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Calcification of aortic valve leaflets is a growing mortality threat for the 18 million human lives claimed globally each year by heart disease. Extensive research has focused on the cellular and molecular pathophysiology associated with calcification, yet the detailed composition, structure, distribution and etiological history of mineral deposition remains unknown. Here transdisciplinary geology, biology and medicine (GeoBioMed) approaches prove that leaflet calcification is driven by amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), ACP at the threshold of transformation toward hydroxyapatite (HAP) and cholesterol biomineralization. A paragenetic sequence of events is observed that includes: (1) original formation of unaltered leaflet tissues: (2) individual and coalescing 100s nm- to 1 μm-scale ACP spherules and cholesterol crystals biomineralizing collagen fibers and smooth muscle cell myofilaments; (3) osteopontin coatings that stabilize ACP and collagen containment of nodules preventing exposure to the solution chemistry and water content of pumping blood, which combine to slow transformation to HAP; (4) mm-scale nodule growth via ACP spherule coalescence, diagenetic incorporation of altered collagen and aggregation with other ACP nodules; and (5) leaflet diastole and systole flexure causing nodules to twist, fold their encasing collagen fibers and increase stiffness. These in vivo mechanisms combine to slow leaflet calcification and establish previously unexplored hypotheses for testing novel drug therapies and clinical interventions as viable alternatives to current reliance on surgical/percutaneous valve implants.

Background: Xanthomas are papulo-nodular, yellow, soft, painless, dermal-based non-neoplastic cutaneous lesions that comprise of localized aggregates of lipid-laden histiocytes. Case report: A thirteen-year-old adolescent girl presented with multiple, large, bilateral, nodules present over elbows, posterior aspect of heel, and knees for five years. Fine needle aspiration cytology was performed, and the smears showed numerous foamy histiocytes, a few benign spindle cells, and foreign-body giant cells against a lipidaceous background. Her maternal aunt and grandmother also had xanthelasma palpebrarum. Serum lipid levels were advised and were markedly deranged in all three of them. Based on the corroborative clinical, biochemical, and cytopathological findings, a final diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) was rendered. Conclusion: The present case sheds light on the importance of prompt cytopathological diagnosis of xanthomatous lesions, especially in children and adolescents, as it can help prevent morbidity and mortality due to associated premature adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events if left undiagnosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complications of temporary and permanent fillers have been extensively studied. However, there is a lack of comparative data regarding poly‐L‐lactic acid (PLLA), calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA), and polycaprolactone (PCL) known as collagen biostimulators. Aims: This study addressed the complications of collagen biostimulators concerning their diagnosis, type of product, treatment, and monitoring. Patients/Methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent to Brazilian dermatologic ultrasound experts to identify complications related to biostimulators. The type of biostimulator, location of application, number of vials injected, application plan, time between injection treatment and complication, injector profile, treatment, and prognosis were assessed. Results: Fifty‐five cases were identified, of which 49.1% were caused by PLLA‐Elleva®, 23.6% by CaHA (alone or combined with hyaluronic acid), 20.0% by PLLA‐Sculptra®, and 7.3% by PCL. The most affected area was the face (72.7%), with nodules being the most common clinical form (89.1%), generally occurring late (60.0%) (>1 month). Only one case was injected at an incorrect depth (musculoaponeurotic system—SMAS). Despite several treatments, including saline (45.5%), hyaluronidase (25.5%), diluted corticosteroids (23.6%), and energy‐based devices (10.9%), only five cases showed complete resolution. Hyaluronidase was beneficial in complications related to fillers when there was an association of calcium hydroxyapatite with hyaluronic acid (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Complications from collagen biostimulators were more common on the face, typically manifesting about 1 month after treatment. These issues seemed to be related more to the properties of the products rather than inadequate technique. Furthermore, hyaluronidase demonstrated efficacy only in cases where there was an association with HA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most valuable crops is black gram, which has a high nutritional value, a short growing season and is suitable for many different farming systems. This study aims to evaluate the high harvest index urdbean varieties using path analysis in various crop spacing under rainfed conditions in Tamil Nadu. Methods: The experiments was carried out during three consecutive years (2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 20218-2019) of Kharif season at Agricultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Virinjipuram, Tamil Nadu. The experiments was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. Result: The pooled results of three years revealed that the urdbean variety VBN (Bg) 6 had the maximum seed yield of 691 kg ha-1, whereas MDU 1 had the lowest seed yield of 536 kg ha-1. When compared to other crop spacing, 20 cm x 10 cm had the maximum seed output of 683 kg ha-1. The ideal plant spacing of 20 cm x 10 cm enhanced seed production by 38.0 percent and harvest index by 16 per cent when compared to the advised crop spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nitrogen and phosphorus are amongst fundamental macronutrients, which are crucial for the growth and development of plant. Soils of dry land of central Rajasthan are deficit in nitrogen and phosphorus content which leads to lower productivity of kasuri methi. Therefore, adequate supply of nitrogen (foliar spray) and phosphorus could enhance productivity of kasuri methi. Methods: The experiment consisted of sixteen treatment combinations including four levels of phosphorus (control, 20, 40 and 60 kg/ha) and four levels of foliar application of nitrogen (control, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%). They were under taken in FRBD with three replications. Result: Growth parameters and yield of fresh and dried leaves of the crop increased almost linearly with increasing levels of phosphorus and foliar application of nitrogen. The result indicated that application of phosphorus 60 kg/ha and foliar nitrogen @ 2.0% to the kasuri methi crop significantly increased the plant height (cm) and leaf area per plant (cm² ) at each harvest, number of nodules per plant (58.17 and 53.33, respectively) and chlorophyll content (2.32 and 2.39 mg/100 g, respectively), fresh leaves yield (139.1 and 141.66 q/ha, respectively), dry leaves yield (20.01 and 22.38 q/ha, respectively), protein content in leaves (5.28 and 5.75%, respectively) and ascorbic acid in leaves (218.15 and 222.42 mg/100 g, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus is a major essential element in plants, and the absorption and transport of P are related to crop growth and productivity. Phosphate (Pi) is absorbed in the roots and transported to the shoot. Plants store surplus Pi in the vacuoles. The characteristics of Pi storage and turnover in various parts of the nodulated soybeans might be related to plant growth and P-use efficiency. This research focused on the changes in the Pi concentrations and Pi contents in each part of young soybean plants grown in Pi-sufficient (50 μM Pi) or Pi-deficient (0 μM Pi) conditions. Also, the Pi flux rate in xylem sap from roots to shoot was determined. The growth of the plants was the same after 7 days of Pi-sufficient and Pi-deficient treatments. During the Pi-deficient period, the Pi concentrations in the roots, leaves, and stems decreased significantly but did not deplete. The decrease in Pi concentration in nodules was much slower than the other parts. After the re-supply of 50 μM Pi in the solution, the Pi concentration increased only a little in each part of the Pi-deficient plants. The Pi concentration and Pi flux in the xylem sap quickly responded to the changes in the Pi concentration in the culture solution.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Pulmonary nodules are one of the risk factors, and their discovery rate has been increasing due to enhanced performance of chest CT scans, but more than 90% are non-malignant, causing unnecessary stress to patients and costs to healthcare providers. Early diagnosis of LC is associated with a 5-year survival rate of up to 75% following surgical resection, but LC is often diagnosed late due to a lack of symptoms and poor 5-year survival rates as low as 10%. The cost of LC diagnosis is high, with 40% of it associated with benign lesions, which are difficult to differentiate from malignant lesions. Tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) may provide one way in which LC could be diagnosed early using minimally-invasive techniques, under their association with immune responses and specificity for disease. Here we discuss the potential of cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) to act as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Calcification of aortic valve leaflets is a growing mortality threat for the 18 million human lives claimed globally each year by heart disease. Extensive research has focused on the cellular and molecular pathophysiology associated with calcification, yet the detailed composition, structure, distribution and etiological history of mineral deposition remains unknown. Here transdisciplinary geology, biology and medicine (GeoBioMed) approaches prove that leaflet calcification is driven by amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), ACP at the threshold of transformation toward hydroxyapatite (HAP) and cholesterol biomineralization. A paragenetic sequence of events is observed that includes: (1) original formation of unaltered leaflet tissues: (2) individual and coalescing 100’s nm- to 1 μm-scale ACP spherules and cholesterol crystals biomineralizing collagen fibers and smooth muscle cell myofilaments; (3) osteopontin coatings that stabilize ACP and collagen containment of nodules preventing exposure to the solution chemistry and water content of pumping blood, which combine to slow transformation to HAP; (4) mm-scale nodule growth via ACP spherule coalescence, diagenetic incorporation of altered collagen and aggregation with other ACP nodules; and (5) leaflet diastole and systole flexure causing nodules to twist, fold their encasing collagen fibers and increase stiffness. These in vivo mechanisms combine to slow leaflet calcification and establish previously unexplored hypotheses for testing novel drug therapies and clinical interventions as viable alternatives to current reliance on surgical/percutaneous valve implants.

Background: The use of ultrasound aids in the identification of thyroid nodules, but it is still crucial to determine whether or not they are problematic using non-invasive methods. Aim of work: To evaluate validity of TIRADS in diagnosis of nature of thyroid nodules. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 95 nodules derived from thirty patients in radio diagnosis department in Zagazig University hospital from February 2018 to June 2019. All patients underwent complete history taking, full clinical examination, ultrasonographic evaluation of thyroid gland and Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for solitary nodule or the most suspicious nodules in patients with multinodular goiter and then smears were pathologically assessed. Results: About 73% of patients were females with mean age 46 years. Out of the ninety-five nodules, fifty were assesses using US-guided FNAB. Ten nodules were malignant. Papillary carcinoma was the most common accounting for seven nodules. Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) 3 was the most commonly encountered category accounting (42%) while The different TIRADS categories were confronted with the results of pathology and the risk of malignancy were Compared with benign nodules, significantly higher percentages of malignant nodules wee solid, hypoechoic, with irregular margins, taller-than-wide morphology, with microcalcifications, markedly hypoechoic or associated abnormal cervical lymphadenopathy. Tab and T5 predict malignant nature of nodule with sensitivity 90%, specificity 95%, and 95% accuracy. Conclusions: Russ' modified TIRADS classification is reliable in both stratifying nodular thyroid disease based on the risk of malignancy and predicting thyroid malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macro-element for plants, and understanding the characteristics of the absorption and transport of P in crops is essential. The low availability of P restricts the growth, nitrogen fixation, and yield of soybean plants. In this research, the radioisotope 33P was supplied to the culture solution to trace the absorption and transport of P in nodulated soybean plants monitored using an imaging plate. The absorption rate of 33P was almost the same under the light and dark conditions. The absorption rate of 33P in the decapitated roots was near to that of the intact plants under light. These results indicate that the P absorption is not affected by evapotranspiration over a short time period. Conversely, the 33P transport from the roots to the shoot was significantly lower under dark conditions than it was under light conditions, although some 33P reached the top of the shoots under both the light and dark conditions. The transport of P to the shoots depends on the transpiration supplemented by the root pressure. The multiplication value of the 33P concentration in the xylem sap and transpiration rate was almost equivalent to the transport rate of 33P in the intact shoots. This value may be adaptable and used to estimate the transport rate of P for the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to assess the performance of readers in diagnosing thoracic anomalies on standard chest radiographs (CXRs) with and without a deep-learning-based AI tool (Rayvolve) and to evaluate the standalone performance of Rayvolve in detecting thoracic pathologies on CXRs. This retrospective multicentric study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, nine readers independently reviewed 900 CXRs from imaging group A and identified thoracic abnormalities with and without AI assistance. A consensus from three radiologists served as the ground truth. In phase 2, the standalone performance of Rayvolve was evaluated on 1500 CXRs from imaging group B. The average values of AUC across the readers significantly increased by 15.94%, with AI-assisted reading compared to unaided reading (0.88 ± 0.01 vs. 0.759 ± 0.07, p < 0.001). The time taken to read the CXRs decreased significantly, by 35.81% with AI assistance. The average values of sensitivity and specificity across the readers increased significantly by 11.44% and 2.95% with AI-assisted reading compared to unaided reading (0.857 ± 0.02 vs. 0.769 ± 0.02 and 0.974 ± 0.01 vs. 0.946 ± 0.01, p < 0.001). From the standalone perspective, the AI model achieved an average sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.964, 0.844, 0.757, and 0.9798. The speed and performance of the readers improved significantly with AI assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Unfortunately, it is not easy to detect in the early stages of the disease due to the absence of symptoms. Many patients have late-stage LC when they are diagnosed, and this is associated with limited treatment options and poor survival rates. To try to improve this, we have assessed which proteins in LC patients are recognised by the immune response and could be used to screen at-risk patients for LC before symptoms appear. We have shown that panels of blood and sputum biomarkers may offer the most effective way to improve early LC detection. Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Pulmonary nodules are one of the risk factors, and their discovery rate has been increasing due to enhanced performance of chest CT scans, but more than 90% are non-malignant, causing unnecessary stress to patients and costs to healthcare providers. Early diagnosis of LC is associated with a 5-year survival rate of up to 75% following surgical resection, but LC is often diagnosed late due to a lack of symptoms and poor 5-year survival rates as low as 10%. The cost of LC diagnosis is high, with 40% of it associated with benign lesions, which are difficult to differentiate from malignant lesions. Tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) may provide one way in which LC could be diagnosed early using minimally-invasive techniques, under their association with immune responses and specificity for disease. Here we discuss the potential of cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) to act as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of non-small cell lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meadow podbels (dark-humus gleyic and gleyed podbels in the Russian soil classification system) in the west of their range experience deep and prolonged freezing manifested in cryogenic deformations of horizons and in their microstructures. Microfeatures of soils on permafrost are well known, and the objective of this study was to identify them in three profiles of meadow podbels taking into account particular features of their cryological and moisture regimes. Unlike northern permafrost-affected soils, meadow podbels have dark-humus horizons with weakly expressed cryogenic features; in eluvial horizons, these are platy microstructures and numerous humus-iron nodules of different size. In the textural horizons, there are specific microstructures: rounded or ellipsoidal aggregates with humus-iron nodules in the center and ooidal aggregates with iron impregnation in the center and optically oriented clay along the periphery. Typical microfeatures of gley in the lower clayey horizons are combined with partially deformed illuviation clay coatings. Unlike soils with permafrost, the separation of micromass and skeleton grains is weak, as well as their ring-shaped orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Pea is one of the most important pulse legumes globally due to its high protein, which is due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen‐fixing rhizobia. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) should be optimized to maximize nitrogen fixation and achieve higher yields with more grain protein. The use of humic‐based soil amendments in crop production has garnered considerable attention in recent years due to their biostimulatory effect in improving plant growth, yield, nutritional quality and soil health. This study examines the impact of a humic‐based soil amendment (Humalite) on root nodulation, SNF, plant growth, yield and grain protein of pea. Materials and Methods Chemical characterization was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Pea plants inoculated with Rhizobia were grown in pots under greenhouse conditions with five different Humalite rates (0, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 kg ha−1). SNF capacity was assessed using the 15N‐isotope dilution method. Results FTIR analysis revealed the abundant presence of hydroxyl (‐OH) and carboxyl (‐CO) functional groups in Humalite. Plants treated with Humalite displayed augmented root traits [root length (21%–50%), root surface area (24%–51%), volume (26%–53%), average nodule weight (11%–91%)], plant biomass [shoots (13%–29%) and roots (29%–54%)], shoot nitrogen concentration (12%–33%), shoot total nitrogen content (38%–53%), percentage nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (8%–14%) and total shoot nitrogen fixed (48%–80%) compared to the control plants at the flowering stage. Furthermore, at seed maturity stage, plants treated with Humalite at 400 and 1600 kg ha−1 exhibited a significant increase in plant biomass (4%–14%), number of seeds (8%–16%), seed weight (3%–11%), seed nitrogen content (8%–20%) and total seed nitrogen fixed (7%–22%) compared to the control plants. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that humic‐based soil amendment can effectively enhance plant growth, root nodulation, SNF and seed yield, thereby supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

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Khalaf Alshamrani,1,2 Hassan A Alshamrani1 1Radiological Sciences Department, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UKCorrespondence: Khalaf Alshamrani, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, Email k.alshamrani@sheffield.ac.uk; kaalshamrani@hotmail.comBackground: Early detection of lung cancer through accurate diagnosis of malignant lung nodules using chest CT scans offers patients the highest chance of successful treatment and survival. Despite advancements in computer vision through deep learning algorithms, the detection of malignant nodules faces significant challenges due to insufficient training datasets.Methods: This study introduces a model based on collaborative deep learning (CDL) to differentiate between cancerous and non-cancerous nodules in chest CT scans with limited available data. The model dissects a nodule into its constituent parts using six characteristics, allowing it to learn detailed features of lung nodules. It utilizes a CDL submodel that incorporates six types of feature patches to fine-tune a network previously trained with ResNet-50. An adaptive weighting method learned through error backpropagation enhances the process of identifying lung nodules, incorporating these CDL submodels for improved accuracy.Results: The CDL model demonstrated a high level of performance in classifying lung nodules, achieving an accuracy of 93.24%. This represents a significant improvement over current state-of-the-art methods, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Conclusion: The findings suggest that the CDL model, with its unique structure and adaptive weighting method, offers a promising solution to the challenge of accurately detecting malignant lung nodules with limited data. This approach not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also contributes to the early detection and treatment of lung cancer, potentially saving lives.Keywords: CT images, lung cancer, nodules, logistic regression, collaborative deep learning, standard deviation, radial length

Abstract This observational study investigated the potential of radiomics as a non-invasive adjunct to CT in distinguishing COVID-19 lung nodules from other benign and malignant lung nodules. Lesion segmentation, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, support vector machine, random forest, feed-forward neural network, and discriminant analysis, were employed in the radiomics workflow. Key features such as Idmn, skewness, and long-run low grey level emphasis were identified as crucial in differentiation. The model demonstrated an accuracy of 83% in distinguishing COVID-19 from other benign nodules and 88% from malignant nodules. This study concludes that radiomics, through machine learning, serves as a valuable tool for non-invasive discrimination between COVID-19 and other benign and malignant lung nodules. The findings suggest the potential complementary role of radiomics in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia exhibiting lung nodules and suspicion of concurrent lung pathologies. The clinical relevance lies in the utilization of radiomics analysis for feature extraction and classification, contributing to the enhanced differentiation of lung nodules, particularly in the context of COVID-19.

Field production of common beans benefit from root microbial associations, although they are generally considered to be weaker nitrogen fixers than other legumes. Therefore, the number of nodules on the roots of 64 accessions of the European common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the relationship between the number of nodules per accession and other plant characteristics (growth type, earliness, seed yield, and total nitrogen content in seeds) were studied. The results indicated that growth type and earliness influenced the number of nodules per accession (the contributions of principal component analysis were 34.9% for Dim1 and 29.8% for Dim2). The average number of nodules per accession with indeterminate growth type was almost five times higher (20.1) than for accessions with determinate growth type (4.4). Common bean accessions with regular growth cycle length had the highest number of nodules (21.9). In contrast, nodulation efficiency, measured as seed yield per plant and total nitrogen content in seeds, were not correlated with the number of nodules per accession (correlation analysis, r

Copyright of Forest Research is the property of Forest Research 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.)

This observational study investigated the potential of radiomics as a non-invasive adjunct to CT in distinguishing COVID-19 lung nodules from other benign and malignant lung nodules. Lesion segmentation, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, support vector machine, random forest, feed-forward neural network, and discriminant analysis, were employed in the radiomics workflow. Key features such as Idmn, skewness, and long-run low grey level emphasis were identified as crucial in differentiation. The model demonstrated an accuracy of 83% in distinguishing COVID-19 from other benign nodules and 88% from malignant nodules. This study concludes that radiomics, through machine learning, serves as a valuable tool for non-invasive discrimination between COVID-19 and other benign and malignant lung nodules. The findings suggest the potential complementary role of radiomics in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia exhibiting lung nodules and suspicion of concurrent lung pathologies. The clinical relevance lies in the utilization of radiomics analysis for feature extraction and classification, contributing to the enhanced differentiation of lung nodules, particularly in the context of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the rates of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in a cohort of patients undergoing their first endocrine consultation for thyroid nodular disease. Methods: This was an observational study conducted between January 1 and June 30, 2023, on patients undergoing their first endocrine consultation for thyroid nodular disease. Data were collected, including age, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, reasons for performing thyroid ultrasound (US), and thyroid US reports. The US was performed at the time of the endocrine consultation according to the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (ACR-TIRADS) risk stratification system. Patients underwent further investigations/treatment or simple US follow-up as necessary. Results: A total of 373 patients with thyroid nodules were evaluated. Reasons for undergoing thyroid US were unrelated to suspected thyroid disease in 126 (33.8%), incidentalomas in 91 (24.4%), dysfunction or positivity for thyroid antibodies in 67 (18%), symptoms or visible nodules in 61 (16.3%), and family history of thyroid disease in 28 (7.5%). A total of 193 diagnostic or therapeutic procedures were performed in 133 (35.7%) patients [fine-needle aspiration (FNA): 121 (62.7%), surgery: 28 (14.5%), percutaneous ethanol injection: 20 (10.4%), scintigraphy: 10 (5.2%); thermal ablation: 7 (3.6%), and radioactive treatment: 7 (3.6%)]. Conclusions: In the present study only one-third of the patients undergoing endocrine consultation with first detected thyroid nodules required any diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound (US) of the thyroid has been used as a diagnostic tool since the late 1960s. US is the most important imaging tool for diagnosing thyroid disease. In the majority of cases a correct diagnosis can already be made in synopsis of the sonographic together with clinical findings and basal thyroid hormone parameters. However, the characterization of thyroid nodules by US remains challenging. The introduction of Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADSs) has improved diagnostic accuracy of thyroid cancer significantly. Newer techniques such as elastography, superb microvascular imaging (SMI), contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and multiparametric ultrasound (MPUS) expand diagnostic options and tools further. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising tool to improve and simplify diagnostics of thyroid nodules and there is evidence that AI can exceed the performance of humans. Combining different US techniques with the introduction of new software, the use of AI, FNB as well as molecular markers might pave the way for a completely new area of diagnostic accuracy in thyroid disease. Finally, interventional ultrasound using US-guided thermal ablation (TA) procedures are increasingly proposed as therapy options for benign as well as malignant thyroid diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The intend of the present study was to assess the diagnostic performance of strain elastography in investigating the thyroid nodule malignancy taking the surgical biopsy as a gold standard reference test.

In addition to absorbing nitrogen from the soil, legumes have the ability to use atmospheric N2 through symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Therefore, legumes have developed mechanisms regulating nodulation in response to the amount of nitrate in the soil; in the presence of high nitrate concentrations, nodulation is inhibited, while low nitrate concentrations stimulate nodulation and nitrogen fixation. This allows the legumes to switch from soil nitrogen acquisition to symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Recently, particular interest has been given to the nitrate transporters, such as Nitrate Transporter1/Peptide transporter Family (NPF) and Nitrate Transporter 2 (NRT2), having a role in the functioning of nodules. Nitrate transporters of the two model plants, Lotus japonicus and Medicago truncatula, shown to have a positive and/or a negative role in nodule functioning depending on nitrate concentration, are presented in this article. In particular, the following transporters were thoroughly studied: (i) members of NPF transporters family, such as LjNPF8.6 and LjNPF3.1 in L. japonicus and MtNPF1.7 and MtNPF7.6 in M. truncatula, and (ii) members of NRT2 transporters family, such as LjNRT2.4 and LjNRT2.1 in L. japonicus and MtNRT2.1 in M. truncatula. Also, by exploiting available genomic and transcriptomic data in the literature, we have identified the complete PsNPF family in Pisum sativum (69 sequences previously described and 21 new that we have annotated) and putative nitrate transporters candidate for playing a role in nodule functioning in P. sativum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is part of the ANCA-associated vasculitides, although ANCA-negative presentations are not infrequent. Asthma, allergic rhinitis and peripheral eosinophilia are classic associations although pleural effusions are an uncommon manifestation of EGPA. We describe a 35-year old Caucasian adult with asthma who presented with progressive dyspnoea, cough, peripheral eosinophilia and imaging that showed pulmonary nodules with pleural effusions. Biopsy with histopathological review confirmed the diagnosis of EGPA with steroid therapy resulting in significant resolution of symptoms and imaging findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tesla Revista Científica is the property of Puerto Madero Editorial Academica 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.)

Based on the Multibeam backscatter data, Sub-bottom profiling and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives, an attempt has been made to understand the spatial distribution of ferromanganese crusts and nodules on the West Sewell Ridge (WSR), Andaman Sea. Slope analysis of the multibeam data and echo type characters from sub-bottom profiles were used to identify favorable areas for crust and nodule occurrence and these areas were selected for detailed seafloor feature analysis using ROV videography. Further, histogram analysis of backscatter intensity revealed five boundary values and integrated these threshold values with ground truth observation from ROV videos identified crust dominated, crust and nodule dominated, the hard substrate with thin sediment cover, the hard substrate with thick sediment cover, and complete sediment covered seabed. The seafloor variation map prepared from the different geological classes identified shows that crust-dominated seabed is distributed in the eastern summit region while crust and nodule-dominated seabed in the western summit region of WSR. Further, the flanks of the WSR are covered with turbidity sediments and sediments derived from the slope failure and possess the least possibility of the occurrence of crusts and nodules on the flanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes can contribute to emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) directly by some rhizobia species that are able to denitrify under free-living conditions and in symbiotic association with the plant. In this study, the capacity of Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium etli symbiosis to emit N2O in response to nitrate (NO3-) has been demonstrated for the first time. We found that bacteroidal assimilatory nitrate reductase (NarB) as well as nitrite reductase (NirK) and nitric oxide reductase (cNor) denitrifying enzymes contribute to nitric oxide (NO) and N2O formation in nodules. We also show that R. etli NarK is involved in NO2- extrusion and links NO3- reduction by NarB in the cytoplasm with NirK and cNor denitrification activities in the periplasm. The knowledge generated in this work will be instrumental for exploring strategies and sustainable practices in agricultural soil management to increase legume crop yield and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. HIGHLIGHTS Common bean nodules are able to produce N2O in response to nitrate. Nitrate reduction to nitrite in R. etli bacteroids catalyzed by assimilatory nitrate reductase NarB is involved in N2O emissions from common bean nodules. R. etli respiratory nitrite reductase NirK and nitric oxide reductase cNor support N2O production in common bean nodules. R. etli NarB and cNor are involved in NO homeostasis in common bean nodules. R. etli nitrite exporter NarK links nitrate reduction in the cytoplasm with denitrification activities in the periplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a subperitoneal intrusion of endometrial tissue. Resulting endometrial nodules may develop on the uterosacral ligament, urinary tract, rectovaginal, and retrocervical areas, and less commonly in the urinary bladder, thoracic, and neural regions. Genetics, age, and environmental factors determine the progression of the disease. DIE manifests with numerous symptoms, which are similar to unrelated diseases, namely dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, urinary tract infections, and infertility. Transvaginal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and physical examination may detect and differentiate endometriosis lesions from other diseases. Its clinical management typically involves laparoscopic surgery and hormonal therapy. These are designed to improve the quality of life and to address individual reproductive goals. This pictorial essay aims to provide clinical cases to highlight the characteristic radiological findings in each diagnostic modality and in addition to elucidate the current clinical management of DIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Histoplasmosis is mainly described as a disseminated disease in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Compared to historical descriptions in immunocompetent individuals, knowledge is lacking on the detailed clinical and radiological findings and outcomes of pulmonary histoplasmosis (PH). Overlooked or misdiagnosed with other AIDS-defining condition, prognostic of PLHIV may be at risk because of inappropriate care. Methods: A retrospective multicentric study was conducted in PLHIV from French Guiana between January 1988 and October 2019. Proven PH were documented through mycological direct examination, culture, or histology. Patients with concomitant respiratory infections were excluded. Results: Among 65 patients, sex ratio M:F was 2.4 with a median age of 39 years [IQR 25–75%: 34–44]. Median CD4 count was 24 cells/mm3 [11–71], with histoplasmosis as the AIDS-defining condition in 88% and concomitant AIDS-defining conditions in 29%. Clinical findings were fever (89%), cough (58%), dyspnea (35%), expectoration (14%), and hemoptysis (5%). Sixty-one X-rays and 24 CT-scans were performed. On X-rays, an interstitial lung disease was mainly found (77%). On CT-scans, a nodular pattern was predominant (83%): mostly miliary disease (63%), but also excavated nodules (35%). Consolidations were present in 46%, associated with miliary disease in 21%. Thoracic lymphadenopathies were found in 58%, mainly hilar and symmetric (33%). Despite antifungal treatment, case-fatality rate at one month was 22%. Conclusion: When faced with an interstitial lung disease on X-rays or a miliary pattern on CT-scans in advanced PLHIV, physicians in endemic areas, apart from tuberculosis or pneumocystosis, should include histoplasmosis as part of their differential diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a 59-year-old female patient, a former smoker, who was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary nodules. Extensive medical investigations were conducted, including a surgical lung biopsy, which led to the diagnosis of pulmonary amyloidoma. The diagnostic process was guided by the presence of a persistent, polymorphic, and nonspecific clinical picture, strengthened by imaging findings characterized by mixed nodular lesions and the addition of interstitial involvement, along with partial deterioration of the pulmonary parenchyma architecture. Although it is recognized as a benign tumor, pulmonary amyloidoma requires special care in order to rule out systemic involvement, association with lymphomas, or systemic amyloidosis. This case highlights the comprehensive investigations required in the presence of multiple pulmonary nodules and the wide range of possible diagnoses. It underscores the pivotal role of surgical lung biopsy and histopathological examination. The case is instructive, addressing a rare pathology, on the border between specialties, while also emphasizing potential evolving challenges and providing further insights into the clinical course of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many vineyard soils in semiarid Mediterranean environments develop from carbonated materials and often show very diverse forms of pedogenic calcium carbonate accumulations. Based on 275 vineyard soil profiles in the Castilla La Mancha (CLM) territory (Spain), this paper presents an in‐depth comprehensive study of a large number of morphological expressions of these carbonate distributions, while exploring various pedogenesis formation hypotheses. The interactions among the calcareous nature of parent material, surface topography and climate are the factors that most affected their morphology and pedogenesis. The occurrence and distribution of carbonate features in CLM vineyard soils can be more complex than in other areas. Many accumulations are relatively ancient, which is the case of petrocalcic horizons, and in‐keeping with conservative means, which reveals the occurrence of successive carbonate accumulation cycles. More recently dissolved and precipitated seasonally pedogenic carbonates (sometimes as coatings) have appeared, which are nothing more than a simple recent redistribution of carbonates. A structural imprint is observed: pedogenic carbonates appeared much more abundantly on the lowermost horizons, which can be related to the repeated redistribution phases that occurred in different pedogenesis stages. The data provided herein help to improve the understanding of the nature of viticultural calcareous soils in semiarid Mediterranean regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice fallow black gram is grown under the residual moisture situation as a relay crop in heavy texture montmorillonite clay soil under zero till condition. Since the crop is raised during post monsoon season, the crop often experiences terminal stress due to limited water availability and no rainfall. Surface irrigation in montmorillonite clay soil is determent to pulse crop as inundation causes wilting. Therefore, zero tilled rice fallow black gram has to be supplemented with micro irrigation at flowering stage (35 days after sowing) to alleviate moisture stress and to increase the productivity as well. Hence micro farm pond in a corner of one ha field was created to harvest the rain water during monsoon season and the same was utilized to supplement the crop with lifesaving irrigation through mobile sprinkler at flowering stage for the crop grown under conservation agriculture. Soil cracking is also the common phenomena of montmorillonite clay soil where evaporations losses would be more through crack surfaces. The present study was therefore conducted to study the changes in the soil physical properties, crop establishment and productivity in conjunction with mechanized sowing and harvest and supplemental mobile sprinkler irrigation. Sowing of black gram by broadcasting 10 days prior to the manual harvest of rice, manual drawn single row seed drill after the machine harvest of rice and sowing by broadcasting at 4 days prior to machine harvest of rice was experimented separately and in combination with lifesaving irrigation. Results indicated that the number of wheel passes and lifesaving irrigation had a very strong impact on soil penetration resistance and soil moisture. Combined harvester followed by no till seed drill increased the soil penetration resistance in all the layers (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm). Two passes of wheel increased the mean soil penetration resistance from 407 KPa to 502 KPa. The soil penetration resistance (0–5 cm) at harvest shown that black gram sown by manual broadcasting 10 days prior to manual harvest of paddy supplemented with life irrigation on 30 DAS reduced the soil penetration resistance from 690 Kpa to 500 Kpa, 740 Kpa to 600 Kpa and 760 Kpa to 620 Kpa respectively at 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm layer. In general, moisture depletion rate was rapid in the surface layer of 0–5 cm as compared to other layers of 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm up to 30 DAS (Flowering stage). The moisture content and the soil penetration resistance had an inverse relationship. The soil penetration resistance also had an inverse relationship with the root length in which the root length lowers as the soil penetration resistance increases. The soil crack measured at 60 DAS was deeper with no till seed drill (width of 3.94 cm and depth of 13.67 cm) which was mainly due to surface layer compaction. The relative water content, specific leaf weight and chlorophyll content were significantly improved through the supplemental irrigation given on 30 DAS irrespective of crop establishment methods. The results further indicated that compaction of ploughed layer in the moist soil due to combined harvester and no till seed drill had a negative impact on yield (457 kg ha−1), which was improved by 19.03 per cent due to increased soil moisture with supplemental irrigation. The mean yield increase across different treatments due to supplemental lifesaving irrigation through mobile sprinkler was 20.4 per cent.

Recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplants and solid organ transplants frequently develop pulmonary infiltrates from both infectious and non-infectious etiologies. Differentiation and further characterization of microbiologic etiologies—viral, bacterial, and fungal—can be exceedingly challenging. Pediatric patients face unique challenges as confirmatory evaluations with bronchoscopy or lung biopsy may be limited. A generalizable approach to diagnosing and managing these conditions has not been well established. This paper aims to summarize our initial clinical approach while discussing the relative evidence informing our practices. A pediatric patient with characteristic infiltrates who has undergone HSCT is presented to facilitate the discussion. Generalizable approaches to similar patients are highlighted as appropriate while highlighting considerations based on clinical course and key risk factors.

Ahmed Mohamed Ali,1 Ahmet Do&gbreve;an,2 Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali,3 Abd&inodot;salam Ibrah&inodot;m Aden4 1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Mogadishu-Somalia Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 2Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Bolu Abant &Idot;zzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey; 3Department of &Idot;nfectious Diseases at Mogadishu Somalia Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 4Department of Dermatology at Mogadishu-Somalia TurkeyRecep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, SomaliaCorrespondence: Ahmed Mohamed Ali, Tel +252615462742, Email Ahmedorey22@gmail.comAbstract: An uncommon variation of lupus erythematosus is lupus panniculitis. &Idot;t can exist on its own or in conjunction with discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. Persistent, sensitive, and hard nodules that are localized on the face, arms, shoulders, breast, and buttocks are its defining features. Scarring, lipoatrophy, and ulceration are occasionally associated with the healing of lesions. We are reporting the first case of lupus erythematosus panniculitis from Somalia. A 60-year-old male patient visited our polyclinic with an upper back nodule and a left upper ulcerated lesion that had been present for four months.Keywords: lupus erythematosus panniculitis, scar, nodules, fine needle aspiration

To achieve the optimal compromise between yield and soil fertility that will help balance two important aspects of agricultural production – high crop yields and long-term soil fertility – it is necessary to understand the impact of changing row spacing on vegetable crop growth and the soil environment. The research aims to determine the adaptive properties of the Pharaoh variety by studying the feeding area and plant density to obtain high-quality chufa nodules in the Kyiv region. The main research methods were field studies and analysis of the variance of morphological traits and economically valuable indicators of chufa. It was found that different plant densities had an impact on the development of vegetative organs of chufa due to competition for resources during the growing season. The variety “Pharaoh” showed a high intensity of aboveground mass formation in sparse crops with a plant density in the range of 28-33 thousand plants per hectare, with the number of leaf bundles reaching 145.2-147.4 pieces, and their average height is 50.4-52.3 centimetres. At the same time, the size of the nodules increased with a lower plant density, since with a larger feeding area, plants formed more powerful ones with thicker leaf bundles. Plants arranged in a 60 × 60 cm spacing (28 thousand plants/ha) formed larger nodules with the largest dimensions: 3.1 cm in length, 1.0 cm in width, and 1.2 cm in thickness. It has been substantiated that chufa of the “Pharaoh” variety was characterised by higher economic and valuable indicators under the schemes of planting 60×50 and 60×60 cm nodules. The high marketable yield of freshly harvested nodules was formed at a plant density of 28-33 thousand units/ha and amounted to 4.2-4.6 t/ha. The highest average yield of nodules after drying was obtained under the plant spacing of 60 x 60 and 60 x 50 cm, which was 3.35 and 2.99 t/ha, which was 20.9 and 7.8% higher than the control, respectively. Chufa is a promising crop in terms of food security and income generation, and precise management of plant placement will help to balance yield and soil fertility

Abstract Background Pulmonary nodule detection in CXR is challenging. Recently, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a major attraction. The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the AI in the detection of pulmonary nodules or masses on CXR compared to the radiologist’s interpretation and to assess its impact on the reporting process. The current study included 150 patients who had CXR interpreted by radiologists and by AI software. Results CT detected pulmonary nodules in 99 cases (66%) while the visual model of analysis, as well as AI, detected nodules among 92 cases (61.3%) compared to 93 (62%) cases detected by combined visual/AI model. A total of 216 nodules were detected by CT (64.4% solid and 31.5% GG). Only 188 nodules were detected by the AI while 170 nodules were detected by visual analysis. As per case classification or nodule analysis, the AI showed the highest area under curve (AUC) (0.890, 95% CI) and (0.875, 95% CI), respectively, followed by the combined visual/AI model. Regarding the nodules’ texture, the AI model’s sensitivity for solid nodules was 91.4% which was greater than the combined visual/AI and visual models alone, while in GG nodules, the combined visual/AI model’s sensitivity was higher than the AI and visual models. The probability score using the combined visual/AI model was significantly higher than using the visual model alone (P value = 0.001). Conclusions The use of the AI model in CXR interpretation regarding nodules and masses detection helps in more accurate decision-making and increases the diagnostic performance affecting the patient’s morbidity and mortality.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macro-element for plants, and understanding the characteristics of the absorption and transport of P in crops is essential. The low availability of P restricts the growth, nitrogen fixation, and yield of soybean plants. In this research, the radioisotope 33P was supplied to the culture solution to trace the absorption and transport of P in nodulated soybean plants monitored using an imaging plate. The absorption rate of 33P was almost the same under the light and dark conditions. The absorption rate of 33P in the decapitated roots was near to that of the intact plants under light. These results indicate that the P absorption is not affected by evapotranspiration over a short time period. Conversely, the 33P transport from the roots to the shoot was significantly lower under dark conditions than it was under light conditions, although some 33P reached the top of the shoots under both the light and dark conditions. The transport of P to the shoots depends on the transpiration supplemented by the root pressure. The multiplication value of the 33P concentration in the xylem sap and transpiration rate was almost equivalent to the transport rate of 33P in the intact shoots. This value may be adaptable and used to estimate the transport rate of P for the diagnosis.

The purpose of the study was to assess the performance of readers in diagnosing thoracic anomalies on standard chest radiographs (CXRs) with and without a deep-learning-based AI tool (Rayvolve) and to evaluate the standalone performance of Rayvolve in detecting thoracic pathologies on CXRs. This retrospective multicentric study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, nine readers independently reviewed 900 CXRs from imaging group A and identified thoracic abnormalities with and without AI assistance. A consensus from three radiologists served as the ground truth. In phase 2, the standalone performance of Rayvolve was evaluated on 1500 CXRs from imaging group B. The average values of AUC across the readers significantly increased by 15.94%, with AI-assisted reading compared to unaided reading (0.88 ± 0.01 vs. 0.759 ± 0.07, p < 0.001). The time taken to read the CXRs decreased significantly, by 35.81% with AI assistance. The average values of sensitivity and specificity across the readers increased significantly by 11.44% and 2.95% with AI-assisted reading compared to unaided reading (0.857 ± 0.02 vs. 0.769 ± 0.02 and 0.974 ± 0.01 vs. 0.946 ± 0.01, p < 0.001). From the standalone perspective, the AI model achieved an average sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.964, 0.844, 0.757, and 0.9798. The speed and performance of the readers improved significantly with AI assistance.