Fast-Response and Low-Power Self-Heating Gas Sensor Using Metal/Metal Oxide/Metal (MMOM) Structured Nanowires.

With the escalating global awareness of air quality management, the need for continuous and reliable monitoring of toxic gases by using low-power operating systems has become increasingly important. One of which, semiconductor metal oxide gas sensors have received great attention due to their high/fast response and simple working mechanism. More specifically, self-heating metal oxide gas sensors, wherein direct thermal activation in the sensing material, have been sought for their low power-consuming characteristics. However, previous works have neglected to address the temperature distribution within the sensing material, resulting in inefficient gas response and prolonged response/recovery times, particularly due to the low-temperature regions. Here, we present a unique metal/metal oxide/metal (MMOM) nanowire architecture that conductively confines heat to the sensing material, achieving high uniformity in the temperature distribution. The proposed structure enables uniform thermal activation within the sensing material, allowing the sensor to efficiently react with the toxic gas. As a result, the proposed MMOM gas sensor showed significantly enhanced gas response (from 6.7 to 20.1% at 30 ppm), response time (from 195 to 17 s at 30 ppm), and limit of detection (∼1 ppm) when compared to those of conventional single-material structures upon exposure to carbon monoxide. Furthermore, the proposed work demonstrated low power consumption (2.36 mW) and high thermal durability (1500 on/off cycles), demonstrating its potential for practical applications in reliable and low-power operating gas sensor systems. These results propose a new paradigm for power-efficient and robust self-heating metal oxide gas sensors with potential implications for other fields requiring thermal engineering.

A cell-free biosensor for multiplexed and sensitive detection of biological warfare agents.

The rapid and precise detection of pathogenic agents is critical for public health and societal stability. The detection of biological warfare agents (BWAs) is especially vital within military and counter-terrorism contexts, essential in defending against biological threats. Traditional methods, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are limited by their need for specific settings, impacting their adaptability and versatility. This study introduces a cell-free biosensor for BWA detection by converting the 16S rRNA of targeted pathogens into detectable functional protein molecules. The modular nature of this approach allows for the flexible configuration of pathogen detection, enabling the simultaneous identification of multiple pathogenic 16S rRNAs through customized reporter proteins for each targeted sequence. Furthermore, we demonstrate how this method integrates with techniques utilizing retroreflective Janus particles (RJPs) for facile and highly sensitive pathogen detection. The cell-free biosensor, employing RJPs to measure the reflection of non-chromatic white light, can detect 16S rRNA from BWAs at femtomolar levels, corresponding to tens of colony-forming units per milliliter of pathogenic bacteria. These findings represent a significant advancement in pathogen detection, offering a more efficient and accessible alternative to conventional methodologies.

Ultrafast (∼0.6 s), Robust, and Highly Linear Hydrogen Detection up to 10% Using Fully Suspended Pure Pd Nanowire.

The high explosiveness of hydrogen gas in the air necessitates prompt detection in settings where hydrogen is used. For this reason, hydrogen sensors are required to offer rapid detection and possess superior sensing characteristics in terms of measurement range, linearity, selectivity, lifetime, and environment insensitivity according to the publicized protocol. However, previous approaches have only partially achieved the standardized requirements and have been limited in their capability to develop reliable materials for spatially accessible systems. Here, an electrical hydrogen sensor with an ultrafast response (∼0.6 s) satisfying all demands for hydrogen detection is demonstrated. Tailoring structural engineering based on the reaction kinetics of hydrogen and palladium, an optimized heating architecture that thermally activates fully suspended palladium (Pd) nanowires at a uniform temperature is designed. The developed Pd nanostructure, at a designated temperature distribution, rapidly reacts with hydrogen, enabling a hysteresis-free response from 0.1% to 10% and durable characteristics in mechanical shock and repetitive operation (>10,000 cycles). Moreover, the device selectively detects hydrogen without performance degradation in humid or carbon-based interfering gas circumstances. Finally, to verify spatial accessibility, the wireless hydrogen detection system has been demonstrated, detecting and reporting hydrogen leakage in real-time within just 1 s.

Factors Associated with Spontaneous Preterm Birth after Ultrasound-Indicated Cerclage.

Ultrasound-indicated cerclage (UIC) is recommended to prevent spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in women with a short cervix at mid-trimester and a history of PTB. We assessed the factors related to sPTB after UIC and determined the corresponding risks. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a university hospital. UIC was performed between 15 and 26 weeks of gestation in women with a cervical length of <2.5 cm. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine factors associated with sPTB after UIC. An earlier gestational age and shorter cervical length at UIC were associated with sPTB after UIC. While PTB history was not associated with an increased risk of sPTB, it did increase the risk of repeat cerclage after UIC. Higher levels of preoperative serum inflammatory markers and obesity significantly increased the risk of sPTB after UIC. These findings provide helpful guidance for patient counseling and management in predicting the delivery timing after UIC in women with a short cervix in the mid-trimester.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Lipophilic Fraction from Liriope platyphylla Seeds Using Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Experiments.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms counteract the pathogenesis of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, aging, and cancer. Therefore, enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions may help manage these pathological conditions. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of lipophilic fraction of Liriope platyphylla seeds (LLPS) using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experiments. Here GC-MS analysis tentatively identified forty-three lipophilic compounds in LLPS. LLPS exhibited powerful antioxidant activity, according to the results from chemical-based antioxidant assays on DPPH, ABTS+, superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and hydroxyl radicals scavenging, lipid peroxidation, reducing antioxidant powers, and total antioxidant capacity. Additionally, LLPS enhanced cellular antioxidant capacity by inhibiting reactive oxygen species formation and elevating antioxidant enzyme levels, including catalase and heme oxygenase-1. Moreover, LLPS attenuated inflammatory response by reducing nitric oxide secretion and downregulating the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-1ß in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophages. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses showed that key compounds in LPPS, particularly phytosterols and fatty acid esters, exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties through regulating NFKB1, PTGS1, PTGS2, TLR4, PRKCA, PRKCD, KEAP1, NFE2L2, and NR1l2. Overall, these data suggest that LLPS may be a potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for developing functional foods.

Meta-Analysis of Survival Effects of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1).

Background and Objectives: Identification and targeting of membrane proteins in tumor cells is one of the key steps in the development of cancer drugs. The receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (ROR) type 1 is a type-I transmembrane protein expressed in various cancer tissues, which is in contrast to its limited expression in normal tissues. These characteristics make ROR1 a candidate target for cancer treatment. This study aimed to identify the prognostic value of ROR1 expression in cancers. Materials and Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed) from their inception to September 2021. The included studies assessed the effect of ROR1 on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Hazard ratios (HR) from collected data were pooled in a meta-analysis using Revman version 5.4 with generic inverse-variance and random effects modeling. Results: A total of fourteen studies were included in the final analysis. ROR1 was associated with worse OS (HR 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50−2.54; p < 0.001) with heterogeneity. The association between poor OS and ROR1 expression was high in endometrial cancer, followed by ovarian cancer, and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. In addition, ROR1 was associated with poor PFS (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.60−2.10; p < 0.001), but heterogeneity was not statistically significant. In subgroup analysis, high ROR1 expression showed a significantly higher rate of advanced stage or lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides evidence that ROR1 expression is associated with adverse outcome in cancer survival. This result highlights ROR1 as a target for developmental therapeutics in cancers.

YouTube as a source of information and education on endometriosis.

Many patients seek information online, including on social media, regarding various health topics. This study aimed to investigate whether YouTube videos on endometriosis could be a useful source for the general population, surgical trainees, and specialists. A YouTube search was conducted on December 26, 2021, using the search terms "endometriosis," "endometrioma," and "endometriotic cyst." Videos were sorted by view count, and the 100 videos with the highest view counts were chosen. After excluding 48 videos for various reasons, 52 were included in the final analysis. The number of views, duration, likes and dislikes, content type, and source of each video were recorded. We referred to a previous study to evaluate video quality. The 52 videos related to endometriosis had a total of 35,220,141 views (median 233,688, range 48,874-10,452,366). Based on authorship, the videos were categorized into videos uploaded by the medical group and the nonmedical group. The medical group mainly uploaded videos directly related to endometriosis, such as explanations or detailed surgical procedures for endometriosis (26/27, 96%), whereas the nonmedical group mainly uploaded videos about personal experiences and others (24/25, 96%; P <.001). Evaluating the score by each type of content, videos containing personal experiences (median score 6, range 3-10) scored significantly lower than videos containing other content such as explanations of the disease (median score 14, range 7-18; P < .001) and surgical procedures (median score 9, range 5-17; P < .001). Analysis according to the source, the number of views and video power index was significantly higher in the videos uploaded by the nonmedical group (P < .05). YouTube is currently not an appropriate source for patients to gain information on endometriosis. Credible videos with accurate information and clear, high-quality operative clips with proper scientific commentary should be uploaded by medical professionals and medical institutions to critically and rapidly appraise the quality of online video-disseminated information on endometriosis. In addition, advanced filtering using categories by YouTube's staff appears to be necessary.

A Multi-level Analysis of Factors Affecting Participation in Health Screenings in Korea: A Focus on Household and Regional Factors.

OBJECTIVES: This study divided the factors that affect participation in health screenings into individual, household, and regional levels and conducted a multi-level analysis to identify the factors related to participation in health screenings. METHODS: Participants from the 2017 Community Health Survey were classified into 2 groups (under 40 and 40 or older). A multi-level logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors that affected participation in health screenings. RESULTS: The screening rate of the participants was 69.7%, and it was higher among participants aged 40 and older (80.3%) than it was among participants younger than 40 (49.8%). At the individual level, the factors that influenced participation in health screenings included age, economic activity, smoking status, physician-diagnosed hypertension, and a moderate or high physical activity level. At the household level, the odds ratio of participation in health screenings was high for participants who lived in single-person households, lived with a spouse, earned a high monthly household income, and were not beneficiaries of national basic livelihood security. At the regional level, the odds ratio at the 95% confidence interval level of participation in health screenings was high for participants who had trust in the local community and lived in an area with a proportionally high social welfare budget. CONCLUSIONS: This study analyzed nationalwide data and confirmed that individual, household, and regional characteristics affected participation in health screenings. Therefore, policies that prioritize the improvement of regional level factors and especially household level factors are likely to be the most effective for improving the screening rate.

Additional lesions seen in magnetic resonance imaging of breast cancer patients: the role of second-look ultrasound and imaging-guided interventions.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the final outcomes of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-identified additional lesions (MRALs) in breast cancer patients and the role of second-look ultrasound (SLUS) and imaging-guided interventions. METHODS: We analyzed breast cancer patients with MRALs on preoperative MRI between January and June 2012. MRALs were defined as additional lesions suspected on MRI but not suspected on mammograms or ultrasound. The malignancy rate of MRALs, MRI-based Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS) category, positional relationship with the index cancer, MRI-concordant lesion visibility on SLUS, performance of imaging-guided interventions, and total mastectomy (TM) rates were evaluated for the confirmed lesions. RESULTS: Among the 119 confirmed lesions, SLUS and imaging-guided interventions were performed in 94 (79.0%) and 82 cases (68.9%), respectively. The malignancy rate was 68.1% (81 of 119), and was significantly higher in BI-RADS 4C-5 lesions than in 4A-4B lesions (94.6% vs. 56.1%, P<0.01) and in ipsilateral same-quadrant lesions than in contralateral lesions (84.2% vs. 33.3%, P<0.01). The lesion visibility rate on SLUS was 90.4%. The malignancy rate was not significantly different according to lesion visibility on SLUS. The TM rate in the 98 cases with ipsilateral MRALs was 37.8%, while it was significantly lower in patients who underwent an imaging-guided intervention than in those who did not (27.9% vs. 54.1%, P=0.017). CONCLUSION: MRALs show a high probability of malignancy, especially if they are ipsilateral. SLUS and imaging-guided interventions can eliminate many unnecessary TMs.

Methylobacterium currus sp. nov., isolated from a car air conditioning system.

A novel bacterial strain, designated PR1016AT, was isolated from a car air conditioning system. This rod-shaped strain showed catalase and oxidase activities, was aerobic and methylotrophic, and had a reddish pink colour. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain PR1016AT was 70.2 mol%, as determined by genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that strain PR1016AT was most closely related to Methylobacterium aquaticum GR16T (98.86 %), M. variabile GR3T (98.43 %), M. platani PMB 02T (98.36 %) and M. tarhaniae N4211T (98.14 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain PR1016AT and M. aquaticum GR16T, M. platani PMB02T and M. variabile GR3T were 88.61, 88.14 and 87.88 %, and 36.4, 35.8 and 34.7 %, respectively. Numerous insertion sequences are present in the genome of strain PR1016AT, which has a larger genome than the four Methylobacterium species described above. Cells grew at 18-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 4.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-1.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %). The major respiratory quinone was Q10. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed that summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) was the predominant cellular fatty acid in strain PR1016AT. Two-dimensional TLC indicated that the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The genotypic and phenotypic characteristics indicate that strain PR1016AT represents a novel species of the genus Methylobacterium, for which the name Methylobacterium currus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PR1016AT (=KACC 19662T=JCM 32670T).

Nocardioides currus sp. nov., isolated from a mobile car air-conditioning system.

A strictly aerobic Gram-stain-positive bacterial strain, designated IB-3T, was isolated from a car air-conditioning system in the Republic of Korea. Cells were non-motile rods showing catalase- and oxidase-positive reactions. Growth of IB-3T was observed at 20-40 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.5) and in the presence of 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Menaquinone-8 (H4) was detected as the predominant respiratory quinone and iso-C16 : 0, 10-methyl-C17 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c, C17 : 1ω8c, C18 : 0, 10-methyl-C18 : 0 (TBSA) and C17 : 0 were identified as the major cellular fatty acids. Phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol were detected as the major polar lipids. The major cell wall peptidoglycan type was ll-2,6-diaminopimelic acid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 71.5 mol%. IB-3T was most closely related to Nocardioides terrigenaDS-17T with a 98.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that IB-3T formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage within the genus Nocardioidesof the family Nocardioidaceae. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular features, IB-3T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioidescurrus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IB-3T (=KACC 19522T=JCM 32672T).

Metastatic internal mammary lymph nodes or mimickers on parasternal ultrasonography: focusing on their distribution and depth.

Background Ultrasonography (US) is an important tool to evaluate the status of internal mammary lymph node (IMN). US features of metastatic IMNs could help determine when biopsy should be performed. Purpose To compare US features of metastatic IMNs to those of benign entities. Material and Methods In women with suspected IMN metastasis on US, their intercostal space (ICS) abnormalities were classified into metastatic IMN, benign IMN, and lymph node (LN) mimickers. US features, distribution, and depth of abnormalities in one ICS and involved ICS level were analyzed. Results Among 66 ICS abnormalities in 53 women, 46 were metastatic IMNs, ten were benign IMNs, and ten were LN mimickers. For metastatic IMNs, the second ICS was the most commonly involved ICS (n = 22), followed by the first (n = 13), the third (n = 8), and the fourth (n = 3). ICS level distribution of metastatic IMNs was not significantly ( P = 0.5407) different from that of non-metastatic lesions. Metastatic IMNs were predominantly seen in the posterior layer of ICS, significantly ( P < 0.0001) different from LN mimickers. Both metastatic IMNs and non-metastatic lesions were evenly distributed over the upper, middle, and lower part (in craniocaudal direction) of one ICS. Conclusion Metastatic IMNs are more likely to be found in the posterior layer of ICS. This can help distinguish them from LN mimickers. Any part (upper, middle, or lower) of one ICS in craniocaudal direction could be involved. The second ICS was the most commonly involved level.

Spirosoma metallum sp. nov., isolated from an automobile air conditioning system.

A Gram-stain-negative and yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated TX0653T, was isolated from an automobile evaporator core collected in Korea. The cells were aerobic and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 10-28 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6.0-7.5 (optimum, 6.5), and in the presence of 0-1% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%). Phylogenetically, the strain was related to members of the genus Spirosoma (95.1-90.8% 16S rRNA sequence similarity) and distantly related to Spirosoma pulveris JSH5-14T (95.1%), Spirosoma fluviale MSd3T (95.0%), Spirosoma endophyticum DSM 26130T (94.8%), and Spirosoma linguale DSM 74T (94.6%). The major fatty acids of the strain were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c), C16:1 ω5c, iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH, and C16:0. MK-7 was identified as the predominant menaquinone. The polar lipids profile indicated the presence of one phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified phospholipids, and three unidentified lipids. On the basis of the phenotypic, genotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TX0653T represents a novel species in the genus Spirosoma, for which the name Spirosoma metallum sp. nov. (= KACC 19278T = NBRC 112495T) is proposed.

Spirosoma carri sp. nov., isolated from an automobile air conditioning system.

A Gram-stain-negative and yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated TX0406T, was isolated from an automobile evaporator core collected in Korea. The cells were non-motile, aerobic and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 15-37 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6.0-7.0 (optimum, 6.5) and in the presence of 0-1.5 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was related to members of the genus Spirosoma(93.7-90.7 % 16S rRNA sequence similarities) and showed the highest sequence similarity of 93.7 % to Spirosomapulveris JSH5-14T. The major fatty acids of the strain were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 1ω5c and C16 : 0. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid, unidentified aminophospholipids and unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 58.7 mol%. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain TX0406T represents a novel species in the genus Spirosoma, for which the name Spirosoma carri sp. nov. (=KACC 19013T=NBRC 112494T) is proposed.

Sphingomonas carri sp. nov., isolated from a car air-conditioning system.

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated PR0302T, was isolated from a car evaporator core collected in Korea. The cells were strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 15-37 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum, 7.0) and in the presence of 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was closely related to members of the genus Sphingomonas(97.04-91.22 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities) and showed the highest sequence similarity of 97.04 % to Sphingomonas kyeonggiensis THG-DT81T. It contained C16 : 0, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C14 : 0 2-OH as the predominant fatty acids and Q-10 as the major ubiquinone. The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingoglycolipid. The major polyamine was sym-homospermidine. The serine palmitoyl transferase gene (spt) was detected and sphingolipid synthesis was confirmed. The mean DNA G+C content of the strain was 67.8±0.5 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness between strain PR0302T and closely related type strains of Sphingomonas species was less than 30 %. The low levels of DNA-DNA relatedness identified strain PR0302T as a member of a novel species in the genus Sphingomonas. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain PR0302T represents a novel species in the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas carri sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PR0302T (=KACC 18487T=NBRC 111532T).

Spirosoma metallicus sp. nov., isolated from an automobile air conditioning system.

A Gram-stain-negative and orangish yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated PR1014KT, was isolated from an automobile evaporator core collected in Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain PR1014KT was related with the members of the genus Spirosoma (94.7-90.2%) and closely related with Spirosoma lacussanchae CPCC 100624T (94.7%), Spirosoma knui 15J8-12T (94.3%), and Spirosoma soli MIMBbqt12T (93.3%). The strain grew at 15-40°C (optimum, 25°C), pH 6.5-7.0 (optimum, 6.5) and 0-1% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%). The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), C16:0, iso-C15:0, C16:1 ω5c, and iso-C17:0 3-OH. The major menaquinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile of the strain indicated that the presence of one phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, two unidentified aminophospholipids, and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 47.4 mol%. On the basis of the phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain PR1014KT represents a novel species in the genus Spirosoma, for which the name Spirosoma metallicus sp. nov. (=KACC 17940T =NBRC 110792T) is proposed.

Whole-lung lavage complicated with pneumothorax: a case report.

A patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis underwent whole lung lavage of the right lung. Lavage of the left lung was not immediately possible because of severe hypoxemia. Three days later, after correction of hypoxemia, we re-attempted the left lung lavage. However, the patient had severe hypoxemia (SpO2 < 80%) within a few minutes of performing right one lung ventilation (OLV). On bronchoscopic examination, proper tube location was confirmed. Bronchodilator nebulization and steroid injection were attempted with no effect. While searching for the cause of the hypoxemia, we found that the breath sound from the right lung had become very weak and distant compared with that from initial auscultation. Right pneumothorax was diagnosed on chest X-ray and a chest tube was inserted. After confirming pneumothorax resolution, we re-tried right OLV and were able to proceed with the left lung lavage without signs of aggravating air leak, loss of tidal volume, or severe hypoxemia.

Shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of breast non-mass lesions: factors associated with false negative and false positive results.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors related to false shear wave elastography (SWE) results for breast non-mass lesions (NMLs) detected by B-mode US. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 152 NMLs detected by B-mode US and later pathologically confirmed (79 malignant, 73 benign). All lesions underwent B-mode US and SWE. Quantitative (mean elasticity [E mean]) and qualitative (maximum stiffness colour) SWE parameters were assessed, and 'E mean > 85.1 kPa' or 'stiff colour (green to red)' determined malignancy. Final SWE results were matched to pathology results. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with false SWE results for diagnosis of breast NMLs. RESULTS: Associated calcifications (E mean: odds ratio [OR] = 7.60, P < 0.01; maximum stiffness colour: OR = 6.30, P = 0.02), in situ cancer compared to invasive cancer (maximum stiffness colour: OR = 5.29, P = 0.02), and lesion size (E mean: OR = 0.90, P < 0.01; maximum stiffness colour: OR = 0.91, P = 0.01) were significantly associated with false negative SWE results for malignant NMLs. Distance from the nipple (E mean: OR = 0.84, P = 0.03; maximum stiffness colour: OR = 0.93, P = 0.04) was significantly associated with false positive SWE results for benign NMLs. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of associated calcifications, absence of the invasive component, and smaller lesion size for malignant NMLs and shorter distance from the nipple for benign NMLs are factors significantly associated with false SWE results. KEY POINTS: • Calcification and size are associated with false negative SWE in malignant NMLs. • In situ cancer is associated with false negative SWE in malignant NMLs. • Distance from the nipple is associated with false positive SWE in benign NMLs. • These factors need consideration when performing SWE on breast NMLs.

The Diagnostic Performance of Thyroid US in Each Category of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology.

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of thyroid ultrasonography (US) in each category of the Bethesda system and analyze false positive/negative findings using US. This retrospective study included 622 thyroid nodules in 592 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy of US in each category of the Bethesda system were evaluated. False positive/negative cases of US were analyzed. Out of the 622 total thyroid FNAs, 179 (28.8%) were malignant. The malignancy rates for the 6 categories were as follows: I (nondiagnostic): 9.7%, II (benign): 2.5%, III (atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance): 37.5%, IV (suspicious for follicular neoplasm): 5.7%, V (suspicious for malignancy): 100%, and VI (malignancy): 100%. The accuracies of US for the 6 categories were 92.5%, 95.6%, 70.8%, 94.3%, 95%, and 92.4% in category order. US showed the lowest sensitivity (50%) in Category IV. Category III demonstrated relatively low sensitivity (66.7%) and specificity (73.3%) due to a high incidence of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma and a low number of category III nodules. The most optimal performance of US was revealed in Category I with 88.9% sensitivity and 92.9% specificity. In 22 US false positive cases, the most frequent finding was associated with marked hypoechogenicity and the least finding was noncircumscribed margin. The most common US features of 19 false negative cases were circumscribed iso or hypoechoic nodules. These results highlight the excellent diagnostic performance of US in category I of the Bethesda system and the lowest sensitivity of US in category IV. Awareness of US interpreters regarding these pitfalls can minimize false positive/negative diagnoses and prevent unnecessary interventions.

Mucilaginibacter carri sp. nov., isolated from a car air conditioning system.

A Gram-stain-negative, pink bacterial strain, designated PR0008KT, was isolated from an automobile evaporator core in Korea. The cells were obligately aerobic and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 10-40 °C (optimum, 20 °C), at pH 5-8 (optimum, 7), and in the presence of 0-1.5% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was closely related to members of the genus Mucilaginibacter (93.4-97.0% 16S rRNA sequence similarities) and showed a high sequence similarity with Mucilaginibacter litoreus BR-18T, Mucilaginibacter lutimaris BR-3T and Mucilaginibacter soli R9-65T (97.0%, 96.9% and 96.9% 16S rRNA sequence similarity, respectively). It contained summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c), C16 : 0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and C16:0 as the predominant fatty acids and MK-7 as the major menaquinone. The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown aminophospholipid, two unknown aminolipids and two unknown polar lipids. The DNA G+C content of this strain was 47.4 mol%. Based on the phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain PR0008KT represents a novel species in the genus Mucilaginibacter, for which the name Mucilaginibacter carri sp. nov. (=KACC 17938T=NBRC 111539T) is proposed.