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Background The deep location, narrow operative space and proximity to major vessels make minimally invasive resection of nonadrenal retroperitoneal tumors (NTRs) challenging and rarely reported. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of robotic resection of benign nonadrenal retroperitoneal tumors. Methods The demographics and perioperative outcomes of a consecutive series of patients who underwent robotic NTR resection between January 1, 2015, and August 30, 2017, were analyzed. Results Twenty-five patients (9 men and 16 women; mean age, 50.5 years) were included in the study. The mean largest tumor diameter was 4.9 cm, 11 had a tumor larger than 5 cm and 13 had a tumor adherent to major vessels. The mean operative time was 139.0 min, and the median estimated blood loss was 50.0 mL (interquartile range, 30–80 mL). No patients required conversion to laparotomy or blood transfusion. Postoperative morbidities occurred in 3 patients (12%), and all recovered after conservative treatment. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.8 days. On histopathological examination all the tumors were benign: lymphangioma (8, 32%), schwannoma (5, 20%), lymphatic cyst (4, 16%), paraganglioma (2, 8%), bronchogenic cyst (2, 8%), mucinous cystadenoma (1, 4%), neurofibroma (1, 4%), ganglioneuroma (1, 4%), and Castleman disease (1, 4%). Neither large tumor size nor adherence to major vessels affected the perioperative outcomes. Conclusions Robotic resection of NRTs is safe and feasible even for tumors which were large or adherent to major vessels.

By PandatTM phase diagram calculations based on Equilibrium and Scheil Models and microstructure observation by optical microscope, XRD and SEM-EDS, the effect of Ni addition in Al-12%Si-4%Cu-1.2%Mn-x%Ni heat-resistant alloys (in wt%; x = 0, 0.8, 2.0, 2.4, 3.4) on solidification process and microstructure is discussed in this study. Microstructure observation are in good consistence with the prediction from phase diagram calculation, except for the constituent of Ni-rich phase. Ni addition considerably changes the solidification process, not only enlarging the crystallization temperature range of primary Al15Mn3Si2 phase but also completely suppressing the two-phases eutectic reaction when Ni content is beyond 2 wt%. And it also results in an increase in the amount of primary Al15Mn3Si2 phase, and makes its morphology change from coarse dendrites to slender rods. In Ni1 (x = 0.8) and Ni2 (x = 2.0) alloys, fish-skeleton δ-Al3CuNi is found to be partially in coupled growth with blocky γ-Al7Cu4Ni phase, and in Ni3 (x = 2.4) and Ni4 (x = 3.4) alloy, new short-rod e-Al3Ni is formed.

Glutathione (GSH)-capped CdTe QDs with diameters of 3 nm were synthesised. The interaction between the QDs and albendazole (ABZ) was investigated by UV-vis absorption, resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Based on changes in the UV-vis absorption spectra of QDs and ABZ, we demonstrated that the QDs associated with ABZ to form new complexes. In pH 7.1 PBS buffer solution, the fluorescence intensity of QDs was effectively quenched by ABZ. The fluorescence quenching of QDs by ABZ mainly results from the QDs–ABZ complexes, and the electrostatic attraction played a major role in stabilising these complexes. Furthermore, the interaction between QDs and ABZ led to a remarkable enhancement in RRS, which was proportional to the ABZ concentration within a certain concentration range. The suitable reaction conditions, important factors as well as the influence of coexisting substances were studied. The possible reaction mechanism was also discussed.

In this paper, we propose a cost-efficient hardware design, coarse and fine rotation (CFR) based FFT twiddle factor generator. It aims to extremely reduce the hardware area, especially for the larger length of FFT-points. Also, our proposed approach is generalized for arbitrary FFT sizes, not limited to the power of 2. In hardware implementation by using TSMC 90-nm CMOS technology, the circuit area saving ratio is up to 93.7% for the 16384-point FFT design example.

Closed-loop frequency stabilization-'laser locking'-is required for laser cooling, precision spectroscopy and atomic clocks. We compare the modulation transfer with the direct modulation in signal intensity and noise. By calculating, we get the conclusion that the ratio of signal intensity between modulation transfer scheme and the direct modulation scheme is 1.13:1 whereas the SNR of the modulation transfer scheme and the direct modulation scheme is almost 1.17:1, when the power of the laser is equal and without considering the details of interaction between lights and atoms. And we experimentally realized a stable external-cavity diode laser via MTS referencing on the Rb D2 lines at 780nm.

This paper presents a low-area and fully-reconfigurable Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) hardware design for 3GPP-LTE communication standard. It can fully support 32 different FFT sizes, up to 2048 FFT points. Besides, a special processing element is developed for making reconfigurable computing characteristics possible, while first-in first-out (FIFO) scheduling scheme design technique is proposed for hardware-friendly FIFO resource arranging. In a synthesis chip realization via TSMC 40 nm CMOS technology, the hardware circuit only occupies core area of 0.2325 mm2 and dissipates 233.5 mW at maximal operating frequency of 250 MHz., {"references":["S. He, and M. Torkelson, \"A new approach to pipeline FFT processor,\" in Parallel Processing Symposium, 1996., Proceedings of IPPS'96, The 10th International, apr 1996, pp. 766 -770.","Z. Qian and M. Margala, \"Low-Power Split-Radix FFT Processors Using Radix-2 Butterfly Units,\" IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, vol. 24, pp. 3008-3012, 2016.","E. E. Swartzlander, W. K. Young, and S. J. Joseph, \"A radix 4 delay commutator for fast Fourier transform processor implementation,\" IEEE Journal of solid-state circuits, vol. 19, pp. 702-709, 1984.","Y.-W. Lin, H.-Y. Liu, and C.-Y. Lee, \"A dynamic scaling FFT processor for DVB-T applications,\" IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 39, pp. 2005-2013, 2004.","N. H. Cuong, N. T. Lam, and N. D. Minh, \"Multiplier-less based architecture for variable-length FFT hardware implementation,\" in Communications and Electronics (ICCE), 2012 Fourth International Conference on, 2012, pp. 489-494.","D.-s. Kim and S.-y. Lee, \"Dual input radix 23 SDF IFFT/FFT processor for wireless multi-channel real sound speakers using time division duplex scheme,\" IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, vol. 55, pp. 2323-2328, 2009.","M. Shin and H. Lee, \"A high-speed four-parallel radix-24 FFT/IFFT processor for UWB applications,\" in 2008 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, 2008, pp. 960-963.","M. Garrido, J. Grajal, M. Sánchez, and O. Gustafsson, \"Pipelined radix-2(k) feedforward FFT architectures,\" IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, vol. 21, pp. 23-32, 2013.","A. Karlsson, J. Sohl, and D. Liu, \"Cost-efficient mapping of 3-and 5-point DFTs to general baseband processors,\" in 2015 IEEE International Conference on Digital Signal Processing (DSP), 2015, pp. 780-784.\n[10]\tY. Suzuki, T. Sone, and K. Kido, \"A new FFT algorithm of radix 3, 6, and 12,\" IEEE transactions on acoustics, speech, and signal processing, vol. 34, pp. 380-383, 1986.\n[11]\tW. Zheng and K. Li, \"Split radix algorithm for 6m length DFT,\" IEEE signal processing Letters, vol. 20, pp. 713-716, 2013.\n[12]\tJ. Chen, J. Hu, S. Lee, and G. E. Sobelman, \"Hardware efficient mixed Radix-25/16/9 FFT for LTE systems,\" IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, vol. 23, pp. 221-229, 2015."]}

The Nam Dinh virus (NDiV) was isolated from Culex quinquefasciatus in Shenzhen, China, for the first time, in 2011. In this study, we characterized the ultrastructure of NDiV, determined its complete genome sequence and made comparisons with other known nidoviruses. Electron microscopic observation revealed that the NDiV strain isolated in China produced viral nucleocapsid-like particles and vesicles in host cells. The extracellular virions were enveloped and were spherical with short spikes. The complete genome sequence of the newly isolated NDiV was submitted to the GenBank database (GenBank accession number KF522691). Sequencing of the viral genome showed that the homologies of NDiV isolated in China and Vietnam were greater than 94.0% and 89.0% at the nucleotide and amino acid sequence levels, respectively. Moreover, gene substitution was detected, whereas insertions and deletions were not. A phylogenetic tree analysis showed that these viruses belong to the genus Alphamesonivirus1 of the family Mesoniviridae. The similarity between the two viruses regarding morphological and molecular biological characteristics indicates that the molecular genetics of NDiV are conservative and that the regional differences are unlikely to have a significant effect. This is the first report of the isolation and complete sequencing of a mesonivirus in mainland China.

Background Robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) is considered a safe and feasible alternative to laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP). However, previous studies have some limitations including small sample size and selection bias. This study aimed to evaluate whether the robotic approach has advantages over laparoscopic surgery in distal pancreatectomy. Methods Demographics and perioperative outcomes among patients undergoing RDP (n = 102) and LDP (n = 102) between January 2011 and December 2015 were reviewed. A 1:1 propensity score matched analysis was performed between both groups. Results Both groups displayed no significant differences in perioperative outcomes including operative time, blood loss, transfusion rate, and rates of overall morbidities and pancreatic fistula. Robotic approach reduced the rate of conversion to laparotomy (2.9% vs 9.8%, P = 0.045), especially in patients with large tumors (0% vs 22.2%, P = 0.042). RDP improved spleen (SP) and splenic vessels preservation (SVP) rates in patients with moderate tumors (60.0% vs 35.5%, P = 0.047; 37.1% vs 12.9%, P = 0.025), especially in patients without malignancy (95.5% vs 52.4%, P = 0.001; 59.1% vs 19.0%, P = 0.007). RDP also reduced postoperative hospital stay (PHS) significantly (7.67% vs 8.58, P = 0.032). Conclusions RDP is associated with less rate of conversion to laparotomy, shorter PHS, and improved SP and SVP rates in selected patients than LDP.

The ground state, 3 MLCT and 3 MC excited states of two Ir complexes Ir(dfbpzb)(ppy)Cl (1) and Ir(Mebib)(ppy)Cl (2) where dfbpzb = 1,5-difluore-2,4-bis(3-methylpyrazolyl)benzene, ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, and Mebib = bis(N-methylbenzimidazoly)benzene, have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The substitution from dfbpzb ligand to Mebib ligand induces a significant change on the luminescent properties of complexes 1 and 2. The complex 1 does not emit at room temperature, while complex 2 does. The UV–Vis absorption spectra of both complexes are well reproduced by TD-DFT calculations. Importantly, the triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ( 3 MLCT) and metal-centered ( 3 MC) states were discussed in detail by excited state calculations, and the 3 MLCT ? 3 MC deactivation pathway was demonstrated as an important factor for the lack of emission for the investigated complex 1.

The changes of spatial pattern in energy consumption have an impact on global climate change. Based on the spatial autocorrelation analysis and the auto-regression model of spatial statistics, this study has explored the spatial disparities and driving forces in energy consumption changes in China. The results show that the global spatial autocorrelation of energy consumption change in China is significant during the period 1990–2010, and the trend of spatial clustering of energy consumption change is weakened. The regions with higher energy consumption change are significantly distributed in the developed coastal areas in China, while those with lower energy consumption change are significantly distributed in the less developed western regions in China. Energy consumption change in China is mainly caused by transportation industry and non-labor intensive industry. Rapid economic development and higher industrialization rate are the main causes for faster changes in energy consumption in China. The results also indicate that spatial autoregressive model can reveal more influencing factors of energy consumption changes in China, in contrast with standard linear model. At last, this study has put forward the corresponding measures or policies for dealing with the growing trend of energy consumption in China.

Based on the Ecological Footprint Model, a Sustainability Index is put forward to measure the degree of regional sustainable development. Using correlation and sensitivity analysis, this study explored the level of sustainable development in the Xingguo County of China from 1996 to 2005, and revealed the driving factors of human activities on sustainable development. The results indicate that the consumption footprint of biological resources in the study area shows a slow, fluctuating upward trend. The increasing ratio of ecological carrying capacity is greater than that of per capita ecological carrying capacity. The values of the sustainable index range from 0.5 to 0.6 (which means unsafe), and it shows a slowly increasing trend. This indicates that the rate of population growth is faster than that of ecological recovery and improvement, which is beyond the bearing capacity of the ecological environment. The Sustainability Index in the study area has a significantly positive correlation with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) urbanization level and this has a significantly negative correlation with the proportion of primary industry. The Sustainability Index in the study area is more sensitive to population growth, followed by a decrease in primary industries. Key words: Sustainability Index, ecological footprint, sensitivity analysis, regional sustainable development.

Wetland ecosystem is known as the “kidney” of earth and the “gene pool” of species. It has the functions of regulating climate, flood storage and degradation of pollution. In this paper, based on GIS technology and landscape ecology, wetland changes and its driving forces in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone of China are analyzed. The analysis of landscape pattern demonstrates that there is an increase in the degree of fragmentation of wetlands in the study area. At the same time, the overall aggregation degree of the lake is in the rise. The increased Perimeter-area fractal dimension indicates that the shape of wetland becomes more and more rules. The main driving forces of wetland changes in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone include natural factors and human activities. This study also indicates the main natural factor is the changes of precipitation, though for now, there is increase of average temperature. At the moment, the rapid population growth, regional economic development and other human activities are also the key driving forces of wetland landscape changes in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone. Key words: Wetland change, landscape pattern, climate change, ecosystem management, Poyang Lake.

In this paper, a diimine compound of 7,10-DimethylPyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline (dppl) and its corresponding phosphorescent Cu complexes were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR successfully. Experimental data confirm that Cu Complex is high-energy-emitting one. The broad band emission upon excitation at λ = 440 nm with the emission maximum locates at λ = 566 nm was observed. This makes them potential candidates as cheap emitting materials.

e14524 Background: Extended hepatic surgical margins, especially anatomical resections, were suggested for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with pathological microvascular invasion (MVI) to improve patient survival. Here we investigated plasma cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells as a tool to evaluate MVI before surgery. Methods: 47 treatment-naïve patients with liver lesions were recruited since June 2018, Peripheral blood samples were collected before surgery for all the individuals. Plasma cfDNA was sent to low-coverage genome-wide sequencing, followed by chromosomal instability analyses by a customized workflow UCAD. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) were analyzed by CELLSEARCH@ System. MVI was reported by pathological examination after surgery. Results: Of the 47 patients recruited, there are 32 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 8 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), 4 benign lesions, 1 solitary fibrous tumor, 1 neuroendocrine tumor and 1 hepatic epithelioid cell tumor by pathological examinations. MVI was also reported for HCCs. Nineteen of 32 HCC patients (59.4%) was found with elevated chromosomal instability (CIN). The most frequent changed chromosomes include 1q, 6p and 8q. Nine of 19 (47.4%) elevated CIN patients were MVI positive by pathological examinations. Among them, 4 was confirmed as MVI = 2. The other 5 was MVI = 1. 11 of 13 (84.6%) patients with low CIN were MVI negative (MVI = 0) as reported by pathological examinations. The rest 2 were reported as MVI = 1. Two of 32 HCC patients (6.25%) was found with positive CTC (tumor cell count > 0). The patient with CTC = 2 was reported as MVI = 1. The other one with CTC = 1 was MVI = 0. Taking together, 20 patients (62.5%) were found either elevated ctDNA or positive CTC. 9 were confirmed as MVI negative. The overall positive predictive value is 45.0%. 12 patients (38.7%) were both ctDNA CIN low and CTC negative. 10 were confirmed as MVI negative. The negative predictive value (NPV) is 83.3%. Conclusions: Elevated circulating tumor DNA chromosomal instability has good PPV and NPV in the predicting of MVI. In such patients, anatomical hepatic resections might be recommended to improve survival.

BACKGROUND The best technique for pancreatic anastomosis after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains controversial, and the procedure for robotic PD (RPD) has not been previously reported. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a novel technique of pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) for RPD. METHODS The demographics and perioperative outcomes of a consecutive series of RPD patients who underwent single-layer continuous suture (SCS) for PJ between September 2018 and November 2018 were analyzed. RESULTS Thirty patients were included in the study. Twenty patients had a soft pancreas, and 15 patients had a small main pancreatic duct (MPD) (

We present studies on monoisotopic Hg+ ions generation and trapping at room temperature. An ultraviolet laser system, including a frequency-controlled 194 nm laser and a 254 nm laser, is constructed. Mercury atoms are isotope-selectively excited by the 254 nm laser. The spectrum of the 6s2-6s6p transition lines for natural mercury isotopes is measured, and the uncertainty is less than 100 MHz. Then, the selected mercury isotopes are ionized by the 194 nm laser and trapped in a linear Paul trap. The fluorescence of the ion crystal at 194 nm is detected, and the temperature of the ions is estimated to be less than 10 mK.

Spatio-temporal pattern of cultivated land change and its influencing factors in the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone were conducted by exploratory spatial data analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Results show that there is an obvious correlation for the spatial distribution of cultivated land in the Poyang Lake Eco-economics Zone. Its value of Morans I reduced from 0.4574 in 2002 to 0.4092 in 2008, and then increased to 0.4352 in 2009, which roughly presented a "U" type distribution. Total population is the most important factor that affecting the change of cultivated areas in the Poyang Lake Eco-economics Zone. Agricultural growth, average wage of urban residents and the fixed assets investment are also the main driving factors. Spatial auto-regression model is an effective tool for revaluating the spatial distribution of regional cultivated land, and revealing the evolution mechanisms of cultivated land.

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors for development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in primary liver cancer (PLC) patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis. Methods A retrospective analysis of 73 PLC patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis, of which 16 patients developed liver dysfunction (persistent ascites or pleural effusion or occurrence of liver-related potentially fatal complications) following hepatectomy, was performed. After clinical characteristics were recorded, preoperative liver function parameters and surgery-related parameters in these patients were assessed. Seventeen potential risk factors for post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction were identified. The association between these potential risk factors and post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction then was analyzed. Results Univariate analysis showed that liver cirrhosis, intraoperative blood loss, and preoperative total bilirubin were associated with the development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three factors revealed that intraoperative blood loss ≥600 mL and cirrhosis were two independent risk factors for post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in PLC patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis. Conclusion Keeping intraoperative blood loss below 600 mL can help avoid the development of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction in liver cancer patients with concurrent hepatic schistosomiasis and chronic hepatitis. For patients with concomitant liver cirrhosis, every effort should be made to minimize potential liver function impairment induced by other adverse factors.

The ground geometries, frontier molecular orbitals, and absorption properties of [Re(CO)3(cpen-dpy)Cl] (cpen-dpy = cyclopenta[b]dipyridine) functionalized with different aromatic ring groups were theoretically studied. The introduction of different moieties insignificantly changed the geometric parameters of the complexes. However, the molecular orbital energy levels of the complexes with aromatic ring groups were strongly affected by the solvent molecules. The lowest lying absorption bands of all complexes had HOMO → LUMO transition configurations that resulted in the ligand-to-ligand charge transfer character. The results showed that all complexes displayed a comparative higher sensitivity within the long wavelength range with stronger oscillator strength, which can be beneficial to more efficient absorption of the solar spectrum. The calculated ionization potential and electron affinity revealed that the balanced transport of electrons and holes of 1 was more accessible, whereas 4 possessed good hole-transfer abilities.

To determine the prevalence of enteroviruses in aquatic environments in Shenzhen, water samples were collected monthly from April 2010 to December 2011. After concentration by the filter adsorption-beef extract elution method, the enteroviruses were propagated in RD cells. Thirty-five of 105 water samples (33.33 %) were positive for cytopathic effect. E11 and E12 were the most common serotypes and had high genetic diversity in part of the VP1 region. The high prevalence of enteroviruses in water suggests that surveillance of enteroviruses in aquatic environments and evaluation of the risk associated with enteroviruses in water to public health are needed.

A rhenium(I)–tricarbonyl complex [Re(CO) 3 (L)Cl] (L = 2-(3-thienyl)imidazo[4,5- f ][1,10]-phenanthroline; TIMPhen – Re ) was successfully synthesized. UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetry were used to investigate the photophysical properties of the complex. The geometrical structures of the ground state and the absorption spectral properties of TIMPhen – Re were determined using density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The lowest-lying singlet → singlet absorption band of TIMPhen – Re , corresponding to the prominent absorption peak at 415 nm observed in the experiments, was assigned to the pure highest occupied molecular orbital → lowest unoccupied molecular orbital transition. The calculated ionization potential and electron affinity show that TIMPhen – Re possesses good hole-transfer abilities, and the balanced transport of electrons and holes is compared with that of its analog Phen – Re .

In this work, Lamb wave generation and propagation have been modelled in composite plates. Actuation and acquisition of signals when the PZT transducers are tied to the structure or bonded with an adhesive layer are investigated. The effect of adhesive thickness and actuation frequency of Lamb wave have been examined.

FFT is a crucial and necessary design entity lor any current communication applications, especially for OFDM systems. As compared with conventional design approach, which can support only one-radix processing kernel of single-path delay feedback (SDF) FFT, we propose a reconfigurable processing kernel design for multiple-radix types of SDF FFT. In implementation, this kernel hardware engine is reconfigurable to deal with different computing stages and radix-types, such as 3-stage radix-2, 2-stage radix-3, and 1-stage radix-5 SDF FFT systems. Under TSMC 90nm CMOS technology, the kernel design with input/output wordlength of 16 bits only occupies 0.3068 mm2, saving 33.99% of area with respect to the summation of 3 individual single modes. Also, it only provides 13% hardware overhead as compared to pure radix-5 only processing kernel.

Using the density functional theory approach, we assessed the ground state geometries, absorption, and emission properties of three transition metal complexes: ( 1 ) [Re(5-NO 2 -phen)(CO) 3 (Cl)], ( 2 ) [Re(4,4′-NO 2 -bpy)(CO) 3 (Cl)], and ( 3 ) [Re(4,4′-NO 2 -bpy)(CO) 3 (Etpy)][PF 6 ] (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, Etpy = 4-ethylpyridine). The UV–vis absorption spectrum agrees well with the time-dependent density functional theory. The emissive lowest-lying triplet state is an 3 MLCT state for complexes 1 – 3 . The presence of a 3 d–d state was considered to be the main factor for the lack of emission in all d 6 metal complexes of nitro-polypyridyl ligands.

Two blcok copolymer PSt-b-PtBMA were synthesized by using ATRP method, in acid conditions, and further hydrolysis into amphiphilic copolymers PSt-b-PMAA; the PS-b-PMAA containing transition metal complex was obtained through PNPh-Re covacent-link to PS-b-PMAA chains, and the corresponding copolymers were charcterized by UV-vis and 1 H NMR.

The ground and excited state geometries and frontier molecular orbital, absorption and emission properties of the four transition metal complexes Re(bpy)(CO)3(PEt3)+ (1), Re(bpy)(CO)3(PPh3)+ (2), Re(bpy)(CO)3[P(OEt3)]+ (3) and Re(bpy)(CO)3[P(OPh3)]+ (4) were studied theoretically. The introduction of different phosphine ligands significantly changed the geometric parameters of the complexes. The axial Re–C bond distance was longer than the equatorial Re–C bond distance. The lowest lying absorption bands of 1 and 2 have HOMO → LUMO transition configurations resulting in MLCT/LLCT transition characteristics. The HOMO-1 → LUMO transition predominantly contributed to the lowest absorption bands of 3 with MLCT/LLCT characteristics. The absorption band of 4 at 326 nm was dominated by HOMO-4 → LUMO and HOMO-6 → LUMO transitions with mixed MLCT/LLCT characteristics. The phosphorescence emission energies of 1–4 were also calculated and compared with the experimental values.

Effects of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) radical surgery have never been evaluated. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 125 ICC patients who had undergone operations with curative intent in Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital from July 2002 to December 2003. Of these patients, 53 underwent adjuvant TACE (TACE group) and 72 did not (non-TACE group). Adjuvant TACE was performed one time 1.5–2.0 months after the operation. Follow-up was performed at a median of 18 months (range 3–96 months). There was no significant recurrence-free survival (RFS) difference between the TACE and non-TACE groups (P = 0.659). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 69.8, 37.7, and 28.3%, respectively, for the TACE group and 54.2, 25.0, and 20.8%, respectively, for the non-TACE group (P = 0.045). Among 54 patients with a recurrence time of ≤3 months, the OS rate of the TACE group was better than that of the non-TACE group (P

Linewidth narrowing and other quantum coherent effects based on three-photon coherent population trapping (CPT) in Ca+ ions are investigated. If the propagation directions of the three lasers obey the phase matching condition, the dark linewidth resulting from the CPT can be very narrow, and it can be controlled by adjusting the parameters of the lasers.

Background & Aims Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered to play a prominent causative role in the development of various hepatic disorders. Antioxidants have been effectively demonstrated to protect against hepatic damage. Hydrogen (H 2 ), a new antioxidant, was reported to selectively reduce the strongest oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals ( OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO − ), without disturbing metabolic oxidation–reduction reactions or disrupting ROS involved in cell signaling. In place of H 2 gas, hydrogen-rich saline (HS) may be more suitable for clinical application. We herein aim to verify its protective effects in experimental models of liver injury. Methods H 2 concentration in vivo was detected by hydrogen microelectrode for the first time. Liver damage, ROS accumulation, cytokine levels, and apoptotic protein expression were, respectively, evaluated after GalN/LPS, CCl 4 , and DEN challenge. Simultaneously, CCl 4 -induced hepatic cirrhosis and DEN-induced hepatocyte proliferation were measured. Results HS significantly increased hydrogen concentration in liver and kidney tissues. As a result, acute liver injury, hepatic cirrhosis, and hepatocyte proliferation were reduced through the quenching of detrimental ROS. Activity of pro-apoptotic players, such as JNK and caspase-3, were also inhibited. Conclusions HS could protect against liver injury and also inhibit the processes leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocyte compensatory proliferation.

A Coherent Inc. Ti:sapphire laser MBR-110 is locked to a temperature-controlled high finesse Fabry-Perot cavity supported on an isolated platform. The linewidth is measured by locking the laser to another similar super-cavity at the same time and the heterodyne beatnote between two laser beams that locked to different cavities determines the linewidth. The result shows that the laser's linewidth is suppressed to be 41 Hz. The long-term drift is measured with a femtosecond comb and determined to be similar to 0.1 Hz/s. This laser is used to probe the 4S(1/2)-3D(5/2) clock transition of a single Ca-40(+) ion. The Zeeman components of the clock transit ion with a linewidth of 160 Hz have been observed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between ATM C.1066-6T > G (IVS10-6T > G) mutation and breast cancer risk. However, the results remain conflicting rather than conclusive. In order to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed this meta-analysis. Systematic searches of PubMed and Medline databases were performed. A total of 11 studies including 8,831 cases and 4,957 controls were identified. The carrier frequency of the ATM C.1066-6T > G mutation was 0.5% (45/8,831) in patients with breast cancer and 0.7% (38/4,957) in healthy controls. When all the 11 studies were pooled into the meta-analysis, there was no evidence for significant association between C.1066-6T > G mutation and breast cancer risk (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.55–1.37). In the subgroup analyses by source of controls and family history with BRCA1/2 status, no significant association were found in any subgroup of population. When sensitivity analyses were performed, all the results were not materially altered. In summary, the meta-analysis strongly suggests that ATM C.1066-6T > G mutation is not associated with increased breast cancer risk.

Background: Hydrogen selectively reduces levels of hydroxyl radicals and alleviates acute oxidative stress in many models. Hydrogen-rich saline provides a high concentration of hydrogen that can be easily and safely applied. Aims: In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on the prevention of liver injury induced by obstructive jaundice in rats. Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 56) were divided randomly into four experimental groups: sham operated, bile duct ligation (BDL) plus saline treatment [5 ml/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)], BDL plus low-dose hydrogen-rich saline treatment (5 ml/kg, i.p.) and BDL plus high-dose hydrogen-rich saline treatment (10 ml/kg, i.p.). Results: The liver damage was evaluated microscopically 10 days after BDL. Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, tissue malondialdehyde content, myeloperoxidase activity, tumour necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6 and high-mobility group box 1 levels were all increased significantly by BDL. Hydrogen-rich saline reduced levels of these markers and relieved morphological liver injury. Additionally, hydrogen-rich saline markedly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase and downregulated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2 activation. Conclusions: Hydrogen-rich saline attenuates BDL-induced liver damage, possibly by the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress and the inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway. Obstructive jaundice (OJ) is a frequently observed condition caused by occlusion of the common bile duct or its tributaries. Surgical, endoscopic and interventional radiographic decompression are the principal treatments of biliary obstruction, but decompression alone may not be sufficient to prevent the development of lifethreatening complications such as endotoxaemia, systemic inflammatory response, liver injury and multiple organ dysfunction that carry a high risk for mortality (1, 2). The mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver injury from acute biliary obstruction remain largely unknown, although intrahepatic accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is thought to be an important cause. Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the pivotal role of oxidative stress associated with an overproduction of ROS, which may cause lipid peroxidation and disturb the integrity of Contributed equally.

The trapping and laser cooling of 40Ca+ ion on the way toward optical frequency standards have been developed. A single 40Ca+ ion is trapped in the miniature Paul trap and laser cooled by two frequency-stabilized diode lasers. A commercial Ti:Sapphire laser system at 729 nm is referenced to a high-finesse cavity to meet the requirements of ultra narrow linewidth of the 4s2S1/2-3d2D5/2 electric quadrupole transition. Its center frequency is preliminarily measured to be 411 042 129 686.1 (2.6) kHz. The attempt to finally lock the 729-nm laser system to atomic transition is made. Further work to improve the accuracy of measurement and the stabilization of system locking is in consideration and preparation.

To study the relationships of MBP and S100B with PVH-IVH and PVL in preterm infants. 385 cases of preterm infants, whose gestational age was less than 34 weeks, were enrolled in the study. The plasma levels of S100B and MBP were detected within 24 hours and on the 3rd, 7th, 14th day after birth. Cranial ultrasound was preformed 2-3 d, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks after birth. They also received Cranial MRI examination before discharge or when the correct gestational age reached 40 weeks. According to the exclusion standard, 73 cases were excluded. The included 312 cases were divided into 3 groups (no brain damage group, PVH-IVH group and PVL group) according to the result of cranial ultrasound and MRI. The differences of plasma levels of S100B and MBP among groups were compared, and the relationships of the plasma levels of S100B and MBP with gestational age in no brain damage group were analyzed. The results of cranial ultrasound and/or MRI showed: 204 cases had no brain damage (enrolled in no brain damage group); 69 cases had PVH-IVH (enrolled in PVH-IVH group); 27 cases had PVL and 12 cases had PVL and PVH-IVH (both enrolled in PVL group). The plasma level of S100B: within 24 h and on the 3rd d after birth, the serum levels of S100B in PVH-IVH group were significantly higher than those in no brain damage group (P < 0.05); and the plasma levels of S100B in PVL group were significantly higher than those in no brain damage group and PVH-IVH group (all P < 0.05). On 7th d and 14th d after birth, there were no significant differences between PVH-IVH group and no brain damage group (P > 0.05); and the plasma levels of S100B in PVL group were still significantly higher than those in no brain damage group and PVH-IVH group (all P < 0.05). The plasma levels of MBP: within 24 h and on the 3rd d, 7th d and 14th d after birth, there were no significant differences between PVH-IVH group and no brain damage group (all P > 0.05); and the plasma levels of MBP in PVL group were significantly higher than those in no brain damage group and PVH-IVH group (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of gestational age and S100B, MBP: the plasma level of S100B in no brain damage group had a negative correlation with gestational age (r = -0.483, P = 0.006), and that of MBP had no correlation with gestational age (r = -0.295, P = 0.105). The plasma levels of S100B and MBP increased significantly in preterm infants with brain damage within 24 h after birth, and the plasma levels of S100B and MBP in PVL infants were higher than those in PVH-IVH infants. The increased plasma levels of S100B and MBP in PVL infants lasted longer than in PVH-IVH infants. The increased plasma levels of S100B and MBP in preterm infants would have certain clinical significance for judging whether early brain damage and PVL would happen.

Previous studies have demonstrated that hydrogen-rich saline (HS) protects against bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver injury by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation. Mitochondria, which are targets of excessive reactive oxygen species and central mediators of apoptosis, have a pivotal role in hepatic injury during obstructive jaundice (OJ); however, the implications of HS in the hepatic mitochondria of BDL mice remain unknown. The present study investigated the hypothesis that HS could reduce OJ‑induced liver injury through the protection of mitochondrial structure and function, as well as inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three experimental groups: Sham operation group, BDL injury with normal saline (NS) treatment group, and BDL‑injury with HS treatment group. Mitochondrial damage and apoptotic parameters were determined 3 days post‑BDL injury and treatment. The results demonstrated that mitochondria isolated from the livers of NS-treated BDL mice exhibited increased mitochondrial swelling, cytochrome c release, and oxidative damage. In addition, liver samples from NS‑treated BDL mice exhibited significant increases in B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2)‑associated X protein expression, caspase activities, and hepatocyte apoptosis compared with livers from sham‑operated controls. Notably, treatment with HS reduced the levels of these markers and alleviated morphological defects in the mitochondria following injury. In addition, HS markedly increased the antioxidant potential of mitochondria, as evidenced by elevated adenosine triphosphate levels, mitochondrial respiratory function, and increased levels of active Bcl‑2. In conclusion, HS attenuates mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction, and inhibits mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in the livers of BDL mice.

A proportion of patients who received CRT-D lived to a second generator. There has been a controversial whether an ICD should be offered to patients who have had a normalized or near normalized LVEF at the time of generator change. 1) to evaluate the incidence of appropriate ICD therapy after CRT-D

Hepatic lymphangiomas, malformations of the liver lymphatic system, are extremely rare conditions in adults. A 41-year-old man presented with right upper abdominal pain for 6 months was introduced in this report. Ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a giant cystictumor with a pedunculatedextrahepatic growth pattern. Due to diagnostic uncertainty, a partial hepatectomy was performed and pathological results confirmed the diagnosis of solitary hepatic lymphangioma. In this article, we reviewed the clinical and pathology features, preoperative diagnostic challenges, and treatments of hepaticlymphangiomas.