Liver microRNA-29b-3p positively correlates with relative enhancement values of magnetic resonance imaging and represses liver fibrosis

This study aims to identify potential microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to liver fibrosis progression and investigate how the miRNA is involved. We recruited totally 58 patients. Magnetic resonance imaging was employed to detect fibrosis. Classification of liver fibrosis was carried out by Ishak scoring system. Cell viability was tested using cell counting kit-8. Measurements of mRNA and protein expressions were conducted using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Luciferase reporter assay was recruited for determination of miR-29b-3p targets. We found that relative enhancement (RE) values were reduced with the increases in fibrosis stages and was negatively associated with Ishak scores. In comparison with patients without liver fibrosis, miR-29b-3p level was remarkably reduced in those with liver fibrosis. Its level was found to be positively associated with RE values. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation significantly decreased miR-29b-3p expression. However, miR-29b-3p overexpression repressed TGF-β1-induced collagen I protein and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. As expected, its overexpression also reduced cell viability. We found that miR-29b-3p directly bind to signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and suppressed its expression. Our study demonstrates that low expression of miR-29b-3p may contribute to the progression of liver fibrosis by suppressing STAT3.

Quantitative Analysis of Enhanced Computed Tomography in Differentiating Cystitis Glandularis and Bladder Cancer

Objective. This study was performed to assess the value of quantitative analysis of enhanced computed tomography (CT) values in the differential diagnosis of bladder cancer and cystitis glandularis (CG). Methods. Eighty patients with bladder masses (39 with CG and 41 with bladder cancer) who underwent enhanced CT were retrospectively reviewed. The CT enhancement values of the lesion and normal bladder wall in the arterial phase, venous phase, and delayed phase were measured. The relative enhancement CT values (relative enhancement CT value=enhancement CT value of lesion−enhancement CT value of normal bladder) in the arterial phase, venous phase, and delayed phase were also calculated. The pathological results were used as the gold standard, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for the six groups of quantitative indicators (enhanced CT values and relative enhanced CT values of CG and bladder cancer in the arterial, venous, and delayed phases). We performed the leave-group-out cross-validation method to validate the accuracy, AUC, sensitivity, and specificity. The differences in accuracy, AUC, sensitivity, and specificity among the six groups of quantitative indicators were compared by the t-test. Results. In a combined analysis of the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity performance, the best indicator was the arterial-phase relative enhancement CT value with a cut-off of 25.85 HU (AUC, 0.966; sensitivity, 95.1%; specificity, 92.3%). We used the 100-times leave-group-out cross-validation method to validate the accuracy, AUC, sensitivity, and specificity. Arterial-phase relative enhancement CT values showed the highest AUC and accuracy among the six groups, with statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion. Quantitative analysis of enhanced CT is of great clinical value in the differential diagnosis of CG and bladder cancer.

Enhanced optical performance of thermochromic VO2 based on multilayer designs

VO2 is a widely studied thermochromic material for smart windows. In this work, we comprehensively studied optical responses of VO2-based multilayer structures. It is discovered that one-layer antireflection layer is capable of effectively enhancing both luminous transmittance (Tlum) and solar transmittance (Tsol), solar spectrum modulation (ΔTsol) is however quite moderate. Employing a two-top-layer strategy further improves the optical performance of VO2, especially with an increase of ΔTsol from 0.068 to 0.082. Remarkably, combining a layer with an index of 2.2 at the VO2/glass interface continues to enhance the optical performance, leading to the highest Tlum and ΔTsol among the investigated multilayer structures. Compared to the base structure of VO2/glass, it contributes to a relative enhancement of 26.4% (from 0.435 to 0.550) for Tlum (<τc), 35.3% (from 0.362 to 0.490) for Tlum (>τc), and 71.7% (from 0.060 to 0.103) for ΔTsol.

Conservational and Sequential Charm Hadronization in Heavy Ion Collisions

Heavy quarks are almost initially produced and the number is conserved during the evolution of the hot medium produced in Heavy Ion collisions. We firstly take into account the charm conservation effect on charm hadron hadronization via sequential coalescence model. In the frame of sequential coalescence, the charm conservation enhances the earlier hadron production and suppresses the later production. This relative enhancement (suppression) changes significantly the charmed hadron ratios in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC.

Magnetic resonance imaging: dynamic contrast enhancement and diffusion-weighted imaging to identify malignant cervical lymph nodes

Objective: To examine the potential of two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques-dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-for the detection of malignant cervical lymph nodes. Materials and Methods: Using DCE and DWI, we evaluated 33 cervical lymph nodes. For the DCE technique, the maximum relative enhancement, relative enhancement, time to peak enhancement, wash-in rate, wash-out rate, brevity of enhancement, and area under the curve were calculated from a semi-quantitative analysis. For the DWI technique, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were acquired in the region of interest of each lymph node. Cystic or necrotic parts were excluded. All patients underwent neck dissection or node biopsy. Imaging results were correlated with the histopathological findings. None of the patients underwent neoadjuvant treatment before neck dissection. Results: Relative enhancement, maximum relative enhancement, and the wash-in rate were significantly higher in malignant lymph nodes than in benign lymph nodes (p < 0.009; p < 0.05; and p < 0.03, respectively). The time to peak enhancement was significantly shorter in the malignant lymph nodes (p < 0.02). In the multivariate analysis, the variables identified as being the most capable of distinguishing between benign and malignant lymph nodes were time to peak enhancement (sensitivity, 73.7%; specificity, 69.2%) and relative enhancement (sensitivity, 89.2%; specificity, 69.2%). Conclusion: Although DCE was able to differentiate between benign and malignant lymph nodes, there is still no consensus regarding the use of a semi-quantitative analysis, which is difficult to apply in a clinical setting. Low ADCs can predict metastatic disease, although inflammatory processes might lead to false-positive results.

Relative outflow enhancements during major geomagnetic storms – Cluster observations

The rate of ion outflow from the polar ionosphere is known to vary by orders of magnitude, depending on the geomagnetic activity. However, the upper limit of the outflow rate during the largest geomagnetic storms is not well constrained due to poor spatial coverage during storm events. In this paper, we analyse six major geomagnetic storms between 2001 and 2004 using Cluster data. The six major storms fulfil the criteria of Dst < −100 nT or Kp > 7+. Since the shape of the magnetospheric regions (plasma mantle, lobe and inner magnetosphere) are distorted during large magnetic storms, we use both plasma beta (β) and ion characteristics to define a spatial box where the upward O+ flux scaled to an ionospheric reference altitude for the extreme event is observed. The relative enhancement of the scaled outflow in the spatial boxes as compared to the data from the full year when the storm occurred is estimated. Only O+ data were used because H+ may have a solar wind origin. The storm time data for most cases showed up as a clearly distinguishable separate peak in the distribution toward the largest fluxes observed. The relative enhancement in the outflow region during storm time is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher compared to less disturbed time. The largest relative scaled outflow enhancement is 83 (7 November 2004) and the highest scaled O+ outflow observed is 2 × 1014 m−2 s−1 (29 October 2003).