Search

Societal Impact Statement: Unraveling the genetic intricacies and evolutionary history of Asian Hickories through advanced genome sequencing gives valuable insights into their ecological adaptations. Understanding the impact of historical dynamics, climate fluctuations, and geographical barriers on Asian hickories not only contributes to scientific knowledge but also empowers policymakers with evidence‐based decisions and guides conservationists in their efforts to protect vulnerable species. The identification of potential habitats, especially for the endangered Carya kweichowensis, offers a promising avenue for targeted conservation efforts, aligning with global initiatives to preserve Earth's precious biodiversity, but also ensures the conservation of a vital genetic reservoir for nut‐bearing economic tree species. Summary: Biogeographic characteristics of disjunct distribution play a vital role in plant geography and the endangered mechanism. The whole genome resequencing provides an opportunity to study the genetic relationship, population diffusion, and floristic evolution of disjunctive‐distribution flora. Based on the SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data generated by the whole genome deep resequencing of five EA (Eastern Asian) Carya species, we constructed the phylogenetic tree, genetic structure, and species distribution modeling to clarify the phylogenetic relationships and to predict the potential distribution area of EA Carya. Phylogenetic analysis of Carya revealed two distinct clades, separating EA Carya from NA (North America) Carya. C. kweichowensis, an endangered species, showed the lowest nucleotide diversity and the earliest divergence among studied EA Carya species. Species distribution modeling predicted suitable habitats for five EA Carya species, revealing the potential distribution of endangered C. kweichowensis. Importantly, minimal spatial overlap was observed among distribution regions of EA Carya species during different time periods. The uneven regional distribution of EA Carya is believed to be a consequence of Quaternary climate fluctuations, mountain barriers hindering species dispersal, and the limited cold tolerance of these trees. EA Carya highlights the significant role of climate and geological changes in their regional distribution and migration routes in Asia. Furthermore, the discovery of potential habitats offers a promising avenue for the conservation of C. kweichowensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of antiviral therapy, the main goal of treatment has shifted from the persistent inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication to the pursuit of serological clearance of HBs surface antigen (HBsAg). Based on the life cycle of HBV, HBsAg originates from covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integrated HBV DNA, thus reflecting their transcriptional activity. Complete HBsAg loss may mean elimination or persistent inactivity of the HBV genome including cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA. HBsAg loss improves the recovery of abnormal immune function, which in turn, may further promote the clearance of residual viruses. Combined with functional cure and the great improvement of clinical outcomes, the continuous seroclearance of high-sensitivity quantitative HBsAg may represent the complete cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). For many other risk factors besides HBV itself, patients with HBsAg loss still need regular monitoring. In this review, we summarized the evolution of CHB treatment, the origin of serum HBsAg, the pattern of HBsAg seroclearance, and the effect of HBsAg loss on immune function and disease outcomes. In addition, we discuss the significance of high-sensitivity HBsAg detection and its possibility as a surrogate of complete cure., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests related to this publication., (© 2023 Authors.)

Objective: To determinate the effect of thoracic duct ligation during thoracoscopic esophagectomy on esophageal cancer patients survival., Study Design: A descriptive study., Place and Duration of Study: Tai'an City Central Hospital, Tai'an, Shandong, China, from June, 2016 to June, 2021., Methodology: All cT1b-3N0M0 stage esophageal cancer patients were randomly divided into thoracic duct ligation group and non-ligation group. In addition to thoracoscopic esophagectomy, thoracic duct ligation was also performed in the experimental group. The general data of two groups were compared by Chi-square test, with statistical significance at p <0.05. The effect of thoracic duct ligation on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was analysed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression., Result: There was no significant difference in gender, age, tumor location, depth of invasion, degree of differentiation and presence of tumor thrombus between the ligation group (33 cases, 47.8%), and the non-ligation group (36 cases, 52.2%). Cox regression analysis showed that depth of invasion (p = 0.0014), degree of differentiation (p = 0.0036), presence of tumor thrombus (p = 0.0367) and thoracic duct ligation (p = 0.0057) were independent factors affecting DFS. Meanwhile, the depth of invasion (p <0.0001), presence of tumor thrombus (p = 0.0073) and age (p = 0.0129) were independent factors affecting OS., Conclusion: Thoracic duct ligation during thoracoscopic esophagectomy can affect DFS in patients with pT1b-3N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and the thoracic duct ligation, depth of invasion, degree of differentiation and presence of tumor thrombus are independent factors. Meanwhile, the depth of invasion, presence of tumor thrombus and age were independent factors affecting OS. Key Words: Esophageal cancer, VATS, Esophagectomy, Thoracic duct ligation, DFS, OS.