1,720,994 research outputs found

    Nuclear membrane decoration by emerin staining improves cytological detection of papillary thyroid carcinomas

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    Background. The diagnosis of follicular lesions is a grey zone in thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. Our study aims to verify if staining with Emerin is a helpful marker of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) in the differential diagnosis of follicular-patterned lesions. Methods. We designed both a prospective study on smears and Thin Prep specimens to prove the feasibility of the procedure and a retrospective study on 78 FNA cell-blocks from cases which, after surgery, turned out to be either benign (34 cases) or malignant lesions (44, of which 31 PTC). From each sample, we obtained two slides, one stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and the other with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Emerin. In Thy3 cases, HBME-1 and Gal 3 stains were also done. Two observers gave a judgement in Thy categories (British Thyroid Association) on H&E, Emerin, HBME-1 and Gal 3 stained slides. Results. The prospective study demonstrated that Emerin staining is an effective tool for nuclear membrane decoration and amplification of nuclear irregularities. In the retrospective study, inter-observer agreement proved higher in Emerin-stained slides (K of Cohen-Fleiss = 0.6890) than H&E-stained slides (K of Cohen-Fleiss = 0.4878). Sensitivity and overall accuracy were higher for Emerin (respectively, 77.27% and 84.61%) than H&Estained slides (respectively, 36.36% and 62.82%). Emerin staining proved able to identify all cases of PTC, including all cases of FVPTC. In Thy3 cases, Emerin’s sensitivity and specificity (64% and 96%) proved higher than HBME-1’s (60% and 88%), and Gal3’s (61% and 68%). Conclusions. Emerin stain, is a useful tool in the cytological diagnosis of thyroid lesions. It enhances detection of nuclear irregularities typical of PTC, thus helping to solve inconclusive FNA cases, mainly in those cases of FVPTC with a reduced expression of nuclear irregularities in the traditional stains (H&E)

    Cytological detection of papillary thyroid carcinomas by nuclear membrane decoration with emerin staining.

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    Abstract Decoration of the nuclear membrane by emerin staining enhances detection of nuclear irregularities typical of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Our study aims to verify whether staining with emerin is a helpful diagnostic marker in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. We first designed a prospective study on smears, Thin Prep, and cell block specimens to prove the feasibility of the procedure; subsequently, we designed a retrospective study of 78 FNA cell blocks from cases that, after surgery, turned out to be either benign (34 cases) or malignant lesions (44, of which 31 PTC). From each sample, we obtained two slides, one stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and the other with emerin. In cases classified as Thy3, HBME-1 and galectin 3 (Gal3) stains had also been performed. Two blinded observers made the judgment concerning Thy categories (as proposed by the British Thyroid Association), first on H&E, then on emerin, HBME-1, and Gal3 stained slides. On cytological preparation, emerin staining represents an effective tool for the detection of nuclear irregularities, allowing for the identification of cases of PTC. In Thy3 cases, emerin staining's sensitivity and specificity (64% and 96%) proved higher than HBME-1' (60% and 88%) and Gal3's (61% and 68%). In conclusion, the immunohistochemical definition of the nuclear membrane, as determined by emerin stain, is a useful tool in the cytological diagnosis of thyroid lesions and can help to solve inconclusive cases by highlighting nuclear irregularities typical of PTC

    Diagnosis of biliary tract lesions by histological sectioning of brush bristles as alternative to cytological smearing.

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    AIM: To increase the diagnostic potential of endoscopic biliary tract brushing, we devised an approach alternative to cytological smearing, leading to the preoperative histological examination of the collected material. METHODS: One hundred twelve consecutive biliary brush specimens were included. All patients presented a stricture of the biliary tract, leading to a diagnostic procedure by brushing. Immediately following brushing, the endoscopist immersed the brush into methanol and sent it to the pathology laboratory. The brush was introduced into a cassette for paraffin embedding and sections parallel to the long axis of brush were cut until the metal wire was almost reached, then the block was rotated and new sections were obtained from the opposite side. Samples of the mucosa, inflammatory cell aggregates, small fragments of carcinomas, or isolated cells were observed, and displayed an optimal fixation, allowing a definite diagnosis that proved mandatory for therapy in the vast majority of cases (99.1%). RESULTS: The results obtained in 112 consecutive cases using such technique compared with final histological diagnosis proved: 91% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value (PPV), and 87% negative predictive value (NPV) (P < 0.001). In nonoperated patients, the clinical diagnosis after at least 6 months of follow-up showed: 95.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV, and 88.2% NPV (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Such novel approach to the preoperative diagnosis of biliary tract lesions proved to be highly sensitive and specific, limiting the inadequate preoperative diagnoses to less than 1%

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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