Value of the Air Bronchogram Sign and Other Computed Tomography Findings in the Early Diagnosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to explore the application value of the air bronchogram (AB) sign and other computed tomography (CT) signs in the early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHOD: The pathological information and CT images of 130 patients diagnosed with N0 and M0 solitary pulmonary nodules (diameter ≤3 cm) and treated with surgical resection in our hospital between June 2021 and June 2022 were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients were divided into the benign pulmonary nodule (BPN) group (14 cases), the AIS group (30 cases), the MIA group (10 cases), and the IAC group (76 cases). Among the 116 patients with AIS and LUAD, 96 showed an AB sign. Among the 14 patients with BPN, only 4 patients showed an AB sign. The average CT value and maximum diameter were significantly higher in the IAC group than in the AIS and MIA groups. In the BPN group, 5 patients had an average CT value of >80 HU. Among all LUAD-based groups, there was only 1 patient with a CT value of >60 HU. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the AB sign based on CT imaging facilitates the differentiation between benign and malignant nodules. The CT value and maximum diameter of pulmonary adenocarcinoma nodules increase with the increase of the malignancy degree. The nodule type, CT value, and maximum diameter are useful for predicting the pathological type and prognosis. If the average CT value of pulmonary nodules is >80 HU, LUAD may be excluded.

Genome-wide identification and transcription analysis of soybean carotenoid oxygenase genes during abiotic stress treatments.

Carotenoid oxygenase is a key enzyme in carotenoid metabolism leading to the synthesis of two phytohormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and strigolactone, as well as norisoprenoids. Few studies have analyzed inter-relationship of the metabolic networks of these three substances. In this present paper, soybean carotenoid oxygenase genes were identified to reveal their phylogenetic relationships, and the transcriptional response of these genes to four abiotic stresses (NaCl, PEG, high and low temperature) and ABA treatment were investigated to characterize their potential roles in plant resistance. Positive selection was found in the branches of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD1), CCD8 and NCED (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid oxygenase), indicating an adaptive evolution in these clades. In soybean eight carotenoid oxygenase genes were identified. The transcriptional responses of almost all of them under stress and ABA conditions were significantly altered when assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Notably, CCD1 and CCD4, previously known as the key genes in norisoprenoids metabolism, showed especially strong responses to the abiotic stresses and ABA treatment. Furthermore, transcription levels of CCD7 and CCD8, key genes for the strigolactone pathway, highly increased during ABA treatment providing further evidence that ABA is involved in regulating strigolactone metabolism. All of the carotenoid oxygenase genes in soybean are involved in plant abiotic stress physiology, and ABA is presumed to be a core regulatory substance. These findings provide some insights into the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of tolerance response to abiotic stresses in soybean.