Ultrasound tissue scatterer distribution imaging: An adjunctive diagnostic tool for shear wave elastography in characterizing focal liver lesions.

Objectives: Focal liver lesion (FLL) is a prevalent finding in cross-sectional imaging, and distinguishing between benign and malignant FLLs is crucial for liver health management. While shear wave elastography (SWE) serves as a conventional quantitative ultrasound tool for evaluating FLLs, ultrasound tissue scatterer distribution imaging (TSI) emerges as a novel technique, employing the Nakagami statistical distribution parameter to estimate backscattered statistics for tissue characterization. In this prospective study, we explored the potential of TSI in characterizing FLLs and evaluated its diagnostic efficacy with that of SWE.

mTOR signaling in the nucleus accumbens mediates behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine.

Chronic psychostimulant treatment in rodents readily produces behavioral sensitization, which reflects altered brain function in response to repeated drug exposure. Numerous morphological and biochemical investigations implicate altered neural plasticity in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) as an essential component in behavioral sensitization. The mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, a key regulator of synaptic neuroplasticity, in the ventral striatum of methamphetamine (METH) -sensitized mice was investigated to determine if a link exists with the development of METH sensitization.

Molecular insight and pharmacological approaches targeting mitochondrial dynamics in skeletal muscle during obesity.

Obesity-associated insulin resistance is the major characteristic of the early stage of metabolic syndrome. A decline in mitochondrial function plays a role in the development of insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Accumulating data reveal that mitochondrial dynamics, the balance between mitochondrial fusion and fission, are an important factor in the maintenance of mitochondrial function.

Rab11 regulates E-cadherin expression and induces cell transformation in colorectal carcinoma.

Background: In the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition EMT, the disassembly of junctional adhesion complexes such as E-cadherin is a remarkable sign during changes in cell morphology and polarity. However, E-cadherin expression is dynamic, and is regulated by the cellular endocytic system; it is also involved in cell signaling mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the role of E-cadherin in colorectal tumors and the relationship with recycling endosome protein Rab11 in colon cell transformation.