher ratio of the cystic portion of the nodules was associated with a higher incidence of the 'five sonographic criteria' for malignancies detected via a follow-up US (ρ < 0.01; Student's t-test). For the long-term follow-up US, the 'five sonographic criteria' were observed in half the patients who received US-guided PEI. Also, by acknowledging the possibility that sonographic findings mimic a malignancy, since the sclerosed thyroid nodule, patients may avoid an unnecessary biopsy

Botulinum toxin in the treatment of vocal fold nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jacqui E; Belafsky, Peter C

2009-12-01

Promising new techniques in the management of vocal fold nodules have been developed in the past 2 years. Simultaneously, the therapeutic use of botulinum toxin has rapidly expanded. This review explores the use of botulinum toxin in treatment of vocal nodules and summarizes current therapeutic concepts. New microsurgical instruments and techniques, refinements in laser technology, radiosurgical excision and steroid intralesional injections are all promising new techniques in the management of vocal nodules. Botulinum toxin-induced 'voice rest' is a new technique we have employed in patients with recalcitrant nodules. Successful resolution of nodules is possible with this technique, without the risk of vocal fold scarring inherent in dissection/excision techniques. Botulinum toxin usage is exponentially increasing, and large-scale, long-term studies demonstrate its safety profile. Targeted vocal fold temporary paralysis induced by botulinum toxin injection is a new, well tolerated and efficacious treatment in patients with persistent vocal fold nodules.

Nodules on the Hair: A Rare Case of Mixed Piedra

OpenAIRE

Khatu, Swapna S; Poojary, Shital Amin; Nagpur, Niranjan G

2013-01-01

Piedra is a superficial fungal infection of the hair shaft characterized by nodules along the hair shaft. Black piedra affects the scalp hair more frequently than white piedra. Occurrence of both types of piedra simultaneously in a patient is extremely rare. We describe here a rare case of mixed piedra of scalp hair.

Nodules on the hair: a rare case of mixed piedra.

Science.gov (United States)

Khatu, Swapna S; Poojary, Shital Amin; Nagpur, Niranjan G

2013-10-01

Piedra is a superficial fungal infection of the hair shaft characterized by nodules along the hair shaft. Black piedra affects the scalp hair more frequently than white piedra. Occurrence of both types of piedra simultaneously in a patient is extremely rare. We describe here a rare case of mixed piedra of scalp hair.

Evaluation of percutaneous ethanol injections in benign thyroid nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Camila Luhm Silva; Fighera, Tayane Muniz; Miasaki, Fabiola; Mesa Junior, Cleo Otaviano; Paz Filho, Gilberto Jorge da; Graf, Hans; Carvalho, Gisah Amaral de

2014-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. We evaluated 120 patients with benign thyroid nodules. Patients underwent evaluation of serum TSH and free T4, cervical ultrasound, and thyroid scintigraphy (in those with suppressed TSH levels). The application of sterile ethanol 99% was guided by ultrasound, with the injected volume amounting to one-third of the nodule volume. Response was considered complete (reduction of 90%); partial (reduction between 50 and 90%); or none (reduction of nodules were evaluated for normalization of TSH levels. Among the nodules studied, 30.8% were solid, 56.7% were mixed, 12.5% were cystic, and 21.6% were hyperfunctioning. The initial volume of the treated nodules ranged from 0.9 to 74.8 mL (mean 13.1 ± 12.4 mL). We performed 1-8 sessions of PEI, applying an average of 6.2 mL of ethanol for patient. After 2 years of follow-up, 17% of patients achieved a complete response (94% reduction); 53%, a partial response (70% reduction); and 30%, no response. A reduction in the volume of autonomous nodules was noted in 70% of cases, and 54% had a normalized value of TSH. The main side effect is local pain, lasting less than 24 hours in most cases. This study showed that PEI is a safe and effective procedure for treatment of benign, solid or mixed thyroid nodules. Most cases resulted in significant reduction in nodule volume, with normalization of thyroid function.

A gas microstrip detector for X-ray imaging with readout of the anode by resistive division

CERN Document Server

Bateman, J E; Lodge, A B; Stephenson, R; Mutikainen, R; Suni, I; Morse, J

2002-01-01

The results are presented of a development programme aimed at the validation of the key concepts and technologies for the construction of a two-dimensional X-ray detector based on gas microstrip detector technology using resistive division along the anode to achieve the second dimension. A prototype detector and its associated electronic readout system have been developed which demonstrate the capability of a spatial resolution (standard deviation) of approximately ((1)/(1000)) of the working aperture combined with readout rates of up to 400 kHz per anode. Test results and a description of the position sensing circuitry are given.

Direct detection of radicals in intact soybean nodules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathieu, C; Moreau, S; Frendo, P

1998-01-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has been employed to examine the nature of the metal ions and radicals present in intact root nodules of soybean plants grown in the absence of nitrate. The spectra obtained from nodules of different ages using this non-invasive technique show dramatic...... differences, suggesting that there are both qualitative and quantitative changes in the metal ion and radical species present. A major component of the spectra obtained from young nodules is assigned to a complex (Lb-NO) of nitric oxide (NO.) with the heme protein leghemoglobin (Lb). This Lb-NO species, which...... has not been previously detected in intact root nodules of plants grown in the absence of nitrate, is thought to be formed by reaction of nitric oxide with iron(II) leghemoglobin. The nitric oxide may be generated from arginine via a nitric oxide synthase-like activity present in the nodules...

The aluminosilicate fraction of North Pacific manganese nodules

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff, J.L.; Piper, D.Z.; Leong, K.

1981-01-01

Nine nodules collected from throughout the deep North Pacific were analyzed for their mineralogy and major-element composition before and after leaching with Chester-Hughes solution. Data indicate that the mineral phillipsite accounts for the major part (> 75%) of the aluminosilicate fraction of all nodules. It is suggested that formation of phillipsite takes place on growing nodule surfaces coupled with the oxidation of absorbed manganous ion. All the nodules could be described as ternary mixtures of amorphous iron fraction (Fe-Ti-P), manganese oxide fraction (Mn-Mg Cu-Ni), and phillipsite fraction (Al-Si-K-Na), these fractions accounting for 96% of the variability of the chemical composition. ?? 1981.

A novel symbiovar (aegeanense) of the genus Ensifer nodulates Vigna unguiculata.

Science.gov (United States)

Tampakaki, Anastasia P; Fotiadis, Christos T; Ntatsi, Georgia; Savvas, Dimitrios

2017-10-01

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) forms nitrogen-fixing root nodules with diverse symbiotic bacteria, mainly slow-growing rhizobial species belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium, although a few studies have reported the isolation of fast-growing rhizobia under laboratory and field conditions. Although much research has been done on cowpea-nodulating bacteria in various countries around the world, very limited information is available on cowpea rhizobia in European soils. The aim of this study was to study the genetic and phenotypic diversity of indigenous cowpea-nodulating rhizobia in Greece. The genetic diversity of indigenous rhizobia associated with cowpea was investigated through a polyphasic approach. ERIC-PCR based fingerprinting analysis grouped the isolates into three groups. Based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA genes, IGS and on the concatenation of six housekeeping genes (recA, glnII, gyrB, truA, thrA and SMc00019), rhizobial isolates were classified within the species Ensifer fredii. However, symbiotic gene phylogenies, based on nodC, nifH and rhcRST genes, showed that the Ensifer isolates are markedly diverged from type and reference strains of E. fredii and formed one clearly separate cluster. The E. fredii strains were able to nodulate and fix nitrogen in cowpea but not in soybean and common bean. The present study showed that cowpea is nodulated under field conditions by fast-growing rhizobia belonging to the species E. fredii. Based on the phylogenies, similarity levels of symbiotic genes and the host range, the Ensifer isolates may constitute a new symbiovar for which the name 'aegeanense' is proposed. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Generation of realistic virtual nodules based on three-dimensional spatial resolution in lung computed tomography: A pilot phantom study.

Science.gov (United States)

Narita, Akihiro; Ohkubo, Masaki; Murao, Kohei; Matsumoto, Toru; Wada, Shinichi

2017-10-01

The aim of this feasibility study using phantoms was to propose a novel method for obtaining computer-generated realistic virtual nodules in lung computed tomography (CT). In the proposed methodology, pulmonary nodule images obtained with a CT scanner are deconvolved with the point spread function (PSF) in the scan plane and slice sensitivity profile (SSP) measured for the scanner; the resultant images are referred to as nodule-like object functions. Next, by convolving the nodule-like object function with the PSF and SSP of another (target) scanner, the virtual nodule can be generated so that it has the characteristics of the spatial resolution of the target scanner. To validate the methodology, the authors applied physical nodules of 5-, 7- and 10-mm-diameter (uniform spheres) included in a commercial CT test phantom. The nodule-like object functions were calculated from the sphere images obtained with two scanners (Scanner A and Scanner B); these functions were referred to as nodule-like object functions A and B, respectively. From these, virtual nodules were generated based on the spatial resolution of another scanner (Scanner C). By investigating the agreement of the virtual nodules generated from the nodule-like object functions A and B, the equivalence of the nodule-like object functions obtained from different scanners could be assessed. In addition, these virtual nodules were compared with the real (true) sphere images obtained with Scanner C. As a practical validation, five types of laboratory-made physical nodules with various complicated shapes and heterogeneous densities, similar to real lesions, were used. The nodule-like object functions were calculated from the images of these laboratory-made nodules obtained with Scanner A. From them, virtual nodules were generated based on the spatial resolution of Scanner C and compared with the real images of laboratory-made nodules obtained with Scanner C. Good agreement of the virtual nodules generated from

Reduction of digital errors of digital charge division type position-sensitive detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uritani, A.; Yoshimura, K.; Takenaka, Y.; Mori, C.

1994-01-01

It is well known that ''digital errors'', i.e. differential non-linearity, appear in a position profile of radiation interactions when the profile is obtained with a digital charge-division-type position-sensitive detector. Two methods are presented to reduce the digital errors. They are the methods using logarithmic amplifiers and a weighting function. The validities of these two methods have been evaluated mainly by computer simulation. These methods can considerably reduce the digital errors. The best results are obtained when both methods are applied. ((orig.))

New ichthyoliths from ferromanganese crusts and nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gupta, S.M.

Ferromanganese encrusted hardgrounds, their intraclasts and the nuclei of manganese nodules collected from the Central Indian Ocean basin have yielded plentiful numbers of ichthyoliths. Forty well-knon ichthyoliths, one new type and 35 new subtypes...

FY 1990 report on the results of the R and D of the manganese nodule mining system. 4/6 volume. Nodule rising system; 1990 nendo mangan dankai saiko system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 4/6. Yoko system hen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-03-01

The paper aims at conducting the R and D of a system to mine manganese nodule at the bottom of deep sea by the fluid dredging system. For it, a mining/experimental system was developed and trially fabricated for the overall ocean experiment. Functions of the system were confirmed, and various data were collected on the design for development of practical use system. In the R and D in this fiscal year, the following were conducted: 1) detailed design of equipment for the overall ocean experiment, and fabrication of a part of the equipment. 2) making of procedures for the experiment conducted under the overall ocean experimental plan, survey of the sea area for experiment, etc. 3) overall experimental simulation of strength of nodule riser, etc. which was considered of a behavior of nodule collector and safety of nodule riser at the time of handling/mining. 4) study of the basic plan on a mining system. As to the nodule riser, the detailed design was proceeded with of the strength at the time of handling by the fixed derrick, and a design draft needed for fabrication of the actual one was worked out. Relating to the flexible hose, the design strength of the whole hose was confirmed. Further, out of the flexible hoses, a part of the tensile load resistant hoses was fabricated as materials for the overall ocean experiment. Concerning the vibration isolator, a draft on the display was drawn up, and the detailed design was also made of the winding device to put the helical wire on to the nodule riser. (NEDO)

Preoperative TSH level and risk of thyroid cancer in patients with nodular thyroid disease: nodule size contribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zafón, Carles; Obiols, Gabriel; Mesa, Jordi

2015-01-01

Many reports have supported the relationship between high preoperative TSH levels and risk of thyroid cancer in nodular thyroid disease (NTD). We investigated whether TSH levels are related to the risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy for NTD. The relationship between TSH and size of malignant nodule was investigated. Finally, we assessed whether TSH levels are related to DTC and presence of additional benign nodules. A retrospective study of 980 patients was conducted. Variables included age at diagnosis, TSH level, nodule size, gender, final histology (benign versus DTC), and type of malignancy. Malignancy was present in 261 (26.6%) patients. These patients had higher median TSH levels as compared to those with no malignancy (1.61 mU/L (0.9-2.5) versus 0.9 mU/L (0.3-1.6); p-value<0.001). TSH was higher in patients with DTC in whom the largest nodule was malignant than in patients in whom the largest nodule was benign (1.80 mU/L (1.1-2.6) versus 1.38 mU/L (0.7-2.1) respectively; p-value=0.025). A significant correlation was seen between malignant nodule size and TSH level, but not between TSH levels and size of the largest benign nodule. Our study supported an association between preoperative TSH levels and risk of DTC in patients with NTD. There was also a direct relationship between malignant nodule size and TSH levels. By contrast, no relationship was found between the size of benign nodules and TSH levels. Copyright © 2014 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Hyper-functioning Thyroid Nodule with Scintigraphic Owl's Eye Appearance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Kordi, R.S.; Elgazzar, A.H.

2006-01-01

Hyper-functioning thyroid nodules may produce various scintigraphic appearances on thyroid scans. Autonomously hyper functioning thyroid nodules invariably demonstrate degenerative changes. These changes may give rise to central or less commonly peripheral photopenic areas on a thyroid scan within otherwise a hot nodule. In this report we present a case of hyper functioning autonomous nodule with peripheral degeneration and residual central functioning tissue giving the appearance of an owl's eye. Although rare, this pattern can be seen in a variety of benign and malignant thyroid conditions. (author)

Spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 2 in Asia and AbaR-type resistance islands.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae Hun; Choi, Ji-Young; Kim, Hae Won; Kim, So Hyun; Chung, Doo Ryeon; Peck, Kyong Ran; Thamlikitkul, Visanu; So, Thomas Man-Kit; Yasin, Rohani M D; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Carlos, Celia C; Hsu, Li Yang; Buntaran, Latre; Lalitha, M K; Song, Jae-Hoon; Ko, Kwan Soo

2013-11-01

In this surveillance study, we identified the genotypes, carbapenem resistance determinants, and structural variations of AbaR-type resistance islands among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates from nine Asian locales. Clonal complex 92 (CC92), corresponding to global clone 2 (GC2), was the most prevalent in most Asian locales (83/108 isolates; 76.9%). CC108, or GC1, was a predominant clone in India. OXA-23 oxacillinase was detected in CRAB isolates from most Asian locales except Taiwan. blaOXA-24 was found in CRAB isolates from Taiwan. AbaR4-type resistance islands, which were divided into six subtypes, were identified in most CRAB isolates investigated. Five isolates from India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong contained AbaR3-type resistance islands. Of these, three isolates harbored both AbaR3- and AbaR4-type resistance islands simultaneously. In this study, GC2 was revealed as a prevalent clone in most Asian locales, with the AbaR4-type resistance island predominant, with diverse variants. The significance of this study lies in identifying the spread of global clones of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii in Asia.

Surgical and Pathological Changes after Radiofrequency Ablation of Thyroid Nodules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Dobrinja

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA has been recently advocated as an effective technique for the treatment of symptomatic benign thyroid nodules. It is not known to what extent it may affect any subsequent thyroid surgery and/or histological diagnosis. Materials and Methods. RFA was performed on 64 symptomatic Thy2 nodules (benign nodules and 6 symptomatic Thy3 nodules (follicular lesions/follicular neoplasms. Two Thy3 nodules regrew after the procedure, and these patients accepted to undergo a total thyroidectomy. Here we present how RFA has affected the operation and the final pathological features of the surgically removed nodules. Results and Conclusions. RFA is effective for the treatment of Thy2 nodules, but it should not be recommended as first-line therapy for the treatment of Thy3 nodules (irrespective of their mutational status, as it delays surgery in case of malignancy. Moreover, it is unknown whether RFA might promote residual tumor progression or neoplastic progression of Thy3 lesions. Nevertheless, here we show for the first time that one session of RFA does not affect subsequent thyroid surgery and/or histological diagnosis.

Cold thyroid nodules show a marked increase in proliferation markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Krohn, Knut; Stricker, Ingo; Emmrich, Peter; Paschke, Ralf

2003-06-01

Thyroid follicular adenomas and adenomatous thyroid nodules are a frequent finding in geographical areas with iodine deficiency. They occur as hypofunctioning (scintigraphically cold) or hyperfunctioning (scintigraphically hot) nodules. Their predominant clonal origin suggests that they result from clonal expansion of a single cell, which is very likely the result of a prolonged increase in proliferation compared with non-affected surrounding cells. To test whether increased cell proliferation is detectable in cold thyroid nodules, we studied paraffin-embedded tissue from 40 cold thyroid nodules and their surrounding normal thyroid tissue for the occurrence of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67 (MIB-1 antibody) epitopes as markers for cell proliferation. All 40 thyroid nodules were histologically well characterized and have been studied for molecular characteristics before. The labeling index (number of labeled cells versus total cell number) for nodular and surrounding tissue was calculated. In 33 cold thyroid nodules a significant (p thyroid nodules a significant (p thyroid epithelial cell proliferation is a uniform feature common to most cold nodules. However, the increase of proliferation markers shows a heterogeneity that is not correlated with histopathologic, molecular, or clinical characteristics.

Structures and transport dynamics of a Campylobacter jejuni multidrug efflux pump

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Chih-Chia; Yin, Linxiang; Kumar, Nitin; Dai, Lei; Radhakrishnan, Abhijith; Bolla, Jani Reddy; Lei, Hsiang-Ting; Chou, Tsung-Han; Delmar, Jared A.; Rajashankar, Kanagalaghatta R.; Zhang, Qijing; Shin, Yeon-Kyun; Yu, Edward W. (Cornell); (Iowa State)

2017-08-01

Resistance-nodulation-cell division efflux pumps are integral membrane proteins that catalyze the export of substrates across cell membranes. Within the hydrophobe-amphiphile efflux subfamily, these resistance-nodulation-cell division proteins largely form trimeric efflux pumps. The drug efflux process has been proposed to entail a synchronized motion between subunits of the trimer to advance the transport cycle, leading to the extrusion of drug molecules. Here we use X-ray crystallography and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging to elucidate the structures and functional dynamics of the Campylobacter jejuni CmeB multidrug efflux pump. We find that the CmeB trimer displays a very unique conformation. A direct observation of transport dynamics in individual CmeB trimers embedded in membrane vesicles indicates that each CmeB subunit undergoes conformational transitions uncoordinated and independent of each other. On the basis of our findings and analyses, we propose a model for transport mechanism where CmeB protomers function independently within the trimer.

Initial application of digital tomosynthesis for detection of pulmonary nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zhiyuan; Su Hong; Zhao Yane; Ju Bing; Chang Shuanghui; Hu Qiuju; Lu Guangming

2010-01-01

Objective: To discuss the value of digital tomosynthesis for detection of pulmonary nodules. Methods: Thirty patients suspected of having pulmonary nodules underwent chest radiography, digital tomosynthesis and CT examination. Above image data were transferred to postprocessing work station and were reviewed by 2 radiologists with 3 years of chest-radiology diagnosis experience in a double-blind method. The number, location and size of nodules were recorded. Then, 2 radiologists reviewed the all images once more, and discuss in consensus. The sensitivities of chest radiography and digital tomosynthesis for detection of pulmonary nodules were respectively calculated according to the CT results. Chi-square test was used for radiography, digital tomosynthesis and CT examination. Results: Of 30 patients, 21 were detected having pulmonary nodules by X-ray radiography and 9 were negative, the total number of 40 nodules was detected, while 89 nodules in 26 patients were detected by digital tomosynthesis, and only 4 patients were negative. CT demonstrated 102 nodules in 27 patients, and 3 patients were negative. Taking CT as 'gold standard', the sensitivities of X-ray radiography and digital tomosynthesis were 27.4%(28/102)and 87.2%(89/102), X 2 =4.35, P<0.05, respectively. Conclusion: Digital tomosynthesis has a high sensitivity for detection of pulmonary nodules compared with X-ray radiography, and could be an excellent and necessary supplementary technique of X-ray radiography. (authors)

Automatic Solitary Lung Nodule Detection in Computed Tomography Images Slices

Science.gov (United States)

Sentana, I. W. B.; Jawas, N.; Asri, S. A.

2018-01-01

Lung nodule is an early indicator of some lung diseases, including lung cancer. In Computed Tomography (CT) based image, nodule is known as a shape that appears brighter than lung surrounding. This research aim to develop an application that automatically detect lung nodule in CT images. There are some steps in algorithm such as image acquisition and conversion, image binarization, lung segmentation, blob detection, and classification. Data acquisition is a step to taking image slice by slice from the original *.dicom format and then each image slices is converted into *.tif image format. Binarization that tailoring Otsu algorithm, than separated the background and foreground part of each image slices. After removing the background part, the next step is to segment part of the lung only so the nodule can localized easier. Once again Otsu algorithm is use to detect nodule blob in localized lung area. The final step is tailoring Support Vector Machine (SVM) to classify the nodule. The application has succeed detecting near round nodule with a certain threshold of size. Those detecting result shows drawback in part of thresholding size and shape of nodule that need to enhance in the next part of the research. The algorithm also cannot detect nodule that attached to wall and Lung Chanel, since it depend the searching only on colour differences.

Computerized detection of lung nodules in digital chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giger, M.L.; Doi, K.; MacMahon, H.

1987-01-01

Detection of cancerous lung nodules in chest radiographs is one of the more important tasks performed by a radiologist. In addition, the ''miss rate'' associated with the radiographic detection of lung nodules is approximately 30%. A computerized scheme that alerts the radiologist to possible locations of lung nodules should allow this number of false-negative diagnoses to be reduced. The authors are developing a computer-aided nodule detection scheme based on a difference image approach. They attempt to eliminate the camouflaging background structure of the normal lung anatomy by creating, from a single-projection chest image, two images: one in which the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the nodule is maximized and another in which that SNR is suppressed while the processed background remains essentially the same. Thus, the difference between these two processed images should consist of the nodule superimposed on a relatively uniform background in which the detection task may be simplified. This difference image approach is fundamentally different from conventional subtraction techniques (e.g., temporal or dual-energy subtraction) in that the two images which are subtracted arise from the same single-projection chest radiograph. Once the difference image is obtained, thresholding is performed along with tests for circularity, size and growth in order to extract the nodules. It should be noted that once an original chest image is input to the computer the nodule detection process is totally automated

Evaluation of an improved method of simulating lung nodules in chest tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svalkvist, Angelica; Allansdotter Johnsson, Aase; Vikgren, Jenny

2012-01-01

Background Simulated pathology is a valuable complement to clinical images in studies aiming at evaluating an imaging technique. In order for a study using simulated pathology to be valid, it is important that the simulated pathology in a realistic way reflect the characteristics of real pathology. Purpose To perform a thorough evaluation of a nodule simulation method for chest tomosynthesis, comparing the detection rate and appearance of the artificial nodules with those of real nodules in an observer performance experiment. Material and Methods A cohort consisting of 64 patients, 38 patients with a total of 129 identified pulmonary nodules and 26 patients without identified pulmonary nodules, was used in the study. Simulated nodules, matching the real clinically found pulmonary nodules by size, attenuation, and location, were created and randomly inserted into the tomosynthesis section images of the patients. Three thoracic radiologists and one radiology resident reviewed the images in an observer performance study divided into two parts. The first part included nodule detection and the second part included rating of the visual appearance of the nodules. The results were evaluated using a modified receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results The sensitivities for real and simulated nodules were comparable, as the area under the modified ROC curve (AUC) was close to 0.5 for all observers (range, 0.43-0.55). Even though the ratings of visual appearance for real and simulated nodules overlapped considerably, the statistical analysis revealed that the observers to were able to separate simulated nodules from real nodules (AUC values range 0.70-0.74). Conclusion The simulation method can be used to create artificial lung nodules that have similar detectability as real nodules in chest tomosynthesis, although experienced thoracic radiologists may be able to distinguish them from real nodules

Thyroid nodules with minimal cystic changes have a low risk of malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Dong Gyu; Kim, Dae Sik; Kim, Soo Jin; Kim, Ji Hoon

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to determine the risk of malignancy of thyroid nodules with minimal cystic changes. A total of consecutive 1,000 thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) with final diagnoses from two institutions were included in this study. The risk of malignancy of thyroid nodules was analyzed according to the internal content, which was categorized as purely solid, minimally cystic (cystic changes ≤10%), and partially cystic (cystic changes >10%). We also assessed the risk of malignancy of nodules with minimal cystic changes depending on echogenicity and presence of any suspicious ultrasonografic (US) features. The overall frequency of purely solid, minimally cystic, and partially cystic nodules was 730/1,000 (73%), 61/1,000 (6.1%), and 209/1,000 (20.9%), respectively, with risks of malignancy of 14.8% (108/730), 3.3% (2/61), and 3.3% (7/209), respectively. The risk of malignancy of nodules with minimal cystic changes was significantly lower than that of purely solid nodules (P=0.013). The risk of malignancy of nodules with minimal cystic changes was also lower than that of purely solid nodules in the group of hypoechoic nodules (P=0.063) and in the group of nodules with suspicious US features (P=0.028), but was not significantly different from that of partially cystic nodules regardless of echogenicity or the presence of suspicious US features (P≥0.652). Thyroid nodules with minimal cystic changes have a low risk of malignancy, similar to that of partially cystic nodules regardless of echogenicity or the presence of suspicious US features. The US lexicon could define solid nodules as nodules with purely solid internal content in order to enhance the accuracy of estimated risks of malignancy

Benign and malignant thyroid nodules after neck irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fjaelling, M.T.; Tisell, L.E.; Carlsson, S.; Hansson, G.; Lundberg, L.M.; Oden, A.

1986-01-01

A total of 444 persons were examined for the presence of thyroid nodules on average of 43 years after having been treated with x-rays for cervical tuberculous adenitis. Of this total, 101 subjects had undergone surgery for thyroid nodules: 25 for carcinoma (6%) and 76 for benign nodules (17%). Carcinoma occurred with the same frequency in multinodular and uninodular glands. Because of the uneven age distribution in the current series, it could not be decided whether there was a higher susceptibility of the young thyroid to the induction of thyroid carcinoma or benign nodules. The dosage range for the whole series was 0.40 to 50.90 Gy (40-5090 rad). There was a positive correlation between the absorbed radiation dose and the probability of developing benign and malignant thyroid nodules, even after doses of 20 Gy or more. The risk of developing thyroid carcinoma was equal for men and women, while the female-to-male ratio for benign nodules was 2.9:1, indicating that risk factors associated with females are of less importance in irradiated than in nonirradiated populations. The median latency for carcinoma was 40 years, suggesting that the increased risk of thyroid carcinoma after irradiation remains for the rest of the patient's life

Visualization of pulmonary nodules with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plathow, C.; Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum; Meinzer, H.-P.; Kauczor, H.-U.

2006-01-01

Visualization of pulmonary nodules using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a minor role compared with computed tomography (CT). Technical developments made it possible to apply MRI more and more frequently in functional imaging. Imaging of the motion of pulmonary nodules during respiration, e.g., to optimize high precision therapy techniques, is a new field of research. This paper describes developments in analysis and visualization of pulmonary nodules during respiration using MRI. Besides actual 2D techniques new 3D techniques to quantify motion of pulmonary nodules during respiration are presented. (orig.) [de

[Treatment of autonomous and cystic thyroid nodules with intranodular ethanol injection].

Science.gov (United States)

Braga-Basaria, Milena; Trippia, Marcus Adriano; Stolf, Anderson Ravy; Mesa, Cléo; Graf, Hans

2002-01-01

Intranodular ethanol injection has been used for the past 10 years as an efficient modality for treating patients with thyroid nodules. Several studies have reported the success of this therapy in autonomous and cystic nodules and, more recently, in cold benign nodules. To evaluate the efficacy of this therapeutic modality on the treatment of autonomous and cystic thyroid nodules. 42 patients (26 with cystic and 16 with autonomous nodules) were treated with ultrasound guided intranodular 99% ethanol injection and followed for 6 months. No major complications were observed during or after treatment, however, most of the patients reported slight to moderate pain and/or discomfort after the injection. Most of the nodules showed reduction after the treatment. Autonomous nodules had a mean reduction of 50.3% and cystic nodules of 69.3%. No significant differences in pretreatment serum total T3, total T4 or TSH were observed among the patients in the cystic group. Patients in the autonomous group with hyperfunctioning nodules showed a decrease in serum total T3, total T4 and an increase in serum TSH levels, hence, proving the effectiveness of this therapy. Intranodular ethanol injection is a safe and efficient treatment for autonomous and cystic nodules of the thyroid.

Heat resistant/radiation resistant cable and incore structure test device for FBR type reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanimoto, Hajime; Shiono, Takeo; Sato, Yoshimi; Ito, Kazumi; Sudo, Shigeaki; Saito, Shin-ichi; Mitsui, Hisayasu.

1995-01-01

A heat resistant/radiation resistant coaxial cable of the present invention comprises an insulation layer, an outer conductor and a protection cover in this order on an inner conductor, in which the insulation layer comprises thermoplastic polyimide. In the same manner, a heat resistant/radiation resistant power cable has an insulation layer comprising thermoplastic polyimide on a conductor, and is provided with a protection cover comprising braid of alamide fibers at the outer circumference of the insulation layer. An incore structure test device for an FBR type reactor comprises the heat resistant/radiation resistant coaxial cable and/or the power cable. The thermoplastic polyimide can be extrusion molded, and has excellent radiation resistant by the extrusion, as well as has high dielectric withstand voltage, good flexibility and electric characteristics at high temperature. The incore structure test device for the FBR type reactor of the present invention comprising such a cable has excellent reliability and durability. (T.M.)

Pulmonary nodule characterization, including computer analysis and quantitative features.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholmai, Brian J; Koo, Chi Wan; Johnson, Geoffrey B; White, Darin B; Raghunath, Sushravya M; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Moynagh, Michael R; Lindell, Rebecca M; Hartman, Thomas E

2015-03-01

Pulmonary nodules are commonly detected in computed tomography (CT) chest screening of a high-risk population. The specific visual or quantitative features on CT or other modalities can be used to characterize the likelihood that a nodule is benign or malignant. Visual features on CT such as size, attenuation, location, morphology, edge characteristics, and other distinctive "signs" can be highly suggestive of a specific diagnosis and, in general, be used to determine the probability that a specific nodule is benign or malignant. Change in size, attenuation, and morphology on serial follow-up CT, or features on other modalities such as nuclear medicine studies or MRI, can also contribute to the characterization of lung nodules. Imaging analytics can objectively and reproducibly quantify nodule features on CT, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging. Some quantitative techniques show great promise in helping to differentiate benign from malignant lesions or to stratify the risk of aggressive versus indolent neoplasm. In this article, we (1) summarize the visual characteristics, descriptors, and signs that may be helpful in management of nodules identified on screening CT, (2) discuss current quantitative and multimodality techniques that aid in the differentiation of nodules, and (3) highlight the power, pitfalls, and limitations of these various techniques.

Frequency of Thyroid Nodules among Patients with Colonic Polyps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cevdet Duran

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Colonic polyps and thyroid nodules are common diseases and their frequency increases with age. In the literature, there is no study investigating the coexistence of colonic polyps and thyroid nodules. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate thyroid nodule prevalence in patients with colonic polyps. Material and Methods. Sixty-six patients with colonic polyps and 146 patients without colonic polyps enrolled into the study. Age and sex matched control group was composed from patients without colonic polyps. Colonoscopic examinations, thyroid ultrasonographies were performed in all patients, and TSH were measured. Results. Male/female ratio in polyp and control groups were 40/26 versus 68/78, respectively (P=0.058. Mean ages were similar in both groups (53.3±11.4 versus, 51.8±11.4, P=0.373. Thyroid nodule was detected in 44 (66.7% patients with polyps and in 61 (41.8% controls (P=0.001. Patients with adenomatous polyps had 5 or more thyroid nodules compared to patients with hyperplastic polyps (P=0.03. Thyroid nodules were more prevalent among patients aged 50 or older compared to 50 years or less (P=0.023. Conclusion. Thyroid nodules were detected more common in patients with colonic polyps. Further studies are needed to clarify this coexistence.

Advances in intelligent diagnosis methods for pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jing; Wang, Hailin; Geng, Chen; Dai, Yakang; Ji, Jiansong

2018-02-07

Pulmonary nodule is one of the important lesions of lung cancer, mainly divided into two categories of solid nodules and ground glass nodules. The improvement of diagnosis of lung cancer has significant clinical significance, which could be realized by machine learning techniques. At present, there have been a lot of researches focusing on solid nodules. But the research on ground glass nodules started late, and lacked research results. This paper summarizes the research progress of the method of intelligent diagnosis for pulmonary nodules since 2014. It is described in details from four aspects: nodular signs, data analysis methods, prediction models and system evaluation. This paper aims to provide the research material for researchers of the clinical diagnosis and intelligent analysis of lung cancer, and further improve the precision of pulmonary ground glass nodule diagnosis.

The impact of faceplate surface characteristics on detection of pulmonary nodules

Science.gov (United States)

Toomey, R. J.; Ryan, J. T.; McEntee, M. F.; McNulty, J.; Evanoff, M. G.; Cuffe, F.; Yoneda, T.; Stowe, J.; Brennan, P. C.

2009-02-01

Introduction In order to prevent specular reflections, many monitor faceplates have features such as tiny dimples on their surface to diffuse ambient light incident on the monitor, however, this "anti-glare" surface may also diffuse the image itself. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the surface characteristics of monitor faceplates influence the detection of pulmonary nodules under low and high ambient lighting conditions. Methods and Materials Separate observer performance studies were conducted at each of two light levels (250 lux). Twelve examining radiologists with the American Board of Radiology participated in the darker condition and eleven in the brighter condition. All observers read on both smooth "glare" and dimpled "anti-glare" faceplates in a single lighting condition. A counterbalanced methodology was utilized to minimise memory effects. In each reading, observers were presented with thirty chest images in random order, of which half contained a single simulated pulmonary nodule. They were asked to give their confidence that each image did or did not contain a nodule and to mark the suspicious location. ROC analysis was applied to resultant data. Results No statistically significant differences were seen in the trapezoidal area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity or average time per case at either light level for chest specialists or radiologists from other specialities. Conclusion The characteristics of the faceplate surfaces do not appear to affect detection of pulmonary nodules. Further work into other image types is being conducted.

Quantitative CT: technique dependence of volume estimation on pulmonary nodules

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Baiyu; Barnhart, Huiman; Richard, Samuel; Colsher, James; Amurao, Maxwell; Samei, Ehsan

2012-03-01

Current estimation of lung nodule size typically relies on uni- or bi-dimensional techniques. While new three-dimensional volume estimation techniques using MDCT have improved size estimation of nodules with irregular shapes, the effect of acquisition and reconstruction parameters on accuracy (bias) and precision (variance) of the new techniques has not been fully investigated. To characterize the volume estimation performance dependence on these parameters, an anthropomorphic chest phantom containing synthetic nodules was scanned and reconstructed with protocols across various acquisition and reconstruction parameters. Nodule volumes were estimated by a clinical lung analysis software package, LungVCAR. Precision and accuracy of the volume assessment were calculated across the nodules and compared between protocols via a generalized estimating equation analysis. Results showed that the precision and accuracy of nodule volume quantifications were dependent on slice thickness, with different dependences for different nodule characteristics. Other parameters including kVp, pitch, and reconstruction kernel had lower impact. Determining these technique dependences enables better volume quantification via protocol optimization and highlights the importance of consistent imaging parameters in sequential examinations.

A case of cyclist's nodule in a female patient

African Journals Online (AJOL)

origin (Fig. 1). e nodule measured 12 mm × 7 mm × 15 mm and showed no flow on Doppler. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the pelvis was also performed and showed a poorly circumscribed nodule, isointense to muscle on all sequences, in the right perineum (Fig. 2). A diagnosis of a cyclist's nodule was made ...

The influence of inspiratory effort and emphysema on pulmonary nodule volumetry reproducibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Moser, J B; Mak, S M; McNulty, W H; Padley, S; Nair, A; Shah, P L; Devaraj, A

2017-11-01

To evaluate the impact of inspiratory effort and emphysema on reproducibility of pulmonary nodule volumetry. Eighty-eight nodules in 24 patients with emphysema were studied retrospectively. All patients had undergone volumetric inspiratory and end-expiratory thoracic computed tomography (CT) for consideration of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. Inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were measured using commercially available software. Local emphysema extent was established by analysing a segmentation area extended circumferentially around each nodule (quantified as percent of lung with density of -950 HU or less). Lung volumes were established using the same software. Differences in inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were illustrated using the Bland-Altman test. The influences of percentage reduction in lung volume at expiration, local emphysema extent, and nodule size on nodule volume variability were tested with multiple linear regression. The majority of nodules (59/88 [67%]) showed an increased volume at expiration. Mean difference in nodule volume between expiration and inspiration was +7.5% (95% confidence interval: -24.1, 39.1%). No relationships were demonstrated between nodule volume variability and emphysema extent, degree of expiration, or nodule size. Expiration causes a modest increase in volumetry-derived nodule volumes; however, the effect is unpredictable. Local emphysema extent had no significant effect on volume variability in the present cohort. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of Volumetry for Lung Nodule Management: Theory and Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Devaraj, A.; Ginneken, B. van; Nair, A.; Baldwin, D.

2017-01-01

A consistent feature of many lung nodule management guidelines is the recommendation to evaluate nodule size by using diameter measurements and electronic calipers. Traditionally, the use of nodule volumetry applications has primarily been reserved for certain lung cancer screening trials rather

A study on structural changes in protein by time-division type Laue method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morimoto, Hideki

1995-01-01

In order to know the physiological roles of proteins, it is important to investigate the intermediate states of their structural changes. The sizes of proteins are generally several tens angstrom(A). Considering the resolution, only x-ray crystal analysis can be used in practice for the investigation of the mechanism of protein structural changes, though NMR is applicable only for small-sized proteins. However, x-ray analysis is not so suitable for analysis of their intermediate states. Thus, the author paid attention to the time-division type Laue method for the study of hemoglobin (Hb). Laser-flash induces to release carbonmonooxide (CO) from carboxyhemoglobin (Hb(CO) 4 ). Therefore, if an appropriate length of x-ray pulse (∼100 picosec) is available, the processes in the period from cleavage of the bond between a ligand (O 2 , CO or NO) and Hb to recombination of them might be monitored. Using DNA recombination and chemical modification techniques, recombinant Hb, of which T structure is stable was produced. An investigation on the conditions which allow to release CO from the Hb is undertaken using a single crystal of this Hb. The experimental systems applicable to time-division type Laue method are some protein molecules participating in chemical reactions inducible by light absorption, the electron-transfer system excited by light and so on. (M.N.)

A study on structural changes in protein by time-division type Laue method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morimoto, Hideki [Osaka Univ., Toyonaka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering Science

1995-11-01

In order to know the physiological roles of proteins, it is important to investigate the intermediate states of their structural changes. The sizes of proteins are generally several tens angstrom(A). Considering the resolution, only x-ray crystal analysis can be used in practice for the investigation of the mechanism of protein structural changes, though NMR is applicable only for small-sized proteins. However, x-ray analysis is not so suitable for analysis of their intermediate states. Thus, the author paid attention to the time-division type Laue method for the study of hemoglobin (Hb). Laser-flash induces to release carbonmonooxide (CO) from carboxyhemoglobin (Hb(CO){sub 4}). Therefore, if an appropriate length of x-ray pulse ({approx}100 picosec) is available, the processes in the period from cleavage of the bond between a ligand (O{sub 2}, CO or NO) and Hb to recombination of them might be monitored. Using DNA recombination and chemical modification techniques, recombinant Hb, of which T structure is stable was produced. An investigation on the conditions which allow to release CO from the Hb is undertaken using a single crystal of this Hb. The experimental systems applicable to time-division type Laue method are some protein molecules participating in chemical reactions inducible by light absorption, the electron-transfer system excited by light and so on. (M.N.)

Surgical resection of highly suspicious pulmonary nodules without a tissue diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, Eun-Young; Lee, Kyung-Won; Jheon, Sanghoon; Lee, Jae-Ho; Lee, Choon-Taek; Yoon, Ho-II

2011-01-01

The safety and efficacy of surgical resection of lung nodule without tissue diagnosis is controversial. We evaluated direct surgical resection of highly suspicious pulmonary nodules and the clinical and radiological predictors of malignancy. Retrospective analyses were performed on 113 patients who underwent surgical resection without prior tissue diagnosis for highly suspicious pulmonary nodules. Clinical and radiological characteristics were compared between histologically proven benign and malignant nodules after resection. Total costs, length of hospitalization and waiting time to surgery were compared with those of patients who had tissue diagnosis prior to surgery. Among 280 patients with pulmonary nodules suspicious for lung cancer, 113 (40.4%) underwent operation without prior tissue diagnosis. Lung nodules were diagnosed as malignant in 96 (85%) of the 113 patients. Except for forced expiratory volume in 1 s, clinical characteristics were not significantly different according to the pathologic results. Forty-five (90%) of 50 patients with ground-glass opacity nodules had a malignancy. Mixed ground-glass opacity, bubble lucency, irregular margin and larger size correlated with malignancy in ground-glass opacity nodules (P<0.05). Fifty-one (81%) of 67 patients with solid nodules had a malignancy. Spiculation, pre-contrast attenuation and contrast enhancement significantly correlated with malignancy in solid nodules (P<0.05). Surgical resection without tissue diagnosis significantly decreased total costs, hospital stay and waiting time (P<0.05). Direct surgical resection of highly suspicious pulmonary nodules can be a valid procedure. However, careful patient selection and further investigations are required to justify direct surgical resection. (author)

Uranium-throium isotopes and transition metal fluxes in two oriented manganese nodules from the Central Indian Basin: implications for nodule turnover

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Banakar, V.K.

turnover. Mar. Geol., 95:71-76. Transition metal fluxes to the top and bottom of two oriented manganese nodules (SS-657 and SK-176) were deter- mined by combining radiochemical and geochemical analyses. Distinct differences in transition metal fluxes, 2a... of rotation of the nodule several times over time intervals which are smaller than the time resolution involved in U-Th isotope dating techniques. Introduction orientation of a nodule, the turnover exposing the accreting surfaces to different environ...

A solitary hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule harboring thyroid carcinoma: review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirfakhraee, Sasan; Mathews, Dana; Peng, Lan; Woodruff, Stacey; Zigman, Jeffrey M

2013-05-04

Hyperfunctioning nodules of the thyroid are thought to only rarely harbor thyroid cancer, and thus are infrequently biopsied. Here, we present the case of a patient with a hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule harboring thyroid carcinoma and, using MEDLINE literature searches, set out to determine the prevalence of and characteristics of malignant "hot" nodules as a group. Historical, biochemical and radiologic characteristics of the case subjects and their nodules were compared to those in cases of benign hyperfunctioning nodules. A literature review of surgical patients with solitary hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules managed by thyroid resection revealed an estimated 3.1% prevalence of malignancy. A separate literature search uncovered 76 cases of reported malignant hot thyroid nodules, besides the present case. Of these, 78% were female and mean age at time of diagnosis was 47 years. Mean nodule size was 4.13 ± 1.68 cm. Laboratory assessment revealed T3 elevation in 76.5%, T4 elevation in 51.9%, and subclinical hyperthyroidism in 13% of patients. Histological diagnosis was papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in 57.1%, follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) in 36.4%, and Hurthle cell carcinoma in 7.8% of patients. Thus, hot thyroid nodules harbor a low but non-trivial rate of malignancy. Compared to individuals with benign hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules, those with malignant hyperfunctioning nodules are younger and more predominantly female. Also, FTC and Hurthle cell carcinoma are found more frequently in hot nodules than in general. We were unable to find any specific characteristics that could be used to distinguish between malignant and benign hot nodules.

Cooled microwave ablation of thyroid nodules: Initial experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korkusuz, Yücel [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany); Mader, Oscar Maximilian, E-mail: info@dzta.de [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany); Kromen, Wolfgang [Department of Neuro Radiology University Hospital (Germany); Happel, Christian [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany); German Centre for Thermoablation of Thyroid Nodules, University Hospital, Frankfurt (Germany); Ahmad, Shadi [Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Agaplesion Elisabethenstift, Darmstadt (Germany); Gröner, Daniel; Koca, Mithat; Mader, Alexander [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany); Grünwald, Frank; Korkusuz, Hüdayi [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt (Germany); German Centre for Thermoablation of Thyroid Nodules, University Hospital, Frankfurt (Germany)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • cMWA is a safe and effective treatment for thyroid nodules. • Ultrasound imaging allows guidance during microwave ablation. • Pain level during cMWA treatment is reduced in comparison to RFA. - Abstract: Objective: To evaluate if internally cooled microwave ablation (cMWA) is a safe and effective method for treatment of benign and malign thyroid nodules. Methods: 9 patients with 11 symptomatic cold benign thyroid nodules and 1 recurrent thyroid carcinoma ranging in volume from 9.1 to 197 ml (mean size 52 ±  57 ml) were treated with cMWA. The mean age of the patients was 59 years. Pain during the treatment was measured on a 10-point scale. Side effects revealed by ultrasound or patients’ complaints were documented. Periablative efficacy was measured 24 h after cMWA as change (Δ) in serum thyreoglobulin (Tg). Nodule elasticity was measured on a 4-point scale, blood circulation and echogenicity on a 3-point scale. Results: All patients tolerated cMWA well. Median pain intensity averaged 2.1 ± 0.8 (range: 1–3). Postablative hematoma was observed in all cases. In no cases ablation led to hoarseness, superficial burns, nodule ruptures, vagal reactions or dysphagia. cMWA lead to a significant decrease of blood circulation, nodule echogenicity and a significant increase of elasticity (Δ  =  1.1  ±  0.33; 0.8  ±  0.4 and 1.1  ±  0.6 points)(p < 0.05). An average increase of 4495 ng/ml Tg was measured (p < 0.05). Conclusions: cMWA is an effective and secure method for treatment of thyroid nodules.

Application of a kernel-based online learning algorithm to the classification of nodule candidates in computer-aided detection of CT lung nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, S.; Ohno, Y.; Takenaka, D.; Sugimura, K.; Yamagata, H.

2007-01-01

Classification of the nodule candidates in computer-aided detection (CAD) of lung nodules in CT images was addressed by constructing a nonlinear discriminant function using a kernel-based learning algorithm called the kernel recursive least-squares (KRLS) algorithm. Using the nodule candidates derived from the processing by a CAD scheme of 100 CT datasets containing 253 non-calcified nodules or 3 mm or larger as determined by the consensus of two thoracic radiologists, the following trial were carried out 100 times: by randomly selecting 50 datasets for training, a nonlinear discriminant function was obtained using the nodule candidates in the training datasets and tested with the remaining candidates; for comparison, a rule-based classification was tested in a similar manner. At the number of false positives per case of about 5, the nonlinear classification method showed an improved sensitivity of 80% (mean over the 100 trials) compared with 74% of the rule-based method. (orig.)

Manganese nodule distribution in different topographic domains of the central Indian Basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Kodagali, V.N.; Sudhakar, M.

on valleys and hilltops they are irregular (Rayleigh type). Fe and Co content is highest in nodules from hilltops and lowest in those from plains. Conversely, Mn, Cu, and Ni content is highest on plains and least on valleys. Fe: Mn and Co: Mn are negatively...

Disorganization of cell division of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by methanolic extract from Phyllanthus columnaris stem bark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adnalizawati, A. Siti Noor; Nazlina, I. [School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Yaacob, W. A. [School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

2013-11-27

The in vitro activity of methanolic extract from Phyllanthus columnaris stem bark was studied against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300 and MRSA BM1 (clinical strain) using time-kill curves in conjunction with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The extract showed more markedly bactericidal activity in MRSA BM1 clinical strain within less than 4 h by 6.25-12.5 mg/mL and within 6 h by 1.56 mg/mL. Scanning electron microscopy of MRSA BM1 revealed distortion of cell whilst transmission electron microscopy revealed disruption in cell wall division.

Disorganization of cell division of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by methanolic extract from Phyllanthus columnaris stem bark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adnalizawati, A. Siti Noor; Nazlina, I.; Yaacob, W. A.

2013-01-01

The in vitro activity of methanolic extract from Phyllanthus columnaris stem bark was studied against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300 and MRSA BM1 (clinical strain) using time-kill curves in conjunction with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The extract showed more markedly bactericidal activity in MRSA BM1 clinical strain within less than 4 h by 6.25-12.5 mg/mL and within 6 h by 1.56 mg/mL. Scanning electron microscopy of MRSA BM1 revealed distortion of cell whilst transmission electron microscopy revealed disruption in cell wall division

Dissecting the Root Nodule Transcriptome of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Kant, Chandra; Pradhan, Seema; Bhatia, Sabhyata

2016-01-01

A hallmark trait of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), like other legumes, is the capability to convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3) in symbiotic association with Mesorhizobium ciceri. However, the complexity of molecular networks associated with the dynamics of nodule development in chickpea need to be analyzed in depth. Hence, in order to gain insights into the chickpea nodule development, the transcriptomes of nodules at early, middle and late stages of development were sequenced using the Roche 454 platform. This generated 490.84 Mb sequence data comprising 1,360,251 reads which were assembled into 83,405 unigenes. Transcripts were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO), Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathways analysis. Differential expression analysis revealed that a total of 3760 transcripts were differentially expressed in at least one of three stages, whereas 935, 117 and 2707 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed in the early, middle and late stages of nodule development respectively. MapMan analysis revealed enrichment of metabolic pathways such as transport, protein synthesis, signaling and carbohydrate metabolism during root nodulation. Transcription factors were predicted and analyzed for their differential expression during nodule development. Putative nodule specific transcripts were identified and enriched for GO categories using BiNGO which revealed many categories to be enriched during nodule development, including transcription regulators and transporters. Further, the assembled transcriptome was also used to mine for genic SSR markers. In conclusion, this study will help in enriching the transcriptomic resources implicated in understanding of root nodulation events in chickpea.

Contribution of SecDF to Staphylococcus aureus resistance and expression of virulence factors

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Berger-Bächi Brigitte

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background SecDF is an accessory factor of the conserved Sec protein translocation machinery and belongs to the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND family of multidrug exporters. SecDF has been shown in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis to be involved in the export of proteins. RND proteins can mediate resistance against various substances and might be of relevance in antimicrobial therapy. The role of RND proteins in Staphylococcus aureus has not yet been determined. Results Markerless deletion mutants were constructed to analyze the impact of the so far uncharacterized RND proteins in S. aureus. While the lack of Sa2056 and Sa2339 caused no phenotype regarding growth and resistance, the secDF mutant resulted in a pleiotropic phenotype. The secDF mutant was cold sensitive, but grew normally in rich medium at 37°C. Resistance to beta-lactams, glycopeptides and the RND substrates acriflavine, ethidium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulfate was reduced. The secDF mutant showed an aberrant cell separation and increased spontaneous and Triton X-100 induced autolysis, although the amounts of penicillin-binding proteins in the membrane were unchanged. The impact of secDF deletion on transcription and expression of specific virulence determinants varied: While coagulase transcription and activity were reduced, the opposite was observed for the autolysin Atl. A reduction of the transcription of the cell wall anchored protein A (spa was also found. The accumulation of SpA in the membrane and lowered amounts in the cell wall pointed to an impaired translocation. Conclusions The combination of different effects of secDF deletion on transcription, regulation and translocation lead to impaired cell division, reduced resistance and altered expression of virulence determinants suggesting SecDF to be of major relevance in S. aureus. Thus SecDF could be a potential target for the control and eradication of S. aureus in the future.

Nonphotosynthetic CO2 fixation by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots and nodules

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Anderson, M.P.; Heichel, G.H.; Vance, C.P.

1987-01-01

The dependence of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) root and nodule nonphotosynthetic CO 2 fixation on the supply of currently produced photosynthate and nodule nitrogenase activity was examined a various times after phloem-girdling and exposure of nodules to Ar:O 2 . Phloem-girdling was effected 20 hours and exposure to Ar:O 2 was effected 2 to 3 hours before initiation of experiments. Nodule and root CO 2 fixation rates of phloem-girdled plants were reduced to 38 and 50%, respectively, of those of control plants. Exposure to Ar:O 2 decreased nodule CO 2 fixation rates to 45%, respiration rates to 55%, and nitrogenase activities to 51% of those of the controls. The products of nodule CO 2 fixation were exported through the xylem to the shoot mainly as amino acids within 30 to 60 minutes after exposure to 14 CO 2 . In contrast to nodules, roots exported very little radioactivity, and most of the 14 C was exported as organic acids. The nonphotosynthetic CO 2 fixation rate of roots and nodules averaged 26% of the gross respiration rate, i.e. the sum of net respiration and nonphotosynthetic CO 2 assimilation. Nodules fixed CO 2 at a rate 5.6 times that of roots, but since nodules comprised a small portion of root system mass, roots accounted for 76% of the nodulated roots system CO 2 fixation. The results indicate that nodule CO 2 fixation in alfalfa is associated with N assimilation

Survey of management of solitary thyroid nodules in Germany.

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Dietlein, M; Wegscheider, K; Vaupel, R; Schmidt, M; Schicha, H

2008-01-01

To compare the opinions of practitioners in primary care with those of thyroid specialists in Germany on the management of solitary thyroid nodules (Papillon 2005). Questionnaires were filled in by 2,191 practitioners and 297 thyroid specialists between June 1 and September 30, 2005. The test cases and their modifications described a solitary thyroid nodule of 2-3 cm with different levels of thyroid function and a hypoechogenic nodule of 1 cm in diameter. TSH determination and sonography were found to be standard procedures, followed by scintigraphy (selected by 84.7% of practitioners and 95.1% of specialists, p nodule calcitonin determination was advocated by 54.0% of endocrinologists and by 32.2% of nuclear medicine physicians (p thyroid nodule would be treated medically by 77.8% of practitioners and by 85.7% of specialists, the combination of levothyroxine and iodine being clearly preferred (60.9% of practitioners and 67.1% of specialists). For a hyperfunctioning nodule the preference of radioiodine therapy was significantly higher in the specialist group (88.8%) than among the practitioners (52.2%). The main differences of opinion between practitioners and specialists focused on calcitonin screening and referral to radioiodine therapy.

Cowpea and peanut in southern Africa are nodulated by diverse Bradyrhizobium strains harboring nodulation genes that belong to the large pantropical clade common in Africa.

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Steenkamp, Emma T; Stepkowski, Tomasz; Przymusiak, Anna; Botha, Wilhelm J; Law, Ian J

2008-09-01

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in southern Africa are nodulated by a genetically diverse group of Bradyrhizobium strains. To determine the identity of these bacteria, a collection of 22 isolates originating from the root nodules of both hosts in Botswana and South Africa was investigated using the combined sequences for the core genome genes rrs, recA, and glnII. These data separated the majority of the isolates into one of three unique lineages that most likely represent novel Bradyrhizobium species. Some isolates were also conspecific with B. yuanmingense and with B. elkanii, although none grouped with B. japonicum, B. canariense or B. liaoningense. To study the evolution of nodulation genes in these bacteria, the common nodulation gene, nodA, and host-specific nodulation genes, nodZ, noeE, and noeI, were analyzed. The nodA phylogeny showed that the cowpea and peanut Bradyrhizobium isolates represent various locally adapted groups or ecotypes that form part of Clade III of the seven known BradyrhizobiumnodA clades. This large and highly diverse clade comprises all strains from sub-Saharan Africa, as well as some originating from the Americas, Australia, Indonesia, China and Japan. Some similar groupings were supported by the other nodulation genes, although the overall phylogenies for the nodulation genes were incongruent with that inferred from the core genome genes, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer significantly influences the evolution of cowpea and peanut root-nodule bacteria. Furthermore, identification of the nodZ, noeI, and noeE genes in the isolates tested indicates that African Bradyrhizobium species may produce highly decorated nodulation factors, which potentially represent an important adaptation enabling nodulation of a great variety of legumes inhabiting the African continent.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformed soybean roots differ in their nodulation and nitrogen fixation response to genistein and salt stress.

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Dolatabadian, Aria; Modarres Sanavy, Seyed Ali Mohammad; Ghanati, Faezeh; Gresshoff, Peter M

2013-07-01

We evaluated response differences of normal and transformed (so-called 'hairy') roots of soybean (Glycine max L. (Merr.), cv L17) to the Nod-factor inducing isoflavone genistein and salinity by quantifying growth, nodulation, nitrogen fixation and biochemical changes. Composite soybean plants were generated using Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of non-nodulating mutant nod139 (GmNFR5α minus) with complementing A. rhizogenes K599 carrying the wild-type GmNFR5α gene under control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter. We used genetic complementation for nodulation ability as only nodulated roots were scored. After hairy root emergence, primary roots were removed and composite plants were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (strain CB1809) pre-induced with 10 μM genistein and watered with NaCl (0, 25, 50 and 100 mM). There were significant differences between hairy roots and natural roots in their responses to salt stress and genistein application. In addition, there were noticeable nodulation and nitrogen fixation differences. Composite plants had better growth, more root volume and chlorophyll as well as more nodules and higher nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) compared with natural roots. Decreased lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation and catalase/peroxidase activities were found in 'hairy' roots under salinity stress. Genistein significantly increased nodulation and nitrogen fixation and improved roots and shoot growth. Although genistein alleviated lipid peroxidation under salinity stress, it had no significant effect on the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In general, composite plants were more competitive in growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation than normal non-transgenic even under salinity stress conditions.

Significance of size in occurrence, distribution, morphological characteristics, abundance, and resource evaluation of polymetallic nodules

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Valsangkar, A.B.; Rebello, J.M.S.

p i bi (8) R f el p bi (5) R p bi (3) - b bl p bi (4) R b bl bi (4) - - ( ): Total number of nodule types present Texture: r-rough, g- gritty, s- smooth Shape: R- rounded, ep-ellipsoidal/ elliptical, ds-discoidal, b- botryoidal, bl...; Valsngkar and Karisiddaiah 1993; Vineesh et al. 2009; Mukhopadhyay and Gosh 2010). It therefore appears that not only one but combination of all these parameters are responsible for the formation of the CIB nodules. The main objective of the present study...

Degenerated graphite nodules influence on fatigue crack paths in a ferritic ductile cast iron

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Francesco Iacoviello

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ferritic to a completely pearlitic matrix, and they are widely used for many applications (e.g. wheels, gears, crankshafts in cars, exhaust manifolds, valves, flywheels, boxes bearings, hubs, shafts, valves, flanges, pipelines .... Considering the graphite elements, their morphology can be considered as degenerated when its nodularity is too low and this can be due to different causes (e.g., a partially failed nodularization process or a wrong inoculant. In this work, a ferritic DCI with degenerated nodules was obtained by means of an annealing treatment and the fatigue crack propagation resistance was investigated by means of fatigue crack propagation tests performed according to ASTM E647, focusing on the influence of degenerated graphite nodules on the fatigue crack paths. This analysis was performed both analysing the crack path profile by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM and by means of a SEM fracture surfaces analysis

Crowdsourcing the nodulation gene network discovery environment.

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Li, Yupeng; Jackson, Scott A

2016-05-26

The Legumes (Fabaceae) are an economically and ecologically important group of plant species with the conspicuous capacity for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in root nodules, specialized plant organs containing symbiotic microbes. With the aim of understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to nodulation, many efforts are underway to identify nodulation-related genes and determine how these genes interact with each other. In order to accurately and efficiently reconstruct nodulation gene network, a crowdsourcing platform, CrowdNodNet, was created. The platform implements the jQuery and vis.js JavaScript libraries, so that users are able to interactively visualize and edit the gene network, and easily access the information about the network, e.g. gene lists, gene interactions and gene functional annotations. In addition, all the gene information is written on MediaWiki pages, enabling users to edit and contribute to the network curation. Utilizing the continuously updated, collaboratively written, and community-reviewed Wikipedia model, the platform could, in a short time, become a comprehensive knowledge base of nodulation-related pathways. The platform could also be used for other biological processes, and thus has great potential for integrating and advancing our understanding of the functional genomics and systems biology of any process for any species. The platform is available at http://crowd.bioops.info/ , and the source code can be openly accessed at https://github.com/bioops/crowdnodnet under MIT License.

Diffuse Anterior Retinoblastoma with Sarcoidosis-Like Nodule

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Koji Kitazawa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Retinoblastomas account for 4% of malignancies in children, 1-2% of which are diffuse infiltrating retinoblastomas. Diffuse anterior retinoblastoma is rare and does not involve the retina. Here, we report on a diffuse anterior retinoblastoma with large sarcoidosis-like nodules on the iris that were responsive to anti-inflammatory therapy. Case: We present a 6-year-old girl who had anterior uveitis with white nodules on the iris and posterior surface of the cornea in her right eye. The nodules initially responded well to anti-inflammatory treatment. However, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT showed that the nodules gradually grew, shrinking the iris. We then collected the aqueous humor for diagnosis. A biopsy revealed clusters of small cells with a high nuclear-to-cytoplasm ratio with partial rosette formation. Therefore, we diagnosed diffuse anterior retinoblastoma without retinal involvement and performed enucleation of the right eye. The histopathology demonstrated undifferentiated cells similar to those seen on the biopsy, and tumor cells invaded the iris stroma, posterior surface of the cornea, ciliary body, and sclera. After the enucleation, she underwent chemotherapy and remains alive. Conclusion: A differential diagnosis of retinoblastoma should be considered when white nodules refractory to anti-inflammatory therapy occur in the eye, even in the absence of obvious retinal masses. AS-OCT findings are useful in assessing retinoblastoma.

Treatment of Class II Division 2 Malocclusion Using the Forsus Fatigue Resistance Device and 5-Year Follow-Up

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Ezgi Atik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This case report presents the treatment of a 14-year-and-8-month-old boy with Class II division 2 mandibular retrusion, severe deep bite, and concave profile. The Forsus fatigue resistance device (FRD was effective in correcting both skeletal and dental parameters. At 5-year posttreatment follow-up, the teeth were well aligned and the occlusion was stable. FRD application with appropriate treatment time can result with prominent changes in the facial profile and dentition, and the outcomes can be maintained at the long-term follow-up periods.

The Activity of Nodules of the Supernodulating Mutant Mtsunn Is not Limited by Photosynthesis under Optimal Growth Conditions

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Cabeza, Ricardo A.; Lingner, Annika; Liese, Rebecca; Sulieman, Saad; Senbayram, Mehmet; Tränkner, Merle; Dittert, Klaus; Schulze, Joachim

2014-01-01

Legumes match the nodule number to the N demand of the plant. When a mutation in the regulatory mechanism deprives the plant of that ability, an excessive number of nodules are formed. These mutants show low productivity in the fields, mainly due to the high carbon burden caused through the necessity to supply numerous nodules. The objective of this study was to clarify whether through optimal conditions for growth and CO2 assimilation a higher nodule activity of a supernodulating mutant of Medicago truncatula (M. truncatula) can be induced. Several experimental approaches reveal that under the conditions of our experiments, the nitrogen fixation of the supernodulating mutant, designated as sunn (super numeric nodules), was not limited by photosynthesis. Higher specific nitrogen fixation activity could not be induced through short- or long-term increases in CO2 assimilation around shoots. Furthermore, a whole plant P depletion induced a decline in nitrogen fixation, however this decline did not occur significantly earlier in sunn plants, nor was it more intense compared to the wild-type. However, a distinctly different pattern of nitrogen fixation during the day/night cycles of the experiment indicates that the control of N2 fixing activity of the large number of nodules is an additional problem for the productivity of supernodulating mutants. PMID:24727372

Position of solitary thyroid nodules by gammagraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basteris M, J.; Gomez D, R.

2007-01-01

In this work it is presented which it is the position more frequent of the solitary thyroid nodules. It was used the method of retrospective longitudinal observational investigation in 125 patients that went to the laboratory for realization of detection of thyroid nodules in the years 2004 and 2005 through gammagraphy. (Author)

SCC mec typing and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from pigs of Northeast India.

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Rajkhowa, S; Sarma, D K; Pegu, S R

2016-12-01

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens of both humans and animal. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important human pathogen that causes serious infections both in hospitals and communities due to its multidrug resistance tendency. This study was undertaken to characterize the MRSA isolates from pigs and to determine the antimicrobial resistance of these isolates. Forty nine MRSA strains (one strain per positive pig) isolated from pigs of Northeast India were characterized by SCCmec typing and antimicrobial resistance. The overall prevalence of MRSA was 7.02 % with the highest prevalence recorded in pigs aged 1-3 months (P = 0.001) and in nasal samples (P = 0.005). Two SCC mec types (type III and V) were found in Indian pigs with predominance of type V. All isolates were resistant to penicillin. Seventeen resistance groups were observed where 87.75 % isolates showed multidrug resistance (showed resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials). The most predominant resistance pattern observed was Oxytetracycline + Penicillin + Sulfadiazine + Tetracycline accounting 12.24 % of the isolates. The present study contributes to the understanding of characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of porcine MRSA isolates which in turn will help in devising strategy for the control of this pathogen. Findings of the study also throw light on multidrug resistance MRSA and emphasize the need for judicious use of antimicrobials in animal practice.

Chinese herbal medicines for benign thyroid nodules in adults.

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Wu, Wenxun; Yin, Detao; Yang, Weimin; Kan, Quancheng; Liu, Zhangsuo; Ren, Xiaoyan; Zhai, Chenguang; Zhang, Shengjun

2014-03-04

A thyroid nodule is a discrete lesion within the thyroid gland that might be palpable and is ultrasonographically distinct from the surrounding thyroid parenchyma. Thyroid nodules are more common as age increases and occur more frequently in women. Benign thyroid nodules often cause pressure symptoms and cosmetic complaints. In China and many other countries, doctors use Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) to treat thyroid nodules. To assess the effects of Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules in adults. Review authors searched the following electronic databases: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP information (a Chinese database), WANFANG Data (a Chinese database), the Chinese Conference Papers Database and the Chinese Dissertation Database (all searched up to April 2013). Randomised controlled trials comparing CHM or CHM plus levothyroxine versus levothyroxine, placebo or no treatment in adults with benign thyroid nodules. Two review authors independently extracted data, assessed studies for risk of bias and evaluated overall study quality according to GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation), with differences resolved by consensus. We included one randomised trial involving 152 participants with a randomisation ratio of 2:1 (CHM vs no treatment). The trial applied adequate sequence generation; however, allocation concealment was unclear. Duration of treatment was three months, and follow-up six months. Our a priori defined outcomes of interest (i.e. nodule volume reduction ≥ 50%; pressure symptoms, cosmetic complaints or both; health-related quality of life; all-cause mortality; cancer occurrence; changes in number and size of thyroid nodules; changes in thyroid volume; and socioeconomic effects) were not investigated in the included study. Thyrotropin (TSH), thyroxine (T4) and tri

Relation between grade and abundance of manganese nodules

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sudhakar, M.

Data from more than 1000 locations in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) where both bulk nodule chemistry and abundance were determined and utilized to study the relationship between grade and abundance of manganese nodule deposits. Grade...

Two novel mutations in the sixth transmembrane segment of the thyrotropin receptor gene causing hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

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Gozu, Hulya; Avsar, Melike; Bircan, Rifat; Claus, Maren; Sahin, Serap; Sezgin, Ozlem; Deyneli, Oguzhan; Paschke, Ralf; Cirakoglu, Beyazit; Akalin, Sema

2005-04-01

Autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTNs) can present as hyperfunctioning adenomas or toxic multinodular goiters. In the last decade, a large number of activating mutations have been identified in the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) gene in autonomously functioning thyroid nodules. Most have been situated close to, or within the sixth transmembrane segment and third intracellular loop of the TSHR where the receptor interacts with the Gs protein. In this study we describe two novel mutations in the sixth transmembrane segment of the TSHR causing hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. Genomic DNAs were isolated from four hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules, normal tissues and peripheral leukocytes of two patients with toxic multinodular goiter. After amplifying the related regions, TSHR and G(s)alpha genes were analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. The precise localization of the mutations was identified by automatic DNA sequence analysis. Functional studies were done by site-directed mutagenesis and transfection of a mutant construct into COS-7 cells. We identified two novel TSHR mutations in two hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules: Phe631Val in the first patient and Iso630Met in the second patient. Both mutant receptors display an increase in constitutive stimulation of basal cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels compared to the wild-type receptor. This confirms that these mutant receptors cause hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

Gamma radiation induced and natural variability for nodulation in legumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maherchandani, N; Rana, O P.S. [Haryana Agricultural Univ., Hissar (India). Dept. of Genetics

1977-09-01

Gamma radiation induced variability for nodulation was studied in 112 M4 mutant lines of cowpea variety C-15-2. Ten lines superior in nodulation to the original variety have been identified. Natural variability for nodulation and plant growth was investigated in 75 genotypes of chickpea. A number of genotype were found to be superior to cultivated variety C-235 for nodulation characters. Nodule characters were found to be related to dry matter accumulation but not to grain yield. Another experiment on 10 varieties of chick pea conducted under aseptic conditions revealed that host genotypes showed specificity for Rhizobial strains and different Rhizobial strains differed in their effectiveness on different host genotypes. H 551 and H 355 were the most responsive varieties.

Dissecting the Root Nodule Transcriptome of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L..

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Chandra Kant

Full Text Available A hallmark trait of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L., like other legumes, is the capability to convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2 into ammonia (NH3 in symbiotic association with Mesorhizobium ciceri. However, the complexity of molecular networks associated with the dynamics of nodule development in chickpea need to be analyzed in depth. Hence, in order to gain insights into the chickpea nodule development, the transcriptomes of nodules at early, middle and late stages of development were sequenced using the Roche 454 platform. This generated 490.84 Mb sequence data comprising 1,360,251 reads which were assembled into 83,405 unigenes. Transcripts were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO, Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG metabolic pathways analysis. Differential expression analysis revealed that a total of 3760 transcripts were differentially expressed in at least one of three stages, whereas 935, 117 and 2707 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed in the early, middle and late stages of nodule development respectively. MapMan analysis revealed enrichment of metabolic pathways such as transport, protein synthesis, signaling and carbohydrate metabolism during root nodulation. Transcription factors were predicted and analyzed for their differential expression during nodule development. Putative nodule specific transcripts were identified and enriched for GO categories using BiNGO which revealed many categories to be enriched during nodule development, including transcription regulators and transporters. Further, the assembled transcriptome was also used to mine for genic SSR markers. In conclusion, this study will help in enriching the transcriptomic resources implicated in understanding of root nodulation events in chickpea.

Lung Nodule Detection via Deep Reinforcement Learning

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Issa Ali

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death globally. As a preventive measure, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF recommends annual screening of high risk individuals with low-dose computed tomography (CT. The resulting volume of CT scans from millions of people will pose a significant challenge for radiologists to interpret. To fill this gap, computer-aided detection (CAD algorithms may prove to be the most promising solution. A crucial first step in the analysis of lung cancer screening results using CAD is the detection of pulmonary nodules, which may represent early-stage lung cancer. The objective of this work is to develop and validate a reinforcement learning model based on deep artificial neural networks for early detection of lung nodules in thoracic CT images. Inspired by the AlphaGo system, our deep learning algorithm takes a raw CT image as input and views it as a collection of states, and output a classification of whether a nodule is present or not. The dataset used to train our model is the LIDC/IDRI database hosted by the lung nodule analysis (LUNA challenge. In total, there are 888 CT scans with annotations based on agreement from at least three out of four radiologists. As a result, there are 590 individuals having one or more nodules, and 298 having none. Our training results yielded an overall accuracy of 99.1% [sensitivity 99.2%, specificity 99.1%, positive predictive value (PPV 99.1%, negative predictive value (NPV 99.2%]. In our test, the results yielded an overall accuracy of 64.4% (sensitivity 58.9%, specificity 55.3%, PPV 54.2%, and NPV 60.0%. These early results show promise in solving the major issue of false positives in CT screening of lung nodules, and may help to save unnecessary follow-up tests and expenditures.

Selenium hyperaccumulation by Astragalus (Fabaceae) does not inhibit root nodule symbiosis.

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Alford, Elan R; Pilon-Smits, Elizabeth A H; Fakra, Sirine C; Paschke, Mark W

2012-12-01

A survey of the root-nodule symbiosis in Astragalus and its interaction with selenium (Se) has not been conducted before. Such studies can provide insight into how edaphic conditions modify symbiotic interactions and influence partner coevolution. In this paper plant-organ Se concentration ([Se]) was investigated to assess potential Se exposure to endophytes. • Selenium distribution and molecular speciation of root nodules from Se-hyperaccumulators Astragalus bisulcatus, A. praelongus, and A. racemosus was determined by Se K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy. A series of greenhouse experiments were conducted to characterize the response of root-nodule symbiosis in Se-hyperaccumulators and nonhyperaccumulators. • Nodules in three Se-hyperaccumulators (Astragalus crotalariae, A. praelongus, and A. preussii) are reported for the first time. Leaves, flowers, and fruits from Se-hyperaccumulators were routinely above the hyperaccumulator threshold (1,000 µg Se g(-1) DW), but root samples rarely contained that amount, and nodules never exceeded 110 µg Se g(-1) DW. Nodules from A. bisulcatus, A. praelongus, and A. racemosus had Se throughout, with a majority stored in C-Se-C form. Finally, an evaluation of nodulation in Se-hyperaccumulators and nonhyperaccumulators indicated that there was no nodulation inhibition because of plant Se tolerance. Rather, we found that in Se-hyperaccumulators higher levels of Se treatment (up to 100 µM Se) corresponded with higher nodule counts, indicating a potential role for dinitrogen fixation in Se-hyperaccumulation. The effect was not found in nonhyperaccumulators. • As the evolution of Se hyperaccumulation in Astragalus developed, root-nodule symbiosis may have played an integral role.

Atypical Localized Rheumatoid Nodule: Case Report

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KORHAN BARIS BAYRAM

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid nodules can be seen in about 30% of patiens with rheumatoid arthritis. They are occasionally localized subcutaneous, but they can rarely seen in visceral organs. Their appearance can be confused with many clinical conditions when they have atypical localizations. To exclude the presence of a malignancy, these lesions should always be investigated. We aimed to discuss a patient with rheumatoid nodule localized in close neighborhood of hyoid bone, presumed as malignancy.

Treatment of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules by percutaneous ethanol injection

OpenAIRE

Larijani, Bagher; Pajouhi, Mohammad; Ghanaati, Hossein; Bastanhagh, Mohammad-Hassan; Abbasvandi, Fereshteh; Firooznia, Kazem; Shirzad, Mahmood; Amini, Mohammad-Reza; Sarai, Maryam; Abbasvandi, Nasreen; Baradar-Jalili, Reza

2002-01-01

Abstract Background Autonomous thyroid nodules can be treated by a variety of methods. We assessed the efficacy of percutaneous ethanol injection in treating autonomous thyroid nodules. Methods 35 patients diagnosed by technetium-99 scanning with hyperfunctioning nodules and suppressed sensitive TSH (sTSH) were given sterile ethanol injections under ultrasound guidance. 29 patients had clinical and biochemical hyperthyroidism. The other 6 had sub-clinical hyperthyroidism with suppressed sTSH ...

Radio-guided thoracoscopic surgery (RGTS) of small pulmonary nodules.

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Ambrogi, Marcello Carlo; Melfi, Franca; Zirafa, Carmelina; Lucchi, Marco; De Liperi, Annalisa; Mariani, Giuliano; Fanucchi, Olivia; Mussi, Alfredo

2012-04-01

The demand for adequate tissue sampling to determine individual tumor behavior is increasing the number of lung nodule resections, even when the diagnosis is already recognized. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is the procedure of choice for diagnosis and treatment of small pulmonary nodules. Difficulties in localizing smaller and deeper nodules have been approached with different techniques. Herein we report our 13-years' experience with radio-guided thoracoscopic resection. Patients with pulmonary nodules smaller than 1 cm and/or deeper than 1 cm, below the visceral pleura, underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided injection of a solution, composed of 0.2 ml (99)Tc-labeled human serum albumin microspheres and 0.1 ml nonionic contrast, into the nodule. During the VATS procedure, an 11-mm-diameter collimated probe connected to a gamma ray detector was introduced to scan the lung surface. The area of major radioactivity, which matched with the area of the nodule, was resected. From 1997 to 2009, 573 patients underwent thoracoscopic resection of small pulmonary nodules, 211 with the radio-guided technique. There were 159 men and 52 women, with an average age of 60.6 years (range = 12-83). The mean duration of the surgical procedure was 41 min (range = 20-100). The procedure was successful in 208/211 cases. Three patients (0.5%) required conversion to a minithoracotomy. The mean length of pleural drainage and hospital stay was 2.3 and 3.7 days, respectively. Histological examination showed 98 benign lesions and 113 malignant lesions (61 metastases and 52 primary lung cancers). This study confirms that radio-guided localization of small pulmonary nodules is a feasible, safe, and quick procedure, with a high rate of success. The spread of the sentinel lymph node technique has increased the availability of technology required for RGTS.

Follicular variant of papillary carcinoma presenting as a hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule.

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Gabalec, Filip; Svilias, Ioannis; Plasilova, Ivana; Hovorkova, Eva; Ryska, Aler; Horacek, Jiri

2014-03-01

In this study, we describe a case of papillary carcinoma in a 15-year-old girl who presented with a hyperfunctioning (hot) thyroid nodule and discuss it in the context of current management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules. In adults, hot nodules rarely require cytologic or histologic evaluation, and hyperthyroidism is often treated with radioiodine (131I). However, in children and adolescents, the malignancy rate for nodules (both cold and hot) is higher and surgery is often necessary. Surgery may serve as a therapy, as well as a diagnostic tool, to treat hot nodules in children and adolescents.

Nodule activity and allocation of photosynthate of soybean during recovery from water stress

Science.gov (United States)

Fellows, R. J.; Patterson, R. P.; Raper, C. D. Jr; Harris, D.; Raper CD, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

1987-01-01

Nodulated soybean plants (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Ransom) in a growth-chamber study were subjected to a leaf water potential (psi w) of -2.0 megapascal during vegetative growth. Changes in nonstructural carbohydrate contents of leaves, stems, roots, and nodules, allocation of dry matter among plant parts, in situ specific nodule activity, and in situ canopy apparent photosynthetic rate were measured in stressed and nonstressed plants during a 7-day period following rewatering. Leaf and nodule psi w also were determined. At the time of maximum stress, concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates had declined in leaves of stressed, relative to nonstressed, plants, and the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates had increased in stems, roots, and nodules. Sucrose concentrations in roots and nodules of stressed plants were 1.5 and 3 times greater, respectively, than those of nonstressed plants. Within 12 hours after rewatering, leaf and nodule psi w of stressed plants had returned to values of nonstressed plants. Canopy apparent photosynthesis and specific nodule activity of stressed plants recovered to levels for nonstressed plants within 2 days after rewatering. The elevated sucrose concentrations in roots and nodules of stressed plants also declined rapidly upon rehydration. The increase in sucrose concentration in nodules, as well as the increase of carbohydrates in roots and stems, during water stress and the rapid disappearance upon rewatering indicates that inhibition of carbohydrate utilization within the nodule may be associated with loss of nodule activity. Availability of carbohydrates within the nodules and from photosynthetic activity following rehydration of nodules may mediate the rate of recovery of N2-fixation activity.

Promise and pitfalls of molecular markers of thyroid nodules

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhav, S.; Lila, Anurag; Bandgar, Tushar; Shah, Nalini

2012-01-01

Thyroid nodules are common in the general population with a prevalence of 5-7% The initial evaluation of thyroid nodules commonly involves thyroid function tests, an ultrasound (USG) and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). The optimal management of patients with thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology is plagued by the lack of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic modalities In this article we attempt to review the available literature on the molecular markers which are increasingly being studied for their diagnostic utility in assessing thyroid nodules. The various molecular markers consist of gene mutations, gene re arrangements, RNA based assays and immunohistochemical markers. The molecular markers definitely would help to optimise the management of such patients. PMID:23565369

Promise and pitfalls of molecular markers of thyroid nodules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Jadhav

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Thyroid nodules are common in the general population with a prevalence of 5-7% The initial evaluation of thyroid nodules commonly involves thyroid function tests, an ultrasound (USG and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB. The optimal management of patients with thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology is plagued by the lack of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic modalities In this article we attempt to review the available literature on the molecular markers which are increasingly being studied for their diagnostic utility in assessing thyroid nodules. The various molecular markers consist of gene mutations, gene re arrangements, RNA based assays and immunohistochemical markers. The molecular markers definitely would help to optimise the management of such patients.

Solitary necrotic nodules of the liver mimicking hepatic metastasis: report of two cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Kwon Ha; Yun, Ki Jung; Lee, Jung Min [Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Chang Guhn [Chunbuk National University Medical School, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of)

2000-09-01

We present two cases of solitary necrotic nodules of the liver which on radiologic images mimicked hepatic metastasis. Solitary necrotic nodule of the liver is a rare but benign entity which histopathologically consists of an outer fibrotic capsule with inflammatory cells and a central core of amorphous necrotic material. The lesion was seen on contrast-enhanced CT as an ovoid-shaped hypoattenuating nodule; on CT during hepatic arteriography as enhancing nodule; on intraoperative US as a target-appearing hypoechoic nodule; on T2WI as a hyperintensity nodule, and on dynamic MR as a subtle peripheral enhancing nodule. Although the radiologic features are not specific, solitary necrotic nodule of the liver should be included in the differential diagnosis of hepatic metastasis.

Prognosis of thyroid nodules in individuals living in the Zhitomir region of Ukraine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naomi Hayashida

Full Text Available After the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased among children. Recently, a strong relationship between solid thyroid nodules and the incidence of thyroid cancer was shown in atomic bomb survivors. To assess the prognosis of benign thyroid nodules in individuals living in the Zhitomir region of Ukraine, around the CNPP, we conducted a follow-up investigation of screening data from 1991 to 2000 in the Ukraine.Participants of this study were 160 inhabitants with thyroid nodules (nodule group and 160 inhabitants without thyroid nodules (normal control group intially identified by ultrasonography from 1991 to 2000. All participants were aged 0 to 10 years old and lived in the same area at the time of the accident. We performed follow-up screening of participants and assessed thyroid nodules by fine needle aspiration biopsy.Among the nodule group participants, the number and size of nodules were significantly increased at the follow-up screening compared with the initial screening. No thyroid nodules were observed among the normal control group participants. The prevalence of thyroid abnormality, especially nodules that could be cancerous (malignant or suspicious by fine needle aspiration biopsy, was 7.5% in the nodule group and 0% in the normal control group (P<0.001.Our study indicated that a thyroid nodule in childhood is a prognostic factor associated with an increase in the number and size of nodules in individuals living in the Zhitomir region of Ukraine.

Clinical significance of pulmonary nodules detected on abdominal CT in pediatric patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breen, Micheal; Lee, Edward Y.; Zurakowski, David

2015-01-01

The clinical significance of a pulmonary nodule that is detected incidentally on CT studies in children is unknown. In addition, there is limited information regarding the management of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules discovered on abdominal CT studies in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of incidental pulmonary nodules detected on abdominal CT studies in children. This was a retrospective study performed following institutional review board approval. Abdominal CT reports in patients younger than 18 years of age from July 2004 to June 2011 were reviewed for the terms ''nodule,'' ''nodular'' or ''mass'' in reference to the lung bases. The study population included those pediatric patients in whom pulmonary nodules were initially detected on abdominal CT studies. The largest pulmonary nodules detected on CT studies were evaluated for their features (size, shape, margin, attenuation, location, and presence of calcification and cavitation). Follow-up CT studies and clinical records were reviewed for demographic information, history of underlying malignancies and the clinical outcome of the incidental pulmonary nodules. Comparison of malignant versus benign pulmonary nodules was performed with respect to the size of the nodule, imaging features on CT, and patient history of malignancy using the Student's t-test and Fisher exact test. Youden J-index in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off size for suggesting a high risk of malignancy of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules. Pulmonary nodules meeting inclusion criteria were detected in 62 (1.2%) of 5,234 patients. The mean age of patients with nodules was 11.2 years (range: 5 months-18 years). Thirty-one patients (50%) had follow-up CT studies and two of these patients (6%) were subsequently found to have malignant pulmonary nodules. Both of these

Clinical significance of pulmonary nodules detected on abdominal CT in pediatric patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breen, Micheal; Lee, Edward Y. [Boston Children' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Zurakowski, David [Boston Children' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Departments of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-11-15

The clinical significance of a pulmonary nodule that is detected incidentally on CT studies in children is unknown. In addition, there is limited information regarding the management of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules discovered on abdominal CT studies in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of incidental pulmonary nodules detected on abdominal CT studies in children. This was a retrospective study performed following institutional review board approval. Abdominal CT reports in patients younger than 18 years of age from July 2004 to June 2011 were reviewed for the terms ''nodule,'' ''nodular'' or ''mass'' in reference to the lung bases. The study population included those pediatric patients in whom pulmonary nodules were initially detected on abdominal CT studies. The largest pulmonary nodules detected on CT studies were evaluated for their features (size, shape, margin, attenuation, location, and presence of calcification and cavitation). Follow-up CT studies and clinical records were reviewed for demographic information, history of underlying malignancies and the clinical outcome of the incidental pulmonary nodules. Comparison of malignant versus benign pulmonary nodules was performed with respect to the size of the nodule, imaging features on CT, and patient history of malignancy using the Student's t-test and Fisher exact test. Youden J-index in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off size for suggesting a high risk of malignancy of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules. Pulmonary nodules meeting inclusion criteria were detected in 62 (1.2%) of 5,234 patients. The mean age of patients with nodules was 11.2 years (range: 5 months-18 years). Thirty-one patients (50%) had follow-up CT studies and two of these patients (6%) were subsequently found to have malignant pulmonary nodules. Both of these

Comparison of radionuclide thyroid angiography, Tc-99m-MIBI scintigraphy and power Doppler ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of solitary cold thyroid nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapucu, L.O.; Demirel, K.; Unlu, M.; Yucel, C.; Ozdemir, H.; Ayvaz, G.; Taneri, F.

2002-01-01

Materials and Methods: RTA (n:70), PD (n:58) and Tc-99m-MIBI (n:43) were performed in 70 patients with solitary cold thyroid nodules. Perfusion of the nodules in RTA was compared with the perfusion in the surrounding normal thyroid tissue and classified as follows: 0=avascular, 1 hypovascular; 2=euvascular; 3=hypervascular. Additionally, retention ratios (counts at 2 minutes/peak count value in the region of the nodule) were calculated. PD patterns were classified as follows: type A, perilesional vascular halo; type B, perilesional vascular halo and intralesional vascularisation, subdivided in: 1) with moderate intralesional vascularisation, homogeneous structure and regular vessel caliber and 2) with rich intralesional vascularisation, anarchical structure and winding vessel caliber and flow; type C, perilesional vascular halo with characteristic peripheral large afferent vessel characterized by winding caliber and flow. MIBI uptake in the nodules were scored for both early and delayed images as follows: 0=cold, 1=decreased; 2=equal and 3=increased uptake compared with surrounding thyroid tissue. Semiquantitative analysis was performed using a lesion to non-lesion ratio on early (ER) and delayed images (DR). Additionally, a retention index (RI) was calculated using the formula RI=(DR-ER) x 100/ER. These data were compared with the results of histolopathology. Results: Histology revealed thyroid carcinoma in 9 patients and benign nodular goiter in 61 patients. 8 of the 9 malignant nodules displayed hypervascularisation in RTA. Mean retention ratios were 0.41 (SD±0.13) in malignant nodules and 0.80 (SD±0.12) in benign nodules. There was significant difference in the retention ratios between malignant and benign lesions (p=0.001). A receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine threshold levels for the differentiation of malignant from benign nodules. The specificities of RTA for hypervascular nodules with retention ratio threshold value <0

Promise and pitfalls of molecular markers of thyroid nodules

OpenAIRE

Jadhav, S.; Lila, Anurag; Bandgar, Tushar; Shah, Nalini

2012-01-01

Thyroid nodules are common in the general population with a prevalence of 5-7% The initial evaluation of thyroid nodules commonly involves thyroid function tests, an ultrasound (USG) and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). The optimal management of patients with thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology is plagued by the lack of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic modalities In this article we attempt to review the available literature on the molecular markers which are increasingly ...

Thermal Ablation for Benign Thyroid Nodules: Radiofrequency and Laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baek, Jung Hwan; Lee, Jeong Hyun [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Valcavi, Roberto [Endocrinology Division and Thyroid Disease Center, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Pacella, Claudio M. [Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, Ospedale Regina Apostolorum, Albano Laziale-Rome (IT); Rhim, Hyun Chul [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Na, Dong Kyu [Human Medical Imaging and Intervention Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

Although ethanol ablation has been successfully used to treat cystic thyroid nodules, this procedure is less effective when the thyroid nodules are solid. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation, a newer procedure used to treat malignant liver tumors, has been valuable in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules regardless of the extent of the solid component. This article reviews the basic physics, techniques, applications, results, and complications of thyroid RF ablation, in comparison to laser ablation.

Rare earth element geochemistry of oceanic ferromanganese nodules and associated sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Elderfield, H.; Hawkesworth, C. J.; Greaves, M. J.; Calvert, S. E.

1981-04-01

Analyses have been made of REE contents of a well-characterized suite of deep-sea (> 4000 m.) principally todorokite-bearing ferromanganese nodules and associated sediments from the Pacific Ocean. REE in nodules and their sediments are closely related: nodules with the largest positive Ce anomalies are found on sediments with the smallest negative Ce anomalies; in contrast, nodules with the highest contents of other rare earths (3 + REE) are found on sediments with the lowest 3 + REE contents and vice versa. 143Nd /144Nd ratios in the nodules (˜0.51244) point to an original seawater source but an identical ratio for sediments in combination with the REE patterns suggests that diagenetic reactions may transfer elements into the nodules. Analysis of biogenic phases shows that the direct contribution of plankton and carbonate and siliceous skeletal materials to REE contents of nodules and sediments is negligible. Inter-element relationships and leaching tests suggest that REE contents are controlled by a P-rich phase with a REE pattern similar to that for biogenous apatite and an Fe-rich phase with a pattern the mirror image of that for sea water. It is proposed that 3 + REE concentrations are controlled by the surface chemistry of these phases during diagenetic reactions which vary with sediment accumulation rate. Processes which favour the enrichment of transition metals in equatorial Pacific nodules favour the depletion of 3 + REE in nodules and enrichment of 3 + REE in associated sediments. In contrast, Ce appears to be added both to nodules and sediments directly from seawater and is not involved in diagenetic reactions.

Laser, radiofrequency, and ethanol ablation for the management of thyroid nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Papini, Enrico; Gugliemi, Rinaldo; Pacella, Claudio Maurizio

2016-10-01

The majority of benign thyroid nodules are nearly asymptomatic, remain stable in size, and do not require treatment. However, a minority of patients with growing nodules may complain of local symptoms or have cosmetic concerns, and thus seek surgical consultation. The timely use of ultrasound-guided minimally invasive procedures can change the natural history of benign enlarging thyroid nodules. The procedures produce persistent shrinkage of thyroid nodules and are associated with improvement of local symptoms. Among the various procedures, percutaneous ethanol injection represents the first-line treatment for relapsing thyroid cysts. In solid nonfunctioning nodules, laser and radiofrequency ablation produces a more than 50% reduction in nodular volume that remains persistent over several years. For hyperfunctioning nodules, thermal ablation techniques are not appropriate unless radioactive iodine is contraindicated or not accessible. MITs are best suited for the management of medium or large-sized nodules that are sonographically well visualized. Conversely, large nodules or nodular goiters that extend into the chest are difficult to treat. MITs are performed in outpatient clinics, are less expensive, and have a lower risk of complications, compared to surgery, and usually do not induce thyroid dysfunction. However, malignancy should be ruled out with a dedicated ultrasound neck assessment and repeat fine needle aspiration of the lesion before treatment.

Inflammatory nodule mimicking a phrenic neoplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Vannucci, Jacopo; Scarnecchia, Elisa; Del Sordo, Rachele; Cagini, Lucio; Puma, Francesco

2016-05-01

Isolated phrenic nerve nodule is usually a primitive tumour. Surgery is diagnostic and therapeutic at the same time. We report the case of a completely serum-negative Caucasian male with a right diaphragmatic relaxation associated to an isolated small nodule of the phrenic nerve. The patient was referred to our unit complaining shortness of breath and progressive fatigue. A standard chest X-ray showed right diaphragmatic palsy; chest scanning revealed a nodular lesion belonging to the right phrenic nerve. Positron emission tomography was negative for glucose uptake. The preoperative diagnosis of primitive neurogenic tumour was thus supposed, and the patient treated by the lesion's surgical resection along with diaphragmatic plication. Histopathological examination revealed an idiopathic inflammatory nodule of the phrenic nerve. Such condition has not previously been reported in the literature among the possible aetiology of a diaphragmatic relaxation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The distribution of uranium in some Pacific manganese nodules and crusts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunzendorf, H.; Glasby, G.P.; Plueger, W.L.; Friedrich, G.H.

1982-01-01

A total of 1386 bulk samples of manganese nodules from several areas of the North and South Pacific were analysed for uranium; variations in the U contents of nodules within individual nodules and crusts have been documented on a local scale and on a regional scale. Uranium appears to be one of those elements not associated with the biogenic cycling of elements into nodules in the equatorial high-productivity zone. The principal factor controlling these variations appears to be the clear association of U with Fe in the nodules. Uranium is therefore most probably coprecipitated with Fe from seawater in an iron-rich ferromanganese oxide phase. This explains the higher U contents of nodules containing MnO 2 compared to 10A manganite as the principal manganese oxide phase. Data for a manganese crust from the equatorial North Pacific nodule belt suggest normal seawater deposition for uranium and other metals (Mn, Fe, Ni and Cu) superimposed on possibly basalt alteration as the principal growth mechanisms for the crust. (Auth.)

Genetic variation in nodule size at different sites on the skins of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Apart from the limitations evident from these results, the objective measurement of nodules on ostrich skins is tedious when done manually, with little prospect for automation. The number of nodules per dm² (nodule density) was considered within skin sites as an indirect criterion for the improvement of nodule size. However ...

Disruption of sphingolipid biosynthesis in hepatocyte nodules: selective proliferative stimulus induced by fumonisin B1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westhuizen, Liana van der; Gelderblom, Wentzel C.A.; Shephard, Gordon S.; Swanevelder, Sonja

2004-01-01

In order to investigate the role of sphingolipid disruption in the cancer promoting potential of fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) in the development of hepatocyte nodules, male Fischer 344 rats were subjected to cancer initiation (FB 1 containing diet or diethylnitrosamine (DEN) by i.p. injection) and promotion (2-acetylaminofluorene with partial hepatectomy, 2-AAF/PH) treatments followed by a secondary FB 1 dietary regimen. Sphinganine (Sa) and sphingosine (So) levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography in control, surrounding and nodular liver tissues of the rats. The disruption of sphingolipid biosynthesis by the secondary FB 1 treatment in the control rats was significantly (P 1 initiation and 2-AAF/PH promotion. When comparing the groups subjected to the secondary FB 1 treatment, the initiation effected by FB 1 was less (P 1 initiation was marginally increased in the nodules compared to the surrounding liver after 2-AAF/PH promotion and significantly (P 1 treatment. Although, the FB 1 -induced hepatocyte nodules were not resistant to the disruption of sphingolipid biosynthesis, the nodular So levels were increased and might provide a selective growth stimulus possibly induced by bio-active sphingoid intermediates such as sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)

Usefulness of the CAD System for Detecting Pulmonary Nodule in Real Clinical Practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kyoung Doo; Chung, Myung Jin; Kim, Hee Cheol; Lee, Kyung Soo; Jeong, Sun Young

2011-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of the computer-aided detection (CAD) system for detecting pulmonary nodules in real clinical practice by using the CT images. Our Institutional Review Board approved our retrospective study with a waiver of informed consent. This study included 166 CT examinations that were performed for the evaluation of pulmonary metastasis in 166 patients with colorectal cancer. All the CT examinations were interpreted by radiologists and they were also evaluated by the CAD system. All the nodules detected by the CAD system were evaluated with regard to whether or not they were true nodules, and they were classified into micro nodules (MN, diameter < 4 mm) and significant nodules (SN, 4 ≤ diameter ≤ 10 mm). The radiologic reports and CAD results were compared. The CAD system helped detect 426 nodules: 115 (27%) of the 426 nodules were classified as true nodules and 35 (30%) of the 115 nodules were SNs, and 83 (72%) of the 115 were not mentioned in the radiologists' reports and three (4%) of the 83 nodules were non-calcified SNs. One of three non-calcified SNs was confirmed as a metastatic nodule. According to the radiologists' reports, 60 true nodules were detected, and 28 of the 60 were not detected by the CAD system. Although the CAD system missed many SNs that are detected by radiologists, it helps detect additional nodules that are missed by the radiologists in real clinical practice. Therefore, the CAD system can be useful to support a radiologist's detection performance

Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules at Colorectal Cancer Staging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordholm-Carstensen, Andreas; Wille-Jørgensen, Peer A; Jorgensen, Lars N

2013-01-01

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of indeterminate pulmonary nodules and specific radiological and clinical characteristics that predict malignancy of these at initial staging chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with colorectal cancer. A considerable number of indeterminate...... pulmonary nodules, which cannot readily be classified as either benign or malignant, are detected at initial staging chest CT in colorectal cancer patients....

Spatial resolution and chest nodule detection: an interesting incidental finding

Science.gov (United States)

Toomey, R. J.; McEntee, M. F.; Ryan, J. T.; Evanoff, M. G.; Hayes, A.; Brennan, P. C.

2010-02-01

This study reports an incidental finding from a larger work. It examines the relationship between spatial resolution and nodule detection for chest radiographs. Twelve examining radiologists with the American Board of Radiology read thirty chest radiographs in two conditions - full (1500 × 1500 pixel) resolution, and 300 × 300 pixel resolution linearly interpolated to 1500 × 1500 pixels. All images were surrounded by a 10-pixel sharp grey border to aid in focussing the observer's eye when viewing the comparatively unsharp interpolated images. Fifteen of the images contained a single simulated pulmonary nodule. Observers were asked to rate their confidence that a nodule was present on each radiograph on a scale of 1 (least confidence, certain no lesion is present) to 6 (most confidence, certain a lesion was present). All other abnormalities were to be ignored. No windowing, levelling or magnification of the images was permitted and viewing distance was constrained to approximately 70cm. Images were displayed on a 3 megapixel greyscale monitor. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to the results of the readings using the Dorfman-Berbaum-Metz multiplereader, multiple-case method. No statistically significant differences were found with either readers and cases treated as random or with cases treated as fixed. Low spatial frequency information appears to be sufficient for the detection of chest lesion of the type used in this study.

Characteristic CT Findings After Percutaneous Cryoablation Treatment of Malignant Lung Nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Ammar; Grechushkin, Vadim; Hoshmand, Mahsa; Kim, Choo Won; Pena, Andres; Huston, Brett; Chaya, Yair; Bilfinger, Thomas; Moore, William

2015-10-01

Assess computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics after percutaneous cryotherapy for lung cancer.A retrospective IRB-approved analysis of 40 patients who underwent nonsurgical treatment for primary stage 1 lung cancer performed from January 2007 to March 2011 was included in this study. All procedures were performed using general anesthesia and CT guidance. Follow-up imaging with CT of the chest was obtained at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postprocedure to evaluate the ablated lung nodule. Nodule surface area, density (in Hounsfield units), and presence or absence of cavitations were recorded. In addition, the degree of nodule enhancement was also recorded. Patients who were unable to obtain the aforementioned follow-up were excluded from the study.Thirty-six patients underwent percutaneous cryoablation with men to women ratio of 75% with mean age for men 74.6 and mean age for women 74.3 years of age. The average nodule surface area preablation and postcryoablation at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups were 2.99, 7.86, 3.89, 3.18 and 3.07[REPLACEMENT CHARACTER]cm, respectively. The average precontrast nodule density before cryoablation was 8.9 and average precontrast nodule density postprocedure at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months follow-ups were 8.5, -5.9, -9.4, and -3.8 HU, respectively. There is increased attenuation of lung nodules over time with an average postcontrast enhancement of 11.4, 18.5, 16.1, and 25.7 HU at the aforementioned time intervals. Cavitations occurred in the cryoablation zone in 53% (19/36) of patients. 80.6% (29/36) of the cavitations in the cryoablation zone resolved within 12 months. Four patients (11%) had recurrence of tumor at the site of cryoablation and none of the patients had satellite or distant metastasis.Our study shows that patients who underwent cryotherapy for lung nodules treatment had characteristic changes on follow-up CT including. The surface area of the nodule increases at the 1-month follow-up with

The Activity of Nodules of the Supernodulating Mutant Mtsunn Is not Limited by Photosynthesis under Optimal Growth Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo A. Cabeza

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Legumes match the nodule number to the N demand of the plant. When a mutation in the regulatory mechanism deprives the plant of that ability, an excessive number of nodules are formed. These mutants show low productivity in the fields, mainly due to the high carbon burden caused through the necessity to supply numerous nodules. The objective of this study was to clarify whether through optimal conditions for growth and CO2 assimilation a higher nodule activity of a supernodulating mutant of Medicago truncatula (M. truncatula can be induced. Several experimental approaches reveal that under the conditions of our experiments, the nitrogen fixation of the supernodulating mutant, designated as sunn (super numeric nodules, was not limited by photosynthesis. Higher specific nitrogen fixation activity could not be induced through short- or long-term increases in CO2 assimilation around shoots. Furthermore, a whole plant P depletion induced a decline in nitrogen fixation, however this decline did not occur significantly earlier in sunn plants, nor was it more intense compared to the wild-type. However, a distinctly different pattern of nitrogen fixation during the day/night cycles of the experiment indicates that the control of N2 fixing activity of the large number of nodules is an additional problem for the productivity of supernodulating mutants.

Elevated CO2 concentration around alfalfa nodules increases N2 fixation

OpenAIRE

Fischinger, Stephanie A.; Hristozkova, Marieta; Mainassara, Zaman-Allah; Schulze, Joachim

2009-01-01

Nodule CO2 fixation via PEPC provides malate for bacteroids and oxaloacetate for N assimilation. The process is therefore of central importance for efficient nitrogen fixation. Nodule CO2 fixation is known to depend on external CO2 concentration. The hypothesis of the present paper was that nitrogen fixation in alfalfa plants is enhanced when the nodules are exposed to elevated CO2 concentrations. Therefore nodulated plants of alfalfa were grown in a hydroponic system that allowed separate ae...

Scintigraphy of the functioning thyroid nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahlstedt, J.

2008-01-01

The evaluation of functioning thyroid nodules is achieved by use of several Iodine isotopes, while in clinical routine 99m Tc-Pertechnetate is dominating. For classification the terms hyperfunctional, isofunctional (normal) and hypofunctional are useful in comparison to the surrounding normally functioning thyroid tissue, which can be stimulated or suppressed. Therefore, autonomous functioning thyroid nodules can vary the scintigraphic appearance. For precise description the terms 'compensation' and 'decompensation' have to be used in relation to scintigraphy or thyroidal metabolism (regulation). (orig.)

Evaluation of proliferation potential in thyroid normo-/hypofunctioning and hyperfunctioning nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornianu, Marioara; Stan, V; Lazăr, Elena; Dema, Alis; Golu, Ioana; Tăban, Sorina; Vlad, Mihaela; Faur, Alexandra; Vărcuş, F; Babău, F

2011-01-01

Thyroid follicular adenomas (FA) and adenomatous thyroid nodules (AN) - lesions that are frequently found in areas with iodine deficiency, can be normo-/hypofunctioning (scintigraphically cold - SCN) or hyperfunctioning (scintigraphically hot - SHN) nodules. Evaluation of proliferation potential in thyroid nodules on tissue samples obtained at surgery from euthyroid patients clinically diagnosed with SCN and from patients with thyroid hyperfunction and SHN. We investigated the proliferation activity estimated by assessing PCNA and Ki-67 proliferation markers in 20 SCN (eight FA and 12 AN) and 16 toxic nodules (six hyperfunctioning FA and 10 toxic multinodular goiters), on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples, 4-5 μm thick; we used the immunohistochemical technique in LSAB system (DAB visualization) with anti-PCNA (PC10) and anti-Ki-67 (MIB-1) monoclonal antibodies. For each case, we calculated the proliferation index PI-PCNA and PI-Ki-67. The dates were statistically evaluated using the t-unpaired test. We observed a higher PI-PCNA in thyroid nodules than in the normal surrounding thyroid tissue, with statistically significant values for FA (14.3% vs. 3.8%; pnodules vs. surrounding thyroid tissue was 1.64% vs. 1.10% in FA (p0.05). We also noted: (1) significantly higher PI-PCNA values (p 0.05); (2) increased proliferation rate (pthyroid nodules with aspects of lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) (PI-Ki-67 was 1.21%) as compared to nodules without LT (PI-Ki-67 was 0.12%); (3) a mean PI-PCNA of 8.5% and PI-Ki-67 of 4.61% in toxic thyroid nodules (TTN) vs. 3.01% and 1.5% in normal surrounding thyroid, respectively. The clinical expression of SCN is the consequence of increased thyrocyte proliferation in the nodules; the increased proliferative potential of TTN thyrocytes is a common feature of nodules, independent of their histopathological characteristics.

Computerized detection of lung nodules by means of "virtual dual-energy" radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sheng; Suzuki, Kenji

2013-02-01

Major challenges in current computer-aided detection (CADe) schemes for nodule detection in chest radiographs (CXRs) are to detect nodules that overlap with ribs and/or clavicles and to reduce the frequent false positives (FPs) caused by ribs. Detection of such nodules by a CADe scheme is very important, because radiologists are likely to miss such subtle nodules. Our purpose in this study was to develop a CADe scheme with improved sensitivity and specificity by use of "virtual dual-energy" (VDE) CXRs where ribs and clavicles are suppressed with massive-training artificial neural networks (MTANNs). To reduce rib-induced FPs and detect nodules overlapping with ribs, we incorporated the VDE technology in our CADe scheme. The VDE technology suppressed rib and clavicle opacities in CXRs while maintaining soft-tissue opacity by use of the MTANN technique that had been trained with real dual-energy imaging. Our scheme detected nodule candidates on VDE images by use of a morphologic filtering technique. Sixty morphologic and gray-level-based features were extracted from each candidate from both original and VDE CXRs. A nonlinear support vector classifier was employed for classification of the nodule candidates. A publicly available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs and 93 normal CXRs was used for testing our CADe scheme. All nodules were confirmed by computed tomography examinations, and the average size of the nodules was 17.8 mm. Thirty percent (42/140) of the nodules were rated "extremely subtle" or "very subtle" by a radiologist. The original scheme without VDE technology achieved a sensitivity of 78.6% (110/140) with 5 (1165/233) FPs per image. By use of the VDE technology, more nodules overlapping with ribs or clavicles were detected and the sensitivity was improved substantially to 85.0% (119/140) at the same FP rate in a leave-one-out cross-validation test, whereas the FP rate was reduced to 2.5 (583/233) per image at the same sensitivity level as the

An automated image analysis framework for segmentation and division plane detection of single live Staphylococcus aureus cells which can operate at millisecond sampling time scales using bespoke Slimfield microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Wollman, Adam J. M.; Miller, Helen; Foster, Simon; Leake, Mark C.

2016-10-01

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen, giving rise to antimicrobial resistance in cell strains such as Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Here we report an image analysis framework for automated detection and image segmentation of cells in S. aureus cell clusters, and explicit identification of their cell division planes. We use a new combination of several existing analytical tools of image analysis to detect cellular and subcellular morphological features relevant to cell division from millisecond time scale sampled images of live pathogens at a detection precision of single molecules. We demonstrate this approach using a fluorescent reporter GFP fused to the protein EzrA that localises to a mid-cell plane during division and is involved in regulation of cell size and division. This image analysis framework presents a valuable platform from which to study candidate new antimicrobials which target the cell division machinery, but may also have more general application in detecting morphologically complex structures of fluorescently labelled proteins present in clusters of other types of cells.

Lung nodule volumetry: segmentation algorithms within the same software package cannot be used interchangeably.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ashraf, H.; Hoop, B.J. de; Shaker, S.B.; Dirksen, A.; Bach, K.S.; Hansen, H.; Prokop, M.; Pedersen, J.H.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We examined the reproducibility of lung nodule volumetry software that offers three different volumetry algorithms. METHODS: In a lung cancer screening trial, 188 baseline nodules >5 mm were identified. Including follow-ups, these nodules formed a study-set of 545 nodules. Nodules were

Frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules in children at computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samim, Atia; Littooij, Annemieke S.; Wessels, Frank J.; Nievelstein, Rutger A.J.; Jong, Pim A. de [University Medical Centre Utrecht/Wilhelmina Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M. van den [Princess Maxima Centre for Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2017-12-15

Normative data on pulmonary nodules in children without malignancy are limited. Knowledge of the frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules in healthy children can influence care decisions in children with malignant disease. To provide normative data concerning the frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules on computed tomography (CT) in young children. All children ages 1 year-12 years who underwent chest CT after high-energy trauma were retrospectively investigated. Exclusion criteria were a history of malignancy, thick image slices, motion artefacts and extensive post-traumatic pulmonary changes. Two radiologists were asked to independently identify all nodules and to characterize each nodule with respect to location, size, perifissural location and calcification. Discrepancies were adjudicated by a third reader, who set the reference standard in this study. Interobserver agreement in detection and characterization was assessed using the kappa coefficient (κ). Identified were 120 patients, of whom 72 (75% male; median age: 8.0 years [interquartile range: 4-11]) were included. A total of 59 pulmonary nodules were present in 27 patients (38%; 95% confidence interval: 26-49%; range: 1-5 nodules per patient, with a mean diameter of 3.2 mm [standard deviation: 0.9 mm]). For nodule detection, the per-patient interobserver agreement was substantial (κ=0.78) and per-lobe agreement was moderate (κ=0.40). For characterization, there was fair to substantial agreement (κ=0.36-0.74). Small pulmonary nodules on chest CT are a common finding in otherwise healthy children, but detection and characterization have only moderate interobserver agreement. (orig.)

Frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules in children at computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samim, Atia; Littooij, Annemieke S.; Wessels, Frank J.; Nievelstein, Rutger A.J.; Jong, Pim A. de; Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M. van den

2017-01-01

Normative data on pulmonary nodules in children without malignancy are limited. Knowledge of the frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules in healthy children can influence care decisions in children with malignant disease. To provide normative data concerning the frequency and characteristics of pulmonary nodules on computed tomography (CT) in young children. All children ages 1 year-12 years who underwent chest CT after high-energy trauma were retrospectively investigated. Exclusion criteria were a history of malignancy, thick image slices, motion artefacts and extensive post-traumatic pulmonary changes. Two radiologists were asked to independently identify all nodules and to characterize each nodule with respect to location, size, perifissural location and calcification. Discrepancies were adjudicated by a third reader, who set the reference standard in this study. Interobserver agreement in detection and characterization was assessed using the kappa coefficient (κ). Identified were 120 patients, of whom 72 (75% male; median age: 8.0 years [interquartile range: 4-11]) were included. A total of 59 pulmonary nodules were present in 27 patients (38%; 95% confidence interval: 26-49%; range: 1-5 nodules per patient, with a mean diameter of 3.2 mm [standard deviation: 0.9 mm]). For nodule detection, the per-patient interobserver agreement was substantial (κ=0.78) and per-lobe agreement was moderate (κ=0.40). For characterization, there was fair to substantial agreement (κ=0.36-0.74). Small pulmonary nodules on chest CT are a common finding in otherwise healthy children, but detection and characterization have only moderate interobserver agreement. (orig.)

Percutaneous ethanol injection of large autonomous hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarantino, L; Giorgio, A; Mariniello, N; de Stefano, G; Perrotta, A; Aloisio, V; Tamasi, S; Forestieri, M C; Esposito, F; Esposito, F; Finizia, L; Voza, A

2000-01-01

To verify the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of large (>30-mL) hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. Twelve patients (eight women, four men; age range, 26-76 years) with a large hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule (volume range, 33-90 mL; mean, 46.08 mL) underwent PEI treatment under ultrasonographic (US) guidance. US was used to calculate the volume of the nodules and to assess the diffusion of the ethanol in the lesions during the procedure. When incomplete necrosis of the nodule was depicted at scintigraphy performed 3 months after treatment, additional PEI sessions were performed. Four to 11 PEI sessions (mean, seven) were performed in each patient, with an injection of 3-14 mL of 99.8% ethanol per session (total amount of ethanol per patient, 30-108 mL; mean, 48.5 mL). At scintigraphy after treatment in all patients, recovery of extranodular uptake, absence of uptake in the nodule, and normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone (thyrotropin) levels were observed. In all patients, US showed volume reductions of 30%-50% after 3 months and 40%-80% after 6-9 months. Side effects were self-limiting in all patients. During the 6-48-month follow-up, no recurrence was observed. PEI is an effective and safe technique for the treatment of large hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

Effects of Different Reconstruction Parameters on CT Volumetric Measurement 
of Pulmonary Nodules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongrong YANG

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that volumetric measurements could detect subtle changes in small pulmonary nodules in serial CT scans, and thus may play an important role in the follow-up of indeterminate pulmonary nodules and in differentiating malignant nodules from benign nodules. The current study aims to evaluate the effects of different reconstruction parameters on the volumetric measurements of pulmonary nodules in chest CT scans. Methods Thirty subjects who underwent chest CT scan because of indeterminate pulmonary nodules in General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from December 2009 to August 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 52 pulmonary nodules were included, and all CT data were reconstructed using three reconstruction algorithms and three slice thicknesses. The volumetric measurements of the nodules were performed using the advanced lung analysis (ALA software. The effects of the reconstruction algorithms, slice thicknesses, and nodule diameters on the volumetric measurements were assessed using the multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures, the correlation analysis, and the Bland-Altman method. Results The reconstruction algorithms (F=13.6, P<0.001 and slice thicknesses (F=4.4, P=0.02 had significant effects on the measured volume of pulmonary nodules. In addition, the coefficients of variation of nine measurements were inversely related with nodule diameter (r=-0.814, P<0.001. The volume measured at the 2.5 mm slice thickness had poor agreement with the volumes measured at 1.25 mm and 0.625 mm, respectively. Moreover, the best agreement was achieved between the slice thicknesses of 1.25 mm and 0.625 mm using the bone algorithm. Conclusion Reconstruction algorithms and slice thicknesses have significant impacts on the volumetric measurements of lung nodules, especially for the small nodules. Therefore, the reconstruction setting in serial CT scans should be consistent in the follow

10Be in manganese nodules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, J.; Parker, P.; Mangini, A.; Cochran, K.; Turekian, K.; Krishnaswami, S.; Sharma, P.

1981-01-01

10 Be (t/sub 1/2) = 1.5 MY) is(formed in the upper atmosphere by cosmic ray spallation on nitrogen and oxygen. It is transported to the earth's surface via precipitation. In the oceans it is eventually associated with solid phases depositing on the ocean floor such as manganese nodules and deep-sea sediments. One of the assumptions that is normally made in analysis of such processes is that 10 Be has been produced at a relatively uniform rate over the pat several million years. If we assume, in addition, that the initial specific concentration of 10 Be as it precipitates with a solid phase is invariant with time, then we would expect that the decrease of the 10 Be concentration as a function of depth in a deep-sea core or in a manganese nodule would provide a record of sediment accumulation rate in the former and of growth rate in the latter. The possibility of using cosmic-ray produced 10 Be for the dating of marine deposits had been proposed 25 years ago by Arnold and Goel et al. The method of analysis used by these investigators, and those subsequently pursuing the problem, was low-level β counting. Though the potential of using 10 Be for dating manganese nodules was explored more than a decade ago, only a few measurements of 10 Be in nodules exist in date. This is largely because of the 10 Be measurements in environmental samples have gained considerable momentum during the past 3 to 4 years, after the development of accelerator mass spectrometry for its determination

A Multicenter Prospective Validation Study for the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in Patients with Thyroid Nodules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Eun Ju [Department of Radiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Won-Jin [Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05030 (Korea, Republic of); Na, Dong Gyu [Department of Radiology, Human Medical Imaging and Intervention Center, Seoul 06524 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young Hen [Department of Radiology, Ansan Hospital, Korea University School of Medicine, Ansan 15355 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Nami [Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05030 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Soo Jin [Department of Radiology, Human Medical Imaging and Intervention Center, Seoul 06524 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Radiology, New Korea Hospital, Gimpo 10086 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Kyun [Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul 06973 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-01

To validate a new risk stratification system for thyroid nodules, the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), using a prospective design. From June 2013 to May 2015, 902 thyroid nodules were enrolled from four institutions. The type and predictive value of ultrasonography (US) predictors were analyzed according to the combination of the solidity and echogenicity of nodules; in addition, we determined malignancy risk and diagnostic performance for each category of K-TIRADS, and compared the efficacy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with a three-tier risk categorization system published in 2011. The malignancy risk was significantly higher in solid hypoechoic nodules, as compared to partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (each p < 0.001). The presence of any suspicious US features had a significantly higher malignancy risk (73.4%) in solid hypoechoic nodules than in partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (4.3–38.5%; p < 0.001). The calculated malignancy risk in K-TIRADS categories 5, 4, 3, and 2 nodules were 73.4, 19.0, 3.5, and 0.0%, respectively; and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for malignancy were 95.5, 58.6, 44.5, 96.9, and 69.5%, respectively, in K-TIRADS categories 4 and 5. The efficacy of FNA for detecting malignancy based on K-TIRADS was increased from 18.6% (101/544) to 22.5% (101/449), as compared with the three-tier risk categorization system (p < 0.001). The proposed new risk stratification system based on solidity and echogenicity was useful for risk stratification of thyroid nodules and the decision for FNA. The malignancy risk of K-TIRADS was in agreement with the findings of a previous retrospective study.

A multicenter prospective validation study for the Korea thyroid imaging reporting and data system in patients with thyroid nodules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Eun Ju [Dept. of Radiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Won Jin; Choi, Nami [Dept. of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Na, Dong Gyu; Kim, Soo Jin [Dept. of Radiology, Human Medical Imaging and Intervention Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young Hen [Dept. of Radiology, Ansan Hospital, Korea University School of Medicine, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Kyun [Dept. of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

To validate a new risk stratification system for thyroid nodules, the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), using a prospective design. From June 2013 to May 2015, 902 thyroid nodules were enrolled from four institutions. The type and predictive value of ultrasonography (US) predictors were analyzed according to the combination of the solidity and echogenicity of nodules; in addition, we determined malignancy risk and diagnostic performance for each category of K-TIRADS, and compared the efficacy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with a three-tier risk categorization system published in 2011. The malignancy risk was significantly higher in solid hypoechoic nodules, as compared to partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (each p < 0.001). The presence of any suspicious US features had a significantly higher malignancy risk (73.4%) in solid hypoechoic nodules than in partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (4.3–38.5%; p < 0.001). The calculated malignancy risk in K-TIRADS categories 5, 4, 3, and 2 nodules were 73.4, 19.0, 3.5, and 0.0%, respectively; and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for malignancy were 95.5, 58.6, 44.5, 96.9, and 69.5%, respectively, in K-TIRADS categories 4 and 5. The efficacy of FNA for detecting malignancy based on K-TIRADS was increased from 18.6% (101/544) to 22.5% (101/449), as compared with the three-tier risk categorization system (p < 0.001). The proposed new risk stratification system based on solidity and echogenicity was useful for risk stratification of thyroid nodules and the decision for FNA. The malignancy risk of K-TIRADS was in agreement with the findings of a previous retrospective study.

Paediatric CT: the effects of increasing image noise on pulmonary nodule detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punwani, Shonit; Davies, Warren; Greenhalgh, Rebecca; Humphries, Paul; Zhang, Jie

2008-01-01

A radiation dose of any magnitude can produce a detrimental effect manifesting as an increased risk of cancer. Cancer development may be delayed for many years following radiation exposure. Minimizing radiation dose in children is particularly important. However, reducing the dose can reduce image quality and may, therefore, hinder lesion detection. We investigated the effects of reducing the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on CT lung nodule detection for a range of nodule sizes. A simulated nodule was placed at the periphery of the lung on an axial CT slice using image editing software. Multiple copies of the manipulated image were saved with various levels of superimposed noise. The image creation process was repeated for a range of nodule sizes. For a given nodule size, output images were read independently by four Fellows of The Royal College of Radiologists. The overall sensitivities in detecting nodules for the SNR ranges 0.8-0.99, 1-1.49, and 1.5-2.35 were 40.5%, 77.3% and 90.3%, respectively, and the specificities were 47.9%, 73.3% and 75%, respectively. The sensitivity for detecting lung nodules increased with nodule size and increasing SNR. There was 100% sensitivity for the detection of nodules of 4-10 mm in diameter at SNRs greater than 1.5. Reducing medical radiation doses in children is of paramount importance. For chest CT examinations this may be counterbalanced by reduced sensitivity and specificity combined with an increased uncertainty of pulmonary nodule detection. This study demonstrates that pulmonary nodules of 4 mm and greater in diameter can be detected with 100% sensitivity provided that the perceived image SNR is greater than 1.5. (orig.)

Exposure of Human CD8+ T Cells to Type-2 Cytokines Impairs Division and Differentiation and Induces Limited Polarization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette Fox

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Effector CD8+ T cells generally produce type-1 cytokines and mediators of the perforin/granzyme cytolytic pathway, yet type-2-polarized CD8+ cells (Tc2 are detected in type-2 (T2 cytokine-driven diseases such as asthma. It is unclear whether T2 cytokine exposure during activation is sufficient to polarize human CD8+ T cells. To address this question, a protocol was developed for high-efficiency activation of human CD8+ T cells in which purified single cells or populations were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 and anti-CD11a mAb for up to 8 days in T2 polarizing or neutral conditions, before functional analysis. Activation of CD8+ naïve T cells (TN in T2 compared with neutral conditions decreased the size of single-cell clones, although early division kinetics were equivalent, indicating an effect on overall division number. Activation of TN in T2 conditions followed by brief anti-CD3 mAb restimulation favored expression of T2 cytokines, GATA3 and Eomes, and lowered expression of type-1 cytokines, Prf1, Gzmb, T-BET, and Prdm1. However, IL-4 was only weakly expressed, and PMA and ionomycin restimulation favored IFN-γ over IL-4 expression. Activation of TN in T2 compared with neutral conditions prevented downregulation of costimulatory (CD27, CD28 and lymph-node homing receptors (CCR7 and CD95 acquisition, which typically occur during differentiation into effector phenotypes. CD3 was rapidly and substantially induced after activation in neutral, but not T2 conditions, potentially contributing to greater division and differentiation in neutral conditions. CD8+ central memory T cells (TCM were less able to enter division upon reactivation in T2 compared with neutral conditions, and were more refractory to modulating IFN-γ and IL-4 production than CD8+ TN. In summary, while activation of TN in T2 conditions can generate T2 cytokine-biased cells, IL-4 expression is weak, T2 bias is lost upon strong restimulation, differentiation, and division

Nodulation and nitrogen uptake characteristics as selection indices for promiscuous soybean breeding in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ababio, R.C.; Sanginga, K.E.; Dashiell, K.E.

2001-01-01

Selection for atmospheric dinitrogen fixation in promiscuous soybeans by indigenous rhizobia populations is usually determined indirectly based on visual assessment of nodulation. As the method has been criticized extensively, we have examined this assay in relation to other N 2 fixation indices by evaluating growth of promiscuous soybeans in four ecological zones of Nigeria. Nodulation was affected considerably by rainfall indigenous, rhizobia populations and soil P. The N 2 fixation indices measured, nodule development, apparent effectiveness, total N accumulation and N derived from fixation, varied among soybean genotypes. The visual nodule assessment index correlated with nodule weight (r = 0.74; P = 0.01), but had no significant correlation (r = 0.13) with proportion of apparent effective nodules. All nodule parameters, however, correlated significantly (r = 0.16-0.71; P=0.05) with total N accumulation and seed yield. The percent apparent effectiveness of nodules was a superior index to nodule score and nodule number but inferior to nodule mass. Total N accumulation patterns in the genotypes indicated that N 2 fixation in some genotypes could be substantial during the reproductive growth phase and may serve as suitable criteria for selection. Therefore, in low N soils, percent nodule effectiveness and total N accumulation may be used to augment the visual scores particularly for genotypes, which seem to nodulate profusely with indigenous rhizohia populations (author)

Deep learning aided decision support for pulmonary nodules diagnosing: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yixin; Feng, Xiaoyi; Chi, Wenhao; Li, Zhengyang; Duan, Wenzhe; Liu, Haiping; Liang, Wenhua; Wang, Wei; Chen, Ping; He, Jianxing; Liu, Bo

2018-04-01

Deep learning techniques have recently emerged as promising decision supporting approaches to automatically analyze medical images for different clinical diagnosing purposes. Diagnosing of pulmonary nodules by using computer-assisted diagnosing has received considerable theoretical, computational, and empirical research work, and considerable methods have been developed for detection and classification of pulmonary nodules on different formats of images including chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography in the past five decades. The recent remarkable and significant progress in deep learning for pulmonary nodules achieved in both academia and the industry has demonstrated that deep learning techniques seem to be promising alternative decision support schemes to effectively tackle the central issues in pulmonary nodules diagnosing, including feature extraction, nodule detection, false-positive reduction, and benign-malignant classification for the huge volume of chest scan data. The main goal of this investigation is to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of the deep learning aided decision support for pulmonary nodules diagnosing. As far as the authors know, this is the first time that a review is devoted exclusively to deep learning techniques for pulmonary nodules diagnosing.

Size analyses and geochemistry of ferromanganese nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Valsangkar, A.B.; Khadge, N.H.

. Morphology indicates that spheroidal and ellipsoidal nodules of rough type (Sr) belonging to classes 1 ( 2 cm) and 2 (2-4 cm) are more abundant. The concentration of Mn, Fe, Cu, Ni, and Co in 84 samples varies inversely with size class and only class 1 and 2...

Computer-aided detection of lung nodules in digital chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giger, M.L.; Doi, K.; MacMahon, H.M.

1986-01-01

The authors are developing an automated method to detect lung nodules by eliminating the ''camouflaging: effect of the lung background. In order to increase the conspicuity of the nodules, we created, from a single chest radiograph, two images: one in which the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the nodule is maximized and another in which that S/N is suppressed. The difference between these two processed images was subjected to feature-extraction technique in order to isolate the nodules. The detection accuracy of the computer-aided detection scheme, as compared with unaided radiologists' performance, was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis

Multi-detector spiral CT study of the relationships between pulmonary ground-glass nodules and blood vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Feng; Li, Ming; Ge, Xiaojun; Ren, Qingguo; Hua, Yanqing; Zheng, Xiangpeng; Chen, Yan; Lv, Fangzhen

2013-01-01

To investigate the relationships between pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGN) and blood vessels and their diagnostic values in differentiating GGNs. Multi-detector spiral CT imaging of 108 GGNs was retrospectively reviewed. The spatial relationships between GGNs and supplying blood vessels were categorized into four types: I, vessels passing by GGNs; II, intact vessels passing through GGNs; III, distorted, dilated or tortuous vessels seen within GGNs; IV, more complicated vasculature other than described above. Relationship types were correlated to pathologic and/or clinical findings of GGNs. Of 108 GGNs, 10 were benign, 24 preinvasive nodules and 74 adenocarcinomas that were pathologically proven. Types I, II, III and IV vascular relationships were observed in 9, 58, 21 and 20 GGNs, respectively. Type II relationship was the dominating relationship for each GGN group, but significant differences were shown among them. Correlation analysis showed strong correlation between invasive adenocarcinoma and type III and IV relationships. Subgroup analysis indicated that type III was more commonly seen in IAC with comparison to type IV more likely seen in MIA. Different GGNs have different relationships with vessels. Understanding and recognising characteristic GGN-vessel relationships may help identify which GGNs are more likely to be malignant. (orig.)

Development and comparison of projection and image space 3D nodule insertion techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Robins, Marthony; Solomon, Justin; Sahbaee, Pooyan; Samei, Ehsan

2016-04-01

This study aimed to develop and compare two methods of inserting computerized virtual lesions into CT datasets. 24 physical (synthetic) nodules of three sizes and four morphologies were inserted into an anthropomorphic chest phantom (LUNGMAN, KYOTO KAGAKU). The phantom was scanned (Somatom Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare) with and without nodules present, and images were reconstructed with filtered back projection and iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) at 0.6 mm slice thickness using a standard thoracic CT protocol at multiple dose settings. Virtual 3D CAD models based on the physical nodules were virtually inserted (accounting for the system MTF) into the nodule-free CT data using two techniques. These techniques include projection-based and image-based insertion. Nodule volumes were estimated using a commercial segmentation tool (iNtuition, TeraRecon, Inc.). Differences were tested using paired t-tests and R2 goodness of fit between the virtually and physically inserted nodules. Both insertion techniques resulted in nodule volumes very similar to the real nodules (values were all <0.97 for both insertion techniques. These data imply that these techniques can confidently be used as a means of inserting virtual nodules in CT datasets. These techniques can be instrumental in building hybrid CT datasets composed of patient images with virtually inserted nodules.

Evaluation of HP0605 and HP0971 genes of efflux pumps in Helicobacter pylori resistance to Metronidazole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad hasan Shirazi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The presence of antibiotic resistance has been reported in H.pylori and it is a major cause of treatment failure. Five families of multidrug efflux pumps are defined in bacteria and resistance-nodulation-division (RND pumps are found mainly in gram negative bacteria. TolC is one of RND pump components and play a critical role in drug resistance. It hasn’t been established that RND family has a role in drug resistance in H.pylori. In this study, we assessed the role of two efflux genes in resistant to metronidazole in H.pylori by evaluation of overexpression TolC genes by RT-PCR method. Methods: In five metronidazole resistant strains of H.pylori, total RNA was extracted. RNA treated with DNase and RNA reverse transcribed to cDNA. Aliquots of the cDNA solution were assayed by RT- PCR for HP0605 and HP0971 genes. The levels of mRNA expression were evaluated by densitometry analysis. Results: All five strains displayed overexpression for HP0605 basis of increased concentration of metronidazole. Three strains showed transcripts for HP0971. One of these had transcripts for HP0971 only in Metronidazole concentration equaled to 16 µg/ml but two strains overexpressed adapt to increase concentration of metronidazole. Conclusion: According to current study, HP0605 and HP0971 genes overexpressed due to increase metronidazole. So, increasing of Metronidazole affects in H.pylori΄s efflux system in transcription level.

Carcinoma in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule in recurrent hyperthyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoving, J.; Piers, D.A.; Vermey, A.; Oosterhuis, J.W.

1981-01-01

A patient with an invasive thyroid carcinoma located within a hot thyroid nodule is reported. Only four similar cases have been described in the literature. It is emphasized that a hot thyroid nodule per se should not be used as an argument against the diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. (orig.) [de

Return of the pulmonary nodule: the radiologist's key role in implementing the 2015 BTS guidelines on the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Richard N J; Baldwin, David R; Callister, Matthew E J; Gleeson, Fergus V

2016-01-01

The British Thoracic Society has published new comprehensive guidelines for the management of pulmonary nodules. These guidelines are significantly different from those previously published, as they use two malignancy prediction calculators to better characterize the risk of malignancy. There are recommendations for a higher nodule size threshold for follow-up (≥5 mm or ≥80 mm(3)) and a reduction of the follow-up period to 1 year for solid pulmonary nodules; both of these will reduce the number of follow-up CT scans. PET-CT plays a crucial role in characterization also, with an ordinal scale being recommended for reporting. Radiologists will be the key in implementing these guidelines, and routine use of volumetric image-analysis software will be required to manage patients with pulmonary nodules correctly.

Fossil manganese nodules from Timor: geochemical and radiochemical evidence for deep-sea origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margolis, S.V.; Fein, C.D.; Glasby, G.P.; Audley-Charles, M.G.

1978-01-01

Fossil Mn nodules of Cretaceous age from western Timor exhibit chemical, structural and radioisotope compositions consistent with their being of deep-sea origin. These nodules show characteristics similar to nodules now found at depths of 3,500-5,000 m in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Slight differences in the fine structure and chemistry of these nodules and modern deep-sea nodules are attributed to diagenetic alteration after uplift of enclosing sediments

Defects in rhizobial cyclic glucan and lipopolysaccharide synthesis alter legume gene expression during nodule development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Antuono, Alejandra L; Ott, Thomas; Krusell, Lene

2008-01-01

cDNA array technology was used to compare transcriptome profiles of Lotus japonicus roots inoculated with a Mesorhizobium loti wild-type and two mutant strains affected in cyclic beta(1-2) glucan synthesis (cgs) and in lipopolysaccharide synthesis (lpsbeta2). Expression of genes associated...... with the development of a fully functional nodule was significantly affected in plants inoculated with the cgs mutant. Array results also revealed that induction of marker genes for nodule development was delayed when plants were inoculated with the lpsbeta2 mutant. Quantitative real-time reverse......-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify gene expression of a subset of genes involved in plant defense response, redox metabolism, or genes that encode for nodulins. The majority of the genes analyzed in this study were more highly expressed in roots inoculated with the wild type compared with those...

Computed Tomography Features of Benign and Malignant Calcified Thyroid Nodules: A Single-Center Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Donghyun; Kim, Dong Wook; Heo, Young Jin; Baek, Jin Wook; Lee, Yoo Jin; Park, Young Mi; Baek, Hye Jin; Jung, Soo Jin

No previous studies have investigated thyroid calcification on computed tomography (CT) quantitatively by using Hounsfield unit (HU) values. This study aimed to analyze quantitative HU values of thyroid calcification on preoperative neck CT and to assess the characteristics of benign and malignant calcified thyroid nodules (CTNs). Two hundred twenty patients who underwent neck CT before thyroid surgery from January 2015 to June 2016 were included. On soft-tissue window CT images, CTNs with calcified components of 3 mm or larger in minimum diameter were included in this study. The HU values and types of CTNs were determined and analyzed. Of 61 CTNs in 49 patients, there were 42 malignant nodules and 19 benign nodules. The mean largest diameter of the calcified component was 5.3 (2.5) mm (range, 3.1-17.1 mm). A statistically significant difference was observed in the HU values of calcified portions between benign and malignant CTNs, whereas there was no significant difference in patient age or sex or in the size, location, or type of each CTN. Of the 8 CTNs with pure calcification, 3 exhibited a honeycomb pattern on bone window CT images, and these 3 CTNs were all diagnosed as papillary thyroid carcinoma on histopathological examination. Hounsfield unit values of CTNs may be helpful for differentiating malignancy from benignity.

Micro CT based truth estimation of nodule volume

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnard, L. M.; Gavrielides, M. A.; Myers, K. J.; Zeng, R.; Whiting, B.; Lin-Gibson, S.; Petrick, N.

2010-03-01

With the advent of high-resolution CT, three-dimensional (3D) methods for nodule volumetry have been introduced, with the hope that such methods will be more accurate and consistent than currently used planar measures of size. However, the error associated with volume estimation methods still needs to be quantified. Volume estimation error is multi-faceted in the sense that there is variability associated with the patient, the software tool and the CT system. A primary goal of our current research efforts is to quantify the various sources of measurement error and, when possible, minimize their effects. In order to assess the bias of an estimate, the actual value, or "truth," must be known. In this work we investigate the reliability of micro CT to determine the "true" volume of synthetic nodules. The advantage of micro CT over other truthing methods is that it can provide both absolute volume and shape information in a single measurement. In the current study we compare micro CT volume truth to weight-density truth for spherical, elliptical, spiculated and lobulated nodules with diameters from 5 to 40 mm, and densities of -630 and +100 HU. The percent differences between micro CT and weight-density volume for -630 HU nodules range from [-21.7%, -0.6%] (mean= -11.9%) and the differences for +100 HU nodules range from [-0.9%, 3.0%] (mean=1.7%).

Symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria: nodulation and phylogenetic data across legume genera.

Science.gov (United States)

Afkhami, Michelle E; Luke Mahler, D; Burns, Jean H; Weber, Marjorie G; Wojciechowski, Martin F; Sprent, Janet; Strauss, Sharon Y

2018-02-01

How species interactions shape global biodiversity and influence diversification is a central - but also data-hungry - question in evolutionary ecology. Microbially based mutualisms are widespread and could cause diversification by ameliorating stress and thus allowing organisms to colonize and adapt to otherwise unsuitable habitats. Yet the role of these interactions in generating species diversity has received limited attention, especially across large taxonomic groups. In the massive angiosperm family Leguminosae, plants often associate with root-nodulating bacteria that ameliorate nutrient stress by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. These symbioses are ecologically-important interactions, influencing community assembly, diversity, and succession, contributing ~100-290 million tons of N annually to natural ecosystems, and enhancing growth of agronomically-important forage and crop plants worldwide. In recent work attempting to determine whether mutualism with N-fixing bacteria led to increased diversification across legumes, we were unable to definitively resolve the relationship between diversification and nodulation. We did, however, succeed in compiling a very large searchable, analysis-ready database of nodulation data for 749 legume genera (98% of Leguminosae genera; LPWG 2017), which, along with associated phylogenetic information, will provide a valuable resource for future work addressing this question and others. For each legume genus, we provide information about the species richness, frequency of nodulation, subfamily association, and topological correspondence with an additional data set of 100 phylogenetic trees curated for database compatibility. We found 386 legume genera were confirmed nodulators (i.e., all species examined for nodulation nodulated), 116 were non-nodulating, four were variable (i.e., containing both confirmed nodulators and confirmed non-nodulators), and 243 had not been examined for nodulation in published studies. Interestingly

Internal features, mineralogy and geochemistry of ferromanganese nodules from the Gulf of Cadiz: The role of the Mediterranean Outflow Water undercurrent

Science.gov (United States)

González, F. J.; Somoza, L.; Lunar, R.; Martínez-Frías, J.; Rubí, J. A. Martín; Torres, T.; Ortiz, J. E.; Díaz-del-Río, V.

2010-03-01

A large suite of Fe-Mn nodules (561 samples) were recovered during the Anastasya2001 cruise (TASYO project) along the continental margin of the Gulf of Cadiz (Eastern Central Atlantic), at the confluence of the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, where extensive nodule fields were discovered. Based on wide previous studies that included swath bathymetry, multi-channel and very high-resolution seismic reflection, gravimetry, magnetism, heat flow probes and underwater photography surveys, nodules were collected at water depths ranging from 850 to 1000 m, associated with hydrocarbon-derived Mg-calcite, ankerite and dolomite chimneys and crusts. Forty-six selected samples among the various morphological types were used for the laboratory analysis of physical properties (morphology, color, surface texture, sphericity, weight and size), mineralogy (XRD, optical and electronic microscopy), geochemistry (XRF, AAS, ICP-MS, ICP-AES, EPMA, and GC-MS) and stable isotopes. The nodules show a wide range of sizes, densities, weights and morphologies. They are formed by multiple millimeter-thick layers of Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides surrounding the nucleus composed of Early-Middle Miocene plastic marl and sediment, which were derived from underlying units by fluid venting. Massive, laminated, detrital and mottled to dendritic textural features were developed by the Fe and Mn oxyhydroxide layers. The main components are Goethite, lepidocrocite, Mn oxides (7 Å manganates and 10 Å manganates), quartz, and phyllosilicates. Accessory minerals are calcite, dolomite, siderite, rhodochrosite, kutnahorite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, potassium feldspar, zircon, rutile, ilmenite and chlorite. Fe-Mn carbonates from the siderite-rhodochrosite continuous series are the principal constituent of the nuclei. Framboidal, filamentous and globular textures are observed in Fe-Mn oxides and pyrite, suggesting biogenic origin. The nodules show a high mean abundance of Fe (38.6%), moderate Mn (6.0%) and

Usefulness of virtual images of the visceral pleura in identifying the localization of peripheral small pulmonary nodules intraoperatively

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kambayashi, Takatoyo

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of virtual images of the visceral pleura in identifying the localization of peripheral small pulmonary nodules intraoperatively. We examined 12 cases with 12 peripheral small pulmonary nodules between 2008 and 2010. All lesions were predicted to be difficult to identify during surgery, and virtual images of the visceral pleura were made and evaluated before surgery. We predicted the usefulness of virtual images of the visceral pleura in identifying the localization of peripheral small pulmonary nodules. The mean maximum dimensions were 10.5±4.36 mm. The mean depth from the visceral pleura was 4.0±4.67 mm. The lesions were the solid type in 6 cases and the ground-glass opacity type in 6 cases. In 7 cases primary lung cancer was present, while the other 5 cases had only benign lesions. In all cases, changes in the visceral pleura could be identified with virtual images of the visceral pleura before surgery. We identified 7 lesions out of 12 intraoperatively. The reasons for the failure to identify the lesions were an inability to adequately observe the visceral pleura because of pleural adhesion, or failure to perform single lung ventilation in 3 cases. Another reason was that the changes in the visceral pleura were too minor to identify intraoperatively (2 cases). Virtual images of the visceral pleura may be useful for identifying the localization of peripheral small pulmonary nodules, and the prediction of whether or not the identification of lesions is possible intraoperatively, without preoperative marking in order to identify peripheral pulmonary nodules. (author)

Hyperfunction thyroid nodules: Their risk for becoming or being associated with thyroid cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Sun; Kim, Ji Hoon; Na, Dong Gyu; Paeng, Jin Chul; Min, Hye Sook; Choi, Seung Hong; Sohn, Chul Ho; Chang, Ki Hyun

2013-01-01

To retrospectively evaluate the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules through ultrasonographic-pathologic analysis. Institutional review board approval was obtained and informed consent was waived. From 2003 to 2007, 107 patients consecutively presented with hot spots on thyroid scans and low serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. Among them, 32 patients who had undergone thyroid ultrasonography were analyzed in this study. Thyroid nodules depicted on ultrasonography were classified based on size and categorized as benign, indeterminate, or suspicious malignant nodules according to ultrasonographic findings. The thyroid nodules were determined as either hyperfunctioning or coexisting nodules and were then correlated with pathologic results. In 32 patients, 42 hyperfunctioning nodules (mean number per patient, 1.31; range, 1-6) were observed on thyroid scans and 68 coexisting nodules (mean, 2.13; range, 0-7) were observed on ultrasonography. Twenty-five patients (78.1%) had at least one hyperfunctioning (n = 17, 53.1%) or coexisting (n = 16, 50.0%) nodule that showed a suspicious malignant feature larger than 5 mm (n = 8, 25.0%), or an indeterminate feature 1 cm or greater (n = 20, 62.5%) in diameter, which could have been indicated by using fine needle aspiration (FNA). Seven patients were proven to have 11 thyroid cancers in 3 hyperfunctioning and 8 coexisting nodules. All of these had at least one thyroid cancer, which could have been indicated by using FNA. The estimated minimal risk of thyroid cancer was 6.5% (7/107). Patients with hyperfunctioning nodules may not be safe from thyroid cancer because hyperfunctioning nodules can coexist with thyroid cancer nodules. To screen out these cancers, ultrasonography should be performed.

Hyperfunction thyroid nodules: their risk for becoming or being associated with thyroid cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun Sun; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Na, Dong Gyu; Paeng, Jin Chul; Min, Hye Sook; Choi, Seung Hong; Sohn, Chul Ho; Chang, Ki-Hyun

2013-01-01

To retrospectively evaluate the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules through ultrasonographic-pathologic analysis. Institutional review board approval was obtained and informed consent was waived. From 2003 to 2007, 107 patients consecutively presented with hot spots on thyroid scans and low serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. Among them, 32 patients who had undergone thyroid ultrasonography were analyzed in this study. Thyroid nodules depicted on ultrasonography were classified based on size and categorized as benign, indeterminate, or suspicious malignant nodules according to ultrasonographic findings. The thyroid nodules were determined as either hyperfunctioning or coexisting nodules and were then correlated with pathologic results. In 32 patients, 42 hyperfunctioning nodules (mean number per patient, 1.31; range, 1-6) were observed on thyroid scans and 68 coexisting nodules (mean, 2.13; range, 0-7) were observed on ultrasonography. Twenty-five patients (78.1%) had at least one hyperfunctioning (n = 17, 53.1%) or coexisting (n = 16, 50.0%) nodule that showed a suspicious malignant feature larger than 5 mm (n = 8, 25.0%), or an indeterminate feature 1 cm or greater (n = 20, 62.5%) in diameter, which could have been indicated by using fine needle aspiration (FNA). Seven patients were proven to have 11 thyroid cancers in 3 hyperfunctioning and 8 coexisting nodules. All of these had at least one thyroid cancer, which could have been indicated by using FNA. The estimated minimal risk of thyroid cancer was 6.5% (7/107). Patients with hyperfunctioning nodules may not be safe from thyroid cancer because hyperfunctioning nodules can coexist with thyroid cancer nodules. To screen out these cancers, ultrasonography should be performed.

Hyperfunction thyroid nodules: Their risk for becoming or being associated with thyroid cancers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun Sun; Kim, Ji Hoon; Na, Dong Gyu; Paeng, Jin Chul; Min, Hye Sook; Choi, Seung Hong; Sohn, Chul Ho; Chang, Ki Hyun [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

To retrospectively evaluate the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules through ultrasonographic-pathologic analysis. Institutional review board approval was obtained and informed consent was waived. From 2003 to 2007, 107 patients consecutively presented with hot spots on thyroid scans and low serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. Among them, 32 patients who had undergone thyroid ultrasonography were analyzed in this study. Thyroid nodules depicted on ultrasonography were classified based on size and categorized as benign, indeterminate, or suspicious malignant nodules according to ultrasonographic findings. The thyroid nodules were determined as either hyperfunctioning or coexisting nodules and were then correlated with pathologic results. In 32 patients, 42 hyperfunctioning nodules (mean number per patient, 1.31; range, 1-6) were observed on thyroid scans and 68 coexisting nodules (mean, 2.13; range, 0-7) were observed on ultrasonography. Twenty-five patients (78.1%) had at least one hyperfunctioning (n = 17, 53.1%) or coexisting (n = 16, 50.0%) nodule that showed a suspicious malignant feature larger than 5 mm (n = 8, 25.0%), or an indeterminate feature 1 cm or greater (n = 20, 62.5%) in diameter, which could have been indicated by using fine needle aspiration (FNA). Seven patients were proven to have 11 thyroid cancers in 3 hyperfunctioning and 8 coexisting nodules. All of these had at least one thyroid cancer, which could have been indicated by using FNA. The estimated minimal risk of thyroid cancer was 6.5% (7/107). Patients with hyperfunctioning nodules may not be safe from thyroid cancer because hyperfunctioning nodules can coexist with thyroid cancer nodules. To screen out these cancers, ultrasonography should be performed.

Parasitic thyroid nodule in a patient with Hashimoto's chronic thyroiditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Vitorino Modesto dos; Lima, Marcus Aurelho de; Marinho, Euripedes Oliveira; Marinho, Marco Aurelio de Oliveira; Santos, Lister Arruda Modesto dos; Raphael, Cristiane Mendes

2000-01-01

A case of parasitic thyroid nodule is presented. The patient was a non symptomatic 53-year-old white woman, on irregular course of L-thyroxine to treat hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Without a history of thyroid trauma or surgery, she presented a 1.6 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm right pre-laryngeal lymph node-like mass which, on ultrasonography, appeared distinct from the gland. TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroglobulin antibody serum levels were elevated and T4-free level was normal. Thyroid and total body 99m Tc isonitrile scintiscan showed a topic thyroid without radionuclide uptake in the nodule. Fine-needle aspiration of the nodule showed epithelial cells with nuclear atypia and oncocitic changes plus intense lymphoid infiltration and germinative center formation, simulating lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conventional biopsy revealed a parasitic thyroid nodule with Hashimoto's chronic thyroiditis. Parasitic thyroid nodule must always be remembered so that unnecessary surgical assessment and undesirable sequels may be avoided. (author)

Treatment of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules by percutaneous ethanol injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarai Maryam

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Autonomous thyroid nodules can be treated by a variety of methods. We assessed the efficacy of percutaneous ethanol injection in treating autonomous thyroid nodules. Methods 35 patients diagnosed by technetium-99 scanning with hyperfunctioning nodules and suppressed sensitive TSH (sTSH were given sterile ethanol injections under ultrasound guidance. 29 patients had clinical and biochemical hyperthyroidism. The other 6 had sub-clinical hyperthyroidism with suppressed sTSH levels (3, T4 and sTSH levels had returned to normal, or else injections could no longer be performed because significant side effects. Patients were followed up at 3, 6 and, in 15 patients, 24 months after the last injection. Results Average pre-treatment nodule volume [18.2 ± 12.7 ml] decreased to 5.7 ± 4.6 ml at 6 months follow-up [P 4 and sTSH did not change significantly between 6 months and 2 years [P > 0.05]. Ethanol injections were well tolerated by the patients, with only 2 cases of transient dysphonia. Conclusion Our findings indicate that ethanol injection is an alternative to surgery or radioactive iodine in the treatment of autonomous thyroid nodules.

Difficulties encountered managing nodules detected during a computed tomography lung cancer screening program.

Science.gov (United States)

Veronesi, Giulia; Bellomi, Massimo; Scanagatta, Paolo; Preda, Lorenzo; Rampinelli, Cristiano; Guarize, Juliana; Pelosi, Giuseppe; Maisonneuve, Patrick; Leo, Francesco; Solli, Piergiorgio; Masullo, Michele; Spaggiari, Lorenzo

2008-09-01

The main challenge of screening a healthy population with low-dose computed tomography is to balance the excessive use of diagnostic procedures with the risk of delayed cancer detection. We evaluated the pitfalls, difficulties, and sources of mistakes in the management of lung nodules detected in volunteers in the Cosmos single-center screening trial. A total of 5201 asymptomatic high-risk volunteers underwent screening with multidetector low-dose computed tomography. Nodules detected at baseline or new nodules at annual screening received repeat low-dose computed tomography at 1 year if less than 5 mm, repeat low-dose computed tomography 3 to 6 months later if between 5 and 8 mm, and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography if more than 8 mm. Growing nodules at the annual screening received low-dose computed tomography at 6 months and computed tomography-positron emission tomography or surgical biopsy according to doubling time, type, and size. During the first year of screening, 106 patients underwent lung biopsy and 91 lung cancers were identified (70% were stage I). Diagnosis was delayed (false-negative) in 6 patients (stage IIB in 1 patient, stage IIIA in 3 patients, and stage IV in 2 patients), including 2 small cell cancers and 1 central lesion. Surgical biopsy revealed benign disease (false-positives) in 15 cases (14%). Positron emission tomography sensitivity was 88% for prevalent cancers and 70% for cancers diagnosed after first annual screening. No needle biopsy procedures were performed in this cohort of patients. Low-dose computed tomography screening is effective for the early detection of lung cancers, but nodule management remains a challenge. Computed tomography-positron emission tomography is useful at baseline, but its sensitivity decreases significantly the subsequent year. Multidisciplinary management and experience are crucial for minimizing misdiagnoses.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of nodules in liver cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Kyoung; Jang, Hyun-Jung

2014-04-07

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using microbubble contrast agents are useful for the diagnosis of the nodules in liver cirrhosis. CEUS can be used as a problem-solving method for indeterminate nodules on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or as an initial diagnostic test for small newly detected liver nodules. CEUS has unique advantages over CT and MRI including no renal excretion of contrast, real-time imaging capability, and purely intravascular contrast. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by arterial-phase hypervascularity and later washout (negative enhancement). Benign nodules such as regenerative nodules or dysplastic nodules are usually isoechoic or slightly hypoechoic in the arterial phase and isoechoic in the late phase. However, there are occasional HCC lesions with atypical enhancement including hypovascular HCC and hypervascular HCC without washout. Cholangiocarcinomas are infrequently detected during HCC surveillance and mostly show rim-like or diffuse hypervascularity followed by rapid washout. Hemangiomas are often found at HCC surveillance and are easily diagnosed by CEUS. CEUS can be effectively used in the diagnostic work-up of small nodules detected at HCC surveillance. CEUS is also useful to differentiate malignant and benign venous thrombosis and to guide and monitor the local ablation therapy for HCC.

Dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging for evaluation of angiogenesis of hepatocellular nodules in liver cirrhosis in N-nitrosodiethylamine induced rat model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Wei; Chen, Hui Juan; Huang, Wei; Zhang, Long Jiang [Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Wang, Zhen J. [University of California, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2017-05-15

To investigate whether dynamic contrast -enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) can distinguish the type of liver nodules in a rat model with N-nitrosodiethylamine- induced cirrhosis. Liver nodules in cirrhosis were induced in 60 male Wistar rats via 0.01 % N-nitrosodiethylamine in the drinking water for 35-100 days. The nodules were divided into three groups: regenerative nodule (RN), dysplastic nodule (DN), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DCE-MRI was performed, and parameters including transfer constant (K{sup trans}), rate constant (K{sub ep}), extravascular extracellular space volume fraction (V{sub e}), and initial area under the contrast concentration versus time curve (iAUC) were measured and compared. The highest K{sup trans} and iAUC values were seen in HCC, followed by DN and RN (all P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for DN and HCC were 0.738 and 0.728 for K{sup trans} and iAUC, respectively. The AUROC for HCC were 0.850 and 0.840 for K{sup trans} and iAUC, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that K{sup trans} had a high goodness of fit (0.970, 95 % confidence interval, 13.751-24.958). DCE-MRI is a promising method to differentiate of liver nodules. Elevated K{sup trans} suggested that the nodules may be transformed into HCC. (orig.)

Discriminative Localization in CNNs for Weakly-Supervised Segmentation of Pulmonary Nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xinyang; Yang, Jie; Laine, Andrew F; Angelini, Elsa D

2017-09-01

Automated detection and segmentation of pulmonary nodules on lung computed tomography (CT) scans can facilitate early lung cancer diagnosis. Existing supervised approaches for automated nodule segmentation on CT scans require voxel-based annotations for training, which are labor- and time-consuming to obtain. In this work, we propose a weakly-supervised method that generates accurate voxel-level nodule segmentation trained with image-level labels only. By adapting a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained for image classification, our proposed method learns discriminative regions from the activation maps of convolution units at different scales, and identifies the true nodule location with a novel candidate-screening framework. Experimental results on the public LIDC-IDRI dataset demonstrate that, our weakly-supervised nodule segmentation framework achieves competitive performance compared to a fully-supervised CNN-based segmentation method.

Silicon and Nitrate Differentially Modulate the Symbiotic Performances of Healthy and Virus-Infected Bradyrhizobium-nodulated Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), Yardlong Bean (V. unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) and Mung Bean (V. radiata).

Science.gov (United States)

Izaguirre-Mayoral, Maria Luisa; Brito, Miriam; Baral, Bikash; Garrido, Mario José

2017-09-15

The effects of 2 mM silicon (Si) and 10 mM KNO₃ (N)-prime signals for plant resistance to pathogens-were analyzed in healthy and Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) or Cowpea mild mottle virus (CMMV)-infected Bradyrhizobium -nodulated cowpea, yardlong bean and mung bean plants. In healthy plants of the three Vigna taxa, nodulation and growth were promoted in the order of Si + N > N > Si > controls. In the case of healthy cowpea and yardlong bean, the addition of Si and N decreased ureide and α-amino acids (AA) contents in the nodules and leaves in the order of Si + N> N > Si > controls. On the other hand, the addition of N arrested the deleterious effects of CCMV or CMMV infections on growth and nodulation in the three Vigna taxa. However, the addition of Si or Si + N hindered growth and nodulation in the CCMV- or CMMV-infected cowpea and yardlong bean, causing a massive accumulation of ureides in the leaves and nodules. Nevertheless, the AA content in leaves and nodules of CCMV- or CMMV-infected cowpea and yardlong bean was promoted by Si but reduced to minimum by Si + N. These results contrasted to the counteracting effects of Si or Si + N in the CCMV- and CMMV-infected mung bean via enhanced growth, nodulation and levels of ureide and AA in the leaves and nodules. Together, these observations suggest the fertilization with Si + N exclusively in virus-free cowpea and yardlong bean crops. However, Si + N fertilization must be encouraged in virus-endangered mung bean crops to enhance growth, nodulation and N-metabolism. It is noteworthy to see the enhanced nodulation of the three Vigna taxa in the presence of 10 mM KNO₃.

H2S cracking resistance of type 420 stainless steel tubulars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, L.J.

1984-01-01

Type 420 stainless steel (13Cr) production tubing is being used successfully in deep sour gas wells in the Tuscaloosa Trend. Despite their reputation for poor H 2 S cracking resistance in laboratory tests, 12-13% Cr steels continue to perform well in sour environments. NACE Tensile Test and Shell bent beam test results indicate Type 420 is more resistant to H 2 S cracking than Type 410, but is not as resistant as carbon steel, at to 586-690 MPa (85-100 ksi) yield strength level. In addition to evaluating Type 420 stainless steel in the standard NACE Tensile and Shell bent beam tests, the effects on cracking tendency of chloride concentration, pH, and H 2 S gas concentration in the NACE Test solution were also examined. Type 420 appears to be more resistant to H 2 S cracking than is indicated by standard laboratory tests, at least in low H 2 S level sour environments

FDG uptake heterogeneity evaluated by fractal analysis improves the differential diagnosis of pulmonary nodules

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Miwa, Kenta, E-mail: kenta5710@gmail.com [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Division of Medical Quantum Science, Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582 (Japan); Inubushi, Masayuki, E-mail: inubushi@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192 (Japan); Wagatsuma, Kei, E-mail: kei1192@hotmail.co.jp [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Nagao, Michinobu, E-mail: minagao@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582 (Japan); Murata, Taisuke, E-mail: taisuke113@gmail.com [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Koyama, Masamichi, E-mail: masamichi.koyama@jfcr.or.jp [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Koizumi, Mitsuru, E-mail: mitsuru@jfcr.or.jp [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Sasaki, Masayuki, E-mail: msasaki@hs.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Division of Medical Quantum Science, Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582 (Japan)

2014-04-15

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine whether fractal analysis of morphological complexity and intratumoral heterogeneity of FDG uptake can help to differentiate malignant from benign pulmonary nodules. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 54 patients with suspected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were examined by FDG PET/CT. Pathological assessments of biopsy specimens confirmed 35 and 19 nodules as NSCLC and inflammatory lesions, respectively. The morphological fractal dimension (m-FD), maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) and density fractal dimension (d-FD) of target nodules were calculated from CT and PET images. Fractal dimension is a quantitative index of morphological complexity and tracer uptake heterogeneity; higher values indicate increased complexity and heterogeneity. Results: The m-FD, SUV{sub max} and d-FD significantly differed between malignant and benign pulmonary nodules (p < 0.05). Although the diagnostic ability was better for d-FD than m-FD and SUV{sub max}, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Tumor size correlated significantly with SUV{sub max} (r = 0.51, p < 0.05), but not with either m-FD or d-FD. Furthermore, m-FD combined with either SUV{sub max} or d-FD improved diagnostic accuracy to 92.6% and 94.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The d-FD of intratumoral heterogeneity of FDG uptake can help to differentially diagnose malignant and benign pulmonary nodules. The SUV{sub max} and d-FD obtained from FDG-PET images provide different types of information that are equally useful for differential diagnoses. Furthermore, the morphological complexity determined by CT combined with heterogeneous FDG uptake determined by PET improved diagnostic accuracy.

Studies on zinc nodules electrodeposited from acid electrolytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Rolfe [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Tobias, Charles W. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1984-12-01

The development of morphology of electrodeposited zinc was investigated by studying the initial stages of deposition. Zinc was deposited galvanostatically from 1.0 M ZnCl₂ electrolyte (0.7 < pH < 4.6) on rotating disc electrodes at current densities from 5 to 130 ma/cm². Pine glassy carbon, Union Carbide pyrolytic graphite, Gould pyrolytic graphite, Exxon graphite loaded polymer, and platinum substrates were used. The number densities of nodules (diameter greater than 1 μm), typically encountered during incipient morphological development, were measured using scanning electron microscopy and image analysis. Nodule densities up to 7 x 10⁴ nodules/mm² were measured.

Persistent pulmonary subsolid nodules with solid portions of 5 mm or smaller: Their natural course and predictors of interval growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Hyuk [Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chang Min [Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Duke University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Durham, NC (United States); Lee, Sang Min [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyungjin [Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Air Force Education and Training Command, Aerospace Medical Group, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); McAdams, H.P. [Duke University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Durham, NC (United States); Goo, Jin Mo [Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

To investigate the natural course of persistent pulmonary subsolid nodules (SSNs) with solid portions ≤5 mm and the clinico-radiological features that influence interval growth over follow-ups. From 2005 to 2013, the natural courses of 213 persistent SSNs in 213 patients were evaluated. To identify significant predictors of interval growth, Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were performed. Among the 213 nodules, 136 were pure ground-glass nodules (GGNs; growth, 18; stable, 118) and 77 were part-solid GGNs with solid portions ≤5 mm (growth, 24; stable, 53). For all SSNs, lung cancer history (p = 0.001), part-solid GGNs (p < 0.001), and nodule diameter (p < 0.001) were significant predictors for interval growth. On subgroup analysis, nodule diameter was an independent predictor for the interval growth of both pure GGNs (p < 0.001), and part-solid GGNs (p = 0.037). For part-solid GGNs, lung cancer history (p = 0.002) was another significant predictor of the interval growth. Interval growth of pure GGNs ≥10 mm and part-solid GGNs ≥8 mm were significantly more frequent than in pure GGNs <10 mm (p < 0.001) and part-solid GGNs <8 mm (p = 0.003), respectively. The natural course of SSNs with solid portions ≤5 mm differed significantly according to their nodule type and nodule diameters, with which their management can be subdivided. (orig.)

Inflammatory Hepatic Nodules Associated with Urinary Tract Infection in Two Pediatric Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ye Lim; Kim, Kyeong Ah; Lee, Chang Hee; Choi, Jae Woong; Lee, Jong Mee; Park, Cheol Min

2009-01-01

Inflammatory nodule in the liver associated with acute urinary infection is an uncommon presentation. We recently experienced two pediatric patients, admitted for urinary tract infection, in whom a solitary hyperechoic nodule or multiple low echoic nodules in the liver were incidentally discovered. All patients complained of fever, and urine culture results were positive for Klebsiella, Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli. After receiving treatment with antibiotics, the hepatic nodules gradually decreased in size and completely disappeared

A solitary hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule harboring thyroid carcinoma: review of the literature

OpenAIRE

Mirfakhraee, Sasan; Mathews, Dana; Peng, Lan; Woodruff, Stacey; Zigman, Jeffrey M

2013-01-01

Hyperfunctioning nodules of the thyroid are thought to only rarely harbor thyroid cancer, and thus are infrequently biopsied. Here, we present the case of a patient with a hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule harboring thyroid carcinoma and, using MEDLINE literature searches, set out to determine the prevalence of and characteristics of malignant ?hot? nodules as a group. Historical, biochemical and radiologic characteristics of the case subjects and their nodules were compared to those in cases o...

Inflammatory Hepatic Nodules Associated with Urinary Tract Infection in Two Pediatric Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ye Lim; Kim, Kyeong Ah; Lee, Chang Hee; Choi, Jae Woong; Lee, Jong Mee; Park, Cheol Min [Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-12-15

Inflammatory nodule in the liver associated with acute urinary infection is an uncommon presentation. We recently experienced two pediatric patients, admitted for urinary tract infection, in whom a solitary hyperechoic nodule or multiple low echoic nodules in the liver were incidentally discovered. All patients complained of fever, and urine culture results were positive for Klebsiella, Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli. After receiving treatment with antibiotics, the hepatic nodules gradually decreased in size and completely disappeared

Clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of solitary ground-glass opacity lung nodules on high-resolution computed tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiu ZX

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Zhi-Xin Qiu,1 Yue Cheng,1 Dan Liu,1 Wei-Ya Wang,2 Xia Wu,2 Wei-Lu Wu,2 Wei-Min Li1,2 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, 2Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China Background: Lung nodules are being detected at an increasing rate year by year with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT being widely used. Ground-glass opacity nodule is one of the special types of pulmonary nodules that is confirmed to be closely associated with early stage of lung cancer. Very little is known about solitary ground-glass opacity nodules (SGGNs. In this study, we analyzed the clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of SGGNs on HRCT.Methods: A total of 95 resected SGGNs were evaluated with HRCT scan. The clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of these cases were analyzed.Results: Eighty-one adenocarcinoma and 14 benign nodules were observed. The nodules included 12 (15% adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS, 14 (17% minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA, and 55 (68% invasive adenocarcinoma (IA. No patients with recurrence till date have been identified. The positive expression rates of anaplastic lymphoma kinase and ROS-1 (proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS were only 2.5% and 8.6%, respectively. The specificity and accuracy of HRCT of invasive lung adenocarcinoma were 85.2% and 87.4%. The standard uptake values of only two patients determined by 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT were above 2.5. The size, density, shape, and pleural tag of nodules were significant factors that differentiated IA from AIS and MIA. Moreover, the size, shape, margin, pleural tag, vascular cluster, bubble-like sign, and air bronchogram of nodules were significant determinants for mixed ground-glass opacity nodules (all P<0.05.Conclusion: We analyzed the clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of SGGNs on HRCT and found that the size, density

The effects of computed tomography with iterative reconstruction on solid pulmonary nodule volume quantification.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin J Willemink

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of iterative reconstruction (IR on pulmonary nodule volumetry with chest computed tomography (CT. METHODS: Twenty patients (12 women and 8 men, mean age 61.9, range 32-87 underwent evaluation of pulmonary nodules with a 64-slice CT-scanner. Data were reconstructed using filtered back projection (FBP and IR (Philips Healthcare, iDose(4-levels 2, 4 and 6 at similar radiation dose. Volumetric nodule measurements were performed with semi-automatic software on thin slice reconstructions. Only solid pulmonary nodules were measured, no additional selection criteria were used for the nature of nodules. For intra-observer and inter-observer variability, measurements were performed once by one observer and twice by another observer. Algorithms were compared using the concordance correlation-coefficient (pc and Friedman-test, and post-hoc analysis with the Wilcoxon-signed ranks-test with Bonferroni-correction (significance-level p<0.017. RESULTS: Seventy-eight nodules were present including 56 small nodules (volume<200 mm(3, diameter<8 mm and 22 large nodules (volume≥200 mm(3, diameter≥8 mm. No significant differences in measured pulmonary nodule volumes between FBP, iDose(4-levels 2, 4 and 6 were found in both small nodules and large nodules. FBP and iDose(4-levels 2, 4 and 6 were correlated with pc-values of 0.98 or higher for both small and large nodules. Pc-values of intra-observer and inter-observer variability were 0.98 or higher. CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of solid pulmonary nodule volume measured with standard-FBP were comparable with IR, regardless of the IR-level and no significant differences between measured volumes of both small and large solid nodules were found.

Bag of frequencies: a descriptor of pulmonary nodules in Computed Tomography images

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ciompi, F.; Jacobs, C.; Scholten, E.T.; Wille, M.M.W.; Jong, P.A. de; Prokop, M.; Ginneken, B. van

2015-01-01

We present a novel descriptor for the characterization of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography (CT) images. The descriptor encodes information on nodule morphology and has scale-invariant and rotation-invariant properties. Information on nodule morphology is captured by sampling intensity

Application of positron emission tomography-computed tomography in the diagnosis of pulmonary ground-glass nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Lili; Pan, Yuanwei; Zhou, Zhigang; Gao, Jianbo

2017-11-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the value of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose in the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary ground-glass nodule. In total, 54 patients with pulmonary GGN that were identified by PET-CT examination were selected and confirmed by pathology and clinical diagnosis in hospital between April 2014 and April 2015. The association between PET-CT findings and pathology, and the value of PET-CT were then evaluated. In the 54 patients, solitary pulmonary GGN with a nodule diameter of between 0.6 and 2.0 cm were detected. Amongst them, the PET-CT examination of 42 patients revealed hyper metabolic nodules, and were all mixed GGN type nodules with a diameter >1 cm. The PET-CT examination of the remaining 12 patients demonstrated no evidence of metabolic abnormalities and the nodules in these patients were pure or mixed GGN with a diameter <1 cm (except 2 cases with a diameter ≥1 cm). Furthermore, the diagnoses for all patients were pathologically confirmed by CT-guided needle biopsy or thoracoscopic surgical resection. Amongst them, there were 41 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, 4 cases of fungal infection, 7 cases of inflammation and 2 cases of adenomatoid hyperplasia. Additionally, PET-CT has a lower detection rate for smaller GGN exhibits no clear advantage for pure GGN, but has a higher detection rate for larger GGN. In conclusion, to a certain extent, PET-CT makes up for the shortcomings of traditional imaging and has some clinical value for the diagnosis of GGN.

Malignancy risk estimation of pulmonary nodules in screening CTs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Riel, Sarah J; Ciompi, Francesco; Winkler Wille, Mathilde M

2017-01-01

model (PanCan) assigned a malignancy probability score to each nodule. Performances were expressed by area under the ROC curve (AUC). Performance differences were tested using the Dorfman, Berbaum and Metz method. Seven observers assessed morphological nodule characteristics using a predefined list...

Homology of genes for exopolysaccharide synthesis in Rhizobium leguminosarum and effect of cloned exo genes on nodule formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skorupska, A.; Derylo, M.

1993-01-01

A 5.4 kb BamHI fragment of Rhizobium leguminosarum (R.l.) bv. trifolii TA1 was found to carry genes involved in exopolysaccharide synthesis (exo genes). This fragment was strongly hybridized to the total DNA from DNA from R.l. bv. viciae and bv. phaseoli digested with EcoRI. No homology was found with total DNA of R. melilotic and Rhizobium sp. NGR 234. The exo genes R.l. bv. trifolii TA1 conjugally introduced into R.l. bv. viciae 1302 considerably affected the symbiosis: the nodules induced on vetch were abortive and did not fix nitrogen. On the other hand, Phaseolus beans infected with R.l. bv. trifolii exo genes formed the nitrogen-fixing nodules. It can be conduced that additional copies of exo genes introduced into wild type R.l. strains can disturb the synthesis of acidic exopolysaccharides and affect symbiosis of the plants forming indeterminate nodules, but do not affect symbiosis of the plants forming the determinate nodules. (author). 29 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs

Endophytic and epiphytic hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria associated with root nodules of legumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dashti, N.; Khanafer, M.; Radwan, S.S.

2005-01-01

During their withdrawal from Kuwait in 1991, the Iraqi forces damaged and set fire to approximately 700 oil wells. Oil gushed from the wells for a period of 7 months, resulting in oil lakes which covered about 50 square km of the Kuwaiti desert and posing an environmental problem. Most of the crude oil has been pumped out, leaving the lake bottoms polluted with oil to depths reaching 20 to 25 cm. The oily areas have been mediated through indigenous hydrocarbon-utilizing microorganisms, but recovery is slow. Rhizospheres of crop plants, including legumes, are rich in oil-utilizing bacteria. Cultivation of broad beans in oily desert samples has enhanced oil biodegradation. This paper discussed the evidence that rhizobium strains inside the nodules on roots of broad beans are active in hydrocarbon utilization, and that the nodules are also colonized on their entire surfaces with oil-utilizing bacteria. Nodule-associated hydrocarbon utilizers appear to contribute together with rhizospheric hydrocarbon utilizers to the phytoremediation of oily soil. Broad beans were removed from soil and their root surfaces were sterilized to eliminate rhizospheric microorganisms. Plants with intact nodules were tested for their potential of attenuating to crude oil in water. Plants were divided into 2 groups: control plants in which all nodules were removed; and experimental plants which were used directly without further treatment. To isolate rhizobium from inside the nodules, fresh nodules were washed, sterilized and homogenized in sterile water. Bacterial strains were tested for their hydrocarbon utilization potential by streaking cell suspensions on the surface of sterile inorganic mediums containing 1 per cent of crude oil or of individual pure aliphatic and aromatic test hydrocarbons. All bacterial isolates were tested for growth on a solid Ashbery's nitrogen free medium. Results indicated that hydrocarbons were more efficiently eliminated from water supporting disinfected

A mixed reality approach for stereo-tomographic quantification of lung nodules.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mianyi; Kalra, Mannudeep K; Yun, Wenbing; Cong, Wenxiang; Yang, Qingsong; Nguyen, Terry; Wei, Biao; Wang, Ge

2016-05-25

To reduce the radiation dose and the equipment cost associated with lung CT screening, in this paper we propose a mixed reality based nodule measurement method with an active shutter stereo imaging system. Without involving hundreds of projection views and subsequent image reconstruction, we generated two projections of an iteratively placed ellipsoidal volume in the field of view and merging these synthetic projections with two original CT projections. We then demonstrated the feasibility of measuring the position and size of a nodule by observing whether projections of an ellipsoidal volume and the nodule are overlapped from a human observer's visual perception through the active shutter 3D vision glasses. The average errors of measured nodule parameters are less than 1 mm in the simulated experiment with 8 viewers. Hence, it could measure real nodules accurately in the experiments with physically measured projections.

Ultrasonography-guided Fine-needle Aspiration for Solid Thyroid Nodules Less than 5 mm in the Largest Diameter: Comparison in Diagnostic Adequacy and Accuracy According to Nodule Size

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Lee, Jang Hee; Kim, Dong Wook; Baek, Seung Hun [Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-03-15

This study assessed the adequacy and accuracy of ultrasonography (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) of solid thyroid nodules, less than 5 mm in maximum diameter. From January to December 2009, US-FNA was performed for small solid thyroid nodules in 201 patients. Each thyroid nodule was classified into group A and B according to the largest diameter (1 mm {<=} group A < 3 mm and 3 mm {<=} group B < 5 mm). The adequacy and accuracy of US-FNA in two groups were compared using the histopathological results as a reference standard. Of the 227 thyroid nodules in 201 patients, the inadequacy of US-FNA in group A and B was 24.3% (18/74) and 13.1% (20/153), respectively, showing a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.0333, chi-square test). Eighty nodules were removed surgically in 72 patients, from which papillary thyroid carcinoma (n = 52), follicular thyroid carcinoma (n = 1), nodular hyperplasia (n = 26), and pseudonodule related to thyroiditis (n = 1) were confirmed. Based on the histopathological results of the 80 surgical nodules, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of US-FNA in group A and B were 55.0% and 79.4%, 81.8% and 100%, 84.6% and 100%, 50% and 68.2%, and 64.5% and 85.7%, respectively. The adequacy and accuracy of US-FNA for solid thyroid nodules, {>=} 3 mm in the largest diameter, were higher than those of US-FNA for very small nodules, < 3 mm in the largest diameter

Insulin resistance and serum parameters of iron status in type 2 diabetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, U.

2011-01-01

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a predominant public health concern worldwide, accounting for 90% of the cases of diabetes globally. Pathogenesis of T2DM involves insulin resistance, defective insulin secretion and increased glucose production by the liver. Subclinical haemochromatosis has been considered as one of the probable causes of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to determine and correlate insulin resistance and serum parameters of iron status (serum ferritin and transferrin saturation) in type 2 diabetics. Methods: It was a correlational study. This study was conducted on sixty male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Fasting blood sample was taken from each subject and analysed for glucose, haemoglobin, insulin, iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) and ferritin. Insulin resistance was determined by HOMA-IR index. Transferrin saturation was calculated from serum iron and TIBC. Data was analysed using SPSS-17. Results: There was significant positive correlation between insulin resistance and transferrin saturation, but there was no significant correlation of insulin resistance with blood haemoglobin, serum iron and serum ferritin in type 2 diabetics. Conclusion: Correlation between insulin resistance and transferrin saturation reveals that iron has negative impact on insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetics. (author)

Non-invasive Characterization of the Histopathologic Features of Pulmonary Nodules of the Lung Adenocarcinoma Spectrum using Computer Aided Nodule Assessment and Risk Yield (CANARY) – a Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Fabien; Boland, Jennifer M.; Raghunath, Sushravya; Aubry, Marie Christine; Bartholmai, Brian J.; deAndrade, Mariza; Hartman, Thomas E.; Karwoski, Ronald A.; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Sykes, Anne-Marie; Yang, Ping; Yi, Eunhee S.; Robb, Richard A.; Peikert, Tobias

2013-01-01

Introduction Pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum are characterized by distinctive morphological and radiological features and variable prognosis. Non-invasive high-resolution computed-tomography (HRCT)-based risk stratification tools are needed to individualize their management. Methods Radiological measurements of histopathologic tissue invasion were developed in a training set of 54 pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum and validated in 86 consecutively resected nodules. Nodules were isolated and characterized by computer-aided analysis and data were analyzed by Spearman correlation, sensitivity, specificity as well as the positive and negative predictive values. Results Computer Aided Nodule Assessment and Risk Yield (CANARY) can non-invasively characterize pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum. Unsupervised clustering analysis of HRCT data identified 9 unique exemplars representing the basic radiologic building blocks of these lesions. The exemplar distribution within each nodule correlated well with the proportion of histologic tissue invasion, Spearman R=0.87,p < 0.0001 and 0.89,p < 0.0001 for the training and the validation set, respectively. Clustering of the exemplars in three-dimensional space corresponding to tissue invasion and lepidic growth was used to develop a CANARY decision algorithm, which successfully categorized these pulmonary nodules as “aggressive” (invasive adenocarcinoma) or “indolent” (adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of this approach for the detection of “aggressive” lesions were 95.4%, 96.8%, 95.4% and 96.8%, respectively in the training set and 98.7%, 63.6%, 94.9% and 87.5%, respectively in the validation set. Conclusion CANARY represents a promising tool to non-invasively risk stratify pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum. PMID:23486265

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Sequence Typing for Antimicrobial Resistance, a Novel Antimicrobial Resistance Multilocus Typing Scheme for Tracking Global Dissemination of N. gonorrhoeae Strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Demczuk, W; Sidhu, S; Unemo, M; Whiley, D M; Allen, V G; Dillon, J R; Cole, M; Seah, C; Trembizki, E; Trees, D L; Kersh, E N; Abrams, A J; de Vries, H J C; van Dam, A P; Medina, I; Bharat, A; Mulvey, M R; Van Domselaar, G; Martin, I

2017-05-01

A curated Web-based user-friendly sequence typing tool based on antimicrobial resistance determinants in Neisseria gonorrhoeae was developed and is publicly accessible (https://ngstar.canada.ca). The N. gonorrhoeae Sequence Typing for Antimicrobial Resistance (NG-STAR) molecular typing scheme uses the DNA sequences of 7 genes ( penA , mtrR , porB , ponA , gyrA , parC , and 23S rRNA) associated with resistance to β-lactam antimicrobials, macrolides, or fluoroquinolones. NG-STAR uses the entire penA sequence, combining the historical nomenclature for penA types I to XXXVIII with novel nucleotide sequence designations; the full mtrR sequence and a portion of its promoter region; portions of ponA , porB , gyrA , and parC ; and 23S rRNA sequences. NG-STAR grouped 768 isolates into 139 sequence types (STs) ( n = 660) consisting of 29 clonal complexes (CCs) having a maximum of a single-locus variation, and 76 NG-STAR STs ( n = 109) were identified as unrelated singletons. NG-STAR had a high Simpson's diversity index value of 96.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.959 to 0.969). The most common STs were NG-STAR ST-90 ( n = 100; 13.0%), ST-42 and ST-91 ( n = 45; 5.9%), ST-64 ( n = 44; 5.72%), and ST-139 ( n = 42; 5.5%). Decreased susceptibility to azithromycin was associated with NG-STAR ST-58, ST-61, ST-64, ST-79, ST-91, and ST-139 ( n = 156; 92.3%); decreased susceptibility to cephalosporins was associated with NG-STAR ST-90, ST-91, and ST-97 ( n = 162; 94.2%); and ciprofloxacin resistance was associated with NG-STAR ST-26, ST-90, ST-91, ST-97, ST-150, and ST-158 ( n = 196; 98.0%). All isolates of NG-STAR ST-42, ST-43, ST-63, ST-81, and ST-160 ( n = 106) were susceptible to all four antimicrobials. The standardization of nomenclature associated with antimicrobial resistance determinants through an internationally available database will facilitate the monitoring of the global dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains. © Crown copyright 2017.

3D pulmonary nodules detection using fast marching segmentation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper proposes an automated computer aided diagnosis system for detection of pulmonary nodules based on three dimensional (3D) structures. Lung ... The proposed detection methodology can give the accuracy of 92%. Keywords: lung cancer; pulmonary nodule; fast marching; 3D features; random forest classifier.

The ethylene-inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine restores normal nodulation by Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar. viciae on Vicia sativa subsp. nigra by suppressing the 'Thick and short roots' phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaat, S A; Van Brussel, A A; Tak, T; Lugtenberg, B J; Kijne, J W

1989-02-01

Nodulation of Vicia sativa subsp. nigra L. by Rhizobium bacteria is coupled to the development of thick and short roots (Tsr). This root phenotype as well as root-hair induction (Hai) and root-hair deformation (Had) are caused by a factor(s) produced by the bacteria in response to plant flavonoids. When very low inoculum concentrations (0.5-5 bacteria·ml(-1)) were used, V. sativa plants did not develop the Tsr phenotype and became nodulated earlier than plants with Tsr roots. Furthermore, the nodules of these plants were located on the primary root in contrast to nodules on Tsr roots, which were all located at sites of lateral-root emergence. The average numbers of nodules per plant were not significantly different for these two types of nodulation. Root-growth inhibition and Hai, but not Had, could be mimicked by ethephon, and inhibited by aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG). Addition of AVG to co-cultures of Vicia sativa and the standard inoculum concentration of 5·10(5) bacteria·ml(-1) suppressed the development of the Tsr phenotype and restored nodulation to the pattern that was observed with very low concentrations of bacteria (0.5-5 bacteria·ml(-1)). The delay in nodulation on Tsr roots appeared to be caused by the fact that nodule meristems did not develop on the primary root, but only on the emerging laterals. The relationship between Tsr, Hai, Had, and nodulation is discussed.

Treatment of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules by percutaneous ethanol injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Larijani, Bagher; Pajouhi, Mohammad; Ghanaati, Hossein; Bastanhagh, Mohammad-Hassan; Abbasvandi, Fereshteh; Firooznia, Kazem; Shirzad, Mahmood; Amini, Mohammad-Reza; Sarai, Maryam; Abbasvandi, Nasreen; Baradar-Jalili, Reza

2002-12-06

BACKGROUND: Autonomous thyroid nodules can be treated by a variety of methods. We assessed the efficacy of percutaneous ethanol injection in treating autonomous thyroid nodules. METHODS: 35 patients diagnosed by technetium-99 scanning with hyperfunctioning nodules and suppressed sensitive TSH (sTSH) were given sterile ethanol injections under ultrasound guidance. 29 patients had clinical and biochemical hyperthyroidism. The other 6 had sub-clinical hyperthyroidism with suppressed sTSH levels (thyroid hormone levels. Ethanol injections were performed once every 1-4 weeks. Ethanol injections were stopped when serum T3, T4 and sTSH levels had returned to normal, or else injections could no longer be performed because significant side effects. Patients were followed up at 3, 6 and, in 15 patients, 24 months after the last injection. RESULTS: Average pre-treatment nodule volume [18.2 PlusMinus; 12.7 ml] decreased to 5.7 PlusMinus; 4.6 ml at 6 months follow-up [P thyroid hormone levels at 3 and 6 months follow-up [P 0.05]. Ethanol injections were well tolerated by the patients, with only 2 cases of transient dysphonia. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that ethanol injection is an alternative to surgery or radioactive iodine in the treatment of autonomous thyroid nodules.

Giant hepatic regenerative nodules in Alagille syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rapp, Jordan B. [Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Department of Radiology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Bellah, Richard D.; Anupindi, Sudha A. [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Maya, Carolina [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Pawel, Bruce R. [University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States); The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-02-15

Children with Alagille syndrome undergo surveillance radiologic examinations as they are at risk for developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is limited literature on the imaging of liver masses in Alagille syndrome. We report the ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of incidental benign giant hepatic regenerative nodules in this population. To describe the imaging findings of giant regenerative nodules in patients with Alagille syndrome. A retrospective search of the hospital database was performed to find all cases of hepatic masses in patients with Alagille syndrome during a 10-year period. Imaging, clinical charts, laboratory data and available pathology were reviewed and analyzed and summarized for each patient. Twenty of 45 patients with confirmed Alagille syndrome had imaging studies. Of those, we identified six with giant focal liver masses. All six patients had large central hepatic masses that were remarkably similar on US and MRI, in addition to having features of cirrhosis. In each case, the mass was located in hepatic segment VIII and imaging showed the mass splaying the main portal venous branches at the hepatic hilum, as well as smaller portal and hepatic venous branches coursing through them. On MRI, signal intensity of the mass was isointense to liver on T1-weighted sequences in four of six patients, but hyperintense on T1 in two of six patients. In all six cases, the mass was hypointense on T2- weighted sequences. The mass post-contrast was isointense to adjacent liver in all phases in five the cases. Five out of six patients had pathological correlation demonstrating preserved ductal architecture confirming the final diagnosis of a regenerative nodule. Giant hepatic regenerative nodules with characteristic US and MR features can occur in patients with Alagille syndrome with underlying cirrhosis. Recognizing these lesions as benign giant hepatic regenerative nodules should, thereby, mitigate any need for

Giant hepatic regenerative nodules in Alagille syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapp, Jordan B.; Bellah, Richard D.; Anupindi, Sudha A.; Maya, Carolina; Pawel, Bruce R.

2017-01-01

Children with Alagille syndrome undergo surveillance radiologic examinations as they are at risk for developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is limited literature on the imaging of liver masses in Alagille syndrome. We report the ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of incidental benign giant hepatic regenerative nodules in this population. To describe the imaging findings of giant regenerative nodules in patients with Alagille syndrome. A retrospective search of the hospital database was performed to find all cases of hepatic masses in patients with Alagille syndrome during a 10-year period. Imaging, clinical charts, laboratory data and available pathology were reviewed and analyzed and summarized for each patient. Twenty of 45 patients with confirmed Alagille syndrome had imaging studies. Of those, we identified six with giant focal liver masses. All six patients had large central hepatic masses that were remarkably similar on US and MRI, in addition to having features of cirrhosis. In each case, the mass was located in hepatic segment VIII and imaging showed the mass splaying the main portal venous branches at the hepatic hilum, as well as smaller portal and hepatic venous branches coursing through them. On MRI, signal intensity of the mass was isointense to liver on T1-weighted sequences in four of six patients, but hyperintense on T1 in two of six patients. In all six cases, the mass was hypointense on T2- weighted sequences. The mass post-contrast was isointense to adjacent liver in all phases in five the cases. Five out of six patients had pathological correlation demonstrating preserved ductal architecture confirming the final diagnosis of a regenerative nodule. Giant hepatic regenerative nodules with characteristic US and MR features can occur in patients with Alagille syndrome with underlying cirrhosis. Recognizing these lesions as benign giant hepatic regenerative nodules should, thereby, mitigate any need for

Solitary pulmonary nodule: radiologic features and diagnostic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Cambronero, Luis Enrique

2012-01-01

A literature review is conducted on the solitary pulmonary nodule, to determine the diagnostic methods and specific characteristics. The diagnostic methods used have been: chest radiography, computed tomography, positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The radiological features are defined: location, size, definition of contours or edges (margins), densitometric and attenuation characteristics, cavitation, air bronchogram, growth, doubling time, satellite nodules, nutrient vessels [es

Diagnostic Significance of Intracystic Nodules on MRI in Rathke’s Cleft Cyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shou-sen Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose. To explore strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of Rathke’s cleft cyst (RCC. Methods. The medical records of 24 patients with sellar RCC were retrospectively reviewed. Two patients had concomitant pituitary adenoma, 2 underwent transcranial surgery, and 22 underwent transsphenoidal surgery. The clinical features, especially the findings of intracystic nodules on MRI, were evaluated and compared with the pathological findings. Results. Preoperatively, only 2 patients were diagnosed with RCC or suspected RCC. Pre- and postoperative MRI images revealed 10 intracystic nodules in 9 (37.5% patients. Two nodules had bull's eyelike changes. The signal intensity of the intracystic nodules varied on T1- and T2-weighted images. Not all nodules on T2-weighted images were visualized. Postoperative MRI revealed recurrence or residual lesion in 5 patients; none had new symptoms and a second surgery was not required. Conclusions. Identifying intracystic nodules is important in patients with sellar cystic lesions. Bull’s eyelike change in an intracystic nodule on MRI, which is reported here for the first time, potentially might have value for confirming the diagnosis.

Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Querido, W; Farina, M; Balduino, A

2012-01-01

Giemsa was first used as a fluorescent dye for mineralized bone and cartilage in tissue sections. The aim of this study was to establish the use of Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules produced in cell cultures. Osteoblasts were grown under mineralizing conditions for 14 days, producing typical bone-like nodules. Upon staining with Giemsa stock solution for 1 min, the mineralizing nodules could be selectively visualized emitting intense green and red fluorescence when observed under blue and green illumination, respectively. The textural details of the nodules were clearly observed under fluorescence microscopy, allowing to identify regions with different degrees of mineralization. The mineralized nature of the nodules was confirmed using von Kossa's method, Alizarin Red S staining and x-ray mapping for Ca and P in a scanning electron microscope, showing a strong correlation between the mineralizing and the fluorescent nodules. The selective fluorescence was related to the mineral phase, being absent in decalcified samples. The use of Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules presents a simple alternative method to quickly analyze biomineralization assays in vitro under fluorescence microscopy, particularly in the biological evaluation of biomaterials. (communication)

Surveillance programs for detection and characterization of emergent pathogens and antimicrobial resistance: results from the Division of Infectious Diseases, UNIFESP.

Science.gov (United States)

Colombo, Arnaldo L; Janini, Mario; Salomão, Reinaldo; Medeiros, Eduardo A S; Wey, Sergio B; Pignatari, Antonio C C

2009-09-01

Several epidemiological changes have occurred in the pattern of nosocomial and community acquired infectious diseases during the past 25 years. Social and demographic changes possibly related to this phenomenon include a rapid population growth, the increase in urban migration and movement across international borders by tourists and immigrants, alterations in the habitats of animals and arthropods that transmit disease, as well as the raise of patients with impaired host defense abilities. Continuous surveillance programs of emergent pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are warranted for detecting in real time new pathogens, as well as to characterize molecular mechanisms of resistance. In order to become more effective, surveillance programs of emergent pathogens should be organized as a multicenter laboratory network connected to the main public and private infection control centers. Microbiological data should be integrated to guide therapy, adapting therapy to local ecology and resistance patterns. This paper presents an overview of data generated by the Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo, along with its participation in different surveillance programs of nosocomial and community acquired infectious diseases.

Nodulin gene expression during soybean (Glycine max) nodule development.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gloudemans, T.; Vries, de S.; Bussink, H.J.; Malik, N.S.A.; Franssen, H.; Louwerse, J.; Bisseling, T.

1987-01-01

In vitro translation products of total RNA isolated from soybean nodules at successive stages of nodule development were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In that way the occurrence of over 20 mRNAs specifically transcribed from nodulin genes was detected. The nodulin genes could be

A computerized scheme for lung nodule detection in multiprojection chest radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Wei; Li Qiang; Boyce, Sarah J.; McAdams, H. Page; Shiraishi, Junji; Doi, Kunio; Samei, Ehsan

2012-01-01

Purpose: Our previous study indicated that multiprojection chest radiography could significantly improve radiologists' performance for lung nodule detection in clinical practice. In this study, the authors further verify that multiprojection chest radiography can greatly improve the performance of a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) scheme. Methods: Our database consisted of 59 subjects, including 43 subjects with 45 nodules and 16 subjects without nodules. The 45 nodules included 7 real and 38 simulated ones. The authors developed a conventional CAD scheme and a new fusion CAD scheme to detect lung nodules. The conventional CAD scheme consisted of four steps for (1) identification of initial nodule candidates inside lungs, (2) nodule candidate segmentation based on dynamic programming, (3) extraction of 33 features from nodule candidates, and (4) false positive reduction using a piecewise linear classifier. The conventional CAD scheme processed each of the three projection images of a subject independently and discarded the correlation information between the three images. The fusion CAD scheme included the four steps in the conventional CAD scheme and two additional steps for (5) registration of all candidates in the three images of a subject, and (6) integration of correlation information between the registered candidates in the three images. The integration step retained all candidates detected at least twice in the three images of a subject and removed those detected only once in the three images as false positives. A leave-one-subject-out testing method was used for evaluation of the performance levels of the two CAD schemes. Results: At the sensitivities of 70%, 65%, and 60%, our conventional CAD scheme reported 14.7, 11.3, and 8.6 false positives per image, respectively, whereas our fusion CAD scheme reported 3.9, 1.9, and 1.2 false positives per image, and 5.5, 2.8, and 1.7 false positives per patient, respectively. The low performance of the conventional

Small nodule detectability evaluation using a generalized scan-statistic model

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Popescu, Lucretiu M; Lewitt, Robert M

2006-01-01

In this paper is investigated the use of the scan statistic for evaluating the detectability of small nodules in medical images. The scan-statistic method is often used in applications in which random fields must be searched for abnormal local features. Several results of the detection with localization theory are reviewed and a generalization is presented using the noise nodule distribution obtained by scanning arbitrary areas. One benefit of the noise nodule model is that it enables determination of the scan-statistic distribution by using only a few image samples in a way suitable both for simulation and experimental setups. Also, based on the noise nodule model, the case of multiple targets per image is addressed and an image abnormality test using the likelihood ratio and an alternative test using multiple decision thresholds are derived. The results obtained reveal that in the case of low contrast nodules or multiple nodules the usual test strategy based on a single decision threshold underperforms compared with the alternative tests. That is a consequence of the fact that not only the contrast or the size, but also the number of suspicious nodules is a clue indicating the image abnormality. In the case of the likelihood ratio test, the multiple clues are unified in a single decision variable. Other tests that process multiple clues differently do not necessarily produce a unique ROC curve, as shown in examples using a test involving two decision thresholds. We present examples with two-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) and non-TOF PET image sets analysed using the scan statistic for different search areas, as well as the fixed position observer

Radiographic test phantom for computed tomographic lung nodule analysis

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Zerhouni, E.A.

1987-01-01

This patent describes a method for evaluating a computed tomograph scan of a nodule in a lung of a human or non-human animal. The method comprises generating a computer tomograph of a transverse section of the animal containing lung and nodule tissue, and generating a second computer tomograph of a test phantom comprising a device which simulates the transverse section of the animal. The tissue simulating portions of the device are constructed of materials having radiographic densities substantially identical to those of the corresponding tissue in the simulated transverse section of the animal and have voids therein which simulate, in size and shape, the lung cavities in the transverse section and which contain a test reference nodule constructed of a material of predetermined radiographic density which simulates in size, shape and position within a lung cavity void of the test phantom the nodule in the transverse section of the animal and comparing the respective tomographs

Association of Pro-apoptotic Bad Gene Expression Changes with Benign Thyroid Nodules.

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Gül, Nurdan; Temel, Berna; Ustek, Duran; Sirma-Ekmekçi, Sema; Kapran, Yersu; Tunca, Fatih; Giles-Şenyürek, Yasemin; Özbek, Uğur; Alagöl, Faruk

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the role of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in benign thyroid nodules. Paired samples of nodular and normal tissues were collected from 26 patients with nodular goiters undergoing thyroidectomy. Variable expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Bad genes were evaluated by quantitative PCR. Expression level of Bad gene in nodules was found to be significantly decreased compared to normal tissues (p=0.049). A positive correlation was observed between nodule size and Bad expression levels (correlation coefficient=0.563, p=0.004); and this correlation was stronger in hot nodules (n=18, correlation coefficient=0.689, p=0.003). No significant difference was observed between nodular and normal tissue expressions of Bax and Bcl-2. These results suggest that Bad expression correlates with the size of benign thyroid nodules and also its relatively lower expression in nodules, warrant further investigation. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

High-temperature thermomagnetic properties of vivianite nodules, Lake El'gygytgyn, Northeast Russia

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P. S. Minyuk

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Vivianite, a hydrated iron phosphate, is abundant in sediments of Lake El'gygytgyn, located in the Anadyr Mountains of central Chukotka, northeastern Russia (67°30′ N, 172°05′ E. Magnetic measurements, including mass-specific low-field AC magnetic susceptibility, field-dependent magnetic susceptibility, hysteresis parameters, temperature dependence of the induced magnetization, as well as susceptibility in different heating media, provide ample information on vivianite nodules. Electron microprobe analyses, electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to identify diagnostic minerals. Vivianite nodules are abundant in both sediments of cold (anoxic and warm (oxic stages. Magnetic susceptibility of the nodules varies from 0.78 × 10−6 m3 kg−1 to 1.72 × 10−6 m3 kg−1 (average = 1.05 × 10−6 m3 kg−1 and is higher than the susceptibility of sediments from the cold intervals. Magnetic properties of vivianite are due to the respective product of oxidation as well as sediment and mineral inclusions. Three types of curves for high-temperature dependent susceptibility of vivianite indicate different degrees of oxidation and inclusions in the nodules. Vivianite acts as a reductant and reduces hematite to magnetite and masks the goethite–hematite transition during heating. Heating vivianite and sulfur mixtures stimulates the formation of monoclinic pyrrhotite. An additive of arsenic inhibits the formation of magnetite prior to its Curie temperature. Heating selective vivianite and pyrite mixtures leads to formation of several different minerals – magnetite, monoclinic pyrrhotite, and hexagonal pyrrhotite, and makes it difficult to interpret the thermomagnetic curves.

Correlation between the Quantifiable Parameters of Whole Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Perfusion Imaging Derived with Dynamic CT and Nodules Size

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Shiyuan LIU

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Background and objective The solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs is one of the most common findings on chest radiographs. The blood flow patterns of the biggest single SPNs level has been studied. This assessment may be only a limited sample of the entire region of interest (ROI and is unrepresentative of the SPNs as a volume. Ideally, SPNs volume perfusion should be measured. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between the quantifiableparameters of SPNs volume perfusion imaging derived with 16-slice spiral CT and 64-slice spiral CT and nodules size. Methods Sixty-five patients with SPNs (diameter≤3 cm; 42 malignant; 12 active inflammatory; 11 benign underwent multi-location dynamic contrast material-enhanced serial CT scanning mode with stable table were performed; The mean values of valid sections were calculated, as the quantifiable parameters of volume SPNs perfusion imaging derived with16-slice spiral CT and 64-slice spiral CT. The correlation between the quantifiable parameters of SPNs volume perfusion imaging derived with 16-slice spiral CT and 64-slice spiral CT and nodules size were assessed by means of linear regression analysis. Results No significant correlations were found between the nodules size and each of the peak height (PHSPN (32.15 Hu±14.55 Hu，ratio of peak height of the SPN to that of the aorta (SPN-to-A ratio(13.20±6.18%, perfusion(PSPN (29.79±19.12 mLmin-1100 g-1 and mean transit time (12.95±6.53 s (r =0.081, P =0.419; r =0.089, P =0.487; r =0.167, P =0.077; r =0.023, P =0.880. Conclusion No significant correlations were found between the quantifiable parameters of SPNs volume perfusion imaging derived with 16-slice spiral CT and 64-slice spiral CT and nodules size.

Qualitative ultrasound elastography assessment of benign thyroid nodules: Patterns and intra-observer acquisition variability

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Lacout, Alexis; Chevenet, Carole; Thariat, Juliette; Figl, Andrea; Marcy, Pierre-Yves

2013-01-01

To report and evaluate qualitative elastography patterns by using gray-scale and Doppler ultrasound (US) in patients presenting with benign thyroid nodules and to evaluate the reproducibility of US elastography examinations. Institutional review board approval was obtained, and all patients provided informed consent. Over a 3-month time period, all consecutive adult patients were referred to our institution to undergo a thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) procedure. Patients presenting with benign cytology according to the Bethesda 2008 classification were prospectively enrolled in the study. Each thyroid nodule was assessed by using gray-scale, Doppler US, and elastography acquisitions by a single operator (A. L.). Multiple elastography acquisitions per thyroid nodule were performed and elastography scorings of the nodules were compared with each other. Nineteen patients (16 women and 3 men, mean age 58 years) with 22 thyroid nodules were included in the present study. Elastographic patterns 1, 2, and 3 were reported (23% nodules showed pattern 3). The elastography pattern showed a strong variability in 13 nodules (59%). The elastography acquisition result variability involved the “malignant” pattern 3 in 36% of cases. Almost one-third of benign thyroid nodules displayed pattern 3 on qualitative US elastography. The intra-observer variability of the benign thyroid elastography scoring is wide, thus limiting the thyroid nodule US examination accuracy. In FNAB-proven benign thyroid nodules, elastography pattern 3 is frequent and cannot be used as a strong indicator of thyroid malignancy

Automated detection of lung nodules with three-dimensional convolutional neural networks

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Pérez, Gustavo; Arbeláez, Pablo

2017-11-01

Lung cancer is the cancer type with highest mortality rate worldwide. It has been shown that early detection with computer tomography (CT) scans can reduce deaths caused by this disease. Manual detection of cancer nodules is costly and time-consuming. We present a general framework for the detection of nodules in lung CT images. Our method consists of the pre-processing of a patient's CT with filtering and lung extraction from the entire volume using a previously calculated mask for each patient. From the extracted lungs, we perform a candidate generation stage using morphological operations, followed by the training of a three-dimensional convolutional neural network for feature representation and classification of extracted candidates for false positive reduction. We perform experiments on the publicly available LIDC-IDRI dataset. Our candidate extraction approach is effective to produce precise candidates with a recall of 99.6%. In addition, false positive reduction stage manages to successfully classify candidates and increases precision by a factor of 7.000.

Multidetector computed tomography analysis of benign and malignant nodules in patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.

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Zhu, Caisong; Liu, Wei; Yang, Jun; Yang, Jing; Shao, Kangwei; Yuan, Lixin; Chen, Hairong; Lu, Wei; Zhu, Ying

2016-07-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) features of benign and malignant nodules in patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT). MDCT findings, including the size, solid percentage, calcification, margin, capsule, anteroposterior-transverse diameter ratio as well as the mode and the degree of enhancement of 137 thyroid nodules in 127 CLT cases were retrospectively analyzed. Furthermore, the correlation between MDCT findings and pathological results combined with the CT perfusion imaging was analyzed for the differences between benign and malignant nodules. A total of 77.5% (31/40) of malignant nodules were completely solid, and 33% (32/97) of benign nodules were predominantly cystic. Compared with the benign nodules, micro-calcification and internal calcification were more frequently observed in the malignant nodules (Pbenign and malignant nodules (P>0.05). MDCT features are useful in differentiating the benign and malignant nodules in CLT patients, and it may be essential for a radiologist to review the MDCT characteristics of nodules in the clinical practice.

Short-term molecular acclimation processes of legume nodules to increased external oxygen concentration

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Ulrike eAvenhaus

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nitrogenase is an oxygen labile enzyme. Microaerobic conditions within the infected zone of nodules are maintained primarily by an oxygen diffusion barrier located in the nodule cortex. Flexibility of the oxygen diffusion barrier is important for the acclimation processes of nodules in response to changes in external oxygen concentration. The hypothesis of the present study was that there are additional molecular mechanisms involved. Nodule activity of Medicago truncatula plants were continuously monitored during a change from 21 to 25 or 30 % oxygen around root nodules by measuring nodule H2 evolution. Within about two minutes of the increase in oxygen concentration, a steep decline in nitrogenase activity occurred. A quick recovery commenced about eight minutes later. A qPCR-based analysis of the expression of genes for nitrogenase components showed a tendency towards upregulation during the recovery. The recovery resulted in a new constant activity after about 30 minutes, corresponding to approximately 90 % of the pre-treatment level. An RNAseq-based comparative transcriptome profiling of nodules at that point in time revealed that genes for nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR peptides, defensins, leghaemoglobin and chalcone and stilbene synthase were significantly upregulated when considered as a gene family. A gene for a nicotianamine synthase-like protein (Medtr1g084050 showed a strong increase in count number. The gene appears to be of importance for nodule functioning, as evidenced by its consistently high expression in nodules and a strong reaction to various environmental cues that influence nodule activity. A Tnt1-mutant that carries an insert in the coding sequence (cds of that gene showed reduced nitrogen fixation and less efficient acclimation to an increased external oxygen concentration. It was concluded that sudden increases in oxygen concentration around nodules destroy nitrogenase, which is quickly counteracted by an increased

Robust semi-automatic segmentation of pulmonary subsolid nodules in chest computed tomography scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassen, B C; Kuhnigk, J-M; Van Ginneken, B; Van Rikxoort, E M; Jacobs, C

2015-01-01

The malignancy of lung nodules is most often detected by analyzing changes of the nodule diameter in follow-up scans. A recent study showed that comparing the volume or the mass of a nodule over time is much more significant than comparing the diameter. Since the survival rate is higher when the disease is still in an early stage it is important to detect the growth rate as soon as possible. However manual segmentation of a volume is time-consuming. Whereas there are several well evaluated methods for the segmentation of solid nodules, less work is done on subsolid nodules which actually show a higher malignancy rate than solid nodules. In this work we present a fast, semi-automatic method for segmentation of subsolid nodules. As minimal user interaction the method expects a user-drawn stroke on the largest diameter of the nodule. First, a threshold-based region growing is performed based on intensity analysis of the nodule region and surrounding parenchyma. In the next step the chest wall is removed by a combination of a connected component analyses and convex hull calculation. Finally, attached vessels are detached by morphological operations. The method was evaluated on all nodules of the publicly available LIDC/IDRI database that were manually segmented and rated as non-solid or part-solid by four radiologists (Dataset 1) and three radiologists (Dataset 2). For these 59 nodules the Jaccard index for the agreement of the proposed method with the manual reference segmentations was 0.52/0.50 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2) compared to an inter-observer agreement of the manual segmentations of 0.54/0.58 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2). Furthermore, the inter-observer agreement using the proposed method (i.e. different input strokes) was analyzed and gave a Jaccard index of 0.74/0.74 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2). The presented method provides satisfactory segmentation results with minimal observer effort in minimal time and can reduce the inter-observer variability for segmentation of

Robust semi-automatic segmentation of pulmonary subsolid nodules in chest computed tomography scans

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Lassen, B. C.; Jacobs, C.; Kuhnigk, J.-M.; van Ginneken, B.; van Rikxoort, E. M.

2015-02-01

The malignancy of lung nodules is most often detected by analyzing changes of the nodule diameter in follow-up scans. A recent study showed that comparing the volume or the mass of a nodule over time is much more significant than comparing the diameter. Since the survival rate is higher when the disease is still in an early stage it is important to detect the growth rate as soon as possible. However manual segmentation of a volume is time-consuming. Whereas there are several well evaluated methods for the segmentation of solid nodules, less work is done on subsolid nodules which actually show a higher malignancy rate than solid nodules. In this work we present a fast, semi-automatic method for segmentation of subsolid nodules. As minimal user interaction the method expects a user-drawn stroke on the largest diameter of the nodule. First, a threshold-based region growing is performed based on intensity analysis of the nodule region and surrounding parenchyma. In the next step the chest wall is removed by a combination of a connected component analyses and convex hull calculation. Finally, attached vessels are detached by morphological operations. The method was evaluated on all nodules of the publicly available LIDC/IDRI database that were manually segmented and rated as non-solid or part-solid by four radiologists (Dataset 1) and three radiologists (Dataset 2). For these 59 nodules the Jaccard index for the agreement of the proposed method with the manual reference segmentations was 0.52/0.50 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2) compared to an inter-observer agreement of the manual segmentations of 0.54/0.58 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2). Furthermore, the inter-observer agreement using the proposed method (i.e. different input strokes) was analyzed and gave a Jaccard index of 0.74/0.74 (Dataset 1/Dataset 2). The presented method provides satisfactory segmentation results with minimal observer effort in minimal time and can reduce the inter-observer variability for segmentation of

Predictive factors for malignancy in incidental pulmonary nodules detected in breast cancer patients at baseline CT

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Hammer, Mark M.; Mortani Barbosa, Eduardo J. [University of Pennsylvania, Division of Cardiothoracic Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-07-15

Pulmonary nodules are commonly encountered at staging CTs in patients with extrathoracic malignancies, but their significance on a per-patient basis remains uncertain. We undertook a retrospective analysis of pulmonary nodules identified in patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer from 2010 - 2015, evaluating nodules present at a baseline CT (i.e. prevalent nodules). We reviewed 211 patients with 248 individual nodules. The rate of malignancy in prevalent nodules is low, approximately 13 %. Variables associated with metastasis include pleural studding, hilar lymphadenopathy and the presence of extrapulmonary metastasis, as well as number of nodules, nodule size and nodule shape. Using a combination of these factors, we have developed an evidence-based multivariate decision tree to predict which nodules are malignant in these patients, which is 91 % accurate and 100 % sensitive for metastasis. We propose a simplified clinical prediction algorithm to guide radiologists and oncologists in managing patients with breast cancer and incidental pulmonary nodules. (orig.)

MOLECULAR DYNAMICS COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF MULTIDRUG RND EFFLUX PUMPS

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Paolo Ruggerone

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Over-expression of multidrug efflux pumps of the Resistance Nodulation Division (RND protein super family counts among the main causes for microbial resistance against pharmaceuticals. Understanding the molecular basis of this process is one of the major challenges of modern biomedical research, involving a broad range of experimental and computational techniques. Here we review the current state of RND transporter investigation employing molecular dynamics simulations providing conformational samples of transporter components to obtain insights into the functional mechanism underlying efflux pump-mediated antibiotics resistance in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Molecular Dynamics Computer Simulations of Multidrug RND Efflux Pumps

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Paolo Ruggerone

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Over-expression of multidrug efflux pumps of the Resistance Nodulation Division (RND protein super family counts among the main causes for microbial resistance against pharmaceuticals. Understanding the molecular basis of this process is one of the major challenges of modern biomedical research, involving a broad range of experimental and computational techniques. Here we review the current state of RND transporter investigation employing molecular dynamics simulations providing conformational samples of transporter components to obtain insights into the functional mechanism underlying efflux pump-mediated antibiotics resistance in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Computerized Detection of Lung Nodules by Means of “Virtual Dual-Energy” Radiography

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Chen, Sheng; Suzuki, Kenji

2014-01-01

Major challenges in current computer-aided detection (CADe) schemes for nodule detection in chest radiographs (CXRs) are to detect nodules that overlap with ribs and/or clavicles and to reduce the frequent false positives (FPs) caused by ribs. Detection of such nodules by a CADe scheme is very important, because radiologists are likely to miss such subtle nodules. Our purpose in this study was to develop a CADe scheme with improved sensitivity and specificity by use of “virtual dual-energy” (VDE) CXRs where ribs and clavicles are suppressed with massive-training artificial neural networks (MTANNs). To reduce rib-induced FPs and detect nodules overlapping with ribs, we incorporated the VDE technology in our CADe scheme. The VDE technology suppressed rib and clavicle opacities in CXRs while maintaining soft-tissue opacity by use of the MTANN technique that had been trained with real dual-energy imaging. Our scheme detected nodule candidates on VDE images by use of a morphologic filtering technique. Sixty morphologic and gray-level-based features were extracted from each candidate from both original and VDE CXRs. A nonlinear support vector classifier was employed for classification of the nodule candidates. A publicly available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs and 93 normal CXRs was used for testing our CADe scheme. All nodules were confirmed by computed tomography examinations, and the average size of the nodules was 17.8 mm. Thirty percent (42/140) of the nodules were rated “extremely subtle” or “very subtle” by a radiologist. The original scheme without VDE technology achieved a sensitivity of 78.6% (110/140) with 5 (1165/233) FPs per image. By use of the VDE technology, more nodules overlapping with ribs or clavicles were detected and the sensitivity was improved substantially to 85.0% (119/140) at the same FP rate in a leave-one-out cross-validation test, whereas the FP rate was reduced to 2.5 (583/233) per image at the same sensitivity

Feasibility of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion for Differentiating Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules.

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Tan, Hui; Chen, Jun; Zhao, Yi Ling; Liu, Jin Huan; Zhang, Liang; Liu, Chang Sheng; Huang, Dongjie

2018-06-13

This study aimed to preliminarily investigate the feasibility of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) theory in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Forty-five patients with 56 confirmed thyroid nodules underwent preoperative routine magnetic resonance imaging and IVIM diffusion-weighted imaging. The histopathologic diagnosis was confirmed by surgery. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), perfusion fraction f, diffusivity D, and pseudo-diffusivity D* were quantified. Independent samples t test of IVIM-derived metrics were conducted between benign and malignant nodules. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were performed to determine the optimal thresholds as well as the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating. Significant intergroup difference was observed in ADC, D, D*, and f (p < 0.001). Malignant tumors featured significantly lower ADC, D and D* values and a higher f value than that of benign nodules. The ADC, D, and D* could distinguish the benign from malignant thyroid nodules, and parameter f differentiate the malignant tumors from benign nodules. The values of the area under the curve for parameter ADC, D, and D* were 0.784 (p = 0.001), 0.795 (p = 0.001), and 0.850 (p < 0.001), separately, of which the area under the curve of f value was the maximum for identifying the malignant from benign nodules, which was 0.841 (p < 0.001). This study suggested that ADC and IVIM-derived metrics, including D, D*, and f, could potentially serve as noninvasive predictors for the preoperative differentiating of thyroid nodules, and f value performed best in identifying the malignant from benign nodules among these parameters. Copyright © 2018 Academic Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lung nodule volumetry: segmentation algorithms within the same software package cannot be used interchangeably

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Ashraf, H.; Bach, K.S.; Hansen, H. [Copenhagen University, Department of Radiology, Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup (Denmark); Hoop, B. de [University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Shaker, S.B.; Dirksen, A. [Copenhagen University, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup (Denmark); Prokop, M. [University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Radiology, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Pedersen, J.H. [Copenhagen University, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery RT, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen (Denmark)

2010-08-15

We examined the reproducibility of lung nodule volumetry software that offers three different volumetry algorithms. In a lung cancer screening trial, 188 baseline nodules >5 mm were identified. Including follow-ups, these nodules formed a study-set of 545 nodules. Nodules were independently double read by two readers using commercially available volumetry software. The software offers readers three different analysing algorithms. We compared the inter-observer variability of nodule volumetry when the readers used the same and different algorithms. Both readers were able to correctly segment and measure 72% of nodules. In 80% of these cases, the readers chose the same algorithm. When readers used the same algorithm, exactly the same volume was measured in 50% of readings and a difference of >25% was observed in 4%. When the readers used different algorithms, 83% of measurements showed a difference of >25%. Modern volumetric software failed to correctly segment a high number of screen detected nodules. While choosing a different algorithm can yield better segmentation of a lung nodule, reproducibility of volumetric measurements deteriorates substantially when different algorithms were used. It is crucial even in the same software package to choose identical parameters for follow-up. (orig.)

Lung nodule volumetry: segmentation algorithms within the same software package cannot be used interchangeably

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashraf, H.; Bach, K.S.; Hansen, H.; Hoop, B. de; Shaker, S.B.; Dirksen, A.; Prokop, M.; Pedersen, J.H.

2010-01-01

We examined the reproducibility of lung nodule volumetry software that offers three different volumetry algorithms. In a lung cancer screening trial, 188 baseline nodules >5 mm were identified. Including follow-ups, these nodules formed a study-set of 545 nodules. Nodules were independently double read by two readers using commercially available volumetry software. The software offers readers three different analysing algorithms. We compared the inter-observer variability of nodule volumetry when the readers used the same and different algorithms. Both readers were able to correctly segment and measure 72% of nodules. In 80% of these cases, the readers chose the same algorithm. When readers used the same algorithm, exactly the same volume was measured in 50% of readings and a difference of >25% was observed in 4%. When the readers used different algorithms, 83% of measurements showed a difference of >25%. Modern volumetric software failed to correctly segment a high number of screen detected nodules. While choosing a different algorithm can yield better segmentation of a lung nodule, reproducibility of volumetric measurements deteriorates substantially when different algorithms were used. It is crucial even in the same software package to choose identical parameters for follow-up. (orig.)

Single-step selection of drug resistant Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 mutants reveals a functional redundancy in the recruitment of multidrug efflux systems.

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Anthony J Brzoska

Full Text Available Members of the genus Acinetobacter have been the focus recent attention due to both their clinical significance and application to molecular biology. The soil commensal bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 has been proposed as a model system for molecular and genetic studies, whereas in a clinical environment, Acinetobacter spp. are of increasing importance due to their propensity to cause serious and intractable systemic infections. Clinically, a major factor in the success of Acinetobacter spp. as opportunistic pathogens can be attributed to their ability to rapidly evolve resistance to common antimicrobial compounds. Whole genome sequencing of clinical and environmental Acinetobacter spp. isolates has revealed the presence of numerous multidrug transporters within the core and accessory genomes, suggesting that efflux is an important host defense response in this genus. In this work, we used the drug-susceptible organism A. baylyi ADP1 as a model for studies into the evolution of efflux mediated resistance in genus Acinetobacter, due to the high level of conservation of efflux determinants across four diverse Acinetobacter strains, including clinical isolates. A single exposure of therapeutic concentrations of chloramphenicol to populations of A. baylyi ADP1 cells produced five individual colonies displaying multidrug resistance. The major facilitator superfamily pump craA was upregulated in one mutant strain, whereas the resistance nodulation division pump adeJ was upregulated in the remaining four. Within the adeJ upregulated population, two different levels of adeJ mRNA transcription were observed, suggesting at least three separate mutations were selected after single-step exposure to chloramphenicol. In the craA upregulated strain, a T to G substitution 12 nt upstream of the craA translation initiation codon was observed. Subsequent mRNA stability analyses using this strain revealed that the half-life of mutant craA mRNA was significantly

Utilization of (15)NO3 (-) by nodulated soybean plants under conditions of root hypoxia.

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Nunes Menolli Lanza, Luciana; Ferreira Lanza, Daniel Carlos; Sodek, Ladaslav

2014-07-01

Waterlogging of soils is common in nature. The low availability of oxygen under these conditions leads to hypoxia of the root system impairing the development and productivity of the plant. The presence of nitrate under flooding conditions is regarded as being beneficial towards tolerance to this stress. However, it is not known how nodulated soybean plants, cultivated in the absence of nitrate and therefore not metabolically adapted to this compound, would respond to nitrate under root hypoxia in comparison with non-nodulated plants grown on nitrate. A study was conducted with (15)N labelled nitrate supplied on waterlogging for a period of 48 h using both nodulated and non-nodulated plants of different physiological ages. Enrichment of N was found in roots and leaves with incorporation of the isotope in amino acids, although to a much smaller degree under hypoxia than normoxia. This demonstrates that nitrate is taken up under hypoxic conditions and assimilated into amino acids, although to a much lesser extent than for normoxia. The similar response obtained with nodulated and non-nodulated plants indicates the rapid metabolic adaptation of nodulated plants to the presence of nitrate under hypoxia. Enrichment of N in nodules was very much weaker with a distinct enrichment pattern of amino acids (especially asparagine) suggesting that labelling arose from a tissue source external to the nodule rather than through assimilation in the nodule itself.

Automated nodule location and size estimation using a multi-scale Laplacian of Gaussian filtering approach.

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Jirapatnakul, Artit C; Fotin, Sergei V; Reeves, Anthony P; Biancardi, Alberto M; Yankelevitz, David F; Henschke, Claudia I

2009-01-01

Estimation of nodule location and size is an important pre-processing step in some nodule segmentation algorithms to determine the size and location of the region of interest. Ideally, such estimation methods will consistently find the same nodule location regardless of where the the seed point (provided either manually or by a nodule detection algorithm) is placed relative to the "true" center of the nodule, and the size should be a reasonable estimate of the true nodule size. We developed a method that estimates nodule location and size using multi-scale Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) filtering. Nodule candidates near a given seed point are found by searching for blob-like regions with high filter response. The candidates are then pruned according to filter response and location, and the remaining candidates are sorted by size and the largest candidate selected. This method was compared to a previously published template-based method. The methods were evaluated on the basis of stability of the estimated nodule location to changes in the initial seed point and how well the size estimates agreed with volumes determined by a semi-automated nodule segmentation method. The LoG method exhibited better stability to changes in the seed point, with 93% of nodules having the same estimated location even when the seed point was altered, compared to only 52% of nodules for the template-based method. Both methods also showed good agreement with sizes determined by a nodule segmentation method, with an average relative size difference of 5% and -5% for the LoG and template-based methods respectively.

CT SCAN EVALUATION OF PULMONARY NODULE

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A. Ravi Kumar

2016-06-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Lung carcinomas are quite commonly diagnosed. Thanks to the ever increasing smokers’ population. Majority of the city dwellers are at a higher risk of having this disease when compared to the village counterparts. The stigma through which the person and the family have to undergo before confirming the diagnosis is enormous. So the radiographic methods of diagnosing the malignancies have to improve. Before confirming the diagnosis, the radiologists, the treating physicians should be somewhat confident about the diagnosis so as to prepare the patients and their relatives for the most probable diagnosis before the confirmatory report. The confirmatory procedures include the PET scan and the Histopathology. Both are time consuming procedures and in an economy like ours, finding a PET scanning centre is rather difficult. So the most probable diagnosis has to be thought of using minimal resource. This study puts in a sincere effort to understand and evaluate the pulmonary nodule when identified by a CT scan. This paper is intended to help the practicing radiologists and also make life easy for a practicing physician to identify correctly the lesions and also help the patients to prevent further progression of the disease. METHODS The study was a cross-sectional study. The sample size of the study consisted of thirty patients. CT scan was done in thirty patients who were identified to have lung nodules either by other mode of radiological studies or first time identified in a CT scan itself. The study was conducted in Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Kadapa. The study was conducted from 2014 to 2015. RESULT Non-solid nodules were more in number when compared to the solid nodules. All the non-solid nodules were confirmed to be adenomas. Eighty percent of the nodules which were more than 8 mm in size were confirmed to be malignant. One hundred percent of the spiculated border on CT was confirmed to be malignant. In the present study

Nuclear Power Division

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1981-01-01

The 1981-85 research program planned by the Nuclear Power Division of EPRI places major emphasis on the assurance of safety and realiability of light water reactors (LWRs). Of high priority is a better knowledge of LWR-system behavior undeer abnormal conditions and the behavior of structural materials used for pressure vessels, piping, and large nuclear-plant components. Strong emphasis is also placed on achieving the most-effective performance and utilization of nuclear fuels and improving the corrosion resistance of pressurized-water-reactor steam generators. Efforts are underway to reduce radiation exposure and outage duration and to investigate the human factors involved in plant operation and maintenance. Substantial emphasis is placed on short-range goals designed to achieve useful results in the next two to seven years. The Division's mid- and long-range goal is to improve the use of fissionable and fertile materials and aid in the realization of other reactor systems. A series of general goals, categorized into three time frames and planned expenditures shows the trend of work to be undertaken. 53 figures

Do manganese nodules grow or dissolve after burial? Results from the Central Indian Ocean Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Pattan, J. N.; Parthiban, G.

2007-07-01

Fifty buried manganese nodules at different depth intervals were recovered in 12 sediment cores from the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). A maximum of 15 buried nodules were encountered in one sediment core (AAS-22/GC-07) and the deepest nodule was recovered at 5.50 m below seafloor in core AAS-04/GC-5A. Approximately 80% of the buried nodules are small in size (˜2 cm diameter) in contrast to the Atlantic Ocean and Peru Basin (Pacific Ocean) where the majority of the buried nodules are large, ˜8 cm and >6 cm, respectively. Buried nodule size decreases with core depth and this distribution appears to be similar to the phenomenon of "Brazil Nut Effect". Buried nodules exhibit both smooth and rough surface textures and are ellipsoidal, elongated, rounded, sub rounded, irregular and polynucleated. Buried nodules from siliceous ooze are enriched in Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mo, Ga, V and Rb whereas those from red clay are enriched in Fe, Co, Ti, U, Th, Y, Cr, Nb and Rare Earth Elements (REE). Buried nodules from siliceous ooze suggest their formation under hydrogenetic, early digenetic and diagenetic processes whereas those from red clay are of hydrogenetic origin. REE are enriched more than 1.5 times in buried nodules from red clay compared to siliceous ooze. However, the mode of incorporation of REE into buried nodules from both sedimentary environments is by a single authigenic phase consisting of Fe-Ti-P. Shale-normalized REE patterns and Ce anomalies suggest that nodules from siliceous ooze formed under more oxidizing conditions than those from red clay. Nodules buried at depths between 1.5 and 2.5 m are diagenetic (Mn/Fe ratio 10-15), formed in highly oxic environments (large positive Ce anomalies) and record aeolian dust (high Eu anomalies). Chemical composition, surface texture and morphology of buried nodules are similar to those of surface nodules from the same basin. Furthermore, buried nodule compositions do not exhibit any distinct patterns within the core depth

Uranium in Pacific Deep-Sea Sediments and Manganese Nodules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kunzendorf, Helmar; Pluger, W. L.; Friedrich, G. H.

1983-01-01

A total of 1344 manganese nodules and 187 pelagic sediments from 9 areas in the North and the South Pacific were analyzed for U by the delayed-neutron counting technique. A strong positive correlation between U and Fe in nodules and sediments suggests a co-precipitative removal from sea water int...

Grade distributions in manganese nodules of Central Indian Ocean Basin

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sudhakar, M.

Data concerning to geological setting physical characteristics and bulk chemical composition of the nodules sampled from CIOB were stored in the Computer Data Bank of this Institute. Bulk chemical composition of nodules, in which grade is expressed...

Treatment of Benign Thyroid Nodules: Comparison of Surgery with Radiofrequency Ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Che, Y; Jin, S; Shi, C; Wang, L; Zhang, X; Li, Y; Baek, J H

2015-07-01

Nodular goiter is one of the most common benign lesions in thyroid nodule. The main treatment of the disease is still the traditional surgical resection, however there are many problems such as general anesthesia, surgical scar, postoperative thyroid or parathyroid function abnormalities, and high nodules recurrence rate in residual gland. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of 2 treatment methods, surgery and radiofrequency ablation, for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. From May 2012 to September 2013, 200 patients with nodular goiters who underwent surgery (group A) and 200 patients treated by radiofrequency ablation (group B) were enrolled in this study. Inclusion criteria were the following: 1) cosmetic problem, 2) nodule-related symptoms, 3) hyperfunctioning nodules related to thyrotoxicosis, and 4) refusal of surgery (for group B). An internally cooled radiofrequency ablation system and an 18-ga internally cooled electrode were used. We compared the 2 groups in terms of efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness during a 1-year follow-up. After radiofrequency ablation, the nodule volume decreased significantly from 5.4 to 0.4 mL (P = .002) at the 12-month follow-up. The incidence of complications was significantly higher from surgery than from radiofrequency ablation (6.0% versus 1.0%, P = .002). Hypothyroidism was detected in 71.5% of patients after surgery but in none following radiofrequency ablation. The rate of residual nodules (11.9% versus 2.9%, P = .004) and hospitalization days was significantly greater after surgery (6.6 versus 2.1 days, P radiofrequency ablation are both effective treatments of nodular goiter. Compared with surgery, the advantages of radiofrequency ablation include fewer complications, preservation of thyroid function, and fewer hospitalization days. Therefore, radiofrequency ablation should be considered a first-line treatment for benign thyroid nodules. © 2015 by American

Volumetric measurements of pulmonary nodules at multi-row detector CT: in vivo reproducibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wormanns, Dag; Marheine, Anke; Beyer, Florian; Heindel, Walter; Diederich, Stefan; Kohl, Gerhard; Klotz, Ernst

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo measurement precision of a software tool for volumetric analysis of pulmonary nodules from two consecutive low-dose multi-row detector CT scans. A total of 151 pulmonary nodules (diameter 2.2-20.5 mm, mean diameter 7.4±4.5 mm) in ten subjects with pulmonary metastases were examined with low-dose four-detector-row CT (120 kVp, 20 mAs (effective), collimation 4 x 1 mm, normalized pitch 1.75, slice thickness 1.25 mm, reconstruction increment 0.8 mm; Somatom VolumeZoom, Siemens). Two consecutive low-dose scans covering the whole lung were performed within 10 min. Nodule volume was determined for all pulmonary nodules visually detected in both scans using the volumetry tool included in the Siemens LungCare software. The 95% limits of agreement between nodule volume measurements on different scans were calculated using the Bland and Altman method for assessing measurement agreement. Intra- and interobserver agreement of volume measurement were determined using repetitive measurements of 50 randomly selected nodules at the same scan by the same and different observers. Taking into account all 151 nodules, 95% limits of agreement were -20.4 to 21.9% (standard error 1.5%); they were -19.3 to 20.4% (standard error 1.7%) for 105 nodules <10 mm. Limits of agreement were -3.9 to 5.7% for intraobserver and -5.5 to 6.6% for interobserver agreement. Precision of in vivo volumetric analysis of nodules with an automatic volumetry software tool was sufficiently high to allow for detection of clinically relevant growth in small pulmonary nodules. (orig.)

A COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK FOR AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF PULMONARY NODULES IN LUNG CT IMAGES

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Mehdi Alilou

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Solitary pulmonary nodules may indicate an early stage of lung cancer. Hence, the early detection of nodules is the most efficient way for saving the lives of patients. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive Computer Aided Diagnosis (CADx framework for detection of the lung nodules in computed tomography images. The four major components of the developed framework are lung segmentation, identification of candidate nodules, classification and visualization. The process starts with segmentation of lung regions from the thorax. Then, inside the segmented lung regions, candidate nodules are identified using an approach based on multiple thresholds followed by morphological opening and 3D region growing algorithm. Finally, a combination of a rule-based procedure and support vector machine classifier (SVM is utilized to classify the candidate nodules. The proposed CADx method was validated on CT images of 60 patients, containing the total of 211 nodules, selected from the publicly available Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC image dataset. Comparing to the other state of the art methods, the proposed framework demonstrated acceptable detection performance (Sensitivity: 0.80; Fp/Scan: 3.9. Furthermore, we visualize a range of anatomical structures including the 3D lung structure and the segmented nodules along with the Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP volume rendering method that will enable the radiologists to accurately and easily estimate the distance between the lung structures and the nodules which are frequently difficult at best to recognize from CT images.

A Legume Genetic Framework Controls Infection of Nodules by Symbiotic and Endophytic Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Zgadzaj, Rafal; James, Euan K.; Kelly, Simon; Kawaharada, Yasuyuki; de Jonge, Nadieh; Jensen, Dorthe B.; Madsen, Lene H.; Radutoiu, Simona

2015-01-01

Legumes have an intrinsic capacity to accommodate both symbiotic and endophytic bacteria within root nodules. For the symbionts, a complex genetic mechanism that allows mutual recognition and plant infection has emerged from genetic studies under axenic conditions. In contrast, little is known about the mechanisms controlling the endophytic infection. Here we investigate the contribution of both the host and the symbiotic microbe to endophyte infection and development of mixed colonised nodules in Lotus japonicus. We found that infection threads initiated by Mesorhizobium loti, the natural symbiont of Lotus, can selectively guide endophytic bacteria towards nodule primordia, where competent strains multiply and colonise the nodule together with the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic partner. Further co-inoculation studies with the competent coloniser, Rhizobium mesosinicum strain KAW12, show that endophytic nodule infection depends on functional and efficient M. loti-driven Nod factor signalling. KAW12 exopolysaccharide (EPS) enabled endophyte nodule infection whilst compatible M. loti EPS restricted it. Analysis of plant mutants that control different stages of the symbiotic infection showed that both symbiont and endophyte accommodation within nodules is under host genetic control. This demonstrates that when legume plants are exposed to complex communities they selectively regulate access and accommodation of bacteria occupying this specialized environmental niche, the root nodule. PMID:26042417

Role of BRAFV600E Mutation Analysis for Thyroid Nodules Classified as Indeterminate on Ultrasonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Sang Yu; Shin, Jung Hee; Han, Boo Kyung; Ko, Eun Young; Kang, Seok Seon; Hahn, Soo Yeon; Hwang, Ji Young; Nam, Mee Young; Kim, Jong Won; Chung, Jae Hoon

2010-01-01

We aimed to evaluate a possible role for BRAFV600E mutation analysis of aspiration specimens in the work up of thyroid nodules classified as indeterminate on US. A total of 122 nodules from 122 patients were prospectively classified as indeterminate nodules based on US findings. US-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) was done for all 122 nodules. The presence of a BRAFV600E mutation in FNA specimens was determined by allele-specific PCR. US-indeterminate nodules were confirmed as malignant in 20.5% (25/122) of cases and benign in 76.2% (93/122) after FNA or surgery. A few (3.3% (4/122), remained indeterminate. A BRAFV600E mutation was identified in 14.8% (18/122) of US indeterminate nodules. Of those 18 nodules, three were benign and 13 were malignant after the initial FNA. One (0.8%, 1/122) with an initially benign cytology and a BRAFV600E mutation was confirmed to be malignant after surgery. The remaining two benign nodules with a mutation were not followed-up. All 9 initial FNA-nondiagnostic nodules were mutation negative but 2 (11.8%) of 17 indeterminate nodules on initial FNAs were mutation positive. BRAFV600E mutation analysis prevents false negative cytology for only 0.8% of cases and reduces ambiguous diagnoses for 1.6% of all US-indeterminate thyroid nodules. Therefore, adding BRAFV600E mutation analysis to FNA for US-indeterminate nodules is of limited usefulness

Discrimination method of large log-likelihood study in differential diagnosis of pulmonary diffuse mild micro-nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Budong; Ma Daqing; He Wen; Tang Hongqu; Qian Linxue; Zhou Ronglin

2001-01-01

Objective: To analyze HRCT and thin-slice CT scan findings in 150 patients with pulmonary diffuse mild micro-nodule, and to find the features with the purpose of identifying random micro-nodule, peri-lymphatic micro-nodule, and centrilobular micro-nodule. Methods: The useful features i 150 patients with pulmonary diffuse mild micro-nodule were translated into scores by means of discrimination method of large log-likelihood to identify the micro-nodular category. Results: The accuracy of diagnosis was 94.0% for random micro-nodule, 76.0% for peri-lymphatic micro-nodule, and 90.0% for centrilobular micro-nodule. Conclusion: HRCT and thin-slice CT scans were helpful in differential diagnosis of pulmonary diffuse mild micro-nodule. The discrimination method of large log-likelihood was propitious to diagnosis and differential diagnosis

Malignancy estimation of Lung-RADS criteria for subsolid nodules on CT. Accuracy of low and high risk spectrum when using NLST nodules

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Chung, Kaman; Jacobs, Colin; Scholten, Ernst T.; Dekker, Irma; Prokop, Mathias; Ginneken, Bram van [Radboud University Medical Centre, Diagnostic Image Analysis Group, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Mets, Onno M. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Schaefer-Prokop, Cornelia M. [Radboud University Medical Centre, Diagnostic Image Analysis Group, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Meander Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Amersfoort (Netherlands)

2017-11-15

Lung-RADS proposes malignancy probabilities for categories 2 (<1%) and 4B (>15%). The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare malignancy rates for Lung-RADS 2 and 4B subsolid nodules (SSNs) on a nodule base. We identified all baseline SSNs eligible for Lung-RADS 2 and 4B in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) database. Solid cores and nodule locations were annotated using in-house software. Malignant SSNs were identified by an experienced radiologist using NLST information. Malignancy rates and percentages of persistence were calculated. Of the Lung-RADS 2SSNs, 94.3% (1790/1897) could be located on chest CTs. Likewise, 95.1% (331/348) of part-solid nodules ≥6 mm in diameter could be located. Of these, 120 had a solid core ≥8 mm, corresponding to category 4B. Category 2 SSNs showed a malignancy rate of 2.5%, exceeding slightly the proposed rate of <1%. Category 4B SSNs showed a malignancy rate of 23.9%. In both categories one third of benign lesions were transient. Malignancy probabilities for Lung-RADS 2 and 4B generally match malignancy rates in SSNs. An option to include also category 2 SSNs for upgrade to 4X designed for suspicious nodules might be useful in the future. Integration of short-term follow-up to confirm persistence would prevent unnecessary invasive work-up in 4B SSNs. (orig.)

Phase associations and potential selective extraction methods for selected high-tech metals from ferromanganese nodules and crusts with siderophores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohwinkel, Dennis; Kleint, Charlotte; Koschinsky, Andrea

2014-01-01

combination of sequential leaches with a siderophore leach enhanced the extraction to 30–50% of each Mo, Nb, W and Ta from a mixed type Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) nodule and 40–80% from a diagenetic Peru Basin nodule, whilst only 5–10% Fe and even less Mn are extracted from the nodules. Li is extracted to about 60% from the CCZ nodule and a maximum of 80% Li is extracted from the Peru Basin nodule. Our pilot work on selective extraction of high-tech metals from marine ferromanganese nodules and crusts showed that specific metal-binding organic ligands may have promising potential in future processing technologies of these oxide deposits

Consistent interactive segmentation of pulmonary ground glass nodules identified in CT studies

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Fang, Ming; Naidich, David P.; Novak, Carol L.

2004-05-01

Ground glass nodules (GGNs) have proved especially problematic in lung cancer diagnosis, as despite frequently being malignant they characteristically have extremely slow rates of growth. This problem is further magnified by the small size of many of these lesions now being routinely detected following the introduction of multislice CT scanners capable of acquiring contiguous high resolution 1 to 1.25 mm sections throughout the thorax in a single breathhold period. Although segmentation of solid nodules can be used clinically to determine volume doubling times quantitatively, reliable methods for segmentation of pure ground glass nodules have yet to be introduced. Our purpose is to evaluate a newly developed computer-based segmentation method for rapid and reproducible measurements of pure ground glass nodules. 23 pure or mixed ground glass nodules were identified in a total of 8 patients by a radiologist and subsequently segmented by our computer-based method using Markov random field and shape analysis. The computer-based segmentation was initialized by a click point. Methodological consistency was assessed using the overlap ratio between 3 segmentations initialized by 3 different click points for each nodule. The 95% confidence interval on the mean of the overlap ratios proved to be [0.984, 0.998]. The computer-based method failed on two nodules that were difficult to segment even manually either due to especially low contrast or markedly irregular margins. While achieving consistent manual segmentation of ground glass nodules has proven problematic most often due to indistinct boundaries and interobserver variability, our proposed method introduces a powerful new tool for obtaining reproducible quantitative measurements of these lesions. It is our intention to further document the value of this approach with a still larger set of ground glass nodules.

Proteome reference maps of the Lotus japonicus nodule and root

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam, Svend Secher; Dyrlund, Thomas F.; Ussatjuk, Anna

2014-01-01

formation mutant (snf1) was determined. From nodules and roots, 780 and 790 protein spots from 2D gels were identified and approximately 45% of the corresponding unique gene accessions were common. Including a previous proteomics set from Lotus pod and seed, the common gene accessions were decreased to 7...... stress level at this developmental stage. In contrast, protein spots corresponding to nodulins such as leghemoglobin, asparagine synthetase, sucrose synthase, and glutamine synthetase were prevalent in red nodules. The distinct biochemical state of nodules was further highlighted by the conspicuous...

Evaluation of subjectively assessed nodule traits of ostrich skins as ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Schalk Cloete

leather quality (Sales, 1999). No formal ... Both traits are clearly age-dependent, with nodule size increasing and nodule density decreasing with an increase in .... E stim ated ag e (m o n th s). Producers. Graders. Marketers. Agents. Managers.

Diagnostic work-up of pulmonary nodules. Management of pulmonary nodules detected with low-dose CT screening; Abklaerung von Lungenrundherden. Management durch Frueherkennungsuntersuchungen detektierter pulmonaler Rundherde

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wormanns, D. [Evangelische Lungenklinik Berlin, Berlin (Germany)

2016-09-15

Pulmonary nodules are the most frequent pathological finding in low-dose computed tomography (CT) scanning for early detection of lung cancer. Early stages of lung cancer are often manifested as pulmonary nodules; however, the very commonly occurring small nodules are predominantly benign. These benign nodules are responsible for the high percentage of false positive test results in screening studies. Appropriate diagnostic algorithms are necessary to reduce false positive screening results and to improve the specificity of lung cancer screening. Such algorithms are based on some of the basic principles comprehensively described in this article. Firstly, the diameter of nodules allows a differentiation between large (>8 mm) probably malignant and small (<8 mm) probably benign nodules. Secondly, some morphological features of pulmonary nodules in CT can prove their benign nature. Thirdly, growth of small nodules is the best non-invasive predictor of malignancy and is utilized as a trigger for further diagnostic work-up. Non-invasive testing using positron emission tomography (PET) and contrast enhancement as well as invasive diagnostic tests (e.g. various procedures for cytological and histological diagnostics) are briefly described in this article. Different nodule morphology using CT (e.g. solid and semisolid nodules) is associated with different biological behavior and different algorithms for follow-up are required. Currently, no obligatory algorithm is available in German-speaking countries for the management of pulmonary nodules, which reflects the current state of knowledge. The main features of some international and American recommendations are briefly presented in this article from which conclusions for the daily clinical use are derived. (orig.) [German] Lungenrundherde sind die haeufigsten pathologischen Befunde bei Untersuchungen mit der Niedrigdosis-CT zur Lungenkrebsfrueherkennung. Fruehstadien des Lungenkarzinoms manifestieren sich meist als Rundherd

Subcentimeter Pulmonary Nodules Detected in Patients with Sarcoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle S. Ginsberg

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Subcentimeter pulmonary nodules are being detected with increasing frequency in patients with sarcoma due to the greater use of chest CT, the advent of helical (spiral CT scanning and multidetector scanners, and the attendant decrease in image section thickness.Assessing the clinical significance of these pulmonary nodules is of particular importance in sarcoma patients, due to the frequent occurrence of pulmonary metastasis from sarcomas.

Possibilities of nontoxic autonomous thyroid nodules treatment by percutaneous ethanol injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anđelković Zoran

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. According to the current principles, autonomous functional thyroid nodules are treated by surgery or by radioiodin therapy. Ultrasound guided percutaneous ethanol injection into solid tumors of the soft tissues was a starting point in attempts to treat the thyroid nodules by the same method. The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of percutaneous injection in treating solitary, nontoxic, autonomous thyroid nodules of up to 15 mL volume. Methods. In 25 patients with solitary nontoxic autonomous thyroid nodules diagnosed by tehnetium-99m scanning as an intensive area having a complete supremacy in the paranodal tissue, an ultrasound guided percutaneous ethanol injection was applied. The procedure was carried out repeatedly once a week until the reduction in nodule size to 50% of the initial size was achieved. Results. An average size of the nodule before curing was 9.68 ± 5.01 mL. An average quantity of the injected ethanol was 9.52 ± 5.08 mL, ie 1.06 ± 0.48 mL/mg of the tissue. The regression of the nodule size in the successfully (Δvol% u = - 57.09 ± 13.75%, p < 0.001 and partly successfully cured (Δvol du = -48.45 ± 14.35%, p < 0.05 was statistically significant compared to the size before the treatment. After ceasing ethanol injection, 18 months later, a further size regression (Δvol% = -79.20 ± 9.89% compared to the initial one (p < 0.001 was noticed. Soon, after the procedure was finished, a statistically significant concentration increase of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH was noticed compared to the initial values (0.18 ± 0.16 vs 0.34 ± 0.31 mU/L, p < 0.01. According to the given criteria, in two female patients satisfactory results were not achieved, but, a year later, in one of them the nodule was not seen by repeated scintigram. The number and frequency of side effects were insignificant. Conclusion. Repeated percutaneous ethanol injections into nontoxic solitary autonomous thyroid nodules result in

Staphylococcus aureus phage types and their correlation to antibiotic resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehndiratta P

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Context: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most devastating human pathogen. The organism has a differential ability to spread and cause outbreak of infections. Characterization of these strains is important to control the spread of infection in the hospitals as well as in the community. Aim: To identify the currently existing phage groups of Staphylococcus aureus, their prevalence and resistance to antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Study was undertaken on 252 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical samples. Strains were phage typed and their resistance to antibiotics was determined following standard microbiological procedures. Statistical Analysis: Chi square test was used to compare the antibiotic susceptibility between methicillin resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA and methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA strains. Results: Prevalence of MRSA and MSSA strains was found to be 29.36% and 70.65% respectively. Of these 17.56% of MRSA and 40.44% of MSSA strains were community acquired. All the MSSA strains belonging to phage type 81 from the community were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested including clindamycin and were resistant to penicillin. Forty five percent strains of phage group III and 39% of non-typable MRSA strains from the hospital were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Conclusion: The study revealed that predominant phage group amongst MRSA strains was phage group III and amongst MSSA from the community was phage group NA (phage type 81. MSSA strains isolated from the community differed significantly from hospital strains in their phage type and antibiotic susceptibility. A good correlation was observed between community acquired strains of phage type 81 and sensitivity to gentamycin and clindamycin.

A Comparison of Two Commercial Volumetry Software Programs in the Analysis of Pulmonary Ground-Glass Nodules: Segmentation Capability and Measurement Accuracy

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyungjin; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Hyun-Ju; Goo, Jin Mo

2013-01-01

Objective To compare the segmentation capability of the 2 currently available commercial volumetry software programs with specific segmentation algorithms for pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and to assess their measurement accuracy. Materials and Methods In this study, 55 patients with 66 GGNs underwent unenhanced low-dose CT. GGN segmentation was performed by using 2 volumetry software programs (LungCARE, Siemens Healthcare; LungVCAR, GE Healthcare). Successful nodule segmentation was assessed visually and morphologic features of GGNs were evaluated to determine factors affecting segmentation by both types of software. In addition, the measurement accuracy of the software programs was investigated by using an anthropomorphic chest phantom containing simulated GGNs. Results The successful nodule segmentation rate was significantly higher in LungCARE (90.9%) than in LungVCAR (72.7%) (p = 0.012). Vascular attachment was a negatively influencing morphologic feature of nodule segmentation for both software programs. As for measurement accuracy, mean relative volume measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 14.89% with LungCARE and 19.96% with LungVCAR. The mean relative attenuation measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 3.03% with LungCARE and 5.12% with LungVCAR. Conclusion LungCARE shows significantly higher segmentation success rates than LungVCAR. Measurement accuracy of volume and attenuation of GGNs is acceptable in GGNs ≥ 10 mm by both software programs. PMID:23901328

A comparison of two commercial volumetry software programs in the analysis of pulmonary ground-glass nodules: Segmentation capability and measurement accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung Jin; Park, Chang Min; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Hyun Joo; Goo, Jin Mo

2013-01-01

To compare the segmentation capability of the 2 currently available commercial volumetry software programs with specific segmentation algorithms for pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and to assess their measurement accuracy. In this study, 55 patients with 66 GGNs underwent unenhanced low-dose CT. GGN segmentation was performed by using 2 volumetry software programs (LungCARE, Siemens Healthcare; LungVCAR, GE Healthcare). Successful nodule segmentation was assessed visually and morphologic features of GGNs were evaluated to determine factors affecting segmentation by both types of software. In addition, the measurement accuracy of the software programs was investigated by using an anthropomorphic chest phantom containing simulated GGNs. The successful nodule segmentation rate was significantly higher in LungCARE (90.9%) than in LungVCAR (72.7%) (p = 0.012). Vascular attachment was a negatively influencing morphologic feature of nodule segmentation for both software programs. As for measurement accuracy, mean relative volume measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 14.89% with LungCARE and 19.96% with LungVCAR. The mean relative attenuation measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 3.03% with LungCARE and 5.12% with LungVCAR. LungCARE shows significantly higher segmentation success rates than LungVCAR. Measurement accuracy of volume and attenuation of GGNs is acceptable in GGNs ≥ 10 mm by both software programs.

A comparison of two commercial volumetry software programs in the analysis of pulmonary ground-glass nodules: Segmentation capability and measurement accuracy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyung Jin; Park, Chang Min; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Hyun Joo; Goo, Jin Mo [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

To compare the segmentation capability of the 2 currently available commercial volumetry software programs with specific segmentation algorithms for pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and to assess their measurement accuracy. In this study, 55 patients with 66 GGNs underwent unenhanced low-dose CT. GGN segmentation was performed by using 2 volumetry software programs (LungCARE, Siemens Healthcare; LungVCAR, GE Healthcare). Successful nodule segmentation was assessed visually and morphologic features of GGNs were evaluated to determine factors affecting segmentation by both types of software. In addition, the measurement accuracy of the software programs was investigated by using an anthropomorphic chest phantom containing simulated GGNs. The successful nodule segmentation rate was significantly higher in LungCARE (90.9%) than in LungVCAR (72.7%) (p = 0.012). Vascular attachment was a negatively influencing morphologic feature of nodule segmentation for both software programs. As for measurement accuracy, mean relative volume measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 14.89% with LungCARE and 19.96% with LungVCAR. The mean relative attenuation measurement errors in nodules ≥ 10 mm were 3.03% with LungCARE and 5.12% with LungVCAR. LungCARE shows significantly higher segmentation success rates than LungVCAR. Measurement accuracy of volume and attenuation of GGNs is acceptable in GGNs ≥ 10 mm by both software programs.

Activating thyrotropin receptor mutations in histologically heterogeneous hyperfunctioning nodules of multinodular goiter.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonacchera, M; Vitti, P; Agretti, P; Giulianetti, B; Mazzi, B; Cavaliere, R; Ceccarini, G; Fiore, E; Viacava, P; Naccarato, A; Pinchera, A; Chiovato, L

1998-07-01

Activating thyrotropin (TSH) receptor mutations have been found in toxic adenomas and in hot nodules contained in toxic multinodular goiter. The typical feature of multinodular goiter is the heterogeneity in morphology and function of different follicles within the same enlarged gland. In this report we describe a patient with a huge multinodular goiter, normal free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) serum values, and subnormal TSH serum concentration. Thyroid scintiscan showed two hot areas corresponding to the basal and apical nodules of the left lobe. The right lobe was poorly visualized by the radioisotope. The patient underwent thyroidectomy, and histological examination of the tissue was performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from the tissue specimen and direct sequencing of the TSH receptor and Gs alpha genes was done. At histology, one hyperfunctioning nodule had the typical microscopic structure of thyroid adenomas, and the other contained multiple macrofollicular areas not confined by a capsule. In spite of this histological difference, both hyperfunctioning nodules harbored a mutation of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHr) gene: an isoleucine instead of a threonine in position 632 (T632I) in the first nodule and a methionine instead of an isoleucine in position 486 (I486M) in the second nodule. In conclusion, our findings show for the first time that gain-of-function TSHr mutations are not only present in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules with the histological features of the true thyroid adenomas, but also in hyperfunctioning hyperplastic nodules contained in the same multinodular goiter.

ROLE OF MOLECULAR MARKERS IN THYROID NODULE MANAGEMENT: THEN AND NOW.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikiforov, Yuri E

2017-08-01

To describe the evolution and clinical utility of molecular testing for thyroid nodules and cancer achieved over the last 2 decades. Scientific reports on thyroid cancer genetics and molecular diagnostics in thyroid nodules. Over the last 2 decades, our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of thyroid cancer has dramatically expanded, such that most thyroid cancers now have known gene driver events. This knowledge provides the basis for establishing and further improving molecular tests for thyroid nodules and cancer and for the introduction of new entities such as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features. The progress with molecular tests for thyroid nodules started in the 1990s from demonstrating feasibility of detecting various molecular alterations in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) material collected from thyroid nodules. It was followed by the introduction of the first single-gene mutational markers, such as BRAF, and a small mutational panel into clinical practice in the mid 2000s. Currently, several more advanced molecular tests are available for clinical use. They are based on multiple molecular markers and have increasing impact on the clinical management of patients with thyroid nodules. The evolution of molecular tests for thyroid nodules followed the discovery of various diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers of thyroid cancer that can be applied to thyroid FNA samples to inform more individualized management of these patients. FNA = fine-needle aspiration miRNA = micro RNA NGS = next-generation sequencing NIFTP = noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features NPV = negative predictive value PPV = positive predictive value PTC = papillary thyroid carcinoma RAI = radioactive iodine.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SOIL TILLAGE SYSTEMS ON NODULATION AND YIELD OF SOYBEAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Jug

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The primary soil tillage for different crops in Croatia is generally based on mouldboard ploughing which is the most expensive for crops production. Negative effects due to frequent passes by equipment and machines (deterioration of soil structure, soil compaction, lower biogenity and soil tilth, together with negative economical and energetical costs, can be lowered and avoided by introduction of reduced soil tillage or direct drilling (No-tillage. Accordingly, the main goal of this research was to determine effects of conventional and reduced soil tillage systems on yield components and nodulation ability of nitrogen fixing bacteria in soybean crop. The research was established at chernozem soil type of northern Baranja as monofactorial completely randomized block design in four repetitions. The soil tillage variants were as follows: CT Conventional Tillage (primary soil tillage by moldboard ploughing at 25-30 cm depth, DH Multiple Diskharrowing at 10-15 cm as primary tillage, and NT No-tillage system. Results show significantly lower plant density, mass of 1000 grains and grain yield at variants with reduced soil tillage in both investigation years. However, reduced tillage systems had positive trend on nitrogen-fixing bacteria nodulation, since the highest values of number and mass of nodules per plant were recorded. This research was run during the years 2002 and 2003, the last one extremely droughty, thus it requires continuation.

[Thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer: Brazilian consensus].