Screen-imaging guidance using a modified portable video macroscope for middle cerebral artery occlusion

The use of operating microscopes is limited by the focal length.Surgeons using these instruments cannot simultaneously view and access the surgical field and must choose one or the other.The longer focal length (more than 1 000 mm) of an operating telescope permits a position away from the operating field,above the surgeon and out of the field of view.This gives the telescope an advantage over an operating microscope.We developed a telescopic system using screen-imaging guidance and a modified portable video macroscope constructed from a Computar MLH-10 × macro lens,a DFK-21AU04 USB CCD Camera and a Dell laptop computer as monitor screen.This system was used to establish a middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats.Results showed that magnification of the modified portable video macroscope was appropriate (5-20 ×) even though the Computar MLH-10 × macro lens was placed 800 mm away from the operating field rather than at the specified working distance of 152.4 mm with a zoom of 1-40 ×.The screen-imaging telescopic technique was clear,life-like,stereoscopic and matched the actual operation.Screen-imaging guidance led to an accurate,smooth,minimally invasive and comparatively easy surgical procedure.Success rate of the model establishment evaluated by neurological function using the modified neurological score system was 74.07%.There was no significant difference in model establishment time,sensorimotor deficit and infarct volume percentage.Our findings indicate that the telescopic lens is effective in the screen surgical operation mode referred to as "long distance observation and short distance operation" and that screen-imaging guidance using an modified portable video macroscope can be utilized for the establishment of a middle cerebral artery occlusion model and micro-neurosurgery.

Mitogenome and phylogenetic analyses support rapid diversification among species groups of small-eared shrews genus Cryptotis(Mammalia:Eulipotyphla:Soricidae)

The small-eared shrew genus Cryptotis is the third largest in the family Soricidae and occurs in North,Central,and northern South America.In Mexico and Central and South America,most species inhabit geographically isolated moist,montane habitats at middle and high elevations in a typical sky-island pattern.The 49 recognized species have been partitioned into as many as six species groups based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies.The relationships among these species groups are poorly resolved,and their evolutionary histories,including migration patterns and locomotor adaptations,remain unclear.Herein,we provide a new phylogeny incorporating complete mitochondrial genomes(mitogenomes)and supermatrix approach.We compared different evolutionary scenarios using approximately unbiased(AU),Kishino-Hasegawa(KH),and Shimodaira-Hasegawa(SH)statistical tests.The phylogenetic hypothesis based on mitogenomes revealed novel relationships supporting a basal position for the Cryptotis parvusgroup in the genus,and a close relationship between C.gracilis and one clade of the C.thomasi-group.The former relationship is consistent with the least derived humerus morphology and northern distribution of the species.The latter relationship i mplies multiple migrations between Central and South America.The lack of fine resolution for the species group relationships may be due partly to the lack of taxon sampling.In contrast,multi-approach analyses suggest that the unresolved relationships may be a result of rapid diversification during the early stages of Cryptotis evolution.

Characterization of cancer genomic heterogeneity by next-generation sequencing advances precision medicine in cancer treatment

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease with unique genomic and phenotypic features that differ between individual patients and even among individual tumor regions.In recent years,large-scale genomic studies and new next-generation sequencing technologies have uncovered more scientifc details about tumor heterogeneity,with significant implications for the choice of specific molecular biomarkers and clinical decision making Genomic heterogeneity signifcantly contributes to the generation of a diverse cell population during tumor development and progression,representing a determining factor for variation in tumor treatment response.It has been considered a prominent contributor to therapeutic failure,and increases the likelihood of resistance to future therapies in most common cancers.The understanding of molecular heterogeneity in cancer is a fundamental component of precision oncology,enabling the identification of genomic alteration of key genes and pathways that can be targeted therapeutically.Here,we review the emerging knowledge of tumor genomics and heterogeneity,as well as potential implications for precision medicine in cancer treatment and new therapeutic discoveries.An analysis and interpretation of the TCGA database was included.

Stem cells to reverse aging

As human life expectancy continues to increase and the birth rate continues to decline, the phenomenon of aging is becoming more prominent worldwide. Therefore, addressing the problems associated with global aging has become a current research focus. The main manifestations of human aging are structural degeneration and functional decline of aging tissues and organs, quality of life decline, decreased ability to resist diseases, and high incidence rates of a variety of senile degenerative diseases. Thus far, no ideal treatments have been found. Stem cell (SC) therapies have broad application prospects in the field of regenerative medicine due to the inherent biological characteristics of SCs, such as their plasticity, self-renewal, and multidirectional differentiation potential. Thus, SCs could delay or even reverse aging. This manuscript reviews the causes of human aging, the biological characteristics of SCs, and research progress on age reversal.

Tumorigenicity risk of iPSCs in vivo:nip it in the bud

In 2006,Takahashi and Yamanaka first created induced pluripotent stem cells from mouse fibroblasts via the retroviral introduction of genes encoding the transcription factors Oct3/4,Sox2,Klf44,and c-Myc.Since then,the future clinical application of somatic cell reprogramming technology has become an attractive research topic in the field of regenerative medicine.Of note,considerable interest has been placed in circumventing ethical issues linked to embryonic stem cell research.However,tumorigenicity,immunogenicity,and heterogeneity may hamper attempts to deploy this technology therapeutically.This review highlights the progress aimed at reducing induced pluripotent stem cells tumorigenicity risk and howto assess the safety of induced pluripotent stem cells cell therapy products.

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells:breaking the deadlock in the treatment of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)is a clinical syndrome characterized by the dysfunction of two or more systems or organs.This internal environment disorder occurs simultaneously 24 h after severe trauma,shock,or infection.MODS has a high fatality rate ranging from 20%to 100%.[1]In the development of MODS following severe trauma or infection,multiple organ system fail sequentially,involving the lungs,kidneys,liver,cardiovascular,central nervous system,gastrointestinal,immune,and the blood coagulation system.MODS has complex pathogenic factors,and there are four main pathogenesis hypotheses:(1)uncontrolled inflammation hypothesis,(2)ischemia–reperfusion injury,(3)the gastrointestinal hypothesis,and(4)the biphasic preexcitation theory.Although the current clinical treatment methods of MODS,such as inflammatory factor antibodies,highly effective anti-coagulants,renal function replacement therapy,and other treatment methods,have been improved continuously,their effectiveness in MODS treatment is not ideal.Therefore,clinical MODS treatment is faced with great challenges[Figure 1].