Scanner-Based Protocol-Driven Ultrasound: An Effective Method to Improve Efficiency in an Ultrasound Department.

Objective: For ultrasound, a wide variation is often observed among the number and sequence of images acquired for a particular examination type. Scanner-based protocols are preset pathways in the ultrasound machine that guide a sonographer through the required study images. These protocols can streamline image acquisition by improving consistency and efficiency of ultrasound examinations.

Effect of Anticoagulation Medication on the Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Pathologic Diagnostic Sufficiency Rate.

Objectives: This study examined whether ultrasound-guided thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy performed on patients taking anticoagulation medication results in a greater number of nondiagnostic pathologic samples due to a higher propensity to bleed, and thus fill the needle with blood rather than cellular material, compared to patients not taking anticoagulation medication.

Methods: In this retrospective review, data were collected on 1100 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided thyroid FNA over a 4-year period. Of these patients, 438 were included.

Type I interferons: key players in normal skin and select cutaneous malignancies.

Interferons (IFNs) are a family of naturally existing glycoproteins known for their antiviral activity and their ability to influence the behavior of normal and transformed cell types. Type I Interferons include IFN- α and IFN- β . Currently, IFN- α has numerous approved antitumor applications, including malignant melanoma, in which IFN- α has been shown to increase relapse free survival.

Transepithelial elimination in sarcoidosis: a frequent finding.

Background: Transepithelial elimination is a process by which dermal materials are expelled through an active epithelial-dermal connective tissue interaction. It has been described as a regular or sporadic occurrence in a variety of dermatologic conditions, including sarcoidosis.

Observation: Our patient demonstrated a rare presentation of sarcoidosis involving the genital region, with histopathologic evidence of transepithelial elimination of granulomas.

Subsets of ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) inhibitors increase gap junctional intercellular communication in metastatic cancer cell lines independent of SUR expression.

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) regulates cellular homeostasis by propagating signaling molecules, exchanging cellular metabolites, and coupling electrical signals. In cancer, cells exhibit altered rates of GJIC which may play a role in neoplastic progression. K(ATP) channels help maintain membrane polarity and linkages between K(ATP) channel activity and rates of GJIC have been established.

Pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells promote breast cancer growth in bone in a murine xenograft model.

The bones are the most common sites of breast cancer metastasis. Upon arrival within the bone microenvironment, breast cancer cells coordinate the activities of stromal cells, resulting in an increase in osteoclast activity and bone matrix degradation. In late stages of bone metastasis, breast cancer cells induce apoptosis in osteoblasts, which further exacerbates bone loss.

Homotypic gap junctional communication associated with metastasis suppression increases with PKA activity and is unaffected by PI3K inhibition.

Loss of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between cancer cells is a common characteristic of malignant transformation. This communication is mediated by connexin proteins that make up the functional units of gap junctions. Connexins are highly regulated at the protein level and phosphorylation events play a key role in their trafficking and degradation.