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Background. There is no clear consensus on the effect of coculture of islets with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on islet function and viability.Methods. We conducted a meta-analysis of relevant studies to evaluate the effect of coculture of islets with MSCs on the function and viability of islets, bothin vitroandin vivo. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for all relevant studies that compared the effect of coculture of islets with MSCs on the function and viability of islets (language of publication: English; reference period: January 2000–May 2019). Data pertaining to islet function and viability, concentrations of some cytokines, andin vivoexperimental outcomes were extracted and compared.Results. Twenty-four articles were included in the meta-analysis. In comparison to islets cultured alone, coculture of islets with MSCs was associated with a significantly higher islet viability [weighted mean difference (WMD), -15.59; -22.34 to -8.83;P<0.00001], insulin level (WMD, -5.74; -9.29 to -2.19;P=0.002), insulin secretion index (WMD, -2.45; -3.70 to -1.21;P=0.0001), and higher concentrations of interleukin-6 (WMD, -1225.66; -2044.47 to -406.86;P=0.003) and vascular endothelial growth factor (WMD, -1.19; -2.25 to -0.14;P=0.03). Direct coculture of islets and MSCs significantly increased islet viability (WMD, -19.82; -26.56 to -13.07;P<0.00001). In thein vivoexperiments, coculture of islets with MSCs induced lower fasting blood glucose level (on postoperative days 21 and 28, WMD, 102.60; 27.14 to 178.05;P=0.008and WMD, 121.19; 49.56 to 192.82;P=0.0009) and better glucose tolerance (blood glucose at 30 minutes after intraperitoneal injection of glucose, WMD, 85.92; 5.33 to 166.51;P=0.04).Conclusion. Coculture of islets with MSCs improves insulin secretory function of islets and enhances islet viability. Direct coculture of two cells significantly increased islet viability. MSC-based strategy may be beneficial for clinical islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes in the future.

As the most widely used construction material, concrete has the characteristics of good compressive performance. The compressive strength of concrete is the most important performance index. However, the compressive strength of concrete measured is generally based on the standard curing period for 28 d. Its period for detection is long. Therefore, it is necessary to study a fast and effective detection method. This paper mainly introduces the experimental method of microwave curing concrete and the relationship between concrete strength values of curing specimens using microwave and standard methods. The experimental results show that concrete specimens exposed to accelerated curing condition under microwave irradiation can increase the strength quickly within a shorter time period depending upon the procedure used in this work. By analysing experimental data, a model of concrete strength at age of 28 d using microwave curing and standard curing methods is established, which can early estimate compressive strength of concrete and provide a quick method for measuring the strength in the field.

The mechanism underlying postprandial glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) changes after metabolic surgery remains mostly unclarified. This investigation aimed to address whether the vagus nerve-spleen anti-inflammatory axis is involved in the rise in postprandial GLP-1 levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats following metabolic surgery.T2DM rat model was established with a high-fat diet and a low dose of streptozotocin and subjected to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and splenic denervation. A mixed-meal tolerance test for postprandial GLP-1 response was performed. TNF-α in the plasma, spleen, and ileum was measured by ELISA, and alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) expression in the spleen was analyzed by Western blot.Postprandial GLP-1 improvement by RYGB was accompanied by the reduction of TNF-α levels in spleen and ileum and up-regulation of splenic α7nAChR in T2DM rats. Splenic denervation abrogates a rise in postprandial GLP-1 levels in response to the mixed-meal challenge, along with higher TNF-α levels in spleen and ileum and down-regulation of splenicα7nAChR, compared with denervated sham rats.Our results reveal that the vagus nerve-spleen anti-inflammatory axis mediates the rise of postprandial GLP-1 response after RYGB through lowering TNF-α contents in the intestinal tissue in T2DM rats.

Public goods games are widely used to model social dilemmas involving multiple agents. Though defection is the only rational choice for an individual in a public goods game, cooperative behavior is observed in a variety of social dilemmas, which is the subject of our research. Punishing defectors has been shown to be an effective mechanism for promoting cooperation, but it relies on the third-party umpire being fair. In this article, an umpire intervention model with corruption is proposed to explore the impact of corruption on punishment mechanisms. In our model, players and umpires operate in a multilayer network. The players play public goods games, which are overseen by umpires. Fair umpires punish defectors, whereas corrupt umpires take bribes from defectors rather than meting out a punishment. We separately explore the effects of the fraction of fair umpires [Formula: see text], the spatial distribution, and the fine cost [Formula: see text] and bribe cost [Formula: see text]. Our Monte Carlo simulation shows that the above factors have a significant impact on cooperation. Intervention by an umpire always improves social efficiency, even for an entirely corrupt system. Moreover, relatively developed systems can resist corruption. Staggered and centralized distributions always have opposite effects on cooperative behavior, and these effects depend on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We also find that whether cooperators fully occupy the player layer depends only on whether [Formula: see text] reaches a certain threshold.

In recent years, tilt photogrammetry technology has been widely used in surveying and mapping field because of its good flexibility, high production efficiency, short cycle time and low cost. The traditional topographic mapping requires a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources, which not only wastes a lot of resources, but also leads to low efficiency. The application of 3D model obtained by UAV tilt photogrammetry to campus has great advantages and good application prospect. Taking the 3D model of community building for Changchun University of Architecture and Civil Engineering as an example, it is of practical significance to use technology to model, which has certain practical significance.

With the rapid progress of the construction of “digital city”, as the basic data of geographic information framework, urban 3D model has been paid more and more attention. Although the traditional 3D modeling method can be well controlled in the fineness of the model, it can not meet the needs of constructing the urban 3D model quickly. After many years of exploration and research, photogrammetry technology, with its rapid and efficient data acquisition ability, makes a large range of urban 3D modeling possible. However, because aerial photography acquires vertical images, there are often ground objects occlusion, shooting dead corners and so on, which leads to incomplete acquisition of side texture information of buildings, thus affecting the quality of 3D models. On this basis, a new method, tilt photogrammetry, is derived.

Purpose Oxidized cellulose is available in many forms, but manufactured using either a regenerated or non-regenerated process. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 2 different hemostatic agents for the treatment of local bleeding in patients undergoing hepatic resection. Methods This was a monocentric, parallel-group, randomized, and controlled clinical trial to compare oxidized regenerated cellulose gauze (ORCG) with oxidized non-regenerated cellulose gauze (ONRCG) in patients undergoing hepatectomy. The primary endpoint was the time to hemostasis at the target bleeding site. The secondary endpoints were the postoperative drainage volume on the first 2 days after surgery and the hospital stay. Results There was no significant difference between the ORCG and ONRCG groups in time to hemostasis from column analysis (238.8 ± 121.6 seconds vs. 193.7 ± 85.3 seconds, P = 0.068), and there were no differences in the rates of hemostatic success between the 2 groups at 120 seconds (18.4% vs. 24.3%; odds ratio [OR], 0.703; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.231-2.136) and 300 seconds (71.1% vs. 89.2%; OR, 0.298; 95% CI, 0.085-1.041). However, the ONRCG group was superior to the ORCG group in hemostasis according to the survival analysis (log-rank test, P = 0.044). Moreover, there were also no significant differences between the 2 groups in postoperative drainage volume on the first 2 days (P = 0.436, P = 0.381) and hospital stay (P = 0.537, P = 0.200). Conclusion ONRCG was not inferior to ORCG as a hemostatic agent in patients undergoing liver resection.

Background Almost all liver tumours can be removed laparoscopically, but some difficult tumour locations complicate laparoscopic surgery. Recurrent liver tumours often pose great difficulties to laparoscopic surgery due to adhesions caused by previous operations. Referring to laparoscopic adrenalectomy, a retroperitoneal approach is proposed to remove liver tumours near the adrenal gland, which will provide a new method for liver surgery. Case presentation Our case involves a patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) whose last operation was laparoscopic hepatectomy in our department, with a recurrence of HCC 2 years after the first surgery. In this case, based on preoperative CT and MRI, through a retroperitoneal approach, combined with intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) localization and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation, laparoscopic hepatectomy was successfully performed to precisely resect recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in segment VII. The patient was discharged on the third day after the operation. The AFP decreased to normal levels on the 28th postoperative day. Conclusions Retroperitoneal hepatectomy has the advantages of less trauma, shorter operation times, fewer complications and faster recovery for hepatic tumours near the adrenal gland. Accurate localization of tumours is needed to ensure accurate resection; therefore, IOUS and ICG fluorescence are very important. Liver parenchyma was severed strictly according to fluorescent labelling during hepatectomy, which prevented the deviation of liver parenchyma from the plane and ensured that the margin of hepatectomy was tumour-free. In order to ensure a radical resection of the tumour, it may be necessary to enter the abdominal cavity.

Additional file 1: Table 1. Characteristics of the retrieved relevant studies.

Rationale: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths and the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer globally. Interdisciplinary and multimodal treatment strategies are essential for a successful therapy in HCC. Established therapies for HCC treatment include surgical resection, liver transplantation, local ablative therapies, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), immunotherapy, and radiotherapy (RT). Patient concerns: A 52-year-old male patient did an ultrasound scan and found a large mass within the right lobe of the liver and gallstones in December 2018. He had a history of chronic hepatitis C virus infection (30 years) and was treated with sofosbuvir (400 mg, q.d.) for 1 year. The patient never had any symptoms of gallstones. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography of this patient showed a heterogeneous irregular mass with the largest measurement of up to 13.7 × 11.1 cm in size in the right lobe of the liver, meanwhile also had inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus, right atrial (RA) tumor thrombus, and left adrenal gland metastasis. The laboratory test data revealed that the serum tumor marker α-fetoprotein was 2.63 ng/mL, cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) was 34.40 U/mL, and protein induced by Vitamin K absence was 391.94 mAU/mL. Diagnosis: HCC with IVC tumor thrombus, RA tumor thrombus, and left adrenal gland metastasis, and gallstones. Interventions: He was hospitalized and received TACE treatment, oral TKIs, intravenous drip programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor and RT. Outcomes: The patient showed a favorable response after consecutive treatment with TACE, TKIs, PD-1 inhibitor, and RT. Until now, the patient has survived 34 months since the diagnosis of the disease. Lessons: Our case suggests that TACE combined with TKIs, PD-1 inhibitor, and RT may be a suitable treatment option for advanced HCC patients with IVC tumor thrombus and/or RA tumor thrombus, and/or adrenal gland metastasis.

Objectives Small bowel volvulus is a rare disease, which is also challenging to diagnose. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical and radiological features associated with small bowel volvulus and treatment and to identify risk factors for associated small bowel necrosis. Methods Patients with small bowel volvulus who underwent operations from January 2001 to December 2015 at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, China) were reviewed. Clinical, surgical and postsurgical data were registered and analyzed. Results Thirty-one patients were included for analysis. Fifteen patients were female (48.4%), with an average age of 47.7 years (18–79 years). The clinical signs and symptoms were unspecific and resembled intestinal obstruction. Clinical examination revealed abdominal distension and/or diffuse tenderness with or without signs of peritonitis. The use of CT scans, X-rays or ultrasound did not differ significantly between patients. In 9 of 20 patients that received abdominal CT scans, “whirlpool sign” on the CT scan was present. Secondary small bowel volvulus was present in 58.1% of patients, and causes included bands (3), adhesion (7), congenital anomalies (7) and stromal tumor (1). Out of the 31 patients, 15 with gangrenous small bowel had to undergo intestinal resection. Intestinal gangrene was present with higher neutrophils count (p

Some rigorous results and statistics of the solution space of Vertex-Covers on bipartite graphs are given in this paper. Based on the $K\ddot{o}nig$'s theorem, an exact solution space expression algorithm is proposed and statistical analysis of the nodes' states is provided. The statistical results fit well with the algorithmic results until the emergence of the unfrozen core, which makes the fluctuation of statistical quantities and causes the replica symmetric breaking in the solutions. Besides, the entropy of bipartite Vertex-Cover solutions is calculated with the clustering entropy using a cycle simplification technique for the unfrozen core. Furthermore, as generalization of bipartite graphs, bipartite core graph is proposed, the solution space of which can also be easily determined; and based on these results, how to generate a $K\ddot{o}nig-Egerv\acute{a}ry$ subgraph is studied by a growth process of adding edges. The investigation of solution space of bipartite graph Vertex-Cover provides intensive understanding and some insights on the solution space complexity, and will produce benefit for finding maximal $K\ddot{o}nig-Egerv\acute{a}ry$ subgraphs, solving general graph Vertex-Cover and recognizing the intrinsic hardness of NP-complete problems., Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures

To discuss our experience in diagnosing and treating pancreatic vasoactive intestinal peptide-secreting tumors (VIPomas) by summarizing clinical information of 4 patients.Clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, imaging features, surgical findings, and pathological findings of 4 patients with VIPoma admitted in our hospital from 1991 to the present are discussed.Watery diarrhea and hypokalemia were the main clinical manifestations. Hepatic metastasis occurred in 2 patients. The pancreatic body and tail were the main locations of lesions. Two tumors were shown in the pancreatic body and tail in 1 patient. Two patients with hepatic metastases received a combination therapy of octreotide, surgery, and chemotherapy, which resulted in symptom improvement and normalization of the serum potassium values. Distal pancreatic resection and second resection of hepatic metastatic lesions were performed in 1 patient. Resection of the pancreatic body and tail was done in 1 patient, and pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in another patient. Laparotomy was done in 1 patient because of invasion of the superior mesenteric vein and duodenum.Typical symptoms play an important role in the diagnosis of VIPoma. Octreotide therapy has advanced the preoperative electrolyte management, and the combination of octreotide, chemotherapy, and surgery may be helpful in metastatic disease.