Indocyanine green plasma clearance rate and 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography evaluated preoperative remnant liver

BACKGROUND Preoperative evaluation of future remnant liver reserves is important for safe hepatectomy.If the remnant is small,preoperative portal vein embolization(PVE)is useful.Liver volume analysis has been the primary method of preoperative evaluation,although functional examination may be more accurate.We have used the functional evaluation liver using the indocyanine green plasma clearance rate(KICG)and 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography(99mTc-GSA SPECT)for safe hepatectomy.AIM To analyze the safety of our institution’s system for evaluating the remnant liver reserve.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 23 patients who underwent preoperative PVE.Two types of remnant liver KICG were defined as follows:Anatomical volume remnant KICG(a-rem-KICG),determined as the remnant liver anatomical volume rate×KICG;and functional volume remnant KICG(frem-KICG),determined as the remnant liver functional volume rate based on 99mTc-GSA SPECT×KICG.If either of the remnant liver KICGs were>0.05,a hepatectomy was performed.Perioperative factors were analyzed.We defined the marginal group as patients with a-rem-KICG of<0.05 and a f-rem-KICG of>0.05 and compared the postoperative outcomes between the marginal and not marginal(both a-rem-KICG and f-rem-KICG>0.05)groups.RESULTS All 23 patients underwent planned hepatectomies.Right hepatectomy,right trisectionectomy and left trisectionectomy were in 16,6 and 1 cases,respectively.The mean of blood loss and operative time were 576 mL and 474 min,respectively.The increased amount of frem-KICG was significantly larger than that of a-rem-KICG after PVE(0.034 vs 0.012,P=0.0273).The not marginal and marginal groups had 17(73.9%)and 6(26.1%)patients,respectively.The complications of Clavian-Dindo classification grade II or higher and post-hepatectomy liver failure were observed in six(26.1%)and one(grade A,4.3%)patient,respectively.The 90-d mortality was zero.The marginal group had no significant difference in postoperative outcomes(prothrombin time/international normalised ratio,total bilirubin,complication,post-hepatectomy liver failure,hospital stay,90-d,and mortality)compared with the not-marginal group.CONCLUSION Functional evaluation of the remnant liver enabled safe hepatectomy and may extend the indication for hepatectomy after PVE treatment.

Queue clearance rate method for estimating passenger car equivalents at signalized intersections

This study explored the use of queue clearance rate method for estimating passenger car equivalent （PCE） at signalized intersections. PCE was estimated based on the assumption that the rate at which a queue of vehicles clears the intersection is a function of its composition. Results of this method were compared with the results estimated by some popular techniques. A fourqegged intersection was simulated in VISSIM software and different techniques were used to convert the traffic mix into a uniform one. Parameters of VISSIM were modified to closely reflect the traffic behaviour under heterogeneous traffic conditions. All approaches of the intersection were loaded to saturated conditions and accuracy of estimated PCEs were established by comparing converted flow （PCE/h） with the capacity of an all-car traffic stream. Method based on saturation flow delivered the best result, but its use was limited to traffic composed only of two types of vehicles. Results of regression and optimization techniques were almost similar and the converted flow was close to the capacity of all-car stream. However, accuracy of these methods strongly relied on the correct measurement of saturation flow. Queue clearance rate method did not require value of saturation flow and yielded good estimates of PCE throughout the simu- lation runs. The maximum difference between the converted flow and capacity estimated with all car situations was found to be less than 10% in all cases considered in this study.

Effects of Rare Earth Ce on Nonspecific Immunity in Mice

Mice were watered with cerous nitrate solution (2, 20, 200 mg·kg-1) according to daily drinking water volume for 50 days and the effects of cerous nitrate on nonspecific immunity in mice were investigated. The results showed that the total number of peripheral white blood cell, the clearance rate of charcoal particles, the indices of thymus and spleen were increased on different degrees, and associated with the watering dose, noting that these indices were increased significantly by cerous nitrate at a dose of 20 mg·kg-1 compared with control group. Therefore, it was concluded that the nonspecific immunity could be improved by rare earth Ce in mice.

Effects of temperature on the respiratory metabolism,feeding and expression of three heat shock protein genes in Anadara broughtonii

Anadara broughtonii is one of the main commercially important species of shellfish in northern China.A.broughtonii lives in relatively stable subtidal zone where the clam could respond to environmental changes with minimum energy.Therefore,slight fluctuations in water environment may have a great impact on physiological processes such as feeding and metabolism.Large-scale mortality often occurs during the intermediate rearing processes,and high temperatures in summer are considered the leading cause of mortality.To understand the physiological and molecular response patterns of A.broughtonii at high temperatures and to estimate the appropriate metabolism temperature for A.broughtonii,the effects of temperature on the respiratory metabolism and food intake at different growth stages were studied.The response patterns of heat shock protein genes to heat stress and post-stress recovery were also explored.Results show that the temperature and growth stage of A.broughtonii were two important factors affecting metabolism and feeding.The optimum temperature for feeding and physiological activities in each shell-length group was 24℃.The temperature at which the peak metabolic rate occurred in each shell-length group increased with the increase in shell length.With the increase in heat stress,the expression of three heat shock protein genes(Abhsp60,Abhsp70,and Abhsp90)in the tissues of two size groups of A.broughtonii increased significantly when temperature was above 24℃and reached a peak at 30℃.After heat shock at 30℃for 2 h,the expression of the three heat shock protein genes rapidly increased,peaked at 2 h after the heat shock,and then gradually decreased to the level of the control group at 48 h after the heat shock.The three heat shock protein genes respond rapidly to heat stress and can be used as indicators to the cellular stress response in A.broughtonii under an environmental stress.

Effect of renal function and hemodialysis on the serum tumor markers in patients with chronic kidney disease

In patients with chronic renal failure,whether they have had hemodialysis or not,the specificity of some of the serum tumor markers for the diagnosis of the corresponding tumors is decreased while others remain as valuable as they are in patients with normal kidney function.The detection of tumor markers is extensively used for the diagnosis of corresponding tumors.It has been recently shown that some tumor markers are higher in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD)than in the normal population.The effects of renal function and hemodialysis were examined on serum levels of some of the tumor markers including CEA,CA_(199),CA_(125),AFP,CA_(153),CA_(724),CYFRA21-1,NSE,SCC-Ag,PSA,and fPSA.The 232 non-dialysis patients with CKD and 37 chronic uremic patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis were enrolled in this study.The 232 non-dialysis patients were divided into three groups according to their Ccr.In group 1,Ccr wash25 mL/min.In group 2,Ccr was between 25 and 50 mL/min.In group 3,Ccr wasi50 mL/min.The male patients were also divided into three groups to compare the serum levels of PSA and fPSA among the three groups.Nine tumor markers in 37 uremic patients were tested.For comparison,37 non-dialysis patients with similar Ccr of the same age and gender served as controls.There existed significant differences in serum levels of CEA,CA_(199),CYFRA21-1,NSE,and SCC-Ag among different Ccr groups and the markers bore a negative correlation with Ccr.There were no significant differences among the three groups in the serum concentrations of CA_(125),AFP,CA_(153),CA_(724),PSA and fPSA.The serum levels of CA125 and NSE were significantly higher(P<0.01)in hemodialysis patients than in the nondialysis control patients.In patients with chronic renal failure,who were or were not on hemodialysis,the specificity of serum CEA,CA_(199),CYFRA21-1,NSE,CA_(125) and SCC-Ag for the diagnosis of the corresponding tumors was decreased while serum AFP,CA153,CA724,PSA and fPSA were as valuable as they were in patients with normal kidney function.Hemodialysis further increased the serum level of CA_(125) and NSE.

Litopenaeus vannamei immunestimulated with Macrocystis pyrifera extract:improving the immune response against Vibrio campbellii

Objective:To examine the immune responses of Litopenaeus vannamei after different treatments with a hot water extract of Macrocystis pyrifera(M.pyrifera)and a subsequent challenge with Vibrio campbellii(V.campbellii).Methods:A total of 184 adult white shrimp that were infected with V.campbellii(1×10^(6) CFU/shrimp)were immunostimulate by the hot-water extract from M.pyrifera via either injection(10μg)or immersion(350 mg/L),the experimental controls were injected with either saline solution or V.campbellii(1×10^(6) CFU/shrimp).The bacterial DNA depuration rate,antimicrobial activity and total hemocyte count were evaluated in hemolymph samples at 2,6,12,24,48 and 72 h post-infection.Results:Injected shrimp(10μg M.pyrifera extract)demonstrated the best clearance of bacterial infection,with 82%survival at 72 h post-infection(cellular response).Hemolymph from the immersed organisms had the best antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli growth;specifically,the most efficient antimicrobial activity was observed at 24 h post-infection.Both types of immunostimulated shrimp had similar total hemocyte counts at 24 h post-infection(1.63-1.59 million/mL);however,after 72 h,injected shrimp had higher total hemocyte counts than immersed animals(2.59 v.s.0.56 million/mL).Conclusions:The injection of the M.pyrifera hot-water extract facilitated a more efficient response to V.campbellii infection due to the stimulation of the hemocytes of the shrimp.In other words,the cellular immune response was more efficient to eliminate bacterial infection than the humoral response in shrimp.