BackgroundTo evaluate the feasibility of using radiomics with precontrast magnetic resonance imaging for classifying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic haemangioma (HH).MethodsThis study enrolled 369 consecutive patients with 446 lesions (a total of 222 HCCs and 224 HHs). A training set was constituted by randomly selecting 80% of the samples and the remaining samples were used to test. On magnetic resonance (MR) images of HCC and HH obtained with in-phase, out-phase, T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences, we outlined the target lesions and extracted 1029 radiomics features, which were classified as first-, second-, higher-order statistics and shape features. Then, the variance threshold, select k best, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithms were explored for dimensionality reduction of the features. We used four classifiers (decision tree, random forest, K nearest neighbours, and logistic regression) to identify HCC and HH on the basis of radiomics features. Two abdominal radiologists also performed the conventional qualitative analysis for classification of HCC and HH. Diagnostic performances of radiomics and radiologists were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.ResultsValuable radiomics features for building a radiomics signature were extracted from in-phase (n = 22), out-phase (n = 24), T2WI (n = 34) and DWI (n = 24) sequences. In comparison, the logistic regression classifier showed better predictive ability by combining four sequences. In the training set, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.86 (sensitivity: 0.76; specificity: 0.78), and in the testing set, the AUC was 0.89 (sensitivity: 0.822; specificity: 0.714). The diagnostic performance for the optimal radiomics-based combined model was significantly higher than that for the less experienced radiologist (2-years experience) (AUC = 0.702, p < 0.05), and had no statistic difference with the experienced radiologist (10-years experience) (AUC = 0.908, p>0.05).ConclusionsWe developed and validated a radiomics signature as an adjunct tool to distinguish HCC and HH by combining in-phase, out-phase, T2W, and DW MR images, which outperformed the less experienced radiologist (2-years experience), and was nearly equal to the experienced radiologist (10-years experience).

c Avermectin (AVM) and ivermectin (IVM) are potent pesticides and acaricides which have been widely used during the past 30 years. As insect resistance to AVM and IVM is greatly increasing, alternatives are urgently needed. Here, we report two novel AVM derivatives, tenvermectin A (TVM A) and TVM B, which are considered a potential new generation of agricultural and veterinary drugs. The molecules of the TVMs were designed based on structure and pharmacological property comparisons among AVM, IVM, and milbemycin (MBM). To produce TVMs, a genetically engineered strain, MHJ1011, was constructed from Streptomyces avermitilis G8-17, an AVM industrial strain. In MHJ1011, the native aveA1 gene was seamlessly replaced with milA1 from Streptomyces hygroscopicus. The total titer of the two TVMs produced by MHJ1011 reached 3,400 mg/liter. Insecticidal tests proved that TVM had enhanced activities against Tetranychus cinnabarinus and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, as desired. This study provides a typical example of exploration for novel active compounds through a new method of polyketide synthase (PKS) reassembly for gene replacement. The results of the insecticidal tests may be of use in elucidating the structure-activity relationship of AVMs and MBMs.A vermectins (AVMs) are a series of 16-membered macrocyclic lactone derivatives with potent anthelmintic and insecticidal properties (1, 2). Ivermectin (IVM), a hydrogenated product of AVM B1, has been one of the best-selling antiparasitics since 1981 (3). However, as insect resistance to AVM (4) and IVM (5-7) is on the rise, alternatives or new products with enhanced potency and expanded spectra of activity are urgently needed.Milbemycins (MBMs) are another group of 16-membered macrolides that share similar structures with AVMs. The insecticidal activity of milbemectin (a mixture of MBMs A3 and A4) against some parasites is higher than those of AVM and IVM, while the toxicity is significantly lower (8).The structural differences among AVM, IVM, and MBM are in C-25, C-22-23, and C-13 ( Fig. 1) (9). IVM differs from AVM in C-22-23 (the former has a saturated bond, whereas the latter has a double bond in that position), but its toxicity is lower than that of AVM (10), implying that the single bond in C-22-23 should be the better structure in terms of safety. The major structural difference between IVM and MBM is a bisoleandrosyloxy substituent attached at C-13 of IVM, whereas that position is unsubstituted in MBM. Also, there are different alkyl substituents at C-25: in IVM, the substituent can be isopropyl or secondary butyl, while in MBM, it can be methyl or ethyl. However, MBM is more potent against some parasites and is safer than IVM, suggesting that one or both of the moieties in C-25 and C-13 of MBM is (are) the better structure(s) in these ways than that (those) of IVM. Another conclusion is that the two oleandroses in C-13 are important to the antiparasitic activity of IVM, since their removal will reduce the activity significantly, about 30-fold (10). Based on the curr...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of radiomics analysis of iodine-based material decomposition (MD) images with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) imaging for preoperatively predicting microsatellite instability (MSI) status in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: This study included 102 CRC patients proved by postoperative pathology, and their MSI status was confirmed by immunohistochemistry staining. All patients underwent preoperative DECT imaging scanned on either a Revolution CT or Discovery CT 750HD scanner, and the iodine-based MD images in the venous phase were reconstructed. The clinical, CT-reported, and radiomics features were obtained and analyzed. Data from the Revolution CT scanner were used to establish a radiomics model to predict MSI status (70% samples were randomly selected as the training set, and the remaining samples were used to validate); and data from the Discovery CT 750HD scanner were used to test the radiomics model. The stable radiomics features with both inter-user and intra-user stability were selected for the next analysis. The feature dimension reduction was performed by using Student's t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test, Spearman's rank correlation test, min–max standardization, one-hot encoding, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator selection method. The multiparameter logistic regression model was established to predict MSI status. The model performances were evaluated: The discrimination performance was accessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis; the calibration performance was tested by calibration curve accompanied by Hosmer–Lemeshow test; the clinical utility was assessed by decision curve analysis.Results: Nine top-ranked features were finally selected to construct the radiomics model. In the training set, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.961 (accuracy: 0.875; sensitivity: 1.000; specificity: 0.812); in the validation set, the AUC was 0.918 (accuracy: 0.875; sensitivity: 0.875; specificity: 0.857). In the testing set, the diagnostic performance was slightly lower with AUC of 0.875 (accuracy: 0.788; sensitivity: 0.909; specificity: 0.727). A nomogram based on clinical factors and radiomics score was generated via the proposed logistic regression model. Good calibration and clinical utility were observed using the calibration and decision curve analyses, respectively.Conclusion: Radiomics analysis of iodine-based MD images with DECT imaging holds great potential to predict MSI status in CRC patients.

We evaluated the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on MMP-13 and MAPKs expression in rabbit knee osteoarthritis (OA). For this purpose, 18 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly and equally divided into O + L, O - L, and SO groups. In O + L group, animals underwent right back leg ACLT operation and LIPUS radiation. In O - L group, animals underwent ACLT but no LIPUS treatment. In SO (control) group, animals underwent sham operation without LIPUS. After 6 weeks, we assessed the pathologic changes in the articular surface of femoral condyle and compared using Mankin scores. Also, expression of type-II collagen, MMP-13, ERK1/2, p38, and JNK was measured by Western blot. Compared with controls, Mankin scores were higher in O + L (P < 0.05)/O - L (P < 0.01) groups. Compared with O + L group, score was higher in O - L group (P < 0.05). Compared with controls, type-II collagen expression was less in O + L/O - L groups, with more significant decrease in O - L group (P < 0.05). Contrarily, expression of MMP-13, p-ERK1/2, and p-p38 was enhanced in O + L/O - L groups as compared with controls, with more significant increase in O - L group (P < 0.01). Compared with O + L group, expression was higher in O - L group (P < 0.05). We, therefore, concluded that LIPUS application promoted cartilage repair in OA through the downregulation of MMP-13, ERK1/2, and p38.

Bamboo has received increasing attention as an alternative raw material for wood in the late twentieth century for its fast growing nature and good mechanical properties. But bamboo is readily discolored by mould fungi, which greatly limits the applications of bamboo. In this paper, mould-resistance of moso bamboo treated with chitosan-copper complex (CCC Ò ), propiconazole (PPA), tebuconazole (TBA), the compound of CCC Ò and PPA or TBA was reported. Results showed that CCC Ò or PPA used alone as bamboo-mould inhibiter could defer or restrain the growth of Penicillium citrinum Thom (P. citrinum), while not being effective against Trichoderma viride Pers. ex Fr (T. viride) and Aspergillus niger V. Tiegh (A. niger). However, the compound of CCC Ò and PPA could inhibit all mould fungi in the test, showing a good synergetic effect. Additionally, TBA had better resisting effect against P. citrinum and T. viride than against A. niger, but showed no synergetic effect with CCC Ò .