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Jushan Sun,1 Yibiao He,1 Lei Bai,1 Zhipeng Wang,1 Zhu Cao,1 Yingmei Shao,2 Jinming Zhao1 1Department of Liver and Laparoscopic Surgery, Digestive and Vascular Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, People’s Republic of China; 2Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Clinical Research Center for Echinococcosis and Hepatobiliary Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jinming ZhaoDepartment of Liver and Laparoscopic Surgery, Digestive and Vascular Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 137 of Liyushan Street, Xinshi District, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-991-4364529Email zhaojm_m@outlook.comObjective: To investigate the risk factors related to new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) and the significance of IL-6.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 64 patients who received either a living donor liver transplantation or a donation after circulatory death from September 2013 to October 2020 and attended regular follow-up visits for six or more months. During follow-up, patients were randomized into groups and followed up until the completion of the study or the death of the patient.Results: The incidence of NODM was 31.25% (n = 20). The median age in the NODM group was 52.15 years (p < 0.01). Age (OR = 1.089; 95% CI: 0.0211– 0.1495, p = 0.003) and elevated preoperative IL-6 (OR = 1.122; 95% CI: 0.0619– 0.1677, p = 0.029) were found to be independent risk factors for NODM. HBV-induced liver cirrhosis, warm ischemia time (WIT), body mass index (BMI), and high preoperative fasting blood glucose (FBG) were also found to be risk factors for NODM. The recipient had a higher risk of NODM if the donor had a high BMI and poor hepatic function. The concentrations of IL-6, procalcitonin (PCT), FBG, and tacrolimus (TAC) in the first month postoperatively were significantly higher in the NODM group than in the NO-NODM group. The survival rate of the patients was not affected by NODM.Conclusion: HBV-induced liver cirrhosis, WIT, BMI, and high preoperative FBG levels are risk factors for NODM, and age and preoperative IL-6 levels are independent risk factors. To a certain extent, higher BMI and poor hepatic function had reference significance for the incidence of NODM. Patients with a high concentration of FBG, IL-6, and TAC in the first month postoperatively had an increased risk of suffering from NODM.Keywords: liver transplantation, HBV, IL-6, immunosuppressants, NODM

Barium sulfate (BaSO

Objective. Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the metacestode Echinococcosis multilocularis with a tumor-like behavior in the targeted organ, especially in the liver. Surgery with albendazole is first-line modality for AE. Drug discontinuation is usually based upon the parasitic viability shown by the positron emission tomography (PET) scan. However, as a demanding and expensive method, it is not widely practiced in majority of the endemic regions. Further understanding on the cytokine and chemokine response profiles in AE patients may provide an interesting insight for potential markers in viability assessment. Methods. Mice were inoculated with Echinococcus multilocularis intrahepatically to develop the hepatic AE murine model. Oral albendazole administration was then applied for three months after the first inoculation, and peripheral and regional immune cells including type 1 T helper cells (Th), Th2, Th17, regulatory T (Treg) cells, related cytokines, and chemokines were examined. Results. The hepatic AE lesion was confirmed by ultrasound examination resulting in a successful rate of 70%. Among the 17 cytokines and chemokines detected, plasma levels of IL-23 were significantly higher in E. multilocularis-infected mice when compared to the control group; furthermore, more obvious increasing levels were found after albendazole treatment ( p < 0.05 ). All chemokine levels other than eotaxin and MCP-3 were slightly higher in E. multilocularis-infected mice compared to the control group ( p > 0.05 ). Eotaxin levels were significantly decreased in mice with E. multilocularis infection followed by albendazole treatment ( p < 0.05 ). Both IL-17A and IL-23 expressions in hepatic AE lesions were significantly higher and related with disease activity. Conclusion. Albendazole administration influenced the balance of immune response and promotes the secretion of proinflammatory factors which is beneficial to parasite clearance. IL-23 seems to be associated with the successful albendazole treatment in mice with E. multilocularis infection; such a change could be translated into clinical application in the near future.

Background China is facing challenges of the shifting presentation of tuberculosis (TB) from younger to elderly due to an ageing population, longer life expectancy and reactivation disease. However, the burden of elderly TB and influence factors are not yet clear. To fill the gap, we generated a cohort study to measure the magnitude of TB incidence and associated factors among the elderly population aged 65 years and above in China. Methods In this cohort established in 2013 through a prevalence survey conducted in selected sites, a total of 34 076 elderlies without TB were enrolled into two-year follow-up. We used both active and passive case findings to find out all TB patients among them. The person-year (PY) incidence rates for both bacteriologically positive TB and active TB were calculated. Cox proportional regression model was performed to test effect of risk factors, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of each risk factor contributing to incident TB among elderlies was calculated. Results Over the two-year follow-up period, a total of 215 incident active TB were identified, 62 of which were bacteriologically positive. The incidence rates for active TB and bacteriologically positive TB were 481.8 per 100 000 PY (95% CI: 417.4–546.2 per 100 000 PY) and 138.9 per 100 000 PY (95% CI: 104.4–173.5 per 100 000 PY), respectively. Incident cases detected by active case finding were significantly higher (P Conclusions Ageing population in China had a high TB incidence rate and risk to develop TB disease, implying that National TB Program (NTP) needs to prioritize for elderly. Active case finding should be applied capture more active TB cases among this particular population, especially for male, non-Han nationality, and those with identified risk factors.

Leiomyosarcoma of inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare clinical entity with severe vascular involvement. Surgical management of leiomyosarcoma is still challenging.This a retrospective study of consecutive patients referred to our hospital from January 2017 to June 2019. Depending on the anatomical site of affected IVC, leiomyosarcomas were categorized into zone I-II. The clinical data including baseline information, surgical parameters, peri-operative management, short- and mid-term outcomes were observed.Four patients with leiomyosarcoma of zone I-III underwent radical resection without intraoperative mortality. Prosthetic grafts were interpositioned in all patients to instruct vena cava. Renal vein reconstruction was perfumed in two patients due to involvement to renal veins. Median blood loss was 450 mL (200-600 mL), median operative time was 215 minutes (150-240 minutes). No Clavien-Dindo IIIa or higher complication was observed. No organ dysfunction and recurrence were observed with median follow-up of 25.5 months.Curative resection of zone I-II leiomyosarcoma is associated with longer survival in selected cases, en-bloc resection with complex vascular reconstruction could be considered.

With the help of first-principles method, an unusual length effect in polyacene molecular spin valves is revealed. It is found that beyond a critical length, the magnitude of tunneling magnetoresistance is significantly enhanced from 10% to 2500%. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that such significant increase of magnetoresistance is related to the nonmagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition of polyacene molecules, which is determined by the relative magnetization orientation of the ferromagnetic electrodes. The molecular gap shows distinct length dependence with the change of molecular magnetic state, which keeps decreasing with length in the nonmagnetic state while a fine gap is obtained in the antiferromagnetic state. This work indicates a valid way to obtain considerable tunneling magnetoresistance in long molecular spin valves.

We report the first documented case of leiomyosarcoma at zone II-III of inferior vena cava with thrombi in three hepatic veins undergoing ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation (ELRA) and hepatic veins thrombectomy. A 33-year-old female patient presented with abdominal distention and lower extremities edema. Abdominal wall varicosis and shifting dullness were positive on physical examination. Her liver function was classified as Child-Pugh B and a solid tumor at retro-hepatic vena cava extending to right atrium with thrombi in three hepatic veins were confirmed. The diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma with Budd-Chiari syndrome was highly suspected with preoperative ultrasound, echocardiogram, CT scan, and three-dimensional reconstruction. A zone II-III leiomyosarcoma of IVC origin was confirmed at surgery and ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation, and hepatic vein thrombectomy with atrial reconstruction were performed under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Operative time, anhepatic time, and CPB time were 12 h, 128 min, and 84 min, respectively. The patients experienced post-operative liver dysfunction and was cured with conservative therapy. Hepatic recurrence two years after surgery was managed with radiofrequency. The patient was alive with liver metastasis three years after surgery. Despite being regarded as an extremely aggressive procedure, ELRA could be considered in the treatment of advanced leiomyosarcoma with Budd-Chiari syndrome and hepatic vein thrombi.

Background The University of Wisconsin (UW) and histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solutions are the two most frequently used liver graft preservation fluids. The present study aimed to compare their efficacy in end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis patients who underwent ex-situ liver resection and autotransplantation (ELRA). Methods A total of 81 patients received ELRA from August 2010 to March 2018. They were allocated into UW (n = 48) and HTK groups (n = 33) based on the type of solutions used. Demographic and operational data were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcomes included 90-day mortality, incidence of early graft loss, primary dysfunction, and postoperative complications. Results Demographic and operational characteristics were similarly distributed in the two groups. No statistically significant differences were observed with regard to 90-day mortality (12.77% vs. 12.12%) and early graft loss rate (8.51% vs. 9.09%) between the two groups. Patients in the UW and HTK groups showed a primary dysfunction rate of 27.66% and 27.27%, respectively. The UW group exhibited a higher incidence tendency of biliary complications, albeit with no statistical significance. Conclusions This is the largest cohort study comparing the efficacy of the UW and HTK organ-preserving solutions in end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis patients in ELRA settings. UW and HTK solutions presented similar efficacy and safety. A randomized clinical trial with larger scale is needed for further investigation in future clinical applications.

Designing molecular switches with high stability and performance is still a great challenge in the field of molecular electronics. For this aim, key factors influencing the charge transport properties of molecular devices require to be carefully addressed. Here, by using the nonequilibrium Green's function method in combination with the density functional theory, effect of bridging manner (i.e., linkage sites) for dimethyldihydropyrene (DHP)/cyclophanediene (CPD) photoswitchable molecule sandwiched between two Au(111) electrodes has been theoretically investigated. The computational results show that the fully conjugated DHP is more conductive than the less conjugated CPD, manifesting an evident switching effect. It is also found that the ON/OFF switching performance of DHP/CPD is dramatically modulated by the bridging manner. Further analysis attributes the switching feature to the different alignments of conducting HOMO with the Fermi energy for DHP and CPD. And it also reveals that local bond contributions to the electron transmission pathway are closely related to both the conjugation characteristics and bridging manner of the core molecule. This work suggests that the bridging manner of core molecule in single-molecule junction plays an essential role in determining the switching performance and should be carefully addressed in future design of molecular switches.

Nest survival is a vital component of breeding success, and affects population dynamics, as the loss of nests is the main cause of reproductive failure in birds. To identify key factors for the conservation of Chinese grouse Tetrastes sewerzowi, we tested the effects of nest concealment, nest age, nesting season, and habitat edge on nest daily survival rate (DSR) of Chinese grouse using 54 nests found at Lianhuashan Nature Reserve, Gansu, China, 2009–2012. Moreover, we controlled for the effect of research activity by testing the effect of nest checks on DSR. Overall, mammal predation caused 93% of nest failures. DSR was 0.986 ± 0.0038 in the constant model and the probability of a nest with a full clutch of 6 eggs surviving the entire 40-day nesting period was 0.526 ± 0.090. DSR decreased with nest age and nesting season (from 19 May to 3 July). Mammals instead of avian predators being responsible for most nest failures suggest that nest sites might be selected to avoid visual avian predators, but not olfactory mammalian predators, and the decreasing trend of DSR with nest age and nesting season could attribute to an additive exposure effect. Moreover, nest checks conducted by investigators significantly lowered nest DSR, especially during the late period of nesting season and for older nests. Mammalian predators might locate the nest site by following the investigator’s odor. Based on our results, we suggest that the late incubation stage is a particularly vulnerable period for nest survival of Chinese grouse and those researchers should adjust their activities around nests to balance the need of acquiring accurate data and decreasing nest predation risk.

Resume La resection complete des lesions, associee a un traitement par albendazole pendant deux ans representent le traitement le plus efficace de l’echinococcose alveolaire hepatique (EAH). Seulement un petit nombre de patients peuvent beneficier d’une hepatectomie conventionnelle du fait de l’infiltration extensive des lesions hepatiques d’EAH et pour les autres patients un traitement par albendazole avec ou sans allotransplantation ou un traitement interventionnel non chirurgical doivent etre envisages. Bien que la transplantation soit consideree comme une option legitime pour des cas aussi avances, la penurie de donneurs d’organes, la necessite d’un traitement immunosuppresseur postoperatoire a vie et une possible recidive due aux effets secondaires des traitements medicaux, les chirurgiens ont ete motives pour chercher une modalite alternative possible. C’est dans cette optique que la resection « ex vivo » des lesions hepatiques suivie par l’autotransplantation du foie residuel sain (ELRA) a ete entreprise pour la premiere fois chez un patient avec une echinococcose alveolaire (EA) au stade terminal par les auteurs en 2011 et realisee a ce jour chez 94 patients avec des resultats cliniques prometteurs. Les donnees actuellement disponibles chez les 69 premiers patients, confirment que la resection ex vivo suivie d’autotransplantation pour les lesions d’EAH au stade terminal est une option emergente en cas de lesions non resecables par chirurgie classique avec une mortalite globale de 7 % a 30 jours et une survie sans recidive de 100 %. La selection minutieuse des patients, l’evaluation precise du volume et de la qualite du foie restant sont les cles de la reussite du geste chirurgical. Des cohortes complementaires avec un nombre plus eleve de patients et un suivi a plus long terme devraient confirmer ces resultats.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the larval stage of echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis), and hepatectomy is the main modality in hepatic AE patients. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PHx) in such patients is challenging, and further investigation is needed. Thus far, knowledge regarding the possible impact of E. multilocularis on liver regeneration after PHx is limited. Herein, a subcutaneous infection model of E. multilocularis was developed in C57 BL/6 mice, and after 3 months, PHx was performed. Plasma and liver samples were harvested under inhalational isofluorane (2%) anaesthesia at designated post-PHx time points (0, 24, 48, 96 and 168 h). The parameters included the future remnant liver/body weight ratio (FLR/BW), liver function tests (AST and ALT) and related cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, Factor V, HMGB1, TGF-β, TSP-1, and TLR4) and proteins (MyD88 and STAT3). To assess the proliferation intensity of hepatocytes, BrdU, Ki67 and PAS staining were carried out in regenerated liver tissue. The FLR/BW in the infected group from 48 h after surgery was lower than that in the control group. The BrdU positive hepatocyte proportions reached their peak at 48 h in the control group and 96 h in the infected group and then gradually decreased. During the first 48 h after surgery, both the AST and ALT levels in the infected group were lower; however, these levels were altered from 96 h after surgery. In the infected group, the concentrations and mRNA expression levels of the pre-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 demonstrated a delayed peak. Moreover, post-operatively, the TGF-β and TSP-1 levels showed high levels in the infected group at each different time-point compared to those in the control group; however, high levels of TGF-β were observed at 96 h in the control group. The MyD88 and STAT3 protein expression levels in the infected group were markedly higher than those in the control group 96 h after surgery. Delayed liver regeneration after PHx was observed in the C57 BL/6 mice with the subcutaneous infection of E. multilocularis in the current study. This phenomenon could be partially explained by the alteration in the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the immunotolerant milieu induced by chronic E. multilocularis infection.

Objectives: To investigate potential biomarkers for distinguishing biological viability of hepatic cystic echinococcosis. Methods: Using Luminex assay we measured plasma concentrations of cytokine and chemokine in patients with active and non-active cysts (hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE), n = 47) and stable/progressive hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE, n = 38), and in comparable infection-free volunteers (n = 48). Disease progression was staged according to the classification standard. Results: Compared with healthy controls, enhanced elevation was found of T helper 22 type cytokine interleukin (IL)-22 and chemokines Eotaxin, interferon-γ inducible protein-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and stromal cell-derived factor-1α concentrations in HAE patients, and IL-22, growth-related oncogene α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, regulated on activation normal T-expressed and secreted, and stromal cell-derived factor-1α concentrations in HCE patients (P < 0.05–0.001). For HCE patients, only IL-27 concentrations in non-active HCE were significantly lower than in active HCE. In logistic regression analysis, IL-27

As an early complication after liver transplantation, early allograft dysfunction (EAD) indicates a poor prognosis. This study analyzes the risk factors related to early allograft dysfunction (EAD) after liver transplantation using grafts from donation after citizen death (DCD) to provide a reference for the prevention of EAD after DCD liver transplantation.A total of 32 patients who underwent DCD liver transplantation in the organ transplantation center of our hospital from September 2013 to January 2021 were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into the EAD group and non-EAD group according to whether they developed EAD after transplantation. The general data of the donors and recipients before transplantation, intraoperative conditions, and clinical data within one week after transplantation were compared between the two groups, and related complications were statistically analyzed. The follow-up time was one week postoperatively or, if they died within the first week postoperatively, until the patient died.The subjects included 10 females and 22 males, and the incidence of postoperative EAD was 25% (8/32). Four patients (12%) had primary malignant tumors (primary liver cancer and cholangiocarcinoma), and five donors (15%) had fatty liver. The univariate analysis revealed that the donor BMI (P = 0.005), degree of fatty liver (P = 0.025), aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (P 0.001), and total bilirubin (P = 0.009) were related to the occurrence of EAD after DCD liver transplantation. By analyzing the correlation between the incidence EAD and postoperative complications after liver transplantation using grafts from DCD donors, it was shown that the incidence of primary nonfunction (PNF) is related to EAD (P = 0.024).Donor BMI, the degree of fatty liver, and preoperative liver function are risk factors for EAD after DCD liver transplantation, and the occurrence of EAD after DCD liver transplantation significantly increases the probability of PNF.

OBJECTIVES The clinical safety, efficacy and feasibility of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) compared with open appendectomy (OA) in pregnancy are still controversial. Herein, we are aiming to compare the clinical outcomes of LA and OA in patients with acute appendicitis during their pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing laparoscopic and OA in pregnancy identifying using PubMed, Web of science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Ovid and Scopus. Two independent reviewers extracted data on surgical complication, fetal loss, preterm delivery, hospital stay, Apgar score in both groups. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies with total of 6497 patients (4464 in open and 2031 in laparoscopic group) were included. LA was associated with lower rate of wound infection [odds risk (OR)=3.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.77-5.56, P

Thioredoxin-like protein-1 (TXNL1; also known as thioredoxin-related 32 kDa protein, TRP32) is a thioredoxin involved in the regulation of oxidative stress, which protects cells from damage through redox balance. Studies have shown that TXNL1 has a variety of functions, including cell signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, protein synthesis, modification and degradation, vesicle transport, transcriptional regulation, cell apoptosis, virus replication and oxidative stress regulation, etc., and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of human diseases. Therefore, TXNL1 has a strong correlation with the treatment of cancer and oxidative stress diseases. In this paper, the basic structure, function and potential application value of TXNL1 in diseases are reviewed, so as to open up new targets for the treatment of cancer and oxidative stress-related diseases.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. As a novel non-coding RNA, LINC00657 was firstly identified as an oncogenic role in breast cancer. However, few research focus on the effect of LINC00657 on the progression of HCC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of LINC00657 on HCC tissues and cells, and further explore the potential mechanism. We first measured the expression of LINC00657 in HCC tissues and cell lines using qRT-PCR. Next we established LINC00657 knockdown in HCC cells. CCK-8 assay, cell invasion assay, flow cytometry analysis, qRT-PCR and western blotting were applied to assess the role of LINC00657 knockdown in the biological behavior of HCC cells. The bioinformatics analysis and the rescue experiment were devoted to the underlying mechanism. LINC00657 was remarkably overexpressed in HCC tissues and cell lines, associated with poor prognosis. LINC00657 knockdown repressed cell proliferation and invasion, promoted cell apoptosis of HCC cell lines. The bioinformatics analysis showed LINC00657 sponged miR-424 as a ceRNA. Besides, PD-L1 mimic rescued the suppression of si-LINC00657 in the biological behavior of HCC cells. In a word, we observed LINC00657 regulated PD-L1 expression by sponging miR-424, thus affecting the developments of hepatocellular carcinoma. These findings LINC00657 may provide new evidence for therapeutic application in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Emerging evidence indicates a regulatory role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of gastric cancer (GC), but the mechanisms underlying their function have remained largely unknown. Recent microarray-based expression profiling has led to the identification of a novel differentially expressed lncRNA, LINC00858, in GC. Subsequently, LINC00858 was found to be highly expressed in GC tissues and cells. This study was designed to clarify the functional role of LINC00858 in GC, including its effect on methylation of the WNK2 gene promoter and its downstream MAPK signaling pathway. After exogenous over-expression and knockdown of LINC00858 and the addition of a MAPK pathway inhibitor in GC cells, we explored the effects of LINC00858 and the MAPK signaling pathway on GC cell behavior using various in vitro and in vivo assays. LINC00858 was found to negatively regulate WNK2 expression by enhancing its promoter methylation and to activate the MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, we found that knockdown of LINC00858 or inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway resulted in decreased GC cell growth, migration and invasion, as well as decreased cell cycle progression, along with increased apoptosis and decreased tumorigenicity. Together, these findings indicate that silencing of LINC00858 increases WNK2 expression and inhibits the MAPK signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting GC growth and development. Our data highlight LINC00858 as a potential target in GC therapy.

Background & Aims Radical resection is the best treatment for patients with advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Liver transplantation is considered for selected advanced cases; however, a shortage of organ donors and the risk of postoperative recurrence are major challenges. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes of ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation for end-stage AE. Methods In this prospective study, 69 consecutive patients with end-stage hepatic AE were treated with ex vivo resection and liver autotransplantation between January 2010 and February 2017. The feasibility, safety and long-term clinical outcome of this technique were assessed. Results Ex vivo extended hepatectomy with autotransplantation was successful in all patients without intraoperative mortality. The median weight of the graft and AE lesion were 850 (370–1,600) g and 1,650 (375–5,000) g, respectively. The median duration of the operation and anhepatic phase were 15.9 (8–24) h and 360 (104–879) min, respectively. Six patients did not need any blood transfusion. Complications higher than IIIa according to Clavien classification were observed in 10 patients. The 30-day-mortality and overall mortality (>90 days) were 7.24% (5/69) and 11.5% (8/69), respectively. The mean hospital stay was 34.5 (12–128) days. Patients were followed-up systematically for a median of 22.5 months (14–89) without recurrence. Conclusion This is the largest series assessing ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation in end-stage hepatic AE. This technique could be an effective alternative to liver transplantation in patients with end-stage hepatic AE, with the advantage that it does not require an organ nor immunosuppressive agents. Lay summary Ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation were performed in a large series of patients with end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. The results showed that this surgical option was feasible, with acceptable postoperative mortality, but 100% disease-free survival in survivors. Careful patient selection, as well as precise assessment for size and quality of the remnant liver are key to successful surgery.

Reproductive activities can incur various costs to breeding individuals in birds. One cost is that reproduction decreases survival probabilities of attendant individuals, which may have a major effect on population demography. During brood rearing, adults of precocial species usually make extensive movements to lead their young to sites with adequate food resources and dense cover. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of brood movement on attendant precocial adults. In this study, we tracked female Chinese Grouse during brood-rearing periods using radiotelemetry at Lianhuashan Nature Reserve, Gansu, China, during 2010–2012, to evaluate the effects of brood rearing and movement distances on females’ survival probabilities using known fate models in program MARK. All 41 females attempted to breed, and 30 females successfully hatched at least one chick; 11 failed during the incubation period. Although females with broods moved more extensively than females without broods, movement distances did not influence survival probabilities of attendant females. Seven females with broods were killed by predators, resulting in a lower survival probability (0.958 ± 0.016 weekly survival and 0.679 ± 0.099 through the 9-weeks brood-rearing periods) than for females without broods, which all survived the brood-rearing periods. Our results agree with the prediction of life history theory, which assumes that cost must correlate with reproduction. The extensive movement patterns found in this study might reflect a lack of suitable brood-rearing habitat near nest sites, which might be detrimental to chick survival and influence the persistence of this population.

Background The habitat features of breeding territory have important adaptive significance for the survival and reproduction of territory holders. The Chinese Grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi) is a rare and endemic species with relatively small distribution range and decreasing population trend. It is important to elucidate breeding territory habitat requirements of the Chinese Grouse for habitat management and conservation actions. Methods Using radio-telemetry and field observations, we determined the core areas of 65 breeding territories of males. Two to three samples were selected in each core breeding territory as used sites and compared with nearby sites with no grouse occurrence using logistic regression. Results Our model showed a high accuracy in prediction of core breeding territory used by males, which preferred stands with more small deciduous trees (0.5 m ≤ height

OBJECTIVES This clinical study is aiming to discuss the therapeutic benefit of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) by comparing with conventional open appendectomy (OA) in pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The clinical data of 26 pregnant women who underwent appendectomy from 2012 to 2016 was retrospectively analyzed. The variables analyzed included baseline information, operation characteristics, maternal complications, and infant health outcomes. The patients were divided in 2 LA and OA groups according to the surgical approach and their clinical characteristics were compared. RESULTS Of reported 26 patients, 7 underwent LA whereas the remaining 19 patients underwent OA. The median age of the patients was 28 years (range, 19 to 39 y). The median gestational period was 21.5 weeks (range, 5 to 33 wk). The postoperative pathology showed complicated appendicitis 7 cases. The result showed significantly shorter operation time (42.14±8.63 vs. 65.21±26.58 min, P=0.003), hospital stay (4.14±1.77 vs. 6.47±2.72 d, P=0.021), and earlier recovery of gastrointestinal function in the LA group compared with OA group. There were no maternal and fetal deaths occurred in perioperative period in both groups. CONCLUSIONS LA has not increased morbidity and mortality but displayed shorter hospital stay, operation time and recovery of gastrointestinal function to OA as well as good cosmetic results. Therefore, LA in patients with pregnancy can be considered as preferred approach in sophisticated hands without increased risks.

Molecular-scale magnetic devices have attracted great attention of research in recent years. In this work, by using the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method in combination with density functional theory (DFT), we investigated the spin transport properties of manganese phthalocyanine based spintronic devices constructed by a mononuclear manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) or binuclear manganese phthalocyanine (Mn 2Pc2 ) sandwiched between two zigzag-edge graphene nanoribbon (zGNR) electrodes . The calculation results show that both MnPc and Mn 2Pc2 devices are good spin filters manifesting excellent spin filtering effect, which is originated from the distinct difference in the energy alignments of the spin-up and spin-down molecular electronic states with respect to the Fermi energy ( E F ) of zGNR electrodes. More interestingly, the spin polarization of the tunneling electrons through the devices is intimately opposite to that of Mn atom(s). Specifically, for a spin-up polarization of Mn in the devices, almost only the spin-down electrons are allowed to go through the device, and vice versa. In addition, spin filtering efficiency (SFE) of the devices is evidently enhanced in Mn2Pc2 devices in comparison with that of the MnPc devices, of which the value of SFE can reach almost 100%. This enhancement is attributed to the fact that the spin electronic states of Mn2Pc2 devices are closer to E F and there is a weaker localization in their spatial distributions induced by the external bias voltage. Furthermore, both MnPc and Mn2Pc2 devices can act as NOT logic gates by taking the spin polarization characteristics of Mn atom(s) and current of devices as input and output signals, respectively. This work demonstrates that mononuclear MnPc and binuclear Mn2Pc2 molecules have potential applications in designing multifunctional spintronic single-molecule devices.

Exploring and optimizing the factors that influence the rectification performance of single-molecule diodes is one of the most important approaches to pursue high-performance molecular diodes. By using the first-principles method, effects of electrode materials ( i.e., Ag versus Pt) and the conjugated head group (i.e., Fc versus Fc−C C−Fc, Fc = ferrocenyl) on the rectification properties of σ − π type single-molecule diodes, which here are comprised of an alkanethiolate backbone (HS(CH2)15, abbreviated as SC15) and a conjugated head group, have been investigated. It is found that, compared to Fc head group and Ag electrode, Fc−C C−Fc head group and Pt electrode can greatly enhance the rectification performance of the single-molecule diodes. More specifically, the maximum value of R for SC15Fc−C C−Fc can reach 4.2 × 103 on Ag electrode and 3.4 × 104 on Pt electrode, which are respectively about 30 times larger than the counterparts of SC15Fc. Meanwhile, the maximum values of R for SC15Fc and SC15Fc−C C−Fc on Pt electrode are about 1 order of magnitude larger than those on Ag electrode. Detailed analysis attributes the former to the evident increase in the number of electron tunneling channels around EF when the Fc group is replaced by Fc−C C−Fc, while the latter is due to the energy shift of electron tunneling channels towards EF on Pt electrode and the stronger coupling strength of S–Pt than S–Ag. Our results suggest that there is still large room for optimizing the rectification performance of alkanethiolate-based σ − π type single-molecule diodes and can also help to understand the recent experimental observations [Nat. Nanotechnol. 2017, 12, 797–803].

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ambroxol hydrochloride chitosan reduced the degree of peritoneal adhesion.A total of 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were experimented, group A: the damaged peritoneal was covered with ambroxol hydrochloride chitosan, group B: chitosan membrane only, group C: nothing. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to observe the expression of TNF-α and NF-κB p65.TNF-α and NF-κB p65 in group A significantly decreased in comparison with the controls. IHC showed TNF-α and NF-κB p65 were significantly down-regulated in group A. Adhesion grade in the treatment group was significantly lower than in controls.Ambroxol hydrochloride chitosan reduced the degree of peritoneal adhesion.

Background Incubating birds must balance the conflict between thermal needs of the developing embryos and their self-maintenance needs for energy. The Chinese Grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi) lives in high mountain conifer forests and faces energy stress, cold environment, and predation pressure. Females might adjust incubation rhythm to adapt to these constraints. Methods Two methods were used to investigate egg laying and incubation pattern of the Chinese Grouse; 25 nests were monitored by data loggers and 12 nests by infrared video cameras. Results Female Chinese Grouses usually laid an egg every 2 days. The incubation period was 28–31 days. Overall incubation constancy for Chinese Grouse was 93%. The females took 5.0 recesses per day and 34% of all 1696 recesses were taken in the crepuscular period. The average recess duration was 20.3 min. Females took more and shorter recesses in the latter part of incubation. The females who allocated more time to foraging had a higher reproductive success. Conclusions Probably due to its high egg/body mass ratio, the Chinese Grouse has a long laying interval of 49 h. We suggest that, due to energy stress, females have relatively more recesses and they increase the number of recesses as incubation progresses. To compensate for the embryos’ thermal needs, they extend the incubation period and shorten the recess duration in this cold environment.

Improving the switching performance of single-molecule switches is one of the major pursuits in the research of molecular switches. Here, by applying the first principles method based nonequilibrium Green's function formulisms, a single-molecule switch comprised of a dimethyldihydropyrene(DHP)/cyclophanediene(CPD) photosensitive molecule connected to gold electrodes by carbon atomic chains (CACs) has been designed. To optimize the switching performance of the DHP/CPD single-molecule switch, the length of CACs has been varied, where the number n of carbon atoms in the CACs has been sequentially changed from 1 to 6. The numerical results suggest that there is an evident odd-even effect in the switching performance of the DHP/CPD single-molecule switch modulated by the odevity of n ( n odd or n even ). The ON/OFF ratio is enhanced by one order of magnitude when CACs with n even carbon atoms are adopted in comparison with the cases of CACs with n odd carbon atoms. Further analysis reveals that the atomic bondings are distinctly different for the CACs with n odd and n even carbon atoms, which results in large difference in alignments of molecular states with E F of electrodes. Meanwhile, the conducting channels around E F for CPD are dramatically changed with respect to the odevity of n, which leads to a large modulation of the switching performance of the DHP/CPD single-molecule switch. Our results suggest a promising and efficient way to optimize the switching performance of single-molecule switches.

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical value of three-dimensional (3D) computer reconstruction technology in pre-operative assessment and surgical planning for liver autotransplantation in patients with end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE). Fifteen end-stage HAE patients received surgical treatment in our hospital between May 2011 and July 2014. 3D reconstruction and virtual surgeries were performed on diseased livers using a 3D reconstruction system for liver (IQQA-Liver). The feasibility and safety of liver autotransplantation were assessed for successful implementation of surgery. The results were compared with intraoperative conditions and computed tomography (CT) to verify the accuracy of pre-operative evaluation. Fifteen patients underwent liver resections and liver autotransplantation using surgical strategies consistent with pre-operative surgical planning in 3D reconstruction. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between whole-liver volume (2848.26 ± 798.41 vs. 2598.70 ± 822.45 cm3, t = −4.635, P > 0.05) and lesion volume (1159.09 ± 789.47 vs. 1213.14 ± 813.76 cm3, t = −1.959, P > 0.05) measured by 3D and traditional two-dimensional (2D) manual tracing from CT. The remaining liver volumes calculated by 3D and 2D CT were 810.47 ± 214.05 and 892.00 ± 262.36 cm3 (t = −3.275, P > 0.05), with an average error rate of 6.2 and 16.5 %, respectively. The pre-operative remaining liver volumes estimated by the two methods were positively correlated with the actual weight (783.67 ± 217.74 g) after the surgery (r three-dimensional = 0.976, r multislice CT = 0.883, P