Search

Introduction: The use of hyaluronic acid (HA) as a dermal filler is considered safe. However, as new brands come to the market, reports of adverse events are becoming more and more common. Objective: To describe a particular type of adverse effect that, unlike the erythematous, indurated, and painful nodules described in the literature as "angry red bumps," is characterized by noninflammatory, stony‐like nodules that appear in sites previously treated with HA. Methods: The report of four patients who presented this complication, and the occurrence of two HA syringes from the same batch that had hardened the product inside at the time of filling. Conclusion: The authors propose the nomenclature "happy bump" to group adverse reactions to HA that translate into noninflammatory nodules, with a stony consistency, appearing up to 4 weeks (recent) or after one month (late) in sites previously treated with AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the roles of selenium (Se) application on the profile of photosynthetic pigments, oxidant metabolism, flavonoids biosynthesis, nodulation, and its relation to agronomic traits of peanut plants. Two independent experiments were carried out: one conducted in soil and the other in a nutrient solution. When the plants reached the V2 growth stage, five Se doses (0, 7.5, 15, 30, and 45 μg kg−1) and four Se concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15 μmol L−1) were supplied as sodium selenate. The concentration of photosynthetic pigments, activity of antioxidant enzymes and the concentration of total sugars in peanut leaves increased in response to Se fertilization. In addition, Se improves nitrogen assimilation efficiency by increasing nitrate reductase activity which results in a higher concentration of ureides, amino acids and proteins. Se increases the synthesis of daidzein and genistein in the root, resulting in a greater number of nodules and concentration and transport of ureides to the leaves. Se-treated plants showed greater growth, biomass accumulation in shoots and roots, yield and Se concentration in leaves and grains. Our results contribute to food security and also to increase knowledge about the effects of Se on physiology, biochemistry and biological nitrogen fixation in legume plants. • Se enhances enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant metabolism of peanut plants increasing protection against abiotic stress. • Nitrogen assimilation enzymes are boosted by Se increasing amino acids, protein and crop yield of peanut plants. • Se increases isoflavonoids synthesis, nodulation and ureide production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cirugía y Cirujanos is the property of Publicidad Permanyer SLU and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Under arid and semi-arid conditions, direct application of phosphate rock (PR) as a source of phosphorus (P) for crop production is likely influenced by agricultural practices and soil properties. Different approaches could be used to improve the agronomic efficiency of low-grade PR over a wider range of soils and crops. In this study, biological, physical, and chemical treatments of low-grade Moroccan PR were investigated and compared through agronomic trials on faba bean grown under alkaline soil conditions. The physical treatment was based on blending PR with triple superphosphate (TSP) at 75:25 and 50:50 ratios, the biological treatments involved co-application of PR with compost at 50:50 ratio and phospho-compost elaborated from PR (20%), sewage sludge (46%), and wheat residues (34%), while the chemical treatment was obtained by a 30% acidulation of PR by phosphoric acid. Control treatments consisting of zero P application (control), PR alone, and TSP alone were considered to assess the effectiveness of the abovementioned techniques to improve PR agronomic efficiency. A pot experiment was conducted in sandy soil (Jorf Lasfar, central Morocco) for 60 days in a completely randomized design considering eight treatments. All treatments, except the control, were amended with 52 mg kg−1 of P from different PR-based fertilizers before sowing. At the flowering stage (60-day-old plants), results indicated that all PR treatments significantly improved plant growth, root nodulation, and nutrient uptake compared to the control. The relative agronomic efficiency of pretreated PR was significantly higher with phospho-compost treatment (86%) than the partially acidulated PR (78%) or the PR/TSP blend 50:50 (64%). Likewise, P uptake, P use efficiency, number of root nodules, and N uptake all were improved under PR treatments. Our finding revealed that the biological technique based on phospho-compost yielded better compared to chemical and physical treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soy is a valuable leguminous crop, whose productivity directly depends on many factors, among which nitrogen fertilizers are one of the most important. Nitrogen fertilizing of this crop is often given insufficient attention because the yield increase can be quite insignificant. The purpose of the research is to study the combined effect of biofertilizers and increasing rates of nitrogen mineral fertilizers on the growth, development, and yield of soybean varieties. The experiment is three-factorial: factor A - early ripening soybean varieties Annushka and Ustya, factor B - seeds inoculation by biofertilizer, and factor C - rates of mineral fertilizers application. Results of research shows the efficiency of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis during seed inoculation was established for nitrogen rates from N0to N60 against the background of P60K60 - the biomass of nodule bacteria is 418-675 mg plant-1. The application of N90P60K60 significantly reduces the number and mass of nodule bacteria - 207-241; N120P60K60 - 32.0-42.0 mg plant-1, and with the introduction of P60K60 + N150-180 nodule bacteria are not formed and the effectiveness of microbiological drugs is not recorded. Nitrogenase activity with N0-90 application on the background of P60K60 and seed inoculation ranged from 3.25 to 7.76 μmol C2H4 per plant ha-1. With a further increase in nitrogen levels, nitrogenase activity was not recorded. On typical chernozems of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, higher yields of early-ripening soybean varieties are formed by applying N60P60K60 and pre-sowing seeds treatment with rhizohumin or rhizohumin/hetomics combination. P60K60N150-180 showed a partial decrease in soybean yield due to the distress effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the Italian system for reporting thyroid cytology (ICCRTC), nodules suspicious for (TIR4) and consistent with (TIR5) malignancy are thought being 5% and 4–8% of all biopsies and having risk of malignancy of 60–80% and >95%, respectively. However, no evidence-based data exist about these figures. The present systematic review aimed at achieving solid estimates about TIR4 and TIR5 also considering potential influencing factors. Methods: The review was conducted according to MOOSE. Databases of Google Scholar and Cochrane were searched. No language restriction was used. The last search was performed on February 26th 2022. Quality assessment was performed. Proportion meta-analyses were performed using random-effect model. Statistical analyses were performed using OpenMeta [Analyst]. Results: The online search retrieved 271 articles and 16 were finally included for quantitative analysis. The risk of bias was generally low. The pooled cancer prevalence in TIR4 was 92.5% (95%CI 89.4–95.6%) with unexplained moderate heterogeneity. The pooled cancer rate among TIR5 was 99.7% (95%CI 99.3–100%) without heterogeneity. The resection rate in TIR4 and TIR5 showed heterogeneity, being the latter explained when using their prevalence among biopsies: the higher the prevalence, the higher the operation rate. The pooled risk difference between TIR5 and TIR4 was significant (OR 11.153). Conclusions: These figures can form the basis for the next updated version of ICCRTC. Any institution using ICCRTC should revise its series of TIR4/TIR5 to calculate the cancer rate, and, importantly, consider the modifiers of the risk of malignancy. A cross check among institutions is advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Xinyang Normal University Natural Science Edition is the property of Journal of Xinyang Normal University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Laryngocele is defined as a dilation of the laryngeal saccule forming an air sac. Some differential diagnoses for laryngocele have been reported. The aim of the present paper was to describe a case of a patient referred for the evaluation a suspected thyroid nodule that was subsequently diagnosed as a mixed laryngocele. A 31-year-old male with no clinical manifestations was referred by an endocrinologist to undergo Doppler ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy due to a preliminary ultrasonographic diagnosis of a nodule apparently in the thyroid. The diagnosis of laryngocele was raised considering the cytopathological analysis and imaging exam. Computed tomography of the neck confirmed this hypothesis. The patient was counseled to consult a surgeon, but, up to the end of this report, continued asymptomatic and in follow-up. We report a mixed laryngocele with different clinical behavior, showing that laryngocele may appear to be another entity and drawing the attention of clinicians to imaging similarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Phonotrauma has been hypothesized to be associated with prolonged and/or accumulated biomechanical stress on vocal fold tissue. This hypothesis can be tested using ambulatory monitoring of vocal fold dissipated power, which requires a reliable method for its noninvasive estimation during the activity of daily living. The first aim of this study was to show that a laboratory-based estimate of vocal fold dissipated power computed from intraoral pressure (IOP) has significant discriminative power in individuals with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (PVH). Considering that estimation of subglottal pressure from IOP is not practical for ambulatory applications, an alternative approach should be used. The second aim of this study was to test the impact of two alternative methods for the estimation of subglottal pressure on the discriminative power of vocal fold dissipated power in individuals with PVH and, hence, to provide an evidence-based recommendation for future ambulatory monitoring studies of vocal fold dissipated power., Method: Four groups of adult females were included in this study: 16 individuals with PVH, 16 individuals with nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (NPVH), and two groups of vocally typical controls matched to the participants in each patient group in terms of age and occupation. Each participant produced strings of five consecutive /pae/ syllables while wearing a pneumotachograph mask with an IOP tube. Neck-surface accelerometer and acoustic signals were recorded simultaneously using an ambulatory voice monitor and a head-mounted microphone, respectively. IOP was used to estimate subglottal pressure and subject-specific calibration factors were determined for the estimation of subglottal pressure from the accelerometer signal., Results: (1) Individuals with PVH had significantly higher dissipated power than controls (P = 0.001, Cohen's D=1.31) when the intraoral estimate of subglottal pressure was used in the computation of dissipated power. (2) The difference between the dissipated power of individuals with NPVH and their matched controls was not significant. (3) When microphone-based sound pressure levels was used for the estimation of subglottal pressure, the difference between individuals with PVH and their matched controls vanished (P = 0.23). (4) When subject-specific estimation of subglottal pressure from the accelerometer was used, the discriminative power returned with a very large effect size (P = 0.001, D=1.38)., Conclusion: Increased dissipated power is sensitive and specific to individuals with PVH among individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders. The results provide evidence that accelerometer-based estimate of energy dissipation dose (power integrated over time) during daily life could be clinically useful., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Robert Hillma reports a relationship with InnoVoyce LLC that includes: board membership. Daryush Mehta reports a relationship with InnoVoyce LLC that includes: consulting or advisory. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Three bacterial strains, 1AS14I T , 1AS12I and 6AS6, isolated from root nodules of Acacia saligna , were characterized using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on rrs sequences placed all three strains within the Rhizobium leguminosarum complex. Further phylogeny, based on 1 756 bp sequences of four concatenated housekeeping genes ( recA , atpD , glnII and gyrB ), revealed their distinction from known rhizobia species of the R. leguminosarum complex (Rlc), forming a distinct clade. The closest related species, identified as Rhizobium laguerreae , with a sequence identity of 96.4% based on concatenated recA - atpD - glnII - gyrB sequences. The type strain, 1AS14I T , showed average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of 94.9, 94.3 and 94.1% and DNA-DNA hybridization values of 56.1, 57.4 and 60.0% with the type strains of closest known species: R. laguerreae , Rhizobium acaciae and 'Rhizobium indicum', respectively. Phylogenomic analyses using 81 up-to-date bacteria core genes and the Type (Strain) Genome Server pipeline further supported the uniqueness of strains 1AS14I T , 1AS12I and 6AS6. The relatedness of the novel strains to NCBI unclassified Rhizobium sp. (396 genomes) and metagenome-derived genomes showed ANI values from 76.7 to 94.8% with a species-level cut-off of 96%, suggesting that strains 1AS14I, 1AS12I and 6AS6 are a distinct lineage. Additionally, differentiation of strains 1AS14I T , 1AS12I and 6AS6 from their closest phylogenetic neighbours was achieved using phenotypic, physiological and fatty acid content analyses. Based on the genomic, phenotypic and biochemical data, we propose the establishment of a novel rhizobial species, Rhizobium aouanii sp. nov., with strain 1AS14I T designated as the type strain (=DSM 113914 T =LMG 33206 T ). This study contributes to the understanding of microbial diversity in nitrogen-fixing symbioses, specifically within Acacia saligna ecosystems in Tunisia.

Objective: The European Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (EU-TIRADS) allows for selective fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). In 2017, EU-TIRADS was implemented as part of a nationwide standardized care bundle for thyroid cancer in Western Sweden with a population of approximately 1.7 million. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical value of EU-TIRADS attempting to reduce the number of unnecessary FNACs in referred patients with thyroid nodules., Methods: The study cohort consisted of all patients referred to Sahlgrenska University Hospital due to a palpable, newly detected or growing thyroid nodules or a positron emission tomography-positive finding for examination with thyroid ultrasound and selective cytology between 2018 and 2022. Medical records on EU-TIRADS classification, corresponding FNAC results, and histopathologic diagnosis were retrospectively collected. Adherence to the EU-TIRADS guidelines, use of selective FNAC, and rate of malignancy in patients who underwent surgery were assessed., Results: In total, 1246 thyroid nodules in 990 patients were evaluated. The distributions of EU-TIRADS 2 to 5 (number [percentage]) for all examined nodules were 63 (5%), 462 (37%), 443 (36%), and 278 (22%), respectively. FNAC was omitted in 7% of the investigated patients. FNAC was performed in 124 nodules (10%) despite not fulfilling the EU-TIRADS criteria or absence of positron emission tomography-positive findings. The rate of malignancy was 33% and 1/50 in patients who underwent "unnecessary" FNAC., Conclusion: Implementation of EU-TIRADS in routine management of thyroid nodules led to the selective use of FNAC; however, the clinical impact was limited. This study provides real-world data on the value and magnitude of diagnostic improvement by implementing EU-TIRADS in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 AACE. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thyroid nodules are common and detected in 2–6% in the adult population by palpation. This prevalence increased to 40–60% with the use of ultrasound. Thyroid cancer is rare, with 1020 new cancers (751 women and 287 male) registered in 2019 in Belgium [1]. Ultrasound imaging represents the cornerstone for the thyroid nodule work-up and has benefited from significant improvements in recent years. We succinctly focus on how to evaluate thyroid nodules using ultrasonography and how to use the European Thyroid Imaging and Reporting Data System (EU-TIRADS score). We will also review the possible added value of complementary ultrasound techniques such as high-resolution colour Doppler ultrasound and elastography. Further, we discuss how to select at-risk nodules to benefit from fine-needle aspiration cytology and finally we briefly review new techniques for the treatment of thyroid nodules and the role of artificial intelligence in thyroid nodule classification.

It is evident that legume root nodules can accommodate rhizobial and non-rhizobial bacterial endophytes. Our recent nodule microbiome study in peanuts described that small nodules can harbor diverse bacterial endophytes. To understand their functional role, we isolated 87 indigenous endophytes from small nodules of field-grown peanut roots and characterized them at molecular, biochemical, and physiological levels. The amplified 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of these isolates revealed a wide variety of microorganisms related to the genera Bacillus, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Herbaspirillum, Mistsuaria, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobia. It was observed that 37% (100% identity) and 56% (>99% identity) of the isolates matched with the amplified sequence variants (ASVs) from our previous microbiome study. All of these isolates were tested for stress tolerance (high temperature, salinity, acidic pH) and phosphate (P) solubilization along with ammonia (NH3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD), and siderophore production. The majority (78%) of the isolates were found to be halotolerant, thermotolerant, and acidophilic, and a few of them showed a significant positive response to the production of IAA, NH3, siderophore, ACCD, and P-solubilization. To evaluate the plant growth promotion (PGP) activity, plant and nodulation assays were performed in the growth chamber conditions for the selected isolates from both the non-rhizobial and rhizobial groups. However, these isolates appeared to be non-nodulating in the tested conditions. Nonetheless, the isolates 2 (Pantoea), 17 (Burkholderia), 21 (Herbaspirillum), 33o (Pseudomonas), and 77 (Rhizobium sp.) showed significant PGP activity in terms of biomass production. Our findings indicate that these isolates have potential for future biotechnological applications through the development of biologicals for sustainable crop improvement.

In many crops species, sulfur (S) deprivation negatively affects growth, seed yield quality and plant health. Furthermore, silicon (Si) is known to alleviate many nutritional stresses but the effects of Si supply on plants subjected to S deficiency remain unclear and poorly documented. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether Si supply would alleviate the negative effects of S deprivation on root nodulation and atmospheric dinitrogen (N2) fixation capacity in Trifolium incarnatum subjected (or not) to long-term S deficiency. For this, plants were grown for 63 days in hydroponic conditions with (500 µM) or without S and supplied (1.7 mM) or not with Si. The effects of Si on growth, root nodulation and N2 fixation and nitrogenase abundance in nodules have been measured. The most important beneficial effect of Si was observed after 63 days. Indeed, at this harvest time, a Si supply increased growth, the nitrogenase abundance in nodules and N2 fixation in S-fed and S-deprived plants while a beneficial effect on the number and total biomass of nodules was only observed in S-deprived plants. This study shows clearly for the first time that a Si supply alleviates negative effects of S deprivation in Trifolium incarnatum.

The Šárka Formation is a well-known, fossiliferous Ordovician deposit in Bohemia. It has been targeted by fossil collectors since the 19th century due to the excellent preservation of many fossils. As a result, mainly well-preserved and interesting specimens have been deposited in collections. Many fragments, typical fossil accumulations but also complete specimens belonging to common taxa, have been ignored because they were considered poorly preserved compared to others. That is why some palaeoecological and taphonomical aspects of faunas are insufficiently represented in the existing collections. The Šárka Formation is early to middle Darriwilian in age and reflects an overall deepening of the Prague Basin, an Early Palaeozoic peri-Gondwanan basin, with a relic of its fill situated roughly between PlzeÅ and Prague as a part of the Teplá-Barrandian unit in Central Bohemia, Czech Republic. The Šárka Formation is typified by the prevalence of grey to dark grey shales that are 50 m thick in the south-western part of the basin and up to 300 m in the north-eastern part of it. Locally, these shales contain levels with predominantly siliceous nodules. Both, shales and nodules, are fossiliferous, but fossils demonstrate different modes of preservation, primarily resulting from different degrees of compaction accompanied by other processes such as the dissolution of shells. The highly diverse fauna in the formation is dominated by trilobites. Rhynchonelliformean brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, ostracods, hyoliths, and echinoderms are very abundant; other groups such as conulariids, monoplacophorans, rostroconchs, machaeridans, and graptolites are less frequent. The fossils occur as isolated specimens, in clusters, or in larger concentrations of transported shells on the bedding planes. Fossils, the shells of which were originally composed of several parts (trilobite exoskeletons, bivalve molluscs, crustaceans, hyoliths, etc.), are often disarticulated. Disarticulated parts of skeletons are mostly complete, with a low degree of fragmentation. This is the prevailing mode of preservation, but some locali­ties yielded also abundant complete trilobites. In general, allochthonous material transported to short distances prevails in the Šárka Formation. Preservation in shales. The fossils in shales are variably compacted. Specimens of the groups producing organic protective structures, such as graptolites, range from predominantly flattened to relief when pyritized. The material of phosphatic shells (phyllocarid crustaceans, linguliformean brachiopods, conulariids) is usually preserved, primarily deformed depending on its solidity, and secondarily slightly flattened. Calcareous shells are often dissolved and the fossils cracked. Although primary cracking also occurs, many shells are collapsed indicating their deformation due to the sediment compaction before dissolution of a shell during late diagenesis. Preservation in nodules. Nodules are of early diagenetic origin and fossils in them are pre­served in full relief because they were protected from compaction. All deformations of fossils, such as cracking, can be considered primary, i.e. formed before the nodule formation. Only phosphatic shells occur in the nodules, organic and calcareous shells are not preserved with only minor exceptions. Thus, the dominating preservation mode of fossils in the nodules is as in­ternal and external moulds or only external moulds with a cavity inside. However, there is one special type of internal mould, which has been known for a long time but ignored because of its âworseâ preservation. This is related to many articulated brachiopods and bivalves but often also to some parts of trilobites, hyoliths and gastropods. It is formed by a porous spongiform material, sometimes forming irregular structures resembling the crumble. This taphonomic feature, unique for the nodules, represents a specific type of preservation. It can fully or partly fill in the cavities inside the closed two-valved shells, some enrolled trilobites, adapical parts of hyolith conchs, and gastropod shells but also glabellae, axes, or other parts of trilobites. This preservation is there­fore common in enclosed spaces of shells where the presence of organic substances, especially remains of tissues can be expected to occur even after their burial in the sediment. Subsequent decay of tissues in an open geochemical system, such as inside a muddy substrate that is a precursor of shales, would not be traced under normal conditions due to the migration of matters. The nodules were apparently of a very early diagenetic origin and their formation ceased the migration system of decaying tissue substances. The products of these processes remained in situ and fossilized in the form of the âtaphonomic crumbleâ, which has a considerable potential for several research directions.

Background: Endophytic bacteria overlay significant role in plant growth promotion, eliminating phyto-pathogens and combating stress-conditions. In the present study, we aimed to screen high salt tolerant bacteria and study their adaptive response to elevated salt concentrations. A total of 46 endophytic bacterial isolates from Vigna radiata were screened for salt tolerance. The high salt tolerant endophytic isolate was characterized for alteration in morphology, growth rate, protein profiling, and compatible solute concentrations. Results: The isolate MHN12, based upon biochemical characterization and partial 16S rDNA sequencing identified as B. licheniformis (accession number MG273753) was able to tolerate up to 15% NaCl (Sodium Chloride) (2.6 M) concentration. The isolate possessed 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (ACCD) activity along with indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, ammonia, organic acid and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production. Accumulation of proline was apparent up to 7.5% NaCl concentration and declined afterwards. Ultrastructure analysis using TEM (transmission electron microscopy) revealed the morphological alteration from rods to filaments. Conclusion: Acclimatization to salt stress and plant growth promoting activities could contribute to utilization of this bacterium as bioinoculant to enhance the crop yield and discourage the application of chemical fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental context of the nitrogen-fixing mutualism between leguminous plants and rhizobial bacteria varies over space and time. Variation in resource availability, population density, and composition likely affect the ecology and evolution of rhizobia and their symbiotic interactions with hosts. We examined how host genotype, nitrogen addition, rhizobial density, and community complexity affected selection on 68 rhizobial strains in the Sinorhizobium meliloti-Medicago truncatula mutualism. As expected, host genotype had a substantial effect on the size, number, and strain composition of root nodules (the symbiotic organ). The understudied environmental variable of rhizobial density had a stronger effect on nodule strain frequency than the addition of low nitrogen levels. Higher inoculum density resulted in a nodule community that was less diverse and more beneficial but only in the context of the more selective host genotype. Higher density resulted in more diverse and less beneficial nodule communities with the less selective host. Density effects on strain composition deserve additional scrutiny as they can create feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Finally, we found that relative strain rankings were stable across increasing community complexity (2, 3, 8, or 68 strains). This unexpected result suggests that higher-order interactions between strains are rare in the context of nodule formation and development. Our work highlights the importance of examining mechanisms of density-dependent strain fitness and developing theoretical predictions that incorporate density dependence. Furthermore, our results have translational relevance for overcoming establishment barriers in bioinoculants and motivating breeding programs that maintain beneficial plant-microbe interactions across diverse agroecological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes are suitable for the development of sustainable agroecosystems because of their ability to use atmospheric N2 through symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). However, a basic NO3− input is necessary before SNF takes place to ensure successful seedling establishment. Since Rhizobia not only induce nodulation but also affect root branching by stimulating the development of lateral roots, and NO3− as a signal also modulates root system architecture, we investigated whether Rhizobium-derived signals interfere in nitrate signaling. Here, we bring evidence that (i) Rhizobium-altered NO3−-mediated processes in pea expressions of major players in NO3− transport, sensing, and signaling were affected, and (ii) the characteristic limitation of root foraging and branching in response to NO3− supply was abolished. The number of tertiary roots per secondary root was higher in infected compared to uninfected peas, thus indicating that the Rhizobium effect allows for favorable management of trade-offs between nodules growth for nitrogen capture and root foraging for water and other nutrient uptake in pea. The outcome of this basic research can be used to produce molecular tools for breeding pea genotypes able to develop deep-foraging and branched root systems, and more competitive architectures and molecular levels for soil NO3− absorption during seedling establishment without jeopardizing nodulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria comprise of diverse species associated with the root nodules of leguminous plants. Using an appropriate taxonomic method to confirm the identity of superior and elite strains to fix nitrogen in legume crops can improve sustainable global food and nutrition security. The current review describes taxonomic methods preferred and commonly used to characterize symbiotic bacteria in the rhizosphere. Peer reviewed, published and unpublished articles on techniques used for detection, classification and identification of symbiotic bacteria were evaluated by exploring their advantages and limitations. The findings showed that phenotypic and cultural techniques are still affordable and remain the primary basis of species classification despite their challenges. Development of new, robust and informative taxonomic techniques has really improved characterization and identification of symbiotic bacteria and discovery of novel and new species that are effective in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in diverse conditions and environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comparison between the Fine Needle Non-Aspiration Cytology (FNNAC) and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in acquiring ultrasound-guided fine needle cytology (FNC) samples from solid thyroid nodules to determine the better technique, hence improving the sample quality aiming to decrease the number of unnecessary thyroidectomy operations. Results: Prospective study showed statistically significant increase in cellular yield, preservation of cellular architecture and decrease in cellular trauma along with statistically significant increase in total sample quality with FNNAC (P value = 0.32, 0.004, 0.011, 0.21 respectively), and statistically insignificant difference in background blood in the sample (P value = 0.8). Regarding sample convenience, FNNAC was found to be more convenient for both the patient (syringe is not seen by the patient reducing discomfort) and for the operator (better handling of the needle and fewer maneuvres). Conclusions: FNC is an approved sensitive and cost-effective method to evaluate thyroid nodules, FNNAC technique was found to be more convenient for both the patient and the operator with statistically significant improvement in total sample quality compared to FNAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgroud: Endemic cretinism is the most severe manifestation among the iodine deficiency-related disorders. The clinical status of the cretins may be modified subsequently by the duration and severity of the disease. We aimed to reassess the clinical status and thyroid function of 31 surviving "neurological cretins" after 42 years of iodine supplementation in a historically severely iodine deficiency area of China. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study in design and we investigated all 31 surviving neurological cretins and 85 controls. A detailed neurological examination was conducted on each patients. All the participants were given a questionnaire and underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the thyroid. The serum levels of thyroid hormones, thyroid antibodies, serum iodine concentration (SIC) and urine iodine concentration (UIC) were measured. Results: The neurological cretins had shorter stature than that of the control. Neurological damage is still present in patients with cretinism. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid nodule in the cretins was significantly higher (χ² = 4.766, P=0.029 and χ² = 17.077, P<0.0001, respectively) compared with the control. After adjusting for confounding factors, endemic neurocretinism was found to be an independent risk factor for subclinical hypothyroidism (OR=4.412; 95% CI: 1.358-14.334; P=0.014) and thyroid nodule (OR=6.433; 95% CI: 2.323-17.816; P<0.0001). Conclusions: Iodine supplementation after birth does not reverse the neurological damage that results from maternal/foetal hypothyroidism in utero and is subsequently manifested as neurological cretinism. There is a cross-sectional association between endemic neurocretinism and subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid nodule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functioning of nodule bacteria/legumes symbiotic system significantly depends on some edaphic factors (pH level, soil moisture and temperature) as well as rhizosphere microbiota and saprophytic fungi being its important component. The new strain of saprophytic fungus Gliocladium sp. 278 was isolated from washed roots of white lupine, which is a traditional culture for Ukrainian Polissya. The Gliocladium fungi in lupins roots amounted to 49.0% of the total fungi content. The influence of Gliocladium sp. 278 on white lupine was investigate in pot experiments. The experimental plants, which growing on soil with Gliocladium sp. 278, were oppressed. Thus, their height decreased on 12.0%, the dry mass of sprout on 20.7%, the dry root mass on 25.6%. Without affecting the nodule mass accumulation, Gliocladium sp. 278 oppressed N2-fixing activities in 1.4-2.2 times. As the results of electron microscopy indicated, it took place an early aging of cells in tissue of nodules of white lupine and bacteriodes form were changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive capabilities of pea specimens regarding some quantitative characteristics were assessed. Ten garden pea genotypes were used, three of them (Echo-af., Kazino-af. and line 22/16-af.) had afila leaf type, while the other seven (Marsy-n., Plovdiv-n., line 22/16-n., Shugar dwarf-n., Vecherniza-n., line B4/34-n. and line 1/17-n.) normal leaf type. The highest adaptive capacity was showed by: Marsi (41.94) and Plovdiv (20.70) in terms of total number of pods per plant; Casino-af. (225.80), Plovdiv (85.44) and Shugar duarf (42.50) with regard to weight of pods per plant; Plovdiv (28.42), Shugar duarf (17.46) and Marsi (13.64) concerning weight of green grains per plant; Marsi (551.22), Vechernitza (46.94) and Casino-af. (40.25) for number of nodules. The selection value of the genotype was more pronounced in: Shugar duarf (13.09), line B4-34 (13.09) and line 22/16-n. (10.69) in terms of the total number of pods; for Marsi (69.66), Shugar duarf (40.81) and line 22/16-n. (38.51) regarding number of nodules. All genotypes were found stable and slightly variable in the weight of nodules, but did not have high breeding value. The best combination of both adaptability and productivity for most of the traits was found in the genotypes Marsi, Kazino-af., Plovdiv and Shugar duarf, which can be used in the combinative breeding to create adaptive and highly productive genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Cutaneous metastases are quite rare and represent growth of malignant cells in skin from an internal malignancy and indicate poor prognosis. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an important technique in the early diagnosis of such lesions.Objective:To evaluate the cytomorphological features of cutaneous metastatic nodules on FNAC.Material and Methods: This retrospective diagnostic analytical study was carried out in the department of pathology from January 2016 to December 2020. Forty Four patients diagnosed as cutaneous metastasis on FNAC were included in the study. FNAC slides along with record of the patients were retrieved and findings recorded. The smears were examined in detail for cytomorphological evaluation.Results: 26 patients were males and 18 were females with M:F ratio of 1.4:1. The site of primary malignancy was known in 32 cases only. Chest wall was the commonest site of cutaneous metastasis, with solitary palpable skin nodule being the commonest clinical presentation. In patients with known primary, lung carcinoma and breast carcinoma were the commonest primary malignancy in males and females respectively. Metastatic adenocarcinoma was the commonest cytomorphological type of malignancy (31.8%) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). FNAC diagnosis helped in detecting the primary site in 5 (41.6%) out of 12 cases with unknown primary malignancy. Conclusions: FNAC is an easy, rapid and minimally invasive procedure in the diagnosis of cutaneous metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tecno-Lógica is the property of Tecno-Logica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There are a number of questions that have remained relevant for a long time when using inoculants based on nodule bacteria. It has been shown that exopolysaccharides (EPS) producing bacterial cells play one of the key roles during interaction and during signal transmission in legume-rhizobial symbiosis, namely, bacterial survival, virulence of rhizobia, shelf life on inoculated seeds and in soil, and efficiency created legume-rhizobial system. In particular, it was found that new strains of soybean nodule bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum LG 2 and LG 5 synthesize EPS at 3.2 and 2.8 g/l, with an optical density above 0.8 rel. units, the viscosity of the culture liquid - within 270-302 mPa • s. The high level of synthesis and the chemical composition of EPS of the studied strains ensured the preservation of the viability of bacterial cells on the surface of seeds and on a solid medium. Inoculation of soybean seeds with a culture liquid containing EPS of strains LG 2 and LG 5 ensured the formation of an effective legume-rhizobial system, which is confirmed by the formation of 18-21 nodules / plant of soybeans with a nitrogenase activity of at least 2.9 µmol C2H4 / plant per hour. A graph model has been developed, which proves the direct dependence of the effect of EPS on the number of nodules formed on the roots, the level of nitrogenase activity of the legume-rhizobial system and their indirect effect on the yield and protein content in soybean grain. Prospects isolated by strains LG 2 and LG 5 of B. japonicum for biotechnological production of liquid and gel biopreparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary synovial chondromatosis (PSC) is a rare idiopathic pathology characterised by the formation of osseocartilaginous nodules within synovial joints, tendons, or bursae. The mineralisation pattern of PSC nodules is poorly understood and has yet to be investigated using elemental analysis. Mapping this pattern could elucidate the progression of the disease.Materials and Methods: Primary synovial chondromatosis nodules discovered during dissection of a formalin fixed donor were analysed. Scanning electron microscopy paired with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) was used to quantify calcium and phosphorus levels to distinguish mineralised components from cartilage, indicated by increased carbon and oxygen concentrations.Results: Nine nodules with average dimensions 1.76 cm × 1.25 cm were identified in the semimembranosus bursa. SEM-EDS demonstrated increased calcium phosphate levels in nodular cores, while outer margins contained primarily carbon and oxygen. Quantification of these elements revealed nodular peripheries to contain 68.0% carbon, 30.2% oxygen, 0.8% calcium, and 1.0% phosphate, while cores were comprised of 38.1% carbon, 42.1% oxygen, 14.1% calcium, and 5.7% phosphate.Conclusions: Nodules were found to have mineralised cores embedded within a cartilaginous matrix. This pattern suggests disease progression is facilitated by endochondral ossification, opening the potential for new therapeutic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is an uncommon disease of the skin, characterized by the presence of non-tender cutaneous nodules accompanied often by other rheumatic manifestations. This condition shows male predominance, no age preference and unpredictable course, resulting frequently in permanent joint damage. A 60-year-old man came to our department with a 4-year history of multiple non-tender nodules and morning stiffness affecting mainly the upper extremities. Clinical examination revealed arthritis of the hands, confirmed by imaging tests. Laboratory exams were unremarkable. A skin nodule biopsy showed a dermal collagenous lesion with myxoid areas composed of spindle and stellate cells. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated positivity for CD68 and negativity for CD34, S100, EMA and desmine. FR was diagnosed and the patient started methylprednisolone 16 mg/day. Hydroxychloroquine 400 mg/day and methotrexate 15 mg/weekly were further added as steroid-sparing agents with clinical benefit. Clinicians should be aware of this underreported entity, which can rapidly lead to irreversible deformities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign metastatic leiomyoma (BML) spreading in the lung is rare entities predominantly in a young woman. To our knowledge, our observation is the first description of benign metastasizing leiomyoma of the lung from Madagascar.We describe a case of 44-year-old of Malagasy origin, asymptomatic, non-smoking woman who had a history of hysterectomy for myoma three years earlier. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple well defned nodular shadows in the lung. One tumor of the middle lobe was resected by lateral thoracotomy. The resected lesion consisted of benign spindle cells and was diagnosed as BML. Through this clinical case, we present the first case report of a BML patient from Madagascar. The aim of this article is to take stock of the knowledge relating to this rare affection, and to propose management in accordance with the current literature

[Display omitted] • Defects areas exhibited a slower sputtering rate as compared with normal areas, ultimately leading to formation of nodule. • Platinum-rich layers were observed on the surfaces of nodules, particularly in those nodules exceeding a height of 100 μm. • The combination of preferential sputtering and the morphological features of nodules contributed to the formation and compositional variation of the Pt-rich layers on the nodule surfaces. Ni-Pt alloys are employed in the formation of Ni-Pt silicide to facilitate contact and interconnection functions in semiconductor devices. However, the formation of nodules on the Ni-Pt target during sputtering results in a reduced deposition rate and abnormal discharge, significantly impacting the film quality. This study investigates the nodule formation mechanism on the surface of Ni-Pt targets during sputtering, utilizing field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The findings reveal that defects and inclusion areas in the target exhibit a slower sputtering rate compared to normal areas, ultimately leading to nodule formation. Notably, platinum-rich layers were observed on the surfaces of nodules, particularly those exceeding a height of 100 μm. The variations in target surface concentration, angular distribution, and sputter yield of Ni and Pt atoms, coupled with the blocking effect of the lateral areas of nodules, contribute to the formation and compositional variation of the Pt-rich layers on the nodule surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous metastases are quite rare and represent growth of malignant cells in skin from an internal malignancy and indicate poor prognosis. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an important technique in the early diagnosis of such lesions. Objective: To evaluate the cytomorphological features of cutaneous metastatic nodules on FNAC. Material and Methods: This retrospective diagnostic analytical study was carried out in the department of pathology from January 2016 to December 2020. Forty-Four patients diagnosed as cutaneous metastasis on FNAC were included in the study. FNAC slides along with record of the patients were retrieved and findings recorded. The smears were examined in detail for cytomorphological evaluation. Results: 26 patients were males and 18 were females with M:F ratio of 1.4:1. The site of primary malignancy was known in 32 cases only. Chest wall was the commonest site of cutaneous metastasis, with solitary palpable skin nodule being the commonest clinical presentation. In patients with known primary, lung carcinoma and breast carcinoma were the commonest primary malignancy in males and females respectively. Metastatic adenocarcinoma was the commonest cytomorphological type of malignancy (31.8%) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). FNAC diagnosis helped in detecting the primary site in 5 (41.6%) out of 12 cases with unknown primary malignancy. Conclusions: FNAC is an easy, rapid and minimally invasive procedure in the diagnosis of cutaneous metastases.

Unlike conventional X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, the total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is not a widespread and routine method for analyzing solid samples with mineral matrix, but it has a great potential for geochemical, geological, and archaeological studies. Rapid multi-elemental analysis of very small sample amounts can be performed by the internal standard method which does not require the matrix-matched reference materials. This is an undoubted advantage of the TXRF method over the conventional X-ray fluorescence method, especially if there is a limited available sample amount and a lack of well-characterized reference materials. This paper presents our experience with the application of TXRF spectrometry in the elemental analysis of apatite, ceramics, sediments, ores, and nodules. Special attention has been paid to the sample preparation procedure because it is one of the main sources of errors in the analysis. Preparing thin homogeneous specimen from the solid sample with a complex mineral matrix is not easy. Sample preparation strategy should be chosen considering the features of an analytical object, the content of the elements to be determined, and the accuracy required for a reliable interpretation. Consideration is being given to the examples of the preparation of a suspension for rapid analysis of ores and sediments, and to the original techniques of chemical decomposition for apatite and ceramics.

Aim The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of low dose CT scan (LDCT) to pick up nodules and carcinomas in smokers in India. Methods A retrospective study of 350 smokers scanned with LDCT was performed in a private practice center in Mumbai, India. Their demographic profile, smoking history in pack-years, lung nodules, and associated findings/superimposed complications were recorded and analyzed. The nodules were assigned the appropriate Lung-RADS category and results of the patients undergoing biopsy were recorded. Results Of the 350 smokers, 15 (4%) were women . The mean age was 61 years (32–90 years) with a mean smoking history of 22 pack-years (1–160 pack-years). Lung nodules were found in 335 (93%) smokers, with Lung-RADS category 1 nodules seen in 117 (36%), category 2 in 133 (41%), category 3 in 29 (9%), and category 4 in 46 (14%) of positive scans. Seven of the category 4 patients who underwent biopsy showed carcinoma, with a mean smoking history of 30 pack years. Superimposed interstitial lung disease, airways diseases, and infections were also seen in the scans and recorded. Discussion It has been proven in the Western world that screening for lung cancer with LDCT saves lives with early pick-up of malignant nodules. This pilot study from India, shows that even in a tuberculosis endemic country, LDCT picks up malignant lung nodules early and saves lives. Conclusion Smokers with a more than 20 pack years history have a higher incidence of lung nodules, which may represent carcinoma, in a tuberculosis endemic country like India, as has been proven in other countries in the Western world. Larger studies and trials may be performed to elaborate further on this proof-of-concept study.

Background: Thyroid nodules are frequent among the general population. Ultrasound is the most commonly used imaging technique in the evaluation of thyroid nodules, Fine needle cytology (FNC) has been routinely used as the baseline investigation for diagnosis of nodular thyroid disease. Its advantages include minimal invasion and high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Objective: To compare the diagnostic quality of FNC sample obtained by aspiration versus non-aspiration techniques, aiming to improve the overall quality of FNC and hence better evaluation of thyroid nodules avoiding repeating FNC and unnecessary thyroidectomies. Patients and Methods: Our study was conducted on 40 adult patients with thyroid nodules, whose ages range between 25 and 70 years old and were referred to undergo FNA procedures. Results: 40 patients with thyroid nodules were included in this study, our results showed statistically significant improvement in overall quality of the samples obtained by the non-aspiration (FNNAC) technique with less cellular trauma, less background blood, better preservation of cellular architecture and less cellular degeneration, however, there was no significant difference in the amount of the cellular material obtained and shows statistically significant difference regarding the diagnostic quality of the samples with more diagnostically superior samples were acquired by the FNNAC than by FNAC (50% and 5% respectively), while FNAC acquired more diagnostically adequate samples than FNNAC (75% and 50% respectively), non-diagnostic samples were only 20% with FNAC and 0% with FNNAC. Conclusion: Both aspiration and non-aspiration techniques can be implemented and used for acquiring cytology samples, however, non-aspiration technique (FNNAC) was associated with overall better-quality samples with statistically significant better performance compared to FNAC. Non-aspiration technique is more convenient for both the patient and for the operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposed TransSegNet consists of dense, drop-out, and normalization layers. • The hyperparameters are finalized for training after extensive experimentation. • The proposed MinClassNet model consists of seven selected layers for classification. The lungs are a very important organ in a human. Any abnormality in the lungs ultimately affects the whole body. Pulmonary nodules-initiated lung cancer that is very small in size initially. Lung cancer spreads in the whole body if it's not detected/treated at the start; therefore, detection of lung cancer at the earliest is mandatory for the survival of patients. In medical imaging, machine/deep learning methods are very useful for accurate and efficient detection of diseases. Therefore, two models are proposed for the segmentation and classification based on transformer/deep/machine learning. The segmentation model named TransSegNet is proposed in which input images are converted into [44] patches and embedded into four transformer blocks. The model is trained from scratch by using 10 epochs, 4 batch-size, and an Adam optimizer as selected hyperparameters. The model is evaluated on the ACDC-LungHP dataset that provides 99.62 % detection accuracy having 0.0067 loss, Mean IOU of 49.81, validation accuracy of 99.02 %, validation-loss of 0.0219, and validation mean IOU of 49.52. The minimum and maximum improvement in the results of the proposed segmentation model is +04.62 and +11.62 respectively as compared to existing methods. The second classification model named MinClassNet is proposed which contains seven layers including input, conv, ReLU, batch normalization, softmax, fully connected, and output. The model is also trained from scratch based on selected hyperparameters after extensive experimentation such as Adam optimizer, 8 batch size, and 10 epochs. The model performance is tested using a publically available histopathological lung cancer dataset which provided 98.39 % accuracy in classifying the healthy/abnormal cells. The minimum and maximum improvement in the results of the proposed classification model are +1.29 and +20.06 respectively as compared to existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of beneficial microorganisms, such as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi, for organic farming could improve the productivity and the resilience of vegetable crops. Both PGPR and PGPF are allowed for organic farming, and they represent new important tools for regenerating poor and marginal soils in transition to environmentally friendly farming. In the experiment, the effects of PGPM-based products were evaluated on snap bean in combination with two irrigation regimes. The experimental design adopted was split-plot, with the main plot represented by the irrigation regime (reintegration of 100 and 60% of the ETc), the sub-plot by the microbial consortia, and finally the sub-sub-plot by genotype (‘Domino’ and ‘Maxi’). Seeds were sown in a cold greenhouse and the growing cycle finished after 86 days from sowing. The results showed a significant increase of the yield due to the application of PGPM compared to the control. The deficit irrigation applied (ETc 60%) affected plants growth in the two genotypes and their related production differently (in average 2.20 kg m−2 for Domino and 3.63 kg m−2 for Maxi), showing a positive effect of PGPM on yield (in average 2.47 kg m−2 without PGPM and 3.36 kg m−2 with PGPM) and product quality. Furthermore, an interesting negative correlation between the number of nodules and the yield was also observed, as a consequence of their early outcome which increased plant productivity in relation to the experimental factors.

Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer type in Taiwan and worldwide. Early detection and treatment advancements have improved survival. However, small peripheral pulmonary nodules (PPN) biopsy is often challenging, relying solely on bronchoscopy with radial endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS). Augmented fluoroscopy overlays the intra-procedural cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with fluoroscopy enabling real-time three-dimensional localization during bronchoscopic transbronchial biopsy. The hybrid operating room (HOR), equipped with various types of C-arm CBCT, is a perfect suite for PPN diagnosis and other interventional pulmonology. This study shares the single institute experience of EBUS transbronchial biopsy of PPN with the aid of augmented fluoroscopic bronchoscopy (AFB) and CBCT in an HOR. We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent robotic CBCT, augmented fluoroscopy-guided, radial endobronchial ultrasound-confirmed transbronchial biopsy and cryobiopsy in a hybrid operating room. Patient demographic characteristics, computed tomography images, rapid on-site evaluation cytology, and final pathology reports were collected. Forty-one patients underwent transbronchial biopsy and 6 received additional percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsy during the same procedure. The overall diagnostic yield was 88%. The complications included three patients with pneumothorax after receiving subsequent CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy, and two patients with hemothorax who underwent transbronchial cryobiopsy. Overall, the bronchoscopic biopsy of PPN using AFB and CBCT as precise guidance in the hybrid operating room is feasible and can be performed safely with a high diagnostic yield.

Objective: To investigate the value of ultrastructural superb microvascular imaging（SMI） in the diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions and the evaluation of the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.Methods: The clinical datas of 109 patients with breast nodules who underwent Changsha Third Hospital from February 2014 to October2019 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the pathological results, they were divided into benign group and malignant group, and the differences of SMI microvascular morphology and distribution in two groups were compared. The value of SMI in diagnosing benign and malignant breast nodules was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve（ROC）. After pathological diagnosis, patients with breast cancer were given sequential neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and SMI was examined again after chemotherapy. SMI blood flow classification, different curative effects was compared among breast cancer patients before and after neoadjuvant therapy. Results: In benign group, the microvascular morphology was mainly non-vascular, linear and dendritic type（97.83%）, while in malignant group, the residual root type and crab foot type were mainly（80.99%）, there was significant difference in microvascular morphology distribution between the two groups（P<0.05）. The pathological examination results were taken as the gold standard, the area under curve（AUC） of SMI in the diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant breast nodules was 0.890, the sensitivity was 80.99%, the specificity was 97.83%, and the accuracy was 85.63%. 68 patients with breast cancer completed neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with 47 cases of effective neoadjuvant chemotherapy [complete response（CR） + partial response（PD）] and 21 cases of ineffective neoadjuvant chemotherapy[(stable response（SD） + progression（PD）]. Before chemotherapy, SMI blood flow classification was mainly grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ（80.88%）, and after chemotherapy, it was mainly grade 0 and grade Ⅰ（69.12%）, effective group SMI blood flow classification was mainly grade 0 and grade Ⅰ（87.23%）, invalid group SMI blood flow classification was mainly grade Ⅰ and grade Ⅱ（85.71%）, before and after chemotherapy and different therapeutic group of SMI blood flow classification were significant difference（P<0.05）. Conclusion: SMI can effectively detect the changes of microvessel morphology and blood flow in breast nodules, which has certain clinical application value in the diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions and the evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodules with atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) are challenging to manage because of their intermediate risk of malignancy. Subclassification of atypia can refine malignancy risk in adult AUS nodules but has not been evaluated in children. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (<19 years old) who underwent fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) of a thyroid nodule with resulting AUS cytology. Atypia was subclassified as nuclear only, architectural only, nuclear and architectural, or oncocytic. The primary outcome was the association between atypia subtype and malignancy. A secondary outcome was the association of atypia subtype with repeat FNA cytology. RESULTS: Sixty‐eight AUS nodules in 61 patients were analyzed. The median age at FNA was 16.2 years (range, 9.8‐18.9 years). Twenty‐four nodules (35%) were malignant. Nuclear atypia only was present in 17 nodules (25%), architectural atypia only was present in 27 nodules (40%), nuclear and architectural atypia was present in 20 nodules (29%), and predominantly oncocytic features were present in 4 nodules (6%). The presence of nuclear atypia was associated with a significantly increased rate of malignancy (22 of 37 [59%] vs 2 of 31 [6.5%]; P <.001), whereas architectural atypia was not associated with malignancy (P =.8). Repeat FNA was performed in 42 of 68 nodules (62%). In nodules with initial nuclear and architectural atypia, benign repeat cytology had a high false‐negative rate (3 of 6; 50%). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric AUS nodules with nuclear atypia have a high rate of malignancy, but architectural atypia is not associated with malignancy. In nodules with nuclear atypia, repeat FNA may inform clinical decisions regarding the need for resection. In the absence of suspicious clinical features, nodules without nuclear atypia might be considered for observation rather than resection or repeat FNA. The subclassification of atypia on fine‐needle aspiration cytology is useful for guiding the management of pediatric thyroid nodules with atypia of undetermined significance. Nodules with nuclear atypia have a high risk of malignancy, whereas nodules with architectural atypia alone are unlikely to be malignant and may be considered for observation rather than resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Favre−Racouchot disease (FRD) is an occupational disorder characterized by solar elastosis with open and cystically dilated comedones that tend to appear on the periorbital and temporal face of elderly light-complexioned men. It is a benign condition caused by chronic excessive ultraviolet exposure, as well as ionizing radiation and/or smoking. However, malignant skin neoplasms are uncommonly observed arising in FRD, which suggests a protective role of some element of FRD against carcinogenesis. We explore elastosis as a possibly beneficial tissue response. The clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and recommended treatment options of this disorder are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is an important nitrogen source for legume plants, and highly efficient nitrogen fixation requires sufficient phosphorus (P). However, the mechanism of maintaining nitrogen fixation of the legume nodules under low P concentration remains largely unknown. Results: A nodule-localized SPX protein, GmSPX8, was discovered by transcriptome and functional analysis of its role in N2 fixation was characterized in soybean nodules. GmSPX8 was preferentially expressed in nodules and its expression was gradually increased during nodule development. And also the expression pattern was investigated using reporter gene β-glucuronidase (GUS) driven by the promoter of GmSPX8. GmSPX8 was greatly induced and the GUS activity was increased by 12.2% under P deficiency. Overexpression of GmSPX8 in transgenic plants resulted in increased nodule number, nodule fresh weight and nitrogenase activity by 15.0%, 16.0%, 42.5%, subsequently leading to increased N and P content by 17.0% and 19.0%, while suppression of GmSPX8 showed significantly impaired nodule development and nitrogen fixation efficiency under low P stress. These data indicated that GmSPX8 conferred nodule development and nitrogen fixation under low P condition. By yeast two-hybrid screening, GmPTF1 was identified as a potential interacting protein of GmSPX8, which was further confirmed by BiFC, Y2H and pull down assay. Transcript accumulation of GmPTF1 and its downstream genes such as GmEXLB1 and EXPB2 were increased in GmSPX8 overexpressed transgenic nodules, and in the presence of GmSPX8, the transcriptional activity of GmPTF1 in yeast cells and tobacco leaves was greatly enhanced. Conclusions: In summary, these findings contribute novel insights towards the role of GmSPX8 in nodule development and nitrogen fixation partly through interacting with GmPTF1 in soybean under low P condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]