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OBJECTIVE: The primary surgical techniques used to treat localized renal tumors are laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). Obese patients have more intra-abdominal fat accumulation, which may make the localization and operation in minimally invasive surgery more complicated. Currently, limited research has been conducted on which method is more suitable for performing a partial nephrectomy on obese individuals. The aim of our investigation was to analyze and compare the perioperative results associated with both approaches to offer valuable information about the selection of LPN or RAPN as an optimal choice when performing a partial nephrectomy in obese patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data from 78 cases of obese individuals [Body mass index (BMI) > 28] who underwent RAPN, as well as 50 cases of obese individuals (BMI > 28) who underwent LPN. The analysis covered various aspects, including initial patient characteristics, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), warm ischemia time (WIT), operation time, volume of blood loss during the surgical procedure, time taken to recover bowel function, positive surgical margin rate, incidence of postoperative complications, and postoperative hospital stay. RESULTS: We observed that RAPNs exhibited shorter warm ischemia time and reduced intraoperative blood loss in obese patients, along with decreased postoperative duration of abdominal drainage and hospitalization periods compared to LPNs. CONCLUSIONS: In obese patients, RAPN demonstrates advantages over LPN in minimizing intraoperative blood loss, WIT, and facilitating postoperative recovery. These findings may serve as valuable evidence when considering the choice between LPN or RAPN for partial nephrectomy in obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with a poor prognosis. Minichromosome maintenance genes (MCM2-7) crucial for DNA replication are significant biomarkers for various tumor types; however, their roles in TNBC remain underexplored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We utilized four TNBC-related GEO databases to examine MCM2-7 gene expression and predict its prognosis in TNBC, performing single-cell analysis and GSEA to discover MCM6's potential function. The Cancer Dependency Map gene effect scores and CCK8 assay were used to assess MCM6's impact on TNBC cell proliferation. The correlations between MCM6 expression, immune infiltrates, and immune cells were also analyzed. WGCNA and LASSO Cox regression built a risk score model predicting TNBC patient survival based on MCM6-related gene expression. RESULTS: MCM2-7 gene expression was higher in TNBC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. High MCM6 expression correlated with shorter TNBC patient survival time. GSEA and single-cell analysis revealed a relationship between elevated MCM6 expression and the cell cycle pathway. MCM6 knockdown inhibited TNBC cell proliferation. A risk model featuring MCM6, CDC23, and CCNB1 effectively predicts TNBC patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: MCM6 overexpression in TNBC links to a worse prognosis and reduced cell proliferation upon MCM6 knockdown. We developed a risk score model based on MCM6-related genes predicting TNBC patient prognosis, potentially assisting future treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumina and 304 stainless steel were brazed with silver‐copper‐titanium filler+copper foil. The effect of adding copper foil to the filler on the microstructure of the alumina/304 joint was studied, and the reasons for the effect of adding copper foil with different thicknesses on the joint performance were also analyzed. The standard microstructure of alumina/304 joint with silver‐copper‐titanium+copper foil filler is alumina ceramic/copper compound with titanium and oxygen (3 : 3 : 1) (Cu3Ti3O) continuous layer+copper titanide (TiCu)/silver solid solution+copper solid solution/titanium compound with iron (1 : 2) (TiFe2)+iron‐chromium compound/304 stainless steel. The added copper foil inhibits the diffusion of titanium elements, thereby reducing the formation of the brittle copper compound with titanium and oxygen (3 : 3 : 1) (Cu3Ti3O) and alleviating the residual stress. In addition, after adding copper foil, the copper solid solution is distributed in blocks in the joint, which also improves the plastic deformation ability of the joint. Under the synergistic effect of these two effects after adding copper foil, the joint strength is improved. When the copper foil was 200 μm, the shear strength is 198.10 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the hot rolling at 400°C and post-rolling annealing at 500°C were applied on heat-treated Al-Mg-Si 6082 alloys with different Mn contents to study the evolution of microstructure and elevated-temperature properties. During the pre-heat treatment before rolling (400°C/2h), a number of fine rod-like dispersoids formed in Mn-containing alloy while only high volume of larger Mg2Si particles was observed in the matrix of base alloy free of Mn. After hot rolling, the morphology of dispersoids was transferred from rod-like to spherical with finer size and increased number density while the dispersoids gradually coarsened during post-rolling annealing in Mn-containing alloy. The full recrystallization was completed after 1-2 h during annealing in the base alloy, while only partial recrystallization was observed in Mn-containing alloy. The micro-hardness at room temperature and the tensile yield strength at 300°C firstly increased from as-rolled condition to the initial stage of annealing (1 h) for both alloys, which was likely attributed to the dissolution of Mg2Si during the beginning of annealing. With further increasing annealing time (2-8 h), both the microhardness at room temperature and the elevated-temperature strengths of the base alloy remained similar, while they were slightly decreased in Mn-containing alloy owing to the partially recrystallization and coarsening of dispersoids. However, the elevated-temperature strengths were always higher in Mn-containing alloy than the base alloy while their differences between two alloys was reducing with prolonging the post-rolling annealing time. The tensile fracture surface was observed to be ductile for all the conditions of both alloys but the dimples in Mn-containing alloy were finer and much more uniformly distributed.