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To demonstrate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the evaluation of focal liver masses via a direct comparison to standard ultrasound and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI).

A cohort of 214 patients with previously undiagnosed focal liver masses were included from 5 different centers. Each patient was imaged using CEUS and CT and/or MRI. AICAR Anonymized and randomized images were interpreted by 4 separate blind readers from 3 of the participating centers (2 readers for CEUS and 2 readers for CT/MRI). Readers were blinded to patient demographics and past medical history. Readers were asked to decide if the lesion was benign or malignant, provide a final diagnosis for the lesion, and provide a confidence interval. Results were compared to truth standard from pathology or expert consensus.

In determination of malignancy, CEUS had a sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 82%, PPV of 82%, NPV of 95%, statistically better than standard ultrasound (sensitivity 82%, specificity 56%, PPV 60%, NPV 78%) with P < .01 and not statistically different from CT (sensitivity 90%, specificity 73% PPV 81%, NPV 86%) or MRI (sensitivity 85%, specificity 79%, PPV 68%, NPV 91%) with P ≥ .01. In assigning a final diagnosis, CEUS had an accuracy of 78% statistically better than standard ultrasound (46%) with P < .01 and not statistically different from CT (68%) or MRI (71%) with P > .01.

In the evaluation of focal liver lesions, both for determination of malignancy and in accuracy of final diagnosis, CEUS performs better than standard ultrasound and at least equivalent to both CT and MRI.

In the evaluation of focal liver lesions, both for determination of malignancy and in accuracy of final diagnosis, CEUS performs better than standard ultrasound and at least equivalent to both CT and MRI.We tested the hypothesis that mangroves provide better coastal protection than salt marsh vegetation using 10 1,008-m2 plots in which we manipulated mangrove cover from 0 to 100%. Hurricane Harvey passed over the plots in 2017. Data from erosion stakes indicated up to 26 cm of vertical and 970 cm of horizontal erosion over 70 months in the plot with 0% mangrove cover, but relatively little erosion in other plots. The hurricane did not increase erosion, and erosion decreased after the hurricane passed. Data from drone images indicated 196 m2 of erosion in the 0% mangrove plot, relatively little erosion in other plots, and little ongoing erosion after the hurricane. Transects through the plots indicated that the levee (near the front of the plot) and the bank (the front edge of the plot) retreated up to 9 m as a continuous function of decreasing mangrove cover. Soil strength was greater in areas vegetated with mangroves than in areas vegetated by marsh plants, or nonvegetated areas, and increased as a function of plot-level mangrove cover. Mangroves prevented erosion better than marsh plants did, but this service was nonlinear, with low mangrove cover providing most of the benefits.Nocturnal transpiration is widely observed across species and biomes, and may significantly impact global water, carbon, and energy budgets. However, it remains elusive why plants lose water at night and how to model it at large scales. We hypothesized that plants optimize nighttime leaf diffusive conductance (gwn ) to balance potential daytime photosynthetic benefits and nocturnal transpiration benefits. We quantified nighttime benefits from respiratory reductions due to evaporative leaf cooling. We described nighttime costs in terms of a reduced carbon gain during the day because of water use at night. We measured nighttime stomatal responses and tested our model with water birch (Betula occidentalis) saplings grown in a glasshouse. The gwn of water birch decreased with drier soil, higher atmospheric CO2 , wetter air, lower leaf temperature, and lower leaf respiration rate. Our model predicted all these responses correctly, except for the response of gwn to air humidity. Our results also suggested that the slow decrease in gwn after sunset could be associated with decreasing leaf respiration. The optimality-based nocturnal transpiration model smoothly integrates with daytime stomatal optimization approaches, and thus has the potential to quantitatively predict nocturnal transpiration across space and time.Osteoarthritis (OA), formerly understood to be a result of passive wear, is now known to be associated with chronic inflammation. Cigarette smoking promotes systemic inflammation and has been implicated in increased joint OA incidence in some studies, though the recent observational data on the association are contradictory. We hypothesize that second-hand smoke (SHS) treatment will increase the incidence of OA in a mouse model that has been subjected to a surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). To test this hypothesis, we applied either SHS treatment or room air (RA) to mice for 28 days post-DMM surgery. Histopathology findings indicated that the knees of SHS mice exhibited more severe OA than their control counterparts. Increased expression of matrix metalloprotease-13 (MMP-13), an important extracellular protease known to degrade articular cartilage, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), an intracellular effector of inflammatory pathways, were observed in the SHS group. These findings provide greater understanding and evidence for a detrimental role of cigarette smoke on OA progression and systemic inflammation.

To assess and compare the antioxidant capacities of high-grade gliomas (HGG) according to their grades and the presence of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutation using tissue thiol level measurement.

Tissue thiol concentrations were measured in 41 HGG samples and 21 healthy brain tissues obtained from autopsy procedures, which were performed within the first 4 hours of death. All samples were stored at ?80°C, and a thiol quantification kit was used in evaluating tissue thiol levels. The Number Cruncher Statistical System was used for statistical analyses to detect the differences between the control group and the HGG group, which was also divided into subgroups according to their grade and IDH1 mutation presence.

The tissue thiol levels of HGGs were found to be higher than the control group (p=0.001). Although the median thiol levels of Grade 4 gliomas were higher than those of Grade 3, no statistically significant difference was noted (p=0.076). When all tumors were compared according to the IDH1 mutation presence, IDH1-negative (IDH1-) HGGs had higher thiol contents than IDH1 mutant (IDH1+) HGGs (p=0.