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Introduction: We prospectively reviewed 41 male infants younger than 12 months old who had presented with severe incarcerated inguinal hernia between 2014 and 2016 and had been treated by laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) or conventional open repair (CO). Methods: Operative times and intraoperative findings were evaluated. Scrotal/testicular status were assessed preoperatively, 1 week, and 4 weeks after surgery. Results: There were 21 boys treated by LPEC and 20 by CO. Mean ages and mean weights at surgery were similar between the groups. The mean operative time was 19.7 min for LPEC and 45.8 min for CO (P < 0.05). The peritoneum was edematous in 13 LPEC cases (61.9%). Wound infection was observed in one CO case and in one LPEC case at the umbilicus. Postoperative scrotal/testicular swelling was observed in four cases at 1 week and two cases at 4 weeks among the CO cases and in one case at 1 week and no cases at 4 weeks among the LPEC cases (P = not significant). Postoperative testicular elevation was observed on the operated side in two CO cases and in no LPEC cases at 1 and 4 weeks (P = not significant). There has been no recurrence or testicular atrophy in either group. Conclusion: Performing LPEC took significantly less time than performing CO. Although no statistically significant differences in scrotal/testicular status were identified, a larger study is warranted to prove that LPEC is associated with less surgical stress than CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding strategies to care for patients who transition from enteral nutrient deprivation while on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to enteral feedings generally proceed to full enteral nutrition once the gastrointestinal tract recovers; however, an increasing body of literature suggests that a subgroup of patients may actually develop an increased incidence of adverse events, including death. To examine this further, we studied the effects of acute refeeding in a mouse model of TPN. Interestingly, refeeding led to some beneficial effects, including prevention in the decline in intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) proliferation. However, refeeding led to a significant increase in mucosal expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as an upregulation in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4). Refeeding also failed to prevent TPN-associated increases in IEC apoptosis, loss of epithelial barrier function, and failure of the leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5-positive stem cell expression. Transitioning from TPN to enteral feedings led to a partial restoration of the small bowel microbial population. In conclusion, while acute refeeding led to some restoration of normal gastrointestinal physiology, enteral refeeding led to a significant increase in mucosal inflammatory markers and may suggest alternative strategies to enteral refeeding should be considered., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

The effectiveness of cetuximab (Cmab) against KRAS p.G13D mutant-type tumors has been reported. In this study, we report a case of metastatic ascending colon cancer harboring a KRAS p.G13D mutation in a 65-year-old female. Considering the absence of symptoms and the post-operative risk of respiratory system complications due to multiple lung metastases, particularly at the entrance to the left main bronchus, anticancer drug therapy was selected as first-line therapy. With informed consent, FOLFOX4 [folinic acid (FOL), fluorouracil (F) plus oxaliplatin (OX)] + Cmab therapy was administered as preoperative chemotherapy. A good preoperative response was obtained to the chemotherapy, with a metastatic lesion disappearing from the entrance to the left main bronchus. Subsequent resection was performed successfully with no post-operative complications. Although a histopathological examination of the resected tissue specimen revealed residual cancer cells, it also showed the marked efficacy of the chemotherapy regimen used. In this study, we describe a case of metastatic ascending colon cancer harboring a KRAS p.G13D mutation in which the patient responded well to first-line therapy with FOLFOX4 + Cmab.

To create organic molecules that are highly fluorescent at a longer wavelength region, we investigated the synthesis (using Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling) and photophysical properties (Phi(f), lambda(em), tau, lambda(abs), and epsilon) of the following pi conjugated molecular rods consisting of p-phenyleneethynylene units modified by donor (OMe) and/or acceptor (CN) groups: (1) side-donor modification systems (SD systems), (2) side-acceptor modification systems (SA systems), and (3) systems consisting of a donor block and an acceptor block (BL systems). As a consequence, very high Phi(f) values (>0.95) were obtained for BL systems. Bathochromic shifts of lambda(em) for the same pi conjugation length were largest for BL systems. Thus we succeeded in creating highly efficient light emitters at a longer wavelength region by block modification (e.g., Phi(f) = 0.97, lambda(em) = 464 nm for ). Considerably intense solid emission (Phi(f) approximately 0.5) at a longer wavelength region (500-560 nm) was also found for BL systems. It has been found that and exhibit interesting two photon absorption characteristics.

[reaction: see text] Novel rod-shaped polycyano-oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s were synthesized by Pd cross-coupling reaction. Polycyano groups were found to greatly improve the emission efficiency (Phi(f)) of OPEs. By the end donor modification, we achieved the creation of very intense blue light-emitting fluorophore with the SMe group (Phi(f) = 0.972, log epsilon 4.89, lambda(em) 455 nm) and very intense yellow light-emitting fluorophore with the NMe(2) group (Phi(f) = 0.999, log epsilon 4.75, lambda(em) 555 nm). Contrasting Phi(f) solvent dependency of 6 and 7 and a linear relationship between Phi(f) and sigma(p)-X over the whole region of sigma(p)-X were also found.