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To investigate the efficacy of perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in benign-malignant differentiation of thyroid nodules. Images from 24 patients with thyroid masses were obtained using dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) at 3-T MR. DCE-MRI images were evaluated by post-processing of selected regions of interest (ROIs) on software, thus eliciting quantitative data for each voxel within the ROI. Ktrans, Ve, Kep, iAUC and chi(2) were calculated automatically. The DCE-MRI values of benign and malignant lesions were then compared. Mean Ktrans and iAUC values in malignant lesions were significantly lower than those in benign lesions (p = 0.028 and 0.049). Ktrans, Kep, and iAUC values in malignant lesions were statistically significantly lower than normal parenchyma values. In contrast to other tissues, the perfusion MRI findings of thyroid masses exhibit a decrease in Ktrans and iAUC values as malignancy increases. Perfusion MRI may be useful in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules once a cut-off value has been determined by other studies.

International audience; We analyze the emission yield of the second harmonic generation (SHG) from dense ordered arrays of L-shaped Au nanoantennas within a well-defined collection angle and compare it to that of the isolated nanostructures designed with the same geometrical parameters. Thanks to the high antenna surface density, arrays display one order of magnitude higher SHG yield per unit surface with respect to isolated nanoantennas. The difference in the collected nonlinear signals becomes even more pronounced by reducing the collection angle, because of the efficient angular filtering that can be attained in dense arrays around the zero order. Albeit this key-enabling feature allows envisioning application of these platforms to nonlinear sensing, a normalization of the SHG yield to the number of excited antennas in the array reveals a reduced nonlinear emission from each individual antenna element. We explain this potential drawback in terms of resonance broadening, commonly observed in densely packed arrays, and angular filtering of the single antenna emission pattern provided by the array 0th order.

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of technologically treated diclofenac (release-active dilutions of diclofenac (RAD of diclofenac)) on anti-inflammatory activity of diclofenac in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. Ninety male Wistar albino rats (6–8 weeks) divided into nine groups (n = 10) were used. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 h after subplantar injection of carrageenan (0.1 ml of a 1 % solution in normal saline). Diclofenac alone was studied at 5 and 20 mg/kg, RAD of diclofenac alone at 7.5 ml/kg and their combination at 5 and 7.5 ml/kg, respectively. Diclofenac reduced (p

Noise is a stress factor that causes auditory, psychological and physiological effects. The realization that sudden loud noises or chronic exposure to noise in social and working environments can cause hearing loss has led to increased interest in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The best means of preventing primary damage is protection against noise. Since this protection is not always possible for various reasons, the use of pharmacological agents to prevent or treat NIHL should also be considered. The purpose of this study is to discuss current pharmacological protection and treatment options in the light of the literature, since no such extensive reviews have been performed to date, including agents used for protection against and treatment of NIHL. We reviewed both animal and clinical studies, and these are discussed separately for ease of comprehension. For each agent, first animal studies, then clinical studies, if available, are discussed. We also performed a two-step search of the literature. In the first step, we searched the terms "noise induced hearing loss", "treatment" and "protection" in Pubmed. Based on the results obtained, we identified the agents used for the treatment of and protection against NIHL. In the second step, we searched the names of the agents identified in the first step, together with the term "noise induced hearing loss," and reviewed the results.

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of technologically treated diclofenac (release-active dilutions of diclofenac (RAD of diclofenac)) on anti-inflammatory activity of diclofenac in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. Ninety male Wistar albino rats (6-8 weeks) divided into nine groups (n = 10) were used. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 h after subplantar injection of carrageenan (0.1 ml of a 1 % solution in normal saline). Diclofenac alone was studied at 5 and 20 mg/kg, RAD of diclofenac alone at 7.5 ml/kg and their combination at 5 and 7.5 ml/kg, respectively. Diclofenac reduced (p < 0.05 at least) paw edema at all time points. RAD of diclofenac enhanced (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory effect of diclofenac (5 mg/kg) at 2, 4, and 6 h on concurrent and at 2 and 4 h on sequential administration. Moreover at 2 h, anti-inflammatory effect of combination treatment reached values comparable to those of diclofenac (20 mg/kg). In conclusion, RAD of diclofenac enhanced anti-inflammatory effect of diclofenac.

Methods based on fixed mesh variational formulations for ordinary differential equations in presence of a possibly infinite number of impulses on the righthand side are presented. A simple transformation allows us to show that the problem can be treated as an ordinary differential equation. Existence and uniqueness results for the solution and approximation schemes with their error estimates are obtained.