The Value of Extra-lung Lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT in Improving Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

Background and objective 18F-FDG PET/CT has several shortcomings in discriminating between lung carcinoma and pulmonary benign lesions. The aims of the present study is to explore the value of extra-lung lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT image in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Methods A total of 126 suspected lung cancer patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan. Preliminary diagnoses were based on the PET characteristics, SUVmean value, and CT characteristics of the lesions in the lung, and the diagnoses were modified based on the detected extra-lung lesions. The difference between the two methods and their disparity were calculated. Results Extra-lung lesions were identified on the PET/CT image in 81 patients; extra-lung metastasis modified 13 probable malignancies to affirmative malignancy and 1 probable malignancy to benign lesion. Non-metastasis modified 2 probable malignancies to affirmative malignancy and 1 probable malignancy to benign lesion. Fifteen were correct, whereas 2 were misdiagnosed. The diagnoses modification rate was 13.5% (17/126), and the modified diagnoses accuracy is 88.2% (15/17). Conclusion Extra-lung lesions demonstrated on 18F-FDG PET/CT improved the diagnostic accuracy of lung cancer. Tuberculosis was identified as the most important reason for false positive diagnoses after modification by extra-lung lesions

Treatment and Reuse of Black Water by Novel Energy-saving Shaft/Anaerobic /Anoxic/ Aerobic (S/A/A/O) System: A Novel Energy-saving Shaft/Anaerobic /Anoxic/ Aerobic (S/A/A/O) System for black water

In this study the novel integrated anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A/A/O) and shaft aeration process system which could enhance the nutrient removal efficiency of wastewater with a low carbon nitrogen ratio (C/N) was investigated. Several dissolved oxygen (DO) ratios (1.0-2.0, 2.0-3.0, 3.0-4.0 mg/L) were applied in order to obtain more knowledge on the biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal performances. The experiment was carried out on a lab-scale Shaft-Anaerobic-Anoxic-Aerobic (S/A/A/O) wastewater treatment system. The average removal efficiencies of the total organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus were 84.0%, 82.0% and 93.7%, respectively. The result showed that the proposed system was promising for the treatment of wastewater with a low C/N ratio because that in this system nitrification and denitrification happened simultaneously. Besides, the system had an automatic return system and its floor area was small, which made it energy-saving

Amino acid regulated co-assembly for formation of one-dimensional ordered monocrystal by hydrogen bonding interactions

The interaction between amino acid molecules, especially crystallization, has always been the focus of researches. In this article, we use C-terminally aminated leucine (L-NH2) to regulate and co-assemble with amino acid model molecules to obtain a one-dimensional ordered monocrystal structure. We propose a possible electrostatic attraction-enhanced hydrogen bonding interaction between amino acids induced the crystal formation. The resulting monocrystals could be applied for optical waveguide

Self-assembly of Fmoc-amino acids in capillary confined space forming a parallel ordered fiber network for application in vascularization

Matrices formed by self-assembly of amino acids and their derivatives are suitable for cell spreading, migration and proliferation, and widely used in tissue engineering and organ regeneration, due to the biological endogenous molecules and weak intermolecular forces. The self-assembly process is not only affected by dynamic and thermodynamic factors, but also the assembled space. In this work, capillary tubes with different diameters are chosen to mimic a confined environment and the effect of capillary space on the self-assembly behavior of Fmoc-amino acids with different oil-water partition coefficients (log P) was investigated. The amino acids can form special morphologies and structures through the limitation of the Brownian motion and the template effect exerted by a confined environment. Meanwhile, the obtained parallel ordered fiber network was applied to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and support the adhesion and proliferation of monolayer flat epithelial cells (HUVECs). We believe that the exploration of the self-assembly of amino acids in confined space can promote the understanding of the supramolecular self-assembly mechanism and offer a great opportunity in building the specific structures of vessels or tissues in vitro

Graphene oxide-based nanocomposite enabled highly efficient targeted synergistic therapy for colorectal cancer

Integrating different therapies into a single nanoplatform has shown great potential for synergistic anti-tumor therapy. In this work, we fabricated the graphene oxide (GO)-based nanosheets loaded with chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and modified with GE11, which is an efficient ligand for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The nanocomposite system 5-FU/GO-PEG-GE11 was found to transfer 5-FU into EGFR-overexpressing HCT-116 cells effectively. The oxidation of glutathione in the tumor cells was found to be accelerated and then destroy the intracellular redox balance after irradiation. The 5-FU/GO-PEG-GE11 nanocomposites exhibited an enhanced synergistic anti-tumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. Tumor inhibition rate was 90 % in subcutaneous colorectal cancer (CRC) bearing mouse model. The GO-based nanocomposites serve as a versatile platform integrated of PTT and chemotherapy with EGFR-targeting ability, which hold great promise for CRC treatment

Microbial Inoculation during the Short-Term Composting Process Enhances the Nutritional and Functional Properties of Oyster Mushrooms (<i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>)

In recent years, short-term composting techniques have been widely applied in oyster mushroom cultivation, but there is still a lack of systematic research on their impact on the nutritional and functional properties of fruiting bodies. In this study, the microbial inoculant Streptomyces thermoviolaceus BUA-FM01 (ST) was applied in the short-term composting process for oyster mushroom cultivation. The agronomic traits, nutritional composition, flavor compounds, and antioxidant activity of fruiting bodies from the first three flushes were evaluated. The results show that microbial inoculation significantly (p p p < 0.05) enhanced the scavenging ability of crude polysaccharides toward free radicals. The results indicate that microbial inoculation has many benefits for the composting cultivating process of oyster mushrooms and good application prospects

Structural insights into cyanobacterial photosystem II intermediates associated with Psb28 and Tsl0063

Cryo-electron microscopy structures of two PSII intermediates from psbV-deletion and wild-type strains of cyanobacteria show substantial structural changes. These provide a structural basis for understanding the assembly process of native PSII. Photosystem II (PSII) is a multisubunit pigment-protein complex and catalyses light-induced water oxidation, leading to the conversion of light energy into chemical energy and the release of dioxygen. We analysed the structures of two Psb28-bound PSII intermediates, Psb28-RC47 and Psb28-PSII, purified from a psbV-deletion strain of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vulcanus, using cryo-electron microscopy. Both Psb28-RC47 and Psb28-PSII bind one Psb28, one Tsl0063 and an unknown subunit. Psb28 is located at the cytoplasmic surface of PSII and interacts with D1, D2 and CP47, whereas Tsl0063 is a transmembrane subunit and binds at the side of CP47/PsbH. Substantial structural perturbations are observed at the acceptor side, which result in conformational changes of the quinone (Q(B)) and non-haem iron binding sites and thus may protect PSII from photodamage during assembly. These results provide a solid structural basis for understanding the assembly process of native PSII

Comparing the Differential Diagnostic Values of 18F-Alfatide II PET/CT between Tuberculosis and Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose. To compare the differential diagnostic values of 18F-Alfatide II PET/CT between tuberculosis and lung cancer patients and in patients with sarcoidosis and common inflammation. Methods. Nine inflammation patients (4 tuberculosis, 3 sarcoidosis, and 2 common inflammation) and 11 lung cancer patients were included in this study. All patients underwent 18F-FDG and 18F-Alfatide II PET/CT within 2 weeks, followed by biopsy and surgery. The maximized standard uptake value (SUVmax) and the mean standard uptake value (SUVmean) were evaluated. Results. The active tuberculosis lesions showed a high accumulation of 18F-FDG, but varying degrees of accumulation of 18F-Alfatide II, including negative results. The SUVmax of 18F-Alfatide II in malignant lesions was significantly higher than that in tuberculosis (4.08 ± 1.51 versus 2.63 ± 1.34, P = 0.0078). Three patients with sarcoidosis showed negative results in 18F-Alfatide II PET/CT. Conclusions. The expression of αVβ3 is much lower in tuberculosis as compared to that in lung cancer, and accumulation of 18F-Alfatide II varied even in lesions of the same patient. The negative results of sarcoidosis patients led to the speculation that αVβ3 was not expressed in those lesions