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Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of qualitative and quantitative parameters for differentiating differentiated thyroid cancers from benign nodules. Method: A total of 290 thyroid nodules that were pathologically confirmed were enrolled in this study. The univariate analysis was performed for the clinical characteristics and CEUS qualitative and quantitative parameters of the inside and peripheral zone of nodules, including age, gender, nodule size, intensity of enhancement, homogeneity, wash-in and wash-out patterns, margin after CEUS, ring enhancement, peak intensity, sharpness, time to peak (TP), and area under the curve(AUC), and the meaningful indicators in the single-factor analysis were further included in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age (p=0.031), nodule size (p<0.001), heterogeneous enhancement (p<0.001), hypo-enhancement (p=0.001), unclear margin after CEUS (p=0.007), inside peak (p<0.001), and outside sharpness(p<0.001) between benign and malignant nodules. However, there were no significant differences in gender, ring enhancement, wash-in, wash-out, outside TP, outside AUC between benign and malignant thyroid nodules (P>0.05, for all). Conclusion: CEUS might be useful in the differential diagnosis of differentiated thyroid cancers and benign nodules, which could provide a certain basis for clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex network theory has been applied to reveal the transport patterns and cooperative regions of fine (<2.5 µm) particulate matter (PM2.5) in the whole of China over a long-term record. The results show the degrees, weighted degrees, and edge lengths of PM2.5 cities follow power-law distributions. Cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Henan-Shandong (BTHHS) region have a strong ability to import PM2.5 pollution to other cities. By analyzing the transport routes, we show that a mass of links extends southward from the BTHHS to the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regions with one- or two-day time lags. Hence, we conclude that earlier emission reduction in BTHHS and early-warning measures in YRD will help to improve air quality in both regions. Moreover, significant links are concentrated in wintertime, suggesting the impact of the winter monsoon. In addition, cities have been divided into nine clusters according to their synchronicity characteristics. Cities in the same clusters should be regarded as a whole to control the level of air pollution. The results are derived by an economic approach of complex network theory, which avoids the time-consuming of traditional model simulation approach and suggests a highly efficient approach to the studies of transport and cluster of PM2.5. This approach, beyond doubt, is certainly also applicable to the studies of other air pollutants such as ozone, NOx, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]