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Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is recently proposed an entity by a group of international experts. However, the impact of MAFLD on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clear. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of MAFLD for the prognosis of HCC after radical resection.HCC patients who received radical resection were enrolled. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between MAFLD and non-MAFLD.A total of 576 HCC patients were included, and among them 114 (19.8%) met the diagnostic criteria of MAFLD. The median RFS was 34.0 months in the MAFLD group and 19.0 months in the non-MAFLD group. The RFS rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 64.9%, 49.1% and 36.1% in the MAFLD group, which were higher than those of the non-MAFLD group (59.4%, 35.3% and 26.5%, respectively, P = 0.01). The mean OS was 57.0 months in the MAFLD group and 52.2 months in the non-MAFLD group. There was no statistical difference in OS rate between the MAFLD group and non-MAFLD group. Similar results were found in HBV-related HCC patients in the subgroup analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that MAFLD was a protective factor for RFS in HCC patients after radical resection (P0.05), and there was no association between MAFLD and OS rate (P0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that MAFLD was not an independent protective factor for HCC patients with radical resection.MAFLD improves RFS rate in HCC patients with radical resection, but is not an independent protective factor and not associated with OS rate.

Background: Though Cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) under epidural anesthesia in conscious patients is associated with increased risk of epidural hematoma. We developed a monitored anesthesia care (MAC) platform for cardiac surgery under CPB. In the current prospective study, we investigated the safety and effectiveness of the MAC platform versus intubated general anesthesia (IGA) in patients receiving elective open-heart surgery. Methods: The study included adult patients who were scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery under CPB at our hospital between April 2012 and February 2017. MAC consisted of local anesthesia at the site of sternotomy, sedation with dexmedetomidine, analgesia with remifentanil/sufentanil, and electroacupuncture. MAC versus IGA was chosen by the patients. Findings: Eleven patients received MAC and 13 patients received IGA. The two groups were comparable in the demographic, baseline and operative variables. No conversion occurred from MAC to IGA. No major complications occurred during the surgery in both groups. No confirmed awareness events after surgery were reported in both groups. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P >0.05). The intraoperative consumption of sufentanil and remifentanil was significantly lower in the MAC group than the IGA group (P < 0.001). The time to drinking was significantly shorter in the MAC group (2.14±0.90 h) than the IGA group (22.31±3.33 h) (P

Nanofibrous membranes for smoke filtration and flavor retention is developed from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and menthol/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes by solution electrospinning. The inclusion complexes of menthol and β-cyclodextrin with an embedding ratio of 64.6% are first prepared by a coprecipitation method, followed by mixing with PVA aqueous solutions for subsequent electrospun fabrication of nanofibrous films. The optimized nanofibrous films possess a high menthol content of 3.9 wt% and satisfied mechanical properties. The flavor compound, menthol, can be efficiently retained in the inclusion complexes and nanofibrous films while free menthol volatilizes rapidly under ambient condition. In addition to the sustained flavor release, the nanofibrous films show promise for air filtration, as evidenced by the reduced harmful substance contents when cigarette smoke as a model substance passes through the film. Moreover, this nanofibrous film is a biocompatible material, which could be potentially useful in the fields of nanofiltration and tobacco processing.

Nanocrystalline metals usually exhibit limited ductility due to catastrophic shear fracture caused by the preferential formation of a few premature shear bands during tensile deformation. In this work, the tensile and fracture behavior of laminated Ni with varied degree of difference in grain size of hard and soft layers were investigated. Compared with monolithic nanocrystalline Ni, laminated Ni with a large difference in the grain size of hard and soft layers exhibited enhanced elongation to failure without sacrificing tensile strength, because the formation of dispersive micro shear bands could undertake large plastic strain and lead to strain delocalization. With decreasing the difference in the grain size of hard and soft layers and the corresponding resistance to propagation of micro shear bands, there is a transition of fracture mode from ductile necking fracture accompanied with dispersive micro shear bands to shear fracture dominated by a few macroscopic premature shear bands. A mechanical model based on the transition from grain interior dislocation emission to grain-boundary-mediated deformation within the soft layers was proposed and the critical grain size of the soft layers corresponding to the optimum synergy of high strength and ductile necking fracture was obtained.

Aims This study aims to examine the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on brain injury after cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR) and its underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods Adult male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 6 min of cardiac arrest induced with a potassium chloride infusion and resuscitated by chest compressions and an epinephrine infusion. During the 3 days prior to CA/CRP, mice received EA pretreatment (1 mA, 2 Hz; daily session of 30 min) at the Baihui acupoint (GV20) once daily. Stimulation at a nonacupoint served as a control. In mechanistic studies, mice received the AKT inhibitor LY294002 or endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor L-NIO 30 min before EA pretreatment. A neurological assessment was conducted 24 h after CA/CRP, followed by animal sacrifice and evaluation of physiological brain damage. Key findings CA/CPR resulted in severe brain injury as evidenced by neurological deficits and increased neuronal apoptosis, oxidative stress and the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. EA pretreatment at the GV20 acupoint but not at a nonacupoint attenuated the neurological deficits and the pathological changes induced by CA/CPR. LY294002 or L-NIO eliminated the neuroprotective effects of the EA pretreatment. Significance This study showed that EA pretreatment at the GV20 acupoint can protect the brain from damage associated with globalized ischemia followed by reperfusion and that these protective effects occur via the AKT/eNOS signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the effect of decoction for reinforcing lung Qi on T-lymphocytic function, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer after operation with argon helium lancet in order to explore its mechanism. Methods A total of 76 patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer without surgical indication were randomly divided into a treatment group treated with decoction for reinforcing lung Qi and argon helium lancet and a control group treated with argon helium lancet only to observe lymphocytic proliferation, detect the percentage of positive cells in the T-lymphocyte CD 28 with flow cytometry and detect the expression of IL-2 and TNF-α in peripheral blood with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results Proliferation of T-lymphocytes and expression of CD 28 , IL-2 and TNF-α in peripheral blood after treatment in the treatment group were more obviously strengthened than those before treatment and those in the control group (all P Conclusion The mechanism of using decoction for reinforcing lung Qi and argon helium lancet to treat lung cancer may be realized through promoting T-lymphocytic proliferation, up-regulating expression of CD 28 , IL-2 and TNF-α, and activating T-cells.