B-Mode Ultrasound Combined with Color Doppler and Strain Elastography in the Diagnosis of Non-mass Breast Lesions: A Prospective Study

Non-mass breast lesions on ultrasound (US) are areas without an associated mass. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether combining B-mode US with color Doppler US and strain elastography (SE) improves US differentiation between benign and malignant non-mass breast lesions and the decision for biopsy. In this prospective study, three different radiologists analyzed the US images of 77 non-mass lesions independently and recorded Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories for four data sets. The image characteristics and BI-RADS categories of the four data sets were analyzed by another radiologist. The final diagnosis was made on the basis of pathologic findings. Values for area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were compared among the data sets. The AUC of B-mode US combined with both color Doppler US and SE was greater than that of B-mode US alone (0.666 vs. 0.828) (p = 0.011). The specificity of making the decision for biopsy increased from 6.5% to 38.7% when B-mode US was combined with color Doppler and SE, without a statistically significant change in sensitivity (p < 0.001). Combined use of color Doppler and SE could improve the diagnostic value of B-mode US in distinguishing benign from malignant non-mass breast lesions and the specificity of making the decision for biopsy of non-mass breast lesions.     

Noradrenergic correlates of chronic cocaine craving: neuromelanin and functional brain imaging

Preclinical studies have implicated noradrenergic (NA) dysfunction in cocaine addiction. In particular, the NA system plays a central role in motivated behavior and may partake in the regulation of craving and drug use. Yet, human studies of the NA system are scarce, likely hampered by the difficulty in precisely localizing the locus coeruleus (LC). Here, we used neuromelanin imaging to localize the LC and quantified LC neuromelanin signal (NMS) intensity in 44 current cocaine users (CU; 37 men) and 59 nondrug users (NU; 44 men). We also employed fMRI to investigate cue-induced regional responses and LC functional connectivities, as quantified by generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI), in CU. Imaging data were processed by published routines and the findings were evaluated with a corrected threshold. We examined how these neural measures were associated with chronic cocaine craving, as assessed by the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire (CCQ). Compared to NU, CU demonstrated higher LC NMS for all probabilistic thresholds defined of 50–90% of the peak. In contrast, NMS of the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra (VTA/SN) did not show significant group differences. Drug as compared to neutral cues elicited higher activations of many cortical and subcortical regions, none of which were significantly correlated with CCQ score. Drug vs. neutral cues also elicited “deactivation” of bilateral parahippocampal gyri (PHG) and PHG gPPI with a wide array of cortical and subcortical regions, including the ventral striatum and, with small volume correction, the LC. Less deactivation of the PHG (r = 0.40, p = 0.008) and higher PHG-LC gPPI (r = 0.44, p = 0.003) were positively correlated with the CCQ score. In contrast, PHG-VTA/SN connectivity did not correlate with the CCQ score. Together, chronic cocaine exposure may induce higher NMS intensity, suggesting neurotoxic effects on the LC. The correlation of cue-elicited PHG LC connectivity with CCQ score suggests a noradrenergic correlate of chronic cocaine craving. Potentially compensating for memory functions as in neurodegenerative conditions, cue-elicited PHG LC circuit connectivity plays an ill-adaptive role in supporting cocaine craving.Subject terms: Predictive markers, Motivation     

福州口岸诱卵器法的现场应用研究

目的进一步研究诱卵器法在口岸媒介监测现场的应用技术。方法诱卵器法。结果 （1）诱卵器放置不同高度时,0m组和1m组的诱卵指数分别为87.68和83.79,0m组高于1m组（χ2=13.24,P〈0.005）,0m组和1m组的幼虫密度分别为13.21条/个和11.23条/个,0m组高于1m组（t=2.259,P=0.05）;（2）诱卵器放置不同时间时,4d、7d和10 d组的诱卵指数分别为28.00、74.50和76.41,4 d组低于7 d组（χ2=86.54,P=0.000）和10 d组（χ2=92.69,P=0.000）,4d、7d和10d组幼虫密度分别为2.095条/个、9.11条/个和11.36条/个,4d组低于7d组（t=2.334,P=0.024）,7d组低于10 d组（t=4.691,P=0.000）;（3）诱卵指数和幼虫密度呈较为密切的正相关（0 m组r=0.779,P=0.008;1 m组r=0.794,P=0.006）,不同监测时间和监测点诱卵指数和容器指数的关系需进一步研究。结论在福州口岸建议诱卵器放置在地面上,放置时间为7～10d,以提高成蚊产卵率,增加敏感性;需进一步研究诱卵器法和布雷图指数、房屋指数和容器指数在口岸地区的关联性,探索评价指标的推广应用。