Treatment of hemolymphangioma by robotic surgery: A case report

BACKGROUND Hemolymphangioma of the jejunum is rare and lacks clinical specificity,and can manifest as gastrointestinal bleeding,abdominal pain,and intestinal obstruction.Computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging,and other examinations show certain characteristics of the disease,but lack accuracy.Although capsule endoscopy and enteroscopy make up for this deficiency,the diagnosis also still re-quires pathology.CASE SUMMARY A male patient was admitted to the hospital due to abdominal distension and abdominal pain,but a specific diagnosis by computed tomography examination was not obtained.Partial resection of the small intestine was performed by robotic surgery,and postoperative pathological biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of hemo-lymphangioma.No recurrence in the follow-up examination was observed.CONCLUSION Robotic surgery is an effective way to treat hemolymphangioma through minima-lly invasive techniques under the concept of rapid rehabilitation.

Versatile and controlled quantum teleportation network

A quantum teleportation network involving multiple users is essential for future quantum internet.So far,controlled quantum teleportation has been demonstrated in a three-user network.However,versatile and controlled quantum teleportation network involving more users is in demand,which satisfies different combinations of users for practical requirements.Here we propose a highly versatile and controlled teleportation network that can switch among various combinations of different users.We use a single continuous-variable six-partite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger(GHZ)state to realize such a task by choosing the different measurement and feedback operations.The controlled teleportation network,which includes one sub-network,two sub-networks and three sub-networks,can be realized for different application of user combinations.Furthermore,the coherent feedback control(CFC)can manipulate and improve the teleportation performance.Our approach is flexible and scalable,and would provide a versatile platform for demonstrations of complex quantum communication and quantum computing protocols.

泌尿系结石患者尿路大肠埃希菌感染的临床特点及药物敏感性分析

目的分析泌尿系结石患者尿路大肠埃希菌感染的临床特点及药物敏感性情况,为临床合理用药提供参考。方法回顾性分析广州医科大学附属第一医院泌尿外科2010年1月-2015年12月泌尿系结石患者中段尿培养分离的大肠埃希菌对常见抗菌药物敏感性的结果。结果泌尿系结石合并尿路大肠埃希菌感染的患者共1 894例。其中,男性患者555例(29.30%),平均年龄54.05岁,女性患者1 339例(70.70%),平均年龄53.24岁。41~60岁年龄段的男、女性患者比例最大,分别占41.34%和55.82%。大肠埃希菌对头孢美唑、头孢替坦、丁胺卡那霉素、替加环素、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦以及碳青霉烯类(厄他培南、美罗培南、亚胺培南)等抗菌药物的敏感性高于90%以上;对氨苄西林、头孢唑啉、头孢噻肟、头孢曲松、左氧氟沙星、环丙沙星等抗菌药物的敏感性低于40%。结论泌尿系结石患者尿路大肠埃希菌对喹诺酮类及部分第3代头孢菌素类抗菌药物的敏感性较低,不适合用于经验性治疗;而对头孢美唑、头孢替坦、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦以及碳青霉烯类等抗菌药物则较为敏感,临床治疗中需根据药敏结果进行规范用药。

Fecal microbiota transplantation induces remission of infantile allergic colitis through gut microbiota re-establishment

AIM To investigate the impact of fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT) treatment on allergic colitis(AC) and gut microbiota(GM).METHODS We selected a total of 19 AC infants,who suffered from severe diarrhea/hematochezia,did not relieve completely after routine therapy or cannot adhere to the therapy,and were free from organ congenital malformations and other contraindications for FMT. Qualified donor-derived stools were collected and injected to the AC infants via a rectal tube. Clinical outcomes and follow-up observations were noted. Stools were collected from ten AC infants before and after FMT,and GM composition was assessed for infants and donors using 16 S r DNA sequencing analysis.RESULTS After FMT treatment,AC symptoms in 17 infants were relieved within 2 d,and no relapse was observed in the next 15 mo. Clinical improvement was also detected in the other two AC infants who were lost to followup. During follow-up,one AC infant suffered from mild eczema and recovered shortly after hormone therapy. Based on the 16 S r DNA analysis in ten AC infants,most of them(n = 6) had greater GM diversity after FMT. As a result,Proteobacteria decreased(n = 6) and Firmicutes increased(n = 10) in post-FMT AC infants. Moreover,Firmicutes accounted for the greatest proportion of GM in the patients. At the genus level,Bacteroides(n = 6),Escherichia(n = 8),and Lactobacillus(n = 4) were enriched in some AC infants after FMT treatment,but the relative abundances of Clostridium(n = 5),Veillonella(n = 7),Streptococcus(n = 6),and Klebsiella(n = 8) decreased dramatically.CONCLUSION FMT is a safe and effective method for treating pediatric patients with AC and restoring GM balance.

Synergetic anticancer effect of combined gemcitabine and photodynamic therapy on pancreatic cancer in vivo

AIM： To investigate the anti-tumor effects of combined cytotoxic drug （gemcitabine） and photodynamic therapy （PDT） on human pancreatic cancer xenograft in nude mice.METHODS： Human pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 was used in the investigation of the in vivo effect of combined gemcitabine and PDT on human pancreatic cancer xenograft in mice. Sixty mice were randomly allocated into a control group （without treatment）, photosensitizer treatment group （2 mg/kg photosan, without illumination）, chemotherapy group （50 mg/kg gemcitabine i.p.）, PDT group （2 mg/kg photosan ＋ laser irradiation） and combined treatment group （photosan ＋ chemotherapy）, with 12 mice in each group. Tumor size was measured twice every week. Anti-tumor activity in different groups was evaluated by tumor growth inhibition （TGI）RESULTS： No significant anti-tumor effect was observed either in photosensitizer treatment group or in chemotherapy group. PDT led to necrosis in cancer lesions and significantly reduced tumor volume compared with photosensitizer on day 6 and at the following time points after initialization of therapy （0.24 ± 0.15-0.49 ± 0.08 vs 0.43 ± 0.18-1.25± 0.09, P 〈 0.05）. PDT significantly reduced tumor volume in combined treatment group compared with photosensitizer treatment group （0.12 ± 0.07-0.28 ± 0.22 vs 0.39 ± 0.15-2.20 ± 0.12, P 〈 0.05）, small dose chemotherapy group （0.12 ± 0.07-0.28 ± 0.12 vs 0.32 ± 0.14-1.16 ± 0.08, P 〈 0.05） and control group （0.12 ± 0.07-0.28 ± 0.12 vs 0.43 ± 0.18-1.25 ± 0.09, P 〈 0.05）. TGI was higher in the combined treatment group （82.42%） than in the PDT group （58.18%）.CONCLUSION： PDT has a significant anti-tumor effect, which is maintained for a short time and can be significantly enhanced by small doses of gemcitabine.

Effects of hospital–community integrated transitional care on quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective: To explore the effects of “hospital–community integrated transitional care” model on quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 117 inpatients with COPD from the Department of Respiratory Medicine in a tertiary general hospital in Nanjing were enrolled by convenience sampling from January to December in 2016 and then were divided into intervention group (n = 60) and control group (n = 57) by random number table. Patients in the intervention group accepted both routine care and hospital– community integrated transitional care for 3 months after discharge. Assessment of quality of life by telephone follow-up or interview within a week before discharge and 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge was evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey questionnaire. Results: For a total score of quality of life, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05): 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge. In addition, for each dimension score of quality of life, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) except vitality dimension, 1 month after discharge, and there were significant differences in all dimensions, 3 and 6 months after discharge (P < 0.05) Conclusions: Hospital–community integrated transitional care model can improve the quality of life of patients with COPD.

Using preoperative N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery in Chinese advanced-age patients

BACKGROUND N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)is often viewed as an indicator for heart failure.However,the prognostic association and the predictive utility of NT-proBNP for postoperative major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery(MINS)among older patients are unclear.METHODS In this study,we included 5033 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent noncardiac surgery with preoperative NT-proBNP recorded.Logistic regression was adopted to model the associations between preoperative NT-proBNP and the risk of MACEs and MINS.The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the predictive value of NT-proBNP.RESULTS A total of 5033 patients were enrolled,63 patients(1.25%)and 525 patients(10.43%)had incident postoperative MACEs and MINS,respectively.Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the cutoff values of ln(NT-proBNP)for MACEs and MINS were 5.16(174 pg/mL)and 5.30(200 pg/mL),respectively.Adding preoperative ln(NT-proBNP)to the Revised Cardiac Risk Index score and the Cardiac and Stroke Risk Model boosted the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves from 0.682 to 0.726 and 0.787 to 0.804,respectively.The inclusion of preoperative NT-proBNP in the prediction models significantly increased the reclassification and discrimination.CONCLUSIONS Increased preoperative NT-proBNP was associated with a higher risk of postoperative MACEs and MINS.The inclusion of NT-proBNP enhances the predictive ability of the preexisting models.

GABA stimulates human hepatocellular carcinoma growth through overexpressed GABAA receptor theta subunit

AIM: To investigate the function of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor θ subunit (GABRQ) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction was used for detecting the expression of GABRQ receptor among HCC cell line HepG2, normal liver cell line L-02, non-malignant Chang's liver cells, 8 samples of HCC tissues and paired non-cancerous tissues. HepG2 cells were treated with GABA at serial concentrations (0, 1, 10, 20, 40 and 60 μmol/L), and their proliferating abilities were analyzed with the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, cell cycle analysis and tumor implanted in nude mice. Small interfering RNA was used for knocking down the endogenous GABRQ in HepG2. Proliferating abilities of these cells treated with or without GABA were analyzed. RESULTS: We identified the overexpression of GABRQ in HCC cell lines and half of the tested HCC tissues. Knockdown of endogenous GABRQ expression in HepG2 attenuated HCC cell growth, suggesting its role in HCC cell viability. We studied the effect of GABA in the proliferation of GABRQ-positive cell lines in vitro and in vivo , and found that GABA increased HCC growth in a dosedependent manner. Notably, the addition of GABA into the cell culture medium promoted the proliferation of GABRQ-expressing HepG2 cells, but not GABRQ-knockdown HepG2 cells, which means that GABA stimulates HepG2 cell growth through GABRQ. CONCLUSION: GABRQ play important roles in HCC development and progression and could be a promising molecular target for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of HCC.

Carbon stock in Korean larch plantations along a chronosequence in the Lesser Khingan Mountains, China

Carbon （C） dynamics are central to understanding ecosystem restoration effects within the context of Grain for Green Project （GGP）. GGP stared in China since 2003 to improve the environment. Despite its importance, how total forest ecosystem C stock （FECS） develops fol- lowing land-use changes from cropland to plantation is poorly under- stood, in particular the relationship of C allocation to pools. We quanti- fied C pools in a chronosequence ranging from 0 to 48 years, using com- plete above- and below-ground harvests based on detailed field inventory Stands were chosen along a succession sequence in managed plantations of Korean larch （Larix olgensis Henry.）, a native planting species in the Lesser Khingan Mountains, Northeast of China. The FECS of Korean larch plantation （KLP） were dynamic across stand development, chang- ing from 88.2 Mg.ha-1 at cropland, to 183.9 Mg.ha·-1 as an average of forest C from 7- through 48-year-old plantation. In a 48-year-old mature KLP, vegetation comprises 48.63% of FECS and accounts for 67.66% of annual net C increment （ANCI）. Soil is responsible for 38.19% and 13.53% of those, and with the remainders of 13.18% and 18.81% in down woody materials. Based on comparisons of our estimate to those of others, we conclude that afforestation of Korean larch plantation is a valid approach to sequester carbon.

Optimization,validation and application of an assay for the activity of HMG-CoA reductase in vitro by LC–MS/MS

A stable HMG-CoA reductase （HMGR） reaction in vitro was developed by a sensitive, selective and precise liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS） method. The optimized enzyme reaction condition contained 1.5 lag of HMGR, 20 nM of NADPH with 50 rain of reaction time. The method was validated by several intraand inter-day assays. The production transitions of m/z 147.0/59.1 and m/z 154.0/59.1 were used to detect and quantify mevalonolactone （MVAL） and MVAL-DT, respectively. The accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated over the concentration range of 0.005- 1.000 lag/mL for MVAL and 0.010-0.500 lag/mL for lovastatin acid in three validation batch runs. The lower limit of quantitation was found to be 0.005 lag/mL for MVAL and 0.010 lag/mL for lovastatin acid. Intra-day and inter-day precision ranged from 0.95% to 2.39% and 2.26% to 3.38% for MVAL, 1.46% to 3.89% and 0.57% to 5.10% for lovastatin acid, respectively. The results showed that the active ingredients in Xuezhikang capsules were 12.2 and 14.5 mg/g, respectively. This assay method could be successfully anDlied to the oualitv control study of Xuezhikanu caosule for the first time.

The BTB/TAZ domain-containing protein CmBT1-mediated CmANR1 ubiquitination negatively regulates root development in chrysanthemum

Roots are fundamental for plants to adapt to variable environmental conditions.The development of a robust root system is orchestrated by numerous genetic determinants and,among them,the MADS-box gene ANR1 has garnered substantial attention.Prior research has demonstrated that,in chrysanthemum,CmANR1positively regulates root system development.Nevertheless,the upstream regulators involved in the CmANR1-mediated regulation of root development remain unidentified.In this study,we successfully identified bric-a-brac,tramtrack and broad(BTB)and transcription adapter putative zinc finger(TAZ)domain protein CmBT1 as the interacting partner of CmANR1 through a yeasttwo-hybrid(Y2H)screening library.Furthermore,we validated this physical interaction through bimolecular fluorescence complementation and pull-down assays.Functional assays revealed that CmBT1 exerted a negative influence on root development in chrysanthemum.In both in vitro and in vivo assays,it was evident that CmBT1mediated the ubiquitination of CmANR1 through the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway.This ubiquitination subsequently led to the degradation of the CmANR1 protein and a reduction in the transcription of CmANR1-targeted gene CmPIN2,which was crucial for root development in chrysanthemum.Genetic analysis suggested that CmBT1 modulated root development,at least in part,by regulating the level of CmANR1 protein.Collectively,these findings shed new light on the regulatory role of CmBT1 in degrading CmANR1 through ubiquitination,thereby repressing the expression of its targeted gene and inhibiting root development in chrysanthemum.

s Early-onset in Major Depression a Predictor of Specific Clinical Features with More Impaired Social Function？

Background:Early-onset major depressive disorder (MDD) (EOD) is often particularly malignant due to its special clinical features,accompanying impaired social function,protracted recovery time,and frequent recurrence.This study aimed to observe the effects of age onset on clinical characteristics and social function in MDD patients in Asia.Methods:In total,547 out-patients aged 18-65 years who were from 13 study sites in five Asian countries were included.These patients had MDD diagnose according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,4th Edition criteria.Clinical features and social function were assessed using Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS).Quality of life was assessed by a 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36).Analyses were performed using a continuous or dichotomous (cut-off:30 years)age-of-onset indicator.Results:Early-onset MDD (EOD,＜30 years) was associated with longer illness (P =0.003),unmarried status (P ＜ 0.001),higher neuroticism (P ≤ 0.002) based on the SCL-90-R,and more limited social function and mental health (P =0.006,P =0.007) based on the SF-36 and SDS.The impairment of social function and clinical severity were more prominent at in-patients with younger onset ages.Special clinical features and more impaired social function and quality of life were associated with EOD,as in western studies.Conclusions:EOD often follows higher levels of neuroticism.Age of onset of MDD may be a predictor of clinical features and impaired social function,allowing earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Heat sensitivity of eggs attributes to the reduction in Agasicles hygrophila population

Agasicles hygrophila has been introduced worldwide as a control agent for the invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides.However,global warming has potential impact on its controlling efficacy.The aim of this research was to explore the primary factors responsible for the greatly reduced A.hygrophila population in hot summers.To imitate the temperature conditions in summers,different developmental stages of hygrophila were treated with high temperatures from 32.5℃ to 45℃ for 1-5 h.Based on the survival rate,the heat tolerance of each developmental stage was ranked from lowest to highest as follows:egg,1st,2nd,3rd instar larva,adult and pupa.Eggs showed the lowest heat tolerance with 37.5℃ as the critical temperature affecting larval hatching.Heat treatment of the A.hygrophila eggs at 37.5℃ for 1 h decreased the hatch rate to 24%.Our results indicated that when compared with the control at 25℃,1 h treatment at 37.5℃ prolonged the duration of the egg stage,shortened the duration of oviposition and total longevity,and changed the reproductive pattern of A.hygrophila.The net reproductive rate,intrinsic rate and finite rate were all significantly reduced.The results suggest that low heat tolerance of the eggs was the major factor responsible for the reduction of A.hygrophila populations,and the key temperature was 37.5°C.Therefore,appropriate measures should be taken to protect eggs in order to maintain the efficacy of A.hygrophila in the biological control of A.philoxeroides in hot summers.

Ray-triangular Bezier patch intersection using hybrid clipping algorithm

In this paper, we present a novel geometric method for efficiently and robustly computing intersections between a ray and a triangular Bezier patch defined over a triangular domain, called the hybrid clipping （HC） algorithm. If the ray pierces the patch only once, we locate the parametric value of the intersection to a smaller triangular domain, which is determined by pairs of lines and quadratic curves, by using a multi-degree reduction method. The triangular domain is iteratively clipped into a smaller one by combining a subdivision method, until the domain size reaches a prespecified threshold. When the ray intersects the patch more than once, Descartes＇ rule of signs and a split step are required to isolate the intersection points. The algorithm can be proven to clip the triangular domain with a cubic convergence rate after an appropriate preprocessing procedure. The proposed algorithm has many attractive properties, such as the absence of an initial guess and insensitivity to small changes in coefficients of the original problem. Experiments have been conducted to illustrate the efficacy of our method in solving ray-triangular Bezier patch intersection problems.

Peripheral Pulmonary Emboli Detected by Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound

To the Editor： Endobronchial ultrasound （EBUS） has been utilized as a useful noninvasive diagnostic tool for mediastinal lymph nodes or masses. Recently, convex probe EBUS （CP-EBUS） has recently come to be used to diagnose central pulmonary embolism.I However, CP-EBUS cannot detect peripheral pulnaonary embolism. It is here believed that the potential use of EBUS is still underestimated.

Pyridine-Si-xanthene: A novel near-infrared fluorescent platform for biological imaging

Pyridine-Si-xanthene,a novel near-infrared fluorescent dye,dispalys better photophysical properties compared with Si-rhodamines including improved modifiability and red-shifted emission wavelength.The application is exemplified through the development of a lysosomes-targeting probe capable of imaging cysteine in cells and in vivo.