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Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of real-time ultrasound elastography in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules. Methods. A total of 90 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules who were referred for surgical treatment were examined in this prospective study. One hundred forty-five nodules in these patients were examined by B-mode ultrasound, color Doppler ultrasound, and ultrasound elastography. The final diagnosis was obtained from histologic findings. Tissue stiffness on ultrasound elastography was scored from 1 (low stiffness over the entire nodule) to 6 (high stiffness over the entire nodule and surrounding tissue). Results. On real-time ultrasound elastography, 86 of 96 benign nodules (90%) had a score of 1 to 3, whereas 43 of 49 malignant nodules (88%) had a score of 4 to 6 (P <.001), with sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value of 81%, and a negative predictive value of 93%. The predictivity of ultrasound elastographic measurement was independent of the nodule size. High sensitivity (88%) and specificity (93%) were also observed in 68 nodules that had a greatest diameter of 1 cm or less. Conclusions. Real-time ultrasound elastography is a promising imaging technique that is useful in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

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A novel nano-hydroxyapatite (HA)/chitosan composite scaffold with high porosity was developed. The nano-HA particles were made in situ through a chemical method and dispersed well on the porous scaffold. They bound to the chitosan scaffolds very well. This method prevents the migration of nano-HA particles into surrounding tissues to a certain extent. The morphologies, components, and biocompatibility of the composite scaffolds were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy, porosity measurement, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy were used to analyze the physical and chemical properties of the composite scaffolds. The biocompatibility was assessed by examining the proliferation and morphology of MC 3T3-E1 cells seeded on the scaffolds. The composite scaffolds showed better biocompatibility than pure chitosan scaffolds. The results suggest that the newly developed nano-HA/chitosan composite scaffolds may serve as a good three-dimensional substrate for cell attachment and migration in bone tissue engineering.

Recent studies suggest that transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells might have therapeutic effects in preventing pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are a promising new cell source for regenerative therapy. However, whether transplantation of ADSCs could actually ameliorate the neuropathological deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the mechanisms involved has not yet been established. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of intracerebral ADSC transplantation on AD pathology and spatial learning/memory of APP/PS1 double transgenic AD model mice. Results showed that ADSC transplantation dramatically reduced b-amyloid (Ab) peptide deposition and significantly restored the learning/memory function in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. It was observed that in both regions of the hippocampus and the cortex there were more activated microglia, which preferentially surrounded and infiltrated into plaques after ADSC transplantation. The activated microglia exhibited an alternatively activated phenotype, as indicated by their decreased expression levels of proinflammatory factors and elevated expression levels of alternative activation markers, as well as Ab-degrading enzymes. In conclusion, ADSC transplantation could modulate microglial activation in AD mice, mitigate AD symptoms, and alleviate cognitive decline, all of which suggest ADSC transplantation as a promising choice for AD therapy. This manuscript is published as part of the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) supplement issue of Cell Transplantation.