Case Report: Bilateral Intra-Parenchymal Hematomas Caused by Ventricular Flood Complicating Neonatal Salmonella typhi Meningitis

Salmonella meningitis is an uncommon condition in neonates, and when it does occur, it is often linked to serious complications, such as subdural collections and abscesses. We present a case involving a 23-day-old neonate diagnosed with Salmonella meningitis, who developed complications including bilateral intra-parenchymal hematomas with ventricular involvement. The infant showed significant improvement following an extended course of systemic antibiotics and supportive care.

Acquired haemophilia as a complicating factor in treatment of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND Acquired haemophilia(AH)is a serious autoimmune haematological disease caused by the production of auto-antibodies against coagulation factor VIII.In some patients,AH is associated with a concomitant malignancy.In case of surgical intervention,AH poses a high risk of life-threatening bleeding.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old female patient with multiple recurrences of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer underwent transurethral tumour resection.A severe haematuria developed postoperatively warranting two endoscopic revisions;however,no clear source of bleeding was identified in the bladder.Subsequent haematological examination established a diagnosis of AH.Treatment with factor VIII inhibitor bypass activity and immunosuppressive therapy was initiated immediately.The patient responded well to the therapy and was discharged from the hospital 21 d after the primary surgery.At the 38-mo follow-up,both AH and bladder cancer remained in complete remission.CONCLUSION AH is a rare,life-threatening haematological disease.AH should be considered in patients with persistent severe haematuria or other bleeding symptoms,especially if combined with isolated activated partial thromboplastin time prolongation.

Left hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm complicating endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography:A case report

BACKGROUND Pseudoaneurysms of the hepatic artery or its branches have been reported following abdominal trauma,iatrogenic injury at the time of many operations such as percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and cholecystectomy.Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)are uncommon and potentially life threatening and should be identified and treated rapidly.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage secondary to a left hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm resulting from guide wire injury at ERCP.The patient primary diagnosis was acute biliary pancreatitis with cholangitis,he underwent ERCP on the third day of admission.During ERCP,the left intrahepatic bile duct was cannulated three times.Over the sixth day,Contrast enhanced computed tomography scan demonstrated left hepatic lobe contusion and a pseudoaneurysm formation.The patient was successfully treated with the embolization of a small branch of left hepatic artery angiographically.CONCLUSION The common complications of ERCP are pancreatitis,bleeding and perforation.False aneurysms occur as a result of damage to the wall of an artery.As far as we know,it is rare complication has been reported following ERCP.We advise urgent referral for angiographic embolization in this situation to avoid aneurysm rupture.

Changes in Number and Biological Function of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Hypertension Disorder Complicating Pregnancy

To examine the changes in number and function of endothelial progenitor cells （EPCs） from peripheral blood （PB） in hypertension disorder complicating pregnancy （HDCP）, 20 women with HDCP and 20 normal pregnant women at the third trimester were studied. Mononuclear cells （MNCs） from PB were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. EPCs were identified by positive expression of both CD34 and CD133 under fluorescence microscope and positive expression of factor Ⅷ as shown by immunocytochemistry. The number of EPCs was flow-cytometrically determined. Proliferation and migration of EPCs were measured by MTT assay and modified Boyden chamber assay, respectively. The adhesion activity of EPCs was detected by counting the number of the adherent cells. The results showed that, compared with normal pregnant women, the number of EPCs was significantly reduced in HDCP （4.29%±1.21% vs 15.32%±2.00%, P〈0.01）, the functional activity of EPCs in HDCP, such as proliferation （13.45%±1.68% vs 18.45%±1.67%）, migration （37.25±7.28 cells/field vs 67.10±9.55 cells/field） and adhesion activity （20.65±5.19 cells/field vs 34.40±6.72 cells/filed） was impaired （P〈0.01）. It is concluded that the number and function of EPCs are significantly decreased in HDCP.

The Association between Polymorphism of TNF-α Gene and Hypertensive Disorder Complicating Pregnancy

To study whether the development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy is associated with --308G→A, -850C→T mutation at promoter of TNF-α gene, the --308G→A, --850C→T polymorphism was examined in patients and healthy pregnant women by PCR-RFLP technique. The frequencies of genotype and allele were compared between the two groups. The results showed that with-308G→A polymorphism distribution, the allele frequency of TNF2 and the frequency of the genotype TNF2/1 in the patient group was significantly higher in the patient group than in control group （P〈0.05）. A significant difference in genotype distribution of --850C→T polymorphism was observed between the two groups. The allele frequencies of T in patient group was higher in the control group as compared with the patient group. The frequencies of CT and TT genotypes were lower in the patient group. It is concluded that the TNF2 allele of -308 is associated with the occurrence of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy, while T allele of--850 may be the protective factor against the development of the disease. TNF2/1 CC may be susceptibility genotype of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Endogenous Ouabain in Hypertensive Disorder Complicating Pregnancy

Expression of endogenous ouabain in placenta and the concentrations of serum ET-1 and NO were examined in 30 patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy （HDCP） and 30 healthy pregnant women to investigate the effect of endogenous ouabain on HDCP. Compared with the healthy pregnant group, the expression of endogenous ouabain dramatically increased in the HDCP groups （P〈0.01）. There was a significantly positive correlation between the expression of en- dogenous ouabain with ET-1 （r= 0.5567, P〈0.01）, while the correlation of endogenous ouabain and NO was significantly negative （r=-0.6895, P〈0.01）. As expected, the correlation between ET-1 and NO was negative （r=-0.7796, P〈0.01）. ET-1 concentrations of maternal and cord sera in HDCP groups were significantly higher in comparison with healthy pregnant group （P〈0.01）. On the contrast, NO concentrations were much lower in the maternal and cord sera of HDCP groups as compared with healthy pregnant group （P〈0.01）. Our data suggest that endogenous ouabain is directly involved in the nosogenesis of HDCP, with accompanying decreased NO and the elevated of ET-1.

The investigation for the relationship among serum leptin, erythrocyte membrane Ca^(2+)-ATPase activity and hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Objective： To study the significance of Leptin and the activity of erythrocyte membrane Ca^2＋-ATPase（EMCA） in the development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Methods： Radioimmunoassay was used to test the level of serum Leptin, and the activity of EMCA was determined chemically in 38 pregnant women with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and 36 normotensive pregnant women. Results： The level of serum Leptin in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy（gestational hypertension： 13.76 ± 3.46 ng/ml; preeclampsia： 15.76 ± 5.47 ng/ml; eclampsia： 18.32 ± 6.38 ng/ml）was significantly higher than that in normotensive pregnant women （11.33 ± 2.93 ng/ml） ,respectively. The average EMCA activity of patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy （gestational hypertension： 1.65 ± 0.24 μmol·pi/mg.h ; preeclampsia： 1.37 ± 0.19 μ mol·pi/mg·h;eclampsia：1.12 ± 0.14 μmol·pi/mg·h） was significantly lower than that of normotensive pregnant women（1.83 ± 0.38 μ mol·pi/mg·h）,respectively. There was a negative correlation between the level of serum Leptin and the activity of RMCA in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy （r = -0.63）. Conclusion： Inhibition of EMCA activity of erythrocyte in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy may increase cytoplasmic free calcium, which contributes to the development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. The negative correlation between the level of serum Leptin and the activity of EMCA, also suggested that serum Leptin and the activity of EMCA may play a role in the development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Clinical study of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicating congestive heart failure

Objectives To observe the efficacy and safety of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(rh-BNP) on patients with acute myocardial infarction complicating congestive heart failure.Methods 40 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by congestive heart failure were randomly divided into control group and treatment group of 20 cases.The control group,15 cases of acute anterior myocardial infarction,5 cases of acute inferior wall myocardial infarction, 15 males and 5 females,aged 55-70 years,mean age 58±12 years;treated 16 cases of acute anterior myocardial infarction,4 cases of acute myocardial infarction,16 males and 4 females,aged 56-70 years,mean age 59±11 years;two groups of age,gender,severity of disease and vascular lesions no significant difference and comparable(P】0.05).Conventional group were given aspirin,clopidogrel, statins,Inotropic,diuretic and vasodilator therapy.In the con- ventional treatment group based on the use of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(new bios,Tibet Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.Chengdu Nuodikang biopharmaceutical production, usage:1.5μg/Kg intravenous injection(impact), then 0.0075μg-0.01μg/(kg·min)infusion rate).Continuous medication 72 h.The clinical symptoms observed for 3 days in patients before treatment and after treatment,heart rate,blood pressure and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) levels were measured.Results In control group,8 cases markedly effect,5 cases effect and 7 cases no effect,the total effective rate was 65%;In treatment group,13 cases markedly effect,6 cases effect and 1 cases no effect,the total effective rate was 95%,compared with two groups P New bios treatment group significantly increased cardiac index(CI) in patients with heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) than the control group(all P【0.05),further reduce the levels of tumor necrosis (TNF-α) and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP).Conclusions rh-BNP can improve symptoms and heart function,reduced plasma tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) and BNP levels of acute myocardial infarction patients with congestive heart failure,the treatment safe and reliable.As small sample size observed,larger sample to be accumulated to further evaluate its efficacy and safety.

Ultrasonic evaluation of central retinal artery hemodynamics in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and the correlation with disease

Objective:To study the correlation between central retinal artery hemodynamic characteristics in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and endothelial injury molecules as well as trophoblast cell apoptosis molecules.Methods: 45 healthy pregnant women, 37 patients with gestational hypertension and 24 patients with preeclampsia who gave birth in Obstetrics Department of our hospital between May 2013 and December 2015 were selected and included in the control group, GH group and PE group respectively. Central retinal artery ultrasonography was done to determine peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI), serum was collected to determine interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-17, IL-24, chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and cartilage glycoprotein 40 (YKL40) content, and placenta tissue was collected to determine Fas, FasL, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, XIAP, Survivin and Livin expression.Results: Central retinal artery PSV and EDV as well as XIAP, Survivin and Livin expression in placenta of GH group and PE group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05) while central retinal artery RI, serum IL-6, IL-17, IL-24, CXCL10 and YKL40 content as well as Fas, FasL, Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expression in placenta were significantly higher than those of control group (P<0.05). Central retinal artery PSV and EDV as well as XIAP, Survivin and Livin expression in placenta of PE group were significantly lower than those of GH group (P<0.05) while central retinal artery RI, serum IL-6, IL-17, IL-24, CXCL10 and YKL40 content as well as Fas, FasL, Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expression in placenta were significantly higher than those of GH group (P<0.05). Serum IL-6, IL-17, IL-24, CXCL10 and YKL40 content as well as Fas, FasL, Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expression in placenta were negatively correlated with PSV and EDV, and positively correlated with RI;XIAP, Survivin and Livin expression in placenta were positively correlated with PSV and EDV, and negatively correlated with RI. Conclusions:Central retinal artery blood flow characteristics in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy are the significantly increased blood flow resistance and the significantly decreased blood flow volume, and the above blood flow characteristics are associated with maternal endothelial injury and trophoblast cell apoptosis.

Surgical treatment of the biliary ductal stricture complicating localized left hepatolithiasis

AIM To summarize the experience in the clinical treatment of the biliary ductal strictures complicating localized left hepatolithiasis in recent two decades.

Effect of low molecular weight heparin therapy on maternal endothelial injury and placental pathological injury after hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Objective: To study the effect of low molecular weight heparin therapy on maternal endothelial injury and placental pathological injury after hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Methods: A total of 70 patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy who were treated in the hospital between September 2014 and May 2016 were divided into control group and observation group according to the random number table method, 35 cases in each group. Control group received conventional therapy, the observation group received low molecular weight heparin combined with conventional therapy, and both therapies lasted until delivery. The differences in the levels of endothelial injury indexes in serum as well as the expression of oxidative stress indexes and apoptosis molecules in the placental grinding fluid were compared between the two groups of patients. Results: After treatment, serum ET and VCAM-1 levels of both groups of patients were lower than those before treatment while NO and PGE levels were higher than those before treatment, and serum ET and VCAM-1 levels of observation group were lower than those of control group while NO and PGE levels were higher than those of control group;after delivery, AOPP and MDA levels in placental grinding fluid were significantly lower than those of control group while SOD and GSH-Px levels were higher than those of control group;Fas, p53 and caspase-3 mRNA expression in placental grinding fluid were lower than those of control group while Bcl-2 and bax mRNA expression were higher than those of control group. Conclusion: Adjuvant low molecular weight heparin therapy can help to reduce the maternal endothelial injury, reduce the systemic oxidative stress and suppress the placental cell apoptosis in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Ultrasonic evaluation of fetal ventricular systolic function in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and its correlation with the expression of placental hypoxia-related genes

Objective: To discuss the ultrasonic evaluation of fetal ventricular systolic function in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and its correlation with the expression of placental hypoxia-related genes. Methods: A total of 98 late pregnant women with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy who were treated in the hospital between December 2014 and February 2017 were selected as hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy group and 100 normal late pregnant women who received physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as normal control group. The ultrasonic parameters of fetal ventricular systolic function in two groups of pregnant women were detected before delivery, and the expression of hypoxia-related genes in placental tissue was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Pearson test was used to assess the correlation between the parameters of fetal ventricular systolic function and placental hypoxia in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Results: The fetal left ventricular fractional shortening and right ventricular fractional shortening levels of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy group were lower than those of normal control group. Angiogenesis-related genes VEGF, netrin-1 and XIAP mRNA expression in placental tissue of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy group were lower than those in placental tissue of normal control group while HIF-1α mRNA expression was higher than that in placental tissue of normal control group;oxidative stress-related genes Nrf2, TAC3 and PrxⅡ mRNA expression in placental tissue were lower than those in placental tissue of normal control group;apoptosis genes Fas, p53 and caspase-9 mRNA expression in placental tissue were higher than those in placental tissue of normal control group while Bcl-2 and SFRP2 mRNA expression were lower than those in placental tissue of normal control group. Pearson test showed that the ultrasonic parameter levels of fetal ventricular systolic function in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy were directly correlated with the degree of placental hypoxia. Conclusion:Ultrasonic testing of fetal ventricular systolic function in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy can be used as a reliable method to measure the degree of placental hypoxia.

Effect of folic acid and vitamin supplement on endothelial injury and placental blood perfusion in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Objective: To study the effect of folic acid and vitamin supplement on endothelial injury and placental blood perfusion in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Methods: A total of 62 patients who were diagnosed with preeclampsia in Wuhan Red Cross hospital between March 2015 and February 2017 were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into two groups, the observation group received folic acid, vitamin and conventional symptomatic treatment, and control group accepted conventional symptomatic treatment. Serum contents of endothelial injury markers and oxidative stress indexes were detected before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment;the expression of apoptosis genes in the placenta were detected after delivery. Results: 2 weeks after treatment, serum ET-1, tTG, sFlt-1, sEng, MPO, IMA, MDA and AOPP levels of both groups of patients were significantly lower than those before treatment, and serum ET-1, tTG, sFlt-1, sEng, MPO, IMA, MDA and AOPP levels of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group;after delivery, Fas, Bax and Caspase-3 mRNA expression levels in placenta tissue of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group while Bcl-2, Survivin and Livin mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than those of control group. Conclusion:Folic acid and vitamin supplement can significantly improve the endothelial injury and placental blood perfusion in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

Air embolism complicating gastrointestinal endoscopy: A systematic review

Gastrointestinal endoscopy has become an important modality for the diagnosis and treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders. One of its major advantages is that it is minimally invasive and has an excellent safety record. Nevertheless, some complications do occur, and endoscopists are well aware and prepared to deal with the commonly recognized ones including bleeding, perforation, infection, and adverse effects from the sedative medications. Air embolism is a very rare endoscopic complication but possesses the poten-tial to be severe and fatal. It can present with cardio-pulmonary instability and neurologic symptoms. The diagnosis may be difficult because of its clinical presen-tation, which can overlap with sedation-related cardio-pulmonary problems or neurologic symptoms possibly attributed to an ischemic or hemorrhagic central nervous system event. Increased awareness is essential for prompt recognition of the air embolism, which can allow potentially life-saving therapy to be provided.Therefore, we wanted to review the risk factors, the clinical presentation, and the therapy of an air embolism from the perspective of the practicing endoscopist.

Laparoscopic-extracorporeal surgery performed with a fixation device for adnexal masses complicating pregnancy: Report of two cases

The potential complications associated with an adnexal mass discovered during early pregnancy call for surgical treatment. Ideally, surgery is performed after gestational week 12, but uterine expansion after the first trimester makes surgery difficult. We report two pregnancies complicated by adnexal masses for which we used an organ fixation device for safe performance of single-site umbilical laparoscopic surgery. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging depicted a dichorionic, diamniotic twin pregnancy and 60-mm right adnexal mass in the first patient and bilateral adnexae in the second. All three masses were suspected mature cystic teratomas. Both patients underwent laparoscopic surgery during gestational week 14. With use of an organ fixation device, traction was applied until the mass reached the umbilicus; tumor resection was performed extracorporeally. In the second patient, the second mass was simply aspirated because adhesions were encountered. Our single-site laparoscopicextracorporeal technique proved to be a safe approach to an otherwise high-risk situation.

Heart and Lung Disorders Complicating Pregnancy and the Puerperium: Pitfalls in Practice &Lessons Learned

Objective: To review a case series of 12 women with unexpected heart and lung disorders that occurred during pregnancy and the puerperium, describing for teaching purposes the pitfalls in practice and the lessons learned from this experience. Materials & Methods: We reviewed case files of women with medical and/or hypertensive complications of pregnancy that were evaluated for medicolegal defense purposes by the first author between 1986-2015. Twelve women in these case files experienced unexpected cardiovascular and/or cardiopulmonary complications late in pregnancy or early in the puerperium. For each case, the pertinent medical record information was extracted. Important concepts as lessons learned are summarized and referenced for teaching purposes. Results: Five women had undetected preexisting heart disease which acutely deteriorated during the third trimester, four women developed postpartum heart failure related to pregnancy and delivery, and three women suffered an intrapartum cardiac arrest;none survived. Their case presentations illustrate the importance of obstetric health care professionals being alert to the signs/symptoms of developing cardiopulmonary disease late in pregnancy and following delivery so that timely evaluation and intervention can be accomplished to potentially avoid morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic categories include peripartum heart failure, high-risk chronic hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, amniotic fluid embolism, pulmonary embolism and Raynaud’s with occult pulmonary hypertension. Conclusion: These cases illustrate the diversity of ways that cardiovascular disease can suddenly complicate pregnancy and the early postpartum period. A major part of any effort to enhance safer motherhood is a heightened awareness by obstetric specialists to consider the possibility of heart disease in all maternity patients so that appropriate consultation and collaboration with other specialists might help avoid major maternal morbidity or mortality.

Predicting short-term major postoperative complications in intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease:A machine learning-based study

BACKGROUND Due to the complexity and numerous comorbidities associated with Crohn’s disease(CD),the incidence of postoperative complications is high,significantly impacting the recovery and prognosis of patients.Consequently,additional stu-dies are required to precisely predict short-term major complications following intestinal resection(IR),aiding surgical decision-making and optimizing patient care.AIM To construct novel models based on machine learning(ML)to predict short-term major postoperative complications in patients with CD following IR.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data derived from a patient cohort that underwent IR for CD from January 2017 to December 2022.The study participants were randomly allocated to either a training cohort or a validation cohort.The logistic regression and random forest(RF)were applied to construct models in the training cohort,with model discrimination evaluated using the area under the curves(AUC).The validation cohort assessed the performance of the constructed models.RESULTS Out of the 259 patients encompassed in the study,5.0%encountered major postoperative complications(Clavien-Dindo≥III)within 30 d following IR for CD.The AUC for the logistic model was 0.916,significantly lower than the AUC of 0.965 for the RF model.The logistic model incorporated a preoperative CD activity index(CDAI)of≥220,a diminished preoperative serum albumin level,conversion to laparotomy surgery,and an extended operation time.A nomogram for the logistic model was plotted.Except for the surgical approach,the other three variables ranked among the top four important variables in the novel ML model.CONCLUSION Both the nomogram and RF exhibited good performance in predicting short-term major postoperative complic-ations in patients with CD,with the RF model showing more superiority.A preoperative CDAI of≥220,a di-minished preoperative serum albumin level,and an extended operation time might be the most crucial variables.The findings of this study can assist clinicians in identifying patients at a higher risk for complications and offering personalized perioperative management to enhance patient outcomes.

Leisure-time physical activity and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease in adults with type 2 diabetes:Cross-country comparison of cohort studies

Purpose:This study aimed to quantify the dose-response association and the minimal effective dose of leisure-time physical activity(PA)to prevent mortality and cardiovascular disease in adults with type 2 diabetes.Methods:Cross-country comparison of 2 prospective cohort studies including 14,913 and 17,457 population-based adults with type 2 diabetes from the UK and China.Baseline leisure-time PA was self-reported and categorized by metabolic equivalent hours per week(MET-h/week)according to World Health Organization recommendations:none,below recommendation(>0-7.49 MET-h/week);at recommended level(7.5-14.9 MET-h/week);above recommendation(>15 MET-h/week).Mortality and cardiovascular disease data were obtained from national registries.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.4 and 9.7 years,in the UK and China cohorts,repectively,higher levels of leisure-time PA were inversely associated with all-cause(1571 and 2351 events)and cardiovascular mortality(392 and 1060 events),mostly consistent with a linear dose-response relationship.PA below,at,and above recommendations,compared with no activity,yielded all-cause mortality hazard ratios of0.94(95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.79-1.12),0.90(95%CI:0.74-1.10),and 0.85(95%CI:0.70-1.02)in British adults and 0.87(95%CI:0.68-1.10),0.88(95%CI:0.74-1.03),and 0.77(95%CI:0.70-0.85)in Chinese adults.Associations with cardiovascular mortality were more pronounced in British adults(0.80(95%CI:0.58-1.11),0.75(95%CI:0.52-1.09),and 0.69(95%CI:0.48-0.97))but less pronounced in Chinese adults(1.06(95%CI:0.76-1.47),1.01(95%CI:0.80-1.28),and 0.79(95%CI:0.69-0.92)).PA at recommended levels was not associated with lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events(2345 and 4458 events).Conclusion:Leisure-time PA at the recommended levels was not convincingly associated with lower mortality and had no association with risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in British or Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes.Leisure-time PA above current recommendations may be needed to prevent cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes.

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.

Discontinuity development patterns and the challenges for 3D discrete fracture network modeling on complicated exposed rock surfaces

Natural slopes usually display complicated exposed rock surfaces that are characterized by complex and substantial terrain undulation and ubiquitous undesirable phenomena such as vegetation cover and rockfalls.This study presents a systematic outcrop research of fracture pattern variations in a complicated rock slope,and the qualitative and quantitative study of the complex phenomena impact on threedimensional(3D)discrete fracture network(DFN)modeling.As the studies of the outcrop fracture pattern have been so far focused on local variations,thus,we put forward a statistical analysis of global variations.The entire outcrop is partitioned into several subzones,and the subzone-scale variability of fracture geometric properties is analyzed(including the orientation,the density,and the trace length).The results reveal significant variations in fracture characteristics(such as the concentrative degree,the average orientation,the density,and the trace length)among different subzones.Moreover,the density of fracture sets,which is approximately parallel to the slope surface,exhibits a notably higher value compared to other fracture sets across all subzones.To improve the accuracy of the DFN modeling,the effects of three common phenomena resulting from vegetation and rockfalls are qualitatively analyzed and the corresponding quantitative data processing solutions are proposed.Subsequently,the 3D fracture geometric parameters are determined for different areas of the high-steep rock slope in terms of the subzone dimensions.The results show significant variations in the same set of 3D fracture parameters across different regions with density differing by up to tenfold and mean trace length exhibiting differences of 3e4 times.The study results present precise geological structural information,improve modeling accuracy,and provide practical solutions for addressing complex outcrop issues.