Clinical efficacy and pathological outcomes of transanal endoscopic intersphincteric resection for low rectal cancer

BACKGROUND Transanal endoscopic intersphincteric resection(ISR)surgery currently lacks sufficient clinical research and reporting.AIM To investigate the clinical effectiveness of transanal endoscopic ISR,in order to promote the clinical application and development of this technique.METHODS This study utilized a retrospective case series design.Clinical and pathological data of patients with lower rectal cancer who underwent transanal endoscopic ISR at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University between May 2018 and May 2023 were included.All patients underwent transanal endoscopic ISR as the surgical approach.We conducted this study to determine the perioperative recovery status,postoperative complications,and pathological specimen charac-teristics of this group of patients.RESULTS This study included 45 eligible patients,with no perioperative mortalities.The overall incidence of early complications was 22.22%,with a rate of 4.44%for Clavien-Dindo grade≥III events.Two patients(4.4%)developed anastomotic leakage after surgery,including one case of grade A and one case of grade B.Postoperative pathological examination confirmed negative circumferential resection margins and distal resection margins in all patients.The mean distance between the tumor lower margin and distal resection margin was found to be 2.30±0.62 cm.The transanal endoscopic ISR procedure consistently yielded high quality pathological specimens.CONCLUSION Transanal endoscopic ISR is safe,feasible,and provides a clear anatomical view.It is associated with a low incidence of postoperative complications and favorable pathological outcomes,making it worth further research and application.

Natural YMDD-motif mutants affect clinical course of lamivudine in chronic hepatitis B

AIM:To investigate the prevalence of nature tyrosinemethionine-aspartic acid-aspartic acid motif mutations in chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients and to evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine.METHODS:A total of 1268 CHB patients were recruited from the outpatient and inpatient departments of six centers.Tyrosine-methionine-aspartic acid-aspartic acid(YMDD)mutations were analyzed using the hepatitis B virus(HBV)drug resistance line probe assay.Forty voluntary patients were selected from those with positive or negative natural YMDD mutations to undergo treatment with lamivudine.RESULTS:YMDD mutations were detected in 288(22.71%)of the 1268 CHB patients.Multivariate analysis revealed that the patients’HBV DNA level(P=0.0282)and hepatitis B e antigen status(P=0.0133)were also associated with natural YMDD mutations.The rates of normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels and HBV DNA nondetection at 6,24,36,and 48 wk were compared between the patients with natural YMDD mutations and those without,and the differences were not significant.However,there was a significant difference in the cumulative emergence rates of virological breakthrough at 48 wk in the patients with natural YMDD mutations and those without(32.5%vs 12.5%,P=0.032).CONCLUSION:Naturally occurring YMDD mutationsare detectable in a large proportion of CHB patients;breakthrough hepatitis tended to occur in patients with natural YMDD mutations.

Thermal comfort and thermoregulation in manned space flight

Exposure to thermal environment is one of the main concerns for manned space exploration. By focusing on the works performed on thermoregulation at microgravity or simulated microgravity, we endeavored to review the investigation on space thermal environmental physiology. First of all, the application of medical requirements for the crew module design from normal thermal comfort to accidental thermal emergencies in a space craft will be addressed. Then, alterations in the autonomic and behavioral temperature regulation caused by the effect of weightlessness both in space flight and its simulation on the ground are also discussed. Furthermore, countermeasures like exercise training, simulated natural ventilation, encouraged drink, etc., in the protection of thermoregulation during space flight is presented. Finally, the challenge of space thermal environment physiology faced in the future is figured out.