The Effect of Histogram Analysis of DCE-MRI Parameters on Differentiating Renal Tumors.

Background: We aimed to assess the role of histogram analysis of DCE-MRI parameters for accurately distinguishing renal clear cell carcinoma from renal hamartoma with minimal fat.

Methods: Patients with renal tumors were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2015, including renal clear cell carcinoma (n = 39) and renal hamartoma (n = 10). Preoperative DCE-MR Imaging was performed, and whole-tumor regions of interest were drawn to obtain the corresponding histogram parameters, including skewness, kurtosis, frequency size, energy, quartile, etc.

[Effects of loss-controlled urea on ammonia volatilization, N translocation and utilization efficiency in paddy rice.].

With the common urea split application (CU) as the control, a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of loss-controlled urea by split application (LCUS) and loss-controlled urea by basal application (LCUB) on ammonia volatilization (NH), nitrogen (N) nutrition status, grain yield and N utilization efficiency in rice plants. The results showed that the ratio of NH volatilization loss to total N application were 15.8%, 13.

Association of a common genetic variant in prostate stem cell antigen with cancer risk.

Introduction: Polymorphisms in the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene have been hypothesized to increase the genetic susceptibility to cancers. The common sequence variation in PSCA rs2294008 (C>T) has been implicated in cancer risk. However, results of the relevant published studies were somewhat underpowered and controversial in general.

A multinational study to develop universal standardization of whole-body bone density and composition using GE Healthcare Lunar and Hologic DXA systems.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is used to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition, but measurements vary among instruments from different manufacturers. We sought to develop cross-calibration equations for whole-body bone density and composition derived using GE Healthcare Lunar and Hologic DXA systems. This multinational study recruited 199 adult and pediatric participants from a site in the US (n = 40, ages 6 through 16 years) and one in China (n = 159, ages 5 through 81 years).

Modulation of the molecular conformation of a hepatocyte-targeting gene drug in order to improve its expression efficiency in vitro.

Aim: To construct different conformations of a plasmid DNA/vector complex (pcDNA3.1/IFN-gamma-ASOR-PLL) and transfect cells of the hepatoma cell line BEL7402 to investigate the optimal conformation of the complex for improved expression efficiency in the target cell.

Methods: Double-distilled water and adjuvant were added to the naked pcDNA3.

Chemiluminescence determination of melatonin and some of its derivatives using potassium permanganate and formaldehyde system.

It was found that melatonin and its derivatives, such as N-acetyl- 5-methoxytryptamine (MT), N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (NAS), 5-Methoxytrypt- amine (5-MT), 5-Methoxyindolyl acetic acid (5-MIAA) and N-acetyl-5-methoxy- 6-hydroxytryptamine (6-HMT) would give chemiluminescence in the acidic potassium permanganate solution, and formaldehyde would enhance this chemiluminescent reaction greatly. The optimum conditions for this chemiluminescent reaction were studied in detail by a flow injection system. A new simple rapid method has been developed under the optimum conditions for determination of melatonin.