ObjectiveTo assess the value of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scoring system, for prostate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) to detect prostate cancer, and classical parameters, such as prostatespecific antigen (PSA) level, prostate volume and PSA density, for predicting biopsy outcome in biopsy na€ ıve patients who have suspected prostate cancer. Patients and methodsPatients who underwent mpMRI at our hospital, and who had their first prostate biopsy between July 2010 and April 2014, were analysed retrospectively. The prostate biopsies were taken transperineally under transrectal ultrasonography guidance. In all, 14 cores were biopsied as a systematic biopsy in all patients. Two cognitive fusion-targeted biopsy cores were added for each lesion in patients who had suspicious or equivocal lesions on mpMRI. The PI-RADS scoring system version 2.0 (PI-RADS v2) was used to describe the MRI findings. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine significant predictors of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer. ResultsIn all, 288 patients were analysed. The median patient age, PSA level, prostate volume and PSA density were 69 years, 7.5 ng/mL, 28.7 mL, and 0.26 ng/mL/mL, respectively. The biopsy results were benign, clinically insignificant, and clinically significant prostate cancer in 129 (45%), 18 (6%) and 141 (49%) patients, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that PI-RADS v2 score and PSA density were independent predictors for prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer. When PI-RADS v2 score and PSA density were combined, a PI-RADS v2 score of ≥4 and PSA density ≥0.15 ng/mL/mL, or PI-RADS v2 score of 3 and PSA density of ≥0.30 ng/mL/mL, was associated with the highest clinically significant prostate cancer detection rates (76-97%) on the first biopsy. Of the patients in this group with negative biopsy results, 22% were subsequently diagnosed as prostate cancer. In contrast, a PI-RADS v2 score of ≤3 and PSA density of <0.15 ng/mL/mL yielded no clinically significant prostate cancer and no additional detection of prostate cancer on further biopsies. ConclusionsA combination of PI-RADS v2 score and PSA density can help in the decision-making process before prostate biopsy and in the follow-up strategy in biopsy na€ ıve patients. Patients with a PI-RADS v2 score of ≤3 and PSA density of <0.15 ng/mL/mL may avoid unnecessary biopsies.

Background: Vanin-1 is a novel acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarker that has not been clinically investigated as a biomarker for obstructive nephropathy. This study investigated the diagnostic value of vanin-1 as a biomarker for adult obstructive nephropathy by comparing it to existing AKI biomarkers. Methods: A total of 49 patients, 21 controls, and 28 hydronephrosis (HN) cases were assessed. AKI biomarkers in bladder (BL) urine and renal pelvic (RP) urine in the HN group were compared to each BL marker in the control group. In a subgroup of cases receiving interventions for obstructive nephropathy, the BL values of each biomarker were assessed after the intervention. Results: RP vanin-1 levels were significantly higher while BL vanin-1 levels were marginally higher in the HN group than in the control group. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve values for RP and BL vanin-1 were 0.9778 and 0.6386, respectively. In multivariate analyses, BL vanin-1 and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), but not kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) or neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), were independent factors for predicting the presence of HN. In cases receiving interventions, vanin-1 decreased significantly from 1 week after the intervention in cases of moderate to severe obstructive nephropathy compared to RP values at baseline. Conclusion: Urinary vanin-1 is a useful biomarker to detect and monitor the clinical course of obstructive nephropathy.

This letter describes the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of a new nonvolatile Al2O3 memory with nanoscale thin film deposited by electron-cyclotron-resonance sputtering. Al-rich Al2O3 was fabricated at a reduced oxygen gas flow rate and used as a charge storage layer of the Al2O3 memory, which is located between the tunnel insulator and blocking insulator. C-V characteristics show a large hysteresis window due to the Al-rich structure, but there is no hysteresis window in the case of stoichiometric Al2O3 structure. This memory will stay nonvolatile for several years or more. The number of electrons injected into the insulator in the case of nanoscale memory cell length is discussed. A discussion of the statistical Gaussian distribution indicates that about 50 localization sites are necessary in Al2O3 memory with 10nm cell length for realizing a 1.8V change of the threshold voltage, which corresponds to the control of ten electrons in the insulator. This structure is easily achieved by the proposed Al-rich Al2O3 memory.

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