Should temporary extracorporeal continuous portal diversion replace meso/porta-caval shunts in “small-for-size” syndrome in porcine hepatectomy?

AIM:To investigate the feasibility of temporary extracorporeal continuous porta-caval diversion(ECPD) to relieve portal hyperperfusion in "small-for-size" syndrome following massive hepatectomy in pigs.METHODS:Fourteen pigs underwent 85%-90% liver resection and were then randomly divided into thecontrol group(n = 7) and diversion group(n = 7).In the diversion group,portal venous blood was aspirated through the portal catheter and into a tube connected to a centrifugal pump.After filtration,the blood was returned to the pig through a double-lumen catheter inserted into the internal jugular or subclavian vein.With the conversion pump,portal venous inflow was partially diverted to the inferior vena cava through a catheter inserted via the gastroduodenal vein at 100-130 m L/min.Portal hemodynamics,injury,and regeneration in the liver remnant were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:Compared to the control group,porta-caval diversion via ECPD significantly mitigated excessive portal venous flow and portal vein pressure(PVP); the portal vein flow(PVF),hepatic artery flow(HAF),and PVP in the two groups were not significantly different at baseline; however,the PVF(431.8 ± 36.6 vs 238.8 ± 29.3,P < 0.01; 210.3 ± 23.4 vs 122.3 ± 20.6,P < 0.01) and PVP(13.8 ± 2.6 vs 8.7 ± 1.4,P < 0.01; 15.6 ± 2.1 vs 10.1 ± 1.3,P < 0.05) in the control group were significantly higher than those in the diversion group,respectively.The HAF in the control group was significantly lower than that in the diversion group at 2 h and 48 h post hepatectomy,and ECPD significantly attenuated injury to the sinusoidal lining and hepatocytes,increased the regeneration index of the liver remnant,and relieved damage that the liver remnant suffered due to endotoxin and bacterial translocation.CONCLUSION:ECPD,which can dynamically modulate portal inflow,can reduce injury to the liver remnant and facilitate liver regeneration,and therefore should replace permanent meso/porta-caval shunts in "smallfor-size" syndrome.

Recent advances in Ga-based solar-blind photodetectors

Solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors have many advantages, such as low false alarm rates, the ability to detect weak signals, and high signal-to-noise ratios. Among the various functional solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors, Ga-based alloys of AlGaN and Ga_2O_3 are the most commonly adopted channel semiconductor materials and have attracted extensive research attention in the past decades. This review presents an overview of the recent progress in Ga-based solar-blind photodetectors. In case of AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors, the response properties can be improved by optimizing the AlN nucleation layer and designing the avalanche structure. On the other hand, we also discuss the morphology and growth methods of Ga_2O_3 nanomaterials and their effect on the performance of the corresponding solarblind photodetectors. The mechanically exfoliated Ga_2O_3 flakes show good potential for ultraviolet detection. Also, Ga_2O_3 nanoflowers and nanowires reveal perfect response to ultraviolet light. Finally, the challenges and future development of Ga-based functional solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors are summarized.

Hydrogen Peroxide-Mediated Growth of the Root System Occurs via Auxin Signaling Modification and Variations in the Expression of Cell-Cycle Genes in Rice Seedlings Exposed to Cadmium Stress

The link between root growth, H2O2, auxin signaling, and the ceil cycle in cadmium （Cd）-stressed rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghua No. 11） was analyzed in this study. Exposure to Cd induced a significant accumulation of Cd, but caused a decrease in zinc （Zn） content which resulted from the decreased expression of OsHMA9 and OsZIP. Analysis using a Cd-specific probe showed that Cd was mainly localized in the meristematic zone and vascular tissues. Formation and elongation of the root system were significantly promoted by 3-amino-l,2,4-triazole （AT）, but were markedly inhibited by N,N＇. dimethylthiourea （DMTU） under Cd stress. The effect of H2O2 on Cd-stressed root growth was further confirmed by examining a gain-of-function rice mutant （carrying catalasel and glutathione-S-transferase） in the presence or absence of diphenylene iodonium. DR5-GUS staining revealed close associations between H2O2 and the concentration and distribution of auxin. H2O2 affected the expression of key genes, including OsYUCCA, OsPIN, OsARF, and OslAA, in the auxin signaling pathway in Cd-treated plants. These results suggest that H2O2 functions upstream of the auxin signaling pathway. Furthermore, H2O2 modified the expression of cell-cycle genes in Cd-treated roots. The effects of H2O2 on root system growth are therefore linked to auxin signal modification and to variations in the expression of cell-cycle genes in Cd-stressed rice. A working model for the effects of H2O2 on Cd-stressed root system growth is thus proposed and discussed in this paper.