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OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of partial splenic embolization (PSE) versus splenectomy (SP) for hypersplenism. MATERIAL AND METHODS Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) databases were systematically searched to identify all relevant studies. Stratified meta-analysis was also conducted to control the influence of confounding factors on the research results. RESULTS Twenty-three studies comparing PSE with SP involving a total of 1849 hypersplenism patients were selected. Postoperative increased level of platelet (PLT) [mean difference (MD) = -65.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), -81.33 to -41.69; p

Introduction Stent insertion is the most frequently used option to treat malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) patients. Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) is the most common disease that causes hilar MBO. Aim To assess the clinical efficacy and long-term outcomes of I-125 seed-loaded stent (ISS) insertion for HCCA patients. Material and methods Consecutive patients with HCCA underwent either normal stent (NS) or ISS insertion between January 2017 and December 2019. The baseline and treatment data of these two groups were compared. Results During the period, a total of 93 patients with inoperable HCCA were divided into either NS (n = 48) or ISS (n = 45) insertion groups at our centre. Technical success rates of the NS and ISS insertion were 91.7% and 95.6%, respectively (p = 0.733). Clinical success rates were 93.2% and 100% in the NS and ISS groups, respectively (p = 0.24). Stent dysfunction was observed in 11 and 8 patients in the NS and ISS groups, respectively (p = 0.47). The median stent patency was 143 days and 208 days in the NS and ISS groups, respectively (p < 0.001). All patients died in the follow-up period, with median survival duration of 178 days and 220 days in the NS and ISS groups, respectively (p < 0.001). ISS insertion was the only predictor of longer patency (p = 0.002) and survival (p = 0.01). Conclusions ISS insertion might achieve longer patency and overall survival in patients with inoperable HCCA as compared with NS insertion.

Xinjian Xu,1,* Yiwen Ding,1,* Tianfan Pan,1 Feng Gao,1 Xiangzhong Huang,1 Qiulian Sun2 1Department of Interventional Radiology, Jiangyin People’s Hospital, Jiang Yin City, Jiangsu Province, 214400, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Zhejiangtaizhou Hospital, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, 317000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiangzhong Huang; Qiulian Sun Email hxzdoc@163.com; sql947435865@163.comPurpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of CT-guided 125I brachytherapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refractory to conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods: Nineteen patients with TACE-refractory HCC treated with CT-guided 125I brachytherapy between June 2017 and June 2020 at Jiangyin People’s Hospital were enrolled in this study. In addition, we used the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) criteria to evaluate the treatment response after 125I brachytherapy.Results: Twenty-one tumours were treated with CT-guided 125I brachytherapy in nineteen patients. Twelve tumours (57.1%) showed a complete response, and a partial response was observed in seven tumours (33.3%). The six-month objective response rate was 90.5% (19/21). The adverse effects of CT-guided 125I brachytherapy were tolerable.Conclusion: Our preliminary clinical experience demonstrated that CT-guided 125I brachytherapy was effective and well tolerated for the treatment of TACE-refractory HCC, suggesting that CT-guided 125I brachytherapy has the potential to become an effective alternative treatment for TACE-refractory HCC.Keywords: 125I brachytherapy, TACE, refractory, hepatocellular carcinoma

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TAE/TACE versus emergency surgery (ES) for spontaneous rupture of HCC (rHCC). Eight databases (Web of Science, Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrial.gov, Wanfang, CNKI and VIP) were searched to obtain all related literature from the inception dates to October 2019. Subgroup analyses based on the kind of study design and kind of embolization were conducted. Twenty-one studies comparing TAE/TACE with ES were eligible. A total of 974 rHCC participants (485 participants treated with TACE/TAE and 489 participants treated with ES) were included in the present meta-analysis. TAE/TACE group was associated with lower risk of complications (OR = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22–0.57; P

The residues of cycloxaprid enantiomers and metabolites are investigated by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) during raw and ripen Puer tea processing. A Chiralpak AG column with chiral stationary phase of amylose tris (3-chloro-5-methylphenylcarbamate) is succeed to separate the

Background: BRAF mutation mostly was observed in lung adenocarcinoma, accounting for about 4.9%. It mainly includes V600E mutation and other rare mutations, among which non-V600E positive accounted for about 43.3%. Case presentation: We report a case with postoperative recurrent NSCLC with brain metastasis and multiple lymph nodes metastasis, who had developed hemiplegia. The gene mutation was positive for BRAF non-V600E and a partial response was observed despite brain and multiple lymph nodes lesions after trametinib monotherapy. Conclusion: Our case shows that trametinib could potentially be a promising therapeutic agent for chemotherapy-refractory BRAF non-V600E mutant NSCLC patients.

Background:BRAF mutation mostly was observed in lung adenocarcinoma, accounting for about 4.9%. It mainly including V600E mutation and other rare mutations, among which non-V600E positive accounted for about 43.3%.Case presentation:We report a case that postoperative recurrence NSCLC with brain metastasis and multiple lymph nodes metastasis, who had been developed hemiplegia. The gene mutation was positive for BRAF non-V600E and a partial response was observed despite brain and multiple lymph nodes lesions after trimetinib monotherapy.Conclusion:Our case shows that trimetinib could potentially be a promising therapeutic agent for chemotherapy-refractory BRAF non-V600E mutant NSCLC patients.

Effects of long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA)-p21 on the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of HepG2 liver cancer cells were assessed to explore the underlying mechanism. The lincRNA-p21 small interfering RNA (siRNA) lentivirus vector was constructed, transfected and screened to obtain a stable cell line, which constituted the experimental group. At the same time, the empty virus vector was transfected as the control group. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of lincRNA-p21 in cells was detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The proliferation ability of cells was detected via Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Transwell chamber experiment was used to observe cell migration and invasion ability. Compared with that in the control group, the mRNA expression level of lincRNA-p21 in cells in the experimental group was obviously decreased (p

Objective We evaluated the early and midterm results of the endovascular approach with a certain type of bare stent to treat spontaneous isolated visceral artery dissection (SIVAD). Methods 28 patients with symptomatic SIVAD were selected from two hospitals from July 2014 to September 2020. All patients had symptoms of acute persistent abdominal pain accompanied by varying degrees of nausea and vomiting. The diagnosis of SIVAD was made according to the multidetector CT angiography (CTA) findings. We retrospectively analyzed the patients' medical records. According to our previous clinical experience, the Protege EverFlex self-expanding bare stent was used in these patients, and we subsequently followed up the patients to record and analyze their outcomes after surgery. The imaging results before and after the operations were compared. Results All 28 patients were successfully implanted with Protege EverFlex stents. The true lumen blood flow of the SIVAD recovered during the operation. The residual stenosis rate was less than 30%, and the technical success rate was 100%. There were no complications, such as bleeding, intestinal necrosis, digestive tract perforation, liver failure or spleen infarction. The abdominal pain was relieved or eliminated in all patients. Conclusion The Protege EverFlex self-expanding bare stent and the endovascular approach could be a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment method for SIVAD with a high success rate and a relatively low price.

Background With a population of more than 5 million, Yi is the largest of the 25 ethnic groups in Yunnan Province, China. Yi people tend to live in mountainous areas, and their culture includes a unique dietary system for treating illnesses and protecting people against them. Medicinal plants occupy an essential place in the Yi diet because they play a key role in health and the prevention and treatment of diseases. The objectives of this paper were to document the medicinal dietary plants and the traditional knowledge associated with them and describes this paper adequately. Methods Field investigations were carried out in six villages in Mile County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, from July 2017 to May 2018. Information was collected using participatory rural appraisal (PRA), direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, individual discussions, focus group discussions, and questionnaires. Results The study documented 124 species belonging to 62 families and 102 genera. These included: angiosperms (117 spp.), gymnosperms (3), pteridophytes (2), lichens (1), and fungi (1). The most commonly used plant parts were fruits and roots. The most frequently used edible parts were fruits, and the most frequently used medicinal parts were roots. The medicinal parts were used to treat conditions such as cough, catarrh, rheumatism, swelling, kidney deficiency, spleen deficiency, gastric disease, and others. Some of the plants required special preparation. Several had good economic potential due to their significant effects. In addition, a number of these plants are scarce and require conservation. The use-value (UV) and frequency of utilization index (FUI) of medicinal dietary plant species were analyzed. The 20 species with the highest UV were noted as particularly important to the Yi people’s daily life in Mile county. Conclusion A wide variety of medicinal dietary plants is used by Yi people in Mile. These plants occupy an essential position in the Yi diet and medicine. These plants are not only nutritious but also have medicinal value and, by consuming them, the Yi people maintain health and treat diseases through their daily diet. Ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal dietary plants provide a theoretical reference for the conservation and sustainable use of these plant resources and can contribute to the protection of the Yi food culture and traditional medicine in Mile. In addition, this information provides a basis for the development and utilization of Yi ethnic medicine and health products.

Methyl-Cantharidimide (MCA) is a derivative of cantharidin which has potential anticancer activity. This study investigates the effect of MCA on the growth and metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Human HCC HepG2 and Hep3B2.1-7 cells, and normal hepatocytes (L02) were treated with a series of concentrations of MCA. The inhibition ability of these cells was examined by CCK-8 assay. Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were determined using Flow Cytometry. The effect of MCA on cell migration and invasion was evaluated through scratch wound healing and transwell migration assays. Furthermore, Western blot was used to evaluate biomarkers associated with cell cycle and apoptosis. It was found that: (i) MCA inhibited cell proliferation in HCC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, especially in HepG2 cells; (ii) MCA arrested HCC cells in G-1 phase cell cycle; (iii) MCA induced HCC cells apoptosis; (iv) MCA inhibited the migration ability of HCC cells; and (v) MCA treatment significantly increased cleaved-caspase3 and decreased NF-κB protein in HCC cells. These results suggest that MCA has cytotoxic effect on HCC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and promoting apoptosis. MCA could be developed as an previous anticancer drug for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

This study develops an integrated, multi-scale model of the pilot concentrated high intensity electric field (CHIEF) system using the finite element method (FEM). The CHIEF system is a novel non-thermal pasteurization technology that uses medium to low voltage (≤10 kV) frequency AC (60 Hz) power supply, and offers satisfactory pasteurization results for liquid food such as juice and milk. The model in this study provides accurate predictions for the fluid behavior, electric field distribution and temperature profile and is validated using experimental results. Results from the model shows that the CHIEF system can provide electric field up to 4000 kV/m with a power supply of 10 kV, enabling a 6-log reduction of bacteria kill. Furthermore, recommendations and optimizations are made based on the modeling results, which would benefit for the process scale-up and design.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α3 subtype (α3-nAChR) plays a pivotal role in regulating inflammatory responses. Inflammation leads to the adipose tissue dysfunction and further increases the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, we hypothesize that α3-nAChR could regulate the disorder of adipose functions. Adipocytokines and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-/-) mice after α3-nAChR was antagonized and in adipocytes after α3-nAChR gene was silenced. Results showed that in high fat diet-fed ApoE-/- mice with α3-nAChR blocked and in IL-6-stimulated adipocytes with α3-nAChR gene silenced the productions of leptin, resistin, triglyceride, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein were significantly increased but the generations of adiponectin and high density lipoprotein were markedly deceased. Meanwhile, the release of inflammatory cytokines was notably augmented. Moreover, the activation of JAK2/STAT3 was involved in the α3-nAChR-dependent signaling pathways in the regulation of adipose tissue dysfunction. A way may be paved for further investigations for the regulatory role of α3-nAChR in inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

Precipitation quantity and timing have been shown to fundamentally influence grassland ecosystem CO 2 exchange by both model simulation and field observation. Carbon dioxide exchange and patterns of variation (magnitude and timing) in precipitation were observed to determine their relationship in typical steppe in Inner Mongolia Plateau during four years (2003–2006) with different rainfall patterns. The response of ecosystem-level CO 2 fluxes to rainfall pulse events was also examined. The four years studied were classified into three levels of rainfall amount (100%, 2004; reduced by 70% in 2005 and by 45% in 2006 compared with 2004) and two temporal patterns of rain events (average temporal patterns in 2004 and altered precipitation timing in 2003, a year with precipitation fell during the first half of the growing season, compared with 2004). The grassland ecosystem switched from a carbon sink (2004) to carbon sources (2005 and 2006) under reduced rainfall amounts. Carbon sink reduced by 34% under variational rainfall timing conditions (2003). There was a significant positive correlation between annual rainfall and above-ground NPP across the study ( P = 0.05, r 2 = 0.9). Antecedent soil water before rainfall pulse and rainfall pulse size are important in controlling the response of CO 2 exchange to rainfall in this steppe. After rainfall pulse events, CO 2 fluxes had 4 to 5 days of system-level hysteresis and the increase degree of CO 2 exchange was different among the four years. Precipitation pulse size not only affected the duration of CO 2 fluxes, but also instant flux rate. Our results suggest that CO 2 exchange in temperate steppe will be more sensitive to altered rainfall timing and more affected by changes in rainfall quantity, with a longer dry season resulting in significant C losing from Eurasia grassland in Inner Mongolia Plateau.

We used an eddy covariance technique to measure evapotranspiration and carbon flux over two very different growing seasons for a typical steppe on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. The rainfall during the 2004 growing season (344.7 mm) was close to the annual average (350.43 mm). In contrast, precipitation during the 2005 growing season was significantly lower than average (only 126 mm). The wet 2004 growing season had a higher peak evapotranspiration (4 mm day(-1)) than did the dry 2005 growing season (3.3 mm day(-1)). In 2004, latent heat flux was mainly a consumption resource for net radiation, accounting for similar to 46% of net radiation. However, sensible heat flux dominated the energy budget over the whole growing season in 2005, accounting for 60% of net radiation. The evaporative rate (LE/R-n) dropped by a factor of four from the non-soil stress to soil water limiting conditions. Maximum half-hourly CO2 uptake was -0.68 mg m(-2) s(-1) and maximum ecosystem exchange was 4.3 g CO2 m(-2) day(-1) in 2004. The 2005 drought growing stage had a maximum CO2 exchange value of only -0.22 mg m(-2) s(-1) and a continuous positive integrated-daily CO2 flux over the entire growing season, i.e. the ecosystem became a net carbon source. Soil respiration was temperature dependent when the soil was under non-limiting soil moisture conditions, but this response declined with soil water stress. Water availability and a high vapor pressure deficit severely limited carbon fixing of this ecosystem; thus, during the growing season, the capacity to fix CO2 was closely related to both timing and frequency of rainfall events. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

The effects of different grazing intensities on in situ methane flux and the structure and diversity of the methanotrophic community are measured in the typical grassland of Inner Mongolia. Four grazing intensity sites founded in 1989, control (CK), low-intensity grazing (LG), middle-intensity grazing (MG) and heavy-intensity grazing (HG), were selected. Group-specific PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) of 16S rRNA genes for the type I and type II methanotrophs was used to characterize the composition of the methanotrophic community. DGGE patterns were further analyzed using the method of the Shannon-wiener index H and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS). The results showed that there were no significant differences in methane flux among different sites, yet methanotrophic communities showed significant differences. MDS analysis showed that type I methanotroph community composition at the CK site were significantly different from the three other sites. For type II methanotrophic community composition, it was similar between CK and HG site, and between LG and MG site, while that at the former two sites were significantly different from latter two ones. Additionally Shannon indices of type II methanotrophs were higher at the LG and MG sites than two other sites. Though grazing intensities had an impact on the structure of the methanotrophic community, management-induced changes in the structure of methanotrophic community did not reflect methane consumption capacity across sites. These results suggest that methane consumption is a complex process in soil, and we should be cautious when speculating on the change of methane consumption rates based on a change of methanotrophic community structure.

In this study, we conducted eddy covariance (EC) measurements of water vapor exchange over a typical steppe in a semi-arid area of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. Measurement sites were located within a 25-year-old enclosure with a relatively low leaf area index (similar to 1. 5 m(2) m(-2)) and dominated by Leymus chinensis. Energy balance closure was (H + LE) = 17.09 + 0.69 x (Rn - G) (W/m(2); r(2) = 0.95, n = 6596). Precipitation during the two growing seasons of the study period was similar to the long-term average. The peak evapotranspiration in 2004 was 4 mm d(-1), and 3.5 mm d(-1) in 2003. The maximum latent heat flux was higher than the sensible heat flux, and the sensible heat flux dominated the energy budget at midday during the entire growing season in 2003; latent heat flux was the main consumption component for net radiation during the 2004 growing season. During periods of frozen soil in 2003 and 2004, the sensible heat flux was the primary consumption component for net radiation. The soil heat flux component was similar in 2003 and 2004. The decoupling coefficient (between 0.5 and 0.1) indicates that evapotranspiration was strongly controlled by saturation water vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in this grassland. The results of this research suggest that energy exchange and evapotranspiration were controlled by the phenology of the vegetation and soil water content. In addition, the amount and frequency of rainfall significantly affect energy exchange and evapotranspiration upon the Inner Mongolia plateau. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Eddy covariance technique was used to measure carbon flux during two growing seasons in 2003 and 2004 over typical steppe in the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. The results showed that there were two different CO2 flux diurnal patterns at the grassland ecosystem. One had a dual peak in diurnal course of CO2 fluxes with a depression of CO2 flux after noon, and the other had a single peak. In 2003, the maximum diurnal uptake and emitting value of CO2 were −7.4 and 5.4 g·m−2·d−1 respectively and both occurred in July. While in 2004, the maximum diurnal uptake and release of CO2 were −12.8 and 5.8 g·m−2·d−1 and occurred both in August. The grassland fixed 294.66 and 467.46 g CO2·m−2 in 2003 and 2004, and released 333.14 and 437.17 g CO2·m−2 in 2003 and 2004, respectively from May to September. Water availability and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) are two important factors of controlling CO2 flux. Consecutive precipitation can cause reduction in the ability of ecosystem carbon exchange. Under favorable soil water conditions, daytime CO2 flux is dependent on PAR. CO2 flux, under soil water stress conditions, is obviously less than those under favorable soil water conditions, and there is a light saturation phenomena at PAR=1200 μmol·m−2·s−1. Soil respiration was temperature dependent when there was no soil water stress; otherwise, this response became accumulatively decoupled from soil temperature.

In this study, microwave assisted puffing technology was developed to increase the extraction efficiency of polysaccharides from D. devonianum. Fresh stems of Dendrobium devonianum were processed using microwave puffing technology and the processing conditions were explored and optimized to increase the extraction yield of polysaccharides. The effects of sample length (SL), initial moisture content (IMC), microwave power (MP), and processing time (PT) on quality attributes of the products, in terms of expansion ratio and sensory evaluation, were analyzed using response surface methodology. The optimal SL, IMC, MP, and PT were 3.5 cm, 22%, 702 W, and 31 s, respectively, which resulted in optimal expansion ratio and sensory score of 326.1% and 8.63, respectively. Furthermore, the extraction yield of polysaccharides from the microwave-puffed products was increased by 18.9% compared with that from nonpuffed samples. Antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic activities of polysaccharides from puffed and nonpuffed D. devonianum were also evaluated and compared. Practical applications We developed a novel microwave assisted puffing technology to increase the extraction efficiency of polysaccharides from D. devonianum. Polysaccharides, the major active components of Dendrobium species, exhibit the potential as an inhibitor, including immunomodulator, antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-hyperglycemic agent.

Bioassay-guided isolation of an acetone extract from a terrestrial plant Piper betle produced four known piperamides with potent antifouling (AF) activities, as evidenced by inhibition of settlement of barnacle cypris larvae. The AF activities of the four piperamides and 15 synthesized analogues were compared and their structure–activity relationships were probed. Among the compounds, piperoleine B and 1-[1-oxo-7-(3′,4′-methylenedioxyphenyl)-6E-heptenyl]-piperidine (MPHP) showed strong activity against settlement of cyprids of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite, having EC50 values of 1.1 ± 0.3 and 0.5 ± 0.2 μg ml−1, respectively. No toxicity against zebra fish was observed following incubation with these two compounds. Besides being non-toxic, 91% of piperoleine B-treated cyprids and 84% of MPHP-treated cyprids at a concentration of 100 μM completed normal metamorphosis in recovery bioassays, indicating that the anti-settlement effect of these two compounds was reversible. Hydrolysis and photolysis experiments indicated that MPHP could be decomposed in the marine environment. It is concluded that piperamides are promising compounds for use in marine AF coatings.

Bacteria contaminated liquid food and water, along with the harmful byproducts from chemical disinfection methods, raise concerns to the public health. This article investigated the inactivation of bacteria in liquid food and water using the pilot-scale concentrated high intensity electric field (CHIEF) system. By generating a strong alternate electric field in a small region of the reactor, the pilot CHIEF system was able to inactivate microbes at a continuous operation. Compared with other disinfection methods, the CHIEF system used relatively less energy density to decontaminate and required a shorter treatment time. The mildest energy density required was 500 kJ/L to obtain a 5-log reduction for Escherichia coli, at the minimum treatment time of 4.7 ms. An electric field analysis was performed using both an equivalent-circuit model and numerical simulation. A logarithm function model and a Weibull model were used to describe the effects of energy density and treatment time on the disinfection effectiveness of the CHIEF system. The CHIEF system was compared with other water disinfection methods in multiple aspects, such as treatment time and energy consumption. Practical applications The concentrated high intensity electric field (CHIEF) process presented in this study is a continuous process that can be used to decontaminate liquid food or water. The process operates under non-thermal conditions, which protects the nutrient and flavor of the food. The process uses alternate electric supply at a relatively low voltage (≤ 10 kV) and frequency (60 Hz). The reactor design and material selection enable a strong electric field to form within the treatment region, allowing the inactivation of microbes without using the pulsed energy. As a result, the process can achieve effective decontamination under a relatively short treatment time (4.7 ms) and moderate energy cost (500 kJ/L). Since the process eliminates the use of pulse generators, it requires less capital investment and has more scale-up potentials.

Two new antimycin A analogues, antimycin B1 and B2 (1-2), were isolated from a spent broth of a marine-derived bacterium, Streptomyces lusitanus. The structures of 1 and 2 were established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. The isolated compounds were tested for their anti-bacterial potency. Compound 1 was found to be inactive against the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Staphyloccocus aureus, and Loktanella hongkongensis. Compound 2 showed antibacterial activities against S. aureus and L. hongkongensis with MIC values of 32.0 and 8.0 μg/mL, respectively.