Risk prediction model establishment with tri-phasic CT image features for differential diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytomas and lipid-poor adenomas: Grouping method

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to establish a risk prediction model for differential diagnosis of pheochromocytomas (PCCs) from lipid-poor adenomas (LPAs) using a grouping method based on tri-phasic CT image features.MethodsIn this retrospective study, we enrolled patients that were assigned to a training set (136 PCCs and 183 LPAs) from two medical centers, along with an external independent validation set (30 PCCs and 54 LPAs) from another center. According to the attenuation values in unenhanced CT (CTu), the lesions were divided into three groups: group 1, 10 HU < CTu ≤ 25 HU; group 2, 25 HU < CTu ≤ 40 HU; and group 3, CTu > 40 HU. Quantitative and qualitative CT imaging features were calculated and evaluated. Univariate, ROC, and binary logistic regression analyses were applied to compare these features.ResultsCystic degeneration, CTu, and the peak value of enhancement in the arterial and venous phase (DEpeak) were independent risk factors for differential diagnosis of adrenal PCCs from LPAs. In all subjects (groups 1, 2, and 3), the model formula for the differentiation of PCCs was as follows: Y = -7.709 + 3.617*(cystic degeneration) + 0.175*(CTu ≥ 35.55 HU) + 0.068*(DEpeak ≥ 51.35 HU). ROC curves were drawn with an AUC of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.927–0.973) in the training set and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.860–0.929) in the external validation set.ConclusionA reliable and practical prediction model for differential diagnosis of adrenal PCCs and LPAs was established using a grouping method

Preliminary Evidence of Sex Differences in Cortical Thickness Following Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

The main objective of this study was to evaluate sex differences in cortical thickness after acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and its associations with clinical outcomes. Thirty-two patients with mTBI at acute phase (2.4 ± 1.3 days post-injury) and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. All the participants underwent comprehensive neurocognitive assessments and MRI to assess cortical thickness. Significant sex differences were determined by using variance analysis of factorial design. Relations between the cortical thickness and clinical assessments were measured with the Spearman Correlation. Results revealed that patients with mTBI had significantly reduced cortical thickness in the left entorhinal cortex while increased cortical thickness in the left precuneus cortex and right lateral occipital cortex, compared with healthy controls. The interaction effect of the group × sex on cortical thickness was significant. Female patients had significant thicker cortical thickness in the left caudal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) than male patients and had higher scores on Posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL-C). Spearman correlational analysis showed a significantly positive correlations between the cortical thickness of the left caudal ACC and PCL-C ratings in female patients. Sex differences in cortical thickness support its potential as a neuroimaging phenotype for investigating the differences in clinical profiles of mild TBI between women and men

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Development and characterization of 10 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in Homatula potanini (Gunther, 1896).

Homatula potanini is a genus Paracobitis which belongs to the family Cobitidae, subfamily Nemacheilinae. We first isolated ten novel microsatellite DNA loci using the FIASCO protocol. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 14. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.3750 to 0.9375 and 0.4028 to 0.8819 respectively. The polymorphic information content ranged from 0.3515 to 0.8556 (M = 0.6170). No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected among the loci. In the present study, we have identified 10 new markers for H. potanini. These loci should provide sufficient levels in the evaluation of genetic diversity and designing effective conservation programs of H. potanini

Study on the differences in aroma components and formation mechanisms of “Nasmi” melon from different production areas

Abstract Aroma is an important factor that guides consumers in purchasing and is thus very important in melon research. To our knowledge, the number of studies with a focus on the aroma differences of the same melon variety in different production areas is largely limited. In this study, the differences in aroma components of “Nasmi” melons from two different production regions were analyzed using gas‐phase ion migration spectroscopy. Transcriptome sequencing was performed for analyzing fragrance‐related genes. Results showed that there were significant differences in the aroma components between products from the two regions. The total amount of aroma compounds from the Turpan region (TT) was 1.7 times higher than that from the Altay region (AT). Through the analysis of transcriptome data, the key genes encoding melon aroma components in different regions were identified as ethanol dehydrogenase, 3‐hydroxyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase, acyl‐CoA oxidase, long‐chain acyl‐CoA synthetase, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and acetyl‐CoA acyltransferase. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) showed that the verified genes were similar to the transcriptome. In this study, the main aroma components of the same variety of melon that differed in different production areas and the key genes causing these differences were identified. In addition, the aroma metabolic pathway of melon in different regions was preliminarily elucidated. These results could provide a theoretical basis for further study of the formation mechanism of melon aroma and breeding

Bu₄NI-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling between Sulfonyl Hydrazides and Diazo Compounds To Construct β‑Carbonyl Sulfones Using Molecular Oxygen

A new cross-coupling reaction between sulfonyl hydrazides and diazo compounds has been established, leading to a variety of β-carbonyl sulfones in good yields. This methodology was distinguished by simple manipulation, easily available starting materials, and wide substrate scope. A plausible mechanism involving a radical process was proposed based upon the experimental observations and literature

Alisol B 23-Acetate Inhibits IgE/Ag-Mediated Mast Cell Activation and Allergic Reaction

Alisol B 23-acetate (AB23A), a natural triterpenoid, has been reported to exert hepatoprotective and antitumor activities. Aiming to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity, this study examined the effect of AB23A on mast cells and allergic reaction. AB23A inhibited the degranulation of mast cells stimulated by immunoglobulin E/antigen (IgE/Ag), and also decreased the synthesis of leukotriene C4 (LTC4), production of interlukin-6 (IL-6), and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a concentration-dependent manner with no significant cytotoxicity in bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). AB23A inhibited spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and the downstream signaling molecules including phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), serine-threonine protein kinase/inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase/nuclear factor kappa-B (Akt/IKK/NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinases/cytosolic phospholipase A2 (MAPK/cPLA2). Furthermore, AB23A blocked mobilization of Ca2+. Similar results were obtained in other mast cell lines Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells and a human mast cell line (HMC-1). In addition, AB23A attenuated allergic responses in an acute allergy animal model, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). Taken together, this study suggests that AB23A inhibits the activation of mast cells and ameliorates allergic reaction, and may become a lead compound for the treatment of mast cell-mediated allergic diseases