Common immunological and prognostic features of lung and bladder cancer via smoking-related genes: PRR11 gene as potential immunotherapeutic target.

Smoking is a well-known risk factor for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). Despite this, there has been no investigation into a prognostic marker based on smoking-related genes that could universally predict prognosis in these cancers and correlate with immune checkpoint therapy. This study aimed to identify smoking-related differential genes in NSCLC and BLCA, analyse their roles in patient prognosis and immune checkpoint therapy through subgroup analyses, and shed light on PRR11 as a crucial prognostic gene in both cancers. By examining PRR11 co-expressed genes, a prognostic model was constructed and its impact on immunotherapy for NSCLC and BLCA was evaluated. Molecular docking and tissue microarray analyses were conducted to explore the correlation between PRR11 and its reciprocal gene SPDL1. Additionally, miRNAs associated with PRR11 were analysed. The study confirmed a strong link between smoking-related genes, prognosis, and immune checkpoint therapy in NSCLC and BLCA. PRR11 was identified as a key smoking-associated gene that influences the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy by modulating the stemness of these cancers. A prognostic model based on PRR11 co-expressed genes in BLCA was established and its prognostic value was validated in NSCLC. Furthermore, it was found that PRR11 regulates PDL1 via SPDL1, impacting immunotherapeutic efficacy in both cancers. The involvement of hsa-miR-200b-3p in the regulation of SPDL1 expression by PRR11 was also highlighted. Overall, the study elucidates that PRR11 modulates patient immunotherapy by influencing PDL1 expression through its interaction with SPDL1, with potential upstream regulation by hsa-miR-200b-3p.

Assessment of Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Quantification and the Ultrasound Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in Patients With Thyroid Nodules Referred for Biopsy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) in combination with the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for assessing thyroid nodules referred for biopsy. METHODS: A total of 197 surgically or cytologically proven thyroid nodules in 187 patients were included. Nodules evaluated by conventional ultrasound (US) and VTIQ examinations were classified into US TI-RADS categories. The shear wave velocity (SWV) on VTIQ was assessed, and the cutoff value was obtained from a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Diagnostic performances of conventional US, VTIQ, and their combination were compared. RESULTS: There were 134 benign and 63 malignant nodules. The sensitivity and specificity for the US TI-RADS were 98.4% and 20.1%, respectively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the mean, maximum, minimum, and ratio of the SWV were 0.818, 0.805, 0.799, and 0.728. With a cutoff value of 2.90 m/s, the sensitivity and specificity of the mean SWV were 71.4% and 82.8%. By applying this value or less as a standard for downgrading TI-RADS category 4a to category 3 lesions, the specificity significantly rose from 20.1% to 47.0% (P < .001) without a loss of sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The additional application of VTIQ can improve the specificity of the TI-RADS for evaluating thyroid nodules without a loss of sensitivity.

Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging and Quantification in the Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the diagnostic performance of a 2-dimensional shear wave elastographic technique (Virtual Touch tissue imaging and quantification [VTIQ]; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) for predicting thyroid malignancy. METHODS: A total of 302 thyroid nodules underwent conventional sonography and VTIQ before fine-needle aspiration examination or surgery. Compared with histopathologic or cytologic results in combination with follow-up, the diagnostic performance of various shear wave speed (SWS) indices (minimum [SWSmin ], maximum [SWSmax ], and mean [SWSmean ]) on VTIQ as well as conventional sonographic features for predicting thyroid malignancy was evaluated in all of the nodules. RESULTS: Sixty-five malignant and 237 benign thyroid nodules were histopathologically or cytologically confirmed. All SWS indices on VTIQ were lower in benign nodules than thyroid malignancy (all P < .001). For discrimination between malignant and benign nodules, all VTIQ SWS indices were better than conventional sonographic features, such as a solid component, a taller-than-wide shape, microcalcification, a poorly defined margin and hypoechogenicity, in predicting thyroid malignancy (all P < .05). By applying a cutoff SWSmean value of 2.60 m/s, VTIQ achieved sensitivity and negative predictive values of 84.6% and 94.3%, respectively, for differentiating nodules. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of SWSmax (0.862 versus 0.717), SWSmin (0.866 versus 0.717), and SWSmean (0.891 versus 0.725) for nodules larger than 10 mm were higher than those for nodules of 10 mm or smaller (all P < .05). Interoperator and intraoperator reproducibility was proven to be excellent, with all interclass correlation coefficient values higher than 0.80 (range, 0.813-0.905) CONCLUSIONS: Virtual Touch tissue imaging and quantification is a useful and reproducible tool for predicting thyroid malignancy.

Initial Experience With Ultrasound Elastography for Diagnosis of Major Salivary Gland Lesions.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound elastography, including conventional strain elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI)-induced strain elastography, and point shear wave elastography (SWE) for diagnosis of major salivary gland lesions. METHODS: Forty major salivary gland lesions underwent conventional sonography, conventional strain elastography, ARFI strain elastography, and point SWE before surgery or biopsy. The diagnostic performances of the sonographic and elastographic techniques were assessed with reference to histopathologic results. RESULTS: There were 32 benign (7 Warthin tumors, 17 pleomorphic adenomas, and 8 other benign lesions) and 8 malignant (1 squamous carcinoma, 2 metastases, 2 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 1 anaplastic carcinoma, and 2 malignant lymphomas) major salivary gland lesions on pathologic analysis. No conventional sonographic features or conventional strain elastographic scores were found to be associated with malignancy (all P > .05). The ARFI strain elastographic scores between benign and malignant lesions were statistically different (P = .032) and an ARFI strain elastographic score of 4 or greater was highly predictive of malignancy (P= .025). An ARFI strain elastographic score of greater than 3 achieved specificity of 81.3% (26 of 32) and sensitivity of 62.5% (5 of 8) in differentiating benign from malignant lesions. The shear wave velocity on point SWE did not show a significant difference in distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions (6.07 versus 4.43 m/s; P > .05). However, Warthin tumors had a trend to show lower shear wave velocities compared with pleomorphic adenomas (2.84 versus 5.27 m/s; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: Acoustic radiation force impulse strain elastography may be potentially useful for diagnosing major salivary gland lesions, whereas conventional strain elastography and point SWE are not helpful.

Evaluating the predictive value of angiogenesis-related genes for prognosis and immunotherapy response in prostate adenocarcinoma using machine learning and experimental approaches.

Background: Angiogenesis, the process of forming new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, plays a crucial role in the development and advancement of cancer. Although blocking angiogenesis has shown success in treating different types of solid tumors, its relevance in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) has not been thoroughly investigated. Method: This study utilized the WGCNA method to identify angiogenesis-related genes and assessed their diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with PRAD through cluster analysis. A diagnostic model was constructed using multiple machine learning techniques, while a prognostic model was developed employing the LASSO algorithm, underscoring the relevance of angiogenesis-related genes in PRAD. Further analysis identified MAP7D3 as the most significant prognostic gene among angiogenesis-related genes using multivariate Cox regression analysis and various machine learning algorithms. The study also investigated the correlation between MAP7D3 and immune infiltration as well as drug sensitivity in PRAD. Molecular docking analysis was conducted to assess the binding affinity of MAP7D3 to angiogenic drugs. Immunohistochemistry analysis of 60 PRAD tissue samples confirmed the expression and prognostic value of MAP7D3. Result: Overall, the study identified 10 key angiogenesis-related genes through WGCNA and demonstrated their potential prognostic and immune-related implications in PRAD patients. MAP7D3 is found to be closely associated with the prognosis of PRAD and its response to immunotherapy. Through molecular docking studies, it was revealed that MAP7D3 exhibits a high binding affinity to angiogenic drugs. Furthermore, experimental data confirmed the upregulation of MAP7D3 in PRAD, correlating with a poorer prognosis. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the important role of angiogenesis-related genes in PRAD and identified a new angiogenesis-related target MAP7D3.

Predicting tall-cell subtype of papillary thyroid carcinomas independently with preoperative multimodal ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the differences between tall-cell subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (TCPTC) and classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (cPTC) using multimodal ultrasound, and identify independent risk factors for TCPTC to compensate the deficiency of preoperative cytological and molecular diagnosis on PTC subtypes. METHODS: Forty-six TCPTC patients and 92 cPTC patients were included. Each patient received grey-scale ultrasound, colour Dopplor flow imaging (CDFI) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) preoperatively. Clinicopathologic information, grey-scale ultrasound features, CDFI features and SWE features of 98 lesions were compared using univariate analysis to find out predictors of TCPTC, based on which, a predictive model was built to differentiate TCPTC from cPTC and validated with 40 patients. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate analyses identified that extra-thyroidal extension (odds ratio [OR], 15.12; 95% CI, 2.26-115.44), aspect ratio (≥0.91) (OR, 29.34; 95% CI, 1.29-26.23), and maximum diameter ≥14.6 mm (OR, 20.79; 95% CI, 3.87-111.47) were the independent risk factors for TCPTC. Logistic regression equation: P = 1/1+ExpΣ[-5.099 + 3.004 × (if size ≥14.6 mm) + 2.957 × (if aspect ratio ≥ 0.91) + 2.819 × (if extra-thyroidal extension). The prediction model had a good discrimination performance for TCPTC: the area under the receiver-operator-characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.928, 0.848, and 0.954 in cohort 1, and the corresponding values in cohort 2 were 0.943, 0.923, and 0.926, respectively. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound has the potential for differential diagnosis of TCPTC from cPTC. A prediction model based on ultrasound characteristics (extra-thyroidal extension, aspect ratio ≥0.91, and maximum diameter ≥14.6 mm) was useful in predicting TCPTC. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Multimodal ultrasound prediction of TCPTC was a supplement to preoperative cytological diagnosis and molecular diagnosis of PTC subtypes.

Added value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to conventional ultrasound for characterization of indeterminate soft-tissue tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the added value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to conventional ultrasound in differentiating benign soft-tissue tumors from malignant ones. METHODS: 197 soft-tissue tumors underwent ultrasound examination with confirmed histopathology were retrospectively evaluated. The radiologists classified all the tumors as benign, malignant, or indeterminate according to ultrasound features. The indeterminate tumors underwent CEUS were reviewed afterwards for malignancy identification by using individual and combined CEUS features. RESULTS: Ultrasound analysis classified 62 soft-tissue tumors as benign, 111 tumors as indeterminate and 24 tumors as malignant. There 104 indeterminate tumors were subject to CEUS. Three CEUS features including enlargement of enhancement area, infiltrative enhancement boundary, and intratumoral arrival time difference were significantly associated with the tumor nature in both univariable and multivariable analysis for the indeterminate tumors (all p < 0.05). When at least one out of the three discriminant CEUS features were present, the best sensitivity of 100% for malignancy identification was obtained with the specificity of 66.7% and the AUC of 0.833. When at least two of the three discriminant CEUS features were present, the best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.924 for malignancy identification was obtained. The combination of at least two discriminant CEUS features showed much better diagnostic performance than the optimal combination of ultrasound features in terms of AUC (0.924 vs 0.608, p < 0.0001), sensitivity (94.0% vs 42.0%, p < 0.0001), and specificity (90.7% vs 79.6%, p = 0.210) for the indeterminate tumors. CONCLUSION: The combination CEUS features of enlargement of enhancement area, infiltrative enhancement boundary and intratumoral arrival time difference are valuable to improve the discriminating performance for indeterminate soft-tissue tumors on conventional ultrasound. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The combination of peritumoral and arrival-time CEUS features can improve the discriminating performance for indeterminate soft-tissue tumors on conventional ultrasound.

Predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules based on conventional ultrasound and elastography: the value of predictive models in a multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish predictive models based on features of Conventional Ultrasound (CUS) and elastography in a multi-center study to determine appropriate preoperative diagnosis of malignancy in thyroid nodules with different risk stratification based on 2017 Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System by the American College of Radiology (ACR TI-RADS) guidelines. METHODS: Five hundred forty-eight thyroid nodules from three centers pathologically confirmed by the cytology or histology were retrospectively enrolled in the study, which were examined by CUS and elastography before fine needle aspiration (FNA) and surgery. Characteristics of CUS of thyroid nodules were reviewed according to 2017 ACR TI-RADS. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to develop the prediction models based on the different risk stratification of CUS features and elastography which were statistically significant. Values of predictive models were evaluated regarding the discrimination and calibration. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression showed that patients' age, taller-than-wider, lobulated or irregular boundary, extra-thyroid extension, microcalcification and the elastic parameter of Virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) max were independent predictors for thyroid malignancy (p < 0.05) in the ACR model and showed the area under the curve (AUC) in training (0.912) and validation cohort (internal and external: 0.877 vs 0.935). Predictive models showed predictors in ACR TR4 and TR5 for malignancy and diagnostic performance of AUC in training, internal and external validation cohort respectively: the VTIQ max (p < 0.001) with AUC of 0.809 vs 0.842 vs 0.705 and the age, taller than wide, VTIQ max variables with AUC of 0.859 vs 0.830 vs 0.906 in validation cohort. All predictive models have better calibration capabilities (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Predictive models combined CUS and elastography features would aid clinicians to make appropriate preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules among different risk stratification. The elastography parameter of VTIQ max has the priority in distinguishing thyroid malignancy with moderately suspicious (ACR TR4).

Polyamine detergents tailored for native mass spectrometry studies of membrane proteins.

Native mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful technique for interrogating membrane protein complexes and their interactions with other molecules. A key aspect of the technique is the ability to preserve native-like structures and noncovalent interactions, which can be challenging depending on the choice of detergent. Different strategies have been employed to reduce charge on protein complexes to minimize activation and preserve non-covalent interactions. Here, we report the synthesis of a class of polyamine detergents tailored for native MS studies of membrane proteins. These detergents, a series of spermine covalently attached to various alkyl tails, are exceptional charge-reducing molecules, exhibiting a ten-fold enhanced potency over spermine. Addition of polyamine detergents to proteins solubilized in maltoside detergents results in improved, charge-reduced native mass spectra and reduced dissociation of subunits. Polyamine detergents open new opportunities to investigate membrane proteins in different detergent environments that have thwarted previous native MS studies.

Photopolymerized superhydrophobic hybrid coating enabled by dual-purpose tetrapodal ZnO for liquid/liquid separation.

Low-cost and scalable superhydrophobic coating methods provide viable approaches for energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures. A scalable photopolymerization method is developed to functionalize porous substrates with a hybrid coating of tetrapodal ZnO (T-ZnO) and polymethacrylate, which exhibits simultaneous superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. Here, T-ZnO serves dual purposes by (i) initiating radical photopolymerization during the fabrication process through a hole-mediated pathway and (ii) providing a hierarchical surface roughness to amplify wettability characteristics and suspend liquid droplets in the metastable Cassie-Baxter regime. Photopolymerization provides a means to finely control the conversion and spatial distribution of the formed polymer, whilst allowing for facile large-area fabrication and potential coating on heat-sensitive substrates. Coated stainless-steel meshes and filter papers with desired superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties exhibit excellent performance in separating stratified oil/water, oil/ionic-liquid, and water/ionic-liquid mixtures as well as water-in-oil emulsions. The hybrid coating demonstrates desired mechanical robustness and chemical resistance for their long-term application in large-scale energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures.

Conventional ultrasound characteristics, TI-RADS category and shear wave speed measurement between follicular adenoma and follicular thyroid carcinoma.

The purpose of the study was to explore the differences of conventional ultrasound characteristics, thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) category and shear wave speed (SWS) measurement between follicular adenoma (FA) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Twenty-eight FTCs and 67 FAs proven by surgery were retrospectively included for analysis. Conventional ultrasound and point-shear wave elastography (p-SWE) were performed in all of the included patients. The ultrasound features, American Thyroid Association (ATA) TI-RADS category and American College of Radiology (ACR) TI-RADS category, SWS measurement were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed and area under ROC curve (AUC) was obtained for significant features. There were no statistical differences in mean age (46.9±15.7years vs. 48.6±13.6years, P = 0.639), gender (9 males, 32.1% vs. 18 males, 29.0%, P = 0.766) and mean diameter (28.3±16.2 mm vs. 33.8±11.9 mm, P = 0.077) between FTCs and FAs. Hypoechogenicity, lobulated or irregular margin, macrocalcification were more common in FTCs than FAs (all P < 0.05). Mean SWS of FTCs (2.29±0.64 m/s) was slightly higher than that of FAs (1.94±0.68 m/s) (P = 0.023). The AUCs were 0.655, 0.744, and 0.744 with the cut-off SWS≥1.89 m/s, ACR TI-RADS category 4 and intermediate suspicion of ATA TI-RADS category. The sensitivity and AUC were 82.1% and 0.812 with combined ultrasound features of hypoechogenicity, lobulated or irregular margin and macrocalcification. In Conclusion, SWS measurement and TI-RADS categories were useful for the identification of FTCs from FAs.

Comparisons of ACR TI-RADS, ATA guidelines, Kwak TI-RADS, and KTA/KSThR guidelines in malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance and the unnecessary biopsy rates for recommending fine needle aspiration (FNA) of Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems proposed by American College of Radiology (ACR TI-RADS), American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, TI-RADS proposed by Kwak (Kwak TI-RADS), and Korean Thyroid Association/Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KTA/KSThR) guidelines for malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules (TNs). METHODS: The study included 1271 TNs whose cytologic results or surgical pathologic findings were available. Ultrasound images of these TNs were retrospectively reviewed and categorized according to the four guidelines. The diagnostic performances and the unnecessary biopsy rates for recommending FNA of the four guidelines were evaluated. RESULTS: After multivariate analysis, the most significant independent predictor for malignancy was hypoechogenicity/marked hypoechogenicity (OR: 9.37, 95% CI: 5.40-16.26) (P < 0.001) among the suspicious ultrasound images features. For all nodules and two subgroups (i.e. nodules <10 mm group and nodules ≥10 mm group), ACR TI-RADS demonstrated higher specificities (all P < 0.05) and lower sensitivities (all P < 0.001) than the other guidelines. In the all nodules group and the nodules<10 mm group, ACR TI-RADS and Kwak TI-RADS had higher Azs than the other guidelines (all P < 0.01). The unnecessary biopsy rates for recommending FNA of ACR TI-RADS in the all nodules (≥10 mm) group and the subgroup (10∼19 mm) were all lower than those of the others guidelines (P < 0.001 for all). For the subgroup (≥20 mm), the unnecessary biopsy rate of ACR was lower than that of ATA guidelines and KTA/KSThR guidelines (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The four guidelines have good diagnostic efficiency in differentiating TNs. ACR TI-RADS and Kwak TI-RADS have better diagnostic performance than the other guidelines in the all nodules group and the nodules<10 mm group. Considering the comprehensive diagnostic efficacy and unnecessary biopsy rate, ACR TI-RADS is a more desirable classification guideline in clinical practice.

Stiffness distribution in the ablated zone after radiofrequency ablation for liver: An ex-vivo study with a tissue elastometer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the stiffness distribution in the ablated zone after radiofrequency ablation (RFA), we used a device called tissue elastometer based on gross liver samples. MATERIALS: AND METHODS: Twelve freshly excised porcine livers were subject to RFA under a same setup to form elliptic ablated samples. Each sample was cut open for gross examination, and then the surface of the section plane was sliced into one piece for Young's modulus test using the tissue elastometer. Five test points along the long- and short-axis on each piece were selected to evaluate stiffness distribution respectively. Among them, four points distributed equidistantly from center to boundary in the ablated zone and one was in the unablated zone. RESULTS: In the ablated zone, we found the Young's moduli were significantly different among the four test points both in long- (F = 99.04, p <0.001) and short-axis (F = 79.47, p <0.001) directions. The Young's modulus showed a downtrend in each direction, and was linearly related to the distance from the center to the test point (for long axis, R2 = 0.968; for short axis, R2 = 0.984, both p <0.001). A more significant downtrend was observed in short-axis direction. The Young's moduli gained from the inner edge of ablated zone were comparable and significantly higher than those from the outer edge for both directions. The maximum value of 24.71kPa for Young's modulus was the appropriate threshold to ensure the tissues were necrotic completely. CONCLUSION: The stiffness inside the ablated zone represented a radial distribution with downtrend, following a linear law. The stiffness at the inner edge of ablated zone is stable and significantly higher than that at the outer edge. The maximum value of 24.71 kPa close to the inner edge of Wz may be used as the standard of complete ablation.

High-Efficiency Red and Near-Infrared Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by Pure Organic Fluorescent Emitters and an Exciplex-Forming Cohost.

Three D-A-D-configured molecules DTPBT, DTPNT, and DTPNBT with high quantum yield of orange red (628 nm), red (659 nm), and deep-red/NIR (710 nm) fluorescence, respectively, were developed as emitting dopants in an exciplex-forming cohost (TCTA:3P-T2T) for high-efficiency fluorescence-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The obtained physical properties together with theoretical calculations analyzed from these new molecules establish a clear structure-property relationship, in which the feature of central acceptor 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT), naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c']bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (NT), and 2,1,3-naphthothiadiazole (NBT) plays the crucial role for governing the physical characteristics. The optimized device configured as ITO/HAT-CN/TAPC/TCTA/TCTA:3P-T2T:5% emitter/3P-T2T/LiF/Al gave a record-high efficiency of orange red (591 nm, 15%), red (647 nm, 10%), and deep-red/NIR (689 nm, 9%) electroluminescent devices. The effective harvest of triplet excitons with an exciplex-forming system in conjunction with efficient energy transfer between the exciplex and the dopant is beneficial for such high device efficiencies. More importantly, the stable exciplex-forming cohost and fast radiative decay rate of DTPNT render this particular device exhibiting high device stability as indicated by the low efficiency roll-off under high current densities (EQE (external quantum efficiency) values of 8.1% at 1000 cd m-2 and 6.8% at 10,000 cd m-2). These results reveal the potential of employing an exciplex-forming system as cohost for fluorescent dopants to furnish high-efficiency OLEDs with an emission wavelength extending to the red or even the NIR range.

Guidelines and recommendations on the clinical use of shear wave elastography for evaluating thyroid nodule1.

Ultrasound elastography has been introduced into clinical practice for a decade and arisen continuous increasing attention worldwide. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a further extension of ultrasound elastography on the basis of strain elastography, providing a two-dimensional distribution map of tissue stiffness and quantitative measurement of the tissue stiffness in Young's modulus (kPa) and/or shear wave speed (m/s). The Society of Ultrasound in Medicine, Chinese Medical Association (CMA) has recently released a series of guidelines for the use of SWE, including the technique and principle of SWE, and use of SWE in liver fibrosis, breast, thyroid, and musculoskeletal system. Herein, a part of SWE in thyroid nodules is presented. In this guideline, the background, classification and technology of SWE, examination methods, diagnostic performance, prognosis evaluation, reproducibility, and limitations are discussed and recommendations are given. The recommendations are based on the published literatures with regard to SWE with different levels of evidence, particularly a mid-term result of the prospective multi-center clinical trial of SWE in thyroid, as well as the Society of Ultrasound in Medicine, CMA expert's consensus. The document provides an overall analysis of SWE in thyroid from clinical perspective, which aimed to provide recommendations to the clinicians with regard to the management of thyroid nodules by the assistance of SWE.

Evaluation of shear wave elastography for differential diagnosis of breast lesions: A new qualitative analysis versus conventional quantitative analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a special kind of ultrasound (US) shear wave elastography for differential diagnosis of breast lesions, using a new qualitative analysis (i.e. the elasticity score in the travel time map) compared with conventional quantitative analysis. METHODS: From June 2014 to July 2015, 266 pathologically proven breast lesions were enrolled in this study. The maximum, mean, median, minimum, and standard deviation of shear wave speed (SWS) values (m/s) were assessed. The elasticity score, a new qualitative feature, was evaluated in the travel time map. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of both qualitative and quantitative analyses for differentiation of breast lesions. RESULTS: Among all quantitative parameters, SWS-max showed the highest AUROC (0.805; 95% CI: 0.752, 0.851) compared with SWS-mean (0.786; 95% CI:0.732, 0.834; P = 0.094), SWS-median (0.775; 95% CI:0.720, 0.824; P = 0.046), SWS-min (0.675; 95% CI:0.615, 0.731; P = 0.000), and SWS-SD (0.768; 95% CI:0.712, 0.817; P = 0.074). The AUROC of qualitative analysis in this study obtained the best diagnostic performance (0.871; 95% CI: 0.825, 0.909, compared with the best parameter of SWS-max in quantitative analysis, P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: The new qualitative analysis of shear wave travel time showed the superior diagnostic performance in the differentiation of breast lesions in comparison with conventional quantitative analysis.

Complex cystic and solid breast lesions: Diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound, strain imaging and point shear wave speed measurement.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of conventional high frequency ultrasound (US) and US elastography in diagnosis of complex cystic and solid breast lesions. METHODS: Ninety three lesions in 93 patients underwent conventional US and US elastography, including strain elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging, and point shear wave speed (SWS) measurement. RESULTS: Pathological examination revealed 31 (33.3%) of the 93 lesions were malignant and the remaining 62 (66.7%) were benign. Multivariate analysis showed that elder patient (OR: 25.301), internal vascularity (OR: 4.518), and not circumscribed margin (OR: 3.813) were independent predictors for malignancy, while predominately cystic lesions (OR: 0.178) was a predictor for benign lesions (all p < 0.05). Invalid SWS measurement was occurred in 19 of 31 (61.3%) malignant lesions and 16 of 62 (25.8%) benign lesions, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean SWS value for malignant lesions was significantly lower than that for benign ones, being 1.60±0.63 m/s (range, 0.68-2.70 m/s) versus 2.33±0.77 m/s (range, 0.67-3.97 m/s) (p < 0.05). Areas under the ROC curve (Azs) for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) assessment, strain elasticity score, ARFI imaging and valid point SWS measurement were 0.844, 0.734, 0.763 and 0.778,respectively. CONCLUSIONS: US BI-RADS category, strain elastography score, ARFI imaging patterns and point SWS measurement are useful for malignancy prediction of complex cystic and solid breast lesions. The result that SWS for malignant lesions is lower than benign one should be carefully interpreted since invalid SWS measurement is excluded for analysis. The true stiffness of malignant cystic and solid lesions should be further evaluated with a new generation of two-dimensional SWS imaging.

[Study of hrpN(CSDS001) and the gene expression profile of Arabidopsis thaliana induced by Harpin(CSDS001)].

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora CSDS001 elicits hypersensitive reaction (HR) in tobacco. From the genomic libraries of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora CSDS001, the hrpNCSDS001 gene (GenBank number AY939927), was isolated. The hrpNCSDS001 fusion protein was produced in Escherichia coli, and was used to induce HR by injecting into tobacco. We further examined the global regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana genes in response to HarpinCSDS001 at a concentration of 30 miccrog/mL. We indicated that 912, 1787, 2393, 1833 and 1,755 genes that were regulated significantly (log ratio or=1) at 3 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h and 48 h respectively after the treatment. Analysis of some transcription factors (TF) showed that 13 TF families responded to HarpinCSDS001 including ZIM, BES1, TCP, C2C2, AP2/EREBP, WRKY, bHLH, bZIP, GARP, MYB, NAC, HB, C2H2. These families mainly function in biological processes of plant defense, pho-tosynthesisdevelopment and flowering.

Remote Steric Effect as a Facile Strategy for Improving the Efficiency of Exciplex-Based OLEDs.

This work reports a new strategy of introducing remote steric effect onto the electron donor for giving the better performance of the exciplex-based organic light-emitting device (OLED). The bulky triphenylsilyl group (SiPh3) was introduced onto the fluorene bridge of 4,4'-(9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl)bis(N,N-di-p-tolylaniline) (DTAF) to create remote steric interactions for increasing the possibility of effective contacts between electron-donating chromophores and acceptor molecules, rendering the resulting exciplex to have a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The green exciplex device based on DSDTAF:3N-T2T (1:1) as an emitting layer exhibits a low turn-on voltage of 2.0 V, high maximum efficiencies (13.2%, 42.9 cd A-1, 45.5 lm W-1), which are higher than the device employed DTAF (without SiPh3 groups) (11.6%, 35.3 cd A-1, 41.3 lm W-1) as donor under the same device structure. This strategy was further examined for blue exciplex, where the EQE was enhanced from 9.5% to 12.5% as the electron acceptor PO-T2T mixed with a tert-butyl group substituted carbazole-based donor (CPTBF) as the emitting exciplex in device. This strategy is simple and useful for developing high performance exciplex OLEDs.

Quality Measurement of Two-dimensional Shear Wave Speed Imaging for Breast Lesions: the Associated Factors and the Impact to Diagnostic Performance.

This study aimed to identify the associated factors for quality measurement (QM) of shear wave speed (SWS) imaging and to validate the additional value of QM in the diagnosis of breast lesions. From September 2014 to February 2015, conventional ultrasound and SWS imaging were performed in 338 women with 361 breast lesions. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors for QM. Sensitivity, specificity and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) among maximum SWS (SWS max ), QM and SWS max plus QM (SWS max +QM) were compared to validate additional value of QM. Pathology confirmed 263 (72.9%) benign lesions and 98 (27.1%) malignancies. Maximum depth (Odds ratio [OR]: 1.398) and posterior features (OR: 1.206) were identified as independent associated factors for QM. Compared with SWS max and QM, the sensitivity of SWS max +QM increased from 67.3%, 64.3% to 83.7% whereas the specificity decreased from 90.5%, 72.6% to 65.4% (all P < 0.05). SWS max had the highest AUC in comparison with QM and SWS max +QM (0.849 vs. 0.685 vs. 0.745; P < 0.05). QM for breast lesions is associated with maximum depth and posterior features. Adding QM to SWS max is useful for breast cancer screening and SWS max alone is useful for breast cancer differentiation.